Multi-Modal Delivery Approaches in Teaching Postgraduate Legal Research Courses

This paper commences with a consideration of the rationales for teaching legal research to postgraduate students. It discusses the importance of legal research to the dynamic and ever-changing discipline of law and the added significance of this area to postgraduate study. The paper then discusses the learning needs of postgraduate students and the changing educational environment that they face, and how new directions in education and developments in student numbers and background, funding and technology affect this environment. It examines the contextual needs of postgraduate students and how these affect their expectations of postgraduate study. The paper concludes with an analysis of the results of a survey of students undertaking the subject Advanced Legal Research as to various modes of delivery and considers some recommendations arising from the responses

Modification of Aluminium Surface Using Picosecond Laser for Printing Applications

Ultrafast picosecond laser pulses of wavelength of 1064nm have allowed the surface modification of anodised aluminium plate for potential industrial application. The interaction of the laser with the substrate created a hydrophilic surface, giving a contact angle of less than 10 degrees. On examination under a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), it was observed that these surfaces have an interesting ‘lotus-leaf’ like structure. It has been found that these laser processed hydrophilic surfaces revert with time. The potential for application in the printing industry is strong due to the reusability and sustainability of the process materials; initial trials confirm this. This technology would offer extra advantages as a non-chemical process without the need for developer, thereby reducing the overall cost and time of printin

Cost-effectiveness of HCV case-finding for people who inject drugs via dried blood spot testing in specialist addiction services and prisons

ObjectivesPeople who inject drugs (PWID) are at high risk for acquiring hepatitis C virus (HCV), but many are unaware of their infection. HCV dried blood spot (DBS) testing increases case-finding in addiction services and prisons. We determine the cost-effectiveness of increasing HCV case-finding among PWID by offering DBS testing in specialist addiction services or prisons as compared to using venepuncture.DesignCost-utility analysis using a dynamic HCV transmission model among PWID, including: disease progression, diagnosis, treatment, injecting status, incarceration and addition services contact.Setting uk interventionDBS testing in specialist addiction services or prisons. Intervention impact was determined by a meta-analysis of primary data.Primary and secondary outcome measuresCosts (in UK £, £1=US$1.60) and utilities (quality-adjusted life years, QALYs) were attached to each state and the incremental cost effectiveness ratio (ICER) determined. Multivariate uncertainty and one-way sensitivity analyses were performed.ResultsFor a £20 000 per QALY gained willingness-to-pay threshold, DBS testing in addiction services is cost-effective (ICER of £14 600 per QALY gained). Under the base-case assumption of no continuity of treatment/care when exiting/entering prison, DBS testing in prisons is not cost-effective (ICER of £59 400 per QALY gained). Results are robust to changes in HCV prevalence; increasing PWID treatment rates to those for ex-PWID considerably reduces ICER (£4500 and £30 000 per QALY gained for addiction services and prison, respectively). If continuity of care is >40%, the prison DBS ICER falls below £20 000 per QALY gained.ConclusionsDespite low PWID treatment rates, increasing case-finding can be cost-effective in specialist addiction services, and in prisons if continuity of treatment/care is ensured

Kolakoski-(2m,2n) are limit-periodic model sets

We consider (generalized) Kolakoski sequences on an alphabet with two even numbers. They can be related to a primitive substitution rule of constant length ell. Using this connection, we prove that they have pure point dynamical and pure point diffractive spectrum, where we make use of the strong interplay between these two concepts. Since these sequences can then be described as model sets with ell-adic internal space, we add an approach to ``visualize'' such internal spaces.Comment: 15 pages, 3 figures; updated references, corrected typo

Beyond Talking: We Need Effective Measures to Tackle Systemic Corruption and the Power That Allows It to Persist in Health Systems; A Response to Recent Commentaries.

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The Visual–Inertial Canoe Dataset

We present a dataset collected from a canoe along the Sangamon River in Illinois. The canoe was equipped with a stereo camera, an inertial measurement unit (IMU), and a global positioning system (GPS) device, which provide visual data suitable for stereo or monocular applications, inertial measurements, and position data for ground truth. We recorded a canoe trip up and down the river for 44 minutes covering a 2.7 km round trip. The dataset adds to those previously recorded in unstructured environments and is unique in that it is recorded on a river, which provides its own set of challenges and constraints that are described in this paper. The dataset is stored on the Illinois Data Bank and can be accessed at: https://doi.org/10.13012/B2IDB-9342111_V1

The Role of Gender and How it Relates to Conflict Management Style and School Culture

This investigation focused on principals, by gender, and the impact that the principals\u27 conflict management style had on cultural aspects in schools. Findings were: principals with a conflict management style that is high in dominating show lower school culture scores in professional development, and, conversely, principals with a conflict management style that is high in initiating indicate higher school culture scores in teacher collaboration. When split by gender, the findings were: male principals whose conflict management style is dominating receive lower school culture scores in teacher collaboration, while female principals whose conflict management style was viewed as integrating receive higher school culture scores in professional development and teacher collaboration

The Role of Gender and How it Relates to Conflict Management Style and School Culture

This investigation focused on principals, by gender, and the impact that the principals\u27 conflict management style had on cultural aspects in schools. Findings were: principals with a conflict management style that is high in dominating show lower school culture scores in professional development, and, conversely, principals with a conflict management style that is high in initiating indicate higher school culture scores in teacher collaboration. When split by gender, the findings were: male principals whose conflict management style is dominating receive lower school culture scores in teacher collaboration, while female principals whose conflict management style was viewed as integrating receive higher school culture scores in professional development and teacher collaboration

Combination interventions to prevent HCV transmission among people who inject drugs: modelling the impact of antiviral treatment, needle and syringe programs, and opiate substitution therapy

BackgroundInterventions such as opiate substitution therapy (OST) and high-coverage needle and syringe programs (HCNSP) cannot substantially reduce hepatitis C virus (HCV) prevalence among people who inject drugs (PWID). HCV antiviral treatment may prevent onward transmission. We project the impact of combining OST, HCNSP, and antiviral treatment on HCV prevalence/incidence among PWID.MethodsAn HCV transmission model among PWID was used to project the combinations of OST, HCNSP, and antiviral treatment required to achieve different prevalence and incidence reductions within 10 years for 3 chronic prevalence scenarios and the impact of HCV treatment if only delivered through OST programs. Multivariate and univariate sensitivity analyses were performed.ResultsLarge reductions (&gt;45%) in HCV chronic prevalence over 10 years require HCV antiviral treatment. Scaling up OST and HCNSP substantially reduces the treatment rate required to achieve specific HCV prevalence reductions. If OST and HCNSP coverage were increased to 40% each (no coverage at baseline), then annually treating 10, 23, or 42 per 1000 PWID over 10 years would halve prevalence for 20%, 40%, or 60% baseline chronic HCV prevalences, respectively. Approximately 30% fewer treatments are necessary with new direct-acting antivirals. If coverage of OST and HCNSP is 50% at baseline, similar prevalence reductions require higher treatment rates for the same OST and HCNSP coverage.ConclusionsCombining antiviral treatment with OST with HCNSP is critical for achieving substantial reductions (&gt;50%) in HCV chronic prevalence over 10 years. Empirical studies are required on how best to scale up antiviral treatment and combine treatment with other interventions

How Do Nigerian Newspapers Report Corruption in the Health System?

BACKGROUND: Nigeria has a huge burden of corruption, with the health system especially vulnerable. The media can play a role in tackling it, by shaping the narrative around it. However, its influence depends on the extent and framing of its reporting on corruption. This paper reviews, for the first time, coverage of corruption in the health system in the Nigerian print media. METHODS: The top 10, by circulation, newspapers in Nigeria were selected and searched using the LexisNexis database for articles covering corruption in the health sector over a 2-year period (2016-2018). Two newspapers are not included in the database and were searched manually. 135 articles were identified and subject to content and framing analyses. RESULTS: The Punch newspaper had the highest number of publications focussed on corruption in the health sector. The National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) was the organization attracting most coverage, followed by the Federal Ministry of Health. Corruption in the health sector was predominantly framed as a political issue. Most coverage was episodic, focused on the details of the particular case, with much less thematic, delving into underlying causes. Corruption was most often attributed to a lack of accountability while enforcement was the most frequent solution proffered. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the potential role of media analyses in helping to understand how newspapers cover corruption in the health sector in Nigeria. It argues that the media has the potential to act as an agent of change for tackling corruption within the health sector