School-based friendships among students with special educational needs. ESRI Research Bulletin 2017/11

Inclusive education is a key goal of education systems worldwide with much of the policy emphasis on educating children with special educational needs in mainstream schools. Part of the human rights agenda, the principle of inclusive education argues that any form of segregation for students is morally wrong. Ireland has lagged behind other countries in implementing inclusive education policies, although this has begun to change over the last decade. The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act (2004) was a landmark document. It emphasises the need for students with special educational needs to be educated alongside their peers in mainstream settings. Since its publication, the profile of mainstream primary classrooms has changed with over a quarter of children having some form of additional need. Despite these changes, many caution against simply physically including children with special educational needs in mainstream settings and stress the need for genuine inclusion with meaningful social participation. Previous research has shown that positive peer relations can affect not only the wellbeing of the child but also their academic outcomes

How to stop public health conferences becoming trade fairs.

Reflecting the new wave of global public health, which now seems to be finally reoriented towards embracing its social mission and responsibilities, the 12th World Congress on Public Health, recently held in Istanbul, dedicated many of its sessions to ethics and the right to health. Indeed, the Congress title, 'Making a Difference in Global Public Health: Education, Research and Practice', sounded like a call to action. But faultless theory and socially responsible state- ments, set out and declared in Istanbul, were accompanied by corporate sponsorship which we see as inappropriate, and sessions that were in conflict with the interests of public health. This commentary reflects the views of a number of participants at the Congress about the corporate influence on public health conferences and, more generally, inap- propriate corporate influence on public health teaching, research and practice

Reliability and Validity of Swallows as a Measure of Breast Milk Intake in the First Days of Life

Background: Breastfeeding assessment in the hospital to determine adequacy of feeds remains controversial. Swallow evaluation is integral to current assessment tools, but the literature is not clear about whether the number of swallows is an accurate indicator of breast milk intake in early postpartum. Objectives: To determine the reliability and validity of swallows as a measure of breast milk intake in the first days of a newborn’s life. Methods: Thirty mother-baby dyads were observed at one breastfeeding; pre- and postfeed weights were done, bedside audible swallows were counted, and feeds were videotaped for independent rating. Milk intake was determined from weight change, adjusted for insensible water loss. Results: Number of swallows was significantly and positively correlated with breast milk intake (r = .71). Number of swallows alone, however, accounted for only 50.8% (R2 = .508) of the variation in milk intake. Infant age was the best predictor of milk intake (ßage = .56 vs ßNo. swallows = .36), accounting for 68% of the variation in milk intake when combined with swallows. The majority of infants took in 10 g or less of breast milk (77%); length of feeds was variable. In-room (at bedside) lactation consultant (LC) and video rater LC swallow counts were significantly and positively correlated (r = .93;P < .01). However, the 2 lactation consultant swallow numbers include clinically important discrepancies in a Bland-Altman analysis. Conclusions: Number of swallows was not supported as a reliable or valid indicator of milk intake and adequacy of a feed in the first few days of life

Evidence-based Intervention with Women Pregnant after Perinatal Loss

Purpose: To test the feasibility and acceptability of a caring-based nurse home visit intervention for women pregnant after perinatal loss (PAL), the goal of which was to provide a safe, supportive environment, normalize the pregnancy after loss, reduce anxiety and depression through stress reduction skills, and facilitate prenatal attachment. Study Design and Methods: This mixed methods study was conducted in two phases: Phase I, to determine the components of the intervention, and Phase II, a randomized trial that used the revised intervention components. Pregnant women with a history of at least one perinatal loss (9 in Phase I and 24 in Phase II) were recruited from obstetrical practices. Phase II sample size was adequate to detect group differences. Background measures of demographics, obstetrical history, and meaning of past losses were collected at baseline. Measured at three points across pregnancy were threat appraisal of pregnancy; and emotional states: anxiety (pregnancy, state, trait), depression, self mastery, prenatal attachment, and satisfaction with social support. The caring-based nurse home visit intervention included activities aimed to reduce anxiety and promote prenatal attachment. The control group were sent pregnancy information booklets that coincided with their gestational age. Qualitative and quantitative evaluations were obtained. Results: In Phase I, 8 women received the intervention; in Phase II, 13 received the intervention and 11 were in the control group. No baseline between-group differences were found. The intervention group had significantly higher satisfaction with social support over time. Women's evaluations were very positive; home visits were rated most liked and helpful. They appreciated a knowledgeable nurse who knew their story, listened, normalized the PAL experience, and was there with nonjudgmental support. Clinical Implications: The intervention is both feasible and acceptable. Most women felt that they could reduce their own anxiety using the tools and skills they were provided. Healthcare providers should consider past history's impact on current pregnancy experiences and incorporate process and content of the intervention into their practice

Host specialisation in ticks and transmission of tick-borne diseases: a review

Determining patterns of host use, and the frequency at which these patterns change, are of key importance if we are to understand tick population dynamics, the evolution of tick biodiversity, and the circulation and evolution of associated pathogens. The question of whether ticks are typically host specialists or host generalists has been subject to much debate over the last half-century. Indeed, early research proposed that morphological diversity in ticks was linked to host specific adaptations and that most ticks were specialists. Later work disputed this idea and suggested that ticks are largely limited by biogeographic conditions and tend to use all locally available host species. The work presented in this review suggests that the actual answer likely lies somewhere between these two extremes. Although recent observational studies support the view that phylogenetically diverse host species share ticks when found on similar ecological ranges, theory on host range evolution predicts that host specialisation should evolve in ticks given their life history characteristics. Contemporary work employing population genetic tools to examine host-associated population structure in several tick systems support this prediction and show that simple species records are not enough to determine whether a parasite is a true host generalist; host specialisation does evolve in ticks at local scales, but may not always lead to speciation. Ticks therefore seem to follow a pattern of being global generalists, local specialists. Given this, the notion of host range needs to be modified from an evolutionary perspective, where one simply counts the number of hosts used across the geographic distribution, to a more ecological view, where one considers host use at a local scale, if we are to better understand the circulation of tick-borne pathogens and exposure risks for humans and livestock

How to stop public health conferences becoming trade fairs

Bodini C, Martino A, McCoy D, et al. How to stop public health conferences becoming trade fairs. Public Health Nutrition. 2009;12(9):1581-1583