Community development, higher education institutions and the Big Society: opportunities or opportunism?

In his Prison Notebooks, written between 1929-35, Gramsci claimed that 'all men are intellectuals: but not all men have in society the function of intellectuals.' He used this term 'organic intellectuals' to illustrate that those working at grassroots level who have significant knowledge(s) about the way communities of all types work, are as important to the development of society as academic intellectuals. This article explores the current idea of a 'Big Society' as a hegemonic idea. This exploration is undertaken in relation to the current economic, social and political situation and with reference to the practice of community development, lifelong learning and the role of the Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) in supporting this field of activity. In this article we use the term 'community development' as Tett defines in Morgan-Klein and Osborne (2007:104). She claims it means to 'increase the capacity of particular communities through targeted resources for particular areas'. We specifically explore the following areas: <p> • challenging the hegemonic ideas and policies • practising within the restrictions of cuts and limited resources • setting up supportive networks which will sustain workers • making meaningful international links abroad and using international examples of good practice • turning the ideology of the Big Society into an opportunity</p> We will pose the critical questions that we think need to be addressed and which we hope will help us to find direction and an understanding of the way forward at a deeper level. We hope to create both useful and innovative knowledge which will be a valid contribution to the field of community development

Dropping the Gloves: Fighting for Varsity Status Under Title IX— The Rise of Women’s Ice Hockey at the University of Maine

Ice hockey at the University of Maine is a culture, of sorts. The university has a long tradition of supporting and growing a large fan base around its Division 1 varsity men’s ice hockey team. On the opposite end of that, the university’s female counterpart, the varsity women’s ice hockey team appears to get lost in the fray when discussing the hockey culture at the school. The purpose of this thesis is to tell the story of UMaine’s women’s ice hockey team. From the creation of the team as a club in the late 1970s, the organization battled through a reboot in the early 80s and eventually took on the university when it made its push to achieve the varsity status it has today. Through contacting former players and researching articles from local news sources, including Bangor Daily News and The Maine Campus, this thesis serves as an extended journalistic feature story, detailing and retelling the story of the University of Maine women’s ice hockey team

Altered hippocampal plasticity by prenatal kynurenine administration, kynurenine-3-monoxygenase (KMO) deletion or galantamine

Glutamate receptors sensitive to N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) are involved in embryonic brain development but their activity may be modulated by the kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism which includes an agonist (quinolinic acid) and an antagonist (kynurenic acid) at these receptors. Our previous work has shown that prenatal inhibition of the pathway produces abnormalities of brain development. In the present study kynurenine and probenecid (both 100 mg/kg, doses known to increase kynurenic acid levels in the brain) were administered to female Wistar rats on embryonic days E14, E16 and E18 of gestation and the litter was allowed to develop to post-natal day P60. Western blotting revealed no changes in hippocampal expression of several proteins previously found to be altered by inhibition of the kynurenine pathway including the NMDA receptor subunits GluN1, GluN2A and GluN2B, as well as doublecortin, Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA), sonic hedgehog and unco-ordinated (unc)-5H1 and 5H3. Mice lacking the enzyme kynurenine-3-monoxygenase (KMO) also showed no changes in hippocampal expression of several of these proteins or the 70-kDa and 100-kDa variants of Disrupted in Schizophrenia-1 (DISC1). Electrical excitability of pyramidal neurons in the CA1 region of hippocampal slices was unchanged, as was paired-pulse facilitation and inhibition. Long-term potentiation was decreased in the kynurenine-treated rats and in the KMO(−/−) mice, but galantamine reversed this effect in the presence of nicotinic receptor antagonists, consistent with evidence that it can potentiate glutamate at NMDA receptors. It is concluded that interference with the kynurenine pathway in utero can have lasting effects on brain function of the offspring, implying that the kynurenine pathway is involved in the regulation of early brain development

Thoughts from the Editors

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the issue on topics including teaching and learning language arts from preschool to middle school age, the several children\u27s literature, and interviews with several scholars, authors, and researchers

Finding Froebel: National and Cross-National Pedagogical Paths in Froebelian Early Childhood Education

This editorial for special issue part 1 on the pedagogy of Friedrich Froebel situates the articles in the context of the Global Education Reform Movement. It highlights the contributions made to contemporary research and practice in early childhood education, and  advancing understanding of a Froebelian approach

Foot Pain, Impairment and Disability in Patients With Acute Gout Flares; A Prospective Observational Study

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of acute gout on foot pain, impairment and disability. Methods: This prospective observational study recruited 20 patients with acute gout flares. Patients were recruited from emergency departments, hospital wards and rheumatology outpatient clinics throughout Auckland, New Zealand. Patients were recruited at the time of the flare (baseline visit) and then reassessed at a follow-up visit once the acute flare had resolved 6-8 weeks after the initial assessment. Joint counts, C-reactive protein and serum urate were recorded at both visits. General and foot-specific outcome measures were also recorded at each visit including pain visual analogue scale, Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ)-II, Lower Limb Tasks Questionnaire, and the Leeds Foot Impact Scale. Results: The foot was affected by acute gout in 14 (70%) patients. Objective measures of joint inflammation including swollen and tender joint counts and C-reactive protein significantly improved at the follow-up visit, compared with the baseline visit. At baseline, high levels of foot pain, impairment and disability were reported. All patient-reported outcome measures of general and foot-specific musculoskeletal function improved at the follow-up visit compared with the baseline visit. However, pain, impairment and disability scores did not entirely normalise after resolution of the acute gout flare. Conclusions: Patients with acute gout flares experience severe foot pain, impairment and disability. These data provide further support for improved management of gout to prevent the consequences of poorly controlled disease

The footwear experiences of people wth Gout- a qualitative study

Abstract Background: Footwear is an important concern for people with gout, who often describe difficulty finding suitable footwear. Previous studies have identified footwear as a major concern for people with gout. The aim of this study was to carry out an exploration of the footwear experiences of people with gout. Methods: A qualitative descriptive methodological approach was used for both data collection and analysis. A purposive sampling strategy was adopted with semi-structured interviews conducted, involving 11 participants with gout. Thematic analysis was employed to identify key meanings and patterns within the data. Results: Four key themes derived from interviews included; (1) comfort as a priority, (2) knowing what to buy, (3) knowing what to wear, and (4) challenges of different environments. Footwear comfort was of great importance and linked to characteristics of footwear, with uncomfortable footwear negatively influencing participation in daily activities. The balancing of comfort, appearance and cost, led to less options and reduced confidence when shoe shopping. Footwear use was further limited by the presence of foot tophi and flares, resulting in compromise of footwear choice. Environments such as formal settings and the workplace, led to different footwear requirements. Conclusion: People with gout experience problems with footwear which can impact many aspects of life. Health care professionals should consider these footwear-related issues to help facilitate those with gout in finding appropriate footwear. Keywords: Gout, Footwear, Qualitative researc

Assessing the quality of written information provision for surgical procedures:A case study in oesophagectomy

OBJECTIVE: To examine the content and quality of written information provided by surgical centres for patients undergoing oesophagectomy for cancer. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study of the content of National Health Service (NHS) patient information leaflets (PILs) about oesophageal cancer surgery, using a modified framework approach. DATA SOURCES: Written information leaflets from 41 of 43 cancer centres undertaking surgery for oesophageal cancer in England and Wales (response rate 95.3%). ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: All English language versions of PILs about oesophagectomy. RESULTS: 32 different PILs were identified, of which 2 were generic tools (Macmillan ‘understanding cancer of the gullet’ and EIDO ‘oesophagectomy’). Although most PILs focused on describing in-hospital adverse events, information varied widely and was often misleading. Just 1 leaflet described survival benefits of surgery and 2 mentioned the possibility of disease recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: Written information provided for patients by NHS cancer centres undertaking oesophagectomy is inconsistent and incomplete. It is recommended that surgeons work together with patients to agree on standards of information provision of relevance to all stakeholders’ needs