Capacity building for primary physical education: enhancing teacher expertise for quality teaching and learning

The publication of the Physical Education Curriculum (1999) in Ireland represented a significant step in providing quality opportunities for the development of the child through physical education. The focus of this thesis is on the potential impact of a programme of professional development in physical education on the provision of improved programmes of physical education for children in Irish primary schools. The programme of professional development based on the Physical Education Curriculum was developed and implemented for primary teachers who were assigned responsibility for leading in-service provision for physical education in the primary school. This programme was provided on a phased basis as they taught in their own school contexts and as they embarked as tutors on the facilitation o f the national in-service programme for primary teachers. Underlying the development of the programme are principles of adult learning, teacher change, professional development and programme design. The aims of the thesis are (1) to describe the development of a specific programme of professional development for tutors whose responsibility is to facilitate a programme of in-service education, (2) to evaluate its effectiveness in helping tutors to facilitate the programme, and (3) to investigate the views of a sample of teachers on the initial phase of the in-service programme and their intentions to implement the curriculum. Survey questionnaires, interviews and observations of tutors - as they taught physical education and as they facilitated the first phase of the in-service programme during the academic year 2004/2005 - were used to investigate the effectiveness of the programme of professional develoment. Similar methods were used to investigate the effect on teachers of the first phase of the in-service programme designed by the tutors. Findings from the study indicated that treatment of relevant content and use of a wide variety o f appropriate teaching methodologies significantly impacted on this programme of professional development. Issues such as the provision o f differentiated sessions, overload regarding treatment of content and the need for exploration of facilitation skills were highlighted. Data gathered revealed that engagement with the programme had impacted on many aspects of the teaching of physical education by tutors, particularly on their planning, the breadth of content taught and the range of methodologies used. In terms of preparing tutors to design and facilitate the in-service programme, the study found that tutors were satisfied that the programme had prepared them well for facilitation. This confidence to facilitate the in-service programme was based on factors such as their content and subject knowledge, the extended period they spent teaching physical education as they engaged with the programme o f professional development and time spent on planning for implementation of the in-service programme for teachers. Evidence gathered from tutors and from a small sample of teachers indicated an increased likelihood of teachers planning and implementing improved programmes of physical education provided constraints identified, such as those related to provision of further support for teachers and funding, are addressed. The study confirmed the importance of the development of expertise in physical education of primary teachers to build capacity to support the teaching o f physical education in Irish primary schools. The implementation of such a policy will require sustained support for the development of expertise beginning with quality programmes of professional development

Anti-tumour effects of a specific anti-ADAM17 antibody in an ovarian cancer model in vivo.

ADAM 17 (TNF-α converting enzyme, TACE) is a potential target for cancer therapy, but the small molecule inhibitors reported to date are not specific to this ADAM family member. This membrane-bound metalloproteinase is responsible for ectodomain shedding of pathologically significant substrates including TNF-α and EGFR ligands. The aim of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics and anti-tumour efficacy of the first specific inhibitor, an anti-human ADAM17 IgG antibody, clone D1(A12). We used intraperitoneal xenografts of the human ovarian cancer cell line IGROV1-Luc in Balb/c nude mice, chosen because it was previously reported that growth of these xenografts is inhibited by knock-down of TNF-α. In vitro, 200 nM D1(A12) inhibited shedding of ADAM17 substrates TNF-α, TNFR1-α, TGF-α, amphiregulin (AREG), HB-EGF and IL-6Rα, from IGROV1-Luc cells, (4.7 nM IC(50) for TNF-α shedding). In IGROV1-Luc xenografts in vivo, D1(A12) IgG showed pharmacokinetic properties suitable for efficacy studies, with a single i.p. dose of 10 mg/kg D1(A12) sufficient to maintain IgG plasma and ascites fluid concentrations above 100 nM for more than 7 days. The plasma half life was 8.6 days. Next, an efficacy study was performed, dosing D1(A12) or anti-human TNF-α antibody infliximab at 10 mg/kg q7d, quantifying IGROV1-Luc tumour burden by bioluminescence. D1(A12) IgG showed a significant reduction in tumour growth (p = 0.005), 56% of vehicle control. Surprisingly, D1(A12) did not reduce the concentration of circulating human TNF-α, suggesting that another enzyme may compensate for inhibition of ADAM17 in vivo (but not in vitro). However, D1(A12) did show clear pharmacodynamic effects in the mice, with significant inhibition of shedding from tumour of ADAM17 substrates TNFR1-α, AREG, and TGF-α (4-15-fold reductions, p<0.0001 for all three). Thus, D1(A12) has anti-ADAM17 activity in vivo, inhibits shedding of EGFR ligands and has potential for use in EGF ligand-dependent tumours

Men's information-seeking behavior regarding cancer risk and screening: A meta-narrative systematic review

Objective: Preventive strategies are known to reduce cancer risk and incidence and improve prognosis. Men seldom seek medical information about cancer prevention and risk reduction. The aim of this meta-narrative systematic review was to critically appraise evidence from qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods studies that explored men's information-seeking behaviors in relation to cancer prevention and risk reduction. Methods: MEDLINE, CINAHL Plus with Full Text, PsycINFO, PsycARTICLES, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, Education Full Text, and ERIC were systematically searched for studies published in English between January 1, 2006 and May 30, 2016. A total of 4117 titles were identified; of which, 31 studies were included (21 qualitative studies, 9 quantitative studies, and 1 mixed-methods study). The methodological quality of the studies was appraised by using different tools. Results: Most studies focused on screening for prostate (n = 18) and colorectal cancer (n = 7). Most men were passive information-gatherers rather than active information-seekers. Key sources of information included the Internet for active information-seekers and health care professionals for passive information-gatherers. Barriers to information-seeking included information overload, embarrassment, and fear. Low literacy and health literacy levels were addressed in 3 studies and were identified as impediments to active information-seeking. Facilitators to information-seeking included family support, media, celebrity endorsements, and targeted information. Conclusions: Men's information-seeking behavior regarding cancer risk reduction, prevention, and screening is influenced by several factors. This necessitates targeted interventions aimed at raising awareness of cancer prevention and screening, while accounting for men's informational needs, preferred learning strategies, and literacy levels

The development, reliability, and validity of the Facilitator Assessment Tool: an implementation fidelity measure used in Parenting for Lifelong Health for Young Children

Background: The Parenting for Lifelong Health for Young Children (PLH-YC) programme aims to reduce violence against children and child behaviour problems among families in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). Although the programme has been tested in four randomised controlled trials and delivered in over 25 countries, there are gaps in understanding regarding the programme's implementation fidelity and, more generally, concerning the implementation fidelity of parenting programmes in LMICs. Aims: This study aims to address these gaps by examining the psychometric properties of the PLH-YC-Facilitator Assessment Tool (FAT)—an observational tool used to measure the competent adherence of PLH-YC facilitators. Examining the psychometric properties of the FAT is important in order to determine whether there is an association between facilitator competent adherence and programme outcomes and, if correlated, to improve facilitator performance. It is also important to develop the implementation literature among parenting interventions in LMICs. Methods: The study examined the content validity, intra-rater reliability, and inter-rater reliability of the FAT. Revision of the tool was based on consultation with programme trainers, experts, and assessors. A training curriculum and assessment manual was created. Assessors were trained in Southeastern Europe and their assessments of facilitator delivery were analysed as part of a large-scale factorial experiment (N = 79 facilitators). Results: The content validity process with PLH-YC trainers, experts, and assessors resulted in substantial improvements to the tool. Analyses of percentage agreements and intraclass correlations found that, even with practical challenges, assessments were completed with adequate yet not strong intra- and inter-rater reliability. Conclusions: This study contributes to the literature on the implementation of parenting programmes in LMICs. The study found that the FAT appears to capture its intended constructs and can be used with an acceptable degree of consistency. Further research on the tool's reliability and validity—specifically, its internal consistency, construct validity, and predictive validity—is recommended

Looking for a simplified approach for the propagation of systematic uncertainty in the motion response of a floater

This new research considers the 3 main motions of the moored floater (surge, heave and pitch) in head waves and it explores ways to estimate the systematic uncertainties on the RAOs, and 2 other metrics for these signals. Based on linear hydrostatics and the linear potential flow theory, simple relations can be found that bind the main characteristics of a floater. These relations are transformed using linear algebra to express how uncertainty bias on the main characteristics of the tested system can be propagated to the motion responses of the floater. Thanks to this approach, variations of the mooring stiffness, position of the centre of mass, radia of gyration can be represented through simple formulations that allow to very effectively assess their impact of the motion RAOs and other metrics. This approach is verified by comparing simulation and test results of the semisubmersible of the MARINET2 floating wind round robin campaign to approximations deduced from these theoretical relations

Uncertainty in wave basin testing of a fixed oscillating water column wave energy converter

This research presents a methodology for carrying out uncertainty analysis on measurements made during wave basin testing of an oscillating water column wave energy converter. Values are determined for type A and type B uncertainty for each parameter of interest, and uncertainty is propagated using the Monte Carlo method to obtain an overall expanded uncertainty with a 95% confidence level associated with the capture width ratio of the device. An investigation into the impact of reflections on the experimental results reveals the importance of identifying the incident and combined wave field at each measurement location used to determine device performance, in order to avoid misleading results

Paternal obesity is associated with IGF2 hypomethylation in newborns: results from a Newborn Epigenetics Study (NEST) cohort

Data from epidemiological and animal model studies suggest that nutrition during pregnancy may affect the health status of subsequent generations. These transgenerational effects are now being explained by disruptions at the level of the epigenetic machinery. Besides in vitro environmental exposures, the possible impact on the reprogramming of methylation profiles at imprinted genes at a much earlier time point, such as during spermatogenesis or oogenesis, has not previously been considered. In this study, our aim was to determine associations between preconceptional obesity and DNA methylation profiles in the offspring, particularly at the differentially methylated regions (DMRs) of the imprinted Insulin-like Growth Factor 2 (IGF2) gene

Promoting men’s knowledge of cancer risk reduction: A systematic review of interventions

Objective: To critically appraise and discuss evidence from interventions designed to increase men's knowledge about cancer risk reduction. Methods: A systematic review was conducted. Six electronic databases were searched for interventions published between January 1st 2006 and May 30th 2016 in English. Studies were included if they used an experimental design, included adult males (≥18 years), and had a primary focus on the acquisition and utilisation of information on cancer risk reduction. The methodological quality of the included studies was appraised. Results: A total of 25 studies met the inclusion criteria, 23 of which involved prostate cancer risk reduction. Twenty-one studies reported knowledge gain among the men. Three studies found that knowledge gain was associated with health literacy. Conclusions: Interventions aiming to improve men’s knowledge about cancer risk reduction require a multimodal approach. Findings highlight the need to design and measure the impact of interventions for men on wider cancer risk reduction topics, while accounting for different socio-demographic and ethnic groups, literacy and health literacy levels. Practice implications: More research is warranted into the development and evaluation of theoretically-driven multimodal community-based approaches to information dissemination for men taking into account their daily information spheres such as workplaces and community environs

Expression of chemokines and their receptors by human brain endothelium: Implications for multiple sclerosis

Leukocyte migration into the CNS is mediated by chemokines, expressed on the surface of brain endothelium. This study investigated the production of chemokines and expression of chemokine receptors by human brain endothelial cells (HBEC), in vitro and in situ in multiple sclerosis tissue. Four chemokines (CCL2, CCL5, CXCL8 and CXCL10), were demonstrated in endothelial cells in situ, which was reflected in the chemokine production by primary HBEC and a brain endothelial cell line, hCEMC/D3. CXCL8 and CCL2 were constitutively released and increased in response to TNF and/or IFN . CXCL10 and CCL5 were undetectable in resting cells but were secreted in response to these cytokines. TNF strongly increased the production of CCL2, CCL5 and CXCL8, while IFN up-regulated CXCL10 exclusively. CCL3 was not secreted by HBECs and appeared to be confined to astrocytes in situ. The chemokine receptors CXCR1 and CXCR3 were expressed by HBEC both in vitro and in situ, and CXCR3 was up-regulated in response to cytokine stimulation in vitro. By contrast, CXCR3 expression was reduced in silent MS lesions. Brain endothelium expresses particularly high levels of CXCL10 and CXCL8, which may account for the predominant TH1-type inflammatory reaction seen in chronic conditions such as multiple sclerosis