The Value of Learning Groups to the 1st Year Undergraduate Experience for Students of Early Childhood.

Learning networks, groups or communities are seen as having the potential to provide supportive, integrative and deep learning processes which can enhance student performance and support transition to university (Peat, Dalziel and Grant 2001; Zhao and Kuh 2004). The provision of a learning environment with opportunities for meaningful academic and social interactions is characteristic of higher education and collaborative learning strategies are frequently used to encourage student selfmanagement, independence and the general development of group skills. Whilst the value-added potential of learning groups is well documented (Peat et al. 2001; Zhao and Kuh 2004; Lizzio and Wilson, 2006), the nature of the course subject is rarely considered as potentially significant to the effectiveness of the group process; the emphasis in research studies being more frequently concerned with generic academic or pastoral functions. The Early Childhood degree at the University of Worcester established learning groups in 2002 as a specific learning and teaching strategy aligning the pedagogic and andragogic philosophy of the subject to promote academic and professional characteristics required as transferable skills for work in the sector. The social constructivist philosophy underpinning the subject and practice of early childhood provided the common, connecting thread for learning groups to have relevance and meaning for personal, academic and professional development. This study investigated the experience and perceived value of learning groups for the first cohort in 2002/3 through a questionnaire, and by interviews focussed more openly on their general first year experience with a sample group of year 1 students in 2008. The findings revealed an overall highly positive perception indicating that learning groups had scope and value as a forum for:- • Building strong relationships and social identity • Co-construction of a learning culture • Reciprocal learning and skill development • Empowerment of adult learners and development of confidence • Enhancing professional development The most useful transferable skills and knowledge gained during the first year came from sharing ideas and relationship building in small group work which gave the students confidence. The findings demonstrate that peer learning groups provide mutual support and learning opportunities which develop skill in working with others which, in turn, students regard as the predominant quality required for their future professional lives

Cultivating Leadership with Prospective Leaders of Practice in the Early Years

This presentation will outline the focus, scope and emerging findings of the evaluation project which follows and assesses a new route to Early Years Professional Status (EYPS) which is run by the Centre for Early Childhood (CEC). This status relates to leadership of practice with children under 5yrs. The pilot route is an initiative sponsored by the Children’s Workforce Development Council. It aims to provide Early Childhood students with an opportunity to work towards their EYPS during their normal BA course. EYPS, despite its relatively short history, is beginning to shape the professional scene of early years professionalism. In order to achieve an EYPS, Early Years Professionals are expected to have accumulated a number of qualities and skills which allow them to develop a creative, critical and innovative approach towards leading and modelling good practice. The pilot project, being part of the BA course, involves some students with relatively small practical experience. From this perspective it is becoming even more important to address the issue of leading and modelling practice. Based on the analysis of the interviews with students, this presentation will focus on students’ own perceptions of leadership as they were at the point of entry in the pilot project

A cluster randomised control trial of a multi-component weight management programme for adults with intellectual disabilities and obesity

There have been few published controlled studies of multi-component weight management programmes that include an energy deficit diet (EDD), for adults with intellectual disabilities and obesity. The objective of this study was to conduct a single-blind, cluster randomised controlled trial comparing a multi-component weight management programme to a health education programme. Participants were randomised to either TAKE 5, which included an EDD or Waist Winners Too (WWToo), based on health education principles. Outcomes measured at baseline, 6 months (after a weight loss phase) and 12 months (after a 6-month weight maintenance phase), by a researcher blinded to treatment allocation, included: weight; BMI; waist circumference; physical activity; sedentary behaviour and health-related quality of life. The recruitment strategy was effective with fifty participants successfully recruited. Both programmes were acceptable to adults with intellectual disabilities, evidenced by high retention rates (90 %). Exploratory efficacy analysis revealed that at 12 months there was a trend for more participants in TAKE 5 (50·0 %) to achieve a clinically important weight loss of 5-10 %, in comparison to WWToo (20·8 %) (OR 3·76; 95 % CI 0·92, 15·30; 0·064). This study found that a multi-component weight management programme that included an EDD, is feasible and an acceptable approach to weight loss when tailored to meet the needs of adults with intellectual disabilities and obesity

Novel norovirus recombinants detected in South Africa

BACKGROUND: Noroviruses (NoV) are the leading cause of viral gastroenteritis worldwide. Recombination frequently occurs within and between NoV genotypes and recombinants have been implicated in sporadic cases, outbreaks and pandemics of NoV. There is a lack of data on NoV recombinants in Africa and therefore their presence and diversity was investigated in South Africa (SA). RESULTS: Between 2010 and 2013, eleven types of NoV recombinants were identified in SA. Amplification of the polymerase/capsid region spanning the ORF1/2 junction and phylogenetic analysis confirmed each of the recombinant types. SimPlot and maximum x(2) analysis indicated that all recombinants had a breakpoint in the region of the ORF1/2 junction (P < 0.05). The majority (9/11) were intergenotype recombinants, but two intragenotype GII.4 recombinants were characterised. Three combinations represent novel recombinants namely GII.P not assigned (NA)/GII.3, GII.P4 New Orleans 2009/GII.4 NA and GII.P16/GII.17. Several widely reported recombinants were identified and included GII.P21/GII.2, GII.P21/GII.3, GII.Pe/GII.4 Sydney 2012, and GII.Pg/GII.12. Other recombinants that were identified were GII.Pg/GII.1, GII.Pe/GII.4 Osaka 2007, GII.P4 New Orleans 2009/GII.4 Sydney 2012, GII.P7/GII.6. To date these recombinant types all have a reportedly restricted geographic distribution. This is the first report of the GII.P4 New Orleans 2009/GII.4 Sydney 2012 recombinant in Africa. CONCLUSIONS: Over the past four years, remarkably diverse NoV recombinants have been circulating in SA. Pandemic strains such as the GII.Pe/GII.4 Sydney 2012 recombinant co-circulated with novel and emerging recombinant strains. Combined polymerase- and capsid-based NoV genotyping is essential to determine the true diversity and global prevalence of these viruses

A single-blind, pilot randomised trial of a weight management intervention for adults with intellectual disabilities and obesity: study protocol

Background: The prevalence of obesity in adults with intellectual disabilities has consistently been reported to be higher than the general population. Despite the negative impact of obesity on health, there is little evidence of the effectiveness of weight management interventions for adults with intellectual disabilities and obesity. Preliminary results from a single-stranded feasibility study of a multi-component weight management intervention specifically designed for adults with intellectual disabilities and obesity (TAKE 5) and that satisfied clinical recommendations reported that it was acceptable to adults with intellectual disabilities and their carers. This study aims to determine the feasibility of a full-scale clinical trial of TAKE 5.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Methods: This study will follow a pilot randomised trial design. Sixty-six obese participants (body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2) will be randomly allocated to the TAKE 5 multi-component weight management intervention or a health education ‘active’ control intervention (Waist Winners Too (WWToo)). Both interventions will be delivered over a 12-month period. Participants’ anthropometric measures (body weight, BMI, waist circumference, percentage body fat); indicators of activity (levels of physical activity and sedentary behaviour) and well-being will be measured at three time points: baseline, 6 and 12 months. The researcher collecting outcome measures will be blind to study group allocation.&lt;p&gt;&lt;/p&gt; Conclusions: The data from this study will generate pilot data on the acceptability of randomisation, attrition rates and the estimates of patient-centred outcomes of TAKE 5, which will help inform future research and the development of a full-scale randomised clinical trial

Optimising treatment outcomes using Stereotactic Body Radiotherapy (SBRT) for prostate cancer

Aims: to optimise linear accelerator-based prostate stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) through planning studies, tumour control probability (TCP) and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP) calculations and radiation-induced second primary cancer (RISPC) risk assessment. Methods: A planning study was performed to develop a class solution for prostate SABR. A second planning study delivered boosts to dominant intra-prostatic lesions (DILs) and TCP and NTCP were calculated. A third planning study compared prostate SABR planning using flattened and flattening filter free (FFF) beams. A systematic review examined RISPC risk following prostate radiotherapy. A final study estimated RISPC risks following prostate SABR in comparison to other contemporary radiation techniques. Results: Prostate SABR was optimal using a single anterior arc which resulted in highly conformal plans, lower rectal doses and improved delivery times and monitor unit requirements for most patients. Boosting DILs resulted in small TCP increases, but the benefit was offset by increases in NTCP. SABR to the whole prostate without DIL boosting resulted in high TCP and low NTCP. Plans using flattened and FFF beams were dosimetrically similar but FFF resulted in reduced delivery times. Clinical evidence, largely based on older radiation techniques, suggests that prostate radiotherapy increases RISPC risk. Clinical evidence concerning risk following modern techniques is too immature to draw firm conclusions. The final study demonstrated that SABR techniques resulted in lower estimated RISPC risks in all organs compared to conventionally fractionated techniques, while FFF techniques reduced RISPC risks in out-of-field organs. Conclusions: Linear accelerator-based prostate SABR delivered with a single partial arc is optimal and high levels of TCP and low levels of NTCP are predicted from whole prostate SABR. FFF allows faster treatment delivery. Second malignancy risk is lower using SABR, particularly with FFF, compared to conventionally fractionated techniques. Phase III trials are required to investigate prostate SABR in practice

Test re-test reliability of the Boston Naming Test and the Visual Naming Test on normal subjects with a comparison to subjects with complex partial seizure disorder.

A number of neurological illnesses including temporal lobe epilepsy have been shown to result in deficits of confrontation naming or anomia. The Boston Naming Test (BNT) and the Visual Naming Test (VNT) are both standardized measures of naming ability. Serving as a neurologically intact group, thirty adult volunteers from the Windsor area were administered the BNT, VNT and the Controlled Oral Word Association Test (COWAT) on two occasions separated by a two month interval. Temporal stability of these measures was demonstrated by the high correlation between test re-test scores for the BNT, VNT and COWAT, respectively. Excellent intertest agreement of the BNT and VNT was shown by the high correlation of scores between the two tests. The BNT was administered as part of a Neuropsychological examination at the London Health Sciences Center-University Campus in London Ontario. Thirty-three and forty subjects with left temporal lobe epilepsy (L-TLE) and right temporal lobe epilepsy (R-TLE), respectively were administered the BNT. The L-TLE group performed significantly worse on the BNT compared to the normal and the R-TLE. The R-TLE group scored significantly lower on the BNT than the normal group. Implications for importance of the left inferior temporal lobe in relation to naming ability are discussed.Dept. of Psychology. Paper copy at Leddy Library: Theses & Major Papers - Basement, West Bldg. / Call Number: Thesis1996 .M865. Source: Masters Abstracts International, Volume: 37-01, page: 0368. Adviser: Doug Shore. Thesis (M.A.)--University of Windsor (Canada), 1996

Recovery of platinum group metals from spent furnace linings and used automotive catalysts

The availability of finite resources is uncertain due to the worldwide increase in population growth and global industrialisation. Consequently, there is a pressing need for substitutive replacements and methods of replenishing stocks by recycling. The platinum group metals (PGMs) are rare, expensive elements with an unpredictable supply chain and a wide range of industrial applications for which there are often no substitutes. Mining from primary ores is environmentally damaging; hence recycling is vital to minimise losses and maintain stock at sustainable levels. This work investigates the feasibility of recovering PGMs from secondary waste sources and bioconverting them into new catalysts, circumventing the current environmentally polluting and energy expensive pyrometallurgical processing. Two secondary sources of PGMs were examined: scrap automotive catalysts and spent furnace refractory lining. This study shows a route to improve PGM recycling from secondary waste sources and, further, the potential to produce a catalytically active end product without the need for traditional refining

Designing and evaluating complex interventions to improve health care

Complex interventions are “built up from a number of components, which may act both independently and interdependently.”1 2 Many health service activities should be considered as complex. Evaluating complex interventions can pose a considerable challenge and requires a substantial investment of time. Unless the trials illuminate processes and mechanisms they often fail to provide useful information. If the result is negative, we are left wondering whether the intervention is inherently ineffective (either because the intervention was inadequately developed or because all similar interventions are ineffective), whether it was inadequately applied or applied in an inappropriate context, or whether the trial used an inappropriate design, comparison groups or outcomes. If there is a positive effect, it can be hard to judge how the results of the trial might be applied to a different context (box 1)