Teacher education policy making during the pandemic: shifting values underpinning change in England?

This paper examines how the policy process around initial teacher education (ITE) during the pandemic of 2020 was experienced by the leaders of ITE programmes across England.Education policies,it is argued, are solutions to perceived problems, revealing latent values that drive action. Group interviews with leaders of ITE programmes across the education sector, focused on the lived experience of ITE policy developments during the first wave of the COVID-19 period (March to July 2020). The analysis drew upon three policy drivers derived from an examination of teacher education policy (prior to the pandemic) in four ‘high performing’ English-speaking countries (according to PISA). The three policy drivers: the economy and global competitiveness (the rationale for change); accountability and regulatory framework (the technologies for change); and the core purpose of schooling and teacher professionalism (the values underpinning change); show how the temporary policy shift soon reverted back to previous priorities. Agency and autonomy were experienced by teacher educators which enabled them to exercise expert judgment, but there were also the significant ‘gaps’ in the expertise of policymakers. The research reveals how values influences policy formation, creating divisions within England’s ITE community, and isolating it from international policy trends

NON-FREE VORTEX FLOW EFFECTS IN AN AXIAL FLOW ROTOR

This paper presents the analysis of three-dimensional flow field developing through an industrial axial flow fan rotor of non-free vortex design carried out on the basis of concerted experimental and numerical investigations. The paper focuses on non-free vortex flow effects requiring consideration in rotor blade design theories. The distortion of stream surfaces through the blading has been observed and a quantitative analysis of its effects on the blade loading condition has been carried out in the through-flow core region. The streamlines close to the blades have been modelled fitting to outward and inward conical stream tubes on the blade suction and pressure sides, respectively - termed `cone couple model´. It has been pointed out that the blade lift can be satisfactorily described at midspan on the basis of the cone couple model, with use of pitch-averaged flow data. The loading aspects of the tested axial rotor have been discussed on the basis of both the pressure distribution in the vicinity of the blades and pitch-averaged flow data obtained upstream and downstream of the rotor. Sample calculations suggested that separate optimisation of the blade suction and pressure sides is essential if the three-dimensional blade-to-blade flow is intended to be considered in NFV fan design with use of two-dimensional cascade data

Multi Visualization and Dynamic Query for Effective Exploration of Semantic Data

Semantic formalisms represent content in a uniform way according to ontologies. This enables manipulation and reasoning via automated means (e.g. Semantic Web services), but limits the user’s ability to explore the semantic data from a point of view that originates from knowledge representation motivations. We show how, for user consumption, a visualization of semantic data according to some easily graspable dimensions (e.g. space and time) provides effective sense-making of data. In this paper, we look holistically at the interaction between users and semantic data, and propose multiple visualization strategies and dynamic filters to support the exploration of semantic-rich data. We discuss a user evaluation and how interaction challenges could be overcome to create an effective user-centred framework for the visualization and manipulation of semantic data. The approach has been implemented and evaluated on a real company archive

MYC Overexpression Induces Prostatic Intraepithelial Neoplasia and Loss of Nkx3.1 in Mouse Luminal Epithelial Cells

Lo-MYC and Hi-MYC mice develop prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) and prostatic adenocarcinoma as a result of MYC overexpression in the mouse prostate[1]. However, prior studies have not determined precisely when, and in which cell types, MYC is induced. Using immunohistochemistry (IHC) to localize MYC expression in Lo-MYC transgenic mice, we show that morphological and molecular alterations characteristic of high grade PIN arise in luminal epithelial cells as soon as MYC overexpression is detected. These changes include increased nuclear and nucleolar size and large scale chromatin remodeling. Mouse PIN cells retained a columnar architecture and abundant cytoplasm and appeared as either a single layer of neoplastic cells or as pseudo-stratified/multilayered structures with open glandular lumina—features highly analogous to human high grade PIN. Also using IHC, we show that the onset of MYC overexpression and PIN development coincided precisely with decreased expression of the homeodomain transcription factor and tumor suppressor, Nkx3.1. Virtually all normal appearing prostate luminal cells expressed high levels of Nkx3.1, but all cells expressing MYC in PIN lesions showed marked reductions in Nkx3.1, implicating MYC as a key factor that represses Nkx3.1 in PIN lesions. To determine the effects of less pronounced overexpression of MYC we generated a new line of mice expressing MYC in the prostate under the transcriptional control of the mouse Nkx3.1 control region. These “Super-Lo-MYC” mice also developed PIN, albeit a less aggressive form. We also identified a histologically defined intermediate step in the progression of mouse PIN into invasive adenocarcinoma. These lesions are characterized by a loss of cell polarity, multi-layering, and cribriform formation, and by a “paradoxical” increase in Nkx3.1 protein. Similar histopathological changes occurred in Hi-MYC mice, albeit with accelerated kinetics. Our results using IHC provide novel insights that support the contention that MYC overexpression is sufficient to transform prostate luminal epithelial cells into PIN cells in vivo. We also identified a novel histopathologically identifiable intermediate step prior to invasion that should facilitate studies of molecular pathway alterations occurring during early progression of prostatic adenocarcinomas

Analysis of stiffness and flexural strength of a reinforced concrete beam using an invented reinforcement system

In this study, we conducted experimental tests on two specimens of reinforced concrete beams using a three-point bending test to optimize the flexure and stiffness designs. The first specimen is a reinforced concrete beam with an ordinary reinforcement, and the second specimen has an invented reinforcement system that consists of an ordinary reinforcement in addition to three additional bracings using steel bars and steel plates. The results of the flexure test were collected and analyzed, and the flexural strength, the rate of damage during bending, and the stiffness were determined. Finite element modeling was applied for both specimens using the LSDYNA program, and the simulation results of the flexure test for the same outputs were determined. The results of the experimental tests showed that the flexural strength of the invented reinforcement system was significantly enhanced by 15.5% compared to the ordinary system. Moreover, the flexural cracks decreased to a significant extent, manifesting extremely small and narrow cracks in the flexure spread along the bottom face of the concrete. In addition, the maximum deflection for the invented reinforced concrete beam decreased to 1/3 compared to that of an ordinary reinforced concrete beam. The results were verified through numerical simulations, which demonstrated excellent similarities between the flexural failure and the stiffness of the beam. The invented reinforcement system exhibited a high capability in boosting the flexure design and stiffness

Effects of fluoxetine on functional outcomes after acute stroke (FOCUS): a pragmatic, double-blind, randomised, controlled trial

Background Results of small trials indicate that fluoxetine might improve functional outcomes after stroke. The FOCUS trial aimed to provide a precise estimate of these effects. Methods FOCUS was a pragmatic, multicentre, parallel group, double-blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial done at 103 hospitals in the UK. Patients were eligible if they were aged 18 years or older, had a clinical stroke diagnosis, were enrolled and randomly assigned between 2 days and 15 days after onset, and had focal neurological deficits. Patients were randomly allocated fluoxetine 20 mg or matching placebo orally once daily for 6 months via a web-based system by use of a minimisation algorithm. The primary outcome was functional status, measured with the modified Rankin Scale (mRS), at 6 months. Patients, carers, health-care staff, and the trial team were masked to treatment allocation. Functional status was assessed at 6 months and 12 months after randomisation. Patients were analysed according to their treatment allocation. This trial is registered with the ISRCTN registry, number ISRCTN83290762. Findings Between Sept 10, 2012, and March 31, 2017, 3127 patients were recruited. 1564 patients were allocated fluoxetine and 1563 allocated placebo. mRS data at 6 months were available for 1553 (99·3%) patients in each treatment group. The distribution across mRS categories at 6 months was similar in the fluoxetine and placebo groups (common odds ratio adjusted for minimisation variables 0·951 [95% CI 0·839–1·079]; p=0·439). Patients allocated fluoxetine were less likely than those allocated placebo to develop new depression by 6 months (210 [13·43%] patients vs 269 [17·21%]; difference 3·78% [95% CI 1·26–6·30]; p=0·0033), but they had more bone fractures (45 [2·88%] vs 23 [1·47%]; difference 1·41% [95% CI 0·38–2·43]; p=0·0070). There were no significant differences in any other event at 6 or 12 months. Interpretation Fluoxetine 20 mg given daily for 6 months after acute stroke does not seem to improve functional outcomes. Although the treatment reduced the occurrence of depression, it increased the frequency of bone fractures. These results do not support the routine use of fluoxetine either for the prevention of post-stroke depression or to promote recovery of function. Funding UK Stroke Association and NIHR Health Technology Assessment Programme