96 research outputs found

    Invisible barriers to adult education in the East End of Glasgow

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    Barriers to adult education amongst working class adults in Glasgow

    From Beethoven to BeyoncĂ© : do changing aesthetic cultures amount to ‘cumulative cultural evolution’?

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    NS was funded by a Carnegie Ph.D. Scholarship.Culture can be defined as “group typical behaviour patterns shared by members of a community that rely on socially learned and transmitted information” (Laland and Hoppitt, 2003: p151). Once thought to be a distinguishing characteristic of humans relative to other animals (Dean et al., 2014) it is now generally accepted to exist more widely, with especially abundant evidence in nonhuman primates, cetaceans and birds (Aplin, 2019; Rendell and Whitehead, 2001; Whiten, 2021). More recently, cumulative cultural evolution (CCE) has taken on this distinguishing role (Henrich, 2015; Laland, 2018). CCE, it is argued, allows humans, uniquely, to ratchet up the complexity or efficiency of cultural traits over time. This ‘ratchet effect’ (Tomasello, 1994) gives the capacity to accumulate beneficial modifications over time beyond the capacities of a single individual (Sasaki & Biro, 2017). Mesoudi and Thornton (2018) define a core set of criteria for identifying CCE in humans and nonhuman animals that places emphasis on some performance measure of traits increasing over time. They suggest this emphasis is also pertinent to cultural products in the aesthetic domain, but is this the case? Music, art and dance evolve over time (Savage, 2019), but can we say they gain beneficial modifications that increase their aesthetic value? Here we bring together perspectives from philosophy, musicology and biology to build a conceptual analysis of this question. We summarise current thinking on cumulative culture and aesthetics across fields to determine how aesthetic culture fits into the concept of CCE. We argue that this concept is problematic to reconcile with dominant views of aesthetics in philosophical analysis and struggles to characterise aesthetic cultures that evolve over time. We suggest that a tension arises from fundamental differences between cultural evolution in aesthetic and technological domains. Furthermore, this tension contributes to current debates between reconstructive and preservative theories of cultural evolution.Publisher PDFPeer reviewe

    Upper Jurassic (Oxfordian) dinoflagellate cyst taxonomy, palynostratigraphy and biosequence, stratigraphy of the Jansz-Io gas field, North West shelf, Australia

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    High-resolution palynological analysis was conducted from four wells of the Jansz-Io Gas Field (Exmouth Plateau, Northern Carnarvon Basin) to refine the Australian Oxfordian Wanaea spectabilis microplankton biozone. The refined biozonation scheme was then utilised to produce integrated biostratigraphic, sequence stratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental interpretations of the Jansz Sandstone reservoir sequence. Palynological preparations from 155 conventional core samples yielded a highly diverse assemblage of dinoflagellate cysts and acritarchs of good to excellent preservation. The assemblage comprises 112 genera with 194 microplankton species and varieties. Of these, 2 new genera and 26 new species are formally described, 2 species are emended with 1 species generically reattributed, and an additional 11 genera and 37 species are informally described. For future reference of this well preserved material, each species is illustrated in a large catalogue of plates. Key taxa identified through quantitative analysis are utilised to refine the intersected portion of the Wanaea spectabilis microplankton zone. Proposed zonal subdivisions are defined on first and last stratigraphic occurrences, first and last common occurrences and species acmes which can be correlated across the Jansz-Io Field. The subzones are tentatively correlated to the Poulsen & Riding, 2003 Northern Hemisphere Dinoflagellate Cyst Zones; Bown & Cooper, 1998 Nannofossil Zones; the Groupe Francais d'Etude du Jurassique, 1997 Tethyan, Sub-Boreal and Boreal Ammonoid Zones; and the ICS 2008 Geologic Time Scale. Lithofacies and qualitative palynofacies analyses are integrated with petrophysical wireline logs to produce bio-sequence stratigraphic and palaeoenvironmental interpretations for the Jansz Sandstone reservoir sequence. Bioevent-derived zonule boundaries are identified to reflect 'biostratigraphic parasequences' arranged in transgressive/regressive couplets as indicated by an inversely oscillating AOM/wood ratio. These biostratigraphic parasequences provide valuable information regarding sequence and reservoir architecture in the absence of lithostratigraphic controls. The application of selected dinocyst species as palaeoenvironmental proxies is examined. Extreme intraspecific variability of some dinocyst taxa may reflect salinity and/or temperature changes caused by a high-frequency, cyclical climatic regime, such as a seasonal monsoonal climate.v. 1. text -- v.2 Plates --CD. Appendice

    Health Promotion by Using Collaborative Educational Games for the Women of Angeline’s

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    Introduction Founded in 1894, the Seattle Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA) was developed to support and empower women of all ages, races, and backgrounds. Since then, the Seattle YWCA has grown and focused its efforts on addressing racial and socioeconomic disparities, especially inequities found within the female homeless population (Andrews, 2004). Angeline’s Day Center is a program offered by YWCA and is located in downtown Seattle. It serves approximately 200 women a day by providing overnight shelter, breakfast and lunch services, healthcare access, and amenities like showers, bathrooms, and laundry (“Angeline’s Day Center”, 2022). After completing a windshield survey and speaking with Lilliann Hansell, the program lead at Angeline’s, our group realized that there was a need for social interaction and community-based engagement with the women. Early signs indicated knowledge deficits regarding skin protection and breast cancer prevention, therefore, producing our main goal; to increase health literacy about these issues through a community-focused engagement strategy. Background According to the Seattle/King County count, the number of people experiencing homelessness rose 5% between 2019 and 2020, with a total of 11,751 people experiencing homelessness in 2020. Furthermore, the court determined that homelessness disproportionately affects people of color (POC). Though Black/African Americans constitute seven percent of the population in Seattle/King County, twenty-five percent of the respondents were constituted in January 2020 count (Constantine, 2020). When reviewing the health needs of people experiencing homelessness, dermatological concerns ranked high in prevalence and relevance. The unhoused population is at higher risk for skin cancer due to excessive sun exposure, foot condition related to improper supplies and constant standing, and overall, infection (Adly et al., 2021, Skin cancer in people of color, 2022). According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, one in five Americans will develop skin cancer by the age of 70, however, black patients have only a 71% five-year melanoma survival rate in comparison with a 93% survival rate in white patients (Skin cancer facts & statistics, 2022). Lastly, it is reported that this population experiences higher rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) (Ady et al., 2021). Upon finding the data, it was evident that education regarding preventative and low-cost measures could be resourceful to the women of Angeline’s. Activities with Rationale According to a recent study, bingo showed to increase knowledge relating to health related topics (Flint et al., 2020). Participants reported enjoyment and high likelihood that they would attend the activity again. Using this research, bingo (see Appendix A) and “Fact or Cap” (see Appendix B) were chosen as our interactive interventions to educate women on skin health and breast cancer reduction. Supplemental to the games was an informational pamphlet (see Appendix C) highlighting key features that affect unhoused people of color such as sun protection, STI’s, vitamin D deficiency and written instructions on how to perform a self skin assessment monthly. Bingo was created using a free bingo card generator. We created a four by five grid of facts, even including some fun facts about ourselves. Each participant was given two bingo boards and played three rounds with prizes to incentive and reward participation. Participation was abundant in their excitement and appreciation to play. However, hearing and reading difficulties were drawbacks to the joyous participation. To overcome this, we had one caller and two circulating students helping repeat and find facts with the women. “Fact or Cap” is a play on words using the colloquial term, “cap”, which is used to state that something is a lie. A slideshow was presented with each slide containing a sentence and the group must collaborate and determine whether the sentence was true or false. This game was developed to encourage teamwork and interpersonal communication amongst the group While onsite, we wanted to focus on building therapeutic and trusting relationships with the women by talking with them and getting to know their stories. According to the Community and Public Health Nursing textbook, “active listening with nonjudgmental empathy helps to communicate acceptance and increase trust. It allows for an accurate understanding of another person’s viewpoint and helps to bring issues and concerns into the open, where they can be more easily resolved” (Rector, 2022). Outcomes Due to COVID-19 protocols, only three members of our team could present in the building at one time, splitting the day in half between the teams; morning and afternoon. In order to understand the women of Angeline’s, we conducted a pre-intervention survey (see Appendix D) upon entering and a post-intervention survey provided in the afternoon. The data showed that 100% of the women rated their skin five out of five, or “very important” to them. Happily enough, about 78% of women stated they knew the main cause of skin cancer and 66% of women stated they had seen a healthcare provider in the last six months. Unfortunately, our second intervention visitation was canceled due to a positive COVID case at the shelter. In the following week, only the morning group was able to attend, obtaining a pre-intervention survey (see Appendix E). Minutes after arriving the second group was asked to leave the shelter. With that we were unable to conduct a post-intervention survey and consequently do not have quantitative data to support the effectiveness of the interventions. Results of pre-intervention surveys reflect a knowledge deficit of skin and breast cancer as well as a readiness to learn. Based on the surveys we were able to collect, 100% of women affirmed that playing games are helpful when learning about health-related topics. Second intervention day data: 33% of the women rated their knowledge of how to protect their skin at a 3 or below on a scale from 1 to 5 with one being completely unaware and five representing full knowledge of how to protect their skin. The surveys also affirmed that the use of games for education was valued by the women of Angeline’s. In conversation with the women following the games they provided many compliments, shared their appreciation and even reported learning specific new facts. Notably, many women who reported not having done a breast exam previously affirmed that they would try one soon. Overall, their responses were incredibly positive regarding our interventions. Conclusion Our goal of empowering women with knowledge of the skin, breast, and sexual health by using interactive educational games is the primary impact of this project. It was received well based on active participation and verbalized compliments. The effects of the pandemic led to instability within planning for the intervention days. Limitations included being unable to attend full days, gather data, and feeling unable to create close and trusting relationships with the women. The women demonstrated a genuine eagerness to learn more about health promotion strategies during games, especially Bingo, and many stated that they now understand the importance of skin and breast self-exams and look forward to completing one themself. References Adly, M., Woo, T. E., Traboulsi, D., Klassen, D., & Hardin, J. (2021). Understanding dermatologic concerns among persons experiencing homelessness: A scoping review and discussion for improved delivery of care. Journal of Cutaneous Medicine and Surgery, 25(6), 616–626. https://doi.org/10.1177/12034754211004558 Andrews, M. (2004, September 1). YWCA -- Seattle-king county/Snohomish county. YWCA -- Seattle-King County/Snohomish County. Retrieved May 24, 2022, from https://www.historylink.org/File/290#:~:text=In%201894%2C%20a%20group%20of,working%20girl%22%20toward%20self%20support Angeline\u27s Day Center. YWCA Seattle | King | Snohomish. (2022). Retrieved May 24, 2022, from https://www.ywcaworks.org/programs/angelines-day-center Chen, M. F., Wu, C. S., Tsai, C. C., & Tsai, M. Y. (2021). Enterovirus board game for Elementary School Children: A pilot study. Public Health Nursing, 39(2), 500–505. https://doi.org/10.1111/phn.12976 Constantine, D. (2020, July 1). News. Point-in-Time count estimates a 5 percent increase in people experiencing homelessness, newly updated data dashboards reveal more people receiving shelter and services . Retrieved May 24, 2022, from https://kingcounty.gov/elected/executive/constantine/news/release/2020/July/01-homeless-count.aspx Flint, J., Morris, M., Nguyen, A. T., Keglovits, M., Somerville, E. K., Hu, Y.-L., & Stark, S. L. (2020). Fall prevention bingo: Effects of a novel community-based education tool on older adults\u27 knowledge and readiness to reduce risks for falls. American Journal of Health Education, 51(6), 406–412. https://doi.org/10.1080/19325037.2020.1822236 Greene, A. M., Hoag, J., Hwynn, K., Johnson, J., Skinner, S., & Wong, J. (2022). Implementation of interactive self-help bingo activities to promote social interaction within Angeline\u27s Women\u27s Shelter. Digital Commons @ SPU. from https://digitalcommons.spu.edu/shs_nlce/10/ Rector, C. L., & Stanley, M. J. (2022). Chapter 10: Communication, Collaboration, and Technology. In Community and Public Health Nursing: Promoting the public\u27s health (pp. 276). Wolters Kluwer. Rutenfrans-Stupar, M., Van Der Plas, B., Den Haan, R., Regenmortel, T. V., & Schalk, R. (2019). How is participation related to well-being of homeless people? An explorative qualitative study in a Dutch homeless shelter facility. Journal of Social Distress and the Homeless, 28(1), 44–55. https://doi.org/10.1080/10530789.2018.1563267 Seah, E. T., Kaufman, D., SauvĂ©, L., & Zhang, F. (2017). Play, learn, connect: Older adults\u27 experience with a multiplayer, educational, Digital Bingo Game. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 56(5), 675–700. https://doi.org/10.1177/0735633117722329 Skin cancer in people of color. American Academy of Dermatology. (2022). https://www.aad.org/public/diseases/skin-cancer/types/common/melanoma/skin-color Skin cancer facts & statistics. The Skin Cancer Foundation. (2022). https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/skin-cancer-facts/ Appendix A Appendix B Appendix C Appendix D Appendix

    A randomized trial of specialized versus standard neck physiotherapy in cervical dystonia 

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    We thank: the patients who took part; Monsieur John-Pierre Bleton for training the physiotherapists; Gladys McPherson (Senior IT Manager), Adesoji Adeyemi (programmer) and Diana Collins (data entry) from the Centre for Healthcare Randomised Trials, University of Aberdeen who provided the randomisation and database service; and the funders including The Dystonia Society, the RS Macdonald Charitable Trust, The Sir Halley Stewart Trust, The Foyle Foundation and The Garfield Weston Foundation. The Dystonia Society and other funders had no role in the design, conduct, analysis or writing of the report or the decision to submit the manuscript.Peer reviewedPostprintPostprintPostprintPostprintPostprintPostprintPostprin

    Cochrane systematic review and meta-analysis of Botulinum toxin for the prevention of migraine

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    Objectives To assess the effects of botulinum toxin for prevention of migraine in adults.Design Systematic review and meta-analysis.Data sources CENTRAL, MEDLINE, Embase and trial registries.Eligibility criteria We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of botulinum toxin compared with placebo, active treatment or clinically relevant different dose for adults with chronic or episodic migraine, with or without the additional diagnosis of medication overuse headache.Data extraction and synthesis Cochrane methods were used to review double-blind RCTs. Twelve week post-treatment time-point data was analysed.Results Twenty-eight trials (n=4190) were included. Trial quality was mixed. Botulinum toxin treatment resulted in reduced frequency of −2.0 migraine days/month (95% CI −2.8 to −1.1, n=1384) in chronic migraineurs compared with placebo. An improvement was seen in migraine severity, measured on a numerical rating scale 0 to 10 with 10 being maximal pain, of −2.70 cm (95% CI −3.31 to −2.09, n=75) and −4.9 cm (95% CI −6.56 to −3.24, n=32) for chronic and episodic migraine respectively. Botulinum toxin had a relative risk of treatment related adverse events twice that of placebo, but a reduced risk compared with active comparators (relative risk 0.76, 95% CI 0.59 to 0.98) and a low withdrawal rate (3%). Although individual trials reported non-inferiority to oral treatments, insufficient data were available for meta-analysis of effectiveness outcomes.Conclusions In chronic migraine, botulinum toxin reduces migraine frequency by 2 days/month and has a favourable safety profile. Inclusion of medication overuse headache does not preclude its effectiveness. Evidence to support or refute efficacy in episodic migraine was not identified

    Botulinum toxins for the prevention of migraine in adults

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    BackgroundMigraine occurs in around 15% of adults and is ranked as the seventh most disabling disease amongst all diseases globally. Despite the available treatments many people suffer prolonged and frequent attacks which have a major impact on their quality of life. Chronic migraine is defined as 15 or more days of headache per month, at least eight of those days being migraine. People with episodic migraine have fewer than 15 headache days per month. Botulinum toxin type A has been licensed in some countries for chronic migraine treatment, due to the results of just two trials.ObjectivesTo assess the effects of botulinum toxins versus placebo or active treatment for the prevention or reduction in frequency of chronic or episodic migraine in adults.Search methodsWe searched CENTRAL, MEDLINE & MEDLINE in Process, Embase, ClinicalTrials.gov and World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry (to December 2017). We examined reference lists and carried out citation searches on key publications. We sent correspondence to major manufacturers of botulinum toxin.Selection criteriaRandomised, double‐blind, controlled trials of botulinum toxin (any sero‐type) injections into the head and neck for prophylaxis of chronic or episodic migraine in adults. Eligible comparators were placebo, alternative prophylactic agent or different dose of botulinum toxin.Data collection and analysisTwo review authors independently selected trials and extracted data. For continuous outcomes we used mean change data when available. For dichotomous data we calculated risk ratios (RRs). We used data from the 12‐week post‐treatment follow‐up time point. We assessed the evidence using GRADE and created two 'Summary of findings' tables.Main resultsDescription of trialsWe found 90 articles describing 28 trials (4190 participants), which were eligible for inclusion. The longest treatment duration was three rounds of injections with three months between treatments, so we could not analyse long‐term effects. For the primary analyses, we pooled data from both chronic and episodic participant populations. Where possible, we also separated data into chronic migraine, episodic migraine and ‘mixed group’ classification subgroups. Most trials (21 out of 28) were small (fewer than 50 participants per trial arm). The risk of bias for included trials was low or unclear across most domains, with some trials reporting a high risk of bias for incomplete outcome data and selective outcome reporting.Botulinum toxin versus placeboTwenty‐three trials compared botulinum toxin with placebo. Botulinum toxin may reduce the number of migraine days per month in the chronic migraine population by 3.1 days (95% confidence interval (CI) ‐4.7 to ‐1.4, 4 trials, 1497 participants, low‐quality evidence). This was reduced to ‐2 days (95% CI ‐2.8 to ‐1.1, 2 trials, 1384 participants; moderate‐quality evidence) when we removed small trials.A single trial of people with episodic migraine (N = 418) showed no difference between groups for this outcome measure (P = 0.49).In the chronic migraine population, botulinum toxin reduces the number of headache days per month by 1.9 days (95% CI ‐2.7 to ‐1.0, 2 trials, 1384 participants, high‐quality evidence). We did not find evidence of a difference in the number of migraine attacks for both chronic and episodic migraine participants (6 trials, N = 2004, P = 0.30, low‐quality evidence). For the population of both chronic and episodic migraine participants a reduction in severity of migraine rated during clinical visits, on a 10 cm visual analogue scale (VAS) of 3.3 cm (95% CI ‐4.2 to ‐2.5, very low‐quality evidence) in favour of botulinum toxin treatment came from four small trials (N = 209); better reporting of this outcome measure from the additional eight trials that recorded it may have improved our confidence in the pooled estimate. Global assessment and quality‐of‐life measures were poorly reported and it was not possible to carry out statistical analysis of these outcome measures. Analysis of adverse events showed an increase in the risk ratio with treatment with botulinum toxin over placebo 30% (RR 1.28, 95% CI 1.12 to 1.47, moderate‐quality evidence). For every 100 participants 60 experienced an adverse event in the botulinum toxin group compared with 47 in the placebo group.Botulinum toxin versus other prophylactic agentThree trials studied comparisons with alternative oral prophylactic medications. Meta‐analyses were not possible for number of migraine days, number of headache days or number of migraine attacks due to insufficient data, but individually trials reported no differences between groups for a variety of efficacy measures in the population of both chronic and episodic migraine participants. The global impression of disease measured using Migraine Disability Assessment (MIDAS) scores were reported from two trials that showed no difference between groups. Compared with oral treatments, botulinum toxin showed no between‐group difference in the risk of adverse events (2 trials, N = 114, very low‐quality evidence). The relative risk reduction (RRR) for withdrawing from botulinum toxin due to adverse events compared with the alternative prophylactic agent was 72% (P = 0.02, 2 trials, N = 119).Dosing trialsThere were insufficient data available for the comparison of different doses.Quality of the evidenceThe quality of the evidence assessed using GRADE methods was varied but mostly very low; the quality of the evidence for the placebo and active control comparisons was low and very low, respectively for the primary outcome measure. Small trial size, high risk of bias and unexplained heterogeneity were common reasons for downgrading the quality of the evidence.Authors' conclusionsIn chronic migraine, botulinum toxin type A may reduce the number of migraine days per month by 2 days compared with placebo treatment. Non‐serious adverse events were probably experienced by 60/100 participants in the treated group compared with 47/100 in the placebo group. For people with episodic migraine, we remain uncertain whether or not this treatment is effective because the quality of this limited evidence is very low. Better reporting of outcome measures in published trials would provide a more complete evidence base on which to draw conclusions

    Real-world evaluation of an acceptance and commitment therapy–based group programme for breast cancer survivors with fear of cancer recurrence

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    Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness and acceptability of a 6-week acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT)–based group programme on participants’ fear of cancer recurrence (FCR), quality of life (QoL), psychological distress and psychological flexibility at the end of the programme and 12-week follow-up. Methods: A one-group, post-test service evaluation of a real-world psychological programme was carried out to evaluate collected outcome measures and attendance for a total of 21 groups facilitated between 2017 and 2019. Participants were breast cancer survivors who attended a 6-week group programme led by NHS clinicians. Descriptive statistics and repeated measures ANOVA analyses were carried out for each outcome measure. Attendance levels were examined to assess acceptability. Results: A total of 97 group participants who had completed curative treatment for breast cancer took part. Of whom, 89% completed at least 4 of the 6 weekly group sessions and 76% attended the 12-week follow-up session. Eighty-four (87%) participants returned outcome measures at all three time points relative to group participation (T1 = pre, T2 = post T3 = 12-week follow-up). Group participants were female, mean age 51.9 years. FCR was highest at T1 (mean 25.2, SD 4.7), reduced T2 (mean 21.2, SD 5.4) and further lowered T3 (mean 19.5, SD 6.2). This difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). QoL was lowest at T1 (mean 62.4, SD 15.7), increased T2 (mean 71.7, SD 18.1) and further increased at T3 (mean 75.9, SD 17.5). This difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). Psychological distress measures were shown to reduce, and psychological flexibility increased. Conclusions: This real-world evaluation of an ACT-based group programme led to improvements in FCR, QoL, psychological distress and psychological flexibility in this population. This evaluation provides basis for further investigation to determine if these results can be replicated by controlled research design across diverse populations
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