Introducing a New Grade 8 Curriculum in Children's Rights

Existing research indicates that the effective implementation of new curricula depends on several variables including teachers' agreement with the goals of a new program, its impact on workload, and opportunities for professional development. The purpose of this research was to assess how far 31 grade 8 teachers implemented a new children s rights curriculum, whether the implementation of the curriculum changed their and their students' attitudes about children's rights, and to identify factors that encouraged implementation. Major findings were as follows: Workload, defined in terms of years of experience and class size, was predictive of curriculum use. The more teachers used the curriculum, the higher they rated it and the more they expressed attitudes supportive of children's rights. Students' support for the rights of adults, including ethnocultural minorities and those with disabilities, was positively related to their teachers' support for children's rights.La recherche indique que la mise en œuvre réussie d'un nouveau curriculum dépend de plusieurs variables dont l'accord de renseignant quant aux buts du nouveau programme, son impact sur la charge de travail et les occasions de développement professionnel que l'on présente. Cette recherche avait trois buts : évaluer dans quelle mesure 31 enseignants de la 8e année ont mis en application un nouveau curriculum sur les droits des enfants, déterminer si la mise en vigueur a changé l'attitude des enseignants et des élèves face aux droits des enfants, et identifier les facteurs qui facilitent la mise en application. Les résultats indiquent que la charge de travail, définie en fonction des années d'expérience et de la taille de la classe, constituait une valeur prédictive quant à l'emploi que ferait un enseignant du nouveau curriculum. Plus les enseignants utilisaient le curriculum, plus ils l'appréciaient et plus leur attitude face aux droits des enfants était positive. Une corrélation positive a également été établie entre l'appui que manifestaient les élèves face aux droits des adultes, y compris ceux des minorités ethnoculturelles et des personnes ayant une déficience, et l'appui des enseignants pour les droits des enfants

Understanding OA Ebook Usage: Toward a Common Framework

Redacted version of narrative for a proposal to the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support the development of international standards and practices for measuring and reporting usage of open-access ebooksSubmitted to the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation on April 27, 2018https://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/143840/1/Redacted Grant Narrative - OA Ebook Usage_FINAL SUBMISSION_042718.pdfDescription of Redacted Grant Narrative - OA Ebook Usage_FINAL SUBMISSION_042718.pdf : Grant Narrativ

Finite element analysis simulations for ultrasonic array NDE inspections

Advances in manufacturing techniques and materials have led to an increase in the demand for reliable and robust inspection techniques to maintain safety critical features. The application of modelling methods to develop and evaluate inspections is becoming an essential tool for the NDE community. Current analytical methods are inadequate for simulation of arbitrary components and heterogeneous materials, such as anisotropic welds or composite structures. Finite element analysis software (FEA), such as PZFlex, can provide the ability to simulate the inspection of these arrangements, providing the ability to economically prototype and evaluate improved NDE methods. FEA is often seen as computationally expensive for ultrasound problems however, advances in computing power have made it a more viable tool. This paper aims to illustrate the capability of appropriate FEA to produce accurate simulations of ultrasonic array inspections – minimizing the requirement for expensive test-piece fabrication. Validation is afforded via corroboration of the FE derived and experimentally generated data sets for a test-block comprising 1D and 2D defects. The modelling approach is extended to consider the more troublesome aspects of heterogeneous materials where defect dimensions can be of the same length scale as the grain structure. The model is used to facilitate the implementation of new ultrasonic array inspection methods for such materials. This is exemplified by considering the simulation of ultrasonic NDE in a weld structure in order to assess new approaches to imaging such structures

Digital formative assessment of transversal skills in STEM: a review of underlying principals and best practice

This report was written as part of a research project titled, Assessment of Transversal Skills in STEM (ATS STEM). The project is funded by Erasmus+ (Call reference: EACEA/28/2017 - European policy experimentations in the fields of Education and Training, and Youth led by high-level public authorities). The report is based on outputs related to two of the project’s work packages namely, Review of digital assessment approaches (WP1.4) and, Formative assessment design (WP2.1). This report is the third in a series of five reports based on deliverables related to the ATS STEM project

Beneath the Top End: a regional assessment of submerged archaeological potential in the Northern Territory, Australia

Regional-scale assessments have proven to be invaluable frameworks for research, public engagement and management of submerged archaeological landscapes. Regional-scale approaches have been implemented internationally through a variety of academic or strategic studies. Such studies represent a much-needed next step towards subregional and site-level prospection to support management, engagement and mitigation of the impacts of offshore development. However, these regional studies are largely absent in Australia. In this article, we build on the recent discovery of submerged archaeological sites in Western Australia and produce a novel regional-scale assessment of submerged archaeological and cultural landscape potential in the coastal and island regions of the Northern Territory. This area is of special significance in the peopling of Australia, containing some of the oldest dated archaeological evidence. We collate and synthesise regional data related to sea-level change, ethnography (e.g. oral traditions), geomorphology, and archaeology, also taking account of logistics and existing data availability to identify prospective areas for further study. We highlight the need for a coordinated national program of regional baseline studies to address a legacy of under-representation of submerged landscapes and provide vital baseline data for a wide spectrum of stakeholders, including researchers, policy makers, environmental and heritage managers, developers and Traditional Owners

Exploring Open Access Ebook Usage

This white paper was prepared by the Book Industry Study Group (BISG) as part of the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation funded project, Understanding OA Ebook Usage: Toward a Common Framework. Primary authors are: Brian O’Leary (BISG) and Kevin Hawkins (University of North Texas). The project team, who contributed editing and improvements, include Charles Watkinson (University of Michigan), Lucy Montgomery (Curtin University/KU Research), Cameron Neylon (Curtin University/KU Research), and Katherine Skinner (Educopia Institute). Copyright for this white paper is held by BISG and licensed to the general public under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license

Perceived control as a predictor of medication adherence in people with Parkinson’s: A large-scale cross-sectional study

Purpose Medication adherence is a multi-faceted construct associated with several positive consequences in people with chronic conditions. However, non-adherence currently represents a major issue in Parkinson’s, potentially due to low perceptions of control. This study investigated the predictive ability of several aspects of perceived control on adherence in people with Parkinson’s, while accounting for previously established predictors such as depression and medication variables. Materials and Methods An online cross-sectional survey was carried out with 1210 adults with Parkinson’s from 15 English-speaking countries. Demographic and clinical questions, as well as measures of depression, aspects of perceived control, and medication adherence were included. Pearson’s correlations and a 4-block hierarchical regression analysis were performed to assess the relationship between the variables. Results Perceived control explained a slightly higher amount of variance in medication adherence compared to medication variables when entered in the last block. Unexpectedly, depression was not significantly related with adherence. Internal locus of control was an independent negative predictor of adherence, while external dimensions of locus of control emerged as independent positive predictors. Conclusions In people with Parkinson’s, perceptions of control may have a larger impact on adherence compared to medication variables. Implications for clinical practice and future research are discussed. Implications for Rehabilitation - Perceived control and depression are considered important constructs for medication adherence in Parkinson’s, which in turn is often problematic for affected individuals. - The specific predictive value of different aspects of perceived control on medication adherence in Parkinson’s is currently unclear. - This large-scale study found that perceptions of control may have a larger impact on adherence compared to medication variables, while depression was unrelated to it. - A need for psychologically-informed interventions, person-centred approaches to medication management, and Parkinson-specific measures of adherence are highlighted

Prognostic value of the 6-gene OncoMasTR test in hormone receptor–positive HER2-negative early-stage breast cancer: Comparative analysis with standard clinicopathological factors

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the prognostic performance of a 6-gene molecular score (OncoMasTR Molecular Score [OMm]) and a composite risk score (OncoMasTR Risk Score [OM]) and to conduct a within-patient comparison against four routinely used molecular and clinicopathological risk assessment tools: Oncotype DX Recurrence Score, Ki67, Nottingham Prognostic Index and Clinical Risk Category, based on the modified Adjuvant! Online definition and three risk factors: patient age, tumour size and grade. Methods: Biospecimens and clinicopathological information for 404 Irish women also previously enrolled in the Trial Assigning Individualized Options for Treatment [Rx] were provided by 11 participating hospitals, as the primary objective of an independent translational study. Gene expression measured via RT-qPCR was used to calculate OMm and OM. The prognostic value for distant recurrence-free survival (DRFS) and invasive disease-free survival (IDFS) was assessed using Cox proportional hazards models and Kaplan-Meier analysis. All statistical tests were two-sided ones. Results: OMm and OM (both with likelihood ratio statistic [LRS] P Discussion: Both OncoMasTR scores were significantly prognostic for DRFS and IDFS and provided additional prognostic information to the molecular and clinicopathological risk factors/tools assessed. OM was also the most accurate risk classification tool for identifying DR. A concise 6-gene signature with superior risk stratification was shown to increase prognosis reliability, which may help clinicians optimise treatment decisions. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02050750 NCT00310180.</p

The genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex underlies our complex cognitive capabilities, yet little is known about the specific genetic loci that influence human cortical structure. To identify genetic variants that affect cortical structure, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging data from 51,665 individuals. We analyzed the surface area and average thickness of the whole cortex and 34 regions with known functional specializations. We identified 199 significant loci and found significant enrichment for loci influencing total surface area within regulatory elements that are active during prenatal cortical development, supporting the radial unit hypothesis. Loci that affect regional surface area cluster near genes in Wnt signaling pathways, which influence progenitor expansion and areal identity. Variation in cortical structure is genetically correlated with cognitive function, Parkinson's disease, insomnia, depression, neuroticism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder