Cracking The Code: Accreditation Of Prior Experiential Learning And The Discourses Of Higher Education

This thesis seeks to examine the process of Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL) in a university in the CK, in order to discover how it is working. The starting premise is that APEL generally is not fulfilling expectations in terms of either benefiting students or widening participation. Nor has it taken on the emancipatory role, attributed to it by some of its promoters, of opening up institutions of higher education in terms of the control of knowledge and the recognition of knowledge gained in contexts outside the academy. The approach taken to the research is qualitative, focusing on a single institution in some detail, with the researcher central to the process. Data take the form of documentation produced by the institution, taped seminars, texts produced by students and interviews with lecturers and students. All data are defined as texts and are analysed using Critical Discourse Analysis and Systemic Functional Linguistics. The conclusions find that the discoursal practices of the academy and the social structures they represent and create constitute a constraint on the potential of APEL as an instrument for broadening the recognition of different types and sources of knowledge. Different approaches to assessment for APEL are proposed, drawing on experience and theory developed elsewhere

Alien Registration- Peters, Helen (Limington, York County)

https://digitalmaine.com/alien_docs/3255/thumbnail.jp

The development of materials for speech practice in the early elementary grades

Not available.Helen Lucille PetersNot ListedNot ListedMaster of ScienceDepartment Not ListedCunningham Memorial library, Terre Haute, Indiana State University.isua-thesis-1946-peters.pdfMastersTitle from document title page. Document formatted into pages: contains 75p. : ill. Includes bibliography and appendix

Going up north : unmarried mothers and the New Zealand state, 1950-1980 : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in History at Massey University, New Zealand

New Zealand historians have long been interested in changing attitudes and treatment towards unmarried mothers between the years 1950 to 1980. In the discourse surrounding women’s sexuality and reproductive practices, unmarried mothers were perceived as a grave social threat, undermining the stability of the heteronormative, nuclear family. While the historiography of unmarried mothers’ experiences within institutional “mother and baby homes” is robust, there is less research on women who managed their pregnancies within the community. “Going Up North: Unmarried Mothers and the New Zealand State, 1980 – 1950” seeks to address these gaps by interviewing women who found themselves pregnant and unmarried throughout this time period, and did not reside in an institutional home. Additionally, the provision of state services such as healthcare and financial aid are examined through a feminist lens and used to evaluate changing perceptions and attitudes towards unmarried mothers. Using feminist theory, “Going Up North” locates these changes in the rise of feminist thought, rather than commonly assumed markers such as the instigation of the Domestic Purposes Benefit. By recording the insight and experiences of unmarried mothers within the community during these crucial decades of change, we can enrich our understanding of the current history of reproductive rights in New Zealand which underwrites attitudes towards women, families and reproduction in New Zealand today

Treatment outcomes in schizophrenia: qualitative study of the views of family carers

Abstract Background Schizophrenia is a complex, heterogeneous disorder, with highly variable treatment outcomes, and relatively little is known about what is important to patients. The aim of the study was to understand treatment outcomes informal carers perceive to be important to people with schizophrenia. Method Qualitative interview study with 34 individuals and 8 couples who care for a person with schizophrenia/schizoaffective disorder. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed by a thematic framework based approach. Results Carers described well-recognised outcomes of importance, alongside more novel outcomes relating to: Safety (of the patient/others); insight (e.g. into non-reality of psychotic phenomena); respite from fear, distress or pain; socially acceptable behaviour; getting out of the house; attainment of life milestones; changes in personality and/or temperament; reduction of vulnerability to stress; and several aspects of physical health. Conclusions These findings have the potential to inform the development of patient- or carer- focused outcome measures that take into account the full range of domains that carers feel are important for patients. Keywords Schizophrenia Treatment Patient Carer Outcom

Measuring the benefits of the integration of health and social care: qualitative interviews with professional stakeholders and patient representatives

Abstract: Background: Integrated care has the potential to ease the increasing pressures faced by health and social care systems, however, challenges around measuring the benefits for providers, patients, and service users remain. This paper explores stakeholders’ views on the benefits of integrated care and approaches to measuring the integration of health and social care. Methods: Twenty-five semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with professional stakeholders (n = 19) and patient representatives (n = 6). Interviews focused on the benefits of integrated care and how it should be evaluated. Data was analysed using framework analysis. Results: Three overarching themes emerged from the data: (1) integrated care and its benefits, with stakeholders defining it primarily from the patient’s perspective; (2) potential measures for assessing the benefits of integration in terms of system effects, patient experiences, and patient outcomes; and (3) broader considerations around the assessment of integrated care, including the use of qualitative methods. Conclusions: There was consensus among stakeholders that patient experiences and outcomes are the best measures of integration, and that the main measures currently used to assess integration do not directly assess patient benefits. Validated health status measures are readily available, however, a substantial shift in practices is required before their use becomes commonplace

Measures for the integration of health and social care services for long-term health conditions: a systematic review of reviews

Abstract: Background: As people are living longer with higher incidences of long-term health conditions, there is a move towards greater integration of care, including integration of health and social care services. Integrated care needs to be comprehensively and systematically evaluated if it is to be implemented widely. We performed a systematic review of reviews to identify measures which have been used to assess integrated care across health and social care services for people living with long-term health conditions. Methods: Four electronic databases (PUBMED; MEDLINE; EMBASE; Cochrane library of systematic reviews) were searched in August 2018 for relevant reviews evaluating the integration of health and social care between 1998 and 2018. Articles were assessed according to apriori eligibility criteria. A data extraction form was utilised to collate the identified measures into five categories. Results: Of the 18 articles included, system outcomes and process measures were most frequently identified (15 articles each). Patient or carer reported outcomes were identified in 13 articles while health outcomes were reported in 12 articles. Structural measures were reported in nine articles. Challenges to measuring integration included the identification of a wide range of potential impacts of integration, difficulties in comparing findings due to differences in study design and heterogeneity of types of outcomes, and a need for appropriate, robust measurement tools. Conclusions: Our review revealed no shortage of measures for assessing the structures, processes and outcomes of integrated care. The very large number of available measures and infrequent use of any common set make comparisons between schemes more difficult. The promotion of core measurement sets and stakeholder consultation would advance measurement in this area

Efavirenz-induced gynecomastia in a prepubertal girl with human immunodeficiency virus infection: a case report

BACKGROUND:Prepubertal gynecomastia is a rare condition and most frequently classified as idiopathic. In HIV-infected adults gynecomastia is a recognised but infrequent side-effect of antiretroviral treatment (ART) and mostly attributed to efavirenz use. Gynecomastia should be distinguished from pseudogynecomastia as part of the lipodystrophy syndrome caused by Nucleoside Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors (NRTIs) to avoid incorrect substitution of drugs. In the medical literature only five cases of prepubertal gynecomastia in children taking ART are described and underlying pathogenesis was unknown. The occurrence of adverse effects of ART may interfere with therapy adherence and long-term prognosis and for that reason requires attention. We report the first case of prepubertal gynecomastia in a young girl attributed to efavirenz use.CASE PRESENTATION:A seven-year-old African girl presented with true gynecomastia four months after initiation on ART (abacavir, lamivudine, efavirenz). History, physical examination and laboratory tests excluded known causes of gynecomastia and efavirenz was considered as the most likely cause. Six weeks after withdrawal of efavirenz the breast enlargement had completely resolved. CONCLUSIONS: Efavirenz-induced gynecomastia may occur in children as well as in adults. With the increasing access to ART, the possibility of efavirenz-exposure and the potential occurrence of its associated side-effects may be high. In resource-poor settings, empirical change from efavirenz to nevirapine may be considered, providing no other known or alarming cause is identified, as efavirenz-induced gynecomastia can resolve quickly after withdrawal of the drug. Timely recognition of gynecomastia as a side-effect of efavirenz is important in order to intervene while the condition may still be reversible, to sustain adherence to ART and to maintain the sociopsychological health of the child

Engineered mosaic protein polymers; a simple route to multifunctional biomaterials

Abstract: Background: Engineered living materials (ELMs) are an exciting new frontier, where living organisms create highly functional materials. In particular, protein ELMs have the advantage that their properties can be manipulated via simple molecular biology. Caf1 is a protein ELM that is especially attractive as a biomaterial on account of its unique combination of properties: bacterial cells export it as a massive, modular, non-covalent polymer which is resistant to thermal and chemical degradation and free from animal material. Moreover, it is biologically inert, allowing the bioactivity of each 15 kDa monomeric Caf1 subunit to be specifically engineered by mutagenesis and co-expressed in the same Escherichia coli cell to produce a mixture of bioactive Caf1 subunits. Results: Here, we show by gel electrophoresis and transmission electron microscopy that the bacterial cells combine these subunits into true mosaic heteropolymers. By combining two separate bioactive motifs in a single mosaic polymer we demonstrate its utility by stimulating the early stages of bone formation by primary human bone marrow stromal cells. Finally, using a synthetic biology approach, we engineer a mosaic of three components, demonstrating that Caf1 complexity depends solely upon the variety of monomers available. Conclusions: These results demonstrate the utility of engineered Caf1 mosaic polymers as a simple route towards the production of multifunctional biomaterials that will be useful in biomedical applications such as 3D tissue culture and wound healing. Additionally, in situ Caf1 producing cells could create complex bacterial communities for biotechnology. Graphical abstract