Promoting widening participation and higher education: Lessons from a four year intervention programme

Since the labour government came to power in 1997, a major policy has been to increase the participation rates of those entering higher education, particularly those from lower-socio economic backgrounds. Just over 10 years later, little has changed. The Brunel Urban Scholars programme is a 4 year long intervention programme for students from lower socio-economic backgrounds aged 12-16. It aims, through university style teaching, emersion in a university environment, and regular interaction with undergraduates, to enhance these students’ aspirations and higher education orientation. Findings from the first 2 years suggest that higher education orientation has increased. Aspirations are showing some signs of increasing, but are more gradual. This evidence supports previous findings from pilot programmes that change is slow, and justifies and suggests the need for a longer intervention programmes

‘Are we being de-gifted, Miss?’ Primary school gifted and talented co-ordinators’ responses to the Gifted and Talented Education Policy in England

This is the accepted version of the following article: Koshy, V. and Pinheiro-Torres, C. (2013), ‘Are we being de-gifted, Miss?’ Primary school gifted and talented co-ordinators’ responses to the Gifted and Talented Education Policy in England. British Educational Research Journal, 39: 953–978. doi: 10.1002/berj.3021, which has been published in final form at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/berj.3021/abstract.Over a decade ago the UK government launched its gifted and talented education policy in England, yet there has been very little published research which considers how schools and teachers are interpreting and implementing the policy. By seeking the views of the gifted and talented co-ordinators (For ease of reference, the term gifted and talented (G&T) co-ordinator is used throughout the paper as a generic shorthand for the research participants who were either designated school gifted and talented co-ordinators or teachers or head teachers with responsibility for policy implementation) with responsibility for addressing the requirements of the policy, the study reported in this paper explored how primary schools in England responded to the policy. Drawing on data gathered using questionnaires with a national sample of primary schools as well as follow-up in-depth interviews with a sample of G&T co-ordinators, the authors report their findings. The study found that there was considerable unease about the concept of identifying and ‘labelling’ a group of pupils as ‘gifted and talented’. G&T co-ordinators found it difficult to interpret the policy requirements and were responding pragmatically to what they considered to be required by the government. Curriculum provision for the selected group of gifted and talented pupils was patchy. The paper concludes by identifying a need for further professional development for teachers and by challenging the policy's over-emphasis on identifying and labelling gifted and talented pupils. We posit whether the gifted and talented education policy would have been better introduced and enjoyed greater success by leaving the identification of pupils to one side and by placing greater emphasis on developing effective learning and teaching strategies instead

A good excuse for skipping the test: electrical storm in a teenager

We describe the case of a teenager with a structurally normal heart that presented with torsades de pointes and cardiac arrest. He had a history of epilepsy in childhood, mild cognitive impairment and cognitive visual dysfunction. The baseline electrocardiogram had prominent J waves and a marked early repolarization pattern in all the leads, with normal QT interval. We discuss the differential diagnosis for this interesting case, as well as the patient's management.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Composição proximal e perfil de ácidos graxos de hambúrgueres de carne de capivara (Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris).

A carne de capivara (Hidrochoerus hydrochaeris) tem se destacado pelo seu potencial de aproveitamento econômico e pela riqueza em ácidos graxos. Estudos da composição físico-química da carne de capivara e aspectos nutricionais ainda são escassos e trabalhos que a caracterizem são raros, diante deste fato, o trabalho teve por objetivo realizar a caracterização físico-química e o perfil de ácidos graxos de hambúrguer de carne de capivara. Os valores encontrados na análise de umidade (77,23 ± 0,31), cinzas (1,24 ± 0,32), proteínas (18,67 ± 0,32) e gorduras (2,90 ± 1,46) foram satisfatórios. Em relação aos ácidos graxos, observa-se que o hambúrguer de capivara é fonte de ácidos graxos monoinsaturados (31,42%) tendo como principal representante deste grupo o ácido oleico (27,43%). Também, o grupo dos ômegas encontra-se em quantidades expressivas no hambúrguer de capivara. Do total de ácidos graxos insaturados presentes 30% são polinsaturados, sendo os principais representantes deste grupo o ácido linoléico (21,34%), o ácido linolênico (7,01%) e o ácido eicosatrienóico (1,83%). A relação entre o total de ácidos graxos saturados (37,77%) e insaturados (62,22%) é plenamente satisfatória. Dessa forma recomenda-se o consumo de hambúrguer de capivara não só por seu sabor peculiar como também pelo elevado valor nutricional em termos de composição proximal e de ácidos graxos insaturados

Efficacy And Safety Of Implantable Loop Recorder: Experience Of A Center

Introduction: Symptoms like syncope or palpitations frequently present a diagnostic challenge. An implantable loop recorder (ILR) is an important aid in the management of these patients. Methods: A retrospective study of patients that underwent ILR implantation from November 2007 to 2014. For each patient the indication for implantation, baseline characteristics, previous study, complications, recorded tracing and interventions were evaluated. Results: A total of 62 patients were included, 50% men, with a mean age of 62.5±18.8 years old. Previously to ILR implantation 88.7% of patients had performed Holter, 17.7% external events recorder, 33.9% Tilt test and 29% an electrophysiological study. The implantation indications were recurrent syncope in 90.3%, palpitations 8.1% and ischemic stroke in one patient. Mean follow-up time was 17.1±16.3 months. Symptoms were reported in 66.1% of the patients, 46.8% of those yielding a diagnostic finding. In all cases of palpitation complaints with diagnosis we found atrial fibrillation (AF). In patients with syncope atrioventricular conduction disturbance was demonstrated in 19.6%, sinus node dysfunction in 16.1%, paroxysmal supra-ventricular tachycardia 7.1% and AF in 1.8%. These finding resulted in 19 pacemaker and one CRT-D implantation, introduction of anticoagulation in five patients and one ablation of accessory pathway. There were no major complications. Conclusion: ILR proved to be safe and efficient. It has enabled the identification or exclusion of serious rhythm disturbances in more than half of patients and provided a targeted therapeutic intervention.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio