Improving opportunities for mathematical learning amongst students identified as having behavioural, emotional and social difficulties within a special school environment

This thesis reports on a small scale action research study conducted within the mathematics classroom of a special school in England, categorized as catering for students with Behavioural, Emotional and Social and Difficulties (BESD). In the UK, more students are identified as having BESD than any other category of Special Educational Need and yet students identified in this way experience some of the poorest educational outcomes. This study sought to explore how one class of six Year 10 students (aged 14 -15) viewed and experienced their learning of mathematics. It aimed to identify whether particular pedagogical approaches could provide improved opportunities for learning. Instead of focusing on strategies and sanctions to manage behaviour, this research concentrated on better understanding the specific learning needs of this small but diverse group of students. The study was informed by theories of learning that emphasise the importance of social and cognitive processes in the learning of mathematics. In order to encourage peer communication and social interaction, the teacher adopted the role of facilitator, increasing opportunities for students to engage in dialogue and learn from each other. The curriculum area of measurement estimation was chosen as the focus of the intervention. As this is an area of mathematics that does not necessarily lead to a single correct answer, it reduced the risk to students of getting it ‘wrong’ which could further exacerbate issues of low self-esteem and confidence. Data were gathered at each phase of the action research cycle and included: audio recordings made during and after each of the seven learning activities that comprised the intervention; notes from the teacher-researcher’s research journal and copies of students’ work. As the study aimed to capture the students’ perspective of their mathematical learning, they each took part in an individual, semi-structured interview during the reconnaissance phase and a focus group discussion following the intervention stage. Data collected from the reconnaissance stage were analysed using a process of thematic analysis and informed the development of the intervention. The study poses a number of challenges for those interested in improving the opportunities for mathematical learning amongst students identified as having BESD. Although all six students within this study initially expressed a preference for working alone, pedagogical approaches based on active and participatory learning were found to be motivating and engaging for the majority of learners. Although most students demonstrated an increased capacity to work together cooperatively, some struggled to learn collaboratively. The study highlighted that, in developing social constructivist approaches to learning mathematics, students’ social competence and trust in each other, needs to be nurtured. Finally, the teacher’s role in stimulating ‘talk’ was identified as a key factor in increasing opportunities for students to learn mathematics

Citizens who inject drugs: the 'Fitpack' study

Most injecting drug users have never been in drug treatment yet much research is done on samples with high treatment rates drawn from agency and peer recruited populations. This study accessed drug injectors with little or no prior drug treatment, described their characteristics, BBVI risk behaviours and feedback on services. Its results challenge some stereotypes about citizens who inject drugs. A sample of 511 'hidden' drug injectors, of whom only 28.7% had any specialist drug treatment agency contact, completed a questionnaire which was distributed with 'Fitpack' needle packs sold through community pharmacies in WA. The mean age of respondents was 26.2 years, 43.4% were women, 44.3% were living with their sexual partner, 41.7% were parents, and 46.4% were employed, mostly in full time work. In the previous month 61.2% had injected less frequently than daily. The study accessed a diverse group of drug injectors not typically seen in agency and peer recruited research. They provided useful feedback about how harm reduction strategies among injectors can be improved. However, they also reported higher rates of injecting and sharing than previously found in traditionally recruited samples of injectors which suggests there is no room for complacency regarding the potential for BBVI transmission in this grou

Creative producers international report

Creative Producers International was an international talent development programme which worked with 15 Creative Producers based in cities across the globe. Their areas of expertise ranged from contemporary art, place making and community engagement through to corporate collaboration, urban innovation and social activism. We have spent the last three years asking urgent questions about place, identity and public space, and exploring how arts and culture can be empowered to take a leading role in the development of our future cities. Our aim was to form and amplify a network of connected ecologies of practice that influence, challenge and support each other, and build an international bank of knowledge and experience around city change

Anxiety, distress tolerance, and the relationship between complex posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms and alcohol use in veterans

Objectives: Little is known about whether distress tolerance and anxiety mediate the relationship between comorbid complex posttraumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) and alcohol use among military veterans. Here, we investigated the contribution of distress tolerance and anxiety on the strength of the CPTSD and alcohol use association. We hypothesized that the impact of a two-factor model of CPTSD derived from subscale scores on the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ)—namely ITQ PTSD and ITQ Disturbances in Self Organization (DSO; e.g., issues with affective regulation/self-belief and shame)—on alcohol use severity would be mediated by anxiety but not by distress tolerance. Methods: Participants included 403 community-dwelling United Kingdom (UK) veterans (91.64% male, Mage = 51.15 years, SD = 12.48) recruited as part of a larger, online study. Results: Findings indicated that the influence of CPTSD symptoms on alcohol use severity was mediated by anxiety, not by distress tolerance, with greater relative impact due to ITQ DSO status than ITQ PTSD status. Conclusions: We identified the mediational influence of anxiety and distress tolerance on the association between CPTSD subscales and alcohol use in UK veterans. Interventions for anxiety may be adapted for reducing problematic alcohol use and the impact of CPTSD symptoms in veterans with comorbid PTSD and alcohol use disorder

Challenges of beef cattle production from tropical pastures

The live weight gain of cattle on tropical pastures is reviewed and found to be low and dependent on the length of the growing season. Supplements may be added to address the primary limiting nutrient, which, in the dry season, is crude protein. The response relationships of live weight gain to level of supplement (protein or energy) that have been developed for animals on pasture in Brazil and Australia have been compared and found to be very similar. This gives confidence in recommending a supplementation strategy for cattle on tropical pastures. Response in the wet season was very low and likely to be uneconomic compared with dry season supplementation. Supplementation is costly and should only be used as a last resort, but the strategy needs to be viewed in the context of a growth path to a defined market or slaughter weight. In Australia, high inputs in the first dry season are risky as subsequent compensatory growth can reduce or eliminate the weight advantage of a supplement. There is less financial risk in using supplements towards the end of the growth path. Growth paths can follow many forms and there is no need to maximise live weight gain in each period. Targeted supplements in the second dry season, leucaena based systems, other special-purpose pastures or crops, and feedlots offer the most economical way for cattle to meet market targets. The expected annual live weight gain and weaning weight are other major factors which determine the growth path, target market which can be achieved, and the level of intervention (supplements, legumes, feedlots, etc) which are required and when. Some recent results on growth paths in Australia are presented

Maximizing Lucerne (Medicago sativa) Pasture Intake of Dairy Cows: 1-the Effect of Pre-Grazing Pasture Height and Mixed Ration Level

The effect of lucerne (Medicago sativa L.) pre-grazing pasture height on pasture intake and milk production was investigated in a sub-tropical partial mixed ration (PMR) dairy system in south-east Queensland, Australia. The experiment involved a 26-day adaptation period followed by an eight-day measurement period during April and May 2018. Twenty-four multiparous Holstein-Friesian dairy cows were offered a mixed ration at either 7 (low) or 14 (high) kg dry matter (DM)/cow/day and allocated pastures at pre-grazing heights ranging from 23 to 39 cm. The targeted pasture intake was 14 and 7 kg DM/cow/day for cows offered the low and high mixed ration allowances respectively, with a total intake target of 21 kg DM/cow/day. Pasture structure did not limit pasture intake as the all groups left at least 12% of the allocated area ungrazed, and therefore could selectively graze pasture. There was no significant difference in intake between mixed ration levels, however intake had a positive linear relationship with pre-grazing pasture height. For every one cm increase in pasture height, intake increased by 0.3 kg DM/cow/day. Using a grazing strategy that ensures the some pasture remains ungrazed and the pre-grazing height of lucerne is approximately 39 cm above ground level will maximise pasture intake in sub-tropical PMR dairy systems

Electrical stimulation using conductive polymer polypyrrole promotes differentiation of human neural stem cells: a biocompatible platform for translational neural tissue engineering

Conductive polymers (CPs) are organic materials that hold great promise for biomedicine. Potential applications include in vitro or implantable electrodes for excitable cell recording and stimulation, and conductive scaffolds for cell support and tissue engineering. Here we demonstrate the utility of electroactive CP Polypyrrole (PPy) containing the anionic dopant dodecylbenzenesulfonate (DBS) to differentiate novel clinically relevant human neural stem cells (hNSCs). Electrical stimulation of PPy(DBS) induced hNSCs to predominantly β-III Tubulin (Tuj1) expressing neurons, with lower induction of glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expressing glial cells. In addition, stimulated cultures comprised nodes or clusters of neurons with longer neurites and greater branching than unstimulated cultures. Cell clusters showed a similar spatial distribution to regions of higher conductivity on the film surface. Our findings support the use of electrical stimulation to promote neuronal induction and the biocompatibility of PPy(DBS) with hNSCs, and opens up the possibility of identifying novel mechanisms of fate determination of differentiating human stem cells for advanced in vitro modelling, translational drug discovery and regenerative medicine

Feeding strategies for improving ruminant productivity in the post-COVID 19 pandemic era particularly for small holders

COVID-19 has highlighted the need for robust cattle supply chains using local feed resources. Higher Income Over Food Costs (IOFC) are usually achieved when live weight gains are high and the cost of the ingredients are low. There is a need to formulate rations with high metabolisable energy (ME) and crude protein (CP) to achieve the high live weight gain. Rations can be formulated locally by farmer co-operatives, entrepreneurs and local commercial enterprises to take advantage of cheaper prices for local ingredients. To do this, rations need to be altered quickly to take advantage of local fluctuations in prices and availability of ingredients. A recent ACIAR funded project has developed a least cost ration (ACIAR LCR) system to formulate rations to meet minimum ME and CP contents for beef cattle using locally available ingredients. The use of cassava and its various products in combination with protein sources, such as tree legumes and high protein by-products, have markedly improved IOFC