Carbonic anhydrase in the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, 1995.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 43-45).by Samantha B. Roberts.M.S

The nights belong to the woman writer : a meditation on women’s writing practices in Elizabeth Jolley’s Miss Peabody’s Inheritance

Elizabeth Jolley’s Miss Peabody’s Inheritance is a novel overtly concerned with women’s writing practices and the conditions most conducive to creative expression. The first line of the narrative, “The nights belonged to the novelist,”1 signals a recurring motif throughout the text and presents an opportunity to analyse fictional representations of the night and writing. Night writing is a practice that appears in many variations across Western women’s literary history; in Jolley’s novel, the night fosters a time of literary and sexual experimentation in which women can explore their desires. Although Miss Peabody’s Inheritance is widely acknowledged for its subversive female characters and exploration of lesbian desire, it is yet to receive substantial criticism on the significance of the night. Jolley scholarship considers the imaginative landscape of Miss Peabody’s evenings; the magical, enchanting time so starkly juxtaposed with the mundanity of clerical work and oppressive domestic chores. Yet the complications and nuances of the night – both liberating and restrictive, fraught with contradictions – demand further attention. This study adopts a feminist critical perspective to analyse Jolley’s novel as a meditation on women’s writing practices and literary cultures. By applying a close, textual reading combined with biographical criticism, I consider the ways in which Jolley reflects on the tension between gender and writing within her fiction. In addition to proposing a new way of reading Jolley’s novel, this study contributes to feminist literary scholarship on women’s writing spaces. There is potential for this research to be extended by reading Jolley’s work alongside other women writers, both local and international, who similarly draw upon the motif of night writing. Moreover, the themes on which Jolley meditates on in the novel have resonance with contemporary discussions on women’s unpaid domestic labour, and this research has potential to contribute to ongoing feminist, political and economic discussions on gender disparity

Qualitative Assessment of the PAX Good Behavior Game Implementation

This paper reports on a program evaluation of the PAX Good Behavior Game (GBG), an evidence-based practice intervention designed to create a nurturing environment conducive to learning in elementary schools. To evaluate and improve the PAX Good Behavior Game, a focus group was conducted at the end of the 2016-17 academic year. A total of ten teachers and school administrators from schools who implemented the PAX Good Behavior Game (PAX professionals) participated in a focus group session and provided feedback about the program. Focus group questions assessed four program objectives: (1) environmental change, (2) personal well-being and stress levels, (3) engagement with parents, and (4) networking with other PAX professionals. Results indicated that the PAX GBG decreased problematic classroom behaviors, provided more instructional time for teachers, and generated public interest of the program in the home and community

An investigation of theory-practice gap in undergraduate paramedic education

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Bachelor of Emergency Health (Paramedic) (BEH) students at Monash University undertake clinical placements to assist with the transition from student to novice paramedic. Anecdotally, students report a lack of opportunity to practise their clinical skills whilst on placements. The barriers to participation and the theory-practice gap have not been previously documented in Australian paramedic literature. The purpose of this study was to investigate the theory-practice gap for paramedic students by linking education and skill level to case exposure and skills praxis during clinical placements.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A cross-sectional retrospective study using a convenience sample of second and third year BEH undergraduate students. Ethics approval was granted.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Eighty four second and third year BEH students participated. 59.5% were female (n = 50), 40.5% were male (n = 34). Overall, students most commonly reported exposure to cardiac and respiratory cases and were satisfied with the number of cases encountered during placement. However, over half (n = 46) reported being exposed to < 50% of cases that allowed skills praxis. The most common barrier to participation (34.5%) was the opportunity to participate in patient care and 68% of student's were unsure if paramedics understood their role during clinical placements.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study demonstrates that the majority of students were satisfied with their clinical placement experience; even though they were exposed to < 50% of cases that allowed skills practice. Identifying these educational barriers will assist in improving the quality and theory-practice gap of paramedic clinical education.</p

Trends in New South Wales infant hospital admission rates in the first year of life: population-based study

Objective: To examine the trends in hospital admissions in the first year of life and identify whether changes in maternal and infant risk factors explain any changes Design: Population-based study using de-identified linked health data. Participants: All 788,798 liveborn infants delivered in New South Wales from 2001 to 2009 with a linked birth and hospital record. Main outcome measures: The number of infants readmitted to hospital at least once, up to one year of age, per 100 livebirths each year; changes in maternal and infant risk factors were assessed using logistic regression. Results: The number of infants admitted to hospital up to age one decreased 10.5%, from 18.4 per 100 births in 2001 to 16.5 in 2009. Fifty five per cent of this decrease could be explained by changes in factors that are associated with likelihood of hospitalisation; length of stay during the birth admission, maternal age and maternal smoking. The rate of admissions for jaundice and feeding difficulties increased significantly over the study period, while admissions for infections decreased. Conclusions: There has been a decrease in the rate of infants admitted to hospital in the first year of life, which can be partly explained by increasing maternal age, decreasing maternal smoking and a shift to shorter length of hospital stay at birth. Improved maternal and neonatal care in hospital and increased postnatal support at home may have contributed to reduced risk of readmission. The introduction of government policies may explain the rest of the decrease

Autism and inclusion: teachers' perspectives on the mainstreaming of autistic students

As a result of White Paper 6 (2001), South Africa has embarked on a radical restructuring of its entire education system, with the aim of removing barriers to learning and including children with disabilities into mainstream schooling (Mittler, 2003). According to this new framework, autistic students should be included into mainstream schools but there is scant research on the feasibility and practical implementation of this. This study took the form of a qualitative analysis of the perceptions of both mainstream and specialised teachers in terms of the mainstreaming of autistic students in South African schools. Results of the study suggest that neither of the sample groups perceive the South African context ready for mainstreaming of autistic students. They felt that students with Aspergers Syndrome, higher-functioning autism, could be included more successfully. However, on the premise that all autistic students were going to be included, a number of changes would need to be made. These included the provison of paraprofessionals, smaller classes and a stronger emphasis on safety. Teachers would also need to receive extensive training on dealing with behavioural problems that autistic students may exhibit. It was further noted that mainstream teachers are in need of practical exposure to autism and training in this area

Exploring the feasibility of a cluster pilot randomised control trial to improve children’s 24-hour movement behaviours and dietary intake:happy homework

We aimed to explore the feasibility, acceptability, and potential efficacy of Happy Homework (HH); an 8-week home-focussed intervention, with the purpose of encouraging children’s positive dietary behaviours and engagement in positive physical activity (PA) and sleep behaviours. We randomised four Scottish schools (n = 71 participants; 5 classrooms) to either the HH intervention (n = 2) or usual curriculum control group (n = 2). HH consisted of movement and dietary-focused parent and child tasks. Primary outcome measures were intervention feasibility, acceptability, and potential efficacy. Secondary outcomes were objectively measured PA via ActiGraph GT3X+, sedentary behaviours (SBs) and sleep duration via activPAL4™ accelerometers and dietary behaviours, fruit and vegetable consumption and screen-time via questionnaires. After controlling for pre-test levels, post intervention stepping time and sleep duration were significantly greater for the HH group in comparison to the control group. The HH group reported eating more fruit and vegetables at post-test than the control group. Participants also reported the intervention to be enjoyable and motivating. These findings provide promising evidence that given a greater sample size, better retention and the prioritisation of health and wellbeing homework, HH could enhance children’s health and wellbeing