The Living ROMP of trans-Cyclooctene

The living ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) of trans-cyclooctene (tCO) was investigated. ROMP of tCO in the presence of PPh_3 in THF leads to the formation of narrowly dispersed polycyclooctene (PCO). The presence of PPh3 as an additive and the use of THF as a solvent were demonstrated to be necessary to suppress competing secondary metathesis processes in the ROMP of tCO. Under optimal conditions, narrowly dispersed PCO was achieved without high molecular weight contaminates. The PCO was then hydrogenated to form linear, narrowly dispersed polyethylene with a melting temperature of 139 °C. Protected, hydroxy-functionalized tCO was polymerized by this method to afford narrowly dispersed, hydroxylated PCO. Block copolymers containing polynorbornene and PCO or containing differentially functionalized PCO were also synthesized and hydrogenated to form block copolymers containing blocks of linear, narrowly dispersed polyethylene

Explaining drug-resistant infection in community pharmacies through effective information design

This paper describes a research project in which information design, human factors, architecture and pharmacy academics worked with pharmacy professionals and pharmacy users to consider how to present information about antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in a community pharmacy setting. Project outcomes – as a result of an innovative design competition – included five different design solutions that explain aspects of AMR within the context of a community pharmacy. The project raised awareness in pharmacy professionals of how design can be used to challenge ideas and encourage new ways of thinking to communicate public health messages. Two winning prototype solutions were installed in a Day Lewis pharmacy in Reading and evaluated by pharmacists and pharmacy users. We make preliminary recommendations for effective health communication in community pharmacies

Using PTE Academic to predict achievement and measure proficiency gains in an intensive EAP foundation programme

This study evaluates how well the Pearson Test of English – Academic (PTE-A) predicts students’ performance in a pre-university EAP programme, how much progress students make on the EAP programme in terms of PTE-A scores, and what individual differences influence their performance. PTE-A is shown to be a relatively good predictor of student performance, with overall correlations of rs = .58 between pre-programme PTE-A scores and performance in end-of-programme assessments. This predictive relationship was shown to be relatively constant across a wide range of student variables. Over the ten-week programme, students improved their PTE-A scores by between 2.5 (for speaking) and 5.5 (for reading) points. This is in line with findings from previous studies which have measured gains in terms of IELTS bands. Important variables influencing gain scores were the age at which students had started learning English (late starters improved the most), the amount of extra-curricular reading done during the programme and attitudes towards the PTE-A test

What students talk about when they talk about reading: a study of self-concept in reading in a second or foreign language

The self, the self-concept and identity are contested areas in various domains of enquiry. In cognitive psychology, the self is seen as a powerful explanatory construct. Indeed, in the education context, self-concept has been associated with achievement and motivation, though sociocultural approaches have highlighted the failure of certain schools of thought to take account of contextual and relational self processes. Nonetheless, despite the importance of the concept of self for learning, it has only fairly recently become of significant interest in the field of second or foreign language learning (L2). This longitudinal study focuses on the nature of, and changes in, students’ L2 reading self-concepts. In order to navigate the complexity of the theoretical issues surrounding the self construct, the approach of Rom Harré (1998) was adopted in which the self is seen as a frame for the discourse of personal attributes, reflexive self-beliefs and action. This perspective underpinned a mixed methods approach to enquiry with a group of international students taking a nine-month business pre-masters pathway programme. Based on the work of Pollard and Filer (1996), a framework for the narrative description of L2 reading self-concept was devised which provided a broad account of self-views of L2 reading, showing how these are linked in important ways to personal histories and the situational context. It was found that perception of competence was the main area of L2 reading self-concept change. Findings also included the importance of competence perceptions and the role of language knowledge in distinguishing L2 reading self-views. It is hoped that the model of L2 reading self-concept developed will enhance understanding of students’ experience of reading and learning through a second or foreign language. This should enable educators to support students more effectively, especially in international education contexts in which students study through another language. Areas for further research into L2 reading self-views in this type of context are suggested

Opportunity, ethnicity, gender, and CPA exam performance

Given the preeminence of the CPA certification as a measure of professional achievement and a critical element to advancement in the profession, as well as the concerns over lack of diversity in the accounting profession (AICPA 2017), a key policy question is how to improve candidates’ performance on the CPA exam. In this paper, we examine the role of educational and environmental (socioeconomic and segregation) factors representing opportunity, as well as gender and ethnicity (as defined by the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy), on the CPA exam performance. To accomplish this, we first document CPA exam performance across various demographic, educational, and environmental factors. We then develop several multivariate models to understand the influence of various educational and environmental factors representing opportunity on the CPA exam performance of these groups. Finally, we springboard from our findings to offer suggestions to educators, professional firms, and CPA societies, to implement new, or modify current, programs to meet the profession’s need for more qualified CPAs and its diversity/inclusion goals

Driving difficulties in patients with axial spondyloarthritis : Results from the Scotland Registry for Ankylosing Spondylitis

Acknowledgements The authors thank all of the clinicians and research nurses who facilitated recruitment and data collection, and the SIRAS steering committee in particular, especially Professor Roger Sturrock (chair) and Dr David Marshall (vice‐chair). The authors also thank the SIRAS coordinating centre study team, particularly Elizabeth Ferguson‐Jones, Giles O'Donovan, Nabi Moaven‐Hashemi, and Flora Joyce. Funding: AbbVie and Pfizer financially supported the Scotland Registry for Ankylosing Spondylitis (SIRAS). AbbVie and Pfizer had no role in the study design or in the collection, analysis, or interpretation of the data, the writing of the manuscript, or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. Publication of this article was not contingent upon approval by AbbVie or by Pfizer. LM is funded through the Medical Research Council/Versus Arthritis Centre for Musculoskeletal Health and Work (Versus Arthritis Grant No. 20665).Peer reviewedPostprin

Outcomes and treatment responses, including work productivity, among people with axial spondyloarthritis living in urban and rural areas : a mixed-methods study within a national register

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We are grateful to the staff of the British Society for Rheumatology Biologics Register in Axial Spondyloarthritis register who at the time of the study were Elizabeth Ferguson-Jones, Maureen Heddle, Nafeesa Nazlee and Barry Morris, and to the recruiting staff at the clinical centres, details of which are available at: https://www.abdn.ac.uk/iahs/research/epidemiology/spondyloarthritis.php#panel1011. FUNDING The BSRBR-AS is funded by the British Society of Rheumatology who have received funding for this, in part, from Pfizer, Abbvie and UCB. These companies receive advance copies of results but have no input in determining the topics for analysis or work involved in undertaking it. This work was conducted within the Versus Arthritis/Medical Research Council Centre for Musculoskeletal Work and Health (Grant No: 20665).Peer reviewedPublisher PD