The Parents under Pressure parenting programme for families with fathers receiving treatment for opioid dependency: the PuP4Dads feasibility study

Background: The impact of parental drug use on children is a major public health problem. However, opioid-dependent fathers have been largely ignored in parenting research. Objective: Implement and test the feasibility and acceptability of the ‘Parents under Pressure’ parenting programme for opioid-dependent fathers and their families (PuP4Dads) and determine whether a full scale evaluation could be conducted. Design: Mixed methods feasibility study. Setting: Two non-NHS family support services for parents who use drugs in Scotland. Participants: Fathers prescribed Opioid Substitution Therapy (n=25), their partners (n=17) and children; practitioners; supervisors, service managers; referrers. Intervention: Home-visiting programme, including an integrated theoretical framework, case formulation, collaborative goal setting, and modules designed to improve parenting, the caregiving environment and child welfare. Delivered flexibly over six months by accredited practitioners. Main outcome measures: Feasibility progression criteria: recruitment target (n=24 fathers); acceptability of PUP; father engagement in the study (66% complete programme; minimum 10 complete baseline and post-treatment interviews); engagement in qualitative interviews (fathers n=10 minimum; practitioners 90% uptake; managers 80% uptake); focus groups (referrers 80% uptake); adequate fidelity; no adverse events. Data sources: Researcher administered validated questionnaires: Brief Child Abuse Potential; Parenting Sense of Competence; Difficulties in Emotion Regulation; Paternal/Maternal Antenatal Attachment; Emotional Availability (video); Infant Toddler Social Emotional Assessment/Strengths and Difficulties; Conflict Tactics Scale; Treatment Outcomes Profile; EQ-5D-5L. Other sources: Parent-completed service use (economic measure); Social work child protection data; NHS opioid substitution therapy prescription data. Practitioner reported attendance data. Interviews with fathers, mothers, practitioners (n=8), supervisors (n=2), service managers (n=7); focus groups with referrers (n=28); ‘expert event’ with stakeholders (n=39). Results: PuP was successfully delivered within non-NHS settings and acceptable and suitable for the study population. Referrals (n=44) resulted in 38 (86%) eligible fathers, of whom 25 (66%) fathers and 17 partners/mothers consented to participate. Most fathers reported no previous parenting support. Intervention engagement: 248 sessions delivered to 20 fathers and 14 mothers who started the intervention; 14 fathers (10 mothers) completed ≥ six sessions; six fathers (4 mothers) completed ≤ five sessions. Father and mother attendance rates were equal (mean: 71%). Median length of engagement: fathers 26 weeks, mothers 30 weeks. Research interview completion rates for fathers: 23 at baseline, 16 follow-up one, 13 follow-up two. Measures: well tolerated; suitability of some measures dependent on family circumstances; researcher administered questionnaires resulted in little missing data. Perceived benefits of PuP4Dads from parent, practitioner and manager perspectives: therapeutic focus on fathers, improved parental emotion regulation; understanding and responding to child’s needs; better multi-agency working; programme a good fit with practice ‘ethos’ and policy agenda. Learning highlighted importance of: service-wide adoption and implementation support; strategies to improve recruitment and retention of fathers; managing complex needs of both parents concurrently; understanding contextual factors affecting programme delivery and variables affecting intervention engagement and outcomes. Limitations: Lack of emotional availability and economic (service use) data. Conclusions: A larger evaluation of PuP4Dads is feasible. Future work: Demonstrating the effectiveness of PuP4Dads and the cost implications. Better understanding of how the intervention works, for whom, under what circumstances, and why

Feedback or feedforward: Supporting students with alternate or missing conceptions in chemistry as they transition into tertiary chemistry

Constructivist learning environments are most effective when the learner and teacher are both aware of the existing conceptual models that learners possess to enable them to extend and apply their understanding rather than resort to rote learning (Taber, 2001). As students transition into, and engage in, the new tertiary learning environment it is important to assist them to maximise the effectiveness of their learning which requires measurement or diagnosis of their existing conceptual understanding. One of the challenges in teaching chemistry is to encourage students to recognise their existing knowledge and conceptual understanding and then apply it in new learning situations (Schraw, Crippen, & Hartley, 2006). Feedback is particularly important for first-year students because they are coming to terms with the change of environment, expectations, teaching approaches and forms of assessment. In this context, Hattie and Timperley’s three questions (Hattie & Timerley, 2007) are particularly relevant: “Where am I going?”, “How am I going?” and “Where to next?” Formative assessment is critical to “How am I going?” and the feedback is just as valuable for the instructor as for the students to support student learning. REFERENCES Hattie, J., & Timperley, H. (2007). The Power of Feedback. Review of Educational Research. 77, 81-112. Schraw, G., Crippen, K. J., & Hartley, K. (2006). Promoting self-regulation in science education: Metacognition as part of a broader persepective on learning. Research in Science Education. 36, 111-39. Taber, K. S. (2001). The mismatch between assumed prior knowledge and the Learner’s conceptions: A typology of learning impediments. Educational Studies, 27, 159-71

The first sub-70 minute non-interacting WD-BD system: EPIC212235321

We present the discovery of the shortest-period, non-interacting, white dwarf-brown dwarf post-common-envelope binary known. The K2 light curve shows the system, EPIC 21223532 has a period of 68.2 min and is not eclipsing, but does show a large reflection effect due to the irradiation of the brown dwarf by the white dwarf primary. Spectra show hydrogen, magnesium and calcium emission features from the brown dwarf's irradiated hemisphere, and the mass indicates the spectral type is likely to be L3. Despite having a period substantially lower than the cataclysmic variable period minimum, this system is likely a pre-cataclysmic binary, recently emerged from the common-envelope. These systems are rare, but provide limits on the lowest mass object that can survive common envelope evolution, and information about the evolution of white dwarf progenitors, and post-common envelope evolution

RNA helicase A modulates translation of HIV-1 and infectivity of progeny virions

Retroviruses rely on host RNA-binding proteins to modulate various steps in their replication. Previously several animal retroviruses were determined to mediate Dhx9/RNA helicase A (RHA) interaction with a 5′ terminal post-transcriptional control element (PCE) for efficient translation. Herein PCE reporter assays determined HTLV-1 and HIV-1 RU5 confer orientation-dependent PCE activity. The effect of Dhx9/RHA down-regulation and rescue with siRNA-resistant RHA on expression of HIV-1NL4–3 provirus determined that RHA is necessary for efficient HIV-1 RNA translation and requires ATPase-dependent helicase function. Quantitative analysis determined HIV-1 RNA steady-state and cytoplasmic accumulation were not reduced; rather the translational activity of viral RNA was reduced. Western blotting determined that RHA-deficient virions assemble with Lys-tRNA synthetase, exhibit processed reverse transcriptase and contain similar level of viral RNA, but they are poorly infectious on primary lymphocytes and HeLa cells. The results demonstrate RHA is an important host factor within the virus-producer cell and within the viral particle. The identification of RHA-dependent PCE activity in cellular junD RNA and in six of seven genera of Retroviridae suggests conservation of this translational control mechanism among vertebrates, and convergent evolution of Retroviridae to utilize this host mechanism

No evidence for cardiac dysfunction in Kif6 mutant mice.

A KIF6 variant in man has been reported to be associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes after myocardial infarction. No clear biological or physiological data exist for Kif6. We sought to investigate the impact of a deleterious KIF6 mutation on cardiac function in mice. Kif6 mutant mice were generated and verified. Cardiac function was assessed by serial echocardiography at baseline, after ageing and after exercise. Lipid levels were also measured. No discernable adverse lipid or cardiac phenotype was detected in Kif6 mutant mice. These data suggest that dysfunction of Kif6 is linked to other more complex biological/biochemical parameters or is unlikely to be of material consequence in cardiac function

Narrowband CCD Photometry of Giant HII Regions

We have obtained accurate CCD narrow band H_beta and H_alpha photometry of Giant HII Regions in M 33, NGC 6822 and M 101. Comparison with previous determinations of emission line fluxes show large discrepancies; their probable origins are discussed. Combining our new photometric data with global velocity dispersion (sigma) derived from emission line widths we have reviewed the L(H_beta)-sigma relation. A reanalysis of the properties of the GEHRs included in our sample shows that age spread and the superposition of components in multiple regions introduce a considerable spread in the regression. Combining the information available in the literature regarding ages of the associated clusters, evolutionary footprints on the interstellar medium, and kinematical properties of the knots that build up the multiple GEHRs, we have found that a subsample - which we refer to as young and single GEHRs - do follow a tight relation in the L-sigma plane.Comment: Accepted for publication in MNRAS, large figures available on a separate tarfil

Gravitational Waves From Known Pulsars: Results From The Initial Detector Era

We present the results of searches for gravitational waves from a large selection of pulsars using data from the most recent science runs (S6, VSR2 and VSR4) of the initial generation of interferometric gravitational wave detectors LIGO (Laser Interferometric Gravitational-wave Observatory) and Virgo. We do not see evidence for gravitational wave emission from any of the targeted sources but produce upper limits on the emission amplitude. We highlight the results from seven young pulsars with large spin-down luminosities. We reach within a factor of five of the canonical spin-down limit for all seven of these, whilst for the Crab and Vela pulsars we further surpass their spin-down limits. We present new or updated limits for 172 other pulsars (including both young and millisecond pulsars). Now that the detectors are undergoing major upgrades, and, for completeness, we bring together all of the most up-to-date results from all pulsars searched for during the operations of the first-generation LIGO, Virgo and GEO600 detectors. This gives a total of 195 pulsars including the most recent results described in this paper.United States National Science FoundationScience and Technology Facilities Council of the United KingdomMax-Planck-SocietyState of Niedersachsen/GermanyAustralian Research CouncilInternational Science Linkages program of the Commonwealth of AustraliaCouncil of Scientific and Industrial Research of IndiaIstituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare of ItalySpanish Ministerio de Economia y CompetitividadConselleria d'Economia Hisenda i Innovacio of the Govern de les Illes BalearsNetherlands Organisation for Scientific ResearchPolish Ministry of Science and Higher EducationFOCUS Programme of Foundation for Polish ScienceRoyal SocietyScottish Funding CouncilScottish Universities Physics AllianceNational Aeronautics and Space AdministrationOTKA of HungaryLyon Institute of Origins (LIO)National Research Foundation of KoreaIndustry CanadaProvince of Ontario through the Ministry of Economic Development and InnovationNational Science and Engineering Research Council CanadaCarnegie TrustLeverhulme TrustDavid and Lucile Packard FoundationResearch CorporationAlfred P. Sloan FoundationAstronom