Reading Dolly : The reading practices of adolescent girls

In recent years the representation and participation of women in the media has received a great deal of attention. So too, has the area of language and gender. Research and discussions around these two fields intersect to provide a context for this research project. Unlike any study located to date, this study provides a theoretical exploration of practices girls employ when reading Dolly, an Australian teen magazine aimed at adolescent females. The project involves 11 year-eight girls from two metropolitan schools and aims to answer questions regarding the reading practices they employ when reading Dolly, the meanings they make with magazine, and what their engagement with the magazine reveals about their critical reading skills. It also aims to explore any significance the reading Dolly may have for the construction of adolescent subjectivity. Literature from the areas of women in the media, and of language, gender and reading inform this project. Post-structural concepts of ideology, subjectivity, discourse, resistance and critical reading provide a theoretical background. The research involved the participants in group interviews and diary-writing activities over five weeks and the resulting observations are interpreted in the light of post-structural concepts mentioned above. The observations reveal that while the magazine presents limited and limiting images and versions of adolescent femininity, the girls display sophisticated reading strategies which enable them to read discriminatively. They also demonstrate the ability to be critical of the magazine as a text, a product, and, to some degree, as an ideological force. With a fundamental focus on reading, the observations and interpretations made in this document have implications for the treatment of popular cultural texts in the classroom and also for the consideration of \u27female\u27 texts and female reading practices

A comparison of varied and generalised mindfulness interventions on cold-induced pain in healthy adults

Mindfulness is becoming increasingly popular, not only in mainstream culture, but in a therapeutic context as well. Current research has shown that mindfulness-based interventions (MBIs) can be used to manage pain as well as psychological distress. This raises fundamental questions about how interventions should be standardised and delivered. The aim of this study was to trial two MBIs, a ‘varied’ approach against a ‘generalised’ approach, and compare their efficacy. Twenty-two participants completed a battery of self-report questionnaires to establish baseline levels of mindfulness before completing a cold-pressor task designed to measure their pain tolerance. After completing either of the 15 minute mindfulness training, participants’ mindfulness levels and pain tolerances were reassessed. It was thought that after receiving one of these mindfulness-based interventions, participants would experience an increase in pain tolerance, as measured by a cold-pressor. It was also theorised that mindfulness training would have a positive effect on participants’ self-reported mindfulness. Contrary to expectations, the results did not reveal any significant interaction between either mindfulness interventions on pain tolerance nor self-reported mindfulness. Although the hypotheses were not supported, existing research recognises the complexities in defining and generalising mindfulness. Further work is needed to explore the underlying mechanisms of mindfulness and to establish the viability of providing therapist-free mindfulness training as method of pain-reduction

Human factors and patient safety in undergraduate healthcare education : A systematic review

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Development and characterisation of a bath-based vertical blackbody cavity calibration source for the range −30 °C to 150 °C

Industrial use of Radiation Thermometers (RTs) is becoming increasingly common due to the perceived advantages and wide market availability. Blackbody Cavity Radiation Sources (BCRSs) are typically used for calibration of these instruments, and these cavities are oriented horizontally in most cases. For BCRSs based in thermal baths, this necessitates the use of custom-built baths with side openings. This paper presents a unique design of vertical bath-based BCRS that may be immersed in conventional calibration baths without modifications to the baths. The method, results, and analysis of an international comparison comparing this vertical BCRS, standard horizontal BCRSs, and a previous iteration of the vertical design of BCRS are also presented. The comparison was conducted through collaboration between the Laboratory of Metrology and Quality, Slovenia (LMK) and the National Standards Authority Ireland (NSAI), with the intention of evaluating the suitability of the vertical orientation for calibration work. Transfer pyrometers and Standard Platinum Resistance Thermometers (SPRTs) were used as comparison standards. The transfer pyrometers used have spectral sensitivity from 8μm to 14μm in this temperature range. It was found that the vertical orientation was comparable to within 0.25°Cthroughout the range to standard horizontal cavities. It was concluded that a vertical configuration is an economical alternative for calibration of RTs within the range assessed

Ensuring the quality and quantity of personal protective equipment (PPE) by enhancing the procurement process in Northern Ireland during the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic: Challenges in the procurement process for PPE in NI

This article outlines the purchasing process for personal protective equipment that was established for Health and Social Care in Northern Ireland in response to the outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019. The Business Services Organisation Procurement and Logistics Service, who are the sole provider of goods and services for Health and Social Care organisations, was faced with an unprecedented demand for personal protective equipment in response to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic. The usual procurement process was further complicated by changing messages within guidelines which resulted in confusion and anxiety when determining whether or not a product would meet the required safety guidance and was therefore suitable for purchase. In order to address these issues in a rapidly changing and escalating scenario the Department of Health asked the Business Services Organisation Procurement and Logistics Service to work with the Medicines Optimisation Innovation Centre to maximise the availability of personal protective equipment whilst ensuring that it met all requisite quality and standards. A process was implemented whereby the Medicines Optimisation Innovation Centre validated all pertinent essential documentation relating to products to ensure that all applicable standards were met, with the Business Services Organisation Procurement and Logistics Service completing all procurement due diligence tasks in line with both normal and coronavirus disease 2019 emergency derogations. It is evident from the data presented that whilst there were a significant number of potential options for supply, a large proportion of these were rejected due to failure to meet the quality assurance criteria. Thus, by the process that was put in place, a large number of unsuitable products were not purchased and only those that met extant standards were approved

External validation of anti-Müllerian hormone based prediction of live birth in assisted conception

External validation of anti-M??llerian hormone based prediction of live birth in assisted conceptio

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