Spermatophore production and sperm utilisation in the smooth newt <i>Triturus v vulgaris</i>

This study investigates spermatophore production and sperm utilisation in the smooth newt Triturus v. vulgaris. Chapter one outlines the natural history of the species and describes the physiology of reproduction and the sexual behaviour of male and female smooth newts. Chapter two describes the general methodology. Chapter three investigates the relationship between sperm accessory materials and spermatophore production. Spermatophore base height was correlated with male body size. The size of the glands that secrete the spermatophores was best predicted by body size, crest height and time post deposition. Chapter four determines the gametic strategies exhibited by males. Males may be optimising their spermatophore output by depositing spermatophores of similar size and sperm content, but production may be limited by the availability of sperm and sperm accessory materials. Chapter five examines the relationship between male body size and seasonal spermatophore production. Spermatophore production was correlated with body size, although crest height was the best predictor. Chapter six investigates sperm utilisation in females. Female smooth newts may require courtship as well as insemination to induce ovulation and they may need to remate during the season in order to lay a full clutch. Chapter seven investigates sperm utilisation due to polyspermy. Between 1 and 20 sperm may enter the ovum, although some ova were found to contain much higher numbers. Chapter eight discusses the results from the preceding chapters. Male reproductive success may be limited by spermatophore production and by females' utilisation of sperm. Female reproductive success is related to an individual's fecundity, but this study has shown that it may be also partly determined by the number of mates obtained and the timing of insemination. Mating patterns in smooth newts may be influenced by females' requirements for sperm as well as by males' seeking multiple mates to enhance their reproductive success

Age-Friendly Standards Around ICT

As the European population ages, there is an escalating need for age-friendly standards to support development of effective products and services involving information and communication technologies (ICT), thereby improving usability for all consumers, including older people. Co-production with users through inclusive and participatory processes provides several benefits to standardization, including enhanced understanding of market needs, clearer identification and mitigation of risks, and increased legitimacy of the standards developed. Ideally, co-production includes users from a range of backgrounds. However, older people, especially those aged over 80 years, are often the least likely in the population to be involved. This paper reports on barriers and challenges to inclusive co-production from the perspectives of a range of stakeholders participating in the European Commission-funded project PROGRESSIVE: Progressive Standards around ICT for Active and Healthy Ageing. It identifies potential ways to improve the participation of older people in the co-production of standards

Nature can cool cities, but proceed with caution

Increased extreme heat events draw attention to the potential of urban nature as a heat adaptation strategy for cities. This is reflected in multiple scientific perspective pieces, policy documents and science media publications advocating for urban greening as a cooling approach. Although attention to the dangers of heat and the benefits of urban nature is welcomed, it is vital that nature-based approaches to cooling are underpinned by diverse knowledge and a sound understanding of what nature in cities can and cannot do. We explain why an evidence-driven and cautious approach to heat adaptation through urban greening is so important, and propose three actions that urban actors can take towards effective and equitable long-term cooling through urban nature: enabling dialogue between different sectors with multiple remits; including diverse knowledge systems in planning and governance processes; and investing in long-term stewardship for the climatological and societal conditions of the coming decades. Policy and practice recommendation • Create fora for dialogue between governments, residents, civil society and developers from planning stage for green cooling; • Cooling through nature must be driven by expertise spanning diverse knowledge systems, combined with local knowledge and community needs; • Consider future climates and stewardship when planning urban cooling via nature. Science highlights • Understanding link between urban thermal environment and nature is an inter- and transdisciplinary task; • Critical need for evidence of how greening reduces heat impacts across different social and cultural contexts; • Evidence of how species perform under future climates required for stewardship of urban nature

Guide - User Co-Production in Standardisation

Research within the H2020 PROGRESSIVE project has identified good practices in user co-production strategies and methodologies. Early findings from research in the PROGRESSIVE project were shared with relevant stakeholders outside the consortium for consultation and review. The outcomes of that initial investigation highlighted the need to focus on the objectives, processes, and methods used in user and older people co-production. This guide adapts these insights and makes them relevant specifically for standardisation in ICT for active and healthy ageing. This guide was approved by representatives of the PROGRESSIVE project on 22 February 2018. The consortium has requested comments from interested stakeholders in an enquiry from 1 March to 30 April 2018. The PROGRESSIVE guide was approved on 5 June 2018

Assessing decision-making in healthcare practice using a web-based interactive tool

OSCEs assess student competence without compromising patient safety but opportunities for formative assessment may be restricted. eLearning can increase formative and summative assessment opportunities but many assignments use multiple choice, which alone may be limited when assessing healthcare practitioners’ decisions regarding patients’ health. These decisions are strongly influenced by context. This pilot study assesses students’ decision-making skills using a context-driven simulation decision tool that draws on practice to ensure validity and provides evaluative individualized feedback on students’ progress. The tool was piloted with volunteer nursing students who completed an online questionnaire. The findings suggest students’ decision-making skills improve and they find the tool valuable for self-assessment and feel better prepared for practice. The findings also support Boud and Prosser’s principles for fostering high quality learning. This tool allows assessment to occur in context, over time and at a distance, and provides an innovative approach to assessing complexity in professional practice. A recent review of eLearning in medical education has shown few studies are evaluated, so this study makes a useful contribution. It demonstrates that virtual environments are an effective learning tool, which can be tailored to a variety of settings, making them valuable resources in education for healthcare professionals worldwide. Keywords: simulation decision-making eLearning computer-based assessmen

Developing your career

Career planning is something that needs to be considered throughout your research degree studies, and this chapter particularly links into issues such as maintaining a skills portfolio and identifying and developing transferable skills that are now sought by employers. The second part of the chapter concentrates on the practicalities of job applications, the production of a good CV and preparing for interviews

Using virtual environments to simulate practice

Abstract not available

Waights V. (2009) Assessing learning for healthcare practice using an on-line interactive tool

One of the challenges facing educators of healthcare professionals worldwide is to enable students to develop skills and to assess their competence without compromising patient safety (Koh 2002; Ravert 2002). In many instances assessments are undertaken through Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) using simulated patients or actors. However, these can be costly and students may have limited opportunities for practice or formative assessment. Indeed, there is much current debate about assessment for learning within Higher Education and the provision of timely, high quality feedback, which as REAP (2007) notes can take time to generate. Use of eLearning technology can lead to increased opportunities for assessment and many eAssessment assignments in Higher Education use objective question types, in particular multiple choice (Sclater et al. 2007). However, these question types alone may be limited when assessing the application of learning in complex professional situations, such as healthcare practitioners making decisions regarding patients’ health. These clinical decisions require sound theoretical knowledge and good decision-making skills, however, they are also strongly influenced by their context - as the complexity of decision tasks increases so context-specific knowledge determines the effectiveness of decision-making (Botti & Reeve 2003). To enhance skills development through practice-based learning, we have taken an experiential (Kolb 1984) approach within our curriculum and used virtual environments to introduce students to the complexities and challenges of practice, using examples from real practice to ensure validity and mimic reality (Cioffi 2001). This pilot study enhances this approach to develop and assess students’ decision-making skills using a context-driven decision maze tool that draws on their prior learning within the curriculum, is situated in practice and mimics reality. It builds on Laurillard (2002), who suggests that ‘Traditional modes of assessment of knowledge are seen as inadequate because they fail to assess students‘ capability in the authentic activities of their discipline. This approach enables students to engage with the complexity of practice, in which they need to seek information from a variety of sources to inform their decisions, and to rehearse skills before taking them into practice. In addition, through a reflective log of their decision-making, it provides an alternative to mentor-led assessment, which can bring its own problems due to the tension between nurturing and judgement (Yorke 2005). The tool delivers instant high quality feedback so that students can monitor their progress and self-assess their performance to enable improvement. The tool is currently being piloted with volunteer nursing students, who complete an on-line evaluative quantitative and qualitative questionnaire. In addition, each decision is scored and the results amalgamated to provide an objective evaluation of students’ progress. A recent review by Cook et al (2008) of research in eLearning in medical education has shown only 13% of studies undertaken in this area are evaluated, so the completed evaluation will contribute to knowledge in this field. The findings to date (n=11) suggest students’ decision-making skills improve across two attempts of the tool (73%), and that students find the tool valuable for self-assessment (87%) and feel better prepared for practice (87%). The findings also provide evidence to support Boud and Prosser’s (2002) principles for fostering high quality learning in higher education. Use of this tool allows assessment to occur in context, over time and at a distance, and provides an innovative approach to assessing complexity in professional practice. It is student-led, enabling students to engage multiple times if desired, encouraging self-assessment and self-monitoring of progress. Furthermore, it demonstrates that virtual environments are an effective learning tool, which can be tailored to meet the needs of different students in a variety of settings, making them valuable resources in education provision for healthcare professionals worldwide