Early childhood portfolios as a tool for enhancing learning during the transition to school

From 2005-2008 Mangere Bridge Kindergarten in New Zealand carried out a Centre of Innovation research project exploring the transition between early childhood education and school. A flexible action research approach was used, with the three teacher researchers, supported by two university research associates, developing and researching a range of strategies for supporting children’s learning as the children and their families ‘crossed the border’ from early childhood education to school. Many of these initiatives involved working closely with teachers in the local school setting. This paper focuses on one aspect of the findings, the ways in which the early childhood portfolios could be used to enhance children’s learning during the transition to school. Portfolios were identified as a belonging and empowerment tool; a means for school teachers to access to children’s funds of knowledge; playing a role in constructing a positive self-image about learning; and as valuable literacy artefacts

CLEF 2005: Ad Hoc track overview

We describe the objectives and organization of the CLEF 2005 ad hoc track and discuss the main characteristics of the tasks offered to test monolingual, bilingual and multilingual textual document retrieval. The performance achieved for each task is presented and a preliminary analysis of results is given. The paper focuses in particular on the multilingual tasks which reused the test collection created in CLEF 2003 in an attempt to see if an improvement in system performance over time could be measured, and also to examine the multilingual results merging problem

ECONOMICS OF SEQUESTERING CARBON IN THE U.S. AGRICULTURAL SECTOR

Atmospheric concentrations of greenhouse gases can be reduced by withdrawing carbon from the atmosphere and sequestering it in soils and biomass. This report analyzes the performance of alternative incentive designs and payment levels if farmers were paid to adopt land uses and management practices that raise soil carbon levels. At payment levels below $10 per metric ton for permanently sequestered carbon, analysis suggests landowners would find it more cost effective to adopt changes in rotations and tillage practices. At higher payment levels, afforestation dominates sequestration activities, mostly through conversion of pastureland. Across payment levels, the economic potential to sequester carbon is much lower than the technical potential reported in soil science studies. The most cost-effective payment design adjusts payment levels to account both for the length of time farmers are willing to commit to sequestration activities and for net sequestration. A 50-percent cost-share for cropland conversion to forestry or grasslands would increase sequestration at low carbon payment levels but not at high payment levels.Carbon sequestration, greenhouse gas mitigation, afforestation, conservation tillage, no-till, incentive design, leakage, carbon stock, permanence, Environmental Economics and Policy,

Interventions to Promote More Effective Balance-Recovery Reactions in Industrial Settings: New Perspectives on Footwear and Handrails

“Change-in-support” balance-recovery reactions that involve rapid stepping or reaching movements play a critical role in preventing falls. Recent geriatrics studies have led to new interventions to improve ability to execute these reactions effectively. Some of these interventions have the potential to reduce fall risk for younger persons working in industrial settings. In this paper, we review research pertaining to two such interventions: 1) balance-enhancing footwear insoles designed to improve stepping reactions, and 2) proximity-triggered handrail cueing systems designed to improve reach-to-grasp reactions. The insole has a raised ridge around the perimeter that is intended to improve balance control by providing increased stimulation of sensory receptors on the footsole in situations where loss of balance may be imminent. The cueing system uses flashing lights and/or verbal prompts to attract attention to the handrail and ensure that the brain registers its location, thereby facilitating more rapid and accurate grasping of the rail if and when sudden loss of balance occurs. Results to date support the efficacy of both interventions in geriatric populations. There is also some evidence that these interventions may improve balance control in younger persons; however, further research is needed to confirm their efficacy in preventing falls in industrial settings

Healthcare professionals’ perceptions of pulmonary rehabilitation as a management strategy for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: a critical interpretive synthesis

Purpose: To establish literature regarding healthcare professionals' perceptions of pulmonary rehabilitation as a management strategy for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Method: A critical interpretive synthesis was conducted; CINAHL, PsychINFO and MEDLINE were searched between 1988 and August 2019, using MeSH headings and key terms. Reference lists of accepted papers were also searched. Qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods studies, written in English, including healthcare professionals' perceptions of pulmonary rehabilitation were included. The search yielded 133 papers which were assessed for eligibility; 20 met the inclusion criteria. Results: Two themes were identified, the first explored ‘Barriers to Pulmonary Rehabilitation’ from a healthcare professional’s perspective. This incorporated a lack of knowledge, a lack of resources, practical barriers, patient barriers, and healthcare professional’s being unsure it is their role to refer. The second entitled ‘General Perceptions of Pulmonary Rehabilitation’, highlighted ways in which the programme could be improved, the perceived positives and negatives, facilitators to referral, and perceptions of patients referred. Conclusions: This is the first systematic review to encompass the perceptions of healthcare professionals with ability to refer and those who deliver pulmonary rehabilitation. Referral was low, highlighting potential influencing factors such as a lack of programme knowledge, pulmonary rehabilitation beliefs, and communication skills. Given inclusion of studies from multiple geographical locations, the findings provide implications for any healthcare system that develops and delivers pulmonary rehabilitation. With respect of a lack of referrals to the programme, further research should highlight healthcare professionals' perceptions of the referral process, and the views of those in Secondary Care

Infant feeding knowledge, perceptions and practices among women with and without HIV in Johannesburg, South Africa: a survey in healthcare facilities

BACKGROUND: South Africa has a history of low breastfeeding rates among women with and without Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). In this study, we assessed infant feeding knowledge, perceptions and practices among pregnant and postpartum women with and without HIV, in the context of changes in infant feeding and Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) guidelines. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional survey conducted from April 2014 to March 2015 in 10 healthcare facilities in Johannesburg, South Africa. A total of 190 pregnant and 180 postpartum women (74 and 67, respectively, were HIV positive) were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. Multiple regression analyses assessed factors associated with an intention to exclusively breastfeed, and exclusive breastfeeding of infants less than six months of age. RESULTS: Women with HIV had better overall knowledge on safe infant feeding practices, both in general and in the context of HIV infection. There were however gaps in knowledge among women with and without HIV. Information from healthcare facilities was the main source of information for all groups of women in the study. A greater percentage of women without HIV 80.9% (93/115), reported an intention to exclusively breastfeed, compared to 64.9% (48/74) of women with HIV, p = 0.014. Not having HIV was positively associated with a reported intention to breastfeed, Adjusted Odds Ratio (AOR) 3.60, 95% CI 1.50, 8.62. Other factors associated with a reported intention to exclusively breastfeed were prior breastfeeding experience and higher knowledge scores on safe infant feeding practices in the context of HIV infection. Among postpartum women, higher scores on general knowledge of safe infant feeding practices were positively associated with reported exclusive breastfeeding, AOR 2.18, 95% CI 1.52, 3.12. Most women perceived that it was difficult to exclusively breastfeed and that cultural factors were a barrier to exclusive breastfeeding. CONCLUSIONS: While a greater proportion of women are electing to breastfeed, HIV infection and cultural factors remain an important influence on safe infant feeding practices. Healthcare workers are the main source of information, and highlight the need for accurate and consistent messaging for both women with and without HIV