CompendiumLD – a tool for effective, efficient and creative learning design

Developers and teachers go through a complex decision making process when designing new learning activities – working towards an effective pedagogical mix, combining resources, tools, student and tutor support. This paper describes CompendiumLD, a prototype tool we have built to support practitioners through the process of designing learning activities. We describe how the tool fits into our vision of a dynamic, interactive set of resources and system tools to support effective, efficient and creative learning design. It describes CompendiumLD's features and explains the rationale behind their development. It shows how the tool is intended to aid designers make choices, and plan developments, facilitating creativity and efficiency in the design process. In our conclusions we consider how such a system can support the design of effective learning activities

Prioritising stakeholder engagement for forest health, across spatial, temporal and governance scales, in an era of austerity

Tree health is a major concern for forest managers as well as others who enjoy the benefits of trees, woods and forests. We know that stakeholder engagement can help define what people find important about forests and woodlands, assist in the development of better management approaches, enhance buy-in of strategies proposed and create a stronger democratic dialogue. However, tree health offers particular challenges for stakeholder engagement because of the wide range of stakeholders potentially involved and budget tightening under economic austerity. Stakeholders are present at different spatial scales (local, place specific; regional; national and international) and need to be engaged cyclically and over different temporal scales, sometimes in immediate decision making but also in planning over longer timescales, for which decisions have implications for woodlands in the long term future. Hence, we need to know not only with whom we could engage, but also with whom we must engage. Our research questions are: with whom, why and how should we engage across spatial, temporal and governance scales and with limited resources to achieve philosophical and practical goals regarding tree health? How do we prioritise engagement efforts to obtain ‘best value’? We undertook two tree health projects, both using and investigating the concept of ‘stakeholder engagement’ in the UK: (1) exploring the concept of resilience with tree health stakeholders; (2) exploring how stakeholder engagement could enhance technology development for the early detection of tree pests and pathogens. We carried out interviews and experiential interactive activities and ran workshops and collaborative field trips with a range of stakeholders. We found that mapping stakeholders identified a complex network of hybrid individuals and roles overlaid on a projectscape that spanned multiple research and practice initiatives. It was clear that as well as undertaking discrete engagement activities, it was important to develop ongoing collaborative conversations, facilitated through networks and alliances. Stakeholder engagement was more effective when interactive, innovative or experiential means were employed. There was a tension between recognition of the value of communication and the time and resources required for engagement. Whilst the state is attempting to devolve responsibility, structural constraints, resource restrictions and knowledge gaps are limiting the capacity of others to fulfil these expectations. It was concluded that, despite economic austerity, investment is required to support relationships and networks, promoting normative and substantive forms of engagement and countering the audit culture, rather than focusing merely on instrumental, easily measurable, short term gains

Lesbian and bisexual women's community : city of Durham, Durham County : an action-oriented community diagnosis : findings and next steps of action

From September 2005 to April 2006, a team of five first-year graduate students in the Department of Health Behavior and Health Education at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill conducted an Action Oriented Community Diagnosis (AOCD) process with the lesbian and bisexual women’s (LBW) community of Durham. An AOCD is a process in which the strengths and needs of a community are identified using several techniques to gain internal and external points-of-view regarding the community. For this AOCD, the student team was guided by Beth Bruch, of the Lesbian Resource Center (LRC), and Mandy Carter, founder of Southerners on New Ground (SONG). Their role as the student team’s co-preceptors was to assist the team in gaining entrée into the community and providing the team with guidance on activities and methods appropriate for the LBW community of Durham. Results were presented to the community at a forum held on April 22, 2006. Major themes (or needs) discussed at the community forum included: addressing health care access, addressing racial/ethnic divisions, supporting women as they age, addressing violence, and creating physical space. Action steps for each of these themes were developed by smaller discussion groups at the community forum and are summarized below: There is a need for more LBW-knowledgeable and sensitive health care providers who can be publicly listed and referred within the community. 1. Develop and distribute pamphlets/cards explaining why one should come out to her provider. 2. Publicize the existence of the “friendly provider” list maintained by LRC. 3. Research other models that have been used in other communities and tap into national networks to build upon their lessons-learned. 4. Create a shorter version of the LRC sensitivity training curriculum (in collaboration with providers, Duke and UNC medical schools) and make this curriculum available on the Internet. There is a need to increase interaction between racial/ethnic groups in the LBW community. 1. Hold cultural events for outreach. 2. Have diverse film showings at the annual film festival. 3. Obtain contacts of minority listservs and organizations from student team—add to this list and maintain to keep community connected to each other and informed. 4. Have discussion with African American LBW to discuss diversity concerns. 5. Hold drop-in dinners/potlucks. 6. Make sure there are events that have diverse appeal—child-friendly, non-religious, affordable. There is a need for greater efforts to address issues affecting aging lesbian and bisexual women. 1. Identify community events that can be used as opportunities for local organizations/agencies to create awareness of their services in the community. 2. Inventory key players (organizations & events) that can be engaged to develop linkages between organizations and the community through events. 3. Develop a communication strategy that identifies key organizations, point persons at each organization and best methods to communicate with each organization’s membership. 4. Create linkages with non-LGBTQ specific agencies/organizations/publications to increase awareness of services/events amongst women that do not frequent/read LGBTQ specific agencies/publications. There is a need to address violence amongst lesbian and bisexual women. (Please note: Because no community forum participants selected to participate in the small group discussion on “Addressing Violence,” action steps for this theme were not developed.) There is a need for LGBTQ-specific physical space that can help address the weak sense of unified community. 1. Organize a follow-up meeting to: Assess other efforts currently underway with similar goals. List organizations that should be involved in this effort. 2. Invite representatives form organizations to establish a larger action committee that will: Research models. Address segmentation for the collective good/buy-in. Develop a strategic plan that includes funding.Master of Public Healt

BCAA catabolism in brown fat controls energy homeostasis through SLC25A44.

Branched-chain amino acid (BCAA; valine, leucine and isoleucine) supplementation is often beneficial to energy expenditure; however, increased circulating levels of BCAA are linked to obesity and diabetes. The mechanisms of this paradox remain unclear. Here we report that, on cold exposure, brown adipose tissue (BAT) actively utilizes BCAA in the mitochondria for thermogenesis and promotes systemic BCAA clearance in mice and humans. In turn, a BAT-specific defect in BCAA catabolism attenuates systemic BCAA clearance, BAT fuel oxidation and thermogenesis, leading to diet-induced obesity and glucose intolerance. Mechanistically, active BCAA catabolism in BAT is mediated by SLC25A44, which transports BCAAs into mitochondria. Our results suggest that BAT serves as a key metabolic filter that controls BCAA clearance via SLC25A44, thereby contributing to the improvement of metabolic health

K 1-6: an asymmetric planetary nebula with a binary central star

We present new imaging data and archival multiwavelength observations of the little studied emission nebula K 1-6 and its central star. Narrow-band images in H-alpha (+ [NII]) and [OIII] taken with the Faulkes Telescope North reveal a stratified, asymmetric, elliptical nebula surrounding a central star which has the colours of a late G- or early K-type subgiant or giant. GALEX ultraviolet images reveal a very hot subdwarf or white dwarf coincident in position with this star. The cooler, optically dominant star is strongly variable with a period of 21.312 +/- 0.008 days, and is possibly a high amplitude member of the RS CVn class, although an FK Com classification is also possible. Archival ROSAT data provide good evidence that the cool star has an active corona. We conclude that K 1-6 is most likely an old bona fide planetary nebula at a distance of ~1.0 kpc, interacting with the interstellar medium, and containing a binary or ternary central star. The observations and data analyses reported in this paper were conducted in conjunction with Year 11 high school students as part of an Australian Research Council Linkage Grant science education project, denoted Space To Grow, conducted jointly by professional astronomers, educational researchers, teachers, and high-school students.Comment: 13 pages, 5 figures, accepted by the Publications of the Astronomical Society of Australia (PASA

Factor structure and construct validity of the Adult Social Care Outcomes Toolkit for Carers (ASCOT-Carer)

Background: The ASCOT-Carer is a self-report instrument designed to measure social care-related quality of life (SCRQoL). This article presents the psychometric testing and validation of the ASCOT-Carer four response-level interview (INT4) in a sample of unpaid carers of adults who receive publicly-funded social care services in England. Methods: Unpaid carers were identified through a survey of users of publicly-funded social care services in England. 387 carers completed a face-to-face or telephone interview. Data on variables hypothesised to be related to SCRQoL (for example, characteristics of the carer, cared-for person and care situation) and measures of carer experience, strain, health-related quality of life and overall QoL were collected. Relationships between these variables and overall SCRQoL score were evaluated through correlation, ANOVA and regression analysis to test the construct validity of the scale. Internal reliability was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha and feasibility by the number of missing responses. Results: The construct validity was supported by statistically significant relationships between SCRQoL and scores on instruments of related constructs, as well as with characteristics of the carer and care recipient in univariate and multivariate analyses. A Cronbach’s alpha of 0.87 (7 items) indicates that the internal reliability of the instrument is satisfactory and a low number of missing responses (<1%) indicates a high level of acceptance. Conclusions: The results provide evidence to support the construct validity, factor structure, internal reliability and feasibility of the ASCOT-Carer INT4 as an instrument for measuring social care-related quality of life of unpaid carers who care for adults with a variety of long-term conditions, disability or problems related to old age

Prenatal and postnatal exposure to persistent organic pollutants and Infant growth: A pooled analysis of seven european birth cohorts

Background: Infant exposure to persistent organic pollutants (POPs) may contribute to obesity. However, many studies so far have been small, focused on transplacental exposure, used an inappropriate measure to assess postnatal exposure through breastfeeding if any, or did not discern between prenatal and postnatal effects. Objectives: We investigated prenatal and postnatal exposure to POPs and infant growth (a predictor of obesity). Methods: We pooled data from seven European birth cohorts with biomarker concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyl 153 (PCB-153) (n = 2,487), and p,p´-dichlorodiphenyldichloroethylene (p,p´-DDE) (n = 1,864), estimating prenatal and postnatal POPs exposure using a validated pharmacokinetic model. Growth was change in weight-for-age z-score between birth and 24 months. Per compound, multilevel models were fitted with either POPs total exposure from conception to 24 months or prenatal or postnatal exposure. Results: We found a significant increase in growth associated with p,p´-DDE, seemingly due to prenatal exposure (per interquartile increase in exposure, adjusted β = 0.12; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.22). Due to heterogeneity across cohorts, this estimate cannot be considered precise, but does indicate that an association with infant growth is present on average. In contrast, a significant decrease in growth was associated with postnatal PCB-153 exposure (β = –0.10; 95% CI: –0.19, –0.01). Conclusion: To our knowledge, this is the largest study to date of POPs exposure and infant growth, and it contains state-of-the-art exposure modeling. Prenatal p,p´-DDE was associated with increased infant growth, and postnatal PCB-153 with decreased growth at European exposure levels

Tubulin polyglutamylation stimulates spastin-mediated microtubule severing

Microtubules with long polyglutamylated C-terminal tails are more prone to severing by spastin, establishing the importance of tubulin posttranslational modifications