The small rural school and community relations in Scotland, 1872-2000: an interdisciplinary history

Seeking to fill a gap in the historiography, this study provides a closely-observed but contextualised social history of Scotland’s rural schools from the late nineteenth century through to the end of the twentieth century. Though particularly concerned with the period following the Education (Scotland) Act, 1872, consideration is given to earlier developments to ensure a depth of understanding and an appreciation of the subtleties of local experience. Adopting an interdisciplinary approach, and combining qualitative and quantitative analysis, the thesis draws together three layers of research: a detailed regional case study of the Highland Perthshire parishes of Fortingall, Kenmore and Killin; a quasi-random sample of sixty-six rural districts from across Scotland; and a national overview. In doing so, it challenges oft-made generalisations about rural life and provides a more nuanced picture of change and continuity in educational policy and practice across Scotland. Focusing in on the relationship between the small rural schools and their communities, the social dimensions of educational provision are explored in depth with special attention being paid to who taught, attended and supported the schools, and how they operated as educational and social spaces. To frame and guide discussion, three core themes – gender, culture and citizenship – are explored throughout and elements of social theory are drawn on to aid analysis and interpretation

Evaluating the impact of academic liaison librarians on their user community: a review and case study

The paper presents the findings of a small-scale study undertaken at a UK university. The purpose of the research was to investigate the perceived impact and value of the Academic Library Liaison service at the university. This was considered to be a critical issue of concern, in the light of drivers threatening the UK higher education library sector to de-professionalise – or worse, remove – such services. A mixed methods approach was adopted, combining an online questionnaire disseminated to academic staff, resulting in 29 responses from three academic departments, and in-depth interviews with eight members of academic staff. The results indicate that although academic staff do value the service provided by Academic Liaison Librarians (ALLs), there is scope to increase awareness of the range of services on offer. The study also demonstrates that academic staff prioritise the contribution that ALLs can make through the possession of in-depth subject knowledge, IT skills and well-developed communication skills, and through the provision of advice on copyright matters and assistance with institutional repositories. This holds implications for curriculum design on the part of LIS educators

Sarah: historiografkinja prošlosti i sadašnjosti žene francuskog poručnika

The article argues that Sarah, the title character of Fowles’ novel The French Lieutenant’s Woman (1969), resists the oppressive ideology of her time by writing her own historiography. In the process, not only does she emplot a tragic past for herself but she also insists on being identified as a depraved woman in the present. The analysis attempts to highlight the fact that Sarah, like a historiographer, selects the referents for her historiography—Mrs. Poulteney and Charles—and imposes her emplotment and prefiguration on her historiography of both her past and present. Employing Hayden White’s theories of postmodern historiography and Linda Hutcheon’s concept of historiographic metafiction, the paper illustrates ways in which Sarah historicizes her own past through tragic emplotment and metaphoric prefiguration of her narrative in order to convey her anarchist ideology, at the same time portraying herself as the “Woman” who has been abandoned by the French Lieutenant. Furthermore, by means of her historiography of the present, she imposes her liberal ideology through satiric emplotment of her fictional construct and ironic prefiguration of the referents of textualized oppression in society. She ironically puts Mrs. Poulteney and Charles in the situations in which their oppressive ideology is unraveled; in this way, she satirizes the codes of behavior of her present time.U članku se tvrdi da se Sarah, naslovni lik Fowlesova romana Ženska francuskog poručnika (1969), opire opresivnoj ideologiji svojega vremena pišući vlastitu historiografiju. Na taj način ona fabulira tragičnu prošlost za sebe i inzistira na tome da ju se percipira kao izopačenu ženu u sadašnjosti. Analiza pokušava istaknuti činjenicu da Sarah, poput povjesničara, odabire referente za svoju historiografiju – gđu Poulteney i Charlesa – i nameće svoju fabulaciju i prefiguraciju historiografije vlastite prošlosti i sadašnjosti. Koristeći se teorijom postmoderne historiografije Haydena Whitea i konceptom historiografske metafikcije Linde Hutcheon, rad prikazuje načine na koje Sarah historizira vlastitu prošlost kroz tragičnu fabulaciju i metaforičku prefiguraciju svoje pripovijesti kako bi istaknula svoju anarhističku ideologiju i istodobno sebe prikazala kao „žensku“ koju je napustio francuski poručnik. Nadalje, pomoću svoje historiografije sadašnjosti ona nameće svoju liberalnu ideologiju satiričkom fabulacijom svog fikcionalnog konstrukta i ironičnom prefiguracijom referenata tekstualiziranog društvenog ugnjetavanja. Na ironičan način, ona gospođu Poulteney i Charlesa stavlja u situacije u kojima se njihova represivna ideologija razotkriva; na taj način satirizira kodove ponašanja u svojoj sadašnjosti

The phenotype associated with a large deletion on MECP2

Multiplex ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA) has become available for the detection of a large deletion on the MECP2 gene allowing genetic confirmation of previously unconfirmed cases of clinical Rett syndrome. This study describes the phenotype of those with a large deletion and compares with those with other pathogenic MECP2 mutations. Individuals were ascertained from the Australian Rett Syndrome and InterRett databases with data sourced from family and clinician questionnaires, and two case studies were constructed from the longitudinal Australian data. Regression and survival analysis were used to compare severity and age of onset of symptoms in those with and without a large deletion. Data were available for 974 individuals including 51 with a large deletion and ages ranged from 1 year 4 months to 49 years (median 9 years). Those with a large deletion were more severely affected than those with other mutation types. Specifically, individuals with large deletions were less likely to have learned to walk (OR 0.42, 95% CI: 0.22–0.79, P=0.007) and to be currently walking (OR 0.53, 95% CI: 0.26–1.10, P=0.089), and were at higher odds of being in the most severe category of gross motor function (OR 1.84, 95% CI: 0.98–3.48, P=0.057) and epilepsy (OR 2.72, 95% CI: 1.38–5.37, P=0.004). They also developed epilepsy, scoliosis, hand stereotypies and abnormal breathing patterns at an earlier age. We have described the disorder profile associated with a large deletion from the largest sample to date and have found that the phenotype is severe with motor skills particularly affected

Different corticosteroid induction regimens in children and young people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis: the SIRJIA mixed-methods feasibility study.

BACKGROUND:In the UK, juvenile idiopathic arthritis is the most common inflammatory disorder in childhood, affecting 10 : 100,000 children and young people aged < 16 years each year, with a population prevalence of around 1 : 1000. Corticosteroids are commonly used to treat juvenile idiopathic arthritis; however, there is currently a lack of consensus as to which corticosteroid induction regimen should be used with various disease subtypes and severities of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. OBJECTIVE:The main study objective was to determine the feasibility of conducting a randomised controlled trial to compare the different corticosteroid induction regimens in children and young people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis. DESIGN:This was a mixed-methods study. Work packages included a literature review; qualitative interviews with children and young people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis and their families; a questionnaire survey and screening log to establish current UK practice; a consensus meeting with health-care professionals, children and young people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis, and their families to establish the primary outcome; a feasibility study to pilot data capture and to collect data for future sample size calculations; and a final consensus meeting to establish the final protocol. SETTING:The setting was rheumatology clinics across the UK. PARTICIPANTS:Children, young people and their families who attended clinics and health-care professionals took part in this mixed-methods study. INTERVENTIONS:This study observed methods of prescribing corticosteroids across the UK. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:The main study outcomes were the acceptability of a future trial for children, young people, their families and health-care professionals, and the feasibility of delivering such a trial. RESULTS:Qualitative interviews identified differences in the views of children, young people and their families on a randomised controlled trial and potential barriers to recruitment. A total of 297 participants were screened from 13 centres in just less than 6 months. In practice, all routes of corticosteroid administration were used, and in all subtypes of juvenile idiopathic arthritis. Intra-articular corticosteroid injection was the most common treatment. The questionnaire surveys showed the varying clinical practice across the UK, but established intra-articular corticosteroids as the treatment control for a future trial. The primary outcome of choice for children, young people, their families and health-care professionals was the Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score, 71-joint count. However, results from the feasibility study showed that, owing to missing blood test data, the clinical Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score should be used. The Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score, 71-joint count, and the clinical Juvenile Arthritis Disease Activity Score are composite disease activity scoring systems for juvenile arthritis. Two final trial protocols were established for a future randomised controlled trial. LIMITATIONS:Fewer clinics were included in this feasibility study than originally planned, limiting the ability to draw strong conclusions about these units to take part in future research. CONCLUSIONS:A definitive randomised controlled trial is likely to be feasible based on the findings from this study; however, important recommendations should be taken into account when planning such a trial. FUTURE WORK:This mixed-methods study has laid down the foundations to develop the evidence base in this area and conducting a randomised control trial to compare different corticosteroid induction regimens in children and young people with juvenile idiopathic arthritis is likely to be feasible. STUDY REGISTRATION:Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN16649996. FUNDING:This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 24, No. 36. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information

Effects of antiplatelet therapy on stroke risk by brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases: subgroup analyses of the RESTART randomised, open-label trial

Background Findings from the RESTART trial suggest that starting antiplatelet therapy might reduce the risk of recurrent symptomatic intracerebral haemorrhage compared with avoiding antiplatelet therapy. Brain imaging features of intracerebral haemorrhage and cerebral small vessel diseases (such as cerebral microbleeds) are associated with greater risks of recurrent intracerebral haemorrhage. We did subgroup analyses of the RESTART trial to explore whether these brain imaging features modify the effects of antiplatelet therapy

Impacts of caring for a child with the CDKL5 disorder on parental wellbeing and family quality of life

Background: Although research in this area remains sparse, raising a child with some genetic disorders has been shown to adversely impact maternal health and family quality of life. The aim of this study was to investigate such impacts in families with a child with the CDKL5 disorder, a newly recognised genetic disorder causing severe neurodevelopmental impairments and refractory epilepsy. Methods: Data were sourced from the International CDKL5 Disorder Database to which 192 families with a child with a pathogenic CDKL5 mutation had provided data by January 2016. The Short Form 12 Health Survey Version 2, yielding a Physical Component Summary and a Mental Component Summary score, was used to measure primary caregiver's wellbeing. The Beach Center Family Quality of Life Scale was used to measure family quality of life. Linear regression analyses were used to investigate relationships between child and family factors and the various subscale scores. Results: The median (range) age of the primary caregivers was 37.0 (24.6-63.7) years and of the children was 5.2 (0.2-34.1) years. The mean (SD) physical and mental component scores were 53.7 (8.6) and 41.9 (11.6), respectively. In mothers aged 25-54 years the mean mental but not the physical component score was lower than population norms. After covariate adjustment, caregivers with a tube-fed child had lower mean physical but higher mean mental component scores than those whose child fed orally (coefficient = -4.80 and 6.79; p = 0.009 and 0.012, respectively). Child sleep disturbances and financial hardship were negatively associated with the mental component score. The mean (SD) Beach Center Family Quality of Life score was 4.06 (0.66) and those who had used respite services had lower scores than those who had not across the subscales. Conclusions: Emotional wellbeing was considerably impaired in this caregiver population, and was particularly associated with increased severity of child sleep problems and family financial difficulties. Family quality of life was generally rated lowest in those using respite care extensively, suggesting that these families may be more burdened by daily caregiving

IQuaD dental trial; improving the quality of dentistry : a multicentre randomised controlled trial comparing oral hygiene advice and periodontal instrumentation for the prevention and management of periodontal disease in dentate adults attending dental primary care

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