The 4C’s of PAL – an evidence-based model for implementing peer assisted learning for mature students

Peer Assisted Leaning (PAL) programmes have been shown to enhance learner confidence and have an overall positive effect on learner comprehension, particularly in subjects traditionally perceived as difficult. This research describes the findings of a three-cycle Action Research study into the perceived benefits of implementing such a programme for mature students enrolled on a computer science programming module on an Access Foundation Programme in an Irish University. The findings from this study suggest that peer learning programmes offer students a valued support structure that aids transition and acculturation into tertiary education whilst simultaneously improving their subject-matter comprehension and confidence. An evidence-based model of PAL implementation for mature students was subsequently developed, underpinned by the associated pedagogic theory and the findings of the study. Our model promotes a student-focused peer educational enhancement framework that is transferable into the wider higher education setting

Evaluating a Peer Assisted Learning Programme for Mature Access Foundation Students Undertaking Computer Programming at an Irish University

Access Foundation Programmes are a widening-participation initiative designed to encourage engagement in higher education among under-represented groups. This includes socioeconomic and educational disadvantage. Mature students in particular enrolled on these programmes experience greater difficulties making the transition to tertiary education, especially when they opt to study disciplines traditionally considered difficult. Computer programming is perceived as a traditionally difficult subject with lower pass rates and progression rates typically than other subjects. This paper describes the first of a three-cycle action research study examining the perceived effects of a structured Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) Programme for mature students enrolled on a computer science programming module on an Access Foundation Program in an Irish University. The focus of this qualitative study was to evaluate the perceived effect a PAL program on learning and whether it offered a positive learning support structure. Findings from our study suggest that PAL programmes have an overall positive effect on subject comprehension as well as enhanced learner confidence for mature Access Foundation students. PAL sessions also offered students a support structure that helped with their transition and acculturation to tertiary education. This study also highlights the importance the role the PAL Leader has on the perceived effectiveness of the PAL sessions and the impact the student\u27s shared history has on the near-peer bond. The study concludes that the implementation of PAL programmes for Access Foundation Programmes has the potential to offer mature students a supportive learning environment and to improve their learning experience

Evaluating a Peer Assisted Learning Programme for Mature Access Foundation Students Undertaking Computer Programming at an Irish University

Access Foundation Programmes are a widening-participation initiative designed to encourage engagement in higher education among underrepresented groups, including those with socioeconomic and educational disadvantage. In particular, mature students enrolled in these programmes experience greater difficulties making the transition to tertiary education, especially when they opt to study disciplines traditionally considered difficult. Computer programming is perceived as a traditionally difficult subject with typically lower pass rates and progression rates than other subjects. This paper describes the first of a three-cycle action research study examining the perceived effects of a structured Peer Assisted Learning (PAL) Programme for mature students enrolled in a computer science programming module for an Access Foundation Programme in an Irish University. The focus of this qualitative study was to evaluate the perceived effect of a PAL programme on learning and whether it offered a positive learning support structure. Findings from our study suggest that PAL programmes have an overall positive effect on subject comprehension as well as enhanced learner confidence for mature Access Foundation students. Furthermore, PAL sessions offered students a support structure that helped with their transition and acculturation to tertiary education. This study also highlights the importance the PAL leader’s role has on the perceived effectiveness of the PAL sessions as well as the impact of the students’ shared history on the near-peer bond. The study concludes that the implementation of PAL programmes for Access Foundation Programmes has the potential to offer mature students a supportive learning environment and to improve their learning experience

Species Composition and Distribution of Adult Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae) in Panama

Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae) species composition and distribution were studied using human landing catch data over a 35-yr period in Panama. Mosquitoes were collected from 77 sites during 228 Þeld trips carried out by members of the National Malaria Eradication Service. Fourteen Anopheles species were identiÞed. The highest average human biting rates were recorded from Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) albimanus (Wiedemann) (9.8 bites/person/night) andAnopheles (Anopheles) punctimacula (Dyar and Knab) (6.2 bites/person/night). These two species were also the most common, present in 99.1 and 74.9%, respectively, of the sites. Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) aquasalis (Curry) was encountered mostly in the indigenous Kuna Yala Comarca along the eastern Atlantic coast, where malaria case history and average human biting rate (9.3 bites/person/night) suggest a local role in malaria transmission. An. albimanus, An. punctimacula, and Anopheles (Anopheles) vestitipennis (Dyar and Knab) were more abundant during the rainy season (MayÐDecember), whereas An. aquasalis was more abundant in the dry season (JanuaryÐApril). Other vector species collected in this study were Anopheles (Kerteszia) neivai (Howard, Dyar, and Knab) and Anopheles (Anopheles) pseudopunctipenniss.l. (Theobald). High diversity of Anophelesspecies and six conÞrmed malaria vectors in endemic areas of Panama emphasize the need for more detailed studies to better understand malaria transmission dynamics.Anopheles (Diptera: Culicidae) species composition and distribution were studied using human landing catch data over a 35-yr period in Panama. Mosquitoes were collected from 77 sites during 228 Þeld trips carried out by members of the National Malaria Eradication Service. Fourteen Anopheles species were identiÞed. The highest average human biting rates were recorded from Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) albimanus (Wiedemann) (9.8 bites/person/night) andAnopheles (Anopheles) punctimacula (Dyar and Knab) (6.2 bites/person/night). These two species were also the most common, present in 99.1 and 74.9%, respectively, of the sites. Anopheles (Nyssorhynchus) aquasalis (Curry) was encountered mostly in the indigenous Kuna Yala Comarca along the eastern Atlantic coast, where malaria case history and average human biting rate (9.3 bites/person/night) suggest a local role in malaria transmission. An. albimanus, An. punctimacula, and Anopheles (Anopheles) vestitipennis (Dyar and Knab) were more abundant during the rainy season (MayÐDecember), whereas An. aquasalis was more abundant in the dry season (JanuaryÐApril). Other vector species collected in this study were Anopheles (Kerteszia) neivai (Howard, Dyar, and Knab) and Anopheles (Anopheles) pseudopunctipenniss.l. (Theobald). High diversity of Anophelesspecies and six conÞrmed malaria vectors in endemic areas of Panama emphasize the need for more detailed studies to better understand malaria transmission dynamics

Assessing awareness and attitudes of healthcare professionals on the use of biosimilar medicines: A survey of physicians and pharmacists in Ireland

Increasing numbers of biosimilar medicines are becoming available. The objective of this survey was to assess awareness of and attitudes to biosimilars amongst physicians (medical specialists and General Practitioners (GPs)) and community pharmacists in Ireland. Physicians were invited to complete an online questionnaire during April and May 2016. Community pharmacists received a postal questionnaire in August 2015. Responses from 102 medical specialists, 253 GPs and 125 community pharmacists were analysed. The majority of medical specialists (85%) and pharmacists (77%) claimed to be either very familiar or familiar with the term biosimilar, whereas many GPs (60%) were unable to define or had never heard of the term. One in five (21%) healthcare professionals responded that biosimilars were the same as generic medicines. The majority of medical specialists opposed pharmacist-led substitution of biological medicines but some thought it could be appropriate if agreed with the clinician in advance. Medical specialists who prescribe biosimilars (n = 43) were more likely to do so on treatment initiation (67%), than switch a patient from an originator medicine to a biosimilar (28%). The findings will aid the design of educational initiatives for healthcare professionals and highlight attitudes of healthcare professionals to biosimilars, so informing regulators, policy makers and industry

In search of late-stage planetary building blocks

Genetic contributions to the final stages of planetary growth, including materials associated with the giant Moon forming impact, late accretion, and late heavy bombardment are examined using siderophile elements. Isotopic similarities between the Earth and Moon for both lithophile and siderophile elements collectively lead to the suggestion that the genetics of the building blocks for Earth, and the impactor involved in the Moon-forming event were broadly similar, and shared some strong genetic affinities with enstatite chondrites. The bulk genetic fingerprint of materials subsequently added to Earth by late accretion, defined as the addition of ~0.5 wt.% of Earth's mass to the mantle, following cessation of core formation, was characterized by 187Os/188Os and Pd/Ir ratios that were also similar to those in some enstatite chondrites. However, the integrated fingerprint of late accreted matter differs from enstatite chondrites in terms of the relative abundances of certain other HSE, most notably Ru/Ir. The final ≤0.05 wt.% addition of material to the Earth and Moon, believed by some to be part of a late heavy bombardment, included a component with much more fractionated relative HSE abundances than evidenced in the average late accretionary component. Heterogeneous 182W/184Wisotopic compositions of some ancient terrestrial rocks suggest that some very early formed mantle domains remained chemically distinct for long periods of time following primary planetary accretion. This evidence for sluggish mixing of the early mantle suggests that if late accretionary contributions to the mantle were genetically diverse, it may be possible to isotopically identify the disparate primordial components in the terrestrial rock record using the siderophile element tracers Ru and Mo.NASA grants NNX13AF83G and NNA14AB07A NSF-CSEDI grants EAR1160728 and EAR1265169

Mitochondrial DNA diversity in the Kuna Amerinds of Panama

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotype diversity was determined for 63 Chlbcha-speaking Kuna Amerinds sampled widely across their geographic range in eastern Panama^ The Kuna data were compared with mtDNA control region I sequences from two neighboring Chibchan groups, the Ngdb6 and the Huetar; two Amerind groups located at the northern and southern extremes of Amerind distribution, the Nuu-ChahNulth of the Pacific Northwest and the Chilean Mapuche; and with a single Na-Dene group, the Haida of the Pacific Northwest. The Kuna exhibited low levels of mitochondrial diversity as had been reported for the other two Chibchan groups and, furthermore, carried only two of the four Amerind founding lineages first reported by Schurr and coworkers (4m. J. Hum. Genet. 1990; 46: 613-623). We posit that speakers of modern Chibchan languages (henceforth referred to as the Chibcha) passed through a population bottleneck caused either by ethnogenesls from a small founding population and/or subsequent European conquest and colonization. Using the approach of Harpending etal. (Curr. Anthropol. 1993; 34: 483-496), we estimated a Chibchan population bottleneck and subsequent expansion approximately 10 000 years before present, a date consistent with a bottleneck at the time of Chibchan ethnogenesis. The low mtDNA diversity of Kuna Amerinds, as opposed to the generally high levels of mtDNA variation detected in other Amerind groups, demonstrates the need for adequate sampling of cultural or racial groups when attempting to genetically characterize human populations.Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotype diversity was determined for 63 Chlbcha-speaking Kuna Amerinds sampled widely across their geographic range in eastern Panama^ The Kuna data were compared with mtDNA control region I sequences from two neighboring Chibchan groups, the Ngdb6 and the Huetar; two Amerind groups located at the northern and southern extremes of Amerind distribution, the Nuu-ChahNulth of the Pacific Northwest and the Chilean Mapuche; and with a single Na-Dene group, the Haida of the Pacific Northwest. The Kuna exhibited low levels of mitochondrial diversity as had been reported for the other two Chibchan groups and, furthermore, carried only two of the four Amerind founding lineages first reported by Schurr and coworkers (4m. J. Hum. Genet. 1990; 46: 613-623). We posit that speakers of modern Chibchan languages (henceforth referred to as the Chibcha) passed through a population bottleneck caused either by ethnogenesls from a small founding population and/or subsequent European conquest and colonization. Using the approach of Harpending etal. (Curr. Anthropol. 1993; 34: 483-496), we estimated a Chibchan population bottleneck and subsequent expansion approximately 10 000 years before present, a date consistent with a bottleneck at the time of Chibchan ethnogenesis. The low mtDNA diversity of Kuna Amerinds, as opposed to the generally high levels of mtDNA variation detected in other Amerind groups, demonstrates the need for adequate sampling of cultural or racial groups when attempting to genetically characterize human populations

Regulatory Science Ireland: bridging the information gap on biosimilar medicines

Regulatory Science Ireland (RSI) is a voluntary network of interested parties from academia, the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA), pharmaceutical and medical device industries and government agencies. RSI is conducting a research project, the objective of which is to enhance understanding of biosimilar medicines amongst stakeholders and encourage best practice in the use of these medicines

Bias, accuracy, and impact of indirect genetic effects in infectious diseases

Selection for improved host response to infectious disease offers a desirable alternative to chemical treatment but has proven difficult in practice, due to low heritability estimates of disease traits. Disease data from field studies is often binary, indicating whether an individual has become infected or not following exposure to an infectious disease. Numerous studies have shown that from this data one can infer genetic variation in individuals’ underlying susceptibility. In a previous study, we showed that with an indirect genetic effect (IGE) model it is possible to capture some genetic variation in infectivity, if present, as well as in susceptibility. Infectivity is the propensity of transmitting infection upon contact with a susceptible individual. It is an important factor determining the severity of an epidemic. However, there are severe shortcomings with the Standard IGE models as they do not accommodate the dynamic nature of disease data. Here we adjust the Standard IGE model to (1) make expression of infectivity dependent on the individuals’ disease status (Case Model) and (2) to include timing of infection (Case-ordered Model). The models are evaluated by comparing impact of selection, bias, and accuracy of each model using simulated binary disease data. These were generated for populations with known variation in susceptibility and infectivity thus allowing comparisons between estimated and true breeding values. Overall the Case Model provided better estimates for host genetic susceptibility and infectivity compared to the Standard Model in terms of bias, impact, and accuracy. Furthermore, these estimates were strongly influenced by epidemiological characteristics. However, surprisingly, the Case-Ordered model performed considerably worse than the Standard and the Case Models, pointing toward limitations in incorporating disease dynamics into conventional variance component estimation methodology and software used in animal breeding

Knowledge of adverse drug reaction reporting and the pharmacovigilance of biological medicines: A survey of healthcare professionals in Ireland.

Background: In Europe, changes to pharmacovigilance legislation, which include additional monitoring of medicines, aim to optimise adverse drug reaction (ADR) reporting systems. The legislation also makes provisions related to the traceability of biological medicines. Objective: The objective of this study was to assess (i) knowledge and general experience of ADR reporting, (ii) knowledge, behaviours, and attitudes related to the pharmacovigilance of biologicals, and (iii) awareness of additional monitoring among healthcare professionals (HCPs) in Ireland. Methods: Hospital doctors (n = 88), general practitioners (GPs) (n = 197), nurses (n = 104) and pharmacists (n = 309) completed an online questionnaire. Results: There were differences in mean knowledge scores relating to ADR reporting and the pharmacovigilance of biologicals among the HCP groups. The majority of HCPs who use biological medicines in their practice generally record biologicals by brand name but practice behaviours relating to batch number recording differed between some professions. HCPs consider batch number recording to be valuable but also regard it as being more difficult than brand name recording. Most respondents were aware of the concept of additional monitoring but awareness rates differed between some groups. Among those who knew about additional monitoring, there was higher awareness of the inverted black triangle symbol among pharmacists (> 86.4%) compared with hospital doctors (35.1%), GPs (35.6%), and nurses (14.9%). Hospital pharmacists had more experience and knowledge of ADR reporting than other practising HCPs. Conclusion: This study highlights the important role hospital pharmacists play in post-marketing surveillance. There is a need to increase pharmacovigilance awareness of biological medicines and improve systems to support their batch traceability