National evaluation of the neighbourhood nurseries: impact report

This study assessed the impact of NNI on parental employment, use of formal childcare, and take-up of benefits and tax credits, particularly for disadvantaged groups such as lone parents, low income families and ethnic minority groups

Selection Effects, Biases, and Constraints in the Calan/Tololo Supernova Survey

We use Monte Carlo simulations of the Calan/Tololo photographic supernova survey to show that a simple model of the survey's selection effects accounts for the observed distributions of recession velocity, apparent magnitude, angular offset, and projected radial distance between the supernova and the host galaxy nucleus for this sample of Type Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). The model includes biases due to the flux-limited nature of the survey, the different light curve morphologies displayed by different SNe Ia, and the difficulty of finding events projected near the central regions of the host galaxies. From these simulations we estimate the bias in the zero-point and slope of the absolute magnitude-decline rate relation used in SNe Ia distance measurements. For an assumed intrinsic scatter of 0.15 mag about this relation, these selection effects decrease the zero-point by 0.04 mag. The slope of the relation is not significantly biased. We conclude that despite selection effects in the survey, the shape and zero-point of the relation determined from the Calan/Tololo sample are quite reliable. We estimate the degree of incompleteness of the survey as a function of decline rate and estimate a corrected luminosity function for SNe Ia in which the frequency of SNe appears to increase with decline rate (the fainter SNe are more common). Finally, we compute the integrated detection efficiency of the survey in order to infer the rate of SNe Ia from the 31 events found. For a value of Ho=65 km/sec/Mpc we obtain a SN Ia rate of 0.21(+0.30)(-0.13) SNu. This is in good agreement with the value 0.16+/-0.05 SNu recently determined by Capellaro et al. (1997).Comment: 36 pages, 19 figures as extra files, to appear in the A

Nurturing health-related online support groups:exploring the experience of patient moderators

The aim of this study was to examine the views of moderators across a diverse and geographically broad range of online support groups about their moderator experiences and to explore both the personal benefits as well as challenges involved. Thirty-three patient moderators completed an online questionnaire which included a series of open-ended questions. Thematic analysis identified three themes: emergence, empowerment, nurturing. Several moderators declared their own diagnosis and for some, being able to share personal insights motivated them to establish the group and in turn offered validation. They felt empowered by helping others and learned more about the condition through accessing the "communal brain". Some felt the group aided patients' access to health services and their ability to communicate with health professionals while others worried about them becoming over-dependent. Moderators described needing to nurture their group to ensure it offered a safe space for members. Clear rules of engagement, trust, organisation skills, compassion and kindness were considered essential. Patient moderated online support groups can be successfully developed and facilitated and can be empowering for both the group member and moderator alike

How do Cochrane authors conduct web searching to identify studies? Findings from a cross-sectional sample of Cochrane Reviews

This is the final version. Available on open access from Wiley via the DOI in this recordBACKGROUND: Searching the World Wide Web using search engines and websites can be conducted to identify studies for systematic reviews. When searching to support systematic reviews, the searcher faces challenges in using the basic search interfaces of most search engines and websites. OBJECTIVES: To describe and evaluate current practice of web searching in a cross-sectional sample of Cochrane Reviews. The study also describes the stated aims of web searching, i.e. the identification of published or unpublished studies or both. METHODS: A six-month cross-sectional sample of Cochrane Reviews was identified via the Cochrane Library. Reviews were inspected for detail about web searching. Findings were described and evaluated using a framework of key principles for web searching. RESULTS: 423 Cochrane Reviews published August 2016-January 2017 were identified of which 61 (14%) reported web searching. Web searches were typically simplified versions of the bibliographic database search. Advanced and iterative approaches were not widely used. Google Search and Google Scholar were the most popular search engines. Most reports stated identification of grey literature as their aim. CONCLUSION: Basic web search interfaces necessitate simple searches. However, there is scope to use more diverse search features and techniques and a greater variety of search engines

National evaluation of the neighbourhood nurseries: integrated report

Report description: The NNI was launched in 2001 to provide high quality childcare in the most disadvantaged neighbourhoods of England, to help parents into employment, reduce child poverty and boost children’s development. By 2005 45,000 new childcare places had been created in approximately 1,400 neighbourhood nurseries. This report brings together the findings of the four individual strands of the National Evaluation of Neighbourhood Nurseries Initiative as shown above and makes a number of recommendations. The report shows the rationale for the government’s strategy in targeting disadvantaged neighbourhoods and in focusing on high quality childcare to provide the link between raising parental employment and income and improving children’s life chances

Identifying factors which enhance capacity to engage in clinical education among podiatry practitioners: an action research project

BACKGROUND: Health profession students develop practical skills whilst integrating theory with practice in a real world environment as an important component of their training. Research in the area of practice placements has identified challenges and barriers to the delivery of effective placement learning. However, there has been little research in podiatry and the question of which factors impact upon clinical educators’ capacity to engage with the role remains an under-researched area. This paper presents the second phase of an action research project designed to determine the factors that impact upon clinical educators’ capacity to engage with the mentorship role. METHODS: An online survey was developed and podiatry clinical educators recruited through National Health Service (NHS) Trusts. The survey included socio-demographic items, and questions relating to the factors identified as possible variables influencing clinical educator capacity; the latter was assessed using the ‘Clinical Educator Capacity to Engage’ scale (CECE). Descriptive statistics were used to explore demographic data whilst the relationship between the CECE and socio-demographic factors were examined using inferential statistics in relation to academic profile, career profile and organisation of the placement. RESULTS: The survey response rate was 42 % (n = 66). Multiple linear regression identified four independent variables which explain a significant proportion of the variability of the dependent variable, ‘capacity to engage with clinical education’, with an adjusted R(2) of 0.428. The four variables were: protected mentorship time, clinical educator relationship with university, sign-off responsibility, and volunteer status. CONCLUSION: The identification of factors that impact upon clinical educators’ capacity to engage in mentoring of students has relevance for strategic planning and policy-making with the emphasis upon capacity-building at an individual level, so that the key attitudes and characteristics that are linked with good clinical supervision are preserved