Memory Recall: Cued or Free

Cues may be helpful to aid a person in memory recall. Two experiments were conducted in order to test the hypothesis that recall is enhanced with the presentation of cues. In Experiment 1, the recall performances for the same forty-eight participants were compared under cued and free recall conditions. A paired t-test was performed on the participants who received both cued and free recall questions. In Experiment 2, thirteen participants were given either cued only or free only questions to recall. An independent t-test was performed on the participants who received only cued recall questions or only free recall questions. There was a statistically significant finding that cues do help in recall compared to no cues being provided

Live arts/arts alive : starcatchers research report 2011

Starcatchers is an innovative project which works in partnership with artists, arts venues child-care settings and families to experiment artistically with audiences of very young children, to encourage their participation and to develop exciting, inspiring performing arts experiences for children aged 0-4. Four artists in residence have worked for a year in a theatre venue in Scotland to engage children and families in a range of arts related performance experiences. Four accompanying researchers were each attached to one venue and have collaborated with the artists to observe children’s engagement, provide feedback, discuss ongoing work, and record the processes of project development. This report presents the findings from the analysis of the wide range of data collected and it suggests a number of conclusions and recommendations about developing the arts with very young children

La mobilisation des connaissances en protection de l’enfance

La protection de l’enfance est l’un des secteurs de services qui se développent le plus rapidement au Canada. Cependant, nous en savons étonnamment peu sur l’efficacité des services offerts aux enfants maltraités et négligés. Cet article examine de nouveaux modèles de mobilisation des connaissances conçus pour soutenir l’utilisation plus systématique de la recherche dans les services sociaux. Nous commençons par discuter des limites des modèles traditionnels de diffusion des connaissances. Ensuite, nous considérons certaines des recherches qui ont été faites sur les obstacles et les facteurs facilitant l’utilisation de la recherche en santé, en éducation et dans les services sociaux. Enfin, nous présentons un modèle de mobilisation des connaissances qui est mis à l’essai et évalué dans un organisme de protection de l’enfance au Québec, décrivons les processus locaux utilisés pour affiner les six indicateurs de résultats (récurrence de la maltraitance, retards scolaires, taux de placement, déplacements d’une ressource à une autre, durée des soins et participation d’un tribunal) et concluons en présentant un exemple d’un des indicateurs retenus.Child protection is one of the fastest growing services sectors in Canada, yet we know surprisingly little about the effectiveness of services for abused and neglected children. This article examines emerging knowledge mobilization models designed to support the more systematic use of research in social services. We start by discussing the limits of traditional knowledge dissemination models. We then consider some of the research that has been done on the barriers and facilitators of research utilization in health, education and social services. Finally, we present a knowledge mobilization model that is being pilot tested and evaluated in a child welfare agency in Quebec and describe the local processes used to refine six outcome indicators (recurrence of maltreatment ; school delay ; placement rate ; moves in care ; time in care ; and court involvement) and conclude by presenting an example of one of the selected indicators.La protección de la infancia es uno de los sectores de servicios de más rápido desarrollo en Canadá. Sin embargo, es sorprendente lo poco que sabemos sobre la eficacia de los servicios que se ofrecen a los menores víctimas de maltrato o de negligencia. Este artículo examina nuevos modelos de movilización de conocimientos concebidos para apoyar un uso más sistemático de la investigación en los servicios sociales. Discutimos, primero, los límites de los modelos tradicionales de la difusión de conocimientos. A continuación, consideramos algunas investigaciones sobre los obstáculos y estímulos al uso de la investigación en los ámbitos de la salud, la educación y los servicios sociales. Finalmente, presentamos un modelo de movilización de conocimientos en etapa de práctica piloto y evaluación en una agencia de protección de la infancia en Quebec ; describimos los procesos locales utilizados para afinar seis indicadores de resultados (recurrencia del maltrato, retrasos escolares, tasa de colocación, desplazamiento de un recurso a otro, duración de cuidados y participación de un tribunal) y concluimos presentando un ejemplo de uno de los indicadores seleccionados

Intensity and Insight: Qualitative Longitudinal Methods as a Route to the Psycho-social

This working paper brings together papers presented at a symposium entitled Intensity and insight: qualitative longitudinal methods as a route into the psycho-social that was held as part of the conference Vital Signs: Researching Real Life, organised by the ESRC funded Realities node of the NCRM held at Manchester University on 9-11 September 2008. The aim of the symposium was to explore the value of QL methods as a tool for capturing the interplay of psychodynamic, social and historical dimensions of processual phenomona. We anticipated that contributors would address how hindsight, foresight and insight interact in the research process (Thomson and Holland 2003) and the ways in which researcher subjectivity becomes a central source of data and knowledge (Lucey et al. 2003). The symposium brought together three examples of current research into the formation and remaking of parenting identities, each of which employs a qualitative and longitudinal research design. Approaches to the generation of data included infant observation, repeat interviews, psychoanalytically informed field notes, photo-elicitation and the use of intergenerational research design. Methods of analysis included collaborative working and the use of groups in order to explore hidden meanings, researcher investments and alternative interpretations

Introduction of a modified obstetric early warning system ­(­MOEWS­)­ at an Ethiopian referral hospital : a feasibility assessment

Acknowledgments The authors wish to acknowledge Johnson & Johnson and THET for funding this project and the staff and management of Felege Hiwot Referral Hospital for their support throughout the project. Funding: This project was supported by THET Strengthening Surgical Capacity grant SSC 4.1 funded by Johnson & Johnson.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

DNA methylation affects nuclear organization, histone modifications, and linker histone binding but not chromatin compaction

DNA methylation has been implicated in chromatin condensation and nuclear organization, especially at sites of constitutive heterochromatin. How this is mediated has not been clear. In this study, using mutant mouse embryonic stem cells completely lacking in DNA methylation, we show that DNA methylation affects nuclear organization and nucleosome structure but not chromatin compaction. In the absence of DNA methylation, there is increased nuclear clustering of pericentric heterochromatin and extensive changes in primary chromatin structure. Global levels of histone H3 methylation and acetylation are altered, and there is a decrease in the mobility of linker histones. However, the compaction of both bulk chromatin and heterochromatin, as assayed by nuclease digestion and sucrose gradient sedimentation, is unaltered by the loss of DNA methylation. This study shows how the complete loss of a major epigenetic mark can have an impact on unexpected levels of chromatin structure and nuclear organization and provides evidence for a novel link between DNA methylation and linker histones in the regulation of chromatin structure

Long-term stability of anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide antibody status in patients with early inflammatory polyarthritis.

INTRODUCTION: The utility of reassessing anti-cyclic citrullinated peptide (anti-CCP) antibody status later in disease in patients presenting with early undifferentiated inflammatory polyarthritis, particularly in those who test negative for both anti-CCP and rheumatoid factor (RF) at baseline, remains unclear. We aimed therefore to determine the stability of CCP antibody status over time and the prognostic utility of repeated testing in subjects with early inflammatory polyarthritis (IP). METHODS: Anti-CCP and RF were measured at baseline and 5 years in 640 IP patients from the Norfolk Arthritis Register, a primary care-based inception cohort. The relation between change in anti-CCP status/titer and the presence of radiologic erosions, the extent of the Larsen score, and Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) score by 5 years was investigated. RESULTS: With a cut-off of 5 U/ml, 28% subjects tested positive for anti-CCP antibodies, 29% for RF, and 21% for both at baseline. Nine (2%) anti-CCP-negative patients seroconverted to positive, and nine (4.6%) anti-CCP-positive individuals became negative between baseline and 5 years. In contrast, RF status changed in 17% of subjects. However, change in RF status was strongly linked to baseline anti-CCP status and was not independently associated with outcome. Ever positivity for anti-CCP antibodies by 5 years did not improve prediction of radiographic damage compared with baseline status alone (accuracy, 75% versus 74%). A higher baseline anti-CCP titer (but not change in anti-CCP titer) predicted worse radiologic damage at 5 years (P < 0.0001), even at levels below the cut-off for anti-CCP positivity. Thus, a titer of 2 to 5 U/ml was strongly associated with erosions by 5 years (odds ratio, 3.6 (1.5 to 8.3); P = 0.003). CONCLUSIONS: Repeated testing of anti-CCP antibodies or RF in patients with IP does not improve prognostic value and should not be recommended in routine clinical practice.RIGHTS : This article is licensed under the BioMed Central licence at http://www.biomedcentral.com/about/license which is similar to the 'Creative Commons Attribution Licence'. In brief you may : copy, distribute, and display the work; make derivative works; or make commercial use of the work - under the following conditions: the original author must be given credit; for any reuse or distribution, it must be made clear to others what the license terms of this work are