Demonstrating the quality of learner's experience and engagement: issues in constructing effective evaluation approaches on the English in Action Project, Bangladesh

The purpose of the DfID English in Action Project (EIA) currently running in Bangladesh is to 'increase significantly the number of people able to communicate in English, to levels that enable them to participate fully in economic and social activities and opportunities' (EIA, 2008). Supported open learning initiatives will employ media and technologies to supplement and enhance the learning and teaching of communicative English among school students, teachers and adults throughout Bangladesh. The comprehensive programme of research, monitoring and evaluation activities that accompany the project will demonstrate evidence of success and lessons learned from initiatives over the lifetime of the project, scheduled to complete in 2017. This paper focuses on detailing distinctive ways in which 'success' should be articulated, arguing that both qualitative and quantitative approaches are required in order to fully understand the outcomes of the Project. It highlights the need for a wide range of stakeholders to engage with, examine and fully comprehend the extent to which quality outcomes from the project initiatives have potentially touched and impacted upon individual lives

Constructing the foundations of capacity building: an activity theory analysis of the English in Action baseline studies

This paper offers insights from an activity theory perspective into the English in Action (EiA) project in an attempt to reveal the motivations accompanying the selection of particular areas of focus for the baseline studies. An overview of the background to the project is provided, followed by a review of the individual baseline studies. The paper then provides an activity theory analysis that reviews the attachment of individual study topics to the components of an activity theory framework

Continuation of Mourning Dove Studies in Clark County, Arkansas, with Emphasis on Cyclical Behavioral Patterns

In conjunction with the U.S. Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, the Henderson State University Biology Department has continued a study of mourning doves in Clark County, Arkansas, with emphasis on cyclical behavioral patterns. Three hundred forty-three mourning doves were baited, trapped, and banded to obtain information concerning age, sex, populations, retraps, abnormalities, migrations, trap injuries, cyclical behavioral patterns, and other factors

Health Care Delivery Practices in Huntington's Disease Specialty Clinics : An International Survey

The CHDI Foundation, Inc. funds Enroll-HD and the activities of the Enroll-HD Care Improvement Committee, including the present survey. We would like to acknowledge the Enroll-HD and REGISTRY administrative staff that assisted in the recruitment of sites and sites that completed the survey.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Effect of early interdisciplinary rehabilitation for trauma patients: a systematic review

Objective To perform a systematic review to assess the current scientific evidence concerning the effect of EIR for trauma patients with or without an associated traumatic brain injury. Data Source We performed a systematic search of several electronic (Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health, and SveMed+) and 2 clinical trial registers (clinicaltrials.gov and International Clinical Trials Registry Platform). In addition, we handsearched reference lists from relevant studies. Data Extraction Two review authors independently identified studies that were eligible for inclusion. The primary outcome measures were functional-related outcomes and return to work. The secondary outcome measures were length of stay in hospital, number of days on respirator, complication rate, physical and mental health measures, quality of life, and socioeconomic costs. Data Synthesis Four studies with a total number of 409 subjects, all with traumatic brain–associated injuries, were included in this review. The included trials varied considerably in study design, inclusion and exclusion criteria, and had small numbers of participants. All studies were judged to have at least 1 high risk of bias. We found the quality of evidence, for both our primary and secondary outcomes, low. Conclusions No studies that matched our inclusion criteria for EIR for trauma patients without traumatic brain injuries could be found. For traumatic brain injuries, there are a limited number of studies demonstrating that EIR has a positive effect on functional outcomes and socioeconomic costs. This review highlights the need for further research in trauma care regarding early phase interdisciplinary rehabilitation.publishedVersio

A framework for evaluating qualitative changes in learners’ experience and engagement: Developing communicative English teaching and learning in Bangladesh

This article presents the context and framework for evaluation studies of educational transformations associated with the English in Action Project, Bangladesh (EIA) as it progresses over a 9-year period. EIA was launched in May 2008 with the intention of developing communicative English language learning and teaching in Bangladesh. Through a range of interventions involving school students, teachers and young adults, EIA aims to achieve measurable changes in the way that English in taught and learned in Bangladesh, such that useful communicative competence results. Before the interventions were launched, baseline research was undertaken to examine the environment and contexts within which the project would operate. The baseline studies not only provide information and data that will enable subsequent comparisons to be made to assess the impact and effects of the project, they also make evidence available to inform the development of project activities. Innovative approaches to language and teacher development are being employed in order to address the challenges and legacy issues identified. Evaluation of the anticipated qualitative changes over the life of EIA requires a broad programme of studies focusing on the various target beneficiaries

Elucidating the impact of micro-scale heterogeneous bacterial distribution on biodegradation

Groundwater microorganisms hardly ever cover the solid matrix uniformly–instead they form micro-scale colonies. To which extent such colony formation limits the bioavailability and biodegradation of a substrate is poorly understood. We used a high-resolution numerical model of a single pore channel inhabited by bacterial colonies to simulate the transport and biodegradation of organic substrates. These high-resolution 2D simulation results were compared to 1D simulations that were based on effective rate laws for bioavailability-limited biodegradation. We (i) quantified the observed bioavailability limitations and (ii) evaluated the applicability of previously established effective rate concepts if microorganisms are heterogeneously distributed. Effective bioavailability reductions of up to more than one order of magnitude were observed, showing that the micro-scale aggregation of bacterial cells into colonies can severely restrict the bioavailability of a substrate and reduce in situ degradation rates. Effective rate laws proved applicable for upscaling when using the introduced effective colony sizes

Isolation and Expression Profile of the Ca2+-Activated Chloride Channel-like Membrane Protein 6 Gene in Xenopus laevis

To clone the first anion channel from Xenopus laevis (X. laevis), we isolated a calcium-activated chloride channel (CLCA)-like membrane protein 6 gene (CMP6) in X. laevis. As a first step in gene isolation, an expressed sequence tags database was screened to find the partial cDNA fragment. A putative partial cDNA sequence was obtained by comparison with rat CLCAs identified in our laboratory. First stranded cDNA was synthesized by reverse transcription polymerase-chain reaction (RT-PCR) using a specific primer designed for the target cDNA. Repeating the 5' and 3' rapid amplification of cDNA ends, full-length cDNA was constructed from the cDNA pool. The full-length CMP6 cDNA completed via 5'- and 3'-RACE was 2,940 bp long and had an open reading frame (ORF) of 940 amino acids. The predicted 940 polypeptides have four major transmembrane domains and showed about 50% identity with that of rat brain CLCAs in our previously published data. Semi-quantification analysis revealed that CMP6 was most abundantly expressed in small intestine, colon and liver. However, all tissues except small intestine, colon and liver had undetectable levels. This result became more credible after we did real-time PCR quantification for the target gene. In view of all CLCA studies focused on human or murine channels, this finding suggests a hypothetical protein as an ion channel, an X. laevis CLCA