A comparison study looking at the impact of staff personality on recruitment and retention of staff working with children with complex disabilities and challenging behaviour, in a social care setting and an education setting

"This report is part of CWDC’s Practitioner-Led Research (PLR) programme. Now in its third year, the programme gives practitioners the opportunity to explore, describe and evaluate ways in which services are currently being delivered within the children’s workforce." "The findings from the study suggest that staff working in across both education and social care have similar personality characteristics, but tend to adapt and modify their natural characteristics at work – this was greater for those in social care. There was also evidence that the behaviour of staff in both teams changes significantly when they are under pressure and when experiencing high levels of emotional stress. This may be linked to the high levels of sickness-related absence from work." - Page 4

Micromechanical response of fibre-reinforced materials using the boundary element technique

The Boundary Element Method (BEM) and the Embedded Cell Approach (ECA) have been used to analyse the effects of constituent material properties and fibre spatial distribution on the localised behaviour of a transversely loaded, unidirectional fibre-reinforced composite. The geometrical structures examined were perfectly periodic, uniformly spaced fibre arrangements in square and hexagonal embedded cells and ten cells in which 60 fibres were randomly placed within the matrix. The models involve both elastic fibres and matrix, with the interfaces between the different phases being fully bonded. The results indicate that both the fibre packing and the material properties of the constituent phases have a significant effect on the overall stress distribution and the magnitude of localised stress concentrations within a composite. Non-periodic arrangements give rise to higher local stresses, and the magnitudes of these stress concentrations have a strong dependence on the ligament length (distance between the two neighbouring fibres that have a common high-stress region), and to a lesser extent on the angle relative to the applied load (angle between a plane containing the two fibre centres and the applied load). Furthermore, analysis of a three-phase composite, comprised of a mixture of both stiff and compliant fibres, had higher stress concentrations than the equivalent two-phase composites

Local cooling for relieving pain from perineal trauma sustained during childbirth

Background: Perineal trauma is common during childbirth and may be painful. Contemporary maternity practice includes offering women numerous forms of pain relief, including the local application of cooling treatments. Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness and side effects of localised cooling treatments compared with no treatment, other forms of cooling treatments and non-cooling treatments. Search strategy: We searched the Cochrane Pregnancy and Childbirth Group's Trials Register (January 2007), CINAHL (1982 to January 2007) and contacted experts in the field. Selection criteria: Published and unpublished randomised and quasi-randomised trials (RCTs) that compared localised cooling treatment applied to the perineum with no treatment or other treatments applied to relieve pain related to perineal trauma sustained during childbirth. Data collection and analysis: At least two independent authors performed data extraction for each study. Analyses were performed on an intention-to-treat basis where data allowed. We sought additional information from the authors of three trials. Main results: Seven published RCTs were included, comparing local cooling treatments (ice packs, cold gel pads or cold/iced baths) with no treatment, hamamelis water (witch hazel), pulsed electromagnetic energy (PET), hydrocortisone/pramoxine foam [Epifoam] or warm baths. The RCTs reported on a total of 859 women. Ice packs provided improved pain relief 24 to 72 hours after birth compared with no treatment (risk ratio (RR) 0.61, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.41 to 0.91). Women preferred the utility of the gel pads compared with ice packs or no treatment, although no differences in pain relief were detected between the treatments. None of our comparisons of treatments resulted in differences detected in perineal oedema or bruising. Women reported more pain (RR 5.60, 95% CI 2.35 to 13.33) and used more additional analgesia (RR 4.00, 95% CI 1.44 to 11.13) following the application of ice packs compared with PET. Authors' conclusions: There is only limited evidence to support the effectiveness of local cooling treatments (ice packs, cold gel pads, cold/iced baths) applied to the perineum following childbirth to relieve pain

Género y agricultura en Inglaterra

La géographie rurale a répondu avec lenteur a la considération de plus en plus étendue de l'importance d'une perspective féministe dans le cadre de la recherche géographique et la plupart des études sur les zones rurales ont ignoré la perspective du genre. L'intérst des chercheurs pour la société rurale des pays industrialisés s'est limité a étudier la place du genre dans l'agriculture et on a marginé l'étude de l'expérience des femmes qui habitent a la campagne et aussi le rôle du genre dans l'organisation de la vie rurale. Cela a créé des distorsions et des biais dans les études sur le mouvement de la population rurale, l'emploi rural et l'accessibilité. Les trois aspects sont traités dans cet article, dans lequel on étudie les changements de la structure de la force de travail agricole selon le genre et les problemes d'accessibilité de la population rurale féminine. migrante ou non. En Angleterre la plupart des travaux de recherche se sont axés sur les régions du Sud, mais ici on examine les problemes d'accessibilité et d'emploi des femmes des régions agricoles marginales des Terres Hautes du Northumberland dans le Nord d'Angleterre.Rural geography has been slow to respond to the growing recognition of the importance of feminist perspective within geographical inquiry. Studies of rural areas have, for the most part, been gender blind. Researchers focusing on the rural society of the industrialised nations have largely confined their interest to the positions of women within agriculture. Both the experiences of women living in the countryside and the role of gender in the organisation of rural society have been neglected. It has been shown elsewhere that ignoring gender has particulaly led to bias and distorsion in studies of rural population movement, rural employment and accessibility problems of migrant and non-migrant rural women. Most studies have been carried out in Southern England but this paper focuses on the accessibility and employment problems of women living in Northern England on the marginal upland farms of Northumberland.La geografia rural ha respondido con lentitud a la consideración cada vez más extendida de la importancia de una perspectiva feminista en el marco de la investigación geográfica y la mayoria de estudios sobre dreas rurales han ignorado la perspectiva del género. El interés de los investigadores por la sociedad rural de los paises industrializados se ha limitado a estudiar el lugar de la mujer en la agricultura, y se ha marginado el estudio de la experiencia de las mujeres que viven en el campo, asi como el papel del género en la organización de la vida rural. Ello ha creado distorsiones y sesgos en los estudios sobre movimientos de la población rural, empleo rural y accesibilidad. Los tres aspectos son tratados en este articulo, que estudia los cambios en la composición de la fuerza de trabajo agncola según el género y los problemas de accesibilidad de la población rural femenina migrante o no. En Inglaterra la mayoría de los trabajos de investigación se han centrado en las áreas del sur pero aquí tratamos de los problemas de accesibilidad y empleo de las mujeres de las áreas agricolas marginales de las tierras altas de Northumberland, en el norte de Inglaterra.La geografia rural ha respost amb lentitud a la consideració, cada cop més estesa, de la importància de la perspectiva feminista en la investigació geogràfica, i la majoria dels estudis sobre àrees rurals l'han ignorada. L'interès dels investigadors per la societat rural dels països industrialitzats s'ha limitat a l'estudi del lloc que ocupa la dona en I'agricultura, i ha menystingut l'estudi de l'experiència de les dones que viuen al camp i el paper del gènere en l'organització de la vida rural. Tot aixo ha creat distorsions i biaixos en els estudis sobre moviments de població rural, ocupació rural i accessibilitat. Tots tres aspectes són tractats en aquest article, que estudia els canvis en la composició de la força de treball agrícola segons el gènere i els problemes d'accessibilitat de la població rural femenina, migrant o no. A Anglaterra, la majoria dels treballs d'investigació s'han centrat en les àrees del sud, però aquest treball fa referència als problemes d'accessibilitat i d'ocupació de les dones de les àrees agrícoles marginals de les terres altes de Northumberland, al nord d'Anglaterra

‘Did anyone think the trees were students?’ Using poetry as a tool for critical reflection

The practice of reflection in teacher education is a contentious area. Debates have focused on the nature of reflection and how to evidence that it is taking place. Students training to be teachers in the UK are expected to be taught about reflection and incorporate it into their practice. This qualitative study took place in response to difficulties trainee teachers had in grasping abstract concepts. The study explores the use of reading poetry as a tool for facilitating reflection. Data were gathered by observing groups at work with the poems and by interviewing the participants. The findings were that poetry particularly encourages students to venture to areas that they may not address unprompted. It also encouraged a particular form of reflection, to do with the nature of teacher identity and the value of teaching. We suggest that further studies with larger sample groups could be carried out to test these findings

Treatment Switching: statistical and decision making challenges and approaches

Objectives: Treatment switching refers to the situation in a randomised controlled trial where patients switch from their randomly assigned treatment onto an alternative. Often, switching is from the control group onto the experimental treatment. In this instance, a standard intention-to-treat analysis does not identify the true comparative effectiveness of the treatments under investigation. We aim to describe statistical methods for adjusting for treatment switching in a comprehensible way for non-statisticians, and to summarise views on these methods expressed by stakeholders at the 2014 Adelaide International Workshop on Treatment Switching in Clinical Trials. Methods: We describe three statistical methods used to adjust for treatment switching: marginal structural models, two-stage adjustment, and rank preserving structural failure time models. We draw upon discussion heard at the Adelaide International Workshop to explore the views of stakeholders on the acceptability of these methods. Results: Stakeholders noted that adjustment methods are based on assumptions, the validity of which may often be questionable. There was disagreement on the acceptability of adjustment methods, but consensus that when these are used, they should be justified rigorously. The utility of adjustment methods depends upon the decision being made and the processes used by the decision-maker. Conclusions: Treatment switching makes estimating the true comparative effect of a new treatment challenging. However, many decision-makers have reservations with adjustment methods. These, and how they affect the utility of adjustment methods, require further exploration. Further technical work is required to develop adjustment methods to meet real world needs, to enhance their acceptability to decision-makers

MicroRNAs in the pathophysiology and treatment of status epilepticus

MicroRNA (miRNA) are an important class of non-coding RNA which function as post-transcriptional regulators of gene expression in cells, repressing and fine-tuning protein output. Prolonged seizures (status epilepticus, SE) can cause damage to brain regions such as the hippocampus and result in cognitive deficits and the pathogenesis of epilepsy. Emerging work in animal models has found that SE produces select changes to miRNAs within the brain. Similar changes in over 20 miRNAs have been found in the hippocampus in two or more studies, suggesting conserved miRNA responses after SE. The miRNA changes that accompany SE are predicted to impact levels of multiple proteins involved in neuronal morphology and function, gliosis, neuroinflammation, and cell death. miRNA expression also displays select changes in the blood after SE, supporting blood genomic profiling as potential molecular biomarkers of seizure-damage or epileptogenesis. Intracerebral delivery of chemically modified antisense oligonucleotides (antagomirs) has been shown to have potent, specific and long-lasting effects on brain levels of miRNAs. Targeting miR-34a, miR-132 and miR-184 has been reported to alter seizure-induced neuronal death, whereas targeting miR-134 was neuroprotective, reduced seizure severity during status epilepticus and reduced the later emergence of recurrent spontaneous seizures. These studies support roles for miRNAs in the pathophysiology of status epilepticus and miRNAs may represent novel therapeutic targets to reduce brain injury and epileptogenesis

A systems approach to the development and use of FMEA in complex automotive applications

YesThe effective deployment of FMEAs within complex automotive applications faces a number of challenges, including the complexity of the system being analysed, the need to develop a series of coherently linked FMEAs at different levels within the systems hierarchy and across intrinsically interlinked engineering disciplines, and the need for coherent linkage between critical design characteristics cascaded through the systems levels with their counterparts in manufacturing. The approach presented in this paper to address these challenges is based on a structured Failure Mode Avoidance (FMA) framework which promotes the development of FMEAs within an integrated Systems Engineering approach. The effectiveness of the framework is illustrated through a case study, centred on the development of a diesel exhaust aftertreatment system. This case study demonstrates that the structured FMA framework for function analysis supports an effective decomposition of complex interdisciplinary systems facilitating the DFMEA deployment through a series of containable, structured DFMEAs developed at successive system levels, with clear vertical integration of functional requirements and critical parameters cascade. The paper also discusses the way in which the approach supports deployment across engineering disciplines and domains, ensuring the integrity of information flow between the design and manufacturing activities