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The possibilities and problematics of school evaluation: post-primary teachers’ perspectives on the impact of school inspections in a high stakes inspection system
No full textTo ensure students receive the best possible education, many education systems worldwide have implemented school inspections. These inspections serve as a powerful tool to assess and improve educational standards, and to hold schools accountable for their performance. Despite the prevalence of school inspection, there is a dearth of quantitative evidence from high accountability inspection systems pertaining to teachers’ perspectives on the relative occurrence of school improvement-related consequences of inspections versus inspection consequences for teachers’ emotional wellbeing, and the factors that influence these outcomes. Therefore, the current exploratory study sought to address this gap by investigating these issues in Northern Ireland – a high accountability context. Responses to an online survey of post-primary teachers indicated the perceived emotional fallout from school inspections outweighed their perceived school improvement-related benefits, and that the perceived emotional impact was greater for female than male teachers. Based on the evidence uncovered in the study, suggestions are proffered for potential changes to high accountability school inspection protocols which would optimise the potential for school improvement, while simultaneously minimising the harmful, emotional side-effects of inspections.<br/
Dataset for 'Acceptability study of a co-designed educational game about Dementia for children: the Kids Dementia Game'
No full textThis dataset contains evaluation data for the study 'Acceptability study of a co-designed educational game about Dementia for children: the Kids Dementia Game' It contains data for two measures: 1, the Kids insights into Dementia scale (KIDS) which was collected with children before and after playing the Kids Dementia Game to measure changes in their understanding of Dementia. 2. Children's acceptability rating of the Kids Dementia Game, measured by the System Usability Scale. Data was collected from 2022-5-1 to 2022-10-31 in three primary schools in Northern Ireland. It was collected in order to evaluate the acceptability of the Kids Dementia Game to children and to pilot data collection measures for effectiveness to inform future scale-up evaluation. The data was collected by embedding the two measures in the Kids Dementia Game, which children played online in computer rooms in their primary school. This data could be of interest to researchers conducting systematic reviews of the acceptability of digital serious games for education, in particular about public health or Dementia
Postdigital citizen science and humanities: a theoretical kaleidoscope
No full textThis collective article presents a theoretical kaleidoscope, the multiple lenses of which are used to examine and critique citizen science and humanities in postdigital contexts and from postdigital perspectives. It brings together 19 short theoretical and experiential contributions, organised into six loose groups which explore areas and perspectives including Indigenous and local knowledge, technology, and children and young people as citizen researchers. It suggests that this collective approach is appropriate because both postdigital and citizen research are founded on and committed to collaboration, dialogue, and co-creation, as well as challenging the tenets and approaches of traditional academic research. In particular, it suggests that postdigital transformations in contemporary societies are both changing citizen science and humanities and making it more important
‘The mendacious Irish character:’ Molly Maguire, anti-Irish sentiment, and anti-labor propaganda in the American press, 1880–1920
No full textThis paper evaluates the prevalence and impact of nativist and anti-labor narratives built on the claim that the ‘Molly Maguires’, a vague 1860s and 70s militant Irish labor phenomenon of the Pennsylvania anthracite region, was still active between the 1880s and the 1910s. It finds that such narratives were widespread until the late 1890s, and still regionally significant until the late 1900s, finally fading into obscurity in the 1910s. ‘Molly Maguirism’ as a media narrative was primarily directed at organized labor and the (Irish) working class; it is best understood as a form of ethnicized proto-Red Scare tactic, but could incorporate other elements, such as broader nativist ideology and sectarianism. Based on these findings, prevailing models of Irish acculturation, such as Painter’s ‘second enlargement of whiteness’, are obsolete; the paper recommends a thorough revision of late nineteenth- and early twentieth-century Irish American working-class history, accounting for the continued and hitherto massively underestimated presence of anti-Irish sentiment.<br/
Egg white-derived nanocomposite microspheres for alveolar bone defects management
No full textIn this study, we developed a new class of nanocomposite microspheres comprising of Ca2+ crosslinked chicken egg white (EW) and Zn-doped mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Zn–SiO2), targeting the challenging alveolar defect repair applications. We drew inspiration from the “Chinese century egg” preservation techniques to crosslink the EW protein using Ca2+ ions under alkali conditions and this has led to a novel alkali-ionic (ai) cross-linked EW network with enhanced mechanical stability. Molecular dynamic simulation was deployed to elucidate the protein crosslinking mechanisms within the microspheres. Zn-doped mesoporous silica nanoparticles (Zn–SiO2) were introduced as degradable functional nanofillers. Results show that the unique Zn–SiO2/ai-EW nanocomposite microspheres have enhanced mechanical strength, desirable degradation profile and biomineralization capabilities. In vitro and in vivo studies show that with the gradual released Ca2+ from the EW matrix can promote osteogenic differentiation; Si4+ and Zn2+ can modulate the immune microenvironment and enhanced angiogenesis. The promising results have demonstrated the strong potential of Zn–SiO2/ai-EW composite microspheres for alveolar bone repair applications.<br/
BOS-318 treatment enhances elexacaftor–tezacaftor–ivacaftor-mediated improvements in airway hydration and mucociliary transport
No full textBackgroundCystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) triple modulator therapy, elexacaftor–tezacaftor–ivacaftor (ETI) has transformed care for people with cystic fibrosis (CF) who have eligible mutations. It is, however, not curative. Response to treatment also varies and lung disease, although slowed, remains progressive. We have previously demonstrated inhibition of the epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) by selective furin inhibition to be an alternative, mutation-agnostic approach that can enhance airways hydration and restore mucociliary transport (MCT) in CF. Inhibition of furin therefore, offers a potential therapeutic strategy for those ineligible, intolerant or nonresponsive to ETI and may provide a further opportunity for clinical benefit for those currently treated with ETI. The aim of this study was to determine the impact of furin inhibition on ETI responses to assess its utility as an adjunct therapy.MethodsDifferentiated primary CF human bronchial epithelial cells (HBECs) were treated with the highly selective furin inhibitor BOS-318 and with ETI. Ion channel function was measured using a 24-channel Transepithelial Current Clamp (TECC-24) system and airways surface hydration was investigated by measuring airway surface liquid (ASL) height and MCT rate.ResultsThe presence of BOS-318 had no effect on the ability of ETI to stimulate CFTR-mediated Cl− secretion but contributed a reduced Na+ transport via robust inhibition of ENaC. This altered ion transport profile effected an improved ASL height and MCT rate, which were significantly greater than improvements observed with ETI alone, demonstrating the benefits of the dual approach.ConclusionsSelective furin inhibition has the potential to further improve clinical outcomes for all people with CF and offers opportunity as an adjunct to improve responses to currently available CFTR modulator therapies.<br/
Surprised by co-creation; building equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) in the physiology curriculum with undergraduate students
No full textAs public-facing global institutions, modern universities are subject to equality legislation (locally the United Kingdom Equality Act) 1 and the need to represent an increasingly diverse student body. For effective education, this broad cohort needs to see itself represented, both in the curriculum, and in the very structures of the university2. It is with this in mind that staff in the Centre for Biomedical Sciences Education in Queen's University Belfast recruited three students from diverse backgrounds to co-design aspects of the Undergraduate Physiology Curriculum for Medicine and Health and Life Sciences (MHLS) degrees. As part of a 6-week summer internship, our students set out to identify gaps in the physiology curriculum regarding those with protected characteristics as described by the UK Equality Act 2010 (race, sex, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, religion and belief, disability and sexual orientation; Figure 1 1). Our aim was to incorporate Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) principles to create a learning environment that celebrates people's differences and represents individual students. Themes that developed over the six week period of the internship were recognizing oneself in the curriculum, cultural humility and intersectionality
Engineered multifunctional BioHJzyme via tuning D‐Band center for postoperative infected wound regeneration of tumor resection
No full textThe catalytic therapy for abundant •OH, 1O2, and •O2− provides an efficient tactic and methodology for rapid tumor/bacteria killing, whereas the limitation is focused on the catalytic efficiency owing to the in-built energy band of catalytic materials. Thus, d-band center tuning BioHJzyme is devised, which is composed of zinc tellurate/manganese dioxide anchored by glucose oxidase (GOx) with anti-tumor and anti-bacteria properties for postoperative infected wound regeneration of tumor. The GOx depletes glucose to produce H2O2, intercepting the glucose metabolism. The D-BioHJzyme can catalyze the produced H2O2 to highly lethal •OH with POD-mimetic activity owing to the tunned d-band center strategy decreasing the adsorption energy of the intermediate in the catalytical process, while the oxygen originated from H2O2 and Mn2+ can be catalyzed into 1O2. The GPx-mimetic activity of it can impair the antioxidant system of tumor. In vivo studies show that the BioHJzyme exhibits robust abilities against bacteria and tumors by •OH/1O2 production and promotes the apoptosis owing the Te. Besides, the BioHJzyme can accelerate cutaneous regeneration by M1/M2 regulation and the angiogenesis/collagen deposition. This work enlightens a powerful platform for the remedy of postoperative infected wound regeneration of tumor resection using an engineered BioHJzyme