The impact of learning context on the acquisition of sociopragmatic variation patterns in non-native speaker teachers of English

The study is a cross-linguistic, cross-sectional investigation of the impact of learning contexts on the acquisition of sociopragmatic variation patterns and the subsequent enactment of compound identities. The informants are 20 non-native speaker teachers of English from a range of 10 European countries. They are all primarily mono-contextual foreign language learners/users of English: however, they differ with respect to the length of time accumulated in a target language environment. This allows for three groups to be established – those who have accumulated 60 days or less; those with between 90 days and one year and the final group, all of whom have accumulated in excess of one year. In order to foster the dismantling of the monolith of learning context, both learning contexts under consideration – i.e. the foreign language context and submersion context are broken down into micro-contexts which I refer to as loci of learning. For the purpose of this study, two loci are considered: the institutional and the conversational locus. In order to make a correlation between the impact of learning contexts and loci of learning on the acquisition of sociopragmatic variation patterns, a two-fold study is conducted. The first stage is the completion of a highly detailed language contact profile (LCP) questionnaire. This provides extensive biographical information regarding language learning history and is a powerful tool in illuminating the intensity of contact with the L2 that learners experience in both contexts as well as shedding light on the loci of learning to which learners are exposed in both contexts. Following the completion of the LCP, the informants take part in two role plays which require the enactment of differential identities when engaged in a speech event of asking for advice. The enactment of identities then undergoes a strategic and linguistic analysis in order to investigate if and how differences in the enactment of compound identities are indexed in language. Results indicate that learning context has a considerable impact not only on how identity is indexed in language, but also on the nature of identities enacted. Informants with very low levels of crosscontextuality index identity through strategic means – i.e. levels of directness and conventionality; however greater degrees of cross-contextuality give rise to the indexing of differential identities linguistically by means of speaker/hearer orientation and (non-) solidary moves. When it comes to the nature of identity enacted, it seems that more time spent in intense contact with native speakers in a range of loci of learning allows learners to enact their core identity; whereas low levels of contact with over-exposure to the institutional locus of learning fosters the enactment of generic identities.

Living with acquired brain injury

This study found that natural community supports were comprised of two distinct groupings; firstly immediate families, friends and peer support groups; secondly neighbours and local community groups such as sporting and activity- based organisations and groups. The findings of this study indicate that living with acquired brain injury involves a process where the person moves from acute high intensity health services onto rehabilitative services and then onto re-establishing independent lives. It is evident that smooth transitions and interconnectivity of services are essential in facilitating this recovery process. Instrumental to the recovery is the support of immediate family and close friends, who form people’s immediate natural support network and go a long way towards facilitating individuals in rebuilding their lives. A key finding of this study is that broader natural community supports do not appear to play as central a role in supporting individuals to live independent lives when compared to the role of family and friends. The lack of involvement of broader community groups, in many ways, prompted individuals to contact formal support services. For the majority of participants, independence is facilitated through the combination of immediate natural community supports and formal services. The role of formal support services is key to developing broader community support networks. This study found a blurred division between formal services and broader community support networks. The authors recommended that the role of formal supports services in acting as a bridge between the needs of the individual and the development of meaningful community networks, be formally recognised and further developed. Additionally, they argued that the importance of the role of broader natural community, supports such as those provided by community and sporting groups must be enhanced. Greater awareness of the issues faced by people living with acquired brain injury and its often invisible nature is necessary in this endeavour. The authors stated it is important to recognise that there are multiple issues impacting on independent living and these issues intersect, for instance with age, gender, employment, qualifications and so on. A lack of public awareness of acquired brain injury was found to be a key barrier to independent living, along with issues relating to socialising, access to employment and finances. The findings of this study reflect the complexities of living with acquired brain injury and the need for holistic support that is cognisant of the factors which impact on integration. It is vital that flexible, personalised services are developed which are fit for purpose and meet the needs of not only people with acquired brain injury but also their immediate natural community support network. Recognition of the intersection between immediate/ broader natural community supports and formal services is also key to developing the comprehensive and practical supports required to achieve an independent life. This was a qualitative study and all participants were sourced through Headway, a community based service provider for people with ABI. Data collection was divided into two stages: firstly focus groups, followed by individual interviews. Four focus groups were convened in Cork (2), Dublin (1) and Limerick (1). Each focus group was facilitated by at least two members of the research team and a total of twenty-six individuals participated in the focus groups. Thematic analysis of the data was undertaken to guide and inform the second stage of the study; the individual interviews. Ten interviews were undertaken with individuals who presented with ABI in the Cork and Limerick regions.

Evaluating conditions for transboundary Marine Spatial Planning: challenges and opportunities on the island of Ireland

Transboundary cooperation is viewed as an essential element of Marine Spatial Planning (MSP). While much of the MSP literature focuses on the need for, and benefits of, transboundary MSP, this paper explores the political and institutional factors that may facilitate the effective transition to such an approach. Drawing on transboundary planning theory and practice, key contextual factors that are likely to expedite the transition to transboundary MSP are reviewed. These include: policy convergence in neighbouring jurisdictions; prior experience of transboundary planning; and good working relations amongst key actors. Based on this review, an assessment of the conditions for transboundary MSP in the adjoining waters of Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland is undertaken. A number of recommendations are then advanced for transboundary MSP on the island of Ireland, including, the need to address the role of formal transboundary institutions and the lack of an agreed legal maritime boundary. The paper concludes with some commentary on the political realities of implementing transboundary MSP.

Exploring the cardiovascular disease continuum: blood pressure and target organ damage

Introduction The objectives of this thesis are to: (1) examine how ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) refines office blood pressure (BP) measurement; (2) determine if absolute ambulatory BP or dipping status is better associated with target organ damage (TOD); (3) explore the association of isolated nocturnal hypertension (INH) with TOD; and (4) investigate the association of night-time BP with ultrasound markers of cardiovascular damage. Methods Data from the Mitchelstown Cohort Study was analysed to deliver objectives 1 and 2. Objective 3 was addressed by a systematic review and analysis of data from the Mitchelstown Study. A sample of participants from the Mitchelstown Study underwent an echocardiogram for speckle tracking analysis and carotid ultrasound to achieve objective 4. Results ABPM reclassifies hypertension status in approximately a quarter of individuals, with white coat and masked hypertension prevalence rates of 11% and 13% respectively. Night-time systolic BP is better associated with TOD than daytime systolic BP and dipping level. In multi-variable models the odds ratio (OR) for LVH was 1.4 (95% CI 1.1 -1.8) and for albumin:creatinine ratio ≥ 1.1 mg/mmol was 1.5 (95% CI 1.2 – 1.8) for each 10 mmHg rise in night-time systolic BP. The evidence for the association of INH with TOD is inconclusive. Night-time systolic BP is significantly associated with global longitudinal strain (GLS) (beta coefficient 0.85 for every 10 mmHg rise, 95% CI 0.3 – 1.4) and carotid plaques (OR 1.9 for every 10 mmHg rise, 95% CI 1.1 – 3.2) in univariable analysis. The findings persist for GLS in sex and age adjusted models but not in multivariable models. Discussion Hypertension cannot be effectively managed without using ABPM. Night-time systolic BP is better associated with TOD than daytime systolic BP and dipping level, and therefore, may be a better therapeutic target in future studies.

Nurses', midwives' and key stakeholders' experiences and perceptions on requirements to demonstrate the maintenance of professional competence.

Aim: To present the qualitative findings from a study on the development of scheme(s) to give evidence of maintenance of professional competence for nurses and midwives. Background: Key issues in maintenance of professional competence include notions of self- assessment, verification of engagement and practice hours, provision of an evidential record, the role of the employer and articulation of possible consequences for non-adherence with the requirements. Schemes to demonstrate the maintenance of professional competence have application to nurses, midwives and regulatory bodies and healthcare employers worldwide. Design: A mixed methods approach was used. This included an online survey of nurses and midwives and focus groups with nurses and midwives and other key stakeholders. The qualitative data are reported in this study. Methods: Focus groups were conducted among a purposive sample of nurses, midwives and key stakeholders from January–May 2015. A total of 13 focus groups with 91 participants contributed to the study. Findings: Four major themes were identified: Definitions and Characteristics of Competence; Continuing Professional Development and Demonstrating Competence; Assessment of Competence; The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland and employers as regulators and enablers of maintaining professional competence. Conclusion: Competence incorporates knowledge, skills, attitudes, professionalism, application of evidence and translating learning into practice. It is specific to the nurse's/midwife's role, organizational needs, patient's needs and the individual nurse's/midwife's learning needs. Competencies develop over time and change as nurses and midwives work in different practice areas. Thus, role-specific competence is linked to recent engagement in practice.

Adhesives for fixed orthodontic bands

Background: Orthodontic treatment involves using fixed or removable appliances (dental braces) to correct the positions of teeth. It has been shown that the quality of treatment result obtained with fixed appliances is much better than with removable appliances. Fixed appliances are, therefore, favoured by most orthodontists for treatment. The success of a fixed orthodontic appliance depends on the metal attachments (brackets and bands) being attached securely to the teeth so that they do not become loose during treatment. Brackets are usually attached to the front and side teeth, whereas bands (metal rings that go round the teeth) are more commonly used on the back teeth (molars). A number of adhesives are available to attach bands to teeth and it is important to understand which group of adhesives bond most reliably, as well as reducing or preventing dental decay during the treatment period. :Objectives: To evaluate the effectiveness of the adhesives used to attach bands to teeth during fixed appliance treatment, in terms of: (1) how often the bands come off during treatment; and (2) whether they protect the banded teeth against decay during fixed appliance treatment. Search methods: The following electronic databases were searched: Cochrane Oral Health's Trials Register (searched 2 June 2016), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL; 2016, Issue 5) in the Cochrane Library (searched 2 June 2016), MEDLINE Ovid (1946 to 2 June 2016) and EMBASE Ovid (1980 to 2 June 2016). We searched ClinicalTrials.gov and the World Health Organization International Clinical Trials Registry Platform for ongoing trials. No restrictions were placed on the language or date of publication when searching the electronic databases. Selection criteria: Randomised and controlled clinical trials (RCTs and CCTs) (including split-mouth studies) of adhesives used to attach orthodontic bands to molar teeth were selected. Patients with full arch fixed orthodontic appliance(s) who had bands attached to molars were included. Data collection and analysis: All review authors were involved in study selection, validity assessment and data extraction without blinding to the authors, adhesives used or results obtained. All disagreements were resolved by discussion. Main results: Five RCTs and three CCTs were identified as meeting the review's inclusion criteria. All the included trials were of split-mouth design. Four trials compared chemically cured zinc phosphate and chemically cured glass ionomer; three trials compared chemically cured glass ionomer cement with light cured compomer; one trial compared chemically cured glass ionomer with a chemically cured glass phosphonate. Data analysis was often inappropriate within the studies meeting the inclusion criteria. Authors' conclusions: There is insufficient high quality evidence with regard to the most effective adhesive for attaching orthodontic bands to molar teeth. Further RCTs are required.

Preference inference based on Pareto models

In this paper, we consider Preference Inference based on a generalised form of Pareto order. Preference Inference aims at reasoning over an incomplete specification of user preferences. We focus on two problems. The Preference Deduction Problem (PDP) asks if another preference statement can be deduced (with certainty) from a set of given preference statements. The Preference Consistency Problem (PCP) asks if a set of given preference statements is consistent, i.e., the statements are not contradicting each other. Here, preference statements are direct comparisons between alternatives (strict and non-strict). It is assumed that a set of evaluation functions is known by which all alternatives can be rated. We consider Pareto models which induce order relations on the set of alternatives in a Pareto manner, i.e., one alternative is preferred to another only if it is preferred on every component of the model. We describe characterisations for deduction and consistency based on an analysis of the set of evaluation functions, and present algorithmic solutions and complexity results for PDP and PCP, based on Pareto models in general and for a special case. Furthermore, a comparison shows that the inference based on Pareto models is less cautious than some other types of well-known preference model.