The Growth, Learning and Development Study: Summary of Research, Findings and Recommendations.

The Growth, Learning and Development (GLAD) study aimed to examine how a broad range of factors influence child weight during the first year of life. Assessments were undertaken within a multidisciplinary team framework. The sample was drawn from the community and data collection was undertaken in the four Greater Belfast Trusts. Twohundred and thirty-four families took part, each receiving a total of five home visits during which physical growth, oral-motor skills and development were assessed. Psychosocial evaluation examined parent-child interaction, feeding and other parental and child characteristics using quantitative and observational techniques. This paper outlines the main findings and recommendations from the GLAD study.

Where there is smoke, there is (the potential for) fire: soft indicators of research and policy impact

There is a growing literature examining the impact of research on informing policy, and of research and policy on practice. Research and policy do not have the same types of impact on practice but can be evaluated using similar approaches. Sometimes the literature provides a platform for methodological debate but mostly it is concerned with how research can link to improvements in the process and outcomes of education, how it can promote innovative policies and practice, and how it may be successfully disseminated. Whether research-informed or research-based, policy and its implementation is often assessed on such 'hard' indicators of impact as changes in the number of students gaining five or more A to C grades in national examinations or a percentage fall in the number of exclusions in inner city schools. Such measures are necessarily crude, with large samples smoothing out errors and disguising instances of significant success or failure. Even when 'measurable' in such a fashion, however, the impact of any educational change or intervention may require a period of years to become observable. This paper considers circumstances in which short-term change may be implausible or difficult to observe. It explores how impact is currently theorized and researched and promotes the concept of 'soft' indicators of impact in circumstances in which the pursuit of conventional quantitative and qualitative evidence is rendered impractical within a reasonable cost and timeframe. Such indicators are characterized by their avowedly subjective, anecdotal and impressionistic provenance and have particular importance in the context of complex community education issues where the assessment of any impact often faces considerable problems of access. These indicators include the testimonies of those on whom the research intervention or policy focuses (for example, students, adult learners), the formative effects that are often reported (for example, by head teachers, community leaders) and media coverage. The collation and convergence of a wide variety of soft indicators (Where there is smoke …) is argued to offer a credible means of identifying subtle processes that are often neglected as evidence of potential and actual impact (… there is fire).

A work-based research assessment of the impact of 'lean manufacturing' on health and safety education within an SME

Globalisation has had a major impact on the engineering industry as pacific Rim countries undercut manufacturing costs and provide a more cost-effective location for many businesses. Engineering in Nortehrn Ireland has mostly declined owing to increased competition from these countries. Engineering companies are now forced to streamline their production processes and employ cost-reducing practices in order to meet customer demands at reduced prices. This article aims to analyse the effects of one such streamlining endeavour which was first introduced after World War II in Japan- 'lean manufacturing' . 'Lean manufacturing' aims to reduce all wasteful activities within the production process in order to improve productivity, while reducing manufacturing costs. The work-based project under consideration was concerned with the impact 'lean manufacturing' may have on health and safety performance and education within an engineering company. The focus of the project was to determine through work-based research, and quantitative analysis, the employee perception on health and safety: has it changed (either positively or negatively), as a consequence of implementing 'lean manufacturing'.

Assessing and measuring impact of a digital collection in the humanities: An analysis of the SPHERE (Stormont Parliamentary Hansards: Embedded in Research and Education) Project

Although a substantial corpus of digital materials is now available to scholarship across the disciplines, objective evidence of their use, impact, and value, based on a robust assessment, is sparse. Traditional methods of assessment of impact in the humanities, notably citation in scholarly publications, are not an effective way of assessing impact of digital content. These issues are problematic in the field of Digital Humanities where there is a need to effectively assess impact to justify its continued funding and existence. A number of qualitative and quantitative methods exist that can be used to monitor the use of digital resources in various contexts although they have yet to be applied widely. These have been made available to the creators, managers, and funders of digital content in an accessible form through the TIDSR (Toolkit for the Impact of Digital Scholarly Resources) developed by the Oxford Internet Institute. In 2011, the authors of this article developed the SPHERE project (Stormont Parliamentary Hansards: Embedded in Research and Education) specifically to use TIDSR to evaluate the use and impact of The Stormont Papers, a digital collection of the Hansards of the Stormont Northern Irish Parliament from 1921 to 1972. This article presents the methodology, findings, and analysis of the project. The authors argue that TIDSR is a useful and, critically, transferrable method to understand and increase the impact of digital resources. The findings of the project are modified into a series of wider recommendations on protecting the investment in digital resources by increasing their use, value, and impact. It is reasonable to suggest that effectively showing the impact of Digital Humanities is critical to its survival.

Quantitative structure-toxicity relationships for chlorophenols to bioluminescent lux-marked bacteria using atom-based semi-empirical molecular-orbital descriptors

Literature data on the toxicity of chlorophenols for three luminescent bacteria (Vibrio fischeri, and the lux-marked Pseudomonas fluorescens 10586s pUCD607 and Burkholderia spp. RASC c2 (Tn4431)) have been analyzed in relation to a set of computed molecular physico-chemical properties. The quantitative structure-toxicity relationships of the compounds in each species showed marked differences when based upon semi-empirical molecular-orbital molecular and atom based properties. For mono-, di- and tri-chlorophenols multiple linear regression analysis of V. fischeri toxicity showed a good correlation with the solvent accessible surface area and the charge on the oxygen atom. This correlation successfully predicted the toxicity of the heavily chlorinated phenols, suggesting in V. fischeri only one overall mechanism is present for all chlorophenols. Good correlations were also found for RASC c2 with molecular properties, such as the surface area and the nucleophilic super-delocalizability of the oxygen. In contrast the best QSTR for P. fluorescens contained the 2nd order connectivity index and ELUMO suggesting a different, more reactive mechanism. Cross-species correlations were examined, and between V. fischeri and RASC c2 the inclusion of the minimum value of the nucleophilic susceptibility on the ring carbons produced good results. Poorer correlations were found with P. fluorescens highlighting the relative similarity of V. fischeri and RASC c2, in contrast to that of P. fluorescens.

Research Review: Teenage pregnancy and parenthood: the role of fathers

From the research available in America and Britain it would appear that the men who father children by teenage mothers tend to be a few years older than their teenage partners, although a minority may be significantly older. With regard to the factors associated with fatherhood there are striking similarities to the literature on teenage mothers. Like teenage mothers young fathers tend to be from low socio-economic backgrounds, experience lower educational attainment and fewer employment opportunities than their childless peers. Similarly they tend to experience greater psychological and emotional difficulties and may have a history of delinquent behaviour.

These young fathers are involved in a variety of relationships with teenage mothers, few of which result in marriage and many of which result in the breakdown of cohabitation or the termination of the relationship. This pattern of increasing relationship breakdown over time is related to decreasing paternal contact with children in both America and Britain. Often conflictual relationships with teenage mothers or maternal grandparents and a lack of financial resources are cited by young fathers as barriers to their continued involvement and contact with their children. However, the mothers are much more likely to cite paternal disinterest as the reason for a lack of paternal involvement and there is some indication that mothers and fathers have different views on the level of practical involvement expected from fathers. While most of quantitative data on the subject provides a rather negative picture of paternal involvement, qualitative research highlights how many young fathers genuinely want to be involved with their children and would have more contact and input if they could.

While much less is known about the support provided to young fathers in comparison with their female counterparts, there is some suggestion that the support and role expectations provided by the paternal grandmother may influence how involved young fathers are. There is also some indication that a sizeable minority of young men may receive no such support from their family and may also be treated with hostility or ignored by the maternal grandparents. Young fathers also report limited or no contact with midwives, health visitors and social workers.

Soil conditioning of sand for EPB applications:A laboratory research

EPB tunnelling requires the application of soil conditioning to increase its field of applicability particularly for cohesionless soils. Choosing the most suitable conditioning set for the various soils requires the use of a feasible laboratory test which can permit to define the characteristics of the conditioned soils and provide measurable data. A series of tests has been carried out using a laboratory screw conveyor device which was designed for this purpose and which simulates the extraction of the spoil from a pressure chamber in a similar way as in EPB tunnelling. The tested soils were medium-grain sands with varying amounts of silt and the tested conditioned mixtures were obtained with different water contents and amounts of foam. A simple slump test was also used to analyze the global characteristics of the conditioned soils. The test has shown that the proposed laboratory procedure permits a quantitative comparison to be made between different conditioning amounts and agents on the basis of measurable parameters. © 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantitative Analysis of Fault and Fracture Systems and their Impact on Groundwater Flow in Irish Bedrock Aquifers

Fault and fracture systems are the most important store and pathway for groundwater in Ireland’s bedrock aquifers, either directly as conductive flow structures, or indirectly as the locus for the development of dolomitised limestone and karst. This article presents the preliminary results of a study involving the quantitative analysis of fault and fracture systems in the broad range of Irish bedrock types and a consideration of their impact on groundwater flow. The principal aims of the project are to develop generic conceptual models for different fault/fracture systems in different lithologies and at different depths, and to link them to observed groundwater behaviour. Here we briefly describe the geometrical characteristics of the main post-Devonian fault/fracture systems controlling groundwater flow from field observations at outcrops, quarries and mines. The structures range from Lower Carboniferous normal faults through to Variscan-related faults and veins, with the most recent structures including Tertiary strike-slip faults and ubiquitous uplift-related joint systems. The geometrical characteristics of different fault/fracture systems combined with observations of groundwater behaviour in both quarry and mine localities, can be linked to general flow and transport conceptualisations of Irish fractured bedrock. Most importantly they also provide a basis for relating groundwater flow to particular fault/fracture systems and their expression with depth and within different lithological sequences, as well as their regional variability.

The need for qualitative methodologies in cancer cachexia research

Background: Cancer cachexia is not well understood or managed in clinical practice (Delmore 2000; Poole and Froggatt 2002). Whilst a dedicated effort has been made towards understanding the biological processes of the syndrome, little attention has been paid to its multidimensional impact. This is despite previous qualitative research, enriching our understanding of the holistic impact of the syndrome which traditional quantitative methods could not have uncovered (Reid 2007).

Aim: The aim of this study is to determine the adequacy of the existing clinical knowledge base of cancer cachexia management.

Methods: A systematic critical review of the literature on cancer cachexia was undertaken.

Results: There is a need to develop protocols for care delivery, which move beyond a purely biological approach to care towards a more holistic approach. This can only be achieved by gaining the perspectives of those who are involved in care delivery to advanced cancer patients with cachexia and their families using qualitative methodologies.

Conclusions: Cancer cachexia is a complex, challenging syndrome, which must be understood from a holistic bio-psychosocial model of care in order to meet the multidimensional needs of this client population. The perspectives of those involved in care delivery is required in order to contribute to a knowledge base which will inform the development of interventions directed at empowering patients and their families to understand cancer cachexia and recognise it as part of the disease process.

John Birks: Pioneer in quantitative palaeoecology

We describe the career of John Birks as a pioneering scientist who has, over a career spanning five decades, transformed palaeoecology from a largely descriptive to a rigorous quantitative science relevant to contemporary questions in ecology and environmental change. We review his influence on students and colleagues not only at Cambridge and Bergen Universities, his places of primary employment, but also on individuals and research groups in Europe and North America. We also introduce the collection of papers that we have assembled in his honour. The papers are written by his former students and close colleagues and span many of the areas of palaeoecology to which John himself has made major contributions. These include the relationship between ecology and palaeoecology, late-glacial and Holocene palaeoecology, ecological succession, climate change and vegetation history, the role of palaeoecological techniques in reconstructing and understanding the impact of human activity on terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems and numerical analysis of multivariate palaeoecological data.

Detection of quantitative trait loci for androstenone, skatole and boar taint in a cross between Large White and Meishan pigs

'Boar taint' is a strong perspiration-like, urine-like unpleasant odour given off upon heating or cooking of meat from some intact (uncastrated) male pigs. Data from the F(2) generation of a Large White (LW) x Meishan (MS) crossbred population were analysed to detect quantitative trait loci (QTL) for traits associated with boar taint. Fat samples from 178 intact male pigs slaughtered at 85 +/- 5 kg were analysed for the major contributors to boar taint (androstenone, indole and skatole). Fat and lean samples from cooked meat were scored for boar, abnormal and pork flavour and odour by a trained sensory panel (SP). A scan with 117 markers covering the whole genome was performed in the F(2) individuals, together with their F(1) parents and purebred grandparents. At the 5% chromosomal significance threshold (approximately equal to the genome-wide suggestive significance threshold), QTL were detected for the laboratory estimate of androstenone on chromosomes 2, 4, 6, 7 and 9. However, only on chromosome 6 were there QTL for boar flavour (BF) traits in the same or adjacent marker intervals as a QTL for the laboratory estimate of androstenone. On chromosome 14, QTL were detected for the laboratory estimates of indole and skatole, the SP score for skatole and the scores for BF in lean and BF in fat. In all five cases, the MS allele generally increased the estimate or score, compared with the LW allele, but it appeared that desirable and undesirable alleles were present in both breeds. This locus on chromosome 14 has considerable potential for use to reduce the incidence of boar taint, especially if further research can identify the causative polymorphism or strongly associated markers.