Removal Of Barriers Research Articles

Regulatory experimentation in energy: Three pioneer countries and lessons for the green transition

Regulatory experimentation is a novel approach to enable innovation in the energy sector, while maintaining the protection of consumers. We define regulatory experimentation as a temporary removal of regulatory barriers. This can be in the form of a derogation from a rule, but it can also mean assigning responsibility to players to conduct activities that they are normally not allowed to engage in. The outcomes of regulatory experiments inform future regulation. In this paper, we discuss experiences with regulatory experimentation in the energy sector of three pioneering countries: the Netherlands, Great Britain, and Italy. We compare the implementations along six design dimensions: eligible project promoters, scope of the derogations, length of the derogations, administration of the experiments, the access to public funding, and transparency. We also discuss how the early approaches have evolved in these countries. Finally, we look ahead and discuss how regulatory experimentation can evolve in the future European context to contribute to the green transition.

Disability Unit Practitioners at Stellenbosch University: Covid‑19 Pandemic Reflections

As reflective practitioners working in disability inclusion, we constantly work with shifting realities concerning our students, who are not a homogenous group. The coronavirus pandemic (Covid‑19) was a reality least expected in 2020, yet we used our flexible approach to make the transition as smooth as we possibly could. The Disability Unit (DU) is one of five units located within the Centre for Student Counselling and Development at Stellenbosch University (SU) and falls within the responsibility centre of the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning. The DU was founded in 2007 and is 15 years old in 2021. We aim to foster disability inclusion within a transformative framework at SU, with our main focus on students with disabilities. Our wider aim is universal access, which includes working towards the removal of cultural, social, language and disability barriers in the higher education context. We are guided by the Disability Access Policy (2018) of SU. Since the latter part of March 2020, we had to shift to online teaching and learning. This came at a time when we were preparing for the end of the term and student support was being put in place. The onset of Covid‑19 occasioned unanticipated reflections and challenges, which we share in this article. We also reflect on what we have learnt and how we can move forward in a changed academic environment catapulted into a digital world. We do this reflection by following the Gibbs’ reflective cycle (Gibbs, 1988) which offers a way to reflect and learn from experience. The cycle is weaved into the reflections as it follows a process of describing the context of the DU, expressing how the Covid‑19 pandemic was felt by staff and students, evaluating and learning from what was experienced. According to Lyner-Cleophas (2020), online learning has benefits and challenges, especially considering students with disabilities.

Exemption for the poor or the rich? An assessment of socioeconomic inequalities in Ghana's national health insurance exemption policies.

Out-of-pocket payments for health are considered a major limitation to universal health coverage (UHC). Policymakers across the globe are committed to achieving UHC through the removal of financial barriers to health care. In Ghana, a national health insurance scheme was established for this purpose. A unique feature of the scheme is its premium exemption policies for vulnerable groups. In this article, we access the nature of socioeconomic inequality in these exemption policies. We used data from the Ghana Living Standards Survey rounds six and seven. Socioeconomic inequality was assessed using concentration curves and indices. Real household annual total consumption expenditure adjusted by adult equivalence scale was used as a wealth indicator. Four categories of exemption were used as outcome variables. These were exemptions for indigents, individuals <18 years, the aged and free maternal service. The analysis was also disaggregated by rural and urban locations of individuals. We found that while overall national health insurance scheme (NHIS) coverage was concentrated among the wealthy, all categories of premium exemption were concentrated among the poor. There was also evidence of a general decline in the magnitude of inequality over the survey years. With the specific exemptions, inequalities in exemption for indigents and maternal services were most relevant in rural locations, while inequalities in exemption for individuals <18 years and the aged were significant in urban areas. The findings suggest that the exemption policies under the NHIS are generally progressive and achieve the objective of inclusion for the underprivileged. However, it also provides lessons for better targeting and effective implementation. There may be a need for separate efforts to better target individuals in rural and urban locations to improve enrolment.

'I Was Smoking a Lot More during Lockdown Because I Can': A Qualitative Study of How UK Smokers Responded to the Covid-19 Lockdown.

This study explored how Covid-19 lockdown restrictions affected people’s daily smoking routines and behaviours, including adherence and modifications to pre-established smoking restrictions in the home. Semi-structured telephone interviews were conducted with smokers and non-smokers from smoking households 19 to 27 weeks after the first full UK lockdown ended in May 2020. A non-probability purposive sample representing 25 adults aged 21 or over living in households with at least 1 smoker were recruited to the study. A quota sampling strategy was used, according to age, gender, smoking status, family status, household composition, householder access to outdoor space, and change to work-life status. Most participants found lockdown increased the amount of time spent at home, where stresses associated with confinement, curtailment of social routines, removal of barriers and distractions to smoking due to home working, and feelings of boredom all contributed to increased smoking. Fewer factors were identified as reducing smoking during lockdown. Prominent examples included disruption to habitual smoking patterns and distraction from smoking associated with spending more time doing outdoor activities. Pressures placed on physical space and lack of privacy due to the confinement at home were responsible for displacement of smoking within the home, leading to breaking of smoke-free rules and family tensions, and in some cases to greater awareness amongst parents that their children smoked. Changes in daily routines associated with lockdown affected and displaced smoking behaviour both positively and negatively. Health improvement interventions could seek to harness positive changes in smoking associated with any future lockdown approaches. New home-working norms highlight the need for employers to support staff to reduce their smoking and to remain smoke-free.

Older adults' perspective of intergenerational programme at senior day care centre in Singapore: A descriptive qualitative study.

Population ageing resulting from declining fertility and extended life expectancy has been occurring rapidly throughout the world. Older adults are faced with multiple physical, psychological and social changes that challenge their sense of self and capacity for healthy ageing. Intergenerational programmes (IGP) in communities have been developed to address a variety of social issues brought about by the population ageing. These programmes focus on promoting intergenerational social contact, supporting educational programmes and facilitating intellectual and/or physical activities in the older adults. This study intended to explore the perception of community-dwelling older adults towards an IGP in a senior day care centre in Singapore. Purposive sampling was adopted to recruit 15 participants for the study. Individual face-to-face interviews were conducted until data saturation was achieved. Interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was carried out. Four themes and 13 sub-themes emerged: (1) IGP enhances memory and strength; (2) social interaction between older adults and younger generation; (3) emotional responses to IGP; and (4) attitudes and perception towards the younger generation. The current study illustrated the dynamic social interaction between older adults and the younger generation, as well as the perceived benefits of the IGP. The relationship formed between the two generations entailed companionship, mutual care, trust and affection. Participation in the IGP provided the older adults an opportunity for active engagement in society and development. Continuous effort must be put in to ensure continuity of integration and empowerment of older adults, including the removal of obstacles and barriers that exclude or discriminate against them. The study findings will help facilitate the customisation of IGP to meet the needs of the older adults. With a well-planned and structured IGP, significant physical, emotional and psychosocial outcomes could benefit the older adults and the younger generation.

An integrated decision driven design framework to support the ecological restoration of rivers

A structured and collaborative approach to design and decision‐making in the context of ecological restoration of rivers is developed and illustrated using a case study involving the mitigation of physical barriers to fish migration on the River Trent in the UK. The integrated design and decision-making framework provide a practical workflow model for structuring multi‐attribute decisions, engaging stakeholders, and assembling a design team needed to successfully plan environmental interventions. In our implementation team, members included ecologists, fisheries biologists, government scientists, and representatives of key stakeholder groups. The case study demonstrated a values‐based approach to implementing an ecological restoration plan that addresses some of the long‐standing barrier removal goals associated with the reintroduction of Atlantic salmon and European Union (EU) Habitats Directive listed species European lamprey and River eel. The integrated decision-driven, design framework approach is highlighted by trans-disciplinarily and social learning.

Contrast of Visions in Paule Marshall and Laurent Gaudé’s Novels

This article examines two novels written by two writers from distinct nationalities –one is an American citizen and the other is a French citizen; their linguistic landmarks are visibly illustrated in their respective texts. Despite that cultural difference, those exegetes of literature, share common aesthetic values. On the one hand, they cross their geographical boundaries and on the other hand, textualize black Diaspora, Western social realities, African/Western cultures and spaces, thus giving credence to the ideals of globalization. A global policy, which advocates the removal of cultural barriers between countries and human beings. Through creative art, those writers free themselves from every sectarian practice, promote the humanist and open one. Being now world citizens and evolving in a planetary village, they make divergent judgments upon some of the regions of their new ideal society. Black/white characters, through the prism of literary texts, judge Africa and the Western World. Both spaces are poetically praised and denigrated. This perceptive ambivalence is the focus point of the current study, whose anchor is primarily comparative semiotics. By drawing upon its operational principles, this work aims to decipher the semantic network, which emerges from both visions.

Preclinical monotherapeutic and anti-PD-1 synergistic anti-tumor efficacy of MNC-168, a novel human-derived live biotherapeutic product.

e14581 Background: Human gut microbiome has been extensively demonstrated as a critical causative factor in determining the efficacy of cancer immunotherapy. Cumulative clinical evidences indicate the prevalent presence of Enterococcus species in the responder of anti-PD-1 treated patients. We here demonstrated the preclinical anti-tumor efficacy of a novel human derived Enterococcus strain MNC-168. Methods: Using multiple murine syngeneic cold tumor models and in vivo pharmacokinetics mouse model, we characterized the anti-tumor activity and pharmacokinetics of MNC-168 via oral-delivered route in monotherapy and immune checkpoint inhibitor (ICI) anti-mPD-1 combination. Systematic multi-omics analyses and in vitro mechanistic study were conducted to reveal the biomarkers and mode of action of MNC-168. Results: We found MNC-168 significantly and mono-therapeutically counteract tumor development in diverse tumor models, including colorectal cancer (with tumor inhibition ratio of 65.5%), hepatocellular carcinoma (27.4%), fibrosarcoma (33.5%) and renal carcinoma (56.4%). Notably, MNC-168 in combination with anti-mPD-1 synergistically exerted the tumor inhibition ratio up to 68.3-89.2% and significantly reverse anti-mPD-1 non-responsiveness. Integrated multi-omics analyses and in vitro validation study revealed the mechanism by which MNC-168 reinvigorates the immune system through targeting multiple routes, including activating systemic and tumor-resident innate and adaptive immunity, removal of tumor physical barrier, reinforced recruitment of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes, and maintenance of immuno-stimulant activity via production of immune-simulating metabolites. Activation and boosting of interferon-γ production of CD8 T cells and CD4 T cells are the vital mediators for the anti-tumor ability of MNC-168. In vivo pharmacokinetics study shows that the anti-tumor efficacy of MNC-168 is positively correlated with gut-restricted abundance of MNC-168. Conclusions: MNC-168 is highly potently used as a first-in-class live biotherapeutic product for cancer monotherapy and promoting efficacy of ICI-mediated cancer immunotherapy.

Selective effects of small barriers on river‐resident fish

Abstract Habitat fragmentation is a principal threat to biodiversity and artificial river barriers are a leading cause of the global decline in freshwater biota. Although the impact of barriers on diadromous fish is well established, impacts on river‐resident fish communities remain unclear, especially for low‐head barriers. We examined the movement of five contrasting freshwater fish (topmouth gudgeon, European minnow, stone loach, bullhead and brown trout) in an experimental cascade mesocosm with seven pools separated by small vertical barriers. Passage rates differed significantly among species and increased with body size and sustained swimming speed (Usus), ranging from an average of 0.2 passes/hr in topmouth gudgeon to 3.4 passes/hr in brown trout. A random‐walk simulation indicated that barriers can result in net downstream movement and shifts in community composition. Passage rates in brown trout were leptokurtic, that is, most individuals were relatively sedentary while a small proportion showed frequent movements. Upstream passage rates of brown trout increased with body length and boldness while fish with lower aerobic scope tended to move downstream. Passage rates showed significant individual repeatability in brown trout, independent of body size, indicating the potential for in‐stream barriers to exert selective effects on fish populations. Our results show that barrier effects can be more complex than simply blocking fish passage, and that river‐resident fish can be impacted even by very small barriers. We show that fish passage depends on a wide range of morphological, physiological and behavioural drivers, and that barriers can exert selective effects on these traits and cause shifts in community composition. Policy implications. Barrier mitigation measures need to embrace interspecific and intraspecific variation in fish passage to avoid inadvertent artificial selection on fish communities. Given the high abundance of low‐head structures in river systems worldwide, a paradigm shift is needed to recognise the subtle impacts of small barriers on freshwater biodiversity. Removal of small barriers or nature‐like fishways should allow better passage of the wider fish community compared to widely used salmonid‐centric fish passage options.

Healthcare in a pure gatekeeping system: utilization of primary, mental and emergency care in the prison population over time

BackgroundThis study investigates the prisoner and prison-level factors associated with healthcare utilization (HCU) and the dynamic effects of previous HCU and health events. We analyze administrative data collected on annual adult prisoner-stay HCU (n = 10,136) including physical and mental chronic disease diagnoses, acute health events, penal circumstances and prison-level factors between 2013 and 2017 in 4 prisons of Canton of Vaud, Switzerland. Utilization of four types of health services: primary, nursing, mental and emergency care; are assessed using multivariate and multi-level negative binomial regressions with fixed/random effects and dynamic models conditional on prior HCU and lagged health events.ResultsIn a prison setting with health screening on detention, removal of financial barriers to care and a nurse-led gatekeeping system, we find that health status, socio-demographic characteristics, penal history, and the prison environment are associated with HCU overtime. After controlling for chronic and past acute illnesses, female prisoners have higher HCU, younger adults more emergencies, and prisoners from Africa, Eastern Europe, and the Americas lower HCU. New prisoners, pretrial detainees or repeat offenders utilize more all types of care. Overcrowding increases primary care but reduces utilization of mental and emergency services. Higher expenditure on medical staff resources is associated with more primary care visits and less emergency visits. The dynamics of HCU across types of care shows persistence over time related to emergency use, previous somatic acute illnesses, and acting out events. There is also evidence of substitution between psychiatric and primary care.ConclusionsThe prison healthcare system provides an opportunity to diagnose and treat unmet health needs for a marginalized population. Access to psychiatric and chronic disease management during incarceration and prevention of emergency or acute events can reduce future demand for care. Prioritization of high-risk patients and continuity of care inside and outside of prisons may reduce public health pressures in the criminal system. The prison environment and prisoners’ penal circumstances impacts healthcare utilization, suggesting better coordination between the criminal justice and prison health systems is required.

Fighting “bad science” in the information age: The effects of an intervention to stimulate evaluation and critique of false scientific claims

AbstractWith developments in technology (e.g., “Web 2.0” sites that allow users to author and create media content) and the removal of publication barriers, the quality of science information online now varies vastly. These changes in the review of published science information, along with increased facility of information distribution, have resulted in the spread of misinformation about science. As such, the role of evaluation when reading scientific claims has become a pressing issue when educating students. While recent studies have examined educational strategies for supporting evaluation of sources and plausibility of claims, there is little extant work on supporting students in critiquing the claims for flawed scientific reasoning. This study tested the efficacy of a structured reading support intervention for evaluation and critique on cultivating a critical awareness of flawed scientific claims in an online setting. We developed and validated a questionnaire to measure epistemic vigilance, implemented a large‐scale (N = 1081) Randomized Controlled Trial (RCT) of an original reading activity that elicits evaluation and critique of scientific claims, and measured whether the intervention increased epistemic vigilance of misinformation. Our RCT results suggested a moderate effect in students who complied with the treatment intervention. Furthermore, analyses of heterogeneous effects suggested that the intervention effects were driven by 11th‐grade students and students who self‐reported a moderate trust in science and medicine. Our findings point to the need for additional opportunities and instruction for students on critiquing scientific claims and the nature of specific errors in scientific reasoning.

Rapid response of fish and aquatic habitat to removal of a tidal barrier

Abstract River barrier removal is used increasingly as a conservation tool to restore lotic habitat and river connectivity, but evidence of its efficacy is incomplete. This study used a before–after methodology to determine the effects of removing a tidal‐limit barrier on the fishes, macroinvertebrates, and habitats of an English coastal stream. Following barrier removal, habitat diversity increased immediately upstream and remained similar downstream. Mobilized silt altered the substrate composition immediately downstream, but this was temporary as silt was flushed out the following winter. Changes to macroinvertebrate communities occurred upstream and downstream of the former barrier but these were transient. A dramatic and sustained increase in fish density occurred immediately upstream of the barrier after its removal, but effects downstream were minor. The fish community upstream changed, largely due to rapid recruitment and dispersal of endangered European eel (Anguilla anguilla). Eel density in the formerly impounded zone increased from 0.5 per 100 m2 before barrier removal to 32.5 per 100 m2 5 months after removal. By 17 months after barrier removal there was no difference in eel density across the six sections sampled. Although resident stream fishes such as bullhead (Cottus gobio species complex, protected under the European Habitats Directive) were abundant in middle and upper‐stream sections, brown trout (Salmo trutta, a listed species for biodiversity conservation in England and Wales) density remained low during the study and recruitment was poor. This suggests that although colonization access for anadromous trout was available, habitat upstream may have been unsuitable for reproduction, indicating that wider catchment management is required to complement the restoration of connectivity. These findings suggest that tidal barrier removal is an effective method of restoring lotic habitats and connectivity, and can be beneficial for resident and migratory fishes including those of conservation importance (e.g. European eel) in coastal streams.

Vaccinations, Not Vaccines, Save Lives: Quality Improvement for Newborn Vaccination.

Across the world, in medical journals, news media, social media, and personal discussions, one of the hottest topics of discussion is the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine. The rapid development of effective vaccines for COVID-19 is a remarkable success story of modern science, and it is a reminder for all of us about the significant health benefits of vaccines in general, benefits we often take for granted. Although the COVID-19 vaccine is the media star of the day, children receive numerous other routine vaccinations, including the hepatitis B vaccine, which significantly reduces the risk of hepatitis B virus infection. However, with all vaccines, including the hepatitis B vaccine, there are significant gaps in coverage, with high percentages of eligible children either not receiving the vaccine at all or receiving it late, thus exposing them to the risk of infectious diseases. A quotation from Orenstein1 has recently surfaced in discussions about the COVID-19 vaccine: “vaccines don’t save lives, vaccinations save lives.” Gaps in vaccine coverage generate the need for quality improvement (QI) projects to close these gaps. In this issue of the journal, Sarathy et al2 describe the results of a QI project in which they aimed to increase the monthly percentage of eligible newborn infants receiving the first dose of the hepatitis B vaccine within 24 hours of life to ≥80% within 9 months of project initiation. This article contains some important lessons that deserve to be highlighted about the conduct, description, and publication of QI projects. In 2008, the Standards for Quality Improvement Reporting Excellence (SQUIRE) guidelines were first published. They were updated in 2015 as the SQUIRE …

Impact of Na+ permeation on collective migration of pulmonary arterial endothelial cells.

Collective migration of endothelial cells is important for wound healing and angiogenesis. During such migration, each constituent endothelial cell coordinates its magnitude and direction of migration with its neighbors while retaining intercellular adhesion. Ensuring coordination and cohesion involves a variety of intra- and inter-cellular signaling processes. However, the role of permeation of extracellular Na+ in collective cell migration remains unclear. Here, we examined the effect of Na+ permeation in collective migration of pulmonary artery endothelial cell (PAEC) monolayers triggered by either a scratch injury or a barrier removal over 24 hours. In the scratch assay, PAEC monolayers migrated in two approximately linear phases. In the first phase, wound closure started with fast speed which then rapidly reduced within 5 hours after scratching. In the second phase, wound closure maintained at slow and stable speed from 6 to 24 hours. In the absence of extracellular Na+, the wound closure distance was reduced by >50%. Fewer cells at the leading edge protruded prominent lamellipodia. Beside transient gaps, some sustained interendothelial gaps also formed and progressively increased in size over time, and some fused with adjacent gaps. In the absence of both Na+ and scratch injury, PAEC monolayer migrated even more slowly, and interendothelial gaps obviously increased in size towards the end. Pharmacological inhibition of the epithelial Na+ channel (ENaC) using amiloride reduced wound closure distance by 30%. Inhibition of both the ENaC and the Na+/Ca2+ exchanger (NCX) using benzamil further reduced wound closure distance in the second phase and caused accumulation of floating particles in the media. Surprisingly, pharmacological inhibition of the Ca2+ release-activated Ca2+ (CRAC) channel protein 1 (Orai1) using GSK-7975A, the transient receptor potential channel protein 1 and 4 (TRPC1/4) using Pico145, or both Orai1 and TRPC1/4 using combined GSK-7975A and Pico145 treatment did not affect wound closure distance dramatically. Nevertheless, the combined treatment appeared to cause accumulation of floating particles. Note that GSK-7975A also inhibits small inward Ca2+ currents via Orai2 and Orai3 channels, whereas Pico145 also blocks TRPC4, TRPC5, and TRPC1/5 channels. By contrast, gene silence of Orai1 by shRNAs led to a 25% reduction of wound closure in the first 6 hours but had no effect afterwards. However, in the absence of extracellular Na+ or cellular injury, Orai1 did not affect PAEC collective migration. Overall, the data reveal that Na+ permeation into cells contributes to PAEC monolayer collective migration by increasing lamellipodial formation, reducing accumulation of floating particles, and improving intercellular adhesion.

The Electronic Health Insurance Card for Asylum-Seekers in Berlin: Effects on the Local Health System.

In debates on asylum-seekers' access to healthcare it is frequently claimed that restrictions are necessary to prevent unduly high health service utilization and costs. Within Germany, healthcare provision for asylum-seekers varies across the different states. Berlin's authorities removed some barriers to healthcare for asylum-seekers by introducing an electronic health insurance card (HIC) in 2016. We used the HIC introduction in Berlin as an opportunity to investigate the effects of improved healthcare access for asylum-seekers on the local health system. The study applied a mixed-methods design. A cost analysis compared expenses for outpatient and inpatient health services for asylum-seekers before and after the HIC introduction, based on aggregate claims data and information on expenses for humanitarian healthcare provision that were retrieved from the Berlin authorities. Semi-structured interviews with 12 key informants explored organizational effects like administrative workloads and ethical dilemmas for staff. We performed a content analysis and used respondent validation to enhance the accuracy and trustworthiness of our results. The HIC has reduced bureaucratic complexity and administrative workloads; it has enabled unprecedented financial transparency and control; and it has mitigated ethical tensions. All the while, average per person expenses for outpatient health services have declined since the HIC introduction. However, our cost analysis also indicates a rise in the utilization and costs of inpatient care. The HIC introduction in Berlin suggests that the removal of barriers to healthcare for asylum-seekers can create win-win-situations by reducing administrative workloads, advancing financial transparency, and mitigating ethical tensions, whilst cutting the costs of outpatient healthcare provision. Removing barriers to healthcare thus appears to be a more prudent policy choice than maintaining mechanisms of restriction and control. However, high inpatient care utilization and costs warrant further research.

An evidence-based synthesis of instructional reading and spelling procedures using telepractice: A rapid review in the context of COVID-19.

BackgroundDue to COVID‐19, many educators and allied health practitioners are facing the challenge of rapidly transitioning to telepractice delivery of instructional reading and spelling procedures without being fully informed of the evidence.AimsA rapid review was conducted to provide educators, allied health practitioners and policymakers with a synthesis of valid, relevant and actionable evidence relating to telepractice delivery of instructional reading and spelling procedures. The aim was to investigate the nature and outcomes of studies examining instructional reading and spelling procedures delivered via telepractice to school‐aged students.Methods & ProceduresA rapid review was undertaken in accordance with the eight‐step process published by the Cochrane Rapid Reviews Methods Group. Medline (all databases), Embase, Cochrane and ProQuest Central were systematically searched with predefined search terms organized across four key concepts relating to the research questions.Outcomes & ResultsNine studies were included in this rapid review. Reading and spelling instruction and intervention using telepractice can be feasible and engaging. Telepractice assessment for reading and spelling can be equally effective as onsite assessment.Conclusions & ImplicationsThe evidence base for telepractice delivery of reading and spelling procedures is in its infancy in terms of both the quantity and the quality of the evidence. Insufficient evidence exists to draw clear conclusions about its efficacy, and therefore practitioners should proceed cautiously. What this paper addsWhat is already known on the subject For onsite delivery, evidence‐based reading and spelling assessment, instruction and interventions delivered by educators and allied health practitioners have been shown to accelerate students’ skills; less is known about the efficacy of instructional reading and spelling procedures in a telepractice model, which have rapidly become the new norm in many countries due to the COVID‐19 pandemic. The benefits of telepractice include improved access to services, increased service availability, convenience, time efficiency, caseload management efficiency and removal of logistical barriers relating to cost and geographical location. During the COVID‐19 pandemic, telepractice has facilitated continued access to services. What this study adds to existing knowledge Reading and spelling instruction and intervention delivered via telepractice can be feasible and engaging. Telepractice is a viable mode to deliver reading and spelling assessments with strong agreement between telepractice and onsite scores. Given their low methodological quality, the studies in this review provide valuable information around the how of telepractice reading and spelling procedures and highlight the factors that may contribute to positive outcomes with this service delivery model. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work? Educators and allied health practitioners need a thorough understanding of the student's telepractice environment and require adequate training and support to engage in telepractice service delivery. Educators and allied health practitioners should consider students for telepractice on a case‐by‐case basis. Practitioners should proceed cautiously with telepractice reading and spelling assessment, intervention and instruction, with the knowledge that the current available evidence is of limited quality.

Improved Hydrogenation Kinetics of TiMn1.52 Alloy Coated with Palladium through Electroless Deposition.

The deterioration of hydrogen charging performances resulting from the surface chemical action of electrophilic gases such as CO2 is one of the prevailing drawbacks of TiMn1.52 materials. In this study, we report the effect of autocatalytic Pd deposition on the morphology, structure, and hydrogenation kinetics of TiMn1.52 alloy. Both the uncoated and Pd-coated materials were characterized using scanning electron microscopy/energy dispersive spectroscopy (SEM/EDS) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). XRD analyses indicated that TiMn1.52 alloy contains C14-type Laves phase without any second phase, while the SEM images, together with a particle size distribution histogram, showed a smooth non-porous surface with irregular-shaped particles ranging in size from 1 to 8 µm. The XRD pattern of Pd-coated alloy revealed that C14-type Laves phase was still maintained upon Pd deposition. This was further supported by calculated crystallite size of 29 nm for both materials. Furthermore, a Sieverts-type apparatus was used to study the kinetics of the alloys after pre-exposure to air and upon vacuum heating at 300 °C. The Pd-coated AB2 alloy exhibited good coating quality as confirmed by EDS with enhanced hydrogen absorption kinetics, even without activation. This is attributed to improved surface tolerance and a hydrogen spillover mechanism, facilitated by Pd nanoparticles. Vacuum heating at 300 °C resulted in removal of surface barriers and showed improved hydrogen absorption performances for both coated and uncoated alloys.

Mental health and human rights of women

IntroductionMental health stigma and discrimination interact with gender inequality and the discrimination of women and girls to their mental health detriment.ObjectivesPresent and discuss the challenges and opportunities of a human rights based approach to womens’ mental health.MethodsNon-systematic review of policy and practice of human rights based interventions for womens’ mental health.ResultsCurrent mental health as well as gender equality legislation converge towards the realization of longstanding demands of equality for women as well as for persons with mental health problems: removal of barriers, respect and enablement of autonomy, renewed efforts toward effective inclusion in all spheres of life. Essential changes through non-discrimination laws concern key areas, including family planning, marriage and parenthood, employment, housing, education, health, standards of living and social, political and cultural participation, along with the right to be free from exploitation, violence and abuse. Because of the cumulation and the interaction of gender-based and other forms of discrimination, legislations such as the UN-Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UN-CRPD) include a focus on gender-specific human rights needs of women and girls. Family advocacy in mental health is prominently supported by female activists as is the user movement.ConclusionsThe opportunities of a successful development towards non-discrimination and gender equality in mental health care are dependent on a viable understanding of these concepts within the mental health community as well as updated expertise concerning tools for implementation of support systems sensitive to the human rights needs of women and girls.DisclosureNo significant relationships.

Game-Assisted Assessment for Broader Adoption: Participatory Design and Game-Based Scaffolding

21st Century Standards and the Deeper Learning movement emphasize the ability to think critically and solve complex problems, to work well in teams, and to communicate effectively. While traditional classroom activities can meet these objectives, digital games and simulations provide unique affordances. When designed to incorporate formative assessment functions, games and simulations can capture detailed data on learners’ performances and provide learners with immediate feedback. In spite of their strengths, barriers exist to practitioners’ adoption of game-based and simulation-based formative assessments. Adoption can be slowed where product designs do not account for unique local requirements of classrooms and schools. The current work investigates reduction and removal of barriers to adoption of games and simulations among classroom instructors through use of the Integrated BEAR Design System (IBDS). The IBDS provides a design process that accounts for local requirements by engaging practitioners in principled design and development of game-based formative assessments. The paper summarizes the IBDS and a single case in which the IBDS was applied to design a game-based formative assessment for collaborative-problem solving, Little Fish Lagoon. The game is accompanied by a stand-alone chat system, Libra Text, that allows collaborating players to send text messages to each other while they use the game. Study participants were six instructors from six U.S. schools. The participating instructors planned for broad adoption of the multiplayer collaboration game in their local classroom settings. The authors illustrate their use of the IBDS with the participating instructors in order to co-develop formative assessments that fit their local needs using data collected from the Little Fish Lagoon educational game and the Libra Text chat tool. The benefits of the IBDS, its implications for learning designers, potential improvements, and needed future research are discussed. The paper is expected to be of interest to learning and assessment designers working with educational games and simulations, and others interested in barriers to adoption of new technologies in general.

Insect herbivory facilitates the establishment of an invasive plant pathogen

Plants can be severely affected by insect herbivores and phytopathogenic fungi, but interactions between these plant antagonists are poorly understood. We analysed the impact of feeding damage by the abundant herbivore Orchestes fagi on infection rates of beech (Fagus sylvatica) leaves with Petrakia liobae, an invasive plant pathogenic fungus. The fungus was not detected in hibernating beetles, indicating that O. fagi does not serve as vector for P. liobae, at least not between growing seasons. Abundance of the fungus in beech leaves increased with feeding damage of the beetle and this relationship was stronger for sun-exposed than for shaded leaves. A laboratory experiment revealed sun-exposed leaves to have thicker cell walls and to be more resistant to pathogen infection than shaded leaves. Mechanical damage significantly increased frequency and size of necroses in the sun, but not in shade leaves. Our findings indicate that feeding damage of adult beetles provides entry ports for fungal colonization by removal of physical barriers and thus promotes infection success by pathogenic fungi. Feeding activity by larvae probably provides additional nutrient sources or eases access to substrates for the necrotrophic fungus. Our study exemplifies that invasive pathogens may benefit from herbivore activity, which may challenge forest health in light of climate change.