Latent class analysis (LCA) is a common method to evaluate the diagnostic sensitivity (DSe) and specificity (DSp) for pathogen detection assays in the absence of a perfect reference standard. Here we ...used LCA to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of 3 tests for the detection of Mikrocytos mackini in Pacific oysters Crassostrea gigas: conventional polymerase chain reaction (PCR), real-time quantitative PCR (qPCR), and histopathology. A total of 802 Pacific oysters collected over 12 sampling events from 9 locations were assessed. Preliminary investigations indicated that standard LCA assumptions of test independence and constant detection accuracy across locations were likely unrealistic. This was mitigated by restructuring the LCA in a Bayesian framework to include test-derived knowledge about pathogen prevalence and load for categorizing populations into 2 classes of infection severity (low or high) and assessing separate DSe and DSp estimates for each class. Median DSp estimates were high (>96%) for all 3 tests in both population classes. DSe estimates varied between tests and population classes but were consistently highest for qPCR (87-99%) and lowest for histopathology (21-51%). Acknowledging that detection of M. mackini may be fitted to multiple diagnostic and management purposes, qPCR had the highest DSe while maintaining similar DSp to both conventional PCR and histopathology and thus is generally well-suited to most applications.
Abstract Across Australia, early years learning frameworks recommend digital technologies be integrated into early years centres. Introduced in 2009, the Early Years Learning Framework, requires ...educators to foster children’s use of technologies for accessing information, investigating ideas, and representing their thinking. The National Quality Framework also encourages children to engage with digital technology for experimentation. Using a researcher created Digital Technology Activity Framework for early years centres, this study examined broad digital technology integration in a sample of Australian early years centres. Using desktop audits, interviews and observations, the study found that while digital technologies were widely embedded, there were significant opportunities evident for further promoting children’s agency with devices. These findings suggest that to support children’s achievement of learning outcomes with digital technologies, greater sector-wide professional learning and aligned resources in effective digital pedagogy and policy development would be valuable for both early years centre directors and educators.
•Overview of the method, results and themes from systematic literature review.•Creativity has not been a research focus for young children learning online.•Opportunities were identified for fostering ...young children's creativity online .•Opportunities relate to increased agency, challenge, experimentation and play.•Challenges relate to reduced educator responsiveness and children's age/abilities.•Further research is needed to explore these opportunities and challenges.
Recent research has highlighted that fostering children's creativity is a significant goal of early childhood education. While there is a strong body of research identifying strategies within face-to-face learning settings, little is known about fostering creativity within an online learning environment. Over the past three decades, most research into K-12 online learning practices has centered around secondary school students, rather than children in early childhood years. However, the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic saw millions of children around the world rapidly transitioned into online learning environments, many for the first time. Much of the research during this period focused on the experiences of educators, with little attention given to pedagogical strategies they employed, especially relating to fostering of creativity. With the pandemic experience normalising online learning, it is important to understand how children of all ages can learn effectively within this environment. The purpose of this paper is to identify challenges and opportunities for educators in fostering young children's creativity in online learning environments. The process involved analysing articles investigating young children learning online for references to creativity using the A-E of Children's Creativity Framework. The findings highlight both the paucity and infancy of this research field and identified several challenges and opportunities for fostering creativity in online environments as well as the need for further research to develop evidence-based approaches for best practice. Doing so will assist educators adapt to an ever-changing education landscape, to continue fostering creativity as an essential 21st century competency.
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Immediately before and after giving an oral presentation and taking examinations 10 final-year students provided saliva samples for immunoglobulin A assay. Compared with ‘baseline’, levels of ...immunoglobulin A were lower surrounding the examination conditions and before the presentation.
Alcohol misuse is a cause of concern for health services, policy makers, prevention workers, the criminal justice system, youth workers, teachers and parents.
1. To identify and summarize rigorous ...evaluations of psychosocial and educational interventions aimed at the primary prevention of alcohol misuse by young people. 2. To assess the effectiveness of primary prevention interventions over the longer-term (> 3 years).
Databases searched (no time limits): Project CORK, BIDS, PSYCLIT, ERIC, ASSIA, MEDLINE, FAMILY-RESOURCES-DATABASE, HEALTH-PERIODICALS-DATABASE, EMBASE, BIDS, Dissertation-Abstracts, SIGLE, DRUG-INFO, SOMED, Social-Work-Abstracts, National-Clearinghouse-on-Alcohol-and-Drug-Information, Mental-Health-Abstracts, DRUG-database, ETOH (all searched Feb-June 2002).
1. randomised controlled and non-randomised controlled and interrupted time series designs. 2. educational and psychosocial primary prevention interventions for young people up to 25 years old. 3. alcohol-specific or generic (drugs; lifestyle) interventions providing alcohol outcomes reported. 4. alcohol outcomes: alcohol use, age of alcohol initiation, drinking 5+ drinks on any one occasion, drunkeness, alcohol related violence, alcohol related crime, alcohol related risky behaviour.
Stage 1: All papers screened by one reviewer against inclusion criteria. Stage 2: For those papers that passed Stage 1, key information was extracted from each paper by 2-3 reviewers.
20 of the 56 studies included showed evidence of ineffectiveness. No firm conclusions about the effectiveness of prevention interventions in the short- and medium-term were possible. Over the longer-term, the Strengthening Families Program (SFP) showed promise as an effective prevention intervention. The Number Needed to Treat (NNT) for the SFP over 4 years for three alcohol initiation behaviours (alcohol use, alcohol use without permission and first drunkeness) was 9 (for all three behaviours). One study also highlighted the potential value of culturally focused skills training over the longer-term (NNT=17 over three-and-a-half years for 4+ drinks in the last week).
1. Research into important outcome variables needs to be undertaken. 2. Methodology of evaluations needs to be improved. 3. The Strengthening Families Programme needs to be evaluated on a larger scale and in different settings. 4. Culturally-focused interventions require further development and rigorous evaluation. 5. An international register of alcohol and drug misuse prevention interventions should be established and criteria agreed for rating prevention intervention in terms of safety, efficacy and effectiveness.
All Australian children and their families have an equal right to access quality early years education. To achieve this, rationalisation of the Australian early childhood (EC) sector in 2007 saw the ...introduction of mandated governing frameworks, including the National Quality Framework (NQF), designed to regulate and assure quality practices across the sector. Understanding what quality is and how it is demonstrated in EC services is critical to young children's learning and development. However, issues engrained within the sector exacerbate challenges in leading, achieving, and planning for quality improvements. This research analysed Western Australia's NQF service ratings across geographic locations and governance of organisational structures for the most recent publicly available figures. It became clear that Quality Areas One (educational program and practice) and Seven (governance and leadership) held the greatest number of Working Towards ratings, with particular attention drawn to regional EC services. Given the link between programs and leadership, this research makes recommendations for improving EC service leadership and quality through enhanced professional learning and clarification of the early childhood educational leader (ECEL) role. This article proposes an emerging framework of leadership that emphasises the impact of leadership on quality ratings.
•A real-time qPCR assay was designed to detect M. mackini in host (oyster) tissues.•Detection was sensitive, specific and suitable for high-throughput processing.•Host mid-body sections provided the ...highest likelihood for detecting parasite DNA.•This assay proved superior to existing non-reference tests in M. mackini detection.•Relative host tissue distribution of M. mackini DNA was mapped during infection.
Mikrocytos mackini is an internationally regulated pathogen and causative agent of Denman Island disease in Pacific oysters Crassostrea gigas. Recent phylogenetic breakthroughs have placed this parasite within a highly divergent and globally distributed eukaryotic lineage that has been designated a new taxonomic order, Mikrocytida. The discovery of this new radiation of parasites is accompanied by a heightened awareness of the many knowledge gaps that exist with respect to the general biology, epizootiology, and potential impact of mikrocytid parasites on hosts, ecosystems, and commercial fisheries. It has also highlighted current shortcomings regarding our ability to detect these organisms. In this study, we developed a species-specific, sensitive, and quantitative method for detecting M. mackini DNA from host tissues using probe-based real-time qPCR technology. A limit of sensitivity between 2 and 5 genome copy equivalents was achieved in a reaction matrix containing ≥40ng/μL host gDNA without inhibition. This detection proved superior to existing methods based on conventional PCR, histology or gross pathology and is the first species-specific diagnostic test for M. mackini. Quantitative assessment of parasite DNA using this assay remained accurate to between 10 and 50 copies identifying that during infection, M. mackini DNA was significantly more prevalent in hemolymph, labial palp, and mid-body cross-sections compared to mantle or adductor muscle. DNA extracted from a mid-body cross-section also provided the highest likelihood for detection during diagnostic screening of infected oysters. Taken together, these findings provide strong analytical evidence for the adoption of qPCR as the new reference standard for detecting M. mackini and give preliminary insight into the distribution of the parasite within host tissues. Standardised operating methodologies for sample collection and qPCR testing are provided to aid in the international regulatory diagnosis of M. mackini and serve as a useful platform for the future development of multiplexed or alternate mikrocytid species detection.
Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of some health-related effects of creative and expressive writing.Design methodology approach - Reviews some of the main research studies ...exploring links between expressive writing and aspects of health, including two new experimental studies showing effects of poetry on mood and immune system indices.Findings - Research studies have involved standard writing tasks and have shown a good range of physiological and behavioural benefits. Example findings include improvements in health and well-being and enhanced levels of host defences in immune system functioning. Other notable findings include reduced severity of symptoms in arthritis and asthma sufferers. However, writing disclosure may also have negative effects on clients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The cognitive-behavioural bases of "writing therapy" include the informative function of emotions, self-regulation, re-framing, and dealing more effectively with negative feelings.Originality value - Provides health professionals with an overview of research into health-related effects of creative and expressive writing, and may encourage sensitive approaches which include writing therapy. The studies of poetry and immune function report some of the first empirical biological evidence for the poetry-health link.
Cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3) is the aetiological agent of koi herpesvirus disease in koi and common carp. The disease is notifiable to the World Organisation for Animal Health. Three ...tests-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), conventional PCR (cPCR) and virus isolation by cell culture (VI)-were validated to assess their fitness as diagnostic tools for detection of CyHV-3. Test performance metrics of diagnostic accuracy were sensitivity (DSe) and specificity (DSp). Repeatability and reproducibility were measured to assess diagnostic precision. Estimates of test accuracy, in the absence of a gold standard reference test, were generated using latent class models. Test samples originated from wild common carp naturally exposed to CyHV-3 or domesticated koi either virus free or experimentally infected with the virus. Three laboratories in Canada participated in the precision study. Moderate to high repeatability (81 to 99%) and reproducibility (72 to 97%) were observed for the qPCR and cPCR tests. The lack of agreement observed between some of the PCR test pair results was attributed to cross-contamination of samples with CyHV-3 nucleic acid. Accuracy estimates for the PCR tests were 99% for DSe and 93% for DSp. Poor precision was observed for the VI test (4 to 95%). Accuracy estimates for VI/qPCR were 90% for DSe and 88% for DSp. Collectively, the results show that the CyHV-3 qPCR test is a suitable tool for surveillance, presumptive diagnosis and certification of individuals or populations as CyHV-3 free.
