This national review forms part of the Distributed Leadership and Social Justice (DLSJ) study und... more This national review forms part of the Distributed Leadership and Social Justice (DLSJ) study undertaken by the University of Hertfordshire (UH) team. The DLSJ study constitutes the UK contribution to the group researching ‘Distributed leadership - for equity and learning’, which is part of the work of the European Policy Network on School Leadership (EPNoSL). The national review set out in this paper complements the empirical study that the UH team is conducting on DL and social justice. The purpose of the national review is to provide a summary and interpretation of selected understandings and research into DL, with particular reference to social justice. The review is concerned chiefly with approaches and influences in England, as time and resources preclude undertaking reviews focused on the other UK countries. It includes some of the international literature which is influential in understandings of DL in England
What you need to know • Although emollients alone can help reduce the symptoms of eczema and prev... more What you need to know • Although emollients alone can help reduce the symptoms of eczema and prevent flares, most people will need to use anti-inflammatory treatments such as topical corticosteroids of an appropriate strength and duration as well • Effectiveness and acceptability of emollients varies according to disease severity, body site, climate, container, and patient or carer preferences and beliefs • Based on current evidence, the "best" emollient is the one that the individual prefers after a period of testing
Background One of the top three research priorities for the UK clinical trial community is to add... more Background One of the top three research priorities for the UK clinical trial community is to address the gap in evidence-based approaches to improving participant retention in randomised trials. Despite this, there is little evidence supporting methods to improve retention. This paper reports the PRioRiTy II project, a Priority Setting Partnership (PSP) that identified and prioritised unanswered questions and uncertainties around trial retention in collaboration with key stakeholders. Methods This PSP was conducted in collaboration with the James Lind Alliance, a non-profit making initiative to support key stakeholders (researchers, patients and public) in jointly identifying and agreeing priority research questions. There were three stages (i) An initial online survey consisting of six open-ended questions about retention in randomised trials. Responses were coded into thematic groups to create a longlist of questions. The longlist of questions was checked against existing evidenc...
Alcohol-use disorder (AUD) is the most prevalent substance-use disorder worldwide. There is subst... more Alcohol-use disorder (AUD) is the most prevalent substance-use disorder worldwide. There is substantial individual variability in alcohol drinking behaviors in the population, the neural circuit mechanisms of which remain elusive. Utilizing in vivo electrophysiological techniques, we find that low alcohol drinking (LAD) mice have dramatically higher ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neuron firing and burst activity. Unexpectedly, VTA dopamine neuron activity in high alcohol drinking (HAD) mice does not differ from alcohol naive mice. Optogenetically enhancing VTA dopamine neuron burst activity in HAD mice decreases alcohol drinking behaviors. Circuit-specific recordings reveal that spontaneous activity of nucleus accumbens-projecting VTA (VTA-NAc) neurons is selectively higher in LAD mice. Specifically activating this projection is sufficient to reduce alcohol consumption in HAD mice. Furthermore, we uncover ionic and cellular mechanisms that suggest unique neuroadaptations betw...
Links between intimate partner violence (IPV) and gambling problems are under researched in gener... more Links between intimate partner violence (IPV) and gambling problems are under researched in general population samples. Understanding these relationships will allow for improved identification and intervention. We investigated these relationships and sought to determine whether links were attenuated by axis I and II disorders. This study examined data from waves 1 and 2 (N = 25,631) of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC); a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults. Gambling symptoms and other psychiatric disorders were measured at wave 1 by the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disability Interview Schedule-DSM-IV Version (AUDADIS-IV). Physical IPV victimization and perpetration in the last 12 months were assessed 3 years later at wave 2 using items from the Conflict Tactics Scale-R. Binary logistic regression models were used to examine associations separately for males and females. Problem gambling was associated with increased odd...
This article argues that viewers of artworks in general, and drawings of the female nude in parti... more This article argues that viewers of artworks in general, and drawings of the female nude in particular, are positioned in terms of their mood and attitude towards the subject-matter of the artwork specifically by the compositional selections of the maker of the artwork, together with the viewer's gender orientation. Two opposing ideological positions concerning the representation of the female nude are discussed, those of the traditionalist Kenneth Clark and, against him, the early feminists, and their differences charted. The article then proposes that these positions are only two of many available, and demonstrates how a constructivist philosophical base informed by deconstruction theory provides a means of analysis-and synthesis-of drawings which reveals alternative modal positionings of the gendered viewer by means of nontraditional compositional choices. The article is illustrated with drawings by the authors and others.
Health technology assessment (Winchester, England), 2016
Secondary skin infection is common during eczema exacerbations and many children are treated with... more Secondary skin infection is common during eczema exacerbations and many children are treated with antibiotics when this is suspected, although there is little high-quality evidence to justify this practice. To determine the clinical effectiveness of oral and topical antibiotics, in addition to standard treatment with emollients and topical corticosteroids, in children with clinically infected eczema. Multicentre randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. General practices and dermatology clinics in England, Wales and Scotland. Children (aged 3 months to < 8 years) with a diagnosis of eczema (according to U.K. Working Party definition) and clinical suspicion of infection. (1) Oral flucloxacillin and topical placebo; (2) topical fusidic acid (Fucidin(®), Leo Laboratories Limited) and oral placebo; and (3) oral and topical placebos, all for 1 week. Patient-Orientated Eczema Measure (POEM) at 2 weeks (assessing subjective severity in the week following treatment). We randomi...
"This illustrated paper introduces a way of analysing drawings which facilitates - ‘pushes t... more "This illustrated paper introduces a way of analysing drawings which facilitates - ‘pushes the limits of ’ - the critical analysis of visual work in general. An innovative critical framework is developed and explained, adapted from the systemic-functional visual semiotics pioneered by Michael O’Toole in his 2011 book, The Language of Displayed Art. The critical framework is presented in the form of a matrix chart, and its efficacy demonstrated through the analysis of drawings made by one of the authors. The aim of the paper is to introduce a method of analysing drawings which facilitates - pushes the limits of - the critical analysis of visual work in general. "
The first of two articles on electrocardiography examines the anatomy and physiology of the heart... more The first of two articles on electrocardiography examines the anatomy and physiology of the heart in relation to the interpretation of electrocardiograms. It assumes the reader has a basic knowledge of the heart. Next week, part two provides practical guidelines on how to record and interpret electrocardiograms, explaining how to identify dysrhythmias and clarify abnormalities with patients.
This paper discusses the application of systemic-functional semiotics in the analysis of visual m... more This paper discusses the application of systemic-functional semiotics in the analysis of visual materials, and, specifically, presents an original systemic-functional model that is intended to facilitate both the analysis and synthesis of drawings in a cross-cultural context. The model is explained as developing from Michael O'Toole's systemic-functional semiotic model for painting (O'TOOLE, 2011) itself an adaptation of Michael Halliday's systemic-functional semiotic model for language (HALLIDAY,
Clinical and morphologic features of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated nephropathy (H... more Clinical and morphologic features of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated nephropathy (HIVAN), such as proteinuria, sclerosing glomerulopathy, tubular degeneration, and interstitial disease, have been modeled in mice bearing an HIV proviral transgene rendered noninfectious through a deletion in gag/pol. Exploring the genetic basis of HIVAN, HIV transgenic mice bearing mutations in either or both of the accessory genes nef and vpr were created. Proteinuria and focal glomerulosclerosis (FGS) only developed in mice with an intact vpr gene. Transgenic mice bearing a simplified proviral DNA (encoding only Tat and Vpr) developed renal disease characterized by FGS in which Vpr protein was localized to glomerular and tubular epithelia by immunohistochemistry. The dual transgenic progeny of HIV[Tat/Vpr] mice bred to HIV[DVpr] proviral transgenic mice displayed a more severe nephropathy with no apparent increase in Vpr expression, implying that multiple viral genes contribute to HIVAN. However, the unique contribution of macrophage-specific Vpr expression in the development of glomerular disease was underscored by the induction of FGS in multiple murine lines bearing a c-fms/vpr transgene.
Gender differences in hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activation and the prevalence of ... more Gender differences in hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activation and the prevalence of mood disorders are well documented. Urocortin 2, a recently identified member of the corticotropin-releasing factor family, is expressed in discrete neuroendocrine and stress-related nuclei of the rodent CNS. To determine the physiological role of urocortin 2, mice null for urocortin 2 were generated and HPA axis activity, ingestive, and stress-related behaviors and alterations in expression levels of CRF-related ligands and receptors were examined. Here we report that female, but not male, mice lacking urocortin 2 exhibit a significant increase in the basal daily rhythms of ACTH and corticosterone and a significant decrease in fluid intake and depressive-like behavior. The differential phenotype of urocortin 2 deficiency in female and male mice may imply a role for urocortin 2 in these gender differences.
This paper explores the complex processes involved in the self-construction of academic identity ... more This paper explores the complex processes involved in the self-construction of academic identity in a UK School of Education. Drawing on the research of four academics, it begins by discussing teacher educators' varying perceptions of the need to re-configure their identity to meet the expectations of a twenty first century Higher Education workforce. It proposes the formation of this identity to be a dynamic, career-long process. Diverse scaffolds for the development process are proposed, including opportunities for new teacher educators to be apprenticed into an academic role, the centrality of communities of practice and the importance of the supported development of academic skills such as writing for publication.
Cortistatin-14 (CST) is a neuropeptide expressed in cortical and hippocampal interneurons that sh... more Cortistatin-14 (CST) is a neuropeptide expressed in cortical and hippocampal interneurons that shares 11 of 14 residues with somatostatin. In contrast to somatostatin, infusion of CST decreases locomotor activity and selectively enhances slow wave sleep. Here, we show that transgenic mice that overexpress cortistatin under the control of neuron-specific enolase promoter do not express long-term potentiation in the dentate gyrus. This blockade of dentate LTP correlates with profound impairment of hippocampal-dependent spatial learning. Exogenously applied CST to slices of wild-type mice also blocked induction of LTP in the dentate gyrus. Our findings implicate cortistatin in the modulation of synaptic plasticity and cognitive function. Thus, increases in hippocampal cortistatin expression during aging could have an impact on age-related cognitive deficits.
This national review forms part of the Distributed Leadership and Social Justice (DLSJ) study und... more This national review forms part of the Distributed Leadership and Social Justice (DLSJ) study undertaken by the University of Hertfordshire (UH) team. The DLSJ study constitutes the UK contribution to the group researching ‘Distributed leadership - for equity and learning’, which is part of the work of the European Policy Network on School Leadership (EPNoSL). The national review set out in this paper complements the empirical study that the UH team is conducting on DL and social justice. The purpose of the national review is to provide a summary and interpretation of selected understandings and research into DL, with particular reference to social justice. The review is concerned chiefly with approaches and influences in England, as time and resources preclude undertaking reviews focused on the other UK countries. It includes some of the international literature which is influential in understandings of DL in England
What you need to know • Although emollients alone can help reduce the symptoms of eczema and prev... more What you need to know • Although emollients alone can help reduce the symptoms of eczema and prevent flares, most people will need to use anti-inflammatory treatments such as topical corticosteroids of an appropriate strength and duration as well • Effectiveness and acceptability of emollients varies according to disease severity, body site, climate, container, and patient or carer preferences and beliefs • Based on current evidence, the "best" emollient is the one that the individual prefers after a period of testing
Background One of the top three research priorities for the UK clinical trial community is to add... more Background One of the top three research priorities for the UK clinical trial community is to address the gap in evidence-based approaches to improving participant retention in randomised trials. Despite this, there is little evidence supporting methods to improve retention. This paper reports the PRioRiTy II project, a Priority Setting Partnership (PSP) that identified and prioritised unanswered questions and uncertainties around trial retention in collaboration with key stakeholders. Methods This PSP was conducted in collaboration with the James Lind Alliance, a non-profit making initiative to support key stakeholders (researchers, patients and public) in jointly identifying and agreeing priority research questions. There were three stages (i) An initial online survey consisting of six open-ended questions about retention in randomised trials. Responses were coded into thematic groups to create a longlist of questions. The longlist of questions was checked against existing evidenc...
Alcohol-use disorder (AUD) is the most prevalent substance-use disorder worldwide. There is subst... more Alcohol-use disorder (AUD) is the most prevalent substance-use disorder worldwide. There is substantial individual variability in alcohol drinking behaviors in the population, the neural circuit mechanisms of which remain elusive. Utilizing in vivo electrophysiological techniques, we find that low alcohol drinking (LAD) mice have dramatically higher ventral tegmental area (VTA) dopamine neuron firing and burst activity. Unexpectedly, VTA dopamine neuron activity in high alcohol drinking (HAD) mice does not differ from alcohol naive mice. Optogenetically enhancing VTA dopamine neuron burst activity in HAD mice decreases alcohol drinking behaviors. Circuit-specific recordings reveal that spontaneous activity of nucleus accumbens-projecting VTA (VTA-NAc) neurons is selectively higher in LAD mice. Specifically activating this projection is sufficient to reduce alcohol consumption in HAD mice. Furthermore, we uncover ionic and cellular mechanisms that suggest unique neuroadaptations betw...
Links between intimate partner violence (IPV) and gambling problems are under researched in gener... more Links between intimate partner violence (IPV) and gambling problems are under researched in general population samples. Understanding these relationships will allow for improved identification and intervention. We investigated these relationships and sought to determine whether links were attenuated by axis I and II disorders. This study examined data from waves 1 and 2 (N = 25,631) of the National Epidemiologic Survey on Alcohol and Related Conditions (NESARC); a nationally representative survey of U.S. adults. Gambling symptoms and other psychiatric disorders were measured at wave 1 by the Alcohol Use Disorder and Associated Disability Interview Schedule-DSM-IV Version (AUDADIS-IV). Physical IPV victimization and perpetration in the last 12 months were assessed 3 years later at wave 2 using items from the Conflict Tactics Scale-R. Binary logistic regression models were used to examine associations separately for males and females. Problem gambling was associated with increased odd...
This article argues that viewers of artworks in general, and drawings of the female nude in parti... more This article argues that viewers of artworks in general, and drawings of the female nude in particular, are positioned in terms of their mood and attitude towards the subject-matter of the artwork specifically by the compositional selections of the maker of the artwork, together with the viewer's gender orientation. Two opposing ideological positions concerning the representation of the female nude are discussed, those of the traditionalist Kenneth Clark and, against him, the early feminists, and their differences charted. The article then proposes that these positions are only two of many available, and demonstrates how a constructivist philosophical base informed by deconstruction theory provides a means of analysis-and synthesis-of drawings which reveals alternative modal positionings of the gendered viewer by means of nontraditional compositional choices. The article is illustrated with drawings by the authors and others.
Health technology assessment (Winchester, England), 2016
Secondary skin infection is common during eczema exacerbations and many children are treated with... more Secondary skin infection is common during eczema exacerbations and many children are treated with antibiotics when this is suspected, although there is little high-quality evidence to justify this practice. To determine the clinical effectiveness of oral and topical antibiotics, in addition to standard treatment with emollients and topical corticosteroids, in children with clinically infected eczema. Multicentre randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. General practices and dermatology clinics in England, Wales and Scotland. Children (aged 3 months to < 8 years) with a diagnosis of eczema (according to U.K. Working Party definition) and clinical suspicion of infection. (1) Oral flucloxacillin and topical placebo; (2) topical fusidic acid (Fucidin(®), Leo Laboratories Limited) and oral placebo; and (3) oral and topical placebos, all for 1 week. Patient-Orientated Eczema Measure (POEM) at 2 weeks (assessing subjective severity in the week following treatment). We randomi...
"This illustrated paper introduces a way of analysing drawings which facilitates - ‘pushes t... more "This illustrated paper introduces a way of analysing drawings which facilitates - ‘pushes the limits of ’ - the critical analysis of visual work in general. An innovative critical framework is developed and explained, adapted from the systemic-functional visual semiotics pioneered by Michael O’Toole in his 2011 book, The Language of Displayed Art. The critical framework is presented in the form of a matrix chart, and its efficacy demonstrated through the analysis of drawings made by one of the authors. The aim of the paper is to introduce a method of analysing drawings which facilitates - pushes the limits of - the critical analysis of visual work in general. "
The first of two articles on electrocardiography examines the anatomy and physiology of the heart... more The first of two articles on electrocardiography examines the anatomy and physiology of the heart in relation to the interpretation of electrocardiograms. It assumes the reader has a basic knowledge of the heart. Next week, part two provides practical guidelines on how to record and interpret electrocardiograms, explaining how to identify dysrhythmias and clarify abnormalities with patients.
This paper discusses the application of systemic-functional semiotics in the analysis of visual m... more This paper discusses the application of systemic-functional semiotics in the analysis of visual materials, and, specifically, presents an original systemic-functional model that is intended to facilitate both the analysis and synthesis of drawings in a cross-cultural context. The model is explained as developing from Michael O'Toole's systemic-functional semiotic model for painting (O'TOOLE, 2011) itself an adaptation of Michael Halliday's systemic-functional semiotic model for language (HALLIDAY,
Clinical and morphologic features of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated nephropathy (H... more Clinical and morphologic features of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated nephropathy (HIVAN), such as proteinuria, sclerosing glomerulopathy, tubular degeneration, and interstitial disease, have been modeled in mice bearing an HIV proviral transgene rendered noninfectious through a deletion in gag/pol. Exploring the genetic basis of HIVAN, HIV transgenic mice bearing mutations in either or both of the accessory genes nef and vpr were created. Proteinuria and focal glomerulosclerosis (FGS) only developed in mice with an intact vpr gene. Transgenic mice bearing a simplified proviral DNA (encoding only Tat and Vpr) developed renal disease characterized by FGS in which Vpr protein was localized to glomerular and tubular epithelia by immunohistochemistry. The dual transgenic progeny of HIV[Tat/Vpr] mice bred to HIV[DVpr] proviral transgenic mice displayed a more severe nephropathy with no apparent increase in Vpr expression, implying that multiple viral genes contribute to HIVAN. However, the unique contribution of macrophage-specific Vpr expression in the development of glomerular disease was underscored by the induction of FGS in multiple murine lines bearing a c-fms/vpr transgene.
Gender differences in hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activation and the prevalence of ... more Gender differences in hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis activation and the prevalence of mood disorders are well documented. Urocortin 2, a recently identified member of the corticotropin-releasing factor family, is expressed in discrete neuroendocrine and stress-related nuclei of the rodent CNS. To determine the physiological role of urocortin 2, mice null for urocortin 2 were generated and HPA axis activity, ingestive, and stress-related behaviors and alterations in expression levels of CRF-related ligands and receptors were examined. Here we report that female, but not male, mice lacking urocortin 2 exhibit a significant increase in the basal daily rhythms of ACTH and corticosterone and a significant decrease in fluid intake and depressive-like behavior. The differential phenotype of urocortin 2 deficiency in female and male mice may imply a role for urocortin 2 in these gender differences.
This paper explores the complex processes involved in the self-construction of academic identity ... more This paper explores the complex processes involved in the self-construction of academic identity in a UK School of Education. Drawing on the research of four academics, it begins by discussing teacher educators' varying perceptions of the need to re-configure their identity to meet the expectations of a twenty first century Higher Education workforce. It proposes the formation of this identity to be a dynamic, career-long process. Diverse scaffolds for the development process are proposed, including opportunities for new teacher educators to be apprenticed into an academic role, the centrality of communities of practice and the importance of the supported development of academic skills such as writing for publication.
Cortistatin-14 (CST) is a neuropeptide expressed in cortical and hippocampal interneurons that sh... more Cortistatin-14 (CST) is a neuropeptide expressed in cortical and hippocampal interneurons that shares 11 of 14 residues with somatostatin. In contrast to somatostatin, infusion of CST decreases locomotor activity and selectively enhances slow wave sleep. Here, we show that transgenic mice that overexpress cortistatin under the control of neuron-specific enolase promoter do not express long-term potentiation in the dentate gyrus. This blockade of dentate LTP correlates with profound impairment of hippocampal-dependent spatial learning. Exogenously applied CST to slices of wild-type mice also blocked induction of LTP in the dentate gyrus. Our findings implicate cortistatin in the modulation of synaptic plasticity and cognitive function. Thus, increases in hippocampal cortistatin expression during aging could have an impact on age-related cognitive deficits.
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Papers by Amanda Roberts