Nottingham Trent University

About: Nottingham Trent University is a education organization based out in Nottingham, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Context (language use). The organization has 4702 authors who have published 12862 publications receiving 307430 citations. The organization is also known as: NTU & Trent Polytechnic.

Unravelling Social Constructionism

Abstract: Social constructionist research is an area of rapidly expanding influence that has brought together theorists from a range of different disciplines. At the same time, however, it has fuelled the development of a new set of divisions. There would appear to be an increasing uneasiness about the implications of a thoroughgoing constructionism, with some regarding it as both theoretically parasitic and politically paralysing. In this paper I review these debates and clarify some of the issues involved. My main argument is that social constructionism is not best understood as a unitary paradigm and that one very important difference is between what Edwards (1997) calls its ontological and epistemic forms. I argue that an appreciation of this distinction not only exhausts many of the disputes that currently divide the constructionist community, but also takes away from the apparent radicalism of much of this work.

Diversity of the Cronobacter Genus as Revealed by Multilocus Sequence Typing

Abstract: Cronobacter (previously known as Enterobacter sakazakii) is a diverse bacterial genus consisting of seven species: C. sakazakii, C. malonaticus, C. turicensis, C. universalis, C. muytjensii, C. dublinensis, and C. condimenti. In this study, we have used a multilocus sequence typing (MLST) approach employing the alleles of 7 genes (atpD, fusA, glnS, gltB, gyrB, infB, and ppsA; total length, 3,036 bp) to investigate the phylogenetic relationship of 325 Cronobacter species isolates. Strains were chosen on the basis of their species, geographic and temporal distribution, source, and clinical outcome. The earliest strain was isolated from milk powder in 1950, and the earliest clinical strain was isolated in 1953. The existence of seven species was supported by MLST. Intraspecific variation ranged from low diversity in C. sakazakii to extensive diversity within some species, such as C. muytjensii and C. dublinensis, including evidence of gene conversion between species. The predominant species from clinical sources was found to be C. sakazakii. C. sakazakii sequence type 4 (ST4) was the predominant sequence type of cerebral spinal fluid isolates from cases of meningitis.

Online data collection from video game players: methodological issues.

Abstract: The paper outlines the advantages and disadvantages of using the Internet to collect data concerning both online and offline gamers. Drawing from experience of a number of studies carried out online by the authors and by reviewing the available literature, the authors discuss the main issues concerning data collected from video game players. The paper examines a number of areas, including recruiting and utilizing participants, validity, suitable methods of data collection (i.e., questionnaire studies, online tests, participant observation, online interviews), and ethical issues. It is concluded that online research methods can be a useful way of examining the psychosocial aspects of video game playing.

Associations Between Fear of COVID-19, Mental Health, and Preventive Behaviours Across Pregnant Women and Husbands: An Actor-Partner Interdependence Modelling.

Abstract: The present cross-sectional study examined the actor-partner interdependence effect of fear of COVID-19 among Iranian pregnant women and their husbands and its association with their mental health and preventive behaviours during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. A total of 290 pregnant women and their husbands (N = 580) were randomly selected from a list of pregnant women in the Iranian Integrated Health System and were invited to respond to psychometric scales assessing fear of COVID-19, depression, anxiety, suicidal intention, mental quality of life, and COVID-19 preventive behaviours. The findings demonstrated significant dyadic relationships between husbands and their pregnant wives' fear of COVID-19, mental health, and preventive behaviours. Pregnant wives’ actor effect of fear of COVID-19 was significantly associated with depression, suicidal intention, mental quality of life, and COVID-19 preventive behaviours but not anxiety. Moreover, a husband actor effect of fear of COVID-19 was significantly associated with depression, anxiety, suicidal intention, mental quality of life, and COVID-19 preventive behaviours. Additionally, there were significant partner effects observed for both the pregnant wives and their husbands concerning all outcomes. The present study used a cross-sectional design and so is unable to determine the mechanism or causal ordering of the effects. Also, the data are mainly based on self-reported measures which have some limitations due to its potential for social desirability and recall biases. Based on the findings, couples may benefit from psychoeducation that focuses on the effect of mental health problems on pregnant women and the foetus.

Examination of different pointwise linear regression methods for determining visual field progression.

Abstract: PURPOSE. To compare the specificity and sensitivity of several different methods for using pointwise linear regression (PLR) to detect progression (deterioration) in visual fields. METHODS. First, theoretical results were derived to predict which of the considered PLR methods would be the most specific and hence the least sensitive. Then, a Virtual Eye simulation model was developed that simulates series of sensitivity readings for a point over time. The model adds normally distributed noise (estimated from published results) to the sensitivity at each point to produce a series of fields to be analyzed using each method. Stable and deteriorating eyes were simulated, with the latter defined to have a noise-free loss of 2 dB/y at a significant cluster of points over the series. RESULTS. The most sensitive method tested was to flag a visual field as progressing if it had a point that exhibited a statistically significant slope (at the 1% level) of at least - 1 dB/y in the sensitivity. The most specific was a new Three-Omitting method that is being proposed, using two confirmation fields in a novel way. Current methods of using confirmation fields to verify a significant slope incorrectly flagged up to twice as many stable eyes as having progressing fields as did our new method. CONCLUSIONS. Using the new proposed PLR method is recommended in preference to current PLR methods in any applications when a high degree of specificity is the main priority.