What is wellbeing, and how does it develop? What situations and experiences in the first three years help to build resilient wellbeing in adolescence and young adulthood? This mixed-method research study investigated the development of resilient wellbeing from birth to three. A review of the literature established that children’s very early environments and relationships make a lasting impact on their long-term development. The review generated an ‘a priori’ set of constructs as the components of wellbeing. Three studies were undertaken, with three main objectives: to put to the test the ‘a priori’ constructs, and in the process to elaborate them; to identify situations and experiences from birth to three which facilitated the development of the foundations of wellbeing; and to identify implications for research, policy and practice in relation to the wellbeing of the youngest children and their families. Study 1 was a survey in which one hundred mothers of children under five were interviewed; Study 2 involved nine case study families over a period of twelve months, collecting video and audio data; and Study 3 was a series of focus group seminars in which researchers, policy makers, managers and practitioners were consulted. The ‘companionable’ approach taken in the research was found to be a fruitful process, with the ‘voices’ of the babies and very young children being an important aspect of the video data. The proposed conceptual model was found to be a robust framework within which to explore the development of resilient wellbeing. Among the situations and experiences that were found to be fundamentally important in the development of individual wellbeing were companionable learning, or ‘diagogy’; and companionable play. Wellbeing was found to be not only individual but also collective, in families and in communities.

Zur Bestimmung von geringen Wirkstoffkonzentrationen in biologischen, speziell human-biologischen Matrizes wie Blut, Urin oder Mikrodialysat bedarf es einer Analysentechnik, die den Wirkstoff mit einem Höchstmaß an Selektivität, Spezifität und Präzision bestimmen kann. Daneben muß die verwendetete Methode eine hohe Geschwindigkeit aufweisen und sehr robust sein, da bei der heutigen marktwirtschaftlichen Lage Analysensysteme eine optimale Auslastung erfahren müssen. Aus diesem Grund ist der Umbau oder die Umstellung der Methode von einem zum anderen Wirkstoff ohne nennenswerten Zeitverlust ein maßgeblicher Faktor. Als Technik, die diese Anforderungen optimal erfüllt, hat sich in den letzten Jahren die LC-MS/MS-Technik etabliert. Sie ist den bislang überwiegenden Methoden, wie GC-MS-Techniken oder HPLC-UV-Detektion bzw. Fluoreszenztechniken in Bezug auf die oben genannten Parameter deutlich überlegen. In der vorliegenden Arbeit wurden für die Wirkstoffe Cisaprid, SC-72393, Haloperidol, Linezolid, Methotrexat und Ketoprofen LC-MS/MS-Methoden entwickelt oder via unabhängiger Laborvalidierung auf die lokalen Gegebenheiten transferiert und zur Bestimmung pharmakokinetischer Parameter zur Anwendung gebracht. Ziel der Methodenentwicklung war es die hohe Selektivität und Empfindlichkeit des Detektors zu nutzten, um bei geringen Probenvolumina eine Bestimmungsgrenze zu erreichen, die es ermöglichte ausreichend viele Meßwerte zu bestimmen, um die pharmakokinetischen Parameter der Wirkstoffe zu berechnen. Zusätzlich wurde eine Maximierung des Probendurchsatzes und eine Minimierung des personellen und materiellen Aufwandes angestrebt ohne dabei einen Qualitätsverlust der Methode zu erleiden. Eine gelungene Methoden-entwicklung bedurfte daher der Optimierung der Probenaufarbeitung, die sich neben den chemisch-physikalischen Eigenschaften des Wirkstoffes hauptsächlich an der Menge der zur Verfügung stehenden Probe orientierte. Das chromato-graphische System hingegen hing weitestgehend von den chemischen Eigenschaften des Analyten und von den massenspektroskopischen Bedingungen ab, die verdampfbare Puffer im Fließmittel erforderten. Diese drei zu optimierenden Teilbereiche, die miteinander interagieren, wurden jeweils sorgsam aufeinander abgestimmt, um eine Methode zu entwickeln, die die zu erwartenden Wirkstoffkonzentrationen in der jeweiligen Matrix sicher und robust bis hin zum Quantifizierungslimit bestimmen konnte. / In order to quantify low drug concentrations in biological, specifically human matrices as blood, urine or microdialysate it is indispensable to use a technique, that is able to evaluate the drug with a maximum of selectivity, specifity and precision. In addition the used method needs to be fast and robust to meet todays economical requirements. For this reason the used equipment has to be exchangeable within the used methods without any time interuptions worth mentioning. The LC-MS/MS-technique, which has been established as routine technic over the last decade fulfils these requirements. It is superior with regards to selectivity, specifity and precision over methods such as GC-MS or HPLC with UV- or fluorescense-detection. In this thesis method development, validation or independent laboratory validation was done with LC-MS/MS on Cisapride, SC-72393, Haloperidol, Linezolid, Methotrexat and Ketoprofen to determine their concentrations and to calculate pharmakokinetic parameters. The objective of the method development was to use the high selectivity and sensetivity of the detector to reach a low quantification limit with the limited specimen volumes given. Besides that a maximum throughput of specimens with a minimum of personal expense was aspired without decreasing the quality of the produced data by taking into account the phamakokinetic parameters to be determined. Therefore an optimum of the work-up procedure as well as the chromatographic and the mass spectrometric conditions has to be developed for the individual drugs with their physicochemical properties. Limitations were frequently given by the availability of the specimen volume. Those three parts, which interact with each other were carefully coordinated to develop a method that quantifies the specific drug concentrations in the individual matrix with good sensitivity and robustness down to the limit of quantification.

O sequenciamento genético do DNA humano permitiu maior compreensão da funcionalidade dos seres vivos e principalmente a causa de muitas doenças. Entretanto, os estudos em genética têm se limitado a resolverem os problemas da ciência, e atualmente, a solução para o avanço nessa área tem se atribuído à proteômica. Dessa forma, a pesquisa em química analítica intensificou-se na busca de estratégias melhores para a caracterização de proteomas, em três aspectos principais: preparo de amostra, desenvolvimento da instrumentação analítica e bioinformática. Verifica-se a possibilidade da aplicação de muitas técnicas, atualmente, destaca-se a análise de peptídeos (proteômica shotgun) por cromatografia líquida multidimensional acoplada à espectrometria de massas sequencial (LC/LC-MS/MS), devido à possibilidade de automatização, minimização dos problemas e resultados satisfatórios na análise de amostras biológicas complexas. Portanto, neste trabalho desenvolveu-se um método LC/LC-MS/MS (modalidade on-line column switching) o qual se constitui de coluna trocadora catiônica (homemade), trap de aprisionamento e limpeza, coluna capilar hidrofóbica e separação e detecção por espectrometria de massas sequencial automatizada. Com a proposta de uma instrumentação analítica aperfeiçoada, realizamos a confecção de um trap com partículas de elevada retenção dos peptídeos, o que permite ótima recuperação de amostra. Por se tratar de uma técnica de elevada complexidade instrumental, devido a difícil compatibilidade entre as dimensões cromatográficas, possíveis perda de analito no processo e elevado tempo de análise, propomos uma nova abordagem de otimização, por meio de estudos quimiométricos. Assim, neste trabalho, foram avaliados doze parâmetros instrumentais e destes houve uma simplificação de apenas dois fatores, responsáveis por 95% da resposta ótima do método. Este fato permitiu valores da cobertura da proteína de BSA (82,54%), número de peptídeos (65) e score (2134,05) superiores aos reportados na literatura, os quais apresentam tempos de análise maiores. Este estudo fornece informações do comportamento químico dos peptídeos em relação ao método proposto, por meio de uma superfície de resposta e equação matemática que pode contribuir para a aplicação em diferentes proteomas. / The genetic sequence of human DNA has helped the comprehension of life and principally the cause of various diseases. However, genetic studies have limited to resolve science problems and currently solutions to advance in this field have been attributed to proteomics. Thus, the analytical chemistry has intensified on the search for a better strategy to proteomic characterization in three principal aspects: sample preparation, development of analytical instrumentation, and bioinformatics. Proteomics involves the application of many techniques, currently; the peptide analyses (shotgun proteomics) by multidimensional liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC/LC-MS/MS) is the state of the art. The main reasons are because it allows full system automation, less problems in repeatability, and adequate results in analysis of highly complex biological samples. Therefore, this dissertation developed the method LC/LC-MS/MS (modality on-line column switching), this has a cation exchange column (homemade), trap column to clean, hydrophobic capillary column and separation and detection by tandem mass spectrometry. We have proposed an improved analytical instrumentation, with a homemade trap that particles have high retention of peptide, which permit great recuperation of samples. Because it is an instrumental technique difficult, such as, obtain compatibility between the chromatography dimensions, can lose samples in the process and long time analysis, we have proposed a new optimization approach with chemometric analysis of data. On that, were evaluated twelve instrumental parameters and there was a simplification only two factors, these were responsible for 95% of greater response of method. As a result, the coverage of BSA protein was 82,54%, number of peptides 65 and score of 2134,05 values of high significance if compare from that there are in literature that presented greater time analysis. This work describes information about chemistry of peptides to method proposed through a surface of response and math equation that can contribute to different proteomes.

This study aimed to explore school staff’s, parents’ and children’s understanding of mental health and identify what risk and protective factors affect children’s mental health. The key aims were to gain information about how mainstream primary schools promote children’s mental health, and to explore children’s, parents’ and school staffs’ understanding of children’s mental health and factors which promote or demote development. All of the schools who responded to the questionnaire considered that mental health promotion should be carried out by specialist. The findings from this initial survey suggested that to achieve the active involvement of school staff, further support was required to enable school staff to feel competent, confident and knowledgeable in this field. The participants in the action research phase of this study identified a number of factors within the individual, the micro, exo- and the macro-systems which they believed affected children’s mental health. The integrated MacDonald and O’Hara Ten Element Map (1998) and Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model (2005) which consider the individual to be at the centre of and embedded in a number of environmental systems, afforded effective frameworks for exploring the school community’s understanding of children’s mental health, for conceptualising the findings from a bioecological perspective, and for planning action steps through which to enhance the impact of schooling on children’s mental health.

Building on a small body of research, the present study explores the perceptions of teaching staff about their work with Gypsy, Roma, Traveller (GRT) children and young people. Specifically the research is concerned with participants’ views about the relationship between GRT children and schools in relation to attainment, social inclusion, the GRT culture and lifestyle and wider systemic factors. Existing literature and research about the educational experiences of GRT children and young people is explored. Situated within a critical realist epistemology, the present study utilises semi-structured interviews with 13 members of teaching staff across five schools in Greenshire County Council (pseudonym). Transcripts were subjected to thematic analysis following the model proposed by Braun and Clarke (2006). Six superordinate themes (educational outcomes; barriers to education; GRT parents; social inclusion; cultural dissonance and inclusive practices) were identified. Findings are explored in relation to previous research. One key finding concerns the views participants expressed about GRT children’s reports of bullying or racism. Implications for practice and future research are considered.

The Children and Families Act 2014 defines a young carer as anyone under the age of 18 years old who provides, or intends to provide, care for another person of any age. The literature has empirically and anecdotally identified that young carers are a population more vulnerable to poorer outcomes in educational attainment, employment opportunities, and psychological wellbeing. (Becker and Becker, 2008; Warren, 2007; Lloyd, 2010). This thesis is an account of real-world research drawing on qualitative research methods such as semi-structured interviews to gather the views and perspectives of young carers; young carer project workers; and safeguarding and student welfare officers to identify the systemic factors (Bronfrenbrenner, 1979; 2001) that strengthen the educational inclusion of young carers with additional needs. Findings suggest the important factors at different systemic levels around the carer, such as the role of the key person within the educational setting, the role of external support and social support in strengthening a young carers inclusion in their educational setting. The implications arising from the findings are also discussed, in relation to the role of local authority services and, specifically the role of the educational psychologist.

At a time where national budget cuts and changes in Government policy have reduced Local Authority budgets and workforce numbers, many Educational Psychology (EP) services across England and Wales are undergoing a period of rapid change and transition. Within this context many EP services have begun to develop traded service delivery models. This study utilised Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) to gain EPs’ perceptions of some of the problem situations arising from working within a ‘traded’ EP service in order to understand the implications of this new model of service delivery on the activities and the role of the EP. This study utilised SSM to gain EPs’ views through two focus group discussions, focus group A (n= 5) and focus group B (n=4). Thematic analysis highlighted ‘job insecurity’, ‘not knowing budgets’ and ‘increased workloads’ as problem-situations arising from working in the traded model. Systems underpinning these themes related to ‘judging EP performance’, ‘schools as power-holders’ and ‘marketing’ the EP service. SSM enabled EPs to view actions to improve practice which were focused on developing ‘capacity within the team’ and working to clarify the ‘expectations of EPs’.

Successive governments have afforded high priority to improving school attendance (DfE, 2012). However, inter-agency collaboration to address non-attendance has been hindered by disparity in the literature and among practitioners regarding terminology, definitions, assessment and intervention practices (Kearney, 2008). The current research offers ‘Complex Extended School Non-Attendance’ (CESN-A) as a broader conceptualisation of the issue and seeks to explore and analyse inter-agency working between Educational Psychologists (EPs) and Education Welfare Officers (EWOs) regarding supporting pupils who experience CESN-A. The research adopts case study design and offers a contextualised account within one Local Authority (LA) that has embraced multi-agency working and where EPs and EWOs work together in multi-agency support teams (MASTs). Activity theory (Engeström, 1987) is employed as a theoretical framework and methodology for: examining the socio-cultural processes that mediate the current models of working; analysing and comparing EP and EWO activity systems; surfacing contradictions and proposing new ways of working. The research utilises semi-structured interviews and Developmental Work Research (DWR) to explore the professional learning required to improve inter-agency collaboration. The findings illustrate the multi-layered nature of inter-agency working. Suggested improvements include fostering shared understanding, clarifying role demarcations, establishing structures for collaborative problem-solving and building capacity in schools regarding both understanding the complexities of CESN-A and developing strategies which support attendance. Finally, the research illuminates the value of utilising socio-cultural activity theory as a tool for understanding, analysing and exploring practice and promoting professional learning to facilitate organisational change and ultimately improve service delivery.

This longitudinal study explored the experiences of six dyslexic nursing students, in their final six months of their nursing course, re-visiting them again in their first six months as registered nurses. The study also explored the experiences of those who support them from student nurse to registered nurse, namely their tutors and their mentors and preceptors in practice. A semi-structured interview method was used to interview each participant additionally adopting an iterative interview method. An interpretative case study design was adopted for this study using interpretative phenomenological analysis to analyze the data. The nursing students expressed degrees of negative self-perceptions of themselves, some carried these negative self-perceptions as registered nurses. Some of the mentors, tutors and preceptors lacked knowledge and understanding of dyslexia with some expressing concerns over the safety of a nurse with dyslexia in practice. The results presented evidence of a dyslexic self-stigma and the fear of others perceptions surrounding dyslexia amongst the nursing students, but also evidence of a full acceptance of dyslexia amongst some of the nurse participants. Dyslexia was perceived differently amongst the tutors and preceptors showing a positive understanding amongst some, but also that dyslexic is misunderstood and linked to concerns surrounding patient safety.

This study explored the nature of classroom interactions in which teachers and learners from a Mexican university engaged to practise speaking. Throughout a five-year programme, learners in this context are trained to become EFL teachers or translators, and are also expected to learn the language skills to an advanced proficiency level. In a previous study conducted in the same context (Garcia Ponce, 2011), learners were found to obtain passing grades in speaking tests, but were perceived to develop a low oral competence which deters them from communicating. Through a quantitative and qualitative analysis, the study draws attention to the role of teacher and learner ideologies in language learning outcomes, showing how the teachers' and learners' diverse and sometimes conflicting beliefs shaped the nature of classroom interactions and speaking practice. In particular, the teachers' and learners' interactional- and teaching and learning-related choices and beliefs were found to influence three aspects of learner talk: oral performance, discourse functions, and negotiations of meaning. This study concludes that the teachers and learners need support from inside and outside their classrooms to break away from existing pedagogical beliefs and interactional behaviour to try new approaches which might be more beneficial for developing learners' speaking skills.