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Storyteller Doreen McBride set up the oral history project in 1998. She is working with six schools in the area around Banbridge, County Down, Northern Ireland. The project is part of the millennium celebrations and has been funded by Banbridge District Council. McBride tells the children traditional folklore stories. The children are collecting stories about fairies and are hoping to stage an exhibition linked to the project. Fairies have an important role in Irish folklore.

PURPOSE: The arterial pressure waveform is derived from the complex interaction of the left ventricular stroke volume and the physical properties of the arterial circulation. Widespread abnormalities in the physical characteristics of the arterial vessels associated with diabetes mellitus can produce consistent changes in the shape of the pressure pulse waveform, providing information about arterial structure and tone that can be quantitated by pulse contour analysis. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We analyzed intraarterial brachial artery waveforms in 28 patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitns and 22 control subjects matched for age and sex. A computer-based assessment of the diastolic pressure decay and a modified Windkessel model of the circulation were employed to quantify changes in arterial waveform morphology in terms of the large-artery compliance (C.sub.1), the oscillatory diastolic waveform (C.sub.2), inertance, and systemic resistance. RESULTS: No differences were found in heart rate, mean arterial pressure, cardiac output, or stroke volume between groups. The mean oscillary arterial compliance estimate was significantly reduced in diabetic subjects versus controls: 0.02 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.01 to 0.03) mL/mm Hg versus 0.08 (95% CI, 0.04 to 0.12) mL/mm Hg (p (0.001). Oscillatory compliance values were uniformly reduced in the diabetic subjects regardless of the presence or absence of physical complications of the disease. No differences in large-artery compliance, inertance, or systemic resistance were found between groups. No positive correlations were found between indices of glycemic control, the known duration of diabetes, and any of the hemodynamic variables. CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative changes in the arterial pressure pulse waveform, reflected by a reduced oscillatery compliance estimate, were found in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. This estimate appears to act as an early marker for the vascular abnormalities associated with diabetes before complications of the disease become clinically apparent. By contrast, no changes in large-artery compliance were found in this patient population free from clinically obvious macrovascular disease.

The GBP3.7 million Roald Dahl Museum and Story Centre has recently been opened in Great Missenden, Oxfordshire. The museum provides a place for children and adults to explore their creativity as well as celebrating Dahl's work and life.

Politicians seek to conceal the truth about the treatment of refugees, according to South African children's novelist Beverley Naidoo. Her book 'The Other Side of Truth,' which won the 2001 Carnegie Medal, presents the experiences of Nigerian children who flee to the UK.

Issues concerning the importance of frequenting libraries and reading to improving learning skills and children's education levels in the United Kingdom are discussed. Particular attention is given to the British Library's 'ADopt a Book' scheme.

Physics teacher Simon Chapman has a passion for wildlife and rainforests, and his search for the mysterious man-sized ape is described in his book, 'The Monster of the Madidi'. The book is based on Chapman's vivid diaries, which are full of watercolour sketches and pencil captions.

Brothers Tim and Chris Cross both enjoy reading and have almost read every book in the libraries in Cornwall. The boys have set up a web site recommending books to other children to encourage them to read.

Film Director Gillies MacKinnon was keen to direct the film 'Hideous Kinky' partly because it meant returning to Morocco and also because he would be able to work with his brother Billy, who wrote the screenplay. MacKinnon felt he had some sympathy with the subject in the film as he had visited Morocco when he was a young man and stayed for six months. He found he had to work rapidly to achieve the best performances out of the two young girls starring in the film. The film also stars Kate Winslet. The film was based on the book of the same name written by Esther Freud.

The article discusses the various benefits and advantages that the use of ICT in schools can offer, keeping in mind budgetary constraints. Some of the new low-budget technology that is becoming available for students in schools along with their benefits is highlighted.

The article discusses how important it is to teach skills like specific social skills and skills for learning such as listening, independent-thinking and goal-setting as a means of promoting autonomy. These research skills are of great use in postgraduate degrees to enrich careers and enhance classroom skills.

Author Torey Hayden discusses her work with deeply disturbed and special needs children and the first-hand experiences that helped her create bestselling books such as 'One Child'.

The article reviews various resources like books, DVDs, toys, available for children with special needs to making learning a fun and enjoyable activity.

The students and teachers at the Chase High School return with an enriching experience in arts education from their expedition to Italy.

Author of different successful books for children, Jacqueline Wilson was appointed the UK's fourth Children's Laureate in May 2005. Wilson speaks on the joy she gets from the young readers who gather to hear her talk and send her fan mail, and discusses the importance of getting children to read the classics.

The main business of the 2005 Bologna book fair is the buying and selling of rights to publish children's books where some publishers also use it to talent-spot artists through the annual illustrators' exhibition. While much of the fair is about books yet to be published, or even created, DOCET, the Italian equivalent of the Education Show has real books for sale for real book-lovers.

Holes, a novel written by Louis Sachar that depicts inheritance, justice, and desert heat was selected at the first of five citywide reads, one a year in Liverpool's run-up to Capital of Culture status in 2008. The popularity of the novel is discussed considering the websites being launched, plays and on-air programs being made on the subject of the novel.

German artist Wolf Erlbruch's delightful illustrations for his book 'La Grande Question' won him the Bologna book fair's prize for the top fiction picture book of the year in 2004. Some of the other picture books offered by other popular artists and writers are 'Igor, the Bird who Couldn't Sing', 'Little Rabbit Goes to School', and 'Talk Peace'.

The author interviews Hugh Montgomery, children's author, genetics expert, and intensive care consultant, about his favourite teacher. The interview looks at Montgomery's education abd path into his chosen fields of expertise.

The author interviews Daniel Handler, children's author under the pseudonym of Lemony Snicket, about his favourite teacher. Handler discusses his educational path.

There are few reliable data on the morbidity and mortality following first major lower extremity amputation (LEA) in diabetic and non diabetic subjects. We used the DARTS/MEMO databases to identify [...]

There are no data on the population-based adherence to oral hypoglycaemic drugs (OHD's) in the community. We studied all subjects in Tayside Scotland (population 392,000; type 2 diabetes [DM2] = [...]

The Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in Chichester has many buildings dating from 15th-18th century southern England. They include homes, places of work and storage buildings. Visitors are allowed to touch the replicas of artefacts in the buildings and try their hands at roof tiling or brickwork. Much research is done to ensure that the buildings are authentically reconstructed and furnished.

The participation of young school children in providing feedback and inputs for storylines of children's books is discussed.

North West Reads The One Book is a scheme run by public libraries and funded by the European Union's programme for peace and reconciliation. The scheme is currently active in Glasgow, where Divided City by Theresa Breslin is the book being focused on.