Impact of mobile-based mentoring,socio-economic background and religion on girls’ attitude and belief towards antisocial behaviour (ASB)

This study examined the impact of mobile-based mentoring, socio-economic background and religion on girl’s attitude and belief towards ASB in Ibadan Oyo State Nigeria. The study adopted a mixed method research design. The participants in the study comprised forty (40) students purposively selected from Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria. The platform ( www.gcmentoringinitiative.org ) was adopted for mobile-based mentoring. One research question was raised and three null hypotheses were tested in the study at .05 level of significance. Data were analysed using content analysis for Focus Group Discussion, Analysis of Covariance and Estimated Marginal Means. The results reveal a significant main effect of socio-economic background on girl’s attitude towards ASB. Also, there was no significant impact of mobile-based mentoring on girl’s attitude towards ASB. Based on the findings, using mobiles in mentoring girls could significantly reinforce or change their belief in engaging in antisocial activities. Also, the socio-economic background plays a significant role in determining the attitude and belief of girls in engaging in antisocial activities. Girls’ religion has little or no effect on their belief and attitude towards antisocial behaviours (ASB). Girls from low-income family are susceptible to engage in ASB, while those from wealthy homes are less likely to engage in ASB.     

‘I learned to be okay with talking about sex and safety’: assessing the efficacy of a theatre-based HIV prevention approach for adolescents in North Carolina

Adolescents are at increased risk of HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in the Southern states of the USA, where rates among youth are higher than in the rest of the nation. This paper reports on findings from a pilot study of an HIV prevention intervention that uses interactive theatre to educate young people about sexual health. The intervention was developed in Los Angeles and adapted for testing in the Southern USA, with its legacy of abstinence-based approaches to sexual health education. This study assessed intervention effects among a sample of young people in two public high schools in North Carolina. We used a pre-test, post-test quasi-experimental evaluation design to assess changes in 317 ninth-grade participants' knowledge and attitudes about HIV. At post-test, we found statistically significant increases in participants' HIV knowledge (t = 60.14; p = 0.001), as well as changes in attitudes (χ² = 8.23; p = 0.042) and awareness (χ² = 4.94; p = 0.026). Focus group data corroborated an increase in HIV knowledge and a reduction in HIV stigma as successful outcomes of intervention participation. The findings make an important contribution to the literature on theatre-based interventions for sexual health education. Furthermore, they highlight the importance of considering sociocultural and political context in implementing HIV prevention interventions in schools.     

Only one way to skin a cat? Heterogeneity and equifinality in European national innovation systems

One of the most significant results of the qualitative literature on national systems of innovation (NSIs) is that different systemic arrangements (i.e. configurations of actors and institutions) can deliver similar levels of innovative performance. Using factor analysis on a novel dataset of 29 quantitative indicators of innovative activities we provide an empirical characterization of the structure of European NSIs over the last ten years. Our results cast doubt on the empirical significance of the “equifinality” of heterogeneous systemic arrangements in the context of NSI. Innovation systems show inherent complexity, which leads to a high level of complementarity among their constituent components and configuration. This result implies that successful innovation policies should be systemic, leaving little flexibility in policy design and scope.     

Strengthening professional expertise: Mentoring in knowledge transfer,the cataloguers’ perspective

Abstract

University libraries provide support for institutions to achieve their objectives. To realise these objectives, universities allocate considerable funds for the library’s development and provision of needed resources that support teaching/research activities. This is for the simple reason that a university’s excellence is synonymous with the effectiveness of its library services. Hence, there is a need for continuous training and retraining for retention of librarians who manage the libraries to achieve the university’s objectives. Of the few on-the-job training models, mentoring as a Continuing Professional Development programme for librarians in a university library has often been overlooked. This study surveys the uses of mentoring in knowledge transfer for cataloguing, managerial, and research skills development for cataloguers in Nigerian academic libraries. The findings show that mentoring as a tool for knowledge transfer influences cataloguers and their skills development. The result indicates that mentoring in knowledge transfer has a moderate to strong correlation with skills development, and it improves catalouers’ proficiency and overall development.     

Deleterious effects of obesity on physical fitness in pre-pubertal children

The prevalence of obesity in children has increased dramatically during the past decades in Europe and understanding physical fitness and its components in children is critical to design and implement effective interventions. The objective of the present study was to analyse the association between physical fitness (aerobic, speed, agility, power, flexibility and balance) and body mass index (BMI) in pre-pubertal children. A total of 2411 healthy schoolchildren (7–11 years) participated in this study. Anthropometric characteristics and body composition were assessed by skinfold thickness. Physical fitness was measured by nine physical fitness tests: endurance running, 20 m running speed, agility, handgrip strength, standing long jump and squat jump, sit and reach, medicine ball forward throw and static balance. No relevant differences were observed between boys and girls regarding anthropometric characteristics, body composition and physical fitness. However, overweight and obese children showed significantly lower physical fitness levels in endurance running, speed and agility (mean: +18.8, +5.5 and +14.5% of time to complete tasks, respectively), lower limb power normalised to body mass (?23.3%) and balance tests (number of falls: +165.5%) than their normal weight counterparts. On the other hand, obesity did not affect handgrip, throwing and flexibility. In conclusion, increased BMI was associated with lower performance capabilities limiting proper motor skill development, which directly affects the ability of children to take on sports skills. Actions undertaken to promote children's wellness and fitness should be prioritised and introduced early in life with the aim of enhancing physical fitness as well as preventing overweight and obesity.     

Laser scanning and digital imaging for the investigation of an ancient building: Palazzo d’Accursio study case (Bologna,Italy)

This paper describes a scientific approach aimed at studying the ancient part of Palazzo d’Accursio (Bologna, Italy), a masonry building which is part of the Italian cultural heritage. Laser scanning and the inspection of digital images are used to detect traces of restoration works and other interesting features related to both architectural marks and natural or anthropic events. One of the main elements of the method is the analysis of residual maps, obtained by computing the differences between the point coordinates of the façade and reference fit planes. The obtained results, based on both radiometric and geometrical analysis, are used to provide a reasonable hypothesis as to the original configuration of the studied building, while taking into account the available historical information about the constructive phases of the building.