Neurodevelopmental characteristics of children with learning impairments classified according to the double-deficit hypothesis

The double-deficit model has been examined primarily in relation to reading. We investigated whether children classified according to the double-deficit model would exhibit differences in other neuropsychological domains. Children referred for learning problems (N = 188), ages 7 to 11, were classified by double-deficit subtype. Only three of the four groups predicted by the model could be identified. There were no group differences in IQ or attention problems. The three groups showed different neuropsychological profiles, involving functional domains other than reading and language. Differences also emerged in nonverbal low-level information processing. The double-deficit group was generally most severely affected. The double-deficit groupings identify children with different neuropsychological profiles and variation in the efficiency of basic online information processing, extending beyond the oral and written language domain.     

Start‐up Mega Planning—A Case History

ABSTRACT Social Responsibility is becoming a key issue for organizations today. They talk about it and they make social contributions, but how do we know if anything is being achieved? A framework is required and has existed at least since 1992. Roger Kaufman's Mega Planning has slowly gathered momentum in organizations worldwide. For a faster take‐up we propose Start‐up Mega Planning. This uses Kaufman's original model, which is more easily communicated, and fast tracks any organization into much of the benefits of Mega: stakeholder involvement, innovative approach, improved client relations and success beyond “sustainability.” Australian case history shows the simplicity this brings to planning, and the benefits of having all stakeholders aligned. In addition, the more sophisticated Mega model awaits as the next step, with further benefits.     

Managing R&D in technology-followers

The R&D effort, even of the largest, most technologically advanced developing countries, and their most sophisticated firms, cannot match that of the major industrial nations or the largest corporations. Our objective in this paper is to analyse innovation, technical change and R&D management in technology-leaders to build a framework for R&D in technology-followers outside of those major nations. This framework emphasises the importance of specific learning mechanisms and puts forward an argument that in-house R&D is indeed required in technology-followers, but a profoundly different type of R&D. R&D units, based in the firm, can become the location for organised learning, the problem-solver of last resort in production, the in-house knowledge store and gatekeeper, and the focus for independent design and product development capacity.     

Dynamic post-activation potentiation protocol improves rowing performance in experienced female rowers

ABSTRACT

Post-activation potentiation likely acutely improves power-based performance; however, few studies have demonstrated improved endurance performance. Forty collegiate female rowers performed isometric potentiating (ISO), dynamic potentiating (DYN) and control (CON) warm-up protocols on a rowing ergometer, followed by a three-minute all-out test to evaluate their total distance, peak power, mean power, critical power, anaerobic working capacity (W’) and stroke rate. Fifteen-second splits were also analysed. ISO consisted of 5 × 5-second static muscle actions with the ergometer handle rendered immovable with a nylon strap, while DYN consisted of 2 × 10-second all-out rowing bouts, separated by a 2-minute rest interval. The participants were divided into high and low experience groups by median experience level (3.75 years) for statistical analysis. Significant differences (DYN > CON; p < 0.05) were found for distance (+5.6 m), mean power (+5.9 W) and W’ (+1561.6 J) for more experienced rowers (n = 19) and no differences for less experienced rowers (n = 18). Mean power in DYN was significantly greater than CON and ISO in the 15–30, 30–45, 45–60 and 60–75 second intervals independent of experience level. These results suggest that DYN may benefit experienced female rowers and that these strategies might benefit a greater power output over shorter distances regardless of experience.     

Creating a compelling ideal vision

Mega Planning uses Kaufman's Minimum Ideal Vision as its starting point. In a world attempting to plan its way out of multiple disasters and reach a better future, it is critically important to promote Mega Planning to the widest audience. Extending the Ideal Vision and adding new measures of social progress will make the Vision more compelling. Suggestions are compared with the report of Sarkozy's Commission on the Measurement of Economic Performance and Social Progress.     

School leadership and special education: challenges,dilemmas and opportunities from an Australian context

This article examines the personal and professional attributes of school leaders in relation to special educational needs and disability (SEND) and assesses the extent to which these might be sufficient to give such professionals the confidence necessary to be role models for their staff. Data were collected via a survey of a randomly selected set of Australian school leaders, in both special and mainstream schools. This included principals from all sectors of the Australian school system. The study was based on the premise that school principals place as much importance on the need to be instructional leaders as they do on being managers. The study was informed by an assumption that in order to be successful as a school leader in respect of SEND, a school principal requires a deep pedagogical knowledge and a clear understanding of children's developmental milestones. The study found that school leaders expressed a need to develop further understanding of how to differentiate the taught curriculum in order to identify and support school‐wide quality teaching and learning processes for students with SEND.     

Design of optimal strictly positive real controllers using numerical optimization for the control of flexible robotic systems

The design of optimal strictly positive real (SPR) controllers using numerical optimization is considered. We focus on how to parameterize the SPR controllers being optimized and the effect of parameterization. Minimization of the closed-loop H₂-norm is the optimization objective function. Various single-input single-output and multi-input multi-output controller parameterizations using transfer functions/matrices and state–space equations are considered. Depending on the controller form, constraints are enforced (i) using simple inequalities guaranteeing SPRness, (ii) in the frequency domain or, (iii) by implementing the Kalman–Yakubovich–Popov Lemma. None of the parameterizations we consider foster an observer-based controller structure. Simulated control of a single-link and a two-link flexible manipulators demonstrates the effectiveness of our proposed controller optimization formulations.     

Education as Service: The Understanding of University Experience Through the Service Logic

With the marketization of UK higher education, this paper develops a framework from services marketing that can assist universities in understanding what market orientation means and how students would value their offerings. Our study shows that the core service in a university experience is a learning experience that is cocreated and that the value is emergent, unstructured, interactive, uncertain, with a hedonic dimension. Our paper modifies the gap model of service quality to show that an ideological gap exists that may also impede the quality of the university experience. We propose that a one-sided expectation by students leads to student consumerism and disengagement. Paradoxically, we show that a true student-orientated marketing puts the university ideology at the center of marketing efforts and that marketing may well be an effective tool to communicate such ideologies.