Predicting vertical ground reaction force during running using novel piezoresponsive sensors and accelerometry

ABSTRACT

Running is a common exercise with numerous health benefits. Vertical ground reaction force (vGRF) influences running injury risk and running performance. Measurement of vGRF during running is now primarily constrained to a laboratory setting. The purpose of this study was to evaluate a new approach to measuring vGRF during running. This approach can be used outside of the laboratory and involves running shoes instrumented with novel piezoresponsive sensors and a standard accelerometer. Thirty-one individuals ran at three different speeds on a force-instrumented treadmill while wearing the instrumented running shoes. vGRF was predicted using data collected from the instrumented shoes, and predicted vGRF were compared to vGRF measured via the treadmill. Per cent error of the resulting predictions varied depending upon the predicted vGRF characteristic. Per cent error was relatively low for predicted vGRF impulse (2–7%), active peak vGRF (3–7%), and ground contact time (3–6%), but relatively high for predicted vGRF load rates (22–29%). These errors should decrease with future iterations of the instrumented shoes and collection of additional data from a more diverse sample. The novel technology described herein might become a feasible way to collect large amounts of vGRF data outside of the traditional biomechanics laboratory.     

Educational engagement,expectation and attainment of children with disabilities: Evidence from the Scottish Longitudinal Study

Government statistics show that children with special educational needs and disabilities do not achieve as well academically as their peers, which impacts on later employment and socioeconomic circumstances. Addressing these inequalities is a key policy area which currently lacks a satisfactory evidence base. To explore the issue, the present study used data from the Scottish Longitudinal Study which contains data from the 1991, 2001 and 2011 censuses along with other administrative data, from a representative sample of the Scottish population. Using this large and longitudinal sample, the present study examines educational engagement, expectations and attainment for children with self-reported disability, controlling for other early childhood factors. The results show that children with mental health problems were at higher risk of leaving school early, and that children with learning difficulties were less likely to gain advanced qualifications. Neither limiting long-term illness in early childhood nor disability in adolescence were significant predictors of engagement, however, they did predict measures of academic expectation and attainment. Results suggest there is a critical phase for attainment, with area deprivation in early childhood but not adolescence being important for later educational inequalities.     

Cultural Competence: Toward a More Robust Conceptualisation

ABSTRACT

This article revisits LIS literature about cultural competence. It is not the prominent topic it was but is still considered important for addressing diversity, and is still criticized for obscuring racism and power structures in librarianship and society. Articles published in the last four years suggest, however, that library and information studies educators are teaching to engage with these issues. The cultural competence conceptual framework, specifically the environmental domain, can be recast to incorporate engagement with race and power. This more robust framework would enable culturally competent professionals to do more than accommodate difference.     

Scottish toolkit for knowledge management

BACKGROUND: Using specific examples, this paper describes the tools, methods and resources used to develop Managed Knowledge Networks (MKNs) within the NHS Scotland e-Library (http://www.elib.scot.nhs.uk). MKNs help to complete the knowledge management cycle by providing a place to share the learning and discuss the evidence for practice through combining the use of the published material (explicit knowledge) with the experience and knowledge held by individuals, communities and organizations (tacit knowledge). OBJECTIVES: First of all, this paper outlines the e-Library infrastructure, which provides an inter-operable framework to manage the published knowledge using a metadata management system; and a knowledge-sharing tool to support the development of MKNs. It then covers the various stages involved in developing an MKN: gathering and analysing information needs in a variety of ways; presenting and organizing the resources and services for the users as identified in the needs analysis; managing the tacit, personal and local knowledge. CONCLUSION: The toolkit described enables the Knowledge Services Group to take the needs of users, transcribe these into Specialist e-Libraries to provide access to the published information and to support this with accessing and sharing the knowledge of colleagues via MKNs.     

Delivering information skills training at a health professionals continuing professional development conference: an evaluation

In this feature, guest writer Aoife Lawton discusses the outcomes of an information skills workshop delivered at a continuing professional development conference for health and social care professionals in Ireland. The primary aim of the study was to evaluate perceptions of the effectiveness of the workshop. The study provides details of how, through collaborative partnership, the workshop was developed and delivered. Application of an adapted version of the Kirkpatrick model of evaluation is presented alongside details of what impact the event had on the attendees both immediately after the workshop and 3 months post‐workshop. The authors also reflect on the benefits delivery of the workshops had for professional health library practice and service improvement. H. S.