Database Problem Behavior: A Literature Retrieval System for Professionals Dealing with Problem Behaviours of Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities

Knowledge of the literature among professionals in the area of problem behaviours and developmental disabilities is most likely soon out of date as several hundred useful studies appear each year. A literature database may be a useful tool for clinicians and researchers to conveniently retrieve needed information, preventing them from collecting, reading, processing, and storing all the available material. This report describes a database (i.e., Database Problem Behavior) encompassing information that goes far beyond presenting abstracts only. The third version of the database encompasses 885 empirical studies on the (functional) analysis, and behavioural and pharmacological treatment of problem behaviours (e.g., self‐injurious behaviour, aggressive behaviour, depression) for persons with developmental disabilities.     

Impact of commercial search engines and international databases on engineering teaching and research

For the last three decades, the engineering higher education and professional environments have been completely transformed by the ‘electronic/digital information revolution’ that has included the introduction of personal computer, the development of email and world wide web, and broadband Internet connections at home. Herein the writer compares the performances of several digital tools with traditional library resources. While new specialised search engines and open access digital repositories may fill a gap between conventional search engines and traditional references, these should be not be confused with real libraries and international scientific databases that encompass textbooks and peer-reviewed scholarly works. An absence of listing in some Internet search listings, databases and repositories is not an indication of standing. Researchers, engineers and academics should remember these key differences in assessing the quality of bibliographic ‘research’ based solely upon Internet searches.     

Predictive value of ventilatory inflection points determined under field conditions

The aim of this study was to evaluate the predictive potential provided by two ventilatory inflection points (VIP₁ and VIP₂) examined in field without using gas analysis systems and uncomfortable facemasks. A calibrated respiratory inductance plethysmograph (RIP) and a computerised routine were utilised, respectively, to derive ventilation and to detect VIP₁ and VIP₂ during a standardised field ramp test on a 400 m running track on 81 participants. In addition, average running speed of a competitive 1000 m run (S_1k) was observed as criterion. The predictive value of running speed at VIP₁ (S_VIP1) and the speed range between VIP₁ and VIP₂ in relation to VIP₂ (VIP_SPAN) was analysed via regression analysis. VIP_SPAN rather than running speed at VIP₂ (S_VIP2) was operationalised as a predictor to consider the covariance between S_VIP1 and S_VIP2. S_VIP1 and VIP_SPAN, respectively, provided 58.9% and 22.9% of explained variance in regard to S_1k. Considering covariance, the timing of two ventilatory inflection points provides predictive value in regard to a competitive 1000 m run. This is the first study to apply computerised detection of ventilatory inflection points in a field setting independent on measurements of the respiratory gas exchange and without using any facemasks.     

Slow and fast adult readers in text comprehension

Reading speed is a component of reading ability tests designed to separate «good» and «poor» readers. The purpose of the two experiments reported in this paper were to study whether slow and fast adult readers differ in terms of the subprocesses involved in textual organization. For this, two variables were manipulated: title and type of text. Subjects were classified as slow and fast readers based on the median value of the distribution of reading times on a preliminary text. Data clearly show that reading speed is a reliable individual characteristic. In Experiment 1, the recall performance of slow and fast readers did not differ. No interaction between reading speed and the title and type of text variables were observed. In Experiment 2, these results were replicated and extended to a summary test. So, it appears that slow and fast readers do not process textual organization in a different way and show identical comprehension performances. Further research is necessary to identify those factors that characterize good comprehenders among slow and fast readers.     

A partitioning technique for defining instructional groups

A technique is presented for partitioning N students into K groups of fixed sizes using a given measure of proximity for all student pairs. The measure of proximity is typically calculated from a set of variables, such as completed curriculum units or learning style, and constitutes the data needed for a criterion of partition fit. This latter index is explicitly defined by the sum of within-group proximities and when used in conjunction with the optimization procedure discussed, homogeneous groups can be obtained that satisfy externally imposed size requirements. Finally, a simple generalization is suggested for the related task of grouping students to meet upper limit size constraints only.     

Books on Research Methodology

Mary N. Barton and Marion V. Bell's compilation Reference Books: A Brief Guide (Baltimere: Enoch Pratt Free Library, $1.25)

Martha L. Hackman's The Practical Bibliographer (Prentice-Hall, $5.95 cloth, $2.95 paper)

Hubert M. Blalock An Introduction to Social Research (Prentice-Hall, $5.95 cloth, $2.95 paper)     

Introduction d'un Modele Conceptuel comme Cadre de Reference dans la Formation Initiale des Instituteurs Primaires (Ecole Normale de l'Etat,Andenne (B) )

The article examines strategies for the training of Primary teachers in Belgium, a level of training which was increased from two to three years duration in 1983. An action research at the EN de l'Etat at Andenne has focused on the conceptual model (following a structure of analysis proposed by Antoine Leon). This model, and the typology of teaching/learning situations which it embodies, permits the student to establish theoretical terms of reference at the outset of training, and to acquire educational insights which relate meaningfully to the goals of teaching. The approach adopted makes certain demands upon the students; for example, they need to take stock, objectively, of their own experiences of learning and must be prepared to question their own assumptions. An important factor in the research has been the use of micro‐teaching, with CCTV, and it is necessary that the students be given an early opportunity to try out their learning from the studio setting in a ‘real’ environment. Overall, however, the experiment, which has been conducted in liaison with the Free University of Brussels, is a promising avenue for achieving the integration of theory with practice.     

Decontamination of Biocide Treated Museum Objects of the Swiss National Museum’s Collection by Liquid CO2 Technology

ABSTRACT

A decontamination treatment using liquid CO₂ (li-CO₂) and specifically developed for the requirements of museum objects (Lombardo, T., M. Wörle, V. Hubert, E. Hildbrand, I. Mayer, C. Hinterleitner, U. von Arx. 2020. “Influence of Process Parameters on Chlorinated Biocide Decontamination by li-CO₂ on Artificially Contaminated Model Materials.” Studies in Conservation, in press, doi:10.1080/00393630.2019.1641001) was first tested on model materials of wood (with and without coating), silk, and wool with different dyes, paper, and leather in order to evaluate possible material changes. Then, selected museum objects from the collection of the Swiss National Museum were treated to determine the efficiency of biocide decontamination and any resulting chemical and/or structural changes. Results show that dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), pentachlorophenol (PCP), lindane, and chlorpyrifos were successfully removed. Wool, silk, leather, and non-coated wood did not experience any detectable modifications, while moderate to major modifications were observed in wood coated with shellac and polychromy.