A systems intervention procedure for the management of aggressive behaviour

A significant reduction (p < .05) in the frequency of aggressive behaviour below baseline was found with eight institutionalized mentally retarded adult males using a systems intervention procedure. Self‐charting, a token system, differential reinforcement of other behaviour, verbal and physical prompts, restraint, time out from reinforcement, seclusion, and teaching alternatives were systematically applied with staff response options being contingent on the degree of control exhibited by the subject. Although it was concluded that this is an effective treatment model, further research was suggested.     

Advances in the application of information technology to sport performance

This paper overviews the diverse information technologies that are used to provide athletes with relevant feedback. Examples taken from various sports are used to illustrate selected applications of technology-based feedback. Several feedback systems are discussed, including vision, audition and proprioception. Each technology described here is based on the assumption that feedback would eventually enhance skill acquisition and sport performance and, as such, its usefulness to athletes and coaches in training is critically evaluated.     

Dielectrophoretic sample preparation for environmental monitoring of microorganisms: Soil particle removal

Detection of pathogens from environmental samples is often hampered by sensors interacting with environmental particles such as soot, pollen, or environmental dust such as soil or clay. These particles may be of similar size to the target bacterium, preventing removal by filtration, but may non-specifically bind to sensor surfaces, fouling them and causing artefactual results. In this paper, we report the selective manipulation of soil particles using an AC electrokinetic microfluidic system. Four heterogeneous soil samples (smectic clay, kaolinitic clay, peaty loam, and sandy loam) were characterised using dielectrophoresis to identify the electrical difference to a target organism. A flow-cell device was then constructed to evaluate dielectrophoretic separation of bacteria and clay in a continous flow through mode. The average separation efficiency of the system across all soil types was found to be 68.7% with a maximal separation efficiency for kaolinitic clay at 87.6%. This represents the first attempt to separate soil particles from bacteria using dielectrophoresis and indicate that the technique shows significant promise; with appropriate system optimisation, we believe that this preliminary study represents an opportunity to develop a simple yet highly effective sample processing system.     

You Gotta Represent¡ Ethnic Identity Development among Hispanic Adolescents

Hispanic students' awareness of cultural, linguistic, and sociopolitical issues are influenced by their experiences in schools and affect their sense of identity. An examination of student discourse between bilingual gifted and bilingual general education students in an urban middle school is presented, with particular attention given to how participating bilingual students relate to each other, peers (in general and gifted education), teachers, administrators, families, and communities, and how they perceive themselves. A discussion of the core issues that emerged, including students' reawakening to their ethnic identity, differing rationales for using native language, and observed differences in self-perceptions between the gifted and general education bilingual Hispanic students is provided, along with results and implications for future research.     

Practicum Learning: perils of the authentic workplace

The goals of practicum programs frequently require that the practicum experience is an authentic experience of work and workplace learning. The more authentic the experience, the more the situation of the student in the workplace conforms to that of the employee. Most accounts of adult learning assume that their recommendations are applicable to all environments. Few countenance the possibility of malevolent or perverted facilitation, or envisage facilitation occurring under hostile conditions. Yet an examination of the learning environment of the workplace reveals that it is far from ideal and poses unique challenges to the practicum facilitator, especially when that role is assumed by workplace supervisors. The specific interests of student and employee may not be aligned, but the interests of both diverge from those of organisations and owners sufficiently to raise issues for the applicability of adult learning approaches. The argument supports a closer examination of the dynamics of trust building, of the scope of learning that can be facilitated at work, and the use of learning facilitators whose interests are independent of workplace interests when designing practicum programs.