Participation in Higher Education in Scotland: A Geographic and Social Analysis

In this paper we relate participation in full-time Higher Education in Scotland to the geographic and social characteristics of the areas where people reside. National data on students at Higher Education institutions in all parts of the UK are used to calculate the rates, with areas of residence defined by their addresses at the times of applying to the institutions. Population data and the social characteristics of the areas were derived from the 1991 Census. The smallest geographic area considered was the Post-Code Sector, consisting of around 5000 households. Economic factors, social class, unemployment and housing tenure were strongly related to participation in the expected direction. However, different strengths of effect were found in different parts of the country. The analyses also suggest that cultural factors may be important, especially away from the major cities, and that aspects of accessibility to the institutions may also be of relevance in some areas.     

Improving Teaching in Higher Education: Student and teacher perspectives

Using a phenomenological approach, the study sets out to discover whether it can derive a concept of good teaching from a group of university lecturers and the extent to which it compares and contrasts with a corresponding student concept of good teaching. The subjects were all mature adults, usually postgraduate, and often practising professionals with a wide experience of the university system. A single concept of what the students thought of as good teaching, and two categories ('pre-existing' and 'reflective') of what the teachers thought of as good teaching were developed. The extent to which these concepts overlap-and fail to overlap even after reflection-is used to discuss the importance of developing appropriate metacognitive strategies in human adult learning so that each group (teachers and learners) becomes more aware of what the other is attempting to do. The importance of out-of-class behaviours is seen as particularly valuable in this respect.     

Factors associated with physical activity referral uptake and participation

The aim of this study was to examine participant and scheme characteristics in relation to access, uptake, and participation in a physical activity referral scheme (PARS) using a prospective population-based longitudinal design. Participants (n = 3762) were recruited over a 3-year period. Logistic regression analyses identified the factors associated with the outcomes of referral uptake, participation, and completion (> or = 80% attendance). Participant's age, sex, referral reason, referring health professional, and type of leisure provider were the independent variables. Based on binary logistic regression analysis (n = 2631), only primary referral reason was associated with the PARS coordinator making contact with the participants. In addition to the influence of referral reason, females were also more likely (odds ratio 1.250, 95% confidence interval 1.003-1.559, P = 0.047) to agree to be assigned to a leisure provider. Referral reason and referring health professional were associated with taking up a referral opportunity. Older participants (1.016, 1.010-1.023, P < 0.001) and males were more likely to complete the referral. In conclusion, the PARS format may be less appropriate for those more constrained by time (women, young adults) and those with certain referral reasons (overweight/obesity, mental health conditions). More appropriate targeting at the point of referral could improve participation rates by revealing or addressing barriers that might later result in dropout.     

Whole blood pumping with a microthrottle pump

We have previously reported that microthrottle pumps (MTPs) display the capacity to pump solid phase suspensions such as polystyrene beads which prove challenging to most microfluidic pumps. In this paper we report employing a linear microthrottle pump (LMTP) to pump whole, undiluted, anticoagulated, human venous blood at 200 μl min(-1) with minimal erythrocyte lysis and no observed pump blockage. LMTPs are particularly well suited to particle suspension transport by virtue of their relatively unimpeded internal flow-path. Micropumping of whole blood represents a rigorous real-world test of cell suspension transport given blood's high cell content by volume and erythrocytes' relative fragility. A modification of the standard Drabkin method and its validation to spectrophotometrically quantify low levels of erythrocyte lysis by hemoglobin release is also reported. Erythrocyte lysis rates resulting from transport via LMTP are determined to be below one cell in 500 at a pumping rate of 102 μl min(-1).     

The super-computer project: a case study of the interaction of science,government and industry in the UK

A major concern of the governments of industrialised nations is the basis for the allocation of public resources to the private sector of industry. One particular area of debate is the role governments should play in the support and direction of high technology. This paper examines the contribution of the British government to the establishment of a computer industry and, in particular, the attempts to stimulate the industry during the period 1959 to 1962 by supporting the development and production of a ‘supercomputer’.The history of the negotiations between the three major participants, the National Research and Development Corporation, Ferranti Ltd., and Manchester University, has been reconstructed in considerable detail in order to provide the basis for an analysis of the interaction of technical, financial, organisational and political constraints in the attempts to establish the project'.The failure of NRDC to achieve its broad aims of promoting the future health of the computer industry is traced to three major problems — their failure to formulate clear objectives, their concern to maintain technical control, and inadequate policies for risk-sharing. These were exacerbated by the technical uncertainty associated with novel technology, an inadequate market analysis by Ferranti, and de facto technical direction by the university department.On this basis broad conclusions are drawn on the conditions necessary for a satisfactory return on public investment in high technology.     

Relationship between leg stiffness and lower body injuries in professional Australian football

Leg stiffness is a modifiable mechanical property that may be related to soft tissue injury risk. The purpose of this study was to examine mean leg stiffness and bilateral differences in leg stiffness across an entire professional Australian Football League (AFL) season, and determine whether this parameter was related to the incidence of lower body soft tissue injury. The stiffness of the left and right legs of 39 professional AFL players (age 24.4 ± 4.4 years, body mass 87.4 ± 8.1 kg, stature 1.87 ± 0.07 m) was measured using a unilateral hopping test at least once per month throughout the season. Injury data were obtained directly from the head medical officer at the football club. Mean leg stiffness and bilateral differences in leg stiffness were compared between the injured and non-injured players. There was no difference between the season mean leg stiffness values for the injured (219.3 ± 16.1 N x m(-1) x kg(-1)) and non-injured (217.4 ± 14.9 N x m(-1) x kg(-1); P = 0.721) groups. The injured group (7.5 ± 3.0%) recorded a significantly higher season mean bilateral difference in leg stiffness than the non-injured group (5.5 ± 1.3%; P = 0.05). A relatively high bilateral difference in leg stiffness appears to be related to the incidence of soft tissue injury in Australian football players. This information is of particular importance to medical and conditioning staff across a variety of sports.