Increasing the rural general practitioners' use of library and information services through publicity: a randomized controlled trial in Cornwall, UK

OBJECTIVES: To provide evidence on the effectiveness of publicity with the aim of encouraging general practitioners (GPs) in Cornwall to make better use of the Cornwall Health Library Service (CHLS). In the light of the findings, a second objective was formulated to determine which resources they used to look for health information. METHODS: A cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) measured the effect of two types of publicity, comparing emails with visiting GP practices. After the trial period, a questionnaire was sent to all 332 GPs to ascertain the resources they accessed for their information and any barriers to their use of the CHLS. RESULTS: The GP's use of the library services was lower than the level needed for a conclusive statistical analysis; however, visiting practices was associated with an apparent increase in library use and warrants further investigation. The questionnaire showed that GPs make good use of databases and colleagues. CONCLUSION: The RCT confirmed the low uptake of library services anticipated, but was inconclusive in demonstrating the most effective form of publicity. The questionnaire suggested that a substantial number of GPs are interested in the library services and has provided an insight into the way that GPs look for information in Cornwall.     

Transfer of a taste aversion from food to water under various states of deprivation

The importance of ingestive contexts (feeding and drinking) and deprivation states to rats’ transfer of a taste aversion were examined, In Experiments 1 and 2, rats were trained with novel saccharin-treated foods while either food deprived or food and water deprived, They were then tested with a 1,0% saccharin solution while either water deprived or food and water deprived, Comparable aversions to the solution were displayed regardless of deprivation states, Two further experiments examined transfer to a .1% saccharin solution in conjunction with deprivation state change, When both stimulus properties and deprivation were widely discrepant from training to test, reduced transfer was noted. The results suggest that stimulus similarity was a stronger controlling variable than deprivation state similarity in facilitating the transfer of an aversion from a feeding context to a drinking context, The results were viewed as being consistent with the known parameters affecting generalization gradients.     

The perceived benefits and problems associated with teaching activities undertaken by doctoral students

Postgraduate students involved in delivering undergraduate teaching while working toward a research degree are known as graduate teaching assistants (GTAs). This study focused upon the problems and benefits arising from this dual role as researchers and teachers, as perceived by GTAs at the University of Cambridge. To this end, GTAs at Cambridge were invited to participate in an online survey (n?=?153). Teaching is seen to offer a wide range of benefits to GTAs, including benefits to the GTAs’ own research, transferable skills development, career development and teaching skills. Time pressures emerged as the principal problem associated with the role. The data are consistent with findings from previous studies, while also providing further detail about the nature of the benefits and problems. In particular, additional insights are offered relating to benefits and problems associated with different teaching activities, and disciplinary differences.     

Understanding adult education in community contexts: A critical realist perspective

Third-sector community organisations are important sites for learning, especially for the most excluded groups in society. However, scant attention has been paid to the various factors shaping educational provision in community contexts, and how these interact to shape the provision available to marginalised populations. This article presents new evidence addressing this gap, through drawing on interview data from practitioners working in the UK homelessness sector. It identifies a range of factors shaping educational provision in these community contexts. These are: service user need and demand; staff roles and capacity; organisational purpose and structures; national policies; support from other adult education providers; non-governmental finance; and volunteers. With some modification, and placed within an overarching critical realist framework, it is argued that these findings are consistent with Boeren’s comprehensive lifelong learning participation model. The article concludes that so long as government policy and related funding continues to ignore and fails to support educational provision in these settings, it will remain piecemeal and highly contingent on the contribution of volunteers and short-term funding.     

Yough,literacy and participation

The number of illiterates in the world continues to grow. Simultaneously, there are few if any literacy efforts in the world today that do not depend upon the energies and skills (and sometimes ideas) of young people. Youth's participation in the provision of literacy, in some industrialized as well as in many developing countries, is classified according to three patterns: the project pattern, the programme pattern, and the campaign pattern. The project pattern is not seen to hold out the prospect of enabling youth to make serious inroads into growing illiteracy. Conversely, the campaign pattern seemed largely exceptional. Suggestions are made to draw on elements of both the project and the campaign patterns to show ways of enrichting, systematizing and generalizing the programme pattern.

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Zusammenfassung Die Zahl der Analphabeten in der Welt wächst ständig. Gleichzeitig aber gibt es heutzutage wenig Alphabetisierungsbestrebungen, die nicht von den Kräften und Fähigkeiten — (und manchmal auch den Ideen)-junger Leute abhängen. Die Teilnahme Jugendlicher an Alphabetisierungsvorhaben werden in einigen Industrieländern ebensowie in zahlreichen Entwicklungsländern in drei Gruppen unterteilt: dem Projekt-, dem Programm- und dem Kampagnemuster. Das Projektmuster stellt nicht in Aussicht, daß Jugendliche die Möglichkeit haben, ernsthaften Fortschritt mit dem Problem des wachsenden Analphabetentums zu machen. Andererseits erscheint das Kampagnemuster zum größten Teil nicht wiederholbar. Es werden Vorschläge unterbreitet, Elemente sowohl aus dem Projekt-als auch aus dem Kampagnemuster einzubeziehen, um aufzuzeigen, wie das Programmuster bereichert, systematisiert und verallgemeinert werden kann.

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Résumé Le nombre d'analphabètes adultes ne cesse de croître dans le monde. En même temps, seuls peu d'efforts d'alphabétisation-peut-être aucun-ne dépendent pas, dans le monde d'aujourd'hui, de l'énergie et des compétences (et quelquefois des idées) des jeunes. Dans quelques pays industrialisés comme dans de nombreux pays en développement, la participation des jeunes à l'offre d'alphabétisation peut être classée selon trois modèles: lemodèle-projet, lemodèle-programme et lemodèle-campagne. Quelle que soit sa valeur symbolique, le modèle-projet n'offre pas la possibilité aux jenunes de faire de sérieuses incursions dans l'analphabétisme croissant. Inversement, le modèle-campagne semble être exceptionnel dans une large mesure. Il semble, cependant, possible de tirer des éléments des deux modèles — projet et campagne-pour suggérer des approches et des moyens d'enrichir, systématiser et généraliser le modèle-programme.

     

The effects of postseason break on stabilometric performance in female volleyball players

Ankle sprain is a common injury in volleyball. Poor stabilometric performance (SP) is associated with high risks of sustaining ankle sprain. Balance training can improve SP and reduce ankle sprain, but no research has studied the effects of detraining on SP in highly trained athletes. The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of one-month postseason break on SP in female volleyball players. Eleven NCAA female volleyball players participated in two eye-closed single-leg stance tests before and after a one-month postseason break. Stance time, center of pressure (COP) area, COP standard deviation, and COP mean velocity were assessed during the tests. During the postseason break, subjects conducted self-selected exercise and the average training duration was 87% lower compared to the competition season. Subjects demonstrated significant increases in anterioposterior (A/P) COP standard deviation (1.6 ± 0.4 vs. 1.8 ± 0.4 cm, p = 0.05), mediolateral (M/L) COP velocity (6.5 ± 1.5 vs. 7.1 ± 1.3 cm/s, p = 0.05), and overall COP velocity (10.1 ± 2.0 vs. 11.6 ± 1.9 cm/s, p = 0.02) after postseason break. SP decreased in highly trained female volleyball players after one-month postseason break. The decrease in SP indicated a possible increased risk for ankle sprain injury.     

Summation and configuration in patterning schedules with the rat and rabbit

Discrimination between a tone + light compound and its components in positive and negative patterning schedules was examined. In the positive schedule, reinforced compound presentations (C+) were intermixed with unreinforced component presentations (T?, L?). In the negative schedule, the compound was unreinforced (C?) and the components were reinforced (T+, L+). In Experiment 1, appetitive conditioning of rats’ anticipatory magazine responses was used, and in Experiment 2, aversive conditioning of the rabbit’s nictitating membrane response was used. Both experiments revealed that the positive patterning schedule consistently produced rapid acquisition of appropriate discriminative responding. The results of the negative patterning schedule were more complex. Specifically, the results of Experiment 1 demonstrated that naive rats initially showed rapid acquisition of the negative patterning discrimination. However, schedule reversals revealed that experience with the positive patterning schedule virtually abolished subsequent acquisition of discriminative responding under the negative patterning schedule. The results of Experiment 2 revealed that naive rabbits showed very slow acquisition of discriminative responding under the negative patterning schedule. The results are discussed in relation to the unique-stimulus hypothesis, a contextual encoding hypothesis, and a configural hypothesis.     

What is the current level of knowledge and confidence of mainstream school SENCOs in sensory integration theory and using sensory strategies within education?

The aims of the study were: to identify the number of SENCOs who have received specific training on sensory integration. To determine the understanding of the eight senses and sensory integration theory and sensory strategies. Determine any common gaps in knowledge or misconceptions. Fifty-five surveys were completed. 40% of respondents had received training on sensory processing. There was a significant chi-squared correlation between those that had received training and those that stated they did not know or made guesses about what the vestibular and proprioceptive senses are important for. There was a correlation between those that had received training and those that had good knowledge of the signs of sensory hyper-responsivity. There was no statistical significance of increased knowledge on sensory hypo-responsivity between those who had and had not received training. SENCOs who rated their school as being sensory-friendly had a greater understanding of what sensory integration is important for. Pertinently, those who rated their school as being ‘sensory-friendly’ (45.5%) were 8.5 times more likely to know sensory integration is needed for self-regulation. A number of recommendations are made including the need for greater collaboration between therapists and teachers to increase understanding of sensory integration and the impact of this on a child's education and wellbeing at school. Sensory strategy programmes are to be written with teaching staff and not given by the therapist in an ‘expert’ role. Sensory integration awareness training, including why and how to utilise sensory strategies, is to be encompassed in the SENCO national qualification.