Reprographic rights in Singapore: the story of CLASS

The Copyright Licensing and Administration Society of Singapore was established in 1999. It is now profitable and commercially significant, perhaps uniquely so in Asia. Critical factors in its growth have included a statutory (non‐voluntary) photocopying licence provision for educational institutions in the Copyright Act; and widespread support from the local and international communities of rightsholders. Tentative consensus has been established with educators over a fair level of remuneration for copying. Further work needs to be done to extend or amend the current model for electronic copying, for the private sector and for other countries in the region.     

Test-Based Learning: Inconsistent Effects Between Higher- and Lower-Level Test Questions

Providing test questions after an initial study phase is a common instructional technique. In theory, questions that require higher-level (deep) processing should be more beneficial than those that require lower-level (shallow) processing. However, empirical evidence on the matter is inconsistent. To shed light on two potential reasons for these inconsistencies, we conducted an experiment (N = 81) to analyze the role of (a) the share of information to which test questions direct learners and (b) the learning activities performed in the initial study phase with respect to the effects between higher- and lower-level test questions. We found that both the share of focused information and the initial learning activities moderated the effects between higher- and lower-level test questions.     

Comparison of two Actigraph models for assessing free-living physical activity in Indian adolescents

This aim of this study was to compare the new Actigraph (GT1M) with the widely used Model 7164. Seven days of free-living physical activity were measured simultaneously using both the Model 7164 and GT1M in 30 Indian adolescents (mean age 15.8 years, s = 0.6). The GT1M was on average 9% lower per epoch than model 7164, thus a correction factor of 0.91 is suggested for comparison between the two monitors. The differences between monitors increased in magnitude with intensity of activity (P < 0.001) but remained randomly distributed (r = 0.01, P = 0.96). No significant difference was observed between monitors for time spent in moderate (P = 0.31) and vigorous (P = 0.34) physical activity when using the same epoch length. The Model 7164 classified less time as sedentary (P < 0.001) and more time as light-intensity activity (P < 0.001) than the GT1M. In conclusion, data from the GT1M can be compared with historical data using average counts per minute with a correction factor, and the two models might be comparable for assessing time spent in moderate to vigorous physical activity in children when using the same epoch length.     

Community Consultation in Developing Museum Projects: A Case Study Using the Repertory Grid Technique

Good community consultation is a powerful tool in developing new museum projects and exhibitions, facilitating a more effective delivery of service to a diverse public. Existing techniques for both user and community consultation are limited with front end evaluation particularly undeveloped in the sector, often providing no meaningful base by which to compare project outcomes. Tension exists between government, which values quantitative data, and researchers who argue qualitative methods are more appropriate for evaluating community projects. This article reports a pilot study using the repertory grid technique to examine a ‘socially excluded’, ethnically diverse local community's perceptions, expectations and previous experiences of similar projects, to provide a benchmark against which to compare outcomes. This research formed part of the front end evaluation for a New Deal for Community's Project run by Sheffield Galleries and Museums Trust. The repertory grid technique was developed in psychological studies as a means of understanding respondents' own world views, and is particularly helpful in working with people with poor language skills. Although this study only used the technique qualitatively, it can be used to combine both quantitative and qualitative data, providing more robust data for evidence-based policy decisions. Using the repertory grid technique, respondents were able to list both perceived and practical barriers to participation in projects. The technique also enabled them to articulate what would motivate them to become involved in future projects. The repertory grid technique has significant potential for use in community consultation and project evaluation as a means of understanding local residents' perceptions and its visual representation means that its findings can be easily understood by participants, policy-makers and practitioners.     

The Future of Defunct Religious Buildings: Dutch Approaches to Their Adaptive Re-use

Across the Western world, membership in the established organized churches is on the decline with a concomitant reduction in the need for churches and church halls. As redundant and unused churches are the focus of vandalism and decay, owners and heritage managers are looking for options to adaptively re-use such buildings. This article reviews the literature on the re-use of churches in the Netherlands, which has long history of innovatively addressing the problems. The options available range from re-use for religious purposes by other denominations or faiths, to community use (multi-purpose, sport, music etc.), and private use, which can be either commercial or residential. The attitudes of the community and the original property owners play a major part in successful adaptive re-use. Because of its long history, the Dutch experience in adaptive re-use of religious buildings has much to offer heritage managers in other countries faced with this emergent management issue.     

Science and cycling: current knowledge and future directions for research

In this holistic review of cycling science, the objectives are: (1) to identify the various human and environmental factors that influence cycling power output and velocity; (2) to discuss, with the aid of a schematic model, the often complex interrelationships between these factors; and (3) to suggest future directions for research to help clarify how cycling performance can be optimized, given different race disciplines, environments and riders. Most successful cyclists, irrespective of the race discipline, have a high maximal aerobic power output measured from an incremental test, and an ability to work at relatively high power outputs for long periods. The relationship between these characteristics and inherent physiological factors such as muscle capilliarization and muscle fibre type is complicated by inter-individual differences in selecting cadence for different race conditions. More research is needed on high-class professional riders, since they probably represent the pinnacle of natural selection for, and physiological adaptation to, endurance exercise. Recent advances in mathematical modelling and bicycle-mounted strain gauges, which can measure power directly in races, are starting to help unravel the interrelationships between the various resistive forces on the bicycle (e.g. air and rolling resistance, gravity). Interventions on rider position to optimize aerodynamics should also consider the impact on power output of the rider. All-terrain bicycle (ATB) racing is a neglected discipline in terms of the characterization of power outputs in race conditions and the modelling of the effects of the different design of bicycle frame and components on the magnitude of resistive forces. A direct application of mathematical models of cycling velocity has been in identifying optimal pacing strategies for different race conditions. Such data should, nevertheless, be considered alongside physiological optimization of power output in a race. An even distribution of power output is both physiologically and biophysically optimal for longer ( > 4 km) time-trials held in conditions of unvarying wind and gradient. For shorter races (e.g. a 1 km time-trial), an 'all out' effort from the start is advised to 'save' time during the initial phase that contributes most to total race time and to optimize the contribution of kinetic energy to race velocity. From a biophysical standpoint, the optimum pacing strategy for road time-trials may involve increasing power in headwinds and uphill sections and decreasing power in tailwinds and when travelling downhill. More research, using models and direct power measurement, is needed to elucidate fully how much such a pacing strategy might save time in a real race and how much a variable power output can be tolerated by a rider. The cyclist's diet is a multifactorial issue in itself and many researchers have tried to examine aspects of cycling nutrition (e.g. timing, amount, composition) in isolation. Only recently have researchers attempted to analyse interrelationships between dietary factors (e.g. the link between pre-race and in-race dietary effects on performance). The thermal environment is a mediating factor in choice of diet, since there may be competing interests of replacing lost fluid and depleted glycogen during and after a race. Given the prevalence of stage racing in professional cycling, more research into the influence of nutrition on repeated bouts of exercise performance and training is required.     

The effect of two different 18-week walking programmes on aerobic fitness, selected blood lipids and factor XIIa

Forty-nine previously sedentary or low active individuals aged 40-71 years were allocated to three groups. The long walking group participated in an 18-week walking programme which consisted of walks lasting 20-40 min; the repetitive short walking group completed walks of between 10 and 15 min, up to three times a day, with no less than 120 min between each walk; and the control group maintained their low level of activity. Both walking programmes began at a prescribed 60 min x week(-1), which increased steadily up to 200 min x week(-1) by week 12. During the study, the long walking group walked for an estimated 2514 min (139 min x week(-1)), expending an estimated 67.5 MJ (3.72 MJ x week(-1)) at an estimated 73% of their age-predicted maximum heart rate and 68% of their estimated VO2max. The repetitive short walking group walked for an estimated 2476 min (135 min x week(-1)), expending an estimated 58.5 MJ (3.17 MJ x week(-1)) at an estimated 71% of their age-predicted maximum heart rate and 65% of their estimated VO2max. The results showed a statistically significant reduction in heart rate during a standardized step test (pre- vs post-intervention) in both walking groups, indicating an improvement in aerobic fitness, although the control group showed a higher average heart rate during the post-intervention test, indicating reduced fitness. When compared with the male subjects pre-intervention, the females possessed more favourable levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol (P< 0.001), apolipoprotein (apo) AI (P < 0.001) and ratios of total cholesterol:HDL cholesterol (P< 0.02) and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol: HDL cholesterol (P< 0.02). Compared with the controls post-intervention, the walking groups showed no statistically significant changes in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, apo AI, apo AII, apo B, or the ratios of total cholesterol: HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol: HDL cholesterol, apo AI: apo B or apo AI: apo AII (P > 0.05). Relative to the walking groups, factor XIIa increased in the control group (P < 0.05). We conclude that, although both walking programmes appeared to improve aerobic fitness, there was no evidence of improvements in the blood lipids or associated apolipoproteins of the walking groups. Further analysis indicated that this apparent lack of change may have been related to the subjects' relatively good pre-intervention blood lipid profiles, which restricted the potential for change. The implications of the observed changes in the coagulation/fibrinolytic factors remain unclear.