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Purpose: Improving quality of life (QoL) is a major goal of rehabilitation following spinal cord injury (SCI). However, people with disabilities in resource constrained contexts have limited access to rehabilitation and poorer health outcomes, including QoL. There is a paucity of qualitative research on the experiences of persons with SCI involved in rehabilitation programmes in low-middle income countries. This study aimed to assess participants' perceptions of the benefits of a 24-week SCI rehabilitation programme delivered as part of a pilot randomized controlled trial (RCT) in South Africa. Materials and methods: Sixteen participants, with chronic motor-incomplete tetraplegia, were enrolled in a two-arm pilot RCT involving robotic locomotor training, a novel technology, and standard activity-based training (Pan African Clinical Trial Registry (PACTR201608001647143)). Data were collected via in-depth interviews and analysed using thematic analysis. Results: Participants described several improvements in QoL, including enhanced functional independence; reduced secondary complications; and improved psychosocial and emotional well-being. Conclusions: The holistic approach to rehabilitation calls for the involvement of individuals' views about what matters to them to inform clinical practice and to highlight the role that physical activity and the perceived successes play in shaping the lived experiences after SCI. Trial registration: Pan African Clinical Trial Registry (PACTR201608001647143), registration date (21st May 2016), study start date (30th Nov 2016) IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION: Rehabilitation plays an integral role in prompting and integrating positive experiences and changes in QoL for people with spinal cord injury (SCI), especially in a resource constrained context where there is limited opportunity to participate in rehabilitation interventions. Locomotor training and activity-based training can enhance perceived functional independence and psychosocial well-being following SCI. Rather than focus on traditional physiological outcomes, rehabilitation interventions can address quality of life outcomes in order to improve well-being in a way that is meaningful to people with SCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Activity-based Training (ABT) represents the current standard of neurological rehabilitation. Robotic Locomotor Training (RLT), an innovative technique, aims to enhance rehabilitation outcomes. This study aimed to conduct a randomized pilot and feasibility trial of a locomotor training program within South Africa. Individuals with chronic traumatic motor incomplete tetraplegia (n = 16). Each intervention involved 60-minute sessions, 3x per week, for 24-weeks. Outcomes included feasibility measures and functional capacity. 17 out of 110 individuals initiated the program (recruitment rate = 15.4%) and 16 completed the program (drop-out rate = 5.8%) and attended sessions (attendance rate = 93.9%). Both groups showed a significant increase in upper extremity motor score (MS) and abdominal strength post intervention. Only the RLT group showed a significant change in lower extremity MS, with a mean increase of 3.00 [0.00; 16.5] points over time. Distance walked in the Functional Ambulatory Inventory (SCI-FAI) increased significantly (p = 0.02) over time only for the RLT group. Feasibility rates of the intervention and functional outcomes justify a subsequent powered RCT comparing RLT to ABT as an effective rehabilitation tool for potentially improving functional strength and walking capacity in people with incomplete SCI. Spinal cord injury causes severe limitations to functional capacity, independence, and quality of life. Robotic Locomotor Training is growing rehabilitation modality for people with spinal cord injury, but currently its effects on functional capacity are limited. In a relatively small sample, this study shows that large, randomized control trials are feasible within a low-income setting. The preliminary findings of this study show that 12 weeks of locomotor training can improve ambulatory function and functional strength in individuals with spinal cord injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores two unique aspects of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) from the perspective of gender diversity in the field of motion pictures and the dimension of inclusion utilizing the Bechdel-Wallace Test (BWT). A production may pass the BWT if a conversation between two women is not about men, hence the conversation is deemed meaningful. Using a consumer-driven data set, we find a positive effect of the BWT on international and total box office sales. The results also show a unique result in the years following the modern #MeToo movement, leading to enhanced box office returns for domestic, international, and total box office sales. Therefore, in addition to contributing to efforts to better understanding the impact of the addition of gender diversity and inclusion on motion picture performance, female characters' meaningful conversation with other females will likely lead to higher return on producers' investment in motion pictures. Practical implications and contributions to feminist film theory and theory of planned behavior are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Imitation Game is a new method and, as such, it is important to show that its results are plausible and replicable. We tested this by conducting Imitation Games on religion in a range of European countries, returning approximately 12 months later to repeat the research. The idea was that non-Christian members of strongly Christian countries would find it easy to pass as members of the practicing majority because Christian beliefs and practices would be ubiquitous. In more secular countries, the expectation was that non-Christians would find it harder to pass as Christian because religious practices are less visible. We show that, despite some anomalous results, the data are consistent with expectations derived from survey data and that the claim to have replicated the results can be supported. We also suggest that our experiences show that questions of replication in the social sciences cannot be resolved by statistical meta-analysis alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aggregation of polycyclic aromatic compound (PAC) molecules is sensitive to the solvent they are dissolved or suspended in. By using both dynamic light scattering and diffusion-ordered nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, in combination with molecular dynamics simulations, the effect of chemical structure on the aggregation of PACs in both aromatic and alkane solvents were systematically investigated. A suite of triphenylene-based PACs offers a robust platform to understand the driving forces of aggregation mechanism across both nanometer and micrometer scales. Both the configuration, either parallel or otherwise, and the arrangement, whether compact or loose, of molecules in their aggregates are determined by a fine balance of different interactions such as those between the polar groups, π–π interactions between the aromatic cores, steric hindrance induced by the side chains, and the degree of solvation. These results suggest that molecular architecture is the major factor in determining how the model compounds aggregate. The shift from aromatic to aliphatic solvent only slightly increases the likelihood of aggregation for the model compounds studied while subtle differences in molecular architecture can have a significant impact on the aggregation characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study discussed the reports by participants in a randomised controlled trial of a novel intervention for spinal cord injury (SCI) rehabilitation in Cape Town, South Africa. Sixteen participants were randomised to rehabilitation involving the use of robotic locomotor training, a novel technology, or to a group receiving an activity-based intervention. All participants were interviewed before the intervention and at six months follow-up. In a context in which rehabilitation services for SCI are virtually non-existent, all participants approached the study with enthusiasm and expressed gratitude for participation. They had high hopes for what the programme could achieve, with many believing, perhaps incorrectly, that the programme would help them walk independently again. While hope and enthusiasm are useful for adherence to experimental intervention studies, there is a danger, especially in poorly resourced contexts, for participants to experience considerable disappointment following false hope not being realised. This raises important ethical issues for researchers interested in the potential of new technologies to promote health in poorly resourced contexts. For clinicians, the path between supporting positive emotions (which may lead to positive outcomes), and confronting unrealistic hope (which may lead to negative outcomes) may be difficult. Follow-up with participants after re-integration into their communities is important to determine long-term psychological impact. Pan African Clinical Trial Number: PACTR201608001647143 In low-resource contexts where there is a low level of access to rehabilitation services, such access in the context of a trial of a new intervention may engender hope in a group of people with spinal cord injury. This hope may increase when a new technology is used, as was the case in this study. Hope can be very helpful to people entering rehabilitation, but unrealistic hope and expectations may have negative implications in the longer term. In this study, expectations of participants centred, unrealistically, around regaining the ability to walk again, despite past experiences and medical advice suggesting otherwise. A thin line exists between supporting high expectations and confronting unrealistic hope. This conundrum is difficult for the clinician, as both inappropriate hope and undue pessimism about an intervention have the potential to cause harm. Participant follow-up after the end of any innovative trial is important, not just to monitor physical progress, but also, where necessary, to support participants through a potential period of disillusionment when they find their expectations have not been fully met. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents statistical evidence of roadside vegetation's contribution to pavement roughness progression rates. Detailed statistical and regression analysis of the roadside vegetation data collected via satellite imageries and road roughness data collected via high speed road profiler was performed. Elaborative investigation on interaction between roadside vegetation and waveband roughness progression has provided a clear indication of tree variable's contribution on road deterioration. Statistical parameters such as moderate Pearson correlation coefficient (r) values, low mean squared error (MSE), root mean squared error (RMSE), mean absolute error (MAE) values, high Willmott's index of agreement (d) were obtained for training and validation datasets, that depicted the potentiality of tree variables as predictors in pavement roughness progression rate modelling. Statistical evidence showed that effect of trees on road deterioration was more noticeable on long wavelength roughness progression rates. This can be justified via prevailing soil moisture interaction in expansive soil deposits subjected to moisture withdrawal of deciduous trees in arid climate conditions. Overall, the findings of this paper exemplify on the necessity of considering the presence of roadside vegetation in road deterioration analysis, and suggesting the scope of improvement for prediction performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent research and reform efforts in science education have consistently stressed the importance of coherent science instruction, in which learning opportunities are connected and contextualized by meaningful phenomena, focus on a small set of core ideas over time, and generate a need-to-know about new ideas through a set of connected lessons. Yet, this type of instruction remains uncommon in schools. We argue that science teacher education has the potential to play a powerful role in promoting coherent science instruction in schools, but to reach this potential, science teacher education programs themselves must be coherent. Based on existing literature and our work in an international collaboration focused on effective practices in science teacher education, we identify key features of coherent science teacher education programs and present a new model that we refer to as the Science Teacher Education Programmatic Coherence (STEP-C) model. The STEP-C model illustrates how key elements of science teacher education are situated relative to each other, potentially serving as a powerful tool for program design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Horse racing has begun to enter an economic decline in many countries, notably represented by a decline in revenues in betting volumes. A number of reasons may be attributed to this: the success of other sports; new online betting practices; and concerns over animal welfare. In response to this, horse racing institutions have begun to modify its practices, employing technologies such as GPS sensors and Wi-Fi active racetracks, with the aim of engaging a new generation of spectators, including betting spectators, to the sport. We consider a new biotechnological potential for the sport to develop through the use of nano/biosensors in horse racing. The biological data collected by these sensors in real time could be used to offer a number of potential benefits to the sport, such as new forms of bets, support for animal welfare and increased levels of immersive spectator experience. Despite these potential benefits, the use of nano/biosensors can also expose the sport to a number of disbenefits such as increased opportunities for corruption, technological determinism, and issues concerning unethical use of the data collected. We present a critical ethical evaluation of this potential development and argue that stakeholder consensus is required before the technology is implemented, and that an appropriate regulatory framework is established to support its (potential) implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to examine investor reaction to the formation of new and the maintenance of existing Interorganizational Relationships (IORs) through the context of official sports sponsorship relationships. Based on a study where the announcements of new and the maintenance of existing sponsorship IORs are disaggregated, it was found that investors reward the formation of new official sponsorship IORs with significant positive abnormal returns to stock price, while returns for the announcement of the maintenance of existing official sponsorship IORs are nonsignificant. Findings suggest investors place a higher premium on the formation of new IORs compared to the maintenance of existing IORs. Implications for the management of IORs are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of polymeric-based additives for stabilising pavement materials has increased rapidly in recent years. Advantages typically include a reduction in permeability, an increase in durability, a non-time dependent mixing phase, and the provision of flexibility. Polyacrylamide (PAM) is one such additive that has demonstrated such advantages. However, little research has been conducted on measuring performance improvements for pavement materials. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the benefits of using a synthetic PAM additive to improve various performance-related properties for three types of pavement materials commonly used in the construction of unsealed roads in Australia. The three materials selected for testing were a Silty Gravel, a Clayey Sand and a Clayey Gravel. The addition of PAM was found to increase the unconfined compressive strength and dry density for all soil types. Furthermore, the addition of PAM also changed the failure mode from brittle to ductile, which will naturally increase the fatigue life of the pavement. Improvement in tensile strength of the stabilised samples was also noted. Scanning Electron Microscopy analysis results revealed a decrease in the quantity of loose particles and pore volume, and an increase in contact points between particles for the treated samples, which further verified the mechanical and physical improvements gained by adding PAM to unbound pavement materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

These early investigations led John and colleagues to pioneer research into how water molecules are ordered around ions in aqueous solutions- a major step forward in chemical physics. The death of John Enderby on August 3, 2021 saw the loss to neutron science of one of its leading protagonists. John was a brilliant communicator and motivator who inspired many with their careers in neutron scattering. [Extracted from the article]

Colloids suspended in a binary solvent may, under suitable thermodynamic conditions, experience a wide variety of solvent-mediated interactions that can lead to colloidal phase transitions and aggregation phenomena. We present a simple mean-field theory, based on free-volume arguments, that describes the phase behaviour of colloids suspended in a near-critical binary solvent. The theory predicts rich phase behaviour: we find colloidal gas, liquid and crystal phases, a colloidal gas–liquid critical line and a colloidal solid–solid critical line. We compare our results with those of our recent simulation study of the same model in two dimensions. Our simple theory accounts for the main features of the phase diagrams found in simulations and sheds new light on the origin of colloidal aggregation lines in near-critical solvents. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This article analyzes the decision-making processes used by government agencies when trying to decide whether to approve or reject projects that impact the environment. This article examines some of the real-life inputs into the decision, as well as the influences on the decision maker. For example, some academics suggest that decision makers are more influenced by the environmental impact assessment process itself than by the conclusions of the assessment. Three case studies are presented. I provide an overview of each project and the various influences on the respective decision maker. I demonstrate that decision makers tend to elevate social, cultural, and political concerns over the natural environment. I also demonstrate that each decision maker was influenced by a particular social, cultural, or political aspect unique to each situation. I recommend further research in the expanding use of analytical tools and models in environmental decision making. These tools may encourage the decision maker to give more consideration to the results of the environmental impact assessment versus other external influences. Environmental Practice 16: 290–301 (2014) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Road longitudinal profile data were collected on both car and truck wheel tracks for a number of road sections to study the differences in their surface roughness characteristics. Roughness was measured in terms of the heavy articulated truck index (HATI), a measure of pavement ride quality as perceived by heavy truck occupants. Roughness variation between the outer and inner wheel tracks was also investigated. The results showed that lane average values of HATI in truck wheel tracks were higher than in car wheel tracks for about 60% of the studied network. These differences are relatively small but are statistically significant. The results also revealed that subgrade soil type and shoulder seal width influenced roughness variations between the truck and car wheel tracks. Overall, HATI values determined from profile data collected on car wheel tracks resulted in ride perception ratings that matched those determined from measurement in truck tracks for 90% of the studied network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diffusion coefficients (D) of CO2 at 0–10 cm layers in undisturbed and tilled soil conditions were estimated using the Penman (Penman HL. 1940. Gas and vapor movement in soil, 1. The diffusion of vapours through porous solids. J Agric Sci. 30:437–463), Millington–Quirk (Millington RJ, Quirk JP. 1960. Transport in porous media. In: Van Baren FA, editor. Transactions of the 7th International Congress of Soil Science. Vol. 1. Amsterdam: Elsevier. p. 97–106), Ridgwell et al. (Ridgwell AJ, Marshall SJ, Gregson K. 1999. Consumption of atmospheric methane by soils: A process-based model. Global Biogeochem Cy. 13:59–70), Troeh et al. (Troeh FR, Jabro JD, Kirkham D. 1982. Gaseous diffusion equations for porous materials. Geoderma. 27:239–258) and Moldrup et al. (Moldrup P, Kruse CW, Rolston DE, Yamaguchi T. 1996. Modeling diffusion and reaction in soils: III. Predicting gas diffusivity from the Campbell soil–water retention model. Soil Sci. 161:366–375) models. Soil bulk density and volumetric soil water content (θv) at 0–10 cm were measured on 14 April, 2 June and 12 July 2005 at 0–10 cm depth in no-till (NT) and conventional till (CT) malt barley and undisturbed soil grass–alfalfa (UGA) systems. Air-filled porosity (ε) was calculated from total soil porosity and θv measurements. Both soil air porosity and estimated CO2 diffusivity at the 0–10 cm depth were significantly affected by tillage. Results of CO2 diffusion coefficients in the soil followed trends similar to those for soil ε data. The CT tended to have significantly greater estimated soil CO2 diffusion coefficients than the NT and UGA treatments. The relationship between D/D 0, and air-filled porosity was well described by a power (R 2 = 0.985) function. The model is useful for predicting CO2 gas-diffusion coefficients in undisturbed and tilled soils at various ranges of ε where actual gas D measurements are time-consuming, costly and infeasible. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In this article, the authors respond to the critiques of their work "Politics and policy of the Third Wave." They explain how they had come up with proposals that demand a radical change in thinking. They comment on a criticism of their work that is concerned with common ground and studies regarding AIDS research. They argue that a social group may have an influence on technical matters, and cites the treatment of activists as an example. They suggest that to emphasize the message that they perceive, it is important to differentiate politics and science.

Amongst historians of early modern Europe, the relation between confession and nation has been largely neglected, especially in the Anglo-Saxon world. The dominant discourse on nationhood, in contrast, was established by historians of modern history such as Elie Kedourie, Ernest Gellner, Eric Hobsbawm, Benedict Anderson, and Miroslav Hroch. This article evaluates the contributions of two historiographical debates to the study of early modern Central Europe, which were conducted in parallel, from the 1980s, but have not been assessed in context. It argues for the necessity to combine the perspectives of 'confessionalization', developed by early modernists, with the focus of nationalism, championed by students of the nineteenth and twentieth century, in order to achieve a full understanding of the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We outline the political implications of the program known as the 'Third Wave of Science Studies'. Here we develop the politics of the Third Wave showing how it bears on technological decision-making in the public domain. The main concern is to combat 'technological populism'. The prescriptions that emerge include asking and answering as many technical questions as is reasonable and giving these questions and answers the maximum exposure before making what is always a political decision. The implication is a preference for democracies which actively promote discussion and debate of technical matters yet which reject populism of all kinds while still rejecting technocracy. Central to the overt politics of the Third Wave is 'elective modernism' which includes scientific values among those which should be at the heart of a good society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluated the effect of long-term (>20 years) tillage (no-till [NT], spring till [ST], and fall and spring till [FST]) under continuous spring wheat on soil penetration resistance (PR), bulk density (ρb), water content (θm) and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) under dryland cropping systems. Soil PR was significantly greater in the NT than in ST and FST treatments at 0-10 cm depth, but was greater in FST than in NT and ST at a depth deeper than 10 cm. Soil PR generally increased to a depth of 10-15 cm and then decreased beyond this depth. Long-term tillage reduced soil compaction in the surface (0-10 cm), but increased in the subsurface at a depth >10 cm due to the traffic intensity induced by tillage mechanism. Soil ρb was not affected by tillage and averaged 1.59, 1.58, and 1.61 Mg m-3 for NT, ST, and FST, respectively. Similarly soil θm was not influenced by tillage and generally decreased with increased intensity of soil manipulation and tillage frequency. Soil Ks generally decreased with increased tillage frequency. The results showed that soil ρb, θm, and Ks were minimally influenced by tillage intensity after 22 years of treatment imposition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The expression of RHAMM and other centrosome-associated genes are known to correlate with the extent of centrosome amplification in multiple myeloma, and with poor prognosis. RHAMM has a significant interaction with TPX2, a protein which regulates the localization and action of Aurora A kinase (AURKA) at the spindle poles. AURKA is known to be a central determinant of centrosome and spindle function and is a target for cancer therapy. Given these observations, we investigated the role of Aurora kinases as therapeutic targets in myeloma. Here we report that AURKA is expressed ubiquitously in myeloma, to varying degrees, in both cell lines and patients' bone marrow plasma cells. siRNA targeting AURKA induces apoptotic cell death in myeloma cell lines. The Aurora kinase inhibitor VE-465 also induces apoptosis and death in myeloma cell lines and primary myeloma plasma cells. The combination of VE-465 and dexamethasone improves cell killing compared with the use of either agent alone, even in cells resistant to the single agents. The phenotype of myeloma cells treated with VE-465 is consistent with published reports on the effects of Aurora kinase inhibition. Aurora kinase inhibitors should be pursued as potential treatments for myeloma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calls for increased public participation in science and technology policy are now commonplace and raise challenges for social scientists as well as policy-makers. For social scientists, the practice of public participation raises questions about the methods used by social scientists to collect data and develop the representations of public opinion that inform this new dialogue but also reflect it. In this paper, the difference that different methods can make is illustrated by comparing the focus group data on perceptions of stem cell research with the more conventional survey based representations of public opinion. By examining how our data allow the uncertainty and ambivalence of participants to remain visible in its analysis, we argue that a more qualitatively informed social science can contribute to public debate in ways that go beyond the quantification of 'pro' and 'anti' positions that survey research appears to encourage. In particular, we argue that by providing, and in some sense sustaining, alternative representations of public concerns that resist polarization, social science can inform a more broad-ranging 'upstream' debate about the social purposes that science should serve. ... there is nothing a government hates more than to be well-informed; for it makes the process of arriving at decisions much more complicated and difficult (John Maynard Keynes, quoted in Skidelsky, 1992, p. 630). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The third meeting of the European Social Forum (ESF) was held in London during October 2004 with a broad ranging formal agenda and a penumbra of affiliated workshops and cultural activities. We draw on participant observation in all sessions dealing with science and genomics and offer an evaluation of Rothman's (2000) argument that NGOs and protest movements have a vital role to play in consolidating and disseminating the UN Universal Declaration on the Human Genome and Human Rights. The paper positions the ESF as a constituent part of the World Social Forum network, identifies the key ESF networks and actors concerned with science and genomics, and analyses the various action, grievance and mobilisation frames generated within the 2004 ESF. It concludes with a discussion of the potential of this networked movement milieu to realise the goals identified in Rothman's work. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantitative surveys in March 1985 - 97 and cursory observations in 1998 - 2007 showed substantial erosion on arable fields in some years. Most frequent on autumn-sown fields of cereal and oilseed rape, erosion occurred also on ploughed fields, harvested turnips, and other crops with much bare soil. In cereal erosion was correlated with field gradient. Erosion frequency and severity were correlated with winter precipitation, especially the heaviest fall in a day. Off-site impacts were mud on roads and ditches, and flooding. Erosion was more frequent than in most surveys in England and Wales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Continual changes in cochlear implant technology have resulted in the development of superior implants which improve quality of life of users. We present the case of a taxi driver who has been in our cochlear implant programme since 1991 and has required reimplantation. We discuss the benefits of the new implant on his life and work. A novel technique to successfully reimplant the ipsilateral cochlea is highlighted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron (Fe) is an essential, but potentially noxious, metal for almost all organisms. Its precise cellular regulation is necessary to ensure synthesis of numerous iron-containing proteins required for metabolic processes yet at the same time avoiding the build-up of potentially toxic levels of iron. In humans, iron-deficiency results in anemia, while excess iron can lead to organ damage as a result of a build-up of non-transferrin-bound iron (NTBI). In recent years, the cloning of novel proteins has clarified the mechanisms of iron uptake, storage and metabolic regulation. Our current knowledge of the molecular aspects of mammalian iron metabolism and NTBI are presented in this review. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are an increasing number of young children undergoing cochlear implantation. Cholesteatoma is a serious, although rare, long-term complication. We present the only documented case in which cholesteatoma has presented with late abscess formation in the bed of a cochlear implant package of a child. Cholesteatoma may be an iatrogenic complication of implantation surgery. Damage to the bony part of the external auditory canal should be avoided. The successful two-staged surgical treatment using explantation, debridement, gentamycin bead insertion, cholesteatoma excision and modified radical mastoidectomy is described. The intra-cochlear electrode was removed precluding cochlear implant reimplantation. This late presentation supports regular long-term otoscopic review of cochlear implant patients by experienced otologists. Suspicion should be raised in patients with persistent otorrhoea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study's purpose was to determine whether science teaching self-efficacy beliefs among new teachers of elementary science interact significantly with teaching environments in their schools. The study hypothesized a mechanism by which environments can interact with self-efficacy and, consequently, affect the quality of science teaching. The self-efficacy of new elementary teachers from Denmark was assessed at the beginning, middle, and end of their first year of teaching. Their teaching success and environments were also assessed. It was found that positive changes in self-efficacy seemed positively related to the occurrence of environmental factors helpful to teaching (r = .401; p = .011; n = 39). In three case studies, there was some support for this association from assessments, interviews, and success in teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe two strategies for tackling the equilibrium statistical mechanics of inhomogeneous colloid-polymer mixtures treated in terms of the simple Asakura-Oosawa-Vrij (AO) model, in which colloid-colloid and colloid-polymer interactions are hard-sphere like, whereas the polymer-polymer interaction is zero (perfectly interpenetrating polymer spheres). The first strategy is based upon integrating out the degrees of freedom of the polymer spheres to obtain an effective one-component Hamiltonian for the colloids. This is particularly effective for small size ratios q = σ p σ c <0.1547, where σ p and σ c are the diameters of colloid and polymer spheres, respectively, since in this regime three and higher body contributions to the effective Hamiltonian vanish. In the second strategy we employ a geometry based density functional theory (DFT), specifically designed for the AO model but based on Rosenfeld's fundamental measure DFT for additive mixtures of hard-spheres, that treats colloid and polymer on an equal footing and which accounts for the fluid-fluid phase separation occurring for larger values of q . Using the DFT we investigate the properties of the 'free' interface between colloid-rich (liquid) and colloid-poor (gas) fluid phases and adsorption phenomena at the interface between the AO mixture and a hard-wall, for a wide range of size ratios. In particular, for q = 0.6 to 1.0, we find rich interfacial phenomena, including oscillatory density profiles at the free interface and novel wetting and layering phase transitions at the hard-wall-colloid gas interface. Where appropriate we compare our DFT results with those from computer simulations and experiment. We outline several very recent extensions of the basic AO model for which geometry based DFTs have also been developed. These include a model in which the effective polymer sphere-polymer sphere interaction is treated as a repulsive step function rather than ideal and one in which the depletant is a fluid of infinitely thin rods (needles) with orientational degrees of freedom rather than (non-interacting) polymer spheres. We comment on the differences between results obtained from these extensions and those of the basic AO model. Whilst the interfacial properties of the AO model share features in common with the those of simple (atomic) fluids, with the polymer reservoir density replacing the inverse temperature, we emphasize that there are important differences which are related to the many-body character of the effective one-component Hamiltonian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper we look behind the notion of sustainable transport and highlight the tensions and contradictions between the different ways of achieving this. The paper examines transportation plans for a major UK city and describes how these develop the idea and practice of sustainable transport and demand management along three quite distinct trajectories. By focusing on both the technological and the institutional dimensions of three different routes to sustainable transport, the analysis explicates the different ways in which the urban transport problem is framed, the different socio-technical logics of demand management embodied in the plans and the differing ways in which institutional relationships are (re)constituted. A key finding is that technological and institutional innovations are inversely related so that radical technological innovation often serves to reinforce existing social relations of power and exclusion. The conclusion drawn is that the choice is not just between a sustainable and an unsustainable transport future, but also between different forms of sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluates the social and technological dimensions of xenotransplantation techniques in Great Britain. Assessment of the regulatory practices; Identification of the risk domains; Involvement of the diversified publics.

Compares Thomas Nashe's poem `The Choise of Valentines' and Geoffrey Chaucer's poem `The Pardoner's Tale.' Distinctions between Nashe's poem and pornography noted by J. B. Steane; Chaucer's influence on Nashe's work; Parallel phrasing and situations between `The Choise' and `The Pardoner's Tale.'

The importance to libraries of the collection development policy statement was underscored with the publication of the ALA Guidelines for Collection Development in 1978. The actual process of putting together such a statement is outlined in this article. Consideration is given to the composition of the collection development policy committee, the use of the Guidelines by the committee, and the sources of information that need to be analyzed for the policy, such as resource sharing, historical strengths and changing curriculum goals. The problems of determining collection levels, reconciliation of ambitions with actual practice, and how to handle interdisciplinary areas are also addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The Tennessee Self Concept Scale was adminsitered to 243 insitutionalized delinquent males and females to determine (1) if there were significant differences between the self concepts of non-delinquents and confined delinquents and (2) if there are significant differences in the self concepts of the subjects according to months of institutional confinement, age, and sex. Analyses indicated that the subjects have abnormally lower self concepts than non-delinquents and that females and the youngest subjects have significantly lower self concepts than their male and older counter-parts. Subjects confined from 13 through 24 months are significantly more critical of themselves indicating a willingness to recognize what they perceive as negative attributes. Age and sex were the only significant predictors of Total Self Concept, and age was also a significant predictor of perceived Behavior. Sex was a significant predictor of Personal and Family Self scores. Scores indicated that most of the subjects held themselves in abnormally low regard as individuals, members of society and as family members. Overall scores further reveal a group who perceive that they are held in low esteem by others, as well. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Focuses on the legal responses to internal and international terrorism in Italy. Changes in the Italian penal code; Figures and incidents of terrorist attacks in Italy between 1969–1987; Constitutional amendments for the prevention of terrorism.

Inflationary periods in the United States bring with them calls for economic controls. Four times in the past fifty years, the result has been format programs to restrain wages and prices: during World War II, the Korean War, the "guidelines" years of Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon Baines Johnson, and President Richard Milhous Nixon's wage freeze and stabilization rounds. Another alternative, however, involves changing the structure of collective bargaining in order to generate less inflationary settlements. Despite a large number of books and articles on incomes policy, there has been. little formal discussion of the structure of a desirable incomes policy. Japan's macro wage-setting practices, which contain many of the desirable elements listed here, can provide a useful model for the United States. Japan's experience following the first oil shock suggests that inflationary pressures were not perpetrated there through the operation of labor markets: between 1976 and 1982 the average yearly wage increase at large Japanese employers was 7.2 percent, while consumer prices rose at an annual rate of only 5.6 percent.

A growing awareness of and concern about rapidly increasing juvenile crime rates coupled with a revitalized concern for victims have generated a disillusionment with many traditional and diversionary methods of handling juvenile offenders. Restitution is regarded by many as the most promising, logical, and effective means of achieving the dual goals of deterrence and punishment. Surveys suggest strong support for juvenile restitution and several stales have recently enacted or amended juvenile restitution statutes. A review of slate juvenile codes reveals that a majority of states generally permit courts to require restitution as a disposition and to determine the amount and form of reparation. A survey of juvenile court judges and probation officers representing fourteen states which permit some form of restitution revealed that about one-third of the courts require it often and two-thirds seldom or never require it. More than half regard it as an effective deterrent. Data shows that the most common form of restitution is money payments; however, there remains much disagreement as to the amount of restitution required. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]