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Introduction When spasticity interferes with comfort, function, activities of daily living, mobility, positioning, or caregiver assistance, patients should be considered for intrathecal baclofen (ITB) therapy. Methods An expert panel consulted on best practices. Results ITB can be considered for problematic spasticity involving muscles/muscle groups during all phases of diseases, including progressive neurologic diseases. ITB alone or with other treatments should not be exclusively reserved for individuals who have failed other approaches. ITB combined with rehabilitation can be effective in certain ambulatory patients. ITB is also highly effective in managing spasticity in children, who may suffer limb deformity, joint dislocation, and poor motor function from spasticity and muscle tightness on the growing musculoskeletal system. Spasticity management often allows individuals to achieve higher function. When cognition is impaired, ITB controls spasticity without the cognitive side effects of some oral medications. Goal setting addresses expectations and treatment in the framework of pathology, impairment, and disability. ITB is contraindicated in patients with hypersensitivity to baclofen, which is rare, or active infection. Some patients with an adverse reaction to oral baclofen may be mistakenly classified as having an allergic reaction and may benefit from ITB. Relative contraindications include unrealistic goals, unmanageable mental health issues, psychosocial factors affecting compliance, and financial burden. Vascular shunting for hydrocephalus is not a contraindication, but concurrent use may affect cerebrospinal fluid flow. Seizures or prior abdominal or pelvic surgery should be discussed before proceeding to an ITB screening test. Conclusions ITB should be considered when spasticity interferes with comfort or function.

To assess the viability of proposed solar installations, knowledge of global solar radiation is not sufficient. For stationary photovoltaic plant, we require global radiation series, but also the contemporaneous diffuse radiation series. Alternatively, for concentrated solar thermal, we need global and direct normal solar radiation. In this paper, we investigate whether one can simply use a model for predicting diffuse radiation using multiple predictions derived by our research team, the Boland-Ridley-Lauret (BRL) model, to give delineations of both diffuse and direct or if we need to use another model for direct or develop a new direct normal statistical model. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Centring on a small‐scale capability‐based case study of music provision for adults with profound dis/abilities, this paper considers the significance of music and music education in people’s lives. It offers a philosophical defence of music’s importance in enjoying a truly human life and then, drawing on an overview of the work of dis/abled artists and the findings of the case study, it addresses two issues that may inhibit those with dis/abilities from achieving the good life through musical endeavour: the provision of specialised musical equipment to enable people of different physical abilities to achieve the same end of making music; and the element of shame that may cause those with dis/abilities to accept a reduced standard of living. Although our immediate concern is with musical provision for those with profound dis/abilities, our argument is pertinent to other marginalised groups and curricula.

This paper draws on several projects over sixteen years which attempted to develop capacity in educational research at Addis Ababa University. It identifies what might be considered indicators of a thriving research environment as defined from a UK perspective, not simply the necessary skills and infrastructure requirements but also what might be considered ‘academic ‘ or ‘intellectual’ virtues. Having outlined specific project activities, our responses and mutual learning, the paper goes on to consider how such qualities might relate to an Ethiopian academic setting where cultural norms and political contexts have tended to encourage silence and caution rather than critique and argument. Thus through these comparisons, I argue that research capacity building is not just a body of knowledge or set of techniques to be delivered through workshops, but is about the importance of developing a research culture which engages with the underlying attitudes that derive from the country context.

Discussion on the role of education in strategies against poverty and exclusion and in the promotion of active citizenship and democracy is resurfacing in a context of a global economic crisis chal...

International audience; For some locations both global and diffuse solar radiation are measured. However, for many locations, only global radiation is measured, or inferred from satellite data. For modelling solar energy applications, the amount of radiation on a tilted surface is needed. Since only the direct component on a tilted surface can be calculated from direct on some other plane using trigonometry, we need to have diffuse radiation on the horizontal plane available. There are regression relationships for estimating the diffuse on a tilted surface from diffuse on the horizontal. Models for estimating the diffuse on the horizontal from horizontal global that have been developed in Europe or North America have proved to be inadequate for Australia [13]. Boland et al. [2] developed a validated model for Australian conditions. Boland et al. [3] detailed our recent advances in developing the theoretical framework for the use of the logistic function instead of piecewise linear or simple nonlinear functions and was the first step in identifying the means for developing a generic model for estimating diffuse from global and other predictors. We have developed a multiple predictor model, which is much simpler than previous models, and uses hourly clearness index, daily clearness index, solar altitude, apparent solar time and a measure of persistence of global radiation level as predictors. This model performs marginally better than currently used models for locations in the Northern Hemisphere and substantially better for Southern Hemisphere locations. We suggest it can be used as a universal model.

Making some minor changes to the syllabus of a peripheral GCE subject – Advanced Level (A-level) Dance – would hardly seem to be of much importance to anyone except dance students and their teachers. But the loss of dance notation is not as unimportant as it might appear: there are implications for the status of dance in the curriculum, for its ability to attract a range of students and for the development of the subject itself. Whilst being a popular social activity, in UK schools dance is constructed as a physical subject with an aesthetic gloss, languishing at the bottom of the academic hierarchy. Dance as a discipline is marginalised in academic discourse as an ephemeral, performance-focused subject, its power articulated through the body. Yet dance is more than just performance: to dismiss it as purely bodies in action is to ignore not only the language of its own structural conventions but also the language in which it might be recorded. Using the notion of docile bodies, the author considers the centrality of the body as instrument in defining the power of dance and how Foucault's mechanisms of power and knowledge are exemplified in current conceptions of dance in education.

For some locations both global and diffuse solar radiation are measured. However, for many locations, only global is measured, or inferred from satellite data. For modelling solar energy applications, the amount of radiation on a tilted surface is needed. Since only the direct component on a tilted surface can be calculated from trigonometry, we need to have diffuse on the horizontal available. There are regression relationships for estimating the diffuse on a tilted surface from diffuse on the horizontal. Models for estimating the diffuse radiation on the horizontal from horizontal global that have been developed in Europe or North America have proved to be inadequate for Australia [Spencer JW. A comparison of methods for estimating hourly diffuse solar radiation from global solar radiation. Sol Energy 1982; 29(1): 19–32]. Boland et al. [Modelling the diffuse fraction of global solar radiation on a horizontal surface. Environmetrics 2001; 12: 103–16] developed a validated model for Australian conditions. We detail our recent advances in developing the theoretical framework for the approach reported therein, particularly the use of the logistic function instead of piecewise linear or simple nonlinear functions. Additionally, we have also constructed a method, using quadratic programming, for identifying values that are likely to be erroneous. This allows us to eliminate outliers in diffuse radiation values, the data most prone to errors in measurement.

Intrathecal baclofen (ITB) is a recognized therapy for severe spasticity of both spinal and cerebral origin, with documented positive clinical outcomes for many patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). This article reviews some specific considerations concerning the use of ITB in the MS population, based on the author's 10 years of clinical experience. The unpredictable and progressive nature of the disease affects the identification of appropriate goals, the patient's decision-making process, and the evaluation of the response to the treatment over time. Patients with MS may be more sensitive to intrathecal baclofen than patients with other diagnoses, and may need a lower dose for both the screening test and maintenance therapy. Subtle cognitive changes may affect the patient's ability to understand the education needed for successful management of ITB. Some practical strategies are offered for the nurse involved in the care of these patients in each stage of the therapy.

Practitioners from around the country who have extensive experience in intrathecal baclofen (ITB) therapy gathered in early 2004 to develop best-practice guidelines for ITB therapy. Discussion focused on the idea that ITB therapy is a program rather than a procedure. Key recommendations were made in areas including team coordination, patient selection and goals, patient education, patient screening, implant technique, long-term management, individualized dosing options, ongoing evaluation of patient response, appraisal of the integrity of the catheter and infusion system, and appropriate practice resources.

This chapter considers how historical and contemporary narratives can be used to interpret issues of educational organisation and leadership. The research on which it is based sought to understand academic freedom and institutional autonomy through a case study of Addis Ababa University (AAU) between 1950 and 2005. This 55 year period saw three markedly different political regimes: feudalism (1950–1974), socialism (1974–1991) and democratic federalism (1991–2005). Historical narratives must make sense of stories told over time. The stories told during this study included contemporaneous archival materials narrating the points of view of the different political regimes in power and the leaderships of AAU and the reflective narratives of academics, including the lead researcher, Amare, who had lived through these periods. The research asked whether or not academic freedom and autonomy were attainable in a context of mutual support: the university that was responsible to the state that supported and funded it but, at the same time, the university itself played a central role in national politics. The nature of relationships between university and state is complex. The requirements to be free and accountable at the same time create tensions, especially when viewed from the point of view of the different ideas of the university. More pragmatically, if the university depends on the state both for its funding and for defining its value in serving society, then also stating itself to be independent of that same state is unrealistic.

In the financial year 2011–2012, wind farms supplied 26% of South Australia’s electricity demand according to the Australian Energy Market Operator's report. This contribution has risen from zero in 2003. The operation of the electricity grid depends heavily on knowledge of the variability of supply. Wind farm output displays similar conditional volatility as financialmarket variables. In this paper, a new method of estimating wind farm output volatility on a 5-min time scale is developed through the use of higherfrequency wind farm output data. First, an autoregressive model for the high-frequency data is developed, and it is used to derive a volatility measure for 5-min data. The results are also true in certain general situations when the high-frequency data follow an autoregressive moving average process or exhibits long memory features. The methods described here are analogous to realised volatility measures used in financial series, except that wind farm output data are measured at uniform intervals, unlike random trading times for financial transactions. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

While wind farm development has advanced at a great rate in Australia, driven by the Mandatory Renewable Energy Target, the high volatility of wind energy is still a big challenge to the operators of the electricity grid. It is, therefore, important to obtain accurate estimates of the volatility and hence the prediction of the wind farms' output so that wind energy can enter fully and reliably into the competitive electricity market. With the motive of getting an accurate measure of wind energy variability, and given the fact that high frequency data for the wind farm energy output is available at the level of ten second intervals, we develop a method to estimate the variance of the five minute wind energy output using the ten second data. This "five minute" dispatch interval is important for the Australian Electricity Market Operators. Our mathematical results are applicable not only to the wind farm output but also to a wide range of situations, where the high frequency time series data are serially correlated. Refereed/Peer-reviewed

Dose stabilization of intrathecal baclofen (ITB) is usually achieved within 6 to 18 months. In some patients, an increase in ITB dose may result in paradoxical unresponsiveness to baclofen. We present two cases demonstrating increased tone and functional decline with increasing ITB doses after a period of clinical stability. In both cases, reduction of ITB dose was associated with marked clinical improvement.

A C3 quadriplegic was admitted to our unit, and the whole team went into action to set up a full program of rehabilitation. But the patient decided that he preferred to die. This case raised important ethical questions about patient autonomy and the right to refuse treatment versus medical paternalism, by which the healthcare provider makes decisions on the patient's behalf. This article discusses the ethical principles involved and draws comparisons with other cases cited in the literature. "Tom" is a pseudonym, used to protect the patient's identity. Two Ethical Perspectives follow the article.

Denial is often seen as a major obstacle to successful adaptation in the family of the head-injured. In fact, it is typically inadequately understood in the rehabilitation setting. The term is frequently used in a simplistic way, with the social and cultural factors behind the denial, particularly the stigma of head injury, not examined or confronted. There is very little hard data on what constitutes successful family adaptation over the long term. Professionals have a tendency to focus exclusively on the patient's deficits and the family's difficulties, ignoring the positive ways in which people cope. This article suggests that there is a need for a paradigm shift, based on the transactional theory of stress and coping, in which denial is seen as a positive response in some situations. Instead of becoming locked into trying to dispel what is usually called denial and adopting an adversary stance to the family, it may be more beneficial for rehabilitation staff to work together with family members to understand why head injury is so difficult to deal with, develop positive models for living with the sequelae, and encourage hope for the future.

(2001) developed a validated model for Australian conditions, using a logistic function instead of piecewise linear or simple nonlinear functions. Recently, (2006) have verified that this model performs well for locations in Cyprus. Their analysis includes using moving average techniques to demonstrate the form of the relationship, which corresponds well to a logistic relationship.