Beyond 'Access': Internet Use and Take-up of Online Services by Adults Living in Disadvantaged Areas in England

Much discussion of the 'digital divide' has focused around the issue of access to technology and how this plays out in relation to different groups from disadvantaged neighbourhoods. This paper draws on survey data from a national evaluation project to investigate the likelihood of further digital divides emerging as we look beyond 'access' to the consumption of e-services. Logit multiple regression is used to test the extent to which a variety of socio-economic characteristics influence the use of e-services including both commercial services and information. The analysis suggests that women, those from a minority ethnic background and people living in less affluent areas are less likely to access commercial services such as online banking and shopping. Gender differences are particularly noticeable in terms of accessing online information, with women significantly less likely to use the Internet to obtain information that may help support their social and economic inclusion.

Lifelong Learning and Digital Exclusion: Lessons from the Evaluation of an ICT Learning Centre and an Emerging Research Agenda

Information and communication technologies (ICTs) are playing an increasingly important role within society. There are concerns, however, about unequal access to ICTs and the dangers of digital exclusion. The UK government has prioritized the development of ICT skills and access to learning through ICTs, the key policy instrument being a network of ICT learning centres in deprived communities. This article reviews the evaluation of a local ICT learning centre, focusing on the impact of the centre in relation to reducing digital exclusion and impact on skills development. The evaluation highlights a number of policy tensions and areas for further investigation.Information, And, Communication, Technologies, Icts, Learning, Centres, Social, Exclusion,

Treatment of neonatal sepsis with intravenous immune globulin

Background Neonatal sepsis is a major cause of death and complications despite antibiotic treatment. Effective adjunctive treatments are needed. Newborn infants are relatively deficient in endogenous immunoglobulin. Meta-analyses of trials of intravenous immune globulin for suspected or proven neonatal sepsis suggest a reduced rate of death from any cause, but the trials have been small and have varied in quality. Methods At 113 hospitals in nine countries, we enrolled 3493 infants receiving antibiotics for suspected or proven serious infection and randomly assigned them to receive two infusions of either polyvalent IgG immune globulin (at a dose of 500 mg per kilogram of body weight) or matching placebo 48 hours apart. The primary outcome was death or major disability at the age of 2 years. Results There was no significant between-group difference in the rates of the primary outcome, which occurred in 686 of 1759 infants (39.0%) who received intravenous immune globulin and in 677 of 1734 infants (39.0%) who received placebo (relative risk, 1.00; 95% confidence interval, 0.92 to 1.08). Similarly, there were no significant differences in the rates of secondary outcomes, including the incidence of subsequent sepsis episodes. In follow-up of 2-year-old infants, there were no significant differences in the rates of major or nonmajor disability or of adverse events. Conclusions Therapy with intravenous immune globulin had no effect on the outcomes of suspected or proven neonatal sepsis. (Funded by the United Kingdom Medical Research Council and others; INIS Current Controlled Trials number, ISRCTN94984750.

1863 Amendment B to a Resolve in Support of the Emancipation Proclamation

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