Review of Intercultural Rhetoric in the Writing Classroom. Ulla Connor. Ann Arbor, MI: The University of Michigan Press, 2011.

For the better part of its life span, intercultural rhetoric research has been dominated by Ulla Connor. This book is a follow-up to her 1996 book Contrastive Rhetoric: Cross-Cultural Aspects of Second-Language Writing, in which she described the developing research methods for the field at the time. Upon the book’s release, some critics warned that the act of comparing the writing style of one person from a particular national culture to that of someone from another national culture may result in stereotypes. This book is the response to these criticisms by way of redefining the field

An Examination of Privacy Policies of Global On-line E-pharmacies

This paper investigates the differences in privacy policy functions among 90 online pharmacy websites in nine countries in Europe, Asia and North America. Results from this study show that the majority of websites do have privacy policies, but the level of functional protection of consumers varies widely. Even in those countries where strong privacy laws exist, the level of privacy protection adherence is often very low. Most studies of privacy policy issues have concentrated on websites from developed nations, with few studies of the pharmacy industry. A better understanding of this industry, as well as understanding the differences in privacy policy implementation among developing and developed countries, provides important lessons for both businesses and consumers

Practical Pedagogy for Embedding Drone Technology into a Business and Computing Curriculum

This paper outlines the design of an undergraduate module in "Applied Drone Technology‟ to enhance student engagement and learning of a new technology within a business school curriculum. It focuses on the development strategy and issues the team encountered when trying to create something outside the usual core computing and business curriculum. Although there are barriers and issues to integrating drones into a curriculum, it can be accomplished with proper planning and a strategic vision. The result was a module that can be used by students in a business school, but with the capability of being used by students in other academic units

Gender Diversity in UAV (Drone) Industry

In the past decade, progress has been made with increasing the number of women employed in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. However, their numbers remain far below their male colleagues. The purpose of this study is to analyse the differences in gender employment in the new STEM area of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (drones). We address the following research questions: (1) Do women have lower levels of employment within various job functions in the drone industry compared to their male colleagues? (2) Is there a difference in drone industry employment between genders among various countries? Statistical analysis of personnel information found on the websites of 112 drone services firms in seven countries found that women were under-represented in the drone industry. They were also less likely to hold technical or managerial roles such as drone pilots or technical managers among all countries surveyed. The practical and theoretical implications of gender exclusion were reviewed

The impact of implementation of a national smoke-free prisons policy on indoor air quality: results from the Tobacco in Prisons study

Objective To determine secondhand smoke (SHS) concentrations in prisons during the week of implementation of a new, national prisons smoke-free policy. Design Repeated measurement of SHS concentrations immediately before and after implementation of smoke-free policies across all 15 prisons in Scotland, and comparison with previously gathered baseline data from 2016. Methods Fine particulate matter (PM2.5) measurements at a fixed location over a continuous 6-day period were undertaken at the same site in each prison as previously carried out in 2016. Outdoor air quality data from the nearest local authority measurement station were acquired to determine the contribution of outdoor air pollution to indoor prison measurement of PM2.5. Results Air quality improved in all prisons comparing 2016 data with the first full working day postimplementation (overall median reduction −81%, IQR −76% to −91%). Postimplementation indoor PM2.5 concentrations were broadly comparable with outdoor concentrations suggesting minimal smoking activity during the period of measurement. Conclusions This is the first evaluation of changes in SHS concentrations across all prisons within a country that has introduced nationwide prohibition of smoking in prisons. All prisons demonstrated immediate substantial reductions in PM2.5 following policy implementation. A smoke-free prisons policy reduces the exposure of prison staff and prisoners to SHS

Unlocking the potential of Big Local partnerships: The role and impact of Locally Trusted Organisations

A locally trusted organisation (LTO) is the organisation chosen by a Big Local partnership to administer and account for funding, and/or deliver activities or services on behalf of a partnership. LTOs are a key part of the Big Local programme. This report explores the extent to which the LTO model supports resident-led decision making and control, what LTOs need to enable this to happen, and what other groups and organisations supporting resident-led change can learn from this work

Paradise Regained? Localised and Limited Nature Connexions in the UK's Covid-19 Lockdown

Research has suggested that connexions between humans and the natural world lead to increased well-being and generate pro-environmental attitudes, which in turn benefit nature. This article asks whether users of outdoor public spaces in the UK during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020 experienced greater connectedness with nature, consistent with the five “pathways to nature connectedness” identified in previous research. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 42 individuals on their use of green and public spaces during the UK's lockdown, while a further 29 participants responded to an online survey. While the research revealed the importance of nature connectedness, only three of the five pathways were well-evidenced, and these connexions were frequently mediated by social activities. The article advances the study of nature connectedness by identifying challenges in applying the pathways framework and suggesting areas for further research to understand how the pathways operate in real-world conditions

Disabled people’s costs of living : more than you would think

The purpose of this study was to investigate the additional needs and associated financial costs of disability from the perspective of disabled people themselves. The research took place at a time when it is recognised that disabled people have a range of additional needs and costs (Large, 1991) and have a disproportionate risk of poverty (Gordon, et al., 2000). However, research to date has not provided a clear measure of these additional costs (Berthoud, 1998). As a result, levels of nationally provided financial benefits and local services are predicated on limited evidence. Certain state benefits are meant to offset, at least partially, the additional costs associated with disability, but the extent to which these benefits meet additional needs and costs is unknown. Recently, ‘fairer charging’ policies for local authority domiciliary care have been introduced with the intention that service charges should take into account the additional costs that individuals incur because of disability. Clear guidance for determining these additional costs is proving elusive. The central aim of this research was to provide clear evidence on the extent of these additional costs