5,205 research outputs found
Facilitating Agent Communication through Detecting, Diagnosing and Refining Ontological Mismatch
How and why people stop offending: discovering desistance
This is an evidence summary published by the Institute for Research and Innovation in Social services in Scotland (IRISS). It summarises evidence about desistance from crime and provides a series of recommendations for criminal justice policy, systems and practice
Sunspot rotation. I. A consequence of flux emergence
Context. Solar eruptions and high flare activity often accompany the rapid
rotation of sunspots. The study of sunspot rotation and the mechanisms driving
this motion are therefore key to our understanding of how the solar atmosphere
attains the conditions necessary for large energy release.
Aims. We aim to demonstrate and investigate the rotation of sunspots in a 3D
numerical experiment of the emergence of a magnetic flux tube as it rises
through the solar interior and emerges into the atmosphere. Furthermore, we
seek to show that the sub-photospheric twist stored in the interior is injected
into the solar atmosphere by means of a definitive rotation of the sunspots.
Methods. A numerical experiment is performed to solve the 3D resistive
magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) equations using a Lagrangian-Remap code. We track the
emergence of a toroidal flux tube as it rises through the solar interior and
emerges into the atmosphere investigating various quantities related to both
the magnetic field and plasma.
Results. Through detailed analysis of the numerical experiment, we find clear
evidence that the photospheric footprints or sunspots of the flux tube undergo
a rotation. Significant vertical vortical motions are found to develop within
the two polarity sources after the field emerges. These rotational motions are
found to leave the interior portion of the field untwisted and twist up the
atmospheric portion of the field. This is shown by our analysis of the relative
magnetic helicity as a significant portion of the interior helicity is
transported to the atmosphere. In addition, there is a substantial transport of
magnetic energy to the atmosphere. Rotation angles are also calculated by
tracing selected fieldlines; the fieldlines threading through the sunspot are
found to rotate through angles of up to 353 degrees over the course of the
experiment
Emergencies: Risk and Personal Preparedness Measures
Personal emergency preparedness efforts that increase the resiliency of individuals and communities and decrease the risk for poor outcomes after an emergency are increasingly of interest to health care leaders, policy makers, and governmental entities. The limited capacity for external aid to provide relief in the first 72 hours after an emergency dictates that individuals and communities become prepared to sustain themselves for this initial period. Failure to prepare for an emergency can result in a multitude of negative outcomes. Those who are economically vulnerable are particularly at risk, including a high risk for negative health outcomes. An initial review the literature on chronic diseases, specifically diabetes, provided a better understanding of how emergencies can impact the health of a diabetic. Analyzing the concept of risk facilitates an understanding of the concept that is useful to health care, nursing, and emergency preparedness professionals. Lastly, analyzing the effectiveness of emergency preparedness education to determine whether it impacted preparedness behaviors and the participants\u27 perceptions of the education itself provides insight into the effectiveness of the education and into the experience this population had in becoming more prepared. It was determined that participants were significantly more prepared for an emergency after the educational program (M = 17.2, SE = .98) than before the educational program (M = 11.68, SE = .55), t(41) = -4.28, p \u3c .001, ES r = .56. However, further research must be done to find better ways to measure individual preparedness levels and evidence-based methods of teaching it
Barriers to Employment
The 'baby boomers' are now approaching their 'third age' with many people able to live fit, active, healthy lives well beyond that experienced by previous generations. The 'third age' supposedly a time to take up new challenges, or explore new directions, has become possible through life span gains resulting from health and technological advances. For many who are approaching or now in their 'third age', however, the opportunity to continue working appears to be a risk. While it is now possible for 'third agers' to be active in the workforce up to and well beyond the previous retirement age, many older workers experience barriers to remaining in or returning to the workforce. This research, based on semi-structured interviews with eleven employers, identifies three main themes that are perceptual, cultural and developmental barriers to 'third age' workforce participation. Each of these themes has developed around the changes that have occurred since many 'third agers' began work. At the same time employers are experiencing skill shortages that are predicted to continue and increase in the future. If employers are to maximise their potential workforce and meet the challenges of the ageing population, diversification of their workforce to include all ages will be necessary
Using food intake records to estimate compliance with the Eatwell plate dietary guidelines
This work was supported by the Scottish Government's Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services (RESAS) Division. The original studies, from which the current data were taken, were funded by the Food Standards Agency, UK, and the Biscuit, Cake, Chocolate and Confectionery Association, London, UK.Peer reviewedPostprin
Sport specialisation in a Singapore secondary school: a case for legitimisation
This evaluation study of a curriculum innovation in sport specialisation was conducted in
Singapore from 1994 to 1997. The longitudinal design provided scope for a comprehensive
analysis of the school, the staff, the pupils and the implementation of the sports
programme, known as the Sports Class. The use of qualitative as well as quantitative
paradigms enabled data to be triangulated within the inquiry, which added security to the
interpretation of the subjective data. Surveys, interviews and non-participant
observations provided the qualitative data whilst established, validated inventories from
the field produced the scientific data. A control/experimental group design was selected
as a means of removing any maturational data that might have interfered with the results.
The study examined the implementation of the programme as an innovation from its
inception and provided formative feedback to the school from its findings through annual
reports.
As background research, the study considered the historical development of sport in
Singapore from its colonial past through to its current status as a 'developing' nation to
better understand the dominant values for sport within the culture. Elitism, gender and a
pre-occupation with fitness were notions that initially directed the investigation. The
study also examined the level of intrinsic motivation and assessed the task and ego
profiles of the players in the programme. As well as assessing the programme outcomes
against the original goals prescribed by the Principal, the study sought out unanticipated
effects that made an impact on the school. The study addressed the influence this elitist
initiative had on physical education from an egalitarian perspective. The study found that
the programme had been successful in improving sporting as well as academic success,
two of the original goals, but found that modifications made to the programme design
impaired the final structure that created concerns about the future success of the initiative
Children’s Food and Drink Purchasing Behaviour ‘‘Beyond the School Gate’’ : The Development of a Survey Module
Copyright © 2013 Wendy J.Wills et al. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly citedMany children eat a diet which supplies a higher than recommended amount of nonmilk extrinsic sugars and saturated fatty acids. The school setting is often targeted for nutrition intervention as many children consume food at school. In Scotland, attempts have been made to improve the nutritional content of food in schools and attention has now turned to food and drink available “beyond the school gate.” This paper describes the development of a module on food and drink purchasing behaviour. The Food Purchasing Module was designed to collect data, for the first time, from a representative sample of children aged 8–16 years about food and drinks purchased on the way to/from school, during break time/free periods, and at lunchtime, from outlets around schools. Cognitive testing of the module highlighted that younger children find self-completion questionnaires problematic. Older children have fewer problems with self-completion questionnaires butmany do not follow question routing, which has implications for the delivery of future surveys. Development of this survey module adds much needed evidence about effectively involving children in surveys. Further research exploring food and drinks purchased beyond the school gate is needed to continue to improve the nutritional quality of children’s dietsPeer reviewe
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