Evaluation of the computers for pupils initiative: final report

The Computers for Pupils (CfP) initiative aimed to help overcome the digital divide, which can prevent young people from disadvantaged backgrounds from enjoying the benefits of access to information and communications technology. The initiative provided funding for schools in deprived areas to invest in home access to ICT for their neediest pupils in order to: • give eligible learners the same opportunities as their peers • contribute to raising educational achievement • support personalised learning • encourage the development of ICT skills among learners and families. In December 2006, Becta commissioned the National Foundation for Educational Research (NFER) to undertake a national evaluation of the CfP initiative. The main aim of the two-year evaluation was to assess the impact of CfP on learners and their families and to explore how schools and teachers had developed their pedagogic practices in order to support and capitalise on the new educational opportunities afforded by the technology. The evaluation involved distinct though interrelated strands of quantitative and qualitative research: • Questionnaire surveys of teachers in CfP schools, learners selected for CfP, and learners’ parents, which were conducted twice (autumn 2007 and 2008) in order to explore changes in general access to and use of computers and ICT, and assess the impact of the CfP initiative • In-depth case-study research across 13 schools within eight local authorities (LAs) in the spring and summer terms 2008 and again in the autumn term 2008 (including the same LAs and schools at all time points), in order to explore through detailed interviews perceptions of the implementation and impact of CfP. Key findings in relation to the aims of CfP

Differences In Piping System Design for Reciprocating and Centrifugal Pumps

Short CourseReciprocating pump installations require particular design considerations which are much different from centrifugal pump systems. An incomplete design basis for reciprocating pump installations can lead to costly remedial actions after commissioning, significant downtime or more serious problems which, if undetected, can lead to failures of pump components. The goal of this course is to provide insight into the design considerations and industry best practices for centrifugal and reciprocating pump installations. The focus of the course will be on reciprocating pumps due to their higher risk of fatigue failures

Learning From Coalitions' Efforts to Promote Equity and Justice.

Coalitions and collaboratives are working to address many of the most pressing contemporary health and social issues. The articles in this special issue provide numerous insights into these complex collaborative processes across different contexts and focal issues. All emphasize and scrutinize the strategies that groups are using in their work. These strategies seek to navigate not only conventional notions of effectiveness but also the challenges of pursuing greater equity and justice. In this concluding article, we distill some of the key insights from these articles as a collective. This special issue on collaborating for equity and justice can serve as a launching point for new efforts by coalitions and researchers pursuing policy, systems, and structural changes, particularly those intent on addressing root causes of health and social disparities

Habitat-mediated dive behavior in free-ranging grey seals

Understanding the links between foraging behaviour and habitat use of key species is essential to addressing fundamental questions about trophic interactions and ecosystem functioning. Eight female grey seals (Halichoerus grypus) were equipped with time-depth recorders linked to Fastloc GPS tags following the annual moult in southwest Ireland. Individual dives were coupled with environmental correlates to investigate the habitat use and dive behaviour of free-ranging seals. Dives were characterised as either pelagic, benthic, or shallow (where errors in location and charted water depth made differentiating between pelagic and benthic dives unreliable). Sixty-nine percent of dives occurring in water >50 m were benthic. Pelagic dives were more common at night than during the day. Seals performed more pelagic dives over fine sediments (mud/sand), and more benthic dives when foraging over more three-dimensionally complex rock substrates. We used Markov chain analysis to determine the probability of transiting between dive states. A low probability of repeat pelagic dives suggests that pelagic prey were encountered en route to the seabed. This approach could be applied to make more accurate predictions of habitat use in data-poor areas, and investigate contentious issues such as resource overlap and competition between top predators and fisheries, essential for the effective conservation of these key marine species

Polyandry in nature: a global analysis

A popular notion in sexual selection is that females are polyandrous and their offspring are commonly sired by more than a single male. We now have large-scale evidence from natural populations to be able to verify this assumption. Although we concur that polyandry is a generally common and ubiquitous phenomenon, we emphasise that it remains variable. In particular, the persistence of single paternity, both within and between populations, requires more careful consideration. We also explore an intriguing relation of polyandry with latitude. Several recent large-scale analyses of the relations between key population fitness variables, such as heterozygosity, effective population size (Ne), and inbreeding coefficients, make it possible to examine the global effects of polyandry on population fitness for the first time

Communication on the World Wide Web: Designing an Effective Homepage

The purpose of this study was to examine the content and structural features of a World Wide Web homepage with the explicit goal of making recommendations for how a homepage should be designed

CO2 STORage Evaluation Database (CO2 Stored): the UK's online storage atlas

The CO2 Storage Evaluation Database (CO2 Stored) is the UK's offshore storage atlas. It provides online access to information for over 500 potential offshore storage units. CO2 Stored is hosted and developed in partnership by The Crown Estate (TCE) and The British Geological Survey (BGS). CO2 Stored provides access to some of the results of the UK Storage Appraisal Project (UKSAP; commissioned and funded by the Energy Technologies Institute). Through CO2 Stored information can be delivered for a range of storage types including saline aquifers and oil and gas fields concerning the geological parameters of the storage units, potential geological risks and economic projections for cost of storage

Effectiveness of a Targeted, Peer-Driven Skin Cancer Prevention Program for Lifeguards

Lifeguards working at outdoor pools typically receive high amounts of sun exposure, increasing their risk for developing skin cancer. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a targeted, peer-driven intervention for skin cancer prevention among lifeguards. Nine pools received the targeted intervention, Pool Cool Plus, and five received the standard Pool Cool prevention program. Lifeguards completed surveys at the beginning and end of the summer. Lifeguards in both the targeted intervention and standard program groups increased their sun safety practices and reported more sun-safe pool policies and environments. Sunburn rates decreased among lifeguards participating in Pool Cool Plus. Future research should test the feasibility and effectiveness of disseminating the Pool Cool Plus program