Measuring environments for public displays: a Space Syntax approach

This paper reports on an on-going project, which is investigating the role that location plays in the visibility of information presented on a public display. Spatial measures are presented, derived from the architectural theory of Space Syntax. These are shown to relate to the memorability of words and images presented on different displays. Results show a complex pattern of interactions between the size and shape of spaces in which displays are situated and the memorability of different types of representations depicted. This approach offers a new way to consider the role of space in guiding and constraining interaction in real settings: a growing concern within HCI and Ubicomp

HYDRACARINA FROM GLACIER NATIONAL PARK

Material for this study consisted of collections of water mites made by Dr. R. M. Muttkowski in Lake McDonald, Glacier National Park, Montana, during the months of July and August, 1925. The author wishes here to express her thanks to Dr. Muttkowski for the opportunity to examine this material and thus to add a little to our scanty knowledge of the Hydracarina of the Rocky Mountain region. Nearly five hundred individuals were secured; these represented seven genera and ten species, one of which is new and one undetermined. About three fourths of the number were Pionas and Limnesias, each genus with two species. The number of species is therefore low, and most of them are common farther east. The size of the individuals was notable; many specimens reached the maximum length recorded for the species

A Comparison of Two Methods of Teaching Selected Aspects of English Grammar

It is the purpose of this study to compare two methods of teaching selected aspects of English grammar--grammatical definitions reinforced by exercises and the diagramming of sentences and grammatical definitions as the basis of teaching composition--to ascertain whether or not one will produce better results than the other on a standardized grammar test, when used with two groups of paired ninth-graders matched according to age, sex, intelligence, and reading ability

Older people's experiences of their kitchens: 2000 to 2010

Purpose – This paper aims to present the quantitative results based on a comparison and evaluation of older people's experiences, needs and wants from their current kitchens, combining and comparing the results obtained from two studies conducted in 2000 and 2010 to see what progress has been made. Design/methodology/approach – A study in 2010 investigated the life-long and contemporary experiences of kitchens of 48 people aged over 60 years of age. The research included detailed questionnaire interviews asking people about their experiences of living in their current kitchen. A previous study, conducted in 2000, asked many of the same questions of 22 people in the same age group. Findings – By combining and comparing the two sets of data it seems that only limited progress has been made in terms of kitchen design meeting the needs of older people between 2000 and 2010. Research limitations/implications – Owing to the small sizes of the samples it is not possible to compare the figures statistically or present them as fully representative of the British older population but while the two samples are limited both had similar characteristics of age and gender, so differences do show potential trends over time. Practical implications – The research refers to guidance and a computer based design tool and identifies a number of practical implications for design. Social implications – As people age their abilities and needs can change and their kitchen may no longer be as accessible or appropriate to their needs. Originality/value – This paper adds to the relevant guidance for designers, developers and managers of buildings where the continued personal use of a kitchen is important for continuing independence of older people

The effectiveness of mental health screening amongst first responders

Background The mental health of first responders is an area of growing concern, with recent studies indicating significantly higher rates of PTSD, anxiety and depression than found in the general population (Berger et al., 2012; Syed et al., 2020). Many organisations use mental health screening to identify individuals at risk of developing posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other mental health conditions, though its effectiveness conducted pre- or post-employment is unclear. Aims This research aims to investigate the role that mental health screening may have in predicting PTSD and other types of psychological injury in first responders. Methods A systematic review of the research literature related to pre-employment screening of personality and other factors which may be predictive of later depression or PTSD symptoms in first responders was conducted. Nested case-control studies of 300 serving police officers with pre-employment personality screening (MMPI-2) data linked to information on long-term sick leave for psychological injury was analysed. A separate set of linked mental health surveys was conducted to examine variance in the number and severity of symptoms reported. Results Measures of dynamic factors including physiological responses to simulated trauma and maladaptive coping styles had stronger evidence as predictors of psychological vulnerability than assessments of static factors such as trauma history or pre-existing psychopathology. With the nested case control studies, conditional logistic regression analyses found no associations between any of the MMPI-2 scale scores, either in isolation or combination, and later psychological injury (OR = 0.89; 95% CI 0.78-1.02). Possible reasons for these findings are discussed, one being the under-reporting of symptoms. This hypothesis was tested by comparing responses on identical validated questionnaires (DASS-21 and PCL-5) administered by different organisations. As expected, police officers reported significantly lower levels of anxiety (p < 0.05) and PTSD (p < 0.001) symptoms on the employer-administered survey compared to the anonymous independent survey. Conclusions The available research evidence does not support the type of pre-employment mental health screening conducted by many first responder organisations. The under-reporting of symptoms in employer-administered surveys is a major barrier to the effectiveness of any screening

Interview with Sir Peter Marshall: Commonwealth Oral History Project

Interview with Sir Peter Marshall, conducted 18 November 2013 as part of the Commonwealth Oral History Project. The project aims to produce a unique digital research resource on the oral history of the Commonwealth since 1965 through sixty oral history interviews with leading figures in the recent history of the organisation. It will provide an essential research tool for anyone investigating the history of the Commonwealth and will serve to promote interest in and understanding of the organisation. Biography: Marshall, Sir Peter. Joined the UK Diplomatic Service in 1949, rising to become Economic Under-Secretary in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Deputy, Economic and Social Affairs, to Britain's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York. Permanent Representative of the United Kingdom to the United Nations in Geneva, 1979-83. Commonwealth Deputy Secretary-General, 1983-88. Chairman of the Commonwealth Trust and Royal Commonwealth Society, 1988-92. Chairman of the Joint Commonwealth Societies Council, 1993-2003. Author of Public Diplomacy (Macmillan, 1997)

All things ethnic : comparing ethnicity in the official statistics of Canada and New Zealand

This thesis provides an historical comparison of the ethnic questions in the censuses of Canada and New Zealand. The comparison spans six census years, selected to provide the best examples of changes in the respective censuses since World War II. Certain critical aspects are examined in detail, including the question wording, response categories, helpnotes, selected coding procedures, and multiple responses. Research material for this thesis was obtained from published and unpublished material from both Statistics Canada and Statistics New Zealand. Sociological definitions and theory relating to ethnicity are investigated, and these issues are related back to the difficulties in developing an ethnic question for Censuses. The 'race' component of census ethnic data is noted, and the possible explanation of the 'census as fossil' is offered. The tensions between the visibility of the ethnic question and the invisibility of ethnic classification systems are also explored. Censuses of Population, and especially the ethnic questions in censuses, are developed by official statisticians in the context of contemporary cultural norms and values. To that end, the economic and social histories of Canada and New Zealand are reviewed to provide a background for the discussion of each ethnic question. Where pertinent the comparison includes Australia, United Kingdom and the United states. The main differences between New Zealand and Canada are found to be in population composition (differences in the indigenous population, as well as the anomaly of the French in Canada) and the legislative requirements for ethnic data. The differences in the ethnic census data are discussed in this context, especially the fact that the New Zeeland question is a cultural affiliation measure, whereas the Canadian 'ethno-cultural' questions relate to ancestry, race and visible minority status. All census data are reliant on the goodwill of the public. If census ethnic data are to remain credible, official statisticians must continue to seek to understand the meaning and impact of census ethnicity questions, and must develop ways of collecting and disseminating the data that satisfy the needs of the users, producers and suppliers of the data. This thesis seeks to contribute to this endeavour

“So we can’t bring a volcano into the classroom…” Communicating geosciences through digital media

There are many fascinating, exciting and important aspects of geoscience that we just cannot physically bringinto classrooms and public engagement events in all their glory. Volcanic eruptions, using drones to combatenvironmental crime, museum exhibits of dinosaur remains. . . and so we must find other ways in which to capturethe imagination and attention of the scientists of the future, and make science and scientists accessible andrelatable to them.How best to do this? What do we need to consider? What do audiences want? Do our approaches actuallywork? Research and practice from three different projects, at varying stages of development, which use computerbased applications to engage public audiences with geosciences give us some insight into effective use of novelcommunication methods in this area.Science Hunters (1) is a successful and well-established outreach project which uses the widely popularcomputer game Minecraft to engage children with science. Run by environmental scientists, there is a heavy focuson geosciences (2). Minecraft is akin to Lego on a computer, but with many more building possibilities. Featuresand processes are relatable to those in the real world, which, along with the widespread appeal of the game, makeit an ideal tool for communicating scientific topics. The Science Hunters approach is highly effective in engagingchildren, as shown by project evaluation data.Science for Environment Policy (3) communicates environmental research findings in easy-to-understandformats to policymakers and citizens across Europe, strengthening the connection between scientific evidence andpolicy, and is evaluated annually, charting the impact of an element of its digital media. Recent project videoshave showcased a variety of geoscience issues in a variety of formats as part of the public service. An evaluationundertaken with students of relevant environmental sciences gives insights into which of these most formats aremost appealing, and likely to be used more widely.The Virtual Natural History Museum (4) is a novel engagement project that places digitised museum resources back on public display. The website takes the form of a giant computer game museum which visitors canexplore, viewing palaeontological multimedia. This grants any community with an internet connection immediateaccess to world-class natural history collections, providing everyone with the opportunity to learn about fossilsand past environments. The project is currently in development for use in schools, presenting an opportunity tofind out more about how teachers respond to such tools. Research into teachers’ views and ideas about how such aresource might be used in schools is widely applicable to other sciences.1 www.lancaster.ac.uk/sciencehunters2 Hobbs et al., 2018. Digging Deep into Geosciences with Minecraft. Eos, 99(11), 24-293 http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/research/newsalert/index_en.htm4 http:///www.vnhm.or