Older people, social networks and information behaviour

The study aim was to explore the information behaviour of older people living in a rural location in order to understand how they exchanged information through their social networks and social activities. The study provides a unique contribution to research with its emphasis on information exchange in a remote rural context based on the perspectives of older people. The approach was interpretative, using a phenomenological, interactionist methodological framework, taking account of social constructionist and critical realist philosophical perspectives and grounded in information behaviour theories and models. The ethnographic methodology, combining qualitative data collection methods, emphasized the lifestyle, the participants, the information and the contexts. Data were summarized thematically within the four global headings, "Lifestyle", "People", "Information" and "Place" and further themes and sub-themes reflected both the common and individual viewpoints of the participants. The key findings were that older people relied on family and close friends (strong ties) for support, advice and personal information. They preferred to exchange practical, local information about regular activities and local services interpersonally within their close social network groups and during social activity. This information was often available through more casual contacts (weak ties) facilitating information flow through social networks and social activities in both formal and informal information grounds. Informal information grounds, such as the Age Concern coffee morning, proved to be the most successful, where all the positive elements, including an informal atmosphere, the presence of close friends, casual contacts and a variety of information resources were present in one place. The „Model of Information Behaviour amongst Older People in a Rural Setting?, highlights the contextual and social influences affecting information behaviour, the means by which information is exchanged, the types of information exchanged, and the way in which social information grounds are successful for older people

Dynamic anthropogenic activitieS impacting heat emissions (DASHv1.0): development and evaluation

Thermal emissions or anthropogenic heat fluxes (QF) from human activities impact the local and larger scales urban climate. DASH considers both urban form and function in simulating QF by use of an agent-based structure that includes behavioural characteristics of city populations. This allows social practices to drive the calculation of QF as occupants move, varying by day type, demographic, location, activity, socio-economic factors and in response to environmental conditions. The spatial resolution depends on data availability. DASH has simple transport and building energy models to allow simulation of dynamic vehicle use, occupancy and heating/cooling demand, with subsequent release of energy to the outdoor environment through the building fabric. Building stock variations are captured using archetypes. Evaluation of DASH in Greater London for various periods in 2015 uses a top-down inventory model (GQF) and national energy consumption statistics. DASH reproduces the expected spatial and temporal patterns of QF but the annual average is smaller than published energy data. Overall the model generally performs well, including for domestic appliance energy use against top down model results. DASH could be coupled to an urban land surface model and/or used offline for developing coefficients for simpler/faster models

Urban Multi-scale Environmental Predictor - an extensive tool for climate services in urban areas

The city based climate service tool UMEP (Urban Multi-scale Environmental Predictor) is a coupled modelling system that combines models essential for urban climate processes and is developed as an extensive QGIS plugin. An application is presented to illustrate its potential, specifically of the identification of heat waves and cold waves in cities. The tool has broad utility for applications related to outdoor thermal comfort, urban energy consumption, climate change mitigation etc. It includes tools to: enable users to input atmospheric and surface data from multiple sources, prepare meteorological data for use in urban areas, undertake simulations and consider scenarios, and compare and visualize different combinations of climate indicators

Access to information and support for health: Some potential issues and solutions for an ageing population

Computer illiteracy is diminishing as a new generation of retirees become the younger old and display more up-to-date knowledge and skills. However, there are questions about whether this group will be able to continue to update their skills as they get older, and whether it is appropriate to develop technology solutions specifically for this age group or to concentrate on accessible designs for the whole population. We propose that older people may be empowered through involvement in the design and provision of accessible information and technology solutions and through training opportunities in information seeking skills. Access, involvement and training need to be provided in everyday locations, and training needs to be closely related to people's physical, cognitive and information needs and those of the particular communities where they live. These issues are explored using evidence from a number of research projects conducted by the authors

Library and information services to support the education and development of nurses : the management of co-operation and change—a clash of two cultures?

This paper reports on the findings of research conducted by the Department of Information and Library Management and the Information Services Department at the University of Northumbria at Newcastle on behalf of the LINC Health Panel. It aims to investigate the organization and funding of library and information services to the nursing profession since the move of nurse education into higher education. The paper focuses on the lack of co-operation and communication between the National Health Service and higher education cultures in the provision of services to nurses. A brief review of the literature includes the views of experts in the field on library and information services and education for nurses as they are now, and ideas for possible developments for the future. This is followed by a description of the main research findings and the five key issues identified by information professionals in a questionnaire survey as vital for future consideration and action. Finally, the conclusions drawn from the findings have been developed into recommendations for the direction of the future discussion, research and action which is needed to further improve library and information services for all nurses

Tennis-specific extension of the International Olympic Committee consensus statement: methods for recording and reporting of epidemiological data on injury and illness in sport 2020

The IOC has proposed standard methods for recording and reporting of data for injury and illness in sport. The IOC consensus statement authors anticipated that sport-specific statements would provide further recommendations. This statement is the tennis-specific extension of the partner IOC statement. The International Tennis Federation Sport Science and Medicine Committee, in collaboration with selected external experts, met in June 2019 to consider athlete health monitoring issues specific to tennis. Once the IOC consensus statement was finalised, the tennis-specific consensus was drafted and agreed on by the members over three iterations. Compared with the IOC consensus statement, the tennis consensus contains tennis-specific information on injury mechanism, mode of onset, injury classification, injury duration, capturing and reporting exposure, reporting risk and study population. Our recommendations apply to able-bodied as well as wheelchair tennis players. Where applicable, specific recommendations are made for wheelchair tennis

Cardiovascular concentration-effect relationships of amodiaquine and its metabolite desethylamodiaquine: clinical and pre-clinical studies

Background Amodiaquine is a 4-aminoquinoline used extensively for the treatment and prevention of malaria. Orally administered amodiaquine is largely converted to the active metabolite desethylamodiaquine. Amodiaquine can cause bradycardia, hypotension, and electrocardiograph (ECG) QT interval prolongation but the relationship of these changes to drug concentrations is not well-characterised. Methods We conducted a secondary analysis of a pharmacokinetic study of the cardiac safety of amodiaquine (10mg base/kg/day over 3 days) in 54 Kenyan adults (≥18 years) with uncomplicated malaria. Non-linear mixed effects modelling was used to assess amodiaquine and desethylamodiaquine concentration-effect relationships for vital sign (pulse rate, blood pressure) and ECG interval (QT, QRS, PR) outcomes. We also measured the spontaneous beating heart rate after cumulative dosing of amodiaquine and desethylamodiaquine in isolated mouse atrial preparations. Results Amodiaquine and desethylamodiaquine caused concentration-dependent mean decreases in pulse rate (1.9beats/minute per 100nmol/L; 95% CI: 1.5-2.4), supine systolic blood pressure (1.7mmHg per 100nmol/L; 1.2-2.1), erect systolic blood pressure (1.5mmHg per 100nmol/L; 1.0-2.0), and erect diastolic blood pressure (1.4mmHg per 100nmol/L; 1.0-1.7). The mean QT interval prolongation was 1.4milliseconds per 100nmol/L irrespective of correction factor after adjustment for residual heart rate dependency. There was no significant effect of drug concentration on postural change in blood pressure or PR and QRS intervals. In mouse atria, the spontaneous beating rate was significantly reduced by amodiaquine (n=6) and desethylamodiaquine (n=8) at 3μmol/litre (amodiaquine:10±2%; desethylamodiaquine:12±3%) and 10μmol/litre (amodiaquine:50±7%; desethylamodiaquine:46±6%) concentrations with no significant difference in potency between the two compounds. Conclusion Amodiaquine and desethylamodiaquine have concentration-dependent effects on heart rate, blood pressure, and ventricular repolarisation

‘Blurred lines’

The recent review of the national curriculum, which places Physical Education as a compulsory subject at key stages 1–4, indicates a government commitment to the subject. However, given the contested history of Physical Education’s priorities and practices, such commitment should, perhaps, be handled with care. The main strength of Physical Education lies in its ability to develop the child holistically, through a focus on the promotion of physical literacy, but more recently the emphasis has been on its ability to support academic achievement. This suggests a dualistic view of Physical Education, whereby the mind and body are separate and physicality is viewed as a subservient function to cognition. It is argued, however, that these aspects cannot be separated, as it is the holistic development rooted in monism that enables the individual to flourish both physically and intellectually. In January 2011, the Department for Education launched a review of the national curriculum, with a ‘greater emphasis on competition’. This totally ignores the notion that competition does not suit everyone and may be catastrophic for some pupils’ self-esteem, having implications for physical activity levels. This paper concludes that a number of aspects require further consideration if the true value of Physical Education is to be realised. The pedagogical implications of a curriculum underpinned by physical literacy must be debated and a consolidated approach agreed