Reviews

A. Barker and F. Manji, Writing for Change ‐ An Interactive Guide to Effective Writing, Writing for Science, Writing for Advocacy, CD‐ROM and Users Guide, Fahama/International Development Research Centre, Oxford, 2000. ISBN: 0–9536–9021–0, no price given. Softback (28 pages) and CD‐ROM

Volunteer tourism: Evidence of cathartic tourist experiences

The study involved in-depth interviews with participants of an Australian non-government organization (NGO) that organizes projects in which young volunteers aged between 17 and 26 years from Australia and New Zealand participate in welfare projects with partner NGOs in developing countries. The welfare projects provide on the ground assistance to communities; these may not lead to longer-term sustainable development through longer-term skills training but engage the volunteers and community in a mutual exchange. Typically, participants will be engaged in short term courses in health and hygiene, micro-enterprise management skills, assisting in community health projects, community service with children with disabilities or orphans, painting, construction of school playgrounds and classrooms, guest teaching in schools, cultural exchange and disaster relief. The Australian NGO provides no financial assistance for participants; it primarily organizes and facilitates the travel, project and community work. Each project lasts between two and four weeks and are thus typically short-term in duration. As such, participants can be considered 'shallow volunteer tourists' (Callanan and Thomas 2005)

Co-Constructing Writing Knowledge: Students’ Collaborative Talk Across Contexts

Although compositionists recognize that student talk plays an important role in learning to write, there is limited understanding of how students use conversational moves to collaboratively build knowledge about writing across contexts. This article reports on a study of focus group conversations involving first-year students in a cohort program. Our analysis identified two patterns of group conversation among students: “co-telling” and “co-constructing,” with the latter leading to more complex writing knowledge. We also used Beaufort’s domains of writing knowledge to examine how co-constructing conversations supported students in abstracting knowledge beyond a single classroom context and in negotiating local constraints. Our findings suggest that co-constructing is a valuable process that invites students to do the necessary work of remaking their knowledge for local use. Ultimately, our analysis of the role of student conversation in the construction of writing knowledge contributes to our understanding of the myriad activities that surround transfer of learning

A multilayered approach to the automatic analysis of the multifocal electroretinogram

The multifocal electroretinogram (mfERG) provides spatial and temporal information on the retina’s function in an objective manner, making it a valuable tool for monitoring a wide range of retinal abnormalities. Analysis of this clinical test can however be both difficult and subjective, particularly if recordings are contaminated with noise, for example muscle movement or blinking. This can sometimes result in inconsistencies in the interpretation process. An automated and objective method for analysing the mfERG would be beneficial, for example in multi-centre clinical trials when large volumes of data require quick and consistent interpretation. The aim of this thesis was therefore to develop a system capable of standardising mfERG analysis. A series of methods aimed at achieving this are presented. These include a technique for grading the quality of a recording, both during and after a test, and several approaches for stating if a waveform contains a physiological response or no significant retinal function. Different techniques are also utilised to report if a response is within normal latency and amplitude values. The integrity of a recording was assessed by viewing the raw, uncorrelated data in the frequency domain; clear differences between acceptable and unacceptable recordings were revealed. A scale ranging from excellent to unreportable was defined for the recording quality, first in terms of noise resulting from blinking and loss of fixation, and secondly, for muscle noise. 50 mfERG tests of varying recording quality were graded using this method with particular emphasis on the distinction between a test which should or should not be reported. Three experts also assessed the mfERG recordings independently; the grading provided by the experts was compared with that of the system. Three approaches were investigated to classify a mfERG waveform as ‘response’ or ‘no response’ (i.e. whether or not it contained a physiological response): artificial neural networks (ANN); analysis of the frequency domain profile; and the signal to noise ratio. These techniques were then combined using an ANN to provide a final classification for ‘response’ or ‘no response’. Two methods were studied to differentiate responses which were delayed from those within normal timing limits: ANN; and spline fitting. Again the output of each was combined to provide a latency classification for the mfERG waveform. Finally spline fitting was utilised to classify responses as ‘decreased in amplitude’ or ‘not decreased’. 1000 mfERG waveforms were subsequently analysed by an expert; these represented a wide variety of retinal function and quality. Classifications stated by the system were compared with those of the expert to assess its performance. An agreement of 94% was achieved between the experts and the system when making the distinction between tests which should or should not be reported. The final system classified 95% of the 1000 mfERG waveforms correctly as ‘response’ or ‘no response’. Of those said to represent an area of functioning retina it concurred with the expert for 93% of the responses when categorising them as normal or abnormal in terms of their P1 amplitude and latency. The majority of misclassifications were made when analysing waveforms with a P1 amplitude or latency close to the boundary between normal and abnormal. It was evident that the multilayered system has the potential to provide an objective and automated assessment of the mfERG test; this would not replace the expert but can provide an initial analysis for the expert to review

Factors affecting sickness absence from work

The Whitehall studjes include a series of papers by Stansfeld et al (1995, I997a, 1997b) that examine factors predicting sickness absence from work. These include psychological and physical well-being, social support and chronic stressors, including work-related stress.Psychological ill-health is particularly important in terms of sickness absence. It is thought to account for one third of sickness absence (Jenkins, 1985), often results in repeated absences (Taylor, 1968; Ferguson, 1972) and contributes to long spells of certified absence (Stansfeld et al, I 995). Somatisation of emotional distress highlights the fact that psychological ill-health may be an important contributory factor in absenteeism, even where this is c ited as due to physical symptoms.This study aimed to examine factors affecting sickness absence in one industrial workplace. There were 910 employees within the factory at the time of the study. Absence data was collected over a ten-month period for 8 I 0 of these workers. Approximately 200 workers had indices of physical fitness assessed as part of a health screening initiative and 166 employees completed questionnaires evaluating quality of life, attitudes towards work and psychological well-being. Interrelationships amongst these factors are examined. The relationship of these factors to sickness absence is also explored, as is the relationship between sickness absence and other demographic variables, such as gender and grade of employment. Results are discussed with reference to previous research findings

Explaining Sexual Fantasy: What Predicts Submissive Fantasies for Women?

In a set of three studies, we explore predictors of women’s interest in submissive sexual fantasies and, also, provide an in-depth investigation of the role of sex guilt. We initially hypothesized that submissive sexual fantasy preference amongst women may be a reflection of women’s role in larger society (i.e., their lesser power as compared to men, or subscription to the heterosexual script); however, our findings paint a different picture; one in which women’s relationship with submissive sexual fantasy preference is much more complicated and nuanced, and less a direct representation of social roles and stereotypes. Though more research about correlates of fantasy preference is needed, our results provide support for current discourse on the positive value of sexual fantasies. In general, across our studies, greater interest in fantasies (overall, regardless of type) tend to be correlated primarily with variables that indicate greater levels of sexual functioning, including higher sexual assertiveness and lower conservative sexual attitudes (as measured by the Mosher Sex Guilt scale). Additionally, as a result of findings from Study 1, in Study 2 we focus on sex guilt and develop a novel measure that more accurately captures the multidimensionality of this construct with hopes of clarifying some of the inconsistencies in previous research that has potentially obscured the relationship between sexual guilt and other sexuality related variables. In the concluding chapter, we discuss the implications of the significant findings and use a feminist perspective to explore potential ways that culture-level factors and patriarchal society may affect sexuality and sexual preferences at the individual level.PhDPsychology and Women's StudiesUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/110360/1/aazieg_1.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/110360/2/aazieg_3.pdfhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/110360/3/aazieg_2.pd

Government budget deficits in South Africa.

Masters Degree. University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg.The Government of National Unity, on coming into power in April 1994, indicated its intention to transform the economy through a growth-oriented reconstruction and development programme (RDP). The sustainability of the RDP, however, depends crucially on the maintenance of fiscal discipline as well as the progressive reduction of the overall fiscal deficit. Excessive fiscal deficits will result in higher inflation, higher real interest rates, balance of payments disequilibrium and lower economic growth, thereby putting the whole RDP at risk (Kusi and Fuzile, 1996). The· need to understand the problems of the fiscal deficit and its underlying causes cannot be overemphasised. This study investigates the trend of the fiscal deficit in South Africa over the period 1960-1994, and the impact on it of the changes in its macroeconomic determinants. Our results show that the fiscal deficit has undergone a general trend increase. Many of the changes in the fiscal deficit were the result of the increased government debt and the associated cost of servicing the debt. Other significant factors that affected the deficit were the costs of capital goods imports, changes in domestic prices and the real exchange rate. Revenue was mostly affected by GDP growth and private consumption expenditures. Our findings suggest that tax reform should be directed at broadening the tax base, while expenditure needs to be reallocated from non-productive activities to productive activities, In reducing the level of government expenditure, the Government needs to focus on the current size of the public debt with a view to cutting it to a manageable level.Some underlining in original appears in the scanned copy

Distribution Patterns in Appalachian Table Mountain Pine and Pitch Pine Stands

Flammable pine stands are often located on the driest slopes of forested landscapes in the Appalachian Mountains, but there appears to be regional variation in the topographic distribution of these pines across the southern Appalachian forests. A matrix of stands dominated by oaks and other hardwood trees covers each landscape, with patches of pines embedded within the matrix. Disturbances, such as fire, and gradients of abiotic factors such as moisture availability have influenced these forest patterns. This study uses Southeast GAP Analysis Project land cover data at twelve landscapes of 8 km by 8 km to explore the spatial distribution of pine stands in protected areas of the southern Appalachians. The distributions of the pine stands were analyzed with respect to topographic variables including heat load index, slope, elevation, incoming solar radiation, topographic wetness index, and topographic exposure index. These variables were derived from digital elevation models. Across the twelve landscapes, pine stands are consistently found on dry topographic positions. However, the pine stands vary in terms of the aspects they occupy. Pines primarily occupy the south- and southwest-facing slopes in the southern end of the Appalachian Mountains, while at the northern end of the study region, pines shift towards the west- and northwest-facing slopes. This regional shift in the aspects covered by pine stands likely reflects an interaction between regional climate, vegetation, fire regimes, and local terrain