Drilling down to the core: collaborative core content creation

As part of Leeds Metropolitan University’s review of the postgraduate curriculum in 2012–13, Libraries and Learning Innovation (LLI) was asked to lead a project group to create two core content modules for use at Level 7 (Masters level) in Research Practice and Project Management. Core content modules are modules within a virtual learning environment (VLE) that have a clear structure and design, containing generic materials to support the subject. They are intended to serve as a template for academics designing a module, providing a range of high quality, up-to-date content (created by Leeds Metropolitan as well as from other sources) that may be easily inserted and contextualised within the curriculum. The modules have been extremely well received, with very positive feedback being given in the promotional workshops run for staff, through a feedback form and in meetings and events attended by team members. Several academic staff have already used a copy of the Research Practice module as the basis of their own research modules, and it has also been adopted by a new course for distance learners as the core of their Research Practice module, following on from recommendations of colleagues in that faculty. A member of academic staff involved in the MSc in Strategic Project Management is working with the team on re-purposing a number of his own materials to augment the Project Management module, and these re-purposed materials will also be used to enhance and extend the project management content on the Skills for Learning website. The project has been a very rewarding experience for the team involved, and it has led to the development of a set of resources which it seems will be of real worth to the academic community

Community College Perspectives on Teacher Preparation in Virginia

The need for future teachers who are well versed in mathematics and science will not be provided by Virginia’s four-year institutions alone. A large portion of those students who complete their K-8 teacher preparation programs at Virginia’s four-year institutions have studied a significant portion, if not all, of their mathematics and science at community colleges. Therefore, if future teachers are to have completed appropriate mathematics and science courses these must be provided by the community colleges. In addition, community colleges can play a critical role in attracting people with a high potential for becoming excellent teachers. Two-year colleges are located in urban and rural areas, enroll a large portion of Virginia’s minority students, and welcome returning adults. We need to attract students from this source if we are to produce sufficient numbers of well prepared teachers in Virginia. A recent National Science Foundation workshop developed detailed recommendations conceming the role of two-year colleges. This paper will focus on these recommendations

Precise time and time interval data handling and reduction

In the past year, the increase in Precise Time And Time Interval data to be reduced to the U.S. Naval Observatory Master Clock and the requirement for its quick dissemination has necessitated development of more efficient methods of data handling and reduction. An outline of the data involved and of the Time Service computerization of these functions is presented

An overview of the literature on female-perpetrated adult male sexual victimization

The rape of women has been an issue of concern in research literature for the past 40 years. Conversely, rape against men has only relatively recently received investigation. The current paper reviews the existing research literature regarding male rape and sexual assault, with particular emphasis on female perpetrated male sexual victimization. The review covers issues regarding biased legal definitions, rape myths, feminist theory, and stereotypical or negative beliefs all of which create a problematic social environment for male victims of female perpetrated assault to report crimes. The review also discusses the prevalence of female perpetrated attacks against men, with evidence from self-reports by female sex offenders to highlight the existence of male sexual victimization and the aggressive manner in which the sexual activity is committed. The review concludes that male sexual victimization by women should be taken as seriously as that of women by men

Taxonomy of the Crematogaster degeeri-species-assemblage in the Malagasy region (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

We revise the species-level taxonomy of the Crematogaster (Crematogaster) degeerispecies-assemblage, a group of related ants occuring in Madagascar and the wider Malagasy region, and further provide an identification key to all species-groups of the genus Crematogaster in this region. Within the C. degeeri-assemblage, we recognize twelve species based upon morphological data from worker, queen and male ants, as well as genetic data from the barcode region of cytochrome oxidase I. Seven new species are described: Crematogaster alafara Blaimer sp. nov., C. bara Blaimer sp. nov., C. mafybe Blaimer sp. nov., C.maina Blaimer sp. nov., C. malahelo Blaimer sp. nov., C. masokely Blaimer sp. nov., C. ramamy Blaimer sp. nov. Crematogaster tricolor Gerstäcker, 1859 (stat. rev.) and C. dentata Dalla Torre, 1893 (stat. nov.) are raised to species level, and the following new synonymies are proposed: Crematogaster degeeri lunaris Santschi, 1928 as a synonym of C. degeeri Forel, 1886; Crematogaster sewelli improba Forel, 1907 and C. sewelli mauritiana Forel, 1907 as synonyms of C. dentata Dalla Torre, 1893, and C. pacifi ca Santschi, 1919 as a synonym of C. lobata Emery, 1895. Species descriptions, images, and distribution maps and identification keys based on worker ants, as well as on queen ants where available, are presented for all twelve species. In addition, we present a molecular gene tree for cytochrome oxidase I and summarize levels of sequence divergence within and between species of the C. degeeri-species-assemblage. Our findings are discussed in the light of previous work on Malagasy Crematogaster ants

Television viewing time and risk of incident obesity and central obesity: the English longitudinal study of ageing

Background Research suggests television viewing time may be associated with incident obesity and central obesity in young adults. No study has investigated these associations in older English adults. The aim of this study was to investigate longitudinal associations between television viewing time and incident obesity and central obesity in a sample of older English adults. Analyses of data from the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing. At baseline (2008), participants reported their television viewing time. Research nurses recorded obesity and central obesity by body mass index and waist circumference, respectively, at four year follow-up. Associations between television viewing time and incident obesity (BMI > 30 kg/m2) and central obesity (waist >102 cm men; > 88 cm women) at four year follow-up were examined using adjusted logistic regression. Participants gave full written informed consent to participate in the study and ethical approval was obtained from the London Multicentre Research Ethics Committee. Results A total of 3777 initially non-obese participants (aged 64.8 ± 8.6 yrs, 46.4% male) were included in the analyses using BMI as an outcome and 2947 for the analyses using waist circumference. No significant associations were found between television viewing time and incident obesity. A significant association was found between watching ≥6 hrs/d of television (compared to <2 hrs/d) and central obesity (Odds Ratio 1.48; 95% confidence interval 1.07 to 2.03) after adjustment for covariables including physical activity. Conclusions In this sample of older community dwelling English adults greater television viewing time was associated with incident central obesity, but not total obesity when measured by BMI. Interventions to reduce the incidence of central obesity in this age group that focus on reducing TV time, as well as targeting other health behaviours (eg, increasing physical activity levels, improving dietary intake) might prove useful