Recruitment and capacity-building challenges in participatory research involving young people in Northern Ireland

Consulting young people in social research is increasingly popular and is not confined to their recruitment as participants but extends to the design, delivery and dissemination of research. In this chapter we explore the recruitment and capacity building challenges involved in working with young people as researchers. We will introduce some of the theoretical issues around young people’s participation. Drawing on experiences from four separate participatory research projects with young people in Northern Ireland, we will highlight some of the difficulties encountered and give some practical approaches to managing the research process. Strategies for recruiting and training young researchers will be considered and we also reflect on what the benefits of young people’s involvement can be; not only enhancing the research process but also empowering young people and creating the potential for social agency.

Development and application of a multiple linear regression model to consider the impact of weekly waste container capacity on the yield from kerbside recycling programmes

The paper describes the development and application of a multiple linear regression model to identify how the key elements of waste and recycling infrastructure, namely container capacity and frequency of collection affect the yield from municipal kerbside recycling programmes. The overall aim of the research was to gain an understanding of the factors affecting the yield from municipal kerbside recycling programmes in Scotland. The study isolates the principal kerbside collection service offered by 32 councils across Scotland, eliminating those recycling programmes associated with flatted properties or multi occupancies. The results of a regression analysis model has identified three principal factors which explain 80% of the variability in the average yield of the principal dry recyclate services: weekly residual waste capacity, number of materials collected and the weekly recycling capacity. The use of the model has been evaluated and recommendations made on ongoing methodological development and the use of the results in informing the design of kerbside recycling programmes. The authors hope that the research can provide insights for the ongoing development of methods to optimise the design and operation of kerbside recycling programmes.

Arsenic influence on genetic variation in grain trace-element nutrient content in Bengal delta grown rice

It has previously been shown that across different arsenic (As) soil environments, a decrease in grain selenium (Se), zinc (Zn), and nickel (Ni) concentrations is associated with an increase in grain As. In this study we aim to determine if there is a genetic element for this observation or if it is driven by the soil As environment. To determine the genetic and environmental effect on grain element composition, multielement analysis using ICP-MS was performed on rice grain from a range of rice cultivars grown in 4 different field sites (2 in Bangladesh and 2 in West Bengal). At all four sites a negative correlation was observed between grain As and grain Ni, while at three of the four sites a negative correlation was observed between grain As and grain Se and grain copper (Cu). For manganese, Ni, Cu, and Se there was also a significant genetic interaction with grain arsenic indicating some cultivars are more strongly affected by arsenic than others.

A tripartite microbial reporter gene system for real-time assays of soil nutrient status

Plant-derived carbon is the substrate which drives the rate of microbial assimilation and turnover of nutrients, in particular N and P, within the rhizosphere. To develop a better understanding of rhizosphere dynamics, a tripartite reporter gene system has been developed. We used three lux-marked Pseudomonas fluorescens strains to report on soil (1) assimilable carbon, (2) N-status, and (3) P-status. In vivo studies using soil water, spiked with C, N and P to simulate rhizosphere conditions, showed that the tripartite reporter system can provide real-time assessment of carbon and nutrient status. Good quantitative agreement for bioluminescence output between reference material and soil water samples was found for the C and P reporters. With regard to soil nitrate, the minimum bioavailable concentration was found to be greater than that analytically detectable in soil water. This is the first time that bioavailable soil C, N and P have been quantified using a tripartite reporter gene system.

How smart do you need to be to get it wrong? The role of cognitive capacity in the development of heuristic-based judgment

We examined the relationship between cognitive capacity and heuristic responding on four types of reasoning and decision-making tasks. A total of 84 children, between 5 years 2 months and 11 years 7 months of age, participated in the study. There was a marked increase in heuristic responding with age that was related to increases in cognitive capacity. These findings are inconsistent with the predominant dual-process accounts of reasoning and decision making as applied to development. We offer an alternative explanation of the findings, considering them in the context of recent claims concerning the role of working memory in contextualized reasoning.

The role of working memory capacity in multiple-cue probability learning

Multiple-cue probability learning (MCPL) involves learning to predict a criterion when outcome feedback is provided for multiple cues. A great deal of research suggests that working memory capacity (WMC) is involved in a wide range of tasks that draw on higher level cognitive processes. In three experiments, we examined the role of WMC in MCPL by introducing measures of working memory capacity, as well as other task manipulations. While individual differences in WMC positively predicted performance in some kinds of multiple-cue tasks, performance on other tasks was entirely unrelated to these differences. Performance on tasks that contained negative cues was correlated with working memory capacity, as well as measures of explicit knowledge obtained in the learning process. When the relevant cues predicted positively, however, WMC became irrelevant. The results are discussed in terms of controlled and automatic processes in learning and judgement. © 2011 The Experimental Psychology Society.

Aerobic capacity, strength, flexibility, and activity level in unimpaired extremely low birth weight (

To compare aerobic capacity, strength, flexibility, and activity level in extremely low birth weight (ELBW) adolescents at 17 years of age with term-born control subjects.

A framework for developing evaluation capacity in health care settings.

The purpose of this paper is to provide a framework for developing an effective evaluation practice within health care settings. Three features are reviewed; capacity building, the application of evaluation to program activities and the utilization of evaluation recommendations. First, the organizational elements required to establish effective evaluation practice are reviewed emphasizing that an organization's capacity for evaluation develops over time and in stages. Second, a comprehensive evaluation framework is presented which demonstrates how evaluation practice can be applied to all aspects of a program's life cycle, thus promoting the scope of evidence-based decision making within an organization. Finally, factors which influence the adoption of evaluation recommendations by decision makers are reviewed accompanied by strategies to promote the utilization of evaluation recommendations in organization decision making.