University of Bedfordshire

About: University of Bedfordshire is a education organization based out in Luton, Bedford, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Social work. The organization has 3860 authors who have published 6079 publications receiving 143448 citations. The organization is also known as: University of Luton.

Are physical activity interventions for healthy inactive adults effective in promoting behavior change and maintenance, and which behavior change techniques are effective? A systematic review and meta-analysis

Abstract: Physical inactivity and sedentary behavior relate to poor health outcomes independently. Healthy inactive adults are a key target population for prevention. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of physical activity and/or sedentary behavior interventions, measured postintervention (behavior change) and at follow-up (behavior change maintenance), to identify behavior change techniques (BCT) within, and report on fidelity. Included studies were randomized controlled trials, targeting healthy inactive adults, aiming to change physical activity and/or sedentary behavior, with a minimum postintervention follow-up of 6 months, using 16 databases from 1990. Two reviewers independently coded risk of bias, the "Template for Intervention Description and Replication" (TIDieR) checklist, and BCTs. Twenty-six studies were included; 16 pooled for meta-analysis. Physical activity interventions were effective at changing behavior (d = 0.32, 95% confidence intervals = 0.16-0.48, n = 2,346) and maintaining behavior change after 6 months or more (d = 0.21, 95% confidence intervals = 0.12-0.30, n = 2,190). Sedentary behavior interventions (n = 2) were not effective. At postintervention, physical activity intervention effectiveness was associated with the BCTs "Biofeedback," "Demonstration of the behavior," "Behavior practice/rehearsal," and "Graded tasks." At follow-up, effectiveness was associated with using "Action planning," "Instruction on how to perform the behavior," "Prompts/cues," "Behavior practice/rehearsal," "Graded tasks," and "Self-reward." Fidelity was only documented in one study. Good evidence was found for behavior change maintenance effects in healthy inactive adults, and underlying BCTs. This review provides translational evidence to improve research, intervention design, and service delivery in physical activity interventions, while highlighting the lack of fidelity measurement.

The relative significance of syntactic knowledge and vocabulary breadth in the prediction of reading comprehension test performance

Abstract: In the componential approach to modelling reading ability, a number of contributory factors have been empirically validated. However, research on their relative contribution to explaining performance on second language reading tests is limited. Furthermore, the contribution of knowledge of syntax has been largely ignored in comparison with the attention focused on vocabulary. This study examines the relative contribution of knowledge of syntax and knowledge of vocabulary to L2 reading in two pilot studies in different contexts ‐ a heterogeneous population studying at the tertiary level in the UK and a homogenous undergraduate group in Japan ‐ followed by a larger main study, again involving a homogeneous Japanese undergraduate population. In contrast with previous findings in the literature, all three studies offer support for the relative superiority of syntactic knowledge over vocabulary knowledge in predicting performance on a text reading comprehension test. A case is made for the robustness of structural equation modelling compared to conventional regression in accounting for the differential reliabilities of scores on the measures employed.

Pressure Points: A review of research on stressors and strains in UK academics

Abstract: This paper reviews research on occupational stressors and strains amongst academics working in UK universities. A brief history of research conducted in this field in the USA, Australia and the UK is provided. Four major themes are considered: (a) the prevalence of self-reported occupational stress and strain; (b) the features of academic work that are potentially stressful; (c) the impact of these stressors; and (d) observed differences between gender, age and grade. Studies reviewed here suggest that, in comparison to other professionals and community samples, academic staff experience less job satisfaction and extremely low levels of psychological health. Potential explanations for the rise in levels of self-reported stressors and strains are explored, as are the implications of the research findings reported here. Some recommendations for future research are highlighted.

Astronomical calibration of Oligocene-Miocene time

Abstract: Lithological cyclicity was observed aboard the JOIDES RESOLUTION in sediment sequences recovered from the Ceara Rise during ODP Leg 154. Shipboard work led to the conclusion that the Oligocene was probably characterized by ca . 41 ka cycles. Weedon and others were able to confirm this, and created a provisional time–scale for the Oligocene by assuming that the cyclicity is a response to orbital obliquity variation, and by using spectral analysis to estimate the mean wavelength and hence the sedimentation rate of successive intervals of core. We have extended this work by intercorrelating almost all the 9.5 m sediment cores from each of the four sites that recovered Oligocene sediment. We have successfully correlated all the material covering a time–interval of ca . 10 Ma from 18 Ma to 28 Ma, as well as most of the sediment from the 14 to 18 Ma and 28 to 34 Ma intervals. Although variability is dominated by the 41 ka cycle there is sufficient variability at the precession period (amplitude–modulated by eccentricity) to permit an absolute placement of this section with reference to the calculated orbital history. Further work is needed to establish precisely the implications of this calibration for the geological time–scale but it appears that the true ages of events close to the Oligocene–Miocene boundary are ca . 0.9 Ma younger than they appear on recently published time–scales. The sedimentary record preserves information concerning the amplitude modulation of the obliquity signal that is of astronomical as well as geological significance.