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The methods of coping and their relationship to disease severity, cognitive function, depression and health‐related quality of life (HRQoL) were examined in 79 Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and their carers. The coping methods of the PD patients were not associated with disease severity, cognitive function, or depression. In general the majority of correlations were weak. However, patients who used avoidance and cognitive coping methods reported improved HRQoL. Impaired cognitive function, poorer HRQoL and increased disease severity were associated with depression in patients. In carers, avoidance coping was associated with depression and cognitive impairment in the patient being cared for. These findings demonstrate the complex relationship in PD between impairment, quality of life, depression, cognitive function and the coping styles adopted by patients and carers. The study also highlights the difficulties in measuring these interactions with quantitative outcome measures.

The requirements for two smaller companies in integrated manufacturing are addressed, in particular, the area of manufacturing control. The functional areas pertaining to manufacturing control in both companies are reviewed. On the basis of these reviews and management objectives, their requirements are specified. Recommendations are then made in respect of both companies on how to meet these requirements having regard to the nature of the manufacturing control systems available.

Cellular manufacturing is the organisation of manufacturing equipment based on the requirements of the product or component. Transition to cellular manufacturing generally requires reorganisation of existing equipment. It is likely that the existing equipment alone is not suitable for a cellular layout. During the cell planning and design phase equipment investment analysis is important to identify equipment needs. Transition from job shop production to cellular production is detailed. Cell formation and cell evaluation techniques are provided to assist in equipment procurement decisions. In particular, a structured procedure and analytical tools are given to evaluate fully the cellular system to identify appropriate equipment and methods. A case example is provided to explain the procedure.

Reports from the south‐east of England that housewives have been purchasing packets of “ glitter ” consisting of powdered glass, lacquered, coated with silver and sometimes dyed, for the purpose of decorating their cakes makes one wonder seriously whether we Britons are any more of a thinking race than our coloured brethren of London and other large centres, who report has it, consume large quantities of canned cat and dog meat as a sandwich spread. In the first case, although the so‐called “ glitter ” was never prepared for use as a cake decoration, the manufacturers concerned have given an assurance that in future packets will be labelled that the contents are not for eating !

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L. cv. Kara) was grown in Open‐Top Chambers (OTCs) in Northern Egypt at ambient (ca 350 ppm) or doubled CO₂ (ca 690 ppm) either in charcoal‐filtered air (15 nl l‐1) or in non‐filtered ambient air (78 nll‐1 O₃) to investigate the changes in physiology and yield under long‐term elevated CO₂ and/or O₃ throughout 100 days. Ambient O₃ level reduced net photosynthetic rates, number and weight of tubers by 18 per cent, 41 per cent and 21 per cent, respectively, whereas elevated CO₂ caused the opposite effect where it increased the same parameters by 44 per cent, 37 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively. Significant O₃ x CO₂ interactions were detected. However, O₃ caused an increase in GR and POD by 18 per cent and 35 per cent, respectively, while CO₂ caused an increase in POD only by 46 per cent, and there was no effect of O₃ and/or CO₂ on other enzymes. The results of this study are discussed in relation to predicted atmospheric changes.

A vast array of leadership dispositions associated with school and student success is well-documented in extant leadership development literature. However, persistent challenges face practitioners as they attempt to measure leader dispositions and apply what is known about dispositions to hiring, selection, development, and retention of school leaders. We begin this chapter with an exploration of the essential leader dispositions which surfaced through an exhaustive cross-disciplinary review of literature, in concert with a review of disposition tools and frameworks in use in a variety of practical settings. Next, we illuminate significant challenges associated with reliably measuring school leader dispositions and explore promising emergent innovative strategies for assessing disposition development. Though difficult to measure, we argue that dispositions are too important to ignore and conclude with practical recommendations for using research on leader dispositions to cultivate outstanding school leaders.

Quality management systems are being used more frequently in educational institutions, although their application has generated a certain amount of disagreement among education experts, who have at times questioned their suitability and usefulness for improving schools. The purpose of this paper is to contribute to this discussion by providing additional knowledge on the effects in educational institutions of implementing quality management systems. Specifically, this study investigates teachers’ and managers’ perception of the impact that quality management systems have on one essential dimension of schools, the teaching–learning processes, with impact being understood as sustained medium- and long-term organisational change.

The responses were analysed and classified into a set of sub-dimensions linked to quality management processes in a total of 29 Spanish primary and secondary education schools that have used such systems for at least three years.

The results showed that, according to the respondents, the following sub-dimensions were improving as a result of implementing quality management plans: teaching and learning processes, the analysis of student results, tutoring, consideration of attitudes and values and assessment processes. Conversely, quality management systems did not seem to have a clear impact on the teaching methodologies used by teachers or on family involvement in student learning. In fact, the perceived impact in these sub-dimensions varied among teachers of public and private schools as well as when comparing different regional autonomous communities.

As the main objective of a school is to guarantee student learning, one of the essential purposes of school quality assurance systems is to perform all the activities aimed at ensuring high levels of student performance.

Leadership tenacity for school superintendents rests largely upon experience, grit, and subsequently resilience as they balance the pressures of the operational challenges of school operation with the instructional needs of the children they serve. Through this study, the authors identified the critical aspects of how effective superintendents may have developed and whether deliberate practice was evidenced in their experience. The superintendent’s perseverance to doing what matters over an extended period of time and under challenging conditions contributes to leadership grit and resilience. Viewed through the lens of these superintendents, experience, grit, and resilience influence leadership tenacity interdependent, but not limited to the theory of deliberate practice and transformational leadership.