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This paper describes a study undertaken to explore how assistive technology in the form of a wrist‐worn device is perceived by older people for whom it has been devised.

The increase (28.8 per cent) in the number of complaints from pre‐New NHS Complaints Procedure to the implementation of the new procedures in 1996 is a matter of concern because it is estimated that the current figure represents only 40 per cent of the number of people with some dissatisfaction. The Wilson Report prompted Government initiatives in producing a new NHS Complaints Procedure. The new procedure allows for complaints to be dealt with at a local level, or in a minority of cases through Independent Review. The new procedures, which were introduced in April 1996, oblige Trusts, GP practices and Health Boards to establish a Written Local Resolution process for handling complaints, responsibility for implementation lying with individual trusts. A preliminary assessment of the New Procedures was carried out in Lothian. A qualitative approach was utilised and semi‐structured taped interviews lasting on average one hour ten minutes were administered to the six complaints officers. This study concentrates on how the six Lothian NHS Trusts are implementing the new procedure, the openness in complaints handling, and the awareness of how complaints can be used to improve standards. The conclusion is that Local Resolution 1 has been successful, and that complaints do receive a speedy response. The process is much simpler and easier for the lay population to access. Reservations remain, however, towards the Independent Review procedure.

This chapter details the use of the Diversity Teacher Belief Q-Sort (DTBQ) as a springboard to reflective conversations about work with diverse populations of children and their families. The DTBQ tool is provided and guidelines, including concrete suggestions and discussion prompts, are outlined to support the use of the DTBQ to facilitate reflection and to open discourse about beliefs and practices. Furthermore, suggestions are provided for using the tool to measure or assess change or shifts in teachers’ beliefs and practices.

A novel and simple six-band metamaterial absorber is proposed in the terahertz region, which is composed of an I-shaped absorber and circular ring with four gaps and a continuous metal ground plane separated by only 0.125 mm polyimide dielectric substrate. Initially, I-shaped resonator gives three bands at 0.4, 0.468 and 0.4928 THz with the absorptivity of 99.3%, 97.9% and 99.1%, respectively. The purpose of this paper is to improve the number of bands, for which the authors added the circular ring with four gaps, so the simulated metamaterial absorber exhibited six absorption peaks at 0.3392, 0.3528, 0.3968, 0.4676, 0.4768 and 0.492 THz, with the absorption rate of 91.4%, 94.2%, 94.9%, 90.3%, 77.5% and 97.4%, respectively. The surface current distribution and angle independence are explained for all the six frequencies which are used to analyze the absorption mechanism clearly. Structure maximum uses the squares and circles, so it will make the fabrication easy. The multiband absorbers obtained here have potential applications in many engineering technology, thermal radiation, material detection and imaging and optoelectronic areas.

This paper presents the design of the six-band metamaterial absorber which is from the I-shaped resonator and circular ring with four gaps and the metallic ground plane separated by the 0.125 polyimide dielectric substrate. The absorber exhibited six absorption peaks at 0.3392, 0.3528, 0.3968, 0.4676, 0.4768 and 0.492 THz, with the absorption rate of 91.4%, 94.2%, 94.9%, 90.3%, 77.5% and 97.4%, respectively. From the fabrication point of view, the proposed six-band metamaterial absorber has a very simple geometrical structure, and it is very easy to be fabricated.

The authors present a new and simple design of six-band absorber based on an I-shaped absorber and circular ring with four gaps and a metallic ground plane separated by a polyimide layer having the thickness of 0.125 mm. Six different resonance absorption peaks are found at 0.3392, 0.3528, 0.3968, 0.4676 , 0.4768 and 0.492 THz. Surface current distribution and angle independence plot have been studied to understand the absorption behavior of the designed terahertz metamaterial absorber.

The multiband absorbers obtained here have potential applications in many engineering technology, thermal radiation, material detection, security, sensors, imaging and optoelectronic areas.

Smart cards are being toted as the secure means of payment for the future. But there are still some security and legal issues to resolve. This article evaluates current security methods for smart cards and briefly reviews existing legislation related to their use.

Ideas regarding the basic character of humanity assume importance wherever people interact with one another — from the family to the political state, to the business enterprise. These conceptions, ranging from pessimism to optimism, from notions that evil, predatory competition on the one hand to goodness, co‐ operation and virtue on the other characterise the intrinsic disposition of people, derive from the culture to which the individual belongs, moulding his values and conditioning his behaviour. They not only affect the quality of human relations present in any collectivity, but exercise critical influence on the theories and practices of social control. The understanding of a range of social parameters is considerably enhanced when viewed from the perspective of prevailing cultural ideas about human nature itself.

Under this heading are published monthly news of recent professional appointments, industrial developments and business changes, etc.

The primary objective was to determine the prevalence of indicator microorganisms [Staphylococcus aureus, non-S. aureus staphylococci (NSAS), coliforms and aerobic bacteria] for contamination of chicken carcasses, carcass drip and rinse water from the informal chicken market in Gauteng, South Africa.

Chicken swabs, chicken drips and rinse waters were collected from 151 chickens from 47 random outlets. Pre-tested questionnaires were administered to capture the risk factors for bacterial contamination. Standard microbiological procedures were conducted for isolation and enumeration of target bacteria.

NSAS (64% and 41%) and S. aureus (12% and 31%) were prevalent on carcasses and in carcass drip respectively. Coliforms (62%) and aerobic bacteria (85%) were detected in rinse water. Significant risk factors for contamination of carcasses with NSAS, S. aureus and coliform organisms were: evisceration of chickens on the same location used for sale, cleaning of display counter with dirty clothes/wipes, holding of differently sourced chickens in the same cage prior to slaughter, not cleaning the display table/counter and hands at all, washing knives in rinse water, high turnover of daily slaughter and length of time to display chickens.

The limitations of this research were the limited geographical coverage and small sample size.

The isolation of these indicator microorganisms suggests the potential presence of other chicken-borne pathogens not tested for in the study.

The findings serve to inform policy on public health and street-vended food and can guide control on good sanitary practices.

This is the first comprehensive report on ready to eat chickens from the informal markets in Gauteng, South Africa.

Teachers’ continuing professional development (CPD) should improve teacher quality and teaching practices, though teachers vary in the extent to which they participate in CPD activities. Because beliefs influence working and learning, and teachers’ beliefs about learning and teaching influence their instructional decisions, this study aims to explore the link between teachers’ beliefs about learning and teaching and their participation in CPD.

This study features two belief dimensions (student and subject matter orientation) and three types of CPD activities (updating, reflective, and collaborative). Survey data from 260 Dutch secondary school teachers were collected and analyzed using structural equation modeling.

Student‐oriented beliefs relate positively to teachers’ participation in CPD: the more student‐oriented teachers are, the more they participate in CPD. No relationship emerges between subject matter–oriented beliefs and CPD.

To intensify teachers’ participation in CPD and thereby improve teacher quality and teaching practices, schools should emphasize a student orientation among their teachers.

The original empirical study examines the relationship between teachers’ beliefs about learning and teaching and their participation in CPD and thus furthers understanding of factors that influence teachers’ participation in CPD.