BackgroundMulligan's mobilisation-with-movement (MWM) techniques are proposed to achieve their clinical benefit via neurophysiological mechanisms. However, previous research has focussed on responses in the sympathetic nervous system only, and is not conclusive. An alternative measure of neurophysiological response to MWM is required to support or refute this mechanism of action. Recently, vibration threshold (VT) has been used to quantify changes in the sensory nervous system in patients experiencing musculoskeletal pain. ObjectiveTo investigate the effect of a lateral glide MWM of the hip joint on vibration threshold compared to a placebo and control condition in asymptomatic volunteers. MethodsFifteen asymptomatic volunteers participated in this single-blinded, randomised, within-subject, placebo, control design. Participants received each of three interventions in a randomised order; a lateral glide MWM of the hip joint into flexion, a placebo MWM, and a control intervention. Vibration threshold (VT) measures were taken at baseline and immediately after each intervention. Mean change in VT from baseline was calculated for each intervention and then analysed for between group differences using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). ResultsA one-way ANOVA revealed no statistically significant differences between the three experimental conditions (P = 0.812). ConclusionThis small study found that a lateral glide MWM of the hip did not significantly change vibration threshold compared to a placebo and control intervention in an asymptomatic population. This study provides a method of using vibration threshold to investigate the potential neurophysiological effects of a manual therapy intervention that should be repeated in a larger, symptomatic population.

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), or Steele-Richardson-Olszewski syndrome, is a rare, progressive neurodegenerative condition with cognitive and motor involvement. Diagnosis can be challenging as some people do not display the classic symptoms of the condition and there are no specific investigations to confirm diagnosis. Timely discussions and access to symptom management and palliative care services need to be provided from diagnosis throughout the disease trajectory to ensure holistic care of people with PSP.

Ceramic metal halide lamps with rated powers of 70 W and 150 W are dimmed by reducing their operating power. Under dimmed conditions, photometric, colorimetric and electric parameters, as well as the temperature distribution of the outer wall of the arc tube have been measured. As the lamp power is reduced, luminous efficacy and colour rendering index decrease while correlated colour temperature rises. For each lamp, at 70% of its rated power, the luminous efficacy is greater than 80 lm/W, colour rendering index is above 74 and correlated colour temperature increases by less than 800 K. Dimming applications of these lamps are validated by these parameters. Furthermore, the complicated variation of lamp parameters as a function of operating power is explained by the variation of metal halide vapour pressure with wall temperature.

Motor neurone disease (MND) is a relatively rare, progressive and incurable neurological condition affecting patients' speech, mobility and respiratory function. Care of patients with MND is complex and involves various healthcare professionals and services. There is a need to discuss symptom management and promote palliative and end of life care from the point of diagnosis to ensure appropriate holistic care is provided.

Vygotsky regarded the site of learning to be within a matrix of relational action. From this perspective, learning social responsibility will involve a focus on the learning environments that are made available in schools. Adapting the concept of restorative justice to a school context, restorative practice offers a range of relevant learning opportunities. These learning opportunities relate to episodes of wrong‐doing, and to actions that reflect the values and principles of a socially responsible school culture. The importance of dialogue, respect for “the other” and social collaboration will be evident in school‐based restorative practices.

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A shared vision driving a three year systematic practice development strategy within the intermediate care services of one primary care trust in England included an element of facilitating greater user involvement. This particular practice development work demonstrates how service users, in this case older people with intensive rehabilitation needs, were involved in the evaluation work. The evaluation work, comprising four methods (Patient Centreometer Questionnaire, Service Questionnaire, Focus Group and Patient/Carer Stories) was used to facilitate or enable multi-disciplinary practitioners in the practice development group actively to learn through a different form of engagement with older people outside of the usual ‘patient’ and ‘caregiver’ roles. The learning achieved from the process and the evidence obtained through the evaluation methods provided motivation, increased commitment and generated a practice development action plan that enabled changes in practice to be implemented based genuinely on users' experiences. This article also shows how this practice development work moved away from the notion of the baseline and comparative evaluation method to more of an ongoing and integrative method of evaluation. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

AbstractThe purpose of this paper is to describe the experiences and learning of a group of practitioners, who, while engaged with a systematic emancipatory practice development strategy, undertook a 360° review of their leadership. The purpose of the review was two‐fold: first, to compare their leadership self‐assessment with perceptions of those people they worked with who were affected by their style of leadership; and second, to enable the group members to develop leadership action plans that would facilitate implementation of the practice development strategy. The article shows how the group were moving along a path of enlightenment and empowerment in relation to one style of leadership called transformational leadership. Copyright © 2004 Whurr Publishers Ltd.

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