Infrastructure transitions toward sustainability: a complex adaptive systems perspective

To ensure infrastructure assets are procured and maintained by government on behalf of citizens, appropriate policy and institutional architecture is needed, particularly if a fundamental shift to more sustainable infrastructure is the goal. The shift in recent years from competitive and resource-intensive procurement to more collaborative and sustainable approaches to infrastructure governance is considered a major transition in infrastructure procurement systems. In order to better understand this transition in infrastructure procurement arrangements, the concept of emergence from Complex Adaptive Systems (CAS) theory is offered as a key construct. Emergence holds that micro interactions can result in emergent macro order. Applying the concept of emergence to infrastructure procurement, this research examines how interaction of agents in individual projects can result in different industry structural characteristics. The paper concludes that CAS theory, and particularly the concept of ‘emergence’, provides a useful construct to understand infrastructure procurement dynamics and progress towards sustainability

GUN ACCESS AND FEMICIDE: A DIFFERENTIAL IMPACT OF FIREARMS ON INTIMATE KILLINGS

Studies of intimate partner homicide have repeatedly suggested that gun accessibility increases the risk that a confrontation between intimates will end in the death of one partner, usually the woman. In the larger arena of gun accessibility research, experts have posited opposing conclusions about how gun accessibility affects the risk of homicide in the population overall. This thesis is an attempt to build a bridge between literature linking gun access to increased intimate partner homicide and literature exploring the affect of gun availability on homicide in general. Based on previous research, the current study poses the following hypotheses: (I) Gun accessibility is a stronger predictor of intimate partner homicide than non-intimate partner homicide and (II) Gun accessibility is a stronger predictor of intimate partner homicide of women than intimate partner homicide of men. My analysis is consistent with hypothesis II but offers no support for hypothesis I

Qualitative Exploration of the Daily Experiences and Challenges Faced by Parents and Caregivers of Children with Tourette's Syndrome.

This document is the Accepted Manuscript version of the following article: Amanda K. Ludlow, Rachel Brown, and Joerg Schulz, ‘A qualitative exploration of the daily experiences and challenges faced by parents and caregivers of children with Tourette’s syndrome’. The final, definitive version of this paper has been published in Journal of Health Psychology, September 2016, published by SAGE Publishing, All rights reserved. Copyright © 2016, © SAGE PublicationsFew studies address the daily challenges faced by parents of children diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome. This article reports on a qualitative interview study with 15 parents exploring their experiences, the challenges they face and the support mechanisms they have found to be most helpful. Thematic analysis identified four core categories which represented shared experiences of the participants: coping with children’s challenging behaviours, misconceptions and lack of understanding of professionals and the lay public, negative experiences of their children’s education and lack of support and services for families with Tourette’s syndrome. The findings highlight the challenges of parenting a child with Tourette’s syndrome, particularly with respect to family life and the child’s schooling.Peer reviewedFinal Accepted Versio

Bolometric and UV Light Curves of Core-Collapse Supernovae

The Swift UV-Optical Telescope (UVOT) has been observing Core-Collapse Supernovae (CCSNe) of all subtypes in the UV and optical since 2005. We present here 50 CCSNe observed with the Swift UVOT, analyzing their UV properties and behavior. Where we have multiple UV detections in all three UV filters (\lambda c = 1928 - 2600 \AA), we generate early time bolometric light curves, analyze the properties of these light curves, the UV contribution to them, and derive empirical corrections for the UV-flux contribution to optical-IR based bolometric light curves

RTI for English Language Learners: Appropriately Using Screening and Progress Monitoring Tools to Improve Instructional Outcomes

This brief provides a framework for using Response to Intervention (RTI) with students who are English Language Learners (ELL) from Hispanic backgrounds. The first section examines the characteristics of these students; defines the RTI process; and then models how students? linguistic, cultural, and experiential backgrounds can guide appropriate screening, progress monitoring, and goal setting that will help promote English literacy. Although the majority of ELLs in the United States are Hispanic and come from Spanish-speaking homes, students classified as ELL speak more than 350 languages (Ethnologue, 2009). This brief provides an example of the RTI framework for a student whose native language is Spanish; however, the same framework may be applied with all ELLs, taking into account other culturespecific factors. Teachers will find it helpful to learn more about their students? native languages to understand the specific challenges they will face based on the similarities and differences between their native language (L1) and English (L2). Finally, this brief discusses the crucial need for systems-level changes to ensure educational equity for ELLs and other diverse student groups

Addressing the needs of the children’s integrated workforce: A method for developing collaborative practice through joint learning

The delivery of welfare, health and educational provision to the majority of children aged 0–18 in England is primarily led by local authorities via their children’s integrated service. In 2004 the children’s integrated service model was launched and it promised the benefits of an integrated and collaborative system of working, regarding flexibility and responsiveness to national policy, local development and capacity building (Robinson et al, 2008). However, the implementation and emergence of this model has been characterised by competing local and national agendas, practitioner misunderstanding and lack of trust, a lack of strong leadership and also financial restrictions. It can therefore be contended that conceptually children’s integrated services are not operating fully with a collaborative and integrated workforce. As a possible solution to the current situation, it is proposed that joint learning, along with a combined continual professional development (CPD) framework, be made available as a valuable starting point for such organisations. Learning and working together has benefits for children and practitioners, and especially, as this article will argue, for playwork practitioners

Can Arabidopsis thaliana Seeds Survive Exposure to Extreme Cold?

Amanda Scott, Bryant Brown, John Solomon's poster about Arabidopsis thaliana seeds and there ability to survive exposure to extreme cold