The development of self-injury as a multi-functional behaviour

In order to advance our understanding of self-injury this longitudinal study investigated the experiences of 25 adults who had used or were using self-injury. This was achieved by obtaining verbal narrative accounts of their experiences of using self-injury from its onset during childhood or early adolescence, throughout adolescence and into adulthood. These verbatim accounts formed a corpus of data which was analysed using a grounded theory method. This process established seven robust categories associated with the use of self-injury consisting of behavioural, cognitive, emotional, social, occupational, communication and physiological experiences. By thoroughly examining these categories the development of self-injury as a versatile multi-functional behaviour emerged which was governed by the individuals‟ needs. Evidence for these multiple uses stemmed from the similarities that developed in the individuals‟ use of self-injury over time. Highlighting these multiple functions it was established that improved social, communication and occupational conditions were crucial aspects in the participants‟ reduction in using self-injury. The contribution this research has made towards developing our understanding of self-injury was addressed, particularly in relation to its use by the non-clinically defined members of the general public who took part, and in the context of advancing relevant nursing research and practice. Several critical aspects of the methodology were identified, in particular the restrictive generalisation of the findings to others who self-injure, and the use of retrospective accounts were discussed and directives were outlined to improve these aspects in future research. Proposals were made for further research to clarify and investigate the multiple functions of self-injury and to increase our understanding of the continuing use of covert self-injury during adulthood. Additionally, the relevance of the findings to nursing practice, principally in relation to adequately assessing the use of self-injury was discussed

Integrating Manufacturing Issues into Structural Optimization

This dissertation aims to advance the field of structural optimization by creating and demonstrating new methodologies for the explicit inclusion of manufacturing issues. The case of composite aerospace structures was a main focus of this work as that field provides some of the greatest complexities in manufacturing yet also provides the greatest incentives to optimize structural performance. Firstly, the possibilities for modifying existing FEA based structural optimization methods to better capture manufacturing constraints are investigated. Examples of brick-based topology optimization, shell-based topology optimization, parametric sizing optimization and manufacturing process optimization are given. From these examples, a number of fundamental limitations to these methods were observed and are discussed. The key limitation that was uncovered related to a dichotomy between analytical methods (such as FEA) and CAD-type methods. Based on these observations, a new Knowledge-Based framework for structural optimization was suggested whereby manufacturing issues are integrally linked to the more conventional structural issues. A prototype system to implement this new framework was developed and is discussed. Finally, the validity of the framework was demonstrated by application to a generic composite rib design problem

The Man From Snowy River and Other Verses

https://commons.und.edu/settler-literature/1099/thumbnail.jp

A study into the use of self-efficacy and confidence measurements

This thesis focuses on an aspect of the professional work of the author: that of the training of local trade union representatives by trade unions to ensure they are competent, capable and confident in the delivery of their role in local workplaces. It considers the four levels of evaluation of training outlined by Kirkpatrick (1994) and proposes the use of confidence scales as a means of demonstrating levels of evaluation in this field of training. Trade unions are reliant on the many members that volunteer to be local (unpaid) representatives in their own work places. To ensure the union provides an adequate service to its fee paying membership it needs to support and train its volunteers so they become competent, capable and confident in their roles. This research considers the effects on those volunteers who have attended training courses provided by the union trainers. It draws on the research on confidence levels and examines practice from a range of trade unions across European countries. Three types of training course are the focus for the study; as the thesis will look at whether or not the confidence levels of trade union representatives differ depending on the type and delivery method of the course they attend and whether or not this will have an impact on their post-course behaviour in the workplace. A research tool (questionnaire) was developed to measure the responses of participants attending courses and the results compared using Chi-square statistical tests to consider any results that were of statistical significance. The study concludes that statistically significant higher confidence levels are reported on the 2+2+2 mode of delivery of the six day training course in comparison to either the traditional 5 day or the mixed method modes of delivery. It recommends the use of confidence measures as a useful concept in the evaluation of training courses for union representatives as a way of improving value for money and return on investment for unions and a better developed trade union representative for the future

Transdisciplinary Research on Sustainability in Europe conference discuss funding mechanism recommendations for the European Commission

Hlavním cílem mezinárodní konference “Transdisciplinární výzkum udržitelnosti v Evropě” (Transdisciplinary Research on Sustainability in Europe), uspořádané Centrem pro otázky životního prostředí UK společně s Schumacher Institute for Sustainable Systems (Velká Británie) ve dnech 23.-24. května 2013, bylo prodiskutovat toto relativně nové vědecké téma a v několika bodech formulovat doporučení s ohledem na budoucí vědecké příležitosti v této oblasti pro Evropskou komisi. Konference zahrnovala přednášky šesti odborníků z různých evropských institucí, krátké příspěvky a postery dalších účastníků a následné širší diskuze.Modify funding guidelines to facilitate greater transdisciplinary research for sustainable development. That was the message to the European Commission made loud and clear by academic and NGO sustainable development practitioners in Prague recently as a result of a Transdisciplinary Research on Sustainability (TDRS) in Europe conference held on 23 and 24 May.

Environmental mining limits in the North Bohemian Lignite Region

Recenze knihy Environmental mining limits in the North Bohemian Lignite Region(v originále Územní ekologické limity težby v Severočeské hnědouhelné pánvi) od Andrew Bartona shrnuje poznatky z knihy původně publikované v roce 2005 v češtině a zasazuje je do současného kontextu.Book review: Říha, M., Stoklasa, J., Lafarová, M., Dejmal, I., Marek, J., Pakosta, P., Beránek, K. Environmental mining limits in the North Bohemian Lignite Region. Společnost pro krajinu, Praha 2005. Translation: Petr Kurfürst.This book review looks at the issue of mining limits in the region of North-West Bohemia in the Czech Republic and briefly summarises from the content of the book originally published in 2005 (in Czech, but later translated into English) supplemented with the most up-to-date information on the current situation

The Top 20 Greatest Banjo Paterson Poems of All Time

https://commons.und.edu/settler-literature/1097/thumbnail.jp

What are the current challenges facing Central Europe?

Dne 24. dubna 2013 se na Filozofické fakultě Univerzity Karlovy v Praze konal třetí ročník mezinárodní konference “Naše společná přítomnost” (Our Common Present). Letos byly tématem této interdisciplinární konference “Současné výzvy Střední Evropy”. Článek představuje hlavní přednášející, jejich příspěvky a závěry z konference.This was the theme of the third annual international interdisciplinary conference Our Common Present which took place at Charles University’s Philosophical Faculty on 24 April 2013 in cooperation between the University of South Bohemia’s Economics Faculty, the Charles University Environment Center, and the University of Hradec Králové’s Education Faculty

EXPLORING THE POTENTIAL OF A MACHINE TEAMMATE

Artificial intelligence has been in use for decades. It is already deployed in manned formations and will continue to be fielded to military units over the next several years. Current strategies and operational concepts call for increased use of artificial-intelligence capabilities across the defense enterprise—from senior leaders to the tactical edge. Unfortunately, artificial intelligence and the warriors that they support will not be compatible "out of the box." Simply bolting an artificial intelligence into teams of humans will not ensure success. The Department of Defense must pay careful attention to how it is deploying artificial intelligences alongside humans. This is especially true in teams where the structure of the team and the behaviors of its members can make or break performance. Because humans and machines work differently, teams should be designed to leverage the strengths of each partner. Team designs should account for the inherent strengths of the machine partner and use them to shore up human weaknesses. This study contributes to the body of knowledge by submitting novel conceptual models that capture the desired team behaviors of humans and machines when operating in human-machine teaming constructs. These models may inform the design of human-machine teams in ways that improve team performance and agility.NPS_Cruser, Monterey, CA 93943Outstanding ThesisMajor, United States Marine CorpsMajor, United States Marine CorpsApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

A Sky Island Fire Ecology Primer, with a Focus on Chiricahua National Monument: A Reference Document for the National Park Service

Fire is a keystone ecological process in the vegetation of the Sky Islands of Arizona and beyond, affecting every aspect of these ecosystems, including soils, forest structure, species composition, carbon storage, wildlife populations, and much more. For thousands of years, wildfires have been, not a disruptive external force, but an intrinsic part of these natural communities, as integral as water, sunlight, soil, and air. Times have changed. Human-induced fire suppression and climate change have dramatically altered fire regimes across the region, and the fires of the 21st century are a serious problem. Not only are uncharacteristically large and intense fires disrupting ecosystems that historically experienced more frequent, low-intensity wildfire, they are also threatening human communities in the rapidly-growing wildland-urban interface. A key recommendation of the 2007 Statewide Strategy for Restoring Arizona’s Forests was that “The Arizona State Legislature, county and local governments, tribal governments, and state agencies should develop land use policies and practices that support forest restoration, community protection, and fire management efforts.” (Recommendation 2.2, p.9). The goal of this essay is to discuss the landscape role of fire in the Sky Islands of southern Arizona, and in particular Chiricahua National Monument. We will describe fire and vegetation conditions before Euro-American settlement, changes in fire regime and ecosystems wrought over the past 150 years, the accompanying shifts in plant communities, and projections for the future. We will marshal our recent field research, tying our results to specific places in the park, but we will also summarize general principles developed from many decades of ecological research across the Southwest. Our mission is to provide essential fire ecology background for park staff, who enlighten park visitors about the ecologically-rich and regionally-important environments of Chiricahua National Monument (CHIR)