Navigating Family Involvement in Domestic Violence Fatality Review: Conceptualising Prospects for Systems and Relational Repair

Purpose Family involvement is a key element of Domestic Homicide Review (DHR), the form of Domestic Violence Fatality Review (DVFR) found in England and Wales. Family involvement is framed as having dual purposes: first, as a benefit to DHRs, enabling a fuller picture of victims’ experiences; second, as a benefit to families themselves, notably as a therapeutic or cathartic opportunity. However, these dual purposes have been little considered. This conceptual article responds to this absence by interrogating the purpose, process and outcomes of family involvement within DHRs. Method To explicate purpose, process and outcomes, we synthesise policy, practice and the extant empirical and theoretical literature relating to family involvement in DHRs. We supplement this by engaging with a broader body of emerging research on family involvement in other review systems, analysing this through a lens of citizenship and participation. Results Family involvement in DHRs is little explicated and there is a need to better engage with how family are involved in DHRs, as a way of increasing transparency for family rights. By way of response, a tentative conceptual framework is proposed which situates family involvement as demonstrative of systems- and relational-repair. Conclusions The article concludes by arguing for greater attention to the Theory(s) of Change underpinning both the place of the family and their testimony, as well as the DHR system as a whole. Such clarity would benefit family, both as the subject of professional interactions but, critically, as agents in the DHR process in their own right

Ecological networks in urban landscapes

This research focuses on the topic of ecological networks in urban landscapes. Analysis and planning of ecological networks is a relatively new phenomenon and is a response to fragmentation and deterioration of quality of natural systems. In agricultural areas and with existing nature preserves this work has been advancing. In urban areas, however, the problems of land use intransigence, political and jurisdictional issues create a difficult environment for implementing ecological networks. Differences also exist between Europe and North America. In North America, and in particular the western United States, planning authority rests with individual municipalities, making planning at landscape or regional scale difficult.The specific questions addressed in this research program revolve around the viability of planning an ecological network in an urban landscape. Can such a concept withstand the tests it will be given in a political and economic context of an urban planning process? To address this question, two principal research objectives were established. First, the development and articulation of a planning method will demonstrate that ecological concepts. and in particular the concept of ecological networks, can be integrated into the urban planning process. Second, the establishment of an ecological network will improve the viability of ecological systems in an urban context. This research provides a theoretical framework and a model to test this proposition. A planning method is articulated and a series of assays of landscape structure are used to examine the viability of an ecological network in the Phoenix, Arizona urban area. It is intended that the establishment of a planning method and a structure for assay will make this concept applicable in various urban situations.The planning method is most appropriately characterised as a hierarchical systems approach. Analysis and planning occur at three scales:landscape (regional);community (municipal); andsite (local).At landscape scale, the Phoenix. Arizona urban area (7,300 sq. km.) is studied. At the community level, the city of Scottsdale Arizona (480 sq. km.) is examined. And, at site scale, a number of patches and corridors ranging from 15 to 75,000 hectares are studied. The systems studied include hydrological, habitat and cultural. These are examined independently to ensure integrity from each specific perspective and then integrated to establish a multiple use perspective in the ecological network.The planning method includes 10 steps. First is the definition of the study area by integrating political and natural boundaries. Second is examination of the regional context. Third is documentation of landscape change within the study area by examining historical aerial photographs and other records. Fourth is assessment of natural and cultural resources at landscape scale and determination of existing and potential value as ecological network components. Fifth is formulation of independent landscape scale system plans for hydrology, habitat and cultural opportunities. Sixth is formulation of a multiple use ecological network plan at landscape scale, establishing priorities for ranking of integrated uses and identification of sites for restoration, preservation or management. Seventh is development of community level system plans for hydrology, habitat and cultural opportunities. These are prepared at the scale of individual municipalities. Eighth is development of a multiple use network plan at community scale that ties back to the landscape scale plan. Ninth is development of local or site plans for network elements to facilitate preservation, restoration or management. And tenth is continual monitoring and feedback.Based on the previously described method, an optimal plan was developed for the Phoenix urban area, the municipality of Scottsdale and six prototypical network sites. An assessment of the optimal plan was undertaken using landscape structure indicators. Three principal analyses were utilized:patch content analysis;corridor content analysis; andnetwork structure analysis.Patch and corridor content analyses examined the internal characteristic and immediate context for each of the 89 ecological network elements. The network structure analysis incorporates a process for aggregating results of patch and corridor analyses and incorporates indicators that describe interrelationships between landscape elements. For each of these analyses the existing condition was compared to the optimal plan to demonstrate the level of change that can be expected. The most notable results of this assessment indicate the following.The patch content analysis revealsan increase in mean native vegetation coverage of 10%,an increase in matrix utility value of 14%, andan increase in naturalness of 15%.The corridor content analysis revealsan increase in mean corridor filter width of 19%,an increase in mean vegetation coverage of 9%,an increase in matrix utility values of 15%,elimination of 59 gaps or barriers in existing corridors, andan increase in naturalness of 17%.The network structure analysis revealsan increase in overall matrix utility index of 3%,the degree of network circuitry increased by 20% andthe gamma index of connectivity increased by 12%.The conclusions of this research are that an ecological network plan provides modest but important improvement in ecological systems in the Phoenix urban area. It is apparent that implementation of an ecological network in an urban area utilising existing open space elements is feasible and the investment required is modest. Although this method, as outlined in this study, is geared to a specific planning context, it may have applications in other similarly expanding communities in North America or elsewhere. The principal benefit of this approach is that it can be developed incrementally and without initial commitment of extensive resources. Finally, the use of landscape structure indicators provides another useful tool for assessing viability of ecological networks. As these indicators are used more extensively thresholds can be recognized that will help understand the health of these systems.</p

Verifying proofs in constant depth

In this paper we initiate the study of proof systems where verification of proofs proceeds by NC circuits. We investigate the question which languages admit proof systems in this very restricted model. Formulated alternatively, we ask which languages can be enumerated by NC functions. Our results show that the answer to this problem is not determined by the complexity of the language. On the one hand, we construct NC proof systems for a variety of languages ranging from regular to NP-complete. On the other hand, we show by combinatorial methods that even easy regular languages such as Exact-OR do not admit NC proof systems. We also present a general construction of proof systems for regular languages with strongly connected NFA's

The Time-Energy Uncertainty Relation

The time energy uncertainty relation has been a controversial issue since the advent of quantum theory, with respect to appropriate formalisation, validity and possible meanings. A comprehensive account of the development of this subject up to the 1980s is provided by a combination of the reviews of Jammer (1974), Bauer and Mello (1978), and Busch (1990). More recent reviews are concerned with different specific aspects of the subject. The purpose of this chapter is to show that different types of time energy uncertainty relation can indeed be deduced in specific contexts, but that there is no unique universal relation that could stand on equal footing with the position-momentum uncertainty relation. To this end, we will survey the various formulations of a time energy uncertainty relation, with a brief assessment of their validity, and along the way we will indicate some new developments that emerged since the 1990s.Comment: 33 pages, Latex. This expanded version (prepared for the 2nd edition of "Time in quantum mechanics") contains minor corrections, new examples and pointers to some additional relevant literatur

Complexity Bounds for Ordinal-Based Termination

`What more than its truth do we know if we have a proof of a theorem in a given formal system?' We examine Kreisel's question in the particular context of program termination proofs, with an eye to deriving complexity bounds on program running times. Our main tool for this are length function theorems, which provide complexity bounds on the use of well quasi orders. We illustrate how to prove such theorems in the simple yet until now untreated case of ordinals. We show how to apply this new theorem to derive complexity bounds on programs when they are proven to terminate thanks to a ranking function into some ordinal.Comment: Invited talk at the 8th International Workshop on Reachability Problems (RP 2014, 22-24 September 2014, Oxford

Measurement and rapid assessment of indoor air quality at mass gathering events to assess ventilation performance and reduce aerosol transmission of SARS-CoV-2

To assess risk factors for COVID-19 transmission and address the closure of mass gathering events since March 2020, the UK Government ran the Events Research Programme (ERP), following which it reopened live events in sports, music, and culture in July 2021. We report the rapid post-occupancy evaluation of Indoor Air Quality (IAQ) and associated long-range airborne transmission risk conducted in the Environmental Study of the ERP. Ten large venues around the UK were monitored with CO2 sensors at a high spatial and temporal resolution during 90 events. An IAQ Index based on CO2 concentration was developed, and all monitored spaces were classified in bands from A to G based on their average and maximum CO2 concentrations from all events. High resolution monitoring and the IAQ Index depicted the overall state of ventilation at live events, and allowed identification of issues with ventilation effectiveness and distribution, and of spaces with poor ventilation and the settings in which long-range airborne transmission risk may be increased. In numerous settings, CO2 concentrations were found to follow patterns relating to event management and specific occupancy of spaces around the venues. Good ventilation was observed in 90% of spaces monitored for given occupancies. Practical applications: High-resolution monitoring of indoor CO2 concentrations is necessary to detect the spatial variation of indoor air quality (IAQ) in large mass gathering event venues. The paper summarises COVID-19 ventilation guidance for buildings and defines a methodology for measurement and rapid assessment of IAQ during occupancy at live events that can be implemented by venue managers. Comparisons of the CO2 concentrations measured during the events identified the spaces at high risk of long-range transmission of airborne pathogens. Building operators should be mindful of the ventilation strategies used relative to the total occupancy in different spaces and the occupant’s activities

Low molecular weight heparin versus unfractionated heparin for perioperative thromboprophylaxis in patients with cancer

Background The choice of the appropriate perioperative thromboprophylaxis in patients with cancer depends on the relative benefits and harms of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) and unfractionated heparin (UFH). Objectives To systematically review the evidence for the relative efficacy and safety of LMWH and UFH for perioperative thromboprophylaxis in patients with cancer. Search strategy A comprehensive search for trials of anticoagulation in cancer patients including a February 2010 electronic search of: the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), MEDLINE, EMBASE and ISI Web of Science. Selection criteria Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that enrolled cancer patients undergoing a surgical intervention and compared the effects of LMWH to UFH on mortality, deep venous thrombosis (DVT), pulmonary embolism(PE), bleeding outcomes, and thrombocytopenia. Data collection and analysis Two review authors used a standardized form to independently extract in duplicate data on risk of bias, participants, interventions and outcomes of interest. Where possible, we conducted meta-analyses using the random-effects model. Main results Of 8187 identified citations, we included 16 RCTs with 11,847 patients in the meta-analyses, all using preoperative prophylactic anticoagulation. The overall quality of evidence was moderate. The meta-analysis did not conclusively rule out either a beneficial or harmful effect of LMWH compared to UFH for the following outcomes: mortality (RR = 0.90; 95% CI 0.73 to 1.10), symptomatic DVT (RR = 0.73; 95% CI 0.23 to 2.28), PE (RR = 0.59; 95% CI 0.25 to1.41), minor bleeding (RR = 0.88; 95% CI 0.47 to 1.66) and major bleeding (RR = 0.84; 95% CI 0.52 to 1.36). LMWH was associated with lower incidence of wound hematoma (RR = 0.60; 95% CI 0.43, 0.84) while UFH was associated with higher incidence of intra-operative transfusion (RR = 1.16; 95% CI 0.69,1.62). Authors' conclusions We found no difference between perioperative thromboprophylaxis with LMWH verus UFH in their effects on mortality and embolic outcomes in patients with cancer. Further trials are needed to more carefully evaluate the benefits and harms of different heparin thromboprophylaxis strategies in this population

Spontaneous decay in the presence of dispersing and absorbing bodies: general theory and application to a spherical cavity

A formalism for studying spontaneous decay of an excited two-level atom in the presence of dispersing and absorbing dielectric bodies is developed. An integral equation, which is suitable for numerical solution, is derived for the atomic upper-state-probability amplitude. The emission pattern and the power spectrum of the emitted light are expressed in terms of the Green tensor of the dielectric-matter formation including absorption and dispersion. The theory is applied to the spontaneous decay of an excited atom at the center of a three-layered spherical cavity, with the cavity wall being modeled by a band-gap dielectric of Lorentz type. Both weak coupling and strong coupling are studied, the latter with special emphasis on the cases where the atomic transition is (i) in the normal-dispersion zone near the medium resonance and (ii) in the anomalous-dispersion zone associated with the band gap. In a single-resonance approximation, conditions of the appearance of Rabi oscillations and closed solutions to the evolution of the atomic state population are derived, which are in good agreement with the exact numerical results.Comment: 12 pages, 6 figures, typos fixed, 1 figure adde

Atomic diffraction from nanostructured optical potentials

We develop a versatile theoretical approach to the study of cold-atom diffractive scattering from light-field gratings by combining calculations of the optical near-field, generated by evanescent waves close to the surface of periodic nanostructured arrays, together with advanced atom wavepacket propagation on this optical potential.Comment: 8 figures, 10 pages, submitted to Phys. Rev.