Quantifying lake system dynamics

Analysis of thickness time series, generated from varved sediments originating from lakes in the Arctic, USA, Finland, Germany and Poland, and intermittently spanning the last ca. 15,000 cal yrs BP, reveals a range of system dynamics. Lake sedimentation leading to varve formation can be considered in terms of the quantity and stratigraphic position of the sedimentary deposit. The amount of sediment deposited is statistically represented by gamma and log-normal distributions. This suggests sedimentation is characterised by a series of random depositional events that are added and multiplied over time, respectively. Phase portraits qualitatively indicate scale invariance. Power spectra, autocorrelation functions and fluctuation analysis quantitatively confirm scale invariance over all resolvable orders of magnitude, with exponents in the range ca. H = 0.6 to 0.9. Crossovers occur in the power spectra on ca. 100 yrs timescales for some lakes, indicating the possible presence of changes in dominant timescales of large scale climatic processes. Deviations from established relations between scaling exponents, and differences from the AR(1) null hypothesis, both based on random walk processes, indicate the role of other underlying scaling mechanisms, such as (self-organised) critical phenomena and/or multiscaling. E-folding times calculated from waiting time analysis indicates lake systems are characterised by two states, characterising the ''main" dynamics on decadal timescales, and the ''extreme" dynamics up to centennial timescales. The e-folding times for the main system processes compare well with some of those calculated from the autocorrelation function and AR(1) process, again indicating the presence of other complex dynamics. Effectively, lakes are threshold systems with random forcing on different timescales. No relations were isolated for correlations between basic physical parameters and statistical exponents, indicating the individualistic nature of lake systems. This is confirmed by the lack of spatial correlation between averaged, but unshifted lake systems. This is attributed to insufficient atmospheric spatiotemporal smoothing, the thermal regime of lakes displaying a greater response to slower long term processes, rather than faster shorter term processes, and to the occurrence of extreme events, which ultimately control the emergence of correlation, up to and beyond centennial timescales

Supporting people with an intellectual disability and dementia: a constructivist grounded theory study exploring care providers’ views and experiences

Background A growing field of research illustrates that carers often lack the necessary training and knowledge to provide the best care and support for people with an intellectual disability and dementia. Less research has explored carers’ support needs, and the role of support structures and strategies to support carers in their role. One recommended framework for planning and delivering support and services is the Dementia Care Pathway (DCP). Though widely implemented, little empirical evidence has explored the role of DCPs in the care and support of carers and people with an intellectual disability. This thesis aimed to provide an understanding of the experiences of carers, and to critically explore DCPs and other support structures within those experiences. Methods This study implemented a Constructivist Grounded Theory (CGT) methodology. Data were obtained through 23 semi-structured interviews with two family carers, eight paid carers, and eight healthcare professionals. Findings The CGT produced five interrelated categories (Impact of Dementia, Challenging the Diagnosis Process, Continuum of Support, Continuity, and Continuum of Understanding), which explained the multiple forms of burden experienced by carers, and the factors that alleviated or compounded this burden. Social support alleviated the impact of the dementia on the carer; however, the difference in the level and type of support between paid and family carers influenced the level of burden they experienced, their ability to apply person-centred dementia care and ability to provide a dementia-friendly environment. The DCP acted as a framework that influenced the timing of dementia care planning and delivery of support, and alleviated the impact of the dementia on paid carers by supporting the development of dementia capable carers. Conclusion Overall, this study demonstrates the importance of planning for and supporting carers’ holistic needs alongside the people they are supporting. DCPs offer a framework that can alleviate the impact of the dementia through timely post-diagnostic planning and support. Implications for supporting carers and DCP development are discussed

LAW AND SOCIAL JUSTICE: OPERATIONALIZING STAKEHOLDER THEORY IN GOVERNMENTAL REGULATIONS AND CORPORATE DECISION-MAKING FOR SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC SUSTAINABILITY, RESILIENCE, AND DEMOCRACY

It is time to shed the twentieth century capitalistic ways of shareholder maximization. It is time to fashion a “new” capitalism which retains the competitive dynamic but redefines its force to create a more socially just society. That is a huge order, to say the least. But, there is a path to that end. The 2019 U.S. Business Roundtable’s announcement, the creation of the Benefit Corporation, and the United Kingdom’s 2006 Companies Act began that process. These developments are enabling the beginning of the redefining of one of the bedrocks of capitalism: fiduciary obligation. The methodology of these developments is the stakeholder theory of corporate and governmental decision-making. Drawing on concepts such as utilitarian philosophy, social justice, and democratic principles, this paper explores the realities and potential of stakeholder corporate governance on concepts of corporate governance. The stakeholder approach to corporate and governmental decision-making affects all aspects of society. However, it requires a paradigm shift in our thinking to shape a holistic, comprehensive, and sustainable perspective. Those who are affected by market decisions have a fundamental right to have their interests considered, whether it be through corporate decision-making or governmental regulations. Stakeholder theory may take many forms in its application to a capitalistic market. It shares two basic concepts with democracy: equity and sustainability–equity because it is fair and brings all parties “[to] the table” and sustainable because all parties are invested and heard

Quasicircles and bounded turning circles modulo bi-Lipschitz maps

30 pages, 3 figures, to appear in Rev. Mat. IberoamericanaWe construct a catalog, of snowflake type metric circles, that describes allmetric quasicircles up to \bl\ equivalence. This is a metric space analog of aresult due to Rohde. Our construction also works for all bounded turning metriccircles; these need not be doubling. As a byproduct, we show that a metricquasicircle with Assouad dimension strictly less than two is bi-Lipschitzequivalent to a planar quasicircle.Peer reviewe

Quasicircles and Bounded Turning Circles Modulo bi-Lipschitz Maps

We construct a catalog, of snowflake type metric circles, that describes all metric quasicircles up to \bl\ equivalence. This is a metric space analog of a result due to Rohde. Our construction also works for all bounded turning metric circles; these need not be doubling. As a byproduct, we show that a metric quasicircle with Assouad dimension strictly less than two is bi-Lipschitz equivalent to a planar quasicircle

Race, Shelby County, and the Voter Information Verification Act in North Carolina

Shortly after the Supreme Court in Shelby County v. Holder struck down section 4(b) of the Voting Rights Act (VRA), the State of North Carolina enacted an omnibus piece of election- reform legislation known as the Voter Information Verification Act (VIVA). Prior to Shelby, portions of North Carolina were covered jurisdictions per the VRA’s sections 4 and 5—meaning that they had to seek federal preclearance for changes to their election procedures— and this motivates our assessment of whether VIVA’s many alterations to North Carolina’s election procedures are race-neutral. We show that in presidential elections in North Carolina black early voters have cast their ballots disproportionately in the first week of early voting, which was eliminated by VIVA; that blacks disproportionately have registered to vote during early voting and in the immediate run-up to Election Day, something VIVA now prohibits; that registered voters in the state who lack two VIVA-acceptable forms of voter identification, driver’s licenses and non-operator identification cards, are disproportionately black; that VIVA’s identification dispensation for voters at least seventy years old disproportionately benefits white registered voters; and, that preregistered sixteen and seventeen year old voters in North Carolina, a category of registrants that VIVA prohibits, are disproportionately black. These results illustrate how VIVA will have a disparate effect on black voters in North Carolina