What are the perceived benefits of an adoption support package using video interaction guidance with prospective adopters? An exploratory study

"An adoption support package using video interaction guidance (VIG) with a focus on child-led play was provided by two educational psychologists to eight prospective adopters with whom a pre-school child had been placed recently. Piloted with the encouragement of social workers, it promoted working in partnership with parents to share successes and address concerns. VIG is an attachment-based coaching method, which works collaboratively on client-chosen goals for improved relationships, building on their existing strengths and insights.

Monthly economic review: August 2014

Summary: The Monthly Economic Review is an overview of the New Zealand economy. It includes the latest data on New Zealand’s economic growth, unemployment, inflation, merchandise trade and balance of payments figures, along with certain financial data (such as the Reserve Bank’s official cash rate). The unemployment rate, economic growth and central bank interest rates for several of our main OECD trading partners are also included. Each publication highlights a specific topic of interest. The Monthly Economic Review is produced eleven times per year

The mirror box illusion : Manipulation of visual information during bimanual coordination in children with and without spastic hemiparetic cerebral palsy

Savelsbergh, G.J.P. [Promotor]Ledebt, A. [Copromotor]Deconinck, F.J.A. [Copromotor

Maximising a mutualism: sustainable bumblebee management to improve crop pollination

Over 80% of wild angiosperms are reliant upon animal pollination for fruit and seed set and bees and other insects provide a vital pollination service to around a third of the crops we produce. Habitat loss, climate change and disease spread all threaten pollinator populations, with local declines and range contractions in honeybees and bumblebees leading to concerns that crop production may suffer as a result of pollinator shortages. Whilst agriculture and wildlife are often presented as being at odds with one another, the relationship between farmers growing pollination dependent crops, and the bees and insects that service them could be mutualistic. Flowering crops planted by farmers can provide an important source of forage to wild bees, whilst in return wild bees can contribute to ensuring farmers achieve adequate yields of marketable crops. The potential of this mutualistic relationship can be maximised by farmers by adopting management practices that reduce harm to, and enhance the wellbeing of, the wild bees around their farm. A group of common pesticides (neonicotinoids) used by farmers have recently been linked to pollinator ill health. Sub-lethal effects resulting from exposure to the neonicotinoid imidacloprid have been reported in honeybees and bumblebees, with bumblebee reproductive success found to diminish as a result of exposure to field realistic doses of this agrochemical. Here, the mechanism behind the reduced queen production in bumblebee colonies is suggested, with bees exposed to imidacloprid showing reduced efficiency in foraging for pollen. Farmers dependent upon pollinating insects for crop production can opt to avoid the use of pesticides known to harm these insects, however future studies are needed to identify safer alternatives that can be use in their place. Farmers can choose to increase the number of bees at their farms by utilising domesticated honeybees and purchasing commercially reared bumblebees. The use of these pollinators can ensure a minimum number of bees in the vicinity of a crop, and facilitate the production of crops at times when wild bee numbers are low. Concerns have been raised, however, regarding the use of commercially reared bees, mostly in regard to pathogen and parasite transmission, but also in respect to the possibility of outcompeting native species. Here the frequency and severity of attacks on commercial Bombus terrestris colonies, by the wax moth, an understudied bumblebee pest, are examined. Wax moths were found to infest almost half of the bumblebee nests deployed at fruit farms, with around a third of infestations resulting in nest destruction. Farmers investing in commercial bees will want to reduce the impact of harmful pests that may result in a reduced pollination service being delivered. Wax moth infestation rates at the study farms using commercial bees were high and the potential of a ‘spill- back’ effect on wild bees was examined. No evidence was found to suggest that nests in close proximity to these farms were any more or less likely to suffer from an attack than nests situated further away. Nest size was found to be the most significant predictor of an infestation, with larger nests more prone to wax moth attacks. Whilst farmers can utilise domesticated and commercially reared bees, relying on one source of pollination is inherently risky, and the most robust service will likely be provided by a range of pollinators. As well as reducing the use of chemicals known to harm beneficial insects, farmers can improve the habitat around their farms to help encourage and sustain wild pollinator populations. Sowing flower strips has been found to increase the abundance and diversity of pollinating insects, however, studies linking the use of these strips to crop production are lacking. Here we demonstrate for the first time that sowing small flower strips, adjacent to strawberry crops serviced by both wild and managed bees, can increase the overall number of pollinators foraging on the crop. This thesis contributes to our understanding of the implications of farm management decisions on pollinator health. It provides experimentally based evidence to guide farmers in making informed decisions regarding the future of crop pollination services and highlights the need for an integrated approach to managing pollination services for sustainability

An Explosive Genealogy: Theatre, Philosophy and the Art of Presentation

Not only in its conceptual reconstruction but also in the straightforward application of Badioursquo;s thought its problems and tensions come to light. This paper thus sets out to identify a generic truth procedure in the domain of art; specifically within theatre starting out from the Meyerhold-event and tracing enquiries in the work of Artaud and Brecht. It turns out once one follows the lines of further enquiries one ends up sketching an explosive genealogy that gives rise to the concept of an art of presentation transgressing the boundaries of theatre, art and philosophy

Should South Africa regulate the private funding of political parties?

A research report submitted to the School of Social Sciences, Faculty of Humanities of the University of the Witwatersrand in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Political Studies“South Africa’s democracy is faced with a clear and immediate threat”. In a nutshell this is the narrative developed and adopted by countless activists and political commentators who believe that to move forward as a nation legislation regulating private funding of political parties must be introduced. The key objective is transparency – without it the fear is that donors will essentially be able to buy influence within the government. The constant insinuations and reports of adverse donor influences have not done anything to allay these fears. This research paper will examine the legitimacy of these claims. Is it indeed imperative that we regulate private funding? If we are to determine whether there is a need to adjust South African law to safeguard the democratic values that the nation has held dear for over 20 years, then we must answer a set of subsidiary questions, such as what alternatives do we have? Is transparency really a goal that should be fought to achieve? To what extent to South Africa’s political parties rely on funding from private sources? To answer these questions this research paper will develop a thorough understanding of the financial and the political climate political parties find themselves in and ultimately determine whether the country’s democracy is faced with a legitimate threat and if so what can be done to avert it

Working Paper No. 46, Foundations for Feminist Legal Theory

This inquiry seeks to establish the foundations for Feminist Legal Theory through considering its three important dimensions. These dimensions are: a) a distinct and unique historical background; b) an ongoing legacy of occupational segregation; and c) a persistence of gender inequality. This inquiry relies heavily upon Feminist Legal Theory: A Primer (2016) authored by Nancy Levit, et al. Since the emergence of the area of inquiry known as “critical race feminism,” feminist legal theory has been moving away from the principle of formal equality and towards intersectional equity. Feminist legal theorists like Angela Harris (1990), in her work Race and Essentialism in Feminist Legal Theory, have driven the push away from gender essentialism and towards true political, social, and economic equity—the ultimate feminist goal