Towards understanding and improving decision-making for the conservation and sustainable use of intertidal mudflats and saltmarshes

Evidence suggests that improvements in both knowledge and actions are required to realize the conservation and sustainable use of intertidal mudflats and saltmarshes, specifically in terms of decisionmaking. In the absence of known research in this field, this research aimed to understand and improve decision-making for the conservation and sustainable use of intertidal mudflats and saltmarshes, using a case study in the Solent, UK. The study constructed a timeline of relevant events. It found that the majority of the events indirectly influenced the conservation and sustainable use of intertidal mudflats and saltmarshes, and were primarily concerned with some other purpose, such as coastal flooding and erosion risk management. Furthermore, that research, legislation and policy, and practice are interconnected in a complex web, with changes in one domain being reflected in another. Yet despite the significant investment in research and consultation processes by many people over numerous years, no clear end point appears to have been reached in terms of realizing intertidal mudflat and saltmarsh conservation and sustainable use. Building on these findings, the study used multi-methodology systems intervention as a lens through which to view and make sense of what the existing decision-making process is, and how to intervene to change (improve) it. It found that the decision-making process fails to start out systemically, and that an emphasis on participation through consultation is perhaps not the best means of involving stakeholders. The gradual "closing down" of options as a result of the above means that there is often inaction or delays in taking actions due to multiple diverse perspectives regarding what action is required, how, why and by who. An "improved" decision-making process is suggested and trialled involving a social learning cycle based on systems thinking and practice, in which stakeholders engage in dialogue and work together to make decisions and take actions towards the conservation and sustainable use of intertidal mudflats and saltmarshes. The outcomes from a pilot study workshop demonstrate that the "improved" decision-making process generally proved very successful for this group of stakeholders. It engaged them in dialogue and in working together using skills and techniques in systems thinking, modelling, negotiating and evaluating, leading to new insights and shared understandings about the problem situation, and concerted actions to improve it. Notwithstanding that there are some refinements that can be made to further improve the decision-making process as a result of "lessons learned" from the workshop, the participants' feedback confirms that it was appropriate in this context, and may also be useful in other complex situations, particularly those involving multiple stakeholders from diverse backgrounds. However, it is recognized that whilst the study has made significant progress towards understanding and improving decision-making for the conservation and sustainable use of intertidal mudflats and saltmarshes, there is still further work required before the improvements can be implemented on a local, national or global scale

Synthesis and Structural Studies of Radiopharmaceutical Precursors

The design and synthesis of tumor-seeking radiopharmaceuticals for detecting malignancy requires the solution to two problems: 1) selection of a carrier group with demonstrated specificity for the target to be imaged, and 2) selection of a way to attach the nuclide to that carrier. The psoralens, natural products well-established as malanizing agents, are known to be selectively incorporated into functioning melanocytes. Psoralens are the candidate agents for conversion into melanoma-localizing radiopharmaceuticals. This dissertation reports the development of several pre-labeling candidates for melanoma impacting. A facile new labeling method, the triazene decomposition, has been studied, its generality probed, its sensitivity to molecular substituent effects evaluated, and its applicability to other pharmaceutical classes tested. The triazene intermediates required for this labeling method have been examined for biological activity, for chemical stability, and for sensitivity of ring positions to transmission of electronic effects as measured by C-13 NMR. The triazene labeling method requires amino-bearing precursors. As a means to simple, non-pressurized reduction of nitro groups to amines to generate these necessary precursors, a palladium-catalyzed hydrogen transfer reaction with cyclohexene as the donor has proven extraordinarily useful

What Utilities Wish We Knew: Focusing on Communications & Electric Facilities

Nearly every project has electric and communications facilities within the project limits. In this session utility representatives discuss what designers should know for successful utility coordination

Eaten: A Novel

This novel operates on two levels. First, it is a story concerning the fate of a young woman named Raven Adams, who is prompted into journeying westward after witnessing what she believes to be an omen. On another level, however, the novel is intended to be a philosophical questioning of western modes of “science-based” singular conceptualizations of reality, which argue that there is only one “real world” and anyone who deviates from this is “crazy,” “stupid,” or “wrong.” Raven as a character sees the world in terms of what might be called “magical thinking” in modern psychology; her closest relationship is with a living embodiment of a story, the ancient philosopher Diogenes, which she believes is capable of possessing others and directing her journey. As the story continues the reader comes to understand Raven’s perceptions of her reality, leading to a conceptualization of reality as being “multi-layered.” Eventually these layers are collapsed and unified in the final chapters. The novel makes use of many reference points including philosophy, classical mythology, folklore, religion, and internet social media in order to guide the reader along Raven’s story

Water Co-Governance for Sustainable Ecosystems: Reflections and Recommendations from Pilot Processes in the UK

As part of the Water Co-Governance for Sustainable Ecosystems (WaterCoG) project, this research evaluated two river catchment pilots in the United Kingdom (UK) via a series of semi-structured interviews in order to better understand how collaborative governance (co-governance) approaches contribute to water governance. The findings demonstrate that the participatory process used by catchment partnerships (comprising stakeholders working together within a catchment area) to co-produce knowledge has enabled them to jointly identify improvements that are more meaningful than previous actions to those involved or affected by the situation in their catchment. However, there are concerns about the balance of social, economic and environmental interests in decision making, as well as perceived misunderstandings about the situation in the catchment as a whole. All interviewees (comprising stakeholders from across different scales and levels of water governance) recognized benefits from working together. They also observed that progress to deliver measures is impeded by polices and institutions that are not conducive to partnership working. The interviewees recognized and valued the significant capacity and capability of catchment partnership host organization(s) to facilitate and enable the development of the catchment partnership. However, they also raised important questions about the host’s ability to represent the needs and interests of all catchment partnership members. The recommendations emerging from this research suggest ways to improve water co-governance, including considering the feasibility and desirability of the catchment partnership host; reconceptualizing catchment management plans as a process rather than an outcome; conducting and regularly reviewing a stakeholder analysis of catchment partnership members; working more closely together with other types of partnerships and committees; engaging in and providing opportunities for developing skills in systems thinking, social learning and collaborative actions; working with the UK Government to develop place-based policies and plans; and engaging in dialogue with the UK Government and other bodies to review access to funding and other types of resources

Water governance in the UK and EU: So far, so what and what next? Symposium Report. 16th September 2015, Royal Society, London.

Improving water governance is key to achieving a range of environmental, social and economic objectives including food, water and energy security, climate change resilience, health and well-being, and sustainable economic growth. This symposium brought together examples of initiatives in research, policy and practice for transforming water governance, including: CADWAGO case studies from the UK, Canada and Australia; the OECD’s work on water governance principles; DEFRA’s overview of the Catchment-based Approach; and the work of the Roe Catchment Community Water Management Group in the UK. CADWAGO researchers from the Open University have been working with Government bodies, NGOs, consultants, water industry, academics, and others to better understand the current water governance situation and how it might be improved in practice. The results of this engagement — focusing on transformations in stakes and stakeholding, facilitation, institutions and policies, and knowing and learning — were used as a starting point for developing of an agenda for transforming water governance in the UK and the EU. This report provides an overview of the presentations and group discussions from the symposium

14. Tumbling Creek Research

Tumbling Creek Turtles UNG shares land with innocent, wonderful animals. For the Summer 2018 Semester, I painted two 4ft x 3ft acrylic paintings based on observations of Tumbling Creek’s Eastern Box Turtle residents. I have continued my research for this Spring 2019 Semester, and am creating an 8ft x 5ft acrylic painting depicting a littered pond at Tumbling Creek. Last summer, Dr. Mook and Dr. Hyslop, biology professors at the UNG in Gainesville, invited me to track live Eastern Box Turtles with them. When I got to see a turtle up close and in person, the eyes were mesmerizing. I had to paint the deep brown, reddish pinks and innumerable details in the turtles’ irises. Hence, my painting, Eye Like Turtles, was influenced by the turtles’ beautifully saturated eyes. My second painting, Trippy Turtle, is based on patterns and shapes found on the turtles’ skin, shell and scales. The form, textures and colors of the carapace (the top of the turtle’s shell) were joyous to capture. This Spring 2019 Semester painting depicts another Tumbling Creek Woods native, the Musk Turtle, in an aquatic environment. Dr. Mook took me early one morning to observe a pond on campus, where we found several water bottles and pieces of plastic in the water. Saddened, I was inspired to make a painting where a Musk Turtle and water bottle face each other. I will install the painting by vending machines inside UNG Gainesville’s Science and Engineering Building. Hopefully, the painting will compel viewers to properly dispose trash