Refugee Women’s Experiences of Violence and Resilience: Early Explorations

Refugee experiences of violence are well known and may include violence in the country of origin, in refugee camps, countries of detention and, especially for women and children, in their own families before and after resettlement. The resilience of former refugees to violence has been noted in recent times by a range of agencies. Across Australia, a number of initiatives are in place to deal with experiences of violence in these communities, including policing programs, settlement support services, community support groups and torture and trauma survival services. This paper will report on the preliminary findings of a qualitative project investigating the relationship between refugee women, violence and resilience in the context of resettlement. Focusing on interviews with service providers, the paper will explore how resilience is understood within, and may impact on, service provision.Sydney Institute of Criminology; School of Social Sciences at the University of Western Sydne

Senior Recital: Lisa Mason, oboe

This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree Bachelor of Music in Music Education. Ms. Mason studies oboe with Elizabeth Tiscione.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/musicprograms/1292/thumbnail.jp

The effectiveness of local authority social services for older people in Great Britain: a critical literature review

Introduction: Older people are the main users of adult social care services in Great Britain. Evidence suggests that occupational therapists employed by local authorities are providing interventions that promote and maintain older people’s independence, and decrease dependency on other services. However, such evidence is disparate in nature and lacks synthesis. Method: This literature review systematically selected, critically appraised, and thematically synthesized the post 2000 published and unpublished evidence on the effectiveness and cost effectiveness of occupational therapy interventions for older people in social care services. Findings: Identified themes established: the localized nature of social care services for older people; organizational and policy impacts on services, and factors influencing effectiveness and cost effectiveness. Although occupational therapists are increasingly involved in rehabilitation and reablement, there is a continuing focus on equipment and adaptations provision. A high level of service user satisfaction was identified, once timely occupational therapy services were received. Conclusion: Overall, occupational therapy in social care is perceived as effective in improving quality of life for older people and their carers, and cost effective in making savings for other social and healthcare services. However, the complex nature of social care services makes it difficult to disaggregate the effectiveness of occupational therapy from other services

Special Edition: Discourses of Hate - Guest Editors' Introduction

Hate flourishes in an enabling environment; it is nourished by broadly circulating narratives of hostility and demonisation. This has become painfully clear in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s election as President of the United States in 2016, where the ongoing xenophobic commentary embedded in his Twitter feeds, public speeches, and even policy initiatives has generated increased hostility directed toward Others throughout the nation. This special edition of the International Journal for Crime, Justice and Social Democracy aims to provide insights and analyses into public discourses of hate as found in political speech, popular expression, and media representations, inter alia. These narratives resonate with existing public sentiment around race, religion, gender, immigration, and an array of other flash points. To access the full text of the introducton to this special issue on discourses of hate, download the accompanying PDF file

Polaris: Mass and Multiplicity

Polaris, the nearest and brightest classical Cepheid, is a member of at least a triple system. It has a wide ($18''$) physical companion, the F-type dwarf Polaris B. Polaris itself is a single-lined spectroscopic binary with an orbital period of 30 years (Kamper, 1996, JRASC, 90, 140). By combining {\it Hipparcos} measurements of the instantaneous proper motion with long-term measurements and the Kamper radial-velocity orbit, Wielen et al. (2000, A&A, 360, 399) have predicted the astrometric orbit of the close companion. Using the {\it Hubble Space Telescope} and the Advanced Camera for Surveys' High-Resolution Channel with an ultraviolet (F220W) filter, we have now directly detected the close companion. Based on the Wielen et al. orbit, the {\it Hipparcos} parallax, and our measurement of the separation ($0.176''$ $\pm$ $0.002''$), we find a preliminary mass of 5.0 $\pm$ 1.5 M$_{\odot}$ for the Cepheid and 1.38 $\pm$ 0.61 M$_{\odot}$ for the close companion. These values will be refined by additional {\it HST} observations scheduled for the next 3 years. We have also obtained a {\it Chandra} ACIS-I image of the Polaris field. Two distant companions C and D are not X-rays sources and hence are not young enough to be physical companions of the Cepheid. There is one additional stellar X-ray source in the field, located $253''$ from Polaris A, which is a possible companion. Further investigation of such a distant companion is valuable to confirm the full extent of the system.Comment: submitted to Conference Proceedings of IAU Symp. 24

Direct Detection of the Close Companion of Polaris with the Hubble Space Telescope

Polaris, the nearest and brightest classical Cepheid, is a single-lined spectroscopic binary with an orbital period of 30 years. Using the High Resolution Channel of the Advanced Camera for Surveys onboard the Hubble Space Telescope (HST) at a wavelength of ~2255\AA, we have directly detected the faint companion at a separation of 0\farcs17. A second HST observation 1.04 yr later confirms orbital motion in a retrograde direction. By combining our two measures with the spectroscopic orbit of Kamper and an analysis of the Hipparcos and FK5 proper motions by Wielen et al., we find a mass for Polaris Aa of 4.5^{+2.2}_{-1.4} M_\odot--the first purely dynamical mass determined for any Cepheid. For the faint companion Polaris Ab we find a dynamical mass of 1.26^{+0.14}_{-0.07} M_\odot, consistent with an inferred spectral type of F6 V and with the flux difference of 5.4 mag observed at 2255\AA. The magnitude difference at the V band is estimated to be 7.2 mag. Continued HST observations will significantly reduce the mass errors, which are presently still too large to provide critical constraints on the roles of convective overshoot, mass loss, rotation, and opacities in the evolution of intermediate-mass stars. Our astrometry, combined with two centuries of archival measurements, also confirms that the well-known, more distant (18") visual companion, Polaris B, has a nearly common proper motion with that of the Aa,Ab pair. This is consistent with orbital motion in a long-period bound system. The ultraviolet brightness of Polaris B is in accordance with its known F3 V spectral type if it has the same distance as Polaris Aa,Ab.Comment: 31 pages, 12 figures, 6 tables; accepted for publication in the Astronomical Journa

Hubble Space Telescope Astrometry of the Procyon System

The nearby star Procyon is a visual binary containing the F5 IV-V subgiant Procyon A, orbited in a 40.84 yr period by the faint DQZ white dwarf Procyon B. Using images obtained over two decades with the Hubble Space Telescope, and historical measurements back to the 19th century, we have determined precise orbital elements. Combined with measurements of the parallax and the motion of the A component, these elements yield dynamical masses of 1.478 +/- 0.012 Msun and 0.592 +/- 0.006 Msun for A and B, respectively. The mass of Procyon A agrees well with theoretical predictions based on asteroseismology and its temperature and luminosity. Use of a standard core-overshoot model agrees best for a surprisingly high amount of core overshoot. Under these modeling assumptions, Procyon A's age is ~2.7 Gyr. Procyon B's location in the H-R diagram is in excellent agreement with theoretical cooling tracks for white dwarfs of its dynamical mass. Its position in the mass-radius plane is also consistent with theory, assuming a carbon-oxygen core and a helium-dominated atmosphere. Its progenitor's mass was 1.9-2.2 Msun, depending on its amount of core overshoot. Several astrophysical puzzles remain. In the progenitor system, the stars at periastron were separated by only ~5 AU, which might have led to tidal interactions and even mass transfer; yet there is no direct evidence that these have occurred. Moreover the orbital eccentricity has remained high (~0.40). The mass of Procyon B is somewhat lower than anticipated from the initial-to-final-mass relation seen in open clusters. The presence of heavy elements in its atmosphere requires ongoing accretion, but the place of origin is uncertain.Comment: Accepted by Astrophysical Journa