Key lessons from the RESET programme: Recommendations for the resettlement of young offenders

Reoffending rates for young offenders released from custody are high. Of approximately 6000 young people sentenced to custody each year, between 70% and 90% will reoffend within 12 months. Effective resettlement is vital to achieving better outcomes. RESET was a major experimental project led by Catch 22 and funded by European Equal, designed to improve outcomes. This executive briefing summarises the findings from the evaluation of RESET by CSR-Salford and ARCS UK. It explores lessons for mainstream resettlement support, making key recommendations about: coordinating resources and staff, making local partnerships, preparing young people for release, and communication and information flow between custody and community. It concludes that successful resettlement crucially requires: (1) widespread partnership coordination to address offenders' multiple needs; and (2) effective cooperation between custodial institutions and community agencies to ensure preparedness for release

Specific Adhesion of Membranes Simultaneously Supports Dual Heterogeneities in Lipids and Proteins

Membrane adhesion is a vital component of many biological processes. Heterogeneities in lipid and protein composition are often associated with the adhesion site. These heterogeneities are thought to play functional roles in facilitating signalling. Here we experimentally examine this phenomenon using model membranes made of a mixture of lipids that is near a phase boundary at room temperature. Non-adherent model membranes are in a well-mixed, disordered-fluid lipid phase indicated by homogeneous distribution of a fluorescent dye that is a marker for the fluid-disordered (Ld) phase. We specifically adhere membranes to a flat substrate bilayer using biotin–avidin binding. Adhesion produces two types of coexisting heterogeneities: an ordered lipid phase that excludes binding proteins and the fluorescent membrane dye, and a disordered lipid phase that is enriched in both binding proteins and membrane dye compared with the non-adhered portion of the same membrane. Thus, a single type of adhesion interaction (biotin–avidin binding), in an initially-homogeneous system, simultaneously stabilizes both ordered-phase and disordered-phase heterogeneities that are compositionally distinct from the non-adhered portion of the vesicle. These heterogeneities are long-lived and unchanged upon increased temperature.This work was funded by start-up funds from The University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin) to VDG. MR was supported in part by undergraduate research fellowships from UT Austin. We are grateful to Professor Jeanne Stachowiak (Biomedical Engineering, UT Austin) for helpful conversations about membrane formation and to her and her group for technical assistance. We thank Professor Ernst-Ludwig Florin (Physics, UT Austin) for the extruder and for cover glasses. We thank Professor Lauren Ehrlich (Molecular Biosciences, UT Austin) for helpful conversations about the immune synapse.Center for Nonlinear Dynamic

The modern technology of iron and steel production and possible ways of their development

В изменяющейся мировой обстановке на рынке сырых материалов для черной металлургии разрабатывается ряд новых технологий по производству чугуна и стали, альтернативных существующим технологиям, которые способны обеспечить экономически устойчивую работу металлургических компаний. В дополнении к этому фокусируется внимание на экономии энергии и снижении выбросов парниковых газов в целях решения важнейших вопросов охраны окружающей среды. Изменение состояния окружающей среды ставит новые проблемы перед металлургической промышленностью, потребляющей значительные энергетические и топливные ресурсы. Отрасль вынуждена сосредоточить свое внимание на сокращении всех видов энергии, что приведет и к снижению выброса парниковых газов. Разработка альтернативных технологических процессов производства чугуна и стали способна обеспечить металлургическим компаниям экономически выгодную и устойчивую работу в производстве стали. Для оценки воздействий деятельности металлургических компаний на окружающую среду Инженерно-консалтинговой компанией ХАТЧ (НАТСH, Сanada) были разработаны новые методики моделирования, позволяющие квалифицированно и качественно оценивать риски в потреблении энергии и выбросах СО2 в металлургической промышленности. Методика для анализа выбросов углеродсодержащих парниковых газов названа G-CAP ™ (Зеленый Дом — Борьба с загрязнением воздуха углекислым газом), а для анализа энергоэффективности — En-MAPTM (Планирование действий при управлении энергией). Оценка существующего положения в большинстве интегрированных заводов показала, что они располагают возможностями по экономии энергии и борьбы с загрязнением атмосферы парниковыми газами, лучшие из этих заводов исчерпали эти возможности даже при высоких ценах на квоты выбросов СО2. В этом контексте важно оценить те важные особенности альтернативных технологий получения чугуна и стали, которые разработаны к настоящему времени. Эта статья содержит сравнительную оценку энергоэффективности и выбросов ПГ для некоторых выбранных альтернативных технологий производства чугуна и стали, которые рассматриваются для их реализации. Для этого применены методики G-CAP ™ и G-CAP ™ , элементы которых были разработаны в компании HATCH с основной целью количественной и квалификационной оценки потенциала экономии энергии и сокращения выбросов СО2 в металлургической промышленностиIn the changing global market scenario for raw materials for the steel industry, a number of novel iron and steelmaking process technologies are being developed to provide the steel companies with economically-sustainable alternatives for iron and steel-making. In addition, the steel industry is also focusing on reduction of energy consumption as well as green-house gas (GHG) emissions to address the crucial subject of climate change. Climate change is presenting new risks to the highly energy and carbon-intensive, iron and steel industry. The industry needs to focus on reduction of energy consumption as GHG emissions to address climate change. Development of alternate iron and steelmaking process technologies can provide steel companies with economically-sustainable alternatives for steel production. For managing climate change risks, novel modelling tools have been developed by Hatch to quantify and qualify potential energy savings and CO2 abatement within the iron and steel industry. The tool developed for abatement of greenhouse gas carbon is called G-CAPTM (Green-House Gas Carbon Abatement Process) while that developed for improving energy efficiency is called En-MAPTM (Energy Management Action Planning). Evaluation of existing operations have shown that most integrated plants have GHG and energy abatement opportunities; on the other hand, the best-in-class plants may not have a lot of low-risk abatement opportunities left, even at high CO2 price. In this context, it is important to assess these critical issues for the alternate iron and steelmaking technologies that have been developed. This paper presents a comparative evaluation of energy-efficiency and GHG emissions for some selected iron- and steelmaking technologies that are being considered for implementation. In this work, Hatch’s G-CAP™ and En-MAP™ tools that were developed with the main objective of quantifying and qualifying the potential energy savings and CO2 abatement within the iron and steel industry, were employed in the evaluation conducted

Risk Factors for Non-communicable Diseases Among Adults of 25-65 Years at Kakamega County General Hospital, Kenya

In Kenya the growing number of premature deaths with half of all hospital admissions and 33% of all deaths are associated with Non-communicable diseases. The study determined the physical measurements and lipid parameters of adults 25-65 years at Kakamega County General Hospital. Data was collected using the WHO STEPs Instrument: Physical measurements assessed were Mid Upper Arm Circumference, Waist Hip measurements, Body mass Index and blood pressure. The study significance level was 0.05. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 20. Descriptive statistics was used. χ2 test of independence was used to find out the relationship between anthropometric measurements and lipid parameters. Data was presented in form of tables, figures and texts. There was a significant relationship between BMI and Triglycerideχ2 (12, N=60)= 25.752 P=0.012, BMI and LDLχ2(8,N=60)=19.312 p=0.013, BMI and Total Cholesterol χ2(8, N=60)=18.694 p=0.017, MUAC and HDL χ2(4, N=60) =14.446 p=0.006, WHR and Total Cholesterol χ2(2, N=60)=17.985 p=0.000, WHR and LDL χ2(2, N=60)=15.246p=0.000. The study advocated for policies to reduce the incidences of risk factors for NCDs which will assist in achievement of Sustainable Development Goals. Kenyan population are in need of screening for risks associated with NCDs

On Steering Swarms

The main contribution of this paper is a novel method allowing an external observer/controller to steer and guide swarms of identical and indistinguishable agents, in spite of the agents' lack of information on absolute location and orientation. Importantly, this is done via simple global broadcast signals, based on the observed average swarm location, with no need to send control signals to any specific agent in the swarm

A first assessment of operator compliance and dolphin behavioural responses during swim-with-dolphin programs for three species of Delphinids in the Azores

The popularity of swim-with wild dolphin programs around the world is fast growing, with the studies required to investigate their impact lagging behind. In the Azores, species targeted include the short-beaked common (Delphinus delphis), the bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) and the Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis). To evaluate the effects of this activity on local dolphin populations, and thus provide support for management decisions, dolphin response data were collected onboard commercial boats off São Miguel Island between 2013 and 2015. All three species revealed high degree of neutral and avoidance behaviours, and very low approach rates. Tursiops showed higher frequency of neutral responses than Delphinus, while Stenella both avoided and approached more frequently than the other species. When boats intersected the path of dolphin groups, avoidance responses were more likely and the duration of swims was shorter. Swims were also shorter when animals were resting and travelling, and when groups were smaller. The operators generally complied with the legislation, except in respect to the number of swim attempts per dolphin group, which was higher than the legal maximum. Improvement of the current legislation and concurrent reinforcement of controls is essential to avoid detrimental long-term effects of this activity on dolphin populations in the Azores.This research was partially supported by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through the COMPETE – Operational Competitiveness Programme and national funds through FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology, under the project PEst-C/MAR/LA0015/2013, by the Strategic Funding UID/Multi/04423/2013 through national funds provided by FCT – Foundation for Science and Technology and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), in the framework of the programme PT2020 and by cE3c funding (Ref:UID/BIA/003329/2013). It was also partly supported by CIRN (Centro de Investigação de Recursos Naturais, University of the Azores), and CIIMAR (Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research, Porto, Portugal). A. Cecchetti was supported by the Regional Fund for Science through the scholarship M.3.1.2/F/036/2011. K.A. Stockin was supported by a Royal Society of New Zealand Te Aparangi Rutherford Discovery Fellowship.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Physiological Effects of Chronic Copper Exposure to Rainbow Trout (\u3cem\u3eOncorhynchus Mykiss\u3c/em\u3e) in Hard and Soft Water: Evaluation of Chronic Indicators

Effects of chronic copper exposure on a suite of indicators were examined: acute toxicity, acclimation, growth, sprint performance, whole-body electrolytes, tissue residues, and gill copper binding characteristics. Juvenile rainbow trout were exposed for 30 d to waterborne copper in hard water (hardness = 120 μg/L as CaCO3, pH = 8.0, Cu = 20 and 60 μg/L) and soft water (hardness = 20 μg/L as CaCO3, pH = 7.2, Cu = 1 and 2 μg/L). Significant acclimation to the metal occurred only in fish exposed to 60 mg/L, as seen by an approx. twofold increase in 96-h LC50 (153 vs 91 μg Cu/L). Chronic copper exposure had little or no effect on survival, growth, or swimming performance in either water hardness, nor was there any initial whole-body electrolyte loss (Na+ and Cl-). The present data suggest that the availability of food (3% wet body weight/day, distributed as three 1% meals) prevented growth inhibition and initial ion losses that usually result from Cu exposure. Elevated metal burdens in the gills and livers of exposed fish were measures of chronic copper exposure but not of effect. Initial gill binding experiments revealed the necessity of using radiolabeled Cu (64Cu) to detect newly accumulated Cu against gill background levels. Using this method, we verified the presence of saturable Cu-binding sites in the gills of juvenile rainbow trout and were able to make estimates of copperbinding affinity (log Kgill=Cu) and capacity (Bmax). Furthermore, we showed that both chronic exposure to Cu and to low water calcium had important effects on the Cu-binding characteristics of the gills

Universal Scaling in Non-equilibrium Transport Through a Single-Channel Kondo Dot

Scaling laws and universality play an important role in our understanding of critical phenomena and the Kondo effect. Here we present measurements of non-equilibrium transport through a single-channel Kondo quantum dot at low temperature and bias. We find that the low-energy Kondo conductance is consistent with universality between temperature and bias and characterized by a quadratic scaling exponent, as expected for the spin-1/2 Kondo effect. The non-equilibrium Kondo transport measurements are well-described by a universal scaling function with two scaling parameters.Comment: v2: improved introduction and theory-experiment comparsio