Accidental child driveway runovers: Exploring Waikato data and the efficacy of existing responses

While the numbers of accidents are not high, there is little doubt that driveway runovers are an ongoing, often fatal and inevitably avoidable tragedy for children and their families. In many cases the driver is an immediate family member, or a neighbour or friend, which serves to compound the tragedy. This type of accident is, like other unintentional child injuries, preventable. The over-riding objective of this study is to find ways to minimise the incidence and severity of driveway runovers. We also aim to add Waikato data to the existing knowledge base. This report begins with a description of the research process utilised in this project, which combines a literature review with the collection of Waikato data and a review of available resources. Chapter Two presents the literature review, dividing the material into its different sources, then summarising the literature in terms of the three main factors contributing to driveway runovers. The following chapter provides data on Waikato driveway accidents for the period since May 2006. The type and availability of educational resources is then presented. Chapter Four evaluates existing resources and their availability, suggesting how they might be made more accessible to families. It also assesses existing recommendations and provides further suggestions for enhancing driveway safety. These again reflect the three main categories outlined in the literature – human, vehicle and environmental

Historical review of sexual offence and child sexual abuse legislation in Australia: 1788–2013

Abstract: The report provides an overview of the socio-political factors and events that have influenced the development of Australia’s child sexual abuse legislation from 1788-2013. Key developments in relevant legislation during this period which are discussed in detail in the report include: the decriminalisation of homosexual acts between consenting males the removal of gendered language from legislation to enable the law to deal with matters involving male victims, female offenders and same sex offences broadening the definition of sexual intercourse introduction of specific legislation relating to child pornography introduction of mandatory reporting laws

The Effects of Music on Foreign Language Retention in Elementary Schools

There are a variety of different strategies educators have to choose from when deciding to teach a foreign language in their elementary school classroom. Although this is so, there are still educators who choose to rely on the traditional method of rote memorization. Interactive play allows the students to be hands-on when learning foreign language vocabulary rather than simply memorizing it. Music is also incorporated into interactive play to see its effects on retaining the knowledge students are learning. Both of these, music and interactive play, were used in this study to prove that the combination of the two is a better teaching strategy than rote memorization. The strategy was implemented for three days and there was one day of testing. The goal of this study was to see student score improvement in the class using the music through interactive play method over the rote method. Scores were calculated and analyzed by finding the class and individual averages of each class of students. A baseline was then found for each class. The study showed that adding music through interactive play to the foreign language vocabulary curriculum does, in fact, improve vocabulary retention scores

Hollowend

Hollowend is a novel set in the small town of, surprise, Hollowend. This is a place where the supernatural is ordinary. The story is told by two narrators: Hettie, a crime scene cleaner whose eye has gone missing; and Harlan, a private investigator who isn\u27t actually a private investigator. He\u27s a serial killer—the Widowmaker, according to the local press. He\u27s been terrorizing Hollowend for the past three years, only getting away with it because of his influence magic, which allows him to convince anyone of anything. It even allows him to scrub Hettie\u27s memory after his many failed attempts to convince her to just be cool with this whole murdering thing so they can stay friends. Hettie, on the other hand, is busy solving everyone\u27s problems but her own. Really, though, this story is about what happens when a serial killer makes a friend, and that friend has to reconcile the person she cares most for in this world with the murderer she\u27s been cleaning up after for three years

The development of a small animal model for assessing the 3D implications of loading on bone microarchitecture

It is well established that bone is capable of adapting to changes in its environment; however, little is known regarding how environmental stimuli, specifically loading, are associated with the internal 3D microarchitecture of cortical bone. The aim of this thesis was to develop a small animal model that can be used to experimentally test hypotheses regarding bone adaptation. High resolution micro-CT was validated and employed as a novel method for the visualization and quantification of rat cortical bone microarchitecture in 3D. The use of this imaging method allowed for the measurement of primary vascular canal orientation in 3D, which had never been achieved before. Using this measure along with an immobilization model for unloading allowed me to test how loading is associated with the orientation of these vascular canals. Normally ambulating rat bones (from 10 female rats) had a canal structure that was 9.9° more longitudinal than their immobilized counterparts. This finding that loading has an effect on primary canal orientation brought to light the need to induce remodeling and therefore, secondary vascular canals, in the rat to increase its novelty as a model for looking at bone adaptation. Remodeling was induced by increasing the calcium demands of female rats, either through a calcium restricted diet (n=2) or pregnancy and lactation coupled with a calcium restricted diet (n=2). Mean cortical thickness for the calcium restricted rats and the pregnant and lactating rats that were on a calcium restricted diet were 622 µm and 419 µm, respectively. The mean BMU count for calcium restricted rats seemed to be higher than that of the pregnant and lactating rats; however, the calcium restricted rats seemed to have a lower BMU density. Once this full-scale study is executed the rat will provide a more representative model for studying human bone adaptation

An Examination of the Relationship between Psychological Distress and Risky Sexual Behaviors among a Treatment-Seeking Opioid-Dependent Population

Substance abusing populations are at an increased risk for disease transmission and have higher rates of psychological comorbidity compared to the general population (e.g., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2012a; Chaudhury & Singh, 2009; Des Jarlais, Semaan, & Arasteh, 2011; Goodwin & Stein, 2013). Numerous studies have implicated the interaction of psychological distress and risky sexual behaviors in the increased risk of disease transmission, however, several studies have not found this association. It has been suggested that there may be curvilinear relationship between psychological distress and risky sexual behaviors but this theory has yet to be tested. The present study sought to examine whether a curvilinear relationship among these factors was present among an opioid dependent population. Further, the associations between polysubstance abuse and psychological distress, as well as between injection drug use, psychological distress, and risky sexual behaviors were examined. One hundred thirteen opioid-dependent individuals from an outpatient opiate treatment program (OTP) were surveyed regarding their drug use, sexual behaviors, depression, anxiety, and stress. Results did not support a curvilinear or linear model for the relationship between psychological distress and risky sexual behaviors. Further, a relationship between polysubstance abuse and psychological distress was not found to be significant. However, injection use was found to be associated with anxiety among participants. The importance of future research examining other factors related to increased disease transmission among a drug-using population is emphasized, as reasons for increased transmission are likely due to several complex and interrelated factors

Non-Newtonian Fabric-Fluid Composites: Fabrication, Characterization and Testing for Anti-Ballistics Applications

This thesis aims to characterize non-Newtonian suspensions for anti-ballistics applications. This involves characterizing the rheological behavior of each suspension. It also includes characterizing the interactions of the suspensions with several types of fabrics with known antiballistics properties. The study also tests the armor composites under ballistics stresses by firing on them with standardized military weaponry. This data is then compiled to determine which, if any, of the fabrics and suspensions are ultimately suitable for anti-ballistics uses

Foucauldian Biopolitics and Nation Making in General Juan Velasco’s Peru, 1968-1975

This brief academic article examines the military government of General Juan Velasco Alvarado in Peru from 1968 through 1975 via the lens of Michel Foucauld’s foundational concepts of biopolitics and biopower. It analyzes a variety of primary and secondary sources, including legal documents from Velasco’s government, state propaganda posters, economic appendixes, historiographical analyses from the time, and other important documents. By examining this varied set of documents, we are able to get a better understanding of how biopower was utilized by Velasco’s government, as best seen through the discourse they maintained, to legitimize their undemocratic hold on power. This comprehensive research study also allows us to apply basic concepts of state power, authority, discourse, and biopolitics to other pivotal moments in twentieth-century Latin America

Interst Group Incentives for Post-lottery Trade Restrictions

The rights to use publicly-managed natural resources are sometimes distributed by lottery,and typically these rights are non-transferable. Prohibition of post-lottery permit transfers discourages applicants from entering the lottery solely for protable permit sale, so only those who personally value the use of the resource apply. However, because permits are distributed randomly and trade is restricted, permits may not be used by those who value them most. We examine a possible rationale for restrictions on permit transfers based on the distribution of welfare across interest groups, and characterize the economic conditions under which post-lottery prohibitions on trade are likely to arise. We develop our model using the specic case of the Four Rivers Lottery used to allocate rafting permits on four river sections in Idaho and Oregon.lottery, trade prohibition, interest groups