Putting Into Practice the Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries

This document is an abridged version of the FAO Fisheries Technical Guidelines No. 4, Suppl. 2, entitled Fisheries management. 2. The ecosystem approach to fisheries. It is intended to provide a more concise and less technical outline of the purpose and meaning of the ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) and guidance as to how to implement the approach. Although the principles of an ecosystem approach to fisheries (EAF) are not new, there is very little practical experience in their implementation. Translating high-level policy goals on EAF into operational objectives and actions is now the key challenge to sustainable fisheries.This booklet provides an overview of EAF, for marine capture fisheries, and its benefits. It considers what is required to implement EAF and the range of management measures available. It provides an overview of the management process, outlines any outstanding research requirements, and lists the main threats to the implementation of EAF

' "Not One of Us": Barack Obama, the "Paranoid Style", and the Polarization of American Politics'

Divided into six sections, (The African American Criminal in Culture and Media; Slave Voices and Bodies in Poetry and Plays; Representing African American Gender and Sexuality in Pop-Culture and Society; Black Cultural Production in Music and Dance; Obama and the Politics of Race; and Ongoing Realities and the Meaning of 'Blackness') this book is an engaging collection of chapters, varied in critical content and theoretical standpoints, linked by their intellectual stimulation and fascination with African American life, and questioning how and to what extent American culture and society is 'past' race

Advancements in pervious concrete technology

Pervious concrete has been used for many years in the southern United States but only recently have stormwater mandates implemented by the United States (U.S.) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) created interest for more wide-spread installations, especially in freeze-thaw climates. Validation of the freeze-thaw durability of pervious concrete under the most extreme conditions created an opportunity to explore many additional aspects of pervious concrete and to improve durability through additional mixture characterization and new construction practices. While the material components are similar to conventional concrete, the idiosyncratic behavior of pervious concrete requires revaluating material effects and relationships. Many different factors influence the performance of conventional concrete and many different factors also affect pervious concrete, although limited data exist to support observed and expected responses. The most crucial factors include the specific effect on freeze-thaw durability caused by the coarse aggregate type. Since the volume of paste in a pervious concrete system is much less than traditional concrete and exposure conditions much more severe, aggregate durability criteria must be determined for this specific application. The more extreme exposure conditions also require investigating the effect of air entrainment on the concrete mortar. Air entrainment improves freeze-thaw durability in conventional concrete, but to date has yet to be evaluated in pervious concrete. In addition to mixture properties, construction practices must be modified to suit pervious concrete. While the workability of conventional concrete can be simply checked using a standard slump cone, no method currently exists to determine the workability of pervious concrete. However, workability of pervious concrete influences the ease of placement and density, which also controls the yield and ultimate durability. Determining pervious concrete workability will allow more consistency between placements and help quantify the effect various mixture components have on the fresh mixture behavior. Due to it’s very low water-to-cement ratio (~0.30) curing of pervious concrete is particularly important. Pervious concrete is currently cured under plastic instead of using a conventional curing compound. No research has previously been performed to evaluate the effect various common curing methods have on strength and durability. By studying the important issues, consistency and durability can be improved and baseline values established for future research. This dissertation includes a selection of papers encompassing a variety of important aspects in pervious concrete research, all to improve pervious concrete durability. The papers include 1) The effect of aggregate type on the freeze-thaw durability of pervious concrete, 2) A novel approach to characterize entrained air content in pervious concrete, 3) Effect of curing regime on pervious concrete abrasion resistance, and 4) Evaluation of pervious concrete workability using gyratory compaction. The results show that freeze-thaw durability of pervious concrete is controlled by the aggregate absorption and specific gravity. Air entrainment can be quantified in pervious concrete and also used to improve workability and freeze-thaw durability. Workability can be characterized by two components, initial workability and resistance to additional compaction. Workability can be determined using a low-pressure gyratory testing apparatus and results show that increased binder amount influences properties more than increased water content. Lastly, for samples cured in the field using different methods, samples cured under plastic had the highest flexural strength and abrasion resistance. Curing compounds also improved strength and abrasion resistance over no curing method. From the results, highest priority recommendations for future research include development of standardized testing methods and standardized mixture proportioning methods. Strength and durability will be most significantly affected by improving the paste to aggregate bond strength, which will more effectively utilize the coarse aggregate strength. The basic properties established herein along with future research will allow pervious concrete to be utilized not only for parking areas but also successfully on high traffic volume roadways for improved safety and functionality

Is There a ‘Spirituality Across Faiths’? insights from evolutionary and developmental science

An analysis of the conceptual validity of the spirituality/religion distinction in the light of research findings in cognitive, social and evolutionary psycholog

China:US intercountry adoption: a Quantitative Grounded Theory Study

This study sought to identify the factors influencing the scale and nature of intercountry adoption (ICA) between the People’s Republic of China and the United States of America; and to describe the significance and contribution of each to ICA processes. It took a documentary data analysis approach based upon Quantitative Grounded Theory; firstly interpreting available data and thematically analyzing the literature in order to identify correlations between changes in the data and the environment for ICA. The results showed that changes in policies, ethical narratives and ideological shifts (principally the rise of nationalism) appeared to influence both the scale and type of ICAs in successive years. This paper concluded that China:US ICA is likely to continue only in small numbers with older and special needs children. However, China:US adoptions provide some examples of ‘best practice’. Understanding the interplay of factors explored theoretically in this study may guide future ICA arrangements between other country-pairs. Originality/value Although a range of data have been collected on China:US ICA over a number of years, no systematic attempt has been made to link changes in those data to changes in the legal, social or cultural climate in which such adoptions take place. As well as providing new insights into the dynamics of ICA, the paper develops an original method which could be applied to parallel arrangements between other countries

Resource implications of a measured change in patient wellbeing: a retrospective cohort analysis study

A previous study identified a significant improvement on the Warwick and Edinburgh Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS) for users of the Sandwell ‘Chaplains for Wellbeing’ service (Kevern and Hill, 2015). This raises the question of whether such an improvement leads to potential savings for the CCG via a reduction in the resource burden of these patients. The current study sought to establish whether a significant improvement in patient wellbeing (as measured by the WEMWBS scale) was reflected in a reduction in Primary Care resource use by these patients. In a retrospective cohort study of patients who had accessed the Chaplains for Wellbeing Service, pre-post data were gathered on a range of proxy measures of resource use. The study found that, while there was a clear improvement in wellbeing as measured by the WEMWBS score, this was not reflected in any change to certain key indicators of resource use and mental wellbeing. The reasons for this result are discussed and several possible explanations advanced

The role and impact of recommendations from NHS inquiries: a critical discourse analysis

A National Health Service Inquiry is set up after an adverse event in order to ascertain the facts, learn from them and so prevent similar events happening in the future. However, several researchers have suggested that they are more complex social performances whose complexity renders them relatively ineffective in bringing about change. The current study tested this interpretation by an analysis of the formal Recommendations from the 14 large scale NHS Inquiries which took place in the period from 1967 to 2014. Their content was critically analysed for divergent themes, and similarities and differences between Inquiries were considered by reference to the historical circumstances of their production. Some support was found for the interpretation of Inquiries as complex symbolic events. In contrast to their apparent function as simple instruments to drive change, Inquiry Recommendations can be shown to be produced in the service of divergent ends. These may create tensions in the final text which will impede the implementation of changes. To avoid this outcome, consideration of the ways and means of implementing change needs to be included in the Inquiry process

On Death and Cake

Report on the Pilot in the Diocese of Lichfield of the GraveTalk Project, October 2013 - March 201

Exploring the Subjective Experiences of Peer-Led Social Support Groups for Individuals Bereaved by Suicide

Objectives: The insights of individuals bereaved by suicide who use peer-led social support groups are lacking in much of the clinical research. This review provided a synthesis of the existing knowledge base to support the development of strategies to improve peer-led social support group services. Design and Methods: A systematic search was carried out on eight electronic databases. Data were extracted and a systematic qualitative meta-aggregation was undertaken. Results: Key components of social support for individuals bereaved by suicide were the contribution of group dynamics to the attribution of meaning; the ways in which shared experience leads to the normalization of feelings; and the importance of support group homogeneity, consistency, and training to the participants’ experience. Conclusion: Peer-led social support groups can be invaluable for suicide-bereaved individuals, but attention must be paid to the structure, conduct, and training of group leaders and members in order to optimize outcomes

CHANGES IN MEASURES OF DEMENTIA AWARENESS IN UK CHURCH CONGREGATIONS FOLLOWING A ‘DEMENTIA FRIENDLY’ INTERVENTION: A PRE-POST COHORT STUDY

Given their stability, their ability to influence public attitudes and capacity to mobilise human resources, it seems likely that many faith communities can have a significant impact on the wellbeing of people living with dementia (PLWD) and their carers, who may be dependent on the commitment of informal communities of support over months or years. This paper reports on a pre-post cohort study undertaken in an Anglican (Church of England) Diocese in the UK. Representatives (N=61) of 11 church communities completed the Dementia Awareness Scale immediately before and 12 months after an intervention to promote ‘Dementia Friendly Church’ in their congregation. Results showed a robust improvement in scores on both the ‘Knowledge’ and ‘Comfort’ subscales, with the largest effect size in the latter. Within each subscale, improvements were evenly distributed across the individual items. These findings indicate that such an intervention is likely to significantly improve the environment for people living with dementia and their companions who are members of or engage with the Church community. They also suggest that a similar programme could be extended to other intentional communities, whether in faith-based organisations or societies with shared interests