Democratising Cultural Studies

A review of John Hartley's A Short History of Cultural Studies (Sage, London, 2003)

Respite Partnership Collaborative (RPC) Innovation Project Evaluation: Final Report

The Mental Health Services Act (MHSA)—funded by Proposition 63—supports five unique components: (1) Community Services and Supports, (2) Prevention and Early Intervention, (3) Workforce Education and Training, (4) Capital Facilities and Technology, and (5) Innovative Programs. In September 2010, the Sacramento County Division of Behavioral Health Services (DBHS) initiated a community planning process to develop Sacramento's first Innovation Project. DBHS convened an Innovation Workgroup that developed the Innovation Plan and the Respite Partnership Collaborative (RPC) Innovation Project.Through a competitive selection process, Sacramento County DBHS awarded Sierra Health Foundation: Center for Health Program Management (the Center) a contract to administer the RPC Innovation Project. The RPC Innovation Project is a public-private partnership of the Sacramento County DBHS and the Center. The Center uses MHSA Innovation funding to support the RPC, whose members are from the community at large. RPC members make recommendations for respite service grants to community organizations. The RPC's goal is to increase local mental health respite service options to offer alternatives to hospitalization for community members experiencing a crisis in Sacramento County.American Institutes for Research (AIR) conducted an evaluation of the RPC Innovation Project from April 2013 through March 2016. Evaluation objectives were to assess the extent to which the RPC Innovation Project achieved the following:1. Promoted successful collaboration between public and private organizations (i.e., DBHS and the Center) in Sacramento County2. Demonstrated a community-driven process3. Improved the quality and outcomes of respite services in Sacramento County This report presents findings from evaluation activities, which included stakeholder interviews, RPC member surveys, and document reviews.This report emphasizes data collected in the third year of the evaluation after June 2015. The report begins with a brief history of the RPC Innovation Project. Next we describe evaluation objectives and methods for conducting the evaluation. Finally, we present findings, organized by evaluation objective

Inferring Determinants of Viral Transmission using Short-Read Sequence Data

In order to spread, pathogens must not only be able to grow within an infected host, but also transmit to found new infections. In this thesis, I present a new population genetic framework generating insights into viral transmission events based upon genome sequence data collected before and after transmission. Previous attempts at bottleneck estimation have neglected the underlying genetic structure of viruses, considering instead less informative single-locus statistics. Here I examine the problem of constructing reliable haplotypes from short-read sequence data, considering the performance of both exhaustive and minimal approaches in capturing linkage characteristics of the viral population. I present a simple method for bottleneck inference rooted in a multi-locus context supported by haplotype inference. I next develop this model to incorporate selection for increased transmissibility, the effects of within-host growth, and noise arising from the sequencing process. Central to the method is a probabilistic model where unknown variables are marginalised over using compound distributions. A maximum likelihood scheme is employed in model selection where a machine-learning approach, referred to as adaptive BIC, was invented for the interpretation of likelihood statistics. I rigorously validate the performance of my model, identifying regimes wherein selection inference is feasible, and benchmark it against current state-of-the-art bottleneck inference algorithms, demonstrating a higher degree of realism and specificity within my approach. I next extend the transmission model to account for advanced aspects such as selection for within-host viral adaptation, constructing a more realistic description of within-host growth processes. Accounting for within-host selection, I apply my transmission model to an experimental influenza transmission dataset in ferrets, providing novel quantitative insights. I further explore limitations inherent to my model and consider regimes wherein the neutral version of my algorithm may be applied. I define and infer effective within-host selection for an influenza transmission study in pigs, employing my model to deduce a generally narrow transmission bottleneck in these animals. Finally, I consider an influenza human challenge study and compute an effective single-segment within-host selection profile on the basis of an existing multi-segment characterisation. I discuss the relationship between human challenge studies and influenza infections occurring in a natural context.My PhD was funded by a Wellcome Trust Studentship with grant number 105365/Z/14/Z

Under-representation of males in the early years: the challenges leaders face

This article investigates why there appears to be an under-representation of males in comparison to their female colleagues in the Early Years (EY) sector, and the perception of male teachers progressing more quickly to leadership positions when they do enter this context. Using case studies of final year male students on an Initial Teacher Training (ITT) undergraduate degree course at one university, we attempt to analyse data on male under-representation in Early Years against contemporary theories of identity, power and leadership. Questionnaires and interviews were conducted with the male sample group and male senior leaders in primary schools to gain an overview as to the leadership support they needed and provided. Our tentative findings suggested that male trainees are happy to work in an Early Years context and take leadership positions, but the challenge for leaders is that male trainees require strong leadership mentoring processes to help overcome perceived contextual barriers

School Leadership and Equity : an examination of policy response in Scotland

In this paper we adopt a critical perspective on the implementation of policy on school leadership and equity in Scotland, viewing policy as both an attempt to solve problems and an attempt to persuade social actors to subscribe to particular beliefs that delineate action. We begin by offering a definition of “policy response”, and then examine how policy “conversations” establish consensus around such things as school leadership and equity. We examine Scottish policy on school leadership and equity and consider what practices this policy does, and does not permit. In so doing, our examination of the implementation of policy on school leadership and equity in Scotland acknowledges that such policy is in part extemporized, and in part the attempt to make inevitable a “de-stated” account of governance. We conclude by contextualising our forthcoming empirical study of the Leadership Standards for Social Justice in Scotlan

Respite Partnership Collaborative (RPC) Innovation Project Evaluation: Report 2

The Mental Health Services Act (MHSA)—funded by Proposition 63—supports five unique components: (1) Community Services and Supports, (2) Prevention and Early Intervention, (3) Workforce Education and Training, (4) Capital Facilities and Technology, and (5) Innovative Programs. In September 2010, the Sacramento County Division of Behavioral Health Services (DBHS) initiated a community planning process to develop Sacramento's first Innovation Project. DBHS convened an Innovation Workgroup that developed the Innovation Plan and the Respite Partnership Collaborative (RPC) Innovation Project. American Institutes for Research (AIR) is conducting an evaluation of the RPC Innovation Project. Evaluation objectives are to assess the extent to which the RPC Innovation Project does the following:Promote successful collaboration between public and private organizations (i.e., DBHS and the Sierra Health Foundation: The Center for Health Program Management [the Center]) in Sacramento CountyDemonstrate a community-driven processImprove the quality and outcomes of respite services in Sacramento CountyTo address the evaluation objectives; the evaluation includes interviews, an RPC survey, a community survey, and a document review. This report presents findings from evaluation activities conducted from June 2014 to April 2015 to DBHS, RPC members, and the Center

Aboriginal ageing and disability issues in South West and Inner West Sydney

The Department of Ageing, Disability & Home Care (DADHC) recently sought to conduct a needs analysis and develop resources that would provide the Sydney Metro South region with tools to assist in planning for service development activities, Home and Community Care (HACC) planning processes, and project development around access issues in Aboriginal communities. The Echidna Group Indigenous Research & Development Consultancy was externally contracted by Campbelltown City Council, and by Inner West Aboriginal Community Company, to complete the project objectives for the DADHC South West and Inner West Sydney Local Planning Areas. This article reports the results of community consultation activities in these regions which aimed to determine the needs and issues of Aboriginal people in regard to ageing and disability

D-MOD Dynamic Modelling of Operator Demand: a new simulator module for the evaluation of signaler’s demand

Estimating signaler demand is critical for ensuring signaling workstations are both feasible to run, and acceptable to staff. While human factors tools exist, they are typically manual, time consuming and rely of the skill of an expert. One solution, explored in this paper, is to use signaling simulators to assist in the estimation of demand. Full fidelity signaling simulators are already widely used in the UK. Simulators give the ability to ensure a consistent standard of competency ranging from normal routine tasks to abnormal situations (e.g. faults and failures) monitored by an experienced trainer/assessor. Whilst the original aim of full fidelity simulators was to support training and assessment of signalers, the requirement for an accurate timetable and infrastructure model, and of a realistic workstation Human Machine Interface (HMI), opens up other applications. The aim of the Dynamic Modelling of Operator Demand (DMOD) project is to use the Hitachi Information Control System’s simulation environment (TREsim signaling simulator) to deliver a workstation evaluation tool. The paper will present how the existing elements of simulator have been expanded and utilized for demand modelling, covering the architecture of D-MOD, the process of selecting and developing demand metrics, and the design of an HMI to deliver a working proof of concept

Propuesta Técnica-Económica para el Lanzamiento de un Kit de Productos Químico Industrial para la limpieza del Hogar en la Empresa Aseos S.A, en el periodo comprendido de Agosto a Diciembre del Año 2015

Aseos S.A es una empresa que brinda servicios de limpieza a diferentes sectores; para esto utilizan equipos, mechas de lampazo, utensilios y productos químicos industriales los cuales son elaborados por ellos mismos, esto significa que aplican estrategias verticales hacia atrás ya que utilizan lo que producen para abastecerse al momento de limpiar. La empresa actualmente está bien posicionada en el sector limpieza, ya que en el país existen pocas empresas del mismo giro; los productos químicos industriales solo están destinados para el consumo interno, garantizando la inocuidad de los proyectos que ellos mismos limpian como: centros comerciales, hospitales, mataderos, etc.; por lo tanto solamente tienen la necesidad de envasar sus productos químicos industriales en presentaciones de un galón o más. El envasado de los productos es a granel por este motivo tienen pocos clientes externos que compran esporádicamente, además la publicidad que se les da es nula, por tal razón se encuentra una oportunidad para comercializar sus productos químicos industriales dirigido al consumo masivo, en presentaciones de 1 litro, llegando así a un mercado mucho más grande. Se buscó establecer la posible entrada a un segmento de mercado ya establecido y delimitado, teniendo como idea central juntar 5 productos químicos a manera de kit que juntos garanticen una limpieza integral del área de la casa que el cliente prefiera, por tal razón se estandarizó mediante un análisis de mercado, proceso, distribución de planta y económico financiero; donde resultaron 123118.60 unidades vendidas en promedio durante cinco años respecto a esto se evaluó el flujo neto de efectivo con y sin financiamiento resultando un VPN de $226,604.98 y$159,631.02 respectivamente, con respecto a la tasa interna de rendimiento resulto 251% con financiamiento y 83% sin financiamiento; esto significa que el proyecto es viable económicamente para ser ejecutad