A case study of partnerships in practice

Despite calls for partnership from government, human service organizations, researchers, consumers and providers, there is very little literature about partnership. This research attempts to better understand the concept of partnership through a case study of Waterloo Regional Homes for Mental Health Inc., an organization which is implementing partnership oriented practices. Data collected included 11 key informant interviews, a review of documents, and process notes. Findings were organized around definition, facilitative and impeding factors, and outcomes of partnership. Defining values of partnership which emerged were collaborative interaction, power-sharing, shared decision-making, stakeholder involvement, resource sharing, shared responsibility, and equality. Facilitative and impeding factors centred around attitudes/personalities, relationships, and strategies. Attitudes which impeded partnership were described as labeling, stigmatizing, and reflecting limiting assumptions about people. Facilitative personality traits were cooperation, openness, risk-taking, and an innovation orientation. Strategies which enable partnership included developing shared values and goals, reducing competition and territorialism, dealing with conflict through compromise, sharing information, and effective communication. Outcomes included changed people, changed relationships, changed services, and changed organizations. Social change is discussed as a long-term outcome of partnership

Relationship between sexual empowerment and risky sexual behaviours

The present study explored the relationship between empowerment and risky sexual behaviours. Participants were 104 University students. All participants individually completed a questionnaire package that included the Scale of Sexual Risk Taking and the Sexual Empowerment Scale. The latter, is an instrument developed for this study as a measure of sexual empowerment in undergraduate students. The questionnaires were followed by a 30-minute interview on the determinants ofboth safe and unsafe sexual behaviours. Students engaging in high-risk behaviour were compared to low-risk students, using both quantitative and qualitative data. The quantitative measures of sexual empowerment failed to predict Risky Sexual Behaviours although a variety ofaspects of sexual empowerment emerged in the qualitative data. These findings are interpreted as support for treatment programs which focus on individual needs as opposed to a general increase in sexual empowerment

Relationship between propagule pressure and colonization pressure in invasion ecology: a test with ships' ballast

Increasing empirical evidence indicates the number of released individuals (i.e. propagule pressure) and number of released species (i.e. colonization pressure) are key determinants of the number of species that successfully invade new habitats. In view of these relationships, and the possibility that ships transport whole communities of organisms, we collected 333 ballast water and sediment samples to investigate the relationship between propagule and colonization pressure for a variety of diverse taxonomic groups (diatoms, dinoflagellates and invertebrates). We also reviewed the scientific literature to compare the number of species transported by ships to those reported in nature. Here, we show that even though ships transport nearly entire local communities, a strong relationship between propagule and colonization pressure exists only for dinoflagellates. Our study provides evidence that colonization pressure of invertebrates and diatoms may fluctuate widely irrespective of propagule pressure. We suggest that the lack of correspondence is explained by reduced uptake of invertebrates into the transport vector and the sensitivity of invertebrates and diatoms to selective pressures during transportation. Selection during transportation is initially evident through decreases in propagule pressure, followed by decreased colonization pressure in the most sensitive taxa

Practising lawyers in Nova Scotia: cognitive style and preferences for practice

The Cognitive Style Index and a demographic survey were administered to 524 practising lawyers in Nova Scotia. Results indicate that lawyers, as a group, have a more analytical than intuitive cognitive style. Differences between men and women and between partners and associates were nonsignificant statistically. This finding suggests lawyers are a more homogeneous group in terms of cognitive style than other groups such as law students and various groups of business managers. However, lawyers differed significantly in cognitive style across various preferred areas of practice. For example, those preferring criminal law scored statistically significantly lower on the Cognitive Style Index than those who preferred Real Estate and Construction law. Organizational behavior implications are discussed

MacGillivary, Ann (Oral History Interview, 2011)

Ann MacGillivary (nee Willms) is an alumni of Saint Mary's University. She was among the first cohort of female students at Saint Mary's in 1969, and graduated in 1971 with a Bachelor of Commerce degree. She went on to teach Business Administration at Mount Saint Vincent University.Main topics include: the first group of women students at Saint Mary's; student residences; lack of interaction with other schools; sexis

Effect of axial length on retinal vascular network geometry.

PURPOSE: To explore the association between axial length and retinal vascular network geometry (arteriovenous diameter ratio [AVR], arteriolar branching angles, and junctional exponents). DESIGN: Prospective, cross-sectional study. METHODS: Patients were recruited from a pseudophakic population that had preexisting axial length measurements. Mean arterial blood pressure and previous medical history were recorded. Fundal photographs were taken. Digital image analysis was used to determine the AVR, mean arteriolar bifurcation angle, and junctional exponent for each subject. RESULTS: In total, 52 subjects were analyzed. Axial length had no association with AVR (R = -0.01, P = .941), mean angles at arteriolar bifurcations (R = -.134, P = .342), or junctional exponents (R = .003, P = .982). However, increased axial length was associated with a trend for lower measured retinal venular and arteriolar diameters (R = -.28, P = .04 and R = -.23, P = .10, respectively). Junctional exponents correlated with both the AVR (R = .32, P = .019) and vascular bifurcation angles (omega) (R = .317, P = .022). CONCLUSIONS: Increased axial length is associated with narrowing of both arteriolar and venular diameters, but not on the AVR, or vessel junctions. Future studies exploring the influence of systemic disease on retinal vascular topography do not need to consider axial length as a potential confounding variable when utilizing measures such as AVR or vessel junctions. Vascular arteriolar junctional exponents may serve as a good measure of overall altered retinal vascular geometry in cardiovascular disease

The victory song

Gift of Dr. Mary Jane Esplen.Piano [instrumentation]Poor old Mister Hindenburg admits he's had enough [first line]Belgiums clear of ev'ry German [first line of chorus]G [key]Patriotic song [form/genre]No publisher's advertisement [note

Who Comes Back? Exploring Reengagement within the School Year

Engagement, dropout, and reengagement within the school year are explored using records and survey data for students in grades seven through twelve. Reengagement is defined as returning to school after an episode of dropout and remaining continuously enrolled until the end of the school year. An episode of dropout is considered to be 20 consecutive unexcused absences. The inquiry explored factors that differentiate students who reengage from end-of-year dropouts or students who never return to school. Using both descriptive and predictive analyses, three key findings emerged. First, students who reengage after an episode of dropout have higher proportions of behavioral incidents, enrollment in low-track coursework, being overage for grade and the lack of course failure. Second, the only school-level predictor of significance in predicting reengagement is the school performance rating. Third, the results from this research are not consistent with existing literature about between-years students who reengage two to twelve years after dropping out. This research details the challenges of using with-year data, drawbacks of using advanced modeling techniques with limited data, and potential misuses of early warning systems. The research was exploratory and as such has substantial limitations including extensive missing data and measurement concerns with the student survey. In spite of the challenges, limitations and weak predictive models, continued research is recommended in this area because little research is available about what factors predict student reengagement with school. More research is needed to understand reengagement with school in order to close resistant racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps

Erickson G: Truancy in Denver: Prevalence, effects and interventions. 2006 [http://www.schoolengage ment.org/TruancypreventionRegistry/Admin/Resources/Resources

(NCSE) is an initiative of The Colorado Foundation for Families and Children (CFFC). NCSE strives to build a network of key stakeholders who share the belief that improving school attendance and school attachment promotes achievement and school success. NCSE was established as a result of more than a decade of educational research about youth out of the educational mainstream conducted by CFFC. The impact of this work has been the development of significant investments of state funds to reduce suspensions expulsions and truancy. Over five years ago, CFFC began working with the OJJDP, US Department of Justice to assist in the planning and implementation of pilot demonstration projects across the country. As projects developed, CFFC became the national evaluator of this five-year truancy demonstration project. The culmination of ten years of program experience and research has identified truancy and school engagement as the centerpiece of NCSE’s work to improve outcomes for youth who ar