The Prior Appropriation Doctrine in Montana: Rooted in Mid-Nineteenth Century Goals—Responding to Twenty-First Century Needs

The Prior Appropriation Doctrine in Montana: Rooted in mid-nineteenth century goals—responding to twenty-first century need

The Prior Appropriation Doctrine in Montana: Rooted in Mid-Nineteenth Century Goals—Responding to Twenty-First Century Needs

The Prior Appropriation Doctrine in Montana: Rooted in mid-nineteenth century goals—responding to twenty-first century need

Exploring understandings of the competence vocabulary : implications for understanding teacher competence

The aim of this thesis is to explore the vocabulary of competence, to analyse conceptualisations of competence and to unravel understandings that then have implications for preparation and professional development of teachers in Scotland. Through discussion of the context for assessing teacher competence and a presentation of the accountability movement’s proposals for criteria that purport to measure teacher competence, differing conceptualisations of teaching are examined. At one end of the spectrum there are conceptions of teaching as a dialectical activity while at the opposite end there are conceptions of teaching as a mechanistic activity. It is the contention of this thesis that the conceptualisation of teacher competence reflects directly on the conceptualisation of teaching that dominates current political thinking on the purposes of education. An analysis of the discourse of competence and the vocabulary of competence is then revelatory of the underlying dimensions and conceptualisations of teaching held by the ‘leadership class’ or ‘policy community’. Following a lengthy critique of alternative conceptions of competence where it is realised that there is little real consensus – even among advocates of competence approaches to training and education – about what constitutes a definitive conceptualisation of competence, there is an attempt to regain ground through an understanding of competence that accords with a more traditional understanding of what the ‘notion of competence’ implies. Competence in this regard is considered as a deep understanding that is actually constitutive of action. Understood, this is not just that understanding lies behind action, but that understanding determines the approach to action. Such a notion of competence reflects how a person conceives their world and what then drives them to action

Quantitative variation in Phytophthora cactorum (Leb. and Cohn.) Schroet

Abstract Not Provided

A Theory of Mind investigation into the appreciation of visual jokes in schizophrenia

BACKGROUND: There is evidence that groups of people with schizophrenia have deficits in Theory of Mind (ToM) capabilities. Previous studies have found these to be linked to psychotic symptoms (or psychotic symptom severity) particularly the presence of delusions and hallucinations. METHODS: A visual joke ToM paradigm was employed where subjects were asked to describe two types of cartoon images, those of a purely Physical nature and those requiring inferences of mental states for interpretation, and to grade them for humour and difficulty. Twenty individuals with a DSM-lV diagnosis of schizophrenia and 20 healthy matched controls were studied. Severity of current psychopathology was measured using the Krawiecka standardized scale of psychotic symptoms. IQ was estimated using the Ammons and Ammons quick test. RESULTS: Individuals with schizophrenia performed significantly worse than controls in both conditions, this difference being most marked in the ToM condition. No relationship was found for poor ToM performance and psychotic positive symptomatology, specifically delusions and hallucinations. CONCLUSION: There was evidence for a compromised ToM capability in the schizophrenia group on this visual joke task. In this instance this could not be linked to particular symptomatology

Validity of the bipolar spectrum in depression

It is recognised that mood disorder diagnostic categories are simplifications with limited validity, and while dimensional measures may be more valid than categories, their utility is uncertain. It has been argued that the criteria for bipolar disorder (BD) are too narrow, and that a ‘bipolar spectrum’ should be recognised. The validity and utility of a dimensional measure of mania, the Mood Disorder Questionnaire (MDQ), was investigated in a cohort (n = 68) of young adults being treated for an episode of major depressive disorder (MDD). MDQ score was higher in men and correlated positively with number of depressive episodes, personality measures, and negatively with reaction time. In those on antidepressants at three month follow up (n = 36), MDQ correlated moderately with restlessness (r = .39, p = .01) and suicidal thoughts (r = .34, p = .02). A genetic study of MDD, BD and categorically defined bipolar spectrum disorder (BSD) found an association with a single nucleotide polymorphism (rs1202874) in GPR50, on Xq28. When BD and BSD groups were combined, the association strengthened (p = .0014; OR 1.97, 95% CI 1.26-3.06). The MDQ was investigated in a sample (n=2942), from the population-based Generation Scotland biobank. The MDQ showed high internal reliability, and in a subset with MDD (n=620), a three component structure. MDQ was higher in men, and in those with recurrent depression, and correlated negatively with age of onset (r = -.191, p = 2 x 10-6). A trimodal distribution of age-of-onset was observed in those with chronic or highly recurrent MDD. Controlling for age, gender and current distress, MDQ correlated negatively with general intelligence (r = -.100, p = 1 x 10-8) in controls. Overall there was reasonable evidence that the MDQ had antecedent, concurrent and predictive validity. There was less evidence to support the reliability or validity of BSD. The findings suggested that in those with MDD (particularly with risk factors such as male gender, early age of onset and recurrence) the MDQ may be useful to (1) identify those who may require more intensive monitoring and (2) inform treatment decisions. Thirdly, classifying mood disorders on the basis of prior course, and including dimensional measures, may be more clinically useful