Learning Object Repositories: Problems and Promise

Considers the state of the reuse and sharing of learning related Web-based material. Discusses higher education in relation to the broader world of e-learning, and limitations on the growth and impact of education delivered over the Web

Contrasting abundance and residency patterns of two sympatric populations of transient killer whales (Orcinus orca) in the northern Gulf of Alaska

Two sympatric populations of “transient” (mammal-eating) killer whales were photo-identified over 27 years (1984–2010) in Prince William Sound and Kenai Fjords, coastal waters of the northern Gulf of Alaska (GOA). A total of 88 individuals were identified during 203 encounters with “AT1” transients (22 individuals) and 91 encounters with “GOA” transients (66 individuals). The median number of individuals identified annually was similar for both populations (AT1=7; GOA=8), but mark-recapture estimates showed the AT1 whales to have much higher fidelity to the study area, whereas the GOA whales had a higher exchange of individuals. Apparent survival estimates were generally high for both populations, but there was a significant reduction in the survival of AT1 transients after the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, with an abrupt decline in estimated abundance from a high of 22 in 1989 to a low of seven whales at the end of 2010. There was no detectable decline in GOA population abundance or survival over the same period, but abundance ranged from just 6 to 18 whales annually. Resighting data from adjacent coastal waters and movement tracks from satellite tags further indicated that the GOA whales are part of a larger population with a more extensive range, whereas AT1 whales are resident to the study area

Marine mammal and fishery interactions on the Copper River Delta and in Prince William Sound, Alaska

Thesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 1980An assessment of rate of damage to netted fishes and to fishing gear caused by marine mammals, and of rate of incidental catch and kill of marine mammals by fishermen, was undertaken for the salmon drift gillnet fisheries of the Copper River-Prince William Sound area, Alaska, in 1977 and 1978. Amounts of damage to netted fishes ranged from approximately 1.8 to 8.3 percent of the total catch. Damages were attributed to Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus), which also were responsible for the majority of damages to nets, and to harbor seals (Phoca vitulina). Of the approximately 1000 mammals incidentally killed in 1978, about half were harbor seals and 40% were sea lions; the remainder were harbor and Dali porpoises (Phocoena phoccoena and Phocoenoides dalli) and sea otters (Enhydra tutris). Recommendations are made for modification of fishing methods to reduce the damages by and incidental kill of marine mammals

Holding out for hope: discourses of dementia and their implications for care on an acute organic assessment and treatment ward

The needs of individuals who receive a diagnosis of dementia can be complex, and can pose a challenge to those who care for them. Discourses around the construct of dementia have evolved over time, which has influenced care practices and policies. The way that healthcare professionals construct dementia may have important implications for the care that is provided. This article uses naturally occurring talk from an acute organic assessment and treatment ward to explore how staff construct dementia. A Foucauldian form of discourse analysis was used to analyse talk from fifteen multidisciplinary healthcare professionals. In this article we present a reading of this talk, where dementia is constructed as: an unstable inner state that can fluctuate in severity, an illness that will inevitably progress, and a condition that can take away a person’s insight. Implications for care resulting from these discourses is considered through examining the subject positions that were made available. A final discourse relevant to care practices was identified, where healthcare professionals resisted a dominant medical discourse, which opened up space for hope and innovative care practices

The electroclinic effect and modulated phases in smectic liquid crystals

We explore the possibility that the large electroclinic effect observed in ferroelectric liquid crystals arises from the presence of an ordered array of disclination lines and walls. If the spacing of these defects is in the subvisible range, this modulated phase would be similar macroscopically to a smectic A phase. The application of an electric field distorts the array, producing a large polarization, and hence a large electroclinic effect. We show that with suitable elastic parameters and sufficiently large chirality, the modulated phase is favored over the smectic A and helically twisted smectic C* phases. We propose various experimental tests of this scenario.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures; new version includes dipolar interactions and bend-twist couplin

Public Administration and Shared Power: Understanding Governance, Networks, and Partnerships

Starting with the “consolationist” and “fragmentationist” arguments in American local government and contemporary patterns of increasing jurisdictional cooperation and regionalization, this paper examines patterns of jurisdictional cooperation and power sharing in metropolitan regions, and analyses the influence of extrajurisdictional benefits on local government decisions to engage in regional agreements. Our findings are based on a survey of local government officials in the Kansas City Metropolitan area. Cooperation is examined using an Axelrod-type prisoner’s dilemma scenario. Participants include elected officials, chief administrative officers, and department-level administrators—Police Chiefs, Parks and Recreation Directors, Fire Chiefs, and Public Works Directors. Results point to differences in patterns of jurisdictional cooperation between elected officials and administrators. In addition, our analysis demonstrates how cooperation is affected by jurisdictional traits, such as population size and geographic location

Leading Dangerously: A Case Study of Military Teams and Shared Leadership in Dangerous Environments

In a qualitative case study, we described and explained shared leadership in dangerous contexts for military teams. We conducted eight semistructured interviews with shared, team, and military leadership subject matter experts in order to gain an improved understanding of the relationship between shared leadership and team performance in the presence of danger. We found the themes of mutual influence, leadership emergence, dangerous dynamism, and distributed knowledge, skills, and abilities provided rich description of the phenomenon. Specifically, our findings suggest military teams in dangerous situations use mutual influence and leadership emergence to share leadership and achieve high performance. Additionally, we found dangerous dynamism and distributed knowledge, skills, and abilities may moderate the relationship between shared leadership and performance for teams in dangerous contexts. Implication, limits, and recommendations are discussed