Mixed tenure orthodoxy: practitioner reflections on policy effects

This article examines mixed tenure as a policy orthodoxy. It first sets out how mixed tenure may be considered to constitute an orthodoxy within planning, being generally accepted as a theory and practice even in the absence of supporting evidence. Five elements of this orthodoxy are identified, relating to (1) housing and the environment, (2) social change, (3) economic impacts, (4) sustainable communities, (5) and sociospatial integration. Interviews with practitioners involved with three social housing estates that have experienced mixed-tenure policy interventions are reported to consider why the implementation and effects of mixed tenure might not correspond with the orthodox understanding. It is argued that policy ambiguity and weaknesses in policy theory and specification, alongside practical constraints, lie behind incomplete and counterproductive policy implementation, but a belief in pursuing the policy orthodoxy persists nevertheless

Weaning calves early from drylot

Percentage Simmental and Hereford calves gained slightly more (13 lbs./hd) while nursing their mothers than 83 herd mates that were weaned early at 49 (+27) days of age. Percentage Simmental cows whose calves were weaned early had a higher conception rate than percentage Simmental cows that nursed calves (93% vs. 89%) Dams of calves weaned early rebred 17.6 days sooner than nursing dams

The Propagation and Survival of Interstellar Grains

In this paper we discuss the propagation of dust through the interstellar medium (ISM), and describe the destructive effects of stellar winds, jets, and supernova shock waves on interstellar dust. We review the probability that grains formed in stellar outflows or supernovae survive processing in and propagation through the ISM, and incorporate themselves relatively unprocessed into meteoritic bodies in the solar system. We show that very large (radii >= 5 micron) and very small grains (radii <= 100 Angstrom) with sizes similar to the pre-solar SiC and diamond grains extracted from meteorites, can survive the passage through 100\kms shock waves relatively unscathed. High velocity (>= 250 km/s) shocks destroy dust efficiently. However, a small (~10%) fraction of the stardust never encountered such fast shocks before incorporation into the solar system. All grains should therefore retain traces of their passage through interstellar shocks during their propagation through the ISM. The grain surfaces should show evidence of processing due to sputtering and pitting due to small grain cratering collisions on the micron-sized grains. This conclusion seems to be in conflict with the evidence from the large grains recovered from meteorites which seem to show little interstellar processing.Comment: 19 pages, 5 figures (.eps), LaTeX, to appear in "Astrophysical Implications of the Laboratory Study of Presolar Materials" AIP Conference Proceedings, 1997 T.J. Bernatowicz and E. Zinner (eds.

Post-Foucauldian governmentality: what does it offer critical social policy analysis?

This article considers the theoretical perspective of post-Foucauldian governmentality, especially the insights and challenges it poses for applied researchers within the critical social policy tradition. The article firstly examines the analytical strengths of this approach to understanding power and rule in contemporary society, before moving on to consider its limitations for social policy. It concludes by arguing that these insights can be retained, and some of the weaknesses overcome, by adopting a ‘realist governmentality’ approach (Stenson 2005, 2008). This advocates combining traditional discursive analysis with more ethnographic methods in order to render visible the concrete activity of governing, and unravel the messiness, complexity and unintended consequences involved in the struggles around subjectivity

A novel method of supplying nutrients permits predictable shoot growth and root: shoot ratios of pre-transplant bedding plants

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Growth of bedding plants, in small peat plugs, relies on nutrients in the irrigation solution. The object of the study was to find a way of modifying the nutrient supply so that good-quality seedlings can be grown rapidly and yet have the high root : shoot ratios essential for efficient transplanting. METHODS: A new procedure was devised in which the concentrations of nutrients in the irrigation solution were modified during growth according to changing plant demand, instead of maintaining the same concentrations throughout growth. The new procedure depends on published algorithms for the dependence of growth rate and optimal plant nutrient concentrations on shoot dry weight Ws (g m–2), and on measuring evapotranspiration rates and shoot dry weights at weekly intervals. Pansy, Viola tricola ‘Universal plus yellow’ and petunia, Petunia hybrida ‘Multiflora light salmon vein’ were grown in four independent experiments with the expected optimum nutrient concentration and fractions of the optimum. Root and shoot weights were measured during growth. KEY RESULTS: For each level of nutrient supply Ws increased with time (t) in days, according to the equation {Delta}Ws/{Delta}t=K2Ws/(100+Ws) in which the growth rate coefficient (K2) remained approximately constant throughout growth. The value of K2 for the optimum treatment was defined by incoming radiation and temperature. The value of K2 for each sub-optimum treatment relative to that for the optimum treatment was logarithmically related to the sub-optimal nutrient supply. Provided the aerial environment was optimal, Rsb/Ro{approx}Wo/Wsb where R is the root : shoot ratio, W is the shoot dry weight, and sb and o indicate sub-optimum and optimum nutrient supplies, respectively. Sub-optimal nutrient concentrations also depressed shoot growth without appreciably affecting root growth when the aerial environment was non-limiting. CONCLUSION: The new procedure can predict the effects of nutrient supply, incoming radiation and temperature on the time course of shoot growth and the root : shoot ratio for a range of growing conditions

Effect of sound stress on ovulation, estrus, and conception in beef heifers

Thirty of the 50 heifers used in estrous synchronization studies and that received prostaglandin and Syncro-Mate B to synchronize estrus were subjected to sound stress for 48 hours after prostaglandin was injected. Fifty-nine percent of 29 sound-stressed heifers that showed estrus within 5 days conceived when artificially inseminated compared with 72 percent of 18 nonstressed heifers

Effects from using Ralgro sequentially on sexual development of bulls and on growth and carcass characteristics of steers and bulls

Forty-nine Simmental X Hereford and Hereford calves (24 bulls and 25 steers) were used to study the effect of Ralgro on growth, carcass traits, sex drive, sperm production, and development of sex organs. Approximately half of the bulls and half of the steers received a total of four 36-mg. Ralgro implants, one implant each 100 days (approximately 28, 128, 228 and 328 days of age). Implanted bulls and steers had higher average daily gains; however, the effect was greater in steers than bulls. Ralgro impaired all facets of sexual development measured. None of the implanted bulls could have been used for breeding purposes as yearlings

Onset of Fast Magnetic Reconnection in Partially Ionized Gases

We consider quasi-stationary two-dimensional magnetic reconnection in a partially ionized incompressible plasma. We find that when the plasma is weakly ionized and the collisions between the ions and the neutral particles are significant, the transition to fast collisionless reconnection due to the Hall effect in the generalized Ohm's law is expected to occur at much lower values of the Lundquist number, as compared to a fully ionized plasma case. We estimate that these conditions for fast reconnection are satisfied in molecular clouds and in protostellar disks.Comment: 19 pages, 1 figure, 1 tabl

Using shared goal setting to improve access and equity: a mixed methods study of the Good Goals intervention

Background: Access and equity in children’s therapy services may be improved by directing clinicians’ use of resources toward specific goals that are important to patients. A practice-change intervention (titled ‘Good Goals’) was designed to achieve this. This study investigated uptake, adoption, and possible effects of that intervention in children’s occupational therapy services. Methods: Mixed methods case studies (n = 3 services, including 46 therapists and 558 children) were conducted. The intervention was delivered over 25 weeks through face-to-face training, team workbooks, and ‘tools for change’. Data were collected before, during, and after the intervention on a range of factors using interviews, a focus group, case note analysis, routine data, document analysis, and researchers’ observations. Results: Factors related to uptake and adoptions were: mode of intervention delivery, competing demands on therapists’ time, and leadership by service manager. Service managers and therapists reported that the intervention: helped therapists establish a shared rationale for clinical decisions; increased clarity in service provision; and improved interactions with families and schools. During the study period, therapists’ behaviours changed: identifying goals, odds ratio 2.4 (95% CI 1.5 to 3.8); agreeing goals, 3.5 (2.4 to 5.1); evaluating progress, 2.0 (1.1 to 3.5). Children’s LoT decreased by two months [95% CI −8 to +4 months] across the services. Cost per therapist trained ranged from £1,003 to £1,277, depending upon service size and therapists’ salary bands. Conclusions: Good Goals is a promising quality improvement intervention that can be delivered and adopted in practice and may have benefits. Further research is required to evaluate its: (i) impact on patient outcomes, effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, and (ii) transferability to other clinical contexts