Probation, credibility and justice

This paper explores the difficulties that arise for probation agencies or those that deliver community sanctions in developing and maintaining their credibility in prevailing ‘late-modern’ social conditions. It begins by questioning the limits of the pursuit and promise of ‘public protection’ as a source of credibility, and then proceeds to examine the emergence of an alternative strategy – based principally on reparation and ‘payback’ – in Scotland, arguing that these Scottish developments have much to say to the emerging debates in England and Wales (and elsewhere) about the ‘rehabilitation revolution’ and the proper use of imprisonment. The paper provides a critical account of the development and meaning of the Scottish version of ‘payback’, linking it to some important philosophical and empirical studies that may help to steer the development of payback away from a ‘merely punitive’ drift. In the conclusion, I argue that probation agencies and services need to engage much more deeply and urgently with their roles as justice services, rather than as ‘mere’ crime reduction agencies

PROPERTIES OF H-SETS, KATETOV SPACES AND H-CLOSED EXTENSIONS WITH COUNTABLE REMAINDER

In this work we obtain results related to H-sets, Katetov spaces and H-closed extensions with countable remainder. As we shall see, these three areas are closely related but the results of each section carry their own definite flavor. Our first results concern finding cardinality bounds of H-sets in Urysohn spaces. In particular, a Urysohn space X is constructed which has an H-set A with |A| > 2 2ψ(X), where ψ(X) is the closed pseudocharacter of the space X. The space provides a counterexample to Fedeli's question in [16]. In addition, it is demonstrated that there is no θ-continuous map from a compact Hausdorff space to the space X with the H-set A as the image, giving a Urysohn counterexample to Vermeer's conjecture in [51]. Finally, it is shown that the cardinality of an H-set in a Urysohn space X is bounded by 2χ(X(s)), where χ(X) is the character of X and X(s) is the semiregularization of X. This refines Bella's result in [4] that the cardinality of such an H-set is bounded by 2χ(X). The next section concerns the relationship of H-sets and Katetov spaces. We recall that a Katetov space can be embedded as an H-set in some space. Herrlich showed in [23] that the space of rational numbers, Q, is not Katetov. Later Porter and Vermeer [41] refined this result with the fact that countable Katetov spaces are scattered. We obtain a similar refinement of Herrlich's result, and a generalization under an additional set-theoretic assumption. Our results include that a countable crowded space cannot be embedded as an H-set and that, assuming the Continuum Hypothesis, neither can the minimal η1 space. Chapter 4 investigates necessary and sufficient conditions for a space to have an H-closed extension with countable remainder. For countable spaces we are able to give two characterizations of those spaces admitting an H-closed extension with countable remainder. The general case appears more difficult, however, we arrive at a necessary condition - a generalization of Cech completeness, and several sufficient conditions for a space to have an H-closed extension with countable remainder. In particular, using the notation of Csaszar in [11], we show that a space X is a Cech g-space if and only if X is Gδ in σX or equivalently if EX is Cech complete. An example of a space which is a Cech f -space but not a Cech g-space is given answering a couple of questions of Csaszar. We show that if X is a Cech g-space and R(EX), the residue of EX, is Lindelof, then X has an H-closed extension with countable remainder. Finally, we investigate some natural extensions of the residue to the class of all Hausdorff spaces

Noncontact GMR measurements of synthetic spin valves using IR reflection spectroscopy

The magnetorefractive effect has been used in infrared reflection spectroscopy to study the magnetotransport properties of synthetic spin valves. This optical noncontact technique shows excellent correlation with the electrical giant magnetoresistance data

Evaluation of Particular Mulches for Fostering Plant Growth and Inhibiting Erosion (Phase 2)

Introduction: Increasing public awareness of the desireability of protecting the environment from soil erosion caused by wnid and water has centered attention on large construction projects such as highways and housing subdivisions, as well as on individual building sites and parking lots. If unattended, sediment produced from these areas pollutes surface water, restricts drainage, fills reservoirs, damages adjacent land, and upsets the natural ecology of lakes and streams. The search continues for products and practices that will prevent or lessen the amount of sediment leaving construction sites. Products currently in use include chamical as well as organic materials, and they are applied with varying degrees of success. Many designed to stabilize the unprotected soil for a long enough period of time for vegetation to become established are in wide use and are quite effective (Clyde et al. 1978). Moreover, applying organic material to the soil surface around shallow-rooted crops has been a cultural practice for many years (Russell 1961). Janick (1963) summarized the effects of mulching as conservation of soil moisture, reduction of surface runoff and erosion, reduction of evaporation, and possible control of weeks. Others (Borst and Woodburn 1942; Duley 1939) have indicted the value of mulches in reducing runoff and erosion. Mulching has been reported as superior to other treatments for reducing soil and water losses and stabilizing bare slops before grass is established (Swanson et al. 1065). Gilbert and David (1967( and Blaser (1962), in studies of highway slope stabilization, found mulches improved seed germination and seedling growth by conserving moisture and protecting highway slopes against erosion. Many materials have been evaluated for use as a mulch, including bark, wood wastes, soybean residues, wheat straw, and seaweed (Bollen and Glennie 1961; Kidder et al. 1943; Latimer and Percival 1947). McKee et al. (1964) found wheat straw to be one of the best mulches, particularly when used to aid vegetation establishment on steep cut slopes of highways. Osborne and Gilbert (1978) also demonstrated that stredded hardwood bark mulch provided adequate erosion control on highway slopes. A previous study conducted by the Utah Water Reseach Laboratory evaluated, using simulated rainfall and sunlight, the effectiveness of various fiber mulches for controlling erosion to facilitate the establishment and growth of barley on a 2:1 (50 percent) slope. The objective of the present study was to perform similar evalutations of additional mulches

Evaluation of Selected Mulches and Specialty Erosion Control Products Under Simulated Rain

Introduction: Utilizing a rainfall simulator, a sunlight simulator, and a wind generator, the Utah Water Research Laboratory (UWRL), Utah State University (USU), completed in 1979 and 1981 a series of evaluations of erosion control products for CONWED Corporation. Increasingly more commercial products for controlling erosion are being produced nationally and there remains a need to evaluate the effectiveness of these, one against another, in order that potential users may make cost-effective decisions in their use. CONWED recognizes this need and has funded the comparative testing of its own products and some of those of leading competitors throughout the country. The objective of the study presented herein was to evaluate under the rainfall simulator the effectiveness of CONWED Hydro Mulch mixed with each of three different commerical products used as tackifiers, Terra Tack I, M-Binder, and Hydro Bond. The study included also the evaluation of three specialy erosion control products, also the evaluation of three specialty erosion control products, CONWED netting, Lud low jute blanket, and American Excelsior blanket

Erosion Inhibitor Performance Evaluation Under Simulated Wind and Rain

Introduction: Increasing public awareness of the desireability of protecting the environment from soil erosion caused by wind and water has centered attention on large construction projects such as highways and housing subdivisions, as well as on individual building sites and parking lots. If unattended, sediment produced from these areas pollutes surface water, restricts drainage, fills reservoirs, damages adjacent land, and upsets the natural ecology of lakes and streams. The search continues for products and practices that will prevent of lessen the amount of sediment leaving construction sites. Products currently in use include chemical as well as organic materials, and they are applied with barying degrees of success. Many designed to stabilize the unprotected soil for a long enough period of time for vegetation to become established are in wide use and are quite effectives (Clyde et al. 1978). Moreover, applying organic material to the soil surface around shallow-rooted crops has been a cultural practice for many years (Russell 1961). Janick (1963) summarized the effects of mulching as conservation of soil moisture, reduction of surface runoff and erosion, reduction of evaporation, and possible control of weeks. others (Borst and Woodburn 1942; Duley 1929) have indicated the value of mulches in reducing runoff and erosion. Mulching has been reported as superior to other treatments for reducing soil and water losses and stabilizing bare slopes before grass is established (swandson et al. 1965). Gilbert and Davis (1967) and Blaser (1962), in studies of highway slope stabilization, found mulches improved seed germination and seed;omg grpwtj bu conserving moisture and protecting highway slopes against erosion. Many materials have been evaluated for use as a mulch, including bark, wood wastes, soybean residues, wheat straw, and seaweed (Bollen and Glennie 1961; Kidder et al. 1943; Latimer and Percival 1947). McKee et al. (1964) found wheat straw to be one of the best mulches, particularly when used to aid vegitation establishment on steep cut slopes of highways. Osborne and Gilbert (1978) also demonstrated that shredded hardwood bark mulch provided adequate erosion control on highway slopes. The objectives of the present study was to evaluate, using simulated rainfall and wind, the effectiveness of various mulches and tackifiers for controlling erosion. Results of these tests are comparable to those obtained by the Utah Water Research Laboratory for CONWED in 1979 in that they wre generated in the same test facility on similar soil, using identical conditions of slope and rainfall rate

Work, welfare and wellbeing? The impacts of welfare conditionality on people with mental health impairments in the UK

The personal, economic and social costs of mental ill-health are increasingly acknowledged by many governments and international organisations. Simultaneously, in high income nations the reach of welfare conditionality has extended to encompass many people with mental health impairments as part of on-going welfare reforms. This is particularly the case in the UK where, especially since the introduction of Employment and Support Allowance (ESA) in 2008, the rights and responsibilities of disabled people have been subject to contestation and redefinition. Following a review of the emergent international evidence on mental health and welfare conditionality, this paper explores two specific issues. First, the impacts of the application of welfare conditionality on benefit claimants with mental health impairments. Second, the effectiveness of welfare conditionality in supporting people with experience of mental ill health into paid work. In considering these questions this paper presents original analysis of data generated in qualitative longitudinal interviews with 207 UK social security benefit recipients with experience of a range of mental health issues. The evidence suggests that welfare conditionality is largely ineffective in moving people with mental health impairments into, or closer to, paid work. Indeed, in many cases it triggers negative health outcomes that make future employment less likely. It is concluded that the application of conditionality for people with mental health issues is inappropriate and should cease

The differential regulation of Lck kinase phosphorylation sites by CD45 is critical for T cell receptor signaling responses

SummaryThe molecular mechanisms whereby the CD45 tyrosine phosphatase (PTPase) regulates T cell receptor (TCR) signaling responses remain to be elucidated. To investigate this question, we have reconstituted CD45 (encoded by Ptprc)-deficient mice, which display severe defects in thymic development, with five different expression levels of transgenic CD45RO, or with mutant PTPase null or PTPase-low CD45R0. Whereas CD45 PTPase activity was absolutely required for the reconstitution of thymic development, only 3% of wild-type CD45 activity restored T cell numbers and normal cytotoxic T cell responses. Lowering the CD45 expression increased CD4 lineage commitment. Peripheral T cells with very low activity of CD45 phosphatase displayed reduced TCR signaling, whereas intermediate activity caused hyperactivation of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells. These results are explained by a rheostat mechanism whereby CD45 differentially regulates the negatively acting pTyr-505 and positively acting pTyr-394 p56lck tyrosine kinase phosphorylation sites. We propose that high wild-type CD45 expression is necessary to dephosphorylate p56lck pTyr-394, suppressing CD4 T+ cell lineage commitment and hyperactivity