662 research outputs found
An analysis of the UK’s regulation and management of ‘fracking’ through application of a framework of ‘good governance’ applied to case studies from England, France, United States, China and Algeria
The United Kingdom (UK) at the national level has promoted development of shale-embedded gas in the interest of national energy security, economic growth and as a ‘bridge fuel’ with arguable lower carbon emissions until renewable energy sources can be produced at scale. The government’s intention to explore for and extract hydrocarbons, using hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling or fracking, however, has met with community opposition, notably in the North of England where initial drilling had begun, but was halted due to induced seismicity. There has been a moratorium on the practice since 2019, and it is unclear when—or if—the UK government will again allow operations to proceed.
This research analyses the UK’s governance frameworks for regulation of potential impacts of shale gas extraction from a community- and citizen-centred, and human rights, perspective with the goal of identifying potential regulatory gaps, and concludes with recommendations to strengthen environmental and public health protections within the regulatory and decision- making framework. A framework of principles of good governance combined with principles drawn from the Aarhus Convention on environmental rights is defined and employed to analyse the role of governance in decision-making and community inclusion in these processes. How divergent national and local priorities and perspectives are managed under varied governance frameworks is explored through this framework. The thesis employs a methodology of multiple methods within multiple case studies.
The central case examines the community experience of Lancashire, England, to understand the UK’s regulatory approach and potential impacts at the local scale. To deepen analysis of the functioning of the UK’s regulatory framework and communities’ experience, case studies were undertaken in the United States, France, China and Algeria to evaluate decision-making and regulatory strategies that other governments with diverse governance structures have adopted toward the technology in weighing environmental or health risks with energy or economic benefits. The research highlights the role of public engagement and assessment of the local social, cultural, economic and energy contexts when considering technologies with potentially uncertain risks.
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This research acknowledges the need to address regulation of novel and arguably contentious technologies (such as renewable energies; geoengineering; and greenhouse gas removal (GGR) and carbon capture and storage (CCS), among others), and the role of public engagement and discourse in developing regulatory frameworks.
Highlights of key findings include:
§ Meaningful and inclusive stakeholder participation in decision-making, access to clear information and access to just and fair legal remedies in case of dispute, as defined in the Aarhus Convention, is required to ensure adequate protection from environmental and public health risks
§ Lack of access to information and transparency in decision-making may lead to community distrust and opposition to proposed developments, and risk to communities
§ Robust and comprehensive assessment of risks to environmental health, human health,
community and social well-being, and human rights is necessary to ensure optimal policy
and regulatory outcomes
§ Top-down governance that imposes decisions based on national priorities, such as energy
security independence, without understanding, respecting or considering local priorities may put communities at risk and result in community opposition and lead to destabilizing impacts on government
§ Decisions imposed and policies enacted by top-down governance may lead to community and local opposition if there is the perception that decision-makers do not understand or consider the culture, social environment, and economic needs of the local community, or demonstrate awareness of potential risks at the local scale
§ Failure of industry to gain social acceptance from local communities for projected shale gas operations, or other emerging or contested technologies, may lead to public opposition
§ Effective implementation of regulatory and policy frameworks requires integration of governance and communication at all levels of governanceOpen Acces
Effect of Maternal Borderline Personality Disorder on Autonomy and Relatedness in the Mother-Adolescent Relationship
This study examined autonomy and relatedness in a low socioeconomic status sample of adolescent children of mothers with borderline personality disorder (BPD), compared to a normative comparison group, during a video-taped problem solving task. The interpersonal difficulties with individuation and separation within relationships that characterize BPD, may create a diathesis for psychopathology among adolescent children of women with this disorder. The parent-teen interactions were transcribed and coded using Allen, Hauser et al., (2003)’s Autonomy and Relatedness Coding System. Mothers with BPD scored significantly higher on the inhibition of autonomy and inhibition of relatedness than did comparison mothers, although no group differences were evident on promotion of autonomy and relatedness. Mothers with BPD were also more likely to employ the negative behavior of blurring, and hostility than were comparisons. Contrary to hypothesis, no significant group differences were found between the two adolescent samples, either in promotion of autonomy and relatedness, or inhibition of autonomy and relatedness. However, as hypothesized, adolescent children of women with BPD were marginally more likely to employ recanting behaviors, compared to the comparison group. Implications for the maternal-child relationship and adolescent well-being are discussed
A report on an Arts Administration internship with the Saenger Performing Arts Center, Fall 1987
In the internship proposal submitted prior to the active internship, the area of emphasis was specified as being in the Marketing Department at the Saenger Performing Arts Center. The primary objective set forth for the intern was to act as advertising representative for Playbill -- the company under contract with the Saenger that produces and publishes the program for all of the subscription events -- and to devise a marketing strategy targeted at increasing and soliciting greater participation of businesses in program advertising. Additionally, the intern proposed to investigate the possibility of including other arts organizations in a unified effort to most profitably utilize the services of Playbill. Tasks that would accompany this effort would include public relations with advertising agencies, direct communication with representatives from Playbill, and continual interaction with the press agents of the production companies. A secondary objective of the initial internship proposal set forth the intern\u27s involvement with the ongoing, in-house marketing effort. This was to have encompassed participation in the group sales campaign and the corporate sponsorship campaign
History of folk music
A Thesis submitted to the University Department of Music for the degree of Master of Musi
Possible depression of canine papillary muscle contractility with plasma from aged dogs
http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/589981
Pathological, histological and bacteriological examination of broilers affected with ascites, hepatitis and deep dermatitis
Titelblatt_Impressum_Inhalts- und abkürzungsverzeichnis
Einleitung
Literaturübersicht
Material und Methoden
Ergebnisse
Diskussion
Schlussfolgerungen
Zusammenfassung
Summary
Literaturverzeichnis
Anhang
Danksagung_SelbständigkeitserklärungInnerhalb eines Zeitraumes von neun Monaten wurden insgesamt 120
Broilerkarkassen mit den Beanstandungsgründen Aszites, Hepatitis und Tiefe
Dermatitis und 40 Kontrolltiere bakteriologisch, pathologisch-anatomisch sowie
histologisch untersucht. Die bakteriologische Analyse umfasste neben der
Ermittlung der aeroben mesophilen Keimzahl den Nachweis von
lebensmittelhygienisch relevanten Mikroorganismen (E. coli,
Enterobakteriazeen, Campylobacter spp., Clostridium perfringens, Koagulase-
positive Staphylokokken, Salmonellen). Neben den veränderten Organen wurde bei
allen Tieren die Brustmuskulatur in die Erhebung einbezogen, um eine
eventuelle Bakteriämie im Tierkörper aufzeigen zu können. Bei Broilern mit
Aszites wurden im Rahmen der pathologisch-anatomischen Untersuchung zwei
differierende Krankheitsbilder registriert. Neben Broilern mit typischen Herz-
und Leberveränderungen, die auf eine Rechtsherzinsuffizienz schließen lassen,
zeigten einige Broilern keine makroskopisch sichtbaren Herz-, aber auffällige
Leberbefunde, die eine infektiöse Genese der Erkrankung vermuten lassen.
Während die Leberproben von Broilern mit Rechtsherzinsuffizienz in der Regel
nur geringe Keimzahlen aufwiesen, waren die Leberproben von Broilern ohne
Herzveränderungen zum Teil sehr stark mit E. coli sowie Clostridium
perfringens belastet. Die Lebern der Broiler mit Hepatitis waren zum Teil
massiv vergrößert und von Nekroseherden und Granulomen durchsetzt. Obwohl das
makroskopische und das mikroskopische Bild der Lebern eine infektiöse Genese
vermuten lassen, war der bakteriologische Status der Lebern von Broilern mit
Hepatitis bis auf wenige Ausnahmen mit dem der Kontrollgruppe vergleichbar.
Allerdings waren die Lebern von Broilern mit Hepatitis signifikant häufiger
und stärker mit E. coli belastet. Die Hautveränderungen der Broiler mit Tiefer
Dermatitis waren häufig mit anderen E. coli-assoziierten Veränderungen wie
Pericarditis, Hepatitis, Perihepatitis und/oder Aerosacculitis kombiniert. Aus
den veränderten Hautarealen konnte E. coli in sehr hoher Keimzahl isoliert
werden. Zum Teil wurden auch aus der makroskopisch unveränderten
Brustmuskulatur E. coli angezüchtet. Unabhängig vom Beanstandungsgrund erwies
sich ca. die Hälfte der beprobten Broiler als Campylobacter positiv. Da der
Keim sowohl in Haut-, Bauchhöhlenflüssigkeit-, abgeflammten Leber- sowie in
abgeflammten Brustmuskulaturproben nachgewiesen wurde, ist sowohl von einer
postmortalen exogenen als auch von einer intravitalen endogenen Kontamination
der Schlachttierkörper und -organe auszugehen. Im Vergleich zu der hohen
Belastung mit Campylobacter spp. spielt die Kontamination mit Salmonellen bei
deutschen Broilern nur noch eine untergeordnete Rolle. So konnten nur bei drei
Schlachttierkörpern Salmonellen nachgewiesen werden. Ebenfalls unabhängig vom
Beanstandungsgrund wurden in ca. der Hälfte der histologisch untersuchten
Leberproben Ansammlungen von Myelozyten registriert, was auf eine Infektion
der Tiere mit dem Aviären-Leukose-Virus, Subgruppe J, hinweist.Within a period of nine months 120 broiler carcasses affected with ascites,
hepatitis and deep dermatitis rejected as unfit for human consumption at
slaughter, were examined together with 40 control broiler for bacteriological,
pathological as well as for histological findings. Beside the investigation of
the aerobic mesophilic colony count, the bacteriological examination included
further hygienically relevant microorganisms like E. coli, Enterobacteriaceae,
Campylobacter spp., Clostridium perfringens, coagulase-positive staphylococci
and Salmonella spp. The areas examined were orientated on the respective
reasons for rejection. Additionally, the breast muscle tissue of all animals
was investigated to demonstrate a possible spread of bacteria in the animal
body. By pathologic-anatomical examination of broiler with ascites two
different groups of animals with heart and liver findings were detected. While
some broiler with typical heart and liver lesions were obviously affected by a
right ventricular failure, these symptoms could not be found at other broiler.
But the latter group showed obvious liver alterations, which indicated an
infectious genesis of the disease. While the liver samples of broiler with
right ventricular failure showed only a low bacterial load, the liver samples
of broiler without heart failure were sometimes severely contaminated with E.
coli as well as Clostridium perfringens. In some cases the livers of broiler
chickens with hepatitis were extremely enlarged and showed necrotic lesions
and granulomas throughout the parenchyma. Although the results of the
macroscopic and the microscopic examination did support the theory of an
infectious genesis of the disease, the bacteriological status of the livers of
broiler with hepatitis was in most cases comparable with those of the control
group. However, the livers of broiler chickens with hepatitis were
significantly more frequently and severely contaminated with E. coli. The skin
lesions of broiler chickens with deep dermatitis were frequently combined with
other E. coli-associated lesions like pericarditis, hepatitis, perihepatitis
and/or aerosacculitis. E. coli in very high counts could be isolated from the
skin lesions. E. coli was also found in some samples of the macroscopically
unaffected breast muscle tissues. Irrespective of the reason for rejection
approximately half of the examined broiler were Campylobacter-positive. Since
this bacteria was found in many areas, for example, in the skin, in the
abdominal cavity liquid, in the liver as well as in breast muscle tissue it
could be assumed that the contamination of the carcasses and the organs was
postmortem exogenic and intravital endogenic. Compared to the high level of
contamination with Campylobacter spp. the contamination of German broiler
chickens with salmonellae is insignificant. Salmonellae could only be found in
three of the examined carcasses. Regardless of the reasons for rejection,
approximately half of the histologically examined liver samples showed
accumulations of myelocytes within the parenchyma. This finding indicates the
presence of an infection with the avian leucosis virus, subgroup J
The Impact of Bullying Participant Role on the Relationship Between School Climate and Attitudes Towards Interpersonal Peer Violence
Positive school climate has been linked to lower levels of school violence and interpersonal conflict. Interventions that impact school climate have been shown to powerfully impact school violence and bullying prevalence. The current study used data collected from three middle schools in the same Rocky Mountain town. The survey tool contained items asking students about their behaviors when confronted with interpersonal conflict such as bullying, their attitudes towards interpersonal conflict, and their perceptions of their school’s climate. Significant differences were found between genders on attitudes towards interpersonal peer violence but no differences were found in the distribution of genders across participant roles. In addition, significant differences were found between bullying participant roles on both attitudes towards interpersonal peer violence and in perceptions of school climate. Finally, a moderated regression revealed a significantly stronger relationship between attitudes towards interpersonal peer violence and school climate in the defender group compared to other participant roles. This study contributes to the knowledge base surrounding school climate and will assist those who design school climate interventions in developing a more nuanced approach for reducing bullying and challenging students’ attitudes about the acceptability of interpersonal peer violence
Achieving economic sustainability for niche social profession courses in the Australian higher education sector: final report
The purpose of this fellowship was to develop a nationwide collaborative strategy to improve the economic sustainability and geographic availability of niche social profession courses. The niche courses in social professions examined in this program meet specialist social needs in disability services, social gerontology, and youth work. Specialist courses in social professions have limited availability across the Australian university sector and availability has declined over the last decade. This is despite a continuing need for specialist graduates, as attested by the relevant professional bodies, and by policy implementation reviews in the areas where graduates from these courses might provide stronger leadership. To improve learning opportunities for students and achieve collaboration, the program leader worked with colleagues and professional bodies nationally to analyse trend data and develop a working plan for each field of education. The program has raised awareness about the need for urgent system-wide action to support niche social professions and has developed collaborative network(s) to strengthen cross-institutional relationships between staff offering courses in niche social professions. The program has strengthened relationships with relevant state and federal professional bodies in each field and has established a network of colleagues to help resolve these challenges. In addition, the fellowship has proposed changes to support a nationwide collaborative strategy that will enable institutions to offer viable programs for the niche social professions. Dissemination has occurred to move beyond known interest groups, and staff from 16 universities and nine professional associations have been involved in discussions, consultations and planning for change. The issues and proposed strategies are outlined in this document. The working groups in each discipline will continue to collaborate to build momentum for change and to engage with colleagues at other universities to continue the work commenced by this fellowship. [Executive summary, ed
Support for homeless young people under 16 years old: Towards a new paradigm
Young people who become homeless before the age of 16 years face particular problems finding appropriate services that address their needs. This has been acknowledged in Australia and internationally, but successful system-wide resolution has not been achieved. The purpose of this study was to find out what would be required to improve policy in this area. The study set out to establish both the nature of the problem, and the nature of the changes needed to improve outcomes for young people. The research documented young people’s experiences of early homelessness and service provider’s perspectives on the adequacy of existing services. These were compared with the theoretical models and assumptions that informed the design of policy and service delivery. The study found that existing policy left some homeless 12–15-year-olds with fewer options and in much riskier circumstances than homeless young people aged 16–17 years. This perverse outcome occurred because the theoretical assumptions that informed policy did not align with either the reality of service delivery or with young people’s capabilities and aspirations. The study concluded that a new paradigm was required to improve outcomes. In addition, more varied types of accommodation are required for homeless young people under 16 years, and, where developmentally appropriate, young people aged 12–15 years should be treated as mature minors, and assistance should be provided through supported youth accommodation services
Improving Information Sharing for Effective Social Outcomes
The research project focused on the following questions:
To what extent and how is personal information of individuals with complex social needs collected, managed, and shared across government and other organisations?
What are barriers and enablers to cross-government information sharing?
What are existing strategies and arrangements for enabling cross-government information sharing in other jurisdictions? What can New Zealand learn from other jurisdictions in that respect?
How, and under what conditions, can cross-government information sharing be improved in order to achieve more effective social outcomes
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