Dead or alive? De invloed van incidentkenmerken en gedragingen van actoren op fatale versus niet-fatale uitkomsten van geweld

Sommige ernstige geweldsincidenten eindigen met dodelijke afloop, andere niet. Om te onderzoeken welke factoren bij dit verschil in afloop een rol spelen, bestu-deerden we op basis van strafdossiers in hoeverre een aantal geselecteerde incident-kenmerken en gedragingen van actoren bijdroeg aan de escalatie van conflicten. Hiertoe zijn 267 ernstige geweldsincidenten bestudeerd waarbij daders veroordeeld waren voor fataal geweld (moord/doodslag, N=126) of niet-fataal geweld (poging moord/doodslag, N=141). De resultaten tonen substantiële verschillen tussen conflicten met een fatale en niet-fatale afloop op het punt van incidentkenmerken en vooral van gedragingen van actoren gedurende het incident. De kans op een fatale afloop blijkt vooral toe te nemen wanneer sprake is van alcoholgebruik door slacht-offers, vuurwapengebruik door daders, bepaalde gedragingen geïnitieerd door het slachtoffer en afwezigheid van omstanders. [English language abstract is available]

Applicability of the Organisational Climate Description Questionnaire – Rutgers Elementary: A South African case study

The Organisational Climate Description Questionnaire – Rutgers  Elementary (OCDQ – RE) was used to determine the current organizational climate of primary schools in North-West Province, South Africa. This questionnaire evaluates the actions of principals and educators; the current organizational climate in primary schools can be determined from the results. A quantitative research approach, with 904 teachers from 68 schools, was used to determine the applicability of the measuring instrument. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses revealed that certain items measuring directive behaviour in the OCDQ-RE grouped with supportive behaviour of the principal. Hence, in this study, these items were regarded as supportive towards the educators and their work by the respondents. According to Cronbach’s alpha coefficient the questionnaire can be regarded as reliable. Recommendations are made to renderthe questionnaire even more applicable for the South African context.Keywords: improving organizational climate; organizational climate; OCDQ; primary schools; school climat

Educators and the quality of their work environment: an analysis of the organisational climate in primary schools

The prevalent organisational climate in primary schools in the North West Province was determined in order to formulate management strategies to increase the organisational climate. For this purpose, a quantitative research method, founded in post-positivistic points of departure, was applied. In the process, the Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire – Rutgers Elementary (OCDQ-RE) was applied in order to determine the behaviour of principals and school educators. The investigation indicated that the behaviour of the principals and that of the educators contributed only to an average degree to the establishment of a more effective organisational climate in the primary schools investigated. Furthermore the exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses indicated that certain items in the original climate questionnaire, which were grouped in the directive behaviour of the principal, were viewed by the respondents in South Africa as supportive but, in some instances, also as restrictive.Keywords: educational environment; effective schools; improving organisational climate; improving school climate; management styles; Organizational Climate Description Questionnaire (OCDQ); organisational climate; primary schools; school climate; teacher morale and attitude

Application of Magnetic Resonance to Assess Lyophilized Drug Product Reconstitution

Purpose Dynamic in-situ proton (1H) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and 1H T2-relaxometry experiments are described in an attempt to: (i) understand the physical processes, that occur during the reconstitution of lyophilized bovine serum albumen (BSA) and monoclonal antibody (mAb) proteins; and (ii) objectify the reconstitution time. Methods Rapid two-dimensional 1H MRI and diffusion weighted MRI were used to study the temporal changes in solids dissolution and characterise water mass transport characteristics. One-shot T2 relaxation time measurements were also acquired in an attempt to quantify the reconstitution time. Both MRI data and T2-relaxation data were compared to standard visual observations currently adopted by industry. The 1H images were further referenced to MRI calibration data to give quantitative values of protein concentration and, percentage of remaining undissolved solids. Results An algorithmic analysis the 1H T2-relaxation data shows it is possible to classify the reconstitution event into three regimes (undissolved, transitional and dissolved). Moreover, a combined analysis of the 2D 1H MRI and 1H T2-relaxation data gives a unique time point that characterises the onset of a reconstituted protein solution within well-defined error bars. These values compared favourably with those from visual observations. Diffusion weighted MRI showed that low concentration BSA and mAb samples showed distinct liquid-liquid phase separation attributed to two liquid layers with significant density gradients. Conclusions T2 relaxation time distributions (whose interpretation is validated from the 2D 1H MR images) provides a quick and effective framework to build objective, quantitative descriptors of the reconstitution process that facilitate the interpretation of subjective visual observations currently adopted as the standard practice industry.Medimmune PL

Breeding ground correlates of the distribution and decline of the Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus at two spatial scales

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from the publisher via the DOI in this recordMany migratory bird species are undergoing population declines as a result of potentially multiple, interacting mechanisms. Understanding the environmental associations of spatial variation in population change can help tease out the likely mechanisms involved. Common Cuckoo Cuculus canorus populations have declined by 69% in England but increased by 33% in Scotland. The declines have mainly occurred in lowland agricultural landscapes, but their mechanisms are unknown. At both the local scale within the county of Devon (SE England) and at the national (UK) scale, we analysed the breeding season distribution of Cuckoos in relation to habitat variation, the abundance of host species and the abundance of moth species whose caterpillars are a key food of adult Cuckoos. At the local scale, we found that Cuckoos were more likely to be detected in areas with more semi-natural habitat, more Meadow Pipits Anthus pratensis (but fewer Dunnocks Prunella modularis) and where, later in the summer, higher numbers of moths were captured whose larvae are Cuckoo prey. Nationally, Cuckoos have become more associated with upland heath characterized by the presence of Meadow Pipit hosts, and with wetland habitats occupied by Eurasian Reed Warbler Acrocephalus scirpaceus hosts. The core distribution of Cuckoos has shifted from south to north within the UK. By the end of 2009, the abundance of macro-moth species identified as prey had also declined four times faster than that of species not known to be taken by Cuckoos. The abundance of these moths has shown the sharpest declines in grassland, arable and woodland habitats and has increased in semi-natural habitats (heaths and rough grassland). Our study suggests that Cuckoos are likely to remain a very scarce bird in lowland agricultural landscapes without large-scale changes in agricultural practices.Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and Natural Englan