Public Sector Collaboration: Are We Doing It Well and Could We Do It Better?

Improving collaboration by public sector agencies is an important element of many public sector reforms. Common approaches include introducing responsibilities under legislation and policy decisions, the provision of information and guidance, and strengthening third-party oversight. To identify how collaboration is being practised, this paper reviews evidence from over one hundred reports by Auditors-General and Ombudsmen in Australia and New Zealand to identify key attributes of collaboration, and assesses these further by examining three reports in detail. It concludes that problems that have been known for many years continue to constrain public sector effectiveness. Although continuing existing approaches may assist in improving collaboration, the paper argues that there is a need to adopt more systematic approaches to organisational capacity for collaboration. It further identifies that changes in the external environment such as technology-based innovation may demand rapid progress and change in relation to collaboration

Potential of wind turbines to elicit seizures under various meteorological conditions

Purpose: To determine the potential risk of epileptic seizures from wind turbine shadow flicker under various meteorologic conditions. Methods: We extend a previous model to include attenuation of sunlight by the atmosphere using the libradtran radiative transfer code. Results: Under conditions in which observers look toward the horizon with their eyes open we find that there is risk when the observer is closer than 1.2 times the total turbine height when on land, and 2.8 times the total turbine height in marine environments, the risk limited by the size of the image of the sun's disc on the retina. When looking at the ground, where the shadow of the blade is cast, observers are at risk only when at a distance <36 times the blade width, the risk limited by image contrast. If the observer views the horizon and closes their eyes, however, the stimulus size and contrast ratio are epileptogenic for solar elevation angles down to approximately 5°. Discussion: Large turbines rotate at a rate below that at which the flicker is likely to present a risk, although there is a risk from smaller turbines that interrupt sunlight more than three times per second. For the scenarios considered, we find the risk is negligible at a distance more than about nine times the maximum height reached by the turbine blade, a distance similar to that in guidance from the United Kingdom planning authorities. © 2009 International League Against Epilepsy

"To each his own bastard": a viewer's guide to The seduction of Mimi

This thesis examines the theory and practice of comedy in Lina Wertmüller's film The Seduction of Mimi (1972), as well as emphasizing its social and historical context, with a special focus on its depiction of the Sicilian mafia. The author seeks to provide a framework for understanding the different registers of the film's meaning by drawing from works of social and political history, as well as film history and criticism. The first chapter serves as an introduction, discussing previous interpretations of the film and suggesting new areas of exploration. The second chapter examines the implications of the film's title and enumerates the film's major themes. The third, fourth and fifth chapters explore the social and political background of the film's Sicilian setting. The sixth and seventh chapters detail the interrelation between social and sexual politics as exemplified in Wertmüller's film. The eighth chapter deals with the film's depiction of the Sicilian mafia and its influence on society. And, finally, the ninth, tenth and eleventh chapters delve into the film's complex use of stereotype and caricature

Finding another way to hold

This work is about the treasure of us and the primordial elements of imagination and solution. Many of these works are pointing to our basic goodness, creativity, and zest as building blocks of our humanness. Archetypes of stool, raft, and jewel are woven together to represent being held and holding. The backbone of this body of work has to do with my journey to be able to hold myself with growing perspective and esteem. And as such, these drawings and sculptures become a tool, charting my exploration and relationship to the divine, to myself, and to others

Network science and the effects of music on the human brain

Most people choose to listen to music that they prefer or like such as classical, country or rock. Previous research has focused on how different characteristics of music (i.e., classical versus country) affect the brain. Yet, when listening to preferred music regardless of the type--people report they often experience personal thoughts and memories. To date, understanding how this occurs in the brain has remained elusive. Using network science methods, I evaluated differences in functional brain connectivity when individuals listened to complete songs. Here the results reveal that a circuit important for internally focused thoughts, known as the default mode network, was most connected when listening to preferred music. The results also reveal that listening to a favorite song alters the connectivity between auditory brain areas and the hippocampus, a region responsible for memory and social emotion consolidation. Given that musical preferences are uniquely individualized phenomena and that music can vary in acoustic complexity and the presence or absence of lyrics, the consistency of these results was contrary to previous neuroscientific understanding. These findings may explain why comparable emotional and mental states can be experienced by people listening to music that differs as widely as Beethoven and Eminem. The neurobiological and neurorehabilitation implications of these results are discussed

A COMPARISON OF ADMINISTRATORS’ AND TEACHERS’ PERCEPTIONS OF NATIONAL TECHNOLOGY STANDARDS

The need for teachers and administrators to select and use appropriate and effective technologies to support instruction is critical for the academic and social success of students. The purpose of the study was to document and compare administrators’ and teachers’ perceptions related to National Technology Standards (NETS). The research was intended to assist district level leaders in making informed decisions to identify plausible professional development (PD) training needs of school administrators and teachers. The mixed-method study was conducted in a large school district in the southeastern region of the United States. Participants included elementary and middle public school administrators and teachers. Survey and interview data depict both groups view pedagogical practices of high importance. Despite the fact that results of the online survey reveal both groups engaged in PD, results from the semi-structured interview depict an ongoing need for purposeful selection of technology training opportunities. Advances in technology are constant and to provide engaging learning environments for all students professional development grounded in research is essential for both administrators and teachers to influence leadership and classroom practices

Bringing union to textiles : factors which aided and impeded the progress of unionism in the North Carolina textile industry

From the momentum engendered by the Cotton Mill Campaign of the l880's to the creation of Burlington Industries in 1955 the history of cotton textiles has been one of major achievement in capitalization from meager financial resources, of erratic and then systematic integration of small, independently owned and operated family mills into the industrial and managerial complex of the world's largest textile establishments. Corresponding with the physical growth of plants and productive capacity was the steady deterioration of the original community of interest between textile operator and textile operative and the formation of the first native American proletariat. The emergence of this class and its realization of the collective power which it possessed, coupled with the relatively rapid consolidation of the textile industry, led to a repetition on Southern soil of the chronicle of the coming of age of American labor, this time in its relation to the organized capital of the Southern textile industry

Network science: A new method for investigating the complexity of musical experiences in the brain

Network science is a rapidly emerging analysis method for investigating complex systems, suchas the brain, in terms of their components and the interactions among them. Within the brain,music affects an intricate set of complex neural processing systems. These include structuralcomponents as well as functional elements such as memory, motor planning and execution,cognition and mood fluctuation. Because music affects such diverse brain systems, it is an idealcandidate for applying network science methods. Using as naturalistic an approach as possible,the authors investigated whether listening to different genres of music affected brainconnectivity. Here the authors show that varying levels of musical complexity affect brainconnectivity. These results suggest that network science offers a promising new method to studythe dynamic impact of music on the brain

Network Science and the Effects of Music Preference on Functional Brain Connectivity: From Beethoven to Eminem

Most people choose to listen to music that they prefer or ‘like’ such as classical, country or rock. Previous research has focused on how different characteristics of music (i.e., classical versus country) affect the brain. Yet, when listening to preferred music—regardless of the type—people report they often experience personal thoughts and memories. To date, understanding how this occurs in the brain has remained elusive. Using network science methods, we evaluated differences in functional brain connectivity when individuals listened to complete songs. We show that a circuit important for internally-focused thoughts, known as the default mode network, was most connected when listening to preferred music. We also show that listening to a favorite song alters the connectivity between auditory brain areas and the hippocampus, a region responsible for memory and social emotion consolidation. Given that musical preferences are uniquely individualized phenomena and that music can vary in acoustic complexity and the presence or absence of lyrics, the consistency of our results was unexpected. These findings may explain why comparable emotional and mental states can be experienced by people listening to music that differs as widely as Beethoven and Eminem. The neurobiological and neurorehabilitation implications of these results are discussed

How and why does music move us? Answers from psychology and neuroscience

What scientific evidence can music educators share with their community stakeholders concerning how and why music moves us so powerfully? Five key points derived from recent psychological and neuroscientific findings are (1) Network Science is a new technique that allows researchers to examine the brain’s interconnectivity as people listen to music; (2) the Default Mode Network is a set of interconnecting brain networks that are involved in conscious awareness, self-reflection, and autobiographical memories and emotions; (3) when people listen to preferred music, there is dynamic interconnectivity in the Default Mode Network, linking music to self-awareness, along with associated personal histories, core emotional memories, and empathy; (4) musical training leads to numerous changes in the brain that have implications for music learning; and (5) scientific evidence supports the powerful role that music plays in enhancing quality of life