On the cohomology of hyperkahler quotients

This paper gives a partial desingularisation construction for hyperk\"ahler quotients and a criterion for the surjectivity of an analogue of the Kirwan map to the cohomology of hyperk\"ahler quotients. This criterion is applied to some linear actions on hyperk\"ahler vector spaces.Comment: 21 pages. Final versio

Anglo-German relations and European politics, 1871-1890 ..

Typewritten sheets in cover. Thesis (M.A.)--Boston University This item was digitized by the Internet Archive. Bibliography: 6 p. at end

First-Year Teachers\u27 Perceptions of Mentors\u27 And Principals\u27 Participation in the induction Process

The purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of first-year teachers in the state of Georgia regarding the extent to which mentors and principals participated in the induction of first-year teachers. Questionnaire data were collected from 105 first-year teachers within the Central Savannah River Area in the State of Georgia. The data were reported based on the following themes: Staff Support; Curriculum Support; Parental Communication; and Student Needs. This study found that statistically significant differences were evidenced between mentors\u27 participation in the induction activities of first-year teachers and the degree to which principals participated in the induction activities of first-year teachers. Overall, mentors were involved in first-year teachers\u27 induction activities to a moderate extent. However, first-year teachers indicated that principals were involved in induction activities to a minimal extent. The findings also indicated significant differences were identified based on gender and school level assignment of first-year teachers as it related to principals\u27 participation. With guidelines from the Georgia State Department of Education through the Georgia Mentor Teacher program, mentors participated in the induction process to a higher extent than principals by being more involved in first-year teacher induction activities. One of the conclusions suggests that success of the induction process for first-year teachers is dependent on the role of the mentor. Additional research into the differentiation of the roles of the principal and mentor in induction programs is recommended. A dissertation submitted to the Graduate Faculty of Georgia Southern University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Education. In Education Administration, under the direction of Barbara J. Mallory

Close to Home / Made in the UK

The first meeting of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Ethics and Sustainability in Fashion, convened by Baroness Lola Young. The meeting explored the contribution that forward thinking UK fashion and textile businesses make to local economies, communities and the environment. Baroness Lola Young, Dr Frances Corner OBE (Head of the London College of Fashion) and Martin Buttle (Supply Chain Manager at MADE-BY) started the meeting with opening remarks and introductions. Dr Kate Fletcher (Reader at the Centre for Sustainable Fashion) expanded on the Close to Home/Made in the UK theme. Five shirt presentations followed from UK manufacturers/brands involved in fashion, textiles and footwear: Christopher Raeburn, Dashing Tweeds, Tender Denim, Ardalanish Isle of Mull Weavers and John Smedley. Ruth Potts (New Economics Foundation) then talked about sustaining local economies and economic well-being. A discussion followed with questions and commentary from the audience, who represented a wide cross section of the industry including high street retailers, press, fashion designers and international organisations. Through the sharing of experiences, personal journeys, discoveries, traditions, technologies and crafts, many of the joys, pains, challenges and opportunities for UK fashion manufacturing where explored. A momentum to keep building. A feeling of positivity and urgency. A debate to be continued. Actions for now and the future we create. There was also a Local Wisdom project underway, to record and celebrate the clothes we wear and the ways in which we wear them. Participants shared the story of their clothing and had their portraits taken wearing it in the Westminster Great Hall

Incorporating patient preferences in the management of multiple long-term conditions: is this a role for clinical practice guidelines?

Background: Clinical practice guidelines provide an evidence-based approach to managing single chronic conditions, but their applicability to multiple conditions has been actively debated. Incorporating patient-preference recommendations and involving consumers in guideline development may enhance their applicability, but further understanding is needed. Objectives: To assess guidelines that include recommendations for comorbid conditions to determine the extent to which they incorporate patient-preference recommendations; use consumer-engagement processes during development, and, if so, whether these processes produce more patient-preference recommendations; and meet standard quality criteria, particularly in relation to stakeholder involvement. Design: A review of Australian guidelines published from 2006 to 2014 that incorporated recommendations for managing comorbid conditions in primary care. Document analysis of guidelines examined the presence of patient-preference recommendations and the consumer-engagement processes used. The Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation instrument was used to assess guideline quality. Results: Thirteen guidelines were reviewed. Twelve included at least one core patient-preference recommendation. Ten used consumer-engagement processes, including participation in development groups (seven guidelines) and reviewing drafts (ten guidelines). More extensive consumer engagement was generally linked to greater incorporation of patient-preference recommendations. Overall quality of guidelines was mixed, particularly in relation to stakeholder involvement. Conclusions: Guidelines do incorporate some patient-preference recommendations, but more explicit acknowledgement is required. Consumer-engagement processes used during guideline development have the potential to assist in identifying patient preferences, but further research is needed. Clarification of the consumer role and investment in consumer training may strengthen these processes.Journal of Comorbidity 2015;5(1):122–13

Newborn screening for spinal muscular atrophy : the views of affected families and adults

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is one of the leading genetic causes of infant death worldwide. However, due to a lack of treatments, SMA has historically fallen short of Wilson-Jungner criteria. While studies have explored the acceptability of expanded newborn screening to the general public, the views of affected families have largely been overlooked. This is in spite of the potential for direct impacts on them and their unique positioning to consider the value of early diagnosis. We have previously reported data on attitudes towards pre-conception and prenatal genetic screening for SMA amongst affected families (adults with SMA (n=82) and family members (n=255)). Here, using qualitative interview (n= 36) and survey data (n= 337), we report the views of this same cohort towards newborn screening. The majority (70%) of participants were in favour, however, all sub-groups (except adults with type II) preferred pre-conception and/or prenatal screening to newborn screening. Key reasons for newborn screening support were: 1) the potential for improved support 2) the possibility of enrolling pre-symptomatic children on clinical trials. Key reasons for non-support were: 1) concerns about impact on the early experiences of the family 2) inability to treat. Importantly, participants did not view the potential for inaccurate typing as a significant obstacle to the launch of a population-wide screening programme. This study underscores the need to include families affected by genetic diseases within consultations on screening. This is particularly important for conditions such as SMA which challenge traditional screening criteria, and for which new therapeutics are emerging

Between movement and stasis: Loops within the durational

This research examines various iterations and configurations of loop forms in moving image and sound, via artists’ use of particular audio-visual technologies; this practice-led investigation acts as a catalyst for academic writing. My field of study moves between the contemporary – including my own practice – and the period from the mid-1960s to early 1970s. I use this historical move to engage with medium-specificities and working processes as they are figured within the reciprocal conditions of technological development and sociopolitical contexts. I set out to discover what “thinking between” the 1960s and now can tell us about the present; this method also creates a temporal looping back and forth throughout the dissertation. With the terms loops and looping I refer firstly to the digital or analogue loop: at its most basic, a short repeating section. I then examine how the loop can embody more complex structures – involving variation, modulation, layering, erasure; taking the form of a spiral, or a multiplicity of loops, or a divergence along different paths which return to the same point. Looping also extends to feedback loops – in terms of analogue audio / video / electronic feedback; as a mode of cybernetics and machine-to-machine imaging; and as a mode of operations within a broader network of social monitoring, surveillance and control. I also explore materiality, meta-materialities, and dematerialisation through the loop. The thesis situates loop forms as manifestations of cultural and ideological conditions – operating through, and at times against, technological medium-specificities. I place the loop within, or alongside (at times contra), the durational; investigating the dynamics between these temporal modes, and the idea of “presence” within them. I use the term durational in the context of time-based media and also with a Bergsonian inflection: duration which involves a flow or flux between different elements of time, where the past flows into the present – at times intersecting it. Through my research I find points of oscillation or confluence between movement and stasis in the loop; this intersects with dualities between recording and erasure, absence and presence – as well as past and present. Informed by post-Marxist philosophy and cultural theory (Agamben, Virilio, Steyerl, Fisher, The Invisible Committee), my research is grounded in the political force of the apparatus and of cultural forms. The thesis also engages with thinking around a posthumanist response to technological mediation (Braidotti, Guattari), and with media archaeology. My thesis addresses the following research questions: How do loops reflect cultural and ideological conditions at the same time as engineering or manipulating them, shaping our perceptual experience? How does this affect our experience of duration? How does the loop in moving image and sound practice operate in relation to particular recording technologies? In what ways does the loop create an oscillation or intersection between movement and stasis, and what kinds of materialities emerge or dissipate through this

Population screening for spinal muscular atrophy : a mixed methods study of the views of affected families

Autosomal recessive conditions are a significant health burden with few treatments. Population carrier screening has been suggested as a means to tackle them. Little is known about the views of affected families despite the potential for direct impacts on them. Data are presented on attitudes among families affected by Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) toward two population screening programs, pre-conception, and prenatal. Data were gathered through qualitative interviews (n = 36) and a survey (n = 337). Eighty-two survey participants had SMA and 255 were family members. The majority were in favor of screening (75%). Reasons for supporting pre-conception screening support were a belief that it would reduce SMA-related terminations and raise awareness of SMA in the population. For prenatal screening, reasons for support included a belief in the importance of informed decision-making and the need to reduce suffering. Key reasons for non-support of pre-conception screening included concerns about carrier stigmatization and social engineering. For prenatal screening, concerns focused on the collateral loss of high quality of life lives affected by SMA. This study highlights that those affected by SMA are predominantly in favor of screening, although pre-conception screening is most favored. While family members and adults with SMA had largely consistent views, perceptions varied according to the severity (type) of SMA, with those affected by SMA type II the least likely to support screening. These findings suggest that screening for SMA is a complex issue for affected families, underscoring the need to consider and include their views when planning and implementing screening programs. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc