Navajo Peacemaking and Māori Restorative Justice: a Comparison of Process and Procedure

Due to the failure of some crime control approaches in law enforcement alternatives are being examined to determine their applicability in today\u27s society. One of the approaches gaining criminological attention is Navajo Peacemaking . another similar style of crime control is the Māori restorative justice process used in New Zealand. The purposed of this research study is to examine and compare these processes to determine their applicability as crime prevention tools in U.S. towns and cities. Walter Miller\u27s Focal Concerns Theory was used to address the difference in motivation between mainstream culture and its subcultures. The results from this study demonstrated that much of the success of these two approaches is a result of the religious and cultural backgrounds of the subcultures that developed them. Both methods rely on communication between victim, offender and members of the tribe to decide the appropriate response to incidents. The Navajo Peacemaking process is better developed to work within their legal framework and is better documented than the Māori restorative process. This difference makes the Navajo approach the better choice for adaptation for modern societal needs. Since there is no single dominant religion or culture in the U.S. there is not currently a stable basic for building a new crime control process employing either of these methodologies. However, these processes provide inspiration for a different, less retribution-oriented method of crime control and are a possible resolution for some criminological issues

L'impact de la chorée sur les mouvements alternés rapides des patients ayant la maladie de Huntington = The impact of chorea on rapid alternating movements in patients with Huntington's disease

Le but de cette étude était d'isoler l'impact de la chorée sur les mouvements volontaires, pour mieux évaluer le rôle des mouvements involontaires sur les perturbations motrices observées chez les patients ayant la maladie de Huntington. Les mouvements involontaires du corps ainsi que les actions motrices volontaires furent enregistrés simultanément, à l'aide d'un système de pistage magnétique, chez quinze patients choréiques ayant la maladie de Huntington ainsi que chez quinze sujets contrôle en bonne santé de même âge et sexe. Il a été demandé aux participants d'accomplir deux tâches distinctes; une de mouvements alternés rapides (RAM) qui permettra de quantifier l'hypokinésie et la bradykinésie, et une tâche de poursuite manuelle (MT) qui fournira une mesure quant à l'intrusion des chorées lors de mouvements précis. Les patients ayant la maladie de Huntington ont obtenu de meilleurs résultats comparativement aux sujets contrôles lors de la tâche RAM, démontrant ainsi l'absence de bradykinésie chez ces sujets. Lors de la tâche MT, les patients ayant la maladie de Huntington ont démontré une déviation par rapport à l'emplacement de la cible réduisant ainsi leur habileté à reproduire sa vitesse. De plus, une corrélation fût établie entre l'erreur au niveau des performances et l'amplitude des chorées du corps, illustrant l'effet néfaste des chorées lors de mouvements précis. Ces résultats démontrent clairement que la bradykinésie n'est pas un symptôme de la maladie de Huntington lorsque des chorées sont présentes, mais que les chorées sont la principale cause d'erreur de performance lors de mouvements précis. Donc, les patients atteints de la maladie de Huntington bénéficieraient grandement de traitements visant à réduire les chorées tout en maintenant une fonction motrice adéquate. ______________________________________________________________________________ MOTS-CLÉS DE L’AUTEUR : Huntington, Bradykinesia, Chorée, Quantification, Parkinson

Access to sustainable lifestyles: disability and environmental citizenship

Reducing environmental impacts at the level of the individual or household is a key feature of sustainability debates, and there is interest in transitions toward more sustainable lifestyles. The implications of this for disability equality, however, have not yet been fully explored. This thesis examines disabled people’s experiences regarding sustainable lifestyles and uses these to bring a disability studies perspective to various sustainability literatures, such as environmental citizenship, which have so far neglected disability issues. Policy discourses around sustainability and disability equality are also explored and their implications examined. Methods included qualitative interviews and focus groups with disabled participants living in one local authority area, enabling participants’ experiences to be situated in the context of local sustainability- and disability-focused strategies. The findings indicate significantly more complex and diverse engagements with sustainable lifestyles than has been shown in previous research. Although many participants’ experiences could be conceptualised as issues of environmental (in)justice, they tended to favour perspectives based on responsibility rather than rights. Many participants could be identified as environmental citizens, demonstrating that disabled people can play an active role in environmental protection. Taking a social practice approach to the data also indicates a potentially valuable way to more fully conceptualise accessibility in relation to sustainable lifestyles. This research has important implications for transitions towards sustainable lifestyles. Current policy contexts are significantly constrained by the wider neoliberal economic context, so change may need to begin outside the policy arena – such as the environmental movement. The movement itself, however, also needs to incorporate disability equality as a concern. Disability equality can be conceptualised as a feature of sustainability, meaning sustainability will not be achieved without the inclusion of disabled people. Considering environmentalism as facilitated by external factors rather than internal values may be a potential way forward

Biochemical and Functional Relationships in Cheese.

End of Project ReportCheese is used extensively in cooking applications, mainly because of its flavour and heat-induced functionality, which is a composite of different attributes such as softening, flow and stretch. The functional attributes of cooked cheese generally have a major impact on the quality of foods in which cheese is included as an ingredient, e.g. pizza pie. Owing to its importance in cookery applications, numerous studies have been undertaken on the effects of different factors on the age-related changes in the functionality of cooked cheese, especially Mozzarella, and to a lesser extent, Cheddar and processed cheese. These studies have shown that the functionality of natural cheese is dynamic, with the different functional attributes undergoing marked changes during ripening, and, for a given cheese variety, the desired functional attributes are optimum within a specific time frame during maturation. The time at which the cheese becomes functional and the width of the window - and hence the functional shelf-life, are affected by the extent of chemical changes, including the increase in proteolysis and the ratio of bound to free moisture. The main aims of this project were to investigate the effects of the following on the age-related changes in heat-related functional attributes (e.g. stretchability, fluidity) of cheese: * fat reduction, * the degree of fat emulsification, * the pH and calcium content and their interaction, * the correlation between proteolysis and functional attributes, especially attributes other than flowability, e.g. rheological properties of raw cheese, stretchability of heated cheese, and * the age-related changes in the functionality of cheeses other than Mozzarella, e.g. analogue pizza cheese and Emmental. At the outset of this project, comparatively little information was available on the effects of the above parameters on the age-related changes in heatinduced functional attributes (e.g. stretchability, fluidity) of cheese, especially for varieties other than Mozzarella.Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marin

Barriers to play and recreation for children and young people with disabilities : exploring environmental factors

This report reviews international research into the barriers to play for children with disabilities. The authors come from different disciplinary backgrounds, in Sociology, Social Policy, Anthropology, Occupational Health and Education and bring different concerns to this review. They are united, however, in their adoption of a rights-based perspective. The UNCRC and UNCRPD emphasise the right to play for children with disabilities. Play is vital for child development. The problem of 'play deprivation' for many children with disabilities is very real. Yet the right to, and value of 'play for the sake of play', for fun and recreation, must not be forgotten in relation to the lives of children with disabilities. The focus in this report is upon barriers to play that exist beyond the minds and bodies of individual children, within a 'disabling' environment. Barriers include those associated with the design of the built environment, social attitudes and professional practices. The report maps an agenda for further research in this area, emphasising the need for participatory methodologies that capture the views and voices of children with disabilities, their friends and families, on this important issue of play

System development guidelines from a review of motion-based technology for people with MCI or dementia

As the population ages and the number of people living with dementia or mild cognitive impairment (MCI) continues to increase, it is critical to identify creative and innovative ways to support and improve their quality of life. Motion-based technology has shown significant potential for people living with dementia or MCI by providing opportunities for cognitive stimulation, physical activity and participation in meaningful leisure activities, while simultaneously functioning as a useful tool for research and development of interventions. However, many of the current systems created using motion-based technology have not been designed specifically for people with dementia or MCI. Additionally, the usability and accessibility of these systems for these populations has not been thoroughly considered. This paper presents a set of system development guidelines derived from a review of the state of the art of motion-based technologies for people with dementia or MCI. These guidelines highlight three overarching domains of consideration for systems targeting people with dementia or MCI: (i) cognitive, (ii) physical, and (iii) social. We present the guidelines in terms of relevant design and use considerations within these domains and the emergent design themes within each domain. Our hope is that these guidelines will aid in designing motion-based software to meet the needs of people with dementia or MCI such that the potential of these technologies can be realized

Employing vision-based sensing for long-term monitoring

This is the author accepted manuscript.Despite the crucial role of structural health monitoring (SHM), traditional approaches rely on contact-based sensors which are both costly and lack automation. Vision-based sensing techniques such as Digital Image Correlation (DIC) have recently emerged as a viable substitute, due to their non-contact nature and low cost. To date, however, the long-term performance of DIC has not been evaluated. This study assesses DIC for long-term displacement monitoring. Firstly, the robustness of the monitoring of ambiently excited structures over long periods is examined. This is achieved through the measurement of drift of control points. Then, correlation is examined between the drift measurements and the ambient temperature, to examine the influence of temperature on the robustness of the DIC measurements. After, the effectiveness of employing DIC for monitoring ambiently excited structures is examined. Towards this aim, the displacements of the midspan of the experimental bridge structure are monitored for one month and compared with those of a traditional contact-based sensor, i.e., a Linear Variance Displacement Transducer (LVDT). Finally, to further demonstrate the effectiveness of employing DIC measurements for ambiently excited structures, a correlation is sought between the midspan displacements and the ambient temperature. Concerning the robustness of the long-term DIC measurements, the drift was found to be relatively small (i.e., equal to 0.06 mm) whilst the temperature was found to potentially influence this. With regard to the overall effectiveness of long-term monitoring with DIC, the study found that non-contact sensing has comparable accuracy to the LVDT, with a correlation coefficient equal to 0.996, root mean square error of 0.012 mm, and mean absolute error of 0.010 mm. Moreover, the correlation of DIC measurements with temperature showed its effectiveness in capturing complex structural behaviours (e.g., extremely slow and small movements) typically associated with ambiently excited structures. Whilst this study is only on a small-scale structure, it paves the way for the employment of vision-based on large-scale structures enabling the general use of DIC for SHM.Innovate U

Exploring the ‘active mechanisms’ for engaging rural-dwelling older men with dementia in a community technological initiative

Research has suggested ecopsychosocial initiatives can promote a sense of well-being and inclusion in people with dementia. However, few studies have elucidated the ‘active mechanisms’ whereby such initiatives can achieve these outcomes, so hindering their generalisability. This is particularly pertinent when seeking to support community-dwelling older men with dementia who are reluctant to engage with traditional health and social care initiatives. This paper reports on a study that drew from the principles of Participatory Action Research to explore the ‘active mechanisms’ of a technological initiative for older men (65+ years) with dementia in rural England. An individually-tailored, male-only initiative, using off-the-shelf computer game technology (e.g. iPad, Nintendo Wii and Microsoft Kinect) was delivered over a nine week period. Multiple qualitative methods were employed including; focus groups, open interviews and extensive reflexive field-notes, to gather data from the perspective of twenty-two men, fifteen care partners and five community volunteers. The data were analysed thematically and interpreted using a masculinity lens. Three mechanisms contributed to the initiative’s success: the use of the technology; the male-only environment; and the empowering approach adopted. The paper argues that initiatives aimed at community-dwelling older men with dementia would be advised to consider these gendered experiences and ensure participants can maximise their masculine capital when participating in them, by providing enabling activities, non-threatening environments and empowering approaches of delivery

Auditory dysfunction in type 2 Stickler Syndrome.

PURPOSE: To present the extent and site of lesion of auditory dysfunction in a large cohort of individuals with type 2 Stickler Syndrome. Type 2 Stickler Syndrome results from a mutation in the gene coding for α-1 type XI pro-collagen, which has been identified in the human vitreous, cartilage and the cochlea of the mouse. The condition is characterised by classic ocular abnormalities, auditory dysfunction, osteoarthropathy and oro-facial dysplasia. METHODS: This is a population study which used a combination of audiometric, tympanometric, and self-report measures on a series of 65 individuals (mean age 29.2 years, range 3-70, female 63.1%) with genetically confirmed type 2 Stickler Syndrome. RESULTS: Hearing impairment was identified in at least one ear for 69% of individuals. Analysis against age-matched normative data showed that reduced hearing sensitivity was present across all test frequencies. Sensorineural hearing loss was most common (77% of ears), with conductive (3%), mixed (7%) and no hearing loss (13%), respectively. The proportion of hypermobile tympanic membranes (24%) was less than previously documented in type 1 Stickler Syndrome. When present, this appears to arise as a direct result of collagen abnormalities in the middle ear. Self-report measures of speech and spatial hearing in sound were comparable to a non-syndromic cohort with similar audiometric thresholds. CONCLUSIONS: Auditory impairment in type 2 Stickler Syndrome is predominantly associated with cochlear hearing loss of varying severities across affected individuals. The impact on hearing thresholds can be seen across the frequency range, suggesting a contribution of defective collagen throughout the cochlea. Self-report questionnaires showed that difficulties understanding speech, and spatial information in sound (such as that used for localisation), were worse than a young, normal-hearing population but comparable to a non-syndromic cohort with similar audiometric thresholds. Therefore, it is likely that hearing loss in type 2 Stickler Syndrome arises in the auditory periphery, without significant central processing deficits

Adherence to the class-based component of a Tai Chi exercise intervention for people living with dementia and their informal carers

Objective: The aim of this study was to understand the experiences of people living with dementia and their informal carers’ taking part together (in dyads) in Tai Chi classes and the aspects influencing their adherence. Methods: Dyads’ experiences of taking part in Tai Chi classes for 20 weeks within the TACIT Trial were explored through class observations (n = 22 dyads), home-interviews (n = 15 dyads) and feedback. Data was inductively coded following thematic analysis. Results: Tai Chi classes designed for people with dementia and their informal carers were enjoyable and its movements, easy to learn. Facilitators of their adherence were the socializing component and their enjoyment of the classes, whereas unexpected health problems were the main barrier. Discussion: Finding the optimal level of challenge in the class setting might be crucial for people with dementia to feel satisfied about their progression over sessions and enable their continued participation