Museums in a troubled world: renewal, irrelevance or collapse?

In the early 2000s the Orchestre Symphonique de Montréal (OSM), one of Montreal's foremost cultural institutions, underwent two upheavals. First management was thrown into turmoil by the unexpected departure of the OSM's celebrated music director, Charles Dutoit, just as the orchestra and its Swiss conductor were about to mark 25 years of successful partnership with celebrations planned for the 2002-03 season. Then, in May 2005, the orchestra's management and board were faced with a strike by the orchestra's musicians. The authors describe the efforts of the orchestra's general manager, Madeleine Careau, to revive its fortunes, notably through a campaign to restore the OSM's prestige, which had been severely eroded by these two events. With the support of internal and external collaborators, Careau turned her attention to the most pressing issues, namely the choice of a new conductor, the orchestra's planned new concert hall and the creation of a foundation to ensure stable, long-term financing for the OSM. To help bring this recovery plan to fruition, Careau drew on her extensive network of contacts. An all-female leadership team was formed at the OSM, as Careau called on Melanie La Couture (CEO), Helene Desmarais (deputy board chair) and Monique Jérôme-Forget (chair of the Quebec treasury board) to use their talents, expertise and influence to give new lustre to the OSM at home and abroad.

Practical implementation of species' recovery plans - Lessons from the White-backed Woodpecker Action Plan in Sweden

Successful biodiversity conservation requires safeguarding viable populations of species. To work with this challenge Sweden has introduced a concept of Action Plans, which focus on the recovery of one or more species; while keeping in mind the philosophy of addressing ecosystems in a more comprehensive way, following the umbrella concept. In this paper we investigate the implementationprocess of the ActionPlanfor one umbrella species, the White-backed Woodpecker (WBW) Dendrocopos leucotos. We describe the plan's organisation and goals, and investigate its implementation and accomplishment of particular targets, based on interviewing and surveying the key actors. The achievement of the targets in 2005-2008 was on average much lower than planned, explained partially by the lack of knowledge/data, experienced workers, and administrative flexibility. Surprisingly, the perceived importance of particular conservation measures, the investment priority accorded to them, the money available and various practical obstacles all failed to kg? explain the target levels achieved. However qualitative data from both the interviews and the survey highlight possible implementation obstacles: competing interests with other conservation actions and the level of engagement of particular implementing actors. Therefore we suggest that for successful implementation of recovery plans, there is aneed for initial and inclusive scoping prior to embarking on the plan, where not only issues like ecological knowledge and practical resources are considered, but also possible conflicts and synergies with other conservation actions. An adaptive approach with regular review of the conservation process is essential, particularly in the case of such complex action plans as the one for the WBW.

Advancing the agenda for recovery : specialized alcohol and drug treatment services for women : plan years 2007-2011.

"December 20, 2006."--Cover letter.

Strategic planning for long-term financing of Pacific leatherback conservation and recovery:Proceedings of the Bellagio Sea Turtle Conservation Initiative, Terengganu, Malaysia; July 2007

On 17-20 July 2007, 45 experts on sea turtles, fisheries, conservation and finance from 10 countries convened at the Bellagio Sea Turtle Conservation Initiative workshop in Terengganu to focus on methods to save the imperiled Pacific leatherback from extinction. The group developed a strategic plan to guide the prioritization and long term financing of Pacific leatherback turtle conservation and recovery objectives. Participants identified critical conservation actions and agreed that a business plan is urgently needed to reverse the trajectory towards extinction of the Pacific leatherback. The conservation actions prioritized by the participants encompassed protecting nesting beaches including eggs and nesting females; reducing direct and indirect turtle take in coastal fisheries; and strengthening regional and sub-regional cooperation. The group committed to work together on fundraising and implementation of these urgent conservation actions. This report presents outputs and the plan that was produced from the workshop.

The River Axe SAP Final Plan

This is the River Axe Salmon Action Plan Final document produced by the Environment Agency in 2004. The River Axe Salmon Action Plan (SAP) has been produced after consideration of feedback from public consultation. The final plan provides a list of the agreed issues and actions for the next five years to maintain and improve the salmon stock of the River Axe. Efforts have been made to identify possible sources of funding, partners and timescales. It indicates how the plan will be managed, including the process for reviewing stock status, issues, actions and progress. Low marine survival is currently a major factor limiting salmon stocks throughout the United Kingdom. However, on the River Axe the freshwater environment is still the main factor limiting the recovery of the salmon stock. Most of the adults returning to the Axe at present are probably derived from hatchery reared smolts, although there has been some natural reproduction in recent years. Juvenile populations in the Yarty indicate that this is a tributary where salmon have started to re-establish a self-sustaining population. Actions to improve the quality of the freshwater environment, both in terms of water quality and sedimentation, are seen as the top priorities, and are required to allow the Axe to support a self-sustaining salmon population.

Error Detection and Recovery for Robot Motion Planning with Uncertainty

Robots must plan and execute tasks in the presence of uncertainty. Uncertainty arises from sensing errors, control errors, and uncertainty in the geometry of the environment. The last, which is called model error, has received little previous attention. We present a framework for computing motion strategies that are guaranteed to succeed in the presence of all three kinds of uncertainty. The motion strategies comprise sensor-based gross motions, compliant motions, and simple pushing motions.

Recovery of a biodiversity action plans species in northwest England: possible role of climate change, artificial habitat and water quality amelioration. Occasional Publication of the Marine Biological Association 16

The honeycomb reef worm Sabellaria alveolata is recognised as being an important component of intertidal communities. It is a priority habitat within the UK Biodiversity Action Plan and as a biogenic reef forming species is covered by Annex 1 of the EC habitats directive. S. alveolata has a lusitanean (southern) distribution, being largely restricted to the south and west coasts of England. A broad-scale survey of S. alveolata distribution along the north-west coasts was undertaken in 2003/2004. These records were then compared with previous distribution records, mainly those collected by Cunningham in 1984. More detailed mapping was carried out at Hilbre Island at the mouth of the River Dee, due to recent reports that S. alveolata had become re-established there after a long absence.

Establishing a recovery orientation in first line mental health teams in Québec : perspectives from social workers and managers

Le Plan d’action en santé mentale institué en 2005 marque le début d’une période de changements profonds qui auront un impact significatif sur les équipes de première ligne qui assurent la plupart des services au Québec. Le changement se manifestera sur deux fronts distincts. En premier lieu, le passage de services historiquement ancrés dans un modèle biomédical vers des services centrés sur le rétablissement. En second lieu, l’adoption de processus administratifs s’inscrivant dans une philosophie de gestion axée sur les résultats qui ont pour objectif de mesurer et d’assurer l’efficacité des services. L'objectif de cette étude est d’explorer le statu du développement des pratiques axées sur le rétablissement au niveau des travailleurs sociaux de première ligne dans le contexte administratif mentionné ci-haut. Le travail de recherche qualitatif et exploratoire est construit sur l’analyse de 11 interviews semi structurés avec des travailleurs sociaux et des gestionnaires dans des équipes de première ligne en santé mentale. Les entretiens m’ont non seulement permis d’identifier et d’examiner des actions concrètes s’inscrivant dans l’effort d’implantation du Plan d’action mais aussi de sonder et d’explorer la signification qui est donnée au rétablissement par les travailleurs sociaux de première ligne. Les résultats indiquent que certains facteurs relatifs à l'organisation du travail tels que la flexibilité, l'autonomie, la réflexivité et l’interdisciplinarité peuvent favoriser une pratique orientée vers le rétablissement. Aussi, les résultats démontrent que le modèle du rétablissement et la profession du travail social partagent des valeurs fondamentales mais que la signification et l'expression du rétablissement ont été profondément influencés par les modèles organisationnels et obligations administratives en vigueur. Il appert que les travailleurs sociaux sont confrontés, dans leur pratique, à des contraintes qui dépassent leur mandat professionnel et, à certains égards, leur savoir-faire. En somme, les résultats obtenus indiquent que le passage avec succès vers la pratique de services basés sur le rétablissement est compromis par les exigences d’un modèle de gestion axé sur les résultats.

Les répercussions du plan Marshall sur les comportements économiques du Canada durant la période de l'après-guerre

La période de l’après-guerre posa d’importants défis commerciaux à l’économie canadienne. Les années entre 1945 et 1950 furent effectivement marquées par la rupture de son système commercial traditionnel et la recherche d’une stratégie alternative. Le pays dut composer avec un déficit commercial croissant à l’égard des États-Unis, ainsi qu’une chute de ses exportations à destination du Royaume-Uni, ruiné par les années de guerre. Ce déséquilibre commercial qui menaçait d’épuiser les réserves canadiennes de dollars américains reflétait l’écart entre les capacités productives des deux rives de l’Atlantique. Le programme de reconstruction des économies européennes, ou plan Marshall, fut accueilli avec enthousiasme à Ottawa puisqu’il devait non seulement rétablir les marchés du Vieux Continent, mais également faciliter la mise en place d’un réseau multilatéral d’échanges et la libéralisation du commerce international. Les tensions de la guerre froide limitèrent toutefois l’ouverture de ces marchés aux marchandises canadiennes, puisque l’endiguement du communisme commanda une consolidation européenne qui privilégia le démantèlement des entraves aux échanges intra-européens, aux dépens du commerce transatlantique. Les préoccupations de Washington en matière de sécurité collective devaient néanmoins laisser place à une stratégie alternative pour le Canada, en poussant la coopération économique des deux pays, dans le but d’optimiser une production de défense destinée aux pays membres de l’OTAN, dont la demande était soutenue par l’aide Marshall. L’incorporation du Canada dans ce dispositif de défense élargie à la communauté atlantique permit ainsi d’assurer un accès privilégié à ses marchandises sur le marché américain, et par conséquent de progresser vers l’équilibre commercial.

Plan de Negocio Avanzalogistic

Avanzalogistic corresponde a una plataforma multilateral que hace parte de las nuevas tecnologías de información y servicios, por lo cual se considera como una nueva opción para la ciudad de Bogotá, enfocada en dar solución al transporte de mercancía para las pequeñas y medianas empresas de un sector de la ciudad. Teniendo como diferenciación, la asistencia y atención personalizada para este tipo de clientes, donde por medio de la configuración de carga en tiempo real y con la facilidad virtual, podrán recibir el mejor servicio, en el menor tiempo posible y con los mejores precios del mercado. Considerando las necesidades de confiabilidad, seguridad, rapidez y buena atención que exige nuestro segmento objetivo, Avanzalogistic propone un servicio con calidad integral, donde por medio del desempeño enfocado al cliente y el cubrimiento de las necesidades del mismo será potencialmente reconocido como una de las mejores opciones del mercado para las empresas que soliciten transportar su carga de manera rápida y segura, disminuyendo el tiempo de respuesta de 24 horas (tiempo actual de respuesta de la competencia) a instantáneamente (tiempo por Avanzalogistic). Teniendo en cuenta lo anterior, en el proyecto se decide realizar una inversión inicial de $ 135 627 200 pesos colombianos, alcanzando su punto de equilibrio a partir del mes seis del primer año y teniendo un periodo de recuperación representado a partir del segundo año. Avanzalogistic es un proyecto que presenta una rentabilidad del 68,51%, justificada por la baja inversión y los bajos costos de operación, teniendo como principal ventaja la tercerización de los vehículos, además de la gran oportunidad de tener un mercado potencial lo suficientemente amplio que evidencia un ingreso que justifica la utilidad en cada servicio prestado. Siendo así un proyecto no solo viable, sino también con posibilidad de crecimiento y atractivo para invertir.

The impact of grazing by eastern grey kangaroos (macropus giganteus) on vegetation recovery after fire at Reef Hills regional park, Victoria

In southeastern Australia ecological burning is frequently used to maintain a number of plant and animal populations. However, many of these prescribed fires are small, and may focus intense grazing activity on new regrowth. At Reef Hills Regional Park, Victoria shrub species have senesced, presumably due to the absence of fire. Ecological burning may be necessary to promote regeneration, however, the population density of the Eastern Grey Kangaroo (Macropus giganteus) is high (approx 38 per km2), and grazing pressure presents a significant risk to postfire vegetation recovery. An assessment of grazing patterns and their effects on postfire recovery was carried out at Reef Hills Regional Park through grazing exclusion plots. Preferential grazing by Eastern Grey Kangaroos occurred on small burnt plots compared to adjacent unburnt areas as determined by faecal pellet counts. On burnt areas, there was a significant reduction in shrub diversity on grazed plots compared to ungrazed plots. Most observations of kangaroos were of animals grazing on farmland surrounding the Park, and it is likely that any burning might shift grazing from farmland to burnt areas when new growth occurs. This needs to be considered before any ecological burn plan is applied to manage vegetation communities, particularly if the plan requires small areas to be burnt. We recommended that a large area up to 200 ha area be burnt and monitored to determine whether burning larger areas disperses grazing pressure from macropods to a level where impacts on vegetation are reduced and localized plant extinctions do not occur.

An effective and efficient testing methodology for correctness testing for file recovery tools

We hereby develop an effective and efficient testing methodology for correctness testing for file recovery tools across different file systems. We assume that the tool tester is familiar with the formats of common file types and has the ability to use the tools correctly. Our methodology first derives a testing plan to minimize the number of runs required to identify the differences in tools with respect to correctness. We also present a case study on correctness testing for file carving tools, which allows us to confirm that the number of necessary testing runs is bounded and our results are statistically sound.

Environmental solutions of recovery of Amazonian forest mining operations

In order for the projects of recovery of degraded areas to be successful, it is necessary to have a perfect recovery of the soil where the revegetation will be implanted as an initial action in the recovery of the whole process. The use of native forest species fully adapted to these types of terrain is another aspect of great importance, once the non-selection of these species, even if abundant in the surrounding areas, as it is in our case, implies great mortality of individuals during the planting and their low fixation during the process. The establishment of a monitoring program that contemplates the advancements obtained in the soil, the vegetation and the return of wild animals also collaborate in the evaluation of the success of the process. And, finally, the effective participation of the mining company, accepting and applying the techniques tested and indicated by research, even if, initially, the return time is longer than expected, also guarantees the success of the process. The mining company not only implemented a partnership with important universities in Brazil to obtain solutions for the environmental problems but also applied the developed techniques and the monitoring program. In the present work, we have attempted to summarize important aspects to evaluate the advancements in the rehabilitation plan for those areas, being here presented some results of the monitoring of areas under different levels of recovery, in accordance with the techniques adopted. Biological parameters of the soil were used to verify the efficiency of these different techniques in the recovery process. This work is part of the monitoring program of areas in rehabilitation by the mining company, implemented as of 1999 and in partnership with universities. The microbial activity was determined through the quantification of the carbon and nitrogen microbial biomass (BMC and BMN) and the activity of the dehydrogenase evaluated in the mining floor and tailing areas in different levels of soil preparation and planting of native species. The analysis of the parameters studied revealed that the preparation of the soil, following the three years proposed by the methodology, was important for the success in establishing the rehabilitation process. Some of the areas analyzed already show some parameters with values close or superior to those found in the capoeira (secondary forest), the latter being the non-treated area. © 2010 WIT Press.

Incidence of spinal compressive lesions in chondrodystrophic dogs with abnormal recovery after hemilaminectomy for treatment of thoracolumbar disc disease: a prospective magnetic resonance imaging study

OBJECTIVE: To investigate causes of the lack of clinical improvement after thoracolumbar disc surgery. STUDY DESIGN: Case-control magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) study. ANIMALS: Chondrodystrophic dogs with acute thoracolumbar disc disease treated by hemilaminectomy: 10 that had no short-term clinical improvement and 12 with "normal" clinical improvement. METHODS: Dogs that had surgery for treatment of intervertebral disc extrusion (2003-2008) where thoracolumbar disc disease was confirmed by MRI were evaluated to identify dogs that had lack of clinical improvement after surgery. Ten dogs with delayed recovery or clinical deterioration were reexamined with MRI and compared with 12 dogs with normal recovery and MRI reexamination after 6 weeks (control group). RESULTS: Of 173 dogs, 10 (5.8%) had clinical deterioration within 1-10 days after surgery. In 8 dogs, residual spinal cord compression was identified on MRI. Bleeding was present in 1 dog. In 3 dogs, the cause was an incorrect approach and insufficient disc material removal. In 3 dogs, recurrence occurred at the surgical site. In 1 dog, the centrally located extruded material was shifted to the contralateral side during surgery. These 8 dogs had repeat surgery and recovery was uneventful. In 2 dogs, deterioration could not be associated with a compressive disc lesion. Hemorrhagic myelomalacia was confirmed by pathologic examination in 1 dog. The other dog recovered after 6 months of conservative management. CONCLUSION: Delayed postsurgical recovery or deterioration is commonly associated with newly developed and/or remaining compressive disc lesion. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: We recommend early MRI reexamination to assess the postsurgical spinal canal and cord, and to plan further therapeutic measures in chondrodystrophic dogs with delayed recovery after decompressive hemilaminectomy for thoracolumbar disc disease.