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Motivated by spectral problems arising in gauge theory and gravity, we develop a rigorous proof of infinitely many bound states for a family of radial Laplacians that have Calogero characteristics at the origin and Coulombic ones at infinity. We first study the spectrum of the operator obtained by linearising the Yang-Mills-Higgs equations around a charge one monopole. We then study two Laplace operators on four-dimensional Riemannian manifolds, namely the Laplace operator on the Atiyah-Hitchin moduli space of centred charge two monopoles and the Laplace operator associated with the Taub-bolt family. We apply our theorem to each operator proving they have infinite discrete spectrums and numerically compute the eigenvalues. We compare results to appropriate analytic approximations for each case.

Healthcare Clinical Ethics Committees (CECs) are increasing in numbers. Critics argue that they undermine the moral development of the practitioner by not encouraging them to think deeply and for themselves about medical ethics. This could result in abrogation of responsibility for decisions to CECs. This thesis will argue that CECs can offer a useful service to clinicians in the UK by providing a safe environment for reflection. Within this space the CEC can support exploration of solutions to the issues by using a non directive structure to their questioning techniques. Central to this process is the need for the clinician to be present throughout the discussion. Within this reflective space, questioning by the CEC is structured to enable practical planning to occur, after dialogue about the situation or issue, acknowledging the impact of emotion, and moral and nonmoral influences influencing the case. This thesis proposes the use of solution focused techniques and casuistry within the CEC which form the basis of a model developed by the author entitled the ASCS (Ask, Seek, Clarify and Solution) model. Use of the model can provide a framework for structured dialogue which is simple, evaluable and brief. Use of the model within the UK CEC has the potential to increase the skills of the practitioner to tackle ethical issues in practice. Such skills once learnt can be utilised by the team to deal with ethical conflict in the workplace in the future.

Introduction: Weight management is an unrelenting issue affecting people of all ages. Addressing weight management is among the priority health concerns in the United States. Evidence suggests that some health providers are not recognizing or managing patients' weight management issues. The electronic medical record and automation may help providers recognize pediatric individuals with abnormal weight. Methods: A multi-site family medicine clinic instituted a pediatric Body Mass Index [BMI] alert in the electronic medical record. This alert triggered when abnormal weights were entered and allowed the providers to address the trigger. Eighteen providers from the Pacific Northwest accepted the invitation to participate in this evaluation study that used a mixed methods approach to explore the providers' attitudes towards the automation. Participants completed the HIT User Satisfaction Survey and two opened ended questions. Findings: The median time providers had been in practice was 16.7 years and the majority of providers were physicians. More than 82% indicated that adjusting to the new workflow was easy while one-third felt the process was difficult to learn. Three quarters of the sample felt no improvement in the accuracy of automatically charting obesity compare to manual charting. Yet, more than 90% were very accepting of the alert. By a factor of two-to-one, providers felt the new tool was helpful. Most providers themselves provided nutritional counseling when indicated with fewer using outside resources. Conclusions: An overwhelming majority of providers reported the alert as useful and that it should require provider acknowledgement prior to closing the patients chart. Assisting with provider recognition and diagnoses of overweight and obese pediatric patients is a small step toward improving obesity along with the overall health of patients. Electronic identification of abnormal weights should be further explored. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://www.proquest.com/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]

This study investigated the practice of professional development (PD) within the Vocational Education and Training (VET) arena. The major focus of this study was to investigate how PD provision for a selected group of VET educators in the tourism and hospitality sector has equipped them with both the technical competence of their discipline and teacher/training competence. This research has direct practical relevance to the educators working in the VET tourism and hospitality sector. Identifying PD strategies that are consistent and effective could facilitate the development of PD at a national level thus providing benefit to the VET sector as a whole. The study was conducted utilising the qualitative research technique narrative inquiry. The investigation focused on a case study context of educators currently working within a department of tourism and hospitality at a VET registered training organisation. Interviews were conducted with 10 front-line teaching educators and 4 management Heads of Department. Interviews were transcribed and portrait narratives were developed from the interview data. The portraits were analysed to answer the study’s five objectives: • To gain the perceptions held by a selected group of VET educators in the tourism and hospitality sector of the technical competence needed to conduct effective teaching/training programs • To gain the perceptions held by a selected group of VET educators in the tourism and hospitality sector of the professional teaching/training competencies required for effective practice • To construct a detailed taxonomy of teaching/training competencies in VET tourism and hospitality sector • To determine the appropriate qualification for VET educators in the tourism and hospitality sector • To propose specific recommendations for the improvement of PD practices for VET educators in the tourism and hospitality sector. Results of the study indicated that educators and management are required to consider specific issues when designing PD. A set of recommendations arising from the research findings have been developed that focus on enhancing the PD for tourism and hospitality educators particularly in the following areas: • Increased relevance of the PD to the educators’ work • Development of a culture that supports lifelong learning • More transparent PD funding and budgetary arrangements • Access to PD for ongoing and sessional staff • Increased emphasis on professional learning arising from PD.

The need for quality supervision in th» field of speech- language pathology has ling been recognized. "There is a lack of information regaiding use of simultaneous feedback as a supervisory approach in clinical training in speech-language pathology. The purpose of this study was to compare the generalization by student clinicians of supervisory training provided under two methods of supervisory feedback, simultaneous feedback and oral-written feedback. Two qualified, experienced clinical supervisors applied simultaneous supervisory feedback to two clinician-supervisor relationships and oral-written feedback to two other supervisor- clinician relationships. The clinicians were evaluated and trailed in the use of antecedent and subsequent stimuli and the adequacy and appropriateness of these stimuli during the individual therapy sessions. Each clinician conducted four one-hour sessions of group language intervention during which generalization of antecedent and subsequent stimuli and their adequacy and appropriateness were measured. No supervisory feedback was provided during the generalization sessions. The data were submitted to analysis of variance of treatment and time effects to determine if significant differences existed between behaviors of the clinicians trained using simultaneous feedback and those trained using oral-written feedback over the four generalization sessions. Although there were scattered findings of significant differences related to the main effects of treatment and time, when frequency of occurrence and proportion data were analyzed, no pattern of significant difference occurred between those behaviors of clinicians receiving simultaneous feedback and those receiving oral- written feedback. Further, there were scattered significant differences across the four sessions for the groups combined, but the differences did not consistently reveal improved performance. Therefore, it is concluded that under the conditions of the present study neither of the two modalities of supervision was revealed to be superior in promoting the generalization of improved clinician behavior.