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Flashcards in 3.3-3.4 quantitative genetics and complex disease Deck (11)
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1
What is a quantitative trait
Deals with phenotypes that vary continuously like height or weight
2
what are continuous characteristics?
Quantitative, characteristics vary along a scale of measurement with many overlapping phenotypes.
3
What are discontinuous characteristics
Qualitative, traits possess only a few phenotypes, red or white petals.
4
What are threshold characteristics?
one of two categories of quantitative characteristics. Display only 2 possible phenotypes, when threshold value is hit, the characteristic is expressed.
5
What is statistical validity?
if the results hold true.
6
Define standard deviation
the square root of the variance
7
Define Median
the number in the middle of other numbers
8
What is an appropriate sample of a population
a representative small collection of individuals from the population
9
What are confidence intervals. P value?
Statistical significance,
10
What is the origin of Sample bias? | https://blog.brainscape.com/flashcards/33-34-quantitative-genetics-and-complex-8448548/packs/13511940 |
Accurate clinical coding is fundamental the NHS payment by results system. Healthcare resource groups and subsequent payments are determined by codes that relate to procedure and diagnosis. But the importance of accuracy is wider than this.
According to the Audit Commission’s payment by results data assurance framework 2008-09, accurate clinical coding “underpins the planning and monitoring of healthcare provision, supports effective commissioning and is key to clinical audit and research”.
Good clinical coding can also support many measures of quality and efficiency, and if the health service is to improve in both these areas accuracy will be crucial.
The assurance framework says there are many ways in which to improve coding accuracy both at a local and national level.
Wider clinician involvement and engagement lies at the heart of many of these.
Issues such as improving the quality of source documentation, validating clinical codes and identifying and coding co-morbidities need wider clinician involvement.
The framework says that if trusts are to achieve this they must improve training and development programmes for clinical coding staff and develop more robust audit and assurance processes.
To code effectively records need to be clear and concise. Auditors identified problems relating to the quality of records at 80 per cent of trusts. This presents not only financial risks but more importantly raises concerns from a clinical and patient safety perspective.
trust coding arrangements, such as coder training, policies and procedures and internal audit.
To improve coding trusts can take a number of practical steps. These include implementing local action plans following audit reports; ensuring that findings from audit reports are reviewed through internal governance arrangements, presented to audit committees and integrated into assurance processes; and reviewing the quality of coding and wider data, using the payment by results national benchmarker, to help manage the impact of introducing the HRG4 currency for payment by results.
However, of central importance is clinicians’ involvement in the coding process. Trusts should work with their clinical staff to improve source documentation used for coding, ensuring clinicians validate coding and provide direction to identify relevant co-morbidities.
Trusts can also improve the overall quality of records by ensuring clinical governance processes address the standard of records, and consider applying the national standards for the structure and content of medical records to make documentation clearer and more consistent and clinical coding more efficient and accurate.
The Audit Commission recommends that all clinical coding staff regularly attend training and development programmes and that organisations introduce local audit and assurance programmes. And they should ensure that issues identified are reflected in coder development plans and addressed in policies and procedures.
North Tees and Hartlepool Foundation Trust has worked to improve record information and the quality of general surgery coding.
The trust is piloting a scheme in which a qualified clinical coding officer attends the daily ward round for emergency general surgery patients along with clinical staff.
During the ward round, the electronic discharge summaries of patients ready to be discharged are started at the patient’s bed. The coding officer is available to offer advice about the depth and type of information needed for the episode to be coded correctly.
Associate director of contracting and information Pam Gretton says the trust decided it needed to work with its doctors to get them “on board” to improve coding.
The pilot has been running since November 2008 and a recent review on one of the surgical wards involved in the pilot has shown the completeness and consistency of information included on the discharge summaries has improved.
The trust has also found the profile of clinical coding has also been improved within the surgical directorate and clinicians and clinical coders are working more closely together. | https://www.hsj.co.uk/best-practice/clinical-coding-with-confidence/5007549.article |
Longan is a perennial evergreen fruit tree. Once planted, the root system continuously and selectively absorbs certain nutrients from the soil in the root zone over a long period of time. This tends to cause deficiencies of certain nutrients. Therefore, constant supplementation of nutrients is needed in production.
Proper fertilization is one of the important measures to ensure the growth and development of longan trees and stable production. It is also a powerful measure to increase soil fertility and improve soil mass structure. Practice has proved that reasonable fertilization can make longan plants grow robustly, promote flower bud differentiation, reduce flower and fruit drop. And improve yield and fruit quality. At the same time, reduce the magnitude of small and large fruit, enhance the tree’s resistance to adverse conditions, and extend the number of years of fruit and life.
A、The principle of reasonable fertilization of longan
The so-called reasonable fertilization is to be based on different varieties of longan, different tree age period of the annual cycle of the nutritional characteristics of the tree. Soil fertility and fertilizer supply status. At the same time, apply the principle of mineral nutrition of fruit trees, choose the appropriate fertilizer and determine the appropriate amount of fertilizer. Master the appropriate fertilization period and use the correct fertilization method.
Three major principles should be followed for reasonable fertilization.
First, according to the different varieties, the age of the tree period, the demand for various nutrients characteristics of fertilization. For example, young longan trees need more nitrogen, while adult fruit-bearing trees should be prevented from applying nitrogen fertilizer, and increase the application of phosphorus and potassium fertilizer.
Second, the annual cycle should be based on the seasonal changes in the nutritional needs of longan trees in different phenological periods. Fertilizer should be applied at the right time and in the right amount.
Third, fertilization should be based on soil type, climate conditions, fertilizer form, soil management and the fertilizer absorption characteristics of the longan tree itself. Therefore, scientific fertilization should consider both the economic and reasonable amount of fertilization. At the same time, the most suitable fertilization period and the best fertilization method should be considered.
B、The fertilization of young longan trees
Fertilization of young longan trees is to meet the plant’s nutritional growth and rapid expansion of the crown, cultivating the crown fruit area for the purpose. Fertilization period mainly revolves around several times of tapping and root development period. Generally adopt a small number of times, thin fertilizer diligent application method, the application of good to promote the tip of the strong tip fertilizer.
1、Planting fertilizer
Just planted longan tree 1st new tips before maturity is generally not fertilized. To its ripe heart, you can start fertilizing. After that, every 2-3 months to apply 1 time. Depending on the period of root activity of young longan trees, about 4-6 times throughout the year. Initially, a thin fertilizer can be applied, using dilute human manure and urine is best. Use 30%-50% rotted human manure and urine to splash between the roots. Dilute urea solution can also be used, with 20-25g of urea per plant.
Later, as the plant grows, gradually increase the concentration and amount of fertilizer. The number of times you apply fertilizer can be reduced, grasp in each new tip just turned green, the next new root growth peak before the application. To ensure that the new roots have sufficient fertilizer can be absorbed, to lay the foundation for the next new growth.
2、Base fertilizer
The type of fertilizer to be applied should be adjusted with the growth of the plant and the needs of different material periods. Fertilizer to rotten human urine, urea, potassium chloride, calcium magnesium phosphate fertilizer and other rotating combined use. When the tree height 1.5-2.0m, crown width 2-2.5m, to apply less nitrogen fertilizer, and increase the application of phosphorus, potassium fertilizer. The ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is 1:2:3. The spring tip is the basis for the growth of the next tips. Spring tip sprouting before the application of 1 organic fertilizer as a base fertilizer, and appropriate to increase the amount of fertilizer.
3、Chase fertilizer
In the autumn before the sprouting of nitrogen fertilizer, nitrogen fertilizer to reduce the longan tree to improve the winter cold resistance. 2-3 year old young trees in September-October can be combined with the expansion of the hole to change the soil, additional organic fertilizer and green manure pressure green, and according to the soil conditions, the application of an appropriate amount of lime.
4、Foliar fertilizer
In addition, in each new shoot period when the leaves are not mature. Combined with pest control for several foliar fertilization, with a higher purity of imported urea and compound fertilizer. Properly add pure high potassium dihydrogen phosphate, spraying concentration of 0.2%-0.3%. Which is conducive to the rapid growth of young longan trees.
C、The adult longan tree fertilization
1、Fertilization at the right time
Adult longan tree fertilization is to improve yield and fruit quality, restore tree potential, reduce the magnitude of small and large fruit. And extend the fruiting period for the purpose. To be based on the age of the tree, tree potential, target yield, according to the nutrient requirements of the material period. Focus on the cultivation of excellent fruit-bearing mother branches and promote flower bud differentiation. Fertilize at the right time with the goal of preserving flowers and strong fruits.
Longan belongs to the year flower bud differentiation. The fruit tree of the same year flowering and fruit type, its fertilizer needs of the period related to the material period. Longan in February spring buds began to sprout, the inflorescence of the original base formation, after the inflorescence differentiation, flowering organ formation, followed by flowering, fruit growth and development. Long nurture fertilization period combined with the material Hou, the whole year mainly divided into three periods: pre-flowering fertilizer, young fruit fertilizer and fruit picking fertilizer.
2、Pre-flowering fertilizer
Longan pre-flowering fertilization is to promote the differentiation of flower buds, flower spike development. Improve the quality, reduce flowering, supplement the late flowering tree nutrient deficit. Increase the fruit and promote early summer tip, to provide the nutritional basis for strong fruit and promote the tip. This is the most critical period of fertilization for the whole year. The amount of fertilizer applied should account for more than 50% of the year. Nitrogen fertilizer is the main, phosphorus, potassium fertilizer with. The ratio of nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium is 1:0.16:0.54. Half of the organic fertilizer and half of the chemical fertilizer. At present, the more used compound fertilizer in the market comes from Nagric.
3、Young fruit fertilizer
Young fruit fertilizer can supplement the longan tree flowering when the nutrients consumed. At the same time also promote fruit expansion, to prevent fruit drop. It can also promote the growth of thick summer tips. To improve yields and reduce the phenomenon of small and large annual fruit has a good role. The amount of fertilizer applied during this period accounts for about 20% of the year, mainly phosphorus, potassium fertilizer, nitrogen fertilizer with. Fertilization time can be after the first physiological fruit drop after the flowers, in early and mid-June, when the young fruit soybean size. According to the longan tree potential and the amount of fruit, appropriate fertilization once. In the rapid growth period, fertilize once in mid-July. The amount of fertilizer is 1.5-2kg of compound fertilizer. 1.5-2kg of potassium chloride and 0.5kg of urea for every 50kg of longan fruit produced.
4、Fruit picking fertilizer
We generally divide the fruit picking fertilizer into two types: pre-harvest fertilizer and post-harvest fertilizer.
① Pre-harvest fertilizer
The purpose of fertilization is to promote late fruit growth and post-harvest tree recovery. Promote the last autumn tips can be on time in about mid-September, November in the middle and late maturity. This period is also very important to fertilize. This is because the autumn tips are the mother technology of the following year’s results. And the autumn tips are related to the next year’s yield. People generally focus on pre-harvest fertilizer according to the growth characteristics of longan. People generally apply it 10-15 days before fruit picking, the application amount accounts for 30% of the whole year, mainly fast-acting nitrogen fertilizer, with phosphorus and potassium fertilizer. According to the production of 50kg of fruit to apply urea 1kg, potassium chloride 0.5kg, magnesium sulfate 0.25kg.
② Post-harvest fertilizer
For the year hanging fruit amount, weak trees, old trees, there are difficulties in the post-harvest draw. We applied effective nitrogen again after harvest to promote the development of autumn tips. In autumn drought, this period of fertilization should focus on orchard irrigation in order to receive good results.
5、Outside the root chasing fertilizer
Outside the root fertilizer is a fast and efficient supplemental fertilizer measures in longan cultivation management. At the same time is also one of the essential aspects of the longan productive and stable yield. | https://agricolar.com/index.php/2021/09/23/fertilization-techniques-for-longan/ |
The police may not choose vehicles at random:The officers conducting the checkpoint musty have a pre-established neutral mathematical formula for which cars to stop. For example, officers may determine ahead of time that they will stop only every third car. This prevents potential discrimination by stopping individuals based on appearance.
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Checkpoints must be established to ensure safety of police and drivers:The roadblock must be highly visible to ensure time for stopping or slowing down to a safe speed. The roadblock must also be done in a way that minimizes the amount of time each driver is at a checkpoint.
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The stop may not last long enough to constitute an unreasonable seizure of the person without reasonable suspicion:When a driver is stopped, the initial interaction with police may last only long enough to ask a few questions and determine reasonable suspicion. Reasonable suspicion may include slurred speech, an odor of alcohol, glassy or bloodshot eyes. If the officer cannot cite reasonable suspicion within that brief initial meeting, the driver should be allowed to leave.
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Sobriety Checkpoints and DUI Roadblocks are only permitted if they are planned and a part of an on-going safe driving programAll sobriety checkpoints or DUI roadblocks must be a part of an on-going safe driving program and the block must have an established protocol- ideally this should consist of written procedures. You should discuss with your attorney whether the protocol was established and if so whether a judge or a representative from the district attorney's office participated in it.
Additional resources provided by the author
For more information, read up on the landmark case on the issue, Michigan v. Sitz. You can also get more information from your area's chapter of the ACLU. A local DUI, criminal defense, or civil rights attorney can help you get more situation-specific and state-specific information. | https://www.avvo.com/legal-guides/ugc/your-rights-at-a-sobriety-checkpoint-or-dui-roadblock |
Before we can protect a sea turtle nest, they have to find it.
Laying the Nest
A sea turtle’s life begins on the beach. Sea turtles nest, or lay eggs, throughout the summer. Nesting season usually lasts from May to September, reaching peak activity in late June and July. The female loggerhead comes ashore at night and drags her body far up the beach above the high tide line. Here she digs a hole about 18″ deep with her rear flippers and begins laying her eggs.
The nesting process is a complex and vulnerable time for a mother sea turtle. She carefully selects a nest site and may sometimes be frightened away by bright lights and beach activity. Predators such as foxes, raccoons, and ghost crabs abound on the beach and may devour her eggs even as they are deposited into the nest.
On average, 120 golf ball-sized, tough, leathery eggs are laid in the nest. The turtle covers her eggs completely with sand and returns to the sea.
Finding the Nest
Since most nesting occurs at night, scientists rely on using trails and tracks to identify where a nest has been laid and by what species. A track is an impression of a single flipper. Long lines of tracks showing an animal’s movement and behavior are called trails. Scientists measure the width of a sea turtle’s track, called the straddle, as well as note the crawl pattern of each species to tell what kind of turtle laid a nest.
Sometimes scientists get lucky and are out watching at night when the turtles come up to nest. Then they get video like this one. It’s red because they are using red light so they can see but they do not to disturb the turtle.
Video courtesy Bald Head Island Conservancy.
Threats from Humans
Unfortunately, sea turtles are threatened by people and their activities in coastal areas. What were once long stretches of open beach where turtles could nest are now developed areas. Bright lights discourage females from coming ashore at night, and confuse young turtles after they leave the nest. Debris and other ocean pollution also create life-threatening problems for these ancient reptiles. Sea turtles have always fascinated people, yet we still have much to learn about them. As we learn more, we can find better ways to help protect them.
If you see a sea turtle nesting or hatching:
- Enjoy this event from a distance. Many turtles scare easily and may stop the nesting process and return to the sea, which will stop the development of the eggs.
- Take note of the location and report it to the local police department. They will contact the area’s sea turtle coordinator.
- Please do not take flash photos of her! Scientists use infrared cameras to get photos so they do not disrupt her night vision.
- Do not put your hands on or near the turtle. Any distractions may frighten and disorient her, causing her to return to the ocean before completely covering and camouflaging her nest.
- Also please refrain from giving out the location of a nesting turtle to anyone other than the authorities.
- If you see a nest hatching, leave them alone. You can report it to the local police department. They will contact the area’s sea turtle coordinator to assist in the hatching. | https://seaturtleexploration.com/explore-and-learn/sea-turtle-web-lessons/nest-observation/ |
(I submitted this op-ed to the Austin American-Statesman, but – in their wisdom – they decided not to print it. So I am simply posting it here.):
When I first heard that a group of professors who say they speak for 800 Texas scientists “is challenging the idea that discussion of the weaknesses of evolutionary theory belongs in science classrooms” (Austin Statesman-American, October 1, 2008), I sighed.
Darwin, Texas educators need you and your “bulldog” Thomas Huxley to come back and talk some sense into them.
Huxley once wrote that “irrationally held truths may be more harmful than reasoned errors.” A hallmark of an “irrationally held truth” is that mundane discussion of its strengths and weaknesses is forbidden.
Any theory whose strengths and weaknesses cannot be discussed is not a theory in science. It is a creed. If you want to be received into a sect, you cannot doubt the sect’s interpretation of obscure doctrines in Scripture. But you should be surprised and concerned if, when you want to learn about evolution, you are not allowed to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the prevailing evolution theory.
In fact, you should ask, what exactly is going on in science education?
First, as philosopher of science Thomas Kuhn pointed out, all theories are “underdetermined” by evidence. By that, he meant that, at any given time there is usually some evidence or circumstance that does not fit the theory. Progress in science often depends on studying these exceptions with an open mind.
For example, Lord Kelvin remarked in 1900 that there were just “two little dark clouds” floating around Newton’s classical “law of gravity” physics. They were Michelson and Morley’s measurements of the velocity of light and the puzzling phenomenon of blackbody radiation. Kelvin was quite sure that these troublesome little clouds would shortly be blown away. Yet modern physics advances—relativity and quantum mechanics—derive from these two little dark clouds, not from the theory to which they were an annoying exception.
Similarly, at a number of points, Darwinian evolution (the prevailing theory) does not accurately interpret the history of life. Here is one example: Almost all the major divisions of life forms came into existence about half a billion years ago during the Cambrian explosion. Some have gone extinct, but few or none have been added. Darwin knew this was a problem, and he blamed the incomplete fossil record. We now have a much more complete fossil record … and it is still a problem.
Today, we also face another conundrum. Living cells are full of intricate machinery that is essential for life processes, yet life on Earth apparently began almost immediately (in geological terms) after the planet cooled. A recent discovery in Canada’s northlands may even have pushed the beginning back another 250 million years. Overall, life is not a story best interpreted by a long slow process of Darwinian survival of the fittest.
Evolution theory is politically sensitive – for a good reason. It has often been used as a creation story of materialist atheism. Of course it need not be used that way in the classroom. But the best way to demonstrate that we do not intend to use it that way is to permit discussion of its strengths and weaknesses. Otherwise, people are quite justified in assuming that it will be presented as the creation story of a creed in which students are invited to put their faith.
In the recent Expelled film, Richard Dawkins (“Darwin’s Rottweiler”) told Ben Stein that he was prepared to consider that life was brought to Earth by intelligent aliens. Many people are not at all prepared to consider that. But if Dawkins and Stein think that such an idea is worth discussing, then surely the strengths and weaknesses of Darwin’s theory should be as well.
In general, the cleverer students always know what is going on. They read the papers, they overhear discussions, they go to blogs. Silenced or blinkered teachers simply lose their respect. The consequences erupt later …
We have learned a great deal about the history of life in the last few decades, and much of it has not been kind to Darwin’s theory. This is a time for exploration, not dogma. Teach strengths and weaknesses.
Denyse O’Leary is a Toronto-based Canadian journalist and author.
(Note: If you live in or near Texas, why not send this to friends who are interested in the intelligent design controversy? Why assume you must wait for the tree chain saw massacre people to tell you “THE TRUTH.” Here, we just offer you our best guess, but it is free, and no trees die.)
Also, at The Post-Darwinist, my home blog:
Intellectual freedom in Canada: Leftists are more successful against civil dissent than Islamists are, and that’s no accident
Canada moving to regulate new media
Intelligent design and popular culture: What questions about evolution can students safely ask? | https://uncommondescent.com/intelligent-design/darwin-check-your-mail-texas-needs-you/ |
Welcome to Year 4!
Welcome to Year 4, where we work hard to achieve all our goals and aim to make learning fun!
We use Class Dojo, (please see the link below if you have not already signed up) where our learning is shared with parents and you can message teachers directly. If you have any problems or concerns about your child, you can let us know via Dojo — we are always happy to help.
Mr Whincop is the class teacher. Mrs. Whiffin, our teaching assistant, teaches Art, music, R.E. and RSHE on Thursday afternoons. In addition, Mrs Weller supports in class as an Individual Needs Assistant. Mr. Powe takes the class on alternate Tuesday mornings and afternoons.
P.E takes place on Wednesday afternoons and your child should come to school already dressed in the correct kit. .
Homework
Homework is given out on Fridays and should be returned by the following Wednesday. This may include:
- A maths activity, usually on Freckle, related to learning done that week
- A spelling/word study activity, also linked to work done in class
- A topic activity linked to work done in geography, history or science
- A test or activity on SPAG.com
Holiday homework may sometimes be set, linked to recent or upcoming topics.
Times tables and the Times Tables test
An online multiplication tables check (MTC) will take place in the summer. This is statutory for all Year 4 children.
The purpose of the MTC is to determine whether pupils can recall their times tables fluently, which is essential for future success in mathematics. It will help identify pupils who have not yet mastered their times tables, so that additional support can be provided.
To help prepare for this, the children have daily practice in class as well as weekly support from a volunteer, who provides individualised programmes which include homework activities.
You can also help your child at home by practising their tables aloud with them, and encouraging them to use Time Tables Rock Stars. The Soundcheck activity most closely replicates the MTC and is highly recommended.
You can find more information about the MTC here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/multiplication-tables-check-information-for-parents
In addition, you can support your child with spelling skills and other homework. Please let the class teacher know if you have problems logging into Freckle, Times Tables Rock Stars or Spag.com.
Keep reading!
Please encourage your child to read every day, either independently or with an adult. Fluent readers may prefer to read alone, although they should be encouraged to read out loud sometimes as it is a good way for parents or carers to be involved in their child’s reading. In Year 4, children may start to take responsibility for recording the book and pages they have read at home in their reading record, although it is advisable that an adult oversees this and signs it.
We encourage reading for different purposes to expose children to a wider vocabulary and to promote enjoyment in reading. Your child might read a class or school library book, an audiobook, newspaper, magazine, comic, recipe, instruction manual, poem, play script, etc. — the most important thing is reading for pleasure!
As in previous years, we are using Accelerated Reader in class, which sets an individualised reading range and allows children to quiz on books once they have finished. This can include books read at home if they are included in the Accelerated Reader library..
Topics and Trips
Here is a list of our termly topics:
Term 1 – Warriors, Traders and Raiders (Includes a trip to Battle Abbey)
Term 2 – Warriors Traders and Raiders (2-3 weeks) + Let there be Light (3-4 weeks)
Term 3 – African adventure
Term 4 – The Sunshine State
Term 5 – The Rhythm of the Rain
Term 6 – Precious Planet (includes a trip to Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest)
Parents will receive a topic web along with a covering letter outlining the learning for each term. In addition to the trips specified, a whole school trip, funded by the PTA, usually takes place in term 3. In other terms, other ‘Wow’ activities take place, which may include workshops for parents and children together and/or outside visitors.
Useful websites
If you have not yet signed up for Class Dojo, you can do so using the following link:
https://www.classdojo.com/invite/?c=C2NBR5P
You can find all the maths for the year here:
https://whiterosemaths.com/resources?year=year-4-new
Your child should have logins for the following: | https://westfield.e-sussex.sch.uk/classes/year-4/ |
A project’s resource management must match its in-bound work demand with its available resource supply at the project portfolio level in order to be effective and efficient. PMOs can streamline execution, maximize resource utilization, and increase project profitability by using the right resource management tool.
Table of contents
What Is Resource Management System?
A business’s resource management process is the process by which it manages its various resources effectively. Planning is involved in this process so that the right resources are allocated. Scheduling and budgets are necessary for people, projects, equipment, and supplies to manage resources.
What Is Effective Management Of Resources?
Planning, scheduling, and allocating resources are all part of resource management. Resources are anything that is needed to accomplish a task or project – they may be the skills of employees or the adoption of software.
How Is Effective Resource Management Applied?
Work requests should be managed and prioritized, and stakeholders should be expected to meet their responsibilities. Find out how much resource is available. Make sure the right resources are available for the right work at the right time. Know what roles and/or skills to hire to meet stakeholder demands.
Why Effective Resource Management Is Important?
In resource management, resource managers are able to see into people and other resources on a real-time basis, so they are more in control of their delivery. Resource management can help your organization reduce costs, increase efficiency, and boost productivity if it is properly executed.
What Are The Effective Resource Management Strategies?
What Are Resource Management Systems?
Software used for managing human capital and scheduling in an organization is known as resource planning software or resource management software. You can check resource availability on a daily, weekly, monthly, and even quarterly basis with the zoom-in and zoom-out functionality of resource management software.
What Are The Types Of Resource Management?
What Are The 4 Resources Management Uses?
The goal of resource management is to maximize the best combination of resources to meet requirements while also realizing these same resources are likely to be in demand elsewhere in the organization. Planview’s Resource Management Solution consists of finances, staff, physical space, equipment, technology, and time.
What Are The 5 Resources Of Management?
The five M’s have been used by every business since man won the industrial revolution: man, materials, machines, minutes, and money. It is simply a matter of embarking on a journey to Erehwon to create any venture without any of these M’s.
What Are The Five Steps To Good Resource Management?
What Are The 4 Management Resources?
Organizations often use the following resources: (1) human resources, (2) financial resources, (3) physical resources, and (4) information resources. The manager is responsible for acquiring and managing resources to achieve his or her goals.
Why Is It Important To Manage Resources Effectively?
The ability to effectively manage resources helps companies to deliver projects and services on time more consistently. This is because better resource management can help companies better understand resource availability and improve timeline projections.
What Are The Effective Use Of Resources?
The proper utilization of resources is essential for maintaining productivity, since it prevents staff from underperforming or being overburdened by workloads and burning out of resources. Managing projects with better visibility reduces the risk of oversights and allows for better project management. A higher return on investment is achieved by maximizing the utilization of resources.
What Is The Purpose Of Resource Management?
A resource management strategy involves planning, scheduling, and allocating resources in the most efficient manner possible. The ultimate goal of this tool is to maximize the efficiency of your resources.
What Is Project Resource Management And Why Is It So Important?
Project management involves planning, organizing, managing, and measuring the work of people. Resource management is an essential part of the process. The purpose of this process is to plan, allocate, and schedule resources in a way that is as efficient as possible for the company. A resource’s utilization is maximized when it is used in this way.
Why Is It Important To Have Resources?
Any country’s development depends on its resources. The energy we need to generate is fossil fuel, and the mineral resources we need to develop our industry are mineral resources. Due to the increasing population, natural resources are becoming scarce, so it is essential to conserve them. | https://www.kyinbridges.com/what-is-an-effective-resource-management-system/ |
1.
Alkaline Trio - Crimson
May 23, 2005
Score
80
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2.
Dropkick Murphys - The Warrior's Code
June 21, 2005
Score
70
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3.
The Offspring - Greatest Hits
June 20, 2005
Score
70
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4.
Motion City Soundtrack - Commit This to Memory
June 7, 2005
Score
50
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NOTE:
This is not a year end list. This list is ordered by the ratings awarded albums throughout 2005.
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91
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79
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69
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75
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77
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73
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73
Fat White Family
Serfs Up! | https://www.albumoftheyear.org/genre/28-punk/2005/popmatters/ |
Telecommuting How to Select Interesting Essay Topics Choosing an essay topic is very important, and you can write the right things about boring facts and events. You may also choose the wrong angle to look at the chosen historical event. This hypothetical example vividly demonstrates how important an essay topic is. Even if you are given a precise topic, you still have some freedom since the same problem can be analyzed in a variety of different ways.
This page provides an in-depth overview of MLA format. It includes information related to MLA citations, plagiarism, proper formatting for in-text and regular citations, and examples of citations for many different types of sources.
How to Be a Responsible Researcher or Scholar: Putting together a research project involves searching for information, disseminating and analyzing information, collecting information, and repurposing information. Being a responsible researcher requires keeping track of the sources that were used to help develop your research project, sharing the information you borrowed in an ethical way, and giving credit to the authors of the sources you used.
Doing all of these things prevents plagiarism. There are many examples of plagiarism. Changing or modifying quotes, text, or any work of another individual is also plagiarism. Believe it or not, you can even plagiarize yourself!
Re-using a project or paper from another class or time and saying that it is new is plagiarism. One way to prevent plagiarism is to add citations in your project where appropriate.
What is a Citation? A citation shows the reader or viewer of your project where you found your information. Citations are included in the body of a project when you add a quote into your project.
These citations that are found in the body of a research paper are called in-text, or parenthetical citations. These citations are found directly after the information that was borrowed and are very brief in order to avoid becoming distracted while reading a project.
Included in these brief citations is usually just the last name of the author and a page number or the year published.
Scroll down below for an in-depth explanation and examples of in-text and parenthetical citations. In-text and parenthetical citations provide us with a brief idea as to where you found your information, it doesn't include the title and other components. Look on the last page or part of a research project, where complete citations can be found in their entirety.
Complete citations are found on what is called an MLA Works Cited page, which is sometimes called a bibliography.
All sources that were used to develop your research project are found on the Works Cited page. Complete citations are created for any quotes or paraphrased information used in the text, but also any sources that helped you develop your research project. Looking to create your citations in just a few clicks?
Click here to see more across the site. Also, check out this article to see MLA citation in the news. Why Does it Matter?
Citing your sources is an extremely important component of your research project. It also shows that you were able to locate appropriate and reputable sources that helped back up your thesis or claim.
In addition, if your work ends up being posted online or in print, there is a chance that others will use your research project in their own work!Affordable Papers is an online writing service which has helped students from the UK, US, and Europe for more than 10 years.
Our great experience enables us to provide papers of the best quality. The main secrets of our good reputation are trustful relationships with customers and talented academic writers who always create first-chop papers from scratch. Use this reader's response activity to analyze the characters in any book.
Print and collect your scrapbook pages. Writing the film analysis essay. Writing film analysis is similar to writing literary analysis or any argumentative essay in other disciplines: Consider the assignment and prompts, formulate a thesis (see the Brainstorming Handout and Thesis Statement Handout for help crafting a nuanced argument), compile evidence to prove your thesis, .
Essay on How to Analyze a Movie. Analysis of a movie is important for distinctive reasons. Analysis can be done to enjoy the movie for entertainment purposes. Writing a film analysis essay is an assignment that is less likely to terrorize those who fear the idea of writing an essay, because it allows them to write about something most people enjoy.
Film analysis is not the same thing as writing a movie review, which involves passively watching a movie. An. The Common Application had modest beginnings in the s when a few colleges and universities decided to make the application process easier for applicants by allowing them to create one application, photocopy it, and then mail it to multiple schools. | https://qetexubocim.r-bridal.com/analyze-film-essay-16225xv.html |
With most priorities and projects in the 2017 transportation package moving forward, the transportation focus for the 2023 legislative session will be on funding the replacement of the Interstate 5 bridge. The bridge is in critical need of replacement. More than $70 million in freight crosses the bridge every day amid congestion that persists for seven to 10 hours. Both bridge spans are aging and extremely vulnerable to seismic events. The bridge must allow people to move more efficiently and safely through additional multimodal transportation options for transit riders, cyclists and pedestrians while also offering expanded vehicle capacity to move people and freight. The cost of the project is expected to exceed $5 billion, and some sources of funding have yet to be determined. The availability of federal funds – and the viability of the project – hinge on Oregon’s identification of funding sources for its $1 billion share. The state also needs to address many issues related to tolling.
Policy Principles
Infrastructure
Infrastructure Improvements: OBI supports expanded and enhanced multimodal transportation infrastructure to improve both people and freight mobility to support statewide economic growth.
Interstate Bridge: OBI supports the collaboration with the state of Washington to replace the Interstate 5 bridge and will advocate for funding mechanisms that do not unfairly burden Oregon businesses.
HB 2017 Projects: OBI supports the completion of HB 2017 transportation package projects.
Alternative Fuel: OBI supports alternative vehicle infrastructure investment and incentive programs that support existing and new vehicle technologies.
Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act: OBI supports funding and implementation of infrastructure projects that are a high priority for businesses such as the Interstate 5 bridge replacement project.
Transportation Revenue
Tolling: OBI supports tolling that achieves dual goals of managing congestion and raising revenue in amounts that help fund strategic infrastructure projects while balancing revenue needs among transportation system users.
Public Transit: OBI supports revenue sources that fund critical public services that will not place a disproportionate burden on state or regional employers and employees. OBI opposes the creation of new funding mechanisms to subsidize public transit programs throughout the state unless funding is broad-based and tied to the benefits derived by those paying fees or taxes.
Highway Funds: OBI supports long-term, sustainable funding streams for the state’s roads, bridges, and resiliency needs. Funding could include equitably increasing the fuels tax and vehicle fees, alternative options, and tolling, among others.
COMMITTEE CHAIRS: | https://oregonbusinessindustry.com/tax-fiscal-policy-2/ |
The CV is a critical element of the job search.
-
Objective
It should be a complete summary of your educational and professional experience as it relates to the types of positions for which you will be applying. —Keep in mind, however, that every discipline has specific CV format requirements.To find out the appropriate format within your field of study, consult with several faculty members in your academic department.
Before you begin writing your CV , think about what you want to communicate about yourself to potential employers.
Consider your educational background, your interests and skills, and your aspirations.This will assist you in not only identifying organizations and positions of interest, but also in tailoring your CV to specific job leads.
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Guidelines For Organizing Your CV
All information on your CV should be relevant to the type(s) of positions to which you will be applying. Depending on your background and experience, several pages may be necessary depict your credentials accurately and completely.
Generally speaking, CV's are typically 2 pages, 3 pages at most.
However, some disciplines may require a more detailed CV , which may range from 4-12 pages.
One thought to keep in mind...Quality Before Quantity!
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Basic Sections to a CV
IdentificationIncludes your name, address and phone number.
Some individuals elect to include their e-mail address, office address and phone number as well.If you include this, be sure to clearly identify them as such.
- Personal information, such as age, gender, race and religious affiliation should not be included on your CV
- Not only is it inappropriate, but, in most cases it is illegal for employers to ask you about this information.
However, as part of the application process, you may receive a form from the INSIGHT Into Diversity to be completed, confidentially, and it will not be included in your application materials.
Education
Includes degrees completed as well as those in progress.Be sure to include the name and location of the institution, major field of study, anticipated graduation date, and dissertation title and an abstract -- in reverse chronological order.You may also include academic honors, awards and scholarships in this section.
Professional Experience
You want to list any experience (paid or unpaid) that relates to the positions to which you will are applying.For example, if you're applying for a position that is primarily research focused, you would begin by listing research experience and/or interests.Perhaps you would then list any publications and/or presentations.This may be work you've completed as a professional in the field or as a graduate assistant or fellow.The key question to ask yourself is...Is it relevant? The degree of relevancy will determine where it is located within your CV
The most important, most relevant information should be positioned towards the beginning of the document.On the other hand, if you're applying for a position that is primarily teaching focused, you would begin by listing teaching experience.
Again, this may be work you've completed as a professional and/or work you've completed as a graduate assistant or teaching fellow.
Other information to include may be memberships/affiliations, volunteer experience, special/additional training, languages, and perhaps a statement regarding your dossier. | https://success.catholic.edu/career-support/resumes/curriculum-vitae/index.html |
Reading comprehension is the ability to fully understand what you read in many forms of a text. This is influenced by the readers’ skills and how they process information. Reading comprehension is important to everyone; reading comprehension focuses on comprehending and understanding instead of merely reading a text. Students cannot nowadays understand what they are reading and tend to be clueless about what they read. The researchers conducted this study to know the effectiveness of reading comprehension of Grade 1 students. Quantitative-descriptive research was used. The researchers also used purposive sampling to gather the selected 50 Grade 12 General Academic Strand students. With an overall weighted mean of 3.90 for male respondents and 3.99 for female respondents, both strongly agreed that vocabulary, increasing the level of understanding, and the development of critical thinking is effective in reading comprehension in the academic achievement of the students. Based on the findings of the study and the conclusion drawn, the following recommendations were forwarded. Teachers should introduce the seven cognitive strategies of effective readers and encourage students to become active participants and proficient readers by incorporating instructional activities and strategies. A teacher should also stress the importance of self-questioning to be aware; believe in the importance of self-questioning strategy to enhance reading comprehension achievement; continually practice generating high-order questions before, during, and after the reading process; activate the students’ skills in regulating, monitoring, and evaluating their cognitive in comprehending the reading text more critically. Applying reading strategies in a group discussion during reading class was also recommended to make students get used to applying the strategies. Ensure that students have the proper background knowledge to make sense of the text, widen their vocabulary so that they have an advantage in everything when it comes to academics, help them understand everything that they are studying not merely reading it without analyzing and evaluating because they will not understand it well. | https://ojs.aaresearchindex.com/index.php/aasgbcpjmra/article/view/1666 |
Is a D driving?
‘ The conventional is a C or even better, even though the ‘D’ is formally a passing quality. Technically, a ‘D’ is passing, yet it’s a sort of a new we-don’t-really-mean-it pass. The grudging pass, or possibly a mercy pass. Or, it can be an “ I don’t typically fail students, nevertheless you’re testing the faith” pass.
Is 60 some sort of passing grade?
Numerical and notice grades In main and secondary schools, a D is generally the lowest passing level. However, there are some classes that consider a Chemical the lowest passing grade, so the general regular is that anything beneath a 60 or perhaps 70 is failing, depending on the grading level.
What quality is a 70%?
|Percent||Letter Quality|
|77 — 79||C+|
|73 – 76||C|
|70 – seventy two||C-|
|67 : 69||D+|
Is 63 a good passing grade?
This policy lines up with the comprehensive exam, which also needs a B- (80%) or maybe better to pass. APUS Grading System (Chart)
|Grade||Quality Points/ Grading Percent||Description|
|D-||. 67/ 63 instructions 60||Undergrad: Unsatisfactory | Master’s: Failing|
|F||0. 0/ fifty nine – 0||Undergrad: Faltering | Master’s: Faltering|
Will be 69% a moving grade?
A new – is the greatest grade you can receive with an assignment, and it’s among 90% and totally D – this really is still a transferring grade, and it’s in between 59% and 69% F – it is a failing grade. No, wait, don’t be sad!
Is a seventy passing in senior high school?
In main and secondary schools, a D is normally the lowest passing class. However, there are some colleges that consider a D the lowest passing grade, so the general regular is that anything under a 60 as well as 70 is failing, depending on the grading size.
Is seventy eight a good grade?
In the US, a good 81. 2% will be slightly above average. Exactly how “ good of the grade” that is relies upon your potential. In case you are normally an “ average” student plus you’ve earned a great 81%- good for you! If you are normally an “ excellent” student, the 82% doesn’t appear so great.
Exactly what 68 out of one hundred grade?
Level Conversion Chart
|100||A+||4|
|seventy||C-||one 5|
|69||D+||1 ) 5|
|sixty-eight||D+||one 5|
|67||D+||one|
What exactly is 68 100 like a percentage?
68%
What is a 100 % grade?
Street incline grades get in percentage, that is the rise more than run percentage. This is actually the same thing as the tangent, expressed as a portion. So 100% rank means tan by = 1, exactly where x is the position in degrees. Instance: 10% grade: arctan (0. 10) sama dengan 5. 7 levels.
What is a ninety five grade?
Thus, an A is a 95, halfway between ninety and 100. A good A- is a 91. 25, halfway involving 90 and ninety two. 5. Etc . Marks between these are uses. For example, a A/A- is numerically (95+91. 25)/2=93. 125, which is an A somewhat lower than 95/A.
Is a 2 . seven GPA good?
Is a 2 . seven GPA good? This particular GPA means that you have earned an average standard of a B- throughout all of your classes. Given that a 2 . several GPA is lower compared to national average of three. 0 for high school graduation students, it will curb your options for college. There is a low chance of stepping into with a 2 . 8 GPA.
Exactly what GPA is 77%?
How to Transform Your GPA to some 4. 0 Level
|Letter Class||% Grade||4. 0 Level|
|B+||87-89||3. a few|
|B||83-86||3. zero|
|B-||80-82||2 . 6|
|C+||77-79||2 . a few|
Is usually 70 an A or even B?
Tanzania
|Percentage||Grade||Description|
|80-100%||A||Excellent|
|70-79%||W||Excellent|
|60-69%||C||Good|
|50-59%||D||Average|
Is an 80 a great grade?
Some sort of – is the maximum grade you can receive by using an assignment, and it’s concerning 90% and completely B – is a pretty good grade! It is really an above-average score, amongst 80% and 89% D – this is certainly still a moving grade, and it’s somewhere between 59% and 69%
What is a second . 0 GPA?
A 2 . zero GPA means that there is a solid C typical across all of your courses. This GPA is basically the unofficial cut-off point for exactly how low your GRADE POINT AVERAGE can be in order to get in to college. With a 2 . not 0 GPA, you will find only a couple schools in the united states where you’ll have a higher chance of being approved.
What GRADE POINT AVERAGE is a 75?
Grading and Rank Point Averages (GPA)
|Grades||Grade Factors||Statistical Scale of Marks|
|A||4. zero||eighty-five – 100%|
|A-||3. 7||80 – 84%|
|B+||three or more. 3||75 – 79%|
|B||3. zero||80 – 74%|
Is a ninety a bad grade?
A – may be the highest grade you potentially can attain on an assignment, and it is between 90% in addition to 100% B — is still a pretty good level! This is an above-average score, between 80% and even 89% F rapid this is a failing score.
Is a seventy four ac or Chemical?
Mongolia
|Percentage||Grades||GPA|
|78– 80||C+||2 . 0|
|74– 77||C||1 . five|
|71– 73||C−||1 ) 7|
|68– 70||D+||1 . 3|
Is a GRADE POINT AVERAGE of 3. 7 great?
A several. 7 GPA is an extremely good GPA, particularly if your school utilizes an unweighted range. This means that you’ve already been earning mostly A-s in all of your lessons. If you’ve been consuming high level classes together with earning a few. 7 unweighted GPA, you’re in great shape and may expect to be approved to many selective schools.
Is a GRADE POINT AVERAGE of 5. zero good?
For the most part high schools, which means that the highest GPA you may get is a 5. zero. A 4. five GPA indicates that you have been in very good form for college. If you’re most likely in higher level classes earning Because and high Bull crap. You can apply to universities and have a good chance at getting accepted.
Is 84 a good grade?
Most high universities (and colleges) record grades on a four. 0 scale. The very best grade, an A, equals a some. 0. GPA Size.
|Letter Standard||Score Points||Numerical Grade|
|A-||3. 7||90– 93|
|B+||3. three or more||87– 89|
|M||3 or more. 0||84– 86|
|B-||2 . 7||80– 83|
Just what 58 grade?
58% as a quality. 58% = Farrenheit. | https://michaelesalahi.com/what-is-a-69-percent-grade/ |
• Directly responsible for the operational clinical activities and patient care delivery systems and the daily operation of the laboratory services.
• Establish and plan the strategic goals and objectives, direct operating activities include staffing, and assure operational effectiveness for the Clinical Laboratory.
• Hire and lead motivation, retention, and professional development for the associated team to drive key business initiatives and departmental goals effectively.
• Responsible for direction and coordination clinical laboratory personnel, ensuring adequate staffing across all functional areas of Main campus as well as HAL Labs.
• Promote practices and processes that contribute to success, directing the management impede the barriers effectively to achieve the targeted results.
• Communicate expectations to direct reports, delegating authority as appropriate and strive for excellence in patient care.
• Foster a culture of collaboration and teamwork, with dedication to patient care and quality outcomes.
• Manage the talent pipeline to execute the laboratory operations plan and create effective and successful leadership.
• Serve as a primary liaison to interface the laboratory and other departments within the division and organization. Develop, monitors and revises functional processes to increase efficiency and quality.
Quality Management, Regulatory Compliance and Safety
• Assure laboratory areas is in compliance with institution, federal, state and accreditation agencies (CAP, AABB, JCAHO, FDA, etc.) focusing on capacity utilization and promoting a culture of continuous improvement and safety.
• Drive ongoing quality and process improvement throughout the Clinical Lab team through timely initiation, review and approval of quality event reports, global change control, corrective actions, and preventative actions (CAPA).
• Work with the Department of Quality and Regulation to identify and implement process improvement initiatives within the department/division/institution.
• Manage system tasks within the assigned timeframes; collaborate closely with Quality Assurance to assist the new processes and procedures operationalization based on regulatory, company, or client requirements.
• Ensure laboratories are in compliance with established processes, protocols, procedures for clinical trials and non-standard of care protocols.
Fiscal/Budget Management
• Manage the financial performance of a laboratory, including budgeting and planning for all clinical lab operations.
• Identify and implement appropriate strategies for reducing costs and improving quality of services.
• Oversee the development of operational budgets; monitor relevant key financial indicators and performance metrics in which relate to changing financial situations.
• Respond to financial variances by developing, recommending and implementing corrective actions or processing improvements.
• Oversee and ensure adherence to the budget including E&G/M&O expenses and revenues, margin target and grant management activities.
• In conjunction with the Executive Director of PLM, lead the development of long-range projections to meet margin, revenue and volume targets, conduct appropriate analysis, recommend and implement adjustments when necessary.
• Direct and oversee pricing structure, technical and professional charge masters, and patient charge.
• Ensure all technical charges are captured for laboratory services; and ensure Division CPT coding and billing practices are in compliance with Medicare/Medicaid rules and guidelines.
• Obtain optimal vendor contracts for lab supplies and equipment. Manage/optimize contracts to meet the quality, service and financial goals of the Division and MDACC.
Strategic Planning
• Identify the need for policy development and/or revision; define policies in collaboration with higher level management input, goals and objectives; facilitate strategic planning and development activities for the Department aligning with institutional and divisional goals.
• Operationalize and provide strategic initiatives for space management activities, instrumentation identification, instrument selection and implementation to offer services for mixed patient population and treatment options for main campus and HAL’s.
• Develop and ensure short and long-term strategic plans for Laboratory services across MDACC locations are fully implemented.
• Collaborate with laboratory Medical Directors, Department Chairs, Nursing Department and other laboratory leaders at each of the hospitals and other locations, to develop and implement clinical and administrative objectives, policies, and procedures are aligned with MDACC mission, vision and strategic objectives, and to ensure compliance with all regulatory agencies.
• Serve as a network representative and serve as UT collaborator with other UT partners for expansion of services across UT systems.
• Consult with key leadership and staff continually focusing on customer and clinician satisfaction. Utilize such measures as patient and clinician surveys, focus groups, and call monitoring to provide feedback. Establish key operating metrics and improve processes to exceed patient and clinician expectations, in the meantime improve patient and physician satisfaction.
• Perform related job duties as assigned by the Executive Director of PLM.
Represent the Division for new off-site projects both locally and within the United States.
Responsible for Medicare compliance in clinical billings by all within the division as well as the HAL laboratories.
Responsible for CPT and HCPCs coding, issues relating to patient complaints, third party reimbursement for lab services as well as keep current on cost analysis. | https://careers.mdanderson.org/jobs/laboratory-operations-director-molecular-diagnostic-flow-cytometry-cytogenetics-hla-47256 |
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
The present invention is related to the field of health care, and in particular to providing preventive care of individuals by inducing a modification in a health risk related behavior of the individual.
Research has shown that many of the most significant health problems in our society are caused in whole or in part by unhealthy lifestyles. In fact, the scientific literature documents that over 40% of Americans die from medical conditions that result directly from their choice to continue health risk related behaviors. Even where a health risk related behavior does not directly cause death, the health risk related behavior exacerbates illnesses when the individual chooses to continue the health risk related behavior. Most of these individuals fail to adhere to the medical regimens recommended by their physicians. The percentage of the population participating in health risk related behaviors, such as tobacco, alcohol, or drug use, unhealthy eating habits, and lack of exercise, remains high. Despite warnings, some individuals continue to practice unsafe sex. Still others fail to protect themselves adequately from sun exposure. Obesity has become such a significant problem that an estimated 300,000 deaths per year may be attributable to it.
The goal of health education programs is to motivate individuals to modify these health risk related behaviors in order to improve the current state of their health, improve longevity, and the quality of their life. The modification of health risk related behavior, however, provides benefits to more than just the individual. By reducing unhealthy and risky behaviors, there is less need for a visit to the doctor, for hospitalization, and for an emergency room visit and less need to purchase expensive medications. This leads to less absence from work, fewer workers compensation and disability claims, and improved productivity at work. This is particularly beneficial given that businesses have been confronted with double-digit increases in health insurance rates for three consecutive years. In response, more and more businesses simply drop health insurance coverage for their employees. As a result, health care has become an even more important concern for many workers than wages and job security. The rising costs of health care may further create a drag on the economy. This year's average premium increase for companies that continue to provide health insurance rose nearly 14%. Thus, there is a significant need to promote healthier lifestyles thereby decreasing health care costs.
In its simplest form, a health education program exposes an individual to information or to instructions relating to a selected health risk related behavior. The individual then chooses to modify his or her behavior by adhering to the information and instructions provided through the health education program. Many individuals, however, fail to respond to the simple provision of information concerning health risk related behaviors. Many individuals will modify their unhealthy and risky behaviors only in response to counseling interventions. Thus, more is needed than determining that an individual exercises health risk related behavior and then providing literature to that individual regarding that health risk related behavior. For an intervention to be successful, the specific motivational driver that causes each individual to participate in the unhealthy and risky behavior must be identified so that the behavior can be changed. Additionally, for a program to be successful, the program should be customizable for each individual to conform to their specific circumstances. Even after an individual initiates changes in their behavior, the individual needs continued feedback and support so that the individual does not lose the motivation to continue with their modified behavior. This type of program, however, should be provided in a cost effective and consistent manner using the latest scientific research findings.
For many reasons, including gaps in professional training, limited reimbursement, inadequate time, unsuitable clinical practice structures, and overwhelming need, behavioral prevention services have been inadequately or poorly provided in current health care settings. As a result, there are many missed opportunities to improve health and avert costly, intensive services. What is needed is an integrated system to promote healthier behaviors, improve the likelihood of success in modifying risky behavior, and decrease health care costs. What is further needed is a preventive health care system that utilizes the current, widely available spectrum of communication technologies to allow individuals a maximum of flexibility in working with a counselor or otherwise giving or receiving information or obtaining support in modifying their behavior. What is further needed is a system that utilizes the latest scientific research findings and continually applies quality assurance techniques to ensure that individuals receive the appropriate care.
An exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a method of providing preventive care for health risk related behaviors. The method comprises offering an individual a screening examination for a health risk related behavior, where the offering is performed using an offer communication technology. If the individual accepts the offer, a screening examination is conducted. Information from the screening examination is recorded in an electronic database. If a health risk related behavior is identified during the screening examination, an intervention with the individual is performed.
continuing to offer the individual the screening examination until the individual completes the screening examination or refuses to complete the screening examination,
conducting a counseling session with the individual,
recording a summary of information from the counseling session in the electronic database,
recording a health history of the individual in the electronic database,
reporting the summary of information,
providing quality assurance,
providing ongoing support to the individual,
offering the individual a follow-up contact with a counselor,
selecting an ongoing contact system,
the counselor reviewing a contact communication from the individual,
recording the contact communication in the electronic database, and
the counselor contacting the individual when a contact algorithm recommends contact with the individual.
The method may further comprise:
The various operations can be conducted using a variety of communication technologies. These communication technologies may be selected from the group including, but not limited to, short messaging service text messaging, multimedia messaging service text messaging, instant messaging, e-mail, telephone, Internet, interactive voice response system, and mail. Records of communications between preventive health care providers and individuals also may be stored in the electronic database. The electronic database may be an extensible Markup Language (XML) based database and may be accessible by a preventive health care provider during a contact with the individual.
The screening examination may be conducted using a screening protocol, and the intervention may be conducted using an intervention protocol. The counseling session may also be conducted using a counseling protocol. The summary of information gathered during the counseling session may be used to update the counseling protocol. The ongoing support may be conducted using an ongoing support protocol.
Another exemplary embodiment of the invention relates to a system of providing preventive care for health risk related behaviors. The system comprises an offer whereby an individual is offered a screening examination for health risk related behavior wherein the offer comprises an offer communication technology; a screening examination whereby, if the individual accepts the offer, the screening examination is conducted to identify a health risk related behavior; an electronic database comprising information from the screening examination; and an intervention whereby, if a health risk related behavior is identified during the screening examination, the intervention with the individual is conducted.
a counseling session with the individual,
a summary information report,
a quality assurance questionnaire,
an ongoing contact system, and
a contact algorithm wherein the contact algorithm identifies when ongoing contact with the individual by a counselor is recommended.
The system may further comprise:
The various operations are conducted using a variety of communication technologies. These communication technologies may be selected from the group including, but not limited to, short messaging service text messaging, multimedia messaging service text messaging, instant messaging, e-mail, telephone, Internet, interactive voice response system, and mail. Records of communications between preventive health care providers and individuals may be stored in the electronic database. The electronic database may be an XML based database and may be accessible by a preventive health care provider during a contact with the individual.
The screening examination may be conducted using a screening protocol, and the intervention may be conducted using an intervention protocol. The counseling session may also be conducted using a counseling protocol. The summary of information gathered during the counseling session may be used to update the counseling protocol. The ongoing support may be conducted using an ongoing support protocol.
Other principal features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon review of the following drawings, the detailed description, and the appended claims.
The exemplary embodiments will hereafter be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals will denote like elements.
FIG. 1
is a diagram of communication technologies in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 2
is an overview diagram of a preventive care system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.
FIG. 3
a
d
3
-are flow diagrams depicting operations in a preventive care system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment.
Most health care clinics operate on a reactive basis. These clinics administer care when individuals come to their clinical settings, when individuals telephone them, or when information from diagnostic tests is reported to them. When individuals do not make or keep appointments, do not seek care when there are important changes in their condition, or do not follow up on recommendations, adverse health outcomes are possible. A more pro-active approach wherein clinicians reach out to individuals provides positive health benefits. A pro-active approach includes, but is not limited to contacting prospective individuals to initiate a screening examination, ascertaining an individual's general preference for future contacts in terms of the mode of communication (i.e. e-mail versus telephone), the day of week, the time of day, and the frequency of contact, and contacting individuals that miss appointments for counseling or ongoing support. Pro-activity should be governed by individual preference. Thus, all requests to reduce or cease contact should be honored in an exemplary embodiment.
Many different communication technologies exist today for supporting a pro-active approach to health care. Both traditional telephones and, increasingly, cellular telephones provide nearly instantaneous communication with others worldwide. In addition to telephones, individuals now often have ready access to additional devices that allow communication with others. These devices include Personal Data Assistants (PDAs), such as those manufactured by PALM, Inc., Instant Messaging Devices (IMD), such as those manufactured by Blackberry, Inc., notebook computers, laptop computers, desktop computers, etc. These communication devices may be mobile and allow telephonic or wireless communication capabilities at short or long range. Thus, individuals can much more easily contact others when needed for support or for just conversation without a need for face-to-face contact.
Communication devices now communicate both voice calls and messages to other communication devices. Messages are communicated between devices using a number of different services including, but not limited to, e-mail in non-real time, Instant Messaging (IM) Service (IMS) in real time, and text messaging services which are a hybrid of e-mail and IM. Text messaging services provided for communication devices include the Short Messaging Service (SMS) and the Multimedia Messaging Service (MMS). SMS is a mechanism for delivering short messages over communication networks. SMS is a store and forward method of transmitting messages to and from mobiles devices and has become an essentially universal mobile data service. MMS conveys messages to and from mobile communication devices in a store-and-forward manner much like the SMS text messages, but MMS allows a combination of text, sounds, images, and video. MMS also supports pictures and interactive video.
Although both e-mail and SMS are “store and forward” systems that utilize a gateway to pass messages from senders to recipients, the most obvious difference between the two is the length and complexity of the messages that are permissible. SMS messages currently are generally limited to between 80 and 500 characters depending on the service provider. A typical SMS message consists of about 120 characters. Messages generated by SMS, however, are immediately delivered directly to the device; whereas, e-mail delivery may incur additional delivery delays at a mail server. While e-mail allows the attachment of files, the imbedding of images, and may use HTML, SMS messages generally are limited to text and numeral displays. MMS, on the other hand, provides support for not just text, but also sounds, images, and video for more complex message transmission.
E-mail has become a necessary tool and is by far the most popular messaging service currently in use in North America. There are millions of e-mail accounts today with the average person receiving about thirty e-mails each day. In many companies, e-mail is the preferred method of communication—even between people that sit relatively close to each other. Many communication systems offer e-mail service over SMS and some systems now offer e-mail service over MMS. The user of an SMS or MMS enabled mobile communication device can choose to have an email address assigned to the device, allowing friends and colleagues to send e-mail messages directly to the device using either native e-mail support at the device or SMS or MMS capability for formatting the messages. Thus, it is possible to send e-mail messages from a mobile communication device to any e-mail address using multiple formats. Alternatively, the messages may be received on a non-mobile communication device such as a desktop computer.
On the other hand, the Instant Messaging Service (IMS), made popular by AOL Instant Messenger, provides a user access to a virtually real-time text conversation (or chat) with people who are simultaneously connected to the Internet. SMS messages are immediate, but not virtually real-time. SMS messages are sent to and processed by a Short Message Service Center, which then delivers the message to the intended recipient's communication device. Mobile communication devices now also support IMS based on SMS technology giving people the ability to join public chat rooms, or create “friends lists” similar to IM software deployed on the Internet. Using IM, a user can monitor other people's status or notify a user when another person comes online. Mobile users can have access to their buddy lists and can see who is online just as with Personal Computer (PC) based IM. When offline, mobile IM users can be invited to IM via an SMS text message sent by a friend from an IM application on a communication device. Buddy lists can show if somebody is online on a mobile communication device or on a PC.
The Internet is a wide area network that connects hundreds of thousands of computers and smaller sub-networks world-wide. Businesses, government bodies and entities, educational organizations, and even individuals publish information or data organized in the form of websites. A website may comprise multiple web pages that display a specific set of information and may contain links to other web pages with related or additional information. Some web pages include multiple web pages that are displayed in combination. Each web page is identified by a Uniform Resource Locator (URL) that includes the location or address of the computer that contains the resource to be accessed in addition to the location of the resource on that computer. The type of file or resource depends on the Internet application protocol. For example, the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP) describes a web page to be accessed with a web browser application. The file accessed may be a simple text file, an image file, an audio file, a video file, an executable, a common gateway interface application, a Java applet, or any other file supported by HTTP. A web page may include a form or questionnaire for an individual to fill out. The File Transfer Protocol (FTP) describes a resource comprising a file to be downloaded from the computer. Using the Internet, a user may access vast amounts of educational and informational material.
Private documents may be transmitted or received using Internet protocols such as secure sockets layer (SSL) and secure HTTP (S-HTTP). Both protocols have been accepted as standards. The secure sockets layer is a protocol developed by Netscape®. SSL uses a private key to encrypt data that is transferred over the SSL connection. Many Web sites use SSL to obtain confidential user information, such as credit card numbers. By convention, URLs that require an SSL connection start with https: instead of http. Whereas SSL creates a secure connection between a client and a server over which any amount of data can be sent securely, S-HTTP transmits individual messages securely. Before entering a secure web page, a user may be prompted for a username and a password that has been defined between the user and the web site provider. Thus, private information can be posted to the Internet, but only specific individuals may have access to that information. Medical records, in particular, not only warrant protection, but require protection based on regulations promulgated under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Thus, where medical records are posted using electronic communication methods, special care must be used to ensure that confidentiality of the information is maintained.
An Interactive Voice Response (IVR) System is a software application that accepts a combination of voice telephone input and touch-tone keypad selection and provides appropriate responses in the form of voice, fax, callback, e-mail, and other messaging systems. IVR is usually part of a larger application that includes access to an electronic database containing information relevant to the purpose of the IVR system. An IVR application provides pre-recorded voice responses for specific situations, keypad signal logic selectable by a user, access to relevant data, and the ability to record voice input for later processing for example by a counselor. IVR applications can route a call to a human being who can view data related to the caller on a computer display or to a voice mail or other messaging system. IVR systems provide information and question/answer decision logic and may also provide speech recognition technology, message management, and automated information retrieval. Thus, IVR systems also provide a technology for communicating with others either using a phone or the Internet.
Use of an electronic database maximizes continuity of care for an individual and provides a mechanism for tracking an individual's progress. In an exemplary embodiment, records of communications with an individual as part of a preventive care system for health risk related behavior may be maintained in an electronic database regardless of the communication purpose and the communication technology used (telephone counseling, on-going support using an IVR system, the Internet, mail, e-mail, etc.). Additionally, in an exemplary embodiment, the database is protected by the most secure systems available and complies with HIPAA regulations. For ease of use and portability of the information, the database is formatted using XML, in an exemplary embodiment. An XML formatted database exceeds traditional data storage mechanisms in terms of convenience, ease of development, and performance. Use of XML format for records promotes the distribution of an open source health care record allowing use of the information by multiple health care providers. Using the appropriate security protocols, the database may be available to select individuals using an IVR system, the Internet, or a computer electronically connected to the database.
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illustrates example communication devices for communicating with others. The communication technologies may be through voice, text messaging (including, but not limited to, e-mail, IM, SMS, and MMS), the Internet, and an IVR system. An additional communication technology (not shown) is a mail service. The communication devices include, but are not limited to, a cellular telephone , a PDA , an IMD , A desktop computer , a notebook computer , and a telephone .
Demographic information,
Information on family, close friends, and the individual's living situation,
Stresses on the individual and supports for the individual,
Clinical information concerning medical problems and both current and prior medications,
The life goals and responses by the individual concerning the impact of unhealthy behaviors,
Behavior change plans,
Longitudinal data recorded at multiple time points on the individual's health behaviors, self-reported risk for relapse, the effectiveness of various components of their plan, counselor contacts, and important life events.
To enhance continuity of care, to help counselors recall important contextual information from session to session, and to facilitate the transfer of care of an individual from one preventive health care provider to another, the database system, in an exemplary embodiment, records and makes accessible by a counselor the following information for each individual:
Additional or fewer informational data items may be provided to the preventive health care provider through the database without deviating from the spirit of the invention.
Algorithms and protocols, informed by current scientific research findings, may be used, in an exemplary embodiment, to guide all responses from the preventive health care system providers. Responses include, but are not limited to, responses by counselors, by the IVR system, by Internet based services, by screening examiners, etc. All aspects of the preventive health care system may be guided by the same algorithms with adjustment only for the capabilities of the communication technology used. The same algorithms guide the delivery of screening, intervention, counseling, ongoing support, and referral services. These algorithms may be translated into protocols that guide providers in delivering preventive health care services through whatever communication technology is selected by the individual. Such protocols include, but are not limited to, a screening protocol, an intervention protocol, a counseling protocol, and an ongoing support protocol.
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The processes in a preventive clinical care system are shown, in an exemplary embodiment, in . The processes include: an offer , a screening examination , an intervention , a counseling session , an ongoing support system , and a referral system . The offer may be initiated proactively by a health care provider instead of by the individual. A screening examination identifies, using a set of brief questions, whether individuals are engaged in particular behaviors known to increase the risk for adverse health events and outcomes. An intervention involves limited efforts to provide feedback on the possible health effects of the behavior, education on how the behavior can lead to harm, a recommendation for lifestyle changes, and a plan negotiated for effecting the lifestyle change. The plan for change is secured in an agreement that defines the change in concrete terms and may define follow-up contacts with the individual to check on progress and reinforce advice. An intervention protocol may be used to assist a preventive health care provider. A counseling session involves discussions of greater duration and depth than the intervention and is typically provided by trained counselors; whereas an intervention may be provided by a counselor or by an algorithmically driven communication technology, such as a website or IVR. An ongoing support system provides continued interaction with an individual to ensure that the individual remains committed to changing their lifestyle. A referral system provides an individual with additional resources that may be available to address the specific needs of the individual depending upon the health risk related behavior involved.
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A combination of communication methods may be used to deliver care efficiently and in accord with each individuals' preferences. An individual may be offered the screening examination by telephone, by IVR system, through text messaging, by mailed invitation, or by any other communication technology. The screening examination may be conducted using an IVR system, an Internet website, text messaging, a telephone, a written questionnaire, or any other communication technology. A screening protocol may be used to assist a preventive health care provider in identifying a health risk related behavior of an individual. In an exemplary embodiment, the intervention and, if appropriate, the referral immediately follow the screening examination and use the same communication technology. Individuals with health risk related behaviors may be invited to speak to a counselor and/or to review additional information . The counselor may communicate with the individual using a telephone, through text messaging, or any other communication technology. In an exemplary embodiment, the counselor communicates with the individual using a telephone. The additional information may be accessible from a website or may provided by mail, by e-mail, or by any other communication technology. In an exemplary embodiment, the database may store the additional information . Individuals may be offered a follow-up contact as part of an ongoing support system . In an exemplary embodiment, a follow-up contact is provided approximately one month later when an individual declines an invitation to speak to a counselor.
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The counseling session may use the technique of motivational interviewing. Motivational interviewing is a counseling method of growing popularity that helps promote a commitment to change. Motivational interviewing helps individuals take stock of the positive and negative aspects of their unhealthy behavior, their satisfaction with their lives, how they might wish their lives to be different, goals for the future, and how their current behavior or a behavior change would fit in with their priorities and goals for the future. Motivational interviewing also includes efforts to bolster a sense of self-efficacy and the belief that individuals can change their behavior if they choose. For individuals who are committed to change their behavior, further motivational interviewing involves helping them construct a plan for implementing and maintaining the behavior change including consideration of triggers and how to manage or avoid them, formal and informal support mechanisms, contingency plans for an impending relapse, and options for ongoing support. In an exemplary embodiment, counseling services are performed by counselors using a telephone.
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As significant new information is obtained, counselors produce a summary information report with information on the individual's life situation, goals, the degree to which their current behaviors will help or hinder them in attaining their goals, the pros and cons of continuing versus changing their behaviors, and change plans. These reports may be conveyed to the individual using e-mail, mail, or a password protected Internet website. Such reports are intended to help individuals take stock of their situations, their future, and their options and plans for improving their lives. When conducting counseling sessions, counselors, generally wearing headphones, may be provided with protocol-driven prompts that appear on a computer screen. As information is collected, counselors may enter information into a form presented on the computer screen. Such information may be stored in the electronic database and used by the counseling algorithm to determine future prompts by modifying the counseling protocol. The counseling protocol may be used to assist a counselor in providing the appropriate care to the individual.
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The ongoing support system consists of services over an extended period of time where individuals provide periodic updates on their behaviors and their adherence to their plans to change, and reevaluate and refine their change plans. For ongoing support, the individual may be asked to select a contact system that includes a contact interval, a contingency contact technology, and a contact communication technology. The contact interval includes the time interval at which the individual reports on their behaviors, the effectiveness of various aspects of their change plan, their risk level for resuming the undesirable behavior, and their desire for additional assistance. In an exemplary embodiment, counselors review this data daily. A contact algorithm may signal counselors when attempts to contact the individual are advisable. The contingency contact technology includes the method used by the preventive health care provider to contact the individual, for example, when the individual does not contact the provider as scheduled. The contingency contact technology may include, but is not limited to, the telephone, the Internet, text messaging, e-mail, or an IVR system. In an exemplary embodiment, the contingency contact technology may be an IVR system that contacts the individual. The contact communication technology includes the method used by the individual to contact the preventive health care providers. The communication technology may include, but is not limited to, the telephone, the Internet, text messaging, e-mail, or an IVR system. The individual then uses the selected communication technology to send a contact communication to the preventive health care provider at the specified contact interval. In an exemplary embodiment, the communication technology may be an IVR system that the individual interacts with in providing an update or report concerning their current behavior. The contact communications may be recorded in the database . An ongoing support protocol may be used to assist a preventive health care provider in providing ongoing support of an individual.
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Individuals may be offered additional information on their behaviors. The informational materials generally are tailored to the individual's level of commitment to change and may include lists and explanations of potential adverse health effects and other effects of their behaviors, worksheets to identify positive and negative aspects of behaviors, worksheets for listing life goals and taking stock whether their unhealthy behavior will foster or interfere with such goals, and worksheets for developing, for monitoring, for implementing, for evaluating, and for refining behavior change plans.
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Referral involves suggesting that individuals seek services from other sources. Referrals for services of higher intensity are offered to individuals who show insufficient clinical improvement in response to services of lower intensity, or to individuals who, because of various clinical factors, are not expected to respond to services of lower intensity. Referrals may also be suggested for individuals who would benefit from contact with other professionals with different expertise. Such resources may include, but are not limited to, smoking cessation classes, weight loss centers, health clubs, twelve-step programs, dieticians, and mental health care providers. When individuals desire referrals, information is readily available through the electronic database . A referral protocol may be used to assist a preventive health care provider in recommending the appropriate referral service and circumstances.
An individual's current health care professionals may refer individuals for service under the preventive health care system. Such referrals might come, for example, for a patient with coronary artery disease who continues to smoke, or for an obese patient with diabetes who is not losing weight. After receiving a referral from an individual's health care professional, the preventive health care system, in an exemplary embodiment, proactively offers the individual a screening examination. Individuals may be given the option to have reports on their participation and progress sent to one or more of their health care professionals. Individuals may further have the option of limiting reports that cover certain behaviors. In an exemplary embodiment, no information is released without the individual's written consent.
With an individual's permission, a list of their medical conditions and their medications is obtained from their health care professional. Such information may be used to enhance counselors' understanding of an individual's life and to identify possible motivators to change behaviors, for example, a diagnosis of asthma may be relevant as the individual deliberates on whether to stop smoking, and taking prescription sedatives may be relevant as the individual deliberates whether to decrease alcohol use.
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At the completion of a counseling session or any other contact with an individual, a quality assurance questionnaire may be filled out by the individual or by the preventive health care provider. The quality assurance questionnaire comprises a set of questions designed to determine the individual's satisfaction with the care provided including, but not limited to, questions on what they liked best and changes they would recommend. The care provided may include the additional information provided and the referral system . Satisfaction data on each counselor and system component may be recorded in the database , analyzed and reviewed periodically, and used to prompt improvements in the preventive health care system. Satisfaction data on specific counselors may be reported back to counselors and their supervisors in aggregate. Counselors with lower scores than their peers may undergo more vigorous review. Failure to improve satisfaction scores with remediation may result in dismissal.
Further in support of quality assurance, a counseling session may be audiotaped with an individual's permission. Some audiotapes may be randomly selected for review by a counseling supervisor or by the counselor. As part of the quality assurance program, counseling supervisors may score each session for adherence to protocol and for adherence to motivational interviewing principles, including conveying warmth, respect, empathy, and partnership. Counselors who continue to score lower than peers despite remediation may be dismissed.
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Through data collected during ongoing support of an individual, the service effectiveness of promoting change in various health behaviors can be determined. Periodic reports on effectiveness and client satisfaction may be sent to all customers to inform them of the preventive health care system effectiveness. The quality assurance information may also be stored in the electronic database .
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-illustrate flow diagrams that depict operations in a preventive health care system in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. At operation , the individual is offered a screening examination possibly as a result of a referral from the individual's current health care professional. The screening examination may also be offered as a result of the individual's own initiative. The screening examination may also result from other initiatives. A test at operation determines if the individual has refused the offer. If the offer is refused, at operation , an offer of availability of the preventive health care system to the individual is made. At operation , a specified period of time passes before the offer of a screening examination is renewed. In an exemplary embodiment, the offer of a screening examination may be renewed in a year. The offer, however, may be renewed more frequently based on, for example, a recommendation by a current health care professional.
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If the offer is not refused, the test at operation determines if the offer is accepted. If the offer is not accepted, the offer is renewed until the offer is refused at operation . If the offer is accepted, the screening examination is conducted at operation . Information obtained during the screening examination is recorded in the electronic database at operation . The test at operation determines if a health risk related behavior was identified during the screening examination. If a health risk related behavior was not identified, the healthy behavior of the individual is reinforced. At operation , an offer of availability of the preventive health care system to the individual is made should they need reinforcement of the healthy behavior in the future. At operation , a specified period of time passes before the offer of a screening examination may be renewed.
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If a health risk related behavior is identified, an intervention is performed at operation . A test at operation determines if a referral to other services is needed. If a referral is needed, the individual is offered a referral to other resources at operation . A test at operation determines if the referral is accepted. If the referral is accepted, a referral is provided at operation . Processing continues at operation . If the referral is not accepted at operation , the individual is invited to speak to a counselor at operation . The test at operation determines if the invitation to speak to a counselor is accepted.
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If the invitation is accepted, a counseling session with the individual is conducted at operation . The test at operation determines if a referral to other services is needed despite counseling of and intervention with the individual. If a referral is needed, the individual is offered a referral to other resources at operation . A test at operation determines if the referral is accepted. If the referral is accepted, a referral is provided at operation . Summary information gathered during the counseling session is recorded in the electronic database at operation . The summary information may also be reported at operation in a summary information report. In an exemplary embodiment, access to the summary information report is limited to the individual, the preventive health care providers, and the individual's current health care professionals. A health history of the individual may also be recorded in the database or updated if the health history has already been recorded in the database at operation . At operation , the individual is referred to additional information relating to their health risk related behavior. The individual is invited to schedule another counseling session at operation . The next counseling session may be offered at an interval selected by the individual. In exemplary embodiments, the interval may be one week, two weeks, or four weeks. The test at operation determines if the invitation for additional counseling sessions is accepted by the individual. If the invitation is accepted, an additional counseling session is scheduled at operation .
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Processing continues at operation wherein the individual may be referred to additional information relating to their health risk related behavior. At operation , the individual is offered ongoing support in modifying their health risk related behavior. The test at operation determines if the invitation is accepted. If the invitation is not accepted and, if the individual does not have a future counseling session scheduled as determined at operation , an offer of availability of the preventive health care system to the individual is made should they need assistance in the future. At operation , a specified period of time passes before the offer of a screening examination may be renewed.
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If the invitation of ongoing support is accepted, the individual selects a contact system at operation . The contact system includes the selection of a contingency contact technology for communication with the individual, a communication technology for communication with a preventive health care provider, and a contact interval. The test at operation determines if it is time for a contact communication with the individual. If it is not time for a contact with the individual, the test at operation determines if it is time for a counseling session with the individual. If it is time for a counseling session, processing continues at operation . If it is not time for either a contact (ongoing support) or a counseling session with the individual, processing continues to test for the next time for contact or for counseling.
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If it is time for the next follow-up contact, the test at operation determines if the individual has already contacted the preventive health care provider by submitting a contact communication concerning the individual's current status. If the individual has not contacted the preventive health care provider, an algorithm determines if contact with the individual by a counselor is recommended. The test at operation determines if the algorithm recommends that the individual be contacted by a counselor or other preventive health care provider. If the algorithm does not indicate that contact is advisable, the process continues to test for the next time for contact or for counseling. If the algorithm recommends contact, the individual is contacted using the contingency contact technology at operation . The test at operation determines if a contact communication has been received from the individual. If no contact communication is received, processing continues to operation where another intervention with the individual is performed. At operation , a record of the contact communication is recorded in the database. At operation , a counselor or preventive health care provider reviews the contact communication. In an exemplary embodiment, a counselor reviews the contact communication the day the communication is received. The test at operation determines if the individual needs additional support. If additional support is needed, processing continues to operation where another intervention with the individual is performed. If no additional support is needed, processing continues to operation which tests for the next time for contact or for counseling with the individual.
It is understood that the invention is not confined to the particular embodiments set forth herein as illustrative, but embraces all such modifications, combinations, and permutations as come within the scope of the following claims. The present invention is not limited to a particular operating environment. Those skilled in the art will recognize that the system and methods of the present invention may be advantageously operated on different platforms. Thus, the description of the exemplary embodiments is for purposes of illustration and not limitation. | |
I was out for a walk the other day when I spotted something unusual on a tree. At first, I thought it was a leaf that had fallen and gotten stuck. But then I realized it was moving!
It was a praying mantis! I had never seen one up close before, so I stopped to take a closer look. The mantis was about four inches long and green with stripes running down its back.
Its front legs were folded in prayer-like fashion, hence its name. As I watched, the mantis turned its head to look at me with its large compound eyes. Then it slowly reached out one of its long, thin legs and touched my finger lightly.
It tickled!
Praying mantises are one of the most fascinating insects in the world. They are superb predators, and their methods of hunting and killing prey are nothing short of amazing. But what is even more amazing is that these creatures use prayer as a means of survival.
Praying mantises are able to survive in some of the harshest environments on Earth by using a very unique form of camouflage. When they pray, they raise their front legs up in the air and spread their wings out wide. This makes them look like leaves or branches waving back and forth in the wind.
To predators, they appear to be just another part of the background scenery. But praying mantises don’t just rely on their camouflage for defense; they also use it to help them capture prey. By blending in with their surroundings, they can get close enough to their unsuspecting victims to strike with deadly accuracy.
And when they do strike, it’s usually fatal for their victim. So next time you see a praying mantis, take a moment to appreciate this incredible creature and all that it can do. It’s truly an amazing example of God’s handiwork!
Credit: en.wikipedia.org
Can Pray Mantis Hurt You?
There are a lot of myths and misconceptions about pray mantis. Some people believe that these insects are harmful and can hurt you, but this is not true. Pray mantis are actually beneficial insects that help to control pests in gardens and crops.
They are not aggressive and will not attack humans unless they feel threatened.
What Does It Mean When You See a Praying Mantis?
A praying mantis is a predatory insect that is known for its unique front legs, which are bent in a way that resembles prayer. These insects are found in warm climates all over the world and can range in size from 2 to 6 inches long. Although they are mostly harmless to humans, they can deliver a painful bite if they feel threatened.
Praying mantises are excellent hunters and use their powerful front legs to capture prey such as flies, mosquitoes and other small insects. They typically eat their prey alive, but have also been known to cannibalize other mantises (especially males). Praying mantises are fascinating creatures and have been the subject of many myths and superstitions throughout history.
In some cultures, these insects are considered to be good luck, while in others they are seen as omens of death or bad luck. Regardless of what you believe, seeing a praying mantis is definitely an interesting experience!
Is a Praying Mantis a Good Pet?
A praying mantis is an interesting and exotic pet that can be fun to watch and care for. They are relatively easy to care for, but there are a few things you need to know before you get started.
Praying mantises are carnivorous insects that feed on live prey.
This means they will need a diet of live insects like crickets or mealworms. You can purchase these at most pet stores or online. It is important to offer a variety of sizes of prey so your mantis can grow properly.
Mantises also require a humid environment to survive. A simple way to create this environment is to put their enclosure in a large container with a lid and fill it with damp paper towels or moss. Be sure to provide ventilation by punching holes in the lid or covering the container with cheesecloth.
Praying mantises are not naturally tame and handling them can be difficult (and dangerous) since they have sharp claws capable of puncturing skin. If you must handle your mantis, do so gently and carefully. Never grab them by the abdomen as this could injure them severely.
Overall, praying mantises make interesting and low-maintenance pets, but they are not for everyone due to their specialized diet and habitat needs. If you think you can provide what they need, then a praying mantis might be the perfect pet for you!
How Powerful is a Praying Mantis?
When it comes to size, a praying mantis is no slouch. The largest recorded specimen was 18cm long – that’s big enough to take down a hummingbird. But their prey isn’t always so big.
In fact, most of the time they go after insects that are smaller than they are. So how do they manage to subdue such tiny creatures? The answer lies in their powerful forelegs.
A mantis’ front legs are lined with spines and serrated edges that allow them to grip their prey tightly. They also have sharp claws at the tips of their legs, which they use to deliver a fatal blow to their victim’s brain or spinal cord. But it’s not just the physical strength of a mantis’ legs that makes them such formidable predators – it’s also their agility and speed.
mantises can strike with lightning speed, and their reflexes are so fast that they can even snatch flies out of midair. So how powerful is a praying mantis? Pretty darn powerful!
These small but mighty creatures are definitely not to be underestimated.
Praying Mantises – The Kung Fu Killers of the Insect Kingdom
I Found a Praying Mantis
If you’re lucky enough to find a praying mantis, consider yourself fortunate. These amazing insects are not only fun to watch, but they provide valuable pest control in your garden. Praying mantises are carnivorous predators that feast on harmful insects like aphids, caterpillars, and beetles.
A single mantis can consume hundreds of pests in a season! Praying mantises are fairly easy to identify with their long bodies and distinctive raptorial forelegs. They come in a variety of colors including green, brown, and pinkish-white.
Most species have wings and can fly short distances. Females are usually larger than males and can reach up to 4 inches in length. Males are typically half that size.
If you find a praying mantis egg sac attached to a plant stem or leaf, leave it be! These delicate egg cases can contain up to 200 eggs and hatch in late spring or early summer. The nymphs (babies) look like miniature versions of the adults and undergo several molts before reaching maturity.
Once they’ve reached adulthood, praying mantises will mate and lay another batch of eggs before winter arrives. Praying mantises make fascinating pets because of their unique appearance and behavior. If you’re thinking about keeping one as a pet, be sure to do your research first as some species require special care (like live food).
With proper care and feeding, your pet mantis can live for 6-12 months.
Praying Mantis Meaning
Praying mantises are one of the most commonly recognized insects, thanks to their unique appearance. These predators are named for their large, front-facing eyes and upright stance, which gives the impression that they’re praying. Mantises can be found in tropical and temperate climates all over the world.
Most people know that mantises are carnivorous, but did you know that some species also practice sexual cannibalism? That’s right – female mantises will sometimes eat their mates after mating! While this behavior might seem shocking, it’s actually not that uncommon in the animal kingdom.
Despite their fearsome reputation, mantises are actually gentle creatures that make great pets. They’re easy to care for and can be trained to do simple tricks. If you’re thinking about getting a pet mantis, be sure to do your research first to find a species that’s suitable for captivity.
Are Praying Mantis Dangerous
Praying mantis are not dangerous to humans, although they can give a painful bite if handled. These predators are actually beneficial to have around the garden, as they help to control pests.
Praying Mantis Mating
Praying mantises are an amazing insect. They can be found in many different colors, shapes, and sizes all over the world. One of the most interesting things about them is their mating ritual.
When it comes time to mate, the male mantis will approach the female very carefully. He will then gently grab her with his claws and climb on top of her back. The two will remain in this position for hours, sometimes even days, until the male is ready to deposit his sperm into the female’s body.
Once he has done so, he will quickly disengage himself from the female and scurry away before she has a chance to eat him! This may seem like a cruel fate for the poor male mantis but it is actually quite common in the animal kingdom. In fact, many females will consume their mates after copulation as a way of getting extra nutrients that they need in order to produce viable eggs.
So there you have it! The next time you see a praying mantis, take a moment to appreciate this incredible creature and all that it does just to reproduce!
Where Do Praying Mantis Live
Praying mantids are found all over the world in tropical, subtropical, and temperate climates. In the United States, they are most common in the southern states.
Praying mantids typically live in trees, shrubs, and tall grasses.
They use their long front legs to snatch prey that comes close by. Mantids will also eat smaller insects if given the chance. When it comes time to lay eggs, female praying mantids will often find a safe place on a plant or tree to deposit her egg case.
The egg case can contain anywhere from 10-400 eggs! Once the eggs hatch, the young mantids will look for food and places to hide from predators.
Praying Mantis Scientific Name
Praying mantises are one of the most interesting insects in the world. They are named for their unique praying stance and are known for their voracious appetite. Praying mantises are fascinating creatures that can turn their heads 180 degrees, have excellent eyesight, and can even fly!
The scientific name for a praying mantis is Mantis religiosa. This name was given to the species by Carl Linnaeus in 1758. The word “mantis” comes from the Greek word mantikos, which means prophet or soothsayer.
The word “religiosa” comes from the Latin word religiosus, which means religious or consecrated. Praying mantises are found all over the world in tropical and temperate climates. In North America, there are about 20 different species of praying mantis.
The most common species is Mantis religiosa, which is also found in Europe and Asia. Praying mantises range in size from less than an inch to around six inches long. They vary in color as well, but most commonly they are some shade of green or brown that helps them blend in with their surroundings.
Some rarer species can be brightly colored though, like the pink mantis! Mantids have a very distinctive appearance with their long necks and large compound eyes. Their front legs are much longer than their back legs and end in sharp claws that they use to capture prey.
Mantids also have wings, although not all species can fly well. Females usually have larger wings than males do since they need them to fly away after mating!
Praying Mantis Lifespan
Praying mantises are one of the longest lived insects in the world. They can live for up to 10 years in captivity, and even longer in the wild. The oldest known praying mantis was over 25 years old!
Praying mantises have several adaptations that allow them to live such a long time. They have a very efficient digestive system that allows them to extract all the nutrients they need from their food. Their exoskeleton is also very tough, which protects them from predators and diseases.
One of the biggest threats to a praying mantis’ lifespan is humans. Mantises are often killed by people who mistake them for pests. They are also sometimes used as food for other pets, like bearded dragons.
So if you have a pet praying mantis, be sure to take good care of it and give it a long and happy life!
Conclusion
A praying mantis is a predatory insect that uses its long, front legs to capture prey. These insects are found in tropical and subtropical regions around the world, and their diet consists primarily of other insects. Some species of praying mantises can also fly, which allows them to chase down their prey. | https://terrariumstation.com/a-praying-mantis/ |
Scintigraphic measurement of tracheal mucus velocity in vivo.
Mucociliary clearance (MCC) is an important mechanism for removing inhaled particles, secretions and cellular debris from the respiratory tract. Here, a direct measurement of tracheal mucus velocity (TMV) for assessment of MCC, suitable for clinical and research use, is reported, and a comparison is made of TMV in normal subjects and patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). A 0.1-mL bolus of radiolabelled (2-5 MBq), technetium-labelled macroaggregated human albumin (99mTc MAA) was injected through the cricothyroid membrane into the trachea of 20 young (< 50 yrs) and 12 older (> 50 yrs) normal subjects and 34 patients with COPD. Repeat studies were carried out in 13 normal subjects and 16 COPD patients. Movement of the bolus in the trachea was recorded (15 min) using a gamma camera interfaced to a computer. Data were analysed using specifically designed software. The test was well tolerated by subjects and patients, and no significant adverse events were reported. No significant differences were observed between data recorded from different regions of the bolus (leading edge, peak, trailing edge) by analysis of variance (ANOVA). Bland-Altman plots of the repeat studies indicated that data were more variable in normal subjects (coefficient of repeatability (COR) 10.3 mm.min-1) than in COPD patients (COR 5.5 mm.min-1). TMV (mean +/- SD) in young normal subjects (n = 20) was 10.7 +/- 3.5 mm.min-1. TMV was reduced in older normal subjects (n = 12; 6.5 +/- 2.6 mm.min-1) and further reduced in COPD (n = 34; 2.1 +/- 2.7 mm.min-1). In conclusion, this technique can be used to measure tracheal mucus velocity rapidly and safely in healthy subjects and patients with respiratory tract disease. This study has confirmed that tracheal mucus velocity declines with age and is further impaired in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.
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Olympic Lifting, or "Oly Lifting," refers to the style of weight lifting represented in competitive Olympic Games. The sport is a competition in two types of lifts: the Snatch, in which competitors must lift the barbell over their heads from the floor in one continuous movement; and the Clean & Jerk, where competitors first "clean" the barbell from the floor to an intermediate position, "racking" the bar on the front of their shoulders, then "jerking" the barbell to a position above their head. Each lifter must compete in both lifts. The winner of a competition is determined by the total weight of his or her best Snatch, and best Clean & Jerk in the competition. Competitors compete in body-weight classes similar in concept to wrestlers and boxers.
Pound for pound, Olympic weightlifters have a greater level of speed-strength than any other class of athletes in all of sport. Sports scientists found that Olympic lifters were able to both vertical jump higher than any class of athletes (including the high jumpers), and run a 25 yard dash faster than any class of athletes (including the sprinters). One of the reasons for this is that vertical jump performance is highly affected by an athlete's Rate of Force Development (ROFD), otherwise known as the speed at which force can be produced, which is heavily trained by the Olympic lifts and their variations.
The term also applies to the methodologies used in the sport of Olympic Lifting as a training mechanism, i.e. a person can use Olympic Lifting as a method of improving health or to supplement another type of training.
Video
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See Also
External Links
- Lift Til Ya Die - a listing of OLYMPIC WEIGHTLIFTING sites on the Internet.
- USA Weightlifting
- Olympic Lifts to Improve Vertical
References
- ↑ About American Weight Lifting. AmericanWeightLifting.org (n.d.). Retrieved on 2008-10-04.
- ↑ Hatfield, Frederick (n.d.). Athletes and the Olympic Lifts. Bodybuilding.com. Retrieved on 2008-10-04.
- ↑ Donche, Dan (2008). FF Trainer Certification Guide. USA: Fatal Fitness. | https://athletics.fandom.com/wiki/Olympic_Lifting |
Gazing at the color of the sky, the setting sun, as it flashes its warm Rays through the filter of the clouds destined to land on the face, others perceive the journey of the gleam ends overlaying the skin. while de facto the vibrant energy sparks inside the heart of one who finished working endlessly over a heartfelt Commitment started over a month ago.
The evening brings immense joy yet a feeling of resentment and doubt.
Crafted with love
Relentlessly evoked by the reality of the mills taking away the jobs of those imbibed with creativity, imagination, and skill, notwithstanding the most ignored ones.This bittersweet feeling, of comprehending the final product, simultaneously reminded him of the eased-off embracement of handwork and the beauty of one’s mind. Yet,He chose to cherish the evening with faith in his eye, the belief that one day the world will see his creation with the utmost respect and deserved value.
Another such evening, The bodacious sound of the Bhujodi handloom located inside the homes of the vankar stands still. As the junior vankar (weaver) doubtfully stares at the warp stand and the flying shuttle, he rethinks with an innocent ambition to be accepted and earn better, while the untouched fibers await to be held and spun on the wheel though wishing the best for the bewildered eyes of the child.
Unaware the boy blames himself for not being able to pull through a livelihood by weaving unknown he might knit the most beautiful craft the generation can find Little did he know, the consumers too, remain concealed and ignorant to the cherishable impacts of the country's textiles.
The feeling of accomplishment and acknowledgement are two contrary different worlds yet the most coinciding ones,Quoting Sant Kabir, जब गुण को गाहक मिले, तब गुण लाख बिकाई, जब गुण को गाहक नहीं, तब कौड़ी बदले जाई | Translates as, When Talent is acknowledged by the consumer the Value of the creation increases, in the same way, if the talent is ignored, the product will be assumed as low-graded.
Commemorating the weaver living about 8 km from the city of Bhuj in Gujarat, the textile centre `Bhujodi’.His Day starts with shining eyes to pursue the job they are identified by,Vankar community known for being the weavers of the village and weaving the 500-year old stories about the fabrics invented on their looms.Earlier: weaving to sustain a livelihood Today: weaving to save the history and pride of the community.
Bhujodi has come a long way and holds an intense history of ups and downs, Earlier, bhujodi was used in an exchange of wool or cotton fabrics from the other communities of kutch and worn by the locals of the village, yet the tedious efforts to create bhujodi remain the same today.Starting from dyeing the fibres, sun-drying, lining them on the vertical warp stand, proceeding to systematically arrangement of the handloom with the warp and weft fibres. The Men of the community are usually responsible for weaving, using their own hands to calculate the threads and create motifs, stripes, and several other patterns. This requires immense concentration and skill to perfectly weave Bhujodi.
Women of the Vankar families have always been a great support and the pillar of the Bhujodi creations, From embroideries like the mirror work to knotting the signature tassels at the end parts of Bhujodi stoles and sarees stand for graceful beauty of the textile.The woven stripes and motifs represent nature, musical instruments, and the handloom itself; it truly is the inspiration of the minds of the vankars.
These simple geometric motifs require excessive technical expertise.The monochromatic patterns, as well as the colourful designs both, suit the bhujodi creations.There have been various budding designers coming up with using the bhujodi textiles to style the most trendy products of the season!
Bhujodi is one of the most respected textiles of Kutch, accepted by various countries for its uniqueness, cherished for being handmade from scratch.Apart from the natural fabrics like silk, wool, and cotton, today we see all the kinds of fibres being incorporated in making and bringing out the best from the handlooms.
Showcasing The Natural Colours
The arid condition of various parts of Rajasthan seems to be the curse of the state, yet people of Kutch have found the silver lining.The Kala cotton, an indigenous variety that has been immensely used, has evolved under desert conditions and does not require excessive irrigation and pesticides to flourish.We might notice the most premium designs from the west that can be beautifully stitched using our very own indigenous fabrics!
Consumers and admirers are often unaware about the journey of exquisite fabrics like the Bhujodi Handloom saree before it reaches the exhibition or the store. All the Ethnic sarees have massive stories behind them, The idea of culture is to be provided more practically for the younger generations to wholeheartedly accept and embrace Bhujodi and the story of eternal skill and innovative handlooms.
Communities or states don’t separate us from celebrating the year-old creations of India!
We believe the Bhujodi sarees/stoles bring out the uniqueness and strength of one in the most wondrous manner! The colors and the patterns weaved with bare fingers impart life to the original Bhujodi Textile.
Share our love for Indian handmade fabrics and crafts like Bhujodi by exploring some gorgeous Bhujodi Handloom sarees and Stoles at our store,all lovingly made by our amazing artisans from Kutch. | https://www.shwh.in/post/bhujodi-handloom-sarees-of-kutch |
Developing and delivering lessons by teachers are integral in the teaching process. It is hence important for teachers to ensure that the three (3) domains of learning which include cognitive (thinking), affective (emotions or feeling) and Psychomotor (Physical or kinesthetic) to be achieved. It is imperative to understand that there are different categories of learners who have varying needs and as such different methods must be adopted in the planning and delivery of lessons to ensure that such needs are addressed. The world of education has gradually adopted the strategy of ‘Every child matters’ structure that requires that all learners with different needs are counted.
This article aims to evaluate the three domains of learning (cognitive, affective and psychomotor) and their benefits to addressing the different learning styles of students.
Initially developed between 1956 and 1972, the domains of learning have received considerable contributions from researchers and experts in the field of education. Studies by Benjamin Bloom (on cognitive domain), David Krathwohl (affective domain) and Anita Harrow (Psychomotor domain) have been encompassed into the three domains of learning (Sousa, 2016).
A holistic lesson developed by a teacher requires the inclusion of all the three domains in constructing learning tasks for students. The diversity in such learning tasks help creates a comparatively well – rounded learning experience that meets a number of learning styles and learning modalities. An increased level of diversity in the delivery of lessons help engage students as well as create more neural networks and pathways that helps with recollection of information and events.
Learning helps develop an individual’s attitude as well as encourage the acquisition of new skills. The cognitive domain aims to develop the mental skills and the acquisition of knowledge of the individual. The cognitive domain encompasses of six categories which include knowledge; comprehension; application; analysis; synthesis; and evaluation. Knowledge includes the ability of the learner to recall data or information. This is followed with comprehension which assesses the ability of the learner to understand the meaning of what is known. This is the case where a student is able to explain an existing theory in his or her own words (Anderson et al, 2011). This is followed by application which shows the ability of the student to use the abstract knowledge in a new situation. A typical case is when an Economics student is able to apply the theory of demand and supply to the changing market trend of clothing during a particular season. The analysis category aims to differentiate facts and opinions. The synthesis category shows the ability to integrate different elements or concepts in order to form a sound pattern or structure to help establish a new meaning. The category of evaluation shows the ability to come up with judgments about the importance of concepts. A typical scenario is when a manager is able to identify and implement the most cost effective methods of production in the bid to increase profits whilst sustaining a high level of competitive advantage.
The affective domain includes the feelings, emotions and attitudes of the individual. The categories of affective domain include receiving phenomena; responding to phenomena; valuing; organization; and characterization (Anderson et al, 2011). The sub domain of receiving phenomena creates the awareness of feelings and emotions as well as the ability to utilize selected attention. This can include listening attentively to lessons in class. The next sub domain of responding to phenomena involves active participation of the learner in class or during group discussion (Cannon and Feinstein, 2005). Valuing involves the ability to see the worth of something and express it. This includes the ability of a learner to share their views and ideas about various issues raised in class. The ability of the student to prioritize a value over another and create a unique value system is known as organization. This can be assessed with the need to value one’s academic work as against their social relationships. The sub domain of characterization explains the ability to internalize values and let them control the behavior of the individual. In view of this, a student considers the academic work highly important as it plays an important role in deciding the career path chosen rather than what may be available.
The psychomotor domain includes utilizing motor skills and the ability to coordinate them. The sub domains of psychomotor include perception; set; guided response; mechanism; complex overt response; adaptation; and origination. Perception involves the ability to apply sensory information to motor activity. For instance, a student practices a series of exercises in a text book with the aim of scoring higher marks during exams. Set, as a sub domain, involves the readiness to act upon a series of challenges to overcome them. In relation to guided responses, it includes the ability to imitate a displayed behavior or utilize a trial and error method to resolve a situation (Sousa, 2016). The sub domain of mechanism includes the ability to convert learned responses into habitual actions with proficiency and confidence. Students are able to solve exams questions after they have confidently been able to answer some past questions. Complex Overt responses explain the ability to skillfully perform complex patterns of actions. A typical instance has to do with the ability of a student to have an increased typing speed when using a computer. Adaptability is an integral part of the domain which exhibits the ability to modify learned skills to meet special events. An instance is when a student who has learnt various underlying theories is able to invent or make a working model using everyday materials. Origination also involves creating new movement patterns for a specific situation (Sincero, 2011).
Learning is an integral part of every individual’s life. It is very key to growth and development and hence requires the need for both students and teachers to be committed to the process. It is further necessary to ensure that the delivery of learning combines generally different facets which have been identified to be the domains of learning.
With the continually increasing need to ensure that students are taught with varying strategies and techniques, it is important for teachers to adopt a teaching strategy that combines various domains of learning to enable teaching and learning to be considered as effective.
At London School of Management of Education (LSME) we are proud to inform our cherished students and stakeholders that we actively ensure that all our facilitators apply the best and suitable delivery techniques that would impact positively on the Cognitive, Affective and Psychomotor Domains of the students.
All our lecturers are well trained and experienced in pedagogy and they excel based on the feedback from the results churned by ur students in all external exams and standardization. All our graduated students are in gainful employment in the UK, USA, Canada, UAE, India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain, Germany, Spain and most countries in the EU. We are proud of our enviable record in delivering the best training to our students, our partners!
The learning process must go beyond reading and memorizing facts and information to the ability to critically evaluate the information, explain to others as well as design things out for everyday use… and that is what we do best at LSME.
Sincero, S. M (April 18, 2011). Domains of Learning. Accessed from https://explorable.com/domains-of-learning Date accessed 8th October 2018.
Sousa, D. A (2016). How the Brain Works. Crowin Press. 2016. | https://lsme.ac.uk/blog/the-three-3-domains-of-learning |
If you were given the assignment of picking the shortest word that summarizes the Christian understanding of many Biblical truths, a strong case could be made for that little conjunction ‘and.’ Despite its brevity, a lot of truth can be packaged into those three letters – and a lot of mistakes can be made when we substitute ‘or.’
A certain little tyke used to drive his father nuts on long car trips with an endless sequence of questions: “Which is stronger Daddy, a bulldozer or a big truck?” “Which is stronger, a big truck or a jet airplane?” etc. etc. until the father would finally beg off in exhaustion: “Please, no more questions today!” Of course, the real problem with answering those childish questions was that they were over-simplified – as if a simple either/or choice could characterize a complex set of attributes and contexts. But that’s the kind of questions children ask because they’re trying to organize the world so that it makes sense to them.
We adults may chuckle at such charming unsophistication, yet we often have the same problem when we try to wrap our minds around truths about God and His ways. Is there one God? Or are there three Persons? Is Jesus truly God? Or is He truly human? Unlike the naive comparisons of the little boy (how does one compare the ‘strength’ of a truck and an airplane?) we are now talking about true absolutes: ‘one’ is numerically different from ‘three;’ Divine is undeniably different from human. Yet, the universal Christian answer to those questions is to embrace an apparent illogic: God is one God and three persons; Jesus is true God and true man.
Our mind reels at such contradictions and to the degree we mentally reconcile them (and many people never do) it is often by assuming that one or the other alternative is actually an illusion (e.g., that we worship three separate Gods who simply behave as one) or as some kind of compromise (e.g., that Jesus is sort of divine and sort of human). Yet, Christians have historically insisted that such interpretations miss the essence of Divine Truth – the reality of God’s nature can only be expressed by ‘and’ in all its perplexing contradiction: in some unfathomable manner, both of the irreconcilable absolutes are utterly and simultaneously true.
But doesn’t that violate all reason? Doesn’t that illustrate that Christian faith is ‘illogical’ and therefore some sort of made-up fantasy? That’s been the accusation of skeptics for thousands of years, and even many Christians settle for thinking that the ‘truths’ of their faith are more symbolic than actual. Yet, the last hundred years of scientific progress suggests that the Christian practice of understanding God’s fundamental truths in terms of ‘and’ rather than ‘or’ is also the way we must understand nature at its deepest and most fundamental levels. | https://teamfishhooks.com/the-divine-and/ |
Between those two, whose grammar, vocabulary, or pronunciation is closer to English?
Is there any other reason?
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Between those two, whose grammar, vocabulary, or pronunciation is closer to English?
Is there any other reason?
I don't think that your question can sensibly be answered solely by reference to issues about grammar, vocabulary or pronunciation. Some people find that they simply cannot pronounce certain sounds in another language; others find that they manage the new phonology OK but have difficulty with various grammatical differences.
That said,there are several Wikipedia pages that might help you. In addition to the general Polish language page on Wikipedia, there are additional, more detailed pages about Polish phonology, Polish orthography and Polish grammar. Yet another level of detail can be found in the page on Polish morphology. Similar information is available on Wikipedia about the Portuguese language, its phonology, grammar and other aspects. It is only by considering in detail the various differences between the multiple aspects of each language (degree of inflection of nouns, adjectives, adverbs; tenses and moods of verbs, etc) that you might have any possibility of predicting your own individual difficulty in learning either of the two languages.
However, if instead of taking an individually tailored approach to the decision, you are willing to rely on generally available empirical evidence, you might consider the fact that the Foreign Service Institute (on the basis of its experience in training hundreds of people to speak foreign languages) rates Portuguese as a Category I language and rates Polish as a Category III language. What that classification means is that, for most native English speakers without specific prior foreign-language experience, it will require 600-750 hours of training to become a competent Portuguese speaker but it will require around 1100 hours of training to become a competent Polish speaker. | https://languagelearning.stackexchange.com/questions/5036/between-polish-and-portuguese-which-language-is-easier-to-learn-for-an-english/5038 |
Personal protective equipment (PPE)
Protecting the health and well-being of our staff and ensuring that they have access to the appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to protect themselves, children and families against transmission of COVID 19 while carrying out their work is of the utmost importance to the Council.
Practising good hand hygiene and social distancing are key to minimising the risk of infection. However, we recognise that for some areas of work this may not be sufficient to protect our staff/pupils so we have developed a clear policy to identify activities where we require school staff to wear PPE and also to clarify where PPE is not required. This has been produced in line with the latest government guidance and is therefore subject to review should national guidance change. This policy supersedes any guidance previously issued on the use of PPE by staff in Solihull state funded schools.
The policy can be found here. It is vital that every member of staff is aware of and understands the PPE policy.
In implementing this policy it is key that a dynamic risk assessment using professional judgement and infection control knowledge is used to decide on the appropriate level of PPE when working within close contact (within 2 metres) to ensure we protect the safety of the pupils and staff. We know how challenging working with children can be and do not underestimate this.
To ensure that we protect the most vulnerable, additional PPE is required for close personal contact with those that are part of the shielded population. If there is the potential to visit a household or be in close contact with a member of the shielded population this should form part of your service level risk assessment.
The Council currently has access to the necessary PPE to support staff and is in regular contact with the PPE supply chain in order to maintain the necessary levels required. PPE can be requested through your usual supply routes. In the event that the required PPE is not available staff should not put themselves at risk.
For PPE supplies where you are unable to access them through your usual supply chains, please email [email protected] . | https://www.solgrid.org.uk/education/education-improvement/health-and-wellbeing/medicines/intimate-care/personal-protective-equipment-ppe/ |
Tracy–Ann wears different caps, as she is also the Assistant Project Coordinator for the Jamaican Bi-literacy and Bible reading project. This project sensitizes persons across the island on the translation of the Bible into Jamaican Creole.
In 2008, she received a Japanese Government scholarship which allowed her to pursue a Masters degree in Sustainability Science at the University of Tokyo in Japan. Her research focused on Climate Change Vulnerability Assessments for operations along the Coastlines of Jamaica and Asia. While in Japan, she won the ‘Best Paper Award’ for her thesis research at the Asia Pacific Forum in Beppu, Japan in 2010.
Tracy-Ann has extensive work experience in Hotel and Tourism Management, Training & Development, Adult Literacy, Sales and Marketing, Market Research, Administration, Project & Environmental Management, Community Development, Health, Safety and Emergency Management. She has also received several awards, one of which includes the Jamaican Prime Minister’s Award for the preservation of the Natural Environment in June 2004.
Her current research interests focus on Vulnerability Methodologies and Adaptation Strategies for Small Island States in light of Climate Change. She is also a member of the Caribbean Academy of Sciences, Jamaica.
|Cherri-Ann Scarlett||Assistant Workshop Coordinator|
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Cherri-Ann is a Senior Scientific Officer in the Department of Physics. Her responsibilities include the preparation of laboratory equipment and manuals for the introductory and preliminary Physics laboratory exercises; as well as supervising laboratory staff. Previously she completed a MPhil programme where her focus was on investigating the temporal and spatial variability of lightning across Jamaica.
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As a member of the Climate Studies Group Mona and the Department of Physics Renewable Energy Group, she currently carries out research and special projects which examine renewable energy and climate change, and the points of intersection of these disciplines. This includes examining current and future trends in renewable resources, energy conservation and management.
She also has keen interest in Physics outreach to students at the secondary and primary levels, which influences her involvement in such outreach activities within the department. Additionally, her expertise in logistics and events management has made her involved in the planning and execution of several workshops and other functions both on and off campus.
|Rochelle Walters||Information Technologist|
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Rochelle Walters is currently studying the causes and patterns of drought in the Caribbean with emphasis on Jamaica. The project entails transformation of precipitation into an index (Standardized Precipitation Index) which picks out the extremes and allows for quick classification of droughts. After classifying the droughts, it then becomes simple to determine if there is a periodicity to droughts in the region and from there to determine the driving force behind the periodicity.
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This project is useful because it enables the authorities to determine the best practices for each year, depending on the influencing factors and not just on rainfall amounts. Thus the Water Resources Authority may know earlier on, if a drought in the near future is possible and can act on it, before it starts. It is adding to the body of research on drought, which in the Caribbean is under-studied.
|Rhodene Watson||Technical Manual Specialist|
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Rhodene Watson is currently an assistant lecturer for level 1 in the Department of Physics at the University of the West Indies Jamaica (UWI), since 2010. She also teaches Physics at Quality Academics, since 2008. She completed a Bachelors of Science degree and a Master of Science degree in Physics from UWI in 2006 and 2001 respectively.
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Her work experiences include being a Teaching Assistant and a laboratory demonstrator at UWI, as well as a teacher of physics at Mannings School in Jamaica. She has also been the Project Manager for "Telling the Stories'' Disseminating Caribbean Climate Change Science and Stories - funded by the Small Grants Program through the United Nations Development Program.
She has also authored and co-authored scientific publications.
|Kimberly Stephenson||Rapporteur|
|Kimberly Stephenson is currently undertaking a Master of Philosophy degree in climate physics, with a focus on the impacts of climate variability and change on terrestrial animal populations. Her background is in Environmental Physics and Zoology, in which she obtained a BSc double major in 2009. As a student researcher with the Climate Studies Group, Mona based in the Department of Physics, she has conducted research in the field of climate physics, including data analysis, co-authoring of UNFCCC national communications of four countries and organization of workshops, and assessment of the impact of sea level rise on the mangrove communities of Jamaica using DIVA (Dynamic and Interactive Vulnerability Assessment).|
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Her current research project seeks to project climate change impacts on arthropod and small reptile populations in the Jamaican dry forest of the Hellshire Hills. The Hellshire Hills is one of the best preserved dry forests in the Americas, and is home to a number of endemic species. However, due to the relatively harsh conditions of the habitat, populations are often sparse. This project will use population abundance data and weather data collected in the forest over time to formulate a model that can be used for projecting climate impacts on small ecological systems, particularly in cases in which the climate signal may be less dominant than other influences. The field of bioclimatic modelling is still developing and has not been used to identify the climate signal in Caribbean animal population change.
Ultimately, she would like to continue research in the combination of both zoology and climatology and to lecture in these fields as well. She also intends to use the skills gained to further cross-field studies of the impacts of climate variability on terrestrial and coastal animal populations, and ultimately to contribute to conservation of high risk species in biologically diverse regions.
|Dorlan Burrell||Workshop Assistant|
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Dorlan Burrell is currently the Climate Change Representative for ACDI/VOCA (an international NGO), who are implementing partners of the Marketing and Agriculture for Jamaica Improved Competitiveness (MAJIC) Project. Under his portfolio, Dorlan is responsible for informing MAJIC’s assessment of the effectiveness of piloted climate change adaptation measures in reducing disaster related risks. Prior to this appointment, Dorlan worked closely with Dr. Barbara Carby as the Technical Assistant at the Disaster Risk Reduction Centre (DRRC).
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Dorlan is quite passionate on the issue of Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and has recently completed his post-graduate degree in Disaster Management through the Natural Resource Management programme at the Institute of Sustainable Development, UWI Mona. Funding for the programme came from the Caribbean Catastrophe Risk Insurance Facility (CCRIF) in which Dorlan was a recipient. In completing this programme, his research thesis analyzed the impacts of hydro-meteorological hazards on crop production among small-scale farmers in Central Jamaica. This research focused on existing strategies and indigenous techniques being developed and employed by local farmers to cope with the adverse effects of climate-related hazards in relation to climate adaptation and risk reduction mechanism. Assistance for the research was made possible through the CARICOM/Brazil/FAO Disaster Risk Reduction Grant (2012).
In addition, Dorlan has a wealth of experience working in disaster risk reduction projects especially on agriculture and climate change. Dorlan has worked on an Oxfam GB funded project that was geared at providing a road map for the Jamaican agricultural sector based on local knowledge of farmers and future climate projections. A major component of the study was to estimate the effects of projected changes in the climate, for 2030, 2050 and 2100 while assessing the related risks for crop production in Jamaica using a number of probabilistic models such as ECOCROP and MAXENT. Due to his proven excellence in the field, Dorlan was later appointed Visiting Researcher at the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT) based in Colombia, where he underwent training in crop suitability modeling and basic remote sensing.
|Pietra Brown||Workshop Assistant|
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Pietra Brown graduated from the University of the West indies, in 2008 with a Bachelors of Social Science degree (honours) in International Relations. After that she worked for almost 3 years at the Jamaica Institute of Environmental Professionals, where she planned environmental events and performed administrative duties.
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She graduated in 2011 from the United Nations University for Peace in Costa Rica, where she received a Masters of Arts in Environmental Security and Governance, with a specialization in Climate Change. She studied various environmental issues, which ranged from studying international policy in environmental and climate change governance; climate justice, to field trips in forests where the Payment for Ecosystems Services (emissions reduction forest conservation program) were implemented. She has also done risk and vulnerability assessments of coastal and mountainous communities, to include the vulnerability of turtles in a local coastal community.
This was followed by a 3 month internship with the Mesoamerica and Caribbean offices in Costa Rica, of the IUCN (International Union for the Conservation of Nature) where Miss Brown did research and field interviews with farmers in Jamaica. This work involved encouraging the use of sustainable farming methods to address climate change and food security issues.
|Natalie McLean||Workshop Assistant|
|Natalie McLean is currently completing her third year in the M.Phil. programme at the UWI, Mona, focusing on future projections of climate extremes in the Caribbean. She attained her B.Sc. in Environmental Physics at the UWI, Mona in 2009. During her undergraduate studies, she completed courses in Geology and Mathematics, and working in the field of Atmospheric Physics has afforded her the opportunity to use all these areas in a multidisciplinary form. She has an avid interest in future climate change as these will impact every aspect of our lives, from economic to health. She is particularly interested in pursuing further studies in climate extremes directly, via the use of extreme value distributions and analyses, or indirectly by examining the influence of the climate on health or other socio-economic areas.|
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This study seeks to investigate changes in Caribbean climate extremes for 2071-2100 under the IPCC SRES A2 and B2 emission scenarios using output from the ECHAM-driven PRECIS regional model. The climate extremes examined include Consecutive Dry Days, Consecutive Wet Days, Heavy Precipitation Days, Cool Nights, and Warm Days. It also seeks to characterize the warming and drying trends forecasted for the Caribbean to the end of the century as manifested through climate extreme indices. Conclusions will then be made as to how these indices interact to validate the forecasted drying and warming trends expected in the Caribbean at the end of the century. Her goal is to work at an international climate research centre and/or become a university professor. | https://www.mona.uwi.edu/physics/ccworkshop/facilitators |
DRBC Frack Ban Vote - Feb 25
BREAKING! Ban on Fracking in Delaware River Watershed?
Fate to be decided in Historic Vote February 25
Join the DRBC public meeting Thursday, February 25, 10:30 am!
See how to join the meeting here: https://www.nj.gov/drbc/meetings/meeting_feb252021.html
The Delaware River Basin Commission (DRBC) has set a special meeting for Thursday Feb. 25 to decide if they are going to ban fracking in the Delaware River Watershed. The last minute announcement for a special meeting gave just one week’s notice saying they “will consider final action on DRBC’s Proposed Amendments to the Administrative Manual and Special Regulations Regarding Hydraulic Fracturing Activities”.
We have been calling for a final decision by DRBC to ban fracking, ban frack wastewater import and discharges within the watershed, and ban water withdrawals for fracking since they issued the draft gas regulations in November 2017. So this is FINALLY THE VOTE that could prevent fracking and its operations PERMANENTLY and FULLY in the Delaware River Watershed after over a decade of struggle to get this essential protection in place, making the current fracking moratorium permanent.
As most all of you know, the DRBC voting members are the Governors of the four states that flow to the Delaware – New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Delaware – and a federal representative for President Biden from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The draft gas regulations were issued for public comment on November 30, 2017 and the public comment period closed on March 30, 2018. The last three years have shown the public’s deep engagement on this issue with over 100,000 petitions submitted to the Governors calling for them to vote for a full ban and attendance by our Coalition organizations and the public at all the DRBC public meetings to ensure they were kept up to date as the hundreds of reports have been issued showing the devastation that occurs from fracking to people who live in harm’s way and to the environment and our water supplies.
PLEASE JOIN US to witness this historic vote that should, by all rights, provide a full ban, considering the pledges already made by the Governors to vote for a full ban on fracking, frack wastewater and water withdrawals for fracking and considering President Biden has pledged to decarbonize our energy sources and enact strong environmental and water regulations. They need to know WE ARE WATCHING so zoom or call in next Thursday: Instructions to join the meeting here: https://www.nj.gov/drbc/meetings/meeting_feb252021.html
THANK YOU and stay tuned for more social media tools on this site that you can use to bring others to the meeting and share how you feel about the upcoming vote! | https://delawareriverkeeper.org/node/6556 |
Welcome back to Constellation Friday! Today, in honor of the late and great Tammy Plotner, we will be dealing with the compass – the Circinus constellation!
In the 2nd century CE, Greek-Egyptian astronomer Claudius Ptolemaeus (aka. Ptolemy) compiled a list of all the then-known 48 constellations. This treatise, known as the Almagest, would be used by medieval European and Islamic scholars for over a thousand years to come, effectively becoming astrological and astronomical canon until the early Modern Age.
Over time, the number of recognized constellations has grown as astronomers and explorers became aware of other stars visible from other location around the world. By the 20th century, the IAU adopted a modern catalog of 88 Constellations. One of these is the Circinus constellation, a small, faint constellation located in the southern skies. It is bordered by the constellations Apus, Centaurus, Lupus, Musca, Norma, Triangulum Australe.
Name and Meaning:
Because Circinus was unknown to the ancient Greeks and Romans, it has no mythology associated with it. The three brightest stars form a narrow triangle. The shape is reminiscent of a drawing (or drafting) compass of the sort used to plot sea and sky charts. Nicolas Louis de Lacaille had a fascination with secular science and the thought of naming a constellation after a science tool fascinated him.
In this case, Circinus represents a drafting tool used in navigation, mathematics, technical drawing, engineering drawing, in cartography (drawing maps) – and which many elementary school age children use to learn to draw circles and in geometry to bi-sect lines, draw arcs and so forth. In this case, the device should not be confused with Pyxis, a constellation associated with a ship’s compass… despite the similarity in names with the Latin language!
History of Observation:
The small, faint southern constellation Circinus was created by Nicholas de Lacaille during his stay at the Cape of Good Hope in the mid-18th century. Circinus was given its current name in 1763, when Lacaille published an updated sky map with Latin names for the constellations he introduced.
On the map he created, Lacaille portrayed the constellations of Norma, Circinus, and Triangulum Australe as a set of draughtsman’s instruments – as a ruler, compass, and a surveyor’s level, respectively. This constellation has endured and became one of the 88 modern constellation recognized by the IAU in 1920.
Notable Features:
Circinus has no bright stars and consists of only 3 main stars and 9 Bayer/Flamsteed designated stars. However, the constellation does have several Deep Sky Objects associated with it. For instance, there’s the Circinus Galaxy, a spiral galaxy located approximately 13 million light years distant that was discovered in 1975. The galaxy is notable for the gas rings inside it, one of which is a massive star-forming region, and its black hole-powered core.
Then there’s the X-ray double star known as Circinus X-1, which is located approximately 30,700 light years away and was discovered in 1969. This system is composed of a neutron star orbiting a main sequence star. Circinus is also home to the bright planetary nebula known as NGC 5315, which was created when a star went supernova and cast off its outer layers into space.
Then there’s NGC 5823 (aka. Caldwell 88), an open cluster located on the border between Circinus and Lupus. Located about 3,500 light years away, this cluster is about 800 million years old and spans about 12 light years.
Finding Circinus:
Circinus is visible at latitudes between +10° and -90° and is best seen at culmination during the month of June. Start by taking out your binoculars for a look at Alpha Circini – a great visual double star. Located about 53.5 light years from Earth, this stellar pair isn’t physically related but does make a unique target. The brighter of the two, Alpha, is a F1 Bright Yellow Dwarf that is a slight variable star. This contrasts very nicely with the fainter, red companion.
For the telescope, take a look at Gamma Circini – a faint star a little over five hundred light years from the Solar System. In the sky, it lies in the Milky Way, between bright Alpha Centauri and the Southern Triangle. Gamma Circini is a binary system, containing a blue giant star with a yellow, F-type, companion. Gamma is unique because it possess a stellar magnetic buoyancy!
For larger binoculars and telescopes, have a look at galactic star cluster NGC 5823 (RA 15 : 05.7 Dec -55 : 36). This dim cluster will appear to have several brighter members which are actually foreground stars, but does include Mira-type variable Y Circini. While it will be hard to distinguish from the rich, Milky Way star fields, you will notice an elliptical shaped compression of stars with an asterism which resembles and open umbrella.
For large telescopes, check out ESO 97-G13 – the “Circinus Galaxy”. Located only 4 degrees below the Galactic plane, and 13 million light-years away (RA 14h 13m 9.9s Dec 65° 20? 21?), this Seyfert Galaxy is undergoing tumultuous changes, as rings of gas are being ejected from the galactic core. While it can be spotted in a small telescope, science didn’t notice it until 25 years ago!
We have written many interesting articles about the constellation here at Universe Today. Here is What Are The Constellations?, What Is The Zodiac?, and Zodiac Signs And Their Dates.
Be sure to check out The Messier Catalog while you’re at it!
For more information, check out the IAUs list of Constellations, and the Students for the Exploration and Development of Space page on Canes Venatici and Constellation Families.
Sources: | https://www.universetoday.com/tag/nicholas-lacaille/ |
15 books for 4 weeks (return after 2 weeks if recalled by NMSU student, staff or faculty member); can renew if no one else has requested item (Crimson and Centennial Scholars’ 25 books for semester loan; return after 2 weeks if recalled by NMSU student, staff or faculty member).
Renew Current Items
Still have need time with your books? To have your due date extended simply click on the link here. You will be asked to log in to your MyNMSU account, so have that information ready. If you need further assistance come into the library or view our Library guide. Limit 1 Renewal per item.
Interlibrary Loan
Books not owned by the campus library can frequently be borrowed from another library (ILL Book Request); occasionally, the library can obtain a photocopy of a periodical article from another library (ILL Article Request). Please allow two weeks from date of request to receipt of item. To learn how to request books using Primo please visit our Library guide.
Reserve Materials
Materials placed on Reserve for NMSU Grants classes are available for 2-hour, in-library use.
Math DVDs
DVDs accompanying math textbooks are available for check out; 3 DVDs maximum for 3 days.
Use the Library Computers
The library provides computers and Internet access in support of the educational mission of the college. These workstations are equipped for Internet access, online research databases, Microsoft Office applications including Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Publisher.
NMSU students have priority use at all times. The adult general public is welcome to use the library’s four designated public/student computers when they are not needed by NMSU students.
All users must be 18 years of age or older to use the computers (except dual credit students). Users between the ages of 14 and 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. All users should be prepared to present a valid I. D. card of one of the following forms: NMSU student I. D. card, Mother Whiteside Library card (must be a registered by the NMSU Library*), NMSU Grants Library card (must be a registered patron*), or Adult Education/GED student identification.
(Exceptions to these guidelines may be granted at the discretion of the library staff. These policies and guidelines are subject to continuous review and modification as deemed appropriate).
Research needs always take priority over recreational use by all users (e.g., chatting, game playing, “net surfing”, etc.).
Internet users will not engage in illegal activity that might threaten local networks, databases, or network security. This includes downloading or printing copyrighted material that is not in the public domain (such as music, song lyrics, images, etc.). Online gambling using the Library computers is not permitted.
Network users will abide by generally accepted network standards that include courtesy and respect for other individuals and their right to privacy.
NMSU Grants will not be held liable for any damage to a user’s disk or computers, or for any loss of data, damage, or negative consequences that may occur as a result of the use of the library’s computer equipment, online services, or Internet connection.
Copying and Printing
Pricing
8 ½ ” x 11″ | 8 ½ ” x 14″
Black & White : 9¢ per page
Color : 16¢ per page
11 ” x 17″
Black & White : 14¢ per page
Color : 29¢ per page
PaperCut Payment Options
User will need to go the Business Office so an account can be created. Debit, Credit, or Cash are acceptable payment options.
Other Library Services
Instruction Session/Tour
The Library is happy to provide students with instruction on use of the Library, databases, and general research. These services are offered on an appointment basis. Please contact the Librarian at 287-6639 to schedule an appointment.
Faculty members may request a library instruction session or library tour for an introduction to resources, services, etc. by contacting the librarian at 287-6639, by email: [email protected], or by completing an Instruction Session/Tour Request Form. Please make requests at least one week in advance of session date.
Reference Consultation
Students and faculty members who would like in-depth assistance with library resources, research strategies or services may request an individual consultation with the librarian by appointment.
Purchase Recommendation
Faculty members are encouraged to submit purchase recommendations for books, periodical subscriptions, videos and online resources to the librarian.
Community Patron Borrower’s Policy
To borrow library materials, community patrons of Cibola County must register for an NMSU Grants Library card. Registrations are not issued electronically.
To register for a borrower’s card, you must be present in the library and:
- Complete and sign the Community Patrons Application.
- Be 18 years or older
- Present a valid New Mexico I. D or other official I.D. showing residency in Cibola County.
- Provide documentation to confirm Cibola County residency such as a check with local address imprinted, driver’s license, or utility bill.
Upon registration, borrower’s cards are mailed to the address on the registration form. Borrowers are to return the card in person to NMSU-Grants Library for validation. Borrower’s cards are not issued on site as address verification for a New Mexico driver’s license.
To borrow materials, patrons must present a valid NMSU Grants Library card, or/and I.D. card of one of the following forms: NMSU student I. D. card,, or Adult Education/GED student identification, valid state or federal ID card, and must be a registered patron with the NMSU Grants Library.
Community patrons may check out up to five books for four weeks and books can be renewed for an additional four weeks if no one else has requested the book.
Community members may also use the internet computers. The computer use policy must be followed.
Library staff members are happy to assist members of the local community as time permits.
Staff members can not provide legal, medical, or tax advice or interpretation. They also do not assist community users with typing, resume’ preparation, or proofreading letters, etc. | http://grants.nmsu.edu/library/library-services/ |
Where did civilization first develop?
Where did the first civilizations develop?
The earliest civilizations developed in regions where agriculturewas practiced. The first civilizations emerged in the fertilecrescent region of Mesopotamia with the rise of the Sumerianpeoples in the 4th millennium BCE.
Explain the role of rivers in the development of the first civilization.?
The role of rivers in the development of the first civilizationwere seen in various ways. They helped in the fertility of thesoils for growing crops and were also used for purposes oftransportation using boats and canoes.
Why did the first civilization developed in river valleys?
The first civilizations were developed in river valleys because there was plenty of water, and they could see their enemies coming up from the side of the valley.
When did the first civilization develop in mesopotamia?
Explain why the first civilizations all developed in river valleys?
The land in river valleys is very fertile. It is easier to herd animals when the land is flat. Water is a very essential thing for humans and before wells it was easiest to get it from rivers. Water can provide power, and assist trade.and also the river gives us food like fish etc.
Explane why the first civilizations all developed in river valleys?
Because, Animals go down there to drink, which is a source of food. You need water to live. Also good soil and trees, use the trees for your fire and homes, use soil to grow crops and spring flooding makes the water good for crops.
Why did civilization first develop in the Fertile Crescent?
the rivers of the crescent-shaped region helped to make it one of the best places in southwest Asia for growing crops. Also, the reason being is that the Fertile Crescent rich in natural resources.
How did the first civilizations develop?
Which civilization was the first to develop a monotheistic religion?
How did the monsoons affect the development of India's first civilization?
WHERE DID the first great river valley civilizations develop?
Where did the worlds first civilization develop?
The earliest known civilizations developed in Mesopotamia, alongthe banks of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. This is why theregion is sometimes referred to as the "Cradle of Civilization."
What geographic characteristic most directly contributed to the development of the first civilization?
What economic social and geographic factors led to the development of the first civilizations?
well honestly i'm trying to figure this out and nothing on the internet shows me.
The olympic games was first developed by which civilization?
The ancient Greeks, particularly the Spartans and Athenians, developed the Olympic games out of the practice of competing just for the fun and challenge of competing.
The region in mesopotamia where the first civilization developed is callede?
The Fertile Crescent is the Mesopotamian region where the firstcivilization developed. It is popularly known as the Cradle ofCivilization.
Where was the first civilization developed?
It is believed that the first civilization was Mesopotamia. It islocated between the river Tigris and Euphrates in Iraq.
Why did the first citys and civilization develop in mesopotamia?
Why was civilization first developed along the river valleys?
Along rivers, those civilizations can farm better because of rich fertile soil, good sources of water to use for daily needs.
Were the hebrews the first civilization to develop the practice of polytheism?
The Hebrews did not develop the practice of polytheism. Polytheism was practiced by other nations.
Why did the worlds first civilizations all develop in river valleys?
Why did the world's first civilizations all develop in river valleys?
What first ability allowed early civilizations to develop in Mesopotamia?
the ability to farm (great soil due to floods) and travel (river+boat=....) between the two rivers.
Why did the first civilizations develop around river valleys?
It is quite difficult to carry water, which is obviously a necessity. This being true, is would be much more convenient to love next to a year round water source.
What characterized the world's first civilizations and where did they develop?
art, goverment and culture is what characterizes a civilization, they developed in the fertile cresent [the land between the two rivers].
What civilization first developed civil service system?
The Chinese civilisation was the first to have a civil service where joining it was open to anyone who could pass the entrance examination. As such it was the first modern civil service system.
Why was the world's first civilization developed in Mesopotamia?
Who developed the first civilization in the Fertile Crescent?
The Sumerians , because Sumeria was the first true civilization on planet Earth. It developed in Mesopotamia, and the people who created this first civilization are known as the Sumerians.
How did Islam civilization first develop?
This first began in the city of Makkah. There was a prophet named muhammad and he developed the Islam civilization.
When did the worlds first civilizations develop?
Well, the first civilization was Mesopotamia and there was the " Stone Age " and the " New Stone Age ". They created fire in the Stone age and this made many more things possible like, light, preservation, protection, cooking, and warmth.
What is the area where some of the world's first civilizations developed?
The Sumerians created the worlds earliest and first civilizationsin Mesopotamia, which more or less is present-day Iraq. | https://www.answers.com/Q/Where_did_civilization_first_develop |
The Lagos Business School Sustainability Centre (LBSSC), IHS (Nigeria) Limited and the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Africa are set to hold the annual (virtual) International Sustainability Conference (ISC) on Friday, November 18th, 2022. In preparation for the annual forum, LBSSC hosted an in-person stakeholders meeting themed “The Role of the Private Sector in Building Resilient Systems”.
The impact of climate change, economic volatility, COVID-19 Pandemic, rising levels of poverty, and humanitarian crises, have revealed vulnerabilities in essential systems. From food supply and energy to healthcare and transportation infrastructure, there have been unprecedented negative impacts on the value and supply chains on which society depends. These are all realities in the Nigerian business environment today. The shocks hit hard on businesses, but by applying ‘sustainability’ thinking and actions, private sector organisations can drive solutions that will have a positive impact on society, value chains, staff, customers and their business performance as well.
The Stakeholders were welcomed by Mrs Oreva Atanya, Head, Sustainability, Lagos Business School (LBS) and Douglas Kativu, Director, Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Mrs Atanya emphasised LBS’s goal to support the private sector organisations to be more sustainable internally and in terms of their external footprints. “We hope businesses take the learnings from this meeting to re-evaluate and improve their approach to sustainability and CSR in a way that creates more positive impact for the society, their stakeholders and shareholders as well”.
Speaking on harnessing the potential of sustainability reporting in building resilient systems, Mr Kativu stressed the need for businesses to move past a culture of compliance to driving long-term change. He also appreciated the role of LBS in developing leaders to drive sustainable businesses in Africa.
Delivering the special remarks on behalf of IHS (Nigeria) Limited, Cima Sholotan, Director, Sustainability and Corporate Communications, encouraged the attendees to move past problems into action. In her speech, she said “We need to think bigger and long term. From an approach to stave off hunger to effective end to end value chain solutions that also provides much needed services to vulnerable population. We need to see resilience as a win-win outcome for businesses and other stakeholders to pursue together.” The meeting, which drew sustainability professionals and important stakeholders, also included informative speed talks and interactive sessions on Sustainability Disclosure and Food Security in Nigeria.
Delivering the session ‘Sustainability Disclosures in Nigeria’, Tinuade Awe, CEO of NGX Regulation, highlighted the significance of embedding sustainability into fundamental business operations in Nigeria. According to her, since the sustainability guidelines went into effect in 2018, businesses in Nigeria have struggled to implement sustainability regulating principles. Although the adoption rate remains low at 10%, the private sector has made some headway in implementing sustainable guiding concepts over the years.
Leading the second conversation on food security, Opeyemi Famakinde, Value Chain Adviser at GIZ’s Nigeria Competitiveness Project (NICOP) in her presentation themed ‘Answering Nigeria’s Food Security’ said that NICOP has focused on large, medium, and small-scale businesses. There is also a focus on strengthening farmers’ and buyers’ relationship and ease of access. She underlined the role of building resilient food systems and addressing the food security challenges in Nigeria. | https://momentumcsr.com/lbs-sustainability-centre-along-with-ihs-nigeria-and-gri-africa-host-forum-on-private-sector-actions-towards-resilient-systems-for-sustainable-development-in-nigeria/ |
Arts & Sciences Biological Sciences
Majors in Biological Sciences will be able to:
- Demonstrate mastery of the concepts, principles and knowledge for following subdisciplines: cell biology, organismal biology, genetics, ecology and evolution.
- Use scientific methods and knowledge of the natural and physical world to address biological problems through inquiry, experimentation, interpretation, analysis, and the making of inferences from data, to determine whether conclusions or solutions are reasonable.
- Acquire a more in depth knowledge of in a subdiscipline area by generating a scholarly product that requires broad knowledge, appropriate technical proficiency, information collection, synthesis, interpretation, presentation, and reflection, and is representative of a typical scholarly product for the subdiscipline. | https://bulletin.unl.edu/undergraduate/major/Biological+Sciences/outcomes |
The Chief Program Officer will manage our team towards ambitious student development and achievement through the cultivation and growth of a leadership force in education at the staff, classroom, and school levels. You will set the vision and direction for our program strategy to align with the new organization wide strategic direction, while leading unparalleled engagement with our school, district, and community organizations to activate our community of nearly 60 corps members and 825+ alumni in advancing education equity. This role will report directly to the TFA-Twin Cities Executive Director.
You are a central leader on the regional team and are at the forefront of improving the state of education in Minnesota, impacting the future of thousands of children in the Twin Cities Metro and surrounding communities. You will create the vision for and manage a team responsible for the instructional and leadership development experience of corps members, alumni teachers, other school based alumni, and alumni school leaders. This will drive our region’s overall strategy for engagement and will position our region to make considerable progress in ensuring that twice as many students in our community are reaching key educational milestones.
You will manage a diverse team, which currently includes three managers of Teacher Leadership Development. You enjoy building relationships with, understanding, and supporting all of our stakeholders, from corps members, alumni teachers and school leaders. You will approach your work from a student and school perspective to understand and engage the total Teach For America instructional and leadership community across the region. Through collaborative vision setting, you will drive a leadership development and community building experience that accelerates the skills and leadership of corps members and alumni.
You will lead the team in engaging and activating our network of corps members, alumni, and other key stakeholders in service of a unified vision and strategy for advancing educational outcomes for students. You will integrate the Theory of Leadership Development and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusiveness into all programming. Included in the program continuum will be:
- Teacher Recruitment and Matriculation
- Teacher Placement
- Teacher Preparation, Licensures, and Certification
- Teacher Support & Development
- District & School Partnerships
- Alumni Teacher and School Leadership Development Initiatives
In addition to programmatic work through the entire continuum (pre-corps through alumnihood), you will ensure collaboration, alignment, and progress toward all regional priorities and work closely with the ED and regional leadership team to enhance regional team culture, philanthropy, financial sustainability, and community impact awareness. In collaboration with the ED, you will monitor the broader state of teaching, learning, education, and justice across the Twin Cities Metro area, share the challenges and successes, and ensure we are responsive to the needs of students in our community.
As the Chief Program Officer, you will be responsible for the following:
Oversee program strategy, implementation, and innovation (30%)
- Shape the vision and strategy for how the Twin Cities Program Continuum and Partnership team will increase educational outcomes for students in our community through transformational coaching, professional development, and support of our team members, corps members, and alumni.
- Establish clear systems for setting benchmarks and measuring outcomes; chart student achievement in the region to maximize and support communication of our impact in the short and long-term, and evolve our plans as necessary given changes in the environment and/or results from impact assessments and other evaluative tools and practices
- Set vision for alumni development and facilitate team design and execution of alumni-facing development and program experiences, including alumni coaching, alumni content leadership for corps member professional development, and new initiatives or programs related to professional development of alumni educators, school leaders, and cross-sector system leaders
- Consistently assess state of corps and alumni instructional effectiveness and leadership development, including work with diversity, equity, and inclusiveness, and lead team in adjusting course accordingly
- Leverage support from TFA national, consultants and partners, to advance coaching practice of regional team to inform effective strategies for corps and alumni teacher and school leader development that will improve student outcomes and accelerate school transformation
- Lead as an active member in a national network of regional heads of program to leverage resources and best practices as well as shape perspective and drive enterprise learning and impact
Manage and develop Program Continuum & Partnership team as a skilled manager & culture leader (30%)
- Hire, train, develop and manage a diverse and inclusive team to execute the strategy to achieve results in holistic student achievement, corps member leadership development, corps culture and experience
- Create, experience, and contribute to a culture that is uplifting, energy-giving, sustaining, challenging, rigorous, loving, communal and student achievement-oriented, and that encourages every member to step into their full power and take on publicly growing pedagogical and leadership skills to bring about change for students
- Integrate multiple, competing priorities across the breadth of the programmatic enterprise to ensure a clear and coherent member experience
- Provide clear expectations, energizing goals, and ongoing feedback and coaching for all program staff to thrive in their roles and make choices aligned to transforming the current reality for students, teachers, and leaders.
- Foster an inspiring and inclusive team culture grounded in Teach For America’s core values
Develop, execute, and evaluate the impact of school, district, and community partnerships (15%)
- Develop a school, district, and community partnership strategy that includes guiding principles for partnership engagement and establishes goals, metrics, and milestones for evaluating partnership impact
- Implement team-based portfolio management of new and existing school relationships with the end result of clustering corps members and alumni in schools and neighborhoods and increasing partnerships between principals, senior school leaders, and Teach For America
- Design and manage team-based relationship cultivation and stewardship process for portfolio of external organizations, including parents and families, with the end goal of building stronger awareness of Teach For America and increasing student achievement in our focus neighborhoods
- Collaborate with district and charter school human resources teams to design strategic, efficient, and effective corps member and alumni placement mechanisms
Manage regional teacher licensure and certification process and key partners (15%)
- Collaborate with ED, regional team, and consultant(s) to set the near term and long-term strategy of the region’s certification and licensing partnerships program
- Leverage programmatic expertise and best practices from research, regional team, national colleagues, and other thought leaders to ensure that university partners and other professional development providers deliver a streamlined, equitable corps member and alumni professional development experience
- Research, innovate and rebuild a transformative and sustainable alternative certification pathway and partnerships for incoming corps members
- Launch and implement alternative certification partnerships for special education, elementary, and other certification areas as determined while integrating any needed enhancements into programming, training, and coaching in compliance with state standards
Regional Responsibilities (10%):
- Manage portfolio of alumni relationships to steward engagement, connectivity, and advance regional alumni strategy.
- Partner with Executive Director and Development team to advance regional philanthropy and financial sustainability. | https://nationalnonprofits.org/nonprofit-jobs/job/minneapolis-mn-usa/chief-program-officer/teach-america |
Editor’s note: To protect people’s privacy, all names in this story have been changed except for those of the three academics quoted.
When I moved to Asheville in 2013, I didn’t know a soul.
Hoping to make friends but not really knowing my way around, I aimlessly wandered downtown at dusk, vaguely intending to just waltz into bars and maybe make a new acquaintance or two.
As I walked around, feeling increasingly anxious, I repeatedly checked Yelp on my phone, looking for prospective stops. Do I want to meet people here? Or here? What would the people be like here?
At Random Asheville Bar No. 1, most were deep in conversation. Rings of bodies — drinks in hand, backs to me — laughing loudly at a friend’s joke, their voices blending into an indistinguishable static.
It’s not socially acceptable to just approach a group of people midconversation and introduce yourself, so I scanned the bar, seeking someone unaccompanied. Not one. Meanwhile, some in the clusters scrolled through messages on phone screens, faces illuminated by white light.
Clearly, the overall approach to dating and relationships has changed wildly in the last century or so — and more recent advancements in technology and gender equality have only accelerated the shift. At the same time, though, smartphones and dating apps didn’t invent the mating game. So, digging below the surface, how much has really changed in the eternal quest for love and romance?
Backing out of the bar, I wound up in a quiet coffee shop — alone, on my phone, texting with friends back home. I was only trying to make friends that evening, not find a date. But the boundaries can get blurry, and in any case, the underlying question remains: How do adults connect these days?
Life after college
“In college, it’s so much easier to meet people,” says Felix Dunning, 29. “You’re all in a shared experience: You have a shared interest in the place where you’re residing, where you’re learning. And as soon as you get out of college it’s like, ‘I have to go somewhere and meet people?’ So trying to figure out ways to interact with new potential partners became much more difficult.”
On top of that, says Ashley Hart, 27, “It’s really hard to meet people out and about, which is weird because Asheville’s such a friendly place. It’s not that I didn’t try; it’s just, I look around in bars and in restaurants and pretty much anywhere I go, and nobody looks up and connects anymore. They’re always on their phones — always texting their friend or seeing where their friends are. There’s like this total disconnect from the social realm.
“I don’t think a lot of people give themselves the opportunity to meet people outside their social groups,” continues Hart. “It’s so easy to be connected to just those people. When I look around and see everyone on their phones, it kind of amazes me. We’re all here; there’s music and drinks. We should all be mingling and hanging out.”
Currents of change
“Did the Internet create this, or was it just a natural product of our changing culture?” asks sociologist Marilyn Chamberlin, who teaches courses focusing on family and relationships at Western Carolina University. “My opinion is that it was something that happened simultaneously. I think we had a lot of changes going on, and the Internet came along at the same time and provided a tool to support those changes.”
Let’s rewind back to early 1900s America: “In certain classes, especially middle and upper class, the family controlled who you got to date,” continues Chamberlin. “There was a whole courtship process.”
Around midcentury, however, “It moved more toward open choice, where people would date who they were interested in. Usually, you were dating people you went to school or to church with, or who were living in your neighborhood. … People were getting married in their early 20s. Family was still fairly important, but it shifted to personal preference.”
And later still, as more women went to work outside the home, those traditional patterns “kind of faded out,” says Chamberlin. Instead, “You’ve got workplace colleagues and friends, making all these connections and introducing yourself to everyone.
“One of the things about, say, the 1960s is that dating, at that point, was still fairly structured,” she notes. “For a person that was younger, the expectation was that you would get married. Dating had a purpose, and that purpose was getting married. Once divorce rates increased, that presented a different kind of challenge.”
Today, says Chamberlin, the average marrying age for women is 28 — the highest it’s ever been — and 29 for men. In the 1950s, on the other hand, those numbers were 20 and 22, respectively. And in the 21st century, both women and men tend to focus more on their careers, their lives, their personal adventures, and less on starting a family at a young age.
“Now, dating is for companionship, for having people that you can go and do things with, for a sexual relationship you deem safe. The purpose of dating changed, and as a result, the market shifted in terms of who’s available,” Chamberlin explains.
Still, how do you meet interesting people when you’re out of school, stuck in a cubicle from 9 to 5, and perhaps not attending any church?
Instant access
Enter the dating app, which enables you to safely and anonymously browse, from wherever you happen to be, a seemingly endless supply of locals looking to chat up, meet up and/or hook up.
“It almost seems too obvious to mention, but we’ve become so dependent on digital technology — it’s so firmly embedded in our lives,” says Peter Nieckarz, a sociology professor at Western, who teaches courses on pop culture and social change. “Twenty years ago, this wasn’t the case; this has happened really quickly. And when we think about the interactions we have with people — friends, family, acquaintances — if we were to add up the interactions we have face to face versus online, the ratio is growing tremendously in favor of online interactions. So it only makes sense that more and more of our experiences with dating will move to online.”
What makes those apps viable, however, is not just the Internet but the conjunction of a number of technologies, including smartphones, Wi-Fi and GPS. And while dating sites like Match.com launched before the rise of social media, the advent of sites like Facebook and Myspace — where users meet and interact via the Internet for a variety of purposes — helped dissolve the social stigma that initially surrounded online dating. If you doubt this, try downloading Tinder and see how many users are within 5 miles of wherever you happen to be.
“When I first started using these apps, I felt a bit embarrassed about it, but now I am shameless,” jokes Sarah Hausman, 25. “I started using Tinder after a breakup from a five-year relationship. I just wanted to see who all was out there and maybe get a little pick-me-up ego boost. But now, being single for over two years, I still have this app on my phone.”
Hausman says she’s met “a pretty high number of people from the Tinder app. My intentions when meeting people ranged from a potential hookup to a new friend — or maybe, if I’m being honest, just something to make my day a little more interesting.
“I went through a phase where I would see how many dates I could get in a week, with no intention of hooking up — or even developing a friendship with these people,” she reveals. “There is word on the street that Tinder is the hookup app, and sometimes people are expecting that. But for me, it’s usually discussed beforehand what type of expectations I have for a date.”
Special interests
Lori Horvitz, director of UNC Asheville’s Women, Gender and Sexuality Studies program, says she went straight to the source in an attempt to deconstruct the current scene. “I was actually asking my students what they thought the pros and cons are of dating in the Internet Age,” she reveals. “Some said it’s easier for people to be flaky, and there’s a big emphasis on physical appearance. But others said it’s very empowering, especially for the queer community. In rural North Carolina, it’s difficult to meet people — and when you do, it’s very liberating.
“Before Internet dating, people had to meet each other in bars — and if you lived in a small town, you’d have to go to a small-town bar. So your chance of meeting alcoholics was greater,” she jokes.
But kidding aside, she continues, Internet dating enables members of the rural LGBT community to meet like-minded people and “not feel as isolated or alone. It’s sort of like the world is opened up.”
Brave new world
Not everyone who’s trying to find a date is in their 20s or 30s, though, and older singles may face a somewhat different set of challenges when reconnecting with the dating scene.
Jack Peppard, 66, married out of high school, divorced and then remarried in his early 30s. After his wife died in 2012, Peppard once again re-entered the dating world — this time using a combination of apps, dating sites and, occasionally, getting set up by friends.
“It’s nice to have somebody that you care about,” he observes. “I’m on dating apps because I’m new to the area: I don’t know anybody. And, well, because I might be wanting to spend my life, or at least my time, with somebody else.”
But dating in your 60s is different, he maintains. “The last time I dated was 30 years ago. I did not have to get on a dating site; I met a lot of people through friends: Somebody would hook you up on a blind date. Nowadays, it’s hard to find that person. They’ve either been divorced two, three times or are widowed — and at this age, everyone has a lot of baggage.” On top of that, Peppard continues, “All my friends are now married couples who hang out with other married couples.”
Chamberlin agrees that for older folks, “It is definitely more challenging: It’s a bin market. There’s just not a lot of options available to you.”
Still, the Internet definitely makes it easier for a single 66-year-old to connect with others in the same age group.
“There’s millions of dollars being made trying to provide matches for people … and an explosion of sites to meet people, with specialties by age, by interest or sexuality, or for divorced or widowed people,” she points out. “If they can specialize on that level, it indicates that this has really become very popular.”
Age-old issues
Meanwhile, continues Chamberlin, for young and old alike, “Dating has become more competitive. It used to be that you weighed people based on characteristics that you liked and didn’t like.”
On the Internet, however, “All the relationships we have are presentations of how we want people to see us,” she points out. “What do I want this person to know about me? What do I want them not to know about me? They’re presenting themselves as this perfect person, but what’s behind that presentation?”
Self-promotion and outright deception didn’t begin with the Internet, however.
“There’s a lot of showmanship online,” Nieckarz concedes. “But you know what? People always did this. Even in the old days, you go on a date, you’re going to put your best self forward. People have always wanted to manage the impressions that others have of them, and we’ve gotten really good at it with the Internet, because it’s so easy with Facebook and other forms of social media: You have greater control over molding the image you’re projecting.”
Hausman, for one, says she loves Tinder “horror stories” — provided, of course, that no one was hurt or sexually assaulted, but where the principals were just so wildly incompatible. “My worst Tinder experience was a lunch date, and the person was so annoying, in an arrogant way, that I wanted to leave as soon as I sat down. They spoke over me and didn’t let me get a single word in — and then proceeded to tell me how cute it was that I was ‘so shy.’ I immediately got the bill. They offered to walk me to my car and then leaned in for a kiss! I was so taken aback at how oblivious they were.”
This, too, is an experience that may be familiar to people who have gone on a bunch of “blind dates,” regardless of how they got set up. But because the Internet can instantly connect you with innumerable people you might otherwise never meet, it may increase the potential for extreme mismatches.
Pretty as a picture
And despite such bumps in the road, notes Hausman, “I love the concept of dating apps and online dating. … I think people are probably delighted that there’s an easy way to break the ice and get the hard part over with: Do they think I’m cute? Matching with people definitely takes away certain anxieties.” But the fast-paced nature of online interactions, she continues, “also has the potential to create new anxieties that may have not existed before.”
In the online world, Chamberlin observes, “You rely on that instantaneous reaction, and that increases the feeling that everything is centered on you. It’s quick and it’s easy, but at the same time, you kind of leave people hanging. It’s nice to know instantly what someone is thinking of you, but if they don’t answer right away, you think, ‘What does this mean? I haven’t heard from them in two days!’ It can increase the anxiety and the self-centeredness of it all.”
And of course, on picture-heavy dating sites, everyone is judged by the photos they post.
“It becomes problematic if that’s the sole way we’re classifying people,” says Chamberlin. “If you were sitting next to someone in class all the time, you might think that, physically, they’re only OK, but they’re funny and they make interesting comments in class. And you think, ‘Oh, I want to meet that person and get to know them more.’ If all you’re seeing is a picture, it’s a little more shallow.”
“Oh, God, it’s so shallow,” echoes Hart. “We can so easily just filter through all these people — left, right, left, right — without ever stopping and looking at this person and saying, ‘Maybe he’s a very nice person. Maybe he’s superfunny or attractive in other ways. So I think it’s like everyone is subconsciously judging people just based on their looks — looking at someone for a second and deciding whether or not they’re worthy of your time.”
At one point, she notes, “I deleted my Tinder and my Facebook too. I just felt like I was getting bombarded with all of this superficial crap.” A few months later, though, Hart caved and downloaded OkCupid.
“I thought maybe the people there were seeking a deeper connection,” she explains. “But there’s this thing called ‘quick match’ on OkCupid, and you’re doing the same thing — swiping left and right. It’s just so easy and almost like an addiction to keep swiping, keep swiping, keep swiping.”
Face to face
Despite dating apps’ growing popularity, though, most folks interviewed for this article said they still prefer to meet people the old-fashioned way, keeping Tinder, OkCupid and the like as a fallback.
“I think it’s a lot more fruitful to meet people face to face,” notes Dunning. “I have not had much luck using online dating. I’ve used Tinder and OkCupid: I’ve been on a number of first dates but never met any people I was terribly interested in seeing again.” He’d rather “meet friends of friends that you might have something in common with.”
As for simply venturing out and trying to pick someone up, continues Dunning, “I don’t want to go hit on a woman in a bar.” A much better strategy, he believes, is “going somewhere where you’re actually interested in what’s going on, and finding someone you’re like-minded with.”
To that end, a visit to Meetup.com turns up more than 100 Asheville-area groups centered on a particular shared interest.
Even so, though, “It sure would be handy if women would initiate contact more often, or give some sort of indicator that they might be interested. I think one of the biggest turnoffs is when they play hard-to-get. … When I do try to initiate contact, sometimes I get the vibe that they think I’m a serial killer just for trying to talk to them. It would be cool if people would just smile and provide that opening.”
Asheville Speed Dating offers a way around that, scheduling regular gatherings for single people in a specified age range. Participants get seven-minute “dates” with all the potential connections present, and no contact info is exchanged unless both parties subsequently say they’re interested.
But Dunning also cites another sign of the times that may conflict with that idea. “I run into a lot of women in this city that say they’re more interested in an open relationship or friends-with-benefits situation. And I know a lot of women who are put off by the idea of marriage. I feel like that’s probably common in major urban hubs, but I have sort of conflicting feelings about it. … Call me old-school, but I prefer having a shared intimacy with one person.”
The more things change…
Of course, the idea of open relationships isn’t new either. | https://mountainx.com/news/digital-love-dating-in-the-internet-age/ |
Short description of Grotthuss Boutique Hotel
Grotthuss Boutique Hotel is a small hotel located in the heart of Vilnius’ Old Town. It offers rooms with a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, a minibar and Wi-Fi at surcharge. Private parking is available.
The rooms of the Grotthuss feature a stylish and traditional interior design that fits the hotel’s historic roots. All have a safe, a flat-screen TV, a minibar and a private bathroom with a bath, shower and a hairdryer.
All rooms are equipped with a variety of original features, such as ceiling decoration and paintings by Lithuanian painters. Guests receive a bowl of fresh fruit upon arrival.
The Town Hall is only 350 metres from the hotel, and the Gate of Dawn is within 650 metres. Vilnius’s main railway station is 800 metres away.
The La Pergola Restaurant is located in the winter garden. It offers a wide range of high-quality Italian, Spanish and French wines and gourmet dishes. In the mornings a breakfast buffet is available. | http://www.hros.net/hotel/lt/grotthusshotel.en.html |
Family studies have consistently demonstrated that many children of alcoholics (COA's) exhibit a wide range of characteristics associated with their parents' alcoholism.[1](#fn1-arhw-21-3-210){ref-type="fn"} For example, compared with children of nonalcoholics (non-COA's), COA's are more likely to be alcoholic themselves ([@b7-arhw-21-3-210]) and to have other behavioral and psychiatric problems ([@b19-arhw-21-3-210]; [@b17-arhw-21-3-210]). Moreover, COA's frequently show more extreme manifestations than do non-COA's of the temperament characteristics associated with an increased risk for alcoholism (e.g., behavioral disinhibition and negative emotionality) ([@b16-arhw-21-3-210]). Although the prognostic significance of parental alcoholism on COA functioning is undisputed, researchers do not yet fully understand the causes and mechanisms underlying these parent-offspring correlations.
Any behavioral resemblance among members of an intact nuclear family (i.e., biological mother, biological father, and children) may result from shared genes or from the influences of their shared, or common, environment. Thus, the observation that COA's exhibit elevated rates of behavioral disorders does not indicate whether this increased risk results from the genes that alcoholic parents transmit to their children, some deficiency in the rearing environment provided by alcoholic parents, or a combination of both of these influences. Unfortunately, when interpreting findings from studies on COA's, researchers have not always taken into account this fundamental limitation of family study methods. Accordingly, biologically oriented researchers tend to interpret familial associations as reflecting biological mechanisms, whereas psychosocially oriented researchers generally consider familial associations the result of environmental mechanisms.
This article reviews findings of behavioral-genetic research on alcoholism, including the results of both adoption and twin studies. These analyses indicate that genetic factors play a major role in the relationship between parental alcoholism and COA functioning. The environmental influences resulting from being reared by an alcoholic parent, in contrast, do not appear to increase the risk of alcoholism in the children. This article also discusses two models---genotype-environment interaction and genotype-environment correlation---that may explain how a person's genetic makeup (i.e., genotype) and environment jointly influence the person's risk of alcoholism.
Methods of Behavioral Genetics
==============================
Behavioral geneticists distinguish three major contributors to individual differences in people's observable characteristics (i.e., phenotypes): genetic factors, shared environmental factors, and nonshared environmental factors. Shared, or common, environmental factors equally affect all members of a group of people living together and are therefore a potential source of behavioral similarities among these people. Examples of shared environmental factors include parental child-rearing strategies, the environmental consequences of parental psychopathology (e.g., alcoholism), and family income and social status. Nonshared environmental factors are not experienced by all members of a group living together and therefore may contribute to behavioral differences. For example, differential treatment by parents, different peer groups, and idiosyncratic traumatic events constitute nonshared environmental factors. In intact nuclear families, both shared environmental factors and genetic factors can contribute to parent-offspring resemblance (see [figure 1](#f1-arhw-21-3-210){ref-type="fig"}). To assess the influences of all these factors on a certain behavior, behavioral geneticists use several research approaches, including adoption studies, twin studies, and genetic marker studies.
Adoption Studies
----------------
The most direct approach for determining the respective contributions of genetic and shared environmental factors to parent-child resemblance in intact nuclear families is the analysis of adoptive families. A person who has been adopted as an infant by biologically unrelated parents will, in principle, share only genetic factors with her or his biological relatives but will share common environmental factors with her or his adoptive relatives (see [figure 1](#f1-arhw-21-3-210){ref-type="fig"}). In practice, several factors can mitigate the clean separation of these two sources of familial resemblance. For example, the prenatal environment is affected by the biological parents (e.g., by prenatal alcohol exposure) and is thus a potential source of environmental resemblance between birth parents and their adopted-away children. These influences originate principally from the mother, although paternal contributions are also possible. In addition, in some cases, matching occurs on characteristics of the biological parents with characteristics of the adoptive parents (i.e., selective placement). This process could induce a correlation between genetic factors and the rearing environment if, for example, COA's were preferentially placed with adoptive parents who have behavioral problems. Little evidence exists, however, for selective placement with respect to characteristics relevant to the development (i.e., etiology) of alcoholism.
Twin Studies
------------
Alternative approaches, such as twin studies, can overcome some of the limitations of adoption studies. Twin studies compare the similarities between identical (i.e., monozygotic \[MZ\]) twins who have been reared together with the similarities between fraternal (i.e., dizygotic \[DZ\]) twins who have been reared together. Whereas MZ twins share all their genes, DZ twins, like ordinary siblings, share on average only 50 percent of their genes. Because twin births occur relatively frequently,[2](#fn2-arhw-21-3-210){ref-type="fn"} and because the Scandinavian countries and some U.S. States maintain population-based twin registries, twin studies have been an especially popular approach for investigating genetic and environmental influences on the etiology of alcoholism and other complex behavioral disorders.
For categorical phenotypes such as alcoholism, which occur only in a few distinct manifestations, twin similarity is usually assessed using the concordance statistic, which is the rate of alcoholism among co-twins of alcoholic twins. Because twins generally are assumed to share all environmental influences, findings of greater phenotypic similarities between MZ than between DZ twins imply the existence of significant genetic influences. Conversely, equal similarities between MZ and DZ twins suggest that the phenotype studied is primarily determined by environmental influences. Various mathematical models allow more specific estimates of the contributions of genetic, shared environmental, and nonshared environmental factors influencing the behavior studied (see [box](#bx1-arhw-21-3-210){ref-type="boxed-text"}, p. 213).
###### Calculating the Contributions of Genetic and Environmental Factors
Scientists have developed several mathematical models to determine the contribution of genetic factors (i.e., heritability), shared environmental factors, and nonshared environmental factors to a given behavior based on the concordance of this behavior in identical (i.e., monozygotic \[MZ\]) and fraternal (i.e., dizygotic \[DZ\]) twins. These formulas rely on previously determined correlation coefficients, which are numerical ways of describing the relation of the behavior under study to the environmental or genetic factors hypothesized to underlie that behavior. A correlation coefficient of 1 describes a perfect positive correlation (e.g., the presence of a particular gene means that a particular behavior, such as problem drinking, will almost certainly be seen in the subject). A correlation of 0 means that no relationship exists between the hypothesized causal factor and the behavior, and a correlation of −1 means that the presence of the environmental or genetic factor almost certainly indicates the absence of the behavior (i.e., a perfect negative correlation).
In the simplest model, heritability is estimated as twice the difference between the correlation coefficient for the relation of genetic factors to alcoholism in MZ twins and the correlation in DZ twins (i.e., 2\[MZ--DZ\]). Thus, if the correlation for alcoholism risk is 0.7 for MZ twins and 0.4 for DZ twins, the heritability would be 0.6 (i.e., 2\[0.7--0.4\]).
The contribution of shared environmental factors is defined as the difference between the correlation in MZ twins and the heritability estimate calculated above. Using the same MZ and DZ correlation coefficients, the role of shared environmental factors in alcoholism can be described as 0.7--0.6, or 0.1.
Finally, the contribution of nonshared environmental factors is calculated as the difference between 1.0 and the correlation in MZ twins. With the correlation coefficients given in the previous examples, the role of nonshared environmental factors is 1--0.7, or 0.3.
For many studies (e.g., if the numbers of MZ and DZ twin pairs in the study differ greatly), however, these simple calculations are inadequate, and more complex models must be used to estimate the contributions of all three types of factors to the behavior studied. The results of such analyses have consistently found that the heritability of the risk for alcoholism lies between 0.5 and 0.6 for men. The findings for women have been much less consistent.
The assumption that MZ and DZ twins share environmental influences to the same extent (i.e., the equal-environmental similarity assumption), however, may not always be accurate. For example, the two members of a twin pair can have different groups of friends or be treated differently by their parents. If these differences are more common among DZ than among MZ twins, a twin study will interpret this to be a genetic rather than an environmental effect.
Genetic Marker Studies
----------------------
As discussed in the following sections, both adoption and twin studies have indicated that one or more of the approximately 50,000 to 100,000 genes comprising the human genetic material (i.e., the human genome) influence a person's likelihood of developing alcoholism. Increasingly, alcohol researchers seek to confirm the existence of these genetic influences by identifying the specific genes involved using molecular genetic methods. This effort has been greatly facilitated by the Human Genome Project, an international research effort to decipher the complete human genome ([@b6-arhw-21-3-210]). This project already has produced a so-called linkage map of the genome, which consists of thousands of well-characterized landmark genetic sequences (i.e., markers) that are dispersed throughout the genome and which can be used to determine the locations of disease-susceptibility genes.
Because of the complexity of behavioral phenotypes, such as alcoholism, however, progress in identifying relevant genes has been slow. Apart from the well-known gene products involved in alcohol metabolism, no gene products have been associated unequivocally with the risk for alcoholism. If findings from adoption and twin studies of alcoholism are valid, however, replicable associations of alcoholism with specific genetic markers should emerge over the next 5 to 10 years.
Genetic Contributions to Parent-Offspring Resemblance for Alcoholism
====================================================================
Several adoption and twin studies have analyzed the contribution of genetic factors to a person's risk for alcoholism. For example, five adoption studies have investigated the relationship between alcoholism or problem drinking in biological parents and alcoholism in their adopted-away sons. With the exception of a small early study, all of these studies found a significant correlation between alcoholism in male adoptees and their biological parents. Thus, the rate of alcoholism was two to three times higher in adopted-away sons of alcoholics than in adopted-away sons of nonalcoholics ([@b11-arhw-21-3-210]).
The largest published adoption study of alcoholism, the Stockholm Adoption Study ([@b18-arhw-21-3-210]), illustrates these findings. The study included 862 men born in Stockholm, Sweden, who had been adopted in infancy and both their biological and adoptive parents. Alcohol abuse among the study participants was assessed by the number of registrations with local temperance boards---agencies in each Swedish community that document how often a person has been cited or treated for alcohol abuse. In this study, the rate of alcohol abuse among the adoptees was 14.7 percent if neither biological parent abused alcohol, 22.4 percent if only the biological father abused alcohol, 26.0 percent if only the biological mother abused alcohol, and 33.3 percent if both biological parents abused alcohol. Thus, adoptees with one or two alcohol-abusing parents had a significantly greater risk of alcohol abuse than did adoptees with no alcohol-abusing parents.
Analyses of reared-together male twins have supported the findings from the adoption studies. Again, with the exception of one small study, the six published studies of alcoholism in male twins found 50- to 200-percent greater concordance rates for alcoholism among MZ than among DZ twins ([@b11-arhw-21-3-210]). For example, in one study of 86 pairs of male twins, the concordance rate for alcohol dependence[3](#fn3-arhw-21-3-210){ref-type="fn"} was 59 percent among MZ twins but only 36 percent among DZ twins ([@b14-arhw-21-3-210]).
Adoption and twin studies of alcoholism in men have consistently implicated genetic factors in the development of the disorder, whereas behavioral-genetic research on alcoholism in women has produced seemingly inconsistent findings. Only two of four adoption studies have reported a significant correlation between alcoholism in female adoptees and their biological parents, and only two of five twin studies found significantly greater concordance among female MZ twins than among female DZ twins ([@b11-arhw-21-3-210]). These results have led several researchers to hypothesize that genetic factors are less important to the etiology of alcoholism in women than in men (e.g., [@b12-arhw-21-3-210]).
The most recent and best designed adoption and twin studies that included women, however, observed significant genetic effects on the alcoholism risk in their subjects. For example, in the Stockholm Adoption Study, which also is the largest adoption study for women, the rate of alcohol abuse was significantly greater among the adopted-away daughters of alcohol-abusing mothers (i.e., 9.8 percent) than among the adopted-away daughters of non-alcohol-abusing mothers (i.e., 2.8 percent) ([@b1-arhw-21-3-210]). Conversely, paternal alcohol abuse did not affect the adopted-away daughters' risk of alcohol abuse, suggesting that genetic effects might be gender-specific. Finally, the largest twin study of women found that concordance for alcoholism was significantly greater among MZ than among DZ twins (i.e., 32 and 24 percent, respectively) ([@b10-arhw-21-3-210]).
The apparently inconsistent pattern of results in adoption and twin studies of alcoholism in women may be attributed to the relatively small sample sizes that characterize research in this area and allow only limited statistical analyses. Despite great variations between studies in the estimates of the contribution of genetic factors to alcoholism in women, the confidence intervals associated with these estimates are wide and overlapping[4](#fn4-arhw-21-3-210){ref-type="fn"} ([@b9-arhw-21-3-210]), suggesting that genetic factors exert some influence on women's risk of alcoholism. Nevertheless, the existing research does not allow one either to determine precisely the magnitude of that influence or to calculate whether it is comparable to or weaker than the influence of genetic factors on men's risk of alcoholism.
Inconsistencies with respect to the contribution of genetic factors among various studies in men and women also may arise from the existence of different types of alcoholism that may be differentially heritable. For example, [@b4-arhw-21-3-210] has hypothesized that two types of alcoholism exist: type I and type II. Type I alcoholism affects both men and women, is characterized by relatively late onset, and is rarely associated with antisocial behavior. Conversely, type II alcoholism primarily affects men, is characterized by relatively early onset, and is frequently associated with antisocial behavior.
The results of both adoption and twin studies have suggested that genetic influences affect type II alcoholism more strongly than type I alcoholism. For example, in the Stockholm Adoption Study, genetic factors were estimated to account for 90 percent of the risk for type II alcoholism, but for less than 40 percent of the risk for type I alcoholism ([@b5-arhw-21-3-210]). Similarly, in one twin study, the difference in concordance between MZ and DZ twins was greater for twin pairs with early onset (type II) alcoholism than for those with late onset (type I) alcoholism ([@b11-arhw-21-3-210]).
Environmental Contributions to Parent-Offspring Resemblance for Alcoholism
==========================================================================
Although both adoption and twin studies consistently have indicated that, at least in men, genetic factors contribute to parent-offspring resemblance for alcoholism, these factors may not account for the entire increase in the risk for alcoholism among COA's. Conceivably, environmental liabilities associated with being reared by an alcoholic parent also can increase a person's risk for alcoholism. To address this issue, researchers have investigated the rate of alcoholism among adoptees with nonalcoholic biological parents who have been reared by alcoholic adoptive parents. In these cases, no genetic contributions exist to the resemblance between adoptive parent and adoptee. Alcoholism is relatively rare among adoptive parents, who usually must undergo some type of informal mental health screening before being accepted for placement. Enough cases of alcoholic adoptive parents occur, however, to allow researchers to determine whether being reared by a nonbiological alcoholic parent increases a person's risk for alcoholism.
Both Danish and Swedish adoption studies found that alcoholism rates were not significantly higher among adoptees reared in families with an alcoholic adoptive parent compared with adoptees reared by nonalcoholic adoptive parents. For example, in the Stockholm Adoption Study, the rates of alcohol abuse were 13 percent among male adoptees reared in a home with an alcohol-abusing parent and 18 percent among male adoptees reared in a home with no alcohol-abusing parent ([@b5-arhw-21-3-210]). The corresponding rates for female adoptees were 3.7 and 3.4 percent, respectively ([@b1-arhw-21-3-210]).
In contrast, two studies conducted in the United States found that a history of alcoholism in an adoptive family was associated with adoptee alcoholism ([@b2-arhw-21-3-210], [@b3-arhw-21-3-210]). Unlike the Scandinavian studies, which focused specifically on alcoholism among adoptive parents, the U.S. studies included a history of alcoholism among both adoptive parents and adoptive siblings. Consequently, the discrepancy between the findings of the Scandinavian and U.S. studies may reflect the differential impact of siblings and parents on a person's risk for alcoholism. The findings suggest that siblings, rather than parents, may be the primary source of family environmental influences on alcoholism risk.
This hypothesis also is supported by the findings of a recent large adoption study of adolescent alcohol use ([@b12-arhw-21-3-210]). In this study, parental drinking was significantly related to adolescent drinking among biological but not adoptive children, again indicating that the parent-child resemblance for alcohol-related phenotypes is primarily mediated by genetic factors. Moreover, a significantly greater correlation existed between parental ratings of family climate (e.g., the cohesiveness of the family) and adolescent alcohol use in biological families compared with adoptive families, suggesting that genetic factors may also be a major contributor to this correlation. In sharp contrast to the lack of similarity in drinking behavior between adolescents and their adoptive parents was the statistically significant similarity between the adolescents and their adoptive siblings. The correlation among adoptive siblings for the amounts of alcohol consumed was 0.24 when all siblings were considered. Moreover, the correlation was higher (i.e., 0.45) among sibling pairs of the same sex and/or close in age, but lower (i.e., 0.05) among sibling pairs of opposite sex and/or distant in age.
Because adoptive sibling pairs are not biologically related, correlations between their behaviors must reflect environmental influences. Furthermore, the adoptive parents did not appear to be a source of these influences, because neither parental alcohol use nor parental ratings of the family climate were related to the adoptees' alcohol use. Finally, the finding that alcohol use similarities among siblings were strongly influenced by the degree of demographic similarities among the siblings strongly suggests that siblings can be the primary source of familial environmental influence for alcohol-related phenotypes. Likewise, parents are not always the main source of the environmental factors that affect the development of alcoholism and alcohol-related phenotypes.
This conclusion may surprise many alcohol researchers, who, in focusing on parental environmental effects, may have neglected more potent sources of environmental influences. The findings are consistent, however, with a large body of behavioral-genetic research suggesting that the importance of parental environmental influences may have been overestimated in earlier research that failed to control for genetic contributions to parent-child resemblance ([@b15-arhw-21-3-210]).
Models for the Relative Contributions of Genetic and Environmental Factors
==========================================================================
Behavioral-genetic research questions the nature, not the existence, of environmental influences on alcoholism risk. Both the finding that genetically identical MZ twins do not show 100-percent concordance in their drinking behavior and the inability to predict a person's risk for alcoholism status based on the biological parents' alcoholism status support the existence of substantial environmental influences on the etiology of alcoholism. Two behavioral-genetic concepts---genotype-environment interaction and genotype-environment correlation---are useful in modeling the joint influence of environmental and genetic factors on complex behavioral phenotypes such as alcoholism.
Genotype-Environment Interactions
---------------------------------
Not every person (i.e., not every genotype) is equally sensitive to environmental influences that affect a certain behavior. This differential sensitivity reflects genotype-environment interactions. One example of such interactions is the diathesis-stress model (see Windle, pp. 185--191), which is one of the most important concepts for explaining the development of any psychopathology. This model states that a person develops a given behavioral disorder only if he or she both inherits a vulnerability for the disorder (i.e., the diathesis) and is exposed to a provocative environment (i.e., the stress).
Behavioral-genetic researchers have attempted to identify genotype-environment interactions for alcoholism by using adoption studies. If the diathesis-stress model is a reasonable concept for explaining the development of alcoholism, then the risk of alcoholism among adopted-away COA's (i.e., a group with a high genetic risk) should depend on their rearing environment. Conversely, the risk of alcoholism among adopted-away children of non-alcoholics (i.e., a group with a low genetic risk) should be largely independent of the rearing environment.
The strongest support for the diathesis-stress model for alcoholism comes from the Stockholm Adoption Study and a replication of that study performed in Gothenburg, Sweden ([@b18-arhw-21-3-210]). In both studies, the researchers classified male adoptees' genetic and environmental backgrounds as either high or low risk for the less strongly heritable type I alcoholism. For example, adoptees with a biological parent with late onset alcoholism were classified as having a relatively high genetic risk for type I alcoholism. Similarly, adoptees who were reared in adoptive homes with low socioeconomic status were classified as having a relatively high environmental risk for type I alcoholism. Both studies found that among adoptees with low genetic risk, the rearing environment did not affect the rates of type I alcoholism (see [figure 2](#f2-arhw-21-3-210){ref-type="fig"}). Among adoptees with a high genetic risk, however, the type of rearing environment was associated with the rate of alcoholism. Thus, type I alcoholism was significantly more common among men reared in a provocative, high-risk environment than in a low-risk environment.
The existence of genotype-environment interactions suggests that the effect of environmental influences on alcoholism depends on a person's genotype. The effects of the rearing environment may be negligible for the vast majority of people who inherit none or few of the relevant genetic risk factors. In contrast, the alcoholism risk for people who inherit some genetic risk factors may be affected substantially by the rearing environment. Alcohol researchers now hope that the findings from the Human Genome Project will aid them in precisely determining a person's genetic risk for alcoholism. This knowledge will then help scientists in the focused investigation of the role of environmental influences in the etiology of alcoholism.
Genotype-Environment Correlations
---------------------------------
The concept of genotype-environment correlation refers to the processes through which genetic and environmental effects on a behavioral phenotype, such as alcoholism, become correlated. Two mechanisms of genotype-environment correlations are especially relevant in alcohol research: evocative genotype-environment correlations and active genotype-environment correlations. The concept of evocative genotype-environment interactions is based on the assumption that a person's social environment is, in part, determined by the reactions that her or his behavior evokes from others. For example, teachers and parents react much differently to an overly active, defiant child than to a passive and compliant one. Thus, a child's genetically influenced activity level or degree of defiance consistently evokes specific reactions from others, thereby causing the development of an evocative genotype-environment correlation. Active genotype-environment correlations, in contrast, are based on the premise that in a permissive society, people have a certain degree of freedom in constructing their own experiences. They choose their own friends, decide how hard they will work in school, and select their own leisure pursuits from a cornucopia of possibilities. To the extent that these experiential choices are guided by genetically influenced traits and abilities, an active genotype-environment correlation will ensue.
Until recently, evocative and active genotype-environment correlations were more a matter of speculation than investigation. Although researchers considered genotype-environment correlations to be fundamentally important in the etiology of various behavioral phenotypes, few empirical tests of these correlations existed. [@b8-arhw-21-3-210], however, recently demonstrated how genotype-environment correlations could be investigated using an adoption study approach. These researchers investigated the factors contributing to the etiology of antisocial behavior among children.
The study found that adoptee antisocial behavior was significantly related to the biological parents' history of psychiatric disorders (i.e., alcohol and other drug abuse or dependence or antisocial personality disorder), confirming that a genetic influence on adolescent antisocial behavior exists. Surprisingly, however, a correlation also existed between the adoptees' genetic background and certain aspects of the rearing environment (e.g., disciplinary practices). Thus, adoptees whose biological parents had a history of psychiatric disorders were more likely to have adoptive parents who were harsh and less nurturing than were adoptees whose biological parents had no such history. This correlation between genetic background and rearing environment was mediated by the adoptees' antisocial behavior and hostility: Adoptees whose biological parents had a history of psychiatric disorder were more likely than control adoptees to be hostile and antisocial. In turn, hostile and antisocial adoptees were more likely than nonantisocial and nonhostile adoptees to have adoptive parents who engaged in harsh disciplinary practices. This relationship between adoptee hostility and parental harsh discipline was reciprocal, meaning that hostility evoked harsh discipline, which, in turn, evoked more hostility.
Although the phenotype analyzed by [@b8-arhw-21-3-210] may not be of direct interest to alcohol researchers, the methods and findings from this study clearly illustrate how genotype-environment correlations might affect complex behavioral phenotypes. It remains to be determined whether similar genotype-environment correlational processes exist in the development of alcoholism. Moreover, the study illustrates the concept---now accepted by most behavioral geneticists---that twin and adoption studies establish the heritability, but not the genetic determination, of behavior. This means that although a person's genotype may predispose the person to a certain disorder, it does not inevitably lead to the development of that disorder. Consequently, it would be wrong to conclude that the existence of a genetic influence on alcoholism implies that this disorder can be approached only as a biological phenomenon. The primary function of genes is far removed from the behavior they influence, and the gene-to-behavior pathway can be mediated by intervening physiological, psychological, and social processes. The challenge for alcohol researchers now is to integrate the knowledge about the social and cultural influences on drinking and alcoholism with the emerging knowledge about the genetic influences on these behaviors.
The terms "alcoholism," "alcohol dependence," "alcohol abuse," and "problem drinking" frequently overlap in the alcoholism literature; therefore, the terms are used in this article as they were used in the original studies cited.
The frequency of twin births is approximately 1 in 50 among blacks, 1 in 80 among whites, and 1 in 125 among Asians.
In this study, the diagnosis of alcohol dependence was established after interviews were conducted with the participants. The diagnosis was based on the criteria of the American Psychiatric Association's *Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders*, *Third Edition* (DSM--III).
Statistical analyses frequently cannot calculate the exact value of the variable being studied. Instead, they provide a range of values ---the confidence interval---that contains the actual value of the variable with a certain likelihood (e.g., 95 percent). The less reliable a statistical analysis is (e.g., because only a few subjects are available), the greater the confidence interval generally is. For example, one analysis might find a heritability factor for alcoholism of 0.6, with a 95-percent confidence interval ranging from 0.4 to 0.8. A second analysis might determine a heritability factor of 0.4, with a 95-percent confidence interval of 0.3 to 0.5. Thus, for the two studies, the estimates of heritability differ, but the confidence intervals overlap.
{#f1-arhw-21-3-210}
![Rates of severe type I (i.e., late-onset) alcoholism among male participants in two adoption studies performed in Stockholm and Gothenburg, Sweden. Both the genetic (G) and the environmental (E) backgrounds of the adoptees were classified as either high or low risk based on multiple biological and environmental factors (e.g., the presence of type I alcoholism in the biological parents or the socioeconomic status of the adoptive family). Both studies found significantly elevated rates of severe type I alcoholism only among male adoptees who both had a high genetic risk and were reared in a high-risk environment.\
SOURCE: Adapted from [@b18-arhw-21-3-210].](arhw-21-3-210f2){#f2-arhw-21-3-210}
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The federal agency charged with consumer financial protection on Friday published an updated diversity and inclusion strategic plan covering the period of fiscal 2019 to fiscal 2022.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) says its updated diversity and inclusion strategic plan aligns with the bureau’s 2018-2022 strategic plan by “identifying impact areas and actions to drive continued innovation to advance diversity and inclusion.” The 2018-2022 strategic plan, it says, includes a strategy to “…maintain a comprehensive equal employment opportunity (EEO) compliance and diversity and inclusion programs, including those focused on minority and women inclusion.”
The 12-page diversity and inclusion strategic plan update is built on five key impact areas, the bureau says, and outlines actions to be taken under each. The five impact areas are:
- Workforce Diversity: To develop and maintain relationships with diverse colleges and professional organizations in order to improve the Bureau’s talent pool and pipeline and develop a high-performing workforce from all segments of society.
- Workforce Inclusion: To cultivate a culture that encourages collaboration, flexibility and fairness to enable individuals to contribute their full potential.
- Supplier Diversity: To increase business opportunities for minority-and women-owned businesses (MWOBs); use the Dodd-Frank good faith effort (GFE) standards to determine Bureau contractors’ efforts to utilize minorities and women in their workforces and provide advice to the Bureau Director on the impact of Bureau policies on minority- and women- owned businesses.
- Sustainability: To develop strategies and processes to promote an inclusive culture and equip Bureau leaders with the ability to manage diversity, articulate expectations and accountability, measure results, and adjust and refine approaches based on collected data.
- Regulated Entities: To provide a framework for regulated entities to build and strengthen their diversity policies and programs. | https://www.regreport.info/2019/07/19/consumer-bureau-updates-diversity-and-inclusion-strategic-plan/ |
Step 1 - Develop a Working Group/Sub Committee
Having a dedicated group of individuals to oversee the rollout of the Standards helps to spread the workload and ensure knowledge about the Standards extends beyond one person. This group can also act as your “Champions”, ensuring that the messages of child safety are spread throughout your organisation and underpinning the change in culture required to create a child safe environment.
What should we consider?
You will need to keep in mind who the working group reports to. Is it the committee, the president or a paid staff member (if you have one). It is important to ensure that child safety becomes part of your organisations culture and core activities.
This starts with leaders and key decision makers. Also keep in mind how progress on the Standards will be reported to the committee and shared across volunteers and members. Click here for a link to VicSports Child Safe Sport Working Group Terms of Reference Template that can be adapted to your organisation.
Step 2 - Undertake a Child Safe Review
Undertaking a child safe review can help your organisation identify what is currently in place and what needs attention. Your organisation may have policies and procedures that the committee, volunteers and members aren't aware of or haven’t been reviewed for a while. A review can also assist you to identify:
- What you already have in place
- What you are doing well
- Where you need to strengthen your approach
- What assistance your organisation may require
What should we consider?
When undertaking your child safety review, consider the following items:
- What does a child safe environment look like to your organisation?
- What policies and procedures do you already have in place?
- What is the current status of your organisations risk management plan?
- How can we include children from diverse backgrounds and all abilities in our sport?
- How can leaders, volunteers, members, parents and children assist with the process?
- What is happening at a state (or even national) level that you need to be aware of?
- How can the issues identified link with any current initiatives or programs you run?
We recommend using the VicSport audit tool that Netball Victoria has adapted for its Netball Community or you can use the audit tool created by the Commission for Children & Young People. Once you have downloaded the audit you can get take it to your taskforce and start completing it together.
Download the VicSport Netball Victoria Adapted Review Template
Download the Commission for Children & Young People Audit Tool
Step 3 - Understand your level of risk
Organisations need to adopt a risk management approach to child safety. Having an active approach to your duty of care towards children contributes to the development of a child safe culture of risk management and continuous improvement.
What should we consider?
When assessing your organisations level of risk, keep in mind:
- The range of activities your organisation offers that involve children
- Both the physical and online environment
- Any activities or situations that may be of higher risk (i.e. overnight camps or travel)
- Circumstances in which adults can be alone with children (i.e. one-on-one coaching)
- How often parents/carers are not present with their children at the organisation
- Whether certain physical spaces shared by adults and children might present any risks (i.e. Change rooms)
Download the Netball Victoria Child Safety Risk Management Template here
Step 4 - Identify any further information, advice or support needed
Once your organisation has completed a review and identified your level of risk, there will undoubtedly be questions you need to ask. Connecting with others that can assist your organisation through the implementation and change process could also help you identify items and strategies you may not have thought of.
What should we consider?
There is a range of organisations ready to assist you in taking action to develop a child safe culture within your club, league or association. Depending on your sport and location, the following types of organisations can assist:
- Netball Victoria's Safeguarding our Netball Children Webpage
- Netball Victoria's Affiliate Services Team - 9321 2255 or [email protected]
- Vicsport
- Commission for Children and Young People
- Local Government Authority
- Regional Sports Assemblies
Step 5 - Develop and implement an action plan
Having an action plan which clearly outlines the roles, responsibilities and timelines will assist your organisation to break down required action into manageable items of work. It also helps to keep everyone across the organisation focused on and accountable to what they are aiming to achieve.
What should we consider?
Keep your plan simple and achievable, but most importantly ensure the content aligns with the Standards. When developing your plan, remember there is no “one best way” to achieving a child safe culture so everyone’s approach will be different.
Ensure you engage and consult with your members, local and state sporting bodies to make sure you align your actions with other initiatives occurring across sport. To record your action items, click here to download a copy of VicSports Action Plan Template.
This document was developed utilising and adapting content from: | https://vic.netball.com.au/safeguarding-our-children-netball |
Soluble fibrin augments spreading of fibroblasts by providing RGD sequences of fibrinogen in soluble fibrin.
We previously reported that fibroblasts were found to spread far more avidly on NaBr-solubilized fibrin monomer (FM) monolayers than on immobilized fibrinogen (Fbg), indicating that removal of fibrinopeptides by thrombin is a prerequisite for the fibrin-mediated augmentation of cell spreading [J. Biol. Chem. 272 (1997) 8824-8829]. Soluble fibrin (SF), a 1:2 complex of fibrin-monomer and fibrinogen, is known to be present in the circulating blood under the pathological condition in which blood coagulation is activated. However, its physiological roles are still incompletely known. Fibroblasts spread on immobilized purified soluble fibrin. Cells spreading on immobilized soluble fibrin were blocked by the exogenous addition of soluble fibrin and glycine-arginine-glycine-aspartic acid-serine-phenylalanine (GRGDSP)-synthetic peptide but not by the addition of fibrinogen or fibrin monomer. However, cell spreading activity was decreased in the surfaces coated with fragment X, whose Aalpha-chains lack carboxyl-terminal segments including arginine-glycine-aspartic acid (RGD)-2 domain, fibrin monomer complexes. It suggests that the RGD-2 domain of fibrinogen after being complexed with fibrin monomer plays a pivotal role for soluble fibrin-dependent cell spreading. Soluble fibrin in plasma derived from the patients of disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) was immuno-purified using the monoclonal antibody (mAb) which specifically recognizes the Ca(++)-dependent conformer of fibrinogen. The purified soluble fibrin consisted of desAA-fibrin monomer and two fibrinogen molecules and did show the cell spreading activity. Thus, soluble fibrin in plasma plays a role as the modulator of thrombogenic process in vivo.
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Dissertation Le Positivisme Juridique, 提示信息 - schindler-bs.net - Powered by Discuz!
提示信息 - schindler-bs.net - Powered by Discuz!
He explains that since sovereignty expresses the general will its exercise cannot be transferred, represented or divided. But the political is also required to operate in accordance with its own fundamental laws, an assertion so often overlooked in modern public law thought that the very idea of droit politique has been marginalized.
One such occasion occurred in eighteenth-century Europe with the flourishing of the Enlightenment movement. Crucial to his analysis should to whom it may concern be capitalized in a cover letter the distinction between sovereignty and government.
Their declaration demanded that sovereign authority be transferred from the king to the nation.
This notion of the general will expresses the will of the sovereign. These are neither causal laws of the natural sciences nor the divine laws of a revelatory God: But it is important essay english 2nd year 2019 that his overall purpose is juridical: A representative body must take the place of an assembly of the entire nation and be charged with making a constitution.
Only as equals are they transformed from a multitude into a people. They recognized the autonomous character of the political domain and the need to devise an immanent structure of public law based on the concepts of state, sovereignty and constitution.
Jurists of course presented contrasting accounts of political order and consequently relied on different conceptions of authority, liberty, equality, solidarity, rights and so on.
Just as Bodin had shown that there could be no universal form of scientific jurisprudence in his day, one that was derived from Roman law so Montesquieu demonstrates that authority cannot be maintained by imposing a strict legal uniformity .
Bodin and Montesquieu tried to identify the principles of political right, but they had both sought to distill them from historical experience.
His objective is to specify a similar type of law droit politique to that of Montesquieu. Having identified the basic law, Rousseau specifies its operative principles.
Two weeks ago, my friends celebrated my 17th birthday at a five star hotel.
These are drawn together through a union of individual wills, and this union is the institution of the state . Historical inquiry, Rousseau maintained, can only replicate historical injustices and legitimate existing power formations .
This is not purely philosophical, but a practical exercise of discovering the principles of political right. Through a series of innovative arguments, he lays the foundations for developing a concept of droit politique.
Slideshop offers more than premium powerpoint templates. Post your ppt background, microsoft office products on the movie game, flyers, animated video projector in the sunday school discipline.
Through his account of the basic concepts of state, sovereignty and constitution, Bodin laid the foundations for the concept of droit politique. Secondly, this political equality becomes the precondition for the formation of a single will. The nation the state has its origin in a social contract that transforms an aggregate of isolated individuals into a unified body politic possessed of a single general will.
Having explained the social conditions leading to the formation of the state, he turns to his major task: Like Hobbes before him, Rousseau invokes the idea of a social contract.
This somewhat paradoxical declaration provides the foundation of the concept of droit politique. War arises only cover letter library position societies have already been formed; only when people enter into society do they feel the will to power and it is this power-impulse that produces the state of war.
This claim, that liberty entails autonomy, makes the concept of political right the key to understanding legitimate government. In this sense, law, meaning ucla undergraduate admission essay politique, is not the instrument of an extant power: Sovereignty is constitutive, while the issue of who actually exercises the sovereign powers of rule is merely regulative.
Sovereignty cannot be possessed or represented by any agent; it permeates the entire order and expresses the autonomy of the political. Sovereignty is absolute, perpetual and indivisible, while government immigration in the united states research paper conditional, limited and divisible.
Challenging the authority of traditional ordering, Enlightenment scholars had to devise new legitimating principles for modern societies. Montesquieu had set himself the task of finding a new understanding of the concept of law. The second assumption was that this distinctive worldview could only be formulated in the language of law.
This was a bourgeois constitution whose general purpose was to put distance between the legislature and the sovereign people, not least by landscape manager cover letter between an active and passive citizenry . Condorcet would later criticize Montesquieu for failing to speak of the justice or injustice of the laws .
In fact, Rousseau wanted to specify an autonomous conception of the political in rational terms. Rousseau disagrees on the method. This sense of political liberty is not opposed to law: The significance of this claim is revealed when he argues that each type of order formed in the world operates according to its own fundamental laws. | http://schindler-bs.net/4561-dissertation-le-positivisme-juridique.php |
Are You Too Facing Digital Eye Strain And Dry Eyes?
Jada.Fair
Apr. 30
Our routines have become hectic and as we are shifting to digitalization, most of us spend half our day or maybe more on laptops and staring at different kinds of screens. Either we are travelling and we have impure air hitting our eyes or we are sitting in cubicles where ventilation is minimal and not to forget, no matter what we do, we can’t manage to keep our eyes away from that screen. In this modernizing era, our eyes have to go through a lot and eye problems have become something every second has! From kids to elders, everybody faces some kind of issues with the eyes and due to poor eating habits, many kids also end up wearing glasses at a very young age.
This article aims to highlight common eye problems, their causes and their preventive measures along with probable solutions.
Digital eye strain or Computer Vision Syndrome (CVS)
It is obvious that most of us today spend 6-8 hours in the office working on a computer, let alone the time we spend casually on our phones! Even kids these days spend a lot of time on phones and laptops for studies and various projects. Due to these long hours, every second person has sometime or the other faced the Computer Vision Syndrome. The Symptoms include:
How to avoid CVS?
Dry eyes
Staring at the computer or mobile phone for long hours is very harmful. As most of us these days are dependent on digital equipment to work, we have to carry out various tasks, all while looking at the screen. This subconsciously prevents us from blinking adequately. Blinking is very essential for the eyes as with each blink, a tear film is spread across the eyes to keep the cornea healthy and prevent it from drying up and breaking.
Dry eyes start of as a simple irritation and when left unattended, they become the root cause for major severe infections. The Symptoms include:
How to prevent Dry Eyes?
It is obvious that all of us are in a schedule where avoiding the laptops and mobiles is practically impossible. However, simple steps can help us take care of our eyes.
Sleep well!
It is very important to ensure 6-8 hours of continuous sleep. The eyes need to rest otherwise dark circles will be inevitable. Also, keep your body hydrated and take frequent breaks from the computer. Opting for a humidifier if you are working at home is advisable.
Here are some tips to help take care of your eyes:
Take care of your eyes. They are a blessing to be cherished!
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What is the product? Avène - Thermal Spring Water Spray How does it work? Thermal Water works by soothing the skin and calming any irritation What are the notable ingredients? Mineral Spring Water What is the price? $18.50CAD Where can you purchase? Shoppers Drug Mart, Rexall Pharmacy and online How long have I been using it for? I’ve been using thermal water for over two years, I started off using this product on my body and now still use it on my face What is my experience ? My experience with thermal water has been good, I suffer from eczema on both my body and face. It was hard finding products that wouldn’t irritate or cause a flare up. When that happened this product saved my skin and soothed it. At first I was not exactly sure how water would help my skin, but after doing research thermal waters are meant to have healing properties for the body and skin. What are my thoughts? This product is nothing short of amazing, you are able to use it for multiple areas and it lasts so long. The mist is super fine which makes it perfect for spraying on large or small spots, and pressing into the skin similar to how you apply a toner. Would I recommend to a friend? I would absolutely recommend this product to a friend or family or even someone looking to help soothe their skin but who doesn’t want to break the bank!! My overall rating? 5/5 Would I repurchase? I have and will continue to repurchase this product until I find something that exceeds how amazing this is! #CheriePartner
Join the trending topic 🏷 Beauty Thanks
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, cherie would love to know what you are thankful for this year! 💜 Whether its your full cheeks that remind you of your mother, or your curly hair that expresses your personality, share it on cherie <3 What beauty item, goal, or experience are you thankful for this year? Tell us in the trending topic 🏷 Beauty Thanks ✨What is something new you learned about beauty this year, whether it is a beauty aesthetic, an innovative product, a skincare ingredient, or a wellness habit? 💫What is your experience? Do you have a routine to achieve the beauty goal? | https://www.cherie.com/campaign/6821020505563234309/Are-You-Too-Facing-Digital-Eye-Strain-And-Dry-Eyes |
Research: Assessing regulatory and procedural measures in trade: An Evaluation Methodology (2013)
This report draws on UNECE assessment models and incorporates the lessons learnt from the needs assessment studies on Belarus and Kazakhstan, carried out by the UNECE secretariat in 2010 and 2011, respectively. The methodology is meant to bring to the fore:
- A common understanding of key regulatory and procedural barriers to trade. While actors may have a broadly shared intuitive view of such obstacles, they may differ at the technical level when it comes to attributing causes to each obstacle and to estimating the magnitude of its impact.
- A common approach to addressing the identified barriers in a manner that is responsive to the specific needs of each country and every actor in the international trade supply chain.
- Conflicting policy objectives related to trade development and trade facilitation.
- Procedures and regulations that could be improved through systematic:
- Simplification – the elimination of all unnecessary elements and duplication in formalities, processes and procedures;
- Harmonization – the alignment of national formalities, procedures, documents, information, and operations with acceptable international commercial norms, practices and recommendations.
- Standardization – the implementation of internationally recognized formats for procedures, as well as documentary and information requirements.
- Capacity shortfalls in the existing trade support institutional framework (understood as comprising infrastructure, trade support organizations and state agencies, including those involved in supporting quality control), which could be improved through targeted investments.
- Shortcomings in existing public-private sector consultative mechanisms related to the development and implementation of regulatory policies
A special focus is also given to assessing national standardization policies, technical regulations, quality assurance, accreditation and metrology (SQAM) system, in terms of its capacity to contribute to a conducive trading environment where regulatory and procedural barriers are reduced to a minimum.
A full copy of the report is available on the UNECE website. | https://publicsectorassurance.org/research/assessing-regulatory-and-procedural-measures-in-trade-an-evaluation-methodology-2013/ |
Shootings on college campuses over the last five years have more than doubled since a similar period a decade earlier.
According to a report by the Citizens Crime Commission, the incidents have also grown more deadly, with three times as many people injured or killed during the most recent five-year period.
To analyze shooting trends at U.S. colleges, the Crime Commission reviewed 190 incidents at 142 colleges from the 2001-2002 school year through the 2015-2016 school year in which at least one person was intentionally shot (excluding the shooter) on the campus of a two- or four-year college, as well as incidents that occurred within two miles of a college campus, and at least one student was shot. Unsurprisingly, the increase was most profound on colleges in states with increased access to guns, the report said.
Not only have the number of shooting incidents increased, but the number of casualties during those incidents has increased significantly as well since the fall of 2001. During the first five school years, the report examined (2001-02 to 2005-06), there were a total of 40 recorded shooting incidents on or
near college campuses. The number of shootings increased 23% to 49 incidents during the 2006-07 to 2010-11 school years. Shootings doubled during the next five school years (2011-12 to 2015-16), increasing to 101 incidents—a 153% increase compared to the 2001-02 to 2005-06 school years.
Between 2001-02 and 2005-06, there were 61 total casualties during college shooting incidents. During the 2006-07 to 2010-11 school years, casualties nearly tripled, increasing to 168 killed or wounded; 42% of these victims were shot during the mass shootings at Virginia Tech (49) and Northern Illinois University (21). Casualties continued to climb to 208 (24%) during the last five school years—a 241% increase compared to the 2001-02 to 2005-06 school years.
Twelve states experienced more than five shooting incidents on or near college campus—accounting for 64% of the 190 shooting incidents. The highest number of incidents occurred on or near campuses in Tennessee (14), California (14), Virginia (13), Georgia (13), North Carolina (11), and Florida (11).
In the 190 shooting incidents between the 2001-02 and 2015-16 school years, 437 people were shot, including 167 killed and 270 wounded. The victims included 290 students, 77 individuals not associated with the college, 40 employees, and five former students (we were unable to determine the relationship of 25 victims). An estimated 2.5 million students were enrolled at the 142 colleges where shootings occurred, and, thus, were directly or indirectly exposed to gun violence.
Among the 145 incidents in which the shooter’s relationship to the college was publicly identified, 59% of the shooters were not associated with the college, 28% were students, 9% were former students, and 4% were employees.
Of the 149 incidents in which the circumstances leading up to the shooting were identified, 38% involved a dispute, 21% involved robbery, 12% involved drugs, 11% involved targeted students and/or employees, 7% involved domestic violence, 5% involved rampages with mass casualties, 4% involved shooters who were denied entry to or kicked out of a party, and 2% involved other circumstances. | https://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/87497-study-examines-shootings-at-us-colleges |
A BBT practical advice classic.
Factors in Choosing a Mesivta for Your Son – Part 1
Factors in Choosing a Mesivta for Your Son – Part 2
Here’s an excerpt:
Right Level of Learning
It is important to choose a school which is a close fit to your son’s level of learning. Boys’ yeshiva high schools, with the exception of a community school, tend to be narrowly tailored to a specific level of learning. It is important to consider schools where your son will be challenged, but not so much that he will feel frustrated or be on the bottom of the class and struggling to keep up, nor too little that he will feel bored too soon or where it would be difficult for him to find a chavrusa of similar skill. Larger yeshiva high schools might have more than one class/shiur, with the different classes tracked. It is important to determine if there are different kinds of boys in one track vs. the other and which group your son is most likely to be part of.
How to determine what learning level a school is on can sometimes be a challenge. Yeshivas, like other schools, like to strengthen their reputation to prospective families, and sometimes schools will declare, at an open house or elsewhere, that they serve “the best boys” or have a “top program.” It is important not to be naïve and take everything a yeshiva says about itself at face value. That is, it is important to go beyond these statements and find out what the learning level of the boys who are currently there really is to determine if it is a good match. [Similarly, if a school brags about its graduates who go on to the Ivy League, try to find out if they are bragging about one or two unusual boys, or whether it is typical for its graduates to go on to the Ivy League.]
I would hesitate to send a boy to a “top” school if his grades in learning don’t match up or if he is unmotivated. Some rabbanim recommend that a boy go to a “better” school rather than one with a lesser reputation if a boy is borderline in his learning abilities, because, if things don’t work out initially, it is easier to transfer from a better school to a lesser school than visa versa. I would say this should only be followed where the boy is very motivated and is the type to put in the extra effort he will need to maintain a fair position in the class, and if you as parents are willing and able to pay for tutoring if he needs it. It does him no favors to languish at the very bottom of the class at a “better” school rather than thrive at a more modest school (unless there are other factors present that would counterbalance this possible sense of failure and lack of accomplishment).
Read the whole thing. | http://beyondbt.com/2014/11/11/factors-choosing-mesivta/ |
To offer patients the best care, doctors need to reflect the population that we treat. Being a doctor should not just be for the elite or privileged in society, it should be an option for anyone with the ability and desire. Unfortunately, society has put barriers in place for certain groups of people who would otherwise make fantastic doctors. These barriers are present when applying to medical school, during medical school and when practising as a doctor.
WPMN was founded in May 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. At this time, further disparities in healthcare was brought to the surface and additional barriers arose for current medical students and doctors from certain widening participation backgrounds. Then the disaster with exam results occurred which disproportionately negatively affected our members. WPMN started in a time of chaos but WPMN was created with a clear mission and vision.
Providing a supportive community to underrepresented groups that breaks down barriers at all stages of the medical journey by sharing resources, experiences and opportunities
To make the medical workforce representative of the community it serves by eliminating barriers and inspiring future leaders
OUR MISSION
OUR CORE VALUES
OUR VISION
Students/doctors from widening participation backgrounds include those who:
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attend/ed a school with low progression into higher education
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are/were the first generation of their family to consider higher education
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are from an underrepresented ethnic group
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are from a low socio-economic group
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have a disability
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are a care leaver
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are a carer
WHAT IS A WIDENING PARTICIPATION BACKGROUND?
OUR ACHIEVEMENTS
"I found that there were certain specialties that I was really interested in experiencing but never had the opportunity to see during medical school. Because of this, I approached WPMN with the idea to set up a lecture series to amend this. With the incredible help of Vikesh and Maria from the events team, we managed to set up a specialty spotlight series together called WPMN Presents." | https://www.wpmedicsnetwork.com/ourstory |
Background:Flows overlie gravel deposits containing pebble tools. Fission track and Potassium-Argon age dating yield Pleistocene age of 0.64 to 0.95 million years ago (Whitford-Stark 1987).
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Source: Smithsonian / GVP volcano information
Latest satellite images
See also: Sentinel hub | Landsat 8
More on VolcanoDiscovery:
Volcano & Earthquake news feeds: If you like to use RSS to access the latest news about volcanoes and earthquakes without needing to visit the site, have a look at our available news feeds!
Earthquakes near Volcanoes: Our world-wide map continuously detects shallow earthquakes near volcanoes. These could be early signs of unrest and often precede eruptions.
Blue flames of burning sulfur: Ijen volcano in East Java has one of the most impressive sulfur deposits on earth. They are so hot that the sulfur often ignites - a mysterious display at night caught on camera.
Books about Volcanoes: A selection of great books about volcanoes and volcanism, grouped into sections of different reading level interest. | https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/lampang.html |
Under the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), each state is developing its own multiple measures accountability framework. State Education Agencies will publish data that show Local Education Agency, school, and subgroup performance across a range of performance indicators, and will use that data to identify schools that need support and improvement, as required by ESSA.
The states will publish lagging data, from the previous academic year or even earlier. Districts including St. Louis Public Schools and Alameda Unified School District are partnering with Schoolzilla to get ahead of this. What tools will your district use to monitor progress against state indicators in real time, so you know you’re on track to meet state benchmarks?
If you’re interested in monitoring your district’s key performance indicators in real time, but are hoping for additional financial support to make it happen, this resource will give you some ideas for where to look. | https://schoolzilla.com/where-to-find-funds-national/ |
Customer Service Directors (R)
GSA offers a worldwide network of knowledgeable Customer Service Directors (CSDs). CSDs provide assistance, resolve problems and answer questions from GSA's customers. CSDs also host seminars on a variety of useful topics, and are a valuable source of information on all of GSA's programs.
GSA also has a cadre of National Account Managers (NAMs) who service the federal departments and agencies who account for the largest percentage of federal spending.
View the Customer Service Director servicing the area in question, or select the state below. | https://www.gsa.gov/about-us/organization/federal-acquisition-service-r/customer-service-directors-r |
Q:
Consider $p(x)=x^4 -2x^2 -2 \in \mathbb{Q}[x]$.
I have to find the roots $\alpha, \beta$ of $p(x)$ such that $\mathbb{Q}(\alpha)\cong\mathbb{Q}(\beta)$.
I already know that all the roots are $\sqrt{1+\sqrt{3}} , -\sqrt{1+\sqrt{3}}, \sqrt{1-\sqrt{3}}, -\sqrt{1-\sqrt{3}} $, so I think I have to take $\alpha=\sqrt{1+ \sqrt{3}}$ and $\beta=\sqrt{1-\sqrt{3}}$, and also I need to find the decomposition field of $p(x)$ so I think is enough to take $\mathbb{Q}(\alpha,\beta)$ because, let be $K$ the decomposition fiel of $p(x)$ then by definition it is the smallest in the one $p(x)$ factorizes completely, and clearly it factorizes in $\mathbb{Q}(\alpha,\beta)$ so, $K$$\subseteq$$\mathbb{Q}(\alpha,\beta)$, and in the other hand , notice that $\mathbb{Q}$$\subseteq$$K$, and $\alpha, \beta$ $\in$$K$, then $K$$\subseteq$$\mathbb{Q}(\alpha,\beta)$ that proves $K$=$\mathbb{Q}(\alpha,\beta)$. doesn't it?
Could someone give me some hint about it, be more accurate with the isomorphism?, thanks.
A:
As mentioned in the comment, $\mathbb{Q}(\alpha)$ and $\mathbb{Q}(\beta)$ are isomorphic for any two roots of the irreducible polynomial $p$. I will just give the details. Define a ring homomorphism $\phi$ from $\mathbb{Q}[x]$ to $\mathbb{Q}(\alpha)$ where $\alpha$ is a root of the irreducible polynomial $p$. $\phi$ is defined by $\phi (h)=h(\alpha)$ for $h\in \mathbb{Q}[x]$ and one can verify that this is indeed a ring homomorphism. Now the kernel of $\phi$ consists of those polynomials $h$ which vanish at $\alpha$. Since $\mathbb{Q}$ is a field, $\mathbb{Q}[x]$ is a principal ideal domain. Since the kernel contains the irreducible polynomial $p$, the kernel is nothing but the principal ideal $(p)$. Now, by the usual isomorphism theorem for rings, $\mathbb{Q}[x]/(p)$ is isomorphic to the image of $\phi$. Since, $p$ is irreducible and $\mathbb{Q}[x]$ is an Euclidean ring, the ideal $(p)$ is maximal. Hence, $\mathbb{Q}[x]/(p)$ is a field and so the image of $\phi$ is also a field. But $Im(\phi)$ contains $\alpha$ since $\phi(x)=\alpha$. It also contains all $q\in \mathbb{Q}$ as $\phi(q)=q$. Hence, by the definition of $\mathbb{Q}(\alpha)$, $Im(\phi)=\mathbb{Q}(\alpha)$. Hence, we have that $\mathbb{Q}[x]/(p)\equiv \mathbb{Q}(\alpha)$. Since $\alpha$ was any root, and the object $\mathbb{Q}[x]/(p)$ is common across all roots, we have $\mathbb{Q}(\alpha)\equiv \mathbb{Q}(\beta)$.
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Acting Public Protector Kholeka Gcaleka’s intention to subpoena Cyril Ramaphosa for answers about the Phala Phala burglary strikes the right chord at a time when the country is badly in need of accountability and transparency from its leaders, says Corruption Watch. This is a legitimate step in following due process and ensuring that the rule of law is upheld.
The Public Protector Act makes provision for Gcaleka to direct anyone to submit an affidavit, appear before her, or provide documents for the purpose of conducting an investigation, and under the Constitution, everyone, regardless of their position, must be held accountable. This is even more important for those who hold public office as their actions set the tone for society. Ironically, the president made similar remarks just last Friday in his address at the SACP congress. Yet they are at odds with his failure to meet the deadline to answer allegations in the matter, despite requesting an extension to do so. His request for a further extension was denied.
“The person holding the highest office in the land must be prepared to put himself forward for scrutiny, particularly at a time when the public needs and deserves answers. This latest development in a matter still shrouded in mystery and secrecy is very concerning,” says Karam Singh, executive director of Corruption Watch.
The lack of any substantial information or explanation from the president to date regarding what transpired at the game farm in Limpopo only serves to fuel suspicion and mistrust. As the country struggles to come to terms with the impact of state capture, allegations implicating those in positions of power should be dealt with in a manner that signals a shift from the past, and demonstrates a commitment to action, beyond the anti-corruption rhetoric.
“Transparency should always be the cornerstone of a democracy, and even more so now when confidence in our leaders is at an all-time low amidst widespread corruption, malfunctioning institutions, and pessimism that we will be able to overcome the herculean socio-economic challenges that we face as a country,” adds Professor Mzukisi Qobo, acting chairperson of the board of Corruption Watch.
“The president has an obligation to account to the public and the institutions that are created to hold public officials to account. He must do the right thing and submit himself to the same processes that he demands of others, otherwise he risks eroding trust in government and damaging the ethical standing of his office” Qobo concludes.
Read also: | https://iponewsnewyork.ca/cyril-rides-the-killer-wave-corruption-watch/ |
Multiple tractor GPS systems stolen in East Yorkshire farm raids
Police are urging farmers in the East Riding of Yorkshire to step up security following a spate of tractor GPS thefts.
Thieves broke into more than a dozen tractors across Holderness overnight on Friday (25 September) and stole their GPS systems, along with the roof receivers.
Humberside Police are appealing for information on thefts in Ottringham, Halsham and Coniston.
See also: Video: Farm sprayer GPS theft caught on camera
PCSO Darren Bainton, of the force’s rural crime team, said: “We’re encouraging farmers to remove the screens and other valuables when leaving their vehicles and, where possible, parking them in secure, alarmed buildings.
“If that isn’t possible, park them in well-lit areas covered by CCTV. Be on the lookout and report suspicious behaviour to us via 101, and always dial 999 if a crime is in progress.”
Andrew Boothroyd, who farms in Holderness, confirmed on Twitter (@EastenderAndrew) that he was one of the victims.
10 tips to prevent tractor GPS equipment theft
- Remove GPS guidance receivers, aerials and antenna globes from tractors when not in use and keep them in a secure, locked place whenever possible.
- Consider fitting security tethers or brackets to stop units being removed.
- Mark your postcode on GPS units either with a UV pen, engraving tool of forensic marking system such as Datatag.
- Store machinery in locked buildings whenever possible.
- Where locking machines away isn’t an option, consider fitting mains- or battery-operated alarms to cover the perimeter of areas where machines are stored.
- Check CCTV and alarms regularly to ensure they work – they should be placed where they won’t be triggered by animals or foliage.
- Record machinery serial numbers and photograph kit to help police identify and recover stolen items.
- Inform employees about the security arrangements that are expected of them.
- Join local farmwatch groups to be warned of crime trends and share intelligence.
- Report suspicious behaviour or vehicles to the police on 101, or 999 if a crime is in progress.
Source: NFU Mutual
Spate of thefts
Humberside Police has released the following details of the thefts:
- Six tractors had their GPS trackers and satellite roof receivers stolen at a secure compound in an agricultural service business on Withernsea Road, Halsham.
- A tractor and a sprayer parked securely in a farmyard on Swine Lane, Coniston, had their GPS tracker systems stolen.
- Thieves entered an agricultural service business compound and removed the GPS systems from two tractor units stored at the facility at about 11pm on Friday 24 September on Station Road, Ottringham.
- Two tractors burgled in Patrington Road, Welwick, with a Trimble GPS system and an Agco tracker stolen.
- Roof receiver taken from a Massey Ferguson tractor parked up in a yard in South Leys Road, Withernsea.
Police found one of the stolen GPS trackers thrown away in a hedgerow near the Rimswell Water Tower. The device has been sent to the crime scene investigation team for forensic testing.
Anyone with information on the thefts, or who is offered GPS kits for sale outside the dealer network, is asked to call Humberside Police on 101 or Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
The theft of tractor GPS equipment is approaching epidemic proportions on farms across Europe and in the UK, with incidents confirmed in a number of counties across the UK. | https://www.fwi.co.uk/news/crime/multiple-tractor-gps-systems-stolen-in-east-yorkshire-farm-raids |
In this report, we present findings based on interviews with 150 Parole Officers employed by Correctional Service Canada. Specifically, we focus on five core themes that emerged as salient across interviewees’ narratives:
a) Workload and job tasks
b) Job satisfaction
c) Organizational climate and culture
d) Health and well-being
e) Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic
We conclude the report with a set of recommendations that aim to address Parole Officers’ accounts of organizational stressors and challenges; improve health and well-being; enhance job satisfaction; and build a parole system well equipped for dealing with future public health crises.
The Mental Health and Well-being of Detachment Services Assistants in the Royal Canadian Mounted Police: A Qualitative Investigation (March 2022)
This report addresses the experiences of Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Detachment Services Assistants (DSAs), largely working in rural and remote areas, specifically examining their unique occupational stresses and their exposure to potentially psychologically traumatic events (PPTE) in their work. Drawing on 49 semi-structured interviews with DSAs, this report elucidates their understandings of occupational stress and PPTE, their mental health and well-being needs, and their access to and experiences utilizing mental health resources.
Draft Report: USJE Consultation on Parole Officer Workload and Resource Tools (July 2021)
In June of 2021, the Union of Safety and Justice Employees (USJE) convened five roundtables with Parole Officers in Institutions and Communities across the country. The purpose of these roundtables was to canvass some of CSC’s most crucial frontline employees on:
1. How the pandemic and other changes within Corrections has created workload challenges in managing Canada’s federal offender population;
2. Solicit their views on the efficacy of current resourcing tools within Corrections, and
3. Identify solutions to improve and expand tools and resources where appropriate.
Protecting Public Safety: The challenges facing federal parole officers in Canada's highly stressed criminal justice system (May 2019)
This report, released in May of 2019, says Canada’s correctional system is stressed and nearing a breaking point – with a majority of respondents asserting their working conditions often prevent them from properly assessing, supervising and preparing offenders for their safe return to society.
High offender caseloads, chronic understaffing, and significant changes to correctional programs and services in federal institutions and communities are cited as presenting insurmountable challenges to managing offender risk.
Moving Forward: A Report on the Invisible Toll of Psychological Trauma on Federal Public Safety Workers (June 2017)
This report, released in June of 2017, calls for federal measures to protect and recognize public safety and justice workers who are at significant risk of suffering psychological injuries from exposure to second-hand trauma at work.
Based on a national survey, the report shows that a majority of public safety employees who responded are negatively affected by the violent nature of criminal histories, victim statements, graphic evidence, and related materials they manage in high stress work environments. These include parole officers, teachers and others working in federal prisons, and employees in RCMP detachments, federal courts and the Parole Board of Canada. | https://www.keepingcanadianssafe.ca/reports |
[Aggregations of macrophages in the digestive tract of several mammals and their functional significance].
Our previous finding in the guinea pig that macrophages are aggregated at the villus tips of the small intestine and phagocytose effete enterocytes, in contrast to the accepted view that the enterocytes are exfoliated into the lumen, was extended in the present study to the large intestine of this animal and to the intestines of other mammals. In the large intestine of guinea pigs, aggregations of macrophages with an acid phosphatase activity were found beneath the epithelial lining, linearly surrounding the crypts. The macrophages contained debris of epithelial cells in their phagosomes, suggesting that the macrophages phagocytose apoptotic epithelial cells. This finding was supported by tracing BrdU-marked enterocytes, which were found to be taken up by the macrophages in the lamina propria. The macrophage aggregation was also recognized in the ileum of newborn guinea pigs, a finding favoring the idea that it represents a constant and intrinsic phenomenon and is not induced by penetration of foreign particles or other immunological events. In the monkey small intestine, macrophages with abundant phagosomes aggregated in large numbers in the lamina propria of the villus tips and were found to phagocytose enterocytes. In the hamster and rat, macrophages were numerous in the villi of the small intestine but they did not reveal images suggesting their involvement in the enterocyte removal. The mouse and rabbit showed only few macrophages with an acid phosphatase activity in the lamina propria of villi. The present finding in the monkey urges an investigation as to whether the novel mechanism of enterocyte disposition by subepithelial macrophages might be taking place in the human intestine.
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As a medical development professional, you’ve undoubtedly experienced challenges throughout your career when engaging clinicians in the development process. How did you overcome those challenges? Were you able to ask a trusted fellow development professional for their advice? How about a clinician?
For questions left unanswered (or unasked), our experts answered! During this webinar, two of Advancement Resources healthcare experts answer the questions that have been held back. Dr. Cliff Harris (physician turned development officer) and Mark McCampbell (CFRE and former healthcare CDO) answer questions submitted by medical development professionals about their most challenging situations. Gain the insight of these two unique perspectives to accelerate your path to success.
This webinar qualifies for 1.00 CFRE points. | https://advancementresources.org/insights-from-the-experts-a-webinar-built-by-you-for-you/ |
Recycling Information | The League City Official Website!
Please check your designated recycle pickup date by using our interactive map.
Resident’s previous recycling bins are being replaced by 48-gallon closed top, wheeled carts which will allow for more recycled items to be disposed of and prevent weather conditions from blowing items into roadways and yards. Items should be placed directly into the cart. If you have additional recyclables and need to bag them, please only use the clear or clear blue, plastic recycling bags so that it is easily identified as recycling and set them out curbside with your carts.
If you do not have a recycle cart and would like one, please email AmeriWaste or call them at 281-585-3200. Until then, you can place your recyclables in a clear or clear blue, plastic bag that may be purchased at a local hardware or discount store.
The following is a list of accepted recycling. Please note that glass is now being accepted curbside. Please ensure that all items are clean, dry, and empty to avoid contamination.
League City's recycling center is located at 1535 Dickinson Ave. Residents can bring their program recycling materials to this location.
Please note: The recycling center stopped taking oil and fluids on September 1, 2013, however, residents can go to any local auto supply store and recycle up to 5 gallons per visit. | http://tx-leaguecity4.civicplus.com/1957/Recycling-Information |
Two Sundays ago, on the Feast of the Holy Family, we listened to some of the best advise about how to become a holy family. St. Paul wrote in the Letter to the Colossians: “Put on,… heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, bearing with one another and forgiving one another…And over all these put on love” (Col 3:12-13). It raises the question to all of us, in whatever form our families take, are we practicing those virtues in order to become a holy family? Would someone on the outside peer into our families and see evidence of those virtues?
I think St. Paul understands the challenge of these virtues, especially in the cauldron of family life. He tells us to “Put on…” these virtues, as though they were something easily available to us and yet something we might well have to consciously strive to do. For example, what about those times when we feel anything but those virtues? Those moments when you have no inner peace, anger is bubbling up, and the words you are thinking – if you say them aloud – you know you will regret. In that moment “Put on…” compassion, humility, kindness, patience, bear with one another, forgive, and above all love – at least put them on in the words you do speak, the work of your hands, and the smile on your face. And keep doing them, keep putting them on, practice, practice, practice. Because in practicing what you desire you will become what you seek. Those virtues enacted in the world have their own way of working their from your hands, back thru the arms, into your heart; it is then you will deeply know fruit of your practice: the peace, love, kindness, compassion, patience and humility of Christ.
If two weeks ago, the reading from Colossians called us to practice and become a holy family by living out those virtues with the boundaries of our family, then last week’s reading from the Prophet Isaiah called us to extend our holy family into the world – to live those virtues in our schools, among our friends, in our places of work, with our clients, and in those random encounters in life. We are to be the Epiphany, the manifestation of the virtues of Christ in life.
Isaiah calls us to “Rise up in splendor …Your light has come…” He reminds us that the light of the world has come into the world and the Lord will light our way – be the lamp unto our path. That can seem like a daunting task to us because the world can be a tough place. Isaiah knows that, the prophet cautions us to be realistic: “See, darkness covers the earth, and thick clouds cover the peoples” even as we are reminded the Lord shines His light on us and covers us with his glory – those virtues we have practiced and are now living in our family and in the world. “Nations shall walk by your light, and kings by your shining radiance” – that is the power of compassion, humility, kindness, patience, bearing with one another, forgiving, and above all loving – the powerful and even the whole nation can be led by our example revealing to them the love of God.
And so the prophets tells us to “Rise up … Raise your eyes and look about.” Just as the shepherd in rose up from their fields, visited the Christ child, and proclaimed all that they had seen and heard. The actions of their lives revealed Christ among us. The Magi came rose up from their lands and came to give homage to the King of Kings. The actions of their lives revealed Christ among us.
What about the action of Jesus? Jesus who took on our life and nature, also answered the prophet call: “Rise up … Raise your eyes and look about.” He rose up from the Jordan, from the waters of his baptism, and looked about and saw us – a people lost and in need of a savior. He had no need of salvation – he is salvation itself. And yet through the waters of baptism He committed and joined His life to ours. He rose up from among us, in order to reach into our world, into our families, into our hearts, into the very waters of our own baptism, For it is in our baptism, in the moment we bless ourselves with water from the fonts at the doors of the church, and in the moment we renew our baptismal vows in our prayers of the Creed – “I believe” – that we should hear Jesus speaking to us in the words of the Prophet Isaiah:
|I, the LORD, have called you…I have grasped you by the hand||In a particular and intentional way, you are chosen, you have been pulled into the glory of God through the waters of baptism|
|I formed you,||Those saving waters formed you in the beginnings of the virtues… but the virtues need to be practiced. We pray that your family is continuing to form you in heartfelt compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, forbearance, forgiveness, and above all, in love.|
|Because you are more than just someone called to live the virtues in the world… I formed you…||and set you as a covenant of the people|
“Set you as a covenant.” Do we know how powerful those simple words are? Covenant – a vow, a promise, a bond, a connection that binds us to the promise and the power of Christ on one side and to the world on the other, as Isaiah wrote: “a light for the nations, to open the eyes of the blind, to bring out prisoners from confinement, and from the dungeon, those who live in darkness.”
You are set as a covenant to be the living embodiment of the virtues of Christ in the world. Virtues started in baptism, practiced in the family, and live in the world. You are the living covenant of God with the people of your life. You are a means for God to fulfill his promises begun in Christ.
So “Rise up … Raise your eyes and look about.” Live out the promises of baptism and family – be the covenant embodied for the world, and in the end of days, may you Christ say to you, “This is my beloved brother, my beloved sister, in whom I am well pleased. | https://friarmusings.com/2014/01/12/a-covenant-of-the-people/ |
How can mathematics education foster the skills that are appropriate for innovative societies? Mathematics education is heavily emphasised worldwide, nevertheless it is still considered to be a stumbling block for many students. While there is almost a consensus that mathematics problems appropriate for the 21st century should be complex, unfamiliar and non-routine (CUN), most of the textbooks still mainly include routine problems based on the application of ready-made algorithms.
The time has come to introduce innovative instructional methods in order to enhance mathematics education and students’ ability to solve CUN tasks. Metacognitive pedagogies can play a key role in this. These pedagogies explicitly train students to “think about their thinking” during learning. They can be used to improve not just academic achievement (content knowledge and understanding, the ability to handle unfamiliar problems etc.) but also affective outcomes such as reduced anxiety or improved motivation. This strong relationship between metacognition and schooling outcomes has implications for the education community and policy makers.
This book is designed to assist practitioners, curriculum developers and policy makers alike in preparing today’s students for tomorrow’s world.
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The effects of metacognitive instruction on achievement
Understanding the rationale behind a teaching method and accepting the assumptions on which it is based are not enough. Policy makers, educators and even the public at large look for evidence on its effects on the one hand, and on its drawbacks on the other. A large number of experimental and quasi-experimental studies have been carried out into the effects of metacognitive pedagogies on mathematics achievement, always comparing the metacognitive group to a control group that was taught traditionally. Among school children of all ages, metacognitive approaches improve achievement in arithmetic, algebra and geometry, with lasting effects, and positive effects even in high-stakes situations such as matriculation exams. Effects are similar but smaller for college students. Metacognitive approaches were mostly more effective within co-operative settings, although they also improved achievement among individualised settings.
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The Government has provided $125,000 to the National Museum of Australia to purchase a rare female Tasmanian tiger (thylacine) pelt.
The skin dates back to 1923 and is one of only 45 known complete adult pelts. It hung on the wall of a New Zealand canoe hire business and taxidermy museum for many years until its rarity was recognised by a group of visiting Victoria University of Wellington students. The pelt was returned to Australia from New Zealand for conservation in 2018.
It is one of the few remaining complete thylacine specimens and has high scientific, cultural and historical significance because of its condition. There are still traces of DNA on the pelt, which may hold potential for further analysis and research.
The funding is provided through the National Cultural Heritage Account and will be matched by the NMA. The NMA holds the largest single collection of thylacine organ specimens in the world.
The Government’s National Cultural Heritage Account assists institutions to acquire significant Australian historical objects and ensure they are preserved in Australia for public display. | https://www.arts.gov.au/departmental-news/rare-tasmanian-tiger-skin-preserved |
As of 2015 there were 4.9 billion devices within the internet of things and that number is expected to reach or even exceed 50 billion by 2020.
The sheer projected growth alone presents opportunities for energy providers to connect with customers and gain efficiencies in both business and operations. It also can introduce new security risks and complex management obstacles.
IoT’s challenges parallel those of the smart grid era. The rise of smart meters and distributed automation devices in recent years have required energy providers to explore new ways to connect, secure, control access to, manage and monitor an ever increasing number of devices - and exponential volumes of data.
In this webinar, Dave Kranzler will share key lessons distilled from solutions as diverse as Vietnam’s first AMI implementation, British Gas’ deployment of over four million networked meters, and Malaysia’s ambitious program, now underway, to connect the enterprise across the entire multi-island nation on an advanced communications network.
Webinar Participants will learn:
- How and why the AMI smart grid era is evolving away from its patchwork of single use-case approaches.
- Key characteristics needed for a unifying platform to manage multiple networks.
- Best practices for approaching an increasingly interconnected world, including an examination of the need for interoperability, global standards and protocols and open standards.
- Essential checklist to balancing data security and privacy with access across the energy enterprise – and beyond. | https://www.engerati.com/webinars/essential-iot-readiness-communications-secrets-ami-smart-grid-era |
When Jesus knows that his disciples understand enough, he asks them about his identity. The setting is significant: Caesarea Philippi (Matt. 16:13; also Mark 8:27) was a predominantly Gentile city known for its worship of the pagan deity Pan. Jesus chooses a Gentile region for the first confession of his identity, prefiguring a mission that will eventually extend to all peoples. It is no surprise that Matthew chooses to include this important information in his very Jewish Gospel, which emphasises God’s concern also for Gentiles (Matt. 1:3-5; 2:1-11; 4:13-15; 8:5-13; 10:14-15, 18; 11:21-24; 12:41-42; 15:21-28; 24:14; 27:54; 28:19).
Many people believed that Jesus was just a great prophet, but Simon Peter declared that he was the Messiah, God’s Son (Matt. 16:16). Peter is not the first person in this Gospel to suggest that Jesus might be the promised Son of David—that is, the Messiah (9:27; 12:23; 15:22; later 20:30-31; 21:9, 15). But he is the first to do among those who are Jesus’ disciples, his close followers.
Although Jesus must qualify Peter’s understanding, he first praises it. Only God could reveal Jesus’ identity truly (11:27), and he had done this for Peter (16:17). God had revealed the truth not to the highly educated scribes, but to the comparatively unlearned Peter (compare 11:25).
Jesus promised to build his community of followers “on this rock,” on Peter’s affirmation of Jesus’ identity (16:18). (Scripture already spoke of God “building” his people, e.g., Jer. 24:6; 31:4; 33:7). Jesus plays on Peter’s nickname here (“Simon” was such a common name it required an additional name to specify which Simon it was). In Greek, petros (“Peter”) means “rock,” and on this petra (“rock”) Jesus would build his church. As Paul says, the church is built on the foundation of apostles and prophets, with Jesus being the cornerstone (Eph. 2:20; cf. Jesus in Matt. 7:24-25). But why apostles and prophets? And why Peter, and especially now? Jesus praises Peter here because Peter has just confessed Jesus as the Messiah. Peter plays a foundational role by declaring Jesus as Messiah.
The “gates of Hades” will not prevail against Jesus’ church (Matt. 16:18). “Gates of Hades” was a common ancient expression for the realm of the dead. Death itself would not prevail against Jesus’ church; martyrdom—about which Jesus will soon have more to say (16:21, 24-25)—will not stop his work. The holder of palace keys was a major official (cf. Isa. 22:22); by confessing Jesus as Christ, Peter would exercise great kingdom authority. Whereas the wrong-headed teachers of God’s people were shutting people out of the kingdom (Matt. 23:13; Luke 11:52), Peter’s confession of Jesus was a key to let people in.
After praising Peter’s confession that Jesus is the promised king, Jesus goes on to define his kingship in a way that none of his contemporaries anticipated—in light of the cross (Matt. 27:37). Jesus’ Messiahship must remain a secret at that stage in his ministry (16:20), since no one was prepared to understand it. As Christ, Jesus was going to be rejected by the religious and political leaders of his people, killed, and would then rise again (16:21).
Having boldly confessed Jesus’ Messiahship by divine revelation, Peter now denies Jesus’ true messianic mission (16:22)—by satanic revelation (16:23). The good “rock” of 16:18 now becomes a bad rock, “a stumbling block” to Jesus (16:23). A disciple’s role was to “follow” after his teacher (16:24), but Jesus has to command Peter to “get behind” him (16:23; intended figuratively, since Jesus turns to him).
Granted that Peter misunderstands Jesus’ mission, is this offence serious enough to call him “Satan”? Sadly, yes. The devil’s climactic temptation to Jesus in Matt. 4:8-9 was to offer Jesus kingship over all the world—if Jesus would bow down to the devil. In contrast to the Father’s will, the devil’s way for Jesus to be “God’s Son” (4:3, 6) was the kingdom without the cross. Jesus responded, “Begone, Satan!” (4:10), and Jesus responds to Peter in the same way, because Peter now echoes Satan’s temptation.
Nor will Peter be the last one in this Gospel to echo Satan. As the devil urged Jesus to prove by some dramatic act that he was God’s Son (4:3, 6), so do Jesus’ mockers at the cross: “If you’re really God’s Son, come down from the cross!” (27:40; cf. 27:43). The scribes and elders mock, “He supposedly saved others; now he can’t save himself. He is supposed to be Israel’s king; let him come down from the cross and then we’ll believe in him” (27:42). In other words, Jesus could get everyone to “follow” him if he offered a more popular way. But it was not the Father’s way, and everyone would still die in sin. Jesus could not save himself if he wished to save others; God’s Son would obey his Father.
This was not the sort of Messiah whom people wanted to follow. The popular idea of the Messiah was a king who would lead his people to victory; that was what Peter wanted. But if Jesus’ messianic mission was the cross, that was also to be the mission of his followers. If we follow, we must follow to the cross: “If anyone wants to come after me, let them deny themselves, and take up their cross, and follow me” (16:24).
Condemned criminals normally had to carry their own cross to the site of their execution. Later Jesus’ disciples literally failed to take up the cross and follow him; the Romans had to draft a bystander to do it for Jesus (27:32). Happily, Jesus’ resurrection changed them, and eventually they were prepared to follow him to the death. Jesus is forgiving and he patiently forms us into the people he has called us to be. But as much as he desires to lavish his gifts, such as healing and deliverance, on people, he also cares enough to make us realistic about this world. If we follow the Father’s way instead of the devil’s, we will face suffering. The kingdom without the cross is still a temptation, and it is still a satanic message.
But the promise of God’s reward far exceeds the suffering. It is those who recognise that eternity is longer than the present, who are willing to give even their lives for their Lord if that need arises, who will have life forever (16:25-27). We were worth everything to Jesus, and he is worth everything to us. | https://ctrendsmag.com/roots/building-on-the-rock-reflections-on-matthew-1613-27/ |
Young, fast growing, intensively managed plantation loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) contains a large proportion of juvenile wood that may not have the stiffness required to meet the design requirements for southern pine dimension lumber. An unthinned loblolly pine spacing study was sampled to determine the effect of initial spacing on wood stiffness, strength and specific gravity (SG) at 8, 24, and 40 feet up the stem of chipping-saw loblolly pine grown using competition control and fertilization at planting plus fertilization at midrotation. Seven spacings ranging from 6 by 8 feet to12 by 12 feet were sampled. Analysis of the effect of spacing at each height level showed significant differences in stiffness, strength, and SG among spacings at 8 feet, but did not vary significantly with spacing at 24 or 40 feet. Stiffness at 8 feet of trees planted at 12 by 12 feet was 12 to 14 percent lower than that of trees planted at 6 by 8, 6 by 10 and 6 by 12 feet because the 12 by 12 trees were growing rapidly in response to fertilization and less competition and thus contain a larger diameter of juvenile wood characterized by wide microfibril angles and lower stiffness. Average weighted whole stem wood stiffness and strength decreased only 6 to 7 percent when spacing increased from 6 by 8 feet and 12 by 12 feet, and was not significantly different at the 0.05 level. Estimated stiffness, strength and SG at 8, 24, and 40 feet decreased significantly with increasing tree height because of increased juvenile wood in the upper stem. | https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/31233 |
The Government Action Plan (2019-2022)
The Government Action Plan (2019-2022) will focus on the achievements of the Kingdom and its people in the light of the Fiscal Balance program that aims at creating balance between public expenditure and revenues to achieve economic growth, financial stability, and sustainable development. The Government Action Plan was developed in line with main pillars, policies, and initiatives desired to be achieved during the coming four years to maintain security and stability, and to provide necessary services to the citizen. This will be reached through building on the current gains, avoiding any future burdens on citizens, and improving living conditions to enhance citizen-driven development.
Bahrain is looking forward to achieving the following general objectives by the Government Action Plan:
- Invest in citizens by enhancing, improving and sustaining government services in education, health, and other sectors.
- Create a safe and stable society.
- Enhance sustainable development to achieve fiscal balance and maintain economic growth.
- Support the private sector to drive the national development and create opportunities for citizens and investors.
- Optimize the use of resources and ensure its sustainability for the next generations.
- Sustain social and economic development by adopting legislation and initiatives supporting family stability and achieving gender equity.
- Continue to finance the development projects and infrastructure that enhance growth and serve citizens.
- Redefine the role of the public sector from operator to regulator and partner
- Support creativity, excellence, and highlight the role of woman, youth, and sports in all government programs and initiatives.
The Government Action Plan 2019 – 2022 Strategic priorities:
- Upholding the values of the State and Society
- Financial sustainability and Economic Development
- Supporting an Enabling Environment for Sustainable Development
Government Action plan (2015-2018)
The Government Action Plan reflects the strategic priorities of the Bahraini government with a focus on delivering sustainable change in line with the reform project of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain. Built upon the principles of Sustainability, Transparency, Justice, and Competitiveness, the Government Action Plan aim at capitalizing on the Kingdom’s resources and capabilities to meet the needs of all Bahrainis.
Bahrain’s Council of Representatives has been granted the full authority to review and approve the four-year plan including the overall development agenda, fiscal budget, and yearly closing accounts. Although the governance system in Bahrain is remarked with the separation of legislative, executive and judicial authorities, the Kingdom is blessed with cooperative relationship between the legislative and executive branches to build a better future for Bahrain. The full authority given to the Council of Representative is one of the main outcomes of the National Dialogue and the Constitutional Amendments in 2012.
The Council suggested 52 recommendations, which have been approved by the Bahrain government subsequently and incorporated into the Government Action Plan.
The Government Action Plan's (2015-2018) strategic priorities focused on six pillars:
Sovereignty
- Strengthening security and stability
- Enhancing the democratic system institutions
- Building strong external relations with countries
Economy and Finance
- Establishing diverse and robust economy
- Maintaining stable financial and monetary system
- Planning strategic programs
- Allocating resources efficiently
Human Development and Social Services
- Delivery of high-quality services that ensure decent living standards for all Bahrainis and enabling them to participate in the Kingdom's development agenda
- Sustaining long-term efforts to support the advancement of education, healthcare, housing, social welfare, and labor market regulation
Infrastructure
- Meeting the current and future needs of all Bahrainis by providing high quality and safe infrastructure that helps achieve sustainable economic growth
Environment and Urban Development
- Ensuring the sustainable management of strategic resources in line with international standards to maintain a healthy environment for all.
Government performance
- Enhancing the effectiveness and efficiency of Government performance
- Enhancing communication to increase the productivity of the public sector
The achievements of the Government Action plan (2015 – 2018) have been highlighted through the National Contact Center's Instagram .
Government Forum
The Government Forum is an annual gathering platform between the leadership, government’s top management, senior officials and members of the parliament to discuss public sector’s role in the national development agenda in line with reform directions of His Majesty King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, King of Bahrain, which has placed the citizen at the heart of all development plans.
The forum is organized with inauguration of HRH Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa, the Prime Minister of Bahrain, and led by HRH Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa, the Crown Prince, First Deputy Prime Minister.
The Government Forum aims at re-boosting the role of government and delivering a modern and dynamic public sector that can facilitate long-term prosperity, meet citizens’ needs and aspirations, achieve sustainable development. The Government Forum outcomes is a main pillar to the Government Action plan that will serve the country for the coming years.
As highlighted by HRH The Crown Prince, the Government Forum has facilitated interaction and exchange of new ideas across all levels within the government, as well as supporting the Government Action plan.
For more information about the Forum, please visit www.governmentforum.bh , or follow their social media channels: Twitter , and Instagram .
Government Forum 2018
In its third edition, HRH the Crown Prince gave a wide-ranging presentation on Bahrain’s progress and plans for the future at the Bahrain Government Forum 2018. He began by noting that Bahrain’s Vision 2030 , launched in 2008, has been pursued in line with its three founding principles: sustainability, competitiveness, and fairness.
Despite challenges faced over the past decade, the Vision, based on strong economic fundamentals, has helped ensure Bahrain’s development, with non-oil sector growth standing at 5 percent in 2017, and FDI forecast to be $650 million in 2018, up from $65 million in 2008. Over the last 12 months, the government has made significant progress in delivering the Vision’s core priorities by supporting private sector growth as the main engine of economic development, encouraging greater innovation, and enhancing citizens’ standard of living. As part of the Government Action Plan , a range of new laws have been passed in the Parliament last year, including measures regulating bankruptcy and real estate development.
The Crown Prince also detailed the government’s recently announced Fiscal Balance Program, which aims to align government revenues with economic growth and eliminate Bahrain’s budget deficit by 2022. The Program is supported by the $10 billion Financial Support Agreement signed between Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Kuwait. He also emphasized that similarly as with previous challenges faced by the Kingdom; the united efforts of Team Bahrain will ensure all obstacles are overcome now and in the future.
HRH went on to outline key socioeconomic reforms that are underway, including a government housing program to deliver 25,000 new housing units – of which 20,000 have been allocated, and announced during his presentation that the government would allocate an additional 5,000 housing units by the end of this year. He also discussed the Kingdom's new pioneering health insurance law, which will ensure health insurance coverage for all citizens and residents.
The government’s regulatory reforms encourage innovation and private sector growth in the Kingdom. HRH also announced the launch of Sijilat 2.0, an update to the successful online Commercial Registration service launched in May 2016. The Crown Prince noted that the success of Sijilat had opened doors to similar streamlined processes in other sectors. In this regard, HRH announced the launch of Binayat , a simplified method for issuing building permits within five days.
HRH the Crown Prince then provided an update on the Kingdom’s far-reaching infrastructure program and the enhancement of Bahrain’s logistics offering, with strategic projects including the expansion of Bahrain International Airport , the launch of strategic road network projects, and the construction of King Hamad Causeway. He also spoke about the progress that Bahrain’s Labor Market Regulatory Authority has made.
His Royal Highness noted the Kingdom’s recognition as an international leader in migrant worker protections and combating human trafficking, becoming the first country in the Middle East and North Africa to be granted Tier 1 status in the US Department of State Trafficking in Persons Report. The Kingdom has also taken steps to increase employment of Bahraini nationals and received global recognition for its introduction of Flexible Working Permits, which grant expatriates the opportunity to work for more than a single employer at a time.
In conclusion, His Royal Highness emphasized the government's absolute commitment to improving government services continuously. With the launch of Taqyeem (Government Service Centre Evaluation) last year, the government now tracks the Key Performance Indicators (PKIs) for all 89 government service centers. The Crown Prince announced that in the first yearly evaluation, ten centers received a ‘Gold classification’ under the Taqyeem system and that results will now be made available to the public on an annual basis.
eGovernment Forum 2017
During the Forum’s second edition, HRH the Prime Minister issued a statement, instructing government officials to build on the achievements delivered under the leadership of His Majesty King Hamad, and emphasizing the government’s commitment to overcoming challenges and driving forward further accomplishments.
The Prime Minister stressed on the importance of continuing to evaluate the performance and accountability of government to ensure the best use of its capabilities, resources, and potential, and to be responsive and adaptive to the development needs of the Kingdom’s citizens.
HRH stressed that the Government Forum represents a vital platform to ensure that Bahrain’s citizens remain at the heart of the Kingdom’s development efforts. His Royal Highness noted that the core themes of the 2017 Forum – enhancing government collaboration and improving public services – are central elements of the Kingdom’s vision for a sustainable economy, which supports the aspirations of Bahrain’s citizens. HRH also highlighted that government programs and initiatives are underpinned by Bahrain’s Vision 2030 ; the Kingdom’s roadmap for a diversified economy led by His Majesty King Hamad. HRH noted that the government’s programs are generating tangible results, maximizing productivity, and ensuring high standards of public services. He also outlined three economic and socio-economic priorities that are being pursued across the government, comprising an increased role for the private sector in driving economic growth; supporting greater innovation and competitiveness; and enhancing citizens’ living standards.
The Crown Prince detailed the government's delivery of priority programs while highlighting Bahrain’s Vision 2030 principles of sustainability, competitiveness, and fairness must continue to be in line with every aspect of the nation's development. Moreover, through continuous collaboration with the Bahrain Economic Development Board, the Kingdom has seen an increase in investment of 158% between 2016 – 2017.
The following government initiatives were outlined during the Forum: the launch of a National Strategy for Tourism; this sector has seen a 12.8% increase in visitors in the past year. The adoption of a national plan to revive Bahrain’s traditional pearl industry, and the implementation of the National Renewable Energy Plan, which aims to provide 5% of the country’s electricity from renewables by 2025. As well as the development of a highly modernized power plant and the construction of a 100MW solar power plant.
The reforms also include regulatory changes in the Kingdom’s healthcare and housing systems; which led to the introduction of the National Strategy for Healthcare designed to transform the role of the Ministry of Health from an operator to the main regulator of the sector. Providing a countrywide 25,000 housing unit program, which has already delivered 15,655 units across Bahrain in close collaboration with the private sector.
In addition, a far-reaching program of $32 billion infrastructure projects is already seeing significant progress and driving growth across the country’s oil and gas, logistics, manufacturing, ICT, financial services, and tourism sectors.
HRH concluded by reaffirming the government’s commitment to delivering policies that contribute to the Kingdom’s development program, turning challenges into opportunities, and supporting a modern, progressive economy, which meets the aspirations of the Kingdom’s citizens
eGovernment Forum 2016
During the first Forum in 2016, the topics discussed included: Bahrain’s Vision 2030 Achievements, Private Sector Role in Driving Growth, Sustainability & Advancing Infrastructure, Enhancing Public Services, and Government Priorities & Bahrain’s Next Phase of Development.
HRH the Crown Prince started off with emphasizing that Bahrain’s Vision 2030 , established the principles of sustainability, fairness, and competitiveness as the framework for the development of the economy, and that these principles will continue to underpin efforts to enhance government performance and to translate development goals into tangible results that benefit Bahrain’s citizens.
His Royal Highness also outlined the achievements made that have supported Bahrain’s economic, governmental, and social development. This included continued diversification efforts that have resulted in non-oil sectors now accounting for 80% of GDP, an impressive 28 percent growth in the size of the economy, a threefold increase in international investments into the Kingdom from 2009 to 2014, and a 47 percent increase in the average income of Bahraini families.
Furthermore, concerning government achievements, HRH highlighted the role new regulatory bodies have played in improving the quality of public services provided to citizens, remarking that Bahrain is considered 1st among Arab countries in eGovernment readiness, and has maintained this rank for four consecutive years. Moreover, the decisive steps the government has taken to increase competitiveness and liberalize the telecommunications sector was noted, which has grown to become the leading sector in terms of providing employment opportunities for Bahrainis (67%).
With regards to social development, HRH stressed that the development of five major social housing projects, which have already begun construction that will create the largest number of housing units in Bahrain’s history. Furthermore, HRH emphasized the support provided to Bahrain’s youth and sports sectors, mentioning that 125 sports facilities have been established across the Kingdom, and the successful hosting of the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix, are other milestones in the country’s youth and sports development.
Three key goals were highlighted by HRH for the country going forward, including:
- To strengthen efforts of redefining the role of the public sector from the primary engine of economic growth into a private sector enabler and regulator – particularly across the tourism, logistics, manufacturing, ICT, and financial services sectors.
- To facilitate innovation and increase competitiveness.
- To continue to invest in citizens and further improve their living standards.
With regards to specific government actions that will help achieve these goals, the Crown Prince welcomed the introduction of four tools:
- Enhancing public services, mainly housing, healthcare, and education services, and the transformation of government services into state-of-the-art eServices
- Enhancing legislative and regulatory frameworks in order to strengthen Bahrain’s international competitiveness
- The simplification of government procedures
- And the continued investment in substantial infrastructure, which has been allocated in excess of BHD 32.5 billion and will be injected into social infrastructure (BHD 7.5 billion), industrial infrastructure (BHD 10 billion), and private sector investments (BHD 15 million). His Royal Highness also noted that this would be complemented by the Urban Development Strategy and industrial zones that provide added benefits for foreign investors. | https://www.bahrain.bh/wps/portal/!ut/p/a0/hc6xDoIwFIXhV-nCfAvEBkdiDIaFRGOsXcgN1qZabkutxMcXNjfHk_8bDiiQoAhnazBZT-jWrUR_6LjIi6poq_Jc8roTu-N2z_OGb-CkCdp_SMLVPqZJ1aAGT0l_Ekht_Bx8TOh6jBl3SDdLhgU0-pXxJepIo6bEcFi_sLAItiD2k-4-vkcIz-byBUuMst4!/ |
The Socialism Conference took place from July 5 to 8 in Chicago, Illinois. Organised by The International Socialist Organisation (ISO), the annual conference was co-sponsored by Jacobin for the second year in a row. Around 2000 participants from all over the world, but mainly the U.S., gathered in the conference rooms of the Hyatt Regency Hotel at Dr Martin Luther King Jr. road. They discussed about topics such as Marxist Theory, Labour History, Imperialism, Immigration, Gender and Sexuality, Black Liberation and Women’s Liberation, Revolutions, Education and many more in dozens of panels.
Well-known panelists included Neil Davidson, Gilbert Achcar, Francis Fox Piven, Colin Barker, Dave Zirin, Paul D’Amato, Anand Gopal and Amy Goodman. Academics, long- time activists and young socialists discussed important questions on how to strengthen the link between political theory and political practice. At the top of the agenda were 1.) what to learn from the lessons of past revolutions, 2.) what to learn from Marxian and Marxist classics and 3.) to share ideas and tactics of how to organise various social struggles across different locations.
Several panels emphasised the necessity of recognizing and supporting diverse forms of resistance. Activists David Whitehouse and Diana Macase reminded us of South Korea’s hidden history of resistance. They highlighted how the Gwangju Uprising, also known as May 18 Democratisation Movement in 1980 became one of the most inspirational experiences in South Korea’s history of struggles. A similar approach was taken up by Kate Seidel, who raised some interesting points regarding socialist organizing in post-Soviet countries. During her stay in Russia she worked with political actors pursuing diverse political agendas and strategies. Being well aware of risking a Western-centric perspective, Kate proposed to analyse Russia’s activist landscape by distinguishing between a mythical patriotic bourgeoisie, loyal oppositions, militant liberals, socialists from below, yellow unions (i.e. company unions) and of course the Far Right, Stalinists and anarchists. Although some of the categories seem peculiar at first sight, it would be interesting to study the possible existence of similar groups in the context of other post-socialist states.
Other panels took up the question of what kind of political party should accompany a leftist social movement in general and how a vanguard party might look like in particular. Against the popular misconception of vanguard parties to be elitist, avid for power and self-proclaimed, Paul D’Amato, author of The Meaning of Marxism, argues for a different understanding. Rather than being a product of bourgeois top-down organizing, he considers it indispensable that a vanguard party would be embodied in working class structures. Relatedly, ISO member and editor of Eyewitnesses to the Russian Revolution, Todd Chretchien added that the importance of building a political party side by side with popular social movements is not only historically justified (see the Paris Commune) but essential in order to build a social base anchored in the working-class. Chretchien also discussed the role of democratic centralism and its advantages vis-a-vis pure consensus decision making processes, arguing that the former should be regarded as a means for revolutionary organizing and decision-making processes rather than a tool of suppressing minority opinions as is usually contended by critics. While democratic centralists argue that disagreement among Party members is the basis for practicing dialectical materialism and should not be misinterpreted as political unanimity and factionalism, there are serious problems facing the practice of democratic centralism. These include the risks of developing dogmatism, deconstructive factions and lack of leadership accountability, but also ultra-democracy as a response to over-centralism.
Some contributions raised awareness about crucial historical moments, including Elizabeth Terzakis’ talk about the first year of the Russian Revolution, Colin Barker’s lecture on revolutionary rehearsals and Gilbert Achcar’s panel on the Arab Spring. Others spoke about the Egyptian Revolution and counterrevolution, the struggle against Apartheid and the Spanish Revolution.
One of the highlights was the panel discussion with 85-year old Frances Fox Piven, long-term activist and author of Who’s Afraid of Frances Fox Piven?, Regulating the Poor and Poor People’s Movements among many others. As for her panel which was titled “The importance of being unruly”, Fox Piven called on the audience to recognise that it was the social movements that radically changed the political discourses (e.g. Occupy Movement), rather than the impact of her academic writings. Dedication to participation and solidarity with the movements one is writing about, she argued, is what makes academic work on movements valuable for both scholars and activists. | https://www.movements.manchester.ac.uk/marxist-theory-party-organisation-and-todays-social-movements-impressions-of-the-socialism-conference-2018-in-chicago/ |
Legislation Should Ensure Covid-19 Health Status Certificates Are Only Used During The Pandemic, Study Argues
Lawmakers around the world should include “sunset clauses” in legislation to ensure Covid-19 health status certificates are only used during the pandemic, a new study says.
Safeguards should be in place to guarantee against the risks posed to people’s privacy and human rights by new measures such as vaccine passports, according to the study.
Governments should also ensure Covid-19 tests are affordable or free to avoid unlawful discrimination against those who cannot be vaccinated or will likely not be vaccinated soon.
The study urges policymakers to carefully consider when and how to adopt Covid-19 certificates. It proposes a framework to help them determine whether to implement them, and if so, how this should be done. The framework considers three essential elements: (1) the context of deployment of these certificates; (2) the impact on rights and freedoms; and (3) the necessary safeguards in place.
Dr Ana Beduschi, from the University of Exeter Law School, who authored the study, said: “There is no “one size fits all” solution for Covid-19 certificates that would be equally appropriate in all countries or even in all sectors of the economy.
“While we are seeing a consensus being formed about requiring Covid-19 health status certificates for international travel, the domestic uses of these certificates are not straightforward.
“On a spectrum, some situations may justify an obligation to display Covid-19 health status – for instance, to visit relatives in care homes and hospitals, where doing so may well be necessary to protect the health of vulnerable individuals.
“By contrast, there are increasing concerns about the equity of requiring Covid-19 health status certificates for access to restaurants, shops and other private venues.”
The study highlights that the degree, nature, and duration of the interference with people’s rights need to be considered.
The study, produced as part of research funded by the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC), as part of UK Research & Innovation (UKRI)’s rapid response to Covid-19, highlights how Covid-19 health status certificates providers will still have to comply with the GDPR principles.
It says maintaining the confidentiality of health data should be paramount. Health data, such Covid-19 test results and vaccination records, must be processed in a manner that complies with the requirements of security and confidentiality, preventing any unauthorised access, accidental loss, damage or destruction of the data (Article 5-1 (f) GDPR).
Providers should carry out data protection impact assessments before any large-scale deployment of these certificates.
Dr Beduschi said: “The technological solutions adopted during the current pandemic will have a lasting impact on our societies. A variety of initiatives to develop and deploy Covid-19 health status certificates are currently underway.
However, it is not sufficient to develop technical solutions for the verification of people’s health status. Because technologies do not evolve in a legal vacuum, the existing laws and regulations must be respected.
The risks of implementing such technologies must be anticipated and mitigated as much as possible before any large-scale deployment.” | |
# List of symphonies by key
This list of symphonies by key is a list of symphonies sorted by key. For the least often used keys in orchestral music, the symphony listed might be famous only for being in that key.
## C major
In the Classical period, C major was the key most often chosen for symphonies with trumpets and timpani. Even in the Romantic period, with its greater use of minor keys and the ability to use trumpets and timpani in any key, C major remained a very popular choice of key for a symphony. The following list includes only the most famous examples.
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 1, Op. 21 (1800) Georges Bizet Symphony in C (1855) Paul Dukas Symphony in C (1896) Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 7, “Le Midi” (1761) Symphony No. 48, “Maria Theresia” (1769) Symphony No. 82, “The Bear” (1786) Symphony No. 97 (1792) Michael Haydn Symphony No. 39, MH 478, Perger 31 (1788) Franz Liszt Faust Symphony, S 108 (1857) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 9, KV 73 (1769) Symphony No. 16, KV 128 (1772) Symphony No. 22, KV 162 (1773) Symphony No. 28, KV 200 (1774) Symphony No. 34, KV 338 (1780) Symphony No. 36, "Linz", KV 425 (1783) Symphony No. 41, "Jupiter", KV 551 (1788) Sergei Prokofiev Symphony No. 4 (original version), Op. 47, 1930 Symphony No. 4 (revised version), Op. 112, 1947 Franz Schubert Symphony No. 6, D. 589 Symphony No. 9, "The Great", D. 944 (1828) Robert Schumann Symphony No. 2, Op. 61 (1846) Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No. 7, "Leningrad", Op. 60 (1942) Jean Sibelius Symphony No. 3, Op. 52 (1907) Symphony No. 7, Op. 105 (1924) Igor Stravinsky Symphony in C (1940) Richard Wagner Symphony in C major, WWV 29 (1832)
## C minor
The key of C minor was, like most other minor keys, associated with the literary Sturm und Drang movement during the Classical period. But ever since Ludwig van Beethoven's famous Symphony No. 5, Op. 67, of 1808, C minor imparts a symphony in the key a character of heroic struggle. Early classical symphonies in the key typically ended in C minor but with a picardy third for the very final chord. Following Beethoven's precedent, most C minor symphonies of the Romantic period end in C major. Another option is to end in E-flat major (the relative key), as Mahler does in his Second Symphony.
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 5, op. 67 (1808) Felix Mendelssohn Symphony No. 1, Op. 11 (1824) Johannes Brahms Symphony No. 1, Op. 68 (1876) Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 1 (1868) Symphony No. 2 (1872) Symphony No. 8 (1887) Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 1 (1865) Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 52 Symphony No. 95 Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 2 "Resurrection" (1894) Camille Saint-Saëns Symphony No. 3 "Organ", Op. 78 (1886) Franz Schubert Symphony No. 4 "Tragic", D 417 Alexander Scriabin Symphony No. 2, Op. 29 (1901) Symphony No. 3 "Le Divin Poème", Op. 43 (1904) Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No. 4, Op. 43 (1936) Symphony No. 8, Op. 65 (1943) Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 2 "Little Russian", Op. 17 (1872) Alexander Glazunov Symphony No. 6, Op. 58
## C-sharp minor
Even by Mahler's time, symphonies in C-sharp minor were rare. Some of the works listed below might have no claim to fame besides being in this key.
Arnold Bax Symphony No. 5 Ernest Bloch Symphony in C-sharp minor (1902) Joseph Martin Kraus Symphony in C-sharp minor, VB 140. Identified by musicologist Bertil H. van Boer in program notes for the Naxos recording as one of only two C-sharp minor symphonies written in the 18th century. Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 5 (1902) - Mahler objected to this key assignment, preferring none at all Nikolai Myaskovsky Symphony No. 2 (1910–11) Sergei Prokofiev Symphony No. 7, Op. 131 (1952) Ture Rangström Symphony No. 1 August Strindberg in Memoriam (1914) Vissarion Shebalin Symphony No. 2 (1929 )
## D-flat major
Symphonies in D-flat major are much rarer than those in C-sharp minor and one has to look beyond the standard core repertoire to find them.
Erwin Dressel Symphony in D-flat major (1928) Anastazy Wilhelm Dreszer (1843 - 1907) Symphony No. 1, Op. 3 (1865) Nikolai Myaskovsky Symphony No. 25, Op. 69 (1945-6) Ture Rangström Symphony No. 3, "Song under the Stars" (1929)
## D major
Baroque and Classical symphonies in D major typically used horns in D (reading a seventh down) and when they used trumpets, trumpets in D reading a step up. The following list includes only the most famous of the Classical and Romantic periods.
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 2, Op. 36 (1802) Johannes Brahms Symphony No. 2, Op. 73 (1877) Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 6 "Le Matin" (1761) Symphony No. 13 (1763) Symphony No. 70 (1779) Symphony No. 86 (1786) Symphony No. 93 (1791) Symphony No. 96 "Miracle" (1791) Symphony No. 101 "Clock" (1794) Symphony No. 104 "London" (1795) Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 6, Op. 60, B. 112 (1880) Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 1 (1888) Symphony No. 9 (1909) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 4, KV 19 (1765) Symphony No. 7, KV 45 (1768) Symphony No. 8, KV 48 (1768) Symphony No. 11, KV 84 (1770) Symphony No. 20, KV 133 (1772) Symphony No. 23, KV 181 (1773) Symphony No. 30, KV 202 (1774) Symphony No. 31 "Paris", KV 297 (1778) Symphony No. 35 "Haffner", KV 385 (1782) Symphony No. 38 "Prague", KV 504 (1786) Franz Schubert Symphony No. 1, D 82 Symphony No. 3, D 200 Symphony No. 10, D 936A (unfinished) Jean Sibelius Symphony No. 2, Op. 43 (1902) Sergei Prokofiev Symphony No. 1 "Classical", Op. 25 (1917) Johann Stamitz Symphony in D major, Op. 3, No. 2 Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 3 "Polish", Op. 29 (1875) Ralph Vaughan Williams Symphony No. 5 - nominally in the key Alexander Glazunov Symphony No. 3, Op. 33
## D minor
Baroque and Classical symphonies in D minor usually used 2 horns in F (whereas for most other minor keys 2 or 4 horns were used, half in the tonic and half in the relative major). Michael Haydn's Symphony No. 29 in D minor is notable for using two trumpets in D (the horns are in F but change to D for the coda of the finale). In the Romantic era, D minor symphonies, like symphonies in almost any other key, used horns in F and trumpets in B-flat.
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 9 "Choral", Op. 125 (1824) Havergal Brian Symphony No. 1 "Gothic" (1927) Robert Schumann Symphony No. 4, Op. 120 (1841) Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 0 (1869) Symphony No. 3 (1873, 1877, 1891) Symphony No. 9 (1896, unfinished) Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 4, Op. 13, B. 41 (1874) Symphony No. 7, Op. 70, B. 141 (1885) César Franck Symphony in D minor Alexander Glazunov Symphony No. 9 (1910, unfinished) Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 26 "Lamentatione" (1768) Symphony No. 80 (1784) Michael Haydn Symphony No. 29 (1784) Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 3 (1896) Sergei Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 1, Op. 13 (1895) Felix Mendelssohn Symphony No. 5 "Reformation", Op. 107 (1830) Martin Scherber Symphony No. 1 (1938) Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No. 5, Op. 47 (1937) Symphony No. 12, Op. 112 (1961) Ralph Vaughan Williams Symphony No. 8 (1955)
## E-flat major
Elfrida Andrée Symphony No. 2 Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 3 "Eroica", Op. 55 (1804) Alexander Borodin Symphony No. 1 (before 1869) Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 4 "Romantic" (1874) Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 3 (1873) Edward Elgar Symphony No. 2, Op. 63 (1911) Alexander Glazunov Symphony No. 4, Op. 48 Symphony No. 8, Op. 83 Karl Goldmark Rustic Wedding Symphony, Op. 26 (1875) Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 22 "The Philosopher" (1764) Symphony No. 99 (1793) Symphony No. 103 "Drumroll" (1795) Robert Schumann Symphony No. 3 "Rhenish", Op. 97 (1850) Jean Sibelius Symphony No. 5, Op. 82 (1915) Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 8 "Symphony of a Thousand" (1907) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 1, KV 16 (1764) Symphony No. 3, KV 18 (1765) Symphony No. 19, KV 132 (1772) Symphony No. 39, KV 543 (1788) Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No. 3 "The First of May", Op. 20 (1931) Symphony No. 9, Op. 70 (1945) Johann Stamitz Symphony in E-flat major, Op. 11, No. 3
## E-flat minor
The two examples of symphonies in E-flat minor that come up most readily are both Sixth Symphonies by Soviet composers.
Nikolai Myaskovsky Symphony No. 6, Op. 23 (1921-3) Sergei Prokofiev Symphony No. 6, Op. 111 (1947)
## E major
In the classical period, symphonies in E major used horns in E but no trumpets.
Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 12 (1763) Symphony No. 29 (1765) Max Bruch Symphony No. 3 Joachim Raff Symphony No. 5 "Lenore", Op.177 (1872) Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 7 (1883) Alexander Scriabin Symphony No. 1, Op. 26 (1900) Franz Schubert Symphony No. 7, D 729 Alexander Glazunov Symphony No. 1, Op. 5
## E minor
Amy Beach Gaelic Symphony, Op. 32 (1894) Johannes Brahms Symphony No. 4, Op. 98 (1885) Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 9 "From the New World", Op. 95, B. 178 (1893) Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 44 "Trauer" (1770) Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 5, Op. 64 (1888) Jean Sibelius Symphony No. 1, Op. 39 (1898) Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 7 (1906) Sergei Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2, Op. 27 (1907) Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No. 10, Op. 93 (1948) Ralph Vaughan Williams Symphony No. 6 (1948) Symphony No. 9 (1957)
## F major
Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 89 (1787) Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 6 "Pastoral", Op. 68 (1808) Symphony No. 8, Op. 93 (1812) Alexander Glazunov Symphony No. 7 "Pastoral", Op. 77 Joachim Raff Symphony No. 3 "Im Walde", Op. 153 (1870) Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 5, Op. 76, B. 54 (1875) Johannes Brahms Symphony No. 3, Op. 90 (1883) Zdeněk Fibich Symphony No. 1, Op. 17 (1883) Nikolai Myaskovsky Symphony No. 16 "Aviation", Op. 39 (1935-1936)
## F minor
Even in the Sturm und Drang era, F minor was not a frequent choice for a minor key symphony, though Haydn did contribute one.
Anton Bruckner Study Symphony in F minor Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 49 "La Passione" (1768) Richard Strauss Symphony No. 2, Op. 12 (1884) Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 4, Op. 36 (1878) Sir Charles Villiers Stanford Symphony No. 3 "The Irish", Op. 28 (1887) Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No. 1, Op. 10 (1925) Ralph Vaughan Williams Symphony No. 4 (1934) Martin Scherber Symphony No. 2 (1951–52)
## F-sharp major
The only notable (completed) symphony written explicitly in F-sharp major is Erich Wolfgang Korngold's Symphony in F-sharp major, Op. 40 of 1950.
Gustav Mahler's unfinished Tenth Symphony is in this key. So is Olivier Messiaen's Turangalîla-Symphonie, as several of its movements including the finale are in that key, although it could be excluded on the grounds that it is very far from traditionally tonal.
## F-sharp minor
Though it has just three sharps and its relative major was used somewhat frequently, F-sharp minor was an unusual choice of key in the Classical era.
George Frederick Bristow Symphony in F-sharp minor, Op. 26 Alexander Glazunov Symphony No. 2, Op. 16 Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 45 "Farewell" (1772) Myaskovsky Symphony No. 21 Dora Pejačević Symphony (1917)
## G major
In the Baroque and Classical periods, G major was one of the most often used keys. Classical symphonies in G major typically had horns in G, but no trumpets. In the Romantic era, the key was less often used. The following list only includes the most famous works.
Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 8, Op. 88, B. 163 (1889) George Dyson Symphony in G major (1937) Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 8 "Le Soir" (1761) Symphony No. 88 (late 1780s) Symphony No. 92 "Oxford" (1791) Symphony No. 94 "Surprise" (1791) Symphony No. 100 "Military" (1794) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 10, KV 74 (1770) Symphony No. 12, KV 110 (1771) Symphony No. 15, KV 124 (1772) Symphony No. 17, KV 129 (1772) Symphony No. 27, KV 199 (1773) Symphony No. 32, KV 318 (1779) Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 4 (1901) Johann Stamitz Symphony in G major "Mannheim No. 1" Ralph Vaughan Williams Symphony No. 2 "A London Symphony" (1914)
## G minor
G minor was a frequent choice for minor key symphonies. In the Classical period, symphonies in G minor almost always used four horns, two in G and two in B-flat alto.
Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 39 (1767) Symphony No. 83, The Hen (1785) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 25, KV 183 (1773) Symphony No. 40, KV 550 (1788) Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Symphony No. 1 "Winter Daydreams" (1866) Carl Nielsen Symphony No. 1 (1891) Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No. 11 "The Year 1905", Op. 103 (1957)
## A-flat major
Although A-flat major was chosen often enough for inner movements of symphonies in other keys (most notably slow movements of C minor symphonies), there are very few symphonies with A-flat major as their main key.
Edward Elgar Symphony No. 1, Op. 55 (1908) Jef van Hoof Symphony No. 2 (1941) Johann Baptist Wanhal Symphony in A-flat major, Bryan Ab1
## G-sharp minor
Because A-flat minor has seven flats in its key signature, composers usually use the enharmonic equivalent G-sharp minor, which only has five sharps. It is infrequent even in piano music, and even rarer in orchestral music in general.
Nikolai Myaskovsky Symphony No. 17 Elliot Goldenthal Symphony in G-sharp minor
## A major
The following list only includes the most famous A major symphonies.
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 7, Op. 92 (1812) Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 6 (1881) Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 59, "Fire" (before 1769) Symphony No. 64, "Tempora mutantur" (1778) Symphony No. 87 (1785/6) Felix Mendelssohn Symphony No. 4 "Italian", Op. 90 (1833) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 14, KV 114 (1771) Symphony No. 21, KV 134 (1772) Symphony No. 29, KV 201 (1774) Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No. 15, Op. 141 (1971) Johann Stamitz Symphony in A major "Mannheim No. 2" Richard Wetz Symphony No. 2, Op. 47 (1921)
## A minor
Alexander Borodin Symphony No. 3 (1886–1887, unfinished) Felix Mendelssohn Symphony No. 3 "Scottish", Op. 56 (1842) Gustav Mahler Symphony No. 6 "Tragic" (1904) Jean Sibelius Symphony No. 4, Op. 63 (1911) Sergei Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 3, Op. 44 (1936) Stephen Brown Symphony, The Northern Journey (1986–89, revision 1992)
## B-flat major
Haydn's Symphony No. 98 is credited as the first symphony written in B-flat major in which trumpet and timpani parts are included. Actually, his brother Michael Haydn had written one such symphony earlier, No. 36. However, Joseph still gets credit for writing the timpani part at actual pitch with an F major key signature (instead of transposing with a C major key signature), a procedure that made sense since he limited that instrument to the tonic and dominant pitches. Many editions of the work, however, use no key signature and specify the instrument as "Timpani in B-flat - F." (Note that in German, the pitch B-flat is called "B", and B natural is "H", thus the specification for timpani in a B-flat work could be written "Pauken in B. - F.")
Ludwig van Beethoven Symphony No. 4, Op. 60 (1806) Anton Bruckner Symphony No. 5 (1876) Ernest Chausson Symphony in B-flat, Op. 20 (1890) Antonín Dvořák Symphony No. 2 (1865) Alexander Glazunov Symphony No. 5, Op. 48 Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 85 "La Reine" (1785/6) Symphony No. 98 (1792) Symphony No. 102 (1794/5) Andrea Luchesi Symphony in B-flat major (ca.1770) Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Symphony No. 24, KV 182 (1773) Symphony No. 33, KV 319 (1779) Franz Schubert Symphony No. 2, D 125 (1815) Symphony No. 5, D 485 (1816) Robert Schumann Symphony No. 1 "Spring", Op. 38 (1841) Sergei Prokofiev Symphony No. 5, Op. 100 (1944) Johann Stamitz Symphony in B-flat major "Mannheim No. 3"
## B-flat minor
B-flat minor occurs often enough in the piano repertoire, much less so in the orchestral repertoire. Even allowing little-known works, the list is rather short.
Havergal Brian Symphony No. 8 (1949) Frederic Hymen Cowen Symphony No. 4 Jānis Ivanovs Symphony No. 1 (1933) Dmitry Kabalevsky Symphony No. 3, Op. 22 (1933) Miloslav Kabeláč Symphony No. 5 Dramatic, Op. 41 (1960) Tikhon Khrennikov Symphony No. 1, Op. 4 (1933-5) Sergei Lyapunov Symphony No. 2, Op. 66 Albéric Magnard Symphony No. 3, Op. 11 (1896) Nikolai Myaskovsky Symphony No. 11, Op. 34 (1932) Symphony No. 13, Op. 36 (1933) Harald Sæverud Symphony No. 3, Op. 5 Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No. 13 "Babi Yar", Op. 113 (1962) Maximilian Steinberg Symphony No. 2, Op. 8 (1909) In Memoriam Rimsky-Korsakov Richard Wetz Symphony No. 3, Op.48 (1922) William Walton Symphony No. 1 (1932–35)
## B major
Haydn's use of B major in his Symphony No. 46 was deemed "extraordinary" for a symphony in the 18th century.
Joseph Haydn Symphony No. 46 (1772) Erich Wolfgang Korngold Sinfonietta, Op. 5 (1912) Georg Matthias Monn Sinfonia (1740s) Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No. 2 "To October", Op. 14 (1927)
## B minor
B minor is the key of some famous symphonies in the repertoire, as well as a few lesser known ones.
Alexander Borodin Symphony No. 2 (1876) Wilhelm Furtwängler Symphony No. 1 (1941) Ignacy Jan Paderewski Symphony in B minor (Polonia), Op. 24 (1908) Martin Scherber Symphony No. 3 (Die Russische) (1952–55) Franz Schubert Symphony No. 8 (Unfinished), D. 759 (1822, inc.) Dmitri Shostakovich Symphony No. 6, Op. 54 (1939) Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky Manfred Symphony, Op. 58 (1885) Symphony No. 6 (Pathétique), Op. 74 (1893) Reinhold Glière Symphony No. 3 "Ilya Muromets", Op. 42 (1911) | https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_symphonies_by_key |
"DRUMS ON GUITAR - The Guitar Rudiments" it’s a didactic work that, in a daring and innovative way, aims to share a new ethic on teaching and learning the art of playing the guitar, facing a different methodology regarding the technical development of the instrument. This manual is the result of a wide - ranging study on the matters of pedagogy, techniques and study methods from several instruments, with special incidence on the piano and percussion mechanical elements and, hereby, it’s appliance to the guitar.
Although the composed exercises are of an unconventional typology regarding the guitar world (which may incorrectly raise uncertainty about the practice of the proposed investment), the work produced according to these techniques will result, indirectly, in the success of the several wanted interpretations, providing an admirable increase regarding the instrumental technique and musical discourse.
"DRUMS ON GUITAR - The Guitar Rudiments" é uma obra de caráter didático que, de uma forma ousada e inovadora, tem como objetivo partilhar uma nova ética perante o ensino e a aprendizagem da arte de tocar guitarra, encarando o desenvolvimento técnico do instrumento segundo uma diferente metodologia.
Este manual resulta de um vasto estudo sobre pedagogia, técnicas e métodos de estudo de diversos instrumentos, com especial incidência de elementos do treino mecânico do piano e dos instrumentos de percussão, e por este meio, aplicadas à guitarra.
Embora os exercícios compostos sejam de tipologia não convencional no mundo guitarrístico, o trabalho elaborado sobre estas técnicas resultará indiretamente no sucesso das inúmeras interpretações desejadas, proporcionando um acréscimo admirável relativamente à técnica instrumental e discurso musical. | http://www.mickaelviegas.com/books-2/ |
How many meter in 1 decimeter?
The answer is 0.1.
We assume you are converting between metre and decimetre.
You can view more details on each measurement unit:
meter or decimeter
The SI base unit for length is the metre.
1 metre is equal to 1 meter, or 10 decimeter.
Note that rounding errors may occur, so always check the results.
Use this page to learn how to convert between metres and decimeters.
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1 meter to decimeter = 10 decimeter
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50 meter to decimeter = 500 decimeter
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The metre, symbol: m, is the basic unit of distance (or of "length", in the parlance of the physical sciences) in the International System of Units. The internationally-accepted spelling of the unit in English is "metre", although the American English spelling meter is a common variant. However, both American and non-American forms of English agree that the spelling "meter" should be used as a suffix in the names of measuring devices such as chronometers and micrometers.
A decimetre (US: decimeter; symbol: dm) is a measurement of length, measuring 10 centimetres or one-tenth of a metre.
ConvertUnits.com provides an online conversion calculator for all types of measurement units. You can find metric conversion tables for SI units, as well as English units, currency, and other data. Type in unit symbols, abbreviations, or full names for units of length, area, mass, pressure, and other types. Examples include mm, inch, 100 kg, US fluid ounce, 6'3", 10 stone 4, cubic cm, metres squared, grams, moles, feet per second, and many more! | https://www.convertunits.com/from/meter/to/decimeter |
Osteoporosis is defined as having fragile, weak or brittle bones as a result of tissue loss. It’s roughly four times more common in women than men, and the most well-known risk factors are low levels of calcium and vitamin D.
Many people regularly take dietary supplements of both of these nutrients to help them ward off osteoporosis and promote good bone health, but what about vitamin B12? Does B12 – or cobalamin, as it’s also known – have any effect on your bone health?
What Science Tells Us
It turns out that vitamin B12 deficiency has long been associated with osteoporosis, but little scientific research had been done on this subject until relatively recently. However, there is now a wealth of peer-reviewed evidence that low levels of B12 can have a significant negative impact on your bones.
A strong causal link has been established between B12 deficiency and osteoporosis. What’s more, average bone mineral density also decreases with lower B12 levels. And with weak bones comes the increased risk of breaks and fractures. Indeed, one study found that elderly men with low levels of vitamin B12 were much more likely to suffer bone fractures, especially fractures of the lumbar spine.
Causes
Unfortunately we don’t yet know for certain why B12 deficiency causes an increased risk of bone loss and osteoporosis. More research needs to be done in this area, but there are nevertheless a couple of good theories.
One study found that mice with low B12 levels suffered from growth retardation, and on average they also had fewer osteoblasts. Osteoblasts are the cells responsible for bone formation, so if these results hold true for humans as well as mice, then this seems to be a likely explanation for the B12-osteoporosis connection.
Scientists have also found that high homocysteine levels are correlated with poor bone health. Homocysteine (an alpha-amino acid) causes all sorts of health problems in large quantities, but vitamin B12 reduces the levels of homocysteine in the blood. So this connection with homocysteine could be another possible mechanism by which B12 influences bone health.
Treatment
As the old saying goes, prevention is better than cure. It’s true for osteoporosis as well – it’s easier to maintain healthy bones than it is to rebuild them. That being said, some B12-deficient patients have shown a remarkable increase in bone mass and density after long-term vitamin B12 supplementation.
Diet plays a huge role in preventing or treating bone loss and osteoporosis, with vitamin D and calcium being particularly important, along with vitamin B12, it seems. Taking dietary supplements to increase your intake of these vital nutrients is strongly recommended if you are at risk of either B12 deficiency or osteoporosis.
If you choose to take a B12 supplement, you can see our list of recommended supplements here. We always suggest that you choose a supplement that contains the natural ‘methylcobalamin’ form of vitamin B12, rather than the more common synthetic ‘cyanocobalamin’ form. You can read about the important differences here.
The other key component of bone health is exercise, particularly weight-bearing exercise. Strength training and high impact sports like running are excellent ways to keep your bones strong. But they may be advised against for patients who already have osteoporosis as they increase the risk of breaks.
Eating healthily and exercising regularly throughout your life are your best bet for sustained bone health. If you do find out that you’re suffering from bone loss or osteoporosis, talk to your doctor about a treatment plan, as the solution will vary from person to person depending on a wide range of factors. | http://www.methylcobalamininfo.com/vitamin-b12-osteoporosis/ |
About:
The Arthroscopy Association of North America (AANA) is an international professional society of more than 4,000 orthopaedic surgeons and other medical professionals who are committed to advancing the field of minimally-invasive orthopaedic surgery to improve patient outcomes. They endeavour to be up-to-the-minute, free of commercial bias, and to curate the most relevant information for our members and customers.
AANA is incorporated as a non-profit organization and is governed by an elected Board of Directors comprised of 13 Active Members. Their programs, products, and services are driven by 21 committees of members and executed by a full-time staff of 14 professionals.
The Education Foundation has raised over $1 million to support AANA's mission of advancing the field of arthroscopic surgery and improving patient outcomes.
Mission:
To advance the art and science of arthroscopy and minimally invasive surgery through education, skills assessment and advocacy.
Vision:
The Arthroscopy Association of North America is the global leader in arthroscopy and advancing minimally invasive surgical education, advocacy, and skills assessment to improve patient care. | https://www.emedevents.com/organizer-profile/arthroscopy-association-of-north-america-aana-8089 |
Despite a turbulent 2020, companies across the US and Canada raised over $250 billion from venture capital firms. Founders now have various financing options depending on what they are building and what industry they are focused on, from a myriad of micro-VC funds and solo-VCs to traditional PE firms like Tiger Global funding early-stage en masse and non-dilutive capital at low-interest rates.
Alex Bangash, Founder and Managing Director of TI Platform – an anchor fund for the most disruptive venture funds of this decade including Initialized Capital, SaaStr Fund, Entrepreneur First, Atomic VC, Heavybit, and many more – joins us to dive into all the disruptions and changes in the VC landscape and how founders can use it to their advantage.
Specifically, Alex reviews:
– Top disruptions, changes, and themes driving the funding landscape
– How should founders think about fundraising in 2022
– What types of investors a founder should look to work with
– How to craft your company narrative and approach investors
– How is the founder journey different with the new sources of capital and the Direct to Startup model? | https://boast.ai/events/on-demand-webinars/disruptions-and-change-in-the-venture-capital-landscape/ |
Crowdfunding is an emerging investment vehicle that may be better positioned to support the capital requirements of translational research, proof of concept projects, and early-stage start-ups than more traditional capital sources, like venture capital and angel investment. This funding approach taps into the masses for smaller, more manageable investments versus larger investments from a few. Crowdfunding, if properly executed, could provide new avenues for gap funding of promising university technologies and start-ups; however, many questions (and curiosity) still remain surrounding its adoption and useful implementation.
This 90- minute discussion covers the process of raising gap funds through university funds or external partnership, and managing a plan for sustainability. Each discussion leader has had experience in raising multiple funds from different sources, and will share their insights and experiences (Michigan Tech, SohoLoft, innovocracy.org).
(Check out Sample Video)
All events are CLP CE certified for professional development credit. Each comes with access to high-quality video of event and access to associated presentation decks and materials.
Key Discussion Points
- Overview of the entire JOBS Act
- Focused detail on the specific crowfunding implications
- Discussion on the implications for university-affiliated technology and start-up gap funding
- Case studies from Innovacracy (external platform) and Michigan Tech Superior Ideas (internally-managed platform) that share university crowdfunding experiences, challenges, and successes
Expert Panel
Access Options
This Workshop Only
- Organizational access to University Crowdfunding Review I
Event and Report Bundle
- Organizational access to University Crowdfunding Review I
- Organizational access to University Crowdfunding Review II
- Organizational license to CrowdtheGap: The University Crowdfunding Report
Reviews
There are no reviews yet. | https://www.innovosource.com/product/university-crowdfunding-review-i/ |
It was my pleasure this week to be invited to deliver some comments at an event hosted by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation (ITIF) to coincide with the release of their latest study, “The Privacy Panic Cycle: A Guide to Public Fears About New Technologies.” The goal of the new ITIF report, which was co-authored by Daniel Castro and Alan McQuinn, is to highlight the dangers associated with “the cycle of panic that occurs when privacy advocates make outsized claims about the privacy risks associated with new technologies. Those claims then filter through the news media to policymakers and the public, causing frenzies of consternation before cooler heads prevail, people come to understand and appreciate innovative new products and services, and everyone moves on.” (p. 1)
As Castro and McQuinn describe it, the privacy panic cycle “charts how perceived privacy fears about a technology grow rapidly at the beginning, but eventually decline over time.” They divide this cycle into four phases: Trusting Beginnings, Rising Panic, Deflating Fears, and Moving On. Here’s how they depict it in an image:
The report can be seen as an extension of the literature on “moral panics” and “techno-panics.” Some relevant texts in this field include Stanley Cohen’s Folk Devils and Moral Panics, Erich Goode and Nachman Ben-Yehuda’s Moral Panics: The Social Construction of Deviance, Cass Sunstein’s Laws of Fear, and Barry Glassner’s Culture of Fear. But there’s a rich body of academic writing on this topic and I’ve tried to make a small contribution to this literature in recent years, most notably with a lengthy 2013 law review article, “Technopanics, Threat Inflation, and the Danger of an Information Technology Precautionary Principle.” In that paper, I try to connect the literature on moral panic theory (which mostly focuses on panics about speech and cultural changes) to other scholarship about how panics and threat inflation are used in many other contexts, including the fields of national security policy, cybersecurity, and more.
I define “technopanic,” as “intense public, political, and academic responses to the emergence or use of media or technologies, especially by the young.” “Threat inflation” has been defined by national security policy experts Jane K. Cramer and A. Trevor Thrall as “the attempt by elites to create concern for a threat that goes beyond the scope and urgency that a disinterested analysis would justify.”
Castro and McQuinn’s new study on privacy panic cycles fits neatly within this analytical framework and makes an important contribution to the literature. They warn of the real dangers associated with these privacy panics, especially in terms of lost opportunities for innovation. “Policymakers should not get caught up in the panics that follow in the wake of new technologies,” they argue, “and they should not allow hypothetical, speculative, or unverified claims to color the policies they put in place. Similarly, they should not allow unsubstantiated claims put forth by privacy fundamentalists to derail legitimate public sector efforts to use technology to improve society,” they say. (p. 28)
I think one of the most important takeaways from the study is that, as Castro and McQuinn note, “history has shown, many of the overinflated claims about loss of privacy have never materialized.” (p. 28) They identify many reasons why that may be the case but, most notably, they explain how societal attitudes often quickly adjust and also that “social norms dissuade many practices that are feasible but undesirable.” (p. 28) I have spent a lot of time thinking through this process of individual and social acclimation to new technologies and, most recently, wrote an essay on this topic entitled, “Muddling Through: How We Learn to Cope with Technological Change.”
Castro and McQuinn highlight several historical case studies that illustrate how privacy panics play out in practice. They include studies of photography, the transistor, and RFID tags. They also continue on to map out how various new technologies are currently—or might soon be—experiencing a privacy panic. Those include drones, facial recognition, connected cars, behavioral advertising, the Internet of Things and wearable tech. Here’s where Castro and McQuinn believe each of those technologies falls currently on the privacy panic curve.
One problem with the ITIF report, however, is that it avoids the question of what constitutes a serious enough privacy “harm” that might be worth actually panicking over. Certainly there must be something that deserves special concern – perhaps even a little bit of panic. Of course, as I noted in my remarks at the event, this is problem with a great deal of literature in this field due to the challenge associated with defining what we even mean by “privacy” or “privacy harm.” Nonetheless, while some privacy fundamentalists are far too aggressive in using amorphous conceptions of privacy harms to fuel privacy panics, it can also be the case that others (like Castro, McQuinn, and myself) don’t do enough to specify when extremely serious privacy problems exist that warrant heightened concern.
The ITIF report rightly singles out the many groups that all too often use fear tactics and threat inflation to advance their own agendas. In the academic literature on moral panics, these people or groups are referred to as “fear entrepreneurs.” They hope to create and then take advantage of a state of fear to demand that “something must be done” about supposed problems that are often either greatly overstated or which will be solved (or just go away) over time. (For more on “fear entrepreneurs,” see Frank Furedi’s outstanding 2009 article on “Precautionary Culture and the Rise of Probabilistic Risk Assessment.”) These individuals and groups often end up having a disproportionate impact on policy debates and, through their vociferous activism, threaten to achieve a sort of “heckler’s veto” over digital innovation.
However, as I stressed in my remarks at ITIF’s launch event for the study, I believe that Castro and McQuinn were wrong to single out the International Association of Privacy Professionals (IAPP) as one of these troublemakers. Castro and McQuinn claim that “there is now a professional class of people whose job is to manage privacy risks and promote the idea that technology is becoming more invasive. These privacy professionals have a vested interest in inflating the perceived privacy risk of new technologies as their livelihood depends on businesses’ willingness to pay them to address these concerns.” (8)
I think that mischaracterizes the role that most IAPP-trained privacy professionals play today. I have done a lot of work with IAPP itself and many of the privacy professionals they have trained. In my experience, these folks aren’t trying to fan the flames of “privacy panics.” To the contrary, many (perhaps most) IAPP professionals are actively involved in putting out those fires or making sure that they do not start raging in the first place. This is particularly true of the huge number of IAPP-trained privacy professionals who work for major technology companies and who work hard every day to find practical solutions to real-world privacy and security-related concerns.
Of course, as with any large membership organization, one can find some IAPP-trained privacy professionals who may indeed be guilty of fueling privacy panics for personal or organizational purposes. After all, some IAPP-trained folks work for privacy advocacy organizations which could be classified as “privacy fundamentalists” in their philosophical orientation. But just because some IAPP-trained people play techno-panic games, it certainly doesn’t mean that most of them do.
Relatedly, another small nitpick I have with the ITIF study is that it groups together a large number of privacy and security-focused tech policy groups and implies that they are all equally guilty of fueling privacy panics. In reality, there is a small core group of individuals and advocacy organizations who are far more vociferous and extreme in their privacy panic rhetoric. Others may be guilty of that at times, but not nearly to the same extent as the most panicky Chicken Littles.
The only other problem I had with the study, and this is really quite a small matter, is that I would have liked to have seen some discussion about some strategies we might be able to employ to help counter privacy panics, or lessen the likelihood that they develop at all. In my own work, I have tried to develop constructive solutions to privacy and security-related concerns that might give rise to panics. Those solutions include things like education and tech literacy efforts, empowerment tools, transparency efforts, and so on. It’s also worth reminding concerned critics that there exists a broad range of existing legal remedies that can help address privacy concerns after the fact. These include torts and common law solutions, contractual remedies, class actions, other targeted legal solutions, and enforcement of “unfair and deceptive practices” by the Federal Trade Commission or state attorneys general. And there’s also important industry self-regulatory efforts and best practices that can help alleviate many of these privacy concerns. I would have liked to have seen the ITIF study address these or other potential solutions to privacy panics.
Overall, however, I thought that the ITIF report makes an important contribution to the literature in this field and provides us with a useful analytic framework to help us evaluate and critique privacy-related technopanics in the future.
The video of the launch event is below and the full paper can be found here. Also, for further reading on technopanics, see my compendium of 40 essays I have written on the topic. | https://techliberation.com/2015/09/11/new-itif-study-on-privacy-panics/ |
Around May of 2019, I had just finished my undergraduate degree, graduated, and was looking forward to yet another graduation the following year at Duke.
Around May of 2019, I had just finished my undergraduate degree, graduated, and was looking forward to yet another graduation the following year at Duke.
Once starting the MMS program in July 2019, I knew I had to begin working on my post-graduation plans because this time I would be gearing up for the workforce. After many career events arranged by Fuqua’s Career Management Center, I began editing my resume and creating my pitch, knowing that the road to employment would take an effort to navigate. I braced myself for the impending job search and got a head start and gained some trial experiences early during the fall terms.
However, I never imagined that I would complete the program virtually and that the world would drastically change so quickly due to an unexpected virus.
The global predicament left many in my class with the seemingly impossible task of finding a job during a pandemic. The unprecedented events these past months have caused companies to scramble as well. Internships have gone online, many firms have implemented hiring pauses, and others are now fully conducting the interview process remotely.
During these difficult times, it’s important to stay hopeful and push through our current challenges. The MMS Class of 2020 never expected to enter the workforce in such a critical moment, and it has been reflected in the conversations I had with my peers on the job hunt.
Here are some tips that I found to be helpful, and how I personally approached jobhunting during the pandemic.
1. Take the situation day-by-day.
Creating a schedule is incredibly important in keeping a steady mindset. Set up a daily schedule, but also give yourself room to breathe. Having a more structured schedule personally kept me accountable, and allowed me to set aside dedicated time for the job search. My personal goals were to apply to at least three jobs daily, making sure my resume is tailored for each application, and connecting with at least one relevant contact including Fuqua alumni. Other individual’s goals may have looked different, but allocating time and formulating a task plan was essential in remaining steadfast.
2. Take this time to develop skills that will help further your professional goals.
For example, making connections has remained crucial, and I spent this time working on my networking skills. Scheduling informational interviews with professionals that are working in the fields and positions in which I’m interested gave me an invaluable perspective on the job hunt. Through this process, I learned that companies have had to adjust their schedules, timelines, and expectations as well. Take time to understand the elements you’re lacking in, and work hard to improve on them.
3. Look into taking development classes either for the workforce or out of personal interest.
Many online learning sites are currently free due to COVID-19, and taking advantage of these classes can give you an edge. Additionally, you can take classes just for fun. Knowledge is enriching and can help keep you engaged while at home. I’m personally brushing up on my Korean language skills which is a personal hobby of mine.
4. Don’t forget to appreciate yourself and know that you are trying your best in hard circumstances.
Last, but certainly not least, finding silver-linings and small victories kept my morale going, and motivated me to not give up on the pursuit. It’s important to recognize that even if your current predicament is tough, if you work hard, keep smart, and be consistent, things will improve. Remember to reward your accomplishments, even if they may be smaller than you expected. Stay committed, keep constantly improving and learning, and remain grateful for the opportunities you have gotten. Remember, we are all in this together.
I learned that by making the most of this time I not only advanced myself but also better prepared for the workforce. As of the publication of this blog, I am happy to report that I received and accepted an offer as a strategy and ops analyst for Cisco! | https://blogs.fuqua.duke.edu/duke-mms/2020/09/28/ariel-ben-salmon/what-i-learned-while-jobhunting-during-the-pandemic |
Clara sits in her apartment, singing songs, talking aloud to phantasms she can only see in mirrors, and uttering childlike cries for her mommy. Clara is 84 years old. For the past five years, she has been in a world of her own creation, unable to communicate intelligibly with her caregiver, or recognize any of the family and friends who formed part of her circle in more lucid days. The person she was is no longer. This is just one of the many painful manifestations that not only affect Clara, but millions like her who suffer from Alzheimer’s Disease (AD).
According to Dr. Douglas D. Sankar, a neurologist with NewYork-Presbyterian Medical Group Hudson Valley and NYP Hudson Valley Hospital in Cortlandt Manor, “Alzheimer's Disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that destroys memory and other important mental functions. It is the most common cause of dementia, a group of brain disorders that results in the loss of intellectual and social skills, accounting for 60 to 80 percent of all dementias. In the United States, four to five million people over age 65 are currently living with clinical AD, and this figure is projected to rise to 13.8 million by 2050.
In Alzheimer's Disease, the brain cells themselves degenerate and die, causing a steady decline in memory and mental function. “I see this as a spectrum of illness,” says Dr. Sankar. “This is a relentless and progressive illness, and not the same from person to person. Typically, things first noticed are difficulty with names and short-term recall. Often there will be a change in personality — the victim may become more withdrawn, hostile, or short tempered. Misplacing things, difficulty with organizing and completing tasks can also herald worse things to come.”
Seven stages of Alzheimer’s Disease
Health care providers often break down Alzheimer’s Disease into 7 general stages:
- Stage 1: No impairment: During this stage, Alzheimer’s Disease is not detectable and no memory problems or other symptoms of dementia are evident.
- Stage 2: Very mild decline: The person may notice minor memory problems or lose things around the house, although not to the point where the memory loss can easily be distinguished from normal age-related memory loss.
- Stage 3: Mild decline: Friends and family members of the person may begin to notice memory and cognitive problems. Performance on memory and cognitive tests are affected and physicians can detect impaired cognitive function. The patient may have trouble with sentences, losing things, remembering names of new people they meet or planning and organizing.
- Stage 4: Moderate decline: Clear cut symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease are apparent. Patients have difficulty managing finances and paying bills, and poor short-term memory.
- Stage 5: Moderately severe decline: Patients begin to need help with many day-to-day activities. People may experience confusion, inability to recall simple details about themselves, and have difficulty dressing appropriately.
- Stage 6: Severe decline: Patients need constant supervision and often require professional care. Symptoms include: confusion or unawareness of environment; major personality changes; assistance with all daily living activities; inability to recognize faces except closest friends and relatives; wandering; inability to use the toilet.
- Stage 7: Very severe decline: The final stage of Alzheimer’s disease. Patients lose their ability to respond to their environment or communicate. While they may still be able to utter words and phrases, they have no insight into their condition and need assistance with all activities of daily living. In the final stages of the illness, patients may lose their ability to swallow.
“Doctors and psychologists have been grappling with the causes and effects of Alzheimer’s, and more urgently, what can be done to prevent or cure it. They believe it results from a combination of genetic, lifestyle, and environmental factors that affect the brain over time,” notes Dr. Sankar. Early evaluation can lead to early interventions. Diagnosis by a medical professional includes a thorough medical history, mental status testing, physical and neurological exams, and blood tests. These tests are done primarily to rule out other causes of dementia or memory impairment.
There are a few medications currently approved by the FDA for the early treatment of Alzheimer's. “While these medications do not slow the progression of the disease,” says Dr. Sankar, “but they may temporarily improve a patient’s quality of life.” In addition to medications, studies have suggested that higher levels of physical and mental activity, as well as regular social interaction and intellectual stimulation, may help slow the progression.
As the population ages, research is continually looking for a cure that affects so many. Says Dr. Sankar, “We have a limited understanding of the cause of Alzheimer’s, but as we learn more, it may help facilitate more effective treatments.”
To find a physician, visit nyp.org/hudsonvalley or call 914-788-4635.
This story is provided and presented by our sponsor: NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital.
Members of the editorial and news staff of the USA Today Network were not involved in the creation of this content. | https://www.lohud.com/story/sponsor-story/newyork-presbyterian-hospital/2016/11/22/stages-alzheimers-disease/93428092/?from=new-cookie |
CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
This application is a Divisional of U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 15/078,614, filed Mar. 23, 2016, which is a Continuation of U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 13/804,350, filed Mar. 14, 2013, which, in turn, claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 61/614,496, filed on Mar. 22, 2012. The entire disclosure of all the above documents is herein incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
Field of the Invention
Description of the Related Art
The invention disclosed broadly relates to the field of molecular gastronomy, and more particularly relates to automating the processes of spherification and reverse spherification.
Molecular gastronomy, also known as molecular cuisine, is a relatively new entry in the world of avant-garde cuisine. The spherification technique that is the hallmark of molecular gastronomy is thought to have been popularized in 2003 by Ferran Adria, legendary chef of El Bulli restaurant. Chef Adria prepares a variety of edible spheroids using intriguing combinations of flavors. Molecular mixology is a related term that is used for concocting beverages with edible spheroids that at the present time are served exclusively in very high-end establishments. The spheroids or edible pearls are produced by gelling a prepared liquid formed into a sphere. By gelling we describe a process wherein the membrane of the sphere increases in thickness from the outside in.
The appeal of the edible spheroids (edible pearls) is such that consumers, after having experienced the unique gastronomical treats as patrons of innovative restaurants and bars, order manual kits for making the pearls themselves. The kits employ syringes and provide a method to produce the pearls by hand. The downside to the kits is that one is limited in the amount of pearls one can make with the manual, syringe-based kits. The state of the art for spherification kits is that they are very labor intensive and time-consuming, yielding a small number of edible pearls per “batch.” In addition, it takes a large amount of time and skill to mix the powders/reagents necessary for the spherification reaction at the precise/correct proportions using these syringe-based kits.
Furthermore, the conventional method of preparation requires lab equipment and ingredients not typically found in a bar or restaurant. The manual preparation method requires a number of cumbersome steps, including the accurate and precise mixing of various powders. Another disadvantage of the existing manual method is that the prepared pearls are of uneven size and thickness, which can lead to a decrease in consumer appeal. The kit's manual method of preparing the pearls requires that the preparer have a certain minimum skill level that requires training.
There is a need for an automated method of making edible pearls that overcomes the above-stated shortcomings of the known art.
SUMMARY
Briefly, according to an embodiment of the invention an apparatus for producing gelled pearls includes: a housing with at least one opening into which a flavored liquid is provided; external components, and internal components. The external components include: a first ingress port through which a first refill pack is coupled; and a dispenser with tubing through which a processed solution is expelled into a gelling bath. The internal components include: a mixing tank for blending the flavored liquid with the first solution; a first flow valve fluidly coupled with the mixing tank and directing the flavored liquid into and out of the mixing tank; a second flow valve fluidly coupled with the mixing tank and directing flow of a proportional amount of the first solution into the mixing tank; and a microcontroller.
The microcontroller is a processor device performing steps of: measuring a volume of the flavored liquid; calculating an amount of the first solution to add to the mixing tank based on the volume of the flavored liquid; activating a dispensing of the calculated amount of the first solution into the mixing tank; activating a mixer for blending the flavored liquid and the first solution for a predetermined amount of time in the mixing tank to form a processed solution; and activating the dispenser to dispense the processed solution as droplets into the gelling bath to gellify the droplets, thus producing the gelled pearls.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a reverse spherification method of producing gelled pearls includes steps or acts of: providing a flavored liquid into a mixing tank housed in an apparatus; using a microcontroller, performing: measuring a volume of the flavored liquid poured into the mixing tank; calculating an amount of a salt solution to add to the mixing tank based on the volume of the flavored liquid; dispensing the calculated amount of the salt solution into the mixing tank from a first ingress port; mixing the flavored liquid and the salt solution a predetermined amount of time in the mixing tank to form a processed solution; and dispensing the processed solution as droplets into a gelling bath to gellify the droplets, thus producing the gelled pearls.
According to another embodiment of the present invention, a method of producing gelled pearls using a spherification process includes steps or acts of: providing a flavored liquid into a mixing tank housed in an apparatus; using a microcontroller device, performing: measuring a volume of the flavored liquid poured into the mixing tank; calculating an amount of a gelling agent, such as concentrated sodium alginate, to add to the mixing tank based on the volume of the flavored liquid; dispensing the calculated amount of the gelling agent into the mixing tank from a first ingress port; activating a mixer to mix the flavored liquid and the gelling agent a predetermined amount of time in the mixing tank to form a processed solution; and activating a dispenser to dispense the processed solution as droplets into a gelling bath containing a salt solution to gellify the droplets, thus producing the gelled pearls.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
To describe the exemplary purposes, aspects, and advantages of the invention, we use the following detailed description of exemplary embodiments of the invention with reference to the drawings, in which:
FIG. 1
is a simplified diagram of an apparatus for performing spherification, configured to operate according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 2
FIG. 1
is a cross-section of the apparatus of , according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3A
is an isometric view of the apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3B
is a side view of the apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3C
is a top view of the apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3D
is a front view of the apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 4A through 4F
show views of the components of the apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 5
shows the valves and wiring of the apparatus, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 6
shows the flow sensor/microcontroller, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 7
shows one example of LED indicators, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 8
shows the chipboard inside the microcontroller, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 9
shows a water impurity filter to be used with all water junctions to improve the water quality as needed, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 10
shows a strainer and a coaster, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 11
shows an embodiment of the present invention with a space-saving layout;
FIG. 12
shows a mounting base, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 13
shows a user interface for adjusting the proportion of ingredients, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 14
shows the interface in use on a user device, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIGS. 15 through 17
show close-up views of the pearl formation, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 18
shows the pearls in the gel bath, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 19
shows a flowchart of a method according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 20
shows a simplified block diagram of a computer device configured to operate according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 21
shows an exemplary portion size selector interface, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 22
shows an exemplary drink creator interface, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 23
shows an exemplary flavor selector interface, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 24
shows an exemplary depiction of four proprietary refill packs, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 25
shows an exemplary illustration of a nozzle for a refill pack, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 26
shows an exemplary illustration of the back of a nozzle array, according to an embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 27
shows a simplified depiction of sliding panels as part of a locking mechanism, according to an embodiment of the present invention.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT(S)
While the invention as claimed can be modified into alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description thereto are not intended to limit the invention to the particular form disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the scope of the present invention.
Apparatus components and method steps have been represented where appropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only those specific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments of the present invention so as not to obscure the disclosure with details that will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art having the benefit of the description herein. Thus, it will be appreciated that for simplicity and clarity of illustration, common and well-understood elements that are useful or necessary in a commercially feasible embodiment may not be depicted in order to facilitate a less obstructed view of these various embodiments.
Overview
We describe a method and apparatus for automating the production of large amounts of edible pearls of various liquids, with or without solid particulate additives, in a relatively short amount of time as compared to the manual method that is the state of the art. We automate the processes known as “spherification,” “reverse spherification,” and “inverse spherification.” These processes can be used to produce edible pearls also known as “gelled pearls,” “faux caviar,” “fruit caviar,” and other names.
The process of making gelled pearls consists of combining the liquid to be gelled (the substrate), with a gelling agent (such as sodium alginate), and a salt bath to cross-link the starch (usually calcium chloride, calcium lactate, or calcium lactate gluconate). Because gelling is frustrated by low pH (acidic) liquids, an edible pH buffer (often sodium citrate) can be added to increase the pH level to ensure that the gelling process isn't impeded by a low pH solution.
We automate this process using a proprietary apparatus integrated with proprietary refill packs, thus enabling any preparer to produce wonderful pearl concoctions with little or no training. As an example, a bar patron can simply select a beverage from a display coupled with the apparatus, on his/her own tablet, and activate the automated process on the apparatus to produce a tasty pearl beverage. This novel method ensures consistent quality control in the taste, shape, and texture of the pearls, even when produced in large batches.
Overview—Spherification and Reverse Spherification.
FIG. 18
180
150
Spherification (or normal spherification) consists of dissolving the gelling agent (sodium alginate or any future improved gelling agents developed or owned by any third party) into the substrate, and dripping it into a bath of the gelling agent (calcium-ion bearing liquid). This process can suffer from excessive gelling, where the pearls become too hard (gelled all the way to their core), or the gelled skin gets too thick. Pearls that have gelled too much will tend to sink. This is due to continued diffusion of calcium ions through the gelled skin. The process can be stopped by ‘shocking’ the pearls, or raising their temperature to 85 degrees Celsius, for a short period of time, about minutes. shows the pearls in the gel bath .
Reverse or inverse spherification consists of dissolving the calcium ion source into the substrate, and dripping it into a gelling agent such as a sodium alginate-bearing solution. This method has the advantage of producing a relatively constant skin thickness, resulting in a more standardized product. It also allows for a greater variety of liquids, such as dairy, fats and alcohols, to be gelled more consistently.
Overview—Uses.
Gelled pearls have a wide variety of uses in food/beverage preparation, nutraceutical (food products having health benefits), medicinal, and botanical applications, to name a few. In the remainder of this document we will focus primarily on the food/beverage and nutraceutical applications. In botanic applications, the gelled pearls can be prepared with plant nutrients and water and placed in a vase for both their aesthetic appeal and to “water” the plant. The gelled pearls provide a time-release diffusion of vitamins and water into the vase to maintain the freshness of flowers and plants.
Apparatus Description.
FIG. 1
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Referring now to the drawings and to in particular, we show an apparatus for producing gelled pearls, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The apparatus turns ordinary liquids into gelled pearls, with little human intervention. The apparatus according to the invention is a smart device capable of communicating with its own internal components and also with remote devices, such as mobile devices. The apparatus can perform both spherification and reverse spherification. In either case, the machine is shown here in its most basic form. Additional attachments and upgrades to the machine will be discussed later with reference to other embodiments of the apparatus .
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The apparatus works with a number of packs of a novel concentration of the solutions required to perform spherification and/or reverse spherification. This apparatus , one embodiment of which can fit in roughly one cubic foot of volume, contains all the necessary components to turn any input liquid of any pH and/or alcoholic content into flavored gelled pearls . This is suited to both individual drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages) such as those served in bars and mass-production of foodstuffs and garnishes (such as in restaurants, fast-food chains, catered affairs, and individual consumers), and medicines, along with plant nutrients.
FIG. 1
FIG. 24
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In the embodiment of , we show three packs of solutions , , and . Pack contains a concentrated solution of sodium citrate to act as a pH buffer and acidity reducer. pH buffering is needed because a pH level below five makes gelling difficult. Pack contains a concentrated solution of a salt bath such as calcium lactate gluconate (a tasteless source of calcium) for reverse spherification, or a cross-linking starch such as concentrated sodium alginate for regular spherification. Tank will hold a gelling bath solution of sodium alginate, a cross-linking starch, or a calcium ion solution. Tanks and are refill packs that can be changed as needed. We propose various embodiments of the apparatus with anywhere between one and four+ different types of refill packs (to be discussed with respect to ).
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With spherification, the input liquid is mixed in the tank with a gelling agent such as sodium alginate. A buffer such as sodium citrate is added if necessary to regulate the pH level of the mixed solution. Then, the mixed solution is dispensed in droplets into a salt bath such as Calcium Chloride or Calcium Lactate.
150
When using reverse spherification, we mix the input liquid in the tank with a salt solution such as Calcium Lactate Gluconate. A buffer such as Sodium Citrate can be added to regulate the pH level, as in the regular spherification process. The mixed solution is dispensed as droplets into a gelling bath such as diluted Sodium Alginate.
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FIG. 4C
The packs and are removably coupled with the machine via a proprietary attachment. The attachment for the refill packs can be a nozzle (shown in ) or other attachment system that provides a secure fit without spillage. In addition, the attachment system provides one of four levels of security associated with the apparatus , to be discussed below.
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After processing in the machine , droplets of mixed liquid can be counted and dispensed from the machine into the gelling (salt) bath . The gelling bath can be temperature-controlled to retard or slow down the gelling process. For example, the gelling bath can be heated to a temperature of approximately 85 degrees Celsius. Heating deters the continuation of gelling. For regular spherification, this gelling bath will be a Calcium ion-bearing solution, normally diluted Calcium Chloride or Calcium Lactate. For reverse spherification, this gelling bath will be a gelling agent such as a cross-linking starch, normally a diluted Sodium Alginate solution.
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To begin the gelling process, a preparer pours a flavored liquid or a combination of liquids of any kind into the machine through an ingress port . The preparer can be a bartender, chef, kitchen staff member, fast food employee, barista, patron, or an at-home user, among others. The apparatus will automatically analyze the input liquids in order to both reduce the acidity to a suitable level and mix the appropriate proportion of gelling agents or calcium ions with the liquid to generate a pre-pearl processed solution. The correct amount of solution to use can be based on readings from pH sensors, ethanol sensors, and the like to optimize proportions and pH levels for proper pearl production. The pre-pearl processed solution is then automatically dripped out a nozzle (or array of nozzles) or dispensing spout (or multiple spouts), into a bath of either a Calcium ion solution or a gelling agent, depending on the spherification process used. The pre-pearl processed solution is dispensed as droplets with a round shape formed from surface tension.
Apparatus Description—Ports.
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FIG. 27
The liquid(s) to be spherified is/are poured into at least one hole , spout, funnel, chamber, or other ingress port to enter the machine . The ingress ports need to be closed when not in use. This can be done with a sliding panel or a top loading panel so that the apparatus and its contents are not contaminated. See .
FIGS. 3A through 3D
FIG. 3A
FIG. 3A
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show different views of the apparatus . shows an isometric view. Arrows show possible positions for liquid input channels, dispenser, and refill packs. The top of the apparatus of shows multiple optional ingress ports or chambers for introducing liquids. The ports , , and can be capped when not in use to prevent dust, bacteria, and other particles from entering the apparatus . The ports are shaped according to bottle morphology so that a bottle of a liquid can be inverted and inserted into a port to dispense liquid for flavoring the pearls . The apparatus can use any number of ports . Four are shown in an embodiment that accommodates bottles of vodka, rum, gin, and whiskey for dispensing liquor-flavored pearls.
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The mixed-drink port is shown here in an oval shape to accommodate mixed beverages such as a mojito. The water port shown in this embodiment is round to accommodate a gallon container of water for those occasions, such as catering events, when tap water is not available from a hose or spigot. The water port may or may not incorporate a filter for removal of unwanted soluble and/or particulate species from the incoming water stream. It is to be understood that the sizes and shapes of the ports shown here are shown for illustrative purposes only and to enable one with knowledge in the art to understand the invention. They should not be construed as limiting the invention to the size, shape, and number of ports shown here.
Apparatus Description—Interior Components.
FIG. 2
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Referring now to we show a cutaway of the major components of the machine . Main liquid flow lines are shown in thick bold black lines, electrical signals (analog or digital) are shown in thin black lines, and liquid sample lines for pH and ethanol content measurement are shown in as a dotted arrow, for illustration purposes only. One with knowledge in the art will appreciate that the apparatus can also measure the density and viscosity of fluids, among other things. Liquid flow valves are indicated by circles with crosses through them. Liquids emanating from refill packs will be dispensed through the channels (valves) into the gelling bath. Some liquids, whether dispensed from a refill pack (, ) or dispensed from a container provided by the user, flow through channels into the mixing tank first. At first, only the liquid supplied by the user enters the mixing tank . Large volumes of the user-supplied liquid can be automatically processed by controlling the valve on the input liquid's flow line .
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After liquid input, a pH level indicator such as the pH sensor takes a pH measurement of the liquid in the mixing tank , and dispenses a concentrated buffer solution such as sodium citrate to bring the pH level to a suitable level for gelling. The mixing tank can be formulated from a clear material such as Lucite (polymerized methyl methacrylate). A citrate buffer can be used to regulate the pH 15 level, rendering a pH sensor unnecessary. Then the flow controller measures the correct amount of calcium gluconate containing solution to add enough calcium ions to the mixed solution for gelling. Inside the mixing tank , the liquid is quickly mixed using a blending/mixing mechanism such as, inter alia, a magnetic (contactless) stir bar or a blade. The stir bar can be a Teflon-coated magnet, spun by a spinning magnet underneath the mixing vessel .
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FIG. 26
The liquid is then dispensed in individual drops or an array of drops by a dispenser . If using a multi-funnel spout , , drops at a time can be dispensed (see nozzle array shown in ). Each drop can be counted as it is dispensed by an optional optical drop counter. The optical drop counter uses a contactless, waterproof drop counting system. In one embodiment of the present invention, the dispenser is coupled with an optical drop counter such as a photo detector using an infrared (IR) beam beneath the spout . It can also be a laser (IR or visible). When a droplet is released it breaks the beam and a counter (not shown) is incremented by one. In other embodiments we can incorporate a photodiode using either ambient light or an external light source, such as a focused LED or light bulb, or a capacitance sensor, which changes capacitance as a drop passes through the plates.
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FIG. 10
The optional drop counter resets automatically for each serving. A strainer disposed within the bath container (side view shown in ) can be used to remove the pearls from the bath solution to be washed with a cleaning solution, such as clear water. In one embodiment of the invention, the strainer is similar to a deep tea strainer and fits into the bath with a handle or two for easy removal. Once the pearls are formed, the strainer can be lifted out of the tank to remove the excess sodium alginate and have dry pearls poured into the beverage glass or container of your choice. In a fully automated embodiment, a lever can be coupled with one handle of the strainer and lift it up and out of the tank such that the pearls fall into a container placed next to the tank . The apparatus can be programmed to strain and pour the pearls after a pre-programmed amount of time in the tank .
Apparatus Description—Microprocessor.
FIG. 5
FIG. 6
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shows four solenoid valves connected to red wiring which connect to the microcontroller (shown in ) in one embodiment of the present invention. In an embodiment of the invention, the valves are constructed of bacteria-resistant PTFE Teflon designed for high tolerance of water and alcohol mixtures. The photodetector and spout (without cover) is located below and has a red-yellow-black cable connecting it to the microprocessor . One with knowledge in the art will recognize that the microcontroller will of necessity include at least a processor and memory operatively coupled with a sensor.
FIG. 6
FIG. 7
FIG. 8
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shows the brain of the apparatus , the microcontroller , with LED indicators that show which component of the machine is currently operating. One with knowledge in the art will appreciate that the indicators can be housed in a casing that provides a more enjoyable aesthetic than the simplified box pictured here. For example, shows one example of a casing wherein the LED indicators indicate the progress of the pearls being made. shows the chipboard inside the 15 microcontroller .
Apparatus Description—Views.
FIG. 3B
FIG. 3C
FIG. 3D
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shows a side view. shows a top view and shows a front view of the apparatus dispensing pearls onto a glass. A display is shown placed on the front of the apparatus . The display can also be placed on the top, side, or back, depending on the placement of the apparatus within its environment. If the apparatus is placed on a bar top front-side out, a back placement will be easier for the bartender. If the patrons are going to be fixing their own pearl concoctions, a front placement of the screen may be preferable.
FIGS. 4A through 4F
FIG. 4A
FIG. 4B
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show views of the components of the apparatus . shows a view of the back of the apparatus with liquid flow lines carrying water, or another cleansing agent, in and out of the apparatus . shows two views of the apparatus with the dispensing spout in each view. As shown, the dispenser can be placed in either the front or the side of the apparatus . Its placement will most likely depend on how the apparatus is positioned and how much space is available.
FIG. 4B
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also shows that the dispenser can be hinged to open and close as desired. The height of the dispenser with respect to the bath can be adjusted to optimize the distance between the spout and the dilute sodium alginate solution container . The distance between the spout and the bath affects the shape/geometry of the pearls . The viscosity of the mixed drink and the Calcium salt solution and Sodium Citrate (if needed) will also affect the shape. To optimize the shape of the pearls we may want to fine-tune the distance between the spout and the alginate bath , either by vertical translation of the spout and/or by movement of the water level of the alginate bath .
FIG. 4C
FIG. 25
FIG. 4D
FIG. 4F
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shows one embodiment of the nozzle of a refill pack . The nozzle in this example is fabricated with a male locking ring that couples with a corresponding female locking ring of the apparatus . , to be discussed below, shows another illustration of a nozzle . shows another level of security wherein an RFID tag is disposed on the insertable portion of the nozzle of the refill pack. The tag attached to the nozzle is read by an RFID reader on the machine that must verify the tag. This will be discussed in more detail in the Security portion. shows two different sized tubes used in the apparatus . The smaller diameter tubing is used to make caviar-sized pearls ; whereas the larger diameter tubing is used to make gum-ball sized pearls . It is important to note that the tubing must be flushed with water or other suitable cleansing agent when switching flavors or application.
FIG. 11
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shows three views of the mounting base of the apparatus . The mounting base can be permanently affixed to the machine or it can be attached such that it can be easily removed for cleaning and replaced.
Apparatus Description—Housing.
100
We have not discussed the housing of the apparatus . The housing, having been shown in the Figures as a basic rectangle, can be made into different shapes and sizes, according to aesthetics. The housing can be made out of different materials ranging from metals such as aluminum and stainless steel, to ceramics, composite materials, to polymers such PL A (especially if manufactured using 3D printing), as clear Lucite or Plexiglas, acrylic, and any combination thereof. The choice of housing material will likely be based on a need to comply with food safety standards such as those provided by the NSF (National Sanitation Foundation), FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and EU (European Union). The housing can either reveal or conceal the interior components and tubing. Lighting can be disposed inside a clear housing so that the interior shows up in a bar setting. In one embodiment of the apparatus and the method, a benchtop device is configured to perform automated reverse spherification only. This results in the following complexity reductions:
1. When the refill pack solutions to be processed have viscosities on par with water, this may eliminate the need for a strong pump. Moreover, the refill packs and the dispensing nozzle can be gravity fed, eliminating all pumps. We can also eliminate most valves by letting the pumps act as valves when refill packs are placed upright and the solution travels up against gravity. The two refill packs containing the buffer (sodium citrate) and the gelling bath (a calcium salt such as calcium lactate gluconate) are not growth media for bacteria. This leads to an inherently more food-safe machine that is easier to keep clean.
2. pH sensing of the user's input liquid will not be made more difficult by concentrated alginate coating the probe. We can also eliminate the pH sensor altogether by always adding a fixed amount of citrate buffer.
The above simplifications lead to a simpler design with less working components and a smaller footprint, which has been cited as a primary concern according to our market research. We estimate that a machine with dimensions of approximately 9 inches by 18 inches would be ideal as a countertop device. The above simplifications result in a machine that requires absolutely no user interaction to reliably create uniform pearls of various liquids. The preparer simply pours the liquid in, and pearls come out.
Apparatus—Accessories.
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FIG. 10
One of the many contemplated uses for this unique spherification apparatus and method is in a bar setting, where accessories can add to the novelty and enjoyment of the pearls . Referring again to , one such accessory is a coaster that activates a magnetic spinner in a glass. When the glass with the edible pearls is placed on the magnetic coaster , the spinner causes the pearls to rotate within the glass.
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Another accessory is a black light to amplify the natural photo luminescent property of the pearls caused by the Sodium Alginate and/or certain alcohols. Mixtures for the refill packs can be designed to promote/amplify “glow-in-the-dark” capability of edible substances. A black light could be incorporated into the glass or coaster or simply placed nearby.
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A filter such as a Calcium ion filter can be used to minimize impurities from a water source. Water is used to both cleanse the system as regular maintenance, but also to dilute the refill packs when necessary (especially when diluting the substance that will go into the bath. The filter can be packaged separately and coupled with the port when the machine is cleaned.
FIG. 26
FIG. 27
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shows a nozzle array that can be used instead of a single spout to make large batches of pearls at one time. Additionally, we can add a locking mechanism to safeguard the liquids. shows exemplary sliding panels that can close over the refill packs.
Proprietary Refill Packs.
FIG. 24
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In we show four proprietary refill packs which are an integral part of the system, according to an embodiment of the present invention. The proprietary refill packs shown here contain: a concentrated liquid solution of a gelling agent/hydrocolloid such as Sodium Alginate in pack ; a concentrated liquid salt solution in pack ; a concentrated edible liquid pH buffer solution in pack ; and a cleansing agent such as water in pack . The salt solution refill pack contains a salt solution such as a Calcium or Magnesium salt solution.
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FIG. 25
Each refill pack can be outfitted with a set of three or four LEDs for monitoring. In one embodiments, the pearls are not counted. Instead, each refill pack will provide material to formulate a specified number of pearls. The refill packs attach to the apparatus by a nozzle or collar, an example of which is shown in .
Proprietary Refill Packs—Device Security.
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FIG. 24
One of the most important features in keeping customers' brand loyalty will be product quality consistency, and this requires robust security for the refill packs. The proprietary refill packs must be recognizable by the machine , must be refill-resistant, and should be difficult to reproduce. The method according to an embodiment of the present invention incorporates at least four levels of security. One level is a security feature wherein only proprietary refill packs can be inserted into the apparatus . The size and shape of the egress port of the proprietary refill packs conform exactly to the size and shape of the ingress port on the apparatus . As shown in the ports can be color-code or otherwise marked to indicate which pack goes where.
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We contemplate increasing security by using a proprietary, one-way flow nozzle, according to one embodiment of the present invention. This will make it impractical for customers (or counterfeiters) to refill empty, but genuine, refill packs with counterfeit products. The screw threads on the nozzle can be made using an odd, non-standard size, left-handed threads, in order to ensure no off-the-shelf systems are compatible. In addition, the shape of the refill packs can be made such that knock-offs will not fit the opening. Another method to use is to supply a thin film on the nozzle of the refill pack which must be punctured to allow liquid flow. A punctured refill pack indicates that it has already been used. We can add a locking electromagnetic mechanism to the apparatus , coupled with a sensor to sense when a pack is inserted. We can lock the ingress ports by activating a sliding panel across the ports in a top-loading version.
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A second level of security involves the use of digital signature identification, such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) refill pack identification using tags in the refill packs. The security system can include a small, unpowered tag disposed somewhere in or on the refill pack, or an RFID label or tag attached to the refill pack. The information on the RFID tag would consist of any of the following or combinations of the following: device identification information, a refill pack serial number, and a “hash,” or encrypted code. The apparatus would incorporate an RFID reader. An RFID reader can be affixed near each refill pack chamber in the apparatus . It would be able to perform the following tasks in order to validate a genuine refill pack:
1. Identify the existence of the RFID tag in the refill pack;
2. Check to confirm a valid refill pack serial number; and
3. Compute a checksum encoded by the serial number and the “hash” code, to screen out any possible forgeries with counterfeit RFID tags embedded within.
100
If the RFID reader can't confirm the validity and/or provenance of the refill pack, the microcontroller will not activate the locking mechanism to allow the liquid stream to enter the machine . The readout display will show a message such as “Unrecognized refill pack detected. Please replace with a genuine ACME product. If this message has been received in error, please contact ACME at . . . .” In another embodiment of the present invention, a tag can also be used in the ingress ports for the bottles so that only certain bottles are used.
The third level of security is chemical security whereby solutions are purposely made to be highly acidic with a pH lower than five to begin with so that an individual cannot use the proprietary refill packs without the proprietary machine to reduce the pH level. We design a codependency between machine and refill packs and vice-versa.
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A fourth level of security centered around the refill packs involves the monitoring of the refill packs, specifically their volume depletion and their replacement. Because the apparatus is a smart device with a microprocessor operably coupled with sensors and the like, it can track the usage of the refill packs. Therefore, the apparatus will know when a refill pack is first inserted (when the seal is broken) and begins tracking at that point. Let's assume a refill pack has a lifespan of four to six weeks yet the monitoring shows that it has not been replaced in six months. This may indicate a problem. We can remotely disable the unlocking of the packs in the event of a recall or if a theft or contamination is suspected.
User Interface.
FIG. 3D
FIGS. 21, 22, and 23
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Information about the gelling process while ongoing, as well as the amount of finished product dispensed, can be presented on a display for user feedback. One way this can be achieved is through the use of flow sensors attached to the tubing. The screen is shown in and exemplary screens showing a portion size selector, a drink creator interface, and a flavor selector are shown in . Minimal user interaction is necessary to correctly operate the machine . However, the apparatus can be programmed to accept user input to create custom recipes.
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The user input can be entered directly on the apparatus itself or can be entered via a wireless device in operative communication with the apparatus . After the mixed liquid is dispensed, subsequent batches of remaining unprocessed user liquid can be processed in a serial fashion. When the refill packs (, ) run low, the user is prompted to replace them in much the same manner as a printer prompts a user to replace an ink cartridge. We can use a flow sensor or photodetector to monitor the levels and know when the supply is running low in the refill packs. We can have new orders shipped automatically through remote communication with machines via a communication source, such as the Internet.
FIG. 13
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shows an exemplary user interface wherein a preparer can interact with the apparatus and adjust the proportion of liquids in a beverage or food product to be gelled. For example, assume that the preparer is a patron at a bar who wishes to use the apparatus to make a gelled margarita. Using a mobile phone or other device such as a tablet computer (the bar may provide a tablet computer for patrons to use), the patron can scan a menu of both food and beverages and select an item of choice to be made into pearls . It is to be appreciated that the patron will also be able to pay for the item directly from the tablet or phone. Once the food or beverage is selected, the apparatus will retrieve a corresponding recipe. Recipes can be retrieved from local storage within the apparatus, or recipes can be retrieved from a remote data store via wireless channels.
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Once the recipe is known, the interface displays the levels or proportions of each ingredient it will use to make the recipe. Since this preparer has chosen margarita pearls, the apparatus will display the three main ingredients: tequila, Cointreau, and lime juice. The interface will also display the proportions of each ingredient, adding up to 100%. At this point, the preparer is able to customize his/her pearl concoction. Let's assume the preparer prefers less tequila, he/she uses the interface to adjust the levels, so that the tequila level is decreased. The apparatus will automatically adjust the other ingredients accordingly to achieve the desired flavor. The apparatus will dispense and mix the correct amount of flavored liquids (tequila, Cointreau, lime juice), mix with a gelling agent, adjust the pH level, and dispense into a gelling bath such as a salt bath. Once the pearls are in the salt bath for a predetermined amount of time, a strainer is activated to lift the pearls out of the gelling bath. They are then rinsed and pour into a container such as a glass. The entire process has occurred without any intervention by the preparer.
FIGS. 21, 22, and 23
FIG. 21
FIG. 22
FIGS. 22 and 23
FIG. 14
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show three examples of what the preparer is likely to see on a user interface in operative communication with the apparatus . shows a display where a preparer can select a portion size and shows a display where a preparer can interact with the apparatus to make a pearl concoction from start to finish. display a few of the extraordinary variety of flavors and ingredients that can be combined, including herbs such as cilantro. The user is able to adjust the proportions of the ingredients by known methods of touch screen technology, or by a scroll bar, text input, or other means. The interface can be affixed to the apparatus or it can be presented on a remote device such as a tablet computer or mobile device, as shown in . The tablet computer and mobile device can inter-operate with the apparatus through the interface using a wireless gateway.
Method—Overview.
FIG. 19
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Referring now to , there is shown a flowchart of a method for formulating pearls, according to one embodiment of the present invention. We wait for user input or interaction in step . The method begins with liquid input (substrate) poured into the mixing tank . Once we determine that the liquid has been poured in step , in step the apparatus measures the liquid input, perhaps by using a flow meter, sensor, or a calibrated container. Once the liquid is input as determined in step , the liquid volume is recorded in step and shown on a display in optional step (the display is an optional attachment/upgrade).
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In step the liquid input is mixed in the mixing tank for a predetermined amount of time. In step the pH level of the substrate can be tested, perhaps by an internal pH sensor. If the pH is higher than a pre-determined threshold amount as determined in step , we add a carefully calibrated proportional amount of a buffering agent such as sodium citrate as needed to achieve the desired pH level in step . The ratio of the pH buffer to the mix is programmed. The amount of buffering solution remaining can be displayed in step .
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For reverse spherification, once we have achieved an optimal pH level, in step a gelling agent such as a Calcium salt (concentrated calcium gluconate solution) is injected to the correct dilution. This dilution amount is preprogrammed into the apparatus and calculated as: VCa=(0.01*Vinput)/(xCa−0.01) where VCa is the volume of gluconate added, xCa is the concentration of the refill pack and Vinput is the volume of the user-input liquid. Assume volume=mass by density˜=1 g/cm3 (same as water). For regular spherification, we add a gelling agent such as, but not limited to, sodium alginate.
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We mix this for a pre-determined time to make a uniform solution in step . We can display the percentage amount remaining of the gluconate (or alginate) on the display in step and prompt the preparer to place alginate under the dispenser in step , if required. In some embodiments, this process is automated and the alginate is injected into a ready container. Once it is confirmed that the alginate dispenser is ready in step (either by human input or sensor feedback) the apparatus dispenses and optionally counts the droplets of liquid to become pearls in step . For reverse spherification, the droplets are dispensed into a bath of a gelling agent such as sodium alginate. The regular spherification, the bath is a salt solution. The apparatus can also display the number of dispensed pearls on the display, plus the percentage complete in step .
Method—Pearl Formation.
FIGS. 15 through 17
FIG. 15
FIG. 16
FIG. 17
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show a close-up view of the dispensing and formation of a pearl . shows a close-up view as a droplet starts to emerge from the machine . shows another close-up view of the droplet as it enlarges. It is now about to fall into the bath . shows another close-up view after the droplet has fallen into the bath . You will note that another droplet is immediately forming. The color of the pearls can be customized, as can the size of the pearls, which is determined by the width of the tubing or the nozzle.
Method—User Interaction
FIG. 14
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In another embodiment of the present invention, the user can provide his/her own recipe. Users can save and store their drink preferences either locally or remotely in a social media or cloud-linked system. We envision that a user can walk into any bar anywhere in the world and order “the usual.” Users are able to share their favorite “pearl recipes” and form social groups based on drink preferences. Referring to the drawing in , the interface provides a Submit button and a Share button . When the user activates the Share button , the user-customized recipe will be shared with the contacts within the user's social network (from Facebook, Twitter, Yahoo! Social, and the like). Expanding on this, we open the gateway to highly targeted ads from beverage companies based on very accurate user drink statistics. Cloud computing security can be used to safeguard the identities of the users. With Cloud computing we are also able to map the usage of the product and gauge client satisfaction and demographic attributes for strategic planning and marketing.
Method—Recipes.
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There are a myriad of recipes for both food and beverages that can be made with the apparatus . Some examples are: spirits, alcoholic and non-alcoholic cocktails, soy sauce and other sauces or condiments dissolved in a liquid, vinegars, oils such as olive oil, lime juice, syrups, cocktail mixers, carbonated beverages, puddings, desserts, fruit drinks, still and sparkling water, to name a few. Additionally, medicines, especially medication for children, can be made into pearls to make the medicine appear more palatable to a child. It is known that a pH of above is best for gelling liquids of all types. Sodium Alginate is commonly added as 0.8% by weight, while calcium chloride is commonly added as about 0.5% by weight. Optimized concentrations for the refill packs will have to be determined in order to minimize cost, maximize throughput, and maximize output.
Method—Metrics, Analytics.
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As previously mentioned, the apparatus according to embodiments of the invention, even in its most basic form, contains a “brain” (microprocessor) and sensors, allowing for monitoring and gathering a myriad of useful metrics. With these metrics we are able to monitor the status of the apparatus and the refill packs remotely, as well as generate “health report cards.” We can monitor levels of refill packs, which refill packs are being used the most, how often each pack is used, and what flavors are more popular in certain regions.
We can send out reminders to order new refill packs and keep track of customers on a server where the apparatus is the client in a client-server paradigm. We can also keep track of customer's favorite recipes and recommend similar concoctions to try. We can perform remote troubleshooting and maintenance.
Hardware Embodiment.
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Referring now to there is shown a simplified block diagram of a computing device configured to operate according to an embodiment of the present invention. The device includes components normally found in computing devices: at least one processor device , memory , bus , storage , an input/output subsystem , and an optional communication interface for access to the Internet, Cloud computing , or other communication devices. The I/O subsystem is operably coupled with the screen . Preparers can interact with the device via their own computing devices through the Internet or a mobile app gateway. A data store is in operative communication with the device. The data store can hold recipes, user information such as drink preferences, and other data.
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At least one sensor is operably coupled with the processor device . The sensor can be inter alia, a pH level indicator, an ethanol sensor, a flow sensor, a light sensor, and others. An optional counter is incremented when the drops are released. Block represents the valves, meters, and pumps that may be required to operate the device in the formulation of gelled pearls. The arrowed lines represent either wired or wireless links between and among the internal components and the external components, attachments and the like. For example, rather than the conventional wiring, we contemplate an embodiment with signals controlling the flow valves, meters, and pumps, negating the use of wires within the machine . An optional locking mechanism such as an electromagnetic locking mechanism can be used to safeguard the liquids.
Therefore, while there has been described what is presently considered to be the preferred embodiment, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that other modifications can be made within the spirit of the invention. The above descriptions of embodiments are not intended to be exhaustive or limiting in scope. The embodiments, as described, were chosen in order to explain the principles of the invention, show its practical application, and enable those with ordinary skill in the art to understand how to make and use the invention. It should be understood that the invention is not limited to the embodiments described above. | |
Introduction
============
The identification of emotional facial expressions (EFEs) is fundamental for social interaction and survival of the individual ([@B2]). For example, being able to correctly recognize a fearful or a happy facial expression is a crucial adaptive mechanism to infer others' intentions and anticipate their behavior. Research has shown that this ability is affected not only by clinical conditions such as depression and anxiety ([@B11]) or schizophrenia ([@B24]) but also by subclinical differences in the ability to process emotional stimuli, such as alexithymia ([@B15]).
Alexithymia is a personality trait characterized by difficulties in identifying and describing feelings and discriminating between feelings and bodily sensations of emotional arousal, which accompany them ([@B48]; [@B51]). Previous research found alexithymia to be related to worse performance in EFE recognition ([@B27]; [@B19]). Specifically, previous literature mainly manipulated stimulus presentation time, showing that the difficulty in EFE identification was evident when stimuli were presented under temporal constraints but not when stimulus exposure time was extended (for a review see [@B15]). For example, when EFEs were presented for 66 or 100 ms, level of alexithymia was negatively correlated with labeling sensitivity of angry EFEs and marginally negatively correlated with labeling sensitivity of fearful and happy EFEs ([@B17]). On the contrary, no such correlations were found when the same EFEs were presented for 1 or 3 s ([@B35]; [@B18]). The implications of these results appear twofold. Firstly, alexithymia may be associated to the need for more time to accurately recognize EFEs. Secondly, the difficulties of alexithymic individuals in EFEs identification appear evident only under certain experimental conditions.
Despite growing evidence on the impact of alexithymia in the identification of EFEs, previous research has focused on the response to intense static EFEs. Nevertheless, these are rarely encountered in everyday life and individuals are faced with the challenge of identifying dynamic changes in emotional expression often displayed at varying degrees of intensity ([@B42]). In fact, alexithymia may be hypothesized to be related not only to the need for more time but also for more perceptual information to identify EFEs, as previously hypothesized in [@B15]. Therefore, manipulating the intensity of EFEs using both static and dynamic stimuli would enable the extension of current literature on the impact of alexithymia on EFE identification by testing whether or not individuals with alexithymia need more emotional intensity to identify EFEs. Indeed, in the broader literature of emotion processing, the manipulation of emotional intensity can be crucial to uncover impairments in EFE recognition, which are not evident when using intense EFEs (e.g., [@B56]), making emotion recognition tasks more sensitive to subtle differences in identification ([@B7]; [@B55]).
Regarding the issue of intensity in static EFEs, two studies exist that used morphed faces to understand the impact of alexithymia in the identification of static EFEs varying in emotional intensity. Nevertheless, they have the limitations of focusing mainly on alexithymia within the autistic population, reporting contrasting results. Specifically, the first study found alexithymia to be related to less precision, expressed as higher attribution threshold, in the identification of EFEs both in the autistic and control group ([@B10]). On the contrary, the second study found high levels of alexithymia to be related to reduced accuracy in identifying EFEs at low emotional intensity in the autistic but not in the control group ([@B23]) raising the possibility that autism *per se* may represent a confounding factor contributing to the results. Given the inconsistency of results, it appears that further research is needed in order to understand the role of emotional intensity in the relationship between alexithymia and EFE identification. In addition, no study has investigated the impact of alexithymia in the identification of dynamic EFEs varying in emotional intensity. Nevertheless, static and dynamic faces appear to convey partially different types of information. Besides being more ecologically valid, dynamic stimuli convey additional temporal information regarding the change of emotional intensity over time ([@B21]), which is not available in static stimuli. This seems to contribute to enhanced perceived intensity of dynamic EFEs ([@B58]) and has been suggested to facilitate their identification ([@B42]). In fact, neuroimaging studies have shown that recognizing dynamic as opposed to static morphed EFEs appears not only to enhance the activation of areas involved in affective processing, including the amygdala and fusiform gyrus ([@B26]; [@B53]), but also to activate additional brain areas involved in motion processing, including pre- and post-central gyrus, known for sensory-motor integration of motion-related information ([@B42]).
Given the current literature, the aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of emotional intensity in the relationship between alexithymia and EFE identification when presenting both static and dynamic EFEs. To this end, two experiments were conducted in which participants with low (LA) and high (HA) levels of alexithymia were tested in their ability to identify static (Experiment 1) or dynamic (Experiment 2) morphed EFEs, which ranged from neutral to intense emotional expression.
In both experiments presentation of happy, fearful and disgusted EFEs was chosen for several theoretical reasons. Firstly, both positively and negatively valenced emotions were included to understand if the effect of alexithymia may be valence or emotion related. Secondly, with regards to fear and disgust, these were included because neuroimaging and lesion studies indicate that identification of fearful and disgusted EFEs is related to functional and structural integrity of a circumscribed set of brain areas ([@B2]). Specifically, the amygdala appears a crucial structure in recognition of fearful EFEs ([@B2]; [@B14]) and lesion of this structure impairs their recognition ([@B3], [@B4]), while the insula appears crucially involved in the recognition of disgusted EFEs ([@B2]; [@B14]). Regarding alexithymia, aberrant activation of amygdala (e.g., [@B25]; [@B36]; [@B57]; [@B33]; [@B20]) and insula (e.g., [@B22]; [@B16]; [@B38]) have been found among the neural correlates underlying this condition (for a meta-analysis see [@B54]).
In Experiment 1, compared to LA, HA were hypothesized to need more emotional intensity to identify the emotion expressed by EFEs. On the contrary, in Experiment 2, the additional information inherent to dynamic -- as opposed to static -- EFEs might facilitate the task, enabling HA to overcome their difficulties. Therefore, in Experiment 2, differences in the emotional intensity needed by HA and LA to identify EFEs may or may not be evident.
Experiment 1
============
Participants were presented with pictures of static happy, disgusted and fearful EFEs. The emotion in each EFE could be expressed at 6 levels of emotional intensity: 0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100% (**Figure [1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}**). Participants were required to identify the emotion expressed by the EFE, by making a forced choice button press. In order to test differences between LA and HA, for each participant, expression identification rate for each EFE was calculated at each intensity level. Then, expression identification rates were fit to a psychometric function to calculate the percentage of emotional intensity at which participants had equal probability to identify the facial expression as neutral or emotional, i.e., point of subjective equality (PSE). Compared to LA, HA were hypothesized to need more emotional intensity to identify the presence of the emotional expression in the face, hence showing higher PSE.
{#F1}
Methods
-------
### Participants
The study was designed and conducted in accordance with the ethical principles of the World Medical Association Declaration of Helsinki and the institutional guidelines of the University of Bologna and was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Department of Psychology. All participants gave informed written consent to participation after being informed about the procedure of the study.
Three-hundred university students completed the 20-item Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20; [@B52]). Depending on the score, students were classified as LA (TAS-20 ≤ 36) or HA (TAS-20 ≥ 61) ([@B13]) and were then randomly contacted to participate in the study. Once in the laboratory, the alexithymia module of the structured interview for the Diagnostic Criteria for Psychosomatic Research (DCPR; [@B31]) was administered to increase reliability of screening and confirm TAS-20 classification. Participants with discordant classification on the two measures did not complete the task (*n* = 1). Due to the high co-occurrence of alexithymia and depression ([@B29]), participants completed the Beck Depression Inventory ([@B5]) and did not complete the experimental task if their score was higher than the cut-off for severe depression (i.e., 28, *n* = 1). All participants had equivalent educational backgrounds and were students at the University of Bologna.
Forty volunteers with no history of major medical, neurological or psychiatric disorders completed the study: 20 LA (6 males; TAS-20 *M* = 30.25, *SD* = 4.12; age *M* = 24.55, *SD* = 2.98 years); 20 HA (6 males; TAS-20 *M* = 63.37, *SD* = 2.25; age *M* = 23.03, *SD* = 2.32 years). *A priori* targets for sample size and data collection stopping rule were based on sample and effect sizes reported in the literature on alexithymia and EFE identification (sample size of an average of 38 participants in total as indicated in a recent review ([@B15])).
### Independent Measure
Stimuli consisted of black and white photographs of 20 actors (10 males) with each actor depicting 3 EFEs, respectively of happiness, disgust and fear. Half of the pictures were taken from the Karolinska Directed Emotional Faces database ([@B30]) and half from the Pictures of Facial Affect database ([@B12]). Pictures were trimmed to fit an ellipse in order to uniform them and remove distracting features from the face, such as hair or ears and non-facial contours. Each emotional facial expression was then morphed with the neutral facial expression of the corresponding identity using ([@B1]) in order to create stimuli of 20% increments of emotional intensity ranging from 0 to 100% emotional intensity. This resulted in a total of 360 stimuli (20 cm × 13 cm size), i.e., 20 actors expressing 3 emotions with 6 degrees of intensity (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, and 100%; **Figure [1](#F1){ref-type="fig"}**).
### Procedure
The experiment took place in a sound attenuated room with dimmed light. Participants sat in a relaxed position on a comfortable chair in front of a computer monitor (17″, 60 Hz refresh rate) used for stimuli presentation at 57 cm distance. Each trial started with the presentation of a fixation cross (500 ms) in the center of the screen followed by the stimulus (100 ms) and subsequently a black screen (3000 ms) during which participants could provide the answer by pressing a key. The experiment consisted of 360 randomized trials divided in two blocks of 180 trials so that participants could rest if desired. Stimulus presentation time was chosen based on previous literature on EFEs recognition, indicating 100 ms as a sufficiently long presentation time to identify EFEs reliably above chance level and without incurring in ceiling effects ([@B8]; [@B9]).
Participants were instructed that at each trial a face would briefly appear on the screen and their task would be to identify the emotion expressed by the face by pressing one of four keys with their index and middle finger of either hand. These were labeled "N" for neutral (i.e., Italian = "neutro"), "F" for happiness (i.e., Italian = "felicità"), "P" for fear (i.e., Italian = "paura") and "D" for disgust (i.e., Italian = "disgusto"). Before beginning the task, participants familiarized with the position of keys by having the experimenter calling out loud in random order the keys and participants pressing them until they felt confident they could press them correctly while fixating the screen. The order of keys was counterbalanced among participants.
### Dependent Measure
Correct responses for each emotional facial expression were used to calculate the mean expression identification rate at each intensity level. Then, for each subject, expression identification rates for each emotional facial expression were fit to a psychometric function using a generalized linear model with a binomial distribution in MATLAB software (MathWorks, Natick, MA, United States) ([@B34]). The point of subjective equality (PSE) was then calculated and used for statistical analysis. This represented the percentage of emotional intensity at which subjects had equal probability to identify the facial expression as neutral or emotional (**Figure [2](#F2){ref-type="fig"}**).
{#F2}
Results and Discussion
----------------------
A 3×2 repeated measures analysis of variance (RM ANOVA; emotion: happiness, disgust, fear; group: LA, HA) on PSE scores showed a significant main effect of group \[*F*(1,38) = 5.38, *p* = 0.026, $\eta_{p}^{2}$ = 0.12\] and emotion \[*F*(2,76) = 35.75, *p* \< 0.001, $\eta_{p}^{2}$ = 0.48\]. More importantly, there was a group by emotion interaction \[*F*(2,76) = 4.69, *p* = 0.012, $\eta_{p}^{2}$ = 0.11\]. Newman-Keuls *post hoc* test shows that HA had higher PSE compared to LA only for the fearful emotional facial expression (fear: *p* \< 0.001, *M*~HA~ = 54.05, *M*~LA~ = 43.71; disgust: *p* = 0.832, *M*~HA~ = 38.36, *M*~LA~ = 37.78; happiness: *p* = 0.415, *M*~HA~ = 36.32, *M*~LA~ = 34.08). Therefore, HA need more emotional intensity to identify fearful facial expressions compared to LA (**Figure [3](#F3){ref-type="fig"}**).
{#F3}
In summary, results showed that HA required more emotional intensity to identify the presence of fear expression in the face compared to LA. Crucially, while previous studies showed that HA need more time to identify EFEs as efficiently as LA ([@B15]), the present study extends the current literature suggesting that HA also need more perceptual information, specifically to identify fearful EFEs.
Experiment 2
============
Participants were presented with videos of dynamic happy, disgusted and fearful EFEs, which started at 0% emotional intensity and terminated at 100% emotional intensity (**Figure [4](#F4){ref-type="fig"}**). Participants were required to identify the emotion expressed by the EFE, by making a forced choice button press, which would also terminate video presentation. Participants responded as soon as they recognized the emotion, without necessarily waiting for termination of the video. In order to test differences between LA and HA, accuracy and reaction times (RTs) for accurate responses were calculated. Here, RTs also represented the percentage of emotional intensity at which participants identified the emotion displayed by the face. Therefore, differences in RTs indicated differences in the percentage of emotional intensity needed to identify the emotion expressed by the EFE. Contrary to Experiment 1, here, differences in the emotional intensity needed by HA and LA to identify EFEs may or may not be evident, given that dynamic EFEs may be easier to be identified than static ones.
{#F4}
Methods
-------
### Participants
Recruitment of participants followed the same procedure as Experiment 1. Two participants did not take part to the experimental task because their TAS-20 classification was not confirmed by their DCPR score. No participant reported a severe level of depression on the BDI.
Forty volunteers with no history of major medical, neurological or psychiatric disorders completed the study: 20 LA participants (8 males; TAS-20 *M* = 31.29, *SD* = 3.23; age *M* = 22.89 years, *SD* = 2.00 years) and 20 HA participants (8 males; TAS-20 *M* = 64.84, *SD* = 4.14; age *M* = 22.84 years, *SD* = 1.93 years).
### Independent Measure
Stimuli consisted of black and white photographs of 10 actors (5 men) with each actor depicting 3 EFEs, respectively of happiness, disgust and fear. Pictures were chosen from the Pictures of Facial Affect database ([@B12]) and trimmed to fit an ellipse in order to uniform stimuli and remove distracting features from the face such as hair or ears and non-facial contours. Each emotional facial expression was then morphed with the neutral facial expression of the corresponding identity using ([@B1]) in order to create videos of 1% increments of emotional intensity ranging from 0 to 100% of emotional intensity. Each increment lasted 1 s, resulting in a video with a total duration of 100 s (**Figure [4](#F4){ref-type="fig"}**). This resulted in a total of 30 stimuli (20 cm × 13 cm size), i.e., 10 actors expressing 3 emotions.
### Procedure
The experiment took place in a sound attenuated room with dimmed light. Participants sat in a relaxed position on a comfortable chair in front of a computer monitor (17″, 60 Hz refresh rate) used for stimuli presentation at a distance of 57 cm. The experiment consisted of 30 randomized trials, each showing a dynamic facial expression changing from neutral to fear, happiness or disgust. Each trial started with the presentation of a fixation cross (3000 ms) in the center of the screen followed by the presentation of the dynamic stimulus with the duration of 100 s.
Participants were instructed that at each trial a video of a face ranging from neutral to emotional would appear on the screen and their task would be to press one of three keys (D, J, or K) as soon as they recognized the emotion expressed by the face, without having to wait for termination of the video. The keys were labeled "F" for happiness (i.e., Italian = "felicità"), "D" for disgust (i.e., Italian = "disgusto") and "P" for fear (i.e., Italian = "paura"). Participants used the index and middle fingers of the right hand and the index finger of the left hand to press the keys. The order of keys was counterbalanced between participants. Key press terminated video presentation allowing the task to proceed to the next trial.
### Dependent Measure
Accuracy (i.e., percentage of correct response) and RTs for accurate responses were calculated. It should be noted that RTs also represented the percentage of emotional intensity at which participants identified the emotion displayed by the face. For example, an average RT of 3000 ms indicated that, on average, a participant correctly identified the emotion displayed by the face when this was expressed at 30% emotional intensity. Therefore, differences in RTs indicated differences in the percentage of emotional intensity needed to identify the emotion expressed by the EFE.
Results and Discussion
----------------------
The 3×2 RM ANOVA (emotion: happiness, disgust, fear; group: LA, HA) on accuracy revealed a significant main effect of emotion \[*F*(2,76) = 13.83; *p* \< 0.001; $\eta_{p}^{2}$ = 0.27\]. Newman-Keuls *post hoc* test showed that participants were most accurate in identifying happiness (*M* = 96.05%) than fear (*p* = 0.003; *M* = 90.75%) and disgust (*p* \< 0.001; *M* = 86.84%) and were more accurate in identifying fear than disgust (*p* = 0.029). Results showed no significant main effect or interaction with the factor group (all *p*-values ≥ 0.669) indicating that the two groups exhibited comparable accuracy in identifying the emotion expressed by dynamic faces.
Similarly the 3×2 RM ANOVA (emotion: happiness, disgust, fear; group: LA, HA) on RTs revealed a significant main effect of emotion \[*F*(2,76) = 78.22; *p* \< 0.001; $\eta_{p}^{2}$ = 0.67\]. Newman-Keuls *post hoc* test showed that participants were fastest in identifying happiness (*M* = 24770 ms) than fear (*p* \< 0.001; *M* = 32623 ms) and disgust (*p* \< 0.001; *M* = 36549 ms) and were more accurate in identifying fear than disgust (*p* \< 0.001). Results showed no significant main effect or interaction with the factor group (all *p*-values ≥ 0.142) indicating that the two groups required comparable time to identify the emotion expressed by dynamic faces. Because RTs also represent the percentage at which participants recognize the emotion, these results also show that the groups required comparable amount of emotional intensity to identify the emotion expressed by the face.
Contrary to Experiment 1, results of Experiment 2 show no significant difference between LA and HA in accuracy and RTs when identifying the emotion expressed by dynamic morphed faces.
General Discussion
==================
The aim of the present study was to investigate the role of alexithymia in identifying the emotional expression of static and dynamic EFEs ranging from neutral to intense emotional expression, in order to test whether or not HA need more emotional intensity to identify EFEs. In fact, previous studies have focused on manipulating presentation time of intense static EFEs, revealing that HA need more time to identify EFEs, compared to LA ([@B15]). Here, instead, we manipulated emotional intensity of static and dynamic EFEs. Under these conditions we showed that HA need more emotional intensity to identify static fearful EFEs, compared to LA. Nevertheless, when the groups were faced by dynamic EFEs, no significant difference was found in performance, with groups requiring comparable amount of emotional intensity to identify the EFEs.
In Experiment 1, the difficulty in processing fearful EFEs is in line with previous literature, which found a difficulty of alexithymic individuals in fear processing not only limited to EFEs labeling ([@B19]; [@B28]; [@B32]) but also across a broad range of stimuli, tasks and dependent measures. For example, compared to LA, HA rate the expression of fearful but not other EFEs as less intense ([@B37]). In addition, HA show impairment in embodied aspects of fearful stimuli processing. This is evidenced by reduced rapid facial mimicry in response to static fearful faces ([@B49]; [@B46]), failure to show enhanced perception of tactile stimuli delivered to their face while observing a fearful -- as opposed to happy or neutral -- face being simultaneously touched ([@B45], [@B47]) and reduced skin conductance response when viewing a conditioned stimulus predictive of a shock during classical fear conditioning ([@B50]). Finally, HA show impairments in processing fearful stimuli also when examining their electrophysiological responses. Compared to LA, HA fail to show enhanced amplitude of the N190 event related potential, during visual encoding of fearful -- as opposed to happy or neutral -- body postures ([@B6]). This general difficulty in fear processing has been interpreted in light of the decreased activation of the amygdala observed in alexithymia in response to the presentation of EFEs ([@B25]; [@B20]), in particular fearful ones ([@B36]), and negative emotional stimuli ([@B57]; [@B54]), such as observing a painful stimulation being delivered to someone's hand ([@B33]). Although involved in processing EFEs in general ([@B14]), the amygdala appears a crucial structure in processing fearful EFEs ([@B3], [@B4]). Therefore, it is possible that a reduced response in the amygdala in HA may underlie the present results, though future studies using neuroimaging techniques should be conducted to test this hypothesis.
In contrast to the difference found in response to fearful EFEs, no difference between the groups was found when identifying happy or disgusted facial expressions. In this regard, previous behavioral studies on EFEs processing have reported mixed results. For example, in [@B37], though HA showed reduced sensitivity for matching sad, angry and fearful faces to the corresponding target EFE, they showed no significant difference from LA when matching happy, disgusted or surprised EFEs; in addition, they were able to recognize all EFEs during a non-speeded task and rated the intensity of happy and disgusted EFEs similarly to LA. On the contrary, other labeling studies found that alexithymia was related to a global deficit to recognize EFEs, including happiness and disgust ([@B19]; [@B28]; [@B32]). Given the contrasting results, alexithymia may affect processing of happy and disgusted EFEs depending on the experimental conditions. Specifically, here results seem to suggest that while HA require more emotional intensity to identify static fearful EFEs, they may not have such need in the identification of happy and disgusted EFEs.
Contrary to Experiment 1, when dynamic morphed faces were presented in Experiment 2, no difference was found between the two groups in EFE recognition. This result may be related to the type of information conveyed by dynamic as opposed to static stimuli. Indeed, the intensification of emotional expression over time provides additional structural and configurational information, which is not available in static stimuli ([@B21]) and which seems to contribute to differential processing of the two types of stimuli. For example, dynamic EFEs are perceived as more intense than static ones even when the stimulus emotional intensity is the same ([@B58]; [@B39]; [@B40],[@B41]). In addition, dynamic EFEs trigger stronger facial mimicry compared to static faces ([@B43]; [@B39], [@B40],[@B41]). Finally, recognizing dynamic as opposed to static morphed EFEs activates an extended neural network comprising not only areas involved in affective processing ([@B26]; [@B44]), but also motion processing ([@B42]). It is possible that the involvement of such additional mechanisms during the identification of dynamic EFEs might have facilitated the task and led to the absence of significant differences in performance between HA and LA. Future studies should investigate this hypothesis and in particular test whether reduced facial mimicry found in HA in response to static fearful EFEs ([@B49]; [@B46]) may be restored by the presentation of dynamic EFEs and be related to improvement in dynamic EFE identification. Additionally, the comparable performance in dynamic EFEs identification between HA and LA highlights the subclinical nature of alexithymia, further supporting the notion that difficulties in EFE identification of HA become evident only under specific task conditions ([@B15]) and may not necessarily be evident in their everyday life.
To conclude, the present study shows that high -- as opposed to low - levels of alexithymia are related to the need for more emotional intensity to perceive fear in static EFEs. On the contrary, no significant difference in performance was found when individuals with high and low levels of alexithymia were faced by dynamic EFEs, possibly due to the additional structural and configurational information regarding the change of emotional intensity over time ([@B21]), which may have facilitated emotion identification. Given that partially different brain networks are involved in processing the two types of stimuli, future studies should use neuroimaging techniques to elucidate the neural mechanisms underlying the current behavioral results.
Availability of Data
====================
The raw data supporting the conclusions of this manuscript will be made available by the authors, without undue reservation, to any qualified researcher.
Author Contributions
====================
FS, KB, CB, and CS conceived and designed the study and critically revised the manuscript for important intellectual content. FS, KB, and CB acquired and analyzed the data and drafted the manuscript.
Conflict of Interest Statement
==============================
The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
**Funding.** The authors disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: Preparation of this manuscript was supported by Grant PRIN (Protocol: PRIN2015 NA455) from Ministero dell'Istruzione, dell'Università e della Ricerca awarded to Elisabetta Làdavas.
The authors would like to thank Francesca Salucci, Giada Sberlati, Anna Carlotta Grassi and Nicoletta Russo for their assistance with data collection and Marta de Haro for her help with data processing. The authors would also like to thank Prof. Elisabetta Làdavas for her comments during manuscript preparation.
[^1]: Edited by: Lorys Castelli, Università degli Studi di Torino, Italy
[^2]: Reviewed by: Maria Stella Epifanio, Università degli Studi di Palermo, Italy; Megan L. Willis, Australian Catholic University, Australia
[^3]: ^†^Present address: Khatereh Borhani, Institute for Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Shahid Beheshti University, Tehran, Iran
[^4]: This article was submitted to Clinical and Health Psychology, a section of the journal Frontiers in Psychology
| |
Bumper Sticker Computer Science (1985) [pdf] - kamaal
http://www.bowdoin.edu/~ltoma/teaching/cs340/spring05/coursestuff/Bentley_BumperSticker.pdf
======
reaperducer
It's amazing that 33 years later, nearly all of these still apply. And nearly
all are mistakes that are still being made.
Theses gems stuck out for me:
_Eighty percent of all input forms ask questions they have no business
asking._
_A procedure should fit on a page._
And especially: _Don’t make the user provide information that the system
already knows._
This happens all the time, especially in e-commerce. And even moreso in paper
form. For example, every time I go to a new doctor, I have to fill out 15
forms and 15 times I have to write down my name, address, SSN, insurance id,
etc... Why can't the doctor's office, which already knows all of that, just
print out 15 forms with all of that pre-populated?
Somewhat related: We build so many input forms demanding people provide data
to the computer in a form that the computer can immediately read. The computer
should work for the user, not the other way around.
Example: The FCC's Do Not Call web site has notes on its input fields that
phone numbers have to be entered as numbers only. No dashes, parentheses,
etc... How about the web site take whatever is input and strip out anything
that's not a number? So basic, but I see this all the time.
~~~
Casseres
> every time I go to a new doctor, I have to fill out 15 forms and 15 times I
> have to write down my ... SSN
No you do not.
Anecdotal: I always leave that field blank and have never been asked for it.
Anyone can ask you for anything, anywhere. It doesn't mean they actually need
it, or that you have to give it to them.
~~~
otp124
I 100% agree.
I went to a dealer to buy a car in cash (well, a cashier's check). They had a
touch-screen computer with all their forms for me to fill out. It came to a
credit approval/application form, and I refused to fill it out because I
wasn't opening a loan. The lady assured me it was "standard" and that it
wouldn't be used for anything, because I didn't need the loan/credit. I kept
refusing, and she kept insisting they only needed it because the software
required it to continue. After this impasse, I stood to walk out, and she
suddenly changed her tune and somehow "figured out" how to bypass the form.
Classy.
~~~
lscotte
Even if you pay cash, a dealer may require a credit check, however you have no
obligation to provide any financial details. I think they just want to make
sure your credit is good enough for some proxy that your check is good. I've
also heard it's for identity purposes. Also, this all might vary by state
laws, too...
~~~
niij
> some proxy that your check is good
That's why they had a cashier's check and not a personal check.
------
icebraining
Here's in HTML form: [http://quotes.cat-v.org/programming/bumper-sticker-
computer-...](http://quotes.cat-v.org/programming/bumper-sticker-computer-
science)
------
hkai
Some Russian people I know started a project that gives random obvious advice,
along with a profanity to make you pay attention.
Examples include:
\- change your damn passwords!
\- reset the damn cache!
\- say no to your damn project manager!
\- use the damn frameworks!
\- stop creating the damn global variables!
\- don't use the damn "!important"!
They've assembled a database of probably a few thousands of those wisdoms for
different industries and it's truly entertaining. They've added an API too.
Sadly it's not in English.
~~~
jimmaswell
What's wrong with !important?
~~~
coldtea
It's an exceptional bypass, so if you use it frequently, it means you didn't
get the base class design right.
~~~
freehunter
Case in point, I extensively use !important in the very rare situation I'm
doing front-end work, because I struggle immensely with CSS and can never seem
to get it to render properly. And in almost every situation, !important leads
to more problems than it solves. Yet I keep doing it, because I fundamentally
don't understand CSS.
If you use !important, you either understand CSS very well, or don't
understand it at all.
~~~
exikyut
What would you say are the biggest pain points?
Someone probably knows of a targeted resource or two that may help.
~~~
freehunter
I think honestly my biggest problem is just lack of familiarity. I don't do a
lot of front-end work, and when I am doing front-end work it's probably a side
project that I'm not getting paid for. If I'm working on my own time, the
back-end stuff is more interesting to me so I spend as little time as possible
on front-end.
Order of precedence is the hardest thing for me to figure out, if I have three
nested <div>s and a couple of <li> elements and all of them with a conflicting
fontColor property, which one takes precedence? If I think really hard and
trace back all the code, I can figure it out. Or I can put an !important on it
and future me will deal with the consequences.
~~~
exikyut
I googled "css specificity" and it autocompleted "calculator", which led me to
[https://specificity.keegan.st/](https://specificity.keegan.st/).
You can paste in a series of selectors (getting new boxes by clicking
"duplicate"), then hit "Sort by specificity".
------
pasbesoin
From TFPDF:
"If you lie to the computer, it will get you."
From my observation at work, I'd change this to:
"If you lie to the computer, it will let you."
Lots of people who take computer output as gospel. They never get, GIGO.
~~~
freehunter
I think the original comment was the natural extension of "it will let you".
Yeah, it will let you, and you might not notice. And then a week later, a
month later, suddenly something doesn't work right. There's no immediate cause
for the error you're seeing. The debug output isn't pointing to anything
you've worked on recently. Why isn't this working? The change you just made is
absolutely flawless. But it calls a function you wrote last month and forgot
about, and that function is wrong.
It let you lie to it, and then it got you.
------
chestervonwinch
I enjoyed:
> [Conservation of Code Size] When you turn an ordinary page of code into just
> a handful of instructions for speed, expand the comments to keep the number
> of source lines, constant.
------
microtherion
I remember that column. I was always particularly fond of the first bumper
stickers cited "π seconds is a nanocentury"
------
olooney
A few of my favorites, not found in the linked article:
"There are two ways of constructing software. One way is to make it so simple
that there are obviously no deficiencies. The other is to make it so complex
that there are no obvious deficiencies." C.A.R. Hoare
"The purpose of software engineering is to control complexity, not to create
it." Dr. Pamela Zave
"The most important single aspect of software development is to be clear about
what you are trying to build." Bjarne Stroustrup
"The cardinal sin is to make a choice without knowing you are making one."
Jonathan Shewchuk
"Good code is short, simple, and symmetrical - the challenge is figuring out
how to get there." Sean Parent
"The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the
necessary may speak." Hans Hoffman
"Any intelligent fool can make things bigger, more complex, more violent. It
takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage - to move in the opposite
direction." Albert Einstein
"The cost of adding a feature isn't just the time it takes to code it. The
cost also includes the addition of an obstacle to future expansion... the
trick is to pick features that don't fight each other." John Carmack
"If we'd asked the customers what they wanted, they would have said, "faster
horses." Henry Ford
"What I cannot create, I do not understand." Richard Feynman
"Such is modern computing: everything simple is made too complicated because
it's easy to fiddle with: everything complicated stays complicated because it
is hard to fix." Rob Pike
"A program is a poem: you cannot write a poem without writing it. Yet people
talk about programming as if it were a production process and measure
"programmer productivity" in terms of "number of lines of code produced." In
doing so they book that number on the wrong side of the ledger: We should
always refer to "the number of lines of code spent." Edsger Dijkstra
"As a programmer, it's your job to put yourself out-of-business. What you can
do today can be automated tomorrow." Doug Mcilroy
"The whole point of getting things done is knowing what to leave undone."
Oswalf Chambers
"Simplicity is hard to build, easy to use, and hard to charge for. Complexity
is easy to build, hard to use, and easy to charge for." Chris Sacca
"Knowledge is a process of piling up facts. Wisdom lies in simplification."
Martin Luther King, Jr.
"Measuring programming progress by lines of code is like measuring aircraft
building progress by weight." Bill Gates
"Debugging is twice as hard as writing the code in the first place. Therefore,
if you write the code as cleverly as possible, you are, by definition, not
smart enough to debug it." Brian Kernigham
"It ain't what you don't know that gets you in trouble. It's what you know for
sure that just ain't so." Josh Billings
"Be careful that victories do not carry the seeds of future defeats." Ralph
Stockman
"The most effective debugging tool is still careful thought, coupled with
judiciously placed print statements." Brian Kernigham
"Controlling complexity is the essence of computer programming." Brian
Kernigham
"Simplicity is prerequisite for reliability." Edsger Dijkstra
"...but there is one quality that cannot be purchased that way - and that is
reliability. The price of reliability is the pursuit of the utmost simplicity.
It is a price which the very rich find most hard to pay." C.A.R. Hoare
"UNIX is simple. It just takes a genius to understand its simplicity." Dennis
Ritchie
"Complexity kills. It sucks the life out of developers, it makes products
difficult to plan, build, and test, it introduces security challenges and it
causes end-users and administrators frustration." Ray Ozzie
"A charlatan makes obscure what is clear; a thinker makes clear what is
obscure." Hugh Kingsmill
"Fools ignore complexity, pragmatists suffer it. Some can avoid it. Geniuses
remove it." Alan Perlis
~~~
Gibbon1
> "The purpose of software engineering is to control complexity, not to create
> it." Dr. Pamela Zave
Them: We need to add this feature for completeness.
Me: We do not need that feature to ship and make money.
Them: If we don't we're creating technical debt!
Me: You want to create a feature that needs to be maintained that isn't used
in production. That's worse.
Them: It won't be finished until this feature is added.
Me: The program will never be finished.
Them: You're being unnecessarily difficult.
^^ conversation last week.
------
opnitro
One I always liked: weeks of programming can save hours of planning.
------
pacaro
OMG I remember this being passed around in the late 80s early 90s but I lost
my copy long ago. Thank you for finding this gem!
------
ehudla
I've recently become fond short 2-5 minute podcasts as part of my daily
routine, which makes me think that a short, 3 minute, daily podcast consisting
of one "bumper sticker" plus maybe a little explanation or an example is
definitely something someone should produce.
~~~
samstave
Link to the podcasts you recommend
~~~
ehudla
Alas, most short ones I find are too long (~10 min). Really short: Stoic
Meditations; Le Mot du Jour. Planet Money indicator is longer but still short
enough to listen to (1.5 speed...) while shaving.
------
invalidusernam3
"Allocate four digits for the year part of a date: a new millenium is coming"
Interesting that people were aware about the Y2K problem 15 years before, but
it still required so much work to correct. I guess it's kind of similar to the
Year 2038 problem
([https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_2038_problem](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_2038_problem))
and how nobody cares about it yet
------
dang
Discussed in 2014:
[https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8676982](https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8676982)
| |
Weaker recoveries were seen in both the manufacturing and service sectors, with the latter recording the greatest loss of momentum since July.
IHS Markit / CIPS Flash UK Composite PMI®
- Flash UK Composite Output Index August: 55.3, 6-month low (July final: 59.2)
- Flash UK Services Business Activity Index August: 55.5, 6-month low (July final: 59.6)
- Flash UK Manufacturing Output Index August: 54.1, 6-month low (July final: 57.1)
- Flash UK Manufacturing PMI August: 60.1, 5-month low (July final: 60.4)
August data collected 12-19 August 2021
UK private sector companies experienced a sharp slowdown in output growth during August, according to the latest PMI® data compiled by IHS Markit and CIPS. Survey respondents widely reported constraints on business activity due to staff shortages and supply chain issues. Efforts to rebuild capacity and strong optimism towards the business outlook contributed to the fastest rise in employment numbers since the index began in January 1998. Nonetheless, backlogs of work increased for the sixth month in a row as businesses struggled to keep up with customer demand.
At 55.3 in August, down from 59.2 in July, the headline seasonally adjusted IHS Markit / CIPS Flash UK Composite Output Index dropped for the third month running. The latest reading was still above the crucial 50.0 no-change threshold, but signalled the slowest expansion of output since the UK private sector returned to growth in March.
Weaker recoveries were seen in both the manufacturing and service sectors, with the latter recording the greatest loss of momentum since July. Analysis of comments provided by survey respondents suggested that incidences of reduced output due to shortages of staff or materials were fourteen times higher than usual and the largest since the survey began in January 1998.
New order growth eased only slightly in August, with stronger export sales helping to cushion a slower recovery in domestic demand. Resilient new business volumes contributed to another accumulation of unfinished work, although the latest rise in backlogs was the weakest since April.
August data pointed to the steepest rate of private sector job creation since the series began in January 1998, which was driven by a survey- Comment record speed of hiring in the service economy. Extra recruitment was overwhelmingly attributed to the reopening of customer-facing parts of the service sector and efforts to replace staff that had departed at an earlier stage of the pandemic. Inflationary pressures showed signs of easing in August, with input prices rising at the weakest pace for three months. However, many firms commented on higher wages due to tight labour market conditions. Severe shortages of raw materials and critical components also continued to push up purchasing prices, with UK goods producers signalling the sharpest overall downturn in supplier performance since April 2020.
IHS Markit / CIPS Flash UK Manufacturing PMI®
The seasonally adjusted IHS Markit/CIPS Flash UK Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index® (PMI®) – a composite single-figure indicator of manufacturing performance – registered 60.1 in August, down from 60.4 in July and the lowest since March.
Much weaker production growth was the main drag on the headline PMI, alongside a modest slowdown in job creation. Stock building had a positive influence on the headline index, with efforts to mitigate supply disruptions leading to the fastest rise in pre-production inventories since December 2020.
New order growth was little-changed since July and business expectations hit a three-month high. These positive signals suggested that the weaker trend for manufacturing production largely reflected temporary supply issues. Manufacturers also commented on a lack of staff availability due to self-isolation and long wait times to fill vacancies.
Latest data pointed to the second-sharpest downturn in supplier performance since the survey began in January 1992 (exceeded only by that seen in April 2020). There were widespread reports that escalating shipping costs and shortages of raw materials had led to intense price pressures. That said, the overall rate of input cost inflation eased to a four-month low during August. Moreover, factory gate charges increased at the slowest pace since May.
IHS Markit / CIPS Flash UK Services PMI®
Survey respondents attributed higher levels of activity to the reopening of the UK economy and subsequent improvement in demand for business and consumer services. However, there were reports that staff shortages had constrained the recovery, while others commented on less favourable demand conditions. Firms in the residential property sector often cited the end of the full stamp duty holiday as a factor leading to lower business activity.
Despite a slowdown in output growth during August, service providers signalled a robust and accelerated rise in employment numbers. The latest increase in staffing levels was the strongest since this index began in July 1996. Survey respondents typically commented on the need to boost workforce numbers in response to higher order books and depleted business capacity.
Improving optimism towards the year ahead business outlook also supported job creation in August. The latest survey indicated a rebound in business sentiment to its highest since May, which ended a four-month sequence of falling confidence.
Chris Williamson, Chief Business Economist at IHS Markit, said: "Although the PMI indicates that the economy continues to expand at a pace slightly above the pre-pandemic average, there are clear signs of the recovery losing momentum in the third quarter after a buoyant second quarter.
"Despite COVID-19 containment measures easing to the lowest since the pandemic began, rising virus case numbers are deterring many forms of spending, notably by consumers, and have hit growth via worsening staff and supply shortages.
"Supplier delays have risen to a degree exceeded only once before – in the initial months of the pandemic – and the number of companies reporting that output had fallen due to staff or materials shortages has risen far above anything ever seen previously in more than 20 years of survey history. In manufacturing, sectors including automotive production and electrical goods have fallen into decline due mainly to supply constraints.
"Prices have risen sharply again, albeit with the rate of inflation moving below July’s record high, as shortages once again fuelled a sellers’ market for many goods and services and wages rose further.
"More positively, business expectations for the year ahead perked up in August, encouraging a record jump in employment as furloughed workers were brought back to the workplace. However, demand and supply availability need to improve further for this rise in employment to be sustained in coming months."
Duncan Brock, Group Director at CIPS, said: "An abnormally large slowdown in overall activity in August offers a stark warning to the UK economy that the accelerated levels of growth we’ve seen earlier this summer are not sustainable. It was the slowest output expansion for six months, and the worst shortages of staff and materials on record are mostly to blame.
"Finding the right skills was difficult for businesses, meaning that job seekers had the pick of the bunch in terms of opportunities. The service sector was hiring at a brisker pace than any time in the past 25 years and stronger wage demands followed suit, which resulted in business costs climbing again. Manufacturers paid more for shipping their goods, and supplier delivery times were rivalling the height of the disruption last year.
"The mood generally remained buoyant, however, especially amongst service companies as the end of pandemic restrictions improved business activity. It was also encouraging that export order growth picked up since July, as countries recovered at different speeds. However, it’s likely that cautious consumers will continue to remain an obstacle for UK businesses until full confidence returns." | https://www.cips.org/who-we-are/news/recovery-loses-momentum-as-supply-constraints-hit-output-growth-in-both-the-manufacturing-and-service-sectors/ |
1. Role OverviewThe Country Director (CD) provides vision, leadership, management and effective high-level national representation for ActionAid International (AAI) in Arab Region (Jordan and Lebanon), in line with the established policies, principles and operating practices of AAI, as well as good management practice and the political, social, cultural and economic environment of the country. The CD is responsible for overseeing the implementation of the ActionAid Arab Region Strategy Paper for the period of 2018-2022, ensuring resources are in place to achieve budgeted performance targets and monitoring overall performance against these targets. The CD requires strong and proven experiences in fundraising as well as effective and timely donor contract managements. The CD role requires leadership, organisational Change Management experience, competencies to manage large teams as well as deep knowledge on the context and development sector to enable the role holder to make significant improvements to policies and processes that lead to mid to long-term success of ActionAid in Arab Region. The CD will embrace the dual citizenship of an organisation that is strongly rooted in the country but also part of an international federation.
2. Key accountabilities/ ResponsibilitiesOrganisational Representation
- Implement and further develop AAI’s vision, mission, values and principles in Arab Region in line with agreed AAI’s strategies and organisational priorities;
- Represent ActionAid International in a variety of forums and maintain external relationships within a diverse range of stakeholders in the sector including national government, key national and international NGOs, donors, academic, social movements, CBO’s, media and other relevant institutions in Arab Region;
- Actively contribute to ActionAid International's development as an international federation;
- Maintain regular communication with the line manager, AAI Global Secretariat and other Members of AAI federation;
- Ensure that ActionAid (AA) Arab Region lives up to its dual citizenship role as part of an international federation;
- Provide inputs to AAI’s activities as and when required, including participation on task forces, Training Courses and conferences.
- Ensure the delivery of AA Arab Region’s CSP 2018-2022 and oversee the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the CSP;
- Lead and direct the work of AA Arab Region in accordance with sound management practices and AA's development policies and accountability systems;
- Ensure all programme activities are sensitive to and responsive to changes in the political, social, and economic environments;
- Develop and maintain appropriate contingency plans for all kinds of humanitarian responses and manage the same.
- Develop a funding strategy and plan to mobilise and diversify AA Arab Region ’s resource base to support the change we seek to achieve as specified in the CSP and advance AA’s mission objectives;
- Establish and develop working relationships with key donors in Arab Region and actively develop funding sources appropriate to AA Arab Region’s resource needs;
- Ensure a regular flow of information available to AA funding departments, donor owners and to donors and official funders as required by the various funding mechanisms;
- Ensure timely and efficient donor Contract Management and fulfilling donor obligations.
- Develop a communication strategy that will deepen the impact of communication work, identify key priorities, channels, audiences and messages to establish an appropriate public image for AA Arab Region in line with AAI values and culture;
- Develop and manage a sound relationship with all sections of the media and ensure that any published material accurately reflects the views of AA Arab Region;
- Encourage the development of appropriate research with a view to improving the quality of field work and influencing change in policy to improve the conditions and positions of the people living in poverty in Arab Region;
- Conduct campaigns to create connections between poor, excluded and vulnerable people to increase the public awareness of, and support for their cause and grow our supporter based in Arab Region.
- Maintain effective and appropriate staff recruitment, induction, appraisal, and remuneration and development policies and practices at all levels to ensure the optimum utilisation and development of AA Arab Region's human resources;
- Appoint, develop and manage all senior staff. Ensure a high calibre of staff is recruited while promoting a gender balance in the organisation, and that optimum investments are made in their development;
- Develop a qualified and valued AA team in Arab Region, based on equality and diversity, and provide this team with an empowering and enabling environment conducive to quality programming by fostering innovation, ongoing learning and teamwork;
- Actively promote staff exchange, secondment and development schemes, where these contribute to the meeting of AA's programme objectives and priorities.
- Ensure mutual accountability between AA and related stakeholders with the establishment of all organisational processes, systems and policy to ensure the effectiveness of AA Arab Region;
- Ensure the financial integrity and accountability of AA Arab Region in accordance with AA Financial Management framework;
- Manage the financial resources allocated to or raised by the country in compliance with approved policies/ frameworks as well as national law and donors’ regulations;
- Prepare budget and financial plan to ensure that the control of expenditure and the disbursement of resources in accordance with the established procedures;
- Provide progress and financial reports as required by the government, and as per AA's accountability procedures and as required by the donors/sponsors;
- Maintain an efficient internal control framework to ensure that AA Arab Region has a well-balanced, well documented and cost-effective programme;
- Ensure financial sustainability for Arab Region and implement cost recovery practices.
- Manage and encourage the co-operative relationships established with various specialist institutions and partners in the country and ensure that these joint initiatives conform to programme objectives and strengthen the profile of AA Arab Region;
- Lead the development and implementation of country-specific guidelines for the management of partnerships in line with the CSP and other relevant organizational policies.
- Develop AA Arab Region 's capacity to document, disseminate and learn from development work and ensure all reporting meet the highest standard;
- Act as focal person to identify and timely manage all risks/ crisis related to AAI operations in Arab Region.
3. Typical People Management Responsibility
- Approximate number of people managed in total: 30
- Matrix Manager (project/ dotted line): No
- Team Leader: Yes
- Grandfather - manager of Team leaders/ Manager: Yes
4. Global remit
- Own country: Yes
5. Role dimensions
- Organisation-wide expenditure: Approx 2 million GBP
6. Key relationships to reach solution
- Internal: Country Senior Management Team; Head of Country Support, Asia; ActionAid countries including Affiliates and Associates; GS functional Leads/Coordinators and Peer Country Directors;
- External: Partner community, CBO, NGO, networks, alliances, social movements and activists; Government offices; Peer international NGO leaders; International donors and media.
7. Person SpecificationEducation & Certifications
- University degree level qualification, preferably post-graduate qualifications in development study, political science and/or organisational management.
- A minimum of five-year experience in the top leadership position in development work and poverty alleviation programmes with proven initiative, flexibility and enthusiasm in managing complex activities in a changing environment. Experience working as Country/Executive Director for similar organisation will be given preference;
- Demonstrated senior management expertise, including proven ability to develop the capacities of multi-disciplinary professional teams of similar staff size (30 and above);
- Proven experience in managing complex financial control and Management Systems with the budget size of approximately 2 million GBP;
- Demonstrated expertise in strategic and long-term planning and the ability to ensure that operational plans and activities meet targets and appropriately reflect longer term perspectives;
- Proven track records in fundraising from diversified resources and contract management from bilateral, multilateral and other types of donors;
- Proven experience of working and negotiating with Government officials and donors at all levels.
- Sound and up to date knowledge of development concepts, methodologies and techniques including demonstrated expertise in development fields;
- Experiences working with social constituencies like youth and women and their rights;
- Excellent negotiation and communication skills, including demonstrated ability to handle sensitive diplomatic and Government level negotiations on matters affecting AA's Arab Region programmes;
- Sound awareness of the political, social, economic and historic environment in which AA's poverty alleviation programmes are operating at both national and community levels;
- Proficiency in English and a familiarity with the context of the region as it affects Development Strategies;
- Strong leadership and management skills;
- Strong analytical/ Problem Solving, and management of crisis, conflict and risk.
- In addition to the essential requirements, candidates with proven project management record, management background in humanitarian response and resilience work, experience of working with youth and women’s rights, organisational change management processes have additional advantages. | https://unchannel.org/job-detail-page.php?unjobs=country-director-actionaid-arab-region-in-amman-jordan-in-amman-jordan-in-amman-jordan-in-amman-jordan-in-amman-jordan-in-amman-jordan-in-amman-jordan |
The international Accordion Meeting entitled “Scenarios and Strategies for the Future of the Accordion” took place in Castelfidardo on September 20th, during the International Accordion Festival and Award and the celebrations for the 150* Anniversary of the Italian Accordion Industry”.
The cooperation between the members of an expert panel coordinated by Claudio Jacomucci, formed by the most renowned accordionists, professors, and young progressive musicians, gave birth to a very interesting paper entitled “Accordion Modern Perspectives”. A series of articles and interviews on various issues of the current situation of the classical accordion provides an overview of professional and artistic perspectives and highlights the strategies of emancipation of young musicians in the “real” world of music and calls into question the role of competitions, accordion festivals and organizations.
A long constructive discussion started from the highlights, the main points emerged from the paper.
The first point was about the importance of updating the catalogue of the original repertoire.
The original literature for accordion has literally exploded, hundreds of pieces by established composers (solo works, chamber music, concertos, etc..) are programmed each year in important festivals and concert seasons creating innovative and original projects. The collaboration between composers and performers is what most of all contributed to the diffusion of the classical accordion and its recognition on a professional academic scene.
However, the repertoires of many accordionists, the programs of the conservatives and academies, as well as those of the accordion competitions, do not consider the recent developments. Their programs are anachronistic and limited. This is undoubtedly due to the lack of updated documentation (very difficult to accomplish, but Lehrmet Vincent, PhD student at the Superior Conservatory in Paris, is already working on it), and it also and especially due to the inability of students and teachers to identify and select the most significant works, those compositions that properly uses the potential of the instrument.
The choice of an insignificant and virtuosic repertoire, easy-effect works with very little musical and artistic interest, contributes to isolate and alienate accordionists from the professional scene, from the “real” world of music and confines them in a small universe of closed-circuit associations and confederations, club of fanatics or amateurs who have nothing to do with art, music and culture.
This danger is then enclosed in the traditional accordion organizations who have a very old-fashioned vision of the instrument, they are disconnected from the other musical organizations and from reality, they do not support nor promote the professional career of the students.
The prizes of international awards are inconsistent: cups, trophies and cash prizes cannot help in the future of young musicians.
There is a growing number of accordionists who participate in open competitions, for all instruments, chamber music or contemporary music contests, calls for projects, applications for project funding, grants.
The accordion competitions still create an important social cohesion, but to survive, they must improve, update and renew themselves.
Much attention should be payed on the competence of juries; competitors (especially in international contests) deserve to be judged by highly qualified musicians, with extensive experience performing and teaching. In addition, the jury boards should be formed not only by accordionists but also by a minority of composers, musicians, musicologists and critics. There should be more space for the ensemble music and different styles in addition to traditional “classic” and “Varieté”. The awards should consist of concert tours (but not in accordion festivals!), CD productions, scholarships for masters, magazine reviews (not only the accordion ones!), etc.
To achieve these result it’s not enough changing the rules of a competition.
It is a very important education issue.
Now that the accordion is taught in most conservatories, academies, the pedagogical preparation of teachers is fundamental.
A greater responsibility is necessary: students must have the knowledge, the educational tools and the proper experience to be able to teach, not just knowing how to play an instrument.
It was also said that the Conservatories, because of their anachronism, do not necessarily prepare students to the existing jobs on the market.
A greater knowledge and practice of diverse musical languages from childhood is then desirable (classical, contemporary, jazz, ethnic, improvisation, etc..). There is also the urgent need to integrate innovative methodologies (such as Suzuki, Alexander Technique, etc.). and to give more space to the exchange between the “schools”, not only offering masterclass but to establish contacts for a lasting and constant exchange between schools. Geir Draugsvoll described the possibility of “Distant Learning” a system that uses advanced audio-video technology, already present in many academies (such as Copenhagen, Helsinki, Vilnius, Beijing) whose quality and purpose are very different from the popular initiatives on the web or Skype.
More than any institutional initiative, in order to create new perspectives we need to develop awareness, to elevate the cultural condition and encourage creativity.
The ability to observe our environment, the self-critical sense, the curiosity in every form of art is what stimulates us and makes us grow as artists. We can no longer rely on past models, the romantic figure of super virtuoso soloist is – even for the accordion – a phenomenon that reached its end.
We really need to look “futher”, “beyond”, being more creative, creating projects, collaborations both as performers and as creators, with other musicians, artists and new media.
a critical selection of works from the concert repertoire (and the pedagogic one) from 1990 to the present day, a project that will enhance and actualize the original literature for a instrument that has had and is having a period of the most prosperous in the history of modern musical instruments. | https://www.strumentiemusica.com/en/accordion-en/modern-accordion-perspectives-a-workshop-in-castelfidardo-italy/ |
AbstractRunning shoes are the footwear, that has been explored the most by scientists in the field of biomechanics. Following the running shoe research peak between 1980 and 1990 other products became the focus of interest. In particular, many shoe studies were performed in the field of basketball and other indoor sports. Only recently, soccer boots have received a lot of attention and were explored by various research groups. Other than in running shoes, soccer boots have additional tasks to perform. These shoes are used for kicking, they should provide sufficient traction for rapid cutting manoeuvres and assist the players in rapid acceleration and stopping movements. Especially, the often conflicting demands of injury prevention and high performance properties remain to be solved. Test methods for athletic footwear as well as research results will be presented here. This will demonstrate how important biomechanics has become in providing the necessary knowledge for the design of functional footwear.
Section
Applied Program
Authors can retain copyright, while granting the International Society of Biomechanics in Sports (ISBS) the right of first publication. | https://ojs.ub.uni-konstanz.de/cpa/article/view/1827 |
This study identified strategies that can improve the acquisition of vocational and technical skills through the utilization of ICT in Technical Colleges of Enugu State. To elicit the pertinent information for the purpose of the study, four research questions and three null hypotheses were also formulated. The research design was a descriptive type using the survey method. The instrument for collection of data was a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire was face validated by three experts. The population for the study was 202 respondents made up of academic and non academic staff in technical colleges of education in Enugu State. The data collected were analysed using mean to answer the research questions. The three null hypotheses were tested with t-test and ANOVA statistics at 0.05 level of significance. The findings from this research reveal that ICT can be utilized as a strategy for the improvement of vocational and technical skill acquisition in Technical Colleges in Enugu state of Nigeria. ICT should be used in teaching and learning with personalized instruction by tailoring learning program for each student according to the needs and interests of each individual student. ICT should be used in Situative learning by allowing an individual (students/learner) to learn by socialization, visualization, and imitation. This improves students’ effectiveness in skill acquisition, re-conceptualizes the school by providing time for teachers to work and learn the same time. ICT and action learning can improve students vocational and technical skill acquisition in universities by taking action and reflecting upon the results. Cooperative learning with ICT ensures network design skills that must be taught in order for successful co-operative learning to occur. The study recommends that the National Commission of Colleges of Education should as a matter of urgency ensure ICT is used as a strategy for improving the acquisition of vocational and technical skills acquisition in technical colleges in Enugu State. The study also concludes that there is need to develop and enhance skills acquisition in vocational and technical colleges in Enugu state using appropriate ICT strategies, in technical colleges of education in Enugu State.
CHAPTER ONE
INTRODUCTION
Background Of The Study
Information can be described as facts and figures about something. In the view of Hornby (2006), it is a fact about something. Information is a fact said or known by people to aid their language, action or sign (Ezeji 2006). With reference to this study, information is a collection of related data used by people for the purpose of helping them have a better knowledge about something. Information can be communicated to people through different means like internet, mass media and telecommunication.
Communication can be described as the process of disseminating information. According to Hornby (2006) it is the activity or process of expressing ideas and feelings of people.
In the opinion of Osuala (1997) communication is a mutual exchange of fact, thought, opinion, emotions or knowledge that requires representation and reception resulting in understanding between parties. In the context of this study, communication is the transfer of ideas from teachers to students. This transfer can be carried out by the effective use of the computer or other technological devices which enhances the acquisition of Vocational .and Tech. Skills.
UNESCO (1984) defined vocational and technical education as an educational Process which involves, in addition to general education the study of technologies and related sciences and acquisition of practical skills and knowledge relating to occupations in various sectors of the economy and social life effectively and adequately enhanced by use of modern technology..
Technology is the utilization of energy in any process designed to satisfy a need, it also involves usage of scientific knowledge in practical ways to meet human needs (Ogbuanya, 2005). With references to this study, technology is a branch of knowledge that deals with industrial art and sciences and the utilization of that knowledge in the production of materials. Information can be communicated through the use of technology and is referred to as Information Communication Technology (ICT).
According to Ibezim (2010) ICT is the combination of network, hardware and software as well as the means of communication, collaboration and engagement that enables the processing, management and exchange of data, information and knowledge. ICT according to Obetta (2008) means Information and Communication Technology and comprises a diverse set of technological tools and resources used to communication, create, disseminate, store and manage information. Bakpo (2006), explained that ICT is the application of digital equipments to all aspects of teaching and learning. ICT promotes collaborative learning which includes role playing, group work, problem solving activities, personalized learning and articulated projects (Moifino et al, 2000). ICT can be defined in this study as a collection of individual technology components, the human resources that are needed to develop, install and operate the hardware and software as well as the services associated with their uses in acquiring skills.
Skills refer to the ability individual posses that enable him/her to perform a job well. According to Osinem (2005) skill means the expertness and proficiency displayed in the performance of a task. Skill involves the acquisition of performance capability through repetitive performance of an operation and can be developed through work experience, education in the school workshop and laboratories. According to Ogwo (2006) skills exhibited by an individual shows the extent the individual acquired it. Using educational technology for drill and practice of basic skills can be highly effective according to a large body of learners (Kulik, 1994). Students usually learn of ICT in course that has computer assisted instructions (CAI). Therefore new developments in skills acquisition need to be improved in the area of vocational and technical education by applying or employing certain strategies.
According to Baker (2001) strategy is the skill of planning in advance or well planned series of action for achieving an aim. Strategy means an intelligent trick which an individual has, specifically known to him or her alone for the achievement of certain objectives.
Osuala (2002) has provided some teaching strategies such as personalized instructional learning, situative instructional learning, action learning and cooperative learning. These strategies can be employed in teaching vocational and technical courses. The vocational and technical courses offered in the technical colleges in Enugu State includes; welding and fabrication, electronics, building and construction, wood work, auto mechanics, home management and computer science education. These courses are designed to achieve the goals of technical and vocational skills in Nigeria. One of which is to give training and impart the necessary skills to individuals who will in turn become self- reliant economically, Federal Government of Nigeria (2004). National policy on Education (FGN, 2004).
Education is the acquisition of skills so as to develop one’s potentials in order to perform effectively and become functional and beneficial to oneself and the society. It is generally believed that technical education is an essential pre-requisite for the technological development of any society. The National Policy on Education (2004) spells out the broad goals of vocational and technical education as being meant to: provide trained manpower in the applied science, technology and business particularly at craft, advanced craft and technical levels; provide the technical knowledge and vocational skills necessary for agricultural, commercial and economic development; and to give training and impart the necessary skills to individual who shall be self-reliant economically. This necessitated the introduction of courses that are tailored towards achieving the set objectives. Such as welding, building technology, electrical and electronics technology, automobile technology, metal work technology as well as woodwork technology among others. These courses/programmes requires certain equipments like Cutting Machine, Planning Machine, Jointing Machine, Lathe Machine, Computer and its accessories, Tenonner Machine, Mortiser, Band Saw, Dimension Saw, Oscilloscope, Galvanometer, Digital Multipurpose Meter, Frequency Indicating Device, Pylon Lifter, Synchronoscope etc. Granted that the functions being performed with these basic equipments cannot be replaced with ICT as at the moment, ICT can be adopted in writing software programmes indicating how the use of such machines can be simplified. This is necessary given the fact that the use of robotic machines has not gained popularity in Nigeria. | https://schoolprojecttopics.com.ng/strategies-improving-acquisition/ |
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In this chapter, we discuss two measures designed to assess executive function (EF) as part of the NIH Toolbox Cognition Battery (CB) and report pediatric data from the validation study. EF refers to the goal-directed cognitive control of thought, action, and emotion. Two measures were adapted for standardized computer administration: the Dimensional Change Card Sort (a measure of cognitive flexibility) and a flanker task (a measure of inhibitory control in the context of selective visual attention). Results reveal excellent developmental sensitivity across childhood, excellent reliability, and (in most cases) excellent convergent validity. Correlations between the new NIH Toolbox measures and age were higher for younger children (3-6 years) than for older children (8-15 years), and evidence of increasing differentiation of EF from other aspects of cognition (indexed by receptive vocabulary) was obtained. | https://experts.umn.edu/en/publications/nih-toolbox-cognition-battery-cb-measuring-executive-function-and |
Childhood grief is one of society's most chronically painful yet most underestimated phenomena. When a child experiences the death of a parent the emotional stress can be devastating. Students are often promoted from grade to grade and the new teachers are sometimes not informed that they are grieving.
Children grieve differently than adults; therefore, adults are unaware of actions that a child may consider insensitive. An example of this would be a school wanting to memorialize the death of a student’s parent in order to show honor, but the child may be horrified that they are the center of attention and different from everyone else!
The younger a child was at the time of the loss the more likely they were to develop mental health problems including anxiety, mood or substance abuse issues. Positive family relationships and good parenting practices may act as a positive factor against psychopathology following the loss of a parent.
Some children become more resilient, responsible, and independent from the loss they’ve experienced. In my professional work as a clinician, clients have shared with me the difficulties of dealing with the added responsibilities they now have in running a household, such as cooking and cleaning for shabbos; unlike their peers who have those needs taken care of.
One story stands out in my mind is about the struggles of a girl who was in the 5th grade. Her teacher organized a grab bag and the assignment was to bring in a prepared mishloach manot and trade it with the other classmates. She was mortified to being hers in because she had no mother to prepare it for her and she knew hers would be nebby. While everyone's basket was full of nash in elaborate baskets, her nash fit into a little sandwich baggie. When the day arrived to trade, she wished the earth would swallow her up alive in order to bury her embarrassment. The emotion of shame and embarrassment is often felt in children dealing with this type of loss.
OHEL Childrens Home and Family Services conducted a one day training for mental health professionals on this topic with Dr. Norman Blumenthal, Director of Trauma, Bereavement and Crisis Intervention and Dr Zev Brown, a psychologist who specializes in early parental loss. Dr. Brown runs a successful support group in a Yeshiva for high school boys who lost a parent. At the end of the training, Dr. Brown arranged for a student who lost his father and a Rabbi who lost both his parents at a young age, to share their story and describe how comforting the support group is for them.
Links is an organization that publishes a magazine a few times a year. Children and adults have an opportunity to write about their loss and share it with others. They also have a phone support group and a shabbaton. These types of interventions can be very effective in helping children deal with their loss by allowing them to feel comfortable opening up with others who are going through similar issues.
How should others be advised to act?
Many believe that children cannot understand death and lack the capacity to grieve. Because of this misconception, coupled with confusion and anxiety in communicating with children about death, children are often told that the dead parent has simply “gone away.” Shielding children from death deprives them of the ability to grieve and ultimately heal.
Furthermore, children re-experience their grief as they reach each milestone in their development. The deceased parent is a “missing piece” that the child needs to reconstruct in order to provide himself with a “history of his past that he could then build on, alter and modify with changing developmental concerns….During each succeeding developmental stage, he may need to step back and…reconstitute the missing piece” (Garber, 1988, p. 272).
A child of five to approximately nine years of age believes that death can be avoided. Furthermore, a child in this age group also believes that his or her parent died because either the parent was bad or the child was bad, and that if the child is good, the parent can return. This is then seen as one of the most vulnerable and difficult developmental stage for adjusting to a parent’s death. The child at this stage needs someone who can clarify what the child is thinking and feeling, can reframe events to make them more understandable, can reassure and build self-esteem by praising the child’s accomplishments and by emphasizing the child’s importance.
Research has found that children over the age of nine generally have a realistic understanding of the inevitability and finality of death. However, although children over nine years of age understand death’s finality, their reactions to a parent’s death is determined by their cognitive and emotional level of development and other factors such as gender and the relationship with the surviving parent. (Worden, 1996, pp. 9-10, citing Bowlby (1963, 1980) and R. Furman (1964).
Adjustment is an ongoing process throughout life’s transitions. The child’s grief will be experienced, and the loss of the parent acutely felt, at times of life transitions such as birthdays, graduation, leaving home, marrying and having a child of one’s own. Therefore, it is important that parents, caregivers and therapists not minimize the reoccurrence of grief, but to support the child or adult through this new stage of adjusting to life without the parent.
Grief is not a “one size fits all” proposition. Many factors affect a child’s grief process and adjustment to life without the deceased parent. An understanding of these factors and of the child’s emotional and cognitive development is crucial for a therapist or caregiver to support the child’s completion of the tasks of mourning and enable him or her to internalize the “missing piece” through grieving and healing.
Sarah Kahan, LCSW Supervisor of OHEL Access at OHEL Children’s Home and Family Services. By calling 1(800)603-OHEL, emailing [email protected] or visiting www.ohelfamily.org, you can access the breadth of available services. | http://www.ohelfamily.org/?q=node/4114 |
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued an interim final rule creating a new electronic registration system for unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and requiring, for the first time, the registration of model aircraft operators. This comment highlights an omission in the agency’s alternative scenario analysis, questions some of the purported benefits of the rule, and points out some of the continuing legal shortcomings associated with the FAA’s approach. While we support the advent of a simple and streamlined registration system, we object to the extension of the registration requirement to model aircraft operators.
The Technology Policy Program of the Mercatus Center at George Mason University is dedicated to advancing knowledge of the impact of regulation on society. It conducts careful and independent analyses employing contemporary economic scholarship to assess rulemaking proposals from the perspective of the public interest. As such, this comment on the FAA’s interim final registration and marking requirements for small unmanned aircraft does not represent the views of any particular affected party or special interest group but is designed to assist the administration as it carries out Congress’s mandate to safely, efficiently, and legally integrate UASs into the National Airspace System.
Problems with the Regulatory Evaluation
1. The agency fails to consider all regulatory alternatives.
The FAA’s regulatory evaluation of its interim final rule (IFR) is inadequate in many crucial respects. First and most importantly, it does not fulfill the agency’s obligation, under Executive Order 12866, to “assess all costs and benefits of available regulatory alternatives, including the alternative of not regulating.” In particular, the agency ignores the alternative of proceeding with its new electronic registration scheme for drones, but continuing to exempt model aircraft operators from the registration requirement.
This omission is conspicuous. The agency evaluates the benefits and costs of its IFR, of the status quo paper-based registration system, and of an alternative that is paper-based but also imposes a new registration burden on model aircraft operators. There are two parameters that the FAA appears to be considering at the same time: 1) whether to create a new, electronic registration scheme for UAS, and 2) whether to require model aircraft operators to register. These two parameters can be visualized in a 2x2 matrix (table 1), producing four possible alternatives, of which the FAA evaluates three. Yet it is the fourth alternative—in which a new electronic registration scheme is developed, yet without any new burdens on model aircraft operators—that by the FAA’s own estimates has the lowest quantifiable costs. | https://www.mercatus.org/publications/technology-and-innovation/registration-and-marking-requirements-small-unmanned-aircraft |
Blog » "WORST OF THE WORST"
A recent decision to publish 32 mugshots by the “Chattanooga Times Free Press” in Tennessee has given rise to a familiar controversy over the propriety of publishing mugshots. According to the newspaper, the publication of the mugshots in a front-page article published on November 17, 2013 has sparked outrage among many of its readers. The current controversy also involves a racial component in the larger debate concerning the publication of mugshots. Critics of the newspaper have accused the article of being “irresponsible” and “racist” because all 32 individuals arrested are African-American.
The arrests were the result of a four year investigation by the Chattanooga Police, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, D.E.A., and F.B.I. targeting key figures in Chattanooga’s crack cocaine market. The newspaper ran a story about the arrests in an earlier article published on November 5, 2013, but only the names of the suspects were published in that article. Notably, not a single reader responded or commented on the article. It was not until the newspaper published the mugshots and people were able to view the suspects for themselves that the public began discussing the arrests.
The publication of mugshots helps hold authorities accountable for their decisions and actions. Ironically, the publication of the 32 mugshots that is being criticized by some observers is what alerted the general public to the racial make-up of those arrested in the first place. The community is now publically debating the various issues surrounding the arrests and the larger societal issues at work thanks in large part to the newspaper’s decision to publish those 32 mugshots.
Whether the “Chattanooga Times Free Press” published the suspects’ mugshots or not, the fact remains that all 32 men arrested in the multi-agency investigation are African-American. There may very well be a perfectly benign explanation as to why every single person targeted by the sweeping investigation is African-American. Thanks to the publication of the arrestees’ mugshots, the public is now demanding answers from the agencies involved.
Publishing mugshots has a way of holding government officials accountable for their decisions and actions through transparency that the publication of the names of those arrested alone simply cannot match. As is the case with the current controversy, the publication of mugshots provides the public with the ability to observe the emergence of certain patterns for which the public will demand answers from the responsible government officials.
In addition to holding government accountable, the publication of mugshots also serves other important public interests. For example, publishing mugshots aids law enforcement when they enlist the public’s help in identifying and capturing wanted suspects; informs the public about individuals arrested within the community; and helps avoid confusion and misidentification about identity of arrestees.
Publication of mugshots empowers members of the public to help identify suspected perpetrators and thereby assist law enforcement authorities in keeping communities safe. The case of Patrick Buttram is a compelling real life example of a person using publically available mugshots to identify a suspect and to help get a dangerous criminal off the streets. On March 10, 2013, Buttram was robbed at gunpoint by two men at the front door of his own home. One of the suspects shot him in the leg before fleeing with Buttram's cash, mobile phone, and jewelry. After his harrowing ordeal, he searched the Internet and recognized the mugshot of one of his attackers. He furnished the information to police who arrested the suspect.
Publishing mugshots of individuals who have been arrested also serves to inform the public about the people who are living in our communities. Dissemination of this information helps in alerting the public about misguided, unscrupulous, and dangerous individuals within our midst. The publication of mugshots is a far more effective means of alerting the general public than just through the publication of the names of those individuals arrested.
Finally, when only the name of an arrestee is released to the public, the potential for confusion and misidentification of the person actually under arrest can be great, especially when individuals with relatively common names are involved. For instance, when a person with a name such as ‘John Smith’ is arrested and only the person’s name is released to the public, a large number of people with the same name who have not been arrested instantly come under suspicion by the people in their life. This confusion and unwarranted suspicion of those whose only offense is that they share the same name as someone who has been arrested can be easily avoided by simply releasing the mugshot of those individuals who have been arrested.
The public interests served by public release of mugshots are served best by having as many people as possible viewing mugshots. When mugshots are only available through law enforcement websites or other official means, the public interests intended to be served by allowing public access to mugshots are effectively nullified. In contrast, when mugshots are capable of being viewed by the greatest possible number of people, the goals justifying public access are realized. Accordingly, the publication of mugshots by private publishers is in the public’s best interests.
timesfreepress.com – Gerber: Were mugshots the worst decision? | https://mugshots.com/Blog/WORST-OF-THE-WORST.69787110.html |
Focus, take a deep breath … now chop!
The sizzling sounds of beef as it fried in hot oil, the gentle popping of sugar as it caramelized bananas on the stove and the rhythmic chopping as knives sliced through veggies filled the hallways of MacKay Hall Monday night as Iowa State faculty and students participated in this year’s second Culinary Bootcamp.
The camp, which was organized and co-sponsored by ISU Dining, the Culinary Science Club, the Food Science and Human Nutrition Department and the Iowa Beef Council, was a two-day event where participants not only had the chance to learn about intuitive eating, meal prepping and budgeting, but also had the chance to cook with ISU Dining chefs and refine their culinary skills.
Participants, divided into small groups of around five people, were stationed at fully-equipped cooking areas located in the food labs in MacKay Hall.
Organized chaos ensued as the groups delegated tasks to each member and immediately got to work chopping, sautéing and caramelizing different ingredients required for the night’s two featured dishes — “broccoli beef with jasmine rice” and “caramelized bananas.”
ISU Dining chefs worked one-on-one with the groups to teach various cooking skills relevant to the dishes and answer any questions that the participants had while completing their dishes.
Although they were all preparing the same dishes, each group’s overall experience of the night varied slightly depending on which chef they worked with.
Executive Chef of ISU Dining Scott Bruhn told personal stories to his groups, including the admittance of his own struggle with mastering the art of cooking rice, and gave his own recommendations on what utensils to buy to be successful in the kitchen.
“It’s good to invest in certain things; it’s great to spend some extra money and buy some nice knives,” Bruhn said.
He added that an 8- to 10-inch chef’s knife, a sharpening steel, a pairing knife and a serrated knife to cut bread are the only knife utensils that are absolutely necessary to one’s collection, and that a good set of pots and pans, which don’t necessarily have to be expensive, and a rice cooker are also great pieces of equipment to have.
Chef de Cuisine at ISU Dining Jeremy Bowker urged his groups to follow their recipes, but to not be afraid to make them their own.
For example, the caramelized banana recipe that the groups used instructed them to place the bananas in the pan cut-side up, but Bowker said he would do it opposite, with the cut side down. “You can do it either way, but for presentation purposes for me, [I would put the flat side down] to get that nice, even caramelization throughout,” he said.
The chefs also made sure safety precautions were being followed, such as washing hands prior to cooking, placing a wet paper towel under the cutting boards to avoid slippage, handling the knife correctly and tipping the pans to avoid being splattered with hot oil.
Instructions such as, “Don’t burn the sugar!” and “Incorporate the broccoli stems as well,” could be heard from around the room as the chefs explained the steps of the recipes and taught participants various skills, such as how to correctly slice the beef against the grain. They also gave personalized cooking tips based on the level of of experience of the individual groups’ members.
While some participants had extensive backgrounds in cooking, such as Kayla Hendrix, senior in hospitality management who worked as the head chef at a camp in California and participated with the Tea Room last semester, others had very little or somewhere in between.
David Andrews, Iowa State staff member, attended the camp after his family urged him to learn how to cook.
“I put the recipes in my back pocket already,” he said. “Usually when I need something to eat I open a can or open a box; cooking from scratch is not my specialty,” he added with a laugh.
Cheryl Robinette, groundskeeper at Iowa State, had cooking experience but wanted to refine certain skills.
“I’ve been cooking for a long time, but I stay away from knives … so now I won’t be afraid to use some of those big knives,” she said.
The slightly spicy aroma of the soy-sauce marinated beef as it fried in the pans filled the air as the groups cooked, eventually mixing with the sweet smell of bananas caramelizing in sugar on the stove; surely tempting any passersby in the hallway.
With so many preparations being done at once, Bower stressed the importance of cleanliness to avoid contamination.
“It’s really important to clean as you go,” he said.
After the dishes were prepared, the participants and chefs sat together and chatted while eating their meals.
“Do you feel more confident in your cooking now?” Bruhn asked the group, which responded with a sea of nods and affirmative responses.
If student interest stays high, the coordinating team hopes to continue to offer the boot camp every semester. | https://iowastatedaily.com/60618/app-content/isu-chefs-guide-community-through-culinary-boot-camp/ |
Our Fully Foraged Dinner at Nostra will be a 10+ small-serving dinner experience utilizing 100% wild ingredients of Iceland, paired with natural wines.
Chefs Carl K Frederiksen of Nostra and Kjartan Óli Guðmundsson of Borðhald have been collaborating throughout this rainy, summer season to discover and design creative ingredients and menu ideas for this wild food dining event.
The fun thing about an event like this, is that the menu will not be finalized until moments leading up to the plating! Similarly, our wine pairing will be on the fly, from a hand-picked selection of natural wines that we think will work will with some of the ingredients the chefs will be playing with.
We are offering a vegetarian and pescatarian option for this event, but no vegan options at this time. | https://www.wildcaughtfound.com/event-details/fully-foraged-with-bordhald |
The discrepancy of bone resections between the medial and the lateral compartment is very common in total knee replacement (TKA) when mechanical alignment (MA) is used. The purpose of this study was to explore whether or how the joint line orientation affects the gross amount of bone resection in mechanically aligned TKA.
Methods
A total of 112 patients (137 knees) diagnosed with osteoarthritis (OA) were included. Simulated bone cuttings were conducted on the coronal view using full-length weight bearing radiographs according to the technical requirement of MA, and the feasibility of simulated osteotomy was verified by intraoperative calipered measurement. Correlation and regression analyses were conducted between the amounts of bone resection and various parameters, including hip-knee-ankle (HKA) angle, mechanical lateral distal femoral angle (mLDFA), joint line congruency angle (JLCA), and medial proximal tibial angle (MPTA). Moreover, any intraoperative bone resection adjustments if existed, were retrospectively collected using medical records query system.
Results
All knees in current case series can be artificially divided into 4 subgroups: 84 varus knees (61.3%) with valgus femur in subgroup 1, 32 varus knees (23.4%) with varus femur in subgroup 2. 14 valgus knees (10.2%) with varus tibia in subgroup 3, 7 valgus knees (5.1%) with valgus tibia in subgroup 4. The amount of simulated bone resection had high consistency with the intraoperative measurement. MPTA and mLDFA had a positive correlation with the bone resection amount in subgroup 1. The regression equation was Bone resection (mm) = 0.556*mLDFA (deg.) + 0.098*MPTA (deg.) -39.74, R2 = 0.808. Similarly, the intraoperative bone cutting adjustments also showed a certain relationship with mLDFA in subgroup 1.
Conclusions
Deformities of knee OA can be divided into 4 subgroups based on the alignment of extremities and the joint line orientations. When a TKA is performed in varus knee with valgus femur using conventional instrument and mechanical alignment technique, the amount of bone resection on coronal plane is linearly related to the patient’s mLDFA. | https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-38300/v1 |
30 May 2018 | Rome – Representatives from the Global Compact Network Italy and the PRME signatories in Italy, gathered at LUISS Business School, LUISS University at a very interactive workshop which resulted in the launch the PRME Chapter Italy.
Opening remarks by Prof. Mathias Falkenstein, LUISS Business School were followed by presentations by Florencia Librizzi, PRME Senior Manager, UN Global Compact and the Global Compact Network Italy representative Marco Frey, making the case for collaboration and partnership to support the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Following, PRME signatories shared good practices and discussed how to collaborate and engage through the Chapter. The meeting also counted with the presence of Prof. Wilfred Mijnhardt, member of the PRME Chapter France & Benelux and the Chairs of the PRME Working Group on Business and Human Rights Caroline Kaeb and David Scheffer, who shared their helpful experiences engaging in the PRME community through Chapters and Working Groups.
The PRME Chapter Italy will focus upon furthering sustainability and responsible management education within the Italian educational sector through collaborative initiatives and sharing best practices. Collaboration in the Chapter will allow the participating business schools and management-related higher education institutions to jointly respond to the country challenges regarding sustainable development. By engaging with broader stakeholders, such as associations, government and media, assessing their own sustainability and responsible management education efforts and by sharing and developing common resources for teaching, research and outreach, the schools will be better able to drive change and create social impact.
Ultimately, the Chapter seeks to grow its impact by developing the responsible management education in Italy and by enlarging the PRME network through new signatory schools. Therefore, the chapter plans to reach out to the Italian business and management schools to join the initiative!
Marco Frey, Chairman of the Global Compact Network Italy said “as Italian focal point of the UN Global Compact we are glad to support the launch of the PRME Chapter Italy and to concretely collaborate to close the gap between academia and business”.
He also added “this represents an important momentum to strengthen the central role of Italian universities and business schools in creating the economic leaders of tomorrow, with the proper skills, values and mindset to enact a sustainable economic model, able to integrate the UN Global Compact principles and the PRME in the strategic framework of the Agenda 2030”.
Florencia Librizzi, Senior Manager PRME, UN Global Compact said “it is encouraging to see the establishment of the PRME Chapter Italy which will foster further collaboration and collective action supporting responsible management education and helping advance the SDGs in the Italian context.”
She also added “I’d like to thank the Global Compact Network Italy for their support, LUISS Business School for hosting this event and the PRME signatories for their commitment.”
The PRME Chapter Italy is planning to meeting again this coming December at Bologna Business School, Università di Bologna.
The Chapter, launched with the presence of the institutions listed below, welcomes higher education institutions in the country to join PRME and the Chapter.
Participating schools and universities:
- ALTIS Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
- Ca' Foscari University
- LUISS Business School, LUISS University
- Politecnico di Milano, MIP
- Scuola Superiore S. Anna
- SDA Bocconi School of Management
- Università di Bologna
For more information about the PRME Chapter Italy, please contact Mathias Falkenstein, PRME Chapter Italy Chair at [email protected]
For overall PRME Chapter inquiries, please contact Florencia Librizzi, Senior Manager PRME at [email protected]
Sending News Items to PRME
Participating academic institutions are welcome to send relevant news (to be published worldwide) to: | https://www.unprme.org/news/index.php?newsid=495 |
Gairloch Developments is excited to introduce 1408 - 1420 Bayview Ave. to the Leaside & Davisville Village neighbourhoods. The proposed development is an 8-storey condo featuring approximately 60 units and 1st floor retail fronting Bayview.
Gairloch hopes to develop a building that caters to both renters and owners, as it feels that this will best respond to the needs of the neighbourhood. Initial plans provide for a range of unit sizes, from one bedroom to three bedrooms, which should work to enhance the range of existing housing options in the neighbourhood.
The properties are currently home to residential uses in duplex and triplex dwelling structures. The new development will provide a wide range of ownership options while offering neighbourhood residents an opportunity to age in place or begin a family in a family-friendly neighbourhood.
CORE PRINCIPLES
Share information related to the proposed development application with interested persons/parties
Consult with interested persons/parties, using various methods of engagement
Seek input and obtain feedback from interested persons/parties
Communicate to interested persons/parties efforts that have been made to take feedback into consideration for later iterations of the proposal
Please feel free to contact us to share feedback here:
APPLICATION STATUS
Application submitted late February, 2019.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What are you planning for the site?
Gairloch will be proposing a mid-rise building characterized by a conscientious approach to the public realm. The building will feature ~60 units.
What types of housing are included in this proposal?
Our proposal is offering condominiums in a neighbourhood where there is opportunity for a more diverse range of housing types. Our goal is to create an opportunity for more people to call this neighbourhood home.
How will this proposal integrate with the existing character of Bayview?
Gairloch’s commitment to design excellence will allow this proposal to improve the public realm of the current site while respecting the existing character of the neighbourhood. It is the intention of the proposal to integrate into the neighbourhood while also providing a more diverse and low maintenance living option for its community members.
What is the timing for the project?
An application for redevelopment was filed with the City of Toronto in February, 2019, and the formal review process was commenced.
The applicant will continue working with city planning staff and community stakeholders over the coming months to refine the application based on feedback and community input.
A community consultation meeting is expected to be scheduled in late spring and will be hosted by city planning staff. Notices will be sent out to community residents to attend. Please feel free to provide feedback directly to us in advance of that meeting.
How can I participate in the process?
We are interested in engaging with the community throughout this process. This website is one of the ways that we plan on doing that, and we encourage you to share your comments with us through the form found on the Contact page. In addition, the City’s development application process is designed to encourage the public’s participation in the process. All of the public meetings held throughout the approvals process will be listed on this website.
information updates
This page will be updated with further information as the project progresses through the application process, including: | http://www.gairloch.ca/1408bayview |
RADerdeyn had the most liked content!
Ally, thanks for the link. The ladies have some good advice, including a few sites mentioned for editors that I haven't explored before. I'm always looking to improve the edits I get.
I think there is a very real limitation in the quoted author's conclusion, "So, it might be best to stick to writing in a way that most people will read, understand, and enjoy." If your goal is to simply be a popular writer (and there is nothing wrong with that), then the advice is good. Write what people like, and don't make it too challenging. Use easily digestible words and sentences. However, if your goal is to go beyond entertainment and put some real depth and content in your writing, it may well be necessary to challenge the reader with more complex sentences and vocabulary. There are often good reason for some of the more obscure and complex words in our language. Sometimes, specific words convey a very precise meaning. Reading Harry Potter, or Alex Cross novels are great examples of the first type of writing. Both are well written, and fun to read, but I wouldn't go to either of them to to immerse myself in the more complex issues of human existence. Reading Dostoevsky or Hemingway or C.S. Lewis, I expect to work at it a bit, but I typically find the experience encourages me to think about life at a whole different level. As a side note, I still find unfamiliar but very worthwhile words almost every time I read Lewis. Now, if you can do both, write in a simple, popular style, and still clearly convey some of the deeper meanings of life, you are truly blessed with a gift.
SE, That is a lovely and inviting image for your website.
Praying for you son and his fiance, as well as all those caught in that terrible fire.
Mana, As a suggestion, you might want to spend some time in the Critique and Feedback forum. Comment on some other folks works, and when you get to the magic number (10 posts, I think) you can put one of your own pieces out there. Based on who comments and how, you may find someone who fits with your idea of a good critique partner. I was lucky enough to find one that way on this site, and it has done my work in process a world of good. Good luck and blessings on your work.
Congratulations, Carolina, nice looking punctuation, etc. site. Now maybe I can find the true meaning of, "The crux of the biscuit is the apostrophe". And if anyone recognizes that phrase, you may be older than you think.
My current work is targeted at the general market. I would categorize it as a lightly allegorical fantasy, but the created order in the stories fits firmly into a Christian world-view. After the series is done, I do intend to write more specifically for the Christian market, along the lines of reason in support of faith, - think The Abolition of Man or Mere Christianity. I can't help it. My degree is in philosophy.
Laurel, I agree with Claire wholeheartedly. It is a big mistake to try and front load a fantasy with the details of the fantasy world. That can quickly overload the reader. It is far more interesting, and it can really draw the reader in to start with something interesting ( a geographic feature, an interesting character, or even a specific fantasy creature) and then slowly (or quickly, depending on your desired story pacing) build the world as your characters move through it.
Yakira, I suggest you create a map. Look at the "World Map" topic in this club and you will see an example of the map I created to go with my fantasy series. I actually write sometimes with the map in front of me as it gives me ideas of what might happen. If you look at the map I created, you will notice that the center of it is more detailed than the outer "countries" That is because my stories started in the inner kingdom so I had to figure out the details of that area. As I write the newer stories I am filling out the map in those areas. Interestingly enough, I hit a block on my current story (the third in the series) and i finally realized the map was wrong. I went in and changed some details (where a mountain was, where a river ran, etc.) and it opened up the story because now I understood where the characters were going. I think it was somewhere in C.S. Lewis's writings that he said, something like if you are going to write fantasy, you better have a map so you know where the characters are going. It has certainly helped me visualize parts of my stories.
We're Having A Celebration! Come See!
SW, I sincerely hope your increased presence in the last week or so means you are recovering as we have prayed for. I, as many others, have missed your wit and wisdom. Be well.
Interesting topic. Sometimes, when I'm lucky, a name just pops into my head when I need one. But then, a few days ago, I was writing merrily along when a new character walked into the story, so I needed a name. I struggled to come up with a name for probably 30 minutes, looking up ideas etc. It really slowed my momentum. So, my new process: when I get to a new character, if the name doesn't come quickly, I just call them "name", highlight it in red and come back to it later. Of course this could go badly if I have two or more new characters show up in a short space of time. I actually often use paulchernoch's trick of adapting a word that describes the character. For important characters I sometimes go to ancient languages and look for descriptive words that can be adapted.
I was afraid for a moment when I read this that I had strayed into Authors Anonymous. Welcome, you couldn't have found a better, more helpful and supportive group of people. Look around and enjoy.
Congratulations Phy, you are in a good place. Now for some real work. As Katherine mentioned above, now is the time to start looking for an editor. The good ones will likely have a backlog of work, so you will still have time to do some final polishing if you feel the need, before turning it over to the editor. The editing process can take a lot of time too - editor recommends, you evaluate, you make whatever corrections, etc. As for the cover, what image comes into your head when you think about your story. I had a general idea what I wanted for my first story, and even did a (pretty lame) mock up of it, I looked at a lot of cover artist's galleries to find one that had the look and feel I wanted. When I sent her the mock-up and described what I was thinking, she did her magic and came back with a great cover. Exciting times for you. Blessings on your work. | https://christianwriters.com/profile/3925-raderdeyn/ |
Pride is a constant presence in the characters' attitudes and treatment of each other, coloring their judgments and leading them to make rash mistakes. Pride blinds Elizabeth and Darcy to their true feelings about each other. Darcy's pride about his social rank makes him look down on anyone not in his immediate circle. Elizabeth, on the other hand, takes so much pride in her ability to judge others that she refuses to revise her opinion even in the face of clearly contradictory evidence. This is why she despises the good-hearted Darcy for so long, but initially admires the lying Wickham. Yet while Pride and Prejudice implies that no one is ever completely free of pride, it makes it clear that with the proper moral upbringing one may overcome it to lead a life of decency and kindness. In the end, the two lovers are able to overcome their pride by helping each other see their respective blind spots. Darcy sheds his snobbery, while Elizabeth learns not to place too much weight on her own judgments.
Prejudice in Pride and Prejudice refers to the tendency of the characters to judge one another based on preconceptions, rather than on who they really are and what they actually do. As the book's title implies, prejudice goes hand in hand with pride, often leading its heroine and hero into making wrong assumptions about motives and behavior. Austen's gentle way of mocking Elizabeth's and Darcy's biases gives the impression that such mistakes could, and indeed do, happen to anyone; that faulting someone else for prejudice is easy while recognizing it in yourself is hard. Prejudice in the novel is presented as a stage in a person's moral development, something that can be overcome through reason and compassion. Austen only condemns those people who refuse to set aside their prejudices, like the class-obsessed Lady Catherine and the scheming social climber Caroline. Though Pride and Prejudice is a social comedy, it offers a powerful illustration of the damaging effects to people and to society that prejudice can inflict.
The family is the predominant unit of social life in Pride and Prejudice and forms the emotional center of the novel. Not only does it provide (or fail to provide, as in the case of Lydia) the Bennet daughters with their education and manners, but the social ranking of the family determines how successful they may reasonably expect to be in later life. Austen skillfully reveals how individual character is molded within the family by presenting Jane and Elizabeth as mature, intelligent adults, and Lydia as a hapless fool. The friction between Elizabeth and her mother on the one hand and the sympathy she shares with Mr. Bennet on the other illustrate the emotional spectrum that colors the family's overall character. The influence of Elizabeth's aunt and uncle shows how the family works in an extended sense, with the Gardiners acting as substitute parents, providing much needed emotional support at key moments of stress.
Pride and Prejudice is a love story, but its author is also concerned with pointing out the inequality that governs the relationships between men and women and how it affects women's choices and options regarding marriage. Austen portrays a world in which choices for individuals are very limited, based almost exclusively on a family's social rank and connections. To be born a woman into such a world means having even less choice about whom to marry or how to determine the shape of one's life. The way that society controls and weakens women helps to explain in part Mrs. Bennet's hysteria about marrying off her daughters, and why such marriages must always involve practical, financial considerations. As members of the upper class, the Bennet sisters are not expected to work or make a career for themselves. Yet as women they are not allowed to inherit anything. As a result, marriage is basically their only option for attaining wealth and social standing. Yet Austen is also critical of women who marry solely for security, like Charlotte. The ideal for her is represented by Elizabeth, who refuses to trade her independence for financial comfort and in the end marries for love.
Class is the target of much of the novel's criticism of society in general. Austen makes it clear that people like Lady Catherine, who are overly invested in their social position, are guilty of mistreating other people. Other characters, like the suck-up Mr. Collins and the scheming Caroline, are depicted as thoroughly empty, their opinions and motivations completely defined by the dictates of the class system. To contrast them, Austen offers more positive examples in Bingley and the Gardiners. Bingley is someone from the upper class who wears his position lightly and gallantly. The Gardiners represent the honest, generous, and industrious middle class and are examples of how to be wealthy without being pretentious.
Austen does seem to respect the class system in a few ways, especially when it operates not as a dividing power in society, but as a force for virtue and decency. Darcy is the primary example of Austen's ideal high-class gentleman. Though originally he seems to be an arrogant and selfish snob, as the novel progresses it becomes clear that he is capable of change. Eventually, thanks to Elizabeth's influence and criticism, he combines his natural generosity with the integrity that he considers a crucial attribute of all upper-class people. He befriends the Gardiners and plays a key role in helping the ungrateful Lydia out of her crisis. The marriage of Darcy and Elizabeth shows that class restrictions, while rigid, do not determine one's character, and that love can overcome all obstacles, including class. | http://www.litcharts.com/lit/pride-and-prejudice/themes |
Find out as much as you can about Alberta, using the assigned mapping technique.
In this challenge, students learn about Alberta's diverse natural features and the value of maps by using selected techniques to extract information from various maps. If students are already familiar with basic mapping techniques, e.g., colour, shading, scale, symbols, legend, compass rose, you may proceed more quickly with independent work on formal maps. Otherwise, begin with whole class interpretation of very simple, fictional maps and proceed gradually as students' fluency with maps increases.
Activity 1
Ask students, in groups and then as a class, to brainstorm everything they know about maps; e.g., purpose, kinds, what is included, how to use a map. Display a simple map you found or prepared that illustrates several basic mapping techniques. After going over the map, play a mystery clues game by asking students questions that require them to interpret each of the techniques found on the map. For example:
You may want to give students their own copy of the map to use during this game.
Activity 2
To assess student understanding, have students work in groups to create a fictional island. Ask students to use at least three map making techniques to draw features on an outline map of the fictional island and then explain the information communicated through the techniques they selected. Consider adapting the chart and strategies for Reading Maps (Support Material) to structure and assess this activity.
Activity 3
Display a large wall map, such as a simple political map of Alberta, with towns and cities. As a class, look for techniques used to communicate information, including colour, shading, compass rose, scale and symbols. Review the purpose of each technique and how these help the map maker tell the story of the land. Illustrate techniques, e.g., colour, compass rose, with examples from the map, such as blue represents water, N represents North. Play a clues game, as in Part 1, using the techniques on this map.
Activity 4
Organize students into groups of three. Provide each group with three different maps of Alberta, e.g., road map, relief map, climate map that shows rainfall or snowfall, geological map that shows types of rocks, vegetation map, that use a variety of mapping techniques. Maps may be found in student atlases or online (see References).
Choose a particular technique, such as colour, and ask students to:
Share each group's information with the rest of the class, encouraging students to locate more information using the featured mapping technique. Repeat this procedure with the other techniques introduced, such as the use of symbols in a legend.
Activity 5
Assign each group a specific mapping technique and ask students to learn as much as they can from their map, using only the assigned technique. Ask each group to indicate what it learns about Alberta and what clues or symbols suggest this information; e.g., Edmonton is bigger than Red Deer because the dot is larger. Finally, have each group summarize, for the rest of the class, the most interesting pieces of information it learned about Alberta, using its technique. Consider adapting the chart and strategies for Supporting Conclusions (Support Material) to structure and assess this activity, particularly the chart that focuses on direct observation, conclusion and evidence.
If a large outline map of Alberta has been prepared, ask students to select useful or interesting information from their research and create two- or three-dimensional symbols that represent this information, using learned mapping techniques. Help students paste these symbols in the appropriate places on the map. | https://www.learnalberta.ca/content/ssoc4/html/storywithinthemap_cc.html |
Oven Baked Salmon With Peruvian Spices
You’ll love this Oven Baked Salmon with Peruvian Spices recipe, it’s filled with big flavors from a simple spice rub inspired by Bobby Flay’s book, “Bobby Flay Fit.” These filets are always juicy and tender because I use a little known, Pro Chef’s trick: Salt Brining.
The right spices can elevate an ordinary dish to the extraordinary. By looking to other cultures, we can find new and exciting combinations of seasoning to add unexpected flavor to old favorites. That’s exactly what I found when I tried this Peruvian spice blend from “Bobby Flay Fit” by Bobby Flay. While I’ve never been to Peru this Peruvian salmon recipe transports me!
What Flavors are Commonly Found in Peruvian Cooking? Herbs and Spices commonly found in the Peruvian pantry include, Fennel, Paprika, Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg, Parsley, Cloves Black Mint (huacatay) and Turmeric amongst others. These help create recipes that are spicy, smokey and savory.
The salmon tastes the best served piping hot, right out of the oven. It will last in the refrigerator for 2 to 3 days, but it will dry out a bit. It’s best served the next day over a simple green salad.
Oven Baked Salmon With Peruvian Spices
Recipe details
Ingredients
For the Peruvian Spice Blend
- 1/4 C Paprika
- 1 1/2 T Cumin
- 1 1/2 T Mustard Powder
- 1 tbsp Sea salt
- 1 T Fennel Seed or ground
For the Baked Salmon
- 4 C Warm Water
- 1/2 C Kosher Sea Salt
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 1 lb Salmon sliced into 6 filets
- 1 tbsp Butter optional
Instructions
- 🥣Make the Salt Brine: Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. In an electric kettle heat four cups of water to about 110 degrees. In a large bowl combine water and salt. Stir until the salt is desolved. Place the salmon in the bowl for 15 minutes.
- 🌶 Make the Spice Blend: While the salmon is marinating combine all spices into a spice grinder. Pulse until the spices are ground. Transfer to an airtight container.
- 🔥Remove the salmon from the brine and rinse. Place it on an oven safe platter and cover generously with the spice blend. To make the salmon extra juicy, you can add a bit of lemon juice and a pad of butter on top before placing it in the oven. 🔥 Bake for 25 minutes and enjoy!
Tips
- If you don't have a spice grinder just use ground fennel instead of fennel seed. Simply place the spices in a container and shake it to mix.
- Freeze: This salmon dish will freeze up to 3 months. | https://www.foodtalkdaily.com/recipes/fish-seafood/salmon/oven-baked-salmon-with-peruvian-spices-44322073 |
Magnesium has been recognized scientifically as a cofactor for many enzymatic reactions in bodymetabolism, it is required for DNA synthesis, reproduction, and protein synthesis. Moreover, magnesium is essential for the regulation of muscular contraction, blood pressure, cardiac excitability, vasomotor tone, nerve transmission and neuromuscular conduction.
There are articles that the propagation of transdermal magnesium is scientifically unsupported.
The primary function of the skin is to provide a barrier between the body and the external environment. This barrier protects against the permeation of ultraviolet (UV) radiation, chemicals, allergens and microorganisms, in addition to the loss of moisture and body nutrient. This means that the absorptive capacity of healthy skin for substances from the outside is very limited. This becomes evident particularly in the limited application for topical drugs. To get through the skin, a substance must penetrate the epidermis or has to be absorbed by sweat glands or hair follicles.
By helping regulate neuromuscular signals, muscle contractions and balancing calcium levels within the body, magnesium can help muscles relax and contract, easing pain and reducing cramps as well as pain in overworked muscles.
I used Mgoil, 31% Mg Cl aqua solution.
Magnesium chloride, MgCl2, is a soluble compound that dissociates in aqueous solution to form magnesium cations, Mg2+, and chloride anions, Cl−
And DMSO, Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is an organosulfur compound with the formula (CH3)2SO. This colorless liquid is an important polar aprotic solvent that dissolves both polar and nonpolar compounds and is miscible in a wide range of organic solvents as well as water. It has a relatively high boiling point. DMSO has the unusual property that many individuals perceive a garlic-like taste in the mouth after contact with the skin
DMSO is frequently used as a solvent for chemical reactions involving salts, most notably Finkelstein reactions and other nucleophilic substitutions. It is also extensively used as an extractant in biochemistry and cell biology. Because DMSO is only weakly acidic, it tolerates relatively strong bases . Because of its high boiling point, 189 °C (372 °F), DMSO evaporates slowly at normal atmospheric pressure. It also used in biopreservation, especially stem cell banking. DMSO is an effective paint stripper, being safer than many of the others such as nitromethane and dichloromethane
Use of DMSO in medicine dates from around 1963, when an Oregon Health & Science University Medical School team, discovered it could penetrate the skin and other membranes without damaging them and could carry other compounds into a biological system. In medicine, DMSO is predominantly used as a topical analgesic, a vehicle for topical application of pharmaceuticals, as an anti-inflammatory, and an antioxidant. Because DMSO increases the rate of absorption of some compounds through biological tissues, including skin, it is used in some transdermal drug delivery systems. Its effect may be enhanced with the addition of EDTA. It is frequently compounded with antifungal medications, enabling them to penetrate not just skin but also toenails and fingernails. | https://orbiidilhumandesigniga.ee/about-supplements/ |
For most goods, quality and cost are assumed to be positively related in that higher quality is associated with higher cost. However, efficient health plans may be able to achieve both high quality and low cost by implementing effective procedures and utilizing highly trained providers. Conversely, quality and cost may not be positively related when plans provide low quality at a high cost. There is a wide range of empirical findings on this relationship. A review of studies of domestic plans1 yielded mixed evidence. While some showed generally no relationship,2,3 others demonstrated a positive relationship,4,5 and still others found a negative association.6,7 A survey of international investigations8 found that interventions of moderate cost can considerably increase quality.
To improve healthcare, it is critical to understand the relationship between quality and cost. If they are not necessarily positively related, improvements in quality could be achieved at relatively little cost. A recent proposal9 by top healthcare experts from both political parties was largely centered on this notion. On the contrary, if quality and cost are positively related, this knowledge would allow policy makers to identify goals that are feasible and the appropriate steps to achieve them.
Unfortunately, determining how quality and cost are related is difficult—very few data sets contain both quality and cost measures.10 Further, defining quality and cost is not straightforward; while some measures provide insight into certain aspects of quality, 2 issues make measuring cost especially difficult. First, prices for healthcare vary significantly across geographic regions and health plans. Thus, cost estimates may differ simply due to different price bases. Second, variation in case mix across plans may lead to cost differences that reflect enrollee characteristics rather than treatment differences.11
Relative resource use (RRU) data addresses some of these issues, and these data have been used previously, such as to analyze the effects of changes in Medicare payment systems in inpatient rehabilitation facilities12 and to compare procedures for total joint arthroplasty.13 A number of approaches to estimate RRU have been implemented by those in academia and industry.14 The analyses in this paper employ data published by the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA). Health plans submit membership and claims data—including quality measures based on Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) standards that have been used extensively in industry and academia—to the NCQA that are audited for accuracy. Using these data, the NCQA calculates RRU measures based on standardized prices that abstract from price differences across plans, and they further adjust the data for case mix differences.
This study employs NCQA data to investigate the relationship between the quality of care and RRU of health plans in treating enrollees with diabetes. Diabetes is one of the most prevalent chronic conditions in the United States, with 22.3 million having the condition in 2012.15 Quality of care is compared with various categories of resource use, including procedure and surgery, evaluation and management services, and ambulatory pharmacy. The categories: 1) procedure and surgery and 2) evaluation and management, are further subdivided into inpatient and outpatient measures. This distinction is potentially important, as one may expect that higher quality care is associated with increased outpatient resource use and decreased inpatient resource use. For instance, more outpatient resources (such as preventive care visits) may lead to fewer hospitalizations.
While these data have previously been used to investigate the relationship between quality and cost,16-18 this study makes a number of contributions. First, data for multiple years are utilized, allowing for more precise estimates of the relationship. Second, the relationship is analyzed along a number of dimensions, including by year, plan type, and geographic region. Finally, first differences are used to relate changes, rather than levels, in quality and utilization. By analyzing changes, the effects of differences across plans that are constant over the sample period are mitigated.
METHODS
Data
The sample in this analysis consists of 407 commercial health plans that submitted annual HEDIS data for any year in the 2009-2011 period. Before submitting their data, the data collection and measurement calculations were audited by NCQA. After limiting the sample to only those plan/years that had valid data for all variables, the number of observations is 813.
The RRU measures are based on standardized prices provided by the NCQA. Specifically, health plans multiply the standardized prices by the number of units of the service that were provided to obtain the standard costs. For each member diagnosed with diabetes, the total standard costs are calculated by adding the standard costs across all areas of care (ie, including nondiabetes care). The plan’s actual standard costs are divided by the expected standardized cost for the plan, taking into account the plan’s case mix and the average utilization of other plans. Finally, this ratio is indexed such that the average is 1.0.
RRU measures are calculated for 2 broad categories: medical services and ambulatory pharmacy services. The medical services category is disaggregated into inpatient facility (exclusive of physician services), procedure and surgery, and evaluation and management services. The 2 latter subcategories are further disaggregated into inpatient and outpatient services. The RRU specifications can change slightly by year, and thus, some caution is warranted in interpreting the results by year shown below.
Quality is measured as an unweighted composite of 10 individual components of the HEDIS Comprehensive Diabetes Care measure: A1C testing; A1C control (3 measures: greater than 9%, less than 8%, less than 7%); eye exam (retinal) testing; low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) screening; LDL-C control (less than 100 mg/dL); medical attention for nephropathy; and blood pressure control (2 measures: less than 130/80 mm Hg, less than 140/90 mm Hg). (The indicator for blood pressure less than 130/80 mm Hg was not included in the 2011 measure.) As is the case for RRU, the quality measure is indexed across plans such that the average is 1.0. Unlike RRU, the quality measure is not adjusted for case mix, but rather indexed based on submission by other plans.
Analysis
All of the data management and calculations were performed using Stata version 12 (StataCorp LP, College Station, Texas). The estimates consist of correlation coefficients between the quality measure and the various RRU measures.
The analysis exploits the availability of multiple years of data. The first level of analysis pools the data across all years, then correlations are calculated after subsetting the data by year, plan type, and geographic region. These estimates provide insight as to whether the observed overall relationships are stable or whether they vary significantly across these dimensions. The final set of analyses is based on year-to-year changes (first differences) in the quality and RRU measures.
An important caveat to the results follows from the multiple comparisons below. Specifically, the likelihood of type I error (incorrectly identifying a statistically significant correlation) increases with the number of correlations estimated. For instance, in the analyses of the 7 regions, the probability of erroneously identifying at least 1 statistically significant effect for a given RRU measure is roughly 30%. (This probability is based on a 5% significance level and is calculated as 1 minus the probability that the null hypothesis is incorrectly rejected in at least 1 of the 7 tests.) This issue is addressed by employing the Simes procedure that accounts for multiple tests.19
RESULTS
Overall
Table 1 reports correlation coefficients between the diabetes quality measure and various RRU measures. The first column lists the 2 primary measures, total medical and total ambulatory pharmacy. The submeasures within medical are listed below the row for total medical. The top number in each cell of the body of the table is the coefficient, while the lower number is the associated P value. It has been indicated if the coefficient is statistically significant at the 5% level after applying the Simes correction for multiple tests.
The second column of Table 1 contains the correlation coefficients when the observations are pooled. For instance, the correlation between the quality measure and the total medical RRU measure is approximately –0.05 with P = .13. While not statistically significant, the negative point estimate is consistent with earlier findings but of a lower magnitude.7 The correlations for the medical subcategories indicate that the overall negative relationship is driven by the inpatient dimensions of both procedure and surgery and evaluation and management services and by inpatient facility. Conversely, the estimate for the outpatient dimension of procedure and surgery services indicates a positive relationship. The positive overall relationship for ambulatory pharmacy is also consistent with previous results, but the estimate is again of a lesser magnitude.
Disaggregated
The disaggregated estimates may provide deeper insight into the relationship between quality and relative resource use. The remaining columns of Table 1 report the correlation coefficients when the sample is subset by year and plan type. There is interesting variation in the estimates by year. The total medical correlation only differs from 0 in 2009, and then it is of marginal statistical significance. Within the 2 medical subcategories, a relatively consistent pattern emerges of negative correlations for the inpatient RRU measures and positive (but not statistically significant) correlations for the outpatient measures. Further, there is also a positive estimate for the ambulatory pharmacy measure in 2009, but the association dissipates in the 2 subsequent years.
The final 3 columns of Table 1 contain correlations when the sample is subset by plan: health maintenance organization (HMO), HMO and point of service (POS) combined, and preferred provider organization (PPO). (Three plan types were excluded because each was composed of 17 or fewer observations: HMO/POS/PPO combined, HMO/PPO combined, and POS.) While the total medical point estimates are negative, none are statistically significant. By contrast, for HMO/POS combined there is a large positive relationship for the outpatient measure. Finally, for ambulatory pharmacy there are positive associations for HMO and HMO/POS combined but no association for PPO.
The third layer of disaggregation is detailed in Table 2, where the results are reported by geographic region. (Estimates are reported only for regions with 50 or more observations.) Even though splitting the sample by region leads to relatively small samples, there are a number of significant findings. Chicago and New York appear to be the primary drivers for the negative relationship between quality and the total medical RRU measure. In both regions there is a relatively large negative association between quality and the inpatient aspect of evaluation and management services measure and the inpatient facility measure. The pattern of negative correlations for this measure persists across all regions. By contrast, there is a positive association in Atlanta and Boston for the outpatient aspect of procedure and surgery services.
First Differences
While the findings in Table 1 and Table 2 provide insight into how the levels of quality and RRU are related, they do not indicate how changes in quality and RRU are related. Although plans differ significantly, correlations of first differences can provide insight into the relationship between quality and cost within plans. Since differencing abstracts from the initial quality and costs levels, any differences in plan attributes, such as population, that may affect quality and costs and do not vary during the sample period will be at least partially controlled for.
Table 3 presents the correlations of first differences. Because first differences are examined, the sample sizes are significantly lower and results are only available for the last 2 years of the sample period. Further, the observations are limited to those plans that submitted consecutive annual reports. Correlations by region are not reported because of the small samples due to first differencing.
An important limitation to this analysis is that the RRU measures are indexed based on the group of plans that submit in that year. Thus, a plan could have a higher or lower index value due to changes in the composition of plans that submitted data in that year. Further, the RRU measures are calculated using a ratio that that is year-specific. Given these factors, the correlations should be interpreted as describing the relationship between changes in quality and changes in the relative standing in RRU.
The overall results indicate a negative association between changes in quality and (changes in relative standing in) the total medical RRU measure. The subcategory results show that this negative relationship is driven by the inpatient measures in each subcategory and often by the inpatient facility measure. The findings by year show that while the negative total medical association is due largely to changes observed in 2010, the pattern of correlations is largely consistent across both years.
By contrast, the estimates differ significantly across plan types. While there is a negative association between quality and total medical for HMO/POS and PPO, there is virtually no association for HMO. Also, while the negative relationship for PPO is driven by both inpatient measures, for HMO/POS the negative correlation is due largely to the outpatient aspect of evaluation and management services.
DISCUSSION
The correlations presented above based on the full sample roughly follow those found in earlier analyses of the relationship between quality and relative resource use in diabetes.7 There is a generally negative relationship between quality and total medical services. However, the negative association is stronger for the inpatient facility measure and the inpatient facility components of procedure and surgery and evaluation and management. There is a generally positive relationship with total ambulatory pharmacy.
However, the disaggregated and first difference estimates provide greater detail than previous studies do. For instance, the relationship between quality and the RRU measures appears to vary over time. Also, while quality and total evaluation and management services were negatively correlated for the HMO and HMO/POS samples, the correlation was positive for the PPO sample. Finally, the analysis of first differences suggests that changes in quality and RRU are strongly negatively related, driven largely by the inpatient RRU measures.
Limitations
There are several important limitations to this analysis. Arguably the most significant is the inability to go beyond correlations and estimate the causal relationship between quality and cost. The effects of unobserved confounders may bias the estimated associations away from the true effects of cost on quality. However, as mentioned above, the first differences estimates may somewhat mitigate this concern.
Another impediment to discerning the causal relationship is ambiguity in the directional relationship: Does quality affect cost or does cost affect quality? While the simple correlations presented above cannot provide insight into this issue, a possible framework in which to view the relationship is to consider a simple health production function20 where medical spending has a positive effect on health up to the “flat of the curve.” After this point, increased spending does not affect health. In the present context, the quality measure may act as a proxy for health, especially given the nonprocess measures included in the index. Nevertheless, this proposed framework is speculative and this study cannot speak to this important question.
Further, as noted above, the statistical significance of the results should be interpreted with caution. The number of comparisons for each RRU measure implies that there is a considerable probability that some of the findings of a statistically significant correlation are spurious. Thus, the number of findings of a statistical significance could be interpreted as an upper bound.
Also, the RRU measures are indexed values rather than actual costs. Thus, for instance, a plan’s costs may increase yet the indexed value may fall. However, while the indexed values may not reflect the actual absolute change in costs, they may provide important insight. For instance, the relative ranking controls for health cost inflation across all plans and does not penalize plans whose costs follow overall trends. Also, given that the correlations estimated above are intended to measure directional associations, relative rankings are well suited for the analysis. Finally, the rankings reflect important adjustments to account for case-mix differences across plans.
Finally, the use of plan-level data abstracts significantly from individual conditions and choices. For instance, while the severity of diabetes is closely related to an individual’s medical costs,21 the data employed here do not contain any information regarding severity. Thus, it is not possible to distinguish between a plan incurring potentially wasteful costs and a plan with high costs due to serving a large proportion of patients with advanced diabetics. While first differences may somewhat address these concerns, the analysis would be improved by incorporating this information and estimating the effects of these characteristics.
Implications
Despite these caveats, the results in this paper suggest potentially useful implications. The correlations suggest that quality and RRU are not necessarily positively related. The especially negative association for the inpatient measures could indicate that some of these resources may not be efficiently utilized. Alternatively, they could reflect that patients with lower quality of care are more likely to require hospitalizations due to their diabetes not being properly treated. The generally positive correlations for ambulatory pharmacy are also consistent with this interpretation, in that patients who stay current with their medications are more likely to have their LDL-C and blood pressure under control.
The first difference results further indicate that changes in quality and RRU are also not necessarily positively related. Thus, there may be “low-hanging fruit” scenario, in that increases in quality may be attainable without increases in resource use. The finding of regional differences in the relationship may also provide insight into the geographic variation in healthcare utilization. For instance, the negative relationship between quality and total medical in Chicago and New York may reflect earlier findings that geographic variation is due in part to levels of insurance coverage and wealth.22
Future Research
There are numerous potential extensions to the analyses in this paper. Arguably the most important would be to attempt to identify causal relationships. Given random assignment does not appear to be feasible, an instrumental variables approach could be used to go beyond the associations described here. Another important extension would be to analyze conditions other than diabetes, as the associations observed for diabetes necessarily may not necessarily hold for other conditions. Finally, there is an inherent tension in analyzing costs for chronic conditions, as improved medical care implies patients live longer, which in turn increases the costs to treat these conditions. Measures of indirect costs could potentially provide improved insight into truly wasteful costs.
CONCLUSIONS
The findings suggest, given that quality and RRU are not necessarily positively related, that it may be possible to improve diabetes care quality at a relatively low cost. However, the disaggregated results suggest that the potential to increase quality can vary significantly by resource type, plan type, and geographic region. The analysis of first differences further indicates that quality and certain RRU measures may not be positive related. Thus, the most effective policies to improve quality may vary by plan and type of care.
Acknowledgments
The author would like to thank Robert Saunders, PhD, of NCQA for helpful comments and suggestions regarding this manuscript. | https://www.ajmc.com/printer?url=/journals/issue/2015/2015-vol21-n6/quality-of-care-relative-resource-use-patients-with-diabetes |
Negotiating – is it something you throw yourself into with gusto at every opportunity, or something you tend to avoid at all costs? Wherever you fall on that spectrum, it is likely that a new paradigm related to the three myths noted below will help you elevate your negotiation skills.
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John Lowry is a recognized authority on negotiation who regularly teaches on the topic at Pepperdine University’s School of Law. In his teaching, Dr. Lowry highlights three commonly-held but mis-guided beliefs about negotiation that stand as obstacles to reaching better outcomes.
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Mis-Guided Belief #1: I am not a negotiator. I do not negotiate that often, I am not good at it and I do not enjoy it, so I do not need to/cannot learn it.
John often starts his courses by asking the group “what percentage of your week do you spend engaged in a strategic communication process to get a deal or to resolve a problem?” Average answers tend to range between 70-100%. The definition for negotiation is, of course, slyly built into the question. He asserts that negotiation is in fact “a strategic communication process to get a deal or resolve a problem.” Regardless of your industry or title, you’re likely negotiating far more often than you realize. Furthermore, negotiators are made, not born.
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Mis-Guided Belief #2: Negotiation is win/lose, so I must be aggressive. Or, negotiation is win/win, so I must be accommodating.
What if it wasn’t either/or? What if it was both/and? Dr. Lowry encourages students to first recognize the two styles of negotiators. There are both competitive and collaborative negotiators, and neither is necessarily better than the other. The key is to understand which type of negotiation you are in so you can adapt appropriately by matching the other’s style.
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For example, if your default is to be collaborative and therefore to seek win/win, but you are negotiating with a competitor you will lose. Remember, the competitive negotiator is seeking win/lose, so in order for them to feel they won, it must appear that you lost. This can be done by stating how difficult or unappealing the deal is for you, even though you’re accepting of it. By approaching the exchange collaboratively and conveying that you reached a mutually beneficial outcome, the competitor will continue to push for an advantage. Likewise, if you approach a deal as a win/lose competitor against a collaborative negotiator, it will not work for them unless they sense a win/win outcome. “You lose, I win” will not be productive.
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Mis-Guided Belief #3: Let them make the opening offer so I have more information.
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In reality the opening offer anchors the entire negotiation so the advantage goes to the negotiator who opens with an offer. Psychologically, those involved will feel a pull toward the initially stated number so it becomes that much harder for either side to deviate significantly from that opening offer. Plus, it gives more flexibility to the person who makes the opening offer because they are now in a position to give up ground to the other side amidst the back-and-forth, but without going beyond a number they can stomach. Many resist making the opening offer out of fear of not being aggressive enough or being so aggressive as to be insulting. Dr. Lowry suggests three zones to think within as a guideline for where to start. The ultimate aim is to anchor with an opening offer as aggressively into the credible zone as possible:
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Zone 1 = Agreement Zone (where you have high confidence the deal will land)
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Zone 2 = Credible Zone (agreement is unexpected, but it gets the process started)
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Zone 3 = Insult Zone (risk having the other party walk away and not start the process)
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NEXT ACTION: Discuss the three myths with a trusted peer or mentor to reflect on how you negotiate today. Identify one change you could start working on and use this podcast episode with Dr. Lowry as a resource to go deeper on the topic. | https://www.smallbusinessgrowthpartners.com/myths-about-leading-in-negotiations/ |
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Meta-analytic evidence for common and distinct neural networks associated with directly experienced pain and empathy for pain
The Social Neuroscience of Empathy
An in‐depth and critical discussion of the findings of recent studies showing that empathy is a highly flexible phenomenon, and that vicarious responses are malleable with respect to a number of factors.
TLDR
The Role of the Right Temporoparietal Junction in Social Interaction: How Low-Level Computational Processes Contribute to Meta-Cognition
A quantitative meta-analysis of 70 functional neuroimaging studies demonstrates that the right inferior parietal cortex is also engaged in lower-level (bottom-up) computational processes associated with the sense of agency and reorienting attention to salient stimuli.
TLDR
The Neural Substrate of Human Empathy: Effects of Perspective-taking and Cognitive Appraisal
The view that humans' responses to the pain of others can be modulated by cognitive and motivational processes, which influence whether observing a conspecific in need of help will result in empathic concern, an important instigator for helping behavior, is supported.
TLDR
Human Empathy Through the Lens of Social Neuroscience
It is argued that empathy involves both emotion sharing and executive control to regulate and modulate this experience (top-down information processing), underpinned by specific and interacting neural systems.
TLDR
What Are You Feeling? Using Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging to Assess the Modulation of Sensory and Affective Responses during Empathy for Pain
- C. Lamm, H. Nusbaum, A. Meltzoff, J. Decety
- PsychologyPloS one
- 12 December 2007
The findings elucidate how top-down control mechanisms and automatic bottom-up processes interact to generate and modulate other-oriented responses, and shed light on how emotional and bodily awareness enable us to evaluate the sensory and affective states of others.
TLDR
The role of anterior insular cortex in social emotions
A model is presented suggesting that AI is not only involved in representing current states, but also in predicting emotional states relevant to the self and others, and implies that AI plays a dominant role in decision making in complex and uncertain environments.
TLDR
Functional neural plasticity and associated changes in positive affect after compassion training.
- Olga M. Klimecki, Susanne Leiberg, C. Lamm, T. Singer
- Psychology, BiologyCerebral cortex
- 1 July 2013
It is observed that, compared with a memory control group, compassion training elicited activity in a neural network including the medial orbitofrontal cortex, putamen, pallidum, and ventral tegmental area--brain regions previously associated with positive affect and affiliation.
TLDR
Right Supramarginal Gyrus Is Crucial to Overcome Emotional Egocentricity Bias in Social Judgments
This study extends previous models of social cognition and shows that although shared neural networks may underlie emotional understanding in some situations, an additional mechanism subserved by rSMG is needed to avoid biased social judgments in other situations.
TLDR
P300 amplitude variation is related to ventral striatum BOLD response during gain and loss anticipation: An EEG and fMRI experiment
- D. Pfabigan, E. Seidel, C. Lamm
- Psychology, BiologyNeuroImage
- 1 August 2014
...
... | https://www.semanticscholar.org/author/C.-Lamm/2304832 |
Theatre students of all ages explore and develop their acting skills through a variety of immersive, hands-on theatre classes designed for learning and fun. For each age level we offer both beginning and advanced level classes depending on the student’s needs and ability. Basic techniques include, but are not limited to: vocal projection, diction, memorization, and blocking (stage placement). In advanced classes students will hone their craft, as well as become more comfortable with character choices and development, script analysis, stage presence, and line delivery. Students with prior training from outside organizations will meet with faculty to determine placement in various programs.
Refine your technique with individual attention. Contact the director of education at 440-951-7500 x118 for further information. | https://www.fineartsassociation.org/education/theater-class.html |
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