5-22-2020| Jessica Baumgardner-Zuzik, Shaziya DeYoung, and Uzra Zeya
COVID-19 is much more than a public health emergency. It is essentially
“stabilization in reverse,” upending economies and societies, fueling division and distrust of government, and exacerbating drivers of violent conflict globally, especially in fragile and conflict-affected states. And yet, at a moment when peacebuilding is needed most, we are facing a potential systemic loss in peacebuilding capacity globally due to the disruptions wrought by the ongoing global pandemic.
This report highlights findings from April 29-May 11, 2020 survey responses of 60 AfP member CEOs, representing peacebuilding organizations across the globe. The results point to existential threats to peacebuilding efforts posed by COVID-19. Findings were further analyzed across small-scale (69%), medium-scale (14%), and large-scale (17%) organizations within participating respondents.


Organisation: Australian Border Force Job Title: Client Services Word Limit: 2000 Characters pp Location: Queensland
Contributes to Strategic Thinking
Throughout my career, especially within the government sector, I have developed the ability to think logically, understand situations from a strategic perspective and follow through by formulating and implementing effective short-term and long-term decisions.
Within the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), as a Customer Service Representative, I practice informed decision-making and possess sound judgement with recognition of implications. Contributing to solutions and progress, I harness information and opportunities when performing my day-to-day duties, constantly working diligently to adhere with existing practices to improve efficiency.
During my tenure with ATO, I recently during a shift as a floor walking support staff I provided support to a recently trained team member with a highly irate customer. This customer was threatening to make an official complaint and demanding to speak with a manager, as they were not happy with the current Customer Service Representative attempts at resolution. As managers are not technically trained, my manager called on my expertise to manage this call. In order to adhere to corporate procedures, I worked with this customer to establish a level of trust that was established in the competence of my ability to listen, empathise and educate in internal processes. Upon investigation into the customer’s issue regarding a payment into the incorrect account, I could identify that prior escalation had already been actioned but the relevant department had not actioned accordingly to service level agreements (SLA). In my senior team member access, I was one of few that could instigate direct payment if corporate polices and measurables were not met. With the customer now aware of the transfer of payment, I had calmed the situation by providing a practical solution in line with authority levels. Further to this, I also took the opportunity to educate the customer on future management of their accounts to eliminate reoccurrence of this issue.
Achieves Results
A self-motivated, results-orientated professional, I take responsibility for achieving outcomes within my position as a Customer Service Representative with the ATO. My accomplishments within this position include meeting targets, mentoring and training staff, leading by example, and supporting improvements to systems and procedures.
My ability to achieve results in a protocol and results driven environment best demonstrated during my position with ATO. Consistently exceeding customer expectations, I display my strong desire to excel in all business areas whilst striving for excellence.
Whilst currently employed with ATO in the capacity of Customer Service Representative, I received a call from a customer who was a sole trader and currently in payment arrangement with the ATO. The customer had been defaulting on his obligation of agreed payment amounts and was confused with the arrival of separate additional invoices that were also due for payment. In line with ATO policy, I was not in a position to offer many alternatives to him but instigated recent training techniques I had acquired in recent internal debt collection training. Through the techniques gained, I initiated questioning to break down the customers’ financial capacity of payments and reviewed the customers’ situation in its entirety rather than traditional dictated methods used by the ATO. This allowed client to realise they did not have the surplus cash flow to meet their original plan, I proceeded to enter an arrangement that was substantial and could be committed to by customer. The outcome of my results driven methodology was that the customer was better educated and my key performance targets were high due to level of debt recovery. With this
positive and practical outcome, I was then asked to train other staff on this approach and received positive feedback from the ATO national accredited quality register on my handling of that call.
Supports Productive Working Relationships
Demonstrating myself as an active team member, I have been instrumental in contributing to exceptional teams throughout my career history. Committed to team performance and often assisting others, I am prepared to work overtime or complete additional tasks to help team members or management.
During my tenure with ATO as Customer Services Representative, I was awarded the opportunity to step into a mentoring capacity within the team responsible in coaching new staff. Having just completed internal training, they are yet to display their skills in a practical setting, I am responsible in the support and coaching in corporate procedures. The staff were having difficulty in following a nine-step call procedure due to its involvedness, I acknowledged the concerns of the team and initiated development of a condensed document that still adhered to policies. The outcome of my initiative was that they staff were able to follow the direction to completion and decreased times on calls with the confusion since removed. In demonstrating my commitment to corporate and internal cultivating relationships’, I improved the efficiency of the team, built trust and rapport from colleagues and received a personal thank you from the Assistant Director for my efforts.
Established as a collaborative team member, I have formed constructive relationships with all stakeholders ensuring processes followed and culture within the company upheld. Possessing the ability to act in an inclusive manner and the initiative often required building productive relationships, I have been successful in building rapport in all network settings and interactions.
Exhibiting a commitment to supporting constructive working relationships, I manifest this by valuing individual difference and diversity and recognising working styles of individuals and factoring this into the management of tasks.
Displays Personal Drive and Integrity
Demonstrating a high level of motivation, personal drive and integrity, I have successfully balanced work with the ability to multitask and remain focused. My career to date has involved diverse responsibilities, such as mentoring and training and embracing customer-based service delivery models, which have enabled me to develop excellent personal and professional skills. With a demonstrated record of commitment, consistency and a focus on quality service and outcomes, I possess practical experience and a range of professional skills and strengths that contribute to positive outcomes.
Within in my current position at the ATO, I am responsible in dealing with sensitive customer situations whilst adhering to strict legislation. Upholding core values of Australian Public Service, I apply ethical work practices and demonstrate integrity in all work practices. Striving for first call resolution outcomes in all interactions, I handled a customer querying their tax refund as it was outside delivery SLA. Although this customer initially was irate, I applied the Hearing them out, Empathy, Appropriate questioning and Take action (HEAT) model acquired through professional development training to understand the complaint and proceeded to explain how I would personally manage their concerns. Confirming my dedication to professional skills and career drive, I was successful in turning this call around including the customer apologising for his initial manner, providing a sound resolution adhering to all corporate legislation in this process.5
In a competitive work dynamic, I strive for professional development and advancement within my career. Embracing all opportunities offered, I was acknowledged as a top performer within team and was invited to complete a pilot program of debt collection training. Resilient and achievement orientated, I am dedicated to breaking down any barriers throughout my career to achieve optimum success for both business and my personal career growth.


As defensive security controls raise the bar to attack, attackers will employ increasingly sophisticated techniques to complete their mission. Understanding the mechanics and impact of these threats is essential to systematically discover and deflect the coming wave of advanced attacks.
Mandiant has developed a comprehensive whitepaper that provides a multi-faceted analysis of the exploit payload "Operation RussianDoll." This payload is an exploit for CVE-2015-1701 embedded within the un-obfuscated 64-bit RussianDoll payload (MD5: 54656d7ae9f6b89413d5b20704b43b10). The whitepaper references a freely available open-source proof of concept and provides malware triage analysts, reverse engineers, and exploit analysts with tools and background information to recognize and analyze future exploits. It also covers how red team analysts can apply these principles to carve out exploit functionality or augment exploits to produce tools that will enhance effectiveness of security operations.
The whitepaper walks the reader through the payload's actions to understand how to loosely identify what it does once it has gained kernel privilege. It then discusses how to obtain higher-resolution answers from reverse engineering by using WinDbg to confirm assumptions, manipulate control flow, and observe exploit behavior. Building on this and other published sources, a technically detailed exploit analysis is assembled by examining the relevant portions of win32k.sys. Finally, the paper discusses how to extract and augment this exploit to load encrypted, unsigned drivers into the Windows 7 x64 kernel address space.
We hope this analysis will support security professionals' understanding of the malware used by Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) actors and of tools and techniques that may be used to conduct enhanced analysis.


Abstract: Context: Several decades of dietary research recommended the consumption of antioxidants and vitamins rich foods as a protective tool against a broad portfolio of diseases Aims: This study aims to test if oral supplementation of natural antioxidants and vitamins before the winter season, may reduce the occurrence of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) in adolescents. Settings and Design: Natural antioxidants and vitamins supplements were given to 90 adolescents (45 males, and 45 females) from an orphanage against a placebo during three months in a double-blind fashion. Methods and Material: Saliva was collected before and after supplementation. The antioxidant activity of saliva was determined in vitro using electrolysis as a free radical generating system. Additionally, total antioxidant activity, glutathione and ascorbic acid levels in the saliva were evaluated before and after supplementation. The URTI frequency was recorded throughout the winter season (3 months). Statistical Analysis: All values were expressed as means ± SEM. Significance of the results was assessed using Student's t-test and Fisher’s test Results: Data indicated that only five individuals from the group that received antioxidants and vitamins supplements manifested URTI while 14 adolescents from the non-supplemented group showed symptoms of URTI. Biochemical analysis revealed that the saliva in provenance from the supplemented group exhibited a higher capacity to scavenge free radicals compared to its capacity before supplementation. This supplementation also increased the total antioxidant activity and the levels of both ascorbic acid and glutathione in the saliva. Conclusions: We concluded that oral intake of antioxidants and vitamins protects against URTI through increased antioxidant activity.
Keywords : Antioxidants, vitamins, saliva, adolescents, upper respiratory tract infection (URTI).


Relational Leadership demands that we take the time to generate that awareness, to understand how we both shape and are shaped by our culture, experiences, and social identities. The PCP mission does not directly address racial and restorative justice — but we can cultivate more awareness and identify actionable steps to take.


The space between commuters in public transport is shrinking to move the economy faster, increasing the risk of catching COVID-19. However, infections can be prevented by following what a panel of health experts called the
" Seven Commandments To Revitalize the Country Safely."
The same group, which includes
former health secretary Manuel Dayrit, submitted its recommendations on physical distancing in public transport to the Inter-Agency Task Force on COVID-19.
Here are the
" Seven Commandments To Revitalize the Country Safely" for commuters: Wearing of proper face masks Wearing of face shields No talkingand no eating Adequate ventilation Frequent and proper disinfection No symptomaticpassengers Appropriate physical distancing
"We believe that the combination of these measures will be amongst the most comprehensive in the world, based on our consultation with international experts. These 7 Commandments need to be strictly enforced and independently monitored in their implementation," the group said.
Implementing the rules will allow the
gradual relaxing of social distancing measures for a two-fold or even three-fold increase in passenger capacity without compromising public health, it said.
"The comparative toll on Filipinos from a further prolonged recession is much more devastating than the manageable risks entailed in our plan.
We believe that there is a way forward that carefully balances a careful reopening of public transport capacity, with public health, while allowing purposeful flexibility to re-adjust measures based on actual and evolving data from the ground."


Maintain
The maintenance of a qualification begins as soon as the qualification has been coded on SQA’s Awards Processing System (APS) and centres begin to deliver it.
Through delivering the qualification, tutors may come across issues around the structure and content of the qualification. For example, they may wish to suggest including an alternative Unit to meet a specific need, amending a Unit specification to clarify, simplify or correct something. External Verifiers may also identify issues around the assessment of the qualification through their verification visits to centres.
It is important that issues surrounding delivery and assessment of a qualification are identified, considered and addressed.
Maintenance is about ensuring a qualification remains fit for purpose.


Hilary Stohs-Krause Why we worry about all the wrong things
Modern humans aren't great at risk assessment.
We often blithely ignore that which could harm us, and are conversely intimidated by things that are quite safe. This inability to recognize threat has vast implications for many aspects of our lives, including our careers.
Do you want to be less stressed? Make better decisions? Learn strategies for identifying (and dealing with!) unnecessary worry? Let's explore the root causes of fear and anxiety together, and discover how we can start to deliberately rewrite our instincts.
Hilary Stohs-Krause
Hilary Stohs-Krause is currently based in Madison, WI, where she's co-owner and software developer at Ten Forward Consulting. She came to tech by way of childhood website-building (a "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" fansite, to be exact).
She volunteers regularly with several tech and community organizations, and co-runs Madison Women in Tech, a local group with more than 2,000 members. She loves sci-fi/fantasy, board games and bourbon barrel-aged stouts. She tweets at @hilarysk.


Staying out of debt is simple, but it’s not easy. It requires resilience — forgoing impulsive purchases in exchange for long-term financial freedom. Personal debt can be categorized as necessary or unnecessary. Necessary debt can generally be linked to assets such as your home mortgage, a basic car for getting to work, or a college degree. Unnecessary debt, on the…


Event
On Monday, January 27, Cambodian health authorities reported the first confirmed case of novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV) in the country. The individual infected is reportedly a Chinese national in Sihanoukville.
Further spread of the virus is possible in Cambodia over the near term.
Context
The first case of 2019-nCoV was reported on December 31. The source of the outbreak has been linked to a wet market in Wuhan. Human-to-human and patient-to-medical staff transmission of the virus have been confirmed. Many of the associated fatalities have been due to pneumonia caused by the virus.
The World Health Organization (WHO) held an emergency panel in Geneva (Switzerland) on January 23 to discuss the virus, ultimately deciding that it was too early to classify the outbreak as a "public health emergency of international concern." As of January 27, cases of the virus have been confirmed in France, Australia, Thailand, Japan, Malaysia, Indonesia, South Korea, the US, Vietnam, Singapore, Nepal, Macao, Cambodia, and Taiwan and suspected cases have been reported in Mexico and Cote d'Ivoire. The virus has killed 81 people and has infected over 2700 others.
Virus screening measures are being implemented at airports worldwide.Pneumonia symptoms include dry cough, chest pain, fever, and labored breathing. Pneumonia can be contagious and can be transmitted from human to human. The influenza virus, or the flu, is a common cause of viral pneumonia.
Advice
Individuals who plan to travel to or have recently returned from China, particularly Hubei province, are advised to monitor the situation and prepare for flight disruptions. Individuals are advised to take precautionary measures to reduce their risk of contracting the virus:
Avoid all contact with animals (dead or alive); avoid eating animal products that are undercooked; avoid all markets where animals are sold Avoid all close contact with people displaying symptoms of the disease (e.g. difficulties breathing) Individuals within China developing symptoms of pneumonia are advised to seek medical attention, avoid contact with other people, and wash hands regularly Frequently wash hands and wear a face mask Adhere to all instructions issued by the local authorities and their home governments


Sweep, dust, or vacuum the floor regularly with the hard floor attachment (not the beater bar) to prevent accumulation of dirt and grit that can scratch or dull the floor finish. For tough spots, such as oil, paint, markers, lipstick, ink or tar, use acetone/nail polish remover on a clean white cloth. Then wipe the area with a slightly damp cloth to remove any remaining residue. First test the method in a small less conspicuous area of the floor. For spots such as candle wax or chewing gum, harden the spot with ice and then gently scrape with a plastic scraper, such as a credit card. Be careful not to scratch the flooring surface. Wipe clean with a slightly damp cloth. Use a dry cloth to blot up spills as soon as they happen. Never allow liquids to stand on your floor for extended periods of time. Periodically clean the floor with cleaning products made specifically for laminate floor care. Spray the cleaner onto a dry swiffer or a microfiber mop, rather than spraying directly on to the floor. Do not use cleaning products such as Swiffer Wet Jet or Vileda Pro Mist that spray liquid directly onto the floor. Do not over use steam cleaners or wet mops, which may cause irreparable damage to your floor. Do not wash or wet mop the floor with soap, water, oil-soap detergent or any other liquid cleaning product. This could cause swelling, warping, delamination, and joint-line separation, and void the warranty. Avoid using steel wool, abrasive cleaners, or strong ammoniated or chlorinated type cleaners. Do not use any type of buffing or polishing machine on your laminate floors. A more frequent dust-mopping or vacuuming schedule may be required in very sandy areas such as a beachside home.


Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) overexpression is an established factor linking chronic inflammation with metaplastic and neoplastic change in various tissues. We generated transgenic mice (BK5.COX-2) in which elevation of COX-2 and its effectors trigger a metaplasia-dysplasia sequence in exocrine pancreas. Histologic evaluation revealed a chronic pancreatitis-like state characterized by acinar-to-ductal metaplasia and a well-vascularized fibroinflammatory stroma that develops by 3 months. By 6 to 8 months, strongly dysplastic features suggestive of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma emerge in the metaplastic ducts. Increased proliferation, cellular atypia, and loss of normal cell/tissue organization are typical features in transgenic pancreata. Alterations in biomarkers associated with human inflammatory and neoplastic pancreatic disease were detected using immunohistochemistry. The abnormal pancreatic phenotype can be completely prevented by maintaining mice on a diet containing celecoxib, a well-characterized COX-2 inhibitor. Despite the high degree of atypia, only limited evidence of invasion to adjacent tissues was observed, with no evidence of distant metastases. However, cell lines derived from spontaneous lesions are aggressively tumorigenic when injected into syngeneic or nude mice. The progressive nature of the metaplastic/dysplastic changes observed in this model make it a valuable tool for examining the transition from chronic inflammation to neoplasia.


Artificial intelligence (AI) holds great promise to empower us with knowledge and scaled effectiveness. To harness the power of AI systems, we can—and must—ensure that we keep humans safe and in control. This session will introduce a new user experience (UX) framework to guide the creation of AI systems that are accountable, de-risked, respectful, secure, honest and usable.


Learning and Motivation
In order to deconstruct the neuronal basis of behavior, one must first understand the mechanisms underlying the behavior itself. These studies adopt sophisticated Pavlovian and instrumental procedures to examine the psychobiological variables underlying learning and decision-making.
Ingestive Behavior
In today’s obesogenic environment many individuals struggle to regulate caloric intake, which leads to obesity and associated comorbidities. As obesity rates continue to rise, there is a critical need to develop effective strategies to combat this epidemic. These studies examine the psychological and neurobiological variables underlying the regulation and dysregulation of energy intake.
Ghrelin’s influence on cue-evoked food seeking and intake Melanin Concentrating Hormone and cue-potentiated feeding Melanin Concentrating Hormone and orexin interactions within the lateral hypothalamus Neuropsychiatric Illness
Dysfunctions related to pleasure and reward are a hallmark of many neuropsychiatric illnesses (e.g., depression, schizophrenia). These studies identify endophenotypes of neuropsychiatric illness using animal models.
Dopamine and Learning
Studies explore the role of dopamine in associative learning and decision-making. These studies use optogenetic and chemogenetic procedures to selectively stimulate and inhibit midbrain circuitry with a high degree of spatial and temporal resolution.
The role of the D2 receptor in effort-based decision-making Optogenetic stimulation of tyrosine hydroxylase


The
Financial Select Sector SPDR (NYSEArca: XLF), the largest financial services ETF, is lower by 3% over the past month, but some market observers believe the sector warrants renewed attention in the current interest rate climate.
Earlier this year, financials were also propped up by a rise in bond yields as higher interest rates typically widen the margin spread between bank loans and deposits. The spreads will further widen as the Federal Reserve has stated its intentions to raise interest rates in response to economic growth and rising inflation.
A steeper yield curve could help XLF and rival financial services ETFs rebound.
“Banks get squeezed as a yield curve flattens, since they typically take on short-term debt to fund longer-term loans, and profit from the gap between the two rates. Conversely, a steeper yield curve would boost the margin,” reports Evie Liu for Barron’s.
Looking for Financial Catalysts
Fundamental factors, including the aforementioned rising interest rates, have been supportive of bank stocks and ETFs this year. Additionally, the financial services sector, the second-largest sector weight in the S&P 500, has had the regulatory wind at its back this year as the Trump Administration has sought to roll back parts of the Dodd-Frank legislation. Still, the sector is disappointing investors.


Acquisition and integration
Integration and acquisition are a routes to growth, even more so in times of economic stress. However, they carry a number of risks.
Whether you are being acquired or seeking acquisition, we will help you mitigate these risks and ensure best value. From due diligence, to ensuring internal alignment and engagement, we know how to make it a success. Please send Claire Kinloch your brief today.


A news report, released by experts in international relocation, shows that Ireland is one of the top countries people move to from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia.
MoveHub, which specializes in moving people abroad, released a report on global migration trends over the last 12 months. They report that were 22.2 percent more inquiries for moving to Ireland than moving out of Ireland during the past financial year (April 1, 2015 to March 31, 2016).
They also report that inquiries for moving to Ireland have increased by 6.9 percent compared with the prior fiscal year. During that same period interest in moving out of Ireland decreased by 0.9 percent.
It's good news following the massive outward migration during the recession. However, Ireland still has one of the highest levels of emigration in Europe – one person leaves every six minutes. According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO) 240 people leave Ireland each day.
The recent report from MoveHub was based on an analysis of over 180,000 inquiries regarding moving abroad along with an overview of the top 30 destinations and origin countries on a global scale.
The main points of the Global Moving Trends Report include:
- 65% of moves are 'professional migrants,' meaning people moving for job opportunities and motivated by growing economies and better quality of life.
- Ireland is one of the top countries people move to from Australia, the UK, and the USA.
The report also found that the top three reasons people move abroad are:
- Employment - 34.8%
- New experience - 29.7%
- Join family 20.9%


KoreaMed, a service of the Korean Association of Medical Journal Editors (KAMJE), provides access to articles published in Korean medical, dental, nursing, nutrition and veterinary journals. KoreaMed records include links to full-text content in Synapse and publisher web sites.
Objective This study aimed to investigate the potential correlation between baseline characteristics of individuals visiting an emergency room for a suicide attempt and subsequent psychiatric outpatient treatment adherence.Methods Medical records of 525 subjects, who visited an emergency room at a university-affiliated hospital for a suicide attempt between January 2017 and December 2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Potential associations between baseline characteristics and psychiatric outpatient visitation were statistically analyzed.Results 107 out of 525 individuals (20.4%) who attempted suicide visited an outpatient clinic after the initial emergency room visit. Several factors (e.g., sober during suicide attempt, college degree, practicing religion, psychiatric treatment history) were significantly related to better psychiatric outpatient follow-up.Conclusion Several demographic and clinical factors predicted outpatient adherence following a suicide attempt. Therefore, additional attention should be given to suicide attempters who are at the risk of non-adherence by practitioners in the emergency room.


Consuming calories later in the day is associated with obesity and metabolic syndrome. We hypothesized that eating a late dinner alters substrate metabolism during sleep in a manner that promotes obesity.To examine the impact of late dinner on nocturnal metabolism in healthy volunteers.This is a randomized crossover trial of late dinner (LD, 22:00) versus routine dinner (RD, 18:00), with a fixed sleep period (23:00-07:00) in a laboratory setting.20 healthy volunteers (10 males, 10 females), aged 26.0 ± 0.6 years, BMI 23.2 ± 0.7 kg/m2, accustomed to a bedtime between 22:00-01:00.An isocaloric macronutrient diet was administered on both visits. Dinner (35% daily kcal, 50% carbohydrate, 35% fat) with an oral lipid tracer ([2H31] palmitate, 15 mg/kg) was given at 18:00 on RD and 22:00 on LD.Nocturnal and next-morning hourly plasma glucose, insulin, triglycerides, free fatty acids (FFAs), cortisol, dietary fatty acid oxidation, and overnight polysomnography.LD caused a 4-hour shift in the postprandial period, overlapping with the sleep phase. Independent of this shift, the postprandial period following LD was characterized by higher glucose, a triglyceride peak delay, and lower FFA and dietary fatty acid oxidation. LD did not affect sleep architecture, but increased plasma cortisol. These metabolic changes were most pronounced in habitual earlier sleepers determined by actigraphy monitoring.LD induces nocturnal glucose intolerance, and reduces fatty acid oxidation and mobilization, particularly in earlier sleepers. These effects might promote obesity if they recur chronically.


Global Trends Of Open Innovation
The
TechStory website noted that the clear benefits of open innovation bring cost-effective methods in R&D with scope for improving productivity. Since priorities change, companies will start to seek for accurate market research targeting the right customers bringing about immense potential of productive synergies between internal and external innovation. World over, various models for open innovation include companies who work for their clients to secure ideas and technologies from the best innovators across the globe.
Click here to read the full article.


The number of Americans seeking unemployment benefits in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak has doubled in just a week.
According to Labor Department figures on Thursday, a record 6.6 million individuals filed for assistance, up from the revised 3.307 million that had been the previous record.
The jump is likely to cause the unemployment rate, currently at a nearly 50-year low of 3.5%, to soar when released on Friday, with some estimates reaching as high as 15%.
Making matters worse, this may not even be the complete picture, as many states' employment websites are overwhelmed and can't process all the claims.


PURIFICATION
The Sulfur Recovery Unit or Claus unit converts undesirable, toxic H2S gas into beneficial elemental sulfur. This process utilizes different types of Claus catalyst to facilitate the conversion.
PURIFICATION
Purification catalyst removes contaminants from liquid and gas processes using catalytic, regenerative, or sacrificial means. The catalyst is typically a mixed metal oxide formulated to remove specific contaminants. The catalyst can be in tabular or extrudate, or sphere shape.
PURISTAR CATALYST
Puristar R9-12/E-315- removes Os, CO, H2, etc Puristar Catalyst R3-12-removes arsine, phosphine, COS, H2S, etc Puristar Catalyst R3-15-removes O2, CO, H2, etc Puristar Catalyst R3-16-removes O2, CO, H2, sulfur, etc ProSorb-removes aresine, phosphine, sulfurs, O2, CO, CO2, H2 PuriStar R3-17-removes CO Puristar R3-81 -removes O2, NOx, etc Puristar R8-21 – removes O2, NOx, etc Puristar R3-11/R3-11G -Removes O2, CO, H2 HTZ-51 – removes sulfur compounds HTZ-31 – removes sulfur compounds SC-501 – removes H2S and other sulfurous compounds ST-201 – removes sulfur compounds LEADING WITH CATALYST SOLUTIONS
Contact Coastal Chemical to learn how we can assist with tabular, extrudate or sphere shaped catalyst.


Abstract : Purpose:
Despite the urgency regarding increasing rates of obesity and chronic diseases in the Caribbean, few studies described the nutrition transition. We aimed to provide such information by identifying dietary patterns in the French West Indies and their characteristics.
Methods:
This cross-sectional analysis included 1144 Guadeloupeans and Martinicans from a multistage sampling survey conducted on a representative sample. Dietary patterns were identified using principal component analysis followed by a clustering procedure, and described using multivariable regression models.
Results:
Four patterns were identified: (i) a “prudent” pattern characterized by high intakes of fruits, vegetables, legumes, seafood and yogurts, low intakes of fatty and sweet products, and a high Diet Quality Index-International (DQI-I); (ii) a “traditional” pattern characterized by high intakes of fruits, vegetables, tubers and fish, low intakes of red and processed meat, snacks, fast foods, and sweetened beverages, with a high DQI-I, mostly shaped by women and older persons; (iii) a “convenient” pattern characterized by high intakes of sweetened beverages, snacks, and fast foods, with the lowest DQI-I, principally shaped by young participants; (iv) a “transitioning” pattern characterized by high consumptions of bread, processed meat, sauces, alcoholic and sweetened beverages, but also high intakes of tubers, legumes, and fish, mainly shaped by men, middle aged, of whom 35% had metabolic syndrome.
Conclusion:
The co-existing dietary patterns in the French West Indies, marked by a generational contrast, seem to reflect different steps in dietary change as described in the literature, suggesting an ongoing nutrition transition.


Governments fight financial crime globally with new sanctions, including lists of states, entities, or individuals suspected of engaging in or being consistent with illegal activities.
UN sanctions are diplomatic decisions enforced by the United Nations organizations and states against other states, entities, or individuals. These sanctions are measures of safety to preserve national safety interests, peace, and international law.
The international sanctions are generally special restrictions on cultural, economic, trading, and diplomatic relationships with a certain country designated individual or organization.
It is crucial to know if the client is subject to specific regulations or the corporation is coming from a sanctioned country. By knowing this information, institutions act accordingly and blocking them or applying needed restrictions to their interaction.
Businesses have to comply with these regulations. Otherwise, they will face harsh legal measurements, such as criminal and civil penalties.
Sanctions and the way of handling them are wide and depend on a reason or a specific case to applied regulations. Firms or individuals subjected to sanctions may be specific individuals prohibited from the UN, such as states or terrorists, meaning that their nationals have become influenced by restrictions like trade barriers or travel ban.
UN sanctions are enforced by international authorities or the government result of the diplomatic policy or illegal activity. As the United Nations is the most powerful regulator of international peacekeeping, sanctions list are aimed to prevent terrorism, weapons proliferation, international treaties violation, money laundering, trafficking of narcotics, destabilization of sovereign countries, etc.
Sanctions can be:
For instance, the United Nations financial sanctions list includes countries like:
For these sanctioned countries, nationals being on the sanctioned list means that they may become subjects to travel prohibitions, commodity, or financial restrictions like not being allowed to have any conduct monetary transactions or do business with UN countries or specific regions.
Nowadays, having loads of clients and transactions, businesses can’t administrate to every case manually. It contains a huge amount of data, every single detail on each individual in question. That is the reason corporations have begun to apply screening software proving to be more effective and have accuracy over 99%.
Sanction Scanner’s database consists of over 1000 Sanctions, regulatory and law enforcement, and other official global and local sanction and pep lists, including those issued by the USA, UK, UN, and other global major and minor government departments. You can use integration between your Project and Sanction Scanner. This will automatically make your AML queries. We always keep our lists up to date. Sanction Scanner checks and processes updated Sanction and PEP lists every fifteen minutes. Sanction Scanner’s lists are compatible with all regional sanctions, CTF, and Anti-Money Laundering requirements. You will be using real-time data, always. AML Check is very easy with the Sanction Scanner.
Request a demo and learn how
Sanction Scanner protects your firm from the Financial Crimes.


A recent decision by the Delaware Supreme Court relating to a merger between two pharmaceutical companies that was terminated before closing could have implications on bank mergers and acquisitions.
On Dec. 7, 2018, the Delaware Supreme Court affirmed the lower court’s ruling in
Akorn v. Fresenius Kabi that a Material Adverse Effect (“MAE”) had occurred with respect to Akorn under the terms of its merger agreement with Fresenius.
The Supreme Court upheld the lower court’s determination that (1)
Akorn had suffered an MAE under the terms of the agreement that excused Fresenius from its obligation to close the transaction, and (2) Fresenius properly terminated the merger agreement because of Akorn’s breach of its regulatory representations and warranties under the merger agreement, which gave rise to an MAE, and Fresenius had not materially breached the merger agreement (which would have prevented it from exercising its termination rights).
Why the Akorn Case Is Important
This is the first ruling in Delaware that an MAE had occurred in a merger transaction, allowing the buyer to walk away from a signed merger agreement. The lower court’s opinion provides unprecedented guidance for future negotiation and litigation of MAE clauses. The decision is applicable to all industries, including the banking industry, and makes it clear that, first, the heavy burden to establish an MAE with respect to the target remains with the buyer.
How The Case Impacts Bank M&A
Merger partners should carefully consider the categories of events or changes, as well as any specific events, that should be excluded from the MAE definition, ensuring that the definition accurately reflects the agreed upon allocation of risk between the parties. Sellers should exclude industry-wide changes impacting the seller, while buyers should be mindful to provide that broad industry changes that disproportionately affect the seller are not carved out from the definition. Typical carve-outs from the MAE definition in a bank merger agreement include: changes in laws and regulations affecting banks or thrift institutions, changes in GAAP, changes in the value of securities or loan portfolio or value of deposits or borrowings resulting from a change in interest rates, and changes relating to securities markets in general. Buyers who are uncomfortable with the broad definition of an MAE, even following Akorn, and are significantly larger than the seller may wish to consider inclusion of a few specific financial closing conditionsto supplement the broad MAE clause. Buyers in the bank M&A context should in good faith continue the regulatory approval process even while contemplating terminating the deal over a possible MAE — having “clean hands” matters. How the Court Found an MAE Fresenius, a German pharmaceutical company, and a U.S. generic drug manufacturer, Akorn, formally agreed in April 2017 to merge.
Shortly after, Akorn’s financial performance “fell off a cliff;” its revenues declined the next four quarters by 29 percent, 29 percent, 34 percent and 27 percent, respectively. Its operating income plummeted 84 percent, 89 percent, 292 percent and 134 percent, respectively, during the same period.
Fresenius terminated the merger agreement in April 2018, asserting that Akorn had suffered a general MAE. Fresenius further asserted it had an
explicit right to terminate the merger agreement because Akorn breached its regulatory compliance representations and warranties. Akorn’s lawsuit followed, seeking for the court to force Fresenius to close the transaction.
The Court of Chancery determined Akorn suffered a general MAE, which resulted from issues that disproportionately affected Akorn compared to similar companies in its industry. Focusing on the plain text of the merger agreement, the court determined that Akorn bore the general risk of the MAE and through several carve-outs to the provision, Fresenius bore the “systemic” risks related to Akorn’s industry. However, through specific exclusions from these carve-outs, the risk was shifted back to Akorn in the event that the risks disproportionately affected Akorn’s business as compared to other participants in its industry. In analyzing whether the effect was “material,”
the court stated the effect should “substantially threaten the overall earnings potential of the target in a durationally-significant manner.”
In other words, the court determined that Akorn’s dramatic downturn in performance was significant because it had persisted for a year and had no sign of abating, rejecting Akorn’s argument that any assessment of the decline in its value should be measured not against its performance as a standalone entity but against its value to Fresenius as a buyer.
Conclusion This case is directly applicable to the banking industry. Many banks suffered dramatic declines in earnings during the financial crisis that would be considered durationally significant within the framework reinforced by Akorn. Causes included massive credit losses, drastic margin compression and the regulatory reaction to the crisis. Banks need to take into account their risk profile and that of their merger partner when negotiating the MAE definition and consider how it would work under a variety of adverse economic environments.


Stratifying stroke risk to guide treatment in patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation
Antiplatelet (usually aspirin) and anticoagulant (usually warfarin) treatments are available to reduce the risk of stroke in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) but both have potentially harmful adverse effects and warfarin can be time-consuming and expensive to monitor. Guidance exists for choosing between treatments but is often insufficiently detailed to support an informed choice about the risk and benefits. Prescribers and patients are often left with a choice between aspirin or warfarin, and aspirin – which is perceived to be safer and easy to use – is often chosen. This article explores the evidence for aspirin and warfarin in preventing stroke in patients with AF, and describes how we should change the way that decisions about treatment are made.


Schengen entry is free for citizens of 60 countries and no visa is required for stays up to 90 days for tourism purposes. However, the growth of visitors in Europe has raised security concerns and the European Commission has developed a mechanism for controlling the entry of Third-Country nationals into the Schengen Area to ensure greater security for nationals and residents – the European Travel Information and Authorization System (ETIAS).
ETIAS is intended for Third-Country nationals who are exempt from the visa requirement before traveling to the Schengen Area such as Brazil, Canada, USA, etc., and aims to implement a security and control system for their entry, being expectable to become operational by January 2021.
The application for the authorization will be made online and its approval should take a maximum of 4 days. It will cost € 7.00 for each citizen aged 18 years and over and is mandatory for any traveler who is allowed to enter without obtaining a visa, regardless of age.
This authorization will be valid for an unlimited number of entries into Schengen countries in the following 3 years after being issued or until the travel document registered during the application expires. However, the limit to stay in the Schengen Area is maintained – it cannot exceed 90 days within a period of 180 days.
Air carriers and sea carriers will need to check before departure whether Third-Country nationals subject to the travel authorization requirement have a valid travel authorization or not. Three years after the entry into operation of ETIAS, this obligation will also apply to international carriers providing bus services.


Establishing a Cancer Registry in a Resource-Constrained Region: Process Experience From Ghana. Yarney J., Ohene Oti NO., Calys-Tagoe BNL., Gyasi RK., Agyeman Duah I., Akoto-Aidoo C., McGuire V., Hsing JC., Parkin M., Tettey Y., Hsing AW.
PURPOSE: In a review of cancer incidence across continents (GLOBOCAN 2012), data sources from Ghana were classified as Frequencies, the lowest classification for inclusion, signifying the worst data quality for inclusion in the analysis. Recognizing this deficiency, the establishment of a population-based cancer registry was proposed as part of a broader cancer control plan. METHODS: The registry was examined under the following headings: policy, data source, and administrative structure; external support and training; and definition of geographic coverage. RESULTS: The registry was set up based on the Ghana policy document on the strategy for cancer control. The paradigm shift ensured subscription to one data collection software (CanReg 5) in the country. The current approach consists of trained registrars based in the registry who conduct active data abstraction at the departments and units of the hospital and pathologic services. To ensure good governance, an administrative structure was created, including an advisory board, a technical committee, and registry staff. External support for the establishment of the Accra Cancer Registry has come mainly from Stanford University and the African Cancer Registry Network, in collaboration with the University of Ghana. Unlike previous attempts, this registry has a well-defined population made up of nine municipal districts. CONCLUSION: The Accra Cancer Registry was established as a result of the lessons learned from failed previous attempts and aim to provide a model for setting up other cancer registries in Ghana. It will eventually be the focal point where all the national data can be collated.


The political landscape in the UK has shifted significantly in the last three months, but the future remains as uncertain as ever, especially in relation to Brexit. We continue to monitor the situation, and have further reduced our exposure to UK assets as a defensive measure.
The prospects for the addition and withdrawal of trade tariffs between the US and China, and others, have continued to move global markets, including weakening areas of the global economy in some regions too, significantly Europe, due to its heavy reliance on trade. However, we also see potential for more positive economic news in the near future as growth in the service industry may provide economic stability for countries that have previously relied on manufacturing.
Should this deterioration persist we may have to prepare for a slowdown in economic growth. However it remains to be seen whether or not a recession will emerge.
Throughout 2019, we have maintained a lower-than-average risk level in our Balanced, Conservative and Cautious portfolios. Despite this, they have outperformed their respective benchmarks, as we have been very selective in which risks we were willing to take. We hope to continue this trend by ensuring that our first priority is to preserve values by limiting the effects of market falls, even if this means we are likely to see more modest returns in the short term.
Read the full detail here:


The PhD to Consulting (PtC) conference is a one day annual event targeted at doctoral and post-doctoral researchers interested in pursuing a career in consulting.
A doctorate nurtures qualities like exceptional problem-solving skills, intellectual curiosity and a drive to achieve outstanding results. Commercial organisations and consulting firms are realising the potential of PhDs, valuing their fresh and thoughtful approach in delivering business insights. However, a number of high calibre researchers are unaware of this opportunity, and find it difficult to locate appropriate resources and guidance to realise a transition from academia to consulting.
The PtC conference provides a platform for discussion and networking for PhD researchers and professionals from top consulting firms. The conference will focus on topics such as:
Exploring how receptive the UK consulting industry is to PhD students/graduates. Determining the scope for PhD recruits in consulting. Defining the consulting industry expectations of PhD students/graduates. Outlining the skills that PhD recruit should have for a career in consulting and how they may apply. Establishing any sector/industry specific demands for PhD students/graduates. Analysing typical recruitment and assessment procedures, including case interviews and competencies.


According to the State Bank of Pakistan (SBP), Pakistan could expect GDP growth to stay within the range of 1.5–2.5% in FY21. The targeted GDP growth was 2.1%.
This growth is expected due to the steady performance of agriculture and the services sector.
However, due to the second wave of coronavirus and some other factors, these growth projections are at risk:
As a result, while a rebound in growth is expected in nearly all the regions in 2021, downside risks remain high,Source
The SBP expected exports to stay in the range of $23.4–23.8 billion in FY21 – higher than the $22.5bn recorded in FY20.
The debt servicing relief of $2.7bn (equivalent to 1% of GDP) provided to Pakistan under the G-20’s Debt Servicing Suspension Initiative will help create expenditure space for Covid-19-related spending,
The SBP is expecting the inflation rate for FY21 to stay within the range of 7-9pc in FY21 against the target of 6.5%.


Fluid mechanics is governed by a set of equations called the Navier-Stokes equations, which are the mass conservation, momentum conservation as well as the energy conservation equations. These will be briefly discussed below but references such as the publications of Versteeg and Malalasekera [1] or Ferziger and Peric [2] present them in more detail and depth.
1. Mass conservation
\underbrace{\frac{\partial \rho}{\partial t} }_\mathrm{transitoire} + \underbrace{\vec{\nabla} \cdot (\rho \vec{v})}_\mathrm{advection} = 0
where \rho is the fluid density and \vec{v} the velocity vector.
This equation stipulates that if a fixed volume is considered within a studied domain, the mass of fluid entering the volume is equal to the mass of the outgoing fluid.
2. Momentum conservation
\underbrace{\frac{\partial \rho \vec{v}}{\partial t}}_\mathrm{transitoire}+\underbrace{ \vec{\nabla}\cdot(\rho\vec{v}\otimes\vec{v})}_\mathrm{advection}=\underbrace{- \vec{\nabla} p + \vec{\nabla} \cdot [\tau]}_\mathrm{diffusion} + \underbrace{\rho \vec{g}}_\mathrm{source}
where p is the fluid pressure, \vec{g} the gravity field and [\tau] the tensor of viscous stresses.
This equation, derived from Newton's second law, governs the fluid movement. It establishes that the amount of movement is equal to the sum of the surface and volume forces acting on the fluid.
3. Energy conservation
\underbrace{\frac{\partial \rho h_{\text{tot}}}{\partial t} - \frac{\partial p}{\partial t}}_\mathrm{transitoire} + \underbrace{ \vec{\nabla} \cdot (\rho \vec{v} h_\mathrm{tot})}_\mathrm{advection} = \underbrace{\vec{\nabla} \cdot (\lambda \vec{\nabla} T) + W_\mu}_\mathrm{diffusion} + \underbrace{S_h}_\mathrm{source}
where h_{tot} is the enthalpy of the fluid, \lambda the thermal conductivity and W_\mu the thermal dissipation resulting from viscous stresses.
This equation, derived from the first principle of thermodynamics, ensures energy conservation within a fixed volume in space.
These three equations serve as a basis for contemporary fluid mechanics studies. Different versions of these equations can be used depending on the assumptions considered (incompressible fluids, Boussinesq approximation, etc.). Bernouilli's theorem, which is also commonly used, can be seen as an application of the momentum conservation to an incompressible, inviscid and stationary fluid. This can then be expressed with the following equation:
\frac{p}{\rho}+\frac{v^2}{2}+g z = \mathrm{constante}
4. References Versteeg, H. K., & Malalasekera, W. (2007). An introduction to computational fluid dynamics: the finite volume method. Pearson Education. Ferziger, J. H., & Peric, M. (2012). Computational methods for fluid dynamics. Springer Science & Business Media.


A Practical Guide to Addressing the Social Needs of Older Adults by West Health Institute and University of California, Irvine details how to implement a social needs screening and referral program for older patients into clinical practice. Driven by significant growth of the older adult population across the United States and the demand to improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs, there is heightened attention and increased awareness of the importance of social determinants of health. There is growing consensus that addressing not only the medical needs of an individual but also their social needs, is critical to achieve “whole-person care.” The screening and referral program that we share in this guide was developed and tested specifically for older adults in a clinical setting and considers key social needs that directly impact their daily function and ability to live independently. A Practical Guide to Addressing the Social Needs of Older Adults
This interactive guide provides an approach to address the social needs of older adult patients in four stages: ASSESS readiness, PREPARE teams and partners, IMPLEMENT the intervention, and EVALUATE the impact. The guide was developed based on insights from a collaboration between the Gary and Mary West Health Institute (WHI), the University of California, Irvine, Division of Geriatric Medicine and Gerontology, and SeniorServ, a large non-profit community-based organization in Orange County, CA.


Bringing together leading scholars, scientists, and clinicians, this compelling volume explores how therapists can cultivate wisdom and compassion in themselves and their clients. Chapters describe how combining insights from ancient contemplative practices and modern research can enhance the treatment of anxiety, depression, trauma, substance abuse, suicidal behavior, couple conflict, and parenting stress. Seamlessly edited, the book features numerous practical exercises and rich clinical examples. It examines whether wisdom and compassion can be measured objectively, what they look like in t.

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We have developed a low dose Mindfulness-Based Intervention (MBI-ld) that reduces the time committed to meetings and formal mindfulness practice, while conducting the sessions during the workday. This reduced the barriers commonly mentioned for non-participation in mindfulness programs. In a controlled randomized trial we studied university faculty and staff (n=186) who were found to have an elevated CRP level,>3.0 mg/ml, and who either had, or were at risk for cardiovascular disease. This study was designed to evaluate if MBI-ld could produce a greater decrease in CRP, IL-6 and cortisol than an active control group receiving a lifestyle education program when measured at the end of the 2 month interventions. We found that MBI-ld significantly enhanced mindfulness by 2-months and it was maintained for up to a year when compared to the education control. No significant changes were noted between interventions in cortisol, IL-6 levels or self-reported measures of perceived stress, depression and sleep quality at 2-months. Although not statistically significant (p=.08), the CRP level at 2-months was one mg/ml lower in the MBI-ld group than in the education control group, a change which may have clinical significance (Ridker et al., 2000; Wassel et al., 2010). A larger MBI-ld effect on CRP (as compared to control) occurred among participants who had a baseline BMI <30 (-2.67 mg/ml) than for those with BMI >30 (-0.18 mg/ml). We conclude that MBI-ld should be more fully investigated as a low-cost self-directed complementary strategy for decreasing inflammation, and it seems most promising for non-obese subjects.
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May 19, 2011 The recent crisis was characterized by widespread deterioration in funding conditions, as well as impairment of the mechanism through which liquidity is normally redistributed within the financial system. Central banks responded with extraordinary measures. This article examines the provision of liquidity by central banks during the crisis as they adapted their existing facilities and introduced new ones, while encouraging a return to private markets and mitigating moral hazard. A review of this experience illustrates the importance of clear principles for intervention, a flexible operating framework, and clear communication and co-operation by central banks. By exposing the degree of interdependence of financial institutions and markets, the crisis highlighted the need for reforms aimed at improving the infrastructure supporting core funding markets and the liquidity of individual institutions.


COVID-19 Preventative Measures To our valued customers and partners,
The BC Liquor Distribution Branch (LDB) is watching closely as the global situation with COVID-19 continues to evolve. I wanted to reach out to you personally to let you know what we’re doing to stem the spread of viral infections, including COVID-19.
The health and safety of our employees and customers is our highest priority
Our highest priority continues to be the health and safety of our customers, employees and those in our supply chain network including wholesale customers, manufacturers, suppliers and delivery partners.
We are in regular contact with our team members across the organization to reinforce protocols that support everyone’s wellbeing. Each of our facilities, including Head Office, BC Cannabis Stores (BCCS) and our distribution centre are implementing more frequent processes for the cleaning and disinfecting of common areas and equipment.
We remain committed to delivering excellent customer service
We are working closely with our industry partners to mitigate potential supply issues, while reinforcing our safety and hygiene procedures. At this time, we are not experiencing any delays or impacts to the supply of non-medical cannabis product.
We are following the guidance of government and health authorities
We have activated our Emergency Operations Centre to monitor the situation and ensure our standards are being strictly adhered to. We are closely following the direction of our provincial health officials which maintain a low public health advisory for British Columbia at this time.
We have put processes in place to support prevention and are monitoring the health of our employees.
We will do everything we can to support provincial efforts to manage this virus, while continuing to provide service to British Columbians.
Blain Lawson
GM and CEO
BC Liquor Distribution Branch


The Committee should ensure that any Local Rules are posted for players to see, whether on a separate handout on the first tee (sometimes referred to as a "Notice to Players"), the scorecard, a notice board or the course website.
Many organizations that run multiple competitions create a document which contains all the Local Rules they commonly use in all of their competitions. Historically this document has been printed on card stock and is known as a "Hard Card".
If players are required to play balls on the Conforming Ball List (see Model Local Rule G-3) or use clubs on the List of Conforming Driver Heads (see Model Local Rule G-1) or that meet the groove and punch mark specifications (see Model Local Rule G-2), the Committee should consider making the lists available for players to view or provide access to the applicable online databases.
Sheets that provide the groupings for the round along with their starting times should be produced and posted in locations where players can check them. While players are frequently sent their pairings electronically or can check them on a website, they should also be available at the course so that players can reconfirm their starting time.
The Committee may wish to provide players with a sheet that shows them the position of the holes on the putting greens. These may be circles with the distance from the front of the green and the nearest side, a piece of paper with just the numbers or a more detailed set of drawings of the green and its surrounds with the location indicated.
The Committee is responsible for publishing on the scorecard or somewhere else that is visible (for example, near the first tee) the order of holes at which handicap strokes are to be given or received. This allocation will be used for handicap matches and in some forms of net-score stroke play such as Four-Ball, Stableford, Maximum Score (when the maximum score is linked to the player's net score) and Par/Bogey competitions. For guidance on how to determine the order, consult the rules or recommendations contained within the Handicap System operating in the local jurisdiction.
Match Play - In a handicap match, the Committee should clarify the following in the Terms of the Competition:
Where the Committee has authorized a match to begin at a hole other than the 1st, the Committee may alter the stroke index allocation table for such matches.
Stroke Play - In a net-score competition, the Committee should determine the handicap allowances in accordance with the rules or recommendations contained within the Handicap System operating in the local jurisdiction. For example, if full handicap, or a percentage of the handicap, will be applied.
Copies of the Pace of Play and Code of Conduct policies should be available to players before the competition begins. When players are unfamiliar with these policies, the Committee may wish to go over them with the players in advance of the competition.
Referees and others who will be enforcing these policies should be trained and provided with any other additional materials, such as timing sheets or scripts with the specific language they should use to inform players of warnings or possible breaches.
Each Committee should consider how to evacuate players in case of severe weather or another emergency. If it is felt necessary, an evacuation plan may be created and provided to the players. Additional information can be found in Model Local Rule J-1.


When your spouse breaks their promise to remain faithful to you for the duration of your marriage, that could very well lead to divorce. If you have recently filed for divorce from your spouse in Texas, you may wonder whether that adultery will have any bearing on the case.
Unlike most states, which have rules that specifically prevent the courts from considering marital misconduct when splitting up a couple’s assets, Texas does allow the consideration of verifiable adultery to influence the division of your assets and debts. That means that if you can prove adultery, there may be financial consequences for your tax and financial benefits for you.
However, the situation can quickly become more complicated if your spouse is an active member of the military.
Military rules are very clear about adultery
Those who serve in the military must comply both with civilian laws and the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). The rules in the UCMJ go over everything from how someone should behave while in uniform to their obligations to the society around them. Part of those obligations involves being an upstanding member of society, which does not typically involve adultery.
Military members who commit adultery while in the service could very well face court-martial as a result. The military has adjusted its definition of adultery to now include more than just procreative sex between opposite-sex partners. Additionally, there are now rules that offer some leniency for those who begin dating during a separation but prior to a formal divorce.
If you leverage your spouse’s adultery, that could affect their military career, and therefore, any benefits that you might hope to receive as a result of your support of them during their service. Discussing the potential impact of adultery claims on your divorce with an attorney before you file can help you make the best decision for your situation.


Niestety wyniki u szczurow ale zawsze cos
Na dole podsumowanie najwzniejszych spraw:
Optimal and effective oral dose of taurine to prolong exercise performance in rat.
Miyazaki T, Matsuzaki Y, Ikegami T, Miyakawa S, Doy M, Tanaka N, Bouscarel B.
Ibaraki Prefectural Institute of Public Health, Mito, Japan.
The aim of this study was to determine the effective and optimum dose of taurine for exercise performance and to maintain tissue taurine concentration. Rats received a respective daily dose of 0, 20, 100, and 500 mg/kg body weight of taurine (EC and ET-1, -2, -3 groups, respectively) for two weeks, and then, were subjected to treadmill until exhaustion. The running time to exhaustion was significantly prolonged by 25% and 50% in the ET-2 and -3 groups, respectively, compared to that in the EC group accompanied with maintenance of taurine tissue concentrations. Furthermore, the oxidative glutathione per total glutathione ratio in tissues was inhibited in the ET-2 and -3 groups whereas it was higher in the EC group than in both the no exercise and taurine-administered groups. Therefore the effective and optimal doses of oral taurine administration for two weeks on a transient exercise performance were between 100 and 500 mg/kg/day.
U szczurow o ktorych podano 100 mg/kg 25% wzrosl czas biegu do wyczerpania
U szczurow o ktorych podano 500 mg/kg 50% wzrosl czas biegu do wyczerpania
Zmieniony przez - bimbam w dniu 2005-04-26 09:06:40


Pathogenic or benign. In 2018, ICK, coding for Intestinal-Cell Kinase, was reported as a novel causative gene in Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy (JME) in the New England Journal of Medicine. JME is one of the most common epilepsy syndromes, and the authors suggested that up to 7% of JME in their study may be explained by pathogenic variants in this gene, suggesting that, if applicable to all individuals with JME, it may provide a genetic diagnosis for an expected 500,000 individuals worldwide. In a reply to the initial study, the investigators of the EuroEPINOMICS-CoGIE, EpiPGX, Epi4K, and EPGP Consortia attempted to replicate these initial findings, but could not find any evidence in for a role of ICK in JME and indicated that the initial results may have arisen by chance and due to methodological issues. Given the potential implications for future research and therapy development in a relatively common epilepsy, the controversial ICK story is a good example to highlight why it is important to revisit the current consensus on when we consider a candidate a true disease gene and why a category mistake confusing variant pathogenicity for gene validity may result in false positive findings. Epilepsy genes. Let me preface this blog post by the statement that I am not neutral, as I am both a member of the EuroEPINOMICS consortium, authoring the letter to the NEJM editor and a member of the ClinGen Epilepsy Gene Curation Expert Panel, which is tasked with evaluating gene-disease relationships in the epilepsies. As of April 2019, we have not yet formally reviewed the evidence for or against ICK, so this blog post is not written in my role as the ClinGen Epilepsy Expert Panel leader. In addition, rather than taking sides in the discussion regarding ICK, I would like to lay out the general framework for when we call a gene a valid “epilepsy gene”, assessing a concept referred to as gene validity. Gene validity versus variant pathogenicity. There are two major concepts that we discussed in our 2018 Primer of the Genetic Literacy Series: clinical validity of the disease-gene relationship and variant pathogenicity. Clinical validity of the disease-gene relationship asks whether there is sufficient evidence that support the role of pathogenic variants in a gene in a given disease. Variant pathogenicity assesses the evidence for a particular variant to be disease-causing. For example, a truncating variant in SCN1A in an individual with Dravet Syndrome is pathogenic as the gene is a valid disease gene for Dravet Syndrome (i.e. the clinical validity of the disease-gene relationship of SCN1A and Dravet syndrome is established) and haploinsufficiency is an established disease mechanism with absence of protein-truncating variants in the general population (variant pathogenicity: check). However, variant pathogenicity is irrelevant if the disease-gene relationship is not clinically valid. For example, you may find a de novo truncating variant in the Mucin 12 gene ( MUC12) in an individual with Dravet Syndrome that has similar variant properties. However, as MUC12 is not a disease gene, this variant is not disease causing. In fact, MUC12 is a rather variable gene in the human genome with more protein-truncating variants than you would expect. Taken together, the validity of the disease-gene relationship must be established before assessing whether a given variant can be disease causing. The ICK gene. In their 2018 publication, Bailey and collaborators initially identified an ICKc.914A>C (p.K305T) missense variant in a large family with JME including 12 affected individuals. The variant segregated within this family. They subsequently identified further missense variants in 22 of 310 additional patients from the GENESS consortium that has study sites in United States, Mexico, Honduras, Brazil, and Japan. While JME is a relatively mild phenotype, disease-causing variants are typically not found in unaffected individuals. However, the ICKc.914A>C (p.K305T) missense variant is found in allegedly unaffected Latino individuals in the gnomAD browser (Figure 1). While it is theoretically possible that such a scenario occurs, such a variant would usually not be considered disease-causing unless there is further evidence for this particular variant. A similar situation is encountered with the PRRT2gene, where the common disease-causing c.649dupC variant is encountered in single individuals in large population databases (link), but the genetic evidence for this particular variant is overwhelming and confirmed over time. This is conceptually different from the ICKc.914A>C (p.K305T) variant. Accordingly, even a low population frequency is typically a strike against a variant being disease-causing and suggests that the ICKc.914A>C (p.K305T) variant is a population variant. If this variant that is seen in 1:5000 individuals were a true disease variant, it alone would account for 20% of all JME. Basically, genetic variation has been recognized as so prevalent that genes have fight an “uphill battle” to convince us that they are disease causing. This evidence needs to occur primarily on a genetic level, e.g. functional data cannot compensate for the lack of genetic evidence. If we hypothesize that ICK in the general population. ICKvariants are disease-causing through a loss-of-function mechanism, we would typically expect protein-truncating variants to be very rare or absent in the general population, a measure that is quantified by the probability of being loss-of-function intolerant (pLI) score that is implemented in the gnomAD browser. Genes such as SCN1Aor STXBP1have a pLI of 1.00, suggesting that loss-of-function variation is not tolerated in the general population. In other words, there is significant gene constraint. For ICK, the situation is different (Figure 1). The ICKgene is not constrained in the general population. Validation. While is it possible that ICK only causes disease due to a low frequency population variant in a single family, such an isolated phenomenon usually would not account for sufficient gene validity and independent validation is required. This is what has been attempted in the joint EuroEPINOMICS-CoGIE, EpiPGX, Epi4K, and EPGP letter to the NEJM editor, which was not able to validate the initial results. While negative results do not “harm” the status of ICK as a rare disease gene in a single family, it demonstrates that this finding is not generally applicable. Where does this leave us with regards to evaluating the role of ICK in JME? Population genetics argues against haploinsufficiency as the disease mechanism and suggested pathogenic variant in the initial family is a rare Latino population variant. While there is significant genetic heterogeneity in the epilepsies that would allow for such a scenario to occur for true disease-causing variant, it is highly unusual in 2019 for a true gene-disease association to fail replication given the range of resources available. Past experience has shown that the alleged disease variants turned out to be benign population variants.


The test methods described are designed to determine the disinfectant activity of processes used in the 1) medical area, 2) veterinary area, 3) food, industrial, domestic and institutional area using automated processes for distributing chemicals by air diffusion with no operator manually applying the disinfectant. This document covers the disinfection of nonporous surfaces but not that of the air.
The objective of the described processes is to disinfect the surfaces of the overall area including the external surfaces of the equipment contained in such rooms. Air handling and products or processes specifically designed for the disinfection of medical devices are excluded from the scope of this document. The test methods and volumes described provide a defined challenge. This document is applicable to processes for which activity is claimed against the following groups of microorganisms: - vegetative bacteria, - mycobacteria, - bacterial spores, - yeasts, - fungal spores, - viruses, - bacteriophages. This document does not cover processes for which the mode of action is based on immersing and/or circulation, flooding, spraying, wiping or other processes where the product is directly applied to the surfaces and not via air dispersion.
Označení ČSN EN 17272 (665231) Katalogové číslo 510515 Cena 570 Kč570 Datum schválení 1. 10. 2020 Datum účinnosti 1. 11. 2020 Jazyk angličtina (obsahuje pouze anglický originál) Počet stran 68 stran formátu A4 EAN kód 8596135105151 Dostupnost skladem (tisk na počkání)


A strong case can be made that the fundamental supports of the housing market– demographics, employment, creditworthiness and income–will not recover for a generation. – Of Two minds
By Charles Hugh Smith at Of Two Minds
EXCERPTS:
It can even be argued that housing has lost its status as the foundation of middle class wealth, not for a generation, but for the long term.
Rising rates of homeownership require five conditions:
1. Favorable demographics: a cohort of potential buyers that is larger than the cohort of potential sellers.
2. Rising household formation rates: an expanding population does not necessarily translate into rising rates of household formation. If the number of people per household goes up, then the number of households can plummet even as population expands.
3. A large cohort of creditworthy potential buyers: that means buyers with savings, buyers with sufficient income to pay the mortgage and buyers with low debt loads.
4. An economy that generates rising incomes to support homeownership.
5. An unshakable belief that owning a house is a favorable and secure investment that will rise in value in the decades ahead.
If the first four conditions have eroded, then the belief in the permanence of a rising housing market will also erode.
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How to Write a Rebuttal Letter to Your Employer for Being Passed Over for a Promotion
Not getting the promotion you wanted can be devastating, especially if you believed your qualifications were better than those of other candidates. Once you've had time to think about the promotion and perhaps ask why you didn't get the job, writing a rebuttal letter might not get you the job but it could position you for consideration when future promotional opportunities arise. Don't write an emotionally driven letter to argue why you should have received the promotion. Write a rebuttal letter with a professional tone that clearly and rationally explains your point.
Validate
Review the skills, qualifications and expertise required for the promotion you wanted. Obtain the materials your human resources department or the hiring manager had to determine if you were eligible for a promotion. Compare those materials to your resume to see if the qualifications they had to go by in the selection process match your qualifications. Note any areas where your qualifications and skills exceed those required for the promotion.
Chronology
Draft a chronology of your history with the company. Include your positions and a brief statement about your job duties, as well as promotions and raises you received during your employment. Describe instances where you've assumed higher-level responsibilities in the absence of your supervisor or manager. If you've performed the duties required in the job that you didn't get, explain when and how often you performed those duties and accolades you received for your performance.
Application
Trace your steps through the application process for the promotion. If there wasn't a formal process, describe how you expressed an interest in the promotion during conversations with your boss or someone from the HR department. Include statements made to you that indicated you might have been in the running for the promotion, such as acknowledgement for receipt of your formal application for the job.
Justification
State why you were entitled to the promotion. Refrain from comparing yourself to the person who received the promotion -- base your rebuttal letter on the merits of your qualification, not how you are a better candidate than a colleague who was promoted. If your employer recruited external candidates for the job and ultimately hired someone from the outside to fill the position, explain why you would have been a more suitable person for the job. In this case, describe how your knowledge of the company's mission and philosophy, as well as existing relationships with employees, make selecting an internal candidate a wise decision instead of hiring from outside the organization.
Interest
Express your regret for not receiving the promotion. Reiterate your continued interest in being promoted. Restate your strengths and include an updated version of your resume to ensure HR or the hiring manager has a current record of your skills and qualifications. Ask for guidance, training or professional development opportunities to prepare you for a future promotion.
References
Writer Bio
Ruth Mayhew has been writing since the mid-1980s, and she has been an HR subject matter expert since 1995. Her work appears in "The Multi-Generational Workforce in the Health Care Industry," and she has been cited in numerous publications, including journals and textbooks that focus on human resources management practices. She holds a Master of Arts in sociology from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. Ruth resides in the nation's capital, Washington, D.C.


In Tennessee and most states, you are considered "per se" under the influence for driving if your blood-alcohol content is measured at 0.08%. However, the National Transportation Safety Board has issued a recommendation encouraging all states to lower their per se standards to 0.05%. In 2018, the state of Utah became the first to do so.
Now, New York state is considering doing the same thing. Two members of the state assembly have introduced a bill to lower the per se standard to 0.05% and also to lower the threshold for another New York law, aggravated driving while intoxicated, from .12%-.18%.
"This bill is about bringing loved ones home safely," one of the assemblymen told reporters. "Reducing the BAC limit from .08 to .05 in New York will save lives. It's common sense legislation."
According to a memo accompanying the bill, some 10,000 people are killed each year in crashes involving impaired drivers. Another 173,000 or more are injured.
Would reducing the BAC standard bring down drunk driving accidents?
That is unclear. What seems clearer is that lowering the threshold would expose many more people to arrest for DUI. After all, it only takes about three to four drinks for the average person to reach the 0.08% threshold. If we lowered the threshold to 0.05%, people who had previously been considered sober enough to drive would then be considered dangerously drunk.
What we need is some agreement, and ideally scientific consensus, on when a person is truly impaired. That is difficult to come by, especially because different people metabolize alcohol at somewhat different rates.
Men become less intoxicated per drink than women, and larger people can generally drink more before becoming intoxicated. Conversely, smaller people and those with certain medical conditions can become more intoxicated than average after a few drinks. Therefore, one person might be impaired after three drinks while another might not be.
Are the police hampered by the 0.08% standard? Are they failing to arrest obviously intoxicated drivers because they test at or below 0.08%? They have the authority to arrest anyone who, in their professional opinion, is too impaired to drive.
The American Beverage Institute, a trade group representing the hospitality industry, argues that 0.05% is just too low. "The move is an attack on the restaurant and hospitality industries," it says, "and converts their responsible customers into criminals."
We can't have a per se DUI standard that responsible drinkers would fail.


This article examines delayed onset Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among UK military personnel.
Abstract
Delayed-onset posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is defined as onset at least 6 months after a traumatic event. This study investigates the prevalence of delayed-onset PTSD in 1397 participants from a two-phase prospective cohort study of UK military personnel. Delayed-onset PTSD was categorized as participants who did not meet the criteria for probable PTSD (assessed using the PTSD Checklist Civilian version) at phase 1 but met the criteria by phase 2. Of the participants, 3.5% met the criteria for delayed-onset PTSD. Subthreshold PTSD, common mental disorder (CMD), poor/fair self-reported health, and multiple physical symptoms at phase 1 and the onset of alcohol misuse or CMD between phases 1 and 2 were associated with delayed-onset PTSD. Delayed-onset PTSD exists in this UK military sample. Military personnel who developed delayed-onset PTSD were more likely to have psychological ill-health at an earlier assessment, and clinicians should be aware of the potential comorbidity in these individuals, including alcohol misuse. Leaving the military or experiencing relationship breakdown was not associated.
Full Reference
Goodwin, L; Jones, M; Rona, RJ; Sundin, J; Wessely, S; Fear, NT 2012. Prevalence of Delayed-Onset Posttraumatic Stress Disorder in Military Personnel: Is There Evidence for This Disorder? J Nerv Ment Dis;200: 429Y437


City making in the Global South has been notoriously characterized for its simultaneous, although differing modes of operation: a formally planned and legal one that meets the needs and buying power of the wealthier part of the population, and an unplanned, illegal one, caused by the unmet demand of the remaining part. As a result, self-built homes and spontaneous settlements have emerged, and represent a large portion of the built environment, albeit a very compromised and unequal one.
For several decades, cities in Latin America have made significant investments to reverse this trend. However, improvement efforts alone have not been enough to lift the negative stigma from these territories. Recognition of
barrios, villas and favelas as parts of the city is a task still pending.
In a critical review of upgrading interventions, the presence of public space emerges as a key transformative element. The publication argues to expand the agency of architects and urban designers and creatively find ways of justifying, financing, and building public spaces in communities – spaces that have a catalytic effectiveness in achieving significant urban and social transformation.
This publication was made possible by the Graham Foundation and CAF, development bank of Latin America, as well as the Wheelright Fellowship from Harvard University.
The book was edited and published by Actar Publishers.


We present a combined theoretical and experimental effort to enable strong light absorption (>70%) in atomically thin MoS2 films (<= 4 layers) for either narrowband incidence with arbitrarily prespecified wavelengths or broadband incidence like solar radiation. This is achieved by integrating the films with resonant photonic structures that are deterministically designed using a unique reverse design approach based on leaky mode coupling. The design starts with identifying the properties of leaky modes necessary for the targeted strong absorption, followed by searching for the geometrical features of nanostructures to support the desired modes. This process is very intuitive and only involves a minimal amount of computation, thanks to the straightforward correlations between optical functionality and leaky modes as well as between leaky modes and the geometrical feature of nanostructures. The result may provide useful guidance for the development of high-performance atomic-scale photonic devices, such as solar cells, modulators, photodetectors, and photocatalysts.


When a business owner or new homeowner purchases a piece of real estate, they may be surprised to find that someone else is permitted by law to be on their property for a specific purpose. This right is known as an easement. Easements in California can be established in four different ways.
One way to establish an easement in California is through an express grant. Express easements are those where the landowner actually gives an easement to someone else. This can be done through a deed, contract or other written document.
Another way to establish an easement in California is through implication. Implied easements are created when a piece of land is split into two or more part, but it is intended by both owners that the owner of one part of the land is permitted to enter the other part of the land for a specific purpose. However, such easements only exist if there is a strict necessity for them. Strict necessity exists when no other convenient way to access the property is available. However, in contrast to express easements, implied easements do not have to be written.
A third way to establish an easement in California is through necessity. These are similar to implied easements. However, while implied easements may exist out of convenience, an easement by necessity exists when no alternative access to one part of the property is available at all.
Finally, easements in California can be established by prescription. This takes place when a person has openly, notoriously and continuously for at least five years been using the easement. The person using the easement must be doing so without the landowner’s permission. Easements by prescription need not be in writing.
Ultimately, if you purchased a piece of property that has an easement on it or if you believe you have a right to an existing easement on another’s property, it is important to seek legal advice. Easements are legal constructs, and this post cannot promise any specific result with regards to easement issues. Attorneys in California may be a useful resource to those with questions about easements.


Adding a few healthy habits to your daily routine will do wonders for your long-term health. These tips may even boost longevity!
This herbal kit contains botanicals that are rich in antioxidants and nutrients intended to support healthy immune function. The herbal supplements can assist your body with protecting itself from external threats.


Learning how to manage performance well has significant benefits for both the employee and the organisation.
When underperformance is managed fairly and positively, employee loyalty and motivation improves. When working at its best it takes an employee who would be excellent but for one or two performance weaknesses and enables them to live up to their potential. This improves their long-term job security and workplace productivity.
Management of performance should not be a huge event; it should be quick and relatively pain free and something that’s done incrementally at the first sign of a deviation in ‘expected’ behaviour. If unaddressed for long periods of time it can become a major problem.
This course provides the ‘how to’ of effectively identifying and addressing underperformance. The focus is on helping employees to achieve their potential.
– Understand what drives performance
– Recognise underperformance – Identify the causes of underperformance – Effectively address underperformance – Support employees to achieve their full potential – Enhance employee engagement and loyalty – Develop performance objectives and motivate commitment – Determine when to apply informal and formal performance counselling – Develop a Performance Improvement Plan.


This week’s must reads in patient safety and health care focus on the need for supporting and maintaining a culture of safety. Two items may be overlooked as the emphasis is placed (where it should) on preventing adverse events and death to the patient:
Support the “second victim”. Celebrate patient safety efforts.
The concept of safety culture originated outside health care, in studies of high reliability organizations, organizations that consistently minimize adverse events despite carrying out intrinsically complex and hazardous work. High reliability organizations maintain a commitment to safety at all levels, from frontline providers to managers and executives. This commitment establishes a “culture of safety” that encompasses these key features: acknowledgment of the high-risk nature of an organization’s activities and the determination to achieve consistently safe operations a blame-free environment where individuals are able to report errors or near misses without fear of reprimand or punishment encouragement of collaboration across ranks and disciplines to seek solutions to patient safety problems organizational commitment of resources to address safety concerns Support the “Second Victim ”
In a recent post, Cheryl Connors, RN, MS (Patient Safety Specialist, Armstrong Institute for Patient Safety and Quality) reminds us to support the “second victim” and provide emotional first aid:
Supporting the “second victim” supports a #patientsafety culture #healthcare Click To Tweet
Let’s say that you’re a nurse on a hospital unit, and a colleague has recently been involved in a medication error. It was a mistake that anyone might make — a tenfold overdose that occurred when she wrote down an order and accidentally moved a decimal point one space to the right. Luckily, it didn’t lead to major harm, but the nurse is visibly shaken by the event and the investigation that followed. She looks to you for help dealing with her feelings of professional inadequacy and fear.Now the pressure is on you. What do you say? What words should you avoid? Celebrate P atient Safety Efforts
Raema A. Howell, MSHI, BSN, RN, CNOR discusses another important element in creating a patient safe culture – celebrating success:
Celebrating safe #medical procedures supports a #patientsafety culture #healthcare Click To Tweet
Keeping patients safe is a challenging goal shared by all health care providers. In the perioperative setting, care providers ’ actions are guided by providing a safe experience for patients. A successful surgical outcome occurs because of perioperative nurses and other team members whose expertise and knowledge helps protect patients from harm. Surgeries that occur without incidents or near misses should be acknowledged and the team members should be recognized for excellence.


A study conducted at Florida Atlantic University found that mice who were taken from the cage they lived in and later placed back in it caused a surge of dopamine "that mimics the response to a dose of cocaine."
From Science Daily:
The researchers questioned whether their findings reflected leaving an unappealing environment or if it truly was a response to the positive aspects of a known and safe environment. Therefore, they examined whether dopamine surges arise when the mice were relocated from the plexiglass recording chamber to a clean cage with natural bedding matching the one they had been living in prior to the study. Indeed, dopamine release occurred, however, this release was not as large as that observed when mice were transferred to the home cage and the dopamine surge was not as sustained.
"We weren't really exploring home cage effects," said Felix Mayer, Ph.D., a post-doctoral fellow in Blakely's lab and lead author of the study. "However, we were struck as to how reliable the manipulation was in evoking dopamine release particularly when placed in the context of little or no rise in dopamine when the mice were moved from the home cage to the test chamber. We are excited now to see if the genetic models of brain disorders we study will impact this effect."


Abstract
A correlative study in 50 cases of healed myocardial infarction compared the 12 lead electrocardiogram with pathologic observations. The electrocardiogram was interpreted according to established Minnesota codes with some modifications. The following conclusions were reached: (1) The electrocardiogram underestimates the extent of myocardial infarction. (2) When a healed myocardial infarct at a specific location is recognized with electrocardiographic criteria, it is likely that there are unrecognized infarcts involving other areas of the left ventricle. (3) Infarctions involving the lateral and inferobasal areas are frequently unrecognized. (4) The electrocardiogram is more likely to miss myocardial infarcts in patients with multiple, than in those with single, electrocardiographically diagnosed infarcts. (5) Apical myocardial infarction does not appear to have specific electrocardiographic findings, other than those related to general infarct localization by electrocardiogram, particularly in patients with anteroseptal or anterolateral infarction. (6) Abnormal Q waves, generally thought to indicate transmural myocardial infarction, are frequently found in subendocardial infarction. (7) The simplified electrocardiographic classification of myocardial infarct site (anteroseptal, inferior, anterolateral) used in this study is preferable to more detailed classifications previously suggested by others.


Abstract
In seeking to support diversity, one challenge lies in adequately supporting and assessing science cognitions in a writing-intensive Biochemistry laboratory course when highly engaged Asian English language learners (Asian ELLs) struggle to communicate and make novice errors in English. Because they may understand advanced science concepts, but are not being adequately assessed for their deeper scientific understanding, we sought and examined interventions. We hypothesized that inquiry strategies, scaffolded learning through peer evaluation, and individualized tools that build writing communication skills would increase confidence. To assess scientific thinking, Linguistic Inquiry Word Count (LIWC) software measured underlying analytic and cognitive features of writing despite grammatical errors. To determine whether interventions improved student experience or learning outcomes, we investigated a cross-sectional sample of cases within experimental groups (n = 19) using a mixed-methods approach. Overall trends of paired t-tests from Asian ELLs’ pre/post surveys showed gains in six measures of writing confidence, with some statistically significant gains in confidence in writing skill (p=0.025) and in theory (p≤0.05). LIWC scores for Asian ELL and native-English-speaking students were comparable except for increased cognitive scores for Asian ELLs and detectable individual differences. An increase in Asian ELLs’ cognitive scores in spring/summer over fall was observed (p = 0.04), likely as a result of greater cognitive processes with language use, inquiry-related interventions, and peer evaluation. Individual cases further elucidated challenges faced by Asian ELL students. LIWC scores of student writing may be useful in determining underlying understanding. Interventions designed to provide support and strengthen the writing of Asian ELL students may also improve their confidence in writing, even if improvement is gradual.
PubMed: MeSH publication types Journal Article