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Advent 2 Series C 2018, Phillip L. Brandt

Sunday's Sermon

This PDF comments on the Propers for the Second Sunday in Advent, Series C and offers ideas for proclamation and preaching.

Defining And Regulating Cryptocurrency: Fake Internet Money Or Legitimate Medium Of Exchange?, Susan Alkadri

Duke Law & Technology Review

Digitalization makes almost everything quicker, sleeker, and more efficient. Many argue cryptocurrency is the future of money and payment transfers. This paper explores how the unique nature of cryptocurrencies creates barriers to a strict application of traditional regulatory strategies. Indeed, state and federal regulators remain uncertain if and how they can regulate this cutting-edge technology. Cryptocurrency businesses face difficulty navigating the unclear regulatory landscape, and consumers frequently fall prey to misinformation. To reconcile these concerns, this paper asserts cryptocurrency functions as “currency” or “money” and should be treated as such for regulatory purposes. It also proposes each state implement a …

Analysis Of State Unfunded Retirement Benefits In The United States, Darian Los

Honors Capstones

States have not been required to include underfunded pension liabilities on their financial statements until GASB No. 67 and No. 68 was issued in 2012. This means that citizens have not be getting all of information relating to the financial stability of the state. In this project, I gather pension liability data from the states Comprehensive Annual Financial Reports. The data gathered will be used by Truth In Accounting for analysis and reporting to the public. This information will allow citizens to determine the financial stability of their state and if plans are being underfunded, they can call for major …

Effecting Change In Their Community: The Pilsen Neighbors Community Council And Teresa Fraga, 1970-1990, Benjamin E. Skipor

Honors Capstones

The purpose of my research was to find how the Pilsen Neighbors Community Council (PNCC) and Teresa Fraga were able to affect change within the Pilsen neighborhood located in the near Southwest Side of Chicago. This paper outlines the issues that the PNCC worked to correct and the methods that they used. This research is primary source driven. Most documents were accessed through the Community Archives located at University of DePaul Library. Additional materials were found from the Chicago Tribune. The research resulted in an outline of the groups most successful methods: making the community aware and invested in solving …

Supporting Students With Adhd In The Classroom, Alexandria Patinka

Honors Capstones

Students with ADHD often face academic challenges (Rawe, 2014). Researchers have examined ways in which various levels of assistive technology (AT) devices to help mediate some of these challenges. A selection of AT options range from high-tech, mid-tech, to low-tech, and each level were examined for their effectiveness, ease of use, and affordability. Additionally, researchers used AT with an at-risk student with ADHD in order to examine the effectiveness when improving the student’s academic success. Researchers discuss and examine applications of AT in the classroom in order to provide educators with information on how to assist students who have ADHD …

Evaluation Of The Ecosystem Services Of The Central Marsh In Southern Iraq, Nadheer A. Fazaa, Jonathon C. Dunn, Mark J. Whittingham

Baghdad Science Journal

Ecosystems provide humans with services that include benefits from food, fresh water, climate regulation, and socio-economic assets. The Mesopotamian marshlands are among the largest wetlands in the Middle East and they provide various benefits. However, ecosystem services of the Marshlands are consistently undervalued in national economic analysis and decision making. This study focusses on the Central Marshes, the first National Park in Iraq, and is the first attempt at valuing a series of ecosystem services from a valuable natural ecosystem in Iraq. We adopted the Toolkit for Ecosystem Services Site-Based Assessment (TESSA) for the determination of biophysical and economic values …

Application Of Randomly Amplified Polymorphic Dna (Rapd) Technique To Estimate Genetic Distance Among Some Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Isolated From Different Iraqi Hospitals, Alyaa Mohammed H, Maysaa Adil Ali, Mohammed Saad Alnasari, Wedean Al-Hadban

Baghdad Science Journal

Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is one of the principal nosocomial causative agents. This bacterium has the capability to resist wide range of antibiotics and it is responsible for many diseases like skin, nose and wounds infection. In this study, randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD)-PCR was applied with ten random primers to examine the molecular diversity among methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) isolates in the hospitals and to investigate the genetic distance between them. 90 Isolates were collected from clinical specimens from Iraqi hospitals for a total of 90 isolates. Only 10 strains (11.11%) were found to be MRSA. From …

An Epidemiological, Diagnostic, And Therapeutic Study Of The Leishmania Tropica Parasite In Iraq’S Anbar Province, Suad Shallal Shahatha, Thaer Abdelqader Saleh

Baghdad Science Journal

This paper involved the registration of 1,936 cases of infection of the Leishmania tropica parasite observed at hospitals and health centers in Ramadi, Fallujah, Baghdadi, and Hit during 2017. The results revealed that the highest rates of infection were found in Ramadi and Fallujah. The 1-10 years age group recorded the highest rate at 35.5%. There was no significant difference (p ≥ 0.05) between the sexes. December and January saw the highest rate of infection, where the rate in rural townships was found to be 65.5%, higher than in urban regions which saw a rate of 34.4%. Facial lesions were …

Anticorrosion Behavior Of Deposited Magnetite On Galvanized Steel In Saline Water Using Rf-Magnetron Sputtering, Nafeesa J. Kadhim, Ahlam M. Farhan, Harith I. Jaafer

Baghdad Science Journal

Thin films of Magnetite have been deposited on Galvanized Steel (G-S) alloy using RF-reactive magnetron sputtering technique and protection efficiency of the corrosion of G-S. A Three-Electrodes Cell was used in saline water (3.5 % NaCl) solution at different temperatures (298, 308, 318 and 328K) using potentiostatic techniques with. Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and fitting impedance data via Frequency Response Analysis (FRA) were applied to G-S alloy with Fe3O4 and tested in 3.5 % NaCl solution at 298K.Results taken from Nyquist and Bode plots were analyzed using software provided with the instrument. The results obtained show that the rate of …

Proposing An Analysis System To Monitoring Weightlifting Based On Training (Snatch And Clean And Jerk), Abdul Monem S. Rahma, Maisa'a Abid Ali K.

Baghdad Science Journal

Analysis system of sports players is very important for individuals in weightlifting. Assessment of player and strength is important for the performance of weightlifting. This paper proposes an analytical method for weightlifters with check-by-frame video. This analysis system can compute the major steps of seven positions in both snatch and clean and jerk methods in frame-video weightlifting monitoring of movements. Each user can compute the major steps of the seven positions of Hu moments among two frames in the video during training, and the Euclidian distance can be computed for the Hu moment values and lifting moment values in the …

Pose Invariant Palm Vein Identification System Using Convolutional Neural Network, Nidaa Flaih Hassan, Husam Imad Abdulrazzaq

Baghdad Science Journal

Palm vein recognition is a oneof the most efficient biometric technologies, each individualcan be identified through its veins unique characteristics, palm vein acquisition techniques is either contact based or contactless based, as the individual's hand contact or not the peg of thepalm imaging device, the needs a contactless palm vein system in modern applications rise tow problems, the pose variations (rotation, scaling and translation transformations) since the imaging device cannot aligned correctly with the surface of the palm,and a delay of matching process especially for large systems, trying to solve these problems. This paper proposed a pose invariant identification system …

Climate Change Adaptation Strategies And Approaches For Outdoor Recreation, Daniel O'Toole, Leslie A. Brandt, Maria K. Janowiak, Danielle Shannon, Patricia Leopold, Stephen D. Handler, Et Al.

Michigan Tech Publications, Part 1

Climate change will alter opportunities and demand for outdoor recreation through altered winter weather conditions and season length, climate-driven changes in user preferences, and damage to recreational infrastructure, among other factors. To ensure that outdoor recreation remains sustainable in the face of these challenges, natural resource managers may need to adapt their recreation management. One of the major challenges of adapting recreation to climate change is translating broad concepts into specific, tangible actions. Using a combination of in-depth interviews of recreational managers and a review of peer-reviewed literature and government reports, we developed a synthesis of impacts, strategies, and approaches, …

Project Icarus, Amro A. Shanshal

Honors Capstones

Project Icarus is an autonomous surveillance Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) prototype designed to aid first responders by providing rapid aerial assessment of locations affected by disaster. Additionally, Project Icarus is capable of restoring local Wi-Fi based communications during grid failure. Icarus has the capabilities to provide logistical assistance to emergency personnel by providing immediate aerial surveillance of ongoing dangerous situations. Furthermore, the Icarus platform operates on an umbilical system that provides a long-term aerial surveillance solution and can be easily modified to accommodate specific situations using its modular design. The low-cost system that does not require a drone pilot is …

Relation Between Parents' Goals And Early Adolescents' Social Skills, Justin B. Arms

Honors Capstones

This project studied adolescent outcomes of different parent goals. Specifically, this project looks at whether parent centered goals and child centered goals are correlated with adolescent social skills. We broke down adolescent social skills into four different categories- assertion, cooperation, empathy, and self-control. Participants in the study were 78 7th graders and their primary caregiver (usually the child’s mother). Data was collected using questionnaires and semi-structured interviews conducted during home visits. The study failed to find significant correlations between parent centered goals and the outcome variables, as well as between child centered goals and the outcome variables. Because of this, …

Wear Of Tools Used In Sheet Metal Stamping, Rafael David Ortega-Perea

Honors Capstones

Stamping is an operation that is widely used in the manufacturing industry to produce products in high volume and in a continuous cycle. This operation can be performed by pressing and drawing. The process of sheet metal stamping has four components listed as follow: punch, blank holder, sheet metal blank, and die cavity. The purpose of a punch is to press the sheet metal blank, with a downward force, to stretch the material into the die cavity. The die cavity is fixed while the sheet metal blank is held down by the blank holder to properly stamp the sheet to …

Regional Strategies To Collaboratively Measure Affordability, Meredith Roberts Tomasi, Katie Dobler, Pamela Mariea-Nason

Books, Presentations, Posters, Etc.

Learn how Oregon and other states and regions are addressing health care quality and affordability with multi-payer regional data, cost reporting, and community stakeholder collaborations. This session will create a common understanding of terminology and share reports in use today. Participants will draft an affordability roadmap, deepen their knowledge of how to identify meaningful partnerships, and understand how any organization fits into the conversation.

After this presentation you will be able to:

1. 1. Discuss the terminology, data elements, and regional resources already working with quality and cost data across the country, and explain how Oregon uses regional data and multi-stakeholder …

A Chance To End Gerrymandering In Virginia, A. E. Dick Howard, Rebecca Green

Popular Media

No abstract provided.

Detection Of Pseudomonas Aeruginosa In Clinical Samples Using Pcr Targeting Eta And Gyrb Genes, Khulod Ibraheem Hassan, Saman Rafeeq Abdullah

Baghdad Science Journal

Pseudomonas aeruginosa has variety of virulence factors that contribute to its pathogenicity. Therefore, rapid detection with high accuracy and specificity is very important in the control of this pathogenic bacterium. To evaluate the accuracy and specificity of Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) assay, ETA and gyrB genes were targeted to detect pathogenic strains of P. aeruginosa. Seventy swab samples were taken from patients with infected wounds and burns in two hospitals in Erbil and Koya cities in Iraq. The isolates were traditionally identified using phenotypic methods, and DNA was extracted from the positive samples, to apply PCR using the species specific …

Social Justice Educator Training Announced, Unh Communications And Public Affairs

UNH Today Archive

No abstract provided.

2018-2019 Gingerbread Holiday Concert, Lynn University Philharmonia, Jon Robertson

Philharmonia

16th Annual Gingerbread Holiday Concert presented by Lynn University and Friends of the Conservatory of Music

High-Energy Nutrition In Paediatric Cardiac Critical Care Patients: A Randomised Controlled Trial, Huiwen Zhang, Ying Gu, Ya Ping Mi, Yun Jin, Weijia Fu, Jos M. Latour

School of Nursing and Midwifery

Background: Previous studies have shown that feeding high-energy formula to infants after cardiac surgery increased energy intake with fewer side effects on cardiopulmonary function. However, impacts on weight gain and gastrointestinal function remain unclear. Aims: To determine the impact of high-energy formula compared to standard formula on weight gain and gastrointestinal tolerance in postoperative infants with congenital heart disease. Design: Randomised Controlled Trial. Method: The setting of the study was at a 20-bed Cardiac Intensive Care Unit at a tertiary children’s hospital in China. Study population were infants <1 year of age who underwent cardiac surgery were allocated to the intervention group (n=32) and control group (n=32). The intervention group received high-energy formula (100kcal/100 mL) and the control group received standard formula (67kcal/100 mL) for 7 days during the stabilized postoperative period at the Cardiac Intensive Care Unit. Primary outcomes were weight gain and gastrointestinal intolerance. Secondary outcomes were energy intake and standard intensive care characteristics. Results: Infants who received high-energy formula (n=30) showed greater mean weight gain than those who received standard formula (n=29); -16g (95% CI: -74 to 42) versus -181g (95%CI: -264 to -99), P =0.001. The evaluation of gastrointestinal intolerance showed that the intervention group had several side effects, such as abdominal distension (n=1), gastric retention (n=2), and diarrhea (n=1), while the control group had no problems. Enteral energy intake in the intervention group was higher than control group from day three. Conclusion: Infants after cardiac surgery fed with high-energy formula gained more weight but had increased feeding intolerance. However, the feeding intolerance symptoms could be relieved by medication and did not affect feeding advancement. Relevance to Clinical Practice: Paediatric intensive care clinicians should consider gradually increasing energy density of the formula during feeding and assess feeding intolerance signs in children with malnutrition after cardiac surgery.

Input: An Academic–Practice Partnership To An Underserved Rural Community, Judy Neubrander, Susan Franzen, Rebecca Mathis

Faculty and Staff Publications – Milner Library

The INPUT project is a model partnership that changed the way health care was offered to the underserved in rural Western North Carolina. Grant funding provided a full‐time Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) to a free clinic and created clinical placements for FNP students. Students had opportunities to learn about unique aspects of care for vulnerable, underserved populations to encourage them to consider working in rural communities. The clinic saw an increase in patient visits and offered more continuity in follow‐up care. This academic–practice partnership represents a successful example of how working together can benefit the collaborators and community.

Enhancement Of The Tensile And The Compression Properties For Heat- Cured Acrylic Resin Denture Base Materials, Mohammed Gh. Hammed, Ibrahim H. Al-Fahdawi, Moaaed Motlak

Baghdad Science Journal

This work aims to investigate the tensile and compression strengths of heat- cured acrylic resin denture base material by adding styrene-butadiene (S- B) to polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). The most well- known issue in prosthodontic practice is fracture of a denture base. All samples were a blend of (90%, 80%) PMMA and (10%, 20%) S- B powder melted in Oxolane (Tetra hydro furan). These samples were chopped down into specimens of dimensions 100x10x2.5mm to carry out the requirements of tensile tests. The compression strength test specimens were shaped into a cylinder with dimensions of 12.7mm in diameter and 20mm in length. …

Structure-Mediated Excitation Of Air Plasma And Silicon Plasma Expansion In Femtosecond Laser Pulses Ablation, Qingsong Wang, Lan Jiang, Changji Pan, Weina Han, Guoyan Wang, Feifei Wang, Kaihu Zhang, Ming Li, Yongfeng Lu

Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering: Faculty Publications

Femtosecond laser-induced surface structures upon multiple pulses irradiation are strongly correlated with the pulse number, which in turn significantly affects successive laser-material interactions. By recording the dynamics of femtosecond laser ablation of silicon using time-resolved shadowgraphy, here we present direct visualization of the excitation of air plasma induced by the reflected laser during the second pulse irradiation. The interaction of the air plasma and silicon plasma is found to enhance the shockwave expansion induced by silicon ablation in the longitudinal direction, showing anisotropic expansion dynamics in different directions. We further demonstrate the vanishing of air plasma as the pulse number …

Can A Global Fund Help Solve The Global Marine Plastic Debris Problem?, Karen Raubenheimer, Alistair Mcilgorm

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

The problem of marine plastic debris impacts all of the world’s oceans and requires all nations to respond. However, developing States require funds to improve waste management infrastructure and services in order to reduce marine debris at source. Plastics manufacturers and retailers globally must be incentivised to design products for the environment as well as for the collection and end-of-life treatment facilities available within the intended markets. Given the oceans are a global common, we investigate the option of developing a global fund mechanism to progress the necessary actions to reduce plastic waste entering the world’s oceans. This requires consideration …

Ten Years Of Economic Analyses For The European Marine Strategy Framework Directive: Overview Of Experiences And Lessons Learned, Rob Van Der Veeren, Ann Kathrin Buchs, Günter Hörmandinger, Soile Oinonen, Conceição Santos, Max Vretborn

Journal of Ocean and Coastal Economics

The European Marine Strategy Framework Directive, which came into force in 2008, requires from Member States inter alia to perform various (types of) economic analyses. In order to help Member States to implement this directive, the European working group on Economic and Social Analysis was initiated in 2009. This working group has developed various guidance documents which have been very useful in helping each other to understand the Directive and its requirements, to develop one language, to understand the pros and cons of various approaches, and to share experiences. However, up until now, outside of this working group this information …

Autocratic Leadership Style: Obstacle To Success In Academic Libraries, Joseph Chukwusa

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The literature review is on autocratic leadership style as obstacle to success in academic libraries and other institutions were it is practiced. Leaders in institutions of higher education have been observed to be exhibiting autocratic leadership style. This review is geared towards reminding Chief Librarians that autocratic leadership style, no matter the colour it is painted remains a leadership style that is greatly not wanted by the led in the libraries. Most times, positive work attitude is not exhibited by staff. Leaders have been for the most part ignoring staff by following outmoded set of principles about them for the …

Correlation Between Journal Citation Indices For Biochemistry And Molecular Biology Journals, Shakil Ahmad

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

This paper investigated the possibility of utilizing SCImago Journal Rank (SJR), Eigenfactor Score and Google H5 index indicator as an alternative to the Journal Impact Factor (JIF) for quality assessment in the field of biochemistry and molecular biology. Principal factors such as researchers and librarians concerns of methods of scientific journal ranking, publication of language, analysis time and self-citation impact are looked into across indicated options and alternatives. The SJR, ES, Google H5 and JIF scores and ranking order of biochemistry and molecular biology journals were downloaded from their relevant websites. Pearson’s and Spearman’s correlation coefficients were gauged to weigh …

Context Analysis Of Top Seven Retracted Articles: Should Retraction Watch Revisit The List?, Rosy Jan, Shohar Bano, Ikhlaq Ur Rehman Syed, Midhat Mehraj

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

Significant and serious scientific misconduct in a research article leads to its retraction. Citing such articles further perpetuates the erroneous work. An article unknowingly builds on false claims of a

retracted article, the new and unsuspicious article may compromise the integrity of the scientific literature. This type of implicit dependency on a retracted article can be highly risky and harmful. Thus the focus of the study is to identify the journals citing the retracted articles with emphasis on the examination of context of citations received by top seven highly cited retracted papers identified and listed by Retraction watch. In-depth analysis …

Information Technology Application In Health Science Libraries: A Study Of Delhi, Jamal Ahmad Siddiqui

Library Philosophy and Practice (e-journal)

The present study covers the changing scenario of libraries with the application of Information Technology. The application of IT is widely visible on every function of the library. The present study deals with the use of IT in different sections of the libraries and also highlights the condition of Human power, gender analysis, qualification and experience of staff, collection development and the infrastructural facilities of Health Science Libraries under study. The results reveal that most of the staff members of libraries are qualified and find that the IT has changed the entire functioning of the libraries and has improved our …