Too Little Stem Workforce In The United States: Framing The Discourse In A Global Setting

Policymakers and industry leaders are claiming that the U.S. has an insufficient number of STEM graduates. As the rhetoric of a shortage of skilled scholars and employees in STEM-related fields expands, there is a plethora of publications that refers to a phenomenon dating back to the 1950s. Nonetheless, this new paradigm presents a critical challenge to policies and programs that surround STEM education in countries around the world. While STEM, including the underlying human capital component is a major factor of economic growth in the United States, it is also in Australia and Germany. The policy analysis study is presented as a systematic investigation, critically examining how the contemporary discussion around STEM and skills shortages is articulated within an analytical framework that tends to differ. The policy analysis has proven useful to identify how the rhetoric reflects the real situation and how solutions are sought out relative to the national and international contexts

A double supermirror monochromator for neutron instrumentation at LLB

The design and characteristics of a double supermirror monochromator for neutron instrumentation at the Laboratoire Leon Brillouin is described. The aim of this monochromator is to reduce the intense gamma-radiation produced by conventional velocity selectors and to avoid a direct view of the guide while keeping a comparable neutron transmission (higher than 70%). The monochromator offers a continuous choice of wavelength selection in the range 0.5 to 2 nm

It Takes More than Public Speaking: A Leadership Analysis of The King’s Speech

In a time of global anxiety, a recent internationally acclaimed film aptly shows the development of a leader who never intended to lead. This leadership analysis of The King\u27s Speech critically explores transformation shaped by the pressures of war, modernity, and a public figure\u27s speech impediment in the advent of radio broadcasting. Supportive leadership and followership are examined, as the Duchess of York serves as an exemplar of both. The central catalyst of transformative leadership comes from Lionel Logue, who exercises his role with emotional intelligence and key strategies that are invaluable to the eventual King finding his voice. The servant leadership role is discussed, as it resonates strongly with an ongoing need for transformative and shrewd servant leaders in an increasingly fragmented and information-based global economy

Linear scanning ATR-FTIR for chemical mapping and high-throughput studies of Pseudomonas sp. biofilms in microfluidic channels

A fully automated linear scanning attenuated total reflection (ATR) accessory is presented for Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy. The approach is based on the accurate displacement of a multi-bounce ATR crystal relative to a stationary infrared beam. To ensure accurate positioning and to provide a second sample characterization mode, a custom-built microscope was integrated into the system and the computerized work flow. Custom software includes automated control and measurement routines with a straightforward user interface for selecting parameters and monitoring experimental progress. This cost-effective modular system can be implemented on any research-grade spectrometer with a standard sample compartment for new bioanalytical chemistry studies. The system was validated and optimized for use with microfluidic flow cells containing growing Pseudomonas sp. bacterial biofilms. The complementarity among the scan positioning accuracy, measurement spatial resolution and the microchannel dimensions paves the way for parallel biological assays with real-time control over environmental parameters and minimal manual labor. By rotating the channel orientation relative to the beam path, the system could also be used for acquisition of linear biochemical maps and stitched microscope images along the channel length.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figure

Collaborating across workflows: Managing creative assets from legacy works

From the perspective of two distinct workflows, this presentation will illustrate how library departments, Digital Collections and Conservation collaborate on the production of digital assets. In essence, both digitization and analog preservation workflows aim to guarantee that collections are easily retrieved and usable. This case study will illustrate two examples. The first one is more linear yet regional; it aims to create digital assets to engage the community by means of crowdsourced transcription. The second one is hands-on, as it addresses the long-term research value of the physical material for use in classrooms by Special Collections. While these workflows may exist within the constraints of restricted resources, collaboration is key to creating successful outcomes. In small departments collaboration helps units to advocate for each other through shared knowledge and promotion of services. In this way legacy projects are managed more efficiently, through sustainable solutions, where digital assets then become the primary points of access for the public. For example, the Historical Costumes book by Charles Bianchini is extremely fragile to handle and its binding has greatly deteriorated over time. Making the decision that this legacy piece can be digitally transformed is to offer a secondary pathway to preservation and alternative mode of access ensuring that the passage of time does not lessen the educational asset it represents and the value it offers. The management of creative assets produced from legacy materials, including accessioning those assets within a digital preservation schema are important steps to ensuring the sharing of knowledge

Multi-surface description of temperature and strain rate-dependent damage initiation and growth in ductile viscoplastic materials

A phenomenological modelling approach has been developed, based on some salient physical effects regarding void growth vs. plastic straining, to describe the transition behaviour between dense metal plasticity and micro-porous metal plasticity. Considering that void germination requires a certain amount of plastic deformation, a ‘primary’ hole nucleation criterion has been proposed, as well as a statistical law governing the ‘secondary’ hole kinetics. In a consistent way, the hole nucleation criterion accounts for the accelerating effects of stress triaxiality and, conversely, the delaying effects of temperature and strain rate. In this work, a modification of the GTN model has also been proposed, overcoming its inability to predict damage growth and fracture for zero and low triaxiality, shear-dominated deformations. In this respect the kinematic mean stress related shift mechanism has been introduced and quantified in the expression of the GTN plastic potential, enabling thus the damage growth under shear and under small negative triaxialities. The 3D constitutive equations have been implemented as user material in the engineering finite element computation code Abaqus®. Numerical simulations have been conducted considering a single finite element under simple shear on one hand and a notched cylindrical sample under remote uniaxial tensile loading on the other hand. The numerical results show clearly the influence of the hole nucleation criterion related constants on the damage and further failure of the material

Overwhelmed to Action: Digital Preservation Challenges at the Under-resourced Institution

Digital preservation advocates at small or mid-sized institutions struggle with the expectations of implementing a digital preservation program. Given that they operate with fewer resources than their larger colleagues, implementation can seem overwhelmingly difficult. With digital preservation a pressing issue, how do these libraries begin to tackle the challenge? Advocates at Milner Library have had the advantage of collaborating on the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) National Leadership Grant, Preserving (Digital) Objects With Restricted Resources (POWRR). This case study examines how they have applied the lessons they have learned to go from being overwhelmed to taking action. Along the way, they have encountered several misconceptions and challenges. This paper reviews the misconceptions and suggests approaches to the challenges of digital preservation. Some of the challenges include: minimal funds, change fatigue, lack of training, lack of engagement, and difficulty in framing the argument for administrators. Milner Library digital preservation advocates have approached the task by seeking collaborations, raising awareness, and starting small. It is possible to start the cultural change that is required to implement a digital preservation program, even with restricted resources

Assessing causes of death in the Cardiology Department of Yalgado Ouédraogo University Hospital

Introduction: analysis of the underlying causes of death can develop action plans for prevention of death that could be avoided. The aim of our study was to analyse the causes of cardiovascular deaths in the cardiology department of Yalgado Ouedraogo University Hospital.Methods: the study was a descriptive retrospective study over a 24 month period among patients who died in the department. Results: prevalence of death in the cardiology department was of 13.2%. Sex ratio was of 1.2 and 72.7% of patients were residing in Ouagadougou. Mean age of patients was 56.1 years and 59.4% of  patients were under 65 years old. Hypertension was the major cardiovascular risk factor (46.1%) and 27.4% of patients had a medical history of dilated cardiomyopathy. Cardiogenic shock was the immediate cause of death in 55.5% of cases and the initial cause of death was hypertension and its complications in 46.1% of cases. Death was not notified in 18% of cases and no death had been medically certified.Conclusion: death statistics are the most reliable data for public health interventions. However, it is necessary to establish an effective method of data gathering according to the WHO standards in order to facilitate international comparison.Key words: Causes of death, cardiovascular disease, immediate causes of death, Burkina Fas

Prevalence and determinants of chronic kidney disease in rural and urban Cameroonians: a cross-sectional study

BACKGROUND: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a global public health problem that disproportionally affects people of African ethnicity. We assessed the prevalence and determinants of CKD and albuminuria in urban and rural adults Cameroonians. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study of 6-month duration (February to July 2014), conducted in the health district of Dschang (Western Region of Cameroon), using a multistage cluster sampling. All adults diagnosed with albuminuria ([greater than or equal to]30mg/g) and/or decreased estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) (<60ml/min/1.73m 2 ) were re-examined three months later. Logistic regression models were used to relate baseline characteristics with prevalent CKD. RESULTS: We included 439 participants with a mean age of 47+/-16.1years; with 185 (42.1%) being men and 119 (27.1%) being urban dwellers. There was a high prevalence of hypertension (25.5%), diabetes (9.8%), smoking (9.3%), alcohol consumption (59.7%), longstanding use of herbal medicine (90.9%) and street medications (87.5%), and overweight/obesity (53.3%) which were predominant in rural area. The prevalence of CKD was 13.2% overall, 14.1% in rural and 10.9% in urban participants. Equivalents figures for CKD stages G3-G4 and albuminuria were 2.5%, 1.6% and 5.0%; and 12.1%, 14.1% and 6.7% respectively. Existing hypertension and diabetes were associated with all outcomes. Elevated systolic blood pressure and the presence of hypertension and diabetes were the predictors of albuminuria and CKD while urban residence was associated with CKD stages G3-G4. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of CKD and albuminuria was high in this population, predominantly in rural area, and driven mostly by the commonest risk factors