Groundwork for Developing a Land Justice Popular Education Curriculum in Maine

Land injustice is the inequitable distribution of land and land related wealth. The history of land injustice in Maine is extensive and has taken the form of land privatization, land theft from Wabankaki tribes, the evictions of Malaga island’s mixed race population, and exclusion of migrant workers from land ownership. Land justice is a proposed framework for addressing inequities in land ownership that are rooted in class and race. Land in Common is a community land trust that aims to transform the relationship between people and land, by seeking a world in which land is cared for in the common and out of the private market. Land in Common intends to develop a popular education curriculum, as one of many strategies, for addressing land injustice in Maine. Popular education is the form of education that encourages learners to critically examine their own lives and enables collective action to change social and political conditions. Land in Common plans to convene a diverse group of individuals from frontline communities fighting against land injustice in Maine to collaboratively create a popular education curriculum focusing on land justice. Our project supports Land in Common’s work to create this program by exploring the many models of popular education that could be used to promote land justice organizing in Maine. We interviewed representatives from six US-based organizations leading popular education programs on topics related to land justice, in order to better understand the range of approaches and strategies for rolling out and running a popular education program. We identified and compiled free online popular education curricula that could be used or adapted by Land in Common, and created a Wordpress website to house these materials. We then synthesized the findings of our research and interviews to determine what the most important themes of popular education are. The themes we identified were that popular education programs need to be listening based, democratic, action oriented, meeting the needs or oppressed people, and creating transformative social and political change. We then summarized our findings on the logistics of organizing a popular education curriculum, including finding an audience, funding the education, leading and facilitating learning, and training facilitators. We discussed some major challenges organizations doing popular education face, and summarize the methods organizations use for evaluating the success of a curriculum. To conclude, we have developed a list of recommendations based on some of the logistical themes of creating and running a popular education program. We have included recommendations based on the following themes: starting a program, audience, funding, governing, training and measuring success

NASA Nebraska Space Grant Consortium 1995-1999 Self Evaluation

The NASA Nebraska Space Grant Consortium receives funds from NASA to allow Nebraska colleges and universities to implement balanced programs of research, education and public service related to aeronautics, space science and technology. Nebraska is a capability enhancement state which directs efforts and resources toward developing research infrastructure and enhancing the quality of aerospace research and education for all Nebraskans. Furthermore, the Nebraska Space Grant strives to provide national leadership in applied aspects of aeronautics. Nebraska has met, meets and will continue to meet all requirements set forth by NASA. Nebraska is a top-tier consortium and will continue to be a model program

\u3ci\u3eThe Proceedings of the NASA Aerospace Technology Symposium 2002\u3c/i\u3e

UNOAI Report 02-4https://digitalcommons.unomaha.edu/facultybooks/1145/thumbnail.jp

Minutes of UNO Fellowship & Scholarship Review Committee Meeting

Applications were distributed and the scoring process was described. Each application received three completed reviews. The total score was then computed and applications were ranked in based on the total score. Brent Bowen abstained from voting on the entire undergraduate process. The committee agreed that in the event of a tie, the decision will be made by a higher level authority. Lincoln engineering student applications were deferred to the UNL competition. Michaela Schaaf presented the underrepresented scholarship procedures for approval by the committee. The scholarship was advertised to all high school liaisons as a new scholarship which all students are eligible for, but preference will be given to underrepresented minorities. A summer research internship will be provided to a student who has typically completed their junior year. Upon successful completion of the internship and satisfactory academic performance, a four-year tuition and fees scholarship will be awarded to UNO for the aviation or space related field. The committee approved the process. (UNO\u27s Aviation Institute will contribute an out-of-state tuition waiver each year when applicable. Approved Dec. 16, 1996) The committee approved a new policy under which research scholars will not accumulate more than two weeks of time owed to a project. This will ensure that students do not have too large a load at the end of the semester. If no research work is available, the award will be reallocated. The committee approved the following travel grants as awarded. Fred Hansen, Graduate Student, awarded to attend the FAA Explosives Detection Technology and Aviation Security Technology Convention from Year 5 funds. Becky Lutte, Aviation Institute, awarded to attend the Global Aviation Safety and Security Conference from year 5 funds. Peter Suzuki, Urban Studies, awarded to attend the Transportation Research Board Meeting from year 5 funds. Willa Bruce, Public Administration, awarded to attend the Society for Practical and Professional Ethics Annual Conference and to present her Space Grant research paper from year 6 funds. The following students were awarded as a result of the review committee=s ranking. Further details of the committee=s ranking are available from the Nebraska Space Grant and EPSCoR Office if necessary. (These are not in any specific order.) Under represented Research: Darnetta Sanders (H.S. Senior) and Jacquelyn Jones (H.S. Junior) Undergraduate Research: John Carrico, Shadric Thomas, Joe Bell and Lyle Jones Undergraduate Course Work: Ben McPeck, Mary Schaffart Undergraduate Flight: Antonia Krajicek Graduate Research: Becky Lutte, Fred Hansen, Amanda Talmadge, Duane Boyle, Scott Vlasek, Alicia Martin and Aimee Freeman, Tim Gleason, Jr. Graduate Course Work: John Papazafiropoulos, June Evans, Mike Turner, Ron Bojanski, Steve Morrissett

An Approach to Mapping Forest Growth Stages in Queensland, Australia through Integration of ALOS PALSAR and Landsat Sensor Data

Whilst extensive clearance of forests in the eastern Australian Brigalow Belt Bioregion (BBB) has occurred since European settlement, appropriate management of those that are regenerating can facilitate restoration of biomass (carbon) and biodiversity to levels typical of relatively undisturbed or remnant formations. However, maps of forests are different stages of regeneration are needed to facilitate restoration planning, including prevention of further re-clearing. Focusing on the Tara Downs subregion of the BBB and on forests with brigalow (Acacia harpophylla) as a component, this research establishes a method for differentiating and mapping early, intermediate and remnant growth stages from Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) Advanced Land Observing Satellite (ALOS) Phased-Array L-band Synthetic Aperture Radar (PALSAR) Fine Beam Dual (FBD) L-band HH- and HV-polarisation backscatter and Landsat-derived Foliage Projective Cover (FPC). Using inventory data collected from 74 plots, located in the Tara Downs subregion, forests were assigned to one of three regrowth stages based on their height and cover relative to that of undisturbed stands. The image data were then segmented into objects with each assigned to a growth stage by comparing the distributions of L-band HV and HH polarisation backscatter and FPC to that of reference distributions using a z-test. Comparison with independent assessments of growth stage, based on time-series analysis of aerial photography and SPOT images, established an overall accuracy of > 70%, with this increasing to 90% when intermediate regrowth was excluded and only early-stage regrowth and remnant classes were considered. The proposed method can be adapted to respond to amendments to user-definitions of growth stage and, as regional mosaics of ALOS PALSAR and Landsat FPC are available for Queensland, has application across the state

Neutropenia in Barth syndrome:characteristics, risks, and management

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: Barth syndrome (BTHS) is an X-linked disease characterized by defective remodeling of phospholipid side chains in mitochondrial membranes. Major features include neutropenia, dilated cardiomyopathy, motor delay and proximal myopathy, feeding problems, and constitutional growth delay. We conducted this review of neutropenia in BTHS to aid in the diagnosis of this disease, and to improve understanding of both the consequences of neutropenia and the benefits of treatment with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). RECENT FINDINGS: In 88 patients with BTHS, neutropenia, that is, at least one count below 1.5 × 10/l, was detected in 74 (84%) and 44% had severe chronic neutropenia, with multiple counts below 0.5 × 10/l. The pattern of neutropenia varied between intermittent and unpredictable, chronic and severe, or cyclical with mathematically regular oscillations. Monocytosis, that is, monocytes more than 1.0 × 10/l, was observed at least once in 64 of 85 (75%) patients. G-CSF was administered to 39 of 88 patients (44%). Weekly average G-CSF doses ranged from 0.12 to 10.92 μg/kg/day (mean 1.16 μg/kg/day, median 1.16 μg/kg/day). Antibiotic prophylaxis was additionally employed in 21 of 26 neutropenic patients. Pretreatment bone marrow evaluations predominantly showed reduced myeloid maturation which normalized on G-CSF therapy in seven of 13 examined. Consistent clinical improvement, with reduced signs and symptoms of infections, was observed in response to prophylactic G-CSF ± prophylactic antibiotics. However, despite G-CSF and antibiotics, one adult patient died with multiple infections related to indwelling medical devices and gastrostomy site infection after 15.5 years on G-CSF and a pediatric patient required gastrostomy removal for recurrent abdominal wall cellulitis. SUMMARY: BTHS should be considered in any men with neutropenia accompanied by any of the characteristic features of this syndrome. Prophylaxis with G-CSF ± antibiotics prevents serious bacterial infections in the more severe neutropenic patients although infections remain a threat even in patients who are very compliant with therapy, especially in those with indwelling devices

SF3B1-mutant MDS as a distinct disease subtype:a proposal from the International Working Group for the Prognosis of MDS

The 2016 revision of the World Health Organization classification of tumors of hematopoietic and lymphoid tissues is characterized by a closer integration of morphology and molecular genetics. Notwithstanding, the myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) with isolated del(5q) remains so far the only MDS subtype defined by a genetic abnormality. Approximately half of MDS patients carry somatic mutations in spliceosome genes, with SF3B1 being the most commonly mutated one. SF3B1 mutation identifies a condition characterized by ring sideroblasts (RS), ineffective erythropoiesis, and indolent clinical course. A large body of evidence supports recognition of SF3B1-mutant MDSas a distinct nosologic entity. To further validate this notion, we interrogated the data set of the International Working Group for the Prognosis of MDS (IWG-PM). Based on the findings of our analyses, we propose the following diagnostic criteria for SF3B1-mutant MDS: (1) cytopenia as defined by standard hematologic values, (2) somatic SF3B1 mutation, (3) morphologic dysplasia (with or without RS), and (4) bone marrow blasts <5% and peripheral blood blasts <1%. Selected concomitant genetic lesions represent exclusion criteria for the proposed entity. In patients with clonal cytopenia of undetermined significance, SF3B1 mutation is almost invariably associated with subsequent development of overtMDS with RS, suggesting that this genetic lesion might provide presumptive evidence of MDS in the setting of persistent unexplained cytopenia. Diagnosis of SF3B1-mutant MDS has considerable clinical implications in terms of risk stratification and therapeutic decision making. In fact, this condition has a relatively good prognosis and may respond to luspatercept with abolishment of the transfusion requirement. (Blood. 2020;136(2):157-170)

TP53 mutation status divides myelodysplastic syndromes with complex karyotypes into distinct prognostic subgroups

Risk stratification is critical in the care of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Approximately 10% have a complex karyotype (CK), defined as more than two cytogenetic abnormalities, which is a highly adverse prognostic marker. However, CK-MDS can carry a wide range of chromosomal abnormalities and somatic mutations. To refine risk stratification of CK-MDS patients, we examined data from 359 CK-MDS patients shared by the International Working Group for MDS. Mutations were underrepresented with the exception of TP53 mutations, identified in 55% of patients. TP53 mutated patients had even fewer co-mutated genes but were enriched for the del(5q) chromosomal abnormality (p 10%), abnormal 3q, abnormal 9, and monosomy 7 as having the greatest survival risk. The poor risk associated with CK-MDS is driven by its association with prognostically adverse TP53 mutations and can be refined by considering clinical and karyotype features

Should Beauty be Pain? An Exploration of the Usage of Parabens within Personal Care Products and Cosmetics

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