Metamorphosing identities : Dominicans in New Jersey

This essay engages Dominicans in New Jersey to explore and highlight areas that remain obscure and neglected in the study of the transnational experience of this population in general. In particular, the essay pays attention to the experience of young Dominican immigrants and Dominican Americans, whose live relation to Dominican identity is markedly different from that of their immigrant parents and older generations of immigrants. After providing an initial overview of Dominicans in New Jersey through a discussion of statistical data and press coverage, the essay uses interview materials with young men and women of this population to highlight where they locate and feel dominicanidad: in language use and its affective dimensions as well as in other expressive and cultural practices (eating, dancing) that take place within family and other kin networks. These locations for feeling and identification with Dominican identity challenge us to appreciate better just how different being Dominican looks when seen by some of the young people with whom I spoke.Este ensayo desarrolla la categoría de “Dominicanos en Nueva Jersey” para explorar y enfocar áreas que todavía quedan opacas y descuidadas en el estudio sobre la experiencia transnacional de esta población. En particular, este ensayo presta atención a la experiencia de los jóvenes inmigrantes dominicanos y los domínico-americanos, cuya relación vivida con la identidad dominicana es marcadamente diferente de la de sus padres inmigrantes y de la de generaciones anteriores de inmigrantes. Tras proveer un resumen de la condición de los dominicanos en Nueva Jersey a través de datos estadísticos y de cobertura en la prensa, este ensayo utiliza entrevistas con jóvenes de esta población para enfocar dónde ellos/as localizan y sienten la dominicanidad: en las prácticas lingüísticas y sus dimensiones afectivas, al igual que en otras prácticas expresivas y culturales (la comida, el baile) que tienen lugar en un ambiente familiar y de otros parentescos. Estos locales para el sentir y la identificación con la identidad dominicana nos retan a apreciar mejor lo diferente que los jóvenes con los que los que hablé siente el ser dominicano

Strategies to Prevent Hospital Transfers in the SNF Environment

This project focuses on the CNL curriculum element of Care Environment Management. The purpose of this project is to reduce hospital readmissions in geriatric patients who are currently having any changes of medical condition within the SNF microsystem. In this project, the CNL functions as the team manager and care coordinator. The CNL facilitated, and utilized patients’ outcome data to make changes in care processes to reduce acute hospital transfers in the skilled nursing facility. The CNL lead the interdisciplinary team and was resource or point of contact for this project. The CNL educated nurses to utilize (Interventions to Reduce Acute Care Transfers) INTERACT™ Early Warning Tool. Roger’s Diffusion of Innovation was the theoretical framework for this project. Root cause analysis (RCA) was done, to identify contributing factors that lead to an increase incidences of avoidable hospital transfers and readmissions. Both internal and external data in the SNF’s microsystem identified a common theme, lack of in communication between social services (discharge planners), nursing, and physicians. . After consideration of the INTERACT tool the DON and CNL identified the two INTERACT communication tools and two INTERACT decision support tools to implement. Some examples of the INTERACT tools are shown in Appendix G. The INTERACT tools are designed to improve the identification, management, communication, evaluation, and documentation about acute changes in patients condition (Ouslander et al., 2011). The plan is to decrease acute hospital transfers and admissions by 2%. INTERACT toolkit, improved workflow for nursing staff and decrease avoidable hospital transfers. In March of 2016, 12.31% of patients were transferred to the acute from the SNF environment; as of July 2016, the percentage of acute hospital transfers has decreased significantly to 5.36%. Goals and objective for this project was to decrease acute hospital transfers by 2%, currently hospital transfers have decrease to 6.95%. This exceeds the two percent benchmark that was set prior to the implementation of this CNL project. Reference: Ouslander, J. G., Diaz, S., Hain, D., & Tappen, R. (2011). Frequency and diagnoses associated with 7- and 30-day readmission of Skilled Nursing Facility patients to a nonteaching community hospital. Journal of the American Medical Directors Association. doi:DOI:10.1016/j.jamda.2010.02.01

Metamorphosing identities : Dominicans in New Jersey

This essay engages Dominicans in New Jersey to explore and highlight areas that remain obscure and neglected in the study of the transnational experience of this population in general. In particular, the essay pays attention to the experience of young Dominican immigrants and Dominican Americans, whose live relation to Dominican identity is markedly different from that of their immigrant parents and older generations of immigrants. After providing an initial overview of Dominicans in New Jersey through a discussion of statistical data and press coverage, the essay uses interview materials with young men and women of this population to highlight where they locate and feel dominicanidad: in language use and its affective dimensions as well as in other expressive and cultural practices (eating, dancing) that take place within family and other kin networks. These locations for feeling and identification with Dominican identity challenge us to appreciate better just how different being Dominican looks when seen by some of the young people with whom I spoke.Este ensayo desarrolla la categoría de “Dominicanos en Nueva Jersey” para explorar y enfocar áreas que todavía quedan opacas y descuidadas en el estudio sobre la experiencia transnacional de esta población. En particular, este ensayo presta atención a la experiencia de los jóvenes inmigrantes dominicanos y los domínico-americanos, cuya relación vivida con la identidad dominicana es marcadamente diferente de la de sus padres inmigrantes y de la de generaciones anteriores de inmigrantes. Tras proveer un resumen de la condición de los dominicanos en Nueva Jersey a través de datos estadísticos y de cobertura en la prensa, este ensayo utiliza entrevistas con jóvenes de esta población para enfocar dónde ellos/as localizan y sienten la dominicanidad: en las prácticas lingüísticas y sus dimensiones afectivas, al igual que en otras prácticas expresivas y culturales (la comida, el baile) que tienen lugar en un ambiente familiar y de otros parentescos. Estos locales para el sentir y la identificación con la identidad dominicana nos retan a apreciar mejor lo diferente que los jóvenes con los que los que hablé siente el ser dominicano

Reality check : gender mainstreaming in a JICA-funded disaster risk reduction and management project in the Philippines : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of International Development, Massey University, Manawatu, New Zealand

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is one of the leading bilateral donor agencies which supports the Philippines in enhancing its resilience to natural disasters. Addressing human vulnerability is believed to be the key in strengthening community resiliency, and this includes minimising the disparate impacts of disaster on men and women. Linking these issues to the principles of aid effectiveness, this thesis explores how does one of the largest bilateral development actors, JICA, ensure that its disaster rehabilitation programmes are gender responsive? In particular, this research investigates how JICA mainstreams gender into a disaster risk reduction and management project in the Philippines. This research used a qualitative approach—drawing on semi-structured interviews, document analyses, and a non-participant structured observation—to explore JICA’s gender mainstreaming framework, how it affects a Philippines’ disaster risk reduction and management project, and how the local partners influenced the mainstreaming of gender within the rehabilitation programme. It followed JICA’s gender mainstreaming framework starting from the formulation of the policy in its Headquarters in Tokyo, and to the adoption by JICA’s country office in the Philippines based on the local context. It then examines how the framework is operationalised in the programme, and finally, the contribution of JICA counterparts in the city government of Tacloban in mainstreaming gender. The research found that JICA’s gender mainstreaming framework covers only its departments in Tokyo. It has minor impacts on JICA’s Philippines office and its operations. However, the local gender framework in Tacloban City was reflected in the bilateral programme, albeit with limitations. In examining the frameworks and mechanisms of JICA and Tacloban City, the study found that gender mainstreaming is inherently technical in nature, requiring expertise, resources, and processes to be in place in order to achieve its transformative potential. The research concluded that a gender policy alone is not enough to precipitate changes towards gender responsive operations and outcomes—it requires fundamental commitment to gender equality by agencies who aim to deliver equitable development outcomes. The research hopes to enhance understanding of how gender can be better integrated in the context of official development assistance and disaster-related interventions in the Philippines and elsewhere

Radiation Damage Threshold of Satellite COTS Components: Raspberry Pi Zero for OPAL CubeSat

The use of inexpensive microprocessors or commercial of the shelf (COTS) components is one of the most common cost-saving methods in the constructions of CubeSats. Design of electronics that can maintain full functionality over the duration of the mission requires careful determination of the space radiation environment and total ionizing dose (TID) delivered to the components. Larger, more expensive or longer mission satellites tend to use more expensive components than the ones used in CubeSat to assure reliability. Radiation survivability of a Raspberry Pi Zero was studied with the USU Space Survivability Test Chamber using 0.2 to 2.5 MeV beta radiation from a Sr90 source to determine the amount of ionizing radiation that the memory and processor units can be exposed to before they exhibit radiation-induced damage or stop working altogether. We also analyzed the type of error produced by radiation exposure to determine if it was a recoverable or a critical error and how much shielding the processor would need to work reliably over the mission lifetime. The results of these evaluations will be used in the USU-led OPAL CubeSat which plans to incorporate a Raspberry Pi as its basic processor unit and to determine if this inexpensive microcomputer will be able to survive the TID received during its mission in LEO lasting 1-2 years, up to a TID \u3e200 krad

D-Region VLF Monitoring System

The use of VLF signals to monitor the changes that occur in the ionosphere resulting from solar variability, has helped to understand how different ionospheric layers depend upon the Sun. These different ionospheric layer responses play a significant role in determining space weather impacts. Our system was created to be a permanent monitor to study the effects on the D-region of the ionosphere and explore any major impacts due to sun radiation exposure. The use of inexpensive equipment proved to be effective and the key point in the creation of this system

Algunas dificultades en la resolución de problemas con derivadas

A través de este documento se dan a conocer los resultados parciales encontrados en un estudio realizado a estudiantes de primer año de licenciatura, siendo el objeto central indagar acerca de las dificultades que presentan en la resolución de problemas en el área de las matemáticas, los que se podrían resolver usando la derivada. Para esta parte de la investigación se diseñó y aplicó un diagnóstico el cual contenía cuatro problemas referidos a: graficación de funciones, extremos de funciones, funciones por ramos y tangente a una curva. El análisis de resultados deja ver cómo a pesar de haber cursado y aprobado el curso de cálculo I (cálculo diferencial) y llevado un 80% el curso de cálculo II (cálculo integral), muy pocos alumnos logran utilizan la derivada como una herramienta para solucionar los problemas propuestos

Facilitating EFL Students' Active Learning Through Digital Portfolio Development

A number of studies suggest that active learning enables learners to actively participate in the learning process, effectively assimilate their lessons, and gradually enjoy the learning process (Attaran & Moghaddam, 2014; Bonwell & Eison, 1991; D’Silva, 2010; Freeman et al., 2014; Koohang, 2009; Ryan & Martens, 1989; Tedesco-Schneck, 2013; Theobald et al., 2020). Developing a digital portfolio facilitates active learning among EFL students as it empowers them to plan their academic activities, reflect on their academic progress, and deepen their understanding of their lessons. This empirical study was conducted at Center for Preparatory Studies (CPS), Sultan Qaboos University during the Spring Semester of Academic Year 2022-2023. It gathered quantitative data through the Questionnaire for Portfolio Development; whereas it elicited qualitative data through focus group discussion sessions. The quantitative data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics 26; whereas, the qualitative data were analyzed thematically. Results revealed that the respondents have mixed feelings towards portfolio development. The majority of the respondents believe that developing their portfolio facilitates their active learning in various ways. Both the quantitative and qualitative data reveal that developing a portfolio facilitates active learning among the learners and that there is no significant difference in the respondents’ attitude towards portfolio development when grouped according to their course. EFL students have mixed feelings towards portfolio development. Despite their ambivalence towards portfolio development, they understand the significance of developing their portfolio. EFL students generally have a positive attitude towards all the three components of their portfolio (academic planner, vocab log and reflection task) as they consider each component helpful in developing their language skills and allow them to learn actively.&nbsp