To Feed or Let Eat! A Scale of Independence, Exploration, and Family to Measure Baby‐led Weaning as a Complementary Feeding Approach

Background This article reports the development and validation of a measure of parents\u27 use of baby-led weaning (BLW). BLW is a child-centred approach to complementary feeding where the infant is allowed to eat whole foods (rather than purees) and explore a variety of foods and textures. To date, parents\u27 use of BLW has been assessed using either single items or a wide variety of measures. Method In this study, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses on independent samples supported three BLW subscales: independence, exploration, and family. Results The final 13-item scale showed adequate fit statistics and good reliability (χ2(62) = 115.02, p \u3c 0.001; CFI = 0.98; TLI = 0.98; RMSEA = 0.05; SRMR = 0.06; exploration a = 0.738; family a = 0.715; independence a = 0.809). In addition, the scale demonstrated good external validity and related in theoretically expected ways to an infant feeding-style measure and parent report of complementary feeding approach. This study was limited as it was mostly white parents, and the scale should be validated on a more diverse sample. Conclusions Future research can use this scale to examine if BLW relates to infant taste preferences, parenting styles, and child eating behaviours to improve child nutrition and health outcomes

ANÁLISIS DE LA IMPLEMENTACIÓN DE LA CARRERA DOCENTE EN EL DEPARTAMENTO DE CIENCIAS BÁSICAS DE LA UNIVERSIDAD NACIONAL DE LUJÁN

La Universidad Nacional de Luján (UNLu) ha concebido a la Carrera Docente como “un sistema de mejoramiento de los docentes de la universidad”. Hacia fines del año 2000, con la aprobación del Estatuto Universitario vigente, se ha institucionalizado la carrera docente en esta universidad. Luego de años de trabajo, se aprobó en Noviembre de 2009 la Reglamentación de la Carrera Docente lo que posibilitó que se establezcan los procedimientos definitivos para su implementación. Hacia fines del 2013 se realizó la primera inscripción de docentes y durante los meses de Abril y Mayo del año en curso se realizó la segunda. Dado que llevamos a cabo tareas de gestión en el Departamento de Ciencias Básicas, y que la participación en la carrera docente es voluntaria para los docentes ordinarios de la UNLu, nos propusimos analizar el impacto de la implementación de este sistema de ingreso que propende a la estabilidad, formación y evaluación continua de la labor docente en el ámbito de este Departamento. Analizamos el grado de participación en la Carrera Docente del personal docente que presta servicios en este Departamento tanto por categoría de revista como para cada una de las disciplinas que integran esta unidad académica. Encontramos que de los 229 docentes ordinarios con los que contaba el Departamento de Ciencias Básicas al momento de la primera convocatoria, el 33% se inscribió a carrera docente entre las dos convocatorias efectuadas a la fecha. El análisis por categoría mostró que el 26% de los profesores se inscribieron a carrera docente mientras que, de los docentes auxiliares lo hizo el 38%. Respecto de la participación por disciplina, encontramos que la mayor proporción de docentes que se incorporaron corresponde a la División Biología 52% de los ordinarios de esa División mientras que en dos Divisiones ningún docente se presentó a Carrera Docente, Estadística y Física

Planning in partially-observable switching-mode continuous domains

Continuous-state POMDPs provide a natural representation for a variety of tasks, including many in robotics. However, most existing parametric continuous-state POMDP approaches are limited by their reliance on a single linear model to represent the world dynamics. We introduce a new switching-state dynamics model that can represent multi-modal state-dependent dynamics. We present the Switching Mode POMDP (SM-POMDP) planning algorithm for solving continuous-state POMDPs using this dynamics model. We also consider several procedures to approximate the value function as a mixture of a bounded number of Gaussians. Unlike the majority of prior work on approximate continuous-state POMDP planners, we provide a formal analysis of our SM-POMDP algorithm, providing bounds, where possible, on the quality of the resulting solution. We also analyze the computational complexity of SM-POMDP. Empirical results on an unmanned aerial vehicle collisions avoidance simulation, and a robot navigation simulation where the robot has faulty actuators, demonstrate the benefit of SM-POMDP over a prior parametric approach.National Science Foundation (U.S.). Division of Information and Intelligent Systems (Grant 0546467

Caribbean Oceans: Utilizing NASA Earth Observations to Detect, Monitor, and Respond to Unprecedented Levels of Sargassum in the Caribbean Sea

In 2011 and 2015, the nations of the Caribbean Sea were overwhelmed by the unprecedented quantity of Sargassum that washed ashore. This issue prompted international discussion to better understand the origins, distribution, and movement of Sargassum, a free-floating brown macro alga with ecological, environmental, and commercial importance. In the open ocean, Sargassum mats serve a vital ecological function. However, when large quantities appear onshore without warning, Sargassum threatens local tourist industries and nearshore ecosystems within the Caribbean. As part of the international response, this project investigated the proliferation of this macro alga within the Caribbean Sea from 2003-2015, and used NASA Earth observations to detect and model Sargassum growth across the region. The Caribbean Oceans team calculated the Floating Algal Index (FAI) using Terra Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data, and compared the FAI to various oceanic variables to determine the ideal pelagic environment for Sargassum growth. The project also examined the annual spread of Sargassum throughout the region by using Earth Trends Modeler (ETM) in Clark Labs' TerrSet software. As part of the international effort to better understand the life cycle of Sargassum in the Caribbean, the results of this project will help local economies promote sustainable management practices in the region

Carbon Free Boston: Social equity report 2019

OVERVIEW: In January 2019, the Boston Green Ribbon Commission released its Carbon Free Boston: Summary Report, identifying potential options for the City of Boston to meet its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. The report found that reaching carbon neutrality by 2050 requires three mutually-reinforcing strategies in key sectors: 1) deepen energy efficiency while reducing energy demand, 2) electrify activity to the fullest practical extent, and 3) use fuels and electricity that are 100 percent free of greenhouse gases (GHGs). The Summary Report detailed the ways in which these technical strategies will transform Boston’s physical infrastructure, including its buildings, energy supply, transportation, and waste management systems. The Summary Report also highlighted that it is how these strategies are designed and implemented that matter most in ensuring an effective and equitable transition to carbon neutrality. Equity concerns exist for every option the City has to reduce GHG emissions. The services provided by each sector are not experienced equally across Boston’s communities. Low-income families and families of color are more likely to live in residences that are in poor physical condition, leading to high utility bills, unsafe and unhealthy indoor environments, and high GHG emissions.1 Those same families face greater exposure to harmful outdoor air pollution compared to others. The access and reliability of public transportation is disproportionately worse in neighborhoods with large populations of people of color, and large swaths of vulnerable neighborhoods, from East Boston to Mattapan, do not have ready access to the city’s bike network. Income inequality is a growing national issue and is particularly acute in Boston, which consistently ranks among the highest US cities in regards to income disparities. With the release of Imagine Boston 2030, Mayor Walsh committed to make Boston more equitable, affordable, connected, and resilient. The Summary Report outlined the broad strokes of how action to reach carbon neutrality intersects with equity. A just transition to carbon neutrality improves environmental quality for all Bostonians, prioritizes socially vulnerable populations, seeks to redress current and past injustice, and creates economic and social opportunities for all. This Carbon Free Boston: Social Equity Report provides a deeper equity context for Carbon Free Boston as a whole, and for each strategy area, by demonstrating how inequitable and unjust the playing field is for socially vulnerable Bostonians and why equity must be integrated into policy design and implementation. This report summarizes the current landscape of climate action work for each strategy area and evaluates how it currently impacts inequity. Finally, this report provides guidance to the City and partners on how to do better; it lays out the attributes of an equitable approach to carbon neutrality, framed around three guiding principles: 1) plan carefully to avoid unintended consequences, 2) be intentional in design through a clear equity lens, and 3) practice inclusivity from start to finish

Prospectus, November 30, 1988

https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_1988/1030/thumbnail.jp

Predictores del síndrome de burnout en docentes universitarios: Un análisis factorial exploratorio

Introducción: Debido a una serie de factores de estrés psicológico reconocidos en la trayectoria docente de los programas universitarios de salud, en la facultad son propensos a experimentar el síndrome de burnout. Objetivo: Determinar los predictores del síndrome de burnout entre docentes de la facultad de medicina de la Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia y Universidad Tecnológica del Perú. Métodos: Estudio transversal aplicado a 262 docentes tras muestreo de dos de las facultades de medicina de la Región Lima Metropolitana, mediante un generador de secuencias aleatorias. Los datos se recopilaron mediante un cuestionario con el consentimiento para evaluar el síndrome de burnout mediante el Inventario de Escala Maslach Burnout (MBI-GS) y se procesaron en la versión 23 de SPSS con valor p significativo de 95%. Se utilizó el Análisis Factorial Exploratorio para identificar los determinantes del síndrome de burnout. Resultados: El alfa de Cronbach promedio de 0,85 mostró que el MBI-GS evaluó el mismo constructo subyacente, los resultados arrojaron una prevalencia baja de burnout (79.4%) en los docentes encuestados. En las dimensiones, agotamiento (43.5%) y cinismo (60.3%) la escala es baja, mientras que la eficacia profesional es alta (46.6%). Conclusiones: El síndrome de burnout fue influenciado significativamente por el género y grupo etario en todas las dimensiones valoradas con mayor prevalencia en docentes mayores de 54 años y masculinos. Sin embargo, se observó una proporción minoritaria de 8% en docentes menores de 36 años de ambos géneros; esto indica que se deben aplicar medidas para minimizar el crecimiento porcentual con base en los años de servicio docente.Introduction: Because of a series of psychological stress factors recognized in the teaching trajectory of university health programs, faculty are prone to experience Burnout Syndrome. Objective: To determine the predictors of burnout syndrome among medical school teachers at the Universidad Peruana Cayetano Heredia (Peruvian University Cayetano Heredia) and Universidad Tecnológica del Perú (Technological University of Peru). Methods: A cross-sectional study was applied to 262 teachers sampled from two of the medical school teachers in the Metropolitan Lima Region, using a random sequence generator. Data were collected using a questionnaire with consent to assess burnout syndrome using the Maslach Burnout Scale Inventory (MBI-GS) and were processed in SPSS version 23 with a significant p-value of 95%. Exploratory Factor Analysis was used to identify the determinants of burnout syndrome. Results: The mean Cronbach's alpha of 0.85 showed that the MBI-GS assessed the same underlying construct, the results showed a low prevalence of burnout (79.4%) in the surveyed teachers. In the dimensions, burnout (43.5%) and cynicism (60.3%) scale low, while professional efficacy is high (46.6%). Conclusions: Burnout syndrome was significantly influenced by gender and age group in all dimensions assessed with higher prevalence in teachers older than 54 years and male. However, a minority proportion of 8% was observed in teachers under 36 years of age of both genders; this shows that measures should minimize the percentage growth based on years of teaching service

Neurochemical Characterization of the Tree Shrew Dorsal Striatum

The striatum is a major component of the basal ganglia and is associated with motor and cognitive functions. Striatal pathologies have been linked to several disorders, including Huntington’s, Tourette’s syndrome, obsessive–compulsive disorders, and schizophrenia. For the study of these striatal pathologies different animal models have been used, including rodents and non-human primates. Rodents lack on morphological complexity (for example, the lack of well defined caudate and putamen nuclei), which makes it difficult to translate data to the human paradigm. Primates, and especially higher primates, are the closest model to humans, but there are ever-increasing restrictions to the use of these animals for research. In our search for a non-primate animal model with a striatum that anatomically (and perhaps functionally) can resemble that of humans, we turned our attention to the tree shrew. Evolutionary genetic studies have provided strong data supporting that the tree shrews (Scadentia) are one of the closest groups to primates, although their brain anatomy has only been studied in detail for specific brain areas. Morphologically, the tree shrew striatum resembles the primate striatum with the presence of an internal capsule separating the caudate and putamen, but little is known about its neurochemical composition. Here we analyzed the expression of calcium-binding proteins, the presence and distribution of the striosome and matrix compartments (by the use of calbindin, tyrosine hydroxylase, and acetylcholinesterase immunohistochemistry), and the GABAergic system by immunohistochemistry against glutamic acid decarboxylase and Golgi impregnation. In summary, our results show that when compared to primates, the tree shrew dorsal striatum presents striking similarities in the distribution of most of the markers studied, while presenting some marked divergences when compared to the rodent striatum

Prospectus, February 1, 1989

https://spark.parkland.edu/prospectus_1989/1001/thumbnail.jp

A robust automated technique for operational calibration of ceilometers using the integrated backscatter from totally attenuating liquid clouds

A simple and robust method for calibrating ceilometers has been tested in an operational environment demonstrating that the calibrations are stable to better than ± 5 % over a period of a year. The method relies on using the integrated backscatter (B) from liquid clouds that totally extinguish the ceilometer signal; B is inversely proportional to the lidar ratio (S) of the backscatter to the extinction for cloud droplets. The calibration technique involves scaling the observed backscatter so that B matches the predicted value for S of 18.8 ± 0.8 sr for cloud droplets, at ceilometer wavelengths. For accurate calibration, care must be taken to exclude any profiles having targets with different values of S, such as drizzle drops and aerosol particles, profiles that do not totally extinguish the ceilometer signal, profiles with low cloud bases that saturate the receiver, and any profiles where the window transmission or the lidar pulse energy is low. A range dependent multiple scattering correction that depends on the ceilometer optics should be applied to the profile. A simple correction for water vapour attenuation for ceilometers operating at around 910 nm wavelength is applied to the signal using the vapour profiles from a forecast analysis. For a generic ceilometer in the UK the 90-day running mean of the calibration coefficient over a period of 20 months is constant to within 3 % with no detectable annual cycle, thus confirming the validity of the humidity and multiple scattering correction. For Gibraltar, where cloud cover is less prevalent than in the UK, the 90-day running mean calibration coefficient was constant to within 4 %. The more sensitive ceilometer model operating at 1064 nm is unaffected by water vapour attenuation but is more prone to saturation in liquid clouds. We show that reliable calibration is still possible, provided the clouds used are above a certain altitude. The threshold is instrument dependent but is typically around 2 km. We also identify a characteristic signature of saturation, and remove any profiles with this signature. Despite the more restricted sample of cloud profiles, a robust calibration is readily achieved, and, in the UK, the running mean 90-day calibration coefficients varied by about 4 % over a period of one year. The consistency of profiles observed by nine pairs of co-located ceilometers in the UK Met Office network operating at around 910 nm and 1064 nm provided independent validation of the calibration technique. EUMETNET is currently networking 700 European ceilometers so they can provide ceilometer profiles in near real time to European weather forecast centres and has adopted the cloud calibration technique described in this paper for ceilometers with a wavelength of around 910 nm