Making TIFWorks Work for Chicago: An examination of Illinois Workforce Development Programs

National and state governments understand the importance of an educated skilled workforce and have implemented support and training programs to assure the well-being of our nation and its employees. Listening to the news, it is impossible to ignore the headlines. Jobs are going overseas. “Any worker whose job does not require daily face-to-face interaction is now in jeopardy of being replaced by a lower-paid equally skilled worker thousands of miles away.” (Farnsworth. 2004.) According to Greg Mankiw the chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisors, “outsourcing white-collar jobs is inevitable.” (Farnsworth. 2004.) America needs to create and maintain a skilled workforce. Skilled baby-boomers are retiring and not being replaced. “The American workplace is undergoing profound changes that are requiring all workers to acquire advanced skills to stay competitive in a global economy.” (Simon 1997, 1) “If Illinois is to remain competitive, workers must have access to and participate in ongoing education and training.” (Measuring Progress 2006, 12) American workers, and business owners alike, hear these headlines and worry about the future of their country and industry. The programs that are developed to help these workers and businesses need to be held to high standards and be able to prove their benefit and effectiveness

The design and performance of an x-ray emission spectrometer using the polarized Kalpha spectra of chlorine and potassium

The x-ray emission spectrometer was designed to observe the polarization of x-ray fluorescence resulting from the excitation of a sample by synchrotron radiation. The incident photons are intense, monoenergetic and linearly polarized along the plane of the storage-ring orbit. The emission spectrometer records the entire K-alpha spectrum by dispersing the emitted radiation with a curved Si (111) crystal and detecting the resulting radiation with a resistive anode position sensitive detector; both of which are situated on a Rowland circle. A sample is fixed in position and located in the middle of the Rowland circle. The spectrometer can be positioned to detect fluorescence emitted at 0° and 90° with respect to the polarization/propagation direction of the incident x-rays. In KCl, there was no observable polarization dependence of the emission spectra at the chlorine edge and a large effect seen in potassium below the ionization threshold. There were also small effects seen in freon-13 when excitations were to Rydberg states

Polarized X-ray emission spectroscopy at the chlorine K edge of the chlorofluoromethanes

The x-ray emission of CCl4, CFCl3, CF2Cl 2, and CF3Cl has been observed by measuring the polarized Cl K-L and K-V fluorescence in the gas phase. Experiments were conducted at the Advanced Light Source in Berkeley CA using a polarization sensitive x-ray emission spectrometer. In both energy ranges, the measured x-ray peak widths and energy dispersion are dependent on the initial photon energy and the final state lifetime broadening and can be described with established theoretical models. The first measurement of a negative energy dispersion is reported here where the energies of the emitted peaks are decreasing with increasing photon energy close to the 4 p Rydberg In this case, the emitted photon\u27s energy is dependent on vibrational excitations of several intermediate states. 1n the K-L energy range, there are significant deviations from the statistical 2:1 spin-orbit ratio that can he attributed to molecular field effects. The extent of the molecular field effects is dependent on the symmetry of the molecule and the orientation of the orbitals involved in absorption and emission with the emission in the parallel direction showing the largest effects. In the K-V energy range, the x-ray emission above the ionization potential (IP) was observed to be anisotropic in CF2Cl2 and CCl4 and largely isotropic in CF3Cl. This difference above the IP has been attributed to nondipole effects where vibronic coupling between near degenerate states (CI ls orbitals) can open decay channels otherwise not seen when the dipole approximation holds; this explains why anisotropy is seen in molecules with multiple CI atoms

Non-equivalence of key positively charged residues of the free fatty acid 2 receptor in the recognition and function of agonist versus antagonist ligands

Short chain fatty acids (SCFAs) are produced in the gut by bacterial fermentation of poorly digested carbohydrates. A key mediator of their actions is the G protein-coupled Free Fatty Acid 2 (FFA2) receptor and this has been suggested as a therapeutic target for the treatment of both metabolic and inflammatory diseases. However, a lack of understanding of the molecular determinants dictating how ligands bind to this receptor has hindered development. We have developed a novel radiolabelled FFA2 antagonist in order to probe ligand binding to FFA2 and in combination with mutagenesis and molecular modelling studies define how agonist and antagonist ligands interact with the receptor. Although both agonist and antagonist ligands contain negatively charged carboxylates that interact with two key positively charged arginine residues in transmembrane domains V and VII of FFA2, there are clear differences in how these interactions occur. Specifically, while agonists require interaction with both arginine residues to bind the receptor, antagonists require an interaction with only one of the two. Moreover, different chemical series of antagonist interact preferentially with different arginine residues. A homology model capable of rationalizing these observations was developed and provides a tool that will be invaluable for identifying improved FFA2 agonists and antagonists to further define function and therapeutic opportunities of this receptor

Books, blogging, and boredom : the impact of one-to-one computing on student engagement and literacy

As one-to-one computing infiltrates education across the United States, stakeholders question the impact this technology will have on all involved. Teachers are realizing the effect that one-to-one computing has on the school, classroom, and curriculum as districts jump on the bandwagon and purchase laptops for every student. Research shows that classrooms, including language arts classrooms, incur many positive changes. One such change is the inclusion of new literacies into the curriculum. These new literacies will change how students read and write. Course management systems have also become common in many classrooms; and teachers, students, and parents are learning to negotiate these technologies. Students are benefiting from one-to-one implementation. Commonly, student engagement and study habits increase with the inclusion of one-to-one, not only with the typical student, but also with those students who have an individualized education plan. Communication on the part of teachers, students, and parents also improves. Literacy practices involving reading, writing, and communicating have undergone changes as laptops become commonplace in the classroom. With these new technologies teachers and students are impacted, and must learn to adapt and make the most of these changes; teachers will need to be educated, too. Professional development including how to integrate technology into the classroom is critical to the success of students and schools. Further research will determine the significance and necessity of these technologies as students graduate into the 21st century

Play Hard, Sleep Harder: Relationship Between Time Spent Playing Videogames And Sleep

The use of electronics, including videogames, has been shown to affect sleep. However, previous results have been inconsistent. The current correlational study used a college-aged sample to look at how several variables are related to aspects of sleep. Measures included the Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index, the Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire, a sleep app, and sleep and videogame play diaries. The diaries were designed to measure pre-bedtime videogame play each evening prior to sleep and to measure quality and quantity of sleep upon awakening. Hierarchical multiple regression models were used to test hypotheses. It was hypothesized that amount of time spent playing videogames and amount of gaming during the hour before bed (Step 2) would predict sleep quality, sleep quantity, and sleep onset latency, when controlling for PSQI and MEQ scores (Step 1). It was additionally hypothesized that social goals/pressures would moderate the relationships between the videogame and sleep variables (Step 3). However, no moderating effects were identified. Participant characteristics (i.e., PSQI scores) significantly predicted all sleep outcomes. Videogame variables only significantly predicted sleep onset latency, suggesting that the amount of time playing videogames had relatively no impact on sleep quality or quantity

Evaluating Econometric Evaluations of Post-Secondary Aid

In an ongoing evaluation of post-secondary financial aid, we use random assignment to assess the causal effects of large privately-funded aid awards. Here, we compare the unbiased causal effect estimates from our RCT with two types of non-experimental econometric estimates. The first applies a selection-on-observables assumption in data from an earlier, nonrandomized cohort; the second uses a regression discontinuity design. Selection-on-observables methods generate estimates well below the experimental benchmark. Regression discontinuity estimates are similar to experimental estimates for students near the cutoff, but sensitive to controlling for the running variable, which is unusually coarse.Susan Thompson Buffett FoundationMassachusetts Institute of Technology. School Effectiveness & Inequality Initiative (Seed Fund

Different yet complementary: two approaches to supporting victims of sexual violence in the UK

This article explores the strengths and limitations of two different types of settings that provide specialist support to victims of sexual violence in the UK: Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) and voluntary sector organizations such as Rape Crisis. Qualitative data from six case study sites and quantitative data from 35 sexual violence projects in England and Wales revealed that the type of setting affected the types of referrals received and this, in turn, shaped the services required by victims and thus the nature of the work preformed. Consequently, each type of project had different emphases in their workload with which they were particularly well equipped to handle. Each type also had its own unique challenges; for example, while there were notable benefits from delivering support in partnership models, such as SARCs, their affiliation with statutory partners was perceived by some as a disadvantage, especially for those seeking support in relation to historical sexual abuse. On the other hand, those delivering support in voluntary sector projects had to work harder to establish and maintain relationships with other agencies, but their independence was seen to be greater and this was perceived as a strength for gaining access to victims and maintaining their confidence. Both approaches had notable benefits and, given the diverse array of sexual violence victims in any given area, providing these two different, yet complementary, approaches to supporting them is recommended