Awareness, use, and perceptions of biodiesel: A comparison of consumers in Belgium and the United States

Belgian (N = 61) and American (N = 134) fuel consumers were interviewed in the summer of 2012 to determine their awareness, use, and perceptions of biodiesel. Consumers who were aware of biodiesel were asked their perceptions. A significantly P \u3c 0.0001) higher percentage of Belgian consumers (78.7%) reported owning or driving a diesel vehicle compared to American consumers (9.0%). Belgian and American consumers moderately agreed biodiesel is a high-quality fuel. For both Belgian and American consumers, there was no significant association between owning a diesel vehicle and being aware of biodiesel or having purchased biodiesel. Although Belgian and American consumers agreed that using non-food crops for biodiesel is justified, Belgians were significantly less supportive than American consumers of using food crops for biodiesel. Both Belgian and American consumers disagreed with the statement “I would never use biodiesel”, and the two sets of consumers moderately disagreed that diesel engines would not run properly on biodiesel. Belgian and American consumers agreed that global warming is increasing; however, American consumers were more positive about the potential of biodiesel to reduce harmful exhaust emissions and global warming. Belgian consumers moderately agreed and American consumers agreed that biodiesel is better to use because it is made from renewable resources. Belgian and American consumers generally show similar perceptions of biodiesel, with the exception that American consumers were more positive toward the environmental and renewable aspects of biodiesel use. Recommendations for further research include gaining a better understanding of the potential positive influences that impact consumers’ perceptions of biodiesel

Musical Identity and Culture: Exploring the Korean Diaspora through the Lens of Piano Pedagogy

This presentation explores the nature of identity and pedagogy through the study of Western classical piano training. Two groups of university students – one of Korean Canadians and the other of Koreans in Korea – describe their training, their aspirations and their expectations. How do these students come to study piano? Who are they and how does their musical education form their sense of self? We started a comparative study of Korean and Canadian methodologies in Southwestern Ontario (London, Ontario) and Cheonan, Korea, an hour outside of the capital Seoul. Populations of these two cities are comparable although there are more opportunities for piano instruction in Korea. Korean students experience piano training early on as part of their daily education; they spend at least an hour everyday at music school practicing and having a lesson with teachers. This approach is unique to Korea whereas piano pedagogy in Canada is most often considered as an extracurricular activity with training provided for one hour a week. By the time students arrive at university, they have developed different strengths and weaknesses relative to their earlier training. The factors we examine in this presentation are historical reasons for the differences in pedagogy, place of the piano in Korean and Canadian culture, gender roles and shaping of new identities in new contexts

Should health professionals screen women for domestic violence? : systematic review

Objective To assess the evidence for the acceptability and effectiveness of screening women for domestic violence in healthcare settings. Design Systematic review of published quantitative studies. Search strategy Three electronic databases (Medline, Embase, and CINAHL) were searched for articles published in the English language up to February 2001. Included studies Surveys that elicited the attitudes of women and health professionals on the screening of women in health settings; comparative studies conducted in healthcare settings that measured rates of identification of domestic violence in the presence and absence of screening; studies measuring outcomes of interventions for women identified in health settings who experience abuse from a male partner or ex­partner compared with abused women not receiving an intervention. Results 20 papers met the inclusion criteria. In four surveys, 43­85% of women respondents found screening in healthcare settings acceptable. Two surveys of health professionals' views found that two thirds of physicians and almost half of emergency department nurses were not in favour of screening. In nine studies of screening compared with no screening, most detected a greater proportion of abused women identified by healthcare professionals. Six studies of interventions used weak study designs and gave inconsistent results. Other than increased referral to outside agencies, little evidence exists for changes in important outcomes such as decreased exposure to violence. No studies measured quality of life, mental health outcomes, or potential harm to women from screening programmes. Conclusion Although domestic violence is a common problem with major health consequences for women, implementation of screening programmes in healthcare settings cannot be justified. Evidence of the benefit of specific interventions and lack of harm from screening is needed

Evaluating ‘The Imagineerium’ : the Trowsdale Indices of Confidence in Competence, Creativity and Learning (TICCCL)

In order to evaluate the impact of The Imagineerium, an arts and engineering based curriculum project, a pilot sample of 135 year 5 (9- to 10-year-old) students completed a battery of tests both before and after participating in the 10-week programme. The battery of tests included three measures proposed by the Trowsdale Indices of Confidence in Competence, Creativity and Learning (TICCCL), together with the three indices proposed by the Junior Eysenck Personality Questionnaire Revised (abbreviated form), namely extraversion, neuroticism and psychoticism. In accordance with the hypothesised effect of the programme on student learning, the data demonstrated a significant increase in all three measures of confidence in competence, creativity and learning, but no change in the three control variables (extraversion, neuroticism, and psychoticism)

The Joys and Opportunities of Magazine Publishing

Rachel Barrett: Editor in Chief, Country Living Magazine, Hearst Magazines Jeff Joseph: Publisher & Editorial Director, Luckbox Magazine Jeremy Leslie: Founder & Curator, MagCulture, It\u27s a Mag, Mag World! Jo Packham: Creator/Editor in Chief, & 2018 Magazine Launch of the Year, Where Women Create, Where Women Cook, Where Women Create Work, & What Women Create Magazines Link to Jeff Joseph\u27s presentation Link to Jeremy Leslie\u27s presentation Link to Jo Packham\u27s presentatio

Agricultural Communications: Perspectives from the Experts

This qualitative research study evaluates the perspectives of agricultural communications (ACOM) according to ACOM experts (N = 25) from across the United States. Respondents represented policy makers, industry leaders, educators, and researchers and averaged about 15 years of experience. However, respondents were unable to identify a consistent definition of ACOM. Skills and characteristics needed by agricultural communicators ranged from general agriculture and policy understanding to technical communications and science knowledge. Audience identification, agricultural and policy knowledge, and targeted message development and delivery were all important skills needed by ACOMRs. Agricultural communicator characteristics focused on being flexible, responsible, gaining trust, and thinking critically. Challenges, sometimes noted as barriers, ranged from knowledge area changes to division and defense and from a non-unified voice to rapid expansion of technology. The discussion of higher education institutions training generalists versus specialists is an important topic based on findings of this study. Recommendations for future ACOM focus and education are discussed

Latino Agenda 2000

Few would argue that our community\u27s position is precarious. On the one hand, we are a growing presence in the Commonwealth. In 1995, there were an estimated 344,068 Latinos living in Massachusetts, representing 5.6% of the total state population, a 20% increase since 1990. It is expected that the 2000 census will confirm that Latinos are indeed the largest minority group in the state. Latinos make up an even larger proportion of the total population of a number of key cities, including Lawrence (48%), Chelsea (39%), Holyoke (37%), Springfield (20%), and Boston (12%). Latino youth have formed the largest minority youth population since 1990. As a result, Latino school enrollments have grown to such a degree statewide that Latinos students now make up an even greater proportion of the total public school enrollments in Lawrence (78%), Holyoke (69%), Chelsea (65%), and Boston (26%). This growth is beginning to bring heightened visibility. There are three Latinos serving as state representatives in Massachusetts. This is a major gain, considering that only one other Latino had ever previously been elected state representative. In the once economically depressed sections of Lawrence, Boston, and Springfield, Latino small business districts have emerged and are thriving by serving an ethnic market. The Latino community is adding to the area\u27s cultural fabric through the arts, ethnic festivals, and the achievements of local sports heroes. On the other hand, Latinos in Massachusetts continue to experience disproportionate and severe social and economic disadvantage. Consider the following facts: Forty-seven percent of Latino households and 55% of Latino children live below the poverty line; Latino students have the highest school dropout and MCAS failure rates in the state; Latinos are least likely to have health insurance; Latino homeownership rates lag behind most other groups in the state. In short, the overall condition of Latinos is poorer than any other population in Massachusetts, and even worse than Hispanics in most areas of the country. Because of this situation, we, as a community, have much to gain from purposeful policy development. Yet, it seems that, along with other people of color, we are thrust into the spotlight when it comes to social problems and the need for scapegoats, but are rendered invisible when it comes to participation in strategic decision-making, public discourse, and resource allocation

Teaching Self-Management Skills in Persons with Chronic Lower Limb Swelling and Limited Mobility: Evidence for Usability of Telerehabilitation

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usability of telerehabilitation as a method of teaching self-management for chronic swelling of the lower limbs in persons with limited mobility. An in-home telerehabilitation self-management education protocol for chronic swelling of the lower limbs, termed Telerehabilitation to Empower You to Manage and Prevent Swelling (TR-PUMPS), was implemented using the Versatile and Integrated System for Telerehabilitation (VISYTER) software platform. Participants (n=11) were 36-79 years old, predominately female (72.7%) and diagnosed with a variety of health conditions. Participants’ perceived usability scores of the remote delivery of TR-PUMPS was high with a median score of 6.67 (range 4.90 - 7.00) on a Likert scale: 1= disagree to 7= agree. There was no correlation between participants’ familiarity with information technology and their perception of telerehabilitation usability. These results support telerehabilitation as a viable method for teaching a home-based, self-managemen