Mutual Funds of Irwin Consulting Planning in Singapore and Tokyo, Japan

Mutual funds are common investments because they provide a cost-effective and effective means to vary your investments (or possess an assortment of securities -- stocks, bonds, etc.) without having to make a huge starting investment

Relationship Of Peer Mentoring To Academic Success And Social Engagement For First Year College Students

A correlational explanatory research design examined the relationship between peer mentoring, academic success and social engagement of first year college students participating in a peer mentoring program at a research one university in the southeastern United States. One hundred thirty-eight participants from the peer mentoring program responded to a Peer Mentoring, Academic Success and Social Engagement (PMASSE) questionnaire created and pilot tested by the researcher; the PMASSE had a Cronbach alpha reliability of 0.95. Peer mentoring was the independent variable and academic success and social engagement were the dependent variables. Three primary theoretical frameworks were utilized: social constructivism, theory of student involvement, and the theory of social integration. Descriptive statistical analyses showed several patterns related to the quality of the peer mentoring experience, level of academic success, and social engagement as perceived by the first year students. Inferential statistical analyses—including Fisher’s exact test and one-way ANOVAs—yielded several statistically significant relationships between peer mentoring, academic success, social engagement, and demographic mediating variables

Perception of charter school principals on the provisions of charter school legislation

This study investigated the perceptions of charter school principals regarding ten provisions relevant to charter school legislation. In addition, this study determined if differences existed between the opinion of experts and the perception of charter school principals regarding the strengths and weaknesses related to ten provisions of charter school legislation. This study assessed the perceptions of practitioners, charter school principals, regarding charter school legislation. Experts within the charter school movement ranked and critiqued various provisions of charter school legislation from their frame of reference as policy analysts. However, charter school principals confront the ramifications of charter school legislation on a daily basis. The Center for Education Reform in their report, Charter School Laws Across the States 2000: Ranking Score Card and Legislative Profiles (2000), rated thirty-seven states\u27 charter school legislation according to ten provisions inherent to the concept of charter schools. Based upon the instrument used by The Center for Education Reform (2000), in which experts in policy analysis assessed charter school legislation, a questionnaire was developed to obtain similar assessments from practicing charter school principals. A questionnaire was distributed to all charter school principals within the states of Texas, California, Michigan and Pennsylvania. In addition, telephone interviews were conducted with two randomly selected principals from each state in order to confirm, enrich or query data derived from the questionnaire; Although experts within the charter school movement rated provisions of charter school legislation, this study assessed the perception of practitioners, charter school principals, regarding charter school legislation. This study suggested that a significant difference existed between the perception of charter school principals and the opinion of experts regarding provisions of charter school legislation. In addition, the results of this study suggested that the ideal charter school concept was not being implemented within the charter school movement based on the high level of bureaucratic oversight and the low level autonomy within the charter schools

Senior Capstone Lecture Recital: Kenan Mitchell, baritone/bass

This recital is presented in partial fulfillment of requirements for the degree Bachelor of Arts in Music. Mr. Mitchell studies voice with Jana Young.https://digitalcommons.kennesaw.edu/musicprograms/2068/thumbnail.jp

Criminalising Gender Diversity: Trans and Gender Diverse People’s Experiences with the Victorian Criminal Legal System

Trans and gender diverse (TGD) people are disproportionately criminalised and face unique vulnerabilities when interacting with the criminal legal system. However, very little is known about TGD people’s experiences of criminalisation in Australia or the strategies TGD people and their advocates use to navigate the criminal legal system. Based on survey responses from TGD people with lived experience of criminalisation and lawyers with experience representing TGD clients, this article identifies several critical issues with the criminal legal system’s treatment of TGD people and outlines the strategies TGD people and their representatives suggest to address these issues. On this basis, we argue that criminologists and criminal legal practitioners urgently need to interrogate and work towards ameliorating the criminal legal system’s treatment of gender diversity. These insights will be crucial in informing future advocacy efforts and reform agendas, given that knowledge in this area is severely lacking

Provision and need of HIV/AIDS services in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality, 2010

Objectives. To determine the need for HIV/AIDS service provision in the City of Tshwane Metropolitan Municipality (CTMM), especially in municipal areas. Methods. The Foundation for Professional Development initiated the Compass Project. Using a questionnaire, data were collected during May - June 2010 from organisations providing HIV/AIDS services in the CTMM (organisational information and types of HIV/AIDS services). The need for HIV counselling and testing (HCT), antiretroviral treatment (ART), prevention of mother-tochild transmission (PMTCT), and care for orphans and vulnerable children (OVC) was estimated using data from various sources. Results. A total of 447 service providers was included in the study: 72.3% non-governmental organisations (NGOs); 18.1% in the public sector; 5.1% in the private sector; and 4.5% faithbased organisations. The majority of the prevention- (70.2%) and support-related services (77.4%) were provided by NGOs, while the majority of treatment-related services originated from the public sector (57.3%). Service need estimates included: HCT – 1 435 438 adults aged 15 - 49 years (11 127/service provider); total ART – 75 211 adults aged 15+ years (1 213/service provider); ART initiation – 30 713 adults aged 15+ years (495/service provider); PMTCTHCT – 30 092 pregnant women (510/service provider); PMTCTART – 7 734 HIV+ pregnant women (221/service provider); and OVC care – 54 590 children (258/service provider). Conclusions. Service gaps remain in the provision of HCT, PMTCT-ART and OVC care. ART provision must be increased, in light of new treatment guidelines from the Department of Health.S Afr Med J 2012;102:44-4

Beginning at the beginning in social work education: a case for incorporating arts-based approaches to working with war-affected children and their families

Building on the growing body of work that recognizes the value of participatory arts-based methods such as drawing, collage, Photovoice, and drama in work with war-affected children and young people and their families, this article asks the question, “How can the findings from practice based interventions become central to the work of preparing social workers who are at the beginning of their professional programs?” As the article highlights, there has been only limited attention in the literature on what these methods might mean for social work education, particularly in relation to family practice and especially in working with war-affected children. What could arts-based family practice with this population look like? The article maps out a framework that draws together two bodies of literature, the literature on the arts in social work education, and literature on the arts and war-affected children and their families. Central to this framework is a set of five pedagogical practices that align well with arts-based methodologies: reflexivity, situating one’s self, observation, ethical practice, and taking action. The article concludes that though arts-based methods as central to the social work curricula are not a panacea, “learning by doing” is a promising practice for those starting out in the profession

Exercises in Emergency Preparedness for Health Professionals in Community Clinics

Health professionals in community settings are generally unprepared for disasters. From 2006 to 2008 the California Statewide Area Health Education Center (AHEC) program conducted 90 table top exercises in community practice sites in 18 counties. The exercises arranged and facilitated by AHEC trained local coordinators and trainers were designed to assist health professionals in developing and applying their practice site emergency plans using simulated events about pandemic influenza or other emergencies. Of the 1,496 multidisciplinary health professionals and staff participating in the exercises, 1,176 (79%) completed learner evaluation forms with 92–98% of participants rating the training experiences as good to excellent. A few reported helpful effects when applying their training to a real time local disaster. Assessments of the status of clinic emergency plans using 15 criteria were conducted at three intervals: when the exercises were scheduled, immediately before the exercises, and for one-third of sites, three months after the exercise. All sites made improvements in their emergency plans with some or all of the plan criteria. Of the sites having follow up, most (N = 23) were community health centers that made statistically significant changes in two-thirds of the plan criteria (P = .001–.046). Following the exercises, after action reports were completed for 88 sites and noted strengths, weaknesses, and plans for improvements in their emergency plans Most sites (72–90%) showed improvements in how to activate their plans, the roles of their staff, and how to participate in a coordinated response. Challenges in scheduling exercises included time constraints and lack of resources among busy health professionals. Technical assistance and considerations of clinic schedules mitigated these issues. The multidisciplinary table top exercises proved to be an effective means to develop or improve clinic emergency plans and enhance the dialogue and coordination among health professionals before an emergency happens

Improving Postoperative Pain Control After Cesarean Delivery with Enhanced Recovery in Patients on Buprenorphine Therapy

Abstract: Introduction: Prescription drug abuse presents a significant challenge to the management of post operative pain.Pain control amongst the opioid addicted patient can be especially challenging. We aimed to improve pain control after caesarian delivery with enhanced recovery in patients who are on buprenorphine medication-assisted therapy for the treatment of opioid addiction. Materials and Methods: We conducted a pilot study by implementing a protocol using liposomal bupivacaine injected at the time of cesarean delivery. Patients were then given 500mg acetaminophen every 4 hours, 800mg ibuprofen every 8 hours and 0.3mg IV buprenorphine every 6 hours as needed. The patients’ maintenance dosing of buprenorphine was divided into doses throughout the day. In addition, patients were ambulated 4 hours after surgery and had their catheter removed from their bladder as soon as they could safely ambulate. Eleven patients were prospectively recruited and then compared to a retrospective sample of seventeen patients. Results: Patients in the treatment group reported 27% lower pain scores (p Discussion: Our enhanced recovery protocol is an effective alternative to traditional pain control and is associated with a significant reduction in both pain scores and use of breakthrough IV buprenorphine as well as lower charges

KC 4.2: “Principles Text” in Action in Outstanding and Ordinary Landscapes

In 2011, the ICOMOS-IFLA International Scientific Committee on Cultural Landscapes (ISCCL)began a cultural project, the World Rural LandscapesInitiative, with the goal of a wide and systematic approach to cultural heritage for rural areas both outstanding and ordinary) that has not been sufficiently developed in the past. A first goal has been achieved: “Principles Concerning Rural Landscape as Heritage” was adopted as a doctrinal text by ICOMOS (Delhi 2017) and translated in English, French, Chinese, Spanish and Arabian (worldrurallandscapes.org). This Knowledge Café will focus on methods and case studies to implement the main premises and contents of the PrinciplesText through a structured conversation with attendees. What actions have been developed to preserve and enhance the rural landscape that involve farmers, citizens, and public administrations and in particular that highlight nature-culture relationship and sustainable collaboration? The Knowledge café will be organized as follows: Lionella Scazzosi will briefly introduce the topic and present the PrinciplesText. Jane Lennon will provide a framework and some examples that illustrate best practices, actions and policies to implement the Principles. Workshop contributors will then lead a structured conversation to draw out ideas and gather case studies from all of the other session attendees. The goal will be to collect as many diverse ideas from around the globe with a focus on the interrelationship of natural and cultural conservation practices in rural landscapes. The ideas for implementing the Principles will be recorded and shared as outcomes from this conference and will assist in continuing the forward momentum of the field