New distance and depth estimates from observations of eclipsing binaries in the SMC

A sample of 33 eclipsing binaries observed in a field of the SMC with FLAMES@VLT is presented. The radial velocity curves obtained, together with existing OGLE light curves, allowed the determination of all stellar and orbital parameters of these binary systems. The mean distance modulus of the observed part of the SMC is 19.05, based on the 26 most reliable systems. Assuming an average error of 0.1 mag on the distance modulus to an individual system, and a gaussian distribution of the distance moduli, we obtain a 2-sigma depth of 0.36 mag or 10.6 kpc. Some results on the kinematics of the binary stars and of the H II gas are also given.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, Proc. IAU Symp. No 256, The Magellanic System: Stars, Gas and Galaxies, eds. Jacco Th. van Loon & Joana M. Oliveir

Evaluating a public display installation with game and video to raise awareness of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

Networked Urban Screens offer new possibilities for public health education and awareness. An information video about Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) was combined with a custom browser-based video game and successfully deployed on an existing research platform, Screens in the Wild (SitW). The SitW platform consists of 46-in. touchscreen or interactive displays, a camera, a microphone and a speaker, deployed at four urban locations in England. Details of the platform and software implementation of the multimedia content are presented. The game was based on a psychometric continuous performance test. In the gamified version of the test, players receive a score for correctly selected target stimuli, points being awarded in proportion to reaction time and penalties for missed or incorrect selections. High scores are shared between locations. Questions were embedded to probe self-awareness about ‘attention span’ in relation to playing the game, awareness of ADHD and Adult ADHD and increase in knowledge from the video. Results are presented on the level of public engagement with the game and video, deduced from play statistics, answers to the questions and scores obtained across the screen locations. Awareness of Adult ADHD specifically was similar to ADHD in general and knowledge increased overall for 93 % of video viewers. Furthermore, ratings of knowledge of Adult ADHD correlated positively with ADHD in general and positively with knowledge gain. Average scores varied amongst the sites but there was no significant correlation of question ratings with score. The challenge of interpreting user results from unsupervised platforms is discussed

Experiments in the use of glass in painting

This project was conducted for the purpose of developing techniques of painting in the medium of glass and producing works using these techniques. Initial work in glass was primarily a problem in the manipulation of new (to the artist) material and an exploration of the potential of the medium for creative purposes. Research indicated that the chief usage of glass as an art material had been in the media of stained glass windows, mosaics, and etched and painted glass. Since this project was to be an experimental one it was considered the more worthwhile purpose to discover new ways of using glass rather than continue work in established techniques. One central idea governed the approach to each work: that the production seek to achieve a painterly quality using glass as the carrier of pigment

Becoming a redwood: a genealogy of expression in Dana Gioia’s poetry and Lori Laitman’s song cycle

Meaning in art song transforms from poet to composer to performer to listener. Together, various layers of meaning form a genealogy of expression. In this paper, I articulate a theory of expression genealogy, using the song cycle Becoming a Redwood, poems by Dana Gioia (b.1950) and music by Lori Laitman (b. 1955). I argue that a rich and credible performance depends upon awareness of this genealogy. I investigate the process of transforming Gioia's poetry into art song and how knowledge of that process informs performance and listener response. The study provides a methodology for performance that may be applied to other vocal music. To demonstrate the transformation of meaning in the multi-layered creative process, I employ several methods, including personal interviews with the composer and the poet, close readings of the four poems, and analysis of the musical settings

Reconceptualizing information systems business value in the non-profit organizational context

The nonprofit sector is an important part of the U.S. economy as an estimated 2.3 million non-profit organizations contributed $804.8 billion to the gross domestic product (GDP), approximately 5.5$1.51 trillion in revenue, $1.45 trillion in expenses, and$2.71 trillion in total assets (Roeger et al., 2012). Many non-profit organizations use donated funds to address complex social problems such as education inequality, financial instability, and limited access to health care services. To impact change in these social areas, non-profit organizations operate within a complex business environment characterized by a significant reliance on volunteers, collaboration with other non-profit organizations, and the pursuit of community-driven strategic objectives. The contextual factors that characterize non-profit organizations can have an impact on the way information systems (IS) are integrated within organizational practices and on how these organizations can use IS effectively to achieve business goals (Zhang et al., 2010). Yet, IS research within the non-profit setting is considerably limited (Zhang et al., 2010) and the extent of the impact of these contextual factors is unknown. Further, understanding how non-profit organizations gain value from IS in the non-profit environment has also been neglected in academic literature. Typical terms associated with IS business value research, such as impact on productivity, on market performance, or on economic growth (Schryen, 2013), are not applicable in the non-profit business environment. Non-profit organizational performance is dualistic in nature, primarily focusing on the attainment of various social goals within a particular community in addition to traditional financial measures (Zmud, Carte, & Te'eni, 2004). Therefore, an alternate conceptualization of IS business value and its relationship to organizational performance is necessary when examining IS in non-profit organizations. This multi-method dissertation aims to address the aforementioned issues by focusing on the role of IS in non-profit organizational practices to examine how IS business value is derived in the non-profit context and its impact on non-profit organizational performance. We employ an alternate approach to examining IS business value through the usage of the knowledge-based view of the firm as the theoretical base. This divergence from previous studies which focus solely on the resource-based view of the firm provides us with an entirely new avenue for examining IS business value in the non-profit organizational context. First, within the Introduction, we provide a detailed explanation of the contextual factors in the non-profit context. Second, we provide a thorough literature review on IS business value and discuss the difficulties in directly applying it in the non-profit organizational context. Third, we argue for reconceptualizing IS business value using the knowledge-based view of the firm as the theoretical base. This provides us with a firm ground upon which we can conduct the three studies of this dissertation. The research detailed was conducted at two organizations: United Way of Greater Greensboro (UWGG) and United Way of Central Carolinas (UWCC). Study 1 employs an action research approach at UWGG where, through collaboration with key employees, practical solutions were developed to address IS related issues faced by the focal organization. More specifically, we focused on the utilization of the Enterprise System in an organizational practice and derived theoretical insights on IS business value through integrating Practice theory and Process Theory in the action research approach. Study 2 employs case study methodology to examine business intelligence (BI) practices at UWCC. We provide background on BI usage in the for-profit organizational context and highlight the lack of research in the non-profit organizational context. We then examine BI from a process perspective and theorize on the value that is derived from the organizational utilization of an integrated data system. We draw from intellectual capital research, a core concept based on the knowledge-based view of the firm, to examine how BI provides UWCC with new knowledge on the impact of their programs in the community. We theorize on non-profit IS business value through examining the relationship between BI-facilitated Intellectual capital and its resultant impact on the non-profit's social goal. Study 3 provides a comparative analysis of the role of IS in the social goal strategies employed at both UWGG and UWCC. Using SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats) analysis, we examine the favorable and unfavorable aspects of how information systems are utilized in each organization's social goal strategy and provide prescriptive insight into how non-profit organizations can transition towards better strategic IS utilization. Lastly, we conclude this dissertation with a brief summary of salient points, including the dissertation's contributions to research and practice and a discussion of future research. Overall, this three study dissertation provides a holistic view of the role of IS in non-profit organizational social goal strategies and how non-profits derive value from their information systems. This dissertation fills gaps in research on IS business value by reconceptualizing it from a knowledge-based view of the firm, applying it in the non-profit organizational context, and developing theoretical insights on it from multiple perspectives. We make significant contributions to literature in management, organizational behavior, and information systems through our focus on IS usage and utilization in non-profit organizations. This dissertation is one of the first studies to examine non-profit IS organizational practices in situ, provide practical insight to the role of IS in non-profit social goal strategies, and develop theoretical insights into how non-profits utilize and gain value from information systems

Social networking and the school adjustment of Karen refugee youth from Burma: determining the effects of ethnic identity, bonding social capital, and Facebook use

In 2011 alone, over 56,000 refugees were admitted to the United States and a third of these individuals were under the age of 18 (Martin & Yankay, 2012). Researchers have found that the social capital developed through close and confiding relationships is instrumental in the academic outcomes of refugee youth (Kia-Keating & Ellis, 2007; Kovacev & Shute, 2004) and adolescents from diverse ethnic backgrounds use social capital as a resource in identity construction (Holland, Reynolds, & Weller, 2007). Social networking sites (SNS) are now used by adolescents to communicate a sense of belongingness related to their ethnic group (Grasmuck, Martin, & Zhao, 2009) and in studies with college students from the United States have been linked to the establishment of social capital (Ellison et al., 2007; Ellison, Steinfield, & Lampe, 2011). The purpose of the current study was to explore the participants' social network composition on Facebook based on whether their networks were primarily composed of peers with the same ethnic identity (same-ethnic peers) or from different ethnic backgrounds (cross-ethnic peers). Specifically, the researcher aimed to investigate whether Facebook was primarily used to facilitate the development of bonding social capital with peers with the same ethnic identity. It also was designed to explore the relationship between Facebook use, ethnic identity, bonding social capital, and school adjustment in the sample of 40 Karen newcomer refugee adolescents living in the United States. Overall, the researcher found that newcomer refugee Karen students are utilizing Facebook to develop friendships with individuals that share the same ethnicity and with peers from different ethnicities. There was a significant relationship between bonding social capital and school adjustment; however, there were not differences in bonding social capital based on the composition of participants' peer networks. The final model demonstrated that amount of Facebook use was a significant predictor of school adjustment scores and that bonding social capital mediates this relationship. It appears that higher levels of bonding social capital are predictive of higher levels of school adjustment, and Facebook usage may actually decrease bonding social capital in these students. Important implications exist for school counselors working with newcomer refugee students. Given the importance of bonding social capital on school adjustment, school counselors should consider ways to foster peer relationships for newcomer refugee students. Results from the current study suggest that higher amounts of Facebook use may actually be preventing newcomer refugee students from developing close peer relationships, underscoring the potential importance of school counselors fostering relationship building within the school environment

Areas of study pertinent to interior designers based on interviews with twenty-seven interior designers practicing in Greensboro, North Carolina

Areas of study that practicing interior designers consider important might be a logical beginning in determining the changing needs for curriculums. The purpose of this study was threefold: (1) to identify the education and experience of practicing interior designers and decorators, (2) to determine the types of work engaged in by these interior designers, and (3) to identify the knowledge and skills practicing interior designers and decorators believed to be most pertinent for future interior designers. One-half of the designers had formal training in interior design, a fourth had a short course while one-fourth had no formal training. Length of experience in the field ranged from two months to forty-three years. Only five designers were affiliated with professional design organizations. The type of responsibilities and kind of work done by these interior designers varied widely

The development of an objective, reliable and valid tool for the systematic description of selected teacher behavior evident in the teaching of the cradle in lacrosse to beginners

The purpose of this study was to develop an objective, reliable and valid tool for the systematic description of selected teacher behavior evident in the teaching of the cradle in lacrosse to beginners. The tool constructed was a category system, the basis of which stemmed from examining two ideas relevant to the teaching of physical skills to beginners: (1) the type of response elicited by the teacher and (2) the components that are involved in formulating a physical education lesson that emphasized the teaching of the cradle in lacrosse to beginners. The category system contained 12 categories and was divided into two parts, SPECIFIC and NON-SPECIFIC. The SPECIFIC part identified those teacher behaviors that were observed in which no opportunities were allowed to the students to make behavioral decisions. The NON-SPECIFIC part identified those teacher behaviors observed in which a choice(s) was offered to the students to make behavioral decisions. Eleven of the 12 categories were common to both parts of the category system. Three judges were trained to act as observers in the use of the system. The judges viewed three specially prepared video tapes of three experienced teachers teaching the cradle to beginners

A population level study into health vulnerabilities of mothers and fathers involved in public law care proceedings in Wales, UK between 2011 and 2019

IntroductionUnder section 31 of the Children Act 1989, public law care proceedings can be issued if there is concern a child is subject to, or at risk of significant harm, which can lead to removal of a child from parents. Appropriate and effective health and social support are required to potentially prevent some of the need for these proceedings. More comprehensive evidence of the health needs and vulnerabilities of parents will enable enhanced response from family courts and integrated other services.ObjectiveTo examine health vulnerabilities of parents involved in care proceedings in the two-year period prior to involvement.MethodsFamily court data provided by Cafcass Cymru were linked to population-based health records held within the Secure Anonymised Information Linkage Databank. Linked data were available for 8,821 parents of children involved in care proceedings between 2011 and 2019. Findings were benchmarked with reference to a comparison group of parents matched on sex, age, and deprivation (n = 32,006), not subject to care proceedings. Demographic characteristics, overall health service use, and health profiles of parents were examined. Descriptive and statistical tests of independence were used.ResultsNearly half of cohort parents (47.6%) resided in the most deprived quintile. They had higher levels of healthcare use compared to the comparison group across multiple healthcare settings, with the most pronounced differences for emergency department attendances (59.3% vs 37.0%). Health conditions with the largest variation between groups were related to mental health (43.6% vs 16.0%), substance use (19.4% vs 1.6%) and injuries (41.5% vs 23.6%).ConclusionThis study highlights the heightened socioeconomic and health vulnerabilities of parents who experience care proceedings concerning a child. Better understanding of the needs and vulnerabilities of this population may provide opportunities to improve a range of support and preventative interventions that respond to crises in the community