653 research outputs found

    Equipping School Counselors for Antiracist Healing Centered Groups: A Critical Examination of Preparation, Connected Curricula, Professional Practice and Oversight

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    This paper highlights the potential for school counselors to promote antiracist practices and racial healing engagement utilizing small group counseling to ultimately eliminate inequities in schools. However, counselor educator programs, founded on middle to upper class white ideals, worldviews, and narrowly focused theoretical frameworks, currently function in ways that fail to equip future school counselors with the group facilitation knowledge, skills, and dispositions necessary for equitable practice in schools across the nation using case illustrations and a broad current literature review, the authors conceptualize the rationale for more competencies beyond group course assignment, clinical requirements (e.g., CACREP standards, 2016), practice, and supervision. Critical questions for counselor educators to reflect upon for group and connected curricula transformation are provided

    Code wars: steganography, signals intelligence, and terrorism

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    This paper describes and discusses the process of secret communication known as steganography. The argument advanced here is that terrorists are unlikely to be employing digital steganography to facilitate secret intra-group communication as has been claimed. This is because terrorist use of digital steganography is both technically and operationally implausible. The position adopted in this paper is that terrorists are likely to employ low-tech steganography such as semagrams and null ciphers instead

    Coordinated System Reliability Assessment And Production Cost Simulation In Transmission Planning Of Eastern Interconnection

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    This paper presents a transmission need analysis for the Eastern Interconnection (EI) using a coordinated technical approach consisting of system reliability assessment (SRA) and production cost simulation (PCS). As North American Transmission Systems are being evolved with increasing levels of renewable energy resources such as wind, solar, storage, biomass, hydro, etc., maintaining grid reliability and managing transmission congestion cost are becoming increasingly challenging. It also poses complexity and challenges in technical and economic planning of the transmission grid. The coordinated SRA and PCS were conducted to assess transmission reliability and congestion for the interconnected grids of the EI in a 10-year planning horizon. The paper discusses new automation tools and models developed for such assessment including case studies showing the applicability of the coordinated methodology and developed models

    The Seven-sphere and its Kac-Moody Algebra

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    We investigate the seven-sphere as a group-like manifold and its extension to a Kac-Moody-like algebra. Covariance properties and tensorial composition of spinors under S7S^7 are defined. The relation to Malcev algebras is established. The consequences for octonionic projective spaces are examined. Current algebras are formulated and their anomalies are derived, and shown to be unique (even regarding numerical coefficients) up to redefinitions of the currents. Nilpotency of the BRST operator is consistent with one particular expression in the class of (field-dependent) anomalies. A Sugawara construction is given.Comment: 22 pages. Macropackages used: phyzzx, epsf. Three epsf figure files appende

    Assessing the blank carbon contribution, isotope mass balance, and kinetic isotope fractionation of the Ramped Pyrolysis/Oxidation instrument at NOSAMS

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    Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2017. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here under a nonexclusive, irrevocable, paid-up, worldwide license granted to WHOI. It is made available for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Radiocarbon 59 (2017): 179-193, doi:10.1017/RDC.2017.3.We estimate the blank carbon mass over the course of a typical Ramped PyrOx (RPO) analysis (150 to 1000 °C; 5 °C×min-1) to be (3.7 ± 0.6) ÎŒg C with an Fm value of 0.555 ± 0.042 and a ÎŽ13C value of (-29.0 ± 0.1) ‰ VPDB. Additionally, we provide equations for RPO Fm and ÎŽ13C blank corrections, including associated error propagation. By comparing RPO mass-weighted mean and independently measured bulk ÎŽ13C values for a compilation of environmental samples and standard reference materials (SRMs), we observe a small yet consistent 13C depletion within the RPO instrument (mean – bulk: ÎŒ = -0.8 ‰; ±1σ = 0.9 ‰; n = 66). In contrast, because they are fractionation-corrected by definition, mass-weighted mean Fm values accurately match bulk measurements (mean – bulk: ÎŒ = 0.005; ±1σ = 0.014; n = 36). Lastly, we show there exists no significant intra-sample ÎŽ13C variability across carbonate SRM peaks, indicating minimal mass-dependent kinetic isotope fractionation during RPO analysis. These data are best explained by a difference in activation energy between 13C- and 12C-containing compounds (13–12ΔE) of 0.3 to 1.8 J×mol-1, indicating that blank and mass-balance corrected RPO ÎŽ13C values accurately retain carbon source isotope signals to within 1 to 2‰.J.D.H. was partly supported by the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program under grant number 2012126152; V.V.G. was partly supported by the US National Science Foundation (grants OCE- 0851015 and OCE-0928582), the WHOI Coastal Ocean Institute (grant 27040213) and an Independent Study Award (grant 27005306) from WHOI; G.S. and P.K.Z. were supported by the WHOI Postdoctoral Scholar Program with funding provided by NOSAMS (OCE-1239667)

    A Strategy to Optimize Recovery in Orthopedic Sports Injuries

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    An important goal for treatment of sports injuries is to have as short a recovery time as possible. The critical problem with current orthopedic implants is that they are designed to be permanent and have a high complication rate (15%) that often requires removal and replacement with a second surgery; and subsequently a second rehabilitation cycle. This study was designed to test the feasibility of having a device that could provide the needed mechanical properties, while promoting healing, for a specified amount of time and then degrade away, to shorten the recovery time. The specific strategy was to create a surface layer on a degradable metal alloy with a controllable degradation rate. Previous studies have shown the feasibility of using surface treatments to alter the surface integrity (i.e., topography, microhardness, and residual stress) leading to increased fatigue strength and a decreased degradation rate. This study was an extension of these previous studies to look at the changes in surface integrity and mechanical properties initially as well as the degradation over time for two surface treatments (shot peening and burnishing). Although the treatments improved initial properties and the burnishing treatment slowed degradation rate, the faster degradation of the base material in vitro (compared to previous studies) probably reduced the overall impact. Therefore although the study helped support the feasibility of this approach by showing the ability of the surface treatment to modify surface integrity, initial mechanical properties, and degradation rate; the degradation rate of the base material used needs to be slower and/or the surface treatment needs to create a bigger change in the degradation rate. Further it ultimately needs to be shown that the surface treatment can produce a material that will allow orthopedic devices to meet the required clinical design constraints in vivo

    Barriers and enablers of physical activity engagement for patients with COPD in primary care

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    Maria-Christina Kosteli,1 Nicola R Heneghan,1 Carolyn Roskell,1 Sarah E Williams,1 Peymane Adab,2 Andrew P Dickens,2 Alexandra Enocson,2 David A Fitzmaurice,2 Kate Jolly,2 Rachel Jordan,2 Sheila Greenfield,2 Jennifer Cumming1 1School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences, 2Institute of Applied Health Research, University of Birmingham, Edgbaston, Birmingham, UK Background: Given that physical activity (PA) has a positive impact on COPD symptoms and prognosis, this study examined the factors that both encourage and limit participation in PA for individuals with COPD in a primary care setting from the perspective of social cognitive theory.Methods: A purposive sample of 26 individuals with a range of COPD severity (age range: 50–89 years; males =15) were recruited from primary care to participate in one of four focus groups. Thematic analysis was undertaken to identify key concepts related to their self-efficacy beliefs.Results: Several barriers and enablers closely related to self-efficacy beliefs and symptom severity were identified. The main barriers were health related (fatigue, mobility problems, breathing issues caused by the weather), psychological (embarrassment, fear, frustration/disappointment), attitudinal (feeling in control of their condition, PA perception, older age perception), and motivational. The main enabling factors were related to motivation (autonomous or controlled), attitudes, self-regulation, and performance accomplishments.Clinical implications: When designing interventions for individuals with COPD, it is important to understand the patient-specific social cognitive influences on PA participation. This information can then inform individually tailored management planning. Keywords: COPD, social cognitive theory, self-efficacy, barriers, enablers, primary car

    Plasticity and Damage Modeling of Stress Asymmetry and Dynamic Behavior of AFS Additive Manufactured Aluminum Alloy 2219

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    The Solid State Additive Manufacturing (AM) process referred as MELD that fabricated the samples in this study, provides a new path for repairing, coating, joining and additive manufacturing metals and metal matrix composites. This research will be the first application of a physics-based microstructure dependent internal state variable (ISV) plasticity and damage material model to capture the mechanical response of an AM Aluminum Alloy (AA) 2219 via the MELD process. In this research, a microstructure-based internal state variable (ISV) plasticity-damage model was used to capture the mechanical behavior of AFS 2219 aluminum alloy. Aeroprobe Corporation, creator and patent holder for the MELD process, fabricated the material by pushing a solid filler rod of AA2219-T861 material through a hollow rotating tool onto an AA2219 T851 plate substrate. As feedstock, solid or powder precursor metals are pushed through a nonconsumable rotating cylindrical tool. Herein, added layers are deposited and metallurgically bonded to substrate material or previously deposited layers by the heat generated from the rotating tool through plastic deformation of the filler material. Once a layer has been added, the tool height increases, and starts the deposition of the next layer. This process results in beneficial properties such as grain refinement, homogenization and reduced porosity (fully dense). This process will experience temperatures similar to those in the weld nugget zone (WNZ) in friction stir welding (FSW), ranging from 0.6-0.9 Tm, with Tm being the melting point of the material. MELD is highly scalable with AA deposition rates reaching over 1000 cm3/hr, which allows for MELD being used for repairs, coatings, and building components. A motivating factor driving the research for physics-based history dependent material modeling of MELD components is the ability to accurately capture the stress-state and strain rate dependence in the material caused by variations in material microstructure from the MELD processing of new or repaired components. The ISV model incorporates microstructural content and is consistent with continuum level kinematics, kinetics, and thermodynamics. These features allow the ISV model to capture large deformations at the structural scale using the kinematic and isotropic hardening, while microscale damage is obtained from the microstructural features. The benefits of the ISV model arise from the inclusion of structure-property relationships identified from microstructural characterization and experimentation. The Bauschinger effect (BE) is an important concept, vital in the accurate prediction of cyclic stress-strain response of ductile materials such as metals. The ISV model has been successfully used to capture the behavior and damage, and the BE of different aluminum alloys and steels. The ISV model uses kinematic and isotropic hardening to help capture deformations of the material at the macro scale. To understand this hardening relationship, calculating the kinematic and isotropic hardening relationship in the material is warranted for a high-fidelity model. Electron Backscattered Diffraction (EBSD) was used to characterize the as-fabricated microstructure, where a fully-dense equiaxed grain morphology with average grain size of 2.5 m was observed. Microhardness mapping of the as-built structures, monotonic tension and compression experiments at both quasi-static (0.001/s) strain rates, tension-followed-by-compression and compression-followed-by-tension experiments were performed to obtain the set of plasticity and damage constants necessary to capture strain rate and stress state behavior of this additive material. To calibrate the plasticity-damage model, a single set of constants were determined to capture the different stress states the MELD AA2219. One set of the constants was determined from experimental true stress-strain curves for the tension and compression data. Additionally, microstructural information and data from the open literature were used as the other model constants. This research is a first of its kind for AFS AA2219, includes correlating the ISV model to the monotonic experimental results that capture the isotropic and kinematic plasticity mechanical response

    A restatement of the natural science evidence base concerning grassland management, grazing livestock and soil carbon storage

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    Approximately a third of all annual greenhouse gas emissions globally are directly or indirectly associated with the food system, and over a half of these are linked to livestock production. In temperate oceanic regions, such as the UK, most meat and dairy is produced in extensive systems based on pasture. There is much interest in the extent to which such grassland may be able to sequester and store more carbon to partially or completely mitigate other greenhouse gas emissions in the system. However, answering this question is difficult due to context-specificity and a complex and sometimes inconsistent evidence base. This paper describes a project that set out to summarize the natural science evidence base relevant to grassland management, grazing livestock and soil carbon storage potential in as policy-neutral terms as possible. It is based on expert appraisal of a systematically assembled evidence base, followed by a wide stakeholders engagement. A series of evidence statements (in the appendix of this paper) are listed and categorized according to the nature of the underlying information, and an annotated bibliography is provided in the electronic supplementary material

    Reporting of social deprivation in musculoskeletal trials: an analysis of 402 randomised controlled trials

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    Background: Social deprivation is broadly defined as the restriction of access an individual has to social or cultural interactions due to poverty, discrimination or other disadvantages. While social deprivation is a widely acknowledged determinant of outcome in musculoskeletal conditions, it remains unclear how this is considered in the conduct and interpretation of musculoskeletal trials.  Aim: To determine the frequently to which measures of social deprivation are reported in trials recruiting people with musculoskeletal diseases.  Materials and Methods: We conducted a Pubmed search of randomised controlled trials published between 01 January 2019 and 01 June 2020. We included full-text papers of trials recruiting people with musculoskeletal diseases, irrespective of intervention type or origin. We extracted data relating to trial characteristics, setting, trial design, funding source and musculoskeletal disease. We extracted data on any reported social deprivation index or measure of social deprivation based on internationally adopted indicators. We analysed data descriptively to summarise the reporting of each social deprivation index and measure of social deprivation within trials.  Results: From 2133 potentially eligible citations, 402 were eligible. Mean age of participants was 51.7 years; 63% were female. Trials most frequently recruited people with spinal pain (24.6%) or osteoarthritis (10.0%). Two trials (0.5%) reported social deprivation indices/scores. When assessed by discrete measures of social deprivation, 164 trials (40.8%) reported one or more social deprivation measures. The most commonly reported measures were morbidity (20.2%), employment status (17.7%) and educational attainment (15.5%). Race (6.7%), ethnicity (6.2%) and annual salary (1.3%) were infrequently reported. One trial (0.3%) presented subgroup results by social deprivation measures.  Discussion and Conclusion: Social deprivation is inconsistently reported in musculoskeletal trials. Trialists should report baseline measures of social deprivation in trial reports and aid generalisability to target population, and to examine whether social deprivation might modify treatment effects of interventions for musculoskeletal conditions
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