A randomized controlled pilot trial of classroom-based mindfulness meditation compared to an active control condition in sixth-grade children

The current study is a pilot trial to examine the effects of a nonelective, classroom-based, teacher-implemented, mindfulness meditation intervention on standard clinical measures of mental health and affect in middle school children. A total of 101 healthy sixth-grade students (55 boys, 46 girls) were randomized to either an Asian history course with daily mindfulness meditation practice (intervention group) or an African history course with a matched experiential activity (active control group). Self-reported measures included the Youth Self Report (YSR), a modified Spielberger State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, and the Cognitive and Affective Mindfulness Measure –Revised. Both groups decreased significantly on clinical syndrome subscales and affect but did not differ in the extent of their improvements. Meditators were significantly less likely to develop suicidal ideation or thoughts of self-harm than controls. These results suggest that mindfulness training may yield both unique and non-specific benefits that are shared by other novel activities

Gender Differences in Response to a School-Based Mindfulness Training Intervention for Early Adolescents

Mindfulness training has been used to improve emotional wellbeing in early adolescents. However, little is known about treatment outcome moderators, or individual differences that may differentially impact responses to treatment. The current study focused on gender as a potential moderator for affective outcomes in response to school-based mindfulness training. Sixth grade students (N = 100) were randomly assigned to either the six weeks of mindfulness meditation or the active control group as part of a history class curriculum. Participants in the mindfulness meditation group completed short mindfulness meditation sessions four to five times per week, in addition to didactic instruction (Asian history). The control group received matched experiential activity in addition to didactic instruction (African history) from the same teacher with no meditation component. Self-reported measures of emotional wellbeing/affect, mindfulness, and self-compassion were obtained at pre and post intervention. Meditators reported greater improvement in emotional wellbeing compared to those in the control group. Importantly, gender differences were detected, such that female meditators reported greater increases in positive affect compared to females in the control group, whereas male meditators and control males displayed equivalent gains. Uniquely among females but not males, increases in self-reported self-compassion were associated with improvements in affect. These findings support the efficacy of school-based mindfulness interventions, and interventions tailored to accommodate distinct developmental needs of female and male adolescents

Approach to Identify Internal Best Practices in a Software Organization.

Current approaches to software process improvements (SPI) in software organizations is based on identifying gaps by comparing the way organizations work with respect to practices contained in the reference models. Later, these gaps will be targeted for establishing software process improvements. This paper presents an approach for identifying best practices within the organization. This is considered a key element in order to compare the way software organizations work with the reference models. After that, these practices will be complemented with practices contained in these models depending on the organization's business goals

Unraveling the similarity of the photoabsorption of deprotonated p-coumaric acid in the gas phase and within the photoactive yellow protein

Using advanced QM/MM methods, the surprisingly negligible shift of the lowest-lying bright electronic excitation of the deprotonated p-coumaric acid (pCA(-)) within the photoactive yellow protein (PYP) is shown to stem from a subtle balance between hypsochromic and bathochromic effects. More specifically, it is found that the change in the excitation energy as a consequence of the disruption of the planarity of pCA(-) inside PYP is nearly canceled out by the shift induced by the intermolecular interactions of the chromophore and the protein as a whole. These results provide important insights about the primary absorption and the tuning of the chromophore by the protein environment in PYP

Egalitarian Reverence: Towards a Cosmopolitan Contemplative Education

Contemplative Education is a field of practice and scholarship that emphasizes engagement in contemplative practices. It is not clear, however, what conception of contemplation ought to animate members of this field. Furthermore, although advocates of Contemplative Education express certain commitments to pluralism about contemplative practice, it is not clear to what extent those commitments get upheld. Through a close examination of three practices across three chapters—on theoria, mindfulness, and testimonio—this study draws out certain features of contemplative thinking while also offering members of Contemplative Education new conceptual resources and intellectual traditions to draw from in their own work. The final chapter makes a case for thinking of these three practices, and all contemplative practices within Contemplative Education, as fundamentally interested in the cultivation of ‘egalitarian reverence’: an evaluative attitude that extends basic human dignity to oneself and others, paired with a faithful sense of devotion to, and awe in light of, the ideal of democratic equality

An Analytical Framework for Miles and Snow Typology and Dynamic Capabilities

The literature on dynamic capabilities is confusing, full of overlapping definitions, and contradictions. The theoretical and practical importance of developing and applying dynamic capabilities to sustain competitive advantage in complex external environment is central in studies about strategy nowadays. In this paper, we offer a definition of dynamic capabilities under two aspects: first, it refers to the shifting character of the environment; second, it emphasizes the key role of strategic management in appropriately adapting, integrating, and re-configuring internal and external organizational skills, resources, and functional competences towards a changing environment. This paper aims to clarify the concept of dynamic capabilities, propose an analytical framework that connects this “new” concept to a well known and recognized generic strategic model (Miles and Snow, 1978) and to the concept of sustainable competitive advantage and evolutionary fit. DOI:10.5585/riae.v13i1.193

Strategic Choice and Relational Dynamic Capabilities in a Brazilian Hotel Chain

The aim of this paper was to propose integration between two concepts: strategic choice and relational dynamic capability. For this purpose, the context of hotel business sector was chosen, due to its intensity and a need for formal and informal relationships. The research was divided in two stages: a survey, with a sample of 117 hotels in the State of Paraná and a case study. According to the findings, strategic typology determines a set of choices and behaviors resulting in different relationships. The aim of this paper was to propose integration between two concepts: strategic choice and relational dynamic capability. For this purpose, the context of hotel business sector was chosen, due to its intensity and a need for formal and informal relationships. The research was divided in two stages: a survey, with a sample of 117 hotels in the State of Paraná and a case study. According to the findings, strategic typology determines a set of choices and behaviors resulting in different relationships

Evaluacion de contratos de adquisicion de productos y servicios de software en outsourcing

El contrato tiene un papel importante mientras existe una relación de outsourcing. Si una compañía decide adquirir productos software o servicios el contrato es un mecanismo fundamental para asegurar que las expectativas del cliente sean llevadas a cabo con éxito. En este artículo, se describe un método de evaluación de contratos para las organizaciones que adquieren software o servicios, que permita minimizar las causas de fallos en la relación entre el cliente y el proveedo

Identificacion de las mejores practicas de una organización de desarrollo software mediante la gestión de su conocimiento

En este artículo se describe un método para la identificación de las mejores prácticas de una organización de desarrollo de software, enfocándose en la disminución de la resistencia al cambio, a través de la gestión de su conocimiento. La importancia de la identificación de las mejores prácticas de una organización radica en que esta actividad permite conocer cómo trabaja una organización mediante la formalización, conservación y promoción de su conocimiento clave, lo cual, permitirá que las iniciativas de mejora de los procesos de la organización sean llevadas a cabo con éxito