Pilot Study of Psychopathology Among Roman Catholic Secular Clergy

This pilot study gathered information regarding overall levels of psychopathology in a nationally selected, random sample of U.S. Roman Catholic secular (i.e., diocesan) priests using the Symptom Checklist-90-Revised (SCL-90-R; Derogatis, 2004). The study yielded a response rate of 45%. One-half of the participants reported marked psychological problems, with interpersonal sensitivity, anxiety, and depression most strongly correlated with the instrument’s overall index of psychopathology. Four dimensional scales were elevated (i.e., obsessive-compulsive, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, psychoticism), as were two indices (i.e., GSI, PST). Implications and directions for future research are discussed

Inventory management of the refrigerator\u27s produce bins using classification algorithms and hand analysis.

Tracking the inventory of one’s refrigerator has been a mission for consumers since the advent of the refrigerator. With the improvement of computer vision capabilities, automatic inventory systems are within reach. One inventory area with many potential benefits is the fresh food produce bins. The bins are a unique storage area due to their deep size. A user cannot easily see what is in the bins without opening the drawer. Produce items are also some of the quickest foods in the refrigerator to spoil, despite being temperature and humidity controlled to have the fruits and vegetables last longer. Allowing the consumer to have a list of items in their bins could ultimately lead to a more informed consumer and less food spoilage. A single camera could identify items by making predictions when the bins are open, but the camera would only be able to “see” the top layer of produce. If one could combine the data from the open bins with information from the user as they placed and removed items, it is hypothesized that a comprehensive produce bin inventory could be created. This thesis addresses the challenges presented by getting a full inventory of all items within the produce bins by observing if the hand can provide useful information. The thesis proposes that all items must go in or out of the refrigerator by the main door, and by using a single camera to observe the hand-object interactions, a more complete inventory list can be created. The work conducted for this hand analysis study consists of three main parts. The first was to create a model that could identify hands within the refrigerator. The model needed to be robust enough to detect different hand sizes, colors, orientations, and partially-occluded hands. The accuracy of the model was determined by comparing ground truth detections for 185 new images to the model versus the detections made by the model. The model was 93% accurate. The second was to track the hand and determine if it was moving in or out of the refrigerator. The tracker needed to record the coordinates of the hands to provide useful information on consumer behavior and to determine where items are placed. The accuracy of the tracker was determined by visual inspection. The final part was to analyze the detected hand to determine if it is holding a type of produce or empty, and track if the produce is added or removed from the refrigerator. As an initial proof-of-concept, a two types of produce, an apple and an orange, will be used as a testing ground. The accuracy of the hand analysis (e.g., hand with apple or orange vs. hand empty) was determined by comparing its output to a 301-frame video with ground truth labels. The hand analysis system was 87% accurate classifying an empty hand, 85% accurate on a hand holding an apple, and 74% accurate on a hand holding an orange. The system was 93% accurate at detecting what was added or removed from the refrigerator, and 100% accurate determining where within the refrigerator the item was added or removed

Los procesos procreativos desde la Antropología: el caso de las madres de Barcelona por un parto respetado

Este artículo dedicado a los procesos procreativos desde la Antropología presenta una propuesta analítica que tiene por finalidad ahondar en las estructuras básicas que subyacen en la procreación humana desde la perspectiva cultural. La propuesta trabajada en el proyecto de investigación I+D+i (Parentescos: Formas de parentalidad y articulaciones disciplinarias) se ciñe exclusivamente al periodo procreativo, permitiendo analizar nociones sobre la formación de la persona con sus atribuciones de sentido en distintos momentos del proceso (desde la concepción, la gestación y el nacimiento), los vínculos parentales y los cuidados que se le brindan al recién nacido y que son ámbito del Parentesco y de la Salud. Se ha tomado como ejemplo el modelo procreativo defendido por las mujeres que optan por un «parto respetado» en el contexto de Barcelona.Palabras clave: Metodología, proceso procreativo, reproducción humana, parentesco, noción de persona, parto respetado.AbstractThis article deals with procreative processes from an anthropological perspective and presents an analytical proposal that aims to delve into the basic structures underlying human procreation from a cultural perspective. The proposal has been developed within the R&D project Kinships: Ways of parenthood and disciplinary articulations and refers to the procreative period. It thus allows the analysis of notions concerning personhood and the attributions of meaning in different moments of the process (conception, pregnancy and birth). It also examines parental bonds and newborn care, which are part of kinship and health. As an example, the article exposes the procreative model held by women who opt for a “respectful birth” in Barcelona.Keywords: Methodology, procreative process, human reproduction, kinship, personhood, respectful birth.Este artículo dedicado a los procesos procreativos desde la Antropología presenta una propuesta analítica que tiene por finalidad ahondar en las estructuras básicas que subyacen en la procreación humana desde la perspectiva cultural. La propuesta trabajada en el proyecto de investigación I+D+i (Parentescos: Formas de parentalidad y articulaciones disciplinarias) se ciñe exclusivamente al periodo procreativo, permitiendo analizar nociones sobre la formación de la persona con sus atribuciones de sentido en distintos momentos del proceso (desde la concepción, la gestación y el nacimiento), los vínculos parentales y los cuidados que se le brindan al recién nacido y que son ámbito del Parentesco y de la Salud. Se ha tomado como ejemplo el modelo procreativo defendido por las mujeres que optan por un «parto respetado» en el contexto de Barcelona.Palabras clave: Metodología, proceso procreativo, reproducción humana, parentesco, noción de persona, parto respetado.AbstractThis article deals with procreative processes from an anthropological perspective and presents an analytical proposal that aims to delve into the basic structures underlying human procreation from a cultural perspective. The proposal has been developed within the R&D project Kinships: Ways of parenthood and disciplinary articulations and refers to the procreative period. It thus allows the analysis of notions concerning personhood and the attributions of meaning in different moments of the process (conception, pregnancy and birth). It also examines parental bonds and newborn care, which are part of kinship and health. As an example, the article exposes the procreative model held by women who opt for a “respectful birth” in Barcelona.Keywords: Methodology, procreative process, human reproduction, kinship, personhood, respectful birth

Depression and Contributors to Vocational Satisfaction in Roman Catholic Secular Clergy

A nationally selected, random sample of Roman Catholic secular (i.e., diocesan) priests was examined using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression scale and an instrument developed for this study to assess contributors to priests’ vocational satisfaction. In addition, a self-report inventory gathered information regarding participants’ demographics as well as four categories of predictor variables (i.e., overall level of vocational satisfaction, social support, spiritual activities, physical environment). The study yielded a response rate of 45%. Secular clergy reported rates of depression approximately seven times greater than are found in the general population, and also indicated that the recent sexual abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic church had negatively affected their mood. Priests’ engagement in sacramental activities contributed greatly to their vocational satisfaction, and low levels of vocational satisfaction were found to be most predictive of depression. Factors comprising priests’ vocational satisfaction were External Manifestations (e.g., preaching, teaching), Internal Manifestations (e.g., prayer life, affirmation of God’s call), and Social Manifestations (e.g., relationships with parishioners, appreciation from others)

Service User and Carer Involvement in Mental Health Education, Training and Research – A Literature Review

As part of an evaluation of service users’ and carers’ experience of involvement in mental health education, training and research, an extended literature review was undertaken. The purpose of this was to review policy underpinning service user and carer involvement in those areas, identify the extent and range of involvement, the processes involved, and the extent to which the effectiveness and impact of involvement had been evaluated. The review found that there was a range of different ways in which people were involved. It identified different types and levels of involvement and different motivations for taking part in involvement activities. Government policy and guidance on public and patient involvement (PPI) in health services has clearly been a driver and has resulted in widespread involvement activity but this has developed on an ad hoc and inconsistent basis. There are benefits for service users and carers, the NHS, and educational establishments arising out of involvement activity. These include improvements in the health and well-being of service users, enhancing the student experience, and improvements to service delivery. However, there are still barriers to involvement including organisational factors and unintentional discrimination. Payment for involvement activity remains an under researched area. Service users value payments but welfare benefits rules, and inconsistent interpretation of good practice guidance, mean this can be a further barrier to involvement. Currently, the evidence base evaluating the effectiveness of service user involvement in a range of activities including service planning, delivery, education and research is limited

State of apps targeting management for sustainability of agricultural landscapes. A review

International audienceAbstractThe triple-bottom-line approach to sustainability in agriculture requires multi- and inter-disciplinary expertise and remains a major design and implementation challenge. Tools are needed to link extension agents, development workers, farmers, and other agriculture decision-makers to information related to practices that improve sustainability across agricultural landscapes. The digital age has brought many new cloud-based and mobile device–accessible software applications (apps) targeted at farmers and others in the agriculture sector; however, the effectiveness of these tools for advancing sustainability goals is unknown. Here, we review apps for agriculture in order to identify gaps in information provisioning and sharing for tools that connect decision-makers to knowledge in support of sustainable agricultural landscapes. The major findings are (1) Agricultural apps can be categorized as supporting regulatory compliance, equipment optimization, farming simulator games, information management, agronomic reference information, product tracking, pest identification, emissions accounting, or benchmarks for marketing claims. (2) Many apps are developed to link specific products for single solutions, such as GPS-guided crop implementation or sensors within Internet-of-things connectivity. (3) While pilots, prototypes, and case studies are available in both Apple and Android digital markets, public mobile apps to improve multidirectional agriculture knowledge exchange are limited and poorly documented. (4) There remains a need for apps emphasizing knowledge exchange and resource discovery, rather than simply information delivery, to help farmers identify evidence-based practices that improve indicators of sustainability. (5) Development of a digital decision support tool requires early and ongoing interactions with targeted end users to clarify app performance objectives and social networking preferences, ensure reliability of scientific input and business management plans, and optimize the user experience

The relationship of readiness factors to Jan. first grade reading achievement

Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Teaching and Learning in Context in Natural Resources Science and Management

A vast body of research from education, psychology, and neuroscience suggests that learning is highly context dependent, acquired through experience and involvement in real-world situations. In contrast, traditional teaching methods often disassociate learning from meaningful contexts, and students spend more time passively watching and listening than actually doing. Exclusive use of methods like these is particularly inappropriate in natural resources science and management, because of the professional orientation of these curricula. This workshop will explore three related teaching strategies that promote learning through engagement in realworld contexts and situations: role-play, case studies, and problem-based learning. Participants will identify what learning outcomes each strategy best facilitates; learn how to plan and implement each strategy, including proper facilitation techniques; evaluate the applicability of each strategy to their own courses; and compare and contrast the strengths and weaknesses of each strategy