Consumer Engagement: Helping People Want What They Need

Developing or delivering a product, tool, or service that meets consumers' needs and leads to impactful behavior change is a significant challenge. Simply creating tools to foster financial security has not been enough to ensure that consumers will use them, much less benefit from them. Consumer engagement is an approach to tackling these key challenges that focuses on the needs, expectations, and realities of those being served by financial empowerment practitioners.Consumer Engagement: Helping People Want What They Need describes both a philosophy and a process for developing and delivering financial products and services. At the core is the consumer, who is the intended target of financial empowerment efforts and the key stakeholder; he/ she is the actor who ultimately decides what tools to use and is an indispensable source of intelligence about his/her needs and wants.Three pillars define consumer engagement, each of which informs and relies on the others: Demand Focus, Deep Connection, and Enthusiastic Use

HYSTERESIS AND THE SHORTAGE OF AGRICULTURAL LABOR

The GAO disputes growers' claims of a labor shortage, using unreliable farm employment data rather than relative wages. A shortage, implying a failure of intersectoral arbitrage, may arise due to hysteresis in labor movement. Estimates find the probability of a farm labor shortage (30%) three times that of a surplus.Labor and Human Capital,

Fact sheet: Implications of diameter caps on multiple forest resource responses in the context of the four forest restoration initiative

Due to the ecological and social importance of large, old (presettlement) trees, it is often desirable to protect them when planning forest treatments, and a diameter cap is one way to try to accomplish this. A diameter cap is a limitation on cutting trees above a certain diameter during treatment implementation. Some environmental and conservation groups have advocated for them and caps have been implemented on a range of projects in the western U.S. Nevertheless, there is little knowledge of the potential effects of a diameter cap on forest resources. The large scale restoration treatments proposed by the Four Forest Restoration Initiative (4FRI) in northern Arizona provide an opportunity to use current stand data (Fig. 1A) and treatment prescriptions targeting desired future conditions (Fig. 1B) to provide insights into the use of diameter caps on a variety of forest resource responses. This fact sheet's purpose is to give an overview of the effects of diameter cap implementation on a variety of forest resources in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) stands within the Coconino National Forest, Arizona

SPX-101 is stable in and retains function after exposure to cystic fibrosis sputum

Background: In healthy lungs, epithelial sodium channel (ENaC) is regulated by short, palate, lung, and nasal clone 1 (SPLUNC1). In cystic fibrosis (CF), ENaC is hyperactivated in part due to a loss of SPLUNC1 function. We have developed SPX-101 to replace the lost function of SPLUNC1 in the CF lung. Methods: Expression of SPLUNC1 was determined in sputum from healthy and CF donors. Stability of SPLUNC1, S18 (the ENaC regulatory domain of SPLUNC1), and SPX-101 was determined in sputum from CF donors and towards neutrophil elastase. Activity of SPX-101 after exposure to CF sputum was determined in airway epithelial cells from CF donors and in the βENaC transgenic mouse model. Results: SPLUNC1 protein expression is significantly reduced in CF as compared to healthy sputum. SPLUNC1 is rapidly degraded in CF sputum as well as by a number of individual proteases known to be found in the sputum. SPX-101, but not S18, is stable in CF sputum. Finally, SPX-101 retains its ability to internalize ENaC, regulate airway surface liquid height, and increase survival of βENaC mice after exposure to CF sputum. Conclusions: Our results demonstrate that SPX-101, but not SPLUNC1 or S18, is stable in CF sputum. These results support the therapeutic development of SPX-101 for the treatment of cystic fibrosis.Fil: Sesma, Juliana. Spyryx Biosciences; Estados Unidos. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Wu, Bryant. Spyryx Biosciences; Estados UnidosFil: Stuhlmiller, Timothy J.. Spyryx Biosciences; Estados UnidosFil: Scott, David W.. Spyryx Biosciences; Estados Unido

Mirroring Jesus’s Prayerful Approach to Interactions with Dissatisfied Followers through the Lens of the Modern Worship Pastor

This study shows the life and mission of Jesus through His interactions with conflict and will show how worship pastors can apply these lessons to the church. Detailing Jesus\u27s prayer life and His approach to interacting with others, examining the approach worship leaders should have when interacting with similar people. The report will concentrate on three areas of study, including Jesus\u27s prayer life, his ministry, and how the worship pastor can create a church that parallels Christ. Jesus\u27 ministry and discussions with the Pharisees show worship pastors how they should approach church members. This discussion is due to the struggles with ministry and how worship pastors face difficult situations, like Jesus\u27s ministry. The research finds themes of love, compassion, service, and mercy that a servant leader needs to process. These qualities are essential for a meaningful worship pastor to overcome adversity. Worship leaders need to study the life of Jesus when dealing with the church Pharisees and develop regard, care, and benevolence for people. When observing and mirroring the heart of Jesus, the worship pastor can become a strong influence. This research will study Jesus\u27s interactions and give application to the worship pastor\u27s ministry

Passive fetal monitoring sensor

An ambulatory, passive sensor for use in a fetal monitoring system is discussed. The invention is comprised of a piezoelectric polymer film, combined with a metallic mounting plate fastened to a belt, and electrically connected to a signal processing unit by means of a shielded cable. The purpose of the sensor is to receive pressure pulses emitted by a fetus inside an expectant mother. Additionally, the monitor will filter out pressure pulses arising from other sources, such as the maternal heart