Impact of Changes in Energy Input Prices on Ethanol Importation and Prices

Demand and Price Analysis, International Relations/Trade, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Large temporal variations of energetic electron intensities at mid-latitudes in the outer radiation zone Progress report

Variations of electron flux density observations by Explorer 12 and 1

Perceptions of Public Health 3.0: Concordance Between Public Health Agency Leaders and Employees

CONTEXT AND BACKGROUND: The newest era of public health, deemed "Public Health 3.0," supports cross-sector collaborations to address social determinants of health. These activities often require collaborations with nontraditional public health entities. As this new era begins, it is important to understand perceptions of the public health workforce with regard to Public Health 3.0. OBJECTIVE: To assess perceptions of support toward Public Health 3.0 activities by the public health workforce, identify characteristics associated with support, and measure concordance in support between agency directors and the general workforce. DESIGN: This cross-sectional study utilizes the 2017 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey to understand support and concordance regarding Public Health 3.0 activities by a nationally representative sample of governmental public health employees. Logistic regression models are used to identify characteristics associated with support of each 3.0 activity and concordance. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Governmental public health employees' opinions on how involved their agency should be in the K-12 education system, the economy, the built environment, transportation, housing, social connectedness, and health equity within their jurisdiction and concordance in support of involvement between agency directors and the general workforce. RESULTS: Overall, individual perceptions supporting involvement were highest for health equity and social connectedness and lowest for transportation. Supervisory status, education, and being at a local health department were associated with greater odds of supporting all 3.0 activities. Concordance with agency directors was greatest among other executives relative to nonsupervisors. CONCLUSIONS: There is overall generally high support of many 3.0 activities, but there are gaps in agreement by supervisory status, gender, race/ethnicity, education, role type, and jurisdiction. Findings may help support agency leaders in better communicating the role of their agencies in Public Health 3.0 activities, and workforce education regarding such activities may be necessary for the success of Public Health 3.0's success

John Erskine (1721-1803): Disseminator of Enlightened Evangelical Calvinism

John Erskine was the leading Evangelical in the Church of Scotland in the latter half of the eighteenth century. Educated in an enlightened setting at Edinburgh University, he learned to appreciate the epistemology of John Locke and other empiricists alongside key Scottish Enlightenment figures such as his ecclesiastical rival, William Robertson. Although groomed to follow in his father’s footsteps as a lawyer, Erskine changed career paths in order to become a minister of the Kirk. He was deeply moved by the endemic revivals in the west of Scotland and determined that his contribution to the burgeoning Evangelical movement on both sides of the Atlantic would be much greater as a clergyman than a lawyer. Yet Erskine was no ‘enthusiast’. He integrated the style and moral teachings of the Enlightenment into his discourses and posited new theories on traditional views of Calvinism in his theological treatises. Erskine’s thought, however, never transgressed the boundaries of orthodoxy. His goal was to update Evangelical Calvinism with the new style and techniques of the Enlightenment without sacrificing the gospel message. While Erskine was widely recognised as an able preacher and theologian, his primary contribution to Evangelicalism was as a disseminator. He sent correspondents like the New England pastor Jonathan Edwards countless religious and philosophical works so that he and others could learn about current ideas, update their writings to conform to the Age of Reason and provide an apologetic against perceived heretical authors. Erskine also was crucial in the publishing of books and pamphlets by some of the best Evangelical theologians in America and Britain. Within his lifetime, Erskine’s main contribution to Evangelicalism was as a propagator of an enlightened form of Calvinism

Judicial Independence and the Tragic Consequences that Arose in Nazi Germany from a Lack Thereof

This dissertation discusses the topics of judicial independence and judicial accountability using the federal and state court systems of the United States as major examples since much of the work on judicial independence derives from the American experience. I define judicial independence by addressing the inquiries of independence for whom, independence from whom, independence from what, and independence for what purpose. Conditions that foster or supplant judicial independence are then summarized to facilitate their application to the case of Nazi Germany and its judicial system. It is next proffered and considered that upon Adolf Hitler's usurpation of power within Nazi Germany judicial independence was abruptly and purposefully dispatched through the passage on March 23, 1933, of the Enabling Act, or The Law for the Recovery of People and Reich from Suffering. In his speech to the Reichstag advocating the acceptance of this law, Hitler was forthright, honest, and provided an omen of what was to subsequently transpire relative to judicial independence in the Third Reich when he stated, "The security of tenure of the judges on the one side must correspond on the other with an elasticity for the benefit of the community when reaching judgments. The centre of legal concern is not the individual but the Volk." Hitler had obtained unlimited power in a constitutional manner and therefore whatever he did was legal in the juridical sense, but the rule of law was completely preempted and no longer prevailed within Germany. No judicial system could resist and continue to function in a constitutional manner once Hitler had been granted dictatorial powers. The creation of the Volksgerichtshof or People's Court on April 24, 1934, and its ensuing operation epitomized a belief in the law to the detriment of justice, sanctioning the National Socialist regime to pervert justice to accommodate their particular purposes. This paper concludes with a discussion of some individuals who chose to resist the barbarism and inhumanity of Nazi tyranny and how they were dealt with by the judicial system in Germany. These individuals were convinced that Hitler and his minions were ruining Germany, once known as the land of "thinkers and poets," and had to be stopped before total destruction occurred, recognizing they were being ruled by criminals who had no regard for human life. The individual in the resistance attempted to show that there was indeed "another Germany," that not all inhabitants of Germany were hateful, arrogant, and uncultured. However, their actions culminated in "show trials" before the wholly dependent People's Court, resulting in clear demonstrations of how Germany's judiciary had lost all semblance of independence, and were therefore complacent in what transpired during that dark period of German history

The Relationship Between Health Department Accreditation and Workforce Satisfaction, Retention, and Training Needs

BACKGROUND: To improve quality and consistency of health departments, a voluntary accreditation process was developed by the Public Health Accreditation Board. Understanding accreditation's role as a mediator in workforce training needs, satisfaction, and awareness is important for continued improvement for governmental public health. OBJECTIVE: To compare differences in training needs, satisfaction/intent to leave, and awareness of public health concepts for state and local health department staff with regard to their agency's accreditation status. DESIGN: This cross-sectional study considered the association between agency accreditation status and individual perceptions of training needs, satisfaction, intent to leave, and awareness of public health concepts, using 2017 Public Health Workforce Interests and Needs Survey (PH WINS) data. Respondents were categorized on the basis of whether their agencies (at the time of survey) were (1) uninvolved in accreditation, (2) formally involved in accreditation, or (3) accredited. RESULTS: Multivariate logistic regression models found several significant differences, including the following: individuals from involved state agencies were less likely to report having had their training needs assessed; staff from accredited and involved agencies identified more gaps in selected skills; and employees of accredited agencies were more aware of quality improvement. While state employees in accredited and formally involved agencies reported less job satisfaction, there were no significant differences in intent to leave or burnout. Differences were identified concerning awareness of various public health concepts, especially among respondents in state agencies. CONCLUSIONS: While some findings were consistent with past research (eg, link between accreditation and quality improvement), others were not (eg, job satisfaction). Several self-reported skill gaps were unanticipated, given accreditation's emphasis on training. Potentially, as staff are exposed to accreditation topics, they gain more appreciation of skills development needs. Findings suggest opportunities to strengthen workforce development components when revising accreditation measures

First aid and other stories

An anthology of short fiction by Laura Marie Yeager