COMPREHENSIVE PROGRAMS BASED ON COMPETENCIES RATHER THAN CONTENT AREAS --FOR AGRICULTURAL EMPLOYEES*

An attempt was made in Nebraska to inventory occupations and analyze the knowledges and skills needed by a sample of employed persons. More specifically, the purposes were: To ascertain the various kinds of jobs held by workers in Nebraska. To analyze the opinions of a sample of workers, in agricultural occupations, regarding the knowledges and skills needed to perform their jobs. To specifically identify jobs requiring knowledges and skills in agriculture

Fragmenting densely mineralised acellular protrusions from articular calcified cartilage: a role in osteoarthritis?

Fragmenting densely mineralised acellular protrusions from articular calcified cartilage: a role in osteoarthritis? A. Boyde a, G.R. Davis a, D. Mills a, T. Zikmund a, V.L. Adams b, L.R. Ranganath b, N. Jeffery b, J.A. Gallagher b a Dental Physical Sciences, Oral Growth and Development, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK b Department of Musculoskeletal Biology, Institute of Ageing and Chronic Disease, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, UK Objectives High density mineralised protrusions (HDMP) from the tidemark mineralising front into hyaline articular cartilage (HAC) were first discovered in Thoroughbred racehorse fetlock joints and later in Icelandic horse hock joints. If these fragment, they could make a significant contribution to joint destruction in osteoarthritis. We looked for them in human material. Methods Whole femoral heads removed at operation for joint replacement or from dissection room cadavers were studied by MRI DESS at 0.23mm resolution and 26 micron resolution high contrast x-ray microtomography (XMT), then sectioned and embedded in PMMA, and block faces polished and the blocks re-imaged with 6 micron resolution XMT. Tissue mineralisation density was imaged qualitatively by backscattered electron SEM (BSE SEM) at 20kV using uncoated samples at 50Pa chamber pressure to achieve charge neutralisation. HAC histology was studied by BSE SEM after staining block faces with ammonium triiodide solution. Block surfaces were sequentially repolished and restained. Results Figure: 3D rendering of 6 micron voxel resolution XMT data set showing HDMP complex projecting above subchondral bone plate. Human femoral head removed at arthroplasty. We found examples of HDMP in HAC in human hips. Their 3D shapes are complex and may show cutting blade forms. Their mineral content (a) exceeds that of articular calcified cartilage (ACC), otherwise the densest tissue in the joint and (b) is not uniform. The mineral phase morphology frequently shows the agglomeration of many fine particles into larger concretions. Cracks within them are frequent. Dense fragments may be found within damaged HAC. Conclusions HDMP arise via the extrusion of an uncharacterised matrix into clefts in HAC. Little evidence of their existence remains after tissue has been decalcified with usual histological protocols. Their formation may be an extension of a normal but poorly recognised crack self-healing mechanism found in bone and ACC. They are surrounded by HAC, are dense and brittle and show innumerable fault lines within them. We provide evidence that they break in vivo by being able to find matching fragments in HAC. We conclude that these hard and sharp particles contribute to the shredding destruction of HAC. The osteoarthritis research community should be aware of their existence so that the frequency and possible clinical significance can be assessed in the future. Larger HDMP can be detected with the best MRI imaging

Racial and Ethnic Differences in Directâ toâ Consumer Genetic Tests Awareness in HINTS 2007: Sociodemographic and Numeracy Correlates

To examine the association of 1) race/ethnicity and 2) numeracy with awareness of DTC genetic tests. Secondary analysis of 6,754 Hispanic, black, and white adult respondents to the National Cancer Institute’s 2007 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS). Logistic regression was used to examine sociodemographic predictors of DTC genetic tests awareness including race/ethnicity, income, education, and gender. Next, two numeracy variables were added to the model. After controlling for sociodemographic variables, black respondents were significantly less likely to have heard of DTC genetic tests compared to white respondents (ORâ =â 0.79; CI: 0.65â 0.97). When numeracy variables were added to the model, the effect of black race was no longer significant (ORâ =â 0.84; CI: 0.69â 1.04). Hispanic respondents did not significantly differ from white respondents in awareness of DTC genetic tests. Other significant correlates of DTC genetic tests awareness in the full model included education, income, age, and numeracy variables including degree to which people use medical statistics and numbers to make health decisions, and preference for words or numbers when discussing â the chance of something happening.â Although black respondents were generally less aware of DTC genetic tests than white respondents, this relationship appears to be partially mediated by numeracy.Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/146912/1/jgc40440.pd

Response to Letter Written by Shelly Cummings, MS, CGC of Myriad Genetics Laboratories, Inc. Regarding the Paper, â Racial and Ethnic Differences in Directâ toâ Consumer Genetic Tests Awareness in HINTS 2007: Sociodemographic and Numeracy Correlates.â J Genet Counsel (2012) 21:440â 447

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/147095/1/jgc40154.pd

Performance-based building and innovation: Balancing client and industry needs

One reason for the interest in performance-based building is that it is commonly advocated as a powerful way of enhancing innovation performance by articulating building performance outcomes, and by offering relevant procurement actors the discretion to innovate to meet these performance requirements more effectively and/or efficiently. The paper argues that the current approach to performance-based building assumes that relevant actors have the capacity, ability and motivation to innovate from a business perspective. It is proposed that the prevailing conceptualization of PBB is too restrictive and should be broadened explicitly to accommodate the required business logic that must be in place before actors will innovate. The relevant performance-based building and innovation literature is synthesized to support the assertion. The paper concludes with an innovation-focused definition of performance-based building

Treatment of Travel Expenses by Golf Course Patrons: Sunk or Bundled Costs and the First and Third Laws of Demand

To attract golf patrons, sport managers must understand consumption patterns of the golfer. Importantly, the treatment of travel costs must be understood. According to the Alchian-Allen (1964) theorem, golfers treat travel costs as bundled costs (third law of economic demand) whereas classical consumer theory indicates that golfers treat travel costs as sunk costs (first law of economic demand). The purpose of this study was to determine if golf patrons treated travel costs as sunk costs or if they treated travel costs as a bundled cost. Data from a survey of course patrons in Ohio support the treatment of travel costs as bundled costs by golf course patrons, especially those classified as tourists. The strong, positive correlation found between distance traveled and the cost of greens fees enables managers to utilize geographic segmentation in choosing to whom to market their course based upon their product’s price compared to area competitors

Disparities in risk perception of thyroid cancer recurrence and death

Peer Reviewedhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154276/1/cncr32670.pdfhttps://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/154276/2/cncr32670_am.pd

A new paradigm for bone formation in remarkable endosteal bone appositional rates in rat distal femur

A new paradigm for bone formation in remarkable endosteal bone appositional rates in rat distal femu. A Boyde, T Zikmund. Dental Physical Sciences, QMUL, London, UK. Poster LB14 presented at Bone Research Society/British Society for Matrix Biology Joint Meeting, 01-03 Sept 2015, Edinburgh. Objectives: to study details of bone growth rates and mechanisms in the distal femur of young rat using multiple combined 3D imaging methods. Methods: fluorescent mineralisation front labels - calcein was given at 12 days and tetracycline 3 days before termination. X-ray microtomography (microCT 8μm voxels) of right femurs was conducted before cutting the femurs longitudinally in the midline. The lateral halves were PMMA embedded for block face microscopy, using confocal LM for histology and to read labels. 20kV BSE SEM was used to image mineral content: more BSE imaging after iodine staining was also used for histology. Finally, all bone was dissolved to produce 3D casts of marrow and capillary blood vessel canal space. The medial halves were macerated for 3D BSE SEM. After analysis of the right-side data, we studied left femurs with 6 μm microCT, then cut them transversely to create thick 'rings' at defined distances from the distal condyles. The end faces were polished and used for imaging labels with confocal LM and the samples were then macerated for 3D SEM. All these types of image were cross correlated to produce composites which can be best understood by dynamic, sequential, repetitive display techniques. Results and Conclusions: remarkably high values for endosteal apposition were measured, with nearly matching high periosteal resorption rates to be assumed. In places, almost the entire 400μm thickness of the shaft was translocated in 15 days. This rapid endosteal bone growth is associated with the inclusion of capillary blood vessels which penetrate the osteoblastic layer at near normal incidence to the formative surface at ~50 micron spacing. This is a previously undescribed mode of compact cortical lamellar bone formation.Trabeculae drift centrally in parallel with cortical surfaces. Thus their double label intervals must be understood in a full 3D context. MicroCT imaging ‘loses’ small trabeculae which are physically retained even in macerated SEM samples. Real loss of trabeculae occurs by their burial in compact bone at endosteal growth surfaces as well as through resorption. The ‘gold standard’ must be held to be the combination several imaging methods

Political brand image: an investigation into the operationalisation of the external orientation of David Cameron’s Conservative brand

This paper seeks to address the limited understanding of how to operationalise the external brand image of a political brand. More specifically, this research critically assesses the transfer potential of the six variables of brand image by Bosch, Venter, Han and Boshoff to deconstruct the UK Conservative Party brand from the perspective of young people aged 18–24 years during the 2010 UK General Election campaign. This research demonstrates the applicability of the six variables otherwise known as the ‘brand image framework’ to the political environment. However, the application of the brand image framework in its original conceptualisation proved problematic. Many of the brand image variables were clarified, rearticulated and simplified to address the political context. This refined conceptualisation provided an in-depth understanding of how to investigate the political brand image of David Cameron’s Conservative Party. This study addresses the paucity of research that operationalises external brand image and provides practitioners and academics within and beyond the context of political branding a mechanism to understand the external orientation of brands. This research may also be used by political and non-political brands as a basis to explore external brand image and compare its consistency with internal brand identity