Tracking Results in Agriculture and Rural Development in Developed Countries: Methodological Issues on a National Accounts Prospective

Monitoring and Evaluation of policies is intrinsically challenging and requires a very high level of technical capacity. Appropriate statistical indicators have to be selected and calculated to satisfy the needs of final users, linking the date to statistical demand. Appropriate classifications and definitions are also essential, while different data-sources and highly disaggregated estimations are needed; for instance, for small areas estimations and rural areas. Furthermore, Evaluation of a policy is a specific purpose, different from monitoring a project or long run economic analysis. The paper try to address the argument from a National Account prospective, rely on the assumption that this is an appropriate macro-economic framework for statistics and to base scientific studies.National Accounts, Monitoring&Evaluation, Agriculture, Rural Development Statistics, Agricultural Households Income, Agricultural and Food Policy, E01,

The Achievement Gap

My research topic is The awareness and Utilization of special education services from an urban vs. suburban perspective and the affect it has on the success rate of students with special needs. What I needed to consider when researching was the factors that can and do contribute to differences in the rate of success between all learners, especially in schools and districts that are perceived by many to be unequal. I do not think it is uncommon of anyone to think that schools in the suburbs are better than schools in the city; whether it is in reference to the facilities, faculty, resources, or even overall academic achievement. What I found was that the issue of differences between student successes has roots in our history that go way back. The numerous components of this issue have been debated, measured, and analyzed over and over again and continue to be. Blame has been put in many places; race and culture, social class, poor teaching, and inadequate reform policies to name a few. The differences accounted for between students has created a gap, more specifically known as, The Achievement Gap. This gap is a growing epidemic in America\u27s educational system

Does Reiki Therapy Decrease Pain During Chemotherapy and Radiation Treatment in Patients with Gynecological and Breast Cancer?

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this selective EBM review is to determine whether or not Reiki therapy decreases pain during chemotherapy and radiation treatment in patients with gynecological and breast cancer. STUDY DESIGN: Review of two randomized control trials and one randomized prospective cross-over study published in 2003, 2004, and 2011. DATA SOURCES: One double blind randomized control trial, one 2-arm single blind randomized control trial and one randomized, prospective, 2-period crossover intervention study comparing Reiki therapy to placebo. Articles were found using PubMed and Medline. OUTCOMES MEASURED: Pain by BPI (brief pain inventory linear analog scale), SF-36 questionnaire, daily log of medication use, HTCQ linear scale, and Well-being analog scale. RESULTS: The study by Caitlin et al showed a slight increase in physical comfort in patients who received Reiki therapy verses those who received standard care during chemotherapy. However, sham Reiki therapy showed a statistically significant increase in physical comfort from an attentive presence of a designated nurse at the bedside. According to Cook et al, Reiki therapy showed a statistically significant decrease in a patient’s pain level verses a patient receiving standard care for radiation therapy. In addition, Reiki and Massage therapy was more effective at reducing pain in one 45-minute intervention (short-term relief) than a patient who received standard care shown in a study conducted by Post-white et al. CONCLUSIONS: Results from the three studies showed a decrease in pain when Reiki therapy is administered during radiation and chemotherapy. However, one study concluded there is no statistical difference in pain management when comparing Reiki therapy and sham Reiki. Another study discovered both Reiki and Massage therapy decreased pain when compared to standard care. In conclusion, there is no convincing evidence that Reiki therapy alone relieves pain, however, human touch with or without energy transfer showed positive benefits. Thus, further studies with adequate sample sizes, non-biased participants, and a greater variety of subjects from different treatment centers should be considered to determine if this alternative approach reduces pain

Greenrelisient: Agroecological approch to organic greenhouse production in Europe

All over Europe, organic greenhouse production systems are usually very intensive, which threatens their sustainability and the consumer trust. The implementation of less intensive production systems based on low energy consumption, appropriate crop rotations, use of agroecological service crops, and local organic inputs is possible at almost any latitude in Europe

Capping Strategies for Covalent Template-Directed Synthesis of Linear Oligomers Using CuAAC.

Covalent templating provides an attractive solution to the controlled synthesis of linear oligomers because a template oligomer can be used to define the precise length and sequence of the product. If the monomer units are attached to the template using kinetically inert covalent bonds it should be possible to operate at high dilution to favor intramolecular over intermolecular reaction. However, for oligomerization reactions using copper-catalyzed azide alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) this is not the case. The rate-limiting step is formation of an activated copper complex, so any alkyne that is activated by copper reacts rapidly with the nearest available azide. As a result, every time a chain end alkyne is activated, rapid intermolecular reaction takes place with a different oligomer leading to the formation of higher order products. It proved possible to block these intermolecular reactions by adding an excess of an azide capping agent that intercepts the chain end of the growing oligomer on the template. By adjusting the concentration of the capping agent to compete effectively with the unwanted intermolecular reactions without interfering with the desired intramolecular reactions, it was possible to obtain quantitative yields of copy strands from covalent template-directed oligomerization reactions. Remarkably, the capping agent could also be used to control the stereochemistry of the duplex formed in the templated oligomerization reaction to give exclusively the antiparallel product.ERC-2012-AdG 320539-duplex, Herchel Smith Fun

Influencia del homogeneizado previo al laminado en frío en la microestructura del AA3003

The aluminum alloy AA3003 produced by a direct chill continuous casting process has a microstructure that significantly affects its potential use in engineering applications. This work studies the effects of the homogenizing heat treatment on the microstructure of AA3003 with cold working. Six conditions were studied, combining the variables initial condition (with and without homogenizing) and amount of cold working. All conditions were evaluated by means of optical and scanning electron microscopy, in combination with backscattered electrons and energy dispersive X ray spectroscopy techniques. Results suggest that for both initial conditions, the secondary phases present are Al6(Mn,Fe) and ?-Al(Mn,Fe)Si, which vary in number, size, and shape. The homogenization caused the dissolution and precipitation of dispersoids, in addition to the spheroidization of primary particles, and minor variation of the size of secondary particles during cold working. Secondary phases are composed of primary and secondary particles, which differ in their Fe and Mn content, resulting in a lower Mn/Fe ratio for the primary particles (0,57 for the as?received condition and 0,80 for the homogenized condition), whereas the dispersoids have a higher Mn/Fe ratio (1,56 after the homogenization). Homogenization increased ductility and reduced the likelihood of cracking during cold working. This was evidenced by the results obtained for strength, hardness, and ductility.La aleación de aluminio AA3003 proveniente de colada continua posee una microestructura que afecta significativamente su uso potencial en aplicaciones de ingeniería. Este trabajo estudia los efectos de la homogeneización sobre la microestructura del AA3003 con trabajo en frío. Se estudiaron seis condiciones combinando las variables: condición inicial (con y sin homogeneizado) y cantidad de trabajo en frío. Se evaluaron todas las condiciones mediante microscopía óptica y electrónica de barrido, combinadas con técnicas de electrones retrodispersados y espectroscopía de dispersión de rayos X. Los resultados sugieren que, para ambas condiciones iniciales, las fases secundarias presentes son Al6(Mn,Fe) y ?-Al(Mn,Fe)Si. La homogeneización causó la disolución y precipitación de los dispersoides, la esferoidización de las partículas primarias y permitió que la variación del tamaño de las partículas secundarias fuese mínima durante el trabajo en frío. Además, se obtuvo que las fases secundarias están compuestas de partículas primarias y secundarias, que difieren en su contenido de Fe y Mn, lo que resulta en una relación Mn/Fe más baja para las partículas primarias (0,57 para la condición recibida y 0,80 para la condición homogeneizada), mientras que los dispersoides tienen una mayor relación Mn/Fe (1,56 después de la homogeneización). La homogenización aumentó la ductilidad y redujo la probabilidad de agrietamiento del material durante el trabajo en frío, lo cual se evidenció en los resultados obtenidos de resistencia, dureza y ductilidad