YidBrik: Historical, Practical, Relational, and Theological Concepts and Challenges in Jewish-Christian Relations

Historically and culturally, there is a deep divide of misunderstanding and feeling of mistrust between the Jewish people1 and the religious organization of Christianity and its adherents. This rift is directly responsible for a significant portion of the past two thousand years of Jewish suffering and Christian misunderstanding as well as the current divide between the two faith traditions.2 Contemporary efforts to missionize Jewish individuals as part of the Great Commission has only further hindered relationships deeper than a superficial secular connection. In the early life of Christianity, however, there were more similarities than differences to the point where one would struggle with telling the two apart. Both traditions, by and large, work independently to improve the world and provide for those less fortunate, often overlapping with a resulting stop-gap. If the two groups could work together, the possibility greater long-term good will result, both practically and spiritually. A co-led “bridge ministry” can address misunderstandings and conflicting theologies to find an amenable solution that is holistically biblical and consistent. Section 1 describes the problem in further detail. Section 2 examines different potential solutions. Section three examines Judaism and Christianity in greater detail to 1 For the purposes of this dissertation, “Jewish people” refers to both those who are of Jewish heritage and/or ethnicity as well as those who subscribe to the basic precepts of Judaism as defined by the Thirteen Principles of the faith by Maimonides. Further, it should be noted that some Orthodox Jewish authorities assert that being Jewish is not based off ethnicity or genetics but rather by religious observance. As such, even conservative or reform Jews are not considered Jewish. This also precludes cultural Jews. 2 Historical documents at Yad Vashem clearly indicate poor Jewish-Christian Relations as the source of most anti-Semitism from the advent of the Catholic Church up to the Holocaust of World War II. It is only a recent trend to have anti-Semitism untangled from the Christian religion, and even then many who are anti-Semitic have an association to the Christian religion. offer a conclusion. Section 4 is a description of an artifact that employs the thesis solution. Section 5 discusses the specifications of the artifact. Section 6 is postscript. In the Appendix is the artifact itself (sitemap, links, screenshots, and descriptions)

Minding the gap: evaluating the image quality gap between digital print technologies and traditional offset lithography - how big is it and who cares?

In recent years, digital print engines have made marked strides in increasing their level of image quality. What was once a ragged, de-saturated, and uninspiring color document can now be made sharp and vibrant. The difference between the image quality of digital printers relative to offset lithographic presses is shrinking—but just how big is this difference? What particular image quality parameters contribute most to this difference? And how much does this difference matter to the end user? The objective of this research was to answer these questions by evaluating the image quality gap between digital print technologies and offset lithography and determining the importance of this gap to end users. It was found that there were significant differences in perceived value of prints made on digital versus offset printing equipment, with the prints on coated media from offset equipment being generally preferred and the prints on uncoated media from digital printers being generally preferred

Sustained attention training reduces spatial bias in Parkinson’s disease: a pilot case series

Individuals with Parkinson’s disease (PD) commonly demonstrate lateralized spatial biases, which affect daily functioning. Those with PD with initial motor symptoms on the left body side (LPD) have reduced leftward attention, whereas PD with initial motor symptoms on the right side (RPD) may display reduced rightward attention. We investigated whether a sustained attention training program could help reduce these spatial biases. Four non-demented individuals with PD (2 LPD, 2 RPD) performed a visual search task before and after 1 month of computer training. Before training, all participants showed a significant spatial bias and after training, all participants’ spatial bias was eliminated.Published versio

Life cycle analysis in the printing industry: a review

Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is the leading tool for estimating environmental effects of products and processes. Despite this wide use, LCA analysis remains problematic and limited. Within the printing industry, one of the primary problems is non-standardized assumptions and practices. This makes it difficult, if not impossible, to compare the life cycle impacts of products. This paper will compare LCA studies performed within the printing industry in order to identify common practices, limitations, areas for improvement, and opportunities for standardization. This comparison is focused on the data sources and methodologies used in the particular studies

Australian GP attitudes to clinical practice guidelines and some implications for translating osteoarthritis care into practice

Abstract Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) have been shown to improve processes of care and health outcomes, but there is often a discrepancy between recommendations for care and clinical practice. We sought to explore general practitioner attitudes toward CPGs, in general and specifically for osteoarthritis (OA) with the implications for translating OA care into practice. A self-administered questionnaire was conducted in January 2013 of a sample of 228 GPs in New South Wales and South Australia. Seventy-nine GPs returned questionnaires (response rate 35%). Nearly all GPs considered that CPGs support decision making in practice (94%) and medical education (92%). Very few respondents regarded CPGs as a threat to clinical autonomy, and most recognised that individual patient circumstances must be taken into account. Shorter CPG formats were preferred over longer and more comprehensive formats, with preferences being evenly divided amongst respondents for short, 2-3 page summaries, flowcharts or algorithms and single page checklists. GPs considered accessibility to CPGs to be important, and electronic formats were popular. Familiarity and use of The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners OA Guideline was poor with most respondents either not aware of it (30%: 95% CI 27% - 41%), had never used it (19%; 95% CI 12% - 29%), or rarely used it (34%; 95% CI 25% - 45%). If CPGs are to assist with the translation of evidence into practice, they must be easily accessible and in a format that encourages use. Key words: arthritis, primary care, evidence-based medicine, decision making Summary statement What is known about the topic? • Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) can improve processes of care and health outcomes, however, there is often a gap between evidence-based recommendations for care and clinical practice. What does this paper add? • A better understanding of GP attitudes toward CPGs helps to explain potential barriers to the uptake of evidence-based practice and provides guidance on remedial action that may lead to better health outcomes.a National Health and Medical Research Council Program Grant (Australia, no.568612

Exploring existing measures of environmental impacts of print: a survey of existing practices

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Development of the parental needs scale for rare diseases : a tool for measuring the supportive care needs of parents caring for a child with a rare disease

Background: Children and families affected by rare diseases have received scant consideration from the medical, scientific, and political communities, with parents’ needs especially having received little attention. Affected parents often have limited access to information and support and appropriate health care services. While scales to measure the needs of parents of children with chronic illnesses have been developed, there have been no previous attempts to develop a scale to assess the needs of parents of children with rare diseases. Objective: To develop a scale for measuring the supportive care needs of parents of children with rare diseases. Method: A total of 301 responses to our Parental Needs Survey were randomly divided into two halves, one for exploratory factor analysis and the other for confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). After removing unsuitable items, exploratory factor analysis was undertaken to determine the factor structure of the data. CFA using structural equation modeling was then undertaken to confirm the factor structure. Results: Seventy-two items were entered into the CFA, with a scree plot showing a likely four-factor solution. The results provided four independent subscales of parental needs: Understanding the disease (four items); Working with health professionals (four items); Emotional issues (three items); and Financial needs (three items). The structural equation modeling confirmed the suitability of the four-factor solution and demonstrated that the four subscales could be added to provide an overall scale of parental need. Conclusion: This is the first scale developed to measure the supportive care needs of parents of children with rare diseases. The scale is suitable for use in surveys to develop policy, in individual clinical assessments, and, potentially, for evaluating new programs. Measuring the supportive care needs of parents caring for a child with a rare disease will hopefully lead to better physical and psychological health outcomes for parents and their affected children

Anonymity or transparency in reporting of medial error: a community-based survey in South Australia

The document attached has been archived with permission from the editor of the Medical Journal of Australia. An external link to the publisher’s copy is included.Objectives: To seek public opinion on the reporting of medical errors and the anonymity of healthcare workers who report medical errors. Design and participants: A random, representative survey of 2005 South Australians in April 2002, using telephone interviews based on a vignette provided. Main outcome measures: When a medical error occurs (i) whether the incident should be reported, and (ii) whether the report should disclose the healthcare worker’s identity. Results: (i) Most respondents (94.2%; 95% CI, 93.0%–95.2%) believed healthcare workers should report medical errors. (ii) 68.0% (95% CI, 65.5%–70.5%) of those in favour of reporting believed the healthcare worker should be identified on the report, while 29.2% (95% CI, 26.7%–31.7%) favoured anonymous reporting. Conclusions: Most respondents believed that, when a healthcare worker makes an error, an incident report should be written and the individual should be identified on the report. Respondents were reluctant to accept healthcare worker anonymity, even though this may encourage reporting.Sue M Evans, Jesia G Berry, Brian J Smith and Adrian J Esterma

Public perception of dentists' ability to manage a medical emergency

The importance of dentists to be able to manage a medical emergency in dental practice has been an established concept for many years, with medical emergency training being incorporated into dental undergraduate training programs as far as back as 1981. However, for far longer than this, dentists have held a professional role in the staffing of military field hospitals, providing emergency care to injured and ill members of the armed forces. Despite awareness of the importance of such skills, Australian studies have shown dentists often lack appropriate proficiencies and equipment for the effective and efficient management of medical crises that may arise as a part of routine dentistry. The only identified literature review on medical emergencies within dentistry recently found the majority of both students and graduate dentists were unable to correctly perform life support procedures3. This is a finding of concern when recent studies on the prevalence of medical emergencies in dentistry suggest that the incidence may be increasing, due to a myriad of factors. The populations of developed countries are generally getting older and consequently suffer from more acute and chronic conditions; notably, it has been argued that patients with multiple chronic diseases are more likely to suffer from a medical emergency. Simultaneously, a greater number of practitioners are utilising drugs such as sedatives compared to years past. These findings coincide with observations that dentists are being taught less clinical medical science than they have historically, and are further being seen as service providers to a consumerist public, rather than their trained role as health professionals. Although all schools of dentistry in Australia require their students to hold first aid and basic life support (BLS) certification, the requirements for practicing dentists to undergo ongoing training or medical emergency certification varies across countries and governing bodies. Australian dentists are not specifically required to undergo ongoing training in the management of medical emergencies, despite it being strongly recommended by the Australian Dental Association. Further, the public's expectation of dentists' competence in medical emergency management is likely much higher than what dentists may hold of themselves15, and reports on unpublished studies corroborate this suggestion. In the current military framework, Australian Defence Force (ADF) Dental Officers (DO) are often involved in the early triaging and stabilisation of injured members who have been evacuated to a role two facility but are not yet in receipt of advanced medical care. This too mandates a high level of knowledge and proficiency in emergency medical management. Given the special semi-autonomous status afforded to the self-regulation of dentistry there is a professional responsibility to meet or exceed public expectations, or such deficiencies may be legislatively mandated. To date, no published studies could be found examining the public's opinion of dentists' ability to manage a medical emergency in a dental setting, nor whether a patient's own medical status impacts on whether they visit a dentist because of concerns about a medical emergency. Based on this, the aim of this research is to quantify the public's attitudes towards dentists’ proficiency in a medical crisis