Church and State

The problem of Church and State is one which is entirely Christian, though in its practical applications it also concerns others. The very nature of the case is one which presupposes the side by side existence of both institutions. It was only when Christ came and established the Church in the world and still said, “My kingdom is not of the world, (John 18 , 36) , that the problem of the relation the one bears to the other first arose

Analysis and Insights from a Dynamical Model of Nuclear Plant Safety Risk

In this paper, we expand upon previously reported results of a dynamical systems model for the impact of plant processes and programmatic performance on nuclear plant safety risk. We utilize both analytical techniques and numerical simulations typical of the analysis of nonlinear dynamical systems to obtain insights important for effective risk management. This includes use of bifurcation diagrams to show that period doubling bifurcations and regions of chaotic dynamics can occur. We also investigate the impact of risk mitigating functions (equipment reliability and loss prevention) on plant safety risk and demonstrate that these functions are capable of improving risk to levels that are better than those that are represented in a traditional risk assessment. Next, we analyze the system response to the presence of external noise and obtain some conclusions with respect to the allocation of resources to ensure that safety is maintained at optimal levels. In particular, we demonstrate that the model supports the importance of management and regulator attention to plants that have demonstrated poor performance by providing an external stimulus to obtain desired improvements. Equally important, the model suggests that excessive intervention, by either plant management or regulatory authorities, can have a deleterious impact on safety for plants that are operating with very effective programs and processes. Finally, we propose a modification to the model that accounts for the impact of plant risk culture on process performance and plant safety risk. We then use numerical simulations to demonstrate the important safety benefits of a strong risk culture.Nonlinear Dynamical Systems, Process Model, Risk Management

The Role of Tobacco Smoking in the Efficacy of Brief Alcohol Intervention: Results from a Randomized Controlled Trial

This study investigated whether tobacco smoking affected outcomes of brief alcohol interventions (BAIs) in at-risk alcohol-drinking general hospital patients. Between 2011 and 2012 among patients aged 18–64 years, 961 patients were allocated to in-person counseling (PE), computer-based BAI containing computer-generated individual feedback letters (CO), and assessment only. PE and CO included contacts at baseline, 1, and 3 months. After 6, 12, 18, and 24 months, self-reported reduction of alcohol use per day was assessed as an outcome. By using latent growth curve models, self-reported smoking status, and number of cigarettes per day were tested as moderators. In PE and CO, alcohol use was reduced independently of smoking status (IRRs ≤ 0.61, ps 0.05) and CO (IRR = 0.85, ps > 0.05). Up to month 12, among persons smoking ≤ 19 cigarettes per day, the efficacy of CO increased with an increasing number of cigarettes (ps < 0.05). After 24 months, the efficacy of PE and CO that have been shown to reduce drinking did not differ by smoking status or number of cigarettes per day. Findings indicate that efficacy may differ by the number of cigarettes in the short term.Peer Reviewe

The Experience of Discrimination and Black-White Health Disparities in Medical Care

The current study of Black patients focuses on how discrimination contributes to racial disparities in health. The authors used a longitudinal methodology to study how perceived past discrimination affects reactions to medical interactions and adherence to physician recommendations. In addition, they explored whether these reactions and/or adherence mediate the relationship between discrimination and patients' health. The participants in this study were 156 Black patients of low socioeconomic status at a primary care clinic. Patients completed questionnaires on their current health, past adherence, and perceived past discrimination. Then, they saw a physician and rated their reactions to the visit. Four and 16 weeks later they reported on their adherence to physician recommendations and overall health. Perceived discrimination was significantly and negatively associated with patient health, reactions to the physician, and adherence. Path analyses indicated that adherence mediated the relationship between discrimination and patient health, but patient reactions to the interaction did not

Behavioral Health Risk Factors and Motivation to Change among Cardiovascular General Hospital Patients Aged 50 to 79 Years

Little is known about the (co-)occurrence of smoking, alcohol at-risk drinking, physical inactivity and overweight, and the motivation to change these behavioral health risk factors (HRFs) in older general hospital patients with cardiovascular disease. Between October and December 2016, all consecutively admitted patients aged 50 to 79 years were proactively recruited on 3 cardiology wards and asked to participate in a survey on HRFs and behavior change motivation. Of the eligible patients, 80.4% participated in the survey (n = 328). The mean age was 66.5 years (standard deviation 9.0), and 65.5% were male. At least 1 HRF was present in 91.8% (n = 280), at least 2 HRFs in 54.4% (n = 166), and 3 or 4 HRFs in 12.1% (n = 37) of participants. The proportion of older adults who contemplated or were changing or planning to change their behavior to meet health behavior recommendations ranged between 66.0% (smoking) and 93.2% (alcohol consumption). The results indicate a notable co-occurrence of behavioral HRFs in older patients with cardiovascular disease. The majority of older adults were at least considering changing the respective behavior. To prevent and treat diseases efficiently, hospitalization may be a suitable moment for systematic multiple HRF screening and intervention.Peer Reviewe

Small urban centres as launching sites for plant invasions in natural areas : insights from South Africa

CITATION: McLean, P. et al. 2017. Small urban centres as launching sites for plant invasions in natural areas: insights from South Africa. Biological Invasions, 19(12):3541-3555. doi:10.1007/s10530-017-1600-4The original publication is available at https://www.springer.com/journal/10530Alien species are often first introduced to urban areas, so it is unsurprising that towns and cities are often hotspots for invasions. However, while large cities are usually the first sites of introduction, small towns are more numerous and have a greater chance of launching invasions into natural areas as they have proportionally larger interfaces with their surroundings. In this paper we develop a set of scenarios as hypotheses to explore the role of small towns in facilitating within-country dispersal of alien plants. In particular, we developed ten scenarios for how introductions to small towns, agricultural and natural areas can lead to landscape-scale invasions. We tested a part of these scenarios using a case study of a highly invaded region in South Africa (the Berg River catchment in the Western Cape). We specifically investigated the main plant invasion routes between 12 small towns and their surrounding agricultural and natural areas. This was accomplished by conducting urban-specific alien plant surveys in towns, then comparing these results to regional databases of naturalized and/or invasive plants. Many of the alien plants found in urban areas were listed as invasive or naturalized in the catchment (over 30% of the total alien species pool). Despite marked environmental gradients across the study area, we found no relationships between the alien plant species richness in towns and climatic variables or with levels of anthropogenic disturbances. All towns hosted large numbers of invasive plant species and nearly half of the alien species found in towns were naturalized or invasive in surrounding areas. The likelihood of alien plants being naturalized or invasive outside urban areas increased in proportion to their local abundance in towns and if they were tall and woody. Ornamental horticulture was the main reason for introduction of these alien species (69%). Small towns can and do harbour significant populations of plant taxa that are able to spread to surrounding natural areas to launch invasions. Comparing lists of species from urban alien plant surveys with those from naturalisation records for the region is a useful protocol for identifying species which may be moving along the introduction– naturalization–invasion continuum.https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10530-017-1600-4Publisher’s versio

Beyond prejudice: Are negative evaluations the problem and is getting us to like one another more the solution?

publication-status: Acceptedtypes: ArticleThis is a post print version of an article published in Behavioral and Brain Sciences, 2012, 35 (6), pp 438-439 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0140525X12001252 Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2012For most of the history of prejudice research, negativity has been treated as its emotional and cognitive signature, a conception that continues to dominate work on the topic. By this definition, prejudice occurs when we dislike or derogate members of other groups. Recent research, however, has highlighted the need for a more nuanced and ‘inclusive’ (Eagly 2004) perspective on the role of intergroup emotions and beliefs in sustaining discrimination. On the one hand, several independent lines of research have shown that unequal intergroup relations are often marked by attitudinal complexity, with positive responses such as affection and admiration mingling with negative responses such as contempt and resentment. Simple antipathy is the exception rather than the rule. On the other hand, there is mounting evidence that nurturing bonds of affection between the advantaged and the disadvantaged sometimes entrenches rather than disrupts wider patterns of discrimination. Notably, prejudice reduction interventions may have ironic effects on the political attitudes of the historically disadvantaged, decreasing their perceptions of injustice and willingness to engage in collective action to transform social inequalities. These developments raise a number of important questions. Has the time come to challenge the assumption that negative evaluations are inevitably the cognitive and affective hallmarks of discrimination? Is the orthodox concept of prejudice in danger of side-tracking, if not obstructing, progress towards social justice in a fuller sense? What are the prospects for reconciling a prejudice reduction model of change, designed to get people to like one another more, with a collective action model of change, designed to ignite struggles to achieve intergroup equality

Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis Shows High Genetic Diversity and Ecological Niche Specificity among Haplotypes in the Maya Mountains of Belize

The amphibian pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) has been implicated in amphibian declines around the globe. Although it has been found in most countries in Central America, its presence has never been assessed in Belize. We set out to determine the range, prevalence, and diversity of Bd using quantitative PCR (qPCR) and sequencing of a portion of the 5.8 s and ITS1-2 regions. Swabs were collected from 524 amphibians of at least 26 species in the protected areas of the Maya Mountains of Belize. We sequenced a subset of 72 samples that had tested positive for Bd by qPCR at least once; 30 samples were verified as Bd. Eight unique Bd haplotypes were identified in the Maya Mountains, five of which were previously undescribed. We identified unique ecological niches for the two most broadly distributed haplotypes. Combined with data showing differing virulence shown in different strains in other studies, the 5.8 s - ITS1-2 region diversity found in this study suggests that there may be substantial differences among populations or haplotypes. Future work should focus on whether specific haplotypes for other genomic regions and possibly pathogenicity can be associated with haplotypes at this locus, as well as the integration of molecular tools with other ecological tools to elucidate the ecology and pathogenicity of Bd

Diurnal variations of temperature and winds inferred from TIMED and UARS measurements

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/95001/1/jgra18181.pd