The Teachers\u27 Perspective of Critical Thinking Skills Development in Middle School Gifted Students in the Social Studies Classroom through the Use of Primary Sources

Gifted education, although having been a part of the United States educational fabric since the early 1900s, has various definitions and programs throughout the nation. Many gifted students are being placed in regular education programs without consideration of their needs. In 1991 Wineburg began researching and proposing using primary sources for analyzing and research skills in social studies classrooms as a possible way to meet the needs of gifted students while teaching problem solving and critical thinking skills. The purpose of this phenomenological study was to discover two connected concepts: The perception middle school social studies teachers\u27 have toward critical thinking skills and the development of critical thinking skills in gifted students, particularly through the use of primary sources. This phenomenon was researched with the cooperation of nine participants in a medium sized school district in South Carolina. Among the nine participants, three are National Board certified, two are endorsed for gifted education through the South Carolina Department of Education, and their teaching experience varied from one to twenty years. Using the constant comparative method, data were collected through survey, interviews, and classroom observations. The data indicated that these middle school social studies teachers had knowledge of and utilized primary sources to develop critical thinking skills even though they had not previously defined the concept. However, they were lacking professional development and knowledge of gifted students\u27 needs in the classroom

Planeamiento estratégico del sector turismo

En el presente documento se elabora el Planeamiento Estratégico del sector de turismo en el Perú. El plan estratégico es el resultado de un exhaustivo análisis de los factores externos e internos del sector, que permitieron identificar las principales oportunidades, amenazas, fortalezas, y debilidades. Asimismo, a partir de la elaboración de las matrices, se lograron establecer las estrategias para cumplir con los objetivos de largo plazo y sus correspondientes objetivos de corto plazo, con la finalidad de poder alcanzar la visión trazada. El sector turismo en el Perú está pasando por un momento de auge importante, en los últimos años la tasa de turistas tanto internos como receptivos ha aumentado de forma sustancial lo que representa un potencial mercado sobre el cual actuar. Tanto el gobierno como la empresa privada deberán poner especial énfasis en este sector en crecimiento y en su contribución con el crecimiento del país. El presente plan estratégico para el sector turismo busca generar propuestas para diversificar el servicio turístico, entregando valor a las industrias relacionadas, generando puestos de trabajo y mejorando la calidad de vida de la población. El plan contempla un desarrollo tanto local como internacional, se han identificado, entre otros factores, un potencial importante de crecimiento debido a la gran demanda en turismo y cuya proyección es bastante alentadora. Las estrategias propuestas en el planeamiento estratégico se orientan fundamentalmente a atraer turistas e inversión extranjera, que potencien aún más este sector y a su vez sean marco para otros sectores relacionados como la gastronomía y hotelería. El plan también propone la creación de una institución que agrupe gremios relacionadas con el turismo y sea capaz de impulsar la ejecución de proyectos planteados, a través del apoyo del gobierno y la empresa privada, con la visión de llegar a ser el primer destino sudamericano para hacer turismo.The following document describes the strategic plan for the Peruvian tourism sector. The strategic plan is the result of an exhaustive analysis of the sector‟s internal and external factors, which allowed identifying the main opportunities, threats, strengths and weaknesses. Through the development of matrixes it was also possible to establish strategies to meet both short and long term objectives, with the purpose of reaching the proposed vision. Tourism in Peru is going through an important growth period, as over the last years the number of tourists both internal and foreign has increased substantially, which represents a potential market for taking action. The government and private sectors must put special attention to this growing sector and its contribution to the overall country growth. This strategic plan for the tourism sector seeks to generate proposals to diversify the tourism services, delivering value to related industries, creating work opportunities and improving the population‟s life quality. The plan considers local and international development; as it has been identified among other factors that there is an important growth potential due to a large tourism demand, whose projection is very encouraging. The strategies proposed in the strategic plan are fundamentally oriented towards attracting tourists and foreign investments that improve this sector while also be the framework for other related sectors such as gastronomy and hotels businesses. The plan also proposes creating an institution that groups‟ crafts related to tourism, and is able to promote the execution of projects with the support of the government and private companies, having the vision to become the main South American destination for tourism.Tesi

Adaptación psicométrica de la Escala de Acción Planificada de Dedicación al estudio: de la versión retrospectiva a la prospectiva

La Escala de Acción Planificada de Dedicación al Estudio (EAPDE) es un instrumento que mide la determinación a planificar el estudio en universitarios, en versión retrospectiva. Por ello, el objetivo de esta investigación fue realizar su adaptación psicométrica a la versión prospectiva, de tal modo que los ítems evalúen la proyección del propio compromiso en la planificación del estudio. Participaron 279 estudiantes de psicología de tres universidades peruanas, seleccionados con un muestreo no probabilístico. Se realizó el análisis factorial confirmatorio con el método de estimación WLSMV y, como resultado, el modelo de cuatro factores (actitud, norma subjetiva, control percibido e intención) tiene un ajuste aceptable, así como adecuados indicadores de confiabilidad (ω > .70). Se concluye que la EAPDE, en su versión prospectiva, posee adecuadas evidencias de validez en su estructura interna y confiabilidad

UNBOUND

UNBOUND showcases the graduating class from the fashion design school at Fanshawe College.https://first.fanshawec.ca/famd_design_fashiondesign_unbound/1007/thumbnail.jp

Physiological Correlates of Volunteering

We review research on physiological correlates of volunteering, a neglected but promising research field. Some of these correlates seem to be causal factors influencing volunteering. Volunteers tend to have better physical health, both self-reported and expert-assessed, better mental health, and perform better on cognitive tasks. Research thus far has rarely examined neurological, neurochemical, hormonal, and genetic correlates of volunteering to any significant extent, especially controlling for other factors as potential confounds. Evolutionary theory and behavioral genetic research suggest the importance of such physiological factors in humans. Basically, many aspects of social relationships and social activities have effects on health (e.g., Newman and Roberts 2013; Uchino 2004), as the widely used biopsychosocial (BPS) model suggests (Institute of Medicine 2001). Studies of formal volunteering (FV), charitable giving, and altruistic behavior suggest that physiological characteristics are related to volunteering, including specific genes (such as oxytocin receptor [OXTR] genes, Arginine vasopressin receptor [AVPR] genes, dopamine D4 receptor [DRD4] genes, and 5-HTTLPR). We recommend that future research on physiological factors be extended to non-Western populations, focusing specifically on volunteering, and differentiating between different forms and types of volunteering and civic participation

Mosaic Activating Mutations in GNA11 and GNAQ Are Associated with Phakomatosis Pigmentovascularis and Extensive Dermal Melanocytosis.

Common birthmarks can be an indicator of underlying genetic disease but are often overlooked. Mongolian blue spots (dermal melanocytosis) are usually localized and transient, but they can be extensive, permanent, and associated with extracutaneous abnormalities. Co-occurrence with vascular birthmarks defines a subtype of phakomatosis pigmentovascularis, a group of syndromes associated with neurovascular, ophthalmological, overgrowth, and malignant complications. Here, we discover that extensive dermal melanocytosis and phakomatosis pigmentovascularis are associated with activating mutations in GNA11 and GNAQ, genes that encode Gα subunits of heterotrimeric G proteins. The mutations were detected at very low levels in affected tissues but were undetectable in the blood, indicating that these conditions are postzygotic mosaic disorders. In vitro expression of mutant GNA11(R183C) and GNA11(Q209L) in human cell lines demonstrated activation of the downstream p38 MAPK signaling pathway and the p38, JNK, and ERK pathways, respectively. Transgenic mosaic zebrafish models expressing mutant GNA11(R183C) under promoter mitfa developed extensive dermal melanocytosis recapitulating the human phenotype. Phakomatosis pigmentovascularis and extensive dermal melanocytosis are therefore diagnoses in the group of mosaic heterotrimeric G-protein disorders, joining McCune-Albright and Sturge-Weber syndromes. These findings will allow accurate clinical and molecular diagnosis of this subset of common birthmarks, thereby identifying infants at risk for serious complications, and provide novel therapeutic opportunities

An original phylogenetic approach identified mitochondrial haplogroup T1a1 as inversely associated with breast cancer risk in BRCA2 mutation carriers

Introduction: Individuals carrying pathogenic mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes have a high lifetime risk of breast cancer. BRCA1 and BRCA2 are involved in DNA double-strand break repair, DNA alterations that can be caused by exposure to reactive oxygen species, a main source of which are mitochondria. Mitochondrial genome variations affect electron transport chain efficiency and reactive oxygen species production. Individuals with different mitochondrial haplogroups differ in their metabolism and sensitivity to oxidative stress. Variability in mitochondrial genetic background can alter reactive oxygen species production, leading to cancer risk. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that mitochondrial haplogroups modify breast cancer risk in BRCA1/2 mutation carriers. Methods: We genotyped 22,214 (11,421 affected, 10,793 unaffected) mutation carriers belonging to the Consortium of Investigators of Modifiers of BRCA1/2 for 129 mitochondrial polymorphisms using the iCOGS array. Haplogroup inference and association detection were performed using a phylogenetic approach. ALTree was applied to explore the reference mitochondrial evolutionary tree and detect subclades enriched in affected or unaffected individuals. Results: We discovered that subclade T1a1 was depleted in affected BRCA2 mutation carriers compared with the rest of clade T (hazard ratio (HR) = 0.55; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.34 to 0.88; P = 0.01). Compared with the most frequent haplogroup in the general population (that is, H and T clades), the T1a1 haplogroup has a HR of 0.62 (95% CI, 0.40 to 0.95; P = 0.03). We also identified three potential susceptibility loci, including G13708A/rs28359178, which has demonstrated an inverse association with familial breast cancer risk. Conclusions: This study illustrates how original approaches such as the phylogeny-based method we used can empower classical molecular epidemiological studies aimed at identifying association or risk modification effects.Peer reviewe

Incident type 2 diabetes attributable to suboptimal diet in 184 countries

The global burden of diet-attributable type 2 diabetes (T2D) is not well established. This risk assessment model estimated T2D incidence among adults attributable to direct and body weight-mediated effects of 11 dietary factors in 184 countries in 1990 and 2018. In 2018, suboptimal intake of these dietary factors was estimated to be attributable to 14.1 million (95% uncertainty interval (UI), 13.8–14.4 million) incident T2D cases, representing 70.3% (68.8–71.8%) of new cases globally. Largest T2D burdens were attributable to insufficient whole-grain intake (26.1% (25.0–27.1%)), excess refined rice and wheat intake (24.6% (22.3–27.2%)) and excess processed meat intake (20.3% (18.3–23.5%)). Across regions, highest proportional burdens were in central and eastern Europe and central Asia (85.6% (83.4–87.7%)) and Latin America and the Caribbean (81.8% (80.1–83.4%)); and lowest proportional burdens were in South Asia (55.4% (52.1–60.7%)). Proportions of diet-attributable T2D were generally larger in men than in women and were inversely correlated with age. Diet-attributable T2D was generally larger among urban versus rural residents and higher versus lower educated individuals, except in high-income countries, central and eastern Europe and central Asia, where burdens were larger in rural residents and in lower educated individuals. Compared with 1990, global diet-attributable T2D increased by 2.6 absolute percentage points (8.6 million more cases) in 2018, with variation in these trends by world region and dietary factor. These findings inform nutritional priorities and clinical and public health planning to improve dietary quality and reduce T2D globally.publishedVersio

Optimasi Portofolio Resiko Menggunakan Model Markowitz MVO Dikaitkan dengan Keterbatasan Manusia dalam Memprediksi Masa Depan dalam Perspektif Al-Qur`an

Risk portfolio on modern finance has become increasingly technical, requiring the use of sophisticated mathematical tools in both research and practice. Since companies cannot insure themselves completely against risk, as human incompetence in predicting the future precisely that written in Al-Quran surah Luqman verse 34, they have to manage it to yield an optimal portfolio. The objective here is to minimize the variance among all portfolios, or alternatively, to maximize expected return among all portfolios that has at least a certain expected return. Furthermore, this study focuses on optimizing risk portfolio so called Markowitz MVO (Mean-Variance Optimization). Some theoretical frameworks for analysis are arithmetic mean, geometric mean, variance, covariance, linear programming, and quadratic programming. Moreover, finding a minimum variance portfolio produces a convex quadratic programming, that is minimizing the objective function ðð¥with constraintsð ð 𥠥 ðandð´ð¥ = ð. The outcome of this research is the solution of optimal risk portofolio in some investments that could be finished smoothly using MATLAB R2007b software together with its graphic analysis

Juxtaposing BTE and ATE – on the role of the European insurance industry in funding civil litigation

One of the ways in which legal services are financed, and indeed shaped, is through private insurance arrangement. Two contrasting types of legal expenses insurance contracts (LEI) seem to dominate in Europe: before the event (BTE) and after the event (ATE) legal expenses insurance. Notwithstanding institutional differences between different legal systems, BTE and ATE insurance arrangements may be instrumental if government policy is geared towards strengthening a market-oriented system of financing access to justice for individuals and business. At the same time, emphasizing the role of a private industry as a keeper of the gates to justice raises issues of accountability and transparency, not readily reconcilable with demands of competition. Moreover, multiple actors (clients, lawyers, courts, insurers) are involved, causing behavioural dynamics which are not easily predicted or influenced. Against this background, this paper looks into BTE and ATE arrangements by analysing the particularities of BTE and ATE arrangements currently available in some European jurisdictions and by painting a picture of their respective markets and legal contexts. This allows for some reflection on the performance of BTE and ATE providers as both financiers and keepers. Two issues emerge from the analysis that are worthy of some further reflection. Firstly, there is the problematic long-term sustainability of some ATE products. Secondly, the challenges faced by policymakers that would like to nudge consumers into voluntarily taking out BTE LEI