Lecturas Seleccionadas: Nivel Superior Intermedio (2nd ed.). Linda Lee and Jean Bernard. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press, 2011

Cuando se enseña un curso intensivo de lectura, los profesores de idioma necesitan textos con temas de interés y gran variedad de estrategias de lectura que tengan un enfoque pedagógico que sea efectivo, tanto para involucrar a los estudiantes durante el curso así como para ayudarles a aprender estrategias de lectura que los lleven más allá de los límites. Para estos temas propongo lecturas del libro Lecturas Seleccionadas: Nivel Superior Intermedio (2nd ed.) escrito por Linda Lee y Jean Bernard que son una muy buena fuente para los docentes

The Last Full Measure of Devotion : The Battle of Gettysburg and the New Museum in Schmucker Hall

Schmucker Hall offers an unprecedented opportunity to interpret the role of religion in the Civil War and the American expenment in democracy. In particular it can give palpable expression to major themes in Abraham Lincoln\u27s Gettysburg Address concerning the battle itself, the conflict as a time of testing, the sacrifices of those who fought here, and the hope these sacrifices bring to the young nation for a new birth of freedom. Built in 1832 and named for an abolitionist and founder of Gettysburg Seminary, Samuel Simon Schmucker, it is the original structure on the oldest continuously-operating Lutheran seminary in the United States, and many say it IS the most significant Civil War building in America still in private hands. Thus, Gettysburg Seminary has a place and it has a man to interpret significant aspects of the Civil War in ways that no other museum, including a government agency such as the National Park Service (NPS), can do. [excerpt

Dynamic Programming on Nominal Graphs

Many optimization problems can be naturally represented as (hyper) graphs, where vertices correspond to variables and edges to tasks, whose cost depends on the values of the adjacent variables. Capitalizing on the structure of the graph, suitable dynamic programming strategies can select certain orders of evaluation of the variables which guarantee to reach both an optimal solution and a minimal size of the tables computed in the optimization process. In this paper we introduce a simple algebraic specification with parallel composition and restriction whose terms up to structural axioms are the graphs mentioned above. In addition, free (unrestricted) vertices are labelled with variables, and the specification includes operations of name permutation with finite support. We show a correspondence between the well-known tree decompositions of graphs and our terms. If an axiom of scope extension is dropped, several (hierarchical) terms actually correspond to the same graph. A suitable graphical structure can be found, corresponding to every hierarchical term. Evaluating such a graphical structure in some target algebra yields a dynamic programming strategy. If the target algebra satisfies the scope extension axiom, then the result does not depend on the particular structure, but only on the original graph. We apply our approach to the parking optimization problem developed in the ASCENS e-mobility case study, in collaboration with Volkswagen. Dynamic programming evaluations are particularly interesting for autonomic systems, where actual behavior often consists of propagating local knowledge to obtain global knowledge and getting it back for local decisions.Comment: In Proceedings GaM 2015, arXiv:1504.0244

Mikrosporidien des Eichenprozessionsspinners, Thaumetopoea processionea (L.) (Lep., Thaumetopoeidae) in den Eichenwäldern Ostösterreichs

Since the late 1990s, the oak processionary moth, Thaumetopoea processionea (L.), has been occurring at high population densities in eastern Austria. Particularly, infestations in areas of human settlement have created increasing interest in this insect due to health problems caused by the urticating hairs of the larvae. New methods for biological control are desirable. Like essentially all forest Lepidoptera, T. processionea is host for entomopathogenic microsporidia. These obligatory parasitic protists have been evaluated as biocontrol agents against an other oak pest, Lymantria dispar (Weiser & Novotny, 1987; Jeffords & al., 1988). Life history traits of T. processionea make this insect an even more promising target for the use of microsporidia. The larvae are highly gregarious and stay together in nests made of larval silk for resting periods and molting. Microsporidia utilize several pathways for horizontal transmission that would be aided by these features: spores can be released after host death from cadavers as well as from living larvae via silk or feces. Additionally, many microsporidia are vertically transmitted (summarized in Maddox & al., 1998). In this project, T. processionea larvae from various regions in eastern Austria were screened for the natural occurrence of microsporidia. One isolate, Endoreticulatus sp., was further studied and mass produced in a laboratory host, L. dispar, that is easy to rear and does not pose a health hazard for people working with the insects. An inoculative release was attempted on isolated trees infested with T. processionea.In einem zweijährigen Screening untersuchten wir das Auftreten von Mikrosporidien bei Thaumetopoea processionea an verschiedenen Standorten in Ostösterreich. In neun von 18 Populationen wurden Mikrosporidiosen nachgewiesen, die Prävalenzen lagen zwischen 1,9 % und 15,4 %. Basierend auf lichtmikroskopischen Befunden waren die gefundenen Pathogene den Gattungen Endoreticulatus, Nosema, Cystosporogenes und Vairimorpha zuzuordnen. Endoreticulatus sp. vermochte im Labor Raupen von Lymantria dispar zu infizieren. Das erlaubte die einfache Produktion von Inokulum sowie Untersuchungen mit einem ungefährlichen Wirtsinsekt. Laborversuche mit L. dispar zeigten einen langsamen Krankheitsverlauf, der aber in signifikant erhöhter Mortalität resultierte (nur 26 % der oral inokulierten Tiere entwickelten sich zu Imagines), sowie eine effiziente horizontale Übertragung. Eine inokulative Freilassung wurde versucht: dazu wurden Endoreticulatus-Sporen in wässriger Suspension auf Blätter isoliert stehender, von T. processionea befallenen Eichen ausgebracht. Die Inokulation war erfolgreich, allerdings auf niedrigem Niveau – die maximale Infektionsrate lag bei 9,5 %

Balanced Budget and Investment Rule: Two Sides of the Same Coin?! Analyzing the economic effects of a binding public investment commitment in Germany. Bertelsmann Stiftung Inclusive Growth for Germany|7

In their statement from December 2016, the independent commission of experts for strengthening investment in Germany, appointed by then-Federal Minister of Economics Sigmar Gabriel, calls for a significant expansion of investment dynamics in Germany. Along with proposed measures to strengthen private investments, the commission stresses the importance of creating the kind of institutional and political framework needed to push public investments so as to not endanger welfare and economic growth in Germany. In light of this, this study shows what effects an increase and stabilization of the public investment level in Germany would have. To do this, distinct investment scenarios have been created and their impact on a number of economic and politico-economic indicators up to the year 2025 was measured. The results clearly show that an increase in public investments in Germany would lead to a significant rise in German GDP growth over the following years. Factors like productivity, volume of work and the state’s capital stock similarly show higher increases in scenarios with more public investments relative to scenarios with a lower investment level. Another important result of the study is that such a proposed rule of investment would not have to be in conflict with the already existing debt rule of the federal government. Although scenarios with a higher level of public investment first lead to a lower budget balance, the differences between the individual scenarios become insignificant over time due to both the higher economic growth in those scenarios with more investments and the underlying assumptions regarding the counter-financing of these investments. In all five scenarios observed, the debt / GDP ratio swiftly falls below 50 percent in the year 2025. For the purpose of this study’s calculations, additional investments will be financed through an increase in taxes and a cut in spending on public consumption. The focus of this paper is purely macroeconomic, taking a look at the effects of different levels of public investment on the German economy

Migrant Entrepreneurs in Germany from 2005 to 2014 Their Extent, Economic Impact and Influence in Germany’s Länder. Bertelsmann Stiftung Inclusive Growth for Germany|5

The increasing gaps in income and wealth observed in developed economies around the globe are indicators of problems with inclusive growth. To be sure, the extent of these gaps varies across and within these economies, including Germany. The OECD has found that certain population groups benefit disproportionately from this group, while others are left behind (OECD 2015: 9 and 17). This is not a purely monetary phenomenon, but rather is closely related to the distribution of participation opportunities (e.g., with regard to working life) in a society

A cost-effectiveness analysis of self-debriefing versus instructor debriefing for simulated crises in perioperative medicine in Canada.

PurposeHigh-fidelity simulation training is effective for learning crisis resource management (CRM) skills, but cost is a major barrier to implementing high-fidelity simulation training into the curriculum. The aim of this study was to examine the cost-effectiveness of self-debriefing and traditional instructor debriefing in CRM training programs and to calculate the minimum willingness-to-pay (WTP) value when one debriefing type becomes more cost-effective than the other.MethodsThis study used previous data from a randomized controlled trial involving 50 anesthesiology residents in Canada. Each participant managed a pretest crisis scenario. Participants who were randomized to self-debrief used the video of their pretest scenario with no instructor present during their debriefing. Participants from the control group were debriefed by a trained instructor using the video of their pretest scenario. Participants individually managed a post-test simulated crisis scenario. We compared the cost and effectiveness of self-debriefing versus instructor debriefing using net benefit regression. The cost-effectiveness estimate was reported as the incremental net benefit and the uncertainty was presented using a cost-effectiveness acceptability curve.ResultsSelf-debriefing costs less than instructor debriefing. As the WTP increased, the probability that self-debriefing would be cost-effective decreased. With a WTP ≤Can200, the self-debriefing program was cost-effective. However, when effectiveness was priced higher than cost-savings and with a WTP >Can300, instructor debriefing was the preferred alternative.ConclusionWith a lower WTP (≤Can$200), self-debriefing was cost-effective in CRM simulation training when compared to instructor debriefing. This study provides evidence regarding cost-effectiveness that will inform decision-makers and clinical educators in their decision-making process, and may help to optimize resource allocation in education