The History and Current Use of Bassoon Speaker Keys

One of the largest challenges that beginning bassonists are faced with is developing proper technique, especially with using the thumb keys. The bassoon requires the right hand thumb to operate up to five keys, while the left hand thumb may operate up to ten. There are three keys in particular that the left hand thumb must activate on a regular basis, and they are known as the speaker keys. Although it is essential, most beginning bassoonists do not learn about the speaker keys at the appropriate time. The purpose of this research project is four-fold: (1) provide the reader with a historical context of the bassoon and the speaker keys, (2) survey current bassoonists on their experiences with the speaker key technique, (3) to determine if current practices are effective in teaching beginning bassoonists, and (4) to propose a new resource for beginning bassoonists to develop the speaker key technique. The need to explore and research this topic came from the author\u27s personal experience in teaching beginning bassoonists. Every student demonstrated a relatively good understanding of the bassoon, but the speaker key technique was a mystery common to all of them. This observation prompted the need to understand why the students did not know of this important technique. This research project is significant not only because it provides insight on the historical aspects of the speaker keys, but also because the reader will be able to understand current practices of teaching the speaker key technique. Through literature, journal articles, and survey responses from over 100 bassoonists, it is clear that use of the speaker keys is an indispensable part of bassoon technique. The findings clearly demonstrate this importance, along with inconsistencies in how it islearned, and that a speaker key resource is needed for beginning students. This project will provide a resource to performers, teachers, and students alike in the use of the speaker keys

Potential Consequences of Intra-Regional Trade in Short-Term Food Security Crises in Southeastern Africa

A report prepared by Michigan State University for the World Bank under contract No. 7144132, Strengthening Food Security in Sub-Saharan Africa through Trade Liberalization and Regional IntegrationAfrica, trade, emergency, Food Security and Poverty, International Relations/Trade, Q13,

Mechanisms for the Increased Fatigability of the Lower Limb in People with Type 2 Diabetes

Fatiguing exercise is the basis of exercise training and a cornerstone of management of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), however, little is known about the fatigability of limb muscles and the involved mechanisms in people with T2D. The purpose was to compare fatigability of knee extensor muscles between people with T2D and controls without diabetes and determine the neural and muscular mechanisms for a dynamic fatiguing task. Seventeen people with T2D (10 men, 7 women: 59.6{plus minus}9.0 years) and 21 age-, BMI- and physical activity-matched controls (11 men, 10 women: 59.5{plus minus}9.6 years) performed 120 high-velocity concentric contractions (1 contraction/3 s) with a load equivalent to 20% maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) torque with the knee extensors. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electrical stimulation of the quadriceps were used to assess voluntary activation and contractile properties. People with T2D had larger reductions than controls in power during the fatiguing task (39.9{plus minus}20.2% vs. 28.3{plus minus}16.7%, P2=0.364, P=0.002). Although neural mechanisms contributed to fatigability, contractile mechanisms were responsible for the greater knee extensor fatigability in men and women with T2D compared with healthy controls

One size fits all?: The effect of equivalence scales on Indigenous and other Australian poverty

Indigenous households are more likely to be multi-generational and have several families in residence than other Australian households. Equivalence scales attempt to control for family size and composition and the relative costs of maintaining various families. We use the 1995 National Health Survey to examine how variations in the assumptions underlying equivalence scales, such as household composition and economies of size, affect poverty measures for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. Our results show that the choice of equivalence scale affects the level and composition of poverty. This is evident in that variations in the assumption about the costs of children can increase Indigenous poverty by a factor of two-and-a-half. We also examine how equivalence scale variations can induce large threshold effects, and demonstrate the influence of zero and negative incomes in our data set on the composition of poverty

Sensitivity of Australian income distributions to choice of equivalence scale: Exploring some parameters of Indigenous incomes

Indigenous families experience substantial and multiple forms of economic burden arising from the size and structure of their families and households. Indigenous households are more likely to have more than one family in residence than other Australian households and are more likely to be multi-generational with older Indigenous people living with younger people in extended family households. Given that equivalence scales attempt to control for family size and composition and the relative costs of maintaining various families, such differences are likely to be reflected in their income distributions—hence, it is important to consider whether these distributions are affected by using alternative scales. This paper seeks to characterise the economies of household size in Indigenous and other Australian households using equivalence scales that cover the range of feasible values and 1995 National Health Survey data. Furthermore, the extent of reranking in income distribution when using the various scales provides an intuitive benchmark for the sensitivity of the respective distributions. The analysis will be conducted for both households and income units to illustrate potential sensitivities of the results to the inclusion of extended kin networks in the definition of households

Distribution and incidence of viruses in Irish seed potato crops

peer-reviewedVirus diseases are of key importance in potato production and in particular for the production of disease-free potato seed. However, there is little known about the frequency and distribution of potato virus diseases in Ireland. Despite a large number of samples being tested each year, the data has never been collated either within or across years. Information from all known potato virus testing carried out in the years 2006–2012 by the Department of Agriculture Food and Marine was collated to give an indication of the distribution and incidence of potato virus in Ireland. It was found that there was significant variation between regions, varieties, years and seed classes. A definition of daily weather data suitable for aphid flight was developed, which accounted for a significant proportion of the variation in virus incidence between years. This use of weather data to predict virus risk could be developed to form the basis of an integrated pest management approach for aphid control in Irish potato crops

Using interactive workshops to prompt knowledge exchange: a realist evaluation of a knowledge to action initiative

Introduction: Interactive workshops are often the default mechanism for sharing knowledge across professional and sector boundaries; yet we understand little about if, and how, they work. Between 2009 and 2011, the Research to Reality programme in North East England ran eight stand-alone facilitated multi-agency workshops focused on priority public health issues. Local authorities, the health service, and academe collaborated on the programme to share latest evidence and best practice. Methods: A realist evaluation asked the overarching question ‘what worked where, for whom, and under what conditions’ regarding the knowledge exchange (KE) mechanisms underpinning any changes. Data were collected from fifty-one interviews, six observations, and analysis of programme documentation. Results: 191 delegates attended (local authority 46%, NHS 24%, academia 22%, third sector 6%, other 2%). The programme theory was that awareness raising and critical discussion would facilitate ownership and evidence uptake. KE activity included: research digests, academic and senior practitioner presentations, and facilitated round-table discussions. Joint action planning was used to prompt informed follow-up action. Participants valued the digests, expert input, opportunities for discussion, networking and ‘space to think’. However, within a few months, sustainability was lost. There was no evidence of direct changes to practice. Multiple barriers to research utilization emerged. Discussion: The findings suggest that in pressured contexts exacerbated by structural reform providing evidence summaries, input from academic and practice experts, conversational spaces and personal action planning are necessary to create enthusiasm on the day, but are insufficient to prompt practice change in the medium term. The findings question makes assumptions about the instrumental, linear use of knowledge and of change focused on individuals as a driver for organizational change. Delegates' views of ‘what would work’ are shared. Mechanisms that would enhance interactive formats are discussed

SWOOP: an application generator for ORACLE:WWW systems

The development of a software package (named Swoop) is described. Swoop is designed to support the generation and maintenance of WWW information systems which store information in ORACLE databases: a so-called hyperbase program. The biggest problem with hyperbases is that they require a sophisticated program to interpret Forms, query appropriate databases, and merge information into Hypertext. There is a clear need for application-generator tools which allow hyperbase programs to be constructed with minimal expertise on the part of the designer. It is this problem which Swoop addresses

ergm: A Package to Fit, Simulate and Diagnose Exponential-Family Models for Networks

We describe some of the capabilities of the ergm package and the statistical theory underlying it. This package contains tools for accomplishing three important, and inter-related, tasks involving exponential-family random graph models (ERGMs): estimation, simulation, and goodness of fit. More precisely, ergm has the capability of approximating a maximum likelihood estimator for an ERGM given a network data set; simulating new network data sets from a fitted ERGM using Markov chain Monte Carlo; and assessing how well a fitted ERGM does at capturing characteristics of a particular network data set.