Evolution on the urban island

Thesis (S.M. in Science Writing)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Humanities, Graduate Program in Science Writing, 2011.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis.Includes bibliographical references (p. 23-24).Cities are very much alive. Like islands, they provide a natural testing ground for evolution. With more than half of the world's population living in urban areas now, the influence cities have on the planet's life is enormous. But can they produce species? Foxes are learning to take advantage of human handouts in London, blackbirds are adjusting their physiology to relax around humans, and two forms of mosquito are diverging in the London tube system. Cities are hotbeds of evolutionary change, and regardless of whether or not new forms of life are destined to arise, they may help shed light on the origin of species.by Kenrick Vezina.S.M.in Science Writin

The early evolution of land plants, from fossils to genomics: a commentary on Lang (1937) ‘On the plant-remains from the Downtonian of England and Wales'

© 2015 The Authors. Published by the Royal Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/, which permits unrestricted use, provided the original author and source are credited. The file attached is the published version of the article

Coeliac disease: where are we in 2014?

Presents up-to-date information on coeliac disease, with recommendations on whom to test and how to test them, and how to manage patients once they are diagnosed. Summary Background Coeliac disease (CD) is an autoimmune condition affecting at least 1% of the population, many of whom remain undiagnosed. It is characterised by chronic inflammation of the small-intestinal mucosa and triggered by eating gluten. It is challenging to diagnose because of the many and varied ways in which it may present. Discussion Primary care practitioners have a crucial role in improving rates of CD diagnosis, and in the ongoing care of patients with CD. A blood test for coeliac-specific antibodies will identify most patients who need to undergo duodenal biopsy to make the diagnosis. Management encompasses supporting patients with adherence to the gluten-free diet and conducting a CD-focused clinical review every 1–2 years

Theory evaluation of the touchline media employee induction programme

Includes bibliographical references (leaves 39-41).This is a theory evaluation of the Touchline Media (TLM) employee induction programme. Organisations use induction training as part of the new employee welcoming process, making it one of the most common types of organisational training programmes (Klein & Weaver, 2000). Employees who have participated in structured induction programmes are 69% more likely to stay with their chosen organisation than compared to employees who did not receive a similar programme (Brodie, 2006). Ideal induction programmes with appropriate content, process, support and follow-up components have universally been shown to improve employee retention and identification. The one-day TLM induction programme is set in a media and magazine production environment that is very fast paced and deadline driven. It was constructed as a means of ensuring that the organisation's legal obligation surrounding employee induction was fulfilled by informing new employees of their specific job requirements, performance standards and company policies. There are three evaluation questions that are addressed in this evaluation: Evaluation question 1: Does the HRM's programme theory work for the recipients? In other words, are they aware that the outcome of the induction programme should be fulfilling a legal obligation? Evaluation question 2: Would the original induction programme lead, by default, to identification with the employer and staff retention? This evaluation question was included, as it was assumed that the programme activities might have unintended consequences like identification and retention. Evaluation question 3: If the original programme theory is changed (based on existing literature regarding induction programmes) would it lead to an improved design and in the end, to a more effective programme? Data was collected from programme participants using a ten item questionnaire. Questionnaire items were included by the evaluators to test three factors (Legal Obligation, Retention and Identification), with responses in a five-point Likert format. No statistically significant differences in the mean scores for Legal Obligation, Retention and Identification for the three groups of programme attendees (Group 1: New employees with first month induction attendance; Group 2: New employees with later induction attendance; Group 3: Long-serving employees with later induction attendance) were found. This is an indication that the TLM induction programme did not lead to the outcomes of Legal Obligation, Retention or Identification. The main suggestions for improvement were presented according to the four universal components that make up a well organised induction programme, namely content, support, follow-up and process (D' Aurizio, 2007)

Community Economic Development curriculum for public high schools and charter schools

As stated in the thesis project, "Educational reform is taking place across this country from Kindergarten through twelfth grade. An individual's approach to curriculum development reflects that person's view of the world, including what a person perceives as reality, the values and beliefs he or she deems important and the amount of knowledge one possesses. What is curriculum? A curriculum can be defined as a plan for action or a written document that includes strategies for achieving desired goals or ends. Curriculum development can, however be defined broadly as dealing with the experiences of the learner. Community Economic Development is a field of study that has not really been introduced on the High School level. There are several curriculums that deal with the social environment, community development, environmental study and urban planning. My research did not find a specific curriculum that focuses on Community Economic Development (CED). Some of the curriculums mentioned had some elements of CED, however I found no specific curriculum that address the field of CED. Some of the models however can be useful and can be enhanced to make the learning experience of students in the urban and rural schools better and more effective. There are several schools throughout this country that focus on learning in and outside the classroom, hands on, interactive learning that have the students learning from their social environment. Oral History projects, Environmental, and Architectural Studies by student's are all concepts and approaches that incorporate classroom learning with learning from the environment as a tool for interactive and service learning. Community Based Organization's (CBO's) and community groups are forming their own schools with various curriculums that focus on the community development and the social environment. Charter schools and New Vision schools are being created all across the country with varying degrees of curriculums, teaching tools and methods.With some of the initial research regarding this issue, I saw a unique opportunity to develop a project that would benefit schools looking for a new curriculum that incorporates some unique concepts. Critical thinking skills, hands on projects, and service learning to develop students skills are some of the methods that can provide a meaningful learning experience for students and utilize the abilities and talents they possess. Benjamin Banneker Academy for Community Development, a New Vision school located in Brooklyn, New York, was an excellent opportunity for my project which is to develop an High School curriculum in the field of Community Economic Development (CED). The school did not have a curriculum that focused on Community Economic Development (CED) and created a unique opportunity for the school, the local CDC and myself to develop a school curriculum and internship program, which the students could learn, about this particular subject area." (Library-derived description)Small, K. L. (1999). Community Economic Development curriculum for public high schools and charter schools. Retrieved from http://academicarchive.snhu.eduMaster of Science (M.S.)School of Community Economic Developmen

State of Alaska Election Security Project Phase 2 Report

A laska’s election system is among the most secure in the country, and it has a number of safeguards other states are now adopting. But the technology Alaska uses to record and count votes could be improved— and the state’s huge size, limited road system, and scattered communities also create special challenges for insuring the integrity of the vote. In this second phase of an ongoing study of Alaska’s election security, we recommend ways of strengthening the system—not only the technology but also the election procedures. The lieutenant governor and the Division of Elections asked the University of Alaska Anchorage to do this evaluation, which began in September 2007.Lieutenant Governor Sean Parnell. State of Alaska Division of Elections.List of Appendices / Glossary / Study Team / Acknowledgments / Introduction / Summary of Recommendations / Part 1 Defense in Depth / Part 2 Fortification of Systems / Part 3 Confidence in Outcomes / Conclusions / Proposed Statement of Work for Phase 3: Implementation / Reference

Corporations - Standard of Care for Directors and Officers - Pennsylvania Business Corporation Law § 408

he Supreme Court of Pennsylvania has held that Section 408 imposes on the directors and officers of a business corporation a degree of care significantly higher than that existing prior to its enactment. Selheimer v. Manganese Corp. of America, 423 Pa. 563, 224 A.2d 634(1966)