Training Family Science Faculty in CORE Communication

As a whole and regardless of major, university graduates with interpersonal competence (also defined as soft skills) are viewed as more employable (Finch, Hamilton, Baldwin, & Zehner, 2013; Robles, 2012), yet interpersonal competence is not often recognized as a part of discipline specific knowledge (Chamorro-Premuzic, Arteche, Bremner, Greven, & Furnham, 2010). While important to employability in general, interpersonal competence is particularly crucial for those students in social science majors who intend to have a career serving individuals and families. The Family Science (FS) program in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences directly addresses the need for interpersonal competence through the implementation of CORE COMMUNICATION (CC) training (Miller, 1971; Miller & Miller, 2011; Miller, Nunnally, & Wackman, 1976) in the FCS 3180 Intimate Relationships course

American Translators Association Conference

This association was founded in 1959 and is now the largest professional association of translators and interpreters in the United States with more than 11,000 members in 90 countries. One of its primary missions is to promote the professional development of translators and interpreters. Annually, the ATA organizes a conference, a four-day international event offering language professionals more than 150 continuing education sessions, seminars, and workshops. This poster presents a selection of the sessions that I attended, including a summary of some of the dilemma’s and questions that translators and interpreters face

Bridging the Gap Between Real and Artificial Worlds: The Next Generation Classroom

Students today represent a new generation of learner which requires us to look beyond our tradition training methods. Augmented Reality (AR) has already shown great promise of transforming the way interact with students in any technically driven education such as aviation. The operation and maintenance of modern aircraft requires an understanding of several interrelated human and machine components requiring practice and immersion. The immersive experience can be enhanced with augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). Relevant to the task at hand, they both have the ability to alter our perception of the world, give real-time feedback, improve the efficiency of skills transfer and increased knowledge retention. Where they differ, is the perception of our presence

Antioxidant Capacity and Antimicrobial Activity of Commercial Samples of Guava Leaves (\u3cem\u3ePsidium guajava\u3c/em\u3e)

Psidium guajava is a small tree native to South and Central America. Guava leaves have traditionally been used for treating different illnesses. These benefits can be attributed to phenolics and flavonoids produced by guava. The chemical composition of guava leaf extracts was correlated with biological activity. Total phenolics, total flavonoids, ABTS/DPPH, TZM-bl, plaque reduction, XTT, spectrophotometric and Kirby-Bauer assays were used to test phenols, flavonoids, antioxidant properties, antiviral activity, cytotoxicity, and antibacterial activity, respectively. The median cytotoxicity concentration and half-maximal effective concentration values were obtained in order to determine antiviral selectivity against human immunodeficiency virus type 1 and herpes simplex virus type 1. Antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis were evaluated using a spectrophotometric assay and Kirby-Bauer test. The guava leaf extracts had a high phenol (0.8 to 2.1 GAE mg/mL) and flavonoid (62.7 to 182.1 Rutin Eq mg/g DW) content that correlated with high antioxidant capacity and selective antiviral activity (therapeutic index values above 10). Results of antibacterial tests indicated that the extracts have activity against gram-negative and gram-positive bacteria

Gender Mainstreaming Case Study - India: Chhattisgarh Irrigation Development Project

Project Goals and Results • The Chhattisgarh Irrigation Development Project (CIDP) aimed to increase agricultural productivity, improve rural livelihoods, and reduce poverty by improving irrigation delivery, enhancing agricultural practices, and strengthening water resource management. • The CIDP supported the rehabilitation and upgrading of irrigation systems that serve more than 150,000 households; strengthened government capacity to assist water users’ associations (WUAs); and trained 1,250 out of 1,324 WUAs in Chhattisgarh based on the Participatory Irrigation Management (PIM) Act, a legislation that mandated the roles and responsibilities of WUAs, including the membership of women in irrigation management. It also trained 191 WUAs on how to improve agricultural techniques and how to be more effective in general. It offered opportunities for collective actions by communities, such as joint purchase of seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides, and joint marketing of produce. Overall, participants reported improved crop yields and higher household incomes. • Building on the new PIM Act, the CIDP strengthened women’s participation in WUAs. A widespread education campaign raised awareness on the importance of women’s participation in decision making and encouraged women to become active in these associations. In the 2007 WUA elections, women were elected in one-third of available positions. Processes and Management Tools • The PIM Act was passed through the CIDP. With this new law, the CIDP promoted PIM, especially women’s participation. The project predated the requirement for a Gender Action Plan and gender targets and indicators in the Design and Monitoring Framework (DMF) outputs. Gender-related strategies and targets were indicated in the Summary Poverty Reduction and Social Strategy. • All irrigation upgrading and rehabilitation activities included contractual obligations to offer “equal pay for equal work” to men and women. • Technical assistance supported activities to promote women’s participation in irrigation management and their election to WUA committees

Fund Profiles: Global Fund, GAVI, Fast Track Initiative, and Roll Back Malaria

human development, aid, trade, security

ADB–OECD Study on Enhancing Financial Accessibility for SMEs: Lessons from Recent Crises

During the era of global financial uncertainty, stable access to appropriate funding sources has been much harder for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). The global financial crisis impacted SMEs and entrepreneurs disproportionately, exacerbating their traditional financing constraints. The financial conditions of many SMEs were weakened by the drop in demand for goods and services and the credit tightening. The sovereign debt crisis that hit several European countries contributed to further deterioration in bank lending activities, which negatively affected private sector development. The global regulatory response to financial crises, such as the Basel Capital Accord, while designed to reduce systemic risks may also constrain bank lending to SMEs. In particular, Basel III requires banks to have tighter risk management as well as greater capital and liquidity. Resulting asset preference and deleveraging of banks, particularly European banks with significant presence in Asia, could limit the availability of funding for SMEs in Asia and the Pacific. Lessons from the recent financial crises have motivated many countries to consider SME access to finance beyond conventional bank credit and to diversify their national financial system. Improving SME access to finance is a policy priority at the country and global level. Poor access to finance is a critical inhibiting factor to the survival and growth potential of SMEs. Financial inclusion is thus key to the development of the SME sector, which is a driver of job creation and social cohesion and takes a pivotal role in scaling up national economies. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) have recognized that it is crucial to develop a comprehensive range of policy options on SME finance, including innovative financing models. With this in mind, sharing Asian and OECD experiences on SME financing would result in insightful discussions on improving SME access to finance at a time of global financial uncertainty. Based on intensive discussions in two workshops organized by ADB in Manila on 6–7 March 2013 and by OECD in Paris on 21 October 2013, the two organizations together compiled this study report on enhancing financial accessibility for SMEs, especially focusing on lessons from the past and recent crises in Asia and OECD countries. The report takes a comparative look at ADB and OECD experiences, and aims to identify promising policy solutions for creating an SME base that is resilient to crisis, from a viewpoint of access to finance, and which can help drive growth and development

University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust

National Health Service good corporate citizenship assessment model case study.Publisher PD

Key events in the history of sustainable development

This document is a table which summaries the key events in the history of sustainable development, adapted from International Institute for Sustainable Development's sustainable development timeline.Publisher PD

e-Quarterly Research Bulletin (Vol. 5, No. 1)

[Excerpt] Macro financial risk propagation and its implications on financial stability have emerged as major concerns of governments and financial institutions, particularly those with large financial asset pools. The global financial crisis in 2008–2009 was essentially centered on credit risk involving money markets, and the propagation of such risk across and among financial institutions and sovereigns is related to how connected they are. To understand the concept of connectedness, Merton provides a brief review of the concepts of credit, credit risk, and guarantees. He asserts that risk- free credit is essentially risky credit coupled with a guarantee of payment in the event of a default. That is, risky debt is nothing but risk-free debt less a guarantee of repayment. We note that in complete contingent markets, the holder of debt always has the option to purchase insurance on the debt, pretty much like the credit default swaps that are available in advanced financial markets today. The guarantee could be issued by a financial institution or a sovereign government, and effectively transfers the risk of default from the borrower to the guarantor. From the perspective of the lending institution, however, the instrument or asset it is holding is now essentially risk-free debt. Merton stresses that the guarantees attached to risky debt are in fact insurance on the risk of default, and are akin to put options on assets of borrowers, with maturities similar to those of the debt instrument being guaranteed and a strike price equivalent to the promised payment of debt