Reinhold Niebuhr During the Time of the White Compromise

The story of how the theological ethicist, Reinhold Niebuhr, dealt with race during the “white compromise” (from after Reconstruction to the Civil Rights Movement) gives us a good picture of what will work and not work in re-directing American Prosperity toward a sustainable future. In his early years, Niebuhr argued against the Ku Klux Klan in Detroit, and supported sharecropper cooperatives in Arkansas. He guided his later ethical analysis of national and international groups by what he called “Christian realism,” which assumed that groups had limited capacity for doing good. At the height of his national status, he wrote books as though American history was the same as white history. He suggested caution in applying the Brown v. Board of Education decision to white families and after the civil rights movement had disrupted the “white compromise,” Niebuhr moved somewhat closer to Martin Luther King Jr.’s view of the “beloved community.”

Digital Health Services through Patient Empowerment: Classification, Current State and Preliminary Impact Assessment by Health Pod Systems

Health pods are new systems such as small spaces equipped with medical devices where users can measure several biomedical parameters related to their health status and receive other medical services. Their impact on health over a life course could be relevant in defining healthy aging strategies and/or management of chronic diseases and the early detection of possible symptoms related to some common pathologies. The generated data have not only a personal value but even at a community/society level. Health pods also support educational and empowerment actions to enable the 5P medicine approach, and specifically prevention, health promotion, and public health policymaking. This paper aims at defining their taxonomy, conducting a market and typologies survey, and discussing their potential impact in preventive medicine, presenting data of a pilot test carried out placing two health pods in a superstore environment to validate the demand and the participation of people in a prevention campaign. A 57-day period was observed at two sites: the number of free accesses and administered tests was impressive for size and completeness. The test revealed a good picture of the general health status of the population, with satisfying AGE values in the cardiovascular check and stress index through an HRV analysis. The body composition test revealed a small number of overweight subjects, more in males than in females. This pilot confirmed the huge demand for personalized services for improving well-being, health status, and quality of life and the relevance of these solutions for their individual and societal impact in preventive medicine.

Regression Analysis of Confocal FRAP And Its Application To Diffusion In Membranes

In most biological processes, diffusion plays a critical role in transferring various bio-molecules to transfer desirable locations in an effective and energy-efficient manner. How fast molecules are transferred is measured by diffusion coefficients. Since each bio-molecules, in particular, signaling molecules have their unique diffusion coefficients and quantifying the diffusion coefficients help us to understand various time scales of both physiological and pathological processes in biological systems. Moreover, since diffusion profiles of a diffusant vary in different micro-environments of cell membranes, accurate diffusion coefficient also can provide a good picture of membrane landscapes as well as interactions of different membrane constituents. Currently, only a few experimental methods are available to assess the diffusion coefficient of a biomolecule of interest in live cells including Fluorescence Recovery After Photobleaching (FRAP). FRAP was developed to study diffusion processes of biomolecules in the cell membranes in the 1970s. Albeit its long history, the main principle of FRAP analysis has remained unchanged since its inception: fitting FRAP data to a theoretical diffusion model for the best fitting diffusion coefficient or using the relation between the half time of recovery and ROI size. In this study, we developed a flexible yet versatile confocal FRAP data analysis framework based on linear regression analysis which allows FRAP users to determine the diffusion from either single or multiple FRAP data points without data fitting. We also validated this approach for a series of fluorescently labeled soluble and membrane-bound proteins and lipids.

An Analysis of the Information Architecture of New Zealand Tertiary Library Websites

<p>Library websites are becoming more and more important as so much of a library’s content is accessed through its website. It is important that this is usable for the site’s users and that the information contained in the site is findable. In order for this to happen the site must have a good information architecture. This study was done firstly as a literature analysis to determine what is currently considered to be best practice in information architecture for library websites. This was then formed into a checklist of best practice criteria and was used to analyse a sample of New Zealand’s tertiary library websites to determine what areas that these sites were doing well with their information architecture and what areas may need improvement. The study found that in many areas the sites matched well with the criteria such as having effective site navigation systems and using clear label terms. There were also areas that needed improvement such as the prominence of the library branding and search tools needing to be more user-friendly. This study provides a good picture of the current state of New Zealand tertiary library sites information architecture that could be used when updating these sites and it also provides a good checklist that can be used in the analysis of other library sites. Future research could extend this project by analysing sites more thoroughly and it could also do a more specific analysis by looking at what a certain library’s users want and need in the information architecture of their library site.</p>

An Analysis of the Information Architecture of New Zealand Tertiary Library Websites

<p>Library websites are becoming more and more important as so much of a library’s content is accessed through its website. It is important that this is usable for the site’s users and that the information contained in the site is findable. In order for this to happen the site must have a good information architecture. This study was done firstly as a literature analysis to determine what is currently considered to be best practice in information architecture for library websites. This was then formed into a checklist of best practice criteria and was used to analyse a sample of New Zealand’s tertiary library websites to determine what areas that these sites were doing well with their information architecture and what areas may need improvement. The study found that in many areas the sites matched well with the criteria such as having effective site navigation systems and using clear label terms. There were also areas that needed improvement such as the prominence of the library branding and search tools needing to be more user-friendly. This study provides a good picture of the current state of New Zealand tertiary library sites information architecture that could be used when updating these sites and it also provides a good checklist that can be used in the analysis of other library sites. Future research could extend this project by analysing sites more thoroughly and it could also do a more specific analysis by looking at what a certain library’s users want and need in the information architecture of their library site.</p>

The Financial Crisis of 2008

Supported by ten years of research, Wigmore has gathered extensive data covering the 2008 financial crisis and subsequent recovery to provide the first comprehensive history of the period. Financial crises cannot occur unless institutional investors finance the bubbles that created them. Wigmore follows the trail of data putting pressure on institutional investors to achieve higher levels of returns that led to over-leverage throughout the financial system and placed such a burden on recovery. Here is a 'very good picture - and painful reminder - of the crisis' evolution across multiple asset classes, structures, participants, and geographies.' This work serves as a critical analysis of modern portfolio management and an important reference work for financial professionals, academics, investors, and students.

Peran Baitul Mall Wattamwil sebagai Upaya Pengentasan Kemiskinan melalui Pengembangan Usaha Mikro Kecil dan Menengah

Poverty is one of the macroeconomic indicators in which Indonesia's economic development in aggregate shows a good picture and a decrease in the poverty level of the poor, but in terms of economic structure, segments of Indonesian society are still relatively lagging behind and relatively do not get real benefits from the results of development. Magelang Regency is one of the districts that have poverty problems. This poverty problem can be overcome by developing micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), especially in the industrial sector, where this sector is the leading sector in Magelang Regency. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of financing on the income of MSEs as customers of BMT Bima industrial business group and how the role of BMT in overcoming the problem of poverty through the functions of baitul mall and baitul tamwil. This study uses a simple linear regression analysis tool. The results obtained (1) the financing variable does not have a significant effect on the income variable of MSME customers of BMT Bima Magelang industrial business group, this is because there are still customers who use financing for personal economic activities, (2) BMT is able to reduce poverty levels by providing assistance that comes from zakat, infaq, sadaqah, and waqf and still persists by providing financing to MSME customers of the BMT Bima Magelang industry group

Optimized workflow for digitalized FISH analysis in pathology

Background Effective workflow management in a diagnostic pathology laboratory is critical to achieve rapid turnover while maintaining high quality. Fluorescence in situ hybridization analysis (FISH) is the preferred technique for detecting single chromosomal aberrations in diagnostic surgical pathology. Material and methods FISH analysis applying a rapid hybridization protocol and using an automated whole-slide fluorescence scanning device (3DHISTECH, Sysmex, Switzerland) were implemented in our workflow. By analyzing 42 diagnostic cases, effects of two different scanning profiles on scanning time, and device memory usage were investigated. Manual signal counting (CaseViewer) and software based signal counting (FISHQuant) were compared. Results The two scanning profiles, both including a Z-stack function, differed in their exposure time and digital gain. The “low profile” setting (LP) resulted in a significantly shorter scanning time and lower storage volume compared to the “high profile” (HP) setting, making the LP ideal for routine applications. Both signal counting methods (manual versus software based) provided similar cut-offs on a test-cohort of 13 samples. Conclusion Scanning FISH slides provides good picture quality, reduces the analysis time and allows easy picture archiving and facilitates remote diagnostics, allowing an effective workflow.

Subsurface Investigation of Basement Structures Using Electrical Resistivity Methods at Zainawa Village Kano, Nigeria

Electrical Resistivity Methods involving Schlumberger Vertical Electrical Sounding (VES) and Wenner Electrical Profiling (EP) were carried out to map the Geological features of the earth subsurface in Zainawa Area of Kano State, Nigeria. Five profiles were established; consist of six (6) VES points at each profile. GEOPULSE resistivity meter (SAS 300) was used for the data acquisition. The field data obtained have been analyzed using computer software (IPI2win) which gives an automatic interpretation of the apparent resistivity. A maximum of three geoelectric subsurface layers were delineated from the VES master curves. The geoelectric section beneath the study area was composed of top soil (clayey-sandy and sandy-lateritic), weathered layer, partly weathered (fractured basement) and fresh basement. The resistivity value for the topsoil layer varies from 20 Ωm to 600 Ωm with thickness ranging from 0.5 to 7.2 m. The weathered basement has resistivity values ranging from 15 Ωm to 593 Ωm and thickness of between 2.75 to 33.04 m. The fractured basement has resistivity values ranging from 201 Ωm to 835 Ωm and thickness of between 11 to 20.4 m. The fresh basement (bedrock) has resistivity values ranging from 1161 Ωm to 3115 Ωm with infinite depth. The depth to basement map was produced to give a good picture of the basement topography within the study area. The depth to basement ranges from 11 m around VES 01 to 85 m around VES 25 m. The map also reveals linear structures (VES 05, 21, 22 and VES 23) which trends in the NE-SW direction. These structures suggest a basement depression at these points. However, the depth from the topsoil to the bedrock surface varies between 2.5 to 37.75 m.