224 research outputs found
Episode 25: Dr. Lori Utech: A Heart for Healing Service
No full textAs a retired family physician, Dr. Lori Utech, B.A. \u2779 saw her career as more than a job or practice, but an opportunity to serve others, including launching a free clinic in St. Louis for uninsured people. In this episode, she shares about her calling as a medical doctor, her experiences at CSP that prepared her for that experience, howe she\u27s served CSP as a member of the Board of Regents, and what it meant for her to receive the Alumni Distinguished Service Award this year
Strategic management for Utech, Inc.
No full textThis is a strategic management paper that lists proposals for Utech, Inc. in how to successfully introduce, develop and sustain growth for its newest undertaking in wireless information and communication service.
This new endeavor is considered the firm\u27s stepping stone to broadening the firm\u27s total market share in the information service industry. In its five years of operations, Utech has made a name in the local stock market industry as a reliable and affordable data vendor for retail and corporate investors via fixed lines. However, the stock market industry has proved to be too volatile and unstable for the local, foreign, retail and corporate investors to grow in number and in knowledge. This has made it very difficult for the several data vendors both local and foreign to go beyond its introductory phase as the current number does not justify it. Moreover, the country\u27s economic future offers a different challenge to the firm\u27s survival, not just its growth.
Thus, this paper focuses on the strategies available for the wireless information service of Utech to overcome the obstacles given the uncertainty faced by the economy and the limited market size of the industry
Recycled polyols from scrap flexible foam and their use for low-emanation foam
No full texto. SeitenangabeAcidolysis feature. In this paper, presented at UTECH Europe 2009 in Maastricht, 31 Mar-2 April, progress in the work of an industry consortium on recycling flexible foam by acidolysis is described. Evaluation of novel fire retardants for low-emanation foams is also discussed.June-Jul
INTRO. Warum Paris?
No full textWarum Paris?
Die Metropolregion Paris (Île-de-France) ist mit über
12,8 Mio. Einwohner*innen nicht nur die größte der
EU, sondern sie ist zugleich eine der aktuell spannendsten
Städte Europas. Mit einer Bevölkerungsdichte
von nahezu 21.000 EW/km² weist sie eine für
europäische Verhältnisse außerordentlich kompakte
Struktur auf, dennoch - oder vielleicht gerade deshalb
- gilt die französische Hauptstadt in Sachen
ökologische Stadterneuerung heute als Vorzeigemodell.
Das Stadtbild ist geprägt von der Architektur
des 19. Jahrhunderts, der architecture d´entrepreneur
- dem Pendant zur Wiener Gründerzeitarchitektur -
und den breiten Boulevards des Stadtplaners Haussmann.
Aber genauso hat das späte 20. Jahrhundert
seine architektonischen Spuren hinterlassen, denn
im Gegensatz zu Wien, welches jahrzehntelang als
politischer und städtebaulicher Randschauplatz der
EU stagnierte und in diesem Zeitraum alle Anzeichen
einer shrinking city entwickelte, wuchs und entfaltete
sich Paris durchgängig weiter.
Ein starker politischer Wille zur strukturellen Reform
des Ballungsraums (Grand Paris) prägte Zentrum und
Banlieue und kristallisierte sich in den 1980ern und
90ern unter François Mitterrand zu den architektonischen
und städtebaulichen Interventionen der Grand
Projets. Obwohl dieser Begriff im Zusammenhang mit
Paris nicht verwendet wird, kann man hier genauso
gut von einem melting pot sprechen, denn seit jeher
prägt ein starker Zuzug die Bevölkerungszusammensetzung
der ehemaligen Kolonialmacht nachhaltig.
Die jüngere Zeit bringt nun wieder neue Transformationsprozesse
mit sich, die vor allem damit zu
tun haben, dass Präsident Macron 2018 die Finanzierung
und Durchsetzung der Energiewende in Frankreich
beschlossen hat. Die infolge geplante höhere
Besteuerung fossiler Kraftstoffe und Rentenreformen
führten - neben weiteren Maßnahmen, welche die
Bevölkerung Frankreichs nicht zu tragen bereit sind
- zu großräumigen Streikmärschen (Mouvement des
Gilets jaunes), welche die Stadt lahmzulegen drohten
und mit Jahresbeginn 2020 erschreckend nahtlos in
die Covid-Starre übergehen sollten.
Vor diesem Hintergrund sind die Aktionen der Bürgermeisterin
Anne Hidalgo zu sehen. Bereits ab 2008
war sie als stellvertretende Bürgermeisterin zuständig
für Stadtentwicklung und Architektur und leitete
mit ihrem Team einen Paradigmenwechsel in Sachen
urbane Landwirtschaft, Wiedereroberung des öffentlichen
Raums und Mobilität ein - er firmiert unter dem
Motto "Reinventer Paris", "Reinventing Paris".
Mittlerweile zieht nun auch die Wirtschaft nach und
fordert mehr Fahrradwege, breitere Gehsteige, mehr
Straßengrün und eine Forcierung lokaler Ökonomien.Pourquoi Paris ?
La région métropolitaine de Paris (Île-de-France), avec
plus de 12,8 millions d`habitants*, est non seulement la
plus grande de l`UE, mais aussi l`une des villes les plus
passionnantes d`Europe aujourd`hui. Avec une densité
de population de près de 21.000 habitants/km2, elle a
une structure extraordinairement compacte au regard
des normes européennes. Néanmoins - ou peut-être précisément
à cause de cela - la capitale française est aujourd`
hui considérée comme une ville modèle en termes
de renouvellement urbain écologique.
Le paysage urbain est caractérisé par l`architecture du
XIXe siècle, l´architecture dite d´entrepreneurs - la pendante
de l`architecture wilhelminienne de Vienne - et les
larges boulevards conçus par l`urbaniste Haussmann. La
fin du XXe siècle a également laissé des traces architecturales.
En effet, contrairement à la ville de Vienne, qui
pendant cette période stagnait à la périphérie politique
et urbanistique de l´UE et développait tous les signes
d`une ville en déclin, Paris a continué à croître et à se
développer.
Une forte volonté politique de réforme structurelle de
l`agglomération (Grand Paris) a marqué le centre et la
banlieue. Elle s´est cristallisée dans les années 80 et 90,
sous François Mitterrand, dans les interventions architecturales
et urbanistiques des Grands Projets. Bien que
ce concept soit rarement appliqué à Paris, on peut cependant
parler ici de melting-pot, car le fort afflux constant
d´immigrés a agi durablement sur la composition
de la population de l`ancienne puissance coloniale.
Plus récemment, de nouveaux processus de
transformation sont en oeuvre, principalement liés la décision
politique d´Emmanuel Macron en 2018 de financer
et transformer le modèle énergétique. Les décisions consécutives
d´augmenter la fiscalité sur les énergies fossiles
et d´engager la réforme des retraites, accompagnées
d`autres mesures que le peuple français
n`était pas prêt à soutenir, ont conduit à
de vastes mouvements de grève (Les Gilets
jaunes) qui ont failli paralyser la ville
et qui devaient se transformer, début
2020, en une effrayante étoile Covid.
C´est dans ce contexte que doivent être
considérées les actions de la maire Anne
Hidalgo.
En tant qu`adjointe au maire, elle était à
partir de 2008 déjà en charge du développement
urbain et de l´architecture. Elle a
initié avec son équipe un changement de
paradigme dans l`agriculture urbaine, la
reconquête de l`espace public et la mobilité
- résumé sous le slogan « Réinventer
Paris », « Reinventing Paris ». L`économie
suit désormais le mouvement et réclame
plus de pistes cyclables, des trottoirs plus
larges, plus de verdure dans les rues et encourage l´économie
locale
Novel Machine Learning HIV Intervention for Sexual and Gender Minority Young People Who Have Sex With Men (uTECH): Protocol for a Randomized Comparison Trial
No full textBackgroundSexual and gender minority (SGM) young people are disproportionately affected by HIV in the United States, and substance use is a major driver of new infections. People who use web-based venues to meet sex partners are more likely to report substance use, sexual risk behaviors, and sexually transmitted infections. To our knowledge, no machine learning (ML) interventions have been developed that use web-based and digital technologies to inform and personalize HIV and substance use prevention efforts for SGM young people.
ObjectiveThis study aims to test the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of the uTECH intervention, a SMS text messaging intervention using an ML algorithm to promote HIV prevention and substance use harm reduction among SGM people aged 18 to 29 years who have sex with men. This intervention will be compared to the Young Men’s Health Project (YMHP) alone, an existing Centers for Disease Control and Prevention best evidence intervention for young SGM people, which consists of 4 motivational interviewing–based counseling sessions. The YMHP condition will receive YMHP sessions and will be compared to the uTECH+YMHP condition, which includes YMHP sessions as well as uTECH SMS text messages.
MethodsIn a study funded by the National Institutes of Health, we will recruit and enroll SGM participants (aged 18-29 years) in the United States (N=330) to participate in a 12-month, 2-arm randomized comparison trial. All participants will receive 4 counseling sessions conducted over Zoom (Zoom Video Communications, Inc) with a master’s-level social worker. Participants in the uTECH+YMHP condition will receive curated SMS text messages informed by an ML algorithm that seek to promote HIV and substance use risk reduction strategies as well as undergoing YMHP counseling. We hypothesize that the uTECH+YMHP intervention will be considered acceptable, appropriate, and feasible to most participants. We also hypothesize that participants in the combined condition will experience enhanced and more durable reductions in substance use and sexual risk behaviors compared to participants receiving YMHP alone. Appropriate statistical methods, models, and procedures will be selected to evaluate primary hypotheses and behavioral health outcomes in both intervention conditions using an α<.05 significance level, including comparison tests, tests of fixed effects, and growth curve modeling.
ResultsThis study was funded in August 2019. As of June 2024, all participants have been enrolled. Data analysis has commenced, and expected results will be published in the fall of 2025.
ConclusionsThis study aims to develop and test the acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of uTECH, a novel approach to reduce HIV risk and substance use among SGM young adults.
Trial RegistrationClinicalTrials.gov NCT04710901; https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT04710901
International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/5844
The UTech CommUniversity Initiative for Developing Vocational Literacy Skills and Core Values through Flexible Learning: Challenges & Success Factors
Get PDFThis paper highlights the experiences of the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech), in implementing a community-based training initiative to facilitate the development of vocational literacy skills for entrepreneurship, and core values such as mutual respect and understanding through flexible learning approaches. This initiative utilizes a participatory learning approach to engage, empower and transform participants from neighbouring communities into accepting responsibility for their socio-economic livelihood and well-being. // These communities are characterised by low socioeconomic status in terms of high unemployment, inadequate levels of education and occupational skills training, high rates of crime and violence. UTech as the “Peoples University” has initiated a CommUniversity intervention by creating local community-university networks to foster collaborative learning, exchange of ideas and knowledge through partnerships with public and private agencies, and individuals. // The target groups are primarily adults (18-34 years) and “youths at risk” (15-18 years) who are not attending school. These groups comprise at least 54% of the population in the target communities. There will be diagnostic testing of competency levels for both occupational and literacy skills before the training intervention. // This UTech CommUniversity project builds on the pillars of Learning and Earning; Community Service Advocacy; and Civil Paths to Peace (non-military). The related training interventions focus on integrating basic literacy skills (including numeracy) within a vocational skills curriculum based on the COL model used in several Pacific countries. The core values component integrates basic literacy skills within the formal-informal curriculum focusing on respect for and understanding of self, community and country. // The proposed flexible/blended learning approaches include the use of training videos, mobile phones and community radio to promote dialogues on issues including family life and relationships, parenting, conflict resolution, which greatly affect self-worth and self-respect for sustainable development. The paper will therefore share insights on the evolution and impact of the UTech CommUniversity project. // Paper ID: 46
Polymeric coatings for ar-glass fibers in cement-based matrices: Effect of nanoclay on the fiber-matrix interaction
Get PDFPolymeric coatings are widely used to enhance the load bearing capacity and chemical durability of alkali-resistant glass (AR-glass) textile in cement-based composites. The contact zone between coated yarns and concrete matrix plays a major role to enable the stress transfer and has still to be improved for the full exploitation of the mechanical behavior of the composite. As a new approach, this paper studies how the addition of nanoclay particles in the polymer coating formulation can increase the chemical bond between organic coating and inorganic matrix. This includes the description of the water-based coating preparation by dispersing sodium montmorillonites, whereby the resulting coating nanostructure is characterized by X-ray diffraction and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Single glass fibers were treated by dip-coating. Atomic force microscopy was used to determine the surface roughness, and the effect on the fiber tensile properties was studied. Moreover, the morphological and chemical characteristics of the coatings were compared with the results obtained from single fiber pull-out (SFPO) tests. It was shown that the incorporation of nanoclays leads to increased interfacial shear strength arising from the ability of nanoclay particles to nucleate hydration products in the fiber-matrix contact zone
Europe Schools in Germany. ZEI European Studies and South Eastern Europe Papers. SEE 5, 2003
Get PDFThis publication is part of a series which was established in 2001 in order to make available teaching and learning material specifically for European Studies programmes throughout South Eastern Europe. The series makes public the results of research projects conducted in the framework of the "Network for European Studies in South Eastern Europe" which is one of the major undertakings of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe. The Network was founded in January 2000 and now comprises almost 40 universities and institutes both from South Eastern and Western Europe. [Table of Contents]. Europe in the Classroom, by Joachim Utech; The Europe School Bornheim, by Klaus Breil; The Elsa-Brändström-Gymnasium Oberhausen, by Cornelia Meyer-Rieforth
Cancer antigen 125, tissue polypeptide antigen, carcinoembryonic antigen, and beta-chain human chorionic gonadotropin as serum markers of epithelial ovarian carcinoma
No full textCancer antigen 125 (CA 125) is common to most epithelial ovarian tumors. Therefore, it is potentially a good marker of this disease. This hypothesis was evaluated by measuring the serum levels of CA 125 in 81 patients with ovarian cancer (25 with nonactive and 56 with active disease), in 105 patients of both sexes with nonovarian tumors, and in 171 healthy controls of both sexes. The serum levels of three other markers, tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and human chorionic gonadotropin, beta subunit (beta-hCG), were also measured in the same 357 subjects. The results of this study clearly indicate the clinical irrelevance of both CEA and beta-hCG as tumor markers in ovarian carcinomas. Conversely, the clinical usefulness of CA 125 and TPA was confirmed. In particular, CA 125 and TPA showed comparable sensitivity, while CA 125 showed a higher specificity for ovarian cancer than TPA. The association of CA 125 with TPA was very useful in continuous observation of patients with active disease in order to evaluate the clinical effectiveness of the therapy. Moreover, for patients in clinical remission, the markers allowed early detection of a recurrence of the disease
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