It Takes More than Public Speaking: A Leadership Analysis of The King’s Speech

In a time of global anxiety, a recent internationally acclaimed film aptly shows the development of a leader who never intended to lead. This leadership analysis of The King\u27s Speech critically explores transformation shaped by the pressures of war, modernity, and a public figure\u27s speech impediment in the advent of radio broadcasting. Supportive leadership and followership are examined, as the Duchess of York serves as an exemplar of both. The central catalyst of transformative leadership comes from Lionel Logue, who exercises his role with emotional intelligence and key strategies that are invaluable to the eventual King finding his voice. The servant leadership role is discussed, as it resonates strongly with an ongoing need for transformative and shrewd servant leaders in an increasingly fragmented and information-based global economy

Experience of pension providing in the developed countries of the world

У статті розглянуто особливості пенсійного забезпечення у розвинутих країнах світу та можливості використання зарубіжного досвіду у розбудові вітчизняної пенсійної системи.In the article the features of the pension providing are considered in the developed countries of the world and possibility of the use of foreign experience in reformation of the pension system of Ukraine

Overwhelmed to Action: Digital Preservation Challenges at the Under-resourced Institution

Digital preservation advocates at small or mid-sized institutions struggle with the expectations of implementing a digital preservation program. Given that they operate with fewer resources than their larger colleagues, implementation can seem overwhelmingly difficult. With digital preservation a pressing issue, how do these libraries begin to tackle the challenge? Advocates at Milner Library have had the advantage of collaborating on the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) National Leadership Grant, Preserving (Digital) Objects With Restricted Resources (POWRR). This case study examines how they have applied the lessons they have learned to go from being overwhelmed to taking action. Along the way, they have encountered several misconceptions and challenges. This paper reviews the misconceptions and suggests approaches to the challenges of digital preservation. Some of the challenges include: minimal funds, change fatigue, lack of training, lack of engagement, and difficulty in framing the argument for administrators. Milner Library digital preservation advocates have approached the task by seeking collaborations, raising awareness, and starting small. It is possible to start the cultural change that is required to implement a digital preservation program, even with restricted resources

Effect of blossom thinning on apple quality with conventional methods and study on laser application for selective thinning

Crop-load regulation by blossom thinning has an important role to improve the fruit quality and mitigate an alternate bearing on apple fruit production. This method aims to reduce excessive flowers to regulate the final fruit yield with marketable fruit quality. Although several techniques of blossom thinning already provide efficient thinning, the development of more effective thinning techniques is still essential to achieve selective thinning and to prevent a negative effect on trees and the environment. In study 1, the efficacy of three different thinning methods on the regulation of fruit set, June drop, return bloom, fruit quality, fruit yield and the source–sink relationship were investigated. Mechanical, chemical and manual thinning were applied on apple trees cv. ‘Roter Boskoop’ at the Klein-Altendorf field laboratory of the University of Bonn. The results clearly showed that fruit production benefits from crop load management by blossom thinning. All thinning methods in this experiment gave evidence of improvement in fruit quality in terms of fruit size and weight. The fruit yield reduction by manual removal of =50% of flower clusters improved the return bloom as did the mechanical thinning with a rotor speed of 320 rpm. These three methods of thinning provided the optimal fruit yield of 14–18 kg per tree with acceptable fruit size and weight. Study 2 was undertaken to explore an alternative approach for selective flower removal by applying laser radiation. This study was performed under laboratory conditions at the Institute of Agricultural Engineering, University of Bonn to investigate the efficacy of flower removal by applying laser radiation based on three different factors: the phenological growth stage of the apple flower, laser spot position and laser energy density. The results demonstrate that applying laser radiation can be used as an alternative technique to increase the thinning selectivity. An application of laser radiation with a low energy density of 1.02 J mm-2 to remove flowers was successful during balloon and full bloom stages when the laser spot was in the three positions, a) from the front of a flower cluster (FFC), b) from the side of a flower (FSF) and c) from the front of a flower (FFF). Applying laser radiation on the front of the flower cluster (FFC) during balloon and full bloom stages provided the most suitable condition for selective flower removal. The lowest applicable laser energy density of 1.02 J mm-2 reduced 2–3 flowers in a cluster on average, while the highest applicable laser energy density of 3.06 J mm-2 removed 3–4 flowers on average, i.e. 50% of the flowers on the cluster.Auswirkung der Blütenausdünnung auf die Apfelqualität mit konventionellen Methoden und Untersuchung der Anwendung von Laserstrahlung zur selektiven Ausdünnung Die Regulierung der Fruchtbehangs durch Ausdünnen der Blüten spielt eine wichtige Rolle bei der Verbesserung der Fruchtqualität und bei der Abschwächung der Alternanz. Der Eingriff in die Obstbaumblüte zielt darauf ab, überschüssige Blüten zu reduzieren, um den Apfelertrag auf eine hohe marktfähige Fruchtqualität einzustellen. Obwohl verschiedene Techniken der Blütenausdünnung bereits eine effiziente Ausdünnung ermöglichen, ist die Entwicklung präziserer Ausdünnungsverfahren ein Forschungsziel, um eine selektive Ausdünnung zu erreichen und negative Auswirkungen auf die Bäume und die Umwelt zu vermeiden. In Studie 1 wurde die Wirksamkeit von drei verschiedenen Ausdünnungsverfahren auf die Regulierung des Fruchtansatzes, des Junifalls, der Blühstärke im Folgejahr, der Fruchtqualität, des Fruchtertrags und der Quelle-Senke-Beziehung untersucht. Es wurden Versuche zur mechanischen, chemischen und manuellen Ausdünnung an Apfelbäumen der Sorte 'Roter Boskoop' auf dem Feldlabor Klein-Altendorf der Universität Bonn durchgeführt. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die Fruchtqualität von der Ausdünnung der Blüten profitiert. Alle Ausdünnungsmethoden in diesem Versuch zeigten eine Verbesserung der Fruchtqualität in Bezug auf Fruchtgröße und -gewicht. Die Reduzierung des Fruchtertrags durch die manuelle Ausdünnung von 50 % oder mehr Blütenbüscheln verbesserte die Blühstärke im Folgejahr ebenso wie die mechanische Ausdünnung mit einer Rotordrehzahl von 320 U/min. Diese Ausdünnungsmethoden lieferten einen Fruchtertrag von 14–18 kg pro Baum bei akzeptabler Fruchtgröße und -gewicht. Studie 2 wurde durchgeführt, um einen alternativen Ansatz zur selektiven Blütenentfernung durch Anwendung von Laserstrahlung zu erforschen. Diese Studie wurde unter Laborbedingungen am Institut für Agrartechnik der Universität Bonn durchgeführt, um die Wirksamkeit der Blütenentfernung durch Laserstrahlung in Abhängigkeit von drei verschiedenen Faktoren zu untersuchen: dem phänologischen Wachstumsstadium der Apfelblüte, der Position des Laserpunktes auf der Blüte bzw. der Knospe und der Dichte der Laserenergie. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass Laserstrahlung als alternative Technik zur selektiven Entfernung von Blüten eingesetzt werden kann. Die Emittierung von Laserstrahlung auf die Vorderseite einer Blütentraube (FFC) im Ballon- und Vollblütestadium war die geeignetste Position für die Blütenreduzierung. Die Laserdiode mit einer niedrigen Leistung von 4 W und einer Laserenergiedichte von mindestens 1,02 J mm-2 erzeugte letale Schäden an den Blüten im Ballon- und Vollblütestadium in drei Positionen des Laserspots: a) von der Vorderseite eines Blumenbüschels (FFC), b) von der Seite einer Blüte (FSF) und c) von der Vorderseite einer Blüte (FFF). Die niedrigste anwendbare Laserenergiedichte von 1,02 J mm-2 reduzierte im Durchschnitt 2 Blüten in einem Büschel. Mit der in diesem Versuch höchsten Laserenergiedichte von 3,06 J mm-2 konnten bis zu 50 % der Blüten in einem Blütenbüschel entfernt werden

Forest for the Trees

These paintings show life’s swarming energy coalescing into form. They are propositions to make space for connection

Human Rights and the Search for Common Ground: A Comparative Study of Islamic and Christian Thought

A review of: Common Ground: Islam, Christianity, and Religious Pluralism. By Paul Heck. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press. 2009

The Potential of Catholic Schools: Public Virtues through Private Voucher

Recent US Supreme Court cases signal a likely increase in calls for K-12 school choice programs that include the option of enrolling in religious schools. In turn, criticism of religious school-inclusive school choice programming is likely to shift to policy and values-based critiques. This article addresses two allegations of Catholic primary and secondary school deficiencies in achieving objectives important to a pluralist society, allegations that would invalidate indirect state support of Catholic schools. By analyzing the aesthetics of Hans Georg Gadamer and Aristotelian moral theory in light of American Catholic schools’ potential, this paper rejects claims that Catholic education is unlikely to meet core needs of a contemporary pluralist society

Survey of a Paired Gravity Anomaly within the Benton Uplift of the Ouachita Mountains

The Benton Uplift west of Hot Springs, AR is underlain by a paired gravity anomaly on the order of 80 mGal. Nicholas & Rozendal (1975) have theorized that the gravitational low is caused by a “downwarp of the crust into the mantle”1 however the cause of the gravitational high is still debated. This paired gravity anomaly within the Benton Uplift follows the Ouachita orogenic belt southwest for 500 miles where it meets the Marathon uplift in southwest Texas. We conducted a gravity survey along a 108-km-long transect east of two previous gravity surveys.2,3 We corrected the data from this transect using Oasis Montaj and, alongside magnetic data from the United States Geological Survey, we built a model within Geosoft GM-SYS of the cross section of our study area.4 The topography of the upper crust within our cross section is consistent with the cross section from Mickus & Keller (1992), Figure 5, however the mafic intrusion under the Ouachita accretionary wedge was absent within our data, likely because our transect did not go south enough. Previous research has theorized the gravity maximum to be caused by a combination of basement uplifts and mafic intrusions produced during aborted Precambrian rifting along the Ouachita orogenic belt.5 Additional seismic and magnetic surveys south of the study area and across the Ouachita orogenic belt are needed to further test the hypothesis that a combination of basement uplifts and dense deep crustal mafic intrusions are the most likely cause of the paired gravity anomalies