Recent Results from the K2K (KEK-to-Kamioka) Neutrino Oscillation Experiment

The latest results of the K2K experiment are reported. The results are based on data taken from June, 1999, to June, 2000, corresponding to a total $2.6 \cdot 10^{19}$ protons on target. Twenty seven fully-contained events in the 22.5 kton fiducial volume of Super-Kamiokande (SK) are observed. The expected number of events is estimated to be 40.3^{+4.7}_{-4.6} assuming the null oscillations hypothesis.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures. Talk given at the Sixth International Workshop on Tau Lepton Physics, Victoria, BC, Canada, September 19, 200

The State of Preschool 2007

Provides data on state-funded pre-K programs for the 2006-2007 school year, such as percentages of children enrolled at different ages, spending per child, and the number of quality standard benchmarks met. Includes state rankings and profiles

Increasing Transit Ridership: Lessons from the Most Successful Transit Systems in the 1990s, MTI Report-01-22

This study systematically examines recent trends in public transit ridership in the U.S. during the 1990s. Specifically, this analysis focuses on agencies that increased ridership during the latter half of the decade. While transit ridership increased steadily by 13 percent nationwide between 1995 and 1999, not all systems experienced ridership growth equally. While some agencies increased ridership dramatically, some did so only minimally, and still others lost riders. What sets these agencies apart from each other? What explains the uneven growth in ridership

College Students\u27 Knowledge, Attitudes, and Beliefs About Older Adults

Introduction: As the Baby Boomer generation continues to age, the number of older adults requiring healthcare and other aging related services will increase. As a result, healthcare workers will need to be prepared to work with a diverse older population. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine college students’ knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about older adults (≥ 65 years of age). Specifically, we compared knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs among nursing, respiratory therapy, nutrition, social work, and non-healthcare majors. Method: A non-random sample of 119 college students enrolled in healthcare programs (i.e. Nursing, Nutrition, Respiratory Therapy, and Social Work) as well as non-healthcare related fields was recruited on the campus of a large metropolitan university by word-of-mouth and flyers. Students had a mean age of 25 (±6.3) and were mostly female (80%), Caucasian (47%), and seniors (56%). Student majors were nursing (24%), respiratory therapy (20%), nutrition (21%), social work (16%) and non-healthcare (19%). A cross-sectional survey was used to collect information about the type, frequency, and quality of interaction students have with older adults, their interest in learning more about older adults and working with this population, and to identify factors that may influence students’ positive and/or negative feelings towards older adults. The survey included items from Kogan’s Attitudes toward Older People Scale and Palmore’s Facts on Aging Quiz. Descriptive statistics, correlations, independent t-tests, and ANOVA were used to analyze the data. Results: Student’s interactions with older adults were mostly with family members (70%) and through work (36%). The mean frequency of interaction was 2.0 (±.88) and quality of interaction was 4.2 (±.65). Fifty percent of students reported an interest in working with older adults in the future and 56% were interested in taking a course dedicated to the care of older adults. The mean knowledge score was 17.5 (±2.8) and the mean attitude score was 135.9 (±15.9). Knowledge scores for nursing students (M=19.1±2.1) were significantly higher compared to respiratory therapy (M=16.4±2.3) and non-healthcare students (M=16.3±2.8; F=5.52, p Conclusion: The results of this study indicate that most students had limited interaction with older adults other than family members. In general, students reported positive interactions with older adults. Students’ knowledge and attitudes towards older adults were slightly above the midpoint and differed significantly between some majors. About half of students were interested in working with older adults in the future and/or taking a course dedicated to the care of older adults. Recommendations: Areas of opportunity exist for increasing college students’ interest in working with older adults and improving their knowledge and attitudes. One strategy would be to integrate geriatric considerations into program curricula and create an interdisciplinary course designed to address the gaps in students’ knowledge about older adults for healthcare and non-healthcare students. More research is needed about how to provide students with meaningful interaction with older adults and not just more frequent interaction. To increase students’ interest in working with older adults, discomforts associated with working with older adults and improving students’ knowledge about older adults should be explored

Simulation and analysis of solenoidal ion sources

We present a detailed analysis and simulation of solenoidal, magnetically confined electron bombardment ion sources, aimed at molecular beam detection. The aim is to achieve high efficiency for singly ionized species while minimizing multiple ionization. Electron space charge plays a major role and we apply combined ray tracing and finite element simulations to determine the properties of a realistic geometry. The factors controlling electron injection and ion extraction are discussed. The results from simulations are benchmarked against experimental measurements on a prototype source

A prospective analysis describing the innovative use of liposomal bupivacaine in burn patients

Burn patients frequently require autograft harvesting to facilitate wound healing, often resulting in significant pain. Liposomal bupivacaine is indicated for administration into a surgical site to produce postsurgical analgesia. The objective of this study was to evaluate efficacy, safety, and duration of postoperative analgesia with liposomal bupivacaine for donor site pain in burn patients. This was an observational, case–control study including adult patients with <20% total body surface area (TBSA) burned who received liposomal bupivacaine for postoperative pain management after autograft harvesting from lower extremity donor site(s). Patients from the case group were matched to historical control patients treated with traditional pain management. The primary outcome was the cumulative pain scores on postoperative day one measured by the area under the curve (AUC0–24). Secondary outcomes included AUC0–72, total milligram morphine equivalents (MME), length of stay, and adverse events. Data were collected in 36 patients who received liposomal bupivacaine, with 21 patients eligible for matching to historical controls. Patients included in the intervention and control groups were well-matched at baseline. Patients in the intervention group had a significantly lower median (IQR) AUC0–24 [578 (408,740) vs. 680 (544,803); p = 0.05] and shorter length of stay [4 days (1,9.5) vs. 6 days (318); p = 0.01]. No differences in adverse events related to the administration of liposomal bupivacaine or opioid-related adverse events were observed. Results indicate liposomal bupivacaine is safe and effective in burn patients. The results of this study add to the limited body of literature examining efficacy in this population

Optimization of the design of OMNIS, the observatory of multiflavor neutrinos from supernovae

A Monte Carlo code has been developed to simulate the operation of the planned detectors in OMNIS, a supernova neutrino observatory. OMNIS will detect neutrinos originating from a core collapse supernova by the detection of spalled neutrons from Pb- or Fe-nuclei. This might be accomplished using Gd-loaded liquid scintillator. Results for the optimum configuration for such modules with respect to both neutron detection efficiency and cost efficiency are presented. Careful consideration has been given to the expected levels of radioactive backgrounds and their effects. The results show that the amount of data to be processed by a software trigger can be reduced to the <10kHz region and a neutron, once produced in the detector, can be detected and identified with an efficiency of >30%.Comment: Elsevier preprint; 29 pages, 23 figure

On the evolution of a star cluster and its multiple stellar systems following gas dispersal

We investigate the evolution, following gas dispersal, of a star cluster produced from a hydrodynamical calculation. We find that when the gas, initially comprising 60% of the mass, is removed, the system settles into a bound cluster containing 30-40% of the stellar mass surrounding by an expanding halo of ejected stars. The bound cluster expands from an initial radius of <0.05 pc to 1-2 pc over 4-10 Myr, depending on how quickly the gas is removed, implying that stellar clusters may begin with far higher stellar densities than usually assumed. With rapid gas dispersal the most massive stars are found to be mass segregated for the first ~1 Myr of evolution, but classical mass segregation only develops for cases with long gas removal timescales. Eventually, many of the most massive stars are expelled from the bound cluster. Despite the high initial stellar density and the extensive dynamical evolution of the system, we find that the stellar multiplicity is almost constant during the 10 Myr of evolution. This is because the primordial multiple systems are formed in a clustered environment and, thus, by their nature are already resistant to further evolution. The majority of multiple system evolution is confined to the decay of high-order systems and the formation of a significant population of very wide (10^4-10^5 AU) multiple systems in the expanding halo. This formation mechanism for wide binaries potentially solves the problem of how most stars apparently form in clusters and yet a substantial population of wide binaries exist in the field. Many of these wide binaries and the binaries produced by the decay of high-order multiple systems have unequal mass components, potentially solving the problem that hydrodynamical simulations of star formation are found to under-produce unequal-mass solar-type binaries.Comment: Accepted by MNRAS, 18 pages, 13 figure

Measuring Atmospheric Neutrino Oscillations with Neutrino Telescopes

Neutrino telescopes with large detection volumes can demonstrate that the current indications of neutrino oscillation are correct or if a better description can be achieved with non-standard alternatives. Observations of contained muons produced by atmospheric neutrinos can better constrain the allowed region for oscillations or determine the relevant parameters of non-standard models. We analyze the possibility of neutrino telescopes measuring atmospheric neutrino oscillations. We suggest adjustments to improve this potential. An addition of four densely-instrumented strings to the AMANDA II detector makes observations feasible. Such a configuration is competitive with current and proposed experiments.Comment: 36 pages, 21 figures, revte