Cyber-communication : can virtual server technologies serve as effective media delivery tools for human performance enhancement?

This project involved exploring whether or not virtual server technologies are viable and effective tools for human performance enhancement. The goal of this project was to conduct a comparative analysis of three specific virtual servers (i.e., YouTube, TeacherTube, and iTunesU) to determine whether or not either of these would serve as effective assets for improving the media development and delivery capabilities of the staff and faculty members at Hawkeye Community College. Four collaborative multimedia development projects were produced, monitored and evaluated to determine the levels of consistency, reliability, and user-friendliness in departmental media delivery processes. The research team of Hawkeye\u27s Brobst Center for Teaching and Learning Services adapted quickly in developing best practices for assisting faculty/staff in preparing content for virtual server media delivery. Student feedback and· statistical data from each of the multimedia projects have verified that TeacherTube, YouTube, and iTunesU are effective tools for consistent, predictable, and user-friendly media delivery. Yet, more research must be conducted before it can be determined which of these is the most effective solution for campus-wide implementation. Currently, the collaborators are satisfied with the quality of the video modules that have been produced. Furthermore, these virtual servers have enabled them to reach a broad audience via the Internet. To be precise, 13 videos were produced and uploaded to YouTube. In tum, these videos received 284 views. The 24 videos that were produced and uploaded to TeacherTube, have received 19,309 views. Separately, 390 videos were produced and uploaded to iTunesU. All of the research team\u27s videos are now available online for anyone to experience at any time from any global location that possesses Internet access. However, more possibilities for human performance enhancement and campus-wide implementation must be pursued

Pediatric sleep difficulties after moderate–severe traumatic brain injury

The objective of this study is to systematically investigate sleep following moderate–severe pediatric traumatic brain injury (TBI). School-aged children with moderate–severe TBI identified via hospital records were invited to participate, along with a school-age sibling. Subjective reports and objective actigraphy correlates of sleep were recorded: Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), Sleep Self-Report questionnaire (SSR), and 5-night actigraphy. TBI participants (n = 15) and their siblings (n = 15) participated. Significantly more sleep problems were parent-reported (CSHQ: p = 0.003; d = 1.57), self-reported (SSR: p = 0.003; d = 1.40), and actigraph-recorded in the TBI group (sleep efficiency: p = 0.003; d = 1.23; sleep latency: p = 0.018; d = 0.94). There was no evidence of circadian rhythm disorders, and daytime napping was not prevalent. Moderate–severe pediatric TBI was associated with sleep inefficiency in the form of sleep onset and maintenance problems. This preliminary study indicates that clinicians should be aware of sleep difficulties following pediatric TBI, and their potential associations with cognitive and behavioral problems in a group already at educational and psychosocial risk

Chinese Communist Materials at the Bureau of Investigation Archives, Taiwan

During the long years of civil strife in China the Nationalist authorities amassed extensive materials on their Communist adversaries. Now stored in government institutions on Taiwan, these materials are an excellent source for the study of the Chinese Communist movement. Among them is the Bureau of Investigation Collection (BIC), which holds over 300,000 volumes of primary documents on the Chinese Communist movement. The purpose of Chinese Communist Materials is, without any attempt at comprehensive listing of the Bureau’s holdings, to give scholars a representative description of the collection, to point out its implications for research, and suggest new areas for research at the Bureau in the fields of political science and history [1, 4]

Nationalists and the Nanking Incident, 1927: Sources and Impact on United States China Policy

Histor

STRUCTURE DETERMINATION AND CH…F INTERACTIONS IN H2C=CHF…H2C=CF2 BY FOURIER-TRANSFORM MICROWAVE SPECTROSCOPY

The structure of the weakly bound dimer between fluoroethylene (FE) and 1,1-difluoroethylene (DFE) has been determined using a combination of chirped-pulse and resonant-cavity Fourier-transform microwave spectroscopy over a 7.5 to 19 GHz range. The rotational constants of the most abundant isotopomer were determined to be $A$ = 6601.14(35) MHz, $B$ = 833.3336(5) MHz and $C$ = 744.0217(5) MHz, and are in excellent agreement with $ab$ $initio$ predictions at the MP2/6-311++G(2d,2p) level. Observation of all four unique $^{13}$C isotopologues in natural abundance allowed for a full structure determination, showing that the dimer takes on a planar configuration with the H--C--F end of FE aligned with one of the F--C=C--H sides of DFE, forming two inequivalent CH$cdots$F contacts. The dipole moment components ($mu$$_{a}$ = 0.9002(18) D, $mu$$_{b}$ = 0.0304(80) D) were determined using Stark effect measurements and confirm the observed structure

Book Reviews

Reviews of the following books: Uncollected Short Stories of Sarah Orne Jewett edited by Richard Cary; The Care of Historical Collections: A Conservation Handbook for the Non-Specialist by Per E. Guldbeck; Cushing’s Island: Two Memoirs by Robert and Agnes Hale; The History of Fort Halifax by Carleton E. Fishe

An Updated Checklist of the Spiders (Arachnida: Araneae) of Arkansas

A total of 510 species of spiders representing 43 families and 215 genera are herein reported from Arkansas. The most diverse families of state spiders were Salticidae (64 species), Lycosidae (59 species), Araneidae (55 species), and Gnaphosidae (54 species). Twelve families had only a single representative species in the state. Additional taxa will surely be added to the checklist with future taxonomic studies incorporating molecular analyses and additional collecting. This updated checklist is intended to be of use to arachnologists, researchers, naturalists, professional biologists, and managers in determining the biodiversity for Arkansas. We have worked to insure that the taxonomy of the spiders documented in Arkansas is current and authoritative

Faculty-Librarian Micro-Level Collaboration in an Online Graduate History Course

This paper describes a micro-level faculty-librarian collaboration implemented at the authors' state university to address students' information literacy deficiencies in a graduate-level history research methods course. The setting, implementation, and evolution of the partnership are described in detail to suggest a model for other instructors. Additionally, consideration is given to issues of working in an online course environment and the benefits of micro- versus macro-level librarian support. Consideration is given to future steps for strengthening the partnership and measuring its impact on student outcomes.Librar

Taste Manipulation and Swallowing Mechanics in Trauma-Related Sensory-Based Dysphagia

Purpose: This study explored the effects of highconcentration taste manipulation trials on swallow function in persons with sensory-based dysphagia. Method: Dysphagia researchers partnered with clinical providers to prospectively identify traumatically injured U.S. military service members (N = 18) with sensorybased dysphagia as evidenced by delayed initiation and/or decreased awareness of residue/penetration/ aspiration. Under videofluoroscopy, participants swallowed trials of 3 custom-mixed taste stimuli: unflavored (40% weight/volume [wt/vol] barium sulfate in distilled water), sour (2.7%wt/vol citric acid in 40% wt/vol barium suspension), and sweet–sour (1.11% wt/vol citric acid plus 8% wt/vol sucrose in 40% wt/vol barium suspension). Trials were analyzed and compared via clinical rating tools (the Modified Barium Swallow Impairment Profile [Martin-Harris et al., 2008] and the Penetration-Aspiration Scale [Rosenbek, Robbins, Roecker, Coyle, & Wood, 1996]). Additionally, a computational analysis of swallowing mechanics (CASM) was applied to a subset of 9 swallows representing all 3 tastants from 3 participants. Results: Friedman’s tests for the 3 stimuli revealed significantly (p \u3c .05) improved functional ratings for Penetration-Aspiration Scale and pharyngoesophageal opening. CASM indicated differences in pharyngeal swallowing mechanics across all tastant comparisons (p ≤ .0001). Eigenvectors revealed increased tongue base retraction, hyoid elevation, and pharyngeal shortening for sweet–sour and, to a lesser extent, sour than for unflavored boluses. Conclusion: Advantageous changes in certain parameters of oropharyngeal swallowing physiology were noted with high-intensity tastants per both clinical ratings and subsequent CASM, suggesting potential therapeutic application for taste manipulation

Development of proton-conducting membranes for hydrogen separation

The objective of this project is to develop dense ceramic membranes that can efficiently and economically separate hydrogen from gaseous mixtures (e.g., syngas, coal gas, etc.). Toward this end, materials with suitable electronic and protonic conductivities will be identified, and methods for fabricating thin, dense ceramic membranes from such materials will be developed. The chemical and mechanical stability of the membranes will be determined to estimate the expected lifetime of the membranes. Scoping-level evaluations will be performed to identify potential applications of proton membrane technology. Areas that will be evaluated include overall market scale, typical site operating scale, process integration opportunities and issues, and alternative-source economics. The literature on mixed electronic/protonic conductors was surveyed to identify suitable candidate materials. SrCe{sub 1{minus}x}M{sub x}O{sub 3{minus}{delta}} and BaCe{sub 1{minus}x}M{sub x}O{sub 3{minus}{delta}} (where M is a fixed-valent dopant such as Ca, Y, Yb, In, Nd, or Gd) were selected for further investigation on the basis of their reported total conductivities and proton transference numbers