Heat transfer in separated flow

Imperial Users onl

Activity Theory Analysis of Heart Failure Self-Care

The management of chronic health conditions such as heart failure is a complex process emerging from the activity of a network of individuals and artifacts. This article presents an Activity Theory-based secondary analysis of data from a geriatric heart failure management study. Twenty-one patients' interviews and clinic visit observations were analyzed to uncover eight configurations of roles and activities involving patients, clinicians, and others in the sociotechnical network. For each configuration or activity pattern, we identify points of tension and propose guidelines for developing interventions for future computer-supported healthcare systems

Against the clock: uncovering diurnal time interval decision differences during tornado warnings for Lower Mississippi Valley residents

With a higher number of nocturnal tornado events, I surveyed residents of Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee (N = 487 for each sample) to determine the time, in minutes, it took to reach a decision on shelter-seeking. I utilized latent class analysis (LCA) to create class memberships, based on diurnal and nocturnal scenarios, to associate with time intervals. Four actors were identified for each scenario: Tech Users, Typical Actors, Non-Reactors, and Social Actors for the day sample, Tech Users, Typical Actors, Passive Actors, and Non-Reactors for the night sample. Time intervals were created and applied to each class. All class assignments except one, Traditional Actors in the night sample, used more time than allotted in an average tornado warning lead time (~15 minutes). Future studies may be necessary to determine a reduction in time needed for decision-making, such as establishing the most impactful warning sources

On the overconsumption of food portions : is the problem in the size or the number?

While larger food portions lead to greater consumption, the effect appears to be greater when the larger food portions are created by increasing the size of food units than when created by increasing the number of food units making up the portion. Study 1 shows consumer estimates of food quantities are more sensitive to unit-number information (i.e., the number of units) and less sensitive to unit-size information (i.e., the size of food units). Estimates of the food quantity presented in a portion size are larger when the portion is presented as many, smaller units than when presented as few, larger units. Study 2 demonstrates that participants tend to consume less when a portion is presented as more, smaller units vs. few, larger units. This result along with that of Study 1 suggest the portion-size effect on consumption is inversely related to the portion-size effect on quantity perceptions. When consumers are induced to focus on unit-size rather than unit-number (Study 3), quantity estimates can be made more sensitive to unit-size manipulations. Study 4 extends this finding to show that the portion-size effect on consumption is greatest when quantity estimation is insensitive to portion size change, and mitigated when information focus encourages processing of the relevant information

Validating a Normative Framework for Federal eGovernment: Preliminary Results

E-government has been identified as the next major application of information systems to fundamentally alter how U.S. federal agencies interact with the public. Through a strategy published by the Office of Management and Budget, federal agencies are formulating and executing plans to realize the many expected benefits from e-government. It is not clear, though, whether there is either a normative or empirical framework of e-government underpinning the strategy. Based on a normative framework of federal e-government created through this research, this paper presents a case study of an initiative in the federal e-government strategy, examining whether it conforms to the normative framework of federal e-government. This paper finds that there was not a consistent underlying e-government framework providing a foundation for this federal initiative. This finding raises questions about whether other federal e-government initiatives suffer a similar problem, calling into question the ultimate success of the U.S. federal e-government strategy

Track 2 GK-12: Sensors!

This proposal describes a Track 2 project developed by the University of Maine in collaboration with several Maine public school systems in urban, suburban, and rural communities to capitalize upon UMaine\u27s interdisciplinary, state-of-the-art sensor science and engineering resources to establish strong partnerships with middle and high schools, benefiting GK-12 fellows, teachers, middle and high school students, senior personnel, and business and community stakeholders. Focusing on sensor science and engineering, the PI, Dr. Vetelino is carefully integrating NSF RET, GK-12, REU, and IGERT programs, reaching students from middle school through the Ph.D. The synergy among the PI\u27s education and research programs provides a national model on how to effectively integrate an emerging interdisciplinary research area such as sensors with education, particularly within a rural and economically depressed region