The 1995 NRC Ratings of Doctoral Programs: A Hedonic Model

We describe how one can use multivariate regression models and data collected by the National Research Council as part of its recent ranking of doctoral programs (Research-Doctorate Programs in the United States: Continuity and Change) to analyze how measures of program size, faculty seniority, faculty research productivity, and faculty productivity in producing doctoral degrees influence subjective ratings of doctoral programs in 35 academic fields. Using data for one of the fields, economics, we illustrate how university administrators can use the models to compute the impact of changing the number of faculty positions they allocate to the field on the ranking of their programs. Finally, we illustrate how administrators can decompose the differences between a department\u27s rating and the ratings of a group of higher ranked departments in the field into difference due to faculty size, faculty seniority, faculty research productivity, and faculty productivity in producing doctoral students. This decomposition suggests the types of questions that a department and a university should be addressing if they are serious about wanting to improve the department\u27s ranking

Magnetic moment generation in small gold nanoparticles via the plasmonic inverse Faraday effect

We theoretically investigate the creation of a magnetic moment in gold nanoparticles by circularly polarized laser light. To this end, we describe the collective electron dynamics in gold nanoparticles using a semiclassical approach based on a quantum hydrodynamic model that incorporates the prin- cipal quantum many-body and nonlocal effects, such as the electron spill-out, the Hartree potential, and the exchange and correlation effects. We use a variational approach to investigate the breathing and the dipole dynamics induced by an external electric field. We show that gold nanoparticles can build up a static magnetic moment through the interaction with a circularly polarized laser field. We analyze that the responsible physical mechanism is a plasmonic, orbital inverse Faraday effect, which can be understood from the time-averaged electron current that contains currents rotating on the nanoparticles surface. The computed laser-induced magnetic moments are sizeable, of about 0.35 muB/atom for a laser intensity of 450 GW/cm2 at plasmon resonance

Identification of moisture-induced stresses in cross-laminated wood panels from beech wood ( Fagus sylvatica L.)

The crosswise bonding of the layers in laminated solid wood panels results in internal stresses when the humidity varies. The layers hinder one another as a result of the anisotropy of wood. The purpose of this study was to determine the internal stress state in free and constrained swelling. The expansion properties in the three panel directions were measured. Furthermore, the swelling of samples was constrained while the resulting forces were recorded. Hygroscopic warping experiments were carried out inducing a climate gradient within the panels. Afterwards the stresses were calculated from released deformations and non-destructive measurements of the Young's modulus. The materials used were untreated and heat-treated beech wood, the latter modified in two levels. In addition to homogenously structured panels, treated top layers were combined with an untreated middle layer. Swelling, swelling pressure, warping and internal stresses considerably decreased from untreated to treated wood. If layers from treated and untreated material were combined, stresses and deformations increased as compared to the variants produced only from treated wood. It was concluded that the lower equilibrium moisture content of heat-treated beech wood improves its dimensional stability, which results in smaller deformation differences between the layers. Hence, the stresses were less distinctiv

Making Savers Winners: An Overview of Prize-Linked Saving Products

For over three centuries and throughout the globe, people have enthusiastically bought savings products that incorporate lottery elements. In lieu of paying traditional interest to all investors proportional to their balances, these Prize Linked Savings (PLS) accounts distribute periodic sizeable payments to some investors using a lottery-like drawing where an investor’s chances of winning are proportional to one’s account balances. This paper describes these products, provides examples of their use, argues for their potential popularity in the United States —especially to low and moderate income non-savers—and discusses the laws and regulations in the United States that largely prohibit their issuance

Personalised electronic messages to improve sun protection in young adults

The incidence of all skin cancers, including melanoma, continues to rise. It is well known that ultraviolet (UV) radiation is the main environmental risk factor for skin cancer, and excessive exposure at a young age increases the risk of developing skin cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the acceptability and feasibility of delivering sun protection messages via electronic media such as short message services (SMS) to people 18-40 years, and explore factors associated with their acceptability. Overall, 80% of participants agreed that they would like to receive some form of sun protection advice; of these, 20% prefer to receive it via SMS and 42% via email. Willingness to receive electronic messages about the UV index was associated with being unsure about whether a suntanned person would look healthy and greater use of sun protection in the past. Careful attention to message framing and timing of message delivery and focus on short-term effects of sun exposure such as sunburn and skin ageing should increase the acceptability of such messages to young people. We conclude that sun protection messages delivered to young adults via electronic media appear feasible and acceptable

DNaseI hypersensitive sites 1, 2 and 3 of the human β-globin dominant control region directs position-independent expression.

The human beta-globin dominant control region (DCR) which flanks the multigene beta-globin locus directs high level, site of integration independent, copy number dependent expression on a linked human beta-globin gene in transgenic mice and stably transfected mouse erythroleukemia (MEL) cells. We have assayed each of the individual DNaseI hypersensitive regions present in the full 15kb DCR for position independence and copy number dependence of a linked beta-globin gene in transgenic mice. The results show that at least three of the individual DNaseI hypersensitive site regions (sites 1, 2 and 3), though expressing at lower levels than the full DCR, are capable of position independent, copy number dependent expression. Site 2 alone directs the highest level of expression of the single site constructs, producing nearly 70% of the level of the full DCR. Sites 1 and 3 each provide 30% of the full activity. Deletion of either site 2 or 3 from the complete set significantly reduces the level of expression, but does not effect position independence or copy number dependence. This demonstrates that sites 2 and 3 are required for full expression and suggests that all the sites are required for the full expression of even a single gene from this multigene locus

Making Savers Winners: An Overview of Prize-Linked Savings Products

For over three centuries and throughout the globe, people have enthusiastically bought savings products that incorporate lottery elements. In lieu of paying traditional interest to all investors proportional to their balances, these Prize Linked Savings (PLS) accounts distribute periodic sizeable payments to some investors using a lottery-like drawing where an investor’s chances of winning are proportional to one’s account balances. This paper describes these products, provides examples of their use, argues for their potential popularity in the United States —especially to low and moderate income non-savers—and discusses the laws and regulations in the United States that largely prohibit their issuance.

A pragmatic randomised controlled trial of hydrotherapy and land exercises on overall well being and quality of life in rheumatoid arthritis

Background \ud Hydrotherapy is highly valued by people with rheumatoid arthritis yet few studies have compared the benefits of exercises in heated water against exercises on land. In particular, data on quality of life is rarely reported. This is especially important because patients treated with hydrotherapy often report an enhanced sense of well-being. We report a randomised controlled trial in which we compared the effects of hydrotherapy with exercises on land on overall response to treatment, physical function and quality of life in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. \ud \ud Methods \ud One hundred and fifteen patients with RA were randomised to receive a weekly 30-minute session of hydrotherapy or similar exercises on land for 6 weeks. Our primary outcome was a self-rated global impression of change – a measure of treatment effect on a 7-point scale ranging from 1(very much worse) to 7 (very much better) assessed immediately on completion of treatment. Secondary outcomes including EuroQol health related quality of life, EuroQol health status valuation, HAQ, 10 metre walk time and pain scores were collected at baseline, after treatment and 3 months later. Binary outcomes were analysed by Fisher's exact test and continuous variables by Wilcoxon or Mann-Whitney tests. \ud \ud Results \ud Baseline characteristics of the two groups were comparable. Significantly more patients treated with hydrotherapy (40/46, 87%) were much better or very much better than the patients treated with land exercise (19/40, 47.5%), p < 0.001 Fisher's exact test. Eleven patients allocated land exercise failed to complete treatment compared with 4 patients allocated hydrotherapy (p = 0.09). Sensitivity analyses confirmed an advantage for hydrotherapy if we assumed non-completers would all not have responded (response rates 70% versus 38%; p < 0.001) or if we assumed that non-completers would have had the same response as completers (response rates 82% versus 55% p = 0.002). Ten metre walk time improved after treatment in both cases (median pre-treatment time for both groups combined 10.9 seconds, post-treatment 9.1 s, and 3 months later 9.6 s). There was however no difference between treatment groups. Similarly there were no significant differences between groups in terms of changes to HAQ, EQ-5D utility score, EQ VAS and pain VAS. \ud \ud Conclusion \ud Patients with RA treated with hydrotherapy are more likely to report feeling much better or very much better than those treated with land exercises immediately on completion of the treatment programme. This perceived benefit was not reflected by differences between groups in 10-metre walk times, functional scores, quality of life measures and pain scores