Measurements of some dielectric and electrolytic properties of pyrex brand glass

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Regolith production and transport at the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory, Part 2: Insights from meteoric 10Be

Regolith-mantled hillslopes are ubiquitous features of most temperate landscapes, and their morphology reflects the climatically, biologically, and tectonically mediated interplay between regolith production and downslope transport. Despite intensive research, few studies have quantified both of these mass fluxes in the same field site. Here we present an analysis of 87 meteoric 10Be measurements from regolith and bedrock within the Susquehanna Shale Hills Critical Zone Observatory (SSHO), in central Pennsylvania. Meteoric 10Be concentrations in bulk regolith samples (n=73) decrease with regolith depth. Comparison of hillslope meteoric 10Be inventories with analyses of rock chip samples (n=14) from a 24 m bedrock core confirms that >80% of the total inventory is retained in the regolith. The systematic downslope increase of meteoric 10Be inventories observed at SSHO is consistent with 10Be accumulation in slowly creeping regolith (∼ 0.2 cm yr-1). Regolith flux inferred from meteoric 10Be varies linearly with topographic gradient (determined from high-resolution light detection and ranging-based topography) along the upper portions of hillslopes at SSHO. However, regolith flux appears to depend on the product of gradient and regolith depth where regolith is thick, near the base of hillslopes. Meteoric 10Be inventories at the north and south ridgetops indicate minimum regolith residence times of 10.5 ± 3.7 and 9.1 ± 2.9 ky, respectively, similar to residence times inferred from U-series isotopes in Ma et al. (2013). The combination of our results with U-series-derived regolith production rates implies that regolith production and erosion rates are similar to within a factor of two on SSHO hillcrests. ©2013. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved

Formation and structural characterization of Ni nanoparticles embedded in SiO₂

Face-centered cubic Ni nanoparticles were formed in SiO₂ by ion implantation and thermal annealing. Small-angle x-ray scattering in conjunction with transmission electron microscopy was used to determine the nanoparticle size as a function of annealing temperature, whereas the local atomic structure was measured with x-ray absorption spectroscopy. The influence of finite-size effects on the nanoparticle structural properties was readily apparent and included a decrease in coordination number and bond length and an increase in structural disorder for decreasing nanoparticle size. Such results are consistent with the non-negligible surface-to-volume ratio characteristic of nanoparticles. In addition, temperature-dependent x-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements showed the mean vibrational frequency (as obtained from the Einstein temperature) decreased with decreasing nanoparticle size. This reduction was attributed to the greater influence of the loosely bound, under-coordinated surface atoms prevailing over the effects of capillary pressure, the former enhancing the low frequency modes of the vibrational density of statesThis work was financially supported by the Australian Synchrotron and the Australian Research Council with access to equipment provided by the Australian Nanofabrication Facility

Topological Optimization of the Evaluation of Finite Element Matrices

We present a topological framework for finding low-flop algorithms for evaluating element stiffness matrices associated with multilinear forms for finite element methods posed over straight-sided affine domains. This framework relies on phrasing the computation on each element as the contraction of each collection of reference element tensors with an element-specific geometric tensor. We then present a new concept of complexity-reducing relations that serve as distance relations between these reference element tensors. This notion sets up a graph-theoretic context in which we may find an optimized algorithm by computing a minimum spanning tree. We present experimental results for some common multilinear forms showing significant reductions in operation count and also discuss some efficient algorithms for building the graph we use for the optimization

Detection of bacterial spores with lanthanide-macrocycle binary complexes

The detection of bacterial spores via dipicolinate-triggered lanthanide luminescence has been improved in terms of detection limit, stability, and susceptibility to interferents by use of lanthanide−macrocycle binary complexes. Specifically, we compared the effectiveness of Sm, Eu, Tb, and Dy complexes with the macrocycle 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,7-diacetate (DO2A) to the corresponding lanthanide aquo ions. The Ln(DO2A)^+ binary complexes bind dipicolinic acid (DPA), a major constituent of bacterial spores, with greater affinity and demonstrate significant improvement in bacterial spore detection. Of the four luminescent lanthanides studied, the terbium complex exhibits the greatest dipicolinate binding affinity (100-fold greater than Tb^(3+) alone, and 10-fold greater than other Ln(DO2A)^+ complexes) and highest quantum yield. Moreover, the inclusion of DO2A extends the pH range over which Tb−DPA coordination is stable, reduces the interference of calcium ions nearly 5-fold, and mitigates phosphate interference 1000-fold compared to free terbium alone. In addition, detection of Bacillus atrophaeus bacterial spores was improved by the use of Tb(DO2A)^+, yielding a 3-fold increase in the signal-to-noise ratio over Tb^(3+). Out of the eight cases investigated, the Tb(DO2A)^+ binary complex is best for the detection of bacterial spores

Analiza budowy zdań u pacjentów z udarem niedokrwiennym mózgu

Introduction. The definition of brain health and the best method of promoting optimal brain health is an American Heart Association/American Stroke Association initiative. Intact cognitive function is important following an ischemic stroke for successful rehabilitation. Therefore having a simple metric of cognitive function would be optimal for all health professionals.Aim. The aim of this study was to investigate if using Developmental Sentence Scoring (DSS) on sentences written by patients on a Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) could provide a simple metric of cognitive function.Material and Methods. This secondary analysis reports on sentences written by patients after an ischemic stroke using quantitative and conventional content analysis methods.Results. A mean score of 24.38 (SD±13, range 9–30) was found in the 76 patients who had written something in the course of the Folstein MMSE. The number of words ranged from 1 to 16 with the greatest number (21) averaging 5 words. The DSS ranged from 0–11 with a mean of 4. The mean Folstein MMSE (N=30), was 27.53 (SD±2.74, range 18–30) in patients who consented to a home visit 3 years after their stroke. Twenty seven of the 30 patients had written something and the number of words ranged from 1 to 12 with the greatest number (10) averaging 5 words. The DSS ranged from 0–12 with a mean of 4. Conventional content analysis revealed an overarching pattern articulated in two ways: (1) Awareness of recent space and time and remote memories of people and place (2) Expression of the self as person.Conclusions. This secondary analysis provides normative data and a rich description of cognitive function in a group of individuals describing the DSS at baseline and again at 3 years after stroke but the sample was too small to be able to provide a simple metric of cognitive function. (JNNN 2018;7(4):140–144)Wstęp. Definicja zdrowia mózgu i najlepsza metoda jego optymalnego promowania jest inicjatywą American Heart Association/American Stroke Association. Niezaburzona funkcja poznawcza po udarze niedokrwiennym jest istotna dla pomyślnej rehabilitacji. Dlatego dysponowanie prostą metryką funkcji poznawczych byłoby optymalnym rozwiązaniem dla wszystkich pracowników służby zdrowia.Cel. Celem niniejszej pracy było zbadanie, czy wykorzystanie Rozwojowej Oceny Zdania (ang. Developmental Sentence Scoring — DSS), w napisanych frazach przez pacjentów w badaniu Mini-Mental (MMSE), mogłoby dać prosty wskaźnik funkcji poznawczych.Materiał i metody. Niniejsza analiza wtórna przedstawia zdania napisane przez pacjentów po udarze niedokrwiennym za pomocą ilościowych i konwencjonalnych metod analizy treści.Wyniki. Średni wynik 24,38 (SD±13, zakres 9–30) stwierdzono u 76 pacjentów, którzy napisali coś w trakcie badania Folstein MMSE. Liczba słów mieściła się w przedziale od 1 do 16, przy czym największa ich liczba (21) zawierała średnio 5 wyrazów. DSS mieścił się w przedziale od 0–11 ze średnią wynoszącą 4. Średni poziom MMSE Folstein (N=30) wyniósł 27,53 (SD±2,74, zakres 18–30) u pacjentów, którzy zgodzili się na wizytę domową 3 lata po przebytym udarze. Dwudziestu siedmiu z trzydziestu pacjentów napisało coś, a ilość wyrazów mieściła się w przedziale od 1 do 12, przy czym największa ich liczba (10) zawierała średnio 5 wyrazów. DSS wahał się w przedziale od 0 do 12 ze średnią 4. Konwencjonalna analiza treści ujawniła nadrzędny wzorzec wyartykułowany na dwa sposoby: świadomość nieodległej przestrzeni i czasu oraz odległe wspomnienia ludzi i miejsc, jak również wyrażanie siebie jako osoby.Wnioski. Niniejsza analiza wtórna jest źródłem danych normatywnych oraz bogatego opisu funkcji poznawczych w grupie osób opisujących DSS na początku i ponownie w 3 lata po przebytym udarze, jednakże próbka była zbyt mała, aby móc określić prostą metrykę funkcji poznawczych. (PNN 2018;7(4):140–144

Monitoring adherence to drug treatment by using change in cholesterol concentration: Secondary analysis of trial data

Objective: To estimate the accuracy of monitoring cholesterol concentration for detecting non-adherence to lipid lowering treatment. Design: Secondary analysis of data on cholesterol concentration in the LIPID (long term intervention with pravastatin in ischaemic disease) study by using three measures of non-adherence: discontinuation of treatment, allocation to placebo arm, less than 80% of pills taken. Setting: Randomised placebo controlled trial in Australia and New Zealand. Participants: 9014 patients with previous coronary heart disease. Interventions: Pravastatin 40 mg or placebo daily. Main outcome measures: Sensitivity, specificity, area under the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve, post-test probability. Results: Monitoring of cholesterol concentration had modest ability for detecting complete non-adherence. One year after the start of treatment, half (1957/3937) of the non-adherent patients and 6% (253/3944) of adherent patients had a rise in concentration of low density lipoprotein cholesterol. Accuracy was reasonable (area under the curve 0.89). Cholesterol monitoring, however, had weak ability for detecting partial non-adherence. One year after the start of treatment,16%(34/213) of partially adherent and 4% (155/3585) of fully adherent patients had a rise in concentration of low density lipoprotein cholesterol. Accuracy was poor (area under the curve 0.65). For typical pre-test probabilities of non-adherence ranging from low (25%) to high (75%), the post-test probabilities indicate continuing uncertainty after lipid testing. A patient with no change in low density lipoprotein cholesterol concentration has a post-test probability of being completely non-adherent of between 67% and 95% and a post-test probability of being partially non-adherent of between 48% and 89%. A patient with a decrease in concentration of 1.0 mmol/L has a post-test probability of being completely non-adherent of between 7% and 40% and a post-test probability of being partially non-adherent of between 21% and 71%. Conclusions: Monitoring concentration of low density lipoprotein (or total) cholesterol has modest ability to detect complete non-adherence or non-persistence with pravastatin treatment and weak ability to detect partial non-adherence. Results of monitoring should be considered as no more than an adjunct to careful discussion with patients about adherence

Working with Children with Learning Disabilities and/or who Communicate Non-verbally: Research experiences and their implications for social work education, increased participation and social inclusion

Social exclusion, although much debated in the UK, frequently focuses on children as a key 'at risk' group. However, some groups, such as disabled children, receive less consideration. Similarly, despite both UK and international policy and guidance encouraging the involvement of disabled children and their right to participate in decision-making arenas, they are frequently denied this right. UK based evidence suggests that disabled children's participation lags behind that of their non-disabled peers, often due to social work practitioners' lack of skills, expertise and knowledge on how to facilitate participation. The exclusion of disabled children from decision-making in social care processes echoes their exclusion from participation in society. This paper seeks to begin to address this situation, and to provide some examples of tools that social work educators can introduce into pre- and post-qualifying training programmes, as well as in-service training. The paper draws on the experiences of researchers using non-traditional qualitative research methods, especially non-verbal methods, and describes two research projects, focusing on the methods employed to communicate with and involve disabled children, the barriers encountered and lessons learnt. Some of the ways in which these methods of communication can inform social work education are explored alongside wider issues of how and if increased communication can facilitate greater social inclusion

Capitals and commitment. The case of a local learning and employment network.

This article draws on research undertaken with a Local Learning and Employment Network (LLEN) in the state of Victoria, Australia. LLEN are networks that were implemented by the state government in 2001 to undertake community capacity building through which the outcomes of young people aged 15-19 in education, training and employment would be enhanced. In 2008, in the context of an enhanced federal commitment to social inclusion through ‘joining-up’, the Victorian experience provides insights on the implications of such policy initiatives. Drawing on Bourdieu’s discussion of the forms of capital and Granovetter’s notion of the strength of weak ties, I argue that stores of economic, cultural and social capital as outlined by Bourdieu were necessary, but insufficient, for LLEN to achieve the objectives with which they were charged given the failure of government to follow through on the implications of its policies. I argue for a commitment on the part of all stakeholders to realise the potential of ‘joining-up’