Superconducting phase formation in random neck syntheses: a study of the Y-Ba-Cu-O system by magneto-optics and magnetometry

Magneto-optical imaging and magnetization measurements were applied to investigate local formation of superconducting phase effected by a random neck synthesis in Y-Ba-Cu-O system. Polished pellets of strongly inhomogeneous ceramic samples show clearly the appearance of superconducting material in the intergrain zones of binary primary particles reacted under different conditions. Susceptibility measurements allows evaluation of superconducting critical temperature, which turned out to be close to that of optimally doped YBCO.Comment: 6 pages, 11 figure

Changing Employment Patterns in Nonmetropolitan America: Implications for Family Structure

During the past few decades, the industria/employment structure of rural America has changed dramatically. The major causes of these changes have been technological developments which have reduced the human labor needs in the natural resources industries of agriculture, forestry, fisheries, and mining. While employment in the natural resources industries has declined, the loss of these jobs has been offset by increased employment in the manufacturing and service industries. This paper explores the relationship between variations in the industrial structure of nonmetropolitan counties in the United States and several family structure variables. It was found that counties with larger proportions of their labor force employed in natural resources industries had fewer female-headed households, a larger proportion of children living in married-couple families, and higher fertility rates. In contrast, counties with high levels of employment in service and manufacturing industries had larger proportions of female-headed households, fewer children in married-couple households, and lower fertility rates. The implications of these findings are discussed

Tests for primordial non-Gaussianity

We investigate the relative sensitivities of several tests for deviations from Gaussianity in the primordial distribution of density perturbations. We consider models for non-Gaussianity that mimic that which comes from inflation as well as that which comes from topological defects. The tests we consider involve the cosmic microwave background (CMB), large-scale structure (LSS), high-redshift galaxies, and the abundances and properties of clusters. We find that the CMB is superior at finding non-Gaussianity in the primordial gravitational potential (as inflation would produce), while observations of high-redshift galaxies are much better suited to find non-Gaussianity that resembles that expected from topological defects. We derive a simple expression that relates the abundance of high-redshift objects in non-Gaussian models to the primordial skewness.Comment: 6 pages, 2 figures, MNRAS in press (minor changes to match the accepted version

Structure formation by cosmic strings with a cosmological constant

Final published version.Comment: 4 Page

FORMS OF INDUSTRIAL AND ECONOMIC DEMOCRACY: A COMPARISON OF PREVAILING APPROACHES

One of the most notable outcomes of the late 196 Os international movement for participatory democracy has been the increased demand for expanded worker rights in decision making, both on the shopfloor and in the economy as a whole. Whether workplace reforms have meant co-optation or increased worker control has been hotly debated; equally controversial has been the question of the survival of workplace reforms in light of the growing economic crisisfacing all western industrialized nations. This paper explores the emergence and developments in industrial and economic democracy from an international perspective, focusing primarily on Western Europe and the United States. Similarities and dissimilarities between alternative forms of worker participation are discussed, and conclusions are drawn which view these new institutional arrangements for participation within the context of the wider issue ofrepresentation in society

Biomechanical Relationships in Astragalus and Oxytropis (Fabaceae)

The results of a biomechanical study of the generic relationships of Astragalus and Oxytropis are presented. Dried plant materials was hydrolyzed in 2 N hydrocholoric acid, the hydrolysates were extracted with n-amyl alchol, and chromatographed in two dimenstions using thin layer chromatography (TLC). The patterns and the RF values of the spots separated were recorded and analysed. The flavonoid patterns for all the plant organs studied were similar and no definite relationships between the flavonoid patterns and morphological characters could be ascertained. The flavonoid patterns exhibited by the members of both taxa indicate that the present means of morphological separation of this plant complex into two genera may not be valid

Summary of ten major school precision teaching programs

Ph. D. University of Kansas, Educational Policy and Administration 1984This study reviewed ten major Precision Teaching programs to discover factors contributing to the success or failure of the programs. Telephone interviews were conducted with project directors of both active and inactive programs to determine past and current practices. An implementation survey was sent to active programs to determine the number of teachers using Precision Teaching and number of years per teacher. Four of the ten programs are inactive; six are active, five increasing in use while one is at the maximum level of use, with all schools, teachers, and students using Precision Teaching. Administrative support, integration into the local district program, and local funding were found necessary for continuation of successful programs. Different funding sources or amounts do not affect the success of a program. Change of central administration philosophy, termination of director's position, and termination of funding were found to be related to discontinuance of programs. Precision Teaching is being used across all grade levels and in most content and basic skill areas, in both regular and special education

Effectiveness of User Centered Design for Optimizing an Electronic Documentation Form

Problem. The electronic form used by lactation consultants to document assessment findings, interventions, plans and recommendations, did not meet user’s requirements. Purpose: The purpose of this project was to evaluate the effect of optimization through a User Centered Design (UCD) process on information quality, use and user satisfaction. Goals. The goals were to provide information technology (IT) support for the organization’s Baby Friendly initiative and to support collaborative, consistent messaging for breastfeeding families which could, in turn, support exclusive breast milk feeding. Exclusive breast milk feeding is a population health initiative that could positively impact the triple aim of better care, lower costs and better health. Objectives. Information quality, use and user satisfaction affect user adoption and acceptance of IT solutions. The objective of this project was to test the effectiveness of UCD on optimization by measuring the increase in information quality, use and user satisfaction after implementation of an optimized electronic lactation assessment. Plan. Stakeholders were identified and the electronic form was optimized through UCD. A pre-test/post-test quasi-experimental design was chosen to measure the effect of optimization. Instruments included a modified version of the System and Use Assessment Survey (AHRQ, n.d.), a chart audit tool and an electronic data warehouse use query. IRB approval was obtained from COMIRB and Regis University. The pre and post data collection periods were each six weeks in length, allowing for a two week chart audit period and four week survey. The intervention was implemented after the close of the pre-test period. Clinical users were educated following the organization’s usual methods for EHR changes. Five months after the intervention, the study timeline was repeated for the post-test period. After the post-test period, a use query was run to collect data for both pre-test and post-test periods. Data were collected, coded, and entered into electronic spreadsheets for storage and analysis. Outcomes and Results. Although the sample as a whole showed no statistically significant increases in any parameter of information quality, use, or user satisfaction, when survey participants were divided by role, nurses and providers, there was a statistically significant increase in the post-test nursing group for two measures of information quality and one measure of information use. A Mann Whitney U test found a significantly higher perception of completeness of the lactation assessment, U = 200, z = -2.11, p = .035, r = .29 and reported frequency of accessing the lactation assessment from the EHR, U= 233, z = -2.01, p = .044, r = 0.26. A Fishers exact test found a statistically significant increase in the presence of lactation assessments in the post-test chart audit [1, N = 39] = 11.8, p =.001, φ= .39). The outcomes may be explained by differences in how each role uses the EHR. Additional education for providers may be necessary to overcome these differences