The molecular gas in the supernova remnant IC443

Although a few highly perturbed regions characterized by gas motions with velocities larger than 20 km/s have been discovered during the last several years in the supernova remnant (SNR) IC 443, the nature of these perturbed clumps and their relationship to the quiescent molecular gas near the SNR remains unknown. In part, this is due to a lack of large-scale, high angular resolution observations. Therefore, a systematic survey of this SNR in the CO (J=1 yields 0) line has been conducted, covering a roughly 50' x 50' region spaced by 2'. The observations were made with the 14 m telescope of the Five College Radio Astronomy Observatory (FCRAO), which has a resolution of 45" and a single sideband receiver temperature of 200 K at 2.6 mm wavelength. Five new clumps were discovered, bringing the total number of known perturbed regions to eight. To study the physical structure of these clumps in more detail, more complete maps of the clumps have been made in both the CO(J=1 yields 0) and (J=2 yields 1) transitions with the FCRAO telescope. These maps show that the extent of perturbed gas in a typical clump is several arcmin, or a few pc at a distance of 1.5 kpc

Studies of interstellar vibrationally-excited molecules

Several molecules thus far have been detected in the ISM in vibrationally-excited states, including H2, SiO, HC3N, and CH3CN. In order for vibrational-excitation to occur, these species must be present in unusually hot and dense gas and/or where strong infrared radiation is present. In order to do a more thorough investigation of vibrational excitation in the interstellar medium (ISM), studies were done of several mm-wave transitions originating in excited vibrational modes of HCN, an abundant interstellar molecule. Vibrationally-excited HCN was recently detected toward Orion-KL and IRC+10216, using a 12 meter antenna. The J=3-2 rotational transitions were detected in the molecule's lowest vibrational state, the bending mode, which is split into two separate levels, due to l-type doubling. This bending mode lies 1025K above ground state, with an Einstein A coefficient of 3.6/s. The J=3-2 line mode of HCN, which lies 2050K above ground state, was also observed toward IRC+10216, and subsequently in Orion-KL. Further measurements of vibrationally-excited HCN were done using a 14 meter telescope, which include the observations of the (0,1,0) and (0,2,0) modes towards Orion-KL, via their J=3-2 transitions at 265-267 GHz. The spectrum of the J=3-2 line in Orion taken with the 14 meter telescope, is shown, along with a map, which indicates that emission from vibrationally-excited HCN arises from a region probably smaller than the 14 meter telescope's 20 arcsec beam

An exploratory study of the role of emotional intelligence and self-efficacy on service quality and adherence in a weight loss setting

By invoking social cognition theory, this study examines customer competencies that influence service quality perceptions and adherence. Specifically, the study investigates the role of self-efficacy (SE) and emotional intelligence (EI) on perceived quality and adherence. SE and EI are proposed to moderate the relative strength of the relationship between perceived technical and functional quality and adherence. These variables are also proposed to directly influence adherence behavior. Qualitative data were obtained from in-depth interviews with 20 customers on a pharmacy meal replacement program (the “Tony Ferguson Weightloss Program”). Participants were purposely recruited from different urban and regional areas in Australia. The findings suggest that SE and EI moderate the relative strength of quality perceptions. The results also support a direct link between these sociocognitive variables and adherence. By tailoring service delivery interventions to customers displaying different sociocognitive profiles, health organizations could benefit from increased perceptions of quality that could positively influence adherence behavior

4-Benzoyl-4-methyl-1, 2-epoxypentane, An attempted synthesis

The object of this research was to prepare first the simplest homologue of the epoxy-ketone considered by Russell to have been his product. If this homologue, 4-benzoyl-4-methyl-1,2-epoxypentane, could be prepared and caused to form a cyclic derivative of the type given by 1,4-diketones with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone, the organic chemist would be given a new approach to substituted 1,2-diazines as well as a previously unreported reaction of the epoxide grouping. If this reaction could be made to occur, other epoxides of this series would be prepared and treated in the same manner. It was decided that the shortest route to 4-benzoyl-4-methyl-1,2-epoxypentane would be the direct condensation of epichlorohydrin with isobutyrophenone. There was also the possibility of condensing isobutyrophenone with allyl halides to produce 4-benzoyl-4-methyl-1-pentene. This could then be converted to the halohydrin followed by treatment with base to form the epoxide, or it could be treated with a peracid to form the epoxide directly --Introduction, pages 2-3

A sociocognitive approach to service quality and adherence amongst elderly patients: a pilot study.

This article examines the relationship between patients' perceptions of emotional intelligence (EI), health competence, service quality, and adherence behavior in the Home Medicines Review (HMR) setting. Participants were purposively recruited from different urban and regional areas in Australia and qualitative data were obtained from in-depth interviews with 20 HMR patients. Service quality is conceptualized from a sociocognitive perspective by incorporating psycho-socio factors such as EI and health competence as moderators to overall service quality and adherence. The findings suggest that EI and health competence influence patient perceptions of service quality and nonadherence at multiple levels of abstraction. Implications are that staff training and development programs that incorporate EI could improve service delivery which could increase patient perceptions of service quality and adherence. Designing intervention initiatives aimed at increasing patient awareness and education of their health conditions could also improve service quality perceptions and adherence behavior

Review of \u3cem\u3eAIDS, Rhetoric and Medical Knowledge.\u3c/em\u3e Alex Preda. Reviewed by Cudore L. Snell.

Book review of Alex Preda, AIDS, Rhetoric, and Medical Knowledge. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005. $70.00 hardback