In situ mass analysis of particles by surface ionization mass spectrometry

A qualitative study of the application of surface ionization and mass spectrometry to the in situ detection and constituent analysis of atmospheric particles was conducted. The technique consists of mass analysis of ions formed as a result of impingement of a stream of particles on a hot filament where, it is presumed, surface ionization takes place. Laboratory air particles containing K, Ca, and possibly hydrocarbons were detected. Other known particles such as Al2O3, Pb(NO3)2, and Cr2O3 were analyzed by detecting the respective metal atoms making up the particles. In some cases, mass numbers indicative of compounds making up the particles were detected showing surface ionization of particles sometimes leads to chemical analysis as well as to elemental analysis. Individual particles were detected, and it was shown that the technique is sensitive to Al2O3 particles with a mass of a few nanograms

IMPROVING THE QUALITY OF LIFE FOR INMATES WITH MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS

This thesis explores what can be done to improve the quality of life of U.S. inmates who suffer from mental health conditions (MHCs). To that end, this thesis uses a comparative analysis of correctional methods applied in the United States and Norway. These two case studies were selected because Norwegian prisons have spectacularly low recidivism rates compared to the American correctional system. The analysis shows that American prisons focus on punitive corrections while Norwegian prisons focus on rehabilitation. American inmates with MHCs could benefit from some of Norway’s penal philosophies such as decreasing the ratio of inmates to corrections officers, building smaller prisons designed for rehabilitation and mental health therapy, and federalizing all prisons. Federalizing all prisons would help mitigate the challenges corrections officials face when trying to secure appropriate levels of funding, which directly impact the quality of programming, staffing, and training. Moreover, providing mental health, employment, and educational opportunities to inmates with MHCs while they are incarcerated contributes to improving their quality of life once they are released.Civilian, Department of Homeland SecurityApproved for public release. Distribution is unlimited

Environmental Health: Air Quality

Presented for World Environmental Health Day, September 26, 2016 in Greenville, North Carolina.Importance of Air Quality •2-3% of all deaths in the U.S. each year are attributed to air pollution-induced respiratory or cardiovascular disease. •Lung cancer, respiratory disease, and heart ailments linked to poor air qualit

Geochemistry of Kauai shield-stage lavas: Implications for the chemical evolution of the Hawaiian plume

We measured He, Sr, Nd, Pb, and Os isotope ratios and major and trace element concentrations in stratigraphically and paleomagnetically controlled shield-stage lavas from Kauai, Hawaii. The range of 3He/4He ratios (17–28 RA) from Kauai is similar to that reported from Loihi and thus challenges the prevailing notion that high 3He/4He ratios are restricted to the preshield stage of Hawaiian magmatism. 3He/4He ratios vary erratically with stratigraphic position, and chronostratigraphic control from paleomagnetic data indicates very rapid changes in the 3He/4He ratios (up to 8 RA in ~102 years). These variations in helium isotopic ratios are correlated with variations in radiogenic isotope ratios, suggesting rapid changes in melt composition supplying the magma reservoir. A three-component mixing model, previously proposed for Hawaiian shield lavas, does not adequately explain the isotopic data in Kauai shield lavas. The addition of a depleted-mantle (DM) component with the isotopic characteristics similar to posterosional basalts explains the isotopic variability in Kauai shield lavas. The DM component is most apparent in lavas from the Kauai shield and is present in varying proportion in other Hawaiian shield volcanoes. Shield lavas from Kauai sample a high 3He/4He end-member (Loihi component), but while lavas from western Kauai have a larger contribution from the Kea component (high 206Pb/204Pb, anomalously low 207Pb/204Pb relative to 206Pb/204Pb), lavas from eastern Kauai have a larger proportion of an enriched (Koolau) component. The systematic isotopic differences between eastern and western Kauai reflect a gradual migration of the locus of volcanism from west to east, or alternatively east and west Kauai are two distinct shield volcanoes. In the latter case, the two shield volcanoes have maintained distinct magma supply sources and plumbing systems. Our new geochemical data from Kauai are consistent with the existence of a single high 3He/4He reservoir in the Hawaiian plume and suggest that the proportion of the different mantle components in the plume have changed significantly in the past 5 Myr. The long-term evolution of the Hawaiian plume and the temporal variability recorded in Kauai lavas require more complex geochemical heterogeneities than suggested by radially zoned plume models. These complexities may arise from heterogeneities in the thermal boundary layer and through variable entrainment of ambient mantle by the upwelling plume

Impact of hospital guideline for weight‐based antimicrobial dosing in morbidly obese adults and comprehensive literature review

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/109281/1/jcpt12200.pd

Take Care- Use Antibiotics Responsibly Swine Practitioner Project

The Take Care - Use Antibrotics Responsibly® program is an antimicrobial resistance and use educat1on and awareness program for pork producers. The program is based on principles and guidelines intended to minimize the development of antimicrobial resistance whrle maximizing animal health The program was developed by the National Pork Board, but veterinarians are key in the delivery of the program on farm. Since there are many factors that contribute to the amounts and types of antimicrobrals used on farm it was decided that the best way to measure program effectiveness was through measurement of changes in the attitude and behaviors of program particrpants

Training Collaboration in a Network-Assisted Environment

Technology enabled non-face-to-face collaboration has the potential to enhance information sharing and shared situational awareness (SSA) by providing near real-time information to a wide audience. Collaborators require an awareness of what critical information should be shared to develop this SSA. Previous research suggested that participants, while reporting that they shared relevant information, in actuality did not. To explore this issue, the previous research was repeated with the addition of having half of the participants exposed to a short training video on how to collaborate. Participants who received training on how to collaborate located significantly more SCUDs during each of the five turns of the two games played. Similarly, participants who received collaboration training scored higher on shared situational awareness during every turn played. Overall, those receiving the training on collaboration shared information more often with their partners and these information exchanges were longer than those who had not received the training. As technology advances, there is an increased need to understand how humans collaborate at a distance. Findings from this research advance our knowledge of how to enhance non-face-to-face collaboration. SCUDHunt, an on-line game developed by Thoughtlink Inc., was selected for this research on collaboration because it provides a simplified model of the interplay of shared awareness and collaboration, while permitting independent manipulation of variables thought to affect them. SCUDHunt requires participants to do the following: (1) collaborate from distributed locations, and (2) share unique information from their intelligence assets for optimal game performance. The goal of the game is simple: locate three SCUD missile launchers on a map. The game requires geographically dispersed players to collaborate while executing digital tasks to achieve a shared goal

Performance in Non-Face-to-Face Collaborative Information Environments

Using technology to obtain and process information requires training not only in human-computer interaction but also in human-human-computer (collaborative) interaction. Warfighters must not only develop their own situational awareness (SA), they must understand each others’ SA (Pew, 1995). This common ground is what each collaboration participant assumes about the others to ensure effective interactions (Ross, 2003; Wellons, 1993). Communication is key. Collaborators must coordinate and share information. Collaboration influences military operations at all levels. Technical interoperability is not enough to produce the synchronization required

Knowledge of Objective 'Oughts': Monotonicity and the New Miners Puzzle

In the classic Miners case, an agent subjectively ought to do what they know is objectively wrong. This case shows that the subjective and objective ‘oughts’ are somewhat independent. But there remains a powerful intuition that the guidance of objective ‘oughts’ is more authoritative—so long as we know what they tell us. We argue that this intuition must be given up in light of a monotonicity principle, which undercuts the rationale for saying that objective ‘oughts’ are an authoritative guide for agents and advisors

You get what you need when you need it : A mixed methods examination of the feasibility and acceptability of a tailored digital tool to promote physical activity among women in midlife.

During midlife (ages 40-60), women experience myriad changes that elevate their risk for cardiovascular disease (CVD), including decreased physical activity (PA). Women cite lack of social support for PA and lack of active peers who can serve as role models as key barriers. Digital tools such as web applications can provide exposure to these social inputs; they are also accessible in daily life and require modest time investment. However, as few tools have been designed to meet the unique needs of women in midlife with CVD risk, our research team previously built a web application that is tailored for this population. In the present study, we used a convergent mixed methods design to develop a deep understanding of the feasibility, usability, and acceptability of this web application in a sample of identified end users. Participants