Search Interfaces for Mathematicians

Access to mathematical knowledge has changed dramatically in recent years, therefore changing mathematical search practices. Our aim with this study is to scrutinize professional mathematicians' search behavior. With this understanding we want to be able to reason why mathematicians use which tool for what search problem in what phase of the search process. To gain these insights we conducted 24 repertory grid interviews with mathematically inclined people (ranging from senior professional mathematicians to non-mathematicians). From the interview data we elicited patterns for the user group "mathematicians" that can be applied when understanding design issues or creating new designs for mathematical search interfaces.Comment: conference article "CICM'14: International Conference on Computer Mathematics 2014", DML-Track: Digital Math Libraries 17 page

The profit impact of a strategic approach to Web Enhanced Services (WES)—a study of the motor carrier industry

An increasing number of motor carriers offer web-enhanced services (WES) such as real-timetracking-and-tracing, on-line ordering, and conflict resolution. However, the burst of the Internet bubble raised questions as to whether investments in such Internet-related services increase corporate profitability (e.g., Nagarajan et al., 2000). This article studies financial and operational values that web-enhanced services add to publicly traded interstate trucking companies. Large companies offering WES were found to be more profitable than smaller companies in general, and they were more profitable than other large carriers not offering WES. Investments in WES appear to provide a strategic advantage specifically for large companies

The Active Management of Impending Cephalopelvic Disproportion in Nulliparous Women at Term: A Case Series

Background. The Active Management of Risk in Pregnancy at Term (AMOR-IPAT) protocol has been associated in several studies with significant reductions of group cesarean delivery rate. Present within each of these studies were nulliparous women with risk factors for cephalopelvic disproportion. Risk factors for cephalopelvic disproportion in nulliparous women are especially important because they represent the precursors for the most common indication for primary cesarean delivery. Cases. Three examples of exposure of urban nulliparous women to the AMOR-IPAT protocol are presented. Each woman's risk factor profile for Cephalopelvic Disproportion (CPD) was used to estimate her Upper Limit of Optimal Time of Vaginal Delivery for CPD (UL-OTDcpd). Labor management and clinical outcomes for each case are presented. A simple table summarizing induction rates and birth outcome rates of exposed versus nonexposed nulliparous women is also presented. Conclusion. Because the mode of delivery of the first birth substantially impacts birth options in later pregnancies, the impact of AMOR-IPAT on nulliparous patients is particularly important. Determining the UL-OTDcpd in nulliparous patients, and carefully inducing each patient who has not entered labor by her UL-OTDcpd, may be an effective way of lowering rates of cesarean delivery in nulliparous women

Effects of Kangaroo Care on Procedural Pain in Preterm Infants: A Systematic Review

Approximately 64,000 preterm infants are born annually in the United States. With preterm infants enduring between 10-16 painful procedures daily, it is important for nurses to use interventions that effectively decrease pain. Procedural pain in premature infants may result in short-term and long-term negative physical, cognitive, and emotional effects. Kangaroo care is the act of holding an infant making skin on skin contact. The purpose of this systematic review is to identify, review, and critically appraise the evidence from studies examining the effect of Kangaroo Care on procedural pain in premature infants. Literature was searched in university databases and Google Scholar for relevant studies, which were selected based on criteria of intervention studies, sampling methods, use of Kangaroo Care, and use of measurable pain scales. Studies are discussed based on the pain measurement tool, type of procedure, and specific study characteristics. The evidence was critically appraised. Limitations and gaps in knowledge are described. Recommendations for further studies and implementation of Kangaroo Care are identified

Students At Work: Classroom Implications Of Outside Employment

With the growing population of nontraditional students, questions have been posed as to whether or not student employment results in better academic performance.  This study measures the effects of employment experiences on university and classroom dynamics. Undergraduate business students from a large, private university constituted the sample. They were surveyed to determine the relationship between their university and work experiences. Findings suggest that work and educational efforts do not always compete. For many, it appears the same intangibles that propel individuals to excel in a job carries over into the academic arena.  Implications for Business Education are presented

In-Situ Cure Monitoring of the Immidization Reaction of PMR-15

Glass fiber reinforced polymer composites are becoming widely used in industry. With this increase in production, an in-situ method of quality control for the curing of the polymer is desirable. This would allow for the production of high-quality parts having more uniform properties.' Recently, in-situ fiber optic monitoring of polymer curing has primarily focused on epoxy resins and has been performed by Raman or fluorescence methods. In addition, some infrared (IR) investigations have been performed using transmission or ATR cells. An alternate IR approach involves using optical fibers as a sensor by utilizing evanescent wave spectroscopy

Honey Bees and Apple Trees : Hood River, Oregon as a Case Study for the Creation of the Honey Bee Pollination Industry

The use of honey bees to pollinate apple orchards seems natural, even inevitable. This dissertation examines the relationship of beekeeping and apple growing in Hood River, Oregon in the mid-nineteenth to the mid-twentieth centuries, as a case study in the development of commercial pollination service. Within this time period the values of the progressive era, changing technologies, and expanding infrastructure shaped the possibilities that were available to beekeepers and apple growers. Additionally, I explore the role of science in decision-making and policy creation by Oregon beekeepers and apple growers as they each focus on personal success. As this dissertation reveals, the relationship between honey bees and apple trees is not as simple as you might think

Journaling the Art of Teaching: Multimodal Responding for Narrative Inquiry

Research underscores the integral role that teachers’ recurring narratives play in their everyday teaching agendas. Like the students in their classrooms, teachers comprise a diverse group of individuals representing a myriad of ways to learn and teach, stemming from such factors as pedagogical approaches, prior life experiences, and familial relationships. Applying multimodal learning to response journaling expands teacher candidates’ opportunities to address the role that narratives play in developing their daily repertoires of practice in language arts. Hence, further investigation is needed to expand the range of practices available for fostering teacher narrative inquiry. Methodologically supported by action research in relation to narrative inquiry and multimodal learning, we asked, What are the effects of multimodal journaling on the recurring narratives of teacher candidates in a junior-intermediate language/arts methods class

Dust emission at 8-mic and 24-mic as Diagnostics of HII Region Radiative Transfer

We use the Spitzer SAGE survey of the Magellanic Clouds to evaluate the relationship between the 8-mic PAH emission, 24-mic hot dust emission, and HII region radiative transfer. We confirm that in the higher-metallicity Large Magellanic Cloud, PAH destruction is sensitive to optically thin conditions in the nebular Lyman continuum: objects identified as optically thin candidates based on nebular ionization structure show 6 times lower median 8-mic surface brightness (0.18 mJy arcsec^-2) than their optically thick counterparts (1.2 mJy arcsec^-2). The 24-mic surface brightness also shows a factor of 3 offset between the two classes of objects (0.13 vs 0.44 mJy arcsec^-2, respectively), which is driven by the association between the very small dust grains and higher density gas found at higher nebular optical depths. In contrast, PAH and dust formation in the low-metallicity Small Magellanic Cloud is strongly inhibited such that we find no variation in either 8-mic or 24-mic emission between our optically thick and thin samples. This is attributable to extremely low PAH and dust production together with high, corrosive UV photon fluxes in this low-metallicity environment. The dust mass surface densities and gas-to-dust ratios determined from dust maps using Herschel HERITAGE survey data support this interpretation.Comment: Accepted to ApJ, May 15, 2017. 10 pages, 9 figure