An investigation of the behavior of outgassed molecules in thermal vacuums

The objective is to understand how surfaces outgas and how outgassed substances subsequently condense on other surfaces. Preliminary tests produced calculated mass losses that were found to be in reasonable agreement with mass losses determined by weighing the sample before and after testing on analytical balances. However, using test materials with various molecular properties showed characteristic variations in the ratios of calculated total mass loss to experimental loss. These variations indicate that for some molecules energetic barriers to absorption and desorption can exist between outgassed molecules and the surfaces on which they condense

Oral History Interview: Eve Mahone

This interview is one of series conducted concerning the Oral History of Appalachia. Eve Mahone discusses her memories of the Point Pleasant Silver Bridge collapse on December 15, 1967, when she was about 12 years old. She also discusses her father\u27s work in the National Guard recovery efforts, and the effects of the bridge\u27s collapse on her and the community of Point Pleasant, West Virginia. Other topics include: a brief mention of her views on the Mothman and the Chief Cornstalk Curse, which some people blamed for the accident; the construction and wreckage of the bridge; a brief section on what a diver saw under the water; some victims she personally knew; a few vivid Christmas- related memories; and other topics.https://mds.marshall.edu/oral_history/1597/thumbnail.jp

Are Type 2 Diabetes Patients Receiving Diabetes Self-Management Education in the Primary Care Setting?

Diabetes is a growing health concern in the United States, with approximately 1.7 million new cases diagnosed yearly. A management option to help patients gain glycemic control is the participation in diabetes self-management education (DSME). DSME aims to teach patients how and why they need to perform self-care, and not solely rely on medications to manage diabetes. A literature review of 10 studies between 2007 and 2014 was conducted and found favorable health outcomes for participants of DSME. Patients who participated in DSME had improved glycemic control, achieved blood pressure and cholesterol goals, and lost weight. An analysis of the American Diabetes Association’s Standards of Medical Care in Diabetes (2014) was carried out and also found that DSME is an integral component of the prescribed management plan. It should be presented to patients at the time of diagnosis and participation should be an ongoing expectancy of the patient. DSME is an underutilized diabetes management tool. A retrospective chart review found that primary care providers use the A1c level to determine if patients should be referred for DSME, this practice does not follow the guideline recommendations. This data led to conclude primary care providers should utilize diabetes educators and/or DSME community resources to develop specific, patient centered management plans to improve health outcomes of persons with diabetes

The Irish community in antebellum Richmond, 1840-1860

The purpose of this paper was to investigate the Irish immigrants experienc e in antebellum Richmond, Virginia. Their journey to America and the various reasons for migrating south were also included in the study. The neighborhoods and occupations of the Irish were described as well as the immigrant\u27s role in Richmond\u27s antebellum society. The Catholic church, benevolent groups and militias were reviewed in order to understand how Irish helped fellow immigrants adjust and prosper in their new home. The paper was based on information from the census records of 1850/1860, and from various city directories. Personal property and death records were also used in obtaining information on the Irishman\u27s life in Richmond. Lastly, Richmond\u27s industrial structure and the demand for unskilled labor was researched. Many Irish were found working for the iron industry. Other Irish owned small businesses and stores and managed to acquire wealth and prestige in Richmond, but the majority were unskilled laborers

Teacher beliefs and the implementation of the mathematics curriculum in an urban school district

Teachers\u27 beliefs about standards-based mathematics curricula can have a direct impact on the implementation of those curricula. Yet, new standards-based curricular approaches, mandated as reform structures under the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), fail to account for the beliefs of teachers regarding the curricula in the implementation of new instructional reform practices or policies. The purpose of this quantitative, ex post facto study was to examine pre-existing survey data from a sample (n = 362) of elementary, middle, and high school teachers in an urban school district to analyze the relationship between teachers\u27 beliefs regarding the use of a standards-based mathematics curriculum and implementation of that curriculum. The theory of planned behavior (TPB), whose proponents posit that beliefs direct behavior, provided the theoretical framework for the study. The three constructs of TPB, attitude, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control, were used as proxies for the study\u27s independent variables: teacher beliefs about the curriculum, teacher beliefs about the professional community, and teacher beliefs about instructional leadership. The dependent variable was curriculum implementation. Both descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were used, including Pearson correlations, to analyze data. The findings of this study showed no significant correlation between teacher beliefs and implementation of the curriculum. School districts, school administrators and mathematic teachers will benefit from understanding the value of professional learning communities, positive social norms and perceived behavioral control as factors for promoting collective accountability under NCLB and teacher practice and implementation of standards-based curriculum reform

Plant diversity, physiology, and function in the face of global change

One central goal in ecology is to understand how biodiversity, and key organismal traits, interact with ecosystem properties and processes, and ultimately to understand and predict how these interactions will be affected by rapid environmental change. Thus, global change experiments and observational gradients in diversity provide the opportunity to examine and test hypotheses about how organismal traits, multiple dimensions of biodiversity, and ecosystem function will respond to environmental change. In Arctic tundra, increased nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) availability accompanying rapid warming is thought to significantly alter plant community composition and ecosystem function. The following four chapters examine hypotheses about the responses of species’ traits, multiple dimensions of biodiversity, and ecosystem function to the effects Arctic warming. Chapter 1 examines plant community composition and the capacity for ecosystem function (net ecosystem exchange, ecosystem respiration, and gross primary production) across a gradient of experimental N and P addition expected to more closely approximate warming-induced fertilization, demonstrating declines in plant diversity and an increase in the capacity for ecosystem carbon uptake at the highest level of fertilization. Chapter 2 examines a set of physiological and functional leaf traits across the same N and P gradient in order to evaluate the possible physiological mechanisms underlying community and ecosystem responses, highlighting the effects of increasing nutrient availability for deciduous shrub species. Chapter 3 found that single-dose, long-term nutrient addition (i.e., > 20 years) led to significant declines in multiple dimensions of diversity (taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic), and that these effects persist through time, increasing for dimensions that capture organismal traits (functional and phylogenetic). Finally, Chapter 4 examined the relationship between multidimensional diversity and ecosystem function across a natural gradient of diversity, and found that taxonomic diversity and functional diversity were significantly and positively related to whole ecosystem productivity, and, conversely, functional evenness and dispersion were significantly and negatively related to ecosystem productivity. Cumulatively, these four chapters advance our understanding of the connections between communities and ecosystems in a rapidly changing ecosystem

Beverly Mahone-Gibbs: What Forensics Did for Me

ALUMNI CORNER: The forensic community is filled with alumni who will tout the benefits they received through their participation in intercollegiate speech and debate activities. As directors of forensics programs face battles for budgets and sometimes for their program’s very existence, having a collection of published testimonies about the positive influence of forensics can be a tremendous help. To that end, Speaker & Gavel is setting aside space in each issue for our alumni to talk about how forensics has helped them in their professional life. These are our alumni’s stories

A Comparative Content Analysis of Televised Political Advertising in the United States and Canada in 2004 and 2008.

Analyzing 195 televised political ads from the United States and Canada in 2004 and 2008, this research studies the use of issue and image ads and the attack, acclaim, and contrast function of ads in presidential and federal elections. Results indicate that there is no statistical difference in the use of issue or image ads and no statistical difference in the function of ads in both nations in 2004 and 2008. Issue ads are found to be more commonly used in Canada than in the United States, but there is no statistical difference in the use of acclaim ads between the United States and Canada. Winners in both nations are found to use issue ads more than image ads while winners in Canadian elections were found to use issue ads more than winners of American elections. This study also offers a methodological finding regarding the analysis of issue or image in political advertising. Limitations and implications for future research are also discussed

Effects of ergonomic worksite changes on risks for cumulative trauma disorders of the upper body in an assembly and press operation job

Cumulative trauma of the upper body is associated with a variety of individual and job factors. An effort to optimize the human-hardware interface to minimize cumulative trauma is favored. Workers in a set of jobs had complained about hand/wrist and shoulder discomfort. One job was selected for testing alternate machine controls and worksite layout. Electromyography was used to test muscle activity, and photogoniometry was used to measure posture. For the group of ten worker-subjects, statistically significant decreases in hand/wrist and shoulder muscle activity were found. A marginal, but significant increase in neck muscle activity was also found. When one subject was excluded, improvements were unchanged and the increase in neck muscle activity was not significant for three of four types of analysis of variance. While statistical improvement was identified, the question of clinical significance cannot be answered at this time