Estimation of In-Situ Clay Strengths Using Marine Sediment Penetrators

A method has been developed to calculate soil shear strengths from the measured decelerations of a free-fall penetrator. The method is easy to apply, and appears to yield accurate estimates of in-situ soil strength over a wide variety of soil conditions, and for many different sizes and weights of penetrators. For gassy and/or sensitive soils, the method may yield strength values more accurate than those determined by conventional boring, sampling, and laboratory testing

In-Situ Measurements of Pore Pressures

As engineering moves into deeper waters, measurements of soil properties in the laboratory may be highly suspect if the soils are gassy. Strength and pore-pressure data are presented and discussed. A suggestion is made for development of pore-pressure gauges to detect the presence of clathrates

Reexamining evidence-based practice in community corrections: beyond 'a confined view' of what works

This article aims to reexamine the development and scope of evidence-based practice (EBP) in community corrections by exploring three sets of issues. Firstly, we examine the relationships between the contested purposes of community supervision and their relationships to questions of evidence. Secondly, we explore the range of forms of evidence that might inform the pursuit of one purpose of supervision—the rehabilitation of offenders—making the case for a fuller engagement with “desistance” research in supporting this process. Thirdly, we examine who can and should be involved in conversations about EBP, arguing that both ex/offenders’ and practitioners’ voices need to be respected and heard in this debate

E-Cigarettes: Prevalence and Attitudes in Great Britain

Introduction: Electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes) are a means of recreational nicotine use that can potentially eliminate the need to smoke tobacco. Little is known about the prevalence of use or smokers' attitudes toward e-cigarettes. This study describes use of and attitudes toward e-cigarettes in Britain. Methods: Respondents from three surveys were recruited from a panel of adults in Britain. Preliminary online and face-to-face qualitative research informed the development of a smokers' survey (486 smokers who had used e-cigarettes and 894 smokers who had not). Representative samples of adults in Britain were then constructed from the panel for population surveys in 2010 (12,597 adults, including 2,297 smokers) and 2012 (12,432 adults, including 2,093 smokers), generating estimates of the prevalence of e-cigarette use and trial in Great Britain. Results: Awareness, trial, and current use increased between 2010 and 2012; for example, current use more than doubled from 2.7% of smokers in 2010 to 6.7% in 2012. The proportion of ever-users currently using e-cigarettes was around one-third in both years. In 2012, 1.1% of ex-smokers reported current e-cigarette use, and a further 2.7% reported past use. Approximately 0.5% of never-smokers reported having tried e-cigarettes. Conclusions: While we found evidence supporting the view that e-cigarette use may be a bridge to quitting, we found very little evidence of e-cigarette use among adults who had never smoked. British smokers would benefit from information about the effective use, risks, and benefits of e-cigarettes, as this might enable the use of e-cigarettes to improve public health

Recent Decisions

Comments on recent decisions by Thomas B. McNeill, Patrick F. McCartan, R. L. Cousineau, William J. Harte, William D. Bailey, Jr., John E. Kennedy, and Daniel W. Hammer

Gesture analysis for physics education researchers

Systematic observations of student gestures can not only fill in gaps in students' verbal expressions, but can also offer valuable information about student ideas, including their source, their novelty to the speaker, and their construction in real time. This paper provides a review of the research in gesture analysis that is most relevant to physics education researchers and illustrates gesture analysis for the purpose of better understanding student thinking about physics.Comment: 14 page

Performance of an Evaporative Cooling System in a Gestation House

This field study was conducted to determine the effectiveness of an evaporative pad cooler for modifying the environment in a gestation house in Kentucky and to compare the measured results with the calculated performance of evaporative cooling systems. The building used in the study was a 68-crate gestation house, as described in Figure 1. The building was oriented east-west and was well insulated. There were no windows in the facility. It was fully occupied, throughout the study, with sows with an average weight of 350 lbs. A negative pressure system was used to ventilate the building with a 36 single-speed exhaust fan located in the east end wall (Figure 1). A 4\u27 x 12\u27 evaporative pad was located in the west end wall adjacent to the air intake. Shutters were mounted on the outside of the building to provide shade for the pads and to protect them during inclement weather

A Randomized, Controlled Trial of Adding Expired Carbon Monoxide Feedback to Brief Stop Smoking Advice: Evaluation of Cognitive and Behavioral Effects

Objective: To determine the effect of adding biomarker feedback (expired air carbon monoxide) to standard quit advice on cognitive antecedents of behavior change and smoking cessation and to identify potential effect moderators and mediators. Design: Smokers (N = 160) were randomized to a control (quit advice plus leaflet) or an intervention condition (as control group plus carbon-monoxide level feedback). Cognitive measures were assessed immediately after the intervention and behavioral measures at 6 months' follow-up. Main Outcome Measures: Primary outcome measures were threat and efficacy appraisal, fear arousal, and intention to stop smoking. Secondary outcome measures were quit attempts within the last 6 months and 7-day point prevalence abstinence. Results: Threat appraisal was significantly enhanced in the intervention compared with the control group, 1(158) = 2.29, p = .023, as was intention to stop smoking in the next month, 1(151) = 2.9, p = .004. However, this effect on intention to stop smoking was short-lived. Groups did not differ in terms of quit attempts or abstinence at follow-up, but the intervention increased the likelihood of cessation in smokers with higher self-efficacy, chi(2)(1) = 5.82,p = .016. Conclusions: Carbon-monoxide level feedback enhances the effect of brief quit advice on cognitive antecedents of behavior change and smoking cessation rates but further research is required to confirm the longevity of this effect and its applicability to smokers with low self-efficacy

Rapid review of brief interventions and referral for smoking cessation

Foreword: The Department of Health (DH) asked the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE or the Institute) to produce guidance on brief interventions and referrals to specialist services to help people who smoke to stop, in particular, pregnant women and people from disadvantaged groups. It asked the Institute to look at the most effective ways that professionals, both within and outside the NHS in England, can achieve this. The Public Health Interventions Advisory Committee (PHIAC) considered both a review of the evidence and an economic appraisal before developing these recommendations. This guidance only examines brief smoking cessation interventions. Although important, these must be seen in the context of a rapidly changing environment. Publication of the tobacco white paper 'Smoking kills[1]' set out a comprehensive tobacco control policy for the UK that has seen increased spending on mass media anti-smoking campaigns, a ban on tobacco advertising and promotion, more prominent health warnings and wider access to stop smoking services and treatments. In addition, the public health white paper, 'Choosing health[2]' confirmed that all NHS premises and government departments would be smoke-free from the end of 2006. It also paved the way for legislation for a ban on smoking in enclosed public spaces in England by summer 2007. In light of these changes, the effectiveness of brief interventions should be revisited. In addition, it will be crucial to monitor the impact of this guidance to determine if it is likely to narrow health inequalities or, at least, to ensure that it does not widen them. The impact of wider policy and practice on smoking cessation is already being examined by the Smoking Cessation Programme Development Group at NICE. Coupled with this guidance on brief interventions, it will provide both practitioners and policy makers with a comprehensive evidence-based approach to delivering smoking cessation services in England