Using Scholarly Research in Course Redesign: Teaching to Engage Students with Authentic Disciplinary Practices

This action research study describes a course redesign using scholarly research in two ways. Traditional disciplinary research was used to inform the design of the curriculum, and SoTL was used to measure the success of the course design in achieving its objectives for student learning. The objective of the course redesign was to better engage students in applying the authentic disciplinary practices of the field. Research was then conducted on the pedagogical process to determine the success of the new course design in achieving its objectives. The research project documented: how the authentic disciplinary practices were taught to students; student attitudes toward the knowledge gained; and how the students subsequently put this knowledge into practice. The success of the course design in engaging student with authentic disciplinary practices was documented. Conclusions and implications for evidence-based research into the improvement of teaching effectiveness applied to other disciplines are discussed

Stellar and Molecular Radii of a Mira Star: First Observations with the Keck Interferometer Grism

Using a new grism at the Keck Interferometer, we obtained spectrally dispersed (R ~ 230) interferometric measurements of the Mira star R Vir. These data show that the measured radius of the emission varies substantially from 2.0-2.4 microns. Simple models can reproduce these wavelength-dependent variations using extended molecular layers, which absorb stellar radiation and re-emit it at longer wavelengths. Because we observe spectral regions with and without substantial molecular opacity, we determine the stellar photospheric radius, uncontaminated by molecular emission. We infer that most of the molecular opacity arises at approximately twice the radius of the stellar photosphere.Comment: 12 pages, including 3 figures. Accepted by ApJ

Non-Emergency Medical Transportation Needs of Middle-Aged and Older Adults: A Rural-Urban Comparison in Delaware, USA.

Background: Older adults in rural areas have unique transportation barriers to accessing medical care, which include a lack of mass transit options and considerable distances to health-related services. This study contrasts non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) service utilization patterns and associated costs for Medicaid middle-aged and older adults in rural versus urban areas. Methods: Data were analyzed from 39,194 NEMT users of LogistiCare-brokered services in Delaware residing in rural (68.3%) and urban (30.9%) areas. Multivariable logistic analyses compared trip characteristics by rurality designation. Results: Rural (37.2%) and urban (41.2%) participants used services more frequently for dialysis than for any other medical concern. Older age and personal accompaniment were more common and wheel chair use was less common for rural trips. The mean cost per trip was greater for rural users (difference of $2910 per trip), which was attributed to the greater distance per trip in rural areas. Conclusions: Among a sample who were eligible for subsidized NEMT and who utilized this service, rural trips tended to be longer and, therefore, higher in cost. Over 50% of trips were made for dialysis highlighting the need to address prevention and, potentially, health service improvements for rural dialysis patients

First L-band Interferometric Observations of a Young Stellar Object: Probing the Circumstellar Environment of MWC 419

We present spatially-resolved K- and L-band spectra (at spectral resolution R = 230 and R = 60, respectively) of MWC 419, a Herbig Ae/Be star. The data were obtained simultaneously with a new configuration of the 85-m baseline Keck Interferometer. Our observations are sensitive to the radial distribution of temperature in the inner region of the disk of MWC 419. We fit the visibility data with both simple geometric and more physical disk models. The geometric models (uniform disk and Gaussian) show that the apparent size increases linearly with wavelength in the 2-4 microns wavelength region, suggesting that the disk is extended with a temperature gradient. A model having a power-law temperature gradient with radius simultaneously fits our interferometric measurements and the spectral energy distribution data from the literature. The slope of the power-law is close to that expected from an optically thick disk. Our spectrally dispersed interferometric measurements include the Br gamma emission line. The measured disk size at and around Br gamma suggests that emitting hydrogen gas is located inside (or within the inner regions) of the dust disk.Comment: Accepted for publication in Ap

Occupational correlates of smoking among urban transit operators: A prospective study

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Workers in blue-collar and service occupations smoke at higher rates than workers in white-collar and professional occupations. Occupational stress may explain some of the occupational class differences in smoking and quitting behavior. The purpose of this study is to investigate the contribution of occupational factors to smoking behavior over a ten year period among a multiethnic cohort of urban transit operators, while accounting for demographic factors and alcohol.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The sample consists of 654 San Francisco Municipal Railway (MUNI) transit operators who participated in two occupational health studies and biennial medical examinations during 1983–85 and 1993–95. Workers who had initiated, increased, or maintained their smoking over the ten year period were compared to workers who remained non-smokers. Occupational factors included self-rated frequency of job problems (e.g., difficulties with equipment, passengers, traffic), job burnout (i.e., the emotional exhaustion subscale of the Maslach Burnout Inventory), time needed to unwind after work, and years employed as a transit operator. A series of logistic regression models were developed to estimate the contribution of occupational factors to smoking behavior over time.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Approximately 35% of the workers increased, initiated, or maintained their smoking over the ten-year period. Frequency of job problems was significantly associated with likelihood of smoking increase, initiation, or maintenance (OR = 1.30; 95% CI 1.09, 1.55). Black operators were significantly more likely to have smoked over the ten-year period compared to operators in other racial/ethnic groups.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Understanding the role of work-related stress vis-à-vis smoking behavior is of critical importance for crafting workplace smoking prevention and cessation interventions that are applicable to blue-collar work settings, and for developing policies that mitigate occupational stress.</p

Detonation of hydrogen-oxygen at low temperature and high pressure

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/77397/1/AIAA-2246-726.pd

Spatially resolving the outer atmosphere of the M giant BK Vir in the CO first overtone lines with VLTI/AMBER

The mass-loss mechanism in normal K--M giant stars with small variability amplitudes is not yet understood, although they are the majority among red giant stars. We present high-spatial and high-spectral resolution observations of the 2.3 micron CO lines in the M7 giant BK Vir with a spatial resolution of 9.8 mas and a spectral resolution of 12000, using AMBER at the Very Large Telescope Interferometer (VLTI). The angular diameters observed in the CO lines are 12--31% larger than those measured in the continuum. We also detected asymmetry in the CO line-forming region. The data taken 1.5 months apart show possible time variation on a spatial scale of 30 mas (corresponding to 3 x stellar diameter) at the CO band head. Comparison of the observed data with the MARCS photospheric model shows that whereas the observed CO line spectrum can be well reproduced by the model, the angular sizes observed in the CO lines are much larger than predicted by the model. Our model with two additional CO layers above the MARCS photosphere reproduces the observed spectrum and interferometric data in the CO lines simultaneously. This model suggests that the inner CO layer at ~1.2 stellar radii is very dense and warm with a CO column density of ~10^{22} cm^{-2} and temperatures of 1900--2100K, while the outer CO layer at 2.5--3.0 stellar radii is characterized by column densities of 10^{19}--10^{20} cm^{-2} and temperatures of 1500--2100K. Our AMBER observations of BK Vir have spatially resolved the extended molecular outer atmosphere of a normal M giant in the individual CO lines for the first time. The temperatures derived for the CO layers are higher than or equal to the uppermost layer of the MARCS photospheric model, implying the operation of some heating mechanism in the outer atmosphere.Comment: 10 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Type A behavior and risk of all-cause mortality, CAD, and CAD-related mortality, in a type 1 diabetes population: 22 years of follow-up in the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications Study

Objective To determine whether type A behavior predicts all cause mortality and incident coronary artery disease (CAD) in a type 1 diabetes population. Research Design and Methods Twenty-two year follow-up data from the Pittsburgh Epidemiology of Diabetes Complications (EDC) study of childhood onset type 1 diabetes were analyzed for the 506 participants who completed the Bortner Rating Scale (measuring type A myocardial infarction as determined by hospital records/ Q waves on ECG, CAD death behavior) and Beck’s Depression Inventory (BDI) at baseline (1986-1988). CAD comprised (determined by a mortality classification committee), angiographic stenosis, ischemic ECG and angina. Results There were 128 deaths (25.3%) during follow-up. Univariate analysis showed an inverse relationship between Bortner scores and all cause mortality (p=0.01) which remained significant after allowing for age, sex, duration, HbA1c, education, smoking, BMI, and physical activity (p=0.03). However, the addition of BDI scores attenuated the relationship (p=0.11) with a significant interaction (p=0.03) such that any protective effect against mortality was limited among individuals with lower BDI scores (bottom 3 quintiles) (p=0.07), while no effect was seen in those with higher BDI (p=0.97). Bortner scores showed only a borderline association with incident CAD (p=0.09). Conclusions Those with higher type A behavior have lower all-cause mortality in our type 1 diabetes population, an effect that interacts with depressive symptomatology such that it is only operative in those with low BDI scores. Further research should focus on understanding this interaction

Recent science results with the two-telescope IOTA

The IOTA (Infrared Optical Telescope Array) has been routinely operating with two-telescopes since 1994, a mode destined to become obsolete following its recent conversion to a three-telescope array. In two-telescope mode, the IOTA has made numerous scientific and technical contributions, see e.g. our list of publications at http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/cfa/oir/IOTA/PUBLI/publications.html. We present preliminary results on three different topics using recent data from the two-telescope IOTA: (1) measurements of Mira star diameters simultaneously in three different near-infrared spectral bands, (2) measurement of the characteristic size and shape of the source of near-infared emission in the x-ray binary system CI Cam, and (3) aperture synthesis of the Carbon star V Hydrae combining data from the IOTA and from aperture masking at the Keck-I telescope

Advanced Computational Simulation for Design and Manufacturing of Lightweight Material Components for Automotive Applications

Computational vehicle models for the analysis of lightweight material performance in automobiles have been developed through collaboration between Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration, and George Washington University. The vehicle models have been verified against experimental data obtained from vehicle collisions. The crashed vehicles were analyzed, and the main impact energy dissipation mechanisms were identified and characterized. Important structural parts were extracted and digitized and directly compared with simulation results. High-performance computing played a key role in the model development because it allowed for rapid computational simulations and model modifications. The deformation of the computational model shows a very good agreement with the experiments. This report documents the modifications made to the computational model and relates them to the observations and findings on the test vehicle. Procedural guidelines are also provided that the authors believe need to be followed to create realistic models of passenger vehicles that could be used to evaluate the performance of lightweight materials in automotive structural components