478 research outputs found
Impacts of Policy Reforms on Labor Migration From Rural Mexico to the United States
Using new survey data from Mexico, a dynamic econometric model is estimated to test the effect of policy changes on the flow of migrant labor from rural Mexico to the United States and test for differential effects of policy changes on male and female migration. We find that both IRCA and NAFTA reduced the share of rural Mexicans working in the United States. Increased U.S. border enforcement had the opposite effect. The impacts of these policy variables are small compared with those of macroeconomic variables. The influence of policy and macroeconomic variables is small compared with that of migration networks, as reflected in past migration by villagers to the United States. The effects of all of these variables on migration propensities differ, quantitatively and in some cases qualitatively, by gender.
The Grizzly, April 19, 1984
New Facilities Will Result in Improved English, Modern Language Departments • UC Backs Hart at Bloomsburg Convention • Stress Management Topic of Lecture • Collector\u27s Plates Displayed at Ursinus • Beverly Oehlert Makes a Difference • The Elvis Brothers: Movin\u27 Up • Team Effort Produces Wins for Softball • Ursinus Professor Reviews Books • Men\u27s Lacrosse Evens Record at 3-3 • Men\u27s Track Off to Quick Start • Netmen Victorious • Grizzlies Drop Game to Widener • UC Women Spark Olympic Field Hockey Team to the Gold • Women\u27s Tennis Wins Three; Record Is 4-3 • Grizzly Bears Fell Into a Tailspin • Ursinus Golf Team Begins Spring Seasonhttps://digitalcommons.ursinus.edu/grizzlynews/1117/thumbnail.jp
The magnetic susceptibility of disordered non-diffusive mesoscopic systems
Disorder-induced spectral correlations of mesoscopic quantum systems in the
non-diffusive regime and their effect on the magnetic susceptibility are
studied. We perform impurity averaging for non-translational invariant systems
by combining a diagrammatic perturbative approach with semiclassical
techniques. This allows us to study the entire range from clean to diffusive
systems. As an application we consider the magnetic response of non-interacting
electrons in microstructures in the presence of weak disorder. We show that in
the ballistic case (elastic mean free path larger than the system size)
there exist two distinct regimes of behaviour depending on the relative
magnitudes of and an inelastic scattering length . We present
numerical results for square billiards and derive approximate analytical
results for generic chaotic geometries. The magnetic field dependence and
dependence of the disorder-induced susceptibility is qualitatively
similar in both types of geometry.Comment: 11 pages, 7 eps figures, to be published in Phys. Rev.
Using “warm handoffs” to link hospitalized smokers with tobacco treatment after discharge: study protocol of a randomized controlled trial
Post-discharge support is a key component of effective treatment for hospitalized smokers, but few hospitals provide it. Many hospitals and care settings fax-refer smokers to quitlines for follow-up; however, less than half of fax-referred smokers are successfully contacted and enrolled in quitline services. “Warm handoff” is a novel approach to care transitions in which health care providers directly link patients with substance abuse problems with specialists, using face-to-face or phone transfer. Warm handoff achieves very high rates of treatment enrollment for these vulnerable groups
Using "warm handoffs" to link hospitalized smokers with tobacco treatment after discharge: Study protocol of a randomized controlled trial
Abstract
Background
Post-discharge support is a key component of effective treatment for hospitalized smokers, but few hospitals provide it. Many hospitals and care settings fax-refer smokers to quitlines for follow-up; however, less than half of fax-referred smokers are successfully contacted and enrolled in quitline services. “Warm handoff” is a novel approach to care transitions in which health care providers directly link patients with substance abuse problems with specialists, using face-to-face or phone transfer. Warm handoff achieves very high rates of treatment enrollment for these vulnerable groups.
Methods
The aim of this study—“EQUIP” (Enhancing Quitline Utilization among In-Patients)—is to determine the effectiveness, and cost-effectiveness, of warm handoff versus fax referral for linking hospitalized smokers with tobacco quitlines. This study employs a two-arm, individually randomized design. It is set in two large Kansas hospitals that have dedicated tobacco treatment interventionists on staff. At each site, smokers who wish to remain abstinent after discharge will be randomly assigned to groups. For patients in the fax group, staff will provide standard in-hospital intervention and will fax-refer patients to the state tobacco quitline for counseling post-discharge. For patients in the warm handoff group, staff will provide brief in-hospital intervention and immediate warm handoff: staff will call the state quitline, notify them that a warm handoff inpatient from Kansas is on the line, then transfer the call to the patients’ mobile or bedside hospital phone for quitline enrollment and an initial counseling session. Following the quitline session, hospital staff provides a brief check-back visit. Outcome measures will be assessed at 1, 6, and 12 months post enrollment. Costs are measured to support cost-effectiveness analyses. We hypothesize that warm handoff, compared to fax referral, will improve care transitions for tobacco treatment, enroll more participants in quitline services, and lead to higher quit rates. We also hypothesize that warm handoff will be more cost-effective from a societal perspective.
Discussion
If successful, this project offers a low-cost solution for more efficiently linking millions of hospitalized smokers with effective outpatient treatment—smokers that might otherwise be lost in the transition to outpatient care.
Trial registration
Clinical Trials Registration NCT01305928Peer Reviewe
A FUSE Survey of Interstellar Molecular Hydrogen in the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds
We describe a moderate-resolution FUSE survey of H2 along 70 sight lines to
the Small and Large Magellanic Clouds, using hot stars as background sources.
FUSE spectra of 67% of observed Magellanic Cloud sources (52% of LMC and 92% of
SMC) exhibit absorption lines from the H2 Lyman and Werner bands between 912
and 1120 A. Our survey is sensitive to N(H2) >= 10^14 cm^-2; the highest column
densities are log N(H2) = 19.9 in the LMC and 20.6 in the SMC. We find reduced
H2 abundances in the Magellanic Clouds relative to the Milky Way, with average
molecular fractions = 0.010 (+0.005, -0.002) for the SMC and =
0.012 (+0.006, -0.003) for the LMC, compared with = 0.095 for the
Galactic disk over a similar range of reddening. The dominant uncertainty in
this measurement results from the systematic differences between 21 cm radio
emission and Lya in pencil-beam sight lines as measures of N(HI). These results
imply that the diffuse H2 masses of the LMC and SMC are 8 x 10^6 Msun and 2 x
10^6 Msun, respectively, 2% and 0.5% of the H I masses derived from 21 cm
emission measurements. The LMC and SMC abundance patterns can be reproduced in
ensembles of model clouds with a reduced H2 formation rate coefficient, R ~ 3 x
10^-18 cm^3 s^-1, and incident radiation fields ranging from 10 - 100 times the
Galactic mean value. We find that these high-radiation, low-formation-rate
models can also explain the enhanced N(4)/N(2) and N(5)/N(3) rotational
excitation ratios in the Clouds. We use H2 column densities in low rotational
states (J = 0 and 1) to derive a mean kinetic and/or rotational temperature
= 82 +/- 21 K for clouds with N(H2) >= 10^16 cm^-2, similar to Galactic
gas. We discuss the implications of this work for theories of star formation in
low-metallicity environments. [Abstract abridged]Comment: 30 pages emulateapj, 14 figures (7 color), 7 tables, accepted for
publication in the Astrophysical Journal, figures 11 and 12 compressed at
slight loss of quality, see http://casa.colorado.edu/~tumlinso/h2/ for full
version
Motivational Interviewing for encouraging quit attempts among unmotivated smokers: study protocol of a randomized, controlled, efficacy trial
Abstract
Background
Although the current Clinical Practice Guideline recommend Motivational Interviewing for use with smokers not ready to quit, the strength of evidence for its use is rated as not optimal. The purpose of the present study is to address key methodological limitations of previous studies by ensuring fidelity in the delivery of the Motivational Interviewing intervention, using an attention-matched control condition, and focusing on unmotivated smokers whom meta-analyses have indicated may benefit most from Motivational Interviewing. It is hypothesized that MI will be more effective at inducing quit attempts and smoking cessation at 6-month follow-up than brief advice to quit and an intensity-matched health education condition.
Methods/Design
A sample of adult community resident smokers (N = 255) who report low motivation and readiness to quit are being randomized using a 2:2:1 treatment allocation to Motivational Interviewing, Health Education, or Brief Advice. Over 6 months, participants in Motivational Interviewing and Health Education receive 4 individual counseling sessions and participants in Brief Advice receive one brief in-person individual session at baseline. Rigorous monitoring and independent verification of fidelity will assure the counseling approaches are distinct and delivered as planned. Participants complete surveys at baseline, week 12 and 6-month follow-up to assess demographics, smoking characteristics, and smoking outcomes. Participants who decide to quit are provided with a self-help guide to quitting, help with a quit plan, and free pharmacotherapy. The primary outcome is self-report of one or more quit attempts lasting at least 24 hours between randomization and 6-month follow-up. The secondary outcome is biochemically confirmed 7-day point prevalence cessation at 6-month follow-up. Hypothesized mediators of the presumed treatment effect on quit attempts are greater perceived autonomy support and autonomous motivation. Use of pharmacotherapy is a hypothesized mediator of Motivational Interviewing’s effect on cessation.
Discussion
This trial will provide the most rigorous evaluation to date of Motivational Interviewing’s efficacy for encouraging unmotivated smokers to make a quit attempt. It will also provide effect-size estimates of MI’s impact on smoking cessation to inform future clinical trials and inform the Clinical Practice Guideline.
Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01188018http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/112923/1/12889_2012_Article_4312.pd
Motivational Interviewing for encouraging quit attempts among unmotivated smokers: Study protocol of a randomized, controlled, efficacy trial.
Abstract
Background
Although the current Clinical Practice Guideline recommend Motivational Interviewing for use with smokers not ready to quit, the strength of evidence for its use is rated as not optimal. The purpose of the present study is to address key methodological limitations of previous studies by ensuring fidelity in the delivery of the Motivational Interviewing intervention, using an attention-matched control condition, and focusing on unmotivated smokers whom meta-analyses have indicated may benefit most from Motivational Interviewing. It is hypothesized that MI will be more effective at inducing quit attempts and smoking cessation at 6-month follow-up than brief advice to quit and an intensity-matched health education condition.
Methods/Design
A sample of adult community resident smokers (N = 255) who report low motivation and readiness to quit are being randomized using a 2:2:1 treatment allocation to Motivational Interviewing, Health Education, or Brief Advice. Over 6 months, participants in Motivational Interviewing and Health Education receive 4 individual counseling sessions and participants in Brief Advice receive one brief in-person individual session at baseline. Rigorous monitoring and independent verification of fidelity will assure the counseling approaches are distinct and delivered as planned. Participants complete surveys at baseline, week 12 and 6-month follow-up to assess demographics, smoking characteristics, and smoking outcomes. Participants who decide to quit are provided with a self-help guide to quitting, help with a quit plan, and free pharmacotherapy. The primary outcome is self-report of one or more quit attempts lasting at least 24 hours between randomization and 6-month follow-up. The secondary outcome is biochemically confirmed 7-day point prevalence cessation at 6-month follow-up. Hypothesized mediators of the presumed treatment effect on quit attempts are greater perceived autonomy support and autonomous motivation. Use of pharmacotherapy is a hypothesized mediator of Motivational Interviewing’s effect on cessation.
Discussion
This trial will provide the most rigorous evaluation to date of Motivational Interviewing’s efficacy for encouraging unmotivated smokers to make a quit attempt. It will also provide effect-size estimates of MI’s impact on smoking cessation to inform future clinical trials and inform the Clinical Practice Guideline.
Trial registration
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT01188018Peer Reviewe
High-resolution SOFIA/EXES Spectroscopy of Water Absorption Lines in the Massive Young Binary W3 IRS 5
We present in this paper mid-infrared (5-8~m) spectroscopy toward the
massive young binary W3~IRS~5, using the EXES spectrometer in high-resolution
mode (50,000) from the NASA Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared
Astronomy (SOFIA). Many (180) =1--0 and (90) =2-1
absorption rovibrational transitions are identified. Two hot components over
500 K and one warm component of 190 K are identified through Gaussian fittings
and rotation diagram analysis. Each component is linked to a CO component
identified in the IRTF/iSHELL observations (=88,100) through their kinematic
and temperature characteristics. Revealed by the large scatter in the rotation
diagram, opacity effects are important, and we adopt two curve-of-growth
analyses, resulting in column densities of cm. In one
analysis, the model assumes a foreground slab. The other assumes a
circumstellar disk with an outward-decreasing temperature in the vertical
direction. The disk model is favored because fewer geometry constraints are
needed, although this model faces challenges as the internal heating source is
unknown. We discuss the chemical abundances along the line of sight based on
the CO-to-HO connection. In the hot gas, all oxygen not locked in CO
resides in water. In the cold gas, we observe a substantial shortfall of oxygen
and suggest that the potential carrier could be organics in solid ice.Comment: Accepted for publication in ApJ. 34 pages, 13 figures, and 14 tables.
Comments are more than welcome
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