Just-in-Time Leadership Seminars for Chairs

Just-in-time chair seminars keyed to annual calendar of chair responsibilities provided ample opportunities for chair questions, sharing of strategies, challenges, and problem solving. Participation of chairs across disciplines and the intentional inclusion of student services administrators created opportunities for transformative dialogue and the emergence of new pathways to systemic effectiveness

The longitudinal link between visual acuity and health-related quality of life in patients with diabetic retinopathy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>This study characterized the degree of change in health-related quality of life (HRQL) associated with change in visual acuity among patients with diabetic retinopathy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Data are from a randomized, placebo-controlled trial of ruboxistaurin for vision loss in patients with diabetic retinopathy. Visual acuity was quantified as letters on the ETDRS visual acuity chart. HRQL was assessed with the 25-Item Visual Function Questionnaire (VFQ-25) and the SF-36. Patients were categorized into groups based on visual acuity change from baseline to month 18. HRQL change of these groups was compared using general linear models. Regression analyses examined visual acuity change defined continuously.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Patients (N = 535) were primarily Caucasian (81.9%) and male (64.1%); mean age = 59.3 years. Compared to patients whose visual acuity did not change, the group with > 10 letters vision loss had significantly greater decreases in all VFQ-25 subscales except ocular pain. SF-36 change scores did not correspond as closely to change in vision. Change in visual acuity defined continuously was significantly associated with change in all VFQ-25 scales except ocular pain (p < 0.0001).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Change in visual acuity was associated with corresponding changes in HRQL among patients with diabetic retinopathy. Previous research has often defined vision loss as a loss of at least 15 letters on the ETDRS visual acuity chart. In the current study, however, a loss of at least 10 letters was associated with substantial declines in HRQL domains such as driving, dependency, role limitations, and mental health. These findings suggest that patients who experience vision loss of at least 10 letters may be appropriate targets of future research and clinical intervention.</p

Accurate, finite-volume methods for 3D MHD on unstructured Lagrangian meshes

Previous 2D methods for magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) have contributed both to development of core code capability and to physics applications relevant to AGEX pulsed-power experiments. This strategy is being extended to 3D by development of a modular extension of an ASCI code. Extension to 3D not only increases complexity by problem size, but also introduces new physics, such as magnetic helicity transport. The authors have developed a method which incorporates all known conservation properties into the difference scheme on a Lagrangian unstructured mesh. Because the method does not depend on the mesh structure, mesh refinement is possible during a calculation to prevent the well known problem of mesh tangling. Arbitrary polyhedral cells are decomposed into tetrahedrons. The action of the magnetic vector potential, A {center_dot} {delta}l, is centered on the edges of this extended mesh. For ideal flow, this maintains {del} {center_dot} B = 0 to round-off error. Vertex forces are derived by the variation of magnetic energy with respect to vertex positions, F = {minus}{partial_derivative}W{sub B}/{partial_derivative}r. This assures symmetry as well as magnetic flux, momentum, and energy conservation. The method is local so that parallelization by domain decomposition is natural for large meshes. In addition, a simple, ideal-gas, finite pressure term has been included. The resistive diffusion part is calculated using the support operator method, to obtain an energy conservative, symmetric method on an arbitrary mesh. Implicit time difference equations are solved by preconditioned, conjugate gradient methods. Results of convergence tests are presented. Initial results of an annular Z-pinch implosion problem illustrate the application of these methods to multi-material problems