Location Patterns of Confectionery Manufacturers in a Post NAFTA Environment

Changes in international trade agreements while retaining protectionist sugar policies have led to the opportunity for confectionery manufacturers to relocate to take advantage of favorable international trade policies. Results suggest that NAFTA did not have a significant impact on location decisions of confectionery manufacturers in the U.S.Agribusiness, International Relations/Trade,

Palliative Care Screening for Persons Living with Dementia in a Nursing Home

Problem: Dementia is rapidly increasing as the people of the world mature and life expectancy increases. As the world ages and the prevalence of dementia increases, nursing home placement will and is the most sought place for care of this population. Dementia is under recognized as a terminal illness and palliative care is underutilized for nursing home residents with advanced symptoms of dementia. Methods: This quality improvement (QI) initiative utilized a prospective, descriptive design. The Palliative Care Screening for the Elderly tool was administered to a purposive sample of persons living with dementia residing in the nursing home. Qualitative data was collected over 12 weeks. Data collected included age, sex, race, location, dementia diagnosis, decreased oral intake, weight loss, incontinence, decreased physical activity, new or worse pressure ulcer, fall, emergency room visits, and orders for palliative care. Results: Following the implementation of the residents screened over the course of 12 weeks, (n = 52) were eligible for palliative care orders. Eleven residents were referred to palliative care, resulting in 21.3% of residents living with dementia receiving palliative services. Implications for Practice: Standardized utilization of the Palliative Care Screening for the Elderly tool could further identify residents at risk for deconditioning and help to initiate interventions before a severe decline occurs. The early recognition of deterioration can positively affect quality of life and reduce suffering. Additionally, the early identification of CMS quality indicators can positively affect a nursing home star rating

A Phenomenological Study: The Role of the Middle School Counselor as Perceived by the Middle School Teacher

The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the role of the middle school counselor as perceived by ten middle school teachers in the Henry County School District. The theories guiding this study are the trait & factor theory and directive approach theory. Both theories were both created by the counseling philosopher, E.G. Williams. The trait & factory theory proposes a formal assessment of an individual and their job performance. This is synonymous to the study’s focus of the perception of the middle school counselors’ job performance. The direct approach theory identifies the process of identifying a problem, determining a solution, and encouraging the implementation. This theory aligns to the methods utilized by middle school counselors in providing comprehensive counseling programs for middle school students. Three research questions guided the study: (1) How do middle school teachers perceive the role of middle school counselors; (2) What do middle school teachers identify as the specific roles and responsibilities of the middle school counselor; and (3) What do middle school teachers feel are the primary counseling needs in middle school? Data collection took place from ten middle school teachers from varying middle schools within a suburban school district. Data was utilizing questionnaires and interviews. Data collected through the study was analyzed through the means of theme development and structural descriptions. The analysis methods identified relevant information and descriptions based on the experiences of the study participants. The results of this study will hopefully aid in the clarification of the school counselor role and improve the collaboration amongst middle school counselors and middle school teachers in the educational realm

Determinants of Students’ First Impressions of Instructors and Courses

Students evaluated instructors and courses in the first two weeks of the fall semester to determine the factors that form impressions in the early stages of the semester. Results indicate differences exist between upper and lower division courses with presentation of material and perceived workload as key factors that students use to form first impressions.Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

On the positive eigenvalues and eigenvectors of a non-negative matrix

The paper develops the general theory for the items in the title, assuming that the matrix is countable and cofinal.Comment: Version 2 allows the matrix to have zero row(s) and rows with infinitely many non-zero entries. In addition the introduction has been rewritte

Effects of Wheat Middlings on Utilization of Mature Prairie Hay by Steers

A digestibility trial measuring intake, digestibility, ruminal nutrient disappearance, and ruminal pH was conducted to determine the effects of wheat middlings on utilization of mature prairie hay. Treatments included supplements used in a previous winter grazing trial at the SDSU Cottonwood Research Station that were balanced to provide the following amounts of crude protein (Ib) and metabolizable energy (Mcal) per cow daily: 1) soybean meal .75 and 2.40, 2) low wheat middlings .75 and 4.76, 3) corn-soybean meal 1.50 and 9.40, and 4) high wheat middlings 1.50 and 9.40. These supplements were fed to the steers in proportional amounts based on BW75. Steers receiving the low wheat middlings supplement had similar hay and total diet intake but lower digestible dry matter intake than steers receiving soybean meal. High wheat middlings supplementation decreased hay intake and digestible hay and total diet intake compared to corn-soybean meal and low wheat middlings. The high level of wheat middlings and cornsoybean meal reduced ruminal pH at 4 and 8 hours post-supplementation. The high level of wheat middlings depressed overall ruminal disappearance of hay dry matter and NDF compared to the corn-soybean meal supplement and the low level of wheat middlings. This study indicates that wheat middlings may depress utilization of mature, low protein forages compared to soybean meal or corn-soybean meal supplements balanced to provide the same level of protein

The Third Way for the Third Sector: Using Design to Transfer Knowledge and Improve Service in a Voluntary Community Sector Organisation

This paper describes a two-year Knowledge Transfer Partnership that concluded in September 2011. Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) is a UK-wide activity that helps organisations to improve their competitiveness and productivity by making better use of knowledge, technology and skills within universities, colleges and research organisations. This paper details the outcome of a KTP between Age UK Newcastle and Northumbria University’s School of Design that aimed to use Design approaches to improve the charity’s services. This paper will describe the recent context for organisations operating in the Voluntary Community Sector and discuss the relevance of a Design approach to both the improvement of customer services in this circumstance, as well as the transfer of knowledge to a capacity-starved organisation. It will also document how Design was used to achieve both of these aims, and the resulting impact of this engagement on the organisation and stakeholders

Geometry Optimizations of Open-Shell Systems with the Fragment Molecular Orbital Method

The ability to perform geometry optimizations on large molecular systems is desirable for both closed- and open-shell species. In this work, the restricted open-shell Hartree–Fock (ROHF) gradients for the fragment molecular orbital (FMO) method are presented. The accuracy of the gradients is tested, and the ability of the method to reproduce adiabatic excitation energies is also investigated. Timing comparisons between the FMO method and full ab initio calculations are also performed, demonstrating the efficiency of the FMO method in modeling large open-shell systems

Acoustic backscattering from a wind-driven water surface

This paper reports an attempt to measure the asymmetry of wind-generated water waves by using acoustical methods. A 40-foot wind-tunnel water flume provided a controlled water surface that was insonified from above at 162 kHz with pulses 30 µsec in duration (5 cycles). The scattered-pressure amplitude pulses were analyzed statistically as a function of the shear stress produced at the water surface by the wind...