Immiscible fluid: Heat of fusion heat storage system

Both heat and mass transfer in direct contact aqueous crystallizing systems were studied as part of a program desig- ned to evaluate the feasibility of direct contact heat transfer in phase change storage using aqueous salt system. Major research areas, discussed include (1) crystal growth velocity study on selected salts; (2) selection of salt solutions; (3) selection of immiscible fluids; (4) studies of heat transfer and system geometry; and (5) system demonstration

Cross-Informant Agreement Among Parents and Children

Rating scales are often used by school psychologists to assess for emotional and behavioral disorders in students. While one advantage of rating scales is that data can be collected and assessed from multiple informants, research has shown that agreement between multiple informants is usually low to moderate, with the lowest being between parents and youth. The Conners Comprehensive Behavior Rating Scale (CBRS) is a new multi- dimensional rating scale claiming to have moderate parent/youth agreement. The purpose of this study was to analyze the cross-informant agreement between youth and parents using the Conners CBRS and then compare the correlations from the collected sample to the normative sample of the CBRS. Low correlations were found between the ratings of parents and children on all Conners CBRS content scales, except for Hyperactivity/Impulsivity. Results also revealed significantly lower correlations than the normative sample for Emotional Distress, Violence Potential, and Physical Symptoms

The Relationship of Experience, Education, and Tennessee Career Ladder Status to Teachers\u27 Perceptions of Staff Development Needs in Block Scheduled Programs

The problem related to this study was to develop a clearer understanding of the staff development needs of high school classroom teachers implementing block scheduled programs. The purpose of this study was to determine if teachers\u27 perceptions of staff development needs differed when teaching experience, education (highest degree earned), and Tennessee Career Ladder status were considered. Four levels of each independent variable were analyzed by six categories of perceptions, the dependent variables. The categories were: (a) Planning, (b) Knowledge, (c) Satisfaction with staff development, (d) Adult learning strategies, (e) Level of involvement, and (f) Impact on student testing and grades. The 181 classroom teachers from eight Northeast Tennessee county school systems were surveyed using an instrument containing 50 response items. The return rate was 79% (N = 143). Three research questions were answered by analyzing three null hypotheses using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) and post hoc Tukey multiple comparison tests. The alpha level was.05. The null hypothesis for all levels of teaching experience was retained. For all education or degree levels, the null hypothesis was retained except for the Educational Specialist group in the planning category and the Bachelor\u27s group in the knowledge category. The null hypothesis for Tennessee Career Ladder status was retained except for the Level III group in the knowledge category. Beyond the analyses of hypotheses, other survey results indicated that policy makers must involve teachers in decisions about block scheduling implementation and staff development through inclusive, school-based planning committees. Teacher comments implied that periodic needs assessments, teacher support, program evaluation, and assessment of student learning are critical to block scheduling

Quality of Life in Grandparents After a Diagnosis of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in Their Grandchild

The purpose of this study was to assess grandparents\u27 perceptions of their quality of life (QOL) after the diagnosis and treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in their grandchild. The following questions were addressed: (a) How do grandparents of children with ALL perceive their current QOL; (b) How do grandparents of children with ALL perceive their current QOL has changed since their grandchild was diagnosed; (c) What specific changes in QOL have grandparents experienced since the diagnosis of ALL in their grandchild; (d) What is the grandparents\u27 overall attitude about life with leukemia; (e) Is there a relationship between the length of time since the diagnosis of ALL in their grandchild and the grandparents\u27 current QOL; (f) Is there a relationship between length of time since the diagnosis of ALL in their grandchild and perceived changes in the grandparents\u27 QOL? Using Roy\u27s Adaptation Model as a theoretical framework, a descriptive research design was used. A convenience sample of 29 grandparents completed the Varricchio-Wright Impact of Leukemia Questionnaire-Grandparents and a Demographic Information Sheet. Measures of central tendency were used to answer the first two research questions. Grandparents\u27 perceived their current QOL to be good to neither good nor poor. They reported their QOL to be the same as prior to ALL in their grandchild. There was no relationship found between length of time from diagnosis and either current QOL or changes in QOL. Implications for nursing practice are discussed

Multidrug-resistance proteins are weak tumor associated antigens for colorectal carcinoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Multidrug resistance (MDR) is a clinically, highly relevant phenomenon. Under chemotherapy many tumors show an increasing resistance towards the applied substance(s) and to a certain extent also towards other agents. An important molecular cause of this phenomenon is an increased expression of transporter proteins. The functional relationship between high expression levels and chemotherapy resistance makes these MDR and MRP (MDR related protein) proteins to interesting therapeutic targets. We here wanted to systematically analyze, whether these proteins are tumor specific antigens which could be targeted immunologically.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Using the reverse immunology approach, 30 HLA-A2.1 restricted MDR and MRP derived peptides (MDP) were selected. Stimulated T cell lines grew well and mainly contained activated CD8⁺cells. Peptide specificity and HLA-A2.1 restriction were proven in IFN-γ-ELISpot analyses and in cytotoxicity tests against MDP loaded target cells for a total of twelve peptides derived from MDR-1, MDR-3, MRP-1, MRP-2, MRP-3 and MRP-5. Of note, two of these epitopes are shared between MDR-1 and MDR-3 as well as MRP-2 and MRP-3. However, comparably weak cytotoxic activities were additionally observed against HLA-A2.1⁺tumor cells even after upregulation of MDR protein expression by <it>in vitro </it>chemotherapy.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Taken together, these data demonstrate that human T cells can be sensitised towards MDPs and hence, there is no absolute immunological tolerance. However, our data also hint towards rather low endogenous tumor cell processing and presentation of MDPs in the context of HLA-A2.1 molecules. Consequently, we conclude that MDR and MRP proteins must be considered as weak tumor specific antigens-at least for colorectal carcinoma. Their direct contribution to therapy-failure implies however, that it is worth to further pursue this approach.</p

Strongly aligned and oriented molecular samples at a kHz repetition rate

We demonstrate strong adiabatic laser alignment and mixed-field orientation at kHz repetition rates. We observe degrees of alignment as large as cos\Theta=0.94 at 1 kHz operation for iodobenzene. The experimental setup consist of a kHz laser system simultaneously producing pulses of 30 fs (1.3 mJ) and 450 ps (9 mJ). A cold 1 K state-selected molecular beam is produced at the same rate by appropriate operation of an Even-Lavie valve. Quantum state selection has been obtained using an electrostatic deflector. A camera and data acquisition system records and analyzes the images on a single-shot basis. The system is capable of producing, controlling (translation and rotation) and analyzing cold molecular beams at kHz repetition rates and is, therefore, ideally suited for the recording of ultrafast dynamics in so-called "molecular movies".Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, in press in Mol. Phys., accepted in February 2013, in final production (galley proofs done) since March 8, 2013, v3 only adds publication dat

Two-state wave packet for strong field-free molecular orientation

We demonstrate strong laser-field-free orientation of absolute-ground-state carbonyl sulfide molecules. The molecules are oriented by the combination of a 485-ps-long non-resonant laser pulse and a weak static electric field. The edges of the laser pulse create a coherent superposition of two rotational states resulting in revivals of strong transient molecular orientation after the laser pulse. The experimentally attained degree of orientation of 0.6 corresponds to the theoretical maximum for mixing of the two states. Switching off the dc field would provide the same orientation completely field-free

Determination of mean atmospheric densities from the explorer ix satellite

Mean atmospheric densities from changes in orbital elements of Explorer IX satellit

Strongly driven quantum pendulum of the OCS molecule

We demonstrate and analyze a strongly driven quantum pendulum in the angular motion of stateselected and laser aligned OCS molecules. Raman-couplings during the rising edge of a 50-picosecond laser pulse create a wave packet of pendular states, which propagates in the confining potential formed by the polarizability interaction between the molecule and the laser field. This wave-packet dynamics manifests itself as pronounced oscillations in the degree of alignment with a laser-intensity dependent period.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figure