Academic underachievement: understanding and implications for educators

Includes bibliographical references

Scissors Modes and Spin Excitations in Light Nuclei including ΔN\Delta N=2 excitations: Behaviour of 8Be^8Be and 10Be^{10}Be

Shell model calculations are performed for magnetic dipole excitations in $^8{Be}$ and $^{10}{Be}$ in which all valence configurations plus $2\hbar\omega$ excitations are allowed (large space). We study both the orbital and spin excitations. The results are compared with the `valence space only' calculations (small space). The cumulative energy weighted sums are calculated and compared for the $J=0^+$ $T$=0 to $J=1^+$ $T$=1 excitations in $^8{Be}$ and for $J=0^+$ $T$=1 to both $J=1^+$ $T$=1 and $J$=$1^+$ $T$=2 excitations in $^{10}{Be}$. We find for the $J=0^+$ $T$=1 to $J=1^+$ $T$=1 isovector {\underline {spin}} transitions in $^{10}{Be}$ that the summed strength in the {\underline {large}} space is less than in the {\underline {small}} space. We find that the high energy energy-weighted isovector orbital strength is smaller than the low energy strength for transitions in which the isospin is changed, but for $J=0^+$ $T$=1 to $J=1^+$ $T$=1 in $^{10}{Be}$ the high energy strength is larger. We find that the low lying orbital strength in $^{10}{Be}$ is anomalously small, when an attempt is made to correlate it with the $B(E2)$ strength to the lowest $2^+$ states. On the other hand a sum rule of Zheng and Zamick which concerns the total $B(E2)$ strength is reasonably satisfied in both $^8{Be}$ and $^{10}{Be}$. The Wigner supermultiplet scheme is a useful guide in analyzing shell model results. In $^{10}Be$ and with a $Q \cdot Q$ interaction the T=1 and T=2 scissors modes are degenerate, with the latter carrying 5/3 of the T=1 strength.Comment: 51 pages, latex, 9 figures available upon reques

Biomarkers and subtypes of deranged lipid metabolism in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a heterogeneous and complex disease that is imprecisely diagnosed by liver biopsy. NAFLD covers a spectrum that ranges from simple steatosis, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with varying degrees of fibrosis, to cirrhosis, which is a major risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma. Lifestyle and eating habit changes during the last century have made NAFLD the most common liver disease linked to obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus and dyslipidemia, with a global prevalence of 25%. NAFLD arises when the uptake of fatty acids (FA) and triglycerides (TG) from circulation and de novo lipogenesis saturate the rate of FA β-oxidation and very-low density lipoprotein (VLDL)-TG export. Deranged lipid metabolism is also associated with NAFLD progression from steatosis to NASH, and therefore, alterations in liver and serum lipidomic signatures are good indicators of the disease's development and progression. This review focuses on the importance of the classification of NAFLD patients into different subtypes, corresponding to the main alteration(s) in the major pathways that regulate FA homeostasis leading, in each case, to the initiation and progression of NASH. This concept also supports the targeted intervention as a key approach to maximize therapeutic efficacy and opens the door to the development of precise NASH treatments

Preliminary evaluation of a girls\u27 empowerment program: the effects of dance on self-esteem and body-image

Adolescence is a time of numerous physical, emotional, and cognitive changes. Adolescent girls often experience a decline in body-image and/or self-esteem which can negatively impact mental health. While programs exist that are designed to address these concerns, empirical support for these programs is minimal and has often failed to demonstrate significant findings. This author evaluated a community-based empowerment and dance program for adolescent girls to evaluate the impact of participation on self-esteem and body-image. Pre-test and post-test data was collected from 5 adolescent girls using the Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale (RSE) and the Body Esteem Scale for Adolescents and Adults (BESAA). Data analysis revealed a statistically significant increase in overall body-image and weight satisfaction at post-test. Measures of self-esteem and two additional body-image subscales revealed moderate-to-large effect sizes; however, the results failed to have sufficient power due to the small sample size. Analysis of archival qualitative data, collected by the same program during two previous academic years, revealed overarching themes relating to social relationships, confidence, self-expression, body-image, self-esteem and enjoyment of the program, indicating that participants reported making gains in these areas. When considering the negative consequences associated with poor body-image and low self-esteem, programs that focus on improving self-esteem and body-image could have long-term implications for the well-being of numerous youth. These results suggest that further research should be conducted to substantiate these findings and build empirical support for similar community-based programs

Paravertebral Nerve Block for Pain Management of Nissen Fundoplication Surgery

Providing comfort is a fundamental nursing responsibility. Unrelieved postoperative pain has adverse physiologic and psychologic effects that contribute to prolonged hospital admissions and significant discomfort to patients. Opioids are standard methods of postoperative analgesia for many surgical procedures. Unfortunately, the use of opioids is associated with side effects such as nausea and vomiting, urinary retention, ileus and respiratory depression. These side effects, with the added problem of inadequate pain control, result in patient dissatisfaction with surgical procedures. Paravertebral nerve block (PVB) is a regional anesthetic technique that has been shown to result in opioid sparing in many procedures including breast and hernia surgery. This study investigated the possibility of improved postoperative pain and nausea management when combining paravertebral nerve blocks with general anesthesia (GA) , compared to general anesthesia alone, for laparoscopic Nissen fundoplication surgery. The convenience sample consisted of 29 patients receiving surgery at the Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Florida. There was significant correlation between the type of anesthesia and pain at 12 hours postoperatively, indicating that those who received PVB had less pain than those receiving GA alone, at that time. Although there was no significant correlation between type of anesthesia and nausea, only one patient vomited and others had minimum to moderate nausea, postoperatively. The information attained from this research will be beneficial to nurses providing pain management for patient comfort in the outpatient surgery center

Mapping a Historic Bitterroot Valley, Montana Landscape Using General Land Office Surveyors\u27 Field Notes

The late 1800s Bitterroot Valley, Montana, landscape and settlement patterns were summarized and mapped using the General Land Office (GLO) surveyors\u27 field notes. Surveyors\u27 observations of six townships from Hamilton to the Stevensville vicinity were examined in several ways. A total of 3321 points of ecological and geographic information and 422 miles of vegetation were mapped from the field notes. Surveyor information, vegetation composition, tree abundance, vegetation spatial structure and distribution of vegetation types were characterized in a multi-part historic vegetation data assemblage of point, line and polygon feature classes. Aquatic, topographic and cultural aspects of the area contributed to the historic landscape configuration. A GLO land cover classification was derived using surveyors\u27 terminology and crosswalked with current land cover classes. The culmination of this research produced historic vegetation maps and evaluations, summaries of historic cultural, topographic and aquatic features and an unpretentious comparison of GLO vegetation to current land cover. GLO vegetation along all section lines compared to current land cover revealed differences between historic and current vegetation conditions. Highest differences were decreases in Upland Timber and Prairie-No Timber, and increases in GLO Field and Bottomland Timber near-equivalents. The current conditions of land that surveyors described as GLO Upland Timber and Prairie-No Timber were reported. The methodology applied to the Bitterroot Valley could be used to map extensive areas of Montana, providing quantitative and descriptive observations of a pre-satellite landscape

The role of psychometrics in individual differences research in cognition: A case study of the AX-CPT

Investigating individual differences in cognition requires addressing questions not often thought about in standard experimental designs, especially regarding the psychometric properties of the task. Using the AX-CPT cognitive control task as a case study example, we address four concerns that one may encounter when researching the topic of individual differences in cognition. First, we demonstrate the importance of variability in task scores, which in turn directly impacts reliability, particularly when comparing correlations in different populations. Second, we demonstrate the importance of variability and reliability for evaluating potential failures to replicate predicted correlations, even within the same population. Third, we demonstrate how researchers can turn to evaluating psychometric properties as a way of evaluating the feasibility of utilizing the task in new settings (e.g., online administration). Lastly, we show how the examination of psychometric properties can help researchers make informed decisions when designing a study, such as determining the appropriate number of trials for a task

Are There Cultural Differences in the Self-Report of Symptoms of PMS in Adolescents?: A Comparison Study of Chippewa Native Americans and Caucasian Americans

Subjects completed a series of questionnaires as a means to obtain symptoms experienced across three phases of the cycle (menstrual, premenstrual, and intermenstrual). The questionnaires completed included the Demographic Data Questionnaire, the Moos\u27 Menstrual Distress Questionnaire, the Depression Adjective Check List (Forms A and D), the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (Forms Y-1 and Y-2), and Index Cards for two consecutive months. There were nintey-nine (99) subjects: forty-seven (47) Caucasian American adolescents and fifty-two (52) Chippewa Native American adolescents. Two subjects were dropped from this study, one from each group, due to the exclusion criteria established prior to data collection, leaving forty-six (46) and fifty-one (51) subjects per group respectively. Comparisons of the self-reported anxiety, depression, menstrual symptoms, and demographics between the two groups were conducted to determine if differences existed between the two groups. More specifically, comparisons were made to determine if differences during premenstrual phase per se or any other symptoms reported existed between the two groups of adolescents studied. Analyses compared the two groups in terms of demographic data differences and/or symptom differences. It was hypothesized that no differences would exist in terms of types and severity of symptoms as a function of the phase of cycle for the two groups studied. Results indicated that, in general, the Chippewa Native American group reported more anxiety, depression, water retention, negative affect, autonomic reaction, control, and behavioral change symptoms with the majority of the symptoms occurring in the intermenstrua1 phase of the cycle. In terms of demographic data, the Chippewa Native American group was significantly younger, regulated menstrual cycles at a younger age, and were more likely to use condoms as a contraceptive method. The Caucasian American group was more likely to medi&te symptoms via non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs such as Advil, were more educated about the menstrual cycle via films, more likely to utilize a health professional as a source of information, and had longer cycles than the Chippewa Native American group. Differences between the two groups were also found for selfreported anxiety and depression, with both types of symptoms occurring primarily in the menstrual phase of the cycle. Exploratory regression analyses suggest some significant predictors of symptoms as well. The data overall suggest differences between the two groups in regard to menstrual cycle symptoms. However, the lack of consistency of the same symptoms to be existent across at least two cycles did not appear to meet criteria for PMS

The BCS theory of q-deformed nucleon pairs - qBCS

We construct a coherent state of q-deformed zero coupled nucleon pairs distributed in several single-particle orbits. Using a variational approach, the set of equations of qBCS theory, to be solved self consistently for occupation probabilities, gap parameter Delta, and the chemical potential lambda, is obtained. Results for valence nucleons in nuclear degenerate sdg major shell show that the strongly coupled zero angular momentum nucleon pairs can be substituted by weakly coupled q-deformed zero angular momentum nucleon pairs. A study of Sn isotopes reveals a well defined universe of (G, q) values, for which qBCS converges. While the qBCS and BCS show similar results for Gap parameter Delta in Sn isotopes, the ground state energies are lower in qBCS. The pairing correlations in N nucleon system, increase with increasing q (for q real).Comment: 8 pages, REVTEX, 3 eps figure

State management of geothermal energy in Hawaii

"Unsolicited research proposal submitted to the National Science Foundation""This proposal is for a State of Hawaii research project for defining the role of State government in the utilization of geothermal energy. The proposed project will conduct a systematic review of the existing and potential functions of State and County government with the aim of developing a methodology for, and undertaking an assessment of, the management options open to the State of Hawaii. The process itself would then be applicable in assessing the State's management options over other natural energy resources such as wind, sun and ocean thermal differentials. The University of Hawaii is presently engaged in a major geothermal energy research project with joint National Science Foundation, State of Hawaii and County of Hawaii support directed toward the utilization of the State's geothermal resources. The proposed State project will complement the University project and explore the processes and actions required to accelerate the transition from University research results to practical applications of geothermal energy to meet the needs of Hawaii. It will explore the public policy implications and consequences of the introduction of geothermal and other new sources of energy in Hawaii. The project also will serve as a focal point for geothermal energy information dissemination and feedback among the State, County and Federal agencies.