Spectroscopic Studies of Limb Spicules. I. Radial and Turbulent Velocities

We made high-resolution spectroscopic observations of limb-spicules in H-alpha using the Vertical Spectrograph of Domeless Solar Telescope at Hida Observatory. While more than half of the observed spicules have Gaussian line-profiles, some spicules have distinctly asymmetric profiles which can be fitted with two Gaussian components. The faster of these components has radial velocities of 10 - 40 km/s and Doppler-widths of about 0.4 A which suggest that it is from a single spicule oriented nearly along the line-of-sight. Profiles of the slower components and the single-Gaussian type show very similar characteristics. Their radial velocities are less than 10 km/s and the Doppler-widths are 0.6 - 0.9 A. Non-thermal "macroturbulent" velocities of order 30 km/s are required to explain these width-values.Comment: 13 pages, 12 figures, to be published in Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japa

An Inexpensive Autonomous Colony Separator With Sub-Micrometer Repeability

M.S. Thesis. University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa 2018

Interventions to Increase Prospective Teacher Candidates\u27 Praxis II Content Exam Scores

Teacher shortages are a pervasive issue in South Carolina’s public schools. Some prospective teacher candidates have shown obstacles in meeting the minimum required Praxis II Content exam score. The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore and develop specific Praxis II Content exam interventions to improve scores for six prospective teacher candidates in South Carolina. All participants were trying to meet the licensure exam requirement for various alternative certification programs. Malcolm Knowles’ Andragogy Adult Learning Theory guided the study as a theoretical framework, and Lev Vygotsky’s Socio-Cultural Constructivism provided the conceptual frame. Descriptive coding and analysis, using Dedoose software, were used to categorize codes to identify emergent themes. Prospective teacher candidates needed targeted support to improve their licensure exam scores. Findings indicated all participants received more points, in at least one category of the Praxis II Content exam, after participating in the intervention workshop sessions. Therefore, it was recommended that a further longitudinal study be conducted with a larger sample population to improve Praxis II Content exam scores. The improvement of participant scores could lead to classroom vacancies being filled in South Carolina’s public schools

Relationship Between Self-Care Agency, Self-Care Practices, and Body Mass Index Among Nursing Professionals

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between self-care agency (SCA), self-care practices (SCP), and Body Mass Index (BMI) among Registered Nurses (RNs) living in an urban South Dakota county. These specific constructs and their relationships have not been researched among nursing professionals. Methods: This study used a non-experimental, predictive correlational approach based on Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Theory to quantify the relationship between self-care agency and self-care practices and subsequently body mass index (BMI) among nursing professionals. A tracked but anonymous online survey was sent by email via QuestionPro to 210 nursing professionals selected using systematic random sampling from a population of 3900 RNs in an urban South Dakota county. The online survey included questions about demographics, lifestyle, professional background, and biometric measurements (height and weight) as well as the Denyes Self-Care Agency Instrument (DSCAI-90) and Denyes Self-Care Practices Instrument (DSCPI-90).Results: The sample population consisted of 31 RNs who responded to the email invitation and voluntarily enrolled in the study. Sample participants demonstrated selfcare agency relating to knowledge and valuing health but reported a lack of support and an inability to give attention to self-care. The BMI distribution showed an obesity rate of 23%. The data demonstrated that SCA, as measured by the DSCAI-90, has a strong correlation with SCP (r = 0.838, p = 0.000), as measured by the DSCPI-90. SCP had a moderate correlation with BMI (r = -0.407, p = 0.025).Conclusions: The relationships between the study variables and laid out in Orem’s Self- Care Deficit Theory were confirmed among the sample population of South Dakota RNs. However, the sample was small, limiting the generalizability of the study. Orem’s Self- Care Theory can be visualized in the relationship of nursing professionals to weight management and thus can aide in the understanding of and intervention in health promotion. These results are just a start in this line of inquiry. Further research would be indicated for the potential development of interventions to promote improved weight management among nursing professionals