High-freezing-point fuel studies

Considerable progress in developing the experimental and analytical techniques needed to design airplanes to accommodate fuels with less stringent low temperature specifications is reported. A computer technique for calculating fuel temperature profiles in full tanks was developed. The computer program is being extended to include the case of partially empty tanks. Ultimately, the completed package is to be incorporated into an aircraft fuel tank thermal analyser code to permit the designer to fly various thermal exposure patterns, study fuel temperatures versus time, and determine holdup

Oxygen cost of glideboarding at selected cadences and distance

The purpose of this study was to measure the oxygen cost, energy expenditure, and heart rate of glideboarding at selected cadences and distance. The subjects were healthy males (N=30), 19 to 32 years old. They glideboarded at the cadences of 42, 48, and 54 bpm and distance of 1.73 m until steady rate was achieved. Ten of the subjects repeated the protocol for test-retest reliability. The oxygen cost was 23.6, 26.7, and 31.8 ml/kg/min for the respective cadences of 42, 48, and 54 bpm. A one-way ANOVA for repeated measures and Tukey’s post-hoc tests indicated significant (p \u3c0.05) differences among the cadences. Pearson correlation coefficients and correlated t tests were determined for test-retest data. There were strong correlations of r=0.83, 0.94, and 0.93 for the respective cadences and all t values were not significant (p\u3e 0.05). The results indicated that the oxygen cost of glideboarding was comparable to other forms of aerobic exercise. Therefore, it can be assumed that glideboarding may be incorporated into a weight loss or training program. Due to the lack of published data, it is suggested that the oxygen cost of glideboarding be further investigated

An Innovation to Transform Diabetes Care

The prevalence of diabetes is on the rise and this demand for services challenges health care organizations to provide quality, cost-effective care. The current system and processes at St. Joseph’s Area Health Services (SJAHS) needed redesigning to optimize quality diabetes care. This necessitated the need to move forward with a systems change project to transform diabetes care. The purpose of this study was to compare outcomes on glycemic control between current practice and a diabetes evidence-based practice toolkit by collecting retrospective data pre and post-toolkit implementation. The review of the literature from 2003-2011 endorsed the need to evaluate an innovation that incorporates a multidisciplinary, comprehensive, patient-focused approach to improve glycemic control. There is limited research on glycemic control for the hospitalized noncritical medical patient. The literature supported further research to generate additional scientific knowledge surrounding glycemic control in the hospital setting. The innovation was a toolkit composed of several tools to support the implementation of a comprehensive, multidisciplinary plan of care for the patient with diabetes. The toolkit provided the structure and processes to optimize diabetes care in the hospital setting. The study sample included 168 hospitalized adult patients with an age range of 20-95 and a mean age of 69.8, all with a diabetes diagnosis, and insulin therapy. The results indicated there was not a significant decrease in glycemic control from pre-toolkit to post-toolkit implementation timeframes. The findings suggested that the toolkit has not been adopted by all members of the health care team therefore glycemic control did not improve with toolkit implementation. Despite the results SJAHS has the elements to be successful with this innovation and based upon the knowledge we have gained we are on a journey to improve diabetes care. The findings will be utilized to determine next steps in regards to the toolkit as an innovation to improve diabetes care

The sources of behavioral reinforcement : an examination of nonsocial reinforcement theory.

This dissertation attempts to gain a better understanding of the means by which deviant behavior is perpetuated. Nonsocial reinforcement theory proposes that behavior is reinforced by psychological, physiological, and social rewards of the behavior. This reinforcement of the behavior causes the frequency of the behavior to increase. Specifically, when an individual uses marijuana, the psychological and physiological rewards gained from the behavior can lead the individual to continue using marijuana over time. This dissertation will test this reciprocal impact of increased psychological and physiological responses leading to an increase in the behavior. Data from the National Longitudinal Study of Youth Children and Young Adults Survey (NLSY79 Child) was utilized from years 1996 and 1999. The sample was filtered to only those individuals between the ages of 14 and 20 during the 1996 year. Measurements of marijuana use, risk taking as a means of physiological rewards, and self-esteem as a measure of psychological rewards were examined during both years along with demographic factors of sex, age, race, and socioeconomic status. Structural equation modeling was used to test the longitudinal model of nonsocial reinforcement theory. Findings from the first wave of data collection suggest that individuals with a higher preference for risk taking are more likely to use marijuana. Findings from the second wave show a relationship between low self-esteem and high risk taking. The longitudinal reciprocal effects were not supported in the current analysis. The two-year time frame utilized in the study may be too long to examine the reciprocal effects. Regardless, the impact of self-esteem and risk taking propensity in influencing behavior can be utilized in interventions to help reduce deviant behavior. The additional information learned about how behavior is reinforced can be used to create new and innovative interventions to break the cycle of reinforcement and reduce marijuana use

Manifestations of Male Depression: Theories of (Under) Diagnosis

Depression is a serious and often debilitating disorder that affects approximately 16 million Americans per year. Because women are diagnosed with depression 2 to 3 times more often than men, depression in women has been more thoroughly researched; however, depression in men is a relatively understudied topic. In this paper I highlight how depression is manifested in men specifically via somatic symptoms, addictive outlets, externalizing behaviors, and other manifestations. I investigate potential causal factors for these manifestations. Additionally, opposing theories about whether depression is under-diagnosed are explored