University Libraries are Changing to Encourage More Student Use

Dramatic decrease of users in reference services is a trend observed all around the world. Rather than talking with students face to face at the library, we librarians provide virtual reference with email and instant message. On the other hand, there are increasing numbers of students who use libraries as their study rooms, to write papers, and to hold group meetings. The University Library System (ULS) of the University of Pittsburgh is undergoing a change so that students can make more use of information services, libraries’ most important function. This paper discus about ULS’s effort to meet users’ need and explore new role in the digital age, including introducing PittCat+ as a new online catalog like Google, in class instructions with LibGuides, D-Scribe Digital Publishing as an e-journal publisher, D-Scholarship as university repository, etc

Magnetomechanical damping by polycrystalline TbDy

Vibration damping in polycrystalline TbDy alloys was studied at cryogenic temperatures. Mechanical hysteretic losses were measured at various strains, frequencies, and loading configurations at 77 K. Some textured TbDy materials demonstrated 22.6% energy dissipation in mechanical measurements at low frequency (0.01 Hz) and a mean logarithmic decrement of 0.23 at a higher frequency (25 kHz). Ultrasonic velocities of longitudinal and shear elastic waves were measured on single and polycrystalline TbDy; little variation in ultrasonic velocities was found even for samples with large variation in crystallographic texture and magnetomechanical properties

High mass star formation in the galaxy

The Galactic distributions of HI, H2, and HII regions are reviewed in order to elucidate the high mass star formation occurring in galactic spiral arms and in active galactic nuclei. Comparison of the large scale distributions of H2 gas and radio HII regions reveals that the rate of formation of OB stars depends on (n sub H2) sup 1.9 where (n sub H2) is the local mean density of H2 averaged over 300 pc scale lengths. In addition the efficiency of high mass star formation is a decreasing function of cloud mass in the range 200,000 to 3,000,000 solar mass. These results suggest that high mass star formation in the galactic disk is initiated by cloud-cloud collisions which are more frequent in the spiral arms due to orbit crowding. Cloud-cloud collisions may also be responsible for high rates of OB star formation in interacting galaxies and galactic nuclei. Based on analysis of the Infrared Astronomy Satellite (IRAS) and CO data for selected GMCs in the Galaxy, the ratio L sub IR/M sub H2 can be as high as 30 solar luminosity/solar mass for GMCs associated with HII regions. The L sub IR/M sub H2 ratios and dust temperature obtained in many of the high luminosity IRAS galaxies are similar to those encountered in galactic GMCs with OB star formation. High mass star formation is therefore a viable explanation for the high infrared luminosity of these galaxies

A Q-methodology study of parental understandings of infant immunisation : implications for health-care advice.

This study used Q-methodology to explore systematically parental judgements about infant immunisation. A total of 45 parents completed a 31-statement Q-sort. Data were collected after vaccination in general practitioner practices or a private day nursery. Q factor analysis revealed four distinct viewpoints: a duty to immunise based on medical benefits, child-orientated protection based on parental belief, concern and distress and surprise at non-compliance. Additionally, there was a common view among parents that they did not regret immunising their children. Implications of these results are discussed in terms of health-care policy and future research

Ion Beams in Multi-Species Plasma

Argon and xenon ion velocity distribution functions are measured in Ar-He, Ar-Xe, and Xe-He expanding helicon plasmas to determine if ion beam velocity is enhanced by the presence of lighter ions. Contrary to observations in mixed gas sheath experiments, we find that adding a lighter ion does not increase the ion beam speed. The predominant effect is a reduction of ion beam velocity consistent with increased drag arising from increased gas pressure under all conditions: constant total gas pressure, equal plasma densities of different ions, and very different plasma densities of different ions. These results suggest that the physics responsible for the acceleration of multiple ion species in simple sheaths is not responsible for the ion acceleration observed in expanding helicon plasmas

Magnetomechanical effects in textured polycrystalline Tb76Dy24

Uniaxial stress-strain measurements were performed on polycrystalline Tb76Dy24 alloys which exhibit "giant magnetostriction" at cryogenic temperatures. The Young's moduli were reduced by up to a factor of five at 77 K, in comparison to their values at 300 K. We attribute this reduction to a mechanical compliance from domain rotation. Large mechanical hysteresis is also found in nominally elastic stress-strain curves measured below the Curie temperature. Hysteretic curves from 0 to 25 MPa demonstrate up to 19% dissipation of the applied mechanical energy. The anisotropy of thermal expansion was also measured and used as a parameter for the degree of crystallographic texture. This anisotropy was correlated to bulk magnetostriction and to mechanical hysteresis

北米における社史研究の現状 [Current status of studies on Japanese company histories in North America]

Japanese Company History Interest Group (Shashi Group) is established in 2001 at AAS annual conference. This article introduces current status of studies on Japanese company histories and group activities in North America

米国大学図書館におけるGIS サービスの動向 －過去のアンケート調査の比較とピッツバーグ大学図書館の現状から [Trend of GIS services in US Academic Libraries –from comparison of past surveys and current situation of the University of Pittsburgh]

本稿は，米国大学図書館が1990 年代前半から提供し始めたGIS（Geographic Information Systems）サービスの動向と将来の展望を，過去のアンケート調査と著者の追跡調査，GIS 教育との関わりを通して考察する。大規模大学図書館ではすでに90％の普及率に達しているが，今後利用者を増やしていくには，しっかりしたデータ・コレクション・プランが必要であると考えられる。また，中規模，小規模大学図書館はまだ20～30％の普及率でこれからも伸びるであろうが，より充実したGIS サービスを提供していくには，学科や学部との共同作業が望ましいと思われる。 [This paper studies trends and the prospects for future of GIS (Geographic Information Systems) services in U.S. academic libraries, which have started in early 1990s, based on past surveys, my follow-up survey, and relation with GIS education. Libraries at the doctoral/research universities offer GIS services almost 90% already, but they need to have a good data collection plan in order to increase users. Libraries at the master’s colleges and universities, and the baccalaureate colleges offer GIS services only 20-30% but its proportion will be increased in near future. They would better to do joint efforts between libraries and other departments on campus regarding the use of GIS for better services.