1,357 research outputs found
Spelling instruction through etymology: A method of developing spelling lists for older students
The purpose of this study was to investigate whether an approach to developing word lists centred on etymological roots would improve the spelling performance of older primary school students. Participants were 46 students in the last year of primary school in south-east Queensland (31 girls and 15 boys) across three classes, with two classes being assigned to control conditions. Students were evaluated pre- and post-intervention on three dependent measures: British Spelling Test Series spelling, spelling in writing and writing. The results of this intervention revealed improvements in spelling for girls but not for boys. The implications for improved teaching methods are discussed
Social Sustainability: A design research approach to sustainable development
While issues such as clean production and energy efficiency are still central in sustainable development discourse, attention is increasingly on patterns of consumption at multiple levels in society. This opens new opportunities and responsibilities for design research, as we shift from a focus on product lifecycles to people’s lifestyles. It also requires further understanding the ‘social sustainability’ aspects of the environment and development, including the complexity of problematics characterized by uncertainties, contradictions and controversies. In response, we propose a programmatic approach, in which a tentative assemblage of theoretical and experimental strategies frame a common ground for a collaborative and practice-led inquiry. We present a design research program based on two propositions: socio-cultural practices are the basic unit for design, and; transitions, and transition management, are the basic points of design intervention. Rather than affirming the status quo or the prevailing discourse, we argue for design research as a ‘critical practice’, in which cultural diversity, non-humans and multiple futures are considered
Ecology and distribution of the grey notothen, Lepidonotothen squamifrons, around South Georgia and Shag Rocks, Southern Ocean
New information on the biology and ecology of an abundant ‘rockcod’ species, Lepidonotothen squamifrons (family: Nototheniidae), found at South Georgia is presented. Data collected from twenty demersal trawl surveys carried out at South Georgia and Shag Rocks (sub-Antarctic) from 1986–2012 were analysed to investigate distribution, size, maturity and diet. Distribution was patchy with large aggregations in consistent high-density ‘hotspots’ to the east of Shag Rocks and to the west of South Georgia. Fish density was shown to vary between regions of the shelf and between years but there was little evidence of significant changes in catch per unit effort (CPUE) over the duration of the study. Length at first maturity for males and females (37–38 cm, total length) was very similar to that described for the Indian Ocean population. Detailed stomach contents analysis (2005–12) indicated a varied diet dominated by salps/tunicates, but with ontogenetic and depth variations in prey composition. Lepidonotothen squamifrons was shown to be an opportunistic bentho-pelagic forager. Enhanced knowledge of the ecology of L. squamifrons will be valuable in future research on food web modelling and marine spatial management in the Southern Ocean and to provide baseline data on the ecology of the species in a rapidly changing environment
An Assessment to Benchmark the Seismic Performance of a Code-Conforming Reinforced-Concrete Moment-Frame Building
This report describes a state-of-the-art performance-based earthquake engineering methodology
that is used to assess the seismic performance of a four-story reinforced concrete (RC) office
building that is generally representative of low-rise office buildings constructed in highly seismic
regions of California. This “benchmark” building is considered to be located at a site in the Los
Angeles basin, and it was designed with a ductile RC special moment-resisting frame as its
seismic lateral system that was designed according to modern building codes and standards. The
building’s performance is quantified in terms of structural behavior up to collapse, structural and
nonstructural damage and associated repair costs, and the risk of fatalities and their associated
economic costs. To account for different building configurations that may be designed in
practice to meet requirements of building size and use, eight structural design alternatives are
used in the performance assessments.
Our performance assessments account for important sources of uncertainty in the ground
motion hazard, the structural response, structural and nonstructural damage, repair costs, and
life-safety risk. The ground motion hazard characterization employs a site-specific probabilistic
seismic hazard analysis and the evaluation of controlling seismic sources (through
disaggregation) at seven ground motion levels (encompassing return periods ranging from 7 to
2475 years). Innovative procedures for ground motion selection and scaling are used to develop
acceleration time history suites corresponding to each of the seven ground motion levels.
Structural modeling utilizes both “fiber” models and “plastic hinge” models. Structural
modeling uncertainties are investigated through comparison of these two modeling approaches,
and through variations in structural component modeling parameters (stiffness, deformation
capacity, degradation, etc.). Structural and nonstructural damage (fragility) models are based on
a combination of test data, observations from post-earthquake reconnaissance, and expert
opinion. Structural damage and repair costs are modeled for the RC beams, columns, and slabcolumn connections. Damage and associated repair costs are considered for some nonstructural
building components, including wallboard partitions, interior paint, exterior glazing, ceilings,
sprinkler systems, and elevators. The risk of casualties and the associated economic costs are
evaluated based on the risk of structural collapse, combined with recent models on earthquake
fatalities in collapsed buildings and accepted economic modeling guidelines for the value of
human life in loss and cost-benefit studies.
The principal results of this work pertain to the building collapse risk, damage and repair
cost, and life-safety risk. These are discussed successively as follows.
When accounting for uncertainties in structural modeling and record-to-record variability
(i.e., conditional on a specified ground shaking intensity), the structural collapse probabilities of
the various designs range from 2% to 7% for earthquake ground motions that have a 2%
probability of exceedance in 50 years (2475 years return period). When integrated with the
ground motion hazard for the southern California site, the collapse probabilities result in mean
annual frequencies of collapse in the range of [0.4 to 1.4]x10
-4
for the various benchmark
building designs. In the development of these results, we made the following observations that
are expected to be broadly applicable:
(1) The ground motions selected for performance simulations must consider spectral
shape (e.g., through use of the epsilon parameter) and should appropriately account for
correlations between motions in both horizontal directions;
(2) Lower-bound component models, which are commonly used in performance-based
assessment procedures such as FEMA 356, can significantly bias collapse analysis results; it is
more appropriate to use median component behavior, including all aspects of the component
model (strength, stiffness, deformation capacity, cyclic deterioration, etc.);
(3) Structural modeling uncertainties related to component deformation capacity and
post-peak degrading stiffness can impact the variability of calculated collapse probabilities and
mean annual rates to a similar degree as record-to-record variability of ground motions.
Therefore, including the effects of such structural modeling uncertainties significantly increases
the mean annual collapse rates. We found this increase to be roughly four to eight times relative
to rates evaluated for the median structural model;
(4) Nonlinear response analyses revealed at least six distinct collapse mechanisms, the
most common of which was a story mechanism in the third story (differing from the multi-story
mechanism predicted by nonlinear static pushover analysis);
(5) Soil-foundation-structure interaction effects did not significantly affect the structural
response, which was expected given the relatively flexible superstructure and stiff soils.
The potential for financial loss is considerable. Overall, the calculated expected annual
losses (EAL) are in the range of 97,000 for the various code-conforming benchmark
building designs, or roughly 1% of the replacement cost of the building (3.5M, the fatality rate translates to an EAL due to
fatalities of 5,600 for the code-conforming designs, and 66,000, the monetary value associated with life loss is small,
suggesting that the governing factor in this respect will be the maximum permissible life-safety
risk deemed by the public (or its representative government) to be appropriate for buildings.
Although the focus of this report is on one specific building, it can be used as a reference
for other types of structures. This report is organized in such a way that the individual core
chapters (4, 5, and 6) can be read independently. Chapter 1 provides background on the
performance-based earthquake engineering (PBEE) approach. Chapter 2 presents the
implementation of the PBEE methodology of the PEER framework, as applied to the benchmark
building. Chapter 3 sets the stage for the choices of location and basic structural design. The subsequent core chapters focus on the hazard analysis (Chapter 4), the structural analysis
(Chapter 5), and the damage and loss analyses (Chapter 6). Although the report is self-contained,
readers interested in additional details can find them in the appendices
Eating As Treatment (EAT): A Stepped-Wedge, Randomized Controlled Trial of a Health Behavior Change Intervention Provided by Dietitians to Improve Nutrition in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Undergoing Radiation Therapy (TROG 12.03)
Purpose: Malnutrition in head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment is common and associated with poorer morbidity and mortality outcomes. This trial aimed to improve nutritional status during radiation therapy (RT) using a novel method of training dietitians to deliver psychological techniques to improve nutritional behaviors in patients with HNC. Methods and Materials: This trial used a stepped-wedge, randomized controlled design to assess the efficacy of the Eating As Treatment (EAT) program. Based on motivational interviewing and cognitive behavioral therapy, EAT was designed to be delivered by oncology dietitians and integrated into their clinical practice. During control steps, dietitians provided treatment as usual, before being trained in EAT and moving into the intervention phase. The training was principles based and sought to improve behavior-change skills rather than provide specific scripts. Patients recruited to the trial (151 controls, 156 intervention) were assessed at 4 time points (the first and the final weeks of RT, and 4 and 12 weeks afterward). The primary outcome was nutritional status at the end of RT as measured by the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment. Results: Patients who received the EAT intervention had significantly better scores on the primary outcome of nutritional status at the critical end-of-treatment time point (β = −1.53 [−2.93 to −.13], P =.03). Intervention patients were also significantly more likely than control patients to be assessed as well-nourished at each time point, lose a smaller percentage of weight, have fewer treatment interruptions, present lower depression scores, and report a higher quality of life. Although results were not statistically significant, patients who received the intervention had fewer and shorter unplanned hospital admissions. Conclusions: This trial is the first of its kind to demonstrate the effectiveness of a psychological intervention to improve nutrition in patients with HNC who are receiving RT. The intervention provides a means to ameliorate malnutrition and the important related outcomes and consequently should be incorporated into standard care for patients receiving RT for HNC
The University Symphony Orchestra
Capen Auditorium Wednesday, May 15, 1968 8:15p.m
Aeroacoustic Study of a High-Fidelity Aircraft Model: Part 1- Steady Aerodynamic Measurements
In this paper, we present steady aerodynamic measurements for an 18% scale model of a Gulfstream air-craft. The high fidelity and highly-instrumented semi-span model was developed to perform detailed aeroacoustic studies of airframe noise associated with main landing gear/flap components and gear-flap interaction noise, as well as to evaluate novel noise reduction concepts. The aeroacoustic tests, being conducted in the NASA Langley Research Center 14- by 22-Foot Subsonic Tunnel, are split into two entries. The first entry, completed November 2010, was entirely devoted to the detailed mapping of the aerodynamic characteristics of the fabricated model. Flap deflections of 39?, 20?, and 0? with the main landing gear on and off were tested at Mach numbers of 0.16, 0.20, and 0.24. Additionally, for each flap deflection, the model was tested with the tunnel both in the closed-wall and open-wall (jet) modes. During this first entry, global forces (lift and drag) and extensive steady and unsteady surface pressure measurements were obtained. Preliminary analysis of the measured forces indicates that lift, drag, and stall characteristics compare favorably with Gulfstream?s high Reynolds number flight data. The favorable comparison between wind-tunnel and flight data allows the semi-span model to be used as a test bed for developing/evaluating airframe noise reduction concepts under a relevant environment. Moreover, initial comparison of the aerodynamic measurements obtained with the tunnel in the closed- and open-wall configurations shows similar aerodynamic behavior. This permits the acoustic and off-surface flow measurements, planned for the second entry, to be conducted with the tunnel in the open-jet mode
The accuracy of active shape modelling and end-plate measurements for characterising the shape of the lumbar spine in the sagittal plane
Peer reviewedPreprin
Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus-Related Solid Lymphoma Involving the Heart and Brain
Since its discovery
in 1994, Kaposi's sarcoma-associated
herpesvirus (KSHV) has been associated with
lymphoproliferative disorders, particularly in
patients infected with human immunodeficiency
virus (HIV). The disorders most strongly linked
to KSHV are multicentric Castleman's Disease
(MCD), primary effusion lymphoma, and diffuse
large B-cell lymphomas. We report an unusual
case of KSHV-associated lymphoma in an
HIV-infected patient manifesting with myocardial
and central nervous system involvement. We
discuss this case in the context of increasing
array of KSHV-associated lymphomas. In the
HIV-infected patient with a mass lesion, a
history of cutaneous Kaposi's sarcoma and
prolonged immunosuppression should alert
clinicians as to the possibility of
KSHV-associated lymphoproliferative disorders,
in order to establish a timely
diagnosis
Reforming Restrictive Housing: The 2018 ASCA-Liman Nationwide Survey of Time-in-Cell
Reforming Restrictive Housing: The 2018 ASCA-Liman Nationwide Survey of Time-in-Cell is the fourth in a series of research projects co-authored by the Association of State Correctional Administrators (ASCA) and the Arthur Liman Center at Yale Law School. These monographs provide a unique, longitudinal, nationwide database. The topic is “restrictive housing,” often termed “solitary confinement,” and defined as separating prisoners from the general population and holding them in cells for an average of 22 hours or more per day for 15 continuous days or more.
The 2018 monograph is based on survey responses from 43 prison systems that held 80.6% of the U.S. prison population. They reported that 49,197 individuals—4.5% of the people in their custody—were in restrictive housing. Extrapolating, we estimate that some 61,000 individuals were in isolation in U.S. prisons. This number does not include people in most jails or juvenile, military, or immigration facilities.
Two areas of special concern are the impact of mental illness and the length of time individuals spend in restrictive housing. Correctional systems use a variety of definitions for serious mental illness. Using their own descriptions, jurisdictions counted more than 4,000 prisoners identified as seriously mentally ill and in restrictive housing. Within the 36 jurisdictions that reported on the length of time people had been in segregation, most people were held for a year or less. Twenty-five jurisdictions counted more than 3,500 individuals held more than three years.
Reforming Restrictive Housing details policy changes tracking the impact of the 2016 American Correctional Association’s (ACA) Restrictive Housing Performance Based Standards. The ACA Standards call for limiting the use of isolation for pregnant women, juveniles, and seriously mentally ill individuals.
This monograph also compares the responses of the 40 prison systems that answered the ASCA-Liman surveys in both 2015 and 2017. See ASCA-Liman, Aiming to Reduce Time-in-Cell (Nov. 2016), SSRN No. 2874492. The number in restrictive housing was reported to have decreased from 56,000 in 2015 to 47,000 in 2017. Looking at specific states, in more than two dozen systems, the numbers in segregation decreased. In 11 systems, the numbers went up.
A related monograph, Working to Limit Restrictive Housing: Efforts in Four Jurisdictions to Make Changes, details the work of four correctional administrations to limit—and in one state abolish—holding people in cells 22 hours a day for 15 days or more
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