460 research outputs found
Achieving Human Potential Through Geography Education: A Capabilities Approach to Curriculum Making in Schools
This article provides the theoretical underpinnings for an innovative international collaborative project in the field of geography education named GeoCapabilities. The project attempts to respond in new ways to enduring challenges facing geography teachers in schools. These include the need to find convincing expression of geography's contribution to the education of all young people and coping with the apparent divergence of geography in educational settings and its highly disparate expression as a research discipline in university departments. The project also hopes to contribute to the development of a framework for communicating the aims and purposes of geography in schools internationally, because here, too, there is great variety in definitions of national standards and even of disciplinary allegiances (including, e.g., the social studies, humanities, and biological sciences). GeoCapabilities does not seek to flatten such divergences, for one of geography's great strengths is its breadth. The long-term goal is to establish a secure platform for the international development of teachers’ capacities as creative and disciplined innovators. The project encourages teachers to think beyond program delivery and implementation and to embrace their role as the curriculum makers
Proceedings of the Near-Earth-Object Interception Workshop
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Headquarters sponsored the Near-Earth-Object Interception Workshop hosted by the Los Alamos National Laboratory on 14-16 Jan. 1992 at the J. Robert Oppenheimer Study Center in Los Alamos, New Mexico. The Workshop evaluated the issues involved in intercepting celestial objects that could hit the Earth. It covered the technologies for acquiring, tracking, and homing, as well as those for sending interceptors to inspect, rendezvous with, land on, irradiate, deflect, or destroy them. This report records the presentations and technical options reviewed
Darwin-Lagrangian Analysis for the Interaction of a Point Charge and a Magnet: Considerations Related to the Controversy Regarding the Aharonov-Bohm and Aharonov-Casher Phase Shifts
The classical electromagnetic interaction of a point charge and a magnet is
discussed by first calculating the interaction of point charge with a simple
model magnetic moment and then suggesting a multiparticle limit. The Darwin
Lagrangian is used to analyze the electromagnetic behavior of the model
magnetic moment (composed of two oppositely charged particles of different mass
in an initially circular orbit) interacting with a passing point charge. The
changing mangetic moment is found to put a force back on a passing charge; this
force is of order 1/c^2 and depends upon the magnitude of the magnetic moment.
It is suggested that in the limit of a multiparticle magnetic toroid, the
electric fields of the passing charge are screened out of the body of the
magnet while the magnetic fields penetrate into the magnet. This is consistent
with our understanding of the penetration of electromagnetic velocity fields
into ohmic conductors. Conservation laws are discussed. The work corresponds to
a classical electromagnetic analysis of the interaction which is basic to
understanding the controversy over the Aharonov-Bohm and Aharonov-Casher phase
shifts and represents a refutation of the suggestions of Aharonov, Pearle, and
Vaidman.Comment: 33 page
Pan-European early switch/early discharge opportunities exist for hospitalised patients with methicillin-resistant <em>Staphylococcus</em> <em>aureus</em> complicated skin and soft-tissue infections
AbstractThe objective of this study was to document pan-European real-world treatment patterns and healthcare resource use and estimate opportunities for early switch (ES) from intravenous (IV) to oral antibiotics and early discharge (ED) in hospitalized patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) complicated skin and soft tissue infections (cSSTIs). This retrospective observational medical chart review study enrolled 342 physicians across 12 European countries who collected data from 1542 patients with documented MRSA cSSTI who were hospitalized (July 2010 to June 2011) and discharged alive (by July 2011). Data included clinical characteristics and outcomes, hospital length of stay (LOS), MRSA-targeted IV and oral antibiotic use, and ES and ED eligibility according to literature-based and expert-validated criteria. The most frequent initial MRSA-active antibiotics were vancomycin (50.2%), linezolid (15.1%), clindamycin (10.8%), and teicoplanin (10.4%). Patients discharged with MRSA-active antibiotics (n = 480) were most frequently prescribed linezolid (42.1%) and clindamycin (19.8%). IV treatment duration (9.3 ± 6.5 vs. 14.6 ± 9.9 days; p <0.001) and hospital LOS (19.1 ± 12.9 vs. 21.0 ± 18.2 days; p 0.162) tended to be shorter for patients switched from IV to oral treatment than for patients who received IV treatment only. Of the patients, 33.6% met ES criteria and could have discontinued IV treatment 6.0 ± 5.5 days earlier, and 37.9% met ED criteria and could have been discharged 6.2 ± 8.2 days earlier. More than one-third of European patients hospitalized for MRSA cSSTI could be eligible for ES and ED, resulting in substantial reductions in IV days and bed-days, with potential savings of €2000 per ED-eligible patient
Influence of real-world characteristics on outcomes for patients with methicillin-resistant Staphylococcal skin and soft tissue infections:a multi-country medical chart review in Europe
BACKGROUND: Patient-related (demographic/disease) and treatment-related (drug/clinician/hospital) characteristics were evaluated as potential predictors of healthcare resource use and opportunities for early switch (ES) from intravenous (IV)-to-oral methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)-active antibiotic therapy and early hospital discharge (ED). METHODS: This retrospective observational medical chart study analyzed patients (across 12 European countries) with microbiologically confirmed MRSA complicated skin and soft tissue infections (cSSTI), ≥3 days of IV anti-MRSA antibiotics during hospitalization (July 1, 2010-June 30, 2011), and discharged alive by July 31, 2011. Logistic/linear regression models evaluated characteristics potentially associated with actual resource use (length of IV therapy, length of hospital stay [LOS], IV-to-oral antibiotic switch), and ES and ED (using literature-based and expert-verified criteria) outcomes. RESULTS: 1542 patients (mean ± SD age 60.8 ± 16.5 years; 61.5% males) were assessed with 81.0% hospitalized for MRSA cSSTI as the primary reason. Several patient demographic, infection, complication, treatment, and hospital characteristics were predictive of length of IV therapy, LOS, IV-to-oral antibiotic switch, or ES and ED opportunities. Outcomes and ES and ED opportunities varied across countries. Length of IV therapy and LOS (r = 0.66, p < 0.0001) and eligibilities for ES and ED (r = 0.44, p < 0.0001) showed relatively strong correlations. IV-to-oral antibiotic switch patients had significantly shorter length of IV therapy (−5.19 days, p < 0.001) and non-significantly shorter LOS (−1.86 days, p > 0.05). Certain patient and treatment characteristics were associated with increased odds of ES (healthcare-associated/ hospital-acquired infection) and ED (patient living arrangements, healthcare-associated/ hospital-acquired infection, initiating MRSA-active treatment 1–2 days post cSSTI index date, existing ED protocol), while other factors decreased the odds of ES (no documented MRSA culture, ≥4 days from admission to cSSTI index date, IV-to-oral switch, IV line infection) and ED (dementia, no documented MRSA culture, initiating MRSA-active treatment ≥3 days post cSSTI index date, existing ES protocol). CONCLUSIONS: Practice patterns and opportunity for further ES and ED were affected by several infection, treatment, hospital, and geographical characteristics, which should be considered in identifying ES and ED opportunities and designing interventions for MRSA cSSTI to reduce IV days and LOS while maintaining the quality of care. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/1471-2334-14-476) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users
Geometric Phases and Mielnik's Evolution Loops
The cyclic evolutions and associated geometric phases induced by
time-independent Hamiltonians are studied for the case when the evolution
operator becomes the identity (those processes are called {\it evolution
loops}). We make a detailed treatment of systems having equally-spaced energy
levels. Special emphasis is made on the potentials which have the same spectrum
as the harmonic oscillator potential (the generalized oscillator potentials)
and on their recently found coherent states.Comment: 11 pages, harvmac, 2 figures available upon request; CINVESTAV-FIS
GFMR 11/9
Identification of a Sex Pheromone Produced by Sternal Glands in Females of the Caddisfly Molanna angustata Curtis
In the caddisfly Molanna angustata, females produce a sex pheromone in glands with openings on the fifth sternite. Gas chromatographic analyses of pheromone gland extracts with electroantennographic detection revealed four major compounds that stimulated male antennae. These compounds were identified by means of gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and enantioselective gas chromatography as heptan-2-one, (S)-heptan-2-ol, nonan-2-one, and (S)-nonan-2-ol in the approximate ratio of 1:1:4:10, respectively. Field tests showed that the mixture of the two alcohols was attractive to males whereas addition of the corresponding ketones reduced trap catches. The sex pheromone of M. angustata, a species in the family Molannidae within the suborder Integripalpia, is similar to the pheromones or pheromone-like compounds previously reported from six other trichopteran families, including members of the basal suborder Annulipalpia. This suggests that minimal evolutionary change of the pheromone chemistry has taken place within the leptoceroid branch of integripalpian Trichoptera compared to the ancestral character state
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Dirac: A campaign of experiments to study physics and chemistry at ultrahigh magnetic fields
We present an overview of the Dirac experimental campaign conducted at Los Alamos in spring of 1996. The name was chosen in recognition of P.A.M. Dirac`s monumental contributions to quantum theory, which affected every aspect of the science we planned to investigate. We show how the various collaborations were put together, discuss some of the difficulties of collecting data in rapidly changing magnetic fields, describe the motivation, packaging, and integration of experiments, and give an exceedingly preliminary discussion of some of the results
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Multi-megagauss field-generation using capacitor banks
Design of a high-field (6 MG) production experiment on the Pegasus capacitor bank is presented. One and two dimensions MHD simulations are benchmarked against Alikhanov`s previous experiments and used to support the design for the Pegasus experiment. Possible extensions to the Atlas facility, where production of 20 Mg fields may be possible, are also discussed
Computed tomographic enterography adds information to clinical management in small bowel Crohn's disease
Background: CT enterography yields striking findings in the bowel wall in Crohn's disease. These images may help to evaluate whether small bowel narrowing results from active disease requiring anti-inflammatory therapy. However, the clinical relevance of these images is unknown. It is also not known if these radiologic findings correlate with objective biomarkers of inflammation. Methods: In a blinded and independent evaluation, IBD subspecialty gastroenterologists reviewed clinical data, and CT radiologists reviewed CT enterography scans of 67 consecutive patients with Crohn's disease and suspicion of either small bowel inflammation or stricture. Comparisons were made between (1) clinical and radiologic assessments of inflammation and stricture, (2) clinical assessments before and after computed tomographic enterography (CTE) reports were revealed, and (3) radiologic findings and objective biomarkers of inflammation. Results: (1) Individual CTE findings correlated poorly (Spearman's rho < 0.30) with clinical assessment; (2) clinicians did not suspect 16% of radiologic strictures, and more than half the cases of clinically suspected strictures did not have them on CTE; (3) CTE data changed clinicians' perceptions of the likelihood of steroid benefit in 41 of 67 cases; (4) specific CTE findings correlated with CRP, and a distinct set of CTE findings correlated with ESR in the subset of patients who had these biomarkers measured. Conclusions: CTE seems to add unique information to clinical assessment, both in detecting additional strictures and in changing clinicians' perceptions of the likelihood of steroids benefiting patients. The biomarker correlations suggest that CTE is measuring real biologic phenomena that correlate with inflammation, providing information distinct from that in a standard clinical assessment. (Inflamm Bowel Dis 2006)Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/55965/1/20013_ftp.pd
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