Energy literacy of secondary students in New York State (USA): A measure of knowledge,affect, and behavior

Energy literacy, which encompasses broad content knowledge as well as affective and behavioral characteristics, will empower people to make appropriate energy-related choices and embrace changes in the way we harness and consume energy. Energy literacy was measured with a written questionnaire completed by 3708 secondary students in New York State, USA. Results indicate that students are concerned about energy problems (affective subscale mean 73% of the maximum attainable score), yet relatively low cognitive (42% correct) and behavioral (65% of the maximum) scores suggest that students may lack the knowledge and skills they need to effectively contribute toward solutions. High school (HS) students scored significantly better than middle school (MS) students on the cognitive subscale; gains were greatest on topics included in NY State educational standards, and less on topics related to “practical” energy knowledge such as ways to save energy. Despite knowledge gains, there was a significant drop in energy conservation behavior between the MS and HS students. Intercorrelations between groups of questions indicate energy-related behaviors are more strongly related to affect than to knowledge. These findings underscore the need for education that improves energy literacy by impacting student attitudes, values and behaviors, as well as broad content knowledge.     

Modeling the effects of yarn material properties and friction on the ballistic impact of a plain-weave fabric

Impact of a rigid sphere onto a high-strength plain-weave Kevlar KM2^® fabric was modeled using LS–DYNA^® focusing on the influence of friction and material properties on ballistic performance. Quasi-static friction was experimentally determined and incorporated into the model. Two clamped edges and two free edges were used as boundary conditions to correlate the model to an experimental test providing yarn–yarn movement. Yarns were modeled as continua with modulus and strength dominating along the length. Parametric studies incorporating different yarn material properties and initial projectile velocities were then performed with the above set of boundary conditions. Results indicate that ballistic performance depends upon friction, elastic modulus and strength of the yarns. While friction improves ballistic performance by maintaining the integrity of the weave pattern, material properties of the yarns have a significant influence on the effect of friction. It is shown that fabrics comprised of yarns characterized by higher stiffness and strength relative to the baseline Kevlar KM2^®, exhibited a stronger influence on ballistic performance. Therefore all three parameters viz., friction, elastic modulus and strength along with other variables (fabric architecture, boundary conditions, and projectile parameters) are needed to examine ballistic performance of high-strength fabric structures.     

A new video-synchronized multichannel biomedical data acquisition system

This data acquisition system records video frames onto a video tape, and simultaneously acquires biomedical data along with video time codes onto a computer hard disk to achieve a 30-min video-synchronized data recording with a summed data rate of 2.16 Mbit/s. A time-code-bridge-file created during acquisition matches each video frame-start with the corresponding index number of the acquired data. The mean synchronization accuracy of the system is 0.22 ms.     

Cartilage degeneration in relation to repetitive pressure: case study of a unilateral hip hemiarthroplasty patient

The mitochondrial, inner-membrane-associated, reversible NADPH-->NAD transhydrogenase of adult Hymenolepis diminuta physiologically couples matrix-localized, NADP-specific "malic" enzyme with NADH-dependent anaerobic electron transport. Employing submitochondrial particles (SMP) as the source of enzyme activity and both spectrophotometric and fluorometric assessments, the present study made evident that in its catalysis of transhydrogenation between NADPH and NAD, the cestode enzyme engages in the concomitant transmembrane translocation of protons. As assessed spectrophotometrically, the catalysis of NADPH-dependent NAD reduction by H. diminuta SMP was stimulated significantly by carbonyl cyanide 3-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), carbonyl cyanide 4-(trifluoromethoxy) phenylhydrazone (FCCP), as well as by the protonophoric anthelmintic, niclosamide. In addition, N,N'-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCCD) markedly diminished SMP-catalyzed hydride ion transfer between NADPH and NAD. The catalysis by SMP of concomitant, transhydrogenase-mediated proton translocation was evaluated more directly via fluorometric assays using 8-anilino-1-napthalenesulfonic acid (ANS) as the probe. These latter evaluations revealed a transhydrogenase-dependent enhancement of ANS fluorescence in accord with an intravesicular accumulation of protons. ANS fluorescence was quenched rapidly when the assay system was supplemented with CCCP, FCCP, or niclosamide. Consistent with the helminth transhydrogenase acting as a proton pump, transhydrogenase-mediated enhanced fluorescence also was inhibited by DCCD. Considered collectively, these data indicated, apparently for the first time for any invertebrate system, that the transhydrogenase, in catalyzing the NADPH-->NAD reaction, acts in the translocation of protons from the matrix to the intermembrane space mitochondrial compartment.     

Analysis of grocery chain pharmacists' work-related behaviors

OBJECTIVE: To measure grocery chain pharmacists' work-related behaviors to assess the impact of a Pharmaceutical Care Certificate Program (PCCP) and other future interventions intended to alter pharmacists' practice behaviors. DESIGN: This study used multidimensional work sampling (MWS), a work measurement methodology that breaks "work" into three components: activity (what was done), contact (with whom the activity was performed), and function (the purpose or objective of the activity). Pharmacists were signaled at random intervals during the workday by a random signal generator. A selection was made from a list of items in each of the three dimensions of work to form an activity-contact-function combination code that described the work-related behavior at that point in time. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Pharmacists in 15 grocery chain stores in the Indianapolis area; 20 pharmacists were enrolled in Purdue University's PCCP and 10 served as controls. Data were collected for a period of six weeks during April through June 1997 before the beginning of the PCCP program. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pharmacists' work-related behaviors. RESULTS: Writing/keyboarding was the most frequently recorded activity (22%), followed by one-to-one meetings (21.6%), and drug preparation (18%). Pharmacists spent most of their time working alone (62.9%), while a smaller but still substantial proportion of time was spent interacting with patients (17.9%). The most frequently recorded purpose (i.e., function) of pharmacists' activities was drug distribution (23.9%), followed by personal time (12.4%), receiving or transferring a medication order (10.2%), and patient counseling (6.6%). Out of a possible, 1,760 activity-contact-function combinations, 10 accounted for 46.3% of all reported observations, with "Prepare drug-Self-Drug distribution" representing the most frequently recorded activity-contact-function combination (15.7%). CONCLUSION: MWS is useful in helping grocery chain management better understand how pharmacy personnel are currently being utilized. This study provides a baseline for evaluating the impact of training programs or other alterations in the practice environment on pharmacists' work-related behaviors.     

Schizophrenia research: a biennium of progress. Proceedings from the Sixth International Congress on Schizophrenia Research. Colorado Springs, CO, April 12-16, 1997

The Sixth International Congress on Schizophrenia Research (ICOSR) took place in Colorado Springs, Colorado, April 12-16, 1997, where over 1,000 scientists presented and listened to the latest developments in the search for the cause and treatment of schizophrenia. The ICOSR is sponsored by Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, Case Western Reserve University, and the William K. Warren Foundation. The National Institute of Mental Health and several pharmaceutical companies contributed generously to the meeting. The ICOSR is co-organized by Dr. Carol A. Tamminga, Maryland Psychiatric Research Center, University of Maryland at Baltimore, and Dr. S. Charles Schulz, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, Ohio. The William K. Warren Research Award is given to a senior investigator, who has made outstanding contributions to our understanding of schizophrenia. The fifth William K. Warren Research Award was presented to Dr. Philip S. Holzman in recognition of his contributions to the identification of eye-tracking abnormalities as a potential phenotypic marker of the illness and also in recognition of his work as a lifelong mentor for schizophrenia researchers. The ICOSR Young Investigator Awards are presented to junior investigators who have demonstrated the potential to make significant contributions to research on schizophrenia. These awards promote scientific development by enabling these young researchers to attend the meeting. There were 30 Young Investigator Award winners. The ICOSR meeting is organized into four sessions: (1) a morning plenary session; (2) a plenary lecture; (3) a poster session; and (4) concurrent afternoon oral sessions. The morning plenary sessions are comprised of a set of 30-minute lectures, which provide an overview of a particular topic area relevant to schizophrenia research. The plenary lecture is an invited lecture on a basic topic related to current research efforts in schizophrenia. The poster sessions provide a forum for the presentation of prepublication reports of basic and clinical science projects. The afternoon sessions are a collection of approximately 10 focused presentations on current research projects related to a specific topic area. The purpose of this report is to provide an account of the proceedings from the plenary and afternoon oral sessions.