Laypersons' awareness of the role and function of the nurse practitioner

The purpose of this descriptive study was to document the level of awareness that laypersons have regarding the role and function of the nurse practitioner (NP). An instrument developed for a similar study, conducted in 1994, comparing patients' and physicians' level of knowledge of the role and function of the NP, had a low reliability. Revision of the instrument was required before further use could be justified.^ A pilot study of 25 laypersons was conducted to ensure that the revised tool was reliable prior to conducting a study. Reliability for the pilot sample was 0.84.^ The study results indicated that the majority of the sample (83%), (n = 100) knew that a NP was a registered nurse who was qualified to diagnose and treat minor illnesses. The level of layperson awareness was limited regarding prescriptive privileges, well-woman exams, and the NPs' ability to perform physical exams, and interpret lab results and x-rays. ^

The conflict resolution behaviors of occupational therapy students as a function of the personality types, demographic characteristics and contextual factors

Interpersonal conflicts have the potential for detrimental consequences if not managed successfully. Understanding the factors that contribute to conflict resolution has implications for interpersonal relationships and the workplace. Researchers have suggested that personality plays an important and predictable role in conflict resolution behaviors (Chanin & Schneer, 1984; Kilmann & Thomas, 1975; Mills, Robey & Smith, 1985). However, other investigators have contended that contextual factors are important contributors in triggering the behavioral responses (Shoda & Mischel, 2000; Mischel & Shoda, 1995). The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships among personality types, demographic characteristics and contextual factors on the conflict resolution behaviors reported by graduate occupational therapy students (n = 125). ^ The study design was correlational. The Myers Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and the Thomas-Kilmann (MODE) Instrument were used to establish the personality types and the context independent conflict resolution behaviors respectively. The effects of contextual factors of task vs. relationship and power were measured with the Conflict Case Scenarios Questionnaire (CCSQ). One-way ANOVA and linear regression procedures were used to test the relationships between personality types and demographic characteristics with the context independent conflict behaviors. Chi-Square procedures of the personality types by contextual conditions ascertained the effects of contexts in modifying the resolution modes. Descriptive statistics established a profile of the sample. ^ The results of the hypotheses tests revealed significant relationships between the personality types of feeling-thinking and sensing-intuition with the conflict resolution behaviors. The contextual attributes of task vs. relationship orientation and of peer vs. supervisor relationships were shown to modify the conflict behaviors. Furthermore, demographic characteristics of age, gender, GPA and educational background were shown to have an effect on the conflict resolution behaviors. The knowledge gained has implications for students' training, specifically understanding their styles and use of effective conflict resolution strategies. It also contributes to the knowledge on management approaches and interpersonal competencies and how this might facilitate the students' transition to the clinical role. ^

Perceptions of alibi evidence as a function of the strength of incriminating *evidence

The current study investigated the exculpatory value of alibi evidence when presented together with various types of incriminating evidence. Previous research has reported that alibi evidence could weaken the effects of DNA evidence and eyewitness identification. The present study assessed the effectiveness of alibi evidence in counteracting defendant's confession (experiment 1) and eyewitness evidence (experiment 2). In experiment 1, three levels of alibi evidence (none, weak, strong) were combined with three levels of confession evidence (voluntary, elicited under low pressure, elicited under high pressure). Results indicated significant main effects of confession and alibi and an alibi by confession interaction. Of participants exposed to high-pressure confession, those in the strong alibi condition rendered lower guilt estimates than those in the no alibi condition. In experiment 2, three levels of alibi were combined with two levels of eyewitness evidence (bad view, good view). A main effect of alibi was obtained, but no interaction between alibi and eyewitness evidence. ^ An explanation of this pattern is based in part on the Story Model (Pennington & Hastie, 1992) and a novel “culpability threshold” model of juror decision-making. The Story Model suggests that jurors generate verdict stories (interpretations of events consistent with a guilty or not guilty verdict) based on trial evidence. If the evidence in favor of guilt exceeds jurors' threshold for perceiving culpability, jurors will fail to properly consider exonerating evidence. However, when the strength of incriminating evidence does not exceed the jurors' threshold, they are likely to give appropriate consideration to exculpatory evidence in their decisions. ^ Presentation of a reliable confession in Experiment 1 exceeded jurors' culpability threshold and rendered alibi largely irrelevant. In contrast, presentation of a high-pressure confession failed to exceed jurors' culpability threshold, so jurors turned to alibi evidence in their decisions. Similarly, in the second experiment, eyewitness evidence (in general) was not strong enough to surpass the culpability threshold, and thus jurors incorporated alibi evidence in their decisions. A third study is planned to further test this “culpability threshold” model, further explore various types of alibi evidence, and clarify when exculpatory evidence will sufficiently weaken the prosecution's “story.” ^

On-screen pre-deblurring of digital images using the wavefront aberration function of the human eye to improve computer access for the visually impaired

Traditional Optics has provided ways to compensate some common visual limitations (up to second order visual impairments) through spectacles or contact lenses. Recent developments in wavefront science make it possible to obtain an accurate model of the Point Spread Function (PSF) of the human eye. Through what is known as the "Wavefront Aberration Function" of the human eye, exact knowledge of the optical aberration of the human eye is possible, allowing a mathematical model of the PSF to be obtained. This model could be used to pre-compensate (inverse-filter) the images displayed on computer screens in order to counter the distortion in the user's eye. This project takes advantage of the fact that the wavefront aberration function, commonly expressed as a Zernike polynomial, can be generated from the ophthalmic prescription used to fit spectacles to a person. This allows the pre-compensation, or onscreen deblurring, to be done for various visual impairments, up to second order (commonly known as myopia, hyperopia, or astigmatism). The technique proposed towards that goal and results obtained using a lens, for which the PSF is known, that is introduced into the visual path of subjects without visual impairment will be presented. In addition to substituting the effect of spectacles or contact lenses in correcting the loworder visual limitations of the viewer, the significance of this approach is that it has the potential to address higher-order abnormalities in the eye, currently not correctable by simple means.

On arterial contractility, energetic requirements of the cardiovascular system, and the formation of arterial sclerosis

The aorta has been viewed as a passive distribution manifold for blood whose elasticity allows it to store blood during cardiac ejection (systole), and release it during relaxation (diastole). This capacitance, or compliance, lowers peak cardiac work input and maintains peripheral sanguine irrigation throughout the cardiac cycle. The compliance of the human and canine circulatory systems have been described either as constant throughout the cycle (Toy et al. 1985) or as some inverse function of pressure (Li et al. 1990, Cappelo et al. 1995). This work shows that a compliance value that is higher during systole than diastole (equivalent to a direct function of pressure) leads to a reduction in the energetic input to the cardiovascular system (CV), even when accounting for the energy required to change compliance. This conclusion is obtained numerically, based on a 3-element lumped-parameter model of the CV, then demonstrated in a physical model built for the purpose. It is then shown, based on the numerical and physical models, on analytical considerations of elastic tubes, and on the analysis of arterial volume as a function of pressure measured in vivo (Armentano et al. 1995), that the mechanical effects of a presupposed arterial contraction are consistent with those of energetically beneficial changes in compliance during the cardiac cycle. Although the amount of energy potentially saved with rhythmically contracting arteries is small (mean 0.55% for the cases studied) the importance of the phenomenon lies in its possible relation to another function of the arterial smooth muscle (ASM): synthesis of wall matrix macromolecules. It is speculated that a reduction in the rate of collagen synthesis by the ASM is implicated in the formation of arteriosclerosis. ^

Hydrogen(electron-deuteron) studies of the deuteron at high squared momentum transfer

A high resolution study of the quasielastic 2 H(e, e'p)n reaction was performed in Hall A at the Thomas Jefferson Accelerator Facility in Newport News, Virginia. The measurements were performed at a central momentum transfer of : q: ∼ 2400 MeV/c, and at a central energy transfer of ω ∼ 1500 MeV, a four momentum transfer Q2 = 3.5 (GeV/c)2, covering missing momenta from 0 to 0.5 GeV/c. The majority of the measurements were performed at Φ = 180° and a small set of measurements were done at Φ = 0°. The Hall A High Resolution Spectrometers (HRS) were used to detect coincident electrons and protons, respectively. Absolute 2H(e, e'p) n cross sections were obtained as a function of the recoiling neutron scattering angle with respect to [special characters omitted]. The experimental results were compared to a Plane Wave Impulse Approximation (PWIA) model and to a calculation that includes Final State Interaction (FSI) effects. Experimental 2H(e, e'p)n cross sections were determined with an estimated systematic uncertainty of 7%. The general features of the measured cross sections are reproduced by Glauber based calculations that take the motion of the bound nucleons into account (GEA). Final State Interactions (FSI) contributions were found to depend strongly on the angle of the recoiling neutron with respect to the momentum transfer and on the missing momentum. We found a systematic deviation of the theoretical prediction of about 30%. At small &thetas; nq (&thetas;nq < 60°) the theory overpredicts the cross section while at large &thetas; nq (&thetas;nq > 80°) the theory underestimates the cross sections. We observed an enhancement of the cross section, due to FSI, of about 240%, as compared to PWIA, for a missing momentum of 0.4 GeV/c at an angle of 75°. For missing momentum of 0.5 GeV/c the enhancement of the cross section due to the same FSI effects, was about 270%. This is in agreement with GEA. Standard Glauber calculations predict this large contribution to occur at an angle of 90°. Our results show that GEA better describes the 2H(e, e'p)n reaction.

Incorporating variable peak -to -daily ratios in the equilibrium traffic assignment procedure of the Florida Standard Urban Transportation Modeling Structure (FSUTMS)

The standard highway assignment model in the Florida Standard Urban Transportation Modeling Structure (FSUTMS) is based on the equilibrium traffic assignment method. This method involves running several iterations of all-or-nothing capacity-restraint assignment with an adjustment of travel time to reflect delays encountered in the associated iteration. The iterative link time adjustment process is accomplished through the Bureau of Public Roads (BPR) volume-delay equation. Since FSUTMS' traffic assignment procedure outputs daily volumes, and the input capacities are given in hourly volumes, it is necessary to convert the hourly capacities to their daily equivalents when computing the volume-to-capacity ratios used in the BPR function. The conversion is accomplished by dividing the hourly capacity by a factor called the peak-to-daily ratio, or referred to as CONFAC in FSUTMS. The ratio is computed as the highest hourly volume of a day divided by the corresponding total daily volume. ^ While several studies have indicated that CONFAC is a decreasing function of the level of congestion, a constant value is used for each facility type in the current version of FSUTMS. This ignores the different congestion level associated with each roadway and is believed to be one of the culprits of traffic assignment errors. Traffic counts data from across the state of Florida were used to calibrate CONFACs as a function of a congestion measure using the weighted least squares method. The calibrated functions were then implemented in FSUTMS through a procedure that takes advantage of the iterative nature of FSUTMS' equilibrium assignment method. ^ The assignment results based on constant and variable CONFACs were then compared against the ground counts for three selected networks. It was found that the accuracy from the two assignments was not significantly different, that the hypothesized improvement in assignment results from the variable CONFAC model was not empirically evident. It was recognized that many other factors beyond the scope and control of this study could contribute to this finding. It was recommended that further studies focus on the use of the variable CONFAC model with recalibrated parameters for the BPR function and/or with other forms of volume-delay functions. ^