Student Veterans: Does How We Welcome Them Matter?

The recent influx of veterans into higher education has caused an increase of dedicated services and programs. Educational success is contingent upon student involvement in their educational communities, and orientation plays an important role in facilitating this engagement. Using quasi-experimental research design, and Schlossberg’s constructs of mattering and marginality in higher education as a lens, this study sought to discover if student veterans experienced differing levels of mattering to their schools when categorized by the type of orientation they attended. Five hundred eighty-nine student veterans at 13 public universities within one Midwestern state completed the Unified Measure of University Mattering Instrument (France, 2011), and provided limited demographic information. Findings demonstrate that student veterans who experienced an orientation session which included a session designed exclusively for veterans demonstrated statistically significant higher scores in their perceived mattering to their school than student veterans who did not attend orientation. However, student veterans who attended standard orientation without veteran-specific content did not demonstrate statistically significant higher scores that those who did not attend orientation at all. Results indicate how small changes in traditional programs can have a significant impact on student veterans’ sense of mattering to their university.

A Medium-Sized Nanoclusters Au38: A Numerical Finite-Difference Method with DFTB Approach

We present a vibrational spectrum analysis ofAu38cluster, with energy(-4.95 eV/atom) having a group symmetry C1. We have carried out DFTB calculation by using the numerical finite-difference method and extracted the required force constants. Our calculations have confirmed with the experimental results, that is, a thermodynamically very stable structure cannot be crystalline, but having a high probability of amorphus. The lowest energy geometrical structures are being confirmed by comparison (of the nuclei coordination numbers) of the different axis of rotations at a standard orientation of crystal shape. Moreover, we have accurately predicted the vibrational frequency range from 1.62 to 298.53 cm−1at ∆E = 0. Significantly, the spectrum has shown 10 sets of double state degeneracy and the rest of the 88 spectrum’s are having independent single state degeneracy. Amazingly, at NVM 101,102 that gives a pair of degeneracy {238.54, 238.89} cm−1 that has occurred within the range of Mid Infrared MIR, IR-C 3330-200 cm−1. Nevertheless, our investigation has revealed that the vibrational spectrum strongly depends upon the size, shape, and structure, as well as, stretching and bending vibrations of the atoms.

A Vehicle Target Recognition Algorithm for Wide-Angle SAR Based on Joint Feature Set Matching

Target recognition is an important area in Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) research. Wide-angle Synthetic Aperture Radar (WSAR) has obvious advantages in target imaging resolution. This paper presents a vehicle target recognition algorithm for wide-angle SAR, which is based on joint feature set matching (JFSM). In this algorithm, firstly, the modulus stretch step is added in the imaging process of wide-angle SAR to obtain the thinned image of vehicle contour. Secondly, the gravitational-based speckle reduction algorithm is used to obtain a clearer contour image. Thirdly, the image is rotated to obtain a standard orientation image. Subsequently, the image and projection feature sets are extracted. Finally, the JFSM algorithm, which combines the image and projection sets, is used to identify the vehicle model. Experiments show that the recognition accuracy of the proposed algorithm is up to 85%. The proposed algorithm is demonstrated on the Gotcha WSAR dataset.

Application of GPR and ERT methods for recognizing of gypsum deposits in urban areas

This paper presents the selected results of GPR (ground penetrating radar) and ERT (electrical resistivity tomography) surveys carried out on the sites in Poland where shallow karst forms were found in gypsum deposits. The aim of the surveys was the noninvasive detection of karst forms as well as weathered and fractured bedrock which may threaten the stability of the surface and, consequently, may cause damage to buildings, as well as overground and underground infrastructure. The geophysical surveys were conducted at a depth of only a few meters, i.e., to the depth of buildings foundations. GPR surveys were carried out in short-offset reflection profiling mode with standard orientation of the antennae set; however, on one site, different orientations of antennae were tested. During ERT surveys, different measurement arrays were applied in order to analyze which array was optimal for the detection of karst forms as well as weathered and fractured bedrock. Complex interpretation of geophysical surveys resulted in reduced ambiguity and revealed some regions, dangerous for surface stability. Due to the fact that gypsum deposits were investigated to the depth of maximum 10 m; therefore, hydrological processes were analyzed in the paper instead of hydrogeological processes.

The Existence and Structure of Rotational Systems in the Circle

By a rotational system, we mean a closed subset X of the circle, T=R/Z, together with a continuous transformation f:X→X with the requirements that the dynamical system (X,f) be minimal and that f respect the standard orientation of T. We show that infinite rotational systems (X,f), with the property that map f has finite preimages, are extensions of irrational rotations of the circle. Such systems have been studied when they arise as invariant subsets of certain specific mappings, F:T→T. Because our main result makes no explicit mention of a global transformation on T, we show that such a structure theorem holds for rotational systems that arise as invariant sets of any continuous transformation F:T→T with finite preimages. In particular, there are no explicit conditions on the degree of F. We then give a development of known results in the case where Fθ=d·θmod⁡1 for an integer d>1. The paper concludes with a construction of infinite rotational sets for mappings of the unit circle of degree larger than one whose lift to the universal cover is monotonic.

A Model for Visual Perception and Recognition of Outlines

Many topics in vision are still not well understood. A model for visual perception and recognition of shapes is described, by combining ideas relating to receptive fields of ganglion cells in the retina, eye movements during fixation, multiple spatial scales of precision, attention, axes and coordinates. The main objective is to provide a realistic scheme for perception of outlines, with recognition that is not prevented by changes of size and viewpoint. Outlines are detected by changes with time arising from eye movements, followed by identification of vertical and horizontal axes, and use of levels of precision that depend on the size of the area of attention. The increments of position in these levels increase in size as the size of area increases, so in an index of positions the increment numbers remain constant for all sizes. After changes of viewpoint, “attentional planes” connect changed positions on outlines to positions with a standard orientation of axes, so that shapes may be matched with stored representations. Spatial coordinates are related to positions at the retina by representations based on eye movements.

Effectiveness of video resources in nursing orientation before cardiac heart surgery

Summary Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of video resources in increasing patient knowledge during preoperative orientation for cardiac surgery compared to standard orientation. Method: Randomized clinical trial. Patients in the intervention group (IG) received bedside orientation with the aid of a short video and a slide presentation on the day prior to surgery. Patients in the control group (CG) received standard orientation. Allocation and analysis of knowledge were blinded. Analysis was performed according to the intention to treat principle. Results: We included 90 patients, 45 in each group; 27.8% had incomplete primary education. There were no differences between groups in the baseline. After orientation, IG scored 7.20 (±1.56) and scored CG 2.71 (±1.96, p<0,001). The topic "surgical room" had the lowest proportion of correct answers in CG (6.7%), compared to IG (68.9%). The question about "postoperative unit" was the one with the highest proportion of correct answers in IG (93.3%), while in CG the proportion was 22.2%. "Ventilatory support" had a low proportion of correct answers in IG (60%), but still much higher than the correct answers in CG (17.8%). Conclusion: Orientation performed with the aid of video resources is more effective for knowledge retention in preoperative patients, compared to verbal orientation alone.

The good pharmacy practice on Einstein Program at Paraisópolis Community

ABSTRACT Objectives: To describe indicators and processes developed and implemented for pharmaceutical assistance at the Einstein Program at Paraisópolis Community pharmacy. Methods: This was a descriptive study of retrospective data from January 2012 to December 2015. Data were obtained from spreadsheets developed for monitoring the productivity and care quality provided at the pharmacy. The evaluated variables were pharmaceutical assistance to prescription, pharmaceutical intervention, orientation (standard and pharmaceutical) and pharmaceutical orientation rate. Results: The pharmacy assisted, on average, 2,308 prescriptions monthly, dispensing 4,871 items, including medications, materials and food supplements. Since March 2015, virtually, the pharmacist analyzed all prescriptions, prior to dispensing. In the analyzed period, there was an increase in monthly pharmaceutical interventions from 7 to 32 on average, and, although there was a decrease in the number of standard orientation, the pharmaceutical orientation had an increase, causing a rise of pharmaceutical orientation rate from 4 to 11%. Conclusion: The processes developed and implemented at the program pharmacy sought to follow the good pharmacy practice, and help patients to make the best use of their medications.