Perceptions of depression in korean american immigrants.

Despite its high prevalence, depression is often unrecognized and untreated in minority immigrants. Culture and environment influence perceptions of depression. The purpose of this study was to understand perceptions of depression (knowledge and coping mechanisms) in Korean American immigrants using focus group discussions. A convenience sample (n = 28) was recruited from Korean communities in the Puget Sound region of Washington State. Participants lacked an understanding of depression. Difficulties from immigration-related environmental changes were the main sources of stress. Immigration-related environmental changes resulted in changes in coping resources. Culture-friendly education and coping resources might benefit this minority group.

Thai men becoming a first-time father.

The purpose of this study was to understand the process of Thai men becoming a first-time father. Twenty expectant fathers were voluntarily recruited from the antenatal clinics of three hospitals in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. The data were collected by in-depth interviews and analyzed on the basis of grounded theory methodology. The findings demonstrated that "protecting the unborn baby" was the basic social process that emerged as the core category. This process was divided into three phases: confirming and accepting, perceiving the unborn baby as a human being, and ensuring the health of the mother and baby. Throughout this process, the Thai expectant fathers applied many strategies to manage their concerns, needs, and emotions and to develop themselves into fathers. The process of protecting the unborn baby provides insight into the expectant fathers' experiences, which will enable nurses and midwives to assist and care for men as they become fathers.

Assessments of Acoustic Environments by Emotions - The Application of Emotion Theory in Soundscape.

Human beings respond to their immediate environments in a variety of ways, with emotion playing a cardinal role. In evolutionary theories, emotions are thought to prepare an organism for action. The interplay of acoustic environments, emotions, and evolutionary needs are currently subject to discussion in soundscape research. Universal definitions of emotion and its nature are currently missing, but there seems to be a fundamental consensus that emotions are internal, evanescent, mostly conscious, relational, manifest in different forms, and serve a purpose. Research in this area is expanding, particularly in regards to the context-related, affective, and emotional processing of environmental stimuli. A number of studies present ways to determine the nature of emotions elicited by a soundscape and to measure these reliably. Yet the crucial question-which basic and complex emotions are triggered and how they relate to affective appraisal-has still not been conclusively answered. To help frame research on this topic, an overview of the theoretical background is presented that applies emotion theory to soundscape. Two latent fundamental dimensions are often found at the center of theoretical concepts of emotion: valence and arousal. These established universal dimensions can also be applied in the context of emotions that are elicited by soundscapes. Another, and perhaps more familiar, parallel is found between emotion and music. However, acoustic environments are more subtle than musical arrangements, rarely applying the compositional and artistic considerations frequently used in music. That said, the measurement of emotion in the context of soundscape studies is only of additional value if some fundamental inquiries are sufficiently answered: To what extent does the reporting act itself alter emotional responses? Are all important affective qualities consciously accessible and directly measurable by self-reports? How can emotion related to the environment be separated from affective predisposition? By means of a conceptual analysis of relevant soundscape publications, the consensus and conflicts on these fundamental questions in the light of soundscape theory are highlighted and needed research actions are framed. The overview closes with a proposed modification to an existing, standardized framework to include the meaning of emotion in the design of soundscapes.

When are tutorial dialogues more effective than reading?

It is often assumed that engaging in a one-on-one dialogue with a tutor is more effective than listening to a lecture or reading a text. Although earlier experiments have not always supported this hypothesis, this may be due in part to allowing the tutors to cover different content than the noninteractive instruction. In 7 experiments, we tested the interaction hypothesis under the constraint that (a) all students covered the same content during instruction, (b) the task domain was qualitative physics, (c) the instruction was in natural language as opposed to mathematical or other formal languages, and (d) the instruction conformed with a widely observed pattern in human tutoring: Graesser, Person, and Magliano's 5-step frame. In the experiments, we compared 2 kinds of human tutoring (spoken and computer mediated) with 2 kinds of natural-language-based computer tutoring (Why2-Atlas and Why2-AutoTutor) and 3 control conditions that involved studying texts. The results depended on whether the students' preparation matched the content of the instruction. When novices (students who had not taken college physics) studied content that was written for intermediates (students who had taken college physics), then tutorial dialogue was reliably more beneficial than less interactive instruction, with large effect sizes. When novices studied material written for novices or intermediates studied material written for intermediates, then tutorial dialogue was not reliably more effective than the text-based control conditions.

Exploring Initiative as a Signal of Knowledge Co-Construction During Collaborative Problem Solving.

Peer interaction has been found to be conducive to learning in many settings. Knowledge co-construction (KCC) has been proposed as one explanatory mechanism. However, KCC is a theoretical construct that is too abstract to guide the development of instructional software that can support peer interaction. In this study, we present an extensive analysis of a corpus of peer dialogs that we collected in the domain of introductory Computer Science. We show that the notion of task initiative shifts correlates with both KCC and learning. Speakers take task initiative when they contribute new content that advances problem solving and that is not invited by their partner; if initiative shifts between the partners, it indicates they both contribute to problem solving. We found that task initiative shifts occur more frequently within KCC episodes than outside. In addition, task initiative shifts within KCC episodes correlate with learning for low pre-testers, and total task initiative shifts correlate with learning for high pre-testers. As recognizing task initiative shifts does not require as much deep knowledge as recognizing KCC, task initiative shifts as an indicator of productive collaboration are potentially easier to model in instructional software that simulates a peer.

Creating permanent 3D arrangements of isolated cells using holographic optical tweezers.

We report the creation of permanent 3D configurations of cells, at predefined positions, within a gelatin matrix. The technique used holographic optical tweezers to manipulate individual E. coli within a solution comprising monomer precursors. The matrix was then set and after the laser beam was removed, we were able to demonstrate that the structures remained intact for many days. We were also able to demonstrate that, in the presence of appropriate nutrients, the E. coli survived within the gelatin matrix for several days. The technique could have a number of potential future applications, including the arrangement of a variety of different cell types in complex architectures, as motifs for promoting tissue differentiation and growth within the field of cell engineering.

3D interferometric optical tweezers using a single spatial light modulator.

Hexagonal arrays of micron sized silica beads have been trapped in three-dimensions within an optical lattice formed by the interference of multiple plane-waves. The optical lattice design with sharply peaked intensity gradients produces a stronger trapping force than the traditionally sinusoidal intensity distributions of other interferometric systems. The plane waves were generated using a single, phase-only, spatial light modulator (SLM), sited near a Talbot image plane of the traps. Compared to conventional optical tweezers, where the traps are formed in the Fourier-plane of the SLM, this approach may offer an advantage in the creation of large periodic array structures. This method of pattern formation may also be applicable to trapping arrays of atoms.

Surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering in optical tweezers using co-axial second harmonic generation.

Silica particles were partially coated with silver, and a suitable chromophore, such that they could be simultaneously trapped within an optical tweezers system, and emit a surface-enhanced resonance Raman scattering (SERRS) response. A standard 1064 nm TEM00 mode laser was used to trap the bead whilst a frequency doubling crystal inserted into the beam gave several microwatts of 532 nm co-linear light to excite the SERRS emission. The con fi guration has clear applications in providing apparatus that can simultaneously manipulate a particle whilst obtaining surface sensitive sensory information.

3D manipulation of particles into crystal structures using holographic optical tweezers.

We have developed holographic optical tweezers that can manipulate many particles simultaneously in three dimensions in order to create micro-crystal structures that extend over many tens of microns. The technique uses specific hologram-design algorithms to create structures that can be dynamically scaled or rotated about arbitrary axes. We believe the generation and control of pre-determined crystal-like structures have significant potential in fields as diverse as photonic-crystal construction, seeding of biological tissue growth and creation of metrological standards within nanotechnology.

Interactive application in holographic optical tweezers of a multi-plane Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm for three-dimensional light shaping.

Phase-hologram patterns that can shape the intensity distribution of a light beam in several planes simultaneously can be calculated with an iterative Gerchberg-Saxton algorithm [T. Haist et al., Opt. Commun. 140, 299 (1997)]. We apply this algorithm in holographic optical tweezers. This allows us to simultaneously trap several objects in individually controllable arbitrary 3-dimensional positions. We demonstrate the interactive use of our approach by trapping microscopic spheres and moving them into an arbitrary 3-dimensional configuration.

Assembly of 3-dimensional structures using programmable holographic optical tweezers.

The micromanipulation of objects into 3-dimensional geometries within holographic optical tweezers is carried out using modified Gerchberg-Saxton (GS) and direct binary search (DBS) algorithms to produce the hologram designs. The algorithms calculate sequences of phase holograms, which are implemented using a spatial light modulator, to reconfigure the geometries of optical traps in many planes simultaneously. The GS algorithm is able to calculate holograms quickly from the initial, intermediate and final trap positions. In contrast, the DBS algorithm is slower and therefore used to pre-calculate the holograms, which are then displayed in sequence. Assembly of objects in a variety of 3-D configurations is semi-automated, once the traps in their initial positions are loaded.

Semantic annotation of clinical events for generating a problem list.

We present a pilot study of an annotation schema representing problems and their attributes, along with their relationship to temporal modifiers. We evaluated the ability for humans to annotate clinical reports using the schema and assessed the contribution of semantic annotations in determining the status of a problem mention as active, inactive, proposed, resolved, negated, or other. Our hypothesis is that the schema captures semantic information useful for generating an accurate problem list. Clinical named entities such as reference events, time points, time durations, aspectual phase, ordering words and their relationships including modifications and ordering relations can be annotated by humans with low to moderate recall. Once identified, most attributes can be annotated with low to moderate agreement. Some attributes - Experiencer, Existence, and Certainty - are more informative than other attributes - Intermittency and Generalized/Conditional - for predicting a problem mention's status. Support vector machine outperformed Naïve Bayes and Decision Tree for predicting a problem's status.

Interactive approach to optical tweezers control.

We have developed software with an interactive user interface that can be used to generate phase holograms for use with spatial light modulators. The program utilizes different hologram design techniques, allowing the user to select an appropriate algorithm. The program can be used to generate multiple beams and can be used for beam steering. We see a major application of the program to be in optical tweezers to control the position, number, and type of optical traps.

Reducing pain in ED patients during lumbar puncture: the efficacy and feasibility of iontophoresis, collaborative approach.

INTRODUCTION: This study examined the efficacy and feasibility of a collaborative iontophoresis procedure for dermal anesthesia prior to lumbar puncture (LP) in adult ED patients. METHODS: Patients were randomized to receive lidocaine by iontophoresis or needle infiltration. Emergency nurses and physicians completed a collaborative LP procedure in those randomized to iontophoresis. Usual care was provided for needle infiltration subjects. Pain was assessed at 3 points using an 11-point numeric rating scale to measure pain, and provider satisfaction was recorded. RESULTS: Ninety subjects completed the protocol: infiltration group (n = 48) and iontophoresis group (n = 42). Subjects in the lidocaine infiltration group reported significantly more pain (mean, 4.1A+/-2.6) than subjects in the iontophoresis group (mean, 0.9A+/-1.6) ( t82 = 1.26, P =.000). There was no significant difference between the pain experienced during the lumbar puncture by both groups. Mean pain score during LP was 3.7 (+/-2.7) for iontophoresis compared to 3.4 (+/-2.9) for infiltration. More iontophoresis subjects (18 or 43.9%) required "rescue" lidocaine than infiltration subjects (12 or 24.5%) (chi-square 1 =3.79, P =.0515). Providers reported greater satisfaction with the collaborative procedure compared to physician administered lidocaine infiltration and anecdotally reported that iontophoretic anesthesia administration does not obscure anatomical landmarks, as needle infiltration can. Time for completion of dermal anesthesia using the iontophoretic procedure was longer than time for completion of dermal anesthesia using the lidocaine infiltration procedure (12A+/-12 min vs 2A+/-1.7 min); however, no statistically significant difference in total LP time or ED length of stay was found. NURSING IMPLICATIONS: Dermal anesthesia by lidocaine iontophoresis in patients undergoing an LP with emergency nurses and physicians working in collaboration during the procedure takes longer, but decreases the pain of administering anesthesia, increases provider satisfaction, and fosters collaborative practice in the emergency setting. Iontophoretic administration of anesthesia for LP is now an option for dermal anesthesia in our emergency department.