Kenyan Nurses Involvement in National Policy Development Processes

PubMed Central

Juma, Pamela Atieno

2014-01-01

The aim of this study was to critically examine how nurses have been involved in national policy processes in the Kenyan health sector. The paper reports qualitative results from a larger mixed method study. National nonnursing decision-makers and nurse leaders, and provincial managers as well as frontline nurse managers from two Kenyan districts were purposefully selected for interviews. Interviews dealt with nurses' involvement in national policy processes, factors hindering nurses' engagement in policy processes, and ways to enhance nurses' involvement in policy processes. Critical theory and feminist perspectives guided the study process. Content analysis of data was conducted. Findings revealed that nurses' involvement in policy processes in Kenya was limited. Only a few nurse leaders were involved in national policy committees as a result of their positions in the sector. Critical analysis of the findings revealed that hierarchies and structural factors as well as nursing professional issues were the primary barriers constraining nurses' involvement in policy processes. Thus, there is need to address these factors both by nurses themselves and by nonnursing decision makers, in order to enhance nurses engagement in policy making and further the contribution to quality of services to the communities. PMID:25349731

Methods for the Study of Gonadal Development.

PubMed

Piprek, Rafal P

2016-01-01

Current knowledge on gonadal development and sex determination is the product of many decades of research involving a variety of scientific methods from different biological disciplines such as histology, genetics, biochemistry, and molecular biology. The earliest embryological investigations, followed by the invention of microscopy and staining methods, were based on histological examinations. The most robust development of histological staining techniques occurred in the second half of the nineteenth century and resulted in structural descriptions of gonadogenesis. These first studies on gonadal development were conducted on domesticated animals; however, currently the mouse is the most extensively studied species. The next key point in the study of gonadogenesis was the advancement of methods allowing for the in vitro culture of fetal gonads. For instance, this led to the description of the origin of cell lines forming the gonads. Protein detection using antibodies and immunolabeling methods and the use of reporter genes were also invaluable for developmental studies, enabling the visualization of the formation of gonadal structure. Recently, genetic and molecular biology techniques, especially gene expression analysis, have revolutionized studies on gonadogenesis and have provided insight into the molecular mechanisms that govern this process. The successive invention of new methods is reflected in the progress of research on gonadal development.

Monitoring and evaluation of patient involvement in clinical practice guideline development: lessons from the Multidisciplinary Guideline for Employment and Severe Mental Illness, the Netherlands.

PubMed

van der Ham, Alida J; van Erp, Nicole; Broerse, Jacqueline E W

2016-04-01

The aim of this study was to gain better insight into the quality of patient participation in the development of clinical practice guidelines and to contribute to approaches for the monitoring and evaluation of such initiatives. In addition, we explore the potential of a dialogue-based approach for reconciliation of preferences of patients and professionals in the guideline development processes. The development of the Multidisciplinary Guideline for Employment and Severe Mental Illness in the Netherlands served as a case study. Methods for patient involvement in guideline development included the following: four patient representatives in the development group and advisory committee, two focus group discussions with patients, a dialogue session and eight case studies. To evaluate the quality of patient involvement, we developed a monitoring and evaluation framework including both process and outcome criteria. Data collection included observations, document analysis and semi-structured interviews (n = 26). The quality of patient involvement was enhanced using different methods, reflection of patient input in the guideline text, a supportive attitude among professionals and attention to patient involvement throughout the process. The quality was lower with respect to representing the diversity of the target group, articulation of the patient perspective in the GDG, and clarity and transparency concerning methods of involvement. The monitoring and evaluation framework was useful in providing detailed insights into patient involvement in guideline development. Patient involvement was evaluated as being of good quality. The dialogue-based approach appears to be a promising method for obtaining integrated stakeholder input in a multidisciplinary setting. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Father involvement in Mexican origin families: Preliminary development of culturally-informed measure

PubMed Central

Roubinov, Danielle S.; Luecken, Linda J.; Gonzales, Nancy A.; Crnic, Keith A.

2015-01-01

Objectives An increasing body of research has documented the significant influence of father involvement on children’s development and overall well-being. However, extant research has predominately focused on middle-class Caucasian samples with little examination of fathering in ethnic minority and low-income families, particularly during the infancy period. The present study evaluated measures of early father involvement (paternal engagement, accessibility, and responsibility) that were adapted to capture important cultural values relevant to the paternal role in Mexican origin families. Methods A sample of 180 Mexican origin mothers (M age = 28.3) and 83 Mexican origin fathers (M age = 31.5) were interviewed during the perinatal period. Results Descriptive analyses indicated that Mexican origin fathers are involved in meaningful levels of direct interaction with their infant. A two-factor model of paternal responsibility was supported by factor analyses, consisting of a behavioral responsibility factor aligned with previous literature and culturally-derived positive machismo factor. Qualities of the romantic relationship, cultural orientation, and maternal employment status were related to indices of father involvement. Conclusions These preliminary results contribute to understanding of the transition to fatherhood among low-income Mexican origin men and bring attention to the demographic, social, and cultural contexts in which varying levels of father involvement may emerge. PMID:26237543

Learning Challenges Involved in Developing Leading for Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Timperley, Helen S.

2006-01-01

The study in this article seeks to understand the learning challenges involved in developing learning-centered leadership in schools. It is based on Southworth's (1998, 2004) ideas of leadership for improving schools, which comprise promoting learning-centered improvement at all levels through professional development and a focus on the quality of…

Supporting public involvement in research design and grant development: a case study of a public involvement award scheme managed by a National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Research Design Service (RDS).

PubMed

Boote, Jonathan D; Twiddy, Maureen; Baird, Wendy; Birks, Yvonne; Clarke, Clare; Beever, Daniel

2015-10-01

It is good practice for the public to be involved in developing health research. Resources should be available for researchers to fund the involvement of the public in the development of their grants. To describe a funding award scheme to support public involvement in grant development, managed by an NIHR Research Design Service (RDS). Case examples of how the award contributed to successful grant applications and findings from a recent evaluation of the scheme are presented. A case study of resource provision to support public involvement activities in one region of England. University and NHS-based researchers, and members of the public. Between 2009 and 2012, the RDS approved 45 public involvement funding awards (totalling nearly £19,000). These awards contributed to 27 submitted applications at the time of writing, of which 11 were successful (totalling over £7.5 million). The evaluation revealed difficulties encountered by some researchers when involving the public in grant development, which led to suggestions about how the scheme could be improved. This award scheme represents an efficient method of providing researchers with resources to involve the public in grant development and would appear to represent good value for money. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

mHealth in Urology: A Review of Experts’ Involvement in App Development

PubMed Central

Pereira-Azevedo, Nuno; Carrasquinho, Eduardo; Cardoso de Oliveira, Eduardo; Cavadas, Vitor; Osório, Luís; Fraga, Avelino; Castelo-Branco, Miguel; Roobol, Monique J.

2015-01-01

Introduction Smartphones are increasingly playing a role in healthcare and previous studies assessing medical applications (apps) have raised concerns about lack of expert involvement and low content accuracy. However, there are no such studies in Urology. We reviewed Urology apps with the aim of assessing the level of participation of healthcare professionals (HCP) and scientific Urology associations in their development. Material and Methods A systematic search was performed on PubMed, Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store, for Urology apps, available in English. Apps were reviewed by three graders to determine the app’s platform, target customer, developer, app type, app category, price and the participation of a HCP or a scientific Urology association in the development. Results The search yielded 372 apps, of which 150 were specific for Urology. A fifth of all apps had no HCP involvement (20.7%) and only a third had been developed with a scientific Urology association (34.7%). The lowest percentage of HCP (13.4%) and urological association (1.9%) involvement was in apps designed for the general population. Furthermore, there was no contribution from an Urology society in "Electronic Medical Record" nor in "Patient Information" apps. A limitation of the study is that only Android and iOS apps were reviewed. Conclusions Despite the increasing Mobile Health (mHealth) market, this is the first study that demonstrates the lack of expert participation in the design of Urology apps, particularly in apps designed for the general public. Until clear regulation is enforced, the urological community should help regulate app development. Maintaining a register of certified apps or issuing an official scientific seal of approval could improve overall app quality. We propose that urologists become stakeholders in mHealth, shaping future app design and promoting peer-review app validation. PMID:25984916

Career development through local chapter involvement: perspectives from chapter members.

PubMed

Thomas, Melissa; Inniss-Richter, Zipporah; Mata, Holly; Cottrell, Randall R

2013-07-01

The importance of career development in professional organizations has been noted in the literature. Personal and professional benefits of membership regardless of discipline can be found across the career spectrum from student to executive. The benefits of professional membership with respect to career development in local chapter organizations have seldom been studied. Local chapter participation may offer significant career development opportunities for the practitioner, faculty member, and student. The purpose of this study was to explore the importance of local chapter involvement to the career development of health education practitioners. An 18-item questionnaire was disseminated to the membership of three local SOPHE (Society for Public Health Education) chapters that explored the level of local chapter involvement and the impact of how specific professional development activities impacted career development. The results of the survey highlighted the importance of continuing education programs, networking, and leadership experience in developing one's career that are offered by local SOPHE chapter involvement. Making a positive impact in the community and earning the respect of one's peers were most often reported as indicators of career success. These factors can directly impact local chapter participation. Career development can certainly be enhanced by active participation in the local chapter of a professional association.

METHOD DEVELOPMENT FOR THE DETERMINATION OF FORMALDEHYDE IN SAMPLES OF ENVIRONMENTAL ORIGIN

EPA Science Inventory

An analytical method was developed for the determination of formaldehyde in samples of environmental origin. After a review of the current literature, five candidate methods involving chemical derivatization were chosen for evaluation. The five derivatization reagents studied wer...

Prosocial Involvement as a Positive Youth Development Construct: A Conceptual Review

PubMed Central

Lam, Ching Man

2012-01-01

This paper discusses the concept of prosocial involvement as a positive youth development construct. How prosocial involvement is defined and how the different theories conceptualize prosocial involvement are reviewed. Antecedents of prosocial involvement such as biological traits, personality, cognitive and emotional processes, socialization experience, culture, and their social context are examined. The relationship between prosocial involvement and adolescent developmental outcomes, together with strategies to promote prosocial involvement in adolescents, are discussed. Finally, directions for future research and practice are proposed. PMID:22649323

Some recent developments of the immersed interface method for flow simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Sheng

2017-11-01

The immersed interface method is a general methodology for solving PDEs subject to interfaces. In this talk, I will give an overview of some recent developments of the method toward the enhancement of its robustness for flow simulation. In particular, I will present with numerical results how to capture boundary conditions on immersed rigid objects, how to adopt interface triangulation in the method, and how to parallelize the method for flow with moving objects. With these developments, the immersed interface method can achieve accurate and efficient simulation of a flow involving multiple moving complex objects. Thanks to NSF for the support of this work under Grant NSF DMS 1320317.

Primary Care Trusts involving the community: is community development the way forward?

PubMed

Crowley, Philip; Green, Judith; Freake, Debbie; Drinkwater, Chris

2002-01-01

Patient and user involvement is central to current government thinking on the NHS. More comprehensive approaches to organised community participation and community development have received less support and examples of effective and genuine participation in key areas such as primary care decision-making are rare. The initiative described in this paper was established in Newcastle upon Tyne in 1995 to promote community participation in decision-making about local health services. It has particular relevance to current concerns about addressing social exclusion and tackling health inequalities since it operates in an area of social disadvantage with a significant black and ethnic minority population (6 percent). This case study is based on an independent evaluation which used multiple research methods, including interviews, questionnaire surveys and direct observation, to assess the project's practice and impact. Describes a community development approach to public participation. An emphasis on inclusive practices has facilitated meaningful involvement of minority groups such as ethnic minority residents and those with disabilities who tend to be marginalised in public debate. Argues that the project has made a significant impact on the ways in which local health services are planned and delivered

Stakeholder involvement in systematic reviews: a protocol for a systematic review of methods, outcomes and effects.

PubMed

Pollock, Alex; Campbell, Pauline; Struthers, Caroline; Synnot, Anneliese; Nunn, Jack; Hill, Sophie; Goodare, Heather; Watts, Chris; Morley, Richard

2017-01-01

Researchers are expected to actively involve stakeholders (including patients, the public, health professionals, and others) in their research. Although researchers increasingly recognise that this is good practice, there is limited practical guidance about how to involve stakeholders. Systematic reviews are a research method in which international literature is brought together, using carefully designed and rigorous methods to answer a specified question about healthcare. We want to investigate how researchers have involved stakeholders in systematic reviews, and how involvement has potentially affected the quality and impact of reviews. We plan to bring this information together by searching and reviewing the literature for reports of stakeholder involvement in systematic reviews. This paper describes in detail the methods that we plan to use to do this. After carrying out comprehensive searches for literature, we will: 1. Provide an overview of identified reports, describing key information such as types of stakeholders involved, and how. 2. Pick out reports of involvement which include detailed descriptions of how researchers involved people in a systematic review and summarise the methods they used. We will consider who was involved, how people were recruited, and how the involvement was organised and managed. 3. Bring together any reports which have explored the effect, or impact, of involving stakeholders in a systematic review. We will assess the quality of these reports, and summarise their findings. Once completed, our review will be used to produce training resources aimed at helping researchers to improve ways of involving stakeholders in systematic reviews. Background There is an expectation for stakeholders (including patients, the public, health professionals, and others) to be involved in research. Researchers are increasingly recognising that it is good practice to involve stakeholders in systematic reviews. There is currently a lack of evidence

Empirical Evidence or Intuition? An Activity Involving the Scientific Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Overway, Ken

2007-01-01

Students need to have basic understanding of scientific method during their introductory science classes and for this purpose an activity was devised which involved a game based on famous Monty Hall game problem. This particular activity allowed students to banish or confirm their intuition based on empirical evidence.

Parent Involvement and Children's Academic and Social Development in Elementary School

PubMed Central

El Nokali, Nermeen E.; Bachman, Heather J.; Votruba-Drzal, Elizabeth

2010-01-01

Data from the NICHD Study of Early Childcare and Youth Development (N= 1364) were used to investigate children's trajectories of academic and social development across first, third and fifth grade. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to examine within- and between-child associations among maternal- and teacher-reports of parent involvement and children's standardized achievement scores, social skills, and problem behaviors. Findings suggest that within-child improvements in parent involvement predict declines in problem behaviors and improvements in social skills but do not predict changes in achievement. Between-child analyses demonstrated that children with highly involved parents had enhanced social functioning and fewer behavior problems. Similar patterns of findings emerged for teacher- and parent-reports of parent involvement. Implications for policy and practice are discussed. PMID:20573118

Involving the public through participatory visual research methods

PubMed Central

Lorenz, Laura S.; Kolb, Bettina

2009-01-01

Abstract Objectives  To show how providing cameras to patients and community residents can be effective at involving the public in generating understanding of consumer, community, and health system problems and strengths. Background  Health‐care institutions and systems may seek to include consumer perspectives on health and health care yet be challenged to involve the most vulnerable sectors, be they persons with disabilities or persons with low socio‐economic status living in societies where a top‐down approach to policy is the norm. Methods  Drawing on study examples using photo‐elicitation and photovoice in Morocco and the United States, the authors explore issues of planning, data analysis, ethical concerns and action related to using participatory visual methods in different cultural and political contexts. Results  Visual data generated by consumers can be surprising and can identify health system problems and strengths omitted from data gathered using other means. Statistical data may convince policy makers of the need to address a problem. Participant visual data may in turn encourage policy maker attention and action. Conclusion  Health system decision making may be improved by having a broader range of data available. Participant‐generated visual data may support data gathered using traditional methods, or provide a reality check when compared with data generated by organizations, researchers and policy makers. The two study examples model innovative ways to surface health and health‐care issues as they relate to consumers’ real lives and engage vulnerable groups in systems change, even in contexts where expressing opinions might be seen as a risky thing to do. PMID:19754690

How Qualitative Methods Can be Used to Inform Model Development.

PubMed

Husbands, Samantha; Jowett, Susan; Barton, Pelham; Coast, Joanna

2017-06-01

Decision-analytic models play a key role in informing healthcare resource allocation decisions. However, there are ongoing concerns with the credibility of models. Modelling methods guidance can encourage good practice within model development, but its value is dependent on its ability to address the areas that modellers find most challenging. Further, it is important that modelling methods and related guidance are continually updated in light of any new approaches that could potentially enhance model credibility. The objective of this article was to highlight the ways in which qualitative methods have been used and recommended to inform decision-analytic model development and enhance modelling practices. With reference to the literature, the article discusses two key ways in which qualitative methods can be, and have been, applied. The first approach involves using qualitative methods to understand and inform general and future processes of model development, and the second, using qualitative techniques to directly inform the development of individual models. The literature suggests that qualitative methods can improve the validity and credibility of modelling processes by providing a means to understand existing modelling approaches that identifies where problems are occurring and further guidance is needed. It can also be applied within model development to facilitate the input of experts to structural development. We recommend that current and future model development would benefit from the greater integration of qualitative methods, specifically by studying 'real' modelling processes, and by developing recommendations around how qualitative methods can be adopted within everyday modelling practice.

Knowledge translation in job development: strategies for involving families.

PubMed

Hall, Allison; Bose, Jennifer; Winsor, Jean; Migliore, Alberto

2014-09-01

Although United States employment policies have increased support for people with disabilities working in community settings, the unemployment rate for this population remains very high, particularly for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities. Research shows that job developers (direct support professionals who assist people with disabilities to secure, maintain, and advance in employment) are critical to achieving quality employment outcomes. However, the extent to which job developers use practices that are considered promising in their field (such as engaging families) is not well known. This brief report summarizes findings from a qualitative study about the extent to which job developers use the recommended promising practices when working with individuals and family members. Qualitative analysis identified the following themes among job developers: factors affecting family involvement, perceptions of family involvement, and the influence of expectation on strategies. The field of job development faces a challenge common to many professions: translating research on best practices to those who need this knowledge the most and can use it to greatest effect. Future research should address how community rehabilitation providers (CRPs) communicate about and instill best practices, including effective family engagement, within their organizations. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Involving junior doctors in medical article publishing: is it an effective method of teaching?

PubMed

Oyibo, Samson O

2017-01-01

Having peer-reviewed articles published in medical journals is important for career progression in many medical specialties. Despite this, only a minority of junior doctors have the skills in the area of medical article publishing. The aim of this study was to assess junior doctors' views concerning being involved in medical article publishing and whether they perceive involvement as an effective method of teaching. A cross-sectional survey was administered to a convenience sample of doctors who had been involved in medical article publishing. Questions concerned training and involvement in publishing as junior doctors, effects on education and training, is it an effective method of teaching and should publishing be part of their education and training program. Questions used the 5-point Likert scale. Of the 39 doctors, 37 (94.9%) doctors responded. Only one-third of respondents agreed that they had adequate training or involvement in medical article publishing during their undergraduate medical training. Many (78.4%) agreed that it was difficult to get published as a junior doctor. Publishing as a junior doctor improved knowledge about publishing, understanding of the topic and interest in the field of study for 92, 92 and 73% of respondents, respectively. Many (89%) agreed that publishing made them eager to publish more. Most (76%) agreed that it was likely to encourage interest in a postgraduate career in that field of study. A majority (92%) felt that involvement in medical article publishing is an effective method of teaching and it should be a part of the junior doctors' education and training program. Junior doctors feel that involvement in medical article publishing contributes to learning and education and is an effective method of teaching. This supports the need to incorporate such training into the junior doctors' education and training program.

Revealing barriers and facilitators to use a new genetic test: comparison of three user involvement methods.

PubMed

Rhebergen, Martijn D F; Visser, Maaike J; Verberk, Maarten M; Lenderink, Annet F; van Dijk, Frank J H; Kezic, Sanja; Hulshof, Carel T J

2012-10-01

We compared three common user involvement methods in revealing barriers and facilitators from intended users that might influence their use of a new genetic test. The study was part of the development of a new genetic test on the susceptibility to hand eczema for nurses. Eighty student nurses participated in five focus groups (n = 33), 15 interviews (n = 15) or questionnaires (n = 32). For each method, data were collected until saturation. We compared the mean number of items and relevant remarks that could influence the use of the genetic test obtained per method, divided by the number of participants in that method. Thematic content analysis was performed using MAXQDA software. The focus groups revealed 30 unique items compared to 29 in the interviews and 21 in the questionnaires. The interviews produced more items and relevant remarks per participant (1.9 and 8.4 pp) than focus groups (0.9 and 4.8 pp) or questionnaires (0.7 and 2.3 pp). All three involvement methods revealed relevant barriers and facilitators to use a new genetic test. Focus groups and interviews revealed substantially more items than questionnaires. Furthermore, this study suggests a preference for the use of interviews because the number of items per participant was higher than for focus groups and questionnaires. This conclusion may be valid for other genetic tests as well.

Preliminary Tests For Development Of A Non-Pertechnetate Analysis Method

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Diprete, D.; McCabe, D.

2016-09-28

The objective of this task was to develop a non-pertechnetate analysis method that 222-S lab could easily implement. The initial scope involved working with 222-S laboratory personnel to adapt the existing Tc analytical method to fractionate the non-pertechnetate and pertechnetate. SRNL then developed and tested a method using commercial sorbents containing Aliquat ® 336 to extract the pertechnetate (thereby separating it from non-pertechnetate), followed by oxidation, extraction, and stripping steps, and finally analysis by beta counting and Mass Spectroscopy. Several additional items were partially investigated, including impacts of a 137Cs removal step. The method was initially tested on SRS tankmore » waste samples to determine its viability. Although SRS tank waste does not contain non-pertechnetate, testing with it was useful to investigate the compatibility, separation efficiency, interference removal efficacy, and method sensitivity.« less

Religious involvement and adolescent psychosocial development.

PubMed

Markstrom, C A

1999-04-01

The purpose of this study was to determine if religious involvement was associated with psychosocial maturity of adolescents as understood in Erikson's psychosocial theory. Three forms of religious involvement (attendance at religious services, participation in a Bible study group, and youth group involvement) were examined in relation to ego strengths, ideological and ethnic forms of identity, general self-esteem, and school self-esteem. Questionnaires were completed by 62 African-American and 63 European-American students in the 11th grade. All participants were from rural areas in West Virginia and of lower income status. Ego strengths of hope, will, purpose, fidelity, love, and care were associated with various forms of religious involvement. These associations were most apparent for European-Americans. Although ideological identity was not related to religious involvement, higher ethnic identity was associated with being African-American, especially for those more religiously involved. General self-esteem was not significant in the analyses, but school self-esteem was higher for each form of religious involvement. Copyright 1999 The Association for Professionals in Services for Adolescents.

Acceptability of formulations and application methods for vaginal microbicides among drug-involved women: results of product trials in three cities.

PubMed

Hammett, T M; Mason, T H; Joanis, C L; Foster, S E; Harmon, P; Robles, R R; Finlinson, H A; Feudo, R; Vining-Bethea, S; Jeter, G; Mayer, K H; Doherty-Iddings, P; Seage, G R

2000-02-01

Female-controlled methods of HIV prevention, such as vaginal microbicides, are urgently needed, particularly among drug-involved women. Acceptability research is critical to product development. To assess the acceptability of forms and application methods for future microbicides. Eighty-four drug-involved women were introduced in groups to three lubricant products, asked to try each for 3 weeks, and scheduled for individual follow-up interviews. Participants and their partners felt positive about the products, and expressed willingness to use microbicides if they were shown to be effective against HIV. Women agreed on product characteristics that influenced their reactions (e.g. ease of insertion, degree of "messiness"), but often disagreed on whether their reactions to these characteristics were positive or negative. Development of acceptable and effective HIV-prevention products depends on understanding the interaction between characteristics of the products and the characteristics and perceptions of women. Levels of sexual risk and acceptability factors based on drug-use patterns, race and ethnicity, culture, age, and types and attitudes of male partners suggest that a "one size fits all" approach will not win broad acceptance among drug-involved women.

Identification of microRNAs differentially expressed involved in male flower development.

PubMed

Wang, Zhengjia; Huang, Jianqin; Sun, Zhichao; Zheng, Bingsong

2015-03-01

Hickory (Carya cathayensis Sarg.) is one of the most economically important woody trees in eastern China, but its long flowering phase delays yield. Our understanding of the regulatory roles of microRNAs (miRNAs) in male flower development in hickory remains poor. Using high-throughput sequencing technology, we have pyrosequenced two small RNA libraries from two male flower differentiation stages in hickory. Analysis of the sequencing data identified 114 conserved miRNAs that belonged to 23 miRNA families, five novel miRNAs including their corresponding miRNA*s, and 22 plausible miRNA candidates. Differential expression analysis revealed 12 miRNA sequences that were upregulated in the later (reproductive) stage of male flower development. Quantitative real-time PCR showed similar expression trends as that of the deep sequencing. Novel miRNAs and plausible miRNA candidates were predicted using bioinformatic analysis methods. The miRNAs newly identified in this study have increased the number of known miRNAs in hickory, and the identification of differentially expressed miRNAs will provide new avenues for studies into miRNAs involved in the process of male flower development in hickory and other related trees.

The Citizen/Teacher Curriculum Council: A Curriculum Development Involvement Strategy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peters, Richard O.

In most school systems today, curriculum development is the work of specialists who function as consultants to classroom teachers, administrators, and school boards. An alternative is the Citizen/Teacher Curriculum Council (C/TCC) approach, which calls for direct involvement of community members and classroom teachers in curriculum development.…

From (Un)Willingness to InvolveMENt: Development of a Successful Study Brand for Recruitment of Diverse MSM to a Longitudinal HIV Research

PubMed Central

Frew, Paula M.; Williams, Victoria A.; Shapiro, Eve T.; Sanchez, Travis; Rosenberg, Eli S.; Fenimore, Vincent L.; Sullivan, Patrick S.

2014-01-01

Background HIV continues to be a major concern among MSM, yet Black MSM have not been enrolled in HIV research studies in proportionate numbers to White MSM. We developed an HIV prevention research brand strategy for MSM. Methods Questionnaires and focus groups were conducted with 54 participants. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analyses were performed and qualitative data were transcribed and content analyzed to identify common themes. Results Formative research results indicated that younger Black MSM (18–29 years) were less likely to think about joining prevention studies compared to older (≥30 years) Black MSM (x2 = 5.92, P = 0.015). Qualitative and quantitative results indicate four prominent themes related to brand development: (1) communication sources (message deliverer), (2) message (impact of public health messaging on perceptions of HIV research), (3) intended audience (underlying issues that influence personal relevance of HIV research), and (4) communication channels (reaching intended audiences). Conclusion The findings highlight the importance of behavioral communication translational research to effectively engage hard-to-reach populations. Despite reservations, MSM in our formative study expressed a need for active involvement and greater education to facilitate their engagement in HIV prevention research. Thus, the brand concept of “InvolveMENt” emerged. PMID:24639900

ASPECTS: an automation-assisted SPE method development system.

PubMed

Li, Ming; Chou, Judy; King, Kristopher W; Yang, Liyu

2013-07-01

A typical conventional SPE method development (MD) process usually involves deciding the chemistry of the sorbent and eluent based on information about the analyte; experimentally preparing and trying out various combinations of adsorption chemistry and elution conditions; quantitatively evaluating the various conditions; and comparing quantitative results from all combination of conditions to select the best condition for method qualification. The second and fourth steps have mostly been performed manually until now. We developed an automation-assisted system that expedites the conventional SPE MD process by automating 99% of the second step, and expedites the fourth step by automatically processing the results data and presenting it to the analyst in a user-friendly format. The automation-assisted SPE MD system greatly saves the manual labor in SPE MD work, prevents analyst errors from causing misinterpretation of quantitative results, and shortens data analysis and interpretation time.

A new dimethyl labeling-based SID-MRM-MS method and its application to three proteases involved in insulin maturation.

PubMed

Cheng, Dongwan; Zheng, Li; Hou, Junjie; Wang, Jifeng; Xue, Peng; Yang, Fuquan; Xu, Tao

2015-01-01

The absolute quantification of target proteins in proteomics involves stable isotope dilution coupled with multiple reactions monitoring mass spectrometry (SID-MRM-MS). The successful preparation of stable isotope-labeled internal standard peptides is an important prerequisite for the SID-MRM absolute quantification methods. Dimethyl labeling has been widely used in relative quantitative proteomics and it is fast, simple, reliable, cost-effective, and applicable to any protein sample, making it an ideal candidate method for the preparation of stable isotope-labeled internal standards. MRM mass spectrometry is of high sensitivity, specificity, and throughput characteristics and can quantify multiple proteins simultaneously, including low-abundance proteins in precious samples such as pancreatic islets. In this study, a new method for the absolute quantification of three proteases involved in insulin maturation, namely PC1/3, PC2 and CPE, was developed by coupling a stable isotope dimethyl labeling strategy for internal standard peptide preparation with SID-MRM-MS quantitative technology. This method offers a new and effective approach for deep understanding of the functional status of pancreatic β cells and pathogenesis in diabetes.

Method of obtaining intensified image from developed photographic films and plates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Askins, B. S. (Inventor)

1978-01-01

A method is explained of obtaining intensified images from silver images on developed photographic films and plates. The steps involve converting silver of the developed film or plate to a radioactive compound by treatment with an aqueous alkaline solution of an organo-S35 compound; placing the treated film or plate in direct contact with a receiver film which is then exposed by radiation from the activated film; and developing and fixing the resulting intensified image on the receiver film.

42 CFR 457.120 - Public involvement in program development.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... SERVICES (CONTINUED) STATE CHILDREN'S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAMS (SCHIPs) ALLOTMENTS AND GRANTS TO STATES Introduction; State Plans for Child Health Insurance Programs and Outreach Strategies § 457.120 Public... 42 Public Health 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Public involvement in program development. 457.120...

A mass spectrometric method to determine activities of enzymes involved in polyamine catabolism.

PubMed

Moriya, Shunsuke; Iwasaki, Kaori; Samejima, Keijiro; Takao, Koichi; Kohda, Kohfuku; Hiramatsu, Kyoko; Kawakita, Masao

2012-10-20

An analytical method for the determination of three polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine) and five acetylpolyamines [N(1)-acetylspermidine (N(1)AcSpd), N(8)-acetylspermidine (N(8)AcSpd), N(1)-acetylspermine, N(1),N(8)-diacetylspermidine, and N(1),N(12)-diacetylspermine] involved in the polyamine catabolic pathway has been developed using a hybrid tandem mass spectrometer. Heptafluorobutyryl (HFB) derivatives of these compounds and respective internal standards labeled with stable isotopes were analyzed simultaneously by TOF MS, based on peak areas appearing at appropriate m/z values. The isomers, N(1)AcSpd and N(8)AcSpd were determined from their fragment ions, the acetylamidopropyl and acetylamidobutyl groups, respectively, using MS/MS with (13)C(2)-N(1)AcSpd and (13)C(2)-N(8)AcSpd which have the (13)C(2)-acetyl group as an internal standard. The TOF MS method was successfully applied to measure the activity of enzymes involved in polyamine catabolic pathways, namely N(1)-acetylpolyamine oxidase (APAO), spermine oxidase (SMO), and spermidine/spermine N(1)-acetyltransferase (SSAT). The following natural substrates and products labeled with stable isotopes considering the application to biological samples were identified; for APAO, [4,9,12-(15)N(3)]-N(1)-acetylspermine and [1,4,8-(15)N(3)]spermidine ((15)N(3)-Spd), respectively; for SMO, [1,4,8,12-(15)N(4)]spermine and (15)N(3)-Spd, respectively; and for SSAT, (15)N(3)-Spd and [1,4,8-(15)N(3)]-N(1)-acetylspermidine, respectively. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Involvement of thiol-based mechanisms in plant development.

PubMed

Rouhier, Nicolas; Cerveau, Delphine; Couturier, Jérémy; Reichheld, Jean-Philippe; Rey, Pascal

2015-08-01

Increasing knowledge has been recently gained regarding the redox regulation of plant developmental stages. The current state of knowledge concerning the involvement of glutathione, glutaredoxins and thioredoxins in plant development is reviewed. The control of the thiol redox status is mainly ensured by glutathione (GSH), a cysteine-containing tripeptide and by reductases sharing redox-active cysteines, glutaredoxins (GRXs) and thioredoxins (TRXs). Indeed, thiol groups present in many regulatory proteins and metabolic enzymes are prone to oxidation, ultimately leading to post-translational modifications such as disulfide bond formation or glutathionylation. This review focuses on the involvement of GSH, GRXs and TRXs in plant development. Recent studies showed that the proper functioning of root and shoot apical meristems depends on glutathione content and redox status, which regulate, among others, cell cycle and hormone-related processes. A critical role of GRXs in the formation of floral organs has been uncovered, likely through the redox regulation of TGA transcription factor activity. TRXs fulfill many functions in plant development via the regulation of embryo formation, the control of cell-to-cell communication, the mobilization of seed reserves, the biogenesis of chloroplastic structures, the metabolism of carbon and the maintenance of cell redox homeostasis. This review also highlights the tight relationships between thiols, hormones and carbon metabolism, allowing a proper development of plants in relation with the varying environment and the energy availability. GSH, GRXs and TRXs play key roles during the whole plant developmental cycle via their antioxidant functions and the redox-regulation of signaling pathways. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Redox regulation of differentiation and de-differentiation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Genes involved in leukotriene synthesis pathway are dynamically regulated during lung development in Rhesus monkeys.

PubMed

Xia, Wanmin; Xie, Liang; Cao, Bangrong; Cheng, Shujun; Wan, Huajing; Liu, Hanmin

2017-07-01

Leukotrienes play critical roles in many inflammatory lung diseases and several antagonists of their receptors have been used in the clinical settings. However, the physiological functions of leukotrienes in lung development are still unclear. The expression levels of 34 genes involved in leukotriene synthesis and function pathway in the lungs of Rhesus monkey during different developmental time points were determined on a MiSeq platform and analyzed by the reads per kilobase of transcript per million mapped reads (RPKM) method. The results showed that the expression levels of PLA2G1B, PLA2G10, PLA2G2D, ALOX5, and ALOX5AP increased dramatically in the lung of Rhesus monkey, reflecting the changes in the pulmonary environment after delivery. Additionally, the different expression patterns between molecules related to LTB4 and LTC4 synthesis suggested distinct roles of LTB4 and LTC4 in lung development. Finally, the constant expression of CysLT1 during the development process provided new information to the pharmaceutical basis of the use of leukotriene receptor antagonists in the clinical setting. The expression levels of several key genes involved in leukotriene synthesis changed dramatically during lung development in Rhesus monkeys, suggesting the potential roles of leukotrienes in lung development in this animal model. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring Parental Involvement in Early Years Education in China: Development and Validation of the Chinese Early Parental Involvement Scale (CEPIS)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lau, Eva Yi Hung; Li, Hui; Rao, Nirmala

2012-01-01

This study developed and validated an instrument, the Chinese Early Parental Involvement Scale (CEPIS), that can be widely used in both local and international contexts to assess Chinese parental involvement in early childhood education. The study was carried out in two stages: (1) focus group interviews were conducted with 41 teachers and 35…

The Effects of Age, Gender, and 4-H Involvement on Life Skill Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haas, Bruce E.; Mincemoyer, Claudia C.; Perkins, Daniel F.

2015-01-01

The study reported here examined the effects of age, gender, and 4-H involvement in clubs on life skill development of youth ages eight to 18 over a 12-month period. Regression analyses found age, gender, and 4-H involvement significantly influenced life skill development. Results found that females have higher levels of competencies in life…

Involvement of older people in the development of fall detection systems: a scoping review.

PubMed

Thilo, Friederike J S; Hürlimann, Barbara; Hahn, Sabine; Bilger, Selina; Schols, Jos M G A; Halfens, Ruud J G

2016-02-11

The involvement of users is recommended in the development of health related technologies, in order to address their needs and preferences and to improve the daily usage of these technologies. The objective of this literature review was to identify the nature and extent of research involving older people in the development of fall detection systems. A scoping review according to the framework of Arksey and O'Malley was carried out. A key term search was employed in eight relevant databases. Included articles were summarized using a predetermined charting form and subsequently thematically analysed. A total of 53 articles was included. In 49 of the 53 articles, older people were involved in the design and/or testing stages, and in 4 of 53 articles, they were involved in the conceptual or market deployment stages. In 38 of the 53 articles, the main focus of the involvement of older people was technical aspects. In 15 of the 53 articles, the perspectives of the elderly related to the fall detection system under development were determined using focus groups, single interviews or questionnaires. Until presently, involvement of older people in the development of fall detection systems has focused mainly on technical aspects. Little attention has been given to the specific needs and views of older people in the context of fall detection system development and usage.

Prosocial involvement as a positive youth development construct: conceptual bases and implications for curriculum development.

PubMed

Cheng, Howard C H; Siu, Andrew M H; Leung, Mana C M

2006-01-01

Pro-social involvement programmes are significant and important for the healthy growth of adolescents as well as for the development of society. Pro-social involvement of adolescence refers to paid-job, volunteer works, sport and games. It serves the functions of making adolescents aware of and to accept the social norms and moral standard of the society, which would bring positive changes to the adolescents and consequently benefit the society as a whole. Past studies showed that adolescents who participated in pro-social involvement programmes tended to have positive self-perception, more social skills, and less anti-social behaviors. In Hong Kong, professionals in education and social services have fully recognized the benefits of pro-involvement programmes. They have organized multi-level and diverse pro-social involvement programmes and encouraged adolescents to participate. Through participation, adolescents could be helped to redefine their relationship with the society, and maximize their potentials for growth. The current programme described in this article is designed in the P.A.T.H.S. Project, support by the Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust.

Development and validation of a questionnaire to measure research involvement among registered dietitians.

PubMed

Whelan, Kevin; Copeland, Emma; Oladitan, Leah; Murrells, Trevor; Gandy, Joan

2013-04-01

Research involvement among registered dietitians (RDs) is important in advancing dietetics practice and ensuring high-quality and cost-effective health care. There are no standardized approaches to measuring levels of research involvement. The aim of the study was to develop a standardized measure of research involvement and test its validity and reliability among RDs. The Research Involvement Questionnaire (RIQ) was developed and underwent content validation, resulting in a content validity index of 0.92. A postal questionnaire survey of RDs was undertaken at two time points. RDs were purposively selected and, based on their number of publications and grants, were assigned by the authors to one of four levels of research involvement: evidence-based practice, collaborating on research, leading research, and leadership in research. Of 192 questionnaires mailed, 111 RDs (58%) returned the first RIQ, of whom 82 (74%) also returned the second RIQ. Total scores and scores for each level were higher for RDs with higher levels of research involvement (P<0.001). RDs assigned by the RIQ to higher levels of research involvement had higher qualifications; were qualified for longer; and had greater evidence of research output, including journal publications and grants (P<0.001). There was excellent internal consistency as measured using Cronbach's coefficient (α=.98). The level of research involvement assigned by the RIQ and by the purposive selection process agreed on 76% of occasions, indicating substantial agreement beyond chance (κ=0.67; P<0.001). The level of research involvement assigned by the RIQ at two time points agreed on 86% of occasions, indicating almost perfect agreement beyond chance (κ=0.81; P<0.001). A valid and reliable questionnaire has been developed to measure research involvement among RDs, providing a useful tool for evaluating and supporting members of the profession to become more involved in research. Copyright © 2013 Academy of Nutrition and

Progress toward the development and testing of source reconstruction methods for NIF neutron imaging.

PubMed

Loomis, E N; Grim, G P; Wilde, C; Wilson, D C; Morgan, G; Wilke, M; Tregillis, I; Merrill, F; Clark, D; Finch, J; Fittinghoff, D; Bower, D

2010-10-01

Development of analysis techniques for neutron imaging at the National Ignition Facility is an important and difficult task for the detailed understanding of high-neutron yield inertial confinement fusion implosions. Once developed, these methods must provide accurate images of the hot and cold fuels so that information about the implosion, such as symmetry and areal density, can be extracted. One method under development involves the numerical inversion of the pinhole image using knowledge of neutron transport through the pinhole aperture from Monte Carlo simulations. In this article we present results of source reconstructions based on simulated images that test the methods effectiveness with regard to pinhole misalignment.

Consumer involvement in the health technology assessment program.

PubMed

Royle, Jane; Oliver, Sandy

2004-01-01

This study aims to describe a cycle of development leading to sustainable methods for involving consumers in the management of a program commissioning health technology assessment. Staff time was dedicated to developing procedures for recruiting and briefing consumers to participate in prioritizing, commissioning, and reporting research. Resources and support were developed in light of early feedback from consumers and those working with them. These were piloted and amended before being used routinely. Over 4 years, procedures and resources have been developed to support six consumers attending seven to eight prioritization meetings a year; thirty to forty-five consumers each year commenting on research need for particular topics; thirty consumers a year commenting on research proposals, and twenty a year commenting on research reports. The procedures include clear job descriptions, induction and development days, clear briefing materials, payment for substantial tasks, and regularly seeking feedback to improve procedures. Explicit, inclusive, and reproducible methods for supporting consumer involvement that satisfy National Health Service policy recommendations for involving consumers in research require dedicated staff time to support a cycle of organizational development.

Biosphere Reserve for All: Potentials for Involving Underrepresented Age Groups in the Development of a Biosphere Reserve through Intergenerational Practice.

PubMed

Mitrofanenko, Tamara; Snajdr, Julia; Muhar, Andreas; Penker, Marianne; Schauppenlehner-Kloyber, Elisabeth

2018-05-22

Stakeholder participation is of high importance in UNESCO biosphere reserves as model regions for sustainable development; however, certain groups remain underrepresented. The paper proposes Intergenerational Practice (IP) as a means of involving youth and elderly women and explores its options and barriers, using the example of the Salzburger Lungau and Kärntner Nockberge Biosphere Reserve in Austria. Case study analysis is used involving mixed methods. The results reveal obstacles and motivations to participating in biosphere reserve implementation and intergenerational activities for the youth and the elderly women and imply that much potential for IP exists in the biosphere reserve region. The authors propose suitable solutions from the intergenerational field to overcome identified participation obstacles and suggest benefits of incorporating IP as a management tool into biosphere reserve activities. Suggestions for future research include evaluating applications of IP in the context of protected areas, testing of methods used in other contexts, and contribution to theory development.

How commitment and involvement influence the development of strategic consensus in health care organizations: the multidisciplinary approach.

PubMed

Carney, Marie

2007-09-01

The aim of this study was to describe how clinician and non-clinician managers achieved consensus of strategy in hospitals. This was the first empirical study undertaken that investigated the impact of organizational commitment on the strategic involvement-strategic consensus relationship. Clinicians and non-clinician managers hold a pivotal role in health care management from the strategic perspective. The importance of multidisciplinary collaboration is recognized, yet how strategic consensus is achieved amongst health service managers, has not been previously researched. The focus of the professional is often on local concerns rather on the broader organizational strategy. This orientation has led to the charge by health service management that clinicians are not interested in, or do not seek to be involved in strategy development. As half of the clinician group in this study were registered nurses and midwives it is important, for multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary collaboration and for strategic development that this group has an awareness of the importance of strategic involvement and organizational commitment in the attainment of strategic consensus. A descriptive study was undertaken and quantitative data were generated through the survey method. The aims of the study were articulated through hypotheses. Almost 400 middle manager heads of department, working in acute care not-for-profit health service organizations, in the Republic of Ireland, responded. Findings indicated that a stronger relationship existed between consensus and commitment than between involvement and commitment. In addition, when present in the organization, involvement and commitment together were better predictors of consensus than each of those factors on its own, but significantly commitment had a greater impact in predicting consensus than involvement had.

A systematic review and appraisal of methods of developing and validating lifestyle cardiovascular disease risk factors questionnaires.

PubMed

Nse, Odunaiya; Quinette, Louw; Okechukwu, Ogah

2015-09-01

Well developed and validated lifestyle cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors questionnaires is the key to obtaining accurate information to enable planning of CVD prevention program which is a necessity in developing countries. We conducted this review to assess methods and processes used for development and content validation of lifestyle CVD risk factors questionnaires and possibly develop an evidence based guideline for development and content validation of lifestyle CVD risk factors questionnaires. Relevant databases at the Stellenbosch University library were searched for studies conducted between 2008 and 2012, in English language and among humans. Using the following databases; pubmed, cinahl, psyc info and proquest. Search terms used were CVD risk factors, questionnaires, smoking, alcohol, physical activity and diet. Methods identified for development of lifestyle CVD risk factors were; review of literature either systematic or traditional, involvement of expert and /or target population using focus group discussion/interview, clinical experience of authors and deductive reasoning of authors. For validation, methods used were; the involvement of expert panel, the use of target population and factor analysis. Combination of methods produces questionnaires with good content validity and other psychometric properties which we consider good.

Developing and Evaluating a Technology Enhanced Interaction Framework and Method That Can Enhance the Accessibility of Mobile Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Angkananon, Kewalin; Wald, Mike; Gilbert, Lester

2014-01-01

This paper focuses on the development and evaluation of a Technology Enhanced Interaction Framework and Method that can help with designing accessible mobile learning interactions involving disabled people. This new framework and method were developed to help design technological support for communication and interactions between people,…

Methods for Involving Older People in Health Research-A Review of the Literature.

PubMed

Schilling, Imke; Gerhardus, Ansgar

2017-11-29

Demographic change has increased the need for research on healthcare for older people. Recently there has been a growing awareness that research might benefit from actively involving patients and the public in study design and conduct. Besides empowering patients and democratizing research, involvement enhances the quality of research and the development of equitable healthcare solutions. Little is known about how to involve older people. This review aims to support scientists intending to involve older people in health research by systematically identifying and describing studies involving older people and analyzing associated facilitators and challenges. Old people were operationalized as people living with old-age-related conditions. We conducted a systematic search in PubMed, CINAHL (Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature), and Cochrane library for the period 2007 to July 2017 and also manually searched reference lists of the nine retrieved articles and other relevant sources. While involvement of older people in research is feasible, specific challenges related to this group need be taken into account. Strategies to enhance effective involvement comprise a thoughtful choice of location, use of visualization and accessible communication, building good relationships and flexible approaches. Further research is needed on the involvement of people in care homes or with vision, hearing or mobility limitations.

Multiple Reaction Monitoring Mode Based Liquid Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry Method for Simultaneous Quantification of Brassinolide and Other Plant Hormones Involved in Abiotic Stresses.

PubMed

Kasote, Deepak M; Ghosh, Ritesh; Chung, Jun Young; Kim, Jonggeun; Bae, Inhwan; Bae, Hanhong

2016-01-01

Plant hormones are the key regulators of adaptive stress response. Abiotic stresses such as drought and salt are known to affect the growth and productivity of plants. It is well known that the levels of plant hormones such as zeatin (ZA), abscisic acid (ABA), salicylic acid (SA), jasmonic acid (JA), and brassinolide (BR) fluctuate upon abiotic stress exposure. At present, there is not any single suitable liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) method for simultaneous analysis of BR and other plant hormones involved in abiotic stresses. In the present study, we developed a simple, sensitive, and rapid method for simultaneous analysis of five major plant hormones, ZA, ABA, JA, SA, and BR, which are directly or indirectly involved in drought and salt stresses. The optimized extraction procedure was simple and easy to use for simultaneous measurement of these plant hormones in Arabidopsis thaliana. The developed method is highly reproducible and can be adapted for simultaneous measurement of changes in plant hormones (ZA, ABA, JA, SA, and BR) in response to abiotic stresses in plants like A. thaliana and tomato.

Developing a Blended Learning-Based Method for Problem-Solving in Capability Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dwiyogo, Wasis D.

2018-01-01

The main objectives of the study were to develop and investigate the implementation of blended learning based method for problem-solving. Three experts were involved in the study and all three had stated that the model was ready to be applied in the classroom. The implementation of the blended learning-based design for problem-solving was…

Development of the CODER System: A Testbed for Artificial Intelligence Methods in Information Retrieval.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fox, Edward A.

1987-01-01

Discusses the CODER system, which was developed to investigate the application of artificial intelligence methods to increase the effectiveness of information retrieval systems, particularly those involving heterogeneous documents. Highlights include the use of PROLOG programing, blackboard-based designs, knowledge engineering, lexicological…

Factors Affecting Academics' Involvement in TEL Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

AlMutlaq, Abdullah; Dimitriadi, Yota; McCrindle, Rachel

2017-01-01

Reinforcing the level of essentiality of understanding the factors that influence the involvement in TEL-oriented CPD and the challenges to the sustained expansion of their expertise not only for academics, but also professional bodies and educational developer for effective integration of digital technologies in teaching and learning remains is…

Method Development in Forensic Toxicology.

PubMed

Peters, Frank T; Wissenbach, Dirk K; Busardo, Francesco Paolo; Marchei, Emilia; Pichini, Simona

2017-01-01

In the field of forensic toxicology, the quality of analytical methods is of great importance to ensure the reliability of results and to avoid unjustified legal consequences. A key to high quality analytical methods is a thorough method development. The presented article will provide an overview on the process of developing methods for forensic applications. This includes the definition of the method's purpose (e.g. qualitative vs quantitative) and the analytes to be included, choosing an appropriate sample matrix, setting up separation and detection systems as well as establishing a versatile sample preparation. Method development is concluded by an optimization process after which the new method is subject to method validation. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

The construct of food involvement in behavioral research: scale development and validation.

PubMed

Bell, Rick; Marshall, David W

2003-06-01

The construct of involvement has been found to influence brand loyalty, product information search processing, responses to advertising communications, diffusion of innovations, and ultimately, product choice decisions. Traditionally, involvement has been defined as being a characteristic of either a product or of an individual. In the present research, we make an assumption that an individual's 'food involvement' is a somewhat stable characteristic and we hypothesized that involvement with foods would vary between individuals, that individuals who are more highly involved with food would be better able to discriminate between a set of food samples than would less food involved individuals, and that this discrimination would operate both in affective and perceptive relative judgments. Using standard scale construction techniques, we developed a measure of the characteristic of food involvement, based on activities relating to food acquisition, preparation, cooking, eating and disposal. After several iterations, a final 12-item measure was found to have good test-retest reliability and internal consistency within two subscales. A behavioral validation study demonstrated that measures of food involvement were associated with discrimination and hedonic ratings for a range of foods in a laboratory setting. These findings suggest that food involvement, as measured by the Food Involvement Scale, may be an important mediator to consider when undertaking research with food and food habits.

Standardization of search methods for guideline development: an international survey of evidence-based guideline development groups.

PubMed

Deurenberg, Rikie; Vlayen, Joan; Guillo, Sylvie; Oliver, Thomas K; Fervers, Beatrice; Burgers, Jako

2008-03-01

Effective literature searching is particularly important for clinical practice guideline development. Sophisticated searching and filtering mechanisms are needed to help ensure that all relevant research is reviewed. To assess the methods used for the selection of evidence for guideline development by evidence-based guideline development organizations. A semistructured questionnaire assessing the databases, search filters and evaluation methods used for literature retrieval was distributed to eight major organizations involved in evidence-based guideline development. All of the organizations used search filters as part of guideline development. The medline database was the primary source accessed for literature retrieval. The OVID or SilverPlatter interfaces were used in preference to the freely accessed PubMed interface. The Cochrane Library, embase, cinahl and psycinfo databases were also frequently used by the organizations. All organizations reported the intention to improve and validate their filters for finding literature specifically relevant for guidelines. In the first international survey of its kind, eight major guideline development organizations indicated a strong interest in identifying, improving and standardizing search filters to improve guideline development. It is to be hoped that this will result in the standardization of, and open access to, search filters, an improvement in literature searching outcomes and greater collaboration among guideline development organizations.

Spectrofluorimetric Method for Estimation of Curcumin in Rat Blood Plasma: Development and Validation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Trivedi, J.; Variya, B.; Gandhi, H.; Rathod, S. P.

2016-01-01

Curcumin is a medicinally important phytoconstituent of curcuminoids. The present study describes development of a simple method for estimation of curcumin in rat plasma. This method involves the use of spectrofluorimetry for evaluation of curcumin at 257 (Ex) and 504 nm (Em). Sample preparation involves only two steps: extraction of curcumin and drying the extract. Following this procedure, the samples are reconstituted with ethyl acetate, and relative fluorescence intensity is measured using a spectrofluorimeter. The method was validated as per CDER guidelines. The linearity of the method was found to be in the range of 100-500 ng/mL with accuracy and precision lying within 2% RSD. The LOD and LOQ were found to be 15.3 and 46.1 ng/mL, respectively. The method was applied for pharmacokinetic evaluation in rats, and AUC, Cmax, and Tmax were found to be 5580 ± 1006 h × ng/mL, 1526 ± 209 ng/mL, and 2.97 ± 0.28 h, respectively, with a plasma half-life of 1.14 ± 0.27 h.

Patient and public involvement in the early stages of clinical trial development: a systematic cohort investigation

PubMed Central

Gamble, Carrol; Dudley, Louise; Allam, Alison; Bell, Philip; Goodare, Heather; Hanley, Bec; Preston, Jennifer; Walker, Alison; Williamson, Paula; Young, Bridget

2014-01-01

Background Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are considered particularly likely to benefit from patient and public involvement (PPI). Decisions made by professional researchers at the outset may go on to have a significant impact on the potential for PPI contributions. Objective To increase knowledge of PPI within the early development of RCTs by systematically describing the reported level, nature and acceptability of proposed PPI to the funders. Methods Documentation from the outline application process for all RCTs that received funding from the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme 2006–2010 was requested. For each application, data were extracted on trial characteristics, references to PPI in the development of the outline application and funding Board feedback, and plans for PPI in the full application and after the trial was funded. Results 110 applications were eligible with outline applications available for 90 (82%). The cohort covered a wide range of interventions and conditions. 54% (49/90) provided some information about PPI. 26 (28.9%) indicated PPI within the development of the outline application itself; 32 (35.6%) planned involvement in the full application and 43 (48%) once the trial was funded. Recruitment at diagnosis and surgical interventions were less likely to describe PPI. Blinded trials and trials in which participants may receive placebo only, more frequently described PPI activity. The HTA commissioning Board feedback rarely referred to PPI. Conclusions Incorporation of PPI within the development of the outline application or specification of plans for future involvement was low. Funder requests for applicants to provide information on PPI and justification for its absence should be welcomed but further research is needed to identify the impact of this on its contributions to research. Comments on PPI by reviewers should be directional rather than state that an increase is required. Challenges facing applicants in initiating

A Mixed-Methods Case Study of Parent Involvement in an Urban High School Serving Minority Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reynolds, Andrew D.; Crea, Thomas M.; Medina, Jose; Degnan, Elizabeth; McRoy, Ruth

2015-01-01

Parental involvement in education has been associated with a number of positive outcomes for students. Using a mixed-methods approach, the authors examine how role construction and self-efficacy (psychological motivators), invitations (contextual motivators), and life contexts influence a parent's decision to become involved within the context of…

Training and Development Professionals and Mergers and Acquisitions: What Is the Story on Their Involvement?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rifai, Rana; Waight, Consuelo L.

2006-01-01

This study explored the involvement of 15 training and development (T & D) professionals during mergers and acquisitions (M & A). The study found that T & D professionals are highly involved in orientation and management training and organization development related activities such as communication and diagnosis and blending of organizational…

Community and Parent Involvement in Early Childhood Development: The South African Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atmore, Eric; And Others

Noting that disadvantaged communities in South Africa can be empowered by involving parents and communities in the development of preschool education programs, this report presents the achievements of South Africa's Early Childhood Education and Care (educare) programs. Educare aims to develop the young child's potential to be a meaningful part of…

23 CFR 771.111 - Early coordination, public involvement, and project development.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... development for the public to be involved in the identification of social, economic, and environmental impacts... substantial adverse impact on abutting property, otherwise has a significant social, economic, environmental... planning, (B) The project's alternatives, and major design features, (C) The social, economic...

23 CFR 771.111 - Early coordination, public involvement, and project development.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... development for the public to be involved in the identification of social, economic, and environmental impacts... substantial adverse impact on abutting property, otherwise has a significant social, economic, environmental... planning, (B) The project's alternatives, and major design features, (C) The social, economic...

Portraiture of constructivist parental involvement: A model to develop a community of practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dignam, Christopher Anthony

This qualitative research study addressed the problem of the lack of parental involvement in secondary school science. Increasing parental involvement is vital in supporting student academic achievement and social growth. The purpose of this emergent phenomenological study was to identify conditions required to successfully construct a supportive learning environment to form partnerships between students, parents, and educators. The overall research question in this study investigated the conditions necessary to successfully enlist parental participation with students during science inquiry investigations at the secondary school level. One hundred thirteen pairs of parents and students engaged in a 6-week scientific inquiry activity and recorded attitudinal data in dialogue journals, questionnaires, open-ended surveys, and during one-one-one interviews conducted by the researcher between individual parents and students. Comparisons and cross-interpretations of inter-rater, codified, triangulated data were utilized for identifying emergent themes. Data analysis revealed the active involvement of parents in researching with their child during inquiry investigations, engaging in journaling, and assessing student performance fostered partnerships among students, parents, and educators and supported students' social skills development. The resulting model, employing constructivist leadership and enlisting parent involvement, provides conditions and strategies required to develop a community of practice that can help effect social change. The active involvement of parents fostered improved efficacy and a holistic mindset to develop in parents, students, and teachers. Based on these findings, the interactive collaboration of parents in science learning activities can proactively facilitate a community of practice that will assist educators in facilitating social change.

Education and the State: Federal Involvement in Educational Policy Development. Policy Development and Analysis Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Doug

This volume is part of a series of monographs from Australia devoted to outlining an alternative approach, based on neo-Marxist concepts, to policy studies in education. The opening essay in this volume is a historical analysis of federal involvement in Australian educational policy development. After a descriptive overview of the role of…

Development of a Radial Deconsolidation Method

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Helmreich, Grant W.; Montgomery, Fred C.; Hunn, John D.

2015-12-01

A series of experiments have been initiated to determine the retention or mobility of fission products* in AGR fuel compacts [Petti, et al. 2010]. This information is needed to refine fission product transport models. The AGR-3/4 irradiation test involved half-inch-long compacts that each contained twenty designed-to-fail (DTF) particles, with 20-μm thick carbon-coated kernels whose coatings were deliberately fabricated such that they would crack under irradiation, providing a known source of post-irradiation isotopes. The DTF particles in these compacts were axially distributed along the compact centerline so that the diffusion of fission products released from the DTF kernels would be radiallymore » symmetric [Hunn, et al. 2012; Hunn et al. 2011; Kercher, et al. 2011; Hunn, et al. 2007]. Compacts containing DTF particles were irradiated at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) at the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR) [Collin, 2015]. Analysis of the diffusion of these various post-irradiation isotopes through the compact requires a method to radially deconsolidate the compacts so that nested-annular volumes may be analyzed for post-irradiation isotope inventory in the compact matrix, TRISO outer pyrolytic carbon (OPyC), and DTF kernels. An effective radial deconsolidation method and apparatus appropriate to this application has been developed and parametrically characterized.« less

The development of a patient-specific method for physiotherapy goal setting: a user-centered design.

PubMed

Stevens, Anita; Köke, Albère; van der Weijden, Trudy; Beurskens, Anna

2018-08-01

To deliver client-centered care, physiotherapists need to identify the patients' individual treatment goals. However, practical tools for involving patients in goal setting are lacking. The purpose of this study was to improve the frequently used Patient-Specific Complaints instrument in Dutch physiotherapy, and to develop it into a feasible method to improve physiotherapy goal setting. An iterative user-centered design was conducted in co-creation with the physiotherapists and patients, in three phases. Their needs and preferences were identified by means of group meetings and questionnaires. The new method was tested in several field tests in physiotherapy practices. Four main objectives for improvement were formulated: clear instructions for the administration procedure, targeted use across the physiotherapy process, client-activating communication skills, and a client-centered attitude of the physiotherapist. A theoretical goal-setting framework and elements of shared decision making were integrated into the new-called, Patient-Specific Goal-setting method, together with a practical training course. The user-centered approach resulted in a goal-setting method that is fully integrated in the physiotherapy process. The new goal-setting method contributes to a more structured approach to goal setting and enables patient participation and goal-oriented physiotherapy. Before large-scale implementation, its feasibility in physiotherapy practice needs to be investigated. Implications for rehabilitation Involving patients and physiotherapists in the development and testing of a goal-setting method, increases the likelihood of its feasibility in practice. The integration of a goal-setting method into the physiotherapy process offers the opportunity to focus more fully on the patient's goals. Patients should be informed about the aim of every step of the goal-setting process in order to increase their awareness and involvement. Training physiotherapists to use a patient

Can the impact of public involvement on research be evaluated? A mixed methods study.

PubMed

Barber, Rosemary; Boote, Jonathan D; Parry, Glenys D; Cooper, Cindy L; Yeeles, Philippa; Cook, Sarah

2012-09-01

  Public involvement is central to health and social research policies, yet few systematic evaluations of its impact have been carried out, raising questions about the feasibility of evaluating the impact of public involvement.   To investigate whether it is feasible to evaluate the impact of public involvement on health and social research.   Mixed methods including a two-round Delphi study with pre-specified 80% consensus criterion, with follow-up interviews. UK and international panellists came from different settings, including universities, health and social care institutions and charitable organizations. They comprised researchers, members of the public, research managers, commissioners and policy makers, self-selected as having knowledge and/or experience of public involvement in health and/or social research; 124 completed both rounds of the Delphi process. A purposive sample of 14 panellists was interviewed.   Consensus was reached that it is feasible to evaluate the impact of public involvement on 5 of 16 impact issues: identifying and prioritizing research topics, disseminating research findings and on key stakeholders. Qualitative analysis revealed the complexities of evaluating a process that is subjective and socially constructed. While many panellists believed that it is morally right to involve the public in research, they also considered that it is appropriate to evaluate the impact of public involvement.   This study found consensus among panellists that it is feasible to evaluate the impact of public involvement on some research processes, outcomes and on key stakeholders. The value of public involvement and the importance of evaluating its impact were endorsed. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Can the impact of public involvement on research be evaluated? A mixed methods study

PubMed Central

Barber, Rosemary; Boote, Jonathan D; Parry, Glenys D; Cooper, Cindy L; Yeeles, Philippa; Cook, Sarah

2011-01-01

Abstract Background  Public involvement is central to health and social research policies, yet few systematic evaluations of its impact have been carried out, raising questions about the feasibility of evaluating the impact of public involvement. Objective  To investigate whether it is feasible to evaluate the impact of public involvement on health and social research. Methods  Mixed methods including a two‐round Delphi study with pre‐specified 80% consensus criterion, with follow‐up interviews. UK and international panellists came from different settings, including universities, health and social care institutions and charitable organizations. They comprised researchers, members of the public, research managers, commissioners and policy makers, self‐selected as having knowledge and/or experience of public involvement in health and/or social research; 124 completed both rounds of the Delphi process. A purposive sample of 14 panellists was interviewed. Results  Consensus was reached that it is feasible to evaluate the impact of public involvement on 5 of 16 impact issues: identifying and prioritizing research topics, disseminating research findings and on key stakeholders. Qualitative analysis revealed the complexities of evaluating a process that is subjective and socially constructed. While many panellists believed that it is morally right to involve the public in research, they also considered that it is appropriate to evaluate the impact of public involvement. Conclusions  This study found consensus among panellists that it is feasible to evaluate the impact of public involvement on some research processes, outcomes and on key stakeholders. The value of public involvement and the importance of evaluating its impact were endorsed. PMID:21324054

Strengthening the Community/Education Partnership: The San Juan RFD Model of Public Involvement. Public Involvement Using the Rural Futures Development Strategy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rasmussen, Randy C.; Jensen, Carl

San Juan School District, a rural school district in the southeast corner of Utah, implemented the Rural Futures Development (RFD) Strategy program to develop greater public involvement in the education process. Geographically one of the largest school districts (approximately 8,000 square miles) in the U.S., San Juan serves Anglos who mainly live…

Involving Practicing Scientists in K-12 Science Teacher Professional Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bertram, K. B.

2011-12-01

The Science Teacher Education Program (STEP) offered a unique framework for creating professional development courses focused on Arctic research from 2006-2009. Under the STEP framework, science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) training was delivered by teams of practicing Arctic researchers in partnership with master teachers with 20+ years experience teaching STEM content in K-12 classrooms. Courses based on the framework were offered to educators across Alaska. STEP offered in-person summer-intensive institutes and follow-on audio-conferenced field-test courses during the academic year, supplemented by online scientist mentorship for teachers. During STEP courses, teams of scientists offered in-depth STEM content instruction at the graduate level for teachers of all grade levels. STEP graduate-level training culminated in the translation of information and data learned from Arctic scientists into standard-aligned lessons designed for immediate use in K-12 classrooms. This presentation will focus on research that explored the question: To what degree was scientist involvement beneficial to teacher training and to what degree was STEP scientist involvement beneficial to scientist instructors? Data sources reveal consistently high levels of ongoing (4 year) scientist and teacher participation; high STEM content learning outcomes for teachers; high STEM content learning outcomes for students; high ratings of STEP courses by scientists and teachers; and a discussion of the reasons scientists indicate they benefited from STEP involvement. Analyses of open-ended comments by teachers and scientists support and clarify these findings. A grounded theory approach was used to analyze teacher and scientist qualitative feedback. Comments were coded and patterns analyzed in three databases. The vast majority of teacher open-ended comments indicate that STEP involvement improved K-12 STEM classroom instruction, and the vast majority of scientist open-ended comments

On Involvement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greene, Michael B.

Involvement Ratings In Settings (IRIS), a multi-dimensional non-verbal scale of involvement adaptable to a time-sampling method of data collection, was constructed with the aid of the videotapes of second-grade Follow Through classrooms made by CCEP. Scales were defined through observations of involved and alienated behavior, and the IRIS was…

Computational Methods Development at Ames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kwak, Dochan; Smith, Charles A. (Technical Monitor)

1998-01-01

This viewgraph presentation outlines the development at Ames Research Center of advanced computational methods to provide appropriate fidelity computational analysis/design capabilities. Current thrusts of the Ames research include: 1) methods to enhance/accelerate viscous flow simulation procedures, and the development of hybrid/polyhedral-grid procedures for viscous flow; 2) the development of real time transonic flow simulation procedures for a production wind tunnel, and intelligent data management technology; and 3) the validation of methods and the flow physics study gives historical precedents to above research, and speculates on its future course.

Software Quality Perceptions of Stakeholders Involved in the Software Development Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Padmanabhan, Priya

2013-01-01

Software quality is one of the primary determinants of project management success. Stakeholders involved in software development widely agree that quality is important (Barney and Wohlin 2009). However, they may differ on what constitutes software quality, and which of its attributes are more important than others. Although, software quality…

Some important considerations in the development of stress corrosion cracking test methods.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wei, R. P.; Novak, S. R.; Williams, D. P.

1972-01-01

Discussion of some of the precaution needs the development of fracture-mechanics based test methods for studying stress corrosion cracking involves. Following a review of pertinent analytical fracture mechanics considerations and of basic test methods, the implications for test corrosion cracking studies of the time-to-failure determining kinetics of crack growth and life are examined. It is shown that the basic assumption of the linear-elastic fracture mechanics analyses must be clearly recognized and satisfied in experimentation and that the effects of incubation and nonsteady-state crack growth must also be properly taken into account in determining the crack growth kinetics, if valid data are to be obtained from fracture-mechanics based test methods.

Grandparent Involvement in the Communication Development of Children Who Are Deafblind

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shaw, Sherry L.

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the role of grandparents in the communication development of children who are deafblind. The two-tiered study was conducted through State Projects for Deafblind Children in Arkansas, Mississippi, and Tennessee with 143 parents and 80 grandparents. The grandparents identified as "most involved"…

mHealth in Urology: A Review of Experts' Involvement in App Development.

PubMed

Pereira-Azevedo, Nuno; Carrasquinho, Eduardo; Cardoso de Oliveira, Eduardo; Cavadas, Vitor; Osório, Luís; Fraga, Avelino; Castelo-Branco, Miguel; Roobol, Monique J

2015-01-01

Smartphones are increasingly playing a role in healthcare and previous studies assessing medical applications (apps) have raised concerns about lack of expert involvement and low content accuracy. However, there are no such studies in Urology. We reviewed Urology apps with the aim of assessing the level of participation of healthcare professionals (HCP) and scientific Urology associations in their development. A systematic search was performed on PubMed, Apple's App Store and Google's Play Store, for Urology apps, available in English. Apps were reviewed by three graders to determine the app's platform, target customer, developer, app type, app category, price and the participation of a HCP or a scientific Urology association in the development. The search yielded 372 apps, of which 150 were specific for Urology. A fifth of all apps had no HCP involvement (20.7%) and only a third had been developed with a scientific Urology association (34.7%). The lowest percentage of HCP (13.4%) and urological association (1.9%) involvement was in apps designed for the general population. Furthermore, there was no contribution from an Urology society in "Electronic Medical Record" nor in "Patient Information" apps. A limitation of the study is that only Android and iOS apps were reviewed. Despite the increasing Mobile Health (mHealth) market, this is the first study that demonstrates the lack of expert participation in the design of Urology apps, particularly in apps designed for the general public. Until clear regulation is enforced, the urological community should help regulate app development. Maintaining a register of certified apps or issuing an official scientific seal of approval could improve overall app quality. We propose that urologists become stakeholders in mHealth, shaping future app design and promoting peer-review app validation.

Parental Involvement, Parenting Behaviors, and Children's Cognitive Development in Low-Income and Minority Families

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Mido; Park, Boyoung; Singh, Kusum; Sung, Youngji Y.

2009-01-01

The study examined the longitudinal association of parental involvement in Head Start parent-focused programs, parenting behaviors, and the cognitive development of children by specifying two longitudinal growth models. Model 1 examined the longitudinal effects of the parental involvement in three Head Start parenting programs (parenting classes,…

Alternative Methods of Communication to Improve Parents' Involvement in and Knowledge of the Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bright, Lisa M.

2013-01-01

Studies have examined methods of communication between home and school and the resulting impact on parents' satisfaction and students' academic achievement. However, there is insufficient information concerning the use of technology to support parental involvement, especially in the area of social media. Drawing from overlapping spheres of…

(PRESENTED AT MATSUYAMA, JAPAN) PERSISTENT PERFLUORINATED ORGANIC COMPOUNDS METHOD DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH AT THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

EPA Science Inventory

PowerPoint presentation summarizing method development research involving the persistent perfluorinated organic compounds. Review of data indicating widespread distribution of these materials and the potential for toxicity.

(PRESENTED AT TSUKUBA, JAPAN) PERSISTENT PERFLUORINATED ORGANIC COMPOUNDS METHOD DEVELOPMENT RESEARCH AT THE U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY

EPA Science Inventory

PowerPoint presentation summarizing method development research involving the persistent perfluorinated organic compounds. Review of data indicating widespread distribution of these materials and the potential for toxicity.

Priorities for development of research methods in occupational cancer.

PubMed Central

Ward, Elizabeth M; Schulte, Paul A; Bayard, Steve; Blair, Aaron; Brandt-Rauf, Paul; Butler, Mary Ann; Dankovic, David; Hubbs, Ann F; Jones, Carol; Karstadt, Myra; Kedderis, Gregory L; Melnick, Ronald; Redlich, Carrie A; Rothman, Nathaniel; Savage, Russell E; Sprinker, Michael; Toraason, Mark; Weston, Ainsley; Olshan, Andrew F; Stewart, Patricia; Zahm, Sheila Hoar

2003-01-01

Occupational cancer research methods was identified in 1996 as 1 of 21 priority research areas in the National Occupational Research Agenda (NORA). To implement NORA, teams of experts from various sectors were formed and given the charge to further define research needs and develop strategies to enhance or augment research in each priority area. This article is a product of that process. Focus on occupational cancer research methods is important both because occupational factors play a significant role in a number of cancers, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality, and also because occupational cohorts (because of higher exposure levels) often provide unique opportunities to evaluate health effects of environmental toxicants and understand the carcinogenic process in humans. Despite an explosion of new methods for cancer research in general, these have not been widely applied to occupational cancer research. In this article we identify needs and gaps in occupational cancer research methods in four broad areas: identification of occupational carcinogens, design of epidemiologic studies, risk assessment, and primary and secondary prevention. Progress in occupational cancer will require interdisciplinary research involving epidemiologists, industrial hygienists, toxicologists, and molecular biologists. PMID:12524210

The Role of Parental Involvement in the Autonomy Development of Traditional-Age College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cullaty, Brian

2011-01-01

Increased parental involvement in higher education has led to a rise in the number of parent interactions with university faculty and staff. The purpose of this study was to explore how parental involvement influences the process of college student autonomy development and to examine the implications of this process for college administrators.…

Characterization of Developer Application Methods Used in Fluorescent Penetrant Inspection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brasche, L. J. H.; Lopez, R.; Eisenmann, D.

2006-03-01

Fluorescent penetrant inspection (FPI) is the most widely used inspection method for aviation components seeing use for production as well as an inservice inspection applications. FPI is a multiple step process requiring attention to the process parameters for each step in order to enable a successful inspection. A multiyear program is underway to evaluate the most important factors affecting the performance of FPI, to determine whether existing industry specifications adequately address control of the process parameters, and to provide the needed engineering data to the public domain. The final step prior to the inspection is the application of developer with typical aviation inspections involving the use of dry powder (form d) usually applied using either a pressure wand or dust storm chamber. Results from several typical dust storm chambers and wand applications have shown less than optimal performance. Measurements of indication brightness and recording of the UVA image, and in some cases, formal probability of detection (POD) studies were used to assess the developer application methods. Key conclusions and initial recommendations are provided.

Supervisor Involvement and Professional Development Needs Associated with SAE Programming and Safety

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawver, Rebecca G.; Pate, Michael L.; Sorensen, Tyson J.

2016-01-01

This descriptive survey research study sought to gather evidence of school-based agriculture teachers' perceptions of community supervisor involvement with supervision and planning of students' Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) work activities and safety training professional development needs. Responding teachers indicated they agreed to…

APPLICATION OF SOFTWARE QUALITY ASSURANCE CONCEPTS AND PROCEDURES TO ENVIORNMENTAL RESEARCH INVOLVING SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT

EPA Science Inventory

As EPA’s environmental research expands into new areas that involve the development of software, quality assurance concepts and procedures that were originally developed for environmental data collection may not be appropriate. Fortunately, software quality assurance is a ...

Transcription profiling provides insights into gene pathways involved in horn and scurs development in cattle

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Two types of horns are evident in cattle - fixed horns attached to the skull and a variation called scurs, which refers to small loosely attached horns. Cattle lacking horns are referred to as polled. Although both the Poll and Scurs loci have been mapped to BTA1 and 19 respectively, the underlying genetic basis of these phenotypes is unknown, and so far, no candidate genes regulating these developmental processes have been described. This study is the first reported attempt at transcript profiling to identify genes and pathways contributing to horn and scurs development in Brahman cattle, relative to polled counterparts. Results Expression patterns in polled, horned and scurs tissues were obtained using the Agilent 44 k bovine array. The most notable feature when comparing transcriptional profiles of developing horn tissues against polled was the down regulation of genes coding for elements of the cadherin junction as well as those involved in epidermal development. We hypothesize this as a key event involved in keratinocyte migration and subsequent horn development. In the polled-scurs comparison, the most prevalent differentially expressed transcripts code for genes involved in extracellular matrix remodelling, which were up regulated in scurs tissues relative to polled. Conclusion For this first time we describe networks of genes involved in horn and scurs development. Interestingly, we did not observe differential expression in any of the genes present on the fine mapped region of BTA1 known to contain the Poll locus. PMID:20537189

Developing Science Communication in Africa: Undergraduate and Graduate Students should be Trained and Actively Involved in Outreach Activity Development and Implementation.

PubMed

Karikari, Thomas K; Yawson, Nat Ato; Quansah, Emmanuel

2016-01-01

Despite recent improvements in scientific research output from Africa, public understanding of science in many parts of the continent remains low. Science communication there is faced with challenges such as (i) lack of interest among some scientists, (ii) low availability of training programs for scientists, (iii) low literacy rates among the public, and (iv) multiplicity of languages. To address these challenges, new ways of training and motivating scientists to dialogue with non-scientists are essential. Developing communication skills early in researchers' scientific career would be a good way to enhance their public engagement abilities. Therefore, a potentially effective means to develop science communication in Africa would be to actively involve trainee scientists (i.e., undergraduate and graduate students) in outreach activity development and delivery. These students are often enthusiastic about science, eager to develop their teaching and communication skills, and can be good mentors to younger students. Involving them in all aspects of outreach activity is, therefore, likely to be a productive implementation strategy. However, science communication training specifically for students and the involvement of these students in outreach activity design and delivery are lacking in Africa. Here, we argue that improving the training and involvement of budding scientists in science communication activities would be a good way to bridge the wide gap between scientists and the African public.

Negotiating a Systems Development Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karlsson, Fredrik; Hedström, Karin

Systems development methods (or methods) are often applied in tailored version to fit the actual situation. Method tailoring is in most the existing literature viewed as either (a) a highly rational process with the method engineer as the driver where the project members are passive information providers or (b) an unstructured process where the systems developer makes individual choices, a selection process without any driver. The purpose of this chapter is to illustrate that important design decisions during method tailoring are made by project members through negotiation. The study has been carried out using the perspective of actor-network theory. Our narratives depict method tailoring as more complex than (a) and (b) show the driver role rotates between the project members, and design decisions are based on influences from several project members. However, these design decisions are not consensus decisions.

The Involvement Instrument.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roderick, Jessie A.

The Involvement Instrument, an observational technique for examining children's interaction patterns and degree of involvement within the school setting, is presented in this paper. Training protocols for obtaining skill in using the Involvement Instrument, methods of analyzing data obtained by using the instrument, and criteria for determining…

Development of methods for the analysis of multi-mode TFM images

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sy, K.; Bredif, P.; Iakovleva, E.; Roy, O.; Lesselier, D.

2018-05-01

TFM (Total Focusing Method) is an advanced post-processing imaging algorithm of ultrasonic array data that shows good potential in defect detection and characterization. It can be employed using an infinite number of paths between transducer and focusing point. Depending upon the geometry and the characteristics of the defect in a given part, there are not the same modes that are appropriate for the defect reconstruction. Furthermore, non-physical indications can be observed, prone to misinterpretation. These imaging artifacts are due to the coexistence of several contributions involving several modes of propagation and interactions with possible defects and/or the geometry of the part. Two methods for filtering artifacts and reducing the number of TFM images are developed and illustrated.

From (Un)Willingness to InvolveMENt: Development of a Successful Study Brand for Recruitment of Diverse MSM to a Longitudinal HIV Research.

PubMed

Frew, Paula M; Williams, Victoria A; Shapiro, Eve T; Sanchez, Travis; Rosenberg, Eli S; Fenimore, Vincent L; Sullivan, Patrick S

2013-11-21

HIV continues to be a major concern among MSM, yet Black MSM have not been enrolled in HIV research studies in proportionate numbers to White MSM. We developed an HIV prevention research brand strategy for MSM. Questionnaires and focus groups were conducted with 54 participants. Descriptive statistics and chi-square analyses were performed and qualitative data were transcribed and content analyzed to identify common themes. Formative research results indicated that younger Black MSM (18-29 years) were less likely to think about joining prevention studies compared to older (≥30 years) Black MSM ( x 2 = 5.92, P = 0.015). Qualitative and quantitative results indicate four prominent themes related to brand development: (1) communication sources (message deliverer), (2) message (impact of public health messaging on perceptions of HIV research), (3) intended audience (underlying issues that influence personal relevance of HIV research), and (4) communication channels (reaching intended audiences). The findings highlight the importance of behavioral communication translational research to effectively engage hard-to-reach populations. Despite reservations, MSM in our formative study expressed a need for active involvement and greater education to facilitate their engagement in HIV prevention research. Thus, the brand concept of "InvolveMENt" emerged.

MRI to predict nipple-areola complex (NAC) involvement: An automatic method to compute the 3D distance between the NAC and tumor.

PubMed

Giannini, Valentina; Bianchi, Veronica; Carabalona, Silvia; Mazzetti, Simone; Maggiorotto, Furio; Kubatzki, Franziska; Regge, Daniele; Ponzone, Riccardo; Martincich, Laura

2017-12-01

To assess the role in predicting nipple-areola complex (NAC) involvement of a newly developed automatic method which computes the 3D tumor-NAC distance. Ninety-nine patients scheduled to nipple sparing mastectomy (NSM) underwent magnetic resonance (MR) examination at 1.5 T, including sagittal T2w and dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE)-MR imaging. An automatic method was developed to segment the NAC and the tumor and to compute the 3D distance between them. The automatic measurement was compared with manual axial and sagittal 2D measurements. NAC involvement was defined by the presence of invasive ductal or lobular carcinoma and/or ductal carcinoma in situ or ductal intraepithelial neoplasia (DIN1c - DIN3). Tumor-NAC distance was computed on 95/99 patients (25 NAC+), as three tumors were not correctly segmented (sensitivity = 97%), and 1 NAC was not detected (sensitivity = 99%). The automatic 3D distance reached the highest area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (0.830) with respect to the manual axial (0.676), sagittal (0.664), and minimum distances (0.664). At the best cut-off point of 21 mm, the 3D distance obtained sensitivity = 72%, specificity = 80%, positive predictive value = 56%, and negative predictive value = 89%. This method could provide a reproducible biomarker to preoperatively select breast cancer patients candidates to NSM, thus helping surgical planning and intraoperative management of patients. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Development and Validation of High Performance Liquid Chromatography Method for Determination Atorvastatin in Tablet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yugatama, A.; Rohmani, S.; Dewangga, A.

2018-03-01

Atorvastatin is the primary choice for dyslipidemia treatment. Due to patent expiration of atorvastatin, the pharmaceutical industry makes copy of the drug. Therefore, the development methods for tablet quality tests involving atorvastatin concentration on tablets needs to be performed. The purpose of this research was to develop and validate the simple atorvastatin tablet analytical method by HPLC. HPLC system used in this experiment consisted of column Cosmosil C18 (150 x 4,6 mm, 5 µm) as the stationary reverse phase chomatography, a mixture of methanol-water at pH 3 (80:20 v/v) as the mobile phase, flow rate of 1 mL/min, and UV detector at wavelength of 245 nm. Validation methods were including: selectivity, linearity, accuracy, precision, limit of detection (LOD), and limit of quantitation (LOQ). The results of this study indicate that the developed method had good validation including selectivity, linearity, accuracy, precision, LOD, and LOQ for analysis of atorvastatin tablet content. LOD and LOQ were 0.2 and 0.7 ng/mL, and the linearity range were 20 - 120 ng/mL.

Adolescent Non-Involvement in Multiple Risk Behaviors: An Indicator of Successful Development?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Willoughby, Teena; Chalmers, Heather; Busseri, Michael A.; Bosacki, Sandra; Dupont, Diane; Marini, Zopito; Rose-Krasnor, Linda; Sadava, Stan; Ward, Anthony; Woloshyn, Vera

2007-01-01

Based on the conceptualization of successful development as the joint maximization of desirable outcomes and minimization of undesirable outcomes (Baltes, 1997), the present study examined connections between adolescent non-involvement in multiple risk behaviors and positive developmental status. Results from a survey of 7290 high school students…

48 CFR 250.104-3-70 - Indemnification under contracts involving both research and development and other work.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... contracts involving both research and development and other work. 250.104-3-70 Section 250.104-3-70 Federal... MANAGEMENT EXTRAORDINARY CONTRACTUAL ACTIONS AND THE SAFETY ACT Extraordinary Contractual Actions 250.104-3-70 Indemnification under contracts involving both research and development and other work. When...

The importance of male partner involvement for women's acceptability and adherence to female-initiated HIV prevention methods in Zimbabwe.

PubMed

Montgomery, Elizabeth T; van der Straten, Ariane; Chidanyika, Agnes; Chipato, Tsungai; Jaffar, Shabbar; Padian, Nancy

2011-07-01

Enlisting male partner involvement is perceived as an important component of women's successful uptake of female-initiated HIV prevention methods. We conducted a longitudinal study among a cohort of 955 Zimbabwean women participating in a clinical trial of the effectiveness of a female-initiated HIV prevention method (the diaphragm and lubricant gel) to: (a) describe the extent to which women involved their male partners in the decision to use the study products, and (b) measure the effect perceived male partner support had on their acceptability and consistent use of these methods. Reported levels of male partner involvement in discussions and decisions regarding: joining the study, study activities, the outcome of HIV/STI test results, and product use were very high. In multivariate analyses, regular disclosure of study product use and partner approval for the diaphragm and gel were significantly associated with women's acceptability and consistent use of the products; an essential component for determining efficacy of investigational prevention methods. These results support the need for more sophisticated measurement of how couples interact to make decisions that impact study participation and investigational product use as well as more rigorous adaptations and evaluations of existing strategies to involve male partners in female-initiated HIV prevention trials.

Consumer involvement in topic and outcome selection in the development of clinical practice guidelines.

PubMed

Tong, Allison; Lopez-Vargas, Pamela; Howell, Martin; Phoon, Richard; Johnson, David; Campbell, Denise; Walker, Rowan G; Craig, Jonathan C

2012-12-01

Consumer involvement in guideline development is advocated, but minimal participation, such as a nominated consumer representative on a guideline working group, can inhibit their decision-making power and contribution. Little is known about how to involve consumers more effectively in guideline development. To describe a targeted approach for involving consumers actively in guideline development, by focusing on topic and outcome selection, and to discuss the impact on content and structure of the final guideline. Descriptive study. Patients and carers (n = 24) from a tertiary hospital in Sydney attended three structured peer-facilitated workshops to complete group-based exercises on topic and outcome selection for guidelines for early stage chronic kidney disease. These workshops were run in parallel with the guideline-writing group. For each exercise, participants formed small groups and facilitated their own discussion, recorded their responses and presented them to the wider group. The topics and outcomes identified were fed back to the guideline writers. The participants actively engaged in the workshop discussions and articulated topics and outcomes they perceived should be included in clinical guidelines. Four main changes to guideline-related outputs were observed. A new guideline subtopic was introduced, guidelines were consumer-endorsed, guideline recommendations and suggestions for clinical care were augmented with consumer-focused issues, and plain English guidelines were developed. Consumer workshops in parallel and feeding into guideline development can be a feasible and effective approach for active consumer contribution. This process can inform the development of both consumer-focused guidelines for clinicians and specific versions for consumers. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

31 CFR 537.412 - Investments in entities involved in economic development projects in Burma.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... economic development projects in Burma. 537.412 Section 537.412 Money and Finance: Treasury Regulations... BURMESE SANCTIONS REGULATIONS Interpretations § 537.412 Investments in entities involved in economic... economic development of resources located in Burma is prohibited by § 537.204 where the company's profits...

Integration of QFD, AHP, and LPP methods in supplier development problems under uncertainty

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shad, Zahra; Roghanian, Emad; Mojibian, Fatemeh

2014-04-01

Quality function deployment (QFD) is a customer-driven approach, widely used to develop or process new product to maximize customer satisfaction. Last researches used linear physical programming (LPP) procedure to optimize QFD; however, QFD issue involved uncertainties, or fuzziness, which requires taking them into account for more realistic study. In this paper, a set of fuzzy data is used to address linguistic values parameterized by triangular fuzzy numbers. Proposed integrated approach including analytic hierarchy process (AHP), QFD, and LPP to maximize overall customer satisfaction under uncertain conditions and apply them in the supplier development problem. The fuzzy AHP approach is adopted as a powerful method to obtain the relationship between the customer requirements and engineering characteristics (ECs) to construct house of quality in QFD method. LPP is used to obtain the optimal achievement level of the ECs and subsequently the customer satisfaction level under different degrees of uncertainty. The effectiveness of proposed method will be illustrated by an example.

24 CFR 941.102 - Development methods and funding.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Development methods and funding... URBAN DEVELOPMENT PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENT General § 941.102 Development methods and funding. (a) Methods. A PHA may use any generally accepted method of development including, but not limited to...

Moral counselling: a method in development.

PubMed

de Groot, Jack; Leget, Carlo

2011-01-01

This article describes a method of moral counselling developed in the Radboud University Medical Centre Nijmegen (The Netherlands). The authors apply insights of Paul Ricoeur to the non-directive counselling method of Carl Rogers in their work of coaching patients with moral problems in health care. The developed method was shared with other health care professionals in a training course. Experiences in the course and further practice led to further improvement of the method.

Development of a test method for carbonyl compounds from stationary source emissions

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Zhihua Fan; Peterson, M.R.; Jayanty, R.K.M.

1997-12-31

Carbonyl compounds have received increasing attention because of their important role in ground-level ozone formation. The common method used for the measurement of aldehydes and ketones is 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) derivatization followed by high performance liquid chromatography and ultra violet (HPLC-UV) analysis. One of the problems associated with this method is the low recovery for certain compounds such as acrolein. This paper presents a study in the development of a test method for the collection and measurement of carbonyl compounds from stationary source emissions. This method involves collection of carbonyl compounds in impingers, conversion of carbonyl compounds to a stable derivativemore » with O-2,3,4,5,6-pentafluorobenzyl hydroxylamine hydrochloride (PFBHA), and separation and measurement by electron capture gas chromatography (GC-ECD). Eight compounds were selected for the evaluation of this method: formaldehyde, acetaldehyde, acrolein, acetone, butanal, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), methyl isobutyl ketone (MIBK), and hexanal.« less

Development of a method for measuring femoral torsion using real-time ultrasound.

PubMed

Hafiz, Eliza; Hiller, Claire E; Nicholson, Leslie L; Nightingale, E Jean; Clarke, Jillian L; Grimaldi, Alison; Eisenhuth, John P; Refshauge, Kathryn M

2014-07-01

Excessive femoral torsion has been associated with various musculoskeletal and neurological problems. To explore this relationship, it is essential to be able to measure femoral torsion in the clinic accurately. Computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are thought to provide the most accurate measurements but CT involves significant radiation exposure and MRI is expensive. The aim of this study was to design a method for measuring femoral torsion in the clinic, and to determine the reliability of this method. Details of design process, including construction of a jig, the protocol developed and the reliability of the method are presented. The protocol developed used ultrasound to image a ridge on the greater trochanter, and a customized jig placed on the femoral condyles as reference points. An inclinometer attached to the customized jig allowed quantification of the degree of femoral torsion. Measurements taken with this protocol had excellent intra- and inter-rater reliability (ICC2,1 = 0.98 and 0.97, respectively). This method of measuring femoral torsion also permitted measurement of femoral torsion with a high degree of accuracy. This method is applicable to the research setting and, with minor adjustments, will be applicable to the clinical setting.

Medical Staff Involvement in Nursing Homes: Development of a Conceptual Model and Research Agenda

PubMed Central

Shield, Renée; Rosenthal, Marsha; Wetle, Terrie; Tyler, Denise; Clark, Melissa; Intrator, Orna

2013-01-01

Medical staff (physicians, nurse practitioners, physicians’ assistants) involvement in nursing homes (NH) is limited by professional guidelines, government policies, regulations, and reimbursements, creating bureaucratic burden. The conceptual NH Medical Staff Involvement Model, based on our mixed methods research, applies the Donabedian structure-process-outcomes framework to the NH identifying measures for a coordinated research agenda. Quantitative surveys and qualitative interviews conducted with medical directors, administrators and directors of nursing, other experts, residents and family members and Minimum Data Set, the Online Certification and Reporting System and Medicare Part B claims data related to NH structure, process and outcomes were analyzed. NH control of medical staff, or structure, affects medical staff involvement in care processes and is associated with better outcomes (e.g. symptom management, appropriate transitions, satisfaction). The Model identifies measures clarifying the impact of NH medical staff involvement on care processes and resident outcomes and has strong potential to inform regulatory policies. PMID:24652944

Signaling molecules involved in the transition of growth to development of Dictyostelium discoideum.

PubMed

Mir, Hina A; Rajawat, Jyotika; Pradhan, Shalmali; Begum, Rasheedunnisa

2007-03-01

The social amoeba Dictyostelium discoideum, a powerful paradigm provides clear insights into the regulation of growth and development. In addition to possessing complex individual cellular functions like a unicellular eukaryote, D. discoideum cells face the challenge of multicellular development. D. discoideum undergoes a relatively simple differentiation process mainly by cAMP mediated pathway. Despite this relative simplicity, the regulatory signaling pathways are as complex as those seen in metazoan development. However, the introduction of restriction-enzyme-mediated integration (REMI) technique to produce developmental gene knockouts has provided novel insights into the discovery of signaling molecules and their role in D. discoideum development. Cell cycle phase is an important aspect for differentiation of D. discoideum, as cells must reach a specific stage to enter into developmental phase and specific cell cycle regulators are involved in arresting growth phase genes and inducing the developmental genes. In this review, we present an overview of the signaling molecules involved in the regulation of growth to differentiation transition (GDT), molecular mechanism of early developmental events leading to generation of cAMP signal and components of cAMP relay system that operate in this paradigm.

The Challenge and Opportunity of Parental Involvement in Juvenile Justice Services.

PubMed

Burke, Jeffrey D; Mulvey, Edward P; Schubert, Carol A; Garbin, Sara R

2014-04-01

The active involvement of parents - whether as recipients, extenders, or managers of services - during their youth's experience with the juvenile justice system is widely assumed to be crucial. Parents and family advocacy groups note persisting concerns with the degree to which successful parental involvement is achieved. Justice system providers are highly motivated and actively working to make improvements. These coalescing interests provide a strong motivation for innovation and improvement regarding family involvement, but the likely success of these efforts is severely limited by the absence of any detailed definition of parental involvement or validated measure of this construct. Determining whether and how parental involvement works in juvenile justice services depends on the development of clear models and sound measurement. Efforts in other child serving systems offer guidance to achieve this goal. A multidimensional working model developed with parents involved in child protective services is presented as a template for developing a model for parental involvement in juvenile justice. Features of the model requiring changes to make it more adaptable to juvenile justice are identified. A systematic research agenda for developing methods and measures to meet the present demands for enhanced parental involvement in juvenile justice services is presented.

POLYGALACTURONASE INVOLVED IN EXPANSION1 functions in cell elongation and flower development in Arabidopsis.

PubMed

Xiao, Chaowen; Somerville, Chris; Anderson, Charles T

2014-03-01

Pectins are acidic carbohydrates that comprise a significant fraction of the primary walls of eudicotyledonous plant cells. They influence wall porosity and extensibility, thus controlling cell and organ growth during plant development. The regulated degradation of pectins is required for many cell separation events in plants, but the role of pectin degradation in cell expansion is poorly defined. Using an activation tag screen designed to isolate genes involved in wall expansion, we identified a gene encoding a putative polygalacturonase that, when overexpressed, resulted in enhanced hypocotyl elongation in etiolated Arabidopsis thaliana seedlings. We named this gene POLYGALACTURONASE INVOLVED IN EXPANSION1 (PGX1). Plants lacking PGX1 display reduced hypocotyl elongation that is complemented by transgenic PGX1 expression. PGX1 is expressed in expanding tissues throughout development, including seedlings, roots, leaves, and flowers. PGX1-GFP (green fluorescent protein) localizes to the apoplast, and heterologously expressed PGX1 displays in vitro polygalacturonase activity, supporting a function for this protein in apoplastic pectin degradation. Plants either overexpressing or lacking PGX1 display alterations in total polygalacturonase activity, pectin molecular mass, and wall composition and also display higher proportions of flowers with extra petals, suggesting PGX1's involvement in floral organ patterning. These results reveal new roles for polygalacturonases in plant development.

The multiple imputation method: a case study involving secondary data analysis.

PubMed

Walani, Salimah R; Cleland, Charles M

2015-05-01

To illustrate with the example of a secondary data analysis study the use of the multiple imputation method to replace missing data. Most large public datasets have missing data, which need to be handled by researchers conducting secondary data analysis studies. Multiple imputation is a technique widely used to replace missing values while preserving the sample size and sampling variability of the data. The 2004 National Sample Survey of Registered Nurses. The authors created a model to impute missing values using the chained equation method. They used imputation diagnostics procedures and conducted regression analysis of imputed data to determine the differences between the log hourly wages of internationally educated and US-educated registered nurses. The authors used multiple imputation procedures to replace missing values in a large dataset with 29,059 observations. Five multiple imputed datasets were created. Imputation diagnostics using time series and density plots showed that imputation was successful. The authors also present an example of the use of multiple imputed datasets to conduct regression analysis to answer a substantive research question. Multiple imputation is a powerful technique for imputing missing values in large datasets while preserving the sample size and variance of the data. Even though the chained equation method involves complex statistical computations, recent innovations in software and computation have made it possible for researchers to conduct this technique on large datasets. The authors recommend nurse researchers use multiple imputation methods for handling missing data to improve the statistical power and external validity of their studies.

24 CFR 941.102 - Development methods and funding.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Development methods and funding... URBAN DEVELOPMENT PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENT General § 941.102 Development methods and funding. (a... housing units using this method. (b) Funding. A PHA may develop public housing with: (1) Development funds...

24 CFR 941.102 - Development methods and funding.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 4 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Development methods and funding... URBAN DEVELOPMENT PUBLIC HOUSING DEVELOPMENT General § 941.102 Development methods and funding. (a... housing units using this method. (b) Funding. A PHA may develop public housing with: (1) Development funds...

A framework for public involvement at the design stage of NHS health and social care research: time to develop ethically conscious standards.

PubMed

Pandya-Wood, Raksha; Barron, Duncan S; Elliott, Jim

2017-01-01

Researchers who conduct studies in health and social care are encouraged to involve the public as early as possible in the process of designing their studies. Before their studies are allowed to start researchers must seek approval from a Research Ethics Committee, which will assess whether the study is going to be safe and ethical for patients or healthy volunteers to take part in. The process of ethical review does not consider how researchers work with patients and the public early on to design their studies. Furthermore, there is no requirement for researchers to seek ethical approval for public involvement. However, in our work advising researchers about public involvement we have found that the ways in which researchers involve the public in the design of their studies are sometimes unintentionally unethical, and this is the focus of our paper. We have observed ten areas where ethical issues may arise because of the actions researchers may or may not take and which might consequently have a negative impact. Therefore, we have used these observations to develop a "framework" to help researchers and the public work together at the early design stage in ways that are ethical. Our intention for the framework is to help researchers be mindful of these ten areas and how easily ethical issues can arise. The framework suggests some ways to overcome the potential issues in each of the ten areas. The ten areas are: 1) Allocating sufficient time for public involvement; 2) Avoiding tokenism; 3) Registering research design stage public involvement work with NHS Research & Development Trust Office at earliest opportunity; 4) Communicating clearly from the outset; 5) Entitling public contributors to stop their involvement for any unstated reasons; 6) Operating fairness of opportunity; 7) Differentiating qualitative research methods and public involvement activities; 8) Working sensitively; 9) Being conscious of confidentiality and 10) Valuing, acknowledging and rewarding

Industry Perspective of Pediatric Drug Development in the United States: Involvement of the European Union Countries.

PubMed

Onishi, Taku; Tsukamoto, Katsura; Matsumaru, Naoki; Waki, Takashi

2018-01-01

Efforts to promote the development of pediatric pharmacotherapy include regulatory frameworks and close collaboration between the US Food and Drug Administration and the European Medicines Agency. We characterized the current status of pediatric clinical trials conducted in the United States by the pharmaceutical industry, focusing on the involvement of the European Union member countries, to clarify the industry perspective. Data on US pediatric clinical trials were obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov . Binary regression analysis was performed to identify what factors influence the likelihood of involvement of European Union countries. A total of 633 US pediatric clinical trials that met inclusion criteria were extracted and surveyed. Of these, 206 (32.5%) involved a European Union country site(s). The results of binary regression analysis indicated that attribution of industry, phase, disease area, and age of pediatric participants influenced the likelihood of the involvement of European Union countries in US pediatric clinical trials. Relatively complicated or large pediatric clinical trials, such as phase II and III trials and those that included a broad age range of participants, had a significantly greater likelihood of the involvement of European Union countries ( P < .05). Our results suggest that (1) the pharmaceutical industry utilizes regulatory frameworks in making business decisions regarding pediatric clinical trials, (2) disease area affects the involvement of European Union countries, and (3) feasibility of clinical trials is mainly concerned by pharmaceutical industry for pediatric drug development. Additional incentives for high marketability may further motivate pharmaceutical industry to develop pediatric drugs.

Father involvement in Mexican-origin families: Preliminary development of a culturally informed measure.

PubMed

Roubinov, Danielle S; Luecken, Linda J; Gonzales, Nancy A; Crnic, Keith A

2016-04-01

An increasing body of research has documented the significant influence of father involvement on children's development and overall well-being. However, extant research has predominately focused on middle-class Caucasian samples with little examination of fathering in ethnic minority and low-income families, particularly during the infancy period. The present study evaluated measures of early father involvement (paternal engagement, accessibility, and responsibility) that were adapted to capture important cultural values relevant to the paternal role in Mexican-origin families. A sample of 180 Mexican-origin mothers (M age = 28.3) and 83 Mexican-origin fathers (M age = 31.5) were interviewed during the perinatal period. Descriptive analyses indicated that Mexican-origin fathers are involved in meaningful levels of direct interaction with their infant. A 2-factor model of paternal responsibility was supported by factor analyses, consisting of a behavioral responsibility factor aligned with previous literature and culturally derived positive machismo factor. Qualities of the romantic relationship, cultural orientation, and maternal employment status were related to indices of father involvement. These preliminary results contribute to understanding of the transition to fatherhood among low-income Mexican-origin men and bring attention to the demographic, social, and cultural contexts in which varying levels of father involvement may emerge. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Using an Evaluability Assessment To Select Methods for Evaluating State Technology Development Programs: The Case of the Georgia Research Alliance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Youtie, Jan; Bozeman, Barry; Shapira, Philip

1999-01-01

Describes an evaluability assessment of the Georgia Research Alliance (GRA), a technology development program. Presents the steps involved in conducting an evaluability assessment, including development of an understanding of the program and its stakeholders. Analyzes and compares different methods by which the GRA could be evaluated. (SLD)

The Challenge and Opportunity of Parental Involvement in Juvenile Justice Services

PubMed Central

Burke, Jeffrey D.; Mulvey, Edward P.; Schubert, Carol A.; Garbin, Sara R.

2014-01-01

The active involvement of parents – whether as recipients, extenders, or managers of services - during their youth’s experience with the juvenile justice system is widely assumed to be crucial. Parents and family advocacy groups note persisting concerns with the degree to which successful parental involvement is achieved. Justice system providers are highly motivated and actively working to make improvements. These coalescing interests provide a strong motivation for innovation and improvement regarding family involvement, but the likely success of these efforts is severely limited by the absence of any detailed definition of parental involvement or validated measure of this construct. Determining whether and how parental involvement works in juvenile justice services depends on the development of clear models and sound measurement. Efforts in other child serving systems offer guidance to achieve this goal. A multidimensional working model developed with parents involved in child protective services is presented as a template for developing a model for parental involvement in juvenile justice. Features of the model requiring changes to make it more adaptable to juvenile justice are identified. A systematic research agenda for developing methods and measures to meet the present demands for enhanced parental involvement in juvenile justice services is presented. PMID:24748704

Digital Literacy Development of Students Involved in an ICT Educational Project

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Quintana, Maria Graciela Badilla; Pujol, Meritxell Cortada

The impact of the Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) has become the core of a change that involves most of the society fields, consequently the technological and informational literacy are essential requirements in education. The research is a quasi-experimental and ex-post-facto study in schools from Spain. The aim was to describe and analyze the involvement showed by 219 students who participated in a development of ICT's Project named Ponte dos Brozos. The research objective was to respond if the students who usually worked with ICT, had better knowledge and management with computing tools, and if they are better prepared in researching and selecting information. Results showed that students who have a higher contact with ICTs know about the technology and how to use it, also better knowledge and control of the computer and operative systems, a high information management level trough the Internet, although their literacy in information is devoid.

Employers' Organizations--Their Involvement in the Development of a European Vocational Training Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Castin, Franz

This document presents an overview and synthesis of the involvement of employers' and employers' organizations in the development of vocational training policy in Europe. Material was gathered through the personal experience of the author and from interviews with those responsible for vocational training in various employers' professional…

Development and Applications of Advanced Electronic Structure Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, Franziska

This dissertation contributes to three different areas in electronic structure theory. The first part of this thesis advances the fundamentals of orbital active spaces. Orbital active spaces are not only essential in multi-reference approaches, but have also become of interest in single-reference methods as they allow otherwise intractably large systems to be studied. However, despite their great importance, the optimal choice and, more importantly, their physical significance are still not fully understood. In order to address this problem, we studied the higher-order singular value decomposition (HOSVD) in the context of electronic structure methods. We were able to gain a physical understanding of the resulting orbitals and proved a connection to unrelaxed natural orbitals in the case of Moller-Plesset perturbation theory to second order (MP2). In the quest to find the optimal choice of the active space, we proposed a HOSVD for energy-weighted integrals, which yielded the fastest convergence in MP2 correlation energy for small- to medium-sized active spaces to date, and is also potentially transferable to coupled-cluster theory. In the second part, we studied monomeric and dimeric glycerol radical cations and their photo-induced dissociation in collaboration with Prof. Leone and his group. Understanding the mechanistic details involved in these processes are essential for further studies on the combustion of glycerol and carbohydrates. To our surprise, we found that in most cases, the experimentally observed appearance energies arise from the separation of product fragments from one another rather than rearrangement to products. The final chapters of this work focus on the development, assessment, and application of the spin-flip method, which is a single-reference approach, but capable of describing multi-reference problems. Systems exhibiting multi-reference character, which arises from the (near-) degeneracy of orbital energies, are amongst the most

Behaviour change techniques: the development and evaluation of a taxonomic method for reporting and describing behaviour change interventions (a suite of five studies involving consensus methods, randomised controlled trials and analysis of qualitative data).

PubMed

Michie, Susan; Wood, Caroline E; Johnston, Marie; Abraham, Charles; Francis, Jill J; Hardeman, Wendy

2015-11-01

Meeting global health challenges requires effective behaviour change interventions (BCIs). This depends on advancing the science of behaviour change which, in turn, depends on accurate intervention reporting. Current reporting often lacks detail, preventing accurate replication and implementation. Recent developments have specified intervention content into behaviour change techniques (BCTs) - the 'active ingredients', for example goal-setting, self-monitoring of behaviour. BCTs are 'the smallest components compatible with retaining the postulated active ingredients, i.e. the proposed mechanisms of change. They can be used alone or in combination with other BCTs' (Michie S, Johnston M. Theories and techniques of behaviour change: developing a cumulative science of behaviour change. Health Psychol Rev 2012;6:1-6). Domain-specific taxonomies of BCTs have been developed, for example healthy eating and physical activity, smoking cessation and alcohol consumption. We need to build on these to develop an internationally shared language for specifying and developing interventions. This technology can be used for synthesising evidence, implementing effective interventions and testing theory. It has enormous potential added value for science and global health. (1) To develop a method of specifying content of BCIs in terms of component BCTs; (2) to lay a foundation for a comprehensive methodology applicable to different types of complex interventions; (3) to develop resources to support application of the taxonomy; and (4) to achieve multidisciplinary and international acceptance for future development. Four hundred participants (systematic reviewers, researchers, practitioners, policy-makers) from 12 countries engaged in investigating, designing and/or delivering BCIs. Development of the taxonomy involved a Delphi procedure, an iterative process of revisions and consultation with 41 international experts; hierarchical structure of the list was developed using inductive

Relationship Between Admission Data and Pharmacy Student Involvement in Extracurricular Activities

PubMed Central

Plake, Kimberly S.; Mason, Holly L.

2011-01-01

Objectives. To assess pharmacy student involvement in leadership and service roles and to evaluate the association between admissions data and student involvement. Methods. Doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) students were invited to complete a 56-item online survey instrument containing questions regarding leadership and service involvement, work experiences, perceived contribution of involvement to skill development, and perceived importance of involvement. Responses were linked to admissions data to identify possible associations. Results. Five hundred fourteen (82.4%) pharmacy students completed the survey instrument. Students with higher admissions application and interview scores were more likely to be involved in organizations and hold leadership roles, while students with higher admissions grade point averages were less likely to be involved in organizations and leadership roles. Conclusions. Assessing students’ involvement in leadership and service roles can assist in the evaluation of students’ leadership skills and lead to modification of curricular and co-curricular activities to provide development opportunities. Student involvement in extracurricular activities may encourage future involvement in and commitment to the pharmacy profession. PMID:22102745

Methods for the guideline-based development of quality indicators--a systematic review

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Quality indicators (QIs) are used in many healthcare settings to measure, compare, and improve quality of care. For the efficient development of high-quality QIs, rigorous, approved, and evidence-based development methods are needed. Clinical practice guidelines are a suitable source to derive QIs from, but no gold standard for guideline-based QI development exists. This review aims to identify, describe, and compare methodological approaches to guideline-based QI development. Methods We systematically searched medical literature databases (Medline, EMBASE, and CINAHL) and grey literature. Two researchers selected publications reporting methodological approaches to guideline-based QI development. In order to describe and compare methodological approaches used in these publications, we extracted detailed information on common steps of guideline-based QI development (topic selection, guideline selection, extraction of recommendations, QI selection, practice test, and implementation) to predesigned extraction tables. Results From 8,697 hits in the database search and several grey literature documents, we selected 48 relevant references. The studies were of heterogeneous type and quality. We found no randomized controlled trial or other studies comparing the ability of different methodological approaches to guideline-based development to generate high-quality QIs. The relevant publications featured a wide variety of methodological approaches to guideline-based QI development, especially regarding guideline selection and extraction of recommendations. Only a few studies reported patient involvement. Conclusions Further research is needed to determine which elements of the methodological approaches identified, described, and compared in this review are best suited to constitute a gold standard for guideline-based QI development. For this research, we provide a comprehensive groundwork. PMID:22436067

EU-Level Competence Development Projects in Agri-Food-Environment: The Involvement of Sectoral Social Partners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mulder, Martin

2006-01-01

Purpose: The European Commission and social partner organisations at EU level encourage the lifelong development of qualifications and competence. This is reflected in many policy reports and reviews. This paper seeks to show the involvement of social partner organisations at the level of EU-funded competence development projects.…

The extent, quality and impact of patient and public involvement in primary care research: a mixed methods study.

PubMed

Blackburn, Steven; McLachlan, Sarah; Jowett, Sue; Kinghorn, Philip; Gill, Paramjit; Higginbottom, Adele; Rhodes, Carol; Stevenson, Fiona; Jinks, Clare

2018-01-01

In the UK, more patients go to primary care than other parts of the health service. Therefore it is important for research into primary care to include the insights and views of people who receive these services. To explore the extent, quality and impact of patient and public involvement (PPI) in primary care research, we examined documents of 200 projects and surveyed 191 researchers.We found that about half of studies included PPI to develop research ideas and during the study itself. Common activities included designing study materials, advising on methods, and managing the research. Some studies did not undertake the PPI activities initially planned and funded for. PPI varied by study design, health condition and study population. We found pockets of good practice: having a PPI budget, supporting PPI contributors, and PPI informing recruitment issues. However, good practice was lacking in other areas. Few projects offered PPI contributors training, used PPI to develop information for participants about study progress and included PPI to advise on publishing findings.Researchers reported beneficial impacts of PPI. Most impact was reported when the approach to PPI included more indicators of good practice. The main cost of PPI for researchers was their time. Many reported difficulties providing information about PPI.In partnership with PPI contributors, we have used these findings to develop:a new Cost and Consequences Framework for PPI highlighting financial and non-financial costs, benefits and harms of PPIFifteen co-produced recommendations to improve the practice and delivery of PPI. Background: To improve the lives of patients in primary care requires the involvement of service users in primary care research. We aimed to explore the extent, quality and impact of patient and public involvement (PPI) in primary care research. Methods: We extracted information about PPI from grant applications, reports and an electronic survey of researchers of studies funded

Epidemiological and genetic clues for molecular mechanisms involved in uterine leiomyoma development and growth

PubMed Central

Commandeur, Arno E.; Styer, Aaron K.; Teixeira, Jose M.

2015-01-01

BACKGROUND Uterine leiomyomas (fibroids) are highly prevalent benign smooth muscle tumors of the uterus. In the USA, the lifetime risk for women developing uterine leiomyomas is estimated as up to 75%. Except for hysterectomy, most therapies or treatments often provide only partial or temporary relief and are not successful in every patient. There is a clear racial disparity in the disease; African-American women are estimated to be three times more likely to develop uterine leiomyomas and generally develop more severe symptoms. There is also familial clustering between first-degree relatives and twins, and multiple inherited syndromes in which fibroid development occurs. Leiomyomas have been described as clonal and hormonally regulated, but despite the healthcare burden imposed by the disease, the etiology of uterine leiomyomas remains largely unknown. The mechanisms involved in their growth are also essentially unknown, which has contributed to the slow progress in development of effective treatment options. METHODS A comprehensive PubMed search for and critical assessment of articles related to the epidemiological, biological and genetic clues for uterine leiomyoma development was performed. The individual functions of some of the best candidate genes are explained to provide more insight into their biological function and to interconnect and organize genes and pathways in one overarching figure that represents the current state of knowledge about uterine leiomyoma development and growth. RESULTS In this review, the widely recognized roles of estrogen and progesterone in uterine leiomyoma pathobiology on the basis of clinical and experimental data are presented. This is followed by fundamental aspects and concepts including the possible cellular origin of uterine fibroids. The central themes in the subsequent parts are cytogenetic aberrations in leiomyomas and the racial/ethnic disparities in uterine fibroid biology. Then, the attributes of various in vitro and

The Development of a Strategic Prioritisation Method for Green Supply Chain Initiatives.

PubMed

Masoumik, S Maryam; Abdul-Rashid, Salwa Hanim; Olugu, Ezutah Udoncy

2015-01-01

To maintain a competitive position, companies are increasingly required to integrate their proactive environmental strategies into their business strategies. The shift from reactive and compliance-based to proactive and strategic environmental management has driven companies to consider the strategic factors while identifying the areas in which they should focus their green initiatives. In previous studies little attention was given to providing the managers with a basis from which they could strategically prioritise these green initiatives across their companies' supply chains. Considering this lacuna in the literature, we present a decision-making method for prioritising green supply chain initiatives aligned with the preferred green strategies alternatives for the manufacturing companies. To develop this method, the study considered a position between determinism and the voluntarism orientation of environmental management involving both external pressures and internal competitive drivers and key resources as decision factors. This decision-making method was developed using the analytic network process (ANP) technique. The elements of the decision model were derived from the literature. The causal relationships among the multiple decision variables were validated based on the results of structural equation modelling (SEM) using a dataset collected from a survey of the ISO 14001-certified manufacturers in Malaysia. A portion of the relative weights required for computation in ANP was also calculated using the SEM results. A case study is presented to demonstrate the applicability of the method.

The Development of a Strategic Prioritisation Method for Green Supply Chain Initiatives

PubMed Central

Masoumik, S. Maryam; Abdul-Rashid, Salwa Hanim; Olugu, Ezutah Udoncy

2015-01-01

To maintain a competitive position, companies are increasingly required to integrate their proactive environmental strategies into their business strategies. The shift from reactive and compliance-based to proactive and strategic environmental management has driven companies to consider the strategic factors while identifying the areas in which they should focus their green initiatives. In previous studies little attention was given to providing the managers with a basis from which they could strategically prioritise these green initiatives across their companies’ supply chains. Considering this lacuna in the literature, we present a decision-making method for prioritising green supply chain initiatives aligned with the preferred green strategies alternatives for the manufacturing companies. To develop this method, the study considered a position between determinism and the voluntarism orientation of environmental management involving both external pressures and internal competitive drivers and key resources as decision factors. This decision-making method was developed using the analytic network process (ANP) technique. The elements of the decision model were derived from the literature. The causal relationships among the multiple decision variables were validated based on the results of structural equation modelling (SEM) using a dataset collected from a survey of the ISO 14001-certified manufacturers in Malaysia. A portion of the relative weights required for computation in ANP was also calculated using the SEM results. A case study is presented to demonstrate the applicability of the method. PMID:26618353

Involvement of adolescents in decision making for heart transplants.

PubMed

Sinclair, Sarah J

2009-01-01

Every year, hundreds of children and adolescents are faced with the need for heart transplantation to survive end-stage cardiac disease. This experience extends far beyond the surgical intervention, for it begins with a waiting period that may involve invasive and distressing interventions, and proceeds through a lifetime of lifestyle changes and complicated ongoing medical management. Adolescents may wish to forgo heart transplantation, even at the expense of their own lives. Such refusals leave patients, parents, and healthcare professionals grappling with complex ethical issues. It is incumbent upon professionals to allow adolescents a role in making this important decision; this requires that nurses understand ethical concepts including autonomy, competence, and assent. Because autonomy develops over time, an evaluation of the adolescent's maturity and competence is necessary. By incorporating the concepts of child development and measures of competence developed to govern pediatric involvement in research, a structured and ethically sound method for involving adolescents in this process can be put into practice.

Lipoxygenase is involved in the control of potato tuber development.

PubMed

Kolomiets, M V; Hannapel, D J; Chen, H; Tymeson, M; Gladon, R J

2001-03-01

Plant lipoxygenases (LOXs) are a functionally diverse class of dioxygenases implicated in physiological processes such as growth, senescence, and stress-related responses. LOXs incorporate oxygen into their fatty acid substrates and produce hydroperoxide fatty acids that are precursors of jasmonic acid and related compounds. Here, we report the involvement of the tuber-associated LOXs, designated the Lox1 class, in the control of tuber growth. RNA hybridization analysis showed that the accumulation of Lox1 class transcripts was restricted to developing tubers, stolons, and roots and that mRNA accumulation correlated positively with tuber initiation and growth. In situ hybridization showed that Lox1 class transcripts accumulated in the apical and subapical regions of the newly formed tuber, specifically in the vascular tissue of the perimedullary region, the site of the most active cell growth during tuber enlargement. Suppression mutants produced by expressing antisense coding sequence of a specific tuber LOX, designated POTLX-1, exhibited a significant reduction in LOX activity in stolons and tubers. The suppression of LOX activity correlated with reduced tuber yield, decreased average tuber size, and a disruption of tuber formation. Our results indicate that the pathway initiated by the expression of the Lox1 class genes of potato is involved in the regulation of tuber enlargement.

Detection of acute lymphoblastic leukemia involvement in pleural fluid in an adult patient with ataxia telangiectasia by flow cytometry method.

PubMed

Keklik, Muzaffer; Koker, M Yavuz; Sivgin, Serdar; Camlica, Demet; Pala, Cigdem; Cetin, Mustafa; Kaynar, Leylagul; Unal, Ali; Eser, Bulent

2014-09-01

Ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) is a rare multisystem, neurodegenerative genetic disorder. Patients should be closely monitored due to risk of malignancy development. Due to its wide clinical heterogeneity, it often leads physicians to an inaccurate or missed diagnosis, and insight into this rare disease is important. Pediatric patients may develop lymphomas and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). However, in adults, there are limited numbers of reports regarding association of AT and ALL. Rarely, ALL cases may present with pleural fluid involvement. In our study, we presented an adult case with AT, in which ALL involvement was detected in pleural fluid by flow cytometry (FC). A 20-years old male presented to emergency department with fever, shortness of breath and cough, as he had been followed with a diagnosis of AT. The following findings were detected in laboratory tests: Hb, 11.5 g/L; WBC, 36 × 10(9)/L; Plt: 140 × 10(9)/L. Blastic cells were observed in peripheral blood smear. On chest radiography, pleural fluid appearance was observed. On thorax CT, pleural fluid was detected in both hemithorax. Cytoplasmic CD3(+) and superficial CD3 (+), CD45 (+), CD5 (+), CD7 (+) and CD38 (+) was found in the flow cytometric evaluation of peripheral blood. Superficial CD3 (+), CD2 (+), CD5 (+) and CD7 (+) were found in flow cytometric evaluation of pleural fluid. These findings were considered as consistent with pleural involvement of T-ALL. FC is a potentially useful diagnostic tool for clinical practice and it is a convenience method which has an important role in detection of ALL in patients with pleural fluid.

Development of Advanced Life Cycle Costing Methods for Technology Benefit/Cost/Risk Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yackovetsky, Robert (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The overall objective of this three-year grant is to provide NASA Langley's System Analysis Branch with improved affordability tools and methods based on probabilistic cost assessment techniques. In order to accomplish this objective, the Aerospace Systems Design Laboratory (ASDL) needs to pursue more detailed affordability, technology impact, and risk prediction methods and to demonstrate them on variety of advanced commercial transports. The affordability assessment, which is a cornerstone of ASDL methods, relies on the Aircraft Life Cycle Cost Analysis (ALCCA) program originally developed by NASA Ames Research Center and enhanced by ASDL. This grant proposed to improve ALCCA in support of the project objective by updating the research, design, test, and evaluation cost module, as well as the engine development cost module. Investigations into enhancements to ALCCA include improved engine development cost, process based costing, supportability cost, and system reliability with airline loss of revenue for system downtime. A probabilistic, stand-alone version of ALCCA/FLOPS will also be developed under this grant in order to capture the uncertainty involved in technology assessments. FLOPS (FLight Optimization System program) is an aircraft synthesis and sizing code developed by NASA Langley Research Center. This probabilistic version of the coupled program will be used within a Technology Impact Forecasting (TIF) method to determine what types of technologies would have to be infused in a system in order to meet customer requirements. A probabilistic analysis of the CER's (cost estimating relationships) within ALCCA will also be carried out under this contract in order to gain some insight as to the most influential costs and the impact that code fidelity could have on future RDS (Robust Design Simulation) studies.

The impact of consumer involvement in research: an evaluation of consumer involvement in the London Primary Care Studies Programme.

PubMed

Wyatt, Katrina; Carter, Mary; Mahtani, Vinita; Barnard, Angela; Hawton, Annie; Britten, Nicky

2008-06-01

The value of consumer involvement in health services research is widely recognized. While there is a growing body of evidence about the principles of good consumer involvement, there is little research about the effect that involvement can have on the research. This evaluation assessed the level and impact of consumer involvement in the London Primary Care Studies Programme (LPCSP), all of whose individual projects had to demonstrate substantial involvement as a condition of funding. To evaluate consumer involvement in the LPSCP and understand what impact consumers had on the research process and outcomes. A multi-method case study approach was undertaken, using survey techniques, interviews, focus groups, observation and scrutiny of written documents. The overall data set comprised 61 questionnaires, 44 semi-structured interviews, 2 focus groups and 15 hours of observation of meetings. Eleven primary care-based research projects which together made up the LPCSP. An in-depth description of consumer involvement in the Programme was produced. Nine projects had consumers as co-applicants, four projects had been completed before the evaluation began and one was still ongoing at the time of the evaluation. Of the eight projects which have produced final reports, all met their aims and objectives. Consumers had had an additional impact in the research, in the initial design of the study, in recruitment of the research subjects, in developing data collection tools, in collecting the data, in analysis and disseminating the findings. Consumer involvement in National Health Service research is a relatively recent policy development and while there is an increasing amount of literature about how and why consumers should be involved in research, there is less evidence about the impact of such involvement. This evaluation provides evidence about the impact that consumers have not only on the research process but also on the outcomes of the research.

WikiBuild: A New Application to Support Patient and Health Care Professional Involvement in the Development of Patient Support Tools

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Active patient and public involvement as partners in their own health care and in the development of health services is key to achieving a health care system that is responsive to patients’ needs and values. It promotes better use of the health care system, and improves health outcomes, quality of life and patient satisfaction. By involving patients and health care professionals as partners in the creation and updating of patient health support tools, wikis—highly accessible, interactive vehicles of communication—have the potential to empower users to implement these support tools in daily life. Acknowledging the potential of wikis, and recognizing that they capitalize on the free and open access to information, scientists, opinion leaders and patient advocates have suggested that wikis could help decision-making constituencies improve the delivery of health care. They might also decrease its cost and improve access to knowledge within developing countries. However, little is known about the efficacy of wikis in helping to attain these goals. There is also a need to know more about the intention of patients and health care workers to use wikis, in what circumstances and what factors will influence their use of wikis. In this issue of the Journal of Medical Internet Research, Gupta et al describe how they developed and tested a new wiki-inspired application to improve asthma care. The researchers involved patients with asthma, primary care physicians, pulmonologists and certified asthma educators in the construction of an asthma action plan. Their paper—entitled “WikiBuild: a new online collaboration process for multistakeholder tool development and consensus building”—is the first description of a wiki-inspired technology built to involve patients and health care professionals in the development of a patient support tool. This innovative study has made important contributions toward how wikis could be generalized to involve multiple stakeholders in

A critical analysis of the implementation of service user involvement in primary care research and health service development using normalization process theory.

PubMed

Tierney, Edel; McEvoy, Rachel; O'Reilly-de Brún, Mary; de Brún, Tomas; Okonkwo, Ekaterina; Rooney, Michelle; Dowrick, Chris; Rogers, Anne; MacFarlane, Anne

2016-06-01

There have been recent important advances in conceptualizing and operationalizing involvement in health research and health-care service development. However, problems persist in the field that impact on the scope for meaningful involvement to become a routine - normalized - way of working in primary care. In this review, we focus on current practice to critically interrogate factors known to be relevant for normalization - definition, enrolment, enactment and appraisal. Ours was a multidisciplinary, interagency team, with community representation. We searched EBSCO host for papers from 2007 to 2011 and engaged in an iterative, reflexive approach to sampling, appraising and analysing the literature following the principles of a critical interpretive synthesis approach and using Normalization Process Theory. Twenty-six papers were chosen from 289 papers, as a purposeful sample of work that is reported as service user involvement in the field. Few papers provided a clear working definition of service user involvement. The dominant identified rationale for enrolling service users in primary care projects was linked with policy imperatives for co-governance and emancipatory ideals. The majority of methodologies employed were standard health services research methods that do not qualify as research with service users. This indicates a lack of congruence between the stated aims and methods. Most studies only reported positive outcomes, raising questions about the balance or completeness of the published appraisals. To improve normalization of meaningful involvement in primary care, it is necessary to encourage explicit reporting of definitions, methodological innovation to enhance co-governance and dissemination of research processes and findings. © 2014 The Authors Health Expectations Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Multigrid Methods for Aerodynamic Problems in Complex Geometries

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caughey, David A.

1995-01-01

Work has been directed at the development of efficient multigrid methods for the solution of aerodynamic problems involving complex geometries, including the development of computational methods for the solution of both inviscid and viscous transonic flow problems. The emphasis is on problems of complex, three-dimensional geometry. The methods developed are based upon finite-volume approximations to both the Euler and the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes equations. The methods are developed for use on multi-block grids using diagonalized implicit multigrid methods to achieve computational efficiency. The work is focused upon aerodynamic problems involving complex geometries, including advanced engine inlets.

Possible involvement of mitochondrial energy-producing ability in the development of right ventricular failure in monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertensive rats.

PubMed

Daicho, Takuya; Yagi, Tatsuya; Abe, Yohei; Ohara, Meiko; Marunouchi, Tetsuro; Takeo, Satoshi; Tanonaka, Kouichi

2009-09-01

The present study was undertaken to explore the possible involvement of alterations in the mitochondrial energy-producing ability in the development of the right ventricular failure in monocrotaline-administered rats. The rats at the 6th week after subcutaneous injection of 60 mg/kg monocrotaline revealed marked myocardial hypertrophy and fibrosis, that is, severe cardiac remodeling. The time-course study on the cardiac hemodynamics of the monocrotaline-administered rat by the cannula and echocardiographic methods showed a reduction in cardiac double product, a decrease in cardiac output index, and an increase in the right ventricular Tei index, suggesting that the right ventricular failure was induced at the 6th week after monocrotaline administration in rats. The mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate of the right ventricular muscle isolated from the monocrotaline-administered animal was decreased, which was associated with a reduction in myocardial high-energy phosphates. Furthermore, the decrease in mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate was inversely related to the increase in the right ventricular Tei index of the monocrotaline-administered rats. These results suggest that impairment of the mitochondrial energy-producing ability is involved in the development of the right ventricular failure in monocrotaline-induced pulmonary hypertensive rats.

Principles for Developing Male Involvement Programs in Early Childhood Settings: A Personal Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fagan, Jay

1996-01-01

Notes society's increasing demands that men assume a more active role as fathers. Lists five principles for developing a male involvement program in child care settings outside of home. Claims that these programs can be successful if female facilitators are sensitive to gender differences in communication and aware of the unique needs men bring to…

The role of the Standard Days Method in modern family planning services in developing countries.

PubMed

Lundgren, Rebecka I; Karra, Mihira V; Yam, Eileen A

2012-08-01

The mere availability of family planning (FP) services is not sufficient to improve reproductive health; services must also be of adequate quality. The introduction of new contraceptive methods is a means of improving quality of care. The Standard Days Method (SDM) is a new fertility-awareness-based contraceptive method that has been successfully added to reproductive health care services around the world. Framed by the Bruce-Jain quality-of-care paradigm, this paper describes how the introduction of SDM in developing country settings can improve the six elements of quality while contributing to the intrinsic variety of available methods. SDM meets the needs of women and couples who opt not to use other modern methods. SDM providers are sensitised to the potential of fertility-awareness-based contraception as an appropriate choice for these clients. SDM requires the involvement of both partners and thus offers a natural entry point for providers to further explore partner communication, intimate partner violence, condoms, and HIV/STIs. SDM introduction broadens the range of FP methods available to couples in developing countries. SDM counselling presents an opportunity for FP providers to discuss important interpersonal and reproductive health issues with potential users.

Molecular genetics of Erwinia amylovora involved in the development of fire blight.

PubMed

Oh, Chang-Sik; Beer, Steven V

2005-12-15

The bacterial plant pathogen, Erwinia amylovora, causes the devastating disease known as fire blight in some Rosaceous plants like apple, pear, quince, raspberry and several ornamentals. Knowledge of the factors affecting the development of fire blight has mushroomed in the last quarter century. On the molecular level, genes encoding a Hrp type III secretion system, genes encoding enzymes involved in synthesis of extracellular polysaccharides and genes facilitating the growth of E. amylovora in its host plants have been characterized. The Hrp pathogenicity island, delimited by genes suggesting horizontal gene transfer, is composed of four distinct regions, the hrp/hrc region, the HEE (Hrp effectors and elicitors) region, the HAE (Hrp-associated enzymes) region, and the IT (Island transfer) region. The Hrp pathogenicity island encodes a Hrp type III secretion system (TTSS), which delivers several proteins from bacteria to plant apoplasts or cytoplasm. E. amylovora produces two exopolysaccharides, amylovoran and levan, which cause the characteristic fire blight wilting symptom in host plants. In addition, other genes, and their encoded proteins, have been characterized as virulence factors of E. amylovora that encode enzymes facilitating sorbitol metabolism, proteolytic activity and iron harvesting. This review summarizes our understanding of the genes and gene products of E. amylovora that are involved in the development of the fire blight disease.

Traffic Flow Management Using Aggregate Flow Models and the Development of Disaggregation Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sun, Dengfeng; Sridhar, Banavar; Grabbe, Shon

2010-01-01

A linear time-varying aggregate traffic flow model can be used to develop Traffic Flow Management (tfm) strategies based on optimization algorithms. However, there are no methods available in the literature to translate these aggregate solutions into actions involving individual aircraft. This paper describes and implements a computationally efficient disaggregation algorithm, which converts an aggregate (flow-based) solution to a flight-specific control action. Numerical results generated by the optimization method and the disaggregation algorithm are presented and illustrated by applying them to generate TFM schedules for a typical day in the U.S. National Airspace System. The results show that the disaggregation algorithm generates control actions for individual flights while keeping the air traffic behavior very close to the optimal solution.

ISS Double-Gimbaled CMG Subsystem Simulation Using the Agile Development Method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Inampudi, Ravi

2016-01-01

This paper presents an evolutionary approach in simulating a cluster of 4 Control Moment Gyros (CMG) on the International Space Station (ISS) using a common sense approach (the agile development method) for concurrent mathematical modeling and simulation of the CMG subsystem. This simulation is part of Training systems for the 21st Century simulator which will provide training for crew members, instructors, and flight controllers. The basic idea of how the CMGs on the space station are used for its non-propulsive attitude control is briefly explained to set up the context for simulating a CMG subsystem. Next different reference frames and the detailed equations of motion (EOM) for multiple double-gimbal variable-speed control moment gyroscopes (DGVs) are presented. Fixing some of the terms in the EOM becomes the special case EOM for ISS's double-gimbaled fixed speed CMGs. CMG simulation development using the agile development method is presented in which customer's requirements and solutions evolve through iterative analysis, design, coding, unit testing and acceptance testing. At the end of the iteration a set of features implemented in that iteration are demonstrated to the flight controllers thus creating a short feedback loop and helping in creating adaptive development cycles. The unified modeling language (UML) tool is used in illustrating the user stories, class designs and sequence diagrams. This incremental development approach of mathematical modeling and simulating the CMG subsystem involved the development team and the customer early on, thus improving the quality of the working CMG system in each iteration and helping the team to accurately predict the cost, schedule and delivery of the software.

Development of ocular viscosity characterization method.

PubMed

Shu-Hao Lu; Guo-Zhen Chen; Leung, Stanley Y Y; Lam, David C C

2016-08-01

Glaucoma is the second leading cause for blindness. Irreversible and progressive optic nerve damage results when the intraocular pressure (IOP) exceeds 21 mmHg. The elevated IOP is attributed to blocked fluid drainage from the eye. Methods to measure the IOP are widely available, but methods to measure the viscous response to blocked drainage has yet been developed. An indentation method to characterize the ocular flow is developed in this study. Analysis of the load-relaxation data from indentation tests on drainage-controlled porcine eyes showed that the blocked drainage is correlated with increases in ocular viscosity. Successful correlation of the ocular viscosity with drainage suggests that ocular viscosity maybe further developed as a new diagnostic parameter for assessment of normal tension glaucoma where nerve damage occurs without noticeable IOP elevation; and as a diagnostic parameter complimentary to conventional IOP in conventional diagnosis.

Developing a methodology to assess the impact of research grant funding: a mixed methods approach.

PubMed

Bloch, Carter; Sørensen, Mads P; Graversen, Ebbe K; Schneider, Jesper W; Schmidt, Evanthia Kalpazidou; Aagaard, Kaare; Mejlgaard, Niels

2014-04-01

This paper discusses the development of a mixed methods approach to analyse research funding. Research policy has taken on an increasingly prominent role in the broader political scene, where research is seen as a critical factor in maintaining and improving growth, welfare and international competitiveness. This has motivated growing emphasis on the impacts of science funding, and how funding can best be designed to promote socio-economic progress. Meeting these demands for impact assessment involves a number of complex issues that are difficult to fully address in a single study or in the design of a single methodology. However, they point to some general principles that can be explored in methodological design. We draw on a recent evaluation of the impacts of research grant funding, discussing both key issues in developing a methodology for the analysis and subsequent results. The case of research grant funding, involving a complex mix of direct and intermediate effects that contribute to the overall impact of funding on research performance, illustrates the value of a mixed methods approach to provide a more robust and complete analysis of policy impacts. Reflections on the strengths and weaknesses of the methodology are used to examine refinements for future work. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Vocational Goals and Career Development of Criminally Involved Youth: Experiences That Help and Hinder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartlett, Jennifer; Domene, José F.

2015-01-01

Little is known about the career development of youth with a history of criminal activity and the factors that influence their career development. The ability to secure employment is important in predicting successful outcomes for this population, but unfortunately youth who have been involved in crime are likely to face a myriad of obstacles to…

[The development of health information with the involvement of consumers at the German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG)].

PubMed

Zschorlich, B; Knelangen, M; Bastian, H

2011-07-01

The German Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) began publishing free bi-lingual (German/English) evidence-based health information in February 2006 on the website, http://www.gesundheitsinformation.de http://www.informedhealthonline.org . The Institute aims to be a patient-centred and non-directive provider of health information to the public and patients. The point of view and information needs of the public are a central element in the development of health information. People can be involved implicitly or explicitly. People can participate directly or explicitly in health information, for example, by suggesting a topic, by helping shape the content and during the development process. We do this in several ways, including surveys, consultation with consumer representatives as well as through user-testing and reader online rating. In addition, implicit involvement of patients occurs indirectly through consideration of the experiences and information needs of patients via an analysis of qualitative research. A challenge here is the generalisability of information derived from research in other cultures. The Institute monitors methodological developments in the area of patient and health information, to keep its methods up-to-date. In addition, the colleagues involved in this work participate in an in-house training program on patient-centred health information. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Insertional Mutagenesis for Genes involved in Otic/Vestibular Development and Function in Xenopus Tropicalis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Torrejon, Marcela; Li, Erica; Nguyen, Minh; Winfree, Seth; Wang, Esther; Reinsch, Sigrid; Dalton, Bonnie (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Sensitivity to gravity is essential for spatial orientation. Consequently, the gravity receptor system is one of the phylogenetically oldest sensory systems, and the special adaptations that enhance sensitivity to gravity are highly conserved. The main goal of this project is to use Xenopus (frog) to identify genes expressed during vestibular and auditory development. These studies will lead a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in vestibular and auditory development and function. We are using a gene-trap approach in Xenopus tropicalis with the green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene as the transgene reporter. GFP expression occurs only when the GFP gene is correctly integrated in actively transcribed genes. Using the GFP as a tag we can easily identify and clone the mutated gene. In addition, we can study the function of the mutated gene by analyzing the defects generated by insertion of the GFP transgene. To date we have tissue specific GFP expression in X. tropicalis including expression in ear, neural tube, kidney, muscle, eyes and nose. Our transgenic animals will soon reach maturity so that we can outcross them and analyze their progeny. Our next goal is to isolate RNA from our transgenics and clone the tagged genes using RACE-PCR. Currently we are optimizing the RACE-PCR method using transgenics with crystallin GFP expression.

Engaging Patients and Caregivers Managing Rare Diseases to Improve the Methods of Clinical Guideline Development: A Research Protocol

PubMed Central

Kinnett, Kathi; Grant, Sean; Lucas, Ann; Martin, Ann; Denger, Brian; Peay, Holly; Coulter, Ian; Fink, Arlene

2017-01-01

patient and caregiver involvement in the guideline development process. We will solicit input on these best practice from Duchenne patients, caregivers, and clinicians by conducting a series of round-table discussions and making a presentation at an annual conference on Duchenne. Results The study protocol was reviewed by RAND’s Human Subjects Protection Committee, which determined it to be exempt from review. Interviews with RAM experts have been completed. The projected study completion date is May 2020. Conclusions We expect that the new method will make it easier to engage large numbers of patients and caregivers in the process of guideline development in a rigorous and culturally appropriate manner that is consistent with the way clinicians participate in guideline development. Moreover, this project will develop best practices that could help involve patients and caregivers in the clinical guideline development process in other clinical areas, thereby facilitating the work of guideline developers. PMID:28455279

Early Father Involvement Moderates Biobehavioral Susceptibility to Mental Health Problems in Middle Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyce, W. Thomas; Essex, Marilyn J.; Alkon, Abbey; Goldsmith, H. Hill; Kraemer, Helena C.; Kupfer, David J.

2006-01-01

Objective: To study how early father involvement and children's biobehavioral sensitivity to social contexts interactively predict mental health symptoms in middle childhood. Method: Fathers' involvement in infant care and maternal symptoms of depression were prospectively ascertained in a community-based study of child health and development in…

A mixed methods exploration of family involvement in medical care for older adults with serious mental illness.

PubMed

Aschbrenner, Kelly A; Pepin, Renee; Mueser, Kim T; Naslund, John A; Rolin, Stephanie A; Faber, Marjan J; Bartels, Stephen J

2014-01-01

Many older persons with serious mental illness (SMI) suffer from high rates of comorbid medical conditions. Although families play a critical role in psychiatric illness management among adults with SMI, their contributions to improving health outcomes in this population has received little attention. This study explored family involvement in medical care for older adults with SMI. This mixed methods study involved analysis of quantitative data collected from older adults with SMI and cardiovascular risk (n = 28) participating in a pilot study of an intervention designed to improve patient-centered primary care augmented by qualitative interviews with their relatives (n = 13) to explore family involvement in medical care. Approximately 89% of older adults with SMI reported family involvement in at least one aspect of their medical care (e.g., medication reminders, medical decision making). However, many family members reported that they were rarely involved in their relative's medical visits, and most did not perceive a need to be involved during routine care. Family members identified obesity as their relative's primary health concern and many wanted guidance from providers on effective strategies for supporting weight loss. Although many family members did not perceive a need to be involved in their relative's routine medical visits, they expressed interest in talking with providers about how to help their relative change unhealthy behaviors. Educating patients, families, and providers about the potential benefits of family involvement in medical care, including routine medical visits for persons with SMI and cardiovascular health risk may promote patient- and family-centered collaboration in this high-risk population.

HEATED PURGE AND TRAP METHOD DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING

EPA Science Inventory

The goal of the research was to develop a heated purge and trap method that could be used in conjunction with SW-846 method 8240 for the analysis of volatile, water soluble Appendix VIII analytes. The developed method was validated according to a partial single laboratory method ...

Involvement of oxidatively damaged DNA and repair in cancer development and aging

PubMed Central

Tudek, Barbara; Winczura, Alicja; Janik, Justyna; Siomek, Agnieszka; Foksinski, Marek; Oliński, Ryszard

2010-01-01

DNA damage and DNA repair may mediate several cellular processes, like replication and transcription, mutagenesis and apoptosis and thus may be important factors in the development and pathology of an organism, including cancer. DNA is constantly damaged by reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) directly and also by products of lipid peroxidation (LPO), which form exocyclic adducts to DNA bases. A wide variety of oxidatively-generated DNA lesions are present in living cells. 8-oxoguanine (8-oxoGua) is one of the best known DNA lesions due to its mutagenic properties. Among LPO-derived DNA base modifications the most intensively studied are ethenoadenine and ethenocytosine, highly miscoding DNA lesions considered as markers of oxidative stress and promutagenic DNA damage. Although at present it is impossible to directly answer the question concerning involvement of oxidatively damaged DNA in cancer etiology, it is likely that oxidatively modified DNA bases may serve as a source of mutations that initiate carcinogenesis and are involved in aging (i.e. they may be causal factors responsible for these processes). To counteract the deleterious effect of oxidatively damaged DNA, all organisms have developed several DNA repair mechanisms. The efficiency of oxidatively damaged DNA repair was frequently found to be decreased in cancer patients. The present work reviews the basis for the biological significance of DNA damage, particularly effects of 8-oxoGua and ethenoadduct occurrence in DNA in the aspect of cancer development, drawing attention to the multiplicity of proteins with repair activities. PMID:20589166

Infant sleep development from 3 to 6 months postpartum: links with maternal sleep and paternal involvement.

PubMed

Tikotzky, Liat; Sadeh, Avi; Volkovich, Ella; Manber, Rachel; Meiri, Gal; Shahar, Golan

2015-03-01

The aims of this longitudinal study were to examine (a) development of infant sleep and maternal sleep from 3 to 6 months postpartum; (b) concomitant and prospective links between maternal sleep and infant sleep; and (c) triadic links between paternal involvement in infant caregiving and maternal and infant sleep. The study included 57 families that were recruited during pregnancy. Maternal and infant sleep was assessed using actigraphy and sleep diaries for 5 nights. Both fathers and mothers completed a questionnaire assessing the involvement of fathers relative to mothers in infant caregiving. The results demonstrated moderate improvement in infant and maternal sleep percent between 3 and 6 months. Maternal sleep percent at 3 months significantly predicted infant sleep percent at 6 months. Greater paternal involvement in infant daytime and nighttime caregiving at 3 months significantly predicted more consolidated maternal and infant sleep at 6 months. These findings suggest that maternal sleep is an important predictor of infant sleep and that increased involvement of fathers in infant caregiving responsibilities may contribute to improvements in both maternal and infant sleep during the first 6 months postpartum. © 2015 The Society for Research in Child Development, Inc.

The use of qualitative methods to inform Delphi surveys in core outcome set development.

PubMed

Keeley, T; Williamson, P; Callery, P; Jones, L L; Mathers, J; Jones, J; Young, B; Calvert, M

2016-05-04

Core outcome sets (COS) help to minimise bias in trials and facilitate evidence synthesis. Delphi surveys are increasingly being used as part of a wider process to reach consensus about what outcomes should be included in a COS. Qualitative research can be used to inform the development of Delphi surveys. This is an advance in the field of COS development and one which is potentially valuable; however, little guidance exists for COS developers on how best to use qualitative methods and what the challenges are. This paper aims to provide early guidance on the potential role and contribution of qualitative research in this area. We hope the ideas we present will be challenged, critiqued and built upon by others exploring the role of qualitative research in COS development. This paper draws upon the experiences of using qualitative methods in the pre-Delphi stage of the development of three different COS. Using these studies as examples, we identify some of the ways that qualitative research might contribute to COS development, the challenges in using such methods and areas where future research is required. Qualitative research can help to identify what outcomes are important to stakeholders; facilitate understanding of why some outcomes may be more important than others, determine the scope of outcomes; identify appropriate language for use in the Delphi survey and inform comparisons between stakeholder data and other sources, such as systematic reviews. Developers need to consider a number of methodological points when using qualitative research: specifically, which stakeholders to involve, how to sample participants, which data collection methods are most appropriate, how to consider outcomes with stakeholders and how to analyse these data. A number of areas for future research are identified. Qualitative research has the potential to increase the research community's confidence in COS, although this will be dependent upon using rigorous and appropriate

Methods comparison for microsatellite marker development: Different isolation methods, different yield efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhan, Aibin; Bao, Zhenmin; Hu, Xiaoli; Lu, Wei; Hu, Jingjie

2009-06-01

Microsatellite markers have become one kind of the most important molecular tools used in various researches. A large number of microsatellite markers are required for the whole genome survey in the fields of molecular ecology, quantitative genetics and genomics. Therefore, it is extremely necessary to select several versatile, low-cost, efficient and time- and labor-saving methods to develop a large panel of microsatellite markers. In this study, we used Zhikong scallop ( Chlamys farreri) as the target species to compare the efficiency of the five methods derived from three strategies for microsatellite marker development. The results showed that the strategy of constructing small insert genomic DNA library resulted in poor efficiency, while the microsatellite-enriched strategy highly improved the isolation efficiency. Although the mining public database strategy is time- and cost-saving, it is difficult to obtain a large number of microsatellite markers, mainly due to the limited sequence data of non-model species deposited in public databases. Based on the results in this study, we recommend two methods, microsatellite-enriched library construction method and FIASCO-colony hybridization method, for large-scale microsatellite marker development. Both methods were derived from the microsatellite-enriched strategy. The experimental results obtained from Zhikong scallop also provide the reference for microsatellite marker development in other species with large genomes.

Associations between intensity of child welfare involvement and child development among young children in child welfare.

PubMed

Stahmer, Aubyn C; Hurlburt, Michael; Horwitz, Sarah McCue; Landsverk, John; Zhang, Jinjin; Leslie, Laurel K

2009-09-01

To examine developmental and behavioral status of children in child welfare (CW) over time, by intensity of CW involvement using a national probability sample. As part of the National Survey of Child and Adolescent Well-being (NSCAW), data were collected on 1,049 children 12-47 months old investigated by CW agencies for possible abuse or neglect. Analyses used descriptive statistics to characterize developmental and behavioral status across four domains (developmental/cognitive, language, adaptive functioning, and behavior) by intensity of CW involvement (in-home with CW services, in-home with no CW services or out-of-home care) over time. Multivariate analyses were used to examine the relationship between independent variables (age, gender, home environment, race/ethnicity, maltreatment history, intensity of CW involvement) and follow-up domain scores. On average, children improved in developmental/cognitive, communication/language status over time, but these improvements did not differ by intensity of CW involvement. Analyses revealed a positive relationship between the home environment and change in language and adaptive behavior standard scores over time, and few predictors of change in behavioral status. An interaction between intensity of CW involvement and initial developmental/cognitive status was present. Across domains, intensity of CW involvement does not appear to have a significant effect on change in developmental and behavioral status, although out-of-home care does have differential relationships with children's developmental/cognitive status for those with very low initial cognitive/developmental status. Facilitating development in children in CW may require supportive, enriched care environments both for children remaining at home and those in foster care. Toddler and preschool age children known to child welfare are likely to have difficulties with development whether they are removed from their homes or not. It would be helpful if child welfare

Agile Software Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biju, Soly Mathew

2008-01-01

Many software development firms are now adopting the agile software development method. This method involves the customer at every level of software development, thus reducing the impact of change in the requirement at a later stage. In this article, the principles of the agile method for software development are explored and there is a focus on…

[Enhancing development of children at risk and their parents by video counselling according to the Marte Meo method].

PubMed

Bünder, Peter

2011-01-01

Marte Meo is a low-intensity programme of counselling parents and other persons significantly involved with children which aims to foster parenting capacity and facilitate child development. The article describes a preliminary pilot study with the aim of identifying variables for the future evaluation of efficacy and effectiveness of the Marte Meo method.

TEMPERATURE SCENARIO DEVELOPMENT USING REGRESSION METHODS

EPA Science Inventory

A method of developing scenarios of future temperature conditions resulting from climatic change is presented. he method is straightforward and can be used to provide information about daily temperature variations and diurnal ranges, monthly average high, and low temperatures, an...

Method Development and Monitoring of Cyanotoxins in Water ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This presentation describes method development of two ambient water LC/MS/MS methods for microcystins, cylindrospermopsin and anatoxin-a. Ruggedness of the methods will be demonstrated by evaluation of quality control samples derived from various water bodies across the country. Presentation at the Central Regional meeting of the American Chemical Society ambient water methods development for cyanotoxins

Development of NIRS method for quality control of drug combination artesunate–azithromycin for the treatment of severe malaria

PubMed Central

Boyer, Chantal; Gaudin, Karen; Kauss, Tina; Gaubert, Alexandra; Boudis, Abdelhakim; Verschelden, Justine; Franc, Mickaël; Roussille, Julie; Boucher, Jacques; Olliaro, Piero; White, Nicholas J.; Millet, Pascal; Dubost, Jean-Pierre

2012-01-01

Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) methods were developed for the determination of analytical content of an antimalarial-antibiotic (artesunate and azithromycin) co-formulation in hard gelatin capsule (HGC). The NIRS consists of pre-processing treatment of spectra (raw spectra and first-derivation of two spectral zones), a unique principal component analysis model to ensure the specificity and then two partial least-squares regression models for the determination content of each active pharmaceutical ingredient. The NIRS methods were developed and validated with no reference method, since the manufacturing process of HGC is basically mixed excipients with active pharmaceutical ingredients. The accuracy profiles showed β-expectation tolerance limits within the acceptance limits (±5%). The analytical control approach performed by reversed phase (HPLC) required two different methods involving two different preparation and chromatographic methods. NIRS offers advantages in terms of lower costs of equipment and procedures, time saving, environmentally friendly. PMID:22579599

Biological Methods and Manual Development

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

EPA scientists conduct research to develop and evaluate analytical methods for the identification, enumeration, evaluation of aquatic organisms exposed to environmental stressors and to correlate exposures with effects on chemical and biological indicators

Accelerated stress testing of thin film solar cells: Development of test methods and preliminary results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lathrop, J. W.

1985-01-01

If thin film cells are to be considered a viable option for terrestrial power generation their reliability attributes will need to be explored and confidence in their stability obtained through accelerated testing. Development of a thin film accelerated test program will be more difficult than was the case for crystalline cells because of the monolithic construction nature of the cells. Specially constructed test samples will need to be fabricated, requiring committment to the concept of accelerated testing by the manufacturers. A new test schedule appropriate to thin film cells will need to be developed which will be different from that used in connection with crystalline cells. Preliminary work has been started to seek thin film schedule variations to two of the simplest tests: unbiased temperature and unbiased temperature humidity. Still to be examined are tests which involve the passage of current during temperature and/or humidity stress, either by biasing in the forward (or reverse) directions or by the application of light during stress. Investigation of these current (voltage) accelerated tests will involve development of methods of reliably contacting the thin conductive films during stress.

DDOT MXD+ method development report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-09-01

Mixed-use development has become increasingly common across the country, including Washington, D.C. : However, a straightforward and empirically validated method for evaluating the traffic impacts of such : projects is still needed. The data presente...

Developing students’ learning achievement and experimental skills on buoyancy and the involvement of Newton’s third law through experimental sets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chokchai, Jaewijarn; Khanti, Toedtanya; Sura, Wuttiprom

2017-09-01

The purposes of this research were: to construct packages of operations on buoyancy and the involvement of Newton’s third law, to enhance achievement score of students on buoyancy and the involvement of Newton’s third law, to enhance experimental skills on buoyancy and the involvement of Newton’s third law and to evaluate students’ attitude towards the packages of operations on buoyancy and the involvement of Newton’s third law using inquiry method. The samples were 42 grade 11 students in academic year 2016 at Hatyaiwittayalai School, Hatyai, Songkhla. The research method was one group pretest-posttest design. The research tools consisted of experimental set on buoyancy and the involvement of Newton’s third law, the learning achievement test on buoyancy and the involvement of Newton’s third law and the students’ attitude questionnaires. The experimental skills of most students was in a good level . The satisfaction of most students was in a good level. The research showed the learning achievement after instruction higher than that before instruction using experimental set at the significant level of 0.05 and the class average normalized gain is in the medium gain

Developing a registry of workers involved in nanotechnology: BASF experiences.

PubMed

David, Raymond M; Nasterlack, Michael; Engel, Stefan; Conner, Patrick R

2011-06-01

To assist BASF in the establishment of a registry of workers involved in nanotechnology. The initial step was a complete inventory of nanomaterials and sites of use. Guidance was developed to clarify which particulate nanomaterials were to be included in the survey. Site management was then contacted by the medical department to obtain a list of workers. The time line for collecting data ranged from several months to a year, depending on the information needed, and presented challenges based on the lack of global definition and labeling of nanomaterials. Less than 50 nanomaterials are used as raw materials in less than 10% of the sites globally. In North America, less than 5% of sites and 5% workers use nanomaterials. Further work is required to integrate the inventory, registry, and exposure assessments.

Bioinformatic analysis of Msx1 and Msx2 involved in craniofacial development.

PubMed

Dai, Jiewen; Mou, Zhifang; Shen, Shunyao; Dong, Yuefu; Yang, Tong; Shen, Steve Guofang

2014-01-01

Msx1 and Msx2 were revealed to be candidate genes for some craniofacial deformities, such as cleft lip with/without cleft palate (CL/P) and craniosynostosis. Many other genes were demonstrated to have a cross-talk with MSX genes in causing these defects. However, there is no systematic evaluation for these MSX gene-related factors. In this study, we performed systematic bioinformatic analysis for MSX genes by combining using GeneDecks, DAVID, and STRING database, and the results showed that there were numerous genes related to MSX genes, such as Irf6, TP63, Dlx2, Dlx5, Pax3, Pax9, Bmp4, Tgf-beta2, and Tgf-beta3 that have been demonstrated to be involved in CL/P, and Fgfr2, Fgfr1, Fgfr3, and Twist1 that were involved in craniosynostosis. Many of these genes could be enriched into different gene groups involved in different signaling ways, different craniofacial deformities, and different biological process. These findings could make us analyze the function of MSX gens in a gene network. In addition, our findings showed that Sumo, a novel gene whose polymorphisms were demonstrated to be associated with nonsyndromic CL/P by genome-wide association study, has protein-protein interaction with MSX1, which may offer us an alternative method to perform bioinformatic analysis for genes found by genome-wide association study and can make us predict the disrupted protein function due to the mutation in a gene DNA sequence. These findings may guide us to perform further functional studies in the future.

Comparing culture and molecular methods for the identification of microorganisms involved in necrotizing soft tissue infections.

PubMed

Rudkjøbing, Vibeke Børsholt; Thomsen, Trine Rolighed; Xu, Yijuan; Melton-Kreft, Rachael; Ahmed, Azad; Eickhardt, Steffen; Bjarnsholt, Thomas; Poulsen, Steen Seier; Nielsen, Per Halkjær; Earl, Joshua P; Ehrlich, Garth D; Moser, Claus

2016-11-08

Necrotizing soft tissue infections (NSTIs) are a group of infections affecting all soft tissues. NSTI involves necrosis of the afflicted tissue and is potentially life threatening due to major and rapid destruction of tissue, which often leads to septic shock and organ failure. The gold standard for identification of pathogens is culture; however molecular methods for identification of microorganisms may provide a more rapid result and may be able to identify additional microorganisms that are not detected by culture. In this study, tissue samples (n = 20) obtained after debridement of 10 patients with NSTI were analyzed by standard culture, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and multiple molecular methods. The molecular methods included analysis of microbial diversity by 1) direct 16S and D2LSU rRNA gene Microseq 2) construction of near full-length 16S rRNA gene clone libraries with subsequent Sanger sequencing for most samples, 3) the Ibis T5000 biosensor and 4) 454-based pyrosequencing. Furthermore, quantitative PCR (qPCR) was used to verify and determine the relative abundance of Streptococcus pyogenes in samples. For 70 % of the surgical samples it was possible to identify microorganisms by culture. Some samples did not result in growth (presumably due to administration of antimicrobial therapy prior to sampling). The molecular methods identified microorganisms in 90 % of the samples, and frequently detected additional microorganisms when compared to culture. Although the molecular methods generally gave concordant results, our results indicate that Microseq may misidentify or overlook microorganisms that can be detected by other molecular methods. Half of the patients were found to be infected with S. pyogenes, but several atypical findings were also made including infection by a) Acinetobacter baumannii, b) Streptococcus pneumoniae, and c) fungi, mycoplasma and Fusobacterium necrophorum. The study emphasizes that many pathogens can be involved

Involving service users in intervention design: a participatory approach to developing a text-messaging intervention to reduce repetition of self-harm.

PubMed

Owens, Christabel; Farrand, Paul; Darvill, Ruth; Emmens, Tobit; Hewis, Elaine; Aitken, Peter

2011-09-01

OBJECTIVE To engage a group of people with relevant lived experience in the development of a text-messaging intervention to reduce repetition of self-harm. BACKGROUND Contact-based interventions, such as follow-up letters, postcards and telephone calls, have shown potential to reduce repetition of self-harm in those who present at Accident and Emergency departments. Text messaging offers a low-cost alternative that has not been tested. We set out to develop a text-based intervention. The process of intervention development is rarely reported and little is known about the impact of service user involvement on intervention design. METHOD We held a series of six participatory workshops and invited service users and clinicians to help us work out how to get the right message to the right person at the right time, and to simulate and test prototypes of an intervention. RESULTS Service users rejected both the idea of a generic, 'one size fits all' approach and that of 'audience segmentation', maintaining that text messages could be safe and effective only if individualized. This led us to abandon our original thinking and develop a way of supporting individuals to author their own self-efficacy messages and store them in a personal message bank for withdrawal at times of crisis. CONCLUSIONS This paper highlights both the challenge and the impact of involving consumers at the development stage. Working with those with lived experience requires openness, flexibility and a readiness to abandon or radically revise initial plans, and may have unexpected consequences for intervention design. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

User and carer involvement in the training and education of health professionals: a review of the literature.

PubMed

Repper, Julie; Breeze, Jayne

2007-03-01

Health policy requires consumer involvement in services, research and education but little is known about how consumers are being involved in healthcare education, the effect on learning and practice, nor how involvement initiatives are being evaluated. To describe methods of involving consumers in healthcare education, discuss ways in which initiatives have been evaluated, and identify areas for development in education, practice and research. All papers reporting specific initiatives involving consumers in health care worker training and education were included. Viewpoint articles and studies of consumers training consumers were excluded. Cinahl, Medline, Assia, PsycINFO, British Nursing Index, Social Science Citation Index, citations from reference lists, relevant websites and personal communication with key people known to be working in this area. A narrative approach was taken with categorisation of data to reflect objectives of selected studies; method of involvement; process issues and evaluation. Thirty-eight papers were included; most provide small-scale qualitative studies of mental health service users and focus on process rather than outcome. Various methods of involvement are described and consumers consistently prioritise the need for training in interpersonal skills over 'technical' skills. There is little research into organisational strategies and no studies investigate the effect of consumer involvement on practice. Two studies indicated that students exposed to consumer involvement demonstrate more empathic understanding and better communication skills. There is tentative evidence that consumer involvement in training enhances workers' skills in the manner prioritised by consumers. However, if consumer involvement in training and education is to facilitate services that reflect the priorities of the people using them, it must be developed in partnership with service providers; further research is needed to explore the impact of consumer

77 FR 39265 - Request for Manufacturer Involvement in National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Standard Development...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-02

... DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE Office of Justice Programs [OJP (NIJ) Docket No. 1593] Request for Manufacturer Involvement in National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Standard Development Efforts AGENCY: National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, DOJ. ACTION: Notice of Request for Manufacturer...

Mechanisms involved in the development of diabetic retinopathy induced by oxidative stress.

PubMed

Guzman, David Calderón; Olguín, Hugo Juárez; García, Ernestina Hernández; Peraza, Armando Valenzuela; de la Cruz, Diego Zamora; Soto, Monica Punzo

2017-01-01

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is one of the main complications in patients with diabetes and has been the leading cause of visual loss since 1990. Oxidative stress is a biological process resulting from excessive production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). This process contributes to the development of many diseases and disease complications. ROS interact with various cellular components to induce cell injury. Fortunately, there is an antioxidan t system that protects organisms against ROS. Indeed, when ROS exceed antioxidant capacity, the resulting cell injury can cause diverse physiological and pathological changes that could lead to a disease like DR. This paper reviews the possible mechanisms of common and novel biomarkers involved in the development of DR and explores how these biomarkers could be used to monitor the damage induced by oxidative stress in DR, which is a significant complication in people with diabetes. The poor control of glucemy in pacients with DB has been shown contribute to the development of complications in eyes as DR.

Developing a conceptual model for the application of patient and public involvement in the healthcare system in Iran.

PubMed

Azmal, Mohammad; Sari, Ali Akbari; Foroushani, Abbas Rahimi; Ahmadi, Batoul

2016-06-01

Patient and public involvement is engaging patients, providers, community representatives, and the public in healthcare planning and decision-making. The purpose of this study was to develop a model for the application of patient and public involvement in decision making in the Iranian healthcare system. A mixed qualitative-quantitative approach was used to develop a conceptual model. Thirty three key informants were purposely recruited in the qualitative stage, and 420 people (patients and their companions) were included in a protocol study that was implemented in five steps: 1) Identifying antecedents, consequences, and variables associated with the patient and the publics' involvement in healthcare decision making through a comprehensive literature review; 2) Determining the main variables in the context of Iran's health system using conceptual framework analysis; 3) Prioritizing and weighting variables by Shannon entropy; 4) designing and validating a tool for patient and public involvement in healthcare decision making; and 5) Providing a conceptual model of patient and the public involvement in planning and developing healthcare using structural equation modeling. We used various software programs, including SPSS (17), Max QDA (10), EXCEL, and LISREL. Content analysis, Shannon entropy, and descriptive and analytic statistics were used to analyze the data. In this study, seven antecedents variable, five dimensions of involvement, and six consequences were identified. These variables were used to design a valid tool. A logical model was derived that explained the logical relationships between antecedent and consequent variables and the dimensions of patient and public involvement as well. Given the specific context of the political, social, and innovative environments in Iran, it was necessary to design a model that would be compatible with these features. It can improve the quality of care and promote the patient and the public satisfaction with healthcare and

Hormonal profiling: Development of a simple method to extract and quantify phytohormones in complex matrices by UHPLC-MS/MS.

PubMed

Delatorre, Carolina; Rodríguez, Ana; Rodríguez, Lucía; Majada, Juan P; Ordás, Ricardo J; Feito, Isabel

2017-01-01

Plant growth regulators (PGRs) are very different chemical compounds that play essential roles in plant development and the regulation of physiological processes. They exert their functions by a mechanism called cross-talk (involving either synergistic or antagonistic actions) thus; it is for great interest to study as many PGRs as possible to obtain accurate information about plant status. Much effort has been applied to develop methods capable of analyze large numbers of these compounds but frequently excluding some chemical families or important PGRs within each family. In addition, most of the methods are specially designed for matrices easy to work with. Therefore, we wanted to develop a method which achieved the requirements lacking in the literature and also being fast and reliable. Here we present a simple, fast and robust method for the extraction and quantification of 20 different PGRs using UHPLC-MS/MS optimized in complex matrices. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Methods to identify, study and understand end-user participation in HIT development.

PubMed

Høstgaard, Anna Marie; Bertelsen, Pernille; Nøhr, Christian

2011-09-28

Experience has shown that for new health-information-technology (HIT) to be suc-cessful clinicians must obtain positive clinical benefits as a result of its implementation and joint-ownership of the decisions made during the development process. A prerequisite for achieving both success criteria is real end-user-participation. Experience has also shown that further research into developing improved methods to collect more detailed information on social groups participating in HIT development is needed in order to support, facilitate and improve real end-user participation. A case study of an EHR planning-process in a Danish county from October 2003 until April 2006 was conducted using process-analysis. Three social groups (physicians, IT-professionals and administrators) were identified and studied in the local, present perspective. In order to understand the interactions between the three groups, the national, historic perspective was included through a literature-study. Data were collected through observations, interviews, insight gathered from documents and relevant literature. In the local, present perspective, the administrator's strategy for the EHR planning process meant that there was no clinical workload-reduction. This was seen as one of the main barriers to the physicians to achieving real influence. In the national, historic perspective, physicians and administrators have had/have different perceptions of the purpose of the patient record and they have both struggled to influence this definition. To date, the administrators have won the battle. This explains the conditions made available for the physicians' participation in this case, which led to their role being reduced to that of clinical consultants--rather than real participants. In HIT-development the interests of and the balance of power between the different social groups involved are decisive in determining whether or not the end-users become real participants in the development process. Real

Systematic methods for knowledge acquisition and expert system development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Belkin, Brenda L.; Stengel, Robert F.

1991-01-01

Nine cooperating rule-based systems, collectively called AUTOCREW, were designed to automate functions and decisions associated with a combat aircraft's subsystem. The organization of tasks within each system is described; performance metrics were developed to evaluate the workload of each rule base, and to assess the cooperation between the rule-bases. Each AUTOCREW subsystem is composed of several expert systems that perform specific tasks. AUTOCREW's NAVIGATOR was analyzed in detail to understand the difficulties involved in designing the system and to identify tools and methodologies that ease development. The NAVIGATOR determines optimal navigation strategies from a set of available sensors. A Navigation Sensor Management (NSM) expert system was systematically designed from Kalman filter covariance data; four ground-based, a satellite-based, and two on-board INS-aiding sensors were modeled and simulated to aid an INS. The NSM Expert was developed using the Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) and the ID3 algorithm. Navigation strategy selection is based on an RSS position error decision metric, which is computed from the covariance data. Results show that the NSM Expert predicts position error correctly between 45 and 100 percent of the time for a specified navaid configuration and aircraft trajectory. The NSM Expert adapts to new situations, and provides reasonable estimates of hybrid performance. The systematic nature of the ANOVA/ID3 method makes it broadly applicable to expert system design when experimental or simulation data is available.

Parent Involvement Handbook.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caplan, Arna

This handbook on parent involvement, designed to be used with preschool programs, was developed by the Jefferson County Public Schools in Lakewood, Colorado. Included are: (1) a general statement about parent involvement in an early childhood program, (2) a description of the Jefferson County Early Childhood Program, (3) a description of the…

MULTIPOLLUTANT METHODS - METHODS FOR OZONE AND OZONE PRECURSORS

EPA Science Inventory

This task involves the development and testing of methods for monitoring ozone and compounds associated with the atmospheric chemistry of ozone production both as precursors and reaction products. Although atmospheric gases are the primary interest, separation of gas and particl...

Using a Community-Engaged Research (CEnR) approach to develop and pilot a photo grid method to gain insights into early child health and development in a socio-economic disadvantaged community.

PubMed

Lowrie, Emma; Tyrrell-Smith, Rachel

2017-01-01

This paper reports on the use of a Community-Engaged Research (CEnR) approach to develop a new research tool to involve members of the community in thinking about priorities for early child health and development in a deprived area of the UK. The CEnR approach involves researchers, professionals and members of the public working together during all stages of research and development.Researchers used a phased approach to the development of a Photo Grid tool including reviewing tools which could be used for community engagement, and testing the new tool based on feedback from workshops with local early years professionals and parents of young children.The Photo Grid tool is a flat square grid on which photo cards can be placed. Participants were asked to pace at the top of the grid the photos they considered most important for early child health and development, working down to the less important ones at the bottom. The findings showed that the resulting Photo Grid tool was a useful and successful method of engaging with the local community. The evidence for this is the high numbers of participants who completed a pilot study and who provided feedback on the method. By involving community members throughout the research process, it was possible to develop a method that would be acceptable to the local population, thus decreasing the likelihood of a lack of engagement. The success of the tool is therefore particularly encouraging as it engages "seldom heard voices," such as those with low literacy. The aim of this research was to consult with professionals and parents to develop a new research toolkit (Photo Grid), to understand community assets and priorities in relation to early child health and development in Blackpool, a socio-economic disadvantaged community. A Community-Engaged Research (CEnR) approach was used to consult with community members. This paper describes the process of using a CEnR approach in developing a Photo Grid toolkit. A phased CEnR approach

Identification of a neuronal transcription factor network involved in medulloblastoma development

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Medulloblastomas, the most frequent malignant brain tumours affecting children, comprise at least 4 distinct clinicogenetic subgroups. Aberrant sonic hedgehog (SHH) signalling is observed in approximately 25% of tumours and defines one subgroup. Although alterations in SHH pathway genes (e.g. PTCH1, SUFU) are observed in many of these tumours, high throughput genomic analyses have identified few other recurring mutations. Here, we have mutagenised the Ptch+/- murine tumour model using the Sleeping Beauty transposon system to identify additional genes and pathways involved in SHH subgroup medulloblastoma development. Results Mutagenesis significantly increased medulloblastoma frequency and identified 17 candidate cancer genes, including orthologs of genes somatically mutated (PTEN, CREBBP) or associated with poor outcome (PTEN, MYT1L) in the human disease. Strikingly, these candidate genes were enriched for transcription factors (p=2x10-5), the majority of which (6/7; Crebbp, Myt1L, Nfia, Nfib, Tead1 and Tgif2) were linked within a single regulatory network enriched for genes associated with a differentiated neuronal phenotype. Furthermore, activity of this network varied significantly between the human subgroups, was associated with metastatic disease, and predicted poor survival specifically within the SHH subgroup of tumours. Igf2, previously implicated in medulloblastoma, was the most differentially expressed gene in murine tumours with network perturbation, and network activity in both mouse and human tumours was characterised by enrichment for multiple gene-sets indicating increased cell proliferation, IGF signalling, MYC target upregulation, and decreased neuronal differentiation. Conclusions Collectively, our data support a model of medulloblastoma development in SB-mutagenised Ptch+/- mice which involves disruption of a novel transcription factor network leading to Igf2 upregulation, proliferation of GNPs, and tumour formation. Moreover, our

Identification of a neuronal transcription factor network involved in medulloblastoma development.

PubMed

Lastowska, Maria; Al-Afghani, Hani; Al-Balool, Haya H; Sheth, Harsh; Mercer, Emma; Coxhead, Jonathan M; Redfern, Chris P F; Peters, Heiko; Burt, Alastair D; Santibanez-Koref, Mauro; Bacon, Chris M; Chesler, Louis; Rust, Alistair G; Adams, David J; Williamson, Daniel; Clifford, Steven C; Jackson, Michael S

2013-07-11

Medulloblastomas, the most frequent malignant brain tumours affecting children, comprise at least 4 distinct clinicogenetic subgroups. Aberrant sonic hedgehog (SHH) signalling is observed in approximately 25% of tumours and defines one subgroup. Although alterations in SHH pathway genes (e.g. PTCH1, SUFU) are observed in many of these tumours, high throughput genomic analyses have identified few other recurring mutations. Here, we have mutagenised the Ptch+/- murine tumour model using the Sleeping Beauty transposon system to identify additional genes and pathways involved in SHH subgroup medulloblastoma development. Mutagenesis significantly increased medulloblastoma frequency and identified 17 candidate cancer genes, including orthologs of genes somatically mutated (PTEN, CREBBP) or associated with poor outcome (PTEN, MYT1L) in the human disease. Strikingly, these candidate genes were enriched for transcription factors (p=2x10-5), the majority of which (6/7; Crebbp, Myt1L, Nfia, Nfib, Tead1 and Tgif2) were linked within a single regulatory network enriched for genes associated with a differentiated neuronal phenotype. Furthermore, activity of this network varied significantly between the human subgroups, was associated with metastatic disease, and predicted poor survival specifically within the SHH subgroup of tumours. Igf2, previously implicated in medulloblastoma, was the most differentially expressed gene in murine tumours with network perturbation, and network activity in both mouse and human tumours was characterised by enrichment for multiple gene-sets indicating increased cell proliferation, IGF signalling, MYC target upregulation, and decreased neuronal differentiation. Collectively, our data support a model of medulloblastoma development in SB-mutagenised Ptch+/- mice which involves disruption of a novel transcription factor network leading to Igf2 upregulation, proliferation of GNPs, and tumour formation. Moreover, our results identify rational

New prior sampling methods for nested sampling - Development and testing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stokes, Barrie; Tuyl, Frank; Hudson, Irene

2017-06-01

Nested Sampling is a powerful algorithm for fitting models to data in the Bayesian setting, introduced by Skilling [1]. The nested sampling algorithm proceeds by carrying out a series of compressive steps, involving successively nested iso-likelihood boundaries, starting with the full prior distribution of the problem parameters. The "central problem" of nested sampling is to draw at each step a sample from the prior distribution whose likelihood is greater than the current likelihood threshold, i.e., a sample falling inside the current likelihood-restricted region. For both flat and informative priors this ultimately requires uniform sampling restricted to the likelihood-restricted region. We present two new methods of carrying out this sampling step, and illustrate their use with the lighthouse problem [2], a bivariate likelihood used by Gregory [3] and a trivariate Gaussian mixture likelihood. All the algorithm development and testing reported here has been done with Mathematica® [4].

A Versatile Mounting Method for Long Term Imaging of Zebrafish Development.

PubMed

Hirsinger, Estelle; Steventon, Ben

2017-01-26

Zebrafish embryos offer an ideal experimental system to study complex morphogenetic processes due to their ease of accessibility and optical transparency. In particular, posterior body elongation is an essential process in embryonic development by which multiple tissue deformations act together to direct the formation of a large part of the body axis. In order to observe this process by long-term time-lapse imaging it is necessary to utilize a mounting technique that allows sufficient support to maintain samples in the correct orientation during transfer to the microscope and acquisition. In addition, the mounting must also provide sufficient freedom of movement for the outgrowth of the posterior body region without affecting its normal development. Finally, there must be a certain degree in versatility of the mounting method to allow imaging on diverse imaging set-ups. Here, we present a mounting technique for imaging the development of posterior body elongation in the zebrafish D. rerio. This technique involves mounting embryos such that the head and yolk sac regions are almost entirely included in agarose, while leaving out the posterior body region to elongate and develop normally. We will show how this can be adapted for upright, inverted and vertical light-sheet microscopy set-ups. While this protocol focuses on mounting embryos for imaging for the posterior body, it could easily be adapted for the live imaging of multiple aspects of zebrafish development.

GRIPP2 reporting checklists: tools to improve reporting of patient and public involvement in research

PubMed Central

Brett, J; Simera, I; Seers, K; Mockford, C; Goodlad, S; Altman, D G; Moher, D; Barber, R; Denegri, S; Entwistle, A; Littlejohns, P; Morris, C; Suleman, R; Thomas, V; Tysall, C

2017-01-01

Background While the patient and public involvement (PPI) evidence base has expanded over the past decade, the quality of reporting within papers is often inconsistent, limiting our understanding of how it works, in what context, for whom, and why. Objective To develop international consensus on the key items to report to enhance the quality, transparency, and consistency of the PPI evidence base. To collaboratively involve patients as research partners at all stages in the development of GRIPP2. Methods The EQUATOR method for developing reporting guidelines was used. The original GRIPP (Guidance for Reporting Involvement of Patients and the Public) checklist was revised, based on updated systematic review evidence. A three round Delphi survey was used to develop consensus on items to be included in the guideline. A subsequent face-to-face meeting produced agreement on items not reaching consensus during the Delphi process. Results 143 participants agreed to participate in round one, with an 86% (123/143) response for round two and a 78% (112/143) response for round three. The Delphi survey identified the need for long form (LF) and short form (SF) versions. GRIPP2-LF includes 34 items on aims, definitions, concepts and theory, methods, stages and nature of involvement, context, capture or measurement of impact, outcomes, economic assessment, and reflections and is suitable for studies where the main focus is PPI. GRIPP2-SF includes five items on aims, methods, results, outcomes, and critical perspective and is suitable for studies where PPI is a secondary focus. Conclusions GRIPP2-LF and GRIPP2-SF represent the first international evidence based, consensus informed guidance for reporting patient and public involvement in research. Both versions of GRIPP2 aim to improve the quality, transparency, and consistency of the international PPI evidence base, to ensure PPI practice is based on the best evidence. In order to encourage its wide dissemination this

Why Involvement Matters: A Review of Research on Student Involvement in the Collegiate Setting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Jody; Lovell, Cheryl D.; McGann, Tammy; Wyrick, Jason

1998-01-01

Highlights different types of student involvement, summarizes key findings, and identifies significant gaps in research regarding how student involvement on college campuses impacts student development and learning. Suggests that student affairs administrators need to continue the exploration on the importance of college student involvement.…

Mycobacterium biofilms: factors involved in development, dispersal, and therapeutic strategies against biofilm-relevant pathogens.

PubMed

Xiang, Xiaohong; Deng, Wanyan; Liu, Minqiang; Xie, Jianping

2014-01-01

Many bacteria can develop biofilm (BF), a multicellular structure largely combining bacteria and their extracellular polymeric substances (EPS). The formation of biofilm results in an alternative existence in which microbes ensure their survival in adverse environments. Biofilm-relevant infections are more persistent, resistant to most antibiotics, and more recalcitrant to host immunity. Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the causative agent of tuberculosis, can develop biofilm, though whether M. tuberculosis can form biofilm within tuberculosis patients has yet to be determined. Here, we summarize the factors involved in the development and dispersal of mycobacterial biofilms, as well as underlying regulatory factors and inhibitors against biofilm to deepen our understanding of their development and to elucidate potential novel modes of action for future antibiotics. Key factors in biofilm formation identified as drug targets represent a novel and promising avenue for developing better antibiotics.

Application of a newly developed and validated high-performance thin-layer chromatographic method to control honey adulteration.

PubMed

Puscas, Anitta; Hosu, Anamaria; Cimpoiu, Claudia

2013-01-11

Honey is a saturated solution of sugars, used for a long time as a natural source of sugars and is an important ingredient in traditional medicine due to its antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects. Therefore, methods for quality control of honey and detection of its adulteration are very important. For this reason, the aim of this study is to develop and validate a new, simple and economical analytical method for detecting the adulteration of some Romanian honeys based on high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) combined with image analysis. The proposed method involved the chromatographic separations of glucose, fructose and sucrose on silica gel HPTLC plates, developed twice with ethyl acetate-pyridine-water-acetic acid, 6:3:1:0.5 (v/v/v/v), followed by dipping in an immersion solution. The documentation of plates was performed using TLC visualization device and the images of plates were processed using a digital processor. The developed HPTLC method was validated for selectivity, linearity and range, LOD and LOQ, precision, robustness and accuracy. The method was then applied for quantitative determination of glucose, fructose and sucrose from different types of Romanian honeys, commercially available. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Target for improvement: a cluster randomised trial of public involvement in quality-indicator prioritisation (intervention development and study protocol)

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Public priorities for improvement often differ from those of clinicians and managers. Public involvement has been proposed as a way to bridge the gap between professional and public clinical care priorities but has not been studied in the context of quality-indicator choice. Our objective is to assess the feasibility and impact of public involvement on quality-indicator choice and agreement with public priorities. Methods We will conduct a cluster randomised controlled trial comparing quality-indicator prioritisation with and without public involvement. In preparation for the trial, we developed a 'menu' of quality indicators, based on a systematic review of existing validated indicator sets. Participants (public representatives, clinicians, and managers) will be recruited from six participating sites. In intervention sites, public representatives will be involved through direct participation (public representatives, clinicians, and managers will deliberate together to agree on quality-indicator choice and use) and consultation (individual public recommendations for improvement will be collected and presented to decision makers). In control sites, only clinicians and managers will take part in the prioritisation process. Data on quality-indicator choice and intended use will be collected. Our primary outcome will compare quality-indicator choice and agreement with public priorities between intervention and control groups. A process evaluation based on direct observation, videorecording, and participants' assessment will be conducted to help explain the study's results. The marginal cost of public involvement will also be assessed. Discussion We identified 801 quality indicators that met our inclusion criteria. An expert panel agreed on a final set of 37 items containing validated quality indicators relevant for chronic disease prevention and management in primary care. We pilot tested our public-involvement intervention with 27 participants (11 public

Impact of the emulsification-diffusion method on the development of pharmaceutical nanoparticles.

PubMed

Quintanar-Guerrero, David; Zambrano-Zaragoza, María de la Luz; Gutierrez-Cortez, Elsa; Mendoza-Munoz, Nestor

2012-12-01

Nanotechnology is having a profound impact in many scientific fields and it has become one of the most important and exciting discipline. Like all technological advances, nanotechnology has its own scientific basis with a broad interdisciplinary effect. Perhaps, we are witnessing an exponential growth of nanotechnology, reflection of this is the important increase in the number of patents, scientific papers and specialized "nano" meetings and journals. The impact in the pharmaceutical area is related to the use of colloidal drug delivery systems as carriers for bioactive agents, in particular, the nanoparticle technology. The term nanoparticles designates solid submicronic particles formed of acceptable materials (e.g. polymers, lipids, etc.) containing an active substance. It includes both nanospheres (matricial systems) and nanocapsules (membrane systems). The knowledge of the nanoparticle preparation methods is a key issue for the formulator involved with drug-delivery research and development. In general, the methods based on preformed polymers, in particular biodegradable polymers, are preferred due to their easy implementation and lower potential toxicity. One of the most widely used methods to prepare polymeric nanoparticles is emulsification-diffusion. This method has been discussed in some reviews that compile research works but has a small number of patents. In this review, the emulsification-diffusion method is discussed from a technological point of view in order to show the operating conditions and formulation variables from data extracted of recent patents and experimental works. The main idea is to provide the reader with a general guide for formulators to make decisions about the usefulness of this method to develop specific nanoparticulate systems. The first part of this review provides an overview of the emulsification-diffusion method to prepare polymeric nanoparticles, while the second part evaluates the influence of preparative variables on the

Campus Involvement as a Predictor for Durable Leadership Development in Conjunction with Leadership Program Participation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosch, David M.; Stephens, Clinton M.

2017-01-01

Postsecondary educators have long been faced with the challenge of developing the leadership capacity of their students. This research investigated the following research question: To what degree do formal opportunities for involvement predict durable growth in leadership capacity in students who participate in a formal leadership development…

Developing and Delivering a Geoscience MOOC -- What's Involved, and What Works (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshak, S.; Tomkin, J. H.

2013-12-01

through motivating pedagogical awareness. For example, MOOC content, which is owned by the university that produces it, can be incorporated into credit-bearing online courses, and can be used to transform on-campus geoscience courses into 'blended-learning' experiences that enhance learning outcomes. Developing a MOOC is a collaborative effort, involving not only faculty but also a team of professional videographers, illustrators, programmers, and online-format specialists. The approach to course development used for a MOOC, therefore, differs markedly from the traditional approach of course development that involves only one or two professors and perhaps a graduate teaching assistant. MOOCs do not necessarily return revenue to the universities that create them, but they are a useful vehicle for outreach and appeal to an audience that might not otherwise have access to high-quality educational materials.

[Workflow involving preventive health care promotes the economic development of a company].

PubMed

Braun, M

2003-12-01

Today's working society obviously develops from industrial production to knowledge-intensive service. In service-oriented working conditions, the importance of the human being as a main performer of economic success increases. Thus, the development leads to a changing spectrum of occupational health risks. Together with socio-demographic developments, individual strain-oriented health disorders connected to one's occupation might endanger an enterprise's capacity of performance and innovation as well as its sustainable enterprise development. Only healthy, motivated and qualified employees are able and ready to keep their creative and customer-oriented potential harnessed and thereby work to the best of their ability. Consequently, occupational health gains a more important role within the enterprise. Although in many enterprises the benefit contribution of preventive work design has not yet been considered that relevant, enterprises have realised that a preventive health-oriented work design might help to better manage current business challenges. An up-to-date definition of health includes the goals of health improvement, personality development as well as a comprehensive well-being. Health is a prerequisite and result of a productive reflection upon the conditions and challenges of work. Business practice shows that a preventive work design should involve an economic benefit for the enterprise. If occupational health is seen as a characteristic of quality and a prerequisite for sustainable enterprise development, economic potentials of preventive work designs will expand considerably.

Development of an SPE/CE method for analyzing HAAs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhang, L.; Capel, P.D.; Hozalski, R.M.

2007-01-01

The haloacetic acid (HAA) analysis methods approved by the US Environmental Protection Agency involve extraction and derivatization of HAAs (typically to their methyl ester form) and analysis by gas chromatography (GC) with electron capture detection (ECD). Concerns associated with these methods include the time and effort of the derivatization process, use of potentially hazardous chemicals or conditions during methylation, poor recoveries because of low extraction efficiencies for some HAAs or matrix effects from sulfate, and loss of tribromoacetic acid because of decarboxylation. The HAA analysis method introduced here uses solid-phase extraction (SPE) followed by capillary electrophoresis (CE) analysis. The method is accurate, reproducible, sensitive, relatively safe, and easy to perform, and avoids the use of large amounts of solvent for liquid-liquid extraction and the potential hazards and hassles of derivatization. The cost of analyzing HAAs using this method should be lower than the currently approved methods, and utilities with a GC/ECD can perform the analysis in-house.

A Model-Driven Development Method for Management Information Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mizuno, Tomoki; Matsumoto, Keinosuke; Mori, Naoki

Traditionally, a Management Information System (MIS) has been developed without using formal methods. By the informal methods, the MIS is developed on its lifecycle without having any models. It causes many problems such as lack of the reliability of system design specifications. In order to overcome these problems, a model theory approach was proposed. The approach is based on an idea that a system can be modeled by automata and set theory. However, it is very difficult to generate automata of the system to be developed right from the start. On the other hand, there is a model-driven development method that can flexibly correspond to changes of business logics or implementing technologies. In the model-driven development, a system is modeled using a modeling language such as UML. This paper proposes a new development method for management information systems applying the model-driven development method to a component of the model theory approach. The experiment has shown that a reduced amount of efforts is more than 30% of all the efforts.

Involvement of Students with Disabilities in the New American Schools Development Corporation Projects. Project FORUM.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ahearn, Eileen M.

This study examined the involvement of students with disabilities in the New American Schools Development Corporation (NASDC) projects. The report begins with a description of the competition to select demonstration projects that would create teams to design, implement, and disseminate "break-the-mold" schools to bring about educational…

Differentiation of involved and uninvolved psoriatic skin from healthy skin using noninvasive visual, colorimeter and evaporimeter methods.

PubMed

Pershing, L K; Bakhtian, S; Wright, E D; Rallis, T M

1995-08-01

Uninvolved skin of psoriasis may not be entirely normal. The object was to characterize healthy, uninvolved psoriatic skin and lesional skin by biophysical methods. Involved and uninvolved psoriatic and age-gender matched healthy skin was measured objectively with a colorimeter and evaporimeter and subjectively with visual assessment in 14 subjects. Visual assessment of erythema (E), scaling (S) and induration (I) as well as the target lesion score at the involved psoriatic skin sites were significantly elevated (p<0.05) above uninvolved psoriatic or healthy skin sites. No difference between uninvolved psoriatic and healthy skin was measured visually. Transepidermal water loss at involved psoriatic skin >uninvolved psoriatic skin >healthy skin (p<0.05). Objective assessment of skin color in 3 color scales, L*, a*, and b*, differentiated involved and uninvolved psoriatic skin from healthy skin sites. Involved psoriatic skin demonstrated higher (p<0.01) a-scale values and lower (p<0.01) L* and b* scale values than uninvolved psoriatic skin. Further, colorimeter L* and a* scale values at uninvolved psoriatic skin sites were lower and higher (p<0.05), respectively, than healthy skin. The individual chromameter parameters (L*, a*, b*) correlated well with the visual parameters (E, S and I). Composite colorimeter description (L*× b*)/a* significantly differentiated healthy skin from both involved and uninvolved psoriatic skin. These collective data highlight that even visually appearing uninvolved psoriatic skin is compromised compared with healthy skin. These objective, noninvasive but differential capabilities of the colorimeter and evaporimeter will aid in the mechanistic quantification of new psoriatic drug therapies and in conjuction with biochemical studies, add to understanding of the multifactorial pathogenesis of psoriasis.

Pilot-in-the-Loop CFD Method Development

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-31

Contract # N00014-14-C-0020 Pilot-in-the-Loop CFD Method Development Progress Report (CDRL A001) Progress Report for Period: Aug 1, 2015 to...30-10-2015 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Pilot-in-the-Loop CFD Method Development 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6...environment. For example, ship airwake are calculated using CFD solutions without the presence of the helicopter main rotor. The gusts from the turbulent

Tracking maize pollen development by the Leaf Collar Method.

PubMed

Begcy, Kevin; Dresselhaus, Thomas

2017-12-01

An easy and highly reproducible nondestructive method named the Leaf Collar Method is described to identify and characterize the different stages of pollen development in maize. In plants, many cellular events such as meiosis, asymmetric cell division, cell cycle regulation, cell fate determination, nucleus movement, vacuole formation, chromatin condensation and epigenetic modifications take place during pollen development. In maize, pollen development occurs in tassels that are confined within the internal stalk of the plant. Hence, identification of the different pollen developmental stages as a tool to investigate above biological processes is impossible without dissecting the entire plant. Therefore, an efficient and reproducible method is necessary to isolate homogeneous cell populations at individual stages throughout pollen development without destroying the plant. Here, we describe a method to identify the various stages of pollen development in maize. Using the Leaf Collar Method in the maize inbreed line B73, we have determined the duration of each stage from pollen mother cells before meiosis to mature tricellular pollen. Anther and tassel size as well as percentage of pollen stages were correlated with vegetative stages, which are easily recognized. The identification of stage-specific genes indicates the reproducibility of the method. In summary, we present an easy and highly reproducible nondestructive method to identify and characterize the different stages of pollen development in maize. This method now opens the way for many subsequent physiological, morphological and molecular analyses to study, for instance, transcriptomics, metabolomics, DNA methylation and chromatin patterns during normal and stressful conditions throughout pollen development in one of the economically most important grass species.

A collaborative design method to support integrated care. An ICT development method containing continuous user validation improves the entire care process and the individual work situation

PubMed Central

Scandurra, Isabella; Hägglund, Maria

2009-01-01

Introduction Integrated care involves different professionals, belonging to different care provider organizations and requires immediate and ubiquitous access to patient-oriented information, supporting an integrated view on the care process [1]. Purpose To present a method for development of usable and work process-oriented information and communication technology (ICT) systems for integrated care. Theory and method Based on Human-computer Interaction Science and in particular Participatory Design [2], we present a new collaborative design method in the context of health information systems (HIS) development [3]. This method implies a thorough analysis of the entire interdisciplinary cooperative work and a transformation of the results into technical specifications, via user validated scenarios, prototypes and use cases, ultimately leading to the development of appropriate ICT for the variety of occurring work situations for different user groups, or professions, in integrated care. Results and conclusions Application of the method in homecare of the elderly resulted in an HIS that was well adapted to the intended user groups. Conducted in multi-disciplinary seminars, the method captured and validated user needs and system requirements for different professionals, work situations, and environments not only for current work; it also aimed to improve collaboration in future (ICT supported) work processes. A holistic view of the entire care process was obtained and supported through different views of the HIS for different user groups, resulting in improved work in the entire care process as well as for each collaborating profession [4].

Development of a fractionation method for the detection and identification of oak ellagitannins in red wines.

PubMed

García-Estévez, Ignacio; Escribano-Bailón, M Teresa; Rivas-Gonzalo, Julián C; Alcalde-Eon, Cristina

2010-02-15

During maturation and ageing in oak barrels wines improve their organoleptic properties. Ellagitannins can be released from wood to the wine and be involved in oxidation reactions and seem to influence the astringency and colour properties of the wine. Nevertheless, the ellagitannins levels are lower than those of other wine constituents and, consequently, they are not easily detected. This study has developed a two-step fractionation method consisting of a solid phase extraction in C-18 Sep-Pak cartridges followed by size exclusion chromatography in hand-packed Sephadex LH-20 minicolumn for the detection of oak ellagitannins in different types of wines. An HPLC method has also been developed which allows the separation of compounds with the same m/z ratios, facilitating the ellagitannin identification by means of the mass spectrometric analyses. The main oak ellagitannins (grandinin, vescalagin, roburin E and castalagin) were isolated, detected separately and identified in a spiked wine and in three real ones, proving the usefulness of the fractionation method. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

STAKEHOLDER INVOLVEMENT THROUGHOUT HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT: AN EXAMPLE FROM PALLIATIVE CARE.

PubMed

Brereton, Louise; Wahlster, Philip; Mozygemba, Kati; Lysdahl, Kristin Bakke; Burns, Jake; Polus, Stephanie; Tummers, Marcia; Refolo, Pietro; Sacchini, Dario; Leppert, Wojciech; Chilcott, James; Ingleton, Christine; Gardiner, Clare; Goyder, Elizabeth

2017-01-01

Internationally, funders require stakeholder involvement throughout health technology assessment (HTA). We report successes, challenges, and lessons learned from extensive stakeholder involvement throughout a palliative care case study that demonstrates new concepts and methods for HTA. A 5-step "INTEGRATE-HTA Model" developed within the INTEGRATE-HTA project guided the case study. Using convenience or purposive sampling or directly / indirectly identifying and approaching individuals / groups, stakeholders participated in qualitative research or consultation meetings. During scoping, 132 stakeholders, aged ≥ 18 years in seven countries (England, Italy, Germany, The Netherlands, Norway, Lithuania, and Poland), highlighted key issues in palliative care that assisted identification of the intervention and comparator. Subsequently stakeholders in four countries participated in face-face, telephone and / or video Skype meetings to inform evidence collection and / or review assessment results. An applicability assessment to identify contextual and implementation barriers and enablers for the case study findings involved twelve professionals in the three countries. Finally, thirteen stakeholders participated in a mock decision-making meeting in England. Views about the best methods of stakeholder involvement vary internationally. Stakeholders make valuable contributions in all stages of HTA; assisting decision making about interventions, comparators, research questions; providing evidence and insights into findings, gap analyses and applicability assessments. Key challenges exist regarding inclusivity, time, and resource use. Stakeholder involvement is feasible and worthwhile throughout HTA, sometimes providing unique insights. Various methods can be used to include stakeholders, although challenges exist. Recognition of stakeholder expertise and further guidance about stakeholder consultation methods is needed.

Development of test methods for textile composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Masters, John E.; Ifju, Peter G.; Fedro, Mark J.

1993-01-01

NASA's Advanced Composite Technology (ACT) Program was initiated in 1990 with the purpose of developing less costly composite aircraft structures. A number of innovative materials and processes were evaluated as a part of this effort. Chief among them are composite materials reinforced with textile preforms. These new forms of composite materials bring with them potential testing problems. Methods currently in practice were developed over the years for composite materials made from prepreg tape or simple 2-D woven fabrics. A wide variety of 2-D and 3-D braided, woven, stitched, and knit preforms were suggested for application in the ACT program. The applicability of existing test methods to the wide range of emerging materials bears investigation. The overriding concern is that the values measured are accurate representations of the true material response. The ultimate objective of this work is to establish a set of test methods to evaluate the textile composites developed for the ACT Program.

Involving children in the development of assistive technology devices.

PubMed

Allsop, M; Gallagher, J; Holt, R; Bhakta, B; Wilkie, R M

2011-01-01

To investigate the implementation of a web-based survey for involving children in the design of assistive technology devices within the primary school environment. Children were recruited within their normal school environment. They completed tasks within the survey that sought to gather their personal preferences about assistive technology devices. From six primary schools, 257 children (mean age = 9 years and 8 months, SD = 1.51; 123 males, 134 females) including children with cerebral palsy (N = 11), varying levels of deafness (N = 7), global developmental delay (N = 2) and Down's syndrome (N = 1) participated. Observations were taken whilst the children completed the survey tasks. All children were able to complete the tasks from the survey, although children with disabilities had higher completion times and most required a form of assistance from support assistants and/or sign language interpreters. The use of the web-based survey provided a novel means with which to involve children with and without disabilities in the design of assistive technology devices within a primary school environment. In order for the survey to be utilised more widely, issues that arose when involving children with disabilities need to be addressed.

Analysis of brand personality to involve event involvement and loyalty: A case study of Jakarta Fashion Week 2017

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasution, A. H.; Rachmawan, Y. A.

2018-04-01

Fashion trend in the world changed extremely fast. Fashion has become the one of people’s lifestyle in the world. Fashion week events in several areas can be a measurement of fahion trend nowadays. There was a fashion week event in Indonesia called Jakarta Fashion Week (JFW) aims to show fashion trend to people who want to improve their fashion style. People will join some events if the event has involvement to them, hence they will come to that event again and again. Annually and continuously event is really important to create loyalty among people who are involved in it, in order to increase positive development towards the organizer in organizing the next event. Saving a huge amount from the marketing budget, and creating a higher quality event. This study aims to know the effect of 5 brand personality dimension to event involvement and loyalty in Jakarta Fashion Week (JFW). This study use quantitative confirmative method with Structural Equation Model (SEM) analysis technique. The sample of this study is 150 respondents who became a participant of Jakarta Fashion Week 2017. Result show that there was significant effect of 5 brand personality dimension to 3 dimension of event involvement and loyalty. Meanwhile, there was one dimension of event involvement called personal self-expression that has not effect to loyalty.

Development of real-time PCR methods to quantify patulin-producing molds in food products.

PubMed

Rodríguez, Alicia; Luque, M Isabel; Andrade, María J; Rodríguez, Mar; Asensio, Miguel A; Córdoba, Juan J

2011-09-01

Patulin is a mycotoxin produced by different Penicillium and Aspergillus strains isolated from food products. To improve food safety, the presence of patulin-producing molds in foods should be quantified. In the present work, two real-time (RTi) PCR protocols based on SYBR Green and TaqMan were developed. Thirty four patulin producers and 28 non-producers strains belonging to different species usually reported in food products were used. The patulin production was tested by mycellar electrokinetic capillary electrophoresis (MECE) and high-pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS). A primer pair F-idhtrb/R-idhtrb and the probe IDHprobe were designed from the isoepoxydon dehydrogenase (idh) gene, involved in patulin biosynthesis. The functionality of the developed method was demonstrated by the high linear relationship of the standard curves constructed with the idh gene copy number and Ct values for the different patulin producers tested. The ability to quantify patulin producers of the developed SYBR Green and TaqMan assays in artificially inoculated food samples was successful, with a minimum threshold of 10 conidia g(-1) per reaction. The developed methods quantified with high efficiency fungal load in foods. These RTi-PCR protocols, are proposed to be used to quantify patulin-producing molds in food products and to prevent patulin from entering the food chain. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Developing integrated methods to address complex resource and environmental issues

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Kathleen S.; Phillips, Jeffrey D.; McCafferty, Anne E.; Clark, Roger N.

2016-02-08

IntroductionThis circular provides an overview of selected activities that were conducted within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Integrated Methods Development Project, an interdisciplinary project designed to develop new tools and conduct innovative research requiring integration of geologic, geophysical, geochemical, and remote-sensing expertise. The project was supported by the USGS Mineral Resources Program, and its products and acquired capabilities have broad applications to missions throughout the USGS and beyond.In addressing challenges associated with understanding the location, quantity, and quality of mineral resources, and in investigating the potential environmental consequences of resource development, a number of field and laboratory capabilities and interpretative methodologies evolved from the project that have applications to traditional resource studies as well as to studies related to ecosystem health, human health, disaster and hazard assessment, and planetary science. New or improved tools and research findings developed within the project have been applied to other projects and activities. Specifically, geophysical equipment and techniques have been applied to a variety of traditional and nontraditional mineral- and energy-resource studies, military applications, environmental investigations, and applied research activities that involve climate change, mapping techniques, and monitoring capabilities. Diverse applied geochemistry activities provide a process-level understanding of the mobility, chemical speciation, and bioavailability of elements, particularly metals and metalloids, in a variety of environmental settings. Imaging spectroscopy capabilities maintained and developed within the project have been applied to traditional resource studies as well as to studies related to ecosystem health, human health, disaster assessment, and planetary science. Brief descriptions of capabilities and laboratory facilities and summaries of some

Why Missing Data Matter in the Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Development: Using the 4-H Study to Understand the Uses of Different Missing Data Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jelicic, Helena; Phelps, Erin; Lerner, Richard M.

2010-01-01

The study of adolescent development rests on methodologically appropriate collection and interpretation of longitudinal data. While all longitudinal studies of adolescent development involve missing data, the methods to treat missingness that have been recommended most often focus on missing data from cross-sectional studies. The problems of…

Development of a nonlinear vortex method

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kandil, O. A.

1982-01-01

Steady and unsteady Nonliner Hybrid Vortex (NHV) method, for low aspect ratio wings at large angles of attack, is developed. The method uses vortex panels with first-order vorticity distribution (equivalent to second-order doublet distribution) to calculate the induced velocity in the near field using closed form expressions. In the far field, the distributed vorticity is reduced to concentrated vortex lines and the simpler Biot-Savart's law is employed. The method is applied to rectangular wings in steady and unsteady flows without any restriction on the order of magnitude of the disturbances in the flow field. The numerical results show that the method accurately predicts the distributed aerodynamic loads and that it is of acceptable computational efficiency.

Effective public involvement in the HoST-D Programme for dementia home care support: From proposal and design to methods of data collection (innovative practice).

PubMed

Giebel, Clarissa; Roe, Brenda; Hodgson, Anthony; Britt, David; Clarkson, Paul

2017-01-01

Public involvement is an important element in health and social care research. However, it is little evaluated in research. This paper discusses the utility and impact of public involvement of carers and people with dementia in a five-year programme on effective home support in dementia, from proposal and design to methods of data collection, and provides a useful guide for future research on how to effectively involve the public. The Home SupporT in Dementia (HoST-D) Programme comprises two elements of public involvement, a small reference group and a virtual lay advisory group. Involving carers and people with dementia is based on the six key values of involvement - respect, support, transparency, responsiveness, fairness of opportunity, and accountability. Carers and people with dementia gave opinions on study information, methods of data collection, an economic model, case vignettes, and a memory aid booklet, which were all taken into account. Public involvement has provided benefits to the programme whilst being considerate of the time constraints and geographical locations of members.

High-Throughput Sequencing to Reveal Genes Involved in Reproduction and Development in Bactrocera dorsalis (Diptera: Tephritidae)

PubMed Central

Zheng, Weiwei; Peng, Tao; He, Wei; Zhang, Hongyu

2012-01-01

Background Tephritid fruit flies in the genus Bactrocera are of major economic significance in agriculture causing considerable loss to the fruit and vegetable industry. Currently, there is no ideal control program. Molecular means is an effective method for pest control at present, but genomic or transcriptomic data for members of this genus remains limited. To facilitate molecular research into reproduction and development mechanisms, and finally effective control on these pests, an extensive transcriptome for the oriental fruit fly Bactrocera dorsalis was produced using the Roche 454-FLX platform. Results We obtained over 350 million bases of cDNA derived from the whole body of B. dorsalis at different developmental stages. In a single run, 747,206 sequencing reads with a mean read length of 382 bp were obtained. These reads were assembled into 28,782 contigs and 169,966 singletons. The mean contig size was 750 bp and many nearly full-length transcripts were assembled. Additionally, we identified a great number of genes that are involved in reproduction and development as well as genes that represent nearly all major conserved metazoan signal transduction pathways, such as insulin signal transduction. Furthermore, transcriptome changes during development were analyzed. A total of 2,977 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected between larvae and pupae libraries, while there were 1,621 DEGs between adults and larvae, and 2,002 between adults and pupae. These DEGs were functionally annotated with KEGG pathway annotation and 9 genes were validated by qRT-PCR. Conclusion Our data represent the extensive sequence resources available for B. dorsalis and provide for the first time access to the genetic architecture of reproduction and development as well as major signal transduction pathways in the Tephritid fruit fly pests, allowing us to elucidate the molecular mechanisms underlying courtship, ovipositing, development and detailed analyses of the signal

Involving patients in a multidisciplinary European consensus process and in the development of a 'patient summary of the consensus document for colon and rectal cancer care'.

PubMed

Boelens, Petra G; Taylor, Claire; Henning, Geoffrey; Marang-van de Mheen, Perla J; Espin, Eloy; Wiggers, Theo; Gore-Booth, Jola; Moss, Barbara; Valentini, Vincenzo; van de Velde, Cornelis J H

2014-01-01

High-quality cancer care should be accessible for patients and healthcare professionals. Involvement of patients as partners in guideline formation and consensus processes is still rarely found. EURECCA, short for European Registration of Cancer Care, is the platform to improve outcomes of cancer care by reducing variation in the diagnostic and treatment process. EURECCA acknowledges the important role of patients in implementation of consensus information in clinical practice. The aim of this article is to describe the process of involving patients in the consensus process and in developing the patient summary of the consensus for colon and rectal cancer care. The Delphi method for achieving consensus was used. Three online voting rounds and one tele-voting round were offered to an expert panel of oncology professionals and patient representatives. At four different stages, patients and/or patient representatives were involved in the process: (1) during the consensus process, (2) lecturing about the role of the patient, (3) development of the patient summary, and (4) testing the patient summary. Representatives were invited to the voting and commenting rounds of this process and given an equal vote. Although patients were not consulted during the planning stages of this process, patient involvement increased following the panel's discussion of the implementation of the consensus among the patient population. After the consensus meeting, the patient summary was written by patient representatives, oncologists and nurses. A selection of proactive patients reviewed the draft patient summary; responses were positive and several patient-reported outcomes were added. Questionnaires to evaluate the use and implementation of the patient summary in daily practice are currently being developed and tested. Patient consultation will be needed in future planning for selection of topics. The present study may function as a model for future consensus processes to involve patients

Sustained prediction ability of net analyte preprocessing methods using reduced calibration sets. Theoretical and experimental study involving the spectrophotometric analysis of multicomponent mixtures.

PubMed

Goicoechea, H C; Olivieri, A C

2001-07-01

A newly developed multivariate method involving net analyte preprocessing (NAP) was tested using central composite calibration designs of progressively decreasing size regarding the multivariate simultaneous spectrophotometric determination of three active components (phenylephrine, diphenhydramine and naphazoline) and one excipient (methylparaben) in nasal solutions. Its performance was evaluated and compared with that of partial least-squares (PLS-1). Minimisation of the calibration predicted error sum of squares (PRESS) as a function of a moving spectral window helped to select appropriate working spectral ranges for both methods. The comparison of NAP and PLS results was carried out using two tests: (1) the elliptical joint confidence region for the slope and intercept of a predicted versus actual concentrations plot for a large validation set of samples and (2) the D-optimality criterion concerning the information content of the calibration data matrix. Extensive simulations and experimental validation showed that, unlike PLS, the NAP method is able to furnish highly satisfactory results when the calibration set is reduced from a full four-component central composite to a fractional central composite, as expected from the modelling requirements of net analyte based methods.

Septin9 is involved in T-cell development and CD8+ T-cell homeostasis.

PubMed

Lassen, Louise Berkhoudt; Füchtbauer, Annette; Schmitz, Alexander; Sørensen, Annette Balle; Pedersen, Finn Skou; Füchtbauer, Ernst-Martin

2013-06-01

SEPTIN9 (SEPT9) is a filament-forming protein involved in numerous cellular processes. We have used a conditional knock out allele of Sept9 to specifically delete Sept9 in T-cells. As shown by fluorescence-activated cell sorting, loss of Sept9 at an early thymocyte stage in the thymus results in increased numbers of double-negative cells indicating that SEPT9 is involved in the transition from the double-negative stage during T-cell development. Accordingly, the relative numbers of mature T-cells in the periphery are decreased in mice with a T-cell-specific deletion of Sept9. Proliferation of Sept9-deleted CD8(+) T-cells from the spleen is decreased upon stimulation in culture. The altered T-cell homeostasis caused by the loss of Sept9 results in an increase of CD8(+) central memory T-cells.

Electric pulses used in electrochemotherapy and electrogene therapy do not significantly change the expression profile of genes involved in the development of cancer in malignant melanoma cells

PubMed Central

2009-01-01

Background Electroporation is a versatile method for in vitro or in vivo delivery of different molecules into cells. However, no study so far has analysed the effects of electric pulses used in electrochemotherapy (ECT pulses) or electric pulses used in electrogene therapy (EGT pulses) on malignant cells. We studied the effect of ECT and EGT pulses on human malignant melanoma cells in vitro in order to understand and predict the possible effect of electric pulses on gene expression and their possible effect on cell behaviour. Methods We used microarrays with 2698 different oligonucleotides to obtain the expression profile of genes involved in apoptosis and cancer development in a malignant melanoma cell line (SK-MEL28) exposed to ECT pulses and EGT pulses. Results Cells exposed to ECT pulses showed a 68.8% average survival rate, while cells exposed to EGT pulses showed a 31.4% average survival rate. Only seven common genes were found differentially expressed in cells 16 h after exposure to ECT and EGT pulses. We found that ECT and EGT pulses induce an HSP70 stress response mechanism, repress histone protein H4, a major protein involved in chromatin assembly, and down-regulate components involved in protein synthesis. Conclusion Our results show that electroporation does not significantly change the expression profile of major tumour suppressor genes or oncogenes of the cell cycle. Moreover, electroporation also does not changes the expression of genes involved in the stability of DNA, supporting current evidence that electroporation is a safe method that does not promote tumorigenesis. However, in spite of being considered an isothermal method, it does to some extent induce stress, which resulted in the expression of the environmental stress response mechanism, HSP70. PMID:19709437

Characterization, thermal stability studies, and analytical method development of Paromomycin for formulation development.

PubMed

Khan, Wahid; Kumar, Neeraj

2011-06-01

Paromomycin (PM) is an aminoglycoside antibiotic, first isolated in the 1950s, and approved in 2006 for treatment of visceral leishmaniasis. Although isolated six decades back, sufficient information essential for development of pharmaceutical formulation is not available for PM. The purpose of this paper was to determine thermal stability and development of new analytical method for formulation development of PM. PM was characterized by thermoanalytical (DSC, TGA, and HSM) and by spectroscopic (FTIR) techniques and these techniques were used to establish thermal stability of PM after heating PM at 100, 110, 120, and 130 °C for 24 h. Biological activity of these heated samples was also determined by microbiological assay. Subsequently, a simple, rapid and sensitive RP-HPLC method for quantitative determination of PM was developed using pre-column derivatization with 9-fluorenylmethyl chloroformate. The developed method was applied to estimate PM quantitatively in two parenteral dosage forms. PM was successfully characterized by various stated techniques. These techniques indicated stability of PM for heating up to 120 °C for 24 h, but when heated at 130 °C, PM is liable to degradation. This degradation is also observed in microbiological assay where PM lost ∼30% of its biological activity when heated at 130 °C for 24 h. New analytical method was developed for PM in the concentration range of 25-200 ng/ml with intra-day and inter-day variability of < 2%RSD. Characterization techniques were established and stability of PM was determined successfully. Developed analytical method was found sensitive, accurate, and precise for quantification of PM. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Space Radiation Transport Methods Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, J. W.; Tripathi, R. K.; Qualls, G. D.; Cucinotta, F. A.; Prael, R. E.; Norbury, J. W.; Heinbockel, J. H.; Tweed, J.

2002-01-01

Improved spacecraft shield design requires early entry of radiation constraints into the design process to maximize performance and minimize costs. As a result, we have been investigating high-speed computational procedures to allow shield analysis from the preliminary design concepts to the final design. In particular, we will discuss the progress towards a full three-dimensional and computationally efficient deterministic code for which the current HZETRN evaluates the lowest order asymptotic term. HZETRN is the first deterministic solution to the Boltzmann equation allowing field mapping within the International Space Station (ISS) in tens of minutes using standard Finite Element Method (FEM) geometry common to engineering design practice enabling development of integrated multidisciplinary design optimization methods. A single ray trace in ISS FEM geometry requires 14 milliseconds and severely limits application of Monte Carlo methods to such engineering models. A potential means of improving the Monte Carlo efficiency in coupling to spacecraft geometry is given in terms of reconfigurable computing and could be utilized in the final design as verification of the deterministic method optimized design.

Development of achiral and chiral 2D HPLC methods for analysis of albendazole metabolites in microsomal fractions using multivariate analysis for the in vitro metabolism.

PubMed

Belaz, Kátia Roberta A; Pereira-Filho, Edenir Rodrigues; Oliveira, Regina V

2013-08-01

In this work, the development of two multidimensional liquid chromatography methods coupled to a fluorescence detector is described for direct analysis of microsomal fractions obtained from rat livers. The chiral multidimensional method was then applied for the optimization of the in vitro metabolism of albendazole by experimental design. Albendazole was selected as a model drug because of its anthelmintics properties and recent potential for cancer treatment. The development of two fully automated achiral-chiral and chiral-chiral high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) methods for the determination of albendazole (ABZ) and its metabolites albendazole sulphoxide (ABZ-SO), albendazole sulphone (ABZ-SO2) and albendazole 2-aminosulphone (ABZ-SO2NH2) in microsomal fractions are described. These methods involve the use of a phenyl (RAM-phenyl-BSA) or octyl (RAM-C8-BSA) restricted access media bovine serum albumin column for the sample clean-up, followed by an achiral phenyl column (15.0×0.46cmI.D.) or a chiral amylose tris(3,5-dimethylphenylcarbamate) column (15.0×0.46cmI.D.). The chiral 2D HPLC method was applied to the development of a compromise condition for the in vitro metabolism of ABZ by means of experimental design involving multivariate analysis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Developing the concept of family involvement and the alienation questionnaire in the context of psychiatric care.

PubMed

Ewertzon, Mats; Lützén, Kim; Svensson, Elisabeth; Andershed, Birgitta

2008-12-01

Research shows that family members of people with a mental illness often experience a lack of involvement in the psychiatric care of their relative. An interpretation of the findings of these studies raises the question of whether the family members' experience of not being involved can be conceptualized in terms of alienation towards mental health services from their encounter with psychiatric care. In order to explore this possibility, the Family Involvement and Alienation Questionnaire (FIAQ) was constructed, guided by relevant theoretical frameworks and empirical research. The content validity of the questionnaire was evaluated by two groups of experienced researchers who had sound knowledge of the theoretical frameworks used. Validity based on the response process was evaluated by the parents of people with mental illness. The reliability of the questionnaire was evaluated by a test-retest design with a group of 15 family members. The data were analyzed by a non-parametric statistical method. The results of the validity and reliability evaluations showed that of the 46 original items in the questionnaire, 28 would be useful in exploring the concept of family involvement and alienation in the context of psychiatric care. Further, minor modifications could make the FIAQ useful in exploring these concepts in other settings.

Public involvement at the design stage of primary health research: a narrative review of case examples.

PubMed

Boote, Jonathan; Baird, Wendy; Beecroft, Claire

2010-04-01

To review published examples of public involvement in research design, to synthesise the contributions made by members of the public, as well as the identified barriers, tensions and facilitating strategies. Systematic literature search and narrative review. Seven papers were identified covering the following topics: breast-feeding, antiretroviral and nutrition interventions; paediatric resuscitation; exercise and cognitive behavioural therapy; hormone replacement therapy and breast cancer; stroke; and parents' experiences of having a pre-term baby. Six papers reported public involvement in the development of a clinical trial, while one reported public involvement in the development of a mixed methods study. Group meetings were the most common method of public involvement. Contributions that members of the public made to research design were: review of consent procedures and patient information sheets; outcome suggestions; review of acceptability of data collection procedures; and recommendations on the timing of potential participants into the study and the timing of follow-up. Numerous barriers, tensions and facilitating strategies were identified. The issues raised here should assist researchers in developing research proposals with members of the public. Substantive and methodological directions for further research on the impact of public involvement in research design are set out. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

An integrative research review of instruments measuring religious involvement: implications for nursing research with African Americans.

PubMed

Mokel, Melissa Jennifer; Shellman, Juliette M

2013-01-01

Many instruments in which religious involvement is measured often (a) contain unclear, poorly developed constructs; (b) lack methodological rigor in scale development; and (c) contain language and content culturally incongruent with the religious experiences of diverse ethnic groups. The primary aims of this review were to (a) synthesize the research on instruments designed to measure religious involvement, (b) evaluate the methodological quality of instruments that measure religious involvement, and (c) examine these instruments for conceptual congruency with African American religious involvement. An updated integrative research review method guided the process (Whittemore & Knafl, 2005). 152 articles were reviewed and 23 articles retrieved. Only 3 retained instruments were developed under methodologically rigorous conditions. All 3 instruments were congruent with a conceptual model of African American religious involvement. The Fetzer Multidimensional Measure of Religious Involvement and Spirituality (FMMRS; Idler et al., 2003) was found to have favorable characteristics. Further examination and psychometric testing is warranted to determine its acceptability, readability, and cultural sensitivity in an African American population.

GRIPP2 reporting checklists: tools to improve reporting of patient and public involvement in research.

PubMed

Staniszewska, S; Brett, J; Simera, I; Seers, K; Mockford, C; Goodlad, S; Altman, D G; Moher, D; Barber, R; Denegri, S; Entwistle, A; Littlejohns, P; Morris, C; Suleman, R; Thomas, V; Tysall, C

2017-08-02

Background  While the patient and public involvement (PPI) evidence base has expanded over the past decade, the quality of reporting within papers is often inconsistent, limiting our understanding of how it works, in what context, for whom, and why. Objective  To develop international consensus on the key items to report to enhance the quality, transparency, and consistency of the PPI evidence base. To collaboratively involve patients as research partners at all stages in the development of GRIPP2. Methods  The EQUATOR method for developing reporting guidelines was used. The original GRIPP (Guidance for Reporting Involvement of Patients and the Public) checklist was revised, based on updated systematic review evidence. A three round Delphi survey was used to develop consensus on items to be included in the guideline. A subsequent face-to-face meeting produced agreement on items not reaching consensus during the Delphi process. Results  143 participants agreed to participate in round one, with an 86% (123/143) response for round two and a 78% (112/143) response for round three. The Delphi survey identified the need for long form (LF) and short form (SF) versions. GRIPP2-LF includes 34 items on aims, definitions, concepts and theory, methods, stages and nature of involvement, context, capture or measurement of impact, outcomes, economic assessment, and reflections and is suitable for studies where the main focus is PPI. GRIPP2-SF includes five items on aims, methods, results, outcomes, and critical perspective and is suitable for studies where PPI is a secondary focus. Conclusions  GRIPP2-LF and GRIPP2-SF represent the first international evidence based, consensus informed guidance for reporting patient and public involvement in research. Both versions of GRIPP2 aim to improve the quality, transparency, and consistency of the international PPI evidence base, to ensure PPI practice is based on the best evidence. In order to encourage its wide dissemination this

Undergraduate Involvement in Extracurricular Activities and Leadership Development in College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foreman, Elizabeth A.; Retallick, Michael S.

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify and describe experiences of undergraduate extracurricular involvement that result in increased leadership development. Senior students in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University completed an online questionnaire about their extracurricular experiences. Leadership development…

Development of a fast and efficient method for hepatitis A virus concentration from green onion.

PubMed

Zheng, Yan; Hu, Yuan

2017-11-01

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) can cause serious liver disease and even death. HAV outbreaks are associated with the consumption of raw or minimally processed produce, making it a major public health concern. Infections have occurred despite the fact that effective HAV vaccine has been available. Development of a rapid and sensitive HAV detection method is necessary for an investigation of an HAV outbreak. Detection of HAV is complicated by the lack of a reliable culture method. In addition, due to the low infectious dose of HAV, these methods must be very sensitive. Current methods rely on efficient sample preparation and concentration steps followed by sensitive molecular detection techniques. Using green onions which was involved in most recent HAV outbreaks as a representative produce, a method of capturing virus particles was developed using carboxyl-derivatized magnetic beads in this study. Carboxyl beads, like antibody-coated beads or cationic beads, detect HAV at a level as low as 100 pfu/25g of green onions. RNA from virus concentrated in this manner can be released by heat-shock (98°C 5min) for molecular detection without sacrificing sensitivity. Bypassing the RNA extraction procedure saves time and removes multiple manipulation steps, which makes large scale HAV screening possible. In addition, the inclusion of beef extract and pectinase rather than NP40 in the elution buffer improved the HAV liberation from the food matrix over current methods by nearly 10 fold. The method proposed in this study provides a promising tool to improve food risk assessment and protect public health. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Clinician user involvement in the real world: Designing an electronic tool to improve interprofessional communication and collaboration in a hospital setting.

PubMed

Tang, Terence; Lim, Morgan E; Mansfield, Elizabeth; McLachlan, Alexander; Quan, Sherman D

2018-02-01

User involvement is vital to the success of health information technology implementation. However, involving clinician users effectively and meaningfully in complex healthcare organizations remains challenging. The objective of this paper is to share our real-world experience of applying a variety of user involvement methods in the design and implementation of a clinical communication and collaboration platform aimed at facilitating care of complex hospitalized patients by an interprofessional team of clinicians. We designed and implemented an electronic clinical communication and collaboration platform in a large community teaching hospital. The design team consisted of both technical and healthcare professionals. Agile software development methodology was used to facilitate rapid iterative design and user input. We involved clinician users at all stages of the development lifecycle using a variety of user-centered, user co-design, and participatory design methods. Thirty-six software releases were delivered over 24 months. User involvement has resulted in improvement in user interface design, identification of software defects, creation of new modules that facilitated workflow, and identification of necessary changes to the scope of the project early on. A variety of user involvement methods were complementary and benefited the design and implementation of a complex health IT solution. Combining these methods with agile software development methodology can turn designs into functioning clinical system to support iterative improvement. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development of multivariate exposure and fatal accident involvement rates for 1977

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1985-10-01

The need for multivariate accident involvement rates is often encounted in : accident analysis. The FARS (Fatal Accident Reporting System) files contain : records of fatal involvements characterized by many variables while NPTS : (National Personal T...

Meaning of Parental Involvement among Korean Immigrant Parents: A Mixed-Methods Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Yanghee Anna; An, Sohyun; Kim, Hyun Chu Leah; Kim, Jihye

2018-01-01

The authors' goal was to identify ways in which Korean immigrant parents define the concept of parental involvement and to examine the statistical significances of interrelationships among these meanings. Seventy-seven parents responded to an open-ended question that asked them to define the meaning of parental involvement; 141 responses were…

Consumer involvement in systematic reviews of comparative effectiveness research.

PubMed

Kreis, Julia; Puhan, Milo A; Schünemann, Holger J; Dickersin, Kay

2013-12-01

The Institute of Medicine recently recommended that comparative effectiveness research (CER) should involve input from consumers. While systematic reviews are a major component of CER, little is known about consumer involvement. To explore current approaches to involving consumers in US-based and key international organizations and groups conducting or commissioning systematic reviews ('organizations'). In-depth, semi-structured interviews with key informants and review of organizations' websites. Seventeen highly regarded US-based and international (Cochrane Collaboration, Campbell Collaboration) organizations. Organizations that usually involve consumers (seven of 17 in our sample) involve them at a programmatic level in the organization or in individual reviews through one-time consultation or on-going collaboration. For example, consumers may suggest topics, provide input on the key questions of the review, provide comments on draft protocols and reports, serve as co-authors or on an advisory group. Organizations involve different types of consumers (individual patients, consumer advocates, families and caregivers), recruiting them mainly through patient organizations and consumer networks. Some offer training in research methods, and one developed training for researchers on how to involve consumers. Little formal evaluation of the effects of consumer involvement is being carried out. Consumers are currently involved in systematic reviews in a variety of ways and for various reasons. Assessing which approaches are most effective in achieving different aims of consumer involvement is now required to inform future recommendations on consumer involvement in CER. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Consumer involvement in systematic reviews of comparative effectiveness research

PubMed Central

Kreis, Julia; Puhan, Milo A.; Schünemann, Holger J.; Dickersin, Kay

2012-01-01

Abstract Background  The Institute of Medicine recently recommended that comparative effectiveness research (CER) should involve input from consumers. While systematic reviews are a major component of CER, little is known about consumer involvement. Objective  To explore current approaches to involving consumers in US‐based and key international organizations and groups conducting or commissioning systematic reviews (‘organizations’). Design  In‐depth, semi‐structured interviews with key informants and review of organizations’ websites. Setting and participants  Seventeen highly regarded US‐based and international (Cochrane Collaboration, Campbell Collaboration) organizations. Results  Organizations that usually involve consumers (seven of 17 in our sample) involve them at a programmatic level in the organization or in individual reviews through one‐time consultation or on‐going collaboration. For example, consumers may suggest topics, provide input on the key questions of the review, provide comments on draft protocols and reports, serve as co‐authors or on an advisory group. Organizations involve different types of consumers (individual patients, consumer advocates, families and caregivers), recruiting them mainly through patient organizations and consumer networks. Some offer training in research methods, and one developed training for researchers on how to involve consumers. Little formal evaluation of the effects of consumer involvement is being carried out. Conclusions  Consumers are currently involved in systematic reviews in a variety of ways and for various reasons. Assessing which approaches are most effective in achieving different aims of consumer involvement is now required to inform future recommendations on consumer involvement in CER. PMID:22390732

Developing a 'critical' approach to patient and public involvement in patient safety in the NHS: learning lessons from other parts of the public sector?

PubMed

Ocloo, Josephine E; Fulop, Naomi J

2012-12-01

There has been considerable momentum within the NHS over the last 10 years to develop greater patient and public involvement (PPI). This commitment has been reflected in numerous policy initiatives. In patient safety, the drive to increase involvement has increasingly been seen as an important way of building a safety culture. Evidence suggests, however, that progress has been slow and even more variable than in health care generally. Given this context, the paper analyses some of the key underlying drivers for involvement in the wider context of health and social care and makes some suggestions on what lessons can be learned for developing the PPI agenda in patient safety. To develop PPI further, it is argued that a greater understanding is needed of the contested nature of involvement in patient safety and how this has similarities to the emergence of user involvement in other parts of the public services. This understanding has led to the development of a range of critical theories to guide involvement that also make more explicit the underlying factors that support and hinder involvement processes, often related to power inequities and control. Achieving greater PPI in patient safety is therefore seen to require a more critical framework for understanding processes of involvement that can also help guide and evaluate involvement practices. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Method Development and Monitoring of Cyanotoxins in Water

EPA Science Inventory

This presentation describes method development of two ambient water LC/MS/MS methods for microcystins, cylindrospermopsin and anatoxin-a. Ruggedness of the methods will be demonstrated by evaluation of quality control samples derived from various water bodies across the country.

Male involvement during pregnancy and childbirth: men’s perceptions, practices and experiences during the care for women who developed childbirth complications in Mulago Hospital, Uganda

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Development of appropriate interventions to increase male involvement in pregnancy and childbirth is vital to strategies for improving health outcomes of women with obstetric complications. The objective was to gain a deeper understanding of their experiences of male involvement in their partners’ healthcare during pregnancy and childbirth. The findings might inform interventions for increasing men’s involvement in reproductive health issues. Methods We conducted 16 in-depth interviews with men who came to the hospital to attend to their spouses/partners admitted to Mulago National Referral Hospital. All the spouses/partners had developed severe obstetric complications and were admitted in the high dependency unit. We sought to obtain detailed descriptions of men’s experiences, their perception of an ideal “father” and the challenges in achieving this ideal status. We also assessed perceived strategies for increasing male participation in their partners’ healthcare during pregnancy and childbirth. Data was analyzed by content analysis. Results The identified themes were: Men have different descriptions of their relationships; responsibility was an obligation; ideal fathers provide support to mothers during childbirth; the health system limits male involvement in childbirth; men have no clear roles during childbirth, and exclusion and alienation in the hospital environment. The men described qualities of the ideal father as one who was available, easily reached, accessible and considerate. Most men were willing to learn about their expected roles during childbirth and were eager to support their partners/wives/spouses during this time. However, they identified personal, relationship, family and community factors as barriers to their involvement. They found the health system unwelcoming, intimidating and unsupportive. Suggestions to improve men’s involvement include creating more awareness for fathers, male-targeted antenatal education and

Development of quality assurance methods for epoxy graphite prepreg

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chen, J. S.; Hunter, A. B.

1982-01-01

Quality assurance methods for graphite epoxy/prepregs were developed. Liquid chromatography, differential scanning calorimetry, and gel permeation chromatography were investigated. These methods were applied to a second prepreg system. The resin matrix formulation was correlated with mechanical properties. Dynamic mechanical analysis and fracture toughness methods were investigated. The chromatography and calorimetry techniques were all successfully developed as quality assurance methods for graphite epoxy prepregs. The liquid chromatography method was the most sensitive to changes in resin formulation. The were also successfully applied to the second prepreg system.

DEVELOPMENT OF MOLECULAR METHODS TO DETECT ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

A large number of human enteric viruses are known to cause gastrointestinal illness and waterborne outbreaks. Many of these are emerging viruses that do not grow or grow poorly in cell culture and so molecular detectoin methods based on the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) are being developed. Current studies focus on detecting two virus groups, the caliciviruses and the hepatitis E virus strains, both of which have been found to cause significant outbraks via contaminated drinking water. Once developed, these methods will be used to collect occurrence data for risk assessment studies. Develop sensitive techniques to detect and identify emerging human waterborne pathogenic viruses and viruses on the CCL.Determine effectiveness of viral indicators to measure microbial quality in water matrices.Support activities: (a) culture and distribution of mammalian cells for Agency and scientific community research needs, (b) provide operator expertise for research requiring confocal and electron microscopy, (c) glassware cleaning, sterilization and biological waste disposal for the Cincinnati EPA facility, (d) operation of infectious pathogenic suite, (e) maintenance of walk-in constant temperature rooms and (f) provide Giardia cysts.

Principal-Generated YouTube Video as a Method of Improving Parental Involvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richards, Joey

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the involvement level of parents and reveal whether principal-generated YouTube videos for regular communication would enhance levels of parental involvement at one North Texas Christian Middle School (pseudonym). The following questions guided this study: 1. What is the beginning level of parental…

GRIPP2 reporting checklists: tools to improve reporting of patient and public involvement in research.

PubMed

Staniszewska, S; Brett, J; Simera, I; Seers, K; Mockford, C; Goodlad, S; Altman, D G; Moher, D; Barber, R; Denegri, S; Entwistle, A; Littlejohns, P; Morris, C; Suleman, R; Thomas, V; Tysall, C

2017-01-01

While the patient and public involvement (PPI) evidence base has expanded over the past decade, the quality of reporting within papers is often inconsistent, limiting our understanding of how it works, in what context, for whom, and why. To develop international consensus on the key items to report to enhance the quality, transparency, and consistency of the PPI evidence base. To collaboratively involve patients as research partners at all stages in the development of GRIPP2. The EQUATOR method for developing reporting guidelines was used. The original GRIPP (Guidance for Reporting Involvement of Patients and the Public) checklist was revised, based on updated systematic review evidence. A three round Delphi survey was used to develop consensus on items to be included in the guideline. A subsequent face-to-face meeting produced agreement on items not reaching consensus during the Delphi process. One hundred forty-three participants agreed to participate in round one, with an 86% (123/143) response for round two and a 78% (112/143) response for round three. The Delphi survey identified the need for long form (LF) and short form (SF) versions. GRIPP2-LF includes 34 items on aims, definitions, concepts and theory, methods, stages and nature of involvement, context, capture or measurement of impact, outcomes, economic assessment, and reflections and is suitable for studies where the main focus is PPI. GRIPP2-SF includes five items on aims, methods, results, outcomes, and critical perspective and is suitable for studies where PPI is a secondary focus. GRIPP2-LF and GRIPP2-SF represent the first international evidence based, consensus informed guidance for reporting patient and public involvement in research. Both versions of GRIPP2 aim to improve the quality, transparency, and consistency of the international PPI evidence base, to ensure PPI practice is based on the best evidence. In order to encourage its wide dissemination this article is freely accessible on The BMJ

Uninvolved Skin from Psoriatic Patients Develops Signs of Involved Psoriatic Skin after Being Grafted onto Nude Mice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fraki, Jorma E.; Briggaman, Robert A.; Lazarus, Gerald S.

1982-02-01

Clinically involved psoriatic epidermis maintains its histological appearance, increased labeling index, and increased level of plasminogen activator after being grafted onto athymic nude mice. Uninvolved psoriatic epidermis develops increases in plasminogen activator activity after being grafted onto athymic nude mice; this is accompanied by an increased labeling index. Thus, psoriatic skin can develop markers of psoriasis independent of the host.

From Outreach to Engaged Placemaking: Understanding Public Land-Grant University Involvement with Tourism Planning and Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herts, Rolando D.

2013-01-01

This dissertation research project aimed to identify benefits and drawbacks of public land-grant university involvement with tourism planning and development, an emergent form of university-community engagement. Using qualitative methodology, the study's findings led to the codification of levels of university tourism planning and development…

Comparing two periphyton collection methods commonly used for stream bioassessment and the development of numeric nutrient standards.

PubMed

Rodman, Ashley R; Scott, J Thad

2017-07-01

Periphyton is an important component of stream bioassessment, yet methods for quantifying periphyton biomass can differ substantially. A case study within the Arkansas Ozarks is presented to demonstrate the potential for linking chlorophyll-a (chl-a) and ash-free dry mass (AFDM) data sets amassed using two frequently used periphyton sampling protocols. Method A involved collecting periphyton from a known area on the top surface of variably sized rocks gathered from relatively swift-velocity riffles without discerning canopy cover. Method B involved collecting periphyton from the entire top surface of cobbles systematically gathered from riffle-run habitat where canopy cover was intentionally avoided. Chl-a and AFDM measurements were not different between methods (p = 0.123 and p = 0.550, respectively), and there was no interaction between method and time in the repeated measures structure of the study. However, significantly different seasonal distinctions were observed for chl-a and AFDM from all streams when data from the methods were combined (p < 0.001 and p = 0.012, respectively), with greater mean biomass in the cooler sampling months. Seasonal trends were likely the indirect results of varying temperatures. Although the size and range of this study were small, results suggest data sets collected using different methods may effectively be used together with some minor considerations due to potential confounding factors. This study provides motivation for the continued investigation of combining data sets derived from multiple methods of data collection, which could be useful in stream bioassessment and particularly important for the development of regional stream nutrient criteria for the southern Ozarks.

Usual and unusual development of the dicot leaf: involvement of transcription factors and hormones.

PubMed

Fambrini, Marco; Pugliesi, Claudio

2013-06-01

Morphological diversity exhibited by higher plants is essentially related to the tremendous variation of leaf shape. With few exceptions, leaf primordia are initiated postembryonically at the flanks of a group of undifferentiated and proliferative cells within the shoot apical meristem (SAM) in characteristic position for the species and in a regular phyllotactic sequence. Auxin is critical for this process, because genes involved in auxin biosynthesis, transport, and signaling are required for leaf initiation. Down-regulation of transcription factors (TFs) and cytokinins are also involved in the light-dependent leaf initiation pathway. Furthermore, mechanical stresses in SAM determine the direction of cell division and profoundly influence leaf initiation suggesting a link between physical forces, gene regulatory networks and biochemical gradients. After the leaf is initiated, its further growth depends on cell division and cell expansion. Temporal and spatial regulation of these processes determines the size and the shape of the leaf, as well as the internal structure. A complex array of intrinsic signals, including phytohormones and TFs control the appropriate cell proliferation and differentiation to elaborate the final shape and complexity of the leaf. Here, we highlight the main determinants involved in leaf initiation, epidermal patterning, and elaboration of lamina shape to generate small marginal serrations, more deep lobes or a dissected compound leaf. We also outline recent advances in our knowledge of regulatory networks involved with the unusual pattern of leaf development in epiphyllous plants as well as leaf morphology aberrations, such as galls after pathogenic attacks of pests.

Expression Patterns of Genes Involved in Sugar Metabolism and Accumulation during Apple Fruit Development

PubMed Central

Cheng, Lailiang

2012-01-01

Both sorbitol and sucrose are imported into apple fruit from leaves. The metabolism of sorbitol and sucrose fuels fruit growth and development, and accumulation of sugars in fruit is central to the edible quality of apple. However, our understanding of the mechanisms controlling sugar metabolism and accumulation in apple remains quite limited. We identified members of various gene families encoding key enzymes or transporters involved in sugar metabolism and accumulation in apple fruit using homology searches and comparison of their expression patterns in different tissues, and analyzed the relationship of their transcripts with enzyme activities and sugar accumulation during fruit development. At the early stage of fruit development, the transcript levels of sorbitol dehydrogenase, cell wall invertase, neutral invertase, sucrose synthase, fructokinase and hexokinase are high, and the resulting high enzyme activities are responsible for the rapid utilization of the imported sorbitol and sucrose for fruit growth, with low levels of sugar accumulation. As the fruit continues to grow due to cell expansion, the transcript levels and activities of these enzymes are down-regulated, with concomitant accumulation of fructose and elevated transcript levels of tonoplast monosaccharide transporters (TMTs), MdTMT1 and MdTMT2; the excess carbon is converted into starch. At the late stage of fruit development, sucrose accumulation is enhanced, consistent with the elevated expression of sucrose-phosphate synthase (SPS), MdSPS5 and MdSPS6, and an increase in its total activity. Our data indicate that sugar metabolism and accumulation in apple fruit is developmentally regulated. This represents a comprehensive analysis of the genes involved in sugar metabolism and accumulation in apple, which will serve as a platform for further studies on the functions of these genes and subsequent manipulation of sugar metabolism and fruit quality traits related to carbohydrates. PMID:22412983

Development of Prescription Drug Information Leaflets: Impact of Cognitive Effort and Patient Involvement on Prescription Medication Information Processing.

PubMed

Patel, Harshali K; Bapat, Shweta S; Bhansali, Archita H; Sansgiry, Sujit S

2018-01-01

The objective of this study was to develop a one-page (1-page) prescription drug information leaflet (PILs) and assess their impact on the information processing variables, across 2 levels of patient involvement. One-page PILs were developed using cognitive principles to lower mental effort and improve comprehension. An experimental, 3 × 2 repeated measures study was conducted to determine the impact of cognitive effort, manipulated using leaflet type on comprehension across 2 levels (high/low) of patient involvement. Adults (≥18 years) in a university setting in Houston were recruited for the study. Each participant was exposed to 3 different types of prescription drug information leaflet (the current practice, preexisting 1-page text-only, and 1-page PILs) for the 3 drugs (Celebrex, Ventolin HFA, Prezista) for a given involvement scenario. A prevalidated survey instrument was used to measure product knowledge, attitude toward leaflet, and intention to read. Multivariate analysis of variance indicated significant positive effect of cognitive effort, involvement, and their interaction effect across all measured variables. Mean scores for product knowledge, attitude toward leaflet, and intention to read were highest for PILs ( P < .001), indicating that PILs exerted lowest cognitive effort. Univariate and post hoc analysis indicate that product knowledge significantly increases with high involvement. Patients reading PILs have higher comprehension compared with the current practice and text-only prototype leaflets evaluated. Higher levels of involvement further improve participant knowledge about the drug, increase their intention to read the leaflet, and change their attitude toward the leaflet. Implementation of PILs would improve information processing for consumers by reducing their cognitive effort.

Systematic methods for knowledge acquisition and expert system development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Belkin, Brenda L.; Stengel, Robert F.

1991-01-01

Nine cooperating rule-based systems, collectively called AUTOCREW which were designed to automate functions and decisions associated with a combat aircraft's subsystems, are discussed. The organization of tasks within each system is described; performance metrics were developed to evaluate the workload of each rule base and to assess the cooperation between the rule bases. Simulation and comparative workload results for two mission scenarios are given. The scenarios are inbound surface-to-air-missile attack on the aircraft and pilot incapacitation. The methodology used to develop the AUTOCREW knowledge bases is summarized. Issues involved in designing the navigation sensor selection expert in AUTOCREW's NAVIGATOR knowledge base are discussed in detail. The performance of seven navigation systems aiding a medium-accuracy INS was investigated using Kalman filter covariance analyses. A navigation sensor management (NSM) expert system was formulated from covariance simulation data using the analysis of variance (ANOVA) method and the ID3 algorithm. ANOVA results show that statistically different position accuracies are obtained when different navaids are used, the number of navaids aiding the INS is varied, the aircraft's trajectory is varied, and the performance history is varied. The ID3 algorithm determines the NSM expert's classification rules in the form of decision trees. The performance of these decision trees was assessed on two arbitrary trajectories, and the results demonstrate that the NSM expert adapts to new situations and provides reasonable estimates of the expected hybrid performance.

A model of involvement in work-related learning and development activity: the effects of individual, situational, motivational, and age variables.

PubMed

Maurer, Todd J; Weiss, Elizabeth M; Barbeite, Francisco G

2003-08-01

Eight hundred employees from across the U.S. work force participated in a detailed 13-month longitudinal study of involvement in learning and development activities. A new model was posited and tested in which the hypothesized sequence was as follows: worker age --> individual and situational antecedents --> perceived benefits of participation and self-efficacy for development --> attitudes toward development --> intentions to participate --> participation. The results depict a person who is oriented toward employee development as having participated in development activities before, perceiving themselves as possessing qualities needed for learning, having social support for development at work and outside of work, being job involved, having insight into his or her career, and believing in the need for development, in his or her ability to develop skills and to receive intrinsic benefits from participating. Given the aging work force, a detailed treatment of age differences in development is presented. Implications for new ideas in practice and future research are discussed.

Development and Implementation of an Ultrasonic Method to Characterize Acoustic and Mechanical Fingernail Properties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vacarescu, Rares Anthony

The human fingernail is a vital organ used by humans on a daily basis and can provide an immense supply of information based on the biological feedback of the body. By studying the quantitative mechanical and acoustic properties of fingernails, a better understanding of the scarcely-investigated field of ungual research can be explored. Investigating fingernail properties with the use of pulse-echo ultrasound is the aim of this thesis. This thesis involves the application of a developed portable ultrasonic device in a hospital-based data collection and the advancement of ultrasonic methodology to include the calculation of acoustic impedance, density and elasticity. The results of the thesis show that the reflectance method can be utilized to determine fingernail properties with a maximum 17% deviation from literature. Repeatability of measurements fell within a 95% confidence interval. Thus, the ultrasonic reflectance method was validated and may have potential clinical and cosmetic applications.

How can students contribute? A qualitative study of active student involvement in development of technological learning material for clinical skills training.

PubMed

Haraldseid, Cecilie; Friberg, Febe; Aase, Karina

2016-01-01

Policy initiatives and an increasing amount of the literature within higher education both call for students to become more involved in creating their own learning. However, there is a lack of studies in undergraduate nursing education that actively involve students in developing such learning material with descriptions of the students' roles in these interactive processes. Explorative qualitative study, using data from focus group interviews, field notes and student notes. The data has been subjected to qualitative content analysis. Active student involvement through an iterative process identified five different learning needs that are especially important to the students: clarification of learning expectations, help to recognize the bigger picture, stimulation of interaction, creation of structure, and receiving context- specific content. The iterative process involvement of students during the development of new technological learning material will enhance the identification of important learning needs for students. The use of student and teacher knowledge through an adapted co-design process is the most optimal level of that involvement.

Family Involvement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nathanson, Jeanne H., Ed.

1992-01-01

This periodical issue focuses on the theme of involvement of families in the education of their children with disabilities. It includes papers with the following titles and authors: "A Message from the Assistant Secretary: Developing Successful Partnerships between Parents and Service Providers" (Robert R. Davila); "Parent Advocacy…

Recommendations for Developing Alternative Test Methods for Developmental Neurotoxicity

EPA Science Inventory

There is great interest in developing alternative methods for developmental neurotoxicity testing (DNT) that are cost-efficient, use fewer animals and are based on current scientific knowledge of the developing nervous system. Alternative methods will require demonstration of the...

From molecular engineering to process engineering: development of high-throughput screening methods in enzyme directed evolution.

PubMed

Ye, Lidan; Yang, Chengcheng; Yu, Hongwei

2018-01-01

With increasing concerns in sustainable development, biocatalysis has been recognized as a competitive alternative to traditional chemical routes in the past decades. As nature's biocatalysts, enzymes are able to catalyze a broad range of chemical transformations, not only with mild reaction conditions but also with high activity and selectivity. However, the insufficient activity or enantioselectivity of natural enzymes toward non-natural substrates limits their industrial application, while directed evolution provides a potent solution to this problem, thanks to its independence on detailed knowledge about the relationship between sequence, structure, and mechanism/function of the enzymes. A proper high-throughput screening (HTS) method is the key to successful and efficient directed evolution. In recent years, huge varieties of HTS methods have been developed for rapid evaluation of mutant libraries, ranging from in vitro screening to in vivo selection, from indicator addition to multi-enzyme system construction, and from plate screening to computation- or machine-assisted screening. Recently, there is a tendency to integrate directed evolution with metabolic engineering in biosynthesis, using metabolites as HTS indicators, which implies that directed evolution has transformed from molecular engineering to process engineering. This paper aims to provide an overview of HTS methods categorized based on the reaction principles or types by summarizing related studies published in recent years including the work from our group, to discuss assay design strategies and typical examples of HTS methods, and to share our understanding on HTS method development for directed evolution of enzymes involved in specific catalytic reactions or metabolic pathways.

FOREBRAIN AND HINDBRAIN DEVELOPMENT IN ZEBRAFISH IS SENSITIVE TO ETHANOL EXPOSURE INVOLVING AGRIN, FGF AND SONIC HEDGEHOG FUNCTION

PubMed Central

Zhang, Chengjin; Ojiaku, Princess; Cole, Gregory J.

2014-01-01

BACKGROUND Ethanol is a teratogen that affects numerous developmental processes in the nervous system, which includes development and survival of GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons. Possible molecular mechanisms accounting for ethanol’s effects on nervous system development include perturbed fibroblast growth factor (Fgf) and Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling. In zebrafish, forebrain GABAergic neuron development is dependent on Fgf19 and Shh signaling. The present study was conducted to test the hypothesis that ethanol affects GABAergic and glutamatergic neuron development by disrupting Fgf, Shh, and agrin function. METHODS Zebrafish embryos were exposed to varying concentrations of ethanol during a range of developmental stages, in the absence or presence of morpholino oligonucleotides (MOs) that disrupt agrin or Shh function. In situ hybridization was employed to analyze glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD1) gene expression, as well as markers of glutamatergic neurons. RESULTS Acute ethanol exposure results in marked reduction in GAD1 gene expression in forebrain and hindbrain, and reduction of glutamatergic neuronal markers in hindbrain. Subthreshold ethanol exposure, combined with agrin or Shh MO treatment, produces a similar diminution in expression of markers for GABAergic and glutamatergic neurons. Consistent with the ethanol effects on Fgf and Shh pathways, Fgf19, Fgf8 or Shh mRNA overexpression rescues ethanol-induced decreases in GAD1 and atonal1a gene expression. CONCLUSIONS These studies demonstrate that GABAergic and glutamatergic neuron development in zebrafish forebrain or cerebellum is sensitive to ethanol exposure, and provides additional evidence that a signaling pathway involving agrin, Fgfs and Shh may be a critical target of ethanol exposure during zebrafish embryogenesis. PMID:23184466

Developing a reliable signal wire attachment method for rail.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-11-01

The goal of this project was to develop a better attachment method for rail signal wires to improve the reliability of signaling : systems. EWI conducted basic research into the failure mode of current attachment methods and developed and tested a ne...

Parent Involvement in Head Start and Children's Development: Indirect Effects Through Parenting.

PubMed

Ansari, Arya; Gershoff, Elizabeth

2016-04-01

The authors examined the extent to which parent involvement in Head Start programs predicted changes in both parent and child outcomes over time, using a nationally representative sample of 1,020 three-year-old children over 3 waves of the Family and Child Experiences Survey. Center policies that promote involvement predicted greater parent involvement, and parents who were more involved in Head Start centers demonstrated increased cognitive stimulation and decreased spanking and controlling behaviors. In turn, these changes in parenting behaviors were associated with gains in children's academic and behavioral skills. These findings suggest that Head Start programs should do even more to facilitate parent involvement because it can serve as an important means for promoting both parent and child outcomes.

Accelerated Dynamic Corrosion Test Method Development

DTIC Science & Technology

test method has poor correlation to outdoor exposures, particularly for non-chromate primers. As a result, more realistic cyclic environmental...exposures have been developed to more closely resemble actual atmospheric corrosion damage. Several existing tests correlate well with the outdoor performance

Biological pathways involved in the development of inflammatory bowel disease.

PubMed

Zemljic, Mateja; Pejkovic, Bozena; Krajnc, Ivan; Lipovsek, Saska

2014-10-01

Apoptosis, autophagy and necrosis are three distinct functional types of the mammalian cell death network. All of them are characterized by a number of cell's morphological changes. The inappropriate induction of cell death is involved in the pathogenesis of a number of diseases.Pathogenesis of inflammatory bowel diseases (ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease) includes an abnormal immunological response to disturbed intestinal microflora. One of the most important reason in pathogenesis of chronic inflammatory disease and subsequent multiple organ pathology is a barrier function of the gut, regulating cellular viability. Recent findings have begun to explain the mechanisms by which intestinal epithelial cells are able to survive in such an environment and how loss of normal regulatory processes may lead to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).This review focuses on the regulation of biological pathways in development and homeostasis in IBD. Better understanding of the physiological functions of biological pathways and their influence on inflammation, immunity, and barrier function will simplify our expertice of homeostasis in the gastrointestinal tract and in upgrading diagnosis and treatment.

Pathways of topological rank analysis (PoTRA): a novel method to detect pathways involved in hepatocellular carcinoma

PubMed Central

Liu, Li; Dinu, Valentin

2018-01-01

Complex diseases such as cancer are usually the result of a combination of environmental factors and one or several biological pathways consisting of sets of genes. Each biological pathway exerts its function by delivering signaling through the gene network. Theoretically, a pathway is supposed to have a robust topological structure under normal physiological conditions. However, the pathway’s topological structure could be altered under some pathological condition. It is well known that a normal biological network includes a small number of well-connected hub nodes and a large number of nodes that are non-hubs. In addition, it is reported that the loss of connectivity is a common topological trait of cancer networks, which is an assumption of our method. Hence, from normal to cancer, the process of the network losing connectivity might be the process of disrupting the structure of the network, namely, the number of hub genes might be altered in cancer compared to that in normal or the distribution of topological ranks of genes might be altered. Based on this, we propose a new PageRank-based method called Pathways of Topological Rank Analysis (PoTRA) to detect pathways involved in cancer. We use PageRank to measure the relative topological ranks of genes in each biological pathway, then select hub genes for each pathway, and use Fisher’s exact test to test if the number of hub genes in each pathway is altered from normal to cancer. Alternatively, if the distribution of topological ranks of gene in a pathway is altered between normal and cancer, this pathway might also be involved in cancer. Hence, we use the Kolmogorov–Smirnov test to detect pathways that have an altered distribution of topological ranks of genes between two phenotypes. We apply PoTRA to study hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and several subtypes of HCC. Very interestingly, we discover that all significant pathways in HCC are cancer-associated generally, while several significant pathways in

Pathways of topological rank analysis (PoTRA): a novel method to detect pathways involved in hepatocellular carcinoma.

PubMed

Li, Chaoxing; Liu, Li; Dinu, Valentin

2018-01-01

Complex diseases such as cancer are usually the result of a combination of environmental factors and one or several biological pathways consisting of sets of genes. Each biological pathway exerts its function by delivering signaling through the gene network. Theoretically, a pathway is supposed to have a robust topological structure under normal physiological conditions. However, the pathway's topological structure could be altered under some pathological condition. It is well known that a normal biological network includes a small number of well-connected hub nodes and a large number of nodes that are non-hubs. In addition, it is reported that the loss of connectivity is a common topological trait of cancer networks, which is an assumption of our method. Hence, from normal to cancer, the process of the network losing connectivity might be the process of disrupting the structure of the network, namely, the number of hub genes might be altered in cancer compared to that in normal or the distribution of topological ranks of genes might be altered. Based on this, we propose a new PageRank-based method called Pathways of Topological Rank Analysis (PoTRA) to detect pathways involved in cancer. We use PageRank to measure the relative topological ranks of genes in each biological pathway, then select hub genes for each pathway, and use Fisher's exact test to test if the number of hub genes in each pathway is altered from normal to cancer. Alternatively, if the distribution of topological ranks of gene in a pathway is altered between normal and cancer, this pathway might also be involved in cancer. Hence, we use the Kolmogorov-Smirnov test to detect pathways that have an altered distribution of topological ranks of genes between two phenotypes. We apply PoTRA to study hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and several subtypes of HCC. Very interestingly, we discover that all significant pathways in HCC are cancer-associated generally, while several significant pathways in subtypes

The development and evaluation of a five-language multi-perspective standardised measure: clinical decision-making involvement and satisfaction (CDIS)

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a brief quantitative five-language measure of involvement and satisfaction in clinical decision-making (CDIS) – with versions for patients (CDIS-P) and staff (CDIS-S) – for use in mental health services. Methods An English CDIS was developed by reviewing existing measures, focus groups, semistructured interviews and piloting. Translations into Danish, German, Hungarian and Italian followed the International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR) Task Force principles of good practice for translation and cultural adaptation. Psychometricevaluation involved testing the measure in secondary mental health services in Aalborg, Debrecen, London, Naples, Ulm and Zurich. Results After appraising 14 measures, the Control Preference Scale and Satisfaction With Decision-making English-language scales were modified and evaluated in interviews (n = 9), focus groups (n = 22) and piloting (n = 16). Translations were validated through focus groups (n = 38) and piloting (n = 61). A total of 443 service users and 403 paired staff completed CDIS. The Satisfaction sub-scale had internal consistency of 0.89 (0.86-0.89 after item-level deletion) for staff and 0.90 (0.87-0.90) for service users, both continuous and categorical (utility) versions were associated with symptomatology and both staff-rated and service userrated therapeutic alliance (showing convergent validity), and not with social disability (showing divergent validity), and satisfaction predicted staff-rated (OR 2.43, 95%CI 1.54- 3.83 continuous, OR 5.77, 95%CI 1.90-17.53 utility) and service user-rated (OR 2.21, 95%CI 1.51-3.23 continuous, OR 3.13, 95%CI 1.10-8.94 utility) decision implementation two months later. The Involvement sub-scale had appropriate distribution and no floor or ceiling effects, was associated with stage of recovery, functioning and quality of life (staff only) (showing convergent validity), and not with

Extracting organic matter on Mars: A comparison of methods involving subcritical water, surfactant solutions and organic solvents

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luong, Duy; Court, Richard W.; Sims, Mark R.; Cullen, David C.; Sephton, Mark A.

2014-09-01

The first step in many life detection protocols on Mars involves attempts to extract or isolate organic matter from its mineral matrix. A number of extraction options are available and include heat and solvent assisted methods. Recent operations on Mars indicate that heating samples can cause the loss or obfuscation of organic signals from target materials, raising the importance of solvent-based systems for future missions. Several solvent types are available (e.g. organic solvents, surfactant based solvents and subcritical water extraction) but a comparison of their efficiencies in Mars relevant materials is missing. We have spiked the well characterised Mars analogue material JSC Mars-1 with a number of representative organic standards. Extraction of the spiked JSC Mars-1 with the three solvent methods provides insights into the relative efficiency of these methods and indicates how they may be used on future Mars missions.

Novel participatory methods of involving patients in research: naming and branding a longitudinal cohort study, BRIGHTLIGHT.

PubMed

Taylor, Rachel M; Mohain, Jasjeet; Gibson, Faith; Solanki, Anita; Whelan, Jeremy; Fern, Lorna A

2015-03-14

Patient and public involvement (PPI) is central to research and service planning. Identifying effective, meaningful ways of involvement is challenging. The cohort study 'Do specialist services for teenagers and young adults with cancer add value?' follows young people for three years, examining outcomes associated with specialist care. Participant retention in longitudinal research can be problematic potentially jeopardising study completion. Maximising study awareness through high impact branding and publicity may improve study retention. Study names are typically generated by researchers rather than designed with patients. We aimed to involve young people in developing a brand identity and name to 'Do specialist services for teenagers and young adults with cancer add value?'. Nine young people aged 17-26 years diagnosed with cancer when aged 14-25 years participated in a one day workshop with further data collection at a patient conference. Methodology was similar to conventional branding and naming exercises and was divided into six stages. The workshop comprised five stages. Stage 1: 'What's in a brand' allowed young people to enquire why brands/logos are important, Stage 2: 'Brand Transformation' identified what young people needed to know and believe about the study when approached about participation, Stage 3: 'Brand Essence' determined how we wanted the study to be perceived by young people, Stage 4: 'What's in a name' identified potential names for the study. Stage 5: 'Logo creation' assembled the mood and feel of logos. Stage 6 was logo design and an electronic survey of 249 young people attending a patient conference. BRIGHTLIGHT was the final study name and the brand essence (or study personality) was friendly, supportive and inspiring. Four logos were designed and the final logo received 47% (n = 115) of votes. Acceptance and retention to BRIGHTLIGHT is higher than anticipated (80% versus 60%), this may be related to our integral PPI strategy. We

Evaluation index system of steel industry sustainable development based on entropy method and topsis method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ronglian, Yuan; Mingye, Ai; Qiaona, Jia; Yuxuan, Liu

2018-03-01

Sustainable development is the only way for the development of human society. As an important part of the national economy, the steel industry is an energy-intensive industry and needs to go further for sustainable development. In this paper, we use entropy method and Topsis method to evaluate the development of China’s steel industry during the “12th Five-Year Plan” from four aspects: resource utilization efficiency, main energy and material consumption, pollution status and resource reuse rate. And we also put forward some suggestions for the development of China’s steel industry.

Compositions and methods involving methyladenosine phosphorylase in the diagnosis and treatment of proliferative disorders

DOEpatents

Olopade, Olufunmilayo I.

2007-03-20

Disclosed are novel nucleic acid and peptide compositions comprising methylthioadenosine phosphorylase (MTAP) and methods of use for MTAP amino acid sequences and DNA segments comprising MTAP in the diagnosis of human cancers and development of MTAP-specific antibodies. Also disclosed are methods for the diagnosis and treatment of tumors and other proliferative cell disorders, and identification of tumor suppressor genes and gene products from the human 9p21-p22 chromosome region. Such methods are useful in the diagnosis of multiple tumor types such as bladder cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, brain tumors, lymphomas, gliomas, melanomas, and leukemias.

Involvement of Antizyme Characterized from the Small Abalone Haliotis diversicolor in Gonadal Development.

PubMed

Li, Wei-Dong; Huang, Min; Lü, Wen-Gang; Chen, Xiao; Shen, Ming-Hui; Li, Xiang-Min; Wang, Rong-Xia; Ke, Cai-Huan

2015-01-01

The small abalone Haliotis diversicolor is an economically important mollusk that is widely cultivated in Southern China. Gonad precocity may affect the aquaculture of small abalone. Polyamines, which are small cationic molecules essential for cellular proliferation, may affect gonadal development. Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and antizyme (AZ) are essential elements of a feedback circuit that regulates cellular polyamines. This paper presents the molecular cloning and characterization of AZ from small abalone. Sequence analysis showed that the cDNA sequence of H. diversicolor AZ (HdiODCAZ) consisted of two overlapping open reading frames (ORFs) and conformed to the +1 frameshift property of the frame. Thin Layer chromatography (TLC) analysis suggested that the expressed protein encoded by +1 ORF2 was the functional AZ that targets ODC to 26S proteasome degradation. The result demonstrated that the expression level of AZ was higher than that of ODC in the ovary of small abalone. In addition, the expression profiles of ODC and AZ at the different development stages of the ovary indicated that these two genes might be involved in the gonadal development of small abalone.

78 FR 22540 - Notice of Public Meeting/Webinar: EPA Method Development Update on Drinking Water Testing Methods...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-16

...: EPA Method Development Update on Drinking Water Testing Methods for Contaminant Candidate List... Division will describe methods currently in development for many CCL contaminants, with an expectation that several of these methods will support future cycles of the Unregulated Contaminant Monitoring Rule (UCMR...

The Dutch Consumer Quality Index: an example of stakeholder involvement in indicator development

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Like in several other Western countries, in the Dutch health care system regulated competition has been introduced. In order to make this work, comparable information is required about the performance of health care providers in terms of effectiveness, safety and patient experiences. Without further coordination, external actors will all try to force health care providers to be transparent. For health care providers this might result in a situation in which they have to deliver data for several sets of indicators, defined by different actors. Therefore, in the Netherlands an effort is made to define national sets of performance indicators and related measuring instruments. In this article, the following questions are addressed, using patient experiences as an example: - When and how are stakeholders involved in the development of indicators and instruments that measure the patients' experiences with health care providers? - Does this involvement lead to indicators and instruments that match stakeholders' information needs? Discussion The Dutch experiences show that it is possible to implement national indicator sets and to reach consensus about what needs to be measured. Preliminary evaluations show that for health care providers and health insurers the benefits of standardization outweigh the possible loss of tailor-made information. However, it has also become clear that particular attention should be given to the participation of patient/consumer organisations. Summary Stakeholder involvement is complex and time-consuming. However, it is the only way to balance the information needs of all the parties that ask for and benefit from transparency, without frustrating the health care system. PMID:20370925

Service user involvement in preregistration child nursing programmes.

PubMed

Barnley, Rebecca

2017-12-05

Service user involvement is a fundamental part of preregistration nursing education programmes, however achieving this for child nursing students is challenging. Service user involvement can be achieved through online forums but this method can lack the emotional interaction and opportunity for deep reflection. This article reviews the background and challenges of service user involvement in preregistration child nursing programmes, further exploring the evaluation of a group of final year child nursing students' experience of appreciating the journey of two service users. The input from service users provided the opportunity for reflection, empathy and improved student self-awareness in nursing practice. Students gained perspective of the holistic needs of the service user, which empowered them to have confidence in their communication skills to ensure the voice of the child is heard and their rights are upheld. This article concludes that service user involvement is crucial in preregistration nursing programmes for the development of child nursing students, not only affecting their training but also the future workforce. ©2017 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.

Development of a Dual Tracer PET Method for Imaging Dopaminergic Neuromodulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Converse, Alexander K.; Dejesus, Onofre T.; Flores, Leo G.; Holden, James E.; Kelley, Ann E.; Moirano, Jeffrey M.; Nickles, Robert J.; Oakes, Terrence R.; Roberts, Andrew D.; Ruth, Thomas J.; Vandehey, Nicholas T.; Davidson, Richard J.

2006-04-01

The modulatory neurotransmittor dopamine (DA) is involved in movement and reward behaviors, and malfunctions in the dopamine system are implicated in a variety of prevalent and debilitating pathologies including Parkinson's disease, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, schizophrenia, and addiction. Positron emission tomography (PET) has been used to separately measure changes in DA receptor occupancy and blood flow in response to various interventions. Here we describe a dual tracer PET method to simultaneously measure both responses with the aim of comparing DA release in particular areas of the brain and associated alterations in neural activity throughout the brain. Significant correlations between reductions in DA receptor occupancy and blood flow alterations would be potential signs of dopaminergic modulation, i.e. modifications in signal processing due to increased levels of extracellular DA. Methodological development has begun with rats undergoing an amphetamine challenge while being scanned with the blood flow tracer [17F]fluoromethane and the dopamine D2 receptor tracer [18F]desmethoxyfallypride.

An exploratory survey of methods used to develop measures of performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamner, Kenneth L.; Lafleur, Charles A.

1993-09-01

Nonmanufacturing organizations are being challenged to provide high-quality products and services to their customers, with an emphasis on continuous process improvement. Measures of performance, referred to as metrics, can be used to foster process improvement. The application of performance measurement to nonmanufacturing processes can be very difficult. This research explored methods used to develop metrics in nonmanufacturing organizations. Several methods were formally defined in the literature, and the researchers used a two-step screening process to determine the OMB Generic Method was most likely to produce high-quality metrics. The OMB Generic Method was then used to develop metrics. A few other metric development methods were found in use at nonmanufacturing organizations. The researchers interviewed participants in metric development efforts to determine their satisfaction and to have them identify the strengths and weaknesses of, and recommended improvements to, the metric development methods used. Analysis of participants' responses allowed the researchers to identify the key components of a sound metrics development method. Those components were incorporated into a proposed metric development method that was based on the OMB Generic Method, and should be more likely to produce high-quality metrics that will result in continuous process improvement.

Co-design of RAD and ETHICS methodologies: a combination of information system development methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasehi, Arezo; Shahriyari, Salman

2011-12-01

Co-design is a new trend in the social world which tries to capture different ideas in order to use the most appropriate features for a system. In this paper, co-design of two information system methodologies is regarded; rapid application development (RAD) and effective technical and human implementation of computer-based systems (ETHICS). We tried to consider the characteristics of these methodologies to see the possibility of having a co-design or combination of them for developing an information system. To reach this purpose, four different aspects of them are analyzed: social or technical approach, user participation and user involvement, job satisfaction, and overcoming change resistance. Finally, a case study using the quantitative method is analyzed in order to examine the possibility of co-design using these factors. The paper concludes that RAD and ETHICS are appropriate to be co-designed and brings some suggestions for the co-design.

Patient and public involvement in the early stages of clinical trial development: a systematic cohort investigation.

PubMed

Gamble, Carrol; Dudley, Louise; Allam, Alison; Bell, Philip; Goodare, Heather; Hanley, Bec; Preston, Jennifer; Walker, Alison; Williamson, Paula; Young, Bridget

2014-07-23

Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) are considered particularly likely to benefit from patient and public involvement (PPI). Decisions made by professional researchers at the outset may go on to have a significant impact on the potential for PPI contributions. To increase knowledge of PPI within the early development of RCTs by systematically describing the reported level, nature and acceptability of proposed PPI to the funders. Documentation from the outline application process for all RCTs that received funding from the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Programme 2006-2010 was requested. For each application, data were extracted on trial characteristics, references to PPI in the development of the outline application and funding Board feedback, and plans for PPI in the full application and after the trial was funded. 110 applications were eligible with outline applications available for 90 (82%). The cohort covered a wide range of interventions and conditions. 54% (49/90) provided some information about PPI. 26 (28.9%) indicated PPI within the development of the outline application itself; 32 (35.6%) planned involvement in the full application and 43 (48%) once the trial was funded. Recruitment at diagnosis and surgical interventions were less likely to describe PPI. Blinded trials and trials in which participants may receive placebo only, more frequently described PPI activity. The HTA commissioning Board feedback rarely referred to PPI. Incorporation of PPI within the development of the outline application or specification of plans for future involvement was low. Funder requests for applicants to provide information on PPI and justification for its absence should be welcomed but further research is needed to identify the impact of this on its contributions to research. Comments on PPI by reviewers should be directional rather than state that an increase is required. Challenges facing applicants in initiating PPI prior to funding need to be addressed. Published

Involving consumers and the community in the development of a diagnostic instrument for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders in Australia

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Australia’s commitment to consumer and community participation in health and medical research has grown over the past decade. Participatory research models of engagement are the most empowering for consumers. Methods As part of a project to develop a diagnostic instrument for fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) in Australia (FASD Project), the Australian FASD Collaboration (Collaboration), including a consumer advocate and two consumer representatives, was established. On completion of the FASD Project an on-line survey of Collaboration members was conducted to assess their views on consumer involvement. Women in the community were also invited to participate in Community Conversations to discuss real life situations regarding communications with health professionals about alcohol and pregnancy. Community Conversation feedback was analysed qualitatively and attendees were surveyed about their views of the Community Conversation process. Results The on-line survey was completed by 12 members of the Collaboration (71%). Consumer and community participation was considered important and essential, worked well, and was integral to the success of the project. The 32 women attending the Community Conversations generated 500 statements that made reference to prevention, how information and messages are delivered, and appropriate support for women. Nearly all the attendees at the Community Conversations (93%) believed that they had an opportunity to put forward their ideas and 96% viewed the Community Conversations as a positive experience. Conclusions The successful involvement of consumers and the community in the FASD Project can be attributed to active consumer and community participation, which included continued involvement throughout the project, funding of participation activities, and an understanding of the various contributions by the Collaboration members. PMID:23898969

Brain cholinergic involvement during the rapid development of tolerance to morphine

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wahba, Z. Z.; Oriaku, E. T.; Soliman, S. F. A.

1987-01-01

The effect of repeated administration of morphine on the activities of the cholinergic enzymes, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE), in specific brain regions were studied in rats treated with 10 mg/kg morphine for one or two days. Repeated administration of morphine was associated with a decline in the degree of analgesia produced and with a significant increase of AChE activity of the medulla oblongata. A single injection of morphine resulted in a significant decline in ChAT activity in the hypothalamus, cerebellum, and medulla oblongata regions. After two consecutive injections, no decline in ChAT was observed in these regions, while in the cerebral cortex the second administration elicited a significant decline. The results suggest that the development of tolerance to morphine may be mediated through changes in ChAT activity and lend support to the involvement of the central cholinergic system in narcotic tolerance.

A Mixed-Methods Study of Paternal Involvement in Hong Kong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lau, Eva Y. H.

2016-01-01

The research reported here examined Chinese fathers' direct interaction or engagement in children's education both at home and in preschool during the early childhood years using a Hong Kong sample in two studies. In Study 1, comparisons between father and mother involvement practices and examination of the associations between family background…

Qualitative research building real-life interventions: user-involving development of a mindfulness-based lifestyle change support program for overweight citizens.

PubMed

Hansen, N V; Brændgaard, P; Hjørnholm, C; la Cour, S

2014-10-01

This study is an experiment of putting social sciences to work in developing a support intervention for healthy lifestyle changes that would be attractive and manageable in real-life settings. Starting with a hypothesis that a class of intervention methods based on an unconventional 'low-tension' strategy may offer an effective support of stable, long-term changes well integrated in everyday life, difficult to maintain with conventional dieting and self-control approaches, this study focuses on designing and optimizing an intervention model combining several low-tension methods: mindfulness, small steps and group support. In three consecutive 'action research' cycles, the intervention was run in practice with groups of 20 overweight or obese citizens. Qualitative data, mainly in the form of recorded group sessions and individual interviews with group participants and group leaders, were systematically collected and analyzed, using a framework of social psychological theory to focus on difficulties, resources and meanings connected with habits and everyday life. This information was recycled into the design process for the next version of the intervention. We describe the user-involving development processes toward a more attractive and manageable intervention model. The model now exists as a well-articulated package whose effectiveness is being tested in a randomized controlled trial study. Social science can be put to work in systematically integrating real-life experience in a development process. It answers a very different kind of question than clinical trials-filling another place in an overall research program to create useful knowledge of what helps-in complex, everyday, real life.

Significant Recent Developments Involving Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nickerson, Charles A.

1973-01-01

Reviews and comments on significant recent (1971-73) court decisions and IRS rulings which particularly relate to the Federal tax liabilities of educators. Developments are presented under the following major headings: scholarships and fellowships; gross income problems; expenses for education; charitable contributions; and employee status.…

Parental Involvement in Finnish Day Care--What Do Early Childhood Educators Say?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hakyemez-Paul, Sevcan; Pihlaja, Paivi; Silvennoinen, Heikki

2018-01-01

Research conducted in recent decades shows that parental involvement (PI) plays a significant role in the academic achievement and the healthy development of children. Gaining a better understanding of early childhood educators' views and the reasons for insufficient practices is important for improving PI. This mixed-method research investigates…

Mycobacterium tuberculosis toxin Rv2872 is an RNase involved in vancomycin stress response and biofilm development.

PubMed

Wang, Xiaoyu; Zhao, Xiaokang; Wang, Hao; Huang, Xue; Duan, Xiangke; Gu, Yinzhong; Lambert, Nzungize; Zhang, Ke; Kou, Zhenhao; Xie, Jianping

2018-06-11

Bacterial toxin-antitoxin (TA) systems are emerging important regulators of multiple cellular physiological events and candidates for novel antibiotic targets. To explore the role of Mycobacterium tuberculosis function, unknown toxin gene Rv2872 was heterologously expressed in Mycobacterium smegmatis (MS_Rv2872). Upon induction, MS_Rv2872 phenotype differed significantly from the control, such as increased vancomycin resistance, retarded growth, cell wall, and biofilm structure. This phenotype change might result from the RNase activity of Rv2872 as purified Rv2872 toxin protein can cleave the products of several key genes involved in abovementioned phenotypes. In summary, toxin Rv2872 was firstly reported to be a endonuclease involved in antibiotic stress responses, cell wall structure, and biofilm development.

FXR-Gankyrin axis is involved in development of pediatric liver cancer.

PubMed

Valanejad, Leila; Lewis, Kyle; Wright, Mary; Jiang, Yanjun; D'Souza, Amber; Karns, Rebekah; Sheridan, Rachel; Gupta, Anita; Bove, Kevin; Witte, David; Geller, James; Tiao, Gregory; Nelson, David L; Timchenko, Lubov; Timchenko, Nikolai

2017-07-01

The development of hepatoblastoma (HBL) is associated with failure of hepatic stem cells (HSC) to differentiate into hepatocytes. Despite intensive investigations, mechanisms of the failure of HSC to differentiate are not known. We found that oncogene Gankyrin (Gank) is involved in the inhibition of differentiation of HSC via triggering degradation of tumor suppressor proteins (TSPs) Rb, p53, C/EBPα and HNF4α. Our data show that the activation of a repressor of Gank, farnesoid X receptor, FXR, after initiation of liver cancer by Diethylnitrosamine (DEN) prevents the development of liver cancer by inhibiting Gank and rescuing tumor suppressor proteins. We next analyzed FXR-Gank-Tumor suppressor pathways in a large cohort of HBL patients which include 6 controls and 53 HBL samples. Systemic analysis of these samples and RNA-Seq approach revealed that the FXR-Gank axis is activated; markers of hepatic stem cells are dramatically elevated and hepatocyte markers are reduced in HBL samples. In the course of these studies, we found that RNA binding protein CUGBP1 is a new tumor suppressor protein which is reduced in all HBL samples. Therefore, we generated CUGBP1 KO mice and examined HBL signatures in the liver of these mice. Micro-array studies revealed that the HBL-specific molecular signature is developed in livers of CUGBP1 KO mice at very early ages. Thus, we conclude that FXR-Gank-TSPs-Stem cells pathway is a key determinant of liver cancer in animal models and in pediatric liver cancer. Our data provide a strong basis for development of FXR-Gank-based therapy for treatment of patients with hepatoblastoma. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

New Method Developed to Measure Contact Angles of a Sessile Drop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chao, David F.; Zhang, Nengli

2002-01-01

The spreading of an evaporating liquid on a solid surface occurs in many practical processes and is of importance in a number of practical situations such as painting, textile dyeing, coating, gluing, and thermal engineering. Typical processes involving heat transfer where the contact angle plays an important role are film cooling, boiling, and the heat transfer through heat pipes. The biological phenomenon of cell spreading also is analogous to a drop spreading (ref. 1). In the study of spreading, the dynamic contact angle describes the interfacial properties on solid substrates and, therefore, has been studied by physicists and fluid mechanics investigators. The dynamic contact angle of a spreading nonvolatile liquid drop provides a simple tool in the study of the free-boundary problem, but the study of the spreading of a volatile liquid drop is of more practical interest because the evaporation of common liquids is inevitable in practical processes. The most common method to measure the contact angle, the contact radius, and the height of a sessile drop on a solid surface is to view the drop from its edge through an optical microscope. However, this method gives only local information in the view direction. Zhang and Yang (ref. 2) developed a laser shadowgraphy method to investigate the evaporation of sessile drop on a glass plate. As described here, Zhang and Chao (refs. 3 and 4) improved the method and suggested a new optical arrangement to measure the dynamic contact angle and the instant evaporation rate of a sessile drop with much higher accuracy (less than 1 percent). With this method, any fluid motion in the evaporating drop can be visualized through shadowgraphy without using a tracer, which often affects the field under investigation.

Synthesizing Regression Results: A Factored Likelihood Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wu, Meng-Jia; Becker, Betsy Jane

2013-01-01

Regression methods are widely used by researchers in many fields, yet methods for synthesizing regression results are scarce. This study proposes using a factored likelihood method, originally developed to handle missing data, to appropriately synthesize regression models involving different predictors. This method uses the correlations reported…

Value Development Underlies the Benefits of Parents’ Involvement in Children’s Learning: A Longitudinal Investigation in the United States and China

PubMed Central

Cheung, Cecilia Sin-Sze; Pomerantz, Eva M.

2014-01-01

This research examined whether the benefits of parents’ involvement in children’s learning are due in part to value development among children. Four times over the seventh and eighth grades, 825 American and Chinese children (mean age = 12.73 years) reported on their parents’ involvement in their learning and their perceptions of the value their parents place on school achievement as well as the value they themselves place on it. Children’s academic functioning was assessed via children’s reports and school records. Value development partially explained the effects of parents’ involvement on children’s academic functioning in the United States and China. For example, the more children reported their parents as involved, the more they perceived them as placing value on achievement six months later; such perceptions in turn predicted the subsequent value children placed on achievement, which foreshadowed enhanced grades. PMID:25937669

Love and Involvement in Romantic Relationships.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maddex, Barbara E.

This study investigates the effects of predictability, perceived similarity, trust and love on each other and involvement in romantic relationships by developing and testing (by path analysis) two models. One model incorporated involvement in romantic relationships as a dependent variable; the second model incorporated involvement as an…

Electric pulses used in electrochemotherapy and electrogene therapy do not significantly change the expression profile of genes involved in the development of cancer in malignant melanoma cells.

PubMed

Mlakar, Vid; Todorovic, Vesna; Cemazar, Maja; Glavac, Damjan; Sersa, Gregor

2009-08-26

Electroporation is a versatile method for in vitro or in vivo delivery of different molecules into cells. However, no study so far has analysed the effects of electric pulses used in electrochemotherapy (ECT pulses) or electric pulses used in electrogene therapy (EGT pulses) on malignant cells. We studied the effect of ECT and EGT pulses on human malignant melanoma cells in vitro in order to understand and predict the possible effect of electric pulses on gene expression and their possible effect on cell behaviour. We used microarrays with 2698 different oligonucleotides to obtain the expression profile of genes involved in apoptosis and cancer development in a malignant melanoma cell line (SK-MEL28) exposed to ECT pulses and EGT pulses. Cells exposed to ECT pulses showed a 68.8% average survival rate, while cells exposed to EGT pulses showed a 31.4% average survival rate. Only seven common genes were found differentially expressed in cells 16 h after exposure to ECT and EGT pulses. We found that ECT and EGT pulses induce an HSP70 stress response mechanism, repress histone protein H4, a major protein involved in chromatin assembly, and down-regulate components involved in protein synthesis. Our results show that electroporation does not significantly change the expression profile of major tumour suppressor genes or oncogenes of the cell cycle. Moreover, electroporation also does not changes the expression of genes involved in the stability of DNA, supporting current evidence that electroporation is a safe method that does not promote tumorigenesis. However, in spite of being considered an isothermal method, it does to some extent induce stress, which resulted in the expression of the environmental stress response mechanism, HSP70.

Molecular basis of Williams-Beuren syndrome: TFII-I regulated targets involved in craniofacial development.

PubMed

Makeyev, Aleksandr V; Bayarsaihan, Dashzeveg

2011-01-01

The aim of this study is to identify gene targets of TFII-I transcription factors involved in craniofacial development. Recent findings in individuals with Williams-Beuren syndrome who show facial dysmorphism and cognitive defects have pointed to TFII-I genes (GTF2I and GTF2IRD1) as the prime candidates responsible for these clinical features. However, TFII-I proteins are multifunctional transcriptional factors regulating a number of genes during development, and how their haploinsufficiency leads to the Williams-Beuren syndrome phenotype is currently unknown. Here we report the identification of three genes with a well-established relevance to craniofacial development as direct TFII-I targets. These genes, craniofacial development protein 1 (Cfdp1), Sec23 homolog A (Sec23a), and nuclear receptor binding SET domain protein 1 (Nsd1), contain consensus TFII-I binding sites in their proximal promoters; the chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis showed that TFII-I transcription factors are recruited to these sites in vivo. The results suggest that transcriptional regulation of these genes by TFII-I proteins could provide a possible genotype-phenotype link in Williams-Beuren syndrome.

Transcription factor 7-like 1 is involved in hypothalamo–pituitary axis development in mice and humans

PubMed Central

Gaston-Massuet, Carles; McCabe, Mark J.; Scagliotti, Valeria; Young, Rodrigo M.; Carreno, Gabriela; Gregory, Louise C.; Jayakody, Sujatha A.; Pozzi, Sara; Gualtieri, Angelica; Basu, Basudha; Koniordou, Markela; Wu, Chun-I; Bancalari, Rodrigo E.; Rahikkala, Elisa; Veijola, Riitta; Lopponen, Tuija; Graziola, Federica; Turton, James; Signore, Massimo; Mousavy Gharavy, Seyedeh Neda; Charolidi, Nicoletta; Sokol, Sergei Y.; Merrill, Bradley J.; Dattani, Mehul T.; Martinez-Barbera, Juan Pedro

2016-01-01

Aberrant embryonic development of the hypothalamus and/or pituitary gland in humans results in congenital hypopituitarism (CH). Transcription factor 7-like 1 (TCF7L1), an important regulator of the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway, is expressed in the developing forebrain and pituitary gland, but its role during hypothalamo–pituitary (HP) axis formation or involvement in human CH remains elusive. Using a conditional genetic approach in the mouse, we first demonstrate that TCF7L1 is required in the prospective hypothalamus to maintain normal expression of the hypothalamic signals involved in the induction and subsequent expansion of Rathke’s pouch progenitors. Next, we reveal that the function of TCF7L1 during HP axis development depends exclusively on the repressing activity of TCF7L1 and does not require its interaction with β-catenin. Finally, we report the identification of two independent missense variants in human TCF7L1, p.R92P and p.R400Q, in a cohort of patients with forebrain and/or pituitary defects. We demonstrate that these variants exhibit reduced repressing activity in vitro and in vivo relative to wild-type TCF7L1. Together, our data provide support for a conserved molecular function of TCF7L1 as a transcriptional repressor during HP axis development in mammals and identify variants in this transcription factor that are likely to contribute to the etiology of CH. PMID:26764381

Anticipating Forest and Range Land Development in Central Oregon (USA) for Landscape Analysis, with an Example Application Involving Mule Deer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kline, Jeffrey D.; Moses, Alissa; Burcsu, Theresa

2010-05-01

Forest policymakers, public lands managers, and scientists in the Pacific Northwest (USA) seek ways to evaluate the landscape-level effects of policies and management through the multidisciplinary development and application of spatially explicit methods and models. The Interagency Mapping and Analysis Project (IMAP) is an ongoing effort to generate landscape-wide vegetation data and models to evaluate the integrated effects of disturbances and management activities on natural resource conditions in Oregon and Washington (USA). In this initial analysis, we characterized the spatial distribution of forest and range land development in a four-county pilot study region in central Oregon. The empirical model describes the spatial distribution of buildings and new building construction as a function of population growth, existing development, topography, land-use zoning, and other factors. We used the model to create geographic information system maps of likely future development based on human population projections to inform complementary landscape analyses underway involving vegetation, habitat, and wildfire interactions. In an example application, we use the model and resulting maps to show the potential impacts of future forest and range land development on mule deer ( Odocoileus hemionus) winter range. Results indicate significant development encroachment and habitat loss already in 2000 with development located along key migration routes and increasing through the projection period to 2040. The example application illustrates a simple way for policymakers and public lands managers to combine existing data and preliminary model outputs to begin to consider the potential effects of development on future landscape conditions.

Value Development Underlies the Benefits of Parents' Involvement in Children's Learning: A Longitudinal Investigation in the United States and China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheung, Cecilia Sin-Sze; Pomerantz, Eva M.

2015-01-01

This research examined whether the benefits of parents' involvement in children's learning are due in part to value development among children. Four times over the 7th and 8th grades, 825 American and Chinese children (M age = 12.73 years) reported on their parents' involvement in their learning and their perceptions of the value their parents…

Assessment of public involvement

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-01-31

The Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) employs a range of methods and strategies to incorporate Texans in the many aspects of planning, project implementation and partnerships. This public involvement process is supported by TxDOT specific, s...

Participatory design methods for the development of a clinical telehealth service for neonatal homecare.

PubMed

Garne Holm, Kristina; Brødsgaard, Anne; Zachariassen, Gitte; Smith, Anthony C; Clemensen, Jane

2017-01-01

Neonatal homecare delivered during home visits by neonatal nurses is a common method for supporting families of preterm infants following discharge. Telehealth has been introduced for the provision of neonatal homecare, resulting in positive feedback from parents of preterm infants. While the benefits are beginning to be realised, widespread uptake of telehealth has been limited due to a range of logistical challenges. Understanding user requirements is important when planning and developing a clinical telehealth service. We therefore used participatory design to develop a clinical telehealth service for neonatal homecare. The study adopted a participatory design approach to engage users in the development and design of a new telehealth service. Participatory design embraces qualitative research methods. Creative and technical workshops were conducted as part of the study. Tests of the telehealth service were conducted in the neonatal unit. Participants in this study were former and current parents of preterm infants eligible for neonatal homecare, and clinical staff (medical and nursing) from the neonatal unit. Preterm infants accompanied their parents. Based on the results obtained during the workshops and subsequent testing, we developed an application (app), which was integrated into the medical record at the neonatal unit. The app was used to initiate videoconferences and chat messages between the family at home and the neonatal unit, and to share information regarding infant growth and well-being. Results obtained from the workshops and testing demonstrated the importance of involving users when developing new telehealth applications. The workshops helped identify the challenges associated with delivery of the service, and helped instruct the design of a new telehealth service for neonatal homecare based on the needs of parents and clinical staff.

Personnel involved in the development of nuclear standards in the United States, 1976

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, E.B.

1977-03-01

The development of voluntary nuclear standards in the United States is an active and necessary endeavor of the technical community concerned with the safe, orderly, and economic development of the nuclear potential. There are almost 8000 people presently involved either in writing voluntary standards and codes or in the management and processing roles necessary for their approval and promulgation. This document records the current participation of these people as member, chairman, or secretary of about 900 identified committees and projects. The standards projects are identified with the organizations that are responsible for the preparation, review, and maintenance of the standardsmore » and that provide support through supervisory committees and headquarters staff. The directory has four major sections: personnel, employers, committees, and a KWIC index of committee titles. The directory can be used to identify those nuclear standards projects currently active, to indicate the participation of employers, and to recognize the contributions of individuals to these often interdisciplinary activities.« less

Personnel involved in the development of nuclear standards in the United States, 1975

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Johnson, E.B.

The development of voluntary nuclear standards in the United States is an active and necessary endeavor of the technical community concerned with the safe, orderly, and economic development of the nuclear potential. There are almost 8000 people presently involved either in writing voluntary standards and codes or in the management and processing roles necessary for their approval and promulgation. This document records the current participation of these people as member, chairman, or secretary of about 900 identified committees and projects. The standards projects are identified with the organizations that are responsible for the preparation, review, and maintenance of the standardsmore » and that provide support through supervisory committees and headquarters staff. The Directory has four major sections: personnel, employers, committees, and a KWIC Index of committee titles. The Directory can be used to identify those nuclear standards projects currently active, to indicate the participation of employers, and to recognize the contributions of individuals to these often interdisciplinary activities.« less

A Novel c-Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK) Signaling Complex Involved in Neuronal Migration during Brain Development.

PubMed

Zhang, Feng; Yu, Jingwen; Yang, Tao; Xu, Dan; Chi, Zhixia; Xia, Yanheng; Xu, Zhiheng

2016-05-27

Disturbance of neuronal migration may cause various neurological disorders. Both the transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) signaling and microcephaly-associated protein WDR62 are important for neuronal migration during brain development; however, the underlying molecular mechanisms involved remain unclear. We show here that knock-out or knockdown of Tak1 (TGFβ-activated kinase 1) and Jnk2 (c-Jun N-terminal kinase 2) perturbs neuronal migration during cortical development and that the migration defects incurred by knock-out and/or knockdown of Tβr2 (type II TGF-β receptor) or Tak1 can be partially rescued by expression of TAK1 and JNK2, respectively. Furthermore, TAK1 forms a protein complex with RAC1 and two scaffold proteins of the JNK pathway, the microcephaly-associated protein WDR62 and the RAC1-interacting protein POSH (plenty of Src homology). Components of the complex coordinate with each other in the regulation of TAK1 as well as JNK activities. We suggest that unique JNK protein complexes are involved in the diversified biological and pathological functions during brain development and pathogenesis of diseases. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Flight-Test Evaluation of Flutter-Prediction Methods

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lind, RIck; Brenner, Marty

2003-01-01

The flight-test community routinely spends considerable time and money to determine a range of flight conditions, called a flight envelope, within which an aircraft is safe to fly. The cost of determining a flight envelope could be greatly reduced if there were a method of safely and accurately predicting the speed associated with the onset of an instability called flutter. Several methods have been developed with the goal of predicting flutter speeds to improve the efficiency of flight testing. These methods include (1) data-based methods, in which one relies entirely on information obtained from the flight tests and (2) model-based approaches, in which one relies on a combination of flight data and theoretical models. The data-driven methods include one based on extrapolation of damping trends, one that involves an envelope function, one that involves the Zimmerman-Weissenburger flutter margin, and one that involves a discrete-time auto-regressive model. An example of a model-based approach is that of the flutterometer. These methods have all been shown to be theoretically valid and have been demonstrated on simple test cases; however, until now, they have not been thoroughly evaluated in flight tests. An experimental apparatus called the Aerostructures Test Wing (ATW) was developed to test these prediction methods.

Involvement of Antizyme Characterized from the Small Abalone Haliotis diversicolor in Gonadal Development

PubMed Central

Lü, Wen-Gang; Chen, Xiao; Shen, Ming-Hui; Li, Xiang-Min; Wang, Rong-Xia; Ke, Cai-Huan

2015-01-01

The small abalone Haliotis diversicolor is an economically important mollusk that is widely cultivated in Southern China. Gonad precocity may affect the aquaculture of small abalone. Polyamines, which are small cationic molecules essential for cellular proliferation, may affect gonadal development. Ornithine decarboxylase (ODC) and antizyme (AZ) are essential elements of a feedback circuit that regulates cellular polyamines. This paper presents the molecular cloning and characterization of AZ from small abalone. Sequence analysis showed that the cDNA sequence of H. diversicolor AZ (HdiODCAZ) consisted of two overlapping open reading frames (ORFs) and conformed to the +1 frameshift property of the frame. Thin Layer chromatography (TLC) analysis suggested that the expressed protein encoded by +1 ORF2 was the functional AZ that targets ODC to 26S proteasome degradation. The result demonstrated that the expression level of AZ was higher than that of ODC in the ovary of small abalone. In addition, the expression profiles of ODC and AZ at the different development stages of the ovary indicated that these two genes might be involved in the gonadal development of small abalone. PMID:26313647

The Development of Ciprofloxacin Resistance in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Involves Multiple Response Stages and Multiple Proteins ▿ † ‡

PubMed Central

Su, Hsun-Cheng; Ramkissoon, Kevin; Doolittle, Janet; Clark, Martha; Khatun, Jainab; Secrest, Ashley; Wolfgang, Matthew C.; Giddings, Morgan C.

2010-01-01

Microbes have developed resistance to nearly every antibiotic, yet the steps leading to drug resistance remain unclear. Here we report a multistage process by which Pseudomonas aeruginosa acquires drug resistance following exposure to ciprofloxacin at levels ranging from 0.5× to 8× the initial MIC. In stage I, susceptible cells are killed en masse by the exposure. In stage II, a small, slow to nongrowing population survives antibiotic exposure that does not exhibit significantly increased resistance according to the MIC measure. In stage III, exhibited at 0.5× to 4× the MIC, a growing population emerges to reconstitute the population, and these cells display heritable increases in drug resistance of up to 50 times the original level. We studied the stage III cells by proteomic methods to uncover differences in the regulatory pathways that are involved in this phenotype, revealing upregulation of phosphorylation on two proteins, succinate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase (SSADH) and methylmalonate-semialdehyde dehydrogenase (MMSADH), and also revealing upregulation of a highly conserved protein of unknown function. Transposon disruption in the encoding genes for each of these targets substantially dampened the ability of cells to develop the stage III phenotype. Considering these results in combination with computational models of resistance and genomic sequencing results, we postulate that stage III heritable resistance develops from a combination of both genomic mutations and modulation of one or more preexisting cellular pathways. PMID:20696867

Turmeric (Curcuma longa): miRNAs and their regulating targets are involved in development and secondary metabolite pathways.

PubMed

Singh, Noopur; Sharma, Ashok

Turmeric has been used as a therapeutic herb over centuries in traditional medicinal systems due to the presence of several secondary metabolite compounds. microRNAs are known to regulate gene expression at the post-transcriptional level by transcriptional cleavage or translation repression. miRNAs have been demonstrated to play an active role in secondary metabolism regulation. The present work was focused on the identification of the miRNAs involved in the regulation of secondary metabolite and development process of turmeric. Eighteen miRNA families were identified for turmeric. Sixteen miRNA families were observed to regulate 238 target transcripts. LncRNAs targets of the putative miRNA candidates were also predicted. Our results indicated their role in binding, reproduction, stress, and other developmental processes. Gene annotation and pathway analysis illustrated the biological function of the targets regulated by the putative miRNAs. The miRNA-mediated gene regulatory network also revealed co-regulated targets that were regulated by two or more miRNA families. miR156 and miR5015 were observed to be involved in rhizome development. miR5021 showed regulation for terpenoid backbone biosynthesis and isoquinoline alkaloid biosynthesis pathways. The flavonoid biosynthesis pathway was observed to be regulated by miR2919. The analysis revealed the probable involvement of three miRNAs (miR1168.2, miR156b and miR1858) in curcumin biosynthesis. Other miRNAs were found to be involved in the growth and developmental process of turmeric. Phylogenetic analysis of selective miRNAs was also performed. Copyright © 2017 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

A new method for estimation of involved BSAs for obese and normal-weight patients with burn injury.

PubMed

Neaman, Keith C; Andres, L Albert; McClure, Amanda M; Burton, Michael E; Kemmeter, Paul R; Ford, Ronald D

2011-01-01

An accurate measurement of BSA involved in patients injured by burns is critical in determining initial fluid requirements, nutritional needs, and criteria for tertiary center admissions. The rule of nines and the Lund-Browder chart are commonly used to calculate the BSA involved. However, their accuracy in all patient populations, namely obese patients, remains to be proven. Detailed BSA measurements were obtained from 163 adult patients according to linear formulas defined previously for individual body segments. Patients were then grouped based on body mass index (BMI). The contribution of individual body segments to the TBSA was determined based on BMI, and the validity of existing measurement tools was examined. Significant errors were found when comparing all groups with the rule of nines, which overestimated the contribution of the head and arms to the TBSA while underestimating the trunk and legs for all BMI groups. A new rule is proposed to minimize error, assigning 5% of the TBSA to the head and 15% of the TBSA to the arms across all BMI groups, while alternating the contribution of the trunk/legs as follows: normal-weight 35/45%, obese 40/40%, and morbidly obese 45/35%. Current modalities used to determine BSA burned are subject to significant errors, which are magnified as BMI increases. This new method provides increased accuracy in estimating the BSA involved in patients with burn injury regardless of BMI.

Development-related expression patterns of protein-coding and miRNA genes involved in porcine muscle growth.

PubMed

Wang, F J; Jin, L; Guo, Y Q; Liu, R; He, M N; Li, M Z; Li, X W

2014-11-27

Muscle growth and development is associated with remarkable changes in protein-coding and microRNA (miRNA) gene expression. To determine the expression patterns of genes and miRNAs related to muscle growth and development, we measured the expression levels of 25 protein-coding and 16 miRNA genes in skeletal and cardiac muscles throughout 5 developmental stages by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The Short Time-Series Expression Miner (STEM) software clustering results showed that growth-related genes were downregulated at all developmental stages in both the psoas major and longissimus dorsi muscles, indicating their involvement in early developmental stages. Furthermore, genes related to muscle atrophy, such as forkhead box 1 and muscle ring finger, showed unregulated expression with increasing age, suggesting a decrease in protein synthesis during the later stages of skeletal muscle development. We found that development of the cardiac muscle was a complex process in which growth-related genes were highly expressed during embryonic development, but they did not show uniform postnatal expression patterns. Moreover, the expression level of miR-499, which enhances the expression of the β-myosin heavy chain, was significantly different in the psoas major and longissimus dorsi muscles, suggesting the involvement of miR-499 in the determination of skeletal muscle fiber types. We also performed correlation analyses of messenger RNA and miRNA expression. We found negative relationships between miR-486 and forkhead box 1, and miR-133a and serum response factor at all developmental stages, suggesting that forkhead box 1 and serum response factor are potential targets of miR-486 and miR-133a, respectively.

Green methods of lignocellulose pretreatment for biorefinery development.

PubMed

Capolupo, Laura; Faraco, Vincenza

2016-11-01

Lignocellulosic biomass is the most abundant, low-cost, bio-renewable resource that holds enormous importance as alternative source for production of biofuels and other biochemicals that can be utilized as building blocks for production of new materials. Enzymatic hydrolysis is an essential step involved in the bioconversion of lignocellulose to produce fermentable monosaccharides. However, to allow the enzymatic hydrolysis, a pretreatment step is needed in order to remove the lignin barrier and break down the crystalline structure of cellulose. The present manuscript is dedicated to reviewing the most commonly applied "green" pretreatment processes used in bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomasses within the "biorefinery" concept. In this frame, the effects of different pretreatment methods on lignocellulosic biomass are described along with an in-depth discussion on the benefits and drawbacks of each method, including generation of potentially inhibitory compounds for enzymatic hydrolysis, effect on cellulose digestibility, and generation of compounds toxic for the environment, and energy and economic demand.

Involving older people in intermediate care.

PubMed

Andrews, JoyAnn; Manthorpe, Jill; Watson, Roger

2004-05-01

Intermediate care has become a crucial part of the United Kingdom government's programme for improving services for older people. Older people comprise a substantial part of the user base for these services, and it is increasingly recognized that there is a need for greater user involvement in service development for intermediate care. National initiatives undertaken in intermediate care have sought to widen and deepen the remit of such services, and in this way promote greater independence and improved quality of care for older people. In particular, the government has set out clear plans for reshaping services for older people in the National Health Service Plan and the rationale for greater involvement of older people in service development. This article considers ways in which these national and local objectives may be achieved and considers some of the implications for nursing. This paper aims to explore the concept of intermediate care and to identify trends and existing evidence of user involvement in care. In this way it charts a possible way forward for the development of a more 'user sensitive' approach. The following databases were searched: Medline, Cochrane Library, the Social Science Citation Index and CINAHL. Key words were 'intermediate care', 'older people', 'formal care', 'primary care', 'social services' and 'geriatrics', used in combination. The findings from this study indicate that there is considerable scope for increased user involvement in service development for intermediate care. Such challenges may be more effectively met through greater clarity of the concept of intermediate care, and a bridging of user involvement at the practice and policy levels. Nurses are key providers of intermediate care in the community. The involvement of older people in intermediate care service development must be premised on a shared comprehension of the purpose and function of intermediate care. Nurses must be involved in shifting intermediate care from

Intention to adopt clinical decision support systems in a developing country: effect of Physician’s perceived professional autonomy, involvement and belief: a cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Computer-based clinical decision support systems (CDSS) are regarded as a key element to enhance decision-making in a healthcare environment to improve the quality of medical care delivery. The concern of having new CDSS unused is still one of the biggest issues in developing countries for the developers and implementers of clinical IT systems. The main objectives of this study are to determine whether (1) the physician’s perceived professional autonomy, (2) involvement in the decision to implement CDSS and (3) the belief that CDSS will improve job performance increase the intention to adopt CDSS. Four hypotheses were formulated and tested. Methods A questionnaire-based survey conducted between July 2010 and December 2010. The study was conducted in seven public and five private hospitals in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Before contacting the hospitals, necessary permission was obtained from the Ministry of Health, Malaysia and the questionnaire was vetted by the ethics committee of the ministry. Physicians working in 12 hospitals from 10 different specialties participated in the study. The sampling method used was stratified random sampling and the physicians were stratified based on the specialty. A total of 450 physicians were selected using a random number generator. Each of these physicians was given a questionnaire and out of 450 questionnaires, 335 (response rate – 74%) were returned and 309 (69%) were deemed usable. Results The hypotheses were tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Salient results are: (1) Physicians’ perceived threat to professional autonomy lowers the intention to use CDSS (p < 0.01); (2) Physicians involvement in the planning, design and implementation increases their intention to use CDSS (p < 0.01); (3) Physicians belief that the new CDSS will improve his/her job performance increases their intention to use CDSS (p < 0.01). Conclusion The proposed model with the three main constructs (physician’s professional

A CheR/CheB fusion protein is involved in cyst cell development and chemotaxis in Azospirillum brasilense Sp7.

PubMed

Wu, Lixian; Cui, Yanhua; Hong, Yuanyuan; Chen, Sanfeng

2011-12-20

We here report the sequence and functional analysis of cstB of Azospirillum brasilense Sp7. The predicted cstB contains C-terminal two PAS domains and N-terminal part which has similarity with CheB-CheR fusion protein. cstB mutants had reduced swarming ability compared to that of A. brasilense wild-type strain, implying that cstB was involved in chemotaxis in A. brasilense. A microscopic analysis revealed that cstB mutants developed mature cyst cells more quickly than wild type, indicating that cstB is involved in cyst formation. cstB mutants were affected in colony morphology and the production of exopolysaccharides (EPS) which are essential for A. brasilense cells to differentiate into cyst-like forms. These observations suggested that cstB was a multi-effector involved in cyst development and chemotaxis in A. brasilense. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

A hybrid method combining the surface integral equation method and ray tracing for the numerical simulation of high frequency diffraction involved in ultrasonic NDT

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bonnet, M.; Collino, F.; Demaldent, E.; Imperiale, A.; Pesudo, L.

2018-05-01

Ultrasonic Non-Destructive Testing (US NDT) has become widely used in various fields of applications to probe media. Exploiting the surface measurements of the ultrasonic incident waves echoes after their propagation through the medium, it allows to detect potential defects (cracks and inhomogeneities) and characterize the medium. The understanding and interpretation of those experimental measurements is performed with the help of numerical modeling and simulations. However, classical numerical methods can become computationally very expensive for the simulation of wave propagation in the high frequency regime. On the other hand, asymptotic techniques are better suited to model high frequency scattering over large distances but nevertheless do not allow accurate simulation of complex diffraction phenomena. Thus, neither numerical nor asymptotic methods can individually solve high frequency diffraction problems in large media, as those involved in UNDT controls, both quickly and accurately, but their advantages and limitations are complementary. Here we propose a hybrid strategy coupling the surface integral equation method and the ray tracing method to simulate high frequency diffraction under speed and accuracy constraints. This strategy is general and applicable to simulate diffraction phenomena in acoustic or elastodynamic media. We provide its implementation and investigate its performances for the 2D acoustic diffraction problem. The main features of this hybrid method are described and results of 2D computational experiments discussed.

Development of quadruped walking locomotion gait generator using a hybrid method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jasni, F.; Shafie, A. A.

2013-12-01

The earth, in many areas is hardly reachable by the wheeled or tracked locomotion system. Thus, walking locomotion system is becoming a favourite option for mobile robot these days. This is because of the ability of walking locomotion to move on the rugged and unlevel terrains. However, to develop a walking locomotion gait for a robot is not a simple task. Central Pattern Generator (CPGs) method is a biological inspired method that is introduced as a method to develop the gait for the walking robot recently to tackle the issue faced by the conventional method of pre-designed trajectory based method. However, research shows that even the CPG method do have some limitations. Thus, in this paper, a hybrid method that combines CPG and the pre-designed trajectory based method is introduced to develop a walking gait for quadruped walking robot. The 3-D foot trajectories and the joint angle trajectories developed using the proposed method are compared with the data obtained via the conventional method of pre-designed trajectory to confirm the performance.

Development of an Analytic Method for Sulfur Compounds in Aged Garlic Extract with the Use of a Postcolumn High Performance Liquid Chromatography Method with Sulfur-Specific Detection.

PubMed

Matsutomo, Toshiaki; Kodera, Yukihiro

2016-02-01

Garlic and its processed preparations contain numerous sulfur compounds that are difficult to analyze in a single run using HPLC. The aim of this study was to develop a rapid and convenient sulfur-specific HPLC method to analyze sulfur compounds in aged garlic extract (AGE). We modified a conventional postcolumn HPLC method by employing a hexaiodoplatinate reagent. Identification and structural analysis of sulfur compounds were conducted by LC-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance. The production mechanisms of cis-S-1-propenylcysteine (cis-S1PC) and S-allylmercaptocysteine (SAMC) were examined by model reactions. Our method has the following advantages: less interference from nonsulfur compounds, high sensitivity, good correlation coefficients (r > 0.98), and high resolution that can separate >20 sulfur compounds, including several isomers, in garlic preparations in a single run. This method was adapted for LC-MS analysis. We identified cis-S1PC and γ-glutamyl-S-allyl-mercaptocysteine in AGE. The results of model reactions suggest that cis-S1PC is produced from trans-S1PC through an isomerization reaction and that SAMC is produced by a reaction involving S-allylcysteine/S1PC and diallyldisulfide during the aging period. We developed a rapid postcolumn HPLC method for both qualitative and quantitative analyses of sulfur compounds, and this method helped elucidate a potential mechanism of cis-S1PC and SAMC action in AGE. © 2016 American Society for Nutrition.

The change and development of statistical methods used in research articles in child development 1930-2010.

PubMed

Køppe, Simo; Dammeyer, Jesper

2014-09-01

The evolution of developmental psychology has been characterized by the use of different quantitative and qualitative methods and procedures. But how does the use of methods and procedures change over time? This study explores the change and development of statistical methods used in articles published in Child Development from 1930 to 2010. The methods used in every article in the first issue of every volume were categorized into four categories. Until 1980 relatively simple statistical methods were used. During the last 30 years there has been an explosive use of more advanced statistical methods employed. The absence of statistical methods or use of simple methods had been eliminated.

Transcriptome analysis identifies genes involved in sex determination and development of Xenopus laevis gonads.

PubMed

Piprek, Rafal P; Damulewicz, Milena; Kloc, Malgorzata; Kubiak, Jacek Z

Development of the gonads is a complex process, which starts with a period of undifferentiated, bipotential gonads. During this period the expression of sex-determining genes is initiated. Sex determination is a process triggering differentiation of the gonads into the testis or ovary. Sex determination period is followed by sexual differentiation, i.e. appearance of the first testis- and ovary-specific features. In Xenopus laevis W-linked DM-domain gene (DM-W) had been described as a master determinant of the gonadal female sex. However, the data on the expression and function of other genes participating in gonad development in X. laevis, and in anurans, in general, are very limited. We applied microarray technique to analyze the expression pattern of a subset of X. laevis genes previously identified to be involved in gonad development in several vertebrate species. We also analyzed the localization and the expression level of proteins encoded by these genes in developing X. laevis gonads. These analyses pointed to the set of genes differentially expressed in developing testes and ovaries. Gata4, Sox9, Dmrt1, Amh, Fgf9, Ptgds, Pdgf, Fshr, and Cyp17a1 expression was upregulated in developing testes, while DM-W, Fst, Foxl2, and Cyp19a1 were upregulated in developing ovaries. We discuss the possible roles of these genes in development of X. laevis gonads. Copyright © 2018 International Society of Differentiation. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Development and Application of a Parallel LCAO Cluster Method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patton, David C.

1997-08-01

CPU intensive steps in the SCF electronic structure calculations of clusters and molecules with a first-principles LCAO method have been fully parallelized via a message passing paradigm. Identification of the parts of the code that are composed of many independent compute-intensive steps is discussed in detail as they are the most readily parallelized. Most of the parallelization involves spatially decomposing numerical operations on a mesh. One exception is the solution of Poisson's equation which relies on distribution of the charge density and multipole methods. The method we use to parallelize this part of the calculation is quite novel and is covered in detail. We present a general method for dynamically load-balancing a parallel calculation and discuss how we use this method in our code. The results of benchmark calculations of the IR and Raman spectra of PAH molecules such as anthracene (C_14H_10) and tetracene (C_18H_12) are presented. These benchmark calculations were performed on an IBM SP2 and a SUN Ultra HPC server with both MPI and PVM. Scalability and speedup for these calculations is analyzed to determine the efficiency of the code. In addition, performance and usage issues for MPI and PVM are presented.

Adolescents' Psychological Well-Being and Perceived Parental Involvement: Implications for Parental Involvement in Middle Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cripps, Kayla; Zyromski, Brett

2009-01-01

Adolescence is a critical period of development. Previous research suggests parent involvement in school directly impacts student success. However, different types of parental involvement and the efforts of middle school personnel to educate parents about these effective practices have received scant attention in the literature. The level and type…

Queer Student Leaders: A Case Study of Leadership Development and Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Student Involvement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Renn, Kristen A.; Bilodeau, Brent

The purpose of this study was to explore a possible relationship between involvement in student leadership activities and the development of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT; "queer") campus activists and leaders. This paper focuses on the experience of planning a regional LGBT conference; later papers will explore long-term…

Improved nonlinear prediction method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adenan, Nur Hamiza; Md Noorani, Mohd Salmi

2014-06-01

The analysis and prediction of time series data have been addressed by researchers. Many techniques have been developed to be applied in various areas, such as weather forecasting, financial markets and hydrological phenomena involving data that are contaminated by noise. Therefore, various techniques to improve the method have been introduced to analyze and predict time series data. In respect of the importance of analysis and the accuracy of the prediction result, a study was undertaken to test the effectiveness of the improved nonlinear prediction method for data that contain noise. The improved nonlinear prediction method involves the formation of composite serial data based on the successive differences of the time series. Then, the phase space reconstruction was performed on the composite data (one-dimensional) to reconstruct a number of space dimensions. Finally the local linear approximation method was employed to make a prediction based on the phase space. This improved method was tested with data series Logistics that contain 0%, 5%, 10%, 20% and 30% of noise. The results show that by using the improved method, the predictions were found to be in close agreement with the observed ones. The correlation coefficient was close to one when the improved method was applied on data with up to 10% noise. Thus, an improvement to analyze data with noise without involving any noise reduction method was introduced to predict the time series data.

Preparation for Encounter; Training Peace Corps Volunteers for Community Involvement Through Community Exploration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ruopp, Phillips; Wrobel, Paul

A result of two years' experience at the Virgin Islands Training Center, this handbook on Peace Corps volunteer training for community involvement covers types of activities used (one-day community visits, small discussion groups on communities visited, group consultations to develop community exploration methods, field training and its…

Local Discontinuous Galerkin Methods for Partial Differential Equations with Higher Order Derivatives

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yan, Jue; Shu, Chi-Wang; Bushnell, Dennis M. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

In this paper we review the existing and develop new continuous Galerkin methods for solving time dependent partial differential equations with higher order derivatives in one and multiple space dimensions. We review local discontinuous Galerkin methods for convection diffusion equations involving second derivatives and for KdV type equations involving third derivatives. We then develop new local discontinuous Galerkin methods for the time dependent bi-harmonic type equations involving fourth derivatives, and partial differential equations involving fifth derivatives. For these new methods we present correct interface numerical fluxes and prove L(exp 2) stability for general nonlinear problems. Preliminary numerical examples are shown to illustrate these methods. Finally, we present new results on a post-processing technique, originally designed for methods with good negative-order error estimates, on the local discontinuous Galerkin methods applied to equations with higher derivatives. Numerical experiments show that this technique works as well for the new higher derivative cases, in effectively doubling the rate of convergence with negligible additional computational cost, for linear as well as some nonlinear problems, with a local uniform mesh.

Parent Involvement in Head Start and Children’s Development: Indirect Effects Through Parenting

PubMed Central

Ansari, Arya; Gershoff, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

The authors examined the extent to which parent involvement in Head Start programs predicted changes in both parent and child outcomes over time, using a nationally representative sample of 1,020 three-year-old children over 3 waves of the Family and Child Experiences Survey. Center policies that promote involvement predicted greater parent involvement, and parents who were more involved in Head Start centers demonstrated increased cognitive stimulation and decreased spanking and controlling behaviors. In turn, these changes in parenting behaviors were associated with gains in children’s academic and behavioral skills. These findings suggest that Head Start programs should do even more to facilitate parent involvement because it can serve as an important means for promoting both parent and child outcomes. PMID:27022200

Valid methods: the quality assurance of test method development, validation, approval, and transfer for veterinary testing laboratories.

PubMed

Wiegers, Ann L

2003-07-01

Third-party accreditation is a valuable tool to demonstrate a laboratory's competence to conduct testing. Accreditation, internationally and in the United States, has been discussed previously. However, accreditation is only I part of establishing data credibility. A validated test method is the first component of a valid measurement system. Validation is defined as confirmation by examination and the provision of objective evidence that the particular requirements for a specific intended use are fulfilled. The international and national standard ISO/IEC 17025 recognizes the importance of validated methods and requires that laboratory-developed methods or methods adopted by the laboratory be appropriate for the intended use. Validated methods are therefore required and their use agreed to by the client (i.e., end users of the test results such as veterinarians, animal health programs, and owners). ISO/IEC 17025 also requires that the introduction of methods developed by the laboratory for its own use be a planned activity conducted by qualified personnel with adequate resources. This article discusses considerations and recommendations for the conduct of veterinary diagnostic test method development, validation, evaluation, approval, and transfer to the user laboratory in the ISO/IEC 17025 environment. These recommendations are based on those of nationally and internationally accepted standards and guidelines, as well as those of reputable and experienced technical bodies. They are also based on the author's experience in the evaluation of method development and transfer projects, validation data, and the implementation of quality management systems in the area of method development.

Developing patient reference groups within general practice: a mixed-methods study.

PubMed

Smiddy, Jane; Reay, Joanne; Peckham, Stephen; Williams, Lorraine; Wilson, Patricia

2015-03-01

Clinical commissioning groups (CCGs) are required to demonstrate meaningful patient and public engagement and involvement (PPEI). Recent health service reforms have included financial incentives for general practices to develop patient reference groups (PRGs). To explore the impact of the patient participation direct enhanced service (DES) on development of PRGs, the influence of PRGs on decision making within general practice, and their interface with CCGs. A mixed-methods approach within three case study sites in England. Three case study sites were tracked for 18 months as part of an evaluation of PPEI in commissioning. A sub-study focused on PRGs utilising documentary and web-based analysis; results were mapped against findings of the main study. Evidence highlighted variations in the establishment of PRGs, with the number of active PRGs via practice websites ranging from 27% to 93%. Such groups were given a number of descriptions such as patient reference groups, patient participation groups, and patient forums. Data analysis highlighted that the mode of operation varied between virtual and tangible groups and whether they were GP- or patient-led, such analysis enabled the construction of a typology of PRGs. Evidence reviewed suggested that groups functioned within parameters of the DES with activities limited to practice level. Data analysis highlighted a lack of strategic vision in relation to such groups, particularly their role within an overall patient and PPEI framework). Findings identified diversity in the operationalisation of PRGs. Their development does not appear linked to a strategic vision or overall PPEI framework. Although local pragmatic issues are important to patients, GPs must ensure that PRGs develop strategic direction if health reforms are to be addressed. © British Journal of General Practice 2015.

Prioritizing pesticide compounds for analytical methods development

USGS Publications Warehouse

Norman, Julia E.; Kuivila, Kathryn; Nowell, Lisa H.

2012-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has a periodic need to re-evaluate pesticide compounds in terms of priorities for inclusion in monitoring and studies and, thus, must also assess the current analytical capabilities for pesticide detection. To meet this need, a strategy has been developed to prioritize pesticides and degradates for analytical methods development. Screening procedures were developed to separately prioritize pesticide compounds in water and sediment. The procedures evaluate pesticide compounds in existing USGS analytical methods for water and sediment and compounds for which recent agricultural-use information was available. Measured occurrence (detection frequency and concentrations) in water and sediment, predicted concentrations in water and predicted likelihood of occurrence in sediment, potential toxicity to aquatic life or humans, and priorities of other agencies or organizations, regulatory or otherwise, were considered. Several existing strategies for prioritizing chemicals for various purposes were reviewed, including those that identify and prioritize persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic compounds, and those that determine candidates for future regulation of drinking-water contaminants. The systematic procedures developed and used in this study rely on concepts common to many previously established strategies. The evaluation of pesticide compounds resulted in the classification of compounds into three groups: Tier 1 for high priority compounds, Tier 2 for moderate priority compounds, and Tier 3 for low priority compounds. For water, a total of 247 pesticide compounds were classified as Tier 1 and, thus, are high priority for inclusion in analytical methods for monitoring and studies. Of these, about three-quarters are included in some USGS analytical method; however, many of these compounds are included on research methods that are expensive and for which there are few data on environmental samples. The remaining quarter of Tier 1

Antimicrobial Testing Methods & Procedures Developed by EPA's Microbiology Laboratory

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

We develop antimicrobial testing methods and standard operating procedures to measure the effectiveness of hard surface disinfectants against a variety of microorganisms. Find methods and procedures for antimicrobial testing.

Developing the Students’ English Speaking Ability Through Impromptu Speaking Method.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lumettu, A.; Runtuwene, T. L.

2018-01-01

Having multi -purposes, English mastery has becomea necessary for us.Of the four language skills, speaking skill should get the first priority in English teaching and speaking skills development cannot be separated from listening.One communicative way of developing speaking skill is impromptu speaking,a method sudden speaking which depends only on experience and insight by applying spontaneity or improvisation. It is delivered based on the need of the moment of speaking using simple language.This research aims to know (1). Why impromptu speaking is necessary in teaching speaking? (2). How can impromptu speaking develop the students’ speaking skills.The method of this research is qualitative method and the techniques of data collection are: observation,interview and documentation. The results of data analysis using Correlation shows a strong relation between the students’ speaking ability and impromptu speaking method (r = 0.80).The research show that by using impromptu speaking method, the students are trained to interact faster naturally and spontaneously and enrich their vocabulary and general science to support speaking development through interview, speech, presentation, discussion and storytelling.

The Role of Father Involvement and Marital Satisfaction in the Development of Family Interactive Abilities: A Multilevel Approach.

PubMed

Simonelli, Alessandra; Parolin, Micol; Sacchi, Chiara; De Palo, Francesca; Vieno, Alessio

2016-01-01

The study aims to investigate the development of family interactions from pregnancy to preschool age in a longitudinal perspective, using multilevel analysis. Also, it explored the impact of couple relationship and father involvement in childcare on the developmental trend of the quality of mother-father-child interactions. One hundred and three primiparous families were assessed at 7th month of pregnancy, 4th, 9th, and 18th months of child's life and during preschool age (36-48th), using the observational procedure named, Lausanne Trilogue Play. Parents' perception of marital satisfaction was assessed with the Dyadic Adjustment Scale at each point of measure; moreover, in the postnatal assessment, parents completed the Father Involvement Questionnaire. Results showed that family interactions increase over time. Secondly, a decrease of marital adjustment is associated with an improvement of the quality of family interactions. Moreover, father involvement predicts the quality of family interactions from the earliest stages of child's life. In a longitudinal perspective, family interactions and marital quality show opposite developmental trends and father's involvement represents a particularly important feature of the family.

Flower development of Phalaenopsis orchid involves functionally divergent SEPALLATA-like genes

PubMed Central

Pan, Zhao-Jun; Chen, You-Yi; Du, Jian-Syun; Chen, Yun-Yu; Chung, Mei-Chu; Tsai, Wen-Chieh; Wang, Chun-Neng; Chen, Hong-Hwa

2014-01-01

The Phalaenopsis orchid produces complex flowers that are commercially valuable, which has promoted the study of its flower development. E-class MADS-box genes, SEPALLATA (SEP), combined with B-, C- and D-class MADS-box genes, are involved in various aspects of plant development, such as floral meristem determination, organ identity, fruit maturation, seed formation and plant architecture. Four SEP-like genes were cloned from Phalaenopsis orchid, and the duplicated PeSEPs were grouped into PeSEP1/3 and PeSEP2/4. All PeSEPs were expressed in all floral organs. PeSEP2 expression was detectable in vegetative tissues. The study of protein–protein interactions suggested that PeSEPs may form higher order complexes with the B-, C-, D-class and AGAMOUS LIKE6-related MADS-box proteins to determine floral organ identity. The tepal became a leaf-like organ when PeSEP3 was silenced by virus-induced silencing, with alterations in epidermis identity and contents of anthocyanin and chlorophyll. Silencing of PeSEP2 had minor effects on the floral phenotype. Silencing of the E-class genes PeSEP2 and PeSEP3 resulted in the downregulation of B-class PeMADS2-6 genes, which indicates an association of PeSEP functions and B-class gene expression. These findings reveal the important roles of PeSEP in Phalaenopsis floral organ formation throughout the developmental process by the formation of various multiple protein complexes. PMID:24571782

[Consumer involvement in the Disease Management Guideline for Asthma--a background report].

PubMed

Senger, Sylvia; Lelgemann, Monika; Kopp, Ina

2006-01-01

In the past clinical guidelines were mainly developed by experts and in everyday clinical practice almost exclusively used by clinical experts, while issues that were relevant from the patients' (consumers') point of view tended to be neglected. But then, the majority of patient information has not been perceptibly connected to clinical guidelines. Connecting the development of clinical guidelines with the development of patient information publications would make good sense for both products, though. On the one hand, evidence-based treatment guidelines could be made available to the actual target group of the clinical care process--i.e. the patients or consumers--and on the other hand, patient experiences and competencies (social evidence) might inform the production of guidelines. Such a procedure demands the cooperation of clinical experts and patients. So far there are no generally accepted methods in Germany for the practical implementation of consumer involvement on both the organizational and content level with the aim of involving patients in the development process of guidelines as well as the production of the respective patient information versions. Such a methodology shall be established as part of the National Program for Disease Management Guidelines. For the first time in this program, patient involvement is being exercised within the scope of the National Disease Management Guideline for Asthma (NDM Asthma). Here, patients are involved in the NDM development process by providing the opportunity to comment on the consented guideline draft and to participate in the translation of the NDM Asthma into a patient version. The present paper is a background report describing the current state of work and indicating consequences for some future developments.

Embryonic expression of shuttle craft, a Drosophila gene involved in neuron development, is associated with adult lifespan.

PubMed

Roshina, Natalia V; Symonenko, Alexander V; Krementsova, Anna V; Trostnikov, Mikhail V; Pasyukova, Elena G

2014-12-01

Despite the progress in aging research that highlights the role of the nervous system in longevity, whether genes that control development and consequently structure of the nervous system affect lifespan is unclear. We demonstrated that a mutation inshuttle craft, a gene involved in the nervous system development, increased the lifespan of unmated females and decreased the lifespan of mated females, without affecting males. Precise reversions of the mutation lead to the restoration of the lifespan specific to control females. In mutant unmated females, increased lifespan was associated with elevated locomotion at older ages, indicating slowed aging. In mutant mated females, reproduction was decreased compared to controls, indicating a lack of tradeoff between this trait and lifespan. No differences in shuttle craft transcription were observed between whole bodies, ovaries, and brains of mutant and control females of different ages, either unmated or mated. The amount of shuttle craft transcript appeared to be substantially decreased in mutant embryos. Our results demonstrated that a gene that regulates development of the nervous system might also influence longevity, and thus expanded the spectrum of genes involved in lifespan control. We hypothesize that this "carry-over" effect might be the result of transcription regulation in embryos.

Final Report for X-ray Diffraction Sample Preparation Method Development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ely, T. M.; Meznarich, H. K.; Valero, T.

WRPS-1500790, “X-ray Diffraction Saltcake Sample Preparation Method Development Plan/Procedure,” was originally prepared with the intent of improving the specimen preparation methodology used to generate saltcake specimens suitable for XRD-based solid phase characterization. At the time that this test plan document was originally developed, packed powder in cavity supports with collodion binder was the established XRD specimen preparation method. An alternate specimen preparation method less vulnerable, if not completely invulnerable to preferred orientation effects, was desired as a replacement for the method.

Expression of Tissue Factor in Epithelial Ovarian Carcinoma Is Involved in the Development of Venous Thromboembolism.

PubMed

Sakurai, Manabu; Matsumoto, Koji; Gosho, Masahiko; Sakata, Akiko; Hosokawa, Yoshihiko; Tenjimbayashi, Yuri; Katoh, Takashi; Shikama, Ayumi; Komiya, Haruna; Michikami, Hiroo; Tasaka, Nobutaka; Akiyama-Abe, Azusa; Nakao, Sari; Ochi, Hiroyuki; Onuki, Mamiko; Minaguchi, Takeo; Yoshikawa, Hiroyuki; Satoh, Toyomi

2017-01-01

Our 2007 study of 32 patients with ovarian cancer reported the possible involvement of tissue factor (TF) in the development of venous thromboembolism (VTE) before treatment, especially in clear cell carcinoma (CCC). This follow-up study further investigated this possibility in a larger cohort. We investigated the intensity of TF expression (ITFE) and other variables for associations with VTE using univariate and multivariate analyses in 128 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer initially treated between November 2004 and December 2010, none of whom had received neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Before starting treatment, all patients were ultrasonographically screened for VTE. The ITFE was graded based on immunostaining of surgical specimens. Histological types were serous carcinoma (n = 42), CCC (n = 12), endometrioid carcinoma (n = 15), mucinous carcinoma (n = 53), and undifferentiated carcinoma (n = 6). The prevalence of VTE was significantly higher in CCC (34%) than in non-CCC (17%, P = 0.03). As ITFE increased, the frequencies of CCC and VTE increased significantly (P < 0.001 and P = 0.014, respectively). Multivariate analysis identified TF expression and pretreatment dimerized plasmin fragment D level as significant independent risk factors for VTE development. These factors showed particularly strong impacts on advanced-stage disease (P = 0.021). The 2007 cohort was small, preventing multivariate analysis. This study of a larger cohort yielded stronger evidence that the development of VTE in epithelial ovarian cancer may involve TF expression in cancer tissues.

PM: RESEARCH METHODS FOR PM TOXIC COMPOUNDS - PARTICLE METHODS EVALUATION AND DEVELOPMENT

EPA Science Inventory

The Federal Reference Method (FRM) for Particulate Matter (PM) developed by EPA's National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) forms the backbone of the EPA's national monitoring strategy. It is the measurement that defines attainment of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard...

Consumer involvement in cancer research: example from a Cancer Network.

PubMed

Arain, Mubashir; Pyne, Sarah; Thornton, Nigel; Palmer, Susan; Sharma, Ricky A

2015-10-01

The involvement of consumers and the general public in improving cancer services is an important component of health services. However, consumer involvement in cancer research is relatively unexplored. The objective of this study was to explore different ways of involving consumers in cancer research in one regional network. Thames Valley Cancer Network Consumer Research Partnership (CRP) group was formed in 2009. The group consists of consumers and professionals to help in promoting consumer involvement in Cancer Research in the Thames Valley. This study evaluated the project of consumer involvement in cancer research in the Thames Valley from March 2010 to March 2011. We used different indices to judge the level of consumer involvement: number of projects involving consumers through the group, types of projects, level of involvement (ranged from consultation on research documents to collaborating in preparing grant applications) and the methods of involving consumers in cancer research. Fifteen projects were submitted to the CRP group during the 12-month period studied. Of these, eight projects were clinical trials, three were qualitative research projects, two were patients' surveys and two were non-randomized interventional studies. Seven projects requested consumer involvement on patient information sheets for clinical trials. Of these seven applications, three also requested consumers' help in designing research questionnaires and another three requested that consumers should be involved in their project management group. In addition, four projects involved consumers in the proposal development phase and another four projects asked for advice on how to increase trial recruitment, conduct patient interviews or help with grant applications. The creation of the CRP and this audit of its activity have documented consumer involvement in cancer research in the Thames Valley. We have clearly shown that consumers can be involved in designing and managing cancer

Development and validation spectroscopic methods for the determination of lomefloxacin in bulk and pharmaceutical formulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

El-Didamony, A. M.; Hafeez, S. M.

2016-01-01

Four simple, sensitive spectrophotometric and spectrofluorimetric methods (A-D) for the determination of antibacterial drug lomefloxacin (LMFX) in pharmaceutical formulations have been developed. Method A is based on formation of ternary complex between Pd(II), eosin and LMFX in the presence of methyl cellulose as surfactant and acetate-HCl buffer pH 4.0. Spectrophotometrically, under the optimum conditions, the ternary complex showed absorption maximum at 530 nm. Methods B and C are based on redox reaction between LMFX and KMnO4 in acid and alkaline media. In indirect spectrophotometry method B the drug solution is treated with a known excess of KMnO4 in H2SO4 medium and subsequent determination of unreacted oxidant by reacting it with safronine O in the same medium at λmax = 520 nm. Direct spectrophotometry method C involves treating the alkaline solution of LMFX with KMnO4 and measuring the bluish green product at 604 nm. Method D is based on the chelation of LMFX with Zr(IV) to produce fluorescent chelate. At the optimum reaction conditions, the drug-metal chelate showed excitation maxima at 280 nm and emission maxima at 443 nm. The optimum experimental parameters for the reactions have been studied. The validity of the described procedures was assessed. Statistical analysis of the results has been carried out revealing high accuracy and good precision. The proposed methods were successfully applied for the determination of the selected drug in pharmaceutical preparations with good recoveries.

Virus-induced gene silencing unravels multiple transcription factors involved in floral growth and development in Phalaenopsis orchids.

PubMed

Hsieh, Ming-Hsien; Pan, Zhao-Jun; Lai, Pei-Han; Lu, Hsiang-Chia; Yeh, Hsin-Hung; Hsu, Chia-Chi; Wu, Wan-Lin; Chung, Mei-Chu; Wang, Shyh-Shyan; Chen, Wen-Huei; Chen, Hong-Hwa

2013-09-01

Orchidaceae, one of the largest angiosperm families, has significant commercial value. Isolation of genes involved in orchid floral development and morphogenesis, scent production, and colouration will advance knowledge of orchid flower formation and facilitate breeding new varieties to increase the commercial value. With high-throughput virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), this study identified five transcription factors involved in various aspects of flower morphogenesis in the orchid Phalaenopsis equestris. These genes are PeMADS1, PeMADS7, PeHB, PebHLH, and PeZIP. Silencing PeMADS1 and PebHLH resulted in reduced flower size together with a pelaloid column containing petal-like epidermal cells and alterations of epidermal cell arrangement in lip lateral lobes, respectively. Silencing PeMADS7, PeHB, and PeZIP alone resulted in abortion of the first three fully developed flower buds of an inflorescence, which indicates the roles of the genes in late flower development. Furthermore, double silencing PeMADS1 and PeMADS6, C- and B-class MADS-box genes, respectively, produced a combinatorial phenotype with two genes cloned in separate vectors. Both PeMADS1 and PeMADS6 are required to ensure the normal development of the lip and column as well as the cuticle formation on the floral epidermal cell surface. Thus, VIGS allows for unravelling the interaction between two classes of MADS transcription factors for dictating orchid floral morphogenesis.

Virus-induced gene silencing unravels multiple transcription factors involved in floral growth and development in Phalaenopsis orchids

PubMed Central

Hsieh, Ming-Hsien; Pan, Zhao-Jun; Lai, Pei-Han; Lu, Hsiang-Chia; Yeh, Hsin-Hung; Hsu, Chia-Chi; Wu, Wan-Lin; Chung, Mei-Chu; Wang, Shyh-Shyan; Chen, Wen-Huei; Chen, Hong-Hwa

2013-01-01

Orchidaceae, one of the largest angiosperm families, has significant commercial value. Isolation of genes involved in orchid floral development and morphogenesis, scent production, and colouration will advance knowledge of orchid flower formation and facilitate breeding new varieties to increase the commercial value. With high-throughput virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS), this study identified five transcription factors involved in various aspects of flower morphogenesis in the orchid Phalaenopsis equestris. These genes are PeMADS1, PeMADS7, PeHB, PebHLH, and PeZIP. Silencing PeMADS1 and PebHLH resulted in reduced flower size together with a pelaloid column containing petal-like epidermal cells and alterations of epidermal cell arrangement in lip lateral lobes, respectively. Silencing PeMADS7, PeHB, and PeZIP alone resulted in abortion of the first three fully developed flower buds of an inflorescence, which indicates the roles of the genes in late flower development. Furthermore, double silencing PeMADS1 and PeMADS6, C- and B-class MADS-box genes, respectively, produced a combinatorial phenotype with two genes cloned in separate vectors. Both PeMADS1 and PeMADS6 are required to ensure the normal development of the lip and column as well as the cuticle formation on the floral epidermal cell surface. Thus, VIGS allows for unravelling the interaction between two classes of MADS transcription factors for dictating orchid floral morphogenesis. PMID:23956416

Development of a Research Methods and Statistics Concept Inventory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Veilleux, Jennifer C.; Chapman, Kate M.

2017-01-01

Research methods and statistics are core courses in the undergraduate psychology major. To assess learning outcomes, it would be useful to have a measure that assesses research methods and statistical literacy beyond course grades. In two studies, we developed and provided initial validation results for a research methods and statistical knowledge…

A space radiation transport method development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, J. W.; Tripathi, R. K.; Qualls, G. D.; Cucinotta, F. A.; Prael, R. E.; Norbury, J. W.; Heinbockel, J. H.; Tweed, J.

2004-01-01

Improved spacecraft shield design requires early entry of radiation constraints into the design process to maximize performance and minimize costs. As a result, we have been investigating high-speed computational procedures to allow shield analysis from the preliminary design concepts to the final design. In particular, we will discuss the progress towards a full three-dimensional and computationally efficient deterministic code for which the current HZETRN evaluates the lowest-order asymptotic term. HZETRN is the first deterministic solution to the Boltzmann equation allowing field mapping within the International Space Station (ISS) in tens of minutes using standard finite element method (FEM) geometry common to engineering design practice enabling development of integrated multidisciplinary design optimization methods. A single ray trace in ISS FEM geometry requires 14 ms and severely limits application of Monte Carlo methods to such engineering models. A potential means of improving the Monte Carlo efficiency in coupling to spacecraft geometry is given in terms of re-configurable computing and could be utilized in the final design as verification of the deterministic method optimized design. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of COSPAR.

Development of Clinical Pharmacy in Switzerland: Involvement of Community Pharmacists in Care for Older Patients.

PubMed

Hersberger, Kurt E; Messerli, Markus

2016-03-01

The role of the community pharmacist in primary care has been undergoing change in Switzerland in parallel to international developments: it has become more clinically and patient oriented. Special services of community pharmacists to older patients taking long-term or multiple medications, discharged from hospitals or experiencing cognitive impairment or disability have been developed. These services require more clinical knowledge and skills from community pharmacists and are based on, for example, 'simple or intermediate medication reviews' focused primarily to improve medication adherence and rational drug use by a patient. Reflecting the new role of community pharmacies, this article describes the current services provided by community pharmacies in Switzerland, e.g., 'polymedication check', 'weekly pill organizer', and 'services for chronic patients', as well as new Swiss educational and reimbursement systems supporting development of these services. In the international context, involvement of community pharmacists in patient-oriented care is growing. This review summarizes positive and negative experiences from implementation of community pharmacy services in Switzerland and provides examples for the development of such services in other countries.

Developing Teaching Material Software Assisted for Numerical Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Handayani, A. D.; Herman, T.; Fatimah, S.

2017-09-01

The NCTM vision shows the importance of two things in school mathematics, which is knowing the mathematics of the 21st century and the need to continue to improve mathematics education to answer the challenges of a changing world. One of the competencies associated with the great challenges of the 21st century is the use of help and tools (including IT), such as: knowing the existence of various tools for mathematical activity. One of the significant challenges in mathematical learning is how to teach students about abstract concepts. In this case, technology in the form of mathematics learning software can be used more widely to embed the abstract concept in mathematics. In mathematics learning, the use of mathematical software can make high level math activity become easier accepted by student. Technology can strengthen student learning by delivering numerical, graphic, and symbolic content without spending the time to calculate complex computing problems manually. The purpose of this research is to design and develop teaching materials software assisted for numerical method. The process of developing the teaching material starts from the defining step, the process of designing the learning material developed based on information obtained from the step of early analysis, learners, materials, tasks that support then done the design step or design, then the last step is the development step. The development of teaching materials software assisted for numerical methods is valid in content. While validator assessment for teaching material in numerical methods is good and can be used with little revision.

Achieving involvement: process outcomes from a cluster randomized trial of shared decision making skill development and use of risk communication aids in general practice.

PubMed

Elwyn, G; Edwards, A; Hood, K; Robling, M; Atwell, C; Russell, I; Wensing, M; Grol, R

2004-08-01

A consulting method known as 'shared decision making' (SDM) has been described and operationalized in terms of several 'competences'. One of these competences concerns the discussion of the risks and benefits of treatment or care options-'risk communication'. Few data exist on clinicians' ability to acquire skills and implement the competences of SDM or risk communication in consultations with patients. The aims of this study were to evaluate the effects of skill development workshops for SDM and the use of risk communication aids on the process of consultations. A cluster randomized trial with crossover was carried out with the participation of 20 recently qualified GPs in urban and rural general practices in Gwent, South Wales. A total of 747 patients with known atrial fibrillation, prostatism, menorrhagia or menopausal symptoms were invited to a consultation to review their condition or treatments. Half the consultations were randomly selected for audio-taping, of which 352 patients attended and were audio-taped successfully. After baseline, participating doctors were randomized to receive training in (i) SDM skills or (ii) the use of simple risk communication aids, using simulated patients. The alternative training was then provided for the final study phase. Patients were allocated randomly to a consultation during baseline or intervention 1 (SDM or risk communication aids) or intervention 2 phases. A randomly selected half of the consultations were audio-taped from each phase. Raters (independent, trained and blinded to study phase) assessed the audio-tapes using a validated scale to assess levels of patient involvement (OPTION: observing patient involvement), and to analyse the nature of risk information discussed. Clinicians completed questionnaires after each consultation, assessing perceived clinician-patient agreement and level of patient involvement in decisions. Multilevel modelling was carried out with the OPTION score as the dependent variable, and

Development of a low-cost method of analysis for the qualitative and quantitative analysis of butyltins in environmental samples.

PubMed

Bangkedphol, Sornnarin; Keenan, Helen E; Davidson, Christine; Sakultantimetha, Arthit; Songsasen, Apisit

2008-12-01

Most analytical methods for butyltins are based on high resolution techniques with complicated sample preparation. For this study, a simple application of an analytical method was developed using High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) with UV detection. The developed method was studied to determine tributyltin (TBT), dibutyltin (DBT) and monobutyltin (MBT) in sediment and water samples. The separation was performed in isocratic mode on an ultra cyanopropyl column with a mobile phase of hexane containing 5% THF and 0.03% acetic acid. This method was confirmed using standard GC/MS techniques and verified by statistical paired t-test method. Under the experimental conditions used, the limit of detection (LOD) of TBT and DBT were 0.70 and 0.50 microg/mL, respectively. The optimised extraction method for butyltins in water and sediment samples involved using hexane containing 0.05-0.5% tropolone and 0.2% sodium chloride in water at pH 1.7. The quantitative extraction of butyltin compounds in a certified reference material (BCR-646) and naturally contaminated samples was achieved with recoveries ranging from 95 to 108% and at %RSD 0.02-1.00%. This HPLC method and optimum extraction conditions were used to determine the contamination level of butyltins in environmental samples collected from the Forth and Clyde canal, Scotland, UK. The values obtained severely exceeded the Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) values. Although high resolution methods are utilised extensively for this type of research, the developed method is cheaper in both terms of equipment and running costs, faster in analysis time and has comparable detection limits to the alternative methods. This is advantageous not just as a confirmatory technique but also to enable further research in this field.

PUBLIC AND PATIENT INVOLVEMENT IN HEALTH TECHNOLOGY ASSESSMENT: A FRAMEWORK FOR ACTION.

PubMed

Abelson, Julia; Wagner, Frank; DeJean, Deirdre; Boesveld, Sarah; Gauvin, Franςois-Pierre; Bean, Sally; Axler, Renata; Petersen, Stephen; Baidoobonso, Shamara; Pron, Gaylene; Giacomini, Mita; Lavis, John

2016-01-01

As health technology assessment (HTA) organizations in Canada and around the world seek to involve the public and patients in their activities, frameworks to guide decisions about whom to involve, through which mechanisms, and at what stages of the HTA process have been lacking. The aim of this study was to describe the development and outputs of a comprehensive framework for involving the public and patients in a government agency's HTA process. The framework was informed by a synthesis of international practice and published literature, a dialogue with local, national and international stakeholders, and the deliberations of a government agency's public engagement subcommittee in Ontario, Canada. The practice and literature synthesis failed to identify a single, optimal approach to involving the public and patients in HTA. Choice of methods should be considered in the context of each HTA stage, goals for incorporating societal and/or patient perspectives into the process, and relevant societal and/or patient values at stake. The resulting framework is structured around four actionable elements: (i) guiding principles and goals for public and patient involvement (PPI) in HTA, (ii) the establishment of a common language to support PPI efforts, (iii) a flexible array of PPI approaches, and (iv) on-going evaluation of PPI to inform adjustments over time. A public and patient involvement framework has been developed for implementation in a government agency's HTA process. Core elements of this framework may apply to other organizations responsible for HTA and health system quality improvement.

Summary Report of a Peer Involvement Workshop on the Development of An Exposure Factors Handbook for the Aging

EPA Science Inventory

EPA has released the final workshop report, Summary Report of a Peer Involvement Workshop on the Development of an Exposure Factors Handbook for the Aging. This report provides an overview of a meeting held February 14-15, 2007 which was organized to discuss factors affec...

"What Brings Him Here Today?": Medical Problem Presentation Involving Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Typically Developing Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solomon, Olga; Heritage, John; Yin, Larry; Maynard, Douglas W.; Bauman, Margaret L.

2016-01-01

Conversation and discourse analyses were used to examine medical problem presentation in pediatric care. Healthcare visits involving children with ASD and typically developing children were analyzed. We examined how children's communicative and epistemic capabilities, and their opportunities to be socialized into a competent patient role are…

Institutional Motivation and Policy Change Associated with Land Grant Institutions' Involvement in Economic Development. ASHE Annual Meeting Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cote, Lawrence S.; And Others

A study investigated: (1) the degree of land grant institution involvement in economic development activity, defined in terms of 17 selected cooperative research and technology exchange activities; (2) changes in selected academic policies (patents, consulting, conflict of interest, conflict of commitment, and extra compensation); and (3) the…

Real Power? An Examination of the Involvement of People with Learning Difficulties in Strategic Service Development in Cambridgeshire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dearden-Phillips, Craig; Fountain, Rob

2005-01-01

Securing meaningful involvement in service development and provision can be seen as a particular challenge for people with learning difficulties. The National Health Service & Community Care Act [(1990) HMSO, ISBN 0105419907] and more recently Valuing People [Department of Health (2001) "Valuing people: a new strategy for learning…

Transcription factors involved in drought tolerance and their possible role in developing drought tolerant cultivars with emphasis on wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

PubMed

Gahlaut, Vijay; Jaiswal, Vandana; Kumar, Anuj; Gupta, Pushpendra Kumar

2016-11-01

TFs involved in drought tolerance in plants may be utilized in future for developing drought tolerant cultivars of wheat and some other crops. Plants have developed a fairly complex stress response system to deal with drought and other abiotic stresses. These response systems often make use of transcription factors (TFs); a gene encoding a specific TF together with -its target genes constitute a regulon, and take part in signal transduction to activate/silence genes involved in response to drought. Since, five specific families of TFs (out of >80 known families of TFs) have gained widespread attention on account of their significant role in drought tolerance in plants, TFs and regulons belonging to these five multi-gene families (AP2/EREBP, bZIP, MYB/MYC, NAC and WRKY) have been described and their role in improving drought tolerance discussed in this brief review. These TFs often undergo reversible phosphorylation to perform their function, and are also involved in complex networks. Therefore, some details about reversible phosphorylation of TFs by different protein kinases/phosphatases and the co-regulatory networks, which involve either only TFs or TFs with miRNAs, have also been discussed. Literature on transgenics involving genes encoding TFs and that on QTLs and markers associated with TF genes involved in drought tolerance has also been reviewed. Throughout the review, there is a major emphasis on wheat as an important crop, although examples from the model cereal rice (sometimes maize also), and the model plant Arabidopsis have also been used. This knowledge base may eventually allow the use of TF genes for development of drought tolerant cultivars, particularly in wheat.

Development of an aerosol surface inoculation method for bacillus spores.

PubMed

Lee, Sang Don; Ryan, Shawn P; Snyder, Emily Gibb

2011-03-01

A method was developed to deposit Bacillus subtilis spores via aerosolization onto various surface materials for biological agent decontamination and detection studies. This new method uses an apparatus coupled with a metered dose inhaler to reproducibly deposit spores onto various surfaces. A metered dose inhaler was loaded with Bacillus subtilis spores, a surrogate for Bacillus anthracis. Five different material surfaces (aluminum, galvanized steel, wood, carpet, and painted wallboard paper) were tested using this spore deposition method. This aerosolization method deposited spores at a concentration of more than 10(7) CFU per coupon (18-mm diameter) with less than a 50% coefficient of variation, showing that the aerosolization method developed in this study can deposit reproducible numbers of spores onto various surface coupons. Scanning electron microscopy was used to probe the spore deposition patterns on test coupons. The deposition patterns observed following aerosol impaction were compared to those of liquid inoculation. A physical difference in the spore deposition patterns was observed to result from the two different methods. The spore deposition method developed in this study will help prepare spore coupons via aerosolization fast and reproducibly for bench top decontamination and detection studies.

The developmental disruptions of serotonin signaling may involved in autism during early brain development.

PubMed

Yang, C-J; Tan, H-P; Du, Y-J

2014-05-16

Autism is a developmental disorder defined by the presence of a triad of communication, social and stereo typical behavioral characteristics with onset before 3years of age. In spite of the fact that there are potential environmental factors for autistic behavior, the dysfunction of serotonin during early development of the brain could be playing a role in this prevalence rise. Serotonin can modulate a number of developmental events, including cell division, neuronal migration, cell differentiation and synaptogenesis. Hyperserotonemia during fetal development results in the loss of serotonin terminals through negative feedback. The increased serotonin causes a decrease of oxytocin in the paraventricular nucleus of the hypothalamus and an increase in calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the central nucleus of the amygdale, which are associated with social interactions and vital in autism. However, hyposerotonemia may be also relevant to the development of sensory as well as motor and cognitive faculties. And the paucity of placenta-derived serotonin should have potential importance when the pathogenesis of autism is considered. This review briefly summarized the developmental disruptions of serotonin signaling involved in the pathogenesis of autism during early development of the brain. Copyright © 2014 IBRO. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Epigenetic mechanisms in the development of memory and their involvement in certain neurological diseases.

PubMed

Rosales-Reynoso, M A; Ochoa-Hernández, A B; Juárez-Vázquez, C I; Barros-Núñez, P

Today, scientists accept that the central nervous system of an adult possesses considerable morphological and functional flexibility, allowing it to perform structural remodelling processes even after the individual is fully developed and mature. In addition to the vast number of genes participating in the development of memory, different known epigenetic mechanisms are involved in normal and pathological modifications to neurons and therefore also affect the mechanisms of memory development. This study entailed a systematic review of biomedical article databases in search of genetic and epigenetic factors that participate in synaptic function and memory. The activation of gene expression in response to external stimuli also occurs in differentiated nerve cells. Neural activity induces specific forms of synaptic plasticity that permit the creation and storage of long-term memory. Epigenetic mechanisms play a key role in synaptic modification processes and in the creation and development of memory. Changes in these mechanisms result in the cognitive and memory impairment seen in neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer disease, Huntington disease) and in neurodevelopmental disorders (Rett syndrome, fragile X, and schizophrenia). Nevertheless, results obtained from different models are promising and point to potential treatments for some of these diseases. Copyright © 2013 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

Stromal matrix metalloproteinase-11 is involved in the mammary gland postnatal development.

PubMed

Tan, J; Buache, E; Alpy, F; Daguenet, E; Tomasetto, C-L; Ren, G-S; Rio, M-C

2014-07-31

MMP-11 is a bad prognosis paracrine factor in invasive breast cancers. However, its mammary physiological function remains largely unknown. In the present study we have investigated MMP-11 function during postnatal mammary gland development and function using MMP-11-deficient (MMP-11-/-) mice. Histological and immunohistochemical analyses as well as whole-mount mammary gland staining show alteration of the mammary gland in the absence of MMP-11, where ductal tree, alveolar structures and milk production are reduced. Moreover, a series of transplantation experiments allowed us to demonstrate that MMP-11 exerts an essential local paracrine function that favors mammary gland branching and epithelial cell outgrowth and invasion through adjacent connective tissues. Indeed, MMP-11-/- cleared fat pads are not permissive for wild-type epithelium development, whereas MMP-11-/- epithelium transplants grow normally when implanted in wild-type cleared fat pads. In addition, using primary mammary epithelial organoids, we show in vitro that this MMP-11 pro-branching effect is not direct, suggesting that MMP-11 acts via production/release of stroma-associated soluble factor(s). Finally, the lack of MMP-11 leads to decreased periductal collagen content, suggesting that MMP-11 has a role in collagen homeostasis. Thus, local stromal MMP-11 might also regulate mammary epithelial cell behavior mechanically by promoting extracellular matrix stiffness. Collectively, the present data indicate that MMP-11 is a paracrine factor involved during postnatal mammary gland morphogenesis, and support the concept that the stroma strongly impact epithelial cell behavior. Interestingly, stromal MMP-11 has previously been reported to favor malignant epithelial cell survival and promote cancer aggressiveness. Thus, MMP-11 has a paracrine function during mammary gland development that might be harnessed to promote tumor progression, exposing a new link between development and malignancy.

Development of brain networks involved in spoken word processing of Mandarin Chinese.

PubMed

Cao, Fan; Khalid, Kainat; Lee, Rebecca; Brennan, Christine; Yang, Yanhui; Li, Kuncheng; Bolger, Donald J; Booth, James R

2011-08-01

Developmental differences in phonological and orthographic processing of Chinese spoken words were examined in 9-year-olds, 11-year-olds and adults using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Rhyming and spelling judgments were made to two-character words presented sequentially in the auditory modality. Developmental comparisons between adults and both groups of children combined showed that age-related changes in activation in visuo-orthographic regions depended on a task. There were developmental increases in the left inferior temporal gyrus and the right inferior occipital gyrus in the spelling task, suggesting more extensive visuo-orthographic processing in a task that required access to these representations. Conversely, there were developmental decreases in activation in the left fusiform gyrus and left middle occipital gyrus in the rhyming task, suggesting that the development of reading is marked by reduced involvement of orthography in a spoken language task that does not require access to these orthographic representations. Developmental decreases may arise from the existence of extensive homophony (auditory words that have multiple spellings) in Chinese. In addition, we found that 11-year-olds and adults showed similar activation in the left superior temporal gyrus across tasks, with both groups showing greater activation than 9-year-olds. This pattern suggests early development of perceptual representations of phonology. In contrast, 11-year-olds and 9-year-olds showed similar activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus across tasks, with both groups showing weaker activation than adults. This pattern suggests late development of controlled retrieval and selection of lexical representations. Altogether, this study suggests differential effects of character acquisition on development of components of the language network in Chinese as compared to previous reports on alphabetic languages. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Development of a reference material for routine performance monitoring of methods measuring polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins, polychlorinated dibenzofurans and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls.

PubMed

Selliah, S S; Cussion, S; MacPherson, K A; Reiner, E J; Toner, D

2001-06-01

Matrix-matched environmental certified reference materials (CRMs) are one of the most useful tools to validate analytical methods, assess analytical laboratory performance and to assist in the resolution of data conflicts between laboratories. This paper describes the development of a lake sediment as a CRM for polychorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins (PCDDs), polychlorinated dibenzofurans (PCDFs) and dioxin-like polychlorinated biphenyls (DLPCBs). The presence of DLPCBs in the environment is of increased concern and analytical methods are being developed internationally for monitoring DLPCBs in the environment. This paper also reports the results of an international interlaboratory study involving thirty-five laboratories from seventeen countries, conducted to characterize and validate levels of a sediment reference material for PCDDs, PCDFs and DLPCBs.

Development and application of coupled system dynamics and game theory: A dynamic water conflict resolution method.

PubMed

Zomorodian, Mehdi; Lai, Sai Hin; Homayounfar, Mehran; Ibrahim, Shaliza; Pender, Gareth

2017-01-01

Conflicts over water resources can be highly dynamic and complex due to the various factors which can affect such systems, including economic, engineering, social, hydrologic, environmental and even political, as well as the inherent uncertainty involved in many of these factors. Furthermore, the conflicting behavior, preferences and goals of stakeholders can often make such conflicts even more challenging. While many game models, both cooperative and non-cooperative, have been suggested to deal with problems over utilizing and sharing water resources, most of these are based on a static viewpoint of demand points during optimization procedures. Moreover, such models are usually developed for a single reservoir system, and so are not really suitable for application to an integrated decision support system involving more than one reservoir. This paper outlines a coupled simulation-optimization modeling method based on a combination of system dynamics (SD) and game theory (GT). The method harnesses SD to capture the dynamic behavior of the water system, utilizing feedback loops between the system components in the course of the simulation. In addition, it uses GT concepts, including pure-strategy and mixed-strategy games as well as the Nash Bargaining Solution (NBS) method, to find the optimum allocation decisions over available water in the system. To test the capability of the proposed method to resolve multi-reservoir and multi-objective conflicts, two different deterministic simulation-optimization models with increasing levels of complexity were developed for the Langat River basin in Malaysia. The later is a strategic water catchment that has a range of different stakeholders and managerial bodies, which are however willing to cooperate in order to avoid unmet demand. In our first model, all water users play a dynamic pure-strategy game. The second model then adds in dynamic behaviors to reservoirs to factor in inflow uncertainty and adjust the strategies for

Development and application of coupled system dynamics and game theory: A dynamic water conflict resolution method

PubMed Central

Lai, Sai Hin; Homayounfar, Mehran; Ibrahim, Shaliza; Pender, Gareth

2017-01-01

Conflicts over water resources can be highly dynamic and complex due to the various factors which can affect such systems, including economic, engineering, social, hydrologic, environmental and even political, as well as the inherent uncertainty involved in many of these factors. Furthermore, the conflicting behavior, preferences and goals of stakeholders can often make such conflicts even more challenging. While many game models, both cooperative and non-cooperative, have been suggested to deal with problems over utilizing and sharing water resources, most of these are based on a static viewpoint of demand points during optimization procedures. Moreover, such models are usually developed for a single reservoir system, and so are not really suitable for application to an integrated decision support system involving more than one reservoir. This paper outlines a coupled simulation-optimization modeling method based on a combination of system dynamics (SD) and game theory (GT). The method harnesses SD to capture the dynamic behavior of the water system, utilizing feedback loops between the system components in the course of the simulation. In addition, it uses GT concepts, including pure-strategy and mixed-strategy games as well as the Nash Bargaining Solution (NBS) method, to find the optimum allocation decisions over available water in the system. To test the capability of the proposed method to resolve multi-reservoir and multi-objective conflicts, two different deterministic simulation-optimization models with increasing levels of complexity were developed for the Langat River basin in Malaysia. The later is a strategic water catchment that has a range of different stakeholders and managerial bodies, which are however willing to cooperate in order to avoid unmet demand. In our first model, all water users play a dynamic pure-strategy game. The second model then adds in dynamic behaviors to reservoirs to factor in inflow uncertainty and adjust the strategies for

Involving Fathers in Psychological Services for Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carr, Alan

2006-01-01

This paper is a commentary of the special series on involving fathers in psychological services for children. The following themes are addressed: the effects of fathers on child development; benefits of father involvement in child psychology services; obstacles to father involvement; engaging fathers; specific interventions for fathers; and…

Improving Parental Involvement: 10 Tips for Success.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warner, Laverne; Barrera, John

2003-01-01

Presents tips for organizing an effective parent involvement program: (1) develop a philosophy statement; (2) value family values, traditions, and beliefs; (3) reach out to parents; (4) train for effective communication; (5) encourage parent involvement in program activities; (6) provide involvement opportunities; (7) seek parental input; (8)…

Recent development of the passive vibration control method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishida, Yukio

2012-05-01

This paper introduces new passive vibration suppression methods developed recently in our laboratory. First, two methods used to suppress steady-state resonances are explained. One is the improvement of the efficiency of a ball balancer. A simple method to eliminate the influence of friction of balls and to improve its efficiency is introduced. The other is an effective method that utilizes the discontinuous spring characteristics. Secondly, a method to eliminate unstable ranges in rotor systems is explained. Unstable ranges in an asymmetrical shaft, and in a hollow rotor partially filled with liquid, are eliminated by the discontinuous spring characteristics. Thirdly, a method to suppress self-excited oscillations is explained. Self-excited oscillations due to internal damping and rubbing are discussed. Finally, the methods of using a pendulum or roller type absorbers to suppress torsional vibrations are explained.

Statistically qualified neuro-analytic failure detection method and system

DOEpatents

Vilim, Richard B.; Garcia, Humberto E.; Chen, Frederick W.

2002-03-02

An apparatus and method for monitoring a process involve development and application of a statistically qualified neuro-analytic (SQNA) model to accurately and reliably identify process change. The development of the SQNA model is accomplished in two stages: deterministic model adaption and stochastic model modification of the deterministic model adaptation. Deterministic model adaption involves formulating an analytic model of the process representing known process characteristics, augmenting the analytic model with a neural network that captures unknown process characteristics, and training the resulting neuro-analytic model by adjusting the neural network weights according to a unique scaled equation error minimization technique. Stochastic model modification involves qualifying any remaining uncertainty in the trained neuro-analytic model by formulating a likelihood function, given an error propagation equation, for computing the probability that the neuro-analytic model generates measured process output. Preferably, the developed SQNA model is validated using known sequential probability ratio tests and applied to the process as an on-line monitoring system. Illustrative of the method and apparatus, the method is applied to a peristaltic pump system.

Involving people with dementia in developing an interactive web tool for shared decision-making: experiences with a participatory design approach.

PubMed

Span, Marijke; Hettinga, Marike; Groen-van de Ven, Leontine; Jukema, Jan; Janssen, Ruud; Vernooij-Dassen, Myrra; Eefsting, Jan; Smits, Carolien

2018-06-01

The aim of this study was at gaining insight into the participatory design approach of involving people with dementia in the development of the DecideGuide, an interactive web tool facilitating shared decision-making in their care networks. An explanatory case study design was used when developing the DecideGuide. A secondary analysis focused on the data gathered from the participating people with dementia during the development stages: semi-structured interviews (n = 23), four focus group interviews (n = 18), usability tests (n = 3), and a field study (n = 4). Content analysis was applied to the data. Four themes showed to be important regarding the participation experiences of involving people with dementia in research: valuable feedback on content and design of the DecideGuide, motivation to participate, perspectives of people with dementia and others about distress related to involvement, and time investment. People with dementia can give essential feedback and, therefore, their contribution is useful and valuable. Meaningful participation of people with dementia takes time that should be taken into account. It is important for people with dementia to be able to reciprocate the efforts others make and to feel of significance to others. Implications for Rehabilitation People with dementia can contribute meaningfully to the content and design and their perspective is essential for developing useful and user-friendly tools. Participating in research activities may contribute to social inclusion, empowerment, and quality of life of people with dementia.

Developing Evidence for Public Health Policy and Practice: The Implementation of a Knowledge Translation Approach in a Staged, Multi-Methods Study in England, 2007-09

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

South, Jane; Cattan, Mima

2014-01-01

Effective knowledge translation processes are critical for the development of evidence-based public health policy and practice. This paper reports on the design and implementation of an innovative approach to knowledge translation within a mixed methods study on lay involvement in public health programme delivery. The study design drew on…

Risk of Developing Cardiovascular Disease After Involved Node Radiotherapy Versus Mantle Field for Hodgkin Lymphoma

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Maraldo, Maja V., E-mail: dra.maraldo@gmail.com; Brodin, Nils Patrik; Vogelius, Ivan R.

2012-07-15

Purpose: Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) survivors are known to have increased cardiac mortality and morbidity. The risk of developing cardiovascular disease after involved node radiotherapy (INRT) is currently unresolved, inasmuch as present clinical data are derived from patients treated with the outdated mantle field (MF) technique. Methods and Materials: We included all adolescents and young adults with supradiaphragmatic, clinical Stage I-II HL treated at our institution from 2006 to 2010 (29 patients). All patients were treated with chemotherapy and INRT to 30 to 36 Gy. We then simulated a MF plan for each patient with a prescribed dose of 36 Gy.more » A logistic dose-response curve for the 25-year absolute excess risk of cardiovascular disease was derived and applied to each patient using the individual dose-volume histograms. Results: The mean doses to the heart, four heart valves, and coronary arteries were significantly lower for INRT than for MF treatment. However, the range in doses with INRT treatment was substantial, and for a subgroup of patients, with lymphoma below the fourth thoracic vertebrae, we estimated a 25-year absolute excess risk of any cardiac event of as much as 5.1%. Conclusions: Our study demonstrates a potential for individualizing treatment by selecting the patients for whom INRT provides sufficient cardiac protection for current technology; and a subgroup of patients, who still receive high cardiac doses, who would benefit from more advanced radiation technique.« less

Involving patients in understanding hospital infection control using visual methods.

PubMed

Wyer, Mary; Jackson, Debra; Iedema, Rick; Hor, Su-Yin; Gilbert, Gwendolyn L; Jorm, Christine; Hooker, Claire; O'Sullivan, Matthew Vincent Neil; Carroll, Katherine

2015-06-01

This paper explores patients' perspectives on infection prevention and control. Healthcare-associated infections are the most frequent adverse event experienced by patients. Reduction strategies have predominantly addressed front-line clinicians' practices; patients' roles have been less explored. Video-reflexive ethnography. Fieldwork undertaken at a large metropolitan hospital in Australia involved 300 hours of ethnographic observations, including 11 hours of video footage. This paper focuses on eight occasions, where video footage was shown back to patients in one-on-one reflexive sessions. Viewing and discussing video footage of clinical care enabled patients to become articulate about infection risks, and to identify their own roles in reducing transmission. Barriers to detailed understandings of preventative practices and their roles included lack of conversation between patients and clinicians about infection prevention and control, and being ignored or contradicted when challenging perceived suboptimal practice. It became evident that to compensate for clinicians' lack of engagement around infection control, participants had developed a range of strategies, of variable effectiveness, to protect themselves and others. Finally, the reflexive process engendered closer scrutiny and a more critical attitude to infection control that increased patients' sense of agency. This study found that patients actively contribute to their own safety. Their success, however, depends on the quality of patient-provider relationships and conversations. Rather than treating patients as passive recipients of infection control practices, clinicians can support and engage with patients' contributions towards achieving safer care. This study suggests that if clinicians seek to reduce infection rates, they must start to consider patients as active contributors to infection control. Clinicians can engage patients in conversations about practices and pay attention to patient feedback

Unstructured-grid methods development: Lessons le arned

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Batina, John T.

1991-01-01

The development is summarized of unstructured grid methods for the solution of the equations of fluid flow and some of the lessons learned are shared. The 3-D Euler equations are solved, including spatial discretizations, temporal discretizations, and boundary conditions. An example calculation with an upwind implicit method using a CFL (Courant Friedricks Lewy) number of infinity is presented for the Boeing 747 aircraft. The results obtained in less than one hour of CPU time on a Cray-2 computer, thus demonstrating the speed and robustness of the present capability.

Involvement of Luteinizing Hormone in Alzheimer Disease Development in Elderly Women.

PubMed

Rao, C V

2017-03-01

Alzheimer disease (AD) is a slow progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects more elderly women than elderly men. It impairs memory, typically progresses into multidomain cognitive decline that destroys the quality of life, and ultimately leads to death. About 5.3 million older Americans are now living with this disease, and this number is projected to rise to 14 million by 2050. Annual health-care costs in the United States alone are projected to increase to about US$1.1 trillion by 2050. The initial theory that decreasing estrogen levels leads to AD development in postmenopausal women has been proven inconclusive. For example, Women's Health Research Initiative Memory Study and the population-based nested case-control study have failed to demonstrate that estrogen/progesterone (hormone replacement therapy [HRT]) or estrogen replacement therapy could prevent the cognitive decline or reduce the risk of AD. This led to the realization that AD development could be due to a progressive increase in luteinizing hormone (LH) levels in postmenopausal women. Accordingly, a large number of studies have demonstrated that an increase in LH levels is positively correlated with neuropathological, behavioral, and cognitive changes in AD. In addition, LH has been shown to promote amyloidogenic pathway of precursor protein metabolism and deposition of amyloid β plaques in the hippocampus, a region involved in AD. Cognate receptors that mediate LH effects are abundantly expressed in the hippocampus. Reducing the LH levels by treatment with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists could provide therapeutic benefits. Despite these advances, many questions remain and require further research.

Plastid ribosomal protein S5 is involved in photosynthesis, plant development, and cold stress tolerance in Arabidopsis

PubMed Central

Zhang, Junxiang; Yuan, Hui; Yang, Yong; Fish, Tara; Lyi, Sangbom M.; Thannhauser, Theodore W; Zhang, Lugang; Li, Li

2016-01-01

Plastid ribosomal proteins are essential components of protein synthesis machinery and have diverse roles in plant growth and development. Mutations in plastid ribosomal proteins lead to a range of developmental phenotypes in plants. However, how they regulate these processes is not fully understood, and the functions of some individual plastid ribosomal proteins remain unknown. To identify genes responsible for chloroplast development, we isolated and characterized a mutant that exhibited pale yellow inner leaves with a reduced growth rate in Arabidopsis. The mutant (rps5) contained a missense mutation of plastid ribosomal protein S5 (RPS5), which caused a dramatically reduced abundance of chloroplast 16S rRNA and seriously impaired 16S rRNA processing to affect ribosome function and plastid translation. Comparative proteomic analysis revealed that the rps5 mutation suppressed the expression of a large number of core components involved in photosystems I and II as well as many plastid ribosomal proteins. Unexpectedly, a number of proteins associated with cold stress responses were greatly decreased in rps5, and overexpression of the plastid RPS5 improved plant cold stress tolerance. Our results indicate that RPS5 is an important constituent of the plastid 30S subunit and affects proteins involved in photosynthesis and cold stress responses to mediate plant growth and development. PMID:27006483

Balancing nurses' workload in hospital wards: study protocol of developing a method to manage workload.

PubMed

van den Oetelaar, W F J M; van Stel, H F; van Rhenen, W; Stellato, R K; Grolman, W

2016-11-10

Hospitals pursue different goals at the same time: excellent service to their patients, good quality care, operational excellence, retaining employees. This requires a good balance between patient needs and nursing staff. One way to ensure a proper fit between patient needs and nursing staff is to work with a workload management method. In our view, a nursing workload management method needs to have the following characteristics: easy to interpret; limited additional registration; applicable to different types of hospital wards; supported by nurses; covers all activities of nurses and suitable for prospective planning of nursing staff. At present, no such method is available. The research follows several steps to come to a workload management method for staff nurses. First, a list of patient characteristics relevant to care time will be composed by performing a Delphi study among staff nurses. Next, a time study of nurses' activities will be carried out. The 2 can be combined to estimate care time per patient group and estimate the time nurses spend on non-patient-related activities. These 2 estimates can be combined and compared with available nursing resources: this gives an estimate of nurses' workload. The research will take place in an academic hospital in the Netherlands. 6 surgical wards will be included, capacity 15-30 beds. The study protocol was submitted to the Medical Ethical Review Board of the University Medical Center (UMC) Utrecht and received a positive advice, protocol number 14-165/C. This method will be developed in close cooperation with staff nurses and ward management. The strong involvement of the end users will contribute to a broader support of the results. The method we will develop may also be useful for planning purposes; this is a strong advantage compared with existing methods, which tend to focus on retrospective analysis. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence

Progress in Development of Methods in Bone Densitometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whedon, G. D.; Neumann, William F.; Jenkins, Dale W.

1966-01-01

The effects of weightlessness and decreased activity on the astronaut's musculoskeletal system during prolonged space flight, missions are of concern to NASA. This problem was anticipated from the knowledge that human subjects lose significant quantities of calcium from the skeleton during periods of bedrest, immobilization, and water immersion. An accurate method of measurement of the changes in mineral content of the skeleton is required not only in the space program but also in the biological, medical, and dental fields for mineral metabolism studies and for studying various pathological conditions of the skeleton and teeth. This method is a difficult one requiring the coordinated efforts of physiologists, biophysicists, radiologists, and clinicians. The densitometry methods reported in this conference which have been used or are being developed include X-ray, beta excited X-rays, radioisotopes, sonic vibration, and neutron activation analysis Studies in the Gemini, Biosatellite, and Apollo flights use the X-ray bone densitometry method which requires making X-rays before and after the flights. An in-flight method of bone densitometry would be valuable, and use of radioisotope sources has been suggested. Many advances in bone densitometry have been made in the last five years, and the urgency of the requirement makes this working conference timely and valuable. In such a rapidly developing field with investigators working independently in a variety of scientific disciplines, a working conference is of great value in exchanging information and ideas, critically evaluating approaches and methods, and pointing out new research pathways.

Involvement of auxin and a homeodomain-leucine zipper I gene in rhizoid development of the moss Physcomitrella patens.

PubMed

Sakakibara, Keiko; Nishiyama, Tomoaki; Sumikawa, Naomi; Kofuji, Rumiko; Murata, Takashi; Hasebe, Mitsuyasu

2003-10-01

Differentiation of epidermal cells is important for plants because they are in direct contact with the environment. Rhizoids are multicellular filaments that develop from the epidermis in a wide range of plants, including pteridophytes, bryophytes, and green algae; they have similar functions to root hairs in vascular plants in that they support the plant body and are involved in water and nutrient absorption. In this study, we examined mechanisms underlying rhizoid development in the moss, Physcomitrella patens, which is the only land plant in which high-frequency gene targeting is possible. We found that rhizoid development can be split into two processes: determination and differentiation. Two types of rhizoids with distinct developmental patterns (basal and mid-stem rhizoids) were recognized. The development of basal rhizoids from epidermal cells was induced by exogenous auxin, while that of mid-stem rhizoids required an unknown factor in addition to exogenous auxin. Once an epidermal cell had acquired a rhizoid initial cell fate, expression of the homeodomain-leucine zipper I gene Pphb7 was induced. Analysis of Pphb7 disruptant lines showed that Pphb7 affects the induction of pigmentation and the increase in the number and size of chloroplasts, but not the position or number of rhizoids. This is the first report on the involvement of a homeodomain-leucine zipper I gene in epidermal cell differentiation.

Fathers’ Involvement in Child Health Care: Associations with Prenatal Involvement, Parents’ Beliefs, and Maternal Gatekeeping

PubMed Central

Zvara, B.J.; Schoppe-Sullivan, Sarah J.; Dush, Claire M. Kamp

2015-01-01

Using data from 182 dual-earner couples experiencing the transition to parenthood, this study examined associations between prenatal involvement, gender role beliefs, and maternal gatekeeping and new fathers’ involvement in child health care. Results indicated that prenatal father involvement was associated with both fathers’ direct engagement in child health care and fathers’ perceived influence in child health-related decision-making. Fathers also demonstrated greater direct engagement in child health care when mothers held more nontraditional beliefs about gender roles. Moreover, when mothers were more encouraging of fathers’ involvement in childrearing, fathers felt more influential in child health-related decision-making, whereas when mothers engaged in greater gate closing behavior, fathers with more traditional gender role beliefs felt less influential in child health-related decision-making. This study suggests that fathers’ prenatal involvement, mothers’ beliefs, and maternal gatekeeping may play a role in the development of new fathers’ involvement in child health care at the transition to parenthood. PMID:26405366

Progress and development of analytical methods for gibberellins.

PubMed

Pan, Chaozhi; Tan, Swee Ngin; Yong, Jean Wan Hong; Ge, Liya

2017-01-01

Gibberellins, as a group of phytohormones, exhibit a wide variety of bio-functions within plant growth and development, which have been used to increase crop yields. Many analytical procedures, therefore, have been developed for the determination of the types and levels of endogenous and exogenous gibberellins. As plant tissues contain gibberellins in trace amounts (usually at the level of nanogram per gram fresh weight or even lower), the sample pre-treatment steps (extraction, pre-concentration, and purification) for gibberellins are reviewed in details. The primary focus of this comprehensive review is on the various analytical methods designed to meet the requirements for gibberellins analyses in complex matrices with particular emphasis on high-throughput analytical methods, such as gas chromatography, liquid chromatography, and capillary electrophoresis, mostly combined with mass spectrometry. The advantages and drawbacks of the each described analytical method are discussed. The overall aim of this review is to provide a comprehensive and critical view on the different analytical methods nowadays employed to analyze gibberellins in complex sample matrices and their foreseeable trends. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Development of Impurity Profiling Methods Using Modern Analytical Techniques.

PubMed

Ramachandra, Bondigalla

2017-01-02

This review gives a brief introduction about the process- and product-related impurities and emphasizes on the development of novel analytical methods for their determination. It describes the application of modern analytical techniques, particularly the ultra-performance liquid chromatography (UPLC), liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS), high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and high-performance thin layer chromatography (HPTLC). In addition to that, the application of nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy was also discussed for the characterization of impurities and degradation products. The significance of the quality, efficacy and safety of drug substances/products, including the source of impurities, kinds of impurities, adverse effects by the presence of impurities, quality control of impurities, necessity for the development of impurity profiling methods, identification of impurities and regulatory aspects has been discussed. Other important aspects that have been discussed are forced degradation studies and the development of stability indicating assay methods.

Transport Test Problems for Hybrid Methods Development

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Shaver, Mark W.; Miller, Erin A.; Wittman, Richard S.

2011-12-28

This report presents 9 test problems to guide testing and development of hybrid calculations for the ADVANTG code at ORNL. These test cases can be used for comparing different types of radiation transport calculations, as well as for guiding the development of variance reduction methods. Cases are drawn primarily from existing or previous calculations with a preference for cases which include experimental data, or otherwise have results with a high level of confidence, are non-sensitive, and represent problem sets of interest to NA-22.

Are Sexual and Reproductive Health Policies Designed for All? Vulnerable Groups in Policy Documents of Four European Countries and Their Involvement in Policy Development

PubMed Central

Ivanova, Olena; Dræbel, Tania; Tellier, Siri

2015-01-01

Background: Health policies are important instruments for improving population health. However, experience suggests that policies designed for the whole population do not always benefit the most vulnerable. Participation of vulnerable groups in the policy-making process provides an opportunity for them to influence decisions related to their health, and also to exercise their rights. This paper presents the findings from a study that explored how vulnerable groups and principles of human rights are incorporated into national sexual and reproductive health (SRH) policies of 4 selected countries (Spain, Scotland, Republic of Moldova, and Ukraine). It also aimed at discussing the involvement of vulnerable groups in SRH policy development from the perspective of policy-makers. Methods: Literature review, health policy analysis and 5 semi-structured interviews with policy-makers were carried out in this study. Content analysis of SRH policies was performed using the EquiFrame analytical framework. Results: The study revealed that vulnerable groups and core principles of human rights are differently addressed in SRH policies within 4 studied countries. The opinions of policy-makers on the importance of mentioning vulnerable groups in policy documents and the way they ought to be mentioned varied, but they agreed that a clear definition of vulnerability, practical examples, and evidences on health status of these groups have to be included. In addition, different approaches to vulnerable group’s involvement in policy development were identified during the interviews and the range of obstacles to this process was discussed by respondents. Conclusion: Incorporation of vulnerable groups in the SRH policies and their involvement in policy development were found to be important in addressing SRH of these groups and providing an opportunity for them to advocate for equal access to healthcare and exercise their rights. Future research on this topic should include

Intention to adopt clinical decision support systems in a developing country: effect of physician's perceived professional autonomy, involvement and belief: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Sambasivan, Murali; Esmaeilzadeh, Pouyan; Kumar, Naresh; Nezakati, Hossein

2012-12-05

Computer-based clinical decision support systems (CDSS) are regarded as a key element to enhance decision-making in a healthcare environment to improve the quality of medical care delivery. The concern of having new CDSS unused is still one of the biggest issues in developing countries for the developers and implementers of clinical IT systems. The main objectives of this study are to determine whether (1) the physician's perceived professional autonomy, (2) involvement in the decision to implement CDSS and (3) the belief that CDSS will improve job performance increase the intention to adopt CDSS. Four hypotheses were formulated and tested. A questionnaire-based survey conducted between July 2010 and December 2010. The study was conducted in seven public and five private hospitals in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Before contacting the hospitals, necessary permission was obtained from the Ministry of Health, Malaysia and the questionnaire was vetted by the ethics committee of the ministry. Physicians working in 12 hospitals from 10 different specialties participated in the study. The sampling method used was stratified random sampling and the physicians were stratified based on the specialty. A total of 450 physicians were selected using a random number generator. Each of these physicians was given a questionnaire and out of 450 questionnaires, 335 (response rate--74%) were returned and 309 (69%) were deemed usable. The hypotheses were tested using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Salient results are: (1) Physicians' perceived threat to professional autonomy lowers the intention to use CDSS (p < 0.01); (2) Physicians involvement in the planning, design and implementation increases their intention to use CDSS (p < 0.01); (3) Physicians belief that the new CDSS will improve his/her job performance increases their intention to use CDSS (p < 0.01). The proposed model with the three main constructs (physician's professional characteristic, involvement and belief) explains

Development of an automated method for determining oil in water by direct aqueous supercritical fluid extraction coupled on-line with infrared spectroscopy.

PubMed

Minty, B; Ramsey, E D; Davies, I

2000-12-01

A direct aqueous supercritical fluid extraction (SFE) system was developed which can be directly interfaced to an infrared spectrometer for the determination of oil in water. The technique is designed to provide an environmentally clean, automated alternative to established IR methods for oil in water analysis which require the use of restricted organic solvents. The SFE-FTIR method involves minimum sample handling stages, with on-line analysis of a 500 ml water sample being complete within 15 min. Method accuracy for determining water samples spiked with gasoline, white spirit, kerosene, diesel or engine oil was 81-100% with precision (RSD) ranging from 3 to 17%. An independent evaluation determined a 2 ppm limit of quantification for diesel in industrial effluents. The results of a comparative study involving an established IR method and the SFE-FTIR method indicate that oil levels calculated using an accepted equation which includes coefficients derived from reference hydrocarbon standards may result in significant errors. A new approach permitted the derivation of quantification coefficients for the SFE-FTIR analyses which provided improved results. In situations where the identity of the oil to be analysed is known, a rapid off-line SFE-FTIR system calibration procedure was developed and successfully applied to various oils. An optional in-line silica gel clean-up procedure incorporated within the SFE-FTIR system enables the same water sample to be analysed for total oil content including vegetable oils and selectively for petroleum oil content within a total of 20 min. At the end of an analysis the SFE system is cleaned using an in situ 3 min clean cycle.

An Innovative Method to Involve Community Health Workers as Partners in Evaluation Research

PubMed Central

Issel, L. Michele; Townsell, Stephanie J.; Chapple-McGruder, Theresa; Handler, Arden

2011-01-01

Objectives. We developed a process through which community outreach workers, whose role is not typically that of a trained researcher, could actively participate in collection of qualitative evaluation data. Methods. Outreach workers for a community-based intervention project received training in qualitative research methodology and certification in research ethics. They used a Voice over Internet Protocol phone-in system to provide narrative reports about challenges faced by women they encountered in their outreach activities as well as their own experiences as outreach workers. Results. Qualitative data contributed by outreach workers provided insights not otherwise available to the evaluation team, including details about the complex lives of underserved women at risk for poor pregnancy outcomes and the challenges and rewards of the outreach worker role. Conclusions. Lay health workers can be a valuable asset as part of a research team. Training in research ethics and methods can be tailored to their educational level and preferences, and their insights provide important information and perspectives that may not be accessible via other data collection methods. Challenges encountered in the dual roles of researcher and lay health worker can be addressed in training. PMID:22021290

Organizational Member Involvement in Physical Activity Coalitions across the United States: Development and Testing of a Novel Survey Instrument for Assessing Coalition Functioning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bornstein, Daniel B.; Pate, Russell R.; Beets, Michael W.; Saunders, Ruth P.; Blair, Steven N.

2015-01-01

Introduction: Coalitions are often composed of member organizations. Member involvement is thought to be associated with coalition success. No instrument currently exists for evaluating organizational member involvement in physical activity coalitions. This study aimed to develop a survey instrument for evaluating organizational member involvement…

Development of Methods and Equipment for Sheet Stamping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Botashev, A. Yu; Bisilov, N. U.; Malsugenov, R. S.

2018-03-01

New methods of sheet stamping were developed: the gas forming with double-sided heating of a blank part and the gas molding with backpressure. In case of the first method the blank part is heated to the set temperature by means of a double-sided impact of combustion products of gas mixtures, after which, under the influence of gas pressure a stamping process is performed. In case of gas molding with backpressure, the blank part is heated to the set temperature by one-sided impact of the combustion products, while backpressure is created on the opposite side of the blank part by compressed air. In both methods the deformation takes place in the temperature range of warm or hot treatment due to the heating of a blank part. This allows one to form parts of complicated shape within one technological operation, which significantly reduces the cost of production. To implement these methods, original devices were designed and produced, which are new types of forging and stamping equipment. Using these devices, an experimental research on the stamping process was carried out and high-quality parts were obtained, which makes it possible to recommend the developed methods of stamping in the industrial production. Their application in small-scale production will allow one to reduce the cost price of stamped parts 2 or 3 times.

Epidemiological and genetic clues for molecular mechanisms involved in uterine leiomyoma development and growth.

PubMed

Commandeur, Arno E; Styer, Aaron K; Teixeira, Jose M

2015-01-01

Uterine leiomyomas (fibroids) are highly prevalent benign smooth muscle tumors of the uterus. In the USA, the lifetime risk for women developing uterine leiomyomas is estimated as up to 75%. Except for hysterectomy, most therapies or treatments often provide only partial or temporary relief and are not successful in every patient. There is a clear racial disparity in the disease; African-American women are estimated to be three times more likely to develop uterine leiomyomas and generally develop more severe symptoms. There is also familial clustering between first-degree relatives and twins, and multiple inherited syndromes in which fibroid development occurs. Leiomyomas have been described as clonal and hormonally regulated, but despite the healthcare burden imposed by the disease, the etiology of uterine leiomyomas remains largely unknown. The mechanisms involved in their growth are also essentially unknown, which has contributed to the slow progress in development of effective treatment options. A comprehensive PubMed search for and critical assessment of articles related to the epidemiological, biological and genetic clues for uterine leiomyoma development was performed. The individual functions of some of the best candidate genes are explained to provide more insight into their biological function and to interconnect and organize genes and pathways in one overarching figure that represents the current state of knowledge about uterine leiomyoma development and growth. In this review, the widely recognized roles of estrogen and progesterone in uterine leiomyoma pathobiology on the basis of clinical and experimental data are presented. This is followed by fundamental aspects and concepts including the possible cellular origin of uterine fibroids. The central themes in the subsequent parts are cytogenetic aberrations in leiomyomas and the racial/ethnic disparities in uterine fibroid biology. Then, the attributes of various in vitro and in vivo, human syndrome

Future Directions in Youth Involvement Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rose-Krasnor, Linda

2009-01-01

Youth activity involvement has received increasing research and theoretical attention and should be of particular interest to social development investigators. Involvement has been correlated with a wide range of positive developmental indices, although not for all activities nor for all children. However, our ability to interpret such findings…

Degenerative joint disease: multiple joint involvement in young and mature dogs.

PubMed

Olsewski, J M; Lust, G; Rendano, V T; Summers, B A

1983-07-01

Radiologic, pathologic, and ancillary methods were used to determine the occurrence of degenerative joint disease involving multiple joints of immature and adult dogs. Animals were selected for the development of hip joint dysplasia and chronic degenerative joint disease. Of disease-prone dogs, 82% (45 of 55 dogs) had radiologic changes, indicative of hip dysplasia, by 1 year of age. At necropsy, more abnormal joints were identified than by radiographic examination. Among 92 dogs between 3 to 11 months of age that had joint abnormalities, 71% had hip joint involvement; 38%, shoulder joint involvement; 22%, stifle joint involvement; and 40% had multiple joint involvement. Polyarthritis was asymptomatic and unexpected. Radiographic examination of older dogs also revealed evidence of degenerative joint disease in many joints. Multiple joint involvement was substantiated at necropsy of young and mature dogs. A similar pattern of polyarticular osteoarthritis was revealed in a survey (computer search) of necropsy reports from medical case records of 100 adult and elderly dogs. Usually, the joint disease was an incidental observation, unrelated to the clinical disease or to the cause of death. The frequent occurrence of degenerative changes in several joints of dogs aged 6 months to 17 years indicated that osteoarthritis may be progressive in these joints and raises the possibility that systemic factors are involved in the disease process.

Involving Families with Osteogenesis Imperfecta in Health Service Research: Joint Development of the OI/ECE Questionnaire

PubMed Central

Dogba, Maman Joyce; Dahan-Oliel, Noémi; Snider, Laurie; Glorieux, Francis H.; Durigova, Michaela; Palomo, Telma; Cordey, Michel; Bédard, Marie-Hélène; Bedos, Christophe; Rauch, Frank

2016-01-01

Background Despite the growing interest in understanding the psycho-social impact of rare genetic diseases, few studies examine this concept and even fewer seek to obtain feedback from families who have lived the experience. The aim of this project was to involve families of children living with osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) in the development of a tool to assess the impact of OI on the lives of patients and their families. Methods This project used an integrated knowledge translation approach in which knowledge users (clinicians and people living with OI and their families) were consulted throughout the four steps of development, that is: content mapping, item generation, tool appraisal and pre-testing of the questionnaires. The International Classification of Functioning and Health was used as a framework for content mapping. Based on a scoping review we selected two validated tools to use as a basis for developing the questionnaire. The final parent self-report version measured six domains: experience of diagnosis; use of health services; use of social and psychological support services; expectations about tertiary specialized centers; and socio-demographic information. Results A total of 27 out of 40 families receiving care at the Shriners Hospital for Children-Canada and invited to participate in the pre-test returned the completed questionnaires. In more than two-thirds of families (69%; n = 18) OI was suspected either at or within the first 3 months after birth. Up to 46% of families consulted between 3 and 5 doctors (46%; n = 12) prior to final diagnosis. The use of services by families varied from 0 to 16 consultations, 0 to 9 exploratory examinations and 1 to 10 types of allied health services. In the 12 months prior to the study, fewer than a quarter of children had been admitted, for treatment, for hospital stays of longer than 8 hours or to an emergency department (24% and 9% respectively). Only 29% of parents received psychological support. Conclusion

RESEARCH ASSOCIATED WITH THE DEVELOPMENT OF EPA METHOD 552.2

EPA Science Inventory

The work presented in this paper entails the development of a method for haloacetic acid (HAA) analysis, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)method 552.2, that improves the saftey and efficiency of previous methods and incorporates three additional trihalogenated acetic acids: b...

A Framework for Teaching Software Development Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dubinsky, Yael; Hazzan, Orit

2005-01-01

This article presents a study that aims at constructing a teaching framework for software development methods in higher education. The research field is a capstone project-based course, offered by the Technion's Department of Computer Science, in which Extreme Programming is introduced. The research paradigm is an Action Research that involves…

Theoretical Coalescence: A Method to Develop Qualitative Theory

PubMed Central

Morse, Janice M.

2018-01-01

Background Qualitative research is frequently context bound, lacks generalizability, and is limited in scope. Objectives The purpose of this article was to describe a method, theoretical coalescence, that provides a strategy for analyzing complex, high-level concepts and for developing generalizable theory. Theoretical coalescence is a method of theoretical expansion, inductive inquiry, of theory development, that uses data (rather than themes, categories, and published extracts of data) as the primary source for analysis. Here, using the development of the lay concept of enduring as an example, I explore the scientific development of the concept in multiple settings over many projects and link it within the Praxis Theory of Suffering. Methods As comprehension emerges when conducting theoretical coalescence, it is essential that raw data from various different situations be available for reinterpretation/reanalysis and comparison to identify the essential features of the concept. The concept is then reconstructed, with additional inquiry that builds description, and evidence is conducted and conceptualized to create a more expansive concept and theory. Results By utilizing apparently diverse data sets from different contexts that are linked by certain characteristics, the essential features of the concept emerge. Such inquiry is divergent and less bound by context yet purposeful, logical, and with significant pragmatic implications for practice in nursing and beyond our discipline. Conclusion Theoretical coalescence is a means by which qualitative inquiry is broadened to make an impact, to accommodate new theoretical shifts and concepts, and to make qualitative research applied and accessible in new ways. PMID:29360688

Trimming Line Design using New Development Method and One Step FEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chung, Wan-Jin; Park, Choon-Dal; Yang, Dong-yol

2005-08-01

In most of automobile panel manufacturing, trimming is generally performed prior to flanging. To find feasible trimming line is crucial in obtaining accurate edge profile after flanging. Section-based method develops blank along section planes and find trimming line by generating loop of end points. This method suffers from inaccurate results for regions with out-of-section motion. On the other hand, simulation-based method can produce more accurate trimming line by iterative strategy. However, due to limitation of time and lack of information in initial die design, it is still not widely accepted in the industry. In this study, new fast method to find feasible trimming line is proposed. One step FEM is used to analyze the flanging process because we can define the desired final shape after flanging and most of strain paths are simple in flanging. When we use one step FEM, the main obstacle is the generation of initial guess. Robust initial guess generation method is developed to handle bad-shaped mesh, very different mesh size and undercut part. The new method develops 3D triangular mesh in propagational way from final mesh onto the drawing tool surface. Also in order to remedy mesh distortion during development, energy minimization technique is utilized. Trimming line is extracted from the outer boundary after one step FEM simulation. This method shows many benefits since trimming line can be obtained in the early design stage. The developed method is successfully applied to the complex industrial applications such as flanging of fender and door outer.

Parent Involvement Affects Children's Cognitive Growth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irvine, David J.; And Others

As part of a longitudinal study of the New York State Experimental Prekindergarten Program, the effect of degree of parental involvement in the program on children's cognitive development was examined. Parent involvement included employment in the program, school visits, home visits by school personnel, group meetings, and incidental contacts such…

Structural studies of RNA-protein complexes: A hybrid approach involving hydrodynamics, scattering, and computational methods.

PubMed

Patel, Trushar R; Chojnowski, Grzegorz; Astha; Koul, Amit; McKenna, Sean A; Bujnicki, Janusz M

2017-04-15

The diverse functional cellular roles played by ribonucleic acids (RNA) have emphasized the need to develop rapid and accurate methodologies to elucidate the relationship between the structure and function of RNA. Structural biology tools such as X-ray crystallography and Nuclear Magnetic Resonance are highly useful methods to obtain atomic-level resolution models of macromolecules. However, both methods have sample, time, and technical limitations that prevent their application to a number of macromolecules of interest. An emerging alternative to high-resolution structural techniques is to employ a hybrid approach that combines low-resolution shape information about macromolecules and their complexes from experimental hydrodynamic (e.g. analytical ultracentrifugation) and solution scattering measurements (e.g., solution X-ray or neutron scattering), with computational modeling to obtain atomic-level models. While promising, scattering methods rely on aggregation-free, monodispersed preparations and therefore the careful development of a quality control pipeline is fundamental to an unbiased and reliable structural determination. This review article describes hydrodynamic techniques that are highly valuable for homogeneity studies, scattering techniques useful to study the low-resolution shape, and strategies for computational modeling to obtain high-resolution 3D structural models of RNAs, proteins, and RNA-protein complexes. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Wind energy development: methods for assessing risks to birds and bats pre-construction

USGS Publications Warehouse

Katzner, Todd E.; Bennett, Victoria; Miller, Tricia A.; Duerr, Adam E.; Braham, Melissa A.; Hale, Amanda

2016-01-01

Wind power generation is rapidly expanding. Although wind power is a low-carbon source of energy, it can impact negatively birds and bats, either directly through fatality or indirectly by displacement or habitat loss. Pre-construction risk assessment at wind facilities within the United States is usually required only on public lands. When conducted, it generally involves a 3-tier process, with each step leading to more detailed and rigorous surveys. Preliminary site assessment (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tier 1) is usually conducted remotely and involves evaluation of existing databases and published materials. If potentially at-risk wildlife are present and the developer wishes to continue the development process, then on-site surveys are conducted (Tier 2) to verify the presence of those species and to assess site-specific features (e.g., topography, land cover) that may influence risk from turbines. The next step in the process (Tier 3) involves quantitative or scientific studies to assess the potential risk of the proposed project to wildlife. Typical Tier-3 research may involve acoustic, aural, observational, radar, capture, tracking, or modeling studies, all designed to understand details of risk to specific species or groups of species at the given site. Our review highlights several features lacking from many risk assessments, particularly the paucity of before-and-after-control- impact (BACI) studies involving modeling and a lack of understanding of cumulative effects of wind facilities on wildlife. Both are essential to understand effective designs for pre-construction monitoring and both would help expand risk assessment beyond eagles.

Creating Sensitive Environments for Parent Involvement Meetings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warner, Laverne; Barrera, John

2005-01-01

The most important step to parent involvement is helping parents to value education. Successful parent involvement often hinges on employing a wide variety of presentation methods to meet parents' needs. Foremost, parents must learn to become effective collaborators with the school. When the focus is on the value of education, a plethora of topics…

Development and application of a robust N-glycan profiling method for heightened characterization of monoclonal antibodies and related glycoproteins.

PubMed

Shang, Tanya Q; Saati, Andrew; Toler, Kelly N; Mo, Jianming; Li, Heyi; Matlosz, Tonya; Lin, Xi; Schenk, Jennifer; Ng, Chee-Keng; Duffy, Toni; Porter, Thomas J; Rouse, Jason C

2014-07-01

A highly robust hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) method that involves both fluorescence and mass spectrometric detection was developed for profiling and characterizing enzymatically released and 2-aminobenzamide (2-AB)-derivatized mAb N-glycans. Online HILIC/mass spectrometry (MS) with a quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometer provides accurate mass identifications of the separated, 2-AB-labeled N-glycans. The method features a high-resolution, low-shedding HILIC column with acetonitrile and water-based mobile phases containing trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) as a modifier. This column and solvent system ensures the combination of robust chromatographic performance and full compatibility and sensitivity with online MS in addition to the baseline separation of all typical mAb N-glycans. The use of TFA provided distinct advantages over conventional ammonium formate as a mobile phase additive, such as, optimal elution order for sialylated N-glycans, reproducible chromatographic profiles, and matching total ion current chromatograms, as well as minimal signal splitting, analyte adduction, and fragmentation during HILIC/MS, maximizing sensitivity for trace-level species. The robustness and selectivity of HILIC for N-glycan analyses allowed for method qualification. The method is suitable for bioprocess development activities, heightened characterization, and clinical drug substance release. Application of this HILIC/MS method to the detailed characterization of a marketed therapeutic mAb, Rituxan(®), is described. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

Practical Aspects of Designing and Conducting Validation Studies Involving Multi-study Trials.

PubMed

Coecke, Sandra; Bernasconi, Camilla; Bowe, Gerard; Bostroem, Ann-Charlotte; Burton, Julien; Cole, Thomas; Fortaner, Salvador; Gouliarmou, Varvara; Gray, Andrew; Griesinger, Claudius; Louhimies, Susanna; Gyves, Emilio Mendoza-de; Joossens, Elisabeth; Prinz, Maurits-Jan; Milcamps, Anne; Parissis, Nicholaos; Wilk-Zasadna, Iwona; Barroso, João; Desprez, Bertrand; Langezaal, Ingrid; Liska, Roman; Morath, Siegfried; Reina, Vittorio; Zorzoli, Chiara; Zuang, Valérie

This chapter focuses on practical aspects of conducting prospective in vitro validation studies, and in particular, by laboratories that are members of the European Union Network of Laboratories for the Validation of Alternative Methods (EU-NETVAL) that is coordinated by the EU Reference Laboratory for Alternatives to Animal Testing (EURL ECVAM). Prospective validation studies involving EU-NETVAL, comprising a multi-study trial involving several laboratories or "test facilities", typically consist of two main steps: (1) the design of the validation study by EURL ECVAM and (2) the execution of the multi-study trial by a number of qualified laboratories within EU-NETVAL, coordinated and supported by EURL ECVAM. The approach adopted in the conduct of these validation studies adheres to the principles described in the OECD Guidance Document on the Validation and International Acceptance of new or updated test methods for Hazard Assessment No. 34 (OECD 2005). The context and scope of conducting prospective in vitro validation studies is dealt with in Chap. 4 . Here we focus mainly on the processes followed to carry out a prospective validation of in vitro methods involving different laboratories with the ultimate aim of generating a dataset that can support a decision in relation to the possible development of an international test guideline (e.g. by the OECD) or the establishment of performance standards.

Force Evaluation in the Lattice Boltzmann Method Involving Curved Geometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mei, Renwei; Yu, Dazhi; Shyy, Wei; Luo, Li-Shi; Bushnell, Dennis M. (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The present work investigates two approaches for force evaluation in the lattice Boltzmann equation: the momentum- exchange method and the stress-integration method on the surface of a body. The boundary condition for the particle distribution functions on curved geometries is handled with second order accuracy based on our recent works. The stress-integration method is computationally laborious for two-dimensional flows and in general difficult to implement for three-dimensional flows, while the momentum-exchange method is reliable, accurate, and easy to implement for both two-dimensional and three-dimensional flows. Several test cases are selected to evaluate the present methods, including: (i) two-dimensional pressure-driven channel flow; (ii) two-dimensional uniform flow past a column of cylinders; (iii) two-dimensional flow past a cylinder asymmetrically placed in a channel (with vortex shedding); (iv) three-dimensional pressure-driven flow in a circular pipe; and (v) three-dimensional flow past a sphere. The drag evaluated by using the momentum-exchange method agrees well with the exact or other published results.

Effects of a novel method for enteral nutrition infusion involving a viscosity-regulating pectin solution: A multicenter randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Tabei, Isao; Tsuchida, Shigeru; Akashi, Tetsuro; Ookubo, Katsuichiro; Hosoda, Satoru; Furukawa, Yoshiyuki; Tanabe, Yoshiaki; Tamura, Yoshiko

2018-02-01

The initial complications associated with infusion of enteral nutrition (EN) for clinical and nutritional care are vomiting, aspiration pneumonia, and diarrhea. There are many recommendations to prevent these complications. A novel method involving a viscosity-regulating pectin solution has been demonstrated. In Japan, this method along with the other so-called "semi-solid EN" approaches has been widely used in practice. However, there has been no randomized clinical trial to prove the efficiency and safety of a viscosity-regulating pectin solution in EN management. Therefore, we planned and initiated a multicenter randomized controlled trial to determine the efficiency and safety. This study included 34 patients from 7 medical institutions who participated. Institutional review board (IRB) approval was obtained from all participating institutions. Patients who required EN management were enrolled and randomly assigned to the viscosity regulation of enteral feeding (VREF) group and control group. The VREF group (n = 15) was managed with the addition of a viscosity-regulating pectin solution. The control group (n = 12) was managed with conventional EN administration, usually in a gradual step-up method. Daily clinical symptoms of pneumonia, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea; defecation frequency; and stool form were observed in the 2 week trial period. The dose of EN and duration of infusion were also examined. A favorable trend for clinical symptoms was noticed in the VREF group. No significant differences were observed in episodes of pneumonia, fever, vomiting, and diarrhea between the 2 groups. An apparent reduction in infusion duration and hardening of stool form were noted in the VREF group. The novel method involving a viscosity-regulating pectin solution with EN administration can be clinically performed safely and efficiently, similar to the conventional method. Moreover, there were benefits, such as improvement in stool form, a short time for EN infusion

Determining an appropriate method for the purpose of land allocation for ecotourism development (case study: Taleghan County, Iran).

PubMed

Aliani, H; Kafaky, S Babaie; Saffari, A; Monavari, S M

2016-11-01

Appropriate management and planning of suitable areas for the development of ecotourism activities can play an important role in ensuring proper use of the environment. Due to the complexity of nature, applying different tools and models-particularly multi-criteria methods-can be useful in order to achieve these goals. In this study, to indicate suitable areas (land allocation) for ecotourism activities in Taleghan county, weighted linear combination (WLC) using geographical information system (GIS), fuzzy logic, and analytical network process (ANP) were used. To compare the applicability of each of these methods in achieving the goal, the results were compared with the previous model presented by Makhdoum. The results showed that the WLC and ANP methods are more efficient than the Makhdoum model in allocating lands for recreational areas and ecotourism purposes since concomitant use of fuzzy logic and ANP for ranking and weighing the criteria provides us with more flexible and logical conditions. Furthermore, the mentioned method makes it possible to involve ecological, economic, and social criteria simultaneously in the evaluation process in order to allocate land for ecotourism purposes.

Organizational member involvement in physical activity coalitions across the United States: development and testing of a novel survey instrument for assessing coalition functioning.

PubMed

Bornstein, Daniel B; Pate, Russell R; Beets, Michael W; Saunders, Ruth P; Blair, Steven N

2015-06-01

Coalitions are often composed of member organizations. Member involvement is thought to be associated with coalition success. No instrument currently exists for evaluating organizational member involvement in physical activity coalitions. This study aimed to develop a survey instrument for evaluating organizational member involvement in physical activity coalitions. The study was carried out in three phases: (a) developing a draft survey, (b) assessing the content validity of the draft survey, and (c) assessing the underlying factor structure, reliability, and validity of the survey. A cross-sectional design was employed. In Phase 1, a team of experts in survey development produced a draft survey. In Phase 2, the content validity of the draft survey was evaluated by a panel of individuals with expertise in physical activity coalitions. In Phase 3, the survey was administered to 120 individuals on local-, state-, and national-level physical activity coalitions. Responses were subjected to an exploratory factor analysis in order to determine the survey's underlying factor structure, reliability, and validity. Phases 1 and 2yielded a survey instrument with demonstrated content validity. Phase 3 yielded a three-factor model with three subscales: Strategic Alignment, Organizational Alignment, and Providing Input. Each subscale demonstrated high internal consistency reliability and construct validity. The survey instrument developed here demonstrated sound psychometric properties and provides new insight into organizational member involvement in physical activity coalitions. This instrument may be an important tool in developing a more complete picture of coalition functioning in physical activity coalitions specifically and health-based coalitions overall. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

A bootstrapping method for development of Treebank

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zarei, F.; Basirat, A.; Faili, H.; Mirain, M.

2017-01-01

Using statistical approaches beside the traditional methods of natural language processing could significantly improve both the quality and performance of several natural language processing (NLP) tasks. The effective usage of these approaches is subject to the availability of the informative, accurate and detailed corpora on which the learners are trained. This article introduces a bootstrapping method for developing annotated corpora based on a complex and rich linguistically motivated elementary structure called supertag. To this end, a hybrid method for supertagging is proposed that combines both of the generative and discriminative methods of supertagging. The method was applied on a subset of Wall Street Journal (WSJ) in order to annotate its sentences with a set of linguistically motivated elementary structures of the English XTAG grammar that is using a lexicalised tree-adjoining grammar formalism. The empirical results confirm that the bootstrapping method provides a satisfactory way for annotating the English sentences with the mentioned structures. The experiments show that the method could automatically annotate about 20% of WSJ with the accuracy of F-measure about 80% of which is particularly 12% higher than the F-measure of the XTAG Treebank automatically generated from the approach proposed by Basirat and Faili [(2013). Bridge the gap between statistical and hand-crafted grammars. Computer Speech and Language, 27, 1085-1104].

Recent Developments and Applications of the MMPBSA Method

PubMed Central

Wang, Changhao; Greene, D'Artagnan; Xiao, Li; Qi, Ruxi; Luo, Ray

2018-01-01

The Molecular Mechanics Poisson-Boltzmann Surface Area (MMPBSA) approach has been widely applied as an efficient and reliable free energy simulation method to model molecular recognition, such as for protein-ligand binding interactions. In this review, we focus on recent developments and applications of the MMPBSA method. The methodology review covers solvation terms, the entropy term, extensions to membrane proteins and high-speed screening, and new automation toolkits. Recent applications in various important biomedical and chemical fields are also reviewed. We conclude with a few future directions aimed at making MMPBSA a more robust and efficient method. PMID:29367919

New Developments of the Shared Concern Method.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pikas, Anatol

2002-01-01

Reviews and describes new developments in the Shared Concern method (SCm), a tool for tackling group bullying amongst teenagers by individual talks. The psychological mechanisms of healing in the bully group and what hinders the bully therapist in eliciting them have become better clarified. The most important recent advancement of the SCm…

Structural reliability methods: Code development status