An analysis of narratives to identify critical thinking contexts in psychiatric clinical practice.

PubMed

Mun, Mi Suk

2010-02-01

The development of students' critical thinking abilities is one of the greatest challenges facing contemporary nursing educators. Nursing educators should know about what kind of contents or situations need critical thinking. The research was undertaken to identify the critical thinking contexts that nursing students confront in psychiatric clinical practices. Students were asked to document their everyday experience. The narratives were analysed and interpreted from the philosophical notion of hermeneutics. Four themes emerged as critical thinking contexts: anxiety, conflict, hyper-awareness, dilemmas. Writing narratives appear to provide opportunities for reflection in addition to facilitating critical thinking and communicative skills in students. Also, for the instructor, students' clinical narratives could provide insight to understand how students are thinking and to share student's personal difficulties.

Parametric analyses of planned flowing uranium hexafluoride critical experiments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rodgers, R. J.; Latham, T. S.

1976-01-01

Analytical investigations were conducted to determine preliminary design and operating characteristics of flowing uranium hexafluoride (UF6) gaseous nuclear reactor experiments in which a hybrid core configuration comprised of UF6 gas and a region of solid fuel will be employed. The investigations are part of a planned program to perform a series of experiments of increasing performance, culminating in an approximately 5 MW fissioning uranium plasma experiment. A preliminary design is described for an argon buffer gas confined, UF6 flow loop system for future use in flowing critical experiments. Initial calculations to estimate the operating characteristics of the gaseous fissioning UF6 in a confined flow test at a pressure of 4 atm, indicate temperature increases of approximately 100 and 1000 K in the UF6 may be obtained for total test power levels of 100 kW and 1 MW for test times of 320 and 32 sec, respectively.

Becoming psychotherapists: Experiences of novice trainees in a beginning graduate class.

PubMed

Hill, Clara E; Sullivan, Catherine; Knox, Sarah; Schlosser, Lewis Z

2007-12-01

The authors investigated the experiences related to becoming psychotherapists for 5 counseling psychology doctoral trainees in their first prepracticum course. Qualitative analyses of weekly journals indicated that trainees discussed challenges related to becoming psychotherapists (e.g., being self-critical, having troubling reactions to clients, learning to use helping skills), gains made during the semester related to becoming psychotherapists (e.g., using helping skills more effectively, becoming less self-critical, being able to connect with clients), as well as experiences in supervision and activities that helped them cope with their anxieties. Results are discussed in 5 broad areas: feelings about self in role of psychotherapist, awareness of reactions to clients, learning and using helping skills, reactions to supervision, and experiences that fostered growth. Implications for training and research are provided. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved).

Widening Access through Openness in Higher Education in the Developing World: A Bourdieusian Field Analysis of Experiences from the National Open University of Nigeria

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olakulehin, Felix Kayode; Singh, Gurmit

2013-01-01

Bourdieu has argued that higher education is a field that reproduces social inequality, thus complicating how openness widens access to higher education in the developing world. Drawing on the experiences of the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN), this paper critically analyses and evaluates the rationale, approach, difficulties,…

A systematic review of critical thinking in nursing education.

PubMed

Chan, Zenobia C Y

2013-03-01

This review aimed to explore how critical thinking is perceived in previous studies of nursing education, and analyse the obstacles and strategies in teaching and learning critical thinking mentioned in these studies. Systematic review. This review was based on the following five databases: The British Nursing Index, Ovid Medline, CINAHL, PsycINFO and Scopus. After the screening process and evaluation through using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme tool, 17 studies were identified that met the inclusion and quality criteria. The studies were read through several times and analysed through thematic synthesis. A total of three themes were developed. The first theme, components for critical thinkers, suggests the abilities and attitudes that critical thinkers should have. The other two themes, influential factors of critical thinking in nursing education, and strategies to promote critical thinking, describe the obstacles and strategies in teaching and learning critical thinking. The 17 studies illustrated that the definition and concept of critical thinking may change from time to time, and hence there is a need to clarify educators' perspective towards critical thinking. There is also a need to evaluate the efficacy of the new strategies mentioned in several selected studies, such as art-based, questioning, cross-cultural nursing experience, and preceptorship. With a better understanding of critical thinking in nursing education, educators and nursing faculty are able to develop better strategies in enhancing critical thinking development in nursing students, in turn preparing them for future clinical practice. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Status Report on Scoping Reactor Physics and Sensitivity/Uncertainty Analysis of LR-0 Reactor Molten Salt Experiments

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

Brown, Nicholas R.; Mueller, Donald E.; Patton, Bruce W.

2016-08-31

Experiments are being planned at Research Centre Rež (RC Rež) to use the FLiBe (2 7LiF-BeF 2) salt from the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) to perform reactor physics measurements in the LR-0 low power nuclear reactor. These experiments are intended to inform on neutron spectral effects and nuclear data uncertainties for advanced reactor systems utilizing FLiBe salt in a thermal neutron energy spectrum. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is performing sensitivity/uncertainty (S/U) analysis of these planned experiments as part of the ongoing collaboration between the United States and the Czech Republic on civilian nuclear energy research and development. Themore » objective of these analyses is to produce the sensitivity of neutron multiplication to cross section data on an energy-dependent basis for specific nuclides. This report provides a status update on the S/U analyses of critical experiments at the LR-0 Reactor relevant to fluoride salt-cooled high temperature reactor (FHR) and liquid-fueled molten salt reactor (MSR) concepts. The S/U analyses will be used to inform design of FLiBe-based experiments using the salt from MSRE.« less

Parenting Characteristics Associated with Anxiety and Depression: A Multivariate Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anhalt, Karla; Morris, Tracy L.

2008-01-01

This study examined the association between perceived parenting factors and symptoms of social anxiety, generalized anxiety and depression. Participants rated experiences with their mothers and fathers with regard to parental care, overprotection, criticism, parent-adolescent attachment, and family sociability. Regression analyses examined the…

Recall of threat and submissiveness in childhood and psychopathology: the mediator effect of self-criticism.

PubMed

Castilho, Paula; Pinto-Gouveia, José; Amaral, Vânia; Duarte, Joana

2014-01-01

Research has robustly shown that early negative parenting experiences are associated with psychopathology and self-criticism in adulthood. This study investigates recall of personal feelings of perceived threat and subordination in childhood and its relation to psychopathology. In addition, we explore the mediator role of self-criticism in this association. A sample of 193 subjects from the general population completed self-report questionnaires measuring the study variables. The mediator analyses suggested that the impact of submissiveness experiences in childhood on depression and anxiety is mediated by self-criticism. Our findings highlight the route through which the recall of personal feelings of perceived involuntary subordination to parents contributes to depression and anxiety in adulthood. Although the relation between early experiences of abuse and later psychological problems is now well established, there has been less study on subtler forms of threat and subordinate behaviour in childhood. Given ours and previous findings, therapists should be aware of, and prone to explore, these early experiences. Most studies exploring early negative experiences mainly refer to attachment theory-related constructs (e.g., attachment style). We also highlight the importance of noting rank structure and rank style in the family. Self-criticism seems to be a key process in the relation between early aversive experiences of subordination and psychopathology. Given the idea that self-reassuring operates through a different affect system, helping people develop inner warmth and compassion for the self may be important to counteract feelings of self-hatred and self-attack. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

NASA DOEPOD NDE Capabilities Data Book

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Generazio, Edward R.

2015-01-01

This data book contains the Directed Design of Experiments for Validating Probability of Detection (POD) Capability of NDE Systems (DOEPOD) analyses of the nondestructive inspection data presented in the NTIAC, Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) Capabilities Data Book. DOEPOD is designed as a decision support system to validate inspection system, personnel, and protocol demonstrating 0.90 POD with 95% confidence at critical flaw sizes, a90/95. Although 0.90 POD with 95% confidence at critical flaw sizes is often stated as an inspection requirement in inspection documents, including NASA Standards, NASA critical aerospace applications have historically only accepted 0.978 POD or better with a 95% one-sided lower confidence bound exceeding 0.90 at critical flaw sizes, a90/95.

Contesting Contained Bodily Coaching Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Richard

2013-01-01

Through critical readings of several images and texts, including photographs and artifacts in this collected montage, my aim here is to use multiple interactional analyses (visual culture techniques and deconstructive techniques) to assist in the critique of these presented visual images that represent current coaching policies in the USA.

Insights on compassion and patient-centred nursing in intensive care: A constructivist grounded theory.

PubMed

Jakimowicz, Samantha; Perry, Lin; Lewis, Joanne

2018-04-01

To explore patient-centred nursing, compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue from intensive care nurses' perspectives. Compassion satisfaction and compassion fatigue can influence critical care nurses' decisions to either continue or leave the profession, and could impact the compassionate patient-centred nursing care patients receive during their ICU admission. This qualitative research design was informed by Charmaz's Grounded Theory Constructivist methodology. In-depth interviews were conducted with 21 critical care nurses of two ICUs in Australia during 2016. Interview data were analysed using grounded theory processes. Findings reflected positive and negative impacts on critical care nurses' ability to deal compassionately with their patients. Effects on patient-centred nursing and critical care nurses' own well-being were revealed. A core category of "Expectations" emerged, explaining the tension between critical care nurses' biomedical, clinical skills and knowledge versus compassionate, patient-centred nursing care. This tension was clarified and expanded in subcategories of "Life in the Balance," "Passion and Pressure," "Understanding and Advocacy" and "Tenacity and Fragility". Providing patient-centred nursing may enhance critical care nurses' experience of compassion satisfaction, in turn impacting delivery of compassionate patient-centred nursing to generate a virtuous circle. Critical care nurses who feel respected and supported by their management team and colleagues experience feelings of compassion satisfaction, leading to greater engagement and care towards their patient. Systematically addressing critical care nurses' needs to successfully balance biomedical with compassionate nursing care may lead to greater well-being in the critical care nursing workforce and improve patient experience of intensive care. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Interpersonal problems, dependency, and self-criticism in major depressive disorder.

PubMed

Dinger, Ulrike; Barrett, Marna S; Zimmermann, Johannes; Schauenburg, Henning; Wright, Aidan G C; Renner, Fritz; Zilcha-Mano, Sigal; Barber, Jacques P

2015-01-01

The goal of the present research was the examination of overlap between 2 research traditions on interpersonal personality traits in major depression. We hypothesized that Blatt's (2004) dimensions of depressive experiences around the dimensions of relatedness (i.e., dependency) and self-definition (i.e., self-criticism) are associated with specific interpersonal problems according to the interpersonal circumplex model (Leary, 1957). In addition, we examined correlations of interpersonal characteristics with depression severity. Analyses were conducted on 283 patients with major depressive disorder combined from 2 samples. Of the patients, 151 participated in a randomized controlled trial in the United States, and 132 patients were recruited in an inpatient unit in Germany. Patients completed measures of symptomatic distress, interpersonal problems, and depressive experiences. Dependency was associated with more interpersonal problems related to low dominance and high affiliation, while self-criticism was associated with more interpersonal problems related to low affiliation. These associations were independent of depression severity. Self-criticism showed high overlap with cognitive symptoms of depression. The findings support the interpersonal nature of Blatt's dimensions of depressive experiences. Self-criticism is associated with being too distant or cold toward others as well as greater depression severity, but is not related to the dimension of dominance. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

How Do Pharmacists Develop into Advanced Level Practitioners? Learning from the Experiences of Critical Care Pharmacists.

PubMed

Seneviratne, Ruth E; Bradbury, Helen; Bourne, Richard S

2017-07-07

The national UK standards for critical care highlight the need for clinical pharmacists to practise at an advanced level (equivalent to Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Great Britain, Faculty Advanced Stage II (MFRPSII)) and above. Currently the UK is unable to meet the workforce capacity requirements set out in the national standards in terms of numbers of pharmacist working at advanced level and above. The aim of this study was to identify the strategies, barriers and challenges to achieving Advanced Level Practice (ALP) by learning from the experiences of advanced level critical care pharmacists within the UK. Eight participants were recruited to complete semi-structured interviews on their views and experiences of ALP. The interviews were analysed thematically and three overarching themes were identified; support, work-based learning and reflective practice. The results of this study highlight that to increase the number of MFRPSII level practitioners within critical care support for their ALP development is required. This support involves developing face-to-face access to expert critical care pharmacists within a national training programme. Additionally, chief pharmacists need to implement drivers including in house mentorship and peer review programmes and the need to align job descriptions and appraisals to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Great Britain, Advanced Practice Framework (APF).

How Do Pharmacists Develop into Advanced Level Practitioners? Learning from the Experiences of Critical Care Pharmacists

PubMed Central

Seneviratne, Ruth E.; Bradbury, Helen

2017-01-01

The national UK standards for critical care highlight the need for clinical pharmacists to practise at an advanced level (equivalent to Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Great Britain, Faculty Advanced Stage II (MFRPSII)) and above. Currently the UK is unable to meet the workforce capacity requirements set out in the national standards in terms of numbers of pharmacist working at advanced level and above. The aim of this study was to identify the strategies, barriers and challenges to achieving Advanced Level Practice (ALP) by learning from the experiences of advanced level critical care pharmacists within the UK. Eight participants were recruited to complete semi-structured interviews on their views and experiences of ALP. The interviews were analysed thematically and three overarching themes were identified; support, work-based learning and reflective practice. The results of this study highlight that to increase the number of MFRPSII level practitioners within critical care support for their ALP development is required. This support involves developing face-to-face access to expert critical care pharmacists within a national training programme. Additionally, chief pharmacists need to implement drivers including in house mentorship and peer review programmes and the need to align job descriptions and appraisals to the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, Great Britain, Advanced Practice Framework (APF). PMID:28970450

Self-criticism, dependency, and stress reactivity: an experience sampling approach to testing Blatt and Zuroff's (1992) theory of personality predispositions to depression in high-risk youth.

PubMed

Adams, Philippe; Abela, John R Z; Auerbach, Randy; Skitch, Steven

2009-11-01

S. J. Blatt and D. C. Zuroff's 1992 theory of personality predispositions to depression posits that individuals who possess high levels of self-criticism and/or dependency are vulnerable to developing depression following negative events. The current study used experience sampling methodology to test this theory in a sample of 49 children ages 7 to 14. Children completed measures of dependency, self-criticism, and depressive symptoms. Subsequently, children were given a handheld computer that signaled them to complete measures of depressive symptoms and negative events at randomly selected times over 2 months. Results of hierarchical linear modeling analyses indicated that higher levels of both self-criticism and dependency were associated with greater elevations in depressive symptoms following negative events. Furthermore, each personality predisposition remained a significant predictor of such elevations after controlling for the interaction between the other personality predisposition and negative events. The results suggest that dependency and self-criticism represent distinct vulnerability factors to depression in youth.

An Approach for Validating Actinide and Fission Product Burnup Credit Criticality Safety Analyses--Criticality (keff) Predictions

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

Scaglione, John M; Mueller, Don; Wagner, John C

2011-01-01

One of the most significant remaining challenges associated with expanded implementation of burnup credit in the United States is the validation of depletion and criticality calculations used in the safety evaluation - in particular, the availability and use of applicable measured data to support validation, especially for fission products. Applicants and regulatory reviewers have been constrained by both a scarcity of data and a lack of clear technical basis or approach for use of the data. U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff have noted that the rationale for restricting their Interim Staff Guidance on burnup credit (ISG-8) to actinide-only ismore » based largely on the lack of clear, definitive experiments that can be used to estimate the bias and uncertainty for computational analyses associated with using burnup credit. To address the issue of validation, the NRC initiated a project with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to (1) develop and establish a technically sound validation approach (both depletion and criticality) for commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF) criticality safety evaluations based on best-available data and methods and (2) apply the approach for representative SNF storage and transport configurations/conditions to demonstrate its usage and applicability, as well as to provide reference bias results. The purpose of this paper is to describe the criticality (k{sub eff}) validation approach, and resulting observations and recommendations. Validation of the isotopic composition (depletion) calculations is addressed in a companion paper at this conference. For criticality validation, the approach is to utilize (1) available laboratory critical experiment (LCE) data from the International Handbook of Evaluated Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiments and the French Haut Taux de Combustion (HTC) program to support validation of the principal actinides and (2) calculated sensitivities, nuclear data uncertainties, and the limited available fission product LCE data to predict and verify individual biases for relevant minor actinides and fission products. This paper (1) provides a detailed description of the approach and its technical bases, (2) describes the application of the approach for representative pressurized water reactor and boiling water reactor safety analysis models to demonstrate its usage and applicability, (3) provides reference bias results based on the prerelease SCALE 6.1 code package and ENDF/B-VII nuclear cross-section data, and (4) provides recommendations for application of the results and methods to other code and data packages.« less

Policies and Identities in Mandarin Education: The Situated Multilingualism of University-Level "Heritage" Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelleher, Ann Marie

2010-01-01

This dissertation explores complex positionings of Chinese heritage language (CHL) learners amid several intersecting discourses, including those around globalization, identity development and language policies. Using critical, qualitative methods, the study combines textual and site-based analyses, linking the language development experiences of…

Resilience and Deaf Children: A Literature Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Alys; Green, Lorraine; Rogers, Katherine

2008-01-01

The theoretical frameworks encompassed by resilience have scarcely been applied to an understanding of the experiences of deaf children and their families, nor to specific interventions in relation to this group. This article critically reviews mainstream (i.e. non-deaf-related) resilience literature to analyse its intersection with the concerns…

Comparative Cognitive Task Analyses of Experimental Science and Instructional Laboratory Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wieman, Carl

2015-01-01

Undergraduate instructional labs in physics generate intense opinions. Their advocates are passionate as to their importance for teaching physics as an experimental activity and providing "hands-on" learning experiences, while their detractors (often but not entirely students) offer harsh criticisms that they are pointless, confusing and…

Journalists' Occupational Stress: A Comparative Study between Reporting Critical Events and Domestic News.

PubMed

Monteiro, Susana; Marques-Pinto, Alexandra

2017-07-27

Nowadays, journalism is considered a stressful occupation, not only due to the stress perceived in journalists' daily work but also due to the critical, potentially traumatic events they report. However, research on journalists' occupational stress in both these professional settings is still scarce. This study aims to characterize and compare occupational stress variables perceived by journalists in their daily work and in critical scenarios. Taking the Holistic Model of Occupational Stress by Nelson and Simmons (2003) as a framework, 25 Portuguese journalists, all with experience in reporting critical events, were interviewed on their perceptions of some core variables of the model: occupational stressors, distress and eustress emotional reactions, and the consequences of these experiences on their well-being. Differences among these core variables, according to the number of deployments to a critical event, were statistically analysed in order to ascertain whether repeated exposure to trauma influenced journalists' occupational stress perceptions. The data content analysis showed that occupational stressors and emotional reactions differed across settings, while the consequences associated with journalists' experiences were perceived as being mainly negative in both occupational contexts. Significant differences were identified in some of these variables according to the number of deployments to a critical event (p < .05). These findings may contribute to a reflection on the role of media organizations in preparing and supporting journalists in their work performance, and on the promotion of occupational health within the scope of journalists' daily work and critical events. The article closes with considerations for future studies.

Mesoscale Thermodynamic Analysis of Atomic-Scale Dislocation-Obstacle Interactions Simulated by Molecular Dynamics

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

Monet, Giath; Bacon, David J; Osetskiy, Yury N

2010-01-01

Given the time and length scales in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of dislocation-defect interactions, quantitative MD results cannot be used directly in larger scale simulations or compared directly with experiment. A method to extract fundamental quantities from MD simulations is proposed here. The first quantity is a critical stress defined to characterise the obstacle resistance. This mesoscopic parameter, rather than the obstacle 'strength' designed for a point obstacle, is to be used for an obstacle of finite size. At finite temperature, our analyses of MD simulations allow the activation energy to be determined as a function of temperature. The resultsmore » confirm the proportionality between activation energy and temperature that is frequently observed by experiment. By coupling the data for the activation energy and the critical stress as functions of temperature, we show how the activation energy can be deduced at a given value of the critical stress.« less

Priming of Early Closure: Evidence for the Lexical Boost during Sentence Comprehension

PubMed Central

Traxler, Matthew J.

2014-01-01

Two self-paced reading experiments investigated priming in sentences containing “early” vs. “late closure” ambiguities. Early closure sentences impose relatively large processing costs at the point of syntactic disambiguation (Frazier & Rayner, 1982). The current study investigated a possible way to reduce processing costs. Target sentences were temporarily ambiguous and were disambiguated towards either the preferred “late” closure analysis or the dispreferred “early” closure analysis. Each target sentence was preceded by a prime that was either structurally identical or that required a different syntactic analysis. In Experiment 1, all of the prime sentences shared the same critical verb as the target (Arai et al., 2007; Carminati et al., 2008; Tooley et al., 2009, in press; Traxler et al., in press; Weber & Indefrey, 2009). In Experiment 2, verb repetition was eliminated by reorganizing the stimuli from Experiment 1. In Experiment 1, processing of the disambiguating verb was facilitated when an “early” closure target sentence followed an “early” closure prime. In Experiment 2, there were no significant priming effects, although an overall difference in processing time favored “late closure” targets. Combined analyses verified that the pattern of results in Experiment 1 differed significantly from Experiment 2. These experiments provide the first indication that “early” closure analyses can be primed and that such priming is more robust when a critical verb appears in both the prime and the target sentence. The results add to the body of data indicating a “lexical boost” for syntactic priming effects during comprehension. They have implications for theories of syntactic representation and processing (e.g., Boland & Blodgett, 2006; Vosse & Kempen, 2009; Sag et al., 2003). PMID:25750915

Formation and representation: Critical analyses of identity, supply, and demand in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mandayam Doddamane, Prabha

2011-12-01

Considerable research, policy, and programmatic efforts have been dedicated to addressing the participation of particular populations in STEM for decades. Each of these efforts claims equity-related goals; yet, they heavily frame the problem, through pervasive STEM pipeline model discourse, in terms of national needs, workforce supply, and competitiveness. This particular framing of the problem may, indeed, be counter to equity goals, especially when paired with policy that largely relies on statistical significance and broad aggregation of data over exploring the identities and experiences of the populations targeted for equitable outcomes in that policy. In this study, I used the mixed-methods approach of critical discourse and critical quantitative analyses to understand how the pipeline model ideology has become embedded within academic discourse, research, and data surrounding STEM education and work and to provide alternatives for quantitative analysis. Using critical theory as a lens, I first conducted a critical discourse analysis of contemporary STEM workforce studies with a particular eye to pipeline ideology. Next, I used that analysis to inform logistic regression analyses of the 2006 SESTAT data. This quantitative analysis compared and contrasted different ways of thinking about identity and retention. Overall, the findings of this study show that many subjective choices are made in the construction of the large-scale datasets used to inform much national science and engineering policy and that these choices greatly influence likelihood of retention outcomes.

Preliminary design report: Babcock and Wilcox BR-100 100-ton rail/barge spent fuel shipping cask

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

None

1990-02-01

The purpose of this document is to provide information on burnup credit as applied to the preliminary design of the BR-100 shipping cask. There is a brief description of the preliminary basket design and the features used to maintain a critically safe system. Following the basket description is a discussion of various criticality analyses used to evaluate burnup credit. The results from these analyses are then reviewed in the perspective of fuel burnups expected to be shipped to either the final repository or a Monitored Retrievable Storage (MRS) facility. The hurdles to employing burnup credit in the certification of anymore » cask are then outlines and reviewed. the last section gives conclusions reached as to burnup credit for the BR-100 cask, based on our analyses and experience. All information in this study refers to the cask configured to transport PWR fuel. Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) fuel satisfies the criticality requirements so that burnup credit is not needed. All calculations generated in the preparation of this report were based upon the preliminary design which will be optimized during the final design. 8 refs., 19 figs., 16 tabs.« less

Finding Balance at the Elusive Mean

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hudson, Rick A.

2012-01-01

Data analysis plays an important role in people's lives. Citizens need to be able to conduct critical analyses of statistical information in the work place, in their personal lives, and when portrayed by the media. However, becoming a conscientious consumer of statistics is a gradual process. The experiences that students have with data in the…

Sem-Analysing Events: Towards a Cultural Pedagogy of Hope

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Semetsky, Inna

2007-01-01

This paper locates the concept of learning among real-life human experiences and events. Functioning as a sign, a meaningful event can be understood in terms of a cultural extra-linguistic "text." Reading and interpreting diverse cultural "texts" are equivalent to constructing and learning critical symbolic lessons embedded in a continuous process…

Contextualising the Career Pathways of Women Principals in Hong Kong: A Critical Examination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chan, Anita Kit-wa; Ngai, George Siu-keung; Choi, Po-king

2016-01-01

The fields of gender and educational leadership have been enriched recently by analyses of national case studies from non-western contexts. By contextualising women's career development, these studies highlight the importance of including experiences other than those generated from Anglo-American-Australian contexts, thus broadening our knowledge…

Freedom to Connect: Insight Into the Existential Dimension of Transformative Learning in a Graduate Seminar

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sohn, Brian K.; Plaas, Kristina; Franklin, Karen; Dellard, Tiffany; Murphy, Brenda; Greenberg, Katherine H.; Greenberg, Neil B.; Pollio, Howard R.; Thomas, Sandra P.

2016-01-01

Previous analyses of transformational learning (TL) focused on rational or nonrational processes such as critical reflection on an uncomfortable personal situation or emotional learning. In this phenomenological study, researchers examined existential dimensions of TL. Individual interviews were analyzed to identify the lived experiences of eight…

Critical Care Interprofessional Education: Exploring Conflict and Power-Lessons Learned.

PubMed

Friend, Mary Louanne; Friend, Richard D; Ford, Cassandra; Ewell, Patrick J

2016-12-01

The purpose of this mixed-methods study was to evaluate the effects of an innovative critical care interprofessional education intervention on prelicensure nursing and medical students at a large public university. The class provided opportunities for students to (a) explore stereotypes about each respective profession, (b) examine the occurrence and effects of interprofessional conflict in high-acuity areas, and (c) explore conflict resolution techniques while learning how to perform critical care procedures as a team. A nonequivalent control group design with pretest, posttest, and focus group interviews were used. Data analyses indicated no subscales and total scores were significantly different across time or between groups. However, focus group analyses indicated that changes did occur. The findings suggest that students experience interprofessional conflict in clinical settings, yet lack the confidence and skills to effectively mitigate these behaviors. Ongoing studies to measure student empowerment and their intentions to practice collaboratively before and after graduation are recommended. [J Nurs Educ. 2016;55(12):696-700.]. Copyright 2016, SLACK Incorporated.

Analysis of benchmark critical experiments with ENDF/B-VI data sets

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

Hardy, J. Jr.; Kahler, A.C.

1991-12-31

Several clean critical experiments were analyzed with ENDF/B-VI data to assess the adequacy of the data for U{sup 235}, U{sup 238} and oxygen. These experiments were (1) a set of homogeneous U{sup 235}-H{sub 2}O assemblies spanning a wide range of hydrogen/uranium ratio, and (2) TRX-1, a simple, H{sub 2}O-moderated Bettis lattice of slightly-enriched uranium metal rods. The analyses used the Monte Carlo program RCP01, with explicit three-dimensional geometry and detailed representation of cross sections. For the homogeneous criticals, calculated k{sub crit} values for large, thermal assemblies show good agreement with experiment. This supports the evaluated thermal criticality parameters for U{supmore » 235}. However, for assemblies with smaller H/U ratios, k{sub crit} values increase significantly with increasing leakage and flux-spectrum hardness. These trends suggest that leakage is underpredicted and that the resonance eta of the ENDF/B-VI U{sup 235} is too large. For TRX-1, reasonably good agreement is found with measured lattice parameters (reaction-rate ratios). Of primary interest is rho28, the ratio of above-thermal to thermal U{sup 238} capture. Calculated rho28 is 2.3 ({+-} 1.7) % above measurement, suggesting that U{sup 238} resonance capture remains slightly overpredicted with ENDF/B-VI. However, agreement is better than observed with earlier versions of ENDF/B.« less

Implementation of critical care response team.

PubMed

Al Shimemeri, Abdullah

2014-04-01

Analyses of hospital deaths have indicated that a significant proportion of the reported deaths might have been prevented had the patients received intensive level care early enough. Over the past few decades the critical care response team has become an important means of preventing these deaths. As the proactive arm of intensive care delivery, the critical care response team places emphasis on early identification of signs of clinical deterioration, which then prompts the mobilization of intensive care brought right to the patient's bedside. However, the setting up of a critical care response team is a difficult undertaking involving different levels of cooperation between all service stakeholders, and a bringing together of professional expertise and experience in its operations. The implementation of a critical care response team often involves a high-level restructuring of a hospital's service orientation. In the present work, the various factors and different models to be considered in implementing a critical care response team are addressed.

Implementation of quality by design principles in the development of microsponges as drug delivery carriers: Identification and optimization of critical factors using multivariate statistical analyses and design of experiments studies.

PubMed

Simonoska Crcarevska, Maja; Dimitrovska, Aneta; Sibinovska, Nadica; Mladenovska, Kristina; Slavevska Raicki, Renata; Glavas Dodov, Marija

2015-07-15

Microsponges drug delivery system (MDDC) was prepared by double emulsion-solvent-diffusion technique using rotor-stator homogenization. Quality by design (QbD) concept was implemented for the development of MDDC with potential to be incorporated into semisolid dosage form (gel). Quality target product profile (QTPP) and critical quality attributes (CQA) were defined and identified, accordingly. Critical material attributes (CMA) and Critical process parameters (CPP) were identified using quality risk management (QRM) tool, failure mode, effects and criticality analysis (FMECA). CMA and CPP were identified based on results obtained from principal component analysis (PCA-X&Y) and partial least squares (PLS) statistical analysis along with literature data, product and process knowledge and understanding. FMECA identified amount of ethylcellulose, chitosan, acetone, dichloromethane, span 80, tween 80 and water ratio in primary/multiple emulsions as CMA and rotation speed and stirrer type used for organic solvent removal as CPP. The relationship between identified CPP and particle size as CQA was described in the design space using design of experiments - one-factor response surface method. Obtained results from statistically designed experiments enabled establishment of mathematical models and equations that were used for detailed characterization of influence of identified CPP upon MDDC particle size and particle size distribution and their subsequent optimization. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Working together: critical care nurses experiences of temporary staffing within Swedish health care: A qualitative study.

PubMed

Berg Jansson, Anna; Engström, Åsa

2017-08-01

The aim of this study is to describe critical care nurses (CCN's) experiences of working with or as temporary agency staff. This explorative qualitative study is based on interviews with five agency CCNs and five regular CCNs, a total of ten interviews, focusing on the interviewees' experiences of daily work and temporary agency staffing. The interviews were analysed manually and thematically following an inductive approach. Four themes that illustrate both similarities and differences between regular and temporary agency CCNs emerged: "working close to patients versus being responsible for everything", "teamwork versus independence", "both groups needed" and "opportunities and challenges". The study findings illustrate the complexity of the working situation for agency and regular staff in terms of the organisation and management of the temporary agency nurses and the opportunities and challenges faced by both groups. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Moral distress experienced by health care professionals who provide home-based palliative care.

PubMed

Brazil, Kevin; Kassalainen, Sharon; Ploeg, Jenny; Marshall, Denise

2010-11-01

Health care providers regularly encounter situations of moral conflict and distress in their practice. Moral distress may result in unfavorable outcomes for both health care providers and those in their care. The purpose of this study was to examine the experience of moral distress from a broad range of health care occupations that provide home-based palliative care as the initial step of addressing the issue. A critical incident approach was used in qualitative interviews to elicit the experiences on moral distress from 18 health care providers drawn from five home visiting organizations in south central Ontario, Canada. Most participants described at least two critical incidents in their interview generating a total of 47 critical incidents. Analyses of the critical incidents revealed 11 issues that triggered moral distress which clustered into three themes, (a) the role of informal caregivers, b) challenging clinical situations and (c) service delivery issues. The findings suggest that the training and practice environments for health care providers need to be designed to recognize the moral challenges related to day-to-day practice. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Major QTLs for critical photoperiod and vernalization underlie extensive variation in flowering in the Mimulus guttatus species complex.

PubMed

Friedman, Jannice; Willis, John H

2013-07-01

Species with extensive ranges experience highly variable environments with respect to temperature, light and soil moisture. Synchronizing the transition from vegetative to floral growth is important to employ favorable conditions for reproduction. Optimal timing of this transition might be different for semelparous annual plants and iteroparous perennial plants. We studied variation in the critical photoperiod necessary for floral induction and the requirement for a period of cold-chilling (vernalization) in 46 populations of annuals and perennials in the Mimulus guttatus species complex. We then examined critical photoperiod and vernalization QTLs in growth chambers using F(2) progeny from annual and perennial parents that differed in their requirements for flowering. We identify extensive variation in critical photoperiod, with most annual populations requiring substantially shorter day lengths to initiate flowering than perennial populations. We discover a novel type of vernalization requirement in perennial populations that is contingent on plants experiencing short days first. QTL analyses identify two large-effect QTLs which influence critical photoperiod. In two separate vernalization experiments we discover each set of crosses contain different large-effect QTLs for vernalization. Mimulus guttatus harbors extensive variation in critical photoperiod and vernalization that may be a consequence of local adaptation. © 2013 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2013 New Phytologist Trust.

Feminist Knowledge Claims, Local Knowledge, and Gender Divisions of Agricultural Labor: Constructing a Successor Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feldman, Shelley; Welsh, Rick

1995-01-01

Issues raised by feminist epistemic critiques of social science are used to examine local (farmer-based) knowledge of agriculture and its contribution to analyses of agricultural sustainability. Focuses on the on-farm gender division of labor as critical in constituting the family farm, and elaborates how different experiences of men and women…

Development of a Laboratory Project to Determine Human ABO Genotypes--Limitations Lead to Further Student Explorations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Salerno, Theresa A.

2009-01-01

A multiplex allele-specific PCR analysis was developed to identify six "common" genotypes: AA, AO, BB, BO, OO, and AB. This project included a pre-laboratory exercise that provided active learning experiences and developed critical thinking skills. This laboratory resulted in many successful analyses, which were verified by student knowledge of…

Guest Worker Programs and Canada: Towards a Foundation for Understanding the Complex Pedagogies of Transnational Labour

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sawchuk, Peter H.; Kempf, Arlo

2008-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to contextualise historically transnational labour experiences within guest worker programs in Canada and to provide a conceptual foundation for analysing work, learning and living relations with special attention to agricultural workers. Design/methodology/approach: The research is based on a critical review…

Return of the Hacker as Hero: Fictions and Realities of Teenage Technological Experts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dudek, Debra; Johnson, Nicola F.

2011-01-01

When critics consider young people's practices within cyberspace, the focus is often on negative aspects, namely cyber-bullying, obsessive behaviour, and the lack of a balanced life. Such analyses, however, may miss the agency and empowerment young people experience not only to make decisions but to have some degree of control over their lives…

A comparison of three types of stimulus material in undergraduate mental health nursing education.

PubMed

Stone, Teresa E; Levett-Jones, Tracy

2014-04-01

The paper discusses an innovative educational approach that compared the use of different textual forms as stimulus materials in the teaching of an introductory mental health course. Practitioners in many disciplines, including nursing, appreciate the value of narratives in making sense of experiences, challenging assumptions and enhancing learning: they enable exploration of reality from different perspectives and create an emotional resonance. Narratives help nursing students to uncover embedded meanings, values and beliefs; they can include written texts, illustrated texts or picture books. 180 students enrolled in an elective undergraduate nursing course. This project afforded students the choice of critically analysing (a) a chapter from one of two autobiographies, (b) an illustrated text, or (c) an illustration from a picture book. Each text was a narrative account from a personal or carer's perspective of the experience of mental illness. Their written submissions were then analysed by means of a qualitative descriptive approach. In analysis of the autobiographies students tended to paraphrase the authors' words and summarise their experiences. Those choosing the illustrated text were able to link the images and text, and provide a deeper and more insightful level of interpretation, albeit influenced by the author's personal account and expressed emotions; however, those analysing a picture book illustration demonstrated a surprising level of critical and creative thinking, and their interpretations were empathetic, insightful and thoughtful. The use of picture books, although not a common approach in nursing education, appears to engage students, challenge them to think more deeply, and stimulate their imagination. © 2013.

Oral intake evaluation in patients following critical illness: an ICU cohort study.

PubMed

Jarden, Rebecca J; Sutton-Smith, Lynsey; Boulton, Catherine

2018-04-16

Timely and adequate nutrition improves health outcomes for the critically ill patient. Despite clinical guidelines recommending early oral nutrition, survivors of critical illness experience significant nutritional deficits. This cohort study evaluates the oral nutrition intake in intensive care unit (ICU) patients who have experienced recent critical illness. The oral nutrition intake of a convenience sample of ICU patients post-critical illness was observed during a 1-month period. Data pertaining to both the amount of oral nutrition intake and factors impacting optimal oral nutrition intake were collected and analysed. Inadequate oral intake was identified in 62% of the 79 patients assessed (n = 49). This was noted early in the ICU stay, around day 1-2, for most of the patients. A significant proportion (25%) of patients remained in the hospital with poor oral intake that persisted beyond ICU day 5. Unsurprisingly, these were the patients who had longer ICU stays. Critical illness weakness was a factor in the assessment of poor oral intake. To conclude, patients who have experienced critical illness also experience suboptimal oral nutrition. The three key factors that were identified as impacting optimal oral nutrition were early removal of nasogastric tubes, critical illness weakness and poor appetite post-critical illness. Seven key recommendations are made based on this cohort study. These recommendations are related to patient assessment, monitoring, documentation and future guidelines. Future research opportunities are highlighted, including the investigation of strategies to improve the transition of patients' post-critical illness to oral nutrition. © 2018 British Association of Critical Care Nurses.

[Therapeutic restraint management in Intensive Care Units: Phenomenological approach to nursing reality].

PubMed

Acevedo-Nuevo, M; González-Gil, M T; Solís-Muñoz, M; Láiz-Díez, N; Toraño-Olivera, M J; Carrasco-Rodríguez-Rey, L F; García-González, S; Velasco-Sanz, T R; Martínez-Álvarez, A; Martin-Rivera, B E

2016-01-01

To identify nursing experience on physical restraint management in Critical Care Units. To analyse similarities and differences in nursing experience on physical restraint management according to the clinical context that they are involved in. A multicentre phenomenological study was carried out including 14 Critical Care Units in Madrid, classified according to physical restraint use: Common/systematic use, lacking/personalised use, and mixed use. Five focus groups (23 participants were selected following purposeful sampling) were convened, concluding in data saturation. Data analysis was focused on thematic content analysis following Colaizzi's method. Six main themes: Physical restraint meaning in Critical Care Units, safety (self-retreat vital devices), contribution factors, feelings, alternatives, and pending issues. Although some themes are common to the 3 Critical Care Unit types, discourse differences are found as regards to indication, feelings, systematic use of pain and sedation measurement tools. In order to achieve real physical restraint reduction in Critical Care Units, it is necessary to have a deep understanding of restraints use in the specific clinical context. As self-retreat vital devices emerge as central concept, some interventions proposed in other settings could not be effective, requiring alternatives for critical care patients. Discourse variations laid out in the different Critical Care Unit types could highlight key items that determine the use and different attitudes towards physical restraint. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. y SEEIUC. All rights reserved.

An exploration of deaf women's access to mental health nurse education in the United Kingdom.

PubMed

Sharples, Naomi

2013-09-01

Historically deaf people have been denied access to professional nurse education due to a range of language, communication and ideological barriers. The following study was set in the North of England and draws upon the Western experience and knowledge base of deaf people's experience of access to professional education. The aim of this study was to understand the experiences of the first British Sign Language using deaf qualified nurses before they entered the Pre-registration Diploma in Nursing Programme, during the programme and after the programme as they progressed into professional nursing roles. The purpose of the study was to gather the nurses' thoughts and feelings about their experiences and to analyse these using thematic analysis within a narrative interpretive tradition against a backdrop of Jurgen Habermas' critical theory and Paulo Freire's critical pedagogy. By drawing out significant themes to structure a deeper understanding of the nurses' unique positions, they offer a model for inclusive education practice that would support deaf people and people from minority groups into nursing and other health care professions. The signed narratives were video recorded and interpreted into written English transcripts which were then analysed to discover the underlying themes using Boyatzis' (1998) thematic analysis. The findings are set against an historical and contemporary setting of deaf people in Western society, their experiences of education, health and employment. These unique findings illustrate the significance of an accessible language environment for the nurses, the role of the organisation in ensuring access for the nurses and the impact of barriers to education and the clinical environment. The implications for education and practice supports the need to analyse the workforce required in deaf services, to scrutinize the access provided, to develop cultural competence skills, enhance the use of additional support mechanisms, generate accessible communities of practice and to draw upon the deaf nurses' own ideas and perspectives to develop accessible provision. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Crowdsourcing: It Matters Who the Crowd Are. The Impacts of between Group Variations in Recording Land Cover

PubMed Central

Mooney, Peter; Purves, Ross S.; Rocchini, Duccio; Walz, Ariane

2016-01-01

Volunteered geographical information (VGI) and citizen science have become important sources data for much scientific research. In the domain of land cover, crowdsourcing can provide a high temporal resolution data to support different analyses of landscape processes. However, the scientists may have little control over what gets recorded by the crowd, providing a potential source of error and uncertainty. This study compared analyses of crowdsourced land cover data that were contributed by different groups, based on nationality (labelled Gondor and Non-Gondor) and on domain experience (labelled Expert and Non-Expert). The analyses used a geographically weighted model to generate maps of land cover and compared the maps generated by the different groups. The results highlight the differences between the maps how specific land cover classes were under- and over-estimated. As crowdsourced data and citizen science are increasingly used to replace data collected under the designed experiment, this paper highlights the importance of considering between group variations and their impacts on the results of analyses. Critically, differences in the way that landscape features are conceptualised by different groups of contributors need to be considered when using crowdsourced data in formal scientific analyses. The discussion considers the potential for variation in crowdsourced data, the relativist nature of land cover and suggests a number of areas for future research. The key finding is that the veracity of citizen science data is not the critical issue per se. Rather, it is important to consider the impacts of differences in the semantics, affordances and functions associated with landscape features held by different groups of crowdsourced data contributors. PMID:27458924

Academic provenance: Investigation of pathways that lead students into the geosciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Houlton, Heather R.

Pathways that lead students into the geosciences as a college major have not been fully explored in the current literature, despite the recent studies on the "geoscience pipeline model." Anecdotal evidence suggests low quality geoscience curriculum in K-12 education, lack of visibility of the discipline and lack of knowledge about geoscience careers contribute to low geoscience enrollments at universities. This study investigated the reasons why college students decided to major in the geosciences. Students' interests, experiences, motivations and desired future careers were examined to develop a pathway model. In addition, self-efficacy was used to inform pathway analyses, as it is an influential factor in academic major and career choice. These results and interpretations have strong implications for recruitment and retention in academia and industry. A semi-structured interview protocol was developed, which was informed by John Flanagan's critical incident theory. The responses to this interview were used to identify common experiences that diverse students shared for reasons they became geoscience majors. Researchers used self-efficacy theory by Alfred Bandura to assess students' pathways. Seventeen undergraduate geoscience majors from two U.S. Midwest research universities were sampled for cross-comparison and analysis. Qualitative analyses led to the development of six categorical steps for the geoscience pathway. The six pathway steps are: innate attributes/interest sources, pre-college critical incidents, college critical incidents, current/near future goals, expected career attributes and desired future careers. Although, how students traversed through each step was unique for individuals, similar patterns were identified between different populations in our participants: Natives, Immigrants and Refugees. In addition, critical incidents were found to act on behavior in two different ways: to support and confirm decision-making behavior (supportive critical incidents) or to alter behavior as to change or make an initial decision (behavior altering critical incidents). Comparing and contrasting populations' distinct pathways resulted in valuable discussion for recruitment and retention initiatives for the geoscience.

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

Brown, Nicholas R.; Powers, Jeffrey J.; Mueller, Don

In September 2016, reactor physics measurements were conducted at Research Centre Rez (RC Rez) using the FLiBe (2 7LiF + BeF 2) salt from the Molten Salt Reactor Experiment (MSRE) in the LR-0 low power nuclear reactor. These experiments were intended to inform on neutron spectral effects and nuclear data uncertainties for advanced reactor systems using FLiBe salt in a thermal neutron energy spectrum. Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), in collaboration with RC Rez, performed sensitivity/uncertainty (S/U) analyses of these experiments as part of the ongoing collaboration between the United States and the Czech Republic on civilian nuclear energy researchmore » and development. The objectives of these analyses were (1) to identify potential sources of bias in fluoride salt-cooled and salt-fueled reactor simulations resulting from cross section uncertainties, and (2) to produce the sensitivity of neutron multiplication to cross section data on an energy-dependent basis for specific nuclides. This report provides a final report on the S/U analyses of critical experiments at the LR-0 Reactor relevant to fluoride salt-cooled high temperature reactor (FHR) and liquid-fueled molten salt reactor (MSR) concepts. In the future, these S/U analyses could be used to inform the design of additional FLiBe-based experiments using the salt from MSRE. The key finding of this work is that, for both solid and liquid fueled fluoride salt reactors, radiative capture in 7Li is the most significant contributor to potential bias in neutronics calculations within the FLiBe salt.« less

The experience of sleep deprivation in intensive care patients: findings from a larger hermeneutic phenomenological study.

PubMed

Tembo, Agness C; Parker, Vicki; Higgins, Isabel

2013-12-01

Sleep deprivation in critically ill patients has been well documented for more than 30 years. Despite the large body of literature, sleep deprivation remains a significant concern in critically ill patients in intensive care unit (ICU). This paper discusses sleep deprivation in critically ill patients as one of the main findings from a study that explored the lived experiences of critically ill patients in ICU with daily sedation interruption (DSI). Twelve participants aged between 20 and 76 years with an ICU stay ranging from three to 36 days were recruited from a 16 bed ICU in a large regional referral hospital in New South Wales (NSW), Australia. Participants were intubated, mechanically ventilated and subjected to daily sedation interruption during their critical illness in ICU. In-depth face to face interviews with the participants were conducted at two weeks after discharge from ICU. A second interview was conducted with eight participants six to eleven months later. Interviews were audio taped and transcribed. Data were analysed thematically. "Longing for sleep" and "being tormented by nightmares" capture the experiences and concerns of some of the participants. The findings suggest a need for models of care that seek to support restful sleep and prevent or alleviate sleep deprivation and nightmares. These models of care need to promote both quality and quantity of sleep in and beyond ICU and identify patients suffering from sleep deprivation to make appropriate referrals for treatment and support. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Critical care nurses' experiences of caring for a dying child: A qualitative evidence synthesis.

PubMed

Grimston, Mitchell; Butler, Ashleigh E; Copnell, Beverley

2018-05-05

To synthesise qualitative research examining the experience of critical care nurses caring for a dying child. Caring for a dying child remains one of the most difficult aspects of nursing, potentially leading to personal and professional distress. A thorough understanding of this experience for critical care nurses allows for improved delivery of care and support for the nurse. A qualitative evidence synthesis was undertaken, informed by Thomas and Harden's thematic synthesis methodology. Studies were retrieved from CINAHL Plus, Scopus, OVID Medline and Embase, alongside hand-searching reference lists in February 2016. Two reviewers independently assessed each study using a multi-step screening process and performed critical appraisal of each included study. Data were extracted onto a pre-developed tool and analysed using thematic analysis. There is a blurred line between the role of the nurse as a person or a professional while caring for the child and family throughout hospitalisation and during and after the death. Each stage of care involves tasks and emotions that highlight the changing dominance of the nurse as either a person or professional. Personal, interpersonal and contextual factors affect delivery of care and impact of the death of the child on the critical care nurse. Reviewing individual and institutional practices could improve provision of care, inter-professional collaboration and support provided to staff involved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Information at the edge of chaos in fluid neural networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Solé, Ricard V.; Miramontes, Octavio

1995-01-01

Fluid neural networks, defined as neural nets of mobile elements with random activation, are studied by means of several approaches. They are proposed as a theoretical framework for a wide class of systems as insect societies, collectives of robots or the immune system. The critical properties of this model are also analysed, showing the existence of a critical boundary in parameter space where maximum information transfer occurs. In this sense, this boundary is in fact an example of the “edge of chaos” in systems like those described in our approach. Recent experiments with ant colonies seem to confirm our result.

An Approach for Validating Actinide and Fission Product Burnup Credit Criticality Safety Analyses: Criticality (k eff) Predictions

DOE PAGES

Scaglione, John M.; Mueller, Don E.; Wagner, John C.

2014-12-01

One of the most important remaining challenges associated with expanded implementation of burnup credit in the United States is the validation of depletion and criticality calculations used in the safety evaluation—in particular, the availability and use of applicable measured data to support validation, especially for fission products (FPs). Applicants and regulatory reviewers have been constrained by both a scarcity of data and a lack of clear technical basis or approach for use of the data. In this study, this paper describes a validation approach for commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF) criticality safety (k eff) evaluations based on best-available data andmore » methods and applies the approach for representative SNF storage and transport configurations/conditions to demonstrate its usage and applicability, as well as to provide reference bias results. The criticality validation approach utilizes not only available laboratory critical experiment (LCE) data from the International Handbook of Evaluated Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiments and the French Haut Taux de Combustion program to support validation of the principal actinides but also calculated sensitivities, nuclear data uncertainties, and limited available FP LCE data to predict and verify individual biases for relevant minor actinides and FPs. The results demonstrate that (a) sufficient critical experiment data exist to adequately validate k eff calculations via conventional validation approaches for the primary actinides, (b) sensitivity-based critical experiment selection is more appropriate for generating accurate application model bias and uncertainty, and (c) calculated sensitivities and nuclear data uncertainties can be used for generating conservative estimates of bias for minor actinides and FPs. Results based on the SCALE 6.1 and the ENDF/B-VII.0 cross-section libraries indicate that a conservative estimate of the bias for the minor actinides and FPs is 1.5% of their worth within the application model. Finally, this paper provides a detailed description of the approach and its technical bases, describes the application of the approach for representative pressurized water reactor and boiling water reactor safety analysis models, and provides reference bias results based on the prerelease SCALE 6.1 code package and ENDF/B-VII nuclear cross-section data.« less

Just methods in revolting times

PubMed Central

Fine, Michelle

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT This article takes up the challenge of critical methods in “revolting times,” as we conduct qualitative research on (in)justice festering within repulsive inequality gaps, and yet surrounded by the thrill of radical social movements dotting the globe. I introduce a call for “critical bifocality,” a term coined by Lois Weis and myself, to argue for research designs that interrogate how history, structures, and lives shape, reveal, and refract the conditions we study. Borrowing from critical researchers long gone, W. E. B. Du Bois in his text The Philadelphia Negro and Marie Jahoda in her stunning case study Marienthal, I offer up a set of epistemological muddles and methodological experiments, hoping to incite a conversation about our responsibilities as critical psychologists in deeply contentious times, refusing downstream analyses and resurrecting instead what Edward Said called “lost causes.” PMID:27812314

Contrasting geographic patterns of genetic differentiation in body size and development time with reproductive isolation in Dendroctonus ponderosae (Coleoptera: Curculionidae, Scolytinae)

Treesearch

Ryan R. Bracewell; Michael E. Pfrender; Karen E. Mock; Barbara J. Bentz

2013-01-01

Body size and development time are two critical phenotypic traits that can be highly adaptive in insects. Recent population genetic analyses and crossing experiments with the mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) have described substantial levels of neutral molecular genetic differentiation, genetic differences in phenotypic traits, and reproductive...

The Colour of Skill: Contesting a Racialised Regime of Skill from the Experience of Recent Immigrants in Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guo, Shibao

2015-01-01

This article contests a racialised skills regime in Canada. Canadian studies of the labour market transitions of skilled immigrants are analysed through the lens of critical race theory. The analysis shows that knowledge and skills of recent immigrants in Canada are racialised and materialised on the basis of ethnic and national origins. Skin…

Experiences and needs of parents of critically injured children during the acute hospital phase: A qualitative investigation.

PubMed

Foster, Kim; Young, Alexandra; Mitchell, Rebecca; Van, Connie; Curtis, Kate

2017-01-01

Physical injury is a leading cause of death and disability among children worldwide and the largest cause of paediatric hospital admission. Parents of critically injured children are at increased risk of developing mental and emotional distress in the aftermath of child injury. In the Australian context, there is limited evidence on parent experiences of child injury and hospitalisation, and minimal understanding of their support needs. The aim of this investigation was to explore parents' experiences of having a critically injured child during the acute hospitalisation phase of injury, and to determine their support needs during this time. This multi-centre study forms part of a larger longitudinal mixed methods study investigating the experiences, unmet needs and well-being of parents of critically injured children over the two-year period following injury. This paper describes parents' experiences of having a child 0-13 years hospitalised with critical injury in one of four Australian paediatric hospitals. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with forty parents and transcribed verbatim. The data were managed using NVIVO 10 software and thematically analysed. Forty parents (26 mothers and 14 fathers) of 30 children (14 girls and 16 boys aged 1-13 years) from three Australian States participated. The majority of children were Australian born. Three main themes with sub-themes were identified: navigating the crisis of child injury; coming to terms with the complexity of child injury; and finding ways to meet the family's needs. There is a need for targeted psychological care provision for parents of critically injured children in the acute hospital phase, including psychological first aid and addressing parental blame attribution. Parents and children would benefit from the implementation of anticipatory guidance frameworks informed by a family-centred social ecological approach to prepare them for the trauma journey and for discharge. This approach could inform care delivery throughout the child injury recovery trajectory. The development and implementation of a major trauma family support coordinator in paediatric trauma centres would make a tangible difference to the care of critically injured children and their families. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Recalled peer relationship experiences and current levels of self-criticism and self-reassurance.

PubMed

Kopala-Sibley, Daniel C; Zuroff, David C; Leybman, Michelle J; Hope, Nora

2013-03-01

Numerous studies have shown that personality factors may increase or decrease individuals' vulnerability to depression, but little research has examined the role of peer relationships in the development of these factors. Accordingly, this study examined the role of recalled parenting and peer experiences in the development of self-criticism and self-reassurance. It was hypothesized that, controlling for recalled parenting behaviours, specific recalled experiences of peer relationships would be related to current levels of specific forms of self-criticism and self-reassurance. Hypotheses were tested using a retrospective design in which participants were asked to recall experiences of parenting and peer relationships during early adolescence. This age was chosen as early adolescence has been shown to be a critical time for the development of vulnerability to depression. A total of 103 female and 97 male young adults completed measures of recalled parenting, overt and relational victimization and prosocial behaviour by peers, and current levels of self-criticism and self-reassurance. Hierarchical regression analyses showed that parents and peers independently contributed to the development of self-criticism and self-reassurance. Specifically, controlling for parental care and control, overt victimization predicted self-hating self-criticism, relational victimization predicted inadequacy self-criticism, and prosocial behaviour predicted self-reassurance. As well, prosocial behaviour buffered the effect of overt victimization on self-reassurance. Findings highlight the importance of peers in the development of personality risk and resiliency factors for depression, and suggest avenues for interventions to prevent the development of depressive vulnerabilities in youth. The nature of a patient's personality vulnerability to depression may be better understood through a consideration of the patient's relationships with their peers as well as with parents during adolescence. An understanding of adult patients' past peer relationships may further the therapist's understanding of the client's core schemas and dysfunctional attitudes, as well as potential transference reactions during therapy. Identifying and helping youth to better cope with peer victimization may help prevent the development of a vulnerable personality style in adulthood. Fostering positive peer relationships in adolescence may buffer the effects of other more negative relationships with peers. © 2011 The British Psychological Society.

Measuring Critical Care Providers' Attitudes About Controlled Donation After Circulatory Death.

PubMed

Rodrigue, James R; Luskin, Richard; Nelson, Helen; Glazier, Alexandra; Henderson, Galen V; Delmonico, Francis L

2018-06-01

Unfavorable attitudes and insufficient knowledge about donation after cardiac death among critical care providers can have important consequences for the appropriate identification of potential donors, consistent implementation of donation after cardiac death policies, and relative strength of support for this type of donation. The lack of reliable and valid assessment measures has hampered research to capture providers' attitudes. Design and Research Aims: Using stakeholder engagement and an iterative process, we developed a questionnaire to measure attitudes of donation after cardiac death in critical care providers (n = 112) and examined its psychometric properties. Exploratory factor analysis, internal consistency, and validity analyses were conducted to examine the measure. A 34-item questionnaire consisting of 4 factors (Personal Comfort, Process Satisfaction, Family Comfort, and System Trust) provided the most parsimonious fit. Internal consistency was acceptable for each of the subscales and the total questionnaire (Cronbach α > .70). A strong association between more favorable attitudes overall and knowledge ( r = .43, P < .001) provides evidence of convergent validity. Multivariable regression analyses showed that white race ( P = .002) and more experience with donation after cardiac death ( P < .001) were significant predictors of more favorable attitudes. Study findings support the utility, reliability, and validity of a questionnaire for measuring attitudes in critical care providers and for isolating targets for additional education on donation after cardiac death.

Audits and critical incident reporting in paediatric anaesthesia: lessons from 75,331 anaesthetics.

PubMed

Wan, Sharon; Siow, Yew Nam; Lee, Su Min; Ng, Agnes

2013-02-01

This study reports our experience of audit and critical incidents observed by paediatric anaesthetics from 2000 to 2010 at a paediatric teaching hospital in Singapore. Data pertaining to patient demographics, practices and critical incidents during anaesthesia and in the perioperative period were prospectively collected via an audit form and retrospectively analysed thereafter. A total of 2,519 incidents were noted at the 75,331 anaesthetics performed during the study period. There were nine deaths reported. The majority of incidents reported were respiratory critical incidents (n = 1,757, 69.8%), followed by cardiovascular incidents (n = 238, 9.5%). Risk factors for critical incidents included age less than one year, and preterm and former preterm children. Critical incident reporting has value, as it provides insights into the system and helps to identify active and system errors, thus enabling the formulation of effective preventive strategies. By creating and maintaining an environment that encourages reporting, we have maintained a high and consistent reporting rate through the years. The teaching of analysis of critical incidents should be regarded by all clinicians as an important tool for improving patient safety.

Role strain among male RNs in the critical care setting: Perceptions of an unfriendly workplace.

PubMed

Carte, Nicholas S; Williams, Collette

2017-12-01

Traditionally, nursing has been a female-dominated profession. Men employed as registered nurses have been in the minority and little is known about the experiences of this demographic. The purpose of this descriptive, quantitative study was to understand the relationship between the variables of demographics and causes of role strain among male nurses in critical care settings. The Sherrod Role Strain Scale assesses role strain within the context of role conflict, role overload, role ambiguity and role incongruity. Data analysis of the results included descriptive and inferential statistics. Inferential statistics involved the use of repeated measures ANOVA testing for significant difference in the causes of role strain between male nurses employed in critical care settings and a post hoc comparison of specific demographic data using multivariate analyses of variance (MANOVAs). Data from 37 male nurses in critical care settings from the northeast of the United States were used to calculate descriptive statistics standard deviation, mean of the data analysis and results of the repeated ANOVA and the post hoc secondary MANOVA analysis. The descriptive data showed that all participants worked full-time. There was an even split from those participants who worked day shift (46%) vs. night shift (43%), most the participants indicated they had 15 years or more experience as an registered nurse (54%). Significant findings of this study include two causes of role strain in male nurses employed in critical care settings which are: role ambiguity and role overload based on ethnicity. Consistent with previous research findings, the results of this study suggest that male registered nurses employed in critical care settings do experience role strain. The two main causes of role strain in male nurses are role ambiguity and role overload. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Experiences of Latina/o Students in "Large Schools in Drag": A Critical Analysis of an Urban Alternative High School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vélez, William; Antrop-González, René

2007-01-01

This study uses mixed methods to identify the factors linked to varying levels of academic performance among Latina/o students enrolled in an alternative high school. Results from the quantitative analyses suggest students who had highly educated fathers and who reported high levels of English literacy are very likely to be classified as academic…

Opening the Door: The Experience of Chronic Critical Illness in a Long-Term Acute Care Hospital.

PubMed

Lamas, Daniela J; Owens, Robert L; Nace, R Nicholas; Massaro, Anthony F; Pertsch, Nathan J; Gass, Jonathon; Bernacki, Rachelle E; Block, Susan D

2017-04-01

Chronically critically ill patients have recurrent infections, organ dysfunction, and at least half die within 1 year. They are frequently cared for in long-term acute care hospitals, yet little is known about their experience in this setting. Our objective was to explore the understanding and expectations and goals of these patients and surrogates. We conducted semi-structured interviews with chronically critically ill long-term acute care hospital patients or surrogates. Conversations were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. One long-term acute care hospital. Chronically critically ill patients, defined by tracheotomy for prolonged mechanical ventilation, or surrogates. Semi-structured conversation about quality of life, expectations, and planning for setbacks. A total of 50 subjects (30 patients and 20 surrogates) were enrolled. Thematic analyses demonstrated: 1) poor quality of life for patients; 2) surrogate stress and anxiety; 3) optimistic health expectations; 4) poor planning for medical setbacks; and 5) disruptive care transitions. Nearly 80% of patient and their surrogate decision makers identified going home as a goal; 38% were at home at 1 year. Our study describes the experience of chronically critically ill patients and surrogates in an long-term acute care hospital and the feasibility of patient-focused research in this setting. Our findings indicate overly optimistic expectations about return home and unmet palliative care needs, suggesting the need for integration of palliative care within the long-term acute care hospital. Further research is also needed to more fully understand the challenges of this growing population of ICU survivors.

Discrimination and the health of immigrants and refugees: exploring Canada's evidence base and directions for future research in newcomer receiving countries.

PubMed

Edge, Sara; Newbold, Bruce

2013-02-01

Research and practice increasingly suggests discrimination compromises health. Yet the unique experiences and effects facing immigrant and refugee populations remain poorly understood in Canada and abroad. We review current knowledge on discrimination against newcomers in Canada, emphasizing impacts upon health status and service access to identify gaps and research needs. Existing knowledge centers around experiences within health-care settings, differences in perception and coping, mental health impacts, and debates about "non-discriminatory" health-care. There is need for comparative analyses within and across ethno-cultural groups and newcomer classes to better understand factors shaping how discrimination and its health effects are differentially experienced. Women receive greater attention in the literature given their compounded vulnerability. While this must continue, little is known about the experiences of youth and men. Governance and policy discourse analyses would elucidate how norms, institutions and practices shape discriminatory attitudes and responses. Finally, "non-discriminatory health-care" interventions require critical evaluation to determine their effectiveness.

Cognitive group therapy for depressive students: The case study

PubMed Central

Tiuraniemi, Juhani; Korhola, Jarno

2009-01-01

The aims of this study were to assess whether a course of cognitive group therapy could help depressed students and to assess whether assimilation analysis offers a useful way of analysing students' progress through therapy. “Johanna” was a patient in a group that was designed for depressive students who had difficulties with their studies. The assimilation of Johanna's problematic experience progressed as the meetings continued from level one (unpleasant thoughts) to level six (solving the problem). Johanna's problematic experience manifested itself as severe and excessive criticism towards herself and her study performance. As the group meetings progressed, Johanna found a new kind of tolerance that increased her determination and assertiveness regarding the studies. The dialogical structure of Johanna's problematic experience changed: she found hope and she was more assertive after the process. The results indicated that this kind of psycho-educational group therapy was an effective method for treating depression. The assimilation analysis offered a useful way of analysing the therapy process. PMID:20523883

Subliminal psychodynamic activation: methodological problems and questions in Silverman's experiments.

PubMed

Fudin, R

1999-08-01

Analyses of procedures in Lloyd H. Silverman's subliminal psychodynamic activation experiments identify problems and questions. Given the information provided, none of his experiments can be replicated, and none of his positive results were found under luminance conditions he reckoned in 1983 were typical of such outcomes. Furthermore, there is no evidence in any of his experiments that all stimuli were presented completely within the fovea, a condition critical to the production of positive findings (Silverman & Geisler, 1986). These considerations and the fact that no experiment using Silverman's procedures can yield unambiguous positive results (Fudin, 1986) underscore the need to start anew research in this area. Such research should be undertaken with a greater appreciation of methodological issues involved in exposing and encoding subliminal stimuli than that found in all but a few experiments on subliminal psychodynamic activation.

A Scale-up Approach for Film Coating Process Based on Surface Roughness as the Critical Quality Attribute.

PubMed

Yoshino, Hiroyuki; Hara, Yuko; Dohi, Masafumi; Yamashita, Kazunari; Hakomori, Tadashi; Kimura, Shin-Ichiro; Iwao, Yasunori; Itai, Shigeru

2018-04-01

Scale-up approaches for film coating process have been established for each type of film coating equipment from thermodynamic and mechanical analyses for several decades. The objective of the present study was to establish a versatile scale-up approach for film coating process applicable to commercial production that is based on critical quality attribute (CQA) using the Quality by Design (QbD) approach and is independent of the equipment used. Experiments on a pilot scale using the Design of Experiment (DoE) approach were performed to find a suitable CQA from surface roughness, contact angle, color difference, and coating film properties by terahertz spectroscopy. Surface roughness was determined to be a suitable CQA from a quantitative appearance evaluation. When surface roughness was fixed as the CQA, the water content of the film-coated tablets was determined to be the critical material attribute (CMA), a parameter that does not depend on scale or equipment. Finally, to verify the scale-up approach determined from the pilot scale, experiments on a commercial scale were performed. The good correlation between the surface roughness (CQA) and the water content (CMA) identified at the pilot scale was also retained at the commercial scale, indicating that our proposed method should be useful as a scale-up approach for film coating process.

Hidden, Invisible, Marginalized, Ignored: A Critical Review of the Professional and Empirical Literature (or Lack Thereof) on Gay and Lesbian Teachers in the United States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duke, Thomas Scott

2007-01-01

The author reviewed 22 articles published in professional journals related to the field of education that examined the experiences of gay and lesbian teachers and related services personnel. Ten of the 22 articles were legal analyses; five were position papers; four reported the findings of empirical research studies; three were anecdotal reports.…

Response to comment on "Hydrogen mapping of the lunar South Pole using the LRO neutron detector experiment LEND".

PubMed

Mitrofanov, I G; Boynton, W V; Litvak, M L; Sanin, A B; Starr, R D

2011-11-25

Critical comments from Lawrence et al. are considered on the capability of the collimated neutron telescope Lunar Exploration Neutron Detector (LEND) on NASA's Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) for mapping lunar epithermal neutrons, as presented in our paper. We present two different analyses to show that our previous estimated count rates are valid and support the conclusions of that paper.

A complexity basis for phenomenology: How information states at criticality offer a new approach to understanding experience of self, being and time.

PubMed

Hankey, Alex

2015-12-01

In the late 19th century Husserl studied our internal sense of time passing, maintaining that its deep connections into experience represent prima facie evidence for it as the basis for all investigations in the sciences: Phenomenology was born. Merleau-Ponty focused on perception pointing out that any theory of experience must accord with established aspects of biology i.e. be embodied. Recent analyses suggest that theories of experience require non-reductive, integrative information, together with a specific property connecting them to experience. Here we elucidate a new class of information states with just such properties found at the loci of control of complex biological systems, including nervous systems. Complexity biology concerns states satisfying self-organized criticality. Such states are located at critical instabilities, commonly observed in biological systems, and thought to maximize information diversity and processing, and hence to optimize regulation. Major results for biology follow: why organisms have unusually low entropies; and why they are not merely mechanical. Criticality states form singular self-observing systems, which reduce wave packets by processes of perfect self-observation associated with feedback gain g = 1. Analysis of their information properties leads to identification of a new kind of information state with high levels of internal coherence, and feedback loops integrated into their structure. The major idea presented here is that the integrated feedback loops are responsible for our 'sense of self', and also the feeling of continuity in our sense of time passing. Long-range internal correlations guarantee a unique kind of non-reductive, integrative information structure enabling such states to naturally support phenomenal experience. Being founded in complexity biology, they are 'embodied'; they also fulfill the statement that 'The self is a process', a singular process. High internal correlations and René Thom-style catastrophes support non-digital forms of information, gestalt cognition, and information transfer via quantum teleportation. Criticality in complexity biology can 'embody' cognitive states supporting gestalts, and phenomenology's senses of 'self,' time passing, existence and being. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Critical care nurses' knowledge and practice of delirium assessment.

PubMed

Rowley-Conwy, Gabby

2017-04-13

The aim of this study was to examine perceived barriers to assessment of delirium for critical care nurses, and the impact of education on their knowledge and practice. Delirium is a significant problem in critical care, leading to increased morbidity and mortality. Many authors have found variations in assessment by critical care nurses, but there has been limited analysis of the reasons for this. Education on the topic improves knowledge and practice, but the best approach has not been examined. A questionnaire survey design. A self-reported questionnaire was distributed to critical care nurses (n=31) at a district general hospital. Data were analysed with descriptive statistics. Knowledge and practice were variable, but correlation was seen between nursing band and years of experience with better scores. Any type of education led to significantly improved scores. Several barriers to assessment were found, with the most common being lack of knowledge and difficulty in assessing intubated patients. It is essential to improve practice in delirium assessment and management. Education is vital to improve the knowledge and practice of critical care nurses regarding delirium.

Critical analysis of adsorption data statistically

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaushal, Achla; Singh, S. K.

2017-10-01

Experimental data can be presented, computed, and critically analysed in a different way using statistics. A variety of statistical tests are used to make decisions about the significance and validity of the experimental data. In the present study, adsorption was carried out to remove zinc ions from contaminated aqueous solution using mango leaf powder. The experimental data was analysed statistically by hypothesis testing applying t test, paired t test and Chi-square test to (a) test the optimum value of the process pH, (b) verify the success of experiment and (c) study the effect of adsorbent dose in zinc ion removal from aqueous solutions. Comparison of calculated and tabulated values of t and χ 2 showed the results in favour of the data collected from the experiment and this has been shown on probability charts. K value for Langmuir isotherm was 0.8582 and m value for Freundlich adsorption isotherm obtained was 0.725, both are <1, indicating favourable isotherms. Karl Pearson's correlation coefficient values for Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherms were obtained as 0.99 and 0.95 respectively, which show higher degree of correlation between the variables. This validates the data obtained for adsorption of zinc ions from the contaminated aqueous solution with the help of mango leaf powder.

[Oncological quality indicators and Colorectal Cancer Program: data from 2009-2010 of University Hospital in Ferrara, Italy].

PubMed

Giuliani, Jacopo; Marzola, Marina; Indelli, Monica; Frassoldati, Antonio

2012-02-01

The aim of this study is to analyse the oncological quality indicators on our Colorectal Cancer Program, that are reflective of the scope of care, feasible to implement and supported by evidence. We compared two different populations during the same period: patients referring to our Clinical Oncology Unit coming from Regional Colorectal Cancer Screening Program and the other population that was not in any Colorectal Cancer Program. On the basis of our experience, we concluded for high-quality care for both population. Any critical point should be carefully analysed in order to implement quality of care.

Striatal action-value neurons reconsidered.

PubMed

Elber-Dorozko, Lotem; Loewenstein, Yonatan

2018-05-31

It is generally believed that during economic decisions, striatal neurons represent the values associated with different actions. This hypothesis is based on studies, in which the activity of striatal neurons was measured while the subject was learning to prefer the more rewarding action. Here we show that these publications are subject to at least one of two critical confounds. First, we show that even weak temporal correlations in the neuronal data may result in an erroneous identification of action-value representations. Second, we show that experiments and analyses designed to dissociate action-value representation from the representation of other decision variables cannot do so. We suggest solutions to identifying action-value representation that are not subject to these confounds. Applying one solution to previously identified action-value neurons in the basal ganglia we fail to detect action-value representations. We conclude that the claim that striatal neurons encode action-values must await new experiments and analyses. © 2018, Elber-Dorozko et al.

77 FR 51503 - Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants; Revisions to the Regulations for Impact Analyses...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-08-24

... Regulations for Impact Analyses of Critical Habitat AGENCIES: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior; National... pertaining to impact analyses conducted for designations of critical habitat under the Endangered Species Act... publication of a proposed rule to designate critical habitat. DATES: We will accept comments from all...

Parents' experiences of neonatal transfer. A meta-study of qualitative research 2000-2017.

PubMed

Aagaard, Hanne; Hall, Elisabeth O C; Ludvigsen, Mette S; Uhrenfeldt, Lisbeth; Fegran, Liv

2018-02-15

Transfers of critically ill neonates are frequent phenomena. Even though parents' participation is regarded as crucial in neonatal care, a transfer often means that parents and neonates are separated. A systematic review of the parents' experiences of neonatal transfer is lacking. This paper describes a meta-study addressing qualitative research about parents' experiences of neonatal transfer. Through deconstruction and reflections of theories, methods, and empirical data, the aim was to achieve a deeper understanding of theoretical, empirical, contextual, historical, and methodological issues of qualitative studies concerning parents' experiences of neonatal transfer over the course of this meta-study (2000-2017). Meta-theory and meta-method analyses showed that caring, transition, and family-centered care were main theoretical frames applied and that interviewing with a small number of participants was the preferred data collection method. The meta-data-analysis showed that transfer was a scary, unfamiliar, and threatening experience for the parents; they were losing familiar context, were separated from their neonate, and could feel their parenthood disrupted. We identified 'wavering and wandering' as a metaphoric representation of the parents' experiences. The findings add knowledge about meta-study as an approach for comprehensive qualitative research and point at the value of meta-theory and meta-method analyses. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Near-critical density filling of the SF6 fluid cell for the ALI-R-DECLIC experiment in weightlessness

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lecoutre, C.; Marre, S.; Garrabos, Y.; Beysens, D.; Hahn, I.

2018-05-01

Analyses of ground-based experiments on near-critical fluids to precisely determine their density can be hampered by several effects, especially the density stratification of the sample, the liquid wetting behavior at the cell walls, and a possible singular curvature of the "rectilinear" diameter of the density coexisting curve. For the latter effect, theoretical efforts have been made to understand the amplitude and shape of the critical hook of the density diameter, which depart from predictions from the so-called ideal lattice-gas model of the uniaxial 3D-Ising universality class. In order to optimize the observation of these subtle effects on the position and shape of the liquid-vapor meniscus in the particular case of SF6, we have designed and filled a cell that is highly symmetrized with respect to any median plane of the total fluid volume. In such a viewed quasi-perfect symmetrical fluid volume, the precise detection of the meniscus position and shape for different orientations of the cell with respect to the Earth's gravity acceleration field becomes a sensitive probe to estimate the cell mean density filling and to test the singular diameter effects. After integration of this cell in the ALI-R insert, we take benefit of the high optical and thermal performances of the DECLIC Engineering Model. Here we present the sensitive imaging method providing the precise ground-based SF6 benchmark data. From these data analysis it is found that the temperature dependence of the meniscus position does not reflect the expected critical hook in the rectilinear density diameter. Therefore the off-density criticality of the cell is accurately estimated, before near future experiments using the same ALI-R insert in the DECLIC facility already on-board the International Space Station.

Identification and Control of Gravity Related Defect Formation During Melt Growth of Electro-Optic Single Crystals Bismuth Silicate(Bi12SiO20)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Becia, Piotr; Wiegel, Michaela E. K.

2004-01-01

A research carried out under Award Number NAG8-1487 was aimed at to the design, conduct and analysis of experiments directed at the identification and control of gravitational effects on crystal growth, segregation and defect formation in the Sillenite system: bismuth silicate (Bi(12)SiO(20)). Correlation analyses was conducted in order to establish the influence of gravity related defects introduced during crystal growth on critical, application specific properties. Achievement of the states objective was conducted during the period from Feb. 01, 1998 to Dec. 31, 2003 with the following anticipated milestones: 1. Establishment of capabilities for (a) reproducible Czochralski and Bridgman-type growth of BSO single crystals and (b) for comprehensive analysis of crystalline and chemical defects as well as for selective property characterization of grown crystals (year 1). 2. Design and execution of critical space growth experiment(s) based on analyses of prefatory space results (experiments aimed at establishing the viability of planned approaches and procedures) and on unresolved issues related to growth, segregation and defect formation associated with conventional growth in Bridgman geometries. Comparative analysis of growth under conventional and under mu-g conditions; identification of gravity related defect formation during conventional Bridgman growth and formulation of approaches for their control (years 2 and 3). Development of charge confinement system which permits growth interface demarcation (in a mu-g environment) as well as minimization of confinement related stress and contamination during growth; design of complementary mu-g growth experiments aimed at quantitative mu-g growth and segregation analyses (year 4). 3. Conduct of quantitative mu-g growth experiments directed at: (a) identification and control of gravity related crystalline and chemical defect formation during single crystal growth of Bi(12)SiO(20) and at (b) defect engineering -the development of approaches to the controlled generation during crystal growth of specified point defects in homogeneous distribution (year 5). The proposed research places focus on a class of materials which have outstanding electrical and optical properties but have so far failed to reach their potential, primarily because of our inability to control adequately their stoichiometry and crystal defect formation as well as confinement related contamination and lattice stress.

Refining animal experiments: the first Brazilian regulation on animal experimentation.

PubMed

de A e Tréz, Thales

2010-06-01

The very first law on animal experimentation has been approved recently in Brazil, and now is part of a set of the legal instruments that profile the Brazilian government's attitude toward the use of animals in experiments. Law 11794/08 establishes a new legal instrument that will guide new methods of conduct for ethics committees, researchers and representatives of animal protection societies. This comment aims to analyse critically the implications that this law brings to Brazilian reality. The link between it and the Russell and Burch's Three Rs concept is defined, and certain problems are identified. The conclusion is that the body of the law emphasises the refinement of animal experiments, but gives little importance to the principles of reduction and replacement.

Health-promoting conversations-A novel approach to families experiencing critical illness in the ICU environment.

PubMed

Hollman Frisman, Gunilla; Wåhlin, Ingrid; Orvelius, Lotti; Ågren, Susanna

2018-02-01

To identify and describe the outcomes of a nurse-led intervention, "Health-promoting conversations with families," regarding family functioning and well-being in families with a member who was critically ill. Families who have a critically ill family member in an intensive care unit face a demanding situation, threatening the normal functioning of the family. Yet, there is a knowledge gap regarding family members' well-being during and after critical illness. The study used a qualitative inductive-descriptive design. Eight families participated in health-promoting conversations aimed to create a context for change related to the families' identified problems and resources. Fifteen qualitative interviews were conducted with 18 adults who participated in health-promoting conversations about a critical illness in the family. Eight participants were patients (six men, two women) and 10 were family members (two male partners, five female partners, one mother, one daughter, one female grandchild). The interviews were analysed by conventional content analysis. Family members experienced strengthened togetherness, a caring attitude and confirmation through health-promoting conversations. The caring and calming conversations were appreciated despite the reappearance of exhausting feelings. Working through the experience and being confirmed promoted family well-being. Health-promoting conversations were considered to be healing, as the family members take part in sharing each other's feelings, thoughts and experiences with the critical illness. Health-promoting conversations could be a simple and effective nursing intervention for former intensive care patients and their families in any cultural context. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Nursing care in a high-technological environment: Experiences of critical care nurses.

PubMed

Tunlind, Adam; Granström, John; Engström, Åsa

2015-04-01

Management of technical equipment, such as ventilators, infusion pumps, monitors and dialysis, makes health care in an intensive care setting more complex. Technology can be defined as items, machinery and equipment that are connected to knowledge and management to maximise efficiency. Technology is not only the equipment itself, but also the knowledge of how to use it and the ability to convert it into nursing care. The aim of this study is to describe critical care nurses' experience of performing nursing care in a high technology healthcare environment. Qualitative, personal interviews were conducted during 2012 with eight critical care nurses in the northern part of Sweden. Interview transcripts were analysed using qualitative content analysis. Three themes with six categories emerged. The technology was described as a security that could facilitate nursing care, but also one that could sometimes present obstacles. The importance of using the clinical gaze was highlighted. Nursing care in a high technological environment must be seen as multi-faceted when it comes to how it affects CCNs' experience. The advanced care conducted in an ICU could not function without high-tech equipment, nor could care operate without skilled interpersonal interaction and maintenance of basal nursing. That technology is seen as a major tool and simultaneously as a barrier to patient-centred care. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ambulance personnel's experience of pain management for patients with a suspected hip fracture: A qualitative study.

PubMed

Jakopovic, D; Falk, A-C; Lindström, V

2015-07-01

Pain management is described to be insufficient for patients suffering from a hip fracture, and the management for this vulnerable group of patients may be challenging due to their medical history (multiple comorbidities) and polypharmacy. Previous research has mainly focused on fast tracks aiming to reduce time to surgery. But the research on how pain management is handled for these patients in the prehospital context has been sparse. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to describe the ambulance personnel's experience of managing the pain of patients with a suspected hip fracture. A descriptive and qualitative design with Critical Incident Technique was used for collecting data. Moreover, a qualitative content analysis was used for analysing the collected data. Twenty-two participants communicated their experiences and 51 incidents were analysed. The main finding in the study was that the ambulance personnel, by using their clinical knowledge and by empowering the patients to participate in their own care, managed to individualize the pain relief for patients with a suspected hip fracture through a variety of interventions. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Key Future Engineering Capabilities for Human Capital Retention

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sivich, Lorrie

Projected record retirements of Baby Boomer generation engineers have been predicted to result in significant losses of mission-critical knowledge in space, national security, and future scientific ventures vital to high-technology corporations. No comprehensive review or analysis of engineering capabilities has been performed to identify threats related to the specific loss of mission-critical knowledge posed by the increasing retirement of tenured engineers. Archival data from a single diversified Fortune 500 aerospace manufacturing engineering company's engineering career database were analyzed to ascertain whether relationships linking future engineering capabilities, engineering disciplines, and years of engineering experience could be identified to define critical knowledge transfer models. Chi square, logistic, and linear regression analyses were used to map patterns of discipline-specific, mission-critical knowledge using archival data of engineers' perceptions of engineering capabilities, key developmental experiences, and knowledge learned from their engineering careers. The results from the study were used to document key engineering future capabilities. The results were then used to develop a proposed human capital retention plan to address specific key knowledge gaps of younger engineers as veteran engineers retire. The potential for social change from this study involves informing leaders of aerospace engineering corporations on how to build better quality mentoring or succession plans to fill the void of lost knowledge from retiring engineers. This plan can secure mission-critical knowledge for younger engineers for current and future product development and increased global competitiveness in the technology market.

The experience of adult children of mothers with intellectual disability: A qualitative retrospective study from Poland.

PubMed

Wołowicz-Ruszkowska, Agnieszka; McConnell, David

2017-05-01

Little is known about the experience of growing up with a mother with intellectual disability. The aim of this study was to explore this experience from the perspective of adult children. In-depth interviews with 23 adult children brought up by mothers with moderate-to-severe intellectual disability. The interview data were analysed using grounded theory methods. The childhood experiences of the interviewees and the role their mothers played in their upbringing varied, depending in part on the involvement of extended family. It was the stigma of maternal intellectual disability, rather than their mother's functional limitations, that posed the greatest challenge. Interviewees characterized their mothers and childhoods as different, yet ordinary. Understanding the social context, including but not limited to the availability of informal support, is critical to understanding the experience of children growing up with mothers with intellectual disability. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Win-win-win: collaboration advances critical care practice.

PubMed

Spence, Deb; Fielding, Sandra

2002-10-01

Against a background of increasing interest in education post registration, New Zealand nurses are working to advance their professional practice. Because the acquisition of highly developed clinical capabilities requires a combination of nursing experience and education, collaboration between clinicians and nurse educators is essential. However, the accessibility of relevant educational opportunities has been an ongoing issue for nurses outside the country's main centres. Within the framework of a Master of Health Science, the postgraduate certificate (critical care nursing) developed between Auckland University of Technology and two regional health providers is one such example. Students enrol in science and knowledge papers concurrently then, in the second half of the course, are supported within their practice environment to acquire advanced clinical skills and to analyse, critique and develop practice within their specialty. This paper provides an overview of the structure and pr month, distance education course focused on developing the context of critical care nursing.

Sensitivity study of experimental measures for the nuclear liquid-gas phase transition in the statistical multifragmentation model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, W.; Ren, P.; Zheng, H.; Liu, X.; Huang, M.; Wada, R.; Qu, G.

2018-05-01

The experimental measures of the multiplicity derivatives—the moment parameters, the bimodal parameter, the fluctuation of maximum fragment charge number (normalized variance of Zmax, or NVZ), the Fisher exponent (τ ), and the Zipf law parameter (ξ )—are examined to search for the liquid-gas phase transition in nuclear multifragmention processes within the framework of the statistical multifragmentation model (SMM). The sensitivities of these measures are studied. All these measures predict a critical signature at or near to the critical point both for the primary and secondary fragments. Among these measures, the total multiplicity derivative and the NVZ provide accurate measures for the critical point from the final cold fragments as well as the primary fragments. The present study will provide a guide for future experiments and analyses in the study of the nuclear liquid-gas phase transition.

Identification of a whitefly species by genomic and behavioral studies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Perring, T.M.; Cooper, A.D.; Rodriguez, R.J.; Farrar, C.A.; Bellows, T.S.

1993-01-01

An introduced whitefly species, responsible for over a half billion dollars in damage to U.S. agricultural production in 1991, is morphologically indistinguishable from Bemisia tabaci (Gennadius). However, with the use of polymerase chain reaction-based DNA differentiation tests, allozymic frequency analyses, crossing experiments, and mating behavior studies, the introduced whitefly is found to be a distinct species. Recognition of this new species, the silverleaf whitefly, is critical in the search for management options.

A Critical Technical Review of Six Hazard Assessment Models

DTIC Science & Technology

1975-12-01

temperature is 3000K. Vi The equation describing flame length is taken from a paper of Hawthorne, Weddell, and Hottel [3] who obtained the equation by...should be noted that the flame length given by equation (6.1) in AMSHAH is independent of the flow rate; flame length independence of flow rate does not...experiments and analyses upon which the formula for flame length is based are for jets issuing from circular orifices. Substantial departures from this

Dissolution-Driven Permeability Reduction of a Fractured Carbonate Caprock

PubMed Central

Ellis, Brian R.; Fitts, Jeffrey P.; Bromhal, Grant S.; McIntyre, Dustin L.; Tappero, Ryan; Peters, Catherine A.

2013-01-01

Abstract Geochemical reactions may alter the permeability of leakage pathways in caprocks, which serve a critical role in confining CO2 in geologic carbon sequestration. A caprock specimen from a carbonate formation in the Michigan sedimentary Basin was fractured and studied in a high-pressure core flow experiment. Inflowing brine was saturated with CO2 at 40°C and 10 MPa, resulting in an initial pH of 4.6, and had a calcite saturation index of −0.8. Fracture permeability decreased during the experiment, but subsequent analyses did not reveal calcite precipitation. Instead, experimental observations indicate that calcite dissolution along the fracture pathway led to mobilization of less soluble mineral particles that clogged the flow path. Analyses of core sections via electron microscopy, synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction imaging, and the first application of microbeam Ca K-edge X-ray absorption near edge structure, provided evidence that these occlusions were fragments from the host rock rather than secondary precipitates. X-ray computed tomography showed a significant loss of rock mass within preferential flow paths, suggesting that dissolution also removed critical asperities and caused mechanical closure of the fracture. The decrease in fracture permeability despite a net removal of material along the fracture pathway demonstrates a nonintuitive, inverse relationship between dissolution and permeability evolution in a fractured carbonate caprock. PMID:23633894

Dealing with resistance in temporary agency nurses. The role of fear in identity-building processes.

PubMed

Cicellin, Mariavittoria; Pezzillo Iacono, Mario; Berni, Alessia; Esposito, Vincenza

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to interpret employees' resistance using the perspective of a Foucaultian/post-structuralist approach in critical management studies. The authors examine the relationship between management of diversity, based on employment contract, emotional construction of identity and processes of resistance. The authors explore the ways in which temporary agency nurses understand and experience their contract, respond to tensions regarding temporary employment, develop collective emotions and show processes of resistance. The study adopted an interpretive and qualitative approach. The authors analysed empirical material collected in the Haematology Department of a hospital in Naples, Italy, to illustrate actual experiences in the workplace. Fear turns out to be the discursive resource through which resistance is actually exerted. Through emotions, temporary nurses build a community of coping and enhance their collective identity. They use fear to develop solidarity and to mobilize collective resistance in the workplace. Although no traditional resistance behaviours are reported, they aim to undermine the reputation of top managers and challenge and re-write the prevailing discourses of the organization. The paper contributes to the critical literature because the authors analysed a relationship that is rarely theoretically and empirically examined in literature, that between employment contract, collective identity-building dynamics and processes of resistance. We showed that the creation of a community of coping enabled minorities to voice their distance from and opposition to management.

Transfer of environmental plutonium and americium across the human gut.

PubMed

Hunt, G J; Leonard, D R; Lovett, M B

1986-08-01

Data on gut transfer factors for environmental forms of radionuclides are essential for estimates of public radiation exposures following ingestion, and thus in decisions on controlling waste discharges. Dose estimates for transuranic nuclides are particularly sensitive to uncertainties stemming from gut transfer data being related to non-environmental forms and/or derived from animal experiments. We have measured human gut transfer factors for plutonium and americium in two experiments using marine foods obtained near Sellafield, Cumbria. Firstly, the urine of volunteer members of the critical group of shellfish consumers was analysed for transuranics and the results related to their consumption rates. Secondly, remotely-based volunteers ate single quantities of shellfish obtained near Sellafield, and their urine was analysed. An overall result for the gut transfer factor for environmental plutonium of 0.8 X 10(-4) indicates no need to increase the value of 1 X 10(-4), currently used by the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) for soluble forms. Results for americium show that the ICRP value of 5 X 10(-4) is maximising, and that a value of 1 X 10(-4) would be supportable. The results from the study of critical group members provide confidence in our habits survey techniques and reassurance that there are no significant pathways for intake of transuranics by these people that have not been recognised.

It can work: Open employment for people with experience of mental illness.

PubMed

Peterson, Debbie; Gordon, Sarah; Neale, Jenny

2017-01-01

Previous research has tended to focus on the barriers to employment for people with mental illness and the extra support they may need. This research contributes to the knowledge base pertaining to this population by looking at successful employment relationships in New Zealand. To describe factors enabling and/or sustaining the open employment of people with experience of mental illness. Fifteen pairs of employers and employees were interviewed individually but consecutively (using a semi-structured interview schedule) about their perceptions of the critical factors that enabled and sustained the employee's employment. Employee participants were recruited by advertisement, with employers approached through their employees. Transcripts were analysed using a thematic analysis. Themes raised in the interviews included the meaning of work, disclosure of mental illness, the benefits of working, special arrangements or accommodations, the work environment and key things employers and employees do to sustain successful employment. Four critical success factors were identified relating to disclosure, the employment relationship, freedom from discrimination and workplace flexibility.

Geophysical variables and behavior: XXVI. A response to Rutkowski's critique of the tectonic strain hypothesis for UFO phenomena.

PubMed

Persinger, M A

1985-04-01

The tectonic strain hypothesis for many reports of UFOs (UFORs), primarily odd luminosities and metallic-looking phenomena, has been criticized on the basis of inadequate data. This reply begins with the distinction between the empirical basis for the association between UFORs and seismic activity, the hypothesis, and laboratory experiments. It is emphasized that criticisms of data should be based upon empirical criteria rather than value judgments about scientific credibility. Multivariate and bivariate analyses have indicated systematic relationships between UFORs and earthquake measures within several different areas and for different historical periods. However, the physical mechanisms for the generation of individual UFO events and their relationship to UFORs require closer examination.

Optimisation of Critical Infrastructure Protection: The SiVe Project on Airport Security

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Breiing, Marcus; Cole, Mara; D'Avanzo, John; Geiger, Gebhard; Goldner, Sascha; Kuhlmann, Andreas; Lorenz, Claudia; Papproth, Alf; Petzel, Erhard; Schwetje, Oliver

This paper outlines the scientific goals, ongoing work and first results of the SiVe research project on critical infrastructure security. The methodology is generic while pilot studies are chosen from airport security. The outline proceeds in three major steps, (1) building a threat scenario, (2) development of simulation models as scenario refinements, and (3) assessment of alternatives. Advanced techniques of systems analysis and simulation are employed to model relevant airport structures and processes as well as offences. Computer experiments are carried out to compare and optimise alternative solutions. The optimality analyses draw on approaches to quantitative risk assessment recently developed in the operational sciences. To exploit the advantages of the various techniques, an integrated simulation workbench is build up in the project.

Broadening the Study of Participation in the Life Sciences: How Critical Theoretical and Mixed-Methodological Approaches Can Enhance Efforts to Broaden Participation

PubMed Central

Metcalf, Heather

2016-01-01

This research methods Essay details the usefulness of critical theoretical frameworks and critical mixed-methodological approaches for life sciences education research on broadening participation in the life sciences. First, I draw on multidisciplinary research to discuss critical theory and methodologies. Then, I demonstrate the benefits of these approaches for researchers who study diversity and inclusion issues in the life sciences through examples from two critical mixed-methods studies of prominent issues in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) participation and recognition. The first study pairs critical discourse analysis of the STEM workforce literature, data, and underlying surveys with quantitative analyses of STEM pathways into the workforce. This example illustrates the necessity of questioning popular models of retention. It also demonstrates the importance of intersecting demographic categories to reveal patterns of experience both within and between groups whose access to and participation in STEM we aim to improve. The second study’s critical approach applies research on inequities in prizes awarded by STEM professional societies toward organizational change. This example uses data from the life sciences professional societies to show the importance of placing data within context to broaden participation and understand challenges in creating sustainable change. PMID:27521238

Expanding hegemonic masculinity: the use of irony in young men's stories about romantic experiences.

PubMed

Korobov, Neill

2009-12-01

This study examines the use of irony in young men's stories about romantic and sexual experiences. Because romantic experiences are central in the constitution of a heterosexual self, and because they are increasingly formulated in relation to traditional masculine norms and the simultaneous avowal and disavowal of effeminacy, they reveal an oscillation between complicity and resistance to hegemonic masculine norms. This oscillation is explored in stories about promiscuity, seduction, and vulnerability. Critical discursive analyses reveal how young men discursively pivot between complicity and resistance to traditional masculine norms, how this oscillation functions in the accomplishment of their romantic identities, how a sense of conventional masculinity is reclaimed, and what these processes reveal about the shifting nature of hegemonic masculinity in contemporary culture.

Preparing university students to lead K-12 engineering outreach programmes: a design experiment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anthony, Anika B.; Greene, Howard; Post, Paul E.; Parkhurst, Andrew; Zhan, Xi

2016-11-01

This paper describes an engineering outreach programme designed to increase the interest of under-represented youth in engineering and to disseminate pre-engineering design challenge materials to K-12 educators and volunteers. Given university students' critical role as facilitators of the outreach programme, researchers conducted a two-year design experiment to examine the programme's effectiveness at preparing university students to lead pre-engineering activities. Pre- and post-surveys incorporated items from the Student Engagement sub-scale of the Teacher Sense of Efficacy Scale. Surveys were analysed using paired-samples t-test. Interview and open-ended survey data were analysed using discourse analysis and the constant comparative method. As a result of participation in the programme, university students reported a gain in efficacy to lead pre-engineering activities. The paper discusses programme features that supported efficacy gains and concludes with a set of design principles for developing learning environments that effectively prepare university students to facilitate pre-engineering outreach programmes.

Aerothermal Analysis and Design of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazanek, Daniel D.; Kumar, Renjith R.; Qu, Min; Seywald, Hans

2000-01-01

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) primary mission will be performed by making measurements of the inter-satellite range change between two co-planar, low altitude near-polar orbiting satellites. Understanding the uncertainties in the disturbance environment, particularly the aerodynamic drag and torques, is critical in several mission areas. These include an accurate estimate of the spacecraft orbital lifetime, evaluation of spacecraft attitude control requirements, and estimation of the orbital maintenance maneuver frequency necessitated by differences in the drag forces acting on both satellites. The FREEMOL simulation software has been developed and utilized to analyze and suggest design modifications to the GRACE spacecraft. Aerodynamic accommodation bounding analyses were performed and worst-case envelopes were obtained for the aerodynamic torques and the differential ballistic coefficients between the leading and trailing GRACE spacecraft. These analyses demonstrate how spacecraft aerodynamic design and analysis can benefit from a better understanding of spacecraft surface accommodation properties, and the implications for mission design constraints such as formation spacing control.

miR-132, an experience-dependent microRNA, is essential for visual cortex plasticity

PubMed Central

Mellios, Nikolaos; Sugihara, Hiroki; Castro, Jorge; Banerjee, Abhishek; Le, Chuong; Kumar, Arooshi; Crawford, Benjamin; Strathmann, Julia; Tropea, Daniela; Levine, Stuart S.; Edbauer, Dieter; Sur, Mriganka

2011-01-01

Using multiple quantitative analyses, we discovered microRNAs (miRNAs) abundantly expressed in visual cortex that respond to dark-rearing (DR) and/or monocular deprivation (MD). The most significantly altered miRNA, miR-132, was rapidly upregulated after eye-opening and delayed by DR. In vivo inhibition of miR-132 prevented ocular dominance plasticity in identified neurons following MD, and affected maturation of dendritic spines, demonstrating its critical role in the plasticity of visual cortex circuits. PMID:21892155

The road to prevention.

PubMed

Berrino, Franco

2010-01-01

There are even too many books, magazines, and articles dedicated to prevention that involve the latest scientific findings, prejudices and commercial interests. The aim of this prevention column article is to critically analyse, in this overwhelming material, what is true, false or blatant propaganda, setting off the successful experiences with sometimes modest resources and without sophisticated technology. The goal is to promote synergy among potential players of prevention, as prevention is everyone's business: starting from international organisms, through institutional entities, and ending with families.

Space shuttle hypergolic bipropellant RCS engine design study, Bell model 8701

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

A research program was conducted to define the level of the current technology base for reaction control system rocket engines suitable for space shuttle applications. The project consisted of engine analyses, design, fabrication, and tests. The specific objectives are: (1) extrapolating current engine design experience to design of an RCS engine with required safety, reliability, performance, and operational capability, (2) demonstration of multiple reuse capability, and (3) identification of current design and technology deficiencies and critical areas for future effort.

The 1978 Italian mental health law--a personal evaluation: a review.

PubMed Central

Palermo, G B

1991-01-01

The author discusses the sociopsychiatric consequences of the 1978 Italian mental health law. He also reviews the international scientific ideas that led up to it. The sociopolitical psychiatric views of the late Franco Basaglia, pioneer of the change in the mental health system of the Italian Republic, are described. Statistical reports and critical analyses are reported. Objective data, based on the author's personal experience as a practising psychiatrist in Rome, Italy, from 1969 to 1987, are given. PMID:1999825

Stability and Variability in Aesthetic Experience: A Review

PubMed Central

Jacobsen, Thomas; Beudt, Susan

2017-01-01

Based on psychophysics’ pragmatic dualism, we trace the cognitive neuroscience of stability and variability in aesthetic experience. With regard to different domains of aesthetic processing, we touch upon the relevance of cognitive schemata for aesthetic preference. Attitudes and preferences are explored in detail. Evolutionary constraints on attitude formation or schema generation are elucidated, just as the often seemingly arbitrary influences of social, societal, and cultural nature are. A particular focus is put on the concept of critical periods during an individual’s ontogenesis. The latter contrasting with changes of high frequency, such as fashion influences. Taken together, these analyses document the state of the art in the field and, potentially, highlight avenues for future research. PMID:28223955

Stability and Variability in Aesthetic Experience: A Review.

PubMed

Jacobsen, Thomas; Beudt, Susan

2017-01-01

Based on psychophysics' pragmatic dualism, we trace the cognitive neuroscience of stability and variability in aesthetic experience. With regard to different domains of aesthetic processing, we touch upon the relevance of cognitive schemata for aesthetic preference. Attitudes and preferences are explored in detail. Evolutionary constraints on attitude formation or schema generation are elucidated, just as the often seemingly arbitrary influences of social, societal, and cultural nature are. A particular focus is put on the concept of critical periods during an individual's ontogenesis. The latter contrasting with changes of high frequency, such as fashion influences. Taken together, these analyses document the state of the art in the field and, potentially, highlight avenues for future research.

Aging and the Body: A Review*

PubMed Central

Clarke, Laura Hurd; Korotchenko, Alexandra

2014-01-01

In this article, we examine the existing sociocultural research and theory concerned with the aging body. In particular, we review the body image and embodiment literatures and discuss what is known about how older adults perceive and experience their aging bodies. We analyse how body image is shaped by age, culture, ethnicity, gender, health status, sexual preference, and social class. Additionally, we critically elucidate the embodiment literature as it pertains to illness experiences, sexuality, the everyday management of the aging body, appearance work, and embodied identity. By outlining the key findings, theoretical debates, and substantive discrepancies within the body image and embodiment research and theory, we identify gaps in the literature and forecast future, much-needed avenues of investigation. PMID:24976674

Global scale diagnoses of FGGE data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paegle, J.

1985-01-01

Descriptive global scale diagnoses of the First Global Atmospheric Research Experiment SOP-1 analyses were made and compared against controlled, real data integrations of the Goddard Laboratory of Atmospheric Science (GLAS) general circulation model (GCM) as well as other data sets. The effects of critical latitudes were studied; the influence of tropical wind data and latent heating upon the GLAS GCM was diagnosed; planetary wave structure on various time scales from the diurnal to the monthly was studied; and the GLAS analyses were compared with other analyses. Short term controlled GLAS GCM integrations show that: (1) the inclusion of tropical wind data in real data integrations has an important influence in the mid-latitude prediction in both hemispheres; and (2) the tropical divergent wind reacts almost immediately to alteration of the tropical latent heating. The presence or absence of zonally averaged easterlies depends strongly upon the presence of tropical latent heating.

A missing piece of the workforce puzzle. The experiences of internationally qualified nurses in New Zealand: a literature review.

PubMed

Jenkins, Brittany Lauren; Huntington, Annette

2015-01-01

To analyse the literature regarding the context and experiences of internationally qualified registered nurses, particularly Filipino and Indian nurses, who have transitioned to New Zealand. Internationally qualified nurses are a significant proportion of the nursing workforce in many developed countries including New Zealand. This is increasingly important as populations age, escalating demand for nurses. Understanding the internationally qualified nurse experience is required as this could influence migration in a competitive labour market. Examination of peer-reviewed research, policy and discussion documents, and technical reports. A systematic literature search sought articles published between 2001 and 2014 using Google Scholar, CINAHL, and Medline. Articles were critically appraised for relevance, transferability, and methodological rigour. Fifty-one articles met inclusion criteria and demonstrate internationally qualified nurses face significant challenges transitioning into New Zealand. The internationally qualified nurse experience of transitioning into a new country is little researched and requires further investigation.

Dominant Cultural Narratives, Racism, and Resistance in the Workplace: A Study of the Experiences of Young Black Canadians.

PubMed

Hasford, Julian

2016-03-01

Although many studies have examined lived experiences of racism and resistance in various contexts, relatively little research has examined such experiences among Black youth within the workplace-particularly in the Canadian context. In this study I use qualitative analyses of narrative interviews with 24 Black Canadian youth and young adults (aged 16-35) to examine the impact of dominant cultural narratives on lived experiences of workplace racism and resistance. Findings are presented using theatrical games as a central conceptual metaphor, suggesting that: (a) dominant cultural narratives have a major impact on relational dynamics of oppression in the workplace; (b) identity performance is a critical strategy for negotiating dominant cultural narratives in the workplace; and (c) panopticism (the internalized gaze) is a significant aspect of internalized oppression. Implications for future research and action are discussed. © Society for Community Research and Action 2016.

Dynamic systems approaches and levels of analysis in the nervous system

PubMed Central

Parker, David; Srivastava, Vipin

2013-01-01

Various analyses are applied to physiological signals. While epistemological diversity is necessary to address effects at different levels, there is often a sense of competition between analyses rather than integration. This is evidenced by the differences in the criteria needed to claim understanding in different approaches. In the nervous system, neuronal analyses that attempt to explain network outputs in cellular and synaptic terms are rightly criticized as being insufficient to explain global effects, emergent or otherwise, while higher-level statistical and mathematical analyses can provide quantitative descriptions of outputs but can only hypothesize on their underlying mechanisms. The major gap in neuroscience is arguably our inability to translate what should be seen as complementary effects between levels. We thus ultimately need approaches that allow us to bridge between different spatial and temporal levels. Analytical approaches derived from critical phenomena in the physical sciences are increasingly being applied to physiological systems, including the nervous system, and claim to provide novel insight into physiological mechanisms and opportunities for their control. Analyses of criticality have suggested several important insights that should be considered in cellular analyses. However, there is a mismatch between lower-level neurophysiological approaches and statistical phenomenological analyses that assume that lower-level effects can be abstracted away, which means that these effects are unknown or inaccessible to experimentalists. As a result experimental designs often generate data that is insufficient for analyses of criticality. This review considers the relevance of insights from analyses of criticality to neuronal network analyses, and highlights that to move the analyses forward and close the gap between the theoretical and neurobiological levels, it is necessary to consider that effects at each level are complementary rather than in competition. PMID:23386835

Eliciting the experiences of the adolescent-parent dyad following critical care admission: a pilot study.

PubMed

Wood, Dora; Geoghegan, Sophie; Ramnarayan, Padmanabhan; Davis, Peter J; Pappachan, John V; Goodwin, Sarah; Wray, Jo

2018-05-01

Critically ill adolescents are usually treated on intensive care units optimised for much older adults or younger children. The way they access and experience health services may be very different to most adolescent service users, and existing quality criteria may not apply to them. The objectives of this pilot study were, firstly, to determine whether adolescents and their families were able to articulate their experiences of their critical care admission and secondly, to identify the factors that are important to them during their intensive care unit (ICU) or high dependency unit (HDU) stay. Participants were 14-17 year olds who had previously had an emergency admission to an adult or paediatric ICU/HDU in one of four UK hospitals (two adult, two paediatric) and their parents. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with eight mother-adolescent dyads and one mother. Interviews were transcribed and analysed using framework analysis. The main reported determinant of high-quality care was the quality of interaction with staff. The significance of these interactions and their environment depended on adolescents' awareness of their surroundings, which was often limited in ICU and changed significantly over the course of their illness. Qualitative interview methodology would be difficult to scale up for this group. What is known • Critically ill adolescents are usually treated on intensive care units optimised for older adults or younger children. • The way they access and experience health services may be different to most adolescent patients; existing quality criteria may not apply. What is new • Reported determinants of high-quality care were age-appropriateness of the environment, respectfulness and friendliness of staff, communication and inclusion in healthcare decisions. • The significance of these depended on adolescents' awareness of their surroundings, which was often limited and changed over the course of their illness.

Method for the Collection, Gravimetric and Chemical Analysis of Nonvolatile Residue (NVR) on Surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gordon, Keith; Rutherford, Gugu; Aranda, Denisse

2017-01-01

Nonvolatile residue (NVR), sometimes referred to as molecular contamination is the term used for the total composition of the inorganic and high boiling point organic components in particulates and molecular films deposited on critical surfaces surrounding space structures, with the particulate and NVR contamination originating primarily from pre-launch operations. The "nonvolatile" suggestion from the terminology NVR implies that the collected residue will not experience much loss under ambient conditions. NVR has been shown to have a dramatic impact on the ability to perform optical measurements from platforms based in space. Such contaminants can be detected early by the controlled application of various detection techniques and contamination analyses. Contamination analyses are the techniques used to determine if materials, components, and subsystems can be expected to meet the performance requirements of a system. Of particular concern is the quantity of NVR contaminants that might be deposited on critical payload surfaces from these sources. Subsequent chemical analysis of the contaminant samples by infrared spectroscopy and gas chromatography mass spectrometry identifies the components, gives semi-quantitative estimates of contaminant thickness, indicates possible sources of the NVR, and provides guidance for effective cleanup procedures. In this report, a method for the collection and determination of the mass of NVR was generated by the authors at NASA Langley Research Center. This report describes the method developed and implemented for collecting NVR contaminants, and procedures for gravimetric and chemical analysis of the residue obtained. The result of this NVR analysis collaboration will help pave the way for Langley's ability to certify flight hardware outgassing requirements in support of flight projects such as Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment III (SAGE III), Clouds and the Earth's Radiant Energy System (CERES), Materials International Space Station Experiment - X (MISSE-X), and Doppler Aerosol Wind Lidar (DAWN).

A Dialogue on Space and Method in Qualitative Research on Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gildersleeve, Ryan Evely; Kuntz, Aaron M.

2011-01-01

In this article, the authors critically examine the use of space in education research and illustrate how spatial analyses of education reframe persistent educational problems in productive, actionable ways. The authors juxtapose critical spatial analyses with traditional temporal analyses. The authors approach the knowledge-construction process…

Learning to manage vasoactive drugs-A qualitative interview study with critical care nurses.

PubMed

Häggström, Marie; Bergsman, Ann-Christin; Månsson, Ulrika; Holmström, Malin Rising

2017-04-01

Being a nurse in an intensive care unit entails caring for seriously ill patients. Vasoactive drugs are one of the tools that are used to restore adequate circulation. Critical care nurses often manage and administer these potent drugs after medical advice from physicians. To describe the experiences of critical care nurses learning to manage vasoactive drugs, and to highlight the competence required to manage vasoactive drugs. Twelve critical care nurses from three hospitals in Sweden were interviewed. Qualitative content analysis was applied. The theme "becoming proficient requires accuracy, practice and precaution" illustrated how critical care nurses learn to manage vasoactive drugs. Learning included developing cognitive, psychomotor, and effective skills. Sources for knowledge refers to specialist education combined with practical exercises, collegial support, and accessible routine documents. The competence required to manage vasoactive drugs encompassed well-developed safety thinking that included being careful, in control, and communicating failures. Specific skills were required such as titrating doses, being able to analyse and evaluate the technological assessments, adapting to the situation, and staying calm. Learning to manage vasoactive drugs requires a supportive introduction for novices, collegial support, lifelong learning, and a culture of safety. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Video education for critical care nurses to assess pain with a behavioural pain assessment tool: A descriptive comparative study.

PubMed

Björn, Annika; Pudas-Tähkä, Sanna-Mari; Salanterä, Sanna; Axelin, Anna

2017-10-01

To evaluate the impact of video education on critical care nurses' knowledge and skills in using a behavioural pain assessment tool for intensive care patients and to explore the nurses' experiences with video education. Forty-eight nurses in one intensive care unit watched an educational video on the use of the Critical-Care Pain Observation Tool, then assessed pain in two patients with the tool and took a knowledge test. The researcher made parallel pain assessments. Interrater reliability of patients' pain assessment between nurses and the researcher was determined to examine nurses' skills in using the tool after education. Twenty nurses were interviewed about their experiences with the video education. Interviews were analysed with deductive thematic analysis. The knowledge test scores indicated that the nurses learned the principles of how to use the tool. The interrater reliability of pain assessments reached a moderate level of agreement during the painful procedure, with a weighted kappa coefficient value of 0.48, CL [0.37, 0.58]. The nurses perceived video education positively, but requested additional interaction. Video education is useful in teaching the principles of using a pain assessment tool. Additional clinical training is required for nurses to reach adequate skills in using the tool. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The experience of Australian project leaders in encouraging practitioners to adopt research evidence in their clinical practice.

PubMed

Henderson, Amanda J; Davies, Jan; Willet, Michaela R

2006-11-01

This paper describes a qualitative program evaluation which sought to identify factors that either assist or impede the adoption of clinical evidence in everyday practice. Thirteen Australian projects were funded in a competitive grant program to adopt innovative strategies to improve the uptake of research evidence in everyday clinical practice. Project leaders' reports were analysed to collate common themes related to 1) critical elements in successful application of research knowledge, 2) barriers to implementing evidence, and 3) lessons for other organisations that might implement a similar project. Despite the diversity of the methods used to establish projects and the range of topics and clinical settings, many similarities were identified in the perceived critical success elements, barriers, and lessons for adopting clinical evidence. Eighteen themes emerged across the data including: leadership support; key stakeholder involvement; practice changes; communication; resources; education of staff; evaluation of outcomes; consumers; knowledge gaps; adoption/implementing staff; access to knowledge; risk assessment; collaboration; effectiveness of clinical research evidence; structure/organisation; cultural barriers; previous experiences; and information technology. Leaders of projects to adopt evidence in clinical practice identified barriers, critical success elements and lessons that impacted on their projects. A range of influences on the adoption of evidence were identified, and this knowledge can be used to assist others undertaking similar projects.

The trajectory of experience of critical care nurses in providing end-of-life care: A qualitative descriptive study.

PubMed

Ong, Keh Kiong; Ting, Kit Cheng; Chow, Yeow Leng

2018-01-01

To understand the perceptions of critical care nurses towards providing end-of-life care. There has been an increasing interest in end-of-life care in the critical care setting. In Singapore, approximately half of deaths in the hospital occur during critical care. While nurses are well positioned to provide end-of-life care to patients and their family members, they faced barriers to providing end-of-life care. Also, providing end-of-life care has profound positive and negative psychological effects on nurses, with the latter being more prominent. Qualitative descriptive design. Data collection was performed in a medical intensive care unit of a public tertiary hospital in Singapore. Ten registered nurses were purposively sampled and interviewed individually using a semi-structured interview guide. A codebook was developed to guide coding, and data were thematically analysed. Rigour was maintained. Nurses went through a trajectory of experience. They experienced the culture of care and developed dissatisfaction with it. The tension shaped their perception and meaning of life and death, and they developed mechanisms to reach resolution. This study provides insight on nurses' perception as a trajectory of experience and raised several implications on clinical practice, policy and research. There is a need to alleviate the tension nurses face and to facilitate coming to terms with the tension by improving the culture of care and supporting nurses. Nurses could be involved more in decision-making and empowered to start end-of-life care conversations within the team and with family members. Communication with family members and between nurses and doctors could be improved. Support for nurses providing end-of-life care could be enhanced through promoting social networks, education and bereavement support. Further research is needed to explore ways to support and empower nurses to provide end-of-life care in critical care. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Critical Religious Education: Highlighting Religious Truth-Claims in Non-Confessional Educational Contexts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franck, Olof

2015-01-01

In this article, a religious education, which combines a respect for relevant critical demands, when analysing religious truth-claims, and a sensitivity to the need to avoid unwarranted criteriological constraints in the analysing process, is examined. Starting with an analytical comment upon Andrew Wright's critical realist approach in terms of a…

Refugee experiences of general practice in countries of resettlement: a literature review.

PubMed

Cheng, I-Hao; Drillich, Ann; Schattner, Peter

2015-03-01

Refugees and asylum seekers often struggle to use general practice services in resettlement countries. To describe and analyse the literature on the experiences of refugees and asylum seekers using general practice services in countries of resettlement. Literature review using systematic search and narrative data extraction and synthesis methodologies. International, peer-reviewed literature published in English language between 1990 and 2013. Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CSA Sociological Abstracts, and CINAHL databases were searched using the terms: refugee, asylum seeker, experience, perception, doctor, physician, and general practitioner. Titles, abstracts and full texts were reviewed and were critically appraised. Narrative themes describing the refugee or asylum seeker's personal experiences of general practice services were identified, coded, and analysed. From 8722 papers, 85 were fully reviewed and 23 included. These represented the experiences of approximately 864 individuals using general practice services across 11 countries. Common narrative themes that emerged were: difficulties accessing general practice services, language barriers, poor doctor-patient relationships, and problems with the cultural acceptability of medical care. The difficulties refugees and asylum seekers experience accessing and using general practice services could be addressed by providing practical support for patients to register, make appointments, and attend services, and through using interpreters. Clinicians should look beyond refugee stereotypes to focus on the needs and expectations of the individual. They should provide clear explanations about unfamiliar clinical processes and treatments while offering timely management. © British Journal of General Practice 2015.

Refugee experiences of general practice in countries of resettlement: a literature review

PubMed Central

Cheng, I-Hao; Drillich, Ann; Schattner, Peter

2015-01-01

Background Refugees and asylum seekers often struggle to use general practice services in resettlement countries. Aim To describe and analyse the literature on the experiences of refugees and asylum seekers using general practice services in countries of resettlement. Design and setting Literature review using systematic search and narrative data extraction and synthesis methodologies. International, peer-reviewed literature published in English language between 1990 and 2013. Method Embase, Ovid MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CSA Sociological Abstracts, and CINAHL databases were searched using the terms: refugee, asylum seeker, experience, perception, doctor, physician, and general practitioner. Titles, abstracts and full texts were reviewed and were critically appraised. Narrative themes describing the refugee or asylum seeker’s personal experiences of general practice services were identified, coded, and analysed. Results From 8722 papers, 85 were fully reviewed and 23 included. These represented the experiences of approximately 864 individuals using general practice services across 11 countries. Common narrative themes that emerged were: difficulties accessing general practice services, language barriers, poor doctor–patient relationships, and problems with the cultural acceptability of medical care. Conclusion The difficulties refugees and asylum seekers experience accessing and using general practice services could be addressed by providing practical support for patients to register, make appointments, and attend services, and through using interpreters. Clinicians should look beyond refugee stereotypes to focus on the needs and expectations of the individual. They should provide clear explanations about unfamiliar clinical processes and treatments while offering timely management. PMID:25733438

Expanding beyond individualism: Engaging critical perspectives on occupation.

PubMed

Gerlach, Alison J; Teachman, Gail; Laliberte-Rudman, Debbie; Aldrich, Rebecca M; Huot, Suzanne

2018-01-01

Perspectives that individualize occupation are poorly aligned with socially responsive and transformative occupation-focused research, education, and practice. Their predominant use in occupational therapy risks the perpetuation, rather than resolution, of occupational inequities. In this paper, we problematize taken-for-granted individualistic analyses of occupation and illustrate how critical theoretical perspectives can reveal the ways in which structural factors beyond an individual's immediate control and environment shape occupational possibilities and occupational engagement. Using a critically reflexive approach, we draw on three distinct qualitative research studies to examine the potential of critical theorizing for expanding beyond a reliance on individualistic analyses and practices. Our studies highlight the importance of addressing the socio-historical and political contexts of occupation and demonstrate the contribution of critical perspectives to socially responsive occupational therapy. In expanding beyond individualistic analyses of occupation, critical perspectives advance research and practices towards addressing socio-political mediators of occupational engagement and equity.

[Characteristics of super dwarf wheat metabolism in microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nefedova, E. L.; Livanskaia, O. G.; Levinskikh, M. A.; Sychev, V. N.; Carmen, D.; Bebenheim, D.; Campbell, W. F. (Principal Investigator)

2000-01-01

Metabolism of sLt during Russian-US experiment GREENHOUSE-2 (July 9, 1996-January 17, 1997) within the MIR/NASA space research program and in laboratory Svet experiments in 1995-1996 was studied. Chemical, biochemical and pigment analyses of the flight and laboratory plants were made after the first (dry biomass) and second vegetation (photosynthetically active 41-d old plants). Data on the composition of leaves and stems of ground and flight wheat do not attest any biologically significant shifts in plant metabolism. There were slight changes in accumulation and migration of several macro- and microelements, protein nitrogen and phosphororganic compounds in microgravity. Lowered content of lignin, a critical supportive element for cellular walls was observed only during early stages of vegetation. In the Mir experiment, concentrations of photosynthetically active pigments also decreased a little but the chlorophyills-carotenoids balance was not upset.

Critical experiments at Sandia National Laboratories : technical meeting on low-power critical facilities and small reactors.

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

Harms, Gary A.; Ford, John T.; Barber, Allison Delo

2010-11-01

Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) has conducted radiation effects testing for the Department of Energy (DOE) and other contractors supporting the DOE since the 1960's. Over this period, the research reactor facilities at Sandia have had a primary mission to provide appropriate nuclear radiation environments for radiation testing and qualification of electronic components and other devices. The current generation of reactors includes the Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR), a water-moderated pool-type reactor, fueled by elements constructed from UO2-BeO ceramic fuel pellets, and the Sandia Pulse Reactor III (SPR-III), a bare metal fast burst reactor utilizing a uranium-molybdenum alloy fuel. The SPR-IIImore » is currently defueled. The SPR Facility (SPRF) has hosted a series of critical experiments. A purpose-built critical experiment was first operated at the SPRF in the late 1980's. This experiment, called the Space Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Critical Experiment (CX), was designed to explore the reactor physics of a nuclear thermal rocket motor. This experiment was fueled with highly-enriched uranium carbide fuel in annular water-moderated fuel elements. The experiment program was completed and the fuel for the experiment was moved off-site. A second critical experiment, the Burnup Credit Critical Experiment (BUCCX) was operated at Sandia in 2002. The critical assembly for this experiment was based on the assembly used in the CX modified to accommodate low-enriched pin-type fuel in water moderator. This experiment was designed as a platform in which the reactivity effects of specific fission product poisons could be measured. Experiments were carried out on rhodium, an important fission product poison. The fuel and assembly hardware for the BUCCX remains at Sandia and is available for future experimentation. The critical experiment currently in operation at the SPRF is the Seven Percent Critical Experiment (7uPCX). This experiment is designed to provide benchmark reactor physics data to support validation of the reactor physics codes used to design commercial reactor fuel elements in an enrichment range above the current 5% enrichment cap. A first set of critical experiments in the 7uPCX has been completed. More experiments are planned in the 7uPCX series. The critical experiments at Sandia National Laboratories are currently funded by the US Department of Energy Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP). The NCSP has committed to maintain the critical experiment capability at Sandia and to support the development of a critical experiments training course at the facility. The training course is intended to provide hands-on experiment experience for the training of new and re-training of practicing Nuclear Criticality Safety Engineers. The current plans are for the development of the course to continue through the first part of fiscal year 2011 with the development culminating is the delivery of a prototype of the course in the latter part of the fiscal year. The course will be available in fiscal year 2012.« less

Prevalence, Risk Factors, and Outcomes of Financial Stress in Survivors of Critical Illness.

PubMed

Khandelwal, Nita; Hough, Catherine L; Downey, Lois; Engelberg, Ruth A; Carson, Shannon S; White, Douglas B; Kahn, Jeremy M; Jones, Derek M; Key, Mary D; Reagan, Wen; Porter, Laura S; Curtis, J Randall; Cox, Christopher E

2018-06-01

Little is known about the experience of financial stress for patients who survive critical illness or their families. Our objective was to describe the prevalence of financial stress among critically ill patients and their families, identify clinical and demographic characteristics associated with this stress, and explore associations between financial stress and psychologic distress. Secondary analysis of a randomized trial comparing a coping skills training program and an education program for patients surviving acute respiratory failure and their families. Five geographically diverse hospitals. Patients (n = 175) and their family members (n = 85) completed surveys within 2 weeks of arrival home and 3 and 6 months after randomization. We used regression analyses to assess associations between patient and family characteristics at baseline and financial stress at 3 and 6 months. We used path models and mediation analyses to explore relationships between financial stress, symptoms of anxiety and depression, and global mental health. Serious financial stress was high at both time points and was highest at 6 months (42.5%) among patients and at 3 months (48.5%) among family members. Factors associated with financial stress included female sex, young children at home, and baseline financial discomfort. Experiencing financial stress had direct effects on symptoms of anxiety (β = 0.260; p < 0.001) and depression (β = 0.048; p = 0.048). Financial stress after critical illness is common and associated with symptoms of anxiety and depression. Our findings provide direction for potential interventions to reduce this stress and improve psychologic outcomes for patients and their families.

Thermodynamics and signatures of criticality in a network of neurons.

PubMed

Tkačik, Gašper; Mora, Thierry; Marre, Olivier; Amodei, Dario; Palmer, Stephanie E; Berry, Michael J; Bialek, William

2015-09-15

The activity of a neural network is defined by patterns of spiking and silence from the individual neurons. Because spikes are (relatively) sparse, patterns of activity with increasing numbers of spikes are less probable, but, with more spikes, the number of possible patterns increases. This tradeoff between probability and numerosity is mathematically equivalent to the relationship between entropy and energy in statistical physics. We construct this relationship for populations of up to N = 160 neurons in a small patch of the vertebrate retina, using a combination of direct and model-based analyses of experiments on the response of this network to naturalistic movies. We see signs of a thermodynamic limit, where the entropy per neuron approaches a smooth function of the energy per neuron as N increases. The form of this function corresponds to the distribution of activity being poised near an unusual kind of critical point. We suggest further tests of criticality, and give a brief discussion of its functional significance.

Spatio-temporal dynamics of brain mechanisms in aversive classical conditioning: high-density event-related potential and brain electrical tomography analyses.

PubMed

Pizzagalli, Diego A; Greischar, Lawrence L; Davidson, Richard J

2003-01-01

Social cognition, including complex social judgments and attitudes, is shaped by individual learning experiences, where affect often plays a critical role. Aversive classical conditioning-a form of associative learning involving a relationship between a neutral event (conditioned stimulus, CS) and an aversive event (unconditioned stimulus, US)-represents a well-controlled paradigm to study how the acquisition of socially relevant knowledge influences behavior and the brain. Unraveling the temporal unfolding of brain mechanisms involved appears critical for an initial understanding about how social cognition operates. Here, 128-channel ERPs were recorded in 50 subjects during the acquisition phase of a differential aversive classical conditioning paradigm. The CS+ (two fearful faces) were paired 50% of the time with an aversive noise (CS upward arrow + /Paired), whereas in the remaining 50% they were not (CS upward arrow + /Unpaired); the CS- (two different fearful faces) were never paired with the noise. Scalp ERP analyses revealed differences between CS upward arrow + /Unpaired and CS- as early as approximately 120 ms post-stimulus. Tomographic source localization analyses revealed early activation modulated by the CS+ in the ventral visual pathway (e.g. fusiform gyrus, approximately 120 ms), right middle frontal gyrus (approximately 176 ms), and precuneus (approximately 240 ms). At approximately 120 ms, the CS- elicited increased activation in the left insula and left middle frontal gyrus. These findings not only confirm a critical role of prefrontal, insular, and precuneus regions in aversive conditioning, but they also suggest that biologically and socially salient information modulates activation at early stages of the information processing flow, and thus furnish initial insight about how affect and social judgments operate.

Effects of word frequency and modality on sentence comprehension impairments in people with aphasia.

PubMed

DeDe, Gayle

2012-05-01

It is well known that people with aphasia have sentence comprehension impairments. The present study investigated whether lexical factors contribute to sentence comprehension impairments in both the auditory and written modalities using online measures of sentence processing. People with aphasia and non brain-damaged controls participated in the experiment (n = 8 per group). Twenty-one sentence pairs containing high- and low-frequency words were presented in self-paced listening and reading tasks. The sentences were syntactically simple and differed only in the critical words. The dependent variables were response times for critical segments of the sentence and accuracy on the comprehension questions. The results showed that word frequency influences performance on measures of sentence comprehension in people with aphasia. The accuracy data on the comprehension questions suggested that people with aphasia have more difficulty understanding sentences containing low-frequency words in the written compared to auditory modality. Both group and single-case analyses of the response time data also indicated that people with aphasia experience more difficulty with reading than listening. Sentence comprehension in people with aphasia is influenced by word frequency and presentation modality.

Lexical association and false memory for words in two cultures.

PubMed

Lee, Yuh-shiow; Chiang, Wen-Chi; Hung, Hsu-Ching

2008-01-01

This study examined the relationship between language experience and false memory produced by the DRM paradigm. The word lists used in Stadler, et al. (Memory & Cognition, 27, 494-500, 1999) were first translated into Chinese. False recall and false recognition for critical non-presented targets were then tested on a group of Chinese users. The average co-occurrence rate of the list word and the critical word was calculated based on two large Chinese corpuses. List-level analyses revealed that the correlation between the American and Taiwanese participants was significant only in false recognition. More importantly, the co-occurrence rate was significantly correlated with false recall and recognition of Taiwanese participants, and not of American participants. In addition, the backward association strength based on Nelson et al. (The University of South Florida word association, rhyme and word fragment norms, 1999) was significantly correlated with false recall of American participants and not of Taiwanese participants. Results are discussed in terms of the relationship between language experiences and lexical association in creating false memory for word lists.

Somatic and vicarious pain are represented by dissociable multivariate brain patterns

PubMed Central

Krishnan, Anjali; Woo, Choong-Wan; Chang, Luke J; Ruzic, Luka; Gu, Xiaosi; López-Solà, Marina; Jackson, Philip L; Pujol, Jesús; Fan, Jin; Wager, Tor D

2016-01-01

Understanding how humans represent others’ pain is critical for understanding pro-social behavior. ‘Shared experience’ theories propose common brain representations for somatic and vicarious pain, but other evidence suggests that specialized circuits are required to experience others’ suffering. Combining functional neuroimaging with multivariate pattern analyses, we identified dissociable patterns that predicted somatic (high versus low: 100%) and vicarious (high versus low: 100%) pain intensity in out-of-sample individuals. Critically, each pattern was at chance in predicting the other experience, demonstrating separate modifiability of both patterns. Somatotopy (upper versus lower limb: 93% accuracy for both conditions) was also distinct, located in somatosensory versus mentalizing-related circuits for somatic and vicarious pain, respectively. Two additional studies demonstrated the generalizability of the somatic pain pattern (which was originally developed on thermal pain) to mechanical and electrical pain, and also demonstrated the replicability of the somatic/vicarious dissociation. These findings suggest possible mechanisms underlying limitations in feeling others’ pain, and present new, more specific, brain targets for studying pain empathy. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.15166.001 PMID:27296895

Critical thinking evaluation in reflective writing: Development and testing of Carter Assessment of Critical Thinking in Midwifery (Reflection).

PubMed

Carter, Amanda G; Creedy, Debra K; Sidebotham, Mary

2017-11-01

develop and test a tool designed for use by academics to evaluate pre-registration midwifery students' critical thinking skills in reflective writing. a descriptive cohort design was used. a random sample (n = 100) of archived student reflective writings based on a clinical event or experience during 2014 and 2015. a staged model for tool development was used to develop a fifteen item scale involving item generation; mapping of draft items to critical thinking concepts and expert review to test content validity; inter-rater reliability testing; pilot testing of the tool on 100 reflective writings; and psychometric testing. Item scores were analysed for mean, range and standard deviation. Internal reliability, content and construct validity were assessed. expert review of the tool revealed a high content validity index score of 0.98. Using two independent raters to establish inter-rater reliability, good absolute agreement of 72% was achieved with a Kappa coefficient K = 0.43 (p<0.0001). Construct validity via exploratory factor analysis revealed three factors: analyses context, reasoned inquiry, and self-evaluation. The mean total score for the tool was 50.48 (SD = 12.86). Total and subscale scores correlated significantly. The scale achieved good internal reliability with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of .93. this study establishedthe reliability and validity of the CACTiM (reflection) for use by academics to evaluate midwifery students' critical thinking in reflective writing. Validation with large diverse samples is warranted. reflective practice is a key learning and teaching strategy in undergraduate Bachelor of Midwifery programmes and essential for safe, competent practice. There is the potential to enhance critical thinking development by assessingreflective writing with the CACTiM (reflection) tool to provide formative and summative feedback to students and inform teaching strategies. Crown Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Systematic overview and critical appraisal of meta-analyses of interventions in intensive care medicine.

PubMed

Koster, T M; Wetterslev, J; Gluud, C; Keus, F; van der Horst, I C C

2018-05-24

Meta-analysed intervention effect estimates are perceived to represent the highest level of evidence. However, such effects and the randomized clinical trials which are included in them need critical appraisal before the effects can be trusted. Critical appraisal of a predefined set of all meta-analyses on interventions in intensive care medicine to assess their quality and assessed the risks of bias in those meta-analyses having the best quality. We conducted a systematic search to select all meta-analyses of randomized clinical trials on interventions used in intensive care medicine. Selected meta-analyses were critically appraised for basic scientific criteria, (1) presence of an available protocol, (2) report of a full search strategy, and (3) use of any bias risk assessment of included trials. All meta-analyses which qualified these criteria were scrutinized by full "Risk of Bias in Systematic Reviews" ROBIS evaluation of 4 domains of risks of bias, and a "Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses" PRISMA evaluation. We identified 467 meta-analyses. A total of 56 meta-analyses complied with these basic scientific criteria. We scrutinized the risks of bias in the 56 meta-analyses by full ROBIS evaluation and a PRISMA evaluation. Only 4 meta-analyses scored low risk of bias in all the 4 ROBIS domains and 41 meta-analyses reported all 27 items of the PRISMA checklist. In contrast with what might be perceived as the highest level of evidence only 0.9% of all meta-analyses were judged to have overall low risk of bias. © 2018 The Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Technical Basis for Peak Reactivity Burnup Credit for BWR Spent Nuclear Fuel in Storage and Transportation Systems

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

Marshall, William BJ J; Ade, Brian J; Bowman, Stephen M

2015-01-01

Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission have initiated a multiyear project to investigate application of burnup credit for boiling-water reactor (BWR) fuel in storage and transportation casks. This project includes two phases. The first phase (1) investigates applicability of peak reactivity methods currently used in spent fuel pools (SFPs) to storage and transportation systems and (2) evaluates validation of both reactivity (k eff) calculations and burnup credit nuclide concentrations within these methods. The second phase will focus on extending burnup credit beyond peak reactivity. This paper documents the first phase, including an analysis of latticemore » design parameters and depletion effects, as well as both validation components. Initial efforts related to extended burnup credit are discussed in a companion paper. Peak reactivity analyses have been used in criticality analyses for licensing of BWR fuel in SFPs over the last 20 years. These analyses typically combine credit for the gadolinium burnable absorber present in the fuel with a modest amount of burnup credit. Gadolinium burnable absorbers are used in BWR assemblies to control core reactivity. The burnable absorber significantly reduces assembly reactivity at beginning of life, potentially leading to significant increases in assembly reactivity for burnups less than 15–20 GWd/MTU. The reactivity of each fuel lattice is dependent on gadolinium loading. The number of gadolinium-bearing fuel pins lowers initial lattice reactivity, but it has a small impact on the burnup and reactivity of the peak. The gadolinium concentration in each pin has a small impact on initial lattice reactivity but a significant effect on the reactivity of the peak and the burnup at which the peak occurs. The importance of the lattice parameters and depletion conditions are primarily determined by their impact on the gadolinium depletion. Criticality code validation for BWR burnup credit at peak reactivity requires a different set of experiments than for pressurized-water reactor burnup credit analysis because of differences in actinide compositions, presence of residual gadolinium absorber, and lower fission product concentrations. A survey of available critical experiments is presented along with a sample criticality code validation and determination of undercoverage penalties for some nuclides. The validation of depleted fuel compositions at peak reactivity presents many challenges which largely result from a lack of radiochemical assay data applicable to BWR fuel in this burnup range. In addition, none of the existing low burnup measurement data include residual gadolinium measurements. An example bias and uncertainty associated with validation of actinide-only fuel compositions is presented.« less

Experiments on two- and three-dimensional vortex flows in lid-driven cavities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siegmann-Hegerfeld, Tanja; Albensoeder, Stefan; Kuhlmann, Hendrik C.

2009-11-01

Vortex flows in one-sided lid-driven cavities with different cross-sectional aspect ratios (γ = 0.26 up to γ = 6.3) are investigated experimentally. In all cases the spanwise aspect ratio λ>>γ is very large and much larger than most previous experiments. Flow-structure visualizations will be presented together with quantitative LDA and PIV measurements. The experimental results are in good agreement with the critical data from numerical stability analyses and with nonlinear simulations. Experimentally, we find four different three-dimensional instabilities. Particular attention is paid to the so-called C4 mode which arises at large cross-sectional aspect ratios. When the spanwise aspect ratio is small the first bifurcation of the C4 mode is strongly imperfect.

Theory of Knowledge Aims, Objectives and Assessment Criteria: An Analysis of Critical Thinking Descriptors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Conrad

2014-01-01

This article analyses the construct validity of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme's Theory of Knowledge course in the light of claims that it is a course in critical thinking. After discussion around critical thinking--what it is and why it is valuable educationally--the article analyses the extent to which the course aims,…

Development of methodologies for the estimation of thermal properties associated with aerospace vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Scott, Elaine P.

1993-01-01

Thermal stress analyses are an important aspect in the development of aerospace vehicles such as the National Aero-Space Plane (NASP) and the High-Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) at NASA-LaRC. These analyses require knowledge of the temperature within the structures which consequently necessitates the need for thermal property data. The initial goal of this research effort was to develop a methodology for the estimation of thermal properties of aerospace structural materials at room temperature and to develop a procedure to optimize the estimation process. The estimation procedure was implemented utilizing a general purpose finite element code. In addition, an optimization procedure was developed and implemented to determine critical experimental parameters to optimize the estimation procedure. Finally, preliminary experiments were conducted at the Aircraft Structures Branch (ASB) laboratory.

Development of methodologies for the estimation of thermal properties associated with aerospace vehicles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scott, Elaine P.

1993-12-01

Thermal stress analyses are an important aspect in the development of aerospace vehicles such as the National Aero-Space Plane (NASP) and the High-Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) at NASA-LaRC. These analyses require knowledge of the temperature within the structures which consequently necessitates the need for thermal property data. The initial goal of this research effort was to develop a methodology for the estimation of thermal properties of aerospace structural materials at room temperature and to develop a procedure to optimize the estimation process. The estimation procedure was implemented utilizing a general purpose finite element code. In addition, an optimization procedure was developed and implemented to determine critical experimental parameters to optimize the estimation procedure. Finally, preliminary experiments were conducted at the Aircraft Structures Branch (ASB) laboratory.

Development of a Research Reactor Protocol for Neutron Multiplication Measurements

DOE PAGES

Arthur, Jennifer Ann; Bahran, Rian Mustafa; Hutchinson, Jesson D.; ...

2018-03-20

A new series of subcritical measurements has been conducted at the zero-power Walthousen Reactor Critical Facility (RCF) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) using a 3He neutron multiplicity detector. The Critical and Subcritical 0-Power Experiment at Rensselaer (CaSPER) campaign establishes a protocol for advanced subcritical neutron multiplication measurements involving research reactors for validation of neutron multiplication inference techniques, Monte Carlo codes, and associated nuclear data. There has been increased attention and expanded efforts related to subcritical measurements and analyses, and this work provides yet another data set at known reactivity states that can be used in the validation of state-of-the-art Montemore » Carlo computer simulation tools. The diverse (mass, spatial, spectral) subcritical measurement configurations have been analyzed to produce parameters of interest such as singles rates, doubles rates, and leakage multiplication. MCNP ®6.2 was used to simulate the experiment and the resulting simulated data has been compared to the measured results. Comparison of the simulated and measured observables (singles rates, doubles rates, and leakage multiplication) show good agreement. This work builds upon the previous years of collaborative subcritical experiments and outlines a protocol for future subcritical neutron multiplication inference and subcriticality monitoring measurements on pool-type reactor systems.« less

Mentorship Programs in Radiation Oncology Residency Training Programs: A Critical Unmet Need

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

Dhami, Gurleen; Gao, Wendy; Gensheimer, Michael F.

Purpose: To conduct a nationwide survey to evaluate the current status of resident mentorship in radiation oncology. Methods and Materials: An anonymous electronic questionnaire was sent to all residents and recent graduates at US Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education–accredited radiation oncology residency programs, identified in the member directory of the Association of Residents in Radiation Oncology. Factors predictive of having a mentor and satisfaction with the mentorship experience were identified using univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: The survey response rate was 25%, with 85% of respondents reporting that mentorship plays a critical role in residency training, whereas only 53%more » had a current mentor. Larger programs (≥10 faculty, P=.004; and ≥10 residents, P<.001) were more likely to offer a formal mentorship program, which makes it more likely for residents to have an active mentor (88% vs 44%). Residents in a formal mentoring program reported being more satisfied with the overall mentorship experience (univariate odds ratio 8.77, P<.001; multivariate odds ratio 5, P<.001). On multivariate analysis, women were less likely to be satisfied with the mentorship experience. Conclusions: This is the first survey focusing on the status of residency mentorship in radiation oncology. Our survey highlights the unmet need for mentorship in residency programs.« less

Development of a Research Reactor Protocol for Neutron Multiplication Measurements

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

Arthur, Jennifer Ann; Bahran, Rian Mustafa; Hutchinson, Jesson D.

A new series of subcritical measurements has been conducted at the zero-power Walthousen Reactor Critical Facility (RCF) at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) using a 3He neutron multiplicity detector. The Critical and Subcritical 0-Power Experiment at Rensselaer (CaSPER) campaign establishes a protocol for advanced subcritical neutron multiplication measurements involving research reactors for validation of neutron multiplication inference techniques, Monte Carlo codes, and associated nuclear data. There has been increased attention and expanded efforts related to subcritical measurements and analyses, and this work provides yet another data set at known reactivity states that can be used in the validation of state-of-the-art Montemore » Carlo computer simulation tools. The diverse (mass, spatial, spectral) subcritical measurement configurations have been analyzed to produce parameters of interest such as singles rates, doubles rates, and leakage multiplication. MCNP ®6.2 was used to simulate the experiment and the resulting simulated data has been compared to the measured results. Comparison of the simulated and measured observables (singles rates, doubles rates, and leakage multiplication) show good agreement. This work builds upon the previous years of collaborative subcritical experiments and outlines a protocol for future subcritical neutron multiplication inference and subcriticality monitoring measurements on pool-type reactor systems.« less

Benchmarking study of the MCNP code against cold critical experiments

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

Sitaraman, S.

1991-01-01

The purpose of this study was to benchmark the widely used Monte Carlo code MCNP against a set of cold critical experiments with a view to using the code as a means of independently verifying the performance of faster but less accurate Monte Carlo and deterministic codes. The experiments simulated consisted of both fast and thermal criticals as well as fuel in a variety of chemical forms. A standard set of benchmark cold critical experiments was modeled. These included the two fast experiments, GODIVA and JEZEBEL, the TRX metallic uranium thermal experiments, the Babcock and Wilcox oxide and mixed oxidemore » experiments, and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) nitrate solution experiments. The principal case studied was a small critical experiment that was performed with boiling water reactor bundles.« less

Nurses' intention to leave: critically analyse the theory of reasoned action and organizational commitment model.

PubMed

Liou, Shwu-Ru

2009-01-01

To systematically analyse the Organizational Commitment model and Theory of Reasoned Action and determine concepts that can better explain nurses' intention to leave their job. The Organizational Commitment model and Theory of Reasoned Action have been proposed and applied to understand intention to leave and turnover behaviour, which are major contributors to nursing shortage. However, the appropriateness of applying these two models in nursing was not analysed. Three main criteria of a useful model were used for the analysis: consistency in the use of concepts, testability and predictability. Both theories use concepts consistently. Concepts in the Theory of Reasoned Action are defined broadly whereas they are operationally defined in the Organizational Commitment model. Predictability of the Theory of Reasoned Action is questionable whereas the Organizational Commitment model can be applied to predict intention to leave. A model was proposed based on this analysis. Organizational commitment, intention to leave, work experiences, job characteristics and personal characteristics can be concepts for predicting nurses' intention to leave. Nursing managers may consider nurses' personal characteristics and experiences to increase their organizational commitment and enhance their intention to stay. Empirical studies are needed to test and cross-validate the re-synthesized model for nurses' intention to leave their job.

Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program FY98

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

Hansen, T.; Chartock, M.

1999-02-05

The Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL or Berkeley Lab) Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program FY 1998 report is compiled from annual reports submitted by principal investigators following the close of the fiscal year. This report describes the supported projects and summarizes their accomplishments. It constitutes a part of the Laboratory Directed Research and Development (LDRD) program planning and documentation process that includes an annual planning cycle, projection selection, implementation, and review. The LBNL LDRD program is a critical tool for directing the Laboratory's forefront scientific research capabilities toward vital, excellent, and emerging scientific challenges. The program providesmore » the resources for LBNL scientists to make rapid and significant contributions to critical national science and technology problems. The LDRD program also advances LBNL's core competencies, foundations, and scientific capability, and permits exploration of exciting new opportunities. All projects are work in forefront areas of science and technology. Areas eligible for support include the following: Advanced study of hypotheses, concepts, or innovative approaches to scientific or technical problems; Experiments and analyses directed toward ''proof of principle'' or early determination of the utility of new scientific ideas, technical concepts, or devices; and Conception and preliminary technical analyses of experimental facilities or devices.« less

Torn between dual roles: the experiences of nurse-family members when a loved one is hospitalised in a critical condition.

PubMed

Giles, Tracey M; Williamson, Victoria

2015-11-01

To understand and interpret the experiences of nurse-family members when a family member or loved one is hospitalised in a critical condition. Having a family member hospitalised with a critical illness is a traumatic stressor, often with long-term sequelae. Providing holistic care for family members who are also nurses makes the provision of care more complex because of their professional expertise; yet few studies have explored this issue. In this descriptive study, qualitative data were collected using a questionnaire and analysed using van Manen's (Researching Lived Experience: Human Science for an Action Sensitive Pedagogy, 1990, State University of New York Press, London, ON) six-step approach. Twenty nurse-family members completed an online questionnaire in June 2013. Qualitative findings from 19 participants were included in the analysis. The phenomenological analysis approach described by van Manen (Researching Lived Experience: Human Science for an Action Sensitive Pedagogy, 1990, State University of New York Press, London, ON) was used to describe and interpret nurse-family member experiences. Nurse-family members experience significant dual role conflicts between their personal and professional personas due to their specialised knowledge, need for watchfulness and competing expectations. Our findings describe how dual role conflicts developed and were managed, and reveal the resultant emotional toll and psychological distress as nurse-family members struggled to resolve these conflicts. Nurse-family members require a different type of care than general public family members, yet their unique needs are often unmet, leading to increased anxiety and distress that could potentially be minimised. An increased awareness and emphasis on the nurse-family member experience can ensure health care professionals are better placed to provide appropriate and targeted care to minimise distressing dual role conflicts. There is a need for targeted and specialised communication appropriate to each nurse-family members' needs and level of understanding, and to clarify expectations to ensure nurse-family members' professional knowledge and skills are recognised and respected without being exploited. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Strange old worlds: socio-critical reports about old-age experiences in West German print media (1970s-1990s).

PubMed

Streubel, Christiane

2011-01-01

This article examines West German images of old age and the elderly in a period when this increasingly became a topical issue. Between the 1970s and the 1990s, the elderly were the subject of socio-critical reports in leading political magazines like Der Spiegel, Die Zeit and Stern. In these specific journalistic formats, the media entered unfamiliar places like old people's homes, the elderly's private apartments or tea dances for senior citizens. By analysing the language used in such media reports, this article shows continuity and change in attitudes towards the elderly, explores the impact of the new old-age model 'the young at heart', and the relevance of gender and generational ascriptions. In doing so, this article uncovers the recent historical context of current social debates about old age.

Study and design of cryogenic propellant acquisition systems. Volume 2: Supporting experimental program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burge, G. W.; Blackmon, J. B.

1973-01-01

Areas of cryogenic fuel systems were identified where critical experimental information was needed either to define a design criteria or to establish the feasibility of a design concept or a critical aspect of a particular design. Such data requirements fell into three broad categories: (1) basic surface tension screen characteristics; (2) screen acquisition device fabrication problems; and (3) screen surface tension device operational failure modes. To explore these problems and to establish design criteria where possible, extensive laboratory or bench test scale experiments were conducted. In general, these proved to be quite successful and, in many instances, the test results were directly used in the system design analyses and development. In some cases, particularly those relating to operational-type problems, areas requiring future research were identified, especially screen heat transfer and vibrational effects.

A Numerical Study on the Edgewise Compression Strength of Sandwich Structures with Facesheet-Core Disbonds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bergan, Andrew C.

2017-01-01

Damage tolerant design approaches require determination of critical damage modes and flaw sizes in order to establish nondestructive evaluation detection requirements. A finite element model is developed to assess the effect of circular facesheet-core disbonds on the strength of sandwich specimens subjected to edgewise compressive loads for the purpose of predicting the critical flaw size for a variety of design parameters. Postbuckling analyses are conducted in which an initial imperfection is seeded using results from a linear buckling analysis. Both the virtual crack closure technique (VCCT) and cohesive elements are considered for modeling disbond growth. Predictions from analyses using the VCCT and analyses using cohesive elements are in good correlation. A series of parametric analyses are conducted to investigate the effect of core thickness and material, facesheet layup, facesheet-core interface properties, and curvature on the criticality of facesheet-core disbonds of various sizes. The results from these analyses provide a basis for determining the critical flaw size for facesheet-core disbonds subjected to edgewise compression loads and, therefore, nondestructive evaluation flaw detection requirements for this configuration.

Automatic Analysis of Critical Incident Reports: Requirements and Use Cases.

PubMed

Denecke, Kerstin

2016-01-01

Increasingly, critical incident reports are used as a means to increase patient safety and quality of care. The entire potential of these sources of experiential knowledge remains often unconsidered since retrieval and analysis is difficult and time-consuming, and the reporting systems often do not provide support for these tasks. The objective of this paper is to identify potential use cases for automatic methods that analyse critical incident reports. In more detail, we will describe how faceted search could offer an intuitive retrieval of critical incident reports and how text mining could support in analysing relations among events. To realise an automated analysis, natural language processing needs to be applied. Therefore, we analyse the language of critical incident reports and derive requirements towards automatic processing methods. We learned that there is a huge potential for an automatic analysis of incident reports, but there are still challenges to be solved.

Hierarchical Coloured Petrinet Based Healthcare Infrastructure Interdependency Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nivedita, N.; Durbha, S.

2014-11-01

To ensure a resilient Healthcare Critical Infrastructure, understanding the vulnerabilities and analysing the interdependency on other critical infrastructures is important. To model this critical infrastructure and its dependencies, Hierarchal Coloured petri net modelling approach for simulating the vulnerability of Healthcare Critical infrastructure in a disaster situation is studied.. The model enables to analyse and understand various state changes, which occur when there is a disruption or damage to any of the Critical Infrastructure, and its cascading nature. It also enables to explore optimal paths for evacuation during the disaster. The simulation environment can be used to understand and highlight various vulnerabilities of Healthcare Critical Infrastructure during a flood disaster scenario; minimize consequences; and enable timely, efficient response.

Reflective blogs in clinical education to promote critical thinking in dental hygiene students.

PubMed

Wetmore, Ann O'Kelley; Boyd, Linda D; Bowen, Denise M; Pattillo, Robin E

2010-12-01

One challenge facing dental hygiene, as well as dental, education is to identify clinical teaching strategies promoting critical thinking and clinical reasoning. These skills are crucial elements in the practice of dental hygiene. A two-group design (intervention, n=28, and control, n=30) assessed first-year dental hygiene students using pre-and post-Health Science Reasoning Test (HSRT) scores to evaluate the effect of reflective blogging on critical thinking skills. A reflective blog rubric, based on Mezirow's levels of reflection, determined if reflective blogging increased the level of reflection for dental hygiene students. The results suggest within this nonprobability sample that reflective blogging did not produce a significant change in students' HSRT scores (p>0.05). However, analyses of reflective blog rubric scores demonstrated statistically significant improvements (p<0.05) in students' levels of reflection. Furthermore, data analysis revealed a correlation (p<0.05) between HSRT subscale scores and the element of reflection scores for the intervention group. This study addressed needs of the dental and dental hygiene education community by examining the use of blogs, an emerging technology, as a tool for reflecting on clinical experiences and, in turn, for promoting critical thinking.

Exploratory Decision-Making as a Function of Lifelong Experience, Not Cognitive Decline

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Older adults perform worse than younger adults in some complex decision-making scenarios, which is commonly attributed to age-related declines in striatal and frontostriatal processing. Recently, this popular account has been challenged by work that considered how older adults’ performance may differ as a function of greater knowledge and experience, and by work showing that, in some cases, older adults outperform younger adults in complex decision-making tasks. In light of this controversy, we examined the performance of older and younger adults in an exploratory choice task that is amenable to model-based analyses and ostensibly not reliant on prior knowledge. Exploration is a critical aspect of decision-making poorly understood across the life span. Across 2 experiments, we addressed (a) how older and younger adults differ in exploratory choice and (b) to what extent observed differences reflect processing capacity declines. Model-based analyses suggested that the strategies used by the 2 groups were qualitatively different, resulting in relatively worse performance for older adults in 1 decision-making environment but equal performance in another. Little evidence was found that differences in processing capacity drove performance differences. Rather the results suggested that older adults’ performance might result from applying a strategy that may have been shaped by their wealth of real-word decision-making experience. While this strategy is likely to be effective in the real world, it is ill suited to some decision environments. These results underscore the importance of taking into account effects of experience in aging studies, even for tasks that do not obviously tap past experiences. PMID:26726916

Examining the relationship between free recall and immediate serial recall: the serial nature of recall and the effect of test expectancy.

PubMed

Bhatarah, Parveen; Ward, Geoff; Tan, Lydia

2008-01-01

In two experiments, we examined the relationship between free recall and immediate serial recall (ISR), using a within-subjects (Experiment 1) and a between-subjects (Experiment 2) design. In both experiments, participants read aloud lists of eight words and were precued or postcued to respond using free recall or ISR. The serial position curves were U-shaped for free recall and showed extended primacy effects with little or no recency for ISR, and there was little or no difference between recall for the precued and the postcued conditions. Critically, analyses of the output order showed that although the participants started their recall from different list positions in the two tasks, the degree to which subsequent recall was serial in a forward order was strikingly similar. We argue that recalling in a serial forward order is a general characteristic of memory and that performance on ISR and free recall is underpinned by common memory mechanisms.

[Molecular and immunohistochemical diagnostics in melanoma].

PubMed

Schilling, B; Griewank, K G

2016-07-01

To provide appropriate therapy and follow-up to patients with malignant melanoma, proper diagnostics are of critical importance. Targeted therapy of advanced melanoma is based on the molecular genetic analyses of tumor tissue. In addition, sequencing of genes and other genetic approaches can provide insight into the origin of melanocytic tumors and can aid in distinguishing benign from malignant lesions. In this regard, spizoid neoplasms remain a challenging entity. Aside from genetic analyses of tumor tissue, immunohistochemistry remains an essential tool in melanoma diagnostics and TNM classification. With new immunotherapies being approved for advanced melanoma, immunohistochemistry to determine PD-L1 expression has gained clinical interest. While PD-L1 expression is associated with response to PD-1 blockade, a substantial number of patients without PD-L1 expression can still experience tumor remission upon treatment. In this review, current and future developments in melanoma diagnostics with regard to molecular genetics and immunohistochemistry are summarized. The utilization of such analyses in clinical decision making is also discussed.

Crossover phenomena in the critical range near magnetic ordering transition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Köbler, U.

2018-05-01

Among the most important issues of Renormalization Group (RG) theory are crossover events and relevant (or non-relevant) interactions. These terms are unknown to atomistic theories but they will be decisive for future field theories of magnetism. In this experimental study the importance of these terms for the critical dynamics above and below magnetic ordering transition is demonstrated on account of new analyses of published data. When crossover events are overlooked and critical data are fitted by a single power function of temperature over a temperature range including a crossover event, imprecise critical exponents result. The rather unsystematic and floating critical exponents reported in literature seem largely to be due to this problem. It is shown that for appropriate data analyses critical exponents are obtained that are to a good approximation rational numbers. In fact, rational critical exponents can be expected when spin dynamics is controlled by the bosons of the continuous magnetic medium (Goldstone bosons). The bosons are essentially magnetic dipole radiation generated by the precessing spins. As a result of the here performed data analyses, critical exponents for the magnetic order parameter of β = 1/2, 1/3, 1/4 and 1/6 are obtained. For the critical paramagnetic susceptibility the exponents are γ = 1 and γ = 4/3.

Small studies may overestimate the effect sizes in critical care meta-analyses: a meta-epidemiological study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Introduction Small-study effects refer to the fact that trials with limited sample sizes are more likely to report larger beneficial effects than large trials. However, this has never been investigated in critical care medicine. Thus, the present study aimed to examine the presence and extent of small-study effects in critical care medicine. Methods Critical care meta-analyses involving randomized controlled trials and reported mortality as an outcome measure were considered eligible for the study. Component trials were classified as large (≥100 patients per arm) and small (<100 patients per arm) according to their sample sizes. Ratio of odds ratio (ROR) was calculated for each meta-analysis and then RORs were combined using a meta-analytic approach. ROR<1 indicated larger beneficial effect in small trials. Small and large trials were compared in methodological qualities including sequence generating, blinding, allocation concealment, intention to treat and sample size calculation. Results A total of 27 critical care meta-analyses involving 317 trials were included. Of them, five meta-analyses showed statistically significant RORs <1, and other meta-analyses did not reach a statistical significance. Overall, the pooled ROR was 0.60 (95% CI: 0.53 to 0.68); the heterogeneity was moderate with an I2 of 50.3% (chi-squared = 52.30; P = 0.002). Large trials showed significantly better reporting quality than small trials in terms of sequence generating, allocation concealment, blinding, intention to treat, sample size calculation and incomplete follow-up data. Conclusions Small trials are more likely to report larger beneficial effects than large trials in critical care medicine, which could be partly explained by the lower methodological quality in small trials. Caution should be practiced in the interpretation of meta-analyses involving small trials. PMID:23302257

Binge eating & childhood emotional abuse: The mediating role of anger.

PubMed

Feinson, Marjorie C; Hornik-Lurie, Tzipi

2016-10-01

Recent studies reveal that childhood emotional abuse (CEA) is the trauma most clearly associated with adult eating pathology. Yet, relatively little is understood about psychological mechanisms linking these distal experiences. Anger's mediational role in the relationship between CEA and adult binge eating (BE) is explored in a community-based sample of 498 adult women (mean age 44). Detailed telephone interviews assess BE (7 items), CEA (single item), and unresolved anger (single item) along with self-criticism (modified Rosenberg self-esteem scale), depression and anxiety symptoms (BSI sub-scales). Statistical analyses include Pearson correlations, Baron and Kenny's steps for mediation, and Preacher and Hayes bootstrapping method to test proposed multiple mediators simultaneously. Findings reveal significantly more respondents (n = 476 with complete data) with serious BE behaviors report a history of CEA compared to women with considerable and/or minimal BE (53% vs 37%, p = 0.002 respectively). Significant correlations are found among all study variables. Mediation analyses focus on anger together with self-criticism, depression and anxiety. Findings reveal anger and self-criticism fully mediate the CEA-BE relationship. In contrast, depression and anxiety symptoms are not significant mediators in a model that includes anger and self-criticism. Although additional research is warranted to more fully understand complex causal processes, in the interim, treatment interventions should be broadened to include assessments of anger among adult women with BE behaviors, especially those with histories of childhood abuse. Additionally, prevention strategies that incorporate learning how to express anger directly and positively may be particularly effective in reducing various disordered eating behaviors among women and girls. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Pediatric Critical Care Transport as a Conduit to Terminal Extubation at Home: A Case Series

PubMed Central

Noje, Corina; Bernier, Meghan L.; Costabile, Philomena M.; Klein, Bruce L.; Kudchadkar, Sapna R.

2016-01-01

Objective To present our single-center’s experience with three palliative critical care transports home from the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) for terminal extubation. Design, Setting, Patients All cases were identified from our institutional Pediatric Transport database. Patients in the case series were terminally ill children unable to separate from mechanical ventilation in the PICU, who were transported home between January 1, 2012 and December 31, 2014 for terminal extubation and end-of-life care according to their families’ wishes. Interventions, Measurements, Main Results The rate of palliative care transports home for terminal extubation during the study period was 2.6 per 100 deaths. The patients were 7 months, 6 years, and 18 years old and had complex chronic conditions. The transfer process was protocolized. The families were approached by the PICU staff during multidisciplinary goals-of-care meetings. Parental expectations were clarified and home hospice care was arranged pre-transfer. All transports were performed by our pediatric critical care transport team, and all terminal extubations were performed by physicians. All patients had unstable medical conditions and urgent needs for transport to comply with the families’ wishes for withdrawal of life-support and death at home. As such, all three cases presented similar logistical challenges, including establishing do-not-resuscitate status pre-transport, having limited time to organize the transport, and coordinating home palliative care services with available community resources. Conclusions Though a relatively infrequent practice in pediatric critical care, transport home for terminal extubation represents a feasible alternative for families seeking out-of-hospital end-of-life care for their critically ill technology-dependent children. Our single-center experience supports the need for development of formal programs for end-of-life critical care transports to include patient screening tools, palliative care home discharge algorithms, transport protocols, and resource utilization and cost analyses. PMID:27801708

Pediatric Critical Care Transport as a Conduit to Terminal Extubation at Home: A Case Series.

PubMed

Noje, Corina; Bernier, Meghan L; Costabile, Philomena M; Klein, Bruce L; Kudchadkar, Sapna R

2017-01-01

To present our single-center's experience with three palliative critical care transports home from the PICU for terminal extubation. We performed a retrospective chart review of patients transported between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2014. All cases were identified from our institutional pediatric transport database. Patients were terminally ill children unable to separate from mechanical ventilation in the PICU, who were transported home for terminal extubation and end-of-life care according to their families' wishes. Patients underwent palliative care transport home for terminal extubation. The rate of palliative care transports home for terminal extubation during the study period was 2.6 per 100 deaths. The patients were 7 months, 6 years, and 18 years old and had complex chronic conditions. The transfer process was protocolized. The families were approached by the PICU staff during multidisciplinary goals-of-care meetings. Parental expectations were clarified, and home hospice care was arranged pretransfer. All transports were performed by our pediatric critical care transport team, and all terminal extubations were performed by physicians. All patients had unstable medical conditions and urgent needs for transport to comply with the families' wishes for withdrawal of life support and death at home. As such, all three cases presented similar logistic challenges, including establishing do-not-resuscitate status pretransport, having limited time to organize the transport, and coordinating home palliative care services with available community resources. Although a relatively infrequent practice in pediatric critical care, transport home for terminal extubation represents a feasible alternative for families seeking out-of-hospital end-of-life care for their critically ill technology-dependent children. Our single-center experience supports the need for development of formal programs for end-of-life critical care transports to include patient screening tools, palliative care home discharge algorithms, transport protocols, and resource utilization and cost analyses.

SPATIAL ACCURACY: A CRITICAL FACTOR IN GIS-RELATED ACTIVITIES

EPA Science Inventory

Onsite analyses are critical to making timely decisions. The results of these decisions may not be realized for many years. In order to increase the value of onsite analyses and to create and utilize meaningful environmental models, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) dev...

Modeling of Particle Engulfment during the Growth of Crystalline Silicon for Solar Cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Yutao

A major challenge for the growth of multi-crystalline silicon is the formation of carbide and nitride precipitates in the melt that are engulfed by the solidification front to form inclusions. These lower cell efficiency and can lead to wafer breakage and sawing defects. Minimizing the number of these engulfed particles will promote lower cost and higher quality silicon and will advance progress in commercial solar cell production. To better understand the physical mechanisms responsible for such inclusions during crystal growth, we have developed finite-element, moving-boundary analyses to assess particle dynamics during engulfment via solidification fronts. Two-dimensional, steady-state and dynamic models are developed using the Galerkin finite element method and elliptic mesh generation techniques in an arbitrary Eulerian-Lagrangian (ALE) implementation. This numerical approach allows for an accurate representation of forces and dynamics previously inaccessible by approaches using analytical approximations. We reinterpret the significance of premelting via the definition of an unambiguous critical velocity for engulfment from steady-state analysis and bifurcation theory. Parametric studies are then performed to uncover the dependence of critical growth velocity upon some important physical properties. We also explore the complicated transient behaviors due to oscillating crystal growth conditions as well as the nonlinear nature related with temperature gradients and solute effects in the system. When compared with results for the SiC-Si system measured during ParSiWal experiments conducted by our collaborators, our model predicts a more realistic scaling of critical velocity with particle size than that predicted by prior theories. However, the engulfment growth velocity observed in the subsequent experiment onboard the TEXUS sounding rocket mission turned out to be unexpectedly higher. To explain this model discrepancy, a macroscopic model is developed in order to account for the natural convection in the terrestrial experiments. We demonstrate that the convective flows are able to keep most small particles suspended in the melt, so that the observed critical velocities and their variance are enhanced in the experiments conducted on earth. According to simulation results, some solutions, which are applicable in photovoltaic industry, to the inclusion problem are also discussed and studied.

The Customer Rules and Other e-Shopping Myths

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McLean, Rachel; Richardson, Helen

This chapter discusses self-service and the Internet in the context of two studies, based in the UK, and undertaken during 1998-2005. They are united by a common framework of critically analysing discourses of e-shopping in the ‘ digital age ’. Firstly, myths surrounding e-shopping are deconstructed with a view to analysing the ‘sovereign consumer’ and the e-shopping experience. The second study considers home e-shopping in the UK. In an atmosphere where we are urged to engage with ICTs (information communication technologies) in all spheres of our lives, the domestication of ICTs necessitates consideration of the gendered family in gendered households. In conclusion, we argue those self-service aspects of e-shopping are not signs of empowerment and self-determination. The notion of the sovereign consumer exercising power and control globally is an enduring myth.

Motivational Implications of Pain: Chronicity, Psychological Distress, and Work Goal Construal in a National Sample of Adults

PubMed Central

Karoly, Paul; Ruehlman, Linda S.

2005-01-01

A heterogeneous national sample of adults (mean age = 40 years) employed in management positions was contacted by random digit dialing procedures and interviewed about current pain experience, work-goal cognitions, and psychological status (depression and anxiety). In accord with predictions, persistent pain experience was differentially related to the construal of work-related goals. Specifically, individuals with both persistent and episodic pain (relative to those with no pain) reported lower levels of goal-centered value, self-efficacy, and positive arousal and heightened perceptions of goal-based self-criticism, negative arousal, and conflict between work and nonwork goals. Furthermore, regression analyses revealed that goal cognition accounted for unique variance in depression and anxiety over and above the contribution of pain chronicity. PMID:8891717

Providing Nuclear Criticality Safety Analysis Education through Benchmark Experiment Evaluation

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

John D. Bess; J. Blair Briggs; David W. Nigg

2009-11-01

One of the challenges that today's new workforce of nuclear criticality safety engineers face is the opportunity to provide assessment of nuclear systems and establish safety guidelines without having received significant experience or hands-on training prior to graduation. Participation in the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Evaluation Project (ICSBEP) and/or the International Reactor Physics Experiment Evaluation Project (IRPhEP) provides students and young professionals the opportunity to gain experience and enhance critical engineering skills.

How to Critically Read Ecological Meta-Analyses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lortie, Christopher J.; Stewart, Gavin; Rothstein, Hannah; Lau, Joseph

2015-01-01

Meta-analysis offers ecologists a powerful tool for knowledge synthesis. Albeit a form of review, it also shares many similarities with primary empirical research. Consequently, critical reading of meta-analyses incorporates criteria from both sets of approaches particularly because ecology is a discipline that embraces heterogeneity and broad…

Statistical results on restorative dentistry experiments: effect of the interaction between main variables

PubMed Central

CAVALCANTI, Andrea Nóbrega; MARCHI, Giselle Maria; AMBROSANO, Gláucia Maria Bovi

2010-01-01

Statistical analysis interpretation is a critical field in scientific research. When there is more than one main variable being studied in a research, the effect of the interaction between those variables is fundamental on experiments discussion. However, some doubts can occur when the p-value of the interaction is greater than the significance level. Objective To determine the most adequate interpretation for factorial experiments with p-values of the interaction nearly higher than the significance level. Materials and methods The p-values of the interactions found in two restorative dentistry experiments (0.053 and 0.068) were interpreted in two distinct ways: considering the interaction as not significant and as significant. Results Different findings were observed between the two analyses, and studies results became more coherent when the significant interaction was used. Conclusion The p-value of the interaction between main variables must be analyzed with caution because it can change the outcomes of research studies. Researchers are strongly advised to interpret carefully the results of their statistical analysis in order to discuss the findings of their experiments properly. PMID:20857003

The Experience of African Students Studying Nursing in the United States in Relation to Their Use of Critical Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tyson, Donald Lee

2012-01-01

This qualitative study explores the critical thinking experiences of African nursing students enrolled in several universities in the U.S. Using a semi-structured interview approach, twelve African students discussed their experiences using and learning a western critical thinking approach, as well as described their educational experiences in…

Residual Stresses and Critical Initial Flaw Size Analyses of Welds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brust, Frederick W.; Raju, Ivatury, S.; Dawocke, David S.; Cheston, Derrick

2009-01-01

An independent assessment was conducted to determine the critical initial flaw size (CIFS) for the flange-to-skin weld in the Ares I-X Upper Stage Simulator (USS). A series of weld analyses are performed to determine the residual stresses in a critical region of the USS. Weld residual stresses both increase constraint and mean stress thereby having an important effect on the fatigue life. The purpose of the weld analyses was to model the weld process using a variety of sequences to determine the 'best' sequence in terms of weld residual stresses and distortions. The many factors examined in this study include weld design (single-V, double-V groove), weld sequence, boundary conditions, and material properties, among others. The results of this weld analysis are included with service loads to perform a fatigue and critical initial flaw size evaluation.

Ubiquitous Learning Ecologies for a Critical Cyber-Citizenship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Díez-Gutiérrez, Enrique; Díaz-Nafría, José-María

2018-01-01

The aim of this research is to identify and analyse the ubiquitous learning acquired through blending education settings devoted to the "lifelong training of trainers" and how these contribute to the development of a conscious, critic and engaged citizenship. Through active exploration of the learning process, the study analyses the…

Investigating the impact of a research-based integrated curriculum on self-perceived research experiences of medical students in community placements: a pre- and post-test analysis of three student cohorts.

PubMed

Mullan, Judy R; Weston, Kathryn M; Rich, Warren C; McLennan, Peter L

2014-08-05

To build research capacity among graduating medical students, the teaching of research and critical analysis was integrated into the University of Wollongong (UoW) new, graduate-entry medical curriculum. This study examined whether the self-perceived research experiences of medical students, and consequent research capability, were influenced by exposure to this innovative research and critical analysis curriculum, which incorporated a 12-month community-based research project, and associated assessment tasks. The first three medical students cohorts (N = 221) completed a self-assessment of their research experiences in ten areas of research activity. Their responses were collected: before and after they undertook an individual community-based research project within a 12-month regional/rural clinical placement. The research areas investigated by the self-assessment tool were: (i) defining a research question/idea; (ii) writing a research protocol; (iii) finding relevant literature; (iv) critically reviewing the literature; (v) using quantitative research methods; (vi) using qualitative research methods; (vii) analysing and interpreting results; (viii) writing and presenting a research report; (ix) publishing results; and (x) applying for research funding. Participation rates of 94% (207/221) pre-placement and 99% (219/221) post-placement were achieved from the three student cohorts. Following the successful completion of the research projects and their assessment tasks, the median responses were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in nine of the ten research areas. The only area of research for which there was no increase recorded for any one of the three cohorts, or overall, was (x) applying for research funding. This activity was not a component of the UoW research and critical analysis curriculum and the item was included as a test of internal validity. Significant gains were also seen between cohorts in some key research areas. Improved research capability among medical students was evidenced by increased scores in various areas of research experience in the context of successful completion of relevant assessment tasks. The results suggest that research capability of medical students can be positively influenced by the provision of a research-based integrated medical curriculum and further consolidated by authentic learning experiences, gained through conducting 'hands-on' research projects, under the supervision and mentoring of research-qualified academics.

Investigating the impact of a research-based integrated curriculum on self-perceived research experiences of medical students in community placements: a pre- and post-test analysis of three student cohorts

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background To build research capacity among graduating medical students, the teaching of research and critical analysis was integrated into the University of Wollongong (UoW) new, graduate-entry medical curriculum. This study examined whether the self-perceived research experiences of medical students, and consequent research capability, were influenced by exposure to this innovative research and critical analysis curriculum, which incorporated a 12-month community-based research project, and associated assessment tasks. Methods The first three medical students cohorts (N = 221) completed a self-assessment of their research experiences in ten areas of research activity. Their responses were collected: before and after they undertook an individual community-based research project within a 12-month regional/rural clinical placement. The research areas investigated by the self-assessment tool were: (i) defining a research question/idea; (ii) writing a research protocol; (iii) finding relevant literature; (iv) critically reviewing the literature; (v) using quantitative research methods; (vi) using qualitative research methods; (vii) analysing and interpreting results; (viii) writing and presenting a research report; (ix) publishing results; and (x) applying for research funding. Results Participation rates of 94% (207/221) pre-placement and 99% (219/221) post-placement were achieved from the three student cohorts. Following the successful completion of the research projects and their assessment tasks, the median responses were significantly higher (p < 0.05) in nine of the ten research areas. The only area of research for which there was no increase recorded for any one of the three cohorts, or overall, was (x) applying for research funding. This activity was not a component of the UoW research and critical analysis curriculum and the item was included as a test of internal validity. Significant gains were also seen between cohorts in some key research areas. Conclusions Improved research capability among medical students was evidenced by increased scores in various areas of research experience in the context of successful completion of relevant assessment tasks. The results suggest that research capability of medical students can be positively influenced by the provision of a research-based integrated medical curriculum and further consolidated by authentic learning experiences, gained through conducting ‘hands-on’ research projects, under the supervision and mentoring of research-qualified academics. PMID:25096817

The impact of globalization on subjectivities in Cuba: a gender perspective.

PubMed

Vega, Ania Pupo

2014-10-01

Globalization has created great transformations, not only in economics, but also in social and cultural relations, and has influenced political practices and governments. If not critically analysed, globalization may at first appear positive, but, in parallel with its development, high levels of poverty and exclusion have occurred and these may affect men and women differently. The objective of this article is to reveal the subjective or individual consequences that derive from globalization and the contexts it creates. This analysis centres on a gender perspective within a Cuban context and tries to challenge the prevailing view of the most poor and excluded groups. Psychiatry and psychology have a long way to go in the search for an understanding of the impact of globalization on human well-being, but critical thinking and the social sciences can offer an alternative to the transformation of this constructed order by giving prominence to people's own subjectivities and experiences.

Effects of oxytocin administration on spirituality and emotional responses to meditation

PubMed Central

Way, Baldwin M.; Isgett, Suzannah F.; Fredrickson, Barbara L.

2016-01-01

The oxytocin (OT) system, critically involved in social bonding, may also impinge on spirituality, which is the belief in a meaningful life imbued with a sense of connection to a Higher Power and/or the world. Midlife male participants (N = 83) were randomly assigned to receive intranasal OT or placebo. In exploratory analyses, participants were also genotyped for polymorphisms in two genes critical for OT signaling, the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR rs53576) and CD38 (rs6449182 and rs3796863). Results showed that intranasal OT increased self-reported spirituality on two separate measures and this effect remained significant a week later. It also boosted participants’ experience of specific positive emotions during meditation, at both explicit and implicit levels. Furthermore, the effect of OT on spirituality was moderated by OT-related genotypes. These results provide the first experimental evidence that spirituality, endorsed by millions worldwide, appears to be supported by OT. PMID:27317929

Seismic precursory patterns before a cliff collapse and critical point phenomena

USGS Publications Warehouse

Amitrano, D.; Grasso, J.-R.; Senfaute, G.

2005-01-01

We analyse the statistical pattern of seismicity before a 1-2 103 m3 chalk cliff collapse on the Normandie ocean shore, Western France. We show that a power law acceleration of seismicity rate and energy in both 40 Hz-1.5 kHz and 2 Hz-10kHz frequency range, is defined on 3 orders of magnitude, within 2 hours from the collapse time. Simultaneously, the average size of the seismic events increases toward the time to failure. These in situ results are derived from the only station located within one rupture length distance from the rock fall rupture plane. They mimic the "critical point" like behavior recovered from physical and numerical experiments before brittle failures and tertiary creep failures. Our analysis of this first seismic monitoring data of a cliff collapse suggests that the thermodynamic phase transition models for failure may apply for cliff collapse. Copyright 2005 by the American Geophysical Union.

Vehicle response-based track geometry assessment using multi-body simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kraft, Sönke; Causse, Julien; Coudert, Frédéric

2018-02-01

The assessment of the geometry of railway tracks is an indispensable requirement for safe rail traffic. Defects which represent a risk for the safety of the train have to be identified and the necessary measures taken. According to current standards, amplitude thresholds are applied to the track geometry parameters measured by recording cars. This geometry-based assessment has proved its value but suffers from the low correlation between the geometry parameters and the vehicle reactions. Experience shows that some defects leading to critical vehicle reactions are underestimated by this approach. The use of vehicle responses in the track geometry assessment process allows identifying critical defects and improving the maintenance operations. This work presents a vehicle response-based assessment method using multi-body simulation. The choice of the relevant operation conditions and the estimation of the simulation uncertainty are outlined. The defects are identified from exceedances of track geometry and vehicle response parameters. They are then classified using clustering methods and the correlation with vehicle response is analysed. The use of vehicle responses allows the detection of critical defects which are not identified from geometry parameters.

Untroubling abortion: A discourse analysis of women’s accounts

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

In this paper, I highlight key differences between a discourse analytic approach to women’s accounts of abortion and that taken by the growing body of research that seeks to explore and measure women’s experiences of abortion stigma. Drawing on critical analyses of the conceptualisation of stigma in other fields of healthcare, I suggest that research on abortion stigma often risks reifying it by failing to consider how identities are continually re-negotiated through language-use. In contrast, by attending to language as a form of social action, discursive psychology makes it possible to emphasise speakers’ capacity to construct “untroubled” (i.e. non-stigmatised) identities, while acknowledging that this process is constrained by the contexts in which talk takes place. My analysis applies these insights to interviews with women concerning their experiences of having an abortion in England. I highlight three forms of discursive work through which women navigate “trouble” in their accounts of abortion, and critically consider the resources available for meaning-making within this particular context of talk. In doing so, I aim to provoke reflection about the discursive frameworks through which women’s accounts of abortion are solicited and explored. PMID:28546656

A gut feeling? Intuition and critical care nursing.

PubMed

Hams, S P

2000-10-01

As nurses, we are knowledgeable about nursing and able, immediately and intuitively, to identify the needs and demands of a given situation. Experienced nurses practise intuitively by virtue of having developed, through critical thought, a deeply grounded knowledge base that can be applied in daily practice. Each gains knowledge about nursing practice in such a way that every clinical experience becomes a lesson which informs the next experience. There is continued debate over the domain of nursing knowledge, where it originates and to whom it belongs. Much of nursing knowledge has emerged from the practice of other professions. There now appears to be an increasing focus within today's modern healthcare environment on the importance of measurable outcomes and the need to predict the consequences of all interventions. The strength of our intuition often urges us to do something more for the patient. When we as nurses report our intuitions, subjective feelings are often at odds with the objective signs and symptoms. Nurses have made great strides in recognizing, analysing and teaching concepts related to logical, rational decision-making. It is imperative, however, also to recognize and teach the concepts related to the intuitive and precognitive components of making decisions in clinical practice.

Statistics Clinic

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Feiveson, Alan H.; Foy, Millennia; Ploutz-Snyder, Robert; Fiedler, James

2014-01-01

Do you have elevated p-values? Is the data analysis process getting you down? Do you experience anxiety when you need to respond to criticism of statistical methods in your manuscript? You may be suffering from Insufficient Statistical Support Syndrome (ISSS). For symptomatic relief of ISSS, come for a free consultation with JSC biostatisticians at our help desk during the poster sessions at the HRP Investigators Workshop. Get answers to common questions about sample size, missing data, multiple testing, when to trust the results of your analyses and more. Side effects may include sudden loss of statistics anxiety, improved interpretation of your data, and increased confidence in your results.

Caring for patients of Islamic denomination: Critical care nurses' experiences in Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Halligan, Phil

2006-12-01

To describe the critical care nurses' experiences in caring for patients of Muslim denomination in Saudi Arabia. Caring is known to be the essence of nursing but many health-care settings have become more culturally diverse. Caring has been examined mainly in the context of Western cultures. Muslims form one of the largest ethnic minority communities in Britain but to date, empirical studies relating to caring from an Islamic perspective is not well documented. Research conducted within the home of Islam would provide essential truths about the reality of caring for Muslim patients. Phenomenological descriptive. Methods. Six critical care nurses were interviewed from a hospital in Saudi Arabia. The narratives were analysed using Colaizzi's framework. The meaning of the nurses' experiences emerged as three themes: family and kinship ties, cultural and religious influences and nurse-patient relationship. The results indicated the importance of the role of the family and religion in providing care. In the process of caring, the participants felt stressed and frustrated and they all experienced emotional labour. Communicating with the patients and the families was a constant battle and this acted as a further stressor in meeting the needs of their patients. The concept of the family and the importance and meaning of religion and culture were central in the provision of caring. The beliefs and practices of patients who follow Islam, as perceived by expatriate nurses, may have an effect on the patient's health care in ways that are not apparent to many health-care professionals and policy makers internationally. Readers should be prompted to reflect on their clinical practice and to understand the impact of religious and cultural differences in their encounters with patients of Islam denomination. Policy and all actions, decisions and judgments should be culturally derived.

Working at the interface in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health: focussing on the individual health professional and their organisation as a means to address health equity.

PubMed

Wilson, Annabelle M; Kelly, Janet; Magarey, Anthea; Jones, Michelle; Mackean, Tamara

2016-11-17

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people experience inequity in health outcomes in Australia. Health care interactions are an important starting place to seek to address this inequity. The majority of health professionals in Australia do not identify as Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander people and the health care interaction therefore becomes an example of working in an intercultural space (or interface). It is therefore critical to consider how health professionals may maximise the positive impact within the health care interaction by skilfully working at the interface. Thirty-five health professionals working in South Australia were interviewed about their experiences working with Aboriginal people. Recruitment was through purposive sampling. The research was guided by the National Health and Medical Research Council Values and Ethics for undertaking research with Aboriginal communities. Critical social research was used to analyse data. Interviews revealed two main types of factors influencing the experience of non-Aboriginal health professionals working with Aboriginal people at the interface: the organisation and the individual. Within these two factors, a number of sub-factors were found to be important including organisational culture, organisational support, accessibility of health services and responding to expectations of the wider health system (organisation) and personal ideology and awareness of colonisation (individual). A health professional's practice at the interface cannot be considered in isolation from individual and organisational contexts. It is critical to consider how the organisational and individual factors identified in this research will be addressed in health professional training and practice, in order to maximise the ability of health professionals to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and therefore contribute to addressing health equity.

Addressing sexual health behaviour during emerging adulthood: a critical review of the literature

PubMed Central

Alexander, Kamila A; Jemmott1, Loretta S; Teitelman, Anne M; D’Antonio, Patricia

2016-01-01

Aims and objectives In this critical literature review, we examine evidence-based interventions that target sexual behaviours of 18- to 25-year-old emerging adult women. Background Nurses and clinicians implement theory-driven research programmes for young women with increased risk of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections. Strategies to decrease transmission of HIV and sexually transmitted infections are rigorously evaluated and promoted by public health agencies such as the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While many interventions demonstrate episodic reductions in sexual risk behaviours and infection transmission, there is little evidence they build sustainable skills and behaviours. Programmes may not attend to contextual and affective influences on sexual behaviour change. Design Discursive paper. Methods We conducted a conceptually based literature review and critical analysis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s best-evidence and good-evidence HIV behavioural interventions. In this review, we examined three contextual and affective influences on the sexual health of emerging adult women: (1) developmental age, (2) reproduction and pregnancy desires and (3) sexual security or emotional responses accompanying relationship experiences. Results Our analyses revealed intervention programmes paid little attention to ways age, desires for pregnancy or emotional factors influence sexual decisions. Some programmes included 18- to 25-year-olds, but they made up small percentages of the sample and did not attend to unique emerging adult experiences. Second, primary focus on infection prevention overshadowed participant desires for pregnancy. Third, few interventions considered emotional mechanisms derived from relationship experiences involved in sexual decision-making. Conclusions Growing evidence demonstrates sexual health interventions may be more effective if augmented to attend to contextual and affective influences on relationship risks and decision-making. Modifying currently accepted strategies may enhance sustainability of sexual health-promoting behaviours. PMID:24988875

Teaching as a Political Act: Critical Pedagogy in Library Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fritch, Melia Erin

2018-01-01

This article establishes a theoretical framework for critical library instruction (and thereby critical information literacy) that is built upon critical feminist theory, critical race theory, and engaged pedagogy, among others. Using the ideas and work of theorists to create a path linking the ideas of critical analyses together, the author…

Plastic brain mechanisms for attaining auditory temporal order judgment proficiency.

PubMed

Bernasconi, Fosco; Grivel, Jeremy; Murray, Micah M; Spierer, Lucas

2010-04-15

Accurate perception of the order of occurrence of sensory information is critical for the building up of coherent representations of the external world from ongoing flows of sensory inputs. While some psychophysical evidence reports that performance on temporal perception can improve, the underlying neural mechanisms remain unresolved. Using electrical neuroimaging analyses of auditory evoked potentials (AEPs), we identified the brain dynamics and mechanism supporting improvements in auditory temporal order judgment (TOJ) during the course of the first vs. latter half of the experiment. Training-induced changes in brain activity were first evident 43-76 ms post stimulus onset and followed from topographic, rather than pure strength, AEP modulations. Improvements in auditory TOJ accuracy thus followed from changes in the configuration of the underlying brain networks during the initial stages of sensory processing. Source estimations revealed an increase in the lateralization of initially bilateral posterior sylvian region (PSR) responses at the beginning of the experiment to left-hemisphere dominance at its end. Further supporting the critical role of left and right PSR in auditory TOJ proficiency, as the experiment progressed, responses in the left and right PSR went from being correlated to un-correlated. These collective findings provide insights on the neurophysiologic mechanism and plasticity of temporal processing of sounds and are consistent with models based on spike timing dependent plasticity. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Surfactant-enhanced remediation of a trichloroethene-contaminated aquifer. 1. Transport of triton X-100

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, J.A.; Sahoo, D.; Mclellan, H.M.; Imbrigiotta, T.E.

1997-01-01

Transport of a nonionic surfactant (Triton X-100) at aqueous concentrations less than 400 mg/L through a trichloroethene-contaminated sand-and-gravel aquifer at Picatinny Arsenal, NJ, has been studied through a series of laboratory and field experiments. In the laboratory, batch and column experiments were conducted to quantify the rate and amount of Triton X-100 sorption to the aquifer sediments. In the field, a 400 mg/L aqueous Triton X-100 solution was injected into the aquifer at a rate of 26.5 L/min for a 35-d period. The transport of Triton X-100 was monitored by sampling and analysis of groundwater at six locations surrounding the injection well. Equilibrium batch sorption experiments showed that Triton X-100 sorbs strongly and nonlinearly to the field soil with the sharpest inflection point of the isotherm occurring at an equilibrium aqueous Triton X-100 concentration close to critical micelle concentration. Batch, soil column, and field experimental data were analyzed with zero-, one-, and two- dimensional (respectively) transient solute transport models with either equilibrium or rate-limited sorption. These analyses reveal that Triton X- 100 sorption to the aquifer solids is slow relative to advective and dispersive transport and that an equilibrium sorption model cannot simulate accurately the observed soil column and field data. Comparison of kinetic sorption parameters from batch, column, and field transport data indicate that both physical heterogeneities and Triton X-100 mass transfer between water and soil contribute to the kinetic transport effects.Transport of a nonionic surfactant (Triton X-100) at aqueous concentrations less than 400 mg/L through a trichloroethene-contaminated sand-and-gravel aquifer was studied. Equilibrium batch sorption experiments showed that Triton X-100 sorbs strongly and nonlinearly to the field soil with the sharpest inflection point of the isotherm occurring at an equilibrium aqueous Triton X-100 concentration close to critical micelle concentration. Batch, soil column, and field experimental data were analyzed with zero-, one-, and two-dimensional transient solute transport models with either equilibrium or rate-limited sorption. These analyses revealed that Triton X-100 sorption to the aquifer solids was slow relative to advective and dispersive transport.

The Critical Purchase of Genealogy: Critiquing Student Participation Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, Anna

2015-01-01

Until recently the dominant critique of "student participation" projects was one based on the theoretical assumptions of critical theory in the form of critical pedagogy. Over the last decade, we have witnessed the emergence of a critical education discourse that theorises and critically analyses such projects using Foucault's notion of…

77 FR 60479 - Burnup Credit in the Criticality Safety Analyses of Pressurized Water Reactor Spent Fuel in...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-03

... Pressurized Water Reactor Spent Fuel in Transportation and Storage Casks AGENCY: Nuclear Regulatory Commission... 3, entitled, ``Burnup Credit in the Criticality Safety Analyses of PWR [Pressurized Water Reactor... water reactor spent nuclear fuel (SNF) in transportation packages and storage casks. SFST-ISG-8...

Low-Frequency Surface Backscattering Strengths Measured in the Critical Sea Test Experiments

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-01-19

Naval Research Laboratory Washington, DC 20375-5320 NRL/MR/7160--17-9702 Low-Frequency Surface Backscattering Strengths Measured in the Critical Sea ...LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT Low-Frequency Surface Backscattering Strengths Measured in the Critical Sea Test Experiments Roger C. Gauss1 and Joseph M...significantly- updated results from 55 broadband SUS SSS measurements in 6 Critical Sea Test (CST) experiments. Since the time of the previously

Students' Attitudes to Information in the Press: Critical Reading of a Newspaper Article With Scientific Content

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oliveras, B.; Márquez, C.; Sanmartí, N.

2014-08-01

This research analyses what happens when a critical reading activity based on a press article dealing with an energy-related problem is implemented with two groups of students of 13-14 years old and 16-17 years old in the same school (a total of 117 students). Specifically, the research analyses the students' profiles from the standpoint of their attitudes to the information given in the news story and the use they make of it when writing an argumentative text. It also analyses the difficulties the students have when it comes to applying their knowledge about energy in a real-life context. Lastly, some strategies are suggested for helping students to critically analyse the scientific content of a newspaper article. Three reader profiles were identified (the credulous reader, the ideological reader and the critical reader). No significant differences were found in reading profiles in terms of age or scientific knowledge. The findings show that the activity helped to link science learning in school with facts relating to an actual context, particularly in the case of students with more science knowledge.

Understanding the school experiences of children and adolescents with serious chronic illness: a systematic meta-review.

PubMed

Lum, A; Wakefield, C E; Donnan, B; Burns, M A; Fardell, J E; Marshall, G M

2017-09-01

Serious chronic illness can have a detrimental effect on school attendance, participation and engagement, leaving affected students at risk of failing to meet their developmental potential. An improved understanding of factors that help to explain or mitigate this risk can help educators and health professionals deliver the most effective support. This meta-review critiqued the available evidence examining the link between six chronic illnesses (asthma, cancer, chronic kidney diseases, heart diseases, cystic fibrosis and gastrointestinal diseases) and children's and adolescents' school experiences and outcomes, as well as investigating the medical, school, psychosocial and sociodemographic factors that are linked to poorer or better school outcomes. We searched CINAHL, Cochrane Database, EMBASE, ERIC, MEDLINE, ProQuest Theses and Dissertations, and PsycINFO (2000-2015). Systematic and narrative reviews, and meta-analyses, of original studies examining students' subjective school experiences and objective school outcomes were eligible. We used the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses criteria to critically appraise all systematic reviews. The Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system guided our recommendations for practice and research. Eighteen reviews of 172 studies including more than 40 000 students were eligible. Therefore, we chose to conduct a meta-review to provide an overview of the literature on the relationship between chronic illness and school experiences and outcomes. We also explored the associated medical, school, psychosocial and sociodemographic factors affecting the relationship between illness and school experiences and outcomes. Students with chronic illness demonstrate mixed school experiences and outcomes that are often worse than students without chronic illness. Modifiable factors, such as students' engagement with school, may be novel yet appropriate targets of educational support to ensure that these students reach their full schooling potential. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

76 FR 40945 - Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Critical Experiments Facility; Notice of Issuance of Renewed...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-12

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. 50-225; NRC-2008-0277] Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Critical Experiments Facility; Notice of Issuance of Renewed Facility Operating License No. CX-22 The U.S... of the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Critical Experiments Facility (RCF), located in Schenectady...

Reliability and Maintainability Engineering - A Major Driver for Safety and Affordability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Safie, Fayssal M.

2011-01-01

The United States National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is in the midst of an effort to design and build a safe and affordable heavy lift vehicle to go to the moon and beyond. To achieve that, NASA is seeking more innovative and efficient approaches to reduce cost while maintaining an acceptable level of safety and mission success. One area that has the potential to contribute significantly to achieving NASA safety and affordability goals is Reliability and Maintainability (R&M) engineering. Inadequate reliability or failure of critical safety items may directly jeopardize the safety of the user(s) and result in a loss of life. Inadequate reliability of equipment may directly jeopardize mission success. Systems designed to be more reliable (fewer failures) and maintainable (fewer resources needed) can lower the total life cycle cost. The Department of Defense (DOD) and industry experience has shown that optimized and adequate levels of R&M are critical for achieving a high level of safety and mission success, and low sustainment cost. Also, lessons learned from the Space Shuttle program clearly demonstrated the importance of R&M engineering in designing and operating safe and affordable launch systems. The Challenger and Columbia accidents are examples of the severe impact of design unreliability and process induced failures on system safety and mission success. These accidents demonstrated the criticality of reliability engineering in understanding component failure mechanisms and integrated system failures across the system elements interfaces. Experience from the shuttle program also shows that insufficient Reliability, Maintainability, and Supportability (RMS) engineering analyses upfront in the design phase can significantly increase the sustainment cost and, thereby, the total life cycle cost. Emphasis on RMS during the design phase is critical for identifying the design features and characteristics needed for time efficient processing, improved operational availability, and optimized maintenance and logistic support infrastructure. This paper discusses the role of R&M in a program acquisition phase and the potential impact of R&M on safety, mission success, operational availability, and affordability. This includes discussion of the R&M elements that need to be addressed and the R&M analyses that need to be performed in order to support a safe and affordable system design. The paper also provides some lessons learned from the Space Shuttle program on the impact of R&M on safety and affordability.

Alcohol mixed with energy drink (AMED): A critical review and meta‐analysis

PubMed Central

Benson, Sarah; Johnson, Sean J.; Alford, Chris; Godefroy, Samuel Benrejeb; Scholey, Andrew

2018-01-01

Abstract The purpose of this systematic review and meta‐analysis was to critically review the (1) prevalence of alcohol mixed with energy drink (AMED) consumption, (2) motives for AMED consumption, (3) correlates of AMED consumption, and (4) whether AMED consumption has an impact on (a) alcohol consumption, (b) subjective intoxication, and (c) risk‐taking behavior. Overall a minority of the population consumes AMED, typically infrequently. Motives for AMED consumption are predominantly hedonistic and social. Meta‐analyses revealed that AMED consumers drink significantly more alcohol than alcohol‐only (AO) consumers. Within‐subject comparisons restricted to AMED consumers revealed that alcohol consumption does not significantly differ between typical AMED and AO occasions. On past month heaviest drinking occasions, AMED users consume significantly less alcohol on AMED occasions when compared to AO occasions. AMED consumers experience significantly fewer negative consequences and risk‐taking behavior on AMED occasions compared with AO occasions. Meta‐analyses of subjective intoxication studies suggest that AMED consumption does not differentially affect subjective intoxication when compared to AO consumption. In conclusion, when compared to AO consumption, mixing alcohol with energy drink does not affect subjective intoxication and seems unlikely to increase total alcohol consumption, associated risk‐taking behavior, nor other negative alcohol‐related consequences. Further research may be necessary to fully reveal the effects of AMED. PMID:29417616

Video techniques and data compared with observation in emergency trauma care

PubMed Central

Mackenzie, C; Xiao, Y

2003-01-01

Video recording is underused in improving patient safety and understanding performance shaping factors in patient care. We report our experience of using video recording techniques in a trauma centre, including how to gain cooperation of clinicians for video recording of their workplace performance, identify strengths of video compared with observation, and suggest processes for consent and maintenance of confidentiality of video records. Video records are a rich source of data for documenting clinician performance which reveal safety and systems issues not identified by observation. Emergency procedures and video records of critical events identified patient safety, clinical, quality assurance, systems failures, and ergonomic issues. Video recording is a powerful feedback and training tool and provides a reusable record of events that can be repeatedly reviewed and used as research data. It allows expanded analyses of time critical events, trauma resuscitation, anaesthesia, and surgical tasks. To overcome some of the key obstacles in deploying video recording techniques, researchers should (1) develop trust with video recorded subjects, (2) obtain clinician participation for introduction of a new protocol or line of investigation, (3) report aggregated video recorded data and use clinician reviews for feedback on covert processes and cognitive analyses, and (4) involve multidisciplinary experts in medicine and nursing. PMID:14645896

Major publications in the critical care pharmacotherapy literature: January-December 2017.

PubMed

Hammond, Drayton A; Baumgartner, Laura; Cooper, Craig; Donahey, Elisabeth; Harris, Serena A; Mercer, Jessica M; Morris, Mandy; Patel, Mona K; Plewa-Rusiecki, Angela M; Poore, Alia A; Szaniawski, Ryan; Horner, Deanna

2018-06-01

To summarize selected meta-analyses and trials related to critical care pharmacotherapy published in 2017. The Critical Care Pharmacotherapy Literature Update (CCPLU) Group screened 32 journals monthly for impactful articles and reviewed 115 during 2017. Two meta-analyses and eight original research trials were reviewed here from those included in the monthly CCPLU. Meta-analyses on early, goal-directed therapy for septic shock and statin therapy for acute respiratory distress syndrome were summarized. Original research trials that were included evaluate thrombolytic therapy in severe stroke, hyperoxia and hypertonic saline in septic shock, intraoperative ketamine for prevention of post-operative delirium, intravenous ketorolac dosing regimens for acute pain, angiotensin II for vasodilatory shock, dabigatran reversal with idarucizumab, bivalirudin versus heparin monotherapy for myocardial infarction, and balanced crystalloids versus saline fluid resuscitation. This clinical review provides perspectives on impactful critical care pharmacotherapy publications in 2017. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

On Becoming a Global Citizen: Transformative Learning Through Global Health Experiences.

PubMed

Litzelman, Debra K; Gardner, Adrian; Einterz, Robert M; Owiti, Philip; Wambui, Charity; Huskins, Jordan C; Schmitt-Wendholt, Kathleen M; Stone, Geren S; Ayuo, Paul O; Inui, Thomas S; Umoren, Rachel A

Globalization has increased the demand for international experiences in medical education. International experiences improve medical knowledge, clinical skills, and self-development; influence career objectives; and provide insights on ethical and societal issues. However, global health rotations can end up being no more than tourism if not structured to foster personal transformation and global citizenship. We conducted a qualitative assessment of trainee-reported critical incidents to more deeply understand the impact of our global health experience on trainees. A cross-sectional survey was administered to trainees who had participated in a 2-month elective in Kenya from January 1989 to May 2013. We report the results of a qualitative assessment of the critical incident reflections participants (n = 137) entered in response to the prompt, "Write about one of your most memorable experiences and explain why you chose to describe this particular one." Qualitative analyses were conducted using thematic analysis and crystallization immersion analytic methods based on the principles of grounded theory, employing a constructivists' research paradigm. Four major themes emerged. These themes were Opening Oneself to a Broader World View; Impact of Suffering and Death; Life-Changing Experiences; and Commitment to Care for the Medically Underserved. Circumstances that learners encounter in the resource-scarce environment in Kenya are eye-opening and life-changing. When exposed to these frame-shifting circumstances, students elaborate on or transform existing points of view. These emotionally disruptive experiences in an international health setting allowed students to enter a transformational learning process with a global mind. Students can see the world as an interdependent society and develop the capacity to advance both their enlightened self-interest and the interest of people elsewhere in the world as they mature as global citizens. Medical schools are encouraged to foster these experiences by finding ways to integrate them into curriculum. Copyright © 2017 Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Trained Eyes: Experience Promotes Adaptive Gaze Control in Dynamic and Uncertain Visual Environments

PubMed Central

Taya, Shuichiro; Windridge, David; Osman, Magda

2013-01-01

Current eye-tracking research suggests that our eyes make anticipatory movements to a location that is relevant for a forthcoming task. Moreover, there is evidence to suggest that with more practice anticipatory gaze control can improve. However, these findings are largely limited to situations where participants are actively engaged in a task. We ask: does experience modulate anticipative gaze control while passively observing a visual scene? To tackle this we tested people with varying degrees of experience of tennis, in order to uncover potential associations between experience and eye movement behaviour while they watched tennis videos. The number, size, and accuracy of saccades (rapid eye-movements) made around ‘events,’ which is critical for the scene context (i.e. hit and bounce) were analysed. Overall, we found that experience improved anticipatory eye-movements while watching tennis clips. In general, those with extensive experience showed greater accuracy of saccades to upcoming event locations; this was particularly prevalent for events in the scene that carried high uncertainty (i.e. ball bounces). The results indicate that, even when passively observing, our gaze control system utilizes prior relevant knowledge in order to anticipate upcoming uncertain event locations. PMID:23951147

The word frequency effect during sentence reading: A linear or nonlinear effect of log frequency?

PubMed

White, Sarah J; Drieghe, Denis; Liversedge, Simon P; Staub, Adrian

2016-10-20

The effect of word frequency on eye movement behaviour during reading has been reported in many experimental studies. However, the vast majority of these studies compared only two levels of word frequency (high and low). Here we assess whether the effect of log word frequency on eye movement measures is linear, in an experiment in which a critical target word in each sentence was at one of three approximately equally spaced log frequency levels. Separate analyses treated log frequency as a categorical or a continuous predictor. Both analyses showed only a linear effect of log frequency on the likelihood of skipping a word, and on first fixation duration. Ex-Gaussian analyses of first fixation duration showed similar effects on distributional parameters in comparing high- and medium-frequency words, and medium- and low-frequency words. Analyses of gaze duration and the probability of a refixation suggested a nonlinear pattern, with a larger effect at the lower end of the log frequency scale. However, the nonlinear effects were small, and Bayes Factor analyses favoured the simpler linear models for all measures. The possible roles of lexical and post-lexical factors in producing nonlinear effects of log word frequency during sentence reading are discussed.

Complex self-management interventions in chronic disease unravelled: a review of lessons learned from an individual patient data meta-analysis.

PubMed

Jonkman, Nini H; Groenwold, Rolf H H; Trappenburg, Jaap C A; Hoes, Arno W; Schuurmans, Marieke J

2017-03-01

Meta-analyses using individual patient data (IPD) rather than aggregated data are increasingly applied to analyze sources of heterogeneity between trials and have only recently been applied to unravel multicomponent, complex interventions. This study reflects on methodological challenges encountered in two IPD meta-analyses on self-management interventions in patients with heart failure or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Critical reflection on prior IPD meta-analyses and discussion of literature. Experience from two IPD meta-analyses illustrates methodological challenges. Despite close collaboration with principal investigators, assessing the effect of characteristics of complex interventions on the outcomes of trials is compromised by lack of sufficient details on intervention characteristics and limited data on fidelity and adherence. Furthermore, trials collected baseline variables in a highly diverse way, limiting the possibilities to study subgroups of patients in a consistent manner. Possible solutions are proposed based on lessons learnt from the methodological challenges. Future researchers of complex interventions should pay considerable attention to the causal mechanism underlying the intervention and conducting process evaluations. Future researchers on IPD meta-analyses of complex interventions should carefully consider their own causal assumptions and availability of required data in eligible trials before undertaking such resource-intensive IPD meta-analysis. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

LaRC design analysis report for National Transonic Facility for 304 stainless steel tunnel shell. Volume 1S: Finite difference analysis of cone/cylinder junction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramsey, J. W., Jr.; Taylor, J. T.; Wilson, J. F.; Gray, C. E., Jr.; Leatherman, A. D.; Rooker, J. R.; Allred, J. W.

1976-01-01

The results of extensive computer (finite element, finite difference and numerical integration), thermal, fatigue, and special analyses of critical portions of a large pressurized, cryogenic wind tunnel (National Transonic Facility) are presented. The computer models, loading and boundary conditions are described. Graphic capability was used to display model geometry, section properties, and stress results. A stress criteria is presented for evaluation of the results of the analyses. Thermal analyses were performed for major critical and typical areas. Fatigue analyses of the entire tunnel circuit are presented.

Knowledge retention after an online tutorial: a randomized educational experiment among resident physicians.

PubMed

Bell, Douglas S; Harless, Charles E; Higa, Jerilyn K; Bjork, Elizabeth L; Bjork, Robert A; Bazargan, Mohsen; Mangione, Carol M

2008-08-01

The time course of physicians' knowledge retention after learning activities has not been well characterized. Understanding the time course of retention is critical to optimizing the reinforcement of knowledge. Educational follow-up experiment with knowledge retention measured at 1 of 6 randomly assigned time intervals (0-55 days) after an online tutorial covering 2 American Diabetes Association guidelines. Internal and family medicine residents. Multiple-choice knowledge tests, subject characteristics including critical appraisal skills, and learner satisfaction. Of 197 residents invited, 91 (46%) completed the tutorial and were randomized; of these, 87 (96%) provided complete follow-up data. Ninety-two percent of the subjects rated the tutorial as "very good" or "excellent." Mean knowledge scores increased from 50% before the tutorial to 76% among those tested immediately afterward. Score gains were only half as great at 3-8 days and no significant retention was measurable at 55 days. The shape of the retention curve corresponded with a 1/4-power transformation of the delay interval. In multivariate analyses, critical appraisal skills and participant age were associated with greater initial learning, but no participant characteristic significantly modified the rate of decline in retention. Education that appears successful from immediate posttests and learner evaluations can result in knowledge that is mostly lost to recall over the ensuing days and weeks. To achieve longer-term retention, physicians should review or otherwise reinforce new learning after as little as 1 week.

Broadening the Study of Participation in the Life Sciences: How Critical Theoretical and Mixed-Methodological Approaches Can Enhance Efforts to Broaden Participation.

PubMed

Metcalf, Heather

This research methods Essay details the usefulness of critical theoretical frameworks and critical mixed-methodological approaches for life sciences education research on broadening participation in the life sciences. First, I draw on multidisciplinary research to discuss critical theory and methodologies. Then, I demonstrate the benefits of these approaches for researchers who study diversity and inclusion issues in the life sciences through examples from two critical mixed-methods studies of prominent issues in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) participation and recognition. The first study pairs critical discourse analysis of the STEM workforce literature, data, and underlying surveys with quantitative analyses of STEM pathways into the workforce. This example illustrates the necessity of questioning popular models of retention. It also demonstrates the importance of intersecting demographic categories to reveal patterns of experience both within and between groups whose access to and participation in STEM we aim to improve. The second study's critical approach applies research on inequities in prizes awarded by STEM professional societies toward organizational change. This example uses data from the life sciences professional societies to show the importance of placing data within context to broaden participation and understand challenges in creating sustainable change. © 2016 H. Metcalf. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2016 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

Turbidity of a binary fluid mixture: Determining eta

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobs, Donald T.

1994-01-01

A ground based (1-g) experiment is in progress that will measure the turbidity of a density-matched, binary fluid mixture extremely close to the critical point. By covering the range of reduced temperatures t is equivalent to (T-T(sub c))/T(sub c) from 10(exp -8) to 10(exp -2), the turbidity measurements will allow the critical exponent eta to be determined. No experiment has determined a value of the critical exponent eta, yet its value is significant to theorists in critical phenomena. Interpreting the turbidity correctly is important if future NASA flight experiments use turbidity as an indirect measurement of relative temperature in shuttle experiments on critical phenomena in fluids.

The Relationships of Critical Thinking Skills, Critical Thinking Dispositions, and College Experiences of Theological Students in Indonesia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Soeherman, Sylvia

2010-01-01

The purposes of this study were to assess the critical thinking skills of theological students in Indonesia and to explore the relationships between these students' critical thinking skills and their demographic profiles, critical thinking dispositions, and college experiences. All third-year students who pursued either the Sarjana Theologi (a…

Critical-Thinking Predisposition Among Undergraduate Athletic Training Students

PubMed Central

Leaver-Dunn, Deidre; Harrelson, Gary L.; Martin, Malissa; Wyatt, Tom

2002-01-01

Objective: To investigate the tendency of undergraduate athletic training students to think critically, to assess their likelihood of using specific components of critical thinking, and to study the effect of selected demographic and educational variables on critical-thinking tendencies in this sample of students. Design and Setting: Data were collected before regularly scheduled athletic training classes at the beginning of the spring semester. Subjects: Ninety-one students enrolled in 3 Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs-accredited undergraduate athletic training education programs in the southeast. The subjects ranged in age from 19 to 29 years (mean age = 22.33 ± 1.94). Forty-six (50.5%) of the subjects were men and 45 (49.5%) were women. Measurements: The California Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory contains 75 Likert-type items assessing 7 components of critical thinking: truth seeking, open mindedness, analyticity, systematicity, inquisitiveness, cognitive maturity, and critical-thinking self-confidence. Results: The overall mean indicated a general but mild trend toward critical thinking, with weak scores on the truth-seeking subscale. One-way analysis of variance reflected significant differences among the schools for truth seeking, open mindedness, and maturity subscales and for the overall mean score for the entire inventory. Only the open-mindedness difference persisted between 2 of the schools after post hoc testing. Correlation analyses indicated no significant relationship between total score and age, sex, ethnicity, year in athletic training program, cumulative grade point average, completed semester hours, or clinical-experience hours. Conclusions: Athletic training students are inclined toward critical thinking, but this tendency is relatively weak. Classroom and clinical instructors should use teaching methods and techniques that facilitate the components of critical thinking. The promotion of critical thinking and critical-thinking skills has implications for athletic training education and the advancement of certified athletic trainers and the profession of athletic training. PMID:12937536

Recent advances in ChIP-seq analysis: from quality management to whole-genome annotation.

PubMed

Nakato, Ryuichiro; Shirahige, Katsuhiko

2017-03-01

Chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) analysis can detect protein/DNA-binding and histone-modification sites across an entire genome. Recent advances in sequencing technologies and analyses enable us to compare hundreds of samples simultaneously; such large-scale analysis has potential to reveal the high-dimensional interrelationship level for regulatory elements and annotate novel functional genomic regions de novo. Because many experimental considerations are relevant to the choice of a method in a ChIP-seq analysis, the overall design and quality management of the experiment are of critical importance. This review offers guiding principles of computation and sample preparation for ChIP-seq analyses, highlighting the validity and limitations of the state-of-the-art procedures at each step. We also discuss the latest challenges of single-cell analysis that will encourage a new era in this field. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

Beyond the Syndemic: Condom Negotiation and Use among Women Experiencing Partner Violence

PubMed Central

Peasant, Courtney; Sullivan, Tami P.; Weiss, Nicole H.; Martinez, Isabel; Meyer, Jaimie P.

2016-01-01

Background HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) disproportionately affect women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV). Objective The current study 1) applied a syndemic framework to study the collective effects of problematic drug use, hazardous drinking, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on fear of condom negotiation, condom negotiation, and condom use and 2) evaluated condom negotiation (controlling for fear of condom negotiation) as a mediator of the association between syndemic severity and condom use among low-income IPV-exposed women. Methods Participants were 158 women living in the community and experiencing ongoing IPV who completed face-to-face, computer-assisted interviews. Almost three-fourths of the participants reported problematic drug use, hazardous drinking, depression, and/or PTSD; many of these factors were significantly correlated, indicating a syndemic. Results Multivariate logistic and linear regression analyses revealed associations between syndemic severity and fear of condom negotiation (OR = 1.57, p = .02), condom negotiation (β = −8.51, p = .001) and condom use (β = −8.26, p = .01). Meditation analyses identified condom negotiation as a mediator of the association between syndemic severity and condom use (Effect = −6.57, SE = 2.01, [95% CI: − 10.66, − 2.77]). Conclusions Results fill a critical gap in previous research by identifying condom negotiation as a mechanism through which this syndemic affects condom use. Prevention and intervention programs should consider addressing condom negotiation to reduce sexual risk among this high-risk population. Further, because IPV-exposed women may experience fear related to condom negotiation, it is critical that prevention and intervention efforts for this population offer skills to safely negotiate condom use, increase condom use, and reduce STI and HIV risk. PMID:27590004

Beyond the syndemic: condom negotiation and use among women experiencing partner violence.

PubMed

Peasant, Courtney; Sullivan, Tami P; Weiss, Nicole H; Martinez, Isabel; Meyer, Jaimie P

2017-04-01

HIV and sexually transmitted infections (STIs) disproportionately affect women who experience intimate partner violence (IPV). The current study (1) applied a syndemic framework to study the collective effects of problematic drug use, hazardous drinking, depression, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on fear of condom negotiation, condom negotiation, and condom use and (2) evaluated condom negotiation (controlling for fear of condom negotiation) as a mediator of the association between syndemic severity and condom use among low-income IPV-exposed women. Participants were 158 women living in the community and experiencing ongoing IPV who completed face-to-face, computer-assisted interviews. Almost three-fourths of the participants reported problematic drug use, hazardous drinking, depression, and/or PTSD; many of these factors were correlated, indicating a syndemic. Multivariate logistic and linear regression analyses revealed associations between syndemic severity and fear of condom negotiation (OR = 1.57, p = .02), condom negotiation (β = -8.51, p = .001), and condom use (β = -8.26, p = .01). Meditation analyses identified condom negotiation as a mediator of the association between syndemic severity and condom use (effect = -6.57, SE = 2.01, [95% CI: -10.66, -2.77]). Results fill a critical gap in previous research by identifying condom negotiation as a mechanism through which this syndemic affects condom use. Prevention and intervention programs should consider addressing condom negotiation to reduce sexual risk among this high-risk population. Further, because IPV-exposed women may experience fear related to condom negotiation, it is critical that prevention and intervention efforts for this population offer skills to safely negotiate condom use, increase condom use, and reduce STI and HIV risk.

Characterizing Flexible and Instrinsically Unstructured Biological Macromolecules by SAS using the Porod-Debye Law

PubMed Central

Rambo, Robert P.; Tainer, John A.

2011-01-01

Unstructured proteins, RNA or DNA components provide functionally important flexibility that is key to many macromolecular assemblies throughout cell biology. As objective, quantitative experimental measures of flexibility and disorder in solution are limited, small angle scattering (SAS), and in particular small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), provides a critical technology to assess macromolecular flexibility as well as shape and assembly. Here, we consider the Porod-Debye law as a powerful tool for detecting biopolymer flexibility in SAS experiments. We show that the Porod-Debye region fundamentally describes the nature of the scattering intensity decay, which captures information needed for distinguishing between folded and flexible particles. Particularly for comparative SAS experiments, application of the law, as described here, can distinguish between discrete conformational changes and localized flexibility relevant to molecular recognition and interaction networks. This approach aids insightful analyses of fully and partly flexible macromolecules that is more robust and conclusive than traditional Kratky analyses. Furthermore, we demonstrate for prototypic SAXS data that the ability to calculate particle density by the Porod-Debye criteria, as shown here, provides an objective quality assurance parameter that may prove of general use for SAXS modeling and validation. PMID:21509745

A short history, principles, and types of ELISA, and our laboratory experience with peptide/protein analyses using ELISA.

PubMed

Aydin, Suleyman

2015-10-01

Playing a critical role in the metabolic homeostasis of living systems, the circulating concentrations of peptides/proteins are influenced by a variety of patho-physiological events. These peptide/protein concentrations in biological fluids are measured using various methods, the most common of which is enzymatic immunoassay EIA/ELISA and which guide the clinicians in diagnosing and monitoring diseases that inflict biological systems. All the techniques where enzymes are employed to show antigen-antibody reactions are generally referred to as enzymatic immunoassay EIA/ELISA method. Since the basic principles of EIA and ELISA are the same. The main objective of this review is to present an overview of the historical journey that had led to the invention of EIA/ELISA, an indispensible method for medical and research laboratories, types of ELISA developed after its invention [direct (the first ELISA method invented), indirect, sandwich and competitive methods], problems encountered during peptide/protein analyses (pre-analytical, analytical and post-analytical), rules to be followed to prevent these problems, and our laboratory experience of more than 15 years. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Can developing countries achieve adequate improvements in child health outcomes without engaging the private sector?

PubMed

Bustreo, Flavia; Harding, April; Axelsson, Henrik

2003-01-01

The private sector exerts a significant and critical influence on child health outcomes in developing countries, including the health of poor children. This article reviews the available evidence on private sector utilization and quality of care. It provides a framework for analysing the private sector's influence on child health outcomes. This influence goes beyond service provision by private providers and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Pharmacies, drug sellers, private suppliers, and food producers also have an impact on the health of children. Many governments are experimenting with strategies to engage the private sector to improve child health. The article analyses some of the most promising strategies, and suggests that a number of constraints make it hard for policy-makers to emulate these approaches. Few experiences are clearly described, monitored, and evaluated. The article suggests that improving the impact of child health programmes in developing countries requires a more systematic analysis of how to engage the private sector most effectively. The starting point should include the evaluation of the presence and potential of the private sector, including actors such as professional associations, producer organizations, community groups, and patients' organizations.

Can developing countries achieve adequate improvements in child health outcomes without engaging the private sector?

PubMed Central

Bustreo, Flavia; Harding, April; Axelsson, Henrik

2003-01-01

The private sector exerts a significant and critical influence on child health outcomes in developing countries, including the health of poor children. This article reviews the available evidence on private sector utilization and quality of care. It provides a framework for analysing the private sector's influence on child health outcomes. This influence goes beyond service provision by private providers and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs). Pharmacies, drug sellers, private suppliers, and food producers also have an impact on the health of children. Many governments are experimenting with strategies to engage the private sector to improve child health. The article analyses some of the most promising strategies, and suggests that a number of constraints make it hard for policy-makers to emulate these approaches. Few experiences are clearly described, monitored, and evaluated. The article suggests that improving the impact of child health programmes in developing countries requires a more systematic analysis of how to engage the private sector most effectively. The starting point should include the evaluation of the presence and potential of the private sector, including actors such as professional associations, producer organizations, community groups, and patients' organizations. PMID:14997241

KENO-VI Primer: A Primer for Criticality Calculations with SCALE/KENO-VI Using GeeWiz

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

Bowman, Stephen M

2008-09-01

The SCALE (Standardized Computer Analyses for Licensing Evaluation) computer software system developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory is widely used and accepted around the world for criticality safety analyses. The well-known KENO-VI three-dimensional Monte Carlo criticality computer code is one of the primary criticality safety analysis tools in SCALE. The KENO-VI primer is designed to help a new user understand and use the SCALE/KENO-VI Monte Carlo code for nuclear criticality safety analyses. It assumes that the user has a college education in a technical field. There is no assumption of familiarity with Monte Carlo codes in general or with SCALE/KENO-VImore » in particular. The primer is designed to teach by example, with each example illustrating two or three features of SCALE/KENO-VI that are useful in criticality analyses. The primer is based on SCALE 6, which includes the Graphically Enhanced Editing Wizard (GeeWiz) Windows user interface. Each example uses GeeWiz to provide the framework for preparing input data and viewing output results. Starting with a Quickstart section, the primer gives an overview of the basic requirements for SCALE/KENO-VI input and allows the user to quickly run a simple criticality problem with SCALE/KENO-VI. The sections that follow Quickstart include a list of basic objectives at the beginning that identifies the goal of the section and the individual SCALE/KENO-VI features that are covered in detail in the sample problems in that section. Upon completion of the primer, a new user should be comfortable using GeeWiz to set up criticality problems in SCALE/KENO-VI. The primer provides a starting point for the criticality safety analyst who uses SCALE/KENO-VI. Complete descriptions are provided in the SCALE/KENO-VI manual. Although the primer is self-contained, it is intended as a companion volume to the SCALE/KENO-VI documentation. (The SCALE manual is provided on the SCALE installation DVD.) The primer provides specific examples of using SCALE/KENO-VI for criticality analyses; the SCALE/KENO-VI manual provides information on the use of SCALE/KENO-VI and all its modules. The primer also contains an appendix with sample input files.« less

Industrial transformation and shrimp aquaculture in Thailand and Vietnam: pathways to ecological, social, and economic sustainability?

PubMed

Lebel, Louis; Tri, Nguyen Hoang; Saengnoree, Amnuay; Pasong, Suparb; Buatama, Urasa; Thoa, Le Kim

2002-06-01

Shrimp aquaculture in Vietnam is in the process of being transformed into a major industry around the intensification of the production system. The experiences of other countries in the region, especially in Thailand where high input production systems dominate, suggests that now is a critical time for intervention to redirect industry into pathways that are more sustainable ecologically, socially, and economically. In Thailand, years of experience with intensified systems and a complex industrial organization has not led to sustainable solutions. The challenge here is for society to regain control and then to redirect the transformation along more efficient and benign pathways. Our analyses suggest that current pathways in both countries are unlikely to lead to a sustainable industry. A complete transformation of the way shrimp are grown, fed, processed, distributed, and regulated is needed.

Application of one-way ANOVA in completely randomized experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wahid, Zaharah; Izwan Latiff, Ahmad; Ahmad, Kartini

2017-12-01

This paper describes an application of a statistical technique one-way ANOVA in completely randomized experiments with three replicates. This technique was employed to a single factor with four levels and multiple observations at each level. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between chemical oxygen demand index and location on-sites. Two different approaches are employed for the analyses; critical value and p-value. It also presents key assumptions of the technique to be satisfied by the data in order to obtain valid results. Pairwise comparisons by Turkey method are also considered and discussed to determine where the significant differences among the means is after the ANOVA has been performed. The results revealed that there are statistically significant relationship exist between the chemical oxygen demand index and the location on-sites.

Benchmark experiments at ASTRA facility on definition of space distribution of {sup 235}U fission reaction rate

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

Bobrov, A. A.; Boyarinov, V. F.; Glushkov, A. E.

2012-07-01

Results of critical experiments performed at five ASTRA facility configurations modeling the high-temperature helium-cooled graphite-moderated reactors are presented. Results of experiments on definition of space distribution of {sup 235}U fission reaction rate performed at four from these five configurations are presented more detail. Analysis of available information showed that all experiments on criticality at these five configurations are acceptable for use them as critical benchmark experiments. All experiments on definition of space distribution of {sup 235}U fission reaction rate are acceptable for use them as physical benchmark experiments. (authors)

Thermodynamic variables of first-order entropy corrected Lovelock-AdS black holes: P{-}V criticality analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Haldar, Amritendu; Biswas, Ritabrata

2018-06-01

We investigate the effect of thermal fluctuations on the thermodynamics of a Lovelock-AdS black hole. Taking the first order logarithmic correction term in entropy we analyze the thermodynamic potentials like Helmholtz free energy, enthalpy and Gibbs free energy. We find that all the thermodynamic potentials are decreasing functions of correction coefficient α . We also examined this correction coefficient must be positive by analysing P{-}V diagram. Further we study the P{-}V criticality and stability and find that presence of logarithmic correction in it is necessary to have critical points and stable phases. When P{-}V criticality appears, we calculate the critical volume V_c, critical pressure P_c and critical temperature T_c using different equations and show that there is no critical point for this black hole without thermal fluctuations. We also study the geometrothermodynamics of this kind of black holes. The Ricci scalar of the Ruppeiner metric is graphically analysed.

A method for identifying EMI critical circuits during development of a large C3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barr, Douglas H.

The circuit analysis methods and process Boeing Aerospace used on a large, ground-based military command, control, and communications (C3) system are described. This analysis was designed to help identify electromagnetic interference (EMI) critical circuits. The methodology used the MIL-E-6051 equipment criticality categories as the basis for defining critical circuits, relational database technology to help sort through and account for all of the approximately 5000 system signal cables, and Macintosh Plus personal computers to predict critical circuits based on safety margin analysis. The EMI circuit analysis process systematically examined all system circuits to identify which ones were likely to be EMI critical. The process used two separate, sequential safety margin analyses to identify critical circuits (conservative safety margin analysis, and detailed safety margin analysis). These analyses used field-to-wire and wire-to-wire coupling models using both worst-case and detailed circuit parameters (physical and electrical) to predict circuit safety margins. This process identified the predicted critical circuits that could then be verified by test.

Analysis of Pdeudomonas aeruginosa Growth and Virulence in Modelled Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Guadarrama, Seratna; deL. Pulcini, Elinor; Broadaway, Susan C.; Pyle, Barry H.

2005-01-01

Stress, radiation and microgravity cause astronauts to experience secondary immunosuppression. Spaceflight conditions enhance bacterial growth and alter antimicrobial susceptibility. Clinostats are used to model microgravity effects at lxg. In controls rotated on the vertical axis, the g-vector acts on cells as in static cultures. Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium virulence genes are up-regulated in modelled microgravity (MMG); a MMG regulon has been postulated. We hypothesize that the virulence of P. aeruginosa (PA) may be affected similarly by microgravity, which could be observed in MMG. This study focused on regulation of the ETA protein by PA during growth in MMG. PA103 was grown in an ETA production medium at 37 C. One series of media was inoculated with frozen cultures and grown using horizontal (MMG) or static incubation. Another series inoculated with refrigerated cultures included vertical rotating controls. Analyses included optical density (OD), agar plate counts (PC) on R2A, ETA ELISA, and protein expression by 2-D gel analyses. Growth and ETA results differed depending on inoculum, with minor effects of MMG. Proteomic analysis of 2-D gels indicate differences in protein expression with MMG. Growth and ETA results show that consistent methodology is critical when studying environmental effects. This study provides information on the relationships between environmental changes and virulence regulation, especially for flight experiments, when ground experiments are used to predict potential spaceflight effects.

Analysis of Pseudomonas aeruginosa growth and virulence in modelled microgravity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guadarrama, Seratna; Pulcini, Elinor de L.; Broadaway, Susan C.; Pyle, Barry H.

2005-08-01

Stress, radiation and microgravity cause astronauts to experience secondary immunosuppression. Spaceflight conditions enhance bacterial growth and alter antimicrobial susceptibility. Clinostats are used to model microgravity effects at 1xg. In controls rotated on the vertical axis, the g-vector acts on cells as in static cultures. Salmonella enterica serovar T yphimurium virulence genes are up-regulated in modelled microgravity (MMG); a MMG regulon has been postulated. We hypothesize that the virulence of P. aeruginosa (PA) may be affected similarly by microgravity, which could be observed in MMG. This study focused on regulation of the ETA protein by PA during growth in MMG. PA103 was grown in an ETA production medium at 37°C. One series of media was inoculated with frozen cultures and grown using horizontal (MMG) or static incubation. Another series inoculated with refrigerated cultures included vertical rotating controls. Analyses included optical density (OD), agar plate counts (PC) on R2A, ETA ELISA, and protein expression by 2-D gel analyses. Growth and ETA results differed depending on inoculum, with minor effects of MMG. Proteomic analysis of 2-D gels indicate differences in protein expression with MMG. Growth and ETA results show that consistent methodology is critical when studying environmental effects. This study provides information on the relationships between environmental changes and virulence regulation, especially for flight experiments, when ground experiments are used to predict potential spaceflight effects.

Summary of ORSphere critical and reactor physics measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marshall, Margaret A.; Bess, John D.

2017-09-01

In the early 1970s Dr. John T. Mihalczo (team leader), J.J. Lynn, and J.R. Taylor performed experiments at the Oak Ridge Critical Experiments Facility (ORCEF) with highly enriched uranium (HEU) metal (called Oak Ridge Alloy or ORALLOY) to recreate GODIVA I results with greater accuracy than those performed at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the 1950s. The purpose of the Oak Ridge ORALLOY Sphere (ORSphere) experiments was to estimate the unreflected and unmoderated critical mass of an idealized sphere of uranium metal corrected to a density, purity, and enrichment such that it could be compared with the GODIVA I experiments. This critical configuration has been evaluated. Preliminary results were presented at ND2013. Since then, the evaluation was finalized and judged to be an acceptable benchmark experiment for the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiment Project (ICSBEP). Additionally, reactor physics measurements were performed to determine surface button worths, central void worth, delayed neutron fraction, prompt neutron decay constant, fission density and neutron importance. These measurements have been evaluated and found to be acceptable experiments and are discussed in full detail in the International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments. The purpose of this paper is to summarize all the evaluated critical and reactor physics measurements evaluations.

Graduate nurses: critical thinkers or better decision makers?

PubMed

Girot, E A

2000-02-01

This study evaluates the difference in development of critical thinking across four groups of nurses at different stages of the academic process and their perception of their decision-making ability in practice. With the move of nurse education into institutes of higher education nationally, there are no empirical data in the UK to suggest that graduates practice any differently from their non-graduate colleagues. An opportunistic sample of 82 nurses, was chosen from recent admission on a pre-registration degree programme, to mature graduates, as well as a group of experienced, non-graduate practitioners. A quasi-experimental, between-subjects design was used. A series of one-way ANOVAs was used to analyse the difference in critical thinking across all four groups, employing the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal. Additionally, the Jenkins Clinical Decision-Making in Nursing Scale was used to determine the differences in decision-making ability in practice across three of the groups with clinical experience. Furthermore, a correlation was undertaken to determine what relationship, if any, existed between critical thinking and decision-making in practice. It was found that there was no significant difference in the critical thinking skills across all groups studied, supporting the findings of other studies in the USA, which examined the cognitive skills of students undertaking graduate programmes. However, in their practice, it was found that those exposed to the academic process were significantly better at decision-making than their non-academic colleagues. Finally, no relationship could be found between the development of critical thinking and decision-making in practice, suggesting that more work needs to be done to look carefully at both critical thinking skills and decision-making in practice and the tools used to measure these.

Analysing the Correlations between Primary School Teachers' Teaching Styles and Their Critical Thinking Disposition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sen, Özgür

2018-01-01

This study aims to analyse the correlations between teaching styles primary school teachers prefer to use and their critical thinking disposition. The research was conducted with the participation of 380 primary school teachers teaching in schools located in Ankara. The study employs relational survey model. In this study "Teaching Styles…

Critical Reflection on the Massification of Higher Education in Korea: Consequences for Graduate Employment and Policy Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yeom, Min-ho

2016-01-01

The paper critically reviews the results of Korean massification in higher education (HE) and focuses on the consequences related to graduate employment. By analysing statistical data and reviewing related articles, this study explores the process of the massification of HE, investigates major factors influencing the expansion, and analyses and…

Analysing an Audit Cycle: A Critical Realist Account

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boughey, Chrissie; McKenna, Sioux

2017-01-01

This paper reports on the use of a framework developed from Bhaskar's critical realism and Archer's social realism to analyse teaching- and learning-related data produced as a result of the first cycle of institutional audits in the South African higher education system. The use of the framework allows us to see what this cycle of audits did…

"A New Life in the Countryside Awaits": Interactive Lessons in the Rural Utopia in "Farming" Simulation Games

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cole, Matthew; Stewart, Kate

2017-01-01

This paper critically analyses the legitimation of exploitative human-nonhuman animal relations in online "farming" simulation games, especially the game Hay Day. The analysis contributes to a wider project of critical analyses of popular culture representations of nonhuman animals. The paper argues that legitimation is effected in Hay…

ARRAYS OF BOTTLES OF PLUTONIUM NITRATE SOLUTION

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

Margaret A. Marshall

2012-09-01

In October and November of 1981 thirteen approaches-to-critical were performed on a remote split table machine (RSTM) in the Critical Mass Laboratory of Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) in Richland, Washington using planar arrays of polyethylene bottles filled with plutonium (Pu) nitrate solution. Arrays of up to sixteen bottles were used to measure the critical number of bottles and critical array spacing with a tight fitting Plexiglas® reflector on all sides of the arrays except the top. Some experiments used Plexiglas shells fitted around each bottles to determine the effect of moderation on criticality. Each bottle contained approximately 2.4 L ofmore » Pu(NO3)4 solution with a Pu content of 105 g Pu/L and a free acid molarity H+ of 5.1. The plutonium was of low 240Pu (2.9 wt.%) content. These experiments were sponsored by Rockwell Hanford Operations because of the lack of experimental data on the criticality of arrays of bottles of Pu solution such as might be found in storage and handling at the Purex Facility at Hanford. The results of these experiments were used “to provide benchmark data to validate calculational codes used in criticality safety assessments of [the] plant configurations” (Ref. 1). Data for this evaluation were collected from the published report (Ref. 1), the approach to critical logbook, the experimenter’s logbook, and communication with the primary experimenter, B. Michael Durst. Of the 13 experiments preformed 10 were evaluated. One of the experiments was not evaluated because it had been thrown out by the experimenter, one was not evaluated because it was a repeat of another experiment and the third was not evaluated because it reported the critical number of bottles as being greater than 25. Seven of the thirteen evaluated experiments were determined to be acceptable benchmark experiments. A similar experiment using uranyl nitrate was benchmarked as U233-SOL-THERM-014.« less

Self-criticism in therapist training: A grounded theory analysis.

PubMed

Kannan, Divya; Levitt, Heidi M

2017-03-01

The primary objective of this study is to engender an understanding of how therapists-in-training experience and cope with self-criticism in the context of their clinical training and therapy experiences. In this study, trainees were interviewed about their experience of self-criticism related to psychotherapy practice and these interviews were subjected to a grounded theory analysis generating a core self-critical process. The analysis highlighted the vulnerability of self-criticism in therapists' training experiences, especially when they related to balancing the "expert" role while maintaining authentic interactions with their clients. The results also described ways in which self-criticism is mitigated by a sense of interpersonal safety and the provision of clinical freedom and flexibility in therapists' training. The implications for future psychotherapy research and clinical training within clinical training environments are discussed.

False memory susceptibility in coma survivors with and without a near-death experience.

PubMed

Martial, Charlotte; Charland-Verville, Vanessa; Dehon, Hedwige; Laureys, Steven

2018-07-01

It has been postulated that memories of near-death experiences (NDEs) could be (at least in part) reconstructions based on experiencers' (NDErs) previous knowledge and could be built as a result of the individual's attempt to interpret the confusing experience. From the point of view of the experiencer, NDE memories are perceived as being unrivalled memories due to its associated rich phenomenology. However, the scientific literature devoted to the cognitive functioning of NDErs in general, and their memory performance in particular, is rather limited. This study examined NDErs' susceptibility to false memories using the Deese-Roediger-McDermott (DRM) paradigm. We included 20 NDErs who reported having had their experience in the context of a life-threatening event (Greyson NDE scale total score ≥7/32) and 20 volunteers (matched for age, gender, education level, and time since brain insult) who reported a life-threatening event but without a NDE. Both groups were presented with DRM lists for a recall task during which they were asked to assign "Remember/Know/Guess" judgements to any recalled response. In addition, they were later asked to complete a post-recall test designed to obtain estimates of activation and monitoring of critical lures. Results demonstrated that NDErs and volunteers were equally likely to produce false memories, but that NDErs recalled them more frequently associated with compelling illusory recollection. Of particular interest, analyses of activation and monitoring estimates suggest that NDErs and volunteers groups were equally likely to think of critical lures, but source monitoring was less successful in NDErs compared to volunteers.

Jordanian survivors' experiences of recovery from critical illness: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Abdalrahim, M S; Zeilani, R S

2014-12-01

Despite the fact that a lot of patients consider their discharge from hospitals as a positive sign of progress towards regained health, many of them start suffering from physical, psychological and social problems after discharge from intensive care units. This study aims to describe the experiences of Jordanian survivors of critical illnesses 3 months after discharge from a hospital intensive care unit. A descriptive qualitative approach was used to involve 18 Jordanian patients from two hospitals in a major Jordanian city using open-ended interviews. Interview transcripts were analysed using content analysis method. Three main themes have emerged from the data: (1) new meaning of life; (2) different perspectives on the meaning of life, and (3) struggle for role identity. The sample was chosen from one city in Jordan; longitudinal study might help identify the change in patients' experiences over time. Patients described the discharge from the intensive care unit as a means of rescue from death; they began to value their spiritual and religious rituals. Negative traumatic experiences hindered the patients' recovery process. During recovery, patients struggled to resume their power and role in family. This study emphasizes the importance of providing care according to the patient's individual needs, related to their cultural and spiritual milieu; there is a need to develop follow-up services for ICU survivors within a national health policy. Further educational and training programmes in the patient's issues after discharge from hospital are needed. This will definitely help nurses care after this patient group. © 2014 International Council of Nurses.

Structures of feeling and sociocultural formations: the significance of literature and experience to Raymond Williams's sociology of culture.

PubMed

Filmer, Paul

2003-06-01

Williams elaborates the concept of structures of feeling in different ways at important points in his writings. This gives it a particular methodological significance in relating the extraordinariness of imaginative literature to the ordinariness of cultural process. It is employed particularly to show the significance of literature for the articulation of alternatives to dominant world views, and thus to the politics of social change. Williams's different formulations of the concept are discussed in terms of their ways of relating reflexive experience to institutional structures and in relation to the genetic structuralism of Goldmann and Bourdieu's concepts of habitus and cultural field. Three types of criticisms are considered, which have in common the contention that the concept is unclear. Operationalized in analysing literature and its symbols, it can contribute towards clarification of the complexity of the processes of reflexive communication of experience which are at the root of social order and change.

Stigma, discrimination and agency: Diagnostic disclosure as an everyday practice shaping social citizenship.

PubMed

O'Connor, Deborah; Mann, Jim; Wiersma, Elaine

2018-03-01

The importance of stigma in shaping the experiences of people living with dementia and challenging their social citizenship emerges repeatedly as a powerful and negative force. In a recent participatory action research (PAR) study focused on understanding what people with dementia need to know to live well, this link between stigma, discrimination and social citizenship emerged once again. A group of people living with dementia (n=8) met monthly for 16months to discuss their experiences and advise on the curriculum of a proposed self-management program. From the first introduction, stigma was identified as a defining feature of the experience of living well with dementia. This paper analyses this group's talk around stigma and discrimination, drawing attention to the critical role that diagnostic disclosure has in both positioning people with dementia in a stigmatizing way and, also, acting as a strategy of resistance that facilitates full social citizenship. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Summary of ORSphere Critical and Reactor Physics Measurements

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

Marshall, Margaret A.; Bess, John D.

In the early 1970s Dr. John T. Mihalczo (team leader), J. J. Lynn, and J. R. Taylor performed experiments at the Oak Ridge Critical Experiments Facility (ORCEF) with highly enriched uranium (HEU) metal (called Oak Ridge Alloy or ORALLOY) to recreate GODIVA I results with greater accuracy than those performed at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the 1950s. The purpose of the Oak Ridge ORALLOY Sphere (ORSphere) experiments was to estimate the unreflected and unmoderated critical mass of an idealized sphere of uranium metal corrected to a density, purity, and enrichment such that it could be compared with the GODIVAmore » I experiments. This critical configuration has been evaluated. Preliminary results were presented at ND2013. Since then, the evaluation was finalized and judged to be an acceptable benchmark experiment for the International Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiment Project (ICSBEP). Additionally, reactor physics measurements were performed to determine surface button worths, central void worth, delayed neutron fraction, prompt neutron decay constant, fission density and neutron importance. These measurements have been evaluated and found to be acceptable experiments and are discussed in full detail in the International Handbook of Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments. The purpose of this paper is summary summarize all the critical and reactor physics measurements evaluations and, when possible, to compare them to GODIVA experiment results.« less

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

Hummel, Andrew John

A multitude of critical experiments with highly enriched uranium metal were conducted in the 1960s and 1970s at the Oak Ridge Critical Experiments Facility (ORCEF) in support of criticality safety operations at the Y-12 Plant. These experiments served to evaluate the storage, casting, and handling limits for the Y-12 Plant while also providing data for verification of different calculation methods and associated cross-sections for nuclear criticality safety applications. These included both solid cylinders and annuli of various diameters, interacting cylinders of various diameters, parallelepipeds, and reflected cylinders and annuli. The experiments described here involve a series of delayed critical stacksmore » of bare oralloy HEU annuli and disks. Three of these experiments consist of stacking bare HEU annuli of varying diameters to obtain critical configurations. These annuli have nominal inner and outer diameters (ID/OD) including: 7 inches (") ID – 9" OD, 9" ID – 11" OD, 11" ID – 13" OD, and 13? ID – 15" OD. The nominal heights range from 0.125" to 1.5". The three experiments themselves range from 7" – 13", 7" – 15", and 9" – 15" in diameter, respectively. The fourth experiment ranges from 7" – 11", and along with different annuli, it also includes an 11" disk and several 7" diameter disks. All four delayed critical experiments were configured and evaluated by J. T. Mihalczo, J. J. Lynn, and D. E. McCarty from December of 1962 to February 1963 with additional information in their corresponding logbook.« less

Using Big Data to Emulate a Target Trial When a Randomized Trial Is Not Available.

PubMed

Hernán, Miguel A; Robins, James M

2016-04-15

Ideally, questions about comparative effectiveness or safety would be answered using an appropriately designed and conducted randomized experiment. When we cannot conduct a randomized experiment, we analyze observational data. Causal inference from large observational databases (big data) can be viewed as an attempt to emulate a randomized experiment-the target experiment or target trial-that would answer the question of interest. When the goal is to guide decisions among several strategies, causal analyses of observational data need to be evaluated with respect to how well they emulate a particular target trial. We outline a framework for comparative effectiveness research using big data that makes the target trial explicit. This framework channels counterfactual theory for comparing the effects of sustained treatment strategies, organizes analytic approaches, provides a structured process for the criticism of observational studies, and helps avoid common methodologic pitfalls. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Multiple early victimization experiences as a pathway to explain physical health disparities among sexual minority and heterosexual individuals.

PubMed

Andersen, Judith P; Zou, Christopher; Blosnich, John

2015-05-01

Prior research shows that health disparities exist between sexual minority and heterosexual individuals. We extend the literature by testing if the higher prevalence of childhood victimization experienced by sexual minority individuals accounts for lifetime health disparities. Heterosexual (n = 422) and sexual minority (n = 681) participants were recruited on-line in North America. Respondents completed surveys about their childhood victimization experiences (i.e., maltreatment by adults and peer victimization) and lifetime physician-diagnosed physical health conditions. Results showed that sexual minority individuals experienced higher prevalence of childhood victimization and lifetime physical health problems than heterosexuals. Mediation analyses indicated that maltreatment by adults and peer bullying explained the health disparities between sexual minority individuals and heterosexuals. This study is the first to show that multiple childhood victimization experiences may be one pathway to explain lifetime physical health disparities. Intervention programs reducing the perpetration of violence against sexual minority individuals are critical to reduce health care needs related to victimization experiences. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[Pedagogical Professional Development of Medical Teachers: The Experience of NOVA Medical School / Universidade Nova de Lisboa].

PubMed

Marques, Joana; Rosado-Pinto, Patrícia

2017-03-31

To be a college teacher requires a permanent effort in developing specific competencies, namely in the pedagogical domain. This paper aims both to describe the pedagogical professional development program offered by the Medical Education Office of NOVA Medical School of Universidade Nova de Lisboa and to analyse its role in the enhancement of reflection around curriculum and teaching practice. Description of the pedagogical programme offered between 2010 and 2016. We focused the analysis on different kinds of data - opinions of the participants in the training programme (questionnaire before and after the training); pedagogical products elaborated by the participants in the programme - design of lessons, modules or curricular units; questionnaire sent in 2016 to NOVA Medical School teachers responsible for the curricular units, about the contribution of their disciplines to the accomplishment of the core learning outcomes of the NOVA Medical School medical graduates. The pedagogical training needs identified by the teachers focused mainly on improving practice, critically analysing the curriculum and sharing experiences. Globally the training programme was deeply appreciated and considered very good by 97% of the participants. The lesson plans delivered showed that the teachers were able to integrate and apply the concepts developed during the training. The answers from the 46 faculty responsible for the curricular units (the majority of them had attended the Medical Education Office training programme) highlighted their capacity to critically approach content and pedagogical strategies within their disciplines as well as their contribution to the main goals of the medical curriculum. The results underlined the importance of a pedagogical training focused on the critical analysis of curriculum and pedagogical practice. On the other hand, the pedagogical products analyzed revealed great mastery by teachers of the content and pedagogical strategies present in the curricula of their respective curricular units, as well as their alignment with the general objectives of the Mestrado Integrado em Medicina. In line with the literature of the specialty, pedagogical training in Higher Education, rather than aiming at the mere acquisition of techniques, should, above all, give priority to spaces for joint reflection on the curriculum and on the pedagogical options of teachers.

Critical thinking competence and disposition of clinical nurses in a medical center.

PubMed

Feng, Rung-Chuang; Chen, Mei-Jung; Chen, Mei-Chuan; Pai, Yu-Chu

2010-06-01

Critical thinking is essential in nursing practice. Promoting critical thinking competence in clinical nurses is an important way to improve problem solving and decision-making competence to further improve the quality of patient care. However, using an adequate tool to test nurses' critical thinking competence and disposition may provide the reference criteria for clinical nurse characterization, training planning, and resource allocation for human resource management. The purpose of this study was to measure the critical thinking competence and critical thinking disposition of clinical nurses as well as to explore the related factors of critical thinking competence. Clinical nurses from four different clinical ladders selected from one medical center were stratified randomly. All qualified subjects who submitted valid questionnaires were included in the study. A Taiwan version of the modified Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Appraisal and Critical Thinking Disposition Inventory was developed to measure the critical thinking competence and critical thinking disposition of clinical nurses. Validity was evaluated using the professional content test (content validity index = .93). Reliability was assessed with a Cronbach's alpha coefficient of .85. Data were analyzed using the SPSS for Windows (Version 12.0; SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). Results showed that competence of interpretation was the highest critical thinking competence factor. Inference was the lowest, and reflective thinking as a critical thinking disposition was more positive. In addition, age, years of nursing experience, and experiences in other hospitals significantly influenced critical thinking competence (p < .05). Factors of age, years of experience, and nurses clinical ladder were shown to affect critical thinking disposition scores. Clinical ladder N4 nurses had the highest scores in both competence and disposition. A significant relationship was found between critical thinking competence and disposition scores, with 29.3% of the variance in critical thinking competence potentially explained by total years of nurse hospital experience. Clinical ladder and age were predictive factors for critical thinking disposition. Commonality was 27.9%. Nursing experience and clinical ladders positively affect critical thinking competence and disposition. Issues of critical thinking competence increasingly need to be measured. Therefore, appropriate tools for nursing professions should be further developed and explored for specific areas of practice.

The experience of patients with ABI and their families during the hospital stay: A systematic review of qualitative literature.

PubMed

Oyesanya, Tolu

2017-01-01

Patients with acquired brain injury (ABI) and their families have unique experiences and needs during the hospital stay; yet, limited literature exists on this topic. The purpose of this systematic review was to compile and synthesize literature on the experience of patients with ABI and their families during the hospital stay. A systematic review of qualitative studies was conducted by searching for studies from seven databases. Content analysis was used to analyse and synthesize studies' findings separately for the patient and family experience. The initial search provided 2871 records. Ultimately, 11 studies relevant to the research question were included in this review. No studies were excluded based on critical quality appraisal. Findings on the patient experience showed patients had negative perceptions of the rehabilitation environment and a perceived need for information. Findings on the family experience included difficulty adjusting after the patient's injury, a desire to be involved in the patient's care, mixed feelings about staff support and a high perceived need for information. Findings provide awareness for healthcare providers on the multifaceted experiences of patients with ABI and their families during the hospital stay, strategies to make care more patient- and family-centred and directions for future research.

A Habermasian Approach to Critical Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Cheu-jey

2016-01-01

This article explores the connection between critical reading and Jurgen Habermas's theory of communicative action. It proposes that Habermas's criteria used for evaluating validity claims in communicative action can be applied in reading texts critically. Analyses of different types of texts are presented to show how critical reading is done in a…

Quantum critical dynamics for a prototype class of insulating antiferromagnets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Jianda; Yang, Wang; Wu, Congjun; Si, Qimiao

2018-06-01

Quantum criticality is a fundamental organizing principle for studying strongly correlated systems. Nevertheless, understanding quantum critical dynamics at nonzero temperatures is a major challenge of condensed-matter physics due to the intricate interplay between quantum and thermal fluctuations. The recent experiments with the quantum spin dimer material TlCuCl3 provide an unprecedented opportunity to test the theories of quantum criticality. We investigate the nonzero-temperature quantum critical spin dynamics by employing an effective O (N ) field theory. The on-shell mass and the damping rate of quantum critical spin excitations as functions of temperature are calculated based on the renormalized coupling strength and are in excellent agreement with experiment observations. Their T lnT dependence is predicted to be dominant at very low temperatures, which will be tested in future experiments. Our work provides confidence that quantum criticality as a theoretical framework, which is being considered in so many different contexts of condensed-matter physics and beyond, is indeed grounded in materials and experiments accurately. It is also expected to motivate further experimental investigations on the applicability of the field theory to related quantum critical systems.

Comparative Cognitive Task Analyses of Experimental Science and Instructional Laboratory Courses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wieman, Carl

2015-09-01

Undergraduate instructional labs in physics generate intense opinions. Their advocates are passionate as to their importance for teaching physics as an experimental activity and providing "hands-on" learning experiences, while their detractors (often but not entirely students) offer harsh criticisms that they are pointless, confusing and unsatisfying, and "cookbook." Here, both to help understand the reason for such discrepant views and to aid in the design of instructional lab courses, I compare the mental tasks or types of thinking ("cognitive task analysis") associated with a physicist doing tabletop experimental research with the cognitive tasks of students in an introductory physics instructional lab involving traditional verification/confirmation exercises.

University Choice: What Do We Know, What Don't We Know and What Do We Still Need to Find Out?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hemsley-Brown, Jane; Oplatka, Izhar

2015-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to systematically document, scrutinise and critically analyse the current research literature on higher education choice to: establish the scope of the studies; map the factors associated with choice; identify the key strengths and weaknesses in the research literature; critically analyse the extant research…

Implementing NICU critical thinking programs: one unit's experience.

PubMed

Zimmerman, Denise; Pilcher, Jobeth

2008-01-01

Critical thinking is the hallmark of today's nursing practice environment. Nowhere is this more critical than in the high-tech environment of the NICU. Despite the importance of critical thinking in nursing practice, there is limited information on the process of teaching new NICU nurses to think critically. Based on the principles of adult education, orientation and continuing education for NICU nurses should be goal directed, build on the learner's prior experience, and build in opportunities for active participation, reflection, and experiential learning. This article reviews the principles of adult education and their application to the process of teaching critical thinking in the NICU. One unit's experience of critical thinking education is used to provide concrete examples of how NICU education can be transformed from a traditional didactic methodology to a more dynamic experiential approach.

Professorial Views of the Use of Diversity Experiences to Develop Students' Critical Thinking Skills in the Pakistani College Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tahir, Khazima

2017-01-01

This study explored the interplay of diversity experiences and critical thinking of Pakistani college students and determined how the classroom experience supported and exposed students to diversity and critical thinking. The researcher conducted teachers' interviews to gather data in a college in Pakistan. Teachers were asked to respond to a…

2. VIEW OF THE EXPERIMENT CONTROL PANEL IN 1970. THE ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

2. VIEW OF THE EXPERIMENT CONTROL PANEL IN 1970. THE NUCLEAR SAFETY GROUP CONDUCTED ABOUT 1,700 CRITICAL MASS EXPERIMENTS USING URANIUM AND PLUTONIUM IN SOLUTIONS (900 TESTS), COMPACTED POWDER (300), AND METALLIC FORMS (500). ALL 1,700 CRITICALITY ASSEMBLIES WERE CONTROLLED FROM THIS PANEL. - Rocky Flats Plant, Critical Mass Laboratory, Intersection of Central Avenue & 86 Drive, Golden, Jefferson County, CO

Correlation between Knowledge, Experience and Common Sense, with Critical Thinking Capability of Medical Faculty's Students at Indonesia Christian University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nadeak, Bernadetha

2015-01-01

This research discusses correlation between knowledge, experience and common sense with critical thinking of Medical Faculty's Student. As to the objective of this research is to find the correlation between knowledge, experience and common sense with critical thinking of Medical Faculty's Students at Christian University of Indonesia. It is…

Patients' experiences of technology and care in adult intensive care.

PubMed

Stayt, Louise Caroline; Seers, Kate; Tutton, Elizabeth

2015-09-01

To investigate patients' experiences of technology in an adult intensive care unit. Technology is fundamental to support physical recovery from critical illness in Intensive Care Units. As well as physical corollaries, psychological disturbances are reported in critically ill patients at all stages of their illness and recovery. Nurses play a key role in the physical and psychological care of patients;, however, there is a suggestion in the literature that the presence of technology may dehumanise patient care and distract the nurse from attending to patients psychosocial needs. Little attention has been paid to patients' perceptions of receiving care in a technological environment. This study was informed by Heideggerian phenomenology. The research took place in 2009-2011 in a university hospital in England. Nineteen participants who had been patients in ICU were interviewed guided by an interview topic prompt list. Interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using Van Manen's framework. Participants described technology and care as inseparable and presented their experiences as a unified encounter. The theme 'Getting on with it' described how participants endured technology by 'Being Good' and 'Being Invisible'. 'Getting over it' described why participants endured technology by 'Bowing to Authority' and viewing invasive technologies as a 'Necessary Evil'. Patients experienced technology and care as a series of paradoxical relationships: alienating yet reassuring, uncomfortable yet comforting, impersonal yet personal. By maintaining a close and supportive presence and providing personal comfort and care nurses may minimize the invasive and isolating potential of technology. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Who Does Critical Pedagogy Think You Are? Investigating How Teachers Are Produced in Critical Pedagogy Scholarship to Inform Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pittard, Elizabeth

2015-01-01

In this post-structural feminist analysis, I review recent literature focusing on critical pedagogy to analyse the ways teachers are discursively produced within the sampled literature to ask: who does critical pedagogy think you are? Additionally, I extend earlier post-structural feminist critiques of critical pedagogy and underlying assumptions…

Critical Pedagogy in the Twenty-First Century: A New Generation of Scholars. Critical Constructions: Studies on Education and Society

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malott, Curry Stephenson, Ed.; Porfilio, Bradley, Ed.

2011-01-01

This book simultaneously provides multiple analyses of critical pedagogy in the twenty-first century while showcasing the scholarship of this new generation of critical scholar-educators. Needless to say, the writers herein represent just a small subset of a much larger movement for critical transformation and a more humane, less Eurocentric, less…

Inequalities in reported cancer patient experience by socio-demographic characteristic and cancer site: evidence from respondents to the English Cancer Patient Experience Survey.

PubMed

Saunders, C L; Abel, G A; Lyratzopoulos, G

2015-01-01

Patient experience is a critical dimension of cancer care quality. Understanding variation in experience among patients with different cancers and characteristics is an important first step for designing targeted improvement interventions. We analysed data from the 2011/2012 English Cancer Patient Experience Survey (n = 69,086) using logistic regression to explore inequalities in care experience across 64 survey questions. We additionally calculated a summary measure of variation in patient experience by cancer, and explored inequalities between patients with cancers treated by the same specialist teams. We found that younger and very old, ethnic minority patients and women consistently reported worse experiences across questions. Patients with small intestine/rarer lower gastrointestinal, multiple myeloma and hepatobiliary cancers were most likely to report negative experiences whereas patients with breast, melanoma and testicular cancer were least likely (top-to-bottom odds ratio = 1.91, P < 0.0001). There were also inequalities in experience among patients with cancers treated by the same specialty for five of nine services (P < 0.0001). Specifically, patients with ovarian, multiple myeloma, anal, hepatobiliary and renal cancer reported notably worse experiences than patients with other gynaecological, haematological, gastrointestinal and urological malignancies respectively. Initiatives to improve cancer patient experience across oncology services may be suitably targeted on patients at higher risk of poorer experience. © 2014 The Authors. European Journal of Cancer Care published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The study of production performance of water heater manufacturing by using simulation method

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Iqbal, M.; Bamatraf, OAA; Tadjuddin, M.

2018-02-01

In industrial companies, as demand increases, decision-making to increase production becomes difficult due to the complexity of the model systems. Companies are trying to find the optimum methods to tackle such problems so that resources are utilized and production is increased. One line system of a manufacturing company in Malaysia was considered in this research. The Company produces several types of water heater and each type went into many processes, which was divided into twenty six sections. Each section has several operations. The main type of the product was 10G water heater which is produced most compare to other types, hence it was taken under consideration to be studied in this research. It was difficult to find the critical section that could improve the productions of the company. This research paper employed Delmia Quest software, Distribution Analyser software and Design of Experiment (DOE software) to simulate one model system taken from the company to be studied and to find the critical section that will improve the production system. As a result, assembly of inner and outer tank section were found to be the bottleneck section. Adding one section to the bottleneck increases the production rate by four products a day. The buffer size is determined by the experiment was six items.

Experienced dilemmas of everyday life in chronic neuropathic pain patients--results from a critical incident study.

PubMed

Hensing, Gunnel K E; Sverker, Annette M; Leijon, Göran S

2007-06-01

Neuropathic pain is a disabling chronic condition with limited therapeutic options. Few studies have addressed patient's experience and strategies. The aim of this study was to explore dilemmas experienced in order to improve care and rehabilitation. An interview study with 39 patients suffering from neuropathic pain of different origin was performed. We used the critical incident technique to collect data. Questions on occasions when patients had been hindered by or reminded of their neuropathic pain were included, and the self-perceived consequences and management of such occasions. The interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed qualitatively. A broad range of experiences categorised into dilemmas, disturbances, consequences and managements from most parts of everyday life was identified. The dilemmas were 'housework', 'sitting', 'physical activity', 'personal hygiene', 'sleeping difficulties', 'hypersensitivity to external stimuli', 'social relationships', 'transportation' and 'leisure time'. Disturbances were 'failures', 'inabilities' and 'restrictions'. Consequences were 'increased pain', 'psychological reactions' and 'physical symptoms'. The majority of the patients used activity-oriented strategies to manage their pain such as alternative ways of performing the task, a cognitive approach or simply ignoring the pain. This is one of the first studies presenting detailed data on everyday dilemmas, disturbances and consequences of patients with chronic neuropathic pain. Such information is important in clinical settings to improve care and rehabilitation.

Exobiological exploration of Mars.

PubMed

Klein, H P; DeVincenzi, D L

1995-03-01

Of all the other planets in the solar system, Mars remains the most promising for further elucidating concepts about chemical evolution and the origin of life. Strategies were developed to pursue three exobiological objectives for Mars exploration: determining the abundance and distribution of the biogenic elements and organic compounds, detecting evidence of an ancient biota on Mars, and determining whether indigenous organisms exist anywhere on the planet. The three strategies are quite similar and, in fact, share the same sequence of phases. In the first phase, each requires global reconnaissance and remote sensing by orbiters to select sites of interest for detailed in situ analyses. In the second phase, lander missions are conducted to characterize the chemical and physical properties of the selected sites. The third phase involves conducting "critical" experiments at sites whose properties make them particularly attractive for exobiology. These critical experiments would include, for example, identification of organics, detection of fossils, and detection of extant life. The fourth phase is the detailed analysis of samples returned from these sites in Earth-based laboratories to confirm and extend previous discoveries. Finally, in the fifth phase, human exploration is needed to establish the geological settings for the earlier findings or to discover and explore sites that are not accessible to robotic spacecraft.

Exploring oxidative ageing behaviour of hydrocarbons using ab initio molecular dynamics analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Tongyan; Cheng, Cheng

2016-06-01

With a proper approximate solution to the Schrödinger Equation of a multi-electron system, the method of ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) performs first-principles molecular dynamics analysis without pre-defining interatomic potentials as are mandatory in traditional molecular dynamics analyses. The objective of this study is to determine the oxidative-ageing pathway of petroleum asphalt as a typical hydrocarbon system, using the AIMD method. This objective was accomplished in three steps, including (1) identifying a group of representative asphalt molecules to model, (2) determining an atomistic modelling method that can effectively simulate the production of critical functional groups in oxidative ageing of hydrocarbons and (3) evaluating the oxidative-ageing pathway of a hydrocarbon system. The determination of oxidative-ageing pathway of hydrocarbons was done by tracking the generations of critical functional groups in the course of oxidative ageing. The chemical elements of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur all experience oxidative reactions, producing polarised functional groups such as ketones, aldehydes or carboxylic acids, pyrrolic groups and sulphoxides. The electrostatic forces of the polarised groups generated in oxidation are responsible for the behaviour of aged hydrocarbons. The developed AIMD model can be used for modelling the ageing of generic hydrocarbon polymers and developing antioxidants without running expensive experiments.

RELAP5 Analyses of OECD/NEA ROSA-2 Project Experiments on Intermediate-Break LOCAs at Hot Leg or Cold Leg

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Takeda, Takeshi; Maruyama, Yu; Watanabe, Tadashi; Nakamura, Hideo

Experiments simulating PWR intermediate-break loss-of-coolant accidents (IBLOCAs) with 17% break at hot leg or cold leg were conducted in OECD/NEA ROSA-2 Project using the Large Scale Test Facility (LSTF). In the hot leg IBLOCA test, core uncovery started simultaneously with liquid level drop in crossover leg downflow-side before loop seal clearing (LSC) induced by steam condensation on accumulator coolant injected into cold leg. Water remained on upper core plate in upper plenum due to counter-current flow limiting (CCFL) because of significant upward steam flow from the core. In the cold leg IBLOCA test, core dryout took place due to rapid liquid level drop in the core before LSC. Liquid was accumulated in upper plenum, steam generator (SG) U-tube upflow-side and SG inlet plenum before the LSC due to CCFL by high velocity vapor flow, causing enhanced decrease in the core liquid level. The RELAP5/MOD3.2.1.2 post-test analyses of the two LSTF experiments were performed employing critical flow model in the code with a discharge coefficient of 1.0. In the hot leg IBLOCA case, cladding surface temperature of simulated fuel rods was underpredicted due to overprediction of core liquid level after the core uncovery. In the cold leg IBLOCA case, the cladding surface temperature was underpredicted too due to later core uncovery than in the experiment. These may suggest that the code has remaining problems in proper prediction of primary coolant distribution.

Application of theory-based evaluation for the critical analysis of national biofuel policy: A case study in Malaysia.

PubMed

Abdul-Manan, Amir F N; Baharuddin, Azizan; Chang, Lee Wei

2015-10-01

Theory-based evaluation (TBE) is an effectiveness assessment technique that critically analyses the theory underlying an intervention. Whilst its use has been widely reported in the area of social programmes, it is less applied in the field of energy and climate change policy evaluations. This paper reports a recent study that has evaluated the effectiveness of the national biofuel policy (NBP) for the transport sector in Malaysia by adapting a TBE approach. Three evaluation criteria were derived from the official goals of the NBP, those are (i) improve sustainability and environmental friendliness, (ii) reduce fossil fuel dependency, and (iii) enhance stakeholders' welfare. The policy theory underlying the NBP has been reconstructed through critical examination of the policy and regulatory documents followed by a rigorous appraisal of the causal link within the policy theory through the application of scientific knowledge. This study has identified several weaknesses in the policy framework that may engender the policy to be ineffective. Experiences with the use of a TBE approach for policy evaluations are also shared in this report. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Buckling of an Elastic Ridge: Competition between Wrinkles and Creases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lestringant, C.; Maurini, C.; Lazarus, A.; Audoly, B.

2017-04-01

We investigate the elastic buckling of a triangular prism made of a soft elastomer. A face of the prism is bonded to a stiff slab that imposes an average axial compression. We observe two possible buckling modes which are localized along the free ridge. For ridge angles ϕ below a critical value ϕ⋆≈9 0 ° , experiments reveal an extended sinusoidal mode, while for ϕ above ϕ⋆, we observe a series of creases progressively invading the lateral faces starting from the ridge. A numerical linear stability analysis is set up using the finite-element method and correctly predicts the sinusoidal mode for ϕ ≤ϕ⋆, as well as the associated critical strain ɛc(ϕ ). The experimental transition at ϕ⋆ is found to occur when this critical strain ɛc(ϕ ) attains the value ɛc(ϕ⋆)=0.44 corresponding to the threshold of the subcritical surface creasing instability. Previous analyses have focused on elastic crease patterns appearing on planar surfaces, where the role of scale invariance has been emphasized; our analysis of the elastic ridge provides a different perspective, and reveals that scale invariance is not a sufficient condition for localization.

Multiphase Flow Technology Impacts on Thermal Control Systems for Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McQuillen, John; Sankovic, John; Lekan, Jack

2006-01-01

The Two-Phase Flow Facility (TPHIFFy) Project focused on bridging the critical knowledge gap by developing and demonstrating critical multiphase fluid products for advanced life support, thermal management and power conversion systems that are required to enable the Vision for Space Exploration. Safety and reliability of future systems will be enhanced by addressing critical microgravity fluid physics issues associated with flow boiling, condensation, phase separation, and system stability. The project included concept development, normal gravity testing, and reduced gravity aircraft flight campaigns, in preparation for the development of a space flight experiment implementation. Data will be utilized to develop predictive models that could be used for system design and operation. A single fluid, two-phase closed thermodynamic loop test bed was designed, assembled and tested. The major components in this test bed include: a boiler, a condenser, a phase separator and a circulating pump. The test loop was instrumented with flow meters, thermocouples, pressure transducers and both high speed and normal speed video cameras. A low boiling point surrogate fluid, FC-72, was selected based on scaling analyses using preliminary designs for operational systems. Preliminary results are presented which include flow regime transitions and some observations regarding system stability.

The critical success factors and impact of prior knowledge to nursing students when transferring nursing knowledge during nursing clinical practise.

PubMed

Tsai, Ming-Tien; Tsai, Ling-Long

2005-11-01

Nursing practise plays an important role in transferring nursing knowledge to nursing students. From the related literature review, prior knowledge will affect how learners gain new knowledge. There has been no direct examination of the prior knowledge interaction effect on students' performance and its influence on nursing students when evaluating the knowledge transfer success factors. This study explores (1) the critical success factors in transferring nursing knowledge, (2) the impact of prior knowledge when evaluating the success factors for transferring nursing knowledge. This research utilizes in-depth interviews to probe the initial success factor phase. A total of 422 valid questionnaires were conducted by the authors. The data were analysed by comparing the mean score and t-test between two groups. Seventeen critical success factors were identified by the two groups of students. Twelve items were selected to examine the diversity in the two groups. Students with prior knowledge were more independent than the other group. They also preferred self-directed learning over students without prior knowledge. Students who did not have prior knowledge were eager to take every opportunity to gain experience and more readily adopted new knowledge.

Knowledge mobilized by a critical thinking process deployed by nursing students in practical care situations: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Lechasseur, Kathleen; Lazure, Ginette; Guilbert, Louise

2011-09-01

This paper is a report of a qualitative study of mobilization of knowledge within the critical thinking process deployed by female undergraduate nursing students in practical care situations. Holistic practice is based on variety of knowledge mobilized by a critical thinking process. Novices and, more specifically, students experience many difficulties in this regard. Therefore, a better understanding of the knowledge they mobilize in their practice is important for nurse educators. A qualitative study, guided by grounded theory, was carried out. Sixteen nursing students, registered in an undergraduate programme in an Eastern Canadian university, were recruited. Descriptions of practical care situations were obtained through explicitation interviews in 2007. A sociodemographic questionnaire, semi-structured interviews and field notes were also used. Data were analysed using an approach based on grounded theory. An additional stage of analysis involved data condensation. Various types of knowledge guide nursing students' practice. These include intrapersonal, interpersonal, perceptual, moral/ethical, experiential, practical, scientific and contextual knowledge. The mobilization of these types of knowledge is only possible when the process of critical thinking has attained a higher level, giving rise to a new knowledge that we have termed combinational constructive knowledge rather than aesthetic knowledge. Clarification of the types of knowledge guiding the practice of student nurses and of the role of critical thinking in their mobilization could lead to innovative educational strategies. The findings provide guidance for the revision and development of both academic and clinical training programmes. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Coining and defining novel nursing terminology. Part 2: critical incident nursing intervention.

PubMed

Wong, Elizabeth

2008-01-01

In the second of a three-part series, a novel nursing terminology is introduced and proposed for inclusion in the Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC): Critical incident nursing intervention (CINI), defined as any indirect or direct care registered nurse-initiated treatment, based upon clinical judgment and knowledge that a registered nurse performs in response to a critical incident nursing diagnosis (CIND). A CIND is defined as recognition of an acute life-threatening event that occurs as a result of disease, surgery, treatment, or medication. The literature, research studies, meta-analyses from a variety of disciplines, and personal clinical experience serve as the data sources for this article. The current nursing interventions in the NIC are inaccurate or inadequate for describing nursing care during life-threatening situations. The lack of standardized nursing terminology creates a barrier that may impede critical communication and patient care during life-threatening situations. Coining and defining novel nursing terminology, CINI, for patient care during life-threatening situations is important and fills the gap in the current standardized nursing terminology. Refining the NIC will permit nursing researchers, among others, to conduct studies on nursing interventions in conjunction with the proposed novel nursing terminology, CINI. The first article in this series (Part 1) introduced the novel nursing terminology: CIND; the present article (Part 2) introduces the novel nursing terminology: CINI; and the third article in this series (Part 3) will introduce the novel nursing terminology: critical incident control.

Experiences of Vulnerable Residential Customer Subpopulations with Critical Peak Pricing

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

Cappers, Peter; Spurlock, C. Anna; Todd, Annika

DOE decided to co-fund ten utilities to undertake eleven experimentally-designed Consumer Behavior Studies (CBS) that proposed to examine a wide range of the topics of interest to the electric utility industry. Each chosen utility was to design, implement and evaluate their own study in order to address questions of interest both to itself and to its applicable regulatory authority, whose approval was generally necessary for the study to proceed. The DOE Office of Energy Delivery and Electricity Reliability (OE), however, did set guidelines, both in the FOA and subsequently during the contracting period, for what would constitute an acceptable studymore » under the Grant. To assist in ensuring these guidelines were adhered to, OE requested that LBNL act as project manager for these Consumer Behavior Studies to achieve consistency of experimental design and adherence to data collection and reporting protocols across the ten utilities. As part of its role, LBNL formed technical advisory groups (TAG) to separately assist each of the utilities by providing technical assistance in all aspects of the design, implementation and evaluation of their studies. LBNL was also given a unique opportunity to perform a comprehensive, cross-study analysis that uses the customer-level interval meter and demographic data made available by these utilities due to SGIG-imposed reporting requirements, in order to analyze critical policy issues associated with AMI-enabled rates and control/information technology. LBNL will publish the results of these analyses in a series of research reports, of which this is one, that attempt to address critical policy issues relating to a variety of topics including customer acceptance, retention and load response to time-based rates and various forms of enabling control and information technologies. This report extends the existing empirical literature on the experiences of low-income customers exposed to critical peak pricing, and provides the first glimpses into the experiences of the elderly and those who reported being chronically ill. Specifically, we analyzed two of the time-based rate consumer behavior studies, which were co-funded by the Department of Energy as part of the Smart Grid Investment Grant program.« less

Science Requirements for a Space Flight Experiment Entitled Critical Viscosity of Xenon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berg, Robert F.; Moldover, Michael R.

1993-01-01

We propose to measure in low gravity the viscosity of xenon close to its critical point. The accuracy will be sufficient to eliminate uncertainties currently associated with the analysis of l-g experiments. The measurements will provide the first direct observation of the predicted power-law divergence of viscosity in a pure fluid. The measurements will also strengthen Zeno's test of mode coupling theory by greatly increasing the reliability of the extrapolation of viscosity to low reduced temperatures. Our scientific objectives are described in more detail in one of the attached reports. The low-gravity experiment will be the final stage of a program whose completed ground-based stages are: (1) theoretical studies by one of the principal investigators (MRM) and coworkers, (2) critical viscosity measurements of binary liquid mixtures, (3) critical viscosity measurements of pure fluids in l-g, and development of a suitable vibration-insensitive viscometer. Our technical approach is described in the draft Science Requirements Document. One of us (MRM) has reviewed opportunities for critical phenomena research in low gravity. Both of us were co-principal investigators in the Thermal Equilibration Experiment in the Critical Point Facility, flown on IML-1 in 1992. From this experience, and from the technical maturity of our ground-based work, we believe our critical point viscometer is ready for development as a flight experiment.

Affect influences false memories at encoding: evidence from recognition data.

PubMed

Storbeck, Justin; Clore, Gerald L

2011-08-01

Memory is susceptible to illusions in the form of false memories. Prior research found, however, that sad moods reduce false memories. The current experiment had two goals: (1) to determine whether affect influences retrieval processes, and (2) to determine whether affect influences the strength and the persistence of false memories. Happy or sad moods were induced either before or after learning word lists designed to produce false memories. Control groups did not experience a mood induction. We found that sad moods reduced false memories only when induced before learning. Signal detection analyses confirmed that sad moods induced prior to learning reduced activation of nonpresented critical lures suggesting that they came to mind less often. Affective states, however, did not influence retrieval effects. We conclude that negative affective states promote item-specific processing, which reduces false memories in a similar way as using an explicitly guided cognitive control strategy. 2011 APA, all rights reserved

Critical evaluation of challenges and future use of animals in experimentation for biomedical research.

PubMed

Singh, Vijay Pal; Pratap, Kunal; Sinha, Juhi; Desiraju, Koundinya; Bahal, Devika; Kukreti, Ritushree

2016-12-01

Animal experiments that are conducted worldwide contribute to significant findings and breakthroughs in the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of various diseases, bringing up appropriate clinical interventions. However, their predictive value is often low, leading to translational failure. Problems like translational failure of animal studies and poorly designed animal experiments lead to loss of animal lives and less translatable data which affect research outcomes ethically and economically. Due to increasing complexities in animal usage with changes in public perception and stringent guidelines, it is becoming difficult to use animals for conducting studies. This review deals with challenges like poor experimental design and ethical concerns and discusses key concepts like sample size, statistics in experimental design, humane endpoints, economic assessment, species difference, housing conditions, and systematic reviews and meta-analyses that are often neglected. If practiced, these strategies can refine the procedures effectively and help translate the outcomes efficiently. © The Author(s) 2016.

Disambiguating authenticity: Interpretations of value and appeal.

PubMed

O'Connor, Kieran; Carroll, Glenn R; Kovács, Balázs

2017-01-01

While shaping aesthetic judgment and choice, socially constructed authenticity takes on some very different meanings among observers, consumers, producers and critics. Using a theoretical framework positing four distinct meanings of socially constructed authenticity-type, moral, craft, and idiosyncratic-we aim to document empirically the unique appeal of each type. We develop predictions about the relationships between attributed authenticity and corresponding increases in the value ascribed to it through: (1) consumer value ratings, (2) willingness to pay, and (3) behavioral choice. We report empirical analyses from a research program of three multi-method studies using (1) archival data from voluntary consumer evaluations of restaurants in an online review system, (2) a university-based behavioral lab experiment, and (3) an online survey-based experiment. Evidence is consistent across the studies and suggests that perceptions of four distinct subtypes of socially constructed authenticity generate increased appeal and value even after controlling for option quality. Findings suggest additional directions for research on authenticity.

Affect Influences False Memories at Encoding: Evidence from Recognition Data

PubMed Central

Storbeck, Justin; Clore, Gerald L.

2014-01-01

Memory is susceptible to illusions in the form of false memories. Prior research found, however, that sad moods reduce false memories. The current experiment had two goals: (1) to determine whether affect influences retrieval processes, and (2) to determine whether affect influences the strength and the persistence of false memories. Happy or sad moods were induced either before or after learning word lists designed to produce false memories. Control groups did not experience a mood induction. We found that sad moods reduced false memories only when induced before learning. Signal detection analyses confirmed that sad moods induced prior to learning reduced activation of nonpresented critical lures suggesting that they came to mind less often. Affective states, however, did not influence retrieval effects. We conclude that negative affective states promote item-specific processing, which reduces false memories in a similar way as using an explicitly guided cognitive control strategy. PMID:21517165

High-dependency care: experiences of the psychosocial work environment.

PubMed

Rahman, Hanif Abdul; Naing, Lin; Abdul-Mumin, Khadizah

2017-11-23

to explore high-dependency care nurses' experiences of their psychosocial work environment. four focus groups were conducted with 23 emergency and critical care hospital nurses in Brunei. All sessions were recorded, transcribed verbatim and analysed using inductive-approach thematic analysis. three major themes were identified. 'Specialisation/specific skills' explained a fundamental requirement for the high-dependency care nurses to work effectively and efficiently in their workplace. 'Task completion' narrated the pressure they experienced to complete their tasks within time constraints exacerbated by a reduced number of staff. 'Acknowledgement' signified their need for fair and adequate reward for their hard work through career progression and promotion. this study facilitates the design of future interventions and policies that promote a healthy psychosocial work environment by ensuring nurses working in these areas have the required specialisation skills, there is a balance of workload and nurse-to-patient ratios, and they are offered fairness and equity in career progression and promotion.

A terahertz EO detector with large dynamical range, high modulation depth and signal-noise ratio

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pan, Xinjian; Cai, Yi; Zeng, Xuanke; Zheng, Shuiqin; Li, Jingzhen; Xu, Shixiang

2017-05-01

The paper presents a novel design for terahertz (THz) free-space time domain electro-optic (EO) detection where the static birefringent phases of the two balanced arms are set close to zero but opposite to each other. Our theoretical and numerical analyses show this design has much stronger ability to cancel the optical background noise than both THz ellipsometer and traditional crossed polarizer geometry (CPG). Its optical modulation depth is about twice as high as that of traditional CPG, but about ten times as high as that of THz ellipsometer. As for the dynamical range, our improved design is comparable to the THz ellipsometer but obviously larger than the traditional CPG. Some experiments for comparing our improved CPG with traditional CPG agree well with the corresponding theoretical predictions. Our experiments also show that the splitting ratio of the used non-polarization beam splitter is critical for the performance of our design.

Social problem-solving in Chinese baccalaureate nursing students.

PubMed

Fang, Jinbo; Luo, Ying; Li, Yanhua; Huang, Wenxia

2016-11-01

To describe social problem solving in Chinese baccalaureate nursing students. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with a cluster sample of 681 Chinese baccalaureate nursing students. The Chinese version of the Social Problem-Solving scale was used. Descriptive analyses, independent t-test and one-way analysis of variance were applied to analyze the data. The final year nursing students presented the highest scores of positive social problem-solving skills. Students with experiences of self-directed and problem-based learning presented significantly higher scores in Positive Problem Orientation subscale. The group with Critical thinking training experience, however, displayed higher negative problem solving scores compared with nonexperience group. Social problem solving abilities varied based upon teaching-learning strategies. Self-directed and problem-based learning may be recommended as effective way to improve social problem-solving ability. © 2016 Chinese Cochrane Center, West China Hospital of Sichuan University and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Critical evaluation of challenges and future use of animals in experimentation for biomedical research

PubMed Central

Singh, Vijay Pal; Pratap, Kunal; Sinha, Juhi; Desiraju, Koundinya; Bahal, Devika; Kukreti, Ritushree

2016-01-01

Animal experiments that are conducted worldwide contribute to significant findings and breakthroughs in the understanding of the underlying mechanisms of various diseases, bringing up appropriate clinical interventions. However, their predictive value is often low, leading to translational failure. Problems like translational failure of animal studies and poorly designed animal experiments lead to loss of animal lives and less translatable data which affect research outcomes ethically and economically. Due to increasing complexities in animal usage with changes in public perception and stringent guidelines, it is becoming difficult to use animals for conducting studies. This review deals with challenges like poor experimental design and ethical concerns and discusses key concepts like sample size, statistics in experimental design, humane endpoints, economic assessment, species difference, housing conditions, and systematic reviews and meta-analyses that are often neglected. If practiced, these strategies can refine the procedures effectively and help translate the outcomes efficiently. PMID:27694614

Resource allocation and budgetary mechanisms for decentralized health systems: experiences from Balochistan, Pakistan.

PubMed

Green, A; Ali, B; Naeem, A; Ross, D

2000-01-01

This paper identifies key political and technical issues involved in the development of an appropriate resource allocation and budgetary system for the public health sector, using experience gained in the Province of Balochistan, Pakistan. The resource allocation and budgetary system is a critical, yet often neglected, component of any decentralization policy. Current systems are often based on historical incrementalism that is neither efficient nor equitable. This article describes technical work carried out in Balochistan to develop a system of resource allocation and budgeting that is needs-based, in line with policies of decentralization, and implementable within existing technical constraints. However, the development of technical systems, while necessary, is not a sufficient condition for the implementation of a resource allocation and decentralized budgeting system. This is illustrated by analysing the constraints that have been encountered in the development of such a system in Balochistan.

Resource allocation and budgetary mechanisms for decentralized health systems: experiences from Balochistan, Pakistan.

PubMed Central

Green, A.; Ali, B.; Naeem, A.; Ross, D.

2000-01-01

This paper identifies key political and technical issues involved in the development of an appropriate resource allocation and budgetary system for the public health sector, using experience gained in the Province of Balochistan, Pakistan. The resource allocation and budgetary system is a critical, yet often neglected, component of any decentralization policy. Current systems are often based on historical incrementalism that is neither efficient nor equitable. This article describes technical work carried out in Balochistan to develop a system of resource allocation and budgeting that is needs-based, in line with policies of decentralization, and implementable within existing technical constraints. However, the development of technical systems, while necessary, is not a sufficient condition for the implementation of a resource allocation and decentralized budgeting system. This is illustrated by analysing the constraints that have been encountered in the development of such a system in Balochistan. PMID:10994286

Relating design and environmental variables to reliability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolarik, William J.; Landers, Thomas L.

The combination of space application and nuclear power source demands high reliability hardware. The possibilities of failure, either an inability to provide power or a catastrophic accident, must be minimized. Nuclear power experiences on the ground have led to highly sophisticated probabilistic risk assessment procedures, most of which require quantitative information to adequately assess such risks. In the area of hardware risk analysis, reliability information plays a key role. One of the lessons learned from the Three Mile Island experience is that thorough analyses of critical components are essential. Nuclear grade equipment shows some reliability advantages over commercial. However, no statistically significant difference has been found. A recent study pertaining to spacecraft electronics reliability, examined some 2500 malfunctions on more than 300 aircraft. The study classified the equipment failures into seven general categories. Design deficiencies and lack of environmental protection accounted for about half of all failures. Within each class, limited reliability modeling was performed using a Weibull failure model.

A proposed USAF fatigue evaluation program based upon recent systems experience

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Haviland, G. P.; Purkey, G. F.

1972-01-01

The United States Air Force has published a document entitled Aircraft Structural Integrity Program. One phase of the program is concerned with the fatigue life certification of all types of military aircraft. The document describes the criteria, analyses, and tests that are necessary in order to satisfy the USAF fatigue life requirement. Some recent and valid criticism has been directed toward the document, particularly the fatigue-life requirements contained in it. Some changes are proposed based on surveys conducted in the United States and abroad as well as some recent systems' experience. The surveys covered both military and civilian organizations. The fatigue certification case histories of selected military and commercial aircraft are presented. The design development element tests, preproduction design verification tests, and full-scale fatigue tests of each are described. A brief status report on the revisions to the MIL-A-008860 series specifications is included.

"We Can't Let Them Fail for One More Day": School Reform Urgency and the Politics of Reformer-Community Alliances

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gordon, Hava Rachel

2016-01-01

This article provides a critical examination of neoliberal urgency in education reform. While critics of neoliberal reform policies have argued that these reforms exclude low-income community participation almost entirely, I argue that in practice this exclusion is not as total or as overt as macro-analyses would suggest. These macro analyses do…

Nuclear Criticality Experimental Research Center (NCERC) Overview

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

Goda, Joetta Marie; Grove, Travis Justin; Hayes, David Kirk

The mission of the National Criticality Experiments Research Center (NCERC) at the Device Assembly Facility (DAF) is to conduct experiments and training with critical assemblies and fissionable material at or near criticality in order to explore reactivity phenomena, and to operate the assemblies in the regions from subcritical through delayed critical. One critical assembly, Godiva-IV, is designed to operate above prompt critical. The Nuclear Criticality Experimental Research Center (NCERC) is our nation’s only general-purpose critical experiments facility and is only one of a few that remain operational throughout the world. This presentation discusses the history of NCERC, the general activitiesmore » that makeup work at NCERC, and the various government programs and missions that NCERC supports. Recent activities at NCERC will be reviewed, with a focus on demonstrating how NCERC meets national security mission goals using engineering fundamentals. In particular, there will be a focus on engineering theory and design and applications of engineering fundamentals at NCERC. NCERC activities that relate to engineering education will also be examined.« less

Mood and the DRM paradigm: An investigation of the effects of valence and arousal on false memory.

PubMed

Van Damme, Ilse

2013-06-01

Recent studies regarding the effect of mood on the DRM (Deese-Roediger-McDermott) illusion have not been able to clearly establish yet whether valence or arousal is most critical in determining susceptibility to false memories, nor what the underlying processes are. In three experiments, both the valence and the level of arousal of participants' mood were manipulated. Six conditions were used: positive mood with high/low arousal, negative mood with high/low arousal, neutral mood, and a control condition. Memory was tested by means of immediate and delayed recognition and immediate free recall. The mood induction procedure was effective. For recognition memory, there was an effect of arousal on the endorsement of critical lures. Low-arousal moods elicited more false recognition than high-arousal moods, regardless of valence. Based on signal detection analyses, the effect was attributed to more liberal response criteria with low arousal, in combination with a tendency towards improved item-specific memory with high arousal.

Effects of oxytocin administration on spirituality and emotional responses to meditation.

PubMed

Van Cappellen, Patty; Way, Baldwin M; Isgett, Suzannah F; Fredrickson, Barbara L

2016-10-01

The oxytocin (OT) system, critically involved in social bonding, may also impinge on spirituality, which is the belief in a meaningful life imbued with a sense of connection to a Higher Power and/or the world. Midlife male participants (N = 83) were randomly assigned to receive intranasal OT or placebo. In exploratory analyses, participants were also genotyped for polymorphisms in two genes critical for OT signaling, the oxytocin receptor gene (OXTR rs53576) and CD38 (rs6449182 and rs3796863). Results showed that intranasal OT increased self-reported spirituality on two separate measures and this effect remained significant a week later. It also boosted participants' experience of specific positive emotions during meditation, at both explicit and implicit levels. Furthermore, the effect of OT on spirituality was moderated by OT-related genotypes. These results provide the first experimental evidence that spirituality, endorsed by millions worldwide, appears to be supported by OT. © The Author (2016). Published by Oxford University Press. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Impact of age at onset for children with renal failure on education and employment transitions.

PubMed

Lewis, Helen; Arber, Sara

2015-01-01

Previous medical research has shown that children with end-stage renal failure experience delay or underachievement of key markers of transition to adulthood. This article analyses 35 qualitative interviews with end-stage renal failure patients, aged 20-30 years, first diagnosed at 0-19 years of age, to explore how far delayed or underachievement in education and employment is related to their age at onset of end-stage renal failure. This study shows how unpredictable failures of renal replacement therapies, comorbidities and/or side effects of treatment in the early life course often coincided with critical moments for education and employment. Entering school, college, work-related training or employment, and disclosing health status or educational underachievement to an employer, were particularly critical, and those who were ill before puberty became progressively more disadvantaged in terms of successful transition into full-time employment, compared with those first diagnosed after puberty. © The Author(s) 2014.

Do therapeutic imagery practices affect physiological and emotional indicators of threat in high self-critics?

PubMed

Duarte, Joana; McEwan, Kirsten; Barnes, Christopher; Gilbert, Paul; Maratos, Frances A

2015-09-01

Imagery is known to be a powerful means of stimulating various physiological processes and is increasingly used within standard psychological therapies. Compassion-focused imagery (CFI) has been used to stimulate affiliative emotion in people with mental health problems. However, evidence suggests that self-critical individuals may have particular difficulties in this domain with single trials. The aim of the present study was to further investigate the role of self-criticism in responsiveness to CFI by specifically pre-selecting participants based on trait self-criticism. Using the Forms of Self-Criticism/Self-Reassuring Scale, 29 individuals from a total sample of 139 were pre-selected to determine how self-criticism impacts upon an initial instance of imagery. All participants took part in three activities: a control imagery intervention (useable data N = 25), a standard CFI intervention (useable data N = 25), and a non-intervention control (useable data N = 24). Physiological measurements (alpha amylase) as well as questionnaire measures of emotional responding (i.e., the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, the Types of Positive Affect Scale, and the State Adult Attachment Scale) were taken before and after the different interventions. Following both imagery interventions, repeated measures analyses revealed that alpha amylase increased significantly for high self-critics compared with low self-critics. High self-critics (HSC) also reported greater insecurity on entering the imagery session and more negative CFI experiences compared with low self-critics. Data demonstrate that HSC respond negatively to imagery interventions in a single trial. This highlights that imagery focused therapies (e.g., CFI) need interventions that manage fears, blocks, and resistances to the techniques, particularly in HSC. An initial instance of imagery (e.g., CFI) can be frightening for people who have a tendency to be self-critical. This research provides examples of physiological and emotional responses to imagery type therapies in high and low self-critics, and associated clinical implications. Therapists may find it helpful to be mindful that when introducing imagery based therapies, highly self-critical patients need interventions that manage fears, blocks, and resistances to the techniques. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

Taking Criticism to the Streets in Print: Teaching Students to Write Criticism for Popular Consumption.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kidd, Virginia V.

A systematic review of 3 years of popular magazines sought to determine if articles are published that constitute rhetorical criticism of the mass media. The survey revealed that rhetorical criticism was published in a wide variety of popular magazines, but was not labelled as such. Television (TV) was the focus of most of these critical analyses,…

How do fission yeast cells grow and connect growth to the mitotic cycle?

PubMed

Sveiczer, Ákos; Horváth, Anna

2017-05-01

To maintain size homeostasis in a unicellular culture, cells should coordinate growth to the division cycle. This is achieved via size control mechanisms (also known as size checkpoints), i.e. some events during the mitotic cycle supervene only if the cell has reached a critical size. Rod-shaped cells like those of fission yeast are ideal model organisms to study these checkpoints via time-lapse microphotography. By applying this method, once we can analyse the growth process between two consecutive divisions at a single (or even at an 'average') cellular level, moreover, we can also position the size checkpoint(s) at the population level. Finally, any of these controls can be abolished in appropriate cell cycle mutants, either in steady-state or in induction synchronised cultures. In the latter case, we produce abnormally oversized cells, and microscopic experiments with them clearly show the existence of a critical size above which the size checkpoint ceases (becomes cryptic). In this review, we delineate the development of our knowledge both on the growth mode of fission yeast and on the operating size control(s) during its mitotic cycle. We finish these historical stories with our recent findings, arguing that three different size checkpoints exist in the fission yeast cell cycle, namely in late G1, in mid G2 and in late G2, which has been concluded by analysing these controls in several cell cycle mutants.

Integrated genomic analyses identify WEE1 as a critical mediator of cell fate and novel therapeutic target in acute myeloid leukemia

PubMed Central

Porter, Christopher C.; Kim, Jihye; Fosmire, Susan; Gearheart, Christy M.; van Linden, Annemie; Baturin, Dmitry; Zaberezhnyy, Vadym; Patel, Purvi R.; Gao, Dexiang; Tan, Aik Choon; DeGregori, James

2011-01-01

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains a therapeutic challenge despite increasing knowledge about the molecular origins of the disease, as the mechanisms of AML cell escape from chemotherapy remain poorly defined. We hypothesized that AML cells are addicted to molecular pathways in the context of chemotherapy and used complementary approaches to identify these addictions. Using novel molecular and computational approaches, we performed genome-wide shRNA screens to identify proteins that mediate AML cell fate after cytarabine exposure, gene expression profiling of AML cells exposed to cytarabine to identify genes with induced expression in this context, and examination of existing gene expression data from primary patient samples. The integration of these independent analyses strongly implicates cell cycle checkpoint proteins, particularly WEE1, as critical mediators of AML cell survival after cytarabine exposure. Knockdown of WEE1 in a secondary screen confirmed its role in AML cell survival. Pharmacologic inhibition of WEE1 in AML cell lines and primary cells is synergistic with cytarabine. Further experiments demonstrate that inhibition of WEE1 prevents S-phase arrest induced by cytarabine, broadening the functions of WEE1 that may be exploited therapeutically. These data highlight the power of integrating functional and descriptive genomics, and identify WEE1 as potential therapeutic target in AML. PMID:22289989

Alcohol mixed with energy drink (AMED): A critical review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Verster, Joris C; Benson, Sarah; Johnson, Sean J; Alford, Chris; Godefroy, Samuel Benrejeb; Scholey, Andrew

2018-03-01

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to critically review the (1) prevalence of alcohol mixed with energy drink (AMED) consumption, (2) motives for AMED consumption, (3) correlates of AMED consumption, and (4) whether AMED consumption has an impact on (a) alcohol consumption, (b) subjective intoxication, and (c) risk-taking behavior. Overall a minority of the population consumes AMED, typically infrequently. Motives for AMED consumption are predominantly hedonistic and social. Meta-analyses revealed that AMED consumers drink significantly more alcohol than alcohol-only (AO) consumers. Within-subject comparisons restricted to AMED consumers revealed that alcohol consumption does not significantly differ between typical AMED and AO occasions. On past month heaviest drinking occasions, AMED users consume significantly less alcohol on AMED occasions when compared to AO occasions. AMED consumers experience significantly fewer negative consequences and risk-taking behavior on AMED occasions compared with AO occasions. Meta-analyses of subjective intoxication studies suggest that AMED consumption does not differentially affect subjective intoxication when compared to AO consumption. In conclusion, when compared to AO consumption, mixing alcohol with energy drink does not affect subjective intoxication and seems unlikely to increase total alcohol consumption, associated risk-taking behavior, nor other negative alcohol-related consequences. Further research may be necessary to fully reveal the effects of AMED. © 2018 The Authors Human Psychopharmacology: Clinical and Experimental Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Overview of Experiments for Physics of Fast Reactors from the International Handbooks of Evaluated Criticality Safety Benchmark Experiments and Evaluated Reactor Physics Benchmark Experiments

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

Bess, J. D.; Briggs, J. B.; Gulliford, J.

Overview of Experiments to Study the Physics of Fast Reactors Represented in the International Directories of Critical and Reactor Experiments John D. Bess Idaho National Laboratory Jim Gulliford, Tatiana Ivanova Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development E.V.Rozhikhin, M.Yu.Sem?nov, A.M.Tsibulya Institute of Physics and Power Engineering The study the physics of fast reactors traditionally used the experiments presented in the manual labor of the Working Group on Evaluation of sections CSEWG (ENDF-202) issued by the Brookhaven National Laboratory in 1974. This handbook presents simplified homogeneous model experiments with relevant experimental data, as amended. The Nuclear Energymore » Agency of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development coordinates the activities of two international projects on the collection, evaluation and documentation of experimental data - the International Project on the assessment of critical experiments (1994) and the International Project on the assessment of reactor experiments (since 2005). The result of the activities of these projects are replenished every year, an international directory of critical (ICSBEP Handbook) and reactor (IRPhEP Handbook) experiments. The handbooks present detailed models of experiments with minimal amendments. Such models are of particular interest in terms of the settlements modern programs. The directories contain a large number of experiments which are suitable for the study of physics of fast reactors. Many of these experiments were performed at specialized critical stands, such as BFS (Russia), ZPR and ZPPR (USA), the ZEBRA (UK) and the experimental reactor JOYO (Japan), FFTF (USA). Other experiments, such as compact metal assembly, is also of interest in terms of the physics of fast reactors, they have been carried out on the universal critical stands in Russian institutes (VNIITF and VNIIEF) and the US (LANL, LLNL, and others.). Also worth mentioning is the critical experiments with fast reactor fuel rods in water, interesting in terms of justification of nuclear safety during transportation and storage of fresh and spent fuel. These reports provide a detailed review of the experiment, designate the area of their application and include results of calculations on modern systems of constants in comparison with the estimated experimental data.« less

Elastic-plastic finite-element analyses of thermally cycled double-edge wedge specimens

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaufman, A.; Hunt, L. E.

1982-01-01

Elastic-plastic stress-strain analyses were performed for double-edge wedge specimens subjected to thermal cycling in fluidized beds at 316 and 1088 C. Four cases involving different nickel-base alloys (IN 100, Mar M-200, NASA TAZ-8A, and Rene 80) were analyzed by using the MARC nonlinear, finite element computer program. Elastic solutions from MARC showed good agreement with previously reported solutions obtained by using the NASTRAN and ISO3DQ computer programs. Equivalent total strain ranges at the critical locations calculated by elastic analyses agreed within 3 percent with those calculated from elastic-plastic analyses. The elastic analyses always resulted in compressive mean stresses at the critical locations. However, elastic-plastic analyses showed tensile mean stresses for two of the four alloys and an increase in the compressive mean stress for the highest plastic strain case.

Simulated and Virtual Science Laboratory Experiments: Improving Critical Thinking and Higher-Order Learning Skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simon, Nicole A.

Virtual laboratory experiments using interactive computer simulations are not being employed as viable alternatives to laboratory science curriculum at extensive enough rates within higher education. Rote traditional lab experiments are currently the norm and are not addressing inquiry, Critical Thinking, and cognition throughout the laboratory experience, linking with educational technologies (Pyatt & Sims, 2007; 2011; Trundle & Bell, 2010). A causal-comparative quantitative study was conducted with 150 learners enrolled at a two-year community college, to determine the effects of simulation laboratory experiments on Higher-Order Learning, Critical Thinking Skills, and Cognitive Load. The treatment population used simulated experiments, while the non-treatment sections performed traditional expository experiments. A comparison was made using the Revised Two-Factor Study Process survey, Motivated Strategies for Learning Questionnaire, and the Scientific Attitude Inventory survey, using a Repeated Measures ANOVA test for treatment or non-treatment. A main effect of simulated laboratory experiments was found for both Higher-Order Learning, [F (1, 148) = 30.32,p = 0.00, eta2 = 0.12] and Critical Thinking Skills, [F (1, 148) = 14.64,p = 0.00, eta 2 = 0.17] such that simulations showed greater increases than traditional experiments. Post-lab treatment group self-reports indicated increased marginal means (+4.86) in Higher-Order Learning and Critical Thinking Skills, compared to the non-treatment group (+4.71). Simulations also improved the scientific skills and mastery of basic scientific subject matter. It is recommended that additional research recognize that learners' Critical Thinking Skills change due to different instructional methodologies that occur throughout a semester.

Zeno: Critical Fluid Light Scattering Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gammon, Robert W.; Shaumeyer, J. N.; Briggs, Matthew E.; Boukari, Hacene; Gent, David A.; Wilkinson, R. Allen

1996-01-01

The Zeno (Critical Fluid Light Scattering) experiment is the culmination of a long history of critical fluid light scattering in liquid-vapor systems. The major limitation to making accurate measurements closer to the critical point was the density stratification which occurs in these extremely compressible fluids. Zeno was to determine the critical density fluctuation decay rates at a pair of supplementary angles in the temperature range 100 mK to 100 (mu)K from T(sub c) in a sample of xenon accurately loaded to the critical density. This paper gives some highlights from operating the instrument on two flights March, 1994 on STS-62 and February, 1996 on STS-75. More detail of the experiment Science Requirements, the personnel, apparatus, and results are displayed on the Web homepage at http://www.zeno.umd.edu.

Confirming criticality safety of TRU waste with neutron measurements and risk analyses

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

Winn, W.G.; Hochel, R.D.

1992-04-01

The criticality safety of {sup 239}Pu in 55-gallon drums stored in TRU waste containers (culverts) is confirmed using NDA neutron measurements and risk analyses. The neutron measurements yield a {sup 239}Pu mass and k{sub eff} for a culvert, which contains up to 14 drums. Conservative probabilistic risk analyses were developed for both drums and culverts. Overall {sup 239}Pu mass estimates are less than a calculated safety limit of 2800 g per culvert. The largest measured k{sub eff} is 0.904. The largest probability for a critical drum is 6.9 {times} 10{sup {minus}8} and that for a culvert is 1.72 {times} 10{supmore » {minus}7}. All examined suspect culverts, totaling 118 in number, are appraised as safe based on these observations.« less

Jezebel: Reconstructing a Critical Experiment from 60 Years Ago

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

Favorite, Jeffrey A.

The Jezebel experiment of 1954-1955 was a very small, nearly-spherical, nearly-bare (unreflected), nearly-homogeneous assembly of plutonium alloyed with gallium. This experiment was used to determine the critical mass of spherical, bare, homogeneous Pu-alloy. In 1956, the critical mass of Pu-alloy was determined to be 16.45 ± 0.05 kg. The experiment was reevaluated in 1969 using logbooks from the 1950s and updated nuclear cross sections. The critical mass of Pu-alloy was determined to be 16.57 ± 0.10 kg. In 2013, the 239Pu Jezebel experiment was again reevaluated, this time using detailed geometry and materials models and modern nuclear cross sections inmore » high-fidelity Monte Carlo neutron transport calculations. Documentation from the 1950s was often inconsistent or missing altogether, and assumptions had to be made. The critical mass of Pu-alloy was determined to be 16.624 ± 0.075 kg. Historic documents were subsequently found that validated some of the 2013 assumptions and invalidated others. In 2016, the newly found information was used to once again reevaluate the 239Pu Jezebel experiment. The critical mass of Pu-alloy was determined to be 16.624 ± 0.065 kg. This talk will discuss each of these evaluations, focusing on the calculation of the uncertainty as well as the critical mass. We call attention to the ambiguity, consternation, despair, and euphoria involved in reconstructing the historic Jezebel experiment. This talk is quite accessible for undergraduate students as well as non-majors.« less

Analysis of patient diaries in Danish ICUs: a narrative approach.

PubMed

Egerod, Ingrid; Christensen, Doris

2009-10-01

The objective was to describe the structure and content of patient diaries written for critically ill patients in Danish intensive care units (ICUs). Critical illness is associated with physical and psychological aftermath including cognitive impairment and post-traumatic stress. Patient diaries written in the intensive care unit are used to help ICU-survivors come to terms with their illness. The study had a qualitative, descriptive and explorative design, using a narrative approach of analysis. Data were analysed on several levels: extra-case level, case level, diary-entry level, and sub-entry level. The sample consisted of 25 patient diaries written by critical care nurses in 2007 for patients at a general ICU in Denmark. The base narrative describes three stages: crisis, turning point, and normalisation. Each case includes parallel plots of nurse, patient and family, which converge during normalisation. Each diary is structured by: summary, daily entries and end note. Each diary entry is structured by: greeting, narrator status, patient status, family status/contextual cues and sign-off note. Patient diaries acknowledge the patient experience and provide new insights into nursing performance. This study offers a framework for understanding ICU patient diaries, which may facilitate cross-unit comparisons and support future guideline development. The dual perspectives of patient diaries and the ambiguous ownership of the narratives may pave the way for insights to improve critical care nursing and ICU rehabilitation.

A Critical Analysis of Criticisms of the Oregon Death with Dignity Act

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Werth, James L., Jr.; Wineberg, Howard

2005-01-01

This article critically examines the validity of common criticisms of the Oregon Death with Dignity Act, primarily through reviewing published research and analyses. After summarizing the law and recent developments, 11 areas of concerns are examined: (a) the amount of data collected, (b) the availability of the data, (c) the reporting process,…

Critical Thinking: Art Criticism as a Tool for Analysing and Evaluating Art, Instructional Practice and Social Justice Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Broome, Jeffrey; Pereira, Adriane; Anderson, Tom

2018-01-01

Recent educational initiatives have emphasised the importance of fostering critical thinking skills in today's students in order to provide strategies for becoming successful problem solvers throughout life. Other scholars advocate the use of critical thinking skills on the grounds that such tools can be used effectively when considering social…

Students' Attitudes to Information in the Press: Critical Reading of a Newspaper Article with Scientific Content

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliveras, B.; Márquez, C.; Sanmartí, N.

2014-01-01

This research analyses what happens when a critical reading activity based on a press article dealing with an energy-related problem is implemented with two groups of students of 13-14 years old and 16-17 years old in the same school (a total of 117 students). Specifically, the research analyses the students' profiles from the standpoint of…

MSiReader v1.0: Evolving Open-Source Mass Spectrometry Imaging Software for Targeted and Untargeted Analyses.

PubMed

Bokhart, Mark T; Nazari, Milad; Garrard, Kenneth P; Muddiman, David C

2018-01-01

A major update to the mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) software MSiReader is presented, offering a multitude of newly added features critical to MSI analyses. MSiReader is a free, open-source, and vendor-neutral software written in the MATLAB platform and is capable of analyzing most common MSI data formats. A standalone version of the software, which does not require a MATLAB license, is also distributed. The newly incorporated data analysis features expand the utility of MSiReader beyond simple visualization of molecular distributions. The MSiQuantification tool allows researchers to calculate absolute concentrations from quantification MSI experiments exclusively through MSiReader software, significantly reducing data analysis time. An image overlay feature allows the incorporation of complementary imaging modalities to be displayed with the MSI data. A polarity filter has also been incorporated into the data loading step, allowing the facile analysis of polarity switching experiments without the need for data parsing prior to loading the data file into MSiReader. A quality assurance feature to generate a mass measurement accuracy (MMA) heatmap for an analyte of interest has also been added to allow for the investigation of MMA across the imaging experiment. Most importantly, as new features have been added performance has not degraded, in fact it has been dramatically improved. These new tools and the improvements to the performance in MSiReader v1.0 enable the MSI community to evaluate their data in greater depth and in less time. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

Experiences of Agricultural Education Preservice Teachers Engaging in Critical Friendships

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sellick, Sable; Shoulders, Catherine W.; Johnson, Donald M.; Goodwin, H. L.

2017-01-01

As teachers search for ways to improve their craft through reflection, critical friendships have proven to be effective at improving preservice and inservice teachers' reflective behaviors. This qualitative study sought to understand the experiences of agricultural education preservice teachers participating in critical friendships with other…

Critical Thinking in the Business Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reid, Joanne R.; Anderson, Phyllis R.

2012-01-01

A minicourse in critical thinking was implemented to improve student outcomes in two sessions of a senior-level business course at a Midwestern university. Statistical analyses of two quantitative assessments revealed significant improvements in critical thinking skills. Improvements in student outcomes in case studies and computerized business…

Analysis of Flow Behavior of an Nb-Ti Microalloyed Steel During Hot Deformation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohebbi, Mohammad Sadegh; Parsa, Mohammad Habibi; Rezayat, Mohammad; Orovčík, L'ubomír

2018-03-01

The hot flow behavior of an Nb-Ti microalloyed steel is investigated through hot compression test at various strain rates and temperatures. By the combination of dynamic recovery (DRV) and dynamic recrystallization (DRX) models, a phenomenological constitutive model is developed to derive the flow stress. The predefined activation energy of Q = 270 kJ/mol and the exponent of n = 5 are successfully set to derive critical stress at the onset of DRX and saturation stress of DRV as functions of the Zener-Hollomon parameter by the classical hyperbolic sine equation. The remaining parameters of the constitutive model are determined by fitting them to the experiments. Through substitution of a normalized strain in the DRV model and considering the interconnections between dependent parameters, a new model is developed. It is shown that, despite its fewer parameters, this model is in good agreement with the experiments. Accurate analyses of flow data along with microstructural analyses indicate that the dissolution of NbC precipitates and its consequent solid solution strengthening and retardation of DRX are responsible for the distinguished behaviors in the two temperature ranges between T < 1100 °C and T ≥ 1100 °C. Nevertheless, it is shown that a single constitutive equation can still be employed for the present steel in the whole tested temperature ranges.

[The effect of Echinacea angustifolia on non-specific cellular immunity in the mouse].

PubMed

Schumacher, A; Friedberg, K D

1991-02-01

Echinacea belongs to the most usable plants in medical treatment since many years. It is applicable in the fields of homoepathy and allopathy, however, there are many different ways of treatment. Two species are listed in the European Pharmacopoea: Echinacea angustifolia and Echinacea purpurea. They differ in morphology and their chemical composition. There have been chemical and biological analyses of Echinacea for about 80 years. After exact investigations of these reports, the following result were found: Most chemical analyses were done with Echinacea angustifolia, especially the older ones, whereas biological activity was tested with Echinacea purpurea. In almost all of these experiments, proprietaries were preferred to use in contrast to any plant extracts. Most of the reports, which declared the stimulating biological activity of Echinacea could not resist any critical opinion. So the frequency of medical application of this drug is mainly due to delivered practical knowledge. The experiments described in this study were practised with a water-soluble plant extract of Echinacea angustifolia. Echinacosid one of its low-molecular compounds and proprietaries which contains this plant. Their influence on the unspecified cellular immunity of the mouse after intraperitoneal, intravenous or peroral application was investigated. Under various conditions no effects on the immuno system could be found using the carbon clearance test.

Ares I-X Upper Stage Simulator Structural Analyses Supporting the NESC Critical Initial Flaw Size Assessment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knight, Norman F., Jr.; Phillips, Dawn R.; Raju, Ivatury S.

2008-01-01

The structural analyses described in the present report were performed in support of the NASA Engineering and Safety Center (NESC) Critical Initial Flaw Size (CIFS) assessment for the ARES I-X Upper Stage Simulator (USS) common shell segment. The structural analysis effort for the NESC assessment had three thrusts: shell buckling analyses, detailed stress analyses of the single-bolt joint test; and stress analyses of two-segment 10 degree-wedge models for the peak axial tensile running load. Elasto-plastic, large-deformation simulations were performed. Stress analysis results indicated that the stress levels were well below the material yield stress for the bounding axial tensile design load. This report also summarizes the analyses and results from parametric studies on modeling the shell-to-gusset weld, flange-surface mismatch, bolt preload, and washer-bearing-surface modeling. These analyses models were used to generate the stress levels specified for the fatigue crack growth assessment using the design load with a factor of safety.

A design space exploration for control of Critical Quality Attributes of mAb.

PubMed

Bhatia, Hemlata; Read, Erik; Agarabi, Cyrus; Brorson, Kurt; Lute, Scott; Yoon, Seongkyu

2016-10-15

A unique "design space (DSp) exploration strategy," defined as a function of four key scenarios, was successfully integrated and validated to enhance the DSp building exercise, by increasing the accuracy of analyses and interpretation of processed data. The four key scenarios, defining the strategy, were based on cumulative analyses of individual models developed for the Critical Quality Attributes (23 Glycan Profiles) considered for the study. The analyses of the CQA estimates and model performances were interpreted as (1) Inside Specification/Significant Model (2) Inside Specification/Non-significant Model (3) Outside Specification/Significant Model (4) Outside Specification/Non-significant Model. Each scenario was defined and illustrated through individual models of CQA aligning the description. The R(2), Q(2), Model Validity and Model Reproducibility estimates of G2, G2FaGbGN, G0 and G2FaG2, respectively, signified the four scenarios stated above. Through further optimizations, including the estimation of Edge of Failure and Set Point Analysis, wider and accurate DSps were created for each scenario, establishing critical functional relationship between Critical Process Parameters (CPPs) and Critical Quality Attributes (CQAs). A DSp provides the optimal region for systematic evaluation, mechanistic understanding and refining of a QbD approach. DSp exploration strategy will aid the critical process of consistently and reproducibly achieving predefined quality of a product throughout its lifecycle. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Improving the quality of educational strategies in postgraduate dental education using student and graduate feedback: findings from a qualitative study in New Zealand.

PubMed

Subramanian, J; Anderson, V R; Morgaine, K C; Thomson, W M

2013-02-01

Research suggests that students' perceptions should be considered in any discussion of their education. However, to date, there has been no systematic examination of New Zealand postgraduate dental students' learning processes in both the research and clinical settings. This study aimed to obtain in-depth qualitative insights into student and graduate perspectives of effective and ineffective learning experiences during their postgraduate dental education. Data were collected in 2010 using semi-structured individual interviews. Participants included 2010 final-year students and 2009 graduates of the University of Otago Doctor of Clinical Dentistry programme. Using the Critical Incident Technique, participants were asked to describe at least one effective and one ineffective learning experience in detail. Interview transcripts were analysed using a general inductive approach. Broad themes which emerged included supervisory approaches, characteristics of the learning process and characteristics of the physical learning environment. The focus of this article is to report and discuss the learning processes that participants identified as promoting and precluding effective learning experiences in the clinical and research settings. Students and graduates in the study had largely similar perspectives of learning processes likely to result in effective clinical and research learning. These included self-directed and collaborative learning; timely, constructive and detailed feedback with directions for further improvement; and discreet clinical feedback. Learning processes that precluded effective learning included unsupported and isolated learning, delayed and overly critical/destructive feedback and open criticism in the clinical context. The in-depth findings of this study contribute to the scientific literature that identifies learning process characteristics which facilitate effective learning from New Zealand postgraduate students' and graduates' perspectives. Additional cross-sectional and longitudinal studies (both qualitative and quantitative) would lead to a better understanding of what constitutes effective teaching in postgraduate dental education. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

Addressing sexual health behaviour during emerging adulthood: a critical review of the literature.

PubMed

Alexander, Kamila A; Jemmott, Loretta S; Teitelman, Anne M; D'Antonio, Patricia

2015-01-01

In this critical literature review, we examine evidence-based interventions that target sexual behaviours of 18- to 25-year-old emerging adult women. Nurses and clinicians implement theory-driven research programmes for young women with increased risk of HIV/AIDS and sexually transmitted infections. Strategies to decrease transmission of HIV and sexually transmitted infections are rigorously evaluated and promoted by public health agencies such as the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While many interventions demonstrate episodic reductions in sexual risk behaviours and infection transmission, there is little evidence they build sustainable skills and behaviours. Programmes may not attend to contextual and affective influences on sexual behaviour change. Discursive paper. We conducted a conceptually based literature review and critical analysis of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's best-evidence and good-evidence HIV behavioural interventions. In this review, we examined three contextual and affective influences on the sexual health of emerging adult women: (1) developmental age, (2) reproduction and pregnancy desires and (3) sexual security or emotional responses accompanying relationship experiences. Our analyses revealed intervention programmes paid little attention to ways age, desires for pregnancy or emotional factors influence sexual decisions. Some programmes included 18- to 25-year-olds, but they made up small percentages of the sample and did not attend to unique emerging adult experiences. Second, primary focus on infection prevention overshadowed participant desires for pregnancy. Third, few interventions considered emotional mechanisms derived from relationship experiences involved in sexual decision-making. Growing evidence demonstrates sexual health interventions may be more effective if augmented to attend to contextual and affective influences on relationship risks and decision-making. Modifying currently accepted strategies may enhance sustainability of sexual health-promoting behaviours. This study provides nurses and public health educators with recommendations for broadening the content of sexual health promotion intervention programming. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Critical Viscosity of Xenon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

The Critical Viscosity of Xenon Experiment (CVX-2) on the STS-107 Research 1 mission in 2002 will measure the viscous behavior of xenon, a heavy inert gas used in flash lamps and ion rocket engines, at its critical point. Because xenon near the critical point will collapse under its own weight, experiments on Earth (green line) are limited as they get closer (toward the left) to the critical point. CVX in the microgravity of space (red line) moved into unmeasured territory that scientists had not been able to reach.

Deconstructing Global Markets through Critical Performative Experiences in Puerto Rico

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Medina, Carmen Liliana; Weltsek, Gustave J.

2013-01-01

Critical Performative Pedagogies, the idea that "The nature of drama as a once removed creative experience turns non-critical implicit classroom identity formation into explicit identity performance as it asks participants to actively reflect upon how identity is created and engaged within fictional social interactions." (Weltsek and…

Teaching Critical & Analytical Thinking in High School Biology?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McDonald, Gaby

2012-01-01

How can critical and analytical thinking be improved so that they mimic real-life research and prepare students for university courses? The data sets obtained in students' experiments were used to encourage students to evaluate results, experiments, and published information critically. Examples show that students can learn to compare and defend…

Is Critical Thinking a Mediator Variable of Student Performance in School?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walter, Christel; Walter, Paul

2018-01-01

The study explores the influences of critical thinking and interests on students' performance at school. The tested students attended German grammar schools ("Gymnasien"). Separate regression analyses showed the expected moderate positive influences of critical thinking and interests on school performance. But analyzed simultaneously,…

Diagnosing sex: Intersex surgery and 'sex change' in Britain 1930-1955.

PubMed

Griffiths, David Andrew

2018-03-01

The medical 'management' of individuals with atypical sex characteristics, or intersex variations, has been under scrutiny since the beginnings of intersex activism in the 1990s. This article explores a history of intersex surgeries in Britain and the interaction with medical and popular discourses around 'sex-change' between 1930 and 1955. A focus on this period in Britain helps to critically elaborate on debates in intersex scholarship; provides historical context for the introduction of approaches and protocols based on John Money and colleagues' work in the USA in the mid-century; and analyses a long history of tension and intersection between trans and intersex experiences, treatments, politics and popular representations that continue into the present.

FRENDY: A new nuclear data processing system being developed at JAEA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tada, Kenichi; Nagaya, Yasunobu; Kunieda, Satoshi; Suyama, Kenya; Fukahori, Tokio

2017-09-01

JAEA has provided an evaluated nuclear data library JENDL and nuclear application codes such as MARBLE, SRAC, MVP and PHITS. These domestic codes have been widely used in many universities and industrial companies in Japan. However, we sometimes find problems in imported processing systems and need to revise them when the new JENDL is released. To overcome such problems and immediately process the nuclear data when it is released, JAEA started developing a new nuclear data processing system, FRENDY in 2013. This paper describes the outline of the development of FRENDY and both its capabilities and performances by the analyses of criticality experiments. The verification results indicate that FRENDY properly generates ACE files.

Clinical teaching and support for learners in the practice environment.

PubMed

McBrien, Barry

The purpose of planned clinical experience for students of nursing is primarily to provide students with the opportunity to develop their clinical skills, integrate theory and practice, and assist with their socialization into nursing. Nursing, in the main, is a practice-based profession. To this extent, it is essential that nurse education continues to have a strong practical element despite its full integration into higher education institutions (Department of Health, 1999). However, providing adequate support and supervision for learners is challenging. Undoubtedly, exacerbated by increasing numbers of learners, staff shortages and mentors training deficits. This article aims to critically analyse several strategies, which can be used to promote clinical learning.

A socio-psychological perspective on community participation in health during the Unidad Popular government: Santiago de Chile, from 1970 to 1973.

PubMed

Hadjez-Berrios, Esteban

2014-01-01

Community participation in health has conventionally been described and analysed from a non-historical perspective, neglecting the central role that disadvantaged communities have played in the construction of health institutions in our societies, alienating collective health from its historical subject. From a socio-psychological perspective, this study explores the experiences of community participation in health during the Unidad Popular government in Santiago de Chile from 1970 to 1973, evidencing a radical pedagogical process inside poor urban settlements, aimed to transform Chilean classist health institutions. These findings contribute to a critical understanding of community participation in health, conceived as a dialectic and transformative action.

A Roadmap for HEP Software and Computing R&D for the 2020s

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

Alves, Antonio Augusto, Jr; et al.

Particle physics has an ambitious and broad experimental programme for the coming decades. This programme requires large investments in detector hardware, either to build new facilities and experiments, or to upgrade existing ones. Similarly, it requires commensurate investment in the R&D of software to acquire, manage, process, and analyse the shear amounts of data to be recorded. In planning for the HL-LHC in particular, it is critical that all of the collaborating stakeholders agree on the software goals and priorities, and that the efforts complement each other. In this spirit, this white paper describes the R&D activities required to preparemore » for this software upgrade.« less

ChIP-seq and RNA-seq methods to study circadian control of transcription in mammals

PubMed Central

Takahashi, Joseph S.; Kumar, Vivek; Nakashe, Prachi; Koike, Nobuya; Huang, Hung-Chung; Green, Carla B.; Kim, Tae-Kyung

2015-01-01

Genome-wide analyses have revolutionized our ability to study the transcriptional regulation of circadian rhythms. The advent of next-generation sequencing methods has facilitated the use of two such technologies, ChIP-seq and RNA-seq. In this chapter, we describe detailed methods and protocols for these two techniques, with emphasis on their usage in circadian rhythm experiments in the mouse liver, a major target organ of the circadian clock system. Critical factors for these methods are highlighted and issues arising with time series samples for ChIP-seq and RNA-seq are discussed. Finally detailed protocols for library preparation suitable for Illumina sequencing platforms are presented. PMID:25662462

NEUTRON PHYSICS DIVISION ANNUAL PROGRESS REPORT. Period Ending September 1, 1962

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

None

1963-01-11

A total of 74 subsections are included in the report. The information in 4 subsections was previously abstracted in NSA. Separate abstracts were prepared for 38 of the subsections. Those sections for which no abstracts were prepared contain information on prompt neutron lifetime, Rover critical experiments, Pu/sup 239/ fission, neutron decay, the O5R code, alpha scattering, 8 and P wavelengths, proton scattering, deuteron scattering, local optical potentials, N. S. Savamah radiation leakage, reactor shielding, cross section data analysis, gamma transport, gamma energy deposition, gaussian integration, data interpolation, neutron scattering, neutron energy deposition, space vehicles, computer analyses, shielding, positron sources, andmore » secondary particles. (J.R.D.)« less

Leveraging social media for preventive care-A gamification system and insights.

PubMed

Lin, Raymund J; Zhu, Xinxin

2012-01-01

Patient compliance is an important factor in improving health outcomes. However, due to deferred benefits of treatment or lifestyle recommendations, patients often fail to comply with their medication, therapy or simply exercise or diet advice given by care providers until their health conditions deteriorate. As poor adherence remains a significant yet inadequately addressed health issue, it is critical to create effective interventions as part of the solutions. Previous studies indicate that peer supporting and social gaming can be useful for improving compliance. To understand how different motivation factors affect user behavior through social media, a healthcare compliance website with built-in behavior analyses was constructed to conduct experiments. Users' health compliance levels can be reported to the website and shared among consenting social members for discussion or competition. The theoretic models for behavior analyses include Maslow's hierarchy of needs and psychological game theory. The preliminary analysis showed that people using social media for healthcare compliance may be motivated differently and act strategically during their social interactions.

A perinatal signature of light on chronobiology? If so, numerous questions arise and experimental animal research must provide more information.

PubMed

Erren, Thomas C; Reiter, Russel J; Meyer-Rochow, V Benno

2012-01-01

That light and melatonin rhythms provide both clock and calendar information in humans and numerous other species is beyond dispute; this holds true for all stages of life, including the very early ones. Experimental evidence elucidates that exposure to light and melatonin titres are keys for the very development of circadian and seasonal rhythms. As evinced by a 2011 publication in Nature Neuroscience such awareness could impact considerably on the design and conduct of experimental studies as well as their subsequent analyses, interpretations and comparisons. Therefore "when and how experimental animals were bred, developed and raised" may be critical when experimenting with animals generally, and not just rodents. As long as the suggested imprinting of circadian system stability via light cues is not falsified, the perinatal season or perinatal experimental light:dark [L:D] conditions that an animal was kept under should be routinely recorded, published and considered in analysing and interpreting study data.

A marketing perspective to "delight" the "patient 2.0": new and challenging expectations for the healthcare provider.

PubMed

Buccoliero, Luca; Bellio, Elena; Mazzola, Maria; Solinas, Elisa

2016-02-09

The study aims at investigating the characteristics and the satisfaction determinants of the emerging patient profile. This profile appears to be more demanding and "empowered" compared to the ones traditionally conceived, asking for unconventional healthcare services and for a closer relationship with providers. Both qualitative (semi-structured interviews and focus groups) and quantitative (survey) analyses were performed on a random sample of 2808 Italian citizens-patients. Analyses entailed descriptive statistics, bivariate analysis and linear regressions. Four relevant dimensions of patient 2.0 experience were identified through a literature review on experiential marketing in healthcare. Beta coefficients exhibited the effect that different healthcare experiential elements have on patient 2.0 satisfaction. Results allow to state that a new marketing approach, based on patient 2.0 characteristics and value drivers, should be adopted in the healthcare sector. Critical satisfaction drivers and new technological healthcare guidelines are identified in order to match the new patient profile needs.

CA1 and CA3 differentially support spontaneous retrieval of episodic contexts within human hippocampal subfields.

PubMed

Dimsdale-Zucker, Halle R; Ritchey, Maureen; Ekstrom, Arne D; Yonelinas, Andrew P; Ranganath, Charan

2018-01-18

The hippocampus plays a critical role in spatial and episodic memory. Mechanistic models predict that hippocampal subfields have computational specializations that differentially support memory. However, there is little empirical evidence suggesting differences between the subfields, particularly in humans. To clarify how hippocampal subfields support human spatial and episodic memory, we developed a virtual reality paradigm where participants passively navigated through houses (spatial contexts) across a series of videos (episodic contexts). We then used multivariate analyses of high-resolution fMRI data to identify neural representations of contextual information during recollection. Multi-voxel pattern similarity analyses revealed that CA1 represented objects that shared an episodic context as more similar than those from different episodic contexts. CA23DG showed the opposite pattern, differentiating between objects encountered in the same episodic context. The complementary characteristics of these subfields explain how we can parse our experiences into cohesive episodes while retaining the specific details that support vivid recollection.

GRACE Mission Design: Impact of Uncertainties in Disturbance Environment and Satellite Force Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazanek, Daniel D.; Kumar, Renjith R.; Seywald, Hans; Qu, Min

2000-01-01

The Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) primary mission will be performed by making measurements of the inter-satellite range change between two co-planar, low altitude, near-polar orbiting satellites. Understanding the uncertainties in the disturbance environment, particularly the aerodynamic drag and torques, is critical in several mission areas. These include an accurate estimate of the spacecraft orbital lifetime, evaluation of spacecraft attitude control requirements, and estimation of the orbital maintenance maneuver frequency necessitated by differences in the drag forces acting on both satellites. The FREEMOL simulation software has been developed and utilized to analyze and suggest design modifications to the GRACE spacecraft. Aerodynamic accommodation bounding analyses were performed and worst-case envelopes were obtained for the aerodynamic torques and the differential ballistic coefficients between the leading and trailing GRACE spacecraft. These analyses demonstrate how spacecraft aerodynamic design and analysis can benefit from a better understanding of spacecraft surface accommodation properties, and the implications for mission design constraints such as formation spacing control.

Self-reflection and academic performance: is there a relationship?

PubMed

Lew, Magdeleine D N; Schmidt, Henk G

2011-10-01

The purposes of the present study were two-fold: first, to evaluate whether reflection journal writing was effective in promoting self-reflection and learning, and whether students become better at self-reflection if they engage continuously in reflection journal writing. To that end, the reflection journals of 690 first-year applied science students at a local polytechnic were studied by means of an automated coding procedures using software. Data was collected twice, once at the beginning and again towards the end of an academic year. Outcomes of the textual content analyses revealed that students reflected on both the process and contents of their learning: critical review of past learning experiences, learning strategies and summaries of what was learned. Correlational analyses showed weak to moderate inter-relationships between the textual categories and their classroom and knowledge acquisition test grades. Taken together, the findings suggest that self-reflection on both how and what students have learned does lead to improvements in academic performance, although to a limited extent.

Mars soil - A sterile regolith or a medium for plant growth?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banin, Amos

1989-01-01

The mineralogical composition and the physical, chemical and mechanical properties of the Mars soil have been the subject of a number of studies. Though definitive mineralogical measurements are lacking, elemental-chemical analyses and simulation experiments have indicated that clays are major components of the soil and that iron is present as adsorbed ion and as amorphous mineral coating the clay particles (Banin, 1986). Whether this soil can support plant growth or food production, utilizing conventional or advanced cultivational technologies, is a question that has not been thoroughly analyzed, but may be of importance and usefulness for the future exploration of Mars. Assuming that the proposed model of Mars soil components is valid, and drawing additional information from the analyses of the SNC meteorites believed to be ejected Mars rocks - the present contribution analyzes and evaluates the suitability of the soil as a medium for plant growth, attempting to identify the most critical limiting factors for such an undertaking and the possible remedies.

Advanced concepts in biomass production and pretreatment. Annual report, April 1986-March 1987

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

Hiler, E.A.; Miller, F.R.; Dominy, R.E.

1987-04-01

The objective of the research is to develop an integrated system for methane production utilizing terrestrial biomass as the feedstock. The report provides specifics of research activities in the Texas A and M biomass program sponsored by Gas Research Institute and co-funded by Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. Researchers in the program include plant geneticists, plant physiologists, chemists, agronomists, ruminant physiologists, agricultural engineers, biochemical engineers, and agricultural economists. Major research emphases are genetic manipulation, physiology and production systems, harvesting, storage, processing and conversion systems, inhibitors, and economic and system analyses. During the past year, increasing emphasis was placed on the biologicalmore » pretreatment aspects of the program because of the critical importance of the area to the improved efficiency of the overall system. In the breeding, tissue culture, and production programs, continued substantial progress was made in identifying and characterizing sorghums that will produce high biomass yields and have improved lodging resistance and high uniformity. Economic and systems analyses provided important information regarding optimal overall systems.« less

Medical Education to Enhance Critical Consciousness: Facilitators' Experiences.

PubMed

Zaidi, Zareen; Vyas, Rashmi; Verstegen, Danielle; Morahan, Page; Dornan, Tim

2017-11-01

To analyze educators' experiences of facilitating cultural discussions in two global health professions education programs and what these experiences had taught them about critical consciousness. A multicultural research team conducted in-depth interviews with 16 faculty who had extensive experience facilitating cultural discussions. They analyzed transcripts of the interviews thematically, drawing sensitizing insights from Gramsci's theory of cultural hegemony. Collaboration and conversation helped the team self-consciously examine their positions toward the data set and be critically reflexive. Participant faculty used their prior experience facilitating cultural discussions to create a "safe space" in which learners could develop critical consciousness. During multicultural interactions they recognized and explicitly addressed issues related to power differentials, racism, implicit bias, and gender bias. They noted the need to be "facile in attending to pain" as learners brought up traumatic experiences and other sensitive issues including racism and the impact of power dynamics. They built relationships with learners by juxtaposing and exploring the sometimes-conflicting norms of different cultures. Participants were reflective about their own understanding and tendency to be biased. They aimed to break free of such biases while role modeling how to have the courage to speak up. Experience had given facilitators in multicultural programs an understanding of their responsibility to promote critical consciousness and social justice. How faculty without prior experience or expertise could develop those values and skills is a topic for future research.

Manipulation of BDNF signaling modifies the experience-dependent plasticity induced by pure tone exposure during the critical period in the primary auditory cortex.

PubMed

Anomal, Renata; de Villers-Sidani, Etienne; Merzenich, Michael M; Panizzutti, Rogerio

2013-01-01

Sensory experience powerfully shapes cortical sensory representations during an early developmental "critical period" of plasticity. In the rat primary auditory cortex (A1), the experience-dependent plasticity is exemplified by significant, long-lasting distortions in frequency representation after mere exposure to repetitive frequencies during the second week of life. In the visual system, the normal unfolding of critical period plasticity is strongly dependent on the elaboration of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which promotes the establishment of inhibition. Here, we tested the hypothesis that BDNF signaling plays a role in the experience-dependent plasticity induced by pure tone exposure during the critical period in the primary auditory cortex. Elvax resin implants filled with either a blocking antibody against BDNF or the BDNF protein were placed on the A1 of rat pups throughout the critical period window. These pups were then exposed to 7 kHz pure tone for 7 consecutive days and their frequency representations were mapped. BDNF blockade completely prevented the shaping of cortical tuning by experience and resulted in poor overall frequency tuning in A1. By contrast, BDNF infusion on the developing A1 amplified the effect of 7 kHz tone exposure compared to control. These results indicate that BDNF signaling participates in the experience-dependent plasticity induced by pure tone exposure during the critical period in A1.

"A Very Steep Climb": Therapists' Perspectives on Barriers to Disclosure of Child Sexual Abuse Experiences for Men.

PubMed

Gruenfeld, Elizabeth; Willis, Danny G; Easton, Scott D

2017-01-01

Recent studies indicate that men experience unique barriers to disclosure of child sexual abuse. Blind spots held by mental health providers and social service agencies may inadvertently help produce and sustain these barriers. However, therapists who specialize in treating this population may also hold important insights into the barriers clients face. Because delayed and nondisclosure of child sexual abuse have been associated with negative mental health outcomes for adult survivors, understanding these barriers is critical to improve clinical practice and facilitate help-seeking. Using conventional content analysis, this study examined the perceptions of nine therapists who specialize in the treatment of men who were sexually abused in childhood, many of whom are considered pioneers in the field. Analyses identified nine types of barriers, which were organized into three categories: intrapersonal experience (difficult feelings, lack of language, and self-engagement), social milieu (internalized social stigma, negative responses, social loss or judgment, and masculine identity dissonance), and health care environment (structural barriers, relational challenges with therapists, and unhelpful therapeutic strategies). Implications for future research, clinical training, and clinical practice are discussed.

Assessment of data processing to improve reliability of microarray experiments using genomic DNA reference.

PubMed

Yang, Yunfeng; Zhu, Mengxia; Wu, Liyou; Zhou, Jizhong

2008-09-16

Using genomic DNA as common reference in microarray experiments has recently been tested by different laboratories. Conflicting results have been reported with regard to the reliability of microarray results using this method. To explain it, we hypothesize that data processing is a critical element that impacts the data quality. Microarray experiments were performed in a gamma-proteobacterium Shewanella oneidensis. Pair-wise comparison of three experimental conditions was obtained either with two labeled cDNA samples co-hybridized to the same array, or by employing Shewanella genomic DNA as a standard reference. Various data processing techniques were exploited to reduce the amount of inconsistency between both methods and the results were assessed. We discovered that data quality was significantly improved by imposing the constraint of minimal number of replicates, logarithmic transformation and random error analyses. These findings demonstrate that data processing significantly influences data quality, which provides an explanation for the conflicting evaluation in the literature. This work could serve as a guideline for microarray data analysis using genomic DNA as a standard reference.

State of psychiatry in Italy 35 years after psychiatric reform. A critical appraisal of national and local data.

PubMed

Amaddeo, Francesco; Barbui, Corrado; Tansella, Michele

2012-08-01

Thirty-four years have elapsed since the passing of the Italian Law 180, the reform law that marked the transition from a hospital-based system of care to a model of community psychiatry that was designed to be an alternative to, rather than to complement, the old hospital-centred services. The main principle of Law 180 is that psychiatric patients have the right to be treated the same way as patients with other diseases and only voluntary treatments are allowed, with a few exceptions that are strictly regulated. The main features and consequences of the Italian reform are initially reviewed; national and local level experiences and epidemiological data are then analysed in order to highlight and disentangle the 'active ingredients' of the Italian experience. A public health attitude with the capacity to network good practice in service organization by giving voice to successful experiences and promoting health service research, apart from some local services, is still generally lacking. Furthermore, it is still difficult to provide an evidence-based reply to the question: can à l'Italienne community-care be exported elsewhere?

NASA DOE POD NDE Capabilities Data Book

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Generazio, Edward R.

2015-01-01

This data book contains the Directed Design of Experiments for Validating Probability of Detection (POD) Capability of NDE Systems (DOEPOD) analyses of the nondestructive inspection data presented in the NTIAC, Nondestructive Evaluation (NDE) Capabilities Data Book, 3rd ed., NTIAC DB-97-02. DOEPOD is designed as a decision support system to validate inspection system, personnel, and protocol demonstrating 0.90 POD with 95% confidence at critical flaw sizes, a90/95. The test methodology used in DOEPOD is based on the field of statistical sequential analysis founded by Abraham Wald. Sequential analysis is a method of statistical inference whose characteristic feature is that the number of observations required by the procedure is not determined in advance of the experiment. The decision to terminate the experiment depends, at each stage, on the results of the observations previously made. A merit of the sequential method, as applied to testing statistical hypotheses, is that test procedures can be constructed which require, on average, a substantially smaller number of observations than equally reliable test procedures based on a predetermined number of observations.

Novel nursing terminologies for the rapid response system.

PubMed

Wong, Elizabeth

2009-01-01

Nursing terminology with implications for the rapid response system (RRS) is introduced and proposed: critical incident nursing diagnosis (CIND), defined as the recognition of an acute life-threatening event that occurs as a result of disease, surgery, treatment, or medication; critical incident nursing intervention, defined as any indirect or direct care registered nurse-initiated treatment, based upon clinical judgment and knowledge that a registered nurse performs in response to a CIND; and critical incident control, defined as a response that attempts to reverse a life-threatening condition. The current literature, research studies, meta-analyses from a variety of disciplines, and personal clinical experience serve as the data sources for this article. The current nursing diagnoses, nursing interventions, and nursing outcomes listed in the North American Nursing Diagnosis Association International Classification, Nursing Interventions Classification (NIC), and Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC), respectively, are inaccurate or inadequate for describing nursing care during life-threatening situations. The lack of such standardized nursing terminology creates a barrier that may impede critical communication and patient care during life-threatening situations when activating the RRS. The North American Nursing Diagnosis Association International Classification, NIC, and NOC are urged to refine their classifications and include CIND, critical incident nursing intervention, and critical incident control. The RRS should incorporate standardized nursing terminology to describe patient care during life-threatening situations. Refining the diagnoses, interventions, and outcomes classifications will permit nursing researchers, among others, to conduct studies on the efficacy of the proposed novel nursing terminology when providing care to patients during life-threatening situations. In addition, including the proposed novel nursing terminology in the RRS offers a means of improving care in such situations.

Critical medical humanities: embracing entanglement, taking risks.

PubMed

Viney, William; Callard, Felicity; Woods, Angela

2015-06-01

What can the medical humanities achieve? This paper does not seek to define what is meant by the medical humanities, nor to adjudicate the exact disciplinary or interdisciplinary knowledges it should offer, but rather to consider what it might be capable of doing. Exploring the many valences of the word 'critical', we argue here for a critical medical humanities characterised by: (i) a widening of the sites and scales of 'the medical' beyond the primal scene of the clinical encounter; (ii) greater attention not simply to the context and experience of health and illness, but to their constitution at multiple levels; (iii) closer engagement with critical theory, queer and disability studies, activist politics and other allied fields; (iv) recognition that the arts, humanities and social sciences are best viewed not as in service or in opposition to the clinical and life sciences, but as productively entangled with a 'biomedical culture'; and, following on from this, (v) robust commitment to new forms of interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaboration. We go on to introduce the five other articles published in this special issue of the journal, reflecting on the ways in which collaboration and critique are articulated in their analyses of immunology, critical neuroscience, toxicity, global clinical labour, and psychological coercion and workfare. As these articles demonstrate, embracing the complex role of critical collaborator--one based on notions of entanglement, rather than servility or antagonism--will, we suggest, develop the imaginative and creative heterodox qualities and practices which have long been recognised as core strengths of the medical humanities. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

PROTECTED-UK - Clinical pharmacist interventions in the UK critical care unit: exploration of relationship between intervention, service characteristics and experience level.

PubMed

Rudall, Nicola; McKenzie, Catherine; Landa, June; Bourne, Richard S; Bates, Ian; Shulman, Rob

2017-08-01

Clinical pharmacist (CP) interventions from the PROTECTED-UK cohort, a multi-site critical care interventions study, were further analysed to assess effects of: time on critical care, number of interventions, CP expertise and days of week, on impact of intervention and ultimately contribution to patient care. Intervention data were collected from 21 adult critical care units over 14 days. Interventions could be error, optimisation or consults, and were blind-coded to ensure consistency, prior to bivariate analysis. Pharmacy service demographics were further collated by investigator survey. Of the 20 758 prescriptions reviewed, 3375 interventions were made (intervention rate 16.1%). CPs spent 3.5 h per day (mean, ±SD 1.7) on direct patient care, reviewed 10.3 patients per day (±SD 4.2) and required 22.5 min (±SD 9.5) per review. Intervention rate had a moderate inverse correlation with the time the pharmacist spent on critical care (P = 0.05; r = 0.4). Optimisation rate had a strong inverse association with total number of prescriptions reviewed per day (P = 0.001; r = 0.7). A consultant CP had a moderate inverse correlation with number of errors identified (P = 0.008; r = 0.6). No correlation existed between the presence of electronic prescribing in critical care and any intervention rate. Few centres provided weekend services, although the intervention rate was significantly higher on weekends than weekdays. A CP is essential for safe and optimised patient medication therapy; an extended and developed pharmacy service is expected to reduce errors. CP services should be adequately staffed to enable adequate time for prescription review and maximal therapy optimisation. © 2016 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Buckling Analysis of a Honeycomb-Core Composite Cylinder with Initial Geometric Imperfections

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cha, Gene; Schultz, Marc R.

2013-01-01

Thin-walled cylindrical shell structures often have buckling as the critical failure mode, and the buckling of such structures can be very sensitive to small geometric imperfections. The buckling analyses of an 8-ft-diameter, 10-ft-long honeycomb-core composite cylinder loaded in pure axial compression is discussed in this document. Two loading configurations are considered configuration 1 uses simple end conditions, and configuration 2 includes additional structure that may more closely approximate experimental loading conditions. Linear eigenvalue buckling analyses and nonlinear analyses with and without initial geometric imperfections were performed on both configurations. The initial imperfections were introduced in the shell by applying a radial load at the midlength of the cylinder to form a single inward dimple. The critical bifurcation buckling loads are predicted to be 924,190 lb and 924,020 lb for configurations 1 and 2, respectively. Nonlinear critical buckling loads of 918,750 lb and 954,900 lb were predicted for geometrically perfect configurations 1 and 2, respectively. Lower-bound critical buckling loads for configurations 1 and 2 with radial perturbations were found to be 33% and 36% lower, respectively, than the unperturbed critical loads. The inclusion of the load introduction cylinders in configuration 2 increased the maximum bending-boundary-layer rotation up to 11%.

Classroom Environments That Foster a Disposition for Critical Thinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathews, Samuel R.; Lowe, Katie

2011-01-01

In this article, we examine the disposition for critical thinking (CT) from three perspectives and analyse the underlying constructs of the disposition for CT, such as one's ability, sensitivity and inclination to engage in critical, mindful thought. Environmental factors that enhance or inhibit the development of a generalisable disposition for…

A Critical Analysis of the Conceptualisation of "Coaching Philosophy"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cushion, Christopher; Partington, Mark

2016-01-01

The aim of this paper was to critically review existing literature relating to, and critically analyse current conceptualisations of, "coaching philosophy." The review reveals a bewildering approach to definitions, terms and frameworks that have limited explanation and reveal a lack of conceptual clarity. It is argued that rather than…

Critical Narrative Analysis: The Interplay of Critical Discourse and Narrative Analyses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Souto-Manning, Mariana

2014-01-01

In this article, I question the micro-macro separation in discourse analysis, the separation of personal and institutional discourses. I apply a mostly macroanalytic perspective (critical discourse analysis [CDA]) to inform a predominantly microanalytic perspective (analysis of conversational narratives) and vice versa. In the combination of these…

Attachment Theory in Supervision: A Critical Incident Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pistole, M. Carole; Fitch, Jenelle C.

2008-01-01

Critical incident experiences are a powerful source of counselor development (T. M. Skovholt & P. R. McCarthy, 1988a, 1988b) and are relevant to attachment issues. An attachment theory perspective of supervision is presented and applied to a critical incident case scenario. By focusing on the behavioral systems (i.e., attachment, caregiving, and…

Please Write: Using Critical Friend Letter Writing in Teacher Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samaras, Anastasia P.; Sell, Corey

2013-01-01

This study examines students' experiences using letter writing designed as a socio-cultural-based tool for critical friend work to promote dialogue and critique of their self-study teacher research projects. It seeks to understand their diverse experiences to inform future practice and contribute to the knowledge base of critical friend work in…

Promotion of critical thinking in e-learning: a qualitative study on the experiences of instructors and students

PubMed Central

Gharib, Mitra; Zolfaghari, Mitra; Mojtahedzadeh, Rita; Mohammadi, Aeen; Gharib, Atoosa

2016-01-01

Background With the increasing popularity of e-learning programs, educational stakeholders are attempting to promote critical thinking in the virtual education system. This study aimed to explore the experiences of both the instructors and the students about critical thinking promotion within the virtual education system. Methods This qualitative study recruited the instructors and students from four academic disciplines provided by the Virtual School of Tehran University of Medical Sciences (Tehran, Iran). All programs were master’s degree programs and utilized a blended (combination of e-learning and face to face) training. Semistructured interviews with the participants were used to collect data. Results The participants had a variety of experiences about how to promote critical thinking. These experiences were conceptualized in four main themes, namely, instructional design, educational leadership and management, local evidence, and belief systems. Conclusion The present study clarified the factors affecting critical thinking promotion in e-learning. Not only the instructors but also the educational designers and leaders can benefit from our findings to improve the quality of virtual education programs and promote critical thinking. PMID:27217807

Promotion of critical thinking in e-learning: a qualitative study on the experiences of instructors and students.

PubMed

Gharib, Mitra; Zolfaghari, Mitra; Mojtahedzadeh, Rita; Mohammadi, Aeen; Gharib, Atoosa

2016-01-01

With the increasing popularity of e-learning programs, educational stakeholders are attempting to promote critical thinking in the virtual education system. This study aimed to explore the experiences of both the instructors and the students about critical thinking promotion within the virtual education system. This qualitative study recruited the instructors and students from four academic disciplines provided by the Virtual School of Tehran University of Medical Sciences (Tehran, Iran). All programs were master's degree programs and utilized a blended (combination of e-learning and face to face) training. Semistructured interviews with the participants were used to collect data. The participants had a variety of experiences about how to promote critical thinking. These experiences were conceptualized in four main themes, namely, instructional design, educational leadership and management, local evidence, and belief systems. The present study clarified the factors affecting critical thinking promotion in e-learning. Not only the instructors but also the educational designers and leaders can benefit from our findings to improve the quality of virtual education programs and promote critical thinking.

Narrative inquiry: Locating Aboriginal epistemology in a relational methodology.

PubMed

Barton, Sylvia S

2004-03-01

This methodology utilizes narrative analysis and the elicitation of life stories as understood through dimensions of interaction, continuity, and situation. It is congruent with Aboriginal epistemology formulated by oral narratives through representation, connection, storytelling and art. Needed for culturally competent scholarship is an experience of research whereby inquiry into epiphanies, ritual, routines, metaphors and everyday experience creates a process of reflexive thinking for multiple ways of knowing. Based on the sharing of perspectives, narrative inquiry allows for experimentation into creating new forms of knowledge by contextualizing diabetes from the experience of a researcher overlapped with experiences of participants--a reflective practice in itself. The aim of this paper is to present narrative inquiry as a relational methodology and to analyse critically its appropriateness as an innovative research approach for exploring Aboriginal people's experience living with diabetes. Narrative inquiry represents an alternative culture of research for nursing science to generate understanding and explanation of Aboriginal people's 'diabetic self' stories, and to coax open a window for co-constructing a narrative about diabetes as a chronic illness. The ability to adapt a methodology for use in a cultural context, preserve the perspectives of Aboriginal peoples, maintain the holistic nature of social problems, and value co-participation in respectful ways are strengths of an inquiry partial to a responsive and embodied scholarship.

Experience of sexual violence among women in HIV discordant unions after voluntary HIV counselling and testing

PubMed Central

Emusu, Donath; Ivankova, Nataliya; Jolly, Pauline; Kirby, Russell; Foushee, Herman; Wabwire-Mangen, Fred; Katongole, Drake; Ehiri, John

2009-01-01

HIV-serodiscordant relationships are those in which one partner is infected with HIV while the other is not. We investigated experiences of sexual violence among women in HIV discordant unions attending HIV post-test club services in Uganda. A volunteer sample of 26 women from three AIDS Information Centres in Uganda who reported having experienced sexual violence in a larger epidemiological study were interviewed, using the qualitative critical incident technique. Data were analysed using TEXTPACK, a software application for computer-assisted content analysis. Incidents of sexual violence narrated by the women included use of physical force and verbal threats. Overall, four themes that characterise the women’s experience of sexual violence emerged from the analysis: knowledge of HIV test results, prevalence of sexual violence, vulnerability and proprietary views and reactions to sexual violence. Alcohol abuse by the male partners was an important factor in the experience of sexual violence among the women. Their experiences evoked different reactions and feelings, including concern over the need to have children, fear of infection, desire to separate from their spouses/partners, helplessness, anger and suicidal tendencies. HIV counselling and testing centres should be supported with the capacity to address issues related to sexual violence for couples who are HIV discordant. PMID:20024712

Partners' ambivalence towards cardiac arrest and hypothermia treatment: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Holm, Marianne S; Norekvål, Tone M; Fålun, Nina; Gjengedal, Eva

2012-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the experiences of partners of patients who had cardiac arrest and subsequent hypothermia treatment in an intensive care unit (ICU). Nine in-depth interviews were conducted 5 months to 1 year after hospitalization. The participants were partners of patients who had survived cardiac arrest and had undergone hypothermia treatment without serious brain damage. All the interviews were analysed using Giorgi's phenomenological method. Six main themes emerged from the analysis: (1) terrified by witnessing the cardiac arrest; (2) ambivalence towards the ICU room and the cold body; (3) need for honest and realistic information; (4) anticipating the awakening; (5) social network as support and burden; and (6) the frightening homecoming. The essential structure of the partners' experiences of loved ones' cardiac arrest and hypothermia treatment was characterized by ambivalence; they experienced both fear and relief. There may be a relationship between experiences before entering the ICU and reactions during hypothermia treatment and afterwards. Some partners experienced a feeling of guilt after the resuscitation event, and especially during the awakening phase. After discharge, the partners described feeling anxiety. Nurses play a pivotal role in providing partners with information and in nurturing hope and feelings of security. Partners need to fully understand the reason for hypothermia treatment to enable them to accept the cold body as part of a life-saving process. We recommend follow-up after discharge. This may increase the partners' sense of security and control. © 2012 The Authors. Nursing in Critical Care © 2012 British Association of Critical Care Nurses.

Validation Study for Crediting Chlorine in Criticality Analyses for US Spent Nuclear Fuel Disposition

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

Sobes, Vladimir; Scaglione, John M.; Wagner, John C.

2015-01-01

Spent nuclear fuel (SNF) management practices in the United States rely on dry storage systems that include both canister- and cask-based systems. The United States Department of Energy Used Fuel Disposition Campaign is examining the feasibility of direct disposal of dual-purpose (storage and transportation) canisters (DPCs) in a geological repository. One of the major technical challenges for direct disposal is the ability to demonstrate the subcriticality of the DPCs loaded with SNF for the repository performance period (e.g., 10,000 years or more) as the DPCs may undergo degradation over time. Specifically, groundwater ingress into the DPC (i.e., flooding) could allowmore » the system to achieve criticality in scenarios where the neutron absorber plates in the DPC basket have degraded. However, as was shown by Banerjee et al., some aqueous species in the groundwater provide noticeable reactivity reduction for these systems. For certain amounts of particular aqueous species (e.g., chlorine, lithium) in the groundwater, subcriticality can be demonstrated even for DPCs with complete degradation of the neutron absorber plates or a degraded fuel basket configuration. It has been demonstrated that chlorine is the leading impurity, as indicated by significant neutron absorption in the water that is available in reasonable quantities for the deep geological repository media under consideration. This paper presents the results of an investigation of the available integral experiments worldwide that could be used to validate DPC disposal criticality evaluations, including credit for chlorine. Due to the small number of applicable critical configurations, validation through traditional trending analysis was not possible. The bias in the eigenvalue of the application systems due only to the chlorine was calculated using TSURFER analysis and found to be on the order of 100 percent mille (1 pcm = 10 -5 k eff). This study investigated the design of a series of critical configurations with varying amounts of chlorine to address validation gaps. Such integral experiments would support the crediting of the chlorine neutron-absorption properties in groundwater and the demonstration of subcriticality for DPCs in deep geologic repositories with sufficient chlorine availability.« less

Flow topology of rare back flow events and critical points in turbulent channels and toroidal pipes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chin, C.; Vinuesa, R.; Örlü, R.; Cardesa, J. I.; Noorani, A.; Schlatter, P.; Chong, M. S.

2018-04-01

A study of the back flow events and critical points in the flow through a toroidal pipe at friction Reynolds number Re τ ≈ 650 is performed and compared with the results in a turbulent channel flow at Re τ ≈ 934. The statistics and topological properties of the back flow events are analysed and discussed. Conditionally-averaged flow fields in the vicinity of the back flow event are obtained, and the results for the torus show a similar streamwise wall-shear stress topology which varies considerably for the spanwise wall-shear stress when compared to the channel flow. The comparison between the toroidal pipe and channel flows also shows fewer back flow events and critical points in the torus. This cannot be solely attributed to differences in Reynolds number, but is a clear effect of the secondary flow present in the toroidal pipe. A possible mechanism is the effect of the secondary flow present in the torus, which convects momentum from the inner to the outer bend through the core of the pipe, and back from the outer to the inner bend through the pipe walls. In the region around the critical points, the skin-friction streamlines and vorticity lines exhibit similar flow characteristics with a node and saddle pair for both flows. These results indicate that back flow events and critical points are genuine features of wall-bounded turbulence, and are not artifacts of specific boundary or inflow conditions in simulations and/or measurement uncertainties in experiments.

Critical medical humanities: embracing entanglement, taking risks

PubMed Central

Viney, William; Callard, Felicity; Woods, Angela

2015-01-01

What can the medical humanities achieve? This paper does not seek to define what is meant by the medical humanities, nor to adjudicate the exact disciplinary or interdisciplinary knowledges it should offer, but rather to consider what it might be capable of doing. Exploring the many valences of the word ‘critical’, we argue here for a critical medical humanities characterised by: (i) a widening of the sites and scales of ‘the medical’ beyond the primal scene of the clinical encounter; (ii) greater attention not simply to the context and experience of health and illness, but to their constitution at multiple levels; (iii) closer engagement with critical theory, queer and disability studies, activist politics and other allied fields; (iv) recognition that the arts, humanities and social sciences are best viewed not as in service or in opposition to the clinical and life sciences, but as productively entangled with a ‘biomedical culture’; and, following on from this, (v) robust commitment to new forms of interdisciplinary and cross-sector collaboration. We go on to introduce the five other articles published in this special issue of the journal, reflecting on the ways in which collaboration and critique are articulated in their analyses of immunology, critical neuroscience, toxicity, global clinical labour, and psychological coercion and workfare. As these articles demonstrate, embracing the complex role of critical collaborator—one based on notions of entanglement, rather than servility or antagonism—will, we suggest, develop the imaginative and creative heterodox qualities and practices which have long been recognised as core strengths of the medical humanities. PMID:26052111

The Critical Mass Laboratory at Rocky Flats

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

Rothe, Robert E

2003-10-15

The Critical Mass Laboratory (CML) at Rocky Flats northwest of Denver, Colorado, was built in 1964 and commissioned to conduct nuclear experiments on January 28, 1965. It was built to attain more accurate and precise experimental data to ensure nuclear criticality safety at the plant than were previously possible. Prior to its construction, safety data were obtained from long extrapolations of subcritical data (called in situ experiments), calculated parameters from reactor engineering 'models', and a few other imprecise methods. About 1700 critical and critical-approach experiments involving several chemical forms of enriched uranium and plutonium were performed between then and 1988.more » These experiments included single units and arrays of fissile materials, reflected and 'bare' systems, and configurations with various degrees of moderation, as well as some containing strong neutron absorbers. In 1989, a raid by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) caused the plant as a whole to focus on 'resumption' instead of further criticality safety experiments. Though either not recognized or not admitted for a few years, that FBI raid did sound the death knell for the CML. The plant's optimistic goal of resumption evolved to one of deactivation, decommissioning, and plantwide demolition during the 1990s. The once-proud CML facility was finally demolished in April of 2002.« less

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

Hopper, Calvin Mitchell

In May 1973 the University of New Mexico conducted the first nationwide criticality safety training and education week-long short course for nuclear criticality safety engineers. Subsequent to that course, the Los Alamos Critical Experiments Facility (LACEF) developed very successful 'hands-on' subcritical and critical training programs for operators, supervisors, and engineering staff. Since the inception of the US Department of Energy (DOE) Nuclear Criticality Technology and Safety Project (NCT&SP) in 1983, the DOE has stimulated contractor facilities and laboratories to collaborate in the furthering of nuclear criticality as a discipline. That effort included the education and training of nuclear criticality safetymore » engineers (NCSEs). In 1985 a textbook was written that established a path toward formalizing education and training for NCSEs. Though the NCT&SP went through a brief hiatus from 1990 to 1992, other DOE-supported programs were evolving to the benefit of NCSE training and education. In 1993 the DOE established a Nuclear Criticality Safety Program (NCSP) and undertook a comprehensive development effort to expand the extant LACEF 'hands-on' course specifically for the education and training of NCSEs. That successful education and training was interrupted in 2006 for the closing of the LACEF and the accompanying movement of materials and critical experiment machines to the Nevada Test Site. Prior to that closing, the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) was commissioned by the US DOE NCSP to establish an independent hands-on NCSE subcritical education and training course. The course provided an interim transition for the establishment of a reinvigorated and expanded two-week NCSE education and training program in 2011. The 2011 piloted two-week course was coordinated by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and jointly conducted by the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) classroom education and facility training, the Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) hands-on criticality experiments training, and the US DOE National Criticality Experiment Research Center (NCERC) hands-on criticality experiments training that is jointly supported by LLNL and LANL and located at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS) This paper provides the description of the bases, content, and conduct of the piloted, and future US DOE NCSP Criticality Safety Engineer Training and Education Project.« less

A Critical Analysis of Bloom's Taxonomy in Teaching Creative and Critical Thinking Skills in Malaysia through English Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rahman, Shukran Abdul; Manaf, Nor Faridah Abdul

2017-01-01

Purpose: The study aims to (1) review the literature that analyses the relevance of Bloom's Taxonomy of Educational Objectives in the teaching of creative and critical thinking among students in Malaysia, and (2) identify missing aspects in Bloom's Taxonomy vis a vis the indigenous context, important to promote creative and critical thinking among…

Nurses' role transition from the clinical ward environment to the critical care environment.

PubMed

Gohery, Patricia; Meaney, Teresa

2013-12-01

To explore the experiences of nurses moving from the ward environment to the critical care environment. Critical care areas are employing nurses with no critical care experience due to staff shortage. There is a paucity of literature focusing on the experiences of nurses moving from the ward environment to the critical care environment. A Heideggerian phenomenology research approach was used in this study. In-depth semi structured interviews, supported with an interview guide, were conducted with nine critical care nurses. Data analysis was guided by Van Manen (1990) approach to phenomenological analysis. Four main themes emerged: The highs and lows, you need support, theory-practice gap, struggling with fear. The participants felt ill prepared and inexperienced to work within the stressful and technical environment of critical care due to insufficient education and support. The study findings indicated that a variety of feelings and emotions are experienced by ward nurses who move into the stressful and technical environment of critical care due to insufficient skills and knowledge. More education and support is required to improve this transition process. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hospital care following emergency admission: a critical incident case study of the experiences of patients with advanced lung cancer and Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.

PubMed

Bailey, Cara; Hewison, Alistair; Karasouli, Eleni; Staniszewska, Sophie; Munday, Daniel

2016-08-01

To explore the experiences of patients with advanced Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) and lung cancer, their carers and healthcare professionals following emergency admission to acute care hospital. Emergency admissions of people with lung cancer and COPD have increased and there is global concern about the number of patients who die in hospital. The experience of patients with advanced lung cancer and COPD admitted to hospital as an emergency when nearing the end of life has not previously been investigated. Qualitative critical incident case study. Semistructured interviews were conducted with 39 patients (15 with COPD and 24 with lung cancer), 20 informal carers and 50 healthcare professionals, exploring patients' experiences of emergency hospital admission. Interviews took place after admission and following discharge. Participants nominated relatives and healthcare professionals for interview. Data were analysed thematically. Patients were satisfied with their 'emergency' care but not the care they received once their initial symptoms had been stabilised. The poorer quality care they experienced was characterised by a lack of attention to their fundamental needs, lack of involvement of the family, poor communication about care plans and a lack of continuity between primary and secondary care. A conceptual model of 'spectacular' and 'subtacular' trajectories of care was used to relate the findings to the wider context of health care provision. The complex nature of illness for patients with advanced respiratory disease makes emergency hospital admissions likely. Whilst patients (with COPD and lung cancer) were satisfied with care in the acute 'spectacular' phase of their admission, more attention needs to be given to the continuing care needs of patients in the 'subtacular' phase. This is the first study to explore the patient experience of acute care following an emergency admission and identifies where there is potential for care to be improved. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Simulated and Virtual Science Laboratory Experiments: Improving Critical Thinking and Higher-Order Learning Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simon, Nicole A.

2013-01-01

Virtual laboratory experiments using interactive computer simulations are not being employed as viable alternatives to laboratory science curriculum at extensive enough rates within higher education. Rote traditional lab experiments are currently the norm and are not addressing inquiry, Critical Thinking, and cognition throughout the laboratory…

Challenging the addiction/health binary with assemblage thinking: An analysis of consumer accounts.

PubMed

Moore, David; Pienaar, Kiran; Dilkes-Frayne, Ella; Fraser, Suzanne

2017-06-01

Critical analyses of drug use and 'addiction' have identified a series of binary oppositions between addiction and free will, independence, self-control, responsibility, productivity and autonomy. This critical work has also examined how science, policy and popular discourses frequently characterise addiction as antithetical to health and well-being. Furthermore, those diagnosed with addiction are often understood as indifferent to health and well-being, or as lacking the knowledge or desire required to maintain them. In this article, we draw on data from 60 qualitative interviews with people who self-identify as living with an 'addiction', 'dependence' or 'habit', to argue that the binary opposition between addiction and health struggles to attend to their rich and varied health perspectives and experiences. We explore three themes in the interview data: reinscribing the binary opposition between addiction and health/well-being; strategies for maintaining health and well-being alongside addiction; and alcohol and other drug consumption as aiding health and well-being. Perhaps because addiction and health have been so thoroughly understood as antithetical, such perspectives and experiences have received surprisingly little research and policy attention. Yet they offer fertile ground for rethinking the strengths and capacities of those who self-identity as living with an addiction, dependence or habit, as well as untapped resources for responding to the harm sometimes associated with alcohol and other drug use. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Planning the Unplanned Experiment: Assessing the Efficacy of Standards for Safety Critical Software

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graydon, Patrick J.; Holloway, C. Michael

2015-01-01

We need well-founded means of determining whether software is t for use in safety-critical applications. While software in industries such as aviation has an excellent safety record, the fact that software aws have contributed to deaths illustrates the need for justi ably high con dence in software. It is often argued that software is t for safety-critical use because it conforms to a standard for software in safety-critical systems. But little is known about whether such standards `work.' Reliance upon a standard without knowing whether it works is an experiment; without collecting data to assess the standard, this experiment is unplanned. This paper reports on a workshop intended to explore how standards could practicably be assessed. Planning the Unplanned Experiment: Assessing the Ecacy of Standards for Safety Critical Software (AESSCS) was held on 13 May 2014 in conjunction with the European Dependable Computing Conference (EDCC). We summarize and elaborate on the workshop's discussion of the topic, including both the presented positions and the dialogue that ensued.

The physiological and emotional effects of touch: Assessing a hand-massage intervention with high self-critics.

PubMed

Maratos, Frances A; Duarte, Joana; Barnes, Christopher; McEwan, Kirsten; Sheffield, David; Gilbert, Paul

2017-04-01

Research demonstrates that highly self-critical individuals can respond negatively to the initial introduction of a range of therapeutic interventions. Yet touch as a form of therapeutic intervention in self-critical individuals has received limited prior investigation, despite documentation of its beneficial effects for well-being. Using the Forms of Self-Criticism/Self-Reassuring Scale, 15 high- and 14 low- self-critical individuals (from a sample of 139 females) were recruited to assess how self-criticism impacts upon a single instance of focused touch. All participants took part in a hand massage- and haptic control- intervention. Salivary cortisol and alpha amylase, as well as questionnaire measures of emotional responding were taken before and after the interventions. Following hand massage, analyses revealed cortisol decreased significantly across all participants; and that significant changes in emotional responding reflected well-being improvements across all participants. Supplementary analyses further revealed decreased alpha amylase responding to hand massage as compared to a compassion-focused intervention in the same (highly self-critical) individuals. Taken together, the physiological and emotional data indicate high self-critical individuals responded in a comparable manner to low self-critical individuals to a single instance of hand massage. This highlights that focused touch may be beneficial when first engaging highly self-critical individuals with specific interventions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Knowledge Retention after an Online Tutorial: A Randomized Educational Experiment among Resident Physicians

PubMed Central

Harless, Charles E.; Higa, Jerilyn K.; Bjork, Elizabeth L.; Bjork, Robert A.; Bazargan, Mohsen; Mangione, Carol M.

2008-01-01

BACKGROUND The time course of physicians’ knowledge retention after learning activities has not been well characterized. Understanding the time course of retention is critical to optimizing the reinforcement of knowledge. DESIGN Educational follow-up experiment with knowledge retention measured at 1 of 6 randomly assigned time intervals (0–55 days) after an online tutorial covering 2 American Diabetes Association guidelines. PARTICIPANTS Internal and family medicine residents. MEASUREMENTS Multiple-choice knowledge tests, subject characteristics including critical appraisal skills, and learner satisfaction. RESULTS Of 197 residents invited, 91 (46%) completed the tutorial and were randomized; of these, 87 (96%) provided complete follow-up data. Ninety-two percent of the subjects rated the tutorial as “very good” or “excellent.” Mean knowledge scores increased from 50% before the tutorial to 76% among those tested immediately afterward. Score gains were only half as great at 3–8 days and no significant retention was measurable at 55 days. The shape of the retention curve corresponded with a 1/4-power transformation of the delay interval. In multivariate analyses, critical appraisal skills and participant age were associated with greater initial learning, but no participant characteristic significantly modified the rate of decline in retention. CONCLUSIONS Education that appears successful from immediate posttests and learner evaluations can result in knowledge that is mostly lost to recall over the ensuing days and weeks. To achieve longer-term retention, physicians should review or otherwise reinforce new learning after as little as 1 week. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s11606-008-0604-2) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. PMID:18446414

The metaphor of experience and the experience of metaphor: critical reflection on a contemplative process toward aliveness and compassion.

PubMed

Kuchan, Karen L

2009-01-01

An epistemological web invites critical reflection and the possibility of new ideas emerging in the space between experience and different ways of thinking. A web offers a postmodern method of a hermeneutic of experience and a way of knowing that creates space for a robust, flexible, dynamic process of critical reflection and discovery. The following article utilizes an inter-textual epistemological web (see Figure 1, p. 4) to answer the question, "Do metaphors of experience and experiences of metaphor during contemplative healing prayer with a spiritual director nurture a transformational process toward aliveness and compassion?" How can one discover and communicate this reality in dialog with Hebrew scripture, psychoanalytic theory, affective neuroscience and ways of thinking about contemplative transformation?

Critical Thinking and Its Relationship to Motivation, Learning Strategies, and Classroom Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia, Teresa; Pintrich, Paul R.

Critical thinking has important implications for classic learning issues such as transfer of knowledge and application of problem-solving skills to novel situations. The goal of this study was to identify some of the important correlates of critical thinking, in terms of motivation, use of cognitive learning strategies, and classroom experiences.…

Laboratory Layered Latte

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Nan; Khodaparast, Sepideh; Zhu, Lailai; Nunes, Janine; Kim, Hyoungsoo; Stone, Howard

2017-11-01

Layered composite fluids are sometimes observed in confined systems of rather chaotic initial states, for example, layered lattes formed by pouring espresso into a glass of warm milk. In such configurations, pouring forces a lower density liquid (espresso) into a higher density ambient, which is similar to the fountain effects that characterize a wide range of flows driven by injecting a fluid into a second miscible phase. Although the initial state of the mixture is complex and chaotic, there are conditions where the mixture cools at room temperature and exhibits an organized layered pattern. Here we report controlled experiments injecting a fluid into a miscible phase and show that, above a critical injection velocity, layering naturally emerges over the time scale of minutes. We perform experimental and numerical analyses of the time-dependent flows to observe and understand the convective circulation in the layers. We identify critical conditions to produce the layering and relate the results quantitatively to the critical Rayleigh number in double-diffusive convection, which indicates the competition between the horizontal thermal gradient and the vertical density gradient generated by the fluid injection. Based on this understanding, we show how to employ this single-step process to produce layered structures in soft materials, where the local elastic properties as well as the local material concentration vary step-wise along the length of the material.

Intensive care nurses' knowledge of enteral nutrition: A descriptive questionnaire.

PubMed

Morphet, Julia; Clarke, Angelique B; Bloomer, Melissa J

2016-12-01

Nurses have an important role in the delivery and management of enteral nutrition in critically ill patients, to prevent iatrogenic malnutrition. It is not clear how nurses source enteral nutrition information. This study aimed to explore Australian nurses' enteral nutrition knowledge and sources of information. Data were collected from members of the Australian College of Critical Care Nurses in May 2014 using an online questionnaire. A combination of descriptive statistics and non-parametric analyses were undertaken to evaluate quantitative data. Content analysis was used to evaluate qualitative data. 359 responses were included in data analysis. All respondents were Registered Nurses with experience working in an Australian intensive care unit or high dependency unit. Most respondents reported their enteral nutrition knowledge was good (n=205, 60.1%) or excellent (n=35, 10.3%), but many lacked knowledge regarding the effect of malnutrition on patient outcomes. Dietitians and hospital protocols were the most valuable sources of enteral nutrition information, but were not consistently utilised. Significant knowledge deficits in relation to enteral nutrition were identified. Dietitians were the preferred source of nurses' enteral nutrition information, however their limited availability impacted their efficacy as an information resource. Educational opportunities for nurses need to be improved to enable appropriate nutritional care in critically ill patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme UBE2O regulates cellular clock function by promoting the degradation of the transcription factor BMAL1.

PubMed

Chen, Suping; Yang, Jing; Zhang, Yang; Duan, Chunyan; Liu, Qing; Huang, Zhengyun; Xu, Ying; Zhou, Liang; Xu, Guoqiang

2018-06-05

Dysregulation of the circadian rhythm is associated with many diseases, including diabetes, obesity, and cancer. Aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator-like protein 1 (Arntl or Bmal1) is the only clock gene whose loss disrupts circadian locomotor behavior in constant darkness. BMAL1 levels are affected by proteasomal inhibition and by several enzymes in the ubiquitin-proteasome system, but the exact molecular mechanism remains unclear. Here, using immunoprecipitation and MS analyses, we discovered an interaction between BMAL1 and ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2 O (UBE2O), an E3-independent, E2-ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme (i.e. hybrid E2/E3 enzyme). Biochemical experiments with cell lines and animal tissues validated this specific interaction and uncovered that UBE2O expression reduces BMAL1 levels by promoting its ubiquitination and degradation. Moreover, UBE2O expression and UBE2O knockdown diminished and increased, respectively, BMAL1-mediated transcriptional activity, but did not affect BMAL1 gene expression. Bioluminescence experiments disclosed that UBE2O knockdown elevates the amplitude of the circadian clock in human osteosarcoma U2OS cells. Furthermore, mapping of the BMAL1-interacting domain in UBE2O and analyses of BMAL1 stability and ubiquitination revealed that the conserved region 2 (CR2) in UBE2O significantly enhances BMAL1 ubiquitination and decreases BMAL1 protein levels. A Cys-to-Ser substitution in the CR2 domain identified the critical Cys residue responsible for BMAL1 ubiquitination mediated by the CR2 domain in UBE2O. This work identifies UBE2O as a critical regulator in the ubiquitin-proteasome system, which modulates BMAL1 transcriptional activity and circadian function by promoting BMAL1 ubiquitination and degradation under normal physiological conditions. Published under license by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Critical Thinking, Executive Functions and Their Potential Relationship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lizarraga, Maria Luisa Sanz de Acedo; Baquedano, Maria Teresa Sanz de Acedo; Villanueva, Oscar Ardaiz

2012-01-01

The central issue of this paper is to review the possible relationships between the constructs of critical thinking and executive functions. To do this, we first analyse the essential components of critical thinking from a psychological and neurological point of view. Second, we examine the scope of the cognitive and neurological nature of…

Noticing Critical Incidents in a Mathematics Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choy, Ban Heng

2014-01-01

What teachers attend to, how they make sense of, and respond to critical incidents in the classroom are important for improving teaching. However, seeing and understanding important features of critical incidents can be difficult. In this paper, I propose a notion of productive noticing, which I used to analyse a case study of what teachers…

The Intellectual Landscape of Critical Policy Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diem, Sarah; Young, Michelle D.; Welton, Anjalé D.; Mansfield, Katherine Cumings; Lee, Pei-Ling

2014-01-01

What counts as critical policy analysis in education? Over the past 30 years, a tightening of national educational policies can be seen in the USA and across the globe. Over this same period of time, a growing number of educational policy scholars, dissatisfied with traditional frameworks, have used critical frameworks in their analyses. Their…

Critiquing Un/Critical Pedagogies to Move toward a Pedagogy of Responsibility in Teacher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berchini, Christina N.

2017-01-01

Transformative work with teacher candidates relies on a critique of the tenets of Critical Pedagogy and subsequent Critical Whiteness Studies (CWS). I employ analyses of extant scholarship to argue that these specific domains, as popularly framed, might be responsible for uncritical examinations of the White teacher education students who…

Milgram's Obedience Study: A Contentious Classic Reinterpreted

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griggs, Richard A.

2017-01-01

Given the many older criticisms of Milgram's obedience study and the more damning recent criticisms based on analyses of materials available in the Milgram archives at Yale, this study has become a contentious classic. Yet, current social psychology textbooks present it as an uncontentious classic, with no coverage of the recent criticisms and…

Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA): Analysis of the Orbiter Experiment (OEX) subsystem

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Compton, J. M.

1987-01-01

The results of the Independent Orbiter Assessment (IOA) of the Failure Modes and Effects Analysis (FMEA) and Critical Items List (CIL) are presented. The IOA approach features a top-down analysis of the hardware to determine failure modes, criticality, and potential critical items. To preserve independence, this analysis was accomplished without reliance upon the results contained within the NASA FMEA/CIL documentation. This report documents the independent analysis results corresponding to the Orbiter Experiments hardware. Each level of hardware was evaluated and analyzed for possible failure modes and effects. Criticality was assigned based upon the severity of the effect for each failure mode. The Orbiter Experiments (OEX) Program consists of a multiple set of experiments for the purpose of gathering environmental and aerodynamic data to develop more accurate ground models for Shuttle performance and to facilitate the design of future spacecraft. This assessment only addresses currently manifested experiments and their support systems. Specifically this list consists of: Shuttle Entry Air Data System (SEADS); Shuttle Upper Atmosphere Mass Spectrometer (SUMS); Forward Fuselage Support System for OEX (FFSSO); Shuttle Infrared Laced Temperature Sensor (SILTS); Aerodynamic Coefficient Identification Package (ACIP); and Support System for OEX (SSO). There are only two potential critical items for the OEX, since the experiments only gather data for analysis post mission and are totally independent systems except for power. Failure of any experiment component usually only causes a loss of experiment data and in no way jeopardizes the crew or mission.

Modelling the graphite fracture mechanisms

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

Jacquemoud, C.; Marie, S.; Nedelec, M.

2012-07-01

In order to define a design criterion for graphite components, it is important to identify the physical phenomena responsible for the graphite fracture, to include them in a more effective modelling. In a first step, a large panel of experiments have been realised in order to build up an important database; results of tensile tests, 3 and 4 point bending tests on smooth and notched specimens have been analysed and have demonstrated an important geometry related effects on the behavior up to fracture. Then, first simulations with an elastic or an elastoplastic bilinear constitutive law have not made it possiblemore » to simulate the experimental fracture stress variations with the specimen geometry, the fracture mechanisms of the graphite being at the microstructural scale. That is the reason why a specific F.E. model of the graphite structure has been developed in which every graphite grain has been meshed independently, the crack initiation along the basal plane of the particles as well as the crack propagation and coalescence have been modelled too. This specific model has been used to test two different approaches for fracture initiation: a critical stress criterion and two criteria of fracture mechanic type. They are all based on crystallographic considerations as a global critical stress criterion gave unsatisfactory results. The criteria of fracture mechanic type being extremely unstable and unable to represent the graphite global behaviour up to the final collapse, the critical stress criterion has been preferred to predict the results of the large range of available experiments, on both smooth and notched specimens. In so doing, the experimental observations have been correctly simulated: the geometry related effects on the experimental fracture stress dispersion, the specimen volume effects on the macroscopic fracture stress and the crack propagation at a constant stress intensity factor. In addition, the parameters of the criterion have been related to experimental observations: the local crack initiation stress of 8 MPa corresponds to the non-linearity apparition on the global behavior observed experimentally and the the maximal critical stress defined for the particle of 30 MPa is equivalent to the fracture stress of notched specimens. This innovative combination of crack modelling and a local crystallographic critical stress criterion made it possible to understand that cleavage initiation and propagation in the graphite microstructure was driven by a mean critical stress criterion. (authors)« less

Understanding the patient experience of health care-associated infection: A qualitative systematic review.

PubMed

Currie, Kay; Melone, Lynn; Stewart, Sally; King, Caroline; Holopainen, Arja; Clark, Alex M; Reilly, Jacqui

2018-01-30

The global burden of health care-associated infection (HAI) is well recognized; what is less well known is the impact HAI has on patients. To develop acceptable, effective interventions, greater understanding of patients' experience of HAI is needed. This qualitative systematic review sought to explore adult patients' experiences of common HAIs. Five databases were searched. Search terms were combined for qualitative research, HAI terms, and patient experience. Study selection was conducted by 2 researchers using prespecified criteria. Critical Appraisal Skills Programme quality appraisal tools were used. Internationally recognized Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines were applied. The Noblit and Hare (1988) approach to meta-synthesis was adopted. Seventeen studies (2001-2017) from 5 countries addressing 5 common types of HAI met the inclusion criteria. Four interrelated themes emerged: the continuum of physical and emotional responses, experiencing the response of health care professionals, adapting to life with an HAI, and the complex cultural context of HAI. The impact of different HAIs may vary; however, there are many similarities in the experience recounted by patients. The biosociocultural context of contagion was graphically expressed, with potential impact on social relationships and professional interactions highlighted. Further research to investigate contemporary patient experience in an era of antimicrobial resistance is warranted. Copyright © 2017 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

CRITICAL TESTS FOR PRT REACTOR

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

Triplett, J.R.; Anderson, J.K.; Dunn, R.E.

1960-07-01

Critical teste to be performed on the Plutonium Recycle Te st Heactor are described. Exponential, approach-tocritical, critical, and substitution experiments will be carried out. These experiments include: calibration of moderator level; determination of the wori of various fuel loadings; calibration of the shim system including determination of maximum control strength of the entire system; substitution experiments to determine reflector savings, void effects, effects of H/sub 2/O and degraded D/sub 2/O coolants, and effects of loop and other material intsllations; determination of fuel-plus-coolant and moderator temperature coefficients; and kinetic experiments to determine response of the reactor to reactivity changes. (M.C.G.)

Evaluation of B&W UO2/ThO2 VIII experimental core: criticality and thermal disadvantage factor analysis

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

Carlo Parisi; Emanuele Negrenti

2017-02-01

In the framework of the OECD/NEA International Reactor Physics Experiment (IRPHE) Project, an evaluation of core VIII of the Babcock & Wilcox (B&W) Spectral Shift Control Reactor (SSCR) critical experiment program was performed. The SSCR concept, moderated and cooled by a variable mixture of heavy and light water, envisaged changing of the thermal neutron spectrum during the operation to encourage breeding and to sustain the core criticality. Core VIII contained 2188 fuel rods with 93% enriched UO2-ThO2 fuel in a moderator mixture of heavy and light water. The criticality experiment and measurements of the thermal disadvantage factor were evaluated.

Simulation experience enhances physical therapist student confidence in managing a patient in the critical care environment.

PubMed

Ohtake, Patricia J; Lazarus, Marcilene; Schillo, Rebecca; Rosen, Michael

2013-02-01

Rehabilitation of patients in critical care environments improves functional outcomes. This finding has led to increased implementation of intensive care unit (ICU) rehabilitation programs, including early mobility, and an associated increased demand for physical therapists practicing in ICUs. Unfortunately, many physical therapists report being inadequately prepared to work in this high-risk environment. Simulation provides focused, deliberate practice in safe, controlled learning environments and may be a method to initiate academic preparation of physical therapists for ICU practice. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of participation in simulation-based management of a patient with critical illness in an ICU setting on levels of confidence and satisfaction in physical therapist students. A one-group, pretest-posttest, quasi-experimental design was used. Physical therapist students (N=43) participated in a critical care simulation experience requiring technical (assessing bed mobility and pulmonary status), behavioral (patient and interprofessional communication), and cognitive (recognizing a patient status change and initiating appropriate responses) skill performance. Student confidence and satisfaction were surveyed before and after the simulation experience. Students' confidence in their technical, behavioral, and cognitive skill performance increased from "somewhat confident" to "confident" following the critical care simulation experience. Student satisfaction was highly positive, with strong agreement the simulation experience was valuable, reinforced course content, and was a useful educational tool. Limitations of the study were the small sample from one university and a control group was not included. Incorporating a simulated, interprofessional critical care experience into a required clinical course improved physical therapist student confidence in technical, behavioral, and cognitive performance measures and was associated with high student satisfaction. Using simulation, students were introduced to the critical care environment, which may increase interest in working in this practice area.

Altered Brain Activity in Unipolar Depression Revisited: Meta-analyses of Neuroimaging Studies.

PubMed

Müller, Veronika I; Cieslik, Edna C; Serbanescu, Ilinca; Laird, Angela R; Fox, Peter T; Eickhoff, Simon B

2017-01-01

During the past 20 years, numerous neuroimaging experiments have investigated aberrant brain activation during cognitive and emotional processing in patients with unipolar depression (UD). The results of those investigations, however, vary considerably; moreover, previous meta-analyses also yielded inconsistent findings. To readdress aberrant brain activation in UD as evidenced by neuroimaging experiments on cognitive and/or emotional processing. Neuroimaging experiments published from January 1, 1997, to October 1, 2015, were identified by a literature search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar using different combinations of the terms fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging), PET (positron emission tomography), neural, major depression, depression, major depressive disorder, unipolar depression, dysthymia, emotion, emotional, affective, cognitive, task, memory, working memory, inhibition, control, n-back, and Stroop. Neuroimaging experiments (using fMRI or PET) reporting whole-brain results of group comparisons between adults with UD and healthy control individuals as coordinates in a standard anatomic reference space and using an emotional or/and cognitive challenging task were selected. Coordinates reported to show significant activation differences between UD and healthy controls during emotional or cognitive processing were extracted. By using the revised activation likelihood estimation algorithm, different meta-analyses were calculated. Meta-analyses tested for brain regions consistently found to show aberrant brain activation in UD compared with controls. Analyses were calculated across all emotional processing experiments, all cognitive processing experiments, positive emotion processing, negative emotion processing, experiments using emotional face stimuli, experiments with a sex discrimination task, and memory processing. All meta-analyses were calculated across experiments independent of reporting an increase or decrease of activity in major depressive disorder. For meta-analyses with a minimum of 17 experiments available, separate analyses were performed for increases and decreases. In total, 57 studies with 99 individual neuroimaging experiments comprising in total 1058 patients were included; 34 of them tested cognitive and 65 emotional processing. Overall analyses across cognitive processing experiments (P > .29) and across emotional processing experiments (P > .47) revealed no significant results. Similarly, no convergence was found in analyses investigating positive (all P > .15), negative (all P > .76), or memory (all P > .48) processes. Analyses that restricted inclusion of confounds (eg, medication, comorbidity, age) did not change the results. Inconsistencies exist across individual experiments investigating aberrant brain activity in UD and replication problems across previous neuroimaging meta-analyses. For individual experiments, these inconsistencies may relate to use of uncorrected inference procedures, differences in experimental design and contrasts, or heterogeneous clinical populations; meta-analytically, differences may be attributable to varying inclusion and exclusion criteria or rather liberal statistical inference approaches.

Altered Brain Activity in Unipolar Depression Revisited Meta-analyses of Neuroimaging Studies

PubMed Central

Müller, Veronika I.; Cieslik, Edna C.; Serbanescu, Ilinca; Laird, Angela R.; Fox, Peter T.; Eickhoff, Simon B.

2017-01-01

IMPORTANCE During the past 20 years, numerous neuroimaging experiments have investigated aberrant brain activation during cognitive and emotional processing in patients with unipolar depression (UD). The results of those investigations, however, vary considerably; moreover, previous meta-analyses also yielded inconsistent findings. OBJECTIVE To readdress aberrant brain activation in UD as evidenced by neuroimaging experiments on cognitive and/or emotional processing. DATA SOURCES Neuroimaging experiments published from January 1, 1997, to October 1, 2015, were identified by a literature search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar using different combinations of the terms fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging), PET (positron emission tomography), neural, major depression, depression, major depressive disorder, unipolar depression, dysthymia, emotion, emotional, affective, cognitive, task, memory, working memory, inhibition, control, n-back, and Stroop. STUDY SELECTION Neuroimaging experiments (using fMRI or PET) reporting whole-brain results of group comparisons between adults with UD and healthy control individuals as coordinates in a standard anatomic reference space and using an emotional or/and cognitive challenging task were selected. DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS Coordinates reported to show significant activation differences between UD and healthy controls during emotional or cognitive processing were extracted. By using the revised activation likelihood estimation algorithm, different meta-analyses were calculated. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES Meta-analyses tested for brain regions consistently found to show aberrant brain activation in UD compared with controls. Analyses were calculated across all emotional processing experiments, all cognitive processing experiments, positive emotion processing, negative emotion processing, experiments using emotional face stimuli, experiments with a sex discrimination task, and memory processing. All meta-analyses were calculated across experiments independent of reporting an increase or decrease of activity in major depressive disorder. For meta-analyses with a minimum of 17 experiments available, separate analyses were performed for increases and decreases. RESULTS In total, 57 studies with 99 individual neuroimaging experiments comprising in total 1058 patients were included; 34 of them tested cognitive and 65 emotional processing. Overall analyses across cognitive processing experiments (P > .29) and across emotional processing experiments (P > .47) revealed no significant results. Similarly, no convergence was found in analyses investigating positive (all P > .15), negative (all P > .76), or memory (all P > .48) processes. Analyses that restricted inclusion of confounds (eg, medication, comorbidity, age) did not change the results. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE Inconsistencies exist across individual experiments investigating aberrant brain activity in UD and replication problems across previous neuroimaging meta-analyses. For individual experiments, these inconsistencies may relate to use of uncorrected inference procedures, differences in experimental design and contrasts, or heterogeneous clinical populations; meta-analytically, differences may be attributable to varying inclusion and exclusion criteria or rather liberal statistical inference approaches. PMID:27829086

Analytical performance of reciprocal isotope labeling of proteome digests for quantitative proteomics and its application for comparative studies of aerobic and anaerobic Escherichia coli proteomes.

PubMed

Lo, Andy; Weiner, Joel H; Li, Liang

2013-09-17

Due to limited sample amounts, instrument time considerations, and reagent costs, only a small number of replicate experiments are typically performed for quantitative proteome analyses. Generation of reproducible data that can be readily assessed for consistency within a small number of datasets is critical for accurate quantification. We report our investigation of a strategy using reciprocal isotope labeling of two comparative samples as a tool for determining proteome changes. Reciprocal labeling was evaluated to determine the internal consistency of quantified proteome changes from Escherichia coli grown under aerobic and anaerobic conditions. Qualitatively, the peptide overlap between replicate analyses of the same sample and reverse labeled samples were found to be within 8%. Quantitatively, reciprocal analyses showed only a slight increase in average overall inconsistency when compared with replicate analyses (1.29 vs. 1.24-fold difference). Most importantly, reverse labeling was successfully used to identify spurious values resulting from incorrect peptide identifications and poor peak fitting. After removal of 5% of the peptide data with low reproducibility, a total of 275 differentially expressed proteins (>1.50-fold difference) were consistently identified and were then subjected to bioinformatics analysis. General considerations and guidelines for reciprocal labeling experimental design and biological significance of obtained results are discussed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Analysis of intraosseous samples in endotoxemic shock--an experimental study in the anaesthetised pig.

PubMed

Strandberg, G; Larsson, A; Lipcsey, M; Berglund, L; Eriksson, M

2014-03-01

Intraosseous (IO) access is used in emergency situations to allow rapid initiation of treatment. IO access is also sometimes used for blood sampling, although data on accuracy of such sampling in critical illness are limited. There is also a potential risk that bone marrow fragments in IO samples may damage laboratory equipment. It is ethically questionable to perform a simultaneous comparison between IO and arterial/venous sampling in critically ill humans. We have, thus, studied the analytical performance of IO sampling in a porcine septic shock model using a cartridge-based analyser. Eight pigs with endotoxin-induced septic shock were sampled hourly for 6 h, and analysed for blood gases, acid base status, haemoglobin, glucose and lactate using point of care instruments. Samples were taken from three IO cannulae (tibia bilaterally, one with infusion, and humerus), one arterial and one venous. An interaction test was used to assess changes in agreement between methods over time. Bland–Altman plots were constructed to study bias between methods. There were, to a varying extent, differences between IO and arterial/venous levels for all studied variables, but agreement did not change significantly during the experiment. A general finding was a large dispersion of differences between methods. IO sample values should be treated with caution in this setting but may add useful information to the clinical picture. The tibia or humerus may be used for sampling. IO infusion decreases agreement, thus sampling during infusion should be avoided.

A Lean Six Sigma approach to the improvement of the selenium analysis method.

PubMed

Cloete, Bronwyn C; Bester, André

2012-11-02

Reliable results represent the pinnacle assessment of quality of an analytical laboratory, and therefore variability is considered to be a critical quality problem associated with the selenium analysis method executed at Western Cape Provincial Veterinary Laboratory (WCPVL). The elimination and control of variability is undoubtedly of significant importance because of the narrow margin of safety between toxic and deficient doses of the trace element for good animal health. A quality methodology known as Lean Six Sigma was believed to present the most feasible solution for overcoming the adverse effect of variation, through steps towards analytical process improvement. Lean Six Sigma represents a form of scientific method type, which is empirical, inductive and deductive, and systematic, which relies on data, and is fact-based. The Lean Six Sigma methodology comprises five macro-phases, namely Define, Measure, Analyse, Improve and Control (DMAIC). Both qualitative and quantitative laboratory data were collected in terms of these phases. Qualitative data were collected by using quality-tools, namely an Ishikawa diagram, a Pareto chart, Kaizen analysis and a Failure Mode Effect analysis tool. Quantitative laboratory data, based on the analytical chemistry test method, were collected through a controlled experiment. The controlled experiment entailed 13 replicated runs of the selenium test method, whereby 11 samples were repetitively analysed, whilst Certified Reference Material (CRM) was also included in 6 of the runs. Laboratory results obtained from the controlled experiment was analysed by using statistical methods, commonly associated with quality validation of chemistry procedures. Analysis of both sets of data yielded an improved selenium analysis method, believed to provide greater reliability of results, in addition to a greatly reduced cycle time and superior control features. Lean Six Sigma may therefore be regarded as a valuable tool in any laboratory, and represents both a management discipline, and a standardised approach to problem solving and process optimisation.

Beyond Book Learning: Cultivating the Pedagogy of Experience through Field Trips.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jakubowski, Lisa Marie

2003-01-01

A pedagogy of experience can be cultivated by using a critically responsive approach based on experience, critical thinking, reflection, and action. A service-learning field trip to Cuba illustrates how experiential learning can bring classroom and community together in a way that invites students to engage in meaningful, active forms of learning…

Developing Critical Thinking Skills: The "Sabotaged" Synthesis of Methyl p-Bromobenzoate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mahan, Eric J.; Nading, Mary Alice

2006-01-01

This experiment was designed to help students improve the critical thinking skills that are required to analyze and discuss the results of an organic chemistry experiment in an effective manner. The initial objective indicated in the prelab handout for this puzzle experiment was the synthesis of methyl 4-bromobenzoate using the Fischer…

ZERO TO THREE Critical Competencies for Infant-Toddler Educators™ ... in Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ZERO TO THREE, 2016

2016-01-01

Early experiences matter. The quality of the early care and education provided to young children not only impacts their experiences now, but directly contributes to their future success in school and in life. High-quality early learning experiences require effective educators but attainment and application of these critical knowledge and skills is…

Stakeholder Perceptions of the Positive Benefits and Critical Challenges Involved in Student Service-Learning Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hohenthal, K. Darcy

2010-01-01

The Bolman and Deal (2003) Four-Frame Model was adapted in this qualitative phenomenological research study to describe how stakeholders experience student service-learning. The study presents how students perceive the positive benefits and critical challenges encountered in their service-learning experience; how professors perceive the positive…

Critical care nurses management of prolonged weaning: an interview study.

PubMed

Cederwall, Carl-Johan; Plos, Kaety; Rose, Louise; Dübeck, Amanda; Ringdal, Mona

2014-09-01

For most critically ill patients requiring mechanical ventilation in the intensive care unit (ICU) weaning is uncomplicated. For the remainder, weaning is a challenge and may result in further complications and increased risk of mortality. Critical care nurses (CCNs) require substantial knowledge and experience to manage patients experiencing prolonged weaning. The aim of this study was to explore CCNs approach for management of patients experiencing prolonged weaning in the ICU. A descriptive qualitative design. Semi-structured interviews with 19 experienced CCNs were conducted. Data were analysed using content analysis. Participants used various strategies for weaning that were grouped into four categories: individualized planning for the weaning process, assessing patient's capacity, managing the process and team interaction. The overall theme that emerged was: CCNs drive the weaning process using both a patient centred and targeted approach. CCNs in these ICUs performed weaning using a patient centred approach to plan, initiate, assess and establish a holistic weaning process. Team collaboration among all health care practitioners was important. CCNs have a key role in prioritizing weaning and driving the process forward. Closeness to the patient and a key role in management of the mechanical ventilated patient in ICU gives the CCN unique potential to develop and create models and tools for prolonged weaning. These tools, specially designed for patients undergoing prolonged weaning, would give focus on continuous planning, collaborating, managing and evaluation in the process of liberating patients from mechanical ventilation. © 2014 British Association of Critical Care Nurses.

Critical Viscosity of Xenon investigators

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2001-01-01

Dr. Dr. Robert F. Berg (right), principal investigator and Dr. Micheal R. Moldover (left), co-investigator, for the Critical Viscosity of Xenon (CVX/CVX-2) experiment. They are with the National Institutes of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD. The Critical Viscosity of Xenon Experiment (CVX-2) on the STS-107 Research 1 mission in 2002 will measure the viscous behavior of xenon, a heavy inert gas used in flash lamps and ion rocket engines, at its critical point. Although it does not easily combine with other chemicals, its viscosity at the critical point can be used as a model for a range of chemicals.

The Relationship between College Experience at a Historically Black College and Students' Critical Thinking Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Little, Irene Pruitt

2017-01-01

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to examine the relationship between college experience at a HBCU and students' critical thinking skills. The theoretical framework included Astin's theory of involvement and Facione's taxonomy of critical thinking. The research site was a private four-year HBCU in the state of Alabama. The…

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-01-24

The Critical Viscosity of Xenon Experiment (CVX-2) on the STS-107 Research 1 mission in 2002 will measure the viscous behavior of xenon, a heavy inert gas used in flash lamps and ion rocket engines, at its critical point. Because xenon near the critical point will collapse under its own weight, experiments on Earth (green line) are limited as they get closer (toward the left) to the critical point. CVX in the microgravity of space (red line) moved into unmeasured territory that scientists had not been able to reach.

Evaluation of Cadmium Ratio and Foil Activation Measurements for a Beryllium-Reflected Assembly of U(93.15)O 2 Fuel Rods (1.506-cm Triangular Pitch)

DOE PAGES

Marshall, Margaret A.

2014-11-04

A series of small, compact critical assembly (SCCA) experiments were completed from 1962 to 1965 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s Critical Experiments Facility (ORCEF) in support of the Medium-Power Reactor Experiments (MPRE) program. Initial experiments, performed in November and December of 1962, consisted of a core of un-moderated stainless-steel tubes, each containing 26 UOIdaho National Laboratory (INL), Idaho Falls, ID (United States) fuel pellets, surrounded by a graphite reflector. Measurements were performed to determine critical reflector arrangements, fission-rate distributions, and cadmium ratio distributions. The graphite reflectors were then changed to beryllium reflectors. For the beryllium reflected assemblies, the fuel wasmore » in 1.506-cm-triangular and 7-tube clusters leading to two critical configurations. Once the critical configurations had been achieved, various measurements of reactivity, relative axial and radial activation rates of 235U, and cadmium ratios were performed. The cadmium ratio, reactivity, and activation rate measurements, performed on the 1.506-cm-array critical configuration, have been evaluated and are described in this paper.« less

Firing a Weapon and Killing In Combat Are Associated with Suicidal Ideation in OEF/OIF Veterans

PubMed Central

Tripp, Jessica C.; McDevitt-Murphy, Meghan E.; Henschel, Aisling V.

2016-01-01

Objective Combat veterans are at risk for several adverse outcomes such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, hazardous alcohol use, and most critically, suicidal behaviors. The high rate of suicide in veterans has been understood as a correlate of PTSD and depression, but it is possible that certain specific types of combat experiences may lead to suicidal behaviors. Acts committed by the veteran in the context of war such as killing may evoke a “moral injury,” which leads to thoughts of ending one’s life. Method The present exploratory research examined relationships between combat experiences and suicidal ideation (SI) and PTSD in a sample of 68 OEF/OIF veterans (91% male, mean age = 32.31 years) who had screened positive for alcohol misuse. We examined firing a weapon/killing in combat (Firing/Killing) and killing in combat (Killing) alone as predictors of (SI) and PTSD severity in both the full sample, and in analyses that examined men only. Results Firing/Killing were associated with SI for the full sample and men only, and Killing showed a trend towards significance in predicting SI. Hierarchical regression analyses suggested that Firing/Killing did not predict PTSD for the full sample or men only, but Killing was predictive of PTSD for both samples. Conclusions These results indicate that there may be differences in Firing/Killing and Killing alone in OEF/OIF veterans who screened positive for alcohol misuse. Thorough screening of combat experiences and addressing moral injury in returning combat veterans may help reduce high rates of suicide and PTSD. PMID:26460495

MSiReader v1.0: Evolving Open-Source Mass Spectrometry Imaging Software for Targeted and Untargeted Analyses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bokhart, Mark T.; Nazari, Milad; Garrard, Kenneth P.; Muddiman, David C.

2018-01-01

A major update to the mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) software MSiReader is presented, offering a multitude of newly added features critical to MSI analyses. MSiReader is a free, open-source, and vendor-neutral software written in the MATLAB platform and is capable of analyzing most common MSI data formats. A standalone version of the software, which does not require a MATLAB license, is also distributed. The newly incorporated data analysis features expand the utility of MSiReader beyond simple visualization of molecular distributions. The MSiQuantification tool allows researchers to calculate absolute concentrations from quantification MSI experiments exclusively through MSiReader software, significantly reducing data analysis time. An image overlay feature allows the incorporation of complementary imaging modalities to be displayed with the MSI data. A polarity filter has also been incorporated into the data loading step, allowing the facile analysis of polarity switching experiments without the need for data parsing prior to loading the data file into MSiReader. A quality assurance feature to generate a mass measurement accuracy (MMA) heatmap for an analyte of interest has also been added to allow for the investigation of MMA across the imaging experiment. Most importantly, as new features have been added performance has not degraded, in fact it has been dramatically improved. These new tools and the improvements to the performance in MSiReader v1.0 enable the MSI community to evaluate their data in greater depth and in less time. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Music-induced changes in functional cerebral asymmetries.

PubMed

Hausmann, Markus; Hodgetts, Sophie; Eerola, Tuomas

2016-04-01

After decades of research, it remains unclear whether emotion lateralization occurs because one hemisphere is dominant for processing the emotional content of the stimuli, or whether emotional stimuli activate lateralised networks associated with the subjective emotional experience. By using emotion-induction procedures, we investigated the effect of listening to happy and sad music on three well-established lateralization tasks. In a prestudy, Mozart's piano sonata (K. 448) and Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata were rated as the most happy and sad excerpts, respectively. Participants listened to either one emotional excerpt, or sat in silence before completing an emotional chimeric faces task (Experiment 1), visual line bisection task (Experiment 2) and a dichotic listening task (Experiment 3 and 4). Listening to happy music resulted in a reduced right hemispheric bias in facial emotion recognition (Experiment 1) and visuospatial attention (Experiment 2) and increased left hemispheric bias in language lateralization (Experiments 3 and 4). Although Experiments 1-3 revealed an increased positive emotional state after listening to happy music, mediation analyses revealed that the effect on hemispheric asymmetries was not mediated by music-induced emotional changes. The direct effect of music listening on lateralization was investigated in Experiment 4 in which tempo of the happy excerpt was manipulated by controlling for other acoustic features. However, the results of Experiment 4 made it rather unlikely that tempo is the critical cue accounting for the effects. We conclude that listening to music can affect functional cerebral asymmetries in well-established emotional and cognitive laterality tasks, independent of music-induced changes in the emotion state. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of the concrete shield compositions from the 2010 criticality accident alarm system benchmark experiments at the CEA Valduc SILENE facility

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

Miller, Thomas Martin; Celik, Cihangir; Dunn, Michael E

In October 2010, a series of benchmark experiments were conducted at the French Commissariat a l'Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA) Valduc SILENE facility. These experiments were a joint effort between the United States Department of Energy Nuclear Criticality Safety Program and the CEA. The purpose of these experiments was to create three benchmarks for the verification and validation of radiation transport codes and evaluated nuclear data used in the analysis of criticality accident alarm systems. This series of experiments consisted of three single-pulsed experiments with the SILENE reactor. For the first experiment, the reactor was bare (unshielded), whereasmore » in the second and third experiments, it was shielded by lead and polyethylene, respectively. The polyethylene shield of the third experiment had a cadmium liner on its internal and external surfaces, which vertically was located near the fuel region of SILENE. During each experiment, several neutron activation foils and thermoluminescent dosimeters (TLDs) were placed around the reactor. Nearly half of the foils and TLDs had additional high-density magnetite concrete, high-density barite concrete, standard concrete, and/or BoroBond shields. CEA Saclay provided all the concrete, and the US Y-12 National Security Complex provided the BoroBond. Measurement data from the experiments were published at the 2011 International Conference on Nuclear Criticality (ICNC 2011) and the 2013 Nuclear Criticality Safety Division (NCSD 2013) topical meeting. Preliminary computational results for the first experiment were presented in the ICNC 2011 paper, which showed poor agreement between the computational results and the measured values of the foils shielded by concrete. Recently the hydrogen content, boron content, and density of these concrete shields were further investigated within the constraints of the previously available data. New computational results for the first experiment are now available that show much better agreement with the measured values.« less

Fluctuation-induced conductivity analyses of Be-doped (Bi0.25Cu0.25Li0.25Tl0.25)Ba2Ca2Cu3O10-δ superconductors in the critical regime and beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, Nawazish A.; Qurat-ul-Ain; Firdous, Umber; Shaheryar

2012-02-01

We have successfully synthesized (Bi0.25Cu0.25Li0.25Tl0.25)Ba2Ca2Cu3O10-δ and (Bi0.25Cu0.25Li0.25Tl0.25)Ba2(Ca1.5Be0.5)Cu3O10-δ samples and studied their excess conductivity analyses (fluctuation-induced conductivity) of resistivity data. The main objective of such analyses is to investigate the influence of Be-substitution on the superconductivity parameters at the microscopic level. The width of the 3D-2D Lawrence-Doniach regime is increased with the doping of Be at the Ca sites. The energy required to break apart the Cooper pairs is increased from 0.03 eV to 0.08 eV in Be-doped samples. Using the Ginzburg-Landau number (NG) and GL equations, the thermodynamic critical magnetic field Bc(0), the lower critical field Bc1(0), the upper critical field Bc2(0), the critical current density Jc(0), and penetration depth λp.d are also calculated from these analyses. The values of critical fields [Bc(0) Bc1(0)], Jc(0), and phase relaxation time τϕ are increased whereas the penetration depth λp.d and κ values are suppressed with Be-doping. It is most likely that as a result of the enhancement in the density of the carriers in the (Bi0.25Cu0.25Li0.25Tl0.25)Ba2(Ca1.5Be0.5)Cu3O10-δ sample, this charge density gap is suppressed, which in turn suppresses the pseudo-gap resulting into enhancement of Bc (0), Bc1(0), and Jc(0).

Turbidity of a Binary Fluid Mixture: Determining Eta

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jacobs, Donald T.

1996-01-01

A ground based (1-g) experiment is in progress that will measure the turbidity of a density-matched, binary fluid mixture extremely close to its liquid-liquid critical point. By covering the range of reduced temperatures t equivalent to (T-T(sub c)) / T(sub c) from 10(exp -8) to 10(exp -2), the turbidity measurements will allow the critical exponent eta to be determined. No experiment has precisely determined a value of the critical exponent eta, yet its value is significant to theorists in critical phenomena. Relatively simple critical phenomena, as in the liquid-liquid system studied here, serve as model systems for more complex systems near a critical point.

"Youth Amplified": Using Critical Pedagogy to Stimulate Learning through Dialogue at a Youth Radio Show

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Adam

2016-01-01

In this paper I describe and analyse how critical pedagogy, an approach to teaching and learning that encourages students to reflect on their socio-political contexts, may stimulate critical consciousness and dialogue at a youth radio show. The participants, who attended four diverse Cape Town high schools and predominantly lived in poor…

Critical Literacies in the Making: Social Class and Identities in the Early Reading Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Stephanie

2013-01-01

Drawing from a four-year critical ethnographic study of young girls and their literacy practices inside and outside school, this article foregrounds a lived pedagogical moment when conflicting discourses about reading instruction collided in a critically focused second-grade classroom. Through my analyses I make the argument that the pervasiveness…

What Is Present and Absent in Critical Analyses of Neoliberalism in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Apple, Michael W.

2017-01-01

In "Can Education Change Society?" (Apple, 2013), Apple described a number of tasks in which the critical scholar/activist needs to engage. Among them are telling the truth about what is happening in the creation of inequalities, illuminating spaces of possibility, and acting as the critical secretary of the movements and people who…

Effective Communication, Critical Aspects and Compositionality in Algebra

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olteanu, Lucian

2014-01-01

This paper contains a discussion of how the concept of critical aspects and the principle of compositionality can provide a powerful tool to analyse and understand the communications that occur in the classroom. It is grounded in data collected in a longitudinal study. The content chosen is algebra. It is argued that the critical aspects and the…

Psychoanalysis, science, and art: aesthetics in the making of a psychoanalyst.

PubMed

Frayze-Pereira, João A

2007-04-01

This paper critically examines the relationship of psychoanalysis to science and art. Its point of departure is Michael Rustin's theorizing. Specifically, in considering the possibility of a psychoanalyst's having an aesthetic orientation, the author analyses: 1) the difficulty of there being any connection between psychoanalysis and science because science's necessarily presupposed subject-object dichotomy is incompatible with transference, which, beginning with Freud, is basic to psychoanalysis; 2) the complex relationship between psychoanalysis and aesthetics using Maurice Merleau-Ponty's philosophical perspective as well as Luigi Pareyson's theory of aesthetics; 3) the Kantian foundations of the psychoanalytic notion of art as the 'containing form of subjective experience'; 4) intersubjectivity, without which clinical practice would not be possible, especially considering matters of identity, difference, the body, and of sensory experience such as 'expressive form'; 5) the relationship of psychoanalysis and art, keeping in mind their possible convergence and divergence as well as some psychoanalysts' conceptual commitment to classicism and the need for contact with art in a psychoanalyst's mind set.

[Willingness of Psychotherapists in Private Practice to Treat Patients With Complex Post-Traumatic Stress and Dissociative Disorders].

PubMed

Schnell, T; von Katte, S; Gast, U

2015-09-01

Analyses of patient care with severe mental disorders. Psychotherapists in private praxis were interviewed about their willingness to treat patients with a range of diagnoses in the context of post-traumatic disorders. Therapists were found more willing to treat "less severe" disorders, independent of years in practice, school of psychotherapy, a rural or urban practice setting. Therapists criticized the quality of their training and the health insurance review process. Therapists are generally willing to treat patients with severe mental disorders, but experience limits of competency attributed to training deficits. They further experience the bureaucratic procedures of the health insurance review process as barriers to accepting these patients into treatment.These results indicate that recently developed concepts of psychotherapy for these patient groups should be more intensively integrated into the existing training curricula. Furthermore, a simplified health insurance review process ought to be considered. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

[Euthanasia 2002-2014: The situation in Belgium].

PubMed

Lossignol, D

2016-10-01

Since 2002, Belgian law has authorized the practice of euthanasia under certain clear conditions. All cases have to be reported to the Assessment and Control Commission (ACC). To date, more than 9000 cases have been reported. To make a statement about the Belgian experience requires consideration of several different essential points: detailed data and information from the ACC reports, their analysis, consequences on medical practice, problems experienced, legal and medical perspectives, criticism and attacks. The concept of individual and institutional conscience is also considered. Euthanasia for minors has been permitted since March 2014 but, to date, no case has been reported. In the light of what has happened in Belgium, we propose to analyse the legal situation in France. The Belgian experience is much more than an example and shows that, in difficult and painful situations, it is possible to meet the expectations of patients experiencing intolerable suffering with great respect and without imposing dogmatically something they do not wish. Copyright © 2015 SPLF. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Age and Embodied Masculinities: Mid-Life Gay and Heterosexual Men Talk about their Bodies

PubMed Central

Lodge, Amy C.; Umberson, Debra

2013-01-01

This article integrates critical gerontology and masculinities theories to examine how midlife gay and heterosexual men experience their bodies in relation to cultural discourses of aging. Analyses of in-depth interviews with 15 gay and 15 heterosexual men ages 40–60 reveal that while both groups of men describe their bodies as deteriorating or declining in terms of functionality and are often distressed by these changes, midlife gay men also articulate a concern with a perceived decline in bodily appearance. Both gay and heterosexual midlife men frame their bodies as fundamentally different from women’s, possibly in an attempt to protect a masculine identity in response to the threat that aging bodies pose to that identity. We argue that midlife men’s embodied experiences are shaped by a discourse of midlife decline as well as inequalities between gay and heterosexual men. We also discuss the implications of embodiment for midlife men’s well-being. PMID:23849420

Disambiguating authenticity: Interpretations of value and appeal

PubMed Central

O’Connor, Kieran; Carroll, Glenn R.; Kovács, Balázs

2017-01-01

While shaping aesthetic judgment and choice, socially constructed authenticity takes on some very different meanings among observers, consumers, producers and critics. Using a theoretical framework positing four distinct meanings of socially constructed authenticity–type, moral, craft, and idiosyncratic–we aim to document empirically the unique appeal of each type. We develop predictions about the relationships between attributed authenticity and corresponding increases in the value ascribed to it through: (1) consumer value ratings, (2) willingness to pay, and (3) behavioral choice. We report empirical analyses from a research program of three multi-method studies using (1) archival data from voluntary consumer evaluations of restaurants in an online review system, (2) a university-based behavioral lab experiment, and (3) an online survey-based experiment. Evidence is consistent across the studies and suggests that perceptions of four distinct subtypes of socially constructed authenticity generate increased appeal and value even after controlling for option quality. Findings suggest additional directions for research on authenticity. PMID:28650997

Student perspectives on patient educators as facilitators of interprofessional education.

PubMed

Solomon, Patricia

2011-01-01

There has been increasing interest in the active involvement of patients in the education of health professionals. Few have examined the potential role of patient educators in the facilitation of interprofessional education (IPE). This qualitative program evaluation examined students' perceptions of their learning in a patient-facilitated IPE event. One hundred and forty two students from physiotherapy, occupational therapy, medicine, and nursing participated in a 2.5-h session in which they interviewed patient educators living with a variety of chronic illnesses about their experiences. Patient educators participated in a 3-h training session prior to the event. Content analyses of six focus group transcripts (n = 27) and critical incident questionnaires (n = 138) revealed that students felt this was a positive experience, recognized the importance of advocating for their professional role, and valued the interprofessional learning. Students also valued participation from a variety of health professions and felt that IPE should be mandatory for all. Results suggest that trained patient educators can effectively facilitate interprofessional interactions.

Cultural modulation of the neural correlates of emotional pain perception: the role of other-focusedness.

PubMed

Cheon, Bobby K; Im, Dong-Mi; Harada, Tokiko; Kim, Ji-Sook; Mathur, Vani A; Scimeca, Jason M; Parrish, Todd B; Park, Hyunwook; Chiao, Joan Y

2013-06-01

Cultures vary in the extent to which they emphasize group members to habitually attend to the needs, perspectives, and internal experiences of others compared to the self. Here we examined the influence that collectivistic and individualistic cultural environments may play on the engagement of the neurobiological processes that underlie the perception and processing of emotional pain. Using cross-cultural fMRI, Korean and Caucasian-American participants passively viewed scenes of others in situations of emotional pain and distress. Regression analyses revealed that the value of other-focusedness was associated with heightened neural response within the affective pain matrix (i.e. anterior cingulate cortex and insula) to a greater extent for Korean relative to Caucasian-American participants. These findings suggest that mindsets promoting attunement to the subjective experience of others may be especially critical for pain-related and potentially empathic processing within collectivistic relative to individualistic cultural environments. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physics of reactor safety. Quarterly report, January--March 1977. [LMFBR

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

None

1977-06-01

This report summarizes work done on reactor safety, Monte Carlo analysis of safety-related critical assembly experiments, and planning of DEMI safety-related critical experiments. Work on reactor core thermal-hydraulics is also included.

Undergraduate nursing students' transformational learning during clinical training.

PubMed

Melin-Johansson, Christina; Österlind, Jane; Hagelin, Carina Lundh; Henoch, Ingela; Ek, Kristina; Bergh, Ingrid; Browall, Maria

2018-04-02

Undergraduate nursing students encounter patients at the end of life during their clinical training. They need to confront dying and death under supportive circumstances in order to be prepared for similar situations in their future career. To explore undergraduate nursing students' descriptions of caring situations with patients at the end of life during supervised clinical training. A qualitative study using the critical incident technique was chosen. A total of 85 students wrote a short text about their experiences of caring for patients at the end of life during their clinical training. These critical incident reports were then analysed using deductive and inductive content analysis. The theme 'students' transformational learning towards becoming a professional nurse during clinical training' summarises how students relate to patients and relatives, interpret the transition from life to death, feel when caring for a dead body and learn end-of-life caring actions from their supervisors. As a preparation for their future profession, students undergoing clinical training need to confront death and dying while supported by trained supervisors and must learn how to communicate about end-of-life issues and cope with emotional stress and grief.

Staff perception of patient discharge from ICU to ward-based care.

PubMed

James, Stephen; Quirke, Sara; McBride-Henry, Karen

2013-11-01

The quality of information exchange between intensive care unit (ICU) and ward nurses, when patients are transferred out of intensive care, is important to the continuity of safe care. This research aimed to explore nurses' experiences of the discharge process from ICU to the ward environment. The study was conducted in a New Zealand Metropolitan hospital, using an exploratory descriptive design we adapted a questionnaire based on Whittaker and Ball's research on ICU patient handover. The questionnaires were then analysed using a descriptive thematic approach. The response rate of 48% included 45 ICU and 47 ward nurses. Key findings were that the written and verbal communication needs differ dependent upon setting and the timing of a discharge. Timing of handover also requires negotiation. Being able to negotiate the timing and nature of handover is important for nurses. In addition, standardized approaches to communication are believed to enhance patient safety. Standardized handover, with content and processes that are mutually negotiated, is crucial to providing the safest environment for patients. © 2013 The Authors. Nursing in Critical Care © 2013 British Association of Critical Care Nurses.

Bone Regeneration in Rat Cranium Critical-Size Defects Induced by Cementum Protein 1 (CEMP1)

PubMed Central

Serrano, Janeth; Romo, Enrique; Bermúdez, Mercedes; Narayanan, A. Sampath; Zeichner-David, Margarita; Santos, Leticia; Arzate, Higinio

2013-01-01

Gene therapy approaches to bone and periodontal tissue engineering are being widely explored. While localized delivery of osteogenic factors like BMPs is attractive for promotion of bone regeneration; method of delivery, dosage and side effects could limit this approach. A novel protein, Cementum Protein 1 (CEMP1), has recently been shown to promote regeneration of periodontal tissues. In order to address the possibility that CEMP1 can be used to regenerate other types of bone, experiments were designed to test the effect of hrCEMP1 in the repair/regeneration of a rat calvaria critical-size defect. Histological and microcomputed tomography (µCT) analyses of the calvaria defect sites treated with CEMP1 showed that after 16 weeks, hrCEMP1 is able to induce 97% regeneration of the defect. Furthermore, the density and characteristics of the new mineralized tissues were normal for bone. This study demonstrates that hrCEMP1 stimulates bone formation and regeneration and has therapeutic potential for the treatment of bone defects and regeneration of mineralized tissues. PMID:24265720

Wide angle reflection effects on the uncertainty in layered models travel times tomography

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Majdanski, Mariusz; Bialas, Sebastian; Trzeciak, Maciej; Gaczyński, Edward; Maksym, Andrzej

2015-04-01

Multi-phase layered model traveltimes tomography inversions can be realised in several ways depending on the inversion path. Inverting the shape of the boundaries based on reflection data and the velocity field based on refractions could be done jointly or sequentially. We analyse an optimal inversion path based on the uncertainty analysis of the final models. Additionally, we propose to use post critical wide-angle reflections in tomographic inversions for more reliable results especially in the deeper parts of each layer. We focus on the effects of using hard to pick post critical reflections on the final model uncertainty. Our study is performed using data collected during standard vibroseis and explosive sources seismic reflection experiment focused on shale gas reservoir characterisation realised by Polish Oil and Gas Company. Our data were gathered by a standalone single component stations deployed along the whole length of the 20 km long profile, resulting in significantly longer offsets. Our piggy back recordings resulted in good quality wide angle refraction and reflection recordings clearly observable up to the offsets of 12 km.

Modeling of Stone-impact Resistance of Monolithic Glass Ply Using Continuum Damage Mechanics

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

Sun, Xin; Khaleel, Mohammad A.; Davies, Richard W.

2005-04-01

We study the stone-impact resistance of a monolithic glass ply using a combined experimental and computational approach. Instrumented stone impact tests were first carried out in controlled environment. Explicit finite element analyses were then used to simulate the interactions of the indentor and the glass layer during the impact event, and a continuum damage mechanics (CDM) model was used to describe the constitutive behavior of glass. The experimentally measured strain histories for low velocity impact served as validation of the modeling procedures. Next, stair-stepping impact experiments were performed with two indentor sizes on two glass ply thickness, and the testmore » results were used to calibrate the critical stress parameters used in the CDM constitutive model. The purpose of this study is to establish the modeling procedures and the CDM critical stress parameters under impact loading conditions. The modeling procedures and the CDM model will be used in our future studies to predict through-thickness damage evolution patterns for different laminated windshield designs in automotive applications.« less

Authentic science in education: Studies in course-based research at the United States Military Academy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chase, Anthony M.

This dissertation consists of two studies at the United States Military Academy. Both studies involve the use of Course-based Undergraduate Research Experiences (CUREs). These experiences give students the ability to engage in undergraduate research at an early point in their academic career by replacing traditional laboratory activities with semester-long research projects. Both studies show an implementation of this type of instruction from the Center for Authentic Science Practice in Education (CASPiE). Study 1 shows the specific method of implementation at the military academy and explores learning-based outcomes. Primarily the outcome of critical thinking is demonstrated. Critical thinking is a construct that many curriculum developers and instructors want to foster within their students but often lack clear definitions or evaluation plans. This study gives a definition of critical thinking and an outcome of a critical thinking test. Significant gains in critical thinking are observed by students participating in the CURE as well as significant gains in three affective factors (Interest in Science/Chemistry, Authenticity, Perceived Learning). The gains in critical thinking are then further statistically linked to students’ perceptions of how authentically they saw the research in the course. If they felt that the course was demonstrating more authentic science practices, they gained significantly more in their critical thinking scores. The second study in this dissertation adds an additional transfer focus to the instructional materials that the CURE was meant to support. The treatment group in this study received instruction that was framed expansively. The expansively framed instruction showed students ways that the material was applicable outside of the course. The assessments and instructional materials of this study were transfer assessments with contrasting cases. Instances of negative or “overzealous transfer” were also reported. Findings suggest that students in the transfer-focused treatment condition display a deeper understanding of the inner workings of the Gas Chromatograph more so than the control group which focused on output of the instrument only. Analyses of instances of negative transfer or overzealous transfer in this study show a reduction in instances for the treatment groups. This can be theoretically attributed to the use of Inventing with Contrasting Cases for individuals in the treatment group as this is postulated to reduce instances of negative transfer. Future work in this area is suggested to incorporate studies with control-treatment comparisons across groups of larger populations to tease out significant differences of means on transfer assessments. Further, the transfer assessments used need to be comparable in level of difficulty as the ones in this study appeared to differ.

Aerodynamic and mechanical design of an 8:1 pressure ratio centrifugal compressor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Osborne, C.; Runstadler, P. W., Jr.; Stacy, W. D.

1974-01-01

A high-pressure-ratio, low-mass-flow centrifugal compressor stage was designed, fabricated, and tested. The design followed specifications that the stage be representative of state-of-the-art performance and that the stage is to be used as a workhorse compressor for planned experiments using laser Doppler velocimeter equipment. The final design is a 75,000-RPM, 19-blade impeller with an axial inducer and 30 degrees of backward leaning at the impeller tip. The compressor design was tested for two- and/or quasi-three-dimensional aerodynamic and stress characteristics. Critical speed analyses were performed for the high speed rotating impeller assembly. An optimally matched, 17-channel vane island diffuser was also designed and built.

RNA-seq reveals more consistent reference genes for gene expression studies in human non-melanoma skin cancers

PubMed Central

Tan, Jean-Marie; Payne, Elizabeth J.; Lin, Lynlee L.; Sinnya, Sudipta; Raphael, Anthony P.; Lambie, Duncan; Frazer, Ian H.; Dinger, Marcel E.; Soyer, H. Peter

2017-01-01

Identification of appropriate reference genes (RGs) is critical to accurate data interpretation in quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) experiments. In this study, we have utilised next generation RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) to analyse the transcriptome of a panel of non-melanoma skin cancer lesions, identifying genes that are consistently expressed across all samples. Genes encoding ribosomal proteins were amongst the most stable in this dataset. Validation of this RNA-seq data was examined using qPCR to confirm the suitability of a set of highly stable genes for use as qPCR RGs. These genes will provide a valuable resource for the normalisation of qPCR data for the analysis of non-melanoma skin cancer. PMID:28852586

COMETARY SCIENCE. 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko surface properties as derived from CIVA panoramic images.

PubMed

Bibring, J-P; Langevin, Y; Carter, J; Eng, P; Gondet, B; Jorda, L; Le Mouélic, S; Mottola, S; Pilorget, C; Poulet, F; Vincendon, M

2015-07-31

The structure and composition of cometary constituents, down to their microscopic scale, are critical witnesses of the processes and ingredients that drove the formation and evolution of planetary bodies toward their present diversity. On board Rosetta's lander Philae, the Comet Infrared and Visible Analyser (CIVA) experiment took a series of images to characterize the surface materials surrounding the lander on comet 67P/Churyumov-Gerasimenko. Images were collected twice: just after touchdown, and after Philae finally came to rest, where it acquired a full panorama. These images reveal a fractured surface with complex structure and a variety of grain scales and albedos, possibly constituting pristine cometary material. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Dynamic fluctuations in single-molecule biophysics experiments. Comment on "Extracting physics of life at the molecular level: A review of single-molecule data analyses" by W. Colomb and S.K. Sarkar

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krapf, Diego

2015-06-01

Single-molecule biophysics includes the study of isolated molecules and that of individual molecules within living cells. In both cases, dynamic fluctuations at the nanoscale play a critical role. Colomb and Sarkar emphasize how different noise sources affect the analysis of single molecule data [1]. Fluctuations in biomolecular systems arise from two very different mechanisms. On one hand thermal fluctuations are a predominant feature in the behavior of individual molecules. On the other hand, non-Gaussian fluctuations can arise from inter- and intramolecular interactions [2], spatial heterogeneities [3], non-Poisson external perturbations [4] and complex non-linear dynamics in general [5,6].

An Approach for Validating Actinide and Fission Product Burnup Credit Criticality Safety Analyses-Isotopic Composition Predictions

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

Radulescu, Georgeta; Gauld, Ian C; Ilas, Germina

2011-01-01

The expanded use of burnup credit in the United States (U.S.) for storage and transport casks, particularly in the acceptance of credit for fission products, has been constrained by the availability of experimental fission product data to support code validation. The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) staff has noted that the rationale for restricting the Interim Staff Guidance on burnup credit for storage and transportation casks (ISG-8) to actinide-only is based largely on the lack of clear, definitive experiments that can be used to estimate the bias and uncertainty for computational analyses associated with using burnup credit. To address themore » issues of burnup credit criticality validation, the NRC initiated a project with the Oak Ridge National Laboratory to (1) develop and establish a technically sound validation approach for commercial spent nuclear fuel (SNF) criticality safety evaluations based on best-available data and methods and (2) apply the approach for representative SNF storage and transport configurations/conditions to demonstrate its usage and applicability, as well as to provide reference bias results. The purpose of this paper is to describe the isotopic composition (depletion) validation approach and resulting observations and recommendations. Validation of the criticality calculations is addressed in a companion paper at this conference. For isotopic composition validation, the approach is to determine burnup-dependent bias and uncertainty in the effective neutron multiplication factor (keff) due to bias and uncertainty in isotopic predictions, via comparisons of isotopic composition predictions (calculated) and measured isotopic compositions from destructive radiochemical assay utilizing as much assay data as is available, and a best-estimate Monte Carlo based method. This paper (1) provides a detailed description of the burnup credit isotopic validation approach and its technical bases, (2) describes the application of the approach for representative pressurized water reactor and boiling water reactor safety analysis models to demonstrate its usage and applicability, (3) provides reference bias and uncertainty results based on a quality-assurance-controlled prerelease version of the Scale 6.1 code package and the ENDF/B-VII nuclear cross section data.« less

Creating an Alternate Reality: Critical, Creative, and Empathic Thinking Generated in the "Global Village Playground" Capstone Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dondlinger, Mary Jo; Wilson, Douglas A.

2012-01-01

The "Global Village Playground" ("GVP") was a capstone learning experience designed to address institutional assessment needs while providing an integrated and authentic learning experience for students aimed at fostering critical and creative thinking. In the "GVP", students work on simulated and real-world problems as a design team tasked with…

"A Moving Target": A Critical Race Analysis of Latina/o Faculty Experiences, Perspectives, and Reflections on the Tenure and Promotion Process

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urrieta, Luis, Jr.; Méndez, Lina; Rodríguez, Esmeralda

2015-01-01

This article examines how Latina/o professors perceive, experience, and reflect on the tenure and promotion process. Findings for this longitudinal study are drawn from a purposive sample of nine female and seven male, Latina/o tenure-track faculty participants. Using a Critical Race Theory, Latino Critical (LatCrit) Race Theory, and Chicana…

Evaluation of Fission Product Critical Experiments and Associated Biases for Burnup Credit Validation

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

Mueller, Don; Rearden, Bradley T; Reed, Davis Allan

2010-01-01

One of the challenges associated with implementation of burnup credit is the validation of criticality calculations used in the safety evaluation; in particular the availability and use of applicable critical experiment data. The purpose of the validation is to quantify the relationship between reality and calculated results. Validation and determination of bias and bias uncertainty require the identification of sets of critical experiments that are similar to the criticality safety models. A principal challenge for crediting fission products (FP) in a burnup credit safety evaluation is the limited availability of relevant FP critical experiments for bias and bias uncertainty determination.more » This paper provides an evaluation of the available critical experiments that include FPs, along with bounding, burnup-dependent estimates of FP biases generated by combining energy dependent sensitivity data for a typical burnup credit application with the nuclear data uncertainty information distributed with SCALE 6. A method for determining separate bias and bias uncertainty values for individual FPs and illustrative results is presented. Finally, a FP bias calculation method based on data adjustment techniques and reactivity sensitivity coefficients calculated with the SCALE sensitivity/uncertainty tools and some typical results is presented. Using the methods described in this paper, the cross-section bias for a representative high-capacity spent fuel cask associated with the ENDF/B-VII nuclear data for 16 most important stable or near stable FPs is predicted to be no greater than 2% of the total worth of the 16 FPs, or less than 0.13 % k/k.« less

Jerky driving--An indicator of accident proneness?

PubMed

Bagdadi, Omar; Várhelyi, András

2011-07-01

This study uses continuously logged driving data from 166 private cars to derive the level of jerks caused by the drivers during everyday driving. The number of critical jerks found in the data is analysed and compared with the self-reported accident involvement of the drivers. The results show that the expected number of accidents for a driver increases with the number of critical jerks caused by the driver. Jerk analyses make it possible to identify safety critical driving behaviour or "accident prone" drivers. They also facilitate the development of safety measures such as active safety systems or advanced driver assistance systems, ADAS, which could be adapted for specific groups of drivers or specific risky driving behaviour. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Hazard Analysis Guidelines for Transit Projects

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-01-01

These hazard analysis guidelines discuss safety critical systems and subsystems, types of hazard analyses, when hazard analyses should be performed, and the hazard analysis philosophy. These guidelines are published by FTA to assist the transit indus...

Critical point wetting drop tower experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kaukler, W. F.; Tcherneshoff, L. M.; Straits, S. R.

1984-01-01

Preliminary results for the Critical Point Wetting CPW Drop Tower Experiment are produced with immiscible systems. Much of the observed phenomena conformed to the anticipated behavior. More drops will be needed to test the CPW theory with these immiscible systems.

Modular space station phase B extension preliminary systems design report. Volume 6: Trades and analyses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, A. L.

1972-01-01

Requirements and concepts and the tradeoff analysis leading to the preferred concept are presented. Integrated analyses are given for subsystems and thermal control. Specific tradeoffs and analyses are also given for water management, atmosphere control, energy storage, radiators, navigation, control moment gyros, and system maintenance. The analyses of manipulator concepts and requirements, and supplemental analyses of information management issues are summarized. Subsystem reliability analyses include a detailed discussion of the critical failure analysis.

Comparing the experience of voices in borderline personality disorder with the experience of voices in a psychotic disorder: A systematic review.

PubMed

Merrett, Zalie; Rossell, Susan L; Castle, David J

2016-07-01

In clinical settings, there is substantial evidence both clinically and empirically to suggest that approximately 50% of individuals with borderline personality disorder experience auditory verbal hallucinations. However, there is limited research investigating the phenomenology of these voices. The aim of this study was to review and compare our current understanding of auditory verbal hallucinations in borderline personality disorder with auditory verbal hallucinations in patients with a psychotic disorder, to critically analyse existing studies investigating auditory verbal hallucinations in borderline personality disorder and to identify gaps in current knowledge, which will help direct future research. The literature was searched using the electronic database Scopus, PubMed and MEDLINE. Relevant studies were included if they were written in English, were empirical studies specifically addressing auditory verbal hallucinations and borderline personality disorder, were peer reviewed, used only adult humans and sample comprising borderline personality disorder as the primary diagnosis, and included a comparison group with a primary psychotic disorder such as schizophrenia. Our search strategy revealed a total of 16 articles investigating the phenomenology of auditory verbal hallucinations in borderline personality disorder. Some studies provided evidence to suggest that the voice experiences in borderline personality disorder are similar to those experienced by people with schizophrenia, for example, occur inside the head, and often involved persecutory voices. Other studies revealed some differences between schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder voice experiences, with the borderline personality disorder voices sounding more derogatory and self-critical in nature and the voice-hearers' response to the voices were more emotionally resistive. Furthermore, in one study, the schizophrenia group's voices resulted in more disruption in daily functioning. These studies are, however, limited in number and do not provide definitive evidence of these differences. The limited research examining auditory verbal hallucinations experiences in borderline personality disorder poses a significant diagnostic and treatment challenge. A deeper understanding of the precise phenomenological characteristics will help us in terms of diagnostic distinction as well as inform treatments. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2016.

Direct Simple Shear Test Data Analysis using Jupyter Notebooks on DesignSafe-CI

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eslami, M.; Esteva, M.; Brandenberg, S. J.

2017-12-01

Due to the large number of files and their complex structure, managing data generated during natural hazards experiments requires scalable and specialized tools. DesignSafe-CI (https://www.designsafe-ci.org/) is a web-based research platform that provides computational tools to analyze, curate, and publish critical data for natural hazards research making it understandable and reusable. We present a use case from a series of Direct Simple Shear (DSS) experiments in which we used DS-CI to post-process, visualize, publish, and enable further analysis of the data. Current practice in geotechnical design against earthquakes relies on the soil's plasticity index (PI) to assess liquefaction susceptibility, and cyclic softening triggering procedures, although, quite divergent recommendations on recommended levels of plasticity can be found in the literature for these purposes. A series of cyclic and monotonic direct simple shear experiments was conducted on three low-plasticity fine-grained mixtures at the same plasticity index to examine the effectiveness of the PI in characterization of these types of materials. Results revealed that plasticity index is an insufficient indicator of the cyclic behavior of low-plasticity fine-grained soils, and corrections for pore fluid chemistry and clay minerology may be necessary for future liquefaction susceptibility and cyclic softening assessment procedures. Each monotonic, or cyclic experiment contains two stages; consolidation and shear, which include time series of load, displacement, and corresponding stresses and strains, as well as equivalent excess pore-water pressure. Using the DS-CI curation pipeline we categorized the data to display and describe the experiment's structure and files corresponding to each stage of the experiments. Two separate notebooks in Python 3 were created using the Jupyter application available in DS-CI. A data plotter aids visualizing the experimental data in relation to the sensor from which it was generated. The analysis notebook allows combining outcomes of multiple tests, conducting diverse analyses to find critical parameters, and developing plots at arbitrary strain levels. Using the platform aids both researchers work with the data and those reusing it.

Critical care nurses' experiences when technology malfunctions.

PubMed

Haghenbeck, Karen Toby

2005-01-01

When caring for critically ill patients, critical care nurses work with technology every day. Technology and equipment malfunctions can have a profound effect on nurses' practice and self-image. In this article, a descriptive phenomenological methodology was chosen to explicate the experience of seven critical care nurses. While participants realized that machines might malfunction, they experienced surprise, shock, and feelings of being "let down" and inadequate when malfunctions occurred. They questioned their competence and felt malfunctioning technology jeopardized their credibility and professional image. These findings are useful when structuring educational sessions on technology and in facilitating a supportive environment for critical care nurses when technology malfunctions.

The Information Society: Towards an Iron Cage of e-Learning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hautakangas, Sami; Kiilakoski, Tomi

2004-01-01

The purpose of this article is to analyse the meaning of different cultural paradigms in the development of educational technology. The article analyses technology critically from the perspective of the philosophy of technology, examines the manifestations of instrumentalism in the curriculum theory and analyses its effects on the different levels…

University staff experiences of students with mental health problems and their perceptions of staff training needs.

PubMed

Gulliver, Amelia; Farrer, Louise; Bennett, Kylie; Ali, Kathina; Hellsing, Annika; Katruss, Natasha; Griffiths, Kathleen M

2018-06-01

University students experience high levels of mental health problems; however, very few seek professional help. Teaching staff within the university are well placed to assist students to seek support. To investigate university teaching staff experiences of, and training needs around, assisting students with mental health problems. A total of 224 teaching staff at the Australian National University completed an anonymous online survey (16.4% response rate from n ∼ 1370). Data on mental health training needs, and experiences of assisting students with mental health problems were described using tabulation. Qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. Most teaching staff (70.1-82.2%) reported at least moderate confidence in their ability to provide emotional support for students. However, many staff (60.0%) felt under-equipped overall to deal with student mental health problems; almost half (49.6%) reported they did not have access to formal training. Specific actions described in assisting students included referrals, offering support, or consulting others for advice. Given the high rates of students who approach staff about mental health problems, there is a critical need to provide and promote both formal mental health response training and explicit guidelines for staff on when, how, and where to refer students for help.

Mothers' experiences of a Touch and Talk nursing intervention to optimise pain management in the PICU: a qualitative descriptive study.

PubMed

Rennick, Janet E; Lambert, Sylvie; Childerhose, Janet; Campbell-Yeo, Marsha; Filion, Françoise; Johnston, C Celeste

2011-06-01

Parents consistently express a desire to support their child and retain a care-giving role in the paediatric intensive care unit (PICU). Qualitative data gathered as part of a PICU intervention study were analysed to explore mothers' experiences using a Touch and Talk intervention to comfort their children during invasive procedures. To describe how mothers experienced involvement in their children's care through a Touch and Talk intervention and whether they would participate in a similar intervention again. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY AND SETTING: A qualitative descriptive design was used and semi-structured interviews conducted with 65 mothers in three Canadian PICUs. Data were subjected to thematic analysis. The overarching theme centred on the importance of comforting the critically ill child. This included being there for the child (the importance of parental presence); making a difference in the child's pain experience; and feeling comfortable and confident about participating in care. All but two mothers would participate in the intervention again and all would recommend it to others. Giving parents the choice of being involved in their child's care using touch and distraction techniques during painful procedures can provide an invaluable opportunity to foster parenting and support the child during a difficult PICU experience. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Universal design and the challenge of diversity: reflections on the principles of UD, based on empirical research of people's mobility.

PubMed

Winance, Myriam

2014-01-01

The author analyses some theoretical presuppositions of the Universal Design approach. She shows that it is based on two paradoxes: (1) it reduces diversity to the "universal", (2) it depends on an asymmetrical view of abilities and disabilities. The author suggests a way of changing this concept in order to take into account uniqueness and diversity, in order to allow the shaping of abilities. The data are taken from an ethnographical survey carried out between 2007 and 2009 made up of in-depth interviews with wheelchair users and their families. The interviews were analysed inductively using the Nvivo© programme. The mobility of people in wheelchairs, and their capacity to act, are linked to their particular experience and are the result of a process of adjustment and arrangement. This process involves specific and varied resources and leads to changes in the individuals, in their dis/abilites, but also in their perceptions. This analysis leads to a change in the question of policy. This question is no longer "how to include diversity using the definition of 'universal'", but "how to bring out and articulate this diversity, so as to vary the qualities of persons and the world in which they live". Implications for Rehabilitation "Inaccessibility" is analysed in terms of a discrepancy between the user and her/his environment and in terms of experience. Accessibility is analysed as a process of adjustment and practical arrangements between the person and her/his environment. The universalism of Universal Design is criticized in the way it tries to force the variety of users into the uniqueness of one materiality. Emphasis is put on diversity and the necessity of articulating this diversity in a plural world offering various resources that individuals can call upon to act, depending on what they are and on what they want to become.

A survey of psychology practice in critical-care settings.

PubMed

Stucky, Kirk; Jutte, Jennifer E; Warren, Ann Marie; Jackson, James C; Merbitz, Nancy

2016-05-01

The aims of this survey study were to (a) examine the frequency of health-service psychology involvement in intensive and critical-care settings; (b) characterize the distinguishing features of these providers; and (c) examine unique or distinguishing features of the hospital setting in which these providers are offering services. χ2 analyses were conducted for group comparisons of health-service psychologists: (a) providing services in critical care versus those with no or limited critical care activity and (b) involved in both critical care and rehabilitation versus those only involved in critical care. A total of 175 surveys met inclusion criteria and were included in the analyses. Psychologists who worked in critical-care settings at least monthly were more likely to be at a Level-1, χ2(1, N = 157) = 9.654, p = .002, or pediatric, χ2(1, N = 158) = 7.081, p = .008, trauma center. Psychologists involved with critical care were more likely to provide services on general medical-surgical units, χ2(1, N = 167) = 45.679, p = .000. A higher proportion of rehabilitation-oriented providers provided intensive care, critical care, and neurointensive care services relative to nonrehabilitation providers. The findings indicate that health-service psychologists are involved in critical-care settings and in various roles. A more broad-based survey of hospitals across the United States would be required to identify how frequently health-service psychologists are consulted and what specific services are most effective, valued, or desired in critical-care settings. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Critical opalescence in baryonic QCD matter.

PubMed

Antoniou, N G; Diakonos, F K; Kapoyannis, A S; Kousouris, K S

2006-07-21

We show that critical opalescence, a clear signature of second-order phase transition in conventional matter, manifests itself as critical intermittency in QCD matter produced in experiments with nuclei. This behavior is revealed in transverse momentum spectra as a pattern of power laws in factorial moments, to all orders, associated with baryon production. This phenomenon together with a similar effect in the isoscalar sector of pions (sigma mode) provide us with a set of observables associated with the search for the QCD critical point in experiments with nuclei at high energies.

Eye-Tracking and Corpus-Based Analyses of Syntax-Semantics Interactions in Complement Coercion

PubMed Central

Lowder, Matthew W.; Gordon, Peter C.

2016-01-01

Previous work has shown that the difficulty associated with processing complex semantic expressions is reduced when the critical constituents appear in separate clauses as opposed to when they appear together in the same clause. We investigated this effect further, focusing in particular on complement coercion, in which an event-selecting verb (e.g., began) combines with a complement that represents an entity (e.g., began the memo). Experiment 1 compared reading times for coercion versus control expressions when the critical verb and complement appeared together in a subject-extracted relative clause (SRC) (e.g., The secretary that began/wrote the memo) compared to when they appeared together in a simple sentence. Readers spent more time processing coercion expressions than control expressions, replicating the typical coercion cost. In addition, readers spent less time processing the verb and complement in SRCs than in simple sentences; however, the magnitude of the coercion cost did not depend on sentence structure. In contrast, Experiment 2 showed that the coercion cost was reduced when the complement appeared as the head of an object-extracted relative clause (ORC) (e.g., The memo that the secretary began/wrote) compared to when the constituents appeared together in an SRC. Consistent with the eye-tracking results of Experiment 2, a corpus analysis showed that expressions requiring complement coercion are more frequent when the constituents are separated by the clause boundary of an ORC compared to when they are embedded together within an SRC. The results provide important information about the types of structural configurations that contribute to reduced difficulty with complex semantic expressions, as well as how these processing patterns are reflected in naturally occurring language. PMID:28529960

Exploiting the information revolution: call for independent evaluation of the latest English national experiment.

PubMed

Scott, Philip

2015-02-19

The English National Health Service (NHS) has a long history of national experiments with information technology; some successful, others less so. The NHS England Five Year Forward View aspires to 'Exploit the information revolution' through the transformational work of the National Information Board (NIB). NIB has published a 'Framework for Action' that promotes citizen empowerment, information availability, transparency, public trust, innovation, informatics skills and societal value. The framework sets out many laudable and common sense ambitions, but is light on evidence to support its aspirations, or plans for its evaluation. Considerable resource was invested in evaluation studies in the later stages of the National Programme for IT in England, but the analyses do not seem to have been included. Most of the cited evidence is from an unpublished report by management consultants rather than independent peer-reviewed work. National experiments of this importance should be evidence based and properly evaluated so that each iteration of 'information revolution' produces an evidence base to inform subsequent generations of care provision models and technology innovation. Evaluation should be planned from the very start rather than added in as an afterthought. Like any good business plan there should be defined critical success factors for health and social care, and a declaration of how they might be measured. Unintended consequences should be qualitatively explored. Evaluation should also consider critical-interpretive social perspectives to understand the human factors in technology deployment and should seek a theoretically informed insight into the mechanisms of change. The NHS Five Year Forward View and the NIB framework set out challenging ambitions based on transformative use of information technology and collaborative partnerships with commissioners and providers. The framework stands up very well against the Hayes principles, but the learning opportunities associated with this programme should not be missed.

'There were more wires than him': the potential for wireless patient monitoring in neonatal intensive care.

PubMed

Bonner, Oliver; Beardsall, Kathryn; Crilly, Nathan; Lasenby, Joan

2017-02-01

The neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) can be one of the most stressful hospital environments. Alongside providing intensive clinical care, it is important that parents have the opportunity for regular physical contact with their babies because the neonatal period is critical for parent-child bonding. At present, monitoring technology in the NICU requires multiple wired sensors to track each baby's vital signs. This study describes the experiences that parents and nurses have with the current monitoring methods, and reports on their responses to the concept of a wireless monitoring system. Semistructured interviews were conducted with six parents, each of whom had babies on the unit, and seven nurses who cared for those babies. The interviews initially focused on the participants' experiences of the current wired system and then on their responses to the concept of a wireless system. The transcripts were analysed using a general inductive approach to identify relevant themes. Participants reported on physical and psychological barriers to parental care, the ways in which the current system obstructed the efficient delivery of clinical care and the perceived benefits and risks of a wireless system. The parents and nurses identified that the wires impeded baby-parent bonding; physically and psychologically. While a wireless system was viewed as potentially enabling greater interaction, staff and parents highlighted potential concerns, including the size, weight and battery life of any new device. The many wires required to safely monitor babies within the NICU creates a negative environment for parents at a critical developmental period, in terms of physical and psychological interactions. Nurses also experience challenges with the existing system, which could negatively impact the clinical care delivery. Developing a wireless system could overcome these barriers, but there remain challenges in designing a device suitable for this unique environment.

Critical Story Telling in Social Work Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Lesley

1994-01-01

Critical storytelling in a social work graduate program revealed personal and professional issues: intrusion of life experiences into the educational process, difficulty with being mature students, effects of previous negative educational experiences, and the contradictions and dilemmas inherent in social work. (SK)

What nurses involved in a Medical Emergency Teams consider the most vital areas of knowledge and skill when delivering care to the deteriorating ward patient. A nurse-oriented curriculum development project.

PubMed

Currey, Judy; Massey, Debbie; Allen, Josh; Jones, Daryl

2018-08-01

Critical care nurses have been involved in Rapid Response Teams since their inception, particularly in medically led RRTs, known as Medical Emergency Teams. It is assumed that critical care skills are required to escalate care for the deteriorating ward patient. However, evidence to support critical care nurses' involvement in METs is anecdotal. Currently, little is known about the educational requirements for nurses involved in RRT or METs. We aimed to identify and describe what nurses involved in a MET consider the most vital areas of knowledge and skill when delivering care to the deteriorating ward patient. An exploratory descriptive design was used and data was collected at a session of the Australian and New Zealand Intensive Care Society Rapid Response Team (ANZICS-RRT) Conference held at The Gold Coast, Australia in July 2015. All conference delegates were eligible to take part. Conference delegates totalled 293; 194 nurses, 89 doctors and 10 allied health professionals. Data collection took place in three phases, over a 90-minute period. First, demographic data were collected from all participants at the start of data collection. These data were collected using paper-based surveys. Second, extended response surveys; that is, paper-based surveys that asked open-ended questions to elicit free text responses, were used to collect participants' individual responses to the question: "What are the specific theoretical knowledge, skills and behavioural attributes required in a curricula to prepare nurses to be high functioning members of a MET?" Demographic, educational and work characteristics were descriptively analysed using SPSS (version 22). Participants perceptions of what knowledge, skills and attributes are required for nurses to recognise and respond to clinical deterioration were thematically analysed. Participants were predominantly female (88.3%, n = 91) with 54.4% (n = 56) holding a Bachelor of Nursing. Participants had a median of 20 years (IQR 16) experience as RNs, and a median of 14 years (IQR 13) experience in critical care. Participants formed part of METs frequently, with nearly half the cohort seeing clinically deteriorating patients more than once per day (37.9%, n = 33) or daily (10%, n = 9). Thematic analysis of survey responses revealed four main themes desired in Rapid Response Team Curricula: Clinical Deterioration Theory, Clinical Deterioration Skills, Rapid Response System Governance, and Professionalism and Teamwork. We suggest that a curriculum that educates nurses on the specific requirements of assessing, managing and evaluating all aspects of clinical deterioration is now required. Crown Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Understanding the Role of Critical Incidents in Relation to Self-Efficacy during Course-Embedded Preservice Teacher Field Experiences: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Epperly, Anna C.

2017-01-01

This qualitative, collective case study documented the development of the self-efficacy beliefs of special education preservice candidates during one semester of a course-embedded field experience in a small, private, faith-based university in the Midwest. Interviews of candidates regarding critical incidents in field experiences as documented by…

Statistical contact angle analyses; "slow moving" drops on a horizontal silicon-oxide surface.

PubMed

Schmitt, M; Grub, J; Heib, F

2015-06-01

Sessile drop experiments on horizontal surfaces are commonly used to characterise surface properties in science and in industry. The advancing angle and the receding angle are measurable on every solid. Specially on horizontal surfaces even the notions themselves are critically questioned by some authors. Building a standard, reproducible and valid method of measuring and defining specific (advancing/receding) contact angles is an important challenge of surface science. Recently we have developed two/three approaches, by sigmoid fitting, by independent and by dependent statistical analyses, which are practicable for the determination of specific angles/slopes if inclining the sample surface. These approaches lead to contact angle data which are independent on "user-skills" and subjectivity of the operator which is also of urgent need to evaluate dynamic measurements of contact angles. We will show in this contribution that the slightly modified procedures are also applicable to find specific angles for experiments on horizontal surfaces. As an example droplets on a flat freshly cleaned silicon-oxide surface (wafer) are dynamically measured by sessile drop technique while the volume of the liquid is increased/decreased. The triple points, the time, the contact angles during the advancing and the receding of the drop obtained by high-precision drop shape analysis are statistically analysed. As stated in the previous contribution the procedure is called "slow movement" analysis due to the small covered distance and the dominance of data points with low velocity. Even smallest variations in velocity such as the minimal advancing motion during the withdrawing of the liquid are identifiable which confirms the flatness and the chemical homogeneity of the sample surface and the high sensitivity of the presented approaches. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Characterization of the Group A Streptococcus Mga Virulence Regulator Reveals a Role for the C-terminal Region in Oligomerization and Transcriptional Activation

PubMed Central

Hondorp, Elise R.; Hou, Sherry C.; Hempstead, Andrew D.; Hause, Lara L.; Beckett, Dorothy M.; McIver, Kevin S.

2012-01-01

The Group A Streptococcus (GAS) is a strict human pathogen that causes a broad spectrum of illnesses. One of the key regulators of virulence in GAS is the transcriptional activator Mga, which coordinates the early stages of infection. Although the targets of Mga have been well characterized, basic biochemical analyses have been limited due to difficulties in obtaining purified protein. In this study, high-level purification of soluble Mga was achieved, enabling the first detailed characterization of the protein. Fluorescence titrations coupled with filter-binding assays indicate that Mga binds cognate DNA with nanomolar affinity. Gel filtration analyses, analytical ultracentrifugation, and co-immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrate that Mga forms oligomers in solution. Moreover, the ability of the protein to oligomerize in solution was found to correlate with transcriptional activation; DNA binding appears to be necessary but insufficient for full activity. Truncation analyses reveal that the uncharacterized C-terminal region of Mga, possessing similarity to phosphotransferase system EIIB proteins, plays a critical role in oligomerization and in vivo activity. Mga from a divergent serotype was found to behave similarly, suggesting that this study describes a general mechanism for Mga regulation of target virulence genes within GAS and provides insight into related regulators in other Gram-positive pathogens. PMID:22468267

Skylab experiment performance evaluation manual. Appendix F: Experiment M551 Metals melting (MSFC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Byers, M. S.

1973-01-01

Analyses for Experiment M551 Metals Melting (MSFC), to be used for evaluating the performance of the Skylab corollary experiments under preflight, inflight, and post-flight conditions are presented. Experiment contingency plan workaround procedure and malfunction analyses are presented in order to assist in making the experiment operationally successful.

Skylab experiment performance evaluation manual. Appendix H: Experiment M553 sphere forming (MSFC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomas, O. H., Jr.

1973-01-01

Analyses for Experiment M553 Sphere Forming (MSFC), to be used for evaluating the performance of the Skylab corollary experiments under preflight, inflight, and post-flight conditions are presented. Experiment contingency plan workaround procedure and malfunction analyses are presented in order to assist in making the experiment operationally successful.

Resettlement experiences and resilience in refugee youth in Perth, Western Australia.

PubMed

Earnest, Jaya; Mansi, Ruth; Bayati, Sara; Earnest, Joel Anthony; Thompson, Sandra C

2015-06-10

In Australia, the two major pathways of refugee entry are the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees resettlement programme and irregular maritime arrivals (IMAs) seeking asylum. The Australian Government's policies towards IMAs since July 2013 are controversial, uncompromising and consistently harsh, with asylum seekers held in detention centres for prolonged periods. Refugees and asylum seekers have distinct and unique stressors that make resettlement difficult. This exploratory study examines resettlement experiences for refugee youth in Western Australia using the psychosocial conceptual framework and qualitative methods. Focus group discussions and key informant interviews were undertaken with verbatim transcripts analysed using thematic analysis to identify themes. Themes documented that language and its impact, and experience with education, health, and social activities, support structures provided to youth and supporting future aspirations as critical to successful resettlement. This exploratory study contributes to developing a broader understanding of the resettlement experiences of refugee youth, drawing on their current and past experiences, cultural differences and mechanisms for coping. Fluency in English language, especially spoken, was a facilitator of successful resettlement. Our results align with previous studies documenting that support programs are vital for successful resettlement. Although faced with immense difficulties refugee youth are resilient, want to succeed and have aspirations for the future. Strategies and recommendations suggested by refugee youth themselves could be used for developing interventions to assist successful resettlement.

Catastrophic Failure Modes Assessment of the International Space Station Alpha

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lutz, B. E. P.; Goodwin, C. J.

1996-01-01

This report summarizes a series of analyses to quantify the hazardous effects of meteoroid/debris penetration of Space Station Alpha manned module protective structures. These analyses concentrate on determining (a) the critical crack length associated with six manned module pressure wall designs that, if exceeded, would lead to unstopped crack propagation and rupture of manned modules, and (b) the likelihood of crew or station loss following penetration of unsymmetrical di-methyl hydrazine tanks aboard the proposed Russian FGB ('Tug') propulsion module and critical elements aboard the control moment gyro module (SPP-1). Results from these quantified safety analyses are useful in improving specific design areas, thereby reducing the overall likelihood of crew or station loss following orbital debris penetration.

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

Marshall, Margaret A.

In the early 1970s Dr. John T. Mihalczo (team leader), J.J. Lynn, and J.R. Taylor performed experiments at the Oak Ridge Critical Experiments Facility (ORCEF) with highly enriched uranium (HEU) metal (called Oak Ridge Alloy or ORALLOY) in an effort to recreate GODIVA I results with greater accuracy than those performed at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the 1950s. The purpose of the Oak Ridge ORALLOY Sphere (ORSphere) experiments was to estimate the unreflected and unmoderated critical mass of an idealized sphere of uranium metal corrected to a density, purity, and enrichment such that it could be compared with themore » GODIVA I experiments. Additionally, various material reactivity worths, the surface material worth coefficient, the delayed neutron fraction, the prompt neutron decay constant, relative fission density, and relative neutron importance were all measured. The critical assembly, material reactivity worths, the surface material worth coefficient, and the delayed neutron fraction were all evaluated as benchmark experiment measurements. The reactor physics measurements are the focus of this paper; although for clarity the critical assembly benchmark specifications are briefly discussed.« less

Reactor Physics Measurements and Benchmark Specifications for Oak Ridge Highly Enriched Uranium Sphere (ORSphere)

DOE PAGES

Marshall, Margaret A.

2014-11-04

In the early 1970s Dr. John T. Mihalczo (team leader), J.J. Lynn, and J.R. Taylor performed experiments at the Oak Ridge Critical Experiments Facility (ORCEF) with highly enriched uranium (HEU) metal (called Oak Ridge Alloy or ORALLOY) in an effort to recreate GODIVA I results with greater accuracy than those performed at Los Alamos National Laboratory in the 1950s. The purpose of the Oak Ridge ORALLOY Sphere (ORSphere) experiments was to estimate the unreflected and unmoderated critical mass of an idealized sphere of uranium metal corrected to a density, purity, and enrichment such that it could be compared with themore » GODIVA I experiments. Additionally, various material reactivity worths, the surface material worth coefficient, the delayed neutron fraction, the prompt neutron decay constant, relative fission density, and relative neutron importance were all measured. The critical assembly, material reactivity worths, the surface material worth coefficient, and the delayed neutron fraction were all evaluated as benchmark experiment measurements. The reactor physics measurements are the focus of this paper; although for clarity the critical assembly benchmark specifications are briefly discussed.« less

Animal research as a basis for clinical trials.

PubMed

Faggion, Clovis M

2015-04-01

Animal experiments are critical for the development of new human therapeutics because they provide mechanistic information, as well as important information on efficacy and safety. Some evidence suggests that authors of animal research in dentistry do not observe important methodological issues when planning animal experiments, for example sample-size calculation. Low-quality animal research directly interferes with development of the research process in which multiple levels of research are interconnected. For example, high-quality animal experiments generate sound information for the further planning and development of randomized controlled trials in humans. These randomized controlled trials are the main source for the development of systematic reviews and meta-analyses, which will generate the best evidence for the development of clinical guidelines. Therefore, adequate planning of animal research is a sine qua non condition for increasing efficacy and efficiency in research. Ethical concerns arise when animal research is not performed with high standards. This Focus article presents the latest information on the standards of animal research in dentistry, more precisely in the field of implant dentistry. Issues on precision and risk of bias are discussed, and strategies to reduce risk of bias in animal research are reported. © 2015 Eur J Oral Sci.

First year doctors experience of work related wellbeing and implications for educational provision

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Objectives: To explore factors which affect newly qualified doctors’ wellbeing and look at the implications for educational provision. Methods Data were collected by free association narrative interviews of nine Foundation doctors and analysed using a grounded theory approach. Two Foundation programme directors were interviewed to verify data validity. Results Two main themes emerged: newly qualified doctors’ wellbeing is affected by 1) personal experience and 2) work related factors. They start work feeling unprepared by medical school, work experience (“shadowing”) or induction programmes at the beginning of the post. Senior colleague support and feedback are much valued but often lacking with little discussion of critical incidents and difficult issues. Challenges include sick patients, prescribing, patient/relative communication and no consistent team structure. Working shift patterns affects personal and social life. Enjoyment and reward come from helping patients, feelings of making a difference or teaching medical students. Conclusions Whilst becoming familiar with their roles, newly qualified doctors search for identity and build up resilience. The support given during this process affects their wellbeing including coping with day to day challenges, whether posts are experienced as rewarding and how work influences their personal and social lives. PMID:25341219

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

Jamieson-Hanes, Julia H.; Shrimpton, Heather K.; Veeramani, Harish

A flow-through cell experiment was conducted to evaluate Zn isotope fractionation during ZnS precipitation under microbially-mediated sulfate-reducing conditions. Synthetic groundwater containing 0.90 mM Zn was pumped through a cell containing creek sediment that was biostimulated to promote sulfate reducing conditions. Real-time, in situ X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) was applied at the Zn K-edge to collect spectra via a Kapton® window in the front of the cell over the course of the experiment. Aqueous effluent samples were collected and analysed to determine concentrations of anions and cations, and Zn isotope ratios. The flow rate was increased step-wise during the experiment tomore » modify the residence time and produce changes in the extent of sulfate reduction, which in turn controlled the extent of ZnS precipitation. Greater enrichment in the heavier isotope in the aqueous phase relative to the input solution was associated with more extensive Zn removal. A Rayleigh curve was fit to the isotope data, where ε = -0.27 ± 0.06‰ (2σ). Evaluation of Zn isotope fractionation under controlled flow conditions is critical to improve the efficacy of this powerful analytical technique when applied to natural systems or remediation projects in the field.« less

Experiences of young women living with developmental dysplasia of the hip: insight into their experiences of surgery and recovery.

PubMed

Gambling, Tina S; Long, Andrew F

2013-03-01

To explore the experiences of young women with developmental dysplasia of the hip explicating the impact of peri-acetabular osteotomy surgery and recovery in the short and longer term. Postings of five, selected women on an online active message board aimed at women with developmental dysplasia of the hip were analysed. Interest lay on their postings after they had had peri-acetabular osteotomy surgery. Data analysis was performed through the approach of interpretive phenomenological analysis. The time length of the postings for the cases ranged from 1 year to 6 years, and the number of postings varied substantially, from 48 to 591. Two major concepts were prominent across participants' accounts. The first concept, 'body image', centred on affects on the women's self-esteem and body image. The second, 'the long road to recovery', highlighted 'the emotional and physical battle of learning to walk' and concerns with 'saving my joints'. Developmental dysplasia of the hip potentially provides a critical case for exploration of the process of how a disability can affect confidence, self-esteem and body image. Recovery from this condition requires enormous effort, resilience and commitment from the women.

Comparing alternate learning pathways within a problem-based learning speech-language pathology curriculum.

PubMed

Erickson, Shane; Serry, Tanya Anne

2016-02-01

This qualitative study investigated the learning process for speech-language pathology (SLP) students engaging in a problem-based learning (PBL) curriculum and compared the perspectives of students from two pathways. Sixteen final-year SLP students participated in one of four focus groups. Half the participants entered the course directly via an undergraduate pathway and the other half entered via a graduate entry pathway. Each focus group comprised two students from each pathway. Data were generated via a semi-structured interview and analysed thematically. Regardless of participants' pathway, many similar themes about factors that influenced their expectations prior to PBL commencing as well as their actual PBL experiences were raised. Participants believed that PBL was a productive way to learn and to develop clinical competencies. Many were critical of variations in PBL facilitation styles and were sensitive to changes in facilitators. The majority of participants viewed experiential opportunities to engage in PBL prior to commencement of semester as advantageous. Combining students with different backgrounds has many advantages to the PBL learning process. Regardless of prior experiences, all students must be sufficiently prepared. Furthermore, the facilitator has a crucial role with the potential to optimise or detract from the learning experience.

Technology for the Future: In-Space Technology Experiments Program, part 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Breckenridge, Roger A. (Compiler); Clark, Lenwood G. (Compiler); Willshire, Kelli F. (Compiler); Beck, Sherwin M. (Compiler); Collier, Lisa D. (Compiler)

1991-01-01

The purpose of the Office of Aeronautics and Space Technology (OAST) In-Space Technology Experiments Program In-STEP 1988 Workshop was to identify and prioritize technologies that are critical for future national space programs and require validation in the space environment, and review current NASA (In-Reach) and industry/ university (Out-Reach) experiments. A prioritized list of the critical technology needs was developed for the following eight disciplines: structures; environmental effects; power systems and thermal management; fluid management and propulsion systems; automation and robotics; sensors and information systems; in-space systems; and humans in space. This is part two of two parts and contains the critical technology presentations for the eight theme elements and a summary listing of critical space technology needs for each theme.

No evidence of critical slowing down in two endangered Hawaiian honeycreepers

PubMed Central

Camp, Richard J.; Reed, J. Michael

2017-01-01

There is debate about the current population trends and predicted short-term fates of the endangered forest birds, Hawai`i Creeper (Loxops mana) and Hawai`i `Ākepa (L. coccineus). Using long-term population size estimates, some studies report forest bird populations as stable or increasing, while other studies report signs of population decline or impending extinction associated with introduced Japanese White-eye (Zosterops japonicus) increase. Reliable predictors of impending population collapse, well before the collapse begins, have been reported in simulations and microcosm experiments. In these studies, statistical indicators of critical slowing down, a phenomenon characterized by longer recovery rates after population size perturbation, are reported to be early warning signals of an impending regime shift observable prior to the tipping point. While the conservation applications of these metrics are commonly discussed, early warning signal detection methods are rarely applied to population size data from natural populations, so their efficacy and utility in species management remain unclear. We evaluated two time series of state-space abundance estimates (1987–2012) from Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, Hawai`i to test for evidence of early warning signals of impending population collapse for the Hawai`i Creeper and Hawai`i `Ākepa. We looked for signals throughout the time series, and prior to 2000, when white-eye abundance began increasing. We found no evidence for either species of increasing variance, autocorrelation, or skewness, which are commonly reported early warning signals. We calculated linear rather than ordinary skewness because the latter is biased, particularly for small sample sizes. Furthermore, we identified break-points in trends over time for both endangered species, indicating shifts in slopes away from strongly increasing trends, but they were only weakly supported by Bayesian change-point analyses (i.e., no step-wise changes in abundance). The break-point and change-point test results, in addition to the early warning signal analyses, support that the two populations do not appear to show signs of critical slowing down or decline. PMID:29131835

No evidence of critical slowing down in two endangered Hawaiian honeycreepers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rozek, Jessica C.; Camp, Richard J.; Reed, J. Michael

2017-01-01

There is debate about the current population trends and predicted short-term fates of the endangered forest birds, Hawai`i Creeper (Loxops mana) and Hawai`i `Ākepa (L. coccineus). Using long-term population size estimates, some studies report forest bird populations as stable or increasing, while other studies report signs of population decline or impending extinction associated with introduced Japanese White-eye (Zosterops japonicus) increase. Reliable predictors of impending population collapse, well before the collapse begins, have been reported in simulations and microcosm experiments. In these studies, statistical indicators of critical slowing down, a phenomenon characterized by longer recovery rates after population size perturbation, are reported to be early warning signals of an impending regime shift observable prior to the tipping point. While the conservation applications of these metrics are commonly discussed, early warning signal detection methods are rarely applied to population size data from natural populations, so their efficacy and utility in species management remain unclear. We evaluated two time series of state-space abundance estimates (1987–2012) from Hakalau Forest National Wildlife Refuge, Hawai`i to test for evidence of early warning signals of impending population collapse for the Hawai`i Creeper and Hawai`i `Ākepa. We looked for signals throughout the time series, and prior to 2000, when white-eye abundance began increasing. We found no evidence for either species of increasing variance, autocorrelation, or skewness, which are commonly reported early warning signals. We calculated linear rather than ordinary skewness because the latter is biased, particularly for small sample sizes. Furthermore, we identified break-points in trends over time for both endangered species, indicating shifts in slopes away from strongly increasing trends, but they were only weakly supported by Bayesian change-point analyses (i.e., no step-wise changes in abundance). The break-point and change-point test results, in addition to the early warning signal analyses, support that the two populations do not appear to show signs of critical slowing down or decline.

Petri net-based modelling of human-automation conflicts in aviation.

PubMed

Pizziol, Sergio; Tessier, Catherine; Dehais, Frédéric

2014-01-01

Analyses of aviation safety reports reveal that human-machine conflicts induced by poor automation design are remarkable precursors of accidents. A review of different crew-automation conflicting scenarios shows that they have a common denominator: the autopilot behaviour interferes with the pilot's goal regarding the flight guidance via 'hidden' mode transitions. Considering both the human operator and the machine (i.e. the autopilot or the decision functions) as agents, we propose a Petri net model of those conflicting interactions, which allows them to be detected as deadlocks in the Petri net. In order to test our Petri net model, we designed an autoflight system that was formally analysed to detect conflicting situations. We identified three conflicting situations that were integrated in an experimental scenario in a flight simulator with 10 general aviation pilots. The results showed that the conflicts that we had a-priori identified as critical had impacted the pilots' performance. Indeed, the first conflict remained unnoticed by eight participants and led to a potential collision with another aircraft. The second conflict was detected by all the participants but three of them did not manage the situation correctly. The last conflict was also detected by all the participants but provoked typical automation surprise situation as only one declared that he had understood the autopilot behaviour. These behavioural results are discussed in terms of workload and number of fired 'hidden' transitions. Eventually, this study reveals that both formal and experimental approaches are complementary to identify and assess the criticality of human-automation conflicts. Practitioner Summary: We propose a Petri net model of human-automation conflicts. An experiment was conducted with general aviation pilots performing a scenario involving three conflicting situations to test the soundness of our formal approach. This study reveals that both formal and experimental approaches are complementary to identify and assess the criticality conflicts.

Expert clinical reasoning and pain assessment in mechanically ventilated patients: A descriptive study.

PubMed

Gerber, Anne; Thevoz, Anne-Laure; Ramelet, Anne-Sylvie

2015-02-01

Pain assessment in mechanically ventilated patients is challenging, because nurses need to decode pain behaviour, interpret pain scores, and make appropriate decisions. This clinical reasoning process is inherent to advanced nursing practice, but is poorly understood. A better understanding of this process could contribute to improved pain assessment and management. This study aimed to describe the indicators that influence expert nurses' clinical reasoning when assessing pain in critically ill nonverbal patients. This descriptive observational study was conducted in the adult intensive care unit (ICU) of a tertiary referral hospital in Western Switzerland. A purposive sample of expert nurses, caring for nonverbal ventilated patients who received sedation and analgesia, were invited to participate in the study. Data were collected in "real life" using recorded think-aloud combined with direct non-participant observation and brief interviews. Data were analysed using deductive and inductive content analyses using a theoretical framework related to clinical reasoning and pain. Seven expert nurses with an average of 7.85 (±3.1) years of critical care experience participated in the study. The patients had respiratory distress (n=2), cardiac arrest (n=2), sub-arachnoid bleeding (n=1), and multi-trauma (n=2). A total of 1344 quotes in five categories were identified. Patients' physiological stability was the principal indicator for making decision in relation to pain management. Results also showed that it is a permanent challenge for nurses to discriminate situations requiring sedation from situations requiring analgesia. Expert nurses mainly used working knowledge and patterns to anticipate and prevent pain. Patient's clinical condition is important for making decision about pain in critically ill nonverbal patients. The concept of pain cannot be assessed in isolation and its assessment should take the patient's clinical stability and sedation into account. Further research is warranted to confirm these results. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The Communal Coping Model of Pain Catastrophizing in Daily Life: A Within-Couples Daily Diary Study

PubMed Central

Burns, John W.; Gerhart, James I.; Post, Kristina M.; Smith, David A.; Porter, Laura S.; Schuster, Erik; Buvanendran, Asokumar; Fras, Anne Marie; Keefe, Francis J.

2015-01-01

The Communal Coping Model (CCM) characterizes pain catastrophizing as a coping tactic whereby pain expression elicits assistance and empathic responses from others. Married couples (N = 105 couples; one spouse with chronic low back pain) completed electronic daily diary assessments 5 times/day for 14 days. On these diaries, patients reported pain catastrophizing, pain, function, and perceived spouse support, criticism and hostility. Non-patient spouses reported on their support, criticism, and hostility directed toward patients, as well as their observations of patient pain and pain behaviors. Hierarchical linear modeling tested concurrent and lagged (3 hours later) relationships. Principal findings included: a) within-person increases in pain catastrophizing were positively associated with spouse reports of patient pain behavior in concurrent and lagged analyses; b) within-person increases in pain catastrophizing were positively associated with patient perceptions of spouse support, criticism, and hostility in concurrent analyses; c) within-person increases in pain catastrophizing were negatively associated with spouse reports of criticism and hostility in lagged analyses. Spouses reported patient behaviors that were tied to elevated pain catastrophizing, and spouses changed their behavior during and following elevated pain catastrophizing episodes. Pain catastrophizing may affect the interpersonal environment of patients and spouses in ways consistent with the CCM. PMID:26320945

Competition of mesoscales and crossover to theta-point tricriticality in near-critical polymer solutions.

PubMed

Anisimov, M A; Kostko, A F; Sengers, J V; Yudin, I K

2005-10-22

The approach to asymptotic critical behavior in polymer solutions is governed by a competition between the correlation length of critical fluctuations diverging at the critical point of phase separation and an additional mesoscopic length scale, the radius of gyration. In this paper we present a theory for crossover between two universal regimes: a regime with Ising (fluctuation-induced) asymptotic critical behavior, where the correlation length prevails, and a mean-field tricritical regime with theta-point behavior controlled by the mesoscopic polymer chain. The theory yields a universal scaled description of existing experimental phase-equilibria data and is in excellent agreement with our light-scattering experiments on polystyrene solutions in cyclohexane with polymer molecular weights ranging from 2 x 10(5) up to 11.4 x 10(6). The experiments demonstrate unambiguously that crossover to theta-point tricriticality is controlled by a competition of the two mesoscales. The critical amplitudes deduced from our experiments depend on the polymer molecular weight as predicted by de Gennes [Phys. Lett. 26A, 313 (1968)]. Experimental evidence for the presence of logarithmic corrections to mean-field tricritical theta-point behavior in the molecular-weight dependence of the critical parameters is also presented.

The uncanny, alienation and strangeness: the entwining of political and medical metaphor.

PubMed

Edgar, Andrew

2011-08-01

This paper offers a critical response to Fredrik Svenaeus' use of the Heideggerian uncanny to analyse the experience of illness. It is argued that the uncanny is part of a culture of concepts through which the condition of modernity has been analysed by philosophers, social theorists, writers and artists. All centre upon the idea of alienation, and thus not being at home in the society that should be one's home. This association will be exploited to offer a reinterpretation of Svenaeus' thesis as a sociological and political, rather than an ontological, one. By reviewing the work of Hegelian philosophers, Georg Simmel, and novelists, represented by Mann, Camus and McCullers, it will be argued that illness is bound up with social alienation, both as something that is caused by conditions of alienation and as an interpretative response to alienation. Seeing illness as a metaphor of the human condition in modernity allows the medical humanities to inform therapy, that would allow the patient to understand their illness, not as the ontological condition of Dasein, but rather as something mediated by modern social, economic and political conditions.

Neutronics Analyses of the Minimum Original HEU TREAT Core

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

Kontogeorgakos, D.; Connaway, H.; Yesilyurt, G.

2014-04-01

This work was performed to support the feasibility study on the potential conversion of the Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) at Idaho National Laboratory from the use of high-enriched uranium (HEU) fuel to the use of low-enriched uranium (LEU) fuel. The analyses were performed by the GTRI Reactor Conversion staff at the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). The objective of this study was to validate the MCNP model of the TREAT reactor with the well-documented measurements which were taken during the start-up and early operation of TREAT. Furthermore, the effect of carbon graphitization was also addressed. The graphitization level was assumedmore » to be 100% (ANL/GTRI/TM-13/4). For this purpose, a set of experiments was chosen to validate the TREAT MCNP model, involving the approach to criticality procedure, in-core neutron flux measurements with foils, and isothermal temperature coefficient and temperature distribution measurements. The results of this study extended the knowledge base for the TREAT MCNP calculations and established the credibility of the MCNP model to be used in the core conversion feasibility analysis.« less

Designing Preclinical Perceptibility Measures to Evaluate Topical Vaginal Gel Formulations: Relating User Sensory Perceptions and Experiences to Formulation Properties

PubMed Central

Fava, Joseph L.; Rosen, Rochelle K.; Vargas, Sara; Shaw, Julia G.; Kojic, E. Milu; Kiser, Patrick F.; Friend, David R.; Katz, David F.

2014-01-01

Abstract The effectiveness of any biomedical prevention technology relies on both biological efficacy and behavioral adherence. Microbicide trials have been hampered by low adherence, limiting the ability to draw meaningful conclusions about product effectiveness. Central to this problem may be an inadequate conceptualization of how product properties themselves impact user experience and adherence. Our goal is to expand the current microbicide development framework to include product “perceptibility,” the objective measurement of user sensory perceptions (i.e., sensations) and experiences of formulation performance during use. For vaginal gels, a set of biophysical properties, including rheological properties and measures of spreading and retention, may critically impact user experiences. Project LINK sought to characterize the user experience in this regard, and to validate measures of user sensory perceptions and experiences (USPEs) using four prototype topical vaginal gel formulations designed for pericoital use. Perceptibility scales captured a range of USPEs during the product application process (five scales), ambulation after product insertion (six scales), and during sexual activity (eight scales). Comparative statistical analyses provided empirical support for hypothesized relationships between gel properties, spreading performance, and the user experience. Project LINK provides preliminary evidence for the utility of evaluating USPEs, introducing a paradigm shift in the field of microbicide formulation design. We propose that these user sensory perceptions and experiences initiate cognitive processes in users resulting in product choice and willingness-to-use. By understanding the impact of USPEs on that process, formulation development can optimize both drug delivery and adherence. PMID:24180360

Designing preclinical perceptibility measures to evaluate topical vaginal gel formulations: relating user sensory perceptions and experiences to formulation properties.

PubMed

Morrow, Kathleen M; Fava, Joseph L; Rosen, Rochelle K; Vargas, Sara; Shaw, Julia G; Kojic, E Milu; Kiser, Patrick F; Friend, David R; Katz, David F

2014-01-01

Abstract The effectiveness of any biomedical prevention technology relies on both biological efficacy and behavioral adherence. Microbicide trials have been hampered by low adherence, limiting the ability to draw meaningful conclusions about product effectiveness. Central to this problem may be an inadequate conceptualization of how product properties themselves impact user experience and adherence. Our goal is to expand the current microbicide development framework to include product "perceptibility," the objective measurement of user sensory perceptions (i.e., sensations) and experiences of formulation performance during use. For vaginal gels, a set of biophysical properties, including rheological properties and measures of spreading and retention, may critically impact user experiences. Project LINK sought to characterize the user experience in this regard, and to validate measures of user sensory perceptions and experiences (USPEs) using four prototype topical vaginal gel formulations designed for pericoital use. Perceptibility scales captured a range of USPEs during the product application process (five scales), ambulation after product insertion (six scales), and during sexual activity (eight scales). Comparative statistical analyses provided empirical support for hypothesized relationships between gel properties, spreading performance, and the user experience. Project LINK provides preliminary evidence for the utility of evaluating USPEs, introducing a paradigm shift in the field of microbicide formulation design. We propose that these user sensory perceptions and experiences initiate cognitive processes in users resulting in product choice and willingness-to-use. By understanding the impact of USPEs on that process, formulation development can optimize both drug delivery and adherence.

Patient and Family Member-Led Research in the Intensive Care Unit: A Novel Approach to Patient-Centered Research.

PubMed

Gill, Marlyn; Bagshaw, Sean M; McKenzie, Emily; Oxland, Peter; Oswell, Donna; Boulton, Debbie; Niven, Daniel J; Potestio, Melissa L; Shklarov, Svetlana; Marlett, Nancy; Stelfox, Henry T

2016-01-01

Engaging patients and family members as partners in research increases the relevance of study results and enhances patient-centered care; how to best engage patients and families in research is unknown. We tested a novel research approach that engages and trains patients and family members as researchers to see if we could understand and describe the experiences of patients admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) and their families. Former patients and family members conducted focus groups and interviews with patients (n = 11) and families of surviving (n = 14) and deceased (n = 7) patients from 13 ICUs in Alberta Canada, and analyzed data using conventional content analysis. Separate blinded qualitative researchers conducted an independent analysis. Participants described three phases in the patient/family "ICU journey"; admission to ICU, daily care in ICU, and post-ICU experience. Admission to ICU was characterized by family shock and disorientation with families needing the presence and support of a provider. Participants described five important elements of daily care: honoring the patient's voice, the need to know, decision-making, medical care, and culture in ICU. The post-ICU experience was characterized by the challenges of the transition from ICU to a hospital ward and long-term effects of critical illness. These "ICU journey" experiences were described as integral to appropriate interactions with the care team and comfort and trust in the ICU, which were perceived as essential for a community of caring. Participants provided suggestions for improvement: 1) provide a dedicated family navigator, 2) increase provider awareness of the fragility of family trust, 3) improve provider communication skills, 4) improve the transition from ICU to hospital ward, and 5) inform patients about the long-term effects of critical illness. Analyses by independent qualitative researchers identified similar themes. Patient and family member-led research is feasible and can identify opportunities for improving care.

Crisis resolution and home treatment: stakeholders' views on critical ingredients and implementation in England.

PubMed

Morant, Nicola; Lloyd-Evans, Brynmor; Lamb, Danielle; Fullarton, Kate; Brown, Eleanor; Paterson, Beth; Istead, Hannah; Kelly, Kathleen; Hindle, David; Fahmy, Sarah; Henderson, Claire; Mason, Oliver; Johnson, Sonia

2017-07-17

Crisis resolution teams (CRTs) can provide effective home-based treatment for acute mental health crises, although critical ingredients of the model have not been clearly identified, and implementation has been inconsistent. In order to inform development of a more highly specified CRT model that meets service users' needs, this study used qualitative methods to investigate stakeholders' experiences and views of CRTs, and what is important in good quality home-based crisis care. Semi-structured interviews and focus groups were conducted with service users (n = 41), carers (n = 20) and practitioners (CRT staff, managers and referrers; n = 147, 26 focus groups, 9 interviews) in 10 mental health catchment areas in England, and with international CRT developers (n = 11). Data were analysed using thematic analysis. Three domains salient to views about optimal care were identified. 1. The organisation of CRT care: Providing a rapid initial responses, and frequent home visits from the same staff were seen as central to good care, particularly by service users and carers. Being accessible, reliable, and having some flexibility were also valued. Negative experiences of some referral pathways, and particularly lack of staff continuity were identified as problematic. 2. The content of CRT work: Emotional support was at the centre of service users' experiences. All stakeholder groups thought CRTs should involve the whole family, and offer a range of interventions. However, carers often feel excluded, and medication is often prioritised over other forms of support. 3. The role of CRTs within the care system: Gate-keeping admissions is seen as a key role for CRTs within the acute care system. Service users and carers report that recovery is quicker compared to in-patient care. Lack of knowledge and misunderstandings about CRTs among referrers are common. Overall, levels of stakeholder agreement about the critical ingredients of good crisis care were high, although aspects of this were not always seen as achievable. Stakeholders' views about optimal CRT care suggest that staff continuity, carer involvement, and emotional and practical support should be prioritised in service improvements and more clearly specified CRT models.

Skylab experiment performance evaluation manual. Appendix K: Experiment S009 nuclear emulsion (MSFC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyers, J. E.

1972-01-01

A series of analyses are presented for Experiment S009, nuclear emulsion (MSFC), to be used for evaluating the performance of the Skylab corollary experiments under preflight, inflight, and postflight conditions. Experiment contingency plan workaround procedure and malfunction analyses are included in order to assist in making the experiment operationally successful.

Skylab experiment performance evaluation manual. Appendix N: Experiment S183 ultraviolet panorama (MSFC), revision 1

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Purushotham, K. S.

1972-01-01

A series is presented of analyses for Experiment S183, Ultraviolet Panorama (MSFC), to be used for evaluating the performance of the Skylab corollary experiments under preflight, inflight, and post-flight conditions. Experiment contingency plan workaround procedure and malfunction analyses are presented in order to assist in making the experiment operationally successful.

Skylab experiment performance evaluation manual. Appendix P: Experiment T003 inflight aerosol analysis (DOT/MSFC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Purushotham, K. S.

1972-01-01

A series of analyses is presented for experiment T003, inflight aerosol analysis, to be used for evaluating the performance of the Skylab corollary experiments under preflight, inflight, and post-flight conditions. Experiment contingency plan workaround procedure and malfunction analyses are presented in order to assist in making the experiment operationally successful.

Skylab experiment performance evaluation manual. Appendix S: Experiment T027 contamination measurement sample array (MSFC)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tonetti, B. B.

1973-01-01

Analyses for Experiment T027, Contamination Measurement Sample Array (MSFC), to be used for evaluating the performance of the Skylab corrollary experiments under preflight, inflight, and post-flight conditions are presented. Experiment contingency plan workaround procedure and malfunction analyses are presented in order to assist in making the experiment operationally successful.

African Education and Globalization: Critical Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdi, Ali A., Ed.; Puplampu, Korbla P., Ed.; Dei, George J. Sefa, Ed.

2006-01-01

Containing both theoretical discussions of globalization and specific case analyses of individual African countries, this collection of essays examines the intersections of African education and globalization with multiple analytical and geographical emphases and intentions. The 11 essays critically analyze the issues from historical, cultural,…

Health education as education of the oppressed.

PubMed

van Wyk, N C

1999-12-01

Paolo Freire's theory of critical thinking shows remarkable similarities to the principles supported by health education. In his capacity as Brazilian educationalist, Freire emphasized man's active participation in his own development. Without this active involvement, growth and development become quite impossible to attain. Freire's theory is therefore generally well suited for use by those supporters of the currently emphasised actions of community empowerment and community involvement. Health education, and more particularly successful health education, is nothing more than community empowerment. It enables each individual, within a community, to take control of his/her own life and well-being. The health care professional cannot assign power and control to the individual; it can only be assumed by each individual within the community. In this regard it becomes evident that passive conveyance of the health care message, albeit from health care professional to individual recipient (in this instance to the patient), is of no use to the community, whereas active involvement of the individual displays greater success. According to Paolo Freire, health education should focus on collective knowledge, the latter being the result of the group dynamics, produced by discussion on past experiences, and the analyses there-of. The professional guides these dynamic processes, not only to identify needs regarding health education, but also to assist in making decisions on health. Ultimately each individual will then experience the responsibility for his/her own health. A discussion of the use of the theory of critical thinking, as well as the implementation there-of in practice, is provided.

Test of phi(sup 2) model predictions near the (sup 3)He liquid-gas critical point

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barmatz, M.; Zhong, F.; Hahn, I.

2000-01-01

NASA is supporting the development of an experiment called MISTE (Microgravity Scaling Theory Experiment) for future International Space Station mission. The main objective of this flight experiment is to perform in-situ PVT, heat capacity at constant volume, C(sub v) and chi(sub tau), measurements in the asymptotic region near the (sup 3)He liquid-gas critical point.

Singapore: Bridgehead of the West or Counterforce? The S[t]imulation of Creative and Critical Thought in Singapore's Higher Education Policies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoofd, Ingrid

2010-01-01

This paper argues that the welcoming by western humanists of pedagogies of critical and creative thinking in Asian universities--as if such thinking will breed an eastern counter-voice to western neo-liberalism--is misguided. The paper will question the rise of creative and critical thinking in higher education in Asia by analysing the…

IER-297 CED-2: Final Design for Thermal/Epithermal eXperiments with Jemima Plates with Polyethylene and Hafnium

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

Nelson, A. J.; Percher, C. M.; Zywiec, W. J.

This report presents the final design (CED-2) for IER-297, and focuses on 15 critical configurations using highly enriched uranium (HEU) Jemima plates moderated by polyethylene with and without hafnium diluent. The goal of the U.S. Nuclear Criticality Safety Program’s Thermal/Epithermal eXperiments (TEX) is to design and conduct new critical experiments to address high priority nuclear data needs from the nuclear criticality safety and nuclear data communities, with special emphasis on intermediate energy (0.625 eV – 100 keV) assemblies that can be easily modified to include various high priority diluent materials. The TEX (IER 184) CED-1 Report [1], completed in 2012,more » demonstrated the feasibility of meeting the TEX goals with two existing NCSP fissile assets, plutonium Zero Power Physics Reactor (ZPPR) plates and highly enriched uranium (HEU) Jemima plates. The first set of TEX experiments will focus on using the plutonium ZPPR plates with polyethylene moderator and tantalum diluents.« less

Self-critical perfectionism and its relationship to fatigue and pain in the daily flow of life in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome.

PubMed

Kempke, S; Luyten, P; Claes, S; Goossens, L; Bekaert, P; Van Wambeke, P; Van Houdenhove, B

2013-05-01

Research suggests that the personality factor of self-critical or maladaptive perfectionism may be implicated in chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). However, it is not clear whether self-critical perfectionism (SCP) also predicts daily symptoms in CFS. Method In the present study we investigated whether SCP predicted fatigue and pain over a 14-day period in a sample of 90 CFS patients using a diary method approach. After completing the Depressive Experiences Questionnaire (DEQ) as a measure of SCP, patients were asked each day for 14 days to complete Visual Analogue Scales (VAS) of fatigue, pain and severity of depression. Data were analysed using multilevel analysis. The results from unconditional models revealed considerable fluctuations in fatigue over the 14 days, suggesting strong temporal variability in fatigue. By contrast, pain was relatively stable over time but showed significant inter-individual differences. Congruent with expectations, fixed-effect models showed that SCP was prospectively associated with higher daily fatigue and pain levels over the 14-day period, even after controlling for levels of depression. This is the first study to show that SCP predicts both fatigue and pain symptoms in CFS in the daily course of life. Hence, therapeutic interventions aimed at targeting SCP should be considered in the treatment of CFS patients with such features.

The possibility of a tipping point in the Arctic sea ice cover, and associated early-warning signals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jastamin Steene, Rebekka

2017-04-01

As the Arctic sea ice has become one of the primer indicators of global climate change, with a seemingly accelerated loss in both ice extent and volume the latest decades, the existence of a tipping point related to the Arctic sea ice cover has been widely debated. Several observed and potential abrupt transitions in the climate system may be interpreted as bifurcations in randomly driven dynamical systems. This means that a system approaching a bifurcation point shifts from one stable state to another, and we say that the system is subject to a critical transition. As the equilibrium states become unstable in the vicinity of a bifurcation point the characteristic relaxation times increases, and the system is said to experience a "critical slowing down". This makes it plausible to observe so called early-warning signals (EWS) when approaching a critical transition. In the Arctic non-linear mechanisms like the temperature response of the ice-albedo feedback can potentially cause a sudden shift to an ice-free Arctic Ocean. Using bifurcation theory and potential analyses we examine time series of observational data of the Arctic sea ice, investigating the possibility of multiple states in the behavior of the ice cover. We further debate whether a shift between states is irreversible, and whether it can be preluded by early-warning signals.

Fracture analysis of stiffened panels under biaxial loading with widespread cracking

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newman, J. C., Jr.; Dawicke, D. S.

1995-01-01

An elastic-plastic finite-element analysis with a critical crack-tip-opening angle (CTOA) fracture criterion was used to model stable crack growth and fracture of 2024-T3 aluminum alloy (bare and clad) panels for several thicknesses. The panels had either single or multiple-site damage (MSD) cracks subjected to uniaxial or biaxial loading. Analyses were also conducted on cracked stiffened panels with single or MSD cracks. The critical CTOA value for each thickness was determined by matching the failure load on a middle-crack tension specimen. Comparisons were made between the critical angles determined from the finite-element analyses and those measured with photographic methods. Predicted load-against-crack extension and failure loads for panels under biaxial loading, panels with MSD cracks, and panels with various number of stiffeners were compared with test data, whenever possible. The predicted results agreed well with the test data even for large-scale plastic deformations. The analyses were also able to predict stable tearing behavior of a large lead crack in the presence of MSD cracks. The analyses were then used to study the influence of stiffeners on residual strength in the presence of widespread fatigue cracking. Small MSD cracks were found to greatly reduce the residual strength for large lead cracks even for stiffened panels.

Fracture analysis of stiffened panels under biaxial loading with widespread cracking

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Newman, J. C., Jr.

1995-01-01

An elastic-plastic finite-element analysis with a critical crack-tip opening angle (CTOA) fracture criterion was used to model stable crack growth and fracture of 2024-T3 aluminum alloy (bare and clad) panels for several thicknesses. The panels had either single or multiple-site damage (MSD) cracks subjected to uniaxial or biaxial loading. Analyses were also conducted on cracked stiffened panels with single or MSD cracks. The critical CTOA value for each thickness was determined by matching the failure load on a middle-crack tension specimen. Comparisons were made between the critical angles determined from the finite-element analyses and those measured with photographic methods. Predicted load-against-crack extension and failure loads for panels under biaxial loading, panels with MSD cracks, and panels with various numbers of stiffeners were compared with test data whenever possible. The predicted results agreed well with the test data even for large-scale plastic deformations. The analyses were also able to predict stable tearing behavior of a large lead crack in the presence of MSD cracks. The analyses were then used to study the influence of stiffeners on residual strength in the presence of widespread fatigue cracking. Small MSD cracks were found to greatly reduce the residual strength for large lead cracks even for stiffened panels.

Criticality in a non-equilibrium, driven system: charged colloidal rods (fd-viruses) in electric fields.

PubMed

Kang, K; Dhont, J K G

2009-11-01

Experiments on suspensions of charged colloidal rods (fd-virus particles) in external electric fields are performed, which show that a non-equilibrium critical point can be identified. Several transition lines of field-induced phases and states meet at this point and it is shown that there is a length- and time-scale which diverge at the non-equilibrium critical point. The off-critical and critical behavior is characterized, with both power law and logarithmic divergencies. These experiments show that analogous features of the classical, critical divergence of correlation lengths and relaxation times in equilibrium systems are also exhibited by driven systems that are far out of equilibrium, related to phases/states that do not exist in the absence of the external field.

FOEHN: The critical experiment for the Franco-German High Flux Reactor

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

Scharmer, K.; Eckert, H. G.

1991-01-01

A critical experiment for the Franco-German High Flux Reactor was carried out in the French reactor EOLE (CEN Cadarache). The purpose of the experiment was to check the calculation methods in a realistic geometry and to measure effects that can only be calculated imprecisely (e.g. beam hole effects). The structure of the experiment and the measurement and calculation methods are described. A detailed comparison between theoretical and experimental results was performed. 30 refs., 105 figs.

Applying critical thinking to nursing.

PubMed

Price, Bob

2015-08-19

Critical thinking and writing are skills that are not easy to acquire. The term 'critical' is used differently in social and clinical contexts. Nursing students need time to master the inquisitive and ruminative aspects of critical thinking that are required in academic environments. This article outlines what is meant by critical thinking in academic settings, in relation to both theory and reflective practice. It explains how the focus of a question affects the sort of critical thinking required and offers two taxonomies of learning, to which students can refer when analysing essay requirements. The article concludes with examples of analytical writing in reference to theory and reflective practice.

Microgravity

NASA Image and Video Library

2001-01-24

Dr. Dr. Robert F. Berg (right), principal investigator and Dr. Micheal R. Moldover (left), co-investigator, for the Critical Viscosity of Xenon (CVX/CVX-2) experiment. They are with the National Institutes of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD. The Critical Viscosity of Xenon Experiment (CVX-2) on the STS-107 Research 1 mission in 2002 will measure the viscous behavior of xenon, a heavy inert gas used in flash lamps and ion rocket engines, at its critical point. Although it does not easily combine with other chemicals, its viscosity at the critical point can be used as a model for a range of chemicals.

Thermal stability and kinetics of decomposition of ammonium nitrate in the presence of pyrite.

PubMed

Gunawan, Richard; Zhang, Dongke

2009-06-15

The interaction between ammonium nitrate based industrial explosives and pyrite-rich minerals in mining operations can lead to the occurrence of spontaneous explosion of the explosives. In an effort to provide a scientific basis for safe applications of industrial explosives in reactive mining grounds containing pyrite, ammonium nitrate decomposition, with and without the presence of pyrite, was studied using a simultaneous Differential Scanning Calorimetry and Thermogravimetric Analyser (DSC-TGA) and a gas-sealed isothermal reactor, respectively. The activation energy and the pre-exponential factor of ammonium nitrate decomposition were determined to be 102.6 kJ mol(-1) and 4.55 x 10(7)s(-1) without the presence of pyrite and 101.8 kJ mol(-1) and 2.57 x 10(9)s(-1) with the presence of pyrite. The kinetics of ammonium nitrate decomposition was then used to calculate the critical temperatures for ammonium nitrate decomposition with and without the presence of pyrite, based on the Frank-Kamenetskii model of thermal explosion. It was shown that the presence of pyrite reduces the temperature for, and accelerates the rate of, decomposition of ammonium nitrate. It was further shown that pyrite can significantly reduce the critical temperature of ammonium nitrate decomposition, causing undesired premature detonation of the explosives. The critical temperature also decreases with increasing diameter of the blast holes charged with the explosive. The concept of using the critical temperature as indication of the thermal stability of the explosives to evaluate the risk of spontaneous explosion was verified in the gas-sealed isothermal reactor experiments.

Encouraging Critical Clinical Thinking (CCT) Skills in First-Year Veterinary Students.

PubMed

Ferguson, Duncan C; McNeil, Leslie Klis; Schaeffe, David J; Mills, Eric M

First-year didactic course instructors at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine leverage earlier clinical rotation experiences with weekly "Clinical Correlations" exercises to provide early exposure to critical clinical thinking (CCT). This study evaluated the efficacy of individual and paired group exercises on CCT development. Before and after instruction, the Cornell Critical Thinking Test (Level Z) (CCTTZ) was administered. Based on the hypothesis that students with higher scores would coach lower-scoring colleagues during group exercises, heterogeneous groups with similar mean scores were established for the year. Students completed 14 individual and paired group exercises over 6 months. Exercises were designed to increase in complexity and decline in scaffolding. Seven of the exercises were cases using the Applied Learning Platform (ALP) at http://www.whenknowingmatters.com . Student analyses were scored according to a six-category critical-thinking rubric using a 5-point scale. Consistent with our hypothesis, individual and group rubric scores increased significantly, plateauing near the end of the year. Contrary to our hypothesis, mean overall CCTTZ scores did not change, but there was a small statistically significant increase in the ability to assess the validity of an argument. Student attitudes were mixed. Positive comments focused on reinforcement of prior didactic instruction, while negative comments focused on preparation time needed to conduct research on clinical concepts, and on a lack of explicit evaluation by summative examinations. Nonetheless, end-of-year GPAs correlated linearly with cumulative individual rubric scores. In summary, the value of early curriculum CCT training was confirmed when discipline-specific criteria were applied.

Disruption in neural phase synchrony is related to identification of inattentional deafness in real-world setting.

PubMed

Callan, Daniel E; Gateau, Thibault; Durantin, Gautier; Gonthier, Nicolas; Dehais, Frédéric

2018-06-01

Individuals often have reduced ability to hear alarms in real world situations (e.g., anesthesia monitoring, flying airplanes) when attention is focused on another task, sometimes with devastating consequences. This phenomenon is called inattentional deafness and usually occurs under critical high workload conditions. It is difficult to simulate the critical nature of these tasks in the laboratory. In this study, dry electroencephalography is used to investigate inattentional deafness in real flight while piloting an airplane. The pilots participating in the experiment responded to audio alarms while experiencing critical high workload situations. It was found that missed relative to detected alarms were marked by reduced stimulus evoked phase synchrony in theta and alpha frequencies (6-14 Hz) from 120 to 230 ms poststimulus onset. Correlation of alarm detection performance with intertrial coherence measures of neural phase synchrony showed different frequency and time ranges for detected and missed alarms. These results are consistent with selective attentional processes actively disrupting oscillatory coherence in sensory networks not involved with the primary task (piloting in this case) under critical high load conditions. This hypothesis is corroborated by analyses of flight parameters showing greater maneuvering associated with difficult phases of flight occurring during missed alarms. Our results suggest modulation of neural oscillation is a general mechanism of attention utilizing enhancement of phase synchrony to sharpen alarm perception during successful divided attention, and disruption of phase synchrony in brain networks when attentional demands of the primary task are great, such as in the case of inattentional deafness. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Criticism by community people and poor workplace communication as risk factors for the mental health of local welfare workers after the Great East Japan Earthquake: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Ueda, Ikki; Sakuma, Atsushi; Takahashi, Yoko; Shoji, Wataru; Nagao, Ayami; Abe, Mikika; Suzuki, Yuriko; Matsuoka, Hiroo; Matsumoto, Kazunori

2017-01-01

After a large-scale natural disaster, demand for social welfare services increases, and the mental health of local social welfare workers becomes a matter of great concern because of their dual role as support providers and disaster survivors. We examined whether work-related social stressors, including criticism by community people and poor workplace communication, were associated with increased risk of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, or psychological distress 20-22 months after the Great East Japan Earthquake (GEJE; March 11, 2011) in local social welfare workers. Demographic characteristics, disaster-related risk factors (near-death experience, dead/missing family members, loss of housing), and work-related social risk factors (criticism, lack of communication) were obtained 20-22 months after the GEJE from 822 local workers. Questionnaires measured PTSD, depression, and psychological stress. Bivariate and multivariate regression analyses were applied. More local social welfare workers suffered from mental health problems than would be expected. Criticism by community people was significantly associated with probable PTSD and high psychological distress (adjusted odds ratio = 2.31 and 2.55, respectively). Furthermore, lack of workplace communication was associated with probable PTSD, depression, and high psychological distress (adjusted odds ratio = 3.97, 4.27, and 4.65, respectively). Almost 2 years after the disaster, local relief workers still suffered from mental health problems. Because post-disaster work-related social stressors constitute risk factors for these mental health problems, measures to improve working conditions and prevent and treat mental disorders should be a priority.

Enhanced early warning system impact on nursing practice: A phenomenological study.

PubMed

Burns, Kathleen A; Reber, Tracey; Theodore, Karen; Welch, Brenda; Roy, Debra; Siedlecki, Sandra L

2018-05-01

To determine how an enhanced early warning system has an impact on nursing practice. Early warning systems score physiologic measures and alert nurses to subtle changes in patient condition. Critics of early warning systems have expressed concern that nurses would rely on a score rather than assessment skills and critical thinking to determine the need for intervention. Enhancing early warning systems with innovative technology is still in its infancy, so the impact of an enhanced early warning system on nursing behaviours or practice has not yet been studied. Phenomenological design. Scripted, semistructured interviews were conducted in September 2015 with 25 medical/surgical nurses who used the enhanced early warning system. Data were analysed using thematic analysis techniques (coding and bracketing). Emerging themes were examined for relationships and a model describing the enhanced early warning system experience was developed. Nurses identified awareness leading to investigation and ease of prioritization as the enhanced early warning system's most important impact on their nursing practice. There was also an impact on organizational culture, with nurses reporting improved communication, increased collaboration, increased accountability and proactive responses to early changes in patient condition. Rather than hinder critical thinking, as many early warning systems' critics claim, nurses in this study found that the enhanced early warning system increased their awareness of changes in a patient's condition, resulting in earlier response and reassessment times. It also had an impact on the organization by improving communication and collaboration and supporting a culture of proactive rather than reactive response to early signs of deterioration. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Brief Survey of the Equilibrium and Transport Properties of Critical Fluids and the Degree to Which Microgravity is Required for Their Experimental Investigation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ferrell, Richard A.

1996-01-01

The modern theory of second order phase transitions is very successful in calculating the critical exponents as an asymptotic expansion in powers of epsilon = 4 - D, the deviation of D = 3, the spatial dimension of the actual physical system from that of the abstract four-dimensional reference model. This remarkable mathematical 'tour de force' leaves unanswered, however, many fundamental questions concerning the exact nature of how the fluctuations interact. I discuss here some experiments which would help to further our understanding of the equilibrium critical properties. Especially promising would be a measurement of the temperature dependence of the turbidity very close to the critical point. This has the promise of determining the small and elusive but fundamentally important anomalous dimension exponent eta. I also review various ways of measuring the critical transport coefficients and point out some cases where ground based experiments may usefully supplement flight experiments.