The Influence of Competitive and Cooperative Group Game Play on State Hostility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eastin, Matthew S.

2007-01-01

Most research on violent video game play suggests a positive relationship with aggression-related outcomes. Expanding this research, the current study examines the impact group size, game motivation, in-game behavior, and verbal aggression have on postgame play hostility. Consistent with previous research, group size and verbal aggression both…

LOW PRESSURE ULTRAVIOLET STUDIES FOR INACTIVATION OF GIARDIA MURIS CYSTS

EPA Science Inventory

This research was initiated to confirm and expand the current database for the inactivation of Giardia spp. using ultraviolet (UV) radiation. Initially, previous research that used in vitro excystation as the indicator for UV effectiveness was confirmed. Later, the in vitro excys...

Brain Research and Learning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Claycomb, Mary

Current research on brain activity has many implications for educators. The triune brain concept and the left and right hemisphere concepts are among the many complex theories evolving from experimentation and observation. The triune brain concept suggests that the human forebrain has expanded while retaining three structurally unique formations…

LOW PRESSURE ULTRAVIOLET STUDIES FOR INACTIVIATION OF GIARDIA MURIS CYSTS

EPA Science Inventory

This research was initiated to confirm and expand the current database for the inactiviation of Giardia spp. using ultraviolet (UV) radiation. The path taken was to confirm earlier UV research that used excystation as the indication of viability. In this study, an in vitro excyst...

What Current Research Says to the Middle Level Practitioner.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Irvin, Judith L., Ed.

This volume provides recent research findings on important topics related to the still-expanding middle school movement. They are divided into seven parts, addressing teaching/learning, curriculum, teacher education, social context, organization, leaderships, and issues and future directions. Following an introduction to middle level education…

Productivity through Innovation: Applied Research at Canada's Colleges and Institutes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Association of Canadian Community Colleges, 2011

2011-01-01

Applied research at Canada's colleges and institutes has expanded rapidly over the last five years. This report provides an overview of the current context and positions colleges and institutes as key players in Canada's innovation system. The report builds upon findings of previous research and reports on the results of the 2009-2010…

Current trends in feminist nursing research.

PubMed

Im, Eun-Ok

2010-01-01

Despite an increasing number of feminist studies in nursing, few reviews on current trends in feminist nursing research have been published. This article aims to explore the current trends in feminist nursing research and provide recommendations for future feminist studies in nursing. In multiple database searches, 207 articles were retrieved. These were reviewed based on 5 criteria: (1) epistemological background, (2) research questions, (3) research participants, (4) research methods, and (5) implications for changes. The review indicated that feminist nurse researchers with diverse epistemological backgrounds adopted new research methods to ask new questions; expanded their focus to include differences in ethnicity, class, sexual preference, and disability; and incorporated these diversities among women in a global context in their research. Based on these findings, recommendations for future feminist research in nursing are outlined. Copyright 2010 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

Trends and Topics in Autism Spectrum Disorders Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matson, Johnny L.; LoVullo, Santino V.

2009-01-01

The field of autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) is expanding at an exponential rate. New topics for study are forming and journals are emerging rapidly to handle the ever-increasing volume of publications. This study was undertaken to provide an overview of past and current research trends. Representative studies were evaluated for type of content…

American Indians in the News: A Media Portrayal in Crime Articles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freng, Adrienne

2007-01-01

The purpose of this exploratory research is to investigate the identification of American Indians in crime articles in two South Dakota newspapers. This article seeks to expand the current literature by addressing the dearth of research regarding whether American Indians are differentially identified by race/ethnicity in crime accounts. In…

Public Attitudes Toward Expanded Newborn Screening.

PubMed

DeLuca, Jane M

There is limited research available on public knowledge and understanding of expanded newborn screening (NBS). The aims of this study were to assess current public knowledge and understanding of newborn screening disorders and procedures, perceived education needs, and preferences for the delivery of NBS information and education. An additional aim was to develop a beginning understanding of public attitudes toward screening for complex, severe, and in some cases untreatable disorders. In this preliminary descriptive study, eighty-eight participants completed surveys querying their general knowledge of NBS, preferred means of receiving NBS information and education, and their opinions about screening for severe disorders such as lysosomal storage diseases (LSD). Most study participants lacked general knowledge about current NBS practices, however, they supported expanding screening for severe and in some cases untreatable conditions. Most participants were enthusiastic about expanding NBS; however, those with more years of education were cautious regarding extensive costs of diagnosing and treating rare disorders. Newborn screening continues to evolve through new technological developments and the addition of more disorders to screening panels. More research of into public acceptance of newborn screening is needed. Addressing the educational needs of the public is important for improving their understanding of NBS and promoting patient-centered care in the era of genomic screening. Enhanced educational efforts are necessary for improving public understanding of newborn screening. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Avian cardiology.

PubMed

Strunk, Anneliese; Wilson, G Heather

2003-01-01

The field of avian cardiology is continually expanding. Although a great deal of the current knowledge base has been derived from poultry data, research and clinical reports involving companion avian species have been published. This article will present avian cardiovascular anatomy and physiology, history and physical examination considerations in the avian cardiac disease patient, specific diagnostic tools, cardiovascular disease processes, and current therapeutic modalities.

Wind-energy Science, Technology and Research (WindSTAR) Consortium: Curriculum, Workforce Development, and Education Plan Final Report

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

Manwell, James

2013-03-19

The purpose of the project is to modify and expand the current wind energy curriculum at the University of Massachusetts Amherst and to develop plans to expand the graduate program to a national scale. The expansion plans include the foundational steps to establish the American Academy of Wind Energy (AAWE). The AAWE is intended to be a cooperative organization of wind energy research, development, and deployment institutes and universities across North America, whose mission will be to develop and execute joint RD&D projects and to organize high-level science and education in wind energy

Development and Application of Wide Bandwidth Magneto-Resistive Sensor Based Eddy Current Probe

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wincheski, Russell A.; Simpson, John

2010-01-01

The integration of magneto-resistive sensors into eddy current probes can significantly expand the capabilities of conventional eddy current nondestructive evaluation techniques. The room temperature solid-state sensors have typical bandwidths in the megahertz range and resolutions of tens of microgauss. The low frequency sensitivity of magneto-resistive sensors has been capitalized upon in previous research to fabricate very low frequency eddy current sensors for deep flaw detection in multilayer conductors. In this work a modified probe design is presented to expand the capabilities of the device. The new probe design incorporates a dual induction source enabling operation from low frequency deep flaw detection to high frequency high resolution near surface material characterization. Applications of the probe for the detection of localized near surface conductivity anomalies are presented. Finite element modeling of the probe is shown to be in good agreement with experimental measurements.

Recreation and leisure research from an active living perspective: taking a second look at urban trail use data

Treesearch

Paul H. Gobster

2005-01-01

This paper examines recreation and leisure research within the context of active living, and highlights an apparent gap between the current involvement of recreation and leisure researchers and the potential they could offer to this important and expanding area of inquiry. To illustrate this potential, I looked at two previous studies that focused on the recreational...

A Review of Self-Report and Alternative Approaches in the Measurement of Student Motivation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fulmer, Sara M.; Frijters, Jan C.

2009-01-01

Within psychological and educational research, self-report methodology dominates the study of student motivation. The present review argues that the scope of motivation research can be expanded by incorporating a wider range of methodologies and measurement tools. Several authors have suggested that current study of motivation is overly reliant on…

The Impact of Guided Notes on Post-Secondary Student Achievement: A Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larwin, Karen H.; Larwin, David A.

2013-01-01

The common practice of using of guided notes in the post-secondary classroom is not fully appreciated or understood. In an effort to add to the existing research about this phenomenon, the current investigation expands on previously published research and one previously published meta-analysis that examined the impact of guided notes on…

Expanding multi-disciplinary approaches to healthcare information technologies: what does information systems offer medical informatics?

PubMed

Chiasson, Mike; Reddy, Madhu; Kaplan, Bonnie; Davidson, Elizabeth

2007-06-01

The effective use of information technology (IT) is a crucial component for the delivery of effective services in health care. Current approaches to medical informatics (MI) research have significantly contributed to the success of IT use in health care but important challenges remain to be addressed. We believe that expanding the multi-disciplinary basis for MI research is important to meeting these research challenges. In this paper, we outline theories and methods used in information systems (IS) research that we believe can inform our understanding of health care IT applications and outcomes. To do so, we discuss some general differences in the focus and methods of MI and IS research to identify broad opportunities. We then review conceptual and methodological approaches in IS that have been applied in health care IT research. These include: technology-use mediation, collaborative work, genre theory, interpretive research, action research, and modeling. Examples of these theories and methods in healthcare IS research are illustrated.

An Exploration into the Expansion of the Transition Program to Meet the Needs of Students with Cognitive Impairments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Codey, Emily

2013-01-01

The purpose of this mixed methods action research study was to collect data in order to expand the current transition program in place for students with cognitive impairments. Qualitative and quantitative data was collected from district stakeholders regarding the current transition program in place for students with cognitive impairments. In…

The Effects of Gender and Family, Friend, and Media Influences on Eating Behaviors and Body Image during Adolescence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ata, Rheanna N.; Ludden, Alison Bryant; Lally, Megan M.

2007-01-01

The current study expands upon body image research to examine how gender, self-esteem, social support, teasing, and family, friend, and media pressures relate to body image and eating-related attitudes and behaviors among male and female adolescents (N = 177). Results indicated that adolescents were dissatisfied with their current bodies: males…

Effects of pharmaceuticals and personal care products on marine organisms: from single-species studies to an ecosystem-based approach.

PubMed

Prichard, Emma; Granek, Elise F

2016-11-01

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) are contaminants of emerging concern that are increasing in use and have demonstrated negative effects on aquatic organisms. There is a growing body of literature reporting the effects of PPCPs on freshwater organisms, but studies on the effects of PPCPs to marine and estuarine organisms are limited. Among effect studies, the vast majority examines subcellular or cellular effects, with far fewer studies examining organismal- and community-level effects. We reviewed the current published literature on marine and estuarine algae, invertebrates, fish, and mammals exposed to PPCPs, in order to expand upon current reviews. This paper builds on previous reviews of PPCP contamination in marine environments, filling prior literature gaps and adding consideration of ecosystem function and level of knowledge across marine habitat types. Finally, we reviewed and compiled data gaps suggested by current researchers and reviewers and propose a multi-level model to expand the focus of current PPCP research beyond laboratory studies. This model includes examination of direct ecological effects including food web and disease dynamics, biodiversity, community composition, and other ecosystem-level indicators of contaminant-driven change.

Network Expands Links on DNA Variants and Cancer Risk

Cancer.gov

Researchers with the NCI-supported GAME-ON initiative and OncoArray Network are publishing studies identifying dozens of new genetic variants associated with the risk for developing some of the most common cancers, as this Cancer Currents blog post reports.

Expanding Metropolitan Highways : Implications for Air Quality and Energy Use

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-01-01

The purpose of this study, which was initiated by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) Executive Committee, was to review the current state of knowledge, evaluate the scientific evidence, and narrow the areas of disagreement about the impacts of h...

A Framework for Revitalizing American Manufacturing

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-01

remedial education and support services, modernize facilities, and expand high-quality online course offerings.  Invest in high-quality job... risk , high-reward research in areas of critical national need. One 17 current area of focus is research on advanced manufacturing processes and...competitiveness. The Department is working to streamline the delivery of government services to businesses so that they can better assess their needs

The Effects of Diversity Training on Mental Healthcare Professionals Serving Hispanic Patients in Rural Oregon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Theye, Andrea E.

2015-01-01

Previous research has indicated that the United States is experiencing a rapid growth in its racial and ethnic diversity. Although diversity trainings are common place, many of these trainings do not include outcome measurements to ensure that training goals are met and reactions are favorable. The current study expands the research by evaluating…

Expanding Boundaries: Current and New Directions in Study Abroad Research and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marijuan, Silvia; Sanz, Cristina

2018-01-01

In spite of advances in the understanding of the effects of the immersion experience on language and cultural development in the last three decades, many questions in study abroad (SA) research remain unanswered. The present article offers a close examination of the field as it is today with an eye toward future trends and gaps in the literature.…

Social Relations and Cyberbullying: The Influence of Individual and Structural Attributes on Victimization and Perpetration via the Internet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Festl, Ruth; Quandt, Thorsten

2013-01-01

Current research indicates that an alarming number of students are affected by cyberbullying. However, most of the empirical research has focused on psychological explanations of the phenomenon. In an explorative survey study based on the reconstruction of 2 complete school networks (N[subscript P] = 408), we expand the explanation strategies of…

Current Status of the Polyamine Research Field

PubMed Central

Pegg, Anthony E.; Casero, Robert A.

2013-01-01

This chapter provides an overview of the polyamine field and introduces the 32 other chapters that make up this volume. These chapters provide a wide range of methods, advice, and background relevant to studies of the function of polyamines, the regulation of their content, their role in disease, and the therapeutic potential of drugs targeting polyamine content and function. The methodology provided in this new volume will enable laboratories already working in this area to expand their experimental techniques and facilitate the entry of additional workers into this rapidly expanding field. PMID:21318864

Current BPC3 Research Plan

Cancer.gov

This will expand the BPC3 to serve as a rapid verification test set for SNPs identified in the scans other than the CGEMS scan, and to examine gene-environment interactions in the SNPs identified in CGEMS and other studies as being associated with breast and prostate cancer.

T Cells that Recognize HPV Protein Can Target Virus-Infected Cells | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

Treating patients with T cells isolated from a tumor and subsequently expanded in the lab can cause the complete regression of some melanomas and cervical cancers, but the treatment is currently restricted to a few cancer types.

Methodology to Estimate the Quantity, Composition, and ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This report, Methodology to Estimate the Quantity, Composition and Management of Construction and Demolition Debris in the US, was developed to expand access to data on CDD in the US and to support research on CDD and sustainable materials management. Since past US EPA CDD estimates have been limited to building-related CDD, a goal in the development of this methodology was to use data originating from CDD facilities and contractors to better capture the current picture of total CDD management, including materials from roads, bridges and infrastructure. This report, Methodology to Estimate the Quantity, Composition and Management of Construction and Demolition Debris in the US, was developed to expand access to data on CDD in the US and to support research on CDD and sustainable materials management. Since past US EPA CDD estimates have been limited to building-related CDD, a goal in the development of this methodology was to use data originating from CDD facilities and contractors to better capture the current picture of total CDD management, including materials from roads, bridges and infrastructure.

US Military Aircraft Cost Handbook.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-03-01

authority 20. ABSIRACr (Coctinus -,e rve.,. afaw it ncvaea7y ad Identifiy by block number) ... Management Consulting & Research, Inc. ( MCR ) collected...methodology is called TASCFORM-AIR. Management Consulting & Research, Inc. ( MCR ) uner subcontracto-assist in this effort, has developed the US...expanded. This edition was produced as part of the current TASC/ MCR effort for OSD Net Assessment to build on the earlier cost-performance work conducted

The Secret Is in the Processing: A Study of Levels of Explicit Computerized Feedback in Heritage and L2 Learners of Spanish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zamora, Celia Chomon

2017-01-01

The field of Instructed Second Language Acquisition (ISLA) has expressed interest in pursuing a research agenda that expands the current heritage language (HL) strand of research to investigate how this heterogeneous population re-learns their family language, and how this experience differs from that of second language (L2) learners. This…

Approaches to Understanding and Addressing Treatment-Resistant Depression: A Scoping Review

PubMed Central

Jenkins, Emily; Goldner, Elliot M.

2012-01-01

Treatment-resistant depression is associated with significant disability and, due to its high prevalence, results in substantive economic and societal burden at a population level. The objective of this study is to synthesize extant literature on approaches currently being applied to understand and address this condition. It is hoped that the findings can be used to inform practitioners and guide future research. A scoping review of the scientific literature was conducted with findings categorized and charted by underlying research paradigm. Currently, the vast majority of research stems from a biological paradigm (81%). Research on treatment-resistant depression would benefit from a broadened field of study. Given that multiple etiological mechanisms likely contribute to treatment-resistant depression and current efforts at prevention and treatment have substantial room for improvement, an expanded research agenda could more effectively address this significant public health issue. PMID:22570778

Organizational Learning? Look Again

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belle, Stuart

2016-01-01

Purpose: Despite the growth in research on conditions for successful learning by organizations and the introduction of expanding practices and approaches, a progressive and shared understanding of the link between organizational learning and governance is currently missing. This paper aims to take a closer look at organizational learning from a…

Towards clarification of the role of research nurses in New Zealand: a literature review.

PubMed

Bell, Jeanette

2009-03-01

The demand for research nurses has increased markedly in recent years due to a rapidly expanding clinical research environment. Research nursing is becoming increasingly specialised and nurses now hold central positions in the coordination of clinical trials and management of trial related patient care. However, as a role in transition, research nursing is currently under-recognised and has yet to establish a clear identity and position for itself within nursing and within research. Therefore, the aim of this literature review is to describe the current role of research nurses in clinical trials and explore the professional issues surrounding the role. To provide greater clarification of the role in New Zealand, these findings are examined against the Nursing Council of New Zealand competency requirements for registered nurses. In examining the professional issues surrounding the role, current barriers to adequate recognition of the role are identified and potential strategies to clarify the role and the position of research nurses are put forward.

Chilean Universities in the Transition to a Market-Driven Policy Regime

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Katz, Jorge; Spence, Randy

2009-01-01

This paper briefly reviews the historical development of the university system in Chile, and describes the current structure of funding, supply and demand for tertiary education, research and university services. Both public and private universities in Chile have expanded and restructured, access to tertiary education has improved, and…

Perceptions of Cyberbullying: An Assessment of Perceived Severity among College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sobba, Kristen N.; Paez, Rocio Alejandra; ten Bensel, Tusty

2017-01-01

Cyberbullying research has typically been focused on specific areas, such as victimization, offender characteristics and typologies, and psychological effects for victims; however, perceived severity of cyberbullying has been studied less extensively. Using data on college students, the present study expands the current knowledge on perceived…

Experiences of Paraprofessionals in US Preschool Special Education and General Education Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Tiara Saufley; Stanton-Chapman, Tina L.

2017-01-01

A substantial challenge confronting public education systems across the world is the employment and retention of high-quality paraprofessionals (also known as teaching assistants and educational assistants). The current study expands upon previous research by employing a mixed methods design to examine the relationship between paraprofessionals'…

Growth Cycles of Brain and Mind.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rose, Samuel P.; Fischer, Kurt W.

1998-01-01

Whereas prior conceptions treated cognitive development as a sequence of stages, current research points to recurring growth cycles between birth and age 30. Each recurrence produces a new capacity for thinking and learning grounded in an expanded, reorganized neural network. Cognitive spurts are evident only under optimal support conditions.…

Online Dictionaries and the Teaching/Learning of English in the Expanding Circle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuertes-Olivera, Pedro A.; Cabello de Alba, Beatriz Perez

2012-01-01

This article follows current research on English for Specific Business Purposes, which focuses on the analysis of contextualized business genres and on identifying the strategies that can be associated with effective business communication (Nickerson, 2005). It explores whether free internet dictionaries can be used for promoting effective…

Expanding the Taxonomy of the Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (DC/TMD)

PubMed Central

Peck, Christopher C.; Goulet, Jean-Paul; Lobbezoo, Frank; Schiffman, Eric L.; Alstergren, Per; Anderson, Gary C.; de Leeuw, Reny; Jensen, Rigmor; Michelotti, Ambra; Ohrbach, Richard; Petersson, Arne; List, Thomas

2014-01-01

Background There is a need to expand the current temporomandibular disorder (TMD) classification to include less common, but clinically important disorders. The immediate aim was to develop a consensus-based classification system and associated diagnostic criteria that have clinical and research utility for less common TMDs. The long-term aim was to establish a foundation, vis-à-vis this classification system, that will stimulate data collection, validity testing, and further criteria refinement. Methods A working group [members of the International RDC/TMD Consortium Network of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), members of the Orofacial Pain Special Interest Group (SIG) of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), and members from other professional societies] reviewed disorders for inclusion based on clinical significance, the availability of plausible diagnostic criteria, and the ability to operationalize and study the criteria. The disorders were derived from the literature when possible and based on expert opinion as necessary. The expanded TMD taxonomy was presented for feedback at international meetings. Results Of 56 disorders considered, 37 were included in the expanded taxonomy and were placed into the following four categories: temporomandibular joint disorders, masticatory muscle disorders, headache disorders, and disorders affecting associated structures. Those excluded were extremely uncommon, lacking operationalized diagnostic criteria, not clearly related to TMDs, or not sufficiently distinct from disorders already included within the taxonomy. Conclusions The expanded TMD taxonomy offers an integrated approach to clinical diagnosis and provides a framework for further research to operationalize and test the proposed taxonomy and diagnostic criteria. PMID:24443898

Expanding the taxonomy of the diagnostic criteria for temporomandibular disorders.

PubMed

Peck, C C; Goulet, J-P; Lobbezoo, F; Schiffman, E L; Alstergren, P; Anderson, G C; de Leeuw, R; Jensen, R; Michelotti, A; Ohrbach, R; Petersson, A; List, T

2014-01-01

There is a need to expand the current temporomandibular disorders' (TMDs) classification to include less common but clinically important disorders. The immediate aim was to develop a consensus-based classification system and associated diagnostic criteria that have clinical and research utility for less common TMDs. The long-term aim was to establish a foundation, vis-à-vis this classification system, that will stimulate data collection, validity testing and further criteria refinement. A working group [members of the International RDC/TMD Consortium Network of the International Association for Dental Research (IADR), members of the Orofacial Pain Special Interest Group (SIG) of the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP), and members from other professional societies] reviewed disorders for inclusion based on clinical significance, the availability of plausible diagnostic criteria and the ability to operationalise and study the criteria. The disorders were derived from the literature when possible and based on expert opinion as necessary. The expanded TMDs taxonomy was presented for feedback at international meetings. Of 56 disorders considered, 37 were included in the expanded taxonomy and were placed into the following four categories: temporomandibular joint disorders, masticatory muscle disorders, headache disorders and disorders affecting associated structures. Those excluded were extremely uncommon, lacking operationalised diagnostic criteria, not clearly related to TMDs, or not sufficiently distinct from disorders already included within the taxonomy. The expanded TMDs taxonomy offers an integrated approach to clinical diagnosis and provides a framework for further research to operationalise and test the proposed taxonomy and diagnostic criteria. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Creating academic structures to promote nursing's role in global health policy.

PubMed

Gimbel, S; Kohler, P; Mitchell, P; Emami, A

2017-03-01

We highlight key components of emerging academic structures in global health nursing and explain how this investment can expand nursing's broader engagement in global health policy development. Engaging nursing in global health policy development is vital to ensure the scale-up of effective health programmes. Globally, nurses promote development of interprofessional healthcare teams who are responsible for translating sound global health policy and evidence-based programming into practice. However, the role of nurses within policy forums and on influential decision-making bodies within the global health space remains limited, which reinforces suboptimal global health policy implementation. Investment in globally engaged academic structures is an important way to expand participation of nursing in global health policy development. A review of the current knowledge and substantive findings related to academic structures promoting global health nursing was conducted, and included a directed search of institutional websites, related grey and peer-reviewed literature, and communication with top-tier schools of nursing in the United States, to identify specific developments in global health nursing academic structures. Effective academic structures promoting global health nursing include a framework of four critical components - Research, Education, Policy and Partnership. Academic structure type and core activities vary depending on institutional priorities. Increasingly, global health research, driven by individual nursing investigators, is expanding; however, in order to translate these advances into expanded involvement in global health policy development, academic structures within schools of nursing need to systematically expand educational opportunities, bolster research capacity and promote partnership with policymakers. © 2017 The Authors International Nursing Review published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Council of Nurses.

Seeking an Expanded, Multidimensional Conceptual Approach to Health Literacy and Health Disparities Research.

PubMed

Logan, Robert A

2017-01-01

This chapter compares the conceptual foundations of health literacy and health disparities. It details some of the conceptual differences between health literacy and health disparities and explains some similarities that suggest the need for increased research collaboration. The chapter is among the first to address the structural and social determinants of health together and explain that future research needs to assess their interactions. Overall, the chapter creates a conceptual foundation as well as challenges future scholars/practitioners to take more multidimensional approaches to assess health's determinants. The chapter also attempts to demonstrate there is nothing more practical than good theory, or clear conceptual foundations. The chapter is divided into four sections that address the following topics: three conceptual frameworks about the determinants of health; opportunities in health disparities and health literacy research; seeking an expanded, multidimensional conceptual approach to health literacy and health disparities research; as well as a conclusion. The chapter suggests there are vacuums in current research knowledge that need future attention - especially regarding the integration of health literacy and health disparities research.

Management of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Injury: What's In and What's Out?

PubMed Central

Raines, Benjamin Todd; Naclerio, Emily; Sherman, Seth L

2017-01-01

Sports medicine physicians have a keen clinical and research interest in the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The biomechanical, biologic, and clinical data researchers generate, help drive injury management and prevention practices globally. The current concepts in ACL injury and surgery are being shaped by technological advances, expansion in basic science research, resurging interest in ACL preservation, and expanding efforts regarding injury prevention. As new methods are being developed in this field, the primary goal of safely improving patient outcomes will be a unifying principle. With this review, we provide an overview of topics currently in controversy or debate, and we identify paradigm shifts in the understanding, management, and prevention of ACL tears. PMID:28966380

Research to support sterile-male-release and genetic alteration techniques for sea lamprey control

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bergstedt, Roger A.; Twohey, Michael B.

2007-01-01

Integrated pest management of sea lampreys in the Laurentian Great Lakes has recently been enhanced by addition of a sterile-male-release program, and future developments in genetic approaches may lead to additional methods for reducing sea lamprey reproduction. We review the development, implementation, and evaluation of the sterile-male-release technique (SMRT) as it is being applied against sea lampreys in the Great Lakes, review the current understanding of SMRT efficacy, and identify additional research areas and topics that would increase either the efficacy of the SMRT or expand its geographic potential for application. Key areas for additional research are in the sterilization process, effects of skewed sex ratios on mating behavior, enhancing attractiveness of sterilized males, techniques for genetic alteration of sea lampreys, and sources of animals to enhance or expand the use of sterile lampreys.

Disease Ontology 2015 update: an expanded and updated database of human diseases for linking biomedical knowledge through disease data.

PubMed

Kibbe, Warren A; Arze, Cesar; Felix, Victor; Mitraka, Elvira; Bolton, Evan; Fu, Gang; Mungall, Christopher J; Binder, Janos X; Malone, James; Vasant, Drashtti; Parkinson, Helen; Schriml, Lynn M

2015-01-01

The current version of the Human Disease Ontology (DO) (http://www.disease-ontology.org) database expands the utility of the ontology for the examination and comparison of genetic variation, phenotype, protein, drug and epitope data through the lens of human disease. DO is a biomedical resource of standardized common and rare disease concepts with stable identifiers organized by disease etiology. The content of DO has had 192 revisions since 2012, including the addition of 760 terms. Thirty-two percent of all terms now include definitions. DO has expanded the number and diversity of research communities and community members by 50+ during the past two years. These community members actively submit term requests, coordinate biomedical resource disease representation and provide expert curation guidance. Since the DO 2012 NAR paper, there have been hundreds of term requests and a steady increase in the number of DO listserv members, twitter followers and DO website usage. DO is moving to a multi-editor model utilizing Protégé to curate DO in web ontology language. This will enable closer collaboration with the Human Phenotype Ontology, EBI's Ontology Working Group, Mouse Genome Informatics and the Monarch Initiative among others, and enhance DO's current asserted view and multiple inferred views through reasoning. © The Author(s) 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Assessment team report on flight-critical systems research at NASA Langley Research Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Siewiorek, Daniel P. (Compiler); Dunham, Janet R. (Compiler)

1989-01-01

The quality, coverage, and distribution of effort of the flight-critical systems research program at NASA Langley Research Center was assessed. Within the scope of the Assessment Team's review, the research program was found to be very sound. All tasks under the current research program were at least partially addressing the industry needs. General recommendations made were to expand the program resources to provide additional coverage of high priority industry needs, including operations and maintenance, and to focus the program on an actual hardware and software system that is under development.

Implicit Learning of Arithmetic Regularities Is Facilitated by Proximal Contrast

PubMed Central

Prather, Richard W.

2012-01-01

Natural number arithmetic is a simple, powerful and important symbolic system. Despite intense focus on learning in cognitive development and educational research many adults have weak knowledge of the system. In current study participants learn arithmetic principles via an implicit learning paradigm. Participants learn not by solving arithmetic equations, but through viewing and evaluating example equations, similar to the implicit learning of artificial grammars. We expand this to the symbolic arithmetic system. Specifically we find that exposure to principle-inconsistent examples facilitates the acquisition of arithmetic principle knowledge if the equations are presented to the learning in a temporally proximate fashion. The results expand on research of the implicit learning of regularities and suggest that contrasting cases, show to facilitate explicit arithmetic learning, is also relevant to implicit learning of arithmetic. PMID:23119101

Redefining Authentic Research Experiences in Introductory Biology Laboratories and Barriers to Their Implementation

PubMed Central

Spell, Rachelle M.; Guinan, Judith A.; Miller, Kristen R.; Beck, Christopher W.

2014-01-01

Incorporating authentic research experiences in introductory biology laboratory classes would greatly expand the number of students exposed to the excitement of discovery and the rigor of the scientific process. However, the essential components of an authentic research experience and the barriers to their implementation in laboratory classes are poorly defined. To guide future reform efforts in this area, we conducted a national survey of biology faculty members to determine 1) their definitions of authentic research experiences in laboratory classes, 2) the extent of authentic research experiences currently experienced in their laboratory classes, and 3) the barriers that prevent incorporation of authentic research experiences into these classes. Strikingly, the definitions of authentic research experiences differ among faculty members and tend to emphasize either the scientific process or the discovery of previously unknown data. The low level of authentic research experiences in introductory biology labs suggests that more development and support is needed to increase undergraduate exposure to research experiences. Faculty members did not cite several barriers commonly assumed to impair pedagogical reform; however, their responses suggest that expanded support for development of research experiences in laboratory classes could address the most common barrier. PMID:24591509

Redefining authentic research experiences in introductory biology laboratories and barriers to their implementation.

PubMed

Spell, Rachelle M; Guinan, Judith A; Miller, Kristen R; Beck, Christopher W

2014-01-01

Incorporating authentic research experiences in introductory biology laboratory classes would greatly expand the number of students exposed to the excitement of discovery and the rigor of the scientific process. However, the essential components of an authentic research experience and the barriers to their implementation in laboratory classes are poorly defined. To guide future reform efforts in this area, we conducted a national survey of biology faculty members to determine 1) their definitions of authentic research experiences in laboratory classes, 2) the extent of authentic research experiences currently experienced in their laboratory classes, and 3) the barriers that prevent incorporation of authentic research experiences into these classes. Strikingly, the definitions of authentic research experiences differ among faculty members and tend to emphasize either the scientific process or the discovery of previously unknown data. The low level of authentic research experiences in introductory biology labs suggests that more development and support is needed to increase undergraduate exposure to research experiences. Faculty members did not cite several barriers commonly assumed to impair pedagogical reform; however, their responses suggest that expanded support for development of research experiences in laboratory classes could address the most common barrier.

"All Abroad": Malaysians' Reasons for Seeking an Overseas-Based Doctorate

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tagg, Brendon

2014-01-01

This article examines the process by which nine junior Malaysian academics came to complete doctoral degrees in non-Malaysian universities. It expands the scope and refines the focus of an existing study that considered international students' experiences in New Zealand. Part of the motivation for the current study was the researcher's recognition…

Virtual Reality Cue Reactivity Assessment: A Comparison of Treatment- vs. Nontreatment-Seeking Smokers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bordnick, Patrick S.; Yoon, Jin H.; Kaganoff, Eili; Carter, Brian

2013-01-01

Objectives: The cue-reactivity paradigm has been widely used to assess craving among cigarette smokers. Seeking to replicate and expand on previous virtual reality (VR) nicotine cue-reactivity research on nontreatment-seeking smokers, the current study compared subjective reports of craving for cigarettes when exposed to smoking (proximal and…

A Policy Analysis of Student Attendance Standards Related to State Education Policies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guilliams, Mary Elizabeth

2014-01-01

This paper is a project report of a policy analysis of state attendance information available to public schools. Current state attendance information rarely expands beyond compulsory attendance law. It is vague, non-existent or difficult to find. Research provides strong links between student attendance and achievement. Informed school leaders…

Current Evaluation Practices of Diversity Trainers in German-Speaking Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rohmann, Anette; Froncek, Benjamin; Mazziotta, Agostino; Piper, Verena

2017-01-01

Diversity training has been greatly expanded in recent years in order to help people deal with the challenges of increased social diversity. However, little is known about the systematic evaluation of diversity training. The present research surveyed 172 diversity trainers concerning their evaluation practices with regard to diversity training.…

Risk Assessment and Risk Management in Offenders with Intellectual Disabilities: Are We There Yet?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pouls, Claudia; Jeandarme, Inge

2015-01-01

Research on risk assessment and risk management in offenders with intellectual disabilities (OIDs), although far behind compared to the mainstream offender literature, is now expanding. The current review provides an overview of the predictive value of risk assessment and treatment outcome monitoring tools developed for both mainstream forensic…

Graphic Novels in the Secondary Classroom and School Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffith, Paula E.

2010-01-01

The author examines the rise in popularity of graphic novels, the sales of which have steadily increased as their influence expands into adolescent culture. This article also includes an overview of current research results supporting the use of graphic novels within the classroom and school library; graphic novels support English-language…

"Media Time = Family Time": Positive Media Use in Families with Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coyne, Sarah M.; Padilla-Walker, Laura M.; Fraser, Ashley M.; Fellows, Kaylene; Day, Randal D.

2014-01-01

Media use in families has generally been examined from a narrow viewpoint, focusing on monitoring or co-viewing. The current research provides an expanded view of positive media use in families with adolescents by examining associations between diverse positive media use and family and adolescents outcomes. In addition, we used qualitative methods…

Adolescents' Perceptions of Parental Goals, Practices, and Styles in Relation to Their Motivation and Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spera, Christopher

2006-01-01

The current study examines research questions proposed by an expanded version of Darling and Steinberg's contextual model of parenting. Using a sample of 184 adolescents, the analyses indicated that adolescents' perceptions of parental educational goals and values were related positively and significantly to their reports of parental school…

Prevalence and Correlates of Multiple Victimization in a Nation-Wide Adolescent Sample

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Romano, Elisa; Bell, Tessa; Billette, Jean-Michel

2011-01-01

Objectives: Adolescents often experience different types of victimization across a specified period of time in different situations. These multiple victimization experiences can have a number of deleterious effects on psychosocial well-being. To expand on research gathered primarily from US samples, the current study estimated the prevalence of…

Tending to Change: Toward a Situated Model of Affinity Spaces

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bommarito, Dan

2014-01-01

The concept of affinity spaces, a theoretical construct used to analyze literate activity from a spatial perspective, has gained popularity among scholars of literacy studies and, particularly, video-game studies. This article seeks to expand current notions of affinity spaces by identifying key assumptions that have limited researchers'…

Convergent and Divergent Validity of Integrative versus Mixed Model Measures of Emotional Intelligence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Webb, Christian A.; Schwab, Zachary J.; Weber, Mareen; DelDonno, Sophie; Kipman, Maia; Weiner, Melissa R.; Killgore, William D. S.

2013-01-01

The construct of emotional intelligence (EI) has garnered increased attention in the popular media and scientific literature. Several competing measures of EI have been developed, including self-report and performance-based instruments. The current study replicates and expands on previous research by examining three competing EI measures…

Contextual Influences on the Relations between Physical and Relational Aggression and Peer Victimization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santo, Jonathan Bruce; Bass, Ellyn Charlotte; Stella-Lopez, Luz; Bukowski, William M.

2017-01-01

Previous studies have demonstrated that several contextual factors influence the relationship between aggression and peer victimization in early adolescence, including gender of the same-sex peer group and gender composition of the school. The current study replicated and expanded on this research by examining the moderating influences of gender…

Afterschool Mathematics Practices: A Review of Supporting Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Briggs-Hale, Chris; Judd, April; Martindill, Heather; Parsley, Danette

2006-01-01

Given the current emphasis on providing evidence of increased student achievement, many afterschool programs are expanding their focus to include support for students' academic growth. One of the tools the National Partnership, of which the Mid-continent Research for Education and Learning (McREL) is a part, has been charged by the Department of…

A Functional Assessment of Handmouthing among Persons with Severe and Profound Intellectual Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Swender, Stephen L.; Matson, Johnny L.; Mayville, Stephen B.; Gonzalez, Melissa L.; McDowell, Donald

2006-01-01

Background: The behavioural function of handmouthing has been assessed across various studies utilising analogue functional analyses. The aim of the current study was to expand upon research on this relatively understudied behaviour by examining the relationship between handmouthing and "Gastro-Esophageal Reflux Disorder" (GERD), and the potential…

Does Project-Based Learning Enhance Iranian EFL Learners' Vocabulary Recall and Retention?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shafaei, Azadeh; Rahim, Hajar Abdul

2015-01-01

Vocabulary knowledge is an integral part of second/foreign language learning. Thus, using teaching methods that can help learners retain and expand their vocabulary knowledge is necessary to facilitate the language learning process. The current research investigated the effectiveness of an interactive classroom method, known as Project-Based…

Proteomics in the Classroom: An Investigative Study of Proteins in Microorganisms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benskin, Jon; Chen, Sixue

2012-01-01

As advances in biotechnology and molecular biology rapidly expand in research settings, it is vital that we continue to prepare high school students to enter and thrive in those modern laboratories. This multistep, inquiry-based lab describes highly adaptable methods to teach students not only current molecular techniques and technologies, but…

When Students Grade Their Teachers: A Validity Analysis of the Tripod Student Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuhfeld, Megan

2017-01-01

This article develops a validity argument for the use of the Tripod student survey of instructional practices to assess teacher effectiveness in summative teacher evaluations and professional development decisions. This paper expands upon previous research in three ways: (a) it draws from current validity thinking to examine the evidence for…

Writing Instruction in First Grade: An Observational Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coker, David L., Jr.; Farley-Ripple, Elizabeth; Jackson, Allison F.; Wen, Huijing; MacArthur, Charles A.; Jennings, Austin S.

2016-01-01

As schools work to meet the ambitious Common Core State Standards in writing (Common Core State Standards Initiation, 2010), instructional approaches are likely to be examined. However, there is little research that describes the current state of instruction. This study was designed to expand the empirical base on writing instruction in first…

Predicting the Academic Functioning of Youth Involved in Residential Care

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffith, Annette K.; Trout, Alexandra L.; Epstein, Michael H.; Garbin, Calvin P.; Pick, Robert; Wright, Tanya

2010-01-01

Youth involved in residential care programs present with significant difficulties across behavioral and mental health domains. Although this is a group that is also at considerable risk for academic failure, very little research has been done to understand the academic functioning of this population. The current study sought to expand what is…

BrainSnail: A dynamic information display system for the Sciences

PubMed Central

Telefont, Martin; Asaithambi, Asai

2009-01-01

Scientific reference management has become crucial in rapidly expanding fields of biology. Many of the reference management systems currently employed are reference centric and not object/process focused. BrainSnail is a reference management/knowledge representation application that tries to bridge disconnect between subject and reference in the fields of neuropharmacology, neuroanatomy and neurophysiology. BrainSnail has been developed with considering both individual researcher and research group efforts. PMID:19293992

"My World Has Expanded Even Though I'm Stuck at Home": Experiences of Individuals With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Who Use Augmentative and Alternative Communication and Social Media.

PubMed

Caron, Jessica; Light, Janice

2015-11-01

This study aimed to expand the current understanding of how persons with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (pALS) use augmentative and alternative communication and social media to address their communication needs. An online focus group was used to investigate the experiences of 9 pALS who use augmentative and alternative communication and social media. Questions posed to the group related to (a) current use of social media, (b) advantages of social media, (c) barriers to independent use, (d) supports to independent use, and (e) recommendations for developers, policy makers, and other pALS. Participants primarily reported that use of social media was a beneficial tool that provided increased communication opportunities, connections to communication partners, and networks of support. Specific results are discussed with reference to the research as well as implications for practice and recommendations for future research. As individuals with ALS experience loss of function, some communication modes may no longer be viable. Providing access to different modes of communication, including social media, can allow independence, participation and better quality of life.

A New Thermal Treatment Process of Low Value Volcanic Glass towards the Production of Expanded Material and its Use on CNTs’ Synthesis as Substrate Material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Angelopoulos, Panagiotis M.; Samouhos, Michail; Taxiarchou, Maria; Tsakiridis, P.; Haggman, John; Joyce, Paul

2018-05-01

Pitchstone is a naturally occurring volcanic glass that contains considerable amount of chemically bound water (> 6 % wt). Due to its high water content, its direct thermal processing in conventional expansion furnaces towards the production of lightweight material, similar to expanded perlite, is practically impossible. In the current research paper a sophisticated 2 stage process is presented that consists of a partial dehydration and an expansion stage towards the production of high quality expanded material. After proper treatment, low-value volcanic glass is transformed to frothy, lightweight material of closed external surface and apparent density of 52 kg·m-3 that can be used in various branches of the industry. The material produced is used as substrate for the development of multiwall CNTs through CVD method. Dense multiwall CNT clusters were identified on expanded pitchstone surface, thus rendering the material suitable for such application.

NASA Applications of Structural Health Monitoring Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richards, W Lance; Madaras, Eric I.; Prosser, William H.; Studor, George

2013-01-01

This presentation provides examples of research and development that has recently or is currently being conducted at NASA, with a special emphasis on the application of structural health monitoring (SHM) of aerospace vehicles. SHM applications on several vehicle programs are highlighted, including Space Shuttle Orbiter, International Space Station, Uninhabited Aerial Vehicles, and Expandable Launch Vehicles. Examples of current and previous work are presented in the following categories: acoustic emission impact detection, multi-parameter fiber optic strain-based sensing, wireless sensor system development, and distributed leak detection.

Parenting in Females Exposed to Intimate Partner Violence and Childhood Sexual Abuse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jaffe, Anna E.; Cranston, Christopher C.; Shadlow, Joanna O.

2012-01-01

Child sexual abuse and intimate partner violence may have a significant impact on parenting. The current study expands on existing research by examining the effects of child sexual abuse and intimate partner violence on parenting styles and parenting self-efficacy. In women from a parenting intervention program (n = 20), child sexual abuse was…

Adolescent Academic Achievement and School Engagement: An Examination of the Role of School-Wide Peer Culture

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lynch, Alicia Doyle; Lerner, Richard M.; Leventhal, Tama

2013-01-01

During adolescence, peer groups present an important venue for socializing school-related behaviors such as academic achievement and school engagement. While a significant body of research emphasizes the link between a youth's immediate peer group and academic outcomes, the current manuscript expands on this idea, proposing that, in addition to…

Preschool for All? Examining the Current Policy Context in Light of Genishi's Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spencer, Tamara

2014-01-01

Within United States policymaking, there is widespread recognition that universal preschool works towards a societal good, advancing children's social and academic needs while expanding the economic landscape for a nation. However, in trying to deliver these benefits, all too often educational policies apply a rigid format that overemphasizes…

The Relationship between Teacher Orientation and Consultation Terminology, Intervention Acceptability, Evaluation of Effectiveness, and Willingness to Implement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heuser, Robin Rachelle

2012-01-01

The current study was designed to expand on previous research examining the effect of terminology on ratings of intervention acceptability and to investigate the effects of terminology on judgments of outcome data and willingness to implement. Secondarily, this study explored teacher beliefs and instructional style. The sample for this study…

Expanding the Basic Science Debate: The Role of Physics Knowledge in Interpreting Clinical Findings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldszmidt, Mark; Minda, John Paul; Devantier, Sarah L.; Skye, Aimee L.; Woods, Nicole N.

2012-01-01

Current research suggests a role for biomedical knowledge in learning and retaining concepts related to medical diagnosis. However, learning may be influenced by other, non-biomedical knowledge. We explored this idea using an experimental design and examined the effects of causal knowledge on the learning, retention, and interpretation of medical…

Math, Science, and Engineering Integration in a High School Engineering Course: A Qualitative Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Valtorta, Clara G.; Berland, Leema K.

2015-01-01

Engineering in K-12 classrooms has been receiving expanding emphasis in the United States. The integration of science, mathematics, and engineering is a benefit and goal of K-12 engineering; however, current empirical research on the efficacy of K-12 science, mathematics, and engineering integration is limited. This study adds to this growing…

Learning Analytics: From Big Data to Meaningful Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merceron, Agathe; Blikstein, Paulo; Siemens, George

2015-01-01

This article introduces the special issue from the 2015 Learning Analytics and Knowledge conference. We describe the current state of the field and identify some of the trends in recent research. As the field continues to expand, there seem to be at least three directions of vigorous growth: (1) the inclusion of multimodal data (gesture,…

The Relationship between Looks and Personality: Strong and General or Content Specific?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Longo, Laura C.; Ashmore, Richard D.

Most researchers explain the attractiveness-personality link in terms of a simple self-fulfilling prophecy model: a person's good looks evoke a "Beauty is Good" stereotype that causes positive treatment by others, which, in turn, causes the target to develop a "good personality." An alternative conceptual framework expands on the current implicit…

Promoting Communication Skills for Information Systems Students in Australian and Portuguese Higher Education: Action Research Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isaias, Pedro; Issa, Tomayess

2014-01-01

This paper aims to examine the value of communication skills learning process through various assessments in Information Systems (IS) postgraduate units in Australia and Portugal. Currently, communication skills are indispensable to students in expanding their social networks and their knowledge at university and in the future workplace, since…

Expanding Our "Frames" of Mind for Education and the Arts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Groff, Jennifer S.

2013-01-01

In this article, Jennifer Groff explores the role of the arts in education through the lens of current research in cognitive neuroscience and the impact of technology in today's digital world. She explains that although arts education has largely used multiple intelligences theory to substantiate its presence in classrooms and schools, this…

Darwin versus Intelligent Design in US Courts: Does Teaching Intelligent Design in Biology Classes Violate the US Constitution?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bradt, Patricia T.

2006-01-01

Darwinian evolution is accepted by the great majority of scientists as the method by which the diversity of earth's organisms, including humans, evolved. Current research continues to expand our knowledge of evolutionary mechanisms. However, certain religious groups, supporting teaching the creation of earth's species as outlined in Genesis…

Marketing Higher Education to New Students. ERIC Higher Education Research Currents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trivett, David A.

The enrollment growth in higher education is slowing down. While the decline can be viewed as part of a long-term growth cycle, institutions still need to find students. Institutions may find students by expanding their educational mission, by ascertaining the instructional needs of a variety of students, and by offering the appropriate services…

Supporting the Research Process through Expanded Library Data Services

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Minglu

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe how the authors gained a better understanding of the variety of library users' data needs, and how gradually some new data services were established based on current capabilities. Design/methodology/approach: This paper uses a case study of the new data services at the John Cotton Dana Library, at…

Efficacy of Animal-Assisted Therapy in Lowering Anxiety Symptoms of Adolescents in Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zents, Courtney E.

2017-01-01

Adolescence is marked by a period of stress with a portion of these individuals experiencing problems with anxiety. There are physical and psychological benefits of using animal-assisted therapy (AAT) for decreasing anxiety, however, the research on this is limited. The current study expands on the AAT literature by studying the additive effects…

Engagement as a Core University Leadership Position and Advancement Strategy: Perspectives from an Engaged Institution

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Langseth, Mark N.; McVeety, Cassie S.

2007-01-01

Over the past decade, Portland State University (PSU) has received consistent national accolades for its innovative, engaged approaches to student learning. More recently, PSU has expanded its emphasis on engaged research and has more intentionally highlighted its institutional partnerships and impact on the region. A current (2006-07)…

Expanding Undergraduate Education to Meet National Goals: The Role of Research Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McPherson, Peter; Shulenburger, David

2010-01-01

President Obama's higher education goal is to provide "every American with a quality higher education--whether it's college or technical training." The work must begin now, despite the current economic downturn, since Americans believe that doing so is critical to the future competitiveness of their nation. In this article, the authors describe…

Motion Event Categorisation in a Nativised Variety of South African English

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bylund, Emanuel; Athanasopoulos, Panos

2015-01-01

The present study seeks to expand the current focus on acquisition situations in linguistic relativity research by exploring the effects of nativisation (the process by which a L2 is acquired as a L1) on language-specific cognitive behaviour. Categorisation preferences of goal-oriented motion events were investigated in South African speakers who…

Language Learning as a Site for Belonging: A Narrative Analysis of Korean Adoptee-Returnees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Higgins, Christina; Stoker, Kim

2011-01-01

Through analyzing narratives of Korean heritage language (HL) users, this article explores whether and to what degree these language users experience social inclusion and a sense of belonging in Korean society. We expand the field of HL research by investigating the experiences of four Korean-born, US-raised adoptee-returnees who currently reside…

Living Learning Communities: An Intervention in Keeping Women Strong in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belichesky, Jennifer

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to expand on the current research pertaining to women in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) majors, better understand the experiences of undergraduate women in the sciences, identify barriers to female persistence in their intended STEM majors, and understand the impact of the STEM co-educational…

Exploring the Persistence of Adult Women at a Midwest Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cox, Elizabeth M.; Ebbers, Larry H.

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to describe, interpret, and analyze the educational experiences and factors contributing to the decision to persist for adult, female, part-time students currently enrolled at a community college in the Midwest. This study sought to expand the research on student retention by describing the perspectives of adult…

Assistance to NASA in biomedical areas of the technology utilization program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Culclasure, D. F.; Eckhardt, L.

1972-01-01

The applications of aerospace technology to biomedical research are reported. The medical institutions participating in the Biomedical Applications Program are listed along with the institutions currently utilizing the services of the Southwest Research Institute Biomedical Applications Team. Significant accomplishments during this period include: ultra-low bandpass amplifier for gastro-intestinal electric potentials; non-encumbering EEG electrode assembly suitable for long term sleep research; accurate cardiac telemetry system for active subjects; warning system for the deaf; tracking cane for the blind; and an improved control mechanism to expand the self-sufficiency of quadriplegics.

Review and Design of Low-Dose Bacillus anthracis Inhalation ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Report In July 2011, EPA NHSRC sponsored a Review and Design of Low-Dose Bacillus anthracis Inhalation Exposures meeting to review the research done to date and to identify gaps that future research should address regarding low-dose exposures. This effort brought together many organizations across the country, including EPA’s program offices, federal government agencies and laboratories, academia, and the private sector. Participants of the conference shared knowledge, explored differing opinions, and expanded understanding of the current state of research for low-dose exposure and future research needs. This report represents a summary of the presentations and discussions during the meeting.

48 CFR 35.004 - Publicizing requirements and expanding research and development sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... and expanding research and development sources. 35.004 Section 35.004 Federal Acquisition Regulations System FEDERAL ACQUISITION REGULATION SPECIAL CATEGORIES OF CONTRACTING RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT CONTRACTING 35.004 Publicizing requirements and expanding research and development sources. (a) In order to...

A review of vagus nerve stimulation as a therapeutic intervention

PubMed Central

Johnson, Rhaya L; Wilson, Christopher G

2018-01-01

In this review, we provide an overview of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved clinical uses of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) as well as information about the ongoing studies and preclinical research to expand the use of VNS to additional applications. VNS is currently FDA approved for therapeutic use in patients aged >12 years with drug-resistant epilepsy and depression. Recent studies of VNS in in vivo systems have shown that it has anti-inflammatory properties which has led to more preclinical research aimed at expanding VNS treatment across a wider range of inflammatory disorders. Although the signaling pathway and mechanism by which VNS affects inflammation remain unknown, VNS has shown promising results in treating chronic inflammatory disorders such as sepsis, lung injury, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and diabetes. It is also being used to control pain in fibromyalgia and migraines. This new preclinical research shows that VNS bears the promise of being applied to a wider range of therapeutic applications. PMID:29844694

Extending and expanding the Darwinian synthesis: the role of complex systems dynamics.

PubMed

Weber, Bruce H

2011-03-01

Darwinism is defined here as an evolving research tradition based upon the concepts of natural selection acting upon heritable variation articulated via background assumptions about systems dynamics. Darwin's theory of evolution was developed within a context of the background assumptions of Newtonian systems dynamics. The Modern Evolutionary Synthesis, or neo-Darwinism, successfully joined Darwinian selection and Mendelian genetics by developing population genetics informed by background assumptions of Boltzmannian systems dynamics. Currently the Darwinian Research Tradition is changing as it incorporates new information and ideas from molecular biology, paleontology, developmental biology, and systems ecology. This putative expanded and extended synthesis is most perspicuously deployed using background assumptions from complex systems dynamics. Such attempts seek to not only broaden the range of phenomena encompassed by the Darwinian Research Tradition, such as neutral molecular evolution, punctuated equilibrium, as well as developmental biology, and systems ecology more generally, but to also address issues of the emergence of evolutionary novelties as well as of life itself. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

State of condom use in HIV prevention science and practice.

PubMed

Crosby, Richard A

2013-03-01

Condom use remains as the frontline defense against the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Fortunately, an ever-expanding body of empirical literature is currently guiding improvements in use of this prevention strategy. Recent advances include improved measurement of condom use behaviors, advances in condom effectiveness research, innovations in the design of condoms, and greater intervention efficiency for high-risk populations. After reviewing each of these four areas of research, this article will offer speculation about the future of condom use for HIV prevention.

The TIMS Data User's Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kahle, Anne B. (Editor); Abbott, Elsa (Editor)

1986-01-01

A workshop was held to bring together all users of data from NASA's airborne Thermal Infrared Multispectral Scanner (TIMS). The purpose was to allow users to compare results, data processing algorithms, and problems encountered; to update the users on the latest instrument changes and idiosyncracies, including distribution of the TIMS investigation guide; to inform the users of the wide range of problems that are currently being tackled by other TIMS investigators; to explore ways to expand the user community; to discuss current areas where more basic research is required; and to discuss the future directions of NASA's thermal infrared remote sensing programs. Also discussed were: geology, land use, archeology; and data processing and noise research.

N-acetylcysteine in psychiatry: current therapeutic evidence and potential mechanisms of action

PubMed Central

Dean, Olivia; Giorlando, Frank; Berk, Michael

2011-01-01

There is an expanding field of research investigating the benefits of alternatives to current pharmacological therapies in psychiatry. N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is emerging as a useful agent in the treatment of psychiatric disorders. Like many therapies, the clinical origins of NAC are far removed from its current use in psychiatry. Whereas the mechanisms of NAC are only beginning to be understood, it is likely that NAC is exerting benefits beyond being a precursor to the antioxidant, glutathione, modulating glutamatergic, neurotropic and inflammatory pathways. This review outlines the current literature regarding the use of NAC in disorders including addiction, compulsive and grooming disorders, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. N-acetylcysteine has shown promising results in populations with these disorders, including those in whom treatment efficacy has previously been limited. The therapeutic potential of this acetylated amino acid is beginning to emerge in the field of psychiatric research. PMID:21118657

Investigating 10-Year Trends of Learning Outcomes at Community Colleges. Research Report. ETS RR-13-34

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Ou Lydia; Roohr, Katrina Crotts

2013-01-01

Community colleges currently enroll about 44% of the undergraduate students in the United States and are rapidly expanding. It is of critical importance to obtain direct evidence of student learning to see if students receive adequate training at community colleges. This study investigated the 10-year trends of community college students' (n =…

The Brain Computer Interface Future: Time for a Strategy

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-02-14

electrophysiological activity can be measured by electroencepholography ( EEG ), electrocorticography (ECoG), magnetoencephalography (MEG), or signal activity...magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or near infrared spectroscopy. Currently EEG is most the most widely used BCI interface due to high temporal...resolution, less user risk, and lower costs.12 EEG technology has been widely available for many decades but has significantly expanded as researchers

Voices from Around the World: International Undergraduate Student Experiences. Professional File Number 104, Summer 2007

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terkla, Dawn Geronimo; Etish-Andrews, Jane; Roscoe, Heather S.

2007-01-01

This paper explores how students adjust to life at universities outside their home countries. Much of the current research was conducted prior to the 9/11 tragedy and focuses primarily on studies within a single U.S. institution. This project expands the boundaries by including multiple institutions from around the globe post-9/11. Findings…

Towards a Conceptualization of the Early Career Stage of Principalship: Current Research, Idiosyncrasies and Future Directions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oplatka, Izhar

2012-01-01

This review aims at providing a synthesis of the scholarship that has sought to expand the understanding of the early career stage of principalship by documenting the experiences and tasks of new principals (NPs) in the first three years in the post, and their personal and organizational determinants. The synthesis is based on empirical research…

Mathematics Curriculum Based Measurement to Predict State Test Performance: A Comparison of Measures and Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stevens, Olinger; Leigh, Erika

2012-01-01

Scope and Method of Study: The purpose of the study is to use an empirical approach to identify a simple, economical, efficient, and technically adequate performance measure that teachers can use to assess student growth in mathematics. The current study has been designed to expand the body of research for math CBM to further examine technical…

Expanding the Current Definition of Literacy Pertaining to Blind and Visually Impaired Individuals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Said, Sharifa Khalid Qais

2010-01-01

This research explored the notion of what constitutes literacy, particularly as pertaining to people who are blind or visually impaired, specifically those that do not use Braille as their primary way to access and produce text. To achieve this goal, a mixed design was used including a biographical presentation of what it means to be blind and…

Dental Use and Expenditures for Older Uninsured Americans: The Simulated Impact of Expanded Coverage

PubMed Central

Manski, Richard J; Moeller, John F; Chen, Haiyan; Schimmel, Jody; Pepper, John V; St Clair, Patricia A

2015-01-01

Objective To determine if providing dental insurance to older Americans would close the current gaps in dental use and expenditure between insured and uninsured older Americans. Data Sources/Study Setting We used data from the 2008 Health and Retirement Survey (HRS) supplemented by data from the 2006 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS). Study Design We compared the simulated dental use and expenditures rates of newly insured persons against the corresponding rates for those previously insured. Data Collection/Extraction Methods The HRS is a nationally representative survey administered by the Institute for Social Research (ISR). The MEPS is a nationally representative household survey sponsored by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). Principal Findings We found that expanding dental coverage to older uninsured Americans would close previous gaps in dental use and expense between uninsured and insured noninstitutionalized Americans 55 years and older. Conclusions Providing dental coverage to previously uninsured older adults would produce estimated monthly costs net of markups for administrative costs that comport closely to current market rates. Estimates also suggest that the total cost of providing dental coverage targeted specifically to nonusers of dental care may be less than similar costs for prior users. PMID:25040355

High Current Density, Long Life Cathodes for High Power RF Sources

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

Ives, Robert Lawrence; Collins, George; Falce, Lou

2014-01-22

This program was tasked with improving the quality and expanding applications for Controlled Porosity Reservoir (CPR) cathodes. Calabazas Creek Research, Inc. (CCR) initially developed CPR cathodes on a DOE-funded SBIR program to improve cathodes for magnetron injection guns. Subsequent funding was received from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency. The program developed design requirements for implementation of the technology into high current density cathodes for high frequency applications. During Phase I of this program, CCR was awarded the prestigious 2011 R&D100 award for this technology. Subsequently, the technology was presented at numerous technical conferences. A patent was issued for themore » technology in 2009. These cathodes are now marketed by Semicon Associates, Inc. in Lexington, KY. They are the world’s largest producer of cathodes for vacuum electron devices. During this program, CCR teamed with Semicon Associates, Inc. and Ron Witherspoon, Inc. to improve the fabrication processes and expand applications for the cathodes. Specific fabrications issues included the quality of the wire winding that provides the basic structure and the sintering to bond the wires into a robust, cohesive structure. The program also developed improved techniques for integrating the resulting material into cathodes for electron guns.« less

EXPRESS--Examining Pediatric Resuscitation Education Using Simulation and Scripting. The birth of an international pediatric simulation research collaborative--from concept to reality.

PubMed

Cheng, Adam; Hunt, Elizabeth A; Donoghue, Aaron; Nelson, Kristen; Leflore, Judy; Anderson, JoDee; Eppich, Walter; Simon, Robert; Rudolph, Jenny; Nadkarni, Vinay

2011-02-01

Over the past decade, medical simulation has evolved into an essential component of pediatric resuscitation education and team training. Evidence to support its value as an adjunct to traditional methods of education is expanding; however, large multicenter studies are very rare. Simulation-based researchers currently face many challenges related to small sample sizes, poor generalizability, and paucity of clinically proven and relevant outcome measures. The Examining Pediatric Resuscitation Education Using Simulation and Scripting (EXPRESS) pediatric simulation research collaborative was formed in an attempt to directly address and overcome these challenges. The primary mission of the EXPRESS collaborative is to improve the delivery of medical care to critically ill children by answering important research questions pertaining to pediatric resuscitation and education and is focused on using simulation either as a key intervention of interest or as the outcome measurement tool. Going forward, the collaborative aims to expand its membership internationally and collectively identify pediatric resuscitation and simulation-based research priorities and use these to guide future projects. Ultimately, we hope that with innovative and high-quality research, the EXPRESS pediatric simulation research collaborative will help to build momentum for simulation-based research on an international level. Copyright © 2011 Society for Simulation in Healthcare

TAVR and SAVR: Current Treatment of Aortic Stenosis.

PubMed

Hu, Patrick P

2012-01-01

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) was approved in the United States in late 2011, providing a critically needed alternative therapy for patients with severe aortic stenosis previously refused surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). Over 20,000 TAVR have been performed in patients worldwide since 2002 when Alain Cribier performed the first-in-man TAVR. This paper reviews the data from balloon expandable and self-expanding aortic stent valves as well as data comparing them with traditional surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). Complications using criteria established by the Valve Academic Research Consortium (VARC) are reviewed. Future challenges and possibilities are discussed and will make optimizing TAVR an important goal in the years to come.

TAVR and SAVR: Current Treatment of Aortic Stenosis

PubMed Central

Hu, Patrick P.

2012-01-01

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) was approved in the United States in late 2011, providing a critically needed alternative therapy for patients with severe aortic stenosis previously refused surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). Over 20,000 TAVR have been performed in patients worldwide since 2002 when Alain Cribier performed the first-in-man TAVR. This paper reviews the data from balloon expandable and self-expanding aortic stent valves as well as data comparing them with traditional surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). Complications using criteria established by the Valve Academic Research Consortium (VARC) are reviewed. Future challenges and possibilities are discussed and will make optimizing TAVR an important goal in the years to come. PMID:22952419

Mapping the dengue scientific landscape worldwide: a bibliometric and network analysis.

PubMed

Mota, Fabio Batista; Fonseca, Bruna de Paula Fonseca E; Galina, Andréia Cristina; Silva, Roseli Monteiro da

2017-05-01

Despite the current global trend of reduction in the morbidity and mortality of neglected diseases, dengue's incidence has increased and occurrence areas have expanded. Dengue also persists as a scientific and technological challenge since there is no effective treatment, vaccine, vector control or public health intervention. Combining bibliometrics and social network analysis methods can support the mapping of dengue research and development (R&D) activities worldwide. The aim of this paper is to map the scientific scenario related to dengue research worldwide. We use scientific publication data from Web of Science Core Collection - articles indexed in Science Citation Index Expanded (SCI-EXPANDED) - and combine bibliometrics and social network analysis techniques to identify the most relevant journals, scientific references, research areas, countries and research organisations in the dengue scientific landscape. Our results show a significant increase of dengue publications over time; tropical medicine and virology as the most frequent research areas and biochemistry and molecular biology as the most central area in the network; USA and Brazil as the most productive countries; and Mahidol University and Fundação Oswaldo Cruz as the main research organisations and the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention as the most central organisation in the collaboration network. Our findings can be used to strengthen a global knowledge platform guiding policy, planning and funding decisions as well as to providing directions to researchers and institutions. So that, by offering to the scientific community, policy makers and public health practitioners a mapping of the dengue scientific landscape, this paper has aimed to contribute to upcoming debates, decision-making and planning on dengue R&D and public health strategies worldwide.

A review of developmental and applied language research on African American children: from a deficit to difference perspective on dialect differences.

PubMed

Stockman, Ida J

2010-01-01

The contemporary practices of delivering speech, language, and hearing services in schools reflect palpable gains in professional sensitivity to linguistic and cultural diversity. This article reviews the dominant research themes on the oral language of African American preschoolers who contribute to such diversity in the United States. Specifically, it contrasts the historical and current frameworks that have guided studies of (a) such children's acquisition and use of English and (b) the strategies used to assess and modify their language. Research initiatives that can expand knowledge about this group are proposed.

Internet and Video Game Addictions: Diagnosis, Epidemiology, and Neurobiology.

PubMed

Sussman, Clifford J; Harper, James M; Stahl, Jessica L; Weigle, Paul

2018-04-01

In the past 2 decades, there has been substantial increase in availability and use of digital technologies, including the Internet, computer games, smart phones, and social media. Behavioral addiction to use of technologies spawned a body of related research. The recent inclusion of Internet gaming disorder as a condition for further study in the DSM-V invigorated a new wave of researchers, thereby expanding our understanding of these conditions. This article reviews current research, theory, and practice regarding the diagnosis, epidemiology, and neurobiology of Internet and video game addictions. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Importance of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Research for Transgender and Gender-Nonbinary Individuals.

PubMed

Gianella, Sara; Sonya Haw, J; Blumenthal, Jill; Sullivan, Brooke; Smith, Davey

2018-04-17

Transgender and gender-nonbinary (trans/GNB) individuals are disproportionally affected by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), yet they are not adequately represented in HIV research and often underserved in clinical care. By building on community strengths and addressing structural, psychological and biological challenges, we can improve the engagement of trans/GNB people in research and ultimately improve prevention, testing, and care for this population. Here, we review the current state of the science related to HIV for trans/GNB people and discuss next steps to expand research that aims to improve the lives and well-being of trans/GNB persons.

Science Production in Germany, France, Belgium, and Luxembourg: Comparing the Contributions of Research Universities and Institutes to Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Health.

PubMed

Powell, Justin J W; Dusdal, Jennifer

2017-01-01

Charting significant growth in science production over the 20th century in four European Union member states, this neo-institutional analysis describes the development and current state of universities and research institutes that bolster Europe's position as a key region in global science. On-going internationalization and Europeanization of higher education and science has been accompanied by increasing competition as well as collaboration. Despite the policy goals to foster innovation and further expand research capacity, in cross-national and historical comparison neither the level of R&D investments nor country size accounts completely for the differential growth of scientific productivity. Based on a comprehensive historical database from 1900 to 2010, this analysis uncovers both stable and dynamic patterns of production and productivity in Germany, France, Belgium, and Luxembourg. Measured in peer-reviewed research articles collected in Thomson Reuters' Science Citation Index Expanded, which includes journals in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and Health, we show the varying contributions of different organizational forms, especially research universities and research institutes. Comparing the institutionalization pathways that created the conditions necessary for continuous and strong growth in scientific productivity in the European center of global science emphasizes that the research university is the key organizational form across countries.

Defining and describing capacity issues in U.S. Doctor of Nursing Practice programs.

PubMed

Minnick, Ann F; Norman, Linda D; Donaghey, Beth

2013-01-01

Recent calls to expand the number of U.S. Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNPs) raises questions about programs' capacities, content and requirements, and their ability to expand. This paper aims to describe (1) key aspects of DNP program capacities that may provide direction for DNP program expansion plans, the timing of such expansion and program QI efforts; and (2) the impact of the DNP on faculty resources for research doctoral programs. A survey of all U.S. DNP programs (n = 130; response rate 72%) was conducted in 2011 based on previously tested items. Reviews of Web sites of nonresponding schools provided some data from all programs. Ratios of students to faculty active in advanced practice (AP) and in QI (QI) were high (AP 11.0:1, SD 10.1; QI 20.2:1, SD 17.0 respectively). There was wide variation in scholarly requirements (0-4: 50% of program had none) and program committee composition (1-5; mode=2). Almost all responding schools that offered PhD and DNP programs reported assigning research-active or potentially research-active faculty in both programs. The ability to expand programs while maintaining quality may be compromised by capacity issues. Addressing demand issues through the alignment of program requirements with societal and employment requirements may provide directions for addressing current DNP capacity issues. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Design Pedagogy for an Unknown Future: A View from the Expanding Field of Design Scholarship and Professional Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Stephanie Elizabeth; Zamberlan, Lisa

2017-01-01

This article draws on current research investigating the notion of design for an unknown future. It reflects on recent thinking about the role of creativity in design practice and discusses implications for the development and assessment of creativity in the design studio. It begins with a review of literature on the issues and challenges…

Outreach and educational activities in Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gritsevich, M.; Kartashova, A.

2012-09-01

We present an overview of the major internal as well as international meetings and events held in Russia and dedicated to the integration, development and expanding of knowledge in Planetary Research. The report is complemented by the Europlanet activities in Russia over the last year, achieved goals and lessons learned. Additionally, we highlight current problems and possible future improvements to the present educational and outreach techniques.

Leadership as Dance: A Consideration of the Applicability of the "Mother" of All Arts as the Basis for Establishing Connoisseurship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ehrich, Lisa Catherine; English, Fenwick W.

2013-01-01

This article follows the lead of several researchers who claim there is an urgent need to utilize insights from the arts, aesthetics and the humanities to expand our understanding of leadership. It endeavours to do this by exploring the metaphor of dance. It begins by critiquing current policy metaphors used in the leadership literature that…

Review of ESA Experimental Research Activities for Electric Propulsion

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-01-01

detect gravitational waves, distortions of space-time occurring when a massive body is accelerated or disturbed. To achieve that goal the relative...thrusters of Electric Propulsion systems accelerate the propellant ions to velocities of tens of kilometers per second making it a propulsion option that is...expanded through nozzle Ion electrostatically accelerated . Plasma accelerated via interaction of current and magnetic field. Concept Resistojets

Expanding the Horizons for Critical Literacy in a Bilingual Preschool Classroom: Children's Responses in Discussions with Gender-Themed Picture Books

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, So Jung

2016-01-01

The current study explores how picture books can be used in bilingual classrooms to support more critical understandings of gender stereotypes by preschool children. The research uses a reader-response perspective that stresses the importance of the reader's role in interpreting texts as well as sociocultural theory to analyze the social dynamics…

"Tjaa, I Do Have Ears, but I Do Not Hear": New Literacy Studies and the Awakening of a Hearing Teacher

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gísladóttir, Karen Rut

2014-01-01

To address the low literacy achievement of minority students, the sociocultural movement of the New Literacy Studies (NLS) encourages us to expand on current understandings of literacy. Instead of thinking of literacy as a neutral set of skills transferable from one setting to another, NLS researchers encourage us to contextualize literacy within…

Environmental availability of chlorinated organics, explosives, and metals in soils

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

Anderson, W.C.; Loehr, R.C.; Smith, B.P.

1999-08-01

Environmental availability is key to defining the extent of remediation required. Nationally recognized experts summarize what is known about the environmental availability of chlorinated organics (Perry McCarty), explosives (Judith Pennington), and metals (Rufus Chaney). It also summarizes the current use of environmental availability to set cleanup goals for petroleum hydrocarbons and identifies essential research needed to expand the knowledge base for environmental availability.

W.a.w (we are watching) smart app: accommodating social perception towards public officers’ performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Widhoyoko, S. A.; Sasmoko; Nasir, L. A.; Manalu, S. R.; Indrianti, Y.

2018-03-01

This research is a continuation of previous research that is corruption early prevention is expanded by using expert system to analyze data and produce information to build decision. The research method used is neuroresearch method through three stages of research, namely exploratory stage, explanatory stage and confirmatory stages. The exploratory research finds W.aW’s Principles and W.a.W’s Units of Assessment as the basis for the preparation of the application. Stages of explanatory research in the form of W.a.W’s design of IT and confirmatory research stages are the design of expert system W.a.W. Expert System uses this formulation to generate dynamic standard value for each category and current social perception.

Modification of NASA Langley 8 foot high temperature tunnel to provide a unique national research facility for hypersonic air-breathing propulsion systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kelly, H. N.; Wieting, A. R.

1984-01-01

A planned modification of the NASA Langley 8-Foot High Temperature Tunnel to make it a unique national research facility for hypersonic air-breathing propulsion systems is described, and some of the ongoing supporting research for that modification is discussed. The modification involves: (1) the addition of an oxygen-enrichment system which will allow the methane-air combustion-heated test stream to simulate air for propulsion testing; and (2) supplemental nozzles to expand the test simulation capability from the current nominal Mach number to 7.0 include Mach numbers 3.0, 4.5, and 5.0. Detailed design of the modifications is currently underway and the modified facility is scheduled to be available for tests of large scale propulsion systems by mid 1988.

Self-expansion and smoking abstinence.

PubMed

Xu, Xiaomeng; Floyd, Anna H L; Westmaas, J Lee; Aron, Arthur

2010-04-01

Helping smokers quit is important as smoking is the number one preventable cause of death in the U.S. Smoking activates the mesolimbic dopamine reward system which is also responsible for pleasure associated with other behaviors, including engaging in novel, exciting and/or challenging (i.e., self-expanding) events. We hypothesized that the reward activation achieved by experiencing self-expanding events can supplant the reinforcement normally provided by smoking and can thus facilitate quitting. We investigated this hypothesis among 74 current and 66 former smokers who reported the self-expanding events they experienced for the 2 months prior to their most successful or final, quit attempt, respectively. Former smokers, compared to current smokers, reported significantly more self-expanding events and that the events were more helpful to their quitting. For current smokers, there was a significant moderate-to-large positive correlation between number of self-expanding events and number of days subsequently abstained from smoking. The results support the proposition that experiencing self-expanding activities or events can be beneficial for smoking abstinence. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Disease Ontology 2015 update: an expanded and updated database of human diseases for linking biomedical knowledge through disease data

PubMed Central

Kibbe, Warren A.; Arze, Cesar; Felix, Victor; Mitraka, Elvira; Bolton, Evan; Fu, Gang; Mungall, Christopher J.; Binder, Janos X.; Malone, James; Vasant, Drashtti; Parkinson, Helen; Schriml, Lynn M.

2015-01-01

The current version of the Human Disease Ontology (DO) (http://www.disease-ontology.org) database expands the utility of the ontology for the examination and comparison of genetic variation, phenotype, protein, drug and epitope data through the lens of human disease. DO is a biomedical resource of standardized common and rare disease concepts with stable identifiers organized by disease etiology. The content of DO has had 192 revisions since 2012, including the addition of 760 terms. Thirty-two percent of all terms now include definitions. DO has expanded the number and diversity of research communities and community members by 50+ during the past two years. These community members actively submit term requests, coordinate biomedical resource disease representation and provide expert curation guidance. Since the DO 2012 NAR paper, there have been hundreds of term requests and a steady increase in the number of DO listserv members, twitter followers and DO website usage. DO is moving to a multi-editor model utilizing Protégé to curate DO in web ontology language. This will enable closer collaboration with the Human Phenotype Ontology, EBI's Ontology Working Group, Mouse Genome Informatics and the Monarch Initiative among others, and enhance DO's current asserted view and multiple inferred views through reasoning. PMID:25348409

Water quality standards for the protection of human health and aquatic ecosystems in Korea: current state and future perspective.

PubMed

Kwak, Jin Il; Nam, Sun-Hwa; An, Youn-Joo

2018-02-01

Since the Korean Ministry of the Environment established the Master Plan for Water Environment (2006-2015), the need to revise the water quality standards (WQSs) has driven government projects to expand the standards for the protection of human health and aquatic ecosystems. This study aimed to provide an historical overview of how these WQSs were established, amended, and expanded over the past 10 years in Korea. Here, major projects related to national monitoring in rivers and the amendment of WQSs were intensely reviewed, including projects on the categorization of hazardous chemicals potentially discharged into surface water, the chemical ranking and scoring methodology for surface water (CRAFT, Chemical RAnking of surFace water polluTants), whole effluent toxicity (WET) management systems, the 4th, 5th, and 6th revisions of the water quality standards for the protection of human health, and efforts toward developing the 7th revision. In this review, we assimilated the past and current status as well as future perspectives of Korean surface WQSs. This research provides information that aids our understanding of how surface WQSs have been expanded, and how scientific approaches to ensure water quality have been applied at each step of the process in Korea.

Edge-terminated molybdenum disulfide with a 9.4-Å interlayer spacing for electrochemical hydrogen production

DOE PAGES

Gao, Min -Rui; Chan, Maria K. Y.; Sun, Yugang

2015-07-03

In this study, layered molybdenum disulfide has demonstrated great promise as a low-cost alternative to platinum-based catalysts for electrochemical hydrogen production from water. Research effort on this material has focused mainly on synthesizing highly nanostructured molybdenum disulfide that allows the exposure of a large fraction of active edge sites. Here we report a promising microwave-assisted strategy for the synthesis of narrow molybdenum disulfide nanosheets with edge-terminated structure and a significantly expanded interlayer spacing, which exhibit striking kinetic metrics with onset potential of -103 mV, Tafel slope of 49 mV per decade and exchange current density of 9.62 × 10 -3more » mA cm -2, performing among the best of current molybdenum disulfide catalysts. Besides benefits from the edge-terminated structure, the expanded interlayer distance with modified electronic structure is also responsible for the observed catalytic improvement, which suggests a potential way to design newly advanced molybdenum disulfide catalysts through modulating the interlayer distance.« less

Edge-terminated molybdenum disulfide with a 9.4-Å interlayer spacing for electrochemical hydrogen production

PubMed Central

Gao, Min-Rui; Chan, Maria K.Y.; Sun, Yugang

2015-01-01

Layered molybdenum disulfide has demonstrated great promise as a low-cost alternative to platinum-based catalysts for electrochemical hydrogen production from water. Research effort on this material has focused mainly on synthesizing highly nanostructured molybdenum disulfide that allows the exposure of a large fraction of active edge sites. Here we report a promising microwave-assisted strategy for the synthesis of narrow molybdenum disulfide nanosheets with edge-terminated structure and a significantly expanded interlayer spacing, which exhibit striking kinetic metrics with onset potential of −103 mV, Tafel slope of 49 mV per decade and exchange current density of 9.62 × 10−3 mA cm−2, performing among the best of current molybdenum disulfide catalysts. Besides benefits from the edge-terminated structure, the expanded interlayer distance with modified electronic structure is also responsible for the observed catalytic improvement, which suggests a potential way to design newly advanced molybdenum disulfide catalysts through modulating the interlayer distance. PMID:26138031

Report on the International Rarefied Gas Dynamics Symposium (29th) held in Xi’an, China on 13-18 July 2014

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-21

cover in the region where gas expands all the way round the nozzle exit in the vacuum of space. This geome- try is investigated using hybrid NS/DSMC with...Final 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) 19 May 2014 – 18 Oct 2014 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Report on Rarefied Gas Dynamics Research Status 5a...Air Force about the current status of research in rarefied gas dynamics and related fields, primarily via the 29th International Symposium on Rarefied

Forgiveness and justice: a research agenda for social and personality psychology.

PubMed

Exline, Julie Juola; Worthington, Everett L; Hill, Peter; McCullough, Michael E

2003-01-01

Forgiveness and related constructs (e.g., repentance, mercy, reconciliation) are ripe for study by social and personality psychologists, including those interested in justice. Current trends in social science, law, management, philosophy, and theology suggest a need to expand existing justice frameworks to incorporate alternatives or complements to retribution, including forgiveness and related processes. In this article, we raise five challenging empirical questions about forgiveness. For each question, we briefly review representative research, raise hypotheses, and suggest specific ways in which social and personality psychologists could make distinctive contributions.

From research plots to prototype biomass plantations

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

Kenney, W.A.; Vanstone, B.J.; Gambles, R.L.

1993-12-31

The development of biomass energy plantations is now expanding from the research plot phase into the next level of development at larger scale plantings. This is necessary to provide: more accurate information on biomass yields, realistic production cost figures, venues to test harvesting equipment, demonstration sites for potential producers, and a supply of feedstock for prototype conversion facilities. The paper will discuss some of these objectives and some of the challenges encountered in the scale-up process associated with a willow prototype plantation project currently under development in Eastern Canada.

A remote sensing research agenda for mapping and monitoring biodiversity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stoms, D. M.; Estes, J. E.

1993-01-01

A remote sensing research agenda designed to expand the knowledge of the spatial distribution of species richness and its ecological determinants and to predict its response to global change is proposed. Emphasis is placed on current methods of mapping species richness of both plants and animals, hypotheses concerning the biophysical factors believed to determine patterns of species richness, and anthropogenic processes causing the accelerating rate of extinctions. It is concluded that biodiversity should be incorporated more prominently into the global change and earth system science paradigms.

Security Assessment Simulation Toolkit (SAST) Final Report

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

Meitzler, Wayne D.; Ouderkirk, Steven J.; Hughes, Chad O.

2009-11-15

The Department of Defense Technical Support Working Group (DoD TSWG) investment in the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) Security Assessment Simulation Toolkit (SAST) research planted a technology seed that germinated into a suite of follow-on Research and Development (R&D) projects culminating in software that is used by multiple DoD organizations. The DoD TSWG technology transfer goal for SAST is already in progress. The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), the Defense-wide Information Assurance Program (DIAP), the Marine Corps, Office Of Naval Research (ONR) National Center For Advanced Secure Systems Research (NCASSR) and Office Of Secretary Of Defense International Exercise Program (OSDmore » NII) are currently investing to take SAST to the next level. PNNL currently distributes the software to over 6 government organizations and 30 DoD users. For the past five DoD wide Bulwark Defender exercises, the adoption of this new technology created an expanding role for SAST. In 2009, SAST was also used in the OSD NII International Exercise and is currently scheduled for use in 2010.« less

The NASA Materials Science Research Program: It's New Strategic Goals and Opportunities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlagheck, Ronald A.; Stagg, Elizabeth

2004-01-01

In the past year, the NASA s Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) has formulated a long term plan to perform strategical and fundamental research bringing together physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering to solve problems needed for current and future agency mission goals. Materials Science is one of basic disciplines within the Enterprise s Division of Physical Sciences Research. The Materials Science Program participates to utilize effective use of International Space Station (ISS) and various world class ground laboratory facilities to solve new scientific and technology questions and transfer these results for public and agency benefits. The program has recently targeted new investigative research in strategic areas necessary to expand NASA knowledge base for exploration of the universe and some of these experiments will need access to the microgravity of space. The program is implementing a wide variety of traditional ground and flight based research related types of fundamental science related to materials crystallization, fundamental processing, and properties characterization in order to obtain basic understanding of various phenomena effects and relationships to the structures, processing, and properties of materials. , In addition new initiatives in radiation protection, materials for propulsion and In-space fabrication and repair focus on research helping the agency solve problems needed for future transportation into the solar system. A summary of the types and sources for this research is presented including those experiments planned for a low gravity environment. Areas to help expand the science basis for NASA future missions are described. An overview of the program is given including the scope of the current and future NASA Research Announcements with emphasis on new materials science initiatives. A description of the planned flight experiments to be conducted on the International Space Station program along with the planned facility class Materials Science Research Rack (MSRR) and Microgravity Glovebox (MSG) type investigations. Some initial results from the first three materials experiments are given.

Nanoparticle-Enabled Transdermal Drug Delivery Systems for Enhanced Dose Control and Tissue Targeting.

PubMed

Palmer, Brian C; DeLouise, Lisa A

2016-12-15

Transdermal drug delivery systems have been around for decades, and current technologies (e.g., patches, ointments, and creams) enhance the skin permeation of low molecular weight, lipophilic drugs that are efficacious at low doses. The objective of current transdermal drug delivery research is to discover ways to enhance skin penetration of larger, hydrophilic drugs and macromolecules for disease treatment and vaccination. Nanocarriers made of lipids, metals, or polymers have been successfully used to increase penetration of drugs or vaccines, control drug release, and target drugs to specific areas of skin in vivo. While more research is needed to identify the safety of nanocarriers, this technology has the potential to expand the use of transdermal routes of administration to a wide array of therapeutics. Here, we review the current state of nanoparticle skin delivery systems with special emphasis on targeting skin diseases.

Aircraft technology opportunities for the 21st Century

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Albers, James A.; Zuk, John

1988-01-01

New aircraft technologies are presented that have the potential to expand the air transportation system and reduce congestion through new operating capabilities, and at the same time provide greater levels of safety and environmental compatibility. Both current and planned civil aeronautics technology at the NASA Ames, Lewis, and Langley Research Centers are addressed. The complete spectrum of current aircraft and new vehicle concepts is considered including rotorcraft (helicopters and tiltrotors), vertical and short takeoff and landing (V/STOL) and short takeoff and landing (STOL) aircraft, subsonic transports, high speed transports, and hypersonic/transatmospheric vehicles. New technologies for current aircraft will improve efficiency, affordability, safety, and environmental compatibility. Research and technology promises to enable development of new vehicles that will revolutionize or greatly change the transportation system. These vehicles will provide new capabilities which will lead to enormous market opportunities and economic growth, as well as improve the competitive position of the U.S. aerospace industry.

Recent trends for practical rehabilitation robotics, current challenges and the future.

PubMed

Yakub, Fitri; Md Khudzari, Ahmad Zahran; Mori, Yasuchika

2014-03-01

This paper presents and studies various selected literature primarily from conference proceedings, journals and clinical tests of the robotic, mechatronics, neurology and biomedical engineering of rehabilitation robotic systems. The present paper focuses of three main categories: types of rehabilitation robots, key technologies with current issues and future challenges. Literature on fundamental research with some examples from commercialized robots and new robot development projects related to rehabilitation are introduced. Most of the commercialized robots presented in this paper are well known especially to robotics engineers and scholars in the robotic field, but are less known to humanities scholars. The field of rehabilitation robot research is expanding; in light of this, some of the current issues and future challenges in rehabilitation robot engineering are recalled, examined and clarified with future directions. This paper is concluded with some recommendations with respect to rehabilitation robots.

Nanoparticle enabled transdermal drug delivery systems for enhanced dose control and tissue targeting

PubMed Central

Palmer, Brian C.; DeLouise, Lisa A.

2017-01-01

Transdermal drug delivery systems have been around for decades, and current technologies (e.g. patches, ointments, and creams) enhance the skin permeation of low molecular weight, lipophilic drugs that are efficacious at low doses. The objective of current transdermal drug delivery research is to discover ways to enhance skin penetration of larger, hydrophilic drugs and macromolecules for disease treatment and vaccination. Nanocarriers made of lipids, metals, or polymers have been successfully used to increase penetration of drugs or vaccines, control drug release, and target drugs to specific areas of skin in vivo. While more research is needed to identify the safety of nanocarriers, this technology has the potential to expand the use of transdermal routes of administration to a wide array of therapeutics. Here, we review the current state of nanoparticle skin delivery systems with special emphasis on targeting skin diseases. PMID:27983701

Meeting Expanding Needs to Collect Food Intake Specificity: The Nutrition Data System for Research (NDS-R)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

VanHeel, Nancy; Pettit, Janet; Rice, Barbara; Smith, Scott M.

2003-01-01

Food and nutrient databases are populated with data obtained from a variety of sources including USDA Reference Tables, scientific journals, food manufacturers and foreign food tables. The food and nutrient database maintained by the Nutrition Coordinating Center (NCC) at the University of Minnesota is continually updated with current nutrient data and continues to be expanded with additional nutrient fields to meet diverse research endeavors. Data are strictly evaluated for reliability and relevance before incorporation into the database; however, the values are obtained from various sources and food samples rather than from direct chemical analysis of specific foods. Precise nutrient values for specific foods are essential to the nutrition program at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). Specific foods to be included in the menus of astronauts are chemically analyzed at the Johnson Space Center for selected nutrients. A request from NASA for a method to enter the chemically analyzed nutrient values for these space flight food items into the Nutrition Data System for Research (NDS-R) software resulted in modification of the database and interview system for use by NASA, with further modification to extend the method for related uses by more typical research studies.

A Numerical Model of Hercules A by Magnetic Tower

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakamura, Masanori; Tregillis, I. L.; Li, H.; Li, S.

2009-01-01

We apply magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) modeling to the radio galaxy Hercules A for investigating the jet-driven shock, jet/lobe transition, wiggling, and magnetic field distribution associated with this source. The model consists of magnetic tower jets in a galaxy cluster environment. The profile of underlying ambient gas plays an important role in jet-lobe morphology. The balance between the magnetic pressure generated by axial current and the ambient gas pressure can determine the lobe radius. The jet body is confined jointly by the external pressure and gravity inside the cluster core radius, while outside this radius it expands radially to form fat lobes in a steeply decreasing ambient thermal pressure gradient. The current-carrying jets are responsible for generating a strong, tightly wound helical magnetic field. This magnetic configuration will be unstable against the current-driven kink mode and it visibly grows beyond the cluster core radius where a separation between the jet forward and return currents occurs. The reversed pinch profile of global magnetic field associated with the jet and lobes produces projected magnetic-vector distributions aligned with the jet flow and the lobe edge. AGN-driven shock powered by the expanding magnetic tower jet surrounds the jet/lobe structure and heats the ambient ICM. The lobes expand subsonically; no obvious hot spots are produced at the heads of lobes. Several key features in our MHD modeling may be qualitatively supported by the observations of Hercules A. This work was carried out under the auspices of the National Nuclear Security Administration of the U.S. Department of Energy at Los Alamos National Laboratory under Contract No. DE-AC52-06NA25396. It was supported by the Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program at LANL and by IGPP at LANL.

CRISPR-enabled tools for engineering microbial genomes and phenotypes.

PubMed

Tarasava, Katia; Oh, Eun Joong; Eckert, Carrie A; Gill, Ryan T

2018-06-19

In recent years CRISPR-Cas technologies have revolutionized microbial engineering approaches. Genome editing and non-editing applications of various CRISPR-Cas systems have expanded the throughput and scale of engineering efforts, as well as opened up new avenues for manipulating genomes of non-model organisms. As we expand the range of organisms used for biotechnological applications, we need to develop better, more versatile tools for manipulation of these systems. Here we summarize the current advances in microbial gene editing using CRISPR-Cas based tools, and highlight state-of-the-art methods for high-throughput, efficient genome-scale engineering in model organisms Escherichia coli and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We also review non-editing CRISPR-Cas applications available for gene expression manipulation, epigenetic remodeling, RNA editing, labeling and synthetic gene circuit design. Finally, we point out the areas of research that need further development in order to expand the range of applications and increase the utility of these new methods. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Federal research and development for satellite communications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

A Committee on Satellite Communication (COSC) was formed under the auspices of the Space Applications Board (SAB) in order to study Federal research and development on satellite communications (SC). Discussion on whether to continue the research and development and the proper role of the Federal Government are addressed. Discussion focussed on six possible options for a Federal role in SC research and development: (1) the current NASA SC program; (2) an expanded NASA SC technology program; (3) a SC technology flight test support program; (4) an experimental SC technology flight program; (5) an experimental public service SC system program; and (6) an operational public service SC system program. Decision criteria and recommendations are presented.

Expanding the "CBAL"™ Mathematics Assessments to Elementary Grades: The Development of a Competency Model and a Rational Number Learning Progression. Research Report. ETS RR-14-08

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arieli-Attali, Meirav; Cayton-Hodges, Gabrielle

2014-01-01

Prior work on the "CBAL"™ mathematics competency model resulted in an initial competency model for middle school grades with several learning progressions (LPs) that elaborate central ideas in the competency model and provide a basis for connecting summative and formative assessment. In the current project, we created a competency model…

Deployment Health Centers Review, 2016-2017

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-08-21

the short and long-term adverse effects of military service on the physical and mental health of veterans. We recommend that the DHB continue to...adverse effects of military service on the physical and mental health of veterans” by expanding on current clinical, surveillance, and research efforts...the ability to identify, treat, and minimize the short- and long-term adverse effects of military service on the mental and physical health of

The Oviduct and Serous Cancer Risk Assessment

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

Career development for Dr. Xian (collaborator in the first year). Dr. Xian has recently obtained a Teal award stemming in part from opportunities...created during this collaboration. 3) Career development for Brooke Howitt at BWH. Dr. Howitt is a young faculty member at BWH who was involved in...carcinogenesis. She is currently applying for funding to expand her protected time for ovarian cancer research. 4) Career development for visiting

T Cells that Recognize HPV Protein Can Target Virus-Infected Cells | Center for Cancer Research

Cancer.gov

Adoptive T-cell transfer (ACT) is a promising form of cancer immunotherapy. Treating patients with T cells isolated from a tumor and subsequently expanded in the lab can cause the complete regression of some melanomas and cervical cancers, but the treatment is currently restricted to a few cancer types. An approach that may be applied to a wider array of cancers involves

The evolving Alaska mapping program.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brooks, P.D.; O'Brien, T. J.

1986-01-01

This paper describes the development of mapping in Alaska, the current status of the National Mapping Program, and future plans for expanding and improving the mapping coverage. Research projects with Landsat Multispectral Scanner and Return Vidicon imagery and real- and synthetic-aperture radar; image mapping programs; digital mapping; remote sensing projects; the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act; and the Alaska High-Altitude Aerial Photography Program are also discussed.-from Authors

Storages Are Not Forever

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

Cambria, Erik; Chattopadhyay, Anupam; Linn, Eike

Not unlike the concern over diminishing fossil fuel, information technology is bringing its own share of future worries. Here, we chose to look closely into one concern in this paper, namely the limited amount of data storage. By a simple extrapolatory analysis, it is shown that we are on the way to exhaust our storage capacity in less than two centuries with current technology and no recycling. This can be taken as a note of caution to expand research initiative in several directions: firstly, bringing forth innovative data analysis techniques to represent, learn, and aggregate useful knowledge while filtering outmore » noise from data; secondly, tap onto the interplay between storage and computing to minimize storage allocation; thirdly, explore ingenious solutions to expand storage capacity. Throughout this paper, we delve deeper into the state-of-the-art research and also put forth novel propositions in all of the abovementioned directions, including space- and time-efficient data representation, intelligent data aggregation, in-memory computing, extra-terrestrial storage, and data curation. The main aim of this paper is to raise awareness on the storage limitation we are about to face if current technology is adopted and the storage utilization growth rate persists. In the manuscript, we propose some storage solutions and a better utilization of storage capacity through a global DIKW hierarchy.« less

Storages Are Not Forever

DOE PAGES

Cambria, Erik; Chattopadhyay, Anupam; Linn, Eike; ...

2017-05-27

Not unlike the concern over diminishing fossil fuel, information technology is bringing its own share of future worries. Here, we chose to look closely into one concern in this paper, namely the limited amount of data storage. By a simple extrapolatory analysis, it is shown that we are on the way to exhaust our storage capacity in less than two centuries with current technology and no recycling. This can be taken as a note of caution to expand research initiative in several directions: firstly, bringing forth innovative data analysis techniques to represent, learn, and aggregate useful knowledge while filtering outmore » noise from data; secondly, tap onto the interplay between storage and computing to minimize storage allocation; thirdly, explore ingenious solutions to expand storage capacity. Throughout this paper, we delve deeper into the state-of-the-art research and also put forth novel propositions in all of the abovementioned directions, including space- and time-efficient data representation, intelligent data aggregation, in-memory computing, extra-terrestrial storage, and data curation. The main aim of this paper is to raise awareness on the storage limitation we are about to face if current technology is adopted and the storage utilization growth rate persists. In the manuscript, we propose some storage solutions and a better utilization of storage capacity through a global DIKW hierarchy.« less

The role of gene-gene interaction in the prediction of criminal behavior.

PubMed

Boutwell, Brian B; Menard, Scott; Barnes, J C; Beaver, Kevin M; Armstrong, Todd A; Boisvert, Danielle

2014-04-01

A host of research has examined the possibility that environmental risk factors might condition the influence of genes on various outcomes. Less research, however, has been aimed at exploring the possibility that genetic factors might interact to impact the emergence of human traits. Even fewer studies exist examining the interaction of genes in the prediction of behavioral outcomes. The current study expands this body of research by testing the interaction between genes involved in neural transmission. Our findings suggest that certain dopamine genes interact to increase the odds of criminogenic outcomes in a national sample of Americans. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Automated documentation generator for advanced protein crystal growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maddux, Gary A.; Provancha, Anna; Chattam, David; Ford, Ronald

1993-01-01

The System Management and Production Laboratory at the Research Institute, the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), was tasked by the Microgravity Experiment Projects (MEP) Office of the Payload Projects Office (PPO) at Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) to conduct research in the current methods of written documentation control and retrieval. The goals of this research were to determine the logical interrelationships within selected NASA documentation, and to expand on a previously developed prototype system to deliver a distributable, electronic knowledge-based system. This computer application would then be used to provide a paperless interface between the appropriate parties for the required NASA document.

Pediatric Psychosomatic Medicine: Creating a Template for Training

PubMed Central

Walker, Audrey; Pao, Maryland; Nguyen, Ngoc

2012-01-01

There is a critical public health problem in the United States today, the problem of childhood psychiatric disorders in youngsters with physical illnesses. Currently there is a pressing need for well-trained pediatric psychosomatic medicine practitioners as well as advanced training in the field. Yet, this training does not currently exist. This article will present the innovative Montefiore Medical Center/Albert Einstein College of Medicine (MMC/AECOM) program as a model for a training curriculum, clinical training experience, and clinical research training setting in this important and rapidly expanding area of need in pediatric mental health. PMID:22658325

Applications of Tissue Engineering in Joint Arthroplasty: Current Concepts Update.

PubMed

Zeineddine, Hussein A; Frush, Todd J; Saleh, Zeina M; El-Othmani, Mouhanad M; Saleh, Khaled J

2017-07-01

Research in tissue engineering has undoubtedly achieved significant milestones in recent years. Although it is being applied in several disciplines, tissue engineering's application is particularly advanced in orthopedic surgery and in degenerative joint diseases. The literature is full of remarkable findings and trials using tissue engineering in articular cartilage disease. With the vast and expanding knowledge, and with the variety of techniques available at hand, the authors aimed to review the current concepts and advances in the use of cell sources in articular cartilage tissue engineering. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Completing the Circle: A Model for Effective Community Review of Environmental Health Research

PubMed Central

Shepard, Peggy Morrow; Corbin-Mark, Cecil D.

2009-01-01

While it is well understood that multiple and cumulative environmental stressors negatively impact health at the community level, existing ethical research review procedures are designed to protect individual research participants but not communities. Increasing concerns regarding the ethical conduct of research in general and environmental and genetic research in particular underscore the need to expand the scope of current human participant research regulations and ethical guidelines to include protections for communities. In an effort to address this issue, West Harlem Environmental Action (WE ACT), a nonprofit, community-based environmental justice organization in New York City that has been involved in community–academic partnerships for the past decade, used qualitative interview data to develop a pilot model for community review of environmental health science research. PMID:19890159

Expanding Cancer Prevention Education to National and International Audiences: The National Cancer Institute’s Principles and Practice of Cancer Prevention and Control Annual Summer Course

PubMed Central

Faupel-Badger, Jessica M.; van Bemmel, Dana M.; Wiest, Jonathan S.; Nelson, David E.

2012-01-01

The Summer Curriculum in Cancer Prevention has been sponsored by the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program for over two decades. This curriculum includes a four-week course entitled “Principles and Practice of Cancer Prevention and Control.” The ultimate goal of this course is to present the most current cancer prevention research to a diverse workforce of researchers and practitioners eager to address the current challenges in this field. The course covers the current status of cancer prevention research and practice, ranging from epidemiology and clinical practice, and from basic to behavioral science research. It is comprised of lectures grouped into nine modules representing broad and specific topics relevant to cancer prevention. Course participants come from a broad cross-section of career stages, professions, and research interests, and are from across the United States and other countries. Over time and in response to feedback from participants, the course has developed to meet the needs and expectations of this diverse audience, and may serve as a model for those interested in cancer prevention education and training in other countries. PMID:21785976

Materials Requirements for Advanced Propulsion Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitaker, Ann F.; Cook, Mary Beth; Clinton, R. G., Jr.

2005-01-01

NASA's mission to "reach the Moon and Mars" will be obtained only if research begins now to develop materials with expanded capabilities to reduce mass, cost and risk to the program. Current materials cannot function satisfactorily in the deep space environments and do not meet the requirements of long term space propulsion concepts for manned missions. Directed research is needed to better understand materials behavior for optimizing their processing. This research, generating a deeper understanding of material behavior, can lead to enhanced implementation of materials for future exploration vehicles. materials providing new approaches for manufacture and new options for In response to this need for more robust materials, NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate (ESMD) has established a strategic research initiative dedicated to materials development supporting NASA's space propulsion needs. The Advanced Materials for Exploration (AME) element directs basic and applied research to understand material behavior and develop improved materials allowing propulsion systems to operate beyond their current limitations. This paper will discuss the approach used to direct the path of strategic research for advanced materials to ensure that the research is indeed supportive of NASA's future missions to the moon, Mars, and beyond.

Improvement of research quality in the fields of orthopaedics and trauma: a global perspective.

PubMed

Fayaz, Hangama C; Haas, Norbert; Kellam, James; Bavonratanavech, Suthorn; Parvizi, Javad; Dyer, George; Pohlemann, Tim; Jerosch, Jörg; Prommersberger, Karl-Josef; Pape, Hans Christoph; Smith, Malcolm; Vrahas, Marc; Perka, Carsten; Siebenrock, Klaus; Elhassan, Bassem; Moran, Christopher; Jupiter, Jesse B

2013-07-01

The international orthopaedic community aims to achieve the best possible outcome for patient care by constantly modifying surgical techniques and expanding the surgeon's knowledge. These efforts require proper reflection within a setting that necessitates a higher quality standard for global orthopaedic publication. Furthermore, these techniques demand that surgeons acquire information at a rapid rate while enforcing higher standards in research performance. An international consensus exists on how to perform research and what rules should be considered when publishing a scientific paper. Despite this global agreement, in today's "Cross Check Era", too many authors do not give attention to the current standards of systematic research. Thus, the purpose of this paper is to describe these performance standards, the available choices for orthopaedic surgeons and the current learning curve for seasoned teams of researchers and orthopaedic surgeons with more than three decades of experience. These lead to provide an accessible overview of all important aspects of the topics that will significantly influence the research development as we arrive at an important globalisation era in orthopaedics and trauma-related research.

Workaholism: An overview and current status of the research

PubMed Central

Andreassen, Cecilie Schou

2014-01-01

Aims: This article addresses the stable tendency of excessive and compulsive working (i.e., workaholism). The main aim is to provide an updated oversight of the research area related to definition, prevalence, assessment, causes, outcomes, intervention as well as proposed future research directions. The target-population is both researchers and clinicians. Methods: The findings are identified by narratively reviewing the literature. Results: Research into workaholism has expanded over the last two decades. Several screening instruments to identify workaholics have been developed. The vast majority of these are based on seemingly atheoretical foundations, lacking convergent validity with each other and with related constructs. Research generally shows that workaholism is related to impaired health and well-being as well as to conflicts between work and family life. Workaholism is probably caused and maintained by a range of factors, although solid empirical underpinnings for suggested antecedents are currently sparse. So far no well-evaluated interventions for workaholism exist. Conclusions: At present, workaholism as a construct lacks conceptual and empirical clarity. Future research efforts should prioritize longitudinal studies as well as studies incorporating unbiased, firm parameters of both health and behavior. PMID:25215209

Enhancing research capacity of African institutions through social networking.

PubMed

Jimenez-Castellanos, Ana; Ramirez-Robles, Maximo; Shousha, Amany; Bagayoko, Cheick Oumar; Perrin, Caroline; Zolfo, Maria; Cuzin, Asa; Roland, Alima; Aryeetey, Richmond; Maojo, Victor

2013-01-01

Traditionally, participation of African researchers in top Biomedical Informatics (BMI) scientific journals and conferences has been scarce. Looking beyond these numbers, an educational goal should be to improve overall research and, therefore, to increase the number of scientists/authors able to produce and publish high quality research. In such scenario, we are carrying out various efforts to expand the capacities of various institutions located at four African countries - Egypt, Ghana, Cameroon and Mali - in the framework of a European Commission-funded project, AFRICA BUILD. This project is currently carrying out activities such as e-learning, collaborative development of informatics tools, mobility of researchers, various pilot projects, and others. Our main objective is to create a self-sustained South-South network of BMI developers.

Microgravity Combustion Research: 1999 Program and Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Friedman, Robert (Editor); Gokoglu, Suleyman A. (Editor); Urban, David L. (Editor)

1999-01-01

The use of the microgravity environment of space to expand scientific knowledge and to enable the commercial development of space for enhancing the quality of life on Earth is particularly suitable to the field of combustion. This document reviews the current status of microgravity combustion research and derived information. It is the fourth in a series of timely surveys, all published as NASA Technical Memoranda, and it covers largely the period from 1995 to early 1999. The scope of the review covers three program areas: fundamental studies, applications to fire safety and other fields. and general measurements and diagnostics. The document also describes the opportunities for Principal Investigator participation through the NASA Research Announcement program and the NASA Glenn Research Center low-gravity facilities available to researchers.

Progress and prospects for field cultivation of Iridaea cordata and Gigartina exasperata

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

Mumford, T.F. Jr.; Waaland, J.R.

1980-01-01

Research on cultivation of two carrageenan producing seaweeds, Iridaea cordatas and Gigartina exasperata, has resulted in 60 net units, each 1.2 x 18 m outplanted in the inland marine waters of Washington State. This paper traces the progress from beginning field and laboratory studies that demonstrated the biological feasibility of growing these species on artificial substrates, to current commercial sized net modules. The results achieved with these species are compared with other experimental, pilot, and commercial-scale red algal cultivation efforts. Methods are given here for inoculating nets and outplanting them in small, intermediate and commercial-scale net modules which can bemore » used to determine the feasibility of cultivating these or other species in various localities. A brief summary of supporting research which has been accomplished, which is in progress, and which needs to be done is also given. The outlook for expanded seaweed cultivation is promising and its potential great for providing new and expanded sources of chemicals, food, and biomass.« less

Social network analysis of international scientific collaboration on psychiatry research.

PubMed

Wu, Ying; Duan, Zhiguang

2015-01-01

Mental disorder is harmful to human health, effects social life seriously and still brings a heavy burden for countries all over the world. Scientific collaboration has become the indispensable choice for progress in the field of biomedicine. However, there have been few scientific publications on scientific collaboration in psychiatry research so far. The aim of this study was to measure the activities of scientific collaboration in psychiatry research at the level of authors, institutions and countries. We retrieved 36557 papers about psychiatry from Science Ciation Index Expanded (SCI-Expanded) in web of science. Additionally, some methods such as social network analysis (SNA), K-plex analysis and Core-Periphery were used in this study. Collaboration has been increasing at the level of authors, institutions and countries in psychiatry in the last ten years. We selected the top 100 prolific authors, institutions and 30 countries to construct collaborative map respectively. Freedman, R and Seidman, LJ were the central authors, Harvard university was the central institution and the USA was the central country of the whole network. Notably, the rate of economic development of countries affected collaborative behavior. The results show that we should encourage multiple collaboration types in psychiatry research as they not only help researchers to master the current research hotspots but also provide scientific basis for clinical research on psychiatry and suggest policies to promote the development of this area.

Abdominal aortic aneurysm: An update

PubMed

Chuen, Jason; Theivendran, Mayo

2018-05-01

Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) remains one of the hallmark pathologies in vascular surgery and an area of intense research interest. Treatment options have expanded in recent years to increase the range of morphology suitable for endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR), and with potential implications on treatment thresholds. This article is the first of two that will outline current treatment options for AAA, including areas of controversy and research in AAA disease, to inform the development of Australasian clinical guidelines and health policy. Medical therapy options remain limited and no aneurysm-specific pharmacotherapy is currently available. Recent years have witnessed a significant shift in AAA surgery from open repair to EVAR and expansion of EVAR techniques. General management of cardiovascular risk factors remains key to reducing all-cause mortality for patients with AAA.

Olfactory epithelium: Cells, clinical disorders, and insights from an adult stem cell niche

PubMed Central

Choi, Rhea

2018-01-01

Disorders causing a loss of the sense of smell remain a therapeutic challenge. Basic research has, however, greatly expanded our knowledge of the organization and function of the olfactory system. This review describes advances in our understanding of the cellular components of the peripheral olfactory system, specifically the olfactory epithelium in the nose. The article discusses recent findings regarding the mechanisms involved in regeneration and cellular renewal from basal stem cells in the adult olfactory epithelium, considering the strategies involved in embryonic olfactory development and insights from research on other stem cell niches. In the context of clinical conditions causing anosmia, the current view of adult olfactory neurogenesis, tissue homeostasis, and failures in these processes is considered, along with current and future treatment strategies. Level of Evidence NA PMID:29492466

The pathway to earthquake early warning in the US

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Allen, R. M.; Given, D. D.; Heaton, T. H.; Vidale, J. E.; West Coast Earthquake Early Warning Development Team

2013-05-01

The development of earthquake early warning capabilities in the United States is now accelerating and expanding as the technical capability to provide warning is demonstrated and additional funding resources are making it possible to expand the current testing region to the entire west coast (California, Oregon and Washington). Over the course of the next two years we plan to build a prototype system that will provide a blueprint for a full public system in the US. California currently has a demonstrations warning system, ShakeAlert, that provides alerts to a group of test users from the public and private sector. These include biotech companies, technology companies, the entertainment industry, the transportation sector, and the emergency planning and response community. Most groups are currently in an evaluation mode, receiving the alerts and developing protocols for future response. The Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) system is the one group who has now implemented an automated response to the warning system. BART now stops trains when an earthquake of sufficient size is detected. Research and development also continues to develop improved early warning algorithms to better predict the distribution of shaking in large earthquakes when the finiteness of the source becomes important. The algorithms under development include the use of both seismic and GPS instrumentation and integration with existing point source algorithms. At the same time, initial testing and development of algorithms in and for the Pacific Northwest is underway. In this presentation we will review the current status of the systems, highlight the new research developments, and lay out a pathway to a full public system for the US west coast. The research and development described is ongoing at Caltech, UC Berkeley, University of Washington, ETH Zurich, Southern California Earthquake Center, and the US Geological Survey, and is funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and the US Geological Survey.

Moral Emotions and Moral Behavior

PubMed Central

Stuewig, Jeff; Mashek, Debra J.

2011-01-01

Moral emotions represent a key element of our human moral apparatus, influencing the link between moral standards and moral behavior. This chapter reviews current theory and research on moral emotions. We first focus on a triad of negatively valenced “self-conscious” emotions—shame, guilt, and embarrassment. As in previous decades, much research remains focused on shame and guilt. We review current thinking on the distinction between shame and guilt, and the relative advantages and disadvantages of these two moral emotions. Several new areas of research are highlighted: research on the domain-specific phenomenon of body shame, styles of coping with shame, psychobiological aspects of shame, the link between childhood abuse and later proneness to shame, and the phenomena of vicarious or “collective” experiences of shame and guilt. In recent years, the concept of moral emotions has been expanded to include several positive emotions—elevation, gratitude, and the sometimes morally relevant experience of pride. Finally, we discuss briefly a morally relevant emotional process—other-oriented empathy. PMID:16953797

Moral emotions and moral behavior.

PubMed

Tangney, June Price; Stuewig, Jeff; Mashek, Debra J

2007-01-01

Moral emotions represent a key element of our human moral apparatus, influencing the link between moral standards and moral behavior. This chapter reviews current theory and research on moral emotions. We first focus on a triad of negatively valenced "self-conscious" emotions-shame, guilt, and embarrassment. As in previous decades, much research remains focused on shame and guilt. We review current thinking on the distinction between shame and guilt, and the relative advantages and disadvantages of these two moral emotions. Several new areas of research are highlighted: research on the domain-specific phenomenon of body shame, styles of coping with shame, psychobiological aspects of shame, the link between childhood abuse and later proneness to shame, and the phenomena of vicarious or "collective" experiences of shame and guilt. In recent years, the concept of moral emotions has been expanded to include several positive emotions-elevation, gratitude, and the sometimes morally relevant experience of pride. Finally, we discuss briefly a morally relevant emotional process-other-oriented empathy.

Current Status of Palliative Care, Education, and Research

PubMed Central

Grant, Marcia; Elk, Ronit; Ferrell, Betty; Morrison, R. Sean; von Gunten, Charles F.

2010-01-01

Palliative and end-of-life care is changing in the United States. This dynamic field is improving the care for patients with serious and life-threatening cancer through creation of national guidelines for quality care, multidisciplinary educational offerings, research endeavors, and resources made available to clinicians. Barriers to implementing quality palliative care across cancer populations include a rapidly expanding population of older adults who will need cancer care and a decrease in the workforce available to give care. Ways to integrate current palliative care knowledge into care of patients include multidisciplinary national education and research endeavors, and clinician resources. Acceptance of palliative care as a recognized medical specialty provides a valuable resource for improvement of care. While the evidence base for palliative care is only beginning, national research support has assisted in providing support to build the knowledge foundation for appropriate palliative care. Opportunities are available for clinicians to understand and apply appropriate palliative and end-of-life care to patients with serious and life-threatening cancers. PMID:19729681

U.S. Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Technology Research and Eevelopment ((NTRD) comprehensive summary of QA assessments for FY17

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

Trost, Alan L.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Nuclear Energy (NE) has developed a research and development (R&D) roadmap for its research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) activities to ensure nuclear energy remains a compelling and viable energy option for the U.S. The roadmap defines NE RD&D activities and objectives that address the challenges to research, develop and demonstrate options to the current U.S commercial fuel cycle to enable the safe, secure, economic, and sustainable expansion of nuclear energy, while minimizing proliferation and terrorism risks expanding the use of nuclear power. The roadmap enables the development of technologies and other solutionsmore » that can improve the reliability, sustain the safety, and extend the life of current reactors. In addition, it will help to develop improvements in the affordability of the new reactors to enable nuclear energy to help meet the Administration’s energy security and climate change goals.« less

Plant Growth Research for Food Production: Development and Testing of Expandable Tuber Growth Module

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cordova, Brennan A.

2017-01-01

Controlled and reliable growth of a variety of vegetable crops is an important capability for manned deep space exploration systems for providing nutritional supplementation and psychological benefits to crew members. Because current systems have been limited to leafy vegetables that require minimal root space, a major goal for these systems is to increase their ability to grow new types of crops, including tuber plants and root vegetables that require a large root space. An expandable root zone module and housing was developed to integrate this capability into the Vegetable Production System (Veggie). The expandable module uses a waterproof, gas-permeable bag with a structure that allows for root space to increase vertically throughout the growth cycle to accommodate for expanding tuber growth, while minimizing the required media mass. Daikon radishes were chosen as an ideal tuber crop for their subterraneous tuber size and rapid growth cycle, and investigations were done to study expanding superabsorbent hydrogels as a potential growth media. These studies showed improved water retention, but restricted oxygen availability to roots with pure gel media. It was determined that these hydrogels could be integrated in lower proportions into standard soil to achieve media expansion and water retention desired. Using the constructed module prototype and ideal gel and soil media mixture, daikon radishes are being grown in the system to test the capability and success of the system through a full growth cycle.

Plant Growth Research for Food Production: Development and Testing of Expandable Tuber Growth Module

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cordova, Brennan A.

2017-01-01

Controlled and reliable growth of a variety of vegetable crops is an important capability for manned deep space exploration systems for providing nutritional supplementation and psychological benefits to crew members. Because current systems have been limited to leafy vegetables that require minimal root space, a major goal for these systems is to increase their ability to grow new types of crops, including tuber plants and root vegetables that require a large root space. An expandable root zone module and housing was developed to integrate this capability into the Veggie growth system. The expandable module uses a waterproof, gas-permeable bag with a structure that allows for root space to increase vertically throughout the growth cycle to accommodate for expanding tuber growth, while minimizing the required media mass. Daikon radishes were chosen as an ideal tuber crop for their subterraneous tuber size and rapid growth cycle, and investigations were done to study expanding superabsorbent hydrogels as a potential growth media. These studies showed improved water retention, but restricted oxygen availability to roots with pure gel media. It was determined that these hydrogels could be integrated in lower proportions into standard soil to achieve media expansion and water retention desired. Using the constructed module prototype and ideal gel and soil media mixture, Daikon radishes were grown in the system to test the capability and success of the system through a full growth cycle.

When the Fog Clears: Long-Term Monitoring of Fog and Fog-Dependent Biota in the Namib Desert

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Logan, J. R. V.

2014-12-01

The Gobabeb Research and Training Centre in western Namibia is currently undertaking several efforts to enhance long-term atmospheric and fog monitoring in the central Namib Desert and to measure how fog-dependent biota are responding to global change. In an environment that receives regular sea fog and a mean annual rainfall of only 25 mm, Gobabeb is ideally situated to study the drivers and ecological role of fog in arid environments. Currently more than ten meteorological projects perform measurements at or close to Gobabeb. These projects include continuous trace gas measurements, fog isotope sampling, in situ surface radiation measurements, land surface temperature and other satellite validation studies, and multiple aerosol/dust monitoring projects; most of these projects are also components in other global monitoring networks. To these projects, Gobabeb has recently added a network of nine autonomous weather stations spanning the central Namib that will continuously collect basic meteorological data over an area of approximately 70x70 km. Using this data in conjunction with modeling efforts will expand our understanding of fog formation and the linkages between fog and the Benguela Current off Namibia's coast. Historical weather data from previous meteorological stations and satellite observations will also enable development of a fog time series for the last 50 years to determine climate variability driven by possible changes in the Benguela Current system. To complement these efforts, Gobabeb is also expanding its decades-old ecological research programs to explore the impacts of the fog on the region's biota at various time and spatial scales. Gobabeb's long-term, multidisciplinary projects can serve as a prototype for monitoring in other fog-affected systems, together increasing our understanding of coastal fog dynamics, land-atmosphere-ocean connections, and the impacts of fog-related global change.

Monolithic QCL design approaches for improved reliability and affordability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Law, K. K.

2013-12-01

Many advances have been made recently in mid-wave infrared and long-wave infrared quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) technologies, and there is an increasing demand for these laser sources for ever expanding Naval, DoD and homeland security applications. We will discuss in this paper a portfolio of various Naval Air Warfare Weapons Division's current and future small business innovative research programs and efforts on significantly improving QCLs' performance, affordability, and reliability.

The Effect of Mindfulness-Based Therapy on Symptoms of Anxiety and Depression in Adult Cancer Patients and Survivors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piet, Jacob; Wurtzen, Hanne; Zachariae, Robert

2012-01-01

Objective: The use of mindfulness-based therapy (MBT) in oncology settings has become increasingly popular, and research in the field has rapidly expanded. The objective was by means of a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the current evidence for the effect of MBT on symptoms of anxiety and depression in adult cancer patients and…

Thermophysical Properties of Matter - the TPRC Data Series. Volume 14. Master Index - To Materials and Properties

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-01-01

Chloropentalfluoroothane - - - - - - - 11 140 1 - Chloropropane - 69 22 -- - - - Chlorosi lane - 6s 22 - - - - - - a-Chlorotoluens - 6s 22 - - - - - - -Chlorotofuene - 6s...Properties,’ Touloukian, 1 .S. and Ho, C. Y., 197 pp., 1979. To further expand this Data Series and to facilitate current research studies, this Master...Editor Volume 1 . Thermal Conductivity-Metallic Elements and Alloys Volume 2. Thermal Conductivity-Nonmetallic Solids Volume 3. Thermal Conductivity

Expanding the Envelope of UAS Certification: What it Takes to Type Certify a UAS for Precision Agricultural Spraying

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Maddalon, J. M.; Hayhurst, K. J.; Neogi, N. A.; Verstynen, H. A.; Clothier, R. A.

2016-01-01

One of the key challenges to the development of a commercial Unmanned Air-craft System (UAS) market is the lack of explicit consideration of UAS in the current regulatory framework. Despite recent progress, additional steps are needed to enable broad UAS types and operational models. This paper discusses recent research that examines how a risk-based approach for safety might change the process and substance of airworthiness requirements for UAS. The project proposed risk-centric airworthiness requirements for a midsize un-manned rotorcraft used for agricultural spraying and also identified factors that may contribute to distinguishing safety risk among different UAS types and operational concepts. Lessons learned regarding how a risk-based approach can expand the envelope of UAS certification are discussed.

Disease Ontology 2015 update: An expanded and updated database of human diseases for linking biomedical knowledge through disease data

DOE PAGES

Kibbe, Warren A.; Arze, Cesar; Felix, Victor; ...

2014-10-27

The current version of the Human Disease Ontology (DO) (http://www.disease-ontology.org) database expands the utility of the ontology for the examination and comparison of genetic variation, phenotype, protein, drug and epitope data through the lens of human disease. DO is a biomedical resource of standardized common and rare disease concepts with stable identifiers organized by disease etiology. The content of DO has had 192 revisions since 2012, including the addition of 760 terms. Thirty-two percent of all terms now include definitions. DO has expanded the number and diversity of research communities and community members by 50+ during the past two years.more » These community members actively submit term requests, coordinate biomedical resource disease representation and provide expert curation guidance. Since the DO 2012 NAR paper, there have been hundreds of term requests and a steady increase in the number of DO listserv members, twitter followers and DO website usage. DO is moving to a multi-editor model utilizing Protégé to curate DO in web ontology language. In conclusion, this will enable closer collaboration with the Human Phenotype Ontology, EBI's Ontology Working Group, Mouse Genome Informatics and the Monarch Initiative among others, and enhance DO's current asserted view and multiple inferred views through reasoning.« less

Disease Ontology 2015 update: An expanded and updated database of human diseases for linking biomedical knowledge through disease data

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

Kibbe, Warren A.; Arze, Cesar; Felix, Victor

The current version of the Human Disease Ontology (DO) (http://www.disease-ontology.org) database expands the utility of the ontology for the examination and comparison of genetic variation, phenotype, protein, drug and epitope data through the lens of human disease. DO is a biomedical resource of standardized common and rare disease concepts with stable identifiers organized by disease etiology. The content of DO has had 192 revisions since 2012, including the addition of 760 terms. Thirty-two percent of all terms now include definitions. DO has expanded the number and diversity of research communities and community members by 50+ during the past two years.more » These community members actively submit term requests, coordinate biomedical resource disease representation and provide expert curation guidance. Since the DO 2012 NAR paper, there have been hundreds of term requests and a steady increase in the number of DO listserv members, twitter followers and DO website usage. DO is moving to a multi-editor model utilizing Protégé to curate DO in web ontology language. In conclusion, this will enable closer collaboration with the Human Phenotype Ontology, EBI's Ontology Working Group, Mouse Genome Informatics and the Monarch Initiative among others, and enhance DO's current asserted view and multiple inferred views through reasoning.« less

Identifying Links Between Sexual Violence and Youth Violence Perpetration: New Opportunities for Sexual Violence Prevention

PubMed Central

DeGue, Sarah; Massetti, Greta M.; Holt, Melissa K.; Tharp, Andra Teten; Valle, Linda Anne; Matjasko, Jennifer L.; Lippy, Caroline

2018-01-01

Objective One promising opportunity for advancing sexual violence (SV) research and identifying new avenues for prevention involves examining other forms of violence that may share risk factors with SV. Youth violence (YV) is ideal for consideration given evidence of overlap in SV and YV risk factors, a large set of established YV risk factors across the social ecology, and the number of evidence-based YV prevention strategies available. The current paper identifies shared and unique risk factors for SV and YV and highlights evidence-based YV prevention strategies that impact these shared risk factors. Conclusions Researchers and program developers should consider adapting and evaluating evidence-based YV prevention strategies to prevent SV. Modifying these programs to address SV’s unique risk factors may maximize their potential effectiveness. In addition, expanding SV research at the outer levels of the social ecology is critical to developing community-level prevention strategies. The YV literature suggests several potential risk factors at these levels in need of research for SV, including school connectedness, social disorganization, and availability of alcohol and drugs. Using the YV literature as a starting point for expanding SV research leverages prior investments in YV research, may help identify new SV prevention strategies at a limited cost, and moves the field more quickly toward implementation of cost-effective, multidomain violence prevention strategies in communities. PMID:29644117

Lessons from Retinoblastoma: Implications for Cancer, Development, Evolution, and Regenerative Medicine.

PubMed

Dyer, Michael A

2016-10-01

Retinoblastoma is a rare childhood cancer of the developing retina, and studies on this orphan disease have led to fundamental discoveries in cancer biology. Retinoblastoma has also emerged as a model for translational research for pediatric solid tumors, which is particularly important as personalized medicine expands in oncology. Research on retinoblastomas has been combined with the exploration of retinal development and retinal degeneration to advance a new model of cell type-specific disease susceptibility termed 'cellular pliancy'. The concept can even be extended to species-specific regeneration. This review discusses the remarkable path of retinoblastoma research and how it has shaped the most current efforts in basic, translational, and clinical research in oncology and beyond. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Implementing an Evidence-Based Reflective Teaching Cycle: Using Scholarly Research in Curriculum Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ragland, Rachel

2016-01-01

Course curriculum design using a research-teaching connection and reflective teaching is presented. The research-teaching connection is expanded to a three stage research-teaching-research cycle and reflection is expanded to include both faculty and students. Traditional disciplinary educational research was used to inform the design of the…

Expanding Library Support of Faculty Research: Exploring Readiness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Jeanne M.; Tucker, Cory

2013-01-01

The changing research and information environment requires a reexamination of library support for research. This study considers research-related attitudes and practices to identify elements indicating readiness or resistance to expanding the library's role in research support. A survey of faculty conducted at the University of Nevada Las Vegas…

Expanded Schools: Developing Mindsets to Support Academic Success. Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ExpandED Schools, 2014

2014-01-01

The national demonstration of ExpandED Schools, The After-School Corporation's (TASC) expanded learning model, was launched in 2011-12 in New York City, Baltimore, and New Orleans. The ExpandED Schools demonstration is being evaluated by Policy Studies Associates (PSA) and is rolling out at a time when there is heightened awareness among…

Current collector for AMTEC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Williams, Roger M. (Inventor)

1989-01-01

An electrode having higher power output is formed of an open mesh current collector such as expanded nickel covering an electrode film applied to a tube of beta-alumina solid electrolyte (BASE). A plurality of cross-members such as spaced, parallel loops of molybdenum metal wire surround the BASE tube. The loops are electrically connected by a bus wire. As the AMTEC cell is heated, the grid of expanded nickel expands more than the BASE tube and the surrounding loop of wire and become diffusion welded to the electrode film and to the wire loops.

Using risk adjustment approaches in child welfare performance measurement: Applications and insights from health and mental health settings

PubMed Central

Raghavan, Ramesh

2014-01-01

Federal policymaking in the last decade has dramatically expanded performance measurement within child welfare systems, and states are currently being fiscally penalized for poor performance on defined outcomes. However, in contrast to performance measurement in health settings, current policy holds child welfare systems solely responsible for meeting outcomes, largely without taking into account the effects of factors at the level of the child, and his or her social ecology, that might undermine the performance of child welfare agencies. Appropriate measurement of performance is predicated upon the ability to disentangle individual, as opposed to organizational, determinants of outcomes, which is the goal of risk adjustment methodologies. This review briefly conceptualizes and examines risk adjustment approaches in health and child welfare, suggests approaches to expanding its use to appropriately measure the performance of child welfare agencies, and highlights research gaps that diminish the appropriate use of risk adjustment approaches – and which consequently suggest the need for caution – in policymaking around performance measurement of child welfare agencies. PMID:25253917

A systematic review of biodegradable biliary stents: promising biocompatibility without stent removal.

PubMed

Siiki, Antti; Sand, Juhani; Laukkarinen, Johanna

2018-05-18

Biodegradable self-expanding stents are an emerging alternative to standard biliary stents as the development of endoscopic insertion devices advances. The aim was to systematically review the existing literature on biodegradable biliary stents. In-vivo studies on the use of biodegradable stents in the biliary duct were systematically reviewed from 1990 to 2017. Despite extensive research on the biocompatibility of stents, the experience so far on their clinical use is limited. A few favorable reports have recently been presented on endoscopically and percutaneously inserted self-expanding biodegradable polydioxanone stents in benign biliary strictures. Another potential indication appears to be postcholecystectomy leak of the cystic duct. The main benefit of biodegradable stents is that stent removal can be avoided. The biocompatibility of the current biodegradable stent materials, most prominently polydioxanone, is well documented. In the few studies currently available, biodegradable stents are reported to be feasible and safe, also in humans. The initial results of the endoscopic use of these stents in benign biliary stricture management and for treating postcholecystectomy bile leaks are promising. Further controlled studies on long-term clinical results and cost-effectiveness are needed.

Painful and involuntary Multiple Sclerosis

PubMed Central

Bagnato, Francesca; Centonze, Diego; Galgani, Simonetta; Grasso, Maria Grazia; Haggiag, Shalom; Strano, Stefano

2010-01-01

Importance of the field Pain, dysphagia, respiratory problems, sexual and cardiovascular dysfunctions may occur in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Areas covered in the field In the present review we attempt to summarize the current knowledge on the impact that pain, dysphagia, respiratory problems, sexual and cardiovascular dysfunctions have in patients with MS. What the reader will gain The current understanding on pain, dysphagia, respiratory problems, sexual and cardiovascular dysfunctions and future research perspectives to expand the knowledge of this field. Take home message To effectively manage MS it is essential that these symptoms are recognised as early as possible and treated by a rehabilitative multidisciplinary approach, based on proven scientific evidence. PMID:21323633

Artificial Intelligence approaches in hematopoietic cell transplant: A review of the current status and future directions.

PubMed

Muhsen, Ibrahim N; ElHassan, Tusneem; Hashmi, Shahrukh K

2018-06-08

Currently, the evidence-based literature on healthcare is expanding exponentially. The opportunities provided by the advancement in artificial intelligence (AI) tools i.e. machine learning are appealing in tackling many of the current healthcare challenges. Thus, AI integration is expanding in most fields of healthcare, including the field of hematology. This study aims to review the current applications of AI in the field hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT). Literature search was done involving the following databases: Ovid-Medline including in-Process and Other Non-Indexed Citations and google scholar. The abstracts of the following professional societies: American Society of Haematology (ASH), American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (ASBMT) and European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation (EBMT) were also screened. Literature review showed that the integration of AI in the field of HCT has grown remarkably in the last decade and confers promising avenues in diagnosis and prognosis within HCT populations targeting both pre and post-transplant challenges. Studies on AI integration in HCT have many limitations that include poorly tested algorithms, lack of generalizability and limited use of different AI tools. Machine learning techniques in HCT is an intense area of research that needs a lot of development and needs extensive support from hematology and HCT societies / organizations globally since we believe that this would be the future practice paradigm. Key words: Artificial intelligence, machine learning, hematopoietic cell transplant.

A linear helicon plasma device with controllable magnetic field gradient.

PubMed

Barada, Kshitish K; Chattopadhyay, P K; Ghosh, J; Kumar, Sunil; Saxena, Y C

2012-06-01

Current free double layers (CFDLs) are localized potential structures having spatial dimensions - Debye lengths and potential drops of more than local electron temperature across them. CFDLs do not need a current for them to be sustained and hence they differ from the current driven double layers. Helicon antenna produced plasmas in an expanded chamber along with an expanding magnetic field have shown the existence of CFDL near the expansion region. A helicon plasma device has been designed, fabricated, and installed in the Institute for Plasma Research, India to study the role of maximum magnetic field gradient as well as its location with respect to the geometrical expansion region of the chamber in CFDL formation. The special feature of this machine consisting of two chambers of different radii is its capability of producing different magnetic field gradients near the physical boundary between the two chambers either by changing current in one particular coil in the direction opposite to that in other coils and/or by varying the position of this particular coil. Although, the machine is primarily designed for CFDL experiments, it is also capable of carrying out many basic plasma physics experiments such as wave propagation, wave coupling, and plasma instabilities in a varying magnetic field topology. In this paper, we will present the details of the machine construction, its specialties, and some preliminary results about the production and characterization of helicon plasma in this machine.

Broadening the diagnosis of bipolar disorder: benefits vs. risks

PubMed Central

STRAKOWSKI, STEPHEN M.; FLECK, DAVID E.; MAJ, MARIO

2011-01-01

There is considerable debate over whether bipolar and related disorders that share common signs and symptoms, but are currently defined as distinct clinical entities in DSM-IV and ICD-10, may be better characterized as falling within a more broadly defined “bipolar spectrum”. With a spectrum view in mind, the possibility of broadening the diagnosis of bipolar disorder has been proposed. This paper discusses some of the rationale for an expanded diagnostic scheme from both clinical and research perspectives in light of potential drawbacks. The ultimate goal of broadening the diagnosis of bipolar disorder is to help identify a common etiopathogenesis for these conditions to better guide treatment. To help achieve this goal, bipolar researchers have increasingly expanded their patient populations to identify objective biological or endophenotypic markers that transcend phenomenological observation. Although this approach has and will likely continue to produce beneficial results, the upcoming DSM-IV and ICD-10 revisions will place increasing scrutiny on psychiatry’s diagnostic classification systems and pressure to re-evaluate our conceptions of bipolar disorder. However, until research findings can provide consistent and converging evidence as to the validity of a broader diagnostic conception, clinical expansion to a dimensional bipolar spectrum should be considered with caution. PMID:21991268

Postgraduate Emergency Medicine Training in India: An Educational Partnership with the Private Sector.

PubMed

Douglass, Katherine; Pousson, Amelia; Gidwani, Shweta; Smith, Jeffrey

2015-11-01

Emergency medicine (EM) is a recently recognized specialty in India, still in its infancy. Local training programs are developing, but remain very limited. Private, for-profit hospitals are an important provider of graduate medical education (GME) in India, and are partnering with United States (US) universities in EM to expand training opportunities. Our aim was to describe current private-sector programs affiliated with a US university providing postgraduate EM training in India, the evolution and structure of these programs, and successes and challenges of program implementation. Programs have been established in seven cities in India in partnership with a US academic institution. Full-time trainees have required didactics, clinical rotations, research, and annual examinations. Faculty members affiliated with the US institution visit each program monthly. Regular evaluations have informed program modifications, and a local faculty development program has been implemented. Currently, 240 trainees are enrolled in the EM postgraduate program, and 141 physicians have graduated. A pilot survey conducted in 2012 revealed that 93% of graduates are currently practicing EM, 82% of those in India; 71% are involved in teaching, and 32% in research. Further investigation into programmatic impacts is necessary. Challenges include issues of formal program recognition both in India and abroad. This unique partnership is playing a major early role in EM GME in India. Future steps include official program recognition, expanded numbers of training sites, and a gradual transition of training and education to local faculty. Similar partnership programs may be effective in other settings outside of India. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Background Oriented Schlieren Implementation in a Jet-Surface Interaction Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clem, Michelle M.; Brown, Clifford A.; Fagan, Amy

2013-01-01

Many current and future aircraft designs rely on the wing or other aircraft surfaces to shield the engine noise from observers on the ground. However the available data regarding how a planar surface interacts with a jet to shield and/or enhance the jet noise are currently limited. Therefore, the Jet-Surface Interaction Tests supported by NASA's Fundamental Aeronautics Program's Fixed Wing Project were undertaken to supply experimental data covering a wide range of surface geometries and positions interacting with high-speed jet flows in order to support the development of noise prediction methods. Phase 1 of the Test was conducted in the Aero-Acoustic Propulsion Laboratory at NASA Glenn Research Center and consisted of validating noise prediction schemes for a round nozzle interacting with a planar surface. Phased array data and far-field acoustic data were collected for both the shielded and reflected sides of the surface. Phase 1 results showed that the broadband shock noise was greatly reduced by the surface when the jet was operated at the over-expanded condition, however, it was unclear whether this reduction was due a change in the shock cell structure by the surface. In the present study, Background Oriented Schlieren is implemented in Phase 2 of the Jet-Surface Interaction Tests to investigate whether the planar surface interacts with the high-speed jet ow to change the shock cell structure. Background Oriented Schlieren data are acquired for under-expanded, ideally-expanded, and over-expanded ow regimes for multiple axial and radial positions of the surface at three different plate lengths. These data are analyzed with far-field noise measurements to relate the shock cell structure to the broadband shock noise produced by a jet near a surface.

Design and development of 24 times high-power laser beam expander

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, Zhao-heng; Gong, Xiu-ming; Wu, Shi-bin; Tan, Yi; Jing, Hong-wei; Wei, Zhong-wei

2013-09-01

As currently, laser calibration, laser radar, laser ranging and the relative field raised up the demand for high magnification laser beam expander. This article intends to introduce a high-energy laser beam expander research and design, large- diameter, wide-band, high-magnification and small obscuration ratio are the main features. By using Cassegrain reflective optical system, this laser beam expander achieves 24 times beam expand, and outgoing effective limiting aperture is Φ600 mm, band scope between 0.45μm to 5μm, single-pulse laser damage threshold greater than 1J/cm2, continuous-wave laser damage threshold greater than 200W/cm2 and obscuration ratio 1:10. Primary mirror underside support uses 9 points float supporting, lateral support mainly depends on mercury belt support and assists by mandrel ball head positioning support. An analyzing base on finite element analysis software ANSYS, and primary mirror deformation status analysis with debug mode and operativemode, when inputs four groups of Angle 170°, 180°, 210° and 240° , mercury belt under each group of angle load-bearing is 65%, 75% , 85% and 100% respectively, totally 16 workingcondition analyze results. At last, the best way to support primary mirror is finalized. Through design of secondary mirror to achieve a five-dimensional precision fine-tune. By assembling and debugging laser beam expander, Zygo interferometer detection system proof image quality (RMS) is 0.043λ (λ=632.8nm), stability (RMS) is 0.007λ (λ=632.8nm), and effective transmission hit 94%, meets the requirements of practical application completely.

A social capital approach to the prevention of elder mistreatment.

PubMed

Donohue, William A; Dibble, Jayson L; Schiamberg, Lawrence B

2008-01-01

The current demographic landscape features an increasing number of elderly individuals in the care of some trusted other. Being cared for by a trusted other raises the potential for mistreatment of the elder by that trusted other. The goal of this paper is to explore the possibility of preventing elder mistreatment by increasing the bridging and bonding social capital available to caretakers. Attending to social capital lets researchers expand their focus toward areas rarely examined through current stress-outcome models (e.g., interpersonal interactions). First, elder mistreatment and social capital are defined and discussed. Then, a model is forwarded that details how social capital might mitigate the effects of caretaker stress and decrease the probability that caretakers will engage in elder mistreatment in both home and long-term care institutional settings. Finally, implications for future research and practical intervention are discussed.

Health research involving First Nations, Inuit and Métis children and their communities

PubMed Central

Starkes, Jill M; Baydala, Lola T

2014-01-01

Canadian and international guidelines address the ethical conduct of health research in general and the issues affecting Indigenous populations in particular. This statement summarizes, for clinicians and researchers, relevant ethical and practical considerations for health research involving Aboriginal children and youth. While not intended to duplicate findings arising from lengthy collaborative processes, it does highlight ‘wise practices’ that have successfully generated knowledge relevant to, respectful of and useful for Aboriginal children, youth and their communities. Further research on current health issues and inequities should lead to practical, effective and culturally relevant applications. Expanding our knowledge of ways to address the health disparities facing Canada’s Aboriginal children and youth can inform health policy and the provision of services. Community-based participatory research is proposed as a means to achieve this goal. PMID:24596485

Expanding the Conversation: Further Explorations into Indigenous Environmental Science Education Theory, Research, and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lowan, Greg

2012-01-01

Indigenous environmental science education is a diverse, dynamic, and rapidly expanding field of research, theory, and practice. This article highlights, challenges, and expands upon key areas of discussion presented by Mack et al. (Cult Stud Sci Educ 7, "2012") as part of the forum on their article "Effective Practices for Creating…

Time--It's Not Always Money

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gabrieli, Chris

2012-01-01

In a time of resource challenges, many educators see the cost of expanding learning time as a barrier. However, with at least 1,000 schools across the United States currently expanding learning time, data show that schools can implement the approach cost effectively. Expanded learning time schools manage three levers that both build quality…

Medicaid Expansions from 1997 to 2009 Increased Coverage and Improved Access and Mental Health Outcomes for Low-Income Parents.

PubMed

McMorrow, Stacey; Kenney, Genevieve M; Long, Sharon K; Goin, Dana E

2016-08-01

To assess the effects of past Medicaid eligibility expansions to parents on coverage, access to care, out-of-pocket (OOP) spending, and mental health outcomes, and consider implications for the Affordable Care Act (ACA) Medicaid expansion. Person-level data from the National Health Interview Survey (1998-2010) is used to measure insurance coverage and related outcomes for low-income parents. Using state identifiers available at the National Center for Health Statistics Research Data Center, we attach state Medicaid eligibility thresholds for parents collected from a variety of sources to NHIS observations. We use changes in the Medicaid eligibility threshold for parents within states over time to identify the effects of changes in eligibility on low-income parents. We find that expanding Medicaid eligibility increases insurance coverage, reduces unmet needs due to cost and OOP spending, and improves mental health status among low-income parents. Moreover, our findings suggest that uninsured populations in states not currently participating in the ACA Medicaid expansion would experience even larger improvements in coverage and related outcomes than those in participating states if they chose to expand eligibility. The ACA Medicaid expansion has the potential to improve a wide variety of coverage, access, financial, and health outcomes for uninsured parents in states that choose to expand coverage. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

The Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gary, Dale E.; Hurford, G. J.; Nita, G. M.; White, S. M.; Tun, S. D.; Fleishman, G. D.; McTiernan, J. M.

2011-05-01

The Expanded Owens Valley Solar Array (EOVSA) is now under construction near Big Pine, CA as a solar-dedicated microwave imaging array operating in the frequency range 1-18 GHz. The solar science to be addressed focuses on the 3D structure of the solar corona (magnetic field, temperature and density), on the sudden release of energy and subsequent particle acceleration, transport and heating, and on space weather phenomena. The project will support the scientific community by providing open data access and software tools for analysis of the data, to exploit synergies with on-going solar research in other wavelengths. The New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) is expanding OVSA from its previous complement of 7 antennas to a total of 15 by adding 8 new antennas, and will reinvest in the existing infrastructure by replacing the existing control systems, signal transmission, and signal processing with modern, far more capable and reliable systems based on new technology developed for the Frequency Agile Solar Radiotelescope (FASR). The project will be completed in time to provide solar-dedicated observations during the upcoming solar maximum in 2013 and beyond. We provide an update on current status and our preparations for exploiting the data through modeling and data analysis tools. This research is supported by NSF grants AST-0908344, and AGS-0961867 and NASA grant NNX10AF27G to New Jersey Institute of Technology.

The NASA Materials Science Research Program - It's New Strategic Goals and Plans

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schlagheck, Ronald A.

2003-01-01

In 2001, the NASA created a separate science enterprise, the Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR), to perform strategical and fundamental research bringing together physics, chemistry, biology, and engineering to solve problems needed for future agency mission goals. The Materials Science Program is one of basic research disciplines within this new Enterprise's Division of Physical Sciences Research. The Materials Science Program participates to utilize effective use of International Space Station (ISS) experimental facilities, target new scientific and technology questions, and transfer results for Earth benefits. The program has recently pursued new investigative research in areas necessary to expand NASA knowledge base for exploration of the universe, some of which will need access to the microgravity of space. The program has a wide variety of traditional ground and flight based research related types of basic science related to materials crystallization, fundamental processing, and properties characterization in order to obtain basic understanding of various phenomena effects and relationships to the structures, processing, and properties of materials. A summary of the types and sources for this research is presented and those experiments planned for the space. Areas to help expand the science basis for NASA future missions are described. An overview of the program is given including the scope of the current and future NASA Research Announcements with emphasis on new materials science initiatives. A description of the planned flight experiments to be conducted on the International Space Station program along with the planned facility class Materials Science Research Rack (MSRR) and Microgravity Glovebox (MSG) type investigations.

Wildfires

MedlinePlus

... motels Expand sub-navigation Hotel fire safety tips Marijuana grow & extraction facilities Nightclubs and other assembly occupancies ... Fire behavior research Fire loss and injury research Benefits of home fire sprinklers Expand sub-navigation Environmental ...

How Safe and Persistent is your Research? It's all about relationships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, J.

2017-12-01

The relationships between the scholarly resources over the course of the research lifecycle and with the people and places involved are at the core of not only scholarly communications, but the research enterprise. This session will consider the current state of persistent identifiers and their associated metadata in scholarly communications as a critical part of making sure research can be validated. Metadata ensure that the scholarly assets are knitted into the webbing of the research information network. I will discuss this in the context of the growing set of formats and types of research related materials accessible, discoverable, trackable, and reusable. I will highlight the developments in and the importance of expanded standardization and interoperability of scholarly information pertaining to authors, researchers, funders, and others involved in the creation and dissemination of content especially in light of the growing attention towards research integrity and reproducibility.

TU-C-HORIZONS-01: The Expanding Horizons Travel Grant Program: ePosters and Discussion

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

Siewerdsen, J; Jeraj, R

The Expanding Horizons travel grant program provides opportunity for students and trainees to broaden the scope of scientific meetings they attend and gain insight from research outside traditional domains of medical physics. Through participation in such conferences, early-career researchers are introduced to new topics with relevance to medical physics research as a means to expand the scientific horizons of our discipline. This year, 21 Expanding Horizons travel grants were awarded, granting travel to 17 conferences, including: Radiomics, the World Molecular Imaging Society (WMIS), the 3D Printing Conference and Expo, the GPU Technology Conference, the SIAM Imaging Science Conference, the Humanmore » Brain Mapping Conference, the OSA Conference on Clinical and Translational Biophotonics, the Society for Neuroscience, the AACR Conference on Tumor Microenvironment, and the Conference on Knowledge Discovery and Data Mining. The Expanding Horizons electronic poster session gives a venue for AAPM conference attendees to meet and discuss with awardees, learn the hot topics and emerging research areas presented at these conferences, and understand the relevance to future medical physics research.« less

Expanding Perspectives on HRD Research. Symposium.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2002

This document contains three papers from a symposium on expanding perspectives in human resource development (HRD) research. "The Concept of Culture in International and Comparative HRD Research: Methodological Problems and Possible Solutions" (Alexander Ardichvili, K. Peter Kuchinke) discusses the following topics: (1) alternative…

Stem Cells, Cell Therapies, and Bioengineering in Lung Biology and Diseases. Comprehensive Review of the Recent Literature 2010–2012

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

A conference, “Stem Cells and Cell Therapies in Lung Biology and Lung Diseases,” was held July 25 to 28, 2011 at the University of Vermont to review the current understanding of the role of stem and progenitor cells in lung repair after injury and to review the current status of cell therapy and ex vivo bioengineering approaches for lung diseases. These are rapidly expanding areas of study that provide further insight into and challenge traditional views of mechanisms of lung repair after injury and pathogenesis of several lung diseases. The goals of the conference were to summarize the current state of the field, to discuss and debate current controversies, and to identify future research directions and opportunities for basic and translational research in cell-based therapies for lung diseases. The goal of this article, which accompanies the formal conference report, is to provide a comprehensive review of the published literature in lung regenerative medicine from the last conference report through December 2012. PMID:23869446

Transportation technology program: Strategic plan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1991-09-01

The purpose of this report is to define the technology program required to meet the transportation technology needs for current and future civil space missions. It is a part of an integrated plan, prepared by NASA in part in response to the Augustine Committee recommendations, to describe and advocate expanded and more aggressive efforts in the development of advanced space technologies. This expanded program will provide a technology basis for future space missions to which the U.S. aspires, and will help to regain technology leadership for the U.S. on a broader front. The six aspects of this integrated program/plan deal with focused technologies to support space sciences, exploration, transportation, platforms, and operations as well as provide a Research and Technology Base Program. This volume describes the technologies needed to support transportation systems, e.g., technologies needed for upgrades to current transportation systems and to provide reliable and efficient transportation for future space missions. The Office of Aeronautics, Exploration, and Technology (OAET) solicited technology needs from the major agency technology users and the aerospace industry community and formed a transportation technology team (appendix A) to develop a technology program to respond to those needs related to transportation technologies. This report addresses the results of that team activity. It is a strategic plan intended for use as a planning document rather than as a project management tool. It is anticipated that this document will be primarily utilized by research & technology (R&T) management at the various NASA Centers as well as by officials at NASA Headquarters and by industry in planning their corporate Independent Research and Development (IR&D) investments.

Transportation technology program: Strategic plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1991-01-01

The purpose of this report is to define the technology program required to meet the transportation technology needs for current and future civil space missions. It is a part of an integrated plan, prepared by NASA in part in response to the Augustine Committee recommendations, to describe and advocate expanded and more aggressive efforts in the development of advanced space technologies. This expanded program will provide a technology basis for future space missions to which the U.S. aspires, and will help to regain technology leadership for the U.S. on a broader front. The six aspects of this integrated program/plan deal with focused technologies to support space sciences, exploration, transportation, platforms, and operations as well as provide a Research and Technology Base Program. This volume describes the technologies needed to support transportation systems, e.g., technologies needed for upgrades to current transportation systems and to provide reliable and efficient transportation for future space missions. The Office of Aeronautics, Exploration, and Technology (OAET) solicited technology needs from the major agency technology users and the aerospace industry community and formed a transportation technology team (appendix A) to develop a technology program to respond to those needs related to transportation technologies. This report addresses the results of that team activity. It is a strategic plan intended for use as a planning document rather than as a project management tool. It is anticipated that this document will be primarily utilized by research & technology (R&T) management at the various NASA Centers as well as by officials at NASA Headquarters and by industry in planning their corporate Independent Research and Development (IR&D) investments.

The Cancer Family Caregiving Experience: An Updated and Expanded Conceptual Model

PubMed Central

Fletcher, Barbara Swore; Miaskowski, Christine; Given, Barbara; Schumacher, Karen

2011-01-01

Objective The decade from 2000–2010 was an era of tremendous growth in family caregiving research specific to the cancer population. This research has implications for how cancer family caregiving is conceptualized, yet the most recent comprehensive model of cancer family caregiving was published ten years ago. Our objective was to develop an updated and expanded comprehensive model of the cancer family caregiving experience, derived from concepts and variables used in research during past ten years. Methods A conceptual model was developed based on cancer family caregiving research published from 2000–2010. Results Our updated and expanded model has three main elements: 1) the stress process, 2) contextual factors, and 3) the cancer trajectory. Emerging ways of conceptualizing the relationships between and within model elements are addressed, as well as an emerging focus on caregiver-patient dyads as the unit of analysis. Conclusions Cancer family caregiving research has grown dramatically since 2000 resulting in a greatly expanded conceptual landscape. This updated and expanded model of the cancer family caregiving experience synthesizes the conceptual implications of an international body of work and demonstrates tremendous progress in how cancer family caregiving research is conceptualized. PMID:22000812

Increasing the relevance of research to health care managers: hospital CEO imperatives for improving quality and lowering costs.

PubMed

Alexander, Jeffrey A; Hearld, Larry R; Jiang, H Joanna; Fraser, Irene

2007-01-01

Evidence-based management assumes that available research evidence is consistent with the problems and decision-making conditions faced by those who will utilize this evidence in practice. This article attempts to identify how hospital leaders view key determinants of hospital quality and costs, as well as the fundamental ways these leaders "think" about solutions to quality and cost issues in their organizations. The objective of this analysis is to better inform the research agenda and approaches pursued by health services research so that this research reflects the "realities" of practice in hospitals. We conducted a series of semistructured interviews with a convenience sample of eight hospital and three health system leaders. Questions focused on current and future challenges facing hospitals as they relate to hospital quality, costs, and efficiency, and potential solutions to those challenges. Nine major organizational and managerial factors emerged from the interviews, including staffing, evidence-based practice, information technology, data availability and benchmarking, and leadership. Hospital leaders tend to think about these factors systemically and consider process-related factors as the important drivers of cost and quality. The results suggest a need to expand the methods utilized by health services researchers to make their research more relevant to health care managers. Expanding research methods to reflect the systemic way that managers view the challenges and solutions facing their organizations may enhance the application of research findings into management practice. Finally, better communication is needed between the research and practice communities. Researchers must learn to think more like managers if their research is to be relevant, and managers must learn to more effectively communicate their issues with the research community and frame their problems in researchable terms.

Evaluation of foaming polypropylene modified with ramified polymer

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demori, Renan; de Azeredo, Ana Paula; Liberman, Susana A.; Mauler, Raquel S.

2015-05-01

Polypropylene foams have great industrial interest because of balanced physical and mechanical properties, recyclability as well as low material cost. During the foaming process, the elongational forces applied to produce the expanded polymer are strong enough to rupture cell walls. As a result, final foam has a high amount of coalesced as well as opened cells which decreases mechanical and also physical properties. To increase melt strength and also avoid the coalescence effect, one of the current solution is blend PP with ramified polymers as well as branched polypropylene (LCBPP) or ethylene-octene copolymer (POE). In this research to provide extensional properties and achieve uniform cellular structures of expanded PP, 20 phr of LCBPP or POE was added into PP matrix. The blend of PP with ramified polymers was prepared by twin-screw extrusion. Injection molding process was used to produce PP foams using azodicarbonamide (ACA) as chemical blowing agent. The morphological results of the expanded PP displayed a non-uniform geometrical cell, apparent density of 0.48 g/cm3 and cell density of 13.9.104 cell/cm3. Otherwise, the expanded PP blended with LCBPP or POE displayed a homogeneous cell structure and increased the amount of smaller cells (50-100 μm of size). The apparent density slightly increased with addition of LCBPP or POE, 0.64 and 0.57 g/cm3, respectively. Thus, the cell density reduced to 65% in PP/LCBPP 100/20 and 75% in the sample PP/POE 100/20 compared to expanded PP. The thermo-mechanical properties (DMTA) of PP showed specific stiffness of 159 MPa.cm-3.g-1, while the sample PP/LCBPP 100/20 increased the stiffness values of 10%. Otherwise, the expanded PP/POE 100/20 decreased the specific stiffness values at -30%, in relation to expanded PP. In summary, blending PP with ramified polymers showed increasing of the homogenous cellular structure as well as the amount of smaller cells in the expanded material.

Origin analysis of expanded stacking faults by applying forward current to 4H-SiC p-i-n diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayashi, Shohei; Naijo, Takanori; Yamashita, Tamotsu; Miyazato, Masaki; Ryo, Mina; Fujisawa, Hiroyuki; Miyajima, Masaaki; Senzaki, Junji; Kato, Tomohisa; Yonezawa, Yoshiyuki; Kojima, Kazutoshi; Okumura, Hajime

2017-08-01

Stacking faults expanded by the application of forward current to 4H-SiC p-i-n diodes were observed using a transmission electron microscope to investigate the expansion origin. It was experimentally confirmed that long-zonal-shaped stacking faults expanded from basal-plane dislocations converted into threading edge dislocations. In addition, stacking fault expansion clearly penetrated into the substrate to a greater depth than the dislocation conversion point. This downward expansion of stacking faults strongly depends on the degree of high-density minority carrier injection.

KSC-pa99dig02

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-02-17

Various materials are ready for testing in the Kennedy Space Center's cryogenics test bed laboratory. The cryogenics laboratory is expanding to a larger test bed facility in order to offer research and development capabilities that will benefit projects originating from KSC, academia and private industry. Located in KSC's industrial area, the lab is equipped with a liquid nitrogen flow test area to test and evaluate cryogenic valves, flow-meters and other handling equipment in field conditions. A 6,000-gallon tank supplies liquid to low-flow and high-flow test sections. KSC engineers and scientists can also build system prototypes and then field test and analyze them with the center's unique equipment. Expanded cryogenic infrastructure will posture the Space Coast to support biological and medical researchers who use liquid nitrogen to preserve and store human and animal cells and to destroy cancer tissue using cryosurgery; hospitals that use superconductive magnets cooled in liquid helium for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); the food industry, which uses liquid nitrogen for freezing and long-term storage; as well as the next generation of reusable launch vehicles currently in development

KSC-pa99dig01

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-02-17

Materials are being tested in the Kennedy Space Center's cryogenics test bed laboratory. The cryogenics laboratory is expanding to a larger test bed facility in order to offer research and development capabilities that will benefit projects originating from KSC, academia and private industry. Located in KSC's industrial area, the lab is equipped with a liquid nitrogen flow test area to test and evaluate cryogenic valves, flow-meters and other handling equipment in field conditions. A 6,000-gallon tank supplies liquid to low-flow and high-flow test sections. KSC engineers and scientists can also build system prototypes and then field test and analyze them with the center's unique equipment. Expanded cryogenic infrastructure will posture the Space Coast to support biological and medical researchers who use liquid nitrogen to preserve and store human and animal cells and to destroy cancer tissue using cryosurgery; hospitals that use superconductive magnets cooled in liquid helium for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); the food industry, which uses liquid nitrogen for freezing and long-term storage; as well as the next generation of reusable launch vehicles currently in development

[Nursing care systematization for outpatient treatment care of patients with multiple sclerosis].

PubMed

Corso, Nair Assunta Antônia; Gondim, Ana Paula Soares; Dalmeida, Patrícia Chagas Rocha; Albuquerque, Maria Girlene de Freitas

2013-06-01

An experience report of nurses in the implementation of care systematization in ambulatory care in an interdisciplinary care center for patients with multiple sclerosis of a public hospital in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil. This implementation is based on the NANDA International, Inc., Nursing Interventions Classification, and Nursing Outcomes Classifications. One of the results concerns systemized nursing care, which has enabled the identification and understanding of the responses of MS patients to potential and current health problems. Systematization entails expanding knowledge through a practice based on approach and encourage further research scientific evidence, in addition to promoting the role of the nurse in acomprehensive approachand encourage further research.

How do clinicians and suicide attempters understand suicide attempt impulsivity? A qualitative study.

PubMed

Rimkeviciene, Jurgita; O'Gorman, John; De Leo, Diego

2016-01-01

Inconsistencies in the definition of impulsive suicide attempts hamper research integration. To expand the currently limited data on how this construct is used in clinical practice, researchers interviewed eight suicide attempters to create timelines of their suicide process, then had seven experienced clinicians review these timelines. Thematic analysis of the patient and clinician data revealed three themes: "thinking out," build-up, and unclear intentionality. The results imply that assessing build-up of agitation and exhaustion symptoms can contribute to understanding acuteness of suicide risk. In addition, uncertainty about one's intentions during the attempt should not be equated to low intent to die.

Child maltreatment: a review of key literature in 2013.

PubMed

Schwartz, Kimberly A; Preer, Genevieve; McKeag, Heather; Newton, Alice W

2014-06-01

This review summarizes new findings in the field of maltreatment, addressing epidemiology, physical abuse, abusive head trauma, sexual abuse, sequelae, and prevention. Many articles this year focus on establishing a framework for thinking about how to evaluate a child for maltreatment, the consequences of maltreatment, and the current understanding of prevention efforts. Interestingly, some research has helped to reinforce some concepts that were clinically appreciated, especially related to retinal hemorrhages. The volume, quality, and breadth of research relating to child maltreatment continue to improve and expand our understanding of child abuse pediatrics. These authors summarize notable advances in our understanding of child maltreatment over the past year.

Robotic Software for the Thacher Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawrence, George; Luebbers, Julien; Eastman, Jason D.; Johnson, John A.; Swift, Jonathan

2018-06-01

The Thacher Observatory—a research and educational facility located in Ojai, CA—uses a 0.7 meter telescope to conduct photometric research on a variety of targets including eclipsing binaries, exoplanet transits, and supernovae. Currently, observations are automated using commercial software. In order to expand the flexibility for specialized scientific observations and to increase the educational value of the facility on campus, we are adapting and implementing the custom observatory control software and queue scheduling developed for the Miniature Exoplanet Radial Velocity Array (MINERVA) to the Thacher Observatory. We present the design and implementation of this new software as well as its demonstrated functionality on the Thacher Observatory.

Scottish Stroke Research Network: the first three years.

PubMed

McCormick, K; Langhorne, P; Graham, F E J; McFarlane, C

2010-08-01

Research networks were introduced in the UK to facilitate and improve clinical research and stroke was seen as a priority topic for local research network development. The Scottish Stroke Research Network (SSRN) is one of 11 stroke research networks in the UK. In this article we review the progress of the Scottish Stroke Research Network in the three years since inception. Between 2006-2009 the number of active hospital research sites has increased from 10 to 22 expanding to involve 20 stroke research nurses. There was a corresponding 58% increase in recruitment of participants into stroke studies, from 376 in 2006/07 to 594 in 2008/09. The majority (17/20) of our current studies are interventional. Data from one of these, the CLOTs trial (Clots in Legs Or sTocking after Stroke), demonstrates that the annual recruitment in Scotland increased from a median of 94 (range 6-122) patients per year in the six years before the SSRN, to 140 (135-158) patients per year after SSRN involvement. We currently screen about 50% of Scottish stroke patients and approximately 5% of Scottish stroke patients are participating in research studies that we support. The SSRN has made good progress in the first three years. Increasing the recruitment of screened patients remains a challenge.

Untapped richness in Erik H. Erikson's rootstock.

PubMed

Kivnick, Helen Q; Wells, Courtney K

2014-02-01

Erik H. Erikson published his groundbreaking theory of 8 stages of lifelong psychosocial development in 1950. His theory expanded psychoanalytic concepts of psychosexual development to include the importance of social dynamics; it transcended then-current thinking that psychological development culminated in early adulthood, acknowledging that systematic human development continues throughout the entire life cycle. The theory made Erikson a pioneer in developmental psychology. His last authored book, Vital Involvement in Old Age, rearticulated and elaborated 3 principles that, in different words, are rooted in his original theory of healthy life cycle development: (1) Dynamic Balance of Opposites; (2) Vital Involvement; and (3) Life in Time. Using a lens informed by knowledge gained over the past 30 years and by reflections of one of the original researchers on that project, the current manuscript seeks to spark new interest in Erikson's late-life contribution. It explains the principles in new detail, links them to relevant research, and suggests ways they could enable Erikson's ideas to further enrich gerontological practice and research.

Development of breeding populations of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) that are specific pathogen-free for rhesus cytomegalovirus.

PubMed

Barry, Peter A; Strelow, Lisa

2008-02-01

Development of breeding colonies of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) that are specific pathogen-free (SPF) for rhesus cytomegalovirus (RhCMV) is relatively straightforward and requires few modifications from current SPF programs. Infants separated from the dam at or within a few days of birth and cohoused with similarly treated animals remain RhCMV seronegative indefinitely, provided they are never directly or indirectly exposed to a RhCMV-infected monkey. By systematically cohousing seronegative animals into larger social cohorts, breeding populations of animals SPF for RhCMV can be established. The additional costs involved in expanding the current definition of SPF status to include RhCMV are incremental compared with the money already being spent on existing SPF efforts. Moreover, the large increase in research opportunities available for RhCMV-free animals arguably would far exceed the development costs. Potential new areas of research and further expansion of existing research efforts involving these newly defined SPF animals would have direct implications for improvements in human health.

77 FR 77076 - Notice of Intent: Designation of an Expanded Ocean Dredged Material Disposal Site (ODMDS) off...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-31

... area includes an area approximately 7.18 square miles in size, for the disposal of dredged material from the proposed harbor deepening dredging at Charleston Harbor (4.04 square miles are within the current ODMDS and 3.14 square miles are outside the current ODMDS). The size of an expanded ODMDS will...

Colonization in North American Arid Lands: The Journey of Agarito (Berberis trifoliolata) Revealed by Multilocus Molecular Data and Packrat Midden Fossil Remains

PubMed Central

Angulo, Diego F.; Amarilla, Leonardo D.; Anton, Ana M.; Sosa, Victoria

2017-01-01

Here we conduct research to understand the evolutionary history of a shrubby species known as Agarito (Berberis trifoliolata), an endemic species to the Chihuahuan Desert. We identify genetic signatures based on plastid DNA and AFLP markers and perform niche modelling and spatial connectivity analyses as well as niche modelling based on records in packrats to elucidate whether orogenic events such as mountain range uplift in the Miocene or the contraction/expansion dynamics of vegetation in response to climate oscillations in the Pliocene/Pleistocene had an effect on evolutionary processes in Agarito. Our results of current niche modelling and palaeomodelling showed that the area currently occupied by Berberis trifoliolata is substantially larger than it was during the Last Interglacial period and the Last Glacial Maximum. Agarito was probably confined to small areas in the Northeastern and gradually expanded its distribution just after the Last Glacial Maximum when the weather in the Chihuahuan Desert and adjacent regions became progressively warmer and drier. The most contracted range was predicted for the Interglacial period. Populations remained in stable areas during the Last Glacial Maximum and expanded at the beginning of the Holocene. Most genetic variation occured in populations from the Sierra Madre Oriental. Two groups of haplotypes were identified: the Mexican Plateau populations and certain Northeastern populations. Haplogroups were spatially connected during the Last Glacial Maximum and separated during interglacial periods. The most important prediction of packrat middens palaeomodelling lies in the Mexican Plateau, a finding congruent with current and past niche modelling predictions for agarito and genetic results. Our results corroborate that these climate changes in the Pliocene/Pleistocene affected the evolutionary history of agarito. The journey of agarito in the Chihuahuan Desert has been dynamic, expanding and contracting its distribution range and currently occupying the largest area in its history. PMID:28146559

The Army’s Military Decision Making: Adequate or Update and Expand

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-22

requires creative efforts by every Soldier and Marine.”63 Expanding the soldier base would allow for greater creativity in order to better deal with...military can overcome these deficiencies? I believe that to achieve the initial stage of success would be to create a segment of soldier telecommuters ...problems. By expanding the thinking base, the Army can expand the breadth and depth into areas currently unreachable. Telecommuting allows for several

Iridium catalysis: application of asymmetric reductive hydrogenation.

PubMed

Cadu, Alban; Andersson, Pher G

2013-10-28

Iridium, despite being one of the least abundant transition metals, has found several uses. N,P-ligated iridium catalysts are used to perform many highly selective reactions. These methodologies have been developed extensively over the past 15 years. More recently, the application of iridium N,P catalysts in asymmetric hydrogenation has been a focus of research to find novel applications and to expand on their current synthetic utility. The aim of this perspective is to highlight the advances made by the Andersson group.

The Changing Face of Hypophosphatemic Disorders in the FGF-23 Era

PubMed Central

Lee, Janet Y.; Imel, Erik A.

2014-01-01

In the past decade, research in genetic disorders of hypophosphatemia has significantly expanded our understanding of phosphate metabolism. X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) is the most common inherited form of rickets due to renal phosphate wasting. Recent understanding of the mechanisms of disease and role of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) in XLH and other hypophosphatemic disorders have opened new potential therapeutic avenues. We will discuss the current standard of treatment for XLH as well as promising future directions under study. PMID:23858620

Large Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thresher, R. W. (Editor)

1982-01-01

The proceedings of a workshop held in Cleveland, July 28-30, 1981 are described. The workshop emphasized recent experience in building and testing large propeller-type wind turbines, expanding upon the proceedings of three previous DOE/NASA workshops at which design and analysis topics were considered. A total of 41 papers were presented on the following subjects: current and advanced large wind turbine systems, rotor blade design and manufacture, electric utility activities, research and supporting technology, meteorological characteristics for design and operation, and wind resources assessments for siting.

Next Generation LOCAD-PTS Cartridge Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morris, H.; Nutter, D.; Weite, E.; Wells, M.; Maule, J.; Damon, M.; Monaco, L.; Steele, A.; Wainwright, N.

2008-01-01

Future astrobiology exploration missions will require rapid, point-of-use techniques for surface science experiments and contamination monitoring. The Lab-On-a-Chip Application Development (LOCAD) team is developing operational instruments that advance spaceflight technologies to molecular-based methods. Currently, LOCAD-Portable Test System (PTS) is quantifying levels of the bacterial molecule endotoxin onboard the Internatioal Space Station. Future research and development will focus on more sensitive molecular techniques that expand the number of compounds detected to include beta-glucan from fungal cell walls.

The experience of schizophrenia: what's gender got to do with it? A critical review of the current status of research on schizophrenia.

PubMed

Nasser, Elizabeth H; Walders, Natalie; Jenkins, Janis H

2002-01-01

The role of gender in schizophrenia is explored, and literature on gender and schizophrenia is critically reviewed. The importance of investigating gender differences in schizophrenia is underscored by the lack of sufficient research in this area to date and the comparative neglect of sociocultural issues during the "decade of the brain." The importance of incorporating gender factors into research analysis is demonstrated via an interdisciplinary discussion that involves psychiatric, anthropological, and sociological theory. Methodological and measurement issues in gender-based research are considered. Selected directions for future research initiatives that expand beyond a dichotomous comparison of "male" and "female" sex differences to examine the role of gender along a continuum as a sociocultural influence on schizophrenia onset, illness presentation, and treatment are presented.

Cannabis in Pain Treatment: Clinical and Research Considerations.

PubMed

Savage, Seddon R; Romero-Sandoval, Alfonso; Schatman, Michael; Wallace, Mark; Fanciullo, Gilbert; McCarberg, Bill; Ware, Mark

2016-06-01

Cannabinoids show promise as therapeutic agents, particularly as analgesics, but their development and clinical use has been complicated by recognition of their botanical source, cannabis, as a substance of misuse. Although research into endogenous cannabinoid systems and potential cannabinoid pharmaceuticals is slowly increasing, there has been intense societal interest in making herbal (plant) cannabis available for medicinal use; 23 U.S. States and all Canadian provinces currently permit use in some clinical contexts. Whether or not individual professionals support the clinical use of herbal cannabis, all clinicians will encounter patients who elect to use it and therefore need to be prepared to advise them on cannabis-related clinical issues despite limited evidence to guide care. Expanded research on cannabis is needed to better determine the individual and public health effects of increasing use of herbal cannabis and to advance understanding of the pharmaceutical potential of cannabinoids as medications. This article reviews clinical, research, and policy issues related to herbal cannabis to support clinicians in thoughtfully advising and caring for patients who use cannabis, and it examines obstacles and opportunities to expand research on the health effects of herbal cannabis and cannabinoids. Herbal cannabis is increasingly available for clinical use in the United States despite continuing controversies over its efficacy and safety. This article explores important considerations in the use of plant Cannabis to better prepare clinicians to care for patients who use it, and identifies needed directions for research. Copyright © 2016 American Pain Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Expanding research to provide an evidence base for nutritional interventions for the management of inborn errors of metabolism.

PubMed

Camp, Kathryn M; Lloyd-Puryear, Michele A; Yao, Lynne; Groft, Stephen C; Parisi, Melissa A; Mulberg, Andrew; Gopal-Srivastava, Rashmi; Cederbaum, Stephen; Enns, Gregory M; Ershow, Abby G; Frazier, Dianne M; Gohagan, John; Harding, Cary; Howell, R Rodney; Regan, Karen; Stacpoole, Peter W; Venditti, Charles; Vockley, Jerry; Watson, Michael; Coates, Paul M

2013-08-01

A trans-National Institutes of Health initiative, Nutrition and Dietary Supplement Interventions for Inborn Errors of Metabolism (NDSI-IEM), was launched in 2010 to identify gaps in knowledge regarding the safety and utility of nutritional interventions for the management of inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) that need to be filled with evidence-based research. IEM include inherited biochemical disorders in which specific enzyme defects interfere with the normal metabolism of exogenous (dietary) or endogenous protein, carbohydrate, or fat. For some of these IEM, effective management depends primarily on nutritional interventions. Further research is needed to demonstrate the impact of nutritional interventions on individual health outcomes and on the psychosocial issues identified by patients and their families. A series of meetings and discussions were convened to explore the current United States' funding and regulatory infrastructure and the challenges to the conduct of research for nutritional interventions for the management of IEM. Although the research and regulatory infrastructure are well-established, a collaborative pathway that includes the professional and advocacy rare disease community and federal regulatory and research agencies will be needed to overcome current barriers. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Tobacco industry consumer research on smokeless tobacco users and product development.

PubMed

Mejia, Adrienne B; Ling, Pamela M

2010-01-01

Since 2006, RJ Reynolds (RJR) and Philip Morris have both introduced new smokeless "snus" tobacco products. We analyzed previously secret tobacco industry documents describing the history of RJR and Philip Morris's consumer research, smokeless product development, and marketing strategies. We found that RJR had invested in smokeless research, development, and marketing since 1968. RJR first targeted low-income males through sampling and sponsorship at fishing, rodeo, and baseball events, and through advertising portraying the user as "hard working." In the early 1990s, Philip Morris and RJR hoped to attract more urban, female smokeless users. The current "snus" campaigns appear to appeal to these targeted consumers and smokers in smoke-free environments. These efforts may expand the tobacco market and undermine smoking cessation.

Three-Dimensional Printing of Nanomaterial Scaffolds for Complex Tissue Regeneration

PubMed Central

O'Brien, Christopher M.; Holmes, Benjamin; Faucett, Scott

2015-01-01

Three-dimensional (3D) printing has recently expanded in popularity, and become the cutting edge of tissue engineering research. A growing emphasis from clinicians on patient-specific care, coupled with an increasing knowledge of cellular and biomaterial interaction, has led researchers to explore new methods that enable the greatest possible control over the arrangement of cells and bioactive nanomaterials in defined scaffold geometries. In this light, the cutting edge technology of 3D printing also enables researchers to more effectively compose multi-material and cell-laden scaffolds with less effort. In this review, we explore the current state of 3D printing with a focus on printing of nanomaterials and their effect on various complex tissue regeneration applications. PMID:25084122

Scoping review and evaluation of SMS/text messaging platforms for mHealth projects or clinical interventions.

PubMed

Iribarren, Sarah J; Brown, William; Giguere, Rebecca; Stone, Patricia; Schnall, Rebecca; Staggers, Nancy; Carballo-Diéguez, Alex

2017-05-01

Mobile technology supporting text messaging interventions (TMIs) continues to evolve, presenting challenges for researchers and healthcare professionals who need to choose software solutions to best meet their program needs. The objective of this review was to systematically identify and compare text messaging platforms and to summarize their advantages and disadvantages as described in peer-reviewed literature. A scoping review was conducted using four steps: 1) identify currently available platforms through online searches and in mHealth repositories; 2) expand evaluation criteria of an mHealth mobile messaging toolkit and integrate prior user experiences as researchers; 3) evaluate each platform's functions and features based on the expanded criteria and a vendor survey; and 4) assess the documentation of platform use in the peer-review literature. Platforms meeting inclusion criteria were assessed independently by three reviewers and discussed until consensus was reached. The PRISMA guidelines were followed to report findings. Of the 1041 potentially relevant search results, 27 platforms met inclusion criteria. Most were excluded because they were not platforms (e.g., guides, toolkits, reports, or SMS gateways). Of the 27 platforms, only 12 were identified in existing mHealth repositories, 10 from Google searches, while five were found in both. The expanded evaluation criteria included 22 items. Results indicate no uniform presentation of platform features and functions, often making these difficult to discern. Fourteen of the platforms were reported as open source, 10 focused on health care and 16 were tailored to meet needs of low resource settings (not mutually exclusive). Fifteen platforms had do-it-yourself setup (programming not required) while the remainder required coding/programming skills or setups could be built to specification by the vendor. Frequently described features included data security and access to the platform via cloud-based systems. Pay structures and reported targeted end-users varied. Peer-reviewed publications listed only 6 of the 27 platforms across 21 publications. The majority of these articles reported the name of the platform used but did not describe advantages or disadvantages. Searching for and comparing mHealth platforms for TMIs remains a challenge. The results of this review can serve as a resource for researchers and healthcare professionals wanting to integrate TMIs into health interventions. Steps to identify, compare and assess advantages and disadvantages are outlined for consideration. Expanded evaluation criteria can be used by future researchers. Continued and more comprehensive platform tools should be integrated into mHealth repositories. Detailed descriptions of platform advantages and disadvantages are needed when mHealth researchers publish findings to expand the body of research on TMI tools for healthcare. Standardized descriptions and features are recommended for vendor sites. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Scoping Review and Evaluation of SMS/text Messaging Platforms for mHealth Projects or Clinical Interventions

PubMed Central

Iribarren, Sarah; Brown, William; Giguere, Rebecca; Stone, Patricia; Schnall, Rebecca; Staggers, Nancy; Carballo-Diéguez, Alex

2017-01-01

Objectives Mobile technology supporting text messaging interventions (TMIs) continues to evolve, presenting challenges for researchers and healthcare professionals who need to choose software solutions to best meet their program needs. The objective of this review was to systematically identify and compare text messaging platforms and to summarize their advantages and disadvantages as described in peer-reviewed literature. Methods A scoping review was conducted using four steps: 1) identify currently available platforms through online searches and in mHealth repositories; 2) expand evaluation criteria of an mHealth mobile messaging toolkit and prior user experiences as researchers; 3) evaluate each platform’s functions and features based on the expanded criteria and a vendor survey; and 4) assess the documentation of platform use in the peer-review literature. Platforms meeting inclusion criteria were assessed independently by three reviewers and discussed until consensus was reached. The PRISMA guidelines were followed to report findings. Results Of the 1041 potentially relevant search results, 27 platforms met inclusion criteria. Most were excluded because they were not platforms (e.g., guides, toolkits, reports, or SMS gateways). Of the 27 platforms, only 12 were identified in existing mHealth repositories, 10 from Google searches, while five were found in both. The expanded evaluation criteria included 22 items. Results indicate no uniform presentation of platform features and functions, often making these difficult to discern. Fourteen of the platforms were reported as open source, 10 focused on health care and 16 were tailored to meet needs of low resource settings (not mutually exclusive). Fifteen platforms had do-it-yourself setup (programming not required) while the remainder required coding/programming skills or setups could be built to specification by the vendor. Frequently described features included data security and access to the platform via cloud-based systems. Pay structures and reported targeted end-users varied. Peer-reviewed publications listed only 6 of the 27 platforms across 21 publications. The majority of these articles reported the name of the platform used but did not describe advantages or disadvantages. Conclusions Searching for and comparing mHealth platforms for TMIs remains a challenge. The results of this review can serve as a resource for researchers and healthcare professionals wanting to integrate TMIs into health interventions. Steps to identify, compare and assess advantages and disadvantages are outlined for consideration. Expanded evaluation criteria can be used by future researchers. Continued and more comprehensive platform tools should be integrated into mHealth repositories. Detailed descriptions of platform advantages and disadvantages are needed when mHealth researchers publish findings to expand the body of research on texting-based tools for healthcare. Standardized descriptions and features are recommended for vendor sites. PMID:28347445

Image understanding architecture: a status report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weems, Charles C.

1995-01-01

The image understanding architecture (IUA) effort is now entering a new phase. The second generation IUA prototypes are nearing completion and our experience with the hardware, extensive software simulations, and additional research are guiding the development of a new generation of the IUA. Furthermore, the primary contractors have been selected for a technology reinvestment project (TRP) award to develop a commercial, off-the-shelf implementation of the new IUA for dual-use embedded applications. Thus, the IUA effort is in the process of making the transition from a research and development project to being a commercially available vision accelerator. IUA development is currently taking place at three sites (Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, Calif., Amerinex Artificial Intelligence Inc., and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst). This TRP consortium plans to form a new company to take over all aspects of IUA development and production. This article summarizes the previous efforts, describes the current status of the effort, expands briefly upon some of the basic research that is supporting the next generation IUA, and concludes with a section describing the efforts that will be undertaken in developing the next generation.

Opportunities and methodological challenges in EEG and MEG resting state functional brain network research.

PubMed

van Diessen, E; Numan, T; van Dellen, E; van der Kooi, A W; Boersma, M; Hofman, D; van Lutterveld, R; van Dijk, B W; van Straaten, E C W; Hillebrand, A; Stam, C J

2015-08-01

Electroencephalogram (EEG) and magnetoencephalogram (MEG) recordings during resting state are increasingly used to study functional connectivity and network topology. Moreover, the number of different analysis approaches is expanding along with the rising interest in this research area. The comparison between studies can therefore be challenging and discussion is needed to underscore methodological opportunities and pitfalls in functional connectivity and network studies. In this overview we discuss methodological considerations throughout the analysis pipeline of recording and analyzing resting state EEG and MEG data, with a focus on functional connectivity and network analysis. We summarize current common practices with their advantages and disadvantages; provide practical tips, and suggestions for future research. Finally, we discuss how methodological choices in resting state research can affect the construction of functional networks. When taking advantage of current best practices and avoid the most obvious pitfalls, functional connectivity and network studies can be improved and enable a more accurate interpretation and comparison between studies. Copyright © 2014 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Internet use, misuse, and addiction in adolescents: current issues and challenges.

PubMed

Greydanus, Donald E; Greydanus, Megan M

2012-01-01

The Internet has revolutionized education and social communication in the 21st century. This article reviews the growing literature identifying a number of adolescents and young adults with a pathologically excessive Internet use leading to many potential consequences. Current research dilemmas in this area include that Internet addiction is a broad topic with no standard definition and no standard measurement tools. Management of youth with identified problematic Internet use or misuse centers on behavioral therapy and treatment of comorbidities. Pharmacologic approaches are limited at this time but are undergoing research, such as use of opioid antagonists and antidepressants in adults with pathological gambling. Efforts should be expanded on not only the education of all adolescents regarding the benefits but also the potential negative consequences of Internet use. It is vital that we do this for Generation Z, whereas Generation ALPHA will soon benefit or suffer from our efforts in this regard today.

Protective behavioral strategies and negative alcohol-related consequences in college students.

PubMed

Araas, Teresa E; Adams, Troy B

2008-01-01

Alcohol abuse among college students is associated with a quality of life burden. The current study replicated and extended previous research on protective behavioral strategies (PBS) by examining relationships between PBS use and negative alcohol-related consequences. A national sample of 29,792 U.S. college students who completed the National College Health Assessment during spring 2004 was included. Using a retrospective analysis of cross-sectional data, relationships between PBS use and negative alcohol-related consequences were examined. Greater PBS use was associated with fewer negative alcohol-related consequences, while less frequent use of PBS was correlated with increased negative alcohol-related consequences. The current study findings strongly support expanded educational alcohol-intervention programs promoting greater PBS use aimed at reducing or completely alleviating negative alcohol-related consequences (e.g., BASICS, ASTP). Future research should further investigate such PBS-based intervention programs, examine the existence of latent PBS, and study use of combined PBS.

Research opportunities with compact accelerator-driven neutron sources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, I. S.; Andreani, C.; Carpenter, J. M.; Festa, G.; Gorini, G.; Loong, C.-K.; Senesi, R.

2016-10-01

Since the discovery of the neutron in 1932 neutron beams have been used in a very broad range of applications, As an aging fleet of nuclear reactor sources is retired the use of compact accelerator-driven neutron sources (CANS) is becoming more prevalent. CANS are playing a significant and expanding role in research and development in science and engineering, as well as in education and training. In the realm of multidisciplinary applications, CANS offer opportunities over a wide range of technical utilization, from interrogation of civil structures to medical therapy to cultural heritage study. This paper aims to provide the first comprehensive overview of the history, current status of operation, and ongoing development of CANS worldwide. The basic physics and engineering regarding neutron production by accelerators, target-moderator systems, and beam line instrumentation are introduced, followed by an extensive discussion of various evolving applications currently exploited at CANS.

Globalization and Health: developing the journal to advance the field.

PubMed

Martin, Greg; MacLachlan, Malcolm; Labonté, Ronald; Larkan, Fiona; Vallières, Frédérique; Bergin, Niamh

2016-03-09

Founded in 2005, Globalization and Health was the first open access global health journal. The journal has since expanded the field, and its influence, with the number of downloaded papers rising 17-fold, to over 4 million. Its ground-breaking papers, leading authors -including a Nobel Prize winner- and an impact factor of 2.25 place it among the top global health journals in the world. To mark the ten years since the journal's founding, we, members of the current editorial board, undertook a review of the journal's progress over the last decade. Through the application of an inductive thematic analysis, we systematically identified themes of research published in the journal from 2005 to 2014. We identify key areas the journal has promoted and consider these in the context of an existing framework, identify current gaps in global health research and highlight areas we, as a journal, would like to see strengthened.

Mindfulness Meditation Training for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in Adulthood: Current Empirical Support, Treatment Overview, and Future Directions

PubMed Central

Mitchell, John T.; Zylowska, Lidia; Kollins, Scott H.

2015-01-01

Research examining nonpharmacological interventions for adults diagnosed with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) has expanded in recent years and provides patients with more treatment options. Mindfulness-based training is an example of an intervention that is gaining promising preliminary empirical support and is increasingly administered in clinical settings. The aim of this review is to provide a rationale for the application of mindfulness to individuals diagnosed with ADHD, describe the current state of the empirical basis for mindfulness training in ADHD, and summarize a treatment approach specific to adults diagnosed with ADHD: the Mindful Awareness Practices (MAPs) for ADHD Program. Two case study examples are provided to demonstrate relevant clinical issues for practitioners interested in this approach. Directions for future research, including mindfulness meditation as a standalone treatment and as a complementary approach to cognitive-behavioral therapy, are provided. PMID:25908900

Interfacing modules for integrating discipline specific structural mechanics codes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Endres, Ned M.

1989-01-01

An outline of the organization and capabilities of the Engine Structures Computational Simulator (Simulator) at NASA Lewis Research Center is given. One of the goals of the research at Lewis is to integrate various discipline specific structural mechanics codes into a software system which can be brought to bear effectively on a wide range of engineering problems. This system must possess the qualities of being effective and efficient while still remaining user friendly. The simulator was initially designed for the finite element simulation of gas jet engine components. Currently, the simulator has been restricted to only the analysis of high pressure turbine blades and the accompanying rotor assembly, although the current installation can be expanded for other applications. The simulator presently assists the user throughout its procedures by performing information management tasks, executing external support tasks, organizing analysis modules and executing these modules in the user defined order while maintaining processing continuity.

A Mass Spectrometer in Every Fume Hood

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McBride, Ethan M.; Verbeck, Guido F.

2018-06-01

Since their inception, mass spectrometers have played a pivotal role in the direction and application of synthetic chemical research. The ability to develop new instrumentation to solve current analytical challenges in this area has always been at the heart of mass spectrometry, although progress has been slow at times. Herein, we briefly review the history of how mass spectrometry has been used to approach challenges in organic chemistry, how new developments in portable instrumentation and ambient ionization have been used to open novel areas of research, and how current techniques have the ability to expand on our knowledge of synthetic mechanisms and kinetics. Lastly, we discuss the relative paucity of work done in recent years to embrace the concept of improving benchtop synthetic chemistry with mass spectrometry, the disconnect between applications and fundamentals within these studies, and what hurdles still need to be overcome. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

Current-free double layers: A review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, Nagendra

2011-12-01

During the last decade, there has been an upsurge in the research on current-free DLs (CFDLs). Research includes theory, laboratory measurements, and various applications of CFDLs ranging from plasma thrusters to acceleration of charged particles in space and astrophysical plasmas. The purpose of this review is to present a unified understanding of the basic plasma processes, which lead to the formation of CFDLs. The review starts with the discussion on early research on electric fields and double layers (DLs) and ion acceleration in planar plasma expansion. The review continues with the formation of DLs and rarefaction shocks (RFS) in expanding plasma with two electron populations with different temperatures. The basic theory mitigating the formation of a CFDL by two-electron temperature population is reviewed; we refer to such CFDLs as double layers structures formation by two-temperature electron populations (TET-CFDLs). Application of TET-CFDLS to ion acceleration in laboratory and space plasmas was discussed including the formation of stationary steady-state DLs. A quite different type of CFDLs forms in a helicon plasma device (HPD), in which plasma abruptly expands from a narrow plasma source tube into a wide diffusion tube with abruptly diverging magnetic fields. The formation mechanism of the CFDL in HPD, referred here as current free double layer structure in helicon plasma device (HPD-CFDL), and its applications are reviewed. The formation of a TET-CFDL is due to the self-consistent separation of the two electron populations parallel to the ambient magnetic field. In contrast, a HPD-CFDL forms due to self-consistent separation of electrons and ion perpendicular to the abruptly diverging magnetic field in conjunction with the conducting wall of the expansion chamber in the HPD. One-dimensional theoretical models of CFDLs based on steady-state solution of Vlasov-Poisson system of equations are briefly discussed. Applications of CFDLs ranging from helicon double-layer thrusters (HDLTs) to the accelerations of ions in space and astrophysical plasmas are summarized.

Radiobiology of systemic radiation therapy.

PubMed

Murray, David; McEwan, Alexander J

2007-02-01

Although systemic radionuclide therapy (SRT) is effective as a palliative therapy in patients with metastatic cancer, there has been limited success in expanding patterns of utilization and in bringing novel systemic radiotherapeutic agents to routine clinical use. Although there are many factors that contribute to this situation, we hypothesize that a better understanding of the radiobiology and mechanism of action of SRT will facilitate the development of future compounds and the future designs of prospective clinical trials. If these trials can be rationalized to the biological basis of the therapy, it is likely that the long-term outcome would be enhanced therapeutic efficacy. In this review, we provide perspectives of the current state of low-dose-rate (LDR) radiation research and offer linkages where appropriate with current clinical knowledge. These include the recently described phenomena of low-dose hyper-radiosensitivity-increased radioresistance (LDH-IRR), adaptive responses, and biological bystander effects. Each of these areas require a major reconsideration of existing models for radiation action and an understanding of how this knowledge will integrate into the evolution of clinical SRT practice. Validation of a role in vivo for both LDH-IRR and biological bystander effects in SRT would greatly impact the way we would assess therapeutic response to SRT, the design of clinical trials of novel SRT radiopharmaceuticals, and risk estimates for both therapeutic and diagnostic radiopharmaceuticals. We believe that the current state of research in LDR effects offers a major opportunity to the nuclear medicine community to address the basic science of clinical SRT practice, to use this new knowledge to expand the use and roles of SRT, and to facilitate the introduction of new therapeutic radiopharmaceuticals.

Review article: practical current issues in perioperative patient safety.

PubMed

Eichhorn, John H

2013-02-01

This brief review provides an overview and, importantly, a context perspective of relevant current practical issues in perioperative patient safety. The dramatic improvement in anesthesia patient safety over the last 30 years was not initiated by electronic monitors but, rather, largely by a set of behaviours known as "safety monitoring" that were then made decidedly more effective by extending the human senses through electronic monitoring, for example, capnography and pulse oximetry. In the highly developed world, this current success is threatened by complacency and production pressure. In some areas of the developing/underdeveloped world, the challenge is implementing the components of anesthesia practice that will bring safety improvements to parallel the overall current success, for instance, applying the World Federation of Societies of Anaesthesiologists (WFSA) "International Standards for A Safe Practice of Anaesthesia". Generally, expanding the current success in safety involves many practical issues. System issues involve research, effective reporting mechanisms and analysis/broadcasting of results, perioperative communication (including "speaking up to power"), and checklists. Monitoring issues involve enforcing existing published monitoring standards and also recognizing the risk of danger to the patient from hypoventilation during procedural sedation and from postoperative intravenous pain medications. Issues of clinical care include medication errors in the operating room, cerebral hypoperfusion (especially in the head-up position), dangers of airway management, postoperative residual weakness from muscle relaxants, operating room fires, and risks specific in obstetric anesthesia. Recognition of the issues outlined here and empowerment of all anesthesia professionals, from the most senior professors and administrators to the newest practitioners, should help maintain, solidify, and expand the improvements in anesthesia and perioperative patient safety.

A linear helicon plasma device with controllable magnetic field gradient

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

Barada, Kshitish K.; Chattopadhyay, P. K.; Ghosh, J.

2012-06-15

Current free double layers (CFDLs) are localized potential structures having spatial dimensions - Debye lengths and potential drops of more than local electron temperature across them. CFDLs do not need a current for them to be sustained and hence they differ from the current driven double layers. Helicon antenna produced plasmas in an expanded chamber along with an expanding magnetic field have shown the existence of CFDL near the expansion region. A helicon plasma device has been designed, fabricated, and installed in the Institute for Plasma Research, India to study the role of maximum magnetic field gradient as well asmore » its location with respect to the geometrical expansion region of the chamber in CFDL formation. The special feature of this machine consisting of two chambers of different radii is its capability of producing different magnetic field gradients near the physical boundary between the two chambers either by changing current in one particular coil in the direction opposite to that in other coils and/or by varying the position of this particular coil. Although, the machine is primarily designed for CFDL experiments, it is also capable of carrying out many basic plasma physics experiments such as wave propagation, wave coupling, and plasma instabilities in a varying magnetic field topology. In this paper, we will present the details of the machine construction, its specialties, and some preliminary results about the production and characterization of helicon plasma in this machine.« less

Going "social" to access experimental and potentially life-saving treatment: an assessment of the policy and online patient advocacy environment for expanded access.

PubMed

Mackey, Tim K; Schoenfeld, Virginia J

2016-02-02

Social media is fundamentally altering how we access health information and make decisions about medical treatment, including for terminally ill patients. This specifically includes the growing phenomenon of patients who use online petitions and social media campaigns in an attempt to gain access to experimental drugs through expanded access pathways. Importantly, controversy surrounding expanded access and "compassionate use" involves several disparate stakeholders, including patients, manufacturers, policymakers, and regulatory agencies-all with competing interests and priorities, leading to confusion, frustration, and ultimately advocacy. In order to explore this issue in detail, this correspondence article first conducts a literature review to describe how the expanded access policy and regulatory environment in the United States has evolved over time and how it currently impacts access to experimental drugs. We then conducted structured web searches to identify patient use of online petitions and social media campaigns aimed at compelling access to experimental drugs. This was carried out in order to characterize the types of communication strategies utilized, the diseases and drugs subject to expanded access petitions, and the prevalent themes associated with this form of "digital" patient advocacy. We find that patients and their families experience mixed results, but still gravitate towards the use of online campaigns out of desperation, lack of reliable information about treatment access options, and in direct response to limitations of the current fragmented structure of expanded access regulation and policy currently in place. In response, we discuss potential policy reforms to improve expanded access processes, including advocating greater transparency for expanded access programs, exploring use of targeted economic incentives for manufacturers, and developing systems to facilitate patient information about existing treatment options. This includes leveraging recent legislative attention to reform expanded access through the CURE Act Provisions contained in the proposed U.S. 21st Century Cures Act. While expanded access may not be the best option for the majority of individuals, terminally ill patients and their families nevertheless deserve better processes, policies, and availability to potentially life-changing information, before they decide to pursue an online campaign in the desperate hope of gaining access to experimental drugs.

Inferior Vena Cava Filters: Guidelines, Best Practice, and Expanding Indications

PubMed Central

DeYoung, Elliot; Minocha, Jeet

2016-01-01

Vena caval interruption, currently accomplished by percutaneous image-guided insertion of an inferior vena cava (IVC) filter, is an important therapeutic option in the management of selected patients with venous thromboembolism. The availability of optional (or retrievable) filters, in particular, has altered the practice patterns for IVC filters, with a shift to these devices and expansion of indications for filter placement. As new devices have become available and clinicians have become more familiar and comfortable with IVC filters, the indications for filter placement have continued to evolve and expand. This article reviews current guidelines and expanding indications for IVC filter placement. PMID:27247472

Successful range-expanding plants experience less above-ground and below-ground enemy impact.

PubMed

Engelkes, Tim; Morriën, Elly; Verhoeven, Koen J F; Bezemer, T Martijn; Biere, Arjen; Harvey, Jeffrey A; McIntyre, Lauren M; Tamis, Wil L M; van der Putten, Wim H

2008-12-18

Many species are currently moving to higher latitudes and altitudes. However, little is known about the factors that influence the future performance of range-expanding species in their new habitats. Here we show that range-expanding plant species from a riverine area were better defended against shoot and root enemies than were related native plant species growing in the same area. We grew fifteen plant species with and without non-coevolved polyphagous locusts and cosmopolitan, polyphagous aphids. Contrary to our expectations, the locusts performed more poorly on the range-expanding plant species than on the congeneric native plant species, whereas the aphids showed no difference. The shoot herbivores reduced the biomass of the native plants more than they did that of the congeneric range expanders. Also, the range-expanding plants developed fewer pathogenic effects in their root-zone soil than did the related native species. Current predictions forecast biodiversity loss due to limitations in the ability of species to adjust to climate warming conditions in their range. Our results strongly suggest that the plants that shift ranges towards higher latitudes and altitudes may include potential invaders, as the successful range expanders may experience less control by above-ground or below-ground enemies than the natives.

Evidence-Based Policy Making: Assessment of the American Heart Association's Strategic Policy Portfolio: A Policy Statement From the American Heart Association.

PubMed

Labarthe, Darwin R; Goldstein, Larry B; Antman, Elliott M; Arnett, Donna K; Fonarow, Gregg C; Alberts, Mark J; Hayman, Laura L; Khera, Amit; Sallis, James F; Daniels, Stephen R; Sacco, Ralph L; Li, Suhui; Ku, Leighton; Lantz, Paula M; Robinson, Jennifer G; Creager, Mark A; Van Horn, Linda; Kris-Etherton, Penny; Bhatnagar, Aruni; Whitsel, Laurie P

2016-05-03

American Heart Association (AHA) public policy advocacy strategies are based on its Strategic Impact Goals. The writing group appraised the evidence behind AHA's policies to determine how well they address the association's 2020 cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics and cardiovascular disease (CVD) management indicators and identified research needed to fill gaps in policy and support further policy development. The AHA policy research department first identified current AHA policies specific to each CVH metric and CVD management indicator and the evidence underlying each policy. Writing group members then reviewed each policy and the related metrics and indicators. The results of each review were summarized, and topic-specific priorities and overarching themes for future policy research were proposed. There was generally close alignment between current AHA policies and the 2020 CVH metrics and CVD management indicators; however, certain specific policies still lack a robust evidence base. For CVH metrics, the distinction between policies for adults (age ≥20 years) and children (<20 years) was often not considered, although policy approaches may differ importantly by age. Inclusion of all those <20 years of age as a single group also ignores important differences in policy needs for infants, children, adolescents, and young adults. For CVD management indicators, specific quantitative targets analogous to criteria for ideal, intermediate, and poor CVH are lacking but needed to assess progress toward the 2020 goal to reduce deaths from CVDs and stroke. New research in support of current policies needs to focus on the evaluation of their translation and implementation through expanded application of implementation science. Focused basic, clinical, and population research is required to expand and strengthen the evidence base for the development of new policies. Evaluation of the impact of targeted improvements in population health through strengthened surveillance of CVD and stroke events, determination of the cost-effectiveness of policy interventions, and measurement of the extent to which vulnerable populations are reached must be assessed for all policies. Additional attention should be paid to the social determinants of health outcomes. AHA's public policies are generally robust and well aligned with its 2020 CVH metrics and CVD indicators. Areas for further policy development to fill gaps, overarching research strategies, and topic-specific priority areas are proposed. © 2016 American Heart Association, Inc.

Materials dispersion and biodynamics project research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lewis, Marian L.

1992-01-01

The Materials Dispersion and Biodynamics Project (MDBP) focuses on dispersion and mixing of various biological materials and the dynamics of cell-to-cell communication and intracellular molecular trafficking in microgravity. Research activities encompass biomedical applications, basic cell biology, biotechnology (products from cells), protein crystal development, ecological life support systems (involving algae and bacteria), drug delivery (microencapsulation), biofilm deposition by living organisms, and hardware development to support living cells on Space Station Freedom (SSF). Project goals are to expand the existing microgravity science database through experiments on sounding rockets, the Shuttle, and COMET program orbiters and to evolve,through current database acquisition and feasibility testing, to more mature and larger-scale commercial operations on SSF. Maximized utilization of SSF for these science applications will mean that service companies will have a role in providing equipment for use by a number of different customers. An example of a potential forerunner of such a service for SSF is the Materials Dispersion Apparatus (MDA) 'mini lab' of Instrumentation Technology Associates, Inc. (ITA) in use on the Shuttle for the Commercial MDAITA Experiments (CMIX) Project. The MDA wells provide the capability for a number of investigators to perform mixing and bioprocessing experiments in space. In the area of human adaptation to microgravity, a significant database has been obtained over the past three decades. Some low-g effects are similar to Earth-based disorders (anemia, osteoporosis, neuromuscular diseases, and immune system disorders). As new information targets potential profit-making processes, services and products from microgravity, commercial space ventures are expected to expand accordingly. Cooperative CCDS research in the above mentioned areas is essential for maturing SSF biotechnology and to ensure U.S. leadership in space technology. Currently, the MDBP conducts collaborative research with investigators at the Rockefeller University, National Cancer Institute, and the Universities of California, Arizona, and Alabama in Birmingham. The growing database from these collaborations provides fundamental information applicable to development of cell products, manipulation of immune cell response, bone cell growth and mineralization, and other processes altered by low-gravity. Contacts with biotechnology and biopharmaceutical companies are being increased to reach uninformed potential SSF users, provide access through the CMDS to interested users for feasibility studies, and to continue active involvement of current participants. We encourage and actively seek participation of private sector companies, and university and government researchers interested in biopharmaceuticals, hardware development and fundamental research in microgravity.

Expanding forensic science through forensic intelligence.

PubMed

Ribaux, Olivier; Talbot Wright, Benjamin

2014-12-01

Research and Development ('R&D') in forensic science currently focuses on innovative technologies improving the efficiency of existing forensic processes, from the detection of marks and traces at the scene, to their presentation in Court. R&D approached from this perspective provides no response to doubts raised by recent criminological studies, which question the effective contribution of forensic science to crime reduction, and to policing in general. Traces (i.e. forensic case data), as remnants of criminal activity are collected and used in various forms of crime monitoring and investigation. The aforementioned doubts therefore need to be addressed by expressing how information is conveyed by traces in these processes. Modelling from this standpoint expands the scope of forensic science and provides new R&D opportunities. Twelve propositions for R&D are stated in order to pave the way. Copyright © 2014 Forensic Science Society. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Brazil: An emerging partner in drug R&D.

PubMed

Rodrigues, Debora G

2009-08-01

With the need for innovation in drug discovery and development and changes to patent laws that are enabling greater IP protection, many pharmaceutical companies are pursuing international cooperation agreements with foreign companies as part of a global development strategy to enhance product pipelines. Brazil, the largest pharmaceutical market in Latin America, has improved its infrastructure, scientific and technological capabilities and has created a sustainable strategy to promote drug discovery research activities. Positive economic growth, a stable political structure, expanding patient populations an increasing governmental, private and foreign investments are creating a new landscape for drug R&D in the country. As Brazilian-based pharmaceutical companies become further established, new opportunities for partnerships and collaborative alliances are becoming available for the drug discovery process, as well as for co-manufacturing and co-marketing efforts. This feature review provides an overview of the Brazilian pharmaceutical market and discusses current opportunities, emerging trends and challenges for this expanding market.

Small enterprise opportunities in municipal solid waste management.

PubMed

Grierson, J P; Brown, A

1999-02-01

Most developing countries are rapidly urbanizing, with growing urban populations fueling demand for more and better urban services which many cities simply cannot provide given the current financial constraints. With the public sector unable to service the needs of expanding cities, small businesses are moving in to fill the vacuum. Such fledgling private sector initiatives have often prevented problems from becoming crises, while also demonstrating that private sector enterprises have an important role to play in meeting the demand for municipal services. Waste collection and processing is an area which could benefit from private sector involvement and greater public-private coordination. The authors examine the progress to date of an action-research initiative led by the Collaborative Group on Municipal Solid Waste Management in Low-income Countries which is developing best practice guidelines for expanding the involvement of micro- and small enterprises in municipal solid waste management.

Smoke Alarms for People Who Are Deaf or Hard-of-Hearing

MedlinePlus

... motels Expand sub-navigation Hotel fire safety tips Marijuana grow & extraction facilities Nightclubs and other assembly occupancies ... Fire behavior research Fire loss and injury research Benefits of home fire sprinklers Expand sub-navigation Environmental ...

Expanding Research Capacity at United States Universities: A Study of Academic Research and Development Investment from 1990-2005

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cantwell, Brendan; Mathies, Charles F.

2012-01-01

Growing emphasis has been placed on universities to contribute to the innovation process and as a result academic research and development expenditures have increased in recent years. Nevertheless, little is known about the specific ways in which universities have expanded their research capacity. This paper examines how universities in the United…

Cellular Models: HD Patient-Derived Pluripotent Stem Cells.

PubMed

Geater, Charlene; Hernandez, Sarah; Thompson, Leslie; Mattis, Virginia B

2018-01-01

Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by expanded polyglutamine (polyQ)-encoding repeats in the Huntingtin (HTT) gene. Traditionally, HD cellular models consisted of either patient cells not affected by disease or rodent neurons expressing expanded polyQ repeats in HTT. As these models can be limited in their disease manifestation or proper genetic context, respectively, human HD pluripotent stem cells (PSCs) are currently under investigation as a way to model disease in patient-derived neurons and other neural cell types. This chapter reviews embryonic stem cell (ESC) and induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) models of disease, including published differentiation paradigms for neurons and their associated phenotypes, as well as current challenges to the field such as validation of the PSCs and PSC-derived cells. Highlighted are potential future technical advances to HD PSC modeling, including transdifferentiation, complex in vitro multiorgan/system reconstruction, and personalized medicine. Using a human HD patient model of the central nervous system, hopefully one day researchers can tease out the consequences of mutant HTT (mHTT) expression on specific cell types within the brain in order to identify and test novel therapies for disease.

Learning and knowing technology as lived experience in people with Alzheimer's disease: a phenomenological study.

PubMed

Rosenberg, Lena; Nygård, Louise

2017-12-01

Most research on learning in the field of dementia has studied teaching approaches, while little is known about learning as experienced and enacted by the people with dementia. The aim was to explore the lived experience of learning and maintaining knowledge related to technology among people with mild to moderate stage dementia. Seven persons with dementia were interviewed in-depth, and data were analyzed with a phenomenological approach. The participants positioned themselves on a continuum from 'Updating and expanding is not for me' to 'Updating and expanding is really for me'. They used different ways of learning in their everyday life - relying on one's habituated repertoire of actions, on other people or on technology itself, or belonging to a learning context. We have much to gain from better understanding of how people with dementia strive to learn and maintain their skills and knowledge related to technology. This is particularly important as they seem to use other approaches than those employed in current teaching methods. The necessity of learning stands out particularly when it comes to the interaction with the current multitude and ever-changing designs of technologies, including assistive technologies developed specifically to support people with dementia.

Tourism climatology past and present: A review of the role of the ISB Commission on Climate, Tourism and Recreation.

PubMed

de Freitas, C R

2017-09-01

The Executive Board of the International Society of Biometeorology (ISB) founded the Commission on Climate, Tourism and Recreation (CCTR) at the 15th International Congress of Biometeorology in Sydney, Australia in 1999. The aims of the CCTR are to bring together researchers from around the world to critically review the current state of knowledge in tourism and recreation climatology and explore possibilities for future research. Almost two decades on, research in tourism climatology has developed and expanded due in large part to the initiatives and activities of the CCTR and several collaborative research projects run under the auspices of the CCTR. This work is reviewed here. Recent CCTR meeting highlighted the fact that, although climate is an essential part of the resource base for tourism, which is one of the world's biggest and fastest growing industries, relatively little is known about the effects of climate on tourist choices and broad demand patterns or the influence climate has on the commercial prospects and sustainability of tourism operators and destinations. The work here reviews what has been done, its conceptual underpinnings and current research frontiers.

Expandable Lunar Habitat (X-Hab)

NASA Image and Video Library

2010-09-23

Expandable Lunar Habitat (X-Hab).ILC Dover, under contract by NASA Langley Research Center, and in cooperation with NASA Johnson Space Center has designed and manufactured an expandable lunar habitat. This cylindrical habitat, or Expandable Lunar Habitat (X-Hab) is a hybrid system with two hard end caps and a deployable softgoods section in the center.

Expanding and Redirecting Historical Research in Technical Writing: In Search of Our Past.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tebeaux, Elizabeth; Killingsworth, M. Jimmie

1992-01-01

Suggests an approach for expanding and integrating research to produce a history of technical writing. Defines problems that reside in writing such a history, suggests research premises and questions, and then applies these questions to technical writing as it existed in the English Renaissance, 1475-1640. (SR)

Positive Deviance during Organization Change: Researchers' Social Construction of Expanded University Goals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sutherland, Claire Euline

2013-01-01

Many universities have expanded from teaching only to include research goals, requiring shifts in organization behavior. An exploratory case study method was used to examine these dynamics among positive deviant researchers at the University of Technology, Jamaica (UTech), the single case examined, from a social construction perspective. As a…

Untold stories: biases and selection effects in research with victims of trafficking for sexual exploitation.

PubMed

Brunovskis, Anette; Surtees, Rebecca

2010-01-01

Recent discussions of trafficking research have included calls for more innovative studies and new methodologies in order to move beyond the current trafficking narrative, which is often based on unrepresentative samples and overly simplified images. While new methods can potentially play a role in expanding the knowledge base on trafficking, this article argues that the solution is not entirely about applying new methods, but as much about using current methods to greater effect and with careful attention to their limitations and ethical constraints. Drawing on the authors' experience in researching trafficking issues in a number of projects over the past decade, the article outlines and exemplifies some of the methodological and ethical issues to be considered and accommodated when conducting research with trafficked persons -- including unrepresentative samples; access to respondents; selection biases by "gatekeepers" and self selection by potential respondents. Such considerations should inform not only how research is undertaken but also how this information is read and understood. Moreover, many of these considerations equally apply when considering the application of new methods within this field. The article maintains that a better understanding of how these issues come into play and inform trafficking research will translate into tools for conducting improved research in this field and, by implication, new perspectives on human trafficking.

Big Data Analytics in Healthcare

PubMed Central

Belle, Ashwin; Thiagarajan, Raghuram; Soroushmehr, S. M. Reza; Beard, Daniel A.

2015-01-01

The rapidly expanding field of big data analytics has started to play a pivotal role in the evolution of healthcare practices and research. It has provided tools to accumulate, manage, analyze, and assimilate large volumes of disparate, structured, and unstructured data produced by current healthcare systems. Big data analytics has been recently applied towards aiding the process of care delivery and disease exploration. However, the adoption rate and research development in this space is still hindered by some fundamental problems inherent within the big data paradigm. In this paper, we discuss some of these major challenges with a focus on three upcoming and promising areas of medical research: image, signal, and genomics based analytics. Recent research which targets utilization of large volumes of medical data while combining multimodal data from disparate sources is discussed. Potential areas of research within this field which have the ability to provide meaningful impact on healthcare delivery are also examined. PMID:26229957

Research Priorities for Economic Analyses of Prevention: Current Issues & Future Directions

PubMed Central

Crowley, D. Max; Hill, Laura Griner; Kuklinski, Margaret R.; Jones, Damon E.

2013-01-01

In response to growing interest in economic analyses of prevention efforts, a diverse group of prevention researchers, economists, and policy analysts convened a scientific panel, on “Research Priorities in Economic Analysis of Prevention” at the 19th annual conference of the Society for Prevention Research. The panel articulated four priorities that, if followed in future research, would make economic analyses of prevention efforts easier to compare and more relevant to policymakers, and community stakeholders. These priorities are: (1) increased standardization of evaluation methods, (2) improved economic valuation of common prevention outcomes, (3) expanded efforts to maximize evaluation generalizability and impact, as well as (4) enhanced transparency and communicability of economic evaluations. In this paper we define three types of economic analyses in prevention, provide context and rationale for these four priorities as well as related sub-priorities, and discuss the challenges inherent in meeting them. PMID:23963624

"It's like Tuskegee in reverse": a case study of ethical tensions in institutional review board review of community-based participatory research.

PubMed

Malone, Ruth E; Yerger, Valerie B; McGruder, Carol; Froelicher, Erika

2006-11-01

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) addresses the social justice dimensions of health disparities by engaging marginalized communities, building capacity for action, and encouraging more egalitarian relationships between researchers and communities. CBPR may challenge institutionalized academic practices and the understandings that inform institutional review board deliberations and, indirectly, prioritize particular kinds of research. We present our attempt to study, as part of a CBPR partnership, cigarette sales practices in an inner-city community. We use critical and communitarian perspectives to examine the implications of the refusal of the university institutional review board (in this case, the University of California, San Francisco) to approve the study. CBPR requires expanding ethical discourse beyond the procedural, principle-based approaches common in biomedical research settings. The current ethics culture of academia may sometimes serve to protect institutional power at the expense of community empowerment.

On-Going International Research Program on Irradiated Concrete Conducted by DOE, EPRI and Japan Research Institutions. Roadmap, Achievements and Path Forward

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

Le Pape, Yann; Rosseel, Thomas M.

The Joint Department of Energy (DOE)-Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) Program (Light Water Reactor Sustainability (LWRS) Program–Material Pathway–Concrete and Long-Term Operation (LTO) Program) and US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) research studies aim at understanding the most prominent degradation modes and their effects on the long-term operation of concrete structures to nuclear power generation. Based on the results of the Expanded Materials Degradation Analysis (EMDA), (NUREG/CR-7153, ORNL/TM-2011/545), irradiated concrete and alkali-silica reaction (ASR)-affected concrete structures are the two prioritized topics of on-going research. This report focuses specifically on the topic of irradiated concrete and summarizes the main accomplishments obtained by thismore » joint program, but also provides an overview of current relevant activities domestically and internationally. Possible paths forward are also suggested to help near-future orientation of this program.« less

Big Data Analytics in Healthcare.

PubMed

Belle, Ashwin; Thiagarajan, Raghuram; Soroushmehr, S M Reza; Navidi, Fatemeh; Beard, Daniel A; Najarian, Kayvan

2015-01-01

The rapidly expanding field of big data analytics has started to play a pivotal role in the evolution of healthcare practices and research. It has provided tools to accumulate, manage, analyze, and assimilate large volumes of disparate, structured, and unstructured data produced by current healthcare systems. Big data analytics has been recently applied towards aiding the process of care delivery and disease exploration. However, the adoption rate and research development in this space is still hindered by some fundamental problems inherent within the big data paradigm. In this paper, we discuss some of these major challenges with a focus on three upcoming and promising areas of medical research: image, signal, and genomics based analytics. Recent research which targets utilization of large volumes of medical data while combining multimodal data from disparate sources is discussed. Potential areas of research within this field which have the ability to provide meaningful impact on healthcare delivery are also examined.

Analysis of a rotating spool expander for Organic Rankine Cycle applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krishna, Abhinav

Increasing interest in recovering or utilizing low-grade heat for power generation has prompted a search for ways in which the power conversion process may be enhanced. Amongst the conversion systems, the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC) has generated an enormous amount of interest amongst researchers and system designers. Nevertheless, component level technologies need to be developed and match the range of potential applications. In particular, technical challenges associated with scaling expansion machines (turbines) from utility scale to commercial scale have prevented widespread adoption of the technology. In this regard, this work focuses on a novel rotating spool expansion machine at the heart of an Organic Rankine Cycle. A comprehensive, deterministic simulation model of the rotating spool expander is developed. The comprehensive model includes a detailed geometry model of the spool expander and the suction valve mechanism. Sub-models for mass flow, leakage, heat transfer and friction within the expander are also developed. Apart from providing the ability to characterize the expander in a particular system, the model provides a valuable tool to study the impact of various design variables on the performance of the machine. The investigative approach also involved an experimental program to assess the performance of a working prototype. In general, the experimental data showed that the expander performance was sub-par, largely due to the mismatch of prevailing operating conditions and the expander design criteria. Operating challenges during the shakedown tests and subsequent sub-optimal design changes also detracted from performance. Nevertheless, the results of the experimental program were sufficient for a proof-of-concept assessment of the expander and for model validation over a wide range of operating conditions. The results of the validated model reveal several interesting details concerning the expander design and performance. For example, the match between the design expansion ratio and the system imposed pressure ratio has a large influence on the performance of the expander. Further exploration shows that from an operating perspective, under-expansion is preferable to over-expansion. The model is also able to provide insight on the dominant leakage paths in the expander and points to the fact that this is the primary loss mechanism in the current expander. Similar insights are obtained from assessing the sensitivity of various other design variables on expander performance. Based on the understanding provided by the sensitivity analysis, exercising the validated model showed that expander efficiencies on the order of 75% are imminently possible in an improved design. Therefore, with sufficient future development, adoption of the spool expander in ORC systems that span a 50 kW -- 200 kW range is broadly feasible.

Toxicologic pathology in a multicultural world--India.

PubMed

Schultze, A Eric; Reddy, Vijayapal R; Donnelly, Kevin B; Berridge, Brian R

2011-10-01

The global practice of drug development is expanding into many different continents and countries. India, in particular, is rapidly emerging as an economic force in this arena by offering ever-expanding opportunities for pharmaceutical market expansion as well as productive drug development partnerships. The key to the country's current socioeconomic success appears to be education, particularly the development of higher and professional education. Also, recent modifications to India's patent laws offer greater protections and incentives for international investment. Increasing numbers of competent contract research organizations create attractive opportunities for large Western pharmaceutical companies with a desire to gain access to burgeoning markets as well as mitigate the rising cost of drug development with less costly services. Well-trained veterinary pathologists are available, appropriate facilities are being constructed, and laboratory capabilities are expanding. Developing a productive partnership with a credible laboratory service in India, as with any new provider, requires due diligence and knowledgeable scrutiny of key elements of the work stream, such as facilities, education and training of laboratory personnel, Good Laboratory Practices, animal care, timelines, and data management. Ultimately and with appropriate management, mutually beneficial drug development partnerships are available in India.

Critical Research Needed to Examine the Environmental Impacts of Expanded Refrigeration on the Food System.

PubMed

Heard, Brent R; Miller, Shelie A

2016-11-15

The unbroken global refrigerated supply chain, or cold chain, is rapidly expanding in developing countries. In addition to increasing the energy intensity of the food system, the expanded cold chain may facilitate changes in the global diet, food waste patterns, food production and distribution, and shopping habits. The sustainability impacts of many of these changes chain are unknown, given the complexity of interacting social, economic, and technical factors. The current literature surrounding the environmental impacts of refrigeration in the food system focuses on the direct impacts of energy use and coolant emissions, and lacks a critical evaluation of the accompanying systemic societal changes that potentially carry greater environmental impacts. This review examines the cold chain as a transformative technology, identifying key intrinsic, indirect, and external factors that will favorably, unfavorably, or ambiguously impact the environmental profile of the food system. The review identifies key interactions and feedbacks between the cold chain, food production and consumption decisions, infrastructure development, and the global environment which are largely unexamined and in need of empirical data. Viewing cold chain expansion from this broader perspective is essential to understanding the changing impacts of the food system in developing countries and may inform future sustainability planning.

The relation between alcohol use and psychological, physical, and sexual dating violence perpetration among male college students.

PubMed

Shorey, Ryan C; Brasfield, Hope; Zapor, Heather Zucosky; Zapor, Heather Zuckosky; Febres, Jeniimarie; Stuart, Gregory L

2015-02-01

The prevalence of alcohol use and dating violence are shockingly high among male college students, making this a particularly high-risk group for alcohol-related aggression. Expanding upon previous research, the current study examined the relations between three indicators of alcohol use and three types of dating violence among 204 male college students. We also examined whether hazardous drinkers reported more violence perpetration than non-hazardous drinkers. Results demonstrated that alcohol use was related to all types of aggression, and hazardous drinkers are at greater risk of violence perpetration than non-hazardous drinkers. Implications for dating violence prevention programs and future research are discussed. © The Author(s) 2014.

From Treatment to Empowerment: New Approaches to Youth Mentoring.

PubMed

Schwartz, Sarah E O; Rhodes, Jean E

2016-09-01

Traditional approaches to formal youth mentoring have focused primarily on improving the lives of "at-risk" youth through the assignment of individual mentors who are typically disconnected from youth's communities. Similarly, research in the field of formal mentoring has emphasized the dyadic relationship between the mentor and the mentee, with less attention paid to the broader relational contexts in which such relationships unfold. The current paper proposes a new framework that expands the scope of mentoring interventions to include approaches that build on and cultivate informal supports and empower youth to identify and reach out to networks of potential supportive adults, thus increasing the reach of youth mentoring. © Society for Community Research and Action 2016.

Viral fitness: definitions, measurement, and current insights

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wargo, Andrew R.; Kurath, Gael

2012-01-01

Viral fitness is an active area of research, with recent work involving an expanded number of human, non-human vertebrate, invertebrate, plant, and bacterial viruses. Many publications deal with RNA viruses associated with major disease emergence events, such as HIV-1, influenza virus, and Dengue virus. Study topics include drug resistance, immune escape, viral emergence, host jumps, mutation effects, quasispecies diversity, and mathematical models of viral fitness. Important recent trends include increasing use of in vivo systems to assess vertebrate virus fitness, and a broadening of research beyond replicative fitness to also investigate transmission fitness and epidemiologic fitness. This is essential for a more integrated understanding of overall viral fitness, with implications for disease management in the future.

The plastid genomes of flowering plants.

PubMed

Ruhlman, Tracey A; Jansen, Robert K

2014-01-01

The plastid genome (plastome) has proved a valuable source of data for evaluating evolutionary relationships among angiosperms. Through basic and applied approaches, plastid transformation technology offers the potential to understand and improve plant productivity, providing food, fiber, energy and medicines to meet the needs of a burgeoning global population. The growing genomic resources available to both phylogenetic and biotechnological investigations are allowing novel insights and expanding the scope of plastome research to encompass new species. In this chapter we present an overview of some of the seminal and contemporary research that has contributed to our current understanding of plastome evolution and attempt to highlight the relationship between evolutionary mechanisms and tools of plastid genetic engineering.

Hybrid Particle-Element Simulation of Impact on Composite Orbital Debris Shields

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fahrenthold, Eric P.

2004-01-01

This report describes the development of new numerical methods and new constitutive models for the simulation of hypervelocity impact effects on spacecraft. The research has included parallel implementation of the numerical methods and material models developed under the project. Validation work has included both one dimensional simulations, for comparison with exact solutions, and three dimensional simulations of published hypervelocity impact experiments. The validated formulations have been applied to simulate impact effects in a velocity and kinetic energy regime outside the capabilities of current experimental methods. The research results presented here allow for the expanded use of numerical simulation, as a complement to experimental work, in future design of spacecraft for hypervelocity impact effects.

Art, dance, and music therapy.

PubMed

Pratt, Rosalie Rebollo

2004-11-01

Art, dance, and music therapy are a significant part of complementary medicine in the twenty-first century. These creative arts therapies contribute to all areas of health care and are present in treatments for most psychologic and physiologic illnesses. Although the current body of solid research is small compared with that of more traditional medical specialties, the arts therapies are now validating their research through more controlled experimental and descriptive studies. The arts therapies also contribute significantly to the humanization and comfort of modern health care institutions by relieving stress, anxiety, and pain of patients and caregivers. Arts therapies will greatly expand their role in the health care practices of this country in the twenty-first century.

The Haiti research-based model of international public health collaboration: the GHESKIO Centers.

PubMed

Pape, Jean W; Severe, Patrice D; Fitzgerald, Daniel W; Deschamps, Marie M; Joseph, Patrice; Riviere, Cynthia; Rouzier, Vanessa; Johnson, Warren D

2014-01-01

For 3 decades, GHESKIO (the Groupe Haitien d'Etude du Sarcome de Kaposi et des Infections Opportunistes), the Haitian Ministry of Health, and Weill Cornell have pursued a tripartite mission of service, training, and translational research. The initial focus was on AIDS and tuberculosis. The mission has expanded to include the local community and now provides maternal-child health, family planning, cancer prevention and treatment, immunizations (including human papillomavirus, cholera), and primary education through vocational and microcredit programs. Outcome measures include a reduction in HIV prevalence from 6.2% to the current 2.2%, extensive tuberculosis and cholera prevention and treatment programs, and national training programs for biomedical and community health workers.

The Future of Cell Biology: Emerging Model Organisms.

PubMed

Goldstein, Bob; King, Nicole

2016-11-01

Most current research in cell biology uses just a handful of model systems including yeast, Arabidopsis, Drosophila, Caenorhabditis elegans, zebrafish, mouse, and cultured mammalian cells. And for good reason - for many biological questions, the best system for the question is likely to be found among these models. However, in some cases, and particularly as the questions that engage scientists broaden, the best system for a question may be a little-studied organism. Modern research tools are facilitating a renaissance for unusual and interesting organisms as emerging model systems. As a result, we predict that an ever-expanding breadth of model systems may be a hallmark of future cell biology. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tobacco Industry Consumer Research on Smokeless Tobacco Users and Product Development

PubMed Central

Mejia, Adrienne B.

2010-01-01

Since 2006, RJ Reynolds (RJR) and Philip Morris have both introduced new smokeless “snus” tobacco products. We analyzed previously secret tobacco industry documents describing the history of RJR and Philip Morris's consumer research, smokeless product development, and marketing strategies. We found that RJR had invested in smokeless research, development, and marketing since 1968. RJR first targeted low-income males through sampling and sponsorship at fishing, rodeo, and baseball events, and through advertising portraying the user as “hard working.” In the early 1990s, Philip Morris and RJR hoped to attract more urban, female smokeless users. The current “snus” campaigns appear to appeal to these targeted consumers and smokers in smoke-free environments. These efforts may expand the tobacco market and undermine smoking cessation. PMID:19910355

Combining genomic and proteomic approaches for epigenetics research

PubMed Central

Han, Yumiao; Garcia, Benjamin A

2014-01-01

Epigenetics is the study of changes in gene expression or cellular phenotype that do not change the DNA sequence. In this review, current methods, both genomic and proteomic, associated with epigenetics research are discussed. Among them, chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) followed by sequencing and other ChIP-based techniques are powerful techniques for genome-wide profiling of DNA-binding proteins, histone post-translational modifications or nucleosome positions. However, mass spectrometry-based proteomics is increasingly being used in functional biological studies and has proved to be an indispensable tool to characterize histone modifications, as well as DNA–protein and protein–protein interactions. With the development of genomic and proteomic approaches, combination of ChIP and mass spectrometry has the potential to expand our knowledge of epigenetics research to a higher level. PMID:23895656

The Role of Health Information Management Professionals in the Use of Geographic Information Systems.

PubMed

Peterson, Jennifer

2017-01-01

In recent years the use of geographic information systems (GIS) in healthcare has expanded rapidly. Although the use of GIS has increased quickly, very little consensus has been reached on which healthcare professionals are best suited to be trained in and use GIS. A moderate amount of research has addressed the use of GIS in healthcare, but very little research has addressed selecting and training healthcare professionals in the area of GIS. As the use of GIS becomes more closely tied to electronic health records (EHRs), the thought arises that those best versed in EHRs, health information management (HIM) professionals, would be best suited to take on the GIS role. This mixed-methods study explored the current status of HIM professionals' role in GIS as well as the extent to which GIS is being taught in health information educational programs. Although the findings indicate that few HIM professionals are currently using GIS in their jobs and few HIM programs are currently teaching GIS, there is interest in GIS in the future for HIM professionals and in HIM educational programs.

The Role of Health Information Management Professionals in the Use of Geographic Information Systems

PubMed Central

Peterson, Jennifer

2017-01-01

In recent years the use of geographic information systems (GIS) in healthcare has expanded rapidly. Although the use of GIS has increased quickly, very little consensus has been reached on which healthcare professionals are best suited to be trained in and use GIS. A moderate amount of research has addressed the use of GIS in healthcare, but very little research has addressed selecting and training healthcare professionals in the area of GIS. As the use of GIS becomes more closely tied to electronic health records (EHRs), the thought arises that those best versed in EHRs, health information management (HIM) professionals, would be best suited to take on the GIS role. This mixed-methods study explored the current status of HIM professionals’ role in GIS as well as the extent to which GIS is being taught in health information educational programs. Although the findings indicate that few HIM professionals are currently using GIS in their jobs and few HIM programs are currently teaching GIS, there is interest in GIS in the future for HIM professionals and in HIM educational programs. PMID:28855855

Investigations in Science Education, Vol. 3, No. 3. Expanded Abstracts and Critical Analyses of Recent Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Helgeson, Stanley L., Ed.; Blosser, Patricia E., Ed.

This issue contains expanded abstracts of research reports grouped into two clusters and a section of individual studies. The first cluster contains abstracts of two research reports dealing with trait-treatment interaction studies. The second cluster deals with examination items categorized according to Bloom's Taxonomy. The final section,…

Alkali-silica reactivity of expanded glass granules in structure of lightweight concrete

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bumanis, G.; Bajare, D.; Locs, J.; Korjakins, A.

2013-12-01

Main component in the lightweight concrete, which provides its properties, is aggregate. A lot of investigations on alkali silica reaction (ASR) between cement and lightweight aggregates have been done with their results published in the academic literature. Whereas expanded glass granules, which is relatively new product in the market of building materials, has not been a frequent research object. Therefore lightweight granules made from waste glass and eight types of cement with different chemical and mineralogical composition were examined in this research. Expanded glass granules used in this research is commercially available material produced by Penostek. Lightweight concrete mixtures were prepared by using commercial chemical additives to improve workability of concrete. The aim of the study is to identify effect of cement composition to the ASR reaction which occurs between expanded glass granules and binder. Expanded glass granules mechanical and physical properties were determined. In addition, properties of fresh and hardened concrete were determined. The ASR test was processed according to RILEM AAR-2 testing recommendation. Tests with scanning electron microscope and microstructural investigations were performed for expanded glass granules and hardened concrete specimens before and after exposing them in alkali solution.

76 FR 20764 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; International Securities Exchange, LLC; Notice of Filing and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-13

... Rule Change To Expand the $2.50 Strike Price Program April 8, 2011. Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the... expand the $2.50 Strike Price program. The text of the proposed rule change is available on the Exchange... proposed rule change is to expand the current $2.50 Strike Price Program (``Program'') \\5\\ to permit the...

76 FR 19160 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-06

... LLC To Expand the $2.50 Strike Price Program March 31, 2011. Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of the... proposes to amend Commentary .07 to NYSE Amex Rule 903 to expand the $2.50 Strike Price Program. The text... expand the current $2.50 Strike Price Program (``Program'')\\3\\ to permit the listing of options with $2...

A Retrospective on the Vision for Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action.

PubMed

Eder, Milton Mickey; Holzer, Jessica; Calhoun, Karen; Strong, Larkin L

2017-01-01

The organizers founded Progress in Community Health Partnerships with a commitment to improving our understanding of community-based participatory research (CBPR) and its use in community-academic/institutional health partnerships. Following Rogers's Diffusion of Innovations, they reasoned that expanded adoption would occur through academic and community partner recognition of CBPR's relative advantage over previous approaches; its compatibility with the values, past experience and needs of potential adopters; its ease of understanding and use; its capacity for experimentation and refinement; and its production of observable results. We now assess the journal's progress toward realizing the vision, as well as issues and problems the organizers identified. We map the journal's content over its first decade onto the initial vision by examining the record of submissions and publications across the eight types of articles and the journal's record of rejections and publications. In remembering that Rogers's study of innovations requires both technical and social change, we discuss the difference between understanding how to do something and actually putting an innovation into action that becomes standard practice at both individual and systemic levels. We observe that the large number of Original Research and Works-in-Progress/Lessons Learned manuscripts, submitted and published, reflect traditional expectations for faculty research productivity. We suggest that sustainability, which rated of lower importance within the initial vision, has gained in importance among community and academic partners; however, it will gain added attention only with changed university expectations of researchers. We further suggest that the study of partnerships involved in researching and improving public health should be expanded beyond the current focus on CBPR.

The cost-effectiveness of expanding intensive behavioural intervention to all autistic children in Ontario: in the past year, several court cases have been brought against provincial governments to increase funding for Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI). This economic evaluation examines the costs and consequences of expanding an IBI program.

PubMed

Motiwala, Sanober S; Gupta, Shamali; Lilly, Meredith B; Ungar, Wendy J; Coyte, Peter C

2006-01-01

Intensive Behavioural Intervention (IBI) describes behavioural therapies provided to autistic children to overcome intellectual and functional disabilities. The high cost of IBI has caused concern regarding access, and recently, several court cases have been brought against provincial governments to increase funding for this intervention. This economic evaluation assessed the costs and consequences of expanding an IBI program from current coverage for one-third of children to all autistic children aged two to five in Ontario, Canada. Data on the hours and costs of IBI, and costs of educational and respite services, were obtained from the government. Data on program efficacy were obtained from the literature. These data were modelled to determine the incremental cost savings and gains in dependency-free life years. Total savings from expansion of the current program were $45,133,011 in 2003 Canadian dollars. Under our model parameters, expansion of IBI to all eligible children represents a cost-saving policy whereby total costs of care for autistic individuals are lower and gains in dependency-free life years are higher. Sensitivity analyses carried out to address uncertainty and lack of good evidence for IBI efficacy and appropriate discount rates yielded mixed results: expansion was not cost saving with discount rates of 5% or higher and with lower IBI efficacy beyond a certain threshold. Further research on the efficacy of IBI is recommended.

North American veterinary pathology residency training programs: an overview of where they are today and where they were five years ago, with an analysis of trends.

PubMed

Fitzgerald, Scott D; Reed, Willie M; Kaneene, John B

2007-01-01

An e-mail/telephone survey of all active North American residency training programs in veterinary pathology was conducted in September 2005. The purpose of this survey was to determine current numbers of trainees, their program length and type, and salaries; to compare current numbers to five years earlier; and, finally, to gauge interest in expanding current programs. All 41 training institutions contacted responded to the survey. Briefly, the survey found that there are currently 235 veterinary pathology residents, for a mean of 5.7 residents per training program. The number of residents currently in training programs and the number of applicants for these programs has increased compared to five years earlier. There is widespread interest in further expanding capacity in these programs, and the coalition of the American College of Veterinary Pathologists and the Society of Toxicologic Pathology is a well-known source of possible funding for additional residents. This survey report further documents the numbers of combined residency/PhD programs, average starting salaries for new residents, outside sponsorship effects on pathology training programs, and some of the common concerns regarding veterinary pathology training programs voiced by the respondents. While residency training capacity has expanded in the last five years, and there is widespread desire to further expand these training programs, a shortage of veterinary pathologists for future market needs will need to be addressed by increased funding from as yet unspecified sources.

Emergence of resistance mutations in simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected rhesus macaques receiving non-suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART)

DOE PAGES

Policicchio, Benjamin Bruno; Sette, Paola; Xu, Cuiling; ...

2018-02-21

Two SIVmac251-infected rhesus macaques received tenofovir/emtricitabine with raltegravir intensification. Viral rebound occurred during treatment and sequencing of reverse transcriptase and integrase genes identified multiple resistance mutations. Similar to HIV infection, antiretroviral-resistance mutations may occur in SIV-infected nonhuman primates receiving nonsuppressive ART. As ART administration to nonhuman primates is currently dramatically expanding, fueled by both cure research and the study of HIV-related comorbidities, viral resistance should be factored in the study design and data interpretation

Bacteriophage-Derived Vectors for Targeted Cancer Gene Therapy

PubMed Central

Pranjol, Md Zahidul Islam; Hajitou, Amin

2015-01-01

Cancer gene therapy expanded and reached its pinnacle in research in the last decade. Both viral and non-viral vectors have entered clinical trials, and significant successes have been achieved. However, a systemic administration of a vector, illustrating safe, efficient, and targeted gene delivery to solid tumors has proven to be a major challenge. In this review, we summarize the current progress and challenges in the targeted gene therapy of cancer. Moreover, we highlight the recent developments of bacteriophage-derived vectors and their contributions in targeting cancer with therapeutic genes following systemic administration. PMID:25606974

Bacteriophage-derived vectors for targeted cancer gene therapy.

PubMed

Pranjol, Md Zahidul Islam; Hajitou, Amin

2015-01-19

Cancer gene therapy expanded and reached its pinnacle in research in the last decade. Both viral and non-viral vectors have entered clinical trials, and significant successes have been achieved. However, a systemic administration of a vector, illustrating safe, efficient, and targeted gene delivery to solid tumors has proven to be a major challenge. In this review, we summarize the current progress and challenges in the targeted gene therapy of cancer. Moreover, we highlight the recent developments of bacteriophage-derived vectors and their contributions in targeting cancer with therapeutic genes following systemic administration.

The University of Florida Department of Surgery: building a stronger tomorrow on yesterday's foundation.

PubMed

Behrns, Kevin E; Copeland, Edward M; Howard, Richard J

2012-01-01

Established in 1957, the University of Florida Department of Surgery has a solid foundation on which current faculty are driven to build a stronger tomorrow. The department is focused on promoting patient-centered care, expanding its research portfolio to improve techniques and outcomes, and training the surgical leaders of tomorrow. It fosters an environment where faculty, residents, students, and staff challenge long-held traditions with the goal of improving the health of our patients, the quality of our care, and the vitality of our work environment.

Emergence of resistance mutations in simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected rhesus macaques receiving non-suppressive antiretroviral therapy (ART)

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

Policicchio, Benjamin Bruno; Sette, Paola; Xu, Cuiling

Two SIVmac251-infected rhesus macaques received tenofovir/emtricitabine with raltegravir intensification. Viral rebound occurred during treatment and sequencing of reverse transcriptase and integrase genes identified multiple resistance mutations. Similar to HIV infection, antiretroviral-resistance mutations may occur in SIV-infected nonhuman primates receiving nonsuppressive ART. As ART administration to nonhuman primates is currently dramatically expanding, fueled by both cure research and the study of HIV-related comorbidities, viral resistance should be factored in the study design and data interpretation

Physical "phantasies" and family functions: overcoming the mind/body dualism in somatization.

PubMed

Redekop, F; Stuart, S; Mertens, C

1999-01-01

In this article, we examine some of the ways in which family therapists have conceptualized the experience of illness of unexplained physical origin. We argue that opinions about the etiology of somatic symptoms should not be the primary focus of therapeutic work with people who share the prototypical characteristics of what has been defined as "somatization disorder." We suggest that current research in neurobiology can expand the linguistic resources of clinicians and help them avoid perpetuating unhelpful dichotomies between the mind and the body.

Parenting in females exposed to intimate partner violence and childhood sexual abuse.

PubMed

Jaffe, Anna E; Cranston, Christopher C; Shadlow, Joanna O

2012-01-01

Child sexual abuse and intimate partner violence may have a significant impact on parenting. The current study expands on existing research by examining the effects of child sexual abuse and intimate partner violence on parenting styles and parenting self-efficacy. In women from a parenting intervention program (n = 20), child sexual abuse was related to lower parenting self-efficacy and more permissive parenting. In women at a domestic violence shelter (n = 45), child sexual abuse was related to current sexual coercion of the partner, and authoritative parenting was related to higher parenting self-efficacy. These results indicate that having a history of child sexual abuse should be taken into consideration when dealing with mothers in violent relationships.

A framework for the management of intellectual capital in the health care industry.

PubMed

Grantham, C E; Nichols, L D; Schonberner, M

1997-01-01

This article proposes a new theoretical model for the effective management of intellectual capital in the health care industry. The evolution of knowledge-based resources as a value-adding characteristic of service industries coupled with mounting environmental pressures on health care necessitates the extension of current models of intellectual capital. Our theoretical model contains an expanded context linking its development to organizational learning theory and extends current theory by proposing a six-term archetype of organizational functioning built on flows of information. Further, our proposal offers a hierarchical dimension to intellectual capital and a method of scientific visualization for the measurement of intellectual capital. In conclusion, we offer some practical suggestions for future development, both for researchers and managers.

Clinimetrics: the science of clinical measurements.

PubMed

Fava, G A; Tomba, E; Sonino, N

2012-01-01

'Clinimetrics' is the term introduced by Alvan R. Feinstein in the early 1980s to indicate a domain concerned with indexes, rating scales and other expressions that are used to describe or measure symptoms, physical signs and other clinical phenomena. Clinimetrics has a set of rules that govern the structure of indexes, the choice of component variables, the evaluation of consistency, validity and responsiveness. This review illustrates how clinimetrics may help expanding the narrow range of information that is currently used in clinical science. It will focus on characteristics and types of clinimetric indexes and their current use. The clinimetric perspective provides an intellectual home for clinical judgment, whose implementation is likely to improve outcomes both in clinical research and practice. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

[MEDICAL CANNABIS].

PubMed

Naftali, Timna

2016-02-01

The cannabis plant has been known to humanity for centuries as a remedy for pain, diarrhea and inflammation. Current research is inspecting the use of cannabis for many diseases, including multiple sclerosis, epilepsy, dystonia, and chronic pain. In inflammatory conditions cannabinoids improve pain in rheumatoid arthritis and:pain and diarrhea in Crohn's disease. Despite their therapeutic potential, cannabinoids are not free of side effects including psychosis, anxiety, paranoia, dependence and abuse. Controlled clinical studies investigating the therapeutic potential of cannabis are few and small, whereas pressure for expanding cannabis use is increasing. Currently, as long as cannabis is classified as an illicit drug and until further controlled studies are performed, the use of medical cannabis should be limited to patients who failed conventional better established treatment.

Ethical and regulatory issues of pragmatic cluster randomized trials in contemporary health systems

PubMed Central

Anderson, Monique L; Califf, Robert M; Sugarman, Jeremy

2015-01-01

Cluster randomized trials (CRTs) randomly assign groups of individuals to examine research questions or test interventions and measure their effects on individuals. Recent emphasis on quality improvement, comparative effectiveness, and learning health systems has prompted expanded use of pragmatic CRTs in routine healthcare settings, which in turn poses practical and ethical challenges that current oversight frameworks may not adequately address. The 2012 Ottawa Statement provides a basis for considering many issues related to pragmatic CRTs but challenges remain, including some arising from the current U.S. research and healthcare regulations. In order to examine the ethical, regulatory, and practical questions facing pragmatic CRTs in healthcare settings, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Health Care Systems Research Collaboratory convened a workshop in Bethesda, Maryland in July of 2013. Attendees included experts in clinical trials, patient advocacy, research ethics, and research regulations from academia, industry, the NIH, and other federal agencies. Workshop participants identified substantial barriers to implementing these types of CRTs, including issues related to research design, gatekeepers and governance in health systems, consent, institutional review boards, data monitoring, privacy, and special populations. We describe these barriers and suggest means for understanding and overcoming them to facilitate pragmatic CRTs in healthcare settings. PMID:25733677

The Structure of Psychopathology: Toward an Expanded Quantitative Empirical Model

PubMed Central

Wright, Aidan G.C.; Krueger, Robert F.; Hobbs, Megan J.; Markon, Kristian E.; Eaton, Nicholas R.; Slade, Tim

2013-01-01

There has been substantial recent interest in the development of a quantitative, empirically based model of psychopathology. However, the majority of pertinent research has focused on analyses of diagnoses, as described in current official nosologies. This is a significant limitation because existing diagnostic categories are often heterogeneous. In the current research, we aimed to redress this limitation of the existing literature, and to directly compare the fit of categorical, continuous, and hybrid (i.e., combined categorical and continuous) models of syndromes derived from indicators more fine-grained than diagnoses. We analyzed data from a large representative epidemiologic sample (the 2007 Australian National Survey of Mental Health and Wellbeing; N = 8,841). Continuous models provided the best fit for each syndrome we observed (Distress, Obsessive Compulsivity, Fear, Alcohol Problems, Drug Problems, and Psychotic Experiences). In addition, the best fitting higher-order model of these syndromes grouped them into three broad spectra: Internalizing, Externalizing, and Psychotic Experiences. We discuss these results in terms of future efforts to refine emerging empirically based, dimensional-spectrum model of psychopathology, and to use the model to frame psychopathology research more broadly. PMID:23067258

Clinical proteomic biomarkers: relevant issues on study design & technical considerations in biomarker development

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Biomarker research is continuously expanding in the field of clinical proteomics. A combination of different proteomic–based methodologies can be applied depending on the specific clinical context of use. Moreover, current advancements in proteomic analytical platforms are leading to an expansion of biomarker candidates that can be identified. Specifically, mass spectrometric techniques could provide highly valuable tools for biomarker research. Ideally, these advances could provide with biomarkers that are clinically applicable for disease diagnosis and/ or prognosis. Unfortunately, in general the biomarker candidates fail to be implemented in clinical decision making. To improve on this current situation, a well-defined study design has to be established driven by a clear clinical need, while several checkpoints between the different phases of discovery, verification and validation have to be passed in order to increase the probability of establishing valid biomarkers. In this review, we summarize the technical proteomic platforms that are available along the different stages in the biomarker discovery pipeline, exemplified by clinical applications in the field of bladder cancer biomarker research. PMID:24679154

Marketing alcohol to young people: implications for industry regulation and research policy.

PubMed

Jackson, M C; Hastings, G; Wheeler, C; Eadie, D; Mackintosh, A M

2000-12-01

This paper focuses on the marketing of alcohol to young people in the United Kingdom, but the lessons that emerge have international significance. Alcohol is a global enterprise and recent consolidation means that it is controlled by a decreasing number of expanding multi-nationals. Alcohol companies are able to allocate significant resources to researching consumer preferences, developing new products and promoting them on an international level. Recent years have seen a growth in the value that youth culture attaches to brand labels and symbols and a move away from the healthy-living ethos. The alcohol industry's response to these trends has been to design alcoholic beverages that appeal to young people, using well-informed and precisely targeted marketing strategies. This has led to growing concerns about the implications for public health and a demand for tighter controls to regulate alcohol marketing practices. In the United Kingdom, controls on alcohol are piecemeal and reactive and the current system of voluntary regulation appears ineffective. This paper argues for more research to establish current industry practice and inform the development of a comprehensive regulatory structure and system of monitoring.

Leadership skills for the California electric utility industry: A qualitative study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubbell, Michael

The purpose of this qualitative study was to determine the skills and knowledge necessary for leaders in the California electric utility industry in 2020. With rapid industry changes, skills to effectively lead and stay competitive are undetermined. Leaders must manage an increasingly hostile social and political environment, incorporate new technology, and deal with an aging workforce and infrastructure. Methodology. This study utilized a qualitative case study design to determine the factors that influence the skills leaders will require in 2020. It incorporated the perspectives of current electric utility leaders while looking with a future lens. Findings. Interviews were conducted with transmission and distribution (T&D) directors at 3 investor-owned public electric utilities headquartered in California. The questions followed an open-ended format to gather responses as perceived by electric utility leaders for each research question category: overall skills, aging workforce, regulation, technology, and leading younger generations. The research resulted in 18 major themes: 5 for overall skills, 3 for aging workforce, 4 for regulation, 3 for technology, and 3 for leading younger generations. Conclusions. The study identified leadership skills including the ability to embrace, leverage, and stay current with technology; understand and provide a clear vision for the future; increase creativity; manage the next set of workers; motivate during a time of great change; prepare for knowledge transfer and change in workforce culture; manage regulatory expectations; expand potential utility opportunities; leverage "big data"; allow worker collaboration; and understand what drives younger generations. Recommendations. California-based electric utility leaders can remain effective by implementing key strategies identified herein. Further research could examine perspectives of additional utility leaders who lead in organizational units outside of T&D, expand the research to include additional states, and/or demonstrate how to acquire the identified skills. It is also recommended that a replication of this study be undertaken to include a perspective and analysis of union or "field" workers.

75 FR 41123 - Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Bering Sea Subarea

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-15

... Bering Sea Research Area to establish the Modified Gear Trawl Zone (MGTZ) and to expand the Saint Matthew... Research Area (NBSRA) to establish the MGTZ, and would expand the Saint Matthew Island Habitat Conservation... can be more than 1,000 feet (304.8 m) in length. Based on research by the Alaska Fisheries Science...

Employee Assistance Programs in the 1980s: Expanding Career Options for Counselors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forrest, Donald V.

1983-01-01

Suggests that Employee Assistance Programs (EAPS) offer new and expanded work opportunities for counselors. Reviews the history of EAPS, current philosophy and program components, and implications for counselors as EAPs move from crisis intervention toward prevention. (JAC)

FDA Expands Approval of Brentuximab for Hodgkin Lymphoma

Cancer.gov

The FDA has expanded the approved uses of brentuximab (Adcetris) in people with Hodgkin lymphoma. As this Cancer Currents post explains, it can now be used in combination with three chemotherapy drugs as an initial treatment in patients with advanced disease.

Managing Pseudomonas aeruginosa respiratory infections in cystic fibrosis.

PubMed

Langan, Katherine M; Kotsimbos, Tom; Peleg, Anton Y

2015-12-01

The current guidelines and recent clinical research in the management of Pseudomonas aeruginosa respiratory infections in cystic fibrosis (CF) are reviewed. Areas where further research is required will also be highlighted. P. aeruginosa is a key respiratory pathogen in CF. Inhaled tobramycin or colistin is recommended for early eradication to prevent establishment of chronic infection. Other antibiotic options are currently being investigated. The long-term success of eradication strategies is also now being assessed. The use of inhaled antibiotics in the management of chronic P. aeruginosa infection is an area of active investigation. Acute pulmonary exacerbations are still a major cause of morbidity and mortality. Guidelines continue to recommend combination intravenous therapy but further research is required to clarify the advantage of this approach. Multidrug resistance is common and potentially more effective antipseudomonal antibiotics may soon become available. The management of P. aeruginosa respiratory infection in CF remains a challenging area, especially in the setting of multidrug resistance. The role of inhaled antibiotics continues to be expanded. Further research is required in the key areas of eradication and management of chronic infection and acute pulmonary exacerbations to identify those treatments that optimize long-term, clinical benefits.

Barriers to investigator-initiated deep brain stimulation and device research

PubMed Central

Malone, Donald; Okun, Michael S.; Booth, Joan; Machado, Andre G.

2014-01-01

The success of device-based research in the clinical neurosciences has overshadowed a critical and emerging problem in the biomedical research environment in the United States. Neuroprosthetic devices, such as deep brain stimulation (DBS), have been shown in humans to be promising technologies for scientific exploration of neural pathways and as powerful treatments. Large device companies have, over the past several decades, funded and developed major research programs. However, both the structure of clinical trial funding and the current regulation of device research threaten investigator-initiated efforts in neurologic disorders. The current atmosphere dissuades clinical investigators from pursuing formal and prospective research with novel devices or novel indications. We review our experience in conducting a federally funded, investigator-initiated, device-based clinical trial that utilized DBS for thalamic pain syndrome. We also explore barriers that clinical investigators face in conducting device-based clinical trials, particularly in early-stage studies or small disease populations. We discuss 5 specific areas for potential reform and integration: (1) alternative pathways for device approval; (2) eliminating right of reference requirements; (3) combining federal grant awards with regulatory approval; (4) consolidation of oversight for human subjects research; and (5) private insurance coverage for clinical trials. Careful reformulation of regulatory policy and funding mechanisms is critical for expanding investigator-initiated device research, which has great potential to benefit science, industry, and, most importantly, patients. PMID:24670888

Emotional intelligence as an aspect of general intelligence: what would David Wechsler say?

PubMed

Kaufman, A S; Kaufman, J C

2001-09-01

R. D. Roberts, M. Zeidner, and G. Matthews (2001) have carefully examined the controversial issue of whether emotional intelligence (EI) should be classified as an intelligence and whether EI's constructs meet the same psychometric standards as general intelligence's constructs. This article casts their efforts into the framework of both historical and modern IQ-testing theory and research. It details David Wechsler's attempts to integrate EI into his tests and how his conception of a good clinician would be that of an emotionally intelligent clinician. Current theories and research on IQ also have a role in EI beyond what Roberts et al. described, including J. L. Horn's (1989) expanded model and A. R. Luria's (1966) neuropsychological research, and better criteria than the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery should be used in future EI studies. The authors look forward to more research being conducted on EI, particularly in future performance-based assessments.

Medical research funding may have over-expanded and be due for collapse.

PubMed

Charlton, B G; Andras, P

2005-01-01

The continual and uninterrupted expansion of medical research funding is generally assumed to be a permanent feature of modern societies, but this expectation may turn out to be mistaken. Sciences tend to go through boom and bust phases. Twentieth century physics is an example where huge increases in funding followed an era of scientific breakthroughs. Speculative over-expansion led to diminishing returns on investment, then a collapse in funding. We predict that medicine will follow the same trajectory. After prolonged over-funding of the 'basic-to-applied' model of clinical innovation, and a progressive shift towards Big Science organization, medical research has become increasingly inefficient and ineffective. Although incremental improvements to existing treatment strategies continue, the rate of significant therapeutic breakthroughs has been declining for three decades. Medical science now requires rationalization and modernization. From this perspective, the current level of medical research funding looks like a bubble due to burst.

Application of Ontologies for Big Earth Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, T.; Chang, G.; Armstrong, E. M.; Boening, C.

2014-12-01

Connected data is smarter data! Earth Science research infrastructure must do more than just being able to support temporal, geospatial discovery of satellite data. As the Earth Science data archives continue to expand across NASA data centers, the research communities are demanding smarter data services. A successful research infrastructure must be able to present researchers the complete picture, that is, datasets with linked citations, related interdisciplinary data, imageries, current events, social media discussions, and scientific data tools that are relevant to the particular dataset. The popular Semantic Web for Earth and Environmental Terminology (SWEET) ontologies is a collection of ontologies and concepts designed to improve discovery and application of Earth Science data. The SWEET ontologies collection was initially developed to capture the relationships between keywords in the NASA Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). Over the years this popular ontologies collection has expanded to cover over 200 ontologies and 6000 concepts to enable scalable classification of Earth system science concepts and Space science. This presentation discusses the semantic web technologies as the enabling technology for data-intensive science. We will discuss the application of the SWEET ontologies as a critical component in knowledge-driven research infrastructure for some of the recent projects, which include the DARPA Ontological System for Context Artifact and Resources (OSCAR), 2013 NASA ACCESS Virtual Quality Screening Service (VQSS), and the 2013 NASA Sea Level Change Portal (SLCP) projects. The presentation will also discuss the benefits in using semantic web technologies in developing research infrastructure for Big Earth Science Data in an attempt to "accommodate all domains and provide the necessary glue for information to be cross-linked, correlated, and discovered in a semantically rich manner." [1] [1] Savas Parastatidis: A platform for all that we know: creating a knowledge-driven research infrastructure. The Fourth Paradigm 2009: 165-172

Climate Literacy Through Student-Teacher-Scientist Research Partnerships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niepold, F.; Brooks, D.; Lefer, B.; Linsley, A.; Duckenfield, K.

2006-12-01

Expanding on the GLOBE Program's Atmosphere and Aerosol investigations, high school students can conduct Earth System scientific research that promotes scientific literacy in both content and the science process. Through the use of Student-Teacher-Scientist partnerships, Earth system scientific investigations can be conducted that serve the needs of the classroom as well as participating scientific investigators. During the proof-of-concept phase of this partnership model, teachers and their students developed science plans, through consultation with scientists, and began collecting atmospheric and aerosol data in support of the Gulf of Mexico Atmospheric Composition and Climate Study (GoMACCS) campaign in Houston Texas. This effort uses some pre-existing GLOBE materials, but draws on a variety of other resources to tailor the teacher development activities and intended student participation in a way that addresses local and regional problems. Students and teachers have learned about best practices in scientific inquiry and they also helped to expand the pipeline of potential future scientists and researchers for industry, academia, and government. This work began with a Student-Teacher-Scientist partnership started in 2002 during a GLOBE Aerosol Protocol Cross- Ground Validation of AERONET with MODIS Satellite Aerosol Measurements. Several other GLOBE schools, both national and international, have contributed to this research. The current project support of the intensive GoMACCS air quality and atmospheric dynamics field campaign during September and October of 2006. This model will be evaluated for wider use in other project-focused partnerships led by NOAA's Climate Program Office.

“Towards building better linkages between aqueous phase ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Currently, CMAQ’s aqueous phase chemistry routine (AQCHEM-base) assumes Henry’s Law equilibrium and employs a forward Euler method to solve a small set of oxidation equations, considering the additional processes of aitken scavenging and wet deposition in series and employing a bisection method to calculate H+ concentrations. With potentially hundreds of reactions that may be important in cloud water and only seven reactions in the current model, expansion of the existing mechanism is an important area of investigation. However, with the current mechanism hardwired into the solver code, the module is difficult to expand with additional chemistry. It also ignores the impacts of mass transfer limitations on cloud chemistry which may be significant. Here, the Kinetic PreProcessor has been applied to generate a Rosenbrock solver for the CMAQ v5.0.1 aqueous phase chemistry mechanism. The module has been updated to simultaneously solve kinetic mass transfer between the phases, dissociation/association, chemical kinetics, Aitken scavenging, and wet deposition. This will allow for easier expansion of the chemical mechanism in the future and a better link between aqueous phase chemistry and droplet microphysics. The National Exposure Research Laboratory (NERL) Atmospheric Modeling and Analysis Division (AMAD) conducts research in support of EPA mission to protect human health and the environment. AMAD research program is engaged in developing and evaluating pre

Are Today's Economics Crunching Counselor Services?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shay, Mel J.

1981-01-01

In the current economy, available resources for staffing of counselor positions are unlikely to expand in real dollars. Educators and their clients who feel that counseling services should be expanded need to express their opinions in the public forum where allocations are decided. (Author/WD)

Expanded graphite embedded with aluminum nanoparticles as superior thermal conductivity anodes for high-performance lithium-ion batteries

PubMed Central

Zhao, Tingkai; She, Shengfei; Ji, Xianglin; Guo, Xinai; Jin, Wenbo; Zhu, Ruoxing; Dang, Alei; Li, Hao; Li, Tiehu; Wei, Bingqing

2016-01-01

The development of high capacity and long-life lithium-ion batteries is a long-term pursuing and under a close scrutiny. Most of the researches have been focused on exploring electrode materials and structures with high store capability of lithium ions and at the same time with a good electrical conductivity. Thermal conductivity of an electrode material will also have significant impacts on boosting battery capacity and prolonging battery lifetime, which is, however, underestimated. Here, we present the development of an expanded graphite embedded with Al metal nanoparticles (EG-MNPs-Al) synthesized by an oxidation-expansion process. The synthesized EG-MNPs-Al material exhibited a typical hierarchical structure with embedded Al metal nanoparticles into the interspaces of expanded graphite. The parallel thermal conductivity was up to 11.6 W·m−1·K−1 with a bulk density of 453 kg·m−3 at room temperature, a 150% improvement compared to expanded graphite (4.6 W·m−1·K−1) owing to the existence of Al metal nanoparticles. The first reversible capacity of EG-MNPs-Al as anode material for lithium ion battery was 480 mAh·g−1 at a current density of 100 mA·g−1, and retained 84% capacity after 300 cycles. The improved cycling stability and system security of lithium ion batteries is attributed to the excellent thermal conductivity of the EG-MNPs-Al anodes. PMID:27671848

Expanded graphite embedded with aluminum nanoparticles as superior thermal conductivity anodes for high-performance lithium-ion batteries.

PubMed

Zhao, Tingkai; She, Shengfei; Ji, Xianglin; Guo, Xinai; Jin, Wenbo; Zhu, Ruoxing; Dang, Alei; Li, Hao; Li, Tiehu; Wei, Bingqing

2016-09-27

The development of high capacity and long-life lithium-ion batteries is a long-term pursuing and under a close scrutiny. Most of the researches have been focused on exploring electrode materials and structures with high store capability of lithium ions and at the same time with a good electrical conductivity. Thermal conductivity of an electrode material will also have significant impacts on boosting battery capacity and prolonging battery lifetime, which is, however, underestimated. Here, we present the development of an expanded graphite embedded with Al metal nanoparticles (EG-MNPs-Al) synthesized by an oxidation-expansion process. The synthesized EG-MNPs-Al material exhibited a typical hierarchical structure with embedded Al metal nanoparticles into the interspaces of expanded graphite. The parallel thermal conductivity was up to 11.6 W·m -1 ·K -1 with a bulk density of 453 kg·m -3 at room temperature, a 150% improvement compared to expanded graphite (4.6 W·m -1 ·K -1 ) owing to the existence of Al metal nanoparticles. The first reversible capacity of EG-MNPs-Al as anode material for lithium ion battery was 480 mAh·g -1 at a current density of 100 mA·g -1 , and retained 84% capacity after 300 cycles. The improved cycling stability and system security of lithium ion batteries is attributed to the excellent thermal conductivity of the EG-MNPs-Al anodes.

48 CFR 35.004 - Publicizing requirements and expanding research and development sources.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... obtain a broad base of the best contractor sources from the scientific and industrial community, agencies... information on sources (including small business concerns) competent to perform R&D work. These efforts should... and expanding research and development sources. 35.004 Section 35.004 Federal Acquisition Regulations...

Education of Pharmacists in Canada

PubMed Central

Ensom, Mary H.H.

2008-01-01

In Canada, the education of pharmacists is built upon a foundation of strong, research-intensive publicly funded universities and a universal health-care system that balances government and private financing for prescription medications. The evolution of pharmacy education and practice in Canada has laid the foundation for a variety of emerging trends related to expanded roles for pharmacists, increasing interprofessional collaboration for patient-centered care, and emergence of pharmacy technicians as a soon-to-be regulated professional group in parts of the country. Current challenges include the need to better integrate internationally educated pharmacists within the domestic workforce and tools to ensure continuous professional development and maintenance of competency of practitioners. Academic pharmacy is currently debating how best to manage the need to enhance the pharmacy curriculum to meet current and future skills needs, and whether a doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) degree ought to become the standard entry-to-practice qualification for pharmacists in Canada. PMID:19325948

Apparatus for detecting alpha radiation in difficult access areas

DOEpatents

Steadman, Peter; MacArthur, Duncan W.

1997-09-02

An electrostatic alpha radiation detector for measuring alpha radiation emitted from inside an enclosure comprising an electrically conductive expandable electrode for insertion into the enclosure. After insertion, the electrically conductive expandable electrode is insulated from the enclosure and defines a decay cavity between the electrically conductive expandable electrode and the enclosure so that air ions generated in the decay cavity are electrostatically captured by the electrically conductive expandable electrode and the enclosure when an electric potential is applied between the electrically conductive expandable electrode and the enclosure. Indicator means are attached to the electrically conductive expandable electrode for indicating an electrical current produced by generation of the air ions generated in the decay cavity by collisions between air molecules and the alpha particles emitted from the enclosure. A voltage source is connected between the indicator means and the electrically conductive enclosure for creating an electric field between the electrically conductive expandable electrode and the enclosure.

Epigenetic Research of Neurodegenerative Disorders Using Patient iPSC-Based Models

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

Epigenetic mechanisms play a role in human disease but their involvement in pathologies from the central nervous system has been hampered by the complexity of the brain together with its unique cellular architecture and diversity. Until recently, disease targeted neural types were only available as postmortem materials after many years of disease evolution. Current in vitro systems of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) generated by cell reprogramming of somatic cells from patients have provided valuable disease models recapitulating key pathological molecular events. Yet whether cell reprogramming on itself implies a truly epigenetic reprogramming, the epigenetic mechanisms governing this process are only partially understood. Moreover, elucidating epigenetic regulation using patient-specific iPSC-derived neural models is expected to have a great impact to unravel the pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases and to hopefully expand future therapeutic possibilities. Here we will critically review current knowledge of epigenetic involvement in neurodegenerative disorders focusing on the potential of iPSCs as a promising tool for epigenetic research of these diseases. PMID:26697081

Nano- and micro-materials in the treatment of internal bleeding and uncontrolled hemorrhage.

PubMed

Gaston, Elizabeth; Fraser, John F; Xu, Zhi Ping; Ta, Hang T

2018-02-01

Internal bleeding is defined as the loss of blood that occurs inside of a body cavity. After a traumatic injury, hemorrhage accounts for over 35% of pre-hospital deaths and 40% of deaths within the first 24 hours. Coagulopathy, a disorder in which the blood is not able to properly form clots, typically develops after traumatic injury and results in a higher rate of mortality. The current methods to treat internal bleeding and coagulopathy are inadequate due to the requirement of extensive medical equipment that is typically not available at the site of injury. To discover a potential route for future research, several current and novel treatment methods have been reviewed and analyzed. The aim of investigating different potential treatment options is to expand available knowledge, while also call attention to the importance of research in the field of treatment for internal bleeding and hemorrhage due to trauma. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

AstroCom NYC: Expanding the Partnership

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Paglione, Timothy; Ford, Saavik; Agueros, Marcel A.; Mac Low, Mordecai-Mark; Robbins, Dennis

2015-01-01

AstroCom NYC is an undergraduate mentoring program designed to improve urban minority student access to opportunities in astrophysical research by greatly enhancing partnerships between research astronomers in New York City (City University of New York - an MSI, American Museum of Natural History, and Columbia). AstroCom NYC provides centralized, personalized mentoring as well as financial and academic support, to CUNY undergraduates throughout their studies, plus the resources and opportunities to further CUNY faculty research with students. The goal is that students' residency at AMNH helps them build a sense of belonging in the field, and readies and inspires them for graduate study. AstroCom NYC provides a rigorous Methods of Scientific Research course developed specifically to this purpose, a laptop, research and career mentors, outreach activities, scholarships and stipends, Metrocards, and regular assessment for maximum effectiveness. Stipends in part alleviate the burdens at home typical for CUNY students so they may concentrate on their academic success. AMNH serves as the central hub for our faculty and students, who are otherwise dispersed among all five boroughs of the City. For our second cohort, we dramatically improved the application and screening process, implemented a number of tools to evaluate their potential for grad school, and began growing a network of potential hosts for summer internships around NY State and the US. We review these implementations and outcomes, as well as plans for Year 3, when we expect many of our current students to compete for external summer REUs, and after greatly expanding the program reach through a NASA community college initiative.

JOSPT Experiences Tremendous Growth, Change in 14 Years With Editor-in-Chief Simoneau in Charge.

PubMed

Nyland, John A

2015-12-01

As Editor-in-Chief, Dr Guy G. Simoneau and his editorial board have taken JOSPT from an acceptable US-based journal to a highly influential worldwide force behind contemporary orthopaedic and sports physical therapy research and practice. Today, the bridge Dr Simoneau constructed spans the orthopaedic and sports physical therapy globe for the betterment of clinical practice and research. His work fully supports JOSPT's latest strategic plan to provide value-added knowledge translation, develop a broader authorship and readership, increase global marketing of the JOSPT brand, and expand current relationships to new partners and stakeholders. The bridge places JOSPT on very firm footing, tying its rich history to the promise of an exciting and successful future.

The technology roadmap for plant/crop-based renewable resources 2020

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

McLaren, J.

1999-02-22

The long-term well-being of the nation and maintenance of a sustainable leadership position in agriculture, forestry, and manufacturing, clearly depend on current and near-term support of multidisciplinary research for the development of a reliable renewable resource base. This document sets a roadmap and priorities for that research. America needs leadership that will continue to recognize, support, and move rapidly to meet the need to expand the use of sustainable renewable resources. This roadmap has highlighted potential ways for progress and has identified goals in specific components of the system. Achieving success with these goals will provide the opportunity to hitmore » the vision target of a fivefold increase in renewable resource use by 2020.« less

The Technology Roadmap for Plant/Crop-Based Renewable Resources 2020

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

None

1999-02-01

The long-term well-being of the nation and maintenance of a sustainable leadership position in agriculture, forestry, and manufacturing, clearly depend on current and near-term support of multidisciplinary research for the development of a reliable renewable resource base. This document sets a roadmap and priorities for that research. America needs leadership that will continue to recognize, support, and move rapidly to meet the need to expand the use of sustainable renewable resources. This roadmap has highlighted potential ways for progress and has identified goals in specific components of the system. Achieving success with these goals will provide the opportunity to hitmore » the vision target of a fivefold increase in renewable resource use by 2020.« less

Gamification for Measuring Cyber Security Situational Awareness

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

Fink, Glenn A.; Best, Daniel M.; Manz, David O.

Cyber defense competitions arising from U.S. service academy exercises, offer a platform for collecting data that can inform research that ranges from characterizing the ideal cyber warrior to describing behaviors during certain challenging cyber defense situations. This knowledge could lead to better preparation of cyber defenders in both military and civilian settings. This paper describes how one regional competition, the PRCCDC, a participant in the national CCDC program, conducted proof of concept experimentation to collect data during the annual competition for later analysis. The intent is to create an ongoing research agenda that expands on this current work and incorporatesmore » augmented cognition and gamification methods for measuring cybersecurity situational awareness under the stress of cyber attack.« less

Eddy current nondestructive testing device for measuring variable characteristics of a sample utilizing Walsh functions

DOEpatents

Libby, Hugo L.; Hildebrand, Bernard P.

1978-01-01

An eddy current testing device for measuring variable characteristics of a sample generates a signal which varies with variations in such characteristics. A signal expander samples at least a portion of this generated signal and expands the sampled signal on a selected basis of square waves or Walsh functions to produce a plurality of signal components representative of the sampled signal. A network combines these components to provide a display of at least one of the characteristics of the sample.

Subscale Flight Testing for Aircraft Loss of Control: Accomplishments and Future Directions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cox, David E.; Cunningham, Kevin; Jordan, Thomas L.

2012-01-01

Subscale flight-testing provides a means to validate both dynamic models and mitigation technologies in the high-risk flight conditions associated with aircraft loss of control. The Airborne Subscale Transport Aircraft Research (AirSTAR) facility was designed to be a flexible and efficient research facility to address this type of flight-testing. Over the last several years (2009-2011) it has been used to perform 58 research flights with an unmanned, remotely-piloted, dynamically-scaled airplane. This paper will present an overview of the facility and its architecture and summarize the experimental data collected. All flights to date have been conducted within visual range of a safety observer. Current plans for the facility include expanding the test volume to altitudes and distances well beyond visual range. The architecture and instrumentation changes associated with this upgrade will also be presented.

Carotenoids: more than just beta-carotene.

PubMed

Gellenbeck, K W

1998-12-01

Fruits and vegetables of the human diet contain many of the over 600 carotenoid pigments that have been identified in plants. Led by work with beta-carotene, researchers have constantly been learning more about the metabolism of these compounds in the human body. Research work is now expanding beyond beta-carotene in an effort to understand what happens to all the pigments found in the human diet. This discussion briefly looks at research results on the carotenoids found in human serum as well as the effects of supplementation. Recent confusing results from large intervention trials with beta-carotene and lung cancer incidence are emphasized in relation to supplementation doses and beta-carotene source (synthetic vs. natural). The summation of results emphasizes the importance of the broad spectrum of carotenoids in the diet and relates to supplementation products currently being designed for the marketplace.

Science, Technology and Innovation as Social Goods for Development: Rethinking Research Capacity Building from Sen's Capabilities Approach.

PubMed

Mormina, Maru

2018-03-01

Science and technology are key to economic and social development, yet the capacity for scientific innovation remains globally unequally distributed. Although a priority for development cooperation, building or developing research capacity is often reduced in practice to promoting knowledge transfers, for example through North-South partnerships. Research capacity building/development tends to focus on developing scientists' technical competencies through training, without parallel investments to develop and sustain the socioeconomic and political structures that facilitate knowledge creation. This, the paper argues, significantly contributes to the scientific divide between developed and developing countries more than any skills shortage. Using Charles Taylor's concept of irreducibly social goods, the paper extends Sen's Capabilities Approach beyond its traditional focus on individual entitlements to present a view of scientific knowledge as a social good and the capability to produce it as a social capability. Expanding this capability requires going beyond current fragmented approaches to research capacity building to holistically strengthen the different social, political and economic structures that make up a nation's innovation system. This has implications for the interpretation of human rights instruments beyond their current focus on access to knowledge and for focusing science policy and global research partnerships to design approaches to capacity building/development beyond individual training/skills building.

A Rapidly Expanding Bose-Einstein Condensate: An Expanding Universe in the Lab

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eckel, S.; Kumar, A.; Jacobson, T.; Spielman, I. B.; Campbell, G. K.

2018-04-01

We study the dynamics of a supersonically expanding, ring-shaped Bose-Einstein condensate both experimentally and theoretically. The expansion redshifts long-wavelength excitations, as in an expanding universe. After expansion, energy in the radial mode leads to the production of bulk topological excitations—solitons and vortices—driving the production of a large number of azimuthal phonons and, at late times, causing stochastic persistent currents. These complex nonlinear dynamics, fueled by the energy stored coherently in one mode, are reminiscent of a type of "preheating" that may have taken place at the end of inflation.

Impact of Different Binders on the Roughness, Adhesion Strength, and Other Properties of Mortars with Expanded Cork.

PubMed

Barnat-Hunek, Danuta; Widomski, Marcin K; Szafraniec, Małgorzata; Łagód, Grzegorz

2018-03-01

The aim of the research that is presented in this paper was to evaluate the physical and mechanical properties of heat-insulating mortars with expanded cork aggregates and different binders. In this work, the measurements of surface roughness and adhesion strength, supported by determination of basic mechanical and physical parameters, such as density, bulk density, open porosity, total porosity, absorbability, thermal conductivity coefficient, compressive strength, flexural strength, and frost resistance of mortars containing expanded oak cork, were performed. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) investigations demonstrated the microstructure, contact zone, and distribution of pores in the heat-insulating mortars containing expanded cork. The results indicated that the addition of expanded cork and different binders in heat-insulating mortars triggers changes in their roughness and adhesion strength. The SEM research confirmed the very good adhesion of the paste to the cork aggregate.

Impact of Different Binders on the Roughness, Adhesion Strength, and Other Properties of Mortars with Expanded Cork

PubMed Central

Barnat-Hunek, Danuta; Widomski, Marcin K.; Szafraniec, Małgorzata; Łagód, Grzegorz

2018-01-01

The aim of the research that is presented in this paper was to evaluate the physical and mechanical properties of heat-insulating mortars with expanded cork aggregates and different binders. In this work, the measurements of surface roughness and adhesion strength, supported by determination of basic mechanical and physical parameters, such as density, bulk density, open porosity, total porosity, absorbability, thermal conductivity coefficient, compressive strength, flexural strength, and frost resistance of mortars containing expanded oak cork, were performed. The scanning electron microscope (SEM) investigations demonstrated the microstructure, contact zone, and distribution of pores in the heat-insulating mortars containing expanded cork. The results indicated that the addition of expanded cork and different binders in heat-insulating mortars triggers changes in their roughness and adhesion strength. The SEM research confirmed the very good adhesion of the paste to the cork aggregate. PMID:29494525

Comet/Asteroid Protection System (CAPS): A Space-Based System Concept for Revolutionizing Earth Protection and Utilization of Near-Earth Objects

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazanek, Daniel D.; Roithmayr, Carlos M.; Antol, Jeffrey; Kay-Bunnell, Linda; Werner, Martin R.; Park, Sang-Young; Kumar, Renjith R.

2002-01-01

There exists an infrequent, but significant hazard to life and property due to impacting asteroids and comets. There is currently no specific search for long-period comets, smaller near-Earth asteroids, or smaller short-period comets. These objects represent a threat with potentially little or no warning time using conventional ground-based telescopes. These planetary bodies also represent a significant resource for commercial exploitation, long-term sustained space exploration, and scientific research. The Comet/Asteroid Protection System (CAPS) would expand the current detection effort to include long-period comets, as well as small asteroids and short-period comets capable of regional destruction. A space-based detection system, despite being more costly and complex than Earth-based initiatives, is the most promising way of expanding the range of detectable objects, and surveying the entire celestial sky on a regular basis. CAPS is a future spacebased system concept that provides permanent, continuous asteroid and comet monitoring, and rapid, controlled modification of the orbital trajectories of selected bodies. CAPS would provide an orbit modification system capable of diverting kilometer class objects, and modifying the orbits of smaller asteroids for impact defense and resource utilization. This paper provides a summary of CAPS and discusses several key areas and technologies that are being investigated.

Relationship Education for Incarcerated Adults.

PubMed

Harcourt, Kate Taylor; Adler-Baeder, Francesca; Rauer, Amy; Pettit, Gregory S; Erath, Stephen

2017-03-01

As relationship education (RE) programs become more widely implemented, it is important to measure and document the changes associated with RE for diverse audiences. Also, researchers have been challenged to examine the impact of RE with more disadvantaged groups. While we are seeing an increase in this area, only three studies have examined RE with an incarcerated sample. These previous studies examined only those currently in a relationship and focused primarily on couple functioning. The aim of this study was to expand the existing literature by examining RE with a broader sample of incarcerated adults, regardless of current relationship status, and to expand our understanding of its association with outcomes beyond the couple domain by also including measures of individual and parental functioning. In addition, we examined whether change from pre- to posttest was moderated by individual characteristics. Using a sample of incarcerated adults (N = 122), the study found positive change in three domains of functioning (couple, individual, and parental). Specifically, results indicated change on five of the eight outcome variables examined. Overall, we found both similarities and differences among program participants on changes from pre- to posttest. For the majority of outcomes, the positive change from pre- to posttest emerged regardless of individual characteristics. © 2015 Family Process Institute.

Student Persistence Predictors and Community College Institutional Effectiveness

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shelley, Jeffrey Lee

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to expand the literature on student persistence in community colleges through three research innovations. First, the literature on student persistence in community colleges was expanded by applying theory to the identification and testing of predictors. Second, it was expanded by validating retention prediction…

A State Policymaker's Guide to Expanding Learning Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Education Commission of the States (NJ3), 2011

2011-01-01

Several decades of research have suggested a meaningful relationship between time and learning, where the amount of time students spend engaged in learning is strongly associated with their level of achievement. Among schools that have expanded the day and/or year, researchers have found that such a strategy can be quite effective, especially with…

Interhemispheric interaction expands attentional capacity in an auditory selective attention task.

PubMed

Scalf, Paige E; Banich, Marie T; Erickson, Andrew B

2009-04-01

Previous work from our laboratory indicates that interhemispheric interaction (IHI) functionally increases the attentional capacity available to support performance on visual tasks (Banich in The asymmetrical brain, pp 261-302, 2003). Because manipulations of both computational complexity and selection demand alter the benefits of IHI to task performance, we argue that IHI may be a general strategy for meeting increases in attentional demand. Other researchers, however, have suggested that the apparent benefits of IHI to attentional capacity are an epiphenomenon of the organization of the visual system (Fecteau and Enns in Neuropsychologia 43:1412-1428, 2005; Marsolek et al. in Neuropsychologia 40:1983-1999, 2002). In the current experiment, we investigate whether IHI increases attentional capacity outside the visual system by manipulating the selection demands of an auditory temporal pattern-matching task. We find that IHI expands attentional capacity in the auditory system. This suggests that the benefits of requiring IHI derive from a functional increase in attentional capacity rather than the organization of a specific sensory modality.

Hydrological Modeling in Alaska with WRF-Hydro

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Elmer, N. J.; Zavodsky, B.; Molthan, A.

2017-12-01

The operational National Water Model (NWM), implemented in August 2016, is an instantiation of the Weather Research and Forecasting hydrological extension package (WRF-Hydro). Currently, the NWM only covers the contiguous United States, but will be expanded to include an Alaska domain in the future. It is well known that Alaska presents several hydrological modeling challenges, including unique arctic/sub-arctic hydrological processes not observed elsewhere in the United States and a severe lack of in-situ observations for model initialization. This project sets up an experimental version of WRF-Hydro in Alaska mimicking the NWM to gauge the ability of WRF-Hydro to represent hydrological processes in Alaska and identify model calibration challenges. Recent and upcoming launches of hydrology-focused NASA satellite missions such as the Soil Moisture Active Passive (SMAP) and Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT) expand the spatial and temporal coverage of observations in Alaska, so this study also lays the groundwork for assimilating these NASA datasets into WRF-Hydro in the future.

Withdrawal: Expanding a Key Addiction Construct.

PubMed

Piper, Megan E

2015-12-01

Withdrawal is an essential component of classical addiction theory; it is a vital manifestation of dependence and motivates relapse. However, the traditional conceptualization of withdrawal as a cohesive collection of symptoms that emerge during drug deprivation and decline with either the passage of time or reinstatement of drug use, may be inadequate to explain scientific findings or fit with modern theories of addiction. This article expands the current understanding of tobacco withdrawal by examining: (1) withdrawal variability; (2) underlying causes of withdrawal variability, including biological and person factors, environmental influences, and the influence of highly routinized behavioral patterns; (3) new withdrawal symptoms that allow for enhanced characterization of the withdrawal experience; and (4) withdrawal-related cognitive processes. These topics provide guidance regarding the optimal assessment of withdrawal and illustrate the potential impact modern withdrawal conceptualization and assessment could have on identifying treatment targets. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

State-of-the-art of alkaline rechargeable batteries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morioka, Y.; Narukawa, S.; Itou, T.

Alkaline rechargeable batteries represented by Ni-Cd and Ni-MH batteries are expanding their market, continuously meeting an increasing demand. Approximately 30 years have elapsed since the first sealed Ni-Cd battery was commercialized for consumer use, and the production of these alkaline batteries is still expanding. The high power performance and good cost performance of these batteries are the outstanding features, which are leading to new battery applications. Continuous R&D of many researchers and engineers has improved these features. Since first coming to the market in 1990, Ni-MH batteries have been extending their application as power sources for portable advanced information and communication equipment. Improvements in electrode materials and other components have increased the energy density of current Ni-MH batteries to values of 91 Wh/kg and 340 Wh/l. Recently, novel metallic alloys for hydrogen storage have been proposed to increase their capacity further, and further improvement in the performance of these batteries is expected.

Assessing causality in drug policy analyses: How useful are the Bradford Hill criteria in analysing take-home naloxone programs?

PubMed

Olsen, Anna; McDonald, David; Lenton, Simon; Dietze, Paul M

2018-05-01

The Bradford Hill criteria for assessing causality are useful in assembling evidence, including within complex policy analyses. In this paper, we argue that the implementation of take-home naloxone (THN) programs in Australia and elsewhere reflects sensible, evidence-based public health policy, despite the absence of randomised controlled trials. However, we also acknowledge that the debate around expanding access to THN would benefit from a careful consideration of causal inference and health policy impact of THN program implementation. Given the continued debate around expanding access to THN, and the relatively recent access to new data from implementation studies, two research groups independently conducted Bradford Hill analyses in order to carefully consider causal inference and health policy impact. Hill's criteria offer a useful analytical tool for interpreting current evidence on THN programs and making decisions about the (un)certainty of THN program safety and effectiveness. © 2017 Australasian Professional Society on Alcohol and other Drugs.

A Retrospective on the Vision for Progress in Community Health Partnerships: Research, Education, and Action

PubMed Central

Eder, Milton “Mickey”; Holzer, Jessica; Calhoun, Karen; Strong, Larkin L.

2017-01-01

The organizers founded Progress in Community Health Partnerships with a commitment to improving our understanding of community-based participatory research (CBPR) and its use in community–academic/institutional health partnerships. Following Rogers’s Diffusion of Innovations, they reasoned that expanded adoption would occur through academic and community partner recognition of CBPR’s relative advantage over previous approaches; its compatibility with the values, past experience and needs of potential adopters; its ease of understanding and use; its capacity for experimentation and refinement; and its production of observable results. We now assess the journal’s progress toward realizing the vision, as well as issues and problems the organizers identified. We map the journal’s content over its first decade onto the initial vision by examining the record of submissions and publications across the eight types of articles and the journal’s record of rejections and publications. In remembering that Rogers’s study of innovations requires both technical and social change, we discuss the difference between understanding how to do something and actually putting an innovation into action that becomes standard practice at both individual and systemic levels. We observe that the large number of Original Research and Works-in-Progress/Lessons Learned manuscripts, submitted and published, reflect traditional expectations for faculty research productivity. We suggest that sustainability, which rated of lower importance within the initial vision, has gained in importance among community and academic partners; however, it will gain added attention only with changed university expectations of researchers. We further suggest that the study of partnerships involved in researching and improving public health should be expanded beyond the current focus on CBPR. PMID:28603145

A comparative analysis of Patient-Reported Expanded Disability Status Scale tools.

PubMed

Collins, Christian DE; Ivry, Ben; Bowen, James D; Cheng, Eric M; Dobson, Ruth; Goodin, Douglas S; Lechner-Scott, Jeannette; Kappos, Ludwig; Galea, Ian

2016-09-01

Patient-Reported Expanded Disability Status Scale (PREDSS) tools are an attractive alternative to the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) during long term or geographically challenging studies, or in pressured clinical service environments. Because the studies reporting these tools have used different metrics to compare the PREDSS and EDSS, we undertook an individual patient data level analysis of all available tools. Spearman's rho and the Bland-Altman method were used to assess correlation and agreement respectively. A systematic search for validated PREDSS tools covering the full EDSS range identified eight such tools. Individual patient data were available for five PREDSS tools. Excellent correlation was observed between EDSS and PREDSS with all tools. A higher level of agreement was observed with increasing levels of disability. In all tools, the 95% limits of agreement were greater than the minimum EDSS difference considered to be clinically significant. However, the intra-class coefficient was greater than that reported for EDSS raters of mixed seniority. The visual functional system was identified as the most significant predictor of the PREDSS-EDSS difference. This analysis will (1) enable researchers and service providers to make an informed choice of PREDSS tool, depending on their individual requirements, and (2) facilitate improvement of current PREDSS tools. © The Author(s), 2015.

Current trends in dental implants

PubMed Central

Gaviria, Laura; Salcido, John Paul; Guda, Teja

2014-01-01

Tooth loss is very a very common problem; therefore, the use of dental implants is also a common practice. Although research on dental implant designs, materials and techniques has increased in the past few years and is expected to expand in the future, there is still a lot of work involved in the use of better biomaterials, implant design, surface modification and functionalization of surfaces to improve the long-term outcomes of the treatment. This paper provides a brief history and evolution of dental implants. It also describes the types of implants that have been developed, and the parameters that are presently used in the design of dental implants. Finally, it describes the trends that are employed to improve dental implant surfaces, and current technologies used for the analysis and design of the implants. PMID:24868501

Zebrafish Health Conditions in the China Zebrafish Resource Center and 20 Major Chinese Zebrafish Laboratories.

PubMed

Liu, Liyue; Pan, Luyuan; Li, Kuoyu; Zhang, Yun; Zhu, Zuoyan; Sun, Yonghua

2016-07-01

In China, the use of zebrafish as an experimental animal in the past 15 years has widely expanded. The China Zebrafish Resource Center (CZRC), which was established in 2012, is becoming one of the major resource centers in the global zebrafish community. Large-scale use and regular exchange of zebrafish resources have put forward higher requirements on zebrafish health issues in China. This article reports the current aquatic infrastructure design, animal husbandry, and health-monitoring programs in the CZRC. Meanwhile, through a survey of 20 Chinese zebrafish laboratories, we also describe the current health status of major zebrafish facilities in China. We conclude that it is of great importance to establish a widely accepted health standard and health-monitoring strategy in the Chinese zebrafish research community.

Economic Measures of Pollination Services: Shortcomings and Future Directions.

PubMed

Breeze, Tom D; Gallai, Nicola; Garibaldi, Lucas A; Li, Xui S

2016-12-01

Over the past 20 years, there has been growing interest in the possible economic impacts of pollination service loss and management. Although the literature area has expanded rapidly, there remains ongoing debate about the usefulness of such exercises. Reviewing the methods and findings of the current body of literature, this review highlights three major trends: (i) estimated benefits are heterogeneous, even when using the same method, due to several often-neglected factors. (ii) The current body of literature focuses heavily on the developed world, neglecting the effects on developing countries. (iii) Very few studies are suitable for informing management and policy. The review highlights the need for fully interdisciplinary work that embeds stakeholders and economic impacts into primary ecological research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microbial biocatalyst developments to upgrade fossil fuels.

PubMed

Kilbane, John J

2006-06-01

Steady increases in the average sulfur content of petroleum and stricter environmental regulations concerning the sulfur content have promoted studies of bioprocessing to upgrade fossil fuels. Bioprocesses can potentially provide a solution to the need for improved and expanded fuel upgrading worldwide, because bioprocesses for fuel upgrading do not require hydrogen and produce far less carbon dioxide than thermochemical processes. Recent advances have demonstrated that biodesulfurization is capable of removing sulfur from hydrotreated diesel to yield a product with an ultra-low sulfur concentration that meets current environmental regulations. However, the technology has not yet progressed beyond laboratory-scale testing, as more efficient biocatalysts are needed. Genetic studies to obtain improved biocatalysts for the selective removal of sulfur and nitrogen from petroleum provide the focus of current research efforts.

Adherence to Preexposure Prophylaxis: Current, Emerging, and Anticipated Bases of Evidence

PubMed Central

Amico, K. Rivet; Stirratt, Michael J.

2014-01-01

Despite considerable discussion and debate about adherence to preexposure prophylaxis (PrEP) for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), scant data are available that characterize patterns of adherence to open-label PrEP. The current evidence base is instead dominated by research on adherence to placebo-controlled investigational drug by way of drug detection in active-arm participants of large randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Important differences between the context of blinded RCTs and open-label use suggest caution when generalizing from study product adherence to real-world PrEP use. Evidence specific to open-label PrEP adherence is presently sparse but will expand rapidly over the next few years as roll-out, demonstration projects, and more rigorous research collect and present findings. The current evidence bases established cannot yet predict uptake, adherence, or persistence with open-label effective PrEP. Emerging evidence suggests that some cohorts could execute better adherence in open-label use vs placebo-controlled research. Uptake of PrEP is presently slow in the United States; whether this changes as grassroots and community efforts increase awareness of PrEP as an effective HIV prevention option remains to be determined. As recommended by multiple guidelines for PrEP use, all current demonstration projects offer PrEP education and/or counseling. PrEP support approaches generally fall into community-based, technology, monitoring, and integrated sexual health promotion approaches. Developing and implementing research that moves beyond simple correlates of either study product use or open-label PrEP adherence toward more comprehensive models of sociobehavioral and socioecological adherence determinants would greatly accelerate progress. Intervention research is needed to identify effective models of support for open-label PrEP adherence. PMID:24926036

Primary care nurses’ experiences of how the mass media influence frontline healthcare in the UK

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Mass media plays an important role in communicating about health research and services to patients, and in shaping public perceptions and decisions about health. Healthcare professionals also play an important role in providing patients with credible, evidence-based and up-to-date information on a wide range of health issues. This study aims to explore primary care nurses’ experiences of how mass media influences frontline healthcare. Methods In-depth telephone interviews were carried out with 18 primary care nurses (nine health visitors and nine practice nurses) working in the United Kingdom (UK). Interviews were recorded and transcribed. The data was analysed using thematic analysis, with a focus on constant comparative analysis. Results Three themes emerged from the data. First, participants reported that their patients were frequently influenced by controversial health stories reported in the media, which affected their perceptions of, and decisions about, care. This, in turn, impinged upon participants’ workloads as they had to spend additional time discussing information and reassuring patients. Second, participants also recalled times in their own careers when media reports had contributed to a decline in their confidence in current healthcare practices and treatments. Third, the participants in this study suggested a real need for additional resources to support and expand their own media literacy skills, which could be shared with patients. Conclusion In an ever expanding media landscape with greater reporting on health, nurses working in the primary care setting face increasing pressure to effectively manage media stories that dispute current health policies and practices. These primary care nurses were keen to expand their media literacy skills to develop critical autonomy in relation to all media, and to facilitate more meaningful conversations with their patients about their health concerns and choices. PMID:24267614

Primary care nurses' experiences of how the mass media influence frontline healthcare in the UK.

PubMed

van Bekkum, Jennifer E; Hilton, Shona

2013-11-24

Mass media plays an important role in communicating about health research and services to patients, and in shaping public perceptions and decisions about health. Healthcare professionals also play an important role in providing patients with credible, evidence-based and up-to-date information on a wide range of health issues. This study aims to explore primary care nurses' experiences of how mass media influences frontline healthcare. In-depth telephone interviews were carried out with 18 primary care nurses (nine health visitors and nine practice nurses) working in the United Kingdom (UK). Interviews were recorded and transcribed. The data was analysed using thematic analysis, with a focus on constant comparative analysis. Three themes emerged from the data. First, participants reported that their patients were frequently influenced by controversial health stories reported in the media, which affected their perceptions of, and decisions about, care. This, in turn, impinged upon participants' workloads as they had to spend additional time discussing information and reassuring patients. Second, participants also recalled times in their own careers when media reports had contributed to a decline in their confidence in current healthcare practices and treatments. Third, the participants in this study suggested a real need for additional resources to support and expand their own media literacy skills, which could be shared with patients. In an ever expanding media landscape with greater reporting on health, nurses working in the primary care setting face increasing pressure to effectively manage media stories that dispute current health policies and practices. These primary care nurses were keen to expand their media literacy skills to develop critical autonomy in relation to all media, and to facilitate more meaningful conversations with their patients about their health concerns and choices.

Professional Development in the International Year of Astronomy: Expanding the Universe in the Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reinfeld, Erika L.; Harman, P.; Lee, M. H.; Bailey, J. M.

2008-05-01

The International Year of Astronomy offers unparalleled opportunity to expand our audiences’ understanding about the universe. However, many learners, students and adults alike, are unfamiliar with the universe beyond the solar system. This collaborative workshop explores strategies for teacher professional development around the origin and evolution of the universe, using the resources of the Beyond the Solar System Professional Development Project as a guide. The Beyond the Solar System (BtSS) Professional Development Project is a NASA-supported initiative from the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (CfA) designed to foster public understanding of NASA's exciting astronomy and space science research. The BtSS portfolio includes video resources, assessment tools, data about common student ideas, content presentations, online telescope investigations, and other classroom activities designed to deepen content knowledge and improve the quality of teaching and learning about current scientific models and evidence for the origin and evolution of our universe of galaxies. During this session, members of the BtSS Leadership Team from around the country will share their experience using these resources in educator workshops and teacher-training courses, and facilitate discussions among workshop participants about how these materials and pedagogical strategies can be used in their own professional development efforts during the International Year of Astronomy. EPO specialists and scientists will engage in focused exploration of the project's DVD--"Expanding the Universe in the Classroom"--in order make explicit connections between the themes of the International Year of Astronomy and their own work. The goals of this workshop are to equip professional development providers to support IYA education efforts in classrooms, afterschool programs, and informal education venues and to raise awareness about the opportunities for continuing Galileo's legacy of discovery through current science and online telescopes.

Stakeholders' engagement with Ebola therapy research in resource limited settings.

PubMed

Folayan, Morenike Oluwatoyin; Brown, Brandon; Haire, Bridget; Yakubu, Aminu; Peterson, Kristin; Tegli, Jemee

2015-06-26

The current Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in West Africa is the largest in history. As of February 18(th) 2015, 23,258 cases of EVD have been cumulatively reported from Nigeria, Senegal, Guinea, Liberia, Mali, Sierra Leone, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States of America resulting in more than 9,000 deaths. It is therefore exigent to develop prevention and treatment therapies for EVD. Several new EVD treatments are in clinical development at this time. Based on lessons learned, four critical processes need to be implemented before clinical trials begin. First, all global EVD research need to be coordinated to promote data sharing and synergistic overlap, while reducing unnecessary duplication of efforts. The World Health Organization is well-placed to undertake such an endeavor. Second, governments of affected nations where trials are being proposed need to lead discussions regarding immediate access to any proven medications for epidemics. Also, governments need to leverage international resources to support and expand existing national expertise to jointly conduct high-caliber clinical research; and resources must be used to enhance local technical skills and expand existing personnel. Third, ethics committees must review protocols, monitor the research process, and work closely with research scientists to insure the ethical integrity of research throughout the trials. Fourth, community advisory boards (CAB) need to be formed, linked with existing community leadership structures and organized in conjunction with trial implementation. These community structures should work together with ethics committees to facilitate the study design, informed consent process, and study implementation. We must facilitate communication and mutual understanding between trial communities and research teams, and promote positive collaborations between all stakeholders engaged in EVD research. The community engagement process for EVD research is crucial to address myths and misconceptions, and to promote study volunteers' understanding of the research details. The collaboration between all stakeholders is crucial for continued long term partnership to address EVD outbreak and none of the stakeholders should be left behind in ongoing efforts to develop EVD therapies.

Aerodynamics for Revolutionary Air Vehicles

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sellers, William L., III; Singer, Bart A.; Leavitt, Laurence D.

2003-01-01

Aeronautics research has seriously declined partly because of the perception that it is a mature science and only incremental improvements are possible. Recent aeronautics roadmapping activities at NASA Langley paint a different picture of the future. Breakthroughs are still felt to be possible if we expand the current design space of today's vehicles and optimize the airspace and vehicles as a system. The paper describes some of the challenges that the aircraft and airline industry face. These challenges include political, technical and environmental issues. Examples of the opportunities and technologies that could provide a different vision for the future are discussed.

Clinical potential for imaging in patients with asthma and other lung disorders.

PubMed

DeBoer, Emily M; Spielberg, David R; Brody, Alan S

2017-01-01

The ability of lung imaging to phenotype patients, determine prognosis, and predict response to treatment is expanding in clinical and translational research. The purpose of this perspective is to describe current imaging modalities that might be useful clinical tools in patients with asthma and other lung disorders and to explore some of the new developments in imaging modalities of the lung. These imaging modalities include chest radiography, computed tomography, lung magnetic resonance imaging, electrical impedance tomography, bronchoscopy, and others. Copyright © 2016 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Gene expression analyses of kidney biopsies: the European renal cDNA bank--Kröner-Fresenius biopsy bank].

PubMed

Cohen, C D; Kretzler, M

2009-03-01

Histological analysis of kidney biopsies is an essential part of our current diagnostic workup of patients with renal disease. Besides the already established diagnostic tools, new methods allow extensive analysis of the sample tissue's gene expression. Using results from a European multicenter study on gene expression analysis of renal biopsies, in this review we demonstrate that this novel approach not only expands the scope of so-called basic research but also might supplement future biopsy diagnostics. The goals are improved diagnosis and more specific therapy choice and prognosis estimates.

Development of feedstocks for cellulosic biofuels

PubMed Central

Somerville, Chris

2012-01-01

The inclusion of cellulosic ethanol in the Energy Independence and Security Act (EISA) of 2007 and the revised Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS2) has spurred development of the first commercial scale cellulosic ethanol biorefineries. These efforts have also revived interest in the development of dedicated energy crops selected for biomass productivity and for properties that facilitate conversion of biomass to liquid fuels. While many aspects of developing these feedstocks are compatible with current agricultural activities, improving biomass productivity may provide opportunities to expand the potential for biofuel production beyond the classical research objectives associated with improving traditional food and feed crops. PMID:22615716

Expanding the Clean Energy Economy for Chemical Companies | Working with Us

Science.gov Websites

| NREL Expanding the Clean Energy Economy for Chemical Companies Expanding the Clean Energy Economy for Chemical Companies Partner with NREL to accelerate the research, development, and commercialization of ethanol. Learn more. Our Chemical Company Partners Work with us on your next advanced energy

Microgravity Combustion Science: 1995 Program Update

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ross, Howard D. (Editor); Gokoglu, Suleyman A. (Editor); Friedman, Robert (Editor)

1995-01-01

Microgravity greatly benefits the study of fundamental combustion processes. In this environment, buoyancy-induced flow is nearly eliminated, weak or normally obscured forces and flows can be isolated, gravitational settling or sedimentation is nearly eliminated, and temporal and spatial scales can be expanded. This document reviews the state of knowledge in microgravity combustion science with the emphasis on NASA-sponsored developments in the current period of 1992 to early 1995. The subjects cover basic research in gaseous premixed and diffusion-flame systems, flame structure and sooting, liquid droplets and pools, and solid-surface ignition and flame spread. They also cover applied research in combustion synthesis of ceramic-metal composites, advanced diagnostic instrumentation, and on-orbit fire safety. The review promotes continuing research by describing the opportunities for Principal Investigator participation through the NASA Research Announcement program and the available NASA Lewis Research Center ground-based facilities and spaceflight accommodations. This review is compiled by the members and associates of the NASA Lewis Microgravity Combustion Branch, and it serves as an update of two previous overview reports.

Developing a data infrastructure for a learning health system: the PORTAL network

PubMed Central

McGlynn, Elizabeth A; Lieu, Tracy A; Durham, Mary L; Bauck, Alan; Laws, Reesa; Go, Alan S; Chen, Jersey; Feigelson, Heather Spencer; Corley, Douglas A; Young, Deborah Rohm; Nelson, Andrew F; Davidson, Arthur J; Morales, Leo S; Kahn, Michael G

2014-01-01

The Kaiser Permanente & Strategic Partners Patient Outcomes Research To Advance Learning (PORTAL) network engages four healthcare delivery systems (Kaiser Permanente, Group Health Cooperative, HealthPartners, and Denver Health) and their affiliated research centers to create a new national network infrastructure that builds on existing relationships among these institutions. PORTAL is enhancing its current capabilities by expanding the scope of the common data model, paying particular attention to incorporating patient-reported data more systematically, implementing new multi-site data governance procedures, and integrating the PCORnet PopMedNet platform across our research centers. PORTAL is partnering with clinical research and patient experts to create cohorts of patients with a common diagnosis (colorectal cancer), a rare diagnosis (adolescents and adults with severe congenital heart disease), and adults who are overweight or obese, including those with pre-diabetes or diabetes, to conduct large-scale observational comparative effectiveness research and pragmatic clinical trials across diverse clinical care settings. PMID:24821738

Taking stock of youth organizing: an interdisciplinary perspective.

PubMed

Christens, Brian D; Kirshner, Ben

2011-01-01

Youth organizing combines elements of community organizing, with its emphasis on ordinary people working collectively to advance shared interests, and positive youth development, with its emphasis on asset-based approaches to working with young people. It is expanding from an innovative, but marginal approach to youth and community development into a more widely recognized model for practice among nonprofit organizations and foundations. Along the way, it has garnered attention from researchers interested in civic engagement, social movements, and resiliency. A growing body of published work evidences the increasing interest of researchers, who have applied an assortment of theoretical perspectives to their observations of youth organizing processes. Through an appraisal of the current state of this still-emerging area of practice and research, including case examples, the authors identify common elements of the practice of youth organizing--relationship development, popular education, social action, and participatory research and evaluation--and conclude with a discussion of promising future directions for research and practice. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

The Cerebral Palsy Research Registry: Development and Progress Toward National Collaboration in the United States

PubMed Central

Hurley, Donna S.; Sukal-Moulton, Theresa; Msall, Michael E.; Gaebler-Spira, Deborah; Krosschell, Kristin J.; Dewald, Julius P.

2011-01-01

Cerebral palsy is the most common neurodevelopmental motor disability in children. The condition requires medical, educational, social, and rehabilitative resources throughout the life span. Several countries have developed population-based registries that serve the purpose of prospective longitudinal collection of etiologic, demographic, and functional severity. The United States has not created a comprehensive program to develop such a registry. Barriers have been large population size, poor interinstitution collaboration, and decentralized medical and social systems. The Cerebral Palsy Research Registry was created to fill the gap between population and clinical-based cerebral palsy registries and promote research in the field. This is accomplished by connecting persons with cerebral palsy, as well as their families, to a network of regional researchers. This article describes the development of an expandable cerebral palsy research registry, its current status, and the potential it has to affect families and persons with cerebral palsy in the United States and abroad. PMID:21677201

From Knowledge Seeking to Knowledge Creation: The Japanese University's Challenge.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cummings, William K.

1994-01-01

The stability of the Japanese university system encourages conformity, which may also stifle creativity and initiative. Japan needs reforms that inject flexibility and reverse the traditional focus of education. Current reform proposals to expand graduate education, break down the chair system, and expand university-industry collaboration are seen…

Finger millet: An alternative crop for the Southern High Plains

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In the Southern High Plains, dairies are expanding to take advantage of favorable climatic conditions. Currently, corn (Zea mays L.) and forage sorghum [Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench] are the two major crops grown in the region to meet silage demands for the expanding dairy industry, but they have rel...

Expanding Notions of Social Reproduction: Grandparents' Educational Attainment and Grandchildren's Cognitive Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferguson, Jason L.; Ready, Douglas D.

2011-01-01

Inherited privilege and status remain powerful factors in the distribution of opportunity in American life. These transfers of socioeconomic resources across generations are facilitated by the links between adult educational attainment and children's cognitive skills. Our current study expands the notion of social reproduction beyond this narrow…

Osteoporosis Prevention in College Women: Application of the Expanded Health Belief Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace, Lorraine Silver

2002-01-01

Examined personal characteristics and expanded health belief model (EHBM) constructs associated with osteoporosis- protective behaviors among college women. Survey results indicated that the EHBM was useful in evaluating osteoporosis- protective behavior. High numbers of women did not meet current exercise and calcium guidelines. Exercise…

Separating the signal from the noise: Expanding flow cytometry into the sub-micron range.

EPA Science Inventory

Cytometry Part A Special Section: Separating the signal from the noise: Expanding flow cytometry into the sub-micron range. The current Cytometry Part A Special Section presents three studies that utilize cytometers to study sub-micron particles. The three studies involve the 1...

Checkpoint inhibitors in advanced melanoma: effect on the field of immunotherapy.

PubMed

O'reilly, Aine; Larkin, James

2017-07-01

The success of the immune checkpoint inhibitors in melanoma has reinvigorated the field of immunotherapy. Immune checkpoint inhibitors are now the standard of care in multiple cancer types including lung cancer, head and neck cancer, urothelial cancer and renal cell cancer. The field of immunotherapy is currently expanding rapidly and will be a focus of research and development for decades to come. Areas covered: This review covers the early development of immune checkpoint inhibitors and the changes that occurred in the drug development paradigm to facilitate the development of immunotherapy. The review will summarise the areas into which immune checkpoint inhibitors have been adopted and will review the data that supported this. Furthermore, we will discuss future developments in immunotherapy and the current landscape regarding maximising the potential of immunotherapy in clinical practice. Expert commentary: In the author's opinion, the potential of immunotherapy is vast. To date immune checkpoint inhibition has already delivered durable responses in a proportion of patients with cancer types which were previously universally lethal. The future of immunotherapy will rely upon the intelligent application of translational research to clinical practice, such that immunotherapy can be effective for a wider population and maintain its current growth.

MICROSCALE METABOLIC, REDOX AND ABIOTIC REACTIONS IN HANFORD 300 AREA SUBSURFACE SEDIMENTS

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

Beyenal, Haluk; McLEan, Jeff; Majors, Paul

2013-11-14

The Hanford 300 Area is a unique site due to periodic hydrologic influence of river water resulting in changes in groundwater elevation and flow direction. This area is also highly subject to uranium remobilization, the source of which is currently believed to be the region at the base of the vadose zone that is subject to period saturation due to the changes in the water levels in the Columbia River. We found that microbial processes and redox and abiotic reactions which operate at the microscale were critical to understanding factors controlling the macroscopic fate and transport of contaminants in themore » subsurface. The combined laboratory and field research showed how microscale conditions control uranium mobility and how biotic, abiotic and redox reactions relate to each other. Our findings extended the current knowledge to examine U(VI) reduction and immobilization using natural 300 Area communities as well as selected model organisms on redox-sensitive and redox-insensitive minerals. Using innovative techniques developed specifically to probe biogeochemical processes at the microscale, our research expanded our current understanding of the roles played by mineral surfaces, bacterial competition, and local biotic, abiotic and redox reaction rates on the reduction and immobilization of uranium.« less

Research progress and accomplishments on International Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Roe, Lesa B.; Uri, John J.

2003-01-01

The first research payloads reached the International Space Station (ISS) more than two years ago, with research operating continuously since March 2001. Seven research racks are currently on-orbit, with three more arriving soon to expand science capabilities. Through the first five expeditions, 60 unique NASA-managed investigations from 11 nations have been supported, many continuing into later missions. More than 90,000 experiment hours have been completed, and more than 1,000 hours of crew time have been dedicated to research, numbers that grow daily. The multidisciplinary program includes research in life sciences, physical sciences, biotechnology, Earth sciences, technology demonstrations as well as commercial endeavors and educational activities. The Payload Operations and Integration Center monitors the onboard activities around the clock, working with numerous Principal Investigators and Payload Developers at their remote sites. Future years will see expansion of the station with research modules provided by the European Space Agency and Japan, which will be outfitted with additional research racks. c2003 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Research progress and accomplishments on International Space Station.

PubMed

Roe, Lesa B; Uri, John J

2003-01-01

The first research payloads reached the International Space Station (ISS) more than two years ago, with research operating continuously since March 2001. Seven research racks are currently on-orbit, with three more arriving soon to expand science capabilities. Through the first five expeditions, 60 unique NASA-managed investigations from 11 nations have been supported, many continuing into later missions. More than 90,000 experiment hours have been completed, and more than 1,000 hours of crew time have been dedicated to research, numbers that grow daily. The multidisciplinary program includes research in life sciences, physical sciences, biotechnology, Earth sciences, technology demonstrations as well as commercial endeavors and educational activities. The Payload Operations and Integration Center monitors the onboard activities around the clock, working with numerous Principal Investigators and Payload Developers at their remote sites. Future years will see expansion of the station with research modules provided by the European Space Agency and Japan, which will be outfitted with additional research racks. c2003 American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

How far will they go? Assessing the travel distance of current and former drug users to access harm reduction services.

PubMed

Allen, Sean; Ruiz, Monica; O'Rourke, Allison

2015-03-01

Prior research has explored spatial access to syringe exchange programs (SEPs) among people who inject drugs (PWID), but little is known about service utilization by former PWID who continue to access services (e.g., HIV screenings and referrals for social services) at harm reduction providers. The purpose of this research is to examine differences in access to SEPs between current and former PWID seeking services at a mobile SEP in Washington, DC. A geometric point distance estimation technique was applied to data collected as part of a PWID population estimation study that took place in Washington, DC, in March and April 2014. We calculated the walking distance from the centroid point of home residence zip code to the mobile exchange site where PWID presented for services. An independent samples t-test was used to examine differences in walking distance measures between current and former PWID. Differences in mean walking distance were statistically significant with current and former PWID having mean walking distances of 2.75 and 1.80 miles, respectively. The results of this study suggest that former PWID who are engaging with SEPs primarily for non-needle exchange services (e.g., medical or social services) may have decreased access to SEPs than their counterparts who are active injectors. This research provides support for expanding SEP operations such that both active and former PWID have increased access to harm reduction providers and associated health and social services. Increasing service accessibility may help resolve unmet needs among current and former PWID.

Automated collection of medical images for research from heterogeneous systems: trials and tribulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patel, M. N.; Looney, P.; Young, K.; Halling-Brown, M. D.

2014-03-01

Radiological imaging is fundamental within the healthcare industry and has become routinely adopted for diagnosis, disease monitoring and treatment planning. Over the past two decades both diagnostic and therapeutic imaging have undergone a rapid growth, the ability to be able to harness this large influx of medical images can provide an essential resource for research and training. Traditionally, the systematic collection of medical images for research from heterogeneous sites has not been commonplace within the NHS and is fraught with challenges including; data acquisition, storage, secure transfer and correct anonymisation. Here, we describe a semi-automated system, which comprehensively oversees the collection of both unprocessed and processed medical images from acquisition to a centralised database. The provision of unprocessed images within our repository enables a multitude of potential research possibilities that utilise the images. Furthermore, we have developed systems and software to integrate these data with their associated clinical data and annotations providing a centralised dataset for research. Currently we regularly collect digital mammography images from two sites and partially collect from a further three, with efforts to expand into other modalities and sites currently ongoing. At present we have collected 34,014 2D images from 2623 individuals. In this paper we describe our medical image collection system for research and discuss the wide spectrum of challenges faced during the design and implementation of such systems.

Measurement Issues in Research on Shadow Education: Challenges and Pitfalls Encountered in TIMSS and PISA

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bray, Mark; Kobakhidze, Magda Nutsa

2014-01-01

Expanding numbers of researchers are focusing on the scale and impact of private supplementary tutoring. Such tutoring is widely called shadow education, since much of its curriculum mimics that of regular schooling. Although shadow education has expanded significantly worldwide and is now recognized to have far-reaching significance, research…

Expanding Research Concerning Family Influences on Career Development: Cultivating a Number of Brown Spots

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whiston, Susan C.; Keller, Briana K.

2004-01-01

We would like to begin by thanking the respondents for their thoughtful analyses of our review, particularly for their scholarly suggestions for expanding the research on the association between the family of origin and career development across the lifespan. In our opinion, each of the five responses to our article provides significant insights…

Disparities, Decent Work, and Multidisciplinary Research: Expanded Roles for CD and HRD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hite, Linda M.; McDonald, Kimberly S.

2018-01-01

This article focuses on how HRD research can better address some of the barriers to inclusive career development and secure employment. Beginning with the concept of decent work, we suggest expanding the scope of studies on workplace inequities, encouraging HRD to push further into disparities facing under-represented identity groups and including…

Enhancing School HIV and AIDS Strategic Plan through Expanded Stakeholder Involvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mgomezulu, V. Y.; Kruger, A. G.

2011-01-01

This article focuses on the need for expanded stakeholder involvement as a means of enhancing the Botswana Department of Secondary Education (DSE) HIV and AIDS strategic plan. Research has indicated that the effects of HIV and AIDS on the supply of and demand for education are considerable. Using a questionnaire and interviews, the research has…

Note: Expanding the bandwidth of the ultra-low current amplifier using an artificial negative capacitor.

PubMed

Xie, Kai; Liu, Yan; Li, XiaoPing; Guo, Lixin; Zhang, Hanlu

2016-04-01

The bandwidth and low noise characteristics are often contradictory in ultra-low current amplifier, because an inevitable parasitic capacitance is paralleled with the high value feedback resistor. In order to expand the amplifier's bandwidth, a novel approach was proposed by introducing an artificial negative capacitor to cancel the parasitic capacitance. The theory of the negative capacitance and the performance of the improved amplifier circuit with the negative capacitor are presented in this manuscript. The test was conducted by modifying an ultra-low current amplifier with a trans-impedance gain of 50 GΩ. The results show that the maximum bandwidth was expanded from 18.7 Hz to 3.3 kHz with more than 150 times of increase when the parasitic capacitance (∼0.17 pF) was cancelled. Meanwhile, the rise time decreased from 18.7 ms to 0.26 ms with no overshot. Any desired bandwidth or rise time within these ranges can be obtained by adjusting the ratio of cancellation of the parasitic and negative capacitance. This approach is especially suitable for the demand of rapid response to weak current, such as transient ion-beam detector, mass spectrometry analysis, and fast scanning microscope.

Current status of the expanded GRAPES collaboration experiment at Ooty in India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gupta, S.K.; Anita, H.M.; Iyer, A.; Jagadeesan, P.; Jain, A.; Karthikeyan, S.; Manoharan, P.K.; Mohanty, P.K.; Nayak, P.K.; Rao, B.S.; Ravindran, K.C.; Tanaka, H.; Tonwar, S.C.; Ogio, S.; Okuda, T.; Oshima, A.; Shimizu, N.; Yoshikoshi, T.; Badruddin; Hasan, R.; Ahmad, Shakeel; Mishra, A.P.; Shrivastava, P.K.; Koul, R.; Shah, G.N.; Mir, T.A.; Mufti, S.; Raha, S.; Ghosh, S.; Joarder, P.; Saha, S.; Boruah, K.; Datta, P.; Boruah, P.K.; Baruah, A.G.; Baishya, R.; Saikia, J.; Banerjee, D.; Subramanian, P.; Bhadra, A.; Kumar, S.; Agarwal, R.; Dubey, S.K.; Bhattacharjee, P.

GRAPES-3 experiment employs a high-density array of scintillators and a large area tracking muon telescope. The GRAPES collaboration is being expanded with addition of several major facilities. These include a Cerenkov telescope and low frequency dipole array for the measurement of shower energy. Addition of several modules of muon telescopes to cover a larger area, expansion of the scintillator array with greater separation between detectors. Installation of a neutron monitor is also planned. The current status of the experiment would be summarized.

Avian Influenza Pandemic May Expand the Military Role in Disaster Relief

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-03-15

USAWC STRATEGY RESEARCH PROJECT AVIAN INFLUENZA PANDEMIC MAY EXPAND THE MILITARY ROLE IN DISASTER RELIEF by Colonel Frank William Sherod II United... Influenza Pandemic May Expand the Military Role in Disaster Relief 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S...8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std Z39-18 ABSTRACT AUTHOR: Colonel Frank William Sherod II TITLE: Avian Influenza Pandemic May Expand The Military Role

IRBAS: An online database to collate, analyze, and synthesize ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Key questions dominating contemporary ecological research and management concern interactions between biodiversity, ecosystem processes, and ecosystem services provision in the face of global change. This is particularly salient for freshwater biodiversity and in the context of river drying and flow‐regime change. Rivers that stop flowing and dry, herein intermittent rivers, are globally prevalent and dynamic ecosystems on which the body of research is expanding rapidly, consistent with the era of big data. However, the data encapsulated by this work remain largely fragmented, limiting our ability to answer the key questions beyond a case‐by‐case basis. To this end, the Intermittent River Biodiversity Analysis and Synthesis (IRBAS; http://irbas.cesab.org) project has collated, analyzed, and synthesized data from across the world on the biodiversity and environmental characteristics of intermittent rivers. The IRBAS database integrates and provides free access to these data, contributing to the growing, and global, knowledge base on these ubiquitous and important river systems, for both theoretical and applied advancement. The IRBAS database currently houses over 2000 data samples collected from six countries across three continents, primarily describing aquatic invertebrate taxa inhabiting intermittent rivers during flowing hydrological phases. As such, there is room to expand the biogeographic and taxonomic coverage, for example, through addition of data

Apparatus for detecting alpha radiation in difficult access areas

DOEpatents

Steadman, P.; MacArthur, D.W.

1997-09-02

An electrostatic alpha radiation detector for measuring alpha radiation emitted from inside an enclosure comprising an electrically conductive expandable electrode for insertion into the enclosure is disclosed. After insertion, the electrically conductive expandable electrode is insulated from the enclosure and defines a decay cavity between the electrically conductive expandable electrode and the enclosure so that air ions generated in the decay cavity are electrostatically captured by the electrically conductive expandable electrode and the enclosure when an electric potential is applied between the electrically conductive expandable electrode and the enclosure. Indicator means are attached to the electrically conductive expandable electrode for indicating an electrical current produced by generation of the air ions generated in the decay cavity by collisions between air molecules and the alpha particles emitted from the enclosure. A voltage source is connected between the indicator means and the electrically conductive enclosure for creating an electric field between the electrically conductive expandable electrode and the enclosure. 4 figs.

Reviewing Dengue: Still a Neglected Tropical Disease?

PubMed Central

Horstick, Olaf; Tozan, Yesim; Wilder-Smith, Annelies

2015-01-01

Dengue is currently listed as a “neglected tropical disease” (NTD). But is dengue still an NTD or not? Classifying dengue as an NTD may carry advantages, but is it justified? This review considers the criteria for the definition of an NTD, the current diverse lists of NTDs by different stakeholders, and the commonalities and differences of dengue with other NTDs. We also review the current research gaps and research activities and the adequacy of funding for dengue research and development (R&D) (2003–2013). NTD definitions have been developed to a higher precision since the early 2000s, with the following main features: NTDs are characterised as a) poverty related, b) endemic to the tropics and subtropics, c) lacking public health attention, d) having poor research funding and shortcomings in R&D, e) usually associated with high morbidity but low mortality, and f) often having no specific treatment available. Dengue meets most of these criteria, but not all. Although dengue predominantly affects resource-limited countries, it does not necessarily only target the poor and marginalised in those countries. Dengue increasingly attracts public health attention, and in some affected countries it is now a high profile disease. Research funding for dengue has increased exponentially in the past two decades, in particular in the area of dengue vaccine development. However, despite advances in dengue research, dengue epidemics are increasing in frequency and magnitude, and dengue is expanding to new areas. Specific treatment and a highly effective vaccine remain elusive. Major research gaps exist in the area of integrated surveillance and vector control. Hence, although dengue differs from many of the NTDs, it still meets important criteria commonly used for NTDs. The current need for increased R&D spending, shared by dengue and other NTDs, is perhaps the key reason why dengue should continue to be considered an NTD. PMID:25928673

Achondroplasia: pathogenesis and implications for future treatment.

PubMed

Laederich, Melanie B; Horton, William A

2010-08-01

Although the genetic defect underlying achondroplasia has been known for over a decade, no effective therapies to stimulate bone growth have emerged. Here we review the recent literature and summarize the molecular mechanisms underlying disease pathology and examine their potential as therapeutic targets. Currently used preclinical models are discussed in the context of recent advances with a special focus on C-type natriuretic peptide. Research on the mutation in Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor 3 (FGFR3) that causes achondroplasia suggests that disease results from increased signal transduction from the mutant receptor. Thus, current therapeutic strategies have focused on reducing signals emanating from FGFR3. First-generation therapies directly targeting FGFR3, such as kinase inhibitors and neutralizing antibodies, designed for targeting FGFR3 in cancer, are still in the preclinical phase and have yet to translate into the management of achondroplasia. Counteracting signal transduction pathways downstream of FGFR3 holds promise with the discovery that administration of C-type natriuretic peptide to achondroplastic mice ameliorates their clinical phenotype. However, more research into long-term effectiveness and safety of this strategy is needed. Direct targeting of therapeutic agents to growth plate cartilage may enhance efficacy and minimize side effects of these and future therapies. Current research into the pathogenesis of achondroplasia has expanded our understanding of the mechanisms of FGFR3-induced disease and has increased the number of approaches that we may use to potentially correct it. Further research is needed to validate these approaches in preclinical models of achondroplasia.

About increasing informativity of diagnostic system of asynchronous electric motor by extracting additional information from values of consumed current parameter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhukovskiy, Y.; Korolev, N.; Koteleva, N.

2018-05-01

This article is devoted to expanding the possibilities of assessing the technical state of the current consumption of asynchronous electric drives, as well as increasing the information capacity of diagnostic methods, in conditions of limited access to equipment and incompleteness of information. The method of spectral analysis of the electric drive current can be supplemented by an analysis of the components of the current of the Park's vector. The research of the hodograph evolution in the moment of appearance and development of defects was carried out using the example of current asymmetry in the phases of an induction motor. The result of the study is the new diagnostic parameters of the asynchronous electric drive. During the research, it was proved that the proposed diagnostic parameters allow determining the type and level of the defect. At the same time, there is no need to stop the equipment and taky it out of service for repair. Modern digital control and monitoring systems can use the proposed parameters based on the stator current of an electrical machine to improve the accuracy and reliability of obtaining diagnostic patterns and predicting their changes in order to improve the equipment maintenance systems. This approach can also be used in systems and objects where there are significant parasitic vibrations and unsteady loads. The extraction of useful information can be carried out in electric drive systems in the structure of which there is a power electric converter.

Implementation of national comprehensive cancer network evidence-based guidelines to prevent and treat cancer-related infections.

PubMed

Wood, Sylvia K; Payne, Judith K

2012-06-01

Clinical practice guidelines are an important result of evidence-based research. However, current clinical practice remains out of step with the rapid pace of research advancements. Often, decades pass before research is translated into clinical practice. The National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) has created evidence-based clinical guidelines to promote effective clinical practice. Formerly, the NCCN established guidelines to reduce cancer-related infections only for neutropenic patients; however, they have expanded their guidelines beyond neutropenia to prevent and treat cancer-related infections. Implementing scientific evidence into clinical practice is challenging and complex, and healthcare professionals should understand barriers to implementing clinical practice guidelines to ensure successful translation into practice. This article provides a brief review of NCCN guidelines and describes common barriers encountered during implementation. In addition, a conceptual framework is offered to help identify and address potential concerns before and after adoption of guidelines.

Emerging issues in public health genomics

PubMed Central

Roberts, J. Scott

2014-01-01

This review highlights emerging areas of interest in public health genomics. First, recent advances in newborn screening (NBS) are described, with a focus on practice and policy implications of current and future efforts to expand NBS programs (e.g., via next-generation sequencing). Next, research findings from the rapidly progressing field of epigenetics and epigenomics are detailed, highlighting ways in which our emerging understanding in these areas could guide future intervention and research efforts in public health. We close by considering various ethical, legal and social issues posed by recent developments in public health genomics; these include policies to regulate access to personal genomic information; the need to enhance genetic literacy in both health professionals and the public; and challenges in ensuring that the benefits (and burdens) from genomic discoveries and applications are equitably distributed. Needs for future genomics research that integrates across basic and social sciences are also noted. PMID:25184533

NREL Advancements in Methane Conversion Lead to Cleaner Air, Useful Products

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

2016-06-01

Researchers at NREL leveraged the recent on-site development of gas fermentation capabilities and novel genetic tools to directly convert methane to lactic acid using an engineered methanotrophic bacterium. The results provide proof-of-concept data for a gas-to-liquids bioprocess that concurrently produces fuels and chemicals from methane. NREL researchers developed genetic tools to express heterologous genes in methanotrophic organisms, which have historically been difficult to genetically engineer. Using these tools, researchers demonstrated microbial conversion of methane to lactate, a high-volume biochemical precursor predominantly utilized for the production of bioplastics. Methane biocatalysis offers a means to concurrently liquefy and upgrade natural gas andmore » renewable biogas, enabling their utilization in conventional transportation and industrial manufacturing infrastructure. Producing chemicals and fuels from methane expands the suite of products currently generated from biorefineries, municipalities, and agricultural operations, with the potential to increase revenue and significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions.« less

Confidence in memory and other cognitive processes in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

PubMed

Nedeljkovic, Maja; Kyrios, Michael

2007-12-01

Previous studies have implicated beliefs about one's memory (i.e., meta-memory), in maintaining the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), particularly with respect to checking rituals. However, most research has focused on task- or situation-specific perceptions about memory performance. Expanding on this research, we undertook two studies with analogue and clinical cohorts to examine the relationship between general 'trait' beliefs about memory and related processes and OCD symptoms. Trait meta-memory as measured in the current study was conceptualised as a multi-dimensional construct encompassing a range of beliefs about memory and related processes including confidence in one's general memory abilities, decision-making abilities, concentration and attention, as well as perfectionistic standards regarding one's memory. Meta-memory factors were associated with OCD symptoms, predicting OCD symptoms over-and-above mood and other OCD-relevant cognitions. Meta-memory factors were found to be particularly relevant to checking symptoms. Implications for theory and research are discussed.

Disease management research using event graphs.

PubMed

Allore, H G; Schruben, L W

2000-08-01

Event Graphs, conditional representations of stochastic relationships between discrete events, simulate disease dynamics. In this paper, we demonstrate how Event Graphs, at an appropriate abstraction level, also extend and organize scientific knowledge about diseases. They can identify promising treatment strategies and directions for further research and provide enough detail for testing combinations of new medicines and interventions. Event Graphs can be enriched to incorporate and validate data and test new theories to reflect an expanding dynamic scientific knowledge base and establish performance criteria for the economic viability of new treatments. To illustrate, an Event Graph is developed for mastitis, a costly dairy cattle disease, for which extensive scientific literature exists. With only a modest amount of imagination, the methodology presented here can be seen to apply modeling to any disease, human, plant, or animal. The Event Graph simulation presented here is currently being used in research and in a new veterinary epidemiology course. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.

An ion accelerator for undergraduate research and teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Monce, Michael

1997-04-01

We have recently upgraded our 400kV, single beam line ion accelerator to a 1MV, multiple beam line machine. This upgrade has greatly expanded the opportunities for student involvement in the laboratory. We will describe four areas of work in which students now participate. The first is the continuing research being conducted in excitations produced in ion-molecule collisions, which recently involved the use of digital imaging. The second area of research now opened up by the new accelerator involves PIXE. We are currently beginning a cross disciplinary study of archaeological specimens using PIXE and involving students from both anthropology and physics. Finally, two beam lines from the accelerator will be used for basic work in nuclear physics: Rutherford scattering and nuclear resonances. These two nuclear physics experiments will be integrated into our sophomore-junior level, year-long course in experimental physics.

Problems of information support in scientific research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shamaev, V. G.; Gorshkov, A. B.

2015-11-01

This paper reports on the creation of the open access Akustika portal (AKDATA.RU) designed to provide Russian-language easy-to-read and search information on acoustics and related topics. The absence of a Russian-language publication in foreign databases means that it is effectively lost for much of the scientific community. The portal has three interrelated sections: the Akustika information search system (ISS) (Acoustics), full-text archive of the Akusticheskii Zhurnal (Acoustic Journal), and 'Signal'naya informatsiya' ('Signaling information') on acoustics. The paper presents a description of the Akustika ISS, including its structure, content, interface, and information search capabilities for basic and applied research in diverse areas of science, engineering, biology, medicine, etc. The intended users of the portal are physicists, engineers, and engineering technologists interested in expanding their research activities and seeking to increase their knowledge base. Those studying current trends in the Russian-language contribution to international science may also find the portal useful.

Differences among incarcerated women with assaultive offenses: isolated versus patterned use of violence.

PubMed

Kubiak, Sheryl Pimlott; Kim, Woo Jong; Fedock, Gina; Bybee, Deborah

2013-08-01

A majority of the existing research on women's use of violence focuses on intimate partner violence, often excluding other types of violence for which women may be incarcerated. The current study expands this area of research by assessing between and within-group differences among a randomly selected group of incarcerated women (n = 543). Comparisons between violent and nonviolent offense types among women found few differences, but significant differences among women with an assaultive offense, based on the presence or absence of a self-reported uncaught violence, were found. Differences in women with isolated (i.e., single incident of violence perpetration through a review of formal and self-report data) and patterned uses of violence were present in relation to issues of mental health, substance abuse, criminogenic risk, and expressions of anger and personality factors. These findings have important implications for intervention as well as future research.

Population Health Management for Older Adults

PubMed Central

Tkatch, Rifky; Musich, Shirley; MacLeod, Stephanie; Alsgaard, Kathleen; Hawkins, Kevin; Yeh, Charlotte S.

2016-01-01

Background: The older adult population is expanding, living longer, with multiple chronic conditions. Understanding and managing their needs over time is an integral part of defining successful aging. Population health is used to describe the measurement and health outcomes of a population. Objectives: To define population health as applied to older adults, summarize lessons learned from current research, and identify potential interventions designed to promote successful aging and improved health for this population. Method: Online search engines were utilized to identify research on population health and health interventions for older adults. Results: Population health management (PHM) is one strategy to promote the health and well-being of target populations. Interventions promoting health across a continuum tend to be disease, risk, or health behavior specific rather than encompassing a global concept of health. Conclusion: Many existing interventions for older adults are simply research based with limited generalizability; as such, further work in this area is warranted. PMID:28680938

Where are the women? Campus climate and the degree aspirations of women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schulz, Phyllis

Women remain underrepresented in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) at all levels of higher education, which has become a concern in the competitive global marketplace. Using both quantitative and qualitative analysis, this dissertation sought to learn more about how the campus climate and self-concept influence the degree aspirations of female undergraduate students majoring in STEM programs. Using the Beginning Post-Secondary dataset, regression analyses showed that a student's initial degree aspirations, SAT scores, and interactions with faculty were all positively related to their degree aspirations three years later. Interviews with seven current STEM undergraduates confirmed the importance of interaction with faculty and suggested undergraduate research and classroom experiences also play a role in the degree aspirations of STEM students. Three of the seven students interviewed began their undergraduate educations as non-STEM majors, suggesting that the traditional STEM pipeline may no longer be the norm. These findings suggest that both future research and current practitioners should focus on undergraduate STEM classroom and research experiences. Additionally, the characteristics of students who switch into STEM majors should be explored so that we may continue to expand the number of students pursuing STEM degrees.

Study on temporal variation and spatial distribution for rural poverty in China based on GIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Xianfeng; Xu, Xiuli; Wang, Yingjie; Cui, Jing; Mo, Hongyuan; Liu, Ling; Yan, Hong; Zhang, Yan; Han, Jiafu

2009-07-01

Poverty is one of the most serious challenges all over the world, is an obstacle to hinder economics and agriculture in poverty area. Research on poverty alleviation in China is very useful and important. In this paper, we will explore the comprehensive poverty characteristics in China, analyze the current poverty status, spatial distribution and temporal variations about rural poverty in China, and to category the different poverty types and their spatial distribution. First, we achieved the gathering and processing the relevant data. These data contain investigation data, research reports, statistical yearbook, censuses, social-economic data, physical and anthrop geographical data, etc. After deeply analysis of these data, we will get the distribution of poverty areas by spatial-temporal data model according to different poverty given standard in different stages in China to see the poverty variation and the regional difference in County-level. Then, the current poverty status, spatial pattern about poverty area in villages-level will be lucubrated; the relationship among poverty, environment (including physical and anthrop geographical factors) and economic development, etc. will be expanded. We hope our research will enhance the people knowledge of poverty in China and contribute to the poverty alleviation in China.

Superordinate Precision: An Examination of Academic Writing Among Bilingual Deaf and Hard of Hearing Students.

PubMed

Scott, Jessica A; Hoffmeister, Robert J

2018-04-01

Academic English is an essential literacy skill area for success in post-secondary education and in many work environments. Despite its importance, academic English is understudied with deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students. Nascent research in this area suggests that academic English, alongside American Sign Language (ASL) fluency, may play an important role in the reading proficiency of DHH students in middle and high school. The current study expands this research to investigate academic English by examining student proficiency with a sub-skill of academic writing called superordinate precision, the taxonomical categorization of a term. Currently there is no research that examines DHH students' proficiency with superordinate precision. Middle and high school DHH students enrolled in bilingual schools for the deaf were assessed on their ASL proficiency, academic English proficiency, reading comprehension, and use of superordinate precision in definitions writing. Findings indicate that student use of superordinate precision in definitions writing was correlated with ASL proficiency, reading comprehension, and academic English proficiency. It is possible that degree of mastery of superordinate precision may indicate a higher overall level of proficiency with academic English. This may have important implications for assessment of and instruction in academic English literacy.

A Blind Spot in Research on Foreign Language Effects in Judgment and Decision-Making.

PubMed

Polonioli, Andrea

2018-01-01

One of the most fascinating topics of current investigation in the literature on judgment and decision-making concerns the exploration of foreign language effects (henceforth, FLE). Specifically, recent research suggests that presenting information in a foreign language helps reasoners make better choices. However, this piece aims at making scholars aware of a blind spot in this stream of research. In particular, research on FLE has imported only one view of judgment and decision-making, in which the heuristics that people use are seen as conducive to biases and, in turn, to costly mistakes. But heuristics are not necessarily a liability, and this article indicates two routes to push forward research on FLE in judgment and decision-making. First, research on FLE should be expanded to explore also classes of fast and frugal heuristics, which have been shown to lead to accurate predictions in several contexts characterized by uncertainty. Second, research on FLE should be open to challenge the interpretations given to previous FLE findings, since alternative accounts are plausible and not ruled out by evidence.

A Blind Spot in Research on Foreign Language Effects in Judgment and Decision-Making

PubMed Central

Polonioli, Andrea

2018-01-01

One of the most fascinating topics of current investigation in the literature on judgment and decision-making concerns the exploration of foreign language effects (henceforth, FLE). Specifically, recent research suggests that presenting information in a foreign language helps reasoners make better choices. However, this piece aims at making scholars aware of a blind spot in this stream of research. In particular, research on FLE has imported only one view of judgment and decision-making, in which the heuristics that people use are seen as conducive to biases and, in turn, to costly mistakes. But heuristics are not necessarily a liability, and this article indicates two routes to push forward research on FLE in judgment and decision-making. First, research on FLE should be expanded to explore also classes of fast and frugal heuristics, which have been shown to lead to accurate predictions in several contexts characterized by uncertainty. Second, research on FLE should be open to challenge the interpretations given to previous FLE findings, since alternative accounts are plausible and not ruled out by evidence. PMID:29662457

Cell-Based Therapies for Joint Disease in Veterinary Medicine: What We Have Learned and What We Need to Know

PubMed Central

Bogers, Sophie Helen

2018-01-01

Biological cell-based therapies for the treatment of joint disease in veterinary patients include autologous-conditioned serum, platelet-rich plasma, and expanded or non-expanded mesenchymal stem cell products. This narrative review outlines the processing and known mechanism of action of these therapies and reviews current preclinical and clinical efficacy in joint disease in the context of the processing type and study design. The significance of variation for biological activity and consequently regulatory approval is also discussed. There is significant variation in study outcomes for canine and equine cell-based products derived from whole blood or stem cell sources such as adipose and bone marrow. Variation can be attributed to altering bio-composition due to factors including preparation technique and source. In addition, study design factors like selection of cases with early vs. late stage osteoarthritis (OA), or with intra-articular soft tissue injury, influence outcome variation. In this under-regulated field, variation raises concerns for product safety, consistency, and efficacy. Cell-based therapies used for OA meet the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) definition of a drug; however, researchers must consider their approach to veterinary cell-based research to meet future regulatory demands. This review explains the USA’s FDA guidelines as an example pathway for cell-based therapies to demonstrate safety, effectiveness, and manufacturing consistency. An understanding of the variation in production consistency, effectiveness, and regulatory concerns is essential for practitioners and researchers to determine what products are indicated for the treatment of joint disease and tactics to improve the quality of future research. PMID:29713634

Development and application of bond cleavage reactions in bioorthogonal chemistry.

PubMed

Li, Jie; Chen, Peng R

2016-03-01

Bioorthogonal chemical reactions are a thriving area of chemical research in recent years as an unprecedented technique to dissect native biological processes through chemistry-enabled strategies. However, current concepts of bioorthogonal chemistry have largely centered on 'bond formation' reactions between two mutually reactive bioorthogonal handles. Recently, in a reverse strategy, a collection of 'bond cleavage' reactions has emerged with excellent biocompatibility. These reactions have expanded our bioorthogonal chemistry repertoire, enabling an array of exciting new biological applications that range from the chemically controlled spatial and temporal activation of intracellular proteins and small-molecule drugs to the direct manipulation of intact cells under physiological conditions. Here we highlight the development and applications of these bioorthogonal cleavage reactions. Furthermore, we lay out challenges and propose future directions along this appealing avenue of research.

Eutrophication of freshwater and marine ecosystems

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, Val H.; Joye, Samantha B.; Howarth, Robert W.

2006-01-01

Initial understanding of the links between nutrients and aquatic productivity originated in Europe in the early 1900s, and our knowledge base has expanded greatly during the past 40 yr. This explosion of eutrophication-related research has made it unequivocally clear that a comprehensive strategy to prevent excessive amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus from entering our waterways is needed to protect our lakes, rivers, and coasts from water quality deterioration. However, despite these very significant advances, cultural eutrophication remains one of the foremost problems for protecting our valuable surface water resources. The papers in this special issue provide a valuable cross section and synthesis of our current understanding of both freshwater and marine eutrophication science. They also serve to identify gaps in our knowledge and will help to guide future research.

Application of Spacesuit Glove Requirements Tools to Athletic and Personal Protective Equipment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

England, Scott; Benson, Elizabeth; Melsoh, Miranda; Thompson, Shelby; Rajulu, Sudhakar

2010-01-01

Despite decades of ongoing improvement, astronauts must still struggle with inhibited dexterity and accelerated fatigue due to the requirement of wearing a pressurized Extra-Vehicular Activity (EVA) glove. Recent research in the Anthropometry and Biomechanics Facility at NASA's Johnson Space Center has focused on developing requirements for improvements in the design of the next generation of EVA glove. In the course of this research, it was decided to expand the scope of the testing to include a variety of commercially available athletic and consumer gloves to help provide a more recognizable comparison for investigators and designers to evaluate the current state of EVA glove mobility and strength. This comparison is being provided with the hope that innovative methods may help commercial development of gloves for various athletic and personal protective endeavors.

Thomson Scientific's expanding Web of Knowledge: beyond citation databases and current awareness services.

PubMed

London, Sue; Brahmi, Frances A

2005-01-01

As end-user demand for easy access to electronic full text continues to climb, an increasing number of information providers are combining that access with their other products and services, making navigating their Web sites by librarians seeking information on a given product or service more daunting than ever. One such provider of a complex array of products and services is Thomson Scientific. This paper looks at some of the many products and tools available from two of Thomson Scientific's businesses, Thomson ISI and Thomson ResearchSoft. Among the items of most interest to health sciences and veterinary librarians and their users are the variety of databases available via the ISI Web of Knowledge platform and the information management products available from ResearchSoft.

MoCog1: A computer simulation of recognition-primed human decision making

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gevarter, William B.

1991-01-01

This report describes the successful results of the first stage of a research effort to develop a 'sophisticated' computer model of human cognitive behavior. Most human decision-making is of the experience-based, relatively straight-forward, largely automatic, type of response to internal goals and drives, utilizing cues and opportunities perceived from the current environment. This report describes the development of the architecture and computer program associated with such 'recognition-primed' decision-making. The resultant computer program was successfully utilized as a vehicle to simulate findings that relate how an individual's implicit theories orient them toward particular goals, with resultant cognitions, affects, and behavior in response to their environment. The present work is an expanded version and is based on research reported while the author was an employee of NASA ARC.

The NCI Community Oncology Research Program: what every clinician needs to know.

PubMed

McCaskill-Stevens, Worta; Lyss, Alan P; Good, Marge; Marsland, Thomas; Lilenbaum, Rogerio

2013-01-01

Research in the community setting is essential for the translation of advances in cancer research into practice and improving cancer care for all populations. The National Cancer Institute is proposing a new community-based program, NCI Community Oncology Research Program (NCORP), which is the alignment of two existing programs, the Community Clinical Oncology Program, Minority-Based Community Clinical Oncology Program, and their Research Bases, and the National Cancer Institute's Community Cancer Centers Program. NCROP will support cancer control, prevention, treatment, and screening clinical trials and expand its research scope to include cancer care delivery research. Cancer disparities research will be integrated into studies across the continuum of NCORP research. Input from current NCI-funded community investigators provides critical insight into the challenges faced by oncology practices within various organizational structures. Furthermore, these investigators identify the resources, both administrative and clinical, that will be required in the community setting to support cancer care delivery research and to meet the requirements for a new generation of clinical research. The American Society for Clinical Oncology (ASCO) has initiated a forum to focus on the conduct of clinical research in the community setting. Resources are being developed to help practices in managing cancer care in community settings.

Connecting Arctic Research Across Boundaries through the Arctic Research Consortium of the United States (ARCUS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rich, R. H.; Myers, B.; Wiggins, H. V.; Zolkos, J.

2017-12-01

The complexities inherent in Arctic research demand a unique focus on making connections across the boundaries of discipline, institution, sector, geography, knowledge system, and culture. Since 1988, ARCUS has been working to bridge these gaps through communication, coordination, and collaboration. Recently, we have worked with partners to create a synthesis of the Arctic system, to explore the connectivity across the Arctic research community and how to strengthen it, to enable the community to have an effective voice in research funding policy, to implement a system for Arctic research community knowledge management, to bridge between global Sea Ice Prediction Network researchers and the science needs of coastal Alaska communities through the Sea Ice for Walrus Outlook, to strengthen ties between Polar researchers and educators, and to provide essential intangible infrastructure that enables cost-effective and productive research across boundaries. Employing expertise in managing for collaboration and interdisciplinarity, ARCUS complements and enables the work of its members, who constitute the Arctic research community and its key stakeholders. As a member-driven organization, everything that ARCUS does is achieved through partnership, with strong volunteer leadership of each activity. Key organizational partners in the United States include the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee, National Academy of Sciences Polar Research Board, and the North Slope Science Initiative. Internationally, ARCUS maintains strong bilateral connections with similarly focused groups in each Arctic country (and those interested in the Arctic), as well as with multinational organizations including the International Arctic Science Committee, the Association of Polar Early Career Educators, the University of the Arctic, and the Arctic Institute of North America. Currently, ARCUS is applying the best practices of the science of team science, expanding awareness of Arctic research in Washington, DC and in Alaska, and working to expand the base of support for Arctic research during this time of challenged U.S. federal research funding. The presentation will highlight our latest work to promote synthesis and systems thinking and make valuable connections.

LEONA for TLE and HEET Research in South America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

São Sabbas, F.; Souza, J. R. D.; Guerra, E. M.; Filho, A. C. J.; Galvão, R. M. O.; Branco, R.; Kherani, E. A.; Naccarato, K. P.; Federico, C. A.; Pazianotto, M. T.; Gatto, R. C.; Cisotto, M. V.; Brito, A. F. D.; Fontes, N. R.; Camargo, I. H.; Silva, A. L. G. D.

2017-12-01

In 2014 the core of LEONA, which is the "Transient Luminous Event and Thunderstorm High Energy Emission Collaborative Network in Latin America", was established in Brazil with 4 ground stations equipped to perform Transient Luminous Events - TLEs. This year a neutron detector was also installed to collect data on neutron flashes produced by lightning and thunderstorms themselves. Neutrons are one of the several types of High Energy Emissions from Thunderstorms - HEETs. The TLE stations are operated remotely via internet, by users logged in LEONA website, and the HEET station is continuously and automatically operated. Now a proposal to expand LEONA to have 12 TLE ground stations, 2 HEET ground stations (for neutrons, gamma and X rays) and 1 HEET mobile station (for gamma and X rays) is currently under evaluation by the Brazilian São Paulo Research Foundation - FAPESP, and if funded will start to be carried out in early 2018. The expanded version of LEONA will cover the Central Region of South America, including Southeast and Southern Brazil, Northern Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, which compose the most electrically active Region of South America. It will also have one TLE station in the Amazon and Northeast Regions of Brazil. South America is one of the most active thunderstorm regions of the world, with extremely large and long lived thunderstorms. Due to the South Atlantic Magnetic Anomaly - SAMA, covering most of its territory, scientific satellites routinely turn off their equipment while flying over South America, therefore a ground network like LEONA is the only way to make consistent long term measurements of TLEs and HEET in this important region of the world. This paper will present LEONA in detail, its current operational status and its expansion plan over the next 4 years. It will also highlight the main results of the different TLE observations performed from Brazil up to date by the Atmospheric and Space Electrodynamical Coupling - ACATMOS group at the Brazilian National Institute for Space Research - INPE, undertaking this challenging enterprise.

Charters as a Driver of Resegregation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ayscue, Jenn; Nelson, Amy Hawn; Mickelson, Roslyn Arlin; Giersch, Jason; Bottia, Martha Cecilia

2018-01-01

Expanding school choice through charter schools is among the top education priorities of the current federal administration as well as many state legislatures. Amid this push to expand the charter sector, it is essential to understand how charter schools affect students who attend them, as well as the ways charter schools impact traditional public…

A Roadmap for Tick-Borne Flavivirus Research in the "Omics" Era.

PubMed

Grabowski, Jeffrey M; Hill, Catherine A

2017-01-01

Tick-borne flaviviruses (TBFs) affect human health globally. Human vaccines provide protection against some TBFs, and antivirals are available, yet TBF-specific control strategies are limited. Advances in genomics offer hope to understand the viral complement transmitted by ticks, and to develop disruptive, data-driven technologies for virus detection, treatment, and control. The genome assemblies of Ixodes scapularis , the North American tick vector of the TBF, Powassan virus, and other tick vectors, are providing insights into tick biology and pathogen transmission and serve as nucleation points for expanded genomic research. Systems biology has yielded insights to the response of tick cells to viral infection at the transcript and protein level, and new protein targets for vaccines to limit virus transmission. Reverse vaccinology approaches have moved candidate tick antigenic epitopes into vaccine development pipelines. Traditional drug and in silico screening have identified candidate antivirals, and target-based approaches have been developed to identify novel acaricides. Yet, additional genomic resources are required to expand TBF research. Priorities include genome assemblies for tick vectors, "omic" studies involving high consequence pathogens and vectors, and emphasizing viral metagenomics, tick-virus metabolomics, and structural genomics of TBF and tick proteins. Also required are resources for forward genetics, including the development of tick strains with quantifiable traits, genetic markers and linkage maps. Here we review the current state of genomic research on ticks and tick-borne viruses with an emphasis on TBFs. We outline an ambitious 10-year roadmap for research in the "omics era," and explore key milestones needed to accomplish the goal of delivering three new vaccines, antivirals and acaricides for TBF control by 2030.

A Roadmap for Tick-Borne Flavivirus Research in the “Omics” Era

PubMed Central

Grabowski, Jeffrey M.; Hill, Catherine A.

2017-01-01

Tick-borne flaviviruses (TBFs) affect human health globally. Human vaccines provide protection against some TBFs, and antivirals are available, yet TBF-specific control strategies are limited. Advances in genomics offer hope to understand the viral complement transmitted by ticks, and to develop disruptive, data-driven technologies for virus detection, treatment, and control. The genome assemblies of Ixodes scapularis, the North American tick vector of the TBF, Powassan virus, and other tick vectors, are providing insights into tick biology and pathogen transmission and serve as nucleation points for expanded genomic research. Systems biology has yielded insights to the response of tick cells to viral infection at the transcript and protein level, and new protein targets for vaccines to limit virus transmission. Reverse vaccinology approaches have moved candidate tick antigenic epitopes into vaccine development pipelines. Traditional drug and in silico screening have identified candidate antivirals, and target-based approaches have been developed to identify novel acaricides. Yet, additional genomic resources are required to expand TBF research. Priorities include genome assemblies for tick vectors, “omic” studies involving high consequence pathogens and vectors, and emphasizing viral metagenomics, tick-virus metabolomics, and structural genomics of TBF and tick proteins. Also required are resources for forward genetics, including the development of tick strains with quantifiable traits, genetic markers and linkage maps. Here we review the current state of genomic research on ticks and tick-borne viruses with an emphasis on TBFs. We outline an ambitious 10-year roadmap for research in the “omics era,” and explore key milestones needed to accomplish the goal of delivering three new vaccines, antivirals and acaricides for TBF control by 2030. PMID:29312896

Innovation in eating disorders research and practice: Expanding our community and perspectives at the 2018 International Conference on Eating Disorders: Editorial to accompany IJED Virtual Issue in honor of the 2018 International Conference on Eating Disorders.

PubMed

Diedrichs, Phillippa C; von Ranson, Kristin M; Thomas, Jennifer J

2018-06-01

This virtual issue of the International Journal of Eating Disorders (IJED) highlights the excellent and innovative research and practice discussed at the 2018 International Conference on Eating Disorders held in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The virtual issue contains a series of articles recently published in IJED, which we have curated to reflect and expand on the insights delivered during the conference keynote and plenary presentations. In line with the conference theme of Innovation in Research and Practice: Expanding our Community and Perspectives, we hope this collection of articles will spark new ideas for research, practice, and collaboration to accelerate knowledge on eating disorder risk factors and recovery, and the reach and impact of evidence-based treatment, prevention, and policy efforts. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Toward the realization of a compact chemical sensor platform using quantum cascade lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holthoff, Ellen L.; Marcus, Logan S.; Pellegrino, Paul M.

2015-05-01

The Army is investigating several spectroscopic techniques (e.g., infrared spectroscopy) that could allow for an adaptable sensor platform. Traditionally, chemical sensing platforms have been hampered by the opposing concerns of increasing sensor capability while maintaining a minimal package size. Current sensors, although reasonably sized, are geared to more classical chemical threats, and the ability to expand their capabilities to a broader range of emerging threats is uncertain. Recently, photoacoustic spectroscopy, employed in a sensor format, has shown enormous potential to address these ever-changing threats, while maintaining a compact sensor design. In order to realize the advantage of photoacoustic sensor miniaturization, light sources of comparable size are required. Recent research has employed quantum cascade lasers (QCLs) in combination with MEMS-scale photoacoustic cell designs. The continuous tuning capability of QCLs over a broad wavelength range in the mid-infrared spectral region greatly expands the number of compounds that can be identified. Results have demonstrated that utilizing a tunable QCL with a MEMS-scale photoacoustic cell produces favorable detection limits (ppb levels) for chemical targets (e.g., dimethyl methyl phosphonate (DMMP), vinyl acetate, 1,4-dioxane). Although our chemical sensing research has benefitted from the broad tuning capabilities of QCLs, the limitations of these sources must be considered. Current commercially available tunable systems are still expensive and obviously geared more toward laboratory operation, not fielding. Although the laser element itself is quite small, the packaging, power supply, and controller remain logistical burdens. Additionally, operational features such as continuous wave (CW) modulation and laser output powers while maintaining wide tunability are not yet ideal for a variety of sensing applications. In this paper, we will discuss our continuing evaluation of QCL technology as it matures in relation to our ultimate goal of a universal compact chemical sensor platform.

Toward an open-access global database for mapping, control, and surveillance of neglected tropical diseases.

PubMed

Hürlimann, Eveline; Schur, Nadine; Boutsika, Konstantina; Stensgaard, Anna-Sofie; Laserna de Himpsl, Maiti; Ziegelbauer, Kathrin; Laizer, Nassor; Camenzind, Lukas; Di Pasquale, Aurelio; Ekpo, Uwem F; Simoonga, Christopher; Mushinge, Gabriel; Saarnak, Christopher F L; Utzinger, Jürg; Kristensen, Thomas K; Vounatsou, Penelope

2011-12-01

After many years of general neglect, interest has grown and efforts came under way for the mapping, control, surveillance, and eventual elimination of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). Disease risk estimates are a key feature to target control interventions, and serve as a benchmark for monitoring and evaluation. What is currently missing is a georeferenced global database for NTDs providing open-access to the available survey data that is constantly updated and can be utilized by researchers and disease control managers to support other relevant stakeholders. We describe the steps taken toward the development of such a database that can be employed for spatial disease risk modeling and control of NTDs. With an emphasis on schistosomiasis in Africa, we systematically searched the literature (peer-reviewed journals and 'grey literature'), contacted Ministries of Health and research institutions in schistosomiasis-endemic countries for location-specific prevalence data and survey details (e.g., study population, year of survey and diagnostic techniques). The data were extracted, georeferenced, and stored in a MySQL database with a web interface allowing free database access and data management. At the beginning of 2011, our database contained more than 12,000 georeferenced schistosomiasis survey locations from 35 African countries available under http://www.gntd.org. Currently, the database is expanded to a global repository, including a host of other NTDs, e.g. soil-transmitted helminthiasis and leishmaniasis. An open-access, spatially explicit NTD database offers unique opportunities for disease risk modeling, targeting control interventions, disease monitoring, and surveillance. Moreover, it allows for detailed geostatistical analyses of disease distribution in space and time. With an initial focus on schistosomiasis in Africa, we demonstrate the proof-of-concept that the establishment and running of a global NTD database is feasible and should be expanded without delay.

Online purchases of an expanded range of condom sizes in comparison to current dimensional requirements allowable by US national standards.

PubMed

Cecil, Michael; Warner, Lee; Siegler, Aaron J

2013-11-01

Across studies, 35-50% of men describe condoms as fitting poorly. Rates of condom use may be inhibited in part due to the inaccessibility of appropriately sized condoms. As regulated medical devices, condom sizes conform to national standards such as those developed by the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) or international standards such as those developed by the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO). We describe the initial online sales experience of an expanded range of condom sizes and assess uptake in relation to the current required standard dimensions of condoms. Data regarding the initial 1000 sales of an expanded range of condom sizes in the United Kingdom were collected from late 2011 through to early 2012. Ninety-five condom sizes, comprising 14 lengths (83-238mm) and 12 widths (41-69mm), were available. For the first 1000 condom six-pack units that were sold, a total of 83 of the 95 unique sizes were purchased, including all 14 lengths and 12 widths, and both the smallest and largest condoms. Initial condom purchases were made by 572 individuals from 26 countries. Only 13.4% of consumer sales were in the ASTM's allowable range of sizes. These initial sales data suggest consumer interest in an expanded choice of condom sizes that fall outside the range currently allowable by national and international standards organisations.

Research Spotlight: Corals expanding poleward due to warming climate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tretkoff, Ernie

2011-04-01

Corals are important organisms for ecosystems and are sensitive indicators of the effects of climate warming. While corals are bleaching and dying in tropical areas due to climate warming, a new study shows that in temperate areas they are expanding their range poleward as water temperatures increase. Yamano et al. used 80 years of records to study the range of corals around Japan. Sea surface temperatures have risen in these temperate areas during that time. They found that four of the nine species of coral they studied expanded their range northward since the 1930s, while none had its range shrink southward. The corals expanded northward as quickly as 14 kilometers per year. The study suggests that rapid modifications of temperate coastal ecosystems could be taking place. (Geophysical Research Letters, doi:10.1029/2010GL046474, 2011)

RNA-Seq Analysis to Measure the Expression of SINE Retroelements.

PubMed

Román, Ángel Carlos; Morales-Hernández, Antonio; Fernández-Salguero, Pedro M

2016-01-01

The intrinsic features of retroelements, like their repetitive nature and disseminated presence in their host genomes, demand the use of advanced methodologies for their bioinformatic and functional study. The short length of SINE (short interspersed elements) retrotransposons makes such analyses even more complex. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies are currently one of the most widely used tools to characterize the whole repertoire of gene expression in a specific tissue. In this chapter, we will review the molecular and computational methods needed to perform NGS analyses on SINE elements. We will also describe new methods of potential interest for researchers studying repetitive elements. We intend to outline the general ideas behind the computational analyses of NGS data obtained from SINE elements, and to stimulate other scientists to expand our current knowledge on SINE biology using RNA-seq and other NGS tools.

The Expanded Application of Forensic Science and Law Enforcement Methodologies in Army Counterintelligence

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-01

THE EXPANDED APPLICATION OF FORENSIC SCIENCE AND LAW ENFORCEMENT METHODOLOGIES IN ARMY COUNTERINTELLIGENCE A RESEARCH PROJECT...Jul 2017 The Expanded Application of Forensic Science and Law Enforcement Methodologies in Army Counterintelligence CW2 Stockham, Braden E. National...forensic science resources, law enforcement methodologies and procedures, and basic investigative training. In order to determine if these changes would

Farmer's market, demonstration gardens, and research projects expand outreach of Extension Master Gardeners

Treesearch

Pamela J. Bennett; Ellen M. Bauske; Alison Stoven O' Connor; Jean Reeder; Carol Busch; Heidi A. Kratsch; Elizabeth Leger; Angela O' Callaghan; Peter J. Nitzche; Jim Downer

2013-01-01

Extension Master Gardener (EMG) volunteers are central to expanding the outreach and engagement of extension staff. A workshop format was used at the Annual Conference of the American Society for Horticultural Science on 31 July 2012 in Miami, FL to identify successful management techniques and projects that expand EMG volunteer outreach, leading to increased extension...

Integrating landslide and liquefaction hazard and loss estimates with existing USGS real-time earthquake information products

USGS Publications Warehouse

Allstadt, Kate E.; Thompson, Eric M.; Hearne, Mike; Nowicki Jessee, M. Anna; Zhu, J.; Wald, David J.; Tanyas, Hakan

2017-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has made significant progress toward the rapid estimation of shaking and shakingrelated losses through their Did You Feel It? (DYFI), ShakeMap, ShakeCast, and PAGER products. However, quantitative estimates of the extent and severity of secondary hazards (e.g., landsliding, liquefaction) are not currently included in scenarios and real-time post-earthquake products despite their significant contributions to hazard and losses for many events worldwide. We are currently running parallel global statistical models for landslides and liquefaction developed with our collaborators in testing mode, but much work remains in order to operationalize these systems. We are expanding our efforts in this area by not only improving the existing statistical models, but also by (1) exploring more sophisticated, physics-based models where feasible; (2) incorporating uncertainties; and (3) identifying and undertaking research and product development to provide useful landslide and liquefaction estimates and their uncertainties. Although our existing models use standard predictor variables that are accessible globally or regionally, including peak ground motions, topographic slope, and distance to water bodies, we continue to explore readily available proxies for rock and soil strength as well as other susceptibility terms. This work is based on the foundation of an expanding, openly available, case-history database we are compiling along with historical ShakeMaps for each event. The expected outcome of our efforts is a robust set of real-time secondary hazards products that meet the needs of a wide variety of earthquake information users. We describe the available datasets and models, developments currently underway, and anticipated products. 

The Pioneering Role of the Vaccine Safety Datalink Project (VSD) to Advance Collaborative Research and Distributed Data Networks

PubMed Central

Fahey, Kevin R.

2015-01-01

Introduction: Large-scale distributed data networks consisting of diverse stakeholders including providers, patients, and payers are changing health research in terms of methods, speed and efficiency. The Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) set the stage for expanded involvement of health plans in collaborative research. Expanding Surveillance Capacity and Progress Toward a Learning Health System: From an initial collaboration of four integrated health systems with fewer than 10 million covered lives to 16 diverse health plans with nearly 100 million lives now in the FDA Sentinel, the expanded engagement of health plan researchers has been essential to increase the value and impact of these efforts. The collaborative structure of the VSD established a pathway toward research efforts that successfully engage all stakeholders in a cohesive rather than competitive manner. The scientific expertise and methodology developed through the VSD such as rapid cycle analysis (RCA) to conduct near real-time safety surveillance allowed for the development of the expanded surveillance systems that now exist. Building on Success and Lessons Learned: These networks have learned from and built on the knowledge base and infrastructure created by the VSD investigators. This shared technical knowledge and experience expedited the development of systems like the FDA’s Mini-Sentinel and the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)’s PCORnet Conclusion: This narrative reviews the evolution of the VSD, its contribution to other collaborative research networks, longer-term sustainability of this type of distributed research, and how knowledge gained from the earlier efforts can contribute to a continually learning health system. PMID:26793736

STS-98 crew takes part in Multi-Equipment Interface Test.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

Members of the STS-98 crew check out equipment in the U.S. Lab Destiny during a Multi-Equipment Interface Test. During the mission, the crew will install the Lab in the International Space Station during a series of three space walks. The STS-98 mission will provide the station with science research facilities and expand its power, life support and control capabilities. The U.S. Laboratory Module continues a long tradition of microgravity materials research, first conducted by Skylab and later Shuttle and Spacelab missions. Destiny is expected to be a major feature in future research, providing facilities for biotechnology, fluid physics, combustion, and life sciences research. Making up the five-member crew on STS-98 are Commander Kenneth D. Cockrell, Pilot Mark L. Polansky, and Mission Specialists Robert L. Curbeam Jr., Thomas D. Jones (Ph.D.) and Marsha S. Ivins. The Lab is planned for launch aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis on the sixth ISS flight, currently targeted no earlier than Aug. 19, 2000.

STS-98 crew takes part in Multi-Equipment Interface Test.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

In the Space Station Processing Facility, STS-98 Mission Specialist Thomas D. Jones (Ph.D.) gets a closeup view of the cover on the window of the U.S. Lab Destiny. Along with Commander Kenneth D. Cockrell and Pilot Mark Polansky, Jones is taking part in a Multi-Equipment Interface Test (MEIT) on this significant element of the International Space Station. During the STS-98 mission, the crew will install the Lab on the station during a series of three space walks. The mission will provide the station with science research facilities and expand its power, life support and control capabilities. The U.S. Laboratory Module continues a long tradition of microgravity materials research, first conducted by Skylab and later Shuttle and Spacelab missions. Destiny is expected to be a major feature in future research, providing facilities for biotechnology, fluid physics, combustion, and life sciences research. The Lab is planned for launch aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis on the sixth ISS flight, currently targeted no earlier than Aug. 19, 2000.

STS-98 crew takes part in Multi-Equipment Interface Test.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2000-01-01

STS-98 Commander Kenneth D. Cockrell (left) and Mission Specialist Thomas D. Jones (Ph.D.) check out equipment in the U.S. Lab Destiny during a Multi-Equipment Interface Test. During the mission, Jones will help install the Lab on the International Space Station in a series of three space walks. The STS-98 mission will provide the station with science research facilities and expand its power, life support and control capabilities. The U.S. Laboratory Module continues a long tradition of microgravity materials research, first conducted by Skylab and later Shuttle and Spacelab missions. Destiny is expected to be a major feature in future research, providing facilities for biotechnology, fluid physics, combustion, and life sciences research. Others in the five-member crew on STS-98 are Pilot Mark L. Polansky, and Mission Specialists Robert L. Curbeam Jr. and Marsha S. Ivins. The Lab is planned for launch aboard Space Shuttle Atlantis on the sixth ISS flight, currently targeted no earlier than Aug. 19, 2000.

Endocrine manifestations of Down syndrome.

PubMed

Whooten, Rachel; Schmitt, Jessica; Schwartz, Alison

2018-02-01

To summarize the recent developments in endocrine disorders associated with Down syndrome. Current research regarding bone health and Down syndrome continues to show an increased prevalence of low bone mass and highlights the importance of considering short stature when interpreting dual energy x-ray absorptiometry. The underlying cause of low bone density is an area of active research and will shape treatment and preventive measures. Risk of thyroid disease is present throughout the life course in individuals with Down syndrome. New approaches and understanding of the pathophysiology and management of subclinical hypothyroidism continue to be explored. Individuals with Down syndrome are also at risk for other autoimmune conditions, with recent research revealing the role of the increased expression of the Autoimmune Regulatory gene on 21st chromosome. Lastly, Down-syndrome-specific growth charts were recently published and provide a better assessment of growth. Recent research confirms and expands on the previously known endocrinopathies in Down syndrome and provides more insight into potential underlying mechanisms.

Structural Framework for Flight: NASA's Role in Development of Advanced Composite Materials for Aircraft and Space Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tenney, Darrel R.; Davis, John G., Jr.; Johnston, Norman J.; Pipes, R. Byron; McGuire, Jack F.

2011-01-01

This serves as a source of collated information on Composite Research over the past four decades at NASA Langley Research Center, and is a key reference for readers wishing to grasp the underlying principles and challenges associated with developing and applying advanced composite materials to new aerospace vehicle concepts. Second, it identifies the major obstacles encountered in developing and applying composites on advanced flight vehicles, as well as lessons learned in overcoming these obstacles. Third, it points out current barriers and challenges to further application of composites on future vehicles. This is extremely valuable for steering research in the future, when new breakthroughs in materials or processing science may eliminate/minimize some of the barriers that have traditionally blocked the expanded application of composite to new structural or revolutionary vehicle concepts. Finally, a review of past work and identification of future challenges will hopefully inspire new research opportunities and development of revolutionary materials and structural concepts to revolutionize future flight vehicles.

An in-depth survey of the oil spill literature since 1968: Long term trends and changes since Deepwater Horizon.

PubMed

Murphy, David; Gemmell, Brad; Vaccari, Liana; Li, Cheng; Bacosa, Hernando; Evans, Meredith; Gemmell, Colbi; Harvey, Tracy; Jalali, Maryam; Niepa, Tagbo H R

2016-12-15

In order to characterize the state of oil spill research and describe how the field has changed since its inception in the 1960s and since the Deepwater Horizon spill in 2010, we examined approximately 10% of oil spill literature (1255 of over 11,000 publications) published from 1968 to 2015. We find that, despite its episodic nature, oil spill research is a rapidly expanding field with a growth rate faster than that of science as a whole. There is a massive post-Deepwater Horizon shift of research attention to the Gulf of Mexico, from 2% of studies in 2004-2008 to 61% in 2014-2015, thus ranking Deepwater Horizon as the most studied oil spill. There is, however, a longstanding gap in research in that only 1% of studies deal with the effects of oil spills on human health. These results provide a better understanding of the current trends and gaps within the field. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Coping and posttraumatic growth in women with limb amputations.

PubMed

Stutts, Lauren A; Bills, Sarah E; Erwin, Savannah R; Good, Jessica J

2015-01-01

While ample research has examined the psychological experiences of men with limb amputations, minimal research has examined the psychological experiences of women with limb amputations. The present study utilizes a qualitative design to examine coping and posttraumatic growth in women with limb amputations. Thirty women completed the posttraumatic growth inventory (PTGI) and provided open-ended responses about coping, social support, discrimination, support groups, and acceptance. Interpretative phenomenological analysis was used to discern emergent and superordinate themes in qualitative responses. Superordinate themes included social support (friendships/family and community), self-beliefs, resources, physical complications, spirituality, specific strategies, and acceptance. Concerns related specifically to participants' gender identity included appearance and motherhood. Overall, women reported moderate-to-high PTGI scores. The current findings address a void in the literature by illuminating the unique perspective of women with amputations. Future research should use quantitative methodology to expand on our research findings, as well as assess interventions to assist women adjusting to limb loss.

Unanticipated Insights into Biomedicine from the Study of Acupuncture.

PubMed

MacPherson, Hugh; Hammerschlag, Richard; Coeytaux, Remy R; Davis, Robert T; Harris, Richard E; Kong, Jiang-Ti; Langevin, Helene M; Lao, Lixing; Milley, Ryan J; Napadow, Vitaly; Schnyer, Rosa N; Stener-Victorin, Elisabet; Witt, Claudia M; Wayne, Peter M

2016-02-01

Research into acupuncture has had ripple effects beyond the field of acupuncture. This paper identifies five exemplars to illustrate that there is tangible evidence of the way insights gleaned from acupuncture research have informed biomedical research, practice, or policy. The first exemplar documents how early research into acupuncture analgesia has expanded into neuroimaging research, broadening physiologic understanding and treatment of chronic pain. The second describes how the acupuncture needle has become a tool to enhance biomedical knowledge of connective tissue. The third exemplar, which illustrates use of a modified acupuncture needle as a sham device, focuses on emergent understanding of placebo effects and, in turn, on insights into therapeutic encounters in treatments unrelated to acupuncture. The fourth exemplar documents that two medical devices now in widespread use were inspired by acupuncture: transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulators for pain control and antinausea wrist bands. The final exemplar describes how pragmatic clinical trial designs applied in acupuncture research have informed current general interest in comparative effectiveness research. In conclusion, these exemplars of unanticipated outcomes of acupuncture research comprise an additional rationale for continued support of basic and clinical research evaluating acupuncture and other under-researched therapies.

Influence of basal-plane dislocation structures on expansion of single Shockley-type stacking faults in forward-current degradation of 4H-SiC p-i-n diodes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hayashi, Shohei; Yamashita, Tamotsu; Senzaki, Junji; Miyazato, Masaki; Ryo, Mina; Miyajima, Masaaki; Kato, Tomohisa; Yonezawa, Yoshiyuki; Kojima, Kazutoshi; Okumura, Hajime

2018-04-01

The origin of expanded single Shockley-type stacking faults in forward-current degradation of 4H-SiC p-i-n diodes was investigated by the stress-current test. At a stress-current density lower than 25 A cm-2, triangular stacking faults were formed from basal-plane dislocations in the epitaxial layer. At a stress-current density higher than 350 A cm-2, both triangular and long-zone-shaped stacking faults were formed from basal-plane dislocations that converted into threading edge dislocations near the interface between the epitaxial layer and the substrate. In addition, the conversion depth of basal-plane dislocations that expanded into the stacking fault was inside the substrate deeper than the interface. These results indicate that the conversion depth of basal-plane dislocations strongly affects the threshold stress-current density at which the expansion of stacking faults occurs.

Sex and Gender Differences Research Design for Basic, Clinical and Population Studies: Essentials for Investigators.

PubMed

Rich-Edwards, Janet W; Kaiser, Ursula B; Chen, Grace L; Manson, JoAnn E; Goldstein, Jill

2018-04-12

A sex and gender-informed perspective increases rigor, promotes discovery, and expands the relevance of biomedical research. In the current era of accountability to present data for males and females, thoughtful and deliberate methodology can improve study design and inference in sex and gender differences research. We address issues of motivation, subject selection, sample size, data collection, analysis, and interpretation, considering implications for basic, clinical, and population research. In particular, we focus on methods to test sex/gender differences as effect modification or interaction, and discuss why some inferences from sex-stratified data should be viewed with caution. Without careful methodology, the pursuit of sex difference research, despite a mandate from funding agencies, will result in a literature of contradiction. However, given the historic lack of attention to sex differences, the absence of evidence for sex differences is not necessarily evidence of the absence of sex differences. Thoughtfully conceived and conducted sex and gender differences research is needed to drive scientific and therapeutic discovery for all sexes and genders.

Women's Health Research: Current State of the Art

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

It is remarkable that only a few years ago, discussions about women's health research often had to be prefaced with the expanded vision of what that concept should actually be in totality as the traditional approach to the health of women had focused on the reproductive system or “bikini medicine,” as Dr Marianne Legato, an internationally recognized specialist in women's health, and others have characterized it. Today, there is an almost universal appreciation of the broader perception of women's health and that research on women includes not just clinical trials but also basic investigation from the molecular level of genes to the many aspects of behavioral and societal influences. This evolution over the past 25 years of what should and does constitute women's health research has been important in influencing the design of biomedical and behavioral research studies and in elucidating factors now implicit in diagnostic and therapeutic approaches to both males and females.1 And examples of advances from research providing the foundation for public health policies and legislative initiatives only strengthen the understanding of the value of these efforts.2 PMID:24416687

Comet/Asteroid Protection System (CAPS): Preliminary Space-Based Concept and Study Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazanek, Daniel D.; Roithmayr, Carlos M.; Antol, Jeffrey; Park, Sang-Young; Koons, Robert H.; Bremer, James C.; Murphy, Douglas G.; Hoffman, James A.; Kumar, Renjith R.; Seywald, Hans

2005-01-01

There exists an infrequent, but significant hazard to life and property due to impacting asteroids and comets. There is currently no specific search for long-period comets, smaller near-Earth asteroids, or smaller short-period comets. These objects represent a threat with potentially little or no warning time using conventional ground-based telescopes. These planetary bodies also represent a significant resource for commercial exploitation, long-term sustained space exploration, and scientific research. The Comet/Asteroid Protection System (CAPS) is a future space-based system concept that provides permanent, continuous asteroid and comet monitoring, and rapid, controlled modification of the orbital trajectories of selected bodies. CAPS would expand the current detection effort to include long-period comets, as well as small asteroids and short-period comets capable of regional destruction. A space-based detection system, despite being more costly and complex than Earth-based initiatives, is the most promising way of expanding the range of detectable objects, and surveying the entire celestial sky on a regular basis. CAPS would provide an orbit modification system capable of diverting kilometer class objects, and modifying the orbits of smaller asteroids for impact defense and resource utilization. This Technical Memorandum provides a compilation of key related topics and analyses performed during the CAPS study, which was performed under the Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts (RASC) program, and discusses technologies that could enable the implementation of this future system.

75 FR 41211 - Office of the Director; Notice of Establishment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-15

... recommendations on how best to disseminate information on pain care; and (e) make recommendations on how to expand partnerships between public and private entities to expand collaborative, cross- cutting research. Duration of...

Expanding the Vision of Self: Why the Arts Matter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nathan, Linda F.

2013-01-01

In this reflective essay, Linda F. Nathan, the founding headmaster of the Boston Arts Academy and currently the executive director of Center for Arts in Education at Boston Arts Academy, shares a story about how one student, Ronald, expands his vision of self through his engagement with the arts. In presenting this reflection on Ronald's…

The Claims of Documentary: Expanding the Educational Significance of Documentary Film

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frank, Jeff

2013-01-01

The documentary film is a popular curriculum tool, and the goal of this paper is to expand the educational significance of the documentary genre. I argue that current understandings of this genre are limited and limiting, and offer an alternative perspective on the genre. This alternative will be built from Stanley Cavell's philosophy of…

Novel strategies for the management of recurrent pregnancy loss.

PubMed

Kutteh, William H

2015-05-01

This article discusses the current trends in the diagnosis and treatment of recurrent pregnancy loss. Genetic testing of the miscarriage tissue by 23-chromosome microarray and the ability to identify maternal cell contamination have increased our awareness of the role of aneuploidy as a cause of recurrent pregnancy loss. This increasing influence and the role of genetic testing in developing a strategy for the evaluation of recurrent pregnancy loss are described and discussed. The most common questions that practicing physicians ask about recurrent pregnancy loss include how many losses are needed to make the diagnosis, what counts as a pregnancy loss, what constitutes a full workup, should we get karyotypes on the parents and the miscarriage, and what is the prognosis for a live birth? This review attempts to answer those questions based on current research and clinical experience to expand our current understanding of recurrent pregnancy loss. Thieme Medical Publishers 333 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10001, USA.

Adults with Pedophilic Interests in the United States: Current Practices and Suggestions for Future Policy and Research.

PubMed

Lasher, Michael P; Stinson, Jill D

2017-04-01

Adults with pedophilic interests are often viewed by the public as a homogenous subgroup based on what we know from those who sexually offend against children. The stigma associated with child sexual abuse may serve to deter such behaviors but may also interfere with the person's stability and willingness to seek assistance in managing pedophilic interests. This article contrasts the sex offender response and prevention efforts typically employed in the U.S. (i.e., containment, registration, and notification policies and public education programs) with treatment programs aimed at preventing child sexual abuse in Germany, Belgium, and Canada. Five major areas are identified that should be further examined with regard to implementing preventative outreach and treatment programs in the U.S.: barriers to outreach and treatment programs, how to expand or reframe current preventative educational programs, implementation of such programs in light of current mandating reporting policies, promising treatment approaches for pedophilic interests among non-offenders, and ethical concerns relevant to preventative psychological interventions.

Clinical perspective of cell-free DNA testing for fetal aneuploidies.

PubMed

Gratacós, Eduard; Nicolaides, Kypros

2014-01-01

Cell-free DNA testing in maternal blood provides the most effective method of screening for trisomy 21, with a reported detection rate of 99% and a false positive rate of less than 0.1%. After many years of research, this method is now commercially available and is carried out in an increasing number of patients, and there is an expanding number of conditions that can be screened for. However, the application of these methods in clinical practice requires a careful analysis. Current first-trimester screening strategies are based on a complex combination of tests, aiming at detecting fetal defects and predicting the risk of main pregnancy complications. It is therefore necessary to define the optimal way of combining cell-free DNA testing with current first-trimester screening methods. In this concise review we describe the basis of cell-free DNA testing and discuss the potential approaches for its implementation in combination with current tests in the first trimester. © 2014 S. Karger AG, Basel.

MIRIADS: miniature infrared imaging applications development system description and operation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baxter, Christopher R.; Massie, Mark A.; McCarley, Paul L.; Couture, Michael E.

2001-10-01

A cooperative effort between the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Nova Research, Inc., the Raytheon Infrared Operations (RIO) and Optics 1, Inc. has successfully produced a miniature infrared camera system that offers significant real-time signal and image processing capabilities by virtue of its modular design. This paper will present an operational overview of the system as well as results from initial testing of the 'Modular Infrared Imaging Applications Development System' (MIRIADS) configured as a missile early-warning detection system. The MIRIADS device can operate virtually any infrared focal plane array (FPA) that currently exists. Programmable on-board logic applies user-defined processing functions to the real-time digital image data for a variety of functions. Daughterboards may be plugged onto the system to expand the digital and analog processing capabilities of the system. A unique full hemispherical infrared fisheye optical system designed and produced by Optics 1, Inc. is utilized by the MIRIADS in a missile warning application to demonstrate the flexibility of the overall system to be applied to a variety of current and future AFRL missions.

Each cell counts: Hematopoiesis and immunity research in the era of single cell genomics.

PubMed

Jaitin, Diego Adhemar; Keren-Shaul, Hadas; Elefant, Naama; Amit, Ido

2015-02-01

Hematopoiesis and immunity are mediated through complex interactions between multiple cell types and states. This complexity is currently addressed following a reductionist approach of characterizing cell types by a small number of cell surface molecular features and gross functions. While the introduction of global transcriptional profiling technologies enabled a more comprehensive view, heterogeneity within sampled populations remained unaddressed, obscuring the true picture of hematopoiesis and immune system function. A critical mass of technological advances in molecular biology and genomics has enabled genome-wide measurements of single cells - the fundamental unit of immunity. These new advances are expected to boost detection of less frequent cell types and fuzzy intermediate cell states, greatly expanding the resolution of current available classifications. This new era of single-cell genomics in immunology research holds great promise for further understanding of the mechanisms and circuits regulating hematopoiesis and immunity in both health and disease. In the near future, the accuracy of single-cell genomics will ultimately enable precise diagnostics and treatment of multiple hematopoietic and immune related diseases. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Potential use and perspectives of nitric oxide donors in agriculture.

PubMed

Marvasi, Massimiliano

2017-03-01

Nitric oxide (NO) has emerged in the last 30 years as a key molecule involved in many physiological processes in plants, animals and bacteria. Current research has shown that NO can be delivered via donor molecules. In such cases, the NO release rate is dependent on the chemical structure of the donor itself and on the chemical environment. Despite NO's powerful signaling effect in plants and animals, the application of NO donors in agriculture is currently not implemented and research remains mainly at the experimental level. Technological development in the field of NO donors is rapidly expanding in scope to include controlling seed germination, plant development, ripening and increasing shelf-life of produce. Potential applications in animal production have also been identified. This concise review focuses on the use of donors that have shown potential biotechnological applications in agriculture. Insights are provided into (i) the role of donors in plant production, (ii) the potential use of donors in animal production and (iii) future approaches to explore the use and applications of donors for the benefit of agriculture. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.

Improving Existing EPO Efforts with Data Access through the National Virtual Observatory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raddick, M. J.; Christian, C. A.; O'Mullane, W. J.

2005-05-01

The National Virtual Observatory (NVO) is developing tools to enable astronomy data to be shared seamlessly across the Internet. The goal of the NVO is to allow anyone on the Internet to access all astronomy data ever measured, with any instrument, in any wavelength. The NVO's research efforts focus on allowing scientists to access existing online data, adding value to each dataset by virtue of its connection to others. Similarly, the NVO's Education and Public Outreach (EPO) efforts focus on connecting existing projects with the our seamless access to real, modern astronomy data from thousands of research projects. We hope that this connection will provide countless opportunities to expand and enhance existing EPO projects. Some of the projects currently working with NVO are the CLEA labs at Gettysburg College, Project LITE at Boston University, and Adler Planetarium. In this poster, I will describe the current EPO efforts that incorporate the NVO's data access tools. I will also provide a tutorial for EPO developers, with practical suggestions on how to incorporate NVO tools into existing projects. I will also give contact information for further help.

The development of norm-based coding and race-specific face prototypes: an examination of 5- and 8-year-olds' face space.

PubMed

Short, Lindsey A; Hatry, Alexandra J; Mondloch, Catherine J

2011-02-01

The current research investigated the organization of children's face space by examining whether 5- and 8-year-olds show race-contingent aftereffects. Participants read a storybook in which Caucasian and Chinese children's faces were distorted in opposite directions. Before and after adaptation, participants judged the normality/attractiveness of expanded, compressed, and undistorted Caucasian and Chinese faces. The method was validated with adults and then refined to test 8- and 5-year-olds. The 5-year-olds were also tested in a simple aftereffects paradigm. The current research provides the first evidence for simple attractiveness aftereffects in 5-year-olds and for race-contingent aftereffects in both 5- and 8-year-olds. Evidence that adults and 5-year-olds may possess only a weak prototype for Chinese children's faces suggests that Caucasian adults' prototype for Chinese adult faces does not generalize to child faces and that children's face space undergoes a period of increasing differentiation between 5 and 8 years of age. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

3D printed rapid disaster response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lacaze, Alberto; Murphy, Karl; Mottern, Edward; Corley, Katrina; Chu, Kai-Dee

2014-05-01

Under the Department of Homeland Security-sponsored Sensor-smart Affordable Autonomous Robotic Platforms (SAARP) project, Robotic Research, LLC is developing an affordable and adaptable method to provide disaster response robots developed with 3D printer technology. The SAARP Store contains a library of robots, a developer storefront, and a user storefront. The SAARP Store allows the user to select, print, assemble, and operate the robot. In addition to the SAARP Store, two platforms are currently being developed. They use a set of common non-printed components that will allow the later design of other platforms that share non-printed components. During disasters, new challenges are faced that require customized tools or platforms. Instead of prebuilt and prepositioned supplies, a library of validated robots will be catalogued to satisfy various challenges at the scene. 3D printing components will allow these customized tools to be deployed in a fraction of the time that would normally be required. While the current system is focused on supporting disaster response personnel, this system will be expandable to a range of customers, including domestic law enforcement, the armed services, universities, and research facilities.

Beyond Comprehension Strategy Instruction: What's Next?

PubMed

Elleman, Amy M; Compton, Donald L

2017-04-20

In this article, we respond to Catts and Kamhi's (2017) argument that reading comprehension is not a single ability. We provide a brief review of the impact of strategy instruction, the importance of knowledge in reading comprehension, and possible avenues for future research and practice. We agree with Catts and Kamhi's argument that reading comprehension is a complex endeavor and that current recommended practices do not reflect the complexity of the construct. Knowledge building, despite its important role in comprehension, has been relegated to a back seat in reading comprehension instruction. In the final section of the article, we outline possible avenues for research and practice (e.g., generative language instruction, dialogic approaches to knowledge building, analogical reasoning and disciplinary literacy, the use of graphics and media, inference instruction) for improving reading-comprehension outcomes. Reading comprehension is a complex ability, and comprehension instruction should reflect this complexity. If we want to have an impact on long-term growth in reading comprehension, we will need to expand our current repertoire of instructional methods to include approaches that support the acquisition and integration of knowledge across a variety of texts and topics.

Therapeutic application of stem cells in gastroenterology: an up-date.

PubMed

Burra, Patrizia; Bizzaro, Debora; Ciccocioppo, Rachele; Marra, Fabio; Piscaglia, Anna Chiara; Porretti, Laura; Gasbarrini, Antonio; Russo, Francesco Paolo

2011-09-14

Adult stem cells represent the self-renewing progenitors of numerous body tissues, and they are currently classified according to their origin and differentiation ability. In recent years, the research on stem cells has expanded enormously and holds therapeutic promises for many patients suffering from currently disabling diseases. This paper focuses on the possible use of stem cells in the two main clinical settings in gastroenterology, i.e., hepatic and intestinal diseases, which have a strong impact on public health worldwide. Despite encouraging results obtained in both regenerative medicine and immune-mediated conditions, further studies are needed to fully understand the biology of stem cells and carefully assess their putative oncogenic properties. Moreover, the research on stem cells arouses fervent ethical, social and political debate. The Italian Society of Gastroenterology sponsored a workshop on stem cells held in Verona during the XVI Congress of the Federation of Italian Societies of Digestive Diseases (March 6-9, 2010). Here, we report on the issues discussed, including liver and intestinal diseases that may benefit from stem cell therapy, the biology of hepatic and intestinal tissue repair, and stem cell usage in clinical trials.

Caring for Pregnant Women with Opioid Use Disorder in the USA: Expanding and Improving Treatment.

PubMed

Saia, Kelley A; Schiff, Davida; Wachman, Elisha M; Mehta, Pooja; Vilkins, Annmarie; Sia, Michelle; Price, Jordana; Samura, Tirah; DeAngelis, Justin; Jackson, Clark V; Emmer, Sawyer F; Shaw, Daniel; Bagley, Sarah

Opioid use disorder in the USA is rising at an alarming rate, particularly among women of childbearing age. Pregnant women with opioid use disorder face numerous barriers to care, including limited access to treatment, stigma, and fear of legal consequences. This review of opioid use disorder in pregnancy is designed to assist health care providers caring for pregnant and postpartum women with the goal of expanding evidence-based treatment practices for this vulnerable population. We review current literature on opioid use disorder among US women, existing legislation surrounding substance use in pregnancy, and available treatment options for pregnant women with opioid use disorder. Opioid agonist treatment (OAT) remains the standard of care for treating opioid use disorder in pregnancy. Medically assisted opioid withdrawal ("detoxification") is not recommended in pregnancy and is associated with high maternal relapse rates. Extended release naltrexone may confer benefit for carefully selected patients. Histories of trauma and mental health disorders are prevalent in this population; and best practice recommendations incorporate gender-specific, trauma-informed, mental health services. Breastfeeding with OAT is safe and beneficial for the mother-infant dyad. Further research investigating options of OAT and the efficacy of opioid antagonists in pregnancy is needed. The US health care system can adapt to provide quality care for these mother-infant dyads by expanding comprehensive treatment services and improving access to care.

Factors associated with physicians' choice of a career in research: a retrospective report 15 years after medical school graduation.

PubMed

Krupat, Edward; Camargo, Carlos A; Strewler, Gordon J; Espinola, Janice A; Fleenor, Thomas J; Dienstag, Jules L

2017-03-01

Relatively little is known regarding factors associated with the choice of a research career among practicing physicians, and most investigations of this issue have been conducted in the absence of a theoretical/conceptual model. Therefore we designed a survey to identify the determinants of decisions to pursue a biomedical research career based upon the Theory of Planned Behavior and the concept of stereotype threat. From October 2012 through January 2014 electronic surveys were sent to four consecutive Harvard Medical School graduating classes, 1996-1999. Respondents provided demographic information, indicated their current research involvement, and provided retrospective reports of their experiences and attitudes when they were making career choices as they completed medical school. Multivariable ordinal regression was used to identify factors independently associated with current research involvement. Completed questionnaires were received from 358 respondents (response rate 65 %). In unadjusted analyses, variables associated with more extensive research involvement included non-minority status, male gender, lower debt at graduation, strong attitudes toward research at time of graduation, and greater social pressures to pursue research (all P < .001). These associations remained significant in multivariable regression analysis (all P < 0.01). However, an interaction between sex and prior research publications was also detected, indicating that more extensive research involvement during medical school doubled the likelihood of a research career for women (OR 2.53, 95 % CI 1.00-6.40; P = 0.05). Most of the factors predicting research career choice involve factors that are potentially modifiable, suggesting that appropriately designed behavioral interventions may help to expand the size and diversity of the biomedical research community.

Factors associated with physicians’ choice of a career in research: A retrospective report 15 years after medical school graduation

PubMed Central

Krupat, Edward; Camargo, Carlos A.; Strewler, Gordon J.; Espinola, Janice A.; Fleenor, Thomas J.; Dienstag, Jules L.

2016-01-01

Relatively little is known regarding factors associated with the choice of a research career among practicing physicians, and most investigations of this issue have been conducted in the absence of a theoretical/conceptual model. Therefore we designed a survey to identify the determinants of decisions to pursue a biomedical research career based upon the Theory of Planned Behavior and the concept of stereotype threat. From October 2012 through January 2014 electronic surveys were sent to four consecutive Harvard Medical School graduating classes, 1996-1999. Respondents provided demographic information, indicated their current research involvement, and provided retrospective reports of their experiences and attitudes when they were making career choices as they completed medical school. Multivariable ordinal regression was used to identify factors independently associated with current research involvement. Completed questionnaires were received from 358 respondents (response rate 65%). In unadjusted analyses, variables associated with more extensive research involvement included non-minority status, male gender, lower debt at graduation, strong attitudes toward research at time of graduation, and greater social pressures to pursue research (all P<.001). These associations remained significant in multivariable regression analysis (all P<0.01). However, an interaction between sex and prior research publications was also detected, indicating that more extensive research involvement during medical school doubled the likelihood of a research career for women (OR 2.53, 95%CI 1.00-6.40; P=0.05). Most of the factors predicting research career choice involve factors that are potentially modifiable, suggesting that appropriately designed behavioral interventions may help to expand the size and diversity of the biomedical research community. PMID:27112959

Note: Expanding the bandwidth of the ultra-low current amplifier using an artificial negative capacitor

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

Xie, Kai, E-mail: kaixie@mail.xidian.edu.cn; Liu, Yan; Li, XiaoPing

2016-04-15

The bandwidth and low noise characteristics are often contradictory in ultra-low current amplifier, because an inevitable parasitic capacitance is paralleled with the high value feedback resistor. In order to expand the amplifier’s bandwidth, a novel approach was proposed by introducing an artificial negative capacitor to cancel the parasitic capacitance. The theory of the negative capacitance and the performance of the improved amplifier circuit with the negative capacitor are presented in this manuscript. The test was conducted by modifying an ultra-low current amplifier with a trans-impedance gain of 50 GΩ. The results show that the maximum bandwidth was expanded from 18.7more » Hz to 3.3 kHz with more than 150 times of increase when the parasitic capacitance (∼0.17 pF) was cancelled. Meanwhile, the rise time decreased from 18.7 ms to 0.26 ms with no overshot. Any desired bandwidth or rise time within these ranges can be obtained by adjusting the ratio of cancellation of the parasitic and negative capacitance. This approach is especially suitable for the demand of rapid response to weak current, such as transient ion-beam detector, mass spectrometry analysis, and fast scanning microscope.« less

Theoretical model of gravitational perturbation of current collector axisymmetric flow field

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, John S.; Brown, Samuel H.; Sondergaard, Neal A.

1990-05-01

Some designs of liquid-metal current collectors in homopolar motors and generators are essentially rotating liquid-metal fluids in cylindrical channels with free surfaces and will, at critical rotational speeds, become unstable. An investigation at David Taylor Research Center is being performed to understand the role of gravity in modifying this ejection instability. Some gravitational effects can be theoretically treated by perturbation techniques on the axisymmetric base flow of the liquid metal. This leads to a modification of previously calculated critical-current-collector ejection values neglecting gravity effects. The purpose of this paper is to document the derivation of the mathematical model which determines the perturbation of the liquid-metal base flow due to gravitational effects. Since gravity is a small force compared with the centrifugal effects, the base flow solutions can be expanded in inverse powers of the Froude number and modified liquid-flow profiles can be determined as a function of the azimuthal angle. This model will be used in later work to theoretically study the effects of gravity on the ejection point of the current collector.

Use of qualitative methods and user-centered design to develop customized health information technology tools within federally qualified health centers to keep children insured.

PubMed

DeVoe, Jennifer; Angier, Heather; Likumahuwa, Sonja; Hall, Jennifer; Nelson, Christine; Dickerson, Kay; Keller, Sara; Burdick, Tim; Cohen, Deborah

2014-01-01

Lack of health insurance negatively impacts children's health. Despite federal initiatives to expand children's coverage and accelerate state outreach efforts, millions of US children remain uninsured or experience frequent gaps in coverage. Most current efforts to enroll and retain eligible children in public insurance programs take place outside of the health care system. This study is a partnership between patients' families, medical informaticists, federally qualified health center (FQHC) staff, and researchers to build and test information technology tools to help FQHCs reach uninsured children and those at risk for losing coverage.

Issues in assessing the contribution of research and development to productivity growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griliches, Z.

1979-01-01

The article outlines the production function approach to the estimation of the returns to R&D and then proceeds to discuss in turn two very difficult problems: the measurement of output in R&D intensive industries and the definition and measurement of the stock of R&D 'capital'. Multicollinearity and simultaneity are taken up in the next section and another section is devoted to estimation and inference problems arising more specifically in the R&D context. Several recent studies of returns to R&D are then surveyed, and the paper concludes with suggestions for ways of expanding the current data base in this field.

Applied modern biotechnology for cultivation of Ganoderma and development of their products.

PubMed

Zhou, Xuan-Wei; Su, Kai-Qi; Zhang, Yong-Ming

2012-02-01

A white-rot basidiomycete Ganoderma spp. has long been used as a medicinal mushroom in Asia, and it has an array of pharmacological properties for immunomodulatory activity. There have been many reports about the bioactive components and their pharmacological properties. In order to analyze the current status of Ganoderma products, the detailed process of cultivation of Ganoderma spp. and development of their products are restated in this review article. These include the breeding, cultivating, extracting bioactive component, and processing Ganoderma products, etc. This article will expand people's common knowledge on Ganoderma, and provide a beneficial reference for research and industrial production.

Book Review: Dolores Knipp’s Understanding Space Weather and the Physics Behind It

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moldwin, Mark

2012-08-01

Delores Knipp's textbook Understanding Space Weather and the Physics Behind It provides a comprehensive resource for space physicists teaching in a variety of academic departments to introduce space weather to advanced undergraduates. The book benefits from Knipp's extensive experience teaching introductory and advanced undergraduate physics courses at the U.S. Air Force Academy. The fundamental physics concepts are clearly explained and are connected directly to the space physics concepts being discussed. To expand upon the relevant basic physics, current research areas and new observations are highlighted, with many of the chapters including contributions from a number of leading space physicists.

Untangling Autophagy Measurements: All Fluxed Up

PubMed Central

Gottlieb, Roberta A.; Andres, Allen M.; Sin, Jon; Taylor, David

2015-01-01

Autophagy is an important physiological process in the heart, and alterations in autophagic activity can exacerbate or mitigate injury during various pathological processes. Methods to assess autophagy have changed rapidly as the field of research has expanded. As with any new field, methods and standards for data analysis and interpretation evolve as investigators acquire experience and insight. The purpose of this review is to summarize current methods to measure autophagy, selective mitochondrial autophagy (mitophagy), and autophagic flux. We will examine several published studies where confusion arose in in data interpretation, in order to illustrate the challenges. Finally we will discuss methods to assess autophagy in vivo and in patients. PMID:25634973

From the voices of women: facilitating survivor access to IPV services.

PubMed

Simmons, Catherine A; Farrar, Melissa; Frazer, Kitty; Thompson, Mary Jane

2011-10-01

This mixed-method study investigated perceptions women domestic violence survivors/victims have about why women do not seek help from formal support structures and actions domestic helping agencies can take to facilitate survivor access to services. Congruent with previous research, quantitative analysis identified 17 reasons women do not seek help from formal support structures. Expanding current knowledge, concept mapping revealed six ways family violence programs can better reach women in abusive relationships, including (1) remove barriers to services, (2) improve comfort with services, (3) "talk about it," (4) improve community awareness, (5) victim-targeted marketing, and (6) "I honestly don't know."

The distal biceps tendon.

PubMed

Schmidt, Christopher C; Jarrett, Claudius D; Brown, Brandon T

2013-04-01

Distal biceps tendon ruptures continue to be an important injury seen and treated by upper extremity surgeons. Since the mid-1980s, the emphasis has been placed on techniques that limit complications or improve initial tendon-to-bone fixation strength. Recently, basic science research has expanded the knowledge base regarding the biceps tendon structure, footprint anatomy, and biomechanics. Clinical data have further delineated the results of conservative and surgical management of both partial and complete tears in acute or chronic states. The current literature on the distal biceps tendon is described in detail. Copyright © 2013 American Society for Surgery of the Hand. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A review of the latest guidelines for NIBP device validation.

PubMed

Alpert, Bruce S; Quinn, David E; Friedman, Bruce A

2013-12-01

The current ISO Standard is accepted as the National Standard in almost every industrialized nation. An overview of the most recently adopted standards is provided. Standards writing groups including the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation Sphygmomanometer Committee and ISO JWG7 are working to expand standardized evaluation methods to include the evaluation of devices intended for use in environments where motion artifact is common. An Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation task group on noninvasive blood pressure measurement in the presence of motion artifact has published a technical information report containing research and standardized methods for the evaluation of blood pressure device performance in the presence of motion artifact.

Designing biomedical proteomics experiments: state-of-the-art and future perspectives.

PubMed

Maes, Evelyne; Kelchtermans, Pieter; Bittremieux, Wout; De Grave, Kurt; Degroeve, Sven; Hooyberghs, Jef; Mertens, Inge; Baggerman, Geert; Ramon, Jan; Laukens, Kris; Martens, Lennart; Valkenborg, Dirk

2016-05-01

With the current expanded technical capabilities to perform mass spectrometry-based biomedical proteomics experiments, an improved focus on the design of experiments is crucial. As it is clear that ignoring the importance of a good design leads to an unprecedented rate of false discoveries which would poison our results, more and more tools are developed to help researchers designing proteomic experiments. In this review, we apply statistical thinking to go through the entire proteomics workflow for biomarker discovery and validation and relate the considerations that should be made at the level of hypothesis building, technology selection, experimental design and the optimization of the experimental parameters.

Bridging the Research-to-Practice Gap: The Role of the Nurse Scientist.

PubMed

Brant, Jeannine M

2015-11-01

To describe the emerging role of the nurse scientist in health care organizations. Historical perspectives of the role are explored along with the roles of the nurse scientist, facilitators, barriers, and future implications. Relevant literature on evidence-based practice and research in health care organizations; nurse scientist role; interview with University of Colorado nurse scientist. The nurse scientist role is integral for expanding evidence-based decisions and nursing research. A research mentor is considered the most important facilitator for a successful nursing research program. Organizations should consider including the nurse scientist role to facilitate evidence-based practice and expand opportunities for nursing research. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Big data and ophthalmic research.

PubMed

Clark, Antony; Ng, Jonathon Q; Morlet, Nigel; Semmens, James B

2016-01-01

Large population-based health administrative databases, clinical registries, and data linkage systems are a rapidly expanding resource for health research. Ophthalmic research has benefited from the use of these databases in expanding the breadth of knowledge in areas such as disease surveillance, disease etiology, health services utilization, and health outcomes. Furthermore, the quantity of data available for research has increased exponentially in recent times, particularly as e-health initiatives come online in health systems across the globe. We review some big data concepts, the databases and data linkage systems used in eye research-including their advantages and limitations, the types of studies previously undertaken, and the future direction for big data in eye research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The expanding role of the HIM professional: where research and HIM roles intersect.

PubMed

Bailey, Jessica; Rudman, William

2004-09-20

This article examines the evolving role of HIM professionals in research. In terms of both growth and credibility, it is important that HIM as a profession become more integrally involved in the research process. Specifically, this article examines the expanding role of the HIM professional in research-related activities and data management activities. For illustrative purposes, examples from research in the areas of medication error detection, utilization of web technologies in QI processes, and creation of an HIT infrastructure to connect healthcare providers in which HIM faculty members are actively involved in collaborative research projects with pharmacy, nursing, and medicine faculty in an academic medical center setting are provided.

Expanded function allied dental personnel and dental practice productivity and efficiency.

PubMed

Beazoglou, Tryfon J; Chen, Lei; Lazar, Vickie F; Brown, L Jackson; Ray, Subhash C; Heffley, Dennis R; Berg, Rob; Bailit, Howard L

2012-08-01

This study examined the impact of expanded function allied dental personnel on the productivity and efficiency of general dental practices. Detailed practice financial and clinical data were obtained from a convenience sample of 154 general dental practices in Colorado. In this state, expanded function dental assistants can provide a wide range of reversible dental services/procedures, and dental hygienists can give local anesthesia. The survey identified practices that currently use expanded function allied dental personnel and the specific services/procedures delegated. Practice productivity was measured using patient visits, gross billings, and net income. Practice efficiency was assessed using a multivariate linear program, Data Envelopment Analysis. Sixty-four percent of the practices were found to use expanded function allied dental personnel, and on average they delegated 31.4 percent of delegatable services/procedures. Practices that used expanded function allied dental personnel treated more patients and had higher gross billings and net incomes than those practices that did not; the more services they delegated, the higher was the practice's productivity and efficiency. The effective use of expanded function allied dental personnel has the potential to substantially expand the capacity of general dental practices to treat more patients and to generate higher incomes for dental practices.

Development and Dissemination of the El Centro Health Disparities Measures Library.

PubMed

Mitrani, Victoria Behar; O'Day, Joanne E; Norris, Timothy B; Adebayo, Oluwamuyiwa Winifred

2017-09-01

This report describes the development and dissemination of a library of English measures, with Spanish translations, on constructs relevant to social determinants of health and behavioral health outcomes. The El Centro Measures Library is a product of the Center of Excellence for Health Disparities Research: El Centro, a program funded by the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities of the U.S. National Institutes of Health. The library is aimed at enhancing capacity for minority health and health disparities research, particularly for Hispanics living in the United States and abroad. The open-access library of measures (available through www.miami.edu/sonhs/measureslibrary) contains brief descriptions of each measure, scoring information (where available), links to related peer-reviewed articles, and measure items in both languages. Links to measure websites where commercially available measures can be purchased are included, as is contact information for measures that require author permission. Links to several other measures libraries are hosted on the library website. Other researchers may contribute to the library. El Centro investigators began the library by electing to use a common set of measures across studies to assess demographic information, culture-related variables, proximal outcomes of interest, and major outcomes. The collection was expanded to include other health disparity research studies. In 2012, a formal process was developed to organize, expand, and centralize the library in preparation for a gradual process of dissemination to the national and international community of researchers. The library currently contains 61 measures encompassing 12 categories of constructs. Thus far, the library has been accessed 8,883 times (unique page views as generated by Google Analytics), and responses from constituencies of users and measure authors have been favorable. With the paucity of availability and accessibility of translated measures, behavioral nursing research focused on reducing health disparities can benefit from repositories of research instruments such as the El Centro Measures Library. © 2017 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Developing and sustaining specialist and advanced practice roles in nursing and midwifery: A discourse on enablers and barriers.

PubMed

Fealy, Gerard M; Casey, Mary; O'Leary, Denise F; Mcnamara, Martin S; O'Brien, Denise; O'Connor, Laserina; Smith, Rita; Stokes, Diarmuid

2018-06-12

The aim of this discursive paper is to collate, synthesise and discuss published evidence and expert professional opinion on enablers and barriers to the development and sustainability of specialist and advanced practice roles in nursing and midwifery. Expanded practice is a response to population health needs, healthcare costs and practitioners' willingness to expand their scope of practice through enhanced responsibility, accountability and professional autonomy. This discursive paper is based on a rapid review of literature on enablers and barriers to the development and sustainability of specialist and advanced practice roles and is part of a wider policy analysis. We analysed and synthesised of 36 research articles, reviews and discussion papers on enablers and barriers in the development and sustainability of expanded practice roles. Several factors enable role expansion, including: role clarity; credentialing and endorsement; availability of education for expanded roles; individual practitioners' dispositions towards role expansion; support from peers, other professionals and the work organisation; and costs. Where limited or absent, these same factors can constrain role expansion. Enabling nurses and midwives to practice to their full scope of education and expertise is a global challenge for disciplinary leadership, a national challenge for professional regulation, and a local challenge for employers and individual clinicians. These challenges need to be addressed through multi-stakeholder coordinated efforts at these four levels. This discursive paper synthesises empirical evidence and expert professional opinion on the factors that enable or hinder the development and sustainability of specialist and advanced practice roles. Providing a critical appraisal of current knowledge, it provides a reference source for disciplinary debate and policy development regarding the nursing and midwifery resource and informs clinicians of the myriad issues that can impact on their capacity to expand their scope of practice. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

An Official American Thoracic Society Workshop Report 2015. Stem Cells and Cell Therapies in Lung Biology and Diseases.

PubMed

Wagner, Darcy E; Cardoso, Wellington V; Gilpin, Sarah E; Majka, Susan; Ott, Harald; Randell, Scott H; Thébaud, Bernard; Waddell, Thomas; Weiss, Daniel J

2016-08-01

The University of Vermont College of Medicine, in collaboration with the NHLBI, Alpha-1 Foundation, American Thoracic Society, Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, European Respiratory Society, International Society for Cellular Therapy, and the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, convened a workshop, "Stem Cells and Cell Therapies in Lung Biology and Lung Diseases," held July 27 to 30, 2015, at the University of Vermont. The conference objectives were to review the current understanding of the role of stem and progenitor cells in lung repair after injury and to review the current status of cell therapy and ex vivo bioengineering approaches for lung diseases. These are all rapidly expanding areas of study that both provide further insight into and challenge traditional views of mechanisms of lung repair after injury and pathogenesis of several lung diseases. The goals of the conference were to summarize the current state of the field, discuss and debate current controversies, and identify future research directions and opportunities for both basic and translational research in cell-based therapies for lung diseases. This 10th anniversary conference was a follow up to five previous biennial conferences held at the University of Vermont in 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, and 2013. Each of those conferences, also sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, American Thoracic Society, and respiratory disease foundations, has been important in helping guide research and funding priorities. The major conference recommendations are summarized at the end of the report and highlight both the significant progress and major challenges in these rapidly progressing fields.

An official American Thoracic Society workshop report: stem cells and cell therapies in lung biology and diseases.

PubMed

Weiss, Daniel J; Chambers, Daniel; Giangreco, Adam; Keating, Armand; Kotton, Darrell; Lelkes, Peter I; Wagner, Darcy E; Prockop, Darwin J

2015-04-01

The University of Vermont College of Medicine and the Vermont Lung Center, in collaboration with the NHLBI, Alpha-1 Foundation, American Thoracic Society, European Respiratory Society, International Society for Cell Therapy, and the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, convened a workshop, "Stem Cells and Cell Therapies in Lung Biology and Lung Diseases," held July 29 to August 1, 2013 at the University of Vermont. The conference objectives were to review the current understanding of the role of stem and progenitor cells in lung repair after injury and to review the current status of cell therapy and ex vivo bioengineering approaches for lung diseases. These are all rapidly expanding areas of study that both provide further insight into and challenge traditional views of mechanisms of lung repair after injury and pathogenesis of several lung diseases. The goals of the conference were to summarize the current state of the field, discuss and debate current controversies, and identify future research directions and opportunities for both basic and translational research in cell-based therapies for lung diseases. This conference was a follow-up to four previous biennial conferences held at the University of Vermont in 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2011. Each of those conferences, also sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, American Thoracic Society, and Respiratory Disease Foundations, has been important in helping guide research and funding priorities. The major conference recommendations are summarized at the end of the report and highlight both the significant progress and major challenges in these rapidly progressing fields.

An Official American Thoracic Society Workshop Report: Stem Cells and Cell Therapies in Lung Biology and Diseases

PubMed Central

Chambers, Daniel; Giangreco, Adam; Keating, Armand; Kotton, Darrell; Lelkes, Peter I.; Wagner, Darcy E.; Prockop, Darwin J.

2015-01-01

The University of Vermont College of Medicine and the Vermont Lung Center, in collaboration with the NHLBI, Alpha-1 Foundation, American Thoracic Society, European Respiratory Society, International Society for Cell Therapy, and the Pulmonary Fibrosis Foundation, convened a workshop, “Stem Cells and Cell Therapies in Lung Biology and Lung Diseases,” held July 29 to August 1, 2013 at the University of Vermont. The conference objectives were to review the current understanding of the role of stem and progenitor cells in lung repair after injury and to review the current status of cell therapy and ex vivo bioengineering approaches for lung diseases. These are all rapidly expanding areas of study that both provide further insight into and challenge traditional views of mechanisms of lung repair after injury and pathogenesis of several lung diseases. The goals of the conference were to summarize the current state of the field, discuss and debate current controversies, and identify future research directions and opportunities for both basic and translational research in cell-based therapies for lung diseases. This conference was a follow-up to four previous biennial conferences held at the University of Vermont in 2005, 2007, 2009, and 2011. Each of those conferences, also sponsored by the National Institutes of Health, American Thoracic Society, and Respiratory Disease Foundations, has been important in helping guide research and funding priorities. The major conference recommendations are summarized at the end of the report and highlight both the significant progress and major challenges in these rapidly progressing fields. PMID:25897748

Synthetic biology: An emerging research field in China

PubMed Central

Pei, Lei; Schmidt, Markus; Wei, Wei

2011-01-01

Synthetic biology is considered as an emerging research field that will bring new opportunities to biotechnology. There is an expectation that synthetic biology will not only enhance knowledge in basic science, but will also have great potential for practical applications. Synthetic biology is still in an early developmental stage in China. We provide here a review of current Chinese research activities in synthetic biology and its different subfields, such as research on genetic circuits, minimal genomes, chemical synthetic biology, protocells and DNA synthesis, using literature reviews and personal communications with Chinese researchers. To meet the increasing demand for a sustainable development, research on genetic circuits to harness biomass is the most pursed research within Chinese researchers. The environmental concerns are driven force of research on the genetic circuits for bioremediation. The research on minimal genomes is carried on identifying the smallest number of genomes needed for engineering minimal cell factories and research on chemical synthetic biology is focused on artificial proteins and expanded genetic code. The research on protocells is more in combination with the research on molecular-scale motors. The research on DNA synthesis and its commercialisation are also reviewed. As for the perspective on potential future Chinese R&D activities, it will be discussed based on the research capacity and governmental policy. PMID:21729747

Investigation of E. coli bacteria inactivation by photocatalytic activity of TiO2 coated expanded polystyrene foam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varnagiris, S.; Sakalauskaite, S.; Tuckute, S.; Lelis, M.; Daugelavicius, R.; Milcius, D.

2017-03-01

Photocatalytic properties of anatase and other TiO2 polymorphs are widely researched and applied in practical application. In current study TiO2 films on the plasma pre-treated expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam were deposited using magnetron sputtering technique. Main properties of the films were characterised using combination of XRD, XPS and SEM techniques. Photocatalytic properties of the observed crystalline anatase phase were tested by investigating bleaching of the methylene blue (MB) aqueous solution and by testing Escherichia coli (E. coli) viability after incubation under UV-B irradiation. E. coli viability experiments indicated that there are two mechanisms of E. coli bacteria inactivation. UV irradiation alone causes rapid damage to the outer membrane of E. coli bacteria. The second mechanism of E. coli inactivation is invoked only with synergistic combination of TiO2 and UV. Acting as photocatalyst TiO2 generates active radicals who initiate the chain peroxidation of organic molecules and within 45 min reduce E. coli bacteria viability by nearly 90%.