Sample records for curriculum coverage amount

  1. Self-Paced Prioritized Curriculum Learning With Coverage Penalty in Deep Reinforcement Learning.

    PubMed

    Ren, Zhipeng; Dong, Daoyi; Li, Huaxiong; Chen, Chunlin; Zhipeng Ren; Daoyi Dong; Huaxiong Li; Chunlin Chen; Dong, Daoyi; Li, Huaxiong; Chen, Chunlin; Ren, Zhipeng

    2018-06-01

    In this paper, a new training paradigm is proposed for deep reinforcement learning using self-paced prioritized curriculum learning with coverage penalty. The proposed deep curriculum reinforcement learning (DCRL) takes the most advantage of experience replay by adaptively selecting appropriate transitions from replay memory based on the complexity of each transition. The criteria of complexity in DCRL consist of self-paced priority as well as coverage penalty. The self-paced priority reflects the relationship between the temporal-difference error and the difficulty of the current curriculum for sample efficiency. The coverage penalty is taken into account for sample diversity. With comparison to deep Q network (DQN) and prioritized experience replay (PER) methods, the DCRL algorithm is evaluated on Atari 2600 games, and the experimental results show that DCRL outperforms DQN and PER on most of these games. More results further show that the proposed curriculum training paradigm of DCRL is also applicable and effective for other memory-based deep reinforcement learning approaches, such as double DQN and dueling network. All the experimental results demonstrate that DCRL can achieve improved training efficiency and robustness for deep reinforcement learning.

  2. Tertiary Institutions in Ghana Curriculum Coverage on Climate Change: Implications for Climate Change Awareness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boateng, C. A.

    2015-01-01

    Global problems such as climate change, which have deeper implications for survival of mankind on this planet, needs to be given wider attention in the quest for knowledge. It is expected that, improved knowledge derived from curriculum coverage may promote greater public awareness of such important global issue. This research aims at examining…

  3. Engineering design skills coverage in K-12 engineering program curriculum materials in the USA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chabalengula, Vivien M.; Mumba, Frackson

    2017-11-01

    The current K-12 Science Education framework and Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) in the United States emphasise the integration of engineering design in science instruction to promote scientific literacy and engineering design skills among students. As such, many engineering education programmes have developed curriculum materials that are being used in K-12 settings. However, little is known about the nature and extent to which engineering design skills outlined in NGSS are addressed in these K-12 engineering education programme curriculum materials. We analysed nine K-12 engineering education programmes for the nature and extent of engineering design skills coverage. Results show that developing possible solutions and actual designing of prototypes were the highly covered engineering design skills; specification of clear goals, criteria, and constraints received medium coverage; defining and identifying an engineering problem; optimising the design solution; and demonstrating how a prototype works, and making iterations to improve designs were lowly covered. These trends were similar across grade levels and across discipline-specific curriculum materials. These results have implications on engineering design-integrated science teaching and learning in K-12 settings.

  4. Great expectations: using an analysis of current practices to propose a framework for the undergraduate inorganic curriculum.

    PubMed

    Reisner, Barbara A; Smith, Sheila R; Stewart, Joanne L; Raker, Jeffrey R; Crane, Johanna L; Sobel, Sabrina G; Pesterfield, Lester L

    2015-09-21

    The undergraduate inorganic chemistry curriculum in the United States mirrors the broad diversity of the inorganic research community and poses a challenge for the development of a coherent curriculum that is thorough, rigorous, and engaging. A recent large survey of the inorganic community has provided information about the current organization and content of the inorganic curriculum from an institutional level. The data reveal shared "core" concepts that are broadly taught, with tremendous variation in content coverage beyond these central ideas. The data provide an opportunity for a community-driven discussion about how the American Chemical Society's Committee on Professional Training's vision of a foundation and in-depth course for each of the five subdisciplines maps onto an inorganic chemistry curriculum that is consistent in its coverage of the core inorganic concepts, yet reflects the diversity and creativity of the inorganic community. The goal of this Viewpoint is to present the current state of the diverse undergraduate curriculum and lay a framework for an effective and engaging curriculum that illustrates the essential role inorganic chemistry plays within the chemistry community.

  5. Science Curriculum Components Favored by Taiwanese Biology Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Chen-Yung; Hu, Reping; Changlai, Miao-Li

    2005-01-01

    The new 1?9 curriculum framework in Taiwan provides a remarkable change from previous frameworks in terms of the coverage of content and the powers of teachers. This study employs a modified repertory grid technique to investigate biology teachers' preferences with regard to six curriculum components. One hundred and eighty-five in-service and…

  6. Keeping the Inquiry in Curriculum Designed To Help Students' Conceptual Understanding of Cellular Respiration.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gibson, Helen L.; Rea-Ramirez, Mary Anne

    Most middle school science curriculum has been created to provide superficial treatment of the different subject areas (earth, life, and physical science), and in-depth coverage of very little. The Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) criticism of the typical American school curriculum is that it is a "mile wide and an…

  7. Regaining Focus in Irish Junior Cycle Science: Potential New Directions for Curriculum and Assessment on Nature of Science

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Erduran, Sibel; Dagher, Zoubeida R.

    2014-01-01

    The Irish national discourse on curriculum and assessment reform at the Junior Cycle level has been fraught with controversy in the past two years. The introduction of the new curriculum and assessment framework in 2012 by the then Minister of Education, Ruairi Quinn has led to significant media coverage and teacher union response. In this paper,…

  8. Teaching Ethics across the Public Relations Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hutchison, Liese L.

    2002-01-01

    Suggests ways of incorporating ethics across the undergraduate public relations curriculum. Reviews current coverage of ethics in public relations principles, writing, cases, and textbooks. Suggests other methods that teachers can use to incorporate ethical pedagogical tools in all public relations courses in an effort to develop students' ethical…

  9. 14 CFR 198.7 - Amount of insurance coverage available.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Amount of insurance coverage available. 198.7 Section 198.7 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) WAR RISK INSURANCE AVIATION INSURANCE § 198.7 Amount of insurance coverage available. (a) For...

  10. 14 CFR 198.7 - Amount of insurance coverage available.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... 14 Aeronautics and Space 3 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Amount of insurance coverage available. 198.7 Section 198.7 Aeronautics and Space FEDERAL AVIATION ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) WAR RISK INSURANCE AVIATION INSURANCE § 198.7 Amount of insurance coverage available. (a) For...

  11. Conventialization of Numerals in Tanzania

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kajoro, Peter

    2012-01-01

    The supposed pre-eminence of an external examination can exert a disproportionate influence on a curriculum and the associated learning and teaching. Teaching can easily subordinate learning and understanding to curriculum coverage if the society develops a culture that appears to make such demands. This study focuses on Tanzania and provides the…

  12. Assessing the Potential of Mathematics Textbooks to Promote Deep Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shield, Malcolm; Dole, Shelley

    2013-01-01

    Curriculum documents for mathematics emphasise the importance of promoting depth of knowledge rather than shallow coverage of the curriculum. In this paper, we report on a study that explored the analysis of junior secondary mathematics textbooks to assess their potential to assist in teaching and learning aimed at building and applying deep…

  13. 29 CFR 1620.6 - Coverage is not based on amount of covered activity.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 29 Labor 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Coverage is not based on amount of covered activity. 1620.6 Section 1620.6 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY COMMISSION THE EQUAL PAY ACT § 1620.6 Coverage is not based on amount of covered activity. The FLSA makes no...

  14. Covering the Standards: Astronomy Teachers' Preparation and Beliefs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Plummer, Julia D.; Zahm, Valerie M.

    2010-01-01

    An online survey of science teachers and interviews with curriculum directors were used to investigate the coverage of astronomy in middle and high schools in the greater Philadelphia region. Our analysis looked beyond astronomy elective courses to uncover all sources of astronomy education in secondary schools. We focused on coverage of state…

  15. Coverage of Competencies in the Curriculum of Information Studies: An International Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    ur Rehman, Sajjad; Al-Ansari, Husain; Yousef, Nibal

    2002-01-01

    Presents the collective judgments of a group of academics from North America, Southeast Asia and the Arabian Gulf region, as well as leading practitioners from the Arabian Gulf region, about the content of graduate degrees in information studies. The participants generally agreed about the content of the curriculum of information studies. The most…

  16. An Investigation into the Opportunity to Learn That Is Available to Grade 12 Mathematics Learners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stols, Gerrit

    2013-01-01

    This study investigated the opportunity to learn (OTL) that is available to Grade 12 mathematics learners. Learner workbooks were analysed in terms of time on task, curriculum coverage, curriculum coherence, and cognitive demand. Based on these elements, experienced mathematics teachers judged the opportunity that the learners have to achieve more…

  17. Cultivating a Professional Ethic in Covering Marginalized Populations: Learning about the Poor through Service-Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Motley, Phillip; Sturgill, Amanda

    2014-01-01

    As communications students learn to tell stories, the curriculum should teach them to cover diverse groups accurately. Scholars have studied coverage of diversity in gender, nationality, ethnicity, and race. One area that has seen less attention is economic diversity, in particular, coverage of the poor. This paper examines how service-learning…

  18. Entering Adulthood: Examining Drugs and Risks. A Curriculum for Grades 9-12. Contemporary Health Series. [Teacher's Guide and] Student Workbook.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Giarratano, Susan; Evans, Dale

    This curriculum guide for high-school students presents in-depth coverage of the full range of content related to drugs, including tobacco, alcohol, marijuana, cocaine, narcotics, and hallucinogens. It is part of a series designed to provide educators with the curricular tools necessary to challenge students to take personal responsibility for…

  19. Founders' Weekend. North Country Workshop on Science, Technology and the Undergraduate Curriculum. Proceedings (Potsdam, New York, November 9-10, 1984).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    State Univ. of New York, Potsdam. Coll. at Potsdam.

    Proceedings of the North Country Workshop on Science, Technology, and the Undergraduate Curriculum are presented. The Sloan Foundation's call for reform of the liberal arts and coverage of mathematics, science, and technology is noted in welcoming remarks by State University of New York, Potsdam, President Humphrey Tonkin. Stephen H. Cutcliffe…

  20. Mental health education in occupational therapy professional preparation programs: Alignment between clinician priorities and coverage in university curricula.

    PubMed

    Scanlan, Justin Newton; Meredith, Pamela J; Haracz, Kirsti; Ennals, Priscilla; Pépin, Geneviève; Webster, Jayne S; Arblaster, Karen; Wright, Shelley

    2017-12-01

    Occupational therapy programs must prepare graduates for work in mental health. However, this area of practice is complex and rapidly changing. This study explored the alignment between educational priorities identified by occupational therapists practising in mental health and level of coverage of these topics in occupational therapy programs in Australia and New Zealand. Surveys were distributed to heads of all occupational therapy programs across Australia and New Zealand. The survey included educational priorities identified by occupational therapists in mental health from a previous study. Respondents were requested to identify the level of coverage given to each of these priorities within their curriculum. These data were analysed to determine a ranking of educational topics in terms of level of coverage in university programs. Responses were received for 19 programs from 16 universities. Thirty-four topics were given 'High-level coverage' in university programs, and these were compared against the 29 topics classified as 'Essential priorities' by clinicians. Twenty topics were included in both the 'Essential priorities' and 'High-level coverage' categories. Topics considered to be 'Essential priorities' by clinicians which were not given 'High-level coverage' in university programs included the following: mental health fieldwork experiences; risk assessment and management; professional self-care resilience and sensory approaches. While there appears to be overall good alignment between mental health curricula and priorities identified by practising occupational therapists, there are some discrepancies. These discrepancies are described and establish a strong foundation for further discussion between clinicians, academics and university administration to support curriculum review and revision. © 2017 Occupational Therapy Australia.

  1. Medical Students' Assessment of Education and Training in Women's Health and in Sex and Gender Differences

    PubMed Central

    Viscoli, Catherine M.; Abraham, Gallane D.

    2008-01-01

    Abstract Background The authors surveyed U.S. medical students to learn their perceptions of the adequacy of women's health and sex/gender-specific teaching and of their preparedness to care for female patients. Methods Between September 2004 and June 2005, third and fourth year students at the 125 allopathic medical schools received an online survey conducted by the American Medical Women's Association (AMWA). Students rated the extent to which 44 topics were included in curricula from 1 to 4 (1 = no coverage, 4 = in-depth coverage) and their preparedness to perform 27 clinical skills (1 = no preparation, 4 = thorough preparation). Results From 101 of the 125 schools, 1267 students responded (mean number of respondents/school = 13, SD 12). The mean curriculum rating (2.53, SD 0.52) indicated brief to moderate coverage of topics. The mean preparedness rating was higher (3.09, SD 0.44), indicating moderate preparedness. In a regression model, female student sex and site of an AMWA chapter were associated with lower mean combined curriculum and preparedness ratings (female 2.76, male 3.01, p < 0.001; AMWA 2.77, non-AMWA 2.89, p < 0.001), whereas other school characteristics (female dean, federally funded women's health program, and proportion of tenured women faculty) had no association. Conclusions Although medical students reported that they were moderately prepared to care for women, their low rating of curriculum coverage of women's health and sex/gender-specific topics suggests important gaps in teaching. Lower ratings by female students and by those at AMWA schools may reflect differences in students' knowledge, educational expectations, or perceptions about the importance of topics. PMID:18537483

  2. Amount of newspaper coverage of high school athletics for boys and girls on sports page and newspaper circulation.

    PubMed

    Pedersen, Paul M; Whisenant, Warren A

    2002-02-01

    This study analyzed the amount of coverage for high school athletics in 43 newspapers with small circulation by devoting 40% of their interscholastic athletics coverage to girls in athletics, printed significantly more articles about girls' athletics than did the newspapers with medium (33%) or large (32%) circulation. Therefore, the smaller the newspaper circulation, the more equitable the coverage of athletics for girls and boys. This finding was consistent with some prior work but not all.

  3. 5 CFR 870.704 - Amount of Option A.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Amount of Option A. 870.704 Section 870... of Option A. (a) The amount of Option A coverage an annuitant or compensationer can continue is $10,000. (b) An annuitant's or compensationer's Option A coverage reduces by 2 percent of the original...

  4. Vocational Needs Assessment and Curriculum Development. Vocational Education Curriculum Specialist, Module 7.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Appleby, Judith A.

    One of five modules in the curriculum development series designed to train vocational education curriculum specialists, this module is intended for use in classes or individual study arrangements at the preservice or inservice level by students with varying amounts of experience in vocational education. (These modules are revised versions of…

  5. 44 CFR 61.6 - Maximum amounts of coverage available.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2012-10-01 2011-10-01 true Maximum amounts of coverage available. 61.6 Section 61.6 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY INSURANCE AND HAZARD MITIGATION National Flood Insurance Program INSURANCE...

  6. 44 CFR 61.6 - Maximum amounts of coverage available.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Maximum amounts of coverage available. 61.6 Section 61.6 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY INSURANCE AND HAZARD MITIGATION National Flood Insurance Program INSURANCE...

  7. 44 CFR 61.6 - Maximum amounts of coverage available.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Maximum amounts of coverage available. 61.6 Section 61.6 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY INSURANCE AND HAZARD MITIGATION National Flood Insurance Program INSURANCE...

  8. 44 CFR 61.6 - Maximum amounts of coverage available.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Maximum amounts of coverage available. 61.6 Section 61.6 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY INSURANCE AND HAZARD MITIGATION National Flood Insurance Program INSURANCE...

  9. 38 CFR 8a.4 - Coverage.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ....4 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS VETERANS MORTGAGE LIFE INSURANCE § 8a.4 Coverage. (a) The amount of VMLI in force on his or her life at any one time shall be... on the life of the veteran shall remain at a constant level until the principal amount of the...

  10. 46 CFR 308.531 - Endorsement of surety bond increasing or decreasing amount of coverage, Form MA-311.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... amount of coverage, Form MA-311. 308.531 Section 308.531 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS WAR RISK INSURANCE War Risk Cargo Insurance Ii-Open Policy War Risk Cargo..., Form MA-311, may be obtained from the American War Risk Agency or MARAD. ...

  11. 46 CFR 308.531 - Endorsement of surety bond increasing or decreasing amount of coverage, Form MA-311.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... amount of coverage, Form MA-311. 308.531 Section 308.531 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS WAR RISK INSURANCE War Risk Cargo Insurance Ii-Open Policy War Risk Cargo..., Form MA-311, may be obtained from the American War Risk Agency or MARAD. ...

  12. 46 CFR 308.531 - Endorsement of surety bond increasing or decreasing amount of coverage, Form MA-311.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... amount of coverage, Form MA-311. 308.531 Section 308.531 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS WAR RISK INSURANCE War Risk Cargo Insurance Ii-Open Policy War Risk Cargo..., Form MA-311, may be obtained from the American War Risk Agency or MARAD. ...

  13. 46 CFR 308.531 - Endorsement of surety bond increasing or decreasing amount of coverage, Form MA-311.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... amount of coverage, Form MA-311. 308.531 Section 308.531 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS WAR RISK INSURANCE War Risk Cargo Insurance Ii-Open Policy War Risk Cargo..., Form MA-311, may be obtained from the American War Risk Agency or MARAD. ...

  14. Science Curriculum Components Favored by Taiwanese Biology Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lin, Chen-Yung; Hu, Reping; Changlai, Miao-Li

    2005-09-01

    The new 1-9 curriculum framework in Taiwan provides a remarkable change from previous frameworks in terms of the coverage of content and the powers of teachers. This study employs a modified repertory grid technique to investigate biology teachers' preferences with regard to six curriculum components. One hundred and eighty-five in-service and pre-service biology teachers were asked to determine which science curriculum components they liked and disliked most of all to include in their biology classes. The data show that the rank order of these science curriculum components, from top to bottom, was as follows: application of science, manipulation skills, scientific concepts, social/ethical issues, problem-solving skills, and the history of science. They also showed that pre-service biology teachers, as compared with in-service biology teachers, favored problem-solving skills significantly more than manipulative skills, while in-service biology teachers, as compared with pre-service biology teachers, favored manipulative skills significantly more than problem-solving skills. Some recommendations for ensuring the successful implementation of the Taiwanese 1-9 curriculum framework are also proposed.

  15. Interior Design Standards in the Secondary FCS Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Katz, Shana H.; Smith, Bettye P.

    2006-01-01

    This article deals with a study on interior design standards in the secondary FCS curriculum. This study assessed the importance FCS teachers placed on content standards in the interior design curriculum to help determine the amount of time and emphasis to place on the units within the courses. A cover letter and questionnaire were sent…

  16. 12 CFR 205.3 - Coverage.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Coverage. 205.3 Section 205.3 Banks and Banking... (REGULATION E) § 205.3 Coverage. (a) General. This part applies to any electronic fund transfer that... explanation of how the amount of the fee will be determined. (c) Exclusions from coverage. The term electronic...

  17. 46 CFR 308.531 - Endorsement of surety bond increasing or decreasing amount of coverage, Form MA-311.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 8 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Endorsement of surety bond increasing or decreasing amount of coverage, Form MA-311. 308.531 Section 308.531 Shipping MARITIME ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION EMERGENCY OPERATIONS WAR RISK INSURANCE War Risk Cargo Insurance Open Policy War Risk Cargo...

  18. Inclusion of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, and Intersex Health in Australian and New Zealand Medical Education.

    PubMed

    Sanchez, Asiel Adan; Southgate, Erica; Rogers, Gary; Duvivier, Robbert J

    2017-08-01

    This study aims at establishing the scope of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and intersex (LGBTQI) health in Australian and New Zealand medical curricula. We sent medical school curriculum administrators an online cross-sectional survey. The response rate was 15 medical schools (71%): 14 Australian schools and 1 New Zealand school. Respondents included program directors (n = 5; 33%), course coordinators (n = 4; 27%), Heads of School (n = 2; 13%), one Dean (7%), and three others (20%). Most schools (n = 9; 60%) reported 0-5 hours dedicated to teaching LGBTQI content during the required pre-clinical phase; nine schools (60%) reported access to a clinical rotation site where LGBTQI patient care is common. In most schools (n = 9; 60%), LGBTQI-specific content is interspersed throughout the curriculum, but five schools (33%) have dedicated modules. The most commonly used teaching modalities include lectures (n = 12; 80%) and small-group sessions (n = 9; 60%). LGBTQI content covered in curricula is varied, with the most common topics being how to obtain information about same-sex sexual activity (80%) and the difference between sexual behavior and identity (67%). Teaching about gender and gender identity is more varied across schools, with seven respondents (47%) unsure about what is taught. Eight respondents (53%) described the coverage of LGBTQI content at their institution as "fair," two (13%) as "good," and two (13%) as "poor," with one respondent (7%) describing the coverage as "very poor." None of the respondents described the coverage as "very good." Currently, medical schools include limited content on LGBTQI health, most of which focuses on sexuality. There is a need for further inclusion of curriculum related to transgender, gender diverse, and intersex people.

  19. Teacher's Guide to the Internet

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blaylock, Jenny L.

    2005-01-01

    This paper is designed for teachers of students in grades Pre-K through 12 and will introduce them to the numerous curriculum resources on the Internet. More often today supplements to course curriculum can be found on any text book company web site. Even more important is the amount of curriculum resources available for free on the Internet.…

  20. Is Social Justice Found in Japanese Education? The Yutori Curriculum and After

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hosokawa, Mitsue

    2016-01-01

    The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (MEXT) has implemented various curriculums, so-called the Course of Study, over the past few decades. The Yutori curriculum, which was introduced in the 1990's, aimed to improve flexible thinking by reducing the amount of study materials. After finding lowered scores on the PISA…

  1. Integrating the Core: A New Management Curriculum to Empower Our Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brawley, Dorothy; Campbell, Stacy; Desman, Robert; Kolenko, Thomas; Moodie, Douglas

    2013-01-01

    This paper follows Kennesaw State's University's (KSU) faculty journey in developing a new integrated core curriculum for their Management majors that will empower the students and meet the needs of today's employers. Curriculums must change to stay current. Depending on the amount of change, this can be a huge undertaking for a department…

  2. Assessing Pre-Service Candidates' Web-Based Electronic Portfolios.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lamson, Sharon; Thomas, Kelli R.; Aldrich, Jennifer; King, Andy

    This paper describes processes undertaken by Central Missouri State University's Department of Curriculum and Instruction to prepare teacher candidates to create Web-based professional portfolios, Central's expectations for content coverage within the electronic portfolios, and evaluation procedures. It also presents data on portfolio construction…

  3. Conceptual Gaps in Circuits Textbooks: A Comparative Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sangam, Deepika; Jesiek, Brent K.

    2015-01-01

    Many university-level electrical engineering courses continue to use textbooks as curriculum scaffolds, prescribed texts, and/or reference volumes. Textbook reliance is even more pronounced in courses that teach foundational principles of the discipline, such as introductory circuit theory. This paper reports on the conceptual coverage of…

  4. The Social/Moral Context of the Arts Curriculum: A Critique.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stinson, Susan W.

    By not considering the meaning of art, schools easily find a superficial niche for the arts in the curriculum. Thus, art education is usually viewed as a diversion designed for recreation or as a "carrot" to attract students to the larger curriculum. Its peripheral position is revealed by the miniscule amount of time allotted it, the lack of goals…

  5. Solid Waste Management in North Carolina: A Curriculum Resource Guide for Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Watauga County Board of Education, Boone, NC.

    Renewal is the focus of this curriculum designed for students in kindergarten through Grade 8. The purpose of this guide is to educate students and teachers about the problems faced in managing the amount of solid waste generated by society. Each grade level curriculum is organized into activities that support exploration of the nature of solid…

  6. Comparison of engagement with ethics between an engineering and a business program.

    PubMed

    Culver, Steven M; Puri, Ishwar K; Wokutch, Richard E; Lohani, Vinod

    2013-06-01

    Increasing university students' engagement with ethics is becoming a prominent call to action for higher education institutions, particularly professional schools like business and engineering. This paper provides an examination of student attitudes regarding ethics and their perceptions of ethics coverage in the curriculum at one institution. A particular focus is the comparison between results in the business college, which has incorporated ethics in the curriculum and has been involved in ethics education for a longer period, with the engineering college, which is in the nascent stages of developing ethics education in its courses. Results show that student attitudes and perceptions are related to the curriculum. In addition, results indicate that it might be useful for engineering faculty to use business faculty as resources in the development of their ethics curricula.

  7. Current Events and the International Relations Curriculum: Instructional Strategies.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chernotsky, Harry I.

    One of the most significant challenges confronting college instructors who teach international politics survey courses is the coverage of current events issues and how to stimulate student interest about the issues. This paper describes two techniques, a current events sweepstakes and a Great Decisions roundtable, designed to infuse current events…

  8. The Allyn & Bacon Handbook. Third Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rosen, Leonard J.; Behrens, Laurence

    This third edition of a writing handbook that is built on the underlying themes of critical thinking and writing across the curriculum moves into the next generation with extensive coverage of electronic research and document design. It also contains many examples, exercises, and student papers in all categories. The handbook's chapters on…

  9. Engineering Design Skills Coverage in K-12 Engineering Program Curriculum Materials in the USA

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chabalengula, Vivien M.; Mumba, Frackson

    2017-01-01

    The current "K-12 Science Education framework" and "Next Generation Science Standards" (NGSS) in the United States emphasise the integration of engineering design in science instruction to promote scientific literacy and engineering design skills among students. As such, many engineering education programmes have developed…

  10. Imprinting Community College Computer Science Education with Software Engineering Principles

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hundley, Jacqueline Holliday

    2012-01-01

    Although the two-year curriculum guide includes coverage of all eight software engineering core topics, the computer science courses taught in Alabama community colleges limit student exposure to the programming, or coding, phase of the software development lifecycle and offer little experience in requirements analysis, design, testing, and…

  11. Energy Education in the Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stubbs, M.

    1985-01-01

    This study showed that the coverage of energy varies considerably among secondary schools in Great Britain and that British students lack a clear knowledge of energy issues in general and nuclear energy in particular, are indifferent to conservation, and are reluctant to accept nuclear power. Energy education must be given greater emphasis.…

  12. A New Curriculum for Physics Graduate Students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Griesshammer, Harald W.

    2012-03-01

    Effective Fall 2008, GW Physics implemented a new graduate curriculum, addressing nation-wide problems: (1) wide gap between 50-year-old curricula and the proficiencies expected to start research; (2) high attrition rates and long times to degree; (3) limited resources in small departments to cover all topics deemed essential. The new curriculum: (1) extends each course to 4 hours weekly for better in-depth coverage and cautious additions; (2) decreases the number of core-courses per semester to 2, with less ``parallel-processing'' of only loosely correlated lectures; (3) increases synergies by stricter logical ordering and synchronisation of courses; (4) frees faculty to regularly offer advanced courses; (5) integrates examples tied to ongoing research in our department; (6) integrates computational methods into core-lectures; (7) encourages focusing on concepts and ``meta-cognitive skills'' in studio-like settings. The new curriculum and qualifying exam, its rationale and assessment criteria will be discussed. This concept is tailored to the needs of small departments with only a few research fields and a close student-teacher relationship.

  13. Development of a Case-based Reading Curriculum and Its Effect on Resident Reading.

    PubMed

    Messman, Anne M; Walker, Ian

    2018-01-01

    Textbook reading plays a foundational role in a resident's knowledge base. Many residency programs place residents on identical reading schedules, regardless of the clinical work or rotation the resident is doing. We sought to develop a reading curriculum that takes into account the clinical work a resident is doing so their reading curriculum corresponds with their clinical work. Preliminary data suggests an increased amount of resident reading and an increased interest in reading as a result of this change to their reading curriculum.

  14. The status of evolutionary medicine education in North American medical schools.

    PubMed

    Hidaka, Brandon H; Asghar, Anila; Aktipis, C Athena; Nesse, Randolph M; Wolpaw, Terry M; Skursky, Nicole K; Bennett, Katelyn J; Beyrouty, Matthew W; Schwartz, Mark D

    2015-03-08

    Medical and public health scientists are using evolution to devise new strategies to solve major health problems. But based on a 2003 survey, medical curricula may not adequately prepare physicians to evaluate and extend these advances. This study assessed the change in coverage of evolution in North American medical schools since 2003 and identified opportunities for enriching medical education. In 2013, curriculum deans for all North American medical schools were invited to rate curricular coverage and perceived importance of 12 core principles, the extent of anticipated controversy from adding evolution, and the usefulness of 13 teaching resources. Differences between schools were assessed by Pearson's chi-square test, Student's t-test, and Spearman's correlation. Open-ended questions sought insight into perceived barriers and benefits. Despite repeated follow-up, 60 schools (39%) responded to the survey. There was no evidence of sample bias. The three evolutionary principles rated most important were antibiotic resistance, environmental mismatch, and somatic selection in cancer. While importance and coverage of principles were correlated (r = 0.76, P < 0.01), coverage (at least moderate) lagged behind importance (at least moderate) by an average of 21% (SD = 6%). Compared to 2003, a range of evolutionary principles were covered by 4 to 74% more schools. Nearly half (48%) of responders anticipated igniting controversy at their medical school if they added evolution to their curriculum. The teaching resources ranked most useful were model test questions and answers, case studies, and model curricula for existing courses/rotations. Limited resources (faculty expertise) were cited as the major barrier to adding more evolution, but benefits included a deeper understanding and improved patient care. North American medical schools have increased the evolution content in their curricula over the past decade. However, coverage is not commensurate with importance. At a few medical schools, anticipated controversy impedes teaching more evolution. Efforts to improve evolution education in medical schools should be directed toward boosting faculty expertise and crafting resources that can be easily integrated into existing curricula.

  15. C-Span in the American Government Classroom.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Cable Satellite Corp., Washington, DC.

    Encouraging educators' use of live and unedited television coverage of the functions of government, this publication contains seven lessons for the high school social studies curriculum. The C-Span has no time or space constraints and broadcasts all events in their entirety; unedited lessons teach concepts and objectives and the emphasis is on the…

  16. Teaching Business Ethics: A Quandary for Accounting Educators

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frank, Gary; Ofobike, Emeka; Gradisher, Suzanne

    2010-01-01

    The authors discuss the pressures that accounting educators face in meeting expectations to include ethics in the accounting curriculum. Most schools still do not require discrete ethics courses for accounting students; ethics coverage is on a course-by-course basis. However, not all professors are equally comfortable or knowledgeable of models of…

  17. Historical Analysis of the Inorganic Chemistry Curriculum Using ACS Examinations as Artifacts

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Srinivasan, Shalini; Reisner, Barbara A.; Smith, Sheila R.; Stewart, Joanne L.; Johnson, Adam R.; Lin, Shirley; Marek, Keith A.; Nataro, Chip; Murphy, Kristen L.; Raker, Jeffrey R.

    2018-01-01

    ACS Examinations provide a lens through which to examine historical changes in topic coverage via analyses of course-specific examinations. This study is an extension of work completed previously by the ACS Exams Research Staff and collaborators in general chemistry, organic chemistry, and physical chemistry to explore content changes in the…

  18. Hiroshima: Perspectives on the Atomic Bombing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cheng, Amy

    In this curriculum module students analyze both U.S. and Japanese perspectives of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. The activities integrate Howard Gardner's work on multiple intelligences. The module is recommended as a supplement to textbook coverage of the war in the Pacific and of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima. It can be used to support both…

  19. Developing a Competence-Based Addiction Medicine Curriculum in Indonesia: The Training Needs Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pinxten, W. J. L.; De Jong, C.; Hidayat, T.; Istiqomah, A. N.; Achmad, Y. M.; Raya, R. P.; Norviatin, D.; Siregar, I. M. P.

    2011-01-01

    Indonesia has one of the fastest growing, injecting drugs user-driven, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) epidemics in Asia. Coverage of needle and syringe programs (NSPs), opioid substitution therapy (OST), and antiretroviral treatment (ART) is increasing, but is still low, whereas professional training in addiction medicine is not yet…

  20. Advances in Graduate Marketing Curriculum: Paying Attention to Ethical, Social, and Sustainability Issues

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weber, James

    2013-01-01

    This research explores the impact of coercive, mimetic, and normative isomorphic pressures on the coverage and offering of courses addressing ethical, social, and sustainability issues (ESSI) in business schools' graduate marketing curricula. Data from the Aspen Institute's Beyond Grey Pinstripes program are analyzed to detect if significant…

  1. Information Systems Security and Computer Crime in the IS Curriculum: A Detailed Examination

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foltz, C. Bryan; Renwick, Janet S.

    2011-01-01

    The authors examined the extent to which information systems (IS) security and computer crime are covered in information systems programs. Results suggest that IS faculty believe security coverage should be increased in required, elective, and non-IS courses. However, respondent faculty members are concerned that existing curricula leave little…

  2. A Survey of Managed Care Education at Optometry Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Soroka, Mort; Reis, Lesley

    2003-01-01

    Studied the courses and topics offered at schools of optometry and the total hours devoted to managed care. Responses from the 17 schools of optometry reveal significant variations in curricular coverage of managed care, although a core set of materials was found to exist that could be the basis for more standard curriculum. (SLD)

  3. A President's Formula: Involving the Entire Faculty in Community Services

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vaughan, George B.

    1975-01-01

    All Community college faculty members should automatically have 20 percent of their time assigned to community service courses. This will bring community services into the mainstream of the educational program and will assure financial coverage of community service courses. The resulting slack in the regular curriculum should be filled by…

  4. Impact of Curricular Reforms on Educational Philosophy Courses in M.Ed Programmes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gafoor, K. Abdul; Remia, K. R.

    2014-01-01

    In the context of Vision of Teacher Education envisaged in National Curriculum Framework for Teacher Education, this study probes "Do M.Ed programmes provide for the prerequisites of educational philosophy for teacher educators?" and "whether the syllabi following credit and non credit pattern vary in their coverage of content of…

  5. 38 CFR 8a.4 - Coverage.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Coverage. 8a.4 Section 8a.4 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS VETERANS MORTGAGE LIFE INSURANCE § 8a.4 Coverage. (a) The amount of VMLI in force on his or her life at any one time shall be...

  6. 38 CFR 8a.4 - Coverage.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Coverage. 8a.4 Section 8a.4 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS VETERANS MORTGAGE LIFE INSURANCE § 8a.4 Coverage. (a) The amount of VMLI in force on his or her life at any one time shall be...

  7. 38 CFR 8a.4 - Coverage.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Coverage. 8a.4 Section 8a.4 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS VETERANS MORTGAGE LIFE INSURANCE § 8a.4 Coverage. (a) The amount of VMLI in force on his or her life at any one time shall be...

  8. 38 CFR 8a.4 - Coverage.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Coverage. 8a.4 Section 8a.4 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS VETERANS MORTGAGE LIFE INSURANCE § 8a.4 Coverage. (a) The amount of VMLI in force on his or her life at any one time shall be...

  9. The impact of reforestation in the northeast United States on precipitation and surface temperature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clark, Allyson

    Since the 1920s, forest coverage in the northeastern United States has recovered from disease, clearing for agricultural and urban development, and the demands of the timber industry. Such a dramatic change in ground cover can influence heat and moisture fluxes to the atmosphere, as measured in altered landscapes in Australia, Israel, and the Amazon. In this study, the impacts of recent reforestation in the northeastern United States on summertime precipitation and surface temperature were quantified by comparing average modern values to 1950s values. Weak positive (negative) relationships between reforestation and average monthly precipitation and daily minimum temperatures (average daily maximum surface temperature) were found. There was no relationship between reforestation and average surface temperature. Results of the observational analysis were compared with results obtained from reforestation scenarios simulated with the BUGS5 global climate model. The single difference between the model runs was the amount of forest coverage in the northeast United States; three levels of forest were defined - a grassland state, with 0% forest coverage, a completely forested state, with approximately 100% forest coverage, and a control state, with forest coverage closely resembling modern forest coverage. The three simulations were compared, and had larger magnitude average changes in precipitation and in all temperature variables. The difference in magnitudes between the model simulations observations was much larger than the difference in the amount of reforestation in each case. Additionally, unlike in observations, a negative relationship was found between average daily minimum temperature and amount of forest coverage, implying that additional factors influence temperature and precipitation in the real world that are not accounted for in the model.

  10. 20 CFR 404.261 - Computing your special minimum primary insurance amount.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Computing your special minimum primary..., SURVIVORS AND DISABILITY INSURANCE (1950- ) Computing Primary Insurance Amounts Special Minimum Primary Insurance Amounts § 404.261 Computing your special minimum primary insurance amount. (a) Years of coverage...

  11. 12 CFR 713.5 - What is the required minimum dollar amount of coverage?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... coverage required, but a federal credit union's board of directors should purchase additional or enhanced... its own internal risk assessment, its fraud trends and loss experience, and factors such as its cash...

  12. Educator Perspectives on Indigenous Cultural Content in an Occupational Therapy Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Melchert, Belinda; Gray, Marion; Miller, Adrian

    2016-01-01

    Health professionals must understand Indigenous perspectives to deliver effective health services. This study set out to determine the amount, type and effectiveness of current Indigenous content in an occupational therapy curriculum at an Australian regional university and the progress in meeting the National Aboriginal Health Strategy (NAHS)…

  13. Caring and the Elementary Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ediger, Marlow

    In light of the amount of violence reported in public media and increasing rudeness of public behavior, it is imperative that elementary school students learn to care for other human beings. This paper makes recommendations for developing an elementary school curriculum of caring. The paper recommends three categories of objectives--knowledge,…

  14. Supporting the Teaching and Assessment of Working Scientifically

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mepsted, James

    2018-01-01

    The author created a project aimed to develop and implement the assessment of working scientifically (WS) skills at Victoria Park Primary School. The author had previously identified a gap in the curriculum coverage and assessment of WS skills and his goal was to address the lack of provision for assessing children's WS skills and raise the…

  15. Environmental Accounting Coverage in the Accounting Curriculum: A Survey of U.S. Universities and Colleges.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yakhou, Mehenna; Dorweiler, Vernon P.

    2002-01-01

    In a survey of accounting department chairs (122 of 660 responded), only 11% thought that environmental issues should be a standalone course; only four schools had such a course. Environmental topics rated highest were managerial and cost accounting and external reporting and auditing. Respondents believed that integrating topics into courses…

  16. Overcoming Student Misconceptions about Photosynthesis: A Model- and Inquiry-Based Approach Using Aquatic Plants

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ray, Andrew M.; Beardsley, Paul M.

    2008-01-01

    Even though photosynthesis is an obligatory part of the science curriculum, research has shown that students often have a poor understanding of it. The authors advocate that classroom coverage of the topic of photosynthesis should include not only its biochemical properties but also the role of photosynthesis or photosynthetic organisms in matter…

  17. Psychology Students' Interest in Graduate Training: A Need for Partnership among Undergraduate Psychology and Graduate School Psychology Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stinnett, Terry A.; Solomon, Benjamin G.

    2014-01-01

    An initial point of contact for recruitment of qualified persons into school psychology is undergraduate psychology degree programs. Unfortunately, the discipline of school psychology appears to receive at best only cursory coverage in undergraduate psychology texts, curriculum, and discussion by psychology department faculty even though school…

  18. United States societal experiments via the Communications Technology Satellite

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Donoughe, P. L.

    1976-01-01

    After a brief description of the Communication Technology Satellite and its U.S. coverage, the U.S. societal experiments via the CTS are discussed. These include education (college curriculum sharing, and project interchange), health care (biomedical communications, health communications, and communication support for decentralized education), and community and special experiments (satellite library information network, and transportable earth terminal).

  19. Comparing Presidents and Their Actions "To Provide for the Common Defence"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Brien, Joe; Hood, Jack

    2009-01-01

    As noted by Onosko, the nature of the social studies curriculum typically results in superficial and disconnected coverage of the content with few opportunities for in-depth investigation and discussion of that content. Engaging students in a comparative study of U.S. Presidents and actions they took "to provide for the common defence"…

  20. What Should We Tell Our Children about Vietnam?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCloud, Bill

    1988-01-01

    Describes McCloud's efforts to improve coverage of the Vietnam War in the junior high school curriculum. Presents answers to the question "What do you think are the most important things for today's junior high students to understand about the Vietnam War?" from people such as Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, Tom Hayden, and Robert S.…

  1. Multiculturalism: In the Curriculum, in the Disciplines, and in Society.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Donald

    Despite the coverage of multiculturalism in the press and on television, the choices the public faces are not limited to cultural separatism on the one hand or a dogmatic and narrow view of Western civilization on the other. A middle path of synthesis is possible, particularly if three areas of the multicultural debate are carefully analyzed.…

  2. Military Curriculum Materials for Vocational and Technical Education. Fundamentals of Electricity 3-3.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ohio State Univ., Columbus. National Center for Research in Vocational Education.

    This independent self-study course on electricity was developed from military sources for use in vocational education. The course provides a source of study materials on the principles of electricity. The five lessons are divided into two parts, each of which contains criterion objectives and self-tests. The course provides basic coverage of…

  3. 28 CFR 94.23 - Amount of reimbursement.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Amount of reimbursement. 94.23 Section 94.23 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (CONTINUED) CRIME VICTIM SERVICES International Terrorism Victim Expense Reimbursement Program Coverage § 94.23 Amount of reimbursement. Different...

  4. 28 CFR 94.23 - Amount of reimbursement.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Amount of reimbursement. 94.23 Section 94.23 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (CONTINUED) CRIME VICTIM SERVICES International Terrorism Victim Expense Reimbursement Program Coverage § 94.23 Amount of reimbursement. Different...

  5. 28 CFR 94.23 - Amount of reimbursement.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Amount of reimbursement. 94.23 Section 94.23 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (CONTINUED) CRIME VICTIM SERVICES International Terrorism Victim Expense Reimbursement Program Coverage § 94.23 Amount of reimbursement. Different...

  6. 28 CFR 94.23 - Amount of reimbursement.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Amount of reimbursement. 94.23 Section 94.23 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (CONTINUED) CRIME VICTIM SERVICES International Terrorism Victim Expense Reimbursement Program Coverage § 94.23 Amount of reimbursement. Different...

  7. 28 CFR 94.23 - Amount of reimbursement.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... 28 Judicial Administration 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Amount of reimbursement. 94.23 Section 94.23 Judicial Administration DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE (CONTINUED) CRIME VICTIM SERVICES International Terrorism Victim Expense Reimbursement Program Coverage § 94.23 Amount of reimbursement. Different...

  8. Newspaper Front Page Coverage of "the Korean Airliner Boeing 747 Massacre" in Six Newspapers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kang, Jong Geun

    A study investigated three United States and three foreign newspapers to determine the direction or bias of coverage of the 1983 Korean Airline (KAL) incident and any differences in coverage. It was hypothesized (1) that the amount of space allotted to the story in U. S. newspapers would be greater than that in foreign newspapers; (2) that there…

  9. Managing Vocational Education Programs. Vocational Education Curriculum Specialist, Module 14.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Appleby, Judith A.

    One of five modules in the administrative series of the 16-module series designed to train vocational education curriculum specialists, this module is intended for use in classes or individual study arrangements at the preservice or inservice level by students with varying amounts of experience in vocational education. (These modules are revised…

  10. A One-Year Introductory Robotics Curriculum for Computer Science Upperclassmen

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Correll, N.; Wing, R.; Coleman, D.

    2013-01-01

    This paper describes a one-year introductory robotics course sequence focusing on computational aspects of robotics for third- and fourth-year students. The key challenges this curriculum addresses are "scalability," i.e., how to teach a robotics class with a limited amount of hardware to a large audience, "student assessment,"…

  11. Criterion-Related Validity of Measuring Sight-Word Acquisition with Curriculum-Based Assessment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burns, Matthew K.; Mosack, Jill L.

    2005-01-01

    Curriculum-Based Assessment for Instructional Design (CBA-ID) provides data used to ensure an appropriately challenging learning task. One aspect of appropriate challenge measured by CBA-ID, called the acquisition rate (AR), involves the amount of new information a student could acquire and retain during initial learning. Previous research…

  12. Saxon Math. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2013

    2013-01-01

    "Saxon Math," published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, is a core curriculum for students in grades K-5. A distinguishing feature of the curriculum is its use of an incremental approach for instruction and assessment. This approach limits the amount of new math content delivered to students each day and allows time for daily practice. New…

  13. Curriculum Change at Liberal Arts Colleges: The Influence of Financial Conditions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Paulsen, Michael B.

    1990-01-01

    A study tested the hypothesis: The greater the amount of philanthropic income per dollar of tuition, the smaller the fraction of bachelor's degrees in occupational fields. Findings support the contention that a college's tuition dependence is associated with its tendency to adjust its curriculum to match student consumer preferences. (MLW)

  14. Priorities in Vocational Education. Vocational Education Curriculum Specialist, Module 5.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wheeler, Jeanette D.

    One of five modules in the foundation series of the 16-module series designed to train vocational education curriculum specialists, this module is intended for use in classes or individual study arrangements at the preservice or inservice level by students with varying amounts of experience in vocational education. (These modules are revised…

  15. The Scope of Vocational Education. Vocational Education Curriculum Specialist, Module 2.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wheeler, Jeanette D.

    One of five modules in the foundation series of the 16-module series designed to train vocational education curriculum specialists, this module is intended for use in classes or individual study arrangements at the preservice or inservice level by students with varying amounts of experience in vocational education. (These modules are revised…

  16. Adsorption of dextrin on hydrophobic minerals.

    PubMed

    Beaussart, Audrey; Mierczynska-Vasilev, Agnieszka; Beattie, David A

    2009-09-01

    The adsorption of dextrin on talc, molybdenite, and graphite (three naturally hydrophobic minerals) has been compared. Adsorption isotherms and in situ tapping mode atomic force microscope (TMAFM) imaging have enabled polymer adsorbed amount and morphology of the adsorbed layer (area coverage and polymer domain size) to be determined and also the amount of hydration water in the structure of the adsorbed layer. The effect of the polymer on the mineral contact angles, measured by the captive bubble method on cleaved mineral surfaces, indicates clear correlations between the hydrophobicity reduction of the minerals, the adsorbed amount, and the surface coverage of the adsorbed polymer. Predictions of the flotation recovery of the treated mineral phases have been confirmed by performing batch flotation experiments. The influence of the polymer surface coverage on flotation recovery has highlighted the importance of this key parameter in the predictions of depressant efficiency. The roles of the initial hydrophobicity and the surface structure of the mineral basal plane in determining adsorption parameters and flotation response of the polymer-treated minerals are also discussed.

  17. Esthetic soft tissue management for teeth and implants.

    PubMed

    Fu, Jia-Hui; Su, Chuan-Yi; Wang, Hom-Lay

    2012-09-01

    Can newly introduced graft materials be successfully used in soft tissue augmentation around teeth and dental implants? An electronic search on the PubMed database for English articles published before March 31, 2012, was performed using the following key words: "root coverage," "soft tissue graft," "periodontal plastic surgery," "subepithelial connective graft (SCTG)," "acellular dermal matrix (ADM)," "guided tissue regeneration based root coverage (GTRC)," "recession defects," "mucogingival defects," "collagen matrix," "living cellular construct (LCC)," "mucograft," and "biologic agents." Literature featuring new soft tissue graft materials, such as ADM, collagen matrix, GTRC, and biologic agents, were included. Data showed (1) allogeneic grafts were comparable to SCTG in terms of mean complete root coverage (CRC), mean root coverage (RC), and mean amount of keratinized tissue (KT) gain; (2) xenogeneic collagen matrix was as comparable to SCTG in terms of mean amount of KT gain around teeth and dental implants but inferior in achieving RC; (3) GTRC was inferior to SCTG in terms of mean CRC and mean RC; (4) LCC was inferior to free gingival graft in terms of mean amount of KT gain but was superior in esthetics and patient satisfaction; and (5) adjunctive use of biologic agents did not exert a significant effect on mean CRC, mean RC, and mean amount of KT gain. Although these new materials do not surpass the gold standard (SCTG), they do provide improved patient satisfaction and esthetics, are available in abundance, and lead to reduced postoperative discomfort and surgical time. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. Australia's 1988 Bicentennial: National History and Multiculturalism in the Primary School Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sharp, Heather

    2012-01-01

    As in many countries, such as Germany, Turkey, the United States and Japan the history/culture wars of the past two decades have increased public interest in what is taught in schools. This has resulted in rigorous debates in the general community, encouraged and sustained through regular media coverage. Partly as a response to this, History has…

  19. The Teaching of Literature in a Singapore Secondary School: Disciplinarity, Curriculum Coverage and the Opportunity Costs Involved

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Towndrow, Phillip; Kwek, Dennis Beng Kiat

    2017-01-01

    Set against the backdrop of reinvigorating the study of literature and concerns about the adequate preparation of students for the world of work, this paper explores how a Singapore teacher presented a literary text in the classroom. Drawing on data from a large-scale representative sample of Singapore schools in instruction and assessment…

  20. Coverage of Major Topics in Economics in the Undergraduate Curriculum: Economists as Gatekeepers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Prescott, Suzanne

    Over the last 25 years, less attention has been devoted to the role of the economist as teacher or professor than to the role of economist as scholar or researcher. Teachers have been seen as passive recipients of advances in economics research that they simply hand on to their students. Yet teachers perform an important gatekeeping function when…

  1. An Analysis of Misconceptions in Science Textbooks: Earth Science in England and Wales

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    King, Chris John Henry

    2010-01-01

    Surveys of the earth science content of all secondary (high school) science textbooks and related publications used in England and Wales have revealed high levels of error/misconception. The 29 science textbooks or textbook series surveyed (51 texts in all) showed poor coverage of National Curriculum earth science and contained a mean level of one…

  2. Hybrid Text: An Engaging Genre to Teach Content Area Material across the Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bintz, William P.; Ciecierski, Lisa M.

    2017-01-01

    The Common Core State Standards for English language arts expect that teachers will use narrative and informational texts to teach content area material across the curriculum. However, many teachers at all grade levels struggle to incorporate both kinds of text, especially given the vast amount of specialized content they are required to teach.…

  3. Putting the Cart before the Horse: The Role of a Socio-Moral Atmosphere in an Inquiry-Based Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Geiken, Rosemary; Van Meeteren, Beth Dykstra; Kato, Tsuguhiko

    2009-01-01

    Research lends support to inquiry-based curriculum demonstrating how social interaction, such as discussion and presentation, positively affects children's learning. As a result, teachers spend an inordinate amount of time and effort in planning investigations to develop skills in inquiry. However, many of them overlook the necessary foundation…

  4. The Teacher as Instructional Designer: A Search Through the Curriculum Maze.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jacko, Carol M.; Garman, Noreen M.

    The vast amount of literature on curriculum and instructional design does not establish a clear frame of reference to help teachers utilize and operationalize concepts and information. Four specific problem areas are of special concern in the literature: (1) the terminology and definitions are confusing; (2) the place of the classroom teacher is…

  5. How Much Professional Development Is Needed with Educative Curriculum Materials? It Depends upon the Intended Student Learning Outcomes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schuchardt, Anita M.; Tekkumru-Kisa, Miray; Schunn, Christian D.; Stein, Mary Kay; Reynolds, Birdy

    2017-01-01

    There is little consensus on the kinds and amounts of teacher support needed to achieve desired student learning outcomes when mathematics is inserted into science classrooms. When supported by educative curriculum materials (ECM) and heavy investment in professional development (PD), teachers implementing a unit designed around mathematical…

  6. Effects of a Physical Education Supportive Curriculum and Technological Devices on Physical Activity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clapham, Emily Dean; Sullivan, Eileen C.; Ciccomascolo, Lori E.

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a physical education supportive curriculum and technological devices, heart rate monitor (HRM) and pedometer (PED), on physical activity. A single-subject ABAB research design was used to examine amount and level of participation in physical activity among 106 suburban fourth and fifth…

  7. Lost at Sea: Without a Curriculum, Navigating Instruction Can be Tough--Especially for New Teachers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kauffman, David; Johnson, Susan Moore; Kardos, Susan M.; Liu, Edward; Peske, Heather G.

    2002-01-01

    Interviewed beginning teachers in Massachusetts to determine how they experienced curriculum and state-mandated assessments they encountered. Most respondents received little or no guidance about what to teach or how to teach it and spent inordinate amounts of time and money developing their own content and materials from scratch. Asserts that…

  8. What Should Be in the Biology Curriculum?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leyser, Ottoline

    2014-01-01

    The ever-increasing amount of biological knowledge has resulted in compression of topics in the curriculum to a précis of current understanding. This gives the impression that biology is about a list of things we know. This misconception is extremely damaging, contributing to the idea that science is an impersonal process that generates facts,…

  9. Understanding patient safety performance and educational needs using the 'Safety-II' approach for complex systems.

    PubMed

    McNab, Duncan; Bowie, Paul; Morrison, Jill; Ross, Alastair

    2016-11-01

    Participation in projects to improve patient safety is a key component of general practice (GP) specialty training, appraisal and revalidation. Patient safety training priorities for GPs at all career stages are described in the Royal College of General Practitioners' curriculum. Current methods that are taught and employed to improve safety often use a 'find-and-fix' approach to identify components of a system (including humans) where performance could be improved. However, the complex interactions and inter-dependence between components in healthcare systems mean that cause and effect are not always linked in a predictable manner. The Safety-II approach has been proposed as a new way to understand how safety is achieved in complex systems that may improve quality and safety initiatives and enhance GP and trainee curriculum coverage. Safety-II aims to maximise the number of events with a successful outcome by exploring everyday work. Work-as-done often differs from work-as-imagined in protocols and guidelines and various ways to achieve success, dependent on work conditions, may be possible. Traditional approaches to improve the quality and safety of care often aim to constrain variability but understanding and managing variability may be a more beneficial approach. The application of a Safety-II approach to incident investigation, quality improvement projects, prospective analysis of risk in systems and performance indicators may offer improved insight into system performance leading to more effective change. The way forward may be to combine the Safety-II approach with 'traditional' methods to enhance patient safety training, outcomes and curriculum coverage.

  10. 7 CFR 457.124 - Raisin crop insurance provisions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... maximum dollar amount. The value per ton established by FCIC and shown in the actuarial documents... insured tonnage by the reference maximum dollar amount, by the coverage level percentage you elect, and by... maximum dollar amount, except if your damaged production undergoes a USDA inspection and is stored by your...

  11. 7 CFR 457.124 - Raisin crop insurance provisions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... maximum dollar amount. The value per ton established by FCIC and shown in the actuarial documents... insured tonnage by the reference maximum dollar amount, by the coverage level percentage you elect, and by... maximum dollar amount, except if your damaged production undergoes a USDA inspection and is stored by your...

  12. 7 CFR 457.124 - Raisin crop insurance provisions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... maximum dollar amount. The value per ton established by FCIC and shown in the actuarial documents... insured tonnage by the reference maximum dollar amount, by the coverage level percentage you elect, and by... maximum dollar amount, except if your damaged production undergoes a USDA inspection and is stored by your...

  13. 44 CFR 61.6 - Maximum amounts of coverage available.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... program. Regular program Emergency program 1 first layer Second layer Total amount available Single Family... Churches, other properties 100,000 400,000 500,000 1 Only first layer available under emergency program. 2...

  14. Media Coverage, Journal Press Releases and Editorials Associated with Randomized and Observational Studies in High-Impact Medical Journals: A Cohort Study.

    PubMed

    Wang, Michael T M; Bolland, Mark J; Gamble, Greg; Grey, Andrew

    2015-01-01

    Publication of clinical research findings in prominent journals influences health beliefs and medical practice, in part by engendering news coverage. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) should be most influential in guiding clinical practice. We determined whether study design of clinical research published in high-impact journals influences media coverage. We compared the incidence and amount of media coverage of RCTs with that of observational studies published in the top 7 medical journals between 1 January 2013 and 31 March 2013. We specifically assessed media coverage of the most rigorous RCTs, those with >1000 participants that reported 'hard' outcomes. There was no difference between RCTs and observational studies in coverage by major newspapers or news agencies, or in total number of news stories generated (all P>0.63). Large RCTs reporting 'hard' outcomes did not generate more news coverage than small RCTs that reported surrogate outcomes and observational studies (all P>0.32). RCTs were more likely than observational studies to attract a journal editorial (70% vs 46%, P = 0.003), but less likely to be the subject of a journal press release (17% vs 50%, P<0.001). Large RCTs that reported 'hard' outcomes did not attract an editorial more frequently than other studies (61% vs 58%, P>0.99), nor were they more likely to be the subject of a journal press release (14% vs 38%, P = 0.14). The design of clinical studies whose results are published in high-impact medical journals is not associated with the likelihood or amount of ensuing news coverage.

  15. "A Planet of Confusion and Debate": Children's and Young People's Response to the News Coverage of Pluto's Loss of Planetary Status

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jarman, Ruth; McClune, Billy

    2009-01-01

    Despite calls that the school science curriculum should develop among students an ability to understand and respond critically to science-related media reports, very little research has been directed toward an important matter relevant to that aim, namely, how children and young people, untutored, react to science in the news. This study sought,…

  16. The Relationship between Socioeconomic Status at Age One, Opportunities to Learn and Achievement in Mathematics in Fourth Grade in Peru

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cueto, Santiago; Guerrero, Gabriela; Leon, Juan; Zapata, Mayli; Freire, Silvana

    2014-01-01

    Using Young Lives longitudinal data from Peru, this paper explores the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) measured at the age of one, opportunities to learn (OTL) and achievement in mathematics ten years later. Four variables of OTL were measured: hours of class per year, curriculum coverage, quality of teachers' feedback, and level…

  17. A comparative study of root coverage using two different acellular dermal matrix products.

    PubMed

    Barker, Thomas S; Cueva, Marco A; Rivera-Hidalgo, Francisco; Beach, M Miles; Rossmann, Jeffrey A; Kerns, David G; Crump, T Bradley; Shulman, Jay D

    2010-11-01

    Gingival recession remains an important problem in dental esthetics. A new dermal matrix material has been introduced, but its effectiveness has not been studied and compared to current dermal matrix material. The aim of this study is to compare the healing associated with a coronally advanced flap for root coverage in areas of localized tissue recession when using Alloderm (ADM) and Puros Dermis (PDM). A split-mouth design was used for this study, with 52 contralateral sites in 14 patients with Miller Class I or III facial tissue recession. Twenty-six sites were treated with coronally advanced flap using PDM, and 26 sites were treated with coronally advanced flap using ADM, all followed for 6 months. Clinical measurements of vertical recession, keratinized tissue, probing depths, and attachment levels were made initially, at 3 months, and at 6 months. Both groups had significant improvement in the amount of recession coverage with means of 2.83 mm for the PDM and 3.13 mm for the ADM. The percentage of root coverage was 81.4% for the PDM and 83.4% for the ADM; differences between the materials were not statistically significant. Based on the results of this study, there was no statistical or clinical difference in the amount of root coverage, probing depth, or keratinized tissue in coronally advanced flaps for root coverage with either of the two acellular dermal matrix materials. Both materials were successful in achieving root coverage.

  18. 78 FR 54986 - Information Reporting of Minimum Essential Coverage

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-09-09

    ... to report (1) the name, address, and taxpayer identification number (TIN) of the primary insured, (2) the name, dates of coverage, and TIN of each individual covered under a policy, (3) whether health... effect, the names and TINs of each individual covered, the amount of advance credit payments relating to...

  19. 48 CFR 1352.228-71 - Deductibles under required insurance coverage-cost reimbursement.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... insurance coverage-cost reimbursement. 1352.228-71 Section 1352.228-71 Federal Acquisition Regulations... Provisions and Clauses 1352.228-71 Deductibles under required insurance coverage—cost reimbursement. As... Coverage—Cost Reimbursement (APR 2010) (a) The contractor is required to present evidence of the amount of...

  20. Curriculum Mapping of the Master's Program in Pharmacy in Slovenia with the PHAR-QA Competency Framework.

    PubMed

    Gmeiner, Tanja; Horvat, Nejc; Kos, Mitja; Obreza, Aleš; Vovk, Tomaž; Grabnar, Iztok; Božič, Borut

    2017-05-02

    This article presents the results of mapping the Slovenian pharmacy curriculum to evaluate the adequacy of the recently developed and validated European Pharmacy Competences Framework (EPCF). The mapping was carried out and evaluated progressively by seven members of the teaching staff at the University of Ljubljana's Faculty of Pharmacy. Consensus was achieved by using a two-round modified Delphi technique to evaluate the coverage of competences in the current curriculum. The preliminary results of the curriculum mapping showed that all of the competences as defined by the EPCF are covered in Ljubljana's academic program. However, because most EPCF competences cover healthcare-oriented pharmacy practice, a lack of competences was observed for the drug development and production perspectives. Both of these perspectives are important because a pharmacist is (or should be) responsible for the entire process, from the development and production of medicines to pharmaceutical care in contact with patients. Nevertheless, Ljubljana's graduates are employed in both of these pharmaceutical professions in comparable proportions. The Delphi study revealed that the majority of differences in scoring arise from different perspectives on the pharmacy profession (e.g., community, hospital, industrial, etc.). Nevertheless, it can be concluded that curriculum mapping using the EPCF is very useful for evaluating and recognizing weak and strong points of the curriculum. However, the competences of the framework should address various fields of the pharmacist's profession in a more balanced way.

  1. Curriculum Mapping of the Master’s Program in Pharmacy in Slovenia with the PHAR-QA Competency Framework

    PubMed Central

    Gmeiner, Tanja; Horvat, Nejc; Kos, Mitja; Obreza, Aleš; Vovk, Tomaž; Grabnar, Iztok; Božič, Borut

    2017-01-01

    This article presents the results of mapping the Slovenian pharmacy curriculum to evaluate the adequacy of the recently developed and validated European Pharmacy Competences Framework (EPCF). The mapping was carried out and evaluated progressively by seven members of the teaching staff at the University of Ljubljana’s Faculty of Pharmacy. Consensus was achieved by using a two-round modified Delphi technique to evaluate the coverage of competences in the current curriculum. The preliminary results of the curriculum mapping showed that all of the competences as defined by the EPCF are covered in Ljubljana’s academic program. However, because most EPCF competences cover healthcare-oriented pharmacy practice, a lack of competences was observed for the drug development and production perspectives. Both of these perspectives are important because a pharmacist is (or should be) responsible for the entire process, from the development and production of medicines to pharmaceutical care in contact with patients. Nevertheless, Ljubljana’s graduates are employed in both of these pharmaceutical professions in comparable proportions. The Delphi study revealed that the majority of differences in scoring arise from different perspectives on the pharmacy profession (e.g., community, hospital, industrial, etc.). Nevertheless, it can be concluded that curriculum mapping using the EPCF is very useful for evaluating and recognizing weak and strong points of the curriculum. However, the competences of the framework should address various fields of the pharmacist’s profession in a more balanced way. PMID:28970436

  2. 27 CFR 40.133 - Amount of individual bond.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 2 2012-04-01 2011-04-01 true Amount of individual bond. 40.133 Section 40.133 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms ALCOHOL AND TOBACCO TAX AND TRADE BUREAU..., AND PROCESSED TOBACCO Bonds and Extensions of Coverage of Bonds § 40.133 Amount of individual bond...

  3. 42 CFR 423.780 - Premium subsidy.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... amount. (b) Premium subsidy amount. (1) The premium subsidy amount is equal to the lesser of— (i) Under... beneficiary premium attributable to basic prescription drug coverage (for enrollees in MA-PD plans); or (ii..., with the weight for each PDP and MA-PD plan equal to a percentage, the numerator being equal to the...

  4. 42 CFR 423.780 - Premium subsidy.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... amount. (b) Premium subsidy amount. (1) The premium subsidy amount is equal to the lesser of— (i) Under... beneficiary premium attributable to basic prescription drug coverage (for enrollees in MA-PD plans); or (ii..., with the weight for each PDP and MA-PD plan equal to a percentage, the numerator being equal to the...

  5. 42 CFR 423.780 - Premium subsidy.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... amount. (b) Premium subsidy amount. (1) The premium subsidy amount is equal to the lesser of— (i) Under... beneficiary premium attributable to basic prescription drug coverage (for enrollees in MA-PD plans); or (ii..., with the weight for each PDP and MA-PD plan equal to a percentage, the numerator being equal to the...

  6. Sleep education in medical school curriculum: a glimpse across countries.

    PubMed

    Mindell, Jodi A; Bartle, Alex; Wahab, Norrashidah Abd; Ahn, Youngmin; Ramamurthy, Mahesh Babu; Huong, Huynh Thi Duy; Kohyama, Jun; Ruangdaraganon, Nichara; Sekartini, Rini; Teng, Arthur; Goh, Daniel Y T

    2011-10-01

    The objective of this study was to assess the prevalence of education about sleep and sleep disorders in medical school education and to identify barriers to providing such education. Surveys were sent to 409 medical schools across 12 countries (Australia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand, United States, Canada and Viet Nam). Overall, the response rate was 25.9%, ranging from 0% in some countries (India) to 100% in other countries (New Zealand and Singapore). Overall, the average amount of time spent on sleep education is just under 2.5h, with 27% responding that their medical school provides no sleep education. Three countries (Indonesia, Malaysia, and Viet Nam) provide no education, and only Australia and the United States/Canada provide more than 3h of education. Paediatric topics were covered for a mere 17 min compared to over 2h on adult-related topics. These results suggest that there continues to be very limited coverage of sleep in medical school education despite an incredible increase in acknowledgement of the importance of sleep and need for recognition of sleep disorders by physicians. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. The Relationship between Preparatory Time and Study Resources with Adult Christian Education Curriculum Resources at Highpoint Baptist Church Eight Mile, Alabama

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zimmerman, Christina Joyce

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to analyze a possible relationship between two catalysts: the amount of time and the number of Bible study resources teachers use in preparation to teach Sunday school with Christian education curriculum resources. The precedent literature of this study validates that the goal of Christian education is spiritual…

  8. Media Coverage, Journal Press Releases and Editorials Associated with Randomized and Observational Studies in High-Impact Medical Journals: A Cohort Study

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Michael T. M.; Bolland, Mark J.; Gamble, Greg; Grey, Andrew

    2015-01-01

    Background Publication of clinical research findings in prominent journals influences health beliefs and medical practice, in part by engendering news coverage. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) should be most influential in guiding clinical practice. We determined whether study design of clinical research published in high-impact journals influences media coverage. Methods and Findings We compared the incidence and amount of media coverage of RCTs with that of observational studies published in the top 7 medical journals between 1 January 2013 and 31 March 2013. We specifically assessed media coverage of the most rigorous RCTs, those with >1000 participants that reported ‘hard’ outcomes. There was no difference between RCTs and observational studies in coverage by major newspapers or news agencies, or in total number of news stories generated (all P>0.63). Large RCTs reporting ‘hard’ outcomes did not generate more news coverage than small RCTs that reported surrogate outcomes and observational studies (all P>0.32). RCTs were more likely than observational studies to attract a journal editorial (70% vs 46%, P = 0.003), but less likely to be the subject of a journal press release (17% vs 50%, P<0.001). Large RCTs that reported ‘hard’ outcomes did not attract an editorial more frequently than other studies (61% vs 58%, P>0.99), nor were they more likely to be the subject of a journal press release (14% vs 38%, P = 0.14). Conclusions The design of clinical studies whose results are published in high-impact medical journals is not associated with the likelihood or amount of ensuing news coverage. PMID:26701758

  9. To What Extent Do Pupils Perceive Science to Be Inconsistent with Religious Faith? An Exploratory Survey of 13-14 Year-Old English Pupils

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taber, Keith S.; Billingsley, Berry; Riga, Fran; Newdick, Helen

    2011-01-01

    Scientists hold a wide range of beliefs on matters of religion, although popular media coverage in the UK commonly suggests that atheism is a core commitment for scientists. Considering the relationship between religion and science is a recommended topic in the English National Curriculum for lower secondary pupils (11-14 year-olds), and it is…

  10. Elementary teachers' ideas about, planning for and implementation of learner-directed and teacher-directed inquiry: A mixed methods study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Biggers, Mandy Sue

    Using a framework for variations of classroom inquiry (National Research Council [NRC], 2000, p. 29), this study explored 40 inservice elementary teachers' planning, modification, and enactment of kit-based science curriculum materials. As part of the study, a new observation protocol was modified from an existing protocol (Practices of Science Observation Protocol [P-SOP]) to measure the amount of teacher direction in science inquiry lessons (Practices of Science Observation Protocol + Directedness [P-SOPd]). An embedded mixed methods design was employed to investigate four questions: 1. How valid and reliable is the P-SOPd? 2. In what ways do inservice elementary teachers adapt existing elementary science curriculum materials across the inquiry continuum? 3. What is the relationship between the overall quality of inquiry and variations of inquiry in elementary teachers' enacted science instruction? 4. How do inservice elementary teachers' ideas about the inquiry continuum influence their adaptation of elementary science curriculum materials? Each teacher chose three lessons from a science unit for video-recorded observation, and submitted lesson plans for the three lessons. Lesson plans and videos were scored using the P-SOPd. The scores were also compared between the two protocols to determine if a correlation existed between the level of inquiry (measured on the P-SOP) and the amount of teacher direction (measured on the P-SOPd). Findings indicated no significant differences between planned and enacted lessons for the amount of teacher direction, but a correlation existed between the level of inquiry and the amount of teacher direction. In effect, the elementary teachers taught their science curriculum materials with a high level of fidelity for both the features of inquiry and the amount of teacher direction. A smaller group of three case study teachers were followed for the school year to give a more in-depth explanation of the quantitative findings. Case study findings revealed that the teachers' science instruction was teacher-directed while their conceptions of inquiry were student-directed. This study contributes to existing research on preservice teachers' learning about the continuum (Biggers & Forbes, 2012) and inservice teachers' ideas about the five features of inquiry (Biggers & Forbes, in press).

  11. 20 CFR 418.2230 - What is the effective date of an income-related monthly adjustment amount initial determination...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ...-related monthly adjustment amount initial determination based on a more recent tax year? 418.2230 Section... Adjustments to Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Premiums Determinations Using A More Recent Tax Year's... adjustment amount initial determination based on a more recent tax year? We will follow the rules in § 418...

  12. 20 CFR 418.2230 - What is the effective date of an income-related monthly adjustment amount initial determination...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ...-related monthly adjustment amount initial determination based on a more recent tax year? 418.2230 Section... Adjustments to Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Premiums Determinations Using A More Recent Tax Year's... adjustment amount initial determination based on a more recent tax year? We will follow the rules in § 418...

  13. 20 CFR 418.2230 - What is the effective date of an income-related monthly adjustment amount initial determination...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ...-related monthly adjustment amount initial determination based on a more recent tax year? 418.2230 Section... Adjustments to Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Premiums Determinations Using A More Recent Tax Year's... adjustment amount initial determination based on a more recent tax year? We will follow the rules in § 418...

  14. 20 CFR 418.2230 - What is the effective date of an income-related monthly adjustment amount initial determination...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ...-related monthly adjustment amount initial determination based on a more recent tax year? 418.2230 Section... Adjustments to Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Premiums Determinations Using A More Recent Tax Year's... adjustment amount initial determination based on a more recent tax year? We will follow the rules in § 418...

  15. Sensing the Sea: A Curriculum Guide in Marine Education for Grades Two and Three.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Odell-Fisher, Ellen; Giese, Ronald N.

    This is a curriculum guide in marine education for grades two and three. It gives information for the setup and maintenance of marine aquariums, as well as information on the care and feeding of marine animals. The unit should take about three or four weeks. A calendar is given showing the amount of time needed for each part. The guide is divided…

  16. Work-Based Curriculum to Broaden Learners' Participation in Science: Insights for Designers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bopardikar, Anushree; Bernstein, Debra; Drayton, Brian; McKenney, Susan

    2018-05-01

    Around the globe, science education during compulsory schooling is envisioned for all learners regardless of their educational and career aspirations, including learners bound to the workforce upon secondary school completion. Yet, a major barrier in attaining this vision is low learner participation in secondary school science. Because curricula play a major role in shaping enacted learning, this study investigated how designers developed a high school physics curriculum with positive learning outcomes in learners with varied inclinations. Qualitative analysis of documents and semistructured interviews with the designers focused on the curriculum in different stages—from designers' ideas about learning goals to their vision for enactment to the printed materials—and on the design processes that brought them to fruition. This revealed designers' emphases on fostering workplace connections via learning goals and activities, and printed supports. The curriculum supported workplace-inspired, hands-on design-and-build projects, developed to address deeply a limited set of standards aligned learning goals. The curriculum also supported learners' interactions with relevant workplace professionals. To create these features, the designers reviewed other curricula to develop vision and printed supports, tested activities internally to assess content coverage, surveyed states in the USA receiving federal school-to-work grants and reviewed occupational information to choose unit topics and career contexts, and visited actual workplaces to learn about authentic praxis. Based on the worked example, this paper offers guidelines for designing work-based science curriculum products and processes that can serve the work of other designers, as well as recommendations for research serving designers and policymakers.

  17. Core Content for Wilderness Medicine Training: Development of a Wilderness Medicine Track Within an Emergency Medicine Residency.

    PubMed

    Schrading, Walter A; Battaglioli, Nicole; Drew, Jonathan; McClure, Sarah Frances

    2018-03-01

    Wilderness medicine training has become increasingly popular among medical professionals with numerous educational opportunities nationwide. Curricula for fellowship programs and for medical student education have previously been developed and published, but a specific curriculum for wilderness medicine education during emergency medicine (EM) residency has not. The objective of this study is to create a longitudinal wilderness medicine curriculum that can be incorporated into an EM residency program. Interest-specific tracks are becoming increasingly common in EM training. We chose this model to develop our curriculum specific to wilderness medicine. Outlined in the article is a 3-year longitudinal course of study that includes a core didactic curriculum and a plan for graduated level of responsibility. The core content is specifically related to the required EM core content for residency training with additions specific to wilderness medicine for the residents who pursue the track. The wilderness medicine curriculum would give residencies a framework that can be used to foster learning for residents interested in wilderness medicine. It would enhance the coverage of wilderness and environmental core content education for all EM residents in the program. It would provide wilderness-specific education and experience for interested residents, allowing them to align their residency program requirements through a focused area of study and enhancing their curriculum vitae at graduation. Finally, given the popularity of wilderness medicine, the presence of a wilderness medicine track may improve recruitment for the residency program. Copyright © 2017 Wilderness Medical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  18. 20 CFR 404.141 - How we credit quarters of coverage for calendar years before 1978.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... FEDERAL OLD-AGE, SURVIVORS AND DISABILITY INSURANCE (1950- ) Insured Status and Quarters of Coverage... (or might not meet as early in the year as otherwise possible) the requirements to be fully or currently insured, to be entitled to a computation or recomputation of your primary insurance amount, or to...

  19. Suicide Coverage Continues to Be a Dilemma for the Media.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tate, Dow

    1999-01-01

    Discusses how the adviser of the Hillcrest High School (Dallas, Texas) and the student staff covered the suicide of a fellow student. Notes that the adviser, who is committed to student decision making, made sure the student staff raised the appropriate ethical questions when deciding on the type, amount, and duration of coverage of the suicide.…

  20. 20 CFR Appendix IV to Subpart C of... - Earnings Needed for a Year of Coverage After 1950

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 1950 IV Appendix IV to Subpart C of Part 404 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION FEDERAL OLD-AGE, SURVIVORS AND DISABILITY INSURANCE (1950- ) Computing Primary Insurance Amounts Pt. 404... Minimum Social Security Earnings to Qualify for a Year of Coverage After 1950 for Purposes of the— Year...

  1. CFD simulation of pesticide spray from air-assisted sprayers in an apple orchard: tree deposition and off-target losses

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The ultimate goal of a pesticide spraying system is to provide adequate coverage on intended canopies with a minimum amount of spray materials and off-target waste. Better spray coverage requires an understanding of the fate and transport of spray droplets carried by turbulent airflows in orchards. ...

  2. Newspaper Coverage of the 1992 Presidential Campaign: A Content Analysis of Character/Competence/Image Issues versus Platform/Political Issues.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sims, Judy R.; Giordano, Joseph

    A research study assessed the amount of front page newspaper coverage allotted to "character/competence/image" issues versus "platform/political" issues in the 1992 presidential campaign. Using textual analysis, methodology of content analysis, researchers coded the front page of the following 5 newspapers between August 1 and…

  3. A MBD-seq protocol for large-scale methylome-wide studies with (very) low amounts of DNA.

    PubMed

    Aberg, Karolina A; Chan, Robin F; Shabalin, Andrey A; Zhao, Min; Turecki, Gustavo; Staunstrup, Nicklas Heine; Starnawska, Anna; Mors, Ole; Xie, Lin Y; van den Oord, Edwin Jcg

    2017-09-01

    We recently showed that, after optimization, our methyl-CpG binding domain sequencing (MBD-seq) application approximates the methylome-wide coverage obtained with whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGB-seq), but at a cost that enables adequately powered large-scale association studies. A prior drawback of MBD-seq is the relatively large amount of genomic DNA (ideally >1 µg) required to obtain high-quality data. Biomaterials are typically expensive to collect, provide a finite amount of DNA, and may simply not yield sufficient starting material. The ability to use low amounts of DNA will increase the breadth and number of studies that can be conducted. Therefore, we further optimized the enrichment step. With this low starting material protocol, MBD-seq performed equally well, or better, than the protocol requiring ample starting material (>1 µg). Using only 15 ng of DNA as input, there is minimal loss in data quality, achieving 93% of the coverage of WGB-seq (with standard amounts of input DNA) at similar false/positive rates. Furthermore, across a large number of genomic features, the MBD-seq methylation profiles closely tracked those observed for WGB-seq with even slightly larger effect sizes. This suggests that MBD-seq provides similar information about the methylome and classifies methylation status somewhat more accurately. Performance decreases with <15 ng DNA as starting material but, even with as little as 5 ng, MBD-seq still achieves 90% of the coverage of WGB-seq with comparable genome-wide methylation profiles. Thus, the proposed protocol is an attractive option for adequately powered and cost-effective methylome-wide investigations using (very) low amounts of DNA.

  4. [Education in operating room nursing: transformation of the discipline at University of São Paulo School of Nursing (Brazil)].

    PubMed

    Turrini, Ruth Natalia Teresa; Costa, Ana Lucia Siqueira; Peniche, Aparecida de Cassia Giani; Bianchi, Estela Regina Ferraz; Cianciarullo, Tâmara Iwanow

    2012-10-01

    The objectives of this paper are to present a summary of the evolution of the content of perioperative nursing at the University of São Paulo School of Nursing (EEUSP) and reflect on the National Curriculum Directives (NCD) for the nursing course. The study was developed from a brief history of the practice of perioperative nursing and the inclusion of this topic in the nursing curriculum at EEUSP. The National Curriculum Directives are important because they permit undergraduate schools to determine the amount of teaching time for each course that will comprise their curriculum, but the competencies and skills proposed are nonspecific. We believe that the general nurse should have theoretical and practical learning opportunities to work in every area and level of healthcare.

  5. A framework for revising preservice curriculum for nonphysician clinicians: The mozambique experience.

    PubMed

    Freistadt, Fernanda; Branigan, Erin; Pupp, Chris; Stefanutto, Marzio; Bambo, Carlos; Alexandre, Maria; Pinheiro, Sandro O; Ballweg, Ruth; Dgedge, Martinho; O'Malley, Gabrielle; de Oliveira, Justine Strand

    2014-01-01

    Mozambique, with approximately 0.4 physicians and 4.1 nurses per 10,000 people, has one of the lowest ratios of health care providers to population in the world. To rapidly scale up health care coverage, the Mozambique Ministry of Health has pushed for greater investment in training nonphysician clinicians, Tιcnicos de Medicina (TM). Based on identified gaps in TM clinical performance, the Ministry of Health requested technical assistance from the International Training and Education Center for Health (I-TECH) to revise the two-and-a-half-year preservice curriculum. A six-step process was used to revise the curriculum: (i) Conducting a task analysis, (ii) defining a new curriculum approach and selecting an integrated model of subject and competency-based education, (iii) revising and restructuring the 30-month course schedule to emphasize clinical skills, (iv) developing a detailed syllabus for each course, (v) developing content for each lesson, and (vi) evaluating implementation and integrating feedback for ongoing improvement. In May 2010, the Mozambique Minister of Health approved the revised curriculum, which is currently being implemented in 10 training institutions around the country. Key lessons learned: (i) Detailed assessment of training institutions' strengths and weaknesses should inform curriculum revision. (ii) Establishing a Technical Working Group with respected and motivated clinicians is key to promoting local buy-in and ownership. (iii) Providing ready-to-use didactic material helps to address some challenges commonly found in resource-limited settings. (iv) Comprehensive curriculum revision is an important first step toward improving the quality of training provided to health care providers in developing countries. Other aspects of implementation at training institutions and health care facilities must also be addressed to ensure that providers are adequately trained and equipped to provide quality health care services. This approach to curriculum revision and implementation teaches several key lessons, which may be applicable to preservice training programs in other less developed countries.

  6. Life in Black and White: Coverage of Black America by "Life" Magazine, 1937-1972.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sentman, Mary Alice

    A content analysis of selected issues of "Life" magazine was conducted to explore the way in which that magazine portrayed the black community in the United States. All 52 issues within each of eight years (1937, 1942, 1947, 1952, 1957, 1962, 1967, and 1972) were analyzed. Beyond tabulation of frequency and amount of coverage, each instance of…

  7. The Press Relations of a Local School District: An Analysis of the Emergence of School Issues.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morris, Jon R.; Guenter, Cornelius

    Press coverage of a suburban midwest school district is analyzed as a set of time series of observations including the amount and quality of coverage. Possible shifts in these series because of the emergence of controversial issues are analyzed statistically using the Integrated Moving Average Time Series Model. Evidence of significant shifts in…

  8. Italian Women's Television Coverage and Audience during the 2004 Athens Olympic Games

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Capranica, Laura; Tessitore, Antonio; D'Artibale, Emanuele; Cortis, Cristina; Casella, Rita; Camilleri, Enrica; Pesce, Caterina

    2008-01-01

    This study aimed at determining the amount of Italian television coverage dedicated to men's and women's sport and the number of male and female viewers during the 2004 Summer Olympic Games. AUDITEL-AGB Nielsen Media Research Italia provided the TV airtime data for the sport events broadcast, which were classified into three categories: men-only,…

  9. Working families' health insurance coverage, 1997-2001.

    PubMed

    Strunk, Bradley C; Reschovsky, James D

    2002-08-01

    Despite a booming U.S. economy, falling unemployment and moderate health insurance premium growth, the percentage of working Americans and their families with employer-sponsored health insurance failed to increase substantially between 1997 and 2001, according to findings from the Center for Studying Health System Change (HSC) Community Tracking Study Household Survey. There were, however, dramatic changes in the insurance status of people who lacked access to or did not take up employer coverage: fewer uninsured, more public program enrollment and a decline in coverage by individual insurance and other sources. While the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) clearly reduced uninsurance among low-income children, evidence also suggests a fair amount of substitution of public insurance for private coverage.

  10. Modeling genome coverage in single-cell sequencing

    PubMed Central

    Daley, Timothy; Smith, Andrew D.

    2014-01-01

    Motivation: Single-cell DNA sequencing is necessary for examining genetic variation at the cellular level, which remains hidden in bulk sequencing experiments. But because they begin with such small amounts of starting material, the amount of information that is obtained from single-cell sequencing experiment is highly sensitive to the choice of protocol employed and variability in library preparation. In particular, the fraction of the genome represented in single-cell sequencing libraries exhibits extreme variability due to quantitative biases in amplification and loss of genetic material. Results: We propose a method to predict the genome coverage of a deep sequencing experiment using information from an initial shallow sequencing experiment mapped to a reference genome. The observed coverage statistics are used in a non-parametric empirical Bayes Poisson model to estimate the gain in coverage from deeper sequencing. This approach allows researchers to know statistical features of deep sequencing experiments without actually sequencing deeply, providing a basis for optimizing and comparing single-cell sequencing protocols or screening libraries. Availability and implementation: The method is available as part of the preseq software package. Source code is available at http://smithlabresearch.org/preseq. Contact: andrewds@usc.edu Supplementary information: Supplementary material is available at Bioinformatics online. PMID:25107873

  11. A theory-based curriculum design for remediation of residents' communication skills.

    PubMed

    Leung, Fok-Han; Martin, Dawn; Batty, Helen

    2009-12-01

    Residents requiring remediation are often deficient in communication skills, namely clinical interviewing skills. Residents have to digest large amounts of knowledge, and then apply it in a clinical interview. The patient-centered approach, as demonstrated in the Calgary-Cambridge model and Martin's Map, can be difficult to teach. Before implementing a remediation curriculum, the theoretical educational underpinnings must be sound; curriculum evaluation is often expensive. Before establishing metrics for curriculum evaluation, a starting point is to perform a mental experiment to test theoretical adherence. This article describes an experiential remedial curriculum for communication skills. Educational theories of Kolb, Knowles, Bandura, and Bloom are used to design the curriculum into theory-based design components. Kolb's experiential cycle models the natural sequence of experiencing, teaching, and learning interviewing skills. A curriculum structured around this cycle has multiple intercalations with the above educational theories. The design is strengthened by appropriately timed use of education strategies such as learning contracts, taped interviews, simulations, structured reflection, and teacher role modeling. Importantly, it also models the form of the clinical interview format desired. Through understanding and application of contemporary educational theories, a program to remediate interviewing skills can increase its potential for success.

  12. Student profiling on university co-curriculum activities using data visualization tools

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jamil, Jastini Mohd.; Shaharanee, Izwan Nizal Mohd

    2017-11-01

    Co-curricular activities are playing a vital role in the development of a holistic student. Co-curriculum can be described as an extension of the formal learning experiences in a course or academic program. There are many co-curriculum activities such as students' participation in sports, volunteerism, leadership, entrepreneurship, uniform body, student council, and other social events. The number of student involves in co-curriculum activities are large, thus creating an enormous volume of data including their demographic facts, academic performance and co-curriculum types. The task for discovering and analyzing these information becomes increasingly difficult and hard to comprehend. Data visualization offer a better ways in handling with large volume of information. The need for an understanding of these various co-curriculum activities and their effect towards student performance are essential. Visualizing these information can help related stakeholders to become aware of hidden and interesting information from large amount of data drowning in their student data. The main objective of this study is to provide a clearer understanding of the different trends hidden in the student co-curriculum activities data with related to their activities and academic performances. The data visualization software was used to help visualize the data extracted from the database.

  13. 7 CFR 457.124 - Raisin crop insurance provisions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... maximum dollar amount—The value per ton established by FCIC and shown in the actuarial documents... insured tonnage by the reference maximum dollar amount, by the coverage level percentage you elect, and by... maximum dollar amount, except if your damaged production undergoes a USDA inspection and is stored by your...

  14. Vietnam and American Government Textbooks.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cline, Paul C.; Eksterowicz, Anthony J.

    1998-01-01

    Discusses the importance of studying the Vietnam War. Attempts to illustrate the amount and quality of coverage of the Vietnam War in U.S. government textbooks. Explains that the amount of space devoted to the war in most of these texts remains inadequate for student understanding of the Vietnam War. (CMK)

  15. Using positive youth development constructs to design a money management curriculum for junior secondary school students in Hong Kong.

    PubMed

    Lau, Patrick S Y; Lam, C M; Law, Ben M F; Poon, Y H

    2011-01-01

    This paper aims to discuss the relationships between the selected positive youth development constructs and the enhancement of Hong Kong junior secondary school students' money management skills, values, and attitudes. Various issues of money management of adolescents are reviewed. These issues include the need for money management programs for adolescents, the content and coverage of an appropriate money management program, and its relationships with the selected positive youth development constructs. The curriculum units for secondary 3 students are taken as examples to illustrate the design of the program. It is believed that promoting cognitive competence, self-efficacy, and spirituality could be an effective way to enhance students' money management skills, values, and attitudes, thus preparing them better for facing the finance-related issues in life.

  16. Using Positive Youth Development Constructs to Design a Money Management Curriculum for Junior Secondary School Students in Hong Kong

    PubMed Central

    Lau, Patrick S. Y.; Lam, C. M.; Law, Ben M. F.; Poon, Y. H.

    2011-01-01

    This paper aims to discuss the relationships between the selected positive youth development constructs and the enhancement of Hong Kong junior secondary school students' money management skills, values, and attitudes. Various issues of money management of adolescents are reviewed. These issues include the need for money management programs for adolescents, the content and coverage of an appropriate money management program, and its relationships with the selected positive youth development constructs. The curriculum units for secondary 3 students are taken as examples to illustrate the design of the program. It is believed that promoting cognitive competence, self-efficacy, and spirituality could be an effective way to enhance students' money management skills, values, and attitudes, thus preparing them better for facing the finance-related issues in life. PMID:22125469

  17. Maximizing tibial coverage is detrimental to proper rotational alignment.

    PubMed

    Martin, Stacey; Saurez, Alex; Ismaily, Sabir; Ashfaq, Kashif; Noble, Philip; Incavo, Stephen J

    2014-01-01

    Traditionally, the placement of the tibial component in total knee arthroplasty (TKA) has focused on maximizing coverage of the tibial surface. However, the degree to which maximal coverage affects correct rotational placement of symmetric and asymmetric tibial components has not been well defined and might represent an implant design issue worthy of further inquiry. Using four commercially available tibial components (two symmetric, two asymmetric), we sought to determine (1) the overall amount of malrotation that would occur if components were placed for maximal tibial coverage; and (2) whether the asymmetric designs would result in less malrotation than the symmetric designs when placed for maximal coverage in a computer model using CT reconstructions. CT reconstructions of 30 tibial specimens were used to generate three-dimensional tibia reconstructions with attention to the tibial anatomic axis, the tibial tubercle, and the resected tibial surface. Using strict criteria, four commercially available tibial designs (two symmetric, two asymmetric) were placed on the resected tibial surface. The resulting component rotation was examined. Among all four designs, 70% of all tibial components placed in orientation maximizing fit to resection surface were internally malrotated (average 9°). The asymmetric designs had fewer cases of malrotation (28% and 52% for the two asymmetric designs, 100% and 96% for the two symmetric designs; p < 0.001) and less malrotation on average (2° and 5° for the asymmetric designs, 14° for both symmetric designs; p < 0.001). Maximizing tibial coverage resulted in implant malrotation in a large percentage of cases. Given similar amounts of tibial coverage, correct rotational positioning was more likely to occur with the asymmetric designs. Malrotation of components is an important cause of failure in TKA. Priority should be given to correct tibial rotational positioning. This study suggested that it is easier to balance rotation and coverage with asymmetric tibial baseplates; clinical research will need to determine whether the observed difference affects patellar tracking, loosening rates, or the likelihood of revisions after TKA.

  18. Auditing sex- and gender-based medicine (SGBM) content in medical school curriculum: a student scholar model.

    PubMed

    Song, Michael M; Jones, Betsy G; Casanova, Robert A

    2016-01-01

    Sex- and gender-based medicine (SGBM) aims to (1) delineate and investigate sex- and gender-based differences in health, disease, and response to treatment and (2) apply that knowledge to clinical care to improve the health of both women and men. However, the integration of SGBM into medical school curricula is often haphazard and poorly defined; schools often do not know the current status of SGBM content in their curricula, even if they are committed to addressing gaps and improving SGBM delivery. Therefore, complete auditing and accounting of SGBM content in the existing medical school curriculum is necessary to determine the baseline status and prepare for successful integration of SGBM content into that curriculum. A review of course syllabi and lecture objectives as well as a targeted data analysis of the Curriculum Management and Information Tool (CurrMIT) were completed prior to a real-time curriculum audit. Subsequently, six "student scholars," three first-year and three second-year medical students, were recruited and trained to audit the first 2 years of the medical school curriculum for SGBM content, thus completing an audit for both of the pre-clinical years simultaneously. A qualitative analysis and a post-audit comparative analysis were completed to assess the level of SGBM instruction at our institution. The review of syllabi and the CurrMIT data analysis did not generate a meaningful catalogue of SGBM content in the curriculum; most of the content identified specifically targeted women's or men's health topics and not sex- or gender-based differences. The real-time student audit of the existing curriculum at Texas Tech revealed that most of the SGBM material was focused on the physiological/anatomical sex differences or gender differences in disease prevalence, with minimal coverage of sex- or gender-based differences in diagnosis, prognosis, treatment, and outcomes. The real-time student scholar audit was effective in identifying SGBM content in the existing medical school curriculum that was not possible with a retrospective review of course syllabi and lecture objectives or curriculum databases such as the CurrMIT. The audit results revealed the need for improved efforts to teach SGBM topics in our school's pre-clinical curriculum.

  19. Capping the tax exclusion for employment-based health coverage: implications for employers and workers.

    PubMed

    Fronstin, Paul

    2009-01-01

    HEALTH CARE TAX CAP: With health reform a major priority of the new 111th Congress and President Barack Obama, this Issue Briefexamines the administrative and implementation issues that arise from one of the major reform proposals: Capping the exclusion of employment-based health coverage from workers' taxable income. The amount that employers contribute toward workers' health coverage is generally excluded, without limit, from workers' taxable income. In addition, workers whose employers sponsor flexible spending accounts are able to pay out-of-pocket expenses with pretax dollars. Employers can also make available a premium conversion arrangement, which allows workers to pay their share of the premium for employment-based coverage with pretax dollars. In 2005, a presidential advisory board concluded that limiting the amount of tax-preferred health coverage could lower overall private-sector health spending. The panel recommended a cap on the amount of employment-based health coverage individuals can exclude from their income tax, as a way to reduce health spending. In his 2008 "Call to Action" for health care reform, Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, states that "Congress should explore ways to restructure the current tax incentives to encourage more efficient spending on health and to target our tax dollars more effectively and fairly." While a tax cap on health coverage sounds simple, for many employers, it could be difficult to administer and results would vary by employer based on the type of health benefit plan, the size and demographics of their work force, and even where the workers live. The change would be especially difficult for self-insured employers that do not pay insurance premiums, since they would have to set the "premium equivalent" for each worker. This would not only be costly for employers, depending upon the requirements set out by law, but could also create fairness and tax issues for many affected workers. For self-insured employers, calculating insurance premium costs under a tax cap could be done fairly easily using the COBRA premium. However, whether self-insured employers would be able to use the least costly method to determine the value of coverage would have to be determined by law and/or regulations. THE SEC. 89 EXPERIENCE: Sec. 89 of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, which attempted to make employee benefits more standard and fair, became so controversial that it was repealed by Congress in 1989--in part because the regulations created regulatory burdens that were so complicated and costly as to be unworkable. Similarly, valuation calculations under a health coverage tax cap could become overly burdensome if the lessons from Sec. 89 are not heeded.

  20. 29 CFR 4.144 - Contract modifications affecting amount.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... McNamara-O'Hara Service Contract Act Changes in Contract Coverage § 4.144 Contract modifications affecting... with the provisions of section 2(a) of the Act and the contract clauses required thereunder ceases to... 29 Labor 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Contract modifications affecting amount. 4.144 Section 4.144...

  1. 27 CFR 40.135 - Strengthening bond.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Strengthening bond. 40.135... PROCESSED TOBACCO Bonds and Extensions of Coverage of Bonds § 40.135 Strengthening bond. Where the amount of... immediately file a strengthening bond in an appropriate amount with the same surety as that on the bond...

  2. 27 CFR 40.135 - Strengthening bond.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Strengthening bond. 40.135... PROCESSED TOBACCO Bonds and Extensions of Coverage of Bonds § 40.135 Strengthening bond. Where the amount of... immediately file a strengthening bond in an appropriate amount with the same surety as that on the bond...

  3. 27 CFR 40.135 - Strengthening bond.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Strengthening bond. 40.135... PROCESSED TOBACCO Bonds and Extensions of Coverage of Bonds § 40.135 Strengthening bond. Where the amount of... immediately file a strengthening bond in an appropriate amount with the same surety as that on the bond...

  4. 27 CFR 40.135 - Strengthening bond.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Strengthening bond. 40.135... PROCESSED TOBACCO Bonds and Extensions of Coverage of Bonds § 40.135 Strengthening bond. Where the amount of... immediately file a strengthening bond in an appropriate amount with the same surety as that on the bond...

  5. 27 CFR 40.135 - Strengthening bond.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 27 Alcohol, Tobacco Products and Firearms 2 2012-04-01 2011-04-01 true Strengthening bond. 40.135... PROCESSED TOBACCO Bonds and Extensions of Coverage of Bonds § 40.135 Strengthening bond. Where the amount of... immediately file a strengthening bond in an appropriate amount with the same surety as that on the bond...

  6. 42 CFR 423.780 - Premium subsidy.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    .... (b) Premium subsidy amount. (1) The premium subsidy amount is equal to the lesser of— (i) Under the... premium attributable to basic prescription drug coverage (for enrollees in MA-PD plans); or (ii) The... for each PDP and MA-PD plan equal to a percentage, the numerator being equal to the number of Part D...

  7. 7 CFR 457.3 - Premium rates, production guarantees or amounts of insurance, coverage levels, and prices at...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Premium rates, production guarantees or amounts of... Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) FEDERAL CROP INSURANCE CORPORATION, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE COMMON CROP INSURANCE REGULATIONS § 457.3 Premium rates, production guarantees or...

  8. Effect of Different Ceramic Crown Preparations on Tooth Structure Loss: An In Vitro Study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ebrahimpour, Ashkan

    Objective: To quantify and compare the amount of tooth-structure reduction following the full-coverage preparations for crown materials of porcelain-fused-to-metal, lithium disilicate glass-ceramic and yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia polycrystalline for three tooth morphologies. Methods: Groups of resin teeth of different morphologies were individually weighed to high precision, then prepared following the preparation guidelines. The teeth were re-weighed after preparation and the amount of structural reduction was calculated. Statistical analyses were performed to find out if there was a significant difference among the groups. Results: Amount of tooth reduction for zirconia crown preparations was the lowest and statistically different compared with the other two materials. No statistical significance was found between the amount of reduction for porcelain-fused-to-metal and lithium disilicate glass-ceramic crowns. Conclusion: Within the limitations of this study, more tooth structure can be saved when utilizing zirconia full-coverage restorations compared with lithium disilicate glass-ceramic and porcelain-fused-to-metal crowns in maxillary central incisors, first premolars and first molars.

  9. Public Health Policy in Support of Insurance Coverage for Smoking Cessation Treatments

    PubMed Central

    Schwartz, Robert; Haji, Farzana; Babayan, Alexey; Longo, Christopher; Ferrence, Roberta

    2017-01-01

    Insurance coverage for evidence-based smoking cessation treatments (SCTs) promotes uptake and reduces smoking rates. Published studies in this area are based in the US where employers are the primary source of health insurance. In Ontario, Canada, publicly funded healthcare does not cover SCTs, but it can be supplemented with employer-sponsored benefit plans. This study explores factors affecting the inclusion/exclusion of smoking cessation (SC) benefits. In total, 17 interviews were conducted with eight employers (auto, retail, banking, municipal and university industries), four health insurers, two government representatives and three advisors/consultants. Overall, SCT coverage varied among industries; it was inconsistently restrictive and SCT differed by coverage amount and length of use. Barriers impeding coverage included the lack of the following: Canadian-specific return on investment (ROI), SC cost information, employer demand, government regulations/incentives and employee awareness of and demand. A Canadian evidence-based calculation of ROI for SC coupled with government incentives and public education may be needed to promote uptake of SCT coverage by employers. PMID:28617238

  10. Tanning, Skin Cancer Risk, and Prevention: A Content Analysis of Eight Popular Magazines that Target Female Readers, 1997–2006

    PubMed Central

    Cho, Hyunyi; Hall, Jennifer G.; Kosmoski, Carin; Fox, Rebekah L.; Mastin, Teresa

    2008-01-01

    The majority of tanning bed users in the U.S. are women. Previous health communication research frequently focused on the risk of skin cancer, but few studies assessed the mediated communication environment that may surround women’s beliefs and behaviors relevant to tanning. A content analysis of articles in eight magazines targeting girls, young women, older women, and women who are interested in fitness during the ten-year period of 1997–2006 was conducted. The amount of coverage of tanning bed use consequences was less than 50% of the coverage of tanning benefits. About 40% of the tanning benefits coverage touted looking healthy. The coverage of prevention methods focused on sunscreen use (55%), while the more important methods (e.g., protective clothing use) were rarely featured. Longitudinally, the coverage of the risk and prevention relevant issues increased between 1997 and 2006. The data indicate that the coverage of tanning benefits also increased during the same period. PMID:20228954

  11. Carroll County hands-on elementary science

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

    Herlocker, H.G.; Dunkleberger, G.L.

    1994-12-31

    Carroll County Hands-on Elementary Science is a nationally recognized Elementary Science Curriculum which has been disseminated in forty states, Puerto Rico, The Virgin Islands, Saipan, and Samoa. The curriculum is a non-textbook, process-based, constructivist approach to teaching science. Unique features of this curriculum include its teacher-written daily lesson plan format, its complete kit of science supplies, and its complete set of Spanish materials. In order to be included by the National Diffusion Network, Hands-on Elementary Science collected data to support the following claims: the program enhances teacher and student attitudes toward science; the program changes both the amount and themore » type of science instruction; the program is adaptable and transportable; the teacher training component is effective. The poster display will feature sample activities, data which demonstrates the effectiveness of the staff development plan, and samples which show the degree to which the program supports selected state curriculum frameworks.« less

  12. US health policy and prescription drug coverage of FDA-approved medications for the treatment of obesity.

    PubMed

    Gomez, G; Stanford, F C

    2018-03-01

    Obesity is now the most prevalent chronic disease in the United States, which amounts to an estimated $147 billion in health care spending annually. The Affordable Care Act (ACA) enacted in 2010 included provisions for private and public health insurance plans that expanded coverage for lifestyle/behavior modification and bariatric surgery for the treatment of obesity. Pharmacotherapy, however, has not been included despite their evidence-based efficacy. We set out to investigate the coverage of Food and Drug Administration-approved medications for obesity within Medicare, Medicaid and ACA-established marketplace health insurance plans. We examined coverage for phentermine, diethylpropion, phendimetrazine, Benzphentamine, Lorcaserin, Phentermine/Topiramate (Qysmia), Liraglutide (Saxenda) and Buproprion/Naltrexone (Contrave) among Medicare, Medicaid and marketplace insurance plans in 34 states. Among 136 marketplace health insurance plans, 11% had some coverage for the specified drugs in only nine states. Medicare policy strictly excludes drug therapy for obesity. Only seven state Medicaid programs have drug coverage. Obesity requires an integrated approach to combat its public health threat. Broader coverage of pharmacotherapy can make a significant contribution to fighting this complex and chronic disease.

  13. Doctoral training in statistics, measurement, and methodology in psychology: replication and extension of Aiken, West, Sechrest, and Reno's (1990) survey of PhD programs in North America.

    PubMed

    Aiken, Leona S; West, Stephen G; Millsap, Roger E

    2008-01-01

    In a survey of all PhD programs in psychology in the United States and Canada, the authors documented the quantitative methodology curriculum (statistics, measurement, and research design) to examine the extent to which innovations in quantitative methodology have diffused into the training of PhDs in psychology. In all, 201 psychology PhD programs (86%) participated. This survey replicated and extended a previous survey (L. S. Aiken, S. G. West, L. B. Sechrest, & R. R. Reno, 1990), permitting examination of curriculum development. Most training supported laboratory and not field research. The median of 1.6 years of training in statistics and measurement was mainly devoted to the modally 1-year introductory statistics course, leaving little room for advanced study. Curricular enhancements were noted in statistics and to a minor degree in measurement. Additional coverage of both fundamental and innovative quantitative methodology is needed. The research design curriculum has largely stagnated, a cause for great concern. Elite programs showed no overall advantage in quantitative training. Forces that support curricular innovation are characterized. Human capital challenges to quantitative training, including recruiting and supporting young quantitative faculty, are discussed. Steps must be taken to bring innovations in quantitative methodology into the curriculum of PhD programs in psychology. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2008 APA, all rights reserved.

  14. Multiple sources of Medicare supplementary insurance.

    PubMed

    Short, P F; Vistnes, J P

    1992-01-01

    Estimates from the National Medical Expenditure Survey imply that in 1987 only two-thirds of elderly Medicare beneficiaries held the amount and type of insurance that is generally recommended to supplement Medicare, namely, 57.7% with private hospital/medical insurance from one source and 6.6% with only Medicaid. Of the remainder, 19.8% had more than one source of private insurance; slightly more than 1% had one source of extra-cash or disease-specific insurance as their only supplementary coverage; and 12.9% had no supplementary coverage at all. In addition, more than 500,000 Medicaid enrollees had purchased private insurance, despite the comprehensive coverage offered by Medicaid. Although the issue of multiple coverage has been dramatized by stories of poor, very elderly persons who have purchased numerous Medigap plans, beneficiaries who purchase coverage from more than one source are likely to be relatively young, more highly educated, and financially better off.

  15. 5 CFR 892.211 - What options are available to me if I go on a period of leave without pay (LWOP) or other types...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... will continue FEHB coverage while on LWOP; your employer will advance your share of your FEHB premium during your LWOP period; and you will repay the advanced amounts when you return from LWOP. (Described in... you now waive). (b)(1) You may continue your FEHB coverage by agreeing in advance of LWOP to one of...

  16. A longitudinal interprofessional simulation curriculum for critical care teams: Exploring successes and challenges.

    PubMed

    Leclair, Laurie W; Dawson, Mary; Howe, Alison; Hale, Sue; Zelman, Eric; Clouser, Ryan; Garrison, Garth; Allen, Gilman

    2018-05-01

    Interprofessional care teams are the backbone of intensive care units (ICUs) where severity of illness is high and care requires varied skills and experience. Despite this care model, longitudinal educational programmes for such workplace teams rarely include all professions. In this article, we report findings on the initial assessment and evaluation of an ongoing, longitudinal simulation-based curriculum for interprofessional workplace critical care teams. The study had two independent components, quantitative learner assessment and qualitative curricular evaluation. To assess curriculum effectiveness at meeting learning objectives, participant-reported key learning points identified using a self-assessment tool administered immediately following curricular participation were mapped to session learning objectives. To evaluate the curriculum, we conducted a qualitative study using a phenomenology approach involving purposeful sampling of nine curricular participants undergoing recorded semi-structured interviews. Verbatim transcripts were reviewed by two independent readers to derive themes further subdivided into successes and barriers. Learner self-assessment demonstrated that the majority of learners, across all professions, achieved at least one intended learning objective with senior learners more likely to report team-based objectives and junior learners more likely to report knowledge/practice objectives. Successes identified by curricular evaluation included authentic critical care curricular content, safe learning environment, and team comradery from shared experience. Barriers included unfamiliarity with the simulation environment and clinical coverage for curricular participation. This study suggests that a sustainable interprofessional curriculum for workplace ICU critical care teams can achieve the desired educational impact and effectively deliver authentic simulated work experiences if barriers to educational engagement and participation can be overcome.

  17. 14 CFR 121.907 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... (LOE) means a simulated line environment, the scenario content of which is designed to test integrating... intended purpose in an AQP. Planned hours means the estimated amount of time (as specified in a curriculum..., and series. ...

  18. Adsorption and activity of Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase on hydrophobic and hydrophilic surfaces measured with dual polarization interferometry (DPI) and confocal microscopy.

    PubMed

    Sonesson, Andreas W; Callisen, Thomas H; Brismar, Hjalmar; Elofsson, Ulla M

    2008-02-15

    The adsorption and activity of Thermomyces lanuginosus lipase (TLL) was measured with dual polarization interferometry (DPI) and confocal microscopy at a hydrophilic and hydrophobic surface. In the adsorption isotherms, it was evident that TLL both had higher affinity for the hydrophobic surface and adsorbed to a higher adsorbed amount (1.90 mg/m(2)) compared to the hydrophilic surface (1.40-1.50mg/m(2)). The thickness of the adsorbed layer was constant (approximately 3.5 nm) on both surfaces at an adsorbed amount >1.0mg/m(2), but decreased on the hydrophilic surface at lower surface coverage, which might be explained by partially unfolding of the TLL structure. However, a linear dependence of the refractive index of the adsorbed layer on adsorbed amount of TLL on C18 surfaces indicated that the structure of TLL was similar at low and high surface coverage. The activity of adsorbed TLL was measured towards carboxyfluorescein diacetate (CFDA) in solution, which upon lipase activity formed a fluorescent product. The surface fluorescence intensity increase was measured in a confocal microscope as a function of time after lipase adsorption. It was evident that TLL was more active on the hydrophilic surface, which suggested that a larger fraction of adsorbed TLL molecules were oriented with the active site facing the solution compared to the hydrophobic surface. Moreover, most of the activity remained when the TLL surface coverage decreased. Earlier reports on TLL surface mobility on the same surfaces have found that the lateral diffusion was highest on hydrophilic surfaces and at low surface coverage of TLL. Hence, a high lateral mobility might lead to a longer exposure time of the active site towards solution, thereby increasing the activity against a water-soluble substrate.

  19. Marginalization of Socioscientific Material in Science-Technology-Society Science Curricula: Some Implications for Gender Inclusivity and Curriculum Reform

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hughes, Gwyneth

    2000-05-01

    Science education reformers have argued that presenting science in the abstract is neither motivating nor inclusive of the majority of students. Science-technology-society (STS) curricula that give science an accessible social context have developed in response, but controversy surrounds the extent to which students should be introduced to socioscientific debate. Using material from a case study of Salters' Advanced Chemistry in the United Kingdom, this article demonstrates how socioscientific material is marginalized through the structures and language of syllabus texts and through classroom practices. This means students are unlikely to engage with socioscientific aspects in their course. Socioscientific content is gendered through association with social concerns and epistemological uncertainty, and because gender is asymmetric, socioscience is devalued with respect to the masculinity of abstract science. Teachers fear that extensive coverage of socioscience devalues the curriculum, alienates traditional science students and jeopardizes their own status as gatekeepers of scientific knowledge. Thus, although STS curricula such as Salters' offer potential for making science more accessible, the article concludes that greater awareness of, and challenges to, gender binaries could result in more effective STS curriculum reform.

  20. Preparing for disasters: education and management strategies explored.

    PubMed

    Alfred, Danita; Chilton, Jenifer; Connor, Della; Deal, Belinda; Fountain, Rebecca; Hensarling, Janice; Klotz, Linda

    2015-01-01

    During the last half of the 20th century, the focus of nursing changed from home and field to high-tech clinics and hospitals. Nursing in the absence of technology due to man-made or natural disasters almost disappeared from the curriculum of many nursing schools. Numerous disaster events and threats in the early 21st century caused educators and practitioners to increase the emphasis on disaster nursing and those principles that guide the nurse's practice in response to disasters. This article chronicles tools used by nurse educators to integrate disaster nursing into the didactic and clinical experiences of baccalaureate nursing students. We represent two nursing schools about 90 miles apart that collaborated to provide students with practical application of disaster nursing concepts. Part 1: An educational journey toward disaster nursing competencies: A curriculum in action provides an overview of the curricular tools used to insure adequate coverage of disaster nursing concepts across the curriculum. Part 2: Collaborative learning in Community Health Nursing for emergency preparedness relates the steps taken to plan, implement, and evaluate two different collaborative disaster simulation events. In this manuscript we have attempted transparency so that others can learn from our successes and our failures. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. 9 CFR 201.30 - Amount of market agency, dealer and packer bonds.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... coverage, divide the dollar value of livestock sold during the preceding business year, or the substantial part of that business year, in which the market agency did business, by the actual number of days on... required to comply with any State law. (b) Market agency buying on commission or dealer. The amount of bond...

  2. An introduction to Chuna manual medicine in Korea: History, insurance coverage, education, and clinical research in Korean literature.

    PubMed

    Park, Tae-Yong; Moon, Tae-Woong; Cho, Dong-Chan; Lee, Jung-Han; Ko, Youn-Seok; Hwang, Eui-Hyung; Heo, Kwang-Ho; Choi, Tae-Young; Shin, Byung-Cheul

    2014-06-01

    The objectives of this study were to summarize the curriculum, history, and clinical researches of Chuna in Korea and to ultimately introduce Chuna to Western medicine. Information about the history and insurance coverage of Chuna was collected from Chuna-related institutions and papers. Data on Chuna education in all 12 Korean medicine (KM) colleges in Korea were reconstructed based on previously published papers. All available randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of Chuna in clinical research were searched using seven Korean databases and six KM journals. As a result, during the modern Chuna era, one of the three periods of Chuna, which also include the traditional Chuna era and the suppressed Chuna era, Chuna developed considerably because of a solid Korean academic system, partial insurance coverage, and the establishment of a Chuna association in Korea. All of the KM colleges offered courses on Chuna-related subjects (CRSs); however, the total number of hours dedicated to lectures on CRSs was insufficient to master Chuna completely. Overall, 17 RCTs were reviewed. Of the 14 RCTs of Chuna in musculoskeletal diseases, six reported Chuna was more effective than a control condition, and another six RCTs proposed Chuna had the same effect as a control condition. One of these 14 RCTs made the comparison impossible because of unreported statistical difference; the last RCT reported Chuna was less effective than a control condition. In addition, three RCTs of Chuna in neurological diseases reported Chuna was superior to a control condition. In conclusion, Chuna was not included in the regular curriculum in KM colleges until the modern Chuna era; Chuna became more popular as the result of it being covered by Korean insurance carriers and after the establishment of a Chuna association. Meanwhile, the currently available evidence is insufficient to characterize the effectiveness of Chuna in musculoskeletal and neurological diseases.

  3. The sand-deposition impact of artificial gravel beds on the protection of the Mogao Grottoes

    PubMed Central

    Li, Guo Shuai; Qu, Jian Jun; Li, Xu Zhi; Wang, Wan Fu

    2014-01-01

    Gravel beds can prevent sand-dust emission and weaken sand-dust flux. We used wind-tunnel experiments and field observations on artificial gravel beds above the Mogao Grottoes to quantify their impact. In the report, we identified a significant correlation between gravel roughness and its ability to trap wind-transported sand. The optimal combinations of gravel diameter and coverage were determined. The greatest roughness is achieved when small gravel coverage is 75%, medium 40% and large 45%. We found that initial wind speed and gravel coverage are the key factors controlling the amount of sand trapped by the gravel beds. PMID:24614183

  4. Press coverage of AIDS in Zimbabwe: a five-year review.

    PubMed

    Pitts, M; Jackson, H

    1993-01-01

    Five years of newspaper coverage of HIV and AIDS in Zimbabwe is examined. Both the number of items and the amount of space devoted to the topics has increased steadily over the 5 years. The nature and content of the items show a continuing bias towards issues more closely associated with western patterns of the epidemic, and comparative neglect of personal stories, local issues and items with a counselling focus. Language is also examined and found to reflect a victim and war imagery. The implications for health education in the country are considered and specific recommendations for more constructive media coverage are made.

  5. Chile: perspectives in school health.

    PubMed

    Langdon, M C; Gazmuri, C; Venegas, L

    1990-09-01

    The leading health problems of children and adolescents in Chile is reviewed. The Chilean educational system and how the system addresses its principal health problems are described. A school health program is described as well as other educational programs designed and developed by nongovernmental institutions which have a smaller coverage. Current research studies regarding growth and development, child morbidity, nutritional level, and mental health studies are reviewed. In addition, principal challenges that include developing more efficient ways of referring children, enriching the curriculum and teacher training, assigning school hours for health teachers, and enlarging coverage of the health care evaluation programs are outlined. Of special importance is developing prevention programs for parents and children using school and community leaders to prevent health problems in areas such as human sexuality education, decision-making, social abilities, and alcohol and drug abuse. Main efforts should be directed toward low-income families and children to improve life conditions.

  6. Estimating Contrail Climate Effects from Satellite Data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Minnis, Patrick; Duda, David P.; Palikonda, Rabindra; Bedka, Sarah T.; Boeke, Robyn; Khlopenkov, Konstantin; Chee, Thad; Bedka, Kristopher T.

    2011-01-01

    An automated contrail detection algorithm (CDA) is developed to exploit six of the infrared channels on the 1-km MODerate-resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on the Terra and Aqua satellites. The CDA is refined and balanced using visual error analysis. It is applied to MODIS data taken by Terra and Aqua over the United States during 2006 and 2008. The results are consistent with flight track data, but differ markedly from earlier analyses. Contrail coverage is a factor of 4 less than other retrievals and the retrieved contrail optical depths and radiative forcing are smaller by approx.30%. The discrepancies appear to be due to the inability to detect wider, older contrails that comprise a significant amount of the contrail coverage. An example of applying the algorithm to MODIS data over the entire Northern Hemisphere is also presented. Overestimates of contrail coverage are apparent in some tropical regions. Methods for improving the algorithm are discussed and are to be implemented before analyzing large amounts of Northern Hemisphere data. The results should be valuable for guiding and validating climate models seeking to account for aviation effects on climate.

  7. [Inequities in access to food stamps and meal vouchers in Brazil: an analysis of the Brazilian Household Budgets Survey, 2008-2009].

    PubMed

    Canella, Daniela Silva; Martins, Ana Paula Bortoletto; Bandoni, Daniel Henrique

    2016-03-01

    Food stamps and meal vouchers can determine workers' dietary choices. The study aimed to assess the coverage of these benefits in Brazil and their distribution according to the beneficiaries' socio-demographic and regional characteristics, using data from the Brazilian Household Budgets Survey, 2008-2009. Eligibility criteria were having an occupation and a private or government job, including domestic or temporary work in rural areas. Only 3.2% of eligible individuals reported receiving such benefits. Highest coverage rates were verified with the Southeast region, urban areas, male gender, employment in the private sector, and monthly earnings > five times the minimum wage. The mean monthly amount of such benefits was R$ 177.20 (US$ 100 at the 2009 exchange rate). After adjusting for other variables, the highest amounts were associated with male gender, higher salaries, the Northeast and Central regions, and employment in the public sector. This first analysis of the national coverage of food stamps and meal vouchers showed that a large share of Brazilian workers lack access or have unequal access to such benefits.

  8. Failure to protect: why the individual insurance market is not a viable option for most U.S. families: findings from the Commonwealth Fund Biennial Health Insurance Survey, 2007.

    PubMed

    Doty, Michelle M; Collins, Sara R; Nicholson, Jennifer L; Rustgi, Sheila D

    2009-07-01

    Between 2001 and 2007, an increasing share of adults with private insurance--whether employer-based coverage or individual market plans--spent a large amount of their income on premiums and out-of-pocket medical costs, were underinsured, and/or avoided needed health care because of costs. Those with coverage obtained in the individual market were the most affected. Over the last three years, nearly three-quarters of people who tried to buy coverage in this market never actually purchased a plan, either because they could not find one that fit their needs or that they could afford, or because they were turned down due to a preexisting condition. Even people enrolled in employer-based plans are spending larger amounts of their income on health care and curtailing their use of needed services to save money. The findings underscore the need for an expansion of affordable health insurance options, particularly during a time of mounting job losses.

  9. Enhanced sequencing coverage with digital droplet multiple displacement amplification

    PubMed Central

    Sidore, Angus M.; Lan, Freeman; Lim, Shaun W.; Abate, Adam R.

    2016-01-01

    Sequencing small quantities of DNA is important for applications ranging from the assembly of uncultivable microbial genomes to the identification of cancer-associated mutations. To obtain sufficient quantities of DNA for sequencing, the small amount of starting material must be amplified significantly. However, existing methods often yield errors or non-uniform coverage, reducing sequencing data quality. Here, we describe digital droplet multiple displacement amplification, a method that enables massive amplification of low-input material while maintaining sequence accuracy and uniformity. The low-input material is compartmentalized as single molecules in millions of picoliter droplets. Because the molecules are isolated in compartments, they amplify to saturation without competing for resources; this yields uniform representation of all sequences in the final product and, in turn, enhances the quality of the sequence data. We demonstrate the ability to uniformly amplify the genomes of single Escherichia coli cells, comprising just 4.7 fg of starting DNA, and obtain sequencing coverage distributions that rival that of unamplified material. Digital droplet multiple displacement amplification provides a simple and effective method for amplifying minute amounts of DNA for accurate and uniform sequencing. PMID:26704978

  10. A systematic approach to improve oral and maxillofacial surgery education.

    PubMed

    Rosén, A; Fors, U; Zary, N; Sejersen, R; Lund, B

    2011-11-01

    To improve teaching quality and student satisfaction, a new curriculum in Oral Surgery was implemented at Karolinska Institutet in 2007. This paper describes the curriculum change as well as the results regarding quality, satisfaction, cost-effectiveness and workload for teachers and staff. To design the new curriculum, all members of the teaching staff participated in a series of group discussions where problems with the previous curriculum were identified and ideas on how to improve the curriculum were discussed. Cost-effectiveness was evaluated by comparing the number of teaching sessions between the new and the old curriculum. A questionnaire was used to investigate the staffs' perceived change in workload and teaching quality. The students' satisfaction and attitudes to learning was screened for by on-line questionnaires. The large amount of passive observational teaching was considered as the main problem with the old curriculum. Half of these sessions were replaced by either clinical seminars or demonstrations performed in an interactive form. Students rated the new curriculum as a clear improvement. Analyses of time and cost-effectiveness showed a decrease in teaching sessions by almost 50%. Generally, the teachers were more positive towards the changes compared to the non-teaching staff. The students rated the new type of learning activities relatively high, whilst the traditional observational teaching was seen as less satisfactory. They preferred to learn in a practical way and few indicated analytic or emotional preferences. The majority of the students reported a good alignment between the new course curriculum and the final exam. 2011 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  11. History of Science in the Physics Curriculum: A Directed Content Analysis of Historical Sources

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seker, Hayati; Guney, Burcu G.

    2012-05-01

    Although history of science is a potential resource for instructional materials, teachers do not have a tendency to use historical materials in their lessons. Studies showed that instructional materials should be adaptable and consistent with curriculum. This study purports to examine the alignment between history of science and the curriculum in the light of the facilitator model on the use of history of science in science teaching, and to expose possible difficulties in preparing historical materials. For this purpose, qualitative content analysis method was employed. Codes and themes were defined beforehand, with respect to levels and their sublevels of the model. The analysis revealed several problems with the alignment of historical sources for the physics curriculum: limited information about scientists' personal lives, the difficulty of linking with content knowledge, the lack of emphasis on scientific process in the physics curriculum, differences between chronology and sequence of topics, the lack of information about scientists' reasoning. Based on the findings of the analysis, it would be difficult to use original historical sources; educators were needed to simplify historical knowledge within a pedagogical perspective. There is a need for historical sources, like Harvard Case Histories in Experimental Science, since appropriate historical information to the curriculum objectives can only be obtained by simplifying complex information at the origin. The curriculum should leave opportunities for educators interested in history of science, even historical sources provides legitimate amount of information for every concepts in the curriculum.

  12. 45 CFR 144.103 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... amounts paid for the purpose of affecting any structure or function of the body; (2) Transportation... period. Product means a discrete package of health insurance coverage benefits that a health insurance...

  13. News media coverage of a women's health contraversy: how newspapers and TV outlets covered a recent debate over screening mammography.

    PubMed

    Steele, Whitney Randolph; Mebane, Felicia; Viswanath, K; Solomon, Janice

    2005-01-01

    Over the past decade, there have been several highly visible debates about mammography that have captured professional, public and media attention. This paper looks at newspaper and television news coverage of a controversial research letter in The Lancet by Gøtzsche and Olsen (2001) that concluded that screening mammography did not prevent deaths from breast cancer. The news pieces examined for this project were published between October 2001 and March 2002 in one of eight U.S. newspapers or aired on one of six national or cable news networks. The six-month period was divided into one-week segments; the numbers of articles published or stories aired in each week were graphed to examine patterns. Each newspaper article and television transcript was then reviewed to identify its main content area and the amount of coverage for each major event was quantified. The highest number of newspaper articles appeared to result from several events during the end of January through the beginning of February. These events included the publication of another meta-analysis of mammography that disputed the original letter's conclusion and a full-page New York Times advertisement paid for by major medical organizations stating their continued support for mammography. The greatest amount of television news coverage was devoted to the announcement of the official federal guidelines by the Secretary of Health and Human Services in late February. We conclude by discussing how the flow of news coverage of medical controversies can potentially impact the actions and reactions of the public, the medical community and health policy makers.

  14. Public Health Policy in Support of Insurance Coverage for Smoking Cessation Treatments.

    PubMed

    Schwartz, Robert; Haji, Farzana; Babayan, Alexey; Longo, Christopher; Ferrence, Roberta

    2017-05-01

    Insurance coverage for evidence-based smoking cessation treatments (SCTs) promotes uptake and reduces smoking rates. Published studies in this area are based in the US where employers are the primary source of health insurance. In Ontario, Canada, publicly funded healthcare does not cover SCTs, but it can be supplemented with employer-sponsored benefit plans. This study explores factors affecting the inclusion/exclusion of smoking cessation (SC) benefits. In total, 17 interviews were conducted with eight employers (auto, retail, banking, municipal and university industries), four health insurers, two government representatives and three advisors/consultants. Overall, SCT coverage varied among industries; it was inconsistently restrictive and SCT differed by coverage amount and length of use. Barriers impeding coverage included the lack of the following: Canadian-specific return on investment (ROI), SC cost information, employer demand, government regulations/incentives and employee awareness of and demand. A Canadian evidence-based calculation of ROI for SC coupled with government incentives and public education may be needed to promote uptake of SCT coverage by employers. Copyright © 2017 Longwoods Publishing.

  15. Location Distribution Optimization of Photographing Sites for Indoor Panorama Modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, S.; Wu, J.; Zhang, Y.; Zhang, X.; Xin, Z.; Liu, J.

    2017-09-01

    Generally, panoramas image modeling is costly and time-consuming because of photographing continuously to capture enough photos along the routes, especially in complicated indoor environment. Thus, difficulty follows for a wider applications of panoramic image modeling for business. It is indispensable to make a feasible arrangement of panorama sites locations because the locations influence the clarity, coverage and the amount of panoramic images under the condition of certain device. This paper is aim to propose a standard procedure to generate the specific location and total amount of panorama sites in indoor panoramas modeling. Firstly, establish the functional relationship between one panorama site and its objectives. Then, apply the relationship to panorama sites network. We propose the Distance Clarity function (FC and Fe) manifesting the mathematical relationship between panoramas and objectives distance or obstacle distance. The Distance Buffer function (FB) is modified from traditional buffer method to generate the coverage of panorama site. Secondly, transverse every point in possible area to locate possible panorama site, calculate the clarity and coverage synthetically. Finally select as little points as possible to satiate clarity requirement preferentially and then the coverage requirement. In the experiments, detailed parameters of camera lens are given. Still, more experiments parameters need trying out given that relationship between clarity and distance is device dependent. In short, through the function FC, Fe and FB, locations of panorama sites can be generated automatically and accurately.

  16. Biocrusts role on nitrogen cycle and microbial communities from underlying soils in drylands

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anguita-Maeso, Manuel; Miralles*, Isabel; van Wesemael, Bas; Lázaro, Roberto; Ortega, Raúl; Garcia-Salcedo, José Antonio; Soriano**, Miguel

    2017-04-01

    Biocrusts are distributed in arid areas widely covering most of the soil surface and playing an essential role in the functioning of nitrogen cycle. The absence of biocrust coverage might affect the soil nitrogen content and the quantity and diversity of microbial communities in underlying biocrust soils. To analyse this mater, we have collected three underlying soils biocrusts samples dominated by the lichen Diploschistes diacapsis and Squamarina lentigera from Tabernas desert (southeast of Spain) at two extremes of its spatial distribution range: one with a high percentage of biocrust coverage and other with a huge degradation and low percentage of biocrust coverage in order to determine differences on the total nitrogen content and microbial communities from these underlying soils. DNA from these samples was isolated though a commercial kit and it was used as template for metagenomic analysis. We accomplished a sequencing of the amplicons V4-V5 of the 16S rRNA gene with Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) Illumina MiSeq platform and a relative quantity of bacteria (rRNA 16S) and fungi (ITS1-5.8S) were conducted by quantitative qPCR. Total nitrogen was measured by the Kjeldahl method. Statistical analyses were based on ANOVAs, heatmap and Generalized Linear Models (GLM). The results showed 1.89E+09 bacteria per gram of soil in the high biocrust coverage position while 6.98E+08 microorganisms per gram of soil were found in the less favourable position according to the lower percentage of biocrust coverage. Similarly, 1.19E+12 was the amount of fungi per gram of soil located in the favourable position with higher biocrust coverage and 7.62E+11 was found in the unfavourable position. Furthermore, the soil under high percentage of biocrust coverage showed the greatest total nitrogen content (1.1 g kg-1) whereas the soil sampled under depressed percentage of biocrust coverage displayed the fewest quantity of total nitrogen content (0.9 g kg-1). Metagenomic and statistical analysis exhibited different bacteria communities according to underlying soils with unlike percentage of biocrust coverage. Opitutus and Adhaeribacter predominated in soil under high biocrust coverage percentage whereas Chelatococcus was found as prevalent bacteria community in soils under low biocrust coverage percentage. Our data illustrate that the percentage of biocrust coverage influence the total nitrogen content in underlying biocrust soils and also affects the amount and the variety of bacteria communities in these underlying soils. (*) Financial support by Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship (FP7-577 PEOPLE-2013-IEF, Proposal n° 623393) and (**) by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO) cofinanced with FEDER funds (project CGL2015-71709-R) is acknowledged.

  17. [The registration of deaths in Venezuela: an evaluation of coverage].

    PubMed

    Bidegain, G; Lopez, D

    1987-08-01

    "This paper presents six indirect techniques for estimating the degree of death coverage as applied to vital statistics information in Venezuela between 1960 and 1982, collected by two public institutions, namely, the 'Oficina Central de Estadistica e Informatica' (OCEI) and the Ministry of Health and Social Assistance (MSAS).... The results show remarkable improvements in the death registry coverage for both institutions, that amount to 97 or 98 per cent at the beginning of the 80's. Nevertheless, great differences can be observed between them regarding both structure and volume of deaths by sex and age." Among the problems discussed are the impact of immigration and errors in age reporting. (SUMMARY IN ENG) excerpt

  18. Stable Satellite Orbits for Global Coverage of the Moon

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ely, Todd; Lieb, Erica

    2006-01-01

    A document proposes a constellation of spacecraft to be placed in orbit around the Moon to provide navigation and communication services with global coverage required for exploration of the Moon. There would be six spacecraft in inclined elliptical orbits: three in each of two orthogonal orbital planes, suggestive of a linked-chain configuration. The orbits have been chosen to (1) provide 99.999-percent global coverage for ten years and (2) to be stable under perturbation by Earth gravitation and solar-radiation pressure, so that no deterministic firing of thrusters would be needed to maintain the orbits. However, a minor amount of orbit control might be needed to correct for such unmodeled effects as outgassing of the spacecraft.

  19. Molecular diagnostics using magnetic nanobeads

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zardán Gómez de la Torre, Teresa; Strömberg, Mattias; Göransson, Jenny; Gunnarsson, Klas; Nilsson, Mats; Svedlindh, Peter; Strømme, Maria

    2010-01-01

    In this paper, we investigate the volume-amplified magnetic nanobead detection assay with respect to bead size, bead concentration and bead oligonucleotide surface coverage in order to improve the understanding of the underlying microscopic mechanisms. It has been shown that: (i) the immobilization efficiency of the beads depends on the surface coverage of oligonucleotides, (ii) by using lower amounts of probe-tagged beads, detection sensitivity can be improved and (iii) using small enough beads enables both turn-off and turn-on detection. Finally, biplex detection was demonstrated.

  20. Anatomy as the Backbone of an Integrated First Year Medical Curriculum: Design and Implementation

    PubMed Central

    Klement, Brenda J.; Paulsen, Douglas F.; Wineski, Lawrence E

    2011-01-01

    Morehouse School of Medicine chose to restructure its first year medical curriculum in 2005. The anatomy faculty had prior experience in integrating courses, stemming from the successful integration of individual anatomical sciences courses into a single course called Human Morphology. The integration process was expanded to include the other first year basic science courses (Biochemistry, Physiology, and Neurobiology) as we progressed toward an integrated curriculum. A team, consisting of the course directors, a curriculum coordinator and the Associate Dean for Educational and Faculty Affairs, was assembled to build the new curriculum. For the initial phase, the original course titles were retained but the lecture order was reorganized around the Human Morphology topic sequence. The material from all four courses was organized into four sequential units. Other curricular changes included placing laboratories and lectures more consistently in the daily routine, reducing lecture time from 120 to 90 minute blocks, eliminating unnecessary duplication of content, and increasing the amount of independent study time. Examinations were constructed to include questions from all courses on a single test, reducing the number of examination days in each block from three to one. The entire restructuring process took two years to complete, and the revised curriculum was implemented for the students entering in 2007. The outcomes of the restructured curriculum include a reduction in the number of contact hours by 28%, higher or equivalent subject examination average scores, enhanced student satisfaction, and a first year curriculum team better prepared to move forward with future integration. PMID:21538939

  1. SAGE III L2 Monthly Cloud Presence Data (Binary)

    Atmospheric Science Data Center

    2016-06-14

    ... degrees South Spatial Resolution:  1 km vertical Temporal Coverage:  02/27/2002 - 12/31/2005 ... Parameters:  Cloud Amount/Frequency Cloud Height Cloud Vertical Distribution Order Data:  Search and ...

  2. Knowledge of medical students on National Health Care System: A French multicentric survey.

    PubMed

    Feral-Pierssens, A-L; Jannot, A-S

    2017-09-01

    Education on national health care policy and costs is part of our medical curriculum explaining how our health care system works. Our aim was to measure French medical students' knowledge about national health care funding, costs and access and explore association with their educational and personal background. We developed a web-based survey exploring knowledge on national health care funding, access and costs through 19 items and measured success score as the number of correct answers. We also collected students' characteristics and public health training. The survey was sent to undergraduate medical students and residents from five medical universities between July and November 2015. A total of 1195 students from 5 medical universities responded to the survey. Most students underestimated the total amount of annual medical expenses, hospitalization costs and the proportion of the general population not benefiting from a complementary insurance. The knowledge score was not associated with medical education level. Three students' characteristics were significantly associated with a better knowledge score: male gender, older age, and underprivileged status. Medical students have important gaps in knowledge regarding national health care funding, coverage and costs. This knowledge was not associated with medical education level but with some of the students' personal characteristics. All these results are of great concern and should lead us to discussion and reflection about medical and public health training. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  3. Can we share questions? Performance of questions from different question banks in a single medical school.

    PubMed

    Freeman, Adrian; Nicholls, Anthony; Ricketts, Chris; Coombes, Lee

    2010-01-01

    To use progress testing, a large bank of questions is required, particularly when planning to deliver tests over a long period of time. The questions need not only to be of good quality but also balanced in subject coverage across the curriculum to allow appropriate sampling. Hence as well as creating its own questions, an institution could share questions. Both methods allow ownership and structuring of the test appropriate to the educational requirements of the institution. Peninsula Medical School (PMS) has developed a mechanism to validate questions written in house. That mechanism can be adapted to utilise questions from an International question bank International Digital Electronic Access Library (IDEAL) and another UK-based question bank Universities Medical Assessment Partnership (UMAP). These questions have been used in our progress tests and analysed for relative performance. Data are presented to show that questions from differing sources can have comparable performance in a progress testing format. There are difficulties in transferring questions from one institution to another. These include problems of curricula and cultural differences. Whilst many of these difficulties exist, our experience suggests that it only requires a relatively small amount of work to adapt questions from external question banks for effective use. The longitudinal aspect of progress testing (albeit summatively) may allow more flexibility in question usage than single high stakes exams.

  4. Impact of Medicare on the Use of Medical Services by Disabled Beneficiaries, 1972-1974

    PubMed Central

    Deacon, Ronald W.

    1979-01-01

    The extension of Medicare coverage in 1973 to disabled persons receiving cash benefits under the Social Security Act provided an opportunity to examine the impact of health insurance coverage on utilization and expenses for Part B services. Data on medical services used both before and after coverage, collected through the Current Medicare Survey, were analyzed. Results indicate that access to care (as measured by the number of persons using services) increased slightly, while the rate of use did not. The large increase in the number of persons eligible for Medicare reflected the large increase in the number of cash beneficiaries. Significant increases also were found in the amount charged for medical services. The absence of large increases in access and service use may be attributed, in part, to the already existing source of third party payment available to disabled cash beneficiaries in 1972, before Medicare coverage. PMID:10316939

  5. Undergraduate otolaryngology education at the University of Toronto: a review using a curriculum mapping system.

    PubMed

    Oyewumi, Modupe; Isaac, Kathryn; Schreiber, Martin; Campisi, Paolo

    2012-02-01

    The aim of Canadian medical school curricula is to provide educational experiences that satisfy the specific objectives set out by the Medical Council of Canada. However, for specialties such as otolaryngology, there is considerable variability in student exposure to didactic and clinical teaching across Canadian medical schools, making it unclear whether students receive sufficient teaching of core otolaryngology content and clinical skills. The goal of this review was to assess the exposure to otolaryngology instruction in the undergraduate medical curriculum at the University of Toronto. Otolaryngology objectives were derived from objectives created by the Medical Council of Canada and the University of Toronto. The University of Toronto's recently developed Curriculum Mapping System (CMap) was used to perform a keyword search of otolaryngology objectives to establish when and to what extent essential topics were being taught. All (10 of 10) major topics and skills identified were covered in the undergraduate medical curriculum. Although no major gaps were identified, an uneven distribution of teaching time exists. The majority (> 90%) of otolaryngology education occurs during year 1 of clerkship. The amount of preclerkship education was extremely limited. Essential otolaryngology topics and skills are taught within the University of Toronto curriculum. The CMap was an effective tool to assess the otolaryngology curriculum and was able to identify gaps in otolaryngology education during the preclerkship years of medical school. As a result, modifications to the undergraduate curriculum have been implemented to provide additional teaching during the preclerkship years.

  6. Experts' views regarding Australian school-leavers' knowledge of nutrition and food systems.

    PubMed

    Sadegholvad, Sanaz; Yeatman, Heather; Parrish, Anne-Maree; Worsley, Anthony

    2017-10-01

    To explore Australian experts' views regarding strengths and gaps in school-leavers' knowledge of nutrition and food systems ( N&FS) and factors that influence that knowledge. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 21 highly experienced food-related experts in Australia. Qualitative data were analysed thematically using Attride-Stirling's thematic network framework. Two global themes and several organising themes were identified. The first global theme, 'structural curriculum-based problems', emerged from three organising themes of: inconsistencies in provided food education programs at schools in Australia; insufficient coverage of food-related skills and food systems topics in school curricula; and the lack of trained school teachers. The second global theme, 'insufficient levels of school-leavers knowledge of N&FS ', was generated from four organising themes, which together described Australian school-leavers' poor knowledge of N&FS more broadly and knowledge translation problem for everyday practices. Study findings identified key problems relating to current school-based N&FS education programs in Australia and reported knowledge gaps in relation to N&FS among Australian school-leavers. These findings provide important guidance for N&FS curriculum development, to clearly articulate broadly-based N&FS knowledge acquisition in curriculum policy and education documents for Australian schools. © 2017 The Authors.

  7. A health insurance tax credit for uninsured workers.

    PubMed

    Zelenak, L

    2001-01-01

    This paper describes a new system of tax credits to help low-income workers pay for health insurance. The system would be designed to subsidize health insurance coverage for workers who are currently uninsured, or who pay high premiums for nongroup insurance. Anyone age 19 or older who is not covered by Medicaid, Medicare, or employer-sponsored health insurance would be eligible for a health insurance tax credit (HITC), administered through the Internal Revenue Service. The base amount of the proposed credit would be $2,000 per year for each covered individual, but this amount would be adjusted for the individual's age and sex, according to the effect of age and sex on the cost of insurance coverage. The base amount of the credit would be reduced by $150 for every $1,000 by which a person's income exceeded 200% of the federal poverty level, thus limiting HITC eligibility to lower-income workers. To encourage participation in the credit program, most of the credit would be available through an advance payment system, with final reconciliation after year's end.

  8. Pension coverage among the baby boomers: initial findings from a 1993 survey.

    PubMed

    Woods, J R

    1994-01-01

    Using data from a series of supplements to the Current Population Survey, this article presents findings on workers' coverage under employer-sponsored retirement plans in 1993, and recent trends in coverage. The analysis focuses on workers 25-54, a group that includes the baby boom generation. Among all wage and salary workers in this age range (including government employees and part-time workers), 55 percent reported participating in a retirement plan on their current primary jobs, and an additional 3 percent were covered from other jobs. After a modest decline in the early 1980's, the coverage rate has remained essentially unchanged over the past 10 years, and limited data suggest that the baby boomers are doing about as well on pension coverage as older workers at similar points in their careers. Beneath this relative stability in overall coverage, however, at least two important changes have occurred: a significant narrowing of the gender gap in coverage and a shift in types of retirement plans. Increasing numbers of workers are being covered solely by 401(k)-type plans, a development that raises new uncertainties about the form and amount of future benefits. On the other hand, limited data in this study suggest that 401(k) plans may be serving their intended purpose for the majority of workers who have them.

  9. Structure and dynamics of water near the interface with oligo(ethylene oxide) self-assembled monolayers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ismail, Ahmed E.; Grest, Gary S.; Stevens, Mark J.

    2007-03-01

    Oligo(ethylene oxide) self-assembled monolayers (OEO SAM's) deposited on Au are the prototypical materials used to study protein resistance. Recently, protein resistance has been shown to vary as a function of surface coverage and to be maximal at about two-thirds coverage, not complete coverage. We use molecular dynamics simulations to study the nature of the interface between water and the OEO SAM for a range of SAM coverages. As SAM coverage decreases, the amount of water within the OEO monolayer increases monotonically; however, the penetration depth of the water shows a maximum near the experimentally-found maximal coverage. As the water content increases, the SAM-water mixture becomes harder to distinguish from bulk water. Since the oxygen atoms of OEO are hydrogen bond acceptors, a hydrogen bond network forms within the SAM-water mixture. The water molecules diffuse freely within the monolayer and exchange with the bulk water. Because the monolayer becomes increasingly like bulk water as the coverage decreases, proteins stay in their bulk soluble conformation and do not adsorb. Sandia is a multiprogram laboratory operated by Sandia Corporation, a Lockheed Martin Company, for the United States Department of Energy under Contract No. DE-AC04-94AL85000.

  10. From FRA to RFN, or How the Family Resemblance Approach Can Be Transformed for Science Curriculum Analysis on Nature of Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaya, Ebru; Erduran, Sibel

    2016-12-01

    The inclusion of Nature of Science (NOS) in the science curriculum has been advocated around the world for several decades. One way of defining NOS is related to the family resemblance approach (FRA). The family resemblance idea was originally described by Wittgenstein. Subsequently, philosophers and educators have applied Wittgenstein's idea to problems of their own disciplines. For example, Irzik and Nola adapted Wittgenstein's generic definition of the family resemblance idea to NOS, while Erduran and Dagher reconceptualized Irzik and Nola's FRA-to-NOS by synthesizing educational applications by drawing on perspectives from science education research. In this article, we use the terminology of "Reconceptualized FRA-to-NOS (RFN)" to refer to Erduran and Dagher's FRA version which offers an educational account inclusive of knowledge about pedagogical, instructional, curricular and assessment issues in science education. Our motivation for making this distinction is rooted in the need to clarify the various accounts of the family resemblance idea.The key components of the RFN include the aims and values of science, methods and methodological rules, scientific practices, scientific knowledge as well as the social-institutional dimensions of science including the social ethos, certification, and power relations. We investigate the potential of RFN in facilitating curriculum analysis and in determining the gaps related to NOS in the curriculum. We analyze two Turkish science curricula published 7 years apart and illustrate how RFN can contribute not only to the analysis of science curriculum itself but also to trends in science curriculum development. Furthermore, we present an analysis of documents from USA and Ireland and contrast them to the Turkish curricula thereby illustrating some trends in the coverage of RFN categories. The results indicate that while both Turkish curricula contain statements that identify science as a cognitive-epistemic system, they underemphasize science as a social-institutional system. The comparison analysis shows results such as the "scientific ethos" category being mentioned by the Irish curriculum while "social organizations and interactions" category being mentioned by the Turkish curriculum. In all documents, there was no overall coherence to NOS as a holistic narrative that would be inclusive of the various RFN categories simultaneously. The article contributes to the framing of NOS from a family resemblance perspective and highlights how RFN categories can be used as analytical tools.

  11. Nutrition education: a survey of practices and perceptions in undergraduate dietetics education.

    PubMed

    Short, Joy E; Chittooran, Mary M

    2004-10-01

    Electronic mail messages linked to an online survey were sent to 281 directors of didactic and coordinated programs in dietetics to investigate coverage of nutrition education in undergraduate curriculua, perceived importance of topics, and perceived trends. Descriptive statistics and content analysis were performed on responses from 117 programs. Programs addressed nutrition education through a variety of methods and materials. Fifty-three percent (n=62) offered a course dedicated to nutrition education. The most common teaching methods were didactic (88%) and experiential learning (87%). Most of the topics investigated, including those addressed by the Commission on Accreditation for Dietetics Education Accreditation Manual, were viewed as important, very important, or essential. Perceived trends included increased use of technology, theories/models, client-centered education, cultural awareness, and behavior change. Eighty-eight percent of respondents indicated satisfaction with nutrition education curriculum strategies. Dissatisfaction was associated with inadequate time and resources, need for course improvement, and lack of control over experiences. Results may aid in curriculum development.

  12. From UNIX to PC via X-Windows: Molecular Modeling for the General Chemistry Lab

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pavia, Donald; Wicholas, Mark

    1997-04-01

    The emphasis of molecular modeling in the undergraduate curriculum has generally been directed toward sophomore organic and higher-level chemistry instruction, especially when UNIX systems are used. When developing plans for incorporating molecular modeling into the curriculum, we decided to also include it in our first-year general chemistry course. Modeling would serve primarily as a visualization tool to augment the general chemistry coverage of bonding and structure. Our first thoughts were rather naive: we would set up a number of workstations and somehow get our general chemistry students, as many as 480 in one academic quarter, directly onto these machines at some time in a 1-2 week period during their weekly 3-hour lab. Further exploration of our options revealed that a better approach was to use PCs as dummy terminals for UNIX workstations. Described below are the hardware and software for this venture and the modeling experiment done by our students in general chemistry.

  13. SAGE III L2 Monthly Cloud Presence Data (HDF-EOS)

    Atmospheric Science Data Center

    2016-06-14

    ... degrees South Spatial Resolution:  1 km vertical Temporal Coverage:  02/27/2002 - 12/31/2005 ... Parameters:  Cloud Amount/Frequency Cloud Height Cloud Vertical Distribution Order Data:  Search and ...

  14. Global Moon Coverage via Hyperbolic Flybys

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Buffington, Brent; Strange, Nathan; Campagnola, Stefano

    2012-01-01

    The scientific desire for global coverage of moons such as Jupiter's Galilean moons or Saturn's Titan has invariably led to the design of orbiter missions. These orbiter missions require a large amount of propellant needed to insert into orbit around such small bodies, and for a given launch vehicle, the additional propellant mass takes away from mass that could otherwise be used for scientific instrumentation on a multiple flyby-only mission. This paper will present methods--expanding upon techniques developed for the design of the Cassini prime and extended missions--to obtain near global moon coverage through multiple flybys. Furthermore we will show with proper instrument suite selection, a flyby-only mission can provide science return similar (and in some cases greater) to that of an orbiter mission.

  15. Sexual and gender minority health in medical curricula in new England: a pilot study of medical student comfort, competence and perception of curricula.

    PubMed

    Zelin, Nicole Sitkin; Hastings, Charlotte; Beaulieu-Jones, Brendin R; Scott, Caroline; Rodriguez-Villa, Ana; Duarte, Cassandra; Calahan, Christopher; Adami, Alexander J

    2018-12-01

    Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals experience high rates of harassment and discrimination when seeking healthcare, which contributes to substantial healthcare disparities. Improving physician training about gender identity, sexual orientation, and the healthcare needs of SGM patients has been identified as a critical strategy for mitigating these disparities. In 2014, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) published medical education competencies to guide undergraduate medical education on SGM topics. Conduct pilot study to investigate medical student comfort and competence about SGM health competencies outlined by the AAMC and evaluate curricular coverage of SGM topics. Six-hundred and fifty-eight students at New England allopathic medical schools (response rate 21.2%) completed an anonymous, online survey evaluating self-reported comfort and competence regarding SGM health competencies, and coverage of SGM health in the medical curriculum. 92.7% of students felt somewhat or very comfortable treating sexual minorities; 68.4% felt comfortable treating gender minorities. Most respondents felt not competent or somewhat not competent with medical treatment of gender minority patients (76.7%) and patients with a difference of sex development (81%). At seven schools, more than 50% of students indicated that the curriculum neither adequately covers SGM-specific topics nor adequately prepares students to serve SGM patients. The prevalence of self-reported comfort is greater than that of self-reported competence serving SGM patients in a convenience sample of New England allopathic medical students. The majority of participants reported insufficient curricular preparation to achieve the competencies necessary to care for SGM patients. This multi-institution pilot study provides preliminary evidence that further curriculum development may be needed to enable medical students to achieve core competencies in SGM health, as defined by AAMC. Further mixed methods research is necessary to substantiate and expand upon the findings of this pilot study. This pilot study also demonstrates the importance of creating specific evaluation tools to assess medical student achievement of competencies established by the AAMC.

  16. Sexual and gender minority health in medical curricula in new England: a pilot study of medical student comfort, competence and perception of curricula

    PubMed Central

    Zelin, Nicole Sitkin; Hastings, Charlotte; Beaulieu-Jones, Brendin R.; Scott, Caroline; Rodriguez-Villa, Ana; Duarte, Cassandra

    2018-01-01

    ABSTRACT Background: Sexual and gender minority (SGM) individuals experience high rates of harassment and discrimination when seeking healthcare, which contributes to substantial healthcare disparities. Improving physician training about gender identity, sexual orientation, and the healthcare needs of SGM patients has been identified as a critical strategy for mitigating these disparities. In 2014, the Association of American Medical Colleges (AAMC) published medical education competencies to guide undergraduate medical education on SGM topics. Objective: Conduct pilot study to investigate medical student comfort and competence about SGM health competencies outlined by the AAMC and evaluate curricular coverage of SGM topics. Design: Six-hundred and fifty-eight students at New England allopathic medical schools (response rate 21.2%) completed an anonymous, online survey evaluating self-reported comfort and competence regarding SGM health competencies, and coverage of SGM health in the medical curriculum. Results: 92.7% of students felt somewhat or very comfortable treating sexual minorities; 68.4% felt comfortable treating gender minorities. Most respondents felt not competent or somewhat not competent with medical treatment of gender minority patients (76.7%) and patients with a difference of sex development (81%). At seven schools, more than 50% of students indicated that the curriculum neither adequately covers SGM-specific topics nor adequately prepares students to serve SGM patients. Conclusions: The prevalence of self-reported comfort is greater than that of self-reported competence serving SGM patients in a convenience sample of New England allopathic medical students. The majority of participants reported insufficient curricular preparation to achieve the competencies necessary to care for SGM patients. This multi-institution pilot study provides preliminary evidence that further curriculum development may be needed to enable medical students to achieve core competencies in SGM health, as defined by AAMC. Further mixed methods research is necessary to substantiate and expand upon the findings of this pilot study. This pilot study also demonstrates the importance of creating specific evaluation tools to assess medical student achievement of competencies established by the AAMC. PMID:29717635

  17. Improving Technology in Agriscience Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morris, Krista

    2014-01-01

    Teachers must make persistent efforts in integrating technology in the classroom. In Georgia agriscience curriculum, no data are available regarding the type and amount of technology integration used in the classrooms. Some teachers integrate actively while others incorporate very little technology in their teaching. The purpose of this…

  18. What is provided and what the registered nurse needs--bioscience learning through the pre-registration curriculum.

    PubMed

    Davis, Geraldine M

    2010-11-01

    Registered nurses undertaking programmes of study to become non-medical prescribers appear to have limited biological science knowledge. A case study was undertaken to determine whether the nurses entering Prescriber programmes considered studies in bioscience in their pre-registration nursing courses had been sufficient, linked to practice, and had prepared them for their roles as registered nurses. The literature identifies a continuing trend amongst nursing students describing a lack of sufficient bioscience in initial nurse education; there is limited literature on the views of experienced registered nurses. The participants in this study were 42 registered nurses from adult and mental health nursing, community and inpatient services. The results obtained from questionnaires and interviews are described. Questionnaire analysis identified that 57.1% of participants indicated bioscience in their pre-registration nursing programme had been limited and 40.5% stated the bioscience content had not prepared them for their roles on registration. Those reporting extensive coverage of bioscience were all aged over 41 years and had qualified before 1995. Greatest coverage of bioscience in pre-registration programmes was reported in relation to anatomy and physiology, with relatively limited coverage of microbiology, pharmacology or biochemistry. Respondents considered all five topics to be important. Interviews supported the questionnaire findings. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. ArcView Coal Evaluation User's Guide

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Watson, William

    2007-01-01

    Purpose: The objective of the ArcView Coal Evaluation (ACE) is to estimate the amount and location of coal available to be mined by various coal mining technologies, based on the geologic coverages developed in the National Coal Resource Assessment (NCRA) which are the starting coverages used in the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) evaluation of coal resources. The ACE Users Guide provides many examples of how to apply technical limits based upon mining technology. The methods, which are iterative for any given mining technology, should transfer directly by mining technology to other coal beds.

  20. Citation analysis of faculty publication: beyond Science Citation Index and Social Science Citation Index.

    PubMed Central

    Reed, K L

    1995-01-01

    When evaluated for promotion or tenure, faculty members are increasingly judged more on the quality than on the quantity of their scholarly publications. As a result, they want help from librarians in locating all citations to their published works for documentation in their curriculum vitae. Citation analysis using Science Citation Index and Social Science Citation Index provides a logical starting point in measuring quality, but the limitations of these sources leave a void in coverage of citations to an author's work. This article discusses alternative and additional methods of locating citations to published works. PMID:8547915

  1. Citation analysis of faculty publication: beyond Science Citation Index and Social Science Citation Index.

    PubMed

    Reed, K L

    1995-10-01

    When evaluated for promotion or tenure, faculty members are increasingly judged more on the quality than on the quantity of their scholarly publications. As a result, they want help from librarians in locating all citations to their published works for documentation in their curriculum vitae. Citation analysis using Science Citation Index and Social Science Citation Index provides a logical starting point in measuring quality, but the limitations of these sources leave a void in coverage of citations to an author's work. This article discusses alternative and additional methods of locating citations to published works.

  2. Toward a more professional and practical medical education: a novel Central European approach.

    PubMed

    Drexel, Heinz; Vonbank, Alexander; Fraunberger, Peter; Riesen, Walter F; Saely, Christoph H

    2015-01-01

    We here present an innovative curriculum for a complete medical education that conforms to the current European Bologna system of academic training. The curriculum aims at raising doctors who are excellently prepared for clinical work over as short a time as 5 years; it provides a comprehensive, yet shorter than usual, education that strongly pronounces the importance of increasing the students' practical clinical competences and rigorously excludes superfluous contents. The curriculum encompasses 52 modules, 32 at the bachelor's and 20 at the master's level. Already at the level of the bachelor degree, full employability is given; the students finish the master's course as medical doctors optimally prepared to manage patients at the level of postgraduate medical education. The structure of the curriculum is modular; each modular component is essential for medical education and contains an average of five European Credit Transfer System credits, amounting to 150 hours of education. Depending on the subspecialty, the courses include lectures, seminars, practical laboratory training, and clinical training at varying quantities. In addition to attendance times, sufficient time slots are prepared for self-study in lectures, seminars, and practical work. With our curriculum, we provide an easily applicable backbone for a modern course of medicine that can be installed also at smaller academic institutions.

  3. News coverage and sales of products with trans fat: effects before and after changes in federal labeling policy.

    PubMed

    Niederdeppe, Jeff; Frosch, Dominick L

    2009-05-01

    The Food and Drug Administration mandated that food products list the amount of trans fat per serving on nutrition facts labels by January 1, 2006. There have been no coordinated efforts to raise awareness about trans fat since the policy went into effect, but news coverage may promote informed decisions about food purchases. This paper assesses whether news coverage influenced sales of products containing trans fat, between December 13, 2004, and June 24, 2007, both before and after the labeling policy went into effect. Sales data for products containing trans fat from a major grocery store chain with stores throughout Los Angeles County were merged with news coverage data from LexisNexis and ProQuest. Cross-sectional time-series regression was conducted in 2008 to assess the effect of news coverage on weekly unit sales volume for seven trans-fat products across 11,997 store-weeks. News coverage effects were apparent for sales of two of the seven trans-fat products in the year before the trans-fat nutrition facts labeling policy went into effect (p<0.05 with Bonferroni correction). News coverage effects were observed for sales of six of the seven trans-fat products in the post-labeling period (p<0.05 with Bonferroni correction). For most products, effects were strongest at concurrent and 1-week lags, and they dissipated over time. News coverage about trans fat, combined with labeling information, appears to influence consumer behavior in the short term. News coverage and product labeling may not be sufficient to promote sustained changes in trans-fat purchases.

  4. Making Play Work for Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weisberg, Deena Skolnick; Kittredge, Audrey K.; Hirsh-Pasek, Kathy; Golinkoff, Roberta Michnick; Klahr, David

    2015-01-01

    Children, especially in the preschool years, learn a tremendous amount through play. Research on guided play demonstrates how schools can couple a curriculum-centered preschool program with a developmentally appropriate pedagogical approach to classroom teaching. However, to fully test this claim, we need a clear definition of the term…

  5. Wisconsin EE Mandates: The Bad News and the Good News.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lane, Jennie; And Others

    1996-01-01

    Examines Wisconsin teachers' perceived competencies in, attitudes toward, and amount of class time devoted to teaching about the environment. Discusses the effects of Wisconsin environmental education mandates concerning preservice preparation in environmental education and K-12 environmental education curriculum plans. Identifies areas where the…

  6. Prevocational Services: A Resource for Enhancing a Functional Academic Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Jerry; Thompson, Elizabeth M.

    2005-01-01

    Developing appropriate prevocational services for students with visual impairments and additional severe disabilities presents a challenge. A recent pilot transition program acknowledged this difficulty by deciding that "the inclusion of students, who require an extraordinary amount of individual attention to learn skills, would detract from…

  7. Walter Cronkite Speaks to Teachers...(and That's the Way It Is).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cronkite, Walter; Martorelli, Debra

    1980-01-01

    In this interview with "Instructor" assistant editor Debra Martorelli, respected television journalist Walter Cronkite discusses the amount of time children spend watching television, public concerns with the schools, and the news media's coverage of education. (SJL)

  8. Use of a collagen matrix for recession coverage in patients who received orthodontic therapy: a case series.

    PubMed

    Tan, Wah C; Tan, Wah L; Ong, Marianne M A; Lang, Niklaus P

    2017-02-01

    The aim of the present study was to determine the percentage of recession coverage achieved following surgery with a collagen matrix, and patient-reported outcome measures. Five healthy adults who had completed orthodontic therapy with a gingival recession defect were recruited. Gingival recession coverage was performed using a two-layer, xenogeneic collagen matrix (Mucograft). During the first 2 weeks, the patients charted their perceptions on bleeding, swelling, pain, and bruising using a visual analog scale (VAS). Post-surgical complications were assessed clinically at 1 week, 2 weeks, and 1 month post-surgery. Recession dimensions were examined at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. At 1 year, an average of 67% root coverage was achieved. The amount of recession coverage achieved was stable from 3 months. The results were maintained at 1 year. There were no post-surgical complications. All VAS parameters decreased to almost zero by day 14. From day 1, bleeding and pain decreased over time. However, there were peaks on days 2 and 3 for swelling and bruising, respectively, followed by a subsequent decrease. The use of Mucograft for recession coverage is effective and safe, with low morbidity and no post-surgical complications. Recession coverage achieved at 3 months remained stable in the 1-year follow-up period. © 2015 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  9. Marketplace Subsidies: Changing The 'Family Glitch' Reduces Family Health Spending But Increases Government Costs.

    PubMed

    Buettgens, Matthew; Dubay, Lisa; Kenney, Genevieve M

    2016-07-01

    Under the Affordable Care Act, if one family member has an employer offer of single coverage deemed to be affordable-that is, costing less than 9.66 percent of family income in 2016-then all family members are ineligible for tax credits for Marketplace coverage, even if the cost of providing coverage to the whole family is greater than 9.66 percent of income. More than six million people live in such families and as a result are ineligible for premium tax credits. These families face premiums that can amount to 15.8 percent of income, or 12.0 percent after the tax advantages of employer-sponsored health coverage are factored in. We modeled the potential impact of changing the affordability test to take into account the cost of family coverage. Doing so would reduce spending on premiums from 12.0 percent to 6.3 percent of income, significantly alleviating financial burdens, but would generate little additional coverage. We estimated the additional costs to the federal government for premium tax credits and cost-sharing reductions to be between $3.7 billion and $6.5 billion in 2016. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  10. The need for and cost of mandating private insurance coverage of contraception.

    PubMed

    Gold, R B

    1998-08-01

    A public policy debate in the US is considering whether it is in the public interest to mandate that private, employment-related health insurance plans cover contraception. Industry representatives oppose mandates as unnecessary and costly, but women's health advocates point out that mandates were necessary to remove other health insurance disadvantages to women. For example, the Pregnancy Discrimination Act of 1978 was necessary to mandate coverage for maternity care. US women rely on contraception to avoid pregnancy for approximately 20 years during their reproductive lives, but health insurance policies vary widely in the amount of contraceptive coverage provided. Some fail to cover contraception but cover sterilization and abortion. Coverage is important because women cite cost as a consideration when choosing a method, and some of the more effective methods are more costly. Estimates show that the cost of covering the full range of approved reversible contraception would be a minimal $21.40/employee/year, of which employers would pay $17.12, a 0.6% increase in costs. The cost of plans that already cover some reversible methods would increase even less. Public opinion overwhelmingly favors mandated contraception coverage, even if employee costs were to increase. Congress is considering legislation to mandate coverage in private, employment-related plans, and the industry has indicated that it will not fight the legislation.

  11. Analysis of cloud top height and cloud coverage from satellites using the O2 A and B bands

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kuze, Akihiko; Chance, Kelly V.

    1994-01-01

    Cloud height and cloud coverage detection are important for total ozone retrieval using ultraviolet and visible scattered light. Use of the O2 A and B bands, around 761 and 687 nm, by a satellite-borne instrument of moderately high spectral resolution viewing in the nadir makes it possible to detect cloud top height and related parameters, including fractional coverage. The measured values of a satellite-borne spectrometer are convolutions of the instrument slit function and the atmospheric transmittance between cloud top and satellite. Studies here determine the optical depth between a satellite orbit and the Earth or cloud top height to high accuracy using FASCODE 3. Cloud top height and a cloud coverage parameter are determined by least squares fitting to calculated radiance ratios in the oxygen bands. A grid search method is used to search the parameter space of cloud top height and the coverage parameter to minimize an appropriate sum of squares of deviations. For this search, nonlinearity of the atmospheric transmittance (i.e., leverage based on varying amounts of saturation in the absorption spectrum) is important for distinguishing between cloud top height and fractional coverage. Using the above-mentioned method, an operational cloud detection algorithm which uses minimal computation time can be implemented.

  12. Uncompensated hospital care for pregnancy and childbirth cases.

    PubMed Central

    Zollinger, T W; Saywell, R M; Chu, D K

    1991-01-01

    BACKGROUND: The large number of medically indigent patients in the United States is a major concern to policymakers and may be due to recent increases in the number of uninsured people. The purpose of this study was to identify the factors that affect the amount of unpaid hospital charges for services provided to pregnant women. METHODS: Individual and hospital data were collected on a representative set of 235 pregnancy and childbirth patients with unpaid hospital charges from 28 hospitals in the state of Indiana. RESULTS: Most of these patients did not have insurance coverage (63.8%), yet the majority were employed in the public or private sector (72.3%). Over half (55.5%) of the total uncompensated care amount for this group was from the $1000 to 2499 debt category. The median charge for these patients was $1468, of which the typical hospital was able to collect only 25.5%. CONCLUSIONS: The findings support the belief that any national effort to expand the availability of health insurance coverage to women through increased employment will not totally eliminate the uncompensated care problem. The findings also indicate that rural hospitals face the uncompensated care problem mainly because a significant portion of rural patients are without adequate health insurance coverage. PMID:1853993

  13. Desorption of oxygen from alloyed Ag/Pt(111)

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

    Jankowski, Maciej; Wormeester, Herbert, E-mail: h.wormeester@utwente.nl; Zandvliet, Harold J. W.

    2014-06-21

    We have investigated the interaction of oxygen with the Ag/Pt(111) surface alloy by thermal desorption spectroscopy (TDS). The surface alloy was formed during the deposition of sub-monolayer amounts of silver on Pt(111) at 800 K and subsequent cooling to 300 K. The low-temperature phase of the surface alloy is composed of nanometer-sized silver rich stripes, embedded within platinum-rich domains, which were characterized with spot profile analysis low energy electron diffraction. The TDS measurements show that oxygen adsorption is blocked on Ag sites: the saturation coverage of oxygen decreases with increasing Ag coverage. Also, the activation energy for desorption (E{sub des})more » decreases with Ag coverage. The analysis of the desorption spectra from clean Pt(111) shows a linear decay of E{sub des} with oxygen coverage, which indicates repulsive interactions between the adsorbed oxygen atoms. In contrast, adsorption on alloyed Ag/Pt(111) leads to an attractive interaction between adsorbed oxygen atoms.« less

  14. Designing anatomy program in modern medical curriculum: matter of balance.

    PubMed

    Grković, Ivica; Marinović Guić, Maja; Kosta, Vana; Poljicanin, Ana; Carić, Ana; Vilović, Katarina

    2009-02-01

    To evaluate the structure of the anatomy program in the first year medical curriculum of University of Split School of Medicine by comparing it with the recommendations by the Educational Affairs Committee of the American Association of Clinical Anatomists (AACA) and the Terminologia Anatomica (TA); we also quantitatively evaluated the organization of teaching material in contemporary topographical anatomy textbooks and matched them with the AACA recommendations, TA, and the curriculum of the anatomy course taught at Medical School in Split, Croatia. TA, official recommendations of the AACA, 6 contemporary anatomy textbooks, and the structure of the anatomy course were analyzed for the proportion of the terms or text devoted to standard topographical regions of the body. The findings were correlated using Spearman rho test. The curriculum outline correlated both with the AACA recommendations (Spearman rho=0.83, P=0.015) and TA (Spearman rho=0.73, P=0.046). Textbooks contained 8 distinct sections, 7 allocated to topographic anatomy regions and 1 to general anatomy concepts and principles. The structure of all textbooks correlated significantly with the course curriculum. However, 4 out of 6 textbooks did not correlate with TA and only a single textbook showed significant correlation with the AACA recommendations. Anatomy textbooks vary in the amount of text dedicated to different parts of topographical anatomy and are not quite concordant with curriculum recommendations and standard anatomical terminology. Planning the structure of an anatomy course should not be based on a single book or recommendation but on evidence.

  15. Establishing an Ultrasound Curriculum in Undergraduate Medical Education: How Much Time Does It Take?

    PubMed

    Siegel-Richman, Yonaton; Kendall, John

    2018-03-01

    Over the years, the use of ultrasound in the medical profession has become a common occurrence. As a result, many medical schools are considering an ultrasound curriculum for first- and second-year medical students. The question posed by many of these programs is how much time and effort are required to establish such a curriculum. We at the University of Colorado School of Medicine sought to quantify the resources and time required. We conducted a cohort study that analyzed the time spent teaching, as well as the types of instructors (eg, faculty, resident, and peer student) that contributed to our ultrasound curriculum. The study population consisted of instructors who participated in the curriculum during the 2014-2015 academic year. We analyzed the amount of time that facilitators spent teaching and tabulated these data using their specialty. Our data revealed that within an academic year, a combined total of 484 hours were spent teaching ultrasound to first- and second-year medical students combined. A total of 6 days were required to teach ultrasound to first-year medical students, and a total of 5 days were required for second-year medical students. It required 1 instructor for every 8 students, and most the faculty who volunteered time were from the field of emergency medicine, followed by family medicine and radiology. We describe the number of hours and instructors required to implement an ultrasound curriculum for undergraduate medical education. © 2017 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

  16. Interdisciplinary curriculum to train internal medicine and obstetrics-gynecology residents in ambulatory women's health: adapting problem-based learning to residency education.

    PubMed

    Spencer, Abby L; McNeil, Melissa

    2009-09-01

    Although residents in internal medicine (IM) and obstetrics-gynecology (OG) must provide primary care for women, studies indicate that both groups require more skills and training in women's health. Our goals were to assess the needs of residents at our academic medical center and to design an interdisciplinary curriculum that addresses these needs utilizing a modified problem-based learning (PBL) format. The aim of this article is to report on the development, logistics, and successful implementation of our innovative curriculum. Based on results from a targeted needs-assessment, we designed a curriculum for both IM and OG residents to address curricular deficiencies in an efficient and effective manner. Procurement of support was achieved by reviewing overlapping competency requirements and results of the needs-assessment with the program directors. The curriculum consists of six ambulatory clinical cases which lead residents through a discussion of screening, diagnosis, prevention, and management within a modified PBL format. Residents select one learning objective each week which allows them to serve as content experts during case discussions, applying what they learned from their literature review to guide the group as they decide upon the next step for the case. This format helps accommodate different experience levels of learners, encourages discussion from less-vocal residents, and utilizes theories of adult learning. Sixty-five residents have participated in the curriculum since it was successfully implemented. IM residents report that the cases were their first opportunity to discuss the health concerns of younger women; OG residents felt similarly about cases related to older women. Implementation challenges included resident accountability. Residents identified the timing of the sessions and clinical coverage requirements as barriers to conference attendance. Interdisciplinary modified PBL conferences focusing on shared curricular needs in ambulatory women's health are well-received by both IM and OG residents. This format utilizes theories of adult learning and maximizes limited time and resources by teaching IM and OG residents concurrently, and can be successfully implemented at a large academic medical center.

  17. Germans, History, and the Nazi Past.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Young, Anne P.

    1981-01-01

    Discusses opposite findings of researchers concerning the amount of time given to the study of Hitler and the Third Reich in German Secondary Schools. Considers the relationship among scholarly work on the Nazi era, influences of the work on secondary school teachers, impact of curriculum reform, and effects of government educational…

  18. Geometry + Technology = Proof

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lyublinskaya, Irina; Funsch, Dan

    2012-01-01

    Several interactive geometry software packages are available today to secondary school teachers. An example is The Geometer's Sketchpad[R] (GSP), also known as Dynamic Geometry[R] software, developed by Key Curriculum Press. This numeric based technology has been widely adopted in the last twenty years, and a vast amount of creativity has been…

  19. Invest in Financial Literacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bush, Sarah B.; McGatha, Maggie B.; Bay-Williams, Jennifer M.

    2012-01-01

    The current state of the economy elevates the need to build awareness of financial markets and personal finance among the nation's young people through implementing a financial literacy curriculum in schools. A limited amount of time spent on financial literacy can have a positive effect on students' budgeting skills. This knowledge will only add…

  20. Initiating a National Coaching Curriculum: A Paradigmatic Shift?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cassidy, Tania; Kidman, Lynn

    2010-01-01

    Background: A number of countries have heavily invested in the provision of large scale coach education programmes, often framed by elaborate qualification frameworks. Despite this investment, scant research has been conducted on coach education programmes. Given the limited amount of literature on coach education, and the relatively recent…

  1. The Artful Dodgers: Directors of Ethnic Studies Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fenchak, Paul

    1974-01-01

    Of the vast amount of ethnic studies promoted by state education departments, one conclusion can be easily made: East European ethnic studies are conspicuously absent. Suggestions are given to increase the awareness of Eastern European culture and heritage and promote their inclusion in formal ethnic studies curriculum. (Author/DE)

  2. Applying Art and Action

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Viglione, Nick M.

    2009-01-01

    The education system in the United States is going through change. Consequently, curriculum and instructional delivery are focusing on math, reading, and science. This focus is causing an effect that reduces the amount of arts becoming infused into the school design. An alternative education program in a charter school has created a…

  3. Japanese for Foreign Affairs Purposes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ehrman, Madeline E.

    The Foreign Service Institute's (FSI) curriculum for diplomatic personnel and their families going to live in Japan has focuses on two areas: (1) communicative functions, with heavy emphasis on conversation management, and (2) techniques for developing the language after leaving FSI. Efforts are also being made to increase the amount of…

  4. Your Guide to Smart Year-Round Fundraising.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gensheimer, Cynthia Francis

    1994-01-01

    Describes three seasonal fund-raising projects that can be linked with the curriculum and require only a few parent volunteers. The projects are profitable without requiring large amounts of effort. They include selling holiday cards, conducting read-a-thons, and participating in save-the-rainforest group sales. Tips for holding successful fund…

  5. Implementing Small-Group Instruction: Insights from Successful Practitioners.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cooper, James L.; MacGregor, Jean; Smith, Karl A.; Robinson, Pamela

    2000-01-01

    College faculty who have successfully implemented small-group instruction address common concerns such as: reduced content coverage, reduced amount of learning, need for prerequisite learning, importance of solitary learning, colleagues' concerns, student resistance, logistics, evaluation, use of teaching assistants, and time requirements. (DB)

  6. 44 CFR 79.2 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... authorized native organization, that has zoning and building code jurisdiction over a particular area having... of each claim (including building and contents payments) exceeding $5,000, and with the cumulative... (building payments only) have been made under such coverage, with cumulative amount of such claims exceeding...

  7. 44 CFR 79.2 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... authorized native organization, that has zoning and building code jurisdiction over a particular area having... of each claim (including building and contents payments) exceeding $5,000, and with the cumulative... (building payments only) have been made under such coverage, with cumulative amount of such claims exceeding...

  8. Women and Private Pensions.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Benson, Helene A.

    This speech focuses on women and private pension plans, such as private pension coverage and smaller benefit amounts. Pension issues affecting women as employees include participation in plans, vesting, break-in service, benefit accruals, integration with Social Security, sex-based actuarial tables, portability, inflation, and individual…

  9. Impacts of field of view configuration of Cross-track Infrared Sounder on clear-sky observations.

    PubMed

    Wang, Likun; Chen, Yong; Han, Yong

    2016-09-01

    Hyperspectral infrared radiance measurements from satellite sensors contain valuable information on atmospheric temperature and humidity profiles and greenhouse gases, and therefore are directly assimilated into numerical weather prediction (NWP) models as inputs for weather forecasting. However, data assimilations in current operational NWP models still mainly rely on cloud-free observations due to the challenge of simulating cloud-contaminated radiances when using hyperspectral radiances. The limited spatial coverage of the 3×3 field of views (FOVs) in one field of regard (FOR) (i.e., spatial gap among FOVs) as well as relatively large footprint size (14 km) in current Cross-track Infrared Sounder (CrIS) instruments limits the amount of clear-sky observations. This study explores the potential impacts of future CrIS FOV configuration (including FOV size and spatial coverage) on the amount of clear-sky observations by simulation experiments. The radiance measurements and cloud mask products (VCM) from the Visible Infrared Imager Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) are used to simulate CrIS clear-sky observation under different FOV configurations. The results indicate that, given the same FOV coverage (e.g., 3×3), the percentage of clear-sky FOVs and the percentage of clear-sky FORs (that contain at least one clear-sky FOV) both increase as the FOV size decreases. In particular, if the CrIS FOV size were reduced from 14 km to 7 km, the percentage of clear-sky FOVs increases from 9.02% to 13.51% and the percentage of clear-sky FORs increases from 18.24% to 27.51%. Given the same FOV size but with increasing FOV coverage in each FOR, the clear-sky FOV observations increases proportionally with the increasing sampling FOVs. Both reducing FOV size and increasing FOV coverage can result in more clear-sky FORs, which benefit data utilization of NWP data assimilation.

  10. Questioning Questions: Elementary Teachers' Adaptations of Investigation Questions Across the Inquiry Continuum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Biggers, Mandy

    2018-02-01

    Questioning is a central practice in science classrooms. However, not every question translates into a "good" science investigation. Questions that drive science investigations can be provided by many sources including the teacher, the curriculum, or the student. The variations in the source of investigation questions were explored in this study. A dataset of 120 elementary science classroom videos and associated lesson plans from 40 elementary teachers (K-5) across 21 elementary school campuses were scored on an instrument measuring the amount of teacher-direction or student-direction of the lessons' investigation questions. Results indicated that the investigation questions were overwhelmingly teacher directed in nature, with no opportunities for students to develop their own questions for investigation. This study has implications for researchers and practitioners alike, calling attention to the teacher-directed nature of investigation questions in existing science curriculum materials, and the need for teacher training in instructional strategies to adapt their existing curriculum materials across the continuum of teacher-directed and student-directed investigation questions. Teachers need strategies for adapting the teacher-directed questions provided in their existing curriculum materials in order to allow students the opportunity to engage in this essential scientific practice.

  11. Force feedback vessel ligation simulator in knot-tying proficiency training.

    PubMed

    Hsu, Justin L; Korndorffer, James R; Brown, Kimberly M

    2016-02-01

    Tying gentle secure knots is an important skill. We have developed a force feedback simulator that measures force exerted during knot tying. This pilot study examines the benefits of this simulator in a deliberate practice curriculum. The simulator consists of silastic tubing with a force sensor. Knot quality was assessed using digital caliper measurement. Participants performed 10 vessel ligations as a pretest, then were shown force readings and tied knots until reaching proficiency targets. Average peak forces precurriculum and postcurriculum were compared using Student t test. Participants exerted significantly less force after completing the curriculum (.61 N ± .22 vs 1.42 N ± .53, P < .001), and had fewer air knots (10% vs 27%). The curriculum was completed in an average of 19.4 ± 6.27 minutes and required an average of 11.7 ± 4.03 knots to reach proficiency. This study demonstrates the feasibility of real-time feedback in learning to tie delicate knots. The curriculum can be completed in a reasonable amount of time, and may also work as a warm-up exercise before a surgical case. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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

    Melber, B.D.; Saari, L.M.; White, A.S.

    This report assesses the job-relatedness of specialized educational programs for licensed nuclear reactor operators. The approach used involved systematically comparing the curriculum of specialized educational programs for college credit, to academic knowledge identified as necessary for carrying out the jobs of licenses reactor operators. A sample of eight programs, including A.S. degree, B.S. degree, and coursework programs were studied. Subject matter experts in the field of nuclear operations curriculum and training determined the extent to which individual program curricula covered the identified job-related academic knowledge. The major conclusions of the report are: There is a great deal of variation amongmore » individual programs, ranging from coverage of 15% to 65% of the job-related academic knowledge. Four schools cover at least half, and four schools cover less than one-third of this knowledge content; There is no systematic difference in the job-relatedness of the different types of specialized educational programs, A.S. degree, B.S. degree, and coursework; and Traditional B.S. degree programs in nuclear engineering cover as much job-related knowledge (about one-half of this knowledge content) as most of the specialized educational programs.« less

  13. Educating Pharmacy Students to Improve Quality (EPIQ) in Colleges and Schools of Pharmacy

    PubMed Central

    Myers, Jaclyn; Nash, James D.; Lavigne, Jill E.; Moczygemba, Leticia R.; Plake, Kimberly S.; Quiñones-Boex, Ana C.; Holdford, David; West-Strum, Donna; Warholak, Terri L.

    2012-01-01

    Objective. To assess course instructors’ and students’ perceptions of the Educating Pharmacy Students and Pharmacists to Improve Quality (EPIQ) curriculum. Methods. Seven colleges and schools of pharmacy that were using the EPIQ program in their curricula agreed to participate in the study. Five of the 7 collected student retrospective pre- and post-intervention questionnaires. Changes in students’ perceptions were evaluated to assess their relationships with demographics and course variables. Instructors who implemented the EPIQ program at each of the 7 colleges and schools were also asked to complete a questionnaire. Results. Scores on all questionnaire items indicated improvement in students’ perceived knowledge of quality improvement. The university the students attended, completion of a class project, and length of coverage of material were significantly related to improvement in the students’ scores. Instructors at all colleges and schools felt the EPIQ curriculum was a strong program that fulfilled the criteria for quality improvement and medication error reduction education. Conclusion The EPIQ program is a viable, turnkey option for colleges and schools of pharmacy to use in teaching students about quality improvement. PMID:22919085

  14. Using a Systematic Conceptual Model for a Process Evaluation of a Middle School Obesity Risk-Reduction Nutrition Curriculum Intervention: Choice, Control & Change

    PubMed Central

    Lee, Heewon; Contento, Isobel R.; Koch, Pamela

    2012-01-01

    Objective To use and review a conceptual model of process evaluation and to examine the implementation of a nutrition education curriculum, Choice, Control & Change, designed to promote dietary and physical activity behaviors that reduce obesity risk. Design A process evaluation study based on a systematic conceptual model. Setting Five middle schools in New York City. Participants 562 students in 20 classes and their science teachers (n=8). Main Outcome Measures Based on the model, teacher professional development, teacher implementation, and student reception were evaluated. Also measured were teacher characteristics, teachers’ curriculum evaluation, and satisfaction with teaching the curriculum. Analysis Descriptive statistics and Spearman’s Rho Correlation for quantitative analysis and content analysis for qualitative data were used. Results Mean score of the teacher professional development evaluation was 4.75 on a 5-point scale. Average teacher implementation rate was 73%, and student reception rate was 69%. Ongoing teacher support was highly valued by teachers. Teachers’ satisfaction with teaching the curriculum was highly correlated with students’ satisfaction (p <.05). Teachers’ perception of amount of student work was negatively correlated with implementation and with student satisfaction (p<.05). Conclusions and implications Use of a systematic conceptual model and comprehensive process measures improves understanding of the implementation process and helps educators to better implement interventions as designed. PMID:23321021

  15. Using a systematic conceptual model for a process evaluation of a middle school obesity risk-reduction nutrition curriculum intervention: choice, control & change.

    PubMed

    Lee, Heewon; Contento, Isobel R; Koch, Pamela

    2013-03-01

    To use and review a conceptual model of process evaluation and to examine the implementation of a nutrition education curriculum, Choice, Control & Change, designed to promote dietary and physical activity behaviors that reduce obesity risk. A process evaluation study based on a systematic conceptual model. Five middle schools in New York City. Five hundred sixty-two students in 20 classes and their science teachers (n = 8). Based on the model, teacher professional development, teacher implementation, and student reception were evaluated. Also measured were teacher characteristics, teachers' curriculum evaluation, and satisfaction with teaching the curriculum. Descriptive statistics and Spearman ρ correlation for quantitative analysis and content analysis for qualitative data were used. Mean score of the teacher professional development evaluation was 4.75 on a 5-point scale. Average teacher implementation rate was 73%, and the student reception rate was 69%. Ongoing teacher support was highly valued by teachers. Teacher satisfaction with teaching the curriculum was highly correlated with student satisfaction (P < .05). Teacher perception of amount of student work was negatively correlated with implementation and with student satisfaction (P < .05). Use of a systematic conceptual model and comprehensive process measures improves understanding of the implementation process and helps educators to better implement interventions as designed. Copyright © 2013 Society for Nutrition Education and Behavior. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Infantry Weapons Test Methodology Study. Volume 3. Light Machine Gun Test Methodology

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1972-06-01

    Trajjectnry and marionim ordiwate. to the target increases beyond 500 meters, the beaten zone will become shorter and wider. When fires are de - livered into...traversing amount of elevation change is de - handwheel. To insure adequate tar- termined by the slope of the terrain get coverage, a burst is fired after and...to the traversing handwheel. The 6-mii increments on the traversing amount of elevation change Is de - handwheel. To insure adequate tar- termined by

  17. The Development of Health-Education Curricula in Elementary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Watson, Linda Eva

    2013-01-01

    This project study addressed the problem of teachers at a local elementary school site attempting to implement a standards-based health initiative with a minimal amount of instructional strategies designed to support the new curriculum. The purpose of the study was to examine current health instruction by gathering teachers' perceptions and lived…

  18. Papier-Mache Animals: An Integrating Theme for Elementary Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Duran, Emilio; Ballone Duran, Lena; Worch, Eric A.

    2009-01-01

    One of the biggest present challenges for teachers, especially in primary classrooms, is the need to address the content standards in all subject areas with the same amount of instructional time. While curriculum integration continues to be a powerful strategy to meet this challenge, teachers often find it difficult to bridge the gap between…

  19. Quickulum: A Process for Quick Response Curriculum Verification

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lovett, Marvin; Jones, Irma S.; Stingley, Paul

    2010-01-01

    This paper addresses the need for a method of continual and frequent verification regarding course content taught in some post-secondary courses. With excessive amounts of information generated within the workplace, continual change exists for what is taught in some of our business courses. This is especially true for specific content areas such…

  20. Introducing Big Data Concepts in an Introductory Technology Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frydenberg, Mark

    2015-01-01

    From their presence on social media sites to in-house application data files, the amount of data that companies, governments, individuals, and sensors generate is overwhelming. The growth of Big Data in both consumer and enterprise activities has caused educators to consider options for including Big Data in the Information Systems curriculum.…

  1. Teaching the Survey Non-Traditional Style

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eichhorn, Niels

    2013-01-01

    Teaching survey courses at the university level can be a difficult task. The vast majority of students have to take survey classes as part of their curriculum and, as a result, bring a fair amount of resentment and/or ambivalence with them. Furthermore, many students already arrive on campus with negative opinions about history classes. This…

  2. Using Cue Cards throughout the K-12 Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Conderman, Greg; Hedin, Laura R.

    2015-01-01

    As a flexible instructional tool, cue cards offer support for students with and without disabilities. By providing different amounts of support, they also can be used to differentiate instruction in a variety of subject areas and grade levels. This article describes various strategies for using cue cards and includes examples from K-12 classrooms.

  3. Saxon Math. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2017

    2017-01-01

    "Saxon Math" is a curriculum for students in grades K-12. The amount of new math content students receive each day is limited and students practice concepts every day. New concepts are developed, reviewed, and practiced cumulatively rather than in discrete chapters or units. This review focuses on studies of "Saxon Math"'s…

  4. Saxon Math. What Works Clearinghouse Intervention Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2016

    2016-01-01

    "Saxon Math" is a core curriculum for students in grades K-12 that uses an incremental approach to instruction and assessment. This approach limits the amount of new math content delivered to students each day and allows time for daily practice. New concepts are introduced gradually and integrated with previously introduced content so…

  5. Selecting Stories for Multicultural Art Lessons (Kindergarten-2nd Grade Emphasis).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    DiSiena, Julie

    Storytelling has cultural roots and this can be employed to teach a culturally pluralistic curriculum. Stories can be selected from a variety of sources and used to match lesson objectives. Criteria for selecting stories should include the authenticity of cultural representation, the amount of cultural information, appropriateness, and the…

  6. Building Nutrition Skills with the Breakfast Cafe Webquest

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nelson, Diane

    2005-01-01

    This article describes the nutrition component of a Home and Career Skills curriculum at Hommocks Middle School (Larchmont, NY) that includes the Breakfast Cafe Webquest, which encourages 7th graders to increase the amounts of fruits and vegetables in their diets as well as reduce serving sizes. Using this Webquest, students "help the Breakfast…

  7. Student Science Achievement and the Integration of Indigenous Knowledge in the Classroom and on Standardized Tests

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Benson, Juliann

    2012-01-01

    In science education, there has been little research focused on indigenous students' achievement on science standardized tests when indigenous knowledge is integrated into the test questions. However, there has been an increased amount of research investigating the impact of culturally relevant curriculum adaptations on indigenous students'…

  8. Challenges Facing Chinese PE Curriculum Reform--Teachers' Talk

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jin, Aijing

    2009-01-01

    China has attracted a huge amount of interest from around the world over the last two decades because of its rapid and vigorous development. Rapid economic growth has brought with it significant structural reforms in all trades and professions across China. Within this context of rapid social change, the Chinese basic education system has been…

  9. Teacher Efficacy of High School Mathematics Co-Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rimpola, Raquel C.

    2011-01-01

    High school mathematics inclusion classes help provide all students the access to rigorous curriculum. This study provides information about the teacher efficacy of high school mathematics co-teachers. It considers the influence of the amount of collaborative planning time on the efficacy of co-teachers. A quantitative research design was used,…

  10. Faculty Perspectives on Effective Integration of Simulation into a Baccalaureate Nursing Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Howell, Linda Jane

    2017-01-01

    Research shows that use of high fidelity simulation (HFS) as a teaching strategy requires extensive amounts of faculty time and financial resources for faculty development and equipment. This project study addressed the challenges encountered in the integration of HFS into a Midwestern metropolitan baccalaureate nursing program. The purpose of…

  11. Planning the World History Course: A Reasoned Approach to Omission

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weinland, Thomas P.

    2012-01-01

    Planning a world history course presents a nearly impossible task. One cannot complete a world history course, or even a European history course, without casting a huge amount of historical information onto the curriculum planning scrapheap. An emphasis on the twentieth century means leaving out significant information from earlier times. "But how…

  12. Developing Statistical Literacy with Year 9 Students: A Collaborative Research Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sharma, Sashi

    2013-01-01

    Advances in technology and communication have increased the amount of statistical information delivered through everyday media. The importance of statistics in everyday life has led to calls for increased attention to statistical literacy in the mathematics curriculum (Watson 2006). Gal (2004) sees statistical literacy as the need for students to…

  13. Internet Data Analysis for the Undergraduate Statistics Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sanchez, Juana; He, Yan

    2005-01-01

    Statistics textbooks for undergraduates have not caught up with the enormous amount of analysis of Internet data that is taking place these days. Case studies that use Web server log data or Internet network traffic data are rare in undergraduate Statistics education. And yet these data provide numerous examples of skewed and bimodal…

  14. 76 FR 15365 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-21

    ... minimum participation, coverage, and nondiscrimination. Respondents: Private sector: Businesses or other... business in the United States to pay a withholding tax equal to the applicable percentage of the... underpayment of estimated tax, and, if so, the amount of the underpayment penalty. Respondents: Private sector...

  15. Designing Anatomy Program in Modern Medical Curriculum: Matter of Balance

    PubMed Central

    Grković, Ivica; Marinović Guić, Maja; Košta, Vana; Poljičanin, Ana; Čarić, Ana; Vilović, Katarina

    2009-01-01

    Aim To evaluate the structure of the anatomy program in the first year medical curriculum of University of Split School of Medicine by comparing it with the recommendations by the Educational Affairs Committee of the American Association of Clinical Anatomists (AACA) and the Terminologia Anatomica (TA); we also quantitatively evaluated the organization of teaching material in contemporary topographical anatomy textbooks and matched them with the AACA recommendations, TA, and the curriculum of the anatomy course taught at Medical School in Split, Croatia. Methods TA, official recommendations of the AACA, 6 contemporary anatomy textbooks, and the structure of the anatomy course were analyzed for the proportion of the terms or text devoted to standard topographical regions of the body. The findings were correlated using Spearman ρ test. Results The curriculum outline correlated both with the AACA recommendations (Spearman ρ = 0.83, P = 0.015) and TA (Spearman ρ = 0.73, P = 0.046). Textbooks contained 8 distinct sections, 7 allocated to topographic anatomy regions and 1 to general anatomy concepts and principles. The structure of all textbooks correlated significantly with the course curriculum. However, 4 out of 6 textbooks did not correlate with TA and only a single textbook showed significant correlation with the AACA recommendations. Conclusion Anatomy textbooks vary in the amount of text dedicated to different parts of topographical anatomy and are not quite concordant with curriculum recommendations and standard anatomical terminology. Planning the structure of an anatomy course should not be based on a single book or recommendation but on evidence. PMID:19260144

  16. Conflict Misleads Large Carnivore Management and Conservation: Brown Bears and Wolves in Spain.

    PubMed

    Fernández-Gil, Alberto; Naves, Javier; Ordiz, Andrés; Quevedo, Mario; Revilla, Eloy; Delibes, Miguel

    2016-01-01

    Large carnivores inhabiting human-dominated landscapes often interact with people and their properties, leading to conflict scenarios that can mislead carnivore management and, ultimately, jeopardize conservation. In northwest Spain, brown bears Ursus arctos are strictly protected, whereas sympatric wolves Canis lupus are subject to lethal control. We explored ecological, economic and societal components of conflict scenarios involving large carnivores and damages to human properties. We analyzed the relation between complaints of depredations by bears and wolves on beehives and livestock, respectively, and bear and wolf abundance, livestock heads, number of culled wolves, amount of paid compensations, and media coverage. We also evaluated the efficiency of wolf culling to reduce depredations on livestock. Bear damages to beehives correlated positively to the number of female bears with cubs of the year. Complaints of wolf predation on livestock were unrelated to livestock numbers; instead, they correlated positively to the number of wild ungulates harvested during the previous season, the number of wolf packs, and to wolves culled during the previous season. Compensations for wolf complaints were fivefold higher than for bears, but media coverage of wolf damages was thirtyfold higher. Media coverage of wolf damages was unrelated to the actual costs of wolf damages, but the amount of news correlated positively to wolf culling. However, wolf culling was followed by an increase in compensated damages. Our results show that culling of the wolf population failed in its goal of reducing damages, and suggest that management decisions are at least partly mediated by press coverage. We suggest that our results provide insight to similar scenarios, where several species of large carnivores share the landscape with humans, and management may be reactive to perceived conflicts.

  17. Conflict Misleads Large Carnivore Management and Conservation: Brown Bears and Wolves in Spain

    PubMed Central

    Fernández-Gil, Alberto; Naves, Javier; Ordiz, Andrés; Quevedo, Mario; Revilla, Eloy; Delibes, Miguel

    2016-01-01

    Large carnivores inhabiting human-dominated landscapes often interact with people and their properties, leading to conflict scenarios that can mislead carnivore management and, ultimately, jeopardize conservation. In northwest Spain, brown bears Ursus arctos are strictly protected, whereas sympatric wolves Canis lupus are subject to lethal control. We explored ecological, economic and societal components of conflict scenarios involving large carnivores and damages to human properties. We analyzed the relation between complaints of depredations by bears and wolves on beehives and livestock, respectively, and bear and wolf abundance, livestock heads, number of culled wolves, amount of paid compensations, and media coverage. We also evaluated the efficiency of wolf culling to reduce depredations on livestock. Bear damages to beehives correlated positively to the number of female bears with cubs of the year. Complaints of wolf predation on livestock were unrelated to livestock numbers; instead, they correlated positively to the number of wild ungulates harvested during the previous season, the number of wolf packs, and to wolves culled during the previous season. Compensations for wolf complaints were fivefold higher than for bears, but media coverage of wolf damages was thirtyfold higher. Media coverage of wolf damages was unrelated to the actual costs of wolf damages, but the amount of news correlated positively to wolf culling. However, wolf culling was followed by an increase in compensated damages. Our results show that culling of the wolf population failed in its goal of reducing damages, and suggest that management decisions are at least partly mediated by press coverage. We suggest that our results provide insight to similar scenarios, where several species of large carnivores share the landscape with humans, and management may be reactive to perceived conflicts. PMID:26974962

  18. 45 CFR 233.20 - Need and amount of assistance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... PROGRAMS), ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COVERAGE AND..., individuals with respect to whom Federal foster care payments are made, individuals with respect to whom State or local foster care payments are made, individuals with respect to whom Federal adoption assistance...

  19. 45 CFR 233.20 - Need and amount of assistance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... PROGRAMS), ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COVERAGE AND... supportive services, and the costs of education (including tuition, books, and fees) resulting from... or training activity cannot be special needs. (vi) If the State chooses to establish the need of the...

  20. Optimized passive sonar placement to allow improved interdiction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnson, Bruce A.; Matthews, Cameron

    2016-05-01

    The Art Gallery Problem (AGP) is the name given to a constrained optimization problem meant to determine the maximum amount of sensor coverage while utilizing the minimum number of resources. The AGP is significant because a common issue among surveillance and interdiction systems is obtaining an understanding of the optimal position of sensors and weapons in advance of enemy combatant maneuvers. The implication that an optimal position for a sensor to observe an event or for a weapon to engage a target autonomously is usually very clear after the target has passed, but for autonomous systems the solution must at least be conjectured in advance for deployment purposes. This abstract applies the AGP as a means to solve where best to place underwater sensor nodes such that the amount of information acquired about a covered area is maximized while the number of resources used to gain that information is minimized. By phrasing the ISR/interdiction problem this way, the issue is addressed as an instance of the AGP. The AGP is a member of a set of computational problems designated as nondeterministic polynomial-time (NP)-hard. As a member of this set, the AGP shares its members' defining feature, namely that no one has proven that there exists a deterministic algorithm providing a computationally-tractable solution to the AGP within a finite amount of time. At best an algorithm meant to solve the AGP can asymptotically approach perfect coverage with minimal resource usage but providing perfect coverage would either break the minimal resource usage constraint or require an exponentially-growing amount of time. No perfectly-optimal solution yet exists to the AGP, however, approximately optimal solutions to the AGP can approach complete area or barrier coverage while simultaneously minimizing the number of sensors and weapons utilized. A minimal number of underwater sensor nodes deployed can greatly increase the Mean Time Between Operational Failure (MTBOF) and logistical footprint. The resulting coverage optimizes the likelihood of encounter given an arbitrary sensor profile and threat from a free field statistical model approach. The free field statistical model is particularly applicable to worst case scenario modeling in open ocean operational profiles where targets to do not follow a particular pattern in any of the modeled dimensions. We present an algorithmic testbed which shows how to achieve approximately optimal solutions to the AGP for a network of underwater sensor nodes with or without effector systems for engagement while operating under changing environmental circumstances. The means by which we accomplish this goal are three-fold: 1) Develop a 3D model for the sonar signal propagating through the underwater environment 2) Add rigorous physics-based modeling of environmental events which can affect sensor information acquisition 3) Provide innovative solutions to the AGP which account for the environmental circumstances affecting sensor performance.

  1. Coverage and Consumption of Micronutrient Powders, Fortified Staples, and Iodized Salt Among Children Aged 6 to 23 Months in Selected Neighborhoods of Nairobi County, Kenya.

    PubMed

    Leyvraz, Magali; David-Kigaru, Dorcus M; Macharia-Mutie, Catherine; Aaron, Grant J; Roefs, Marlene; Tumilowicz, Alison

    2018-03-01

    Intake of micronutrient-rich foods among children aged 6 to 23 months in Nairobi is low. This study aimed to assess existing coverage and utilization of micronutrient powders (MNPs), fortified staples, and iodized salt among children aged 6 to 23 months prior to implementation of an MNP program. A cross-sectional survey among caregivers of children aged 6 to 23 months (n = 618) was implemented in 7 neighborhoods within Nairobi County, representing the implementation area of the new MNP program. Results for MNP coverage and utilization showed 28.5% of all caregivers were aware of MNP, 18.5% had ever received MNP for their child, and 10.8% had fed MNP to their child in the previous 7 days. Effective coverage (ie, the child had been given the MNP at least 3 times in the previous 7 days) was 5.8%. Effective coverage of infants and young children with poor feeding practices was significantly lower as compared to those with non-poor feeding practices (coverage ratio, 0.34; confidence interval, 0.12-0.70). Most households purchased iodized salt (96.9%), fortified oil (61.0%), and fortified maize flour (93.9%). An estimated 23.9% of vitamin A requirements of children (6-23 months) were provided from fortified oil and 50.7% of iron from fortified maize flour. Most households consumed processed milk (81%). Coverage of MNPs in the surveyed neighborhoods was low. Coverage of fortified salt, oil, and maize flour was high and provided significant amount of micronutrients to children. Processed milk has potential as a vehicle for food fortification.

  2. Natural Resource Monitoring of Rheum tanguticum by Multilevel Remote Sensing

    PubMed Central

    Xie, Caixiang; Song, Jingyuan; Suo, Fengmei; Li, Xiwen; Li, Ying; Yu, Hua; Xu, Xiaolan; Luo, Kun; Li, Qiushi; Xin, Tianyi; Guan, Meng; Xu, Xiuhai; Miki, Eiji; Takeda, Osami; Chen, Shilin

    2014-01-01

    Remote sensing has been extensively applied in agriculture for its objectiveness and promptness. However, few applications are available for monitoring natural medicinal plants. In the paper, a multilevel monitoring system, which includes satellite and aerial remote sensing, as well as ground investigation, was initially proposed to monitor natural Rheum tanguticum resource in Baihe Pasture, Zoige County, Sichuan Province. The amount of R. tanguticum from images is M = S*ρ and S is vegetation coverage obtained by satellite imaging, whereas ρ is R. tanguticum density obtained by low-altitude imaging. Only the R. tanguticum which coverages exceeded 1 m2 could be recognized from the remote sensing image because of the 0.1 m resolution of the remote sensing image (called effective resource at that moment), and the results of ground investigation represented the amounts of R. tanguticum resource in all sizes (called the future resource). The data in paper showed that the present available amount of R. tanguticum accounted for 4% to 5% of the total quantity. The quantity information and the population structure of R. tanguticum in the Baihe Pasture were initially confirmed by this system. It is feasible to monitor the quantitative distribution for natural medicinal plants with scattered distribution. PMID:25101134

  3. Contribution of case-mix classification to profiling hospital characteristics and productivity.

    PubMed

    Kuwabara, Kazuaki; Matsuda, Shinya; Fushimi, Kiyohide; Ishikawa, Koichi B; Horiguchi, Hiromasa; Hayashida, Kenshi; Fujimori, Kenji

    2011-01-01

    Case-mix classification has made it possible to analyze acute care delivery case volumes and resources. Data arising from observed differences have a role in planning health policy. Aggregated length of hospital stay (LOS) and total charges (TC) as measures of resource use were calculated from 34 case-mix groups at 469 hospitals (1,721,274 eligible patients). The difference between mean resource use of all hospitals and the mean resource use of each hospital was subdivided into three components: amount of variation attributable to hospital practice behavior (efficiency); amount attributable to hospital case-mix (complexity); and amount attributable to the interaction. Hospital characteristics were teaching status (academic or community), ownership, disease coverage, patients, and hospital volume. Multivariate analysis was employed to determine the impact of hospital characteristics on efficiency. Mean LOS and TC were greater for academic than community hospitals. Academic hospitals were least associated with LOS and TC efficiency. Low disease coverage was a predictor of TC efficiency while low patient volume was a predictor of unnecessarily long hospital stays. There was an inverse correlation between complexity and efficiency for both LOS and TC. Policy makers should acknowledge that differentiation of hospital function needs careful consideration when measuring efficiency. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  4. Whole-Mount Adult Ear Skin Imaging Reveals Defective Neuro-Vascular Branching Morphogenesis in Obese and Type 2 Diabetic Mouse Models.

    PubMed

    Yamazaki, Tomoko; Li, Wenling; Yang, Ling; Li, Ping; Cao, Haiming; Motegi, Sei-Ichiro; Udey, Mark C; Bernhard, Elise; Nakamura, Takahisa; Mukouyama, Yoh-Suke

    2018-01-11

    Obesity and type 2 diabetes are frequently associated with peripheral neuropathy. Though there are multiple methods for diagnosis and analysis of morphological changes of peripheral nerves and blood vessels, three-dimensional high-resolution imaging is necessary to appreciate the pathogenesis with an anatomically recognizable branching morphogenesis and patterning. Here we established a novel technique for whole-mount imaging of adult mouse ear skin to visualize branching morphogenesis and patterning of peripheral nerves and blood vessels. Whole-mount immunostaining of adult mouse ear skin showed that peripheral sensory and sympathetic nerves align with large-diameter blood vessels. Diet-induced obesity (DIO) mice exhibit defective vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) coverage, while there is no significant change in the amount of peripheral nerves. The leptin receptor-deficient db/db mice, a severe obese and type 2 diabetic mouse model, exhibit defective VSMC coverage and a large increase in the amount of smaller-diameter nerve bundles with myelin sheath and unmyelinated nerve fibers. Interestingly, an increase in the amount of myeloid immune cells was observed in the DIO but not db/db mouse skin. These data suggest that our whole-mount imaging method enables us to investigate the neuro-vascular and neuro-immune phenotypes in the animal models of obesity and diabetes.

  5. Adsorption and reaction of propene on Ni(100)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kleyna, R.; Borgmann, D.; Wedler, G.

    1998-05-01

    Photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS, XPS) and thermal desorption techniques were used to study the chemisorption and decomposition reactions of propene on Ni(100). Propene is molecularly adsorbed at temperatures below 150 K. At saturation coverage the TD spectrum shows two propene desorption peaks at 155 and 225 K and three hydrogen desorption peaks at 300, 330 and 380 K with a shoulder at 420 K. No other desorbing species could be detected. The amount of desorption of propene was determined by XPS to be 20% of the saturation coverage. The electronic structure of adsorbed propene and the chemical nature of its decomposition products were deduced from UP and XP spectra taken at saturation coverage. Adsorption at low temperatures results in a π-bonded species which is stable up to 150 K. At temperatures above 150 K the UP spectra point to a σ-bonded species which decomposes further at temperatures above 260 K.

  6. RCRA, superfund and EPCRA hotline training module. Introduction to: RCRA financial assurance (40 cfr parts 264/265, subpart h) updated July 1996

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

    NONE

    1996-07-01

    The module addresses financial assurance standards explaining first mechanisms and then the extent of coverage required. It describes the applicability of financial assurance for closure and post-closure and identifies necessary factors for calculating cost estimates. It explains allowable mechanisms for financial assurance, including which mechanisms can be used together and under what conditions. It explains how financial assurance works when a company owns several facilities or when a company is owned by one or more larger companies. It presents the financial assurance requirements for accident liability coverage. It identifies who is subject to sudden versus nonsudden liability provisions and citesmore » applicable definitions. It specifies the amount of liability coverage required for single and multiple facilities. It lists allowable mechanisms and combinations of mechanisms that can be used to satisfy financial assurance liability requirements.« less

  7. The cigarette advertising broadcast ban and magazine coverage of smoking and health.

    PubMed

    Warner, K E; Goldenhar, L M

    1989-01-01

    At the time of the cigarette broadcast advertising ban, which took effect in 1971, cigarette manufacturers rapidly shifted advertising expenditures from the broadcast media to the print media. In the last year of broadcast advertising and the first year of the ban, cigarette ad expenditures in a sample of major national magazines increased by 49 and then 131 percent in constant dollars. From an 11-year period preceding the ban to an 11-year period following it, these magazines decreased their coverage of smoking and health by 65 percent, an amount that is statistically significantly greater than decreases found in magazines that did not carry cigarette ads and in two major newspapers. This finding adds to evidence that media dependent on cigarette advertising have restricted their coverage of smoking and health. This may have significant implications for public health, as well as raising obvious concerns about the integrity of the profession of journalism.

  8. Fostering Confidence and Risk Taking in MA in TESOL Students via Community English Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rueckert, Daniel L.

    2013-01-01

    In 2011, Oklahoma City University (OCU) opened its Community English School. This school implemented a project-based curriculum that was designed to accommodate English language learners from various proficiency levels and with varying amounts of time to invest in learning a new language. The school was staffed completely by students in OCU's MA…

  9. Can History Stand Alone? Drawbacks and Blind Spots of a "Disciplinary" Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thornton, Stephen J.; Barton, Keith C.

    2010-01-01

    Background/Context: Over the past quarter-century, many historians, politicians, and educators have argued for an increase in the amount of history taught in schools, for a clear separation of history and social studies, and for an emphasis on disciplinary structures and norms as the proper focus for the subject. Unfortunately, discussions of…

  10. An Exploratory Essay on Listening Instruction in the K-12 Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hopper, Joanne E.

    2007-01-01

    Even though the importance of effective listening skills is well recognized and many K-12 language arts standards include listening skills, the amount of time devoted to the teaching of listening and the quality of instructional resources that will enable the effectiveness of teaching listening as a two-way communication process are in question.…

  11. An Analysis of Middle School Students Physical Education Physical Activity Preferences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hill, Grant; Hannon, James C.

    2008-01-01

    The idea of providing student's choice over curricular offerings in physical education has gained a considerable amount of attention in recent years. The purpose of this study was to determine which physical education activities middle school students would like to have included in the yearly curriculum and if there were differences in responses…

  12. Teaching Time Value of Money Using an Excel Retirement Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arellano, Fernando; Mulig, Liz; Rhame, Susan

    2012-01-01

    The time value of money (TVM) is required knowledge for all business students. It is traditionally taught in finance and accounting classes for use in various applications in the business curriculum. These concepts are also very useful in real life situations such as calculating the amount to save for retirement. This paper details a retirement…

  13. Group Size and Organisational Conditions for Children's Learning in Preschool: A Teacher Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sheridan, Sonja; Williams, Pia; Pramling Samuelsson, Ingrid

    2014-01-01

    Background: There is a limited amount of research about group size in preschool, and how it impacts on teachers' working conditions and their ability to support children's learning and knowledge development in line with curriculum intentions. Purpose: From a perspective on quality, this article examines the organisational conditions for children's…

  14. Training Effectiveness Evaluation (TEE) of the Advanced Fire Fighting Training System. Focus on the Trained Person.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cordell, Curtis C.; And Others

    A training effectiveness evaluation of the Navy Advanced Fire Fighting Training System was conducted. This system incorporates simulated fires as well as curriculum materials and instruction. The fires are non-pollutant, computer controlled, and installed in a simulated shipboard environment. Two teams of 15 to 16 persons, with varying amounts of…

  15. Evaluation of Meniscal Mechanics and Proteoglycan Content in a Modified Anterior Cruciate Ligament Transection Model

    PubMed Central

    Fischenich, Kristine M.; Coatney, Garrett A.; Haverkamp, John H.; Button, Keith D.; DeCamp, Charlie; Haut, Roger C.; Haut Donahue, Tammy L.

    2014-01-01

    Post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) develops as a result of traumatic loading that causes tears of the soft tissues in the knee. A modified transection model, where the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) and both menisci were transected, was used on skeletally mature Flemish Giant rabbits. Gross morphological assessments, elastic moduli, and glycosaminoglycan (GAG) coverage of the menisci were determined to quantify the amount of tissue damage 12 weeks post injury. This study is one of the first to monitor meniscal changes after inducing combined meniscal and ACL transections. A decrease in elastic moduli as well as a decrease in GAG coverage was seen. PMID:24749144

  16. Spatial heterogeneity study of vegetation coverage at Heihe River Basin

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Lijuan; Zhong, Bo; Guo, Liyu; Zhao, Xiangwei

    2014-11-01

    Spatial heterogeneity of the animal-landscape system has three major components: heterogeneity of resource distributions in the physical environment, heterogeneity of plant tissue chemistry, heterogeneity of movement modes by the animal. Furthermore, all three different types of heterogeneity interact each other and can either reinforce or offset one another, thereby affecting system stability and dynamics. In previous studies, the study areas are investigated by field sampling, which costs a large amount of manpower. In addition, uncertain in sampling affects the quality of field data, which leads to unsatisfactory results during the entire study. In this study, remote sensing data is used to guide the sampling for research on heterogeneity of vegetation coverage to avoid errors caused by randomness of field sampling. Semi-variance and fractal dimension analysis are used to analyze the spatial heterogeneity of vegetation coverage at Heihe River Basin. The spherical model with nugget is used to fit the semivariogram of vegetation coverage. Based on the experiment above, it is found, (1)there is a strong correlation between vegetation coverage and distance of vegetation populations within the range of 0-28051.3188m at Heihe River Basin, but the correlation loses suddenly when the distance greater than 28051.3188m. (2)The degree of spatial heterogeneity of vegetation coverage at Heihe River Basin is medium. (3)Spatial distribution variability of vegetation occurs mainly on small scales. (4)The degree of spatial autocorrelation is 72.29% between 25% and 75%, which means that spatial correlation of vegetation coverage at Heihe River Basin is medium high.

  17. Plant Interactions with Changes in Coverage of Biological Soil Crusts and Water Regime in Mu Us Sandland, China

    PubMed Central

    Gao, Shuqin; Pan, Xu; Cui, Qingguo; Hu, Yukun; Ye, Xuehua; Dong, Ming

    2014-01-01

    Plant interactions greatly affect plant community structure. Dryland ecosystems are characterized by low amounts of unpredictable precipitation as well as by often having biological soil crusts (BSCs) on the soil surface. In dryland plant communities, plants interact mostly as they compete for water resources, and the direction and intensity of plant interaction varies as a function of the temporal fluctuation in water availability. Since BSCs influence water redistribution to some extent, a greenhouse experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that the intensity and direction of plant interactions in a dryland plant community can be modified by BSCs. In the experiment, 14 combinations of four plant species (Artemisia ordosica, Artemisia sphaerocephala, Chloris virgata and Setaria viridis) were subjected to three levels of coverage of BSCs and three levels of water supply. The results show that: 1) BSCs affected plant interaction intensity for the four plant species: a 100% coverage of BSCs significantly reduced the intensity of competition between neighboring plants, while it was highest with a 50% coverage of BSCs in combination with the target species of A. sphaerocephala and C. virgata; 2) effects of the coverage of BSCs on plant interactions were modified by water regime when the target species were C. virgata and S. viridis; 3) plant interactions were species-specific. In conclusion, the percent coverage of BSCs affected plant interactions, and the effects were species-specific and could be modified by water regimes. Further studies should focus on effects of the coverage of BSCs on plant-soil hydrological processes. PMID:24498173

  18. Plant interactions with changes in coverage of biological soil crusts and water regime in Mu Us Sandland, China.

    PubMed

    Gao, Shuqin; Pan, Xu; Cui, Qingguo; Hu, Yukun; Ye, Xuehua; Dong, Ming

    2014-01-01

    Plant interactions greatly affect plant community structure. Dryland ecosystems are characterized by low amounts of unpredictable precipitation as well as by often having biological soil crusts (BSCs) on the soil surface. In dryland plant communities, plants interact mostly as they compete for water resources, and the direction and intensity of plant interaction varies as a function of the temporal fluctuation in water availability. Since BSCs influence water redistribution to some extent, a greenhouse experiment was conducted to test the hypothesis that the intensity and direction of plant interactions in a dryland plant community can be modified by BSCs. In the experiment, 14 combinations of four plant species (Artemisia ordosica, Artemisia sphaerocephala, Chloris virgata and Setaria viridis) were subjected to three levels of coverage of BSCs and three levels of water supply. The results show that: 1) BSCs affected plant interaction intensity for the four plant species: a 100% coverage of BSCs significantly reduced the intensity of competition between neighboring plants, while it was highest with a 50% coverage of BSCs in combination with the target species of A. sphaerocephala and C. virgata; 2) effects of the coverage of BSCs on plant interactions were modified by water regime when the target species were C. virgata and S. viridis; 3) plant interactions were species-specific. In conclusion, the percent coverage of BSCs affected plant interactions, and the effects were species-specific and could be modified by water regimes. Further studies should focus on effects of the coverage of BSCs on plant-soil hydrological processes.

  19. How Agricultural Media Cover Safety Compared with Periodicals in Two Other Hazardous Industries.

    PubMed

    Marolf, Amanda; Heiberger, Scott; Evans, James; Joseph, Lura

    2017-01-26

    This analysis featured a uniquely broad look at challenges and potentials for engaging agricultural and other industrial media more effectively in covering safety. It involved a content analysis of selected industry periodicals serving agriculture, mining, and transportation, which are three of the nation's most hazardous industries, in terms of human safety. Use of the social amplification of risk framework (SARF) provided insight on safety coverage. In particular, it tested previous research indicating that media coverage tends to amplify (increase) more than attenuate (decrease) a sense of risk. Analysis involved 18 periodicals (9 agriculture, 7 transportation, and 2 mining) spanning a five-year period from 2008 to 2012. Full-text digital analysis identified terms found in safety articles across all three industries. A manual review of articles revealed the quantity and nature of safety coverage within and among these industries. Results identified 528 safety-related articles published during the period. Transportation and mining periodicals averaged more than twice as many safety articles as the agricultural periodicals. The amount of coverage within the three industries also varied greatly. Findings on the nature of coverage supported previous media research within the SARF. Coverage across all three industries was clearly oriented more to amplifying than to attenuating risk. This study adds to the understanding of variations, commonalities, challenges, and potentials for enhancing safety coverage by media serving these three industries. It also provides direction for engaging industry media more effectively in the public safety mission. The authors recommend seven areas of opportunity for further research. Copyright© by the American Society of Agricultural Engineers.

  20. 5 CFR 839.801 - Do I owe more money if I had a qualifying retirement coverage error and the employee retirement...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... employer is responsible for paying any additional amount to the Fund. Your employer will not bill you for... this part, the rules at § 831.111(b) of this chapter (pertaining to employee options when the employer...

  1. 5 CFR 841.503 - Amounts of employee deductions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... Section 841.503 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE... cost of social security. (b) The rate of employee deductions from basic pay for FERS coverage for a... under section 302 of the Central Intelligence Agency Act of 1964 for Certain Employees is seven and one...

  2. 5 CFR 847.503 - Transfers from the CSR Fund.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Transfers from the CSR Fund. 847.503 Section 847.503 Administrative Personnel OFFICE OF PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (CONTINUED) CIVIL SERVICE... from the CSR Fund. For elections of NAFI retirement system coverage under § 847.441, the amount under...

  3. 45 CFR 233.20 - Need and amount of assistance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... PROGRAMS), ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COVERAGE AND... care payments are made” means a child with respect to whom Federal foster care maintenance payments..., and a child whose costs in a foster family home or child care institution are covered by the Federal...

  4. 45 CFR 233.20 - Need and amount of assistance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... PROGRAMS), ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COVERAGE AND... care payments are made” means a child with respect to whom Federal foster care maintenance payments..., and a child whose costs in a foster family home or child care institution are covered by the Federal...

  5. 45 CFR 233.20 - Need and amount of assistance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... PROGRAMS), ADMINISTRATION FOR CHILDREN AND FAMILIES, DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES COVERAGE AND... care payments are made” means a child with respect to whom Federal foster care maintenance payments..., and a child whose costs in a foster family home or child care institution are covered by the Federal...

  6. School Insurance.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    1964

    The importance of insurance in the school budget is the theme of this comprehensive bulletin on the practices and policies for Texas school districts. Also considered is the development of desirable school board policies in purchasing insurance and operating the program. Areas of discussion are: risks to be covered, amount of coverage, values,…

  7. 31 CFR 285.1 - Collection of past-due support by administrative offset.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... the designee of the Secretary of the Treasury for all matters concerning this section, unless... of the Black Lung Benefits Act; (iv) Any law administered by the Railroad Retirement Board; (2... for supplementary coverage; and (v) Amounts deducted as normal life insurance premiums not including...

  8. 49 CFR 387.313 - Forms and procedures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... BMC 90, with the specific amounts of underlying and limits of coverage shown thereon or appended thereto, and Form BMC 91X certificate is required of each insurer. **Note: See Note for Rule 387.311. Also... (b)(2), a separate Department of Transportation prescribed form endorsement and Form BMC 91X...

  9. Places in the News: The Use of Cartograms in Introductory Geography Courses.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gillard, Quentin

    1979-01-01

    Describes a cartographic exercise to help students in an introductory geography course on the college level understand the geography of world affairs. The activity involved students in creating a diagrammatic map commensurate with amount of news magazine coverage of various foreign countries. (Author/DB)

  10. Estimating the Local Size and Coverage of Interaction Network Regions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Eagle, Michael; Barnes, Tiffany

    2015-01-01

    Interactive problem solving environments, such as intelligent tutoring systems and educational video games, produce large amounts of transactional data which make it a challenge for both researchers and educators to understand how students work within the environment. Researchers have modeled the student-tutor interactions using complex network…

  11. 75 FR 75884 - Regulations Regarding Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts to Medicare Beneficiaries...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-12-07

    ... premiums. This new subpart implements changes made to the Social Security Act (Act) by the Affordable Care... SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 20 CFR Part 418 [Docket No. SSA-2010-0029] RIN 0960-AH22... Coverage Premiums AGENCY: Social Security Administration. ACTION: Interim final rule with request for...

  12. 77 FR 43496 - Regulations Regarding Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amounts to Medicare Beneficiaries...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-25

    ... as Medicare Part D) premiums. This new subpart implemented changes made to the Social Security Act... SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION 20 CFR Part 418 [Docket No. SSA-2010-0029] RIN 0960-AH22... Coverage Premiums AGENCY: Social Security Administration. ACTION: Final rule. SUMMARY: This final rule...

  13. Who Runs Presidential Campaigns?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kindsvatter, Peter S.

    Presidential campaigns in the last decade have provided evidence of the rising influence of the mass media campaign and of campaign consultants. The media, through their power of access to the people, manipulate the public's recognition of a candidate by the amount of coverage given. Newspaper endorsements and the reporting of media-conducted…

  14. 20 CFR 418.2105 - What is the threshold?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false What is the threshold? 418.2105 Section 418.2105 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION MEDICARE SUBSIDIES Income-Related Monthly Adjustments to Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Premiums Determination of the Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount § 418.2105 What is the...

  15. 20 CFR 418.2105 - What is the threshold?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false What is the threshold? 418.2105 Section 418.2105 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION MEDICARE SUBSIDIES Income-Related Monthly Adjustments to Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Premiums Determination of the Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount § 418.2105 What is the...

  16. 20 CFR 418.2105 - What is the threshold?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 20 Employees' Benefits 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false What is the threshold? 418.2105 Section 418.2105 Employees' Benefits SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION MEDICARE SUBSIDIES Income-Related Monthly Adjustments to Medicare Prescription Drug Coverage Premiums Determination of the Income-Related Monthly Adjustment Amount § 418.2105 What is the...

  17. Monitoring and analysis of the change process in curriculum mapping compared to the National Competency-based Learning Objective Catalogue for Undergraduate Medical Education (NKLM) at four medical faculties. Part I: Conducive resources and structures

    PubMed Central

    Lammerding-Koeppel, Maria; Giesler, Marianne; Gornostayeva, Maryna; Narciss, Elisabeth; Wosnik, Annette; Zipfel, Stephan; Griewatz, Jan; Fritze, Olaf

    2017-01-01

    Objective: After passing of the National Competency-based Learning Objectives Catalogue in Medicine (Nationaler Kompetenzbasierter Lernzielkatalog Medizin, [NKLM, retrieved on 22.03.2016]), the German medical faculties must take inventory and develop their curricula. NKLM contents are expected to be present, but not linked well or sensibly enough in locally grown curricula. Learning and examination formats must be reviewed for appropriateness and coverage of the competences. The necessary curricular transparency is best achieved by systematic curriculum mapping, combined with effective change management. Mapping a complex existing curriculum and convincing a faculty that this will have benefits is not easy. Headed by Tübingen, the faculties of Freiburg, Heidelberg, Mannheim and Tübingen take inventory by mapping their curricula in comparison to the NKLM, using the dedicated web-based MERLIN-database. This two-part article analyses and summarises how NKLM curriculum mapping could be successful in spite of resistance at the faculties. The target is conveying the widest possible overview of beneficial framework conditions, strategies and results. Part I of the article shows the beneficial resources and structures required for implementation of curriculum mapping at the faculties. Part II describes key factors relevant for motivating faculties and teachers during the mapping process. Method: The network project was systematically planned in advance according to steps of project and change management, regularly reflected on and adjusted together in workshops and semi-annual project meetings. From the beginning of the project, a grounded-theory approach was used to systematically collect detailed information on structures, measures and developments at the faculties using various sources and methods, to continually analyse them and to draw a final conclusion (sources: surveys among the project participants with questionnaires, semi-structured group interviews and discussions, guideline-supported individual interviews, informal surveys, evaluation of target agreements and protocols, openly discernible local, regional or over-regional structure-relevant events). Results: The following resources and structures support implementation of curriculum mapping at a faculty: Setting up a coordination agency (≥50% of a full position; support by student assistants), systematic project management, and development of organisation and communication structures with integration of the dean of study and teaching and pilot departments, as well as development of a user-friendly web-based mapping instrument. Acceptance of the mapping was increased particularly by visualisation of the results and early insight into indicative results relevant for the department. Conclusion: Successful NKLM curriculum mapping requires trained staff for coordination, resilient communication structures and a user-oriented mapping database. In alignment with literature, recommendations can be derived to support other faculties that want to map their curriculum. PMID:28293674

  18. Monitoring and analysis of the change process in curriculum mapping compared to the National Competency-based Learning Objective Catalogue for Undergraduate Medical Education (NKLM) at four medical faculties. Part I: Conducive resources and structures.

    PubMed

    Lammerding-Koeppel, Maria; Giesler, Marianne; Gornostayeva, Maryna; Narciss, Elisabeth; Wosnik, Annette; Zipfel, Stephan; Griewatz, Jan; Fritze, Olaf

    2017-01-01

    Objective: After passing of the National Competency-based Learning Objectives Catalogue in Medicine (Nationaler Kompetenzbasierter Lernzielkatalog Medizin, [NKLM, retrieved on 22.03.2016]), the German medical faculties must take inventory and develop their curricula. NKLM contents are expected to be present, but not linked well or sensibly enough in locally grown curricula. Learning and examination formats must be reviewed for appropriateness and coverage of the competences. The necessary curricular transparency is best achieved by systematic curriculum mapping, combined with effective change management. Mapping a complex existing curriculum and convincing a faculty that this will have benefits is not easy. Headed by Tübingen, the faculties of Freiburg, Heidelberg, Mannheim and Tübingen take inventory by mapping their curricula in comparison to the NKLM, using the dedicated web-based MER LIN -database. This two-part article analyses and summarises how NKLM curriculum mapping could be successful in spite of resistance at the faculties. The target is conveying the widest possible overview of beneficial framework conditions, strategies and results. Part I of the article shows the beneficial resources and structures required for implementation of curriculum mapping at the faculties. Part II describes key factors relevant for motivating faculties and teachers during the mapping process. Method: The network project was systematically planned in advance according to steps of project and change management, regularly reflected on and adjusted together in workshops and semi-annual project meetings. From the beginning of the project, a grounded-theory approach was used to systematically collect detailed information on structures, measures and developments at the faculties using various sources and methods, to continually analyse them and to draw a final conclusion (sources: surveys among the project participants with questionnaires, semi-structured group interviews and discussions, guideline-supported individual interviews, informal surveys, evaluation of target agreements and protocols, openly discernible local, regional or over-regional structure-relevant events). Results: The following resources and structures support implementation of curriculum mapping at a faculty: Setting up a coordination agency (≥50% of a full position; support by student assistants), systematic project management, and development of organisation and communication structures with integration of the dean of study and teaching and pilot departments, as well as development of a user-friendly web-based mapping instrument. Acceptance of the mapping was increased particularly by visualisation of the results and early insight into indicative results relevant for the department. Conclusion: Successful NKLM curriculum mapping requires trained staff for coordination, resilient communication structures and a user-oriented mapping database. In alignment with literature, recommendations can be derived to support other faculties that want to map their curriculum.

  19. A low-cost approach for rapidly creating demonstration models for hands-on learning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kinzli, Kristoph-Dietrich; Kunberger, Tanya; O'Neill, Robert; Badir, Ashraf

    2018-01-01

    Demonstration models allow students to readily grasp theory and relate difficult concepts and equations to real life. However drawbacks of using these demonstration models are that they are can be costly to purchase from vendors or take a significant amount of time to build. These two limiting factors can pose a significant obstacle for adding demonstrations to the curriculum. This article presents an assignment to overcome these obstacles, which has resulted in 36 demonstration models being added to the curriculum. The article also presents the results of student performance on course objectives as a result of the developed models being used in the classroom. Overall, significant improvement in student learning outcomes, due to the addition of demonstration models, has been observed.

  20. [Cross-sectional field pain medicine Q14 - the Mainz model : Development of the pain medicine curriculum in the standard study course at the University Medical School of the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz].

    PubMed

    Kurz, S; Buggenhagen, H; Schwab, R; Laufenberg-Feldmann, R

    2017-10-01

    Following the amendment of the Medical Licensure Act (ÄAppO) in 2012, pain medicine was introduced as a mandatory subject for students during undergraduate medical training. Medical schools were required to define and to implement adequate curricular and formal teaching structures based on interdisciplinary and multiprofessional requirements according to the curriculum for pain medicine of the German Pain Society. These aspects were considered in the new interdisciplinary curriculum for pain medicine, the so-called Mainz model. A new curriculum based on the Kern cycle was developed and implemented at the Medical Center of the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz. Different teaching methods (lectures, interprofessional tutorials and bedside coaching in small groups) were used to impart professional expertise in pain medicine to medical students in an interdisciplinary clinical context. The new curriculum was put into practice and evaluated starting from the winter semester 2014/2015. Before and after the first implementation, medical students were asked about the relevance of pain medicine and their perception of personal competence. The interdisciplinary course in pain medicine was successfully introduced into the degree program based on the curriculum of the German Pain Society and the Kern cycle. With educational support, interdepartmental and multiprofessional collaboration the process of implementation of new interdisciplinary courses can be facilitated. In the future, the question how to increase the amount of practical lessons without increasing the load on teaching resources has to be resolved. Blended learning modules, such as a combination of E‑learning and practical lessons are currently being studied in smaller cohorts.

  1. [Benchmarking of performance of Mexican states with effective coverage].

    PubMed

    Lozano, Rafael; Soliz, Patricia; Gakidou, Emmanuela; Abbott-Klafter, Jesse; Feehan, Dennis M; Vidal, Cecilia; Ortiz, Juan Pablo; Murray, Christopher J L

    2007-01-01

    Benchmarking of the performance of states, provinces, or districts in a decentralised health system is important for fostering of accountability, monitoring of progress, identification of determinants of success and failure, and creation of a culture of evidence. The Mexican Ministry of Health has, since 2001, used a benchmarking approach based on the World Health Organization (WHO) concept of effective coverage of an intervention, which is defined as the proportion of potential health gain that could be delivered by the health system to that which is actually delivered. Using data collection systems, including state representative examination surveys, vital registration, and hospital discharge registries, we have monitored the delivery of 14 interventions for 2005-06. Overall effective coverage ranges from 54.0% in Chiapas, a poor state, to 65.1% in the Federal District. Effective coverage for maternal and child health interventions is substantially higher than that for interventions that target other health problems. Effective coverage for the lowest wealth quintile is 52% compared with 61% for the highest quintile. Effective coverage is closely related to public-health spending per head across states; this relation is stronger for interventions that are not related to maternal and child health than those for maternal and child health. Considerable variation also exists in effective coverage at similar amounts of spending. We discuss the implications of these issues for the further development of the Mexican health-information system. Benchmarking of performance by measuring effective coverage encourages decision-makers to focus on quality service provision, not only service availability. The effective coverage calculation is an important device for health-system stewardship. In adopting this approach, other countries should select interventions to be measured on the basis of the criteria of affordability, effect on population health, effect on health inequalities, and capacity to measure the effects of the intervention. The national institutions undertaking this benchmarking must have the mandate, skills, resources, and independence to succeed.

  2. Benchmarking of performance of Mexican states with effective coverage.

    PubMed

    Lozano, Rafael; Soliz, Patricia; Gakidou, Emmanuela; Abbott-Klafter, Jesse; Feehan, Dennis M; Vidal, Cecilia; Ortiz, Juan Pablo; Murray, Christopher J L

    2006-11-11

    Benchmarking of the performance of states, provinces, or districts in a decentralised health system is important for fostering of accountability, monitoring of progress, identification of determinants of success and failure, and creation of a culture of evidence. The Mexican Ministry of Health has, since 2001, used a benchmarking approach based on the WHO concept of effective coverage of an intervention, which is defined as the proportion of potential health gain that could be delivered by the health system to that which is actually delivered. Using data collection systems, including state representative examination surveys, vital registration, and hospital discharge registries, we have monitored the delivery of 14 interventions for 2005-06. Overall effective coverage ranges from 54.0% in Chiapas, a poor state, to 65.1% in the Federal District. Effective coverage for maternal and child health interventions is substantially higher than that for interventions that target other health problems. Effective coverage for the lowest wealth quintile is 52% compared with 61% for the highest quintile. Effective coverage is closely related to public-health spending per head across states; this relation is stronger for interventions that are not related to maternal and child health than those for maternal and child health. Considerable variation also exists in effective coverage at similar amounts of spending. We discuss the implications of these issues for the further development of the Mexican health-information system. Benchmarking of performance by measuring effective coverage encourages decision-makers to focus on quality service provision, not only service availability. The effective coverage calculation is an important device for health-system stewardship. In adopting this approach, other countries should select interventions to be measured on the basis of the criteria of affordability, effect on population health, effect on health inequalities, and capacity to measure the effects of the intervention. The national institutions undertaking this benchmarking must have the mandate, skills, resources, and independence to succeed.

  3. Mapping the Future: Towards Oncology Curriculum Reform in Undergraduate Medical Education at a Canadian Medical School

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

    Kwan, Jennifer Y.Y.; Nyhof-Young, Joyce; Catton, Pamela

    Purpose: To evaluate (1) the quantity and quality of current undergraduate oncology teaching at a major Canadian medical school; and (2) curricular changes over the past decade, to enhance local oncology education and provide insight for other educators. Methods and Materials: Relevant 2011-2012 undergraduate curricular sessions were extracted from the University of Toronto curriculum mapping database using keywords and database identifiers. Educational sessions were analyzed according to Medical Council of Canada objectives, discussion topics, instructor qualifications, teaching format, program year, and course subject. Course-related oncology research projects performed by students during 2000 to 2012 were extracted from another internal database.more » Elective choices of clerks during 2008-2014 were retrieved from the institution. The 2011-2012 and 2000-2001 curricula were compared using common criteria. Results: The 2011-2012 curriculum covers 5 major themes (public health, cancer biology, diagnosis, principles of care, and therapy), which highlight 286 oncology teaching topics within 80 sessions. Genitourinary (10, 12.5%), gynecologic (8, 10.0%), and gastrointestinal cancers (7.9, 9.8%) were the most commonly taught cancers. A minority of sessions were taught by surgical oncologists (6.5, 8.1%), medical oncologists (2.5, 3.1%), and radiation oncologists (1, 1.2%). During 2000-2012, 9.0% of students (233 of 2578) opted to complete an oncology research project. During 2008-2014, oncology electives constituted 2.2% of all clerkship elective choices (209 of 9596). Compared with pre-2001 curricula, the 2012 oncology curriculum shows notable expansion in the coverage of epidemiology (6:1 increase), prevention (4:1), screening (3:1), and molecular biology (6:1). Conclusions: The scope of the oncology curriculum has grown over the past decade. Nevertheless, further work is needed to improve medical student knowledge of cancers, particularly those relevant to public health needs. Defining minimum curricular content, emphasizing content based on population needs, and ensuring educational delivery with the support and expertise of oncologists and non-oncologists will be essential next steps.« less

  4. A call for formal telemedicine training during stroke fellowship

    PubMed Central

    Jia, Judy; Gildersleeve, Kasey; Ankrom, Christy; Cai, Chunyan; Rahbar, Mohammad; Savitz, Sean I.; Wu, Tzu-Ching

    2016-01-01

    During the 20 years since US Food and Drug Administration approval of IV tissue plasminogen activator for acute ischemic stroke, vascular neurology consultation via telemedicine has contributed to an increased frequency of IV tissue plasminogen activator administration and broadened geographic access to the drug. Nevertheless, a growing demand for acute stroke coverage persists, with the greatest disparity found in rural communities underserved by neurologists. To provide efficient and consistent acute care, formal training in telemedicine during neurovascular fellowship is warranted. Herein, we describe our experiences incorporating telestroke into the vascular neurology fellowship curriculum and propose recommendations on integrating formal telemedicine training into the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education vascular neurology fellowship. PMID:27016522

  5. A call for formal telemedicine training during stroke fellowship.

    PubMed

    Jagolino, Amanda L; Jia, Judy; Gildersleeve, Kasey; Ankrom, Christy; Cai, Chunyan; Rahbar, Mohammad; Savitz, Sean I; Wu, Tzu-Ching

    2016-05-10

    During the 20 years since US Food and Drug Administration approval of IV tissue plasminogen activator for acute ischemic stroke, vascular neurology consultation via telemedicine has contributed to an increased frequency of IV tissue plasminogen activator administration and broadened geographic access to the drug. Nevertheless, a growing demand for acute stroke coverage persists, with the greatest disparity found in rural communities underserved by neurologists. To provide efficient and consistent acute care, formal training in telemedicine during neurovascular fellowship is warranted. Herein, we describe our experiences incorporating telestroke into the vascular neurology fellowship curriculum and propose recommendations on integrating formal telemedicine training into the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education vascular neurology fellowship. © 2016 American Academy of Neurology.

  6. The Effects of a Treatment Curriculum on the Learning Transfer of Prosocial Behavior in Adventure Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Furman, Nathan Neil

    2011-01-01

    The issue of learning transfer is of prime importance to the field of adventure education. Adventure education programs are designed to promote a variety of personal development outcomes for participants, and a significant amount of research has validated these outcomes. However, in order for students to use the learning gained during their…

  7. Using Systematic Instruction and Graphic Organizers to Teach Science Concepts to Students with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Intellectual Disability

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Knight, Victoria F.; Spooner, Fred; Browder, Diane M.; Smith, Bethany R.; Wood, Charles L.

    2013-01-01

    Literacy in science is important for all students and is one component of access and progress in the general education curriculum. One barrier to science literacy for students with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is the extensive amount of vocabulary involved in comprehending science content. Based on the inherent link between vocabulary knowledge…

  8. Relationship between Fidelity and Dose of Human Patient Simulation, Critical Thinking Skills, and Knowledge in an Associate Degree Nursing Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Beebe, Rosella I.

    2012-01-01

    This study examined the relationship between human patient simulation (HPS), critical thinking skills, and knowledge acquisition after HPS was integrated across the curriculum of an associate degree nursing program to determine if differences existed in critical thinking and knowledge of students based on the fidelity of HPS used and amount of…

  9. Performance of the Seven-Step Procedure in Problem-Based Hospitality Management Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zwaal, Wichard; Otting, Hans

    2016-01-01

    The study focuses on the seven-step procedure (SSP) in problem-based learning (PBL). The way students apply the seven-step procedure will help us understand how students work in a problem-based learning curriculum. So far, little is known about how students rate the performance and importance of the different steps, the amount of time they spend…

  10. The Relationship Between Editorial and Advertising Content about Tobacco and Alcohol in United States Newspapers

    PubMed Central

    Rouner, Donna; Slater, Michael; Long, Marilee; Stapel, Linda

    2010-01-01

    Using a nationally representative sample, this study examined the relationship between amount of alcohol and tobacco advertising and related news-editorial content. This study found less tobacco and alcohol advertising in newspapers than did previous research and no relationship between coverage and number of advertisements. PMID:21499450

  11. The Relationship Between Editorial and Advertising Content about Tobacco and Alcohol in United States Newspapers.

    PubMed

    Rouner, Donna; Slater, Michael; Long, Marilee; Stapel, Linda

    2009-03-01

    Using a nationally representative sample, this study examined the relationship between amount of alcohol and tobacco advertising and related news-editorial content. This study found less tobacco and alcohol advertising in newspapers than did previous research and no relationship between coverage and number of advertisements.

  12. Scientists and the Press: Are They Really Strangers?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dunwoody, Sharon; Scott, Bryon T.

    A group of 111 basic and applied scientists from two Ohio university campuses was interviewed to gather data about the amount of contact between scientists and media reporters, and the effects of such contact on scientists' attitudes toward media coverage of science. The data indicated that scientists had been interviewed by journalists much more…

  13. 42 CFR 422.304 - Monthly payments.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... an MA-PD plan, defined at § 422.252, the MA organization offering such a plan also receives- (1... payments of the amounts determined under paragraphs (a)(1) and (a)(2) of this section for coverage of original fee-for-service benefits for an individual in an MA payment area for a month. (1) Payment of bid...

  14. 42 CFR 411.39 - Automobile and liability insurance (including self-insurance), no-fault insurance, and workers...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Automobile and liability insurance (including self-insurance), no-fault insurance, and workers' compensation: Final conditional payment amounts via Web portal... Coverage That Limits Medicare Payment: General Provisions § 411.39 Automobile and liability insurance...

  15. 42 CFR 411.39 - Automobile and liability insurance (including self-insurance), no-fault insurance, and workers...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 42 Public Health 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Automobile and liability insurance (including self-insurance), no-fault insurance, and workers' compensation: Final conditional payment amounts via Web portal... Coverage That Limits Medicare Payment: General Provisions § 411.39 Automobile and liability insurance...

  16. 7 CFR 4279.229 - Guaranteed loan funding.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    .... For example, an eligible borrower is applying for a loan guarantee on a $1 million project. The... (d)(1) through (d)(4) of this section. (1) If the loan amount is equal to or less than $125 million... at least 1 year in duration; and (iii) Collateral coverage ratio, total discounted collateral value...

  17. 7 CFR 4279.229 - Guaranteed loan funding.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    .... For example, an eligible borrower is applying for a loan guarantee on a $1 million project. The... (d)(1) through (d)(4) of this section. (1) If the loan amount is equal to or less than $125 million... at least 1 year in duration; and (iii) Collateral coverage ratio, total discounted collateral value...

  18. 7 CFR 4279.229 - Guaranteed loan funding.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    .... For example, an eligible borrower is applying for a loan guarantee on a $1 million project. The... (d)(1) through (d)(4) of this section. (1) If the loan amount is equal to or less than $125 million... at least 1 year in duration; and (iii) Collateral coverage ratio, total discounted collateral value...

  19. 7 CFR 1488.12 - Coverage of bank obligations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... Sales of Agricultural Commodities From Private Stocks Under CCC Export Credit Sales Program (GSM-5) Bank... when determined by the President or Vice President, CCC after consultation with the Controller, CCC, to be in the interest of CCC. (c) A U.S. bank must confirm the full amount of an obligation issued by...

  20. 7 CFR 1488.16 - Liability for payment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... Financing of Export Sales of Agricultural Commodities From Private Stocks Under CCC Export Credit Sales... the coverage of the bank obligation(s) submitted in accordance with § 1488.8, CCC will look to the... exporter shall remain liable for any amounts not covered by the bank obligation which are owing to CCC, and...

  1. 7 CFR 1488.12 - Coverage of bank obligations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... Sales of Agricultural Commodities From Private Stocks Under CCC Export Credit Sales Program (GSM-5) Bank... when determined by the President or Vice President, CCC after consultation with the Controller, CCC, to be in the interest of CCC. (c) A U.S. bank must confirm the full amount of an obligation issued by...

  2. 7 CFR 1488.16 - Liability for payment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... Financing of Export Sales of Agricultural Commodities From Private Stocks Under CCC Export Credit Sales... the coverage of the bank obligation(s) submitted in accordance with § 1488.8, CCC will look to the... exporter shall remain liable for any amounts not covered by the bank obligation which are owing to CCC, and...

  3. 7 CFR 1488.12 - Coverage of bank obligations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... Sales of Agricultural Commodities From Private Stocks Under CCC Export Credit Sales Program (GSM-5) Bank... when determined by the President or Vice President, CCC after consultation with the Controller, CCC, to be in the interest of CCC. (c) A U.S. bank must confirm the full amount of an obligation issued by...

  4. The effect of the surface composition of Ru-Pt bimetallic catalysts for methanol oxidation

    DOE PAGES

    Garrick, Taylor R.; Diao, Weijian; Tengco, John M.; ...

    2016-02-23

    Here, a series of Ru-Pt bimetallic catalysts prepared by the electroless deposition of controlled and variable amounts of Ru on the Pt surface of a commercially-available 20 wt% Pt/C catalyst has been characterized and evaluated for the oxidation of methanol. The activity of each Ru-Pt catalyst was determined as a function of surface composition via cyclic voltammetry. For the Ru-Pt bimetallic catalysts, activity passed through a maximum at approximately 50% monodisperse Ru surface coverage. However, due to the monolayer coverage of Ru on Pt, the amount of metal in the catalyst is minimized compared to a bulk 1:1 atomic ratiomore » of Ru:Pt seen in commercial bimetallic catalysts. Chemisorption and temperature programmed reduction experiments confirmed that the surface had characteristics of a true bimetallic catalyst. On a mass of Pt basis, the activity of this composition for methanol oxidation was 7 times higher than pure Pt and 3.5 times higher than a commercial catalyst with a 1:1 Pt:Ru bulk atomic ratio.« less

  5. Cuticular permeance in relation to wax and cutin development along the growing barley (Hordeum vulgare) leaf.

    PubMed

    Richardson, Andrew; Wojciechowski, Tobias; Franke, Rochus; Schreiber, Lukas; Kerstiens, Gerhard; Jarvis, Mike; Fricke, Wieland

    2007-05-01

    The developing leaf three of barley provides an excellent model system for the direct determination of relationships between amounts of waxes and cutin and cuticular permeance. Permeance of the cuticle was assessed via the time-course of uptake of either toluidine blue or (14)C-labelled benzoic acid ([(14)C] BA) along the length of the developing leaf. Toluidine blue uptake only occurred within the region 0-25 mm from the point of leaf insertion (POLI). Resistance--the inverse of permeance--to uptake of [(14)C] BA was determined for four leaf regions and was lowest in the region 10-20 mm above POLI. At 20-30 and 50-60 mm above POLI, it increased by factors of 6 and a further 32, respectively. Above the point of emergence of leaf three from the sheath of leaf two, which was 76-80 mm above POLI, resistance was as high as at 50-60 mm above POLI. GC-FID/MS analyses of wax and cutin showed that: (1) the initial seven fold increase in cuticular resistance coincided with increase in cutin coverage and appearance of waxes; (2) the second, larger and final increase in cuticle resistance was accompanied by an increase in wax coverage, whereas cutin coverage remained unchanged; (3) cutin deposition in barley leaf epidermis occurred in parallel with cell elongation, whereas deposition of significant amounts of wax commenced as cells ceased to elongate.

  6. First-aid training in school: amount, content and hindrances.

    PubMed

    Bakke, H K; Bakke, H K; Schwebs, R

    2017-11-01

    To increase knowledge and competence about first aid in the population, first-aid instruction is included in primary and secondary school curricula. This study aimed to establish how much time is spent on first-aid training, which first-aid measures are taught, and which factors prevent teachers from providing the quantity and quality of first-aid training that they wish to give. A questionnaire was distributed to teachers in physical education in primary and secondary schools and to teachers in vocational subjects in higher secondary schools. The teachers taught a median of two lessons in first aid per year. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was taught by 64% of teachers, free airway and recovery position by 69% and stopping severe bleeding by 51%. Recognising heart attack and stroke was taught by 25% and 23%, respectively. The main factors that the teachers perceived as limiting the amount and quality of first-aid training were insufficient learning objective specifications in the curriculum, too many other competence aims, lack of CPR mannequins and lack of training as first-aid instructors. Norwegian teachers provide an appreciable amount of first-aid training to their students. However, several potential life-saving measures are poorly covered. The curriculum needs to contain first aid but also should specify what first-aid measures to be taught. First-aid training of teachers should adequately prepare them to be first-aid instructors. © 2017 The Authors. Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation.

  7. Science Technology Engineering and Math (STEM) Education MUST Begin in Early Childhood Education: A Systematic Analysis of Washington State Guidelines Used to Gauge the Development and Learning of Young Learners

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Briseno, Luis Miguel

    This paper reflects future direction for early Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) education, science in particular. Washington State stakeholders use guidelines including: standards, curriculums and assessments to gauge young children's development and learning, in early childhood education (ECE). Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS), and the Framework for K-12 programs (National Research Council, 2011) emphasizes the need for reconfiguration of standards: "Too often standards are a long list of detailed and disconnected facts... this approach alienates young people, it also leaves them with fragments of knowledge and little sense of the inherent logic and consistency of science and of its universality." NGSS' position elevates the concern and need for learners to experience teaching and learning from intentionally designed cohesive curriculum units, rather than as a series of unrelated and isolated lessons. To introduce the argument the present study seeks to examine Washington State early learning standards. To evaluate this need, I examined balance and coverage/depth. Analysis measures the level of continuum in high-quality guidelines from which Washington State operates to serve its youngest citizens and their families.

  8. Peace, development, disarmament and human rights education: The dilemma between the status quo and curriculum overload

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marks, Stephen

    1983-09-01

    With the purpose of facilitating the promotion of peace, development, disarmament and human rights education in the context of intense competition for curriculum time, including from other new `educations', some tentative definitions are offered. Clarification of the basic concepts and their implications leads to a discussion of the inter-relationships amongst them. Hence, a conceptual approach is suggested which is based on the Peace — Human Rights — Development dialectic, defended as crucial with regards to education which must go beyond the transmission of knowledge to the involvement of the participants in their own social reality so that they become subjects rather than objects of their own history. Models are developed to illustrate the pedagogical implications of the dialectical relations among the concepts, aimed at (1) enabling coverage of the topics and their inter-relationships in traditional courses, and (2) suggesting themes for specialized courses which would allow more in-depth analysis. Finally, practical issues with examples for secondary-and tertiary-level teaching are discussed. Rather than giving in to some utopian ideal, educators should realistically draw on the ideas currently being worked out in peace, development, disarmament and human rights education.

  9. Health newscasts for increasing influenza vaccination coverage: an inductive reasoning game approach.

    PubMed

    Breban, Romulus

    2011-01-01

    Both pandemic and seasonal influenza are receiving more attention from mass media than ever before. Topics such as epidemic severity and vaccination are changing the way in which we perceive the utility of disease prevention. Voluntary influenza vaccination has been recently modeled using inductive reasoning games. It has thus been found that severe epidemics may occur because individuals do not vaccinate and, instead, attempt to benefit from the immunity of their peers. Such epidemics could be prevented by voluntary vaccination if incentives were offered. However, a key assumption has been that individuals make vaccination decisions based on whether there was an epidemic each influenza season; no other epidemiological information is available to them. In this work, we relax this assumption and investigate the consequences of making more informed vaccination decisions while no incentives are offered. We obtain three major results. First, individuals will not cooperate enough to constantly prevent influenza epidemics through voluntary vaccination no matter how much they learned about influenza epidemiology. Second, broadcasting epidemiological information richer than whether an epidemic occurred may stabilize the vaccination coverage and suppress severe influenza epidemics. Third, the stable vaccination coverage follows the trend of the perceived benefit of vaccination. However, increasing the amount of epidemiological information released to the public may either increase or decrease the perceived benefit of vaccination. We discuss three scenarios where individuals know, in addition to whether there was an epidemic, (i) the incidence, (ii) the vaccination coverage and (iii) both the incidence and the vaccination coverage, every influenza season. We show that broadcasting both the incidence and the vaccination coverage could yield either better or worse vaccination coverage than broadcasting each piece of information on its own.

  10. Health Newscasts for Increasing Influenza Vaccination Coverage: An Inductive Reasoning Game Approach

    PubMed Central

    Breban, Romulus

    2011-01-01

    Both pandemic and seasonal influenza are receiving more attention from mass media than ever before. Topics such as epidemic severity and vaccination are changing the way in which we perceive the utility of disease prevention. Voluntary influenza vaccination has been recently modeled using inductive reasoning games. It has thus been found that severe epidemics may occur because individuals do not vaccinate and, instead, attempt to benefit from the immunity of their peers. Such epidemics could be prevented by voluntary vaccination if incentives were offered. However, a key assumption has been that individuals make vaccination decisions based on whether there was an epidemic each influenza season; no other epidemiological information is available to them. In this work, we relax this assumption and investigate the consequences of making more informed vaccination decisions while no incentives are offered. We obtain three major results. First, individuals will not cooperate enough to constantly prevent influenza epidemics through voluntary vaccination no matter how much they learned about influenza epidemiology. Second, broadcasting epidemiological information richer than whether an epidemic occurred may stabilize the vaccination coverage and suppress severe influenza epidemics. Third, the stable vaccination coverage follows the trend of the perceived benefit of vaccination. However, increasing the amount of epidemiological information released to the public may either increase or decrease the perceived benefit of vaccination. We discuss three scenarios where individuals know, in addition to whether there was an epidemic, (i) the incidence, (ii) the vaccination coverage and (iii) both the incidence and the vaccination coverage, every influenza season. We show that broadcasting both the incidence and the vaccination coverage could yield either better or worse vaccination coverage than broadcasting each piece of information on its own. PMID:22205944

  11. Distinguishing characteristics of idiopathic calcium oxalate kidney stone formers with low amounts of Randall's plaque.

    PubMed

    Wang, Xiangling; Krambeck, Amy E; Williams, James C; Tang, Xiaojing; Rule, Andrew D; Zhao, Fang; Bergstralh, Eric; Haskic, Zejfa; Edeh, Samuel; Holmes, David R; Herrera Hernandez, Loren P; Lieske, John C

    2014-10-07

    Overgrowth of calcium oxalate on Randall's plaque is a mechanism of stone formation among idiopathic calcium oxalate stone-formers (ICSFs). It is less clear how stones form when there is little or no plaque. Participants were a consecutive cohort of ICSFs who underwent percutaneous nephroscopic papillary mapping in the kidney or kidneys containing symptomatic stones and a papillary tip biopsy from a representative calyx during a stone removal procedure between 2009 and 2013. The distribution of Randall's plaque coverage was analyzed and used to divide ICSFs into those with a high (≥5%; mean, 10.5%; n=10) versus low (<5%; mean, 1.5%; n=32) amount of plaque coverage per papilla. Demographic and laboratory features were compared between these two groups. Low-plaque stone formers tended to be obese (50% versus 10%; P=0.03) and have a history of urinary tract infection (34% versus 0%; P=0.04). They were less likely to have multiple prior stone events (22% versus 80%; P=0.002) and had a lower mean 24-hour urine calcium excretion (187±86 mg versus 291±99 mg; P<0.01). Morphologically, stones from patients with low amounts of plaque lacked a calcium phosphate core by microcomputed tomography. Papillary biopsies from low plaque stone-formers revealed less interstitial and basement membrane punctate crystallization. These findings suggest that other pathways independent of Randall's plaque may contribute to stone pathogenesis among a subgroup of ICSFs who harbor low amounts of plaque. Copyright © 2014 by the American Society of Nephrology.

  12. Adsorption of modified dextrins on molybdenite: AFM imaging, contact angle, and flotation studies.

    PubMed

    Beaussart, Audrey; Parkinson, Luke; Mierczynska-Vasilev, Agnieszka; Beattie, David A

    2012-02-15

    The adsorption of three dextrins (a regular wheat dextrin, Dextrin TY, carboxymethyl (CM) Dextrin, and hydroxypropyl (HP) Dextrin) on molybdenite has been investigated using adsorption isotherms, tapping mode atomic force microscopy (TMAFM), contact angle measurements, and dynamic bubble-surface collisions. In addition, the effect of the polymers on the flotation recovery of molybdenite has been determined. The isotherms revealed the importance of molecular weight in determining the adsorbed amounts of the polymers on molybdenite at plateau coverage. TMAFM revealed the morphology of the three polymers, which consisted of randomly dispersed domains with a higher area fraction of surface coverage for the substituted dextrins. The contact angle of polymer-treated molybdenite indicated that polymer layer coverage and hydration influenced the mineral surface hydrophobicity. Bubble-surface collisions indicated that the polymers affected thin film rupture and dewetting rate differently, correlating with differences in the adsorbed layer morphology. Direct correlations were found between the surface coverage of the adsorbed layers, their impact on thin film rupture time, and their impact on flotation recovery, highlighting the paramount role of the polymer morphology in the bubble/particle attachment process and subsequent flotation. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Health benefits in 2014: stability in premiums and coverage for employer-sponsored plans.

    PubMed

    Claxton, Gary; Rae, Matthew; Panchal, Nirmita; Whitmore, Heidi; Damico, Anthony; Kenward, Kevin

    2014-10-01

    The annual Kaiser Family Foundation/Health Research and Educational Trust Employer Health Benefits Survey found that in 2014 the average annual premium (employer and worker contributions combined) for single coverage was $6,025, similar to 2013. The premium for family coverage was $16,834--3 percent higher than a year ago. Average deductibles and most other cost-sharing amounts were similar to those in 2013. On average, in 2014 covered workers paid nearly $5,000 per year for family health insurance premiums, and 18 percent of covered workers were in a plan with an annual single coverage deductible of $2,000 or more. Fifty-five percent of employers offered health benefits in 2014, similar to 2013. The Affordable Care Act has not yet led to substantial changes in the employer-based market. However, the next few years could present a different picture as delayed provisions and other changes take effect. This year's survey included new questions on firms' policies related to enrolling spouses and dependents, enrollment in private exchanges, and the use of narrow networks and financial incentives for wellness programs. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  14. Reporting medical information: effects of press releases and newsworthiness on medical journal articles' visibility in the news media.

    PubMed

    Stryker, Jo Ellen

    2002-11-01

    Characteristics defining newsworthiness of journal articles appearing in JAMA and NEJM were examined to determine if they affect visibility in the news media. It was also hypothesized that press releases affected the amount of news coverage of a journal article due to the fact that the most newsworthy journal articles are selected for press releases. Journal articles (N = 95) were coded for characteristics believed to describe the "newsworthiness" of journal articles. Quantity of news coverage of the journal articles was estimated using the LEXIS-NEXIS database. Bivariate associations were examined using one-way analysis of variance, and multivariate analyses utilized OLS regression. Characteristics of the newsworthiness of medical journal articles predicted their visibility in newspapers. The issuing of press releases also predicted newspaper coverage. However, press releases predicted newspaper coverage largely because more newsworthy journal articles had accompanying press releases rather than because the press release itself was influential. Journalists report on medical information that is topical, stratifies risk based on demographic and lifestyle variables, and has lifestyle rather than medical implications. Medical journals issue press releases for articles that possess the characteristics journalists are looking for, thereby further highlighting their importance.

  15. Root coverage with Emdogain/AlloDerm: a new way to treat gingival recessions.

    PubMed

    Saadoun, André P

    2008-01-01

    The recession of the gingival margin is becoming a more prominent condition in the oral situation of many patients and should be treated at its earliest detection. The multifactorial etiology, decision modality, and current trends in the treatment of gingival recession are discussed in this article. The surgical technique of choice depends on several factors, but among the different surgical protocols available, the clinician should select one that will minimize surgical trauma and achieve predictable esthetic results. All of the approaches described in this article can effectively treat deep and shallow Class I or II buccal recessions. Recently, as an alternative to autogenous gingival grafts in root coverage procedures, enamel matrix derivative (Emdogain) and acellular dermal matrix allograft (AlloDerm) were utilized to correct these gingival defects, negating the morbidity and the requirement for a second palatal surgical procedure. Emdogain or AlloDerm materials used alone or in combination are a predictable treatment for root coverage, are relatively easy to perform (although they are technique sensitive), present low patient morbidity, offer a significant increase in the percentage of root coverage and amount of keratinized tissue, and should be part of the periodontal plastic surgery armamentarium.

  16. Promotion of family-friendliness at the Medical Faculty of Freiburg - taking stock of study participation.

    PubMed

    Binninger, Sabine; Brüstle, Peter; Korinthenberg, Rudolf; Streitlein-Böhme, Irmgard

    2012-01-01

    The survey on family-friendly study organisation in medical schools conducted by the University Hospital in Ulm has identified a need for improvement in various respects in Freiburg. Due to the specific structure of medical school and the high amount of mandatory lectures, students with children face serious problems in balancing family life and their studies at the same time. On the other hand, the freer, modular structure of the clinical curriculum in Freiburg has been mainly rated as positive by the interviewees. In order to improve the situation of students with children, the interviewees favour a more flexible curriculum in general as well as an increase in information and advice services offered by the faculty. In the first place, the results of the study encourage us to maintain the modular structure in the final two clinical years in Freiburg in view of current curriculum developments. Additionally, we aim to offer targeted support to students with children. Furthermore, a wider range of e-learning supported lectures is to help students manage their studies with childcare and family obligations.

  17. A descriptive study of baccalaureate nursing students' responses to suicide prevention education.

    PubMed

    Pullen, Julie M; Gilje, Fredricka; Tesar, Emily

    2016-01-01

    Internationally, little is known regarding the amount of educational content on suicide in undergraduate nursing curriculum. The literature conducted found few published research studies on implementation of suicide prevention instruction in baccalaureate nursing curriculum, even though various international healthcare and nursing initiatives address suicide prevention. The aim was to describe senior baccalaureate students' responses to an evidence-based suicide prevention gatekeeper training program entitled Question-Persuade-Refer implemented in a required course. This is a multi-method descriptive study. Data were collected utilizing a pre-post-survey questionnaire administered to 150 students in four classes of a psychiatric nursing course over a two-year period. The quantitative data were statistically significant (p < 0.000) indicating an overall positive rating of the training. From the qualitative data, the main theme was 'becoming capable intervening with persons at risk for suicide'. Students responded very positively to the evidence based suicide prevention gatekeeper training program. The instruction addresses various national initiatives and strategies filling a void in nursing curriculum, as well as empowering students to engage in suicide prevention interventions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. Clinical Supervision of Athletic Training Students at Colleges and Universities Needs Improvement

    PubMed Central

    Weidner, Thomas G.; Pipkin, Jennifer

    2002-01-01

    Objectives: To assess the type and amount of clinical supervision athletic training students received during clinical education. Design and Setting: An online survey was conducted with a questionnaire developed specifically for this study. Subjects: Head athletic trainers from National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I (28), Division II (34), and Division III institutions (30). Thirty-four represented Commission on the Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs-accredited athletic training education programs, 20 represented athletic training programs in Joint Review Commission on Athletic Training candidacy, and 35 offered the internship route. Measurements: Descriptive statistics were computed. Three sets of chi-square analyses were completed to assess associations among athletic training students with first-responder qualifications, program and institution characteristics, certified athletic trainer medical coverage of moderate- and increased-risk sports, and clinical supervision. A trend analysis of students' class standing and time spent in different types of clinical supervision was also completed. The alpha level was set at < .05. Results: Most of the athletic training students (83.7%), particularly in accredited programs, had first-responder qualifications. More than half of the head athletic trainers (59.8%) indicated that athletic training students were authorized to provide medical care coverage without supervision. A minimal amount of medical care coverage of moderate- and increased-risk sports was unsupervised. No significant difference between the size of the education or athletic program and type and amount of clinical supervision was noted. Freshman athletic training students spent more time in direct clinical supervision and less time in unsupervised experience, but the opposite was true for senior students. Conclusions: Athletic training students are being utilized beyond appropriate clinical supervision and the scope of clinical education. Future research should employ methods using nonparticipant observation of clinical instructors' supervision of students as well as students' own perceptions of their clinical supervision. PMID:12937552

  19. Are people who still have their natural teeth willing to pay for mandibular two-implant overdentures?

    PubMed

    Srivastava, Akanksha; Feine, Jocelyne S; Esfandiari, Shahrokh

    2014-05-01

    Oral health in Canada and most developed and developing countries is funded by private payers, whose acceptance of treatment depends on their valuation of it. This study aims to determine how dentate individuals in Quebec, Canada, would value the benefits of mandibular two-implant overdentures based on their willingness to pay (WTP) for the treatment, either directly or with insurance/government coverage. A total of 39 individuals (23-54 years) completed a Web-based WTP survey that consisted of three cost scenarios: (a) out-of-pocket payment; (b) private dental insurance coverage; and (c) public funding through additional taxes. Variations in WTP amounts were measured using regression models. Among respondents who were dentate or missing some teeth, average WTP out of pocket for implant overdentures was CAD$5419 for a 90% success rate. They were willing to pay an average CAD$169 as one-time payment for private dental insurance, with a one in five chance of becoming edentate. WTP amounts increased substantially with the probability of success of implant overdenture therapy. The results of regression analyses were consistent with theoretical predictions for education level and income (P < 0.05). The results of this study, within its limitations, suggest that dentate individuals would be willing to pay a significant amount to receive mandibular two-implant overdentures if and when they become edentate. © 2013 Wiley Publishing Asia Pty Ltd.

  20. Influence of surface coverage on the chemical desorption process

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

    Minissale, M.; Dulieu, F., E-mail: francois.dulieu@obspm.fr

    2014-07-07

    In cold astrophysical environments, some molecules are observed in the gas phase whereas they should have been depleted, frozen on dust grains. In order to solve this problem, astrochemists have proposed that a fraction of molecules synthesized on the surface of dust grains could desorb just after their formation. Recently the chemical desorption process has been demonstrated experimentally, but the key parameters at play have not yet been fully understood. In this article, we propose a new procedure to analyze the ratio of di-oxygen and ozone synthesized after O atoms adsorption on oxidized graphite. We demonstrate that the chemical desorptionmore » efficiency of the two reaction paths (O+O and O+O{sub 2}) is different by one order of magnitude. We show the importance of the surface coverage: for the O+O reaction, the chemical desorption efficiency is close to 80% at zero coverage and tends to zero at one monolayer coverage. The coverage dependence of O+O chemical desorption is proved by varying the amount of pre-adsorbed N{sub 2} on the substrate from 0 to 1.5 ML. Finally, we discuss the relevance of the different physical parameters that could play a role in the chemical desorption process: binding energy, enthalpy of formation, and energy transfer from the new molecule to the surface or to other adsorbates.« less

  1. Evaluating the Ozioma cancer news service: A community randomized trial in 24 U.S. cities

    PubMed Central

    Caburnay, Charlene A.; Luke, Douglas A.; Cameron, Glen T.; Cohen, Elisia L.; Fu, Qiang; Lai, Choi L.; Stemmle, Jonathan; Paulen, Melissa; McDaniels-Jackson, Lillie; Kreuter, Matthew W.

    2012-01-01

    Objective This community randomized trial evaluated effects of the Ozioma News Service on the amount and quality of cancer coverage in Black weekly newspapers in 24 U.S. cities. Method We created and operated Ozioma, the first cancer information news service specifically for Black newspapers. Over 21 months, Ozioma developed community- and race-specific cancer news releases for each of 12 Black weekly newspapers in intervention communities. Cancer coverage in these papers was tracked before and during the intervention and compared to 12 Black newspapers in control communities. Results From 2004-2007, we coded 9,257 health and cancer stories from 3,178 newspaper issues. Intervention newspapers published approximately 4 times the expected number of cancer stories compared to control newspapers (p12&21mo<.01), and also saw an increase in graphics (p12&21mo<.01), local relevance (p12mo=.01), and personal mobilization (p12mo<.10). However, this increased coverage supplanted other health topics and had smaller graphics (NS), had less community mobilization (p21mo=.01), and less likely to be from a local source (NS). Conclusion Providing news releases with localized and race-specific features to minority-serving media outlets can increase the quantity of cancer coverage. Results are mixed for the journalistic and public health quality of this increased cancer coverage in Black newspapers. PMID:22546317

  2. Describing content in middle school science curricula

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schwarz-Ballard, Jennifer A.

    As researchers and designers, we intuitively recognize differences between curricula and describe them in terms of design strategy: project-based, laboratory-based, modular, traditional, and textbook, among others. We assume that practitioners recognize the differences in how each requires that students use knowledge, however these intuitive differences have not been captured or systematically described by the existing languages for describing learning goals. In this dissertation I argue that we need new ways of capturing relationships among elements of content, and propose a theory that describes some of the important differences in how students reason in differently designed curricula and activities. Educational researchers and curriculum designers have taken a variety of approaches to laying out learning goals for science. Through an analysis of existing descriptions of learning goals I argue that to describe differences in the understanding students come away with, they need to (1) be specific about the form of knowledge, (2) incorporate both the processes through which knowledge is used and its form, and (3) capture content development across a curriculum. To show the value of inquiry curricula, learning goals need to incorporate distinctions among the variety of ways we ask students to use knowledge. Here I propose the Epistemic Structures Framework as one way to describe differences in students reasoning that are not captured by existing descriptions of learning goals. The usefulness of the Epistemic Structures framework is demonstrated in the four curriculum case study examples in Part II of this work. The curricula in the case studies represent a range of content coverage, curriculum structure, and design rationale. They serve both to illustrate the Epistemic Structures analysis process and make the case that it does in fact describe learning goals in a way that captures important differences in students reasoning in differently designed curricula. Describing learning goals in terms of Epistemic Structures provides one way to define what we mean when we talk about "project-based" curricula and demonstrate its "value added" to educators, administrators and policy makers.

  3. Associations between key intervention coverage and child mortality: an analysis of 241 sub-national regions of sub-Saharan Africa.

    PubMed

    Akachi, Yoko; Steenland, Maria; Fink, Günther

    2017-12-21

    Reducing child mortality remains a key objective in the Sustainable Development Goals. Although remarkable progress has been made with respect to under-5 mortality over the last 25 years, little is known regarding the relative contributions of public health interventions and general improvements in socioeconomic status during this time period. We combined all available data from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) to construct a longitudinal, multi-level dataset with information on subnational-level key intervention coverage, household socioeconomic status and child health outcomes in sub-Saharan Africa. The dataset covers 562 896 child records and 769 region-year observations across 24 countries. We used multi-level multivariable logistics regression models to assess the associations between child mortality and changes in the coverage of 17 key reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health interventions such as bednets, water and sanitation infrastructure, vaccination and breastfeeding practices, as well as concurrent improvements in social and economic development. Full vaccination coverage was associated with a 30% decrease in the odds of child mortality [odds ratio (OR) 0.698, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.564, 0.864], and continued breastfeeding was associated with a 24% decrease in the odds of child mortality (OR 0.759, 95% CI 0.642, 0.898). Our results suggest that changes in vaccination coverage, as well as increases in female education and economic development, made the largest contributions to the positive mortality trends observed. Breastfeeding was associated with child survival but accounts for little of the observed declines in mortality due to declining coverage levels during our study period. Our findings suggest that a large amount of progress has been made with respect to coverage levels of key health interventions. Whereas all socioeconomic variables considered appear to strongly predict health outcomes, the same was true only for very few health coverage indicators. © The Author(s) 2017; all rights reserved. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the International Epidemiological Association

  4. Cost variability of suggested generic treatment alternatives under the Medicare Part D benefit.

    PubMed

    Patel, Rajul A; Walberg, Mark P; Tong, Emily; Tan, Florence; Rummel, Ashley E; Woelfel, Joseph A; Carr-Lopez, Sian M; Galal, Suzanne M

    2014-03-01

    The substitution of generic treatment alternatives for brand-name drugs is a strategy that can help lower Medicare beneficiary out-of-pocket costs. Beginning in 2011, Medicare beneficiaries reaching the coverage gap received a 50% discount on the full drug cost of brand-name medications and a 7% discount on generic medications filled during the gap. This discount will increase until 2020, when beneficiaries will be responsible for 25% of total drug costs during the coverage gap. To examine the cost variability of brand and generic drugs within 4 therapeutic classes before and during the coverage gap for each 2011 California stand-alone prescription drug plan (PDP) and prospective coverage gap costs in 2020 to determine the effects on beneficiary out-of-pocket drug costs. Equivalent doses of brand and generic drugs in the following 4 pharmacological classes were examined: angiotensin II receptor blockers (ARBs), bisphosphonates, HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (statins), and proton pump inhibitors (PPIs). The full drug cost and patient copay/coinsurance amounts during initial coverage and the coverage gap of each drug was recorded based on information retrieved from the Medicare website. These drug cost data were recorded for 28 California PDPs. The highest cost difference between a brand medication and a Centers for Medicare Medicaid Services (CMS)-suggested generic treatment alternative varied between $110.53 and $195.49 at full cost and between $51.37 and $82.35 in the coverage gap. The lowest cost difference varied between $38.45 and $76.93 at full cost and between -$4.11 and $18.52 during the gap. Medicare beneficiaries can realize significant out-of-pocket cost savings for their drugs by taking CMS-suggested generic treatment alternatives. However, due to larger discounts on brand medications made available through recent changes reducing the coverage gap, the potential dollar savings by taking suggested generic treatment alternatives during the gap is less compelling and will decrease as subsidies increase.

  5. Influence of biocrusts coverage on microbial communities from underlying arid lands soils

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Anguita-Maeso, Manuel; Miralles*, Isabel; van Wesemael, Bas; Lázaro, Roberto; Ortega, Raúl; García-Salcedo, José Antonio; Soriano**, Miguel

    2017-04-01

    In regions where the water availability limits the plant cover, biological soil crusts are especially essential in the development of an almost continuous living skin mediating the inputs and outputs across the soil surface boundary. However, the entire area is not covered equally and microbial communities from underlying soils might be influenced by biocrust type and the percentage of biocrust coverage. To clarify this question, we have collected underlying soils from biocrusts samples dominated by i) incipient colonization by cyanobacteria, ii) cyanobacteria, biocrusts formed by the lichens: iii) Diploschistes diacapsis and Squamarina lentigera and iv) Lepraria issidiata from Tabernas desert (southeast of Spain) so as to determine the differences in the microbial communities from these underlying soils at two extremes of its spatial distribution range: one with a high percentage of biocrust coverage and fewer degradation and other with a huge degradation and less percentage of biocrust coverage. DNA from these samples was isolated by using a commercial kit and it was taken as template for metagenomic analysis. We conducted a sequencing of the amplicons V4-V5 of the 16S rRNA gene with Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS) Illumina MiSeq platform and a relative quantity of bacteria and fungi were accomplished by quantitative qPCR of rRNA 16S and ITS1-5.8S, respectively. The high biocrust coverage position revealed the highest number of bacteria per gram of soil (1.64E+09 in L. issidiata, in 1.89E+09 D. diacapsis and S. lentigera, 1.63E+09 in cyanobacteria and 2.08E+09 in incipient colonization by cyanobacteria) whereas the less favourable position according to the percentage of biocrust coverage showed fewer amount (1.16E+09 in L. issidiata, 6.98E+08 in D. diacapsis and S. lentigera, 1.46E+09 in cyanobacteria and 7.92E+08 in incipient cyanobacteria biocrust). Similarly, the amount of fungi per gram of soil presented identical correlation ranging from the favourable position of biocrust cover (1.59E+12 in L. issidiata, in 1.19E+12 D. diacapsis and S. lentigera, 2.71E+12 in cyanobacteria and 2.15E+12 in incipient colonization by cyanobacteria) to the unfavourable state (8.94E+11 in L. issidiata, in 7.62E+11 D. diacapsis and S. lentigera, 1.30E+12 in cyanobacteria and 5.49E+11 in incipient cyanobacteria biocrust). Clearly, it is observed that the percentage of biocrusts coverage influences the number of bacteria and fungi in underlying biocrusts soils. Furthermore, metagenomic and statistical analysis displays the variability of microbial communities depending on the percentage of biocrusts coverage. Segetibacter (5.28%), Rubrobacter (3.12%) and Blastopirellulla (0.77%) tend to be present in advantageous state of biocrust coverage while Rubellimicrobium (1.17%), Arthrobacter (0.35%) and Gp16 (0.65%) lean towards the adverse positions. Our results concluded with the idea that different microorganisms have a tendency to be located at certain percentage of biocrust coverage, which playing an essential role in the maintenance of microbial communities structure in underlying soils. (*) Financial support by Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship (FP7-577 PEOPLE-2013-IEF, Proposal n° 623393) and (**) by the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (MINECO) cofinanced with FEDER funds (project CGL2015-71709-R) is acknowledged.

  6. Demand for prescription drugs under non-linear pricing in Medicare Part D.

    PubMed

    Jung, Kyoungrae; Feldman, Roger; McBean, A Marshall

    2014-03-01

    We estimate the price elasticity of prescription drug use in Medicare Part D, which features a non-linear price schedule due to a coverage gap. We analyze patterns of drug utilization prior to the coverage gap, where the "effective price" is higher than the actual copayment for drugs because consumers anticipate that more spending will make them more likely to reach the gap. We find that enrollees' total pre-gap drug spending is sensitive to their effective prices: the estimated price elasticity of drug spending ranges between [Formula: see text]0.14 and [Formula: see text]0.36. This finding suggests that filling in the coverage gap, as mandated by the health care reform legislation passed in 2010, will influence drug utilization prior to the gap. A simulation analysis indicates that closing the gap could increase Part D spending by a larger amount than projected, with additional pre-gap costs among those who do not hit the gap.

  7. The Implementation of Clay Modeling and Rat Dissection into the Human Anatomy and Physiology Curriculum of a Large Urban Community College

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haspel, Carol; Motoike, Howard K.; Lenchner, Erez

    2014-01-01

    After a considerable amount of research and experimentation, cat dissection was replaced with rat dissection and clay modeling in the human anatomy and physiology laboratory curricula at La Guardia Community College (LAGCC), a large urban community college of the City University of New York (CUNY). This article describes the challenges faculty…

  8. Internationalizing the Business School: Constructing Partnership between the Humanities and the Professions during an NEH Grant Project. Marketing Component.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marco, Gayle

    The addition of international concepts in the business school curriculum has been a major thrust of accrediting agencies and the profession at large. While marketers working within the United States have a vast amount of knowledge of their customers, many marketers are "fooled" by the notion that consumers in other countries are the same…

  9. Let's Reduce and Recycle: Curriculum for Solid Waste Awareness. Lesson Plans for Grades K-6 and 7-12. Revised.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Environmental Protection Agency, Washington, DC.

    The purpose of this guide is to educate young people about the problems associated with solid waste. The activities encourage them to think about options for reducing the amount of waste they generate and how they can help by recycling and learning about other waste management alternatives. The lesson plans deal specifically with garbage and…

  10. A Survey of Military Counseling Content and Curriculum among Council on Rehabilitation Education- and Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs-Accredited Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stebnicki, Mark A.; Clemmons-James, Dominiquie; Leierer, Stephen

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: To determine the amount, frequency, and type of course content related to military counseling issues in Council on Rehabilitation Education (CORE)- and Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs (CACREP)-accredited master's-level counselor education programs. Methods: A questionnaire was sent to all CORE- and…

  11. Bone protein “extractomics”: comparing the efficiency of bone protein extractions of Gallus gallus in tandem mass spectrometry, with an eye towards paleoproteomics

    PubMed Central

    DeHart, Caroline J.; Schweitzer, Mary H.; Thomas, Paul M.; Kelleher, Neil L.

    2016-01-01

    Proteomic studies of bone require specialized extraction protocols to demineralize and solubilize proteins from within the bone matrix. Although various protocols exist for bone protein recovery, little is known about how discrete steps in each protocol affect the subset of the bone proteome recovered by mass spectrometry (MS) analyses. Characterizing these different “extractomes” will provide critical data for development of novel and more efficient protein extraction methodologies for fossils. Here, we analyze 22 unique sub-extractions of chicken bone and directly compare individual extraction components for their total protein yield and diversity and coverage of bone proteins identified by MS. We extracted proteins using different combinations and ratios of demineralizing reagents, protein-solubilizing reagents, and post-extraction buffer removal methods, then evaluated tryptic digests from 20 µg aliquots of each fraction by tandem MS/MS on a 12T FT-ICR mass spectrometer. We compared total numbers of peptide spectral matches, peptides, and proteins identified from each fraction, the redundancy of protein identifications between discrete steps of extraction methods, and the sequence coverage obtained for select, abundant proteins. Although both alpha chains of collagen I (the most abundant protein in bone) were found in all fractions, other collagenous and non-collagenous proteins (e.g., apolipoprotein, osteonectin, hemoglobin) were differentially identified. We found that when a standardized amount of extracted proteins was analyzed, extraction steps that yielded the most protein (by weight) from bone were often not the ones that produced the greatest diversity of bone proteins, or the highest degree of protein coverage. Generally, the highest degrees of diversity and coverage were obtained from demineralization fractions, and the proteins found in the subsequent solubilization fractions were highly redundant with those in the previous fraction. Based on these data, we identify future directions and parameters to consider (e.g., proteins targeted, amount of sample required) when applying discrete parts of these protocols to fossils. PMID:27812413

  12. Metabolomics of Small Numbers of Cells: Metabolomic Profiling of 100, 1000, and 10000 Human Breast Cancer Cells.

    PubMed

    Luo, Xian; Li, Liang

    2017-11-07

    In cellular metabolomics, it is desirable to carry out metabolomic profiling using a small number of cells in order to save time and cost. In some applications (e.g., working with circulating tumor cells in blood), only a limited number of cells are available for analysis. In this report, we describe a method based on high-performance chemical isotope labeling (CIL) nanoflow liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (nanoLC-MS) for high-coverage metabolomic analysis of small numbers of cells (i.e., ≤10000 cells). As an example, 12 C-/ 13 C-dansyl labeling of the metabolites in lysates of 100, 1000, and 10000 MCF-7 breast cancer cells was carried out using a new labeling protocol tailored to handle small amounts of metabolites. Chemical-vapor-assisted ionization in a captivespray interface was optimized for improving metabolite ionization and increasing robustness of nanoLC-MS. Compared to microflow LC-MS, the nanoflow system provided much improved metabolite detectability with a significantly reduced sample amount required for analysis. Experimental duplicate analyses of biological triplicates resulted in the detection of 1620 ± 148, 2091 ± 89 and 2402 ± 80 (n = 6) peak pairs or metabolites in the amine/phenol submetabolome from the 12 C-/ 13 C-dansyl labeled lysates of 100, 1000, and 10000 cells, respectively. About 63-69% of these peak pairs could be either identified using dansyl labeled standard library or mass-matched to chemical structures in human metabolome databases. We envisage the routine applications of this method for high-coverage quantitative cellular metabolomics using a starting material of 10000 cells. Even for analyzing 100 or 1000 cells, although the metabolomic coverage is reduced from the maximal coverage, this method can still detect thousands of metabolites, allowing the analysis of a large fraction of the metabolome and focused analysis of the detectable metabolites.

  13. 5 CFR 842.109 - Continuation of coverage for former Federal employees of the Civilian Marksmanship Program.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... with the individual's retirement records. (d) The Corporation must withhold from the pay of an individual described by paragraph (a) of this section an amount equal to the percentage withheld from the pay... by the Department of Defense to support the Civilian Marksmanship Program as of the day before the...

  14. 5 CFR 890.111 - Continuation of eligibility for former Federal employees of the Civilian Marksmanship Program.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... pay of an individual described by paragraph (a) of this section an amount equal to the premiums withheld from the pay of a Federal employee for FEHB coverage and, in accordance with procedures... Department of Defense to support the Civilian Marksmanship Program as of the day before the date of the...

  15. Hard News/Soft News Content of the National Broadcast Networks.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Scott, David K.; Gobetz, Robert H.

    A study investigated whether the amount of "soft news" coverage for the three major American broadcast television networks increased during the period from 1972 to 1987. A total of 558 broadcasts were analyzed. Each news story was coded and placed into one of four categories concerning its timeliness and whether it was "hard"…

  16. 78 FR 52719 - Tax Credit for Employee Health Insurance Expenses of Small Employers

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-26

    ... Tax Credit for Employee Health Insurance Expenses of Small Employers AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service... Section 45R(a) provides for a health insurance tax credit in the case of an eligible small employer for... employee enrolled in health insurance coverage offered by the employer in an amount equal to a uniform...

  17. Comparing Textbook Coverage of Lean Management to Academic Research and Industry Practitioner Perceptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marley, Kathryn A.; Stodnick, T. Michael; Heyl, Jeff

    2013-01-01

    Within operations management courses, most instructors choose to devote classroom time to teaching the topic of lean management. However, because the amount of time available for instructors to devote to this topic varies considerably, there is a great deal of latitude on which specific lean tools and techniques should be discussed. The authors…

  18. 20 CFR 703.202 - Identification of significant gaps in State guaranty fund coverage for LHWCA obligations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... RELATED STATUTES INSURANCE REGULATIONS Insurance Carrier Security Deposit Requirements § 703.202... amount of a carrier's required security deposit, the Office will consider the extent to which a State... Internet at http://www.dol.gov/esa/owcp/dlhwc/lstable.htm. These findings will indicate the extent of any...

  19. 24 CFR 203.16a - Mortgagor and mortgagee requirement for maintaining flood insurance coverage.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... (NFIP) is available with respect to these property improvements, the mortgagor and mortgagee shall be obligated, by a special condition to be included in the mortgage commitment, to obtain and to maintain NFIP..., less estimated land costs, or the maximum amount of the NFIP insurance available with respect to the...

  20. 24 CFR 203.16a - Mortgagor and mortgagee requirement for maintaining flood insurance coverage.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... (NFIP) is available with respect to these property improvements, the mortgagor and mortgagee shall be obligated, by a special condition to be included in the mortgage commitment, to obtain and to maintain NFIP..., less estimated land costs, or the maximum amount of the NFIP insurance available with respect to the...

  1. 24 CFR 203.16a - Mortgagor and mortgagee requirement for maintaining flood insurance coverage.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... (NFIP) is available with respect to these property improvements, the mortgagor and mortgagee shall be obligated, by a special condition to be included in the mortgage commitment, to obtain and to maintain NFIP..., less estimated land costs, or the maximum amount of the NFIP insurance available with respect to the...

  2. 24 CFR 203.16a - Mortgagor and mortgagee requirement for maintaining flood insurance coverage.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... (NFIP) is available with respect to these property improvements, the mortgagor and mortgagee shall be obligated, by a special condition to be included in the mortgage commitment, to obtain and to maintain NFIP..., less estimated land costs, or the maximum amount of the NFIP insurance available with respect to the...

  3. 75 FR 49363 - Deposit Insurance Regulations; Permanent Increase in Standard Coverage Amount; Advertisement of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-13

    ... A. Section 330.1 Definitions The final rule revises the FDIC's deposit insurance rules (12 CFR Part... without rulemaking. B. Section 347.202 Definitions The final rule revises the FDIC's international banking... by the final rule. \\9\\ 12 U.S.C. 1821(a)(1)(E). The final rule merely conforms the FDIC's definition...

  4. LiDAR Point Cloud and Stereo Image Point Cloud Fusion

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-09-01

    LiDAR point cloud (right) highlighting linear edge features ideal for automatic registration...point cloud (right) highlighting linear edge features ideal for automatic registration. Areas where topography is being derived, unfortunately, do...with the least amount of automatic correlation errors was used. The following graphic (Figure 12) shows the coverage of the WV1 stereo triplet as

  5. Media Influence and its Effects on Military Operations

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1998-01-01

    when journalists spend significant amounts of time with Marine units at the company and platoon level. This results in more accurate reporting ...with the reporting process. 7. Under conditions of open coverage, field commanders will permit journalists to ride on military vehicles and...41 Report Documentation Page Form ApprovedOMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for

  6. The properties of the wood-polystyrene interphase determined by inverse gas chromatography

    Treesearch

    John Simonsen; Zhenqiu Hong; Timothy G. Rials

    1997-01-01

    The properties of the interphase in wood-polymer composites are important determinants of the properties of the final composite. This study used inverse gas chromatography (IGC) to measure interphasal properties of composites of polystyrene and two types of wood fiber fillers and an inoranic substrate (CW) with varying amounts of surface coverage of polystyrene. Glass...

  7. Exploring the role of curriculum materials to support teachers in science education reform

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schneider, Rebecca M.

    2001-07-01

    For curriculum materials to succeed in promoting large-scale science education reform, teacher learning must be supported. Materials were designed to reflect desired reforms and to be educative by including detailed lesson descriptions that addressed necessary content, pedagogy, and pedagogical content knowledge for teachers. The goal of this research was to describe how such materials contributed to classroom practices. As part of an urban systemic reform effort, four middle school teachers' initial enactment of an inquiry-based science unit on force and motion were videotaped. Enactments focused on five lesson sequences containing experiences with phenomena, investigation, technology use, or artifact development. Each sequence spanned three to five days across the 10-week unit. For each lesson sequence, intended and actual enactment were compared using ratings of (1) accuracy and completeness of science ideas presented, (2) amount student learning opportunities, similarity of learning opportunities with those intended, and quality of adaptations , and (3) amount of instructional supports offered, appropriateness of instructional supports and source of ideas for instructional supports. Ratings indicated two teachers' enactments were consistent with intentions and two teachers' enactments were not. The first two were in school contexts supportive of the reform. They purposefully used the materials to guide enactment, which tended to be consistent with standards-based reform. They provided students opportunities to use technology tools, design investigations, and discuss ideas. However, enactment ratings were less reflective of curriculum intent when challenges were greatest, such as when teachers attempted to present challenging science ideas, respond to students' ideas, structure investigations, guide small-group discussions, or make adaptations. Moreover, enactment ratings were less consistent in parts of lessons where materials did not include lesson specific educative supports for teachers. Overall, findings indicate curriculum materials that include detailed descriptions of lessons accompanied by educative features can help teachers with enactment. Therefore, design principles to improve materials to support teachers in reform are suggested. However, results also demonstrate materials alone are not sufficient to create intended enactments; reform efforts must include professional development in content and pedagogy and efforts to create systemic change in context and policy to support teacher learning and classroom enactment.

  8. Introducing Filters and Amplifiers Using a Two-Channel Light Organ

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zavrel, Erik; Sharpsteen, Eric

    2015-11-01

    In an era when many students carry iPods, iPhones, and iPads, physics teachers are realizing that in order to continue to inspire and convey the amazing things made possible by a few fundamental principles, they must expand laboratory coverage of electricity and circuits beyond the conventional staples of constructing series and parallel arrangements of light bulbs and confirming Kirchhoff's laws. Indeed, physics teachers are already incorporating smartphones into their laboratory activities in an effort to convey concepts in a more contemporary and relatable manner. As part of Cornell's Learning Initiative in Medicine and Bioengineering (CLIMB), we set out to design and implement an engaging curriculum to introduce high school physics students to filters and amplifiers.

  9. A short-term and long-term comparison of root coverage with an acellular dermal matrix and a subepithelial graft.

    PubMed

    Harris, Randall J

    2004-05-01

    Obtaining predictable and esthetic root coverage has become important. Unfortunately, there is only a limited amount of information available on the long-term results of root coverage procedures. The goal of this study was to evaluate the short-term and long-term root coverage results obtained with an acellular dermal matrix and a subepithelial graft. An a priori power analysis was done to determine that 25 was an adequate sample size for each group in this study. Twenty-five patients treated with either an acellular dermal matrix or a subepithelial graft for root coverage were included in this study. The short-term (mean 12.3 to 13.2 weeks) and long-term (mean 48.1 to 49.2 months) results were compared. Additionally, various factors were evaluated to determine whether they could affect the results. This study was a retrospective study of patients in a fee-for-service private periodontal practice. The patients were not randomly assigned to treatment groups. The mean root coverages for the short-term acellular dermal matrix (93.4%), short-term subepithelial graft (96.6%), and long-term subepithelial graft (97.0%) were statistically similar. All three were statistically greater than the long-term acellular dermal matrix mean root coverage (65.8%). Similar results were noted in the change in recession. There were smaller probing reductions and less of an increase in keratinized tissue with the acellular dermal matrix than the subepithelial graft. None of the factors evaluated resulted in the acellular dermal graft having a statistically significant better result than the subepithelial graft. However, in long-term cases where multiple defects were treated with an acellular dermal matrix, the mean root coverage (70.8%) was greater than the mean root coverage in long-term cases where a single defect was treated with an acellular dermal matrix (50.0%). The mean results with the subepithelial graft held up with time better than the mean results with an acellular dermal matrix. However, the results were not universal. In 32.0% of the cases treated with an acellular dermal matrix, the results improved or remained stable with time.

  10. AccessMod 3.0: computing geographic coverage and accessibility to health care services using anisotropic movement of patients

    PubMed Central

    Ray, Nicolas; Ebener, Steeve

    2008-01-01

    Background Access to health care can be described along four dimensions: geographic accessibility, availability, financial accessibility and acceptability. Geographic accessibility measures how physically accessible resources are for the population, while availability reflects what resources are available and in what amount. Combining these two types of measure into a single index provides a measure of geographic (or spatial) coverage, which is an important measure for assessing the degree of accessibility of a health care network. Results This paper describes the latest version of AccessMod, an extension to the Geographical Information System ArcView 3.×, and provides an example of application of this tool. AccessMod 3 allows one to compute geographic coverage to health care using terrain information and population distribution. Four major types of analysis are available in AccessMod: (1) modeling the coverage of catchment areas linked to an existing health facility network based on travel time, to provide a measure of physical accessibility to health care; (2) modeling geographic coverage according to the availability of services; (3) projecting the coverage of a scaling-up of an existing network; (4) providing information for cost effectiveness analysis when little information about the existing network is available. In addition to integrating travelling time, population distribution and the population coverage capacity specific to each health facility in the network, AccessMod can incorporate the influence of landscape components (e.g. topography, river and road networks, vegetation) that impact travelling time to and from facilities. Topographical constraints can be taken into account through an anisotropic analysis that considers the direction of movement. We provide an example of the application of AccessMod in the southern part of Malawi that shows the influences of the landscape constraints and of the modes of transportation on geographic coverage. Conclusion By incorporating the demand (population) and the supply (capacities of heath care centers), AccessMod provides a unifying tool to efficiently assess the geographic coverage of a network of health care facilities. This tool should be of particular interest to developing countries that have a relatively good geographic information on population distribution, terrain, and health facility locations. PMID:19087277

  11. Built to Last: Curricular Planning to Stand the Test of Time

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clark, J. J.; Knudsen, A.; Bjornerud, M.

    2007-12-01

    At Lawrence University rapid, wholesale personnel changes allowed us the unique opportunity to completely rethink our curriculum in 2000. The major challenge that we faced was how to offer a curriculum that reflects the growing interdisciplinarity and complexity of the geosciences with a relatively small faculty (three members). We addressed this issue by identifying the essential elements of a geoscience program and reconciled these with our own priorities, strengths, potentials, and limitations. We then built the strongest possible program given these resources and constraints. As new faculty members were hired, we deliberately sought out versatile, flexible candidates whose training embraced several sub-disciplines. As we discussed the skills and concepts we considered essential for geology students and assessed the expertise of our faculty, we concluded that for us the most efficient curricular framework would emphasize 1) fundamental processes that drive Earth systems and 2) connections with cognate sciences. This shift in focus also has allowed us to serve the interdisciplinary Environmental studies curriculum in an integral way, without undercutting the department's own mission. There are serious challenges to departments looking to change their core curriculum. Resistance to change can come from both within departments and through external entities. Because all of our faculty were new to Lawrence, we faced no internal resistance. However, we have faced some challenges in explaining our major to "old school" alumni, emeriti, and to some graduate programs who note the lack of specific course titles on student transcripts. We also have found the need to make adjustments to our initial curricular redesign to effectively cover topics such as optical mineralogy and sedimentology and stratigraphy. Finding appropriate textbooks for our courses continues to pose a problem. Despite these challenges, we are very positive about the student response to our changes. Enrollments in our courses are up almost 20% and we see an increasing number of students from other sciences in our upper level classes. Although the number of majors has not changed significantly, we have noticed that more of our majors are attending graduate school or finding employment in the geosciences. As the scope of the geosciences grows and the boundaries between disciplines blurs, there is no longer any possibility of `comprehensive coverage' in the undergraduate curriculum. We do not consider our curriculum a universally applicable template. But we do believe that leading geoscience programs of the future will emerge from departments that identify their priorities, know their strengths, and construct their curricula based upon these intellectual foundations.

  12. Cross-subsidization in the market for employment-related health insurance.

    PubMed

    Monheit, A C; Selden, T M

    2000-12-01

    This paper uses data from the 1987 National Medical Expenditure Survey to examine the nature of equilibrium in the market for employment-related health insurance. We examine coverage generosity, premiums, and insurance benefits net of expenditures on premiums, showing that despite a degree of market segmentation, there was a substantial amount of pooling of heterogeneous risks in 1987 among households with employment-related coverage. Our results are largely invariant to (i) firm size and (ii) whether or not employers offer a choice among plans. Our results suggest the need for caution concerning incremental reforms that would weaken the link between employment and insurance without substituting alternative institutions for the pooling of risks. Copyright 2000 Published in 2000 by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

  13. Disparity in Dental Out-of-Pocket Payments Among Older Adult Populations: A Comparative Analysis Across Selected European Countries and the United States

    PubMed Central

    Manski, Richard; Moeller, John; Chen, Haiyan; Widström, Eeva; Listl, Stefan

    2017-01-01

    Background The current study addresses the extent to which diversity exists in dental out-of-pocket payments across population subgroups within and between the United States and selected European countries. This represents the final paper in a series in which the previous 2 papers addressed diversity in dental coverage and dental utilization, respectively, using similar data and methods. Method We use 2006/2007 HRS and 2004-2006 SHARE data for respondents aged 51 years and older. We estimated the impacts of dental care coverage and demographic, socioeconomic, and health status on the likelihood and amount of dental out of pocket payments. Results Our findings show that older persons with the least education, lowest income, and worst health are most likely to pay nothing out of pocket (OOP) for their dental care and for persons with a payment OOP increase with income and education and are greater for persons who are uninsured, and in fair or poor health. These results were found in the USA but were not consistently found in the 10 European countries we studied. Conclusions European countries classified by social welfare state or presence of social health insurance (SHI) had no effect on the likelihood of making payments out of pocket for dental care nor, when OOP payments were made, on the amounts paid. Variation in generosity of coverage and procedures reimbursed by insurance, even within SHI countries, as well as differing needs, tastes and access to care across countries, contribute to this finding. PMID:28213893

  14. Autism and thimerosal-containing vaccines: lack of consistent evidence for an association.

    PubMed

    Stehr-Green, Paul; Tull, Peet; Stellfeld, Michael; Mortenson, Preben-Bo; Simpson, Diane

    2003-08-01

    In 1999, concerns were raised that vaccines containing the preservative Thimerosal might increase the risk of autism and/or other neurodevelopmental disorders. Between the mid-1980s through the late-1990s, we compared the prevalence/incidence of autism in California, Sweden, and Denmark with average exposures to Thimerosal-containing vaccines. Graphic ecologic analyses were used to examine population-based data from the United States (national immunization coverage surveys and counts of children diagnosed with autism-like disorders seeking special education services in California); Sweden (national inpatient data on autism cases, national vaccination coverage levels, and information on use of all vaccines and vaccine-specific amounts of Thimerosal); and Denmark (national registry of inpatient/outpatient-diagnosed autism cases, national vaccination coverage levels, and information on use of all vaccines and vaccine-specific amounts of Thimerosal). In all three countries, the incidence and prevalence of autism-like disorders began to rise in the 1985-1989 period, and the rate of increase accelerated in the early 1990s. However, in contrast to the situation in the United States, where the average Thimerosal dose from vaccines increased throughout the 1990s, Thimerosal exposures from vaccines in both Sweden and Denmark-already low throughout the 1970s and 1980s-began to decrease in the late 1980s and were eliminated in the early 1990s. The body of existing data, including the ecologic data presented herein, is not consistent with the hypothesis that increased exposure to Thimerosal-containing vaccines is responsible for the apparent increase in the rates of autism in young children being observed worldwide.

  15. Chiropractic curriculum mapping and congruence of the evidence for workplace interventions in work-related neck pain

    PubMed Central

    Frutiger, Martin; Tuchin, Peter Jeffery

    2017-01-01

    Objective: The purpose of this study was to provide a best-synthesis summary of the literature for effective workplace health promotion interventions (WHPI) for work-related mechanical neck pain (MNP) and to determine the congruence between knowledge of WHPI for work-related MNP and coverage of MNP in the chiropractic postgraduate program at Macquarie University. Methods: A literature review was undertaken to determine effective WHPI for work-related MNP. We searched Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PEDro (from 1991 to 2016) for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The PRISMA (2009) 27-item checklist was used to critically appraise included articles. Lectures, tutorials, and assessment tasks within the chiropractic postgraduate program were mapped to the literature review findings and analyzed. Results: There was moderate-quality evidence for multidimensional WHPI, including aspects of mental and physical functioning, activity performance and modifications, and environmental modifications, to reduce MNP and disability in workers, particularly in the long term. Education on coverage of MNP and effective WHPI for MNP was inadequately covered although congruent with synthesis of current literature. Education on body functions and structures and personal factors were the most commonly covered components. Conclusion: Multidimensional WHPI, focusing on physical, mental, and environmental modifications, appear to reduce self-reported MNP primarily in office workers. There is adequate congruence between the chiropractic postgraduate program at Macquarie University and the published literature on some WHPI. However, there is inadequate coverage on aspects of MNP and effective WHPI for MNP, particularly those focusing on activity and participation and environmental factors. PMID:28742974

  16. Chiropractic curriculum mapping and congruence of the evidence for workplace interventions in work-related neck pain.

    PubMed

    Frutiger, Martin; Tuchin, Peter Jeffery

    2017-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to provide a best-synthesis summary of the literature for effective workplace health promotion interventions (WHPI) for work-related mechanical neck pain (MNP) and to determine the congruence between knowledge of WHPI for work-related MNP and coverage of MNP in the chiropractic postgraduate program at Macquarie University. A literature review was undertaken to determine effective WHPI for work-related MNP. We searched Cochrane Library, PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and PEDro (from 1991 to 2016) for systematic reviews and meta-analyses. The PRISMA (2009) 27-item checklist was used to critically appraise included articles. Lectures, tutorials, and assessment tasks within the chiropractic postgraduate program were mapped to the literature review findings and analyzed. There was moderate-quality evidence for multidimensional WHPI, including aspects of mental and physical functioning, activity performance and modifications, and environmental modifications, to reduce MNP and disability in workers, particularly in the long term. Education on coverage of MNP and effective WHPI for MNP was inadequately covered although congruent with synthesis of current literature. Education on body functions and structures and personal factors were the most commonly covered components. Multidimensional WHPI, focusing on physical, mental, and environmental modifications, appear to reduce self-reported MNP primarily in office workers. There is adequate congruence between the chiropractic postgraduate program at Macquarie University and the published literature on some WHPI. However, there is inadequate coverage on aspects of MNP and effective WHPI for MNP, particularly those focusing on activity and participation and environmental factors.

  17. Is the Physical Being Taken out of Physical Education? On the Possible Effects of High-Stakes Testing on an Embattled Profession's Curriculum Goals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seymour, Clancy; Garrison, Mark

    2015-01-01

    Building on recent discussions regarding how current national standards for physical education promote cognitive outcomes over physical outcomes, the authors explore how a new era in high-stakes testing is also contributing to an emphasis on the cognitive, over the physical. While high-stakes testing has been linked to reducing the amount of…

  18. Curriculum Change Part 2a. Programme Development in Colleges. Part 2a: The Work Activities of Teachers on TEC Certificate Programmes.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dodd, S.; And Others

    A study examined the day-to-day work activities of teachers of Technician Education Council (TEC) certificate programs in Great Britain. During the study, a detailed questionnaire dealing with the tasks performed by TEC teachers, the amount of time spent on TEC teachers on individual activities, and the impact of the TEC programs on teacher…

  19. An Exploratory Study of the United States Naval Academy Engineering Curriculum

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-06-01

    research was conducted in an entirely quantitative fashion. There is a large amount of qualitative data that was not analyzed. These data are from the... qualitative assessment of the Naval Academy’s engineering program, and would be an excellent opportunity for future research . Overall, the results of...California: Sage Publications. Patton, M. Q. (1987). How to Use Qualitative Methods in Evaluation. California: Sage Publications. 89

  20. Sun Exposure, Shade and Vitamin D: A Practical Activity for the Australian Climate and Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Turnbull, David; Parisi, Alfio; Downs, Nathan

    2010-01-01

    Australia has one of the highest rates of incidence and mortality due to skin cancer in the world. Exposure to the sun also has a beneficial side. The beneficial effects are relatively few, but they are essential to a person's well being. It is well known that exposure to small amounts of UV radiation are beneficial for the human body and…

  1. Student approaches for learning in medicine: what does it tell us about the informal curriculum?

    PubMed

    Zhang, Jianzhen; Peterson, Raymond F; Ozolins, Ieva Z

    2011-10-21

    It has long been acknowledged that medical students frequently focus their learning on that which will enable them to pass examinations, and that they use a range of study approaches and resources in preparing for their examinations. A recent qualitative study identified that in addition to the formal curriculum, students are using a range of resources and study strategies which could be attributed to the informal curriculum. What is not clearly established is the extent to which these informal learning resources and strategies are utilized by medical students. The aim of this study was to establish the extent to which students in a graduate-entry medical program use various learning approaches to assist their learning and preparation for examinations, apart from those resources offered as part of the formal curriculum. A validated survey instrument was administered to 522 medical students. Factor analysis and internal consistence, descriptive analysis and comparisons with demographic variables were completed. The factor analysis identified eight scales with acceptable levels of internal consistency with an alpha coefficient between 0.72 and 0.96. Nearly 80% of the students reported that they were overwhelmed by the amount of work that was perceived necessary to complete the formal curriculum, with 74.3% believing that the informal learning approaches helped them pass the examinations. 61.3% believed that they prepared them to be good doctors. A variety of informal learning activities utilized by students included using past student notes (85.8%) and PBL tutor guides (62.7%), and being part of self-organised study groups (62.6%), and peer-led tutorials (60.2%). Almost all students accessed the formal school resources for at least 10% of their study time. Students in the first year of the program were more likely to rely on the formal curriculum resources compared to those of Year 2 (p = 0.008). Curriculum planners should examine the level of use of informal learning activities in their schools, and investigate whether this is to enhance student progress, a result of perceived weakness in the delivery and effectiveness of formal resources, or to overcome anxiety about the volume of work expected by medical programs.

  2. Amount of Genetics Education is Low Among Didactic Programs in Dietetics.

    PubMed

    Beretich, Kaitlan; Pope, Janet; Erickson, Dawn; Kennedy, Angela

    2017-01-01

    Nutritional genomics is a growing area of research. Research has shown registered dietitian nutritionists (RDNs) have limited knowledge of genetics. Limited research is available regarding how didactic programs in dietetics (DPDs) meet the genetics knowledge requirement of the Accreditation Council for Education in Nutrition and Dietetics (ACEND®). The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which the study of nutritional genomics is incorporated into undergraduate DPDs in response to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics position statement on nutritional genomics. The sample included 62 DPD directors in the U.S. Most programs (63.9%) reported the ACEND genetics knowledge requirement was being met by integrating genetic information into the current curriculum. However, 88.7% of programs reported devoting only 1-10 clock hours to genetics education. While 60.3% of directors surveyed reported they were confident in their program's ability to teach information related to genetics, only 6 directors reported having specialized training in genetics. The overall amount of clock hours devoted to genetics education is low. DPD directors, faculty, and instructors are not adequately trained to provide this education to students enrolled in DPDs. Therefore, the primary recommendation of this study is the development of a standardized curriculum for genetics education in DPDs.

  3. Medical school curriculum characteristics associated with intentions and frequency of tobacco dependence treatment among 3rd year U.S. medical students

    PubMed Central

    Hayes, Rashelle B.; Geller, Alan C.; Crawford, Sybil L.; Jolicoeur, Denise; Churchill, Linda C.; Okuyemi, Kola; David, Sean P.; Adams, Michael; Waugh, Jonathan; Allen, Sharon S.; Leone, Frank T.; Fauver, Randy; Leung, Katherine; Liu, Qin; Ockene, Judith K.

    2015-01-01

    Objective Physicians play a critical role in addressing tobacco dependence, yet report limited training. Tobacco dependence treatment curricula for medical students could improve performance in this area. This study identified student and medical school tobacco treatment curricula characteristics associated with intentions and use of the 5As for tobacco treatment among 3rd year U.S. medical students. Methods Third year medical students (N=1065, 49.3% male) from 10 U.S. medical schools completed a survey in 2009-2010 assessing student characteristics, including demographics, tobacco treatment knowledge, and self-efficacy. Tobacco curricula characteristics assessed included amount and type of classroom instruction, frequency of tobacco treatment observation, instruction, and perception of preceptors as role models. Results Greater tobacco treatment knowledge, self-efficacy, and curriculum-specific variables were associated with 5A intentions, while younger age, tobacco treatment self-efficacy, intentions, and each curriculum-specific variable was associated with greater 5A behaviors. When controlling for important student variables, greater frequency of receiving 5A instruction (OR = 1.07; 95%CI 1.01-1.12) and perception of preceptors as excellent role models in tobacco treatment (OR = 1.35; 95%CI 1.04-1.75) were significant curriculum predictors of 5A intentions. Greater 5A instruction (B = .06 (.03); p< .05) and observation of tobacco treatment (B= .35 (.02); p< .001) were significant curriculum predictors of greater 5A behaviors. Conclusions Greater exposure to tobacco treatment teaching during medical school is associated with both greater intentions to use and practice tobacco 5As. Clerkship preceptors, or those physicians who provide training to medical students, may be particularly influential when they personally model and instruct students in tobacco dependence treatment. PMID:25572623

  4. Bayesian network meta-analysis of root coverage procedures: ranking efficacy and identification of best treatment.

    PubMed

    Buti, Jacopo; Baccini, Michela; Nieri, Michele; La Marca, Michele; Pini-Prato, Giovan P

    2013-04-01

    The aim of this work was to conduct a Bayesian network meta-analysis (NM) of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to establish a ranking in efficacy and the best technique for coronally advanced flap (CAF)-based root coverage procedures. A literature search on PubMed, Cochrane libraries, EMBASE, and hand-searched journals until June 2012 was conducted to identify RCTs on treatments of Miller Class I and II gingival recessions with at least 6 months of follow-up. The treatment outcomes were recession reduction (RecRed), clinical attachment gain (CALgain), keratinized tissue gain (KTgain), and complete root coverage (CRC). Twenty-nine studies met the inclusion criteria, 20 of which were classified as at high risk of bias. The CAF+connective tissue graft (CTG) combination ranked highest in effectiveness for RecRed (Probability of being the best = 40%) and CALgain (Pr = 33%); CAF+enamel matrix derivative (EMD) was slightly better for CRC; CAF+Collagen Matrix (CM) appeared effective for KTgain (Pr = 69%). Network inconsistency was low for all outcomes excluding CALgain. CAF+CTG might be considered the gold standard in root coverage procedures. The low amount of inconsistency gives support to the reliability of the present findings. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  5. Stereoselectivity in catalytic reactions: CO oxidation on Pd(100) by rotationally aligned O2 molecules

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vattuone, L.; Gerbi, A.; Savio, L.; Cappelletti, D.; Pirani, F.; Rocca, M.

    2010-05-01

    We report on stereodynamical effects in heterogeneous catalytic reactions as measured by molecular beam-surface experiments. Specifically for CO oxidation on Pd(100) we find that the rotational alignment of the incoming O2 at low (Θ = 0.04 ML) and at intermediate (ΘCO = 0.17 ML) CO pre-coverage, causes a higher reactivity of molecules in high and in low helicity states, respectively (corresponding to helicoptering and cartwheeling motion of O2). In first approximation, at low CO pre-coverage the difference in reactivity is determined by the different location of the O atoms generated in the dissociation process by the different parent molecules, while at intermediate CO pre-coverage the reactivity is influenced also by the different ability of cartwheeling and helicoptering O2 to penetrate through the CO adlayer. In accord with this the total amount of CO2 produced is always largest for helicopters which generate supersurface O atoms at least in the low CO pre-coverage limit. A deeper inspection of the data indicates, however, that the dynamics is more complex, two different pathways being present for the reaction with O generated by helicopters and one for O generated by cartwheels. Moreover, cartwheels generated oxygen influences the reactivity of subsequently arriving helicopters.

  6. A landscape analysis of universal health coverage for mothers and children in South Asia.

    PubMed

    Scammell, Katy; Noble, Douglas J; Rasanathan, Kumanan; O'Connell, Thomas; Ahmed, Aishath Shahula; Begkoyian, Genevieve; Goldner, Tania; Jayatissa, Renuka; Kuppens, Lianne; Raaijmakers, Hendrikus; Simbeye, Isabel Vashti; Varkey, Sherin; Chopra, Mickey

    2016-01-01

    The United Nations made universal health coverage (UHC) a key health goal in 2012 and it is one of the Sustainable Development Goals' targets. This analysis focuses on UHC for mothers and children in the 8 countries of South Asia. A high level overview of coverage of selected maternal, newborn and child health services, equity, quality of care and financial risk protection is presented. Common barriers countries face in achieving UHC are discussed and solutions explored. In countries of South Asia, except Bhutan and Maldives, between 42% and 67% of spending on health comes from out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) and government expenditure does not align with political aspirations. Even where reported coverage of services is good, quality of care is often low and the poorest fare worst. There are strong examples of ongoing successes in countries such as Bhutan, the Maldives and Sri Lanka. Related to this success are factors such as lower OOPE and higher spending on health. To make progress in achieving UHC, financial and non-financial barriers to accessing and receiving high-quality healthcare need to be reduced, the amount of investment in essential health services needs to be increased and allocation of resources must disproportionately benefit the poorest.

  7. A landscape analysis of universal health coverage for mothers and children in South Asia

    PubMed Central

    Scammell, Katy; Noble, Douglas J; Rasanathan, Kumanan; O'Connell, Thomas; Ahmed, Aishath Shahula; Begkoyian, Genevieve; Goldner, Tania; Jayatissa, Renuka; Kuppens, Lianne; Raaijmakers, Hendrikus; Simbeye, Isabel Vashti; Varkey, Sherin; Chopra, Mickey

    2016-01-01

    The United Nations made universal health coverage (UHC) a key health goal in 2012 and it is one of the Sustainable Development Goals' targets. This analysis focuses on UHC for mothers and children in the 8 countries of South Asia. A high level overview of coverage of selected maternal, newborn and child health services, equity, quality of care and financial risk protection is presented. Common barriers countries face in achieving UHC are discussed and solutions explored. In countries of South Asia, except Bhutan and Maldives, between 42% and 67% of spending on health comes from out-of-pocket expenditure (OOPE) and government expenditure does not align with political aspirations. Even where reported coverage of services is good, quality of care is often low and the poorest fare worst. There are strong examples of ongoing successes in countries such as Bhutan, the Maldives and Sri Lanka. Related to this success are factors such as lower OOPE and higher spending on health. To make progress in achieving UHC, financial and non-financial barriers to accessing and receiving high-quality healthcare need to be reduced, the amount of investment in essential health services needs to be increased and allocation of resources must disproportionately benefit the poorest. PMID:28588912

  8. Soil respiration and carbon responses to logging debris and competing vegetation

    Treesearch

    Robert A. Slesak; Stephen H. Schoenholtz; Timothy B. Harrington

    2010-01-01

    Management practices following forest harvesting that modify organic matter (OM) inputs and influence changes in the soil environment have the potential to alter soil C pools, but there is still much uncertainty regarding how these practices influence soil C flux. We examined the influence of varying amounts of logging-debris retention (0, 40, and 80% coverage) and...

  9. 75 FR 29555 - Medicare Program; Medicare Coverage Gap Discount Program Model Manufacturer Agreement and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-05-26

    ... Center Hotel, 101 West Fayette Street, Baltimore, MD 21201. Registration and Special Accommodations... percent of the Part D negotiated price for covered Part D claims above the ICL until their TrOOP costs... of an amount equal to the negotiated price (as defined in section 1860D- 14A(g)(6) of the Act...

  10. 5 CFR 831.206 - Continuation of coverage for former Federal employees of the Civilian Marksmanship Program.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... individual's retirement records. (d) The Corporation must withhold from the pay of an individual described by paragraph (a) of this section an amount equal to the percentage withheld from the pay of a Federal employee... support the Civilian Marksmanship Program as of the day before the date of the transfer of the Program to...

  11. Differences in Television Sports Reporting of Men's and Women's Athletics: ESPN SportsCenter and CNN Sports Tonight.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tuggle, C. A.

    1997-01-01

    Examines the amount of coverage given to women's athletics by ESPN SportsCenter and CNN Sports Tonight. Results indicated: both programs devoted only about 5% of their air time to women's sports; story placement and on-camera comments indicated an emphasis on men's athletics; and stories about women involved individual competition, with almost no…

  12. An Evaluation of "Choice" as a Selection Tool in the Field of Western History.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boisvert, Marianne

    A study was undertaken to determine the extent to which "Choice" provides librarians with an adequate evaluation of the best books in the field of western American history in a reasonable amount of time. To assess the overall coverage, the titles of all the books reviewed in "Western Historical Quarterly" from 1970 to 1974 were searched in…

  13. Our Neglected Neighbors: How the U.S. News Magazines Covered Latin America in 1977.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cline, Carolyn Garrett

    An examination of the coverage of Latin America during 1977 by "Newsweek,""Time," and "U.S. News and World Report" was undertaken to compare the number of stories and the amount of space devoted to that region with that afforded other areas of the world. The results showed that of the major areas of the world, only…

  14. Grand Tour outer planet missions definition phase. Part 1: Quantitative imaging of the outer planets and their satellites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Belton, M. J. S.; Aksnes, K.; Davies, M. E.; Hartmann, W. K.; Millis, R. L.; Owen, T. C.; Reilly, T. H.; Sagan, C.; Suomi, V. E.; Collins, S. A., Jr.

    1972-01-01

    A recommended imaging system is outlined for use aboard the Outer Planet Grand Tour Explorer. The system features the high angular resolution capacity necessary to accommodate large encounter distances, and to satisfy the demand for a reasonable amount of time coverage. Specifications for all components within the system are provided in detail.

  15. Tracking and data systems support for the Helios project. Volume 3: DSN support of Project Helios May 1976 - June 1977

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Goodwin, P. S.; Jensen, W. N.; Flanagan, F. M.

    1979-01-01

    Spacecraft extended mission coverage does not generally carry a high priority, but Helios was fortunate in that a combination of separated viewperiods and unique utilization of the STDN Goldstone antenna have provided a considerable amount of additional science data return, particularly at key times such a perihelion and/or solar occultation.

  16. International News in the Canadian and American Press: A Comparative News Flow Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sparkes, Vernone M.; Robinson, Gertrude Joch

    This study tested the power of "elite nation" factors (trade, population, and gross national product) to predict the amount of foreign news coverage for specific countries. A composite week for the first quarter of 1975 was randomly drawn, and ten Canadian and twenty-nine United States newspapers were coded for all news items reported on…

  17. Effect of Sulfuric Acid on the Uptake of Sulfur Dioxide on Soot

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Slowik, J. G.; Koehler, B. G.

    2001-05-01

    The uptake of SO2 on soot may lead to the formation of sulfuric acid on the soot. The sulfuric acid then can affect the further uptake of SO2 on the soot. We are interested in the effect of submonolayer H2SO4 on the uptake of SO2. We measured the uptake of SO2 on n-hexane soot as a function SO2 pressure (10-7 to 10-4 Torr) and sulfuric acid coverage between -140\\deg and -120\\deg C. We generate sulfuric acid by adsorbing varying amounts of SO3 on soot, covering the SO3 with a thick layer of condensed H2O, and heating to 193 K to react the SO3 and H2O and to remove the excess H2O. The sulfuric acid coverage is in the range of monolayer or sub-monolayer. Adsorption of SO2 on soot with and without the sulfuric acid shows that the acid reduces the SO2 uptake by a factor of two or more. Varying the amount of acid has little effect on uptake. However, increasing the thickness of the soot substrate causes a significant increase in SO2 uptake.

  18. A Cohort Analysis of Postbariatric Panniculectomy--Current Trends in Surgeon Reimbursement.

    PubMed

    Aherrera, Andrew S; Pandya, Sonal N

    2016-01-01

    The overall number of patients undergoing body contouring procedures after massive weight loss (MWL) has progressively increased over the past decade. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the charges and reimbursements for panniculectomy after MWL at a large academic institution in Massachusetts. A retrospective review was performed and included all identifiable panniculectomy procedures performed at our institution between January 2008 and January 2014. The annual number of patients undergoing panniculectomy, the type of insurance coverage and reimbursement method of each patient, and the amounts billed and reimbursed were evaluated. During our study period, 114 patients underwent a medically necessary panniculectomy as a result of MWL. The average surgeon fee billed was $3496 ± $704 and the average amount reimbursed was $1271 ± $589. Ten cases (8.8%) had no reimbursements, 31 cases (21.8%) reimbursed less than $1000, 66 cases (57.9%) reimbursed between $1000 and $2000, and no cases reimbursed the full amount billed. When evaluated by type of insurance coverage, collection ratios were 37.4% ± 17.4% overall, 41.7% ± 16.4% for private insurance, and 24.0% ± 13.0% for Medicare/Medicaid insurance (P < 0.001). Reimbursements for panniculectomy are remarkably low, and in many instances, absent, despite obtaining previous preauthorization of medical necessity. Although panniculectomy is associated with improvements in quality of life and high levels of patient satisfaction, poor physician reimbursement for this labor intensive procedure may preclude access to appropriate care required by the MWL patient population.

  19. Increasing Genome Sampling and Improving SNP Genotyping for Genotyping-by-Sequencing with New Combinations of Restriction Enzymes.

    PubMed

    Fu, Yong-Bi; Peterson, Gregory W; Dong, Yibo

    2016-04-07

    Genotyping-by-sequencing (GBS) has emerged as a useful genomic approach for exploring genome-wide genetic variation. However, GBS commonly samples a genome unevenly and can generate a substantial amount of missing data. These technical features would limit the power of various GBS-based genetic and genomic analyses. Here we present software called IgCoverage for in silico evaluation of genomic coverage through GBS with an individual or pair of restriction enzymes on one sequenced genome, and report a new set of 21 restriction enzyme combinations that can be applied to enhance GBS applications. These enzyme combinations were developed through an application of IgCoverage on 22 plant, animal, and fungus species with sequenced genomes, and some of them were empirically evaluated with different runs of Illumina MiSeq sequencing in 12 plant species. The in silico analysis of 22 organisms revealed up to eight times more genome coverage for the new combinations consisted of pairing four- or five-cutter restriction enzymes than the commonly used enzyme combination PstI + MspI. The empirical evaluation of the new enzyme combination (HinfI + HpyCH4IV) in 12 plant species showed 1.7-6 times more genome coverage than PstI + MspI, and 2.3 times more genome coverage in dicots than monocots. Also, the SNP genotyping in 12 Arabidopsis and 12 rice plants revealed that HinfI + HpyCH4IV generated 7 and 1.3 times more SNPs (with 0-16.7% missing observations) than PstI + MspI, respectively. These findings demonstrate that these novel enzyme combinations can be utilized to increase genome sampling and improve SNP genotyping in various GBS applications. Copyright © 2016 Fu et al.

  20. Funding, coverage, and access under Thailand's universal health insurance program: an update after ten years.

    PubMed

    Damrongplasit, Kannika; Melnick, Glenn

    2015-04-01

    In 2001, Thailand implemented a universal coverage program by expanding government-funded health coverage to uninsured citizens and limited their out-of-pocket payments to 30 Baht per encounter and, in 2006, eliminated out-of-pocket payments entirely. Prior research covering the early years of the program showed that the program effectively expanded coverage while a more recent paper of the early effects of the program found that improved access from the program led to a reduction in infant mortality. We expand and update previous analyses of the effects of the 30 Baht program on access and out-of-pocket payments. We analyze national survey and governmental budgeting data through 2011 to examine trends in health care financing, coverage and access, including out-of-pocket payments. By 2011, only 1.64 % of the population remained uninsured in Thailand (down from 2.61 % in 2009). While government funding increased 75 % between 2005 and 2010, budgetary requests by health care providers exceeded approved amounts in many years. The 30 Baht program beneficiaries paid zero out-of-pocket payments for both outpatient and inpatient care. Inpatient and outpatient contact rates across all insurance categories fell slightly over time. Overall, the statistical results suggest that the program is continuing to achieve its goals after 10 years of operation. Insurance coverage is now virtually universal, access has been more or less maintained, government funding has continued to grow, though at rates below requested levels and 30 Baht patients are still guaranteed access to care with limited or no out-of-pocket costs. Important issues going forward are the ability of the government to sustain continued funding increases while minimizing cost sharing.

  1. The minimal amount of starting DNA for Agilent’s hybrid capture-based targeted massively parallel sequencing

    PubMed Central

    Chung, Jongsuk; Son, Dae-Soon; Jeon, Hyo-Jeong; Kim, Kyoung-Mee; Park, Gahee; Ryu, Gyu Ha; Park, Woong-Yang; Park, Donghyun

    2016-01-01

    Targeted capture massively parallel sequencing is increasingly being used in clinical settings, and as costs continue to decline, use of this technology may become routine in health care. However, a limited amount of tissue has often been a challenge in meeting quality requirements. To offer a practical guideline for the minimum amount of input DNA for targeted sequencing, we optimized and evaluated the performance of targeted sequencing depending on the input DNA amount. First, using various amounts of input DNA, we compared commercially available library construction kits and selected Agilent’s SureSelect-XT and KAPA Biosystems’ Hyper Prep kits as the kits most compatible with targeted deep sequencing using Agilent’s SureSelect custom capture. Then, we optimized the adapter ligation conditions of the Hyper Prep kit to improve library construction efficiency and adapted multiplexed hybrid selection to reduce the cost of sequencing. In this study, we systematically evaluated the performance of the optimized protocol depending on the amount of input DNA, ranging from 6.25 to 200 ng, suggesting the minimal input DNA amounts based on coverage depths required for specific applications. PMID:27220682

  2. Assessing family planning service-delivery skills in Kenya.

    PubMed

    Valadez, J J; Transgrud, R; Mbugua, M; Smith, T

    1997-06-01

    This report demonstrates the use of Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) to evaluate the technical competence of two cohorts of family planning service providers in Kenya trained with a new curriculum. One cohort had just finished training within two months of the study. The other cohort was the first group trained with the new curriculum about one year before the study. LQAS was adapted from industrial and other public health applications to assess both the individual competence of 30 service providers and the competence of each cohort. Results show that Cohorts One and Two did not differ markedly in the number of tasks needing improvement. However, both cohorts exhibited more tasks needing improvement in counseling skills as compared with physical examination skills or with all other skills. Care-givers who were not currently providing services accounted for most service-delivery problems. This result suggests that providers' use of their skills explains their ability to retain service-delivery skills learned in training to a greater degree than does the amount of time elapsed since they were trained. LQAS proved to be a rapid, easy-to-use empirical method for management decisionmaking for improvement of a family planning training curriculum and services.

  3. Sequential control of step-bunching during graphene growth on SiC (0001)

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

    Bao, Jianfeng; Kusunoki, Michiko; Yasui, Osamu

    2016-08-22

    We have investigated the relation between the step-bunching and graphene growth phenomena on an SiC substrate. We found that only a minimum amount of step-bunching occurred during the graphene growth process with a high heating rate. On the other hand, a large amount of step-bunching occurred using a slow heating process. These results indicated that we can control the degree of step-bunching during graphene growth by controlling the heating rate. We also found that graphene coverage suppressed step bunching, which is an effective methodology not only in the graphene technology but also in the SiC-based power electronics.

  4. Telescope Networks in Education: Where We Are Now and Where We Are Headed

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Freed, R.

    2017-12-01

    Remote telescopes have become more common and accessible over the past 20 years as technology has evolved, and there has been a corresponding interest in bringing telescopes and astronomy into the educational arena. Numerous telescope networks (i.e. Las Cumbres Observatory, the Faulkes Telescopes, Skynet, the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics MicroObservatory, the SPIRIT Telescopes, iTelescope, telescope.org and others) as well as curriculum development groups and national and international programs have been developed during this time to connect students and the public with the technology and the science. While some programs and networks have come and gone, we are now at a time where sustainable communities of practice around astronomical research, ground-based telescope networks, and education can take hold and grow. The global connectivity that today's technology affords makes possible many more types of astronomical studies than in previous decades as we now have the capacity for continual sky coverage in both hemispheres by larger numbers of people and larger telescopes. Astronomy is one of few scientific fields that captures the imagination of the masses and as an undergraduate general science course it is often the last exposure to formal science that students will have and as such can play a critical role in STEM education. As the advances in computer and space exploration technologies continue, and the amount of data coming from remote observatories and space exploration missions increases astronomically, integrating remote telescope networks into educational settings, in tandem with teaching students and the general public about the nature and processes of scientific inquiry is vital not only for the field of astronomy but in helping to develop a generation of critical thinkers and informed citizens.

  5. Translating the Diabetes Prevention Program into practice: a review of community interventions.

    PubMed

    Jackson, Lindsey

    2009-01-01

    The purpose of this review is to summarize community interventions based on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Diabetes Prevention Program (DPP) curriculum and to describe differences in curriculum and its effect on outcome measurements. A keyword search of PubMed and review of citation lists of relevant articles yielded 161 articles. Primary outcomes of interest were achievement of the DPP study goals: 5% to 7% loss of body weight and increased moderate physical activity to at least 150 minutes per week. A secondary outcome of improvement in metabolic syndrome components was also included. Inclusion criteria included application of a DPP-based curriculum to a community setting and publication in English. Seven articles were included in the review. Interventions were conducted across a variety of settings. All showed a significant amount of weight loss immediately following a DPP-based curriculum, varying in length from 6 to 24 weeks. Three held significance by 12 months. Two articles reported on physical activity improvements. Two articles reported improvement in metabolic syndrome components. Although the most effective intervention for type 2 diabetes prevention may not yet be identified, DPP-based interventions show promise for long-term sustainability. The DPP intervention is effective in treating overweight and obesity across a variety of settings and thus may prevent chronic diseases in which overweight and obesity are risk factors. Public health practitioners can use this successful intervention to help individuals lead healthier lives.

  6. Surface Coverage and Metallicity of ZnO Surfaces from First-Principles Calculations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Xiao; Schleife, Andre; The Schleife research Group Team

    Zinc oxide (ZnO) surfaces are widely used in different applications such as catalysis, biosensing, and solar cells. These surfaces are, in many cases, chemically terminated by hydroxyl groups. In experiment, a transition of the ZnO surface electronic properties from semiconducting to metallic was reported upon increasing the hydroxyl coverage to more than approximately 80 %. The reason for this transition is not well understood yet. We report on first-principles calculations based on density functional theory for the ZnO [ 10 1 0 ] surface, taking different amounts of hydroxyl coverage into account. We calculated band structures for fully relaxed configurations and verified the existence of this transition. However, we only find the fully covered surface to be metallic. We thus explore the possibility for clustering of the surface-terminating hydroxyl groups based on total-energy calculations. We also found that the valence band maximum consists of oxygen p states from both the surface hydroxyl groups and the surface oxygen atoms of the material. The main contribution to the metallicity is found to be from the hydroxyl groups.

  7. Increasing health insurance coverage through an extended Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.

    PubMed

    Fuchs, B C

    2001-01-01

    The Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) could be combined with health insurance tax credits to extend coverage to the uninsured. An extended FEHBP, or "E-FEHBP," would be open to all individuals who were not covered through work or public programs and who also were eligible for the tax credits on the basis of income. E-FEHBP also would be open to employees of very small firms, regardless of their eligibility for tax credits. Most plans available to FEHBP participants would be required to offer enrollment to E-FEHBP participants, although premiums would be rated separately. High-risk individuals would be diverted to a separate high-risk pool, the cost of which would be subsidized by the federal government. E-FEHBP would be administered by the states, or if a state declined, by an entity that contracted with the Office of Personnel Management. While E-FEHBP would provide group insurance to people who otherwise could not get it, premiums could exceed the tax-credit amount and some people still might find the coverage unaffordable.

  8. Mapping the literature of nurse-midwifery

    PubMed Central

    Seaton, Helen J.

    2006-01-01

    Objective: This article is part of a project for mapping the literature of nursing. The purpose is to identify the core journals in nurse-midwifery and to determine the extent to which these titles are covered by standard indexing sources. Methods: Cited references from two source journals were analyzed to discover the most frequently cited publications, including their format, age, and amount of dispersion, as well as the indexes that offer the most complete coverage. Results: A study of the literature of nurse-midwifery reveals that the field is diverse, including such topics as women's health, obstetrics, gynecology, and parent-child relations, in addition to the practice of nurse-midwifery itself. Journals were the most heavily cited format, and analysis revealed that ten journals provided one-third of all the references in the study. Conclusions: A combination of Science Citation Index and Social Sciences Citation Index or PubMed/MEDLINE provided the best overall coverage because of the field's reliance on medical journals. CINAHL had the most complete coverage for the nurse-midwifery journals as well as nursing journals in general. PMID:16710467

  9. The Role of Hospital Information Systems in Universal Health Coverage Monitoring in Rwanda.

    PubMed

    Karara, Gustave; Verbeke, Frank; Nyssen, Marc

    2015-01-01

    In this retrospective study, the authors monitored the patient health coverage in 6 Rwandan hospitals in the period between 2011 and 2014. Among the 6 hospitals, 2 are third level hospitals, 2 district hospitals and 2 private hospitals. Patient insurance and financial data were extracted and analyzed from OpenClinic GA, an open source hospital information system (HIS) used in those 6 hospitals. The percentage of patients who had no health insurer globally decreased from 35% in 2011 to 15% in 2014. The rate of health insurance coverage in hospitals varied between 75% in private hospitals and 84% in public hospitals. The amounts paid by the patients for health services decreased in private hospitals to 25% of the total costs in 2014 (-7.4%) and vary between 14% and 19% in public hospitals. Although the number of insured patients has increased and the patient share decreased over the four years of study, the patients' out-of-pocket payments increased especially for in-patients. This study emphasizes the value of integrated hospital information systems for this kind of health economics research in developing countries.

  10. Framing migration and the process of crimmigration: A systematic analysis of the media representation of unauthorized immigrants in the Netherlands.

    PubMed

    Brouwer, Jelmer; van der Woude, Maartje; van der Leun, Joanne

    2017-01-01

    In this article we examine whether the proposal to criminalize illegal stay in the Netherlands was preceded by increased negative media attention for unauthorized immigrants. Using a corpus linguistics approach, we carried out a quantitative discourse analysis of all newspaper articles on unauthorized migrants over a period of 15 years. Our results show that the amount of media coverage actually strongly decreased in the years before the proposal, and this coverage was moreover increasingly less negative. This study thus nuances the somewhat popular belief that unauthorized migrants are increasingly portrayed in negative ways and shows that the framing of migrants as criminals is a more diffuse process in which the media seem to follow rather than fuel politics and policy.

  11. Framing migration and the process of crimmigration: A systematic analysis of the media representation of unauthorized immigrants in the Netherlands

    PubMed Central

    Brouwer, Jelmer; van der Woude, Maartje; van der Leun, Joanne

    2017-01-01

    In this article we examine whether the proposal to criminalize illegal stay in the Netherlands was preceded by increased negative media attention for unauthorized immigrants. Using a corpus linguistics approach, we carried out a quantitative discourse analysis of all newspaper articles on unauthorized migrants over a period of 15 years. Our results show that the amount of media coverage actually strongly decreased in the years before the proposal, and this coverage was moreover increasingly less negative. This study thus nuances the somewhat popular belief that unauthorized migrants are increasingly portrayed in negative ways and shows that the framing of migrants as criminals is a more diffuse process in which the media seem to follow rather than fuel politics and policy. PMID:28596711

  12. Coverage evolution of the unoccupied Density of States in sulfur superstructures on Ru(0001)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pisarra, M.; Bernardo-Gavito, R.; Navarro, J. J.; Black, A.; Díaz, C.; Calleja, F.; Granados, D.; Miranda, R.; Martín, F.; Vázquez de Parga, A. L.

    2018-03-01

    Sulfur adsorbed on Ru(0001) presents a large number of ordered structures. This characteristic makes S/Ru(0001) the ideal system to investigate the effect of different periodicities on the electronic properties of interfaces. We have performed scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy experiments and density functional theory calculations showing that a sulfur adlayer generates interface states inside the Γ directional gap of Ru(0001) and that the position of such states varies monotonically with sulfur coverage. This is the result of the interplay between band folding effects arising from the new periodicity of the system and electron localization on the sulfur monolayer. As a consequence, by varying the amount of sulfur in S/Ru(0001) one can control the electronic properties of these interfacial materials.

  13. Investigation of the utility of ERTS-1 imagery for updating land use and resource data in Guatemala

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Garcia, L. E. (Principal Investigator)

    1973-01-01

    The author has identified the following significant results. An intensive analysis of the imagery received has been completed and findings are reported. Conclusions are restricted by receipt of only limited amounts of cloud-free coverage of test areas. In most cases the interpretation findings were as anticipated from previous experience with multiband images. Band 7 provides promising indication of some economically important environmental communities. It also permits viewing through thin cirrus cloud layers for features of medium to high contrast. Band 4 provides information of submerged reefs and of movement of suspended sediment bodies in water areas. ERTS-1 bulk images have positional mapping accuracy adequate for representation at 1:1,000,000 scale maps. Cloud cover is a true constraint to useable satellite coverage.

  14. Golden trout habitat selection and movement patterns in degraded and recovering sites within the Golden Trout Wilderness, California

    Treesearch

    K.R. Matthews

    1996-01-01

    Abstract.—I used radio transmitters to determine habitat selection and movement patterns of California golden trout Oncorhynchus mykiss aguabonita in two areas defined by their different levels of habitat recovery in the Golden Trout Wilderness, California. Study areas were differentiated by the amount of streamside vegetation (low or high coverage of beaked sedge...

  15. Long-term drought sensitivity of trees in second-growth forests in a humid region

    Treesearch

    Neil Pederson; Kacie Tackett; Ryan W. McEwan; Stacy Clark; Adrienne Cooper; Glade Brosi; Ray Eaton; R. Drew Stockwell

    2012-01-01

    Classical field methods of reconstructing drought using tree rings in humid, temperate regions typically target old trees from drought-prone sites. This approach limits investigators to a handful of species and excludes large amounts of data that might be useful, especially for coverage gaps in large-scale networks. By sampling in more “typical” forests, network...

  16. Time, Texts, and Teaching in Vocabulary Acquisition: A Rebuttal to Cobb (2016)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McQuillan, Jeff

    2016-01-01

    In his 2016 article, "What Can Readers Read after Graded Readers?" (EJ1098660), Jeff McQuillan provided data to show that there is an adequate amount of reading material that can be read at or above 98% vocabulary coverage to provide sufficient input to acquire most of the word families from the 2,000- to the 9,000-word-family levels.…

  17. Geriatric Education in the Health Professions: Are We Making Progress?

    PubMed Central

    Bardach, Shoshana H.; Rowles, Graham D.

    2012-01-01

    Purpose: Relative to the overall population, older adults consume a disproportionally large percentage of health care resources. Despite advocacy and efforts initiated more than 30 years ago, the number of providers with specialized training in geriatrics is still not commensurate with the growing population of older adults. This contribution provides a contemporary update on the status of geriatric education and explores how geriatric coverage is valued, how geriatric competence is defined, and how students are evaluated for geriatric competencies. Design and Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with curriculum representatives from 7 health profession disciplines in a case study of one academic medical center. Findings: Geriatric training varies across health professions’ disciplines. Although participants recognized the unique needs of older patients and valued geriatric coverage, they identified shortage of time in packed curricula, lack of geriatrics-trained educators, absence of financial incentive, and low student demand (resulting from limited exposure to older adults and gerontological stereotyping) as barriers to improving geriatric training. Implications: Progress in including geriatric training within curricula across the health professions continues to lag behind need as a result of the continuing presence of barriers identified several decades ago. There remains an urgent need for institutional commitment to enhance geriatric education as a component of health professions curricula. PMID:22394495

  18. Nurses' knowledge of universal health coverage for inclusive and sustainable elderly care services

    PubMed Central

    Tung, Fabian Ling Ngai; Yan, Vincent Chun Man; Tai, Winnie Ling Yin; Chen, Jing Han; Chung, Joanne Wai-yee; Wong, Thomas Kwok Shing

    2016-01-01

    Objectives: to explore nurses' knowledge of universal health coverage (UHC) for inclusive and sustainable development of elderly care services. Method: this was a cross-sectional survey. A convenience sample of 326 currently practicing enrolled nurses (EN) or registered nurses (RN) was recruited. Respondents completed a questionnaire which was based on the implementation strategies advocated by the WHO Global Forum for Governmental Chief Nursing Officers and Midwives (GCNOMs). Questions covered the government initiative, healthcare financing policy, human resources policy, and the respondents' perception of importance and contribution of nurses in achieving UHC in elderly care services. Results: the knowledge of nurses about UHC in elderly care services was fairly satisfactory. Nurses in both clinical practice and management perceived themselves as having more contribution and importance than those in education. They were relatively indifferent to healthcare policy and politics. Conclusion: the survey uncovered a considerable knowledge gap in nurses' knowledge of UHC in elderly care services, and shed light on the need for nurses to be more attuned to healthcare policy. The educational curriculum for nurses should be strengthened to include studies in public policy and advocacy. Nurses can make a difference through their participation in the development and implementation of UHC in healthcare services. PMID:26959330

  19. Faculty perspectives on the inclusion of work-related learning in engineering curricula

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Magnell, Marie; Geschwind, Lars; Kolmos, Anette

    2017-11-01

    The purpose of this paper is to identify faculty perspectives on the integration of work-related issues in engineering education. A mixed methods approach was used to explore faculty attitudes towards work-related learning, to describe activities related to working life that have been introduced into the curriculum and to identify factors that faculty see as important if the amount of work-related learning is to increase. The results show that faculty members are positive about integrating work-related issues into the curriculum. Programmes with more extensive connections to industry offer more integrated activities, such as projects with external actors, and use professional contacts established through research in their teaching. In order to increase work-related learning in engineering curricula, faculty request clear goals and pedagogical tools. Other options to increase work-related learning include offering faculty the opportunity to work outside academia.

  20. Information and informatics literacy: skills, timing, and estimates of competence.

    PubMed

    Scott, C S; Schaad, D C; Mandel, L S; Brock, D M; Kim, S

    2000-01-01

    Computing and biomedical informatics technologies are providing almost instantaneous access to vast amounts of possibly relevant information. Although students are entering medical school with increasingly sophisticated basic technological skills, medical educators must determine what curricular enhancements are needed to prepare learners for the world of electronic information. The purpose was to examine opinions of academic affairs and informatics administrators, curriculum deans and recently matriculated medical students about prematriculation competence and medical education learning expectations. Two surveys were administered: an Information Literacy Survey for curriculum/informatics deans and a Computing Skills Survey for entering medical students. Results highlight differences of opinion about entering competencies. They also indicate that medical school administrators believe that most basic information skills fall within the domain of undergraduate medical education. Further investigations are needed to determine precise entry-level skills and whether information literacy will increase as a result of rising levels of technical competence.

  1. Mathematics/Arithmetic Knowledge-Based Way of Thinking and Its Maintenance Needed for Engineers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harada, Shoji

    Examining curriculum among universities revealed that no significant difference in math class or related subjects can be seen. However, amount and depth of those studies, in general, differed depending on content of curriculum and the level of achievement at entrance to individual university. Universalization of higher education shows that students have many problems in learning higher level of traditional math and that the memory of math they learned quickly fades away after passing in exam. It means that further development of higher math knowledgebased engineer after graduation from universities. Under these circumstances, the present author, as one of fun of math, propose how to maintain way of thinking generated by math knowledge. What necessary for engineer is to pay attention to common books, dealing with elementary mathematics or arithmetic- related matters. This surely leads engineer to nourish math/arithmetic knowledge-based way of thinking.

  2. Improved atmospheric density estimation for ANDE-2 satellites using drag coefficients obtained from gas-surface interaction equations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Flanagan, Harold Patrick

    A major issue in the process of predicting the future position of satellites in low earth orbit (LEO) is that the drag coefficient of a satellite is generally not precisely known throughout the satellite's lifespan. One reason for this problem is that as a satellite travels through the Earth's thermosphere, variations in the composition of the thermosphere directly affect the drag coefficient of the satellite. The greatest amount of uncertainty in the drag coefficient from these variations in the thermosphere comes from the amount of atomic oxygen that covers the satellites surface as the satellite descends to lower altitudes. This percent surface coverage of atomic oxygen directly affects the interaction between the surface of the satellite and the gas through which it is passing. The work performed in this thesis determines the drag coefficients of the ANDE-2 satellites over their life spans by using satellite laser ranging (SLR) data of the ANDE-2 satellites in unison with gas-surface interaction equations. The fractional coverage of atomic oxygen is determined by using empirically determined data and semi-empirical models that attempt to predict the fractional coverage of oxygen relative to the composition of the atmosphere. These drag coefficients are then used to determine the atmospheric densities experienced by these satellites over various days, so that inaccuracies in the atmospheric models can be observed. The drag coefficients of the ANDE-2 satellites decrease throughout the satellites' life, and vary most due to changes in the temperature and density of the atmosphere. The greatest uncertainty in the atmosphere's composition occurs at lower altitudes at the end of ANDE-2's life.

  3. Selective Capture of Glycoproteins Using Lectin-modified Nanoporous Gold Monolith

    PubMed Central

    Alla, Allan J.; d’Andrea, Felipe B.; Bhattarai, Jay K.; Cooper, Jared A.; Tan, Yih Horng; Demchenko, Alexei V.; Stine, Keith J.

    2015-01-01

    The surface of nanoporous gold (np-Au) monoliths was modified via a flow method with the lectin Concanavalin A (Con A) to develop a substrate for separation and extraction of glycoproteins. Self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of lipoic acid (LA) on the np-Au monoliths were prepared followed by activation of the terminal carboxyl groups to create amine reactive esters that were utilized in the immobilization of Con A. Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) was used to determine the surface coverages of LA and Con A on np-Au monoliths which were found to be 1.31 × 1018 molecules m−2 and 1.85 × 1015 molecules m−2, respectively. An in situ solution depletion method was developed that enabled surface coverage characterization without damaging the substrate and suggesting the possibility of regeneration. Using this method, the surface coverages of LA and Con A were found to be 0.989 ×1018 molecules m−2 and 1.32 × 1015 molecules m−2, respectively. The selectivity of the Con A-modified np-Au monolith for the high mannose-containing glycoprotein ovalbumin (OVA) versus negative control non-glycosylated bovine serum albumin (BSA) was demonstrated by the difference in the ratio of the captured molecules to the immobilized Con A molecules, with OVA:Con A = 2.3 and BSA:Con A = 0.33. Extraction of OVA from a 1:3 mole ratio mixture with BSA was demonstrated by the greater amount of depletion of OVA concentration during the circulation with the developed substrate. A significant amount of captured OVA was eluted using α-methyl mannopyranoside as a competitive ligand. This work is motivated by the need to develop new materials for chromatographic separation and extraction substrates for use in preparative and analytical procedures in glycomics. PMID:26554297

  4. Simulated management effects on ammonia emissions from field applied manure.

    PubMed

    Smith, E; Gordon, R; Bourque, C; Campbell, A; Génermont, S; Rochette, P; Mkhabela, M

    2009-06-01

    A need exists to improve the utilization of manure nutrients by minimizing NH(3) emissions from land application of manure. Management strategies to reduce NH(3) emissions are available; however, few have been validated under Canadian conditions. A well tested and accurate simulation model, however, can help overcome this challenge by determining appropriate management strategies for a given set of field conditions. The Volt'Air simulation model was utilized to estimate NH(3) volatilization from manure spreading for various manure spreading considerations under a range of atmospheric conditions typically encountered in eastern Canada. Considerations included: (i) soil liming, (ii) time of day of manure spreading, (iii) rainfall (timing and amount) and (iv) manure incorporation (timing, depth and manure coverage). Results demonstrated that liming to increase soil pH, increased NH(3) emissions by 3.3 kg ha(-1) for each increment of 0.1 pH (up to a 1.5 total increase), over no liming at 34.6 kg ha(-1). For each hour delay in manure spreading past 0800 h, NH(3) losses were reduced by 1.5 kg ha(-1). Rainfall (10mm) at least 20 h after manure application reduced losses, with increased reductions at higher rainfall amounts. Incorporation soon (1h) after application was best for NH(3) mitigation. Increasing the depth of incorporation by 5c m reduced NH(3) emissions by 4.4 kg ha(-1); also increasing manure coverage by incorporation reduced losses by 2 kg ha(-1) for each 10% increase in coverage, compared to surface application at 34.6 kg ha(-1). This investigation using Volt'Air yielded valuable information about simulating manure management strategies and the magnitude of their effects on NH(3) emissions.

  5. The seasonal cycle of low stratiform clouds

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Klein, Stephen A.; Hartmann, Dennis L.

    1993-01-01

    The seasonal cycle of low stratiform clouds is studied using data from surface-based cloud climatologies. The impact of low clouds on the radiation budget is illustrated by comparison of data from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment with the cloud climatologies. Ten regions of active stratocumulus convection are identified. These regions fall into four categories: subtropical marine, midlatitude marine, Arctic stratus, and Chinese stratus. With the exception of the Chinese region, all the regions with high amounts of stratus clouds are over the oceans. In all regions except the Arctic, the season of maximum stratus corresponds to the season of greatest lower-troposphere static stability. Interannual variations in stratus cloud amount also are related to changes in static stability. A linear analysis indicates that a 6 percent increase in stratus fractional area coverage is associated with each 1 C increase in static stability. Over midlatitude oceans, sky-obscuring fog is a large component of the summertime stratus amount. The amount of fog appears to be related to warm advection across sharp gradients of SST.

  6. The Seasonal Cycle of Low Stratiform Clouds.

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klein, Stephen A.; Hartmann, Dennis L.

    1993-08-01

    The seasonal cycle of low stratiform clouds is studied using data from surface-based cloud climatologies. The impact of low clouds on the radiation budget is illustrated by comparison of data from the Earth Radiation Budget Experiment with the cloud climatologies. Ten regions of active stratocumulus convection are identified. These regions fall into four categories: subtropical marine, midlatitude marine, Arctic stratus, and Chinese stratus. With the exception of the Chinese region, all the regions with high amounts of stratus clouds are over the oceans.In all regions except the Arctic, the season of maximum stratus corresponds to the season of greatest lower-troposphere static stability. Interannual variations in stratus cloud amount also are related to changes in static stability. A linear analysis indicates that a 6% increase in stratus fractional area coverage is associated with each 1°C increase in static stability. Over midlatitude oceans, sky-obscuring fog is a large component of the summertime stratus amount. The amount of fog appears to be related to warm advection across sharp gradients of SST.

  7. The growth in newspaper coverage of tobacco control in China, 2000-2010.

    PubMed

    Gao, Junling; Chapman, Simon; Sun, Shaojing; Fu, Hua; Zheng, Pinpin

    2012-03-07

    Media coverage of tobacco-related issues can potentially shape individual beliefs, attitudes and behaviors about tobacco use. This study aims to describe news coverage of tobacco control related issues in Chinese newspapers from 2000 to 2010. All 1149 articles related to tobacco control were extracted from the Database of Chinese Important Newspapers and content analyzed for the period Jan 1, 2000 to Dec 31, 2010. The changing pattern of tobacco control topic, article type, viewpoint, and article origin, and their relationship were analysed. News coverage of tobacco control related issues increased significantly (p < 0.01) from 2000 to 2010, with news coverage being relatively intensive in May and June (p < 0.01), around World No Tobacco Day. 24.9% (n = 286) of all articles focused on secondhand smoke, 25.3% (n = 291) warned about the dangers of active smoking, and 10.0% (n = 115) focused on prevention and cessation programs and campaigns. Tobacco control topics varied significantly between national vs city/regional newspapers (χ2 = 24.09, p = 0.002) and article types (χ2 = 193.35, p < 0.001). Articles in national newspapers had more coverage of the dangers of tobacco and on enforcing bans on tobacco-advertising. News stories centered around monitoring tobacco use and smoke free activity, while editorials focused on enforcing bans on tobacco-advertising, youth access and programs and campaigns. Letters to editors focused on the dangers of smoking, raising tax, and smoking cessation. More articles (50.4%) took an anti-tobacco position (compared with 10.5% which were pro-smoking), with the amount of negative coverage growing significantly across the decade. National articles tended to lean toward anti-tobacco, however, local articles tended mix of pro-tobacco and neutral/balance positions. Editorials seemed to be more anti-tobacco oriented, but letters to the editor tended to show a mix of anti-tobacco and pro-tobacco positions. Chinese newspapers are giving increasing attention to tobacco control, but coverage remains lower than in the USA and Australia. Health workers need to give higher priority to efforts to increase news coverage beyond the present concentration around World No Tobacco Day and to develop strategies for making tobacco control issues more newsworthy to both national and local news outlets.

  8. Osteopathic medical students' understanding of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act: a first step toward a policy-informed curriculum.

    PubMed

    Beverly, Elizabeth Ann; Skinner, Daniel; Bianco, Joseph A; Ice, Gillian H

    2015-03-01

    Current osteopathic medical students will play an important role in implementing, modifying, and advocating for or against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010. Accordingly, medical educators will need to address curricular gaps specific to the ACA and medical practice. Research that gauges osteopathic medical students' level of understanding of the ACA is needed to inform an evidence-based curriculum. To assess first- and second-year osteopathic medical students' beliefs about the ACA. In this descriptive cross-sectional survey-based study, first- and second-year students were recruited because their responses would be indicative of what, if any, information about the ACA was being covered in the preclinical curriculum. A 30-item survey was distributed in November 2013, after the health insurance exchanges launched on October 1, 2013. A total of 239 first- and second-year osteopathic medical students completed the survey. One hundred ten students (46%) disagreed and 103 (43.1%) agreed that the ACA would provide health insurance coverage for all US citizens. The ACA was predicted to lead to lower wages and fewer jobs (73 students [30.5%]), as well as small business bankruptcy because of employees' health insurance costs (96 [40.2%]). Regarding Medicare recipients, 113 students (47.3%) did not know whether these individuals would be required to buy insurance through the health insurance exchanges. The majority of students knew that the ACA would require US citizens to pay a penalty if they did not have health insurance (198 [82.8%]) and understood that not everyone would be required to purchase health insurance through health insurance exchanges (137 [57.3%]). Although students took note of certain clinical benefits for patients offered by the ACA, they remained concerned about the ACA's impact on their professional prospects, particularly in the area of primary care. These findings build on the existing literature that emphasize the need for incorporating into the osteopathic medical curriculum knowledge of the dynamics of health care policy and reform and for creating opportunities for students to follow health policy developments as they evolve in real time. © 2015 The American Osteopathic Association.

  9. A Preliminary Clinical Comparison of the Use of Fascia Lata Allograft and Autogenous Connective Tissue Graft in Multiple Gingival Recession Coverage Based on the Tunnel Technique.

    PubMed

    Bednarz, Wojciech; Żurek, Jacek; Gedrange, Thomas; Dominiak, Marzena

    2016-01-01

    The most effective method for treating gingival recessions (GR) is with an autogenous connective tissue graft (CTG) via flap surgery. Often, however, the amount of CTG that can be grafted is insufficient to cover all of a patient's gingival recessions at one time. The objective of this study was to provide a 6-month comparative assessment of the results of covering multiple Miller Class I and II gingival recessions with a Fascia Lata Allograft (FL) and a CTG harvested from palatal mucosa. The study comprised a total of 30 people who underwent multiple gingival recession (GR) procedures using a modified, coronally advanced tunnel technique (MCAT). The patients were divided into two groups of 15 according to the type of materials used for gingival augmentation purposes: FL for the test group and CTG for the control group. A clinical assessment was made at baseline, as well as 3 and 6 months following surgery. The following factors were assessed: recession depth, recession width, probing depth, clinical attachment level, height of keratinized tissue (HKT), distance between the cemento-enamel junction and the muco-gingival junction (CEJ-MGJ), API, SBI. The following values were calculated: average root coverage (ARC), complete root coverage (CRC). No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups in terms of clinical parameters assessed after 6 months, apart from CRC, which was 94.87 ± 0.14 mm in the control group and 94.24 ± 0.20 mm in the study group (p = 0.034). The average HKT in the control group after 6 months amounted to 2.86 ± 1.60 mm, and in the test group to 3.09 ± 0.95 mm, which translates into an increase in comparison to the baseline values of 0.73 mm (p < 0.001) and 0.48 mm (p = 0.017), respectively. FL Allografts may serve as an alternative to autogenous CTG in multiple gingival recession coverage procedures based on the tunnel technique.

  10. Media Coverage of FDA Drug Safety Communications about Zolpidem: A Quantitative and Qualitative Analysis.

    PubMed

    Woloshin, Steve; Schwartz, Lisa M; Dejene, Sara; Rausch, Paula; Dal Pan, Gerald J; Zhou, Esther H; Kesselheim, Aaron S

    2017-05-01

    FDA issues Drug Safety Communications (DSCs) to alert health care professionals and the public about emerging safety information affecting prescription and over-the-counter drugs. News media may amplify DSCs, but it is unclear how DSC messaging is transmitted through the media. We conducted a content analysis of the lay media coverage reaching the broadest audience to characterize the amount and content of media coverage of two zolpidem DSCs from 2013. After the first DSC, zolpidem news stories increased from 19 stories/week in the preceding 3 months to 153 following its release. Most (81%) appeared in the lay media, and 64% focused on the DSC content. After the second DSC, news stories increased from 24 stories/week in the preceding 3 months to 39 following. Among the 100 unique lay media news stories, at least half correctly reported three key DSC messages: next-day impairment and drowsiness as common safety hazards, lower doses for some but not all zolpidem products, and women's higher risk for impairment. Other DSC messages were reported in fewer than one-third of stories, such as the warning that impairment can happen even when people feel fully awake. The first-but not the second-zolpidem DSC generated high-profile news coverage. The finding that some messages were widely reported but others were not emphasizes the importance of ensuring translation of key DSC content.

  11. A Review of Optical Sky Brightness and Extinction at Dome C, Antarctica

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kenyon, S. L.; Storey, J. W. V.

    2006-03-01

    The recent discovery of exceptional seeing conditions at Dome C, Antarctica, raises the possibility of constructing an optical observatory there with unique capabilities. However, little is known from an astronomer's perspective about the optical sky brightness and extinction at Antarctic sites. We review the contributions to sky brightness at high-latitude sites and calculate the amount of usable dark time at Dome C. We also explore the implications of the limited sky coverage of high-latitude sites and review optical extinction data from the South Pole. Finally, we examine the proposal of Baldry & Bland-Hawthorn to extend the amount of usable dark time through the use of polarizing filters.

  12. rasdaman Array Database: current status

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Merticariu, George; Toader, Alexandru

    2015-04-01

    rasdaman (Raster Data Manager) is a Free Open Source Array Database Management System which provides functionality for storing and processing massive amounts of raster data in the form of multidimensional arrays. The user can access, process and delete the data using SQL. The key features of rasdaman are: flexibility (datasets of any dimensionality can be processed with the help of SQL queries), scalability (rasdaman's distributed architecture enables it to seamlessly run on cloud infrastructures while offering an increase in performance with the increase of computation resources), performance (real-time access, processing, mixing and filtering of arrays of any dimensionality) and reliability (legacy communication protocol replaced with a new one based on cutting edge technology - Google Protocol Buffers and ZeroMQ). Among the data with which the system works, we can count 1D time series, 2D remote sensing imagery, 3D image time series, 3D geophysical data, and 4D atmospheric and climate data. Most of these representations cannot be stored only in the form of raw arrays, as the location information of the contents is also important for having a correct geoposition on Earth. This is defined by ISO 19123 as coverage data. rasdaman provides coverage data support through the Petascope service. Extensions were added on top of rasdaman in order to provide support for the Geoscience community. The following OGC standards are currently supported: Web Map Service (WMS), Web Coverage Service (WCS), and Web Coverage Processing Service (WCPS). The Web Map Service is an extension which provides zoom and pan navigation over images provided by a map server. Starting with version 9.1, rasdaman supports WMS version 1.3. The Web Coverage Service provides capabilities for downloading multi-dimensional coverage data. Support is also provided for several extensions of this service: Subsetting Extension, Scaling Extension, and, starting with version 9.1, Transaction Extension, which defines request types for inserting, updating and deleting coverages. A web client, designed for both novice and experienced users, is also available for the service and its extensions. The client offers an intuitive interface that allows users to work with multi-dimensional coverages by abstracting the specifics of the standard definitions of the requests. The Web Coverage Processing Service defines a language for on-the-fly processing and filtering multi-dimensional raster coverages. rasdaman exposes this service through the WCS processing extension. Demonstrations are provided online via the Earthlook website (earthlook.org) which presents use-cases from a wide variety of application domains, using the rasdaman system as processing engine.

  13. Student approaches for learning in medicine: What does it tell us about the informal curriculum?

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background It has long been acknowledged that medical students frequently focus their learning on that which will enable them to pass examinations, and that they use a range of study approaches and resources in preparing for their examinations. A recent qualitative study identified that in addition to the formal curriculum, students are using a range of resources and study strategies which could be attributed to the informal curriculum. What is not clearly established is the extent to which these informal learning resources and strategies are utilized by medical students. The aim of this study was to establish the extent to which students in a graduate-entry medical program use various learning approaches to assist their learning and preparation for examinations, apart from those resources offered as part of the formal curriculum. Methods A validated survey instrument was administered to 522 medical students. Factor analysis and internal consistence, descriptive analysis and comparisons with demographic variables were completed. The factor analysis identified eight scales with acceptable levels of internal consistency with an alpha coefficient between 0.72 and 0.96. Results Nearly 80% of the students reported that they were overwhelmed by the amount of work that was perceived necessary to complete the formal curriculum, with 74.3% believing that the informal learning approaches helped them pass the examinations. 61.3% believed that they prepared them to be good doctors. A variety of informal learning activities utilized by students included using past student notes (85.8%) and PBL tutor guides (62.7%), and being part of self-organised study groups (62.6%), and peer-led tutorials (60.2%). Almost all students accessed the formal school resources for at least 10% of their study time. Students in the first year of the program were more likely to rely on the formal curriculum resources compared to those of Year 2 (p = 0.008). Conclusions Curriculum planners should examine the level of use of informal learning activities in their schools, and investigate whether this is to enhance student progress, a result of perceived weakness in the delivery and effectiveness of formal resources, or to overcome anxiety about the volume of work expected by medical programs. PMID:22013994

  14. Astronaut photography of the earth - Low cost images for resource exploration

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wood, Charles A.

    1988-01-01

    Applications for photographs taken with handheld cameras by astronauts on the Space Shuttle are examined. The amount, types, and quality of photographs taken between 1981 and 1986 are described. Examples of these photographs and a portion of a map displaying the coverage of these photographs are presented. The possible use of handheld Space Shuttle photography in conjunction with Landsat mosaics for geologic exploration is discussed.

  15. Urban-field land use in southern New England: A first look

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Simpson, R. B. (Principal Investigator)

    1972-01-01

    There are no author-identified significant results in this report. First look evaluation of ERTS-1 multiband imagery for urban-field land use applications revealed a great deal of potentially valuable information. The amount of land use detail which can be extracted confidently from ERTS imagery is encouraging, and the objectives of the proposed project are considered feasible providing timely cloud-free coverage is available.

  16. An investigation on forage yield capacity of kermes oak (Quercus coccifera L.) and grazing planning of Mediterranean maquis scrublands for traditional goat farming.

    PubMed

    Tolunay, Ahmet; Adıyaman, Elif; Akyol, Ayhan; İnce, Duygu; Türkoğlu, Türkay; Ayhan, Veysel

    2014-01-01

    This study investigated grazing capacities of maquis scrubland and preparation principles of grazing management in forest resources. Kermes oak (Quercus coccifera L.), which is widespread as a main shrub species in maquis vegetation in Turkey, and pure hair goats (Capra hircus L.) feeding on shoots and leaves of this shrub were selected for study. The study was conducted in two stages. Green leaf and shoot samples were taken from kermes oaks in the first stage and the amount of green herbage yield (g ∗ m(-1)) and dry matter yield (kg ∗ ha(-1)) that may be obtained per unit area from these samples was identified. The considered amount of dry matter consumed by pure hair goats daily and the number of goats being fed within 1 year on land of 1 ha according to different land coverage rates of kermes oaks (goat head ∗ ha ∗ yr) were calculated. In the second stage, grazing capacities of sample areas where kermes oak spread were identified and compared with the grazing plan prepared by the forestry administration for this area. Forage yield variance according to land coverage rates of maquis scrublands should be considered when determining optimum animal numbers for grazing per area for sustainable goat farming.

  17. An Investigation on Forage Yield Capacity of Kermes Oak (Quercus coccifera L.) and Grazing Planning of Mediterranean Maquis Scrublands for Traditional Goat Farming

    PubMed Central

    Tolunay, Ahmet; Adıyaman, Elif; İnce, Duygu; Ayhan, Veysel

    2014-01-01

    This study investigated grazing capacities of maquis scrubland and preparation principles of grazing management in forest resources. Kermes oak (Quercus coccifera L.), which is widespread as a main shrub species in maquis vegetation in Turkey, and pure hair goats (Capra hircus L.) feeding on shoots and leaves of this shrub were selected for study. The study was conducted in two stages. Green leaf and shoot samples were taken from kermes oaks in the first stage and the amount of green herbage yield (g∗m−1) and dry matter yield (kg∗ha−1) that may be obtained per unit area from these samples was identified. The considered amount of dry matter consumed by pure hair goats daily and the number of goats being fed within 1 year on land of 1 ha according to different land coverage rates of kermes oaks (goat head∗ha∗yr) were calculated. In the second stage, grazing capacities of sample areas where kermes oak spread were identified and compared with the grazing plan prepared by the forestry administration for this area. Forage yield variance according to land coverage rates of maquis scrublands should be considered when determining optimum animal numbers for grazing per area for sustainable goat farming. PMID:25379526

  18. Core curricula for postdoctoral dental students: recent problems, potential solutions, and a model for the future.

    PubMed

    Iacopino, Anthony M; Taft, Thomas B

    2007-11-01

    Development of common core curricula for the graduate advanced education/specialty programs in dental schools presents significant challenges. Similarities in graduate education accreditation standards justify such an approach, yet a core curriculum is difficult to achieve for a variety of reasons including scheduling constraints and the capacity of a common, single pathway curriculum to address the specific educational needs of postgraduate students in different disciplines. Additionally, many dental schools are experiencing severe shortages of qualified faculty to provide graduate program instruction. There are no previous reports regarding graduate core curricula and the definition/delivery of such core curricula in advanced education programs in dentistry although there are several reports in the medical literature that support the educational value of a unified core curriculum implemented in a modular format. Graduate curricula are typically designed to provide residents with advanced education/training beyond what is acquired during their predoctoral dental school experience. Advanced education programs must emphasize knowledge and skills that are discipline-specific; however, there is a large amount of common foundational material within the early phases of these programs. Dental schools have attempted to identify and present this common material within the context of an organized shared set of courses/seminars where residents from each advanced education program are scheduled simultaneously. However, there have been problems with the implementation of a shared core curricula including the following: 1) dissimilar educational backgrounds/abilities among residents; 2) relevance of material to all residents; 3) lack of central management; 4) scheduling conflicts; and 5) lack of adequate and consistent program evaluation. In an attempt to resolve these problems, a new comprehensive graduate core curriculum was implemented at the Marquette University School of Dentistry in 2000. This core curriculum was designed to 1) be user-friendly; 2) allow flexibility; 3) meet specific programmatic/accreditation needs for each advanced education program; and 4) provide assessment tools for continuous resident feedback and curriculum improvement. Assessment data obtained from residents, faculty, and program directors indicate that this approach has been successful and has transformed graduate education at Marquette. Thus, this model may prove useful for other institutions seeking to refine or develop graduate core curricula.

  19. Making the State of the Art the Classroom Benchmark: A Climate Change Curriculum Based on Synthesis Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nicholas, K. A.

    2014-12-01

    A hallmark of science in the Anthropocene is the increasing use of synthesis efforts to distill ever-growing data into the best available scientific knowledge. Thousands of scientists contribute substantial amounts of time towards these efforts, with the aim of producing authoritative work as a basis for informing both further research priorities and policy decisions. Organizations such as the IPCC are increasing their efforts to disseminate their scientific findings to broader audiences, for example, using text and video summaries targeted for policymakers. However, the results of such synthesis efforts have rarely been disseminated further back in the pipeline, in the classrooms where scientific literacy is shaped. Here, I will describe an emerging initiative to develop a program to translate state-of-the-art scientific synthesis findings into a modular, flexible climate change curriculum. This initiative is envisioned to compliment rather than compete with existing curriculum development efforts. Examples from innovation labs in healthcare delivery and other fields will be used to demonstrate a model for how a small, interdisciplinary team of early-career experts can use their content and pedagogical knowledge to transform synthesis results into ready-to-use teaching materials. The benefits of such a curriculum include improved student learning through constructive alignment of thoughtfully designed teaching and learning activities and assessment activities to promote intended learning outcomes, as well as the real-world illustration of the method of scientific inquiry applied to socially relevant problems. The curriculum can also improve teaching experiences through increased efficiency in course preparation, and in sharing best practices with participating colleagues. Initial scoping will examine the needs of university teachers of climate change courses as the constituents of this curriculum, and possible support models to mainstream such efforts. Ultimately, using scientific syntheses as the basis for university curricula would help close the gap between research and classroom learning, promote increased scientific understanding, and help ensure that the resources devoted to scientific synthesis efforts are translated to broader benefits for society.

  20. A Prekindergarten Curriculum Supplement for Enhancing Mainstream American English Knowledge in Nonmainstream American English Speakers

    PubMed Central

    Rosin, Peggy

    2016-01-01

    Purpose The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of a curriculum supplement designed to enhance awareness of Mainstream American English (MAE) in African American English- (AAE-) speaking prekindergarten children. Method Children in 2 Head Start classrooms participated in the study. The experimental classroom received the Talking and Learning for Kindergarten program (Edwards, Rosin, Gross, & Chen, 2013), which used contrastive analysis to highlight morphological, phonological, and pragmatic differences between MAE and AAE. The control classroom received the Kindness Curriculum (Flook, Goldberg, Pinger, & Davidson, 2014), which was designed to promote mindfulness and emotional self-regulation. The amount of instruction was the same across the 2 programs. Both classrooms participated in pre- and posttest assessments. Results Children in the experimental classroom, but not the control classroom, showed significant improvement in 3 norm-referenced measures of phonological awareness and in an experimental measure that evaluated comprehension of words that are ambiguous in AAE, but unambiguous in MAE, because of morphological and phonological differences between the 2 dialects. Conclusion Although more research needs to be done on the efficacy of the Talking and Learning for Kindergarten program, these results suggest that it is possible to enhance AAE-speaking children's awareness of MAE prior to kindergarten entry. PMID:27096218

  1. A Positive Psychology Intervention in a Hindu Community: The Pilot Study of the Hero Lab Curriculum.

    PubMed

    Sundar, Siddhi; Qureshi, Adil; Galiatsatos, Panagis

    2016-12-01

    India has high rates of mental health issues among its youth and low-income communities experience a disproportionate amount of depression and suicide. Positive psychology, the act of promoting well-being, could be used as a tool to promote wellness and help improve the mental health of youth living in slum areas of India. A pilot positively psychology program, "The Hero Lab", was conducted in a migratory slum in Worli, Mumbai, with trained Hindu community leaders implementing the interventions toward at-risk Hindu youth. The curriculum's impact showed statistical improvement (p < 0.001) in happiness (General Happiness Scale from 11.24 ± 1.56 to 19.08 ± 3.32), grit (Grit Survey from 2.23 ± 0.34 to 3.24 ± 0.67), empathy (Toronto Empathy Questionnaire from 24.92 ± 3.27 to 41.96 ± 8.41), and gratitude (Gratitude Survey from 16.88 ± 3.47 to 27.98 ± 6.59). While a pilot study, the Hero Lab curriculum demonstrates that positive psychology interventions may be an important tool in improving mental health in at-risk children.

  2. Chemical composition and reactivity of water on hexagonal Pt-group metal surfaces.

    PubMed

    Shavorskiy, A; Gladys, M J; Held, G

    2008-10-28

    The dissociation behaviour and valence-electronic structure of water adsorbed on clean and oxygen-covered Ru{0001}, Rh{111}, Pd{111}, Ir{111} and Pt{111} surfaces has been studied by high-resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy with the aim of identifying similarities and trends within the Pt-group metals. On average, we find higher reactivity for the 4d metals (Ru, Rh, Pd) as compared to 5d (Ir, Pt), which is correlated with characteristic shifts in the 1b(1) and 3a(1) molecular orbitals of water. Small amounts of oxygen (< 0.2 ML) induce dissociation of water on all five surfaces, for higher coverages (> 0.25 ML) only intact water is observed. Under UHV conditions these higher coverages can only be reached on the 4d metals, the 5d metals are, therefore, not passivated.

  3. Adapting to a US Medical Curriculum in Malaysia: A Qualitative Study on Cultural Dissonance in International Education

    PubMed Central

    Shields, Ryan Y

    2016-01-01

    Context Minimal research has examined the recent exportation of medical curricula to international settings. Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, USA partnered with Perdana University Graduate School of Medicine in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia and implemented the same curriculum currently used at Johns Hopkins University to teach medical students at Perdana University. This study aimed to explore the perspectives of first-year medical students at Perdana University, focusing on issues of cultural dissonance during adaptation to a US curriculum. Methods In-depth semi-structured interviews with the inaugural class of first-year students (n=24) were conducted, audio-recorded, and transcribed. Two reviewers independently coded and analyzed the qualitative data for major themes. Results The most prominent themes identified were the transition from a “passive” to an “active” learning environment and the friendliness and openness of the professors. Students noted that “[Perdana University] is a whole new, different culture and now we are adapting to the culture.” Being vocal during classes and taking exams based on conceptual understanding and knowledge application/integration proved to be more challenging for students than having classes taught entirely in English or the amount of material covered. Discussion This study reinforced many cultural education theories as it revealed the major issues of Malaysian graduate students adapting to a US-style medical curriculum. Despite coming from a collectivistic, Confucian-based cultural learning background, the Malaysian students at Perdana University adopted and adapted to, and subsequently supported, the US learning expectations. PMID:27672530

  4. The Notions of Science as human capital: An empirical analysis of economic growth and science curriculum

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pritchard, Russell D.

    This study was designed to determine the strength of the relationship between a nation's human capital in the form of the "Notions of Science" (NOS) and the growth rate of gross domestic product per capita for 43 countries during the years 1988 through 1998. This relationship was studied from two perspectives: first, the study sought to determine if there was a significant relationship between a country's NOS and its growth rate in gross domestic per capita; second, the study sought to determine if the NOS had a greater relationship with the growth rate of gross domestic product per capita than a more commonly used measure of human capital, amount of schooling. The NOS for the participating countries were proxied by the percentage of a country's science curriculum devoted to teaching the NOS. The science curricula used in this study were obtained from the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement's (IEA) Curriculum Frameworks for Mathematics and Science. These curricular frameworks were written as one part of the Third International Math and Science Study (TIMSS). The NOS were extracted from the science curriculum frameworks through the construction of a content-by-cognitive-behavior-grid. The categories, or codes, for the NOS used in this grid were based on the work of Clarence Irving Lewis in Mind and the World Order. Holding several other explanatory variables constant, the NOS percentage for each country were regressed against each country's average growth rate of gross domestic product per capita for the period of 1988 through 1998. The results indicate that there was not a significant relationship between human capital, as proxied by the percentage of the curriculum devoted to the notions of science, and a country's economic growth rate. Because the regression coefficient for the NOS was not statistically significant, this study was not able to determine if the NOS had a stronger relationship with growth in GDP per capita than years of schooling.

  5. AD-LIBS: inferring ancestry across hybrid genomes using low-coverage sequence data.

    PubMed

    Schaefer, Nathan K; Shapiro, Beth; Green, Richard E

    2017-04-04

    Inferring the ancestry of each region of admixed individuals' genomes is useful in studies ranging from disease gene mapping to speciation genetics. Current methods require high-coverage genotype data and phased reference panels, and are therefore inappropriate for many data sets. We present a software application, AD-LIBS, that uses a hidden Markov model to infer ancestry across hybrid genomes without requiring variant calling or phasing. This approach is useful for non-model organisms and in cases of low-coverage data, such as ancient DNA. We demonstrate the utility of AD-LIBS with synthetic data. We then use AD-LIBS to infer ancestry in two published data sets: European human genomes with Neanderthal ancestry and brown bear genomes with polar bear ancestry. AD-LIBS correctly infers 87-91% of ancestry in simulations and produces ancestry maps that agree with published results and global ancestry estimates in humans. In brown bears, we find more polar bear ancestry than has been published previously, using both AD-LIBS and an existing software application for local ancestry inference, HAPMIX. We validate AD-LIBS polar bear ancestry maps by recovering a geographic signal within bears that mirrors what is seen in SNP data. Finally, we demonstrate that AD-LIBS is more effective than HAPMIX at inferring ancestry when preexisting phased reference data are unavailable and genomes are sequenced to low coverage. AD-LIBS is an effective tool for ancestry inference that can be used even when few individuals are available for comparison or when genomes are sequenced to low coverage. AD-LIBS is therefore likely to be useful in studies of non-model or ancient organisms that lack large amounts of genomic DNA. AD-LIBS can therefore expand the range of studies in which admixture mapping is a viable tool.

  6. Twelve tips for medical students to establish a collaborative flashcard project.

    PubMed

    Hart-Matyas, Michael; Taylor, Alexandra; Lee, Han Joo; Maclean, Mark A; Hui, Amaris; Macleod, Anna

    2018-01-29

    Medical students employ various study strategies to master large amounts of information during their medical education. Digital flashcards are an interactive, self-directed study stool that may improve knowledge retention by combining the principles of active recall and spaced-repetition. They may be studied during and beyond undergraduate medical education. However, making flashcards can be an onerous task. In this article, we describe twelve tips on how to establish and maintain a collaborative digital flashcard project based on the undergraduate medical curriculum.

  7. The evolution of educational information systems and nurse faculty roles.

    PubMed

    Nelson, Ramona; Meyers, Linda; Rizzolo, Mary Anne; Rutar, Pamela; Proto, Marcia B; Newbold, Susan

    2006-01-01

    Institutions of higher education are purchasing and/or designing sophisticated administrative information systems to manage such functions as the application, admissions, and registration process, grants management, student records, and classroom scheduling. Although faculty also manage large amounts of data, few automated systems have been created to help faculty improve teaching and learning through the management of information related to individual students, the curriculum, educational programs, and program evaluation. This article highlights the potential benefits that comprehensive educational information systems offer nurse faculty.

  8. Evaluation of a parent led curriculum in developmental disabilities for pediatric and medicine/pediatric residents.

    PubMed

    Kube, David A; Bishop, Elizabeth A; Roth, Jenness M; Palmer, Frederick B

    2013-09-01

    Families of children with special health care needs (CSHCN) want to partner with their physicians to provide family-centered care and a medical home for their children. A parent group independently developed a parent-led curriculum to assist in the training of residents for this purpose. The objective of this study was to evaluate pediatric residents' satisfaction with and perceived relevance of this parent-led curriculum demonstrating the effects a disability has on the child and family. From 2002 to 2009, 188 residents participated in a parent interview and a home visit with families of CSHCN through Project DOCC(SM) (Delivery of Chronic Care), as part of their required developmental disabilities rotation. Residents voluntarily completed anonymous quantitative surveys regarding the parent interview and home visit, rating the Parent Presenters, Information Provided, Depth of Coverage, Relevance to Future Practice, and Overall Satisfaction. Scores were reported on a Likert scale: 1 = Poor, 2 = Fair, 3 = Satisfactory, 4 = Very Good, and 5 = Excellent. Qualitative comments regarding the residents' experience on the quality and relevance of the curriculum were also received. 112 (60 %) residents completed the survey for the parent interview and 96 (51 %) for the home visit. Average scores and standard deviations were calculated for each variable. Results for the parent interview: Presenters = 4.76 ± 0.52, Information = 4.40 ± 0.73, Depth = 4.59 ± 0.67, Relevance = 4.47 ± 0.73, and Satisfaction = 4.64 ± 0.60. Results for the home visit: Presenters = 4.68 ± 0.62, Information = 4.25 ± 0.89, Depth = 4.46 ± 0.82, Relevance = 4.40 ± 0.75, and Satisfaction = 4.49 ± 0.74. The overall experience was favorable with qualitative comments such as: excellent, eye opening, humbling, informative, valuable, and relevant. Pediatric residents rated this parent-led curriculum "very good" to "excellent" overall. Residents were highly satisfied with all areas assessed and felt that it was relevant to their future practices. Parent-led curricula regarding care of children with disabilities can be incorporated into and enhance pediatric resident training programs.

  9. Therapeutic apheresis in Asia: An Indonesia single center experience.

    PubMed

    Triyono, Teguh; Vrielink, Hans

    2015-06-01

    In developing countries, like Indonesia, apheresis is still a relative new procedure. Nowadays, therapeutic apheresis procedures are performed in the field of hematology and neurology, especially in the teaching hospitals in Indonesia. Therapeutic apheresis procedure, that is, leukocytapheresis, therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), and thrombocytapheresis are already performed. In the period 2009-2013, 204 apheresis procedures in 137 patients to reduce the leukocytes, 72 TPE procedures in 17 patients, and 14 thrombocyte reductions were performed in the Sardjito hospital, Yogyakarta, Indonesia. In the future, to improve the therapeutic apheresis implementation, it is important to increase the insurance coverage and also should be considered to introduce the apheresis medicine into the curriculum of appropriate physician programs in Indonesia. Especially in Indonesia, a lot of efforts are still being needed to improve implementation of therapeutic apheresis. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. Coverage, universal access and equity in health: a characterization of scientific production in nursing.

    PubMed

    Mendoza-Parra, Sara

    2016-01-01

    to characterize the scientific contribution nursing has made regarding coverage, universal access and equity in health, and to understand this production in terms of subjects and objects of study. this was cross-sectional, documentary research; the units of analysis were 97 journals and 410 documents, retrieved from the Web of Science in the category, "nursing". Descriptors associated to coverage, access and equity in health, and the Mesh thesaurus, were applied. We used bibliometric laws and indicators, and analyzed the most important articles according to amount of citations and collaboration. the document retrieval allowed for 25 years of observation of production, an institutional and an international collaboration of 31% and 7%, respectively. The mean number of coauthors per article was 3.5, with a transience rate of 93%. The visibility index was 67.7%, and 24.6% of production was concentrated in four core journals. A review from the nursing category with 286 citations, and a Brazilian author who was the most productive, are issues worth highlighting. the nursing collective should strengthen future research on the subject, defining lines and sub-lines of research, increasing internationalization and building it with the joint participation of the academy and nursing community.

  11. The distributional consequences of a Medicare premium support proposal.

    PubMed

    Rice, Thomas; Desmond, Katherine A

    2004-12-01

    This article analyzes the distributional consequences of enacting a particular premium support proposal known as Breaux-Frist I. Under the proposal, the federal government would contribute a certain amount toward the purchase of Medicare coverage, based on the premiums charged by different health plans. Beneficiaries could choose something akin to the traditional fee-for-service option or a privately sponsored ealth plan such as a health maintenance organization. The article simulates the expected distributional impacts in three areas: among beneficiaries who choose to retain fee-for-service coverage, between different geographic areas, and according to various beneficiary characteristics. We find that the legislation would result in increased premiums for beneficiaries remaining in the Medicare fee-for-service program as a result of unfavorable selection; lead to a geographic redistribution in premium payments, with those living in areas with high levels of Medicare expenditures paying more; and a much lower financial burden than is the case now for near-poor beneficiaries who do not have full Medicaid coverage. Finally, the article discusses how these results compare to those that may occur under the premium support demonstration project, beginning in 2010, established under the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003.

  12. Political leaders and the media. Can we measure political leadership images in newspapers using computer-assisted content analysis?

    PubMed

    Aaldering, Loes; Vliegenthart, Rens

    Despite the large amount of research into both media coverage of politics as well as political leadership, surprisingly little research has been devoted to the ways political leaders are discussed in the media. This paper studies whether computer-aided content analysis can be applied in examining political leadership images in Dutch newspaper articles. It, firstly, provides a conceptualization of political leader character traits that integrates different perspectives in the literature. Moreover, this paper measures twelve political leadership images in media coverage, based on a large-scale computer-assisted content analysis of Dutch media coverage (including almost 150.000 newspaper articles), and systematically tests the quality of the employed measurement instrument by assessing the relationship between the images, the variance in the measurement, the over-time development of images for two party leaders and by comparing the computer results with manual coding. We conclude that the computerized content analysis provides a valid measurement for the leadership images in Dutch newspapers. Moreover, we find that the dimensions political craftsmanship, vigorousness, integrity, communicative performances and consistency are regularly applied in discussing party leaders, but that portrayal of party leaders in terms of responsiveness is almost completely absent in Dutch newspapers.

  13. The 2010 U.S. health care reform: approaching and avoiding how other countries finance health care.

    PubMed

    White, Joseph

    2013-07-01

    This article describes and analyzes the U.S. health care legislation of 2010 by asking how far it was designed to move the U.S. system in the direction of practices in all other rich democracies. The enacted U.S. reform could be described, extremely roughly, as Japanese pooling with Swiss and American problems at American prices. Its policies are distinctive, yet nevertheless somewhat similar to examples in other rich democracies, on two important dimensions: how risks are pooled and the amount of funds redistributed to subsidize care for people with lower incomes. Policies about compelling people to contribute to a finance system would be further from international norms, as would the degree to which coverage is set by clear and common substantive standards--that is, standardization of benefits. The reform would do least, however, to move the United States toward international practices for controlling spending. This in turn is a major reason why the results would include less standard benefits and incomplete coverage. In short, the United States would remain an outlier on coverage less because of a failure to make an effort to redistribute--a lack of solidarity--than due to a failure to control costs.

  14. Developing Toolsets for AirBorne Data (TAD): Overview of Design Concept

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Parker, L.; Perez, J.; Chen, G.; Benson, A.; Peeters, M. C.

    2013-12-01

    NASA has conducted airborne tropospheric chemistry studies for about three decades. These field campaigns have generated a great wealth of observations, including a wide range of the trace gases and aerosol properties. Even though the spatial and temporal coverage is limited, the aircraft data offer high resolution and comprehensive simultaneous coverage of many variables, e.g. ozone precursors, intermediate photochemical species, and photochemical products. The recent NASA Earth Venture Program has generated an unprecedented amount of aircraft observations in terms of the sheer number of measurements and data volume. The ASDC Toolset for Airborne Data (TAD) is being designed to meet the user community needs for aircraft data for scientific research on climate change and air quality relevant issues, particularly: 1) Provide timely access to a broad user community, 2) Provide an intuitive user interface to facilitate quick discovery of the variables and data, 3) Provide data products and tools to facilitate model assessment activities, e.g., merge files and data subsetting capabilities, 4) Provide simple utility 'calculators', e.g., unit conversion and aerosol size distribution processing, and 5) Provide Web Coverage Service capable tools to enhance the data usability. The general strategy and design of TAD will be presented.

  15. Uptake of HNO3 on hexane and aviation kerosene soots.

    PubMed

    Talukdar, Ranajit K; Loukhovitskaya, Ekaterina E; Popovicheva, Olga B; Ravishankara, A R

    2006-08-10

    The uptake of HNO(3) on aviation kerosene (TC-1) soot was measured as a function of temperature (253-295 K) and the partial pressure of HNO(3), and the uptake of HNO(3) on hexane soot was studied at 295 K and over a limited partial pressure of HNO(3). The HNO(3) uptake was mostly reversible and did not release measurable amounts of gas-phase products such as HONO, NO(3), NO(2) or N(2)O(5). The heat of adsorption of HNO(3) on soot was dependent on the surface coverage. The isosteric heats of adsorption, Delta(0)H(isosteric), were determined as a function of coverage. Delta(0)H(isosteric) values were in the range -16 to -13 kcal mol(-1). The heats of adsorption decrease with increasing coverage. The adsorption data were fit to Freundlich and to Langmuir-Freundlich isotherms. The heterogeneity parameter values were close to 0.5, which suggested that a HNO(3) molecule can occupy two sites on the surface with or without being dissociated and that the soot surface could be nonuniform. Surface FTIR studies on the interaction of soot with HNO(3) did not reveal formation of any minor product such as organic nitrate or nitro compound on the soot surface. Using our measured coverage, we calculate that the partitioning of gas-phase nitric acid to black carbon aerosol is not a significant loss process of HNO(3) in the atmosphere.

  16. Nutrition Education for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition Fellows: A Survey of NASPGHAN Fellowship Training Programs

    PubMed Central

    Martinez, J. Andres; Koyama, Tatsuki; Acra, Sari; Mascarenhas, Maria R.; Shulman, Robert J.

    2012-01-01

    Objectives The aim of the study was to assess the methodology and content of nutrition education during gastroenterology fellowship training and the variability among the different programs. Methods A survey questionnaire was completed by 43 fellowship training directors of 62 active programs affiliated to NASPGHAN, including sites in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The data were examined for patterns in teaching methodology and coverage of specific nutrition topics based on Level 1 training in nutrition, which is the minimum requirement according to published NASPGHAN fellowship training guidelines. Results The majority of the teaching was conducted by MD degree faculty (61%), and most of the education was provided through clinical care experiences. Only 31% of Level 1 nutrition topics were consistently covered by more than 80% of programs, and coverage did not correlate with the size of the programs. Competency in nutrition training was primarily assessed through questions to individuals or groups of fellows (77 and 65%, respectively). Program directors cited a lack of faculty interested in nutrition and a high workload as common obstacles for teaching. Conclusions The methodology of nutrition education during gastroenterology fellowship training is for the most part unstructured and inconsistent among the different programs. The minimum Level 1 requirements are not consistently covered. The development of core curriculums and learning modules may be beneficial in improving nutrition education. PMID:22343911

  17. German medical students lack knowledge of how to treat smoking and problem drinking.

    PubMed

    Strobel, Lisa; Schneider, Nick K; Krampe, Henning; Beißbarth, Tim; Pukrop, Tobias; Anders, Sven; West, Robert; Aveyard, Paul; Raupach, Tobias

    2012-10-01

    To assess the extent of undergraduate medical training on alcohol use disorders (AUD) and smoking, and medical students' perceived knowledge regarding consequences of, and treatment options for, these disorders compared with other chronic conditions. Cross-sectional survey assessing teaching and perceived knowledge of health consequences and treatment options for AUD and smoking compared with diabetes and hypertension. Medical schools in Germany. Twenty-five of 36 medical school offices (response rate 69.4%) and 19 526 of 39 358 students from 27 medical schools (response rate 49.6%). Medical schools were asked to provide information on curricular coverage of the four conditions. Students reported their year of study and perceived knowledge about the consequences of all four disorders and perceived knowledge of treatment options. Courses time-tabled approximately half as many teaching hours on AUD and tobacco as on diabetes or hypertension. Final-year students reported high levels of knowledge of consequences of all four conditions and how to treat diabetes and hypertension, but only 20% believed they knew how to treat alcohol use disorders or smoking. Curriculum coverage in German medical schools of alcohol use disorders and smoking is half that of diabetes and hypertension, and in the final year of their undergraduate training most students reported inadequate knowledge of how to intervene to address them. © 2012 The Authors. Addiction © 2012 Society for the Study of Addiction.

  18. Global Estimates of Average Ground-Level Fine Particulate Matter Concentrations from Satellite-Based Aerosol Optical Depth

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Van Donkelaar, A.; Martin, R. V.; Brauer, M.; Kahn, R.; Levy, R.; Verduzco, C.; Villeneuve, P.

    2010-01-01

    Exposure to airborne particles can cause acute or chronic respiratory disease and can exacerbate heart disease, some cancers, and other conditions in susceptible populations. Ground stations that monitor fine particulate matter in the air (smaller than 2.5 microns, called PM2.5) are positioned primarily to observe severe pollution events in areas of high population density; coverage is very limited, even in developed countries, and is not well designed to capture long-term, lower-level exposure that is increasingly linked to chronic health effects. In many parts of the developing world, air quality observation is absent entirely. Instruments aboard NASA Earth Observing System satellites, such as the MODerate resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Multi-angle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR), monitor aerosols from space, providing once daily and about once-weekly coverage, respectively. However, these data are only rarely used for health applications, in part because the can retrieve the amount of aerosols only summed over the entire atmospheric column, rather than focusing just on the near-surface component, in the airspace humans actually breathe. In addition, air quality monitoring often includes detailed analysis of particle chemical composition, impossible from space. In this paper, near-surface aerosol concentrations are derived globally from the total-column aerosol amounts retrieved by MODIS and MISR. Here a computer aerosol simulation is used to determine how much of the satellite-retrieved total column aerosol amount is near the surface. The five-year average (2001-2006) global near-surface aerosol concentration shows that World Health Organization Air Quality standards are exceeded over parts of central and eastern Asia for nearly half the year.

  19. Enhancing Aesthetic Outcomes of Soft Tissue Coverage of the Hand

    PubMed Central

    Rehim, Shady A.; Kowalski, Evan; Chung, Kevin C.

    2016-01-01

    Hand aesthetics in general and aesthetic refinements of soft-tissue coverage of the hand in particular have been increasingly considered over the past few years. Advancements of microsurgery together with the traditional methods of tissue transfer have expanded the armamentarium of the reconstructive surgeon, thus shifting the reconstructive paradigm from simply ‘filling the defect’ to reconstructive refinement to provide the best functional and aesthetic results. However, drawing the boundary between what does and what does not constitute ‘aesthetic’ reconstruction of the hand is not straightforward. The selection amongst the vast amount of currently available reconstructive methods and the difficulties in objectively measuring or quantifying aesthetics has made this task complex and rather arbitrary. In this article we divide the hand into several units and subunits to simplify our understanding of the basic functional and aesthetic requirements of these regions that may ultimately bring order to complexity. PMID:25626826

  20. Pattern recognition analysis of polar clouds during summer and winter

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ebert, Elizabeth E.

    1992-01-01

    A pattern recognition algorithm is demonstrated which classifies eighteen surface and cloud types in high-latitude AVHRR imagery based on several spectral and textural features, then estimates the cloud properties (fractional coverage, albedo, and brightness temperature) using a hybrid histogram and spatial coherence technique. The summertime version of the algorithm uses both visible and infrared data (AVHRR channels 1-4), while the wintertime version uses only infrared data (AVHRR channels 3-5). Three days of low-resolution AVHRR imagery from the Arctic and Antarctic during January and July 1984 were analyzed for cloud type and fractional coverage. The analysis showed significant amounts of high cloudiness in the Arctic during one day in winter. The Antarctic summer scene was characterized by heavy cloud cover in the southern ocean and relatively clear conditions in the continental interior. A large region of extremely low brightness temperatures in East Antarctica during winter suggests the presence of polar stratospheric cloud.

  1. Open hydrology courseware using the United States Geological Survey’s National Water Census Data Portal

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Nelson, Jake; Ames, Daniel P.; Blodgett, David L.

    2018-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) is the primary U.S. Government agency for water data collection and dissemination. In this role, the USGS has recently created and deployed a National Water Census Data Portal (NWC-DP) which provides access to streamflow, evapotransporation, precipitation, aquatic biology and other data at the national level. Recognizing the value of these data sets for hydrologic science education, this paper presents an effort to bridge the gap between pencil–and-paper-based hydrology curriculum and the USGS NWC-DP resource. Specifically, we have developed an R package, National Water Census Education (NWCEd), and five associated laboratory exercises that integrate R- and web-services-based access to the NWC-DP data sets. Using custom functions built into the NWCEd, students are able to access unprecedented amounts of hydrologic data from the NWC-DP, which can be applied to current hydrology curriculum and analyzed using NWCEd and a number of other open-source R tools.

  2. School climate and teachers' beliefs and attitudes associated with implementation of the positive action program: a diffusion of innovations model.

    PubMed

    Beets, Michael W; Flay, Brian R; Vuchinich, Samuel; Acock, Alan C; Li, Kin-Kit; Allred, Carol

    2008-12-01

    Teacher- and school-level factors influence the fidelity of implementation of school-based prevention and social character and development (SACD) programs. Using a diffusion of innovations framework, the relationships among teacher beliefs and attitudes towards a prevention/SACD program and the influence of a school's administrative support and perceptions of school connectedness, characteristics of a school's climate, were specified in two cross-sectional mediation models of program implementation. Implementation was defined as the amount of the programs' curriculum delivered (e.g., lessons taught), and use of program-specific materials in the classroom (e.g., ICU boxes and notes) and in relation to school-wide activities (e.g., participation in assemblies). Teachers from 10 elementary schools completed year-end process evaluation reports for year 2 (N = 171) and 3 (N = 191) of a multi-year trial. Classroom and school-wide material usage were each favorably associated with the amount of the curriculum delivered, which were associated with teachers' attitudes toward the program which, in turn, were related to teachers' beliefs about SACD. These, in turn, were associated with teachers' perceptions of school climate. Perceptions of school climate were indirectly related to classroom material usage and both indirectly and directly related to the use of school-wide activities. Program developers need to consider the importance of a supportive environment on program implementation and attempt to incorporate models of successful school leadership and collaboration among teachers that foster a climate promoting cohesiveness, shared visions, and support.

  3. Using just-in-time teaching and peer instruction in a residency program's core curriculum: enhancing satisfaction, engagement, and retention.

    PubMed

    Schuller, Mary C; DaRosa, Debra A; Crandall, Marie L

    2015-03-01

    To assess use of the combined just-in-time teaching (JiTT) and peer instruction (PI) instructional strategy in a residency program's core curriculum. In 2010-2011, JiTT/PI was piloted in 31 core curriculum sessions taught by 22 faculty in the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine's general surgery residency program. JiTT/PI required preliminary and categorical residents (n=31) to complete Web-based study questions before weekly specialty topic sessions. Responses were examined by faculty members "just in time" to tailor session content to residents' learning needs. In the sessions, residents answered multiple-choice questions (MCQs) using clickers and engaged in PI. Participants completed surveys assessing their perceptions of JiTT/PI. Videos were coded to assess resident engagement time in JiTT/PI sessions versus prior lecture-based sessions. Responses to topic session MCQs repeated in review sessions were evaluated to study retention. More than 70% of resident survey respondents indicated that JiTT/PI aided in the learning of key points. At least 90% of faculty survey respondents reported positive perceptions of aspects of the JiTT/PI strategy. Resident engagement time for JiTT/PI sessions was significantly greater than for prior lecture-based sessions (z=-2.4, P=.016). Significantly more review session MCQ responses were correct for residents who had attended corresponding JiTT/PI sessions than for residents who had not (chi-square=13.7; df=1; P<.001). JiTT/PI increased learner participation, learner retention, and the amount of learner-centered time. JiTT/PI represents an effective approach for meaningful and active learning in core curriculum sessions.

  4. Need assessment of enhancing the weightage of applied biochemistry in the undergraduate curriculum at MGIMS, sevagram.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Satish; Jena, Lingaraja; Vagha, Jayant

    2016-05-06

    In order to review the need assessment of enhancing the weightage of Applied Biochemistry in the undergraduate curriculum at Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Medical Sciences (MGIMS), Sevagram, a validated questionnaire was sent to 453 participants which include 387 undergraduate students, 11 interns, 23 postgraduate students, and 32 faculty members. A web-based data collection and analysis tool was designed for online questionnaire distribution, data collection, and analysis. Response rate was 100%. Most of the respondents agreed that the subject Biochemistry has relevance in clinical practice (81.24%) and applied based learning of Biochemistry by medical undergraduates would help in overall improvement in the health standards/patients care (83.44%). According to 65.12% respondents, most of the medical undergraduates read Biochemistry just for examination purpose only. Nearly half of the respondents agreed that minute details of biochemical reactions were not much useful in clinical practice (53.86%) and the vast majority of diagrammatic cycles memorized by the medical undergraduates had no relevance in clinical practice (51.21%), the decreased interest in learning the Applied Biochemistry was due to more amount of clinically irrelevant information taught to medical undergraduates (73.51%), there was a need to rethink for removing the diagrammatic biochemical cycles from curriculum for medical undergraduates (48.12%), the less learning of Applied Biochemistry or competencies would affect the clinical skills and knowledge of medical undergraduates (70.42%). The result of this study suggests that there is need for restructuring the Biochemistry curriculum with more clinical relevance. © 2016 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 44:230-240, 2016. © 2016 The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

  5. Health savings accounts and health reimbursement arrangements: assets, account balances, and rollovers, 2006-2011.

    PubMed

    Fronstin, Paul

    2012-01-01

    ASSET LEVELS GROWING: In 2011, there was $12.4 billion in health savings accounts (HSAs) and health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs), spread across 8.4 million accounts, according to data from the 2011 EBRI/MGA Consumer Engagement in Health Care Survey, sponsored by EBRI and Matthew Greenwald & Associates. This is up from 2006, when there were 1.3 million accounts with $873.4 million in assets, and 2010, when 5.4 million accounts held $7.3 billion in assets. AFTER LEVELING OFF, AVERAGE ACCOUNT BALANCES INCREASED: After average account balances leveled off in 2008 and 2009, and fell slightly in 2010, they increased in 2011. In 2006, account balances averaged $696. They increased to $1,320 in 2007, a 90 percent increase. Account balances averaged $1,356 in 2008 and $1,419 in 2009, 3 percent and 5 percent increases, respectively. In 2010, average account balances fell to $1,355, down 4.5 percent from the previous year. In 2011, average account balances increased to $1,470, a 9 percent increase from 2010. TOTAL AND AVERAGE ROLLOVERS INCREASE: After declining to $1,029 in 2010, average rollover amounts increased to $1,208 in 2011. Total assets being rolled over increased as well: $6.7 billion was rolled over in 2011, up from $3.7 billion in 2010. The percentage of individuals without a rollover remained at 13 percent in 2011. HEALTHY BEHAVIOR DOES NOT MEAN HIGHER ACCOUNT BALANCES AND HIGHER ROLLOVERS: Individuals who smoke have more money in their accounts than those who do not smoke. In contrast, obese individuals have less money in their account than the nonobese. There is very little difference in account balances by level of exercise. Very small differences were found in account balances and rollover amounts between individuals who used cost or quality information, compared with those who did not use such information. However, next to no relationship was found between either account balance or rollover amounts and various cost-conscious behaviors. When a difference was found, those exhibiting the cost-conscious behavior were found to have lower account balances and rollover amounts. DIFFERENCES IN ACCOUNT BALANCES: Men have higher account balances than women, older individuals have higher account balances than younger ones, account balances increase with household income, and education has a significant impact on account balances independent of income and other variables. DIFFERENCES IN ROLLOVER AMOUNTS: Men rolled over more money than women, and older individuals had higher rollover amounts than younger individuals. Rollover amounts increase with household income and education, and individuals with single coverage rolled over a slightly higher amount than those with family coverage.

  6. Effect of Air-Polishing on Titanium Surfaces, Biofilm Removal, and Biocompatibility: A Pilot Study

    PubMed Central

    Bennani, Vincent; Hwang, Linda; Tawse-Smith, Andrew; Dias, George J.; Cannon, Richard D.

    2015-01-01

    Purpose. The aims of this in vitro study were to evaluate morphological changes induced by glycine powder air-polishing on titanium surfaces, biofilm removal, and biocompatibility. Material and Methods. Titanium grade IV discs were allocated into two groups: (1) discs without biofilm and (2) discs for Streptococcus mutans biofilm formation. Discs in each group were further subdivided into (a) no treatment and (b) air-polishing treatment with glycine powder. Discs were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), electron-dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), and confocal microscopy. Bacterial biofilms were quantified using a crystal violet dye-binding assay. Biocompatibility was evaluated by measuring the coverage and viability of L929 fibroblast cells cultured on the discs. Results. Air-polishing increased the roughness of treated discs (P < 0.05). EDS analysis did not show significant differences in the chemical composition of treated and nontreated discs. The amount of residual biofilm on treated discs was 8.6-fold lower than untreated controls (P < 0.05). Coverage of treated discs by fibroblasts was half that of untreated discs (P < 0.05) although both groups had the same cell viability. Conclusions. Air-polishing removed a significant amount of biofilm from titanium surfaces. The “polishing” was accompanied by increased surface roughness, but there were no changes in chemical and elemental compositions, nor the biocompatibility. PMID:26881198

  7. Eating the curriculum.

    PubMed

    Hunter, K M

    1997-03-01

    The alimentary metaphor--learning as ingestion--is well established in medical education: students are spoonfed, forcefed; they cram, digest, and metabolize information; and they regurgitate it on tests. In the author's experience, these metaphors are inextricably bound with the attitudes and information they describe, organize, and sometimes generate in medical education. Alimentary imagery shapes discussions of the curriculum, and its perversities characterize and help perpetuate much that needs changing in North American medical education. Medical school teachers speak of their life's work as feeding students, not as chiefs but as the anxious caretakers of problem eaters, and the images used most often to describe the teacher-learner relationship suggest an underlying infantilization of medical students. Alimentary metaphors are not in themselves evil. A closer look at medicine's uses of the metaphor of learning as eating suggests a healthier educational philosophy. Despite the "full plate" that students are served, they are metaphorically starving. Fundamental curriculum reform should help them learn to be healthy eaters-using lessons from parents, pediatricians, and child psychologists about how to do this, which are discussed in detail. The difficult-to-achieve but imperative goal of medical education should be to put students in charge of their own "eating" and thereby produce intellectually curious, self-motivated, active, and "well-nourished" physicians who know how to feed themselves in the right amounts and at reasonable levels, maintain a healthy skepticism about the information they consume, and periodically check that information for freshness.

  8. Factors Associated With Interest in Working With Older Adults: Implications for Educational Practices.

    PubMed

    Chippendale, Tracy

    2015-09-01

    The aging population has created a pressing need for specialists in geriatrics. The purpose of this pilot study was to examine the predictors of interest in working with older adults among students enrolled in or planning to enroll in a health science program, using an existing data set. The study was guided by Super's theory of vocational development. Multiple regression, with a significance level of p < 0.05, was used for the analysis. Positive images of older adults and the participants' current amount of contact were significant predictors of interest in working with older adults, whereas negative images and prior amount of contact with older adults were not. Results suggest implications for curriculum design and educational programs to increase the workforce in geriatrics practice, which are discussed. Copyright 2015, SLACK Incorporated.

  9. The Role of Patient Financial Assistance Programs in Reducing Costs for Cancer Patients.

    PubMed

    Zullig, Leah L; Wolf, Steven; Vlastelica, Lisa; Shankaran, Veena; Zafar, S Yousuf

    2017-04-01

    Limited transparency exists regarding eligibility and benefits for patient financial assistance programs (PAPs). To describe oral anticancer medication costs, insurance coverage, and the degree of financial assistance provided by PAPs. This was a retrospective study of prescription anticancer medication costs and PAP coverage. The study used data from an academic cancer center's specialty pharmacy. Medication, cost, and coverage data were collected from the specialty pharmacy database for prescriptions filled from January 2013 to November 2015. Prescriptions with missing copayments, insurance, or financial assistance amounts were excluded. Descriptive statistics summarized prescription characteristics. Of 9,388 anticancer medication prescriptions filled, 8,212 (87%) had complete cost data and were included. The 5 most common medications prescribed were capecitabine (20%), temozolomide (13%), enzalutamide (10%), letrozole (6%), and tamoxifen (4%). Most prescriptions were covered by commercial insurance or Part D (41.6%, n = 3,418). The median copayment was $20 per prescription (interquartile range [IQR] = $10.00-$80.30). When considering all prescriptions that received PAP assistance, the median amount of financial assistance provided by PAPs per prescription was $411.0 (IQR = $302.80-$523.40), amounting to 15% of the median prescription cash price. When considering all prescriptions, the median amount of financial assistance provided by PAPs per prescription was $0, and the mean was $79.30 (SD = $389.90). A minority of prescriptions received financial assistance from PAPs. The proportion of financial assistance was small relative to the price billed to insurance. PAPs play a modest role in reducing anticancer prescription-related costs. Support of this project by The Duke Biostatistics Core was made possible by Grant Number UL1TR001117 from the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), and NIH Roadmap for Medical Research. Zullig is supported by a VA Health Services Research and Development (HSR&D) Career Development Award (CDA 13-025). Zullig also reports a financial relationship with Novartis. Zafar reports financial relationships with Novartis, Genentech-Roche, and Vivor. Vlastelica, Shankaran, and Wolf have nothing to disclose. The views in this article are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of the Department of Veterans Affairs, Duke University, NCATS, or NIH. This abstract was previously presented at the 2016 ASCO Annual Meeting; Chicago, Illinois; June 3-7, 2016. Study concept and design were contributed by Zafar, Zullig, and Vlastelica, with assistance from Shankaran. Vlastelica and Wolf took the lead in data collection, along with Zafar, and data interpretation was performed by Zullig, Zafar, and Wolf, along with Vlastelica and Shankaran. The manuscript was written and revised by Zullig and Zafar, along with the other authors.

  10. Tweeting celebrity suicides: Users' reaction to prominent suicide deaths on Twitter and subsequent increases in actual suicides.

    PubMed

    Ueda, Michiko; Mori, Kota; Matsubayashi, Tetsuya; Sawada, Yasuyuki

    2017-09-01

    A substantial amount of evidence indicates that news coverage of suicide deaths by celebrities is followed by an increase in suicide rates, suggesting a copycat behavior. However, the underlying process by which celebrity status and media coverage leads to increases in subsequent suicides is still unclear. This study collected over 1 million individual messages ("tweets") posted on Twitter that were related to 26 prominent figures in Japan who died by suicide between 2010 and 2014 and investigated whether media reports on suicide deaths that generated a greater level of reactions by the public are likely to be followed by a larger increase in actual suicides. We also compared the number of Twitter posts and the number of media reports in newspaper and on television to understand whether the number of messages on Twitter in response to the deaths corresponds to the amount of coverage in the traditional media. Using daily data from Japan's national death registry between 2010 and 2014, our analysis found an increase in actual suicides only when suicide deaths generated a large reaction from Twitter users. In contrast, no discernible increase in suicide counts was observed when the analysis included suicide deaths to which Twitter users did not show much interest, even when these deaths were covered considerably by the traditional media. This study also found suicides by relatively young entertainers generated a large number of posts on Twitter. This sharply contrasts with the relatively smaller volume of reaction to them generated by traditional forms of media, which focuses more on the deaths of non-entertainers. The results of this study strongly suggest that it is not sufficient to examine only traditional news media when investigating the impact of media reports on actual suicides. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. A review of forensic science higher education programs in the United States: bachelor's and master's degrees.

    PubMed

    Tregar, Kristen L; Proni, Gloria

    2010-11-01

    As the number of forensic science programs offered at higher education institutions rises, and more students express an interest in them, it is important to gain information regarding the offerings in terms of courses, equipment available to students, degree requirements, and other important aspects of the programs. A survey was conducted examining the existing bachelor's and master's forensic science programs in the U.S. Of the responding institutions, relatively few were, at the time of the survey, accredited by the forensic science Education Programs Accreditation Commission (FEPAC). In general, the standards of the responding programs vary considerably primarily in terms of their size and subjects coverage. While it is clear that the standards for the forensic science programs investigated are not homogeneous, the majority of the programs provide a strong science curriculum, faculties with advanced degrees, and interesting forensic-oriented courses. © 2010 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

  12. Enhancing managerial effectiveness in dietetics.

    PubMed

    Hoover, L W

    1983-01-01

    Environmental pressures from such sources as economic conditions, the government, third-party payers, and inter-institutional competition create managerial challenges. Although cost-containment has received considerable attention, long-term cost-effectiveness is probably the significant issue. Dietitians must become more cost-conscious and effective in resource management to attain desired performance outcomes. Some of the skills and characteristics essential to managerial effectiveness are a marketing orientation, systems design skill, quantitative operations management techniques, financial expertise, and leadership. These abilities facilitate decision-making and achievement of long-term cost-effectiveness. Curriculum enhancement and continuing education are two strategies for improving managerial competency in the dietetics profession. In dietetics education, study of management topics should be enhanced to provide more advanced coverage of management theories and quantitative models so that managerial performance can be at a higher level of sophistication and competency. To assure the viability of the dietetics profession, the emphasis on management must be more comprehensive and rigorous.

  13. The status of ethics teaching and learning in U.S. dental schools.

    PubMed

    Lantz, Marilyn S; Bebeau, Muriel J; Zarkowski, Pamela

    2011-10-01

    The purpose of this study was to gather and analyze information about the status of ethics teaching and learning in U.S. dental schools and to recommend a curriculum development and research agenda for professional ethics in dental education. A survey to collect this information was developed by the authors and administered by the American Society for Dental Ethics. The results suggest that dental schools have adopted many of the recommendations for curricular content and learning strategies proposed in the 1989 American Association of Dental Schools (now American Dental Education Association) Curriculum Guidelines on Ethics and Professionalism in Dentistry. The survey was sent to the individual who directs the ethics curriculum at the fifty-six U.S. dental schools that had a full complement of enrolled predoctoral classes as of January 2008. All fifty-six schools responded to the survey. The data suggest that, in general, little time is devoted to ethics instruction in the formal curriculum. The mean number of contact hours of ethics instruction is 26.5 hours, which represents about 0.5 percent of the mean clock hours of instruction for dental education programs reported in the most recent American Dental Association survey of dental education. While the amount of time devoted to ethics instruction appears not to have changed much over the past thirty years, what has changed are what qualifies as ethics instruction, the pedagogies used, and the development and availability of norm-referenced learning outcomes assessments, which are currently used by a number of schools. We found that dental schools address a substantial list of topics in their ethics instruction and that there is general agreement as to the appropriateness of the topics and the ethics competencies that need to be developed and assessed. This study also identified the respondents' perceptions of unmet needs in ethics education. Four general themes emerged: the need for ethics to be more fully integrated across the curriculum, including carryover into the clinical years; the need to assess and ensure competence; the need for faculty development; and the need for more attention to method of instruction. Recommendations based on the study findings are offered for a curriculum development and research agenda for professional ethics in dental education.

  14. Growth of Monolayer Graphene on Nanoscale Copper-Nickel Alloy Thin Films

    PubMed Central

    Cho, Joon Hyong; Gorman, Jason J.; Na, Seung Ryul; Cullinan, Michael

    2017-01-01

    Growth of high quality and monolayer graphene on copper thin films on silicon wafers is a promising approach to massive and direct graphene device fabrication in spite of the presence of potential dewetting issues in the copper film during graphene growth. Current work demonstrates roles of a nickel adhesion coupled with the copper film resulting in mitigation of dewetting problem as well as uniform monolayer graphene growth over 97 % coverage on films. The feasibility of monolayer graphene growth on Cu-Ni alloy films as thin as 150 nm in total is also demonstrated. During the graphene growth on Cu-Ni films, the nickel adhesion layer uniformly diffuses into the copper thin film resulting in a Cu-Ni alloy, helping to promote graphene nucleation and large area surface coverage. Furthermore, it was found that the use of extremely thin metal catalyst films also constraint the total amount of carbon that can be absorbed into the film during growth, which helps to eliminate adlayer formation and promote monolayer growth regardless of alloying content, thus improving the monolayer fraction of graphene coverage on the thinner films. These results suggest a path forward for the large scale integration of high quality, monolayer graphene into nanoelectronic and nanomechanical devices. PMID:28669999

  15. On requirements for a satellite mission to measure tropical rainfall

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thiele, Otto W. (Editor)

    1987-01-01

    Tropical rainfall data are crucial in determining the role of tropical latent heating in driving the circulation of the global atmosphere. Also, the data are particularly important for testing the realism of climate models, and their ability to simulate and predict climate accurately on the seasonal time scale. Other scientific issues such as the effects of El Nino on climate could be addressed with a reliable, extended time series of tropical rainfall observations. A passive microwave sensor is planned to provide information on the integrated column precipitation content, its areal distribution, and its intensity. An active microwave sensor (radar) will define the layer depth of the precipitation and provide information about the intensity of rain reaching the surface, the key to determining the latent heat input to the atmosphere. A visible/infrared sensor will provide very high resolution information on cloud coverage, type, and top temperatures and also serve as the link between these data and the long and virtually continuous coverage by the geosynchronous meteorological satellites. The unique combination of sensor wavelengths, coverages, and resolving capabilities together with the low-altitude, non-Sun synchronous orbit provide a sampling capability that should yield monthly precipitation amounts to a reasonable accuracy over a 500- by 500-km grid.

  16. Coverage, universal access and equity in health: a characterization of scientific production in nursing

    PubMed Central

    Mendoza-Parra, Sara

    2016-01-01

    Objectives: to characterize the scientific contribution nursing has made regarding coverage, universal access and equity in health, and to understand this production in terms of subjects and objects of study. Material and methods: this was cross-sectional, documentary research; the units of analysis were 97 journals and 410 documents, retrieved from the Web of Science in the category, "nursing". Descriptors associated to coverage, access and equity in health, and the Mesh thesaurus, were applied. We used bibliometric laws and indicators, and analyzed the most important articles according to amount of citations and collaboration. Results: the document retrieval allowed for 25 years of observation of production, an institutional and an international collaboration of 31% and 7%, respectively. The mean number of coauthors per article was 3.5, with a transience rate of 93%. The visibility index was 67.7%, and 24.6% of production was concentrated in four core journals. A review from the nursing category with 286 citations, and a Brazilian author who was the most productive, are issues worth highlighting. Conclusions: the nursing collective should strengthen future research on the subject, defining lines and sub-lines of research, increasing internationalization and building it with the joint participation of the academy and nursing community. PMID:26959329

  17. Population-based rare variant detection via pooled exome or custom hybridization capture with or without individual indexing.

    PubMed

    Ramos, Enrique; Levinson, Benjamin T; Chasnoff, Sara; Hughes, Andrew; Young, Andrew L; Thornton, Katherine; Li, Allie; Vallania, Francesco L M; Province, Michael; Druley, Todd E

    2012-12-06

    Rare genetic variation in the human population is a major source of pathophysiological variability and has been implicated in a host of complex phenotypes and diseases. Finding disease-related genes harboring disparate functional rare variants requires sequencing of many individuals across many genomic regions and comparing against unaffected cohorts. However, despite persistent declines in sequencing costs, population-based rare variant detection across large genomic target regions remains cost prohibitive for most investigators. In addition, DNA samples are often precious and hybridization methods typically require large amounts of input DNA. Pooled sample DNA sequencing is a cost and time-efficient strategy for surveying populations of individuals for rare variants. We set out to 1) create a scalable, multiplexing method for custom capture with or without individual DNA indexing that was amenable to low amounts of input DNA and 2) expand the functionality of the SPLINTER algorithm for calling substitutions, insertions and deletions across either candidate genes or the entire exome by integrating the variant calling algorithm with the dynamic programming aligner, Novoalign. We report methodology for pooled hybridization capture with pre-enrichment, indexed multiplexing of up to 48 individuals or non-indexed pooled sequencing of up to 92 individuals with as little as 70 ng of DNA per person. Modified solid phase reversible immobilization bead purification strategies enable no sample transfers from sonication in 96-well plates through adapter ligation, resulting in 50% less library preparation reagent consumption. Custom Y-shaped adapters containing novel 7 base pair index sequences with a Hamming distance of ≥2 were directly ligated onto fragmented source DNA eliminating the need for PCR to incorporate indexes, and was followed by a custom blocking strategy using a single oligonucleotide regardless of index sequence. These results were obtained aligning raw reads against the entire genome using Novoalign followed by variant calling of non-indexed pools using SPLINTER or SAMtools for indexed samples. With these pipelines, we find sensitivity and specificity of 99.4% and 99.7% for pooled exome sequencing. Sensitivity, and to a lesser degree specificity, proved to be a function of coverage. For rare variants (≤2% minor allele frequency), we achieved sensitivity and specificity of ≥94.9% and ≥99.99% for custom capture of 2.5 Mb in multiplexed libraries of 22-48 individuals with only ≥5-fold coverage/chromosome, but these parameters improved to ≥98.7 and 100% with 20-fold coverage/chromosome. This highly scalable methodology enables accurate rare variant detection, with or without individual DNA sample indexing, while reducing the amount of required source DNA and total costs through less hybridization reagent consumption, multi-sample sonication in a standard PCR plate, multiplexed pre-enrichment pooling with a single hybridization and lesser sequencing coverage required to obtain high sensitivity.

  18. The effects of inquiry-based science on the social and communicative skills of students with low-incidence disabilities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    D'Angelo, Heather Hopkins

    This research utilized inquiry based science as a vehicle to implement and maintain social skills training for secondary students, ages 14 to 20, with low-incidence disabilities in a self-contained classroom. This three year action research study examined the effects of an inquiry based science curriculum on the level and quantity of social skills used by students with one or more of the following challenges: significant learning disability (functioning more than two grade levels below grade level), emotional/social disability, mental retardation, Autism, and/or varying degrees of brain damage. Through the use of video recording, the students in the study were analyzed based on the level of social interaction and the amount of socialization that took place during inquiry based science. The skills sought were based on the social and communication skills earmarked in the students' weekly social skills training class and their Individualized Education Plans (IEP). Based on previous research in social skills training it has been determined that where social skills training is lacking are in the areas of transfer and maintenance of skills. Due to the natural social behavior that must take place in inquiry based science this group of students were found to exhibit gains in (1) quantity of social interactions on topic; (2) developing higher levels of social interactions (sharing, taking other's suggestions, listening and responding appropriately, etc.); and (3) maintenance of social skills taught outside of formal social skills training. These gains were seen overall in the amount of student involvement during inquiry based science verses teacher involvement. Such increases are depicted through students' verbal exchanges, excerpts from field notes, and student reflections. The findings of this research is expected to guide special educators, administrators and directors of curriculum as to how to better create curriculum for this specific population where social skills training is utilized and maintained in all aspects of the academic day, thus helping this population of student achieve more independence and appropriate interactions in their live as citizens of society.

  19. Demographic history and rare allele sharing among human populations.

    PubMed

    Gravel, Simon; Henn, Brenna M; Gutenkunst, Ryan N; Indap, Amit R; Marth, Gabor T; Clark, Andrew G; Yu, Fuli; Gibbs, Richard A; Bustamante, Carlos D

    2011-07-19

    High-throughput sequencing technology enables population-level surveys of human genomic variation. Here, we examine the joint allele frequency distributions across continental human populations and present an approach for combining complementary aspects of whole-genome, low-coverage data and targeted high-coverage data. We apply this approach to data generated by the pilot phase of the Thousand Genomes Project, including whole-genome 2-4× coverage data for 179 samples from HapMap European, Asian, and African panels as well as high-coverage target sequencing of the exons of 800 genes from 697 individuals in seven populations. We use the site frequency spectra obtained from these data to infer demographic parameters for an Out-of-Africa model for populations of African, European, and Asian descent and to predict, by a jackknife-based approach, the amount of genetic diversity that will be discovered as sample sizes are increased. We predict that the number of discovered nonsynonymous coding variants will reach 100,000 in each population after ∼1,000 sequenced chromosomes per population, whereas ∼2,500 chromosomes will be needed for the same number of synonymous variants. Beyond this point, the number of segregating sites in the European and Asian panel populations is expected to overcome that of the African panel because of faster recent population growth. Overall, we find that the majority of human genomic variable sites are rare and exhibit little sharing among diverged populations. Our results emphasize that replication of disease association for specific rare genetic variants across diverged populations must overcome both reduced statistical power because of rarity and higher population divergence.

  20. Environmental metabarcodes for insects: in silico PCR reveals potential for taxonomic bias.

    PubMed

    Clarke, Laurence J; Soubrier, Julien; Weyrich, Laura S; Cooper, Alan

    2014-11-01

    Studies of insect assemblages are suited to the simultaneous DNA-based identification of multiple taxa known as metabarcoding. To obtain accurate estimates of diversity, metabarcoding markers ideally possess appropriate taxonomic coverage to avoid PCR-amplification bias, as well as sufficient sequence divergence to resolve species. We used in silico PCR to compare the taxonomic coverage and resolution of newly designed insect metabarcodes (targeting 16S) with that of existing markers [16S and cytochrome oxidase c subunit I (COI)] and then compared their efficiency in vitro. Existing metabarcoding primers amplified in silico <75% of insect species with complete mitochondrial genomes available, whereas new primers targeting 16S provided >90% coverage. Furthermore, metabarcodes targeting COI appeared to introduce taxonomic PCR-amplification bias, typically amplifying a greater percentage of Lepidoptera and Diptera species, while failing to amplify certain orders in silico. To test whether bias predicted in silico was observed in vitro, we created an artificial DNA blend containing equal amounts of DNA from 14 species, representing 11 insect orders and one arachnid. We PCR-amplified the blend using five primer sets, targeting either COI or 16S, with high-throughput amplicon sequencing yielding more than 6 million reads. In vitro results typically corresponded to in silico PCR predictions, with newly designed 16S primers detecting 11 insect taxa present, thus providing equivalent or better taxonomic coverage than COI metabarcodes. Our results demonstrate that in silico PCR is a useful tool for predicting taxonomic bias in mixed template PCR and that researchers should be wary of potential bias when selecting metabarcoding markers. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

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