Sample records for develop highly effective

  1. Anther response to high-temperature stress during development and pollen thermotolerance heterosis as revealed by pollen tube growth and in vitro pollen vigor analysis in upland cotton.

    PubMed

    Song, Guicheng; Wang, Miaomiao; Zeng, Bin; Zhang, Jing; Jiang, Chenliang; Hu, Qirui; Geng, Guangtao; Tang, Canming

    2015-05-01

    Pollen tube growth in styles was strongly inhibited by temperature above 35 °C, and the yield of cotton decreased because of the adverse effect of high temperatures during square development. High-temperature stress during flowering influences the square development of upland cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) and cotton yield. Although it is well known that square development is sensitive to high temperature, high-temperature sensitive stages of square development and the effects of high temperature on pollen tube growth in the styles are unknown. The effect of high temperature on anther development corresponding to pollen vigor is unknown during anther development. The objectives of this study were to identify the stages of square development that are sensitive to high temperatures (37/30 and 40/34 °C), to determine whether the abnormal development of squares influenced by high temperature is responsible for the variation in the in vitro germination percent of pollen grains at anthesis, to identify the effect of high temperature on pollen germination in the styles, and to determine pollen thermotolerance heterosis. Our results show that the stages from the sporogenous cell to tetrad stage (square length <6.0 mm) were the most sensitive to high temperature, and the corresponding pollen viability at anthesis was consistent with the changes in the square development stage. Pollen tube growth in the styles was strongly inhibited by temperature above 35 °C, and the yield of cotton decreased because of the effect of high temperature during square development. The thermotolerance of hybrid F1 pollen showed heterosis, and pollen viability could be used as a criterion for screening for high-temperature tolerance cultivars. These results can be used in breeding to develop new cotton cultivars that can withstand high-temperature conditions, particularly in a future warmer climate.

  2. Preparing Teachers to Remediate Reading Disabilities in High School: What Is Needed for Effective Professional Development?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lovett, Maureen W.; Lacerenza, Lea; De Palma, Maria; Benson, Nancy J.; Steinbach, Karen A.; Frijters, Jan C.

    2008-01-01

    In this paper, we ask what constitutes effective professional development for teachers faced with struggling readers in high school. Metacognitive teacher training, instructional coaching, mentorship, and collaborative learning are considered. We describe a professional development model preparing high school teachers to teach PHAST PACES, a…

  3. The Effectiveness of Geography Student Worksheet to Develop Learning Experiences for High School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Utami, Wiwik Sri; Sumarmi; Ruja, I. Nyoman; Utaya, Sugeng

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to examine the effectiveness of geography student worksheet in developing high school students' learning experiences. The student worksheet was planned to gain opportunity to develop creative and geography skills. The effectiveness is assessed from the contribution of the worksheets in improving the skills of…

  4. Developing putative AOPs from high content dataDeveloping putative AOPs from high content dataDeveloping putative AOPs from high content dataDeveloping putative AOPs from high content data

    EPA Science Inventory

    Developing putative AOPs from high content data Shannon M. Bell1,2, Stephen W. Edwards2 1 Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education 2 Integrated Systems Toxicology Division, National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, Office of Research and Development,...

  5. The Talent Development High School. Essential Components. Report No. 1.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    LaPoint, Velma; And Others

    The Talent Development Model for high schools was developed to fill a major current void in American education--the lack of a proven model of high school effectiveness. This report presents the essential components of the Talent Development High School, a model of changes in high school organization, curriculum, and instruction based on research…

  6. The Effects of Privileging Moral or Performance Character Development in Urban Adolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seider, Scott; Novick, Sarah; Gomez, Jessica

    2013-01-01

    This study compared the effects of emphasizing moral character development or performance character development at three high-performing, high-poverty urban middle schools. Performance character consists of the qualities that allow individuals to regulate their thoughts and actions in ways that support achievement in a particular endeavor. Moral…

  7. Development of an Effective School-Based Financial Management Profile in Malaysia: The Delphi Method Application

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Radzi, Norfariza Mohd; Ghani, Muhammad Faizal A.; Siraj, Saedah

    2015-01-01

    The agenda for national development requires a persistent improvement in education as a tool for creating knowledgeable human capital, highly skilled labour, a high technology society and ultimately a highly civilized nation for the future challenging world. It requires considerable financial and technical investment as well as effective and…

  8. The Effect of Study Abroad on the Development of Intercultural Sensitivity among Mainland Chinese High School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hao, Chenfang

    2012-01-01

    This dissertation examined the effect of year-long study abroad program on the development of intercultural sensitivity among the Mainland Chinese high school students. The sample consisted of 50 study abroad participants and 50 students on home campus. The instrument Intercultural Development Inventory (IDI) was employed to assess the…

  9. Characterization of matrix effects in developing rugged high-throughput LC-MS/MS methods for bioanalysis.

    PubMed

    Li, Fumin; Wang, Jun; Jenkins, Rand

    2016-05-01

    There is an ever-increasing demand for high-throughput LC-MS/MS bioanalytical assays to support drug discovery and development. Matrix effects of sofosbuvir (protonated) and paclitaxel (sodiated) were thoroughly evaluated using high-throughput chromatography (defined as having a run time ≤1 min) under 14 elution conditions with extracts from protein precipitation, liquid-liquid extraction and solid-phase extraction. A slight separation, in terms of retention time, between underlying matrix components and sofosbuvir/paclitaxel can greatly alleviate matrix effects. High-throughput chromatography, with proper optimization, can provide rapid and effective chromatographic separation under 1 min to alleviate matrix effects and enhance assay ruggedness for regulated bioanalysis.

  10. Effects of heavy ion radiation on the brain vascular system and embryonic development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yang, T. C.; Tobias, C. A.

    1984-01-01

    The present investigation is concerned with the effects of heavy-ion radiation on the vascular system and the embryonic development, taking into account the results of experiments with neonatal rats and mouse embryos. It is found that heavy ions can be highly effective in producing brain hemorrhages and in causing body deformities. Attention is given to aspects of methodology, the induction of brain hemorrhages by X-rays and heavy ions, and the effect of iron particles on embryonic development. Reported results suggest that high linear energy transfer (LET) heavy ions can be very effective in producing developmental abnormalities.

  11. Eating high-fat chow enhances sensitization to the effects of methamphetamine on locomotion in rats

    PubMed Central

    McGuire, Blaine A.; Baladi, Michelle G.; France, Charles P.

    2011-01-01

    Eating high-fat chow can modify the effects of drugs acting directly or indirectly on dopamine systems and repeated intermittent drug administration can markedly increase sensitivity (i.e., sensitization) to the behavioral effects of indirect-acting dopamine receptor agonists (e.g., methamphetamine). This study examined whether eating high-fat chow alters the sensitivity of male Sprague Dawley rats to the locomotor stimulating effects of acute or repeated administration of methamphetamine. The acute effects of methamphetamine on locomotion were not different between rats (n=6/group) eating high-fat or standard chow for 1 or 4 weeks. Sensitivity to the effects of methamphetamine (0.1–10 mg/kg, i.p.) increased progressively across 4 once per week tests; this sensitization developed more rapidly and to a greater extent in rats eating high-fat chow as compared with rats eating standard chow. Thus, while eating high-fat chow does not appear to alter sensitivity of rats to acutely-administered methamphetamine, it significantly increases the sensitization that develops to repeated intermittent administration of methamphetamine. These data suggest that eating certain foods influences the development of sensitization to drugs acting on dopamine systems. PMID:21371470

  12. Eating high-fat chow enhances sensitization to the effects of methamphetamine on locomotion in rats.

    PubMed

    McGuire, Blaine A; Baladi, Michelle G; France, Charles P

    2011-05-11

    Eating high-fat chow can modify the effects of drugs acting directly or indirectly on dopamine systems and repeated intermittent drug administration can markedly increase sensitivity (i.e., sensitization) to the behavioral effects of indirect-acting dopamine receptor agonists (e.g., methamphetamine). This study examined whether eating high-fat chow alters the sensitivity of male Sprague Dawley rats to the locomotor stimulating effects of acute or repeated administration of methamphetamine. The acute effects of methamphetamine on locomotion were not different between rats (n=6/group) eating high-fat or standard chow for 1 or 4 weeks. Sensitivity to the effects of methamphetamine (0.1-10mg/kg, i.p.) increased progressively across 4 once per week tests; this sensitization developed more rapidly and to a greater extent in rats eating high-fat chow as compared with rats eating standard chow. Thus, while eating high-fat chow does not appear to alter sensitivity of rats to acutely-administered methamphetamine, it significantly increases the sensitization that develops to repeated intermittent administration of methamphetamine. These data suggest that eating certain foods influences the development of sensitization to drugs acting on dopamine systems. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  13. Effect of a High-sucrose Diet on Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Development in a Hypoperfusion-induced Animal Model.

    PubMed

    Miyamoto, Chie; Kugo, Hirona; Hashimoto, Keisuke; Sawaragi, Ayaka; Zaima, Nobuhiro; Moriyama, Tatsuya

    2018-05-01

    Abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) is a vascular disease that results in rupture of the abdominal aorta. The risk factors for the development of AAA include smoking, male sex, hypertension, and age. AAA has a high mortality rate, but therapy for AAA is restricted to surgery in cases of large aneurysms. Clarifying the effect of dietary food on the development of AAA would be helpful for patients with AAAs. However, the relationship between dietary habits and the development of AAA is largely unknown. In our previous study, we demonstrated that adipocytes in vascular wall can induce the rupture of AAA. Therefore, we focused on the diet-induced abnormal triglyceride metabolism, which has the potential to drive AAA development. In this study, we have evaluated the effects of a high-sucrose diet on the development of AAA in a vascular hypoperfusion-induced animal model. A high sucrose diet induced high serum TG level and fatty liver. However, the AAA rupture risk and the AAA diameter were not significantly different between the control and high-sucrose groups. The intergroup differences in the elastin degradation score and collagen-positive area were insignificant. Moreover, matrix metalloproteinases, macrophages, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1-positive areas did not differ significantly between groups. These results suggest that a high-sucrose diet does not affect the appearance of vascular adipocyte and AAA development under the vascular hypoperfusion condition.

  14. Algorithm for evaluating the effectiveness of a high-rise development project based on current yield

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Soboleva, Elena

    2018-03-01

    The article is aimed at the issues of operational evaluation of development project efficiency in high-rise construction under the current economic conditions in Russia. The author touches the following issues: problems of implementing development projects, the influence of the operational evaluation quality of high-rise construction projects on general efficiency, assessing the influence of the project's external environment on the effectiveness of project activities under crisis conditions and the quality of project management. The article proposes the algorithm and the methodological approach to the quality management of the developer project efficiency based on operational evaluation of the current yield efficiency. The methodology for calculating the current efficiency of a development project for high-rise construction has been updated.

  15. Design and development of ultra-wideband 3 dB hybrid coupler for Ion cyclotron resonance frequency heating in tokamak.

    PubMed

    Yadav, Rana Pratap; Kumar, Sunil; Kulkarni, S V

    2014-04-01

    Design and development of a high power ultra-wideband, 3 dB tandem hybrid coupler is presented and its application in ICRF heating of the tokamak is discussed. In order to achieve the desired frequency band of 38-112 MHz and 200 kW power handling capability, the 3 dB hybrid coupler is developed using two 3-element 8.34 ± 0.2 dB coupled lines sections in tandem. In multi-element coupled lines, junctions are employed for the joining of coupled elements that produce the undesirable reactance called junction discontinuity effect. The effect becomes prominent in the high power multi-element coupled lines for high frequency (HF) and very high frequency(VHF) applications because of larger structural dimensions. Junction discontinuity effect significantly deteriorates coupling and output performance from the theoretical predictions. For the analysis of junction discontinuity effect and its compensation, a theoretical approach has been developed and generalized for n-element coupled lines section. The theory has been applied in the development of the 3 dB hybrid coupler. The fabricated hybrid coupler has been experimentally characterized using vector network analyzer and obtained results are found in good agreement with developed theory.

  16. Effects of high gravity on amphibian development.

    PubMed

    Kashiwagi, Akihiko; Hanada, Hideki; Kawakami, Satomi; Kubo, Hideo; Shinkai, Tadashi; Fujii, Hirotada; Kashiwagi, Keiko

    2003-10-01

    In order to clarify the possible effects of high gravity environments on eggs and developing embryos, Rana rugosa and Xenopus laevis fertilized eggs and early embryos were raised in 2 G, 5 G, 7 G and 10 G up to the hatched tadpole stage. The results showed that: (1) High gravity significantly retarded the development of eggs and embryos beginning treatment before the blastula stage and induced various abnormalities, including two heads and microcephally suggesting that high gravity is apt to disrupt the animal-vegital axis. On the other hand, embryos beginning treatment after the gastrula stage showed a striking increase in the number of normal-appearing feeding tadpoles. (2) Autopsy revealed that brains, notochords and muscles were reduced in development and differentiation for embryos and tadpoles developed in high gravity. (3) It seems likely that the system for hydrogen peroxide detoxification develops abnormally in high gravity-treated embryos and tadpoles, which probably results in oxidative stress, leading to considerable cell damage.

  17. The direct and indirect effects of corruption on motor vehicle crash deaths.

    PubMed

    Hua, Law Teik; Noland, Robert B; Evans, Andrew W

    2010-11-01

    Recent empirical research has found that there is an inverted U-shaped or Kuznets relationship between income and motor vehicle crash (MVC) deaths, such that MVC deaths increase as national income increases and decrease after reaching a critical level. Corruption has been identified as one of the underlying factors that could affect this relationship, primarily by undermining institutional development and effective enforcement schemes. The total effect of corruption can be decomposed into two components, a direct and an indirect effect. The direct effect measures the immediate impact of corruption on MVC deaths by undermining effective enforcement and regulations, while the indirect effect captures the impact of corruption on hindering increases in per capita income and the consequent impact of reduced income on MVC deaths. By influencing economic growth, corruption can lead to an increase or decrease in MVC deaths depending on the income level. Using data from 60 countries between 1982 and 2003, these effects are estimated using linear panel and fixed effects negative binomial models. The estimation results suggest that corruption has different direct effects for less developed and highly developed countries. It has a negative (decreasing) effect on MVC deaths for less developed countries and a positive (increasing) effect on MVC deaths for highly developed countries. For highly developed countries, the total effect is positive at lower per capita income levels, but decreases with per capita income and becomes negative at per capita income levels of about US$ 38,248. For less developed countries, the total effect is negative within the sample range and decreases with increased per capita income. In summary, the results of this study suggest that reduction of corruption is likely a necessary condition to effectively tackle road safety problems. 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  18. A Systematic Process for Developing High Quality SaaS Cloud Services

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    La, Hyun Jung; Kim, Soo Dong

    Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) is a type of cloud service which provides software functionality through Internet. Its benefits are well received in academia and industry. To fully utilize the benefits, there should be effective methodologies to support the development of SaaS services which provide high reusability and applicability. Conventional approaches such as object-oriented methods do not effectively support SaaS-specific engineering activities such as modeling common features, variability, and designing quality services. In this paper, we present a systematic process for developing high quality SaaS and highlight the essentiality of commonality and variability (C&V) modeling to maximize the reusability. We first define criteria for designing the process model and provide a theoretical foundation for SaaS; its meta-model and C&V model. We clarify the notion of commonality and variability in SaaS, and propose a SaaS development process which is accompanied with engineering instructions. Using the proposed process, SaaS services with high quality can be effectively developed.

  19. Toward Effective and Compelling Instruction for High School eCommerce Students: Results from a Small Field Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Luterbach, Kenneth J.; Rodriguez, Diane; Love, Lakecia

    2012-01-01

    This paper describes an instructional development effort to create effective and compelling instruction for eCommerce students. Results from a small field study inform the development project. Four high school students in an eCommerce course completed the standalone tutorial developed to teach them how to create a web page in the HyperText Markup…

  20. A Short Progress Report on High-Efficiency Perovskite Solar Cells.

    PubMed

    Tang, He; He, Shengsheng; Peng, Chuangwei

    2017-12-01

    Faced with the increasingly serious energy and environmental crisis in the world nowadays, the development of renewable energy has attracted increasingly more attention of all countries. Solar energy as an abundant and cheap energy is one of the most promising renewable energy sources. While high-performance solar cells have been well developed in the last couple of decades, the high module cost largely hinders wide deployment of photovoltaic devices. In the last 10 years, this urgent demand for cost-effective solar cells greatly facilitates the research of solar cells. This paper reviews the recent development of cost-effective and high-efficient solar cell technologies. This report paper covers low-cost and high-efficiency perovskite solar cells. The development and the state-of-the-art results of perovskite solar cell technologies are also introduced.

  1. Eigenvalue Detonation of Combined Effects Aluminized Explosives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Capellos, Christos; Baker, Ernest; Balas, Wendy; Nicolich, Steven; Stiel, Leonard

    2007-06-01

    This paper reports on the development of theory and performance for recently developed combined effects aluminized explosives. Traditional high energy explosives used for metal pushing incorporate high loading percentages of HMX or RDX, whereas blast explosives incorporate some percentage of aluminum. However, the high blast explosives produce increased blast energies, with reduced metal pushing capability due to late time aluminum reaction. Metal pushing capability refers to the early volume expansion work produced during the first few volume expansions associated with cylinder wall velocities and Gurney energies. Our Recently developed combined effects aluminized explosives (PAX-29C, PAX-30, PAX-42) are capable of achieving excellent metal pushing and high blast energies. Traditional Chapman-Jouguet detonation theory does not explain the observed detonation states achieved by these combined effects explosives. This work demonstrates, with the use of cylinder expansion data and thermochemical code calculations (JAGUAR and CHEETAH), that eigenvalue detonation theory explains the observed behavior.

  2. Integrated Device for Circulating Tumor Cell Capture, Characterization and Lens-Free Microscopy

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-08-01

    peripheral blood of breast cancer patients indicates high metastatic potential and increased morbidity. Development of a cost - effective CTC detection and...microfilter platform captures CTC from the cancer patients’ blood cost effectively , where the larger CTC are preferentially retained on the membrane...development of a cost - effective and high-throughput CTC analysis system would revolutionize the field of CTC detection, prognosis, and therapeutic

  3. High school students as science researchers: Opportunities and challenges

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, W. R.; Grannas, A. M.

    2007-12-01

    Today's K-12 students will be the scientists and engineers who bring currently emerging technologies to fruition. Existing research endeavors will be continued and expanded upon in the future only if these students are adequately prepared. High school-university collaborations provide an effective means of recruiting and training the next generation of scientists and engineers. Here, we describe our successful high school-university collaboration in the context of other models. We have developed an authentic inquiry-oriented environmental chemistry research program involving high school students as researchers. The impetus behind the development of this project was twofold. First, participation in authentic research may give some of our students the experience and drive to enter technical studies after high school. One specific goal was to develop a program to recruit underrepresented minorities into university STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) programs. Second, inquiry-oriented lessons have been shown to be highly effective in developing scientific literacy among the general population of students. This collaboration involves the use of local resources and equipment available to most high schools and could serve as a model for developing high school- university partnerships.

  4. New Researches and Application Progress of Commonly Used Optical Molecular Imaging Technology

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Zhi-Yi; Yang, Feng; Lin, Yan; Zhou, Qiu-Lan; Liao, Yang-Ying

    2014-01-01

    Optical molecular imaging, a new medical imaging technique, is developed based on genomics, proteomics and modern optical imaging technique, characterized by non-invasiveness, non-radiativity, high cost-effectiveness, high resolution, high sensitivity and simple operation in comparison with conventional imaging modalities. Currently, it has become one of the most widely used molecular imaging techniques and has been applied in gene expression regulation and activity detection, biological development and cytological detection, drug research and development, pathogenesis research, pharmaceutical effect evaluation and therapeutic effect evaluation, and so forth, This paper will review the latest researches and application progresses of commonly used optical molecular imaging techniques such as bioluminescence imaging and fluorescence molecular imaging. PMID:24696850

  5. High flow rate development: process optimization using megasonic immersion development (MID)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Courboin, Daniel; Choi, Jong Woo; Jung, Sang Hyun; Baek, Seung Hee; Kim, Lee Ju

    2004-12-01

    In previous study the high impact of development by-products on Critical Dimension (CD) through the microloading effect has been demonstrated for a Novolak resist. In this paper, through further tests involving Chemically Amplified Resist (CAR) and Novolak resist, the microloading effect of development is characterized and tentative mechanism is presented. Megasonic Immersion Development (MID), a high flow rate development technique similar to the Proximity Gap Suction Development (PGSD), was used and compared with spin spray development and puddle development. On TOK IP3600, a Novolak resist, we have explored a wide range of process conditions with MID. Developer temperature was varied from 5°C to 40°C with TMAH developer concentration of 1.9% and 2.38% resulting in an isofocal dose range of 90mJ to 190mJ. Exposure Focus Matrix (EFM) with a specific microloading pattern and resist cross sections were performed. The best conditions are quite far from the standard process advised by the resist supplier. Very nice standing wave profile was obtained at high temperature development. On CAR, JEOL 9000MVII, a 50kV e-beam vector scan tool, and ETEC ALTA 4300, a DUV raster scan tool, were used with different develop process techniques including MID. FujiFilm Arch FEP-171 positive CAR and Sumitomo NEB-22 negative CAR were used on 50kV writing tool. Sumitomo PEK-130 was used on DUV writing tool. FEP-171 and PEK-1300 show microloading effect on high density patterns but not NEB-22. MID shows also improved reproduction of develop features in the chrome and a 20% improvement of CD uniformity. The results of this study seem to indicate that a closer look in their development process is needed for 90nm and 65nm technologies.

  6. Effective Dropout Prevention Strategies Developed by the High/Scope Educational Research Foundation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stellar, Arthur

    2002-01-01

    Introduces a collection of papers that address the High/Scope Foundation's approach to risk reduction and dropout prevention. Examines High/Scope's history and describes various High/Scope efforts (e.g., the Michigan School Readiness Program Evaluation, preschool and elementary curriculum development and training, movement and music curriculum…

  7. Effects of Self-Regulated Strategy Development for POW+TREE on High School Students with Learning Disabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hoover, Theresa M.; Kubina, Richard M.; Mason, Linda H.

    2012-01-01

    High school students with learning disabilities often have difficulty expressing their thoughts in writing. At the secondary level, writing becomes paramount to successfully navigating the curriculum and expressing knowledge. In this study, the effectiveness of Self-Regulated Strategy Development for POW (Pick my idea, Organize my notes, Write and…

  8. Improving Communication Skills among High School Assistant Principals To Increase Administrative Team Effectiveness.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hosack, Mary Browne

    This paper describes a practicum program that was developed to increase the effectiveness of the administrative team at one high school. A lack of communication skills had prevented the target group from working together as a team. Strategies included role-play activities, workshops, and communication skill-development meetings. A series of…

  9. Learning Technology Adoption: Navy Barriers And Resistance

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2018-03-01

    ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) Technological developments offer opportunities to enhance training effectiveness, in support of achieving high-velocity...developments offer opportunities to enhance training effectiveness, in support of achieving high-velocity learning. However, resistance to change...considering what opportunities for enhanced training might be offered by learning-centered technologies. This is evident in the CNO’s statement, “We must

  10. Developing a Leadership Development Program for the Veterans Benefits Administration within the Department of Veterans Affairs

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-06-13

    improvement of the organization’s culture. By creating an environment that promotes and 91Steven Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People : Powerful...Intelligence, Cognitive Intelligence, and Job Performance.” Administrative Science Quarterly 51 (March 2006): 1-28. Covey, Steven. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People : Powerful

  11. Effects of Professional Development on Infusing Engineering Design into High School Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) Curricula

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Avery, Zanj Kano

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of professional development (PD) on the infusion of engineering design into high school curricula. Four inservice teachers with backgrounds in physics, chemistry, industrial education, math, and electrical engineering participated in the 2006 National Center of Engineering and Technology…

  12. Effects of high temperature after pollination on physicochemical properties of waxy maize flour during grain development.

    PubMed

    Lu, Dalei; Cai, Xuemei; Yan, Fabao; Sun, Xuli; Wang, Xin; Lu, Weiping

    2014-05-01

    Waxy maize is grown in South China, where high temperatures frequently prevail. The effect of high-temperature stress on grain development of waxy maize is not known. High temperature decreased the grain fresh weight and volume, and lowered the grain dry weight and water content after 22 days after pollination (DAP). Plants exposed to high temperature had low starch content, and high protein and soluble sugar contents at maturity. Starch iodine binding capacity and granule size were increased by heat stress at all grain-filling stages. The former parameter decreased, while the latter parameter increased gradually with grain development. High temperature increased the peak and breakdown viscosity before 30 DAP, but the value decreased at maturity. Pasting and gelatinization temperatures at different stages were increased by heat stress and gradually decreased with grain development under both high-temperature and control conditions. Gelatinization enthalpy increased initially but decreased after peaking at 22 DAP under both control and heat stress conditions. High temperature decreased gelatinization enthalpy after 10 DAP. Retrogradation percentage value increased with high temperature throughout grain development. High temperature after pollination changes the dynamics of grain filling of waxy maize, which may underlie the observed changes in its pasting and thermal properties. © 2013 Society of Chemical Industry.

  13. Understanding Effective High Schools: Evidence for Personalization for Academic and Social Emotional Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rutledge, Stacey A.; Cohen-Vogel, Lora; Osborne-Lampkin, La'Tara; Roberts, Ronnie L.

    2015-01-01

    This article presents findings from a year-long multilevel comparative case study exploring the characteristics of effective urban high schools. We developed a comprehensive framework from the school effectiveness research that guided our data collection and analysis at the four high schools. Using value-added methodology, we identified two higher…

  14. Design and development of an advanced two-stage centrifugal compressor

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

    Palmer, D.L.; Waterman, W.F.

    1995-04-01

    Small turboshaft engines require high-pressure-ratio, high-efficiency compressors to provide low engine fuel consumption. This paper describes the aeromechanical design and development of a 3.3 kg/s (7.3 lb/sec), 14:1 pressure ratio two-stage centrifugal compressor, which is used in the T800-LHT-800 helicopter engine. The design employs highly nonradial, splitter bladed impellers with swept leading edges and compact vaned diffusers to achieve high performance in a small and robust configuration. The development effort quantified the effects of impeller diffusion and passive inducer shroud bleed on surge margin as well as the effects of impeller loading on tip clearance sensitivity and the impact ofmore » sand erosion and shroud roughness on performance. The developed compressor exceeded its performance objectives with a minimum of 23% surge margin without variable geometry. The compressor provides a high-performance, rugged, low-cost configuration ideally suited for helicopter applications.« less

  15. Application technologies for effective utilization of advanced high strength steel sheets

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

    Suehiro, Masayoshi, E-mail: suehiro.kp5.masayoshi@jp.nssmc.com

    Recently, application of high strength steel sheets for automobiles has increased in order to meet a demand of light weighting of automobiles to reduce a carbon footprint while satisfying collision safety. The formability of steel sheets generally decreases with the increase in strength. Fracture and wrinkles tend to occur easily during forming. The springback phenomenon is also one of the issues which we should cope with, because it makes it difficult to obtain the desired shape after forming. Advanced high strength steel sheets with high formability have been developed in order to overcome these issues, and at the same timemore » application technologies have been developed for their effective utilization. These sheets are normally used for cold forming. As a different type of forming, hot forming technique has been developed in order to produce parts with ultra high strength. In this report, technologies developed at NSSMC in this field will be introduced.« less

  16. Achieving large linear elasticity and high strength in bulk nanocompsite via synergistic effect

    DOE PAGES

    Hao, Shijie; Cui, Lishan; Guo, Fangmin; ...

    2015-03-09

    Elastic strain in bulk metallic materials is usually limited to only a fraction of 1%. Developing bulk metallic materials showing large linear elasticity and high strength has proven to be difficult. Here, based on the synergistic effect between nanowires and orientated martensite NiTi shape memory alloy, we developed an in-situ Nb nanowires-orientated martensitic NiTi matrix composite showing an ultra-large linear elastic strain of 4% and an ultrahigh yield strength of 1.8 GPa. This material also has a high mechanical energy storage efficiency of 96% and a high energy storage density of 36 J/cm 3 that is almost one order ofmore » larger than that of spring steel. It is demonstrated that the synergistic effect allows the exceptional mechanical properties of nanowires to be harvested at macro scale and the mechanical properties of matrix to be greatly improved, resulting in these superior properties. This research provides new avenues for developing advanced composites with superior properties by using effective synergistic effect between components.« less

  17. Sub-lethal effects of pesticide residues in brood comb on worker honey bee (Apis mellifera) development and longevity.

    PubMed

    Wu, Judy Y; Anelli, Carol M; Sheppard, Walter S

    2011-02-23

    Numerous surveys reveal high levels of pesticide residue contamination in honey bee comb. We conducted studies to examine possible direct and indirect effects of pesticide exposure from contaminated brood comb on developing worker bees and adult worker lifespan. Worker bees were reared in brood comb containing high levels of known pesticide residues (treatment) or in relatively uncontaminated brood comb (control). Delayed development was observed in bees reared in treatment combs containing high levels of pesticides particularly in the early stages (day 4 and 8) of worker bee development. Adult longevity was reduced by 4 days in bees exposed to pesticide residues in contaminated brood comb during development. Pesticide residue migration from comb containing high pesticide residues caused contamination of control comb after multiple brood cycles and provided insight on how quickly residues move through wax. Higher brood mortality and delayed adult emergence occurred after multiple brood cycles in contaminated control combs. In contrast, survivability increased in bees reared in treatment comb after multiple brood cycles when pesticide residues had been reduced in treatment combs due to residue migration into uncontaminated control combs, supporting comb replacement efforts. Chemical analysis after the experiment confirmed the migration of pesticide residues from treatment combs into previously uncontaminated control comb. This study is the first to demonstrate sub-lethal effects on worker honey bees from pesticide residue exposure from contaminated brood comb. Sub-lethal effects, including delayed larval development and adult emergence or shortened adult longevity, can have indirect effects on the colony such as premature shifts in hive roles and foraging activity. In addition, longer development time for bees may provide a reproductive advantage for parasitic Varroa destructor mites. The impact of delayed development in bees on Varroa mite fecundity should be examined further.

  18. Effects of acute low temperature events on development of Erysiphe necator and susceptibility of Vitis vinifera

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Growth and development of Erysiphe necator (syn. Uncinula necator) has been extensively studied under controlled conditions, primarily with a focus on development within the optimal temperature range and the lethal effects of high temperatures. Little is known of the effect of cold temperatures on ...

  19. Facilitating Learner Autonomy: Reading and Effective Dictionary Use for Lexical Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lin, Debbita Tan Ai; Pandian, Ambigapathy; Jaganathan, Paramaswari

    2017-01-01

    Effective dictionary use facilitates reading and subsequently, vocabulary knowledge development. Reading, especially extensive reading, has time and again been proven to be highly effective for both receptive and productive lexical development. Possessing control over a large vocabulary is essential for language competence--be it L1, L2, or L3.…

  20. Interventions that enhance health services for parents and infants to improve child development and social and emotional well-being in high-income countries: a systematic review

    PubMed Central

    Hurt, Lisa; Paranjothy, Shantini; Lucas, Patricia Jane; Watson, Debbie; Mann, Mala; Griffiths, Lucy J; Ginja, Samuel; Paljarvi, Tapio; Williams, Jo; Bellis, Mark A; Lingam, Raghu

    2018-01-01

    Background Experiences in the first 1000 days of life have a critical influence on child development and health. Health services that provide support for families need evidence about how best to improve their provision. Methods We systematically reviewed the evidence for interventions in high-income countries to improve child development by enhancing health service contact with parents from the antenatal period to 24 months postpartum. We searched 15 databases and trial registers for studies published in any language between 01 January 1996 and 01 April 2016. We also searched 58 programme or organisation websites and the electronic table of contents of eight journals. Results Primary outcomes were motor, cognitive and language development, and social-emotional well-being measured to 39 months of age (to allow the interventions time to produce demonstrable effects). Results were reported using narrative synthesis due to the variation in study populations, intervention design and outcome measurement. 22 of the 12 986 studies identified met eligibility criteria. Using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) working group criteria, the quality of evidence overall was moderate to low. There was limited evidence for intervention effectiveness: positive effects were seen in 1/6 studies for motor development, 4/11 for language development, 4/8 for cognitive development and 3/19 for social-emotional well-being. However, most studies showing positive effects were at high/unclear risk of bias, within-study effects were inconsistent and negative effects were also seen. Intervention content and intensity varied greatly, but this was not associated with effectiveness. Conclusions There is insufficient evidence that interventions currently available to enhance health service contacts up to 24 months postpartum are effective for improving child development. There is an urgent need for robust evaluation of existing interventions and to develop and evaluate novel interventions to enhance the offer to all families. PROSPERO registration number CRD42015015468. PMID:29439064

  1. The Effect of Speed Reading Instruction on Japanese High School Students' English Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Underwood, Paul; Myskow, Gordon; Hattori, Takahiko

    2012-01-01

    This study investigated the effects of a six-month course in speed reading in three areas of reading proficiency development: 1) general reading comprehension, 2) knowledge of high-frequency vocabulary, and 3) reading-rate and accuracy. The participants (N = 105) were Japanese students studying English as a foreign language in Grade 10 at a…

  2. Five Steps for Developing Effective Transition Plans for High School Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Szidon, Katherine; Ruppar, Andrea; Smith, Leann

    2015-01-01

    Lakeview High School is a medium sized high school in a rural farming community. The staff at Lakeview meets at the beginning of each school year to discuss building-level professional development plans. This year, Lakeview's special education team has requested to focus its professional development time on improving special education services for…

  3. Effects of Implementing STEM-I Project-Based Learning Activities for Female High School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lou, Shi-Jer; Tsai, Huei-Yin; Tseng, Kuo-Hung; Shih, Ru-Chu

    2014-01-01

    This study aims to explore the application of STEM-I (STEM-Imagination) project-based learning activities and its effects on the effectiveness, processes, and characteristics of STEM integrative knowledge learning and imagination development for female high school students. A total of 72 female high school students were divided into 18 teams.…

  4. Nickel-free austenitic stainless steels for medical applications.

    PubMed

    Yang, Ke; Ren, Yibin

    2010-02-01

    The adverse effects of nickel ions being released into the human body have prompted the development of high-nitrogen nickel-free austenitic stainless steels for medical applications. Nitrogen not only replaces nickel for austenitic structure stability but also much improves steel properties. Here we review the harmful effects associated with nickel in medical stainless steels, the advantages of nitrogen in stainless steels, and emphatically, the development of high-nitrogen nickel-free stainless steels for medical applications. By combining the benefits of stable austenitic structure, high strength and good plasticity, better corrosion and wear resistances, and superior biocompatibility compared to the currently used 316L stainless steel, the newly developed high-nitrogen nickel-free stainless steel is a reliable substitute for the conventional medical stainless steels.

  5. Nickel-free austenitic stainless steels for medical applications

    PubMed Central

    Yang, Ke; Ren, Yibin

    2010-01-01

    The adverse effects of nickel ions being released into the human body have prompted the development of high-nitrogen nickel-free austenitic stainless steels for medical applications. Nitrogen not only replaces nickel for austenitic structure stability but also much improves steel properties. Here we review the harmful effects associated with nickel in medical stainless steels, the advantages of nitrogen in stainless steels, and emphatically, the development of high-nitrogen nickel-free stainless steels for medical applications. By combining the benefits of stable austenitic structure, high strength and good plasticity, better corrosion and wear resistances, and superior biocompatibility compared to the currently used 316L stainless steel, the newly developed high-nitrogen nickel-free stainless steel is a reliable substitute for the conventional medical stainless steels. PMID:27877320

  6. High-grade extremity soft tissue sarcomas: factors predictive of local recurrence and its effect on morbidity and mortality.

    PubMed

    Eilber, Fritz C; Rosen, Gerald; Nelson, Scott D; Selch, Michael; Dorey, Frederick; Eckardt, Jeffery; Eilber, Frederick R

    2003-02-01

    To identify patient characteristics associated with the development of local recurrence and the effect of local recurrence on subsequent morbidity and mortality in patients with intermediate- to high-grade extremity soft tissue sarcomas. Numerous studies on extremity soft tissue sarcomas have consistently shown that presentation with locally recurrent disease is associated with the development of subsequent local recurrences and that large tumor size and high histologic grade are significant factors associated with decreased survival. However, the effect of local recurrence on patient survival remains unclear. From 1975 to 1997, 753 patients with intermediate- to high-grade extremity soft tissue sarcomas were treated at UCLA. Treatment outcomes and patient characteristics were analyzed to identify factors associated with both local recurrence and survival. Patients with locally recurrent disease were at a significantly increased risk of developing a subsequent local recurrence. Local recurrence was a morbid event requiring amputation in 38% of the cases. The development of a local recurrence was the most significant factor associated with decreased survival. Once a patient developed a local recurrence, he or she was about three times more likely to die of disease compared to similar patients who had not developed a local recurrence. Local recurrence in patients with intermediate- to high-grade extremity soft tissue sarcomas is associated with the development of subsequent local recurrences, a morbid event decreasing functional outcomes and the most significant factor associated with decreased survival. Although 85% to 90% of patients with high-grade extremity soft tissue sarcomas are treatable with a limb salvage approach, patients who develop a local recurrence need aggressive treatment and should be considered for trials of adjuvant systemic therapy.

  7. Anisotropy in MHD turbulence due to a mean magnetic field

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shebalin, J. V.; Matthaeus, W. H.; Montgomery, D.

    1982-01-01

    The development of anisotropy in an initially isotropic spectrum is studied numerically for two-dimensional magnetohydrodynamic turbulence. The anisotropy develops due to the combined effects of an externally imposed dc magnetic field and viscous and resistive dissipation at high wave numbers. The effect is most pronounced at high mechanical and magnetic Reynolds numbers. The anisotropy is greater at the higher wave numbers.

  8. The obesogenic effect of high fructose exposure during early development

    PubMed Central

    Goran, Michael I.; Dumke, Kelly; Bouret, Sebastien G.; Kayser, Brandon; Walker, Ryan W.; Blumberg, Bruce

    2016-01-01

    Obesogens are compounds that disrupt the function and development of adipose tissue or the normal metabolism of lipids, leading to an increased risk of obesity and associated diseases. Evidence for the adverse effects of industrial and agricultural obesogens, such as tributyltin, bisphenol A and other organic pollutants is well-established. Current evidence suggests that high maternal consumption of fat promotes obesity and increased metabolic risk in offspring, but less is known about the effects of other potential nutrient obesogens. Widespread increase in dietary fructose consumption over the past 30 years is associated with chronic metabolic and endocrine disorders and alterations in feeding behaviour that promote obesity. In this Perspectives, we examine the evidence linking high intakes of fructose with altered metabolism and early obesity. We review the evidence suggesting that high fructose exposure during critical periods of development of the fetus, neonate and infant can act as an obesogen by affecting lifelong neuroendocrine function, appetite control, feeding behaviour, adipogenesis, fat distribution and metabolic systems. These changes ultimately favour the long-term development of obesity and associated metabolic risk. PMID:23732284

  9. Skilled migration and health outcomes in developing countries.

    PubMed

    Uprety, Dambar

    2018-04-30

    Many studies have found that health outcomes decline when health professionals leave the country, but do such results remain consistent in gender- and income-disaggregated skilled migration? To help uncover explanations for such a pro-migration nature of health outcomes, the present study revisits this topic but allows for associations of skilled migration with mortality and life expectancy to differ between male and female, and between low- and high-income countries. Using a panel of 133 developing countries as source and 20 OECD countries as destination from 1980 to 2010 allowing the coefficient on emigration across different education levels to differ, the study finds the negative effect of high-skilled emigration on health outcomes. Such effect is more pronounced for high-skilled female migration than those for male and for low-income countries than for middle-and high-income countries. Results also show that such adverse effect is larger for African countries than non-African ones. However, the low-skilled migration appears to be insignificant to affect health outcomes in developing countries. Thus, skilled migration is detrimental to longevity in developing countries but unskilled migration is not.

  10. Effectiveness of high school safety belt instruction

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1982-12-01

    The Effectiveness of High School Safety Belt Instruction was developed during a two-phased project. In Phase I, Focus Group Activities were conducted to determine whether audiovisual safety belt instructional materials assembled by the National Highw...

  11. Providing Effective Professional Development: Lessons from the Eisenhower Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Porter, Andrew C.; Garet, Michael S.; Desimone, Laura M.; Birman, Beatrice F.

    2003-01-01

    Reports on two studies evaluating the effectiveness of the federal government's Eisenhower Professional Development Program. Describes high quality professional development of in-service teachers, changes in teaching practice, six key practices identified in literature, and the relationship between district policies and the quality of professional…

  12. Principles for the formation of an effective concept of multifunctional high-rise construction investment projects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beliakov, Sergei

    2018-03-01

    Investment projects of high-rise construction have a number of features that determine specific risks and additional opportunities that require analysis and accounting in the formation of an effective project concept. The most significant features of high-rise construction include long construction time, complexity of technical and technological solutions, complexity of decisions on the organization of construction and operation, high cost of construction and operation, complexity in determining the ratio of areas designed to accommodate different functional areas, when organizing and coordinating the operation of the facility, with internal zoning. Taking into account the specificity of high-rise construction, among the factors determining the effectiveness of projects, it is advisable to consider as key factors: organizational, technological and investment factors. Within the framework of the article, the author singled out key particular functions for each group of factors under consideration, and also developed a system of principles for the formation of an effective concept of multifunctional high-rise construction investment projects, including the principle of logistic efficiency, the principle of optimal functional zoning, the principle of efficiency of equipment use, the principle of optimizing technological processes, the principle maximization of income, the principle of fund management, the principle of risk management . The model of formation of an effective concept of investment projects of multifunctional high-rise construction developed by the author can contribute to the development of methodological tools in the field of managing the implementation of high-rise construction projects, taking into account their specificity in the current economic conditions.

  13. The Story of a Unique Collaborative Partnership Focused on Preparing Effective Teachers to Be Successful in High-Poverty/High-Minority Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Richman, Laila J.; Wittmann, Cheryl; Madden, Maggie

    2014-01-01

    This article describes an innovative partnership between a state department of education, local school systems, and institutions of higher education aimed at increasing the number of effective teachers for high-poverty/ high-minority schools through collaborative partnerships, rigorous coursework, ongoing professional development, intensive…

  14. Strategic Leadership Development: An Operation Domain Application

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1997-03-01

    effectiveness. Notes 1 Quoted in Stephen R. Covey The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People : Restoring the Character Ethic (New York: Simon and Schuster...Press, Inc., 1993. Covey, Stephen R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People : Restoring the Character Ethic. New York, Simon and Schuster 1989

  15. Common Effects Methodology for Pesticides

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA is exploring how to build on the substantial high quality science developed under both OPP programs to develop additional tools and approaches to support a consistent and common set of effects characterization methods using best available information.

  16. High-throughput RAD-SNP genotyping for characterization of sugar beet genotypes

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    High-throughput SNP genotyping provides a rapid way of developing resourceful set of markers for delineating the genetic architecture and for effective species discrimination. In the presented research, we demonstrate a set of 192 SNPs for effective genotyping in sugar beet using high-throughput mar...

  17. 78 FR 9892 - Applications for New Awards; Supporting Effective Educator Development Grant Program

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-02-12

    ... DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION Applications for New Awards; Supporting Effective Educator Development Grant Program AGENCY: Office of Innovation and Improvement, Department of Education. ACTION: Notice... purpose of the program is to increase the number of highly effective teachers and principals (as defined...

  18. Switching electrochromic performance improvement enabled by highly developed mesopores and oxygen vacancy defects of Fe-doped WO3 films

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koo, Bon-Ryul; Kim, Kue-Ho; Ahn, Hyo-Jin

    2018-09-01

    In recent years, owing to the capability to reversibly adjust transparency, reflection, and color by the low electric field, electrochromic devices (ECDs) have received an extensive attention for their potential use in optoelectronic applications. However, considering that the performances of the ECDs, including coloration efficiency (CE, <30.0 cm2/C) and switching speed (>10.0 s), are still low for an effective applied use, critical efforts are needed to push the development of a unique nanostructure film to improve electrochromic (EC) performances. Specifically, as the large-scale applications (e.g. refrigerators, vehicles, and airplanes) of the ECDs have been recently developed, the study for improving switching speed is urgently needed for commercialization of the devices. In this context, the present study reports a novel nanostructure film of Fe-doped WO3 films with highly developed mesopores and oxygen vacancy defects, fabricated using the Fe agent and the camphene-assisted sol-gel method. Fe-doped WO3 films with highly developed mesopores and oxygen vacancy defects show remarkable EC performances with both fast switching speed (2.8 s for the coloration speed and 0.3 s for the bleaching speed) and high CE (71.1 cm2/C). These two aspects contribute to the synergistic effects of optimized Fe doping and camphene on the films and have outstanding values as compared to previously reported results of WO3-based materials. Specifically, the fast switching speed is attributed to the shortened Li+ diffusion pathway of the highly developed mesopores; and the other is the improved electrical conductivity of the highly increased oxygen vacancy defects. In addition, the high CE value is due to an efficient charge transport as the result of a more effective electroactive contact of the morphology with highly developed mesopores, resulting in a large transmittance modulation with a small intercalated charge density.

  19. The Effects of Using Flashcards to Develop Automaticity with Key Vocabulary Words for Students with and without Learning Disabilities Enrolled in a High School Spanish Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stager, Phillip A.

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of using flashcards to develop automaticity (rapid word recognition) with key vocabulary words and phrases in order to improve fluency and reading comprehension skills for participants with and without diagnosed learning disabilities enrolled in a high school Spanish course. Eighty-seven…

  20. What Can Neighbourhood Density Effects Tell Us about Word Learning? Insights from a Connectionist Model of Vocabulary Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Takac, Martin; Knott, Alistair; Stokes, Stephanie

    2017-01-01

    In this paper, we investigate the effect of neighbourhood density (ND) on vocabulary size in a computational model of vocabulary development. A word has a high ND if there are many words phonologically similar to it. High ND words are more easily learned by infants of all abilities (e.g. Storkel, 2009; Stokes, 2014). We present a neural network…

  1. Latest Development and Application of High Strength and Heavy Gauge Pipeline Steel in China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yongqing, Zhang; Aimin, Guo; Chengjia, Shang; Qingyou, Liu; Gray, J. Malcolm; Barbaro, Frank

    Over the past twenty years, significant advances have been made in the field of microalloying and associated application, among which one of the most successful application cases is HTP practice for heavy gauge, high strength pipeline steels. Combined the strengthening effects of TMCP and retardation effects of austenite recrystallization with increasing Nb in austenite region, HTP conception with low carbon and high niobium alloy design has been successfully applied to develop X80 coil with a thickness of 18.4mm used for China's Second West-East pipeline. During this process, big efforts were made to further develop and enrich the application of microalloying technology, and at the same time the strengthening effects of Nb have been completely unfolded and fully utilized with improved metallurgical quality and quantitative analysis of microstructure. In this paper, the existing status and strengthening effect of Nb during reheating, rolling, cooling and welding have been analyzed and characterized based on mass production samples and laboratory analysis. As confirmed, grain refinement remains the most basic strengthening measure to reduce the microstructure gradient along the thickness, which in turn enlarges the processing window to improve upon low temperature toughness, and finally make it possible to develop heavy gauge, high strength pipeline steels with more challenging fracture toughness requirements.

  2. Catching Up: Effect of the Talent Development Ninth-Grade Instructional Interventions in Reading and Mathematics in High-Poverty High Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Balfanz, Robert; Legters, Nettie; Jordan, Will

    2004-01-01

    Little is known about the feasibility and rapidity with which the academic learning of students who enter high school multiple years behind grade level can be accelerated. This study uses multiple regression analyses of standardized test and survey data from high-poverty high schools in two large urban districts to evaluate initial effects of the…

  3. A Theory-Based Career Development Course: A Plant in the Garden.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mackin, R. Kevin; Hansen, L. Sunny

    1981-01-01

    An evaluation of the effectiveness of a career development class for high school students supports the viability of career development curricula as part of a comprehensive career guidance program. The class had a positive effect on students' career maturity and skills in self-appraisal and goal selection. (JAC)

  4. Ultra-high gain diffusion-driven organic transistor.

    PubMed

    Torricelli, Fabrizio; Colalongo, Luigi; Raiteri, Daniele; Kovács-Vajna, Zsolt Miklós; Cantatore, Eugenio

    2016-02-01

    Emerging large-area technologies based on organic transistors are enabling the fabrication of low-cost flexible circuits, smart sensors and biomedical devices. High-gain transistors are essential for the development of large-scale circuit integration, high-sensitivity sensors and signal amplification in sensing systems. Unfortunately, organic field-effect transistors show limited gain, usually of the order of tens, because of the large contact resistance and channel-length modulation. Here we show a new organic field-effect transistor architecture with a gain larger than 700. This is the highest gain ever reported for organic field-effect transistors. In the proposed organic field-effect transistor, the charge injection and extraction at the metal-semiconductor contacts are driven by the charge diffusion. The ideal conditions of ohmic contacts with negligible contact resistance and flat current saturation are demonstrated. The approach is general and can be extended to any thin-film technology opening unprecedented opportunities for the development of high-performance flexible electronics.

  5. Ultra-high gain diffusion-driven organic transistor

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Torricelli, Fabrizio; Colalongo, Luigi; Raiteri, Daniele; Kovács-Vajna, Zsolt Miklós; Cantatore, Eugenio

    2016-02-01

    Emerging large-area technologies based on organic transistors are enabling the fabrication of low-cost flexible circuits, smart sensors and biomedical devices. High-gain transistors are essential for the development of large-scale circuit integration, high-sensitivity sensors and signal amplification in sensing systems. Unfortunately, organic field-effect transistors show limited gain, usually of the order of tens, because of the large contact resistance and channel-length modulation. Here we show a new organic field-effect transistor architecture with a gain larger than 700. This is the highest gain ever reported for organic field-effect transistors. In the proposed organic field-effect transistor, the charge injection and extraction at the metal-semiconductor contacts are driven by the charge diffusion. The ideal conditions of ohmic contacts with negligible contact resistance and flat current saturation are demonstrated. The approach is general and can be extended to any thin-film technology opening unprecedented opportunities for the development of high-performance flexible electronics.

  6. High levels of testosterone inhibit ovarian follicle development by repressing the FSH signaling pathway.

    PubMed

    Liu, Tao; Cui, Yu-qian; Zhao, Han; Liu, Hong-bin; Zhao, Shi-dou; Gao, Yuan; Mu, Xiao-li; Gao, Fei; Chen, Zi-jiang

    2015-10-01

    The effect of high concentrations of testosterone on ovarian follicle development was investigated. Primary follicles and granulosa cells were cultured in vitro in media supplemented with a testosterone concentration gradient. The combined effects of testosterone and follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) on follicular growth and granulosa cell gonadotropin receptor mRNA expression were also investigated. Follicle growth in the presence of high testosterone concentrations was promoted at early stages (days 1-7), but inhibited at later stage (days 7-14) of in vitro culture. Interestingly, testosterone-induced follicle development arrest was rescued by treatment with high concentrations of FSH (400 mIU/mL). In addition, in cultured granulosa cells, high testosterone concentrations induced cell proliferation, and increased the mRNA expression level of FSH receptor (FSHR), and luteinized hormone/choriogonadotropin receptor. It was concluded that high concentrations of testosterone inhibited follicle development, most likely through regulation of the FSH signaling pathway, although independently from FSHR downregulation. These findings are an important step in further understanding the pathogenesis of polycystic ovary syndrome.

  7. Acoustic Treatment Design Scaling Methods. Volume 2; Advanced Treatment Impedance Models for High Frequency Ranges

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kraft, R. E.; Yu, J.; Kwan, H. W.

    1999-01-01

    The primary purpose of this study is to develop improved models for the acoustic impedance of treatment panels at high frequencies, for application to subscale treatment designs. Effects that cause significant deviation of the impedance from simple geometric scaling are examined in detail, an improved high-frequency impedance model is developed, and the improved model is correlated with high-frequency impedance measurements. Only single-degree-of-freedom honeycomb sandwich resonator panels with either perforated sheet or "linear" wiremesh faceplates are considered. The objective is to understand those effects that cause the simple single-degree-of- freedom resonator panels to deviate at the higher-scaled frequency from the impedance that would be obtained at the corresponding full-scale frequency. This will allow the subscale panel to be designed to achieve a specified impedance spectrum over at least a limited range of frequencies. An advanced impedance prediction model has been developed that accounts for some of the known effects at high frequency that have previously been ignored as a small source of error for full-scale frequency ranges.

  8. Thermal Protection Materials Development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Selvaduray, Guna; Cox, Michael

    1998-01-01

    The main portion of this contract year was spent on the development of materials for high temperature applications. In particular, thermal protection materials were constantly tested and evaluated for thermal shock resistance, high-temperature dimensional stability, and tolerance to hostile environmental effects. The analytical laboratory at the Thermal Protection Materials Branch (TPMB), NASA-Ames played an integral part in the process of materials development of high temperature aerospace applications. The materials development focused mainly on the determination of physical and chemical characteristics of specimens from the various research programs.

  9. High temperature effects on photosynthate partitioning and sugar metabolism during ear expansion in maize (Zea mays L.) genotypes.

    PubMed

    Suwa, Ryuichi; Hakata, Hiroaki; Hara, Hiromichi; El-Shemy, Hany A; Adu-Gyamfi, Joseph J; Nguyen, Nguyen Tran; Kanai, Synsuke; Lightfoot, David A; Mohapatra, Pravat K; Fujita, Kounosuke

    2010-01-01

    Short hot and dry spells before, or during, silking have an inordinately large effect on maize (Zea mays L.; corn) grain yield. New high yielding genotypes could be developed if the mechanism of yield loss were more fully understood and new assays developed. The aim here was to determine the effects of high temperature (35/27 degrees C) compared to cooler (25/18 degrees C) temperatures (day/night). Stress was applied for a 14 d-period during reproductive stages prior to silking. Effects on whole plant biomass, ear development, photosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism were measured in both dent and sweet corn genotypes. Results showed that the whole plant biomass was increased by the high temperature. However, the response varied among plant parts; in leaves and culms weights were slightly increased or stable; cob weights decreased; and other ear parts of dent corn also decreased by high temperature. Photosynthetic activity was not affected by the treatments. The (13)C export rate from an ear leaf was decreased by the high temperature treatment. The amount of (13)C partitioning to the ears decreased more than to other plant parts by the high temperature. Within the ear decreases were greatest in the cob than the shank within an ear. Sugar concentrations in both hemicellulose and cellulose fractions of cobs in sweet corn were decreased by high temperature, and the hemicellulose fraction in the shank also decreased. In dent corn there was no reduction of sugar concentration except in the in cellulose fraction, suggesting that synthesis of cell-wall components is impaired by high temperatures. The high temperature treatment promoted the growth of vegetative plant parts but reduced ear expansion, particularly suppression of cob extensibility by impairing hemicellulose and cellulose synthesis through reduction of photosynthate supply. Therefore, plant biomass production was enhanced and grain yield reduced by the high temperature treatment due to effects on sink activity rather than source activity. Heat resistant ear development can be targeted for genetic improvement. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  10. Evaluating the Long-Term Impact of Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Linn, Genie Bingham; Gill, Peggy; Sherman, Ross; Vaughn, Vance; Mixon, Jason

    2010-01-01

    The requirement in the USA of the No Child Left Behind Act (2002) that every classroom has a highly qualified teacher, coupled with the current high-stakes testing environment, creates the need for all principals to be knowledgeable about quality staff development systems. One aspect of effective staff development is whether teachers adopt the…

  11. Sub-Lethal Effects of Pesticide Residues in Brood Comb on Worker Honey Bee (Apis mellifera) Development and Longevity

    PubMed Central

    Wu, Judy Y.; Anelli, Carol M.; Sheppard, Walter S.

    2011-01-01

    Background Numerous surveys reveal high levels of pesticide residue contamination in honey bee comb. We conducted studies to examine possible direct and indirect effects of pesticide exposure from contaminated brood comb on developing worker bees and adult worker lifespan. Methodology/Principal Findings Worker bees were reared in brood comb containing high levels of known pesticide residues (treatment) or in relatively uncontaminated brood comb (control). Delayed development was observed in bees reared in treatment combs containing high levels of pesticides particularly in the early stages (day 4 and 8) of worker bee development. Adult longevity was reduced by 4 days in bees exposed to pesticide residues in contaminated brood comb during development. Pesticide residue migration from comb containing high pesticide residues caused contamination of control comb after multiple brood cycles and provided insight on how quickly residues move through wax. Higher brood mortality and delayed adult emergence occurred after multiple brood cycles in contaminated control combs. In contrast, survivability increased in bees reared in treatment comb after multiple brood cycles when pesticide residues had been reduced in treatment combs due to residue migration into uncontaminated control combs, supporting comb replacement efforts. Chemical analysis after the experiment confirmed the migration of pesticide residues from treatment combs into previously uncontaminated control comb. Conclusions/Significance This study is the first to demonstrate sub-lethal effects on worker honey bees from pesticide residue exposure from contaminated brood comb. Sub-lethal effects, including delayed larval development and adult emergence or shortened adult longevity, can have indirect effects on the colony such as premature shifts in hive roles and foraging activity. In addition, longer development time for bees may provide a reproductive advantage for parasitic Varroa destructor mites. The impact of delayed development in bees on Varroa mite fecundity should be examined further. PMID:21373182

  12. [Effect of calcium channel blockers on developing nervous syndrome of high pressure and nitrogen narcosis in mice].

    PubMed

    Sledkov, A I

    1997-01-01

    In the experiments conducted on mice which prior to compression in a heliox environment have been injected the blockers of various types of calcium channels (flunarezine, verapramil and nifedipine) as well as bemethyl (actoprotector) and oxymethacye (antioxidant) there escaped detection of noticeable effect of these drugs on developing the high pressure nervous syndrome (HPNS). On exposure to the hyperbaric nitrogen-oxygen environment verapromil (phenylalkulamine blocker of L-type calcium channels) had a protection effect with respect to a convulsive component of the nitrogen narcosis.

  13. Interventions that enhance health services for parents and infants to improve child development and social and emotional well-being in high-income countries: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Hurt, Lisa; Paranjothy, Shantini; Lucas, Patricia Jane; Watson, Debbie; Mann, Mala; Griffiths, Lucy J; Ginja, Samuel; Paljarvi, Tapio; Williams, Jo; Bellis, Mark A; Lingam, Raghu

    2018-02-08

    Experiences in the first 1000 days of life have a critical influence on child development and health. Health services that provide support for families need evidence about how best to improve their provision. We systematically reviewed the evidence for interventions in high-income countries to improve child development by enhancing health service contact with parents from the antenatal period to 24 months postpartum. We searched 15 databases and trial registers for studies published in any language between 01 January 1996 and 01 April 2016. We also searched 58 programme or organisation websites and the electronic table of contents of eight journals. Primary outcomes were motor, cognitive and language development, and social-emotional well-being measured to 39 months of age (to allow the interventions time to produce demonstrable effects). Results were reported using narrative synthesis due to the variation in study populations, intervention design and outcome measurement. 22 of the 12 986 studies identified met eligibility criteria. Using Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) working group criteria, the quality of evidence overall was moderate to low. There was limited evidence for intervention effectiveness: positive effects were seen in 1/6 studies for motor development, 4/11 for language development, 4/8 for cognitive development and 3/19 for social-emotional well-being. However, most studies showing positive effects were at high/unclear risk of bias, within-study effects were inconsistent and negative effects were also seen. Intervention content and intensity varied greatly, but this was not associated with effectiveness. There is insufficient evidence that interventions currently available to enhance health service contacts up to 24 months postpartum are effective for improving child development. There is an urgent need for robust evaluation of existing interventions and to develop and evaluate novel interventions to enhance the offer to all families. CRD42015015468. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  14. Development of high-efficiency solar cells on silicon web

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rohatgi, A.; Meier, D. L.; Campbell, R. B.; Seidensticker, R. G.; Rai-Choudhury, P.

    1984-01-01

    The development of high efficiency solar cells on a silicon web is discussed. Heat treatment effects on web quality; the influence of twin plane lamellae, trace impurities and stress on minority carrier lifetime; and the fabrication of cells are discussed.

  15. Effects of Full-Time and Part-Time High-Ability Programs on Developments in Students' Achievement Emotions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hornstra, Lisette; van der Veen, Ineke; Peetsma, Thea

    2017-01-01

    This study focused on effects of high-ability programs on students' achievement emotions, i.e. emotions that students experience that are associated with achievement activities. Participants were students in grade 4-6 of primary education: 218 students attended full-time high-ability programs, 245 attended part-time high-ability programs (i.e.…

  16. Characterizing the relationship between temperature and mortality in tropical and subtropical cities: a distributed lag non-linear model analysis in Hue, Viet Nam, 2009-2013.

    PubMed

    Dang, Tran Ngoc; Seposo, Xerxes T; Duc, Nguyen Huu Chau; Thang, Tran Binh; An, Do Dang; Hang, Lai Thi Minh; Long, Tran Thanh; Loan, Bui Thi Hong; Honda, Yasushi

    2016-01-01

    The relationship between temperature and mortality has been found to be U-, V-, or J-shaped in developed temperate countries; however, in developing tropical/subtropical cities, it remains unclear. Our goal was to investigate the relationship between temperature and mortality in Hue, a subtropical city in Viet Nam. We collected daily mortality data from the Vietnamese A6 mortality reporting system for 6,214 deceased persons between 2009 and 2013. A distributed lag non-linear model was used to examine the temperature effects on all-cause and cause-specific mortality by assuming negative binomial distribution for count data. We developed an objective-oriented model selection with four steps following the Akaike information criterion (AIC) rule (i.e. a smaller AIC value indicates a better model). High temperature-related mortality was more strongly associated with short lags, whereas low temperature-related mortality was more strongly associated with long lags. The low temperatures increased risk in all-category mortality compared to high temperatures. We observed elevated temperature-mortality risk in vulnerable groups: elderly people (high temperature effect, relative risk [RR]=1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.11-1.83; low temperature effect, RR=2.0, 95% CI=1.13-3.52), females (low temperature effect, RR=2.19, 95% CI=1.14-4.21), people with respiratory disease (high temperature effect, RR=2.45, 95% CI=0.91-6.63), and those with cardiovascular disease (high temperature effect, RR=1.6, 95% CI=1.15-2.22; low temperature effect, RR=1.99, 95% CI=0.92-4.28). In Hue, the temperature significantly increased the risk of mortality, especially in vulnerable groups (i.e. elderly, female, people with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases). These findings may provide a foundation for developing adequate policies to address the effects of temperature on health in Hue City.

  17. Characterizing the relationship between temperature and mortality in tropical and subtropical cities: a distributed lag non-linear model analysis in Hue, Viet Nam, 2009–2013

    PubMed Central

    Dang, Tran Ngoc; Seposo, Xerxes T.; Duc, Nguyen Huu Chau; Thang, Tran Binh; An, Do Dang; Hang, Lai Thi Minh; Long, Tran Thanh; Loan, Bui Thi Hong; Honda, Yasushi

    2016-01-01

    Background The relationship between temperature and mortality has been found to be U-, V-, or J-shaped in developed temperate countries; however, in developing tropical/subtropical cities, it remains unclear. Objectives Our goal was to investigate the relationship between temperature and mortality in Hue, a subtropical city in Viet Nam. Design We collected daily mortality data from the Vietnamese A6 mortality reporting system for 6,214 deceased persons between 2009 and 2013. A distributed lag non-linear model was used to examine the temperature effects on all-cause and cause-specific mortality by assuming negative binomial distribution for count data. We developed an objective-oriented model selection with four steps following the Akaike information criterion (AIC) rule (i.e. a smaller AIC value indicates a better model). Results High temperature-related mortality was more strongly associated with short lags, whereas low temperature-related mortality was more strongly associated with long lags. The low temperatures increased risk in all-category mortality compared to high temperatures. We observed elevated temperature-mortality risk in vulnerable groups: elderly people (high temperature effect, relative risk [RR]=1.42, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.11–1.83; low temperature effect, RR=2.0, 95% CI=1.13–3.52), females (low temperature effect, RR=2.19, 95% CI=1.14–4.21), people with respiratory disease (high temperature effect, RR=2.45, 95% CI=0.91–6.63), and those with cardiovascular disease (high temperature effect, RR=1.6, 95% CI=1.15–2.22; low temperature effect, RR=1.99, 95% CI=0.92–4.28). Conclusions In Hue, the temperature significantly increased the risk of mortality, especially in vulnerable groups (i.e. elderly, female, people with respiratory and cardiovascular diseases). These findings may provide a foundation for developing adequate policies to address the effects of temperature on health in Hue City. PMID:26781954

  18. A Cornerstone of National Development: Senior High School Leadership in Liberia, West Africa.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reed, Rodney J.

    This study focuses on reasons for the perceived superiority of mission senior high schools in contrast to private and government senior high schools in Liberia, West Africa. Since an effective principal may be equated with an effective school, the study examines background preparation, experience, and professional characteristics of Liberian…

  19. Enhancing high throughput toxicology - development of putative adverse outcome pathways linking US EPA ToxCast screening targets to relevant apical hazards.

    EPA Science Inventory

    High throughput toxicology programs, such as ToxCast and Tox21, have provided biological effects data for thousands of chemicals at multiple concentrations. Compared to traditional, whole-organism approaches, high throughput assays are rapid and cost-effective, yet they generall...

  20. Common Effects Methodology National Stakeholder Meeting December 1, 2010

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA is exploring how to build on the substantial high quality science developed under both OPP programs to develop additional tools and approaches to support a consistent and common set of effects characterization methods using best available information.

  1. Strategic Issues for Training.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pollitt, David, Ed.

    1998-01-01

    Includes 21 short articles on a variety of subjects: Internet for management development, lifelong learning in virtual universities, high performance organizations, National Vocational Qualifications, cost effectiveness and training effectiveness, mind maps, Generation X training, Japanese vocational training, management development in Libya, and…

  2. Evaluating the Effects of Executive Learning and Development on Organisational Performance: Implications for Developing Senior Manager and Executive Capabilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akrofi, Solomon

    2016-01-01

    In spite of decades of research into high-performance work systems, very few studies have examined the relationship between executive learning and development and organisational performance. In an attempt to close this gap, this study explores the effects of a validated four-dimensional executive learning and development measure on a composite…

  3. [Genome editing of industrial microorganism].

    PubMed

    Zhu, Linjiang; Li, Qi

    2015-03-01

    Genome editing is defined as highly-effective and precise modification of cellular genome in a large scale. In recent years, such genome-editing methods have been rapidly developed in the field of industrial strain improvement. The quickly-updating methods thoroughly change the old mode of inefficient genetic modification, which is "one modification, one selection marker, and one target site". Highly-effective modification mode in genome editing have been developed including simultaneous modification of multiplex genes, highly-effective insertion, replacement, and deletion of target genes in the genome scale, cut-paste of a large DNA fragment. These new tools for microbial genome editing will certainly be applied widely, and increase the efficiency of industrial strain improvement, and promote the revolution of traditional fermentation industry and rapid development of novel industrial biotechnology like production of biofuel and biomaterial. The technological principle of these genome-editing methods and their applications were summarized in this review, which can benefit engineering and construction of industrial microorganism.

  4. Development of High School Professional Learning Community Leaders: Effectiveness of One District's Approach

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Middendorf, Beth N.

    2013-01-01

    Research indicated leadership played a key role in successfully implementing professional learning communities (PLCs). There has been little research on pragmatic approaches to developing PLC leaders. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of the Gene School District's two-part PLC leader development: PLC Institute and ongoing…

  5. Linking Academic Strengths to Economic Development: Seven Habits for Effective Partnership in University-Based Economic Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Brien, Gregory M. St. L.; Grace, Norma E.; Williams, Elizabeth M.; Paradise, Louis V.; Gibbs, Patrick M.

    2003-01-01

    Describes the University of New Orleans' Research and Technology Foundation, which relied heavily on Steven Covey's "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" to create an innovative model of ownership, construction, and financing to overcome paralyzing barriers to facility development. The effort has resulted in multiple development…

  6. Transformative Professional Development through the Eyes of Jack Mezirow and Thomas Guskey

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stahl, Leslie D.

    2012-01-01

    The key to improving education is the classroom teacher. Students must have skillful, highly effective teachers who have consistent access to on going professional development. NCLB offers guidelines for effective professional development. States interpret these guidelines and add their own varied legislative requirements. The current result is an…

  7. Analysis of Base Services Structure and Development of Cost-Saving Strategies to Counterattack Decreasing Funding Levels

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-12-01

    7 habits of highly effective people ” puts it this way: “People and their managers are...corporations and 86 Covey, Stephen R., 7 Habits of Highly Effective People : Powerful Lessons in Personal Change, Simon Schuster, 1989, p. 52. 68...levels from January to July, 2006. Covey, Stephen R., 7 Habits of Highly Effective People : Powerful Lessons in Personal Change,

  8. Plastic rates of development and the effect of thermal extremes on offspring fitness in a cold-climate viviparous lizard.

    PubMed

    Cunningham, George D; Fitzpatrick, Luisa J; While, Geoffrey M; Wapstra, Erik

    2018-05-23

    Populations at the climatic margins of a species' distribution can be exposed to conditions that cause developmental stress, resulting in developmental abnormalities. Even within the thermal range of normal development, phenotypes often vary with developmental temperature (i.e., thermal phenotypic plasticity). These effects can have significant consequences for organismal fitness and, thus, population persistence. Reptiles, as ectotherms, are particularly vulnerable to thermal effects on development and are, therefore, considered to be at comparatively high risk from changing climates. Understanding the extent and direction of thermal effects on phenotypes and their fitness consequences is crucial if we are to make meaningful predictions of how populations and species will respond as climates warm. Here, we experimentally manipulated the thermal conditions experienced by females from a high-altitude, cold-adapted population of the viviparous skink, Niveoscincus ocellatus, to examine the consequences of thermal conditions at the margins of this population's normal temperature range. We found strong effects of thermal conditions on the development of key phenotypic traits that have implications for fitness. Specifically, we found that offspring born earlier as a result of high temperatures during gestation had increased growth over the first winter of life, but there was no effect on offspring survival, nor was there an effect of developmental temperature on the incidence of developmental abnormalities. Combined, our results suggest that advancing birth dates that result from warming climates may have positive effects in this population via increased growth. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  9. Small Is Too Big: Achieving a Critical Anti-Mass in the High School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gregory, Tom

    Developing more effective conceptions of the high school may require radically reducing its size. In today's big high schools, size ensures that control of students is a primary concern and prevents the development of a collegial atmosphere among teachers. Although research provides ample evidence of the superior social climates of small informal…

  10. It's All about Relationships: An Exploration of a High School Advisory Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caldwell Templeton, Kyra Monet

    2017-01-01

    High school is a pivotal time in the development of an adolescent (Anfara & Caskey, 2014; Browne, 2014). Because of the varied experiences that high school students endure, in and outside of school, the development of a stable school community is important. Healthy student/adult relationships can be fostered through an effective advisory…

  11. STUDY AND DEVELOPMENT OF SHOP-CENTERED TEAM TEACHING FOR POTENTIAL HIGH SCHOOL DROP-OUTS.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    ODELL, WILLIAM R.

    A RATIONALE AND PROCEDURE FOR THE EFFECTIVE VOCATIONAL EDUCATION OF LOW ACHIEVING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WAS DEVELOPED FROM AN ANALYSIS OF 13 HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS IN 10 SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA SCHOOL SYSTEMS WHERE THE RICHMOND PRE-ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM WAS UNDER OPERATION. EXPERIMENTAL EFFORTS WERE MADE TO ESTABLISH SHOP-CENTERED TEAM…

  12. Ecological risks of shale oil and gas development to wildlife, aquatic resources and their habitats

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brittingham, Margaret C.; Maloney, Kelly O.; Farag, Aïda M.; Harper, David D.; Bowen, Zachary H.

    2014-01-01

    Technological advances in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have led to the exploration and exploitation of shale oil and gas both nationally and internationally. Extensive development of shale resources has occurred within the United States over the past decade, yet full build out is not expected to occur for years. Moreover, countries across the globe have large shale resources and are beginning to explore extraction of these resources. Extraction of shale resources is a multistep process that includes site identification, well pad and infrastructure development, well drilling, high-volume hydraulic fracturing and production; each with its own propensity to affect associated ecosystems. Some potential effects, for example from well pad, road and pipeline development, will likely be similar to other anthropogenic activities like conventional gas drilling, land clearing, exurban and agricultural development and surface mining (e.g., habitat fragmentation and sedimentation). Therefore, we can use the large body of literature available on the ecological effects of these activities to estimate potential effects from shale development on nearby ecosystems. However, other effects, such as accidental release of wastewaters, are novel to the shale gas extraction process making it harder to predict potential outcomes. Here, we review current knowledge of the effects of high-volume hydraulic fracturing coupled with horizontal drilling on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in the contiguous United States, an area that includes 20 shale plays many of which have experienced extensive development over the past decade. We conclude that species and habitats most at risk are ones where there is an extensive overlap between a species range or habitat type and one of the shale plays (leading to high vulnerability) coupled with intrinsic characteristics such as limited range, small population size, specialized habitat requirements, and high sensitivity to disturbance. Examples include core forest habitat and forest specialists, sagebrush habitat and specialists, vernal pond inhabitants and stream biota. We suggest five general areas of research and monitoring that could aid in development of effective guidelines and policies to minimize negative impacts and protect vulnerable species and ecosystems: (1) spatial analyses, (2) species-based modeling, (3) vulnerability assessments, (4) ecoregional assessments, and (5) threshold and toxicity evaluations.

  13. Ecological risks of shale oil and gas development to wildlife, aquatic resources and their habitats.

    PubMed

    Brittingham, Margaret C; Maloney, Kelly O; Farag, Aïda M; Harper, David D; Bowen, Zachary H

    2014-10-07

    Technological advances in hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling have led to the exploration and exploitation of shale oil and gas both nationally and internationally. Extensive development of shale resources has occurred within the United States over the past decade, yet full build out is not expected to occur for years. Moreover, countries across the globe have large shale resources and are beginning to explore extraction of these resources. Extraction of shale resources is a multistep process that includes site identification, well pad and infrastructure development, well drilling, high-volume hydraulic fracturing and production; each with its own propensity to affect associated ecosystems. Some potential effects, for example from well pad, road and pipeline development, will likely be similar to other anthropogenic activities like conventional gas drilling, land clearing, exurban and agricultural development and surface mining (e.g., habitat fragmentation and sedimentation). Therefore, we can use the large body of literature available on the ecological effects of these activities to estimate potential effects from shale development on nearby ecosystems. However, other effects, such as accidental release of wastewaters, are novel to the shale gas extraction process making it harder to predict potential outcomes. Here, we review current knowledge of the effects of high-volume hydraulic fracturing coupled with horizontal drilling on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in the contiguous United States, an area that includes 20 shale plays many of which have experienced extensive development over the past decade. We conclude that species and habitats most at risk are ones where there is an extensive overlap between a species range or habitat type and one of the shale plays (leading to high vulnerability) coupled with intrinsic characteristics such as limited range, small population size, specialized habitat requirements, and high sensitivity to disturbance. Examples include core forest habitat and forest specialists, sagebrush habitat and specialists, vernal pond inhabitants and stream biota. We suggest five general areas of research and monitoring that could aid in development of effective guidelines and policies to minimize negative impacts and protect vulnerable species and ecosystems: (1) spatial analyses, (2) species-based modeling, (3) vulnerability assessments, (4) ecoregional assessments, and (5) threshold and toxicity evaluations.

  14. Enabling technologies for fiber optic sensing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ibrahim, Selwan K.; Farnan, Martin; Karabacak, Devrez M.; Singer, Johannes M.

    2016-04-01

    In order for fiber optic sensors to compete with electrical sensors, several critical parameters need to be addressed such as performance, cost, size, reliability, etc. Relying on technologies developed in different industrial sectors helps to achieve this goal in a more efficient and cost effective way. FAZ Technology has developed a tunable laser based optical interrogator based on technologies developed in the telecommunication sector and optical transducer/sensors based on components sourced from the automotive market. Combining Fiber Bragg Grating (FBG) sensing technology with the above, high speed, high precision, reliable quasi distributed optical sensing systems for temperature, pressure, acoustics, acceleration, etc. has been developed. Careful design needs to be considered to filter out any sources of measurement drifts/errors due to different effects e.g. polarization and birefringence, coating imperfections, sensor packaging etc. Also to achieve high speed and high performance optical sensing systems, combining and synchronizing multiple optical interrogators similar to what has been used with computer/processors to deliver super computing power is an attractive solution. This path can be achieved by using photonic integrated circuit (PIC) technology which opens the doors to scaling up and delivering powerful optical sensing systems in an efficient and cost effective way.

  15. Does infant negative emotionality moderate the effect of maternal depression on motor development?

    PubMed

    Sacchi, C; De Carli, P; Vieno, A; Piallini, G; Zoia, S; Simonelli, A

    2018-04-01

    Maternal depression represents an important social/environmental factor in early childhood; however, its effect on children's motor development may vary depending on the role of infants' dispositional variables. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of the interaction between maternal depressive symptoms in the first two years of a child's life and the child's temperamental negative emotionality on motor development during this time. Using a cross-sectional study, we assessed 272 infants aged 0 to 24 months old and their mothers. We measured the following variables: maternal depression, infant's negative emotionality, and motor development. A three-way interaction effect highlights that negative emotionality in infants and maternal depression together affect children's overall motor growth trajectory. Infants with low negative emotionality display no effect of maternal depression on motor development. Conversely, infants with high negative emotionality seem to be more susceptible to the effect of maternal depression. Specifically, high maternal depression tends to foster the negative effect of infant's negativity on motor development across time, albeit not significantly. Finally, the absence of maternal depression significantly buffers negative temperament in infants. Findings highlighted the importance of integrating different perspectives when describing early motor growth. In fact, only when considering the interdependence of potential predictors their effect on the motor growth significantly emerges. Screening for early temperamental vulnerability might help in tailoring interventions to prevent maternal depression from affecting infants' motor development. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Differentiating pathway-based toxicity from non-specific effects in high throughput data: A foundation for prioritizing targets for AOP development.

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Environmental Protection Agency has implemented a high throughput screening program, ToxCast, to quickly evaluate large numbers of chemicals for their effects on hundreds of different biological targets. To understand how these measurements relate to adverse effects in an or...

  17. Differentiating high priority pathway-based toxicity from non-specific effects in high throughput toxicity data: A foundation for prioritizing AOP development.

    EPA Science Inventory

    The ToxCast chemical screening approach enables the rapid assessment of large numbers of chemicals for biological effects, primarily at the molecular level. Adverse outcome pathways (AOPs) offer a means to link biomolecular effects with potential adverse outcomes at the level of...

  18. Modelling and fabrication of high-efficiency silicon solar cells

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rohatgi, A.; Smith, A. W.; Salami, J.

    1991-10-01

    This report covers the research conducted on modelling and development of high efficiency silicon solar cells during the period May 1989 to August 1990. First, considerable effort was devoted toward developing a ray tracing program for the photovoltaic community to quantify and optimize surface texturing for solar cells. Second, attempts were made to develop a hydrodynamic model for device simulation. Such a model is somewhat slower than drift-diffusion type models like PC-1D, but it can account for more physical phenomena in the device, such as hot carrier effects, temperature gradients, thermal diffusion, and lattice heat flow. In addition, Fermi-Dirac statistics have been incorporated into the model to deal with heavy doping effects more accurately. The third and final component of the research includes development of silicon cell fabrication capabilities and fabrication of high efficiency silicon cells.

  19. Teacher and School Leader Effectiveness: Lessons Learned from High-Performing Systems. Issue Brief

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Alliance for Excellent Education, 2011

    2011-01-01

    In an effort to find best practices in enhancing teacher effectiveness, the Alliance for Excellent Education (Alliance) and the Stanford Center for Opportunity Policy in Education (SCOPE) looked abroad at education systems that appear to have well-developed and effective systems for recruiting, preparing, developing, and retaining teachers and…

  20. Adverse outcome pathway networks: Development, analytics and applications

    EPA Science Inventory

    The US EPA is developing more cost effective and efficient ways to evaluate chemical safety using high throughput and computationally based testing strategies. An important component of this approach is the ability to translate chemical effects on fundamental biological processes...

  1. Adverse outcome pathway networks I: Development and applications

    EPA Science Inventory

    The US EPA is developing more cost effective and efficient ways to evaluate chemical safety using high throughput and computationally based testing strategies. An important component of this approach is the ability to translate chemical effects on fundamental biological processes...

  2. Common Effects Methodology National Stakeholder Meeting December 1, 2010 White Papers

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA is exploring how to build on the substantial high quality science developed under both OPP programs to develop additional tools and approaches to support a consistent and common set of effects characterization methods using best available information.

  3. Common Effects Methodology Regional Stakeholder Meeting January 11 -22, 2010

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    EPA is exploring how to build on the substantial high quality science developed under both OPP programs to develop additional tools and approaches to support a consistent and common set of effects characterization methods using best available information.

  4. Adverse outcome pathway networks: Development, analytics, and applications

    EPA Science Inventory

    Product Description:The US EPA is developing more cost effective and efficient ways to evaluate chemical safety using high throughput and computationally based testing strategies. An important component of this approach is the ability to translate chemical effects on fundamental ...

  5. High-Dose Hook Effect in 17-Hydroxyprogesterone Assay in a Patient with 21-Hydroxylase Deficiency.

    PubMed

    Parlak, Mesut; Ellidağ, Hamit Yaşar; Türkkahraman, Doğa

    2015-12-01

    Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) describes a group of disorders characterized by enzyme defects in adrenal steroidogenesis. 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD) is the most commonly encountered form. The analysis of steroids in pediatric cases requires high-sensitivity assays. A 14-year-old Syrian girl was referred for evaluation of short stature, amenorrhea, and hirsutism. On physical examination, breast development was Tanner stage 1. She had a phallic clitoris with a single urogenital orifice. Laboratory findings revealed primary adrenal deficiency with high androgen levels and low levels of 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-OHP), (<0.05 ng/mL) and estrogen. This unexpected result led to suspicion of a high-dose hook effect. The measurement was repeated after 1/10 dilution of serum, and a high level of 17-OHP (115.4 ng/mL) was detected with the same test-enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Simple virilizing form of CAH (21-OHD) was suspected and confirmed with genetic analysis. After initiation of glucocorticoid therapy, breast development was noted along with a decrease in testosterone level and an increase in estrogen level. To our knowledge, this is the first case report of hook effect for 17-OHP immunoassay in a patient with 21-OHD. High-dose hook effect should be suspected in patients with CAH when the test results are incompatible with one another. Additionally, this case demonstrates that a high testosterone level can block aromatase activity and consequently also estrogen production and breast development.

  6. Lengthening of Insect Development on Bt Zone Results in Adult Emergence Asynchrony: Does It Influence the Effectiveness of the High Dose/Refuge Zone Strategy?

    PubMed Central

    Gryspeirt, Aiko; Grégoire, Jean-Claude

    2012-01-01

    The “High Dose/Refuge” strategy (HD/R) is the currently recommended Insect Resistance Management strategy (IRM) to limit resistance development to Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) plants. This strategy requires planting a “refuge zone” composed of non-Bt plants suitable for the target insect and in close proximity to a “Bt zone” expressing a high toxin concentration. One of the main assumptions is that enough susceptible adults mate with resistant insects. However, previous studies have suggested that the high toxin concentration produced by Bt plants induces slower insect development, creating an asynchrony in emergence between the refuge and the Bt zone and leading to assortative mating between adults inside each zone. Here, we develop a deterministic model to estimate the impact of toxin concentration, emergence asynchrony and refuge zone size on the effectiveness of the HD/R strategy. We conclude that emergence asynchrony only affects resistance when toxin concentration is high and resistance is recessive. Resistance develops more rapidly and survival of susceptible insects is higher at lower toxin concentration, but in such situations, resistance is insensitive to emergence asynchrony. PMID:23202319

  7. Urbanization impacts on mammals across urban-forest edges and a predictive model of edge effects.

    PubMed

    Villaseñor, Nélida R; Driscoll, Don A; Escobar, Martín A H; Gibbons, Philip; Lindenmayer, David B

    2014-01-01

    With accelerating rates of urbanization worldwide, a better understanding of ecological processes at the wildland-urban interface is critical to conserve biodiversity. We explored the effects of high and low-density housing developments on forest-dwelling mammals. Based on habitat characteristics, we expected a gradual decline in species abundance across forest-urban edges and an increased decline rate in higher contrast edges. We surveyed arboreal mammals in sites of high and low housing density along 600 m transects that spanned urban areas and areas turn on adjacent native forest. We also surveyed forest controls to test whether edge effects extended beyond our edge transects. We fitted models describing richness, total abundance and individual species abundance. Low-density housing developments provided suitable habitat for most arboreal mammals. In contrast, high-density housing developments had lower species richness, total abundance and individual species abundance, but supported the highest abundances of an urban adapter (Trichosurus vulpecula). We did not find the predicted gradual decline in species abundance. Of four species analysed, three exhibited no response to the proximity of urban boundaries, but spilled over into adjacent urban habitat to differing extents. One species (Petaurus australis) had an extended negative response to urban boundaries, suggesting that urban development has impacts beyond 300 m into adjacent forest. Our empirical work demonstrates that high-density housing developments have negative effects on both community and species level responses, except for one urban adapter. We developed a new predictive model of edge effects based on our results and the literature. To predict animal responses across edges, our framework integrates for first time: (1) habitat quality/preference, (2) species response with the proximity to the adjacent habitat, and (3) spillover extent/sensitivity to adjacent habitat boundaries. This framework will allow scientists, managers and planners better understand and predict both species responses across edges and impacts of development in mosaic landscapes.

  8. Urbanization Impacts on Mammals across Urban-Forest Edges and a Predictive Model of Edge Effects

    PubMed Central

    Villaseñor, Nélida R.; Driscoll, Don A.; Escobar, Martín A. H.; Gibbons, Philip; Lindenmayer, David B.

    2014-01-01

    With accelerating rates of urbanization worldwide, a better understanding of ecological processes at the wildland-urban interface is critical to conserve biodiversity. We explored the effects of high and low-density housing developments on forest-dwelling mammals. Based on habitat characteristics, we expected a gradual decline in species abundance across forest-urban edges and an increased decline rate in higher contrast edges. We surveyed arboreal mammals in sites of high and low housing density along 600 m transects that spanned urban areas and areas turn on adjacent native forest. We also surveyed forest controls to test whether edge effects extended beyond our edge transects. We fitted models describing richness, total abundance and individual species abundance. Low-density housing developments provided suitable habitat for most arboreal mammals. In contrast, high-density housing developments had lower species richness, total abundance and individual species abundance, but supported the highest abundances of an urban adapter (Trichosurus vulpecula). We did not find the predicted gradual decline in species abundance. Of four species analysed, three exhibited no response to the proximity of urban boundaries, but spilled over into adjacent urban habitat to differing extents. One species (Petaurus australis) had an extended negative response to urban boundaries, suggesting that urban development has impacts beyond 300 m into adjacent forest. Our empirical work demonstrates that high-density housing developments have negative effects on both community and species level responses, except for one urban adapter. We developed a new predictive model of edge effects based on our results and the literature. To predict animal responses across edges, our framework integrates for first time: (1) habitat quality/preference, (2) species response with the proximity to the adjacent habitat, and (3) spillover extent/sensitivity to adjacent habitat boundaries. This framework will allow scientists, managers and planners better understand and predict both species responses across edges and impacts of development in mosaic landscapes. PMID:24810286

  9. Low-Speed Stability-and-Control and Ground-Effects Measurements on the Industry Reference High Speed Civil Transport

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kemmerly, Guy T.; Campbell, Bryan A.; Banks, Daniel W.; Yaros, Steven F.

    1999-01-01

    As a part of a national effort to develop an economically feasible High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT), a single configuration has been accepted as the testing baseline by the organizations working in the High Speed Research (HSR) program. The configuration is based on a design developed by the Boeing Company and is referred to as the Reference H (Ref H). The data contained in this report are low-speed stability-and-control and ground-effect measurements obtained on a 0.06 scale model of the Ref H in a subsonic tunnel.

  10. Achieving a long-lived high-beta plasma state by energetic beam injection

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Guo, H. Y.; Binderbauer, M. W.; Tajima, T.; Milroy, R. D.; Steinhauer, L. C.; Yang, X.; Garate, E. G.; Gota, H.; Korepanov, S.; Necas, A.; Roche, T.; Smirnov, A.; Trask, E.

    2015-04-01

    Developing a stable plasma state with high-beta (ratio of plasma to magnetic pressures) is of critical importance for an economic magnetic fusion reactor. At the forefront of this endeavour is the field-reversed configuration. Here we demonstrate the kinetic stabilizing effect of fast ions on a disruptive magneto-hydrodynamic instability, known as a tilt mode, which poses a central obstacle to further field-reversed configuration development, by energetic beam injection. This technique, combined with the synergistic effect of active plasma boundary control, enables a fully stable ultra-high-beta (approaching 100%) plasma with a long lifetime.

  11. High-Dose Ursodeoxycholic Acid Is Associated With the Development of Colorectal Neoplasia in Patients With Ulcerative Colitis and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

    PubMed Central

    Eaton, John E.; Silveira, Marina G.; Pardi, Darrell S.; Sinakos, Emmanouil; Kowdley, Kris V.; Luketic, Velimir A.C.; Harrison, M. Edwyn; McCashland, Timothy; Befeler, Alex S.; Harnois, Denise; Jorgensen, Roberta; Petz, Jan; Lindor, Keith D.

    2011-01-01

    OBJECTIVES Some studies have suggested that ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) may have a chemopreventive effect on the development of colorectal neoplasia in patients with ulcerative colitis (UC) and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). We examined the effects of high-dose (28–30 mg/kg/day) UDCA on the development of colorectal neoplasia in patients with UC and PSC. METHODS Patients with UC and PSC enrolled in a prior, multicenter randomized placebo-controlled trial of high-dose UDCA were evaluated for the development of colorectal neoplasia. Patients with UC and PSC who received UDCA were compared with those who received placebo. We reviewed the pathology and colonoscopy reports for the development of low-grade or high-grade dysplasia or colorectal cancer. RESULTS Fifty-six subjects were followed for a total of 235 patient years. Baseline characteristics (including duration of PSC and UC, medications, patient age, family history of colorectal cancer, and smoking status) were similar for both the groups. Patients who received high-dose UDCA had a significantly higher risk of developing colorectal neoplasia (dysplasia and cancer) during the study compared with those who received placebo (hazard ratio: 4.44, 95% confidence interval: 1.30–20.10, P=0.02). CONCLUSIONS Long-term use of high-dose UDCA is associated with an increased risk of colorectal neoplasia in patients with UC and PSC. PMID:21556038

  12. Developing the Capacity of Australian Secondary Schools to Cater for Students with High Support Needs in Mental Health and Wellbeing: An Effective School Case Management Resource

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    De Jong, Terry; Griffiths, Coosje

    2008-01-01

    MindMatters Plus is a mental health promotion initiative in Australia which aims to improve the capacity of secondary schools to cater for students who have high support needs in the area of mental health. The development of effective school case management was one of the projects associated with this initiative. The aim of this project was to…

  13. The Effects of Pre-Parenthood Education on High School Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Luster, Tom; Youatt, June

    A quasi-experimental design was used to assess the effects of pre-parenthood education classes on high school students. Participants were 130 students from 8 high schools in Michigan; 26 students not enrolled in the parenting course served as a control group. In both groups, students' knowledge of child development, and beliefs about appropriate…

  14. Principal Concerns and Superintendent Support during Teacher Evaluation Changes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Derrington, Mary Lynne; Campbell, John W.

    2015-01-01

    Teacher evaluation is a major reform initiative in public education's high accountability policy environment. Principals' effective implementation of this high-stakes reform is challenged by time management, policy coherence, communication with teachers, district support, and staff development imperatives. Effective implementation requires moving…

  15. Herpin effective media resonant underlayers and resonant overlayer designs for ultra-high NA interference lithography.

    PubMed

    Bourke, Levi; Blaikie, Richard J

    2017-12-01

    Dielectric waveguide resonant underlayers are employed in ultra-high NA interference photolithography to effectively double the depth of field. Generally a single high refractive index waveguiding layer is employed. Here multilayer Herpin effective medium methods are explored to develop equivalent multilayer waveguiding layers. Herpin equivalent resonant underlayers are shown to be suitable replacements provided at least one layer within the Herpin trilayer supports propagating fields. In addition, a method of increasing the intensity incident upon the photoresist using resonant overlayers is also developed. This method is shown to greatly enhance the intensity within the photoresist making the use of thicker, safer, non-absorbing, low refractive index matching liquids potentially suitable for large-scale applications.

  16. Trypanosoma cruzi: effects of azadirachtin and ecdysone on the dynamic development in Rhodnius prolixus larvae.

    PubMed

    Cortez, M R; Provençano, A; Silva, C E; Mello, C B; Zimmermann, L T; Schaub, G A; Garcia, E S; Azambuja, P; Gonzalez, M S

    2012-07-01

    The effects of azadirachtin and ecdysone on the Trypanosoma cruzi population in the Rhodnius prolixus gut were investigated. T. cruzi were rarely found in the gut compartments of azadirachtin-treated larvae. High parasite numbers were observed in the stomach of the control and ecdysone groups until 10 days after treatment and in the small intestine and rectum until 25 days after treatment. High percentages of round forms developed in the stomachs of all groups, whereas azadirachtin blocked the development of protozoan intermediate forms. This effect was counteracted by ecdysone therapy. In the small intestine and rectum, epimastigotes predominated for all groups, but more of their intermediates developed in the control and ecdysone groups. Azadirachtin supported the development of round forms and their intermediates into trypomastigotes. In the rectum, trypomastigotes did not develop in the azadirachtin group and developed much later after ecdysone therapy. The parallel between the effects of azadirachtin and ecdysone on the host and parasite development is discussed on the basis of the present results because ecdysone appears to act directly or indirectly in determining the synchronic development of T. cruzi forms from round to epimastigotes, but not metacyclic trypomastigotes, in the invertebrate vector. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Computational tool for the early screening of monoclonal antibodies for their viscosities

    PubMed Central

    Agrawal, Neeraj J; Helk, Bernhard; Kumar, Sandeep; Mody, Neil; Sathish, Hasige A.; Samra, Hardeep S.; Buck, Patrick M; Li, Li; Trout, Bernhardt L

    2016-01-01

    Highly concentrated antibody solutions often exhibit high viscosities, which present a number of challenges for antibody-drug development, manufacturing and administration. The antibody sequence is a key determinant for high viscosity of highly concentrated solutions; therefore, a sequence- or structure-based tool that can identify highly viscous antibodies from their sequence would be effective in ensuring that only antibodies with low viscosity progress to the development phase. Here, we present a spatial charge map (SCM) tool that can accurately identify highly viscous antibodies from their sequence alone (using homology modeling to determine the 3-dimensional structures). The SCM tool has been extensively validated at 3 different organizations, and has proved successful in correctly identifying highly viscous antibodies. As a quantitative tool, SCM is amenable to high-throughput automated analysis, and can be effectively implemented during the antibody screening or engineering phase for the selection of low-viscosity antibodies. PMID:26399600

  18. Development of Speaking Skills through Activity Based Learning at the Elementary Level

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ul-Haq, Zahoor; Khurram, Bushra Ahmed; Bangash, Arshad Khan

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: This paper discusses an effective instructional method called "activity based learning" that can be used to develop the speaking skills of students in the elementary school level. The present study was conducted to determine the effect of activity based learning on the development of the speaking skills of low and high achievers…

  19. Development and Evaluation of High Temperature Gaskets for Hypersonic and Reentry Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Singh, Mrityunjay; Shpargel, Tarah

    2007-01-01

    A wide variety of flexible gasket compositions were developed and tested at high temperatures. The gasket material system has high temperature capability. GRABER sealants were very effective in sealing machined ACC-4 composite surfaces. The gasket composition do not bond strongly with the ACC-4 substrate materials. The density of gasket materials can be tailored to show appropriate compressibility.

  20. Developing Teaching Materials PISA-Based for Mathematics and Science of Junior High School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Somakim; Suharman, Andi; Madang, Kodri; Taufiq

    2016-01-01

    This research aims to develop valid and practical teaching materials for mathematics and science lesson PISA-based for junior high school students and to determine potential effects on students in scientific activity. Subjects of this study were students of Junior High School 9 Palembang (SMP Negeri 9 Palembang). The method used in this study is…

  1. Effects of a Teacher-Made Multimedia Program on Teaching Driver Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Yeunjoo; Keckley, Kurt

    2006-01-01

    Through a case study, the authors share a story of a high school special education teacher who developed a multimedia program to teach driver education (i.e., speed limits and road signs). The high school students (n = 24) had mild disabilities, and were enrolled in a driver education class in a rural high school. The teacher developed the…

  2. The Effects of a Social and Talent Development Intervention for High Ability Youth with Social Skill Difficulties

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foley-Nicpon, Megan; Assouline, Susan G.; Kivlighan, D. Martin; Fosenburg, Staci; Cederberg, Charles; Nanji, Michelle

    2017-01-01

    Contemporary models highlight the need to cultivate cognitive and psychosocial factors in developing domain-specific talent. This model was the basis for the current study where high ability youth with self-reported social difficulties (n = 28, 12 with a coexisting disability) participated in a social skills and talent development intervention…

  3. High School Students’ Perceptions of Motivations for Cyberbullying: An Exploratory Study

    PubMed Central

    Varjas, Kris; Talley, Jasmaine; Meyers, Joel; Parris, Leandra; Cutts, Hayley

    2010-01-01

    Objectives: Internet usage has increased in recent years resulting in a growing number of documented reports of cyberbullying. Despite the rise in cyberbullying incidents, there is a dearth of research regarding high school students’ motivations for cyberbullying. The purpose of this study was to investigate high school students’ perceptions of the motivations for cyberbullying. Method: We undertook an exploratory qualitative study with 20 high school students, conducting individual interviews using a semi-structured interview protocol. Data were analyzed using Grounded Theory. Results: The developed coding hierarchy provides a framework to conceptualize motivations, which can be used to facilitate future research about motivations and to develop preventive interventions designed to thwart the negative effects of cyberbullying. The findings revealed that high school students more often identified internally motivated reasons for cyberbullying (e.g., redirect feelings) than externally motivated (no consequences, non-confrontational, target was different). Conclusion: Uncovering the motivations for cyberbullying should promote greater understanding of this phenomenon and potentially reduce the interpersonal violence that can result from it. By providing a framework that begins to clarify the internal and external factors motivating the behavior, there is enhanced potential to develop effective preventive interventions to prevent cyberbullying and its negative effects. PMID:20882148

  4. High-throughput screening with nanoimprinting 3D culture for efficient drug development by mimicking the tumor environment.

    PubMed

    Yoshii, Yukie; Furukawa, Takako; Waki, Atsuo; Okuyama, Hiroaki; Inoue, Masahiro; Itoh, Manabu; Zhang, Ming-Rong; Wakizaka, Hidekatsu; Sogawa, Chizuru; Kiyono, Yasushi; Yoshii, Hiroshi; Fujibayashi, Yasuhisa; Saga, Tsuneo

    2015-05-01

    Anti-cancer drug development typically utilizes high-throughput screening with two-dimensional (2D) cell culture. However, 2D culture induces cellular characteristics different from tumors in vivo, resulting in inefficient drug development. Here, we report an innovative high-throughput screening system using nanoimprinting 3D culture to simulate in vivo conditions, thereby facilitating efficient drug development. We demonstrated that cell line-based nanoimprinting 3D screening can more efficiently select drugs that effectively inhibit cancer growth in vivo as compared to 2D culture. Metabolic responses after treatment were assessed using positron emission tomography (PET) probes, and revealed similar characteristics between the 3D spheroids and in vivo tumors. Further, we developed an advanced method to adopt cancer cells from patient tumor tissues for high-throughput drug screening with nanoimprinting 3D culture, which we termed Cancer tissue-Originated Uniformed Spheroid Assay (COUSA). This system identified drugs that were effective in xenografts of the original patient tumors. Nanoimprinting 3D spheroids showed low permeability and formation of hypoxic regions inside, similar to in vivo tumors. Collectively, the nanoimprinting 3D culture provides easy-handling high-throughput drug screening system, which allows for efficient drug development by mimicking the tumor environment. The COUSA system could be a useful platform for drug development with patient cancer cells. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. [Effect of high intensity magnetic field on the processes of early growth in plant seeds and development of honeybees].

    PubMed

    Es'kov, E K; Darkov, A V

    2003-01-01

    The influence of magnetic field on the early growth processes in plant seeds and the postembryonic development of honeybees was studied. Some general trends in the effects of magnetic field and differences in the tolerance of plant seeds and developing honeybees to its action were revealed. Some factors that may be responsible for a low reproducibility of magneto-biological effects are discussed.

  6. Strategies to avoid the loss of developmental potential in more than 200 million children in the developing world.

    PubMed

    Engle, Patrice L; Black, Maureen M; Behrman, Jere R; Cabral de Mello, Meena; Gertler, Paul J; Kapiriri, Lydia; Martorell, Reynaldo; Young, Mary Eming

    2007-01-20

    This paper is the third in the Child Development Series. The first paper showed that more than 200 million children under 5 years of age in developing countries do not reach their developmental potential. The second paper identified four well-documented risks: stunting, iodine deficiency, iron deficiency anaemia, and inadequate cognitive stimulation, plus four potential risks based on epidemiological evidence: maternal depression, violence exposure, environmental contamination, and malaria. This paper assesses strategies to promote child development and to prevent or ameliorate the loss of developmental potential. The most effective early child development programmes provide direct learning experiences to children and families, are targeted toward younger and disadvantaged children, are of longer duration, high quality, and high intensity, and are integrated with family support, health, nutrition, or educational systems and services. Despite convincing evidence, programme coverage is low. To achieve the Millennium Development Goals of reducing poverty and ensuring primary school completion for both girls and boys, governments and civil society should consider expanding high quality, cost-effective early child development programmes.

  7. What Type of State Homeland Security Strategy Should the State of New Jersey Develop?

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-09-01

    Mission Statement.37 35 Steven Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People . (New York: Free...Cornell: Ithaca, 1998. Covey, Steven. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People . New York: Free Press, 1989. Davis-Fogg, C. Team Based Strategic

  8. Leader Development: Leveraging Combat Power Through Leadership,

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1993-12-17

    performance for all rangers, officer and enlisted. 68. Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People : Restoring the Character Ethic. (New...Orange, New Jersey; Leadership Library of America, 1990). Covey, Stephen R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People : Restoring the Character Ethic. (New

  9. Development of BaO-ZnO-B2O3 glasses as a radiation shielding material

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chanthima, N.; Kaewkhao, J.; Limkitjaroenporn, P.; Tuscharoen, S.; Kothan, S.; Tungjai, M.; Kaewjaeng, S.; Sarachai, S.; Limsuwan, P.

    2017-08-01

    The effects of the BaO on the optical, physical and radiation shielding properties of the xBaO: 20ZnO: (80-x)B2O3, where x=5, 10, 15, 20 and 25 mol%, were investigated. The glasses were developed by the conventional melt-quenching technique at 1400 °C with high purity chemicals of H3BO3, ZnO, and BaSO4. The optical transparency of the glasses indicated that the glasses samples were high, as observed by visual inspections. The mass attenuation coefficients (μm), the effective atomic numbers (Zeff), and the effective electron densities (Ne) were increased with the increase of BaO concentrations, and the decrease of gamma-ray energy. The developed glass samples were investigated and compared with the shielding concretes and glasses in terms of half value layer (HVL). The overall results demonstrated that the developed glasses had good shielding properties, and highly practical potentials in the environmental friendly radiation shielding materials without an additional of Pb.

  10. Ultra-high gain diffusion-driven organic transistor

    PubMed Central

    Torricelli, Fabrizio; Colalongo, Luigi; Raiteri, Daniele; Kovács-Vajna, Zsolt Miklós; Cantatore, Eugenio

    2016-01-01

    Emerging large-area technologies based on organic transistors are enabling the fabrication of low-cost flexible circuits, smart sensors and biomedical devices. High-gain transistors are essential for the development of large-scale circuit integration, high-sensitivity sensors and signal amplification in sensing systems. Unfortunately, organic field-effect transistors show limited gain, usually of the order of tens, because of the large contact resistance and channel-length modulation. Here we show a new organic field-effect transistor architecture with a gain larger than 700. This is the highest gain ever reported for organic field-effect transistors. In the proposed organic field-effect transistor, the charge injection and extraction at the metal–semiconductor contacts are driven by the charge diffusion. The ideal conditions of ohmic contacts with negligible contact resistance and flat current saturation are demonstrated. The approach is general and can be extended to any thin-film technology opening unprecedented opportunities for the development of high-performance flexible electronics. PMID:26829567

  11. High Temperature Polymer Matrix Composites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1985-01-01

    These are the proceedings of the High Temperature Polymer Matrix Composites Conference held at the NASA Lewis Research Center on March 16 to 18, 1983. The purpose of the conference is to provide scientists and engineers working in the field of high temperature polymer matrix composites an opportunity to review, exchange, and assess the latest developments in this rapidly expanding area of materials technology. Technical papers are presented in the following areas: (1) matrix development; (2) adhesive development; (3) characterization; (4) environmental effects; and (5) applications.

  12. High-Temperature-Short-Time Annealing Process for High-Performance Large-Area Perovskite Solar Cells.

    PubMed

    Kim, Minjin; Kim, Gi-Hwan; Oh, Kyoung Suk; Jo, Yimhyun; Yoon, Hyun; Kim, Ka-Hyun; Lee, Heon; Kim, Jin Young; Kim, Dong Suk

    2017-06-27

    Organic-inorganic hybrid metal halide perovskite solar cells (PSCs) are attracting tremendous research interest due to their high solar-to-electric power conversion efficiency with a high possibility of cost-effective fabrication and certified power conversion efficiency now exceeding 22%. Although many effective methods for their application have been developed over the past decade, their practical transition to large-size devices has been restricted by difficulties in achieving high performance. Here we report on the development of a simple and cost-effective production method with high-temperature and short-time annealing processing to obtain uniform, smooth, and large-size grain domains of perovskite films over large areas. With high-temperature short-time annealing at 400 °C for 4 s, the perovskite film with an average domain size of 1 μm was obtained, which resulted in fast solvent evaporation. Solar cells fabricated using this processing technique had a maximum power conversion efficiency exceeding 20% over a 0.1 cm 2 active area and 18% over a 1 cm 2 active area. We believe our approach will enable the realization of highly efficient large-area PCSs for practical development with a very simple and short-time procedure. This simple method should lead the field toward the fabrication of uniform large-scale perovskite films, which are necessary for the production of high-efficiency solar cells that may also be applicable to several other material systems for more widespread practical deployment.

  13. Effect of a long-term high-protein diet on survival, obesity development, and gut microbiota in mice.

    PubMed

    Kiilerich, Pia; Myrmel, Lene Secher; Fjære, Even; Hao, Qin; Hugenholtz, Floor; Sonne, Si Brask; Derrien, Muriel; Pedersen, Lone Møller; Petersen, Rasmus Koefoed; Mortensen, Alicja; Licht, Tine Rask; Rømer, Maria Unni; Vogel, Ulla Birgitte; Waagbø, Linn Jeanette; Giallourou, Natasa; Feng, Qiang; Xiao, Liang; Liu, Chuan; Liaset, Bjørn; Kleerebezem, Michiel; Wang, Jun; Madsen, Lise; Kristiansen, Karsten

    2016-06-01

    Female C57BL/6J mice were fed a regular low-fat diet or high-fat diets combined with either high or low protein-to-sucrose ratios during their entire lifespan to examine the long-term effects on obesity development, gut microbiota, and survival. Intake of a high-fat diet with a low protein/sucrose ratio precipitated obesity and reduced survival relative to mice fed a low-fat diet. By contrast, intake of a high-fat diet with a high protein/sucrose ratio attenuated lifelong weight gain and adipose tissue expansion, and survival was not significantly altered relative to low-fat-fed mice. Our findings support the notion that reduced survival in response to high-fat/high-sucrose feeding is linked to obesity development. Digital gene expression analyses, further validated by qPCR, demonstrated that the protein/sucrose ratio modulated global gene expression over time in liver and adipose tissue, affecting pathways related to metabolism and inflammation. Analysis of fecal bacterial DNA using the Mouse Intestinal Tract Chip revealed significant changes in the composition of the gut microbiota in relation to host age and dietary fat content, but not the protein/sucrose ratio. Accordingly, dietary fat rather than the protein/sucrose ratio or adiposity is a major driver shaping the gut microbiota, whereas the effect of a high-fat diet on survival is dependent on the protein/sucrose ratio. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

  14. Mechanical, Corrosion, and Fatigue Properties of 15-5 PH, Inconel 718, and Rene 41 Weldments

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1975-05-01

    TUCUMvARI (PGH 2) It was originally developed for high - temperature use by Armco Steel Corporation. 2 High strength is obtained by the precipitation...Rene 41 was developed by General Electric Company as a high - temperature turbine alloy. It is a nickel-base alloy, high in chromium, cobalt, and... molybdenum . Its high strength comes from the precipitation of a gamma-prime phase consisting of Ni3AI and Ni5Ti, and from the solid solution effects of

  15. Key Factors Influencing Rapid Development of Potentially Dune-Stabilizing Moss-Dominated Crusts

    PubMed Central

    Bu, Chongfeng; Zhang, Kankan; Zhang, Chunyun; Wu, Shufang

    2015-01-01

    Biological soil crusts (BSCs) are a widespread photosynthetic ground cover in arid and semiarid areas. They have many positive ecological functions, such as increasing soil stability, and reducing water and wind erosion. Using artificial technology to achieve the rapid development of BSCs is expected to become a low-cost and highly beneficial ecological restoration measure. In the present study, typical moss-dominated crusts in a region characterized by mobile dunes (Mu Us Sandland, China) were collected, and a 40-day cultivation experiment was performed to investigate key factors, including watering frequency, light intensity and a nutrient addition, which affect the rapid development of moss crusts and their optimal combination. The results demonstrated that watering frequency and illumination had a significant positive effect (P=0.049, three-factor ANOVA) and a highly significant, complicated effect (P=0.000, three-factor ANOVA), respectively, on the plant density of bryophytes, and a highly significant positive effect on the chlorophyll a and exopolysaccharide contents (P=0.000, P=0.000; P=0.000, P=0.000; one-way ANOVA). Knop nutrient solution did not have a significant positive but rather negative effect on the promotion of moss-dominated crust development (P=0.270, three-factor ANOVA). Moss-dominated crusts treated with the combination of moderate-intensity light (6,000 lx) + high watering frequency (1 watering/2 days) - Knop had the highest moss plant densities, while the treatment with high-intensity light (12,000 lx) + high watering frequency (1 watering/2 days) + Knop nutrient solution had higher chlorophyll a contents than that under other treatments. It is entirely feasible to achieve the rapid development of moss crusts under laboratory conditions by regulating key factors and creating the right environment. Future applications may seek to use cultured bryophytes to control erosion in vulnerable areas with urgent needs. PMID:26230324

  16. Problem based learning: the effect of real time data on the website to student independence

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Setyowidodo, I.; Pramesti, Y. S.; Handayani, A. D.

    2018-05-01

    Learning science developed as an integrative science rather than disciplinary education, the reality of the nation character development has not been able to form a more creative and independent Indonesian man. Problem Based Learning based on real time data in the website is a learning method focuses on developing high-level thinking skills in problem-oriented situations by integrating technology in learning. The essence of this study is the presentation of authentic problems in the real time data situation in the website. The purpose of this research is to develop student independence through Problem Based Learning based on real time data in website. The type of this research is development research with implementation using purposive sampling technique. Based on the study there is an increase in student self-reliance, where the students in very high category is 47% and in the high category is 53%. This learning method can be said to be effective in improving students learning independence in problem-oriented situations.

  17. Is Early Ability Grouping Good for High-Achieving Students' Psychosocial Development? Effects of the Transition into Academically Selective Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Becker, Michael; Neumann, Marko; Tetzner, Julia; Böse, Susanne; Knoppick, Henrike; Maaz, Kai; Baumert, Jürgen; Lehmann, Rainer

    2014-01-01

    The present study investigates school context effects on psychosocial characteristics (academic self-concept, peer relations, school satisfaction, and school anxiety) of high-achieving and gifted students. Students who did or did not make an early transition from elementary to secondary schools for high-achieving and gifted students in 5th grade…

  18. Effects of chronic crude oil exposure on early developmental stages of the Northern krill (Meganyctiphanes norvegica).

    PubMed

    Arnberg, Maj; Moodley, Leon; Dunaevskaya, Evgenia; Ramanand, Sreerekha; Ingvarsdóttir, Anna; Nilsen, Marianne; Ravagnan, Elisa; Westerlund, Stig; Sanni, Steinar; Tarling, Geraint A; Bechmann, Renée K

    2017-01-01

    Rising oil and gas activities in northern high latitudes have led to an increased risk of petroleum pollution in these ecosystems. Further, seasonal high UV radiation at high latitudes may elevate photo-enhanced toxicity of petroleum pollution to marine organisms. Zooplanktons are a key ecological component of northern ecosystems; therefore, it is important to assess their sensitivity to potential pollutants of oil and gas activity. As ontogenetic development may be particularly sensitive, the aim of this study was to examine the impact of chronic exposure to oil water dispersion (OWD) on development and feeding of early life stages of the Northern krill, Meganyctiphanes norvegica. In a range of experiments, embryonic, nonfeeding, and feeding larval stages were exposed to concentrations of between 0.01 and 0.1 mg/L of oil or photo-modified oil for 19 and 21 d. No significant effects on egg respiration, hatching success, development, length and larval survival were observed from these treatments. Similarly, evolution of fatty acid composition patterns during ontogenetic development was unaffected. The results indicates a high degree of resilience of these early developmental stages to such types and concentrations of pollutants. However, feeding and motility in later calyptopis-stage larvae were significantly impaired at exposure of 0.1 mg/L oil. Data indicate that feeding larval stage of krill was more sensitive to OWD than early nonfeeding life stages. This might be attributed to the narcotic effects of oil pollutants, their direct ingestion, or accumulated adverse effects over early development.

  19. The Chemistry Teaching Program for Developing the Senior High School Students' Entrepreneurial Attitudes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Susianna, Nancy

    2011-01-01

    The objectives of this research were to identify the characteristics and effectiveness of chemistry teaching programs that increase students' entrepreneurial attitudes, chemistry concepts understanding and creativity. The research design application refers to the R & D (Research and Development) Design. Seventy-three senior high school students…

  20. Highly Effective Interdisciplinary Teams: Perceptions of Exemplary Middle School Principals.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    George, Paul S.; Stevenson, Chris

    This study analyzed the opinions of exemplary middle school principals concerning what constitutes highly effective interdisciplinary teams. The schools that the principals represented were chosen according to the Department of Education's, Phi Delta Kappa's, and the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development's assessment of threshold…

  1. Investigation of the Effect of Training on the Development of High School Teachers' Attitudes towards Scientific Research and Project Competitions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Akçöltekin, Alptürk

    2016-01-01

    The main purpose of this study is to develop positive attitudes in high school teachers towards scientific research and project competitions by training them in scientific research and project preparation subjects. The study group consists of 90 high school teachers. As a result of the study, a significant difference was found in favor of…

  2. Development and Evaluation of Senior High School Courses on Emerging Technology: A Case Study of a Course on Virtual Reality

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chen, Chi-Tung

    2012-01-01

    In Taiwan, the National Science Council has implemented the High Scope Program (HSP) since 2006. The purpose of this study was to analyze the development and effectiveness of senior high school HSP courses on emerging technology. This study used a course on virtual reality as an example, to investigate the influence of emerging technology courses…

  3. Does anti-androgen, flutamide cancel out the in vivo effects of the androgen, dihydrotestosterone on sexual development in juvenile Murray rainbowfish (Melanotaenia fluviatilis)?

    PubMed

    Bhatia, Harpreet; Kumar, Anupama

    2016-01-01

    The aim of the present study was to investigate if the effects of the androgen, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) on the sexual development in juvenile Murray rainbowfish (Melanotaenia fluviatilis) are canceled out by the anti-androgen, flutamide. Fish (60 days post hatch) were exposed to 250ng/L of DHT, 25μg/L of flutamide (Flu-low), 250μg/L of flutamide (Flu-high), DHT+Flu low and DHT+Flu high. After 35 days of exposure, lengths and weights of the fish were measured and the condition factor (CF) calculated; vitellogenin (VTG) concentrations were measured in tail tissue; sex steroid hormones (17β-estradiol [E2] and 11-keto testosterone [11-KT]) were measured in the head tissue and abdominal regions were used in histological investigation of the gonads. Treatment with DHT reduced the body-length of both male and female fish, an effect which was canceled out by low and high concentrations of flutamide. However, flutamide (low or high) could not nullify the DHT-induced reduction in the CF in either sex. The E2 levels were reduced only in female fish after exposure to DHT but returned to normal after treatment with Flu-high. DHT increased the levels of 11-KT and decreased the E2/11-KT ratio in both sexes. Flu-high, but not Flu-low, could nullify these effects. Both DHT and flutamide (low or high) induced VTG production and this effect persisted when both chemicals were co-administered. Treatment with DHT did not affect gonadal cell development in the testes. However, the female fish treated with DHT contained ovaries in early-vitellogenic stage in comparison to the pre-vitellogenic ovaries in control fish. Co-treatment with flutamide (low or high) resulted in oocyte atresia. The results from the present study suggest that treatment with Flu-high could cancel out DHT-induced effects only on the hormonal profile and body-length in both male and female fish. Juvenile fish co-treated with DHT and flutamide (low or high) had high VTG levels and low CF. In addition, the ovaries in female fish were atretic. These data represent potential adverse effects on the ability of the fish to reproduce successfully. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  4. Identifying the Characteristics of Effective High Schools: Report from Year One of the National Center on Scaling up Effective Schools. Research Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rutledge, Stacey; Cohen-Vogel, Lora; Osborne-Lampkin, La'Tara

    2012-01-01

    The National Center on Scaling up Effective Schools (NCSU) is a five-year project working to develop, implement, and test new processes to scale up effective practices in high schools that districts will be able to apply within the context of their own unique goals and circumstances. This report describes the activities and findings of the first…

  5. Implementation of Evidence-Based Book-Reading Strategies by Head Start Teachers: Benefits of Professional Development and Effect on Children's Literacy Outcomes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Butler, Michelyn Cynthia

    2012-01-01

    Evidence strongly supports shared book-reading (SBR) as an opportune intervention for developing early literacy and language development in at-risk preschool-aged children. Many teachers of high-risk preschoolers, however, lack the instructional skills and evidence-based strategies essential for the most effective storybook experience.…

  6. Development of Processing Techniques for Advanced Thermal Protection Materials

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Selvaduray, Guna; Lacson, Jamie; Collazo, Julian

    1997-01-01

    During the period June 1, 1996 through May 31, 1997, the main effort has been in the development of materials for high temperature applications. Thermal Protection Systems (TPS) are constantly being tested and evaluated for thermal shock resistance, high temperature dimensional stability, and tolerance to environmental effects. Materials development was carried out by using many different instruments and methods, ranging from intensive elemental analysis to testing the physical attributes of a material. The material development concentrated on two key areas: (1) development of coatings for carbon/carbon composites, and (2) development of ultra-high temperature ceramics (UHTC). This report describes the progress made in these two areas of research during this contract period.

  7. Integrating High-Dimensional Transcriptomics and Image Analysis Tools into Early Safety Screening: Proof of Concept for a New Early Drug Development Strategy.

    PubMed

    Verbist, Bie M P; Verheyen, Geert R; Vervoort, Liesbet; Crabbe, Marjolein; Beerens, Dominiek; Bosmans, Cindy; Jaensch, Steffen; Osselaer, Steven; Talloen, Willem; Van den Wyngaert, Ilse; Van Hecke, Geert; Wuyts, Dirk; Van Goethem, Freddy; Göhlmann, Hinrich W H

    2015-10-19

    During drug discovery and development, the early identification of adverse effects is expected to reduce costly late-stage failures of candidate drugs. As risk/safety assessment takes place rather late during the development process and due to the limited ability of animal models to predict the human situation, modern unbiased high-dimensional biology readouts are sought, such as molecular signatures predictive for in vivo response using high-throughput cell-based assays. In this theoretical proof of concept, we provide findings of an in-depth exploration of a single chemical core structure. Via transcriptional profiling, we identified a subset of close analogues that commonly downregulate multiple tubulin genes across cellular contexts, suggesting possible spindle poison effects. Confirmation via a qualified toxicity assay (in vitro micronucleus test) and the identification of a characteristic aggregate-formation phenotype via exploratory high-content imaging validated the initial findings. SAR analysis triggered the synthesis of a new set of compounds and allowed us to extend the series showing the genotoxic effect. We demonstrate the potential to flag toxicity issues by utilizing data from exploratory experiments that are typically generated for target evaluation purposes during early drug discovery. We share our thoughts on how this approach may be incorporated into drug development strategies.

  8. SU-E-T-420: Failure Effects Mode Analysis for Trigeminal Neuralgia Frameless Radiosurgery

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

    Howe, J

    2015-06-15

    Purpose: Functional radiosurgery has been used successfully in the treatment of trigeminal neuralgia but presents significant challenges to ensuring the high prescription dose is delivered accurately. A review of existing practice should help direct the focus of quality improvement for this treatment regime. Method: Failure modes and effects analysis was used to identify the processes in preparing radiosurgery treatment for TN. The map was developed by a multidisciplinary team including: neurosurgeon, radiation oncology, physicist and therapist. Potential failure modes were identified for each step in the process map as well as potential causes and end effect. A risk priority numbermore » was assigned to each cause. Results: The process map identified 66 individual steps (see attached supporting document). Corrective actions were developed for areas of high risk priority number. Wrong site treatment is at higher risk for trigeminal neuralgia treatment due to the lack of site specific pathologic imaging on MR and CT – additional site specific checks were implemented to minimize the risk of wrong site treatment. Failed collision checks resulted from an insufficient collision model in the treatment planning system and a plan template was developed to address this problem. Conclusion: Failure modes and effects analysis is an effective tool for developing quality improvement in high risk radiotherapy procedures such as functional radiosurgery.« less

  9. 25th anniversary article: key points for high-mobility organic field-effect transistors.

    PubMed

    Dong, Huanli; Fu, Xiaolong; Liu, Jie; Wang, Zongrui; Hu, Wenping

    2013-11-20

    Remarkable progress has been made in developing high performance organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) and the mobility of OFETs has been approaching the values of polycrystalline silicon, meeting the requirements of various electronic applications from electronic papers to integrated circuits. In this review, the key points for development of high mobility OFETs are highlighted from aspects of molecular engineering, process engineering and interface engineering. The importance of other factors, such as impurities and testing conditions is also addressed. Finally, the current challenges in this field for practical applications of OFETs are further discussed. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  10. The Combined Effect of Mere Exposure, Counterattitudinal Advocacy, and Art Criticism Methodology on Upper Elementary and Junior High Students' Affect Toward Art Works.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hollingsworth, Patricia

    1983-01-01

    Results indicated that, for elementary students, art criticism was more effective than a combination of methodologies for developing positive affect toward art works. For junior high students, the combination methodology was more effective than art criticism, the exposure method, or the counterattitudinal advocacy method. (Author/SR)

  11. The Effect of Track Changes on the Development of Academic Self-Concept in High School: A Dynamic Test of the Big-Fish-Little-Pond Effect

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wouters, Sofie; De Fraine, Bieke; Colpin, Hilde; Van Damme, Jan; Verschueren, Karine

    2012-01-01

    Academic self-concept has received a great deal of attention in recent educational research because it mediates many other educational outcomes. Therefore, it is important to find out how students' academic self-concept develops. We examined the big-fish-little-pond effect (BFLPE) dynamically by investigating the effect of track changes in high…

  12. Laser-heat puncturing as highly effective method of post-tuberculous cystalgia treatment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koultchavenia, Ekaterina V.

    1999-07-01

    The tuberculosis of an urine bladder in men develops is authentic less often, and recovery is authentic more often, than in the women. In 39,1 percent of the women with nephrotuberculosis and urocystis and urocystis tuberculosis a specific cystitides is finished in development of post- tuberculous cystalgia. One of starting mechanism of dysuria after the transferred urocystis tuberculosis in the women in menopause is hormonal insufficiency. The method of laser heat puncturing, developed by us, for the treatment this complication is highly effective, does not require additional introduction of medicines, can be executed as in hospitals, and in our-patient.

  13. A compressible multiphase framework for simulating supersonic atomization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Regele, Jonathan D.; Garrick, Daniel P.; Hosseinzadeh-Nik, Zahra; Aslani, Mohamad; Owkes, Mark

    2016-11-01

    The study of atomization in supersonic combustors is critical in designing efficient and high performance scramjets. Numerical methods incorporating surface tension effects have largely focused on the incompressible regime as most atomization applications occur at low Mach numbers. Simulating surface tension effects in high speed compressible flow requires robust numerical methods that can handle discontinuities caused by both material interfaces and shocks. A shock capturing/diffused interface method is developed to simulate high-speed compressible gas-liquid flows with surface tension effects using the five-equation model. This includes developments that account for the interfacial pressure jump that occurs in the presence of surface tension. A simple and efficient method for computing local interface curvature is developed and an acoustic non-dimensional scaling for the surface tension force is proposed. The method successfully captures a variety of droplet breakup modes over a range of Weber numbers and demonstrates the impact of surface tension in countering droplet deformation in both subsonic and supersonic cross flows.

  14. High temperature hall effect measurement system design, measurement and analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berkun, Isil

    A reliable knowledge of the transport properties of semiconductor materials is essential for the development and understanding of a number of electronic devices. In this thesis, the work on developing a Hall Effect measurement system with software based data acqui- sition and control for a temperature range of 300K-700K will be described. A system was developed for high temperature measurements of materials including single crystal diamond, poly-crystalline diamond, and thermoelectric compounds. An added capability for monitor- ing the current versus voltage behavior of the contacts was used for studying the influence of ohmic and non-ohmic contacts on Hall Effect measurements. The system has been primar- ily used for testing the transport properties of boron-doped single crystal diamond (SCD) deposited in a microwave plasma-assisted chemical vapor deposition (MPCVD) reactor [1]. Diamond has several outstanding properties that are of high interest for its development as an electronic material. These include a relatively wide band gap of 5.5 (eV), high thermal conductivity, high mobility, high saturation velocity, and a high breakdown voltage. For a temperature range of 300K-700K, IV curves, Hall mobilities and carrier concentrations are shown. Temperature dependent Hall effect measurements have shown carrier concentrations from below 1017cm --3 to approximately 1021 cm--3 with mobilities ranging from 763( cm2/V s) to 0.15(cm 2/V s) respectively. Simulation results have shown the effects of single and mixed carrier models, activation energies, effective mass and doping concentrations. These studies have been helpful in the development of single crystal diamond for diode applications. Reference materials of Ge and GaAs were used to test the Hall Effect system. The system was also used to characterize polycrystalline diamond deposited on glass for electrochemical applications, and Mg2(Si,Sn) compounds which are promising candidates of low-cost, light weight and non-toxic thermoelectric materials made from abundant elements and are suited for power generation application in the intermediate temperature range of (600 K - 800 K). In this work the thermoelectric materials were synthesized by a solid-state reac- tion using a molten-salt sealing method. The ingots produced were then powder processed, followed by pulsed electric sintering (PECS) densification. A set of Mg2.08Si0.4--x Sn0.6Sbx (0 ≤ x ≤ 0.072) compounds were investigated and a peak ZT of 1.50 was obtained at 716 K in Mg2.08Si 0.364Sn0.6Sb0.036 [2]. The high ZT value is related to a high electrical conductivity in these samples, which are possibly caused by a magnesium deficiency in the final prod- uct. Analysis of the measured results using LabVIEW and MATLAB developed programs showed good agreement with expected results and gave insight on mixed carrier dopant concentrations. [1] I. Berkun, S. N. Demlow, N. Suwanmonkha, T. P. Hogan, and T. A. Grotjohn, "Hall Effect Measurement System for Characterization of Doped Single Crystal Diamond," in MRS Proceedings, vol. 1511, Cambridge Univ Press, 2013. [2] P. Gao, I. Berkun, R. D. Schmidt, M. F. Luzenski, X. Lu, P. B. Sarac, E. D. Case, and T. P. Hogan, "Transport and Mechanical Properties of High-ZT Mg2. 08si0. 4- x Sn0. 6sb x Thermoelectric Materials," Journal of Electronic Materials, pp. 1--14, 2013.

  15. Cerebroprotective effect of combined treatment with pyrazidol and bemitil in craniocerebral trauma.

    PubMed

    Zarubina, I V; Kuritsyna, N A; Shabanov, P D

    2004-07-01

    Monotherapy of consequences of craniocerebral trauma with pyrazidol (1 mg/kg) produced an anxiolytic effect in animals highly resistant to hypoxia and activating effect on low resistant animals. Treatment with bemitil in a dose of 25 mg/kg produced a cerebroprotective effect and normalized individual behavioral characteristics, parameters of energy metabolism, and state of the antioxidant system in the brain of highly and low resistant rats. The effect of bemitil was most pronounced in highly resistant animals. During combined treatment, pyrazidol and bemitil had an additive effect in animals of both groups. They normalized behavioral reactions and prevented the development of metabolic disturbances in the brain.

  16. Development of a high-throughput method to evaluate the impact of inhibitory compounds from lignocellulosic hydrolysates on the growth of Zymomonas mobilis.

    PubMed

    Franden, Mary Ann; Pienkos, Philip T; Zhang, Min

    2009-12-01

    Overcoming the effects of hydrolysate toxicity towards ethanologens is a key technical barrier in the biochemical conversion process for biomass feedstocks to ethanol. Despite its importance, the complexity of the hydrolysate toxicity phenomena and the lack of systematic studies, analysis and tools surrounding this issue have blocked a full understanding of relationships involving toxic compounds in hydrolysates and their effects on ethanologen growth and fermentation. In this study, we developed a quantitative, high-throughput biological growth assay using an automated turbidometer to obtain detailed inhibitory kinetics for individual compounds present in lignocellulosic biomass hydrolysate. Information about prolonged lag time and final cell densities can also be obtained. The effects of furfural, hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF), acetate and ethanol on growth rate and final cell densities of Zymomonas mobilis 8b on glucose are presented. This method was also shown to be of value in toxicity studies of hydrolysate itself, despite the highly colored nature of this material. Using this approach, we can generate comprehensive inhibitory profiles with many individual compounds and develop models that predict and examine toxic effects in the complex mixture of hydrolysates, leading to the development of improved pretreatment and conditioning processes as well as fermentation organisms.

  17. Development of Creep-Resistant and Oxidation-Resistant Austenitic Stainless Steels for High Temperature Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Maziasz, Philip J.

    2018-01-01

    Austenitic stainless steels are cost-effective materials for high-temperature applications if they have the oxidation and creep resistance to withstand prolonged exposure at such conditions. Since 1990, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has developed advanced austenitic stainless steels with creep resistance comparable to Ni-based superalloy 617 at 800-900°C based on specially designed "engineered microstructures" utilizing a microstructure/composition database derived from about 20 years of radiation effect data on steels. The wrought high temperature-ultrafine precipitate strengthened (HT-UPS) steels with outstanding creep resistance at 700-800°C were developed for supercritical boiler and superheater tubing for fossil power plants in the early 1990s, the cast CF8C-Plus steels were developed in 1999-2001 for land-based gas turbine casing and diesel engine exhaust manifold and turbocharger applications at 700-900°C, and, in 2015-2017, new Al-modified cast stainless steels with oxidation and creep resistance capabilities up to 950-1000°C were developed for automotive exhaust manifold and turbocharger applications. This article reviews and summarizes their development and their properties and applications.

  18. Developing Character and Aligning Personal Values with Organizational Values in the United States Coast Guard

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2000-06-02

    York: Simon & Schuster, 1991). 30Stephen R. Covey, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People , Powerful Lessons in Personal Change (New York: Simon...California: Parker & Son Publications, Inc., 1991. Covey, Stephen R. The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People , Powerful Lessons in Personal Change

  19. Behavioral kernels and brief interventions: teaching parents effective behavior management strategies.

    PubMed

    Shapiro, Cheri J

    2013-01-01

    Reducing the high prevalence of emotional and behavioral problems among youth requires that parents be given access to high-quality, effective parenting supports and interventions. Recently developed brief parenting interventions can be delivered without stigma in primary health care and other settings by a range of professionals.

  20. RODENT AND HUMAN NEUROPROGENITOR CELLS FOR HIGH-CONTENT SCREENS OF CHEMICAL EFFECTS ON PROLIFERATION AND APOPTOSIS

    EPA Science Inventory

    The objective of these experiments is to develop high-throughput screens for proliferation and apoptosis in order to compare rodent and human neuroprogenitor cell responses to potential developmental neurotoxicants. Effects of 4 chemicals on proliferation and apoptosis in mouse c...

  1. Impaired drug absorption due to high stomach pH: a review of strategies for mitigation of such effect to enable pharmaceutical product development.

    PubMed

    Mitra, Amitava; Kesisoglou, Filippos

    2013-11-04

    Published reports have clearly shown that weakly basic drugs which have low solubility at high pH could have impaired absorption in patients with high gastric pH thus leading to reduced and variable bioavailability. Since such reduction in exposure can lead to significant loss of efficacy, it is imperative to (1) understand the behavior of the compound as a function of stomach pH to inform of any risk of bioavailability loss in clinical studies and (2) develop a robust formulation which can provide adequate exposure in achlorhydric patients. In this review paper, we provide an overview of the factors that can cause high gastric pH in human, discuss clinical and preclinical pharmacokinetic data for weak bases under conditions of normal and high gastric pH, and give examples of formulation strategies to minimize or mitigate the reduced absorption of weakly basic drugs under high gastric pH conditions. It should be noted that the ability to overcome pH sensitivity issues is highly compound dependent and there are no obvious and general solutions to overcome such effect. Further, we discuss, along with several examples, the use of biopharmaceutical tools such as in vitro dissolution, absorption modeling, and gastric pH modified animal models to assess absorption risk of weak bases in high gastric pH and also the use of these tools to enable development of formulations to mitigate such effects.

  2. Input and output constraints affecting irrigation development

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schramm, G.

    1981-05-01

    In many of the developing countries the expansion of irrigated agriculture is used as a major development tool for bringing about increases in agricultural output, rural economic growth and income distribution. Apart from constraints imposed by water availability, the major limitations considered to any acceleration of such programs are usually thought to be those of costs and financial resources. However, as is shown on the basis of empirical data drawn from Mexico, in reality the feasibility and effectiveness of such development programs is even more constrained by the lack of specialized physical and human factors on the input and market limitations on the output side. On the input side, the limited availability of complementary factors such as, for example, truly functioning credit systems for small-scale farmers or effective agricultural extension services impose long-term constraints on development. On the output side the limited availability, high risk, and relatively slow growth of markets for high-value crops sharply reduce the usually hoped-for and projected profitable crop mix that would warrant the frequently high costs of irrigation investments. Three conclusions are drawn: (1) Factors in limited supply have to be shadow-priced to reflect their high opportunity costs in alternative uses. (2) Re-allocation of financial resources from immediate construction of projects to longer-term increase in the supply of scarce, highly-trained manpower resources are necessary in order to optimize development over time. (3) Inclusion of high-value, high-income producing crops in the benefit-cost analysis of new projects is inappropriate if these crops could potentially be grown in already existing projects.

  3. Effect of interface layer on the performance of high power diode laser arrays

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Pu; Wang, Jingwei; Xiong, Lingling; Li, Xiaoning; Hou, Dong; Liu, Xingsheng

    2015-02-01

    Packaging is an important part of high power diode laser (HPLD) development and has become one of the key factors affecting the performance of high power diode lasers. In the package structure of HPLD, the interface layer of die bonding has significant effects on the thermal behavior of high power diode laser packages and most degradations and failures in high power diode laser packages are directly related to the interface layer. In this work, the effects of interface layer on the performance of high power diode laser array were studied numerically by modeling and experimentally. Firstly, numerical simulations using finite element method (FEM) were conducted to analyze the effects of voids in the interface layer on the temperature rise in active region of diode laser array. The correlation between junction temperature rise and voids was analyzed. According to the numerical simulation results, it was found that the local temperature rise of active region originated from the voids in the solder layer will lead to wavelength shift of some emitters. Secondly, the effects of solder interface layer on the spectrum properties of high power diode laser array were studied. It showed that the spectrum shape of diode laser array appeared "right shoulder" or "multi-peaks", which were related to the voids in the solder interface layer. Finally, "void-free" techniques were developed to minimize the voids in the solder interface layer and achieve high power diode lasers with better optical-electrical performances.

  4. Effects of a Teacher Professional Development Intervention on Peer Relationships in Secondary Classrooms

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mikami, Amori Yee; Gregory, Anne; Allen, Joseph P.; Pianta, Robert C.; Lun, Janetta

    2011-01-01

    We investigated the effects of My Teaching Partner-Secondary (MTP-S), a teacher professional development intervention, on students' peer relationships in middle and high school classrooms. MTP-S targets increasing teachers' positive interactions with students and sensitive instructional practices and has demonstrated improvements in students'…

  5. Preservice Teachers' Conceptions of Effective and Ineffective Teaching Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sandholtz, Judith Haymore

    2011-01-01

    Given the focus on developing highly-qualified teachers to improve education, teacher education programs face increasing responsibility to prepare new teachers who can effectively enhance learning in all students. Standards and assessment criteria developed by national organizations in the United States address the qualifications of beginning as…

  6. Semi-automted analysis of high-resolution aerial images to quantify docks in Upper Midwest glacial lakes

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Beck, Marcus W.; Vondracek, Bruce C.; Hatch, Lorin K.; Vinje, Jason

    2013-01-01

    Lake resources can be negatively affected by environmental stressors originating from multiple sources and different spatial scales. Shoreline development, in particular, can negatively affect lake resources through decline in habitat quality, physical disturbance, and impacts on fisheries. The development of remote sensing techniques that efficiently characterize shoreline development in a regional context could greatly improve management approaches for protecting and restoring lake resources. The goal of this study was to develop an approach using high-resolution aerial photographs to quantify and assess docks as indicators of shoreline development. First, we describe a dock analysis workflow that can be used to quantify the spatial extent of docks using aerial images. Our approach incorporates pixel-based classifiers with object-based techniques to effectively analyze high-resolution digital imagery. Second, we apply the analysis workflow to quantify docks for 4261 lakes managed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. Overall accuracy of the analysis results was 98.4% (87.7% based on ) after manual post-processing. The analysis workflow was also 74% more efficient than the time required for manual digitization of docks. These analyses have immediate relevance for resource planning in Minnesota, whereas the dock analysis workflow could be used to quantify shoreline development in other regions with comparable imagery. These data can also be used to better understand the effects of shoreline development on aquatic resources and to evaluate the effects of shoreline development relative to other stressors.

  7. Novel high speed fiber-optic pressure sensor systems.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2014-03-01

    The goal of this project is to develop a complete test of this technology for high-speed, high-accuracy applications, specifically cost-effective data acquisition techniques and practical mounting methods tailored for the subject environment. The sec...

  8. Using Life Development Visualization with High School Students and Recent Graduates for Career Exploration.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lampron, Dennis

    This document presents Life Development Visualization as an effective counseling technique to be used in combination with other career exploration activities with groups of high school students or recent graduates. Visualization is described as a process orientation which blends an individual's personality and spiritual levels into a comprehensive…

  9. Investigating Technology-Enhanced Teacher Professional Development in Rural, High-Poverty Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blanchard, Margaret R.; LePrevost, Catherine E.; Tolin, A. Dell; Gutierrez, Kristie S.

    2016-01-01

    This 3-year, mixed-methods study investigated the effects of teacher technology-enhanced professional development (TPD) on 20 teachers' beliefs and practices. Teachers in two middle schools located in neighboring rural, high-poverty districts in the southeastern United States participated in reform-based lessons and learned how to integrate…

  10. Development of a Low-Cost and High-speed Single Event Effects Testers based on Reconfigurable Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Howard, J. W.; Kim, H.; Berg, M.; LaBel, K. A.; Stansberry, S.; Friendlich, M.; Irwin, T.

    2006-01-01

    A viewgraph presentation on the development of a low cost, high speed tester reconfigurable Field Programmable Gata Array (FPGA) is shown. The topics include: 1) Introduction; 2) Objectives; 3) Tester Descriptions; 4) Tester Validations and Demonstrations; 5) Future Work; and 6) Summary.

  11. Compact, Lightweight Servo-Controllable Brakes

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lovchik, Christopher S.; Townsend, William; Guertin, Jeffrey; Matsuoka, Yoky

    2010-01-01

    Compact, lightweight servo-controllable brakes capable of high torques are being developed for incorporation into robot joints. A brake of this type is based partly on the capstan effect of tension elements. In a brake of the type under development, a controllable intermediate state of torque is reached through on/off switching at a high frequency.

  12. Screening for Chemical Effects on Neuronal Proliferation and Neurite Outgrowth Using High-Content/High-Throughput Microscopy

    EPA Science Inventory

    The need to develop novel screening methods for developmental neurotoxicity in order to alleviate the demands of cost, time, and animals required for in vivo toxicity studies is well recognized. Accordingly, the U.S. EPA launched the ToxCast research program in 2007 to develop c...

  13. Bioinformatics Education in High School: Implications for Promoting Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Careers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kovarik, Dina N.; Patterson, Davis G.; Cohen, Carolyn; Sanders, Elizabeth A.; Peterson, Karen A.; Porter, Sandra G.; Chowning, Jeanne Ting

    2013-01-01

    We investigated the effects of our Bio-ITEST teacher professional development model and bioinformatics curricula on cognitive traits (awareness, engagement, self-efficacy, and relevance) in high school teachers and students that are known to accompany a developing interest in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers. The…

  14. What A Booster Club Can Do.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hidinger, George

    This speech was presented at the 1976 American Alliance for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation national convention by the principal of an Iowa high school. It discusses the development and effectiveness of the Jefferson High School Booster Club which was developed by an interested parent and has been quite successful. The club has assisted…

  15. More than a Conversation: Using Cogenerative Dialogues in the Professional Development of High School Chemistry Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Martin, Sonya N.; Scantlebury, Kathryn

    2009-01-01

    This paper focuses on content-based and pedagogical instructors' use of cogenerative dialogues to improve instructional practice and to evaluate program effectiveness in a professional development program for high school chemistry teachers. We share our research findings from using cogenerative dialogues as an evaluative tool for general…

  16. Development of a high sensitivity pinhole type gamma camera using semiconductors for low dose rate fields

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ueno, Yuichiro; Takahashi, Isao; Ishitsu, Takafumi; Tadokoro, Takahiro; Okada, Koichi; Nagumo, Yasushi; Fujishima, Yasutake; Yoshida, Akira; Umegaki, Kikuo

    2018-06-01

    We developed a pinhole type gamma camera, using a compact detector module of a pixelated CdTe semiconductor, which has suitable sensitivity and quantitative accuracy for low dose rate fields. In order to improve the sensitivity of the pinhole type semiconductor gamma camera, we adopted three methods: a signal processing method to set the discriminating level lower, a high sensitivity pinhole collimator and a smoothing image filter that improves the efficiency of the source identification. We tested basic performances of the developed gamma camera and carefully examined effects of the three methods. From the sensitivity test, we found that the effective sensitivity was about 21 times higher than that of the gamma camera for high dose rate fields which we had previously developed. We confirmed that the gamma camera had sufficient sensitivity and high quantitative accuracy; for example, a weak hot spot (0.9 μSv/h) around a tree root could be detected within 45 min in a low dose rate field test, and errors of measured dose rates with point sources were less than 7% in a dose rate accuracy test.

  17. Attitude determination of a high altitude balloon system. Part 1: Development of the mathematical model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Nigro, N. J.; Elkouh, A. F.; Shen, K. S.; Nimityongskul, P.; Jhaveri, V. N.; Sethi, A.

    1975-01-01

    A mathematical model for predicting the three dimensional motion of the balloon system is developed, which includes the effects of bounce, pendulation and spin of each subsystem. Boundary layer effects are also examined, along with the aerodynamic forces acting on the balloon. Various simplified forms of the system mathematical model were developed, based on an order of magnitude analysis.

  18. Medical and Performance Problems of Acute High Altitude-Exposure,

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1981-07-11

    counter the respiratory alkalosis of altitude with a metabolic acidosis, thereby maintaining normal pH. The occurrence and severity of symptoms have...In chamber studies at our Institute, the role of hypocapnic alkalosis in the development of AMS was assessed by exposing subjects to simulated high...beneficial effect on symptomatology, if not by preventing the development of alkalosis ? Further- more, Why does the development of hypocapnia appear to be

  19. Linking ocean acidification and warming to the larval development of the American lobster (Homarus americanus)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Waller, J. D.; Fields, D.; Wahle, R.; Mcveigh, H.; Greenwood, S.

    2016-02-01

    The American lobster upholds the most culturally and economically iconic fishery in New England. Over the past three decades lobster landings have risen steadily in northern New England as lobster populations have shifted northward, leaving policy makers and coastal communities wondering what the future of this fishery may hold. The underlying causes of this population shift are likely due to a suite of environmental stressors including increasing temperature and ocean acidification. In this study we investigated the interactive effects of IPCC predicted temperature and pH on key aspects of larval lobster development (size, survival, development time, respiration rate, swimming speed, prey consumption and gene expression). Our experiments showed that larvae raised in the high temperature treatments (19 °C) experienced significantly higher mortality than larvae in our control treatments (16 °C) with 50% mortality occurring in the high temperature treatment one week after hatching. The larvae in these high temperature treatments developed twice as fast and experienced respiration rates that were three times higher in the third and fourth larval stages. While temperature had a distinct effect, pH treatment had few significant effects on any of our measured parameters. These data suggest that projected end-century warming will have greater adverse effects than acidification on early larval survival, despite the hurrying effect of higher temperatures on lobster larval development and increase in physiological activity. There were no significant treatment effects on carapace length, dry weight, or carbon and nitrogen content. Analysis of swimming speed and gene expression (through RNA sequencing) are in progress. Understanding how the most vulnerable life stages of the lobster life cycle responds to climate change is essential in connecting the northward geographic shifts projected by habitat quality models, and the underlying physiological and genetic mechanisms that drive their ecology.

  20. The role of foreign direct investment in the nutrition transition.

    PubMed

    Hawkes, Corinna

    2005-06-01

    To examine the role of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the nutrition transition, focusing on highly processed foods. Data on FDI were identified from reports/databases and then compiled and analysed. A review of published literature on FDI into the food sector was conducted. The nutrition transition is a public health concern owing to its connection with the rising burden of obesity and diet-related chronic diseases in developing countries. Global health leaders are calling for action to address the threat. Highly processed foods often have considerable fat, sugar and salt content, and warrant closer examination. FDI into food processing, service and retail has risen rapidly since the 1980s, mainly from transnational food companies (TFCs) in developed countries. As FDI has risen, so has the proportion invested in highly processed foods for sale in the host market. FDI has proved more effective than trade in generating sales of highly processed foods, and enables TFCs to cut costs, gain market power and obtain efficiencies in distribution and marketing. The amount of FDI targeted at developing countries is increasing; while a disproportionate share enters the larger developing economies, foreign affiliates of TFCs are among the largest companies in low- and low- to middle-income countries. The effect of FDI is to make more highly processed foods available to more people. FDI has made it possible to lower prices, open up new purchasing channels, optimise the effectiveness of marketing and advertising, and increase sales. FDI has been a key mechanism in shaping the global market for highly processed foods. Notwithstanding the role of demand-side factors, it has played a role in the nutrition transition by enabling and promoting the consumption of these foods in developing countries. Empirical data on consumption patterns of highly processed foods in developing countries are critically needed, but since FDI is a long-term investment vehicle, it is reasonable to assume that availability and consumption of highly processed foods will continue to increase. FDI can, however, bring considerable benefits as well as risks. Through its position 'upstream', FDI would therefore be an appropriate entry-point to implement a range of public health policies to 'redirect' the nutrition transition.

  1. Simple Electrolyzer Model Development for High-Temperature Electrolysis System Analysis Using Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cell

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

    JaeHwa Koh; DuckJoo Yoon; Chang H. Oh

    2010-07-01

    An electrolyzer model for the analysis of a hydrogen-production system using a solid oxide electrolysis cell (SOEC) has been developed, and the effects for principal parameters have been estimated by sensitivity studies based on the developed model. The main parameters considered are current density, area specific resistance, temperature, pressure, and molar fraction and flow rates in the inlet and outlet. Finally, a simple model for a high-temperature hydrogen-production system using the solid oxide electrolysis cell integrated with very high temperature reactors is estimated.

  2. Random Walk of Single Gold Nanoparticles in Zebrafish Embryos Leading to Stochastic Toxic Effects on Embryonic Developments

    PubMed Central

    Browning, Lauren M.; Lee, Kerry J.; Huang, Tao; Nallathamby, Prakash D.; Lowman, Jill E.; Xu, Xiao-Hong Nancy

    2010-01-01

    We have synthesized and characterized stable (non-aggregation, non-photobleaching and non-blinking), nearly monodisperse and highly-purified Au nanoparticles, and used them to probe transport of cleavage-stage zebrafish embryos and to study their effects on embryonic development in real time. We found that single Au nanoparticles (11.6 ± 0.9 nm in diameter) passively diffused into chorionic space of the embryos via their chorionic-pore-canals and continued their random-walk through chorionic space and into inner mass of embryos. Diffusion coefficients of single nanoparticles vary dramatically (2.8×10-11 to 1.3×10-8 cm2/s) as nanoparticles diffuse through various parts of embryos, suggesting highly diverse transport barriers and viscosity gradients of embryos. The amount of Au nanoparticles accumulated in embryos increase with its concentration. Interestingly, their effects on embryonic development are not proportionally related to the concentration. Majority of embryos (74% on average) incubated chronically with 0.025-1.2 nM Au nanoparticles for 120 h developed to normal zebrafish, with some (24%) being dead and few (2%) deformed. We developed a new approach to image and characterize individual Au nanoparticles embedded in tissues using histology sample preparation methods and LSRP spectra of single nanoparticles. We found that Au nanoparticles in various parts of normally developed and deformed zebrafish, suggesting that random-walk of nanoparticles in embryos during their development might have led to stochastic effects on embryonic development. These results show that Au nanoparticles are much more biocompatible (less toxic) to the embryos than Ag nanoparticles that we reported previously, suggesting that they are better suited as biocompatible probes for imaging embryos in vivo. The results provide powerful evidences that biocompatibility and toxicity of nanoparticles highly depend on their chemical properties, and the embryos can serve as effective in-vivo assays to screen their biocompatibility. PMID:20644873

  3. Methodology of project management at implementation of projects of high-rise construction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Papelniuk, Oksana

    2018-03-01

    High-rise construction is the perspective direction in urban development. An opportunity to arrange on rather small land plot a huge number of the living and commercial space makes high-rise construction very attractive for developers. However investment projects of high-rise buildings' construction are very expensive and complex that sets a task of effective management of such projects for the company builder. The best tool in this area today is the methodology of project management, which becomes a key factor of efficiency.

  4. Effects of Rhodiola on production, health and gut development of broilers reared at high altitude in Tibet

    PubMed Central

    Li, Long; Wang, Honghui; Zhao, Xin

    2014-01-01

    Rhodiola has long been used as a traditional medicine to increase resistance to physical stress in humans in Tibet. The current study was designed to investigate whether Rhodiola crenulata (R. crenulata) could alleviate the negative effects of hypoxia on broiler chickens reared in Tibet Plateau. The effect of supplementing crushed roots of R. crenulata on production performance, health and intestinal morphology in commercial male broilers was investigated. Dietary treatments included CTL (basal diet), Low-R (basal diet + 0.5% R. crenulata) and High-R (basal diet + 1.5% R. crenulata). In comparison with broilers fed the control diet, Low-R had no effect on production performance while High-R significantly decreased average daily feed intake at d14, 28 and 42, body weight at d28 and 42 and gut development. Ascites induced mortality did not differ among treatments. Nevertheless Low-R significantly reduced non-ascites induced mortality and total mortality compared with broilers fed CTL and High-R diets. Broilers fed the High-R diet had significantly increased blood red blood cell counts and hemoglobin levels at 28d compared with other treatments. Our results suggest that supplementation with Rhodiola might reduce the effects of hypoxia on broilers and consequently decrease mortality rate. PMID:25418541

  5. High fidelity quasi steady-state aerodynamic model effects on race vehicle performance predictions using multi-body simulation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mohrfeld-Halterman, J. A.; Uddin, M.

    2016-07-01

    We described in this paper the development of a high fidelity vehicle aerodynamic model to fit wind tunnel test data over a wide range of vehicle orientations. We also present a comparison between the effects of this proposed model and a conventional quasi steady-state aerodynamic model on race vehicle simulation results. This is done by implementing both of these models independently in multi-body quasi steady-state simulations to determine the effects of the high fidelity aerodynamic model on race vehicle performance metrics. The quasi steady state vehicle simulation is developed with a multi-body NASCAR Truck vehicle model, and simulations are conducted for three different types of NASCAR race tracks, a short track, a one and a half mile intermediate track, and a higher speed, two mile intermediate race track. For each track simulation, the effects of the aerodynamic model on handling, maximum corner speed, and drive force metrics are analysed. The accuracy of the high-fidelity model is shown to reduce the aerodynamic model error relative to the conventional aerodynamic model, and the increased accuracy of the high fidelity aerodynamic model is found to have realisable effects on the performance metric predictions on the intermediate tracks resulting from the quasi steady-state simulation.

  6. Synthetic peptide, Ala-Arg-Glu-Gly-Glu-Met, abolishes pro-proliferative and anti-apoptotic effects of high glucose in vascular smooth muscle cells

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

    Cao, Xiaozhou; Lyu, Yi; Collaborative Innovation Centre for Modern Grain Circulation and Safety, Nanjing University of Finance and Economics, Nanjing 210023

    Apoptosis plays a critical role in normal vascular development and atherosclerosis. However, high glucose has been reported to generate a certain level of ROS that can inhibit vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) apoptosis, with the underlying mechanism remaining unclear. In this study, a synthetic peptide AREGEM (Ala-Arg-Glu-Gly-Glu-Met) exhibited antioxidative effects and was used to investigate its function in VSMCs during hyperglycaemia. MTT assay results demonstrated that AREGEM significantly attenuated high glucose-induced VSMCs proliferation. Flow cytometry displayed that high glucose levels inhibited cell apoptosis, whereas this effect was attenuated by pre-incubation with AREGEM. In addition, the 2′,7'-dichlorofluorescein diacetate (DCFH-DA) fluorescent probemore » assay further demonstrated that AREGEM reduced intracellular ROS accumulation in VSMCs. Furthermore, this peptide was able to prevent the decrease of caspase-3 activity and the increase of the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax protein in VSMCs exposed to high glucose. These findings demonstrated that AREGEM is able to abolish the effects of high glucose in VSMCs; therefore, this peptide can be a potential candidate to develop a novel strategy for curing diabetic related diseases. - Highlights: • A peptide, AREGEM, can reduce intracellular ROS accumulation in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). • AREGEM significantly inhibits high glucose-induced proliferation of VSMCs. • AREGEM attenuates the inhibitory effect of high glucose on VSMC Apoptosis and caspase-3 activity. • AREGEM decreases the ratio of Bcl-2/Bax protein in VSMCs exposed to high glucose.« less

  7. A Review of Parenting Programs in Developing Countries: Opportunities and Challenges for Preventing Emotional and Behavioral Difficulties in Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mejia, Anilena; Calam, Rachel; Sanders, Matthew R.

    2012-01-01

    Many children in developing countries are at risk of emotional and behavioral difficulties, which are likely to be elevated due to the effects of poverty. Parenting programs have shown to be effective preventative strategies in high-income countries, but to date the research on their effectiveness in lower-income countries is limited.…

  8. Psychological detachment as moderator between psychosocial work conditions and low back pain development.

    PubMed

    Mierswa, Tobias; Kellmann, Michael

    2017-03-30

    Recovery processes in leisure time influence the effect of psychosocial work factors on health issues. However, this function of recovery has been neglected in research regarding the influence of work-related risk factors on low back pain (LBP) development. The aim of this prospective study was to examine the function of psychological detachment - a relevant recovery experience - concerning the influence of psychosocial work factors on LBP development. A moderating function of detachment for the interplay of work factors and LBP was assumed. Sixty pain-free administrative employees of German universities completed an online survey 3 times during a 6-month period. Generalized estimating equations were used to estimate risk-factors of LBP. Analyses revealed an increased chance of LBP development for smokers and a decreasing chance when work resources were high. Detachment had no direct influence on LBP development, although it moderated the influence of work stressors and work resources on LBP. On the one hand, high detachment values seem to protect against an increased chance of LBP development when employees were confronted with high work stressors, while on the other hand high detachment values enhance the protective effect of high work resources. The results indicated a moderating role of detachment concerning the influence of psychosocial work factors on LBP development. Therefore, it is necessary to include recovery processes in future research regarding LBP development and consequently in LBP prevention concepts. Int J Occup Med Environ Health 2017;30(2):313-327. This work is available in Open Access model and licensed under a CC BY-NC 3.0 PL license.

  9. Fructose and metabolic diseases: new findings, new questions.

    PubMed

    Tappy, Luc; Lê, Kim A; Tran, Christel; Paquot, Nicolas

    2010-01-01

    There has been much concern regarding the role of dietary fructose in the development of metabolic diseases. This concern arises from the continuous increase in fructose (and total added caloric sweeteners consumption) in recent decades, and from the increased use of high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) as a sweetener. A large body of evidence shows that a high-fructose diet leads to the development of obesity, diabetes, and dyslipidemia in rodents. In humans, fructose has long been known to increase plasma triglyceride concentrations. In addition, when ingested in large amounts as part of a hypercaloric diet, it can cause hepatic insulin resistance, increased total and visceral fat mass, and accumulation of ectopic fat in the liver and skeletal muscle. These early effects may be instrumental in causing, in the long run, the development of the metabolic syndrome. There is however only limited evidence that fructose per se, when consumed in moderate amounts, has deleterious effects. Several effects of a high-fructose diet in humans can be observed with high-fat or high-glucose diets as well, suggesting that an excess caloric intake may be the main factor involved in the development of the metabolic syndrome. The major source of fructose in our diet is with sweetened beverages (and with other products in which caloric sweeteners have been added). The progressive replacement of sucrose by HFCS is however unlikely to be directly involved in the epidemy of metabolic disease, because HFCS appears to have basically the same metabolic effects as sucrose. Consumption of sweetened beverages is however clearly associated with excess calorie intake, and an increased risk of diabetes and cardiovascular diseases through an increase in body weight. This has led to the recommendation to limit the daily intake of sugar calories. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Influence of Gap Distance on Vacuum Arc Characteristics of Cup Type AMF Electrode in Vacuum Interrupters

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cheng, Shaoyong; Xiu, Shixin; Wang, Jimei; Shen, Zhengchao

    2006-11-01

    The greenhouse effect of SF6 is a great concern today. The development of high voltage vacuum circuit breakers becomes more important. The vacuum circuit breaker has minimum pollution to the environment. The vacuum interrupter is the key part of a vacuum circuit breaker. The interrupting characteristics in vacuum and arc-controlling technique are the main problems to be solved for a longer gap distance in developing high voltage vacuum interrupters. To understand the vacuum arc characteristics and provide effective technique to control vacuum arc in a long gap distance, the arc mode transition of a cup-type axial magnetic field electrode is observed by a high-speed charge coupled device (CCD) video camera under different gap distances while the arc voltage and arc current are recorded. The controlling ability of the axial magnetic field on vacuum arc obviously decreases when the gap distance is longer than 40 mm. The noise components and mean value of the arc voltage significantly increase. The effective method for controlling the vacuum arc characteristics is provided by long gap distances based on the test results. The test results can be used as a reference to develop high voltage and large capacity vacuum interrupters.

  11. Laser heat puncturing as highly effective method of post-tuberculous cystalgia treatment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Koultchavenia, Ekaterina V.; Krasnov, Vladimir A.

    1999-09-01

    The tuberculosis of an urine bladder in men develops less often, and recovery is authentic more often, than in women. In 39.1% of the female patients with nephrotuberculosis, a specific cystitis is finished in postturberculous cystalgia. One of starting mechanisms of disuria after urocystis tuberculosis in the women in menopause is hormonal insufficiency. The method of laserheatpuncturing, developed by us, for the treatment this complication is highly effective, does not require additional introduction of medicines, can be executed as in hospitals, and in out-patient.

  12. Professional Development in Technology at High Achieving Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ryan, Kevin D.

    2017-01-01

    This study analyzed educators' perception of professional development offered through schools in the area of technology implementation and tried to define its perceived effectiveness in meeting the professional development conceptual framework defined by Gardner, Baker, Vogt, and Hodel in "Four Approaches to Professional Development".…

  13. Redefining Professional Development. Newsletter

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Center for Comprehensive School Reform and Improvement, 2006

    2006-01-01

    The research on effective professional development is consistent across many studies. Researchers Willis Hawley and Linda Valli (Westchester Institute for Human Services Research, n.d.), in their synthesis of the professional development literature, find that high-quality teacher development is as follows: (1) Informed by research on teaching and…

  14. Classroom Effects of an Early Childhood Educator Professional Development Partnership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Algozzine, Bob; Babb, Julie; Algozzine, Kate; Mraz, Maryann; Kissel, Brian; Spano, Sedra; Foxworth, Kimberly

    2011-01-01

    We evaluated an Early Childhood Educator Professional Development (ECEPD) project that provided high-quality, sustained, and intensive professional development designed to support developmentally appropriate instruction for preschool-age children based on the best available research on early childhood pedagogy, child development, and preschool…

  15. Growth and development of larval green frogs (Rana clamitans) exposed to multiple doses of an insecticide

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Boone, M.D.; Bridges, C.M.; Rothermel, B.B.

    2001-01-01

    Our objective was to determine how green frogs (Rana clamitans) are affected by multiple exposures to a sublethal level of the carbamate insecticide, carbaryl, in outdoor ponds. Tadpoles were added to 1,000-1 ponds at a low or high density which were exposed to carbaryl 0, 1, 2, or 3 times. Length of the larval period, mass, developmental stage, tadpole survival, and proportion metamorphosed were used to determine treatment effects. The frequency of dosing affected the proportion of green frogs that reached metamorphosis and the developmental stage of tadpoles. Generally, exposure to carbaryl increased rates of metamorphosis and development. The effect of the frequency of carbaryl exposure on development varied with the density treatment; the majority of metamorphs and the most developed tadpoles came from high-density ponds exposed to carbaryl 3 times. This interaction suggests that exposure to carbaryl later in the larval period stimulated metamorphosis, directly or indirectly, under high-density conditions. Our study indicates that exposure to a contaminant can lead to early initiation of metamorphosis and that natural biotic factors can mediate the effects of a contaminant in the environment.

  16. The protective effects of good parenting on adolescents.

    PubMed

    DeVore, Elise R; Ginsburg, Kenneth R

    2005-08-01

    To explore recent developments in the literature regarding parenting practices and adolescent development, with a focus on parenting style, parental monitoring, communication, and supervision. There have been significant recent advances in the study of the relationship between parenting and adolescent development. Several recent intervention studies with a parenting component demonstrated immediate and long-term protective effects on adolescent risk behavior. Parent-child connectedness and authoritative parenting style are protective for teens. Parental monitoring has a protective effect on many adolescent risk behaviors in both middle-class populations and poor urban environments and has been shown both to moderate the effect of peer influence and to persist into late adolescence. Whereas unsupervised time, exposure to sexual possibility situations, and out-of-home care increase sexual behavior, improved parent-child communication reduces sexual risk behaviors. Recent scholarship demonstrates the significant, enduring, and protective influence of positive parenting practices on adolescent development. In particular, parental monitoring, open parent-child communication, supervision, and high quality of the parent-child relationship deter involvement in high-risk behavior. Authoritative parenting generally leads to the best outcomes for teens. Clinicians should find opportunities to discuss evidence-based parenting practices with families. Future research should focus on the development and long-term evaluation of effective parenting interventions.

  17. Nanocomposite of polyaniline nanorods grown on graphene nanoribbons for highly capacitive pseudocapacitors.

    PubMed

    Li, Lei; Raji, Abdul-Rahman O; Fei, Huilong; Yang, Yang; Samuel, Errol L G; Tour, James M

    2013-07-24

    A facile and cost-effective approach to the fabrication of a nanocomposite material of polyaniline (PANI) and graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) has been developed. The morphology of the composite was characterized by scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, X-ray photoelectron microscopy, and X-ray diffraction analysis. The resulting composite has a high specific capacitance of 340 F/g and stable cycling performance with 90% capacitance retention over 4200 cycles. The high performance of the composite results from the synergistic combination of electrically conductive GNRs and highly capacitive PANI. The method developed here is practical for large-scale development of pseudocapacitor electrodes for energy storage.

  18. POMC and NPY mRNA expression during development is increased in rat offspring brain from mothers fed with a high fat diet.

    PubMed

    Klein, Marianne Orlandini; MacKay, Harry; Edwards, Alexander; Park, Su-Bin; Kiss, Ana Carolina Inhasz; Felicio, Luciano Freitas; Abizaid, Alfonso

    2018-02-01

    Developmental programing is influenced by perinatal nutrition and it has long-lasting impacts on adult metabolism in the offspring. In particular, maternal high fat diet has been associated with increased risk of obesity and metabolic disorders during adulthood in the descendants. These effects may be due to the effects of the high fat diet on the development of the systems that regulate food intake and energy balance in the offspring hypothalamus. The arcuate nucleus (ARC) may be a particularly sensitive region to it as this nucleus contains the POMC and AgRP/NPY neurons that integrate the melanocortin system. Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate the effects of maternal high fat diet during pregnancy on the transcription factors that regulate hypothalamic development in the offspring as a potential mechanism that may result in altered neuronal expression of POMC, NPY and/or AgRP. To this end, pregnant females exposed to high fat diet (60% fat diet since day 0 of pregnancy) or standard rat chow were sacrificed on days 12, 14, 16 and 18 of gestation to obtain brains from their developing fetuses and examine the mRNA expression of transcription factors associated with the development of cells in the ARC. Results show that, while no changes in transcription factor expression between groups were observed, POMC and NPY mRNA expression were higher on embryonic day 18 in the high fat group. These results suggest that POMC and NPY expression are altered by in utero exposure to a high fat diet, but these changes in gene expression are not associated with changes in the expression of transcription factors known to determine the fate of ARC cells. Copyright © 2017 ISDN. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Embedded Weapons-Grade Tungsten Alloy Shrapnel Rapidly Induces Metastatic High-Grade Rhabdomyosarcomas in F344 Rats

    PubMed Central

    Kalinich, John F.; Emond, Christy A.; Dalton, Thomas K.; Mog, Steven R.; Coleman, Gary D.; Kordell, Jessica E.; Miller, Alexandra C.; McClain, David E.

    2005-01-01

    Continuing concern regarding the potential health and environmental effects of depleted uranium and lead has resulted in many countries adding tungsten alloy (WA)-based munitions to their battlefield arsenals as replacements for these metals. Because the alloys used in many munitions are relatively recent additions to the list of militarily relevant metals, very little is known about the health effects of these metals after internalization as embedded shrapnel. Previous work in this laboratory developed a rodent model system that mimicked shrapnel loads seen in wounded personnel from the 1991 Persian Gulf War. In the present study, we used that system and male F344 rats, implanted intramuscularly with pellets (1 mm × 2 mm cylinders) of weapons-grade WA, to simulate shrapnel wounds. Rats were implanted with 4 (low dose) or 20 pellets (high dose) of WA. Tantalum (20 pellets) and nickel (20 pellets) served as negative and positive controls, respectively. The high-dose WA-implanted rats (n = 46) developed extremely aggressive tumors surrounding the pellets within 4–5 months after implantation. The low-dose WA-implanted rats (n = 46) and nickel-implanted rats (n = 36) also developed tumors surrounding the pellets but at a slower rate. Rats implanted with tantalum (n = 46), an inert control metal, did not develop tumors. Tumor yield was 100% in both the low- and high-dose WA groups. The tumors, characterized as high-grade pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcomas by histopathology and immunohistochemical examination, rapidly metastasized to the lung and necessitated euthanasia of the animal. Significant hematologic changes, indicative of polycythemia, were also observed in the high-dose WA-implanted rats. These changes were apparent as early as 1 month postimplantation in the high-dose WA rats, well before any overt signs of tumor development. These results point out the need for further studies investigating the health effects of tungsten and tungsten-based alloys. PMID:15929896

  20. Cost-effectiveness model for hepatitis C screening and treatment: Implications for Egypt and other countries with high prevalence

    PubMed Central

    Kim, David D.; Hutton, David W.; Raouf, Ahmed A.; Salama, Mohsen; Hablas, Ahmed; Seifeldin, Ibrahim A.; Soliman, Amr S.

    2014-01-01

    Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) infection is a major cause of cirrhosis and liver cancer, and many developing countries report intermediate-to-high prevalence. However, the economic impact of screening and treatment for HCV in high prevalence countries has not been well studied. Thus, we examined the cost-effectiveness of screening and treatment for HCV infection for asymptomatic, average-risk adults using a Markov decision analytic model. In our model, we collected age-specific prevalence, disease progression rates for Egyptians, and local cost estimates in Egypt, which has the highest prevalence of HCV infection (~15%) in the world. We estimated the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) and conducted sensitivity analyses to determine how cost-effective HCV screening and treatment might be in other developing countries with high and intermediate prevalence. In Egypt, implementing a screening program using triple-therapy treatment (sofosbuvir with pegylated interferon and ribavirin) was dominant compared to no screening because it would have lower total costs and improve health outcomes. HCV screening and treatment would also be cost-effective in global settings with intermediate costs of drug treatment (~$8,000) and a higher sustained viral response rate (70–80%). PMID:25469976

  1. Preventing adolescent drug use: long-term results of a junior high program.

    PubMed Central

    Ellickson, P L; Bell, R M; McGuigan, K

    1993-01-01

    OBJECTIVES. Although several studies have reported short-term gains for drug-use prevention programs targeted at young adolescents, few have assessed the long-term effects of such programs. Such information is essential for judging how long prevention benefits last. This paper reports results over a 6-year period for a multisite randomized trial that achieved reductions in drug use during the junior high school years. METHODS. The 11-lesson curriculum, which was tested in 30 schools in eight highly diverse West Coast communities, focused on helping 7th and 8th grade students develop the motivation and skills to resist drugs. Schools were randomly assigned to treatment and control conditions. About 4000 students were assessed in grade 7 and six times thereafter through grade 12. Program effects were adjusted for pretest covariates and school effects. RESULTS. Once the lessons stopped, the program's effects on drug use stopped. Effects on cognitive risk factors persisted for a longer time (many through grade 10), but were not sufficient to produce corresponding reductions in use. CONCLUSIONS. It is unlikely that early prevention gains can be maintained without additional prevention efforts during high school. Future research is needed to develop and test such efforts. PMID:8498624

  2. Ceramic Matrix Composites: High Temperature Effects. (Latest Citations from the Aerospace Database)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1997-01-01

    The bibliography contains citations concerning the development and testing of ceramic matrix composites for high temperature use. Tests examining effects of the high temperatures on bond strength, thermal degradation, oxidation, thermal stress, thermal fatigue, and thermal expansion properties are referenced. Applications of the composites include space structures, gas turbine and engine components, control surfaces for spacecraft and transatmospheric vehicles, heat shields, and heat exchangers.

  3. The effectiveness of student team-achievement division (STAD) for teaching high school chemistry in the United Arab Emirates

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Balfakih, Nagib M. A.

    2003-05-01

    Education in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) faces major problems which may hinder its future development. These include low achievement in science and a negative attitude toward science subjects, which have resulted in a high number of student dropouts from the science track in high school. It is believed among UAE educators that the main reason is the way science that has been taught in its schools. A solution to this problem depends on finding effective teaching methods, which maintain student achievement, improve students' attitude and provide opportunities to develop essential scientific skills. The effectiveness of Student Team-Achievement Division (STAD) for teaching science to high school classes in the UAE was investigated. The sample was selected randomly. A representative group of UAE high school students was chosen from the northern province, which includes urban areas, and from the eastern province, which includes rural areas. The study involved sixteen tenth grade classes. During the second semester of the academic year 1998/1999, three units in the chemistry curriculum were covered. This study was designed to investigate the effectiveness of STAD in teaching high school chemistry in the UAE and to find out which groups, gender, area, and ability benefitted most.

  4. Elements of Effective E-Learning Design

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Andrew R.; Voltz, Bradley D.

    2005-01-01

    Preparing and developing e-learning materials is a costly and time consuming enterprise. This paper highlights the elements of effective design that we consider assist in the development of high quality materials in a cost efficient way. We introduce six elements of design and discuss each in some detail. These elements focus on paying attention…

  5. Measuring the Quality of Early Childhood Programs--Guidelines for Effective Evaluation Tools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Epstein, Ann S.

    2000-01-01

    Summarizes what High/Scope discovered to be the critical characteristics of a comprehensive and valid measure of early childhood program quality. Provides suggestions for how the tool can be used, and highlights with examples. Asserts that the guidelines effectively assess efforts of child development, staff development, and soundness of…

  6. Effects of American Ginseng on Preimplantation Development and Pregnancy in Mice.

    PubMed

    Belanger, Danyka; Calder, Michele D; Gianetto-Berruti, Alessandra; Lui, Edmund M; Watson, Andrew J; Feyles, Valter

    2016-01-01

    In North America, a high proportion of pregnant women use herbal medications including North American ginseng. This medicinal plant contains high amounts of triterpene saponins (ginsenosides), which are the main bioactive compounds. It is important to assess ginseng's impact on all reproductive functions to ensure the safety of pregnant women and fetuses. In this study, we defined the concentration-responsive effects of North American alcoholic and aqueous ginseng extracts on preimplantation development in vitro and on pregnancy and post-partum development in the mouse. Two-cell mouse embryos were cultured with 5 different concentrations of whole ginseng root extracts, or ginsenosides Rb1, Rg1 and Re alone, a combinatorial ginsenoside solution and a crude polysaccharide fraction solution. Embryonic development and recovery from each treatment was assessed. To investigate the in vivo effects of ginseng extracts, female mice were gavaged with 50[Formula: see text]mg/kg/day, 500[Formula: see text]mg/kg/day or 2000[Formula: see text]mg/kg/day of either extract (treatment) or water (sham) for 2 weeks prior to mating and throughout gestation. Gestation period, litter size, pup growth and pup sex ratio were evaluated. Oral ginseng consumption did not significantly affect fertility or pregnancy in the mouse. High doses of ginseng (2000[Formula: see text]mg/kg/day) decreased maternal weight gain. Direct treatment of preimplantation embryos in vitro demonstrated that ALC and AQ extract treatment reduced development in a concentration responsive manner, while only ALC extract effects were largely reversible. Treatments with individual or combinatorial ginsenosides, or the polysaccharide fraction solution alone did not impair preimplantation development, in vitro. In conclusion, maternal oral consumption of ginseng has little negative impact on pregnancy in the mouse, however, direct exposure to ginseng extract during mouse preimplantation development in vitro is detrimental.

  7. Overview of CMC (Ceramic Matrix Composite) Research at the NASA Glenn Research Center

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kiser, J. Douglas; Grady, Joseph E.; Bhatt, Ramakrishna T.; Wiesner, Valerie L.; Zhu, Dongming

    2016-01-01

    In support of NASAs Aeronautics Research Mission, the Glenn Research Center has developed and assessed various constituents for a high temperature (2700F) SiCSiC CMC system for turbine engine applications. Combinations of highly creep-resistant SiC fibers, advanced 3D weaves, durable environmental barrier coatings (EBCs), and a 2700F-capable hybrid SiC matrix are being developed evaluated. The resulting improvements in CMC mechanical properties and durability will be summarized. The development and validation of models for predicting the effects of the environment on the durability of CMCs and EBCs and other operating-environment challenges including the effect of CMAS (calcium magnesium aluminosilicate) degradation of EBCs will be discussed. Progress toward the development of CMC joining technology for 2400F joint applications will also be reviewed.

  8. The Positive and Negative Effects of Science Concept Tests on Student Conceptual Understanding

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chang, Chun-Yen; Yeh, Ting-Kuang; Barufaldi, James P.

    2010-01-01

    This study explored the phenomenon of testing effect during science concept assessments, including the mechanism behind it and its impact upon a learner's conceptual understanding. The participants consisted of 208 high school students, in either the 11th or 12th grade. Three types of tests (traditional multiple-choice test, correct concept test, and incorrect concept test) related to the greenhouse effect and global warming were developed to explore the mechanisms underlining the test effect. Interview data analyzed by means of the flow-map method were used to examine the two-week post-test consequences of taking one of these three tests. The results indicated: (1) Traditional tests can affect participants' long-term memory, both positively and negatively; in addition, when students ponder repeatedly and think harder about highly distracting choices during a test, they may gradually develop new conceptions; (2) Students develop more correct conceptions when more true descriptions are provided on the tests; on the other hand, students develop more misconceptions while completing tests in which more false descriptions of choices are provided. Finally, the results of this study revealed a noteworthy phenomenon that tests, if employed appropriately, may be also an effective instrument for assisting students' conceptual understanding.

  9. High performance polymer development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hergenrother, Paul M.

    1991-01-01

    The term high performance as applied to polymers is generally associated with polymers that operate at high temperatures. High performance is used to describe polymers that perform at temperatures of 177 C or higher. In addition to temperature, other factors obviously influence the performance of polymers such as thermal cycling, stress level, and environmental effects. Some recent developments at NASA Langley in polyimides, poly(arylene ethers), and acetylenic terminated materials are discussed. The high performance/high temperature polymers discussed are representative of the type of work underway at NASA Langley Research Center. Further improvement in these materials as well as the development of new polymers will provide technology to help meet NASA future needs in high performance/high temperature applications. In addition, because of the combination of properties offered by many of these polymers, they should find use in many other applications.

  10. The Influence of Self-Efficacy on Reading Achievement of General Educational Development (GED) and High School Graduates Enrolled in Developmental Reading Skills Courses in an Urban Community College System

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barnes, Martha J.

    2010-01-01

    This study was undertaken to investigate the effects of self-efficacy on the performance of General Educational Development (GED) and high school graduates enrolled in developmental reading skills courses. The sample for the study consisted of 100 high school and 31 GED graduates enrolled in developmental reading courses in a midwestern community…

  11. Connecting High-Impact Practices, Scholarly and Creative Teaching, and Faculty Development: An Interview with Dr. Aaron Thompson

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Morin, Courtnie; Stanley, Candace

    2017-01-01

    Building upon Kuh's (2008) research on high-impact educational practices, the authors interviewed Dr. Aaron Thompson to discuss effective implementation of these teaching and learning initiatives and the advancement of faculty development programming to support them. Dr. Thompson is the Interim President of Kentucky State University and Council on…

  12. Timing of High-Quality Child Care and Cognitive, Language, and Preacademic Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Li, Weilin; Farkas, George; Duncan, Greg J.; Burchinal, Margaret R.; Vandell, Deborah Lowe

    2013-01-01

    The effects of high- versus low-quality child care during 2 developmental periods (infant-toddlerhood and preschool) were examined using data from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Study of Early Child Care. Propensity score matching was used to account for differences in families who used different combinations of child…

  13. Radiation and temperature effects on electronic components investigated under the CSTI high capacity power project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Schwarze, Gene E.; Niedra, Janis M.; Frasca, Albert J.; Wieserman, William R.

    1993-01-01

    The effects of nuclear radiation and high temperature environments must be fully known and understood for the electronic components and materials used in both the Power Conditioning and Control subsystem and the reactor Instrumentation and Control subsystem of future high capacity nuclear space power systems. This knowledge is required by the designer of these subsystems in order to develop highly reliable, long-life power systems for future NASA missions. A review and summary of the experimental results obtained for the electronic components and materials investigated under the power management element of the Civilian Space Technology Initiative (CSTI) high capacity power project are presented: (1) neutron, gamma ray, and temperature effects on power semiconductor switches, (2) temperature and frequency effects on soft magnetic materials; and (3) temperature effects on rare earth permanent magnets.

  14. Analysis of the Threat of Genetically Modified Organisms for Biological Warfare

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-05-01

    biological weapons of unimagined which pose an existential threat. Some believe that, inevitably, these advances will lead to a catastrophic...d. Personnel and Costs Assertions to the effect that a high school graduate can develop an effective biological weapon are arguably... biologic - weapons development.35“   Is this really true and, if so, how far is the barrier to biological weapons development being lowered? Being able to

  15. Effects of dieldrin treatment on physiological and biochemical aspects of the toad embryonic development

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

    Gauna, L.; Caballero de Castro, A.; Chifflet de Llamas, M.

    1991-04-01

    Dieldrin is a cylclodiene insecticide highly persistent in nature due to its chemical stability. The exposure of toad embryos to Dieldrin induces hyperactivity in the swimming larvae and inhibition of cholinesterases. However, the inhibition of these enzymes during early development is not life threatening. The present report provides a physiological and biochemical study of the noxious effect of Dieldrin on the toad embryonic development.

  16. [Psychosocial interventions for high-risk family members with mental health problems--concepts and results].

    PubMed

    Stiawa, Maja; Kilian, Reinhold; Becker, Thomas

    2014-09-01

    Systematic review of psychosocial interventions for high-risk family members with mental health problems in highly developed industrialized countries. Systematic search in electronic databases as well as manual search for intervention studies. Interventions were effective in significantly reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety and strengthening social skills. Backing in situations of distress, as well as elements of selective primary and secondary psychosocial prevention, has temporary effectiveness among high-risk group members. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  17. Altitudinal divergence in maternal thermoregulatory behaviour may be driven by differences in selection on offspring survival in a viviparous lizard.

    PubMed

    Uller, Tobias; While, Geoffrey M; Cadby, Chloe D; Harts, Anna; O'Connor, Katherine; Pen, Ido; Wapstra, Erik

    2011-08-01

    Plastic responses to temperature during embryonic development are common in ectotherms, but their evolutionary relevance is poorly understood. Using a combination of field and laboratory approaches, we demonstrate altitudinal divergence in the strength of effects of maternal thermal opportunity on offspring birth date and body mass in a live-bearing lizard (Niveoscincus ocellatus). Poor thermal opportunity decreased birth weight at low altitudes where selection on body mass was negligible. In contrast, there was no effect of maternal thermal opportunity on body mass at high altitudes where natural selection favored heavy offspring. The weaker effect of poor maternal thermal opportunity on offspring development at high altitude was accompanied by a more active thermoregulation and higher body temperature in highland females. This may suggest that passive effects of temperature on embryonic development have resulted in evolution of adaptive behavioral compensation for poor thermal opportunity at high altitudes, but that direct effects of maternal thermal environment are maintained at low altitudes because they are not selected against. More generally, we suggest that phenotypic effects of maternal thermal opportunity or incubation temperature in reptiles will most commonly reflect weak selection for canalization or selection on maternal strategies rather than adaptive plasticity to match postnatal environments. © 2011 The Author(s). Evolution© 2011 The Society for the Study of Evolution.

  18. National Aerospace Plane Engine Seals: High Temperature Seal Performance Evaluation

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Steinetz, Bruce M.

    1991-01-01

    The key to the successful development of the single stage to orbit National Aerospace Plane (NASP) is the successful development of combined cycle ramjet/scramjet engines that can propel the vehicle to 17,000 mph to reach low Earth orbit. To achieve engine performance over this speed range, movable engine panels are used to tailor engine flow that require low leakage, high temperature seals around their perimeter. NASA-Lewis is developing a family of new high temperature seals to form effective barriers against leakage of extremely hot (greater than 2000 F), high pressure (up to 100 psi) flow path gases containing hydrogen and oxygen. Preventing backside leakage of these explosive gas mixtures is paramount in preventing the potential loss of the engine or the entire vehicle. Seal technology development accomplishments are described in the three main areas of concept development, test, and evaluation and analytical development.

  19. Development of High-Pressure Structural and Cellular Biophysics at Miami University

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Urayama, Paul

    2004-04-01

    Pressures found in the biosphere (up to 1200 atm) have large effects on enzyme specificity and activity, molecular associations, protein folding, viral infectivity, and cellular morphology. The importance of pressure in pharmaceuticals, medical, and biomaterials sciences is beginning to be appreciated. Enzyme reactions under high pressure or in supercritical fluids may be promising in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals. High pressure processing of biopolymer networks may be important in producing matrices for biomaterials applications. In medicine, herpes, immunodeficiency viruses, and certain prion proteins are inactivated by pressure, which may be useful in the ex vivo treatment of blood. Even physiologically generated pressures, such as during colon peristalsis, have biological effects, for example, on the adhesion properties of epithelial cells in colon cancer. This presentation describes a new high-pressure structural and cellular biophysics laboratory under development at Miami University. Applications of specific methods, including high-pressure time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy; high-pressure fluorescence microscopy; and high-pressure x-ray macromolecular crystallography will be discussed.

  20. Predictive Modeling of High-Power Electromagnetic Effects on Electronics (Postprint)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-09-01

    electromagnetic ( HPEM ) pulses at sufficiently high field levels can cause physical damage to electronics. This effect can be explained in terms of the...is caused, an HPEM pulse can still cause data corruption resulting in the system locking up or rebooting itself, an effect we will refer to...language to exercise various functional areas and hence various physical regions of the microcontroller, with the aim of developing fundamental

  1. Environmental Assessment for the Aeromedical Evacuation Formal Training Unit, Wright-Patterson Air Force Base

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-05-01

    adverse health effects (HHS 2010). However, propylene glycol requires oxygen for breakdown, which can deplete surface waters of dissolved oxygen ...and the Human Effectiveness Directorate (RH), plus supporting functions. Facility 20840 contains a high-bay area that houses two C-130 training...aircrew training program that develops and maintains a high state of mission readiness for immediate and effective deployments across the range of

  2. 2003 NASA Seal/Secondary Air System Workshop. Volume 1

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Steinetz, Bruce M. (Editor); Hendricks, Robert C. (Editor)

    2004-01-01

    The following reports were included in the 2003 NASA Seal/Secondary Air System Workshop:Low Emissions Alternative Power (LEAP); Overview of NASA Glenn Seal Developments; NASA Ultra Efficient Engine Technology Project Overview; Development of Higher Temperature Abradable Seals for Industrial Gas Turbines; High Misalignment Carbon Seals for the Fan Drive Gear System Technologies; Compliant Foil Seal Investigations; Test Rig for Evaluating Active Turbine Blade Tip Clearance Control Concepts; Controls Considerations for Turbine Active Clearance Control; Non-Contacting Finger Seal Developments and Design Considerations; Effect of Flow-Induced Radial Load on Brush Seal/Rotor Contact Mechanics; Seal Developments at Flowserve Corporation; Investigations of High Pressure Acoustic Waves in Resonators With Seal-Like Features; Numerical Investigations of High Pressure Acoustic Waves in Resonators; Feltmetal Seal Material Through-Flow; "Bimodal" Nuclear Thermal Rocket (BNTR) Propulsion for Future Human Mars Exploration Missions; High Temperature Propulsion System Structural Seals for Future Space Launch Vehicles; Advanced Control Surface Seal Development for Future Space Vehicles; High Temperature Metallic Seal Development for Aero Propulsion and Gas Turbine Applications; and BrazeFoil Honeycomb.

  3. Beneficial effect of feeding a ketogenic diet to mothers on brain development in their progeny with a murine model of pyruvate dehydrogenase complex deficiency.

    PubMed

    Pliss, Lioudmila; Jatania, Urvi; Patel, Mulchand S

    2016-06-01

    Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) deficiency is a major inborn error of oxidative metabolism of pyruvate in the mitochondria causing congenital lactic acidosis and primarily structural and functional abnormalities of the central nervous system. To provide an alternate source of acetyl-CoA derived from ketone bodies to the developing brain, a formula high in fat content is widely employed as a treatment. In the present study we investigated efficacy of a high-fat diet given to mothers during pregnancy and lactation on lessening of the impact of PDC deficiency on brain development in PDC-deficient female progeny. A murine model of systemic PDC deficiency by interrupting the X-linked Pdha1 gene was employed in this study. Maternal consumption of a high-fat diet during pregnancy and lactation had no effect on number of live-birth, body growth, tissue PDC activity levels, as well as the in vitro rates of glucose oxidation and fatty acid biosynthesis by the developing brain of PDC-deficient female offspring during the postnatal age 35 days, as compared to the PDC-deficient progeny born to dams on a chow diet. Interestingly, brain weight was normalized in PDC-deficient progeny of high fat-fed mothers with improvement in impairment in brain structure deficit whereas brain weight was significantly decreased and was associated with greater cerebral structural defects in progeny of chow-fed mothers as compared to control progeny of mothers fed either a chow or high fat diet. The findings provide for the first time experimental support for beneficial effects of a ketogenic diet during the prenatal and early postnatal periods on the brain development of PDC-deficient mammalian progeny.

  4. Agoraphobia: an outreach treatment programme.

    PubMed

    Croft, Alison; Hackmann, Ann

    2013-05-01

    Agoraphobia is disabling and clients find it hard to access effective treatment. This paper describes the development of an inexpensive service, delivered by trained volunteers in or near the client's own home. We describe the development of the service, including selection, training and supervision. Outcomes were evaluated over 5 years, and compared with those available from the local psychology service. Effect sizes on all measures were high. Benchmarking indicated that results on comparable measures were not significantly different from the local psychology service. As in many previous studies drop-out rate was fairly high. This model worked well, and was inexpensive and effective. Further research on long term outcome and methods of enhancing engagement is needed.

  5. Challenges of assessment and treatment of ultra high risk for psychosis in an adolescent.

    PubMed

    Boričević Maršanić, Vlatka; Jukić, Josipa; Flander, Mia

    2018-06-01

    The onset of psychosis is typically preceded by a prodromal phase that is characterised by the emergence of "attenuated" psychotic symptoms. This phase is described as ultra-high risk (UHR) or at-risk mental state (ARMS) of psychosis. Criteria have been established for identifying these young people who are at clinical high risk. People at ultra-high risk (UHR) of psychosis have about 30% chance of developing the illness within two years. This category was introduced with the goal of developing treatments for prevention of psychotic disorders. Recent research suggests that early interventions appear to be effective in delaying and even preventing the onset of psychosis. These treatments include antipsychotic medication, nutritional supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids and psychological treatment. Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been tested as a potentially effective intervention in this group. Here we describe a case of a male adolescent with UHR psychotic symptoms with focus on challenges of assessing the UHR in adolescents and issues of providing effective age appropriate interventions.

  6. Analysis on LID for highly urbanized areas' waterlogging control: demonstrated on the example of Caohejing in Shanghai.

    PubMed

    Liao, Z L; He, Y; Huang, F; Wang, S; Li, H Z

    2013-01-01

    Although a commonly applied measure across the United States and Europe for alleviating the negative impacts of urbanization on the hydrological cycle, low impact development (LID) has not been widely used in highly urbanized areas, especially in rapidly urbanizing cities in developing countries like China. In this paper, given five LID practices including Bio-Retention, Infiltration Trench, Porous Pavement, Rain Barrels, and Green Swale, an analysis on LID for highly urbanized areas' waterlogging control is demonstrated using the example of Caohejing in Shanghai, China. Design storm events and storm water management models are employed to simulate the total waterlogging volume reduction, peak flow rate reduction and runoff coefficient reduction of different scenarios. Cost-effectiveness is calculated for the five practices. The aftermath shows that LID practices can have significant effects on storm water management in a highly urbanized area, and the comparative results reveal that Rain Barrels and Infiltration Trench are the two most suitable cost-effective measures for the study area.

  7. Cost effectiveness analysis of strategies for maternal and neonatal health in developing countries.

    PubMed

    Adam, Taghreed; Lim, Stephen S; Mehta, Sumi; Bhutta, Zulfiqar A; Fogstad, Helga; Mathai, Matthews; Zupan, Jelka; Darmstadt, Gary L

    2005-11-12

    To determine the costs and benefits of interventions for maternal and newborn health to assess the appropriateness of current strategies and guide future plans to attain the millennium development goals. Cost effectiveness analysis. Two regions classified by the World Health Organization according to their epidemiological grouping: Afr-E, those countries in sub-Saharan Africa with very high adult and high child mortality, and Sear-D, comprising countries in South East Asia with high adult and high child mortality. Effectiveness data from several sources, including trials, observational studies, and expert opinion. For resource inputs, quantities came from WHO guidelines, literature, and expert opinion, and prices from the WHO choosing interventions that are cost effective database. Cost per disability adjusted life year (DALY) averted in year 2000 international dollars. The most cost effective mix of interventions was similar in Afr-E and Sear-D. These were the community based newborn care package, followed by antenatal care (tetanus toxoid, screening for pre-eclampsia, screening and treatment of asymptomatic bacteriuria and syphilis); skilled attendance at birth, offering first level maternal and neonatal care around childbirth; and emergency obstetric and neonatal care around and after birth. Screening and treatment of maternal syphilis, community based management of neonatal pneumonia, and steroids given during the antenatal period were relatively less cost effective in Sear-D. Scaling up all of the included interventions to 95% coverage would halve neonatal and maternal deaths. Preventive interventions at the community level for newborn babies and at the primary care level for mothers and newborn babies are extremely cost effective, but the millennium development goals for maternal and child health will not be achieved without universal access to clinical services as well.

  8. Probabilistic material strength degradation model for Inconel 718 components subjected to high temperature, high-cycle and low-cycle mechanical fatigue, creep and thermal fatigue effects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bast, Callie C.; Boyce, Lola

    1995-01-01

    This report presents the results of both the fifth and sixth year effort of a research program conducted for NASA-LeRC by The University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA). The research included on-going development of methodology for a probabilistic material strength degradation model. The probabilistic model, in the form of a postulated randomized multifactor equation, provides for quantification of uncertainty in the lifetime material strength of aerospace propulsion system components subjected to a number of diverse random effects. This model is embodied in the computer program entitled PROMISS, which can include up to eighteen different effects. Presently, the model includes five effects that typically reduce lifetime strength: high temperature, high-cycle mechanical fatigue, low-cycle mechanical fatigue, creep and thermal fatigue. Statistical analysis was conducted on experimental Inconel 718 data obtained from the open literature. This analysis provided regression parameters for use as the model's empirical material constants, thus calibrating the model specifically for Inconel 718. Model calibration was carried out for five variables, namely, high temperature, high-cycle and low-cycle mechanical fatigue, creep and thermal fatigue. Methodology to estimate standard deviations of these material constants for input into the probabilistic material strength model was developed. Using an updated version of PROMISS, entitled PROMISS93, a sensitivity study for the combined effects of high-cycle mechanical fatigue, creep and thermal fatigue was performed. Then using the current version of PROMISS, entitled PROMISS94, a second sensitivity study including the effect of low-cycle mechanical fatigue, as well as, the three previous effects was performed. Results, in the form of cumulative distribution functions, illustrated the sensitivity of lifetime strength to any current value of an effect. In addition, verification studies comparing a combination of high-cycle mechanical fatigue and high temperature effects by model to the combination by experiment were conducted. Thus, for Inconel 718, the basic model assumption of independence between effects was evaluated. Results from this limited verification study strongly supported this assumption.

  9. Why and How Teachers Transform Their Instruction

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Light, Barbara J.

    In his 2011 book The highly qualified teacher: What is teacher quality and how do we measure it? Strong argues that as a profession, education has struggled to measure teacher quality and therefore cannot provide a proven system to consistently develop high-quality teachers. In order to move toward an operational definition of teacher quality, Kennedy, in her 2008 journal article entitled "Contributions of qualitative research to research on teacher qualifications" suggests that the causal mechanisms of the development of teachers who are identified as high-quality teachers must be researched, documented, and then used in teacher preparation and development. Instructional ability is a key component of teacher effectiveness. This case study examines instructional transformations made by four teachers to explore why and how teachers make transformations in their teaching. The overarching conclusion of the study is the importance of student-centeredness as a component of teacher effectiveness.

  10. Early childhood development: impact of national human development, family poverty, parenting practices and access to early childhood education.

    PubMed

    Tran, T D; Luchters, S; Fisher, J

    2017-05-01

    This study was to describe and quantify the relationships among family poverty, parents' caregiving practices, access to education and the development of children living in low- and middle-income countries (LAMIC). We conducted a secondary analysis of data collected in UNICEF's Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS). Early childhood development was assessed in four domains: language-cognitive, physical, socio-emotional and approaches to learning. Countries were classified into three groups on the basis of the Human Development Index (HDI). Overall, data from 97 731 children aged 36 to 59 months from 35 LAMIC were included in the after analyses. The mean child development scale score was 4.93 out of a maximum score of 10 (95%CI 4.90 to 4.97) in low-HDI countries and 7.08 (95%CI 7.05 to 7.12) in high-HDI countries. Family poverty was associated with lower child development scores in all countries. The total indirect effect of family poverty on child development score via attending early childhood education, care for the child at home and use of harsh punishments at home was -0.13 SD (77.8% of the total effect) in low-HDI countries, -0.09 SD (23.8% of the total effect) in medium-HDI countries and -0.02 SD (6.9% of the total effect) in high-HDI countries. Children in the most disadvantaged position in their societies and children living in low-HDI countries are at the greatest risk of failing to reach their developmental potential. Optimizing care for child development at home is essential to reduce the adverse effects of poverty on children's early development and subsequent life. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  11. Probabilistic Material Strength Degradation Model for Inconel 718 Components Subjected to High Temperature, High-Cycle and Low-Cycle Mechanical Fatigue, Creep and Thermal Fatigue Effects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bast, Callie C.; Boyce, Lola

    1995-01-01

    The development of methodology for a probabilistic material strength degradation is described. The probabilistic model, in the form of a postulated randomized multifactor equation, provides for quantification of uncertainty in the lifetime material strength of aerospace propulsion system components subjected to a number of diverse random effects. This model is embodied in the computer program entitled PROMISS, which can include up to eighteen different effects. Presently, the model includes five effects that typically reduce lifetime strength: high temperature, high-cycle mechanical fatigue, low-cycle mechanical fatigue, creep and thermal fatigue. Results, in the form of cumulative distribution functions, illustrated the sensitivity of lifetime strength to any current value of an effect. In addition, verification studies comparing predictions of high-cycle mechanical fatigue and high temperature effects with experiments are presented. Results from this limited verification study strongly supported that material degradation can be represented by randomized multifactor interaction models.

  12. [Effect of concreteness of target words on verbal working memory: an evaluation using Japanese version of reading span test].

    PubMed

    Kondo, H; Osaka, N

    2000-04-01

    Effects of concreteness and representation mode (kanji/hiragana) of target words on working memory during reading was tested using Japanese version of reading span test (RST), developed by Osaka and Osaka (1994). Concreteness and familiarity of target words and difficulty of sentences were carefully controlled. The words with high concreteness resulted in significantly higher RST scores, which suggests the high efficiency of working memory in processing these words. The results suggest that high concrete noun-words associated with visual clues consume less working memory capacity during reading. The effect of representation mode is different between subjects with high-RST and low-RST scores. Characteristic of the high concrete words that may be responsible for the effectiveness of processing are discussed.

  13. Meta-tools for software development and knowledge acquisition

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Eriksson, Henrik; Musen, Mark A.

    1992-01-01

    The effectiveness of tools that provide support for software development is highly dependent on the match between the tools and their task. Knowledge-acquisition (KA) tools constitute a class of development tools targeted at knowledge-based systems. Generally, KA tools that are custom-tailored for particular application domains are more effective than are general KA tools that cover a large class of domains. The high cost of custom-tailoring KA tools manually has encouraged researchers to develop meta-tools for KA tools. Current research issues in meta-tools for knowledge acquisition are the specification styles, or meta-views, for target KA tools used, and the relationships between the specification entered in the meta-tool and other specifications for the target program under development. We examine different types of meta-views and meta-tools. Our current project is to provide meta-tools that produce KA tools from multiple specification sources--for instance, from a task analysis of the target application.

  14. Sex Variations in Youth Anxiety Symptoms: Effects of Pubertal Development and Gender Role Orientation

    PubMed Central

    Carter, Rona; Silverman, Wendy K.; Jaccard, James

    2011-01-01

    This study evaluated whether pubertal development and gender role orientation (i.e., masculinity and femininity) can partially explain sex variations in youth anxiety symptoms among clinic referred anxious youth (N = 175; ages 9-13 years; 74% Hispanic; 48% female). Using youth and parent ratings of youth anxiety symptoms, structural equation modeling results indicated that youth who reported being more advanced in their pubertal development reported high levels of femininity and anxiety symptoms. Youth who reported high levels of masculinity had low levels of anxiety symptoms as reported by both youths and parents. The estimated effects of pubertal development, femininity, and masculinity on youth and parent ratings of youth anxiety symptoms were not significantly moderated by biological sex. Pubertal development and gender role orientation appear to be important in explaining levels of youth anxiety symptoms among clinic referred anxious youth. PMID:21916691

  15. Sex variations in youth anxiety symptoms: effects of pubertal development and gender role orientation.

    PubMed

    Carter, Rona; Silverman, Wendy K; Jaccard, James

    2011-01-01

    This study evaluated whether pubertal development and gender role orientation (i.e., masculinity and femininity) can partially explain sex variations in youth anxiety symptoms among clinic-referred anxious youth (N = 175; ages 9-13 years; 74% Hispanic; 48% female). Using youth and parent ratings of youth anxiety symptoms, structural equation modeling results indicated that youth who reported being more advanced in their pubertal development reported high levels of femininity and anxiety symptoms. Youth who reported high levels of masculinity had low levels of anxiety symptoms as reported by both youths and parents. The estimated effects of pubertal development, femininity, and masculinity on youth and parent ratings of youth anxiety symptoms were not significantly moderated by biological sex. Pubertal development and gender role orientation appear to be important in explaining levels of youth anxiety symptoms among clinic-referred anxious youth.

  16. Shaping Professional Development to Promote the Diffusion of Instructional Expertise among Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sun, Min; Penuel, William R.; Frank, Kenneth A.; Gallagher, H. Alix; Youngs, Peter

    2013-01-01

    This study examines how high-quality professional development can promote the diffusion of effective teaching strategies among teachers through collaboration. Drawing on longitudinal and sociometric data from a study of writing professional development in 39 schools, this study shows that teachers' participation in professional development is…

  17. Teachers' Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Professional Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sanders, Deborah

    2014-01-01

    Professional development is a recognized approach to improving the quality of instruction in schools. The goal of professional development is to increase teachers' knowledge and improve their practices, which lead to enhanced student learning. The problem with providing staff development is the high cost incurred by presenters' fees, and…

  18. Methodology for determining the investment attractiveness of construction of high-rise buildings

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nezhnikova, Ekaterina; Kashirin, Valentin; Davydova, Yana; Kazakova, Svetlana

    2018-03-01

    The article presents the analysis of the existing methods for assessing the investment attractiveness of high-rise construction. The authors determined and justified the primary choice of objects and territories that are the most attractive for the development of high-rise construction. A system of risk indicators has been developed that allow making a quantitative adjustment for a particular project in the evaluation of the efficiency of investment projects. The study is aimed at developing basic methodological concepts for a comparative evaluation of the prospects of construction of high-rise facilities that allow to take into consideration the features of investment in construction and to enable quantitative evaluation of the investment effectiveness in high-rise construction.

  19. Safety of High Speed Guided Ground Transportation Systems - An Overview of Biological Effects and Mechanisms Relevant to EMF Exposures from Mass Transit and Electric Rail Systems

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1993-08-01

    The U.S. has implemented a national initiative to develop maglev (magnetic levitation) and other high-speed rail (HSR) : systems. There are concerns for potential adverse health effects of the Extremely Lou Frequency (3-3,000 Hz) electric : and magne...

  20. Effectiveness of a Pregnancy Smoking Intervention: The Tennessee Intervention for Pregnant Smokers Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bailey, Beth A.

    2015-01-01

    Despite the known dangers of pregnancy smoking, rates remain high, especially in the rural, Southern United States. Interventions are effective, but few have been developed and tested in regions with high rates of pregnancy smoking, a culture that normalizes smoking, and a hard-to-reach prenatal population. The goals were to describe a smoking…

  1. Increased Risk of Respiratory Mortality Associated with the High-Tech Manufacturing Industry: A 26-Year Study

    PubMed Central

    Lin, Ro-Ting; Christiani, David C.; Kawachi, Ichiro; Chan, Ta-Chien; Chiang, Po-Huang; Chan, Chang-Chuan

    2016-01-01

    Global high-tech manufacturers are mainly located in newly industrialized countries, raising concerns about adverse health consequences from industrial pollution for people living nearby. We investigated the ecological association between respiratory mortality and the development of Taiwan’s high-tech manufacturing, taking into account industrialization and socioeconomic development, for 19 cities and counties—6 in the science park group and 13 in the control group—from 1982 to 2007. We applied a linear mixed-effects model to analyze how science park development over time is associated with age-adjusted and sex-specific mortality rates for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Asthma and female COPD mortality rates decreased in both groups, but they decreased 9%–16% slower in the science park group. Male COPD mortality rates increased in both groups, but the rate increased 10% faster in the science park group. Science park development over time was a significant predictor of death from asthma (p ≤ 0.0001) and COPD (p = 0.0212). The long-term development of clustered high-tech manufacturing may negatively affect nearby populations, constraining health advantages that were anticipated, given overall progress in living standards, knowledge, and health services. National governments should incorporate the long-term health effects on local populations into environmental impact assessments. PMID:27271647

  2. Increased Risk of Respiratory Mortality Associated with the High-Tech Manufacturing Industry: A 26-Year Study.

    PubMed

    Lin, Ro-Ting; Christiani, David C; Kawachi, Ichiro; Chan, Ta-Chien; Chiang, Po-Huang; Chan, Chang-Chuan

    2016-06-03

    Global high-tech manufacturers are mainly located in newly industrialized countries, raising concerns about adverse health consequences from industrial pollution for people living nearby. We investigated the ecological association between respiratory mortality and the development of Taiwan's high-tech manufacturing, taking into account industrialization and socioeconomic development, for 19 cities and counties-6 in the science park group and 13 in the control group-from 1982 to 2007. We applied a linear mixed-effects model to analyze how science park development over time is associated with age-adjusted and sex-specific mortality rates for asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Asthma and female COPD mortality rates decreased in both groups, but they decreased 9%-16% slower in the science park group. Male COPD mortality rates increased in both groups, but the rate increased 10% faster in the science park group. Science park development over time was a significant predictor of death from asthma (p ≤ 0.0001) and COPD (p = 0.0212). The long-term development of clustered high-tech manufacturing may negatively affect nearby populations, constraining health advantages that were anticipated, given overall progress in living standards, knowledge, and health services. National governments should incorporate the long-term health effects on local populations into environmental impact assessments.

  3. Hitting bacteria at the heart of the central dogma: sequence-specific inhibition.

    PubMed

    Rasmussen, Louise Carøe Vohlander; Sperling-Petersen, Hans Uffe; Mortensen, Kim Kusk

    2007-08-10

    An important objective in developing new drugs is the achievement of high specificity to maximize curing effect and minimize side-effects, and high specificity is an integral part of the antisense approach. The antisense techniques have been extensively developed from the application of simple long, regular antisense RNA (asRNA) molecules to highly modified versions conferring resistance to nucleases, stability of hybrid formation and other beneficial characteristics, though still preserving the specificity of the original nucleic acids. These new and improved second- and third-generation antisense molecules have shown promising results. The first antisense drug has been approved and more are in clinical trials. However, these antisense drugs are mainly designed for the treatment of different human cancers and other human diseases. Applying antisense gene silencing and exploiting RNA interference (RNAi) are highly developed approaches in many eukaryotic systems. But in bacteria RNAi is absent, and gene silencing by antisense compounds is not nearly as well developed, despite its great potential and the intriguing possibility of applying antisense molecules in the fight against multiresistant bacteria. Recent breakthrough and current status on the development of antisense gene silencing in bacteria including especially phosphorothioate oligonucleotides (PS-ODNs), peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) and phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMOs) will be presented in this review.

  4. Scalable Light Module for Low-Cost, High-Efficiency Light- Emitting Diode Luminaires

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

    Tarsa, Eric

    2015-08-31

    During this two-year program Cree developed a scalable, modular optical architecture for low-cost, high-efficacy light emitting diode (LED) luminaires. Stated simply, the goal of this architecture was to efficiently and cost-effectively convey light from LEDs (point sources) to broad luminaire surfaces (area sources). By simultaneously developing warm-white LED components and low-cost, scalable optical elements, a high system optical efficiency resulted. To meet program goals, Cree evaluated novel approaches to improve LED component efficacy at high color quality while not sacrificing LED optical efficiency relative to conventional packages. Meanwhile, efficiently coupling light from LEDs into modular optical elements, followed by optimallymore » distributing and extracting this light, were challenges that were addressed via novel optical design coupled with frequent experimental evaluations. Minimizing luminaire bill of materials and assembly costs were two guiding principles for all design work, in the effort to achieve luminaires with significantly lower normalized cost ($/klm) than existing LED fixtures. Chief project accomplishments included the achievement of >150 lm/W warm-white LEDs having primary optics compatible with low-cost modular optical elements. In addition, a prototype Light Module optical efficiency of over 90% was measured, demonstrating the potential of this scalable architecture for ultra-high-efficacy LED luminaires. Since the project ended, Cree has continued to evaluate optical element fabrication and assembly methods in an effort to rapidly transfer this scalable, cost-effective technology to Cree production development groups. The Light Module concept is likely to make a strong contribution to the development of new cost-effective, high-efficacy luminaries, thereby accelerating widespread adoption of energy-saving SSL in the U.S.« less

  5. Effective screening programmes for cervical cancer in low- and middle-income developing countries.

    PubMed

    Sankaranarayanan, R; Budukh, A M; Rajkumar, R

    2001-01-01

    Cervical cancer is an important public health problem among adult women in developing countries in South and Central America, sub-Saharan Africa, and south and south-east Asia. Frequently repeated cytology screening programmes--either organized or opportunistic--have led to a large decline in cervical cancer incidence and mortality in developed countries. In contrast, cervical cancer remains largely uncontrolled in high-risk developing countries because of ineffective or no screening. This article briefly reviews the experience from existing screening and research initiatives in developing countries. Substantial costs are involved in providing the infrastructure, manpower, consumables, follow-up and surveillance for both organized and opportunistic screening programmes for cervical cancer. Owing to their limited health care resources, developing countries cannot afford the models of frequently repeated screening of women over a wide age range that are used in developed countries. Many low-income developing countries, including most in sub-Saharan Africa, have neither the resources nor the capacity for their health services to organize and sustain any kind of screening programme. Middle-income developing countries, which currently provide inefficient screening, should reorganize their programmes in the light of experiences from other countries and lessons from their past failures. Middle-income countries intending to organize a new screening programme should start first in a limited geographical area, before considering any expansion. It is also more realistic and effective to target the screening on high-risk women once or twice in their lifetime using a highly sensitive test, with an emphasis on high coverage (>80%) of the targeted population. Efforts to organize an effective screening programme in these developing countries will have to find adequate financial resources, develop the infrastructure, train the needed manpower, and elaborate surveillance mechanisms for screening, investigating, treating, and following up the targeted women. The findings from the large body of research on various screening approaches carried out in developing countries and from the available managerial guidelines should be taken into account when reorganizing existing programmes and when considering new screening initiatives.

  6. Effective screening programmes for cervical cancer in low- and middle-income developing countries.

    PubMed Central

    Sankaranarayanan, R.; Budukh, A. M.; Rajkumar, R.

    2001-01-01

    Cervical cancer is an important public health problem among adult women in developing countries in South and Central America, sub-Saharan Africa, and south and south-east Asia. Frequently repeated cytology screening programmes--either organized or opportunistic--have led to a large decline in cervical cancer incidence and mortality in developed countries. In contrast, cervical cancer remains largely uncontrolled in high-risk developing countries because of ineffective or no screening. This article briefly reviews the experience from existing screening and research initiatives in developing countries. Substantial costs are involved in providing the infrastructure, manpower, consumables, follow-up and surveillance for both organized and opportunistic screening programmes for cervical cancer. Owing to their limited health care resources, developing countries cannot afford the models of frequently repeated screening of women over a wide age range that are used in developed countries. Many low-income developing countries, including most in sub-Saharan Africa, have neither the resources nor the capacity for their health services to organize and sustain any kind of screening programme. Middle-income developing countries, which currently provide inefficient screening, should reorganize their programmes in the light of experiences from other countries and lessons from their past failures. Middle-income countries intending to organize a new screening programme should start first in a limited geographical area, before considering any expansion. It is also more realistic and effective to target the screening on high-risk women once or twice in their lifetime using a highly sensitive test, with an emphasis on high coverage (>80%) of the targeted population. Efforts to organize an effective screening programme in these developing countries will have to find adequate financial resources, develop the infrastructure, train the needed manpower, and elaborate surveillance mechanisms for screening, investigating, treating, and following up the targeted women. The findings from the large body of research on various screening approaches carried out in developing countries and from the available managerial guidelines should be taken into account when reorganizing existing programmes and when considering new screening initiatives. PMID:11693978

  7. Cost effective technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miller, S. C.

    1989-09-01

    With relation to advanced technology for gas turbines, the overall process of product definition and development, concentrating particularly on the integration of activities between engineering design and manufacturing, is surveyed. The development of new philosophies in each of these spheres of activity is concluded to be cost effective technology and to make a highly significant contribution to the competitiveness and profitability of the industry.

  8. WWC Quick Review of the Article "Effects of Social Development Intervention in Childhood 15 Years Later"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    What Works Clearinghouse, 2009

    2009-01-01

    The selected study examined the long-term effects of the "Seattle Social Development Project (SSDP)," an elementary-school-based intervention designed to improve students' social skills and engagement. The study analyzed data on about 600 young adults who had been students in 15 public elementary schools serving high-crime areas in…

  9. Development of an invitro technique to use mouse embryonic stem cell in evaluating effects of xenobiotics

    EPA Science Inventory

    Our goal has been to develop a high-throughput, in vitro technique for evaluating the effects of xenobiotics using mouse embryonic stem cells (mESCs). We began with the Embryonic Stem Cell Test (EST), which is used to predict the embryotoxic potential of a test compound by combin...

  10. Development of high efficiency solar cells on silicon web

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rohatgi, A.; Meier, D. L.; Campbell, R. B.; Schmidt, D. N.; Rai-Choudhury, P.

    1984-01-01

    Web base material is being improved with a goal toward obtaining solar cell efficiencies in excess of 18% (AM1). Carrier loss mechanisms in web silicon was investigated, techniques were developed to reduce carrier recombination in the web, and web cells were fabricated using effective surface passivation. The effect of stress on web cell performance was also investigated.

  11. The Role of Educational Quality and Quantity in the Process of Economic Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Castello-Climent, Amparo; Hidalgo-Cabrillana, Ana

    2012-01-01

    We develop a theory of human capital investment to study the effects of school quality on student choices of education, and to understand its effect on economic growth. In a dynamic general equilibrium closed economy, primary education is mandatory but there is an opportunity to continue to secondary education and beyond. High-quality education…

  12. Propulsion integration for military aircraft

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Henderson, William P.

    1989-01-01

    The transonic aerodynamic characteristics for high-performance aircraft are significantly affected by shock-induced flow interactions as well as other local flow interference effects which usually occur at transonic speeds. These adverse interactions can not only cause high drag, but can cause unusual aerodynamic loadings and/or severe stability and control problems. Many new programs are underway to develop methods for reducing the adverse effects, as well as to develop an understanding of the basic flow conditions which are the primary contributors. It is anticipated that these new programs will result in technologies which can reduce the aircraft cruise drag through improved integration as well as increased aircraft maneuverability throughh the application of thrust vectoring. This paper will identify some of the primary propulsion integration problems for high performance aircraft at transonic speeds, and demonstrate several methods for reducing or eliminating the undesirable characteristics, while enhancing configuration effectiveness.

  13. Identification and design principles of low hole effective mass p-type transparent conducting oxides

    PubMed Central

    Hautier, Geoffroy; Miglio, Anna; Ceder, Gerbrand; Rignanese, Gian-Marco; Gonze, Xavier

    2013-01-01

    The development of high-performance transparent conducting oxides is critical to many technologies from transparent electronics to solar cells. Whereas n-type transparent conducting oxides are present in many devices, their p-type counterparts are not largely commercialized, as they exhibit much lower carrier mobilities due to the large hole effective masses of most oxides. Here we conduct a high-throughput computational search on thousands of binary and ternary oxides and identify several highly promising compounds displaying exceptionally low hole effective masses (up to an order of magnitude lower than state-of-the-art p-type transparent conducting oxides), as well as wide band gaps. In addition to the discovery of specific compounds, the chemical rationalization of our findings opens new directions, beyond current Cu-based chemistries, for the design and development of future p-type transparent conducting oxides. PMID:23939205

  14. [Development of Autogenic Training Clinical Effectiveness Scale (ATCES)].

    PubMed

    Ikezuki, Makoto; Miyauchi, Yuko; Yamaguchi, Hajime; Koshikawa, Fusako

    2002-02-01

    The purpose of the present study was to develop a scale measuring clinical effectiveness of autogenic training. In Study 1, 167 undergraduates completed a survey of items concerning physical and mental states, which were thought to vary in the course of autogenic training. With item and factor analyses, 20 items were selected, and the resulting scale (ATCES) had high discrimination and clear factor structure. In Study 2, reliability and concurrent and clinical validity of the scale were examined with three groups of respondents: 85 mentally healthy, 31 control, 13 clinical persons. The scale showed a high test-retest correlation (r = .83) and alpha coefficient (alpha = .86). ATCES had a Pearson correlation coefficient of r = .56 with General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12), and r = .73 with trait anxiety (STAI-T). And ATCES successfully discriminated the mentally healthy and clinical groups in terms of clinical effectiveness. These results demonstrated high reliability and sufficient concurrent and clinical validity of the new scale.

  15. HIGH-POWER TURBODRILL AND DRILL BIT FOR DRILLING WITH COILED TUBING

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

    Robert Radtke; David Glowka; Man Mohan Rai

    2008-03-31

    Commercial introduction of Microhole Technology to the gas and oil drilling industry requires an effective downhole drive mechanism which operates efficiently at relatively high RPM and low bit weight for delivering efficient power to the special high RPM drill bit for ensuring both high penetration rate and long bit life. This project entails developing and testing a more efficient 2-7/8 in. diameter Turbodrill and a novel 4-1/8 in. diameter drill bit for drilling with coiled tubing. The high-power Turbodrill were developed to deliver efficient power, and the more durable drill bit employed high-temperature cutters that can more effectively drill hardmore » and abrasive rock. This project teams Schlumberger Smith Neyrfor and Smith Bits, and NASA AMES Research Center with Technology International, Inc (TII), to deliver a downhole, hydraulically-driven power unit, matched with a custom drill bit designed to drill 4-1/8 in. boreholes with a purpose-built coiled tubing rig. The U.S. Department of Energy National Energy Technology Laboratory has funded Technology International Inc. Houston, Texas to develop a higher power Turbodrill and drill bit for use in drilling with a coiled tubing unit. This project entails developing and testing an effective downhole drive mechanism and a novel drill bit for drilling 'microholes' with coiled tubing. The new higher power Turbodrill is shorter, delivers power more efficiently, operates at relatively high revolutions per minute, and requires low weight on bit. The more durable thermally stable diamond drill bit employs high-temperature TSP (thermally stable) diamond cutters that can more effectively drill hard and abrasive rock. Expectations are that widespread adoption of microhole technology could spawn a wave of 'infill development' drilling of wells spaced between existing wells, which could tap potentially billions of barrels of bypassed oil at shallow depths in mature producing areas. At the same time, microhole coiled tube drilling offers the opportunity to dramatically cut producers' exploration risk to a level comparable to that of drilling development wells. Together, such efforts hold great promise for economically recovering a sizeable portion of the estimated remaining shallow (less than 5,000 feet subsurface) oil resource in the United States. The DOE estimates this U.S. targeted shallow resource at 218 billion barrels. Furthermore, the smaller 'footprint' of the lightweight rigs utilized for microhole drilling and the accompanying reduced drilling waste disposal volumes offer the bonus of added environmental benefits. DOE analysis shows that microhole technology has the potential to cut exploratory drilling costs by at least a third and to slash development drilling costs in half.« less

  16. Does the Neuroimmune Modulator Ibudilast Alter Food Craving? Results in a Sample With Alcohol Use Disorder.

    PubMed

    Cummings, Jenna R; Tomiyama, A Janet; Ray, Lara A

    2018-05-21

    Ibudilast (IBUD) is a neuroimmune modulator that inhibits phosphodiesterase-4 and -10 and macrophage migration inhibitory factor. A randomized, placebo-control, crossover human laboratory trial advanced IBUD development for alcohol use disorder and found that IBUD reduced tonic levels of alcohol craving. Given the importance of considering medication effects on other appetitive behavior, the present study tested the effect of IBUD (50 mg bid) on food craving. The present study was a secondary data analysis of the trial of IBUD in non-treatment seekers with alcohol use disorder (N = 19). High-fat/high-sugar food craving was measured daily. Moreover, because substantial literatures show that small alcohol doses and psychological stress increase eating of high-fat/high-sugar food, craving for high-fat/high-sugar food was measured after alcohol infusion and stress reactivity. Results indicated that IBUD did not alter tonic high-fat/high-sugar food craving. Alcohol infusion did not generally increase high-fat/high-sugar food craving but psychological stress did. Likewise, IBUD did not affect high-fat/high-sugar food craving after alcohol infusion but IBUD did increase high-fat/high-sugar food craving after psychological stress. Follow-up analyses revealed that, among individuals with lower depressive symptomatology, IBUD compared to placebo heightened the effect of psychological stress on high-fat/high-sugar food craving. These results advance the development of IBUD for addiction indications by demonstrating that IBUD compared to placebo does not suppress other appetitive responses, namely craving for high-fat/high-sugar food among individuals with alcohol use disorder.

  17. Cross-correlation photothermal optical coherence tomography with high effective resolution.

    PubMed

    Tang, Peijun; Liu, Shaojie; Chen, Junbo; Yuan, Zhiling; Xie, Bingkai; Zhou, Jianhua; Tang, Zhilie

    2017-12-01

    We developed a cross-correlation photothermal optical coherence tomography (CC-PTOCT) system for photothermal imaging with high lateral and axial resolution. The CC-PTOCT system consists of a phase-sensitive OCT system, a modulated pumping laser, and a digital cross-correlator. The pumping laser was used to induce the photothermal effect in the sample, causing a slight phase modulation of the OCT signals. A spatial phase differentiation method was employed to reduce phase accumulation. The noise brought by the phase differentiation method and the strong background noise were suppressed efficiently by the cross-correlator, which was utilized to extract the photothermal signals from the modulated signals. Combining the cross-correlation technique with spatial phase differentiation can improve both lateral and axial resolution of the PTOCT imaging system. Clear photothermal images of blood capillaries of a mouse ear in vivo were successfully obtained with high lateral and axial resolution. The experimental results demonstrated that this system can enhance the effective transverse resolution, effective depth resolution, and contrast of the PTOCT image effectively, aiding the ongoing development of the accurate 3D functional imaging.

  18. Effective communication skills in nursing practice.

    PubMed

    Bramhall, Elaine

    2014-12-09

    This article highlights the importance of effective communication skills for nurses. It focuses on core communication skills, their definitions and the positive outcomes that result when applied to practice. Effective communication is central to the provision of compassionate, high-quality nursing care. The article aims to refresh and develop existing knowledge and understanding of effective communication skills. Nurses reading this article will be encouraged to develop a more conscious style of communicating with patients and carers, with the aim of improving health outcomes and patient satisfaction.

  19. Systematic Approach to the Development, Evolution, and Effectiveness of Integrated Product Development Teams (IPDTs)

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

    Margie Jeffs; R. Douglas Hamelin

    Integrated Product Development Teams (IPDT) are a key component of any systems engineering (SE) application, but since they are formed primarily from technical considerations, many IPDTs are far less productive than they otherwise could be. By recognizing specific personality types and skill sets, a random group of 'technical' individuals can be structured to become a highly effective team capable of delivering much more than the sum of its members.

  20. Effects of export concentration on CO2 emissions in developed countries: an empirical analysis.

    PubMed

    Apergis, Nicholas; Can, Muhlis; Gozgor, Giray; Lau, Chi Keung Marco

    2018-03-08

    This paper provides the evidence on the short- and the long-run effects of the export product concentration on the level of CO 2 emissions in 19 developed (high-income) economies, spanning the period 1962-2010. To this end, the paper makes use of the nonlinear panel unit root and cointegration tests with multiple endogenous structural breaks. It also considers the mean group estimations, the autoregressive distributed lag model, and the panel quantile regression estimations. The findings illustrate that the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis is valid in the panel dataset of 19 developed economies. In addition, it documents that a higher level of the product concentration of exports leads to lower CO 2 emissions. The results from the panel quantile regressions also indicate that the effect of the export product concentration upon the per capita CO 2 emissions is relatively high at the higher quantiles.

  1. Development of Streptococcus agalactiae vaccines for tilapia.

    PubMed

    Liu, Guangjin; Zhu, Jielian; Chen, Kangming; Gao, Tingting; Yao, Huochun; Liu, Yongjie; Zhang, Wei; Lu, Chengping

    2016-12-21

    Vaccination is a widely accepted and effective method to prevent most pathogenic diseases in aquaculture. Various species of tilapia, especially Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus, are farmed worldwide because of their high consumer demand. Recently, the tilapia-breeding industry has been hampered by outbreaks of Streptococcus agalactiae infection, which cause high mortality and huge economic losses. Many researchers have attempted to develop effective S. agalactiae vaccines for tilapia. This review provides a summary of the different kinds of S. agalactiae vaccines for tilapia that have been developed recently. Among the various vaccine types, inactivated S. agalactiae vaccines showed superior protection efficiency when compared with live attenuated, recombinant and DNA vaccines. With respect to vaccination method, injecting the vaccine into tilapia provided the most effective immunoprotection. Freund's incomplete adjuvant appeared to be suitable for tilapia vaccines. Other factors, such as immunization duration and number, fish size and challenge dose, also influenced the vaccine efficacy.

  2. Polyphenolic extract from Hibiscus sabdariffa reduces body fat by inhibiting hepatic lipogenesis and preadipocyte adipogenesis.

    PubMed

    Kao, Erl-Shyh; Yang, Mon-Yuan; Hung, Chia-Hung; Huang, Chien-Ning; Wang, Chau-Jong

    2016-01-01

    Diets high in fat lead to excess lipid accumulation in adipose tissue, which is a crucial factor in the development of obesity, hepatitis, and hyperlipidemia. In this study, we investigated the anti-obesity effect of Hibiscus sabdariffa extract (HSE) in vivo. Hamsters fed a high-fat diet (HFD) develop symptoms of obesity, which were determined based on body weight changes and changes in plasma and serum triglycerides, free fatty acid concentrations, total cholesterol levels, LDL-C levels, HDL-C levels, and adipocyte tissue weight. HFD-fed hamsters were used to investigate the effects of HSE on symptoms of obesity such as adipogenesis and fatty liver, loss of blood glucose regulation, and serum ion imbalance. Interestingly, HSE treatment effectively reduced the effects of the HFD in hamsters in a dose-dependent manner. Further, after inducing maturation of preadipocytes, Hibiscus sabdariffa polyphenolic extract (HPE) was shown to suppress the adipogenesis of adipocytes. However, HPE does not affect the viability of preadipocytes. Therefore, both HSE and HPE are effective and viable treatment strategies for preventing the development and treating the symptoms of obesity.

  3. Developing the Principal Technology Leadership Competency Indicators for Technical High Schools in K-12 in Taiwan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shyr, Wen-Jye

    2017-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to develop principal technology leadership competency indicators for technical high schools in K-12 in Taiwan in order to improve the effectiveness of school administration and teaching. In the first part of the study, five experts in the technology leadership field are interviewed to explore the technology leadership…

  4. Factors Influencing the Social, Emotional, and Academic Development of High School College-Prep Students.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Austin, J. Sue; Martin, Nancy K.

    The effects of several variables on social, emotional, and academic development of high school students were evaluated. Variables were: (1) educational level of parents; (2) marital status of parents; (3) number of children in the family; and (4) family stability. Subjects were 52 10th-grade college-preparatory students from a southern public high…

  5. Modelling a Complex System: Using Novice-Expert Analysis for Developing an Effective Technology-Enhanced Learning Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wu, Hsin-Kai

    2010-01-01

    The purposes of this article are to present the design of a technology-enhanced learning environment (Air Pollution Modeling Environment [APoME]) that was informed by a novice-expert analysis and to discuss high school students' development of modelling practices in the learning environment. APoME was designed to help high school students…

  6. High Technology in the High School and Its Effect on Curriculum.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rizzolo, Ralph M.

    The development and implementation of a high-tech laboratory in a small suburban high school in Pequannock Township, New Jersey, demonstrates that the high-tech future is both possible and valuable as it permeates the entire curriculum. In 1984, the vocational studies department shifted its emphasis to prepare students for college as well as for…

  7. High-Content, High-Throughput Screening for the Identification of Cytotoxic Compounds Based on Cell Morphology and Cell Proliferation Markers

    PubMed Central

    Martin, Heather L.; Adams, Matthew; Higgins, Julie; Bond, Jacquelyn; Morrison, Ewan E.; Bell, Sandra M.; Warriner, Stuart; Nelson, Adam; Tomlinson, Darren C.

    2014-01-01

    Toxicity is a major cause of failure in drug discovery and development, and whilst robust toxicological testing occurs, efficiency could be improved if compounds with cytotoxic characteristics were identified during primary compound screening. The use of high-content imaging in primary screening is becoming more widespread, and by utilising phenotypic approaches it should be possible to incorporate cytotoxicity counter-screens into primary screens. Here we present a novel phenotypic assay that can be used as a counter-screen to identify compounds with adverse cellular effects. This assay has been developed using U2OS cells, the PerkinElmer Operetta high-content/high-throughput imaging system and Columbus image analysis software. In Columbus, algorithms were devised to identify changes in nuclear morphology, cell shape and proliferation using DAPI, TOTO-3 and phosphohistone H3 staining, respectively. The algorithms were developed and tested on cells treated with doxorubicin, taxol and nocodazole. The assay was then used to screen a novel, chemical library, rich in natural product-like molecules of over 300 compounds, 13.6% of which were identified as having adverse cellular effects. This assay provides a relatively cheap and rapid approach for identifying compounds with adverse cellular effects during screening assays, potentially reducing compound rejection due to toxicity in subsequent in vitro and in vivo assays. PMID:24505478

  8. Interdigital pair bonding for high frequency (20-50 MHz) ultrasonic composite transducers.

    PubMed

    Liu, R; Harasiewicz, K A; Foster, F S

    2001-01-01

    Interdigital pair bonding is a novel methodology that enables the fabrication of high frequency piezoelectric composites with high volume fractions of the ceramic phase. This enhancement in ceramic volume fraction significantly reduces the dimensional scale of the epoxy phase and increases the related effective physical parameters of the composite, such as dielectric constant and the longitudinal sound velocity, which are major concerns in the development of high frequency piezoelectric composites. In this paper, a method called interdigital pair bonding (IPB) is used to prepare 1-3 piezoelectric composite with a pitch of 40 microns, a kerf of 4 microns, and a ceramic volume fraction of 81%. The composites prepared in this fashion exhibited a very pure thickness-mode resonance up to a frequency of 50 MHz. Unlike the 2-2 piezoelectric composites with the same ceramic and epoxy scales developed earlier, the anticipated lateral modes between 50 to 100 MHz were not observed in the current 1-3 composites. The mechanisms for the elimination of the lateral modes at high frequency are discussed. The effective electromechanical coupling coefficient of the composite was 0.72 at a frequency of 50 MHz. The composites showed a high longitudinal sound velocity of 4300 m/s and a high clamped dielectric constant of 1111 epsilon 0, which will benefit the development of high frequency ultrasonic transducers and especially high frequency transducer arrays for medical imaging.

  9. Measurements from a Compact Cost-Effective Beamline for the THC14 PET Cyclotron

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dehnel, M. P.; Theroux, J.; Christensen, T.; Stewart, T. M.; Roeder, M.; Sirot, P.; Fasse, D.; Brasile, J. P.; Raoult, F.; Buckley, K.

    2009-03-01

    The THC14 PET Cyclotron produced by THALES specifies two compact cost-effective beamlines for high current PET radioisotope production. The design and development of the beamline system was reported previously in NIM B 261 (2007) pp 809-812. This paper describes the successful testing of this compact beamline at the first installation. A series of measurement data are presented starting from low current scintillator image data, higher current beam diagnostic data (baffles, collimators, targets) and finally a simultaneous dual beam run on Faraday Cups. The beamline system has proven to be a flexible and valuable tool for optimizing high current beam intensity distribution on target in a well-instrumented manner. This ability to tailor the beam characteristics for the target is particularly important as high power targets are developed which can handle very high beam currents.

  10. How effective are strategies for non-communicable disease prevention and control in a high risk population in a developing country? Isfahan Healthy Heart Programme

    PubMed Central

    Baghaei, Abdolmehdi; Rabiei, Katayoun; Gharipour, Mojgan; Tavasoli, Ali Akbar; Shirani, Shahin; Bahonar, Ahamad; Davarpanah, Amir Hossein; Ramezani, Mohammad Arash; Kelishadi, Roya

    2010-01-01

    Introduction The Isfahan Healthy Heart Programme (IHHP) is a community-based programme for non-communicable diseases prevention and control using both a population and high risk approach in Iran. This study demonstrated the efficacy of IHHP interventional strategies to improve lifestyle behaviours in a population at risk for developing cardiovascular diseases. Material and methods Healthy Lifestyle for NCDs High Risk Population is one of ten projects of IHHP. High risk individuals were defined as those who have at least one risk factor for developing coronary artery disease (CAD). Changes of behavioural indicators have been compared between two areas with a survey after 5 years of intervention. Results Among high risk individuals in the intervention and reference areas, 77.8% and 82.5% had at least one major risk factor for CAD. The prevalence of major risk factors for CAD (except cigarette smoking) was decreased in both intervention and reference areas during 5 years of intervention and the pattern of diet and physical activity was improved. Conclusions Interventional activities in IHHP targeting the high risk population seem to be effective in improving lifestyle behaviour, increasing awareness and control of risk factors of the high risk population. PMID:22371716

  11. Development of high-efficiency solar cells on silicon web

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rohatgi, A.; Meier, D. L.; Campbell, R. B.; Seidensticker, R. G.; Rai-Choudhury, P.

    1985-01-01

    High-efficiency dendritic cells were discussed. The influence of twin planes and heat treatment on the location and effect of trace impurities was of particular interest. Proper heat treatment often increases efficiency by causing impurities to pile up at twin planes. Oxide passivation had a beneficial effect on efficiency. A very efficient antireflective (AR) coating of zinc selenide and magnesium fluoride was designed and fabricated. An aluminum back-surface reflector was also effective.

  12. Development of Fluidic Guidance for KEW (Kinetic Energy Weapon) Projectiles

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1988-12-30

    commanded to a hit-to-kill on a hostile ICBK booster. A novel application of-the photo-acoustic effect is used for laser detection. An acoustic wave...Hughes High Endo-Atmospheric Interceptor Concept.. 2 3 Conceptual SDI KE projectile ........................ 3 4 Schematic of photo-acoustic effect ...practical, KEWs must be lightweight, able to withstand high "g" forces, and insensitive to nuclear and electro-magnetic effects . Laser command guidance can

  13. Solar Electric Propulsion Technology Development for Electric Propulsion

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mercer, Carolyn R.; Kerslake, Thomas W.; Scheidegger, Robert J.; Woodworth, Andrew A.; Lauenstein, Jean-Marie

    2015-01-01

    NASA is developing technologies to prepare for human exploration missions to Mars. Solar electric propulsion (SEP) systems are expected to enable a new cost effective means to deliver cargo to the Mars surface. Nearer term missions to Mars moons or near-Earth asteroids can be used to both develop and demonstrate the needed technology for these future Mars missions while demonstrating new capabilities in their own right. This presentation discusses recent technology development accomplishments for high power, high voltage solar arrays and power management that enable a new class of SEP missions.

  14. Exploring the Co-development of Reading Fluency and Reading Comprehension: A Twin Study

    PubMed Central

    Little, Callie W.; Hart, Sara A.; Quinn, Jamie M.; Tucker-Drob, Elliot M.; Taylor, Jeanette; Schatschneider, Chris

    2016-01-01

    The present study explores the co-development of two related but separate reading skills, reading fluency and reading comprehension, across grades 1–4. A bivariate biometric dual change score model was applied to longitudinal data collected from 1784 twin pairs between the ages of 6 and 10 years. Grade 1 skills were influenced by highly overlapping genetic and environmental factors. Growth in both skills was influenced by highly overlapping shared environmental factors. Cross-lagged parameters indicated bidirectional effects, with stronger effects from fluency to comprehension change than from comprehension to fluency change. PMID:27859016

  15. Reproductive toxicity in boron exposed workers in Bandirma, Turkey.

    PubMed

    Başaran, Nurşen; Duydu, Yalçin; Bolt, Hermann M

    2012-06-01

    Boric acid and sodium borates have been considered as being "toxic to reproduction and development", following results of animal studies with high doses. However unfavorable effects of boron exposure on reproduction and development have not been proved in epidemiological studies so far. The aim of the present study was to investigate the reproductive toxicity indicators in highly exposed workers employed in a boric acid production plant in Bandırma, Turkey. Two hundred and four workers participated in this study. The mean blood boron concentration of the high exposure group of workers was 223.89 ± 69.49 (152.82-454.02)ng/g. Unfavorable effects of boron exposure on the reproductive toxicity indicators were not observed. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

  16. Effects of high frequency current in welding aluminum alloy 6061

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fish, R. E.

    1968-01-01

    Uncontrolled high frequency current causes cracking in the heat-affected zone of aluminum alloy 6061 weldments during tungsten inert gas ac welding. Cracking developed when an improperly adjusted superimposed high frequency current was agitating the semimolten metal in the areas of grain boundary.

  17. Parallel computing in experimental mechanics and optical measurement: A review (II)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Tianyi; Kemao, Qian

    2018-05-01

    With advantages such as non-destructiveness, high sensitivity and high accuracy, optical techniques have successfully integrated into various important physical quantities in experimental mechanics (EM) and optical measurement (OM). However, in pursuit of higher image resolutions for higher accuracy, the computation burden of optical techniques has become much heavier. Therefore, in recent years, heterogeneous platforms composing of hardware such as CPUs and GPUs, have been widely employed to accelerate these techniques due to their cost-effectiveness, short development cycle, easy portability, and high scalability. In this paper, we analyze various works by first illustrating their different architectures, followed by introducing their various parallel patterns for high speed computation. Next, we review the effects of CPU and GPU parallel computing specifically in EM & OM applications in a broad scope, which include digital image/volume correlation, fringe pattern analysis, tomography, hyperspectral imaging, computer-generated holograms, and integral imaging. In our survey, we have found that high parallelism can always be exploited in such applications for the development of high-performance systems.

  18. Results of a model AIDS prevention program for high school students in the Philippines.

    PubMed

    Aplasca, M R; Siegel, D; Mandel, J S; Santana-Arciaga, R T; Paul, J; Hudes, E S; Monzon, O T; Hearst, N

    1995-07-01

    To describe the sexual practices of high school students; to describe the process of development of a school-based AIDS prevention program; and to evaluate the effect of this program on students' AIDS-related knowledge, attitudes and AIDS-preventive behaviors. A cluster-randomized, controlled trial with pretest/post-test evaluation was conducted in four demographically similar public high schools in a semi-urban district of Metro Manila, the Philippines. Of 845 high school students who participated in the baseline survey, 804 (95%) completed a postintervention questionnaire. An AIDS prevention program was developed by public high school teachers together with local AIDS experts, social scientists and health educators. The teacher-led AIDS program was designed to provide students with accurate information about AIDS, particularly in dispelling misconceptions about casual contagion, to foster positive attitudes towards people with AIDS and to develop skills aimed at clarifying values and assessing intended behavior. At baseline, 11% of students (20% of males and 4% of females) reported ever having had sexual intercourse (mean age 14 years). Among these, condom use was low (24%). After implementation of the AIDS prevention program, statistically significant effects favoring the intervention group were observed in knowledge and attitudes towards people with AIDS. While there was no statistically significant overall effect on intended preventive behavior, the program appeared to delay the students' intended onset of sexual activity. A sizable number of Filipino high school students are sexually active but condom use is low. School-based AIDS prevention programs can be developed and implemented in developing countries with the assistance of school personnel to address sexual issues. Our program was successful in increasing AIDS-related knowledge and improving attitudes towards people with AIDS. Supplementation with other preventive activities may be needed to achieve lasting changes in students' risk-taking behavior.

  19. Information without Implementation: A Practical Example for Developing a Best Practice Education Control Group.

    PubMed

    Balderson, Benjamin H; McCurry, Susan M; Vitiello, Michael V; Shortreed, Susan M; Rybarczyk, Bruce D; Keefe, Francis J; Korff, Michael Von

    2016-01-01

    This article considers methodology for developing an education-only control group and proposes a simple approach to designing rigorous and well-accepted control groups. This approach is demonstrated in a large randomized trial. The Lifestyles trial (n = 367) compared three group interventions: (a) cognitive-behavioral treatment (CBT) for osteoarthritis pain, (b) CBT for osteoarthritis pain and insomnia, and (c) education-only control (EOC). EOC emulated the interventions excluding hypothesized treatment components and controlling for nonspecific treatment effects. Results showed this approach resulted in a control group that was highly credible and acceptable to patients. This approach can be an effective and practical guide for developing high-quality control groups in trials of behavioral interventions.

  20. Simulation Model Development for Icing Effects Flight Training

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Barnhart, Billy P.; Dickes, Edward G.; Gingras, David R.; Ratvasky, Thomas P.

    2003-01-01

    A high-fidelity simulation model for icing effects flight training was developed from wind tunnel data for the DeHavilland DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft. First, a flight model of the un-iced airplane was developed and then modifications were generated to model the icing conditions. The models were validated against data records from the NASA Twin Otter Icing Research flight test program with only minimal refinements being required. The goals of this program were to demonstrate the effectiveness of such a simulator for training pilots to recognize and recover from icing situations and to establish a process for modeling icing effects to be used for future training devices.

  1. Contracting for intensive care services.

    PubMed

    Dorman, S

    1996-01-01

    Purchasers will increasingly expect clinical services in the NHS internal market to provide objective measures of their benefits and cost effectiveness in order to maintain or develop current funding levels. There is limited scientific evidence to demonstrate the clinical effectiveness of intensive care services in terms of mortality/morbidity. Intensive care is a high-cost service and studies of cost-effectiveness need to take account of case-mix variations, differences in admission and discharge policies, and other differences between units. Decisions over development or rationalisation of intensive care services should be based on proper outcome studies of well defined patient groups. The purchasing function itself requires development in order to support effective contracting.

  2. DEVELOPMENT OF ULTRATRACE LASER SPECTROMETRY TECHNIQUES FOR MEASUREMENTS OF ARSENIC

    EPA Science Inventory


    Development of Arsenic Speciation Techniques Based on High Performance Liquid Chromatography and Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry

    J.B. Simeonsson, H.D. Beach and D.J. Thomas
    US EPA, Office of Research and Development, National Health and Environmental Effects Resear...

  3. Character Development in Adolescents.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kessler, Glenn R.; And Others

    1986-01-01

    Explored the effects of a program consisting of communication and counseling skills, assertiveness training and moral dilemmas on the character development of high school students. The results demonstrated that the character development of the students in the experimental treatment group was affected significantly over time by the program.…

  4. The effect of minimal concentration of ethylene glycol (EG) combined with polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) on mouse oocyte survival and subsequent embryonic development following vitrification.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yao; Okitsu, Osamu; Zhao, Xiao-Ming; Sun, Yun; Di, Wen; Chian, Ri-Cheng

    2014-01-01

    Vitrification techniques employ a relatively high concentration of cryoprotectant in vitrification solutions. Exposure of oocytes to high concentrations of cryoprotectant is known to damage the oocytes via both cytotoxic and osmotic effects. Therefore, the key to successful vitrification of oocytes is to strike a balance between the usage of minimal concentration of cryoprotectant without compromising their cryoprotective actions. The minimal concentration of ethylene glycol (EG) on mouse oocyte survival and subsequent embryonic development was evaluated following vitrification-warming and parthenogenetic activation. Polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) combined with EG on mouse oocyte survival and subsequent embryonic development as well as morphology of the spindle and chromosome alignment were also evaluated. Vitrification system was adapted with JY Straw and the cooling rate was approximately 442-500 °C/min. In contrast, the warming rate was approximately 2,210-2,652 °C/min. Survival rate of oocytes increased significantly when 15 % EG was combined with 2 % PVP in vitrification solution (VS). The effect of combination of EG and PVP was not significant when the concentration of EG was 20 % and higher. Although there were no significant differences in embryonic development, the percentage of abnormal spindle and chromosome alignment was significantly higher in the oocytes without 2 % PVP in VS. Our data provide a proof of principle for oocyte vitrification that may not require a high concentration of cryoprotectant. There are synergic effects of EG combined with PVP for oocyte vitrification, which may provide important information to the field in developing less cytotoxic VS.

  5. Development of an omni-directional shear horizontal mode magnetostrictive patch transducer

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liu, Zenghua; Hu, Yanan; Xie, Muwen; Fan, Junwei; He, Cunfu; Wu, Bin

    2018-04-01

    The fundamental shear horizontal wave, SH0 mode, has great potential in defect detection and on-line monitoring with large scale and high efficiency in plate-like structures because of its non-dispersive characteristics. Aiming at consistently exciting single SH0 mode in plate-like structures, an omni-directional shear horizontal mode magnetostrictive patch transducer (OSHM-MPT) is developed on the basis of magnetostrictive effect. It consists of four fan-shaped array elements and corresponding plane solenoid array (PSA) coils, four fan-shaped permanent magnets and a circular nickel patch. The experimental results verify that the developed transducer can effectively produce the single SH0 mode in an aluminum plate. The frequency response characteristics of this developed transducer are tested. The results demonstrate that the proposed OSHM-MPT has a center frequency of 300kHz related to the distance between adjacent arc-shaped steps of the PSA coils. Furthermore, omni-directivity of this developed transducer is tested. The results demonstrate that the developed transducer has a high omnidirectional consistency.

  6. Is CO2 emission a side effect of financial development? An empirical analysis for China.

    PubMed

    Hao, Yu; Zhang, Zong-Yong; Liao, Hua; Wei, Yi-Ming; Wang, Shuo

    2016-10-01

    Based on panel data for 29 Chinese provinces from 1995 to 2012, this paper explores the relationship between financial development and environmental quality in China. A comprehensive framework is utilized to estimate both the direct and indirect effects of financial development on CO 2 emissions in China using a carefully designed two-stage regression model. The first-difference and orthogonal-deviation Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) methods are used to control for potential endogeneity and introduce dynamics. To ensure the robustness of the estimations, two indicators measuring financial development-financial depth and financial efficiency-are used. The empirical results indicate that the direct effects of financial depth and financial efficiency on environmental quality are positive and negative, respectively. The indirect effects of both indicators are U shaped and dominate the shape of the total effects. These findings suggest that the influences of the financial development on environment depend on the level of economic development. At the early stage of economic growth, financial development is environmentally friendly. When the economy is highly developed, a higher level of financial development is harmful to the environmental quality.

  7. Incubation temperature impacts nestling growth and survival in an open-cup nesting passerine.

    PubMed

    Ospina, Emilie A; Merrill, Loren; Benson, Thomas J

    2018-03-01

    For oviparous species such as birds, conditions experienced while in the egg can have long-lasting effects on the individual. The impact of subtle changes in incubation temperature on nestling development, however, remains poorly understood, especially for open-cup nesting species with altricial young. To investigate how incubation temperature affects nestling development and survival in such species, we artificially incubated American robin ( Turdus migratorius ) eggs at 36.1°C ("Low" treatment) and 37.8°C ("High" treatment). Chicks were fostered to same-age nests upon hatching, and we measured mass, tarsus, and wing length of experimental nestlings and one randomly selected, naturally incubated ("Natural"), foster nest-mate on days 7 and 10 posthatch. We found significant effects of incubation temperature on incubation duration, growth, and survival, in which experimentally incubated nestlings had shorter incubation periods (10.22, 11.50, and 11.95 days for High, Low, and Natural eggs, respectively), and nestlings from the Low treatment were smaller and had reduced survival compared to High and Natural nestlings. These results highlight the importance of incubation conditions during embryonic development for incubation duration, somatic development, and survival. Moreover, these findings indicate that differences in incubation temperature within the natural range of variation can have important carryover effects on growth and survival in species with altricial young.

  8. Disturbances in Maternal Steroidogenesis and Appearance of Intrauterine Growth Retardation at High-Altitude Environments Are Established from Early Pregnancy. Effects of Treatment with Antioxidant Vitamins

    PubMed Central

    Parraguez, Victor H.; Mamani, Sandra; Cofré, Eileen; Castellaro, Giorgio; Urquieta, Bessie; De los Reyes, Mónica; Astiz, Susana; Gonzalez-Bulnes, Antonio

    2015-01-01

    Pregnancies at high-altitudes are influenced by hypoxia and oxidative stress and frequently affected by IUGR. However, a common thought is that early pregnant women visiting altitude have no major complications for gestation development, since IUGR is developed during the second half of pregnancy. Thus, using a well-characterized sheep-model, we aimed to determine whether long- and/or short-term exposure to high-altitude may affect maternal steroidogenesis and therefore embryo-fetal growth from conception. The second aim was to differentiate the relative role of hypoxia and oxidative stress by assessing the effects of supplementation with antioxidant agents during this early-pregnancy stage, which were previously found to be useful to prevent IUGR. The results indicate that both long- and short-term exposure to high-altitude causes disturbances in maternal ovarian steroidogenesis and negatively affects embryo-fetal growth already during the very early stages of gestation, with the consequences being even worsened in newcomers to high-altitude. The supply of antioxidant during this period only showed discrete effects for preventing IUGR. In conclusion, the present study gives a warning for clinicians about the risks for early-pregnant women when visiting high-altitude regions and suggests the need for further studies on the effects of the length of exposure and on the interaction of the exposure with the pregnancy stage. PMID:26560325

  9. Effects of Tobacco Taxation and Pricing on Smoking Behavior in High Risk Populations: A Knowledge Synthesis

    PubMed Central

    Bader, Pearl; Boisclair, David; Ferrence, Roberta

    2011-01-01

    Tobacco taxation is an essential component of a comprehensive tobacco control strategy. However, to fully realize the benefits it is vital to understand the impact of increased taxes among high-risk subpopulations. Are they influenced to the same extent as the general population? Do they need additional measures to influence smoking behavior? The objectives of this study were to synthesize the evidence regarding differential effects of taxation and price on smoking in: youth, young adults, persons of low socio-economic status, with dual diagnoses, heavy/long-term smokers, and Aboriginal people. Using a better practices approach, a knowledge synthesis was conducted using a systematic review of the literature and an expert advisory panel. Experts were involved in developing the study plan, discussing findings, developing policy recommendations, and identifying priorities for future research. Most studies found that raising cigarette prices through increased taxes is a highly effective measure for reducing smoking among youth, young adults, and persons of low socioeconomic status. However, there is a striking lack of evidence about the impact of increasing cigarette prices on smoking behavior in heavy/long-term smokers, persons with a dual diagnosis and Aboriginals. Given their high prevalence of smoking, urgent attention is needed to develop effective policies for the six subpopulations reviewed. These findings will be of value to policy-makers and researchers in their efforts to improve the effectiveness of tobacco control measures, especially with subpopulations at most risk. Although specific studies are needed, tobacco taxation is a key policy measure for driving success. PMID:22163198

  10. Effects of tobacco taxation and pricing on smoking behavior in high risk populations: a knowledge synthesis.

    PubMed

    Bader, Pearl; Boisclair, David; Ferrence, Roberta

    2011-11-01

    Tobacco taxation is an essential component of a comprehensive tobacco control strategy. However, to fully realize the benefits it is vital to understand the impact of increased taxes among high-risk subpopulations. Are they influenced to the same extent as the general population? Do they need additional measures to influence smoking behavior? The objectives of this study were to synthesize the evidence regarding differential effects of taxation and price on smoking in: youth, young adults, persons of low socio-economic status, with dual diagnoses, heavy/long-term smokers, and Aboriginal people. Using a better practices approach, a knowledge synthesis was conducted using a systematic review of the literature and an expert advisory panel. Experts were involved in developing the study plan, discussing findings, developing policy recommendations, and identifying priorities for future research. Most studies found that raising cigarette prices through increased taxes is a highly effective measure for reducing smoking among youth, young adults, and persons of low socioeconomic status. However, there is a striking lack of evidence about the impact of increasing cigarette prices on smoking behavior in heavy/long-term smokers, persons with a dual diagnosis and Aboriginals. Given their high prevalence of smoking, urgent attention is needed to develop effective policies for the six subpopulations reviewed. These findings will be of value to policy-makers and researchers in their efforts to improve the effectiveness of tobacco control measures, especially with subpopulations at most risk. Although specific studies are needed, tobacco taxation is a key policy measure for driving success.

  11. Eating high fat chow enhances the locomotor-stimulating effects of cocaine in adolescent and adult female rats.

    PubMed

    Baladi, Michelle G; Koek, Wouter; Aumann, Megan; Velasco, Fortino; France, Charles P

    2012-08-01

    Dopamine systems vary through development in a manner that can impact drugs acting on those systems. Dietary factors can also impact the effects of drugs acting on dopamine systems. This study examined whether eating high fat chow alters locomotor effects of cocaine (1-56 mg/kg) in adolescent and adult female rats. Cocaine was studied in rats (n = 6/group) with free access to standard (5.7% fat) or high fat (34.3%) chow or restricted access to high fat chow (body weight matched to rats eating standard chow). After 1 week of eating high fat chow (free or restricted access), sensitivity to cocaine was significantly increased in adolescent and adult rats, compared with rats eating standard chow. Sensitivity to cocaine was also increased in adolescent rats with restricted, but not free, access to high fat chow for 4 weeks. When adolescent and adult rats that previously ate high fat chow ate standard chow, sensitivity to cocaine returned to normal. In adolescent and adult female rats eating high fat chow, but not those eating standard chow, sensitivity to cocaine increased progressively over once weekly tests with cocaine (i.e., sensitization) in a manner that was not statistically different between adolescents and adults. These results show that eating high fat chow alters sensitivity of female rats to acutely administered cocaine and also facilitates the development of sensitization to cocaine. That the type of food consumed can increase drug effects might have relevance to vulnerability to abuse cocaine in the female population.

  12. [High-grade pressure sores in frail older high-risk persons. A retrospective postmortem case-control-study].

    PubMed

    Von Renteln-Kruse, W; Krause, T; Anders, J; Kühl, M; Heinemann, A; Püschel, K

    2004-04-01

    Some old persons at risk do develop, but others, at comparable risk, do not develop high-grade pressure sores. To evaluate potentially different risk factors, we performed a post mortem case-control study in old persons who developed high-grade pressure sores within six months until 14 days before death. Consecutive cases with pressure sores grade >/=3 and potential controls at comparably high risk for pressure sores were examined before cremation. After written informed consent had been obtained by the next relatives, all available nursing and medical records of the deceased were thoroughly evaluated. Cases and controls were matched according to age, gender, immobility, and cachexia.A total of 100 cases with 71 pressure sores grade 3 and 29 pressure sores grade 4 were compared to 100 controls with 27 pressure sores grade

  13. Introduction--Improving Skills Development for Employability in an Ever-Changing World

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maclean, Rupert; Jagannathan, Shanti

    2014-01-01

    The article provides an overview of the global economic landscape in which the contemporary skills development discourse is located. Effective skills development oriented to market needs and to competitiveness in high-value global value chains will help developing economies to avoid the middle income trap. It outlines major issues and challenges…

  14. Novice and Experienced Instructional Software Developers: Effects on Materials Created with Instructional Software Templates

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boot, Eddy W.; van Merrienboer, Jeroen J. G.; Veerman, Arja L.

    2007-01-01

    The development of instructional software is a complex process, posing high demands to the technical and didactical expertise of developers. Domain specialists rather than professional developers are often responsible for it, but authoring tools with pre-structured templates claim to compensate for this limited experience. This study compares…

  15. Missing in the Youth Development Literature: The Organization as Host, Cage, and Promise

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roholt, Ross VeLure; Baizerman, Michael; Rana, Sheetal; Korum, Kathy

    2013-01-01

    Good, high-quality youth development programs require effective youth organizations. While youth organizations are commonly understood as valuable and supportive of healthy youth development, attention and focus on youth organizations in both scholarship and practice are missing within the youth development field. The authors advocate for a more…

  16. Chinese Preschool Children’s Socioemotional Development: The Effects of Maternal and Paternal Psychological Control

    PubMed Central

    Xing, Shufen; Gao, Xin; Song, Xinxin; Archer, Marc; Zhao, Demao; Zhang, Mengting; Ding, Bilei; Liu, Xia

    2017-01-01

    The present study examined the relative prediction and joint effects of maternal and paternal psychological control on children’s socioemotional development. A total of 325 preschool children between the ages of 34 and 57 months (M = 4 years 2 months) and their parents participated in the study. Fathers and mothers, respectively, reported their levels of psychological control and mothers evaluated the socioemotional development of children using two indicators (i.e., behavioral problems and prosocial behaviors). The results indicated that the relative predictive effects of maternal and paternal psychological control on children’s socioemotional development differed. Specifically, maternal psychological control was a significant predictor of children’s behavioral problems and prosocial behaviors, whereas the levels of paternal psychological control were unrelated to children’s socioemotional development. With regard to the combined effects of maternal and paternal psychological control, the results of ANOVAs and simple slope analysis both indicated that children would be at risk of behavioral problems as long as they had one highly psychologically controlling parent. High levels of paternal psychological control were associated with increased behavioral problems of children only when maternal psychological control was low. However, the association between maternal psychological control and children’s behavioral behaviors was significant, despite paternal psychological control. PMID:29093691

  17. A Systems Genetic Approach to Identify Low Dose Radiation-Induced Lymphoma Susceptibility/DOE2013FinalReport

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

    Balmain, Allan; Song, Ihn Young

    2013-05-15

    The ultimate goal of this project is to identify the combinations of genetic variants that confer an individual's susceptibility to the effects of low dose (0.1 Gy) gamma-radiation, in particular with regard to tumor development. In contrast to the known effects of high dose radiation in cancer induction, the responses to low dose radiation (defined as 0.1 Gy or less) are much less well understood, and have been proposed to involve a protective anti-tumor effect in some in vivo scientific models. These conflicting results confound attempts to develop predictive models of the risk of exposure to low dose radiation, particularlymore » when combined with the strong effects of inherited genetic variants on both radiation effects and cancer susceptibility. We have used a Systems Genetics approach in mice that combines genetic background analysis with responses to low and high dose radiation, in order to develop insights that will allow us to reconcile these disparate observations. Using this comprehensive approach we have analyzed normal tissue gene expression (in this case the skin and thymus), together with the changes that take place in this gene expression architecture a) in response to low or high- dose radiation and b) during tumor development. Additionally, we have demonstrated that using our expression analysis approach in our genetically heterogeneous/defined radiation-induced tumor mouse models can uniquely identify genes and pathways relevant to human T-ALL, and uncover interactions between common genetic variants of genes which may lead to tumor susceptibility.« less

  18. Thermomagnetic phenomena in the mixed state of high temperature superconductors

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Meilikhov, E. Z.

    1995-01-01

    Galvano- and thermomagnetic-phenomena in high temperature superconductors, based on kinetic coefficients, are discussed, along with a connection between the electric field and the heat flow in superconductor mixed state. The relationship that determines the transport coefficients of high temperature superconductors in the mixed state based on Seebeck and Nernst effects is developed. It is shown that this relationship is true for a whole transition region of the resistive mixed state of a superconductor. Peltier, Ettingshausen and Righi-Leduc effects associated with heat conductivity as related to high temperature superconductors are also addressed.

  19. Present and future contraception: does discovery of targets lead to new contraceptives?

    PubMed

    Jensen, Jeffrey T

    2015-01-01

    Although many highly effective methods of reversible contraception are available, high rates of unintended pregnancy and abortion provide evidence that current methods do not meet the needs of all couples. In recent years, a number of highly specific targets have been identified in key pathways that regulate the development of male and female gametes. Support for development of novel approaches has moved from industry to governmental and foundation funders. Continued public funding will be needed to move promising leads into clinical trials.

  20. From Middle School to College: Developing Aspirations, Promoting Engagement, and Indirect Pathways from Parenting to Post High School Enrollment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hill, Nancy E.; Wang, Ming-Te

    2015-01-01

    Based on a longitudinal sample of 1,452 African American and European American adolescents and their parents, parenting practices (i.e., monitoring, warmth, and autonomy support) at 7th grade had significant indirect effects on college enrollment 3 years post high school, through their effects on aspirations, school engagement, and grade point…

  1. Teachers' Lives in Context: A Framework for Understanding Barriers to High Quality Teaching within Resource Deprived Settings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schwartz, Kate; Cappella, Elise; Aber, J. Lawrence

    2016-01-01

    Within low-income communities in low- and high-resource countries, there is a profound need for more effective schools that are better able to foster child and youth development and support student learning. This paper presents a theoretical framework for understanding the role of teacher ecology in influencing teacher effectiveness and, through…

  2. Developing an Interactive Non-Formal Chemistry Setting and Investigating Its Effectiveness on High School Students' Attitudes towards Chemistry

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Demircioglu, Gökhan

    2016-01-01

    The main purpose of this study is to design an interactive non-formal chemistry environment and investigate its effectiveness on high school students' attitudes towards chemistry. Besides that, it is tried to determine to what extent students correlate these concepts with daily life. 14 voluntary students (5 female, 9 male) from different levels…

  3. The Treatment of Plasmodium knowlesi Malaria.

    PubMed

    Barber, Bridget E; Grigg, Matthew J; William, Timothy; Yeo, Tsin W; Anstey, Nicholas M

    2017-03-01

    Plasmodium knowlesi occurs across Southeast Asia and is the most common cause of malaria in Malaysia. High parasitaemias can develop rapidly, and the risk of severe disease in adults is at least as high as in falciparum malaria. Prompt initiation of effective treatment is therefore essential. Intravenous artesunate is highly effective in severe knowlesi malaria and in those with moderately high parasitaemia but otherwise uncomplicated disease. Both chloroquine and artemisinin-combination therapy (ACT) are highly effective for uncomplicated knowlesi malaria, with faster parasite clearance times and lower anaemia rates with ACT. Given the difficulties with microscope diagnosis of P. knowlesi, a unified treatment strategy of ACT for all Plasmodium species is recommended in coendemic regions. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. New Developments in the Field of Reaction Technology: The Multiparallel Reactor HPMR 50-96

    PubMed Central

    Allwardt, Arne; Wendler, Christian; Thurow, Kerstin

    2005-01-01

    Catalytic high-pressure reactions play an important role in classic bulk chemistry. The optimization of common reactions, the search for new and more effective catalysts, and the increasing use of catalytic pressure reactions in the field of drug development call for high-parallel reaction systems. A crucial task of current developments, apart from the parameters of pressure, temperature, and number of reaction chambers, is, in this respect, the systems' integration into complex laboratory automation environments. PMID:18924722

  5. High-level PC-based laser system modeling

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Taylor, Michael S.

    1991-05-01

    Since the inception of the Strategic Defense Initiative (SDI) there have been a multitude of comparison studies done in an attempt to evaluate the effectiveness and relative sizes of complementary, and sometimes competitive, laser weapon systems. It became more and more apparent that what the systems analyst needed was not only a fast, but a cost effective way to perform high-level trade studies. In the present investigation, a general procedure is presented for the development of PC-based algorithmic systems models for laser systems. This procedure points out all of the major issues that should be addressed in the design and development of such a model. Issues addressed include defining the problem to be modeled, defining a strategy for development, and finally, effective use of the model once developed. Being a general procedure, it will allow a systems analyst to develop a model to meet specific needs. To illustrate this method of model development, a description of the Strategic Defense Simulation - Design To (SDS-DT) model developed and used by Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) is presented. SDS-DT is a menu-driven, fast executing, PC-based program that can be used to either calculate performance, weight, volume, and cost values for a particular design or, alternatively, to run parametrics on particular system parameters to perhaps optimize a design.

  6. Early exposure of bay scallops (Argopecten irradians) to high CO₂ causes a decrease in larval shell growth.

    PubMed

    White, Meredith M; McCorkle, Daniel C; Mullineaux, Lauren S; Cohen, Anne L

    2013-01-01

    Ocean acidification, characterized by elevated pCO₂ and the associated decreases in seawater pH and calcium carbonate saturation state (Ω), has a variable impact on the growth and survival of marine invertebrates. Larval stages are thought to be particularly vulnerable to environmental stressors, and negative impacts of ocean acidification have been seen on fertilization as well as on embryonic, larval, and juvenile development and growth of bivalve molluscs. We investigated the effects of high CO₂ exposure (resulting in pH = 7.39, Ω(ar) = 0.74) on the larvae of the bay scallop Argopecten irradians from 12 h to 7 d old, including a switch from high CO₂ to ambient CO₂ conditions (pH = 7.93, Ω(ar) = 2.26) after 3 d, to assess the possibility of persistent effects of early exposure. The survival of larvae in the high CO₂ treatment was consistently lower than the survival of larvae in ambient conditions, and was already significantly lower at 1 d. Likewise, the shell length of larvae in the high CO₂ treatment was significantly smaller than larvae in the ambient conditions throughout the experiment and by 7 d, was reduced by 11.5%. This study also demonstrates that the size effects of short-term exposure to high CO₂ are still detectable after 7 d of larval development; the shells of larvae exposed to high CO₂ for the first 3 d of development and subsequently exposed to ambientCO₂ were not significantly different in size at 3 and 7 d than the shells of larvae exposed to high CO₂ throughout the experiment.

  7. Rape Prevention With College Men

    PubMed Central

    Stephens, Kari A.; George, William H.

    2014-01-01

    This study evaluates the effectiveness of a theoretically based rape prevention intervention with college men who were at high or low risk to perpetrate sexually coercive behavior. Participants (N = 146) are randomly assigned to the intervention or control group. Outcomes include rape myth acceptance, victim empathy, attraction to sexual aggression, sex-related alcohol expectancies, and behavioral indicators, measured across three time points. Positive effects are found for rape myth acceptance, victim empathy, attraction to sexual aggression, and behavioral intentions to rape. Only rape myth acceptance and victim empathy effects sustain at the 5-week follow-up. High-risk men are generally unaffected by the intervention although low-risk men produced larger effects than the entire sample. Results suggest rape prevention studies must assess risk status moderation effects to maximize prevention for high-risk men. More research is needed to develop effective rape prevention with men who are at high risk to rape. PMID:18591366

  8. Review of the workshop on low-cost polysilicon for terrestrial photovoltaic solar cell applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lutwack, R.

    1986-01-01

    Topics reviewed include: polysilicon material requirements; effects of impurities; requirements for high-efficiency solar cells; economics; development of silane processes; fluidized-bed processor development; silicon purification; and marketing.

  9. Use of Exam Wrappers to Enhance Students' Metacognitive Skills in a Large Introductory Food Science and Human Nutrition Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gezer-Templeton, P. Gizem; Mayhew, Emily J.; Korte, Debra S.; Schmidt, Shelly J.

    2017-01-01

    Research shows that students struggle to develop higher order thinking skills and effective study strategies during the transition from high school to college. Therefore, in addition to teaching course content, effective instructors should assist students in developing metacognitive skills, that is, the practice of thinking about their thinking.…

  10. Educational Gymnastics: The Effectiveness of Montessori Practical Life Activities in Developing Fine Motor Skills in Kindergartners

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bhatia, Punum; Davis, Alan; Shamas-Brandt, Ellen

    2015-01-01

    Research Findings: A quasi-experiment was undertaken to test the effect of Montessori practical life activities on kindergarten children's fine motor development and hand dominance over an 8-month period. Participants were 50 children age 5 in 4 Montessori schools and 50 students age 5 in a kindergarten program in a high-performing suburban…

  11. The Effect of Blogging and Electronic Journaling on Writing Skills Development in High School Freshmen

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Anderson, Dianne Bruce

    2010-01-01

    Blogging and computerized journaling are effective tools for writing skill development; however, research has not revealed which specific populations of students are aided by blogging or journaling, nor has research revealed the specific writing skills that are most likely to be improved by these practices. The purpose of the study was to discover…

  12. An Examination of Mississippi Public School Teachers' Perceptions of the Effectiveness of Their Professional Development Experiences in Raising Student Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rushing, Daniel Martin

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to provide insight into the elements needed to produce a high quality professional development program for teachers. The researcher sought to determine possible factors that had a significant relationship to Mississippi public school teachers' perceptions of the effectiveness of their professional development…

  13. The Short-Term and Long-Term Effects of AWE Feedback on ESL Students' Development of Grammatical Accuracy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Li, Zhi; Feng, Hui-Hsien; Saricaoglu, Aysel

    2017-01-01

    This classroom-based study employs a mixed-methods approach to exploring both short-term and long-term effects of Criterion feedback on ESL students' development of grammatical accuracy. The results of multilevel growth modeling indicate that Criterion feedback helps students in both intermediate-high and advanced-low levels reduce errors in eight…

  14. A Study of the Effectiveness of a Small-Group Intervention on the Vocabulary and Narrative Development of At-Risk Kindergarten Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nielsen, Diane Corcoran; Friesen, Lisa Dinner

    2012-01-01

    This study investigated the effect of a small-group storybook-based intervention on kindergarten students' vocabulary and narrative development, which is important to later reading achievement. Twenty-eight kindergarten children from a high-poverty urban school, all significantly behind their peers on standardized measures of language development…

  15. Wild Blueberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) Alleviate Inflammation and Hypertension Associated with Developing Obesity in Mice Fed with a High-Fat Diet

    PubMed Central

    Mykkänen, Otto T.; Huotari, Anne; Herzig, Karl-Heinz; Dunlop, Thomas W.; Mykkänen, Hannu; Kirjavainen, Pirkka V.

    2014-01-01

    Background Low-grade metabolic inflammation and hypertension are primary mechanisms involved in obesity-associated adverse health effects. Berries, especially Nordic wild blueberries (hereafter referred to as bilberries), represent an important source of dietary anthocyanins, a group of polyphenols with potential beneficial effects to combat obesity-associated metabolic disturbances. Methods The effects of 5% or 10% (w/w) of whole bilberries (BB) were studied on the development of obesity and its metabolic disturbances in C57BL mice fed with a high-fat diet (HFD) for three months. Cytokines, inflammatory cells, systolic blood pressure, glucose tolerance, insulin sensitivity, weight gain, body fat, food consumption and energy metabolism were assessed. Results Bilberries ameliorated type 1 pro-inflammatory responsiveness induced by HFD. This was indicated by the altered cytokine profile and the reduced prevalence of interferon gamma -producing T-cells, in particular T helper type 1 cells. Bilberries also prevented the progression of obesity associated long term increase in systolic blood pressure in mice. Conclusions Bilberries reduce the development of systemic inflammation and prevent the progression of chronic hypertension, thus supporting their potential role in alleviating the adverse health effects associated with developing obesity. PMID:25501421

  16. Monochromatic ocular wave aberrations in young monkeys

    PubMed Central

    Ramamirtham, Ramkumar; Kee, Chea-su; Hung, Li-Fang; Qiao-Grider, Ying; Roorda, Austin; Smith, Earl L.

    2006-01-01

    High-order monochromatic aberrations could potentially influence vision-dependent refractive development in a variety of ways. As a first step in understanding the effects of wave aberration on refractive development, we characterized the maturational changes that take place in the high-order aberrations of infant rhesus monkey eyes. Specifically, we compared the monochromatic wave aberrations of infant and adolescent animals and measured the longitudinal changes in the high-order aberrations of infant monkeys during the early period when emmetropization takes place. Our main findings were that (1) adolescent monkey eyes have excellent optical quality, exhibiting total RMS errors that were slightly better than those for adult human eyes that have the same numerical aperture and (2) shortly after birth, infant rhesus monkeys exhibited relatively larger magnitudes of high-order aberrations predominately spherical aberration, coma, and trefoil, which decreased rapidly to assume adolescent values by about 200 days of age. The results demonstrate that rhesus monkey eyes are a good model for studying the contribution of individual ocular components to the eye’s overall aberration structure, the mechanisms responsible for the improvements in optical quality that occur during early ocular development, and the effects of high-order aberrations on ocular growth and emmetropization. PMID:16750549

  17. The Effect of Four Instructional Formats on Aerobic Fitness of Junior-High School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wright, Ron W.; Karp, Grace Goc

    2006-01-01

    The low level of fitness in junior-high school students is an area of great concern. An important, but misunderstood, part of the physical education curriculum is the development of aerobic fitness. What is the best way to go about developing aerobic fitness? Four groups of primarily Caucasian (79.9%) Grade 8 and 9 students (n = 144), attending a…

  18. Effect of Socioeconomic Status (SES) Disparity on Neural Development in Female African-American Infants at Age 1 Month

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Betancourt, Laura M.; Avants, Brian; Farah, Martha J.; Brodsky, Nancy L.; Wu, Jue; Ashtari, Manzar; Hurt, Hallam

    2016-01-01

    There is increasing interest in both the cumulative and long-term impact of early life adversity on brain structure and function, especially as the brain is both highly vulnerable and highly adaptive during childhood. Relationships between SES and neural development have been shown in children older than age 2 years. Less is known regarding the…

  19. Stochastic Modeling of Laminar-Turbulent Transition

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rubinstein, Robert; Choudhari, Meelan

    2002-01-01

    Stochastic versions of stability equations are developed in order to develop integrated models of transition and turbulence and to understand the effects of uncertain initial conditions on disturbance growth. Stochastic forms of the resonant triad equations, a high Reynolds number asymptotic theory, and the parabolized stability equations are developed.

  20. [Intelligent watch system for health monitoring based on Bluetooth low energy technology].

    PubMed

    Wang, Ji; Guo, Hailiang; Ren, Xiaoli

    2017-08-01

    According to the development status of wearable technology and the demand of intelligent health monitoring, we studied the multi-function integrated smart watches solution and its key technology. First of all, the sensor technology with high integration density, Bluetooth low energy (BLE) and mobile communication technology were integrated and used in develop practice. Secondly, for the hardware design of the system in this paper, we chose the scheme with high integration density and cost-effective computer modules and chips. Thirdly, we used real-time operating system FreeRTOS to develop the friendly graphical interface interacting with touch screen. At last, the high-performance application software which connected with BLE hardware wirelessly and synchronized data was developed based on android system. The function of this system included real-time calendar clock, telephone message, address book management, step-counting, heart rate and sleep quality monitoring and so on. Experiments showed that the collecting data accuracy of various sensors, system data transmission capacity, the overall power consumption satisfy the production standard. Moreover, the system run stably with low power consumption, which could realize intelligent health monitoring effectively.

  1. Towards enhancing photocatalytic hydrogen generation: Which is more important, alloy synergistic effect or plasmonic effect?

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

    Xu, Zhenhe; Kibria, Md Golam; AlOtaibi, Bandar

    Synergistic effect in alloys and plasmonic effect have both been explored for increasing the efficiency of water splitting. In depth understanding and comparison of their respective contributions in certain promising systems is highly desired for catalyst development, yet rarely investigated so far. We report herein our thorough investigations on a series of highly interesting nanocomposites composed of Pt, Au and C3N4 nanocomponents, which are designed to benefit from both synergistic and plasmonic effects. Detailed analyses led to an important conclusion that the contribution from the synergistic effect was at least 3.5 times that from the plasmonic effect in the bestmore » performing sample, Pt50Au50 alloy decorated C3N4. It showed remarkable turnover frequency of >1.6 mmol h-1 g-1 at room temperature. Our work provides physical insights for catalyst development by rationally designing samples to compare long-known synergistic effect with recently emerging, attractive plasmonic effect and represents the first case study in the field.« less

  2. Analysis of Hanle-effect signals observed in Si-channel spin accumulation devices

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

    Takamura, Yota, E-mail: takamura@spin.pe.titech.ac.jp; Department of Physical Electronics, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1, Ookayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo 152-8552; Akushichi, Taiju

    2014-05-07

    We reexamined curve-fitting analysis for spin-accumulation signals observed in Si-channel spin-accumulation devices, employing widely-used Lorentz functions and a new formula developed from the spin diffusion equation. A Si-channel spin-accumulation device with a high quality ferromagnetic spin injector was fabricated, and its observed spin-accumulation signals were verified. Experimentally obtained Hanle-effect signals for spin accumulation were not able to be fitted by a single Lorentz function and were reproduced by the newly developed formula. Our developed formula can represent spin-accumulation signals and thus analyze Hanle-effect signals.

  3. Driver development of IFE power plant in Japan Collaborative process with industry and industrial applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nakai, S.; Yamanaka, M.; Kitagawa, Y.; Fujita, K.; Heya, M.; Mima, K.; Izawa, Y.; Nakatsuka, M.; Murakami, M.; Ueda, K.; Sasaki, T.; Mori, Y.; Kanabe, T.; Hiruma, T.; Kan, H.; Kawashima, T.

    2006-06-01

    The typical specifications of the laser driver for a commercial IFE power plant are (1) total energy (MJ/pulse) with a tailored 20-40 ns pulse, (2) repetition operation (˜ 10 Hz), (3) efficiency (˜ 10%) with enough robustness and low cost. The key elements of the DPSSL driver technology are under development with HALNA. The HALNA 10 (High Average-power Laser for Nuclear-fusion Application) demonstrated 10 J × 10 Hz operation and the HALNA 100 (100 J × 10 Hz) is now under construction. By using the high average power and high intensity lasers, new industrial applications are being proceeded. The collaborative process for the development of high power laser with industry and for the industrial applications is effective and essential in the development of the laser driver for IFE power plant.

  4. Beta-manganese dioxide nanorods for sufficient high-temperature electromagnetic interference shielding in X-band

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Song, Wei-Li; Cao, Mao-Sheng; Hou, Zhi-Ling; Lu, Ming-Ming; Wang, Chan-Yuan; Yuan, Jie; Fan, Li-Zhen

    2014-09-01

    As the development of electronic and communication technology, electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding and attenuation is an effective strategy to ensure the operation of the electronic devices. Among the materials for high-performance shielding in aerospace industry and related high-temperature working environment, the thermally stable metal oxide semiconductors with narrow band gap are promising candidates. In this work, beta-manganese dioxide ( β-MnO2) nanorods were synthesized by a hydrothermal method. The bulk materials of the β-MnO2 were fabricated to evaluate the EMI shielding performance in the temperature range of 20-500 °C between 8.2 and 12.4 GHz (X-band). To understand the mechanisms of high-temperature EMI shielding, the contribution of reflection and absorption to EMI shielding was discussed based on temperature-dependent electrical properties and complex permittivity. Highly sufficient shielding effectiveness greater than 20 dB was observed over all the investigated range, suggesting β-MnO2 nanorods as promising candidates for high-temperature EMI shielding. The results have also established a platform to develop high-temperature EMI shielding materials based on nanoscale semiconductors.

  5. Development of a finite element model of female foot for high-heeled shoe design.

    PubMed

    Yu, Jia; Cheung, Jason Tak-Man; Fan, Yubo; Zhang, Yan; Leung, Aaron Kam-Lun; Zhang, Ming

    2008-01-01

    Wearing high-heeled shoes may produce deleterious effects on the musculoskeletal system while elevation of the shoe heel with arch insole insert is used as a treatment strategy for plantar fasciitis. Due to limitations of the experimental approaches, direct measurements of internal stress/strain of the foot are impossible or invasive. This study aims at developing a finite element model for evaluating the biomechanical effects of high-heeled support on the ankle-foot complex. A 3D anatomically detailed FE model of the female foot and ankle together with a high-heeled support was developed and used to investigate the plantar contact pressure and internal loading responses of the bony and soft tissue structures of the foot with varying heel heights during simulated balanced standing. In the balanced standing position with high-heeled support, a pronounced increase in von Mises stress at the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint was predicted. The strain on plantar fascia decreased compared to the flat horizontal support and valgus deformity of the hallux was not significant. The increased stress in forefoot especially at the first MTP segment during prolonged high-heeled standing may contribute to progressive hallux valgus (HV) deformity. However, the reduced tensile strain in the plantar fascia with heel elevation may help relieve plantar fasciitis related pain and inflammation.

  6. Disrupted latent inhibition in individuals at ultra high-risk for developing psychosis.

    PubMed

    Kraus, Michael; Rapisarda, Attilio; Lam, Max; Thong, Jamie Y J; Lee, Jimmy; Subramaniam, Mythily; Collinson, Simon L; Chong, Siow Ann; Keefe, Richard S E

    2016-12-01

    The addition of off-the-shelf cognitive measures to established prodromal criteria has resulted in limited improvement in the prediction of conversion to psychosis. Tests that assess cognitive processes central to schizophrenia might better identify those at highest risk. The latent inhibition paradigm assesses a subject's tendency to ignore irrelevant stimuli, a process integral to healthy perceptual and cognitive function that has been hypothesized to be a key deficit underlying the development of schizophrenia. In this study, 142 young people at ultra high-risk for developing psychosis and 105 controls were tested on a within-subject latent inhibition paradigm. Additionally, we later inquired about the strategy that each subject employed to complete the test, and further investigated the relationship between reported strategy and the extent of latent inhibition exhibited. Unlike controls, ultra high-risk subjects did not demonstrate a significant latent inhibition effect. This difference between groups became greater when controlling for strategy. The lack of latent inhibition effect in our ultra high-risk sample suggests that individuals at ultra high-risk for psychosis are impaired in their allocation of attentional resources based on past predictive value of repeated stimuli. This fundamental deficit in the allocation of attention may contribute to the broader array of cognitive impairments and clinical symptoms displayed by individuals at ultra high-risk for psychosis.

  7. Progress in high-dose radiation dosimetry. Final report

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

    Ettinger, K.V.; Nam, J.W.; McLaughlin, W.L.

    1981-01-01

    The last decade has witnessed a deluge of new high-dose dosimetry techniques and expended applications of methods developed earlier. Many of the principal systems are calibrated by means of calorimetry, although production of heat is not always the final radiation effect of interest. Requirements for a stable and reliable transfer dose meters have led to further developments of several important high-dose systems: thermoluminescent materials, radiochromic dyes, ceric-cerous solutions analyzed by high-frequency oscillometry. A number of other prospective dosimeters are also treated in this review. In addition, an IAEA program of high-dose intercomparison and standardization for industrial radiation processing is described.

  8. Progress in high-dose radiation dosimetry. Final report

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

    Ettinger, K.V.; Nam, J.W.; McLaughlin, W.L.

    1981-01-01

    The last decade has witnessed a deluge of new high-dose dosimetry techniques and expended applications of methods developed earlier. Many of the principal systems are calibrated by means of calorimetry, although production of heat is not always the final radiation effect of interest. Requirements for a stable and reliable transfer dose meters have led to further developments of several important high-dose systems: thermoluminescent materials, radiochromic dyes, ceric-cerous solutions analyzed by high-frequency oscillometry. A number of other prospective dosimeters also treated in this review. In addition, an IAEA programme of high-dose intercomparison and standardization for industrial radiation processing is described.

  9. World's Most Efficient Solar Cell

    Science.gov Websites

    on the cost effectiveness and revenue-generating capabilities of high-power space satellites over the ) and Spectrolab. The high efficiency makes the cells attractive for use in solar concentrator systems ." Similar high-efficiency solar cells - invented and developed over 10 years at NREL before being

  10. Creating high yield water soluble luminescent graphene quantum dots via exfoliating and disintegrating carbon nanotubes and graphite flakes.

    PubMed

    Lin, Liangxu; Zhang, Shaowei

    2012-10-21

    We have developed an effective method to exfoliate and disintegrate multi-walled carbon nanotubes and graphite flakes. With this technique, high yield production of luminescent graphene quantum dots with high quantum yield and low oxidization can be achieved.

  11. EVALUATION OF THE HIGH VOLUME COLLECTION SYSTEM (HVCS) FOR QUANTIFYING FUGITIVE ORGANIC VAPOR LEAKS

    EPA Science Inventory

    The report discusses a recently developed measurements technique that offers the potential for providing an easy-to-use and cost effective means to directly measure organic vapor leaks. The method, called High Volume Collection System (HVCS), uses a high volume sampling device an...

  12. Mass Media Strategies Targeting High Sensation Seekers: What Works and Why

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stephenson, Michael T.

    2003-01-01

    Objectives: To examine strategies for using the mass media effectively in drug prevention campaigns targeting high sensation seekers. Methods: Both experimental lab and field studies were used to develop a comprehensive audience segmentation strategy targeting high sensation seekers. Results: A 4-pronged targeting strategy employed in an…

  13. Effects of Neighborhood Socioeconomic Characteristics and Class Composition on Highly Competent Children.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Maggi, Stefania; Hertzman, Clyde; Kohen, Dafina; D'Angiulli, Amedio

    2004-01-01

    The conditions that prevent highly competent children from fully developing their learning potential rarely have been addressed. The authors investigated the relationship between neighborhood socioeconomic characteristics, class composition, and changes in the proportion of highly competent children in kindergarten and in Grades 4 and 7. The…

  14. Physical and mechanical metallurgy of high purity Nb accelerator cavities.

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

    Wright, N. T.; Bieler, T. R.; Pourgoghart , F.

    2010-01-01

    In the past decade, high Q values have been achieved in high purity Nb superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities. Fundamental understanding of the physical metallurgy of Nb that enables these achievements is beginning to reveal what challenges remain to establish reproducible and cost-effective production of high performance SRF cavities. Recent studies of dislocation substructure development and effects of recrystallization arising from welding and heat treatments and their correlations with cavity performance are considered. With better fundamental understanding of the effects of dislocation substructure evolution and recrystallization on electron and phonon conduction, as well as the interior and surface states, itmore » will be possible to design optimal processing paths for cost-effective performance using approaches such as hydroforming, which minimizes or eliminates welds in a cavity.« less

  15. Physical and mechanical metallurgy of high purity Nb for accelerator cavities

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

    Bieler, T. R.; Wright, N. T.; Pourboghrat, F.

    2010-01-01

    In the past decade, high Q values have been achieved in high purity Nb superconducting radio frequency (SRF) cavities. Fundamental understanding of the physical metallurgy of Nb that enables these achievements is beginning to reveal what challenges remain to establish reproducible and cost-effective production of high performance SRF cavities. Recent studies of dislocation substructure development and effects of recrystallization arising from welding and heat treatments and their correlations with cavity performance are considered. With better fundamental understanding of the effects of dislocation substructure evolution and recrystallization on electron and phonon conduction, as well as the interior and surface states, itmore » will be possible to design optimal processing paths for cost-effective performance using approaches such as hydroforming, which minimizes or eliminates welds in a cavity.« less

  16. Differences among consumer segments with regard to perceptions of comparative effectiveness research.

    PubMed

    Williams, Sunyna S; Frost, Sloane L

    2014-11-01

    To examine differences among health-related decision-making consumer segments with regard to knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors pertinent to comparative effectiveness research. Data were collected via an online survey from 603 adults with chronic conditions. Consumer segment was determined using a two-item tool. Active consumers (high skills and motivation) reported the highest levels of engagement in various behaviors. Passive consumers (low skills and motivation) reported the lowest levels of engagement in various behaviors. High-effort consumers (low skills, high motivation) reported more positive attitudes and opinions and more engagement in various behaviors than did complacent consumers (high skills, low motivation). Effective translation and dissemination of comparative effectiveness research will require the development of approaches tailored to consumers with varying levels of skills and motivation.

  17. Technology Development for High Efficiency Optical Communications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Farr, William H.

    2012-01-01

    Deep space optical communications is a significantly more challenging operational domain than near Earth space optical communications, primarily due to effects resulting from the vastly increased range between transmitter and receiver. The NASA Game Changing Development Program Deep Space Optical Communications Project is developing four key technologies for the implementation of a high efficiency telecommunications system that will enable greater than 10X the data rate of a state-of-the-art deep space RF system (Ka-band) for similar transceiver mass and power burden on the spacecraft. These technologies are a low mass spacecraft disturbance isolation assembly, a flight qualified photon counting detector array, a high efficiency flight laser amplifier and a high efficiency photon counting detector array for the ground-based receiver.

  18. Research into the interaction between high performance and cognitive skills in an intelligent tutoring system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fink, Pamela K.

    1991-01-01

    Two intelligent tutoring systems were developed. These tutoring systems are being used to study the effectiveness of intelligent tutoring systems in training high performance tasks and the interrelationship of high performance and cognitive tasks. The two tutoring systems, referred to as the Console Operations Tutors, were built using the same basic approach to the design of an intelligent tutoring system. This design approach allowed researchers to more rapidly implement the cognitively based tutor, the OMS Leak Detect Tutor, by using the foundation of code generated in the development of the high performance based tutor, the Manual Select Keyboard (MSK). It is believed that the approach can be further generalized to develop a generic intelligent tutoring system implementation tool.

  19. High-temperature annealing of graphite: A molecular dynamics study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Petersen, Andrew; Gillette, Victor

    2018-05-01

    A modified AIREBO potential was developed to simulate the effects of thermal annealing on the structure and physical properties of damaged graphite. AIREBO parameter modifications were made to reproduce Density Functional Theory interstitial results. These changes to the potential resulted in high-temperature annealing of the model, as measured by stored-energy reduction. These results show some resemblance to experimental high-temperature annealing results, and show promise that annealing effects in graphite are accessible with molecular dynamics and reactive potentials.

  20. Maternally Mediated Developmental Toxicity

    EPA Science Inventory

    The current practice for the assessment of an agent’s potential effects on the developing embryo/fetus includes administration of high, maternally toxic doses to pregnant laboratory animals. For most agents evaluated, developmental effects occur concomitant with maternal toxicity...

  1. Maternally Mediated Developmental Toxicity

    EPA Science Inventory

    The current practice for the assessment of an agent’s potential effects on the developing embryo/fetus includes administration of high, maternally toxic doses to pregnant laboratory animals. For most agents evaluated, developmental effects occur concomitant with maternal to...

  2. High speed turboprop aeroacoustic study (counterrotation). Volume 2: Computer programs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Whitfield, C. E.; Mani, R.; Gliebe, P. R.

    1990-01-01

    The isolated counterrotating high speed turboprop noise prediction program developed and funded by GE Aircraft Engines was compared with model data taken in the GE Aircraft Engines Cell 41 anechoic facility, the Boeing Transonic Wind Tunnel, and in the NASA-Lewis 8 x 6 and 9 x 15 wind tunnels. The predictions show good agreement with measured data under both low and high speed simulated flight conditions. The installation effect model developed for single rotation, high speed turboprops was extended to include counter rotation. The additional effect of mounting a pylon upstream of the forward rotor was included in the flow field modeling. A nontraditional mechanism concerning the acoustic radiation from a propeller at angle of attack was investigated. Predictions made using this approach show results that are in much closer agreement with measurement over a range of operating conditions than those obtained via traditional fluctuating force methods. The isolated rotors and installation effects models were combined into a single prediction program. The results were compared with data taken during the flight test of the B727/UDF (trademark) engine demonstrator aircraft.

  3. High speed turboprop aeroacoustic study (counterrotation). Volume 2: Computer programs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Whitfield, C. E.; Mani, R.; Gliebe, P. R.

    1990-07-01

    The isolated counterrotating high speed turboprop noise prediction program developed and funded by GE Aircraft Engines was compared with model data taken in the GE Aircraft Engines Cell 41 anechoic facility, the Boeing Transonic Wind Tunnel, and in the NASA-Lewis 8 x 6 and 9 x 15 wind tunnels. The predictions show good agreement with measured data under both low and high speed simulated flight conditions. The installation effect model developed for single rotation, high speed turboprops was extended to include counter rotation. The additional effect of mounting a pylon upstream of the forward rotor was included in the flow field modeling. A nontraditional mechanism concerning the acoustic radiation from a propeller at angle of attack was investigated. Predictions made using this approach show results that are in much closer agreement with measurement over a range of operating conditions than those obtained via traditional fluctuating force methods. The isolated rotors and installation effects models were combined into a single prediction program. The results were compared with data taken during the flight test of the B727/UDF (trademark) engine demonstrator aircraft.

  4. Development of aerodynamic foil journal bearings for a high speed cryogenic turboexpander

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xiong, L.-Y.; Wu, G.; Hou, Y.; Liu, L.-Q.; Ling, M.-F.; Chen, C.-Z.

    The research presented in this paper is aimed at the development of aerodynamic foil journal bearings applying to a small high speed cryogenic turboexpander. A small high speed cryogenic turboexpander is designed. Attention has been paid to the study of the effect of foil stiffness on the vibration performance of bearings. From rotation tests, it is clear that, with the proper choice of foil stiffness, the foil bearing presented here can possess sufficiently high stability. The maximum rotational speed obtained is greater than 230 000 rpm. Therefore, owing to its simplicity and high performance, this type of foil journal bearing can hopefully be applied to a small high speed cryogenic turboexpander.

  5. Eigenvalue Detonation of Combined Effects Aluminized Explosives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Capellos, C.; Baker, E. L.; Nicolich, S.; Balas, W.; Pincay, J.; Stiel, L. I.

    2007-12-01

    Theory and performance for recently developed combined—effects aluminized explosives are presented. Our recently developed combined-effects aluminized explosives (PAX-29C, PAX-30, PAX-42) are capable of achieving excellent metal pushing, as well as high blast energies. Metal pushing capability refers to the early volume expansion work produced during the first few volume expansions associated with cylinder and wall velocities and Gurney energies. Eigenvalue detonation explains the observed detonation states achieved by these combined effects explosives. Cylinder expansion data and thermochemical calculations (JAGUAR and CHEETAH) verify the eigenvalue detonation behavior.

  6. Which Factor, Teaching or Writing, Contributes More to Faculty Development?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Boice, Robert

    The effect of a highly-structured faculty development program that focused on improving teaching skills and writing productivity through weekly individual sessions was studied with 16 social sciences faculty. Participants were alternatively assigned to one of four groups that emphasized development in teaching skills, writing productivity, or a…

  7. Designing a Web-Based Asynchronous Innovation/Entrepreneurism Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ghandforoush, Parviz

    2017-01-01

    Teaching an online fully asynchronous information technology course that requires students to ideate, build an e-commerce website, and develop an effective business plan involves a well-developed and highly engaging course design. This paper describes the design, development, and implementation of such a course and presents information on…

  8. Developing Teachers for High-Poverty Schools: The Role of the Internship Experience

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McKinney, Sueanne E.; Haberman, Martin; Stafford-Johnson, Delia; Robinson, Jack

    2008-01-01

    This investigation sought to determine if there was a difference in the development of effective urban teacher characteristics after completing a traditional internship experience or a Professional Development School internship experience. The Urban Teacher Selection Interview was used to assess 10 characteristics including persistence, value of…

  9. Crystal Lattice Controlled SiGe Thermoelectric Materials with High Figure of Merit

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kim, Hyun-Jung; Park, Yeonjoon; King, Glen C.; Lee, Kunik; Choi, Sang H.

    2010-01-01

    Direct energy conversion between thermal and electrical energy, based on thermoelectric (TE) effect, has the potential to recover waste heat and convert it to provide clean electric power. The energy conversion efficiency is related to the thermoelectric figure of merit ZT expressed as ZT=S(exp 2)(sigma)T/Kappa, T is temperature, S is the Seebeck coefficient, sigma is conductance and Kappa is thermal conductivity. For a lower thermal conductivity Kappa and high power factor (S(exp 2)(sigma)), our current strategy is the development of rhombohedrally strained single crystalline SiGe materials that are highly [111]-oriented twinned. The development of a SiGe "twin lattice structure (TLS)" plays a key role in phonon scattering. The TLS increases the electrical conductivity and decreases thermal conductivity due to phonon scattering at stacking faults generated from the 60 X rotated primary twin structure. To develop high performance materials, the substrate temperature, chamber working pressure, and DC sputtering power are controlled for the aligned growth production of SiGe layer and TLS on a c-plane sapphire. Additionally, a new elevated temperature thermoelectric characterization system, that measures the thermal diffusivity and Seebeck effect nondestructively, was developed. The material properties were characterized at various temperatures and optimized process conditions were experimentally determined. The present paper encompasses the technical discussions toward the development of thermoelectric materials and the measurement techniques.

  10. Modeling Creep Effects in Advanced SiC/SiC Composites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lang, Jerry; DiCarlo, James

    2006-01-01

    Because advanced SiC/SiC composites are projected to be used for aerospace components with large thermal gradients at high temperatures, efforts are on-going at NASA Glenn to develop approaches for modeling the anticipated creep behavior of these materials and its subsequent effects on such key composite properties as internal residual stress, proportional limit stress, ultimate tensile strength, and rupture life. Based primarily on in-plane creep data for 2D panels, this presentation describes initial modeling progress at applied composite stresses below matrix cracking for some high performance SiC/SiC composite systems recently developed at NASA. Studies are described to develop creep and rupture models using empirical, mechanical analog, and mechanistic approaches, and to implement them into finite element codes for improved component design and life modeling

  11. Type 2 diabetes self-management education programs in high and low mortality developing countries: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Dube, Loveness; Van den Broucke, Stephan; Housiaux, Marie; Dhoore, William; Rendall-Mkosi, Kirstie

    2015-02-01

    Although self-management education is a key factor in the care for diabetes patients, its implementation in developing countries is not well documented. This systematic review considers the published literature on diabetes self-management education in high and low mortality developing countries. The aim is to provide a state of the art of current practices and assess program outcomes, cultural sensitivity, and accessibility to low literate patients. The Cochrane Library, PubMed, MEDLINE, PsycInfo, and PsycArticles databases were searched for peer-reviewed articles on type 2 diabetes published in English between 2009 and 2013. The World Bank and WHO burden of disease criteria were applied to distinguish between developing countries with high and low mortality. Information was extracted using a validated checklist. Three reviews and 23 primary studies were identified, 18 of which were from low mortality developing countries. Studies from high mortality countries were mostly quasi-experimental, those from low mortality countries experimental. Interventions were generally effective on behavior change and patients' glycemic control in the short term (≤9 months). While 57% of the studies mentioned cultural tailoring of interventions, only 17% reported on training of providers, and 39% were designed to be accessible for people with low literacy. The limited studies available suggest that diabetes self-management education programs in developing countries are effective in the short term but must be tailored to conform to the cultural aspects of the target population. © 2014 The Author(s).

  12. Development of a laboratory demonstration model active cleaning device

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Shannon, R. L.; Gillette, R. B.

    1975-01-01

    A laboratory demonstration model of a device for removing contaminant films from optical surfaces in space was developed. The development of a plasma tube, which would produce the desired cleaning effects under high vacuum conditions, represented the major problem in the program. This plasma tube development is discussed, and the resulting laboratory demonstration-model device is described.

  13. The Development and Application of a STEAM Program Based on Traditional Korean Culture

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kim, Hyoungbum; Chae, Dong-Hyun

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this research was to develop a STEAM program in the context of teaching and learning a traditional Korean instrument and implement it in a high school class to determine the program's effectiveness. The STEAM program was developed through a continuous consultation process between a development team and external experts, including an…

  14. Developing Mathematics Problems Based on PISA Level of Change and Relationships Content

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ahyan, Shahibul; Zulkardi; Darmawijoyo

    2014-01-01

    This research aims to produce mathematics problems based on PISA level with valid and practical content of change and relationships and has potential effect for Junior High School students. A development research method developed by Akker, Gravemeijer, McKenney and Nieveen is used this research. This development research consists of three stages;…

  15. Chemoprevention of Radiation Induced Rat Mammary Neoplasms

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Huso, David L.

    1999-01-01

    Radiations encountered in space include protons and heavy ions such as iron as well as their secondaries. The relative biological effect (RBE) of these ions is not known, particularly at the doses and dose-rates expected for planetary missions. Neutrons, are not particularly relevant to space travel, but have been found experimentally to have an increase in their RBE with decreasing dose. If a similar trend of increasing RBE with decreasing dose is present for heavy ions and protons during irradiation in space, the small doses received during space travel could potentially have substantial carcinogenic risk. Clearly more investigation of the effects of heavy ions and protons is needed before accurate risk assessment for prolonged travel in space can be done. One means to mitigate the increased risk of cancer due to radiation exposure in space is by developing effective countermeasures that can reduce the incidence of tumor development. Tamoxifen has recently been shown to be an effective chemopreventive agent in both animal models and humans for the prevention of mammary tumors. Tamoxifen is a unique drug, with a highly specific mechanism of action affecting a specific radiation-sensitive population of epithelial cells in the mammary gland. In human studies, the annual incidence of a primary tumor in the contralateral breast of women with previous breast cancer is about 8 per 1000, making them an exceedingly high-risk group for the development of breast cancer. In this high risk group, treated with tamoxifen, daily, for 2 years, the incidence of a new primary tumor in the contralateral breast was approximately one third of that noted in the non-tamoxifen treatment group. Tamoxifen antagonizes the action of estrogen by competing for the nuclear receptor complex thereby altering the association of the receptor complex and nuclear binding sites. Its effects in reducing the development of breast cancer could be accomplished by controlling clinically undetectable microcancers, arresting preneoplastic lesions, or correcting abnormal environments which predispose to high risk of malignant transformation.

  16. Development of a large inert gas ion thruster

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Steiner, G.

    1982-01-01

    A 30 cm inert gas electrostatic ion thruster has been developed, exhibiting excellent performance. In the development, the effective anode area was reduced by altering the magnetic field geometry to improve plasma containment, consistent with operational stability. The propellant introduction scheme has the effect of 'folding' the discharge chamber without the increased wall loss penalty associated with a longer chamber. These features contribute to a low discharge cost (eV/ion) versus mass utilization characteristic which remains relatively flat even to high mass utilizations.

  17. UAVEMI Project: Numerical and Experimental EM Immunity Assessment of UAV for HIRF and Lightning Indirect Effects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Garcia, Salvador G.; Silvia, Ferran; Escot, David; Pascual, Enrique; Pantoja, Mario F.; Riu, Pere; Anon, Manuel; Alvarez, Jesus; Cabello, M.; Pous, Marc; Fernandez, Sergio; Trallero, Rafael; Poyatos, David; Nuno, Luis

    2016-05-01

    The UAVEMI project, funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, gathers a consortium formed by several research and development institutions and one industrial partner. The main goal is to develop innovative experimental and numerical approaches for the assessment of the electromagnetic compatibility of unmanned air vehicles, under high intensity radiated fields, lightning indirect effects and non-nuclear electromagnetic pulses. This contribution describes the capabilities currently being developed under the project.

  18. Effect of rain on Ku-band scatterometer wind measurements

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Spencer, Michael; Shimada, Masanobu

    1991-01-01

    The impact of precipitation on scatterometer wind measurements is investigated. A model is developed which includes the effects of rain attenuation, rain backscatter, and storm horizontal structure. Rain attenuation is found to be the dominant error source at low radar incidence angles and high wind speeds. Volume backscatter from the rain-loaded atmosphere, however, is found to dominate for high incidence angles and low wind speeds.

  19. Research and Infrastructure Development Center for Nanomaterials Research

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-05-01

    scale, this technique may prove highly valuable for optimizing the distance dependent energy transfer effects for maximum sensitivity to target...this technique may prove highly valuable for optimizing the distance dependent energy transfer effects for maximum sensitivity 0 20000 40000 60000... Pulsed laser deposition of carbon films on quartz and silicon simply did not work due to their poor conductivity. We found that pyrolized photoresist

  20. Increasing the Supply of Effective Teachers in High-Poverty Schools in a Heterogeneous School District: Facilitators and Constraints

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kennedy, Leigh K.

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to clarify the ways that a district used its teacher staffing and professional development policies to increase the supply of effective teachers in high-poverty schools, to determine the efficacy of these policies in the view of district administrators and teachers, and to identify the facilitators and constraints to…

  1. Optimization of Process Parameters for High Efficiency Laser Forming of Advanced High Strength Steels within Metallurgical Constraints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sheikholeslami, Ghazal; Griffiths, Jonathan; Dearden, Geoff; Edwardson, Stuart P.

    Laser forming (LF) has been shown to be a viable alternative to form automotive grade advanced high strength steels (AHSS). Due to their high strength, heat sensitivity and low conventional formability show early fractures, larger springback, batch-to-batch inconsistency and high tool wear. In this paper, optimisation of the LF process parameters has been conducted to further understand the impact of a surface heat treatment on DP1000. A FE numerical simulation has been developed to analyse the dynamic thermo-mechanical effects. This has been verified against empirical data. The goal of the optimisation has been to develop a usable process window for the LF of AHSS within strict metallurgical constraints. Results indicate it is possible to LF this material, however a complex relationship has been found between the generation and maintenance of hardness values in the heated zone. A laser surface hardening effect has been observed that could be beneficial to the efficiency of the process.

  2. Development of the Fast Scintillation Detector with Programmable High Voltage Adjustment Suitable for Moessbauer Spectroscopy

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

    Prochazka, R.; Frydrych, J.; Pechousek, J.

    2010-07-13

    This work is focused on a development of a compact fast scintillation detector suitable for Moessbauer spectroscopy (low energy X-ray/{gamma}-ray detection) where high counting rates are inevitable. Optimization of this part was necessary for a reliable function, better time resolution and to avoid a detector pulses pile-up effect. The pile-up effect decreases the measurement performance, significantly depends on the source activity and also on the pulse duration. Our new detection unit includes a fast scintillation crystal YAP:Ce, an R6095 photomultiplier tube, a high voltage power supply socket C9028-01 assembly, an AD5252 digital potentiometer with an I2C interface and an AD8000more » ultra fast operation preamplifier. The main advantages of this solution lie in a short pulse duration (less than 200 ns), stable operation for high activities, programmable gain of the high voltage supply and compact design in the aluminum housing.« less

  3. Understanding the shock and detonation response of high explosives at the continuum and meso scales

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Handley, C. A.; Lambourn, B. D.; Whitworth, N. J.; James, H. R.; Belfield, W. J.

    2018-03-01

    The shock and detonation response of high explosives has been an active research topic for more than a century. In recent years, high quality data from experiments using embedded gauges and other diagnostic techniques have inspired the development of a range of new high-fidelity computer models for explosives. The experiments and models have led to new insights, both at the continuum scale applicable to most shock and detonation experiments, and at the mesoscale relevant to hotspots and burning within explosive microstructures. This article reviews the continuum and mesoscale models, and their application to explosive phenomena, gaining insights to aid future model development and improved understanding of the physics of shock initiation and detonation propagation. In particular, it is argued that "desensitization" and the effect of porosity on high explosives can both be explained by the combined effect of thermodynamics and hydrodynamics, rather than the traditional hotspot-based explanations linked to pressure-dependent reaction rates.

  4. The interactive effect of dietary water-soluble vitamin levels on the depression of gonadal development in growing male rats kept under disturbed daily rhythm.

    PubMed

    Hanai, Miho; Esashi, Takatoshi

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to clarify the effects of nutrients on the gonadal development of male rats kept under constant darkness as a model of disturbed daily rhythm. In the present study we examined the effects of nine water-soluble vitamins. We selected 7 water-soluble vitamins (choline, nicotinic acid (NA), pantothenic acid (PA), vitamin B6 (VB6), vitamin B1 (VB1), vitamin B2 (VB2) and folic acid (FA)) as experimental factors for the first experiment (Ex. 1) and biotin and vitamin B12 (VB12) as experimental factors for the second experiment (Ex. 2). The dietary content of these vitamins was normal or six times the normal content. Lighting condition (L.C.) was also added as a factor. Four-week-old male rats (Fischer 344 strain) were kept under constant darkness or normal lighting (12-h light/dark cycle) for 4 wk. The depression of gonadal development in the constant darkness groups (D-groups) was shown. The L.C., PA, VB6 and VB1 influenced testes development, and these three vitamins had interactions with L.C. Among the normal lighting groups (N-groups), the highest value for testes weight was observed under the normal-PA, high-VB6 and high-B1 diet; on the other hand, among the D-groups, it was observed under the high-PA, normal-VB6 and normal-VB1 diet. The results showed that the depression of gonadal development in rats kept under disturbed daily rhythm was improved by getting a high amount of PA and normal amount of VB6 and VB1.

  5. High-throughput determination of vancomycin in human plasma by a cost-effective system of two-dimensional liquid chromatography.

    PubMed

    Sheng, Yanghao; Zhou, Boting

    2017-05-26

    Therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) is one of the most important services of clinical laboratories. Two main techniques are commonly used: the immunoassay and chromatography method. We have developed a cost-effective system of two-dimensional liquid chromatography with ultraviolet detection (2D-LC-UV) for high-throughput determination of vancomycin in human plasma that combines the automation and low start-up costs of the immunoassay with the high selectivity and sensitivity of the liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometric detection without incurring their disadvantages, achieving high cost-effectiveness. This 2D-LC system offers a large volume injection to provide sufficient sensitivity and uses simulated gradient peak compression technology to control peak broadening and to improve peak shape. A middle column was added to reduce the analysis cycle time and make it suitable for high-throughput routine clinical assays. The analysis cycle time was 4min and the peak width was 0.8min. Compared with other chromatographic methods that have been developed, the analysis cycle time and peak width for vancomycin was reduced significantly. The lower limit of quantification was 0.20μg/mL for vancomycin, which is the same as certain LC-MS/MS methods that have been recently developed and validated. The method is rapid, automated, and low-cost and has high selectivity and sensitivity for the quantification of vancomycin in human plasma, thus making it well-suited for use in hospital clinical laboratories. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. A proven and highly cost-effective method of early detection of breast cancer for developing countries.

    PubMed

    Rebentisch, D P; Rebentisch, H D; Thomas, K; Karat, S; Jadhav, A J

    1995-12-01

    Carcinoma of the breast is the third most common cancer in Indian women. With rapid industrialization and effective control of communicable diseases, better diagnostic and treatment facilities, cancer is emerging as a major health problem. Since early detection is the only way to reduce morbidity and mortality from breast cancer, we undertook a pilot project to evaluate efficacy of using existing manpower and resources for screening women in the high risk group. Methodology pros and cons, results, and recommendations are presented. Our method can be adopted by any developing country interested in a screening programme for malignant disease.

  7. Modular Laboratories—Cost-Effective and Sustainable Infrastructure for Resource-Limited Settings

    PubMed Central

    Bridges, Daniel J.; Colborn, James; Chan, Adeline S. T.; Winters, Anna M.; Dengala, Dereje; Fornadel, Christen M.; Kosloff, Barry

    2014-01-01

    High-quality laboratory space to support basic science, clinical research projects, or health services is often severely lacking in the developing world. Moreover, the construction of suitable facilities using traditional methods is time-consuming, expensive, and challenging to implement. Three real world examples showing how shipping containers can be converted into modern laboratories are highlighted. These include use as an insectary, a molecular laboratory, and a BSL-3 containment laboratory. These modular conversions have a number of advantages over brick and mortar construction and provide a cost-effective and timely solution to offer high-quality, user-friendly laboratory space applicable within the developing world. PMID:25223943

  8. A parameter identification method for the rotordynamic coefficients of a high Reynolds number hydrostatic bearing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rouvas, C.; Childs, D. W.

    1993-01-01

    In identifying the rotordynamic coefficients of a high-Reynolds-number hydrostatic bearing, fluid-flow induced forces present a unique problem, in that they provide an unmeasureable and uncontrollable excitation to the bearing. An analysis method is developed that effectively eliminates the effects of fluid-flow induced excitation on the estimation of the bearing rotordynamic coefficients, by using power spectral densities. In addition to the theoretical development, the method is verified experimentally by single-frequency testing, and repeatability tests. Results obtained for a bearing are the twelve rotordynamic coefficients (stiffness, damping, and inertia coefficients) as functions of eccentricity ratio, speed, and supply pressure.

  9. Effect of Dietary-Resistant Starch on Inhibition of Colonic Preneoplasia and Wnt Signaling in Azoxymethane-Induced Rodent Models.

    PubMed

    Nelson, Bridget; Cray, Nicole; Ai, Yongfeng; Fang, Yinan; Liu, Peng; Whitley, Elizabeth M; Birt, Diane

    2016-01-01

    Dietary fiber has been reported to prevent preneoplastic colon lesions. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of resistant starches, novel dietary fibers, on the development of colonic preneoplasia and Wnt signaling in azoxymethane (AOM)-treated rats and mice fed resistant starches at 55% of the diet after AOM treatment. Another objective was to determine the effect of resistant starches on the development of preneoplasia in rats treated with antibiotics (Ab), administered between AOM treatment and resistant starch feeding. Diets containing resistant starches, high-amylose (HA7), high-amylose-octenyl succinic anhydride (OS-HA7), or high-amylose-stearic acid (SA-HA7) were compared with control cornstarch (CS). The resistant starch content of the diets did not alter the yield of colonic lesions but animals treated with AOM and fed the diet with the highest resistant starch content, SA-HA7 developed the highest average aberrant crypt foci (ACF) per animal. Mice fed the OS-HA7 diet had decreased expression of some upstream Wnt genes in the colonic crypts. This study suggests that further research is needed to determine if resistant starch impacts colon carcinogenesis in rodents.

  10. Microfluidic biosensor for β-Hydroxybutyrate (βHBA) determination of subclinical ketosis diagnosis.

    PubMed

    Weng, Xuan; Zhao, Wenting; Neethirajan, Suresh; Duffield, Todd

    2015-02-12

    Determination of β-hydroxybutyrate (βHBA) is a gold standard for diagnosis of Subclinical Ketosis (SCK), a common disease in dairy cows that causes significant economic loss. Early detection of SCK can help reduce the risk of the disease progressing into clinical stage, thus minimizing economic losses on dairy cattle. Conventional laboratory methods are time consuming and labor-intensive, requiring expensive and bulky equipment. Development of portable and robust devices for rapid on-site SCK diagnosis is an effective way to prevent and control ketosis and can significantly aid in the management of dairy animal health. Microfluidic technology provides a rapid, cost-effective way to develop handheld devices for on-farm detection of sub-clinical ketosis. In this study, a highly sensitive microfluidics-based biosensor for on-site SCK diagnosis has been developed. A rapid, low-cost microfluidic biosensor with high sensitivity and specificity was developed for SCK diagnosis. Determination of βHBA was employed as the indicator in the diagnosis of SCK. On-chip detection using miniaturized and cost-effective optical sensor can be finished in 1 minute with a detection limit of 0.05 mM concentration. Developed microfluidic biosensor was successfully tested with the serum samples from dairy cows affected by SCK. The results of the developed biosensor agreed well with two other laboratory methods. The biosensor was characterized by high sensitivity and specificity towards βHBA with a detection limit of 0.05 mM. The developed microfluidic biosensor provides a promising prototype for a cost-effective handheld meter for on-site SCK diagnosis. By using microfluidic method, the detection time is significantly decreased compared to other laboratory methods. Here, we demonstrate a field-deployable device to precisely identify and measure subclinical ketosis by specific labeling and quantification of β-hydroxybutyate in cow blood samples. A real-time on-site detection system will maximize convenience for the farmers.

  11. A Survey of the Problem of Unbalanced High School Educational Resource Allocation within the County Region in Gansu Province--Using Seven High Schools in Three Counties as an Example

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kai, Liu; Gaofu, Du

    2015-01-01

    The imbalance in allocating high school educational resources within the county region has expanded the imbalances in local high school educational development. This has caused "diseconomies of scale" in high schools, aggravated the "expansion impulse" in building model high schools, limited the growth of effective demand by…

  12. Vacuum lamination approach to fabrication of high-performance single-crystal organic field-effect transistors.

    PubMed

    Yi, H T; Chen, Y; Czelen, K; Podzorov, V

    2011-12-22

    A novel vacuum lamination approach to fabrication of high-performance single-crystal organic field-effect transistors has been developed. The non-destructive nature of this method allows a direct comparison of field-effect mobilities achieved with various gate dielectrics using the same single-crystal sample. The method also allows gating delicate systems, such as n -type crystals and SAM-coated surfaces, without perturbation. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  13. Cyclic Voltammetric Wave-Shapes for Microdisk Electrodes: Coupled Effects of Solution Resistance, Double-Layer Capacitance, and Finite Electrochemical Kinetics

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-05-01

    vaveshapea. While the use of high scan rates enhances the effect of electrode kinetics upon the voltametry , the deleterious coupled influence of pa 20...waveshapes. While the use of high scan rates enhances the effect of electrode kinetics upon the voltametry , the deleterious coupled influence of P...2 1 󈧚 Aoki et al have in- 23 vestigated linear sweep voltammetry at microdisks in the reversible case, and Zoski and co-workers have developed

  14. High-salt in addition to high-fat diet may enhance inflammation and fibrosis in liver steatosis induced by oxidative stress and dyslipidemia in mice.

    PubMed

    Uetake, Yuzaburo; Ikeda, Hitoshi; Irie, Rie; Tejima, Kazuaki; Matsui, Hiromitsu; Ogura, Sayoko; Wang, Hong; Mu, ShengYu; Hirohama, Daigoro; Ando, Katsuyuki; Sawamura, Tatsuya; Yatomi, Yutaka; Fujita, Toshiro; Shimosawa, Tatsuo

    2015-02-13

    It is widely known that salt is an accelerating factor for the progression of metabolic syndrome and causes cardiovascular diseases, most likely due to its pro-oxidant properties. We hypothesized that excessive salt intake also facilitates the development of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is frequently associated with metabolic syndrome. We examined the exacerbating effect of high-salt diet on high-fat diet-induced liver injury in a susceptible model to oxidative stress, apoE knockout and lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) transgenic mice. High-salt diet led to NASH in high-fat diet-fed LOX-1 transgenic/apoE knockout mice without affecting high-fat diet-induced dyslipidemia or hepatic triglyceride accumulation. Additionally, a high-salt and high-fat diet stimulated oxidative stress production and inflammatory reaction to a greater extent than did a high-fat diet in the liver of LOX-1 transgenic/apoE knockout mice. We demonstrated that high-salt diet exacerbated NASH in high-fat diet-fed LOX-1 transgenic /apoE knockout mice and that this effect was associated with the stimulation of oxidative and inflammatory processes; this is the first study to suggest the important role of excessive salt intake in the development of NASH.

  15. USSR Report, Agriculture.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-05-03

    interest. It demonstrates the possibility of developing vital varieties with a high degree of effectiveness of seed -farming selections according to the...the winter period in practically all zones of the republic there were sharp changes in temperature , which meant that plants either began to grow or...curtailed vegetation. Such overwintering had a negative effect on plants-they grew and developed slowly. However, as a result of the use of

  16. Aerothermal Test of Thermal Protection Systems for X-33 Reusable Launch Vehicle

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sawyer, James Wayne; Hodge, Jefferson; Moore, Brad; Snyder, Kevin

    1999-01-01

    An array of metallic Thermal Protection System (TPS) panels developed for the windward surface of the X-33 vehicle was tested in the 8-Foot High Temperature Tunnel at the NASA Langley Research Center. These tests were the first aerothermal tests of an X-33 TPS array and the test results will be used to validate the TPS for the X-33 flight program. Specifically, the tests evaluated the structural and thermal performance of the TPS, the effectiveness of the high temperature seals between adjacent panels and the durability of the TPS under realistic aerothermal flight conditions. The effect of varying panel-to-panel step heights, intentional damage to the seals between adjacent panels, and the use of secondary seals were also investigated during the test program. The metallic TPS developed for the windward surface of the X-33, the blanket TPS developed to protect the leeward surfaces of the X-33, and the test program in the 8-Foot High Temperature Tunnel are presented and discussed.

  17. Antifouling property of highly oleophobic substrates for solar cell surfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fukada, Kenta; Nishizawa, Shingo; Shiratori, Seimei

    2014-03-01

    Reduction of solar cell conversion efficiency by bird spoor or oil smoke is a common issue. Maintaining the surface of solar cells clean to retain the incident light is of utmost importance. In this respect, there has been growing interest in the area of superhydrophobicity for developing water repelling and self-cleaning surfaces. This effect is inspired by lotus leaves that have micro papillae covered with hydrophobic wax nanostructures. Superhydrophobic surfaces on transparent substrates have been developed for removing contaminants from solar cell surfaces. However, oil cannot be removed by superhydrophobic effect. In contrast, to prevent bird spoor, a highly oleophobic surface is required. In a previous study, we reported transparent-type fabrics comprising nanoparticles with a nano/micro hierarchical structure that ensured both oleophobicity and transparency. In the current study, we developed new highly oleophobic stripes that were constructed into semi-transparent oleophobic surfaces for solar cells. Solar cell performance was successfully maintained; the total transmittance was a key factor for determining conversion efficiency.

  18. Development of Fast and Reliable Free-Energy Density Functional Methods for Simulations of Dense Plasmas from Cold- to Hot-Temperature Regimes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Karasiev, V. V.

    2017-10-01

    Free-energy density functional theory (DFT) is one of the standard tools in high-energy-density physics used to determine the fundamental properties of dense plasmas, especially in cold and warm regimes when quantum effects are essential. DFT is usually implemented via the orbital-dependent Kohn-Sham (KS) procedure. There are two challenges of conventional implementation: (1) KS computational cost becomes prohibitively expensive at high temperatures; and (2) ground-state exchange-correlation (XC) functionals do not take into account the XC thermal effects. This talk will address both challenges and report details of the formal development of new generalized gradient approximation (GGA) XC free-energy functional which bridges low-temperature (ground state) and high-temperature (plasma) limits. Recent progress on development of functionals for orbital-free DFT as a way to address the second challenge will also be discussed. This material is based upon work supported by the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration under Award Number DE-NA0001944.

  19. Adolescent development, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function, and programming of adult learning and memory.

    PubMed

    McCormick, Cheryl M; Mathews, Iva Z

    2010-06-30

    Chronic exposure to stress is known to affect learning and memory in adults through the release of glucocorticoid hormones by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In adults, glucocorticoids alter synaptic structure and function in brain regions that express high levels of glucocorticoid receptors and that mediate goal-directed behaviour and learning and memory. In contrast to relatively transient effects of stress on cognitive function in adulthood, exposure to high levels of glucocorticoids in early life can produce enduring changes through substantial remodeling of the developing nervous system. Adolescence is another time of significant brain development and maturation of the HPA axis, thereby providing another opportunity for glucocorticoids to exert programming effects on neurocircuitry involved in learning and memory. These topics are reviewed, as is the emerging research evidence in rodent models highlighting that adolescence may be a period of increased vulnerability compared to adulthood in which exposure to high levels of glucocorticoids results in enduring changes in adult cognitive function. Copyright 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. VIP as a potential therapeutic agent in gram negative sepsis.

    PubMed

    Ibrahim, Hiba; Barrow, Paul; Foster, Neil

    2012-12-01

    Gram negative sepsis remains a high cause of mortality and places a great burden on public health finance in both the developed and developing world. Treatment of sepsis, using antibiotics, is often ineffective since pathology associated with the disease occurs due to dysregulation of the immune system (failure to return to steady state conditions) which continues after the bacteria, which induced the immune response, have been cleared. Immune modulation is therefore a rational approach to the treatment of sepsis but to date no drug has been developed which is highly effective, cheap and completely safe to use. One potential therapeutic agent is VIP, which is a natural peptide and is highly homologous in all vertebrates. In this review we will discuss the effect of VIP on components of the immune system, relevant to gram negative sepsis, and present data from animal models. Furthermore we will hypothesise on how these studies could be improved in future and speculate on the possible different ways in which VIP could be used in clinical medicine.

  1. New approaches in clinical application of laser-driven ionizing radiation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hideghéty, Katalin; Szabó, Rita Emilia; Polanek, Róbert; Szabó, Zoltán.; Brunner, Szilvia; Tőkés, Tünde

    2017-05-01

    The planned laser-driven ionizing beams (photon, very high energy electron, proton, carbon ion) at laser facilities have the unique property of ultra-high dose rate (>Gy/s-10), short pulses, and at ELI-ALPS high repetition rate, carry the potential to develop novel laser-driven methods towards compact hospital-based clinical application. The enhanced flexibility in particle and energy selection, the high spatial and time resolution and extreme dose rate could be highly beneficial in radiotherapy. These approaches may increase significantly the therapeutic index over the currently available advanced radiation oncology methods. We highlight two nuclear reactionbased binary modalities and the planned radiobiology research. Boron Neutron Capture Therapy is an advanced cell targeted modality requiring 10B enriched boron carrier and appropriate neutron beam. The development of laser-based thermal and epithermal neutron source with as high as 1010 fluence rate could enhance the research activity in this promising field. Boron-Proton Fusion reaction is as well as a binary approach, where 11B containing compounds are accumulated into the cells, and the tumour selectively irradiated with protons. Due to additional high linear energy transfer alpha particle release of the BPFR and the maximum point of the Bragg-peak is increased, which result in significant biological effect enhancement. Research at ELI-ALPS on detection of biological effect differences of modified or different quality radiation will be presented using recently developed zebrafish embryo and rodent models.

  2. Effect of high-oxygen and high-carbon-dioxide atmospheres on strawberry flavor and other quality traits.

    PubMed

    Pérez, A G; Sanz, C

    2001-05-01

    The effect of high-oxygen atmospheres on strawberry flavor was studied. Strawberry fruits (Fragariax ananassa Duch. cv. Camarosa) were stored at 8 degrees C in four different atmospheres: air, 5% O(2)/20% CO(2), 80% O(2)/20% CO(2), and 90% O(2)/10% CO(2). Changes in several quality parameters were evaluated. Atmospheres combining high O(2) and high CO(2) were the most effective in preventing fungal growth and enhancing strawberry firmness. Other quality parameters such as color, titrable acidity, sugars and organic acids distribution, off-flavor development, and aroma were only mildly affected by superatmospheric O(2) levels. After one week of storage, unexpected high contents of off-flavor related compounds were found in the 80% O(2)/20% CO(2) and 90% O(2)/10% CO(2) atmospheres. Evidence of an altered ester biosynthesis was also found in fruits stored under these high-O(2) atmospheres. Data obtained suggest that stress induced by high CO(2) and stress induced by high O(2) have an additive effect on strawberry flavor alteration.

  3. Workplace physical activity interventions and moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity levels among working-age women: a systematic review protocol.

    PubMed

    Reed, Jennifer L; Prince, Stephanie A; Cole, Christie A; Fodor, J George; Hiremath, Swapnil; Mullen, Kerri-Anne; Tulloch, Heather E; Wright, Erica; Reid, Robert D

    2014-12-19

    The rapid pace of modern life requires working-age women to juggle occupational, family and social demands. This modern lifestyle has been shown to have a detrimental effect on health, often associated with increased smoking and alcohol consumption, depression and cardiovascular disease risk factors. Despite the proven benefits of regular moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA), few are meeting the current physical activity (PA) recommendations of 150 min of MVPA/week. It is important that appropriate and effective behavioural interventions targeting PA are developed and identified to improve the MVPA levels of working-age women. As these women spend a substantial proportion of their waking hours at work, workplaces may be an opportune, efficient and relatively controlled setting to implement programmes and strategies to target PA in an effort to improve MVPA levels and impact cardiometabolic health. The purposes of this systematic review are to compare the effectiveness of individual-level workplace interventions for increasing MVPA levels in working-age women in high-income/developed countries and examine the effectiveness of these interventions for improving the known beneficial health sequelae of MVPA. Eight electronic databases will be searched to identify all prospective cohort and experimental studies that examine the impact of individual-level workplace interventions for increasing MVPA levels among working-age (mean age 18-65 years) women from high-income/developed countries. Grey literature including theses, dissertations and government reports will also be included. Study quality will be assessed using a modified Downs and Black checklist, and risk of bias will be assessed within and across all included studies using the Cochrane's risk of bias tool and Grades of Recommendation, Assessment, Development and Evaluation approach. Meta-analyses will be conducted where possible among studies with sufficient homogeneity. This review will determine the effectiveness of individual-level workplace interventions for increasing MVPA levels in working-age women in high-income/developed countries, and form a current, rigorous and reliable research base for policy makers and stakeholders to support the development and implementation of effective workplace interventions that increase MVPA levels in this population. PROSPERO CRD42014009704.

  4. Neutropenia during High Dose Intravenous Oxacillin Therapy

    PubMed Central

    Ahern, Mary Jean; Hicks, Jeanne E.; Andriole, Vincent T.

    1976-01-01

    Five patients who developed neutropenia following intravenous administration of high dose oxacillin for serious Staphylococcus aureus infection are described. Neutropenia was reversible with cessation of intravenous oxacillin therapy. Two patients were continued on oral oxacillin without untoward effects. PMID:997595

  5. High-efficiency crystalline silicon technology development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Prince, M. B.

    1984-01-01

    The rationale for pursuing high efficiency crystalline silicon technology research is discussed. Photovoltaic energy systems are reviewed as to their cost effectiveness and their competitiveness with other energy systems. The parameters of energy system life are listed and briefly reviewed.

  6. Beyond Absenteeism: Father Incarceration and Child Development*

    PubMed Central

    Geller, Amanda; Cooper, Carey E.; Garfinkel, Irwin; Schwartz-Soicher, Ofira; Mincy, Ronald B.

    2013-01-01

    High rates of incarceration among American men, coupled with high rates of fatherhood among men in prison, have motivated recent research on the effects of parental imprisonment on children’s development. We use data from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study to examine the relationship between paternal incarceration and developmental outcomes for approximately 3,000 urban children. We estimate cross-sectional and longitudinal regression models that control not only for fathers’ basic demographic characteristics and a rich set of potential confounders, but also for several measures of pre-incarceration child development and family fixed effects. We find significant increases in aggressive behaviors among children whose fathers are incarcerated, and some evidence of increased attention problems. The estimated effects of paternal incarceration are stronger than those of other forms of father absence, suggesting that children with incarcerated fathers may require specialized support from caretakers, teachers, and social service providers. The estimated effects are stronger for children who lived with their fathers prior to incarceration, but are also significant for children of nonresident fathers, suggesting that incarceration places children at risk through family hardships including and beyond parent-child separation. PMID:22203452

  7. A prototype automatic phase compensation module

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Terry, John D.

    1992-01-01

    The growing demands for high gain and accurate satellite communication systems will necessitate the utilization of large reflector systems. One area of concern of reflector based satellite communication is large scale surface deformations due to thermal effects. These distortions, when present, can degrade the performance of the reflector system appreciable. This performance degradation is manifested by a decrease in peak gain, and increase in sidelobe level, and pointing errors. It is essential to compensate for these distortion effects and to maintain the required system performance in the operating space environment. For this reason the development of a technique to offset the degradation effects is highly desirable. Currently, most research is direct at developing better material for the reflector. These materials have a lower coefficient of linear expansion thereby reducing the surface errors. Alternatively, one can minimize the distortion effects of these large scale errors by adaptive phased array compensation. Adaptive phased array techniques have been studied extensively at NASA and elsewhere. Presented in this paper is a prototype automatic phase compensation module designed and built at NASA Lewis Research Center which is the first stage of development for an adaptive array compensation module.

  8. Effects of nasal instillation of a nitric oxide-releasing solution or parenteral administration of tilmicosin on the nasopharyngeal microbiota of beef feedlot cattle at high-risk of developing respiratory tract disease.

    PubMed

    Timsit, E; Workentine, M; Crepieux, T; Miller, C; Regev-Shoshani, G; Schaefer, A; Alexander, T

    2017-12-01

    Nitric oxide has bactericidal and virucidal properties. Nasal instillation of a nitric oxide releasing solution (NORS) on arrival at the feedlot was recently reported as inferior to a parenteral injection of tilmicosin (macrolide antibiotic) for control of bovine respiratory disease (BRD) in cattle at high-risk of developing BRD. We hypothesized that this inferiority was due to differences between treatments with regards to their effects on the nasopharyngeal microbiota. The objective was to compare nasal instillation of NORS versus parenteral administration of tilmicosin regarding their effects on the nasopharyngeal microbiota of feedlot cattle at high-risk of developing BRD. Culture-independent community profiling (16S rRNA sequencing) and culture-based methods were used to evaluate treatment effects. High-risk Angus-cross heifers (n=20) were randomly allocated to 2 treatment groups on arrival at a feedlot and received either NORS or tilmicosin for prevention of BRD. Heifers were sampled using guarded deep nasal swabs immediately prior to treatment (day 0) and on days 1, 5 and 10 after treatment. Based on culture-independent community profiling, there was a distinct shift in composition of the nasopharyngeal microbiota during the first 10 d after arrival, with 116 OTUs changing over time, but no difference between treatment groups. However, culture-based methods detected a difference between treatment groups, with more cattle culture-positive for Pasteurellaceae in the NORS group at day 5 post-treatment. This difference in ability to inhibit colonization of the nasopharynx by Pasteurellaceae may be the basis for NORS being inferior to tilmicosin for control of BRD in high-risk cattle. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  9. Behavioural and physiological effects of population density on domesticated Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata) held in aviaries.

    PubMed

    Poot, Hanneke; ter Maat, Andries; Trost, Lisa; Schwabl, Ingrid; Jansen, René F; Gahr, Manfred

    2012-02-01

    Zebra Finches (Taeniopygia guttata) are highly social and monogamous birds that display relatively low levels of aggression and coordinate group life mainly by means of vocal communication. In the wild, small groups may congregate to larger flocks of up to 150-350 birds. Little is known, however, about possible effects of population density on development in captivity. Investigating density effects on physiology and behaviour might be helpful in identifying optimal group size, in order to optimise Zebra Finch wellbeing. A direct effect of population density on development and reproduction was found: birds in lower density conditions produced significantly more and larger (body mass, tarsus length) surviving offspring than birds in high density conditions. Furthermore, offspring in low density aviaries produced slightly longer song motifs and more different syllables than their tutors, whereas offspring in high density aviaries produced shorter motifs and a smaller or similar number of different syllables than their tutors. Aggression levels within the populations were low throughout the experiment, but the number of aggressive interactions was significantly higher in high density aviaries. Baseline corticosterone levels did not differ significantly between high- and low density aviaries for either adult or offspring birds. On day 15 post hatching, brood size and baseline corticosterone levels were positively correlated. On days 60 and 100 post hatching this correlation was no longer present. The results of this study prove that population density affects various aspects of Zebra Finch development, with birds living in low population density conditions having an advantage over those living under higher population density conditions. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. A review of surface energy balance models for estimating actual evapotranspiration with remote sensing at high spatiotemporal resolution over large extents

    Treesearch

    Ryan R. McShane; Katelyn P. Driscoll; Roy Sando

    2017-01-01

    Many approaches have been developed for measuring or estimating actual evapotranspiration (ETa), and research over many years has led to the development of remote sensing methods that are reliably reproducible and effective in estimating ETa. Several remote sensing methods can be used to estimate ETa at the high spatial resolution of agricultural fields and the large...

  11. High beta and second stability region transport and stability analysis: Technical progress report

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

    Hughes, M.H.; Phillips, M.W.

    1995-03-01

    This report summarizes MHD equilibrium and stability studies carried out at Northrop Grumman`s Advanced Technology and Development Center during the 12 month period starting March 1, 1994. Progress is reported in both ideal and resistive MHD modeling of TFTR plasmas. The development of codes to calculate the significant effects of highly anisotropic pressure distributions is discussed along with results from this model.

  12. AHRQ series paper 2: principles for developing guidance: AHRQ and the effective health-care program.

    PubMed

    Helfand, Mark; Balshem, Howard

    2010-05-01

    This article describes some of the fundamental principles that have been developed to guide the work of producing comparative effectiveness reviews (CERs). We briefly describe the role stakeholders play in providing important insights that inform the evidence-gathering process, and discuss the critical role of analytic frameworks in illuminating the relationship between surrogate measures and health outcomes, providing an understanding of the context in which clinical decisions are made and the uncertainties that underlie clinical controversies. We describe the Effective Health Care program conceptual model for considering different types of evidence that emphasizes minimizing the risk of bias, but places high-quality, highly applicable evidence about effectiveness at the top of the hierarchy. Finally, we briefly describe areas of future methodological research. CERs have become a foundation for decision-making in clinical practice and health policy. To be useful, CERs must approach the evidence from a patient-centered perspective; explore the clinical logic underlying the rationale for a service; cast a broad net with respect to types of evidence, placing a high value on effectiveness and applicability, in addition to internal validity; and, present benefits and harms for treatments and tests in a consistent way.

  13. Flow-field characteristics of high-temperature annular buoyant jets and their development laws influenced by ventilation system.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yi; Huang, Yanqiu; Liu, Jiaping; Wang, Hai; Liu, Qiuhan

    2013-01-01

    The flow-field characteristics of high-temperature annular buoyant jets as well as the development laws influenced by ventilation system were studied using numerical methods to eliminate the pollutants effectively in this paper. The development laws of high-temperature annular buoyant jets were analyzed and compared with previous studies, including radial velocity distribution, axial velocity and temperature decay, reattachment position, cross-section diameter, volumetric flow rate, and velocity field characteristics with different pressures at the exhaust hood inlet. The results showed that when the ratio of outer diameter to inner diameter of the annulus was smaller than 5/2, the flow-field characteristics had significant difference compared to circular buoyant jets with the same outer diameter. For similar diameter ratios, reattachment in this paper occurred further downstream in contrast to previous study. Besides, the development laws of volumetric flow rate and cross-section diameter were given with different initial parameters. In addition, through analyzing air distribution characteristics under the coupling effect of high-temperature annular buoyant jets and ventilation system, it could be found that the position where maximum axial velocity occurred was changing gradually when the pressure at the exhaust hood inlet changed from 0 Pa to -5 Pa.

  14. Flow-Field Characteristics of High-Temperature Annular Buoyant Jets and Their Development Laws Influenced by Ventilation System

    PubMed Central

    Liu, Jiaping; Wang, Hai; Liu, Qiuhan

    2013-01-01

    The flow-field characteristics of high-temperature annular buoyant jets as well as the development laws influenced by ventilation system were studied using numerical methods to eliminate the pollutants effectively in this paper. The development laws of high-temperature annular buoyant jets were analyzed and compared with previous studies, including radial velocity distribution, axial velocity and temperature decay, reattachment position, cross-section diameter, volumetric flow rate, and velocity field characteristics with different pressures at the exhaust hood inlet. The results showed that when the ratio of outer diameter to inner diameter of the annulus was smaller than 5/2, the flow-field characteristics had significant difference compared to circular buoyant jets with the same outer diameter. For similar diameter ratios, reattachment in this paper occurred further downstream in contrast to previous study. Besides, the development laws of volumetric flow rate and cross-section diameter were given with different initial parameters. In addition, through analyzing air distribution characteristics under the coupling effect of high-temperature annular buoyant jets and ventilation system, it could be found that the position where maximum axial velocity occurred was changing gradually when the pressure at the exhaust hood inlet changed from 0 Pa to −5 Pa. PMID:24000278

  15. Development of high-performance printed organic field-effect transistors and integrated circuits.

    PubMed

    Xu, Yong; Liu, Chuan; Khim, Dongyoon; Noh, Yong-Young

    2015-10-28

    Organic electronics is regarded as an important branch of future microelectronics especially suited for large-area, flexible, transparent, and green devices, with their low cost being a key benefit. Organic field-effect transistors (OFETs), the primary building blocks of numerous expected applications, have been intensively studied, and considerable progress has recently been made. However, there are still a number of challenges to the realization of high-performance OFETs and integrated circuits (ICs) using printing technologies. Therefore, in this perspective article, we investigate the main issues concerning developing high-performance printed OFETs and ICs and seek strategies for further improvement. Unlike many other studies in the literature that deal with organic semiconductors (OSCs), printing technology, and device physics, our study commences with a detailed examination of OFET performance parameters (e.g., carrier mobility, threshold voltage, and contact resistance) by which the related challenges and potential solutions to performance development are inspected. While keeping this complete understanding of device performance in mind, we check the printed OFETs' components one by one and explore the possibility of performance improvement regarding device physics, material engineering, processing procedure, and printing technology. Finally, we analyze the performance of various organic ICs and discuss ways to optimize OFET characteristics and thus develop high-performance printed ICs for broad practical applications.

  16. Development of in vitro and in vivo rabies virus neutralization assays based on a high-titer pseudovirus system

    PubMed Central

    Nie, Jianhui; Wu, Xiaohong; Ma, Jian; Cao, Shouchun; Huang, Weijin; Liu, Qiang; Li, Xuguang; Li, Yuhua; Wang, Youchun

    2017-01-01

    Pseudoviruses are useful virological tools because of their safety and versatility; however the low titer of these viruses substantially limits their wider applications. We developed a highly efficient pseudovirus production system capable of yielding 100 times more rabies pseudovirus than the traditional method. Employing the high-titer pseudoviruses, we have developed robust in vitro and in vivo neutralization assays for the evaluation of rabies vaccine, which traditionally relies on live-virus based assays. Compared with current rapid fluorescent focus inhibition test (RFFIT), our in vitro pseudovirus-based neutralization assay (PBNA) is much less labor-intensive while demonstrating better reproducibility. Moreover, the in vivo PBNA assay was also found to be superior to the live virus based assay. Following intravenous administration, the pseudovirus effectively infected the mice, with dynamic viral distributions being sequentially observed in spleen, liver and brain. Furthermore, data from in vivo PBNA showed great agreement with those generated from the live virus model but with the experimental time significantly reduced from 2 weeks to 3 days. Taken together, the effective pseudovirus production system facilitated the development of novel PBNA assays which could replace live virus-based traditional assays due to its safety, rapidity, reproducibility and high throughput capacity. PMID:28218278

  17. Trends in high pressure developments for new perspectives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Largeteau, Alain; Prakasam, Mythili

    2018-06-01

    Temperature and Pressure are two parameters in the universe, where pressure represents the largest scale in comparison to temperature. The design of high pressure equipment depends mainly on the media used which could be gas, liquid or solid and the objective could be synthesis of materials or in situ characterization. The development of new research fields requiring high pressure equipment which are currently in Bordeaux - France are based on the historical development of high pressure domain initiated by Professor Gerard DEMAZEAU and his team during the last half century, which is discussed here. The main concepts governing the effect of pressure on materials synthesis is by the combination of high pressure and high temperature which are described with apt examples. There is an upsurge in various technologies for strong development for the synthesis of materials to drive several possibilities, for example: to reach very high density to obtain optical ceramics (by conventional SPS), to diminish parameters (P, T, t) of synthesis (by HP-SPS), to sinter at low temperature thermal sensitive composition (by HyS), to consolidate porous materials (by FIP), to densify biocomposite with cold decontamination (by HHP) simultaneously, etc.

  18. Effect of noopept and afobazole on the development of neurosis of learned helplessness in rats.

    PubMed

    Uyanaev, A A; Fisenko, V P; Khitrov, N K

    2003-08-01

    We studied the effects of new psychotropic preparations noopept and afobazole on acquisition of the conditioned active avoidance response and development of neurosis of learned helplessness in rats. Noopept in doses of 0.05-0.10 mg/kg accelerated acquisition of conditioned active avoidance response and reduced the incidence of learned helplessness in rats. Afobazole in a dose of 5 mg/kg produced an opposite effect, which is probably related to high selective anxiolytic activity of this preparation.

  19. Early Life Stress and Sleep Restriction as Risk Factors in PTSD: An Integrative Pre-Clinical Approach

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-04-01

    potential risk factors, with high relevance to soldiers. The primary aims of the project are thus. 1) To establish an effective animal model of PTSD that...develop the model as a platform for pharmacological testing of novel targets for drug development 5) As an additional aim – once an effective animal model...thus: 1) To establish an effective animal model of PTSD that would take into consideration the contribution of risk factors to the induction of the

  20. Psychiatry's future: facing reality.

    PubMed

    Staton, D

    1991-01-01

    U.S. public and private health care costs, including mental health treatment costs, continue to rise at unacceptably high annual rates of increase. "Basic" health insurance plans presently being developed by both public and private payers, in response to this crisis, will include: (1) severely limited coverage for psychiatric care; and (2) coverage for specific categories of serious mental illness. Psychiatrists must develop cost-effective goals and treatment standards that achieve satisfactory outcomes for these high-priority conditions. Treatment standards must be compatible with economic reality. Psychiatry as a profession (i.e., all psychiatrists) must accept cost-effective treatment responsibility for society's most seriously mentally ill individuals. We need to train psychiatrists who are biologically-, crisis-, and rehabilitation-oriented and who can practice effectively and comfortably within society's treatment expectations and funding constraints.

  1. Incorporation of Mean Stress Effects into the Micromechanical Analysis of the High Strain Rate Response of Polymer Matrix Composites

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Goldberg, Robert K.; Roberts, Gary D.; Gilat, Amos

    2002-01-01

    The results presented here are part of an ongoing research program, to develop strain rate dependent deformation and failure models for the analysis of polymer matrix composites subject to high strain rate impact loads. A micromechanics approach is employed in this work, in which state variable constitutive equations originally developed for metals have been modified to model the deformation of the polymer matrix, and a strength of materials based micromechanics method is used to predict the effective response of the composite. In the analysis of the inelastic deformation of the polymer matrix, the definitions of the effective stress and effective inelastic strain have been modified in order to account for the effect of hydrostatic stresses, which are significant in polymers. Two representative polymers, a toughened epoxy and a brittle epoxy, are characterized through the use of data from tensile and shear tests across a variety of strain rates. Results computed by using the developed constitutive equations correlate well with data generated via experiments. The procedure used to incorporate the constitutive equations within a micromechanics method is presented, and sample calculations of the deformation response of a composite for various fiber orientations and strain rates are discussed.

  2. Rural development and urban migration: can we keep them down on the farm?

    PubMed

    Rhoda, R

    1983-01-01

    This study tests the hypothesis that rural development projects and programs reduce rural-urban migration. The author presents various factors in the social theories of migration, including those relating to origin and destination, intervening obstacles such as distance, and personal factors. 3 economic models of migration are the human capital or cost-benefit approach, the expected income model, and the intersectoral linkage model. Empirical studies of migration indicate that: 1) rural areas with high rates of out-migration tend to have high population densities or high ratios of labor to arable land, 2) distance inhibits migration, 3) rural-urban migration is positively correlated with family income level, and 4) selectivity differences in socioeconomic status between migrants and nonmigrants often are grouped into development packages which might include irrigation, new varieties of seed, subsidized credit, increased extension, and improved marketing arrangements. The migration impacts of some of these efforts are described: 1) land reform usually is expected to slow rural out-migration because it normally increases labor utilization in rural areas, but this is a limited effect, 2) migration effects of the Green Revolution technology are mainly in rural-rural migration, and 3) agricultural mechanization may stimulate rural-urban migration in the long run. Development of rural social services migh have various effects on rural-urban migration. Better rural education, which improves the chances of urban employment, will stimulate rural-urban migration, while successful rural family planning programs will have a negative effect in the long run as there will be reduced population pressure on arable land. Better rural health services might reduce the incentive for rural-urban migration as well. It is suggested that governments reconsider policies which rely on rural development to curb rural-urban migration and alleviate problems of urban poverty and underemployment.

  3. Maternal modulation of novelty effects on physical development.

    PubMed

    Tang, Akaysha C; Yang, Zhen; Reeb-Sutherland, Bethany C; Romeo, Russell D; McEwen, Bruce S

    2012-02-07

    Familiarity to the mother and the novelty afforded by the postnatal environment are two contrasting sources of neonatal influence. One hypothesis regarding their relationship is the maternal modulation hypothesis, which predicts that the same neonatal stimulation may have different effects depending on the maternal context. Here we tested this hypothesis using physical development, indexed by body weight, as an endpoint and found that, among offspring of mothers with a high initial swim-stress-induced corticosterone (CORT) response, neonatal novelty exposure induced an enhancement in early growth, and among offspring with mothers of a low initial CORT response, the same neonatal stimulation induced an impairment. At an older age, a novelty-induced increase in body weight was also found among offspring of mothers with high postnatal care reliability and a novelty-induced reduction found among offspring of mothers with low care reliability. These results support a maternal modulation of early stimulation effects on physical development and demonstrate that the maternal influence originates from multiple instead of any singular sources. These results (i) significantly extend the findings of maternal modulation from the domain of cognitive development to the domain of physical development; (ii) offer a unifying explanation for a previously inconsistent literature regarding early stimulation effects on body weight; and (iii) highlight the notion that the early experience effect involves no causal primacy but higher order interactions among the initial triggering events and subsequent events involving a multitude of maternal and nonmaternal influences.

  4. Effect of precipitation inhibitors on indomethacin supersaturation maintenance: mechanisms and modeling.

    PubMed

    Patel, Dhaval D; Anderson, Bradley D

    2014-05-05

    This study quantitatively explores the mechanisms underpinning the effects of model pharmaceutical polymeric precipitation inhibitors (PPIs) on the crystal growth and, in turn, maintenance of supersaturation of indomethacin, a model poorly water-soluble drug. A recently developed second-derivative UV spectroscopy method and a first-order empirical crystal growth model were used to determine indomethacin crystal growth rates in the presence of model PPIs. All three model PPIs including HP-β-CD, PVP, and HPMC inhibited indomethacin crystal growth at both high and low degrees of supersaturation (S). The bulk viscosity changes in the presence of model PPIs could not explain their crystal growth inhibitory effects. At 0.05% w/w, PVP (133-fold) and HPMC (28-fold) were better crystal growth inhibitors than HP-β-CD at high S. The inhibitory effect of HP-β-CD on the bulk diffusion-controlled indomethacin crystal growth at high S was successfully modeled using reactive diffusion layer theory, which assumes reversible complexation in the diffusion layer. Although HP-β-CD only modestly inhibited indomethacin crystal growth at either high S (∼15%) or low S (∼2-fold), the crystal growth inhibitory effects of PVP and HPMC were more dramatic, particularly at high S (0.05% w/w). The superior crystal growth inhibitory effects of PVP and HPMC as compared with HP-β-CD at high S were attributed to a change in the indomethacin crystal growth rate-limiting step from bulk diffusion to surface integration. Indomethacin crystal growth inhibitory effects of all three model PPIs at low S were attributed to retardation of the rate of surface integration of indomethacin, a phenomenon that may reflect the adsorption of PPIs onto the growing crystal surface. The quantitative approaches outlined in this study should be useful in future studies to develop tools to predict supersaturation maintenance effects of PPIs.

  5. Probabilistic Material Strength Degradation Model for Inconel 718 Components Subjected to High Temperature, Mechanical Fatigue, Creep and Thermal Fatigue Effects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bast, Callie Corinne Scheidt

    1994-01-01

    This thesis presents the on-going development of methodology for a probabilistic material strength degradation model. The probabilistic model, in the form of a postulated randomized multifactor equation, provides for quantification of uncertainty in the lifetime material strength of aerospace propulsion system components subjected to a number of diverse random effects. This model is embodied in the computer program entitled PROMISS, which can include up to eighteen different effects. Presently, the model includes four effects that typically reduce lifetime strength: high temperature, mechanical fatigue, creep, and thermal fatigue. Statistical analysis was conducted on experimental Inconel 718 data obtained from the open literature. This analysis provided regression parameters for use as the model's empirical material constants, thus calibrating the model specifically for Inconel 718. Model calibration was carried out for four variables, namely, high temperature, mechanical fatigue, creep, and thermal fatigue. Methodology to estimate standard deviations of these material constants for input into the probabilistic material strength model was developed. Using the current version of PROMISS, entitled PROMISS93, a sensitivity study for the combined effects of mechanical fatigue, creep, and thermal fatigue was performed. Results, in the form of cumulative distribution functions, illustrated the sensitivity of lifetime strength to any current value of an effect. In addition, verification studies comparing a combination of mechanical fatigue and high temperature effects by model to the combination by experiment were conducted. Thus, for Inconel 718, the basic model assumption of independence between effects was evaluated. Results from this limited verification study strongly supported this assumption.

  6. Insects as test systems for assessing the potential role of microgravity in biological development and evolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vernós, I.; Carratalá, M.; González-Jurado, J.; Valverde, J. R.; Calleja, M.; Domingo, A.; Vinós, J.; Cervera, M.; Marco, R.

    Gravity and radiation are undoubtedly the two major environmental factors altered in space. Gravity is a weak force, which creates a permanent potential field acting on the mass of biological systems and their cellular components, strongly reduced in space flights. Developmental systems, particularly at very early stages, provide the larger cellular compartments known, where the effects of alterations in the size of the gravity vector on living organisms can be more effectively tested. The insects, one of the more highly evolved classes of animals in which early development occurs in a syncytial embryo, are systems particularly well suited to test these effects and the specific developmental mechanisms affected. Furthermore, they share some basic features such as small size, short life cycles, relatively high radio-resistance, etc. and show a diversity of developmental strategies and tempos advantageous in experiments of this type in space. Drosophila melanogaster, the current biological paradigm to study development, with so much genetic and evolutionary background available, is clearly the reference organism for these studies. The current evidence on the effects of the physical parameters altered in space flights on insect development indicate a surprising correlation between effects seen on the fast developing and relatively small Drosophila embryo and the more slowly developing and large Carausius morosus system. In relation to the issue of the importance of developmental and environmental constraints in biological evolution, still the missing link in current evolutionary thinking, insects and space facilities for long-term experiments could provide useful experimental settings where to critically assess how development and evolution may be interconnected. Finally, it has to be pointed out that since there are experimental data indicating a possible synergism between microgravity and space radiation, possible effects of space radiation should be taken into account in the planning and evaluation of experiments designed to test the potential role of microgravity on biological development and evolution.

  7. Housing conditions modulate the reinforcing properties of cocaine in adolescent mice that binge on fat.

    PubMed

    Blanco-Gandía, M Carmen; Montagud-Romero, Sandra; Aguilar, María A; Miñarro, José; Rodríguez-Arias, Marta

    2018-01-01

    Binge eating is a specific form of overeating characterized by intermittent, excessive eating. To date, several studies have addressed the effects that bingeing on fat has on the rewarding effects of drugs of abuse, but they have found contradictory and highly variable results. Housing conditions could modulate these results, as most studies employ isolated animals to measure the exact amount of food that is ingested. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of housing conditions on the response of mice to cocaine, modulated by bingeing on a high-fat diet during adolescence. After 40days of binge-eating for 2h, three days a week (PND 29-69), the reinforcing effects of a non-effective dose of cocaine (1mg/kg) was evaluated using the conditioned place preference (CPP) paradigm. The anxiolytic profile using the Elevated Plus Maze and circulating leptin and corticosterone levels were also assessed. Our results show a significant escalation in the consumption of a high-fat diet between the first and the last week in both types of housed mice. Among the grouped mice, only those exposed to high-fat binge (HFB) developed CPP. Conversely, isolated mice fed with standard diet were more sensitive to the rewarding effects of a subthreshold dose of cocaine than those fed with HFB. Plasma leptin levels were elevated in both groups that developed CPP. Although isolated animals presented higher corticosterone levels with respect to the grouped ones, anxiety levels did not differ. Therefore, our results highlight the importance of housing conditions on the effects that a high-fat diet exerts on cocaine reward. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. High-intensity and resistance training and elite young athletes.

    PubMed

    Ratel, Sébastien

    2011-01-01

    Although in the past resistance and high-intensity exercise training among young children was the subject of numerous controversies, it is now well-documented that this training mode is a safe and effective means of developing maximal strength, maximal power output and athletic performance in youth, provided that exercises are performed with appropriate supervision and precautions. Muscular strength and power output values measured from vertical jump and Wingate anaerobic tests are higher in elite than in non-elite young athletes and normal children, and the specific training effects on maximal power output normalised for body size are clearly more distinct before puberty. At present, there is no scientific evidence to support the view that high-intensity and/or resistance training might hinder growth and maturation in young children. Pre-pubertal growth is not adversely affected by sport at a competitive level and anthropometric factors are of importance for choice of sport in children. However, coaches, teachers and parents should be aware that unsupervised high-intensity and resistance training programmes involving maximal loads or too frequently repeated resistance exercises increase the risk of injury. Resistance training alone is an effective additional means of developing athletic performance throughout planned youth sports training programmes. Strategies for enhancing the effectiveness and safety of youth resistance and high-intensity exercise training are discussed in this chapter. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  9. Oil leakage detection for electric power equipment based on ultraviolet fluorescence effect

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhang, Jing; Wang, Jian-hui; Xu, Bin; Huang, Zhi-dong; Huang, Lan-tao

    2018-03-01

    This paper presents a method to detect the oil leakage of high voltage power equipment based on ultraviolet fluorescence effect. The method exploits the principle that the insulating oil has the fluorescent effect under the irradiation of specific ultraviolet light. The emission spectrum of insulating oil under excitation light with different wavelengths is measured and analyzed first. On this basis, a portable oil leakage detective device for high voltage power equipment is designed and developed with a selected 365 nm ultraviolet as the excitation light and the low light level camera as the fluorescence image collector. Then, the feasibility of the proposed method and device in different conditions is experimentally verified in the laboratory environment. Finally, the developed oil leakage detective device is applied to 500 kV Xiamen substation and Quanzhou substation. And the results show that the device can detect the oil leakage of high voltage electrical equipment quickly and conveniently even under the condition of a slight oil leakage especially in the low light environment.

  10. High-Fructose Intake Impairs the Hepatic Hypolipidemic Effects of a High-Fat Fish-Oil Diet in C57BL/6 Mice.

    PubMed

    Wooten, Joshua S; Nick, Tayler N; Seija, Andrew; Poole, Kaylee E; Stout, Kelsey B

    2016-12-01

    Overnutrition of saturated fats and fructose is one of the major factors for the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Because omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3fa) have established lipid lowering properties, we tested the hypothesis that n-3fa prevents high-fat and fructose-induced fatty liver disease in mice. Male C57BL/6J mice were randomly assigned to one of the following diet groups for 14 weeks: normal diet (ND), high-fat lard-based diet (HFD), HFD with fructose (HFD + Fru), high-fat fish-oil diet (FOD), or FOD + Fru. Despite for the development of obesity and insulin resistance, FOD had 65.3% lower ( P  < 0.001) hepatic triglyceride levels than HFD + Fru, which was blunted to a 38.5% difference ( P  = 0.173) in FOD + Fru. The lower hepatic triglyceride levels were associated with a lower expression of lipogenic genes LXRα and FASN, as well as the expression of genes associated with fatty acid uptake and triglyceride synthesis, CD36 and SCD1, respectively. Conversely, the blunted hypotriglyceride effect of FOD + Fru was associated with a higher expression of CD36 and SCD1. During overnutrition, a diet rich in n-3fa may prevent the severity of hepatic steatosis; however, when juxtaposed with a diet high in fructose, the deleterious effects of overnutrition blunted the hypolipidemic effects of n-3fa.

  11. High Penetration Solar PV Deployment Sunshine State Solar Grid Initiative (SUNGRIN)

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

    Meeker, Rick; Steurer, Mischa; Faruque, MD Omar

    The report provides results from the Sunshine State Solar Grid Initiative (SUNGRIN) high penetration solar PV deployment project led by Florida State University’s (FSU) Center for Advanced Power Systems (CAPS). FSU CAPS and industry and university partners have completed a five-year effort aimed at enabling effective integration of high penetration levels of grid-connected solar PV generation. SUNGRIN has made significant contributions in the development of simulation-assisted techniques, tools, insight and understanding associated with solar PV effects on electric power system (EPS) operation and the evaluation of mitigation options for maintaining reliable operation. An important element of the project was themore » partnership and participation of six major Florida utilities and the Florida Reliability Coordinating Council (FRCC). Utilities provided details and data associated with actual distribution circuits having high-penetration PV to use as case studies. The project also conducted foundational work supporting future investigations of effects at the transmission / bulk power system level. In the final phase of the project, four open-use models with built-in case studies were developed and released, along with synthetic solar PV data sets, and tools and techniques for model reduction and in-depth parametric studies of solar PV impact on distribution circuits. Along with models and data, at least 70 supporting MATLAB functions have been developed and made available, with complete documentation.« less

  12. High Speed Research Program Sonic Fatigue

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rizzi, Stephen A. (Technical Monitor); Beier, Theodor H.; Heaton, Paul

    2005-01-01

    The objective of this sonic fatigue summary is to provide major findings and technical results of studies, initiated in 1994, to assess sonic fatigue behavior of structure that is being considered for the High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT). High Speed Research (HSR) program objectives in the area of sonic fatigue were to predict inlet, exhaust and boundary layer acoustic loads; measure high cycle fatigue data for materials developed during the HSR program; develop advanced sonic fatigue calculation methods to reduce required conservatism in airframe designs; develop damping techniques for sonic fatigue reduction where weight effective; develop wing and fuselage sonic fatigue design requirements; and perform sonic fatigue analyses on HSCT structural concepts to provide guidance to design teams. All goals were partially achieved, but none were completed due to the premature conclusion of the HSR program. A summary of major program findings and recommendations for continued effort are included in the report.

  13. High salt intake causes leptin resistance and obesity in mice by stimulating endogenous fructose production and metabolism.

    PubMed

    Lanaspa, Miguel A; Kuwabara, Masanari; Andres-Hernando, Ana; Li, Nancy; Cicerchi, Christina; Jensen, Thomas; Orlicky, David J; Roncal-Jimenez, Carlos A; Ishimoto, Takuji; Nakagawa, Takahiko; Rodriguez-Iturbe, Bernardo; MacLean, Paul S; Johnson, Richard J

    2018-03-20

    Dietary guidelines for obesity typically focus on three food groups (carbohydrates, fat, and protein) and caloric restriction. Intake of noncaloric nutrients, such as salt, are rarely discussed. However, recently high salt intake has been reported to predict the development of obesity and insulin resistance. The mechanism for this effect is unknown. Here we show that high intake of salt activates the aldose reductase-fructokinase pathway in the liver and hypothalamus, leading to endogenous fructose production with the development of leptin resistance and hyperphagia that cause obesity, insulin resistance, and fatty liver. A high-salt diet was also found to predict the development of diabetes and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in a healthy population. These studies provide insights into the pathogenesis of obesity and diabetes and raise the potential for reduction in salt intake as an additional interventional approach for reducing the risk for developing obesity and metabolic syndrome.

  14. Modification of embryonic resistance to heat shock in cattle by melatonin and genetic variation in HSPA1L.

    PubMed

    Ortega, M Sofia; Rocha-Frigoni, Nathália A S; Mingoti, Gisele Zoccal; Roth, Zvi; Hansen, Peter J

    2016-11-01

    The objectives were to test whether (1) melatonin blocks inhibition of embryonic development caused by heat shock at the zygote stage, and (2) the frequency of a thermoprotective allele for HSPA1L is increased in blastocysts formed from heat-shocked zygotes as compared with blastocysts from control zygotes. It was hypothesized that melatonin prevents effects of heat shock on development by reducing accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and that embryos inheriting the thermoprotective allele of HSPA1L would be more likely to survive heat shock. Effects of 1 µM melatonin on ROS were determined in experiments 1 and 2. Zygotes were cultured at 38.5 or 40°C for 3 h in the presence of CellROX reagent (ThermoFisher Scientific, Waltham, MA). Culture was in a low [5% (vol/vol)] oxygen (experiment 1) or low or high [21% (vol/vol)] oxygen environment (experiment 2). Heat shock and high oxygen increased ROS; melatonin decreased ROS. Development was assessed in experiments 3 and 4. In experiment 3, zygotes were cultured in low oxygen ± 1 µM melatonin and exposed to 38.5 or 40°C for 12 h (experiment 1) beginning 8 h after fertilization. Melatonin did not protect the embryo from heat shock. Experiment 4 was performed similarly except that temperature treatments (38.5 or 40°C, 24 h) were performed in a low or high oxygen environment (2×2 × 2 factorial design with temperature, melatonin, and oxygen concentration as main effects), and blastocysts were genotyped for a deletion (D) mutation (C→D) in the promoter region of HSPA1L associated with thermotolerance. Heat shock decreased percent of zygotes developing to the blastocyst stage independent of melatonin or oxygen concentration. Frequency of genotypes for HSPA1L was affected by oxygen concentration and temperature, with an increase in the D allele for blastocysts that developed in high oxygen and following heat shock. It was concluded that (1) lack of effect of melatonin or oxygen concentration on embryonic development means that the negative effects of heat shock on the zygote are not mediated by ROS, (2) previously reported effect of melatonin on fertility of heat-stressed cows might involve actions independent of the antioxidant properties of melatonin, and (3) the deletion mutation in the promoter of HSPA1L confers protection to the zygote from heat shock and high oxygen. Perhaps, embryonic survival during heat stress could be improved by selecting for thermotolerant genotypes. Copyright © 2016 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  15. An assessment of the impact of the Department of Defense very high speed integrated circuit program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    1982-01-01

    The technical and economic effects of the Department of Defense's (DoD) development program for very-high-speed integrated circuits (VHSIC) are examined. The probable effects of this program on the domestic aspects and international position of the integrated-circuit (IC) industry as they relate to the interests of the general public and the DoD are considered. The report presents a review of the unique DoD needs that motivate VHSIC research and development; an estimate of the degree of which these needs are likely to be met by the VHSIC program; a discussion of the effects of the program's demands for manpower, materials, and design and processing technologies; the problems connected with the program's technology export controls; and an assessment of the impact of the program on the structure of the U.S. integrated-circuit industry, its continued development and production of civilian consumer products, and its international competitive position.

  16. The High Rise Low Cost Housing : Sustainable Neighbourhood Elements (Green Elements) in Malaysia

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wahi, Noraziah; Mohamad, Ismail; Mohamad Zin, Rosli; Munikanan, Vikneswaran; Junaini, Syahrizan

    2018-03-01

    The sustainable development is a vital measure to alleviate the greenhouse gas effect, global warming and any other environment issues. The sustainable neighbourhood concept is not new in Malaysia, However, the concept still needs attention and awareness from the stakeholders. This paper discusses on the sustainable neighbourhood elements specifically green elements application on the high rise low cost housing in Malaysia. Malaysia should have focused sustainable neighbourhood planning and design especially on the high rise low cost housing therefore the future generation can be benefited from this type development.

  17. The Quality of Work and Youth Mental Health.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mortimer, Jeylan T.; Harley, Carolyn; Staff, Jeremy

    2002-01-01

    Data from the Youth Development Study on adolescents who worked in high school were used to examine mental health, work stress, and work/school interactions. The quality of high school work experiences had significant consequences for mental states during high school, but had little effect on long-term mental health. (Contains 70 references.) (SK)

  18. The Undergraduate Leadership Teaching Assistant (ULTA): A High-Impact Practice for Undergraduates Studying Leadership

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Odom, Summer F.; Ho, Sarah P.; Moore, Lori L.

    2014-01-01

    To meet the demands for effective leadership, leadership educators should integrate high-impact practices for students to develop, practice, and evaluate their leadership knowledge, skills, and abilities. The purpose of this application brief is to describe how undergraduate leadership teaching assistant (ULTA) experiences can be a high- impact…

  19. Urban cover mapping using digital, high-resolution aerial imagery

    Treesearch

    Soojeong Myeong; David J. Nowak; Paul F. Hopkins; Robert H. Brock

    2003-01-01

    High-spatial resolution digital color-infrared aerial imagery of Syracuse, NY was analyzed to test methods for developing land cover classifications for an urban area. Five cover types were mapped: tree/shrub, grass/herbaceous, bare soil, water and impervious surface. Challenges in high-spatial resolution imagery such as shadow effect and similarity in spectral...

  20. Energy Storage: Batteries and Fuel Cells for Exploration

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Manzo, Michelle A.; Miller, Thomas B.; Hoberecht, Mark A.; Baumann, Eric D.

    2007-01-01

    NASA's Vision for Exploration requires safe, human-rated, energy storage technologies with high energy density, high specific energy and the ability to perform in a variety of unique environments. The Exploration Technology Development Program is currently supporting the development of battery and fuel cell systems that address these critical technology areas. Specific technology efforts that advance these systems and optimize their operation in various space environments are addressed in this overview of the Energy Storage Technology Development Project. These technologies will support a new generation of more affordable, more reliable, and more effective space systems.

  1. The Effectiveness of Problem-Based Instruction: A Comparative Study of Instructional Methods and Student Characteristics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mergendoller, John R.; Maxwell, Nan L.; Bellisimo, Yolanda

    2006-01-01

    This study compared the effectiveness of problem-based learning (PBL) and traditional instructional approaches in developing high-school students' macroeconomics knowledge and examined whether PBL was differentially effective with students demonstrating different levels of four aptitudes: verbal ability, interest in economics, preference for group…

  2. The Effects of Transferred Vocabulary Knowledge on the Development of L2 Reading Proficiency.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Koda, Keiko

    1989-01-01

    Examination of the effects of transferred vocabulary knowledge on college students' (N=24) acquisition of Japanese linguistic knowledge, verbal processing skills, and reading comprehension indicated that vocabulary knowledge was most highly correlated with reading comprehension. This initial advantage magnified its effects over time as task…

  3. Triple effect absorption cycles

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

    Erickson, D.C.; Potnis, S.V.; Tang, J.

    1996-12-31

    Triple effect absorption chillers can achieve 50% COP improvement over double-effect systems. However, to translate this potential into cost-effective hardware, the most promising embodiments must be identified. In this study, 12 generic triple effect cycles and 76 possible hermetic loop arrangements of those 12 generic cycles were identified. The generic triple effect cycles were screened based on their pressure and solubility field requirements, generic COPs, risk involved in the component design, and number of components in a high corrosive environment. This screening identified four promising arrangements: Alkitrate Topping cycle, Pressure Staged Envelope cycle, High Pressure Overlap cycle, and Dual Loopmore » cycle. All of these arrangements have a very high COP ({approximately} 1.8), however the development risk and cost involved is different for each arrangement. Therefore, the selection of a particular arrangement will depend upon the specific situation under consideration.« less

  4. Analysis of a high brightness photo electron beam with self field and wake field effects

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

    Parsa, Z.

    High brightness sources are the basic ingredients in the new accelerator developments such as Free-Electron Laser experiments. The effects of the interactions between the highly charged particles and the fields in the accelerating structure, e.g. R.F., Space charge and Wake fields can be detrimental to the beam and the experiments. We present and discuss the formulation used, some simulation and results for the Brookhaven National Laboratory high brightness beam that illustrates effects of the accelerating field, space charge forces (e.g. due to self field of the bunch), and the wake field (e.g. arising from the interaction of the cavity surfacemore » and the self field of the bunch).« less

  5. The effectiveness of multi modal representation text books to improve student's scientific literacy of senior high school students

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zakiya, Hanifah; Sinaga, Parlindungan; Hamidah, Ida

    2017-05-01

    The results of field studies showed the ability of science literacy of students was still low. One root of the problem lies in the books used in learning is not oriented toward science literacy component. This study focused on the effectiveness of the use of textbook-oriented provisioning capability science literacy by using multi modal representation. The text books development method used Design Representational Approach Learning to Write (DRALW). Textbook design which was applied to the topic of "Kinetic Theory of Gases" is implemented in XI grade students of high school learning. Effectiveness is determined by consideration of the effect and the normalized percentage gain value, while the hypothesis was tested using Independent T-test. The results showed that the textbooks which were developed using multi-mode representation science can improve the literacy skills of students. Based on the size of the effect size textbooks developed with representation multi modal was found effective in improving students' science literacy skills. The improvement was occurred in all the competence and knowledge of scientific literacy. The hypothesis testing showed that there was a significant difference on the ability of science literacy between class that uses textbooks with multi modal representation and the class that uses the regular textbook used in schools.

  6. Laser safety research and modeling for high-energy laser systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Smith, Peter A.; Montes de Oca, Cecilia I.; Kennedy, Paul K.; Keppler, Kenneth S.

    2002-06-01

    The Department of Defense has an increasing number of high-energy laser weapons programs with the potential to mature in the not too distant future. However, as laser systems with increasingly higher energies are developed, the difficulty of the laser safety problem increases proportionally, and presents unique safety challenges. The hazard distance for the direct beam can be in the order of thousands of miles, and radiation reflected from the target may also be hazardous over long distances. This paper details the Air Force Research Laboratory/Optical Radiation Branch (AFRL/HEDO) High-Energy Laser (HEL) safety program, which has been developed to support DOD HEL programs by providing critical capability and knowledge with respect to laser safety. The overall aim of the program is to develop and demonstrate technologies that permit safe testing, deployment and use of high-energy laser weapons. The program spans the range of applicable technologies, including evaluation of the biological effects of high-energy laser systems, development and validation of laser hazard assessment tools, and development of appropriate eye protection for those at risk.

  7. Restructure Staff Development for Systemic Change

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kelly, Thomas F.

    2012-01-01

    This paper presents a systems approach based on the work of W. Edwards Deming to system wide, high impact staff development. Deming has pointed out the significance of structure in systems. By restructuring the process of staff development we can bring about cost effective improvement of the whole system. We can improve student achievement while…

  8. Effect of Training Programme on Developing Functional Sign Language among Parents of Students with Deafness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bhuvaneswari, N. R.; Srivastava, Abhishek Kumar

    2016-01-01

    Parents' involvement is highly needed for ensuring holistic development of their words; however parents can only assist the child when they themselves have adequate knowledge, required skills, and proper awareness regarding various aspects of children's growth and development. To have adequate communication skill among parents, ensuring better…

  9. The Federal Role in Educational Research and Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vinovskis, Maris A.

    2000-01-01

    The federal government has been collecting, analyzing, and disseminating educational statistics for more than 130 years. Over time the focus has shifted from data gathering to research and development (R&D) to find more effective ways of educating children. Educational research and development, however, has not been held in high esteem by most…

  10. A Comprehensive Inventory of Language Development Documentation Data in the Ontario-Montclair School District.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mitchell, Douglas E.; Karam, Rita

    The report describes a project to document the content, nature, and effectiveness of services to limited-English-proficient (LEP) students in the Ontario-Montclair School District (California), which has a high concentration of LEP students and a variety of English language development (ELD) programs. The district developed a comprehensive…

  11. Five Steps for Developing Effective Transition Plans for High School Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Szidon, Katherine; Ruppar, Andrea; Smith, Leann

    2015-01-01

    The Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA; 2006) requires schools to develop transition plans for students with disabilities, beginning at age 16, if not before. For students with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the transition planning process includes unique considerations. This article describes five steps for developing effective…

  12. E-Learning for University Effectiveness in the Developing World

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sekiwu, Denis

    2010-01-01

    The globalisation trends of society have taken centre stage meaning that people around the world are required to develop high level but low cost technologies and innovative competencies in order to enhance social development. In the field of higher education, university managers need to join the technological revolution by adopting low cost ICT…

  13. Prevalent Approaches to Professional Development in State 4-H Programs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Smith, Martin H.; Worker, Steven M.; Schmitt-McQuitty, Lynn; Meehan, Cheryl L.; Lewis, Kendra M.; Schoenfelder, Emily; Brian, Kelley

    2017-01-01

    High-quality 4-H programming requires effective professional development of educators. Through a mixed methods study, we explored professional development offered through state 4-H programs. Survey results revealed that both in-person and online delivery modes were used commonly for 4-H staff and adult volunteers; for teen volunteers, in-person…

  14. Toward a New Model of Fertility: The Effects of the World Economic System and the Status of Women on Fertility Behavior.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ward, Kathryn B.

    A relationship exists between high birth rates and the lowered status of women in developing nations, resulting from their country's economic development. Research was based on data from various sources on 34 developed nations and 92 developing nations throughout the world. Variables included income inequality, foreign trade structure and…

  15. For the Teacher and by the Teacher: Development of Exemplar Technology Learning Activities in Taiwan.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lee, Lung-Sheng Steven

    In Taiwan, revised curriculum standards for junior and senior high school technology education were developed to take effect in the 1997 and 1998 school years. A project was undertaken to develop a set of exemplar technology learning activities (TLAs) to assist teachers in developing their school-based course of study for the living technology…

  16. The Impact of Short-Term Science Teacher Professional Development on the Evaluation of Student Understanding and Errors Related to Natural Selection

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buschang, Rebecca Ellen

    2012-01-01

    This study evaluated the effects of a short-term professional development session. Forty volunteer high school biology teachers were randomly assigned to one of two professional development conditions: (a) developing deep content knowledge (i.e., control condition) or (b) evaluating student errors and understanding in writing samples (i.e.,…

  17. New solid-state chemistry technologies to bring better drugs to market: knowledge-based decision making.

    PubMed

    Park, Aeri; Chyall, Leonard J; Dunlap, Jeanette; Schertz, Christine; Jonaitis, David; Stahly, Barbara C; Bates, Simon; Shipplett, Rex; Childs, Scott

    2007-01-01

    Modern drug development demands constant deployment of more effective technologies to mitigate the high cost of bringing new drugs to market. In addition to cost savings, new technologies can improve all aspects of pharmaceutical development. New technologies developed at SSCI, Inc. include solid form development of an active pharmaceutical ingredients. (APIs) are PatternMatch software and capillary-based crystallisation techniques that not only allow for fast and effective solid form screening, but also extract maximum property information from the routine screening data that is generally available. These new technologies offer knowledge-based decision making during solid form development of APIs and result in more developable API solid forms.

  18. TESTING FOR DEVELOPMENTAL NEUROTOXICITY: CURRENT APPROACHES AND FUTURE NEEDS.

    EPA Science Inventory

    There are many adverse effects on the nervous system following exposure to environmental chemicals during development. In a number of cases (e.g., lead, methyl mercury) the developing nervous system is a highly susceptible. Developmental Neurotoxicity Testing (DNT) guidelines...

  19. Developmental neurotoxicity testing: Past, present and future.

    EPA Science Inventory

    Adverse effects on the nervous system following exposure to environmental contaminants during development have been well documented. Indeed, in a number of cases (e.g., lead, methyl mercury) the developing human nervous system appears to be a highly susceptible target. There ar...

  20. Synthetic carbohydrate research based on organic electrochemistry.

    PubMed

    Nokami, Toshiki; Saito, Kodai; Yoshida, Jun-Ichi

    2012-12-01

    Development of a novel method for generating glycosyl cations or their equivalents is highly desired, because such intermediates are crucial for developing stereoselective glycosylations in oligosaccharide syntheses. In this review we focus on electrochemical methods that we have recently developed. The anodic oxidation of thioglycosides is effective for generating glycosyl triflate pools, which react with glycosyl acceptors. The reaction of glycosyl triflate pools with diorganosulfides gives glycosyl sulfonium ions, which also serve as effective glycosylation intermediates. The indirect electrochemical method is effective for the generation of glycosyl cations or their equivalents and the use of a flow-microreactor system enables glycosylation using such intermediates. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  1. A Study to Determine the Effects of a Comprehensive and Experiential System of Vocational Guidance and Career Development on Junior High School Pupils. Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ehresman, Norman D.; Vincent, Roger D.

    Comprehensive work experience and vocational guidance activities were established at the middle school level and their effects on career maturity and attitudes toward school of ninth graders were tested. The project was conducted at the Bowling Green Junior High School (Kentucky) during the academic school year of 1975-76. (The school supports a…

  2. High-Efficiency Helical Coil Electromagnetic Launcher and High Power Hall-Effect Switch

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-02-29

    also given that demonstrate significant launcher performance benefits by super-cooling the armature (i.e., using liquid nitrogen ). 14. ABSTRACT... liquid nitrogen temperatures). A computer model for a magnetically-controlled Hall-effect switch is developed. The model is constructed in the PSpice...of super-cooling is demonstrated with liquid nitrogen cooling and indicates super-cooled EML operation is desirable if cryo-cooling is practical for

  3. The Relationship between Concussion Knowledge and the High School Athlete's Intention to Report Traumatic Brain Injury Symptoms: A Systematic Review of the Literature

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Taylor, Mary Ellen; Sanner, Jennifer E.

    2017-01-01

    Sports-related concussion or traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a frequent occurrence among high school athletes. Long-term and short-term effects of TBI on the athlete's developing brain can be minimized if the athlete reports and is effectively treated for TBI symptoms. Knowledge of concussion symptoms and a school culture of support are critical…

  4. Engineering novel synthetic strategy to develop mesocarbon microbeads for multi-functional applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chaudhary, Anisha; Teotia, Satish; Kumar, Rajeev; Ramesha, K.; Dhakate, Sanjay R.; Kumari, Saroj

    2018-04-01

    To assess the challenge of affordable technology, present synthetic strategies can be extended to new low-cost synthesis and processing methods that have potential to tailor the properties of the materials. Here we report, a novel method for the synthesis of mesocarbon microbeads (MCMB) through a pre-processing involved pyrolysis technique. The resulting MCMB is compressed into a product and effects of heat treatment temperature on different properties of MCMB is studied. The use of MCMB for the electromagnetic interference (EMI) shielding is new and hence, the effect of heat treatment temperature on EMI shielding effectiveness is studied in X-band. It is observed that EMI shielding effectiveness increases to ‑39.6 dB on increasing the heat treatment temperature. The high conductivity of MCMB plate heat treated upto 2500 °C contributes to highly conducting networks. Additionally, to investigate the electrochemical performance of MCMB as an anode material for lithium ion batteries, 2500 °C heat treated MCMB powder is used to fabricate the electrode. The MCMB electrode exhibits high discharge capacity of 345 mAh g‑1 with a stable capacity for over 50 cycles and good rate capability. Thus, MCMB synthesized by this novel approach can be used for the development of high performance anode materials for Li-ion batteries.

  5. The Interaction Effects of Meteorological Factors and Air Pollution on the Development of Acute Coronary Syndrome

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Ching-Hui; Lin, Heng-Cheng; Tsai, Chen-Dao; Huang, Hung-Kai; Lian, Ie-Bin; Chang, Chia-Chu

    2017-03-01

    This study investigated the interaction effects of meteorological factors and air pollutants on the onset of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). Data of ACS patients were obtained from the Taiwan ACS Full Spectrum Registry and comprised 3164 patients with a definite onset date during the period October 2008 and January 2010 at 39 hospitals. Meteorological conditions and air pollutant concentrations at the 39 locations during the 488-day period were obtained. Time-lag Poisson and logistic regression were used to explore their association with ACS incidence. One-day lag atmospheric pressure (AP), humidity, particulate matter (PM2.5, and PM10), and carbon monoxide (CO) all had significant interaction effects with temperature on ACS occurrence. Days on which high temperatures (>26 °C) and low AP (<1009 hPa) occurred the previous day were associated with a greater likelihood of increased incidence of developing ACS. Typhoon Morakot was an example of high temperature with extremely low AP associated with higher ACS incidence than the daily average. Combinations of high concentrations of PM or CO with low temperatures (<21 °C) and high humidity levels with low temperatures were also associated with increased incidence of ACS. Atmospheric pollution and weather factors have synergistic effects on the incidence of ACS.

  6. Adverse outcome pathway networks II: Network analytics

    EPA Science Inventory

    The US EPA is developing more cost effective and efficient ways to evaluate chemical safety using high throughput and computationally based testing strategies. An important component of this approach is the ability to translate chemical effects on fundamental biological processes...

  7. Dispositional Affect Moderates the Stress-Buffering Effect of Social Support on Risk for Developing the Common Cold.

    PubMed

    Janicki Deverts, Denise; Cohen, Sheldon; Doyle, William J

    2017-10-01

    The aim was to examine whether trait positive and negative affect (PA, NA) moderate the stress-buffering effect of perceived social support on risk for developing a cold subsequent to being exposed to a virus that causes mild upper respiratory illness. Analyses were based on archival data from 694 healthy adults (M age  = 31.0 years, SD = 10.7 years; 49.0% female; 64.6% Caucasian). Perceived social support and perceived stress were assessed by self-report questionnaire and trait affect by aggregating responses to daily mood items administered by telephone interview across several days. Subsequently, participants were exposed to a virus that causes the common cold and monitored for 5 days for clinical illness (infection + objective signs of illness). Two 3-way interactions emerged-Support × Stress × PA and Support × Stress × NA. The nature of these effects was such that among persons with high trait PA or low trait NA, greater social support attenuated the risk of developing a cold when under high but not low perceived stress; this stress-buffering effect did not emerge among persons with low trait PA or high trait NA. Dispositional affect might be used to identify individuals who may be most responsive to social support and support-based interventions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  8. The Development and Validation of the Indian Family Violence and Control Scale

    PubMed Central

    Kalokhe, Ameeta S.; Stephenson, Rob; Kelley, Mary E.; Dunkle, Kristin L.; Paranjape, Anuradha; Solas, Vikram; Karve, Latika; del Rio, Carlos; Sahay, Seema

    2016-01-01

    The high prevalence of domestic violence (DV) among married women in India and associated negative health repercussions highlight the need for effective prevention strategies and tools to measure the efficacy of such interventions. Literature supporting differing manifestations of DV by culture underscores the need for a culturally-tailored scale to more effectively measure DV in the Indian context. We therefore aimed to develop and validate such a tool, the Indian Family Violence and Control Scale (IFVCS), through a mixed-methods study. The psychometric development of IFVCS is herein discussed. After field pre-testing and expert review, a 63-item questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 630 married women from May-July 2013 in Pune, India. The item response theory approach for binary data to explore the IFVCS structure suggested that IFVCS is reliable, with the majority of items having high (>0.5) and significant factor loadings. Concurrent validity, assessed by comparing responses to IFVCS with the validated, abridged Conflict Tactics Scale-2, was high (r = 0.899, p<0.001) as was the construct validity, demonstrated by its significant association with several established DV correlates. Therefore, initial assessment of the IFVCS psychometric properties suggests that it is an effective tool for measuring DV among married women in India and speaks to its capacity for enhancing understanding of DV epidemiology and for evaluating the effectiveness of future DV interventions. PMID:26824611

  9. The Development and Validation of the Indian Family Violence and Control Scale.

    PubMed

    Kalokhe, Ameeta S; Stephenson, Rob; Kelley, Mary E; Dunkle, Kristin L; Paranjape, Anuradha; Solas, Vikram; Karve, Latika; del Rio, Carlos; Sahay, Seema

    2016-01-01

    The high prevalence of domestic violence (DV) among married women in India and associated negative health repercussions highlight the need for effective prevention strategies and tools to measure the efficacy of such interventions. Literature supporting differing manifestations of DV by culture underscores the need for a culturally-tailored scale to more effectively measure DV in the Indian context. We therefore aimed to develop and validate such a tool, the Indian Family Violence and Control Scale (IFVCS), through a mixed-methods study. The psychometric development of IFVCS is herein discussed. After field pre-testing and expert review, a 63-item questionnaire was administered to a random sample of 630 married women from May-July 2013 in Pune, India. The item response theory approach for binary data to explore the IFVCS structure suggested that IFVCS is reliable, with the majority of items having high (>0.5) and significant factor loadings. Concurrent validity, assessed by comparing responses to IFVCS with the validated, abridged Conflict Tactics Scale-2, was high (r = 0.899, p<0.001) as was the construct validity, demonstrated by its significant association with several established DV correlates. Therefore, initial assessment of the IFVCS psychometric properties suggests that it is an effective tool for measuring DV among married women in India and speaks to its capacity for enhancing understanding of DV epidemiology and for evaluating the effectiveness of future DV interventions.

  10. Project management techniques for highly integrated programs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stewart, J. F.; Bauer, C. A.

    1983-01-01

    The management and control of a representative, highly integrated high-technology project, in the X-29A aircraft flight test project is addressed. The X-29A research aircraft required the development and integration of eight distinct technologies in one aircraft. The project management system developed for the X-29A flight test program focuses on the dynamic interactions and the the intercommunication among components of the system. The insights gained from the new conceptual framework permitted subordination of departments to more functional units of decisionmaking, information processing, and communication networks. These processes were used to develop a project management system for the X-29A around the information flows that minimized the effects inherent in sampled-data systems and exploited the closed-loop multivariable nature of highly integrated projects.

  11. High temperature aircraft research furnace facilities

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, James E., Jr.; Cashon, John L.

    1992-01-01

    Focus is on the design, fabrication, and development of the High Temperature Aircraft Research Furnace Facilities (HTARFF). The HTARFF was developed to process electrically conductive materials with high melting points in a low gravity environment. The basic principle of operation is to accurately translate a high temperature arc-plasma gas front as it orbits around a cylindrical sample, thereby making it possible to precisely traverse the entire surface of a sample. The furnace utilizes the gas-tungsten-arc-welding (GTAW) process, also commonly referred to as Tungsten-Inert-Gas (TIG). The HTARFF was developed to further research efforts in the areas of directional solidification, float-zone processing, welding in a low-gravity environment, and segregation effects in metals. The furnace is intended for use aboard the NASA-JSC Reduced Gravity Program KC-135A Aircraft.

  12. [Embryotoxic and teratogenic effect of Pharmachem tetramisole].

    PubMed

    Stoianov, K; Todorov, S

    1982-01-01

    Studies were carried out to establish the effect of high rates of Tetramizol Pharmachim on the embryonal and fetal development in rats. The preparation was administered orally to pregnant animals under the form of a 1 per cent solution at the rate of 1/5 LD50 (=200 mg/kg), on the fourth and the thirteenth day of gestation. It was found that the amount of the preparation applied on the fourth day after conception took place led to rise of the preimplantation loss of embryos. The rate of the total embryonal mortality also rose. Accordingly, it was concluded that in high doses Tetramizol Pharmachim could produce an embryotoxic effect on rats. The application of the preparation later during pregnacy (the 13th day) did not have an adverse effect on the normal course of gestation. No abnormal effects were demonstrated on the growth and development of fetuses during all stages of investigation, which might point to the teratogenic action of Tetramizol.

  13. Multidimensional Modeling of Atmospheric Effects and Surface Heterogeneities on Remote Sensing

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Gerstl, S. A. W.; Simmer, C.; Zardecki, A. (Principal Investigator)

    1985-01-01

    The overall goal of this project is to establish a modeling capability that allows a quantitative determination of atmospheric effects on remote sensing including the effects of surface heterogeneities. This includes an improved understanding of aerosol and haze effects in connection with structural, angular, and spatial surface heterogeneities. One important objective of the research is the possible identification of intrinsic surface or canopy characteristics that might be invariant to atmospheric perturbations so that they could be used for scene identification. Conversely, an equally important objective is to find a correction algorithm for atmospheric effects in satellite-sensed surface reflectances. The technical approach is centered around a systematic model and code development effort based on existing, highly advanced computer codes that were originally developed for nuclear radiation shielding applications. Computational techniques for the numerical solution of the radiative transfer equation are adapted on the basis of the discrete-ordinates finite-element method which proved highly successful for one and two-dimensional radiative transfer problems with fully resolved angular representation of the radiation field.

  14. High precision spectroscopy and imaging in THz frequency range

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vaks, Vladimir L.

    2014-03-01

    Application of microwave methods for development of the THz frequency range has resulted in elaboration of high precision THz spectrometers based on nonstationary effects. The spectrometers characteristics (spectral resolution and sensitivity) meet the requirements for high precision analysis. The gas analyzers, based on the high precision spectrometers, have been successfully applied for analytical investigations of gas impurities in high pure substances. These investigations can be carried out both in absorption cell and in reactor. The devices can be used for ecological monitoring, detecting the components of chemical weapons and explosive in the atmosphere. The great field of THz investigations is the medicine application. Using the THz spectrometers developed one can detect markers for some diseases in exhaled air.

  15. Refined AFC-Enabled High-Lift System Integration Study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hartwich, Peter M.; Shmilovich, Arvin; Lacy, Douglas S.; Dickey, Eric D.; Scalafani, Anthony J.; Sundaram, P.; Yadlin, Yoram

    2016-01-01

    A prior trade study established the effectiveness of using Active Flow Control (AFC) for reducing the mechanical complexities associated with a modern high-lift system without sacrificing aerodynamic performance at low-speed flight conditions representative of takeoff and landing. The current technical report expands on this prior work in two ways: (1) a refined conventional high-lift system based on the NASA Common Research Model (CRM) is presented that is more representative of modern commercial transport aircraft in terms of stall characteristics and maximum Lift/Drag (L/D) ratios at takeoff and landing-approach flight conditions; and (2) the design trade space for AFC-enabled high-lift systems is expanded to explore a wider range of options for improving their efficiency. The refined conventional high-lift CRM (HL-CRM) concept features leading edge slats and slotted trailing edge flaps with Fowler motion. For the current AFC-enhanced high lift system trade study, the refined conventional high-lift system is simplified by substituting simply-hinged trailing edge flaps for the slotted single-element flaps with Fowler motion. The high-lift performance of these two high-lift CRM variants is established using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) solutions to the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations. These CFD assessments identify the high-lift performance that needs to be recovered through AFC to have the CRM variant with the lighter and mechanically simpler high-lift system match the performance of the conventional high-lift system. In parallel to the conventional high-lift concept development, parametric studies using CFD guided the development of an effective and efficient AFC-enabled simplified high-lift system. This included parametric trailing edge flap geometry studies addressing the effects of flap chord length and flap deflection. As for the AFC implementation, scaling effects (i.e., wind-tunnel versus full-scale flight conditions) are addressed, as are AFC architecture aspects such as AFC unit placement, number AFC units, operating pressures, mass flow rates, and steady versus unsteady AFC applications. These efforts led to the development of a novel traversing AFC actuation concept which is efficient in that it reduces the AFC mass flow requirements by as much as an order of magnitude compared to previous AFC technologies, and it is predicted to be effective in driving the aerodynamic performance of a mechanical simplified high-lift system close to that of the reference conventional high-lift system. Conceptual system integration studies were conducted for the AFC-enhanced high-lift concept applied to a NASA Environmentally Responsible Aircraft (ERA) reference configuration, the so-called ERA-0003 concept. The results from these design integration assessments identify overall system performance improvement opportunities over conventional high-lift systems that suggest the viability of further technology maturation efforts for AFC-enabled high lift flap systems. To that end, technical challenges are identified associated with the application of AFC-enabled high-lift systems to modern transonic commercial transports for future technology maturation efforts.

  16. JPRS Report, Near East & South Asia, India

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-09-04

    effectively utilized. The national Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes High priority will, therefore, be accorded to education. Finance and Development ...the Government’s reaction. Whatever is there was a sharp reduction in our foreign exchange banned or is obstructive is a negative development ...Unless I distribution system will be increased by 85 paise per kg find substantial improvement in tax compliance in the to Rs 6. 10 per kg with effect

  17. Polymer Based Highly Parallel Nanoscopic Sensors for Rapid Detection of Chemical and Biological Threats

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-09-18

    Xuliang Han, PI of Brewer Science, Inc. Subcontract Center for Applied Science & Engineering Missouri State University 901 South National Avenue...Science an effective post-growth purification procedure was developed to reduce the amount of impurities, and several characterization techniques were...CNTs) contain a wide range of impurities from the growth process. At Brewer Science an effective post-growth purification procedure was developed to

  18. Effect of socioeconomic status (SES) disparity on neural development in female African-American infants at age 1 month.

    PubMed

    Betancourt, Laura M; Avants, Brian; Farah, Martha J; Brodsky, Nancy L; Wu, Jue; Ashtari, Manzar; Hurt, Hallam

    2016-11-01

    There is increasing interest in both the cumulative and long-term impact of early life adversity on brain structure and function, especially as the brain is both highly vulnerable and highly adaptive during childhood. Relationships between SES and neural development have been shown in children older than age 2 years. Less is known regarding the impact of SES on neural development in children before age 2. This paper examines the effect of SES, indexed by income-to-needs (ITN) and maternal education, on cortical gray, deep gray, and white matter volumes in term, healthy, appropriate for gestational age, African-American, female infants. At 5 weeks postnatal age, unsedated infants underwent MRI (3.0T Siemens Verio scanner, 32-channel head coil). Images were segmented based on a locally constructed template. Utilizing hierarchical linear regression, SES effects on MRI volumes were examined. In this cohort of healthy African-American female infants of varying SES, lower SES was associated with smaller cortical gray and deep gray matter volumes. These SES effects on neural outcome at such a young age build on similar studies of older children, suggesting that the biological embedding of adversity may occur very early in development. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  19. Development of Ti microalloyed high strength steel plate by controlling thermo-mechanical control process schedule

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xia, Jinian; Huo, Xiangdong; Li, Liejun; Peng, Zhengwu; Chen, Songjun

    2017-12-01

    In this study, the TMCP parameters including non-recrystallization temperature (Tnr) and optimal isothermal temperature were determined by thermal simulation experiments, and a new Ti microalloyed high strength steel plate was developed by controlling thermo-mechanical control process (TMCP) schedule. The effects of TMCP process on microstructural features, precipitation behavior and mechanical properties of Ti microalloyed high strength steel plate were investigated. The results revealed that the double-stage rolling process consist of rolling in the γ recrystallization region and the γ non-recrystallization region was benefical to promoting the mechanical properties of Ti microalloyed steel by achieving grain refinement. It was also found that large amounts of fine TiC (<10 nm) particles were precipitated during the isothermal treatment at 600 °C, which generated a 215 MPa precipitation strengthening effect.

  20. Thermal-barrier-coated turbine blade study

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Siemers, P. A.; Hillig, W. B.

    1981-01-01

    The effects of coating TBC on a CF6-50 stage 2 high-pressure turbine blade were analyzed with respect to changes in the mean bulk temperature, cooling air requirements, and high-cycle fatigue. Localized spallation was found to have a possible deleterious effect on low-cycle fatigue life. New blade design concepts were developed to take optimum advantage of TBCs. Process and material development work and rig evaluations were undertaken which identified the most promising combination as ZrO2 containing 8 w/o Y2O3 applied by air plasma spray onto a Ni22Cr-10Al-1Y bond layer. The bond layer was applied by a low-pressure, high-velocity plasma spray process onto the base alloy. During the initial startup cycles the blades experienced localized leading edge spallation caused by foreign objects.

  1. Influence of Ribeiroia ondatrae (Trematoda: Digenea) infection on limb development and survival of northern leopard frogs (Rana pipiens): effects of host stage and parasite-exposure level

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schotthoefer, Anna M.; Koehler, Anson V.; Meteyer, Carol U.; Cole, Rebecca A.

    2003-01-01

    Recent evidence suggests that infection by larvae of the trematode Ribeiroia ondatrae accounts for a significant proportion of limb malformations currently observed in amphibian populations of North America. However, the effects of R. ondatrae infection on northern leopard frogs (Rana pipiens), one of the species most frequently reported with malformations, have not been adequately explored. Moreover, the risk factors associated with R. ondatrae-induced malformations have not been clearly identified. We examined the effects of timing of infection on tadpole survival and limb development. Rana pipiens tadpoles were individually exposed to R. ondatrae cercariae at the pre-limb-bud (Gosner stages 24 and 25), limb-bud (Gosner stages 27 and 28), or paddle (Gosner stages 31–33) stages of development and monitored through metamorphosis. The effects of infection were stage-specific. Infections acquired at the pre-limb-bud stage resulted in a high mortality rate (47.5–97.5%), whereas tadpoles infected at the limb-bud stage displayed a high malformation rate (16% overall), and the magnitude of effects increased with the level of exposure to cercariae. In contrast, infections acquired at the paddle stage had no effect on limb development or tadpole survival, which suggests that the timing of R. ondatrae infection in relation to the stage structure of tadpole populations in the wild is an important determinant of the degree to which populations are affected by R. ondatrae.

  2. Embryogenesis and organogenesis of Carausius morosus under spaceflight conditions.

    PubMed

    Bucker, H; Facius, R; Horneck, G; Reitz, G; Graul, E H; Berger, H; Hoffken, H; Ruther, W; Heinrich, W; Beaujean, R; Enge, W

    1986-01-01

    The influence of cosmic radiation and/or microgravity on insect development was studied during the 7 day German Spacelab Mission D1. Eggs of Carausius morosus of five stages differing in sensitivity to radiation and in capacity to regeneration were allowed to continue their development in the BIORACK 22 degrees C incubator, either at microgravity conditions or on the 1 g reference centrifuge. Using the Biostack concept--eggs in monolayers were sandwiched between visual track detectors--and the 1 g reference centrifuge, we were able to separate radiation effects from microgravity effects and also from combined effects of these two factors in space. After retrieval, hatching rates, growth kinetics and anomaly frequencies were determined in the different test samples. The early stages of development turned out to be highly sensitive to single hits of cosmic ray particles as well as to the temporary exposure to microgravity during their development. In some cases, the combined action of radiation and microgravity even amplified the effects exerted by the single parameters of space. Hits by single HZE particles caused early effects, such as body anomalies, as well as late effects, such as retarded growth after hatching. Microgravity exposure lead to a reduced hatching rate. A synergistic action of HZE particle hits and microgravity was established in the unexpectedly high frequency of anomal larvae. However, it cannot be excluded, that cosmic background radiation or low LET HZE particles are also causally involved in damage observed in the microgravity samples.

  3. Using Effective Professional Development Sessions to Implement Change in Curriculum and Classroom Practices: My Story as a Teacher at Exmouth District High School, WA's Remotest District High

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bedford, Susie

    2005-01-01

    Teaching in a remote town has its drawbacks with regard to Professional Development (PD), which becomes extremely costly, so each staff member is probably limited to one decent PD once a year. This means choosing PD extremely carefully to ensure "value for money" and hopefully that it will provide the teacher concerned with…

  4. Modelling switching-time effects in high-frequency power conditioning networks

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Owen, H. A.; Sloane, T. H.; Rimer, B. H.; Wilson, T. G.

    1979-01-01

    Power transistor networks which switch large currents in highly inductive environments are beginning to find application in the hundred kilohertz switching frequency range. Recent developments in the fabrication of metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistors in the power device category have enhanced the movement toward higher switching frequencies. Models for switching devices and of the circuits in which they are imbedded are required to properly characterize the mechanisms responsible for turning on and turning off effects. Easily interpreted results in the form of oscilloscope-like plots assist in understanding the effects of parametric studies using topology oriented computer-aided analysis methods.

  5. Evolution of roughness during the pattern transfer of high-chi, 10nm half-pitch, silicon-containing block copolymer structures

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Blachut, Gregory; Sirard, Stephen M.; Liang, Andrew; Mack, Chris A.; Maher, Michael J.; Rincon-Delgadillo, Paulina A.; Chan, Boon Teik; Mannaert, Geert; Vandenberghe, Geert; Willson, C. Grant; Ellison, Christopher J.; Hymes, Diane

    2018-03-01

    A pattern transfer study was conducted to monitor the evolution of roughness in sub-10 nm half-pitch lines generated by the directed self-assembly (DSA) of a high-chi, silicon-containing block copolymer, poly(4-trimethylsilylstyrene)-block-poly(4-methoxystyrene). Unbiased roughness measurements were used to characterize the roughness of the structures before and after pattern transfer into silicon nitride. Parameters of the reactive ion etch process used as a dry development were systematically modified to minimize undesired line walking created by the DSA pre-pattern and to determine their impacts on roughness. The results of this study indicate that an optimized dry development can mitigate the effects of pre-pattern inhomogeneity, and that both dry development and pattern transfer steps effect the roughness of the final structures.

  6. Novel AlInN/GaN integrated circuits operating up to 500 °C

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gaska, R.; Gaevski, M.; Jain, R.; Deng, J.; Islam, M.; Simin, G.; Shur, M.

    2015-11-01

    High electron concentration in 2DEG channel of AlInN/GaN devices is remarkably stable over a broad temperature range, enabling device operation above 500 °C. The developed IC technology is based on three key elements: (1) exceptional quality AlInN/GaN heterostructure with very high carrier concentration and mobility enables IC fast operation in a broad temperature range; (2) heterostructure field effect transistor approach t provides fully planar IC structure which is easy to scale and to combine with the other high temperature electronic components; (3) fabrication advancements including novel metallization scheme and high-K passivation/gate dielectrics enable high temperature operation. The feasibility of the developed technology was confirmed by fabrication and testing of the high temperature inverter and differential amplifier ICs using AlInN/GaN heterostructures. The developed ICs showed stable performance with unit-gain bandwidth above 1 MHz and internal response time 45 ns at temperatures as high as 500 °C.

  7. Dynamic facade module prototype development for solar radiation prevention in high rise building

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sega Sufia Purnama, Muhammad; Sutanto, Dalhar

    2018-03-01

    Solar radiation is an aspect that high rise building must avoid. The problem is, if high rise building facade can’t overcome, the solar thermal will come in the building, and its affects on the increasing of room temperature above comfort range. A type of additional facade element that could solve solar thermal in high rise building is adding a sun shading. A dynamic facade is a shade plane in high rise building that can moved or changed on outside condition such as solar movement and intensity. This research will discuss the dynamic facade module prototype development in high rise building in Jakarta. This research will be finish through some step. (1) Static shading shadow simulation. (2) Dynamic facade concept design development. (3) Dynamic shading shadow simulation. (4) Making of dynamic facade module prototype. (5) Field test for the dynamic facade module prototype. The dynamic facade in Jakarta case will be effective to solve solar transmission in high rise building rather than static facade.

  8. Microgravity effects of sea urchin fertilization and development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Steffen, S.; Simerly, C.; Schatten, H.; Schatten, G.; Fiser, R.

    1992-01-01

    Gravity has been a pervasive influence on all living systems and there is convincing evidence to suggest that it alters fertilization and embryogenesis in several developmental systems. Notwithstanding the global importance of gravity on development, it has only been recently possible to begin to design experiments which might directly investigate the specific effects of this vector. The goal of this research program is to explore and understand the effects of gravity on fertilization and early development using sea urchins as a model system. Sea urchin development has several advantages for this project including the feasibility of maintaining and manipulating these cells during spaceflight, the high percentage of normal fertilization and early development, and the abundant knowledge about molecular, biochemical, and cellular events during embryogenesis which permits detailed insights into the mechanism by which gravity might interfere with development. Furthermore, skeletal calcium is deposited into the embryonic spicules within a day of fertilization permitting studies of the effects of gravity on bone calcium deposition.

  9. Printable thermoelectric devices and conductive patterns for medical applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Jungmin; Kim, Hyunjung; Chen, Linfeng; Choi, Sang H.; Varadan, Vijay K.

    2012-10-01

    Remote point-of-care is expected to revolutionize the modern medical practice, and many efforts have been made for the development of wireless health monitoring systems for continuously detecting the physiological signals of patients. To make the remote point-of-care generally accepted and widely used, it is necessary to develop cost-effective and durable wireless health monitoring systems. Printing technique will be helpful for the fabrication of high-quality and low-cost medical devices and systems because it allows high-resolution and high-speed fabrication, low material consumption and nano-sized patterning on both flexible and rigid substrates. Furthermore, application of thermoelectric generators can replace conventional batteries as the power sources for wireless health monitoring systems because thermoelectric generators can convert the wasted heat or the heat from nature into electricity which is required for the operation of the wireless health monitoring systems. In this research, we propose the concept of printable thermoelectric devices and conductive patterns for the realization of more portable and cost-effective medical devices. To print thermoelectric generators and conductive patterns on substrates, printing inks with special characteristics should be developed. For the development of thermoelectric inks, nano-structured thermoelectric materials are synthesized and characterized; and for the development of conductive inks, two kinds of surface treated carbon nanotubes are used as active materials.

  10. The GATE Way to Equity.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Belz, Helene F.

    Systematic observations of thousands of high school students in the California Mentally Gifted Minors/Gifted and Talented Education programs identified five principles underlying the development of high level thinking skills in this population: (1) Exceptional performance on any criterion requires mutually reinforcing antecedents, the effects of…

  11. Contaminants of Emerging Concern including Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Both the Office of Pesticide Programs (OPP) and the Office of Water (OW) assess the effects of pesticides on aquatic ecosystems using approaches that afford a high degree of protection for aquatic life and that were developed with high quality data.

  12. Durability and smart condition assessment of ultra-high performance concrete in cold climates.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-12-31

    The goals of this study were to develop ecological ultra-high performance concrete (UHPC) with local materials and supplementary cementitious materials and to evaluate the long-term performance of UHPC in cold climates using effective mechanical test...

  13. Curve identification for high friction surface treatment (HFST) installation recommendation : final report.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-09-01

    The objectives of this study are to develop and deploy a means for cost-effectively extracting curve information using the widely available GPS and GIS data to support high friction surface treatment (HFST) installation recommendations (i.e., start a...

  14. A simplified, low power system for effective vessel sealing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lyle, Allison B.; Kennedy, Jenifer S.; Schmaltz, Dale F.; Kennedy, Aaron S.

    2015-03-01

    The first bipolar vessel sealing system was developed nearly 15 years ago and has since become standard of care in surgery. These systems make use of radio frequency current that is delivered between bipolar graspers to permanently seal arteries, veins and tissue bundles. Conventional vessel sealing generators are based off traditional electrosurgery generator architecture and deliver high power (150-300 Watts) and high current using complex control and sense algorithms to adjust the output for vessel sealing applications. In recent years, a need for small-scale surgical vessel sealers has developed as surgeons strive to further reduce their footprint on patients. There are many technical challenges associated with miniaturization of vessel sealing devices including maintaining electrical isolation while delivering high current in a saline environment. Research into creating a small, 3mm diameter vessel sealer revealed that a highly simplified generator system could be used to achieve excellent results and subsequently a low power vessel sealing system was developed. This system delivers 25 Watts constant power while limiting voltage (<= Vrms) and current (<= Amps) until an impedance endpoint is achieved, eliminating the use of complicated control and sensing software. The result is optimized tissue effect, where high seal strength is maintained (> 360mmHg), but seal times (1.7 +/- 0.7s versus 4.1 +/- 0.7s), thermal spread (<1mm vs <=2mm) and total energy delivery are reduced, when compared to an existing high power system.

  15. High- and low-temperature manipulation during late incubation: effects on embryonic development, the hatching process, and metabolism in broilers.

    PubMed

    Willemsen, H; Kamers, B; Dahlke, F; Han, H; Song, Z; Ansari Pirsaraei, Z; Tona, K; Decuypere, E; Everaert, N

    2010-12-01

    Temperatures continuously higher and lower than the standard incubation temperature by 3°C from embryonic d 16 until embryonic d 18.5 result in differential effects on embryonic development, the hatching process, and embryonic metabolism. Embryos in the high-temperature group were forced into a state of malnutrition by the temperature treatment, as reflected by reduced embryo growth and yolk consumption, resulting in a significantly lower chick weight at hatch. In addition, altered air cell and blood gases as well as a retarded hatching process further indicated reduced growth of embryos exposed to higher incubation temperatures during the latter part of incubation. In addition, hatchability was significantly reduced by the high-temperature treatment due to higher embryonic mortality during the treatment period and the hatching process. Levels of blood glucose, lactate, liver glycogen, plasma triglycerides, and nonesterified fatty acids indicated an altered carbohydrate and lipid metabolism for the high-temperature group. Although the hatching process of embryos exposed to lower incubation temperatures was also significantly retarded, their embryonic development and growth were strikingly similar to those of the control group.

  16. Highly Effective Birth Control Use Before and After Women's Incarceration

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Hsiang-Feng; Cropsey, Karen L.; Clarke, Jennifer G.; Kelly, Patricia J.

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Background: We examined factors associated with women's use of highly effective birth control before and after incarceration, since women with ongoing criminal justice involvement bear a disproportionate burden of sexual and reproductive health problems, including high rates of unintended pregnancy and inconsistent contraceptive use. Methods: Using a longitudinal study design, we conducted surveys with 102 women in an urban midwestern jail and then followed up with 66 of them 6 months after incarceration. We used stepwise logistic regression to assess individual, interpersonal, resource-based, organizational, and environmental factors associated with utilizing highly effective birth control. Results: Forty-two percent of women reported utilizing highly effective birth control (e.g., sterilization or other highly effective reversible methods) prior to incarceration, and 54% reported using these methods after release from jail (p<0.001). Ninety percent of women reported not wanting to get pregnant. Consistent use of birth control (p=0.001) and alcohol problems (p=0.027) were associated with utilization of highly effective birth control prior to incarceration. Previous pregnancies (p=0.012) were the only factor associated with utilization of highly effective birth control after release from jail. Conclusions: Clinicians and public health practitioners can use findings from this study to develop clinical and intervention efforts aimed at improving unintended-pregnancy prevention among incarcerated women both during their confinement and during the tumultuous period after their release from jail. PMID:25555175

  17. Highly Effective Birth Control Use Before and After Women's Incarceration.

    PubMed

    Ramaswamy, Megha; Chen, Hsiang-Feng; Cropsey, Karen L; Clarke, Jennifer G; Kelly, Patricia J

    2015-06-01

    We examined factors associated with women's use of highly effective birth control before and after incarceration, since women with ongoing criminal justice involvement bear a disproportionate burden of sexual and reproductive health problems, including high rates of unintended pregnancy and inconsistent contraceptive use. Using a longitudinal study design, we conducted surveys with 102 women in an urban midwestern jail and then followed up with 66 of them 6 months after incarceration. We used stepwise logistic regression to assess individual, interpersonal, resource-based, organizational, and environmental factors associated with utilizing highly effective birth control. Forty-two percent of women reported utilizing highly effective birth control (e.g., sterilization or other highly effective reversible methods) prior to incarceration, and 54% reported using these methods after release from jail (p<0.001). Ninety percent of women reported not wanting to get pregnant. Consistent use of birth control (p=0.001) and alcohol problems (p=0.027) were associated with utilization of highly effective birth control prior to incarceration. Previous pregnancies (p=0.012) were the only factor associated with utilization of highly effective birth control after release from jail. Clinicians and public health practitioners can use findings from this study to develop clinical and intervention efforts aimed at improving unintended-pregnancy prevention among incarcerated women both during their confinement and during the tumultuous period after their release from jail.

  18. Do preventive interventions for children of mentally ill parents work? Results of a systematic review and meta-analysis.

    PubMed

    Thanhäuser, Martina; Lemmer, Gunnar; de Girolamo, Giovanni; Christiansen, Hanna

    2017-07-01

    The transgenerational transmission of mental disorders is one of the most significant causes of psychiatric morbidity. Several risk factors for children of parents with mental illness (COPMI) have been identified in numerous studies and meta-analyses. Many interventions have been developed for this high-risk group, but data about their efficacy are heterogeneous. The current meta-analysis reports on 96 articles including 50 independent samples from randomized controlled trials quantifying effects of preventive interventions for COPMI. Random effect models resulted in small, though significant Effect Sizes (ES) for programs enhancing the mother-infant interaction (ES = 0.26) as well as mothers' (ES = 0.33) and children's (ES = 0.31) behavior that proved to be stable over the 12-month follow-up, except for infants' behavior. Interventions for children/adolescents resulted in significant small effects for global psychopathology (ES = 0.13), as well as internalizing symptoms (ES = 0.17), and increased significantly over time, with externalizing symptoms reaching significance in the follow-up assessments as well (ES = 0.17). Interventions addressing parents and children jointly produced overall larger effects. Higher study quality was associated with smaller effects. There is a dearth of high quality studies that effectively reduce the high risk of COPMI for the development of mental disorders.

  19. Ocean acidification challenges copepod phenotypic plasticity

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vehmaa, Anu; Almén, Anna-Karin; Brutemark, Andreas; Paul, Allanah; Riebesell, Ulf; Furuhagen, Sara; Engström-Öst, Jonna

    2016-11-01

    Ocean acidification is challenging phenotypic plasticity of individuals and populations. Calanoid copepods (zooplankton) are shown to be fairly plastic against altered pH conditions, and laboratory studies indicate that transgenerational effects are one mechanism behind this plasticity. We studied phenotypic plasticity of the copepod Acartia sp. in the course of a pelagic, large-volume mesocosm study that was conducted to investigate ecosystem and biogeochemical responses to ocean acidification. We measured copepod egg production rate, egg-hatching success, adult female size and adult female antioxidant capacity (ORAC) as a function of acidification (fCO2 ˜ 365-1231 µatm) and as a function of quantity and quality of their diet. We used an egg transplant experiment to reveal whether transgenerational effects can alleviate the possible negative effects of ocean acidification on offspring development. We found significant negative effects of ocean acidification on adult female size. In addition, we found signs of a possible threshold at high fCO2, above which adaptive maternal effects cannot alleviate the negative effects of acidification on egg-hatching and nauplii development. We did not find support for the hypothesis that insufficient food quantity (total particulate carbon < 55 µm) or quality (C : N) weakens the transgenerational effects. However, females with high-ORAC-produced eggs with high hatching success. Overall, these results indicate that Acartia sp. could be affected by projected near-future CO2 levels.

  20. The Challenges of Designing and Implementing Effective Professional Development for Out-of-Field High School Physics Teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Escalada, Lawrence T.; Moeller, Julia K.

    2006-02-01

    With the existing shortage of qualified high school physics teachers and the current mandate of the No Child Left Behind Act requiring teachers to be "highly qualified" in all subjects they teach, university physics departments must offer content courses and programs that would allow out-of-field high school physics teachers to meet this requirement. This paper will identify how the University of Northern Iowa Physics Department is attempting to address the needs of the high school physics teacher through its course offerings and professional development programs for teachers. The effectiveness of one such physics professional development program, the UNI Physics Institute (UNI-PI), on secondary science teachers' and their students' conceptual understanding of Newtonian mechanics, and the teachers' instructional practices was investigated. Twenty-one Iowa out-of-field high school physics teachers participating in the program were able to complete the physics coursework required to obtain the State of Iowa 7-12 Grade Physics Teaching endorsement. Twelve of the participants completed a two-year program during the 2002 and 2003 summers. Background information, pre- and post-test physics conceptual assessments and other data was collected from participants throughout the Institute. Participants collected pre and post-test conceptual assessment data from their students during the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 academic years. This comprehensive assessment data revealed the Institute's influence on participants' and students' conceptual understanding of Newtonian Mechanics. The results of this investigation, the insights we have gained, and possible future directions for professional development will be shared.

  1. Modular laboratories--cost-effective and sustainable infrastructure for resource-limited settings.

    PubMed

    Bridges, Daniel J; Colborn, James; Chan, Adeline S T; Winters, Anna M; Dengala, Dereje; Fornadel, Christen M; Kosloff, Barry

    2014-12-01

    High-quality laboratory space to support basic science, clinical research projects, or health services is often severely lacking in the developing world. Moreover, the construction of suitable facilities using traditional methods is time-consuming, expensive, and challenging to implement. Three real world examples showing how shipping containers can be converted into modern laboratories are highlighted. These include use as an insectary, a molecular laboratory, and a BSL-3 containment laboratory. These modular conversions have a number of advantages over brick and mortar construction and provide a cost-effective and timely solution to offer high-quality, user-friendly laboratory space applicable within the developing world. © The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

  2. Study of Effects of Sweep on the Flutter of Cantilever Wings

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Barmby, J G; Cunningham, H J; Garrick, I E

    1951-01-01

    An experimental and analytical investigation of the flutter of sweptback cantilever wings is reported. The experiments employed groups of wings swept back by rotating and by shearing. The angle of sweep range from 0 degree to 60 degrees and Mach numbers extended to approximately 0.85. A theoretical analysis of the air forces on an oscillating swept wing of high length-chord ratio is developed, and the approximations inherent in the assumptions are discussed. Comparison with experiment indicates that the analysis developed in the present report is satisfactory for giving the main effects of sweep, at least for nearly uniform cantilever wings of high and moderate length-chord ratios.

  3. Development of high-performance concrete mixtures for durable bridge decks in Montana using locally available materials.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2005-03-01

    "The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) is performing research to develop a cost-effective, indigenous highperformance : concrete (HPC) for use in bridge deck applications. The investigation was divided into two tasks: 1) : identification of ...

  4. Overview of ToxCast™

    EPA Science Inventory

    In 2007, EPA launched ToxCast™ in order to develop a cost-effective approach for prioritizing the toxicity testing of large numbers of chemicals in a short period of time. Using data from state-of-the-art high throughput screening (HTS) bioassays developed in the pharmaceutical i...

  5. Developing a real-time incident decision support system (IDSS) for the freight industry.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2015-01-01

    Our nation's economy is highly dependent on reliable and cost-effective truck-freight : transportation. Delays to truck movement are of particular concern to the nation. Building upon : our previous effort, we developed an Incident Decision Support S...

  6. AN APPROACH TO METHODS DEVELOPMENT FOR HUMAN EXPOSURE ASSESSMENT STUDIES

    EPA Science Inventory

    Human exposure assessment studies require methods that are rapid, cost-effective and have a high sample through-put. The development of analytical methods for exposure studies should be based on specific information for individual studies. Human exposure studies suggest that di...

  7. Curcumin suppresses intestinal polyps in APC Min mice fed a high fat diet.

    PubMed

    Pettan-Brewer, Christina; Morton, John; Mangalindan, Ruby; Ladiges, Warren

    2011-01-01

    Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. Various risk factors have been associated with CRC including increasing age and diet. Epidemiological and experimental studies have implicated a diet high in fat as an important risk factor for colon cancer. High fat diets can promote obesity resulting in insulin resistance and inflammation and the development of oxidative stress, increased cell proliferation, and suppression of apoptosis. Because of the high consumption of dietary fats, especially saturated fats, by Western countries, it is of interest to see if non-nutrient food factors might be effective in preventing or delaying CRC in the presence of high saturated fat intake. Curcumin (Curcuma longa), the main yellow pigment in turmeric, was selected to test because of its reported anti-tumor activity. APC Min mice, which develop intestinal polyps and have many molecular features of CRC, were fed a diet containing 35% pork fat, 33% sucrose, and a protein and vitamin mineral mixture (HFD) with or without 0.5% curcumin. These cohorts were compared to APC Min mice receiving standard rodent chow (RC) with 8% fat. APC Min mice fed the HFD for 3 months had a 23% increase in total number of polyps compared to APC Min mice on RC. Curcumin was able to significantly reverse the accelerated polyp development associated with the HFD suggesting it may be effective clinically in helping prevent colon cancer even when ingesting high amounts of fatty foods. The anti-tumor effect of curcumin was shown to be associated with enhanced apoptosis and increased efficiency of DNA repair. Since curcumin prevented the gain in body weight seen in APC Min mice ingesting the HFD, modulation of energy metabolism may also be a factor.

  8. Modeling Compressibility Effects in High-Speed Turbulent Flows

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sarkar, S.

    2004-01-01

    Man has strived to make objects fly faster, first from subsonic to supersonic and then to hypersonic speeds. Spacecraft and high-speed missiles routinely fly at hypersonic Mach numbers, M greater than 5. In defense applications, aircraft reach hypersonic speeds at high altitude and so may civilian aircraft in the future. Hypersonic flight, while presenting opportunities, has formidable challenges that have spurred vigorous research and development, mainly by NASA and the Air Force in the USA. Although NASP, the premier hypersonic concept of the eighties and early nineties, did not lead to flight demonstration, much basic research and technology development was possible. There is renewed interest in supersonic and hypersonic flight with the HyTech program of the Air Force and the Hyper-X program at NASA being examples of current thrusts in the field. At high-subsonic to supersonic speeds, fluid compressibility becomes increasingly important in the turbulent boundary layers and shear layers associated with the flow around aerospace vehicles. Changes in thermodynamic variables: density, temperature and pressure, interact strongly with the underlying vortical, turbulent flow. The ensuing changes to the flow may be qualitative such as shocks which have no incompressible counterpart, or quantitative such as the reduction of skin friction with Mach number, large heat transfer rates due to viscous heating, and the dramatic reduction of fuel/oxidant mixing at high convective Mach number. The peculiarities of compressible turbulence, so-called compressibility effects, have been reviewed by Fernholz and Finley. Predictions of aerodynamic performance in high-speed applications require accurate computational modeling of these "compressibility effects" on turbulence. During the course of the project we have made fundamental advances in modeling the pressure-strain correlation and developed a code to evaluate alternate turbulence models in the compressible shear layer.

  9. Ocean acidification exerts negative effects during warming conditions in a developing Antarctic fish

    PubMed Central

    Flynn, Erin E; Bjelde, Brittany E; Miller, Nathan A

    2015-01-01

    Abstract Anthropogenic CO2 is rapidly causing oceans to become warmer and more acidic, challenging marine ectotherms to respond to simultaneous changes in their environment. While recent work has highlighted that marine fishes, particularly during early development, can be vulnerable to ocean acidification, we lack an understanding of how life-history strategies, ecosystems and concurrent ocean warming interplay with interspecific susceptibility. To address the effects of multiple ocean changes on cold-adapted, slowly developing fishes, we investigated the interactive effects of elevated partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) and temperature on the embryonic physiology of an Antarctic dragonfish (Gymnodraco acuticeps), with protracted embryogenesis (∼10 months). Using an integrative, experimental approach, our research examined the impacts of near-future warming [−1 (ambient) and 2°C (+3°C)] and ocean acidification [420 (ambient), 650 (moderate) and 1000 μatm pCO2 (high)] on survival, development and metabolic processes over the course of 3 weeks in early development. In the presence of increased pCO2 alone, embryonic mortality did not increase, with greatest overall survival at the highest pCO2. Furthermore, embryos were significantly more likely to be at a later developmental stage at high pCO2 by 3 weeks relative to ambient pCO2. However, in combined warming and ocean acidification scenarios, dragonfish embryos experienced a dose-dependent, synergistic decrease in survival and developed more slowly. We also found significant interactions between temperature, pCO2 and time in aerobic enzyme activity (citrate synthase). Increased temperature alone increased whole-organism metabolic rate (O2 consumption) and developmental rate and slightly decreased osmolality at the cost of increased mortality. Our findings suggest that developing dragonfish are more sensitive to ocean warming and may experience negative physiological effects of ocean acidification only in the presence of an increased temperature. In addition to reduced hatching success, alterations in development and metabolism due to ocean warming and acidification could have negative ecological consequences owing to changes in phenology (i.e. early hatching) in the highly seasonal Antarctic ecosystem. PMID:27293718

  10. Ocean acidification exerts negative effects during warming conditions in a developing Antarctic fish.

    PubMed

    Flynn, Erin E; Bjelde, Brittany E; Miller, Nathan A; Todgham, Anne E

    2015-01-01

    Anthropogenic CO2 is rapidly causing oceans to become warmer and more acidic, challenging marine ectotherms to respond to simultaneous changes in their environment. While recent work has highlighted that marine fishes, particularly during early development, can be vulnerable to ocean acidification, we lack an understanding of how life-history strategies, ecosystems and concurrent ocean warming interplay with interspecific susceptibility. To address the effects of multiple ocean changes on cold-adapted, slowly developing fishes, we investigated the interactive effects of elevated partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) and temperature on the embryonic physiology of an Antarctic dragonfish (Gymnodraco acuticeps), with protracted embryogenesis (∼10 months). Using an integrative, experimental approach, our research examined the impacts of near-future warming [-1 (ambient) and 2°C (+3°C)] and ocean acidification [420 (ambient), 650 (moderate) and 1000 μatm pCO2 (high)] on survival, development and metabolic processes over the course of 3 weeks in early development. In the presence of increased pCO2 alone, embryonic mortality did not increase, with greatest overall survival at the highest pCO2. Furthermore, embryos were significantly more likely to be at a later developmental stage at high pCO2 by 3 weeks relative to ambient pCO2. However, in combined warming and ocean acidification scenarios, dragonfish embryos experienced a dose-dependent, synergistic decrease in survival and developed more slowly. We also found significant interactions between temperature, pCO2 and time in aerobic enzyme activity (citrate synthase). Increased temperature alone increased whole-organism metabolic rate (O2 consumption) and developmental rate and slightly decreased osmolality at the cost of increased mortality. Our findings suggest that developing dragonfish are more sensitive to ocean warming and may experience negative physiological effects of ocean acidification only in the presence of an increased temperature. In addition to reduced hatching success, alterations in development and metabolism due to ocean warming and acidification could have negative ecological consequences owing to changes in phenology (i.e. early hatching) in the highly seasonal Antarctic ecosystem.

  11. Effects of cosmic rays on single event upsets

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Venable, D. D.; Zajic, V.; Lowe, C. W.; Olidapupo, A.; Fogarty, T. N.

    1989-01-01

    Assistance was provided to the Brookhaven Single Event Upset (SEU) Test Facility. Computer codes were developed for fragmentation and secondary radiation affecting Very Large Scale Integration (VLSI) in space. A computer controlled CV (HP4192) test was developed for Terman analysis. Also developed were high speed parametric tests which are independent of operator judgment and a charge pumping technique for measurement of D(sub it) (E). The X-ray secondary effects, and parametric degradation as a function of dose rate were simulated. The SPICE simulation of static RAMs with various resistor filters was tested.

  12. Development of nanosensors in nuclear technology

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hassan, Thamir A. A.

    2017-01-01

    Selectivity, sensitivity, and stability (three S parameters) are developed as a new range of sensor this provided instruments for harsh, radioactive waste polluted environment monitoring. Isotope effect is very effective for nuclear radiation sensors preparation.in this presentation are reviewed of the development of Nanosensors in nuclear technology, such as high temperature boron and its compounds with suitable physical and chemical features as sensitive element for temperature and nuclear sensor, Boron isotopes based semiconductor nanosensors and studies of the mechanism of the removal uranium from radioactive wastewater with graphene oxide (GO).

  13. Insects as test systems for assessing the potential role of microgravity in biological development and evolution.

    PubMed

    Vernós, I; Carratalá, M; González-Jurado, J; Valverde, J R; Calleja, M; Domingo, A; Vinós, J; Cervera, M; Marco, R

    1989-01-01

    Gravity and radiation are undoubtedly the two major environmental factors altered in space. Gravity is a weak force, which creates a permanent potential field acting on the mass of biological systems and their cellular components, strongly reduced in space flights. Developmental systems, particularly at very early stages, provide the larger cellular compartments known, where the effects of alterations in the size of the gravity vector on living organisms can be more effectively tested. The insects, one of the more highly evolved classes of animals in which early development occurs in a syncytial embryo, are systems particularly well suited to test these effects and the specific developmental mechanisms affected. Furthermore, they share some basic features such as small size, short life cycles, relatively high radio-resistance, etc. and show a diversity of developmental strategies and tempos advantageous in experiments of this type in space. Drosophila melanogaster, the current biological paradigm to study development, with so much genetic and evolutionary background available, is clearly the reference organism for these studies. The current evidence on the effects of the physical parameters altered in space flights on insect development indicate a surprising correlation between effects seen on the fast developing and relatively small Drosophila embryo and the more slowly developing and large Carausius morosus system. In relation to the issue of the importance of developmental and environmental constraints in biological evolution, still the missing link in current evolutionary thinking, insects and space facilities for long-term experiments could provide useful experimental settings where to critically assess how development and evolution may be interconnected. Finally, it has to be pointed out that since there are experimental data indicating a possible synergism between microgravity and space radiation, possible effects of space radiation should be taken into account in the planning and evaluation of experiments designed to test the potential role of microgravity on biological developmental and evolution.

  14. Efficacy and tolerability of high-dose phenobarbital in children with focal seizures.

    PubMed

    Okumura, Akihisa; Nakahara, Eri; Ikeno, Mitsuru; Abe, Shinpei; Igarashi, Ayuko; Nakazawa, Mika; Takasu, Michihiko; Shimizu, Toshiaki

    2016-04-01

    We retrospectively reviewed the outcomes of children with focal epilepsy treated with oral high-dose phenobarbital. We reviewed data on children (aged<15 years) with focal seizures treated with high-dose phenobarbital (>5 mg/kg/day to maintain a target serum level >40 μg/mL) for at least 6 months. Seizure frequency was evaluated after phenobarbital titration, and 1 and 2 years after high-dose phenobarbital treatment commenced. Treatment was judged effective when seizure frequencies fell by ⩾75%. Seven boys and eight girls were treated. The median age at commencement of high-dose phenobarbital therapy was 30 months. The maximal serum phenobarbital level ranged from 36.5 to 62.9 μg/mL. High-dose PB was effective in seven. In two patients, treatment was transiently effective, but seizure frequency later returned to the baseline. High-dose PB was ineffective in six. No significant association between effectiveness and any clinical variable was evident. Drowsiness was recorded in nine patients, but no patient developed a behavioral problem or hypersensitivity. Oral high-dose phenobarbital was effective in 7 of 15 patients with focal epilepsy and well tolerated. High-dose PB may be useful when surgical treatment is difficult. Copyright © 2015 The Japanese Society of Child Neurology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  15. An economical and effective high-throughput DNA extraction protocol for molecular marker analysis in honey bees

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Extraction of DNA from tissue samples can be expensive both in time and monetary resources and can often require handling and disposal of hazardous chemicals. We have developed a high throughput protocol for extracting DNA from honey bees that is of a high enough quality and quantity to enable hundr...

  16. LTA application of a long trailing wire high speed/low weight reeling system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Werb, D. F.

    1975-01-01

    The successful development of a unique yet simple reeling system for handling long trailing tensile members at high speeds is described. This high speed when combined with the system simplicity, low weight and effective motive power consumption make this reeling system particularly attractive to LTA planners and designers for numerous LTA missions.

  17. Effect of high and low antral follicle count in pubertal beef heifers on in vitro fertilization (IVF)

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Pubertal heifers can be classified between those with high (= 25) and low (= 15) antral follicle counts (AFC). The objective of this study was to determine oocyte development and maturation (e.g., fertility) in an in vitro fertilization (IVF) system for high and low AFC heifers. From a pool of 120...

  18. High Standards for All: The Struggle for Equality in the American High School Curriculum, 1890-1990.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mirel, Jeffrey; Angus, David

    1994-01-01

    Close investigation of trends in high school student course taking indicates that curriculum differentiation has had a negative effect on the education of many young people, particularly working-class and black students. It is argued that national goals and standards, wisely developed and applied, can benefit American education. (SLD)

  19. The Relationship between Parental Involvement and Student Achievement in a Rural Florida High School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jackson, Willie A.

    2011-01-01

    Parental involvement is viewed as critical to the development of effective schools and student achievement. The relationship between parental involvement and achievement test scores at a rural high school in Florida was not known. This high school has not met the state standards as determined by the Florida Comprehensive Achievement Test (FCAT)…

  20. Park West High School Vocational and High School Equivalency Bilingual Program 1985-86. OEA Evaluation Section Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY. Office of Educational Evaluation.

    The Vocational and High School Equivalency Bilingual Program helped students with limited English proficiency develop their English language skills enough to enable them to participate effectively in mainstream classes and compete successfully in the United States labor market. During 1985-86 the program provided English as a second language and…

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