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

Trivelpiece, A.W.

In January 1996, when the management and operation (M and O) contract for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) was awarded to Lockheed Martin Energy Research Corporation, they were presented with the opportunity to develop and implement a management structure tailored to the Laboratory's needs and functions. In response, they launched a Laboratory-wide reengineering effort and undertook other work with the goal of fostering excellence, relevance, and stewardship in all aspects of the Laboratory's operations. This effort is paying off in improvements in their ability to meet the expectations established for ORNL as a Department of Energy laboratory overseen bymore » the Office of Science: delivering advances in science and technology, securing new capabilities, improving the ability to operate safely and efficiently at reasonable cost, and being a good neighbor. The development of critical outcomes and objectives, now under way in partnership with the Department's Oak Ridge Operations Office, is aimed at providing a performance-based means of determining how ORNL measures up to these expectations.« less

Asymmetric homologation of boronic esters bearing azido and silyloxy substituents.

PubMed

Singh, R P; Matteson, D S

2000-10-06

In the asymmetric homologation of boronic esters with a (dihalomethyl)lithium, substituents that can bind metal cations tend to interfere. Accordingly, we undertook the introduction of weakly basic oxygen and nitrogen substituents into boronic esters in order to maximize the efficiency of multistep syntheses utilizing this chemistry. Silyloxy boronic esters cannot be made efficiently by direct substitution, but a (hydroxymethyl)boronic ester has been silylated in the usual manner. Conversion of alpha-halo boronic esters to alpha-azido boronic esters has been carried out with sodium azide and a tetrabutylammonium salt as phase-transfer catalyst in a two-phase system with water and either nitromethane or ethyl acetate. These are safer solvents than the previously used dichloromethane, which can form an explosive byproduct with azide ion. Boronic esters containing silyloxy or alkoxy and azido substituents have been shown to react efficiently with (dihalomethyl)lithiums, resulting in efficient asymmetric insertion of the halomethyl group into the carbon-boron bond.

Metro Electric Vehicle Evaluation at the Lewis Research Center

NASA Image and Video Library

1976-05-21

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center tested 16 commercially-manufactured electric vehicles, including this Metro, during the mid-1970s. Lewis and the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) engaged in several energy-related programs in the mid-1970s, including the Electric Vehicle Project. NASA and ERDA undertook the program in 1976 to determine the state of the current electric vehicle technology. As part of the project, Lewis and ERDA tested every commercially available electric car model. Electric Vehicle Associates, located in a Cleveland suburb, modified a Renault 12 vehicle to create this Metro. Its 1040-pound golfcart-type battery provided approximately 106 minutes of operation. The tests analyzed the vehicle’s range, acceleration, coast-down, braking, and energy consumption. Some of the vehicles had analog data recording systems to measure the battery during operation and sensors to determine speed and distance. The researchers found the performance of the different vehicles varied significantly. In general, the range, acceleration, and speed were lower than that found on conventional vehicles. They also found that traditional gasoline-powered vehicles were as efficient as the electric vehicles. The researchers concluded, however, that advances in battery technology and electric drive systems would significantly improve efficiency and performance.

Change-of-Pace Electric Vehicle at the Lewis Research Center

NASA Image and Video Library

1977-04-21

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center tested 16 commercially-manufactured electric vehicles, including this modified Pacer, during the mid-1970s. The Electric Vehicle Project was just one of several energy-related programs that Lewis and the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) undertook in the mid-1970s. NASA and ERDA embarked on this program in 1976 to determine the state of the current electric vehicle technology. As part of the project, Lewis tested a fleet composed of every commercially available electric car. The Cleveland-area Electric Vehicle Associates modified an American Motors Pacer vehicle to create this Change-of-Pace Coupe. It was powered by twenty 6-volt batteries whose voltage could be varied by a foot control. The tests analyzed the vehicle’s range, acceleration, coast-down, braking, and energy consumption. Some of the vehicles had analog data recording systems to measure the battery during operation and sensors to determine speed and distance. Lewis researchers found that the vehicle performance varied significantly from model to model. In general, the range, acceleration, and speed were lower than conventional vehicles. They also found that traditional gasoline-powered vehicles were as efficient as the electric vehicles. The researchers concluded, however, that advances in battery technology and electric drive systems would significantly improve the performance and efficiency.

Institutional Effectiveness Analysis and Student Goal Attainment in the Community College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, Marilyn Wertheimer

In an effort to effect institutional change through an analysis of institutional effectiveness, California's Fresno City College (FCC) undertook a 3-year project to examine student success. In order to determine appropriate measures of and methodologies for improving student success, a Student Success Task was established, developing 13 core…

Measuring and Monitoring in the South African "Kha Ri Gude" Mass Literacy Campaign

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKay, Veronica

2015-01-01

After many previous failed attempts to reach illiterate adults, the award-winning South African "Kha Ri Gude" mass literacy campaign, launched in 2008, undertook to ensure that learners seized the opportunity to learn--for many adults, this was a "last chance". Written from an insider perspective by the campaign's founding…

Distance between RBS and AUG plays an important role in overexpression of recombinant proteins.

PubMed

Berwal, Sunil K; Sreejith, R K; Pal, Jayanta K

2010-10-15

The spacing between ribosome binding site (RBS) and AUG is crucial for efficient overexpression of genes when cloned in prokaryotic expression vectors. We undertook a brief study on the overexpression of genes cloned in Escherichia coli expression vectors, wherein the spacing between the RBS and the start codon was varied. SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis indicated a high level of protein expression only in constructs where the spacing between RBS and AUG was approximately 40 nucleotides or more, despite the synthesis of the transcripts in the representative cases investigated. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impairment in Movement Skills of Children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Dido; Charman, Tony; Pickles, Andrew; Chandler, Susie; Loucas, Tom; Simonoff, Emily; Baird, Gillian

2009-01-01

Aim: We undertook this study to explore the degree of impairment in movement skills in children with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD) and a wide IQ range. Method: Movement skills were measured using the Movement Assessment Battery for Children (M-ABC) in a large, well defined, population-derived group of children (n=101: 89 males,12 females; mean…

Symbol Labelling Improves Advantageous Decision-Making on the Iowa Gambling Task in People with Intellectual Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dymond, Simon; Bailey, Rebecca; Willner, Paul; Parry, Rhonwen

2010-01-01

Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities often have difficulties foregoing short-term loss for long-term gain. The Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) has been extensively adopted as a laboratory measure of this ability. In the present study, we undertook the first investigation with people with intellectual disabilities using a…

Detection and Monitoring of Airborne Nuclear Waste Materials. Annual Report to Department of Energy.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-12-04

an active core , its detection by counting techniques is often slow and impractical. For these reasons NRL under contract with DoE undertook develop ...Protection and Measurements, Tritium Measurement Techniques NCRP Report No. 47 (1976). 2. " Development of a Continuous Tritium Monitor for Fuel Reprocessing...Trans. Am. Nucl. Soc. 21, 91 (1975). 146. "Process Behavior of and Environmental Assessments of C Releases from an HTGR Fuel Reprocessing Facility" J. W

The trade-off between hospital cost and quality of care. An exploratory empirical analysis.

PubMed

Morey, R C; Fine, D J; Loree, S W; Retzlaff-Roberts, D L; Tsubakitani, S

1992-08-01

The debate concerning quality of care in hospitals, its "value" and affordability, is increasingly of concern to providers, consumers, and purchasers in the United States and elsewhere. We undertook an exploratory study to estimate the impact on hospital-wide costs if quality-of-care levels were varied. To do so, we obtained costs and service output data regarding 300 U.S. hospitals, representing approximately a 5% cross section of all hospitals operating in 1983; both inpatient and outpatient services were included. The quality-of-care measure used for the exploratory analysis was the ratio of actual deaths in the hospital for the year in question to the forecasted number of deaths for the hospital; the hospital mortality forecaster had earlier (and elsewhere) been built from analyses of 6 million discharge abstracts, and took into account each hospital's actual individual admissions, including key patient descriptors for each admission. Such adjusted death rates have increasingly been used as potential indicators of quality, with recent research lending support for the viability of that linkage. The authors then utilized the economic construct of allocative efficiency relying on "best practices" concepts and peer groupings, built using the "envelopment" philosophy of Data Envelopment Analysis and Pareto efficiency. These analytical techniques estimated the efficiently delivered costs required to meet prespecified levels of quality of care. The marginal additional cost per each death deferred in 1983 was estimated to be approximately $29,000 (in 1990 dollars) for the average efficient hospital. Also, over a feasible range, a 1% increase in the level of quality of care delivered was estimated to increase hospital cost by an average of 1.34%. This estimated elasticity of quality on cost also increased with the number of beds in the hospital.

Poster - 25: Neutron Spectral Measurements around a Scanning Proton Beam

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

Kildea, John; Enger, Shirin; Maglieri, Robert

We describe the measurements of neutron spectra that we undertook around a scanning proton beam at the Skandion proton therapy clinic in Uppsala, Sweden. Measurements were undertaken using an extended energy range Nested Neutron Spectrometer (NNS, Detec Inc., Gatineau, QC) operated in pulsed and current mode. Spectra were measured as a function of location in the treatment room and for various Bragg peak depths. Our preliminary unfolded data clearly show the direct, evaporation and thermal neutron peaks and we can show the effect on the neutron spectrum of a water phantom in the primary proton beam.

West Europe Report

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-03-23

Eurico de Melo STATE AND INTERNAL ADMINISTRATION 82,90/0 ACTIONS 39 26 13 12 3 Leonardo Ribeiro de Almeida NATIONAL DEFENSE 7.4,4...reported at the time, Sottomayor Cardia and Manuel Alegre were the principal proponents of immediate collaboration with the PRD [Democratic Renewal...particular Manuel Vallespin and Prudencia Pedrosa, undertook measures designed to provide support for drug-addicted soldiers. Suicides which were never

Targeting Information to Market Segments: An Action Oriented Study of Attitudes Toward Vocational Education Among Target Populations. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sikorski, Linda A.; And Others

Research was conducted to show how segments of the population of minority and disadvantaged youth might be positively influenced by selective information campaigns to participate in vocational education programs. The first-year effort (stage 1) undertook to measure student attitudes and to develop recommendations for using this information in…

Asbestos: From Beginning to End.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMullin, Richard C.; Cain, Gary K.

In conjunction with a bond proposal for energy related items, the North County Public Schools (Missouri) undertook the task of removing friable asbestos Missouri school district undertook the task of removing friable asbestos from schools. Specifications for asbestos abatement prepared by the district administrative office were reviewed by the…

How Should Students Learn in the School Science Laboratory? The Benefits of Cooperative Learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Raviv, Ayala; Cohen, Sarit; Aflalo, Ester

2017-07-01

Despite the inherent potential of cooperative learning, there has been very little research into its effectiveness in middle school laboratory classes. This study focuses on an empirical comparison between cooperative learning and individual learning in the school science laboratory, evaluating the quality of learning and the students' attitudes. The research included 67 seventh-grade students who undertook four laboratory experiments on the subject of "volume measuring skills." Each student engaged both in individual and cooperative learning in the laboratory, and the students wrote individual or group reports, accordingly. A total of 133 experiment reports were evaluated, 108 of which also underwent textual analysis. The findings show that the group reports were superior, both in terms of understanding the concept of "volume" and in terms of acquiring skills for measuring volume. The students' attitudes results were statistically significant and demonstrated that they preferred cooperative learning in the laboratory. These findings demonstrate that science teachers should be encouraged to implement cooperative learning in the laboratory. This will enable them to improve the quality and efficiency of laboratory learning while using a smaller number of experimental kits. Saving these expenditures, together with the possibility to teach a larger number of students simultaneously in the laboratory, will enable greater exposure to learning in the school science laboratory.

The effects of Crew Resource Management (CRM) training in airline maintenance: Results following three year's experience

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, J. C.; Robertson, M. M.

1995-01-01

An airline maintenance department undertook a CRM training program to change its safety and operating culture. In 2 1/2 years this airline trained 2200 management staff and salaried professionals. Participants completed attitude surveys immediately before and after the training, as well as two months, six months, and one year afterward. On-site interviews were conducted to test and confirm the survey results. Comparing managers' attitudes immediately after their training with their pretraining attitudes showed significant improvement for three attitudes. A fourth attitude, assertiveness, improved significantly above the pretraining levels two months after training. The expected effect of the training on all four attitude scales did not change significantly thereafter. Participants' self-reported behaviors and interview comments confirmed their shift from passive to more active behaviors over time. Safety, efficiency, and dependability performance were measured before the onset of the training and for some 30 months afterward. Associations with subsequent performance were strongest with positive attitudes about sharing command (participation), assertiveness, and stress management when those attitudes were measured 2 and 12 months after the training. The two month follow-up survey results were especially strong and indicate that active behaviors learned from the CRM training consolidate and strengthen in the months immediately following training.

Coding into the Great Unknown: Analyzing Instant Messaging Session Transcripts to Identify User Behaviors and Measure Quality of Service

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maximiek, Sarah; Rushton, Erin; Brown, Elizabeth

2010-01-01

After one year of providing virtual reference service through an instant messaging (IM) service, Binghamton University (BU) Libraries, under the purview of its Digital Reference Committee (DRC), undertook a study of collected session transcripts. The goals of this work were to determine who was using the IM service and why; if staffing for the…

The Soviet College Student in the First Half of the 1920s: Characteristics of Self-Presentation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andreev, D. A.

2008-01-01

Just after the 1917 Revolution, the Soviet regime undertook to reorganize higher education in the spirit of the communist ideology. Among numerous measures, great importance was attached to changing the social composition of students in favor of those of blue-collar and peasant origin. Since the majority of college students in the early 1920s came…

Dropouts from the Great City Schools Vol. 1. Technical Analyses of Dropout Statistics in Selected Districts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stevens, Floraline, Comp.

To address the important issue of dropouts from their schools, the Council of Great City Schools undertook a major research effort to make sense of the disparate ways in which cities keep their dropout data, and to advise various policy makers on the development of common metrics for measuring the problem. A survey of Council member schools…

Using the UKROC dataset to make the case for resources to improve cost-efficiency in neurological rehabilitation

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Purpose A key challenge for providers and commissioners of rehabilitation services is to find optimal balance between service costs and outcomes. This article presents a “real-lifeâ application of the UK Rehabilitation Outcomes Collaborative (UKROC) dataset. We undertook a comparative cohort analysis of case-episode data (n = 173) from two specialist neurological rehabilitation units (A and B), to compare the cost-efficiency of two service models. Key messages (i) Demographics, casemix and levels of functional dependency on admission and discharge were broadly similar for the two units. (ii) The mean length of stay for Unit A was 1.5 times longer than Unit B, which had 85% higher levels of therapy staffing in relation to occupied bed days so despite higher bed-day costs, Unit B was 20% more cost-efficient overall, for similar gain. (iii) Following analysis, engagement with service commissioners led to successful negotiation of a business plan for service reconfiguration with increased staffing levels for Unit A and further development of local community rehabilitation services. Conclusion (i) Lower front-end service costs do not always signify optimal cost-efficiency. (ii) Analysis of routinely collected clinical data can be used to engage commissioners and to make the case for resources to maximise efficiency and improve patient care. PMID:22506504

Using the UKROC dataset to make the case for resources to improve cost-efficiency in neurological rehabilitation.

PubMed

Turner-Stokes, Lynne; Poppleton, Rob; Williams, Heather; Schoewenaars, Katie; Badwan, Derar

2012-01-01

A key challenge for providers and commissioners of rehabilitation services is to find optimal balance between service costs and outcomes. This article presents a "real-life" application of the UK Rehabilitation Outcomes Collaborative (UKROC) dataset. We undertook a comparative cohort analysis of case-episode data (n = 173) from two specialist neurological rehabilitation units (A and B), to compare the cost-efficiency of two service models. (i) Demographics, casemix and levels of functional dependency on admission and discharge were broadly similar for the two units. (ii) The mean length of stay for Unit A was 1.5 times longer than Unit B, which had 85% higher levels of therapy staffing in relation to occupied bed days so despite higher bed-day costs, Unit B was 20% more cost-efficient overall, for similar gain. (iii) Following analysis, engagement with service commissioners led to successful negotiation of a business plan for service reconfiguration with increased staffing levels for Unit A and further development of local community rehabilitation services. (i) Lower front-end service costs do not always signify optimal cost-efficiency. (ii) Analysis of routinely collected clinical data can be used to engage commissioners and to make the case for resources to maximise efficiency and improve patient care.

Investigating the relationship between children's environmental perceptions and ecological actions through environmental learning experiences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Manoli, Constantinos C.

This study investigated the relationship between children's environmental perceptions and their ecological actions before and after attending Earthkeepers, an earth education program. Participants were 604 4th , 5th, and 6th grade students from 14 schools in Arizona and Pennsylvania. A comparison of the environmental perceptions of participants revealed a statistically significant difference between those who undertook more and those who undertook fewer or no positive ecological actions. After the program, students who undertook more positive ecological actions, for example using less energy and fewer materials, had more pro-environmental perceptions than their counterparts. Individual interviews with 18 of the participants supported the positive relationship between environmental perceptions and ecological actions and provided further explanations for those actions.

A Report and Evaluation of the OECA-Integrated Projects V.T.R. Project at Chinguacousy Public Library in Bramalea, Ontario, January 1974-June 1974.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henderson, John; And Others

In 1974, the Ontario Educational Communications Authority (OECA) undertook a study to measure the feasibility of loaning video tape recording equipment and video tapes to home users. A pilot program in one branch library found that, with the assistance of a video instruction package and an instructional booklet, users quickly mastered the…

Workplace-based assessment for vocational registration of international medical graduates.

PubMed

Lillis, Steven; Van Dyk, Valencia

2014-01-01

Medical regulatory authorities need efficient and effective methods of ensuring the competence of immigrating international medical graduates (IMGs). Not all IMGs who apply for specialist vocational registration will have directly comparable qualifications to those usually accepted. As general licensure examinations are inappropriate for these doctors, workplace-based assessment (WBA) techniques would appear to provide a solution. However, there is little published data on such outcomes. All cases of WBA (n = 81) used for vocational registration of IMGs in New Zealand between 2008 and 2013 were collated and analyzed. The successful completion rate of IMGs through the pathway was 87%. The majority (64%) undertook the year of supervised practice and the final assessment in a provincial center. For those unsuccessful in the pathway, inadequate clinical knowledge was the most common deficit found, followed by poor clinical reasoning. A WBA approach for assessing readiness of IMGs for vocational registration is feasible. The constructivist theoretical perspective of WBA has particular advantages in assessing the standard of practice for experienced practitioners working in narrow scopes than traditional methods of assessment. The majority of IMGs undertook both the clinical year and the assessment in provincial hospitals, thus providing a workforce for underserved areas. © 2014 The Alliance for Continuing Education in the Health Professions, the Society for Academic Continuing Medical Education, and the Council on Continuing Medical Education, Association for Hospital Medical Education.

Vocational Education and Training: Programs and Outcomes. An Overview. Australian Vocational Education & Training Statistics, 2000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Centre for Vocational Education Research, Leabrook (Australia).

In the year 2000, approximately 1.75 million Australians (13.2% of the country's population) undertook some form of vocational education and training (VET). Of all VET students, 75.5% undertook training with Technical and Further Education (TAFE) and other government providers versus 13.0% with community providers and 11.5% with other registered…

[Symptomatic sinus dysfunction. A new use of electrophysiology].

PubMed

Graux, P; Jacquemart, T; Carlioz, R; Lemaire, N; Dutoit, A; Croccel, L

1993-06-01

The authors undertook a prospective electrophysiological study of 950 patients: 53 subjects considered to be "controls" since they were free of any history of syncope or faintness were identified, as well as 39 symptomatic subjects with a strong suspicion of sinus dysfunction, since no other detectable cause of fainting episodes was found by extracardiac investigation, 24 hour ECG nor electrophysiology. Following the creation of a computerised tool enabling not only the entry of indirect tests, processing, averaging of results, printing and memorization, but also assistance in interpretation, several electrophysiological parameters were used: heart rate and existence of sinus arrhythmia, Strauss tests with adjusted data or not, effective nodal refractory period, Guize, Narula and Mandel tests, and an atropine (0.03 mg/kg) test which was performed only in the symptomatic group. These tests were studied by single-variate and correlative analysis to define their normal ranges, their critical values and their dependence or independence. The performance of each test (i.e. its efficiency, and the specificity and sensitivity of each critical value) was measured. Tests found to be most useful (specificity and efficiency > 90%) were as follows: Mandel test = CSRT > or = 534 ms, Narula test = TECASA > or = 339 ms, heart rate < or = 55/min, type II, IIa and chaotic Strauss curve associated with a pathological Guize test. The combination of these tests in this algorithm resulted in an increase in sensitivity to 84%, at the price of a very moderate fall in specificity to 87%.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Products of Dissociative Recombination in the Ionosphere

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cosby, Philip

1996-01-01

SRI International undertook a novel experimental measurement of the product states formed by dissociative ro-combination (DR) of C2(+), NO(+), and N2(+) as a function of both electron energy and reactant ion vibrational level. For these measurements we used a recently developed experimental technique for measuring dissociation product distributions that allows both the branching ratios to be accurately determined and the electronic and ro-vibrational state composition of the reactant ions to be specified. DR is the dominant electron loss mechanism in all regions of the ionosphere. In this process, electron attachment to the molecular ion produces an unstable neutral molecule that rapidly dissociates.

Tactical Approaches for Trading Science Objectives Against Measurements and Mission Design: Science Traceability Techniques at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nash, A. E., III

2017-12-01

The most common approaches to identifying the most effective mission design to maximize science return from a potential set of competing alternative design approaches are often inefficient and inaccurate. Recently, Team-X at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory undertook an effort to improve both the speed and quality of science - measurement - mission design trade studies. We will report on the methodology & processes employed and their effectiveness in trade study speed and quality. Our results indicate that facilitated subject matter expert peers are the keys to speed and quality improvements in the effectiveness of science - measurement - mission design trade studies.

The measurement of carbon monoxide and methane in the National Capital Air Quality Control Region. I - Measurement systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lebel, P. J.; Lamontagne, R. A.; Goldstein, H. W.

1976-01-01

The Carbon Monoxide Pollution Experiment (COPE) and the National Capital Air Quality Control Region (NCAQCR) undertook a series of measurements of atmospheric CO and CH4 to determine the accuracy of the airborne COPE Correlation Interfer4meter. The device, a modified Michelson interferometer, measures the atmospheric column density of CO and CH4 at 2.3 microns with tropospheric measurement sensitivities of 70 and 10 PPB, respectively. Data for evaluating the remote measurements included atmospheric column density measurements at a ground truth site using a van-mounted infrared Fourier spectrometer; continuous ground level gas chromatographic measurements; and chromatographic data from atmospheric grab samples collected by aircraft and at ground locations. The instruments and sampling techniques used in the experiment are described in detail.

Effects of a 2-Week High-Intensity Training Camp on Sleep Activity of Professional Rugby League Athletes.

PubMed

Thornton, Heidi R; Duthie, Grant M; Pitchford, Nathan W; Delaney, Jace A; Benton, Dean T; Dascombe, Ben J

2017-08-01

To investigate the effects of a training camp on the sleep characteristics of professional rugby league players compared with a home period. During a 7-d home and 13-d camp period, time in bed (TIB), total sleep time (TST), sleep efficiency (SE), and wake after sleep onset were measured using wristwatch actigraphy. Subjective wellness and training loads (TL) were also collected. Differences in sleep and TL between the 2 periods and the effect of daytime naps on nighttime sleep were examined using linear mixed models. Pearson correlations assessed the relationship of changes in TL on individuals' TST. During the training camp, TST (-85 min), TIB (-53 min), and SE (-8%) were reduced compared with home. Those who undertook daytime naps showed increased TIB (+33 min), TST (+30 min), and SE (+0.9%). Increases in daily total distance and training duration above individual baseline means during the training camp shared moderate (r = -.31) and trivial (r = -.04) negative relationships with TST. Sleep quality and quantity may be compromised during training camps; however, daytime naps may be beneficial for athletes due to their known benefits, without being detrimental to nighttime sleep.

Trial of Engineer Educating of Manufacturing Field in Kagoshima National College of Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nakamura, Itaru; Hombu, Mitsuyuki; Kusuhara, Yoshito; Kashine, Kenji; Sakasegawa, Eiichi; Tashima, Daisuke; Fukidome, Hiromi

In Kagoshima National College of Technology, based on investigation with “the job boost measure investigation work in a power supply area” undertaken in the 2005 fiscal year, we accepted the trust from Kyushu Bureau of Economy, Trade and Industry, and undertook “the small-and-medium-sized-enterprises personnel educating work which utilized the technical college etc.” for three years from the 2006 fiscal year to the 2008 fiscal year. As the trial of engineer educating according to the electrical engineering concept to the manufacturing field based on a conventional result, we act as a professor of the base technique for applying alternative energy (a fuel cell and a solar cell) in which social needs are powerful these days, and aim at aiming at cultivation of the problem-solving type engineer who can contribute to a low carbon society through manufacturing, we undertook this work according to the manufacturing bearer educating work (personnel educating and secured work of the manufacturing field) in the 2009 fiscal year of National Federation of Small Business Associations.

Telephone referral education, and evidence of retention and transfer after six-months.

PubMed

Marshall, Stuart D; Harrison, Julia C; Flanagan, Brendan

2012-06-07

Effective communication between clinicians is essential for safe, efficient healthcare. We undertook a study to determine the longer-term effectiveness of an education session employing a structured method to teach referral-making skills to medical students. All final year medical students received a forty-five minute education intervention consisting: discussion of effective telephone referrals; video viewing and critique; explanation, demonstration and practice using ISBAR; provision of a memory aid for use in their clinical work. Audio recordings were taken during a subsequent standardised simulation scenario and blindly assessed using a validated scoring system. Recordings were taken immediately before (control), several hours after (intervention), and at approximately six months after the education. Retention of the acronym and self-reports of transfer to the clinical environment were measured with a questionnaire at eight months. Referral clarity at six months was significantly improved from pre-intervention, and referral content showed a trend towards improvement. Both measures were lower than the immediate post-education test. The ISBAR acronym was remembered by 59.4% (n = 95/160) and used by the vast majority of the respondents who had made a clinical telephone referral (n = 135/143; 94.4%). A brief education session improved telephone communication in a simulated environment above baseline for over six months, achieved functional retention of the acronym over a seven to eight month period and resulted in self reports of transfer of the learning into practice.

Development of Novel Therapeutics for Neglected Tropical Disease Leishmaniasis

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-10-01

Approved for public release; distribution unlimited We undertook planning of kick off coordination meeting. A low dose infection model of CL was validated...A large scale synthesis of PEN optimized and in vitro studies were performed revealed that PEN alters parasite lipidome. Further studies were...Pentalinonsterol, Leishmania, cutaneous leishmaniasis, treatment Accomplishments • Undertook planning of kick off coordination meeting • Large scale synthesis of

First results of electron temperature measurements by the use of multi-pass Thomson scattering system in GAMMA 10

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

Yoshikawa, M., E-mail: yosikawa@prc.tsukuba.ac.jp; Nagasu, K.; Shimamura, Y.

2014-11-15

A multi-pass Thomson scattering (TS) has the advantage of enhancing scattered signals. We constructed a multi-pass TS system for a polarisation-based system and an image relaying system modelled on the GAMMA 10 TS system. We undertook Raman scattering experiments both for the multi-pass setting and for checking the optical components. Moreover, we applied the system to the electron temperature measurements in the GAMMA 10 plasma for the first time. The integrated scattering signal was magnified by approximately three times by using the multi-pass TS system with four passes. The electron temperature measurement accuracy is improved by using this multi-pass system.

First results of electron temperature measurements by the use of multi-pass Thomson scattering system in GAMMA 10.

PubMed

Yoshikawa, M; Yasuhara, R; Nagasu, K; Shimamura, Y; Shima, Y; Kohagura, J; Sakamoto, M; Nakashima, Y; Imai, T; Ichimura, M; Yamada, I; Funaba, H; Kawahata, K; Minami, T

2014-11-01

A multi-pass Thomson scattering (TS) has the advantage of enhancing scattered signals. We constructed a multi-pass TS system for a polarisation-based system and an image relaying system modelled on the GAMMA 10 TS system. We undertook Raman scattering experiments both for the multi-pass setting and for checking the optical components. Moreover, we applied the system to the electron temperature measurements in the GAMMA 10 plasma for the first time. The integrated scattering signal was magnified by approximately three times by using the multi-pass TS system with four passes. The electron temperature measurement accuracy is improved by using this multi-pass system.

A conceptual framework for implementation fidelity

PubMed Central

Carroll, Christopher; Patterson, Malcolm; Wood, Stephen; Booth, Andrew; Rick, Jo; Balain, Shashi

2007-01-01

Background Implementation fidelity refers to the degree to which an intervention or programme is delivered as intended. Only by understanding and measuring whether an intervention has been implemented with fidelity can researchers and practitioners gain a better understanding of how and why an intervention works, and the extent to which outcomes can be improved. Discussion The authors undertook a critical review of existing conceptualisations of implementation fidelity and developed a new conceptual framework for understanding and measuring the process. The resulting theoretical framework requires testing by empirical research. Summary Implementation fidelity is an important source of variation affecting the credibility and utility of research. The conceptual framework presented here offers a means for measuring this variable and understanding its place in the process of intervention implementation. PMID:18053122

Bioimpedance measurement of body water correlates with measured volume balance in injured patients.

PubMed

Rosemurgy, A S; Rodriguez, E; Hart, M B; Kurto, H Z; Albrink, M H

1993-06-01

Bioimpedance technology is being used increasingly to determine drug volume of distribution, body water status, and nutrition repletion. Its accuracy in patients experiencing large volume flux is not established. To address this, we undertook this prospective study in 54 consecutive seriously injured adults who had emergency celiotomy soon after arrival in the emergency department. Bioimpedance measurements were obtained in the emergency department before the patient was transported to the operating room, on completion of celiotomy, and 24 hours and 48 hours after celiotomy. Bioimpedance measurements of body water were compared with measured fluid balance. If insensible losses are subtracted from measured fluid balance, the percentage of body weight, which is body water determined by bioimpedance, closely follows fluid flux. This study supports the use of bioimpedance measurements in determining total body water even during periods of surgery, blood loss, and vigorous resuscitation.

Acute and chronic effects of SGLT2 blockade on glomerular and tubular function in the early diabetic rat

PubMed Central

Rieg, Timo; Miracle, Cynthia; Mansoury, Hadi; Whaley, Jean; Vallon, Volker; Singh, Prabhleen

2012-01-01

Tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) stabilizes nephron function from minute to minute and adapts to different steady-state inputs to maintain this capability. Such adaptation inherently renders TGF less efficient at buffering long-term disturbances, but the magnitude of loss is unknown. We undertook the present study to measure the compromise between TGF and TGF adaptation in transition from acute to chronic decline in proximal reabsorption (Jprox). As a tool, we blocked proximal tubule sodium-glucose cotransport with the SGLT2 blocker dapagliflozin in hyperglycemic rats with early streptozotocin diabetes, a condition in which a large fraction of proximal fluid reabsorption owes to SGLT2. Dapagliflozin acutely reduced proximal reabsorption leading to a 70% increase in early distal chloride, a saturated TGF response, and a major reduction in single nephron glomerular filtration rate (SNGFR). Acute and chronic effects on Jprox were indistinguishable. Adaptations to 10–12 days of dapagiflozin included increased reabsorption by Henle's loop, which caused a partial relaxation in the increased tone exerted by TGF that could be explained without desensitization of TGF. In summary, TGF contributes to long-term fluid and salt balance by mediating a persistent decline in SNGFR as the kidney adapts to a sustained decrease in Jprox. PMID:21940401

Autocalibration of a one-dimensional hydrodynamic-ecological model (DYRESM 4.0-CAEDYM 3.1) using a Monte Carlo approach: simulations of hypoxic events in a polymictic lake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Liancong; Hamilton, David; Lan, Jia; McBride, Chris; Trolle, Dennis

2018-03-01

Automated calibration of complex deterministic water quality models with a large number of biogeochemical parameters can reduce time-consuming iterative simulations involving empirical judgements of model fit. We undertook autocalibration of the one-dimensional hydrodynamic-ecological lake model DYRESM-CAEDYM, using a Monte Carlo sampling (MCS) method, in order to test the applicability of this procedure for shallow, polymictic Lake Rotorua (New Zealand). The calibration procedure involved independently minimizing the root-mean-square error (RMSE), maximizing the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) and Nash-Sutcliffe efficient coefficient (Nr) for comparisons of model state variables against measured data. An assigned number of parameter permutations was used for 10 000 simulation iterations. The "optimal" temperature calibration produced a RMSE of 0.54 °C, Nr value of 0.99, and r value of 0.98 through the whole water column based on comparisons with 540 observed water temperatures collected between 13 July 2007 and 13 January 2009. The modeled bottom dissolved oxygen concentration (20.5 m below surface) was compared with 467 available observations. The calculated RMSE of the simulations compared with the measurements was 1.78 mg L-1, the Nr value was 0.75, and the r value was 0.87. The autocalibrated model was further tested for an independent data set by simulating bottom-water hypoxia events from 15 January 2009 to 8 June 2011 (875 days). This verification produced an accurate simulation of five hypoxic events corresponding to DO < 2 mg L-1 during summer of 2009-2011. The RMSE was 2.07 mg L-1, Nr value 0.62, and r value of 0.81, based on the available data set of 738 days. The autocalibration software of DYRESM-CAEDYM developed here is substantially less time-consuming and more efficient in parameter optimization than traditional manual calibration which has been the standard tool practiced for similar complex water quality models.

Auto-calibration of a one-dimensional hydrodynamic-ecological model using a Monte Carlo approach: simulation of hypoxic events in a polymictic lake

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, L.

2011-12-01

Automated calibration of complex deterministic water quality models with a large number of biogeochemical parameters can reduce time-consuming iterative simulations involving empirical judgements of model fit. We undertook auto-calibration of the one-dimensional hydrodynamic-ecological lake model DYRESM-CAEDYM, using a Monte Carlo sampling (MCS) method, in order to test the applicability of this procedure for shallow, polymictic Lake Rotorua (New Zealand). The calibration procedure involved independently minimising the root-mean-square-error (RMSE), maximizing the Pearson correlation coefficient (r) and Nash-Sutcliffe efficient coefficient (Nr) for comparisons of model state variables against measured data. An assigned number of parameter permutations was used for 10,000 simulation iterations. The 'optimal' temperature calibration produced a RMSE of 0.54 °C, Nr-value of 0.99 and r-value of 0.98 through the whole water column based on comparisons with 540 observed water temperatures collected between 13 July 2007 - 13 January 2009. The modeled bottom dissolved oxygen concentration (20.5 m below surface) was compared with 467 available observations. The calculated RMSE of the simulations compared with the measurements was 1.78 mg L-1, the Nr-value was 0.75 and the r-value was 0.87. The autocalibrated model was further tested for an independent data set by simulating bottom-water hypoxia events for the period 15 January 2009 to 8 June 2011 (875 days). This verification produced an accurate simulation of five hypoxic events corresponding to DO < 2 mg L-1 during summer of 2009-2011. The RMSE was 2.07 mg L-1, Nr-value 0.62 and r-value of 0.81, based on the available data set of 738 days. The auto-calibration software of DYRESM-CAEDYM developed here is substantially less time-consuming and more efficient in parameter optimisation than traditional manual calibration which has been the standard tool practiced for similar complex water quality models.

Computation of Asteroid Proper Elements on the Grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Novakovic, B.; Balaz, A.; Knezevic, Z.; Potocnik, M.

2009-12-01

A procedure of gridification of the computation of asteroid proper orbital elements is described. The need to speed up the time consuming computations and make them more efficient is justified by the large increase of observational data expected from the next generation all sky surveys. We give the basic notion of proper elements and of the contemporary theories and methods used to compute them for different populations of objects. Proper elements for nearly 70,000 asteroids are derived since the beginning of use of the Grid infrastructure for the purpose. The average time for the catalogs update is significantly shortened with respect to the time needed with stand-alone workstations. We also present basics of the Grid computing, the concepts of Grid middleware and its Workload management system. The practical steps we undertook to efficiently gridify our application are described in full detail. We present the results of a comprehensive testing of the performance of different Grid sites, and offer some practical conclusions based on the benchmark results and on our experience. Finally, we propose some possibilities for the future work.

Hand-arm vibration in orthopaedic surgery: a neglected risk.

PubMed

Mahmood, F; Ferguson, K B; Clarke, J; Hill, K; Macdonald, E B; Macdonald, D J M

2017-12-30

Hand-arm vibration syndrome is an occupational disease caused by exposure to hand-arm transmitted vibration. The Health and Safety Executive has set limits for vibration exposure, including an exposure action value (EAV), where steps should be taken to reduce exposure, and an exposure limit value (ELV), beyond which vibrating equipment must not be used for the rest of the working day. To measure hand-arm transmitted vibration among orthopaedic surgeons, who routinely use hand-operated saws. We undertook a cadaveric study measuring vibration associated with a tibial cut using battery-operated saws. Three surgeons undertook three tibial cuts each on cadaveric tibiae. Measurements were taken using a frequency-weighted root mean square acceleration, with the vibration total value calculated as the root of the sums squared in each of the three axes. A mean (SD) vibration magnitude of 1 (0.2) m/s2 in the X-axis, 10.3 (1.9) m/s2 in the Y-axis and 4.2 (1.3) m/s2 in the Z-axis was observed. The weighted root mean squared magnitude of vibration was 11.3 (1.7) m/s2. These results suggest an EAV of 23 min and ELV of 1 h 33 min using this equipment. Our results demonstrate that use of a battery-operated sagittal saw can transmit levels of hand-arm vibration approaching the EAV or ELV through prolonged use. Further study is necessary to quantify this risk and establish whether surveillance is necessary for orthopaedic surgeons. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Experimental comparison of inquiry and direct instruction in science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cobern, William W.; Schuster, David; Adams, Betty; Applegate, Brooks; Skjold, Brandy; Undreiu, Adriana; Loving, Cathleen C.; Gobert, Janice D.

2010-04-01

There are continuing educational and political debates about 'inquiry' versus 'direct' teaching of science. Traditional science instruction has been largely direct but in the US, recent national and state science education standards advocate inquiry throughout K-12 education. While inquiry-based instruction has the advantage of modelling aspects of the nature of real scientific inquiry, there is little unconfounded comparative research into the effectiveness and efficiency of the two instructional modes for developing science conceptual understanding. This research undertook a controlled experimental study comparing the efficacy of carefully designed inquiry instruction and equally carefully designed direct instruction in realistic science classroom situations at the middle school grades. The research design addressed common threats to validity. We report on the nature of the instructional units in each mode, research design, methods, classroom implementations, monitoring, assessments, analysis and project findings.

A busy day has minimal effect on factors associated with falls in older people: An ecological randomised crossover trial.

PubMed

Sturnieks, Daina L; Yak, Sin Lin; Ratanapongleka, Mayna; Lord, Stephen R; Menant, Jasmine C

2018-06-01

Fatigue is a common complaint in older people. Laboratory-induced muscle fatigue has been found to affect physical functions in older populations but these protocols are rigorous and are unlikely to accurately reflect daily activities. This study used an ecological approach to determine the effects of a busy day on self-reported fatigue and fall-related measures of physical and cognitive function in older people. Fifty community-dwelling adult volunteers, aged 60-88 (mean 73) years participated in this randomised crossover trial. Participants undertook assessments of balance, strength, gait, mobility, cognitive function and self-reported fatigue, before and after a planned rest day and a planned busy day (randomly allocated) at least one week apart. Participants wore an activity monitor on both the rest and busy days. On average, participants undertook twice as many steps and 2.5 times more minutes of activity on the busy, compared with the rest day. Participants had a significant increase in self-reported fatigue on the afternoon of the busy day and no change on the rest day. Repeated measures ANOVAs found no significant day (rest/busy) × time (am/pm) interaction effects, except for the timed up and go test of mobility, resulting from relatively improved mobility performance over the rest day, compared with the busy day. This study showed few effects of a busy day on physical and cognitive performance tests associated with falls in older people. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Time-intensive cognitive behaviour therapy for obsessive-compulsive disorder: A case series and matched comparison group.

PubMed

Oldfield, Victoria B; Salkovskis, Paul M; Taylor, Tracey

2011-03-01

A time-intensive format may be both useful and effective for the delivery of cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Intensive treatments also offer a pragmatic alternative to in-patient admission for those in a geographically remote location. Published studies of intensive treatment include pioneering exposure-response prevention (ERP) trials that emphasized the requirement for high-intensity treatment; more recently several studies have used treatment protocols with a heavy emphasis on ERP. This study compares intensive versus standard weekly treatment format following the integrated formulation-driven CBT approach widely used in UK adult mental health settings. An analysis of patients undertaking intensive CBT using a matched comparison group of those who undertook weekly CBT for OCD. Twenty-two adult patients undertook intensive format treatment (matched with a weekly group for age, gender, and initial symptoms). A range of self-report measures were examined at the end of treatment and at a 3-month follow-up. Significant treatment effects were found on a range of self-report measures; both conditions were found to be equally effective at the end of treatment and at 3-month follow-up. Uncontrolled effect sizes show that the intensive treatment was comparable to other trials of CBT for OCD. An intensive treatment format for the delivery of CBT for OCD was found to be as effective as weekly treatment. This is consistent with the recommendations from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines. This study adds to the growing literature on the effectiveness of intensive format treatment. ©2010 The British Psychological Society.

Dietary sodium induces a redistribution of the tubular metabolic workload

PubMed Central

Udwan, Khalil; Abed, Ahmed; Roth, Isabelle; Dizin, Eva; Maillard, Marc; Bettoni, Carla; Loffing, Johannes; Wagner, Carsten A.; Edwards, Aurélie

2017-01-01

Key points Body Na+ content is tightly controlled by regulated urinary Na+ excretion.The intrarenal mechanisms mediating adaptation to variations in dietary Na+ intake are incompletely characterized.We confirmed and expanded observations in mice that variations in dietary Na+ intake do not alter the glomerular filtration rate but alter the total and cell‐surface expression of major Na+ transporters all along the kidney tubule.Low dietary Na+ intake increased Na+ reabsorption in the proximal tubule and decreased it in more distal kidney tubule segments.High dietary Na+ intake decreased Na+ reabsorption in the proximal tubule and increased it in distal segments with lower energetic efficiency.The abundance of apical transporters and Na+ delivery are the main determinants of Na+ reabsorption along the kidney tubule.Tubular O2 consumption and the efficiency of sodium reabsorption are dependent on sodium diet. Abstract Na+ excretion by the kidney varies according to dietary Na+ intake. We undertook a systematic study of the effects of dietary salt intake on glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and tubular Na+ reabsorption. We examined the renal adaptive response in mice subjected to 7 days of a low sodium diet (LSD) containing 0.01% Na+, a normal sodium diet (NSD) containing 0.18% Na+ and a moderately high sodium diet (HSD) containing 1.25% Na+. As expected, LSD did not alter measured GFR and increased the abundance of total and cell‐surface NHE3, NKCC2, NCC, α‐ENaC and cleaved γ‐ENaC compared to NSD. Mathematical modelling predicted that tubular Na+ reabsorption increased in the proximal tubule but decreased in the distal nephron because of diminished Na+ delivery. This prediction was confirmed by the natriuretic response to diuretics targeting the thick ascending limb, the distal convoluted tubule or the collecting system. On the other hand, HSD did not alter measured GFR but decreased the abundance of the aforementioned transporters compared to NSD. Mathematical modelling predicted that tubular Na+ reabsorption decreased in the proximal tubule but increased in distal segments with lower transport efficiency with respect to O2 consumption. This prediction was confirmed by the natriuretic response to diuretics. The activity of the metabolic sensor adenosine monophosphate‐activated protein kinase (AMPK) was related to the changes in tubular Na+ reabsorption. Our data show that fractional Na+ reabsorption is distributed differently according to dietary Na+ intake and induces changes in tubular O2 consumption and sodium transport efficiency. PMID:28940314

Impact of sink location on hand hygiene compliance for Clostridium difficile infection.

PubMed

Zellmer, Caroline; Blakney, Rebekah; Van Hoof, Sarah; Safdar, Nasia

2015-04-01

Hand hygiene with soap and water after the care of a patient with Clostridium difficile infection is essential to reduce nosocomial transmission in an outbreak situation. Factors that may pose barriers to user completion of infection prevention measures, such as hand hygiene, are of interest. We undertook a quantitative study to evaluate the relationship between sink location and compliance with handwashing among health care workers and visitors in a surgical transplant unit. We found that placement of 2 more easily visible sinks in a surgical transplant unit was associated with improved adherence to handwashing. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Alternative Outpatient Chemotherapy Scheduling Method to Improve Patient Service Quality and Nurse Satisfaction.

PubMed

Huang, Yu-Li; Bryce, Alan H; Culbertson, Tracy; Connor, Sarah L; Looker, Sherry A; Altman, Kristin M; Collins, James G; Stellner, Winston; McWilliams, Robert R; Moreno-Aspitia, Alvaro; Ailawadhi, Sikander; Mesa, Ruben A

2018-02-01

Optimal scheduling and calendar management in an outpatient chemotherapy unit is a complex process that is driven by a need to focus on safety while accommodating a high degree of variability. Primary constraints are infusion times, staffing resources, chair availability, and unit hours. We undertook a process to analyze our existing management models across multiple practice settings in our health care system, then developed a model to optimize safety and efficiency. The model was tested in one of the community chemotherapy units. We assessed staffing violations as measured by nurse-to-patient ratios throughout the workday and at key points during treatment. Staffing violations were tracked before and after the implementation of the new model. The new model reduced staffing violations by nearly 50% and required fewer chairs to treat the same number of patients for the selected clinic day. Actual implementation results indicated that the new model leveled the distribution of patients across the workday with an 18% reduction in maximum chair utilization and a 27% reduction in staffing violations. Subsequently, a positive impact on peak pharmacy workload reduced delays by as much as 35 minutes. Nursing staff satisfaction with the new model was positive. We conclude that the proposed optimization approach with regard to nursing resource assignment and workload balance throughout a day effectively improves patient service quality and staff satisfaction.

Integrating policy, disintegrating practice: water resources management in Botswana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swatuk, Larry A.; Rahm, Dianne

Botswana is generally regarded as an African ‘success story’. Nearly four decades of unabated economic growth, multi-party democracy, conservative decision-making and low-levels of corruption have made Botswana the darling of the international donor community. One consequence of rapid and sustained economic development is that water resources use and demands have risen dramatically in a primarily arid/semi-arid environment. Policy makers recognize that supply is limited and that deliberate steps must be taken to manage demand. To this end, and in line with other members of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), Botswana devised a National Water Master Plan (NWMP) and undertook a series of institutional and legal reforms throughout the 1990s so as to make water resources use more equitable, efficient and sustainable. In other words, the stated goal is to work toward Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM) in both policy and practice. However, policy measures have had limited impact on de facto practice. This paper reflects our efforts to understand the disjuncture between policy and practice. The information presented here combines a review of primary and secondary literatures with key informant interviews. It is our view that a number of constraints-cultural, power political, managerial-combine to hinder efforts toward sustainable forms of water resources use. If IWRM is to be realized in the country, these constraints must be overcome. This, however, is no small task.

Virtual Field Reconnaissance to enable multi-site collaboration in geoscience fieldwork in Chile.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hughes, Leanne; Bateson, Luke; Ford, Jonathan; Napier, Bruce; Creixell, Christian; Contreras, Juan-Pablo; Vallette, Jane

2017-04-01

The unique challenges of geological mapping in remote terrains can make cross-organisation collaboration challenging. Cooperation between the British and Chilean Geological Surveys and the Chilean national mining company used the BGS digital Mapping Workflow and virtual field reconnaissance software (GeoVisionary) to undertake geological mapping in a complex area of Andean Geology. The international team undertook a pre-field evaluation using GeoVisionary to integrate massive volumes of data and interpret high resolution satellite imagery, terrain models and existing geological information to capture, manipulate and understand geological features and re-interpret existing maps. This digital interpretation was then taken into the field and verified using the BGS digital data capture system (SIGMA.mobile). This allowed the production of final geological interpretation and creation of a geological map. This presentation describes the digital mapping workflow used in Chile and highlights the key advantages of increased efficiency and communication to colleagues, stakeholders and funding bodies.

Watershed Restoration Project

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

Julie Thompson; Betsy Macfarlan

2007-09-27

In 2003, the U.S. Department of Energy issued the Eastern Nevada Landscape Coalition (ENLC) funding to implement ecological restoration in Gleason Creek and Smith Valley Watersheds. This project was made possible by congressionally directed funding that was provided through the US Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Office of the Biomass Program. The Ely District Bureau of Land Management (Ely BLM) manages these watersheds and considers them priority areas within the Ely BLM district. These three entities collaborated to address the issues and concerns of Gleason Creek and Smith Valley and prepared a restoration plan to improve themore » watersheds’ ecological health and resiliency. The restoration process began with watershed-scale vegetation assessments and state and transition models to focus on restoration sites. Design and implementation of restoration treatments ensued and were completed in January 2007. This report describes the restoration process ENLC undertook from planning to implementation of two watersheds in semi-arid Eastern Nevada.« less

Students' approaches to learning in a clinical practicum: A psychometric evaluation based on item response theory.

PubMed

Zhao, Yue; Kuan, Hoi Kei; Chung, Joyce O K; Chan, Cecilia K Y; Li, William H C

2018-07-01

The investigation of learning approaches in the clinical workplace context has remained an under-researched area. Despite the validation of learning approach instruments and their applications in various clinical contexts, little is known about the extent to which an individual item, that reflects a specific learning strategy and motive, effectively contributes to characterizing students' learning approaches. This study aimed to measure nursing students' approaches to learning in a clinical practicum using the Approaches to Learning at Work Questionnaire (ALWQ). Survey research design was used in the study. A sample of year 3 nursing students (n = 208) who undertook a 6-week clinical practicum course participated in the study. Factor analyses were conducted, followed by an item response theory analysis, including model assumption evaluation (unidimensionality and local independence), item calibration and goodness-of-fit assessment. Two subscales, deep and surface, were derived. Findings suggested that: (a) items measuring the deep motive from intrinsic interest and deep strategies of relating new ideas to similar situations, and that of concept mapping served as the strongest discriminating indicators; (b) the surface strategy of memorizing facts and details without an overall picture exhibited the highest discriminating power among all surface items; and, (c) both subscales appeared to be informative in assessing a broad range of the corresponding latent trait. The 21-item ALWQ derived from this study presented an efficient, internally consistent and precise measure. Findings provided a useful psychometric evaluation of the ALWQ in the clinical practicum context, added evidence to the utility of the ALWQ for nursing education practice and research, and echoed the discussions from previous studies on the role of the contextual factors in influencing student choices of different learning strategies. They provided insights for clinical educators to measure nursing students' approaches to learning and facilitate their learning in the clinical practicum setting. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Family welfare and health practices increase after exposure to population education.

PubMed

1994-01-01

Since 1987, the State Resource Center of Jamia Millia Islamia of New Delhi has been implementing a program which integrates population education contents into its literacy education classes for adult learners. Using the core messages on family size, spacing of children, responsible parenthood, right age of marriage, population-related beliefs and customs and population and development, the Center undertook many activities such as: i) integrating population contents in literacy primers, readers and supplementary reading books; ii) development of teaching aids and instructor's resource materials; iii) organization of training for instructors and iv) holding outreach activities such as street corner plays, fairs, etc. To evaluate the impact of the program, the Center undertook an impact survey to measure the level of knowledge, attitude and practices of randomly selected beneficiaries of the project, i.e. 934 learners from 85 literacy learning centers, 5 years after the introduction of the population education program. The study used pre-test and post-test method for collecting data and to compare results. In terms of practice, the study has shown that the respondents having knowledge about family planning methods increased from 67 to 87%, after being exposed to the project's activities. There was also an increase of 61% in cases adopting family planning methods over the pre-measurement level. More importantly, there was not only an increase in awareness of public health and family welfare services but a 137% increase was registered in the use of public health and family welfare facilities for family planning counseling and services. With regard to knowledge and attitude on the various population education messages promoted by the project, the study has shown a 40% increase in "high" knowledge category and 25% increase in favorable attitude after the exposure to the project. full text

Clinical Placement Before or After Simulated Learning Environments?: A Naturalistic Study of Clinical Skills Acquisition Among Early-Stage Paramedicine Students.

PubMed

Mills, Brennen W; Carter, Owen B J; Rudd, Cobie J; Ross, Nathan P; Claxton, Louise A

2015-10-01

There is conflicting evidence surrounding the merit of clinical placements (CPs) for early-stage health-profession students. Some contend that early-stage CPs facilitate contextualization of a subsequently learned theory. Others argue that training in simulated-learning experiences (SLEs) should occur before CP to ensure that students possess at least basic competency. We sought to investigate both claims. First-year paramedicine students (n = 85) undertook 3 days of CP and SLEs as part of course requirements. Students undertook CP either before or after participation in SLEs creating 2 groups (Clin → Sim/Sim → Clin). Clinical skills acquisition was measured via direct scenario-based clinical assessments with expert observers conducted at 4 intervals during the semester. Perceptions of difficulty of CP and SLE were measured via the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Task Load Index. Students' clinical assessment scores in both groups improved significantly from beginning to end of semester (P < 0.001). However, at semester's end, clinical assessment scores for the Sim → Clin group were statistically significantly greater than those of the Clin → Sim group (P = 0.021). Both groups found SLEs more demanding than CP (P < 0.001). However, compared with the Sim → Clin group, the Clin → Sim group rated SLE as substantially more time-demanding than CP (P = 0.003). Differences in temporal demand suggest that the Clin → Sim students had fewer opportunities to practice clinical skills during CP than the Sim → Clin students due to a more limited scope of practice. The Sim → Clin students contextualized SLE within subsequent CP resulting in greater improvement in clinical competency by semester's end in comparison with the Clin → Sim students who were forced to contextualize skills retrospectively.

Physical inactivity, neurological disability, and cardiorespiratory fitness in multiple sclerosis.

PubMed

Motl, R W; Goldman, M

2011-02-01

We examined the associations among physical activity, neurological disability, and cardiorespiratory fitness in two studies of individuals with multiple sclerosis (MS). Study 1 included 25 women with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) who undertook an incremental exercise test for measuring peak oxygen (VO₂(peak) ) consumption, wore an accelerometer during a 7-day period, and completed the Godin Leisure-Time Exercise Questionnaire (GLTEQ). Study 2 was a follow-up of Study 1 and included 24 women with RRMS who completed the self-reported Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), undertook an incremental exercise test, wore an accelerometer during a 7-day period, and completed the GLTEQ. Study 1 indicated that VO₂(peak) was significantly correlated with accelerometer counts (pr = 0.69) and GLTEQ scores (pr = 0.63) even after controlling for age and MS duration. Study 2 indicated that VO₂(peak) was significantly correlated with accelerometer counts (pr = 0.50), GLTEQ scores (pr = 0.59), and EDSS scores (pr = -0.43) even after controlling for age and MS duration; there was a moderate partial correlation between accelerometer counts and EDSS scores (pr = -0.43). Multiple linear regression analysis indicated that both accelerometer counts (β = 0.32) and EDSS scores (β = -0.40) had statistically significant associations with VO₂(peak). The findings indicate that physical inactivity and neurological disability might represent independent risk factors for reduced levels of cardiorespiratory fitness in this population. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

The impact of a school-based gardening intervention on intentions and behaviour related to fruit and vegetable consumption in children.

PubMed

Duncan, Michael J; Eyre, Emma; Bryant, Elizabeth; Clarke, Neil; Birch, Samantha; Staples, Victoria; Sheffield, David

2015-06-01

A total of 77 children (34 boys, 43 girls, mean age ± standard deviation = 9 ± 1 years) participated in this study; 46 children (intervention) undertook a 12-week school gardening programme and 31 children acted as controls. Measures of the Theory of Planned Behaviour and fruit and vegetable consumption were taken pre- and post-intervention. Repeated measures analysis of variance and hierarchical regression analysis indicated that the intervention group increased daily consumption of fruits and vegetables and increased intentions, attitudes, norms, and perceived behavioural control related to fruit and vegetable consumption. Attitudes, norms and perceived behavioural control significantly predicted changes in fruit and vegetable consumption. © The Author(s) 2015.

Impact of a program to diminish gender insensitivity and sexual harassment at a medical school.

PubMed

Jacobs, C D; Bergen, M R; Korn, D

2000-05-01

To measure the effect of an intervention to reduce gender insensitivity and sexual harassment at one medical school. Stanford University School of Medicine undertook a multifaceted program to educate faculty and students regarding gender issues and to diminish sexual harassment. The authors developed a survey instrument to assess the faculty's perceptions regarding environment (five scales) and incidences of sexual harassment. Faculty were surveyed twice during the interventions (1994 and 1995). Between the two years, the authors measured significant improvements in mean ratings for positive climate (p = .004) and cohesion (p = .006) and decreases in the faculty's perceptions of sexual harassment (p = 0006), gender insensitivity (p = .001), and gender discrimination (p = .004). The faculty also reported fewer observations of harassing behavior during the study period. An intervention program to diminish gender insensitivity and sexual harassment can measurably improve a medical school's environment.

Infrared Thermal Testing Of Mechanical Assemblies At The Military Depot And Field Level: A Progress Report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaplan, Herbert

1988-01-01

Based on encouraging results on the Army's programs for infrared mass screening of printed circuit boards at the depot level, the US Army CECOM (Communication-Electronics Command) undertook a one-year investigation of the applicability of similar techniques to screening and diagnostics of mechanical assemblies. These included tanks, helicopters, transport vehicles and their major subassemblies (transmissions, engines, axles, etc.) at field and depot levels. Honeyhill Technical Company was tasked to classify candidate assemblies and perform preliminary measurements using Army-owned general-purpose thermal imaging equipment. The investigations yielded positive results, and it was decided to pursue a comprehensive measurements program using field-mobile equipment specifically procured for the program. This paper summarizes the results of the investigations, outlines the measurements techniques utilized, describes the classification and selection of candidate assemblies, and reports on progress toward the goals of the program.

Can scribes boost FPs' efficiency and job satisfaction?

PubMed

Earls, Stephen T; Savageau, Judith A; Begley, Susan; Saver, Barry G; Sullivan, Kate; Chuman, Alan

2017-04-01

Research in other medical specialties has shown that the addition of medical scribes to the clinical team enhances physicians' practice experience and increases productivity. To date, literature on the implementation of scribes in primary care is limited. To determine the feasibility and benefits of implementing scribes in family medicine, we undertook a pilot mixed- method quality improvement (QI) study. In 2014, we incorporated 4 parttime scribes into an academic family medicine practice consisting of 7 physicians. We then measured, via survey and time-tracking data, the impact the scribes had on physician office hours and productivity, time spent on documentation, perceptions of work-life balance, and physician and patient satisfaction. Six of the 7 faculty physicians participated. This study demonstrated that the use of scribes in a busy academic primary care practice substantially reduced the amount of time that family physicians spent on charting, improved work-life balance, and had good patient acceptance. Specifically, the physicians spent an average of 5.1 fewer hours/week (hrs/wk) on documentation, while various measures of productivity revealed increases ranging from 9.2% to 28.8%. Perhaps most important of all, when the results of the pilot study were annualized, they were projected to generate $168,600 per year--more than twice the $79,500 annual cost of 2 full-time equivalent scribes. Surveys assessing work-life balance demonstrated improvement in the physicians' perception of the administrative burden/paperwork related to practice and a decrease in their perception of the extent to which work encroached on their personal lives. In addition, survey data from 313 patients at the time of their ambulatory visit with a scribe present revealed a high level of comfort. Likewise, surveys completed by physicians after 55 clinical sessions (ie, blocks of consecutive, uninterrupted patient appointments; there are usually 2 sessions per day) revealed good to excellent ratings more than 90% of the time. In an outpatient family medicine clinic, the use of scribes substantially improved physicians' efficiency, job satisfaction, and productivity without negatively impacting the patient experience.

A Scoping Review of Peer-led Education in Patient Safety Training

PubMed Central

McLachlan, Andrew J.; Chen, Timothy F.

2018-01-01

Objective. To examine the literature pertaining to the use of peer-led education in patient safety. Findings. Four studies met the inclusion criteria: two were conducted in health care students and two in medical practitioners. Three studies used pre-post evaluation, with one containing a comparator group. One study a post-intervention evaluation only. All studies undertook Kirkpatrick Level 2 evaluations, showing significant improvements in attitudes and knowledge. One study undertook Level 3 and 4 evaluations, showing improvement in self-reported behaviors and engagement in quality improvement initiatives. Summary. There are few studies evaluating peer-led education in patient safety and formal and high-quality evaluations are lacking. PMID:29606704

Radionuclide observables during the Integrated Field Exercise of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty

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

Burnett, Jonathan L.; Miley, Harry S.; Milbrath, Brian D.

In 2014 the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) undertook the Integrated Field Exercise (IFE) in Jordan. The exercise consisted of a simulated 0.5 – 2 kT underground explosion triggering an On-site Inspection (OSI) to search for evidence of a Treaty violation. This research evaluates two of the OSI techniques, including laboratory-based gamma-spectrometry of soil samples and in situ gamma-spectrometry for 17 particulate radionuclides indicative of nuclear weapon tests. The detection sensitivity is evaluated using real IFE and model data. It indicates that higher sensitivity laboratory measurements are the optimum technique during the IFE and OSI timeframes.

Expenditure and loss of income incurred by tuberculosis patients before reaching effective treatment in Bangladesh.

PubMed

Croft, R A; Croft, R P

1998-03-01

This small study undertook to assess the economic consequences of developing tuberculosis (TB) among patients presenting to the TB clinic run by the Danish Bangladesh Leprosy Mission in NW Bangladesh. The loss of income resulting from the illness, and the actual expenditure incurred by medicines and doctor's fees before registration for treatment, were estimated and totalled for 21 patients serially registered at the clinic. The results showed a mean financial loss to the patient of US$ 245-an exorbitant sum for a village Bangladeshi. Perhaps economic deprivation suffered by TB patients could be used as a measure of success of the programme.

Informing adolescents about human papillomavirus vaccination: what will parents allow?

PubMed

Vallely, Lorraine A; Roberts, Stephen A; Kitchener, Henry C; Brabin, Loretta

2008-04-24

With the introduction of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination an evidence base on effective adolescent educational interventions is urgently required. We undertook formative research to develop and evaluate a film on HPV and cervical cancer prevention for school children who will be offered HPV vaccination in the UK. The main outcome measures were the number of children allowed by parents to view the film and children's knowledge. Our results indicated that the film's four key messages were acceptable to parents and largely understood by adolescents but these messages will need reinforcing if the full potential of a prophylactic vaccine is to be realised.

Abbreviated mindfulness intervention for job satisfaction, quality of life, and compassion in primary care clinicians: a pilot study.

PubMed

Fortney, Luke; Luchterhand, Charlene; Zakletskaia, Larissa; Zgierska, Aleksandra; Rakel, David

2013-01-01

Burnout, attrition, and low work satisfaction of primary care physicians are growing concerns and can have a negative influence on health care. Interventions for clinicians that improve work-life balance are few and poorly understood. We undertook this study as a first step in investigating whether an abbreviated mindfulness intervention could increase job satisfaction, quality of life, and compassion among primary care clinicians. A total of 30 primary care clinicians participated in an abbreviated mindfulness course. We used a single-sample, pre-post design. At 4 points in time (baseline, and 1 day, 8 weeks, and 9 months postintervention), participants completed a set of online measures assessing burnout, anxiety, stress, resilience, and compassion. We used a linear mixed-effects model analysis to assess changes in outcome measures. Participants had improvements compared with baseline at all 3 follow-up time points. At 9 months postintervention, they had significantly better scores (1) on all Maslach Burnout Inventory burnout subscales-Emotional Exhaustion (P =.009), Depersonalization (P = .005), and Personal Accomplishment (P <.001); (2) on the Depression (P =.001), Anxiety (P =.006), and Stress (P = .002) subscales of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21; and (3) for perceived stress (P = .002) assessed with the Perceived Stress Scale. There were no significant changes on the 14-item Resilience Scale and the Santa Clara Brief Compassion Scale. In this uncontrolled pilot study, participating in an abbreviated mindfulness training course adapted for primary care clinicians was associated with reductions in indicators of job burnout, depression, anxiety, and stress. Modified mindfulness training may be a time-efficient tool to help support clinician health and well-being, which may have implications for patient care.

Sleep, Travel, and Recovery Responses of National Footballers During and After Long-Haul International Air Travel.

PubMed

Fullagar, Hugh H; Duffield, Rob; Skorski, Sabrina; White, David; Bloomfield, Jonathan; Kölling, Sarah; Meyer, Tim

2016-01-01

The current study examined the sleep, travel, and recovery responses of elite footballers during and after long-haul international air travel, with a further description of these responses over the ensuing competitive tour (including 2 matches). In an observational design, 15 elite male football players undertook 18 h of predominantly westward international air travel from the United Kingdom to South America (-4-h time-zone shift) for a 10-d tour. Objective sleep parameters, external and internal training loads, subjective player match performance, technical match data, and perceptual jet-lag and recovery measures were collected. Significant differences were evident between outbound travel and recovery night 1 (night of arrival; P < .001) for sleep duration. Sleep efficiency was also significantly reduced during outbound travel compared with recovery nights 1 (P = .001) and 2 (P = .004). Furthermore, both match nights (5 and 10), showed significantly less sleep than nonmatch nights 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 (all P < .001). No significant differences were evident between baseline and any time point for all perceptual measures of jet-lag and recovery (P > .05), although large effects were evident for jet-lag on d 2 (2 d after arrival). Sleep duration is truncated during long-haul international travel with a 4-h time-zone delay and after night matches in elite footballers. However, this lost sleep appeared to have a limited effect on perceptual recovery, which may be explained by a westbound flight and a relatively small change in time zones, in addition to the significant increase in sleep duration on the night of arrival after the long-haul flight.

Targeting the Cell Stress Response of Plasmodium falciparum to Overcome Artemisinin Resistance

PubMed Central

Dogovski, Con; Xie, Stanley C.; Burgio, Gaetan; Bridgford, Jess; Mok, Sachel; McCaw, James M.; Chotivanich, Kesinee; Kenny, Shannon; Gnädig, Nina; Straimer, Judith; Bozdech, Zbynek; Fidock, David A.; Simpson, Julie A.; Dondorp, Arjen M.; Foote, Simon; Klonis, Nectarios; Tilley, Leann

2015-01-01

Successful control of falciparum malaria depends greatly on treatment with artemisinin combination therapies. Thus, reports that resistance to artemisinins (ARTs) has emerged, and that the prevalence of this resistance is increasing, are alarming. ART resistance has recently been linked to mutations in the K13 propeller protein. We undertook a detailed kinetic analysis of the drug responses of K13 wild-type and mutant isolates of Plasmodium falciparum sourced from a region in Cambodia (Pailin). We demonstrate that ART treatment induces growth retardation and an accumulation of ubiquitinated proteins, indicative of a cellular stress response that engages the ubiquitin/proteasome system. We show that resistant parasites exhibit lower levels of ubiquitinated proteins and delayed onset of cell death, indicating an enhanced cell stress response. We found that the stress response can be targeted by inhibiting the proteasome. Accordingly, clinically used proteasome inhibitors strongly synergize ART activity against both sensitive and resistant parasites, including isogenic lines expressing mutant or wild-type K13. Synergy is also observed against Plasmodium berghei in vivo. We developed a detailed model of parasite responses that enables us to infer, for the first time, in vivo parasite clearance profiles from in vitro assessments of ART sensitivity. We provide evidence that the clinical marker of resistance (delayed parasite clearance) is an indirect measure of drug efficacy because of the persistence of unviable parasites with unchanged morphology in the circulation, and we suggest alternative approaches for the direct measurement of viability. Our model predicts that extending current three-day ART treatment courses to four days, or splitting the doses, will efficiently clear resistant parasite infections. This work provides a rationale for improving the detection of ART resistance in the field and for treatment strategies that can be employed in areas with ART resistance. PMID:25901609

Abbreviated Mindfulness Intervention for Job Satisfaction, Quality of Life, and Compassion in Primary Care Clinicians: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Fortney, Luke; Luchterhand, Charlene; Zakletskaia, Larissa; Zgierska, Aleksandra; Rakel, David

2013-01-01

PURPOSE Burnout, attrition, and low work satisfaction of primary care physicians are growing concerns and can have a negative influence on health care. Interventions for clinicians that improve work-life balance are few and poorly understood. We undertook this study as a first step in investigating whether an abbreviated mindfulness intervention could increase job satisfaction, quality of life, and compassion among primary care clinicians. METHODS A total of 30 primary care clinicians participated in an abbreviated mindfulness course. We used a single-sample, pre-post design. At 4 points in time (baseline, and 1 day, 8 weeks, and 9 months postintervention), participants completed a set of online measures assessing burnout, anxiety, stress, resilience, and compassion. We used a linear mixed-effects model analysis to assess changes in outcome measures. RESULTS Participants had improvements compared with baseline at all 3 follow-up time points. At 9 months postintervention, they had significantly better scores (1) on all Maslach Burnout Inventory burnout subscales—Emotional Exhaustion (P =.009), Depersonalization (P = .005), and Personal Accomplishment (P <.001); (2) on the Depression (P =.001), Anxiety (P =.006), and Stress (P = .002) subscales of the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21; and (3) for perceived stress (P = .002) assessed with the Perceived Stress Scale. There were no significant changes on the 14-item Resilience Scale and the Santa Clara Brief Compassion Scale. CONCLUSIONS In this uncontrolled pilot study, participating in an abbreviated mindfulness training course adapted for primary care clinicians was associated with reductions in indicators of job burnout, depression, anxiety, and stress. Modified mindfulness training may be a time-efficient tool to help support clinician health and well-being, which may have implications for patient care. PMID:24019272

Perceptions of gender roles, gender power relationships, and sexuality in Thai women following diagnosis and treatment for cervical cancer.

PubMed

Kritcharoen, Sureeporn; Suwan, Kobkaew; Jirojwong, Sansnee

2005-05-10

To describe patients' and their partners' perceptions of gender roles, gender power relationships, and sexuality before diagnosis of and after treatment for cervical cancer. Descriptive. Southern Thailand. 97 women with cervical cancer who received cancer treatment, including radiotherapy, and their partners. Structured interview methods were used to gather information relating to gender roles, gender power relationships, and sexuality. Gender roles, gender power relationships, and sexuality. Fifty-two percent of the women (n = 50) were diagnosed with stage II cervical cancer. The percentage of women who undertook various activities specific to gender roles before their diagnoses was higher than the percentage who undertook the same activities after treatment. An increased percentage of partners undertook the women's gender-role-specific activities after the women received cancer treatment compared with the percentage who did so before diagnosis. Little change in gender power relationships was reported. A high percentage of the couples reported changes in various aspects of their sexuality after cancer treatment compared with before diagnosis. Gender roles, gender power relationships, and sexuality changed for women with cervical cancer and their partners after the women completed cancer treatment. Open discussions among women with cervical cancer, their partners, and oncology nurses are necessary to identify culturally sensitive and appropriate solutions.

Testing Bonner sphere spectrometers in the JRC-IRMM mono-energetic neutron beams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bedogni, R.; Domingo, C.; Esposito, A.; Chiti, M.; García-Fusté, M. J.; Lovestam, G.

2010-08-01

Within the framework of the Euratom Transnational Access programme, a specific sub-programme, called NUDAME (neutron data measurements at IRMM), was dedicated to support neutron measurement experiments at the accelerator-based facilities of the JRC-IRMM Geel, Belgium. In this context, the INFN-LNF and UAB groups undertook two separate experiments at the 7 MV Van de Graaff facility, aimed at testing their Bonner sphere spectrometers (BSS) with mono-energetic neutron beams. Both research groups routinely employ the BSS in neutron spectra measurements for radiation protection dosimetry purposes, where accurate knowledge of the BSS response is a mandatory condition for correct dose evaluations. This paper presents the results obtained by both groups, focusing on: (1) the comparison between the value of neutron fluence provided as reference data and that obtained by applying the FRUIT unfolding code to the measured BSS data and (2) the experimental validation of the response matrices of the BSSs, previously derived with Monte Carlo simulations.

Dynamics and statics of nonaxisymmetric liquid bridges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexander, J. Iwan D.; Resnick, Andy; Zhang, Yiqiang; Fedoseyev, A.

1994-01-01

We finished the construction of the experimental apparatus and the design and testing of some of the visualization and data acquisition techniques. Experimental work focused on three areas: force measurements, loss of stability to nonaxisymmetric bridges, and vibration behavior. The experimental work is summarized in section 2. Selected results from our force measurement experiments are outlined in section 3. In addition we worked on the theory of the dynamic stability of axisymmetric bridges and undertook numerical simulation of the effects of inclined gravity vectors on the minimum volume stability limit for static bridges. The results and status of our theoretical work and numerical simulation are described in section 4. Papers published and in preparation, conference presentations, etc., are described in section 5. Work planned for the third year is discussed in section 6. References cited in the report are listed in section 7.

Einstein's Jury: Trial by Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crelinsten, Jeffrey

2007-03-01

While Einstein's theory of relativity ultimately laid the foundation for modern studies of the universe, it took a long time to be accepted. Between 1905 and 1930, relativity was poorly understood and Einstein worked hard to try to make it more accessible to scientists and scientifically literate laypeople. Its acceptance was largely due to the astronomy community, which undertook precise measurements to test Einstein's astronomical predictions. The well-known 1919 British eclipse expeditions that made Einstein famous did not convince most scientists to accept relativity. The 1920s saw numerous attempts to measure light-bending, as well as solar line displacements and even ether-drift. How astronomers approached the ``Einstein problem'' in these early years before and after the First World War, and how the public reacted to what they reported, helped to shape attitudes we hold today about Einstein and his ideas.

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

Southface Energy Institute (Southface) partnered with owners and/or builders with various market constraints and ultimate goals for three projects in different climate zones: Savannah, GA (CZ 2), Clemson, SC (CZ 3), and LaFayette, GA (CZ 4). This report documents the design process, computational energy modeling, construction, envelope performance metrics, long-term monitoring results, and successes and failures of the design and execution of these high performance homes. The three bedroom/two bathroom test home in Savannah Gardens on an elevated slab foundation has a semi-conditioned, encapsulated attic. A neighboring home built to EarthCraft specifications was also monitored as a control for exteriormore » foam insulation and a heat pump water heater (HPWH). For the JMC Patrick Square, a single-story project in Clemson, the small-scale production builder wanted to increase their level of energy efficiency beyond their current green building practices, including bringing ducts into conditioned space. Through a combination of upgrade measures the team met this goal and achieved many Zero Energy Ready Home requirements. LaFayette Housing Authority undertook a development of 30 affordable rental housing units in 15 duplexes in LaFayette, GA. Because they would be long-term owners, their priorities were low utility bills for the residents and durable, maintainable buildings. The team employed BEopt to optimize building envelope and systems choices, including 2x6 advanced framed walls, insulated slab, and heat pump water heater in a utility closet which was ducted to/from an encapsulated attic.« less

Doses per vaccine vial container: An understated and underestimated driver of performance that needs more evidence.

PubMed

Heaton, Alexis; Krudwig, Kirstin; Lorenson, Tina; Burgess, Craig; Cunningham, Andrew; Steinglass, Robert

2017-04-19

The widespread use of multidose vaccine containers in low and middle income countries' immunization programs is assumed to have multiple benefits and efficiencies for health systems, yet the broader impacts on immunization coverage, costs, and safety are not well understood. To document what is known on this topic, how it has been studied, and confirm the gaps in evidence that allow us to assess the complex system interactions, the authors undertook a review of published literature that explored the relationship between doses per container and immunization systems. The relationships examined in this study are organized within a systems framework consisting of operational costs, timely coverage, safety, product costs/wastage, and policy/correct use, with the idea that a change in dose per container affects all of them, and the optimal solution will depend on what is prioritized and used to measure performance. Studies on this topic are limited and largely rely on modeling to assess the relationship between doses per container and other aspects of immunization systems. Very few studies attempt to look at how a change in doses per container affects vaccination coverage rates and other systems components simultaneously. This article summarizes the published knowledge on this topic to date and suggests areas of current and future research to ultimately improve decision making around vaccine doses per container and increase understanding of how this decision relates to other program goals. Copyright © 2016 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Performance of Charcoal Cookstoves for Haiti Part 1: Results from the Water Boiling Test

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

Booker, Kayje; Han, Tae Won; Granderson, Jessica

2011-06-01

In April 2010, a team of scientists and engineers from Lawrence Berkeley National Lab (LBNL) and UC Berkeley, with support from the Darfur Stoves Project (DSP), undertook a fact-finding mission to Haiti in order to assess needs and opportunities for cookstove intervention. Based on data collected from informal interviews with Haitians and NGOs, the team, Scott Sadlon, Robert Cheng, and Kayje Booker, identified and recommended stove testing and comparison as a high priority need that could be filled by LBNL. In response to that recommendation, five charcoal stoves were tested at the LBNL stove testing facility using a modified formmore » of version 3 of the Shell Foundation Household Energy Project Water Boiling Test (WBT). The original protocol is available online. Stoves were tested for time to boil, thermal efficiency, specific fuel consumption, and emissions of CO, CO{sub 2}, and the ratio of CO/CO{sub 2}. In addition, Haitian user feedback and field observations over a subset of the stoves were combined with the experiences of the laboratory testing technicians to evaluate the usability of the stoves and their appropriateness for Haitian cooking. The laboratory results from emissions and efficiency testing and conclusions regarding usability of the stoves are presented in this report.« less

ECG during helicopter underwater escape training.

PubMed

Tipton, Michael J; Gibbs, Peter; Brooks, Chris; Roiz de Sa, Dan; Reilly, Tara J

2010-04-01

Coincidental stimulation of the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system can cause "autonomic conflict" and consequent cardiac arrhythmias. The present study tested the hypotheses that: 1) cardiac arrhythmias would be seen in those undertaking helicopter underwater escape training (HUET); 2) the occurrence of arrhythmias in individuals could be predicted; and 3) the heart rate response to HUET would habituate with repeated runs. There were 26 male volunteers who each undertook 5 HUET submersions into water at 29.5 degrees C, with each run separated by 10 min. Each submersion included a 3-min, 40-s pre-submersion period, a 10-s submersion, and 40-s post-submersion period. Participants wore a three-lead telemetric ECG system beneath an immersion suit and underclothing. Skin temperature was measured in one participant. Each participant undertook tests to establish their autonomic function, including heart rate variability, face immersion, cold pressor test, and aerobic capacity assessment. The heart rate response to HUET was reduced by the fourth run when compared to the first run. Across all runs, 32 cardiac arrhythmias were identified (25%) in 22 different participants; all but 6 of the arrhythmias occurred just after submersion. Only aerobic fitness appeared inversely associated with the occurrence of arrhythmias. The heart rate response to HUET habituates. HUET produces cardiac arrhythmias; these are asymptomatic and probably of little clinical significance in young, fit individuals. It remains to be seen if this is the case with either an older, less fit cohort of people or in those undertaking longer breath holds in colder water.

Effect of job maintenance training program for employees with chronic disease - a randomized controlled trial on self-efficacy, job satisfaction, and fatigue.

PubMed

Varekamp, Inge; Verbeek, Jos H; de Boer, Angela; van Dijk, Frank J H

2011-07-01

Employees with a chronic physical condition may be hampered in job performance due to physical or cognitive limitations, pain, fatigue, psychosocial barriers, or because medical treatment interferes with work. This study investigates the effect of a group-training program aimed at job maintenance. Essential elements of the program are exploration of work-related problems, communication at the workplace, and the development and implementation of solutions. Participants with chronic physical diseases were randomly assigned to the intervention (N=64) or the control group (N=58). Participants were eligible for the study if they had a chronic physical disease, paid employment, experienced work-related problems, and were not on long-term 100% sick leave. Primary outcome measures were self-efficacy in solving work- and disease-related problems (14-70), job dissatisfaction (0-100), fatigue (20-140) and job maintenance measured at 4-, 8-, 12- and 24-month follow-up. We used GLM repeated measures for the analysis. After 24 months, loss to follow-up was 5.7% (7/122). Self-efficacy increased and fatigue decreased significantly more in the experimental than the control group [10 versus 4 points (P=0.000) and 19 versus 8 points (P=0.032), respectively]. Job satisfaction increased more in the experimental group but not significantly [6 versus 0 points (P=0.698)]. Job maintenance was 87% in the experimental and 91% in the control group, which was not a significant difference. Many participants in the control group also undertook actions to solve work-related problems. Empowerment training increases self-efficacy and helps to reduce fatigue complaints, which in the long term could lead to more job maintenance. Better understanding of ways to deal with work-related problems is needed to develop more efficient support for employees with a chronic disease.

Measuring learning, student engagement, and program effectiveness: a strategic process.

PubMed

Jantzi, Julie; Austin, Connie

2005-01-01

What if there was an effective way to address the age-old question from students, "Why do we have to do this assignment?" And from faculty, "How do we know our students are really learning?" And from administrators, "How will we demonstrate to our peers, our accrediting agencies, and other program stakeholders that our programs are educationally effective?" As it undertook a curriculum redesign, faculty in a baccalaureate school of nursing developed a 9-step process for curriculum implementation. The authors discuss how they applied the 9 steps strategically, positioning the program for 2 successful accreditation self-studies and concurrently addressing, with greater confidence, some of these age-old questions.

Correlations between plasma noradrenaline concentrations, antioxidants, and neutrophil counts after submaximal resistance exercise in men

PubMed Central

Ramel, A; Wagner, K; Elmadfa, I

2004-01-01

Objectives: To investigate noradrenaline concentrations, neutrophil counts, plasma antioxidants, and lipid oxidation products before and after acute resistance exercise. Methods: 17 male participants undertook a submaximal resistance exercise circuit (10 exercises; 75% of the one repetition maximum; mean (SD) exercise time, 18.6 (1.1) minutes). Blood samples were taken before and immediately after exercise and analysed for plasma antioxidants, noradrenaline, neutrophils, and lipid oxidation products. Wilcoxon's signed-rank test and Pearson's correlation coefficient were used for calculations. Results: Neutrophils, noradrenaline, fat soluble antioxidants, and lipid oxidation products increased after exercise. Noradrenaline concentrations were associated with higher antioxidant concentrations. Neutrophils were related to higher concentrations of conjugated dienes. Conclusions: Submaximal resistance exercise increases plasma antioxidants. This might reflect enhanced antioxidant defence in response to the oxidative stress of exercise, though this is not efficient for inhibiting lipid oxidation. The correlation between noradrenaline concentrations and plasma antioxidants suggests a modulating role of the stress hormone. Neutrophils are a possible source of oxidative stress after resistance exercise. PMID:15388566

Study on Damage Evaluation and Machinability of UD-CFRP for the Orthogonal Cutting Operation Using Scanning Acoustic Microscopy and the Finite Element Method.

PubMed

Wang, Dongyao; He, Xiaodong; Xu, Zhonghai; Jiao, Weicheng; Yang, Fan; Jiang, Long; Li, Linlin; Liu, Wenbo; Wang, Rongguo

2017-02-20

Owing to high specific strength and designability, unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced polymer (UD-CFRP) has been utilized in numerous fields to replace conventional metal materials. Post machining processes are always required for UD-CFRP to achieve dimensional tolerance and assembly specifications. Due to inhomogeneity and anisotropy, UD-CFRP differs greatly from metal materials in machining and failure mechanism. To improve the efficiency and avoid machining-induced damage, this paper undertook to study the correlations between cutting parameters, fiber orientation angle, cutting forces, and cutting-induced damage for UD-CFRP laminate. Scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM) was employed and one-/two-dimensional damage factors were then created to quantitatively characterize the damage of the laminate workpieces. According to the 3D Hashin's criteria a numerical model was further proposed in terms of the finite element method (FEM). A good agreement between simulation and experimental results was validated for the prediction and structural optimization of the UD-CFRP.

A medium-chain fatty acid as an alternative energy source in mouse preimplantation development.

PubMed

Yamada, Mitsutoshi; Takanashi, Kazumi; Hamatani, Toshio; Hirayama, Akiyoshi; Akutsu, Hidenori; Fukunaga, Tomoko; Ogawa, Seiji; Sugawara, Kana; Shinoda, Kosaku; Soga, Tomoyoshi; Umezawa, Akihiro; Kuji, Naoaki; Yoshimura, Yasunori; Tomita, Masaru

2012-01-01

To further optimize the culturing of preimplantation embryos, we undertook metabolomic analysis of relevant culture media using capillary electrophoresis time-of-flight mass spectrometry (CE-TOFMS). We detected 28 metabolites: 23 embryo-excreted metabolites including 16 amino acids and 5 media-derived metabolites (e.g., octanoate, a medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA)). Due to the lack of information on MCFAs in mammalian preimplantation development, this study examined octanoate as a potential alternative energy source for preimplantation embryo cultures. No embryos survived in culture media lacking FAs, pyruvate, and glucose, but supplementation of octanoate rescued the embryonic development. Immunoblotting showed significant expression of acyl-CoA dehydrogenase and hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, important enzymes for ß-oxidation of MCFAs, in preimplantation embryo. Furthermore, CE-TOFMS traced [1-(13)C(8)] octanoate added to the culture media into intermediate metabolites of the TCA cycle via ß-oxidation in mitochondria. These results are the first demonstration that octanoate could provide an efficient alternative energy source throughout preimplantation development.

Use of cyanoacrylate glue for temporary tarsorrhaphy in children.

PubMed

Trivedi, Dipti; McCalla, Maureen; Squires, Zoe; Parulekar, Manoj

2014-01-01

Congenital anophthalmia and postenucleation socket contracture are difficult conditions that require serial socket expansion with the use of hydrogel expanders and custom-made conformers along with temporary tarsorrhaphy. The authors undertook a part prospective case review of all children undergoing temporary tarsorrhaphy using cyanoacrylate glue over a 3-year period at a tertiary specialist children's hospital. They report a series of 7 children undergoing temporary tarsorrhaphy with cyanoacrylate glue instead of the conventional suturing technique. Indications were socket expansion (n = 4), fornix deepening (n = 2), prosthesis reposition, and prolapsed conjunctiva following enucleation (n = 1).The age range was 3 weeks to 14 years (mean, 2.7 years). The glue tarsorrhaphy lasted between 0.5 and 13 weeks (mean, 4.5 weeks). There were no adverse outcomes, and the glue tarsorrhaphy was tolerated well in all cases, with relative ease of reapplication of glue in clinic. Their study demonstrates that this technique allows quick and efficient temporary tarsorrhaphy with relative ease of reapplication in a clinic setting, avoiding the need for multiple general anesthetics.

Study on Damage Evaluation and Machinability of UD-CFRP for the Orthogonal Cutting Operation Using Scanning Acoustic Microscopy and the Finite Element Method

PubMed Central

Wang, Dongyao; He, Xiaodong; Xu, Zhonghai; Jiao, Weicheng; Yang, Fan; Jiang, Long; Li, Linlin; Liu, Wenbo; Wang, Rongguo

2017-01-01

Owing to high specific strength and designability, unidirectional carbon fiber reinforced polymer (UD-CFRP) has been utilized in numerous fields to replace conventional metal materials. Post machining processes are always required for UD-CFRP to achieve dimensional tolerance and assembly specifications. Due to inhomogeneity and anisotropy, UD-CFRP differs greatly from metal materials in machining and failure mechanism. To improve the efficiency and avoid machining-induced damage, this paper undertook to study the correlations between cutting parameters, fiber orientation angle, cutting forces, and cutting-induced damage for UD-CFRP laminate. Scanning acoustic microscopy (SAM) was employed and one-/two-dimensional damage factors were then created to quantitatively characterize the damage of the laminate workpieces. According to the 3D Hashin’s criteria a numerical model was further proposed in terms of the finite element method (FEM). A good agreement between simulation and experimental results was validated for the prediction and structural optimization of the UD-CFRP. PMID:28772565

Formal Verification of the Runway Safety Monitor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Siminiceanu, Radu; Ciardo, Gianfranco

2006-01-01

The Runway Safety Monitor (RSM) designed by Lockheed Martin is part of NASA's effort to reduce runway accidents. We developed a Petri net model of the RSM protocol and used the model checking functions of our tool SMART to investigate a number of safety properties in RSM. To mitigate the impact of state-space explosion, we built a highly discretized model of the system, obtained by partitioning the monitored runway zone into a grid of smaller volumes and by considering scenarios involving only two aircraft. The model also assumes that there are no communication failures, such as bad input from radar or lack of incoming data, thus it relies on a consistent view of reality by all participants. In spite of these simplifications, we were able to expose potential problems in the RSM conceptual design. Our findings were forwarded to the design engineers, who undertook corrective action. Additionally, the results stress the efficiency attained by the new model checking algorithms implemented in SMART, and demonstrate their applicability to real-world systems.

Improving newborn screening laboratory test ordering and result reporting using health information exchange

PubMed Central

van Dyck, Peter C; Rinaldo, Piero; McDonald, Clement; Howell, R Rodrey; Zuckerman, Alan; Downing, Gregory

2010-01-01

Capture, coding and communication of newborn screening (NBS) information represent a challenge for public health laboratories, health departments, hospitals, and ambulatory care practices. An increasing number of conditions targeted for screening and the complexity of interpretation contribute to a growing need for integrated information-management strategies. This makes NBS an important test of tools and architecture for electronic health information exchange (HIE) in this convergence of individual patient care and population health activities. For this reason, the American Health Information Community undertook three tasks described in this paper. First, a newborn screening use case was established to facilitate standards harmonization for common terminology and interoperability specifications guiding HIE. Second, newborn screening coding and terminology were developed for integration into electronic HIE activities. Finally, clarification of privacy, security, and clinical laboratory regulatory requirements governing information exchange was provided, serving as a framework to establish pathways for improving screening program timeliness, effectiveness, and efficiency of quality patient care services. PMID:20064796

Transportation data clearinghouse

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-07-01

In late 1999, the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute (VTTI), at the request of the Virginia Department : of Transportation, undertook the process of examining the feasibility of expanding Virginias Operational : Database Management System (ODM...

Using Reliability to Meet Z540.3's 2 percent Rule

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mimbs, Scott M.

2011-01-01

NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) undertook implementation of ANSI/NCSL Z540.3-2006 in October 2008. Early in the implementation, KSC identified that the largest cost driver of Z540.3 implementation is measurement uncertainty analyses for legacy calibration processes. NASA, like other organizations, has a significant inventory of measuring and test equipment (MTE) that have documented calibration procedures without documented measurement uncertainties. This paper provides background information to support the rationale for using high in-tolerance reliability as evidence of compliance to the 2% probability of false acceptance (PFA) quality metric of ANSI/NCSL Z540.3-2006 allowing use of qualifying legacy processes. NASA is adopting this as policy and is recommending NCSL International consider this as a method of compliance to Z540.3. Topics covered include compliance issues, using end-of-period reliability (EOPR) to estimate test point uncertainty, reliability data influences within the PFA model, the validity of EOPR data, and an appendix covering "observed" versus "true" EOPR.

Neurocognitive Functioning in Young Adults with Subclinical Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

PubMed

Blum, Austin W; Redden, Sarah A; Grant, Jon E

2018-03-01

Despite reasonable knowledge of body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), little is known of its cognitive antecedents. In this study, we evaluated executive functioning and decision-making in people at risk of developing BDD using neuropsychological tests. Participants were non-treatment seeking volunteers (18-29 years) recruited from the general community, and split into two groups: those "at risk" of developing BDD (N = 5) and controls (N = 82). Participants undertook the One-Touch Stockings of Cambridge, Cambridge Gamble and Spatial Working Memory tasks and were assessed with the Body Dysmorphic Disorder Questionnaire. Results showed that the at-risk subjects performed significantly worse on a measure of executive function, whereas measures of risk-seeking behavior, quality of decision-making, and spatial working memory were largely intact. The findings suggest that selective cognitive dysfunction may already be present in terms of executive functioning in those at risk of developing BDD, even before psychopathology arises.

A family study of hypochondriasis.

PubMed

Noyes, R; Holt, C S; Happel, R L; Kathol, R G; Yagla, S J

1997-04-01

To examine the diagnostic validity of hypochondriasis, we undertook a preliminary family study. Nineteen probands with and 24 without DSM-III-R hypochondriasis were identified among outpatients attending a general medicine clinic. Seventy-two first-degree relatives of hypochondriasis probands and 97 relatives of control probands were personally interviewed with the use of the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV. These relatives also completed self-administered measures of hypochondriasis, psychological and somatic symptoms, and personality traits. No increase in the rate of hypochondriasis was found among the relatives of hypochondriasis probands compared with the relatives of control probands. With respect to other mental disorders, only somatization disorder was more frequent among the hypochondriacal relatives. These relatives also scored higher on measures of hostility, antagonism, and dissatisfaction with medical care. The findings of this study suggest that hypochondriasis may not be an independent disorder but a variable feature of other psychopathology, one that may include somatization disorder.

Risk of ionising radiation to trainee orthopaedic surgeons.

PubMed

Khan, Ishrat A; Kamalasekaran, Senthil; Fazal, M Ali

2012-02-01

We undertook this study to determine the amount of scattered radiation received by the primary surgeon, assistant and patient during dynamic hip screw fixation for proximal femoral fractures. Data was collected from fifty patients. Five registrars were included as operating surgeon and four senior house officers as assistant surgeon. Radiation was monitored by thermo luminescent dosimeters placed on the surgeon and assistant. The approximate distance of surgeon and assistant from the operative site was measured. A dosimeter on the unaffected hip of patients measured the radiation to the patient. The results show that the surgeon's dominant hand receives the highest dose of radiation and radiation exposure is dependent on the experience of the operator. Our study concludes that exposure to radiation during this procedure is well below the toxic levels; however greater awareness is needed for harmful effects of exposure to long term low dose radiation.

[Effects of daily physical exercise at school on cardiovascular risk--results of a 2-year cluster-randomized study].

PubMed

Walther, C; Mende, M; Gaede, L; Müller, U; Machalica, K; Schuler, G

2011-11-01

It was the aim of this study to measure the effects over two years of daily sport activity during the school-day on their physical fitness (primary endpoint), motor coordination and blood pressure (secondary endpoints). A total of 232 children from eleven different 6 (th) grade classes were enrolled after informed parental consent. Their mean age was 11.1  ±  0.6 years. Six classes were randomly assigned for intervention (n=141), five as control (n=91). Those of the intervention cohort undertook, for five days weekly during the school year one hour of regulated sport exercise, including 15 min of endurance training. The pupils of the control group undertook customary sport activity (two hours a week). Anthropometric data were recorded and maximal oxygen uptake measured in each pupil, as well as blood pressure and motor coordination at the beginning and at the end of each of the two years of the study. The data were analyzed using the cluster randomization method. Maximal oxygen uptake (VO (2)max) had improved among the intervention group after two years, compared with the controls (3.12 m/kg/min, 95% confindence interval [CI] 0.06-6.19), while improvement in motor coordination just failed to reach statistical significance (3.06, 95% CI -0.17-6.29). There was no significant difference in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, but a downward trend in the prevalence of overweight and obesity from 12.1% to 7.8% in the intervention group. The results indicate that daily physical exercise during school hours should be given greater importance. But it will require a long-term trial to determine whether promotion of increased physical activity at school influences the prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors when the pupils reach adulthood. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Improving Block-level Efficiency with scsi-mq

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

Caldwell, Blake A

2015-01-01

Current generation solid-state storage devices are exposing a new bottlenecks in the SCSI and block layers of the Linux kernel, where IO throughput is limited by lock contention, inefficient interrupt handling, and poor memory locality. To address these limitations, the Linux kernel block layer underwent a major rewrite with the blk-mq project to move from a single request queue to a multi-queue model. The Linux SCSI subsystem rework to make use of this new model, known as scsi-mq, has been merged into the Linux kernel and work is underway for dm-multipath support in the upcoming Linux 4.0 kernel. These piecesmore » were necessary to make use of the multi-queue block layer in a Lustre parallel filesystem with high availability requirements. We undertook adding support of the 3.18 kernel to Lustre with scsi-mq and dm-multipath patches to evaluate the potential of these efficiency improvements. In this paper we evaluate the block-level performance of scsi-mq with backing storage hardware representative of a HPC-targerted Lustre filesystem. Our findings show that SCSI write request latency is reduced by as much as 13.6%. Additionally, when profiling the CPU usage of our prototype Lustre filesystem, we found that CPU idle time increased by a factor of 7 with Linux 3.18 and blk-mq as compared to a standard 2.6.32 Linux kernel. Our findings demonstrate increased efficiency of the multi-queue block layer even with disk-based caching storage arrays used in existing parallel filesystems.« less

Piloting the older adult financial exploitation measure in adult safeguarding services.

PubMed

Phelan, A; Fealy, G; Downes, C

Financial abuse is arguably the most complex form of elder abuse as it may occur remote to the older person and it is impacted by issues such as cultural values, perpetrator intent and family expectations. Financial abuse may not be recognised by either the older person or the perpetrator, thus, its prevention, early identification and amelioration are important. The (Irish) National Centre for the Protection of Older People undertook a study to determine the appropriateness of the Older Adult Financial Exploitation Measure for use by the national safeguarding older person services. Findings from a small pilot study involving 16 safeguarding staff's use of the Older Adult Financial Exploitation Measure with 52 community dwelling older people referred to their service demonstrate a higher suspicion of financial abuse as well as identifying multiple instances of possible financial exploitation in a single individual. Thus, the Older Adult Financial Exploitation Measure is considered appropriate to assist safeguarding personnel's assessment of older people related to a suspicion of financial abuse. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fall-risk prediction in older adults with cancer: an unmet need.

PubMed

Wildes, Tanya M; Depp, Brittany; Colditz, Graham; Stark, Susan

2016-09-01

Falls in older adults with cancer are more common than in noncancer controls, yet no fall-risk screening tool has been validated in this population. We undertook a cross-sectional pilot study of the Falls Risk Questionnaire (FRQ) in 21 adults aged ≥65 receiving systemic cancer therapy. Participants completed the FRQ, geriatric assessment measures, and a measure of fear-of-falling. The recruitment rate was 87.5 %, with 95.2 % completion of the FRQ and additional geriatric assessment and quality of life measures. The FRQ correlated significantly with the Timed Up and Go test (Pearson r 0.479, p = 0.028). In addition, the FRQ score correlated directly with fear-of-falling and inversely with QOL, particularly physical health and neurotoxicity subscales. In conclusion, the FRQ was feasible in older adults receiving cancer therapy and correlates with measures of physical performance, functional status, and fear-of-falling. The FRQ may prove to be a valuable fall-risk screening tool to implement fall-prevention interventions in this vulnerable population of older adults with cancer.

Predicting Functional Independence Measure Scores During Rehabilitation with Wearable Inertial Sensors

PubMed Central

Sprint, Gina; Cook, Diane J.; Weeks, Douglas L.; Borisov, Vladimir

2016-01-01

Evaluating patient progress and making discharge decisions regarding inpatient medical rehabilitation rely upon standard clinical assessments administered by trained clinicians. Wearable inertial sensors can offer more objective measures of patient movement and progress. We undertook a study to investigate the contribution of wearable sensor data to predict discharge functional independence measure (FIM) scores for 20 patients at an inpatient rehabilitation facility. The FIM utilizes a 7-point ordinal scale to measure patient independence while performing several activities of daily living, such as walking, grooming, and bathing. Wearable inertial sensor data were collected from ecological ambulatory tasks at two time points mid-stay during inpatient rehabilitation. Machine learning algorithms were trained with sensor-derived features and clinical information obtained from medical records at admission to the inpatient facility. While models trained only with clinical features predicted discharge scores well, we were able to achieve an even higher level of prediction accuracy when also including the wearable sensor-derived features. Correlations as high as 0.97 for leave-one-out cross validation predicting discharge FIM motor scores are reported. PMID:27054054

OP007. PLGF in combination with other commonly utilised tests and other biomarkers for predicting need for delivery for pre-eclampsia within 14days in women presenting prior to 35weeks' gestation.

PubMed

Lucy, Chappell; Suzy, Duckworth; Melanie, Griffin; Paul, Seed; Christopher, Redman; Andrew, Shennan

2013-04-01

Current means of assessing women presenting with suspected pre-eclampsia using BP and proteinuria are of limited use in predicting need for imminent delivery. We undertook a prospective multicentre study to determine diagnostic accuracy of PlGF <5th centile (Triage assay) and other candidate biomarkers in women presenting with suspected pre-eclampsia at 20-35weeks' gestation, in determining need for delivery for pre-eclampsia within 14days. We calculated ROC curves for predictive potential and undertook principal factor analysis to determine additional predictive ability for biomarker combinations. In 287 women enrolled prior to 35weeks, ROC area (0.88, SE 0.03) for PlGF <5th centile for pre-eclampsia requiring delivery within 14days was greater than all other commonly utilised tests (systolic and diastolic BP, urate, ALT), either singly (range 0.58-0.68), or in combination (0.69) (p<0.001 for all comparisons), and was greater than that of all other biomarkers; addition of 2 other biomarker panels (either procalcitonin, nephrin and BNP; or cystatin and PAPP-A) increased ROC area to 0.90 but these biomarkers had limited predictive ability on their own. In women presenting prior to 35weeks' gestation with suspected pre-eclampsia, low PlGF has a greater ROC area than other commonly utilised tests. Additional biomarkers add only a small increment to the predictive value of a single PlGF measurement. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Structure and Early Soot Oxidation Properties of Laminar Diffusion Flames

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

El-Leathy, A. M.; Xu, F.; Faeth, G. M.

2001-01-01

Soot is an important unsolved problem of combustion science because it is present in most hydrocarbon-fueled flames and current understanding of the reactive and physical properties of soot in flame environments is limited. This lack of understanding affects progress toward developing reliable predictions of flame radiation properties, reliable predictions of flame pollutant emission properties and reliable methods of computational combustion, among others. Motivated by these observations, the present investigation extended past studies of soot formation in this laboratory, to consider soot oxidation in laminar diffusion flames using similar methods. Early work showed that O2 was responsible for soot oxidation in high temperature O2-rich environments. Subsequent work in high temperature flame environments having small O2 concentrations, however, showed that soot oxidation rates substantially exceeded estimates based on the classical O2 oxidation rates of Nagle and Strickland-Constable and suggests that radicals such as O and OH might be strong contributors to soot oxidation for such conditions. Neoh et al. subsequently made observations in premixed flames, supported by later work, that showed that OH was responsible for soot oxidation at these conditions with a very reasonable collision efficiency of 0.13. Subsequent studies in diffusion flames, however, were not in agreement with the premixed flame studies: they agreed that OH played a dominant role in soot oxidation in flames, but found collision efficiencies that varied with flame conditions and were not in good agreement with each other or with Neoh et al. One explanation for these discrepancies is that optical scattering and extinction properties were used to infer soot structure properties for the studies that have not been very successful for representing the optical properties of soot. Whatever the source of the problem, however, these differences among observations of soot oxidation in premixed and diffusion flames clearly must be resolved. Motivated by these findings, the present study undertook measurements of soot and flame properties within the soot oxidation region of some typical laminar diffusion flames and exploited the new measurements to identify soot oxidation mechanisms for these conditions. Present considerations were limited to the early stages of soot oxidation (carbon consumption less than 70%) where reactions at the surface of primary soot particles dominate the process, rather than the later stages when particle porosity and internal particle oxidation become important as discussed by Neoh et al.

Organic Chemistry in Interstellar Ices: Connection to the Comet Halley Results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schutte, W. A.; Agarwal, V. K.; deGroot, M. S.; Greenberg, J. M.; McCain, P.; Ferris, J. P.; Briggs, R.

1997-01-01

Mass spectroscopic measurements on the gas and dust in the coma of Comet Halley revealed the presence of considerable amounts of organic species. Greenberg (1973) proposed that prior to the formation of the comet UV processing of the ice mantles on grains in dense clouds could lead to the formation of complex organic molecules. Theoretical predictions of the internal UV field in dense clouds as well as the discovery in interstellar ices of species like OCS and OCN- which have been formed in simulation experiments by photoprocessing of interstellar ice analogues point to the importance of such processing. We undertook a laboratory simulation study of the formation of organic molecules in interstellar ices and their possible relevance to the Comet Halley results.

Translation, Adaptation, and Preliminary Validation of the Female Sexual Function Index into Spanish (Colombia).

PubMed

Vallejo-Medina, Pablo; Pérez-Durán, Claudia; Saavedra-Roa, Alejandro

2018-04-01

The Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) subjectively explores the dimensions of female sexual functioning. This research undertook to adapt and validate the FSFI to Spanish language in a Colombian sample. To this effect, this study was conducted in two steps, namely: (1) cultural adaptation of the scale with the collaboration of seven experts; and (2) preliminary validation of the scale in a sample of 925 participants. Reliability indices were appropriate in this sample, and external validity in relation to other measures showed significant relationships. Findings suggest that the FSFI is reliable and valid in Spanish for a Colombian population. Further research is needed to establish the test-retest reliability and discriminant validity of this Spanish version.

Strategic facility planning improves capital decision making.

PubMed

Reeve, J R

2001-03-01

A large, Midwestern IDS undertook a strategic facility-planning process to evaluate its facility portfolio and determine how best to allocate future investments in facility development. The IDS assembled a facility-planning team, which initiated the planning process with a market analysis to determine future market demands and identify service areas that warranted facility expansion. The team then analyzed each of the IDS's facilities from the perspective of uniform capacity measurements, highest and best use compared with needs, building condition and investment-worthiness, and facility growth and site development opportunities. Based on results of the analysis, the strategy adopted entailed, in part, shifting some space from inpatient care to ambulatory care services and demolishing and replacing the 11 percent of facilities deemed to be in the worst condition.

Explication of Interspousal Criticality Bias

PubMed Central

Peterson, Kristina M.; Smith, David A.; Windle, Chaunce R.

2009-01-01

Although bias towards perceiving spousal criticism is related to dysphoria and marital discord (Smith & Peterson, 2008), the bias construct has received insufficient elaboration. We explicated the criticality bias construct by exploring its correlates and incremental validity relative to perceived criticism, marital attributions, and negative affect. 118 couples completed self-report measures and undertook a videotaped discussion task. Signal detection analyses of both spouses’ and outside observers’ ratings of discussions produced bias indices. Criticality bias evidenced a pattern of convergent and discriminant validity mirroring perceived criticism’s (Renshaw, 2008). Bias also provided incremental validity beyond perceived criticism, marital attributions, and negative affect to the prediction of behavior. Bias may be a dysfunctional way to view marital events and a stress generation process. PMID:19286167

Rational and random mutagenesis of firefly luciferase to identify an efficient emitter of red bioluminescence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Branchini, Bruce R.; Southworth, Tara L.; Khattak, Neelum F.; Murtiashaw, Martha H.; Fleet, Sarah E.

2004-06-01

Firefly luciferase, which emits yellow-green (557 nm) light, and the corresponding cDNA have been used successfully as a bioluminescence reporter of gene expression. One particularly exciting application is in the area of in vivo bioluminescence imaging. Our interest is in developing improved reagents by identifying Photinus pyralis luciferase mutants that efficiently emit red bioluminescence. In this way, the proven advantages of the P. pyralis protein can be combined with the potential advantages of a red-shifted emitter. Using site-directed mutagenesis techniques, we have identified many mutants emitting red bioluminescence. Unfortunately, these enzymes generally have significantly decreased bioluminescence activity. Interestingly, we discovered a mutation, Ile351Ala, that produced a moderate 16 nm red-shift, while maintaining excellent bioluminescence activity. We then undertook a random mutagenesis approach to identify luciferase mutants that emit further red-shifted bioluminescence with minimal loss of activity. Libraries of mutants were created using an error-prone PCR method and the Ile351Ala luciferase mutant as the template DNA. The libraries were screened by in vivo bacterial assays and the promising mutants were purified to enable accurate determination of bioluminescence emission spectra and total bioluminescence activity. We will report the characterization results, including the identification of the randomly altered amino acids, of several mutants that catalyze bioluminescence with emission maxima of approximately 600 nm.

Gradual electronic health record implementation: new insights on physician and patient adaptation.

PubMed

Shield, Renée R; Goldman, Roberta E; Anthony, David A; Wang, Nina; Doyle, Richard J; Borkan, Jeffrey

2010-01-01

Although there is significant interest in implementation of electronic health records (EHRs), limited data have been published in the United States about how physicians, staff, and patients adapt to this implementation process. The purpose of this research was to examine the effects of EHR implementation, especially regarding physician-patient communication and behaviors and patients' responses. We undertook a 22-month, triangulation design, mixed methods study of gradual EHR implementation in a residency-based family medicine outpatient center. Data collection included participant observation and time measurements of 170 clinical encounters, patient exit interviews, focus groups with nurses, nurse's aides, and office staff, and unstructured observations and interviews with nursing staff and physicians. Analysis involved iterative immersion-crystallization discussion and searches for alternate hypotheses. Patient trust in the physician and security in the physician-patient relationship appeared to override most patients' concerns about information technology. Overall, staff concerns about potential deleterious consequences of EHR implementation were dispelled, positive anticipated outcomes were realized, and unexpected benefits were found. Physicians appeared to become comfortable with the "third actor" in the room, and nursing and office staff resistance to EHR implementation was ameliorated with improved work efficiencies. Unexpected advantages included just-in-time improvements and decreased physician time out of the examination room. Strong patient trust in the physician-patient relationship was maintained and work flow improved with EHR implementation. Gradual EHR implementation may help support the development of beneficial physician and staff adaptations, while maintaining positive patient-physician relationships and fostering the sharing of medical information.

Evaluating performance of limestone prone to polishing.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-12-01

This research project evaluated the effect of blending Vanport limestone and other aggregates on the frictional surface characteristic properties of constructed trial road surfaces. The study undertook the evaluation of the performance of different m...

ENVIRONMENTAL PCB EXPOSURE AND RISK OF ENDOMETRIOSIS

EPA Science Inventory

BACKGROUND: Hormonally active environmental agents recently have been associated with the development of endometriosis. METHODS: We undertook a study to assess the relation between endometriosis, an estrogen dependent gynecologic disease, and 62 individual polychlorinated biphe...

Aggregate gradation control program, Virginia.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1985-01-01

In 1983, Virginia implemented a specification for the acceptance of aggregate base and bituminous concrete in which the producer undertook the acceptance testing and state personnel did much reduced testing as a monitoring program. Although some peop...

Job Analysis: A Local Government's Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Urbanek, Steve J.

1997-01-01

A county personnel department undertook reclassification of all positions by collecting and using job analysis data to rewrite job descriptions. External pay equity and validated selection procedures resulted with only a modest increase in payroll costs. (SK)

Processing speed and working memory span: their differential role in superficial and deep memory processes in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Brébion, Gildas; Bressan, Rodrigo A; Pilowsky, Lyn S; David, Anthony S

2011-05-01

Previous work has suggested that decrement in both processing speed and working memory span plays a role in the memory impairment observed in patients with schizophrenia. We undertook a study to examine simultaneously the effect of these two factors. A sample of 49 patients with schizophrenia and 43 healthy controls underwent a battery of verbal and visual memory tasks. Superficial and deep encoding memory measures were tallied. We conducted regression analyses on the various memory measures, using processing speed and working memory span as independent variables. In the patient group, processing speed was a significant predictor of superficial and deep memory measures in verbal and visual memory. Working memory span was an additional significant predictor of the deep memory measures only. Regression analyses involving all participants revealed that the effect of diagnosis on all the deep encoding memory measures was reduced to non-significance when processing speed was entered in the regression. Decreased processing speed is involved in verbal and visual memory deficit in patients, whether the task require superficial or deep encoding. Working memory is involved only insofar as the task requires a certain amount of effort.

Singing in groups for Parkinson's disease (SING-PD): a pilot study of group singing therapy for PD-related voice/speech disorders.

PubMed

Shih, Ludy C; Piel, Jordan; Warren, Amanda; Kraics, Lauren; Silver, Althea; Vanderhorst, Veronique; Simon, David K; Tarsy, Daniel

2012-06-01

Parkinson's disease related speech and voice impairment have significant impact on quality of life measures. LSVT(®)LOUD voice and speech therapy (Lee Silverman Voice Therapy) has demonstrated scientific efficacy and clinical effectiveness, but musically based voice and speech therapy has been underexplored as a potentially useful method of rehabilitation. We undertook a pilot, open-label study of a group-based singing intervention, consisting of twelve 90-min weekly sessions led by a voice and speech therapist/singing instructor. The primary outcome measure of vocal loudness as measured by sound pressure level (SPL) at 50 cm during connected speech was not significantly different one week after the intervention or at 13 weeks after the intervention. A number of secondary measures reflecting pitch range, phonation time and maximum loudness also were unchanged. Voice related quality of life (VRQOL) and voice handicap index (VHI) also were unchanged. This study suggests that a group singing therapy intervention at this intensity and frequency does not result in significant improvement in objective and subject-rated measures of voice and speech impairment. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Oregon's mobility needs : social service provider survey

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-06-01

In 1998, the Oregon Department of Transportation undertook the Social Services Provider Survey as part of an investigation of the transportation needs of mobility impaired individuals in Oregon. This survey was designed to gain information about the ...

A review and assessment of Virginia's license plate sheeting specifications.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-01-01

At the request of Virginia's Secretary of Transportation, the Virginia Transportation Research Council undertook a review and assessment of Virginia's license plate sheeting specifications. The review was focused on the five test methods or specifica...

Cooperative agreement # RITARS-14-H-HOU : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-07-15

The University of Houston, in partnership with the Gas Technology Institute, and with support from the : Commercial Remote Sensing & Spatial Technologies Program at the U.S. Department of Transportation : undertook a pilot project to mitigate pipelin...

Port-of-entry advanced sorting system (PASS) operational test

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-12-01

In 1992 the Oregon Department of Transportation undertook an operational test of the Port-of-Entry Advanced Sorting System (PASS), which uses a two-way communication automatic vehicle identification system, integrated with weigh-in-motion, automatic ...

78 FR 69127 - Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement/General Management Plan, Biscayne National Park...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-18

..., the NPS undertook an evaluative process to consider a number of management actions that could be... decision-making. Both alternatives would employ a collaborative research and monitoring program (10-year...

A factual survey of automobile usage

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1941-01-01

In anticipation of the problems in civilian transportation that the : defense effort would bring to the motor vehicle user, to business and industry, and to Government, the Automobile Manufacturers Association in the fall of 1940 undertook a factual ...

Programmer's Reference Manual for Dynamic Display Software System

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1971-01-01

In 1968, the display sysems group of the Systems Laboratory of the NASA/Electronics Research Center undertook a research task in the area of computer controlled flight information systems for aerospace application. The display laboratory of the Trans...

Evaluating performance of limestone prone to polishing : final report, December 31, 2009.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-12-21

This research project evaluated the effect of blending Vanport limestone and other aggregates on the frictional surface characteristic properties of constructed trial road surfaces. The study undertook the evaluation of the performance of different m...

Report: Investigation of Allegations Concerning Environmental Justice Issues in EPA Region 4

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Report #10-N-0145, June 14, 2010. The OIG undertook a detailed review of the allegations to determine whether the OIG had investigative jurisdiction in terms of EPA contracts, assistance agreements, programs, or personnel involvement.

The National LUST Cleanup Backlog: A Study of Opportunities

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

To understand the makeup of UST releases remaining and why the pace of cleanups is slowing, EPA undertook a two-phase, data-driven analysis of the cleanups remaining as of 2006 (Phase 1) and 2009 (Phase 2).

Spontaneous polyploidization in cucumber

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Cucumber occasionally produces polyploid plants, which are problematic for growers because these plants produce misshaped fruits with non-viable seeds. In this study, we undertook the first quantitative study to estimate the frequency of spontaneous polyploids in cucumber. Seeds of recombinant inbre...

Port-of-entry Advanced Sorting System (PASS) operational test : final report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-12-01

In 1992 the Oregon Department of Transportation undertook an operational test of the Port-of-Entry Advanced Sorting System (PASS), which uses a two-way communication automatic vehicle identification system, integrated with weigh-in-motion, automatic ...

Evaluation of corrosion resistance of various concrete reinforcing materials.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-06-01

The Vermont Agency of Transportation undertook a simple experiment to determine the corrosion : resistance ability of various reinforcing steels (rebar) that may be used in bridges and other concrete : structures. Eight types of rebar were used in th...

Digging West Oakland : what archaeologists found under the Cypress Freeway.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2005-01-01

In 1989, the Loma Prieta earthquake destroyed 1.25 miles of the double-deck Cypress Freeway in Oakland, California. In realigning and rebuilding the freeway, the California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) undertook to identify any important a...

Effects of a 15-week accumulated brisk walking programme on the body composition of primary school children.

PubMed

Ford, Paul A; Perkins, Gill; Swaine, Ian

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to establish whether an accumulated brisk walking programme, performed during the school day, is effective in changing body composition in primary school children aged 5-11 years. Altogether, 152 participants (79 boys and 73 girls) took part in this repeated-measures intervention study, divided into groups of walkers and controls. The walkers took part in the intervention during school time, which involved brisk walking around the school grounds for 15 min in the morning and afternoon, at least three times a week for 15 weeks. This represented an additional 90 min of moderate physical activity per week. The controls undertook their usual school day activities. Pre- and post-intervention anthropometric and body composition measures were taken. Body fat (-1.95 ± 2.6%) and fat mass (-0.49 ± 1.0 kg) were significantly reduced in the walkers after the intervention, whereas the controls showed no significant changes in these measures. Our results show that regular accumulated bouts of brisk walking during the school day can positively affect body composition in primary school children.

Increasing Therapist Productivity: Using Lean Principles in the Rehabilitation Department of an Academic Medical Center.

PubMed

Johnson, Diana; Snedeker, Kristie; Swoboda, Michael; Zalieckas, Cheryl; Dorsey, Rachel; Nohe, Cassandra; Smith, Paige; Roche, Renuka

The Department of Rehabilitation Services, within the University of Maryland Medical Center's 650-bed academic medical center, was experiencing difficulty in meeting productivity standards. Therapists in the outpatient division believed they were not spending enough time performing billable patient care activities. Therapists in the inpatient division had difficulty keeping pace with the volume of incoming referrals. Collectively, these issues caused dissatisfaction among referral sources and frustration among the staff within the rehabilitation department. The department undertook a phased approach to address these issues that included examining the evidence, using Lean process improvement principles, and employing transformational leadership strategies to drive improvements in productivity and efficiency. The lessons learned support the importance of having meaningful metrics appropriate for the patient population served, the use of Lean as an effective tool for improving productivity in rehabilitation departments, the impact of engaging staff at the grassroots level, and the importance of having commitment from leaders. The study findings have implications for not only rehabilitation and hospital leadership, but CEOs and managers of any business who need to eliminate waste or increase staff productivity.

Pathways to Commercial Success: Technologies and Products Supported by the Fuel Cell Technologies Program

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

Weakley, Steven A.

The purpose of the project described in this report is to identify and document the commercial and emerging (projected to be commercialized within the next 3 years) hydrogen and fuel cell technologies and products that resulted from Department of Energy support through the Fuel Cell Technologies (FCT) Program in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) undertook two efforts simultaneously to accomplish this project. The first effort was a patent search and analysis to identify patents related to hydrogen and fuel cells that are associated with FCT-funded projects (or projects conducted by DOE-EEREmore » predecessor programs) and to ascertain the patents’ current status, as well as any commercial products that may have used the technology documented in the patent. The second effort was a series of interviews with current and past FCT personnel, a review of relevant program annual reports, and an examination of grants made under the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs that are related to hydrogen and fuel cells.« less

Pathways to Commercial Success: Technologies and Products Supported by the Fuel Cell Technologies Program

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

Weakley, Steven A.; Brown, Scott A.

The purpose of the project described in this report is to identify and document the commercial and emerging (projected to be commercialized within the next 3 years) hydrogen and fuel cell technologies and products that resulted from Department of Energy support through the Fuel Cell Technologies (FCT) Program in the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE). To do this, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) undertook two efforts simultaneously to accomplish this project. The first effort was a patent search and analysis to identify hydrogen- and fuel-cell-related patents that are associated with FCT-funded projects (or projects conducted by DOE-EEREmore » predecessor programs) and to ascertain the patents current status, as well as any commercial products that may have used the technology documented in the patent. The second effort was a series of interviews with current and past FCT personnel, a review of relevant program annual reports, and an examination of hydrogen- and fuel-cell-related grants made under the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer Programs, and within the FCT portfolio.« less

The Future of Health Care in the Kurdistan Region - Iraq: Toward an Effective, High-Quality System with an Emphasis on Primary Care.

PubMed

Moore, Melinda; Anthony, C Ross; Lim, Yee-Wei; Jones, Spencer S; Overton, Adrian; Yoong, Joanne K

2014-01-01

At the request of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG), RAND researchers undertook a yearlong analysis of the health care system in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, with a focus on primary care. RAND staff reviewed available literature on the Kurdistan Region and information relevant to primary care; interviewed a wide range of policy leaders, health practitioners, patients, and government officials to gather information and understand their priorities; collected and studied all available data related to health resources, services, and conditions; and projected future supply and demand for health services in the Kurdistan Region; and laid out the health financing challenges and questions. In this volume, the authors describe the strengths of the health care system in the Kurdistan Region as well as the challenges it faces. The authors suggest that a primary care-oriented health care system could help the KRG address many of these challenges. The authors discuss how such a system might be implemented and financed, and they make recommendations for better utilizing resources to improve the quality, access, effectiveness, and efficiency of primary care.

Design and implementation of an improved chilled water glycol system for GeMS: CANOPUS thermal enclosures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gausachs, Gaston; Bec, Matthieu; Galvez, Ramon; Cavedoni, Chas; Vergara, Vicente; Diaz, Herman; Fernandez, German

2010-07-01

CANOPUS is the facility instrument for the Gemini Multi Conjugate Adaptive Optics System (GeMS) wherein all the adaptive optics mechanisms and associated electronic are tightly packed. At an early stage in the pre-commissioning phase Gemini undertook the redesign and implementation of its chilled Ethylene Glycol Water (EGW) cooling system to remove the heat generated by the electronic hardware. The electronic boards associated with the Deformable Mirrors (DM) represent the highest density heat yielding components in CANOPUS and they are also quite sensitive to overheating. The limited size of the two electronic thermal enclosures (TE) requires the use of highly efficient heat exchangers (HX) coupled with powerful yet compact DC fans. A systematic approach to comply with all the various design requirements brought about a thorough and robust solution that, in addition to the core elements (HXs and fan), makes use of features such as high performance vacuum insulated panels, vibration mitigation elements and several environment sensors. This paper describes the design and implementation of the solution in the lab prior to delivering CANOPUS for commissioning.

Humanitarian Needs Among Displaced and Female-Headed Households in Government-Controlled Areas of Syria.

PubMed

Doocy, Shannon; Lyles, Emily

2017-06-01

To identify unmet needs and assistance priorities of displaced and female-headed households in government-controlled areas of Syria. In mid-2016, we undertook a survey of accessible areas, largely urban and government-controlled, to identify unmet needs and assistance priorities. We used a cluster design with probability sampling to attain a final sample of 2405 households from 10 of 14 governorates; 31 of 65 (47.7%) districts were included that are home to 38.1% of people in need. Displaced and female-headed households were more vulnerable than nondisplaced and male-headed households in numerous sectors. Despite approximately half of surveyed households reporting receipt of humanitarian assistance in the preceding month and apparently effective targeting of assistance by vulnerability, unmet needs were nearly ubiquitous. The humanitarian situation in inaccessible areas of Syria is likely to be considerably worse; thus, findings presented here likely underestimate humanitarian needs. Efforts to expand support to Syria's most vulnerable households are desperately needed as are innovative targeting and modalities that enable more efficient and effective assistance.

Crew Transfer Options for Servicing of Geostationary Satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cerro, Jeffrey A.

2012-01-01

In 2011, NASA and DARPA undertook a study to examine capabilities and system architecture options which could be used to provide manned servicing of satellites in Geostationary Earth Orbit (GEO). The study focused on understanding the generic nature of the problem and examining technology requirements, it was not for the purpose of proposing or justifying particular solutions. A portion of this study focused on assessing possible capabilities to efficiently transfer crew between Earth, Low Earth Orbit (LEO), and GEO satellite servicing locations. This report summarizes the crew transfer aspects of manned GEO satellite servicing. Direct placement of crew via capsule vehicles was compared to concepts of operation which divided crew transfer into multiple legs, first between earth and LEO and second between LEO and GEO. In space maneuvering via purely propulsive means was compared to in-space maneuvering which utilized aerobraking maneuvers for return to LEO from GEO. LEO waypoint locations such as equatorial, Kennedy Space Center, and International Space Station inclinations were compared. A discussion of operational concepts is followed by a discussion of appropriate areas for technology development.

Comparison and Analysis of Zinc and Cobalt-Based Systems as Catalytic Entities for the Hydration of Carbon Dioxide

PubMed Central

Lau, Edmond Y.; Wong, Sergio E.; Baker, Sarah E.; Bearinger, Jane P.; Koziol, Lucas; Valdez, Carlos A.; Satcher, Joseph H.; Aines, Roger D.; Lightstone, Felice C.

2013-01-01

In nature, the zinc metalloenzyme carbonic anhydrase II (CAII) efficiently catalyzes the conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) to bicarbonate under physiological conditions. Many research efforts have been directed towards the development of small molecule mimetics that can facilitate this process and thus have a beneficial environmental impact, but these efforts have met very limited success. Herein, we undertook quantum mechanical calculations of four mimetics, 1,5,9-triazacyclododedacane, 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododedacane, tris(4,5-dimethyl-2-imidazolyl)phosphine, and tris(2-benzimidazolylmethyl)amine, in their complexed form either with the Zn2+ or the Co2+ ion and studied their reaction coordinate for CO2 hydration. These calculations demonstrated that the ability of the complex to maintain a tetrahedral geometry and bind bicarbonate in a unidentate manner were vital for the hydration reaction to proceed favorably. Furthermore, these calculations show that the catalytic activity of the examined zinc complexes was insensitive to coordination states for zinc, while coordination states above four were found to have an unfavorable effect on product release for the cobalt counterparts. PMID:23840420

Parlaying digital imaging and communications in medicine and open architecture to our advantage: the new Department of Defense picture archiving and communications system.

PubMed

Cawthon, M A

1999-05-01

The Department of Defense (DoD) undertook a major systems specification, acquisition, and implementation project of multivendor picture archiving and communications system (PACS) and teleradiology systems during 1997 with deployment of the first systems in 1998. These systems differ from their DoD predecessor system in being multivendor in origin, specifying adherence to the developing Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) 3.0 standard and all of its service classes, emphasizing open architecture, using personal computer (PC) and web-based image viewing access, having radiologic telepresence over large geographic areas as a primary focus of implementation, and requiring bidirectional interfacing with the DoD hospital information system (HIS). The benefits and advantages to the military health-care system accrue through the enabling of a seamless implementation of a virtual radiology operational environment throughout this vast healthcare organization providing efficient general and subspecialty radiologic interpretive and consultative services for our medical beneficiaries to any healthcare provider, anywhere and at any time of the night or day.

Comparison and analysis of zinc and cobalt-based systems as catalytic entities for the hydration of carbon dioxide

DOE PAGES

Lau, E. Y.; Wong, S. E.; Baker, S. E.; ...

2013-06-20

In nature, the zinc metalloenzyme carbonic anhydrase II (CAII) efficiently catalyzes the conversion of carbon dioxide (CO 2) to bicarbonate under physiological conditions. Efforts have been directed towards the development of small molecule mimetics that can facilitate this process and thus have a beneficial environmental impact, but these efforts have met very limited success. Herein, we undertook quantum mechanical calculations of four mimetics, 1,5,9-triazacyclododedacane, 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododedacane, tris(4,5-dimethyl-2-imidazolyl)phosphine, and tris(2-benzimidazolylmethyl)amine, in their complexed form either with the Zn 2+ or the Co 2+ ion and studied their reaction coordinate for CO 2 hydration. These calculations demonstrated that the ability of the complexmore » to maintain a tetrahedral geometry and bind bicarbonate in a unidentate manner were vital for the hydration reaction to proceed favorably. Moreover, these calculations show that the catalytic activity of the examined zinc complexes was insensitive to coordination states for zinc, while coordination states above four were found to have an unfavorable effect on product release for the cobalt counterparts.« less

Serious gaming technology in major incident triage training: a pragmatic controlled trial.

PubMed

Knight, James F; Carley, Simon; Tregunna, Bryan; Jarvis, Steve; Smithies, Richard; de Freitas, Sara; Dunwell, Ian; Mackway-Jones, Kevin

2010-09-01

By exploiting video games technology, serious games strive to deliver affordable, accessible and usable interactive virtual worlds, supporting applications in training, education, marketing and design. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of such a serious game in the teaching of major incident triage by comparing it with traditional training methods. Pragmatic controlled trial. During Major Incident Medical Management and Support Courses, 91 learners were randomly distributed into one of two training groups: 44 participants practiced triage sieve protocol using a card-sort exercise, whilst the remaining 47 participants used a serious game. Following the training sessions, each participant undertook an evaluation exercise, whereby they were required to triage eight casualties in a simulated live exercise. Performance was assessed in terms of tagging accuracy (assigning the correct triage tag to the casualty), step accuracy (following correct procedure) and time taken to triage all casualties. Additionally, the usability of both the card-sort exercise and video game were measured using a questionnaire. Tagging accuracy by participants who underwent the serious game training was significantly higher than those who undertook the card-sort exercise [Chi2=13.126, p=0.02]. Step accuracy was also higher in the serious game group but only for the numbers of participants that followed correct procedure when triaging all eight casualties [Chi2=5.45, p=0.0196]. There was no significant difference in time to triage all casualties (card-sort=435+/-74 s vs video game=456+/-62 s, p=0.155). Serious game technologies offer the potential to enhance learning and improve subsequent performance when compared to traditional educational methods. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Is the Cortical Deficit in Amblyopia Due to Reduced Cortical Magnification, Loss of Neural Resolution, or Neural Disorganization?

PubMed

Clavagnier, Simon; Dumoulin, Serge O; Hess, Robert F

2015-11-04

The neural basis of amblyopia is a matter of debate. The following possibilities have been suggested: loss of foveal cells, reduced cortical magnification, loss of spatial resolution of foveal cells, and topographical disarray in the cellular map. To resolve this we undertook a population receptive field (pRF) functional magnetic resonance imaging analysis in the central field in humans with moderate-to-severe amblyopia. We measured the relationship between averaged pRF size and retinal eccentricity in retinotopic visual areas. Results showed that cortical magnification is normal in the foveal field of strabismic amblyopes. However, the pRF sizes are enlarged for the amblyopic eye. We speculate that the pRF enlargement reflects loss of cellular resolution or an increased cellular positional disarray within the representation of the amblyopic eye. The neural basis of amblyopia, a visual deficit affecting 3% of the human population, remains a matter of debate. We undertook the first population receptive field functional magnetic resonance imaging analysis in participants with amblyopia and compared the projections from the amblyopic and fellow normal eye in the visual cortex. The projection from the amblyopic eye was found to have a normal cortical magnification factor, enlarged population receptive field sizes, and topographic disorganization in all early visual areas. This is consistent with an explanation of amblyopia as an immature system with a normal complement of cells whose spatial resolution is reduced and whose topographical map is disordered. This bears upon a number of competing theories for the psychophysical defect and affects future treatment therapies. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/3514740-16$15.00/0.

Expression levels of the PiT-2 receptor explain, in part, the gestational age-dependent alterations in transduction efficiency after in utero retroviral-mediated gene transfer

PubMed Central

Ozturk, Ferhat; Park, Paul J.; Tellez, Joseph; Colletti, Evan; Eiden, Maribeth V.; Almeida-Porada, Graça; Porada, Christopher D.

2014-01-01

Background A fundamental obstacle to using retroviral-mediated gene transfer (GT) to treat human diseases is the relatively low transduction levels that have been achieved in clinically relevant human cells. We previously showed that performing GT in utero overcomes this obstacle and results in significant levels of transduction within multiple fetal organs, with different tissues exhibiting optimal transduction at different developmental stages. We undertook the present study aiming to elucidate the mechanism for this age-dependent transduction, testing the two factors that we hypothesized could be responsible: (i) the proliferative status of the tissue at the time of GT and (ii) the expression level of the amphotropic PiT-2 receptor. Methods Immunofluorescence was performed on tissues from sheep of varying developmental stages to assess the proliferative status of the predominant cells within each organ as a function of age. After developing an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a quantitative reverse transcription chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assay, we then quantified PiT-2 expression at the protein and mRNA levels, respectively. Results The results obtained indicate that the proliferative status of organs at the time of fetal GT is not the major determinant governing transduction efficiency. By contrast, our ELISA and qRT-PCR analyses demonstrated that PiT-2 mRNA and protein levels vary with gestational age, correlating with the observed differences in transduction efficiency. Conclusions The findings of the present study explain the age-related differences that we previously observed in transduction efficiency after in utero GT. They also suggest it may be possible to achieve relatively selective GT to specific tissues by performing in utero GT when levels of PiT-2 are maximal in the desired target organ. PMID:22262359

Investigation to identify a resource-efficient case-control methodology for determining antibiotics associated with Clostridium difficile infection.

PubMed

Chung, Philip; Currie, Brian; Guo, Yi; Talansky, Moshe; Brown, Shakara; Ostrowsky, Belinda

2014-10-01

Antimicrobial exposure remains an important risk factor for developing Clostridium difficile infection (CDI). Efficient method to identify antibiotics associated with CDI is important for formulating strategies to curtail their use. As a prelude to a more extensive Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality-funded project (Evaluation & Research on Antimicrobial Stewardship's Effect on Clostridium difficile), we undertook an exploratory evaluation to determine a resource-efficient method for identifying antibiotic targets for antimicrobial stewardship interventions. The study compared a series of 6 focused case-control studies. Cases consisted of patients with laboratory-confirmed CDI admitted from July-October 2009. Controls were selected from patients without CDI hospitalized during the same period. Five groups of controls were matched to cases (2:1 ratio) using group-specific matching criteria, including admission date, age, type of admission, length of stay (LOS) to discharge, and/or LOS to CDI diagnosis. The final control group was selected from patients who received antibiotics during hospitalization. Data, including demographics and antibiotic usage, were compared between case and control groups. A total of 126 cases were matched to 6 groups of 252 controls. For control groups 1-5, the use of piperacillin and tazobactam, ceftriaxone or cefepime, ciprofloxacin or moxifloxacin, intravenous vancomycin, azithromycin, and antibiotics of last resort were significantly more frequent in case than control patients. For the final control group, the associations between ceftriaxone or cefepime, and ciprofloxacin or moxifloxacin use and CDI no longer persisted. This could in part be explained by differences in comorbidities between case and control patients even with stringent matching criteria. Use of a simple matching strategy to conduct case-control studies is an efficient and feasible compromise strategy, especially in resource-limited settings, to identify high-risk antibiotics associated with CDI. Copyright © 2014 Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A comparison of mycotoxin contamination of premium and grocery brands of pelleted cat food in South Africa.

PubMed

Singh, Sanil D; Baijnath, Sooraj; Chuturgoon, Anil A

2017-11-22

Contamination with mycotoxins is of concern to pet owners and veterinary practitioners owing to their ability to cause disease and exacerbate the pathological changes associated with other diseases. Currently, there is a lack of information regarding the mycotoxin content of common premium brand (PB) and grocery brand (GB) cat feeds. Therefore, we undertook to determine the mycobiota content of feed samples, from both categories (n = 6 each), and measured the levels of aflatoxin (AF), fumonisin (FB), ochratoxin A (OTA) and zearalenone (ZEA) by high performance liquid chromatographic analysis. There were high concentrations of mycotoxins in both categories of feed, regardless of the notion that PBs are of a higher quality. The concentration of these toxins may contribute to the development of related pathologies in felines.

The road not taken: Women’s life paths and gender-linked personality traits

PubMed Central

Newton, Nicky J.; Stewart, Abigail J.

2013-01-01

Key studies have established an association between women's social roles and their midlife personalities. The current research expands our understanding by examining personality traits in midlife women who followed normative or non-normative life paths. The normative/non-normative distinction was based on two kinds of social roles that college-educated women undertook until midlife: work and family. Gender-linked personality traits were compared between (1) women in high status professions and women in moderate status professions; (2) women without children and women with children; and (3) single mothers and married mothers. Composite measures of gender-linked traits, based on expert-identified Q-sort items, were used. Each non-normative social role group exhibited a different pattern of gender-linked personality traits inconsistent with conventional female gender roles. PMID:23559687

Measuring child and adolescent emotional lability: How do questionnaire-based ratings relate to experienced and observed emotion in everyday life and experimental settings?

PubMed

Van Liefferinge, Dagmar; Sonuga-Barke, Edmund; Danckaerts, Marina; Fayn, Kirill; Van Broeck, Nady; van der Oord, Saskia

2018-05-30

Emotional lability (EL) is an important trans-diagnostic concept that is associated with significant functional impairment in childhood and adolescence. EL is typically measured with questionnaires, although little is known about the ecological validity of these ratings. In this paper, we undertook 2 studies addressing this issue by examining the relationship between rating-based measures of EL and directly measured emotional expressions and experiences. Furthermore, the associations between directly measured emotional expressions and experiences and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) symptomatology were also examined, given the clear association of EL with ADHD in former research. In Study 1, we examined the relationship between parental report of children's EL and ADHD, and children's emotional expressions in an experimental context (N = 67). In Study 2, we examined the relationship between parental ratings and real-time measures of emotional experiences in daily life in adolescents (N = 65). EL ratings were associated with different elements of real-time emotional experiences and expressions. Elements of emotional expressions but not emotional experiences were also associated with ADHD symptom reports. These studies provide evidence for the ecological validity of EL ratings. Furthermore, they add evidence for the associations between EL and ADHD. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Emerging good practices for Translatability Assessment (TA) of Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) measures.

PubMed

Acquadro, Catherine; Patrick, Donald L; Eremenco, Sonya; Martin, Mona L; Kuliś, Dagmara; Correia, Helena; Conway, Katrin

2017-01-01

This paper presents emerging Good Practices for Translatability Assessment (TA) of Patient-Reported Outcome (PRO) Measures. The ISOQOL Translation and Cultural Adaptation Special Interest Group (TCA-SIG) undertook the review of several TA approaches, with the collaboration of organizations who are involved in conducting TA, and members of the TCA-SIG. The effort led to agreement by the writing group on Good Practices for 1) the terminology to be used in referring to translatability process, 2) the best definition of TA, 3) the methodology that is recommended at each step of the process, 4) the persons involved in TA, 5) the timing of assessment, 6) the review criteria for TA, and 7) the recommendations to be made at the end of the TA process. With input from the TCA-SIG membership and in consultation with experts in the field, these emerging good practices can guide the future use of TA in the development of PROs.

Reliability and Validity of the Chinese (Mandarin) Tinnitus Handicap Inventory

PubMed Central

Meng, Zhaoli; Zheng, Yun; Wang, Kai; Kong, Xiudan; Tao, Yong; Xu, Ke; Liu, Guanjian

2012-01-01

Objectives The Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI) is a commonly used self-reporting tinnitus questionnaire. We undertook this study to determine the reliability and validity of the Chinese-Mandarin version of the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory (THI-CM) for measuring tinnitus-related handicaps. Methods We tested the test-retest reliability, internal reliability, and construct validity of the THI-CM. Two-hundred patients seeking treatment for primary or secondary tinnitus in Southwest China were asked to complete THI-CM prior to clinical evaluation. Patients were evaluated by a clinician using standard methods, and 40 patients were asked to complete THI-CM a second time 14±3 days after the initial interview. Results The test-retest reliability of THI-CM was high (Pearson correlation, 0.98), as was the internal reliability (Cronbach's α, 0.93). Factor analysis indicated that THI-CM has a unifactorial structure. Conclusion The THI-CM version is reliable. The total score in THI-CM can be used to measure tinnitus-related handicaps in Mandarin-speaking populations. PMID:22468196

Determining Criteria to Predict Repeatability of Performance in Older Adults: Using Coefficients of Variation for Strength and Functional Measures.

PubMed

Raj, Isaac Selva; Bird, Stephen R; Westfold, Ben A; Shield, Anthony J

2017-01-01

Reliable measures of muscle strength and functional capacity in older adults are essential. The aim of this study was to determine whether coefficients of variation (CVs) of individuals obtained at the first session can infer repeatability of performance in a subsequent session. Forty-eight healthy older adults (mean age 68.6 ± 6.1 years; age range 60-80 years) completed two assessment sessions, and on each occasion undertook: dynamometry for isometric and isokinetic quadriceps strength, 6 meter fast walk (6MFWT), timed up and go (TUG), stair climb and descent, and vertical jump. Significant linear relationships were observed between CVs in session 1 and the percentage difference between sessions 1 and 2 for torque at 60, 120, 240 and 360°/s, 6MFWT, TUG, stair climb, and stair descent. The results of this study could be used to establish criteria for determining an acceptably reliable performance in strength and functional tests.

A multihospital medication allergy audit: a means to quality assurance.

PubMed

Hoffmann, R P; Ellerbrock, M C; Lovett, J E

1982-04-01

Seventeen community hospitals within the 16 division of the Sisters of Mercy Health Corporation cooperatively participated in a medication allergy audit program. Initial and follow-up audits were conducted at each hospital to determine whether allergy information for penicillin- or aspirin-sensitive patients was appropriately communicated to the pharmacist. A total of 483 patient records were reviewed during each audit which corresponded to 12% of each hospital's average patient census. In the initial audit, the overall acceptance rate for the combined hospitals was 62.3%. Following the first audit, each hospital undertook corrective follow-up measures in an attempt to improve its results. In the second audit, the overall acceptance rate improved significantly to 78.9%. It is concluded that this auditing process followed by corrective follow-up measures was an effective mechanism for improving the communication of patient allergy information and is a means to quality assurance. Future audits will be necessary to determine whether the beneficial effects produced will be sustained or improved.

The prevalence of verbal aggression against nurses.

PubMed

McLaughlin, Sue; Gorley, Lyn; Moseley, Laurence

There have been many anecdotal and press reports of verbal aggression against nurses. The authors undertook a structured review of the published literature on the topic. They found that no consistent definitions or time periods had been used, a consistent estimate of prevalence was impossible to establish, studies had been retrospective, and the commonest form of measurement had been self-report. There had been no culmination of replicable knowledge. The claim of most studies is that verbal aggression is commonplace in nursing. The best available evidence suggests that verbal aggression is often viewed as 'part of the job'. Consequences can range from emotional effects such as anger and humiliation, through to intent to leave the profession and for some it may have a negative psychological impact. Further research is needed to investigate the multi-faceted nature of verbal aggression. This must be guided by clear definitions and incorporate standardized measures of the effects of verbal aggression so that nurses can compare findings and fully understand all of the complexities and consequences.

A Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes) Model of Triarchic Psychopathy Constructs: Development and Initial Validation

PubMed Central

Latzman, Robert D.; Drislane, Laura E.; Hecht, Lisa K.; Brislin, Sarah J.; Patrick, Christopher J.; Lilienfeld, Scott O.; Freeman, Hani J.; Schapiro, Steven J.; Hopkins, William D.

2015-01-01

The current work sought to operationalize constructs of the triarchic model of psychopathy in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), a species well-suited for investigations of basic biobehavioral dispositions relevant to psychopathology. Across three studies, we generated validity evidence for scale measures of the triarchic model constructs in a large sample (N=238) of socially-housed chimpanzees. Using a consensus-based rating approach, we first identified candidate items for the chimpanzee triarchic (CHMP-Tri) scales from an existing primate personality instrument and refined these into scales. In Study 2, we collected data for these scales from human informants (N=301), and examined their convergent and divergent relations with scales from another triarchic inventory developed for human use. In Study 3, we undertook validation work examining associations between CHMP-Tri scales and task measures of approach-avoidance behavior (N=73) and ability to delay gratification (N=55). Current findings provide support for a chimpanzee model of core dispositions relevant to psychopathy and other forms of psychopathology. PMID:26779396

Fuel use control in the fishing industry. Final report

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

Billington, G.

1985-08-01

The project undertook fuel flow monitoring of a random sample of fishing vessels in the New Zealand fishing industry. The object of the project was to determine the value of fuel flow measurement on a range of vessels of differing size and fishing method, and to investigate the effect on fuel consumption of hull fouling and propeller repitching where this appeared to be required. Eight vessels in the port of Tauranga were included in the trials. Three of these are company-owned and operated and the remainder are owner-operated. One purse seiner, two longliners and five trawlers (pair and single) weremore » involved. Fuel flow measurements were carried out, with before-and-after tests on one vessel to determine the value of removing hull fouling. In two cases propeller repitching was undertaken. The tests demonstrated that five of the eight vessels could, through minor operational changes, make significant fuel conservation gains with minimal loss of performance.« less

Public health aspects of the world's largest mass gathering: The 2013 Kumbh Mela in Allahabad, India.

PubMed

Balsari, Satchit; Greenough, P Gregg; Kazi, Dhruv; Heerboth, Aaron; Dwivedi, Shraddha; Leaning, Jennifer

2016-12-01

India's Kumbh Mela remains the world's largest and longest mass gathering. The 2013 event, where participants undertook a ritual bath, hosted over 70 million Hindu pilgrims during 55 days on a 1936 hectare flood plain at the confluence of the Yamuna and Ganga Rivers. On the holiest bathing days, the population surged. Unlike other religious, cultural, and sports mass gatherings, the Kumbh Mela's administration cannot estimate or limit the participant number. The event created serious and uncommon public health challenges: initiating crowd safety measures where population density and mobility directly contact flowing bodies of water; providing water, sanitation, and hygiene to a population that frequently defecates in the open; and establishing disease surveillance and resource use measures within a temporary health delivery system. We review the world's largest gathering by observing first-hand the public health challenges, plus the preparations for and responses to them. We recommend ways to improve preparedness.

Global differences between women and men in the prevalence of obesity: is there an association with gender inequality?

PubMed

Garawi, F; Devries, K; Thorogood, N; Uauy, R

2014-10-01

In most populations the prevalence of obesity is greater in women than in men; however, the magnitude of the difference between the sexes varies significantly by country. We considered the role of gender inequality in explaining these disparities. We undertook an ecological analysis of internationally comparable obesity prevalence data to examine the association between indicators of gender inequality and the differences between men and women in obesity prevalence. Gender inequality was assessed using three measures: the Gender Inequality Index, the Global Gender Gap Index and the Social Institutions and Gender Index. We fitted multiple regression models to examine the association. We found that the prevalence of obesity across countries shows gendered patterning with greater prevalence and greater heterogeneity in women than in men (P<0.001). We also found that two of three measures of gender inequality were significantly associated with the sex differences in obesity prevalence across countries. The patterning of obesity across countries is gendered. However, the association between global measures of gender inequality and the sex gap in obesity is dependent on the measure used. Further research is needed to investigate the mechanisms that underpin the gendered nature of obesity prevalence.

Recycling Solid Waste in Chattanooga

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vredeveld, Ruth; Martin, Robin

1973-01-01

Students undertook a group project in collaboration with city officials to study garbage types in the community and possibilities of recycling solid wastes. Data collected from various sources revealed that public attitude was favorable for recycling efforts and that it was feasible economically. (PS)

Scheduled intercity transportation : rural service areas in the United States

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2005-06-01

To identify how many of the countrys 82.4 million rural residents are within the reasonable coverage radius of at least one intercity transportation facility, in 2003 the Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) undertook a geospatial analysis us...

Distance Learning and Technology Plan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Maxwell C.

Brevard Community College (BCC), in Florida, undertook a review of enrollment, social and workplace trends, and institutional capabilities to determine opportunities, barriers, and implications for the institution in implementing distance education (DE) and instructional technology. Trends analyzed included enrollment shifts toward older students,…

VRX-496(VIRxSYS).

PubMed

Morris, Kevin V

2005-02-01

VIRxSYS is developing VRX-496, a lentiviral HIV-based vector encoding anti-HIV antisense envelope sequences, as a potential gene therapy for HIV infection. In July 2003, VIRxSYS undertook the initial dosing of an HIV-positive patient in a phase I/IIa trial.

Indirect land use and growth impacts of highway improvements : interim report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-01-01

The Oregon Department of Transportation undertook this study of the impacts of highway capacity improvements on land uses and growth, particularly at the urban fringe. This study was instituted to better understand the cause and effect" relationships...

System Operations Studies for Automated Guideway Transit Systems : Discrete Event Simulation Model Programmer's Manual

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-07-01

In order to examine specific automated guideway transit (AGT) developments and concepts, UMTA undertook a program of studies and technology investigations called Automated Guideway Transit Technology (AGTT) Program. The objectives of one segment of t...

Systems Operations Studies for Automated Guideway Transit Systems : System Availability Model Programmer's Manual

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1981-07-01

In order to examine specific automated guideway transit (AGT) developments and concepts, UMTA undertook a program of studies and technology investigations called Automated Guideway Transit Technology (AGTT) Program. The objectives of one segment of t...

A Small Exercise in Democracy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lazorishak, Ted

1976-01-01

What can social studies teachers do to try to put some of their teaching into more realistic avenues? A high school teacher undertook a project at the primary and general elections in order to create some student interest in the electoral process. (Author/RK)

Strategic evaluation states initiative : case studies of Alaska, Georgia, and West Virginia

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-04-01

In 2002, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration undertook a new approach that focused strategically on reducing alcohol-related crashes, injuries, and deaths in States with especially high numbers or rates of alcohol-related fatalities. T...

MSFC inspections of installed polyimide wire

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Landers, Joe C.

1994-01-01

An alert was issued because of the arc-tracking possibilities of installed polyimide wire harnesses. MSFC undertook a program to try to enhance the safety and reliability of these harnesses. Photographs are presented showing the need for inspections of installed wiring harnesses.

Robotic Mitral Valve Repair: The Learning Curve.

PubMed

Goodman, Avi; Koprivanac, Marijan; Kelava, Marta; Mick, Stephanie L; Gillinov, A Marc; Rajeswaran, Jeevanantham; Brzezinski, Anna; Blackstone, Eugene H; Mihaljevic, Tomislav

Adoption of robotic mitral valve surgery has been slow, likely in part because of its perceived technical complexity and a poorly understood learning curve. We sought to correlate changes in technical performance and outcome with surgeon experience in the "learning curve" part of our series. From 2006 to 2011, two surgeons undertook robotically assisted mitral valve repair in 458 patients (intent-to-treat); 404 procedures were completed entirely robotically (as-treated). Learning curves were constructed by modeling surgical sequence number semiparametrically with flexible penalized spline smoothing best-fit curves. Operative efficiency, reflecting technical performance, improved for (1) operating room time for case 1 to cases 200 (early experience) and 400 (later experience), from 414 to 364 to 321 minutes (12% and 22% decrease, respectively), (2) cardiopulmonary bypass time, from 148 to 102 to 91 minutes (31% and 39% decrease), and (3) myocardial ischemic time, from 119 to 75 to 68 minutes (37% and 43% decrease). Composite postoperative complications, reflecting safety, decreased from 17% to 6% to 2% (63% and 85% decrease). Intensive care unit stay decreased from 32 to 28 to 24 hours (13% and 25% decrease). Postoperative stay fell from 5.2 to 4.5 to 3.8 days (13% and 27% decrease). There were no in-hospital deaths. Predischarge mitral regurgitation of less than 2+, reflecting effectiveness, was achieved in 395 (97.8%), without correlation to experience; return-to-work times did not change substantially with experience. Technical efficiency of robotic mitral valve repair improves with experience and permits its safe and effective conduct.

Coupled optical/thermal/fluid analysis and design requirements for operation and testing of a supercritical CO 2 solar receiver.

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

Khivsara, Sagar

Recent studies have evaluated closed-loop supercritical carbon dioxide (s-CO 2) Brayton cycles to be a higher energy-density system in comparison to conventional superheated steam Rankine systems. At turbine inlet conditions of 923K and 25 MPa, high thermal efficiency (~50%) can be achieved. Achieving these high efficiencies will make concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies a competitive alternative to current power generation methods. To incorporate a s-CO 2 Brayton power cycle in a solar power tower system, the development of a solar receiver capable of providing an outlet temperature of 923 K (at 25 MPa) is necessary. To satisfy the temperature requirementsmore » of a s-CO 2 Brayton cycle with recuperation and recompression, it is required to heat s-CO 2 by a temperature of ~200 K as it passes through the solar receiver. Our objective was to develop an optical-thermal-fluid model to design and evaluate a tubular receiver that will receive a heat input ~1 MWth from a heliostat field. We also undertook the documentation of design requirements for the development, testing and safe operation of a direct s-CO 2 solar receiver. The main purpose of this document is to serve as a reference and guideline for design and testing requirements, as well as to address the technical challenges and provide initial parameters for the computational models that will be employed for the development of s-CO 2 receivers.« less

Systems Operations Studies for Automated Guideway Transit Systems : Discrete Event Simulation Model User's Manual.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-06-01

In order to examine specific Automated Guideway Transit (AGT) developments and concepts, and to build a better knowledge base for future decision-making, the Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA) undertook a new program of studies and techn...

Using Large Data Sets to Study College Education Trajectories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oseguera, Leticia; Hwang, Jihee

2014-01-01

This chapter presents various considerations researchers undertook to conduct a quantitative study on low-income students using a national data set. Specifically, it describes how a critical quantitative scholar approaches guiding frameworks, variable operationalization, analytic techniques, and result interpretation. Results inform how…

POLISHING EFFLUENT FROM A PERCHLORATE-REDUCING ANAEROBIC BIOLOGICAL CONTACTOR

EPA Science Inventory

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency undertook at 3 ½ year pilot-scale biological perchlorate treatment study that included two long (311 and 340 days) examinations of anaerobic effluent polishing. The polishing system consisted of hydrogen peroxide addition and aeration, fo...

Communications Based Train Control (CBTC) Before and After Cost Study

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-03-01

San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni) undertook a retrofit of a fixed-block signaling system with a communications-based train control (CBTC) system in the subway portion of their light rail system (Muni Metro subway) in 1998. This report presents t...

A Venture in Constitutional Law.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cole, W. Graham; Dillon, Dorothy H.

1980-01-01

Senior high girls and boys from two single-sex schools undertook a study of a Supreme Court case that provided insight not only into constitutional law and history but also into how men and women can work together and relate in other ways than dating. (DS)

The Columbia University Management Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yavarkovsky, Jerome; Haas, Warren J.

In 1971, a management consulting firm undertook a case study of the Columbia University libraries to improve library performance by reviewing and strengthening the organization and recasting staff composition and deployment patterns. To implement the study's recommendations, an administrative structure was proposed which would emphasize functional…

Demonstrating success in reducing adult cardiac surgical site infections and the economic impact of using multidisciplinary collaboration.

PubMed

Chiwera, Lilian; Wigglesworth, Neil; McCoskery, Carol; Lucchese, Gianluca; Newsholme, William

2018-03-28

Cardiac surgical site infections (SSIs) have devastating consequences and present several challenges for patients and healthcare providers. Adult cardiac SSI surveillance commenced in 2009 at our hospitals, Guy's & St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, as a patient safety initiative amid reported increased incidence of SSIs. Before this time, infection incidence was unclear because data collection was not standardised. Our aim was to standardise SSI data collection and establish baseline SSI rates to facilitate deployment of evidence based targeted interventions within clinical governance structures to improve quality, safety and efficiency in line with our organisational targets. We standardised local data collection protocols in line with Public Health England recommendations and identified local champions. We undertook prospective SSI surveillance collaboratively to enable us to identify potential practice concerns and address them more effectively through a series of initiatives. Clinical staff completed dedicated surveillance forms intraoperatively and post operatively. Overall adult cardiac SSI rates fell from 5.4% in 2009 to 1.2% in 2016 and Coronary Artery Bypass Graft (CABG) rates from 6.5% in 2009 to 1.7% in 2016, p<0.001. Gram negative bacteria were recognised as important SSI causative organisms and were better controlled after introducing stringent infection control measures. We successfully implemented comprehensive, evidence-based infection control practices through a multidisciplinary collaborative approach; an approach we consider to have great potential to reduce Gram negative, Staphylococcus aureus, polymicrobial and overall SSI burden and/or associated costs. We now investigate all SSIs using an established SSI detailed investigation protocol to promote continual quality improvement that aligns us perfectly with global efforts to fight antimicrobial resistance. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Influence of multi-source and multi-temporal remotely sensed and ancillary data on the accuracy of random forest classification of wetlands in northern Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Corcoran, Jennifer M.; Knight, Joseph F.; Gallant, Alisa L.

2013-01-01

Wetland mapping at the landscape scale using remotely sensed data requires both affordable data and an efficient accurate classification method. Random forest classification offers several advantages over traditional land cover classification techniques, including a bootstrapping technique to generate robust estimations of outliers in the training data, as well as the capability of measuring classification confidence. Though the random forest classifier can generate complex decision trees with a multitude of input data and still not run a high risk of over fitting, there is a great need to reduce computational and operational costs by including only key input data sets without sacrificing a significant level of accuracy. Our main questions for this study site in Northern Minnesota were: (1) how does classification accuracy and confidence of mapping wetlands compare using different remote sensing platforms and sets of input data; (2) what are the key input variables for accurate differentiation of upland, water, and wetlands, including wetland type; and (3) which datasets and seasonal imagery yield the best accuracy for wetland classification. Our results show the key input variables include terrain (elevation and curvature) and soils descriptors (hydric), along with an assortment of remotely sensed data collected in the spring (satellite visible, near infrared, and thermal bands; satellite normalized vegetation index and Tasseled Cap greenness and wetness; and horizontal-horizontal (HH) and horizontal-vertical (HV) polarization using L-band satellite radar). We undertook this exploratory analysis to inform decisions by natural resource managers charged with monitoring wetland ecosystems and to aid in designing a system for consistent operational mapping of wetlands across landscapes similar to those found in Northern Minnesota.

Feasibility of extracting data from electronic medical records for research: an international comparative study.

PubMed

van Velthoven, Michelle Helena; Mastellos, Nikolaos; Majeed, Azeem; O'Donoghue, John; Car, Josip

2016-07-13

Electronic medical records (EMR) offer a major potential for secondary use of data for research which can improve the safety, quality and efficiency of healthcare. They also enable the measurement of disease burden at the population level. However, the extent to which this is feasible in different countries is not well known. This study aimed to: 1) assess information governance procedures for extracting data from EMR in 16 countries; and 2) explore the extent of EMR adoption and the quality and consistency of EMR data in 7 countries, using management of diabetes type 2 patients as an exemplar. We included 16 countries from Australia, Asia, the Middle East, and Europe to the Americas. We undertook a multi-method approach including both an online literature review and structured interviews with 59 stakeholders, including 25 physicians, 23 academics, 7 EMR providers, and 4 information commissioners. Data were analysed and synthesised thematically considering the most relevant issues. We found that procedures for information governance, levels of adoption and data quality varied across the countries studied. The required time and ease of obtaining approval also varies widely. While some countries seem ready for secondary uses of data from EMR, in other countries several barriers were found, including limited experience with using EMR data for research, lack of standard policies and procedures, bureaucracy, confidentiality, data security concerns, technical issues and costs. This is the first international comparative study to shed light on the feasibility of extracting EMR data across a number of countries. The study will inform future discussions and development of policies that aim to accelerate the adoption of EMR systems in high and middle income countries and seize the rich potential for secondary use of data arising from the use of EMR solutions.

Preparation and in vitro antimicrobial activity of silver-bearing degradable polymeric nanoparticles of polyphosphoester-block-poly(L-lactide).

PubMed

Lim, Young H; Tiemann, Kristin M; Heo, Gyu Seong; Wagers, Patrick O; Rezenom, Yohannes H; Zhang, Shiyi; Zhang, Fuwu; Youngs, Wiley J; Hunstad, David A; Wooley, Karen L

2015-02-24

The development of well-defined polymeric nanoparticles (NPs) as delivery carriers for antimicrobials targeting human infectious diseases requires rational design of the polymer template, an efficient synthetic approach, and fundamental understanding of the developed NPs, e.g., drug loading/release, particle stability, and other characteristics. Herein, we developed and evaluated the in vitro antimicrobial activity of silver-bearing, fully biodegradable and functional polymeric NPs. A series of degradable polymeric nanoparticles (dNPs), composed of phosphoester and L-lactide and designed specifically for silver loading into the hydrophilic shell and/or the hydrophobic core, were prepared as potential delivery carriers for three different types of silver-based antimicrobials-silver acetate or one of two silver carbene complexes (SCCs). Silver-loading capacities of the dNPs were not influenced by the hydrophilic block chain length, loading site (i.e., core or shell), or type of silver compound, but optimization of the silver feed ratio was crucial to maximize the silver loading capacity of dNPs, up to ca. 12% (w/w). The release kinetics of silver-bearing dNPs revealed 50% release at ca. 2.5-5.5 h depending on the type of silver compound. In addition, we undertook a comprehensive evaluation of the rates of hydrolytic or enzymatic degradability and performed structural characterization of the degradation products. Interestingly, packaging of the SCCs in the dNP-based delivery system improved minimum inhibitory concentrations up to 70%, compared with the SCCs alone, as measured in vitro against 10 contemporary epidemic strains of Staphylococcus aureus and eight uropathogenic strains of Escherichia coli. We conclude that these dNP-based delivery systems may be beneficial for direct epithelial treatment and/or prevention of ubiquitous bacterial infections, including those of the skin and urinary tract.

Developing a "toolkit" to measure implementation of concurrent palliative care in rural community cancer centers.

PubMed

Zubkoff, Lisa; Dionne-Odom, J Nicholas; Pisu, Maria; Babu, Dilip; Akyar, Imatullah; Smith, Tasha; Mancarella, Gisella A; Gansauer, Lucy; Sullivan, Margaret Murray; Swetz, Keith M; Azuero, Andres; Bakitas, Marie A

2018-02-01

Despite national guidelines recommending early concurrent palliative care for individuals newly diagnosed with metastatic cancer, few community cancer centers, especially those in underserved rural areas do so. We are implementing an early concurrent palliative care model, ENABLE (Educate, Nurture, Advise, Before Life Ends) in four, rural-serving community cancer centers. Our objective was to develop a "toolkit" to assist community cancer centers that wish to integrate early palliative care for patients with newly diagnosed advanced cancer and their family caregivers. Guided by the RE-AIM (Reach, Effectiveness-Adoption, Implementation, Maintenance) framework, we undertook an instrument-development process based on the literature, expert and site stakeholder review and feedback, and pilot testing during site visits. We developed four instruments to measure ENABLE implementation: (1) the ENABLE RE-AIM Self-Assessment Tool to assess reach, adoption, implementation, and maintenance; (2) the ENABLE General Organizational Index to assess institutional implementation; (3) an Implementation Costs Tool; and (4) an Oncology Clinicians' Perceptions of Early Concurrent Oncology Palliative Care survey. We developed four measures to determine early palliative care implementation. These measures have been pilot-tested, and will be integrated into a comprehensive "toolkit" to assist community cancer centers to measure implementation outcomes. We describe the lessons learned and recommend strategies for promoting long-term program sustainability.

Multimodal Transportation Analysis Process (MTAP): A Travel Demand Forecasting Model

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1990-01-01

In 1986, the North Central Texas Council of Governments (NCTCOG) undertook the revision of its travel demand forecasting model. The outcome was a model which was developed based on travel patterns in the Dallas-Forth Worth area and used jointly by th...

Changing (Almost) Everything and Keeping (Almost) Everyone Happy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Craig A.; Grover, Douglas; Vernon, R. David

1998-01-01

In 1994, the information technology organization at Indiana University, Bloomington, undertook a major computing technology conversion that affected 40,000 people. The project is described, and factors contributing to its success are discussed, including system architecture, marketing and customer communications, and migration of information…

A guidebook for evaluating the indirect land use and growth impacts of highway improvements : appendices.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-04-01

In 1998, the Oregon Department of Transportation undertook a study of the impacts of highway capacity improvements on land uses and growth, particularly at the urban fringe. The objective was to better understand the cause and effect relationsh...

Field test of the impact of setting and enforcing rational speed limits : final report for Gulfport, Mississippi--demonstration community

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2007-10-01

To address concerns regarding the need to restore credibility to speed limits, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) jointly undertook tests of rational speed limits, which have...

Ietoga: Samoan Educators' Educational Journeys

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Regan, Bridget

2006-01-01

This thesis explores how a group of senior educators in Samoa undertook their educational journeys. It also traces my cultural and research learning journeys and the pathways I followed as a "palagi" (white person) undertaking cross-cultural research. A holistic and collaborative approach entailed consultation with the community…

Integrated Experiential Education: Definitions and a Conceptual Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fenton, Lara; Gallant, Karen

2016-01-01

Universities are currently embracing community engagement strategies to increase opportunities for student learning in community settings such as community organizations. Experiential learning is often touted as the pedagogy underlying such experiences. We undertook a research project exploring the challenges and benefits for students and faculty…

Action Research: Informing Professional Practice within Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hine, Gregory S. C.; Lavery, Shane D.

2014-01-01

This research paper explores the experiences of three teacher-researchers, "Simone", "Damian" and "Michael", who undertook an action research project in their respective schools as part of their postgraduate studies. The paper initially outlines the construct of action research in the light of its applicability to…

Misalignment of disposable pulse oximeter probes results in false saturation readings that influence anesthetic management.

PubMed

Guan, Zhonghui; Baker, Keith; Sandberg, Warren S

2009-11-01

We report a small case series in which misaligned disposable pulse oximeter sensors gave falsely low saturation readings. In each instance, the sensor performed well during preinduction oxygen administration and the early part of the case, most notably by producing a plethysmographic trace rated as high quality by the oximeter software. The reported pulse oximeter oxygen saturation eventually decreased to concerning levels in each instance, but the anesthesiologists, relying on the reported high-quality signal, initially sought other causes for apparent hypoxia. They undertook maneuvers and diagnostic procedures later deemed unnecessary. When the malpositioned sensors were discovered and repositioned, the apparent hypoxia was quickly relieved in each case. We then undertook a survey of disposable oximeter sensors as patients entered the recovery room, and discovered malposition of more than 1 cm in approximately 20% of all sensors, without apparent consequence. We conclude that the technology is quite robust, but that the diagnosis of apparent hypoxia should include a quick check of oximeter position early on.

Review of methods for measuring β-cell function: Design considerations from the Restoring Insulin Secretion (RISE) Consortium.

PubMed

Hannon, Tamara S; Kahn, Steven E; Utzschneider, Kristina M; Buchanan, Thomas A; Nadeau, Kristen J; Zeitler, Philip S; Ehrmann, David A; Arslanian, Silva A; Caprio, Sonia; Edelstein, Sharon L; Savage, Peter J; Mather, Kieren J

2018-01-01

The Restoring Insulin Secretion (RISE) study was initiated to evaluate interventions to slow or reverse the progression of β-cell failure in type 2 diabetes (T2D). To design the RISE study, we undertook an evaluation of methods for measurement of β-cell function and changes in β-cell function in response to interventions. In the present paper, we review approaches for measurement of β-cell function, focusing on methodologic and feasibility considerations. Methodologic considerations included: (1) the utility of each technique for evaluating key aspects of β-cell function (first- and second-phase insulin secretion, maximum insulin secretion, glucose sensitivity, incretin effects) and (2) tactics for incorporating a measurement of insulin sensitivity in order to adjust insulin secretion measures for insulin sensitivity appropriately. Of particular concern were the capacity to measure β-cell function accurately in those with poor function, as is seen in established T2D, and the capacity of each method for demonstrating treatment-induced changes in β-cell function. Feasibility considerations included: staff burden, including time and required methodological expertise; participant burden, including time and number of study visits; and ease of standardizing methods across a multicentre consortium. After this evaluation, we selected a 2-day measurement procedure, combining a 3-hour 75-g oral glucose tolerance test and a 2-stage hyperglycaemic clamp procedure, augmented with arginine. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Nursing care in Tuberculosis patients at a Spanish sanatorium, 1943-19751

PubMed Central

Galbany-Estragués, Paola

2014-01-01

Objectives the objective in this study is to identify the profile of the nursing staff, the work conditions and to describe nursing care at a sanatorium located in Barcelona, Spain between 1943 and 1975. Method historical study undertaken between 2008 and 2010, based on oral sources, five direct and one indirect testimonies, and the analysis of written documents. The data from the testimonies were collected through semistructured interviews. Results the nursing staff, mostly religious women, had scarce material and economic resources and no preventive measures to take care of the ill. The nurses undertook activities centered on the basic needs for physical and spiritual wellbeing. Conclusion The study reveals how the nurses, despite working in hostile conditions, attempted to safeguard the wellbeing of the patients and accompany them during the death process. PMID:25029060

Radionuclide observables during the Integrated Field Exercise of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty.

PubMed

Burnett, Jonathan L; Miley, Harry S; Milbrath, Brian D

2016-03-01

In 2014 the Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) undertook an Integrated Field Exercise (IFE14) in Jordan. The exercise consisted of a simulated 0.5-2 kT underground nuclear explosion triggering an On-site Inspection (OSI) to search for evidence of a Treaty violation. This research paper evaluates two of the OSI techniques used during the IFE14, laboratory-based gamma-spectrometry of soil samples and in-situ gamma-spectrometry, both of which were implemented to search for 17 OSI relevant particulate radionuclides indicative of nuclear explosions. The detection sensitivity is evaluated using real IFE and model data. It indicates that higher sensitivity laboratory measurements are the optimum technique during the IFE and within the Treaty/Protocol-specified OSI timeframes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The varying value of a friendly face: Experimentally induced stress is associated with higher preferences for friendship with people possessing feminine versus masculine face traits.

PubMed

Little, Anthony C; Harcus, Kerry

2016-01-01

Social support can provide a buffer to the negative consequences of stress. Previous research suggests that stress can promote affiliative and cooperative behaviours in those who are stressed. Here we examined how stress might influence who we choose to affiliate with. We measured preferences for friendships with friendly appearing feminized faces versus less friendly appearing masculinized faces after individuals undertook a stressful laboratory task. Stressed individuals had increased preferences for friendships with people with feminine faces. These data demonstrate that individuals prefer more friendly appearing feminine faced people as friends when stressed than when not stressed. This preference is likely adaptive in directing individuals towards others who are most likely to provide social support when it is needed and so reflect strategic friendship preferences.

Understanding the Other through International Professional Teaching Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buchanan, John

2017-01-01

Universities encourage students to undertake international professional experiences so they can add international and intercultural dimensions to their development. This paper adopts a theoretical backdrop of neocolonialism to investigate the experiences of four Australian pre-service teachers who jointly undertook an IPE in Bandung, Indonesia.…

The top 10 oomycete pathogens in molecular plant pathology

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Oomycetes form a deep lineage of eukaryotic organisms that includes a large number of plant pathogens that threaten natural and managed ecosystems. We undertook a survey to query the community for their ranking of plant pathogenic oomycete taxa based on scientific and economic importance. In total, ...

Vermont Technical Education Commission Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vermont State Technical Education Commission, Montpelier.

A 1968 New England Regional Commission grant to the Vermont Department of Administration financed a feasibility study for a technical college at the postsecondary level. The commission undertook two specific studies: an examination of ultimate career destinations of Vermont secondary students and a survey of Vermont industry to determine immediate…

A guidebook for evaluating the indirect land use and growth impacts of highway improvements : appendices

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-04-01

In 1998, the Oregon Department of Transportation undertook a study of the impacts of highway capacity improvements on land uses and growth, particularly at the urban fringe. The objective was to better understand the cause and effect relationships am...

A guidebook for evaluating the indirect land use and growth impacts of highway improvements : final report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-04-01

In 1998, the Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) undertook a study of the impacts of highway capacity improvements on land uses and growth, particularly at the urban fringe. The objective was to better understand the "cause and effect" relatio...

A guidebook for evaluating the indirect land use and growth impacts of highway improvements : final report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-04-01

In 1998, the Oregon Department of Transportation undertook a study of the impacts of highway capacity improvements on land uses and growth, particularly at the urban fringe. The objective was to better understand the cause and effect relationsh...

Benefit/cost evaluation of MoDOT's total striping and delineation program : phase II.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-06-01

In 2005 and 2006, the Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) undertook a major program, known as the Smooth Roads Initiative (SRI), to improve both the rideability and the visibility of over 2,300 mi of major roadways in Missouri. MRIGlobal pr...

An analysis of the value of Texas seaports in an environment of increasing global trade.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-01-01

This study undertook an economic impact exercise for all Texas ports, updated a similar study done a decade : earlier, and so assisted TxDOT with incorporating the most recent marine port impacts into their state : transportation planning. The study ...

Building Global Learning Communities through the Internet.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mende, Richard

From Spring 1995 to Spring 1996, Cambrian College, in Ontario (Canada), undertook a project to develop Canada's first full program using Internet technology. The major challenges accomplished included the selection of the program; adaptation of materials for digital delivery; selection of a delivery technology; faculty training; and program…

TEACHING INTERNSHIPS-CORE PROGRAM.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southern Illinois Univ., Carbondale.

TO DEVELOP TEACHERS FOR STUDENTS IN SEMIPROFESSIONAL OR CAREER PROGRAMS, THE JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT OF ST. LOUIS AND ST. LOUIS COUNTY AND THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY UNDERTOOK A MIDWEST TECHNICAL EDUCATION CENTER PROJECT, FUNDED BY THE FORD FOUNDATION AND CALLED THE TEACHING INTERNSHIP-CORE PROGRAM. GRADUATE CREDIT, AS WELL AS FINANCIAL…

Developing a Research Agenda for Assisted Living

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kane, Rosalie A.; Wilson, Keren Brown; Spector, William

2007-01-01

Purpose: We describe an approach to identifying knowledge gaps, research questions, and methodological issues for assisted living (AL) research. Design and Methods: We undertook an inventory of AL literature and research in progress and commissioned background papers critiquing knowledge on selected subtopics. With an advisory committee, we…

An Architecture for Learning in Projects?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sense, Andrew J.

2004-01-01

This paper reports upon a two-year, qualitative, case study action research investigation into "learning within a project team". This project team undertook a significant socio-technical redesign project within a major Australian heavy engineering/manufacturing operation. The paper identifies and elaborates upon a number of elements that…

Racial Justice in Broadcasting.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Church of Christ, New York, NY.

In response to allegations of blacks that broadcasting stations, especially in the South, discriminate against their interests, the Office of Communications of the United Church of Christ undertook a two-year project (1968-70) to combat discriminatory practices. The project attacked two widespread practices: non-employment or under-employment of…

Career Guidance for Special Needs Learners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Francis A., Jr.

1982-01-01

A career guidance institute for educators working with handicapped and disadvantaged learners included 10 hours of seminar/classroom guidance experiences devoted to theory. Each participant then undertook a 40-hour work internship designed to provide experiences and information about entry-level jobs that special needs learners could perform. (SK)

Physical activity levels in locally advanced rectal cancer patients following neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy and an exercise training programme before surgery: a pilot study.

PubMed

Loughney, Lisa; West, Malcolm A; Dimitrov, Borislav D; Kemp, Graham J; Grocott, Michael Pw; Jack, Sandy

2017-01-01

The aim of this pilot study was to measure changes in physical activity level (PAL) variables, as well as sleep duration and efficiency in people with locally advanced rectal cancer (1) before and after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (CRT) and (2) after participating in a pre-operative 6-week in-hospital exercise training programme, following neoadjuvant CRT prior to major surgery, compared to a usual care control group. We prospectively studied 39 consecutive participants (27 males). All participants completed standardised neoadjuvant CRT: 23 undertook a 6-week in-hospital exercise training programme following neoadjuvant CRT. These were compared to 16 contemporaneous non-randomised participants (usual care control group). All participants underwent a continuous 72-h period of PA monitoring by SenseWear biaxial accelerometer at baseline, immediately following neoadjuvant CRT (week 0), and at week 6 (following the exercise training programme). Of 39 recruited participants, 23 out of 23 (exercise) and 10 out of 16 (usual care control) completed the study. In all participants ( n  = 33), there was a significant reduction from baseline (pre-CRT) to week 0 (post-CRT) in daily step count: median (IQR) 4966 (4435) vs. 3044 (3265); p  < 0.0001, active energy expenditure (EE) (kcal): 264 (471) vs. 154 (164); p  = 0.003, and metabolic equivalent (MET) (1.3 (0.6) vs. 1.2 (0.3); p  = 0.010). There was a significant improvement in sleep efficiency (%) between week 0 and week 6 in the exercise group compared to the usual care control group (80 (13) vs. 78 (15) compared to (69 ((24) vs. 76 (20); p  = 0.022), as well as in sleep duration and lying down time ( p  < 0.05) while those in active EE (kcal) (152 (154) vs. 434 (658) compared to (244 (198) vs. 392 (701) or in MET (1.3 (0.4) vs. 1.5 (0.5) compared to (1.1 (0.2) vs. 1.5 (0.5) were also of importance but did not reach statistical significance ( p  > 0.05). An apparent improvement in daily step count and overall PAL in the exercise group was not statistically significant. PAL variables, daily step count, EE and MET significantly reduced following neoadjuvant CRT in all participants. A 6-week pre-operative in-hospital exercise training programme improved sleep efficiency, sleep duration and lying down time when compared to participants receiving usual care. Clinicaltrials.gov NCT01325909.

Leisure time physical activity assessment of American adults through an analysis of time diaries collected in 1981.

PubMed Central

Brooks, C M

1987-01-01

One of the 1990 Health Objectives established by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is for 60 per cent of adults 18-65 years of age to be participating regularly in vigorous physical exercise. Unfortunately, no valid and practical measurement system is available that will allow assessment of leisure time physical activity participation of large populations. Consequently, not only is it difficult to assess progress toward the 1990 goal, an accurate baseline from which to measure potential progress does not exist. This paper presents a time diary technique for measuring aggregate population physical activity participation and utilizes actual time diaries collected from adults by the Institute for Social Research in 1981 to arrive at a possible baseline. The results indicated that time diaries are a viable method for assessing aggregate physical activity behavior of large populations. American Adults were quite sedentary in 1981. Over a period of one week, 31% undertook no leisure time physical activity. Only 14 per cent expended more than 1600 kcals/week in leisure time physical activity, and 10 per cent met the DHHS physical activity requirements. PMID:3826464

A Modified Content Analysis of Existing School Psychology Reports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mallin, Barry; Schellenberg, Miriam E.; Smith, Christiane

2012-01-01

Discrepancies between our university's training program's report-writing guidelines and common practice in Manitoba could not be resolved by reference to the literature. To inform the discussion, we collected a sample of local real world school psychology reports and undertook a modified content analysis to operationally define and measure…

Evaluation of jointed reinforced concrete pavement rehabilitation on I-64 in the Richmond and Hampton Roads districts of Virginia.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-01-01

Beginning in 2004, the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) undertook a series of pavement rehabilitation projects to address deficiencies in three sections of the I-64 corridor between Richmond and Newport News. I-64 serves as the primary av...

An economic analysis of four options for dealing with low-volume roads in energy-impacted areas of Texas.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-10-01

The Texas A&M Transportation Institute undertook an economic analysis to compare the costs of : maintaining a typical Texas low-volume road in an energy-impacted area in its current state versus widening : and maintaining the road; converting it to a...

Linking Planning and Budgeting through Business Process Redesign.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Inman, Marianne E.

In the wake of an extensive strategic planning process that refocused institutional values at Northland College, Wisconsin, the administration undertook linking the budget with the newly articulated plan. Incremental budgeting was no longer feasible, and the new budget would have to reflect streamlining and new ways of functioning. Consequently…

A critique of the Law Commission's report on injuries to unborn children and the proposed Congenital Disabilities (Civil Liability) Bill *

PubMed Central

Kennedy, Ian; Edwards, R G

1975-01-01

The authors are members of the British Association Committee on Social Concern and Biological Advances. Following earlier discussions of legal and social problems arising from certain medical advances, they undertook, independently, to examine the Law Commission's study. PMID:1214266

A Cultural Safari: Dispelling Myths and Creating Connections.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Bonnie M.

1994-01-01

Discusses the ways that one teacher undertook a "cultural safari" in an attempt to learn extensively about African culture and society. Narrates this teacher's experiences in Senegal, her research about Africa, and its impact on her teaching. Argues that such activities "connect" students and teachers to the world community.…

Ultra-wideband technology radio frequency interference effects to GPS and interference scenario development : first interim report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-09-12

In October, 1999, at the request of the Department of Transportation (DoT), the RTCA undertook an effort to investigate the radio frequency interference (RFI) environment in the vicinity of the new Global Positioning System (GPS) L5 frequency (1176.4...

Faculty Internships in California Community Colleges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klein, Charlie; Peralez, Jose

In response to a request from the Board of Governors, the California Community Colleges' Office of the Chancellor undertook a study to determine the extent and characteristics of faculty internship programs in system colleges. In April 1995, surveys were mailed to human resource directors and chief instructional officers at all 106 community…

Case Study: Walhalla High School, Walhalla, S.C.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southern Regional Education Board, Atlanta, GA.

In 1987, Walhalla High School in Walhalla, South Carolina, undertook a major restructuring effort to raise the school's standards and keep pace with the expectations of local high-tech businesses and industry. School and district leaders established an affiliation with the Southern Regional Education Board's High Schools That Work initiative,…

Endowment Spending: A Look Back

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, Fred

2012-01-01

The investment environment of the past 15 years has challenged endowed nonprofit institutions, which have struggled to balance the claims of current constituencies with the need to preserve their endowments' future purchasing power. In the fall of 2011, I undertook a survey of chief financial officers at about two dozen liberal arts colleges to…

THE ROLES OF ANTHROPOGENIC WATERSHED LOADING AND CLIMATE VARIABILITY ON NITROGEN FLUXES TO THE POTOMAC RIVER ESTUARY

EPA Science Inventory

To better anticipate responses of estuaries and coastal ecosystems to human activity and climate variation, it is useful to examine the historical record of nitrogen fluxes from watersheds to receiving waters and the factors affecting them. This study undertook a statistical exam...

Temporal pattern changes in duodenal protein tyrosine nitration events in response to Eimeria acervulina infection in chickens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Intracellular generation of nitric oxide (NO) and superoxide anion (SOA) can result in the formation of 3'-nitrotyrosine proteins (NTp). Nitrated proteins usually are associated with significant perturbation in protein function, apoptosis, and cell death. We undertook the present study to establis...

Minority Student Success in College: What Works. Minority Student Success Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brewer, Carolyn

The Washington State Board for Community College Education and the Washington Center for Undergraduate Education undertook a national review of minority student success programs in 1990. Information was solicited from program directors, deans of instruction and student services, national organizations, state higher education boards, students,…

EFFECTS OF CLIMATE VARIABILITY ON NITROGEN FLUXES FROM SELECTED WATERSHEDS ALONG THE US EAST COAST

EPA Science Inventory

To anticipate vulnerabilities of coastal ecosystems to global climate change, a better understanding is needed of factors affecting current and past nitrogen fluxes from watersheds to coastal systems. This study undertook a statistical examination of long-term data sets of nutrie...

National Council on the Handicapped. [Third] Annual Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Council on the Handicapped, Washington, DC.

During its third year of operation, the National Council on the Handicapped continued to develop priorities for the National Institute of Handicapped Research (NIHR) and worked to identify all research on disabilities and handicaps that is currently underway. In addition, the council's Committee on Services undertook a review and assessment of…

Calculus in Elementary School: An Example of ICT-Based Curriculum Transformation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fluck, Andrew; Ranmuthugala, Dev; Chin, Chris; Penesis, Irene

2012-01-01

Integral calculus is generally regarded as a fundamental but advanced aspect of mathematics, and it is not generally studied until students are aged about fifteen or older. Understanding the transformative potential of information and communication technology, this project undertook an investigation in four Australian schools to train students…

Jobs for Indiana's Future. Executive Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jobs for the Future, Inc., West Somerville, MA.

This report summarizes the work of the Jobs for Indiana's Future (JIF) program, designed to provide the Indiana Commission on Vocational and Technical Education (ICVTE) with assistance in planning for the future by enhancing ICVTE's capacity to guide Indiana's human capital investment strategy. The JIF program undertook an extensive analysis of…

Developing Problem-Solving Skills through Retrosynthetic Analysis and Clickers in Organic Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flynn, Alison B.

2011-01-01

A unique approach to teaching and learning problem-solving and critical-thinking skills in the context of retrosynthetic analysis is described. In this approach, introductory organic chemistry students, who typically see only simple organic structures, undertook partial retrosynthetic analyses of real and complex synthetic targets. Multiple…

Transactional Space: Feedback, Critical Thinking, and Learning Dance Technique

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akinleye, Adesola; Payne, Rose

2016-01-01

This article explores attitudes about feedback and critical thinking in dance technique classes. The authors discuss an expansion of their teaching practices to include feedback as bidirectional (transactional) and a part of developing critical thinking skills in student dancers. The article was written after the authors undertook research…

The Burden of Urban Education: Public Schools in Massachusetts, 1870-1915.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lazerson, Marvin

Confronted by a rapidly changing urban-industrial society, Massachusetts educators undertook reforms between 1870 and 1915 to make the public school a more relevant institution. Kindergarten, manual training, vocational education, evening schools, and citizenship education represented answers to problems arising from industrialism and urbanism.…

Speeding Products to Market: Waiting Time to First Product Introduction in New Firms.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schoonhoven, Claudia Bird; And Others

1990-01-01

Using event-history analysis techniques, a longitudinal study of the semiconductor industry found that substantial technological innovation lengthens development times and reduces the speed with which first products reach the marketplace. Organizations that undertook lower levels of technological innovation had relatively lower monthly…

Dementia and Assisted Living

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyde, Joan; Perez, Rosa; Forester, Brent

2007-01-01

Purpose: This article presents an overview of what is known about dementia services in assisted living settings and suggests areas for future research. Design and Methods: We undertook a search of Medline, the "Journals of Gerontology," and "The Gerontologist." We then organized publications dealing with the target subject into 10 topic areas and…

75 FR 29583 - Special Resource Study and Environmental Impact Statement, Coltsville, Hartford, CT

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-26

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR National Park Service Special Resource Study and Environmental Impact...: Notice of Termination of the Environmental Impact Statement for the Coltsville Special Resource Study in... Service (NPS) undertook a special resource study (SRS) of the Coltsville Historic District in Hartford...

Applications of Chemiluminescence in the Teaching of Experimental Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krawczyk, Tomasz; Slupska, Roksana; Baj, Stefan

2015-01-01

This work describes a single-session laboratory experiment devoted to teaching the principles of factorial experimental design. Students undertook the rational optimization of a luminol oxidation reaction, using a two-level experiment that aimed to create a long-lasting bright emission. During the session students used only simple glassware and…

Characteristics of Effective Networking Environments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaye, Judith C.

This document chronicles a project called Model Nets, which studies the characteristics of computer networks that have a positive impact on K-12 learning. Los Alamos National Laboratory undertook the study so that their recommendations could help federal agencies wisely fund networking projects in an era when the national imperative has driven…

Tire Crumb Research Study Literature Review / Gap AnalysisWhite Paper Summary of Results

EPA Science Inventory

In order to more fully understand data gaps in human exposure and toxicity to tire crumb materials, ATSDR, CPSC and EPA undertook a collaborative effort in the form of a scientific literature review and subsequent gaps analysis. The first objective of the Literature Review and Ga...

Gap Analysis. Student Satisfaction Survey, Spring 1995.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Breindel, Matthew

In spring 1995, College of the Desert, in California, undertook a study to determine the perceptions of students at both its Copper Mountain and Palm Desert campuses regarding college services. A representative sample of students were administered a 7-point attitude scale (Student Satisfaction Survey developed by Noel-Levitz Centers, Inc.) both…

Leading under Pressure: Leadership for Social Inclusion

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muijs, Daniel; Ainscow, Mel; Dyson, Alan; Raffo, Carlo; Goldrick, Sue; Kerr, Kirstin; Lennie, Clare; Miles, Susie

2010-01-01

In this study we undertook to look at leadership issues specifically in relation to social inclusion, through a series of six case studies in three districts showing high levels of disadvantage. Findings indicated that schools' views on social inclusion could be typified as leaning towards three main orientations: (1) improving achievement and…

Surveillance on University Students' Living Behaviors in the Private Residence, Prathumthani, Thailand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luckanavanich, Suwannee

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship among lifestyles, personal relationship (friendship and romantic relationship), and living behaviors shared with closed friends and romantic friends. The study undertook a quantitative research of university students' living behaviors in the private residence. A survey questionnaire was…

Law Enforcement School Programs. Fact Sheet

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arkansas Safe Schools Initiative Division, 2010

2010-01-01

The school shooting incidents during the decade of the 1990's prompted an increase of law enforcement presence in schools. The School Violence Resource Center (SVRC) at the Criminal Justice Institute (CJI) University of Arkansas System undertook a project to determine what programs law enforcement agencies currently provide in their local schools…

Developing an Integrated Institutional Repository at Imperial College London

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Afshari, Fereshteh; Jones, Richard

2007-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to demonstrate how a highly integrated approach to repository development and deployment can be beneficial in producing a successful archive. Design/methodology/approach: Imperial College London undertook a significant specifications process to gather and formalise requirements for its repository system. This was done…

Educational Alternatives for Boating Safety Programs. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sager, E.; And Others

The Coast Guard, in efforts to improve the safety of recreational boating, undertook research to identify educational alternatives in boating safety programs. Background research was done to assess materials from areas of boating education and education in comparable recreational areas. Research was also conducted to review educational and mass…

For Their Own Good: Recruiting Children for Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, Alan

2008-01-01

This article arose from the author's experiences as a researcher exploring children's reactions to their parents' separation. Between 1999 and 2004, the author undertook to find out what a sample of Australian children thought of their abilities to participate in decisions that directly affected them following family breakdown. Before beginning…

Accelerated Climate Modeling for Energy (ACME) Final Scientific/Technical Report

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

Chaudhary, Aashish

Seven Department of Energy (DOE) national laboratories, Universities, and Kitware, undertook a coordinated effort to build an Earth system modeling capability tailored to meet the climate change research strategic objectives of the DOE Office of Science, as well as the broader climate change application needs of other DOE programs.

A Survey of New Students in Spring 1997.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glyer-Culver, Betty, M.

In fall 1996, California's Los Rios Community College District (LRCCD) undertook several initiatives to increase enrollment, including the construction of state-of-the-art computer laboratories to meet demands for high tech training and the expansion of course offerings to non-traditional times. To evaluate the effectiveness of these efforts,…

Fighting in the Mountains and Among the People: Imperial Russian and Early Soviet Population-Centric Counterinsurgency

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-21

suppression of the Malay insurgency, and the Indonesian counterinsurgency in East Timor. Despite the extensiveness of research on past...authorities embraced Central Asian customs in an attempt to build trust with the local population. In 1921, they undertook a wide-scale ethnographic

Research to Improve Specialist Knowledge: An HE in FE Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feather, Denis

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to establish if lecturers in further education colleges (FECs) delivering higher education business courses (HEBCs) undertook research to improve specialist knowledge. A critical analysis of the literature was undertaken, providing an overview of what is understood by the term "research". Lecturers in FECs…

Implementing an Online Curriculum for Medical Education: Examining the Critical Factors for Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olson, Bradley G.; Mata, Marvin; Koszalka, Tiffany A.

2013-01-01

Purpose: The Department of Pediatrics at SUNY Upstate Medical University in collaboration with the Instructional Design, Development, and Evaluation Department in Syracuse University's School of Education recently undertook a curricular reform effort that included translation of the residency program's annual core didactic lecture series to an…

Illinois Valley Industry Retention Program. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allen, John P.

The Illinois Valley Industry Retention Program was conceived with the goals of retaining existing industries in the area and saving presently available jobs for the area's citizens. A program committee, formed in March 1982 of representatives from state government, Illinois Valley Community College (IVCC), and local businesses, undertook a survey…

A Comparison of Randomised Controlled Trials in Health and Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Torgerson, Carole J.; Torgerson, David J.; Birks, Yvonne F.; Porthouse, Jill

2005-01-01

Health care and educational trials face similar methodological challenges. Methodological reviews of health care trials have shown that a significant proportion have methodological flaws. Whether or not educational trials have a similar proportion of poor-quality trials is unknown. The authors undertook a methodological comparison between health…

MANDARIN CHINESE DICTIONARY.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

WANG, FRED FANGYU

IN RESPONSE TO THE NEEDS OF THE GROWING NUMBER OF AMERICAN HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS LEARNING CHINESE, SETON HALL UNIVERSITY UNDERTOOK A CONTRACT WITH THE U.S. OFFICE OF EDUCATION TO COMPILE A BILINGUAL POCKET-SIZE DICTIONARY FOR BEGINNING STUDENTS OF SPOKEN MANDARIN CHINESE. THE PRESENT WORK IS THE CHINESE TO ENGLISH SECTION IN PRELIMINARY…

Maryland Community Colleges Technology Needs Assessment Survey. Final Technical Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clagett, Craig A.

In 1997, the Maryland Community Colleges Technology Council (MCCTC) undertook a survey of the state's 18 community colleges to assess the status of instructional and administrative technologies and their needs for improvement for the following 5 years. Fifteen-page questionnaires were sent to the colleges requesting information on instructional…

School Nurses and Health Education: The Classroom Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klein, Julie; Sendall, Marguerite C.; Fleming, Marylou; Lidstone, John; Domocol, Michelle

2013-01-01

Objective: The aim of the study is to explore school nurses' experience of health education. Design: A qualitative approach, phenomenology was used to answer the question. Method: Sixteen participants were recruited through purposeful and snowball sampling. Participants undertook an audio-recorded interview which was transcribed and analysed.…

Usage-Based Collection Evaluation with a Curricular Focus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kohn, Karen C.

2013-01-01

Systematic evaluation of a library's collection can be a useful tool for collection development. After reviewing three evaluation methods and their usefulness for our small academic library, I undertook a usage-based evaluation, focusing on narrow segments of our collection that served specific undergraduate courses. For each section, I collected…

Statistical Literacy among Applied Linguists and Second Language Acquisition Researchers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Loewen, Shawn; Lavolette, Elizabeth; Spino, Le Anne; Papi, Mostafa; Schmidtke, Jens; Sterling, Scott; Wolff, Dominik

2014-01-01

The importance of statistical knowledge in applied linguistics and second language acquisition (SLA) research has been emphasized in recent publications. However, the last investigation of the statistical literacy of applied linguists occurred more than 25 years ago (Lazaraton, Riggenbach, & Ediger, 1987). The current study undertook a partial…

(13)C heteronuclear NMR studies of the interaction of cultured neurons and astrocytes and aluminum blockade of the preferential release of citrate from astrocytes.

PubMed

Meshitsuka, Shunsuke; Aremu, David A

2008-02-01

Citrate has been identified as a major tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle constituent preferentially released by astrocytes. We undertook the present study to examine further the nature of metabolic compartmentation in central nervous system tissues using (13)C-labeled glucose and to provide new information on the influence of aluminum on the metabolic interaction between neurons and astrocytes. Metabolites released into the culture medium from astrocytes and neuron-astrocyte coculture, as well as the perchloric acid extracts of the cells were analyzed using 2D (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy. Astrocytes released citrate into the culture medium and the released citrate was consumed by neurons in coculture. Citrate release by astrocytes was blocked in the presence of aluminum, with progressive accumulation of citrate within the cells. We propose citrate supply is a more efficient energy source than lactate for neurons to produce ATP, especially in the hypoglycemic state on account of it being a direct component of the TCA cycle. Astrocytes may be the cellular compartment for aluminum accumulation as a citrate complex in the brain.

Formal Verification of Safety Properties for Aerospace Systems Through Algorithms Based on Exhaustive State-Space Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ciardo, Gianfranco

2004-01-01

The Runway Safety Monitor (RSM) designed by Lockheed Martin is part of NASA's effort to reduce aviation accidents. We developed a Petri net model of the RSM protocol and used the model checking functions of our tool SMART to investigate a number of safety properties in RSM. To mitigate the impact of state-space explosion, we built a highly discretized model of the system, obtained by partitioning the monitored runway zone into a grid of smaller volumes and by considering scenarios involving only two aircraft. The model also assumes that there are no communication failures, such as bad input from radar or lack of incoming data, thus it relies on a consistent view of reality by all participants. In spite of these simplifications, we were able to expose potential problems in the RSM conceptual design. Our findings were forwarded to the design engineers, who undertook corrective action. Additionally, the results stress the efficiency attained by the new model checking algorithms implemented in SMART, and demonstrate their applicability to real-world systems. Attempts to verify RSM with NuSMV and SPIN have failed due to excessive memory consumption.

Content Design and System Implementation of a Teleophthalmology System for Eye Disease Diagnosis and Treatment and Its Preliminary Practice in Guangdong, China.

PubMed

Xiao, Di; Vignarajan, Janardhan; Chen, Tingting; Ye, Tiantian; Xiao, Baixiang; Congdon, Nathan; Kanagasingam, Yogessan

2017-12-01

We have developed a new telemedicine system for comprehensive eye examination, diabetic retinopathy (DR) screening, and eye disease diagnosis and treatment. The novel points of the system include a tablet application for facilitating doctor's examination and diagnosis process, a comprehensive eye examination component, and integrated treatment planning and recording. The system provided a new service model through one ophthalmological center linking with multiple remote and rural hospitals for eye care in Guangdong province, China. The early stage of the project study also undertook the responsibility of educations for remote-area doctors and image graders for DR grading and glaucoma grading and research on the effectiveness of short message service (SMS) reminder for patient revisit. Some other research, such as the comparison of the accuracy of graders' DR grading with the gold standard, and doctor's tentative diagnosis with final diagnosis and related statistical information, has been implemented in the system. In the preliminary practice, we summarized the outcomes related to presenting system performance and made an initial analysis. From the practice, the project has shown the telemedicine system and associated contents have satisfied our initial goal and demonstrated their effectiveness and efficiency.

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

Yan, Wupeng; Stone, Everett; Zhang, Yan Jessie

Enzyme therapeutics that can degrade l-methionine (l-Met) are of great interest as numerous malignancies are exquisitely sensitive to l-Met depletion. To exhaust the pool of methionine in human serum, we previously engineered an l-Met-degrading enzyme based on the human cystathionine-γ-lyase scaffold (hCGL-NLV) to circumvent immunogenicity and stability issues observed in the preclinical application of bacterially derived methionine-γ-lyases. To gain further insights into the structure–activity relationships governing the chemistry of the hCGL-NLV lead molecule, we undertook a biophysical characterization campaign that captured crystal structures (2.2 Å) of hCGL-NLV with distinct reaction intermediates, including internal aldimine, substrate-bound, gem-diamine, and external aldimine forms.more » Curiously, an alternate form of hCGL-NLV that crystallized under higher-salt conditions revealed a locally unfolded active site, correlating with inhibition of activity as a function of ionic strength. Subsequent mutational and kinetic experiments pinpointed that a salt bridge between the phosphate of the essential cofactor pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (PLP) and residue R62 plays an important role in catalyzing β- and γ-eliminations. Our study suggests that solvent ions such as NaCl disrupt electrostatic interactions between R62 and PLP, decreasing catalytic efficiency.« less

Time management strategies in nursing practice.

PubMed

Waterworth, Susan

2003-09-01

With the increasing emphasis on efficiency and effectiveness in health care, how a nurse manages her time is an important consideration. Whilst time management is recognized as an important component of work performance and professional nursing practice, the reality of this process in nursing practice has been subject to scant empirical investigation. To explore how nurses organize and manage their time. A qualitative study was carried out, incorporating narratives (22 nurses), focus groups (24 nurses) and semi-structured interviews (22 nurses). In my role as practitioner researcher I undertook observation and had informal conversations, which provided further data. Study sites were five health care organizations in the United Kingdom during 1995-1999. Time management is complex, with nurses using a range of time management strategies and a repertoire of actions. Two of these strategies, namely routinization and prioritizing, are discussed, including their implications for understanding time management by nurses in clinical practice. Ignoring the influence of 'others', the team and the organization perpetuates a rather individualistic and self-critical perspective of time management. This may lead to a failure to address problems in the organizing of work, and the co-ordinating of care involving other health care workers.

The effectiveness of self-compassion and self-esteem writing tasks in reducing body image concerns.

PubMed

Seekis, Veya; Bradley, Graham L; Duffy, Amanda

2017-12-01

This study investigated whether single-session self-compassion and self-esteem writing tasks ameliorate the body image concerns evoked by a negative body image induction. Ninety-six female university students aged 17-25 years (M age =19.45, SD=1.84) were randomly assigned to one of three writing treatment groups: self-compassion, self-esteem, or control. After reading a negative body image scenario, participants completed scales measuring state body appreciation, body satisfaction, and appearance anxiety. They then undertook the assigned writing task, and completed the three measures again, both immediately post-treatment and at 2-week follow-up. The self-compassion writing group showed higher post-treatment body appreciation than the self-esteem and control groups, and higher body appreciation than the control group at follow-up. At post-treatment and follow-up, self-compassion and self-esteem writing showed higher body satisfaction than the control. The groups did not differ on appearance anxiety. Writing-based interventions, especially those that enhance self-compassion, may help alleviate certain body image concerns. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Perceptual load interacts with stimulus processing across sensory modalities.

PubMed

Klemen, J; Büchel, C; Rose, M

2009-06-01

According to perceptual load theory, processing of task-irrelevant stimuli is limited by the perceptual load of a parallel attended task if both the task and the irrelevant stimuli are presented to the same sensory modality. However, it remains a matter of debate whether the same principles apply to cross-sensory perceptual load and, more generally, what form cross-sensory attentional modulation in early perceptual areas takes in humans. Here we addressed these questions using functional magnetic resonance imaging. Participants undertook an auditory one-back working memory task of low or high perceptual load, while concurrently viewing task-irrelevant images at one of three object visibility levels. The processing of the visual and auditory stimuli was measured in the lateral occipital cortex (LOC) and auditory cortex (AC), respectively. Cross-sensory interference with sensory processing was observed in both the LOC and AC, in accordance with previous results of unisensory perceptual load studies. The present neuroimaging results therefore warrant the extension of perceptual load theory from a unisensory to a cross-sensory context: a validation of this cross-sensory interference effect through behavioural measures would consolidate the findings.

Improving operating room first start efficiency - value of both checklist and a pre-operative facilitator.

PubMed

Panni, M K; Shah, S J; Chavarro, C; Rawl, M; Wojnarwsky, P K; Panni, J K

2013-10-01

There are multiple components leading to improved operating room efficiency. We undertook a project focusing on first case starts; accounting for each delay component on a global basis. Our hypothesis was there would be a reduction in first start delays after we implemented strategies to address the issues identified through this accounting process. An orange sheet checklist was implemented, with specific items that needed to be clear prior to roll back to the operating room (OR), and an OR facilitator was employed to intervene whenever there were any missing items needed for a specific patient. We present the data from this quality improvement project over an 18-month period. Initially, 10.07 (± 0.73) delayed first starts occurred per day but declined steadily over time to a low of 4.95 (± 0.38) per day after 6 months (-49.2 %, P < 0.001). By the end of the project, the most common reasons for delay still included late surgical attending (19%), schedule changes (14%) as well as 'other reasons' (13%), but with an overall reduction per day of each. Total anaesthesia delay initially totalled 11% of the first start delays, but was negligible (< 1%) at the project's completion. While we have a challenging operating room environment based on our patient population, multiple trainees in both the surgery and anaesthesiology teams: an orange sheet - pre-operative checklist in addition to a dedicated pre-operative facilitator; allowed us to make a substantial improvement in our first start on time starts. © 2013 The Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica Foundation. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Information retrieval for systematic reviews in food and feed topics: A narrative review.

PubMed

Wood, Hannah; O'Connor, Annette; Sargeant, Jan; Glanville, Julie

2018-01-09

Systematic review methods are now being used for reviews of food production, food safety and security, plant health, and animal health and welfare. Information retrieval methods in this context have been informed by human health-care approaches and ideally should be based on relevant research and experience. This narrative review seeks to identify and summarize current research-based evidence and experience on information retrieval for systematic reviews in food and feed topics. MEDLINE (Ovid), Science Citation Index (Web of Science), and ScienceDirect (http://www.sciencedirect.com/) were searched in 2012 and 2016. We also contacted topic experts and undertook citation searches. We selected and summarized studies reporting research on information retrieval, as well as published guidance and experience. There is little published evidence on the most efficient way to conduct searches for food and feed topics. There are few available study design search filters, and their use may be problematic given poor or inconsistent reporting of study methods. Food and feed research makes use of a wide range of study designs so it might be best to focus strategy development on capturing study populations, although this also has challenges. There is limited guidance on which resources should be searched and whether publication bias in disciplines relevant to food and feed necessitates extensive searching of the gray literature. There is some limited evidence on information retrieval approaches, but more research is required to inform effective and efficient approaches to searching to populate food and feed reviews. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Decellularization of Human Internal Mammary Artery: Biomechanical Properties and Histopathological Evaluation.

PubMed

Kajbafzadeh, Abdol-Mohammad; Khorramirouz, Reza; Kameli, Seyede Maryam; Hashemi, Javad; Bagheri, Amin

2017-01-01

This study undertook to create small-diameter vascular grafts and assess their structure and mechanical properties to withstand arterial implantation. Twenty samples of intact human internal mammary arteries (IMAs) were collected and decellularized using detergent-based methods. To evaluate residual cellular and extracellular matrix (ECM) components, histological analysis was performed. Moreover, collagen typing and ECM structure were analyzed by Picrosirius red and Movat's pentachrome staining. Scanning electron microscopy was also applied to assess microarchitecture of both endothelial and adventitial surfaces of native and decellularized arterial samples. Furthermore, mechanical tests were performed to evaluate the rigidity and suture strength of the arteries. Human IMAs were completely decellularized in all three segments (proximal, middle, and distal). ECM proteins such as collagen and elastic fibers were efficiently preserved and no structural distortion in intima, media, and adventitial surfaces was observed. The parameters of the mechanical tests revealed no significant differences in the mechanical properties of decellularized arteries in comparison to native arteries with considerable strength, suture retention, and stress relaxation (Young's modulus [MPa] = 0.22 ± 0.023 [native] and 0.22 ± 0.015 [acellular]; and suture strength 0.56 ± 0.19 [native] vs. 0.56 ± 0.12 [acellular], respectively). Decellularized IMA represents a potential arterial scaffold as an alternative to autologous grafts for future arterial bypass surgeries. By this technique, microarchitecture and mechanical integrity of decellularized arteries were considerably similar to native arteries. The goal of this study was to introduce an efficient method for complete decellularization of human IMA and evaluate the ECM and biomechanical properties.

Sleep in patients with remitted bipolar disorders: a meta-analysis of actigraphy studies.

PubMed

Geoffroy, P A; Scott, J; Boudebesse, C; Lajnef, M; Henry, C; Leboyer, M; Bellivier, F; Etain, B

2015-02-01

Sleep dysregulation is highly prevalent in bipolar disorders (BDs), with previous actigraphic studies demonstrating sleep abnormalities during depressive, manic, and interepisode periods. We undertook a meta-analysis of published actigraphy studies to identify whether any abnormalities in the reported sleep profiles of remitted BD cases differ from controls. A systematic review identified independent studies that were eligible for inclusion in a random effects meta-analysis. Effect sizes for actigraphy parameters were expressed as standardized mean differences (SMD) with 95% confidence intervals (95% CI). Nine of 248 identified studies met eligibility criteria. Compared with controls (N=210), remitted BD cases (N=202) showed significant differences in SMD for sleep latency (0.51 [0.28-0.73]), sleep duration (0.57 [0.30-0.84]), wake after sleep onset (WASO) (0.28 [0.06-0.50]) and sleep efficiency (-0.38 [-0.70-0.07]). Moderate heterogeneity was identified for sleep duration (I2=44%) and sleep efficiency (I2=44%). Post hoc meta-regression analyses demonstrated that larger SMD for sleep duration were identified for studies with a greater age difference between BD cases and controls (β=0.22; P=0.03) and non-significantly lower levels of residual depressive symptoms in BD cases (β=-0.13; P=0.07). This meta-analysis of sleep in remitted bipolar disorder highlights disturbances in several sleep parameters. Future actigraphy studies should pay attention to age matching and levels of residual depressive symptoms. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Evaluative Thinking in Practice: The National Asthma Control Program

PubMed Central

Fierro, Leslie A.; Codd, Heather; Gill, Sarah; Pham, Phung K.; Grandjean Targos, Piper T.; Wilce, Maureen

2018-01-01

Although evaluative thinking lies at the heart of what we do as evaluators and what we hope to promote in others through our efforts to build evaluation capacity, researchers have given limited attention to measuring this concept. We undertook a research study to better understand how instances of evaluative thinking may present in practice-based settings—specifically within four state asthma control programs funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Asthma Control Program. Through content analyses of documents as well as interviews and a subsequent focus group with four state asthma control programs’ evaluators and program managers we identified and defined twenty-two indicators of evaluative thinking. Findings provide insights about what practitioners may wish to look for when they intend to build evaluative thinking and the types of data sources that may be more or less helpful in such efforts. PMID:29950803

Evaluative Thinking in Practice: The National Asthma Control Program.

PubMed

Fierro, Leslie A; Codd, Heather; Gill, Sarah; Pham, Phung K; Grandjean Targos, Piper T; Wilce, Maureen

2018-01-01

Although evaluative thinking lies at the heart of what we do as evaluators and what we hope to promote in others through our efforts to build evaluation capacity, researchers have given limited attention to measuring this concept. We undertook a research study to better understand how instances of evaluative thinking may present in practice-based settings-specifically within four state asthma control programs funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Asthma Control Program. Through content analyses of documents as well as interviews and a subsequent focus group with four state asthma control programs' evaluators and program managers we identified and defined twenty-two indicators of evaluative thinking. Findings provide insights about what practitioners may wish to look for when they intend to build evaluative thinking and the types of data sources that may be more or less helpful in such efforts.

Real-time flood forecasting

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lai, C.; Tsay, T.-K.; Chien, C.-H.; Wu, I.-L.

2009-01-01

Researchers at the Hydroinformatic Research and Development Team (HIRDT) of the National Taiwan University undertook a project to create a real time flood forecasting model, with an aim to predict the current in the Tamsui River Basin. The model was designed based on deterministic approach with mathematic modeling of complex phenomenon, and specific parameter values operated to produce a discrete result. The project also devised a rainfall-stage model that relates the rate of rainfall upland directly to the change of the state of river, and is further related to another typhoon-rainfall model. The geographic information system (GIS) data, based on precise contour model of the terrain, estimate the regions that were perilous to flooding. The HIRDT, in response to the project's progress, also devoted their application of a deterministic model to unsteady flow of thermodynamics to help predict river authorities issue timely warnings and take other emergency measures.

Digital Bathymetric Model of Mono Lake, California

USGS Publications Warehouse

Raumann, Christian G.; Stine, Scott; Evans, Alexander; Wilson, Jerry

2002-01-01

In 1986 and 1987, Pelagos Corporation of San Diego (now Racal Pelagos) undertook a bathymetric survey of Mono Lake in eastern California for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (DWP). The result of that survey was a series of maps at various scales and contour intervals. From these maps, the DWP hoped to predict consequences of the drop in lake level that resulted from their diversion of streams in the Mono Basin. No digital models, including shaded-relief and perspective-view renderings, were made from the data collected during the survey. With the permission of Pelagos Corporation and DWP, these data are used to produce a digital model of the floor of Mono Lake. The model was created using a geographic information system (GIS) to incorporate these data with new observations and measurements made in the field. This model should prove to be a valuable tool for enhanced visualization and analyses of the floor of Mono Lake.

Negligible heat strain in armored vehicle officers wearing personal body armor

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Objectives This study evaluated the heat strain experienced by armored vehicle officers (AVOs) wearing personal body armor (PBA) in a sub-tropical climate. Methods Twelve male AVOs, aged 35-58 years, undertook an eight hour shift while wearing PBA. Heart rate and core temperature were monitored continuously. Urine specific gravity (USG) was measured before and after, and with any urination during the shift. Results Heart rate indicated an intermittent and low-intensity nature of the work. USG revealed six AVOs were dehydrated from pre through post shift, and two others became dehydrated. Core temperature averaged 37.4 ± 0.3°C, with maximum's of 37.7 ± 0.2°C. Conclusions Despite increased age, body mass, and poor hydration practices, and Wet-Bulb Globe Temperatures in excess of 30°C; the intermittent nature and low intensity of the work prevented excessive heat strain from developing. PMID:21801453

Using remote sensing and imagery exploitation to monitor the dynamics of East Timbalier Island, LA: 2000-2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thomas, James P.; Fisher, Gary B.; Chandler, Lisbeth A.; Angeli, Kim M.; Wheeler, Douglas J.; Glover, Robert P.; Schenck-Gardner, Elizabeth J.; Wiles, Steve E.; Lindley, Carolyn F.; Peccini, Michael B.

2011-01-01

In 1999, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration-National Marine Fisheries Service and the State of Louisiana jointly undertook the restoration of East Timbalier, a barrier island along a sediment-starved portion of the Gulf of Mexico coast of Louisiana. High-resolution overhead imagery was used to monitor the course of this restoration effort. This article describes the changes in area and movement of East Timbalier Island and compares these changes with the previous measurements. Between 2000 and 2010, East Timbalier Island lost 52–66% of its area and moved northwards 12–105 m/year. The area of East Timbalier Island is less today than at any time since 1887. Understanding of the physical processes in nature that control the size, shape and movement of the island, as well as the human impacts that have hastened its degradation, is critical for accomplishing any future restoration.

Six weeks of unsupervised Nintendo Wii Fit gaming is effective at improving balance in independent older adults.

PubMed

Nicholson, Vaughan Patrick; McKean, Mark; Lowe, John; Fawcett, Christine; Burkett, Brendan

2015-01-01

To determine the effectiveness of unsupervised Nintendo Wii Fit balance training in older adults. Forty-one older adults were recruited from local retirement villages and educational settings to participate in a six-week two-group repeated measures study. The Wii group (n = 19, 75 ± 6 years) undertook 30 min of unsupervised Wii balance gaming three times per week in their retirement village while the comparison group (n = 22, 74 ± 5 years) continued with their usual exercise program. Participants' balance abilities were assessed pre- and postintervention. The Wii Fit group demonstrated significant improvements (P < .05) in timed up-and-go, left single-leg balance, lateral reach (left and right), and gait speed compared with the comparison group. Reported levels of enjoyment following game play increased during the study. Six weeks of unsupervised Wii balance training is an effective modality for improving balance in independent older adults.

Electric Vehicles near the Hangar at the Lewis Research Center

NASA Image and Video Library

1977-06-21

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Lewis Research Center tested 16 commercially-manufactured electric vehicles, including these, during the mid-1970s. Lewis and the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) engaged in several energy-related programs in the mid-1970s, including the Electric Vehicle Project. NASA and ERDA undertook the program in 1976 to determine the state of the current electric vehicle technology. The tests were primarily conducted on a 7.5-mile track at the Transportation Research Center located approximately 160 miles southwest of Cleveland, Ohio. Some of the vehicles had analog data recording systems to measure the battery during operation and sensors to determine speed and distance. The tests analyzed the vehicle’s range, acceleration, coast-down, braking, and energy consumption. From left to right: RIPP-Electric, EVA Contactor, Otis P-500, C.H. Waterman DAF, Zagato Elcar, unknown, Sebring-Vanguard Citicar, and Hattronic Minivan

Astronomers' Race to Test Relativity, 1911-1930

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crelinsten, Jeffrey

2006-11-01

Einstein's theory of relativity changed our notions of space and time and has dramatically altered the way we look at the universe and our place in it. Yet to this day a working knowledge of the theory is beyond most people. In today's popular culture, Einstein is a remote, loveable genius and his theory is incomprehensible. While Einstein's theory ultimately laid the foundation for modern studies of the universe, it took a long time to be accepted. Between 1905 and 1930, relativity was poorly understood and Einstein worked hard to try to make it more accessible to scientists and scientifically literate laypeople. Its acceptance was largely due to the astronomy community, which undertook precise measurements to test Einstein's astronomical predictions. How astronomers approached the ``Einstein problem'' in these early years and how the public reacted to what they reported helped to shape attitudes we hold today about Einstein and his ideas.

Confidence in memory and other cognitive processes in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

PubMed

Nedeljkovic, Maja; Kyrios, Michael

2007-12-01

Previous studies have implicated beliefs about one's memory (i.e., meta-memory), in maintaining the symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), particularly with respect to checking rituals. However, most research has focused on task- or situation-specific perceptions about memory performance. Expanding on this research, we undertook two studies with analogue and clinical cohorts to examine the relationship between general 'trait' beliefs about memory and related processes and OCD symptoms. Trait meta-memory as measured in the current study was conceptualised as a multi-dimensional construct encompassing a range of beliefs about memory and related processes including confidence in one's general memory abilities, decision-making abilities, concentration and attention, as well as perfectionistic standards regarding one's memory. Meta-memory factors were associated with OCD symptoms, predicting OCD symptoms over-and-above mood and other OCD-relevant cognitions. Meta-memory factors were found to be particularly relevant to checking symptoms. Implications for theory and research are discussed.

Climate Narratives: Combing multiple sources of information to develop risk management strategies for a municipal water utility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yates, D. N.; Basdekas, L.; Rajagopalan, B.; Stewart, N.

2013-12-01

Municipal water utilities often develop Integrated Water Resource Plans (IWRP), with the goal of providing a reliable, sustainable water supply to customers in a cost-effective manner. Colorado Springs Utilities, a 5-service provider (potable and waste water, solid waste, natural gas and electricity) in Colorado USA, recently undertook an IWRP. where they incorporated water supply, water demand, water quality, infrastructure reliability, environmental protection, and other measures within the context of complex water rights, such as their critically important 'exchange potential'. The IWRP noted that an uncertain climate was one of the greatest sources of uncertainty to achieving a sustainable water supply to a growing community of users. We describe how historic drought, paleo-climate, and climate change projections were blended together into climate narratives that informed a suite of water resource systems models used by the utility to explore the vulnerabilities of their water systems.

Coolant mixing in LMFBR rod bundles and outlet plenum mixing transients. Final report

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

Todreas, N.E.; Cheng, S.K.; Basehore, K.

1984-08-01

This project principally undertook the investigation of the thermal hydraulic performance of wire wrapped fuel bundles of LMFBR configuration. Results obtained included phenomenological models for friction factors, flow split and mixing characteristics; correlations for predicting these characteristics suitable for insertion in design codes; numerical codes for analyzing bundle behavior both of the lumped subchannel and distributed parameter categories and experimental techniques for pressure velocity, flow split, salt conductivity and temperature measurement in water cooled mockups of bundles and subchannels. Flow regimes investigated included laminar, transition and turbulent flow under forced convection and mixed convection conditions. Forced convections conditions were emphasized.more » Continuing efforts are underway at MIT to complete the investigation of the mixed convection regime initiated here. A number of investigations on outlet plenum behavior were also made. The reports of these investigations are identified.« less

Life review based on remembering specific positive events in active aging.

PubMed

Latorre, José M; Serrano, Juan P; Ricarte, Jorge; Bonete, Beatriz; Ros, Laura; Sitges, Esther

2015-02-01

The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of life review (LR) based on specific positive events in non-depressed older adults taking part in an active aging program. Fifty-five older adults were randomly assigned to an experimental group or an active control (AC) group. A six-session individual training of LR based on specific positive events was carried out with the experimental group. The AC group undertook a "media workshop" of six sessions focused on learning journalistic techniques. Pre-test and post-test measures included life satisfaction, depressive symptoms, experiencing the environment as rewarding, and autobiographical memory (AM) scales. LR intervention decreased depressive symptomatology, improved life satisfaction, and increased specific memories. The findings suggest that practice in AM for specific events is an effective component of LR that could be a useful tool in enhancing emotional well-being in active aging programs, thus reducing depressive symptoms. © The Author(s) 2014.

Health-care workers' perspectives on workplace safety, infection control, and drug-resistant tuberculosis in a high-burden HIV setting.

PubMed

Zelnick, Jennifer R; Gibbs, Andrew; Loveday, Marian; Padayatchi, Nesri; O'Donnell, Max R

2013-08-01

Drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB) is an occupational hazard for health-care workers (HCWs) in South Africa. We undertook this qualitative study to contextualize epidemiological findings suggesting that HCWs' elevated risk of drug-resistant TB is related to workplace exposure. A total of 55 HCWs and 7 hospital managers participated in focus groups and interviews about infection control (IC). Participants discussed caring for patients with drug-resistant TB, IC measures, occupational health programs, also stigma and support in the workplace. Key themes included: (i) lack of resources that hinders IC, (ii) distrust of IC efforts among HCWs, and (iii) disproportionate focus on individual-level personal protections, particularly N95 masks. IC programs should be evaluated, and the impact of new policies to rapidly diagnose drug-resistant TB and decentralize treatment should be assessed as part of the effort to control drug-resistant TB and create a safe workplace.

Is there a place for extended assessments in addressing child sexual abuse allegations? How sensitivity and specificity impact professional perspectives.

PubMed

Williams, Javonda; Nelson-Gardell, Debra; Coulborn Faller, Kathleen; Tishelman, Amy; Cordisco-Steele, Linda

2014-01-01

Using data from a survey of perceptions of 932 child welfare professionals about the utility of extended assessments, the researchers constructed a scale to measure respondents' views about sensitivity (ensuring sexually abused children are correctly identified) and specificity (ensuring nonabused children are correctly identified) in child sexual abuse evaluations. On average, respondents scored high (valuing sensitivity) on the sensitivity versus specificity scale. Next, the researchers undertook bivariate analyses to identify independent variables significantly associated with the sensitivity versus specificity scale. Then those variables were entered into a multiple regression. Four independent variables were significantly related to higher sensitivity scores: encountering cases requiring extended assessments, valuing extended assessments among scarce resources, less concern about proving cases in court, and viewing the goal of extended assessments as understanding needs of child and family (adjusted R2 = .34).

Sensations of skin infestation linked to abnormal frontolimbic brain reactivity and differences in self-representation.

PubMed

Eccles, J A; Garfinkel, S N; Harrison, N A; Ward, J; Taylor, R E; Bewley, A P; Critchley, H D

2015-10-01

Some patients experience skin sensations of infestation and contamination that are elusive to proximate dermatological explanation. We undertook a functional magnetic resonance imaging study of the brain to demonstrate, for the first time, that central processing of infestation-relevant stimuli is altered in patients with such abnormal skin sensations. We show differences in neural activity within amygdala, insula, middle temporal lobe and frontal cortices. Patients also demonstrated altered measures of self-representation, with poorer sensitivity to internal bodily (interoceptive) signals and greater susceptibility to take on an illusion of body ownership: the rubber hand illusion. Together, these findings highlight a potential model for the maintenance of abnormal skin sensations, encompassing heightened threat processing within amygdala, increased salience of skin representations within insula and compromised prefrontal capacity for self-regulation and appraisal. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Telemedicine security: a systematic review.

PubMed

Garg, Vaibhav; Brewer, Jeffrey

2011-05-01

Telemedicine is a technology-based alternative to traditional health care delivery. However, poor security measures in telemedicine services can have an adverse impact on the quality of care provided, regardless of the chronic condition being studied. We undertook a systematic review of 58 journal articles pertaining to telemedicine security. These articles were selected based on a keyword search on 14 relevant journals. The articles were coded to evaluate the methodology and to identify the key areas of research in security that are being reviewed. Seventy-six percent of the articles defined the security problem they were addressing, and only 47% formulated a research question pertaining to security. Sixty-one percent proposed a solution, and 20% of these tested the security solutions that they proposed. Prior research indicates inadequate reporting of methodology in telemedicine research. We found that to be true for security research as well. We also identified other issues such as using outdated security standards. © 2011 Diabetes Technology Society.

Telemedicine Security: A Systematic Review

PubMed Central

Garg, Vaibhav; Brewer, Jeffrey

2011-01-01

Telemedicine is a technology-based alternative to traditional health care delivery. However, poor security measures in telemedicine services can have an adverse impact on the quality of care provided, regardless of the chronic condition being studied. We undertook a systematic review of 58 journal articles pertaining to telemedicine security. These articles were selected based on a keyword search on 14 relevant journals. The articles were coded to evaluate the methodology and to identify the key areas of research in security that are being reviewed. Seventy-six percent of the articles defined the security problem they were addressing, and only 47% formulated a research question pertaining to security. Sixty-one percent proposed a solution, and 20% of these tested the security solutions that they proposed. Prior research indicates inadequate reporting of methodology in telemedicine research. We found that to be true for security research as well. We also identified other issues such as using outdated security standards. PMID:21722592

Co-occurring mental health and substance use problems in offenders: implications for risk assessment.

PubMed

Ruiz, Mark A; Douglas, Kevin S; Edens, John F; Nikolova, Natalia L; Lilienfeld, Scott O

2012-03-01

We undertook a secondary data analysis to study issues relevant to co-occurring mental health and substance disorder in a combined sample of offenders (N = 3,197). Using the Personality Assessment Inventory, we compared the frequency of depressive, traumatic stress, and personality disorder symptom elevations across offenders with and without substance problems, identified the extent to which co-occurring problems were accompanied by risk factors for suicide and aggression, and tested for gender differences. Offenders with substance problems were more likely than others to have increased mental health problems and risk factors for suicide or aggression. Women with substance problems, compared with men, had higher depression, traumatic stress, and borderline features, in addition to lower antisocial features. The frequency with which suicide and aggression risk factors were associated with mental health problems was generally similar across men and women. Measurement issues relevant to co-occurring disorder and risk assessment are discussed.

Mindfulness-Based Stress Release Program for University Employees: A Pilot, Waitlist-Controlled Trial and Implementation Replication.

PubMed

Koncz, Rebecca; Wolfenden, Fiona; Hassed, Craig; Chambers, Richard; Cohen, Julia; Glozier, Nicholas

2016-10-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a 6-week mindfulness-based stress release program (SRP) on stress and work engagement in fulltime university employees. Perceived stress, workplace wellbeing, and engagement were measured at baseline and within 1 week of the SRP completion, and contemporaneously 6 weeks apart for a waitlist control group. A second program was implemented to examine reproducibility of results. Fifty participants undertook the SRPs, and 29 participants were waitlisted. A significant improvement in distress, workplace wellbeing, and vigor was observed within the first SRP group, when compared with the control group. The improvement in distress and wellbeing was reproduced in the second SRP group. This study adds to the growing body of research that mindfulness may be an effective method for reducing workplace stress, improving employee wellbeing, and enhancing work engagement.

Occupational Analysis: A Basis for Curriculum Development and Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mehallis, Mantha Vlahos; Fair, Kerry-Lyn

In an effort to develop curricula to meet the occupational training needs identified in a 1978 survey of area business leaders, Broward Community College (BCC) undertook a research project designed to: (1) determine the occupational areas that were in greatest need of vocational training programs; (2) identify the job-level competencies for the…

Matriculation Research Report: Course Repetition Data & Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gerda, Joe

Due to concerns that its policy on class repetition was not promoting student success, California's College of the Canyons (CoC) undertook a project to analyze student course-taking patterns and make recommendations to modify the policy. Existing college policy did not follow Section 58161 of the State Educational Code that allows colleges to…

Re-Learning the Traditional Art of Inuit Grass Basket-Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cowan, Cindy

2005-01-01

This paper describes an adult learning project to revitalise the traditional Inuit art of weaving grass baskets. The participants involved in the project, all older women who speak an indigenous first language (Inuktitut) and who have limited experience with formal education, largely on their own initiative, undertook the process of successfully…

Moving into Management: How 360[degrees] Appraisal Worked for Me

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Heather

2004-01-01

Being interested in how being led and leading others was working in practice, the author undertook an evaluation of different leadership styles (including his) and their effectiveness in the context of the school. The author detailed the management structure of the school, recorded and analysed the different leadership styles in the light of…

Fine-Tuning Dropout Prediction through Discriminant Analysis: The Ethnic Factor.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkinson, L. David; Frazer, Linda H.

In the 1988-89 school year, the Austin (Texas) Independent School District's Office of Research and Evaluation undertook a new dropout research project. Part of this initiative, termed Project GRAD, attempted to develop a statistical equation by which one could predict which students were likely to drop out. If reliable predictive information…

Heading for Success: Three Case Studies of School Transformation through Capital Construction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Wen-Yan; Pan, Hui-Ling Wendy

2016-01-01

Utilizing capital as a construct to analyze leadership that triggers school transformation is a newly emerged perspective. This study employed the capital theory as the framework to explore how schools undertook the transformative tasks by multi-case study. Three secondary schools in Taiwan were recruited to investigate how leaders constructed the…

The Challenge of Collaboration: Organizational Structure and Professional Identity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koester, Jolene; Hellenbrand, Harry; Piper, Terry D.

2008-01-01

In 2003, the California State University, Northridge (CSUN) undertook the challenge of becoming a learning-centered institution. In a 2005 article, the authors discussed how the learning-centered model at CSUN has renewed its previous, scattered efforts at student retention. In this article, the authors describe the transformation that occurred at…

78 FR 32394 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-05-30

... to account for the randomized, controlled, experimental design of the proposed research and..., the Agency undertook consumer research to evaluate alternatives (Refs. 1 to 3). More recently, FDA conducted qualitative consumer research on the format of the Nutrition Facts label on behalf of the Agency's...

Cross-District Collaboration: Curriculum and Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Short, Deborah J.; Cloud, Nancy; Morris, Patricia; Motta, Julie

2012-01-01

Secondary English as a second language (ESL) curricula that address four levels of ESL proficiency and prepare students for the English language arts (ELA) curricula and state-mandated ELA tests are not common. A curriculum jointly developed by two districts is even rarer. Yet two urban districts in Rhode Island undertook such a curriculum…

Arms Transfers: A System Dynamics Analysis Focusing on Regional Stability.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-12-01

tive manner fails. 48 The following illustrates a part of the nature and effects of change on individuals in society. Emile Durkheinm undertook a study...a system, and that not all societal groups are the same. Durkheim insisted that his theory of anowia must be interpreted frorr a contingency point of

Math Branding in a Community College Library

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brantz, Malcolm; Sadowski, Edward B.

2010-01-01

As a strategy to promote the Arapahoe Community College Library's collections and services, the Library undertook to brand itself as a math resource center. In promoting one area of expertise, math was selected to help address the problem of a large portion of high school graduates' inability to work at college-level math. A "Math…

Trigonometry from a Different Angle

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavanagh, Michael

2008-01-01

The mathematics methodology subjects the author undertook in the early 1980s encouraged him to adopt a very expository style of teaching in which each new concept is introduced by its formal definition. The teacher should then explain a few carefully chosen examples for students to copy into their books, and then provide plenty of graded practice…

A Journey of Many Dimensions: Reflections on Change and Possibility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DePauw, Karen P.

2010-01-01

This article presents the author's nineteenth Delphine Hanna commemorative lecture that focuses on a journey of many dimensions. Dr. Delphine Hanna, noted scholar and teacher, undertook a journey of many dimensions. As stated so eloquently by Minnie Linn, "there is something ageless and prophetic in the portrait of Dr. Delphine Hanna, in academic…

Applying for Your Own Job: A Preliminary Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boyd, Elizabeth Reid

2008-01-01

This study undertook a small preliminary investigation of the contemporary employment practice of "applying for your own job". There has not yet been a specific study into the effect upon individuals and organisations of the practice of existing employees being required to apply for the same or a similar position in a competitive…

Service Learning and Multiple Models of Engaged Citizenship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reich, Robert

2005-01-01

American high school and university students perform community service in record numbers. According to the most recent survey of incoming university freshman, more than 80 percent of students undertook volunteer work in high school. While volunteering is on the rise, political interest and engagement among youth is declining. These two trends lead…

Case-Control Study of Writer's Cramp

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roze, E.; Soumare, A.; Pironneau, I.; Sangla, S.; de Cock, V. Cochen; Teixeira, A.; Astorquiza, A.; Bonnet, C.; Bleton, J. P.; Vidailhet, M.; Elbaz, A.

2009-01-01

Task-specific focal dystonias are thought to be due to a combination of individual vulnerability and environmental factors. There are no case-control studies of risk factors for writer's cramp. We undertook a case-control study of 104 consecutive patients and matched controls to identify risk factors for the condition. We collected detailed data…

"Good, Steady Progress": Success Stories from Ontario Elementary Schools in Challenging Circumstances

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flessa, Joseph; Gallagher-Mackay, Kelly; Parker, Darlene Ciuffetelli

2010-01-01

This paper presents findings from a funded case study research project conducted in Ontario, Canada during the 2007-2008 school year. Together with the Elementary Teachers' Federation of Ontario (ETFO), the researchers undertook a qualitative investigation to identify and describe success stories from a diverse sample of 11 Ontario elementary…

Classroom Research: Writing Assessment in Paired and Separate History and English Classes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Messina, Susan; White, Diane

In fall 1991, Solano Community College (California) undertook a study comparing the writing skills of students in an integrated course combining history and freshman English composition with students in unpaired history and English classes. Students were divided into three groups: the integrated class and two control groups, one taking history…

From the Mouths of Middle-Schoolers: Important Changes for High School and College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bushaw, William J.

2007-01-01

Three highly regarded organizations, the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), Phi Delta Kappa (PDK) International, and the Lumina Foundation for Education, undertook an important project to collect the opinions of middle school students using a scientific polling process. The idea to poll middle school students took shape…

Primary Datasets for Case Studies of River-Water Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goulder, Raymond

2008-01-01

Level 6 (final-year BSc) students undertook case studies on between-site and temporal variation in river-water quality. They used professionally-collected datasets supplied by the Environment Agency. The exercise gave students the experience of working with large, real-world datasets and led to their understanding how the quality of river water is…

A History of Educational Television in New York State.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of Dept. Programs Evaluation.

Although there were scattered, nationwide pioneering efforts in educational television (ETV) as early as the 1920's and 1930's, the first educational television broadcast in New York State did not take place until 1941 when Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) undertook a TV art series in collaboration with the Metropolitan Museum of Art. CBS…

Alpha-Tocopherol alters transcription activities that modulate tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-¿)-induced inflammatory response in bovine cells

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

To further investigate the potential role of '-tocopherol in maintaining immuno-homeostasis in bovine cells (Madin-Darby bovine kidney epithelial cell line), we undertook in vitro experiments using recombinant TNF-a as an immuno-stimulant to simulate inflammation response in cells with and without '...

When Mission and Market Forces Intersect: How Independent Schools Navigated Economic Uncertainty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilmore, Barry; Rush, Matthew J.

2013-01-01

Nationwide, the Great Recession arrived as independent schools entered various stages of strategic planning, building projects, fund-raising drives, enrollment efforts, and programmatic reforms--and all schools needed to consider how best to proceed. In order to understand the actual effects of the economic downturn, the authors undertook a…

Today's Action Tomorrow's Profit. An Alternative Approach to Community Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burnell, Elaine H., Ed.

During May 1972, the Adult Education Center of Santa Barbara City College sponsored a symposium on the goals and purposes of planning for community development. Through lecture and discussion, members of the community undertook a critical review of the related problems of community, growth, population, taxes, transportation, zoning and water. This…

The Acute Effect of Concurrent Training on Running Performance over 6 Days

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doma, Kenji; Deakin, Glen

2015-01-01

Purpose: This study examined the effects of strength training on alternating days and endurance training on consecutive days on running performance for 6 days. Methods: Sixteen male and 8 female moderately trained individuals were evenly assigned into concurrent-training (CCT) and strength-training (ST) groups. The CCT group undertook strength…

Randomized Controlled Trial of Video Self-Modeling Following Speech Restructuring Treatment for Stuttering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cream, Angela; O'Brian, Sue; Jones, Mark; Block, Susan; Harrison, Elisabeth; Lincoln, Michelle; Hewat, Sally; Packman, Ann; Menzies, Ross; Onslow, Mark

2010-01-01

Purpose: In this study, the authors investigated the efficacy of video self-modeling (VSM) following speech restructuring treatment to improve the maintenance of treatment effects. Method: The design was an open-plan, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial. Participants were 89 adults and adolescents who undertook intensive speech…

States' Investment in Human Capital: Higher Education Funding Effort

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garrison, Elena

2012-01-01

Diminishing state support for higher education threatens human capital development. This quantitative study undertook to determine the state factors that influence higher education funding and to what degree they do so, what level of funding is required to satisfy higher education expenditure need, and what can help to ensure that those funding…

A Comparative Analysis of Postsecondary Technical Education in Texas. An Executive Summary.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Groves, Cecil L.; And Others

In response to concerns of unnecessary duplication in programs offered by Texas community/junior colleges and the four campuses and five centers of Texas State Technical College (TSTC), TSTC undertook a study to examine curricula, enrollments, and outcomes for both systems. A literature review was conducted to determine potential differences…

Do Apprentices' Communities of Practice Block Unwelcome Knowledge?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sligo, Frank; Tilley, Elspeth; Murray, Niki

2011-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to examine how well print-literacy support being provided to New Zealand Modern Apprentices (MAs) is supporting their study and practical work. Design/methodology/approach: The authors undertook a qualitative analysis of a database of 191 MAs in the literacy programme, then in 14 case studies completed 46 interviews with…

Panel Finds Few Learning Benefits in High-Stakes Exams

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sparks, Sarah D.

2011-01-01

As Congress debates how to structure the next iteration of federal school accountability, a new national study has raised serious concerns about the effectiveness of test-based incentives to improve education. A blue-ribbon committee of the National Academies' National Research Council undertook a nearly decade-long study of test-based incentive…

Historical growth plots in the Pacific Southwest

Treesearch

Lawrence A. Rabin; William W. Oliver; Robert F. Powers; Martin W. Ritchie; Matt D. Busse; Eric E. Knapp

2009-01-01

In the past, researchers from the Pacific Southwest Research Station (PSW) undertook forest growth studies to evaluate how best to manage timber resources. However, historical and future data collected at PSW growth plots also have the potential to increase our understanding of the ecological processes occurring in our forests and shed light on national issues of...

Development, Implementation, and Evaluation of the Apollo Model of Pediatric Rehabilitation Service Delivery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Camden, Chantal; Swaine, Bonnie; Tetreault, Sylvie; Bergeron, Sophie; Lambert, Carole

2013-01-01

This article presents the experience of a rehabilitation program that undertook the challenge to reorganize its services to address accessibility issues and improve service quality. The context in which the reorganization process occurred, along with the relevant literature justifying the need for a new service delivery model, and an historical…

The Delphi Predictions of Pathology Chairmen: A Six-Year Retrospective View.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Rolla B.; Goodale, Fairfield

1981-01-01

A retrospective review is reported of progress in academic pathology since 1974, when the Association of Pathology Chairmen undertook a Delphi study of pathology chairmen's expectations and desires for the future. The Delphi study was useful in alerting academic pathologists to opportunities and in coalescing activities toward achievement of…

A Functional Specification for a Programming Language for Computer Aided Learning Applications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Research Council of Canada, Ottawa (Ontario).

In 1972 there were at least six different course authoring languages in use in Canada with little exchange of course materials between Computer Assisted Learning (CAL) centers. In order to improve facilities for producing "transportable" computer based course materials, a working panel undertook the definition of functional requirements of a user…

Regional Training Needs Assessment: Dual Perspectives Eliminate the Guessing Game.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodkind, Hilary M.

To better determine the educational and training needs of local employees, Lane Community College (LCC), in Oregon, undertook a project to analyze responses from a statewide survey of employers' perceptions of training needs and conduct focus groups with Lane County employees regarding their perceptions. The statewide study surveyed 6,010…

Mental Health: Funds Needed for Future Planning Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC. Div. of Human Resources.

The United States General Accounting Office undertook an assessment of whether additional federal funds are needed to assist states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the United States territories in completing the development of the comprehensive mental health services plans required by law. To assess need, officials at the Department of…

Setting the Mood for Critical Thinking in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewine, Rich; Sommers, Alison; Waford, Rachel; Robertson, Catherine

2015-01-01

Most current efforts to enhance critical thinking focus on skills practice and training. The empirical research from the fields of cognition and affect sciences suggest that positive mood, even when transiently induced, can have beneficial effects on cognitive flexibility and problem solving. We undertook this study to test this hypothesis in a…

Working for Learning: Teaching Assistants Developing Mathematics for Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Drake, Pat

2009-01-01

This article derives from a case study of 10 secondary school teaching assistants (TAs) who did not have conventional pre-qualifications in mathematics but who undertook an honours degree in mathematics education studies at a Higher Education Institution in England whilst continuing to work as TAs in school. Work-based learning was thus undertaken…

The Forest, The Fly, and the Virus?

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tucker, Compton J.; Pinzon, Jorge E.; Wilson, James M.

2003-01-01

All known outbreaks of Ebola have been linked to tropical forests. We undertook a study of environmental conditions associated with Ebola hemorrhagic fever after preliminary reports strongly suggested that simultaneous outbreaks occurred, during two limited time periods in the 1970s and 1990s, immediately following sudden transitions between dry and wet seasons.

Science and Success: Clinical Services and Contraceptive Access

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alford, Sue; Huberman, Barbara

2009-01-01

Despite recent declines in teen pregnancy, U.S. teen birth and sexually transmitted infection (STI) rates remain among the highest in the western world. Given the need to focus limited prevention resources on effective programs, Advocates for Youth undertook exhaustive reviews of existing research to compile a list of the programs proven effective…

Supporting Research: Environments, Administration and Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacColl, John; Jubb, Michael

2011-01-01

Last year, OCLC Research and the UK's Research Information Network (RIN) undertook a pair of parallel studies in the US and the UK on the theme of research support services in universities (Kroll and Forsman 2010; CIBER 2010). In the US, the library and scholarly information consultancy Kroll Research Associates was commissioned, and in the UK the…

High School/Hartnell Coordinating Council 1985-86 Year-End Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orton, Marylin

In spring 1985, Hartnell College and 10 area public and private high schools in California formed the High School/Hartnell Coordinating Council (HSHCC) to facilitate communication and cooperation between the high schools and the college. During 1985-86, HSHCC undertook the following activities: (1) monthly meetings to address issues of concern to…

Creating a Model for Graduate Student Inclusion and Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Duranczyk, Irene M.; Franko, Jennifer; Osifuye, Shade'; Barton, Amy; Higbee, Jeanne L.

2015-01-01

Mentoring and advising are critical aspects of the graduate student experience, and can have a significant impact on the professional lives of future postsecondary faculty and staff and a rippling effect throughout higher education and the global economy. This paper describes the process a new department undertook to create a graduate program that…

Multi-Touch Tables and Collaborative Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Higgins, Steve; Mercier, Emma; Burd, Liz; Joyce-Gibbons, Andrew

2012-01-01

The development of multi-touch tables, an emerging technology for classroom learning, offers valuable opportunities to explore how its features can be designed to support effective collaboration in schools. In this study, small groups of 10- to 11-year-old children undertook a history task where they had to connect various pieces of information…

ASSESSMENT OF NEAR-STREAM GROUND WATER-SURFACE WATER INTERACTION (GSI) OF A DEGRADED STREAM BEFORE RESTORATION

EPA Science Inventory

In Fall 2001, EPA undertook an intensive collaborative research effort with the USGS and the Institute of Ecosystem Studies (IES) to evaluate the impact of restoration on water quality at a degraded stream in an urban watershed using a before/after stream restoration study design...

Effects of selection for seedling vigor on the genetic variation in Leymus cinereus

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Basin wildrye (Leymus cinereus [Scribn. & Merr. A. Love])is a perennial grass native to western regions of North America. Despite its importance for rangelands, it lacks adequate seedling vigor and is difficult to establish stands. We undertook to increase the seedling vigor of the basin wildrye c...

75 FR 70266 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission for Office of Management and Budget Review...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-17

... Nutrition Facts label format to require, the Agency undertook consumer research to evaluate alternatives (Refs. 1, 2, and 3). More recently, FDA conducted qualitative consumer research on the format of the.... 5). In addition to conducting consumer research, in response to the OWG plan FDA issued two advance...

77 FR 32120 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Experimental...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-31

... require, the Agency undertook consumer research to evaluate alternatives (Refs. 1 to 3). More recently, FDA conducted qualitative consumer research on the format of the Nutrition Facts label on behalf of... consumer research, in the Federal Register of November 2, 2007 (72 FR 62149) FDA issued an Advance Notice...

76 FR 6149 - Federal Housing Administration (FHA): Temporary Exemption From Compliance With FHA's Regulation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-02-03

... communities where foreclosure activity has been high. While the waiver is available for the purpose of... affect neighborhoods and communities. While HUD continues its efforts to help homeowners remain in their... and communities. As noted in its May 21, 2010, notice, HUD undertook similar waiver action in a...

The Implications of Carnival Theory for Interpreting Drama Pedagogy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tam, Po-chi

2010-01-01

Drawing on Mikhail Bakhtin's Carnival theory, this article focuses on specific outcomes of a research project the author undertook in Hong Kong, where drama pedagogy has been recently introduced into the official curriculum. It investigates the ways in which laughter, noise, jokes, frolic and popular literacies commonly appear in classrooms where…

Assessment of Collaborative Problem Solving in Education Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Care, Esther; Scoular, Claire; Griffin, Patrick

2016-01-01

The Assessment and Teaching of 21st Century Skills (ATC21S™) project undertook a research and development plan that included conceptualization of 21st century skills and assessment task development. Conceptualization focused on the definition of 21st century skills. This article outlines the particular case of one of these skills, collaborative…

Mentors' Perceptions of Their Own Professional Development during Mentoring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopez-Real, Francis; Kwan, Tammy

2005-01-01

During 2001-2002 the Faculty of Education at the University of Hong Kong undertook a large-scale evaluation of the school-university partnership scheme. As part of this study, all mentors were asked how, if at all, the mentoring process had enhanced their own professional development. An open-response questionnaire was administered with a…

2020 Vision: The EICCD Moves into the 21st Century.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blong, John T.; Friedel, Janice N.

In 1989, the Eastern Iowa Community College District (EICCD) undertook a project to develop a collective image of what the community college should be in the coming century. The reasons for seeking this "shared vision" were to create institutional focus, foster commitment, build communication, and reaffirm the college's mission and…

"Not Greenies" at School: Investigating the Discourses of Environmental Activism in Regional Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whitehouse, Hilary

2014-01-01

Implementing environmental activism at school can be socially risky business. This paper explores the narratives of three women who undertook award winning environmental projects in two regional Australian schools. Tara (student, age 15) and Andrea (principal, age 42) document the complex and courageous social negotiations they were forced to…

Universities, Partnership and the Promotion of Social Inclusion: Some Issues and Developments in Ireland.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O Fathaigh, Mairtin

University College Cork (UCC) and excluded/disadvantaged communities on Cork's Northside undertook a partnership project. The partnership process exposed real divisions and differences among the partners and stakeholders on the link between participation and partnership and on the continuum of issues ranging from the more traditionalist model of…

The Current State of Health Care for People with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Breslin, Mary Lou; Yee, Silvia

2009-01-01

The National Council on Disabilities (NCD) undertook this study in 2007 to focus the nation's attention on the health care disparities experienced by people with disabilities, and to provide information and recommendations that can help to eliminate health care inequities for people with disabilities. Among the key findings were that: (1) People…

The Appalachian Volunteers: A Case Study of Community Organization and Conflict.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horton, Billy D.

The Appalachian Volunteers (AV's), conceived of by Federal, State, and private interests in February 1964, were sponsored by the Council of the Southern Mountains. The organization undertook weekend and vacation projects using college students to repair and renovate one-room schools in isolated areas of eastern Kentucky, later including summer…

Students' Cognitive Focus during a Chemistry Laboratory Exercise: Effects of a Computer-Simulated Prelab

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winberg, T. Mikael; Berg, C. Anders R.

2007-01-01

To enhance the learning outcomes achieved by students, learners undertook a computer-simulated activity based on an acid-base titration prior to a university-level chemistry laboratory activity. Students were categorized with respect to their attitudes toward learning. During the laboratory exercise, questions that students asked their assistant…

External Degree Project. Summaries of Areas of Competency in Business Administration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Syracuse Univ., NY. School of Management.

The School of Management at Syracuse University recently undertook the task of classifying the kinds of competency one should demonstrate in order to function effectively in positions within the field of Business Administration. The study is aimed at identifying the mix of technical skills, general ability, and background knowledge that fits…

Experiential Learning for Engaging Nutrition Undergraduates with Sustainability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maher, Judith; Burkhart, Sarah

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe students' self-reported learning from engaging in an experiential learning task designed to develop their understanding of sustainable food systems and dietary practices. Design/methodology/approach: In all, 143 first-year students enrolled in an entry level food and nutrition subject undertook a…

Learning Computer Hardware by Doing: Are Tablets Better than Desktops?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raven, John; Qalawee, Mohamed; Atroshi, Hanar

2016-01-01

In this world of rapidly evolving technologies, educational institutions often struggle to keep up with change. Change often requires a state of readiness at both the micro and macro levels. This paper looks at a tertiary institution that undertook a significant technology change initiative by introducing tablet based components for teaching a…

All Talk and More Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams-Candek, Maryellen

2016-01-01

How better to begin the study of linear equations in an algebra class than to determine what students already know about the subject? A seventh-grade algebra class in a suburban school undertook a project early in the school year that was completed before they began studying linear relations and functions. The project, which might have been…

Talkin' bout My Generation: Boomers, Xers, and Educational Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stone-Johnson, Corrie

2011-01-01

From 1998 to 2003, Andy Hargreaves and Ivor Goodson, along with colleagues Shawn Moore, Sonia James-Wilson, Dean Fink, and Corrie Giles, undertook a large-scale study of eight secondary schools in Ontario, Canada, and New York in the United States to investigate teachers' perceptions and experiences of educational change over 30 years spanning…

Graduates of Denver Public Schools: College Access and Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buckley, Pamela; Muraskin, Lana

2009-01-01

Denver Public Schools (DPS), the Denver Scholarship Foundation, The Piton Foundation, and the Pell Institute for the Study of Opportunity in Higher Education undertook a study to learn how DPS graduates perform in college. The report describes who enrolls in college, and who persists and earns a college certificate or degree. In addition, the…

Building Future Directions for Teacher Learning in Science Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Kathy; Lindsay, Simon

2016-01-01

In 2013, as part of a process to renew an overall sector vision for science education, Catholic Education Melbourne (CEM) undertook a review of its existing teacher in-service professional development programs in science. This review led to some data analysis being conducted in relation to two of these programs where participant teachers were…

A Study of Media for Communicating Research Information.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Vivienne; And Others

Prompted by dissatisfaction with its information procedures the research department of the Board of Education for Toronto undertook a research project to find new and effective ways of disseminating information about their studies. It was felt that the research information was of little use if it did not reach the interested consumer. Five methods…

Therapeutic Use of Space: One Agency's Transformation Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goelitz, Ann; Stewart-Kahn, Abigail

2007-01-01

The project described in this article addresses the therapeutic use of physical space in an outpatient counseling facility. It was theorized that an improved facility environment could be used as a practice tool when working with a vulnerable population. The authors undertook the project with limited time and finances. The process of the change…

Valuing the Knowledge, Skills and Experience of Canada's Immigrants

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Association of Canadian Community Colleges, 2005

2005-01-01

In the winter of 2004 the Association of Canadian Community Colleges (ACCC), with the support of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada, undertook a Diagnostic Survey of College and Institute Programs and Services for immigrants and created the college and institute portion of the Immigration Portal. In March 2004 ACCC held an invitational…

Comparative genomic sequence variation of Toxoplasma gondii reveals local admixture drives concerted expansion and diversification of secreted pathogenesis determinants

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Toxoplasma gondii is among the most abundant parasites world-wide, infecting many wild and domestic animals and causing zoonotic infections in humans. T. gondii differs substantially in its distribution from closely related parasites that typically have narrow, specialized host ranges. We undertook...

The Good Citizen: Problematising Citizenship in the Social Sciences Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burnett, Judith; Cudworth, Erika

2008-01-01

This article explores the critical pedagogical issues that emerge when attempting to develop active citizenship among undergraduates as an integral part of the student experience. It presents part of the findings from a C-SAP-funded project (Gifford et al. 2006) that we undertook with a partner higher education institution. This article explores…

Engineering Curriculum in the Preschool Classroom: The Teacher's Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bagiati, Aikaterini; Evangelou, Demetra

2015-01-01

The study presented here focuses on the development of an early education Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) curriculum with emphasis on engineering. This article presents the teacher's experience as she undertook the task of familiarising herself with the new content and using the curriculum in a university based…

Mexican Americans and the Administration of Justice in the Southwest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Commission on Civil Rights, Washington, DC.

The Commission on Civil Rights undertook this study against a background of written complaints and allegations that Mexican Americans in the Southwest were being subjected to discrimination by law enforcement agencies, and in the process of administration of justice. The objective was to find what, if any, factual basis exists for these…

Investigating Student Use of Technology for Engaged Citizenship in a Global Age

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maguth, Brad M.

2012-01-01

This study undertook a five month qualitative investigation into technology use amongst twelve high school social studies students in two different sites in the Midwestern United States. This study examined students' use of technology and its relationship to three dimensions of citizenship in a global age: understand global events, issues, and…

"Harmony with Voice:" Poetry with Purpose

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hassig, Ronda

2012-01-01

Harmony Middle School educators recently undertook a project that combined poetry and real-service action for students. The students worked with a published poet and wrote beautiful poems and then blogged with art students in the district. The art students made ceramic bowls that represented the poems. The combined project was done for True Light,…

Using Computer-Aided Instruction to Support the Systematic Practice of Phonological Skills in Beginning Readers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wild, Mary

2009-01-01

The paper reports the results of a randomised control trial investigating the use of computer-aided instruction (CAI) for practising phonological awareness skills with beginning readers. Two intervention groups followed the same phonological awareness programme: one group undertook practice exercises using a computer and the other group undertook…

Gender Politics in 21st Century Literacy Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bishop, Kay

2013-01-01

From 2001 to 2004 Education Queensland undertook significant literacy reform in schools through the Literate Futures Project. Research into the impact of this reform has revealed that significant demands were placed on women at all levels, from those producing resources to those leading change within schools. Although the reform was a government…

The Impact of Gender in Oral Proficiency Testing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Loughlin, Kieran

2002-01-01

Discusses the role of gender in speaking tests and suggests that in oral interviews it is possible that both interviewing and rating may be highly gendered processes. Audiotaped female and male test-takers who undertook practice IELTS interviews, one with a female interviewer and once with a male interviewer. Results from discourse and test score…

Ivory Tower to Concrete Jungle Revisited

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Crebert, Gay; Bates, Merrelyn; Bell, Barry; Patrick, Carol-Joy; Cragnolini, Vanda

2004-01-01

In 2001-02, a project team at Griffith University undertook Stage 4 of the Griffith Graduate Project. Stage 4 used a survey and focus group discussions to gather graduates' and employers' perceptions of the role of the university, work placements and postgraduation employment in the development of generic skills and abilities. This article will…

Working in Partnership: Skills Transfer in Developing a Cross-Cultural Research Team

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guthrie, Jill; Dance, Phyll; Cubillo, Carmen; McDonald, David; Tongs, Julie; Brideson, Tom; Bammer, Gabriele

2006-01-01

As part of a broader study on Indigenous illegal drug use, the authors undertook skills training to increase cross-cultural mutual understanding of the often different approaches and methodologies between research and practice, as well as Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal understandings of these approaches. The study and the skills transfer training…

Honors Selection Study 1966-67.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neidich, Alan

Because many of the students selected for participation in the University of South Carolina's College of Arts and Science Honors Program failed to attain the minimal grade point level required to remain in the program, the Counseling Bureau undertook an evaluative study to improve selection methods. The project aimed to find answers to 3…

Investigating New Paths in the Teaching of Plant Processes in Elementary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nanni, Eftychia; Plakitsi, Katerina

2013-01-01

The purpose of this researching study was to develop a teaching proposal and investigate the conceptualizations that children make about the processes of plants (photosynthesis, respiration, transpiration). We undertook an innovative implementation on teaching living things to students of 10 to 11 years old (5th grade). The theoretical framework…

Building Teacher Quality in Baltimore City Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Council on Teacher Quality, 2010

2010-01-01

At the request of the Education Reform Project of the American Civil Liberties Union of Maryland, the National Council on Teacher Quality undertook an analysis of the teacher policies in the Baltimore City Public Schools. Its analysis looks at the teachers' contract, school board rules and state laws. It also collected personnel data from the…

Project-Based Community Participatory Action Research Using Geographic Information Technologies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Minsung

2018-01-01

The paper investigates the effects of a project-based community participation course in which students chose research topics relevant to a local community. Specifically, the students undertook the following projects: (1) creating a virtual 3D model of a local government office, (2) creating interactive digitized versions of mountain trails using…

Student Motivation in Low-Stakes Assessment Contexts: An Exploratory Analysis in Engineering Mechanics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Musekamp, Frank; Pearce, Jacob

2016-01-01

The goal of this paper is to examine the relationship of student motivation and achievement in low-stakes assessment contexts. Using Pearson product-moment correlations and hierarchical linear regression modelling to analyse data on 794 tertiary students who undertook a low-stakes engineering mechanics assessment (along with the questionnaire of…

Understanding Student Purpose Types and Student Perceptions of the Influences Shaping Them

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson, Jessica; Glanzer, Perry

2017-01-01

The authors undertook a qualitative study involving a national sample of 75 college students to discover what factors influenced their purpose development. They found that students generally fit into four different purpose types: the Purposeless, the Self-Achievers, the Relationalists, and the Transcendents. Moreover, these different purpose types…

Chabot College Campus Climate Survey Results: Fall 1994.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arnold, Carolyn L.

In November 1994, California's Chabot College undertook a survey of 942 students to determine their perceptions of the campus climate. Specifically, the survey focused on students' views regarding how they were treated at the college; their perception of the campus as welcoming and respectful of differences in race/ethnicity, gender, age,…

Successful Implementation of Six Sigma to Schedule Student Staffing for Circulation Service Desks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jankowski, Janiece

2013-01-01

In fall of 2011 the University at Buffalo Libraries circulation department undertook Six Sigma training for the purpose of overhauling its student scheduling process. The department was able to mitigate significant staffing budgetary reductions and resource reallocations and to overcome the unique challenges of scheduling student labor for a…

Computer Programming in the UK Undergraduate Mathematics Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sangwin, Christopher J.; O'Toole, Claire

2017-01-01

This paper reports a study which investigated the extent to which undergraduate mathematics students in the United Kingdom are currently taught to programme a computer as a core part of their mathematics degree programme. We undertook an online survey, with significant follow-up correspondence, to gather data on current curricula and received…

Vertical Whiteboarding: Riding the Wave of Student Activity in a Mathematics Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forrester, Tricia; Sandison, Carolyn E.; Denny, Sue

2017-01-01

In 2014 we commenced working on the Inspiring Mathematics and Science in Teacher Education (IMSITE) project, aimed at improving mathematics and science education in Australia by improving the recruitment, development, and retention of mathematics and science teachers. In this project we undertook a range of activities, the most exciting of which…

Overseas Students: Statistics 1998 and 1999. At a Glance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Centre for Vocational Education Research, Leabrook (Australia).

In 1999, 157,800 overseas students studied in universities, vocational education and training (VET) institutions, schools, and other education and training organizations in Australia. Some 20 percent of all overseas students undertook VET programs; of these, 55 percent were enrolled with providers in the public VET sector. The majority of overseas…

A Systematic Review of the Diagnostic Stability of Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woolfenden, Sue; Sarkozy, Vanessa; Ridley, Greta; Williams, Katrina

2012-01-01

There is debate in the current literature regarding the permanence of an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) diagnosis. We undertook a systematic review of the diagnostic stability of ASD to summarise current evidence. A comprehensive search strategy was used to identify studies. Participants were children with ASD. Risk of bias was assessed by…

Vocational-Technical Education; A Prospectus for Change.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schaefer, Carl J., Ed.; Kaufman, Jacob J., Ed.

To seek resolution of problems in providing education for youth and adults oriented toward the world of work, the Massachusetts Advisory Council on Education (MACE) undertook a study of vocational-technical education as a major project. This publication contains the major papers and prepared reactions to these papers, which were presented at a…

Exploring Adolescent-Parent Interaction Strategies for Accessing Alcohol at Home

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dresler, Emma; Whitehead, Dean; Weaver, Kelly

2017-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to determine the extent to which youth have ready access to alcohol and the extent to which immediate family influence affects consumption. Design/methodology/approach: This qualitative descriptive exploratory study undertook semi-structured peer-group interviews with 20 participants from four New Zealand high…

Developing a Comprehensive and Articulated Nuclear Training Curriculum--The Westinghouse Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Widen, William C.

After conducting a comprehensive evaluation of its curriculum, staff at the Westinghouse Nuclear Training Center in Zion, Illinois, undertook a research and development project aimed at upgrading the center's curriculum to the competency-based format. Included among the main activities of the curriculum development process were the following:…

Risk Factors for "Chlamydia Trachomatis" Infection in a California Collegiate Population

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sipkin, Diane L.; Gillam, Alix; Grady, Laurie Bisset

2003-01-01

"Chlamydia trachomatis" infection in college students has not undergone a detailed large-scale evaluation. The authors undertook a cross-sectional study of 4,086 students enrolled on the campuses of California State University, Sacramento, and 3 local community colleges from fall 2000 through spring 2002. They used an outreach screening…

Travel and Tourism Industry: Program Options for City College of San Francisco.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

City Coll. of San Francisco, CA.

In an effort to determine the current occupational outlook and resulting implications for education and training, the City College of San Francisco (CCSF), in California, undertook a study of current trends in the travel and tourism industry. This report provides findings from the project, which involved consultation with local and national…

SoTL Research Fellows: Collaborative Pathfinding through Uncertain Terrain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marquis, Elizabeth; Holmes, Trevor; Apostolou, Konstantinos; Centea, Dan; Cockcroft, Robert; Knorr, Kris; Maclachlan, John C.; Monteiro, Sandra D.; Karamanis, Theomary

2017-01-01

From 2014-2016, Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) Research Fellows at a mid-sized Canadian research-intensive, medical-doctoral university undertook to study their own formation as scholars of teaching and learning, as well as benefits and challenges of their cross-appointment to our central teaching and learning institute from their…

Integrated analysis, transcriptome-lipidome, reveals the effects of INO-level (INO2 and INO4) on lipid metabolism in yeast.

PubMed

Chumnanpuen, Pramote; Nookaew, Intawat; Nielsen, Jens

2013-10-16

In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, genes containing UASINO sequences are regulated by the Ino2/Ino4 and Opi1 transcription factors, and this regulation controls lipid biosynthesis. The expression level of INO2 and INO4 genes (INO-level) at different nutrient limited conditions might lead to various responses in yeast lipid metabolism. In this study, we undertook a global study on how INO-levels (transcription level of INO2 and INO4) affect lipid metabolism in yeast and we also studied the effects of single and double deletions of the two INO-genes (deficient effect). Using 2 types of nutrient limitations (carbon and nitrogen) in chemostat cultures operated at a fixed specific growth rate of 0.1 h-1 and strains having different INO-level, we were able to see the effect on expression level of the genes involved in lipid biosynthesis and the fluxes towards the different lipid components. Through combined measurements of the transcriptome, metabolome, and lipidome it was possible to obtain a large dataset that could be used to identify how the INO-level controls lipid metabolism and also establish correlations between the different components. In this study, we undertook a global study on how INO-levels (transcription level of INO2 and INO4) affect lipid metabolism in yeast and we also studied the effects of single and double deletions of the two INO-genes (deficient effect). Using 2 types of nutrient limitations (carbon and nitrogen) in chemostat cultures operated at a fixed specific growth rate of 0.1 h-1 and strains having different INO-level, we were able to see the effect on expression level of the genes involved in lipid biosynthesis and the fluxes towards the different lipid components. Through combined measurements of the transcriptome, metabolome, and lipidome it was possible to obtain a large dataset that could be used to identify how the INO-level controls lipid metabolism and also establish correlations between the different components. Our analysis showed the strength of using a combination of transcriptome and lipidome analysis to illustrate the effect of INO-levels on phospholipid metabolism and based on our analysis we established a global regulatory map.

The PEACE project review of clinical instruments for hospice and palliative care.

PubMed

Hanson, Laura C; Scheunemann, Leslie P; Zimmerman, Sheryl; Rokoske, Franziska S; Schenck, Anna P

2010-10-01

Hospice and palliative care organizations are expanding their use of standardized instruments and other approaches to measure quality. We undertook a systematic review and evaluation of published patient-level instruments for potential application in hospice and palliative care clinical quality measurement. We searched prior reviews and computerized reference databases from 1990 through February 2007 for studies of instruments relevant to physical, psychological, social, cultural, spiritual, or ethical aspects of palliative care, or measuring prognosis, function or continuity of care. Publications were selected for full review if they provided evidence of psychometric properties or practical application of an instrument tested in or appropriate for a hospice or palliative care population. Selected instruments were evaluated and scored for scientific soundness and potential application in clinical quality measurement. The search found 1427 publications, with 229 selected for full manuscript review. Manuscripts provided information on 129 instruments which were evaluated using a structured scoring guide for psychometric properties. Thirty-nine instruments scoring near or above the 75th percentile were recommended. Most instruments covered multiple domains or focused on care for physical symptoms, psychological or social aspects of care. Few instruments were available to measure cultural aspects of care, structure and process of care, and continuity of care. Numerous patient-level instruments are available to measure physical, psychological and social aspects of palliative care with adequate evidence for scientific soundness and practical clinical use for quality improvement and research. Other aspects of palliative care may benefit from further instrument development research.

Computational modelling of Er(3+): Garnet laser materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Spangler, Lee H.

1994-01-01

The Er(3+) ion has attracted a lot of interest for four reasons: (1) Its (4)I(sub 13/2) yields (4)I(sub 15/2) transition lases in the eyesafe region near 1.5 micron; (2) the (4)I(sub 13/2) transition lases near 2.8 micron, an important wavelength for surgical purposes; (3) it displays surprisingly efficient upconversion with lasing observed at 1.7, 1.2, 0.85, 0.56, 0.55, and 0.47 micron following 1.5 micron pumping; and (4) it has absorption bands at 0.96 and 0.81 micron and thus can be diode pumped. However, properties desirable for upconversion reduce the efficiency of 1.5 and 3 micron laser operation and vice versa. Since all of the processes are influenced by the host via the crystal field induced stark splittings in the Er levels, this project undertook modelling of the host influence on the Er lasinng behavior. While growth and measurement of all ten Er(3+) doped garnets is the surest way of identifying hosts which maximize upconversion (or conversly, 1.5 and 3 micron performance), it is also expensive - costing approximately $10,000/material or approximately $100,000 for the materials computationally investigated here. The calculations were performed using a quantum mechanical point charge model developed by Clyde Morrison at Harry Diamond Laboratories. The programs were used to fit the Er:YAG experimental energy levels so that the crystal field parameters, B(sub nm) could be extracted. From these radial factors, rho (sub n) were determined for Er(3+) in garnets. These, in combination with crystal field components, Anm, available from X-ray data, were used to predict energy levels for Er in the other nine garnet hosts. The levels in Er:YAG were fit with an rms error of 12.2/cm over a 22,000/cm range. Predicted levels for two other garnets for which literature values were available had rms errors of less than 17/cm , showing the calculations to be reliable. Based on resonances between pairs of calculated stark levels, the model predicts GSGG as the best host for 1.5 micron laser operation, GSGG or YSAG as the best host for a 2.8 micron operation, and LuGG as the best host for an upconversion material.

How much is left in your "sleep tank"? Proof of concept for a simple model for sleep history feedback.

PubMed

Dorrian, Jillian; Hursh, Steven; Waggoner, Lauren; Grant, Crystal; Pajcin, Maja; Gupta, Charlotte; Coates, Alison; Kennaway, David; Wittert, Gary; Heilbronn, Leonie; Vedova, Chris Della; Banks, Siobhan

2018-02-02

Technology-supported methods for sleep recording are becoming increasingly affordable. Sleep history feedback may help with fatigue-related decision making - Should I drive? Am I fit for work? This study examines a "sleep tank" model (SleepTank ™ ), which is analogous to the fuel tank in a car, refilled by sleep, and depleted during wake. Required inputs are sleep period time and sleep efficiency (provided by many consumer-grade actigraphs). Outputs include suggested hours remaining to "get sleep" and percentage remaining in tank (Tank%). Initial proof of concept analyses were conducted using data from a laboratory-based simulated nightshift study. Ten, healthy males (18-35y) undertook an 8h baseline sleep opportunity and daytime performance testing (BL), followed by four simulated nightshifts (2000 h-0600 h), with daytime sleep opportunities (1000 h-1600 h), then an 8 h night-time sleep opportunity to return to daytime schedule (RTDS), followed by daytime performance testing. Psychomotor Vigilance Task (PVT) and Karolinska Sleepiness Scale were performed at 1200 h on BL and RTDS, and at 1830 h, 2130 h 0000 h and 0400 h each nightshift. A 40-minute York Driving Simulation was performed at 1730 h, 2030 h and 0300 h on each nightshift. Model outputs were calculated using sleep period timing and sleep efficiency (from polysomnography) for each participant. Tank% was a significant predictor of PVT lapses (p < 0.001), and KSS (p < 0.001), such that every 5% reduction resulted in an increase of two lapses, or one point on the KSS. Tank% was also a significant predictor of %time in the Safe Zone from the driving simulator (p = 0.001), such that every 1% increase in the tank resulted in a 0.75% increase in time spent in the Safe Zone. Initial examination of the correspondence between model predictions and performance and sleepiness measures indicated relatively good predictive value. Results provide tentative evidence that this "sleep tank" model may be an informative tool to aid in individual decision-making based on sleep history. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sharing the Podium: Exploring the Process of Peer Learning in Professional Conducting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartleet, Brydie-Leigh; Hultgren, Ralph

2008-01-01

We discuss a recent peer-learning project we undertook as co-conductors of the Young Conservatorium Wind Orchestra at Griffith University. Drawing on current educational theory on peer learning and material from our conducting practice and research, we explore how this approach offers professional conductors the opportunity to work together in an…

Needs Assessment for Education and Training in Welding on Maui.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pezzoli, Jean A.

In fall 1996, Hawaii's Maui Community College undertook a study to determine the demand for welders and welding education over the next 5 years and to estimate the characteristics of such training in terms of time of offering and courses needed. Questionnaires were mailed to a sample of 282 welding and related businesses in Maui, requesting…

The Heart and Soul of the Class. Report Series 2.6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marhafer, David

One of a series of six portraits of high school literature classrooms, this paper gives a detailed, evocative characterization of how one "master teacher" introduced, undertook, and guided the study of literature, focusing in particular on how the teacher interacted with students in the context of discussion of a literary work in class.…

Thesis by Publication in Education: An Autoethnographic Perspective for Educational Researchers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merga, Margaret K.

2015-01-01

Despite its growing popularity, the thesis by publication is a less conventional format for doctoral dissertations in the field of education. The author successfully undertook a thesis by publication in education from 2012, to submission in 2014. This paper draws on both the literature in the field and the experiences of the author through an…

Organisational Learning about Depression in the Workplace: A Community of Practice of Silence and Avoidance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davies, Lisa

2006-01-01

The economic and social impact of depression on the Australian workforce is only recently being acknowledged. In 2004, the author undertook semi-structured interviews with people with human resource responsibilities in the deregulated sector of information technology in South Australia. The interviews focused on their accessibility to work-based…

Early Experience with a Health Promotion Course for Pharmacy Students in Indonesia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kristina, Susi Ari; Yulianto, Yulianto; Prabandari, Yayi Suryo

2018-01-01

Objective: To implement a new health promotion course as part of pharmacy public health practices and to identify pharmacy students' knowledge, perceived role and self-efficacy with respect to what was learned through this. Method: A total of 119 fifth-year pharmacy students undertook a new health promotion course in a pharmacy school in…

Model for a patient-centered comparative effectiveness research center.

PubMed

Costlow, Monica R; Landsittel, Douglas P; James, A Everette; Kahn, Jeremy M; Morton, Sally C

2015-04-01

This special report describes the systematic approach the University of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) undertook in creating an infrastructure for comparative effectiveness and patient-centered outcomes research resources. We specifically highlight the administrative structure, communication and training opportunities, stakeholder engagement resources, and support services offered. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

"Who Is Helsinki" Sex Workers Advise Improving Communication for Good Participatory Practice in Clinical Trials

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ditmore, Melissa Hope; Allman, Dan

2011-01-01

After premature closures in 2004 of biomedical human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prevention trials involving sex workers in Africa and Asia, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) and Global Advocacy for HIV Prevention (AVAC) undertook consultations to establish better participatory guidelines for such trials in order to address…

Here Is What Interests Us! Students' Reconceived Physical Education Activity Offerings in an Inner-City Middle School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kahan, David

2013-01-01

Urban middle school physical education teachers undertook action research to understand activity preferences of their sixth and seventh graders (n = 701) as they sought to modify curriculum for enhancing student engagement. Students completed an anonymous survey of basic demographic characteristics and interest in participating in 24 physical…

Using Puppets to Teach Schoolchildren to Detect Stroke and Call 911

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sharkey, Sonya; Denke, Linda; Herbert, Morley A.

2016-01-01

To overcome barriers to improved outcomes, we undertook an intervention to teach schoolchildren how to detect a stroke and call emergency medical services (EMS). We obtained permission from parents and guardians to use an 8-min puppet show to instruct the fourth, fifth, and sixth graders about stroke detection, symptomatology, and calling EMS. A…

An Inquiry into Action Research: Teaching and Doing Action Research for the First-Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palak, Deniz

2013-01-01

I undertook this inquiry into action research while teaching research methods within a graduate degree teacher education program. This inquiry represents my initial encounter with action research and describes the tools, challenges, and uncertainties that I encountered while teaching and doing action research for the first-time. The main purpose…

Reaching Future Scientists, Consumers, & Citizens: What Do Secondary School Textbooks Say about Genomics & Its Impact on Health?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hicks, Melissa A.; Cline, Rebecca J.; Trepanier, Angela M.

2014-01-01

An understanding of how genomics information, including information about risk for common, multifactorial disease, can be used to promote personal health (personalized medicine) is becoming increasingly important for the American public. We undertook a quantitative content analysis of commonly used high school textbooks to assess how frequently…

Dual Enrollment Courses in Kentucky: High School Students' Participation and Completion Rates. REL 2016-137

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lochmiller, Chad R.; Sugimoto, Thomas J.; Muller, Patricia A.; Mosier, Gina G.; Williamson, Steven E.

2016-01-01

Kentucky is using dual enrollment as one strategy to improve access to postsecondary education for its high school students, particularly after passage of Kentucky Senate Bill 1 in 2009, which focused on improving college and career readiness. The Regional Educational Laboratory (REL) Appalachia undertook a descriptive study of participation in…

Mapping WIL Activities in the Curriculum to Develop Graduate Capabilities: A Case Study in Accounting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Natoli, Riccardo; Jackling, Beverley; Kaider, Friederika; Clark, Colin

2013-01-01

Big business continues to request universities to produce graduates who possess both technical and generic skills. Although work-integrated learning (WIL) programs can be used to develop these skills, WIL placements in Australia are undertaken by a minority of students. Perceiving a gap, one Australian university undertook a major WIL revamp to…

Common Ground on Curbing Campus Drinking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carothers, Robert L.; Wood, Mark D.; Cohen, Frances

2006-01-01

In the early 1990s, the University of Rhode Island (URI) had a reputation as the number one party school in America, and data showed that the number of URI students engaging in binge drinking was significantly higher than the national average. In order to salvage its reputation and the health of its students, administrators undertook a campus…

The green ash transcriptome and identification of genes responding to abiotic and biotic stresses

Treesearch

Thomas Lane; Teodora Best; Nicole Zembower; Jack Davitt; Nathan Henry; Yi Xu; Jennifer Koch; Haiying Liang; John McGraw; Stephan Schuster; Donghwan Shim; Mark V. Coggeshall; John E. Carlson; Margaret E. Staton

2016-01-01

Background: To develop a set of transcriptome sequences to support research on environmental stress responses in green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), we undertook deep RNA sequencing of green ash tissues under various stress treatments. The treatments, including emerald ash borer (EAB) feeding, heat, drought, cold and ozone, were selected to mimic...

Mapping the Terrain of Educational Leadership and Management in East Asia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallinger, Philip; Bryant, Darren

2013-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to gain perspective on the extent to which the vision for knowledge production in East Asia set forth by Bajunid, Cheng, Hallinger, Walker, Dimmock and others almost 20 years ago has been fulfilled. The authors undertook an effort to map the terrain of knowledge production in educational leadership and…

Coupled Research in Ocean Acoustics and Signal Processing for the Next Generation of Underwater Acoustic Communication Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-08-05

the analysis of data collected during the VHF acoustics test con- ducted in a wave tank at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in October 2015...Institution of Oceanography , the co-PI on these exper- iments, undertook the design and fabrication of a new mounting mechanism to eliminate this mounting

Teacher Education as Identity Construction: Insights from Action Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trent, John

2010-01-01

This paper reports on the results of a qualitative study that explored the experiences of one group of pre-service English language teachers in Hong Kong as they undertook an action research project as part of their undergraduate teacher training programme. Grounded in a theory of teacher identity construction as both practice and discourse, the…

Developing Communities of Practice around e-Learning and Project Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laxton, Ruth; Applebee, Andrelyn Cheryl

2010-01-01

In 2007-8 the Australian Catholic University (ACU National), undertook a project to develop new resources to provide training and support in eLearning for staff and students. The project was undertaken by a multidisciplinary team drawn from all six campuses and was led by an externally contracted Project Manager/eLearning specialist. This…

What Young Adolescents Want and Need from Out-of-School Programs: A Focus Group Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris (S. W.) & Company, Inc., Bethesda, MD.

The Carnegie Council on Adolescent Development undertook a 2-year project to assess non-school programs offered by various community-based youth organizations. This project included focus group interviews with youth about their current activities and preferences for after-school activities. Sixteen focus groups were conducted in the metropolitan…

A Raison D'être for Making a Reggae Opera as a Pedagogical Tool for Psychic Emancipation in (Post)Colonial Jamaica

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, Deanne M.

2016-01-01

Critical participatory action research is a form of community engagement and knowledge generation which, when represented semiotically, may promote social transformation. In this paper, I describe a critical participatory action research project I undertook as a liberation psychologist and researcher in (post)colonial Jamaica. I summarise a…

Value-Added Estimates for Phase 1 of the Pennsylvania Teacher and Principal Evaluation Pilot. Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lipscomb, Stephen; Chiang, Hanley; Gill, Brian

2012-01-01

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania plans to develop a new statewide evaluation system for teachers and principals in its public schools by school year 2013-2014. To inform the development of this evaluation system, the Team Pennsylvania Foundation (Team PA) undertook the first phase of the Pennsylvania Teacher and Principal Evaluation…

Value-Added Estimates for Phase 1 of the Pennsylvania Teacher and Principal Evaluation Pilot. Full Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lipscomb, Stephen; Chiang, Hanley; Gill, Brian

2012-01-01

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania plans to develop a new statewide evaluation system for teachers and principals in its public schools by school year 2013-2014. To inform the development of this evaluation system, the Team Pennsylvania Foundation (Team PA) undertook the first phase of the Pennsylvania Teacher and Principal Evaluation…

Small Wins: An Initiative to Promote Gender Equity in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Katherine A.; Warr, Deborah J.; Hegarty, Kelsey; Guillemin, Marilys

2015-01-01

Gender inequity in leadership and management roles within the higher education sector remains a widespread problem. Researchers have suggested that a multi-pronged method is the preferred approach to reach and maintain gender equity over time. A large university faculty undertook an audit to gauge the level of gender equity on the senior…

Teaching for Religious Tolerance in Modesto: Just Enough, but Not Too Much

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lester, Emile

2011-01-01

A little over a decade ago, Modesto Calif. Public schools Superintendent James Enochs undertook what became a groundbreaking initiative that resulted in the creation of the nation's only required course in world religions. He did so by convening the city's clergy and community leaders and leading school administrators to fashion a course organized…

Australian Nurses' Perception of the Impact of Their Postgraduate Studies on Their Patient Care Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pelletier, Dianne; Donoghue, Judith; Duffield, Christine

2003-01-01

A longitudinal study of 403 Australian nurses who undertook postgraduate studies received 236 responses. Respondents indicated that postgraduate education had an impact on a number of professional behaviors but little or no effect on others, such as autonomy, time management, use of computers, and communication with patients. (Contains 25…

Interpretive Studies on Bilingual Education. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ulibarri, Horacio

This project, carried out in 1968-1969, undertook as its main purposes (1) to review the research that has been conducted on bilingual education; (2) to obtain the recommendations on bilingual education from those persons who have been actively engaged in working with this problem; (3) to conduct on-site visitations to see at first hand programs…

Fostering Disciplinary Literacy? South African Physics Lecturers' Educational Responses to Their Students' Lack of Representational Competence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Linder, Anne; Airey, John; Mayaba, Nokhanyo; Webb, Paul

2014-01-01

Recently, the South African Institute of Physics undertook a major review of university physics education. The report highlighted the necessity for further transformation of the teaching of physics, particularly in relation to the teaching of under-prepared students. In this article we examine how physics lecturers in South Africa reported how…

Work Patterns and Stressors of Experienced and Novice Mathematics Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fordasz, Helen; Leder, Gilah

2006-01-01

In this article, we report findings from a study in which the daily lives of novice and experienced secondary mathematics teachers in Victoria were tracked. Two novice and two experienced teachers were also interviewed. Data collection focused on the activities the teachers undertook in and out of working hours, and their reactions to them. The…

Dietary Allium hookeri reduces inflammatory response and increases expression of intestinal tight junctions proteins in LPS-induced young broiler chickens

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We undertook a study to assess the effects of Allium hookeri (AH) root and fermented root on inflammation and intestinal integrity of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-challenged chickens. Birds were assigned to six groups (n = 25 birds/treatment) and fed with basal diets or basal diets supplemented with AH ...

Assessing the Success of a Discipline-Based Communication Skills Development and Enhancement Program in a Graduate Accounting Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barratt, Catherine; Hanlon, Dean; Rankin, Michaela

2011-01-01

In this paper we present results of the impact diagnostic testing and associated context-specific workshops have on students' written communication skills in a graduate-level accounting course. We find that students who undertook diagnostic testing performed better in their first semester accounting subject. This improvement is positively…

From Deficits to Development: A Case Study of the Journey of Friday Night Live

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Libby, Margaret; Sedonaen, Maureen; Kooler, Jim

2004-01-01

In 1996, the Youth Leadership Institute (a youth development institute) and California Friday Night Live Partnership (a statewide prevention program serving over 800,000 young people) undertook a major challenge: to come together as partners in an effort to bridge youth development research and practice. With guidance and strategic support from…

(Re)Writing "Feminism in Canada": Wikipedia in the Feminist Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cattapan, Alana

2012-01-01

In the winter of 2012, the students in the author's fourth-year seminar, The Politics of the Canadian Women's Movement, undertook the project of editing, updating, and expanding a number of Wikipedia articles, including the page on "Feminism in Canada." Though it often serves as a first point of reference for research on Canadian…

Quick response small catchment monitoring techniques for comparing postfire rehabilitation treatment effectiveness

Treesearch

Peter R. Robichaud; Robert E. Brown

2003-01-01

Increased runoff and erosion commonly occur after wildfires with the onset of precipitation events. Various erosion mitigation treatments are often used after wildfires to reduce flooding and sedimentation. The effectiveness of these treatments has not been well documented in the literature; therefore we undertook a rapid response approach (within four weeks following...

Selenium and selenoprotein deficiencies induce widespread pyogranuloma formation in mice, while high levels of dietary selenium decrease liver tumor size driven by TGFa

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Changes in dietary selenium and selenoprotein status may influence both anti- and pro-cancer pathways, making the outcome of interventions different from one study to another. To characterize such outcomes in a defined setting, we undertook a controlled hepatocarcinogenesis study involving varying l...

Serving Special Needs Populations in Postsecondary Occupational Education: A Synthesis of Program Approaches.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fadale, LaVerna M.; Winter, Gene M.

The Two-Year College Development Center undertook a project to identify two-year college programs in New York State that successfully serve one or more of the special needs populations targeted by the Carl D. Perkins Act. Four special needs populations were targeted for in-depth study: single parents/homemakers, learning disabled, limited English…

A Blended Learning Route to Improving Innovation Education in Europe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Page, Tom; Thorsteinsson, Gisli

2008-01-01

This paper introduces blended learning as a pedagogical approach, which was explored through the European project InnoEd and the way InnoEd undertook by using the on-line InnoEd VRLE. European educators in the InnoEd project have utilised a range of learning activities to help to improve Innovation Education. A mixture of lectures, visual…

Nerve Excitability Properties in Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease Type 1A

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nodera, Hiroyuki; Bostock, Hugh; Kuwabara, Satoshi; Sakamoto, Takashi; Asanuma, Kotaro; Jia-Ying, Sung; Ogawara, Kazue; Hattori, Naoki; Hirayama, Masaaki; Kaji, Ryuji

2004-01-01

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A (CMT1A) is commonly considered a prototype of a hereditary demyelinating polyneuropathy. Apart from the myelin involvement, there has been little information on axonal membrane properties in this condition. Taking advantage of the uniform nature of the disease process, we undertook the "in vivo" assessment of…

Tertiary Students' Understandings and Practices of Informal Learning: A New Zealand Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lai, Kwok-Wing; Smith, Lee A.

2017-01-01

In 2013, we undertook research in a New Zealand University to gain insights into students' understandings of informal learning, its connection to formal learning and how they engaged in informal learning using digital and mobile technologies. A total of 765 students (postgraduate, undergraduate and first-year students) completed a questionnaire.…

The interplay of governance, power and citizen participation in community tourism planning

Treesearch

E.J. Jordan; C.A. Vogt; Linda Kruger; N. Grewe

2013-01-01

This research examines a unique case of tourism planning and explores the relationships between governance, power, and citizen participation in community decision-making. In less than two years, the community of Sitka, Alaska, undertook two separate tourism-planning processes in response to proposed tourism development. The first plan followed a participant-led...

PRELIMINARY SURVEY OF CHEMICAL CONTAMINANTS IN WATER, SEDIMENT, AND AQUATIC BIOTA AT SELECTED SITES IN NORTHEASTERN FLORIDA BAY AND CANAL C-111

EPA Science Inventory

Several actions are under way to alter water management capabilities and practices in south Florida in order to restore a more natural hydroperiod for the Everglades. Because relatively little research has been conducted on contaminants entering Florida Bay, we undertook a prelim...

Genetic Testing in Intellectual Disability Psychiatry: Opinions and Practices of UK Child and Intellectual Disability Psychiatrists

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolfe, Kate; Stueber, Kerstin; McQuillin, Andrew; Jichi, Fatima; Patch, Christine; Flinter, Frances; Strydom, André; Bass, Nick

2018-01-01

Background: An increasing number of genetic causes of intellectual disabilities (ID) are identifiable by clinical genetic testing, offering the prospect of bespoke patient management. However, little is known about the practices of psychiatrists and their views on genetic testing. Method: We undertook an online survey of 215 psychiatrists, who…

Frozen by Fear: Can Digital Scaffolding Help Students Start Writing?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mills, Daniel; Kennedy, Olivia

2013-01-01

Despite having studied English for some 33 months, the students at the private junior high school in Japan described in this paper had never before been asked to write original compositions in the language. The researchers undertook a quasi-experimental pilot study in which the 156 (n= 156) participants were each asked to write four compositions,…

Propagandizing in the Interest of War: A Rhetorical Study of the Committee on Public Information.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hollihan, Thomas A.

The Committee on Public Information was created by President Woodrow Wilson in 1917 and charged with informing the public about the war in Europe. Under the leadership of newspaper publisher George Creel, the Committee undertook a vigorous campaign that included censorship of government press releases; the production of posters, films, and…

Are We Doing Ok? Developing a Generic Process to Benchmark Career Services in Educational Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCowan, Col; McKenzie, Malcolm

2011-01-01

In 2007 the Career Industry Council of Australia developed the Guiding Principles for Career Development Services and Career Information Products as one part of its strategy to produce a national quality framework for career development activities in Australia. An Australian university career service undertook an assessment process against these…

Research as Discovery, Teaching as Trust: Developing New Perspectives through Teacher Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blumenreich, Megan; Rodriguez, Rafaela

2016-01-01

This paired-format article describes how one of the authors (Rodriguez) undertook a teacher research study of homework in the urban first-grade classroom in which she was a paraprofessional. Her findings influenced her to broaden her perspective on homework. Her graduate professor (Blumenreich) discusses the challenge of supporting a student to…

An Atlantic Crossing? The Work of the International Examination Inquiry, Its Researchers, Methods and Influence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawn, Martin, Ed.

2008-01-01

This book focuses on the International Examinations Inquiry (IEI), an international, well-funded scientific project that operated in the 1930s, attracting key world figures in educational research, and which undertook significant exchanges of data. Originally involving the USA, Scotland, England, France, Germany and Switzerland, the IEI grew to…

Understanding the Assessment of Psychotropic Drug Harms in Clinical Trials to Improve Social Workers' Role in Medication Monitoring

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Shannon; Cohen, David

2010-01-01

The purpose of this integrative review is to facilitate social work practitioners' understanding of how psychotropic drug harms are assessed in clinical trials and to make specific suggestions for social workers' increased involvement in detecting drug harms in their clients. The authors undertook a comprehensive review of interdisciplinary…

Developing New Teacher Inquiry and Criticality: The Role of Online Discussions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Unwin, Adam

2015-01-01

This work concerns the professional development of UK teachers in their first year of teaching. It is interested in how the online discussions (ODs) these teachers undertook as part of the Master of Teaching contributed to this development process. The teachers worked in online tutor groups made up of teachers from different schools, phases…

Enabling Remote Access to Fieldwork: Gaining Insight into the Pedagogic Effectiveness of "Direct" and "Remote" Field Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stokes, Alison; Collins, Trevor; Maskall, John; Lea, John; Lunt, Paul; Davies, Sarah

2012-01-01

This study considers the pedagogical effectiveness of remote access to fieldwork locations. Forty-one students from across the GEES disciplines (geography, earth and environmental sciences) undertook a fieldwork exercise, supported by two lecturers. Twenty students accessed the field site directly and the remainder accessed the site remotely using…

Teacher Quality Roadmap: Improving Policies and Practices in LAUSD

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Council on Teacher Quality, 2011

2011-01-01

At the request of the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, the National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ) undertook this analysis of the teacher policies in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD). A coalition of civil rights groups were also involved in this project, including Parent Organization Network, Families in Schools, Alliance for a…

Program Evaluation: A Variety of Rigorous Methods Can Help Identify Effective Interventions. Report to Congressional Requesters. GAO-10-30

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kingsbury, Nancy

2009-01-01

Recent congressional initiatives seek to focus funds for certain federal social programs on interventions for which randomized experiments show sizable, sustained benefits to participants or society. The private, nonprofit Coalition for Evidence-Based Policy undertook the Top Tier Evidence initiative to help federal programs identify interventions…

Re-Framing, Re-Imagining, and Re-Tooling Curricula from the Grassroots: The Chicago Grassroots Curriculum Taskforce

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pulido, Isaura B.; Miglietta, Anton; Cortez, Gabriel Alejandro; Stovall, David; Aviles de Bradley, Ann

2013-01-01

This article explores the work of the Grassroots Curriculum Taskforce (CGCT), a Chicago-based collaborative that engages in collective production of curricula that more adeptly capture the cultural, economic, and political realities of Chicago Public Schools' students. We first examine the collaborative processes CGCT undertook with parents,…

Determining Dropout Rates in Large City School Districts: Problems and Accomplishments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Frymier, Jack

As part of an effort to reduce high school dropout rates in large city school districts, Phi Delta Kappa, the National Association of Secondary School Principals, the Council of Great City Schools, and a group of large city school districts undertook an effort to determine baseline statistics in high schools in large cities by using standardized…

Embracing a New Understanding of the City: The Museum of Vancouver's Vision in Action

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gosselin, Viviane

2013-01-01

The Museum of Vancouver recently undertook a major rethinking of its role in the city. New interplays are being proposed between emerging conceptions of urbanity and civic participation, and the museum's collection and function as facilitator and advocate. This short paper provides a brief overview of the museum's recent transformation, situates…

Prevalence and Correlates of Depressive Symptoms in Mothers of Young Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Lynne A.

Mothers of young children are at risk for depressive symptoms due to their gender and status as parents of young children. Accordingly, this study undertook to assess the prevalence of depressive symptoms in a sample of 196 mothers of 5- and 6-year-old children; to identify sociodemographic correlates of depressive symptoms among these women; and…

Aligning Information Literacy with the Faculty Teaching and Learning Agenda

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dearden, Richard; Dermoudy, Julian; Evans, Christine; Barmuta, Leon; Jones, Susan; Magierowski, Regina; Osborn, Jon; Sargison, Jane; Waters, David

2005-01-01

In 2004, the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Technology at the University of Tasmania undertook a project to evaluate students' information literacy skills and to get a picture of how and where information literacy is taught in the faculty. This paper outlines how relationship-building between the Science Library and faculty led to the…

An Integrative Approach to Archival Outreach: A Case Study of Becoming Part of the Constituents' Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rettig, Patricia J.

2007-01-01

Archival outreach, an essential activity for any repository, should focus on what constituents are already doing and capitalize on existing venues related to the repository's subject area. The Water Resources Archive at Colorado State University successfully undertook this integrative approach to outreach. Detailed in the article are outreach…

27 CFR 70.231 - Protection for certain interests even though notice filed.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... notice of tax lien was filed before the mechanic undertook the work or that the mechanic knew of the lien before undertaking the work. (f) Real property tax and special assessment liens. Even though a notice of... filed before the contractor undertakes the work or that the contractor knew of the lien before...

James Hutton's Geological Tours of Scotland: Romanticism, Literary Strategies, and the Scientific Quest

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Furniss, Tom

2014-01-01

Rather than focussing on the relationship between science and literature, this article attempts to read scientific writing as literature. It explores a somewhat neglected element of the story of the emergence of geology in the late eighteenth century--James Hutton's unpublished accounts of the tours of Scotland that he undertook in the years…

Ethnic Disparities in Graduate Education: A Selective Review of Quantitative Research, Social Theory, and Quality Initiatives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Franklin, Somer L.; Slate, John R.; Joyner, Sheila A.

2014-01-01

In this article, we analyzed research studies in the field of graduate education. In particular, we explored the issue of inequity in graduate education through three key lenses of social science analyses. Furthermore, we analyzed selected quantitative research studies that undertook a comparative examination of aggregate trends in enrollment and…

Research Methods in Environmental Studies: A County Planning Application in Colorado.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gruntfest, Eve C.

To obtain practical experience, a research methods class at the University of Colorado (Colorado Springs) undertook a special project to help a nearby county (Park County), assess its planning needs. The county was chosen for its characteristics as a rapidly growing rural area faced with the problems created by mounting population pressure on…

Realization of a Comprehensive Multidisciplinary Microfabrication Education Program at Binghamton University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cui, Weili; Jones, Wayne E., Jr.; Klotzkin, David; Myers, Greta L.; Wagoner, Shawn; White, Bruce

2015-01-01

Microfabrication is a critical area to many branches of science and engineering. However, to many students accustomed to seeing transistors as things that come in a lab kit, it is an obscure subtopic of their discipline. Beginning in 2009, the authors undertook a broad multidisciplinary approach to bring microfabrication into all aspects of the…

The Education of the Active Televiewer of School Age.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Munoz, Patricio Calderon; Torres, Miguel Reyes

In response to a series of problem symptoms related to the influence of television on students, a team of professors at the Universidad de Playa Ancha de Ciencias de la Educacion in Chile undertook a project designed to train television viewers to become critical viewers of the medium. Specific objectives of the project included: (1) to design a…

Transforming Resource Sharing Services at an Australian Academic Library: The Case of the University of Wollongong

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daly, Rebecca; Baker, Liz; McIntosh, Lisa

2014-01-01

In 2011 the University of Wollongong Library undertook a significant review of its Resource Sharing services. This was prompted by constraints in the systems supporting this service, changes to the Library's key suppliers, Infotrieve Australia and the British Library Document Supply Service, and the need to deliver effective library services…

Human Capital in Boston Public Schools: Rethinking How to Attract, Develop and Retain Effective Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Council on Teacher Quality, 2010

2010-01-01

Staffing each classroom with an effective teacher is the most important function of a school district. Doing so requires strategic personnel policies and smart practices. The National Council on Teacher Quality (NCTQ), working with its local partner, the Massachusetts Business Alliance for Education, undertook an analysis of the Boston Public…

Education Reforms in Balochistan, 1990-1998: A Case Study in Improving Management and Gender Equity in Primary Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anzar, Uzma

Between 1990 and 1998, Balochistan, a poor, rural, and underdeveloped province in Pakistan, undertook a major restructuring of its public education system aimed at increasing girls' access to schooling. Strategies included establishing more girls' schools, appointing local female teachers, providing special inservice training for female teachers,…

Coping Successfully with Dyslexia: An Initial Study of an Inclusive School-Based Resilience Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Firth, Nola; Frydenberg, Erica; Steeg, Charlotte; Bond, Lyndal

2013-01-01

A dyslexia coping programme entitled "Success and Dyslexia" was implemented in two primary schools within a whole-class coping programme and whole-school dyslexia professional development context. One hundred and two year 6 students, 23 of whom had dyslexia, undertook surveys pretest, post-test and at 1-year follow-up. Effectiveness of…

Warehousing Human Beings: A Review of the New York State Correctional System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Advisory Committee to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, New York.

In 1970, the New York Advisory Committee to the United States Commission on Civil Rights undertook a study of the State Department of Correctional Services. Using information obtained from observations and from interviews with officials, staff, and inmates, the investigation focused upon the impact of the system on minorities and women. In the…

Developing a Communication Strategy for Protecting Children. Report on Problem Definition Analysis Presented to: The Stuart Foundations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brandon, Richard N.; Gordon, Andrew; Gordon, Margaret T.; Messerschmidt, David; Mitchell, Lorelei

The Human Services Policy Center of Washington undertook a study of communication strategies for protecting children because of the perception among many leading child protection professionals that a distorted pattern of media coverage is driving child protection policies toward responding to the small proportion of atypical cases which the media…

School Counselor Lead Initial Individual Career and Academic Plan Implementation Design

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moeder-Chandler, Markus

2017-01-01

In Fall of 2014 for Fountain-Fort Carson School District #8 undertook a revamping of graduation and state-mandated ICAP requirements for implementation for the graduating class of 2021. This design and implementation process included numerous stakeholders and several years of planning from Fall of 2014 to Spring of 2017. The design and…

The Numbers Game: Phasing in Generated ID Numbers at the University of Oregon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eveland, Sue

2005-01-01

With all the recent headlines about security breaches and information loss at financial and educational institutions, the higher education community needs to address the issue of using social security numbers as ID numbers. The University of Oregon undertook a change process to assign generated ID numbers to all records in their information…

Insider/Outsider Ambiguities and the Canadian Museum for Human Rights

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pelletier, Julie

2015-01-01

Author Julie Pelletier recently became part of a new committee at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR): the Indigenous Education Working Group (IEWG). The IEWG is a working group made up of Indigenous individuals with a background in indigenous education. The first project the IEWG undertook was assisting with the development of Indigenous…

"No Easy Road to Freedom": Critical Literacy in a Fourth-Grade Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sweeney, Maria

1997-01-01

Illustrates the possibilities of critical literacy by discussing a project a class of fourth-grade students undertook to write and produce a play about the conditions of apartheid, the history of resistance, and the upcoming South African elections. Concludes that students felt empowered as social activists and believed they had a mandate and the…

Stories of Practitioner Enquiry: Using Narrative Interviews to Explore Teachers' Perspectives of Learning to Learn

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Ulrike; Tiplady, Lucy; Wall, Kate

2014-01-01

The Campaign for Learning's Learning to Learn Phase 4 was a research project in which teachers undertook practitioner enquiry to explore innovative pedagogies under the umbrella term of learning to learn. In 2008, to gain greater understanding of what this process meant to the participating teachers the research team at Newcastle University…

New ways to analyze word generation performance in brain injury: A systematic review and meta-analysis of additional performance measures.

PubMed

Thiele, Kristina; Quinting, Jana Marie; Stenneken, Prisca

2016-09-01

The investigation of word generation performance is an accepted, widely used, and well-established method for examining cognitive, language, or communication impairment due to brain damage. The performance measure traditionally applied in the investigation of word generation is the number of correct responses. Previous studies, however, have suggested that this measure does not capture all potentially relevant aspects of word generation performance and hence its underlying processes, so that its analytical and explanatory power of word generation performance might be rather limited. Therefore, additional qualitative or quantitative performance measures have been introduced to gain information that goes beyond the deficit and allows for therapeutic implications. We undertook a systematic review and meta-analysis of original research that focused on the application of additional measures of word generation performance in adult clinical populations with acquired brain injury. Word generation tasks are an integral part of many different tests, but only few use additional performance measures in addition to the number of correct responses in the analysis of word generation performance. Additional measures, which showed increased or similar diagnostic utility relative to the traditional performance measure, regarded clustering and switching, error types, and temporal characteristics. The potential of additional performance measures is not yet fully exhausted in patients with brain injury. The temporal measure of response latencies in particular is not adequately represented, though it may be a reliable measure especially for identifying subtle impairments. Unfortunately, there is no general consensus as of yet on which additional measures are best suited to characterizing word generation performance. Further research is needed to specify the additional parameters that are best qualified for identifying and characterizing impaired word generation performance.

Standardised measures of needs, stigma and informal care in schizophrenia using a bottom-up, cross-cultural approach

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background There is a lack of instruments to measure the needs, stigma and informal care of people with schizophrenia that take account of sociocultural variation and patients' and formal and informal carers' opinions and experiences. Aims To develop questionnaires to measure stigma, needs and informal (non-professional) care for people with schizophrenia. Method We undertook the study in seven countries and in English, Spanish and Portuguese. We first held focus group discussions with patients, formal carers (professionals) and informal carers (family and friends) in Spain, the UK, Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Venezuela to elicit the main dimensions of needs, stigma and informal care. We then held nominal group discussions about these dimensions with patients, family members and professionals in Spain, Portugal and the UK, to develop the instruments. Results Three hundred and three people participated in 46 focus groups and results were discussed in three nominal groups, each involving eight participants. Three instruments were developed in this iterative process: needs for care (46 items), stigma (38 items) and informal care (20 items). Conclusions These instruments are based on service users' and carers' views and experiences and have cross-cultural validity. They will have application in assessment of outcomes for people with schizophrenia and their families. PMID:23730337

Work Activity in Pregnancy, Preventive Measures, and the Risk of Delivering a Small-for-Gestational-Age Infant

PubMed Central

Croteau, Agathe; Marcoux, Sylvie; Brisson, Chantal

2006-01-01

Objectives. We undertook a case–control study to evaluate whether some occupational conditions during pregnancy increase the risk of delivering a small-for-gestational-age (SGA) infant and whether taking measures to eliminate these conditions decreases that risk. Methods. The 1536 cases and 4441 controls were selected from 43898 women who had single live births between January 1997 and March 1999 in Québec, Canada. The women were interviewed by telephone after delivery. Results. The risk of having an SGA infant increased with an irregular or shift-work schedule alone and with a cumulative index of the following occupational conditions: night hours, irregular or shift-work schedule, standing, lifting loads, noise, and high psychological demand combined with low social support. When the conditions were not eliminated, the risk increased with the number of conditions (Ptrend =.004; odds ratios=1.00, 1.08, 1.28, 1.43, and 2.29 for 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4–6 conditions, respectively). Elimination of the conditions before 24 weeks of pregnancy brought the risks close to those of unexposed women. Conclusions. Certain occupational conditions experienced by pregnant women can increase their risk of having an SGA infant, but preventive measures can reduce the risk. PMID:16571706

Predictors of word-level literacy amongst Grade 3 children in five diverse languages.

PubMed

Smythe, Ian; Everatt, John; Al-Menaye, Nasser; He, Xianyou; Capellini, Simone; Gyarmathy, Eva; Siegel, Linda S

2008-08-01

Groups of Grade 3 children were tested on measures of word-level literacy and undertook tasks that required the ability to associate sounds with letter sequences and that involved visual, auditory and phonological-processing skills. These groups came from different language backgrounds in which the language of instruction was Arabic, Chinese, English, Hungarian or Portuguese. Similar measures were used across the groups, with tests being adapted to be appropriate for the language of the children. Findings indicated that measures of decoding and phonological-processing skills were good predictors of word reading and spelling among Arabic- and English-speaking children, but were less able to predict variability in these same early literacy skills among Chinese- and Hungarian-speaking children, and were better at predicting variability in Portuguese word reading than spelling. Results were discussed with reference to the relative transparency of the script and issues of dyslexia assessment across languages. Overall, the findings argue for the need to take account of features of the orthography used to represent a language when developing assessment procedures for a particular language and that assessment of word-level literacy skills and a phonological perspective of dyslexia may not be universally applicable across all language contexts. Copyright 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Summary of oceanographic and water–quality measurements in West Falmouth Harbor and Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, 2009–2010

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ganju, Neil K.; Dickhudt, Patrick J.; Thomas, Jennifer A.; Borden, Jonathan; Sherwood, Christopher R.; Montgomery, Ellyn T.; Twomey, Erin R.; Martini, Marinna A.

2011-01-01

This data report presents oceanographic and water-quality observations made at six locations in West Falmouth Harbor and Buzzards Bay, Massachusetts, from August 2009 to September 2010. Both Buzzards Bay and West Falmouth Harbor are estuarine embayments; the input of freshwater on the eastern margin of Buzzards Bay adjacent to Cape Cod and West Falmouth Harbor is largely due to groundwater. In West Falmouth Harbor, the groundwater that seeps into the harbor is characterized by relatively high levels of nitrate. This high nitrate load has modified the ecology of the harbor (Howes and others, 2006) and may be a significant source of nitrate to Buzzards Bay during seasons with low biological nitrate uptake. The U.S. Geological Survey undertook these measurements to improve understanding of circulation, residence time, and water quality in the harbor and bay. We set up and monitored multiple sites in both Buzzards Bay and West Falmouth Harbor, measuring depth, water velocity,salinity, pH, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll-a, and nitrate concentration. In this report we present the processed time-series data at these locations and provide access to the data and metadata. The results will be used to understand circulation mechanisms and verify numerical models of hydrodynamics and biogeochemistry.

Classifying indicators of quality: a collaboration between Dutch and English regulators.

PubMed

Mears, Alex; Vesseur, Jan; Hamblin, Richard; Long, Paul; Den Ouden, Lya

2011-12-01

Many approaches to measuring quality in healthcare exist, generally employing indicators or metrics. While there are important differences, most of these approaches share three key areas of measurement: safety, effectiveness and patient experience. The European Partnership for Supervisory Organisations in Health Services and Social Care (EPSO) exists as a working group and discussion forum for European regulators. This group undertook to identify a common framework within which European approaches to indicators could be compared. A framework was developed to classify indicators, using four sets of criteria: conceptualization of quality, Donabedian definition (structure, process, outcome), data type (derivable, collectable from routine sources, special collections, samples) and data use (judgement (singular or part of framework) benchmarking, risk assessment). Indicators from English and Dutch hospital measurement programmes were put into the framework, showing areas of agreement and levels of comparability. In the first instance, results are only illustrative. The EPSO has been a powerful driver for undertaking cross-European research, and this project is the first of many to take advantage of the access to international expertize. It has shown that through development of a framework that deconstructs national indicators, commonalities can be identified. Future work will attempt to incorporate other nations' indicators, and attempt cross-national comparison.

Accuracy of manual QRS duration assessment: its importance in patient selection for cardiac resynchronization and implantable cardioverter defibrillator therapy.

PubMed

Tomlinson, David R; Bashir, Yaver; Betts, Timothy R; Rajappan, Kim

2009-05-01

Patients with left ventricular systolic dysfunction and electrocardiographic QRS duration (QRSd) >or=120 ms may obtain symptomatic and prognostic benefits from cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT). However, clinical trials do not describe the methods used to measure QRSd. We investigated the effect of electrocardiogram (ECG) display format and paper speed on the accuracy of manual QRSd assessment and concordance of manual QRSd with computer-calculated mean and maximal QRSd. Six cardiologists undertook QRSd measurements on ECGs, with computer-calculated mean QRSd close to 120 ms. Display formats were 12-lead, 6-limb, and 6-precordial leads, each at 25 and 50 mm/s. When the computer-calculated mean was used to define QRSd, manual assessment demonstrated 97 and 83% concordance at categorizing QRSd as < and >or=120 ms, respectively. Using the computer-calculated maximal QRSd, manual assessment demonstrated 83% concordance when QRSd was <120 ms and 19% concordance when QRSd was >or=120 ms. The six-precordial lead format demonstrated significantly less intra and inter-observer variabilities than the 12-lead, but this did not improve concordance rates. Manual QRSd assessments demonstrate significant variability, and concordance with computer-calculated measurement depends on whether QRSd is defined as the mean or maximal value. Consensus is required both on the most appropriate definition of QRSd and its measurement.

The neuropsychology of sex offenders: a meta-analysis.

PubMed

Joyal, Christian C; Beaulieu-Plante, Jolyane; de Chantérac, Antoine

2014-04-01

Typically, neuropsychological studies of sex offenders have grouped together different types of individuals and different types of measures. This is why results have tended to be nonspecific and divergent across studies. Against this background, the authors undertook a review of the literature regarding the neuropsychology of sex offenders, taking into account subgroups based on criminological theories. They also conducted a meta-analysis of the data to demonstrate the cognitive heterogeneity of sex offenders statistically. Their main objective was to test the hypothesis to the effect that the neuropsychological deficits of sex offenders are not broad and generalized compared with specific subgroups of participants based on specific measures. In all, 23 neuropsychological studies reporting data on 1,756 participants were taken into consideration. As expected, a highly significant, broad, and heterogeneous overall effect size was found. Taking subgroups of participants and specific cognitive measures into account significantly improved homogeneity. Sex offenders against children tended to obtain lower scores than did sex offenders against adults on higher order executive functions, whereas sex offenders against adults tended to obtain results similar to those of non-sex offenders, with lower scores in verbal fluency and inhibition. However, it is concluded that neuropsychological data on sex offenders are still too scarce to confirm these trends or to test more precise hypotheses. For greater clinical relevance, future neuropsychological studies should consider specific subgroups of participants and measures to verify the presence of different cognitive profiles.

Training balance with opto-kinetic stimuli in the home: a randomized controlled feasibility study in people with pure cerebellar disease.

PubMed

Bunn, Lisa M; Marsden, Jonathan F; Giunti, Paola; Day, Brian L

2015-02-01

To investigate the feasibility of a randomized controlled trial of a home-based balance intervention for people with cerebellar ataxia. A randomized controlled trial design. Intervention and assessment took place in the home environment. A total of 12 people with spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 were randomized into a therapy or control group. Both groups received identical assessments at baseline, four and eight weeks. Therapy group participants undertook balance exercises in front of optokinetic stimuli during weeks 4-8, while control group participants received no intervention. Test-retest reliability was analysed from outcome measures collected twice at baseline and four weeks later. Feasibility issues were evaluated using daily diaries and end trial exit interviews. The home-based training intervention with opto-kinetic stimuli was feasible for people with pure ataxia, with one drop-out. Test-retest reliability is strong (intraclass correlation coefficient >0.7) for selected outcome measures evaluating balance at impairment and activity levels. Some measures reveal trends towards improvement for those in the therapy group. Sample size estimations indicate that Bal-SARA scores could detect a clinically significant change of 0.8 points in this functional balance score if 80 people per group were analysed in future trials. Home-based targeted training of functional balance for people with pure cerebellar ataxia is feasible and the outcome measures employed are reliable. © The Author(s) 2014.

Validation of a skinfold based index for tracking proportional changes in lean mass

PubMed Central

Slater, G J; Duthie, G M; Pyne, D B; Hopkins, W G

2006-01-01

Background The lean mass index (LMI) is a new empirical measure that tracks within‐subject proportional changes in body mass adjusted for changes in skinfold thickness. Objective To compare the ability of the LMI and other skinfold derived measures of lean mass to monitor changes in lean mass. Methods 20 elite rugby union players undertook full anthropometric profiles on two occasions 10 weeks apart to calculate the LMI and five skinfold based measures of lean mass. Hydrodensitometry, deuterium dilution, and dual energy x ray absorptiometry provided a criterion choice, four compartment (4C) measure of lean mass for validation purposes. Regression based measures of validity, derived for within‐subject proportional changes through log transformation, included correlation coefficients and standard errors of the estimate. Results The correlation between change scores for the LMI and 4C lean mass was moderate (0.37, 90% confidence interval −0.01 to 0.66) and similar to the correlations for the other practical measures of lean mass (range 0.26 to 0.42). Standard errors of the estimate for the practical measures were in the range of 2.8–2.9%. The LMI correctly identified the direction of change in 4C lean mass for 14 of the 20 athletes, compared with 11 to 13 for the other practical measures of lean mass. Conclusions The LMI is probably as good as other skinfold based measures for tracking lean mass and is theoretically more appropriate. Given the impracticality of the 4C criterion measure for routine field use, the LMI may offer a convenient alternative for monitoring physique changes, provided its utility is established under various conditions. PMID:16505075

Standardisation of crown-rump length measurement.

PubMed

Ioannou, C; Sarris, I; Hoch, L; Salomon, L J; Papageorghiou, A T

2013-09-01

Correct estimation of gestational age is essential for any study of ultrasound biometry and for everyday clinical practice. However, inconsistency in pregnancy dating may occur through differences in measurement methods or errors during measurement. In the INTERGROWTH-21(st) Project, pregnancies are dated by the last menstrual period, provided that it is certain and associated with a regular menstrual cycle, and the gestational age by dates concurs with a first-trimester ultrasound crown-rump length (CRL) estimation. Hence, there was a need to standardise CRL measurement methodology across the study sites in this international, multicentre project to avoid systematic differences in dating. To achieve uniformity we undertook the following steps: the ultrasound technique was standardised by disseminating an illustrated, operating manual describing CRL plane landmarks and calliper application, and posters describing the correct acquisition technique were disseminated for quick reference. To ensure that all ultrasonographers understood the methodology, they forwarded a log-book to the INTERGROWTH-21(st) Ultrasound Coordinating Unit, containing the answers to a written test on the manual material and five images of a correctly acquired CRL. Interpretation of CRL was also standardised by ensuring that the same CRL regression formula was used across all study sites. These methods should minimise potential systematic errors in dating associated with pooling data from different health institutions, and represent a model for standardising CRL measurement in future studies. © 2013 The Authors BJOG An International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology © 2013 RCOG.

Does High-Level Intellectual Performance Depend on Practice Alone? Debunking the Polgar Sisters Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, Robert W.

2011-01-01

The famous Polgar sisters started chess very young, undertook extensive study, and two became grandmasters. This case often is cited as decisive evidence that practice alone is key in development of expertise, that innate talent is unimportant or non-existent, and that almost anyone can become a grandmaster. But on close examination these claims…

Examining the Interactions between Mathematical Content and Pedagogical Form: Notes on the Structure of the Lesson

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karp, Alexander

2004-01-01

Research conducted during the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) and later (Stigler et al. 1999; Stigler and Hiebert 1999) undertook a thorough analysis of lessons in the United States, Japan, and Germany. This article focuses on certain aspects of mathematics lessons in Russia. Specifically, the attempt is made to…

An Analysis of New Small High Schools' On-Time Graduation Rates in New York City

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dudley, Nathan

2017-01-01

Beginning in 2002, with the election of Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York City's Department of Education undertook an unprecedented overhaul of the largest school district in the United States. Over the next 10 years the Department of Education closed more than 25 large, underperforming high schools, and created almost 200 new, small high schools,…

Fabrics for aeronautic construction

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Walen, E D

1918-01-01

The Bureau of Standards undertook the investigation of airplane fabrics with the view of finding suitable substitutes for the linen fabrics, and it was decided that the fibers to be considered were cotton, ramie, silk, and hemp. Of these, the cotton fiber was the logical one to be given primary consideration. Report presents the suitability, tensibility and stretching properties of cotton fabric obtained by laboratory tests.

The Professional Development of Teacher Identities in Hong Kong: Can a Short-Term Course Make a Difference?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trent, John

2011-01-01

This article reports on a qualitative study that explored the experiences of eight Hong Kong teachers of academic subjects who undertook a full-time, short-term professional development course (PDC) designed to provide them with specialized knowledge and classroom skills required to teach content subjects through the English medium. Using a…

Evaluation of Formative Computer-Based Assessment by Cell Biology Students with Differing Entry Qualifications and Ethnicity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bax, Christopher; Baggott, Glenn; Howey, Ellen; Pellet-Many, Carolyn; Rayne, Richard; Neonaki, Maria; Bax, Bridget E.; White, Christopher Branford

2006-01-01

This study was carried out to examine students' responses to the use of on-line assessments that included feedback. First year BSc students taking a Cell Biology module undertook such an assessment and were then asked to evaluate the test by completing an anonymous questionnaire. Answers were analysed in light of the respondents' ethnicity and…

Positive Youth Development through an Outdoor Physical Activity Programme: Evidence from a Four-Year Evaluation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armour, Kathleen; Sandford, Rachel

2013-01-01

In 2006, Sandford, Armour and Warmington undertook a comprehensive review of the literature on the role of physical activity/sport and physical education in promoting positive development for disaffected youth. This paper revisits the findings of the literature review in light of data from a four-year evaluation of one corporate-sponsored physical…

The Battle of Bennington: An American Victory. Teaching with Historic Places.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunter, Kathleen

During the summer of 1777 the British undertook an ambitious campaign to isolate New England from the rest of the colonies. For two months General John Burgoyne led his army down the Lake Champlain-Hudson River toward Albany (New York) with apparent ease, but he then found he needed provisions, wagons, cattle, and horses for his army. He sent an…

Local and Categorical Inservice Expenditures in New York State 1970-71 and 1971-72.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levin, S.; Van Ryn, M.

In June of 1971 and of 1972, the New York State Department of Education's Division of Teacher Education and Certification, in cooperation with the Department's Information Center, undertook a survey of direct in-service expenditures by local school districts. Seven hundred and one of the state's 735 operating school districts (New York City and…

Dialogic Ground: The Use of "Teaching Dilemmas" with Prospective Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallman, Heidi; Deufel, Thompson

2017-01-01

This article describes a method of storytelling that can assist novice teachers in moving toward "re-seeing" their stories of teaching not just as narratives of experience, but as sites for work to be done. The assignment novice teachers undertook as part of a methods class in the teaching of English language arts has the potential to be…

Study of School-to-Work Reform Initiatives. [Volume I: Findings and Conclusions.] Studies of Education Reform.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Charner, Ivan

The United States is the only industrialized nation in the world that has no institutionalized school-to-work transition system for helping young people move from education to employment. The Academy for Educational Development's National Institute for Work and Learning (AED/NIWL) undertook a 4-year study of school-to-work transition education…

Survey of Land-Grant Colleges and Universities. Bulletin, 1930, No. 9. Volume I. [Preface - Part VI

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Office of Education, United States Department of the Interior, 1930

1930-01-01

At the request of the Association of Land-Grant Colleges and Universities, the Office of Education undertook a survey of the 69 land-grant colleges and universities, including 17 institutions for Negroes. For more than a half century, these institutions have grown in importance as vital factors in the agricultural, industrial, and educational…

Survey of Land-Grant Colleges and Universities. Bulletin, 1930, No. 9. Volume I. [Part VII - Index

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Office of Education, United States Department of the Interior, 1930

1930-01-01

At the request of the Association of Land-Grant Colleges and Universities, the Office of Education undertook a survey of the 69 land-grant colleges and universities, including 17 institutions for Negroes. For more than a half century, these institutions have grown in importance as vital factors in the agricultural, industrial, and educational…

Estimating Demand for Higher Education Services. Planning for Higher Education; Vol. 3; No. 3; June 1974.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kicinski, Walter T.; Soss, Neal M.

Changing patterns of demand for higher education services have generated considerable interest in research into the factors governing the choices students make when they apply to colleges and universities. During 1973, the staff of the State Budget Division of New York State undertook the task of creating a general model of the demand for college…

A Survey of Physical Sciences, Engineering and Mathematics Faculty Regarding Author Fees in Open Access Journals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cusker, Jeremy; Rauh, Anne E.

2014-01-01

Discussions of the potential of open access publishing frequently must contend with the skepticism of research authors regarding the need to pay author fees (also known as publication fees). With that in mind, the authors undertook a survey of faculty, postdocs, and graduate students in physical science, mathematics, and engineering fields at two…