Medical physics: some recollections in diagnostic X-ray imaging and therapeutic radiology.

PubMed

Gray, J E; Orton, C G

2000-12-01

Medical physics has changed dramatically since 1895. There was a period of slow evolutionary change during the first 70 years after Roentgen's discovery of x rays. With the advent of the computer, however, both diagnostic and therapeutic radiology have undergone rapid growth and changes. Technologic advances such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in diagnostic imaging and three-dimensional treatment planning systems, stereotactic radiosurgery, and intensity modulated radiation therapy in radiation oncology have resulted in substantial changes in medical physics. These advances have improved diagnostic imaging and radiation therapy while expanding the need for better educated and experienced medical physics staff.

Evolutionary Consequence of a Trade-Off between Growth and Maintenance along with Ribosomal Damages.

PubMed

Ying, Bei-Wen; Honda, Tomoya; Tsuru, Saburo; Seno, Shigeto; Matsuda, Hideo; Kazuta, Yasuaki; Yomo, Tetsuya

2015-01-01

Microorganisms in nature are constantly subjected to a limited availability of resources and experience repeated starvation and nutrition. Therefore, microbial life may evolve for both growth fitness and sustainability. By contrast, experimental evolution, as a powerful approach to investigate microbial evolutionary strategies, often targets the increased growth fitness in controlled, steady-state conditions. Here, we address evolutionary changes balanced between growth and maintenance while taking nutritional fluctuations into account. We performed a 290-day-long evolution experiment with a histidine-requiring Escherichia coli strain that encountered repeated histidine-rich and histidine-starved conditions. The cells that experienced seven rounds of starvation and re-feed grew more sustainably under prolonged starvation but dramatically lost growth fitness under rich conditions. The improved sustainability arose from the evolved capability to use a trace amount of histidine for cell propagation. The reduced growth rate was attributed to mutations genetically disturbing the translation machinery, that is, the ribosome, ultimately slowing protein translation. This study provides the experimental demonstration of slow growth accompanied by an enhanced affinity to resources as an evolutionary adaptation to oscillated environments and verifies that it is possible to evolve for reduced growth fitness. Growth economics favored for population increase under extreme resource limitations is most likely a common survival strategy adopted by natural microbes.

Selection and explosive growth alter genetic architecture and hamper the detection of causal rare variants

PubMed Central

Zaitlen, Noah A.; Ye, Chun Jimmie; Witte, John S.

2016-01-01

The role of rare alleles in complex phenotypes has been hotly debated, but most rare variant association tests (RVATs) do not account for the evolutionary forces that affect genetic architecture. Here, we use simulation and numerical algorithms to show that explosive population growth, as experienced by human populations, can dramatically increase the impact of very rare alleles on trait variance. We then assess the ability of RVATs to detect causal loci using simulations and human RNA-seq data. Surprisingly, we find that statistical performance is worst for phenotypes in which genetic variance is due mainly to rare alleles, and explosive population growth decreases power. Although many studies have attempted to identify causal rare variants, few have reported novel associations. This has sometimes been interpreted to mean that rare variants make negligible contributions to complex trait heritability. Our work shows that RVATs are not robust to realistic human evolutionary forces, so general conclusions about the impact of rare variants on complex traits may be premature. PMID:27197206

Chimera: Experiencing Language Arts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paul, Rebecca K.

1991-01-01

Describes the production of a dramatic musical, Chimera: A Journey to Redoubtia, at Chapman Elementary School in Anchor Point, Alaska. Student participation in the project, and students' rewards from participation, are detailed. Benefits of the integration of dramatics into the language arts curriculum are listed. (BB)

Fundamental Concepts of Digital Image Processing

DOE R&D Accomplishments Database

Twogood, R. E.

1983-03-01

The field of a digital-image processing has experienced dramatic growth and increasingly widespread applicability in recent years. Fortunately, advances in computer technology have kept pace with the rapid growth in volume of image data in these and other applications. Digital image processing has become economical in many fields of research and in industrial and military applications. While each application has requirements unique from the others, all are concerned with faster, cheaper, more accurate, and more extensive computation. The trend is toward real-time and interactive operations, where the user of the system obtains preliminary results within a short enough time that the next decision can be made by the human processor without loss of concentration on the task at hand. An example of this is the obtaining of two-dimensional (2-D) computer-aided tomography (CAT) images. A medical decision might be made while the patient is still under observation rather than days later.

Dramatic weight loss associated with commencing clozapine.

PubMed

Lally, John; McDonald, Colm

2011-11-08

The authors report the case of a 44-year-old man with a long history of chronic enduring schizophrenia who experienced dramatic weight loss after commencing treatment with clozapine, an antipsychotic medication characteristically associated with the greatest degree of weight gain among medical treatments for schizophrenia. He was obese with a body mass index (BMI) of 41.5 kg/m(2), but after commencing clozapine therapy he experienced an improvement in psychotic symptoms and 40% loss of his body weight attained through an altered diet and exercise regime, which resulted in him attaining a normal BMI of 24.8 kg/m(2).

Selection and explosive growth alter genetic architecture and hamper the detection of causal rare variants.

PubMed

Uricchio, Lawrence H; Zaitlen, Noah A; Ye, Chun Jimmie; Witte, John S; Hernandez, Ryan D

2016-07-01

The role of rare alleles in complex phenotypes has been hotly debated, but most rare variant association tests (RVATs) do not account for the evolutionary forces that affect genetic architecture. Here, we use simulation and numerical algorithms to show that explosive population growth, as experienced by human populations, can dramatically increase the impact of very rare alleles on trait variance. We then assess the ability of RVATs to detect causal loci using simulations and human RNA-seq data. Surprisingly, we find that statistical performance is worst for phenotypes in which genetic variance is due mainly to rare alleles, and explosive population growth decreases power. Although many studies have attempted to identify causal rare variants, few have reported novel associations. This has sometimes been interpreted to mean that rare variants make negligible contributions to complex trait heritability. Our work shows that RVATs are not robust to realistic human evolutionary forces, so general conclusions about the impact of rare variants on complex traits may be premature. © 2016 Uricchio et al.; Published by Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press.

The Pacific Northwest; linkage between earthquake and volcano hazards

USGS Publications Warehouse

Crosson, R.S.

1990-01-01

The Pacific Northwest (Oregon, Washington, and northern California) is experiencing rapid industrial and population growth. The same conditions that make the region attractive- close proximity to both mountains and oceans, volcanoes and spectacular inland waters- also present significant geologic hazards that are easily overlooked in the normal timetable of human activities. The catastrophic eruption of Mount St. Helens 10 years ago serves as a dramatic reminder of the forces of nature that can be unleashed through volcanism. other volcanoes such as  mount Rainier, a majestic symbol of Washington, or Mount hood in Oregon, lie closer to population centers and could present far greater hazards should they become active. Earthquakes may affect even larger regions, prodcuging more cumulative damage. 

High-resolution three-dimensional partially coherent diffraction imaging.

PubMed

Clark, J N; Huang, X; Harder, R; Robinson, I K

2012-01-01

The wave properties of light, particularly its coherence, are responsible for interference effects, which can be exploited in powerful imaging applications. Coherent diffractive imaging relies heavily on coherence and has recently experienced rapid growth. Coherent diffractive imaging recovers an object from its diffraction pattern by computational phasing with the potential of wavelength-limited resolution. Diminished coherence results in reconstructions that suffer from artefacts or fail completely. Here we demonstrate ab initio phasing of partially coherent diffraction patterns in three dimensions, while simultaneously determining the coherence properties of the illuminating wavefield. Both the dramatic improvements in image interpretability and the three-dimensional evaluation of the coherence will have broad implications for quantitative imaging of nanostructures and wavefield characterization with X-rays and electrons.

Boundary Crossing during Pre-service Teacher Training: empowering or hampering professional growth?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Harrison, Christine

2017-10-01

Yuli Rahmawati's paper presents an auto-ethnographic inquiry into her lived experiences as a science teacher in different countries. Through her reflections and analysis of events, Yuli captures and builds a model of her identity and explores the influence of inter- and intra-cultural perspectives in shaping how she recognizes herself and brings meaning to her professional life. Yuli's insights and explanations of teaching within different cultural contexts highlight the importance of personally relevant and meaningful knowledge, where expectations and accepted norms, that might fit well within one community, may be seen quite differently in another. While for Yuli, this led to professional growth as she inquired and made sense of her new context, my concern is that the social and cultural change could, in some instances, lead to disengagement rather than professional growth. My concern is that the conflict that arises from boundary crossing may be experienced even stronger by inexperienced professionals, such as pre-service teachers. The learning trajectory of pre-service teachers is steep; they need to gain stronger knowledge of curriculum and pedagogy and an awareness of how their students learn. They also need to build confidence in their professional self and what they can do to support and trigger student learning. For this to happen, in the tight time frames available on teacher education courses, pre-service teachers need to understand and engage with the new community that they are placed in very quickly, to make sense of both their role and that of others within the community. This paper suggests that pre-service providers should carefully consider the learning opportunities offered by school contexts, that may vary dramatically from the social and cultural contexts experienced by their teachers as part of their own education, to prevent disengagement or misunderstanding hampering professional growth.

Rural North Dakota's oil boom and its impact on social services.

PubMed

Weber, Bret A; Geigle, Julia; Barkdull, Carenlee

2014-01-01

Over the last five years, North Dakota has experienced an oil boom based on high oil prices and hydraulic fracturing technologies. This has brought economic expansion and population growth to rural communities that had previously experienced decades of depopulation and economic struggle. Although the state has enjoyed many benefits--especially in juxtaposition to a sluggish national economy--the boom has also meant the arrival of economic refugees and dramatic impacts on largely rural social service systems. In the midst of a rapidly changing situation, available information tends to swing between euphoria over economic success and hysteria about rising crime and shifting cultures. In response, the authors used a primary focus group with county social service directors from across the state and a followup focus group with social workers operating on the edge of oil activity. Grounded in resilience theory, qualitative analysis of the primary focus group, and triangulation of data from other sources, this study provides a more objective report of the housing and social challenges, the benefits of the boom, and the challenges to solutions.

An assessment of the spatial extent and condition of grasslands in the Apache Highlands ecoregion

Treesearch

Carolyn A. F. Enquist; David F. Gori

2005-01-01

Grasslands in the Apache Highlands ecoregion have experienced dramatic changes. To assess and identify remaining native grasslands for conservation planning and management, we used a combination of expert consultation and field verification. Over two-thirds of native grasslands have experienced shrub encroachment. More than 30% of these may be restorable with...

The Fragile State of the National Institutes of Health Pediatric Research Portfolio, 1992-2015: Doing More With Less?

PubMed

Gitterman, Daniel P; Langford, W Scott; Hay, William W

2018-03-01

In this article, we examine the status of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) pediatric research portfolio between start of federal fiscal year (FY) 1992 and end of FY 2015. The NIH experienced the greatest mean annual growth rate during the "doubling era" (FY 1998-2003): both the NIH budget (13.5%) and pediatric research portfolios (11.5%) increased annually by double digits. However, in the "postdoubling" era (FY 2004-2009), both the NIH (2.0%) and pediatric (-0.2%) mean annual growth rates decreased dramatically. In the most recent era (FY 2010-2015), the NIH mean annual growth rate has been flat (-0.1%) and pediatric research funding has posted very modest gains (3.5%) without accounting for 1-time increases under the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. We offer recommendations to protect against further erosion of the pediatric research portfolio because continuation of these trends will have a negative effect on the health of children during their childhood and as adults. As capacity to conduct basic and applied research is further constrained, it will be a challenge for pediatric researchers to do more with less and less.

Growth Decline Linked to Warming-Induced Water Limitation in Hemi-Boreal Forests

PubMed Central

Wu, Xiuchen; Liu, Hongyan; Guo, Dali; Anenkhonov, Oleg A.; Badmaeva, Natalya K.; Sandanov, Denis V.

2012-01-01

Hemi-boreal forests, which make up the transition from temperate deciduous forests to boreal forests in southern Siberia, have experienced significant warming without any accompanying increase in precipitation during the last 80 years. This climatic change could have a profound impact on tree growth and on the stability of forest ecosystems in this region, but at present evidence for these impacts is lacking. In this study, we report a recent dramatic decline in the growth of hemi-boreal forests, based on ring width measurements from three dominant tree-species (Pinus sylvestris, Larix sibirica and Larix gmelinii), sampled from eight sites in the region. We found that regional tree growth has become increasingly limited by low soil water content in the pre- and early-growing season (from October of the previous year to July of the current year) over the past 80 years. A warming-induced reduction in soil water content has also increased the climate sensitivity of these three tree species. Beginning in the mid-1980s, a clear decline in growth is evident for both the pine forests and the larch forests, although there are increasing trends in the proxy of soil water use efficiencies. Our findings are consistent with those from other parts of the world and provide valuable insights into the regional carbon cycle and vegetation dynamics, and should be useful for devising adaptive forest management strategies. PMID:22916142

Growth decline linked to warming-induced water limitation in hemi-boreal forests.

PubMed

Wu, Xiuchen; Liu, Hongyan; Guo, Dali; Anenkhonov, Oleg A; Badmaeva, Natalya K; Sandanov, Denis V

2012-01-01

Hemi-boreal forests, which make up the transition from temperate deciduous forests to boreal forests in southern Siberia, have experienced significant warming without any accompanying increase in precipitation during the last 80 years. This climatic change could have a profound impact on tree growth and on the stability of forest ecosystems in this region, but at present evidence for these impacts is lacking. In this study, we report a recent dramatic decline in the growth of hemi-boreal forests, based on ring width measurements from three dominant tree-species (Pinus sylvestris, Larix sibirica and Larix gmelinii), sampled from eight sites in the region. We found that regional tree growth has become increasingly limited by low soil water content in the pre- and early-growing season (from October of the previous year to July of the current year) over the past 80 years. A warming-induced reduction in soil water content has also increased the climate sensitivity of these three tree species. Beginning in the mid-1980s, a clear decline in growth is evident for both the pine forests and the larch forests, although there are increasing trends in the proxy of soil water use efficiencies. Our findings are consistent with those from other parts of the world and provide valuable insights into the regional carbon cycle and vegetation dynamics, and should be useful for devising adaptive forest management strategies.

Ecological lessons from an island that has experienced it all

Treesearch

Ariel E. Lugo

2006-01-01

Puerto Rico has gone through significant land cover change, going from an island that was forested to one that was agrarian and then finally becoming an urban island. Coastal wetlands experienced dramatic changes as alterations occurred in land cover and an eco-systematic analysis of these changes leads to the proposal of the following five ecological lessons learned...

Radionuclide Imaging of Neurohormonal System of the Heart

PubMed Central

Chen, Xinyu; Werner, Rudolf A.; Javadi, Mehrbod S.; Maya, Yoshifumi; Decker, Michael; Lapa, Constantin; Herrmann, Ken; Higuchi, Takahiro

2015-01-01

Heart failure is one of the growing causes of death especially in developed countries due to longer life expectancy. Although many pharmacological and instrumental therapeutic approaches have been introduced for prevention and treatment of heart failure, there are still limitations and challenges. Nuclear cardiology has experienced rapid growth in the last few decades, in particular the application of single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET), which allow non-invasive functional assessment of cardiac condition including neurohormonal systems involved in heart failure; its application has dramatically improved the capacity for fundamental research and clinical diagnosis. In this article, we review the current status of applying radionuclide technology in non-invasive imaging of neurohormonal system in the heart, especially focusing on the tracers that are currently available. A short discussion about disadvantages and perspectives is also included. PMID:25825596

Lincoln Co. Scrap Metal, Crab Orchard, Kentucky

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The City of Crab Orchard, KY (population less than 1,000) received a $200,000 EPA Brownfields cleanup grant in 2010 to cleanup up the Lincoln County ScrapMetal property. The site, a former scrap metal recycler and general junkyard, was located in the middle of downtown. The city has experienced a dramatic decline in growth over the past few years. The abandoned two-acre site is located in the city’s center, directly across the street from City Hall. It is the largest property on Main Street. The property was an eyesore, and posed potential health risks to area residents, and deterred investment. Its blighted status did little to help the commercial and private properties that surround it. The site was also home to a dilapidated building that once served as the Odd Fellows meeting hall.

Soft tissue augmentation in skin of color: market growth, available fillers, and successful techniques.

PubMed

Burgess, Cheryl M

2007-01-01

In recent years, people of color have become an increasingly important market force for the cosmetics industry. Product lines have been expanded to accommodate a broader spectrum of skin colors and marketing strategies have been specialized in order to target specific ethnic populations. In addition, it is predicted that people with pigmented skin will eventually comprise a majority of the domestic and international population during the 21st century. Not surprisingly, people of color are increasingly seeking out products and procedures to fight the effects of aging, including an increase in surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic procedures. Among nonsurgical procedures, soft tissue augmentation has experienced dramatic growth. Today, clinicians are performing more and more of these procedures in people of color. As a result of these shifts in the cosmetics industry, clinicians performing soft tissue augmentation require increased expertise in the treatment of ethnic skin. This article reviews the important differences that exist between the appearance of the aging faces of Caucasians and people of color. In addition, soft tissue augmentation strategies and injection techniques that are specific to skin of color are discussed.

Elevated Rocky Mountain elk numbers prevent positive effects of fire on quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) recruitment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Smith, David Solance; Fettig, Stephen M.; Bowker, Matthew A.

2016-01-01

Quaking aspen (Populus tremuloides) is the most widespread tree species in North America and has supported a unique ecosystem for tens of thousands of years, yet is currently threatened by dramatic loss and possible local extinctions. While multiple factors such as climate change and fire suppression are thought to contribute to aspen’s decline, increased browsing by elk (Cervus elaphus), which have experienced dramatic population increases in the last ∼80 years, may severely inhibit aspen growth and regeneration. Fires are known to favor aspen recovery, but in the last several decades the spatial scale and intensity of wildfires has greatly increased, with poorly understood ramifications for aspen growth. Here, focusing on the 2000 Cerro Grande fire in central New Mexico – one of the earliest fires described as a “mega-fire” - we use three methods to examine the impact of elk browsing on aspen regeneration after a mega-fire. First, we use an exclosure experiment to show that aspen growing in the absence of elk were 3× taller than trees growing in the presence of elk. Further, aspen that were both protected from elk and experienced burning were 8.5× taller than unburned trees growing in the presence of elk, suggesting that the combination of release from herbivores and stimulation from fire creates the largest aspen growth rates. Second, using surveys at the landscape level, we found a correlation between elk browsing intensity and aspen height, such that where elk browsing was highest, aspen were shortest. This relationship between elk browsing intensity and aspen height was stronger in burned (r = −0.53) compared to unburned (r = −0.24) areas. Third, in conjunction with the landscape-level surveys, we identified possible natural refugia, microsites containing downed logs, shrubs etc. that may inhibit elk browsing by physically blocking aspen from elk or by impeding elk’s ability to move through the forest patch. We did not find any consistent patterns between refuge elements and aspen size or canopy cover suggesting that natural refugia are not aiding in aspen recruitment and that all young aspen were susceptible to browsing. In much of their normal range, aspen are not growing to large size classes, which threatens the future of this iconic species and calls into question the ability of ecosystems to recover from mega-fires. Our results highlight the importance of considering multiple interacting factors (i.e. fire and increased elk browsing) when considering aspen management and regeneration.

Issues in International Energy Consumption Analysis: Chinese Transportation Fuel Demand

EIA Publications

2014-01-01

Since the 1990s, China has experienced tremendous growth in its transportation sector. By the end of 2010, China's road infrastructure had emerged as the second-largest transportation system in the world after the United States. Passenger vehicle sales are dramatically increasing from a little more than half a million in 2000, to 3.7 million in 2005, to 13.8 million in 2010. This represents a twenty-fold increase from 2000 to 2010. The unprecedented motorization development in China led to a significant increase in oil demand, which requires China to import progressively more petroleum from other countries, with its share of petroleum imports exceeding 50% of total petroleum demand since 2009. In response to growing oil import dependency, the Chinese government is adopting a broad range of policies, including promotion of fuel-efficient vehicles, fuel conservation, increasing investments in oil resources around the world, and many others.

Nature Cure and Non-Communicable Diseases: Ecological Therapy as Health Care in India.

PubMed

Alter, Joseph S; Nair, R M; Nair, Rukmani

2017-12-07

With rapidly increasing rates of non-communicable diseases, India is experiencing a dramatic public health crisis that is closely linked to changing lifestyles and the growth of the middle-class. In this essay we discuss how the practice of Nature Cure provides a way of understanding the scale and scope of the crisis, as it is embodied, and a way to understand key elements of a solution to problems that the crisis presents for institutionalized health care. As institutionalized in contemporary India, Nature Cure involves treatment and managed care using earth, air, sunlight, and water as well as a strict dietary regimen. In this regard, the essay shows how Nature Cure's bio-ecological orientation toward public health, which is grounded in the history of its modern incorporation into India, provides an expansionist, ecological model for holistic care that counters the reductionist logic of bio-medical pharmaceuticalization.

Determinants and impacts of international remittances on household welfare in Vietnam.

PubMed

Pfau, Wade Donald; Giang, Long Thanh

2009-01-01

Remittances can potentially help to promote economic development by providing a mechanism to share risks, reduce poverty and improve equality. However, from the viewpoint of economic theory the overall impacts of remittances are uncertain, as different mechanisms lead to opposite impacts. Since the 1990s Vietnam has experienced a dramatic growth in remittance flows from abroad. Vietnam is a unique case for study, as economic motives historically played a smaller role in outward migration than in other countries. Fortunately, household survey data are available for this time period, allowing for a detailed analysis of the impacts of international remittances on Vietnam. Specifically, we examine the characteristics of recipients and the impacts of international remittances on economic inequality and poverty. We conclude that international remittances are helping to improve equality. For this reason, new development policies must also account for their potential impacts on remittance flows.

Nature Cure and Non-Communicable Diseases: Ecological Therapy as Health Care in India

PubMed Central

Alter, Joseph S.; Nair, R. M.; Nair, Rukmani

2017-01-01

With rapidly increasing rates of non-communicable diseases, India is experiencing a dramatic public health crisis that is closely linked to changing lifestyles and the growth of the middle-class. In this essay we discuss how the practice of Nature Cure provides a way of understanding the scale and scope of the crisis, as it is embodied, and a way to understand key elements of a solution to problems that the crisis presents for institutionalized health care. As institutionalized in contemporary India, Nature Cure involves treatment and managed care using earth, air, sunlight, and water as well as a strict dietary regimen. In this regard, the essay shows how Nature Cure’s bio-ecological orientation toward public health, which is grounded in the history of its modern incorporation into India, provides an expansionist, ecological model for holistic care that counters the reductionist logic of bio-medical pharmaceuticalization. PMID:29215549

The Interplay Between Language, Gesture, and Affect During Communicative Transition: A Dynamic Systems Approach

PubMed Central

Parladé, Meaghan V.; Iverson, Jana M.

2012-01-01

From a dynamic systems perspective, transition points in development are times of increased instability, during which behavioral patterns are susceptible to temporary decoupling. This study investigated the impact of the vocabulary spurt on existing patterns of communicative coordination. Eighteen typically developing infants were videotaped at home 1 month before, at, and after the vocabulary spurt. Infants were identified as spurters if they underwent a discrete phase transition in vocabulary development (marked by an inflection point), and compared with a group of nonspurters whose word-learning rates followed a trajectory of continuous change. Relative to surrounding sessions, there were significant reductions in overall coordination of communicative behaviors and in words produced in coordination at the vocabulary spurt session for infants who experienced more dramatic vocabulary growth. In contrast, nonspurters demonstrated little change across sessions. Findings underscore the importance of transitions as opportunities for observing processes of developmental change. PMID:21219063

The changing scene of social work in hospitals: a report of a national study by the Society for Social Work Administrators in Health Care and NASW.

PubMed

Berger, C S; Cayner, J; Jensen, G; Mizrahi, T; Scesny, A; Trachtenberg, J

1996-08-01

The Society for Social Work Administrators in Health Care and NASW collaborated on a national study of the changes affecting social work services in a sample of 340 hospitals drawn from the member list of the American Hospital Association. The findings suggest that the changes affecting social work need to be viewed within the context of the dramatic changes occurring in the hospital and health care field. Although social work departments are experiencing decreases, these decreases often are not occurring at the same rate as those within the hospital overall. Growth is occurring in the types and scope of services. Social work is not being singled out for change, but it is critical that these trends continue to be monitored and proactive strategies used to enhance social work viability within a changing hospital environment.

The health care industry: in evolution or revolution?

PubMed

Cleverley, W O

1999-01-01

The health care industry has experienced dramatic changes during the last 25 years and will likely undergo even more dramatic changes in the next 25 years. Many firms in the health care industry will thrive just as many firms have thrived during the last 25 years. The ultimate key to success will be management and their attention to the basics of good business management. Management has always been the key ingredient and will continue to be the most critical success factor.

75 FR 8287 - Control of Ergocristine, a Chemical Precursor Used in the Illicit Manufacture of Lysergic Acid...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-24

... effects experienced by the user may include feelings of obtaining true insight, intensified emotions, sudden and dramatic mood swings, impairment of attention, concentration and motivation, distortion of...

Detection and attribution of vegetation growth change in China during the last thirty years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan, J.; Wang, X.; Mao, J.; Shi, X.; Peng, S.; Zeng, Z.; Piao, S.

2013-12-01

Enhanced terrestrial vegetation growth in China over the past three decades has been proved by satellite observations. During the same period, China has experienced dramatic land use and land cover changes. Those changes can not only strengthen the vegetation growth by afforestation and agricultural management, but also weaken it by urbanization and overgrazing. Compared to global climate changes, the effect of land use and land cover changes (LULCC) in China vegetation growth is still not clear. A further understanding of the mechanisms for this phenomenon is crucial for projecting future ecosystem dynamics. To investigate the variation of vegetation growth in Chinese provinces and evaluate its responses to external driving factors from 1982 to 2009, two mechanistic terrestrial carbon models (CLM and OCHIDEE) have been applied in this paper. The modeled Leaf Area Index (LAI) from the two models has been increasing, which is consistent to the satellite LAI. On that basis, a series of factorial simulations based on the two models were processed to separate independent contributions of external driving factors to LAI. Besides of climate changing and LULCC, other external driving factors were also considered such as CO2 and nitrogen deposition. The results indicate that the distribution of LAI trend is far from homogeneous at provincial scale and highest LAI trend happened in South China. The dominant influential factor varies in different provinces. Climate-only simulation may not explain the vegetation growth change well in all the provinces. CO2 and LULCC seem to play a more important role in South China which matches the region with sharp increase of LAI. This phenomenon shows that the anthropology-oriented impact cannot be ignored under the background of global climate change and it is vital for further exploration of the effect of human society to vegetation growth.

Multilocus Analyses Reveal Postglacial Demographic Shrinkage of Juniperus morrisonicola (Cupressaceae), a Dominant Alpine Species in Taiwan

PubMed Central

Chiu, Chi-Te; Huang, Chao-Li; Hung, Kuo-Hsiang; Chiang, Tzen-Yuh

2016-01-01

Postglacial climate changes alter geographical distributions and diversity of species. Such ongoing changes often force species to migrate along the latitude/altitude. Altitudinal gradients represent assemblage of environmental, especially climatic, variable factors that influence the plant distributions. Global warming that triggered upward migrations has therefore impacted the alpine plants on an island. In this study, we examined the genetic structure of Juniperus morrisonicola, a dominant alpine species in Taiwan, and inferred historical, demographic dynamics based on multilocus analyses. Lower levels of genetic diversity in north indicated that populations at higher latitudes were vulnerable to climate change, possibly related to historical alpine glaciers. Neither organellar DNA nor nuclear genes displayed geographical subdivisions, indicating that populations were likely interconnected before migrating upward to isolated mountain peaks, providing low possibilities of seed/pollen dispersal across mountain ranges. Bayesian skyline plots suggested steady population growth of J. morrisonicola followed by recent demographic contraction. In contrast, most lower-elevation plants experienced recent demographic expansion as a result of global warming. The endemic alpine conifer may have experienced dramatic climate changes over the alternation of glacial and interglacial periods, as indicated by a trend showing decreasing genetic diversity with the altitudinal gradient, plus a fact of upward migration. PMID:27561108

Multilocus Analyses Reveal Postglacial Demographic Shrinkage of Juniperus morrisonicola (Cupressaceae), a Dominant Alpine Species in Taiwan.

PubMed

Huang, Chi-Chun; Hsu, Tsai-Wen; Wang, Hao-Ven; Liu, Zin-Huang; Chen, Yi-Yen; Chiu, Chi-Te; Huang, Chao-Li; Hung, Kuo-Hsiang; Chiang, Tzen-Yuh

2016-01-01

Postglacial climate changes alter geographical distributions and diversity of species. Such ongoing changes often force species to migrate along the latitude/altitude. Altitudinal gradients represent assemblage of environmental, especially climatic, variable factors that influence the plant distributions. Global warming that triggered upward migrations has therefore impacted the alpine plants on an island. In this study, we examined the genetic structure of Juniperus morrisonicola, a dominant alpine species in Taiwan, and inferred historical, demographic dynamics based on multilocus analyses. Lower levels of genetic diversity in north indicated that populations at higher latitudes were vulnerable to climate change, possibly related to historical alpine glaciers. Neither organellar DNA nor nuclear genes displayed geographical subdivisions, indicating that populations were likely interconnected before migrating upward to isolated mountain peaks, providing low possibilities of seed/pollen dispersal across mountain ranges. Bayesian skyline plots suggested steady population growth of J. morrisonicola followed by recent demographic contraction. In contrast, most lower-elevation plants experienced recent demographic expansion as a result of global warming. The endemic alpine conifer may have experienced dramatic climate changes over the alternation of glacial and interglacial periods, as indicated by a trend showing decreasing genetic diversity with the altitudinal gradient, plus a fact of upward migration.

Intrauterine Growth Restriction Is a Direct Consequence of Localized Maternal Uropathogenic Escherichia coli Cystitis

PubMed Central

Bolton, Michael; Horvath, Dennis J.; Li, Birong; Cortado, Hanna; Newsom, David; White, Peter; Partida-Sanchez, Santiago; Justice, Sheryl S.

2012-01-01

Despite the continually increasing rates of adverse perinatal outcomes across the globe, the molecular mechanisms that underlie adverse perinatal outcomes are not completely understood. Clinical studies report that 10% of pregnant women will experience a urinary tract infection (UTI) and there is an association of UTIs with adverse perinatal outcomes. We introduced bacterial cystitis into successfully outbred female mice at gestational day 14 to follow pregnancy outcomes and immunological responses to determine the mechanisms that underlie UTI-mediated adverse outcomes. Outbred fetuses from mothers experiencing localized cystitis displayed intrauterine growth restriction (20–80%) as early as 48 hours post-infection and throughout the remainder of normal gestation. Robust infiltration of cellular innate immune effectors was observed in the uteroplacental tissue following introduction of UTI despite absence of viable bacteria. The magnitude of serum proinflammatory cytokines is elevated in the maternal serum during UTI. This study demonstrates that a localized infection can dramatically impact the immunological status as well as the function of non-infected distal organs and tissues. This model can be used as a platform to determine the mechanism(s) by which proinflammatory changes occur between non-contiguous genitourinary organs PMID:22470490

Roles of density-dependent growth and life history evolution in accounting for fisheries-induced trait changes.

PubMed

Eikeset, Anne Maria; Dunlop, Erin S; Heino, Mikko; Storvik, Geir; Stenseth, Nils C; Dieckmann, Ulf

2016-12-27

The relative roles of density dependence and life history evolution in contributing to rapid fisheries-induced trait changes remain debated. In the 1930s, northeast Arctic cod (Gadus morhua), currently the world's largest cod stock, experienced a shift from a traditional spawning-ground fishery to an industrial trawl fishery with elevated exploitation in the stock's feeding grounds. Since then, age and length at maturation have declined dramatically, a trend paralleled in other exploited stocks worldwide. These trends can be explained by demographic truncation of the population's age structure, phenotypic plasticity in maturation arising through density-dependent growth, fisheries-induced evolution favoring faster-growing or earlier-maturing fish, or a combination of these processes. Here, we use a multitrait eco-evolutionary model to assess the capacity of these processes to reproduce 74 y of historical data on age and length at maturation in northeast Arctic cod, while mimicking the stock's historical harvesting regime. Our results show that model predictions critically depend on the assumed density dependence of growth: when this is weak, life history evolution might be necessary to prevent stock collapse, whereas when a stronger density dependence estimated from recent data is used, the role of evolution in explaining fisheries-induced trait changes is diminished. Our integrative analysis of density-dependent growth, multitrait evolution, and stock-specific time series data underscores the importance of jointly considering evolutionary and ecological processes, enabling a more comprehensive perspective on empirically observed stock dynamics than previous studies could provide.

Building a sustainable GIS framework for supporting a tribal transportation problem.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-03-01

Due to the recent oil boom, the Fort Berthold Reservation has experienced a dramatic increase in highway and local traffic. To support energy transportation and provide safe roads, the reservation needs cost-efficient and effective transportation pla...

The rise of the mesopredator

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Apex predators have experienced catastrophic declines throughout the world due to human persecution and habitat loss. These collapses in top predator populations are commonly associated with dramatic increases in the abundance of smaller predators. Known as ‘mesopredator release,’ this trophic inte...

A Touch of Neuroscience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parlier, David; Demetrikopoulos, Melissa K.

2004-01-01

Middle school students represent a wonderful target audience for introducing neurological concepts. The preteen years of the middle grades represent a time of incredible physical and mental development. Students in a seventh-grade classroom are experiencing dramatic physiological and psychological changes. Understanding the parts and functions of…

Assessing the effects of hybridization and precipitation on invasive weed demography using strength of selection on vital rates.

PubMed

Teitel, Zachary; Klimowski, Agnieszka; Campbell, Lesley G

2016-12-07

As global climate change transforms average temperature and rainfall, species distributions may meet, increasing the potential for hybridization and altering individual fitness and population growth. Altered rainfall specifically may shift the strength and direction of selection, also manipulating population trajectories. Here, we investigated the role of interspecific hybridization and selection imposed by rainfall on the evolution of weedy life-history in non-hybrid (Raphanus raphanistrum) and hybrid (R. raphanistrum x R. sativus) populations using a life table response experiment. In documenting long-term population dynamics, we determined intrinsic (r) and asymptotic (λ) population growth rates and sensitivities, a measure of selection imposed on demographic rates. Hybrid populations experienced 8.7-10.3 times stronger selection than wild populations for increased seedling survival. Whereas crop populations generally exhibit little dormancy and wild populations often exhibit dormancy, non-hybrid populations experienced 10% stronger selection than hybrid populations for exhibiting seed dormancy. Selection on survival-to-flowering in wild, not hybrid, populations declined marginally with increasing soil moisture. Hybrid populations exhibited greater r, but not λ, than wild populations regardless of moisture environment. In general, fecundity contributed most to differences in λ but fecundity only contributed positively to hybrid λ relative to wild λ when precipitation was altered (either higher or lower than control) and not under control watering conditions. Selection on key demographic traits may not change dramatically in response to rainfall, and hybridization may more strongly influence the demography of these weedy species than rainfall. If hybrid populations can respond to selection for increased dormancy, this may make it more difficult to deplete weed seed banks and increase the persistence of crop genes in weed populations.

Pollinator Research at EPA

EPA Science Inventory

Of great concern, honey bee populations have experienced dramatic declines in the US and in many other countries. In response to this issue, the White House instructed the EPA and USDA to lead a Federal Task Force to develop a National Strategy on Pollinator Health which called f...

PHYLOGEOGRAPHY OF RANA YAVAPAIENSIS AND RANA ONCA: PRELIMINARY FINDINGS WITH CONSERVATION IMPLICATIONS

EPA Science Inventory

The closely related aridland frogs Rana onca (Relict Leopard Frog) and Rana yavapaiensis (Lowland Leopard Frog) have both experienced dramatic population declines. Rana onca currently occurs naturally at only 6 disjunct sites in southern Nevada. Rana yavapaiensis is present acros...

Data, Our GPS

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Rich; Johnson, Marcus; Thompson, Karen D.

2012-01-01

A low-performing California school district experienced a dramatic turnaround when faculty members began studying student assessment data and working together to ensure students had the support they needed. Sanger Unified School District began its reform journey in 2004 when district leaders launched an effort to focus deliberately on student…

Economic Recovery vs. Defense Spending.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Grasse, Robert; Murphy, Paul

1981-01-01

Evaluates President Reagan's proposed military buildup in light of the cuts such expenditures would necessitate in approximately 300 domestic programs. Suggests that the dramatic proposed increase in military spending risks higher inflation and slower economic growth. Concludes with a plea for rethinking of Reagan's dramatic shift in national…

Dramatically accelerated growth and extraordinary gigantism of transgenic mud loach Misgurnus mizolepis.

PubMed

Nam, Y K; Noh, J K; Cho, Y S; Cho, H J; Cho, K N; Kim, C G; Kim, D S

2001-08-01

Transgenic mud loaches (Misgurnus mizolepis), in which the entire transgene originated from the same species, have been generated by microinjecting the mud loach growth hormone (mlGH) gene fused to the mud loach beta-actin promoter. Out of 4,100 eggs injected, 7.5% fish derived from the injected eggs showed dramatically accelerated growth, with a maximum of 35-fold faster growth than their non-transgenic siblings. Many fast-growing transgenic individuals showed extraordinary gigantism: their body weight and total length (largest fish attained to 413 g and 41.5 cm) were larger and longer than even those of 12-year-old normal broodstock (maximum size reached to 89 g and 28 cm). Of 46 transgenic founders tested, 30 individuals transmitted the transgene to next generation with a wide range of germ-line transmission frequencies ranging from 2% to 33%. The growth performance of the subsequent generation (F1) was also dramatically accelerated up to 35-fold, although the levels of enhanced growth were variable among transgenic lines. Three transgenic germ-lines up to F4 were established, showing the expected Mendelian inheritance of the transgene. Expression of GH mRNA in many tissues was detected by RT-PCR analyses. The time required to attain marketable size (10 g) in these transgenic lines was only 30-50 days after fertilization, while at least 6 months in non-transgenic fish. Besides growth enhancement, significantly improved feed-conversion efficiency up to 1.9-fold was also observed.

A Conceptual Framework for the Future of Successful Research Administration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lintz, Elizabeth M.

2008-01-01

Research administration has experienced dramatic changes over the past decades. As scientific research has evolved, higher education institutions have tried to adapt, with varying degrees of success. This paper presents a conceptual framework based on six cornerstones of research administration: mission, information, communication, collaboration,…

Why Leadership Matters: One School's Journey to Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Cheryl James

2013-01-01

In the following study, the researcher, an experienced leadership coach and former principal, observed the leadership practices of a first-year principal over the course of one year as student achievement at his school increased dramatically. Employing participant observation, document analysis, interviewing, and administration of a teacher…

Top 10 Tips for Using Advance Care Planning Codes in Palliative Medicine and Beyond.

PubMed

Jones, Christopher A; Acevedo, Jean; Bull, Janet; Kamal, Arif H

2016-12-01

Although recommended for all persons with serious illness, advance care planning (ACP) has historically been a charitable clinical service. Inadequate or unreliable provisions for reimbursement, among other barriers, have spurred a gap between the evidence demonstrating the importance of timely ACP and recognition by payers for its delivery. 1 For the first time, healthcare is experiencing a dramatic shift in billing codes that support increased care management and care coordination. ACP, chronic care management, and transitional care management codes are examples of this newer recognition of the value of these types of services. ACP discussions are an integral component of comprehensive, high-quality palliative care delivery. The advent of reimbursement mechanisms to recognize these services has an enormous potential to impact palliative care program sustainability and growth. In this article, we highlight 10 tips to effectively using the new ACP codes reimbursable under Medicare. The importance of documentation, proper billing, and nuances regarding coding is addressed.

Entomological Opportunities and Challenges for Sustainable Viticulture in a Global Market.

PubMed

Daane, Kent M; Vincent, Charles; Isaacs, Rufus; Ioriatti, Claudio

2018-01-07

Viticulture has experienced dramatic global growth in acreage and value. As the international exchange of goods has increased, so too has the market demand for sustainably produced products. Both elements redefine the entomological challenges posed to viticulture and have stimulated significant advances in arthropod pest control programs. Vineyard managers on all continents are increasingly combating invasive species, resulting in the adoption of novel insecticides, semiochemicals, and molecular tools to support sustainable viticulture. At the local level, vineyard management practices consider factors such as the surrounding natural ecosystem, risk to fish populations, and air quality. Coordinated multinational responses to pest invasion have been highly effective and have, for example, resulted in eradication of the moth Lobesia botrana from California vineyards, a pest found in 2009 and eradicated by 2016. At the global level, the shared pests and solutions for their suppression will play an increasing role in delivering internationally sensitive pest management programs that respond to invasive pests, climate change, novel vector and pathogen relationships, and pesticide restrictions.

Systemic risk and spatiotemporal dynamics of the US housing market.

PubMed

Meng, Hao; Xie, Wen-Jie; Jiang, Zhi-Qiang; Podobnik, Boris; Zhou, Wei-Xing; Stanley, H Eugene

2014-01-13

Housing markets play a crucial role in economies and the collapse of a real-estate bubble usually destabilizes the financial system and causes economic recessions. We investigate the systemic risk and spatiotemporal dynamics of the US housing market (1975-2011) at the state level based on the Random Matrix Theory (RMT). We identify richer economic information in the largest eigenvalues deviating from RMT predictions for the housing market than for stock markets and find that the component signs of the eigenvectors contain either geographical information or the extent of differences in house price growth rates or both. By looking at the evolution of different quantities such as eigenvalues and eigenvectors, we find that the US housing market experienced six different regimes, which is consistent with the evolution of state clusters identified by the box clustering algorithm and the consensus clustering algorithm on the partial correlation matrices. We find that dramatic increases in the systemic risk are usually accompanied by regime shifts, which provide a means of early detection of housing bubbles.

Top 10 Tips for Using Advance Care Planning Codes in Palliative Medicine and Beyond

PubMed Central

Acevedo, Jean; Bull, Janet; Kamal, Arif H.

2016-01-01

Abstract Although recommended for all persons with serious illness, advance care planning (ACP) has historically been a charitable clinical service. Inadequate or unreliable provisions for reimbursement, among other barriers, have spurred a gap between the evidence demonstrating the importance of timely ACP and recognition by payers for its delivery.1 For the first time, healthcare is experiencing a dramatic shift in billing codes that support increased care management and care coordination. ACP, chronic care management, and transitional care management codes are examples of this newer recognition of the value of these types of services. ACP discussions are an integral component of comprehensive, high-quality palliative care delivery. The advent of reimbursement mechanisms to recognize these services has an enormous potential to impact palliative care program sustainability and growth. In this article, we highlight 10 tips to effectively using the new ACP codes reimbursable under Medicare. The importance of documentation, proper billing, and nuances regarding coding is addressed. PMID:27682147

How are recent changes in Southern Hemisphere Westerly Winds affecting East Antarctic terrestrial plants?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, S. A.; Waterman, M. J.; Bramley-Alves, J.; Clarke, L. J.; Hua, Q.

2017-12-01

Antarctica has experienced major changes in temperature, wind speed, stratospheric ozone levels and ultraviolet-B radiation over the last century. However, because East Antarctica has shown little climate warming, biological changes were predicted to be relatively slow, compared to the rapid changes observed on the warmer Antarctic Peninsula. Detecting the biological effects of Antarctic climate change has been hindered by the paucity of long-term data sets, particularly for organisms that have been exposed to these changes throughout their lives. Recent studies using radiocarbon signals preserved along the shoots of individual mosses, as well as peat cores, enables accurate determination of the growth rates of the dominant Antarctic moss flora over the last century. This allows us to explore the influence of environmental variables on growth providing a dramatic demonstration of the effects of climate change on Antarctic biodiversity. We generated detailed 50-year growth records for four Antarctic moss species, Ceratodon purpureus, Bryum pseudotriquetrum, Schistidium antarctici and Bryoerythrophyllum recurvirostre using the 1960s radiocarbon bomb spike. Ceratodon purpureus' growth rates are positively correlated with ozone depth and temperature and negatively correlated with wind speed. Carbon stable isotopic measurements (∂13C) suggest that the observed effects of climate variation on growth are mediated through changes in water availability and mostly likely linked to the more positive phase of the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) and changing westerly wind patterns. For cold remote locations like Antarctica, where climate records are limited and of relatively short duration, this illustrates that mosses can act as microclimate proxies and have the potential to increase our knowledge of coastal Antarctic climate change.

Long and spatially variable Neolithic Demographic Transition in the North American Southwest

PubMed Central

Kohler, Timothy A.; Reese, Kelsey M.

2014-01-01

In many places of the world, a Neolithic Demographic Transition (NDT) is visible as a several-hundred-year period of increased birth rates coupled with stable mortality rates, resulting in dramatic population growth that is eventually curtailed by increased mortality. Similar processes can be reconstructed in particular detail for the North American Southwest, revealing an anomalously long and spatially variable NDT. Irrigation-dependent societies experienced relatively low birth rates but were quick to achieve a high degree of sociopolitical complexity, whereas societies dependent on dry or rainfed farming experienced higher birth rates but less initial sociopolitical complexity. Low birth rates after A.D. 1200 mark the beginning of the decline of the Hohokam. Overall in the Southwest, birth rates increased slowly from 1100 B.C. to A.D. 500, and remained at high levels with some fluctuation until decreasing rapidly beginning A.D. 1300. Life expectancy at 15 increased slowly from 900 B.C. to A.D. 700, and then increased rapidly for 200 y before fluctuating and then declining after A.D. 1400. Life expectancy at birth, on the other hand, generally declined from 1100 B.C. to A.D. 1100/1200, before rebounding. Farmers took two millennia (∼1100 B.C. to ∼A.D. 1000) to reach the carrying capacity of the agricultural niche in the Southwest. PMID:24982134

Roles of density-dependent growth and life history evolution in accounting for fisheries-induced trait changes

PubMed Central

Eikeset, Anne Maria; Dunlop, Erin S.; Heino, Mikko; Storvik, Geir; Stenseth, Nils C.; Dieckmann, Ulf

2016-01-01

The relative roles of density dependence and life history evolution in contributing to rapid fisheries-induced trait changes remain debated. In the 1930s, northeast Arctic cod (Gadus morhua), currently the world’s largest cod stock, experienced a shift from a traditional spawning-ground fishery to an industrial trawl fishery with elevated exploitation in the stock’s feeding grounds. Since then, age and length at maturation have declined dramatically, a trend paralleled in other exploited stocks worldwide. These trends can be explained by demographic truncation of the population’s age structure, phenotypic plasticity in maturation arising through density-dependent growth, fisheries-induced evolution favoring faster-growing or earlier-maturing fish, or a combination of these processes. Here, we use a multitrait eco-evolutionary model to assess the capacity of these processes to reproduce 74 y of historical data on age and length at maturation in northeast Arctic cod, while mimicking the stock’s historical harvesting regime. Our results show that model predictions critically depend on the assumed density dependence of growth: when this is weak, life history evolution might be necessary to prevent stock collapse, whereas when a stronger density dependence estimated from recent data is used, the role of evolution in explaining fisheries-induced trait changes is diminished. Our integrative analysis of density-dependent growth, multitrait evolution, and stock-specific time series data underscores the importance of jointly considering evolutionary and ecological processes, enabling a more comprehensive perspective on empirically observed stock dynamics than previous studies could provide. PMID:27940913

State-Of-The-Science Review: Everything NanoSilver and More

EPA Science Inventory

Silver has been known to be a potent antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral agent, but in recent years, the use of silver as a biocide in solution, suspension, and especially in nano-particulate form has experienced a dramatic revival. Due to the properties of silver at the nano...

Linking Assessment and School Success.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raham, Helen

1999-01-01

School systems have recently experienced a dramatic shift toward the use of large-scale assessment to improve school performance. Discusses the ways in which external assessment may benefit education, the need for multiple measures of various dimensions of school success, and guidelines for using assessment to create a dynamic cycle of continuous…

The status of Bombus occidentalis and B. moderatus in Alaska with special focus on Nosema bombi incidence

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Technical Abstract: Four North American bumble bee species in the subgenus Bombus sensu stricto, including Bombus occidentalis (Hymenoptera: Apidae), are experiencing dramatic declines in population abundance, range and genetic diversity. The prevailing hypothesis concerning their decline is the ‘s...

Pepper's Ghost

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenslade, Thomas B., Jr.

2011-01-01

Without applications of physics such as counter-weighted sets and backdrops, inclined planes, stage lighting instruments, and other mechanisms for "deus ex machina," dramatic productions would revert to the words only--fine for Shakespeare and Becket, but not good for audiences who are accustomed to experiencing plays with the eye as well as the…

Growing Up Female: Navigating Body Image, Eating, and Depression.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graber, Julia A.; Brooks-Gunn, Jeanne

1996-01-01

Describes the dramatic increase in eating and depressive disorders experienced by significant numbers of girls as they pass through puberty. The Adolescent Study Program followed girls with eating and depressive problems across the entire adolescent decade. Discusses characteristics which are predictive of more intense problems while suggesting…

Children of Divorce: Facilitating Well-Being.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hutchinson, Roger L.; Spangler, Sharon L.

Both the increased frequency of divorce and the resultant increase in single-parent households have experienced dramatic increases since World War II. In many instances, divorce is a major disruptive experience that imposes primary impact upon all family members. Characteristically, various levels of adjustment are required of family members amid…

An Intelligent Recommendation System for Animation Scriptwriters' Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsai, Shang-Te; Chang, Ting-Cheng; Huang, Yu-Feng

2016-01-01

Producing an animation requires extensive labor, time, and money. Experienced directors and screenwriters are required to design scenes using standard props and actors in position. This study structurally analyzes the script and defines scenes, characters, positions, dialogue, etc., according to their dramatic attributes. These are entered into a…

Recipients of RTT Aid Struggling

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNeil, Michele

2012-01-01

The 12 winners of the federal Race to the Top competition have experienced near-universal challenges in turning their sweeping, multifaceted proposals into reality, among them a limited state capacity to execute fast, dramatic change and deeply rooted teacher-evaluation systems that have proved hard to transform. Reports unveiled by the U.S.…

Secreted phosphoprotein 24 kD (Spp24) inhibits growth of human pancreatic cancer cells caused by BMP-2

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

Li, Chen-Shuang; Tian, Haijun, E-mail: haijuntianmd@gmail.com; Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA

The emerging role of bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) in the initiation and progression of multiple cancers has drawn great attention in cancer research. In this study, we report that BMP-2 can promote the proliferation of the pancreatic tumor cell line, PANC-1. Secreted phosphoprotein 24 kD (Spp24), a BMP binding protein, did not affect the proliferation of the cells but promoted the apoptosis of the cells in vitro. In a xeneograft tumor model using PANC-1 cells, BMP-2 dramatically promoted tumor growth, while Spp24 not only abolished the effect of BMP-2, but also dramatically induced tumor shrinking when used alone. Activation of Smad1/5/8 participatedmore » in this process as demonstrated by immunohistochemical staining of phosphorylated Smad 1/5/8. We conclude that Spp24 can be developed into a therapeutic agent that could be employed in clinical situations where the inhibition of BMPs and related proteins is advantageous. - Highlights: • Spp24 effectively inhibited the in vivo tumor growth of PANC-1. • BMP-2 dramatically promoted tumor growth by promoting PANC-1 proliferation. • Spp24 abolished the tumor growth effect of BMP-2 by promoting PANC-1 apoptosis. • Spp24 may be a candidate as a therapeutic agent of pancreatic cancer.« less

Can migration mitigate the effects of ecosystem change? Patterns of dispersal, energy acquisition and allocation in Great Lakes lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rennie, Michael D.; Ebener, Mark P.; Wagner, Tyler

2012-01-01

Migration can be a behavioural response to poor or declining home range habitat quality and can occur when the costs of migration are overcome by the benefi ts of encountering higher-quality resources elsewhere. Despite dramatic ecosystem-level changes in the benthic food web of the Laurentian Great Lakes since the colonization of dreissenid mussels, coincident changes in condition and growth rates among benthivorous lake whitefi sh populations have been variable. We hypothesized that this variation could be in part mitigated by differences in migratory habits among populations, where increased migration distance can result in an increased probability of encountering high-quality habitat (relative to the home range). Results from four Great Lakes populations support this hypothesis; relative growth rates increased regularly with migration distance. The population with the largest average migration distance also had the least reduction in size-at-age during a period of signifi cant ecosystem change and among the highest estimated consumption and activity rates. In comparison, the population with the greatest declines in size-at-age was among the least mobile, demonstrating only moderate rates of consumption and activity. The least mobile population of lake whitefi sh was supported by a remnant Diporeia population and has experienced only moderate temporal growth declines. Our study provides evidence for the potential role of migration in mitigating the effects of ecosystem change on lake whitefi sh populations.

Growth and Your 13-to 18-Year-Old

MedlinePlus

... is a time of dramatic change for both boys and girls. Hormone-driven changes are accompanied by growth spurts ... ages 12 and 15. The growth spurt of boys is, on average, about 2 years later than that of girls. By age 16, most boys have stopped growing, ...

Evidence of exceptional oyster-reef resilience to fluctuations in sea level.

PubMed

Ridge, Justin T; Rodriguez, Antonio B; Fodrie, F Joel

2017-12-01

Ecosystems at the land-sea interface are vulnerable to rising sea level. Intertidal habitats must maintain their surface elevations with respect to sea level to persist via vertical growth or landward retreat, but projected rates of sea-level rise may exceed the accretion rates of many biogenic habitats. While considerable attention is focused on climate change over centennial timescales, relative sea level also fluctuates dramatically (10-30 cm) over month-to-year timescales due to interacting oceanic and atmospheric processes. To assess the response of oyster-reef ( Crassostrea virginica ) growth to interannual variations in mean sea level (MSL) and improve long-term forecasts of reef response to rising seas, we monitored the morphology of constructed and natural intertidal reefs over 5 years using terrestrial lidar. Timing of reef scans created distinct periods of high and low relative water level for decade-old reefs ( n  = 3) constructed in 1997 and 2000, young reefs ( n  = 11) constructed in 2011 and one natural reef (approximately 100 years old). Changes in surface elevation were related to MSL trends. Decade-old reefs achieved 2 cm/year growth, which occurred along higher elevations when MSL increased. Young reefs experienced peak growth (6.7 cm/year) at a lower elevation that coincided with a drop in MSL. The natural reef exhibited considerable loss during the low MSL of the first time step but grew substantially during higher MSL through the second time step, with growth peaking (4.3 cm/year) at MSL, reoccupying the elevations previously lost. Oyster reefs appear to be in dynamic equilibrium with short-term (month-to-year) fluctuations in sea level, evidencing notable resilience to future changes to sea level that surpasses other coastal biogenic habitat types. These growth patterns support the presence of a previously defined optimal growth zone that shifts correspondingly with changes in MSL, which can help guide oyster-reef conservation and restoration.

Demographic Trends and Projections Affecting Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zuniga, Robin Etter

1997-01-01

A dramatic increase in the pool of college-age students in the next 20 years is inevitable, but this will not necessarily lead to dramatic increases in higher education enrollment. Enrollment forecasters must ask how economic growth, tuition increases, or an increase in standardized test requirements will affect demand and be clear about…

Is All-State Guitar in Your State's Future?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarthy, Glen

2013-01-01

The growth of guitar education in schools has been dramatic. From regional, specialized, and isolated programs just a few years ago to a broad-based movement with strong support from administrators, parents, and students, guitar classes are taught today all over North America. Colleges now offer guitar education. A dramatic indicator of guitar's…

Predicting wolf (Canis lupus)-cattle (Bos Taurus) encounters and consequential effects on cattle resource selection patterns

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The gray wolf population in Idaho has grown dramatically from the original 35 reintroduced individuals in 1995-1996 to 94 documented packs and a minimum population of 835 individuals in 2009. Wolf depredation on livestock has also increased dramatically with this population growth. Substantial spa...

Social Landscapes of the Inter-Mountain West: A Comparison of "Old West" and "New West" Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winkler, Richelle; Field, Donald R.; Luloff, A. E.; Krannich, Richard S.; Williams, Tracy

2007-01-01

Rural communities have experienced dramatic demographic, social, and economic transformations over the past 30 years. Historically characterized by close links between natural resources and social, cultural, and economic structures, few of today's rural communities remain heavily dependent upon traditional extractive industries like ranching,…

The 21st Century: The Century of the American Research University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirwan, William E.

2010-01-01

Higher education in America has experienced periodic "inflection points" that have served to significantly alter the higher education landscape and dramatically change the focus and actions of the American research university community. We are on the leading edge of a new inflection point that could be--despite prevailing economic challenges--an…

The ABCDs of Service-Learning: Who Is Serving Whom?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lieberman, Devorah

2014-01-01

The concept of and approach to service-learning across higher education has changed dramatically over the last two and a half decades. Historically, one of the primary goals of service-learning was to prepare undergraduate students to become engaged citizens and to introduce them to the challenges experienced by individuals from marginalized or…

Voyages of Discovery: Experiencing the Emotion of History

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelin, Daniel A., II

2005-01-01

Guiding students through a dramatic exploration of an historical event can elicit strong emotional reactions that can deepen student understanding and interest in the subject matter. This article describes an integrated third grade lesson plan that focuses on Henry Hudson's voyages in the early 1600s. The students take on the roles of Hudson's…

The Century of Education. CEE DP 109

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morrisson, Christian; Murtin, Fabrice

2009-01-01

Global economic transformations have never been as dramatic as in the twentieth century. Most countries have experienced radical changes in the standards of income per capita, technology, fertility, mortality, income inequality and the extent of democracy in the course of the past century. It is the goal of many disciplines--economics, history,…

Academic Work: The Changing Labour Process in Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smyth, John, Ed.

This collection of papers examines what academics do as a work process and how that is changing dramatically with the fiscal crises being experienced by most governments around the world. It explores how academic work is organized, how it is enacted, in whose interests, and with what ultimate effects. Papers include: "Markets in Higher…

What Edith Stein Can Teach Adult Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Culkin, David T.

2016-01-01

Many think of Edith Stein as a phenomenological philosopher who experienced a dramatic religious conversion, but contemporary adult educators may also look to her as a model for the application of social activism based in theory. This article explores Stein's continued relevance for adult educators who research and then try to apply key concepts…

Autism Services in Mexico: A Qualitative Survey of Education Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Bryn; Barton, Erin E.

2017-01-01

Many countries are experiencing a dramatic increase of Mexican immigrants in recent decades, especially the United States. It is essential that professionals understand the cultural expectations and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) diagnostic and intervention practices in Mexico to be better prepared to meet the needs of this population. In fact,…

The Impact of the Divorce Process on the Family.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rudolph, Linda B.

One of the most dramatic changes in the American culture in recent years is the emergence of a family unit experiencing stages of disruption and reorganization as a common pattern. The stereotypical middle-class, suburban family continues to exist, but other variations of families exist also, family units for which past guidelines and assumptions…

Experiencing the Product Life Cycle Management Highs and Lows through Dramatic Simulation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pearce, Glenn; Jackson, John

2009-01-01

Product life cycle (PLC) stages and diagrams are briefly and dispassionately covered in the standard marketing textbook format with little attention to the social-psychological experiences of those actually participating. This qualitative study used process drama as a teaching tool and a research instrument to probe the PLC phenomenon in a…

Perceived Barriers for First-Generation Students: Reforms to Level the Terrain

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Unverferth, Anthony Richard; Talbert-Johnson, Carolyn; Bogard, Treavor

2012-01-01

This article examines the pervasive difficulties experienced by first-generation students in their quest to attend postsecondary settings. A change in the profile of the undergraduate student body has changed dramatically with respect to first-generation students' age, enrollment status, and family conditions. These students are likely to enter…

20 Years of natural recovery after wildfire on northern Nevada rangelands

Treesearch

Ann P. Bollinger; Barry L. Perryman

2008-01-01

In recent decades Northern Nevada has experienced a dramatic increase in cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum). As a result, wildfire frequency and size has increased. The objective of this project was to examine natural vegetation recovery and trend following 1985 wildfires. Density and cover measurements determined a high but fluctuating occurrence of...

Implementation of Policies and Strategies for Control of Noncommunicable Diseases in Malawi: Challenges and Opportunities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lupafya, Phindile Chitsulo; Mwagomba, Beatrice L. Matanje; Hosig, Kathy; Maseko, Lucy M.; Chimbali, Henry

2016-01-01

Malawi is a Sub-Saharan African country experiencing the epidemiological transition from predominantly infectious to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) with dramatically increasing prevalence of lifestyle-related diseases such as obesity, hypertension, and diabetes. Malawi's 2011-2016 Health Sector Strategic Plan included NCDs, and an NCD Control…

Between a Rock and a Hard Place: Organizational Change and Performance under Conditions of Fundamental Environmental Transformation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haveman, Heather A.

1992-01-01

Organizational change may benefit performance and survival chances if it occurs in response to dramatic restructuring of environmental conditions and builds on established routines and competencies. These propositions are tested on the savings and loan industry in California, which has experienced technological, economic, and regulatory shifts…

A Comparison of Market Needs to the Species and Quality Composition of the Eastern Hardwood

Treesearch

Robert J. Bush; Philip A. Araman

1991-01-01

Many markets for hardwood lumber have experienced growth in recent years. Eastern and Central hardwood lumber production reached an estimated 11.2 billion board feet in 1988, a twenty year high. Wood furniture, flooring, and exports have also experienced growth in the last ten years. During the same period, annual growth on eastern hardwood forests has exceeded annual...

Slower Economic Growth Affects the 1995 Labor Market.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, Jennifer M.; Hayghe, Howard V.

1996-01-01

Shows how job growth slowed dramatically in 1995, but the unemployment rate remained little changed. Discusses trends in nonfarm payroll employment by industry and changes in employment status of people in various demographic and occupational groups. (Author)

Integrating transit with road pricing projects : [summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-01-01

Floridas dramatic growth in residents and visitors : in recent decades has placed a heavy demand : on roadways. To accommodate this growth, : expressways have been added and expanded, : but for many heavily traveled highways, such as : those in Ja...

California's Demographic Future. A Rand Note.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCarthy, Kevin F.; Valdez, R. Burciaga

California's image as the Golden State is based largely on its rapid population and economic growth. However, recent trends show an aging population, a decline in population growth, a reduction in the number of migrants from other states, and a dramatic increase in foreign-born residents. Since 1960, the state's growth rate has slowed…

Long-Term Urban Market Dynamics Reveal Increased Bushmeat Carcass Volume despite Economic Growth and Proactive Environmental Legislation on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea.

PubMed

Cronin, Drew T; Woloszynek, Stephen; Morra, Wayne A; Honarvar, Shaya; Linder, Joshua M; Gonder, Mary Katherine; O'Connor, Michael P; Hearn, Gail W

2015-01-01

Bushmeat hunting is extensive in west and central Africa as both a means for subsistence and for commercial gain. Commercial hunting represents one of the primary threats to wildlife in the region, and confounding factors have made it challenging to examine how external factors influence the commercial bushmeat trade. Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea is a small island with large tracts of intact forest that support sizeable populations of commercially valuable vertebrates, especially endemic primates. The island also has a low human population and has experienced dramatic economic growth and rapid development since the mid-1990's. From October 1997 - September 2010, we monitored the largest bushmeat market on Bioko in Malabo, recording over 197,000 carcasses for sale. We used these data to analyze the dynamics of the market in relation to political events, environmental legislation, and rapid economic growth. Our findings suggest that bushmeat hunting and availability increased in parallel with the growth of Equatorial Guinea's GDP and disposable income of its citizens. During this 13-year study, the predominant mode of capture shifted from trapping to shotguns. Consequently, carcass volume and rates of taxa typically captured with shotguns increased significantly, most notably including intensified hunting of Bioko's unique and endangered monkey fauna. Attempts to limit bushmeat sales, including a 2007 ban on primate hunting and trade, were only transiently effective. The hunting ban was not enforced, and was quickly followed by a marked increase in bushmeat hunting compared to hunting rates prior to the ban. Our results emphasize the negative impact that rapid development and unenforced legislation have had on Bioko's wildlife, and demonstrate the need for strong governmental support if conservation strategies are to be successful at preventing extinctions of tropical wildlife.

Future Educational Programs and Employment Prospects in Information Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pollack, Thomas A.

2005-01-01

Over the past several years, we have experienced a rather dramatic downward turn in demand for entry level information technology (IT) professionals. However, reports of trends at the end of 2004 indicated that job postings for IT workers reached their highest levels since 2001. This occurs at a time when the number of four year degree programs in…

Advancing the Speaking and Listening Skills of K-2 English Language Learners through Creative Drama

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brouillette, Liane

2012-01-01

In recent decades the United States has experienced a dramatic increase in children entering school whose home language is not English. If they are to achieve to their full potential, these children need direct and frequent interaction with individuals who can provide English language learners with accurate feedback. Creative drama activities that…

A Workable Balance: Report to Congress on Family and Medical Leave Policies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Women's Bureau (DOL), Washington, DC.

The competing demands of the workplace and the home have intensified over the last 25 years as the nation has experienced dramatic social and economic changes affecting businesses, employees, and families. In 1993, Congress passed the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to provide a national policy that supports families in their efforts to strike…

Is There a New Israeli Gay Teenager?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pizmony-Levy, Oren; Shilo, Guy; Pinhasi, Batia

2009-01-01

Over the past decade Israel has experienced dramatic change in the legitimization of same-sex relationships. In recent years the LGBT social movement has succeeded in mobilizing public support not only for the rights and well-being of adults, but also for the younger generation-LGBT youth. Using a large-scale survey of the Israeli LGBT community…

Mirroring Ourselves: Teacher Educators of Color Reading Multicultural Texts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suh, Yonghee; Hinton, KaaVonia

2015-01-01

During the last few decades, U.S. classrooms have experienced dramatic demographic changes. This article is based on the results of a larger self-study in which four teacher educators of color participated in a book club designed to discuss the pedagogical possibilities of Yoko Kawashima Watkins' "So Far from the Bamboo Grove" (1986) and…

Advancing the science of forest hydrology A challenge to agricultural and biological engineers

Treesearch

Devendra Amatya; Wayne Skaggs; Carl Trettin

2009-01-01

For more than a century, agricultural and biological engineers have provided major advances in science, engineering, and technology to increase food and fiber production to meet the demands of a rapidly growing global population. The land base for these technological advances has originated largely from forested lands, which have experienced dramatic declines over the...

Learners' Preferences regarding Types of Language School: An Exploratory Market Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cristobal, E.; Llurda, E.

2006-01-01

The use of multimedia technologies in language teaching and learning has become very popular in the last few years. In the case of countries like Spain, multimedia language schools have experienced a great boom and a dramatic fall in the last 10 years. This study applies marketing research techniques to the study of Catalan learners' preferences…

Invited Commentary: Childhood and Adolescent Obesity--Psychological and Behavioral Issues in Weight Loss Treatment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sarwer, David B.; Dilks, Rebecca J.

2012-01-01

The prevalence of childhood and adolescent obesity has tripled in the past three decades. This increase has been accompanied by a dramatic rise in obesity-related health complications among American youth. Thus, many obese youth are now experiencing illnesses that will threaten their life expectancy in the absence of significant weight loss.…

Writing Instructors' Perceptions of International Student Writers: What Teachers Want and Need to Know

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ferris, Dana; Jensen, Linda; Wald, Margi

2015-01-01

University of California (UC) campuses have recently experienced a dramatic increase in the number of international degree-seeking undergraduate students. This article presents results of a UC-wide survey conducted to understand the perceptions of developmental and 1st year composition instructors about these demographic changes and to help design…

The Schoolwide Cluster Grouping Model: Restructuring Gifted Education Services for the 21st Century

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brulles, Dina; Winebrenner, Susan

2011-01-01

Schools today are experiencing dramatic changes in how they serve gifted students. Gifted programs that have prevailed for years are disappearing. In response, an increasing number of schools are turning to the Schoolwide Cluster Grouping Model (SCGM) to serve their gifted students. When implemented well, the SCGM represents one viable solution…

School Reform for Positive Behaviour Support through Collaborative Learning: Utilising Lesson Study for a Learning Community

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saito, Eisuke; Watanabe, Miki; Gillies, Robyn; Someya, Ikuo; Nagashima, Takashi; Sato, Masaaki; Murase, Masatsugu

2015-01-01

Recent research has emphasised educating children about positive behaviours to overcome delinquency issues, but there is little clarification of what factors lead to positive behaviours. This study analyses factors that led to children's positive behaviours at a junior high school in Japan, which experienced a dramatic turnaround after…

Technological Change in the Auto Industry. CAW Technology Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, David; Wareham, Jeff

Today the auto industry is going through the most radical restructuring it has experienced since its birth. Included in this upheaval is a dramatic reorganization of the workplace, and technology has been both a catalyst and a central part of such change. The issues involved touch every facet of workplace life: job classifications and demarcation…

Challenges for Schools in Communities with Internal Migration Flows: Evidence from Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akar, Hanife

2010-01-01

Turkey is a country that has experienced and continues to experience a dramatic degree of both rural-to-urban and inter-regional internal migration. Migrants tend to settle in "gecekondu" areas in either established inner-city neighborhoods or in newer squatter settlements built on undeveloped land bordering rural areas on the urban…

Reflections on the Social Role of Contemporary Chinese Universities in the Reform Era

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuan, Xun

2012-01-01

In the last three decades, along with rapid economic and social changes in China, dramatic changes have taken place in Chinese higher education, where Chinese universities have been experiencing a variety of systematic reforms. Chinese universities are also facing some new issues yet they have largely neglected the task of establishing their own…

Effects of Participation in Formal Leadership Training in International Students Compared to Domestic Students: A National Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collier, Daniel A.; Rosch, David M.; Houston, Derek A.

2017-01-01

International student enrollment has experienced dramatic increases on U.S. campuses. Using a national dataset, the study explores and compares international and domestic students' incoming and post-training levels of motivation to lead, leadership self-efficacy, and leadership skill using inverse-probability weighting of propensity scores to…

High Education as a Common Good in China: A Case Study for Ideas and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhu, Jiangang

2016-01-01

China began its modern system of higher education with the establishment of the former Peking University in Beijing in 1898. The traditional Confucian philosophy of education has been replaced dramatically by modern western philosophy. However, since the communist party came to power in 1949, the philosophy of higher education has experienced many…

Environmental conditions of 2 river drainages into the Northern Gulf of Mexico during successful hatching of Alabama shad (Alosa alabamae)

Treesearch

Paul F. Mickle; Jacob F. Schaefer; Susan B. Adams; Brian R. Kreiser; Wiliam T. Slack

2016-01-01

In recent years, the Alabama shad (Alosa alabamae) has experienced dramatic declines and extirpations from portions of its native range. Habitat degradation and barriers to migration are considered contributing factors to contraction in the distributional range this species. To identify conditions during successful spawning, river temperatures and...

Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy leading to dramatic improvement in a patient with systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis and severe pericarditis resistant to steroid pulse therapy.

PubMed

Aizawa-Yashiro, Tomomi; Oki, Eishin; Tsuruga, Kazushi; Nakahata, Tohru; Ito, Etsuro; Tanaka, Hiroshi

2012-05-01

A 7-year-old Japanese boy with a 4-month history of systemic juvenile idiopathic arthritis (s-JIA) experienced disease flare with spiking fever, exanthema and arthralgia. He then developed progressive dyspnea due to severe pericarditis, and proinflammatory hypercytokinemia was suspected. Methylprednisolone pulse therapy was ineffective and echocardiography showed massive pericardial effusion had persisted. Alternatively, subsequent intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) therapy resulted in dramatic resolution of the pericardial effusion, and his general condition significantly improved within a few days. This case report may lend further support the use of IVIG for selected patients with s-JIA and severe pericarditis.

Ageing in place, an overview for the elderly in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tobi, S. U. Mohd; Fathi, M. S.; Amaratunga, D.

2017-10-01

Population ageing is a worldwide phenomenon experienced by developed and developing countries. It occurs when the median age of a country rises and shifts the distribution of that country's population towards older ages. Malaysia is experiencing a dramatic increase in the number of elderly people. Recent medical advances and improvements in hygiene and food supply have led to the people of Malaysia having a longer life expectancy. This paper comprehensively reviews articles and journals to discover the concepts, definitions and issues regarding the ageing population globally and in Malaysia, particularly looking at how elderly people can age in place. The concern over ageing is not just about the size of the old age population but, more importantly, about their health, welfare, care and living arrangements as well as the implications for infrastructure, housing, income and economic growth. The built environment plays a role in defining the conditions for people to live healthy lives, and older people require high-quality built environments that suit their needs across the whole life course - a building stock and infrastructure that supports independent living and enhances quality of life for the ageing population. Lifetime houses which fulfil the desires and vital requirement of most households whilst considering the changing essentials of households with elderly and aged people require careful consideration. This paper will review the key areas of housing for elderly people to support the concept of ageing in place as an independent living lifestyle.

[Ecological and economic harmony evaluation and spatial evolution of the Hexi corridor, northwest China].

PubMed

Liu, Hai-long; Shi, Pei-ji; Li, Sheng-mei; Tong, Hua-li; Nie, Xiao-ying; Wei, Wei

2014-12-01

The relationship between economic development and environment and the evolution characteristics of spatial pattern in Hexi Corridor of Northwest China were analyzed based on Landsat images in 1985, 1995, 2000 and 2011 with twenty counties in Hexi Corridor chosen as the basic research units. The ecological economic harmony during 1985-2011 was estimated according to ESV (ecosystem services value) and EEH (ecological and economic harmony) index with the ecosystem services value estimation methods. The results showed that the land type of the study area dramatically changed during the study period, the grassland decreased badly, and the construction land and cultivated land increased quickly. The ESV showed an overall downward trend, especially in the Shiyang River basin and the middle of Heihe River. The ESV in the Shule River basin in this period. After 2000, the economic growth speeded up visibly in the study area. The economic development concentrated in the resource-based cities and regional central cities, and declined from the center of corridor to the both sides. The ecological-economic relation in Hexi Corridor experienced a transformation of "preliminary deterioration--further deterioration--low grade coordination". The EEH had large changes in the Shiyang River basin and the middle of Heihe River, which experienced a transformation of "conflict--more conflicts--less conflicts", however, there was little change in Shule River basin. The development mode and the comprehensive reclamation of Shiyang River basin and Heihe River basin had a significant influence on the regional ecological and economic harmony.

Expression of porcine myostatin prodomain genomic sequence leads to a decrease in muscle growth, but significant intramuscular fat accretion in transgenic pigs.

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Myostatin, a member of TGF-beta superfamily, is a dominant inhibitor of skeletal muscle development and growth. Previously, skeletal muscle-specific over-expression of myostatin prodomain cDNA (5’-region 886 nucleotide) dramatically increased growth performance and muscle mass in transgenic mice. I...

Developmentally Appropriate Soccer Activities for Elementary School Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Quinn, Ronald; Carr, David

2006-01-01

The sport of soccer has seen significant growth across multiple levels for the past two decades. Nowhere has this growth been more dramatic than at the youth level. It is estimated that well over 20 million children have some involvement with the game each year. As a result of this growth in community youth soccer, elementary school students are…

2016 Earth System Grid Federation Annual Report

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

Williams, Dean N.

The Earth System Grid Federation (ESGF) experienced a major setback in June 2015, when it experienced a security incident that brought all systems to a halt for more than half a year. However, federation developers and management committee members turned the incident into an opportunity to dramatically upgrade the system security and functionality and to develop planning and policy documents to guide ESGF evolution and success. Moreover, despite the incident, ESGF developer working teams continue to make strong and significant progress on various enhancement projects that will help ensure ESGF can meet the needs of the climate community in themore » coming years.« less

Duration of lack of money for basic needs and growth delay in the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development birth cohort.

PubMed

Ehounoux, N Z; Zunzunegui, M-V; Séguin, L; Nikiema, B; Gauvin, L

2009-01-01

To examine the relationship between duration of lack of money for basic needs and growth delay in a birth cohort. Mothers of children (n = 1929) from the Quebec Longitudinal Study of Child Development (QLSCD) participating when the children were ages 2(1/2) and 4 years were interviewed at home and data were extracted from birth records. Children's height at 4 years old was transformed into an age- and sex-adjusted z-score. A z-score under the 10th percentile of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention population growth curve was equated with growth delay. Lack of money for basic needs (paying for rent, electricity and/or heating, clothing, medications or other needs) when the children were ages 2(1/2) and 4 years was reported by the mother. Only 2.5% of children experienced two episodes of lack of money for basic needs. Logistic regression analyses showed that, after adjusting for confounding variables, the probability of growth delay at 4 years among children whose families experienced two episodes of lack of money was higher than for their peers who had not lacked money (OR 3.43; 95% CI 1.54 to 7.66). Experiencing lack of money only at 2(1/2) years showed higher but not significant odds of growth delay at 4 years (OR 1.51; 95% CI 0.84 to 2.72), whereas the likelihood of growth delay was similar for children who experienced lack of money only at 4 years and for their counterparts who never lacked money (OR 0.74; 95% CI 0.26 to 2.11). In an industrialised country toddlers whose families experienced persistent lack of money for basic needs are more likely to have growth delay even after controlling for neonatal conditions and their mothers' characteristics.

Land use/land cover change and their effects on landscape patterns in the Yanqi Basin, Xinjiang (China).

PubMed

Wang, Shuixian; Wang, Shengli

2013-12-01

Human modification of land use and land cover change (LUCC) drives the change of landscape patterns and limits the availability of products and services for human and livestock. LUCC can undermine environmental health. Thus, this study aimed to develop an understanding of LUCC in the Yanqi Basin, Xinjiang, China, an arid area experiencing dramatic water and land resource use. A time series of satellite images (1964, 1973, 1989, 1999, and 2009) were used to calculate the index of landscape patterns to study the processes involved in changes to land uses and landscape patterns and the influence of this changes on landscape patterns. The results show that land uses in the Yanqi Basin have changed dramatically since 1964 with grassland being mainly converted to cropland. Landscape fragmentation and diversity have decreased in the study area, although landscape fragmentation increased from 1964 to 1999 and then decreased by 2009. The index of landscape diversity decreased from 1.64 in 1964 to 0.71 in 2009. The heterogeneity and complexity of the landscape increased during this period. In contrast, the index of dominance decreased from 0.85 in 1964 to 0.83 in 2009. Land use change drives landscape patterns of the development of the watershed toward diversity and a fragmented structure. Population growth, economic development, and industrial policies were the dominant driving forces behind LUCC in the Yanqi Basin. Sustainable use of land resources is a significant factor in maintaining economic development and environmental protection in this arid inland river basin.

Systemic risk and spatiotemporal dynamics of the US housing market

PubMed Central

Meng, Hao; Xie, Wen-Jie; Jiang, Zhi-Qiang; Podobnik, Boris; Zhou, Wei-Xing; Stanley, H. Eugene

2014-01-01

Housing markets play a crucial role in economies and the collapse of a real-estate bubble usually destabilizes the financial system and causes economic recessions. We investigate the systemic risk and spatiotemporal dynamics of the US housing market (1975–2011) at the state level based on the Random Matrix Theory (RMT). We identify richer economic information in the largest eigenvalues deviating from RMT predictions for the housing market than for stock markets and find that the component signs of the eigenvectors contain either geographical information or the extent of differences in house price growth rates or both. By looking at the evolution of different quantities such as eigenvalues and eigenvectors, we find that the US housing market experienced six different regimes, which is consistent with the evolution of state clusters identified by the box clustering algorithm and the consensus clustering algorithm on the partial correlation matrices. We find that dramatic increases in the systemic risk are usually accompanied by regime shifts, which provide a means of early detection of housing bubbles. PMID:24413626

The Academic Achievement of Limited English Proficient (LEP) Youth in New and Established Immigrant States: Lessons from the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP)

PubMed Central

Spees, Lisa P.; Potochnick, Stephanie; Perreira, Krista M.

2018-01-01

The dramatic growth and dispersal of immigrant families has changed the face of public education at a time when states are experiencing increased school accountability pressures under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) and its recent successor the Every Student Succeeds Act. Of particular concern is how these demographic shifts affect the academic well-being of Limited English Proficient (LEP) youth, the protected sub-group that most directly targets children from immigrant families. Using individual-level data from the National Association of Educational Progress, we examine how 8th grade test scores of LEP youth differ across new and established immigrant destination states. Results show that achievement for LEP youth is higher in new than in established immigrant states but that this advantage is not consistent across ethnic/racial groups. LEP youth in new immigrant states benefit from more favorable demographic characteristics and more family and school resources, but these differences only explain a small portion of the achievement gap. PMID:29527112

Temporal Changes in Individualism and Their Ramification in Japan: Rising Individualism and Conflicts with Persisting Collectivism.

PubMed

Ogihara, Yuji

2017-01-01

Many studies have shown that American culture has become more individualistic over time. However, it was unclear whether other cultures, especially East Asian cultures, have also shifted toward greater individualism. Therefore, this article reviewed studies investigating temporal changes in individualism in Japan and their ramifications on psychology and behavior. Japan has experienced rapid and dramatic economic growth and urbanization and has adopted more social systems based on individualistic concepts in various contexts (e.g., workplace, school). Recent studies have suggested that, along with these socioeconomic changes, Japanese culture has become more individualistic over time. Specifically, the divorce rate increased and household size decreased. Moreover, people give more unique names to their children and dogs, and individualistic words such as "individual" and "uniqueness" appear more frequently in newspapers. Furthermore, social values became more individualistic. Yet, it has also been shown that some collectivistic values still remain. As a result, people have difficulty in adapting to this coexistence, which injures interpersonal relationships and well-being. This paper discussed how Japanese culture changed over time and how such changes affected Japanese psychology and behavior.

Technology and politics: The regional airport experience

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Starling, J. D.; Brown, J.; Gerhardt, J. M.; Dominus, M. I.

1976-01-01

The findings of a comparative study of the following six regional airports were presented: Dallas/Fort Worth, Kansas City, Washington, D.C., Montreal, Tampa, and St. Louis. Each case was approached as a unique historical entity, in order to investigate common elements such as: the use of predictive models in planning, the role of symbolism to heighten dramatic effects, the roles of community and professional elites, and design flexibility. Some of the factors considered were: site selection, consolidation of airline service, accessibility, land availability and cost, safety, nuisance, and pollution constraints, economic growth, expectation of regional growth, the demand forecasting conundrum, and design decisions. The hypotheses developed include the following: the effect of political, social, and economic conflicts, the stress on large capacity and dramatic, high-technology design, projections of rapid growth to explain the need for large capital outlays.

Racial Diversity in the Suburbs: How Race-Neutral Responses to Demographic Change Perpetuate Inequity in Suburban School Districts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diem, Sarah; Welton, Anjalé D.; Frankenberg, Erica; Jellison Holme, Jennifer

2016-01-01

Suburbs across the US are experiencing dramatic demographic shifts, yet there is little research available on how suburban school districts are dealing with these changes. In this article, we examine the discourses surrounding race and demographic change in three suburban school districts that have been undergoing rapid demographic changes and…

Trade Books in the Mathematics Classroom: The Impact of Many, Varied Perspectives on Determinations of Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nesmith, Suzanne; Cooper, Sandi

2010-01-01

The integration of children's trade books in the mathematics classroom has experienced a dramatic surge in its popularity; yet, though the positive benefits of this strategy have been well documented, these benefits may only be realized if the literature is of high quality. Utilizing a mathematics trade book evaluation instrument, this inquiry…

Chronicles of Change: Models of Mexican Immigrant Identity in Suburban Community Narratives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wortham, Stanton; Allard, Elaine; Mortimer, Katherine

2006-01-01

In the past fifteen years, the town of New Marshall has experienced major changes that have influenced the ways its residents view each other. Mexican immigration to New Marshall, a suburb of 30,000 located outside a large Eastern city, grew dramatically between 1990 and 2000. Where once Mexicans comprised less than 0.5% of the population, they…

75 FR 82073 - Notice of Intent To Prepare a Draft Environmental Impact Statement

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-29

... increasing from 210,227 inmates at the end of fiscal year 2010 to over 226,000 inmates by the end of fiscal year 2013. As such, the demand for bedspace within the federal prison system continues to grow at a... over the past two decades. While the BOP is no longer experiencing the dramatic population increases of...

Educating (More and More) Students Experiencing Homelessness: An Analysis of Recession-Era Policy and Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Peter M.

2013-01-01

Rates of student homelessness have increased dramatically throughout the United States in recent years, yet there has been a dearth of scholarly analysis devoted to key organizations' engagement of the issue. Given that the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act has taken on a central, but underexamined role in shaping this engagement,…

Latina/o Student Success at an Emerging Hispanic Serving Community College: Understanding the Heuristics at Work in the Black Box

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brandes, Derek R.

2013-01-01

Like many colleges across the United States, Pipe Lake Community College (PLCC), (a pseudonym) has experienced a dramatic increase in enrollment of Latina/o students and is considered an emerging Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI). Other than Santiago & Andrade's (2010) survey, little research has been conducted on emerging HSIs. Also, little…

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

Yu, Sha; Evans, Meredydd

Vietnam has experienced fast growth in energy consumption in the past decade, with annual growth rate of over 12 percent. This is accompanied by the fast increase in commercial energy use, driven by rapid industrialization, expansion of motorized transport, and increasing energy use in residential and commercial buildings. Meanwhile, Vietnam is experiencing rapid urbanization at a rate of 3.4 percent per year; and the majority of the growth centered in and near major cities such as Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. This has resulted in a construction boom in Vietnam.

Genes and plays: bringing ELSI issues to life.

PubMed

Rothenberg, Karen H; Bush, Lynn W

2012-02-01

Ethical complexities surround the promise of genomic technology and the power of genetic information as they alter conceptions of identity and dynamics within personal and professional relationships. Creative approaches such as dramatic vignettes offer a unique analytical stage for imagining the bioethical past and future. Dramatic narratives can bring to life images of differing perspectives and values when experiencing innovations in medicine. Although the scientific landscape shifts, concerns expressed in theatre from 50 years ago parallel many contemporary ELSI (ethical, legal, and social implications) issues, highlighting the ongoing struggle to appreciate the impact of emerging genetic technologies on relationships. To illuminate these enduring concerns, we explore how perceptions and relationships have influenced-and been influenced by-genetics as portrayed through dramatic vignettes. We build on the legacy of using case vignettes as a clinical teaching modality, and believe similar value exists within the research ethics domain. The selection of dialogue discussed encompasses abbreviated excerpts from two existing and one original vignette that we staged at the ELSI 2011 Congress and various academic and health institutions.

Dramatically enhanced self-assembly of GeSi quantum dots with superior photoluminescence induced by the substrate misorientation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Tong; Zhong, Zhenyang

2014-02-01

A dramatically enhanced self-assembly of GeSi quantum dots (QDs) is disclosed on slightly miscut Si (001) substrates, leading to extremely dense QDs and even a growth mode transition. The inherent mechanism is addressed in combination of the thermodynamics and the growth kinetics both affected by steps on the vicinal surface. Moreover, temperature-dependent photoluminescence spectra from dense GeSi QDs on the miscut substrate demonstrate a rather strong peak persistent up to 300 K, which is attributed to the well confinement of excitons in the dense GeSi QDs due to the absence of the wetting layer on the miscut substrate.

Homeschooling the Gifted: A Parent's Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jolly, Jennifer L.; Matthews, Michael S.; Nester, Jonathan

2013-01-01

Homeschooling has witnessed a dramatic growth over the past decade. Included in this population are gifted and talented students, yet despite this growth there has been no appreciable increase in the research literature. To better understand the gifted homeschooling family, researchers interviewed 13 parents of homeschooled children their parents…

Utilization of xylose for growth by the eukaryotic alga, Chlorella.

PubMed

Hawkins, R L

1999-06-01

A green alga, Chlorella, was found to be capable of utilizing xylose or other pentose sugars (xylitol, arabinose) for enhanced growth rates when grown in the light, but not when grown heterotrophically in the dark. With selection for growth in xylose-containing medium, it was possible to improve dramatically the ability of selected Chlorella strains to grow on xylose mixotrophically. Growth on arabinose or xylitol was not changed in the xylose-selected strains.

Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster Decelerator Subsystem Drop Test 3 - Anatomy of a failure

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Runkle, R. E.; Woodis, W. R.

1979-01-01

A test failure dramatically points out a design weakness or the limits of the material in the test article. In a low budget test program, with a very limited number of tests, a test failure sparks supreme efforts to investigate, analyze, and/or explain the anomaly and to improve the design such that the failure will not recur. The third air drop of the Space Shuttle Solid Rocket Booster Recovery System experienced such a dramatic failure. On air drop 3, the 54-ft drogue parachute was totally destroyed 0.7 sec after deployment. The parachute failure investigation, based on analysis of drop test data and supporting ground element test results is presented. Drogue design modifications are also discussed.

Multiscale modelling and nonlinear simulation of vascular tumour growth

PubMed Central

Macklin, Paul; Anderson, Alexander R. A.; Chaplain, Mark A. J.; Cristini, Vittorio

2011-01-01

In this article, we present a new multiscale mathematical model for solid tumour growth which couples an improved model of tumour invasion with a model of tumour-induced angiogenesis. We perform nonlinear simulations of the multi-scale model that demonstrate the importance of the coupling between the development and remodeling of the vascular network, the blood flow through the network and the tumour progression. Consistent with clinical observations, the hydrostatic stress generated by tumour cell proliferation shuts down large portions of the vascular network dramatically affecting the flow, the subsequent network remodeling, the delivery of nutrients to the tumour and the subsequent tumour progression. In addition, extracellular matrix degradation by tumour cells is seen to have a dramatic affect on both the development of the vascular network and the growth response of the tumour. In particular, the newly developing vessels tend to encapsulate, rather than penetrate, the tumour and are thus less effective in delivering nutrients. PMID:18781303

Retinoblastoma-like RRB gene of arabidopsis thaliana

DOEpatents

Durfee, Tim; Feiler, Heidi; Gruissem, Wilhelm; Jenkins, Susan; Roe, Judith; Zambryski, Patricia

2004-02-24

This invention provides methods and compositions for altering the growth, organization, and differentiation of plant tissues. The invention is based on the discovery that, in plants, genetically altering the levels of Retinoblastoma-related gene (RRB) activity produces dramatic effects on the growth, proliferation, organization, and differentiation of plant meristem.

Impact of Drift on the Vehicle Liftoff Acoustic Environments

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kenny, Jeremy; Giacomoni, Clothilde

2016-01-01

During liftoff a vehicle can drift due to wind, nozzle gimbaling, fly away maneuver, etc... This drift can cause the exhaust plumes to impinge on the deck and cause the noise levels experienced by the vehicle to increase. A small increase in the plume impingement can have a dramatic effect on the noise levels when the vehicle is only a few nozzle diameters from the deck. As the vehicle lifts off the deck the increase in noise levels lessens as the plume impingement increases. Several scale model acoustic tests have been undertaken at Marshall Space Flight Center which had test cases that were used to define the relationship between drift and the noise levels experienced by the vehicle.

New Orleans Educational System in Public Schools Pre/Post Hurricane Katrina as Perceived by Special Education Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alzahrani, Sultan

2018-01-01

This modified narrative study is an exploration of the perceptions of two special educators who experienced the dramatic changes in the New Orleans public school system as a result of Hurricane Katrina. The participants in this study will consist of two special education professionals (See Table 1). From their perspectives, the reader shall gain a…

Fire and fire surrogate study in the Sierra Nevada: evaluating restoration treatments at Blodgett Forest and Sequoia National Park

Treesearch

Eric E. Knapp; Scott L. Stephens; James D. McIver; Jason J. Moghaddas; Jon E. Keeley

2004-01-01

Management practices have altered both the structure and function of forests throughout the United States. Some of the most dramatic changes have resulted from fire exclusion, especially in forests that historically experienced relatively frequent, low- to moderate-intensity fire regimes. In the Sierra Nevada, fire exclusion is believed to have resulted in widespread...

The Possibilities for Career and Technology Centers when Academic Standards and Accountability Requirements Are Integrated into Competency Based Curricula

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Damon, Toni

2010-01-01

As with other fields in education, career and technical education (CTE) has experienced a dramatic transformation since its inception in the 19th century. Since the reauthorization of the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006, there has been limited research on the impact, or possibilities, that recent legislation has had on…

Price competition and hospital cost growth in the United States (1989-1994).

PubMed

Bamezai, A; Zwanziger, J; Melnick, G A; Mann, J M

1999-05-01

In recent years, most health care markets in the United States (US) have experienced rapid penetration by health maintenance organizations (HMOs) and preferred provider organizations (PPOs). During this same period, the US has also experienced slowing health care costs. Using a national database, we demonstrate that HMOs and PPOs have significantly restrained cost growth among hospitals located in competitive hospital markets, but not so in the case of hospitals located in relatively concentrated markets. In relative terms, we estimate that HMOs have contained cost growth more effectively than PPOs.

Seasonal ovulatory activity exists in tropical Creole female goats and Black Belly ewes subjected to a temperate photoperiod.

PubMed

Chemineau, Philippe; Daveau, Agnès; Cognié, Yves; Aumont, Gilles; Chesneau, Didier

2004-08-27

Seasonality of ovulatory activity is observed in European sheep and goat breeds, whereas tropical breeds show almost continuous ovulatory activity. It is not known if these tropical breeds are sensitive or not to temperate photoperiod. This study was therefore designed to determine whether tropical Creole goats and Black-Belly ewes are sensitive to temperate photoperiod. Two groups of adult females in each species, either progeny or directly born from imported embryos, were used and maintained in light-proof rooms under simulated temperate (8 to 16 h of light per day) or tropical (11 - 13 h) photoperiods. Ovulatory activity was determined by blood progesterone assays for more than two years. The experiment lasted 33 months in goats and 25 months in ewes. Marked seasonality of ovulatory activity appeared in the temperate group of Creole female goats. The percentage of female goats experiencing at least one ovulation per month dramatically decreased from May to September for the three years (0%, 27% and 0%, respectively). Tropical female goats demonstrated much less seasonality, as the percentage of goats experiencing at least one ovulation per month never went below 56%. These differences were significant. Both groups of temperate and tropical Black-Belly ewes experienced a marked seasonality in their ovulatory activity, with only a slightly significant difference between groups. The percentage of ewes experiencing at least one ovulation per month dropped dramatically in April and rose again in August (tropical ewes) or September (temperate ewes). The percentage of ewes experiencing at least one ovulation per month never went below 8% and 17% (for tropical and temperate ewes respectively) during the spring and summer months. An important seasonality in ovulatory activity of tropical Creole goats was observed when females were exposed to a simulated temperate photoperiod. An unexpected finding was that Black-Belly ewes and, to a lesser extent, Creole goats exposed to a simulated tropical photoperiod also showed seasonality in their ovulatory activity. Such results indicate that both species are capable of showing seasonality under the photoperiodic changes of the temperate zone even though they do not originate from these regions.

Seasonal ovulatory activity exists in tropical Creole female goats and Black Belly ewes subjected to a temperate photoperiod

PubMed Central

Chemineau, Philippe; Daveau, Agnès; Cognié, Yves; Aumont, Gilles; Chesneau, Didier

2004-01-01

Background Seasonality of ovulatory activity is observed in European sheep and goat breeds, whereas tropical breeds show almost continuous ovulatory activity. It is not known if these tropical breeds are sensitive or not to temperate photoperiod. This study was therefore designed to determine whether tropical Creole goats and Black-Belly ewes are sensitive to temperate photoperiod. Two groups of adult females in each species, either progeny or directly born from imported embryos, were used and maintained in light-proof rooms under simulated temperate (8 to 16 h of light per day) or tropical (11 – 13 h) photoperiods. Ovulatory activity was determined by blood progesterone assays for more than two years. The experiment lasted 33 months in goats and 25 months in ewes. Results Marked seasonality of ovulatory activity appeared in the temperate group of Creole female goats. The percentage of female goats experiencing at least one ovulation per month dramatically decreased from May to September for the three years (0%, 27% and 0%, respectively). Tropical female goats demonstrated much less seasonality, as the percentage of goats experiencing at least one ovulation per month never went below 56%. These differences were significant. Both groups of temperate and tropical Black-Belly ewes experienced a marked seasonality in their ovulatory activity, with only a slightly significant difference between groups. The percentage of ewes experiencing at least one ovulation per month dropped dramatically in April and rose again in August (tropical ewes) or September (temperate ewes). The percentage of ewes experiencing at least one ovulation per month never went below 8% and 17% (for tropical and temperate ewes respectively) during the spring and summer months. Conclusions An important seasonality in ovulatory activity of tropical Creole goats was observed when females were exposed to a simulated temperate photoperiod. An unexpected finding was that Black-Belly ewes and, to a lesser extent, Creole goats exposed to a simulated tropical photoperiod also showed seasonality in their ovulatory activity. Such results indicate that both species are capable of showing seasonality under the photoperiodic changes of the temperate zone even though they do not originate from these regions. PMID:15333134

Social support and negative and positive outcomes of experienced traumatic events in a group of male emergency service workers.

PubMed

Ogińska-Bulik, Nina

2015-01-01

The paper investigates the relationship between perceived social support in the workplace and both negative (post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms) and positive outcomes (post-traumatic growth) of experienced traumatic events in a group of male emergency service workers. Data of 116 workers representing emergency services (37.1% firefighters, 37.1%, police officers and 30% medical rescue workers) who have experienced a traumatic event in their worksite were analyzed. The range of age of the participants was 21-57 years (M=35.27; SD=8.13). Polish versions of the Impact of Event Scale--Revised and the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory were used to assess the negative and positive outcomes of the experienced event. A perceived social support scale was measured by the scale What support you can count on. The data obtained from the study revealed the negative dependence of social support from supervisors with PTSD symptoms and positive--social support from co-workers with post-traumatic growth. Moreover the results of the study indicate the positive relationship between negative and positive outcomes of experienced traumatic events in the workplace. Perceived social support plays a more important role in gaining benefits from trauma than preventing negative outcomes of the experienced traumatic event. Support from co-workers, compared to support from supervisors, has greater importance.

Ewing’s Sarcoma: Overcoming the Therapeutic Plateau

PubMed Central

Subbiah, Vivek; Kurzrock, Razelle

2013-01-01

The hallmark of Ewing’s sarcoma (EWS) is a translocation -- t(11;22)(q24;q12) -- that most frequently results in the EWS/FLI1 aberrant chimeric gene. Because EWS afflicts young patients, it stands out among the diverse sarcoma subtypes. The frontline, standard-of-care cytotoxic chemotherapy regimens produce minimal benefit in patients with metastases at presentation or those with relapsed disease. While the outcomes of chemorefractory EWS patients are poor, recent developments have led to the promising use of targeted therapy. Specifically, inhibition of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R) signaling and the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathways has emerged as a targeted therapy in EWS, with select patients experiencing dramatic therapeutic responses. However, targeted therapies in general, and these responders in particular, are faced with the ultimate conundrum of eventual resistance. To optimize response, combining IGF1R and mTOR inhibitor-based regimens with chemotherapy in the upfront setting in newly diagnosed high-risk EWS may clarify the true benefit of IGF1R inhibitors in these patients. Another option is to explore novel targeted multikinase inhibitors and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, which have experienced a surge in supporting preclinical data. Drugs inhibiting the downstream targets of EWS/FLI1 are also in preclinical development. However, ultimately, the underlying biomarker correlates of resistance and response must be delineated along with ways to overcome them. Novel agents, together with integration of advances in multimodal approaches (including surgery and radiation), as well as offering targeted therapies early in the disease course represent new strategies for confronting the challenges of EWS. PMID:22742646

Water: Source of Future Conflict

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-03-01

the dramatic growth of non- farm enterprises. This growth boosted employment and earnings.26 China gave favorable treatment to farmers. The country...contributed to an upsurge of “ pro -poor” growth soon after the economic reforms were introduced. This is even before China had a national anti-poverty...For many years the prosperity of Iraq depended on the ability to cultivate and farm along the rich waterways of these rivers. Since 1975, Turkey’s

Plant/life form considerations in the rangeland hydrology and erosion model (RHEM)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Resilience of rangeland to erosion has largely been attributed to adequate plant cover; however, plant life/growth form, and individual species presence can have a dramatic effect on hydrologic and erosion dynamics on rangelands. Plant life/growth form refers to genetic tendency of a plant to grow i...

An Analysis of Regional Employment Growth, 1973-85.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rones, Philip L.

1986-01-01

This article describes some of the changes in regional employment over the past decade or so, with particular emphasis on the industrial components of those changes; then it examines some of the reasons for dramatically uneven regional employment growth, focusing on such aspects as population and business migration, regional income inequality, and…

Herbivory, Predation, and Biological Control.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Terence M.; And Others

1992-01-01

Authors describe a set of controlled ecosystems that can be used to demonstrate the effects of herbivory on the health and growth of a plant population and of predation on the growth of a primary consumer population. The system also shows the effectiveness of biological pest control measures in a dramatic way. The construction of the ecosystems is…

Alteration of plant meristem function by manipulation of the Retinoblastoma-like plant RRB gene

DOEpatents

Durfee, Tim [Madison, WI; Feiler, Heidi [Albany, CA; Gruissem, Wilhelm [Forch, CH; Jenkins, Susan [Martinez, CA; Roe, Judith [Manhattan, KS; Zambryski, Patricia [Berkeley, CA

2007-01-16

This invention provides methods and compositions for altering the growth, organization, and differentiation of plant tissues. The invention is based on the discovery that, in plants, genetically altering the levels of Retinoblastoma-related gene (RRB) activity produces dramatic effects on the growth, proliferation, organization, and differentiation of plant meristem.

Mold inhibition on unseasoned southern pine

Treesearch

Carol A. Clausen; Vina W. Yang

2003-01-01

Concerns about indoor air quality due to mold growth have increased dramatically in the United States. In the absence of moisture management, fungicides need to be developed for indoor use to control mold establishment. An ideal fungicide for prevention of indoor mold growth on wood-based materials needs to specifically prevent spore germination and provide long-term...

Plasmodium falciparum: Differential Selection of Drug Resistance Alleles in Contiguous Urban and Peri-Urban Areas of Brazzaville, Republic of Congo

PubMed Central

Tsumori, Yoko; Ndounga, Mathieu; Sunahara, Toshihiko; Hayashida, Nozomi; Inoue, Megumi; Nakazawa, Shusuke; Casimiro, Prisca; Isozumi, Rie; Uemura, Haruki; Tanabe, Kazuyuki; Kaneko, Osamu; Culleton, Richard

2011-01-01

The African continent is currently experiencing rapid population growth, with rising urbanization increasing the percentage of the population living in large towns and cities. We studied the impact of the degree of urbanization on the population genetics of Plasmodium falciparum in urban and peri-urban areas in and around the city of Brazzaville, Republic of Congo. This field setting, which incorporates local health centers situated in areas of varying urbanization, is of interest as it allows the characterization of malaria parasites from areas where the human, parasite, and mosquito populations are shared, but where differences in the degree of urbanization (leading to dramatic differences in transmission intensity) cause the pattern of malaria transmission to differ greatly. We have investigated how these differences in transmission intensity affect parasite genetic diversity, including the amount of genetic polymorphism in each area, the degree of linkage disequilibrium within the populations, and the prevalence and frequency of drug resistance markers. To determine parasite population structure, heterozygosity and linkage disequilibrium, we typed eight microsatellite markers and performed haplotype analysis of the msp1 gene by PCR. Mutations known to be associated with resistance to the antimalarial drugs chloroquine and pyrimethamine were determined by sequencing the relevant portions of the crt and dhfr genes, respectively. We found that parasite genetic diversity was comparable between the two sites, with high levels of polymorphism being maintained in both areas despite dramatic differences in transmission intensity. Crucially, we found that the frequencies of genetic markers of drug resistance against pyrimethamine and chloroquine differed significantly between the sites, indicative of differing selection pressures in the two areas. PMID:21858115

Avoiding the unintended consequences of growth in medical care: how might more be worse?

PubMed

Fisher, E S; Welch, H G

1999-02-03

The United States has experienced dramatic growth in both the technical capabilities and share of resources devoted to medical care. While the benefits of more medical care are widely recognized, the possibility that harm may result from growth has received little attention. Because harm from more medical care is unexpected, findings of harm are discounted or ignored. We suggest that such findings may indicate a more general problem and deserve serious consideration. First, we delineate 2 levels of decision making where more medical care may be introduced: (1) decisions about whether or not to use a discrete diagnostic or therapeutic intervention and (2) decisions about whether to add system capacity, eg, the decision to purchase another scanner or employ another physician. Second, we explore how more medical care at either level may lead to harm. More diagnosis creates the potential for labeling and detection of pseudodisease--disease that would never become apparent to patients during their lifetime without testing. More treatment may lead to tampering, interventions to correct random rather than systematic variation, and lower treatment thresholds, where the risks outweigh the potential benefits. Because there are more diagnoses to treat and more treatments to provide, physicians may be more likely to make mistakes and to be distracted from the issues of greatest concern to their patients. Finally, we turn to the fundamental challenge--reducing the risk of harm from more medical care. We identify 4 ways in which inadequate information and improper reasoning may allow harmful practices to be adopted-a constrained model of disease, excessive extrapolation, a missing level of analysis, and the assumption that more is better.

The influence of personal belief, agency mission and city size on open space decision making processes in three southwestern cities

Treesearch

Megan Friggens; Carol Raish; Deborah Finch; Alice McSweeney

2015-01-01

The southwest has experienced dramatic population increases over the last 30 years, a trend that is expected to continue. Open space conservation is important both from the standpoint of preserving ecosystem services as well as maintaining quality of life for urban populations. Federal agencies manage a large proportion of the public land in the Southwestern U.S. We...

Reflections on End of Life: Comparison of American Indian and Non-Indian Peoples in South Dakota

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schrader, Susan L.; Nelson, Margot L.; Eidsness, LuAnn M.

2009-01-01

During the past century, dramatic changes have occurred in the way death is experienced in the United States. A death in 1900 typically occurred as a result of sudden illness and injury among the young at home. Today, Americans are more likely to die from long-term, chronic illness in later life, often in institutional settings. In addition to the…

Analysis of railroad tank car releases using a generalized binomial model.

PubMed

Liu, Xiang; Hong, Yili

2015-11-01

The United States is experiencing an unprecedented boom in shale oil production, leading to a dramatic growth in petroleum crude oil traffic by rail. In 2014, U.S. railroads carried over 500,000 tank carloads of petroleum crude oil, up from 9500 in 2008 (a 5300% increase). In light of continual growth in crude oil by rail, there is an urgent national need to manage this emerging risk. This need has been underscored in the wake of several recent crude oil release incidents. In contrast to highway transport, which usually involves a tank trailer, a crude oil train can carry a large number of tank cars, having the potential for a large, multiple-tank-car release incident. Previous studies exclusively assumed that railroad tank car releases in the same train accident are mutually independent, thereby estimating the number of tank cars releasing given the total number of tank cars derailed based on a binomial model. This paper specifically accounts for dependent tank car releases within a train accident. We estimate the number of tank cars releasing given the number of tank cars derailed based on a generalized binomial model. The generalized binomial model provides a significantly better description for the empirical tank car accident data through our numerical case study. This research aims to provide a new methodology and new insights regarding the further development of risk management strategies for improving railroad crude oil transportation safety. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Visual Analytics for the Food-Water-Energy Nexus in the Phoenix Active Management Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maciejewski, R.; Mascaro, G.; White, D. D.; Ruddell, B. L.; Aggarwal, R.; Sarjoughian, H.

2016-12-01

The Phoenix Active Management Area (AMA) is an administrative region of 14,500 km2 identified by the Arizona Department of Water Resources with the aim of reaching and maintaining the safe yield (i.e. balance between annual amount of groundwater withdrawn and recharged) by 2025. The AMA includes the Phoenix metropolitan area, which has experienced a dramatic population growth over the last decades with a progressive conversion of agricultural land into residential land. As a result of these changes, the water and energy demand as well as the food production in the region have significantly evolved over the last 30 years. Given the arid climate, a crucial role to support this growth has been the creation of a complex water supply system based on renewable and non-renewable resources, including the energy-intensive Central Arizona Project. In this talk, we present a preliminary characterization of the evolution in time of the feedbacks between food, water, and energy in the Phoenix AMA by analyzing secondary data (available from water and energy providers, irrigation districts, and municipalities), as well as satellite imagery and primary data collected by the authors. A preliminary visual analytics framework is also discussed describing current design practices and ideas for exploring networked components and cascading impacts within the FEW Nexus. This analysis and framework represent the first steps towards the development of an integrated modeling, visualization, and decision support infrastructure for comprehensive FEW systems decision making at decision-relevant temporal and spatial scales.

Identity development in upper-level physics students: transitions in and out of physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Irving, Paul

2016-03-01

In this era of unprecedented attention from the White House and Congress, the STEM community must rise to the challenge of recruiting and retaining students to achieve the mandate of producing one million additional college graduates with degrees in STEM. However, the number of students choosing to pursue and persist with physics as a degree has had a stagnated growth rate when compared to other STEM fields, and some institutions are experiencing dramatic shifts in the demographics of the students entering their programs. The development of a subject-specific identity is a strong influence on students' persistence in a discipline and is a productive lens from which to understand the stagnated growth rate of physics majors and how to support a shift in student demographics. In this presentation, ongoing research is presented that aims to understand identity development in STEM with a focus on the transition from physics student to physicist. Community development and exposure to authentic practice are established as crucial factors that contribute to the development of a professional identity. How these findings can be implemented into course design is discussed with an outline of the P3 learning environment. The P3 learning environment blends the regular focus of reform-based teaching practices on deep conceptual understanding with a focus on students obtaining understanding through engagement with authentic scientific practices. By establishing and studying learning environments similar to P3 we can further explore the development of subject-specific identity while also developing effective teaching practices.

Determining the suitability of Lactobacilli antifungal metabolites for inhibiting mould growth

Treesearch

Vina W. Yang; Carol A. Clausen

2005-01-01

In recent years, public concern about indoor mould growth has increased dramatically in the United States. In this study, lactic acid bacteria (LAB), which are known to produce antimicrobial compounds important in the biopreservation of food, were evaluated to determine if the same antimicrobial properties can be used to inhibit mould fungi that typically colonize wood...

Community College Estimated Growth: Fall 2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Phillippe, Kent; Mullin, Christopher M.

2011-01-01

A survey from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) found that enrollment growth in fall 2010 slowed its pace at community colleges, increasing 3.2% from the previous year. This contrasts with more dramatic increases in recent years: more than 11% between fall 2008 and fall 2009, and nearly 17% between fall 2007 and fall 2009,…

Forest Thrives In Sludge Application Tests

Treesearch

Dale G. Brockway

1988-01-01

A six-year, state and federal research-demonstration project to recycle treated municipal wastewater sludge on forest lands has resulted in dramatic growth increase of trees, groundcover and wildlife populations.

Casino taxation in macao: an economic perspective.

PubMed

Gu, Xinhua; Tam, Pui Sun

2011-12-01

Macao's gaming industry has experienced dramatic growth for 8 years, yet with certain social costs due to compulsive gambling. The government has come under pressure for tax cuts even though its gaming receipts are falling relatively to the casino retained revenue. The request for tax relief is triggered by a recent decline in net profit despite fast growing gross gaming revenue under favorable market conditions. This is very likely caused by a substantial hike in casino operating costs due to increased competition and might also signal the presence of the principal-agent problem. Given the regressivity of gaming tax with respect to net profit, it is no surprise that casinos with lower profitability are more prone to seek tax cuts. The source of Macao gaming profit hinges on three distinct factors: rising demand from China, monopoly location for casinos, and market structure of oligopoly. These factors provide economic justifications for the current tax regime of Macao with a strong ability to pass tax burdens on to massive visitors. The government relies on casino tax revenue to deal with gambling related problems and promote local diversified development. Pushing for tax variability may create policy instability, business uncertainty, and unpredictable prosperity in the long term.

Trust: The Missing Dimension in the Food Retail Transition in Thailand

PubMed Central

Banwell, C.; Kelly, M.; Dixon, J.; Seubsman, S-A.; Sleigh, A.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Thailand has experienced dramatic growth of large national and international modern food retailers, such as supermarkets, hypermarkets and convenience stores in large cities and regional centres in the last two decades. Nevertheless, Thai consumers continue to purchase perishables (fruits, vegetables and animal products) from fresh markets (wet markets, talat sot) contradicting predictions from analysts that modern food retail chains will rapidly replace fresh markets as the preferred venue for purchasing all types of foods. This paper examines trust in food retail systems as an under-explored dimension lying behind the continued patronage by Thais of fresh markets to purchase perishable items. It derives from a research program commenced in 2005 that includes fieldwork visits, interviews and questionnaires. In the context of the Thai food retail transition, we propose that trust affects relationships between consumers and (1) individual fresh market-based vendors, (2) the food products sold at fresh markets and (3) the food retail system more broadly. If fresh markets can be maintained in the face of sustained pressure from modern national and international food retailers, Thais will continue to use them. Meanwhile, trust is a relatively unrecognised dimension that is supporting the continued existence of traditional food retail formats. PMID:27499561

Historical carbon footprinting and implications for sustainability planning: a case study of the Pittsburgh region.

PubMed

Hoesly, Rachel; Blackhurst, Mike; Matthews, H Scott; Miller, Jeffrey F; Maples, Amy; Pettit, Matthew; Izard, Catherine; Fischbeck, Paul

2012-04-17

This study estimates fossil-based CO(2) emissions and energy use from 1900-2000 for Allegheny County, PA. Total energy use and emissions increased from 1900 to 1970, reflecting the significant industrial, economic, and population growth that occurred in Allegheny County. From 1970 to 2000, Allegheny County experienced a 30% decrease in total emissions and energy use from peak values, primarily because of a decline in industrial activity (40% decrease in value added) and the loss of a quarter of its population. Despite these dramatic economic and demographic transitions, per capita emissions remained stable from 1970 to 2000, buoyed by relatively stable or slightly increasing emissions in the commercial and transportation sectors. Allegheny County's history suggests the scale of change needed to achieve local emissions reductions may be significant; given years of major technological, economic, and demographic changes, per capita emissions in 1940 were nearly the same in 2000. Most local governments are planning emissions reductions rates that exceed 1% per year, which deviate significantly from historical trends. Our results suggest additional resources and improved planning paradigms are likely necessary to achieve significant emissions reductions, especially for areas where emissions are still increasing.

The Impact of Organic Farming on Quality of Tomatoes Is Associated to Increased Oxidative Stress during Fruit Development

PubMed Central

Oliveira, Aurelice B.; Moura, Carlos F. H.; Gomes-Filho, Enéas; Marco, Claudia A.; Urban, Laurent; Miranda, Maria Raquel A.

2013-01-01

This study was conducted with the objective of testing the hypothesis that tomato fruits from organic farming accumulate more nutritional compounds, such as phenolics and vitamin C as a consequence of the stressing conditions associated with farming system. Growth was reduced in fruits from organic farming while titratable acidity, the soluble solids content and the concentrations in vitamin C were respectively +29%, +57% and +55% higher at the stage of commercial maturity. At that time, the total phenolic content was +139% higher than in the fruits from conventional farming which seems consistent with the more than two times higher activity of phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) we observed throughout fruit development in fruits from organic farming. Cell membrane lipid peroxidation (LPO) degree was 60% higher in organic tomatoes. SOD activity was also dramatically higher in the fruits from organic farming. Taken together, our observations suggest that tomato fruits from organic farming experienced stressing conditions that resulted in oxidative stress and the accumulation of higher concentrations of soluble solids as sugars and other compounds contributing to fruit nutritional quality such as vitamin C and phenolic compounds. PMID:23437115

Population Health Management and the Second Golden Age of Arab Medicine: Promoting Health, Localizing Knowledge Industries, and Diversifying Economies in the GCC Countries.

PubMed

Mattke, Soeren; Hunter, Lauren E; Magnuson, Madeline; Arifkhanova, Aziza

2015-07-15

Over the past half-century, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries-Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates-have experienced rapid economic growth and, with it, dramatic lifestyle changes. Low levels of physical activity and calorie-dense diets have led to an increase in the prevalence of chronic disease, most prominently diabetes. After having successfully controlled communicable diseases and made advanced acute care accessible locally, the GCC countries now face the challenge of orienting their health care systems toward prevention and treatment of chronic diseases. In this study, Dr. Mattke and his colleagues argue that this challenge presents GCC countries with a historic opportunity to reestablish the thought leadership role that Arab medicine had in the Islamic Golden Age. They propose that GCC countries could apply their considerable wealth to design and implement innovative health care systems based on population health management principles and sophisticated health information technology. Taking this path would not only improve prevention and management of chronic disease in the GCC countries but also contribute to the diversification of their economies and localization of knowledge industries.

Child maltreatment and trajectories of personality and behavioral functioning: implications for the development of personality disorder.

PubMed

Kim, Jungmeen; Cicchetti, Dante; Rogosch, Fred A; Manly, Jody Todd

2009-01-01

This study investigated the longitudinal impact of maltreatment parameters on personality processes and maladjustment and prospective relationships between personality trajectory classes and subsequent maladjustment outcomes. The sample involved maltreated (n = 249) and nonmaltreated (n = 200) children followed longitudinally between ages 6 and 10. Growth mixture modeling indicated multifinality in personality development depending on the risk status (i.e., maltreated vs. nonmaltreated). Two trajectory classes of ego resiliency were identified for maltreated children: those who showed a declining trajectory exhibited greater maladjustment. In contrast, three trajectory classes of ego control were identified for nonmaltreated children; the subgroups showing increases in ego undercontrol or dramatic changes from high ego undercontrol to high ego overcontrol exhibited poor adjustment. Experiencing multiple maltreatment subtypes and physical/sexual abuse were related to higher levels of ego undercontrol and externalizing symptomatology, whereas early onset of maltreatment was associated with the low and decreasing trajectory of ego resiliency and higher levels of internalizing symptomatology. The findings suggest that ego resiliency and ego control, personality processes related to self-regulation, may be important factors in identifying distinct pathways to later personality disorders as well as pathways to resilient functioning.

Child maltreatment and trajectories of personality and behavioral functioning: Implications for the development of personality disorder

PubMed Central

Kim, Jungmeen; Cicchetti, Dante; Rogosch, Fred A.; Manly, Jody Todd

2009-01-01

This study investigated the longitudinal impact of maltreatment parameters on personality processes and maladjustment and prospective relationships between personality trajectory classes and subsequent maladjustment outcomes. The sample involved maltreated (n = 249) and nonmaltreated (n = 200) children followed longitudinally between ages 6 – 10. Growth mixture modeling indicated multifinality in personality development depending on the risk status (i.e., maltreated vs. nonmaltreated). Two trajectory classes of ego resiliency were identified for maltreated children; those who showed a declining trajectory exhibited greater maladjustment. In contrast, three trajectory classes of ego control were identified for nonmaltreated children; the subgroups showing increases in ego under-control or dramatic changes from high ego under-control to high ego over-control exhibited poor adjustment. Experiencing multiple maltreatment subtypes and physical/sexual abuse were related to higher levels of ego under-control and externalizing symptomatology, whereas early onset of maltreatment was associated with the low and decreasing trajectory of ego resiliency and higher levels of internalizing symptomatology. The findings suggest that ego resiliency and ego control – personality processes related to self-regulation – may be important factors in identifying distinct pathways to later personality disorders as well as pathways to resilient functioning. PMID:19583889

Advantages and disadvantages of a municipal solid waste collection service for citizens of Hanoi City, Vietnam.

PubMed

Kawai, Kosuke; Osako, Masahiro

2013-03-01

Governments of municipalities in Vietnam experiencing dynamic economic growth and dramatic population increases have been struggling to manage increased amounts of municipal solid waste (MSW). This study aimed to clarify the advantages and disadvantages of the current MSW collection service for citizens of the four central districts of Hanoi city, Vietnam, by conducting interviews with 200 households and 200 business entities regarding their satisfaction with the service. The survey results showed that Hanoi city provides an economical collection service with sufficient frequency and at appropriate times for citizens. However, a number of citizens complained about unsanitary conditions in the area surrounding their residence. Business entities had sufficient motivation to sell recyclable waste (RW) to the informal sector, not only to derive revenue from selling RW, but also to reduce the amount of MSW generated, thus reducing the MSW collection fee. Households were not motivated to reduce MSW by selling RW to the informal sector because they paid a fixed collection fee. As a result, an improvement in living standards in the near future is expected to contribute to increasing the amount of MSW generated from households.

Trust: The Missing Dimension in the Food Retail Transition in Thailand.

PubMed

Banwell, C; Kelly, M; Dixon, J; Seubsman, S-A; Sleigh, A

2016-04-02

Thailand has experienced dramatic growth of large national and international modern food retailers, such as supermarkets, hypermarkets and convenience stores in large cities and regional centres in the last two decades. Nevertheless, Thai consumers continue to purchase perishables (fruits, vegetables and animal products) from fresh markets (wet markets, talat sot) contradicting predictions from analysts that modern food retail chains will rapidly replace fresh markets as the preferred venue for purchasing all types of foods. This paper examines trust in food retail systems as an under-explored dimension lying behind the continued patronage by Thais of fresh markets to purchase perishable items. It derives from a research program commenced in 2005 that includes fieldwork visits, interviews and questionnaires. In the context of the Thai food retail transition, we propose that trust affects relationships between consumers and (1) individual fresh market-based vendors, (2) the food products sold at fresh markets and (3) the food retail system more broadly. If fresh markets can be maintained in the face of sustained pressure from modern national and international food retailers, Thais will continue to use them. Meanwhile, trust is a relatively unrecognised dimension that is supporting the continued existence of traditional food retail formats.

Temporal Changes in Individualism and Their Ramification in Japan: Rising Individualism and Conflicts with Persisting Collectivism

PubMed Central

Ogihara, Yuji

2017-01-01

Many studies have shown that American culture has become more individualistic over time. However, it was unclear whether other cultures, especially East Asian cultures, have also shifted toward greater individualism. Therefore, this article reviewed studies investigating temporal changes in individualism in Japan and their ramifications on psychology and behavior. Japan has experienced rapid and dramatic economic growth and urbanization and has adopted more social systems based on individualistic concepts in various contexts (e.g., workplace, school). Recent studies have suggested that, along with these socioeconomic changes, Japanese culture has become more individualistic over time. Specifically, the divorce rate increased and household size decreased. Moreover, people give more unique names to their children and dogs, and individualistic words such as “individual” and “uniqueness” appear more frequently in newspapers. Furthermore, social values became more individualistic. Yet, it has also been shown that some collectivistic values still remain. As a result, people have difficulty in adapting to this coexistence, which injures interpersonal relationships and well-being. This paper discussed how Japanese culture changed over time and how such changes affected Japanese psychology and behavior. PMID:28588512

Long-Term Urban Market Dynamics Reveal Increased Bushmeat Carcass Volume despite Economic Growth and Proactive Environmental Legislation on Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea

PubMed Central

Cronin, Drew T.; Woloszynek, Stephen; Morra, Wayne A.; Honarvar, Shaya; Linder, Joshua M.; Gonder, Mary Katherine; O’Connor, Michael P.; Hearn, Gail W.

2015-01-01

Bushmeat hunting is extensive in west and central Africa as both a means for subsistence and for commercial gain. Commercial hunting represents one of the primary threats to wildlife in the region, and confounding factors have made it challenging to examine how external factors influence the commercial bushmeat trade. Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea is a small island with large tracts of intact forest that support sizeable populations of commercially valuable vertebrates, especially endemic primates. The island also has a low human population and has experienced dramatic economic growth and rapid development since the mid-1990’s. From October 1997 – September 2010, we monitored the largest bushmeat market on Bioko in Malabo, recording over 197,000 carcasses for sale. We used these data to analyze the dynamics of the market in relation to political events, environmental legislation, and rapid economic growth. Our findings suggest that bushmeat hunting and availability increased in parallel with the growth of Equatorial Guinea’s GDP and disposable income of its citizens. During this 13-year study, the predominant mode of capture shifted from trapping to shotguns. Consequently, carcass volume and rates of taxa typically captured with shotguns increased significantly, most notably including intensified hunting of Bioko's unique and endangered monkey fauna. Attempts to limit bushmeat sales, including a 2007 ban on primate hunting and trade, were only transiently effective. The hunting ban was not enforced, and was quickly followed by a marked increase in bushmeat hunting compared to hunting rates prior to the ban. Our results emphasize the negative impact that rapid development and unenforced legislation have had on Bioko’s wildlife, and demonstrate the need for strong governmental support if conservation strategies are to be successful at preventing extinctions of tropical wildlife. PMID:26230504

Updates to Blast Injury Criteria Models for Nuclear Casualty Estimation

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-12-01

the likelihood of blast-related injury use a two-step process. First, the maximum velocity obtained by the human body or secondary missile is determined...the human body . Secondary injuries are caused by missiles that are accelerated by the blast wave. Tertiary injuries are caused by the acceleration of...the human body and the ensuing deceleration. In this work, we focus on secondary and tertiary injuries. Because of the dramatic effects experienced

Pepper's Ghost

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Greenslade, Thomas B.

2011-09-01

Without applications of physics such as counter-weighted sets and backdrops, inclined planes, stage lighting instruments, and other mechanisms for deus ex machina, dramatic productions would revert to the words only—fine for Shakespeare and Becket, but not good for audiences who are accustomed to experiencing plays with the eye as well as the ear. Pepper's Ghost is a 19th-century stage illusion, based on basic optical principles, that can find its way into your introductory classroom.

Effects of malaria (Plasmodium relicturm) on activity budgets of experimentally-infected juvenile Apapane (Himatione sanquinea)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Yorinks, N.; Atkinson, C.T.

2000-01-01

We used behavioral, physiological, and parasitological measures to document effects of acute malarial infections on activity budgets of experimentally infected juvenile Apapane (Himatione sanguinea). Five of eight birds died within 20 to 32 days after exposure to a single infective mosquito bite. Infected Apapane devoted less time to locomotory activities involving flight, walking or hopping, and stationary activities such as singing, preening, feeding, and probing. The amount of time spent sitting was positively correlated with parasitemia and increased dramatically after infection and between treatment and control groups. Birds that succumbed to infection experienced a significant loss of body mass and subcutaneous fat, whereas surviving Apapane were better able to maintain body condition and fat levels. When rechallenged with the parasite five months after initial infection, surviving birds experienced no increase in parasitemia, indicating that they had become immune to reinfection. Regardless of the outcome, infected birds experienced acute illness that would have left them unable to forage or to escape from predators in the wild.

Relief from glucose interference in microcin B17 biosynthesis by growth in a rotating-wall bioreactor

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fang, A.; Pierson, D. L.; Mishra, S. K.; Demain, A. L.; Peirson, D. L. (Principal Investigator)

2000-01-01

Glucose interference in production of microcin B17 by Escherichia coli ZK650 was decreased sevenfold by growth in a ground-based rotating-wall bioreactor operated in the simulated microgravity mode as compared with growth in flasks. When cells were grown in the bioreactor in the normal gravity mode, relief from glucose interference was even more dramatic, amounting to a decrease in glucose interference of over 100-fold.

Differences in posttraumatic growth and grief reactions among adolescents by relationship with the deceased.

PubMed

Hirooka, Kayo; Fukahori, Hiroki; Ozawa, Miwa; Akita, Yumi

2017-04-01

The aim of this study was to examine three hypotheses: (1) adolescents who had experienced the death of a parent would report higher grief reactions than those who had lost a grandparent; (2) adolescents who experienced the death of a parent would report higher posttraumatic growth than those who had lost a grandparent; and (3) posttraumatic growth and grief reactions are positively associated. To date, no study has investigated adolescents' posttraumatic growth by their relationship with the deceased. Cross-sectional web-based survey. Participants were adolescents who had experienced the death of a parent or grandparent in the last 5 years. Participants completed the Japanese version of the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory and grief reaction items. We conducted a web-based survey during January 2014. We used Pearson product-moment correlations to examine the association between each Posttraumatic Growth Inventory domain and each grief reaction item. Differences in the relationship with the deceased for each Posttraumatic Growth Inventory and grief reaction item were compared with an independent-sample t-test. Participants (n = 124) reported grief reactions including 'I began to get frustrated at the little things' (43·5%), 'It was difficult to go to school' (41·1%) and 'I was not able to sleep at night' (33·9%). The independent t-test indicated that parentally bereaved adolescents reported higher posttraumatic growth and grief reactions than those who had lost a grandparent. Pearson's bivariate analysis showed an association between grief reactions and posttraumatic growth. Parentally bereaved adolescents reported higher posttraumatic growth and grief reactions. Nurses should ensure bereaved adolescents receive appropriate support. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Plum Fruit Development Occurs via Gibberellin–Sensitive and –Insensitive DELLA Repressors

PubMed Central

El-Sharkawy, Islam; Sherif, Sherif; Abdulla, Mahboob

2017-01-01

Fruit growth depends on highly coordinated hormonal activities. The phytohormone gibberellin (GA) promotes growth by triggering degradation of the growth-repressing DELLA proteins; however, the extent to which such proteins contribute to GA-mediated fruit development remains to be clarified. Three new plum genes encoding DELLA proteins, PslGAI, PslRGL and PslRGA were isolated and functionally characterized. Analysis of expression profile during fruit development suggested that PslDELLA are transcriptionally regulated during flower and fruit ontogeny with potential positive regulation by GA and ethylene, depending on organ and developmental stage. PslGAI and PslRGL deduced proteins contain all domains present in typical DELLA proteins. However, PslRGA exhibited a degenerated DELLA domain and subsequently lacks in GID1–DELLA interaction property. PslDELLA–overexpression in WT Arabidopsis caused dramatic disruption in overall growth including root length, stem elongation, plant architecture, flower structure, fertility, and considerable retardation in development due to dramatic distortion in GA-metabolic pathway. GA treatment enhanced PslGAI/PslRGL interaction with PslGID1 receptors, causing protein destabilization and relief of growth-restraining effect. By contrast, PslRGA protein was not degraded by GA due to its inability to interact with PslGID1. Relative to other PslDELLA–mutants, PslRGA–plants displayed stronger constitutive repressive growth that was irreversible by GA application. The present results describe additional complexities in GA-signalling during plum fruit development, which may be particularly important to optimize successful reproductive growth. PMID:28076366

Effect of Fertilization on Survival and Early Growth of Direct-Seeded Red Pine

Treesearch

David H. Alban

1971-01-01

Fertilization resulted in increased height and top weight of red pine seedlings by the end of the second growing season, but also resulted in considerable seedling mortality. A high level of watering also increased seedling growth but to a much less extent than fertilization. Fertilization of 1-year-old seedlings resulted in dramatic changes in their chemical...

The effects of stand structure after thinning on the growth of an Allegheny hardwood stand

Treesearch

David A. Marquis; Richard L. Ernst

1991-01-01

A 50-year-old Allegheny hardwood stand in which the crown canopy had stratified into distinct species groups was thinned to 60% relative density leaving dramatically different stand structures and species composition. Treatments included combined thinning, thin from middle, thin from above, thin from below, and unthinned control. Individual tree growth was stimulated...

Episodic Memory Development: Theory of Mind Is Part of Re-Experiencing Experienced Events

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perner, Josef; Kloo, Daniela; Gornik, Edith

2007-01-01

Two experiments with 3 1/2- to 6 1/2-year-old children showed that theory-of-mind development is associated with the growth of episodic memory. Episodic memory was assessed by manipulating informational conditions such that they permit or prevent the formation of episodic memories in terms of re-experiencing the recalled event. Only experienced…

Reducing Air Pollution from International Transportation

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Because of their reliance on petroleum-based fuels and their dramatic growth rates in recent decades, air and sea transport are responsible for significant emissions of both traditional air pollutants and greenhouse gases.

Growth factors and chronic wound healing: past, present, and future.

PubMed

Goldman, Robert

2004-01-01

Growth substances (cytokines and growth factors) are soluble signaling proteins affecting the process of normal wound healing. Cytokines govern the inflammatory phase that clears cellular and extracellular matrix debris. Wound repair is controlled by growth factors (platelet-derived growth factor [PDGF], keratinocyte growth factor, and transforming growth factor beta). Endogenous growth factors communicate across the dermal-epidermal interface. PDGF is important for most phases of wound healing. Becaplermin (PDGF-BB), the only growth factor approved by the Food and Drug Administration, requires daily application for neuropathic wound healing. Gene therapy is under development for more efficient growth factor delivery; a single application will induce constitutive growth factor expression for weeks. Based on dramatic preclinical animal studies, a phase 1 clinical trial planned on a PDGF genetic construct appears promising.

Tissue architecture and breast cancer: the role of extracellular matrix and steroid hormones

PubMed Central

Hansen, R K; Bissell, M J

2010-01-01

The changes in tissue architecture that accompany the development of breast cancer have been the focus of investigations aimed at developing new cancer therapeutics. As we learn more about the normal mammary gland, we have begun to understand the complex signaling pathways underlying the dramatic shifts in the structure and function of breast tissue. Integrin-, growth factor-, and steroid hormone-signaling pathways all play an important part in maintaining tissue architecture; disruption of the delicate balance of signaling results in dramatic changes in the way cells interact with each other and with the extracellular matrix, leading to breast cancer. The extracellular matrix itself plays a central role in coordinating these signaling processes. In this review, we consider the interrelationships between the extracellular matrix, integrins, growth factors, and steroid hormones in mammary gland development and function. PMID:10903527

Control of ion content and nitrogen species using a mixed chemistry plasma for GaN grown at extremely high growth rates >9 μm/h by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gunning, Brendan P.; Clinton, Evan A.; Merola, Joseph J.; Doolittle, W. Alan; Bresnahan, Rich C.

2015-10-01

Utilizing a modified nitrogen plasma source, plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE) has been used to achieve higher growth rates in GaN. A higher conductance aperture plate, combined with higher nitrogen flow and added pumping capacity, resulted in dramatically increased growth rates up to 8.4 μm/h using 34 sccm of N2 while still maintaining acceptably low operating pressure. It was further discovered that argon could be added to the plasma gas to enhance growth rates up to 9.8 μm/h, which was achieved using 20 sccm of N2 and 7.7 sccm Ar flows at 600 W radio frequency power, for which the standard deviation of thickness was just 2% over a full 2 in. diameter wafer. A remote Langmuir style probe employing the flux gauge was used to indirectly measure the relative ion content in the plasma. The use of argon dilution at low plasma pressures resulted in a dramatic reduction of the plasma ion current by more than half, while high plasma pressures suppressed ion content regardless of plasma gas chemistry. Moreover, different trends are apparent for the molecular and atomic nitrogen species generated by varying pressure and nitrogen composition in the plasma. Argon dilution resulted in nearly an order of magnitude achievable growth rate range from 1 μm/h to nearly 10 μm/h. Even for films grown at more than 6 μm/h, the surface morphology remained smooth showing clear atomic steps with root mean square roughness less than 1 nm. Due to the low vapor pressure of Si, Ge was explored as an alternative n-type dopant for high growth rate applications. Electron concentrations from 2.2 × 1016 to 3.8 × 1019 cm-3 were achieved in GaN using Ge doping, and unintentionally doped GaN films exhibited low background electron concentrations of just 1-2 × 1015 cm-3. The highest growth rates resulted in macroscopic surface features due to Ga cell spitting, which is an engineering challenge still to be addressed. Nonetheless, the dramatically enhanced growth rates demonstrate great promise for the future of III-nitride devices grown by PAMBE.

Mechanics of instability-related delimination growth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Whitcomb, John D.

1988-01-01

Local buckling of a delaminated group of plies can lead to higher interlaminar stresses and delamination growth. The mechanics of instability-related delamination growth (IRDG) had been described previously for the through-width delamination. This paper describes the mechanics of IRDG for the embedded delamination subjected to either uniaxial or axisymmetric loads. The mechanics of IRDG are used to explain the dramatic differences in strain-energy release rates observed for the through-width, the axisymmetrically loaded embedded delamination, and the uniaxially loaded embedded delamination.

Heart to Heart: Parents of Blind and Partially Sighted Children Talk about Their Feelings = De Corazon a Corazon: Padres de Ninos Ciegos y Parcialmente Ciegos Hablan acerca de Sus Sentimientos.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blind Childrens Center, Los Angeles, CA.

English and Spanish versions of this booklet describe typical feelings experienced by parents of blind and partially sighted children. Experiences are cited including first feelings of shock and confusion, days of dramatic ups and downs, need to find a reason for the blindness, self doubts and anxiety, and reactions from strangers. In closing, the…

Critical aspects of substrate nanopatterning for the ordered growth of GaN nanocolumns.

PubMed

Barbagini, Francesca; Bengoechea-Encabo, Ana; Albert, Steven; Martinez, Javier; Sanchez García, Miguel Angel; Trampert, Achim; Calleja, Enrique

2011-12-14

Precise and reproducible surface nanopatterning is the key for a successful ordered growth of GaN nanocolumns. In this work, we point out the main technological issues related to the patterning process, mainly surface roughness and cleaning, and mask adhesion to the substrate. We found that each of these factors, process-related, has a dramatic impact on the subsequent selective growth of the columns inside the patterned holes. We compare the performance of e-beam lithography, colloidal lithography, and focused ion beam in the fabrication of hole-patterned masks for ordered columnar growth. These results are applicable to the ordered growth of nanocolumns of different materials.

Direct observation of growth front movement in electron beam recrystallization of silicon layer on insulator

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Inoue, Tomoyasu; Hamasaki, Toshihiko

1987-04-01

A high-speed movie technique was used to investigate the growth front movement during electron beam recrystallization of thin silicon layers on insulating material. In a laterally epitaxial growth process, it was clearly observed that the molten zone shape dramatically changes across a seed opening, which is due to nonuniformity in heat dissipation toward the substrate in the vicinity of the seed opening. The molten zone width and velocities of the melt front and growth front were quantitatively analyzed using digital film motion analysis. The growth front velocity was found to drastically change by ˜30% across the seed opening.

[Development and Evaluation of a Self-Reflection Program for Intensive Care Unit Nurses Who Have Experienced the Death of Pediatric Patients].

PubMed

Kang, Hyun Ju; Bang, Kyung Sook

2017-06-01

This study aims to develop a self-reflection program for nurses who have experienced the death of pediatric patients in the intensive care unit and to evaluate its effectiveness. The self-reflection program was developed by means of the following four steps: establishment of the goal through investigation of an initial request, drawing up the program, preliminary research, and implementation and improvement of the program. The study employed a methodological triangulation to evaluate the effectiveness of the program. Participants were 38 nurses who had experienced the death of pediatric patients (experimental group=15, control group=23); they were recruited using convenience sampling. The self-reflection program was provided over 6 weeks (6 sessions). Data were collected from April to August, 2014 and analyzed using t-tests and content analysis. The quantitative results showed that changes in personal growth (t=-6.33, p<.001) and burnout scores (z=-2.76, p=.005) were better in the experimental group compared to the control group. The qualitative results exhibited two themes, namely "personal growth" and "professional growth", and ten sub-themes. The self-reflection program developed by this study was effective in helping nurses who had experienced the death of pediatric patients to achieve personal growth through self-reflection, and it was confirmed that the program can be applied in a realistic clinical nursing setting. Furthermore, it can be recommended as an intervention program for clinical nurses. © 2017 Korean Society of Nursing Science

Multicomponent biocide systems protect wood from decay fungi, mold fungi, and termites for interior applications

Treesearch

Carol A. Clausen; Vina W. Yang

2004-01-01

Concerns about indoor air quality due to mold growth have increased dramatically in the United States. In the absence of proper moisture management, fungicides need to be developed for indoor use to control mold establishment. An ideal fungicide for prevention of indoor mold growth on wood-based materials needs to specifically prevent spore germination and provide long...

Community Schooling and State Control: A Dilemma in the Innovation and Reform of Botswana's Basic Education System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tshireletso, Lucky

This paper examines the Botswana government's objectives and implementation strategies in the development of community secondary schools. With a population of 1.5 million and an annual growth rate of 3.5 percent, Botswana is one of the fastest growing countries in the world. Recent dramatic economic growth, largely due to diamond revenues, has not…

Growth rate of plasma-synthesized vertically aligned carbon nanofibers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merkulov, Vladimir I.; Melechko, A. V.; Guillorn, M. A.; Lowndes, D. H.; Simpson, M. L.

2002-08-01

Vertically aligned carbon nanofibers (VACNFs) were synthesized by direct-current plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition using acetylene and ammonia as the gas source. The mechanisms responsible for changing the nanofiber growth rate were studied and phenomenological models are proposed. The feedstock for VACNF growth is suggested to consist mainly of radicals formed in the plasma and not the unexcited acetylene gas molecules. The growth rate is shown to increase dramatically by changing the radical transport mechanism from diffusive to forced flow, which was accomplished by increasing the gas flow in the direction perpendicular to the substrate.

Beneficial microbes affect endogenous mechanisms controlling root development

PubMed Central

Verbon, Eline H.; Liberman, Louisa M.

2016-01-01

Plants have incredible developmental plasticity, enabling them to respond to a wide range of environmental conditions. Among these conditions is the presence of plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria (PGPR) in the soil. Recent studies show that PGPR affect root growth and development within Arabidopsis thaliana root. These effects lead to dramatic changes in root system architecture, that significantly impact aboveground plant growth. Thus, PGPR may promote shoot growth via their effect on root developmental programs. This review focuses on contextualizing root developmental changes elicited by PGPR in light of our understanding of plant-microbe interactions and root developmental biology. PMID:26875056

A dramatic increase in the positive blood culture rates of Helicobacter cinaedi: the evidence of differential detection abilities between the Bactec and BacT/Alert systems.

PubMed

Miyake, Noriko; Chong, Yong; Nishida, Ruriko; Nagasaki, Yoji; Kibe, Yasushi; Kiyosuke, Makiko; Shimomura, Takeshi; Shimono, Nobuyuki; Shimoda, Shinji; Akashi, Koichi

2015-11-01

In our hospital, positive blood culture rates of Helicobacter cinaedi dramatically increased after introducing the Bactec system. A simulated culture model of H. cinaedi bacteremia demonstrated no positive signals using the BacT/Alert system, despite efficient growth in bottles. Clinically suspected H. cinaedi bacteremia should be monitored more closely when using the BacT/Alert system, preferably with subcultivation after 7days of incubation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Dramatic Enhancement in Photoresponse of β-In2S3 through Suppression of Dark Conductivity by Synthetic Control of Defect-Induced Carrier Compensation.

PubMed

Chaudhari, Nilima; Mandal, Lily; Game, Onkar; Warule, Sambhaji; Phase, Deodatta; Jadkar, Sandesh; Ogale, Satishchandra

2015-08-19

We report on the synthesis of dense and faceted indium sulfide (β-In2S3) nano-octahedron films on fluorine-doped tin oxide-coated glass by the hydrothermal method and their photoresponse properties in a flip chip device configuration. We have examined the temporal evolution of the phase constitution, morphology, and optoelectronic properties for films obtained after growth interruption at specific intervals. It is noted that, initially, an In(OH)3 film forms, which is gradually transformed to the β-In2S3 phase over time. In the case of the film wherein most, but not all, of In(OH)3 is consumed, an exceptionally large photoresponse (light to dark current ratio) of ∼10(4) and response time(s) (rise/fall) of ∼88/280 ms are realized. This superior performance is attributed to nearly complete carrier compensation achievable in the system under high pressure growth leading to dramatic reduction of dark conductivity. It is argued that the temporally growth-controlled equilibrium between quasi-In interstitials and cation vacancies dictates the optoelectronic properties.

Rapid regional recovery from sulfate and nitrate pollution in streams of the western Czech Republic - Comparison to other recovering areas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Majer, V.; Kram, P.; Shanley, J.B.

2005-01-01

Hydrochemical changes between 1991 and 2001 were assessed based on two synoptic stream surveys from the 820-km2 region of the Slavkov Forest and surrounding area, western Czech Republic. Marked declines of sulfate, nitrate, chloride, calcium and magnesium in surface waters were compared with other areas of Europe and North America recovering from acidification. Declines of sulfate concentration in the Slavkov Forest (-30 ??eq L-1 yr-1) were more dramatic than declines reported from other sites. However, these dramatic declines of strong acid anions did not generate a widespread increase of stream water pH in the Slavkov Forest. Only the most acidic streams experienced a slight increase of pH by 0.5 unit. An unexpected decline of stream water pH occurred in slightly alkaline streams. ?? 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Waardenburg Syndrome Type 4 Gene, SOX10, Is a Novel Tumor-associated Antigen Identified in a Patient with a Dramatic Response to Immunotherapy

PubMed Central

Khong, Hung T.; Rosenberg, Steven A.

2008-01-01

In this study, we have identified, for the first time, the presence of de novo cellular immune reactivity against the transcription factor SOX10, using tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes obtained from a patient who experienced a dramatic clinical response to immunotherapy. SOX10 acts as a critical transactivator of tyrosinase-related protein-2 during melanoblast development and a potent transactivator of micropthalmia-associated transcription factor, which is considered to be a master gene that controls the development and postnatal survival of melanocytes. Mutations in SOX10 result in Waardenburg syndrome type 4. The overlapping epitopes AWISKPPGV and SAWISKPPGV, designated SOX10: 332–340 and SOX10: 331–340, respectively, were recognized by tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte clone M37 in an HLA-A2-restricted fashion. PMID:12036907

Bursting at the Seams: Report of the Citizens' Commission on Planning for Enrollment Growth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fernandez, Ricardo R.; Timpane, P. Michael

The independent Citizens' Commission on Planning for Enrollment Growth for New York City has concluded that the school system is experiencing explosive enrollment growth, and that current strategies are incapable of dealing with this growth. The only way to forestall a crisis is to increase classroom space significantly. Given current demographic…

Regional growth decline of sugar maple (Acer saccharum) and its potential causes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bishop, Daniel A.; Beier, Colin M.; Pederson, Neil; Lawrence, Gregory B.; Stella, John C; Sullivan, Timothy J.

2015-01-01

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh) has experienced poor vigor, regeneration failure, and elevated mortality across much of its range, but there has been relatively little attention to its growth rates. Based on a well-replicated dendrochronological network of range-centered populations in the Adirondack Mountains (USA), which encompassed a wide gradient of soil fertility, we observed that the majority of sugar maple trees exhibited negative growth trends in the last several decades, regardless of age, diameter, or soil fertility. Such growth patterns were unexpected, given recent warming and increased moisture availability, as well as reduced acidic deposition, which should have favored growth. Mean basal area increment was greater on base-rich soils, but these stands also experienced sharp reductions in growth. Growth sensitivity of sugar maple to temperature and precipitation was non-stationary during the last century, with overall weaker relationships than expected. Given the favorable competitive status and age structure of the Adirondack sugar maple populations sampled, evidence of widespread growth reductions raises concern over this ecologically and economically important tree. Further study will be needed to establish whether growth declines of sugar maple are occurring more widely across its range.

Negative and positive effects of traumatic experiences in a group of emergency service workers --the role of personal and social resources.

PubMed

Ogińska-Bulik, Nina

2013-01-01

The purpose of the research is to investigate the role of personal (spirituality) and social (social support in the workplace) resources in both negative (post-traumatic stress disorder - PTSD symptoms) and positive (post-traumatic growth) effects of experienced trauma in a group of emergency service workers. Data of 116 workers representing emergency service (37.1% firefighters, 37.1%, police officers and 25.8% medical rescue workers) who have experienced traumatic events in their worksite were analyzed. The range of age of the participants was 21-57 years (M = 35.27; SD = 8.13). Polish versions of the Impact of Events Scale - Revised and the Post-traumatic Growth Inventory were used to assess the negative and positive effects of experienced events. Spirituality was assessed by self-report questionnaire and social support in the workplace scale was measured by the scale What support you can count on. The results revealed that support from supervisors reduces the severity of PTSD symptoms, and spirituality and support from co-workers promote the growth after trauma. Personal resources in the form of spirituality, compared with the social resources, play more important role in gaining benefits from trauma than in protecting against the harmful effects of the experienced traumatic event.

Gestalt Workshops: Suggested In-Service Training for Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fiordo, Richard

1981-01-01

Fritz Perls' Gestalt Workshops are explained and recommended for inservice training for teachers. Since Gestalt Workshops increase their participants' growth, awareness, and integration personally and environmentally, their benefit to classroom teachers would be direct and dramatic. (Author)

Increasing carpooling in Vermont : opportunities and obstacles.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-06-01

Growth in car ownership, dispersed land settlement patterns, highway investments, travel behavior and : socioeconomic changes have all contributed to a dramatic increase in automobile use in the U.S. over : the last 80 years.1 The resulting health...

Tissue architecture and breast cancer: the role of extracellular matrix and steroid hormones

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

Hansen, R K; Bissell, M J

The changes in tissue architecture that accompany the development of breast cancer have been the focus of investigations aimed at developing new cancer therapeutics. As we learn more about the normal mammary gland, we have begun to understand the complex signaling pathways underlying the dramatic shifts in the structure and function of breast tissue. Integrin-, growth factor-, and steroid hormone-signaling pathways all play an important part in maintaining tissue architecture; disruption of the delicate balance of signaling results in dramatic changes in the way cells interact with each other and with the extracellular matrix, leading to breast cancer. The extracellularmore » matrix itself plays a central role in coordinating these signaling processes. In this review, we consider the interrelationships between the extracellular matrix, integrins, growth factors, and steroid hormones in mammary gland development and function.« less

Addressing the Growing Cancer Burden in the Wake of the AIDS Epidemic in Botswana: The BOTSOGO Collaborative Partnership

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

Efstathiou, Jason A., E-mail: jefstathiou@partners.org; Bvochora-Nsingo, Memory; Gierga, David P.

2014-07-01

Botswana has experienced a dramatic increase in HIV-related malignancies over the past decade. The BOTSOGO collaboration sought to establish a sustainable partnership with the Botswana oncology community to improve cancer care. This collaboration is anchored by regular tumor boards and on-site visits that have resulted in the introduction of new approaches to treatment and perceived improvements in care, providing a model for partnership between academic oncology centers and high-burden countries with limited resources.

[Stop the annual firework disaster--a plea for medical scientific associations to take a clear-cut position].

PubMed

Stilma, J S

2009-01-01

Every year people sustain serious injuries when they let off fireworks on New Year's Eve. Public education and protective eye wear do not solve this problem. Experience from other countries shows that the number of injuries decreases dramatically when fireworks are handled only by experienced specialists. Medical scientific associations are invited to promote a ban on ordinary citizens letting off fireworks and for fireworks to be reserved for firework specialists only.

Threatened Caribbean coral is able to mitigate the adverse effects of ocean acidification on calcification by increasing feeding rate.

PubMed

Towle, Erica K; Enochs, Ian C; Langdon, Chris

2015-01-01

Global climate change threatens coral growth and reef ecosystem health via ocean warming and ocean acidification (OA). Whereas the negative impacts of these stressors are increasingly well-documented, studies identifying pathways to resilience are still poorly understood. Heterotrophy has been shown to help corals experiencing decreases in growth due to either thermal or OA stress; however, the mechanism by which it mitigates these decreases remains unclear. This study tested the ability of coral heterotrophy to mitigate reductions in growth due to climate change stress in the critically endangered Caribbean coral Acropora cervicornis via changes in feeding rate and lipid content. Corals were either fed or unfed and exposed to elevated temperature (30°C), enriched pCO2 (800 ppm), or both (30°C/800 ppm) as compared to a control (26°C/390 ppm) for 8 weeks. Feeding rate and lipid content both increased in corals experiencing OA vs. present-day conditions, and were significantly correlated. Fed corals were able to maintain ambient growth rates at both elevated temperature and elevated CO2, while unfed corals experienced significant decreases in growth with respect to fed conspecifics. Our results show for the first time that a threatened coral species can buffer OA-reduced calcification by increasing feeding rates and lipid content.

The Fairness Debate in U.S.-Japan Economic Relations

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-01-01

economic growth for the foreseeable future; any developments that threaten to undermine it would have enormous consequences for the future of the...foreign businesses. The Japanese view U.S. macroeconomic policy failure as the principal cause of the fairness dispute. There is rep- utable economic...number of comparable political problems. Stereotyping of the other 2 The reason for the dramatic growth of fairness grievances in advanced industrial

Housing growth, forests, and public lands in Northern Wisconsin form 1940 to 2000

Treesearch

Roger B. Hammer; Susan I. Stewart; Todd J. Hawbaker; Volker C. Radeloff

2009-01-01

Rural, forested areas throughout the United States are experiencing strong housing growth with potentially detrimental impacts on the environment. In this paper, we quantify housing growth in Northern Wisconsin over the last sixty years to determine if growth rates were higher near public lands, which may represent an important recreational amenity. We used data from...

The effects of HMO ownership on hospital costs and revenues: is there a difference between for-profit and nonprofit plans?

PubMed

Shen, Yu-Chu; Melnick, Glenn

2004-01-01

We conducted multivariate analyses to examine whether high health maintenance organization (HMO) penetration and large share of for-profit health plans in a market reduced hospital cost and revenue growth rates between 1989 and 1998. We found that hospitals in high HMO areas experienced revenue and cost growth rates that were 21 and 18 percentage points, respectively, below hospitals in low HMO areas. We also found that, conditional on overall HMO penetration level, hospitals in areas with high for-profit HMO penetration experienced revenue and cost growth rates that were 10 percentage points below hospitals in areas with low for-profit penetration areas; the difference was especially evident within high HMO penetration areas.

Critical aspects of substrate nanopatterning for the ordered growth of GaN nanocolumns

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Precise and reproducible surface nanopatterning is the key for a successful ordered growth of GaN nanocolumns. In this work, we point out the main technological issues related to the patterning process, mainly surface roughness and cleaning, and mask adhesion to the substrate. We found that each of these factors, process-related, has a dramatic impact on the subsequent selective growth of the columns inside the patterned holes. We compare the performance of e-beam lithography, colloidal lithography, and focused ion beam in the fabrication of hole-patterned masks for ordered columnar growth. These results are applicable to the ordered growth of nanocolumns of different materials. PMID:22168918

Increasing the information rates of optical communications via coded modulation: a study of transceiver performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maher, Robert; Alvarado, Alex; Lavery, Domaniç; Bayvel, Polina

2016-02-01

Optical fibre underpins the global communications infrastructure and has experienced an astonishing evolution over the past four decades, with current commercial systems transmitting data rates in excess of 10 Tb/s over a single fibre core. The continuation of this dramatic growth in throughput has become constrained due to a power dependent nonlinear distortion arising from a phenomenon known as the Kerr effect. The mitigation of fibre nonlinearities is an area of intense research. However, even in the absence of nonlinear distortion, the practical limit on the transmission throughput of a single fibre core is dominated by the finite signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) afforded by current state-of-the-art coherent optical transceivers. Therefore, the key to maximising the number of information bits that can be reliably transmitted over a fibre channel hinges on the simultaneous optimisation of the modulation format and code rate, based on the SNR achieved at the receiver. In this work, we use an information theoretic approach based on the mutual information and the generalised mutual information to characterise a state-of-the-art dual polarisation m-ary quadrature amplitude modulation transceiver and subsequently apply this methodology to a 15-carrier super-channel to achieve the highest throughput (1.125 Tb/s) ever recorded using a single coherent receiver.

Trichuris trichiura Infection in North Korean Defector Resulted in Chronic Abdominal Pain and Growth Retardation.

PubMed

Kim, Jong Bin; Seo, Kwang Il; Moon, Won

2017-04-25

Trichuris trichiura infection is a common helminth infection, which is transmitted via soil, with worldwide distribution, especially in rural areas of developing countries. Occasionally, sporadic cases occur in non-endemic, developed areas due to the widespread of immigration. We experienced a case of Trichuris dysentery syndrome in a young North Korean defector, who had been suffering from chronic abdominal pain for 10 years. He is relatively short and thin compared with his older brother. Unexpectedly, the diagnosis, made by a colonoscopy, revealed numerous, small, white, and gently moving worms at the cecum and ascending colon. After 3 days of albendazole (400 mg once daily) administration, clinical symptoms subsided dramatically. On the follow-up colonoscopy, which was performed two months after the completion of his treatment, complete eradication was identified. Soil-transmitted helminths, including Trichuris trichiura , are disappearing becoming less prevalent in South Korea as a result of both national driving force and environmental improvement. However, these diseases should be considered when we meet foreign patients from developing countries, like North Korea, presenting chronic abdominal pain. Moreover, proper treatment of North Korean defectors and performing cohort studies of them would help to prepare for the possible unification era in the field of gastroenterology.

Results from the organ and tissue transplant program in Nuevo Leon, Mexico, 1996 to 2001.

PubMed

Carbajal, H; Cabriales, H

2003-12-01

Before 1996, solid organs from cadaveric donors (CD) did not account for more than 2% of all transplants. The need for more transplants led the state to undergo several legislative, societal, organizational, and infrastructure changes. A descriptive analysis of the evolution of the transplant program in the State of Nuevo León, Mexico, from 1996 to 2001. Trimester reports have been routinely performed since 1996 from the 14 institutions that are licensed to perform organ and tissue transplants in the State of Nuevo León, Mexico. All reports were concentrated and a descriptive analysis is presented herein. From 1996 until 2001, a total of 1457 organ and tissue (OT) transplants have been performed. At the end of this period, there was a 214% increase in the total number of transplants. By 2001, 73% of the program's total of 1457 OT transplants came from cadaveric donors. The state transplant program of Nuevo León has experienced a dramatic growth since 1996. The percent of organs transplanted from cadaveric donors is one of the highest in Mexico. There is still much work to be done at the state and national levels; better epidemiological studies and dialysis registries are needed as well as investment in transplant research.

Increasing the information rates of optical communications via coded modulation: a study of transceiver performance

PubMed Central

Maher, Robert; Alvarado, Alex; Lavery, Domaniç; Bayvel, Polina

2016-01-01

Optical fibre underpins the global communications infrastructure and has experienced an astonishing evolution over the past four decades, with current commercial systems transmitting data rates in excess of 10 Tb/s over a single fibre core. The continuation of this dramatic growth in throughput has become constrained due to a power dependent nonlinear distortion arising from a phenomenon known as the Kerr effect. The mitigation of fibre nonlinearities is an area of intense research. However, even in the absence of nonlinear distortion, the practical limit on the transmission throughput of a single fibre core is dominated by the finite signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) afforded by current state-of-the-art coherent optical transceivers. Therefore, the key to maximising the number of information bits that can be reliably transmitted over a fibre channel hinges on the simultaneous optimisation of the modulation format and code rate, based on the SNR achieved at the receiver. In this work, we use an information theoretic approach based on the mutual information and the generalised mutual information to characterise a state-of-the-art dual polarisation m-ary quadrature amplitude modulation transceiver and subsequently apply this methodology to a 15-carrier super-channel to achieve the highest throughput (1.125 Tb/s) ever recorded using a single coherent receiver. PMID:26864633

Secular changes in the height of Polish schoolboys from 1955-1988

PubMed Central

Bielecki, Emily M.; Haas, Jere D; Hulanicka, Barbara

2014-01-01

Secular changes in height have been observed in many regions of Poland using cross-sectional data; however, data from four nationally representative surveys conducted from 1955 to 1988 have only been partially analyzed. Dramatic social and economic transitions during this 33 year period provide a unique opportunity to understand changes in growth within this historic context. We analyzed the changes in height of boys, aged 7 to 18 years, from surveys conducted in 1955, 1966, 1978 and 1988. Data for height were converted to Z-scores using the LMS method and the 2000 National Center for Health Statistics reference. In each consecutive survey year, boys at all ages were significantly taller than the same aged boys from the previous survey year, with mean height increases of a 2.35 cm, 3.43 cm and 1.47 cm between 1955-1966, 1966-1978 and 1978-1988, respectively. There were significant declines with age in height Z-scores from 7 to 14 years of age, followed by improvements relative to the reference between 14 and 18 years of age. The decline in Z-scores may be partially explained by an effect of delayed maturation. However, historic context also supports that some birth cohorts likely experienced a more adverse environment during early childhood than did other birth cohorts. PMID:21752733

Unintended pregnancy and the changing demography of American women, 1987–2008

PubMed Central

Tapales, Athena; Finer, Lawrence

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND In 1987, the U.S. unintended pregnancy rate was 59 per 1,000 women aged 15–44; the rate fell to 54 in 2008. Over this period, American women experienced dramatic demographic shifts, including an aging population that was better educated and more racially and ethnically diverse. OBJECTIVE This study aims to explain trends in unintended pregnancy and understand what factors contributed most strongly to changes in rates over time, focusing on population composition and group-specific changes. METHODS We used the 1988 and 2006–10 waves of the National Survey of Family Growth and employed a decomposition approach, looking jointly at age, relationship status, and educational attainment. RESULTS When we decomposed by the demographic factors together, we found that changes in population composition contributed to an increase in the overall rate, but this was more than offset by group-specific rate declines, which had an impact nearly twice as great in the downward direction. Increases in the share of the population that was cohabiting and the share that was Hispanic were offset by declines in rates among married women. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest that a combination of compositional shifts and changes in group-specific rates drove unintended pregnancy, sometimes acting as counterbalancing forces and at other times operating in tandem. PMID:27147904

Seasonal growth and mortality of juveniles of Lampsilis fasciola (Bivalvia: Unionidae) released to a fish hatchery raceway

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hanlon, Shane D.; Neves, Richard J.

2006-01-01

Recent efforts to restore remnant or extirpated populations of freshwater mussels have focused on artificial propagation as an effective and practical conservation strategy. Although artificially cultured juveniles have been produced and released to the wild at various times of the year, no study has investigated the best time of year to release these juveniles. Newly metamorphosed juveniles of the wavyrayed lampmussel (Lampsilis fasciola) were released into a stream-fed fish hatchery raceway during March, June, and September. Growth and survival rates were measured 32, 52, 72, and 92 days post-metamorphosis. Juveniles released in June experienced the greatest growth and survival rates. Juveniles released in September and March experienced high mortality within the first month of release and exhibited poor growth in the cool water conditions typical of those seasons. Overwinter survival exhibited a size-dependent relationship.

Outsourcing Student Housing in American Community Colleges: Problems and Prospects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bekurs, Gray

2007-01-01

Today's community colleges are experiencing tremendous growth at a time when higher education is experiencing little success in the fierce battle for public funding. Administrators believe that providing housing on college campuses increases enrollment and improves access, but they are having difficulty meeting students' demands for both quantity…

Experienced Teachers' Voices: What Motivates Them to Mentor?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garza, Ruben; Ramirez, Alfredo, Jr.; Ovando, Martha

2009-01-01

This qualitative study examined 88 experienced teachers' responses related to mentoring. Our findings suggest mentors possess the willingness and expertise to enhance the professional development and growth of a beginning teacher. Mentors were motivated by the opportunity to express an altruistic value, to provide affective support, to grow…

Graduation Certification--Too Late to Graduate!

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doman, Mark S.

2017-01-01

Oakland University (OU) in Rochester, Michigan, was experiencing growing pains. The good news was that OU had experienced 23 years of continuous enrollment growth, with student enrollment exceeding 20,000 in 2015 for the first time ever. The downside was that various administrative processes throughout the university were straining to keep up. One…

Science Teachers' Conceptual Growth within Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, M. Gail; Rua, Melissa J.; Carter, Glenda

1998-01-01

Examines how science teachers' (n=14) knowledge of science and science pedagogy changed after participation in a constructivist-based methods course. More-experienced teachers were paired with less-experienced teachers, and pre- and post-instructional concept maps, journals, portfolios, and transcripts revealed that, within the zone of proximal…

Control of ion content and nitrogen species using a mixed chemistry plasma for GaN grown at extremely high growth rates >9 μm/h by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

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

Gunning, Brendan P.; Clinton, Evan A.; Merola, Joseph J.

2015-10-21

Utilizing a modified nitrogen plasma source, plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE) has been used to achieve higher growth rates in GaN. A higher conductance aperture plate, combined with higher nitrogen flow and added pumping capacity, resulted in dramatically increased growth rates up to 8.4 μm/h using 34 sccm of N{sub 2} while still maintaining acceptably low operating pressure. It was further discovered that argon could be added to the plasma gas to enhance growth rates up to 9.8 μm/h, which was achieved using 20 sccm of N{sub 2} and 7.7 sccm Ar flows at 600 W radio frequency power, for which themore » standard deviation of thickness was just 2% over a full 2 in. diameter wafer. A remote Langmuir style probe employing the flux gauge was used to indirectly measure the relative ion content in the plasma. The use of argon dilution at low plasma pressures resulted in a dramatic reduction of the plasma ion current by more than half, while high plasma pressures suppressed ion content regardless of plasma gas chemistry. Moreover, different trends are apparent for the molecular and atomic nitrogen species generated by varying pressure and nitrogen composition in the plasma. Argon dilution resulted in nearly an order of magnitude achievable growth rate range from 1 μm/h to nearly 10 μm/h. Even for films grown at more than 6 μm/h, the surface morphology remained smooth showing clear atomic steps with root mean square roughness less than 1 nm. Due to the low vapor pressure of Si, Ge was explored as an alternative n-type dopant for high growth rate applications. Electron concentrations from 2.2 × 10{sup 16} to 3.8 × 10{sup 19} cm{sup −3} were achieved in GaN using Ge doping, and unintentionally doped GaN films exhibited low background electron concentrations of just 1–2 × 10{sup 15} cm{sup −3}. The highest growth rates resulted in macroscopic surface features due to Ga cell spitting, which is an engineering challenge still to be addressed. Nonetheless, the dramatically enhanced growth rates demonstrate great promise for the future of III-nitride devices grown by PAMBE.« less

Effects of chilling temperatures on photosynthesis

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Environmental stress is an inescapable reality for most plants growing in natural settings. Conditions of sub or supra-optimal temperatures, water deficit, water logging, salinity, and pollution can have dramatic effects on plant growth and development, and in agricultural settings, yield. In cotton...

Maternal and Child Characteristics that Influence the Growth of Daily Living Skills from Infancy to School Age in Preterm and Term Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dieterich, Susan E.; Hebert, Heather M.; Landry, Susan H.; Swank, Paul R.; Smith, Karen E.

2004-01-01

Research findings: Growth across 6 months to 8 years of age, assessed at seven time points, for daily living and cognitive skills was compared for term (n = 122), very low birth weight (VLBW) children of low (n = 114) and high (n = 73) medical risk and lower socioeconomic status (SES). Dramatic declines in daily living skills were found for all…

Phytotoxic properties of nordihydroguaiaretic acid, a lignan fromLarrea tridentata (Creosote bush).

PubMed

Elakovich, S D; Stevens, K L

1985-01-01

The phytotoxic properties of nordihydroguaiaretic acid (NDGA) isolated from creosote bush,Larrea tridentata (Zygophyllaceae), were examined. NDGA dramatically reduces the seedling root growth of barnyard grass, green foxtail, perennial ryegrass, annual ryegrass, red millet, lambsquarter, lettuce, and alfalfa, and reduces the hypocotyl growth of lettuce and green foxtail. It has no effect on the germination of lettuce seeds. NDGA almost certainly contributes to the observed allelopathic nature of creosote bush.

Forty-two years of change in an old-growth and second-growth beech-maple forest of north central Ohio

Treesearch

Natalie R. Pinheiro; P. Charles Goebel; David M. Hix

2008-01-01

Using data collected in 1964 and 2006, we examined changes in the composition and structure of a second-growth and old-growth beech-maple forest of Crall Woods, located in Ashland County of north central Ohio. Over the 42 years, the old-growth forest (estimated to be at least 250 years old) experienced a significant shift in species composition as American beech,...

The effect of incentive-based formularies on prescription-drug utilization and spending.

PubMed

Huskamp, Haiden A; Deverka, Patricia A; Epstein, Arnold M; Epstein, Robert S; McGuigan, Kimberly A; Frank, Richard G

2003-12-04

Many employers and health plans have adopted incentive-based formularies in an attempt to control prescription-drug costs. We used claims data to compare the utilization of and spending on drugs in two employer-sponsored health plans that implemented changes in formulary administration with those in comparison groups of enrollees covered by the same insurers. One plan simultaneously switched from a one-tier to a three-tier formulary and increased all enrollee copayments for medications. The second switched from a two-tier to a three-tier formulary, changing only the copayments for tier-3 drugs. We examined the utilization of angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, proton-pump inhibitors, and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins). Enrollees covered by the employer that implemented more dramatic changes experienced slower growth than the comparison group in the probability of the use of a drug and a major shift in spending from the plan to the enrollee. Among the enrollees who were initially taking tier-3 statins, more enrollees in the intervention group than in the comparison group switched to tier-1 or tier-2 medications (49 percent vs. 17 percent, P<0.001) or stopped taking statins entirely (21 percent vs. 11 percent, P=0.04). Patterns were similar for ACE inhibitors and proton-pump inhibitors. The enrollees covered by the employer that implemented more moderate changes were more likely than the comparison enrollees to switch to tier-1 or tier-2 medications but not to stop taking a given class of medications altogether. Different changes in formulary administration may have dramatically different effects on utilization and spending and may in some instances lead enrollees to discontinue therapy. The associated changes in copayments can substantially alter out-of-pocket spending by enrollees, the continuation of the use of medications, and possibly the quality of care. Copyright 2003 Massachusetts Medical Society

Short-term and long-term associations between household wealth and physical growth: a cross-comparative analysis of children from four low- and middle-income countries.

PubMed

Krishna, Aditi; Oh, Juhwan; Lee, Jong-koo; Lee, Hwa-Young; Perkins, Jessica M; Heo, Jongho; Ro, Young Sun; Subramanian, S V

2015-01-01

Stunting, a form of anthropometric failure, disproportionately affects children in developing countries with a higher burden on children living in poverty. How early life deprivation affects physical growth over various life stages is less well-known. We investigate the short- and long-run associations between household wealth in early life with physical growth in childhood in four low- and middle-income countries to understand the persistent implications of early life conditions of poverty and resource constraints on physical growth. Longitudinal study of eight cohorts of children in four countries - Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam (n=10,016) - ages 6 months to 15 years, using data from the Young Lives project, 2002-2009. Physical growth outcomes are standardized height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) and stunting. The key exposure is household wealth measured at baseline using a wealth index, an asset-based indicator. Covariates include child's age and sex, caregiver's educational status, household size, and place of residence. Baseline wealth index is significantly associated with higher physical growth rates as suggested by higher HAZ and lower odds of stunting. We found these associations in all four countries, for younger and older cohorts and for children who experienced changes in living standards. For the older cohort, despite the timing of the first survey at age 7-8 years, which is beyond the critical period of 1,000 days, there are lasting influences of early poverty, even for those who experienced changes in wealth. Household wealth in early life matters for physical growth with conditions of poverty and deprivation influencing growth faltering even beyond the 1,000 days window. The influences of early childhood poverty, so prevalent among children in low- and middle-income countries, must be addressed by policies and programs targeting early life but also focusing on older children experiencing growth faltering.

Short-term and long-term associations between household wealth and physical growth: a cross-comparative analysis of children from four low- and middle-income countries

PubMed Central

Krishna, Aditi; Oh, Juhwan; Lee, Jong-koo; Lee, Hwa-Young; Perkins, Jessica M.; Heo, Jongho; Ro, Young Sun; Subramanian, S.V.

2015-01-01

Background Stunting, a form of anthropometric failure, disproportionately affects children in developing countries with a higher burden on children living in poverty. How early life deprivation affects physical growth over various life stages is less well-known. Objective We investigate the short- and long-run associations between household wealth in early life with physical growth in childhood in four low- and middle-income countries to understand the persistent implications of early life conditions of poverty and resource constraints on physical growth. Design Longitudinal study of eight cohorts of children in four countries – Ethiopia, India, Peru, and Vietnam (n=10,016) – ages 6 months to 15 years, using data from the Young Lives project, 2002–2009. Physical growth outcomes are standardized height-for-age z-scores (HAZ) and stunting. The key exposure is household wealth measured at baseline using a wealth index, an asset-based indicator. Covariates include child's age and sex, caregiver's educational status, household size, and place of residence. Results Baseline wealth index is significantly associated with higher physical growth rates as suggested by higher HAZ and lower odds of stunting. We found these associations in all four countries, for younger and older cohorts and for children who experienced changes in living standards. For the older cohort, despite the timing of the first survey at age 7–8 years, which is beyond the critical period of 1,000 days, there are lasting influences of early poverty, even for those who experienced changes in wealth. Conclusions Household wealth in early life matters for physical growth with conditions of poverty and deprivation influencing growth faltering even beyond the 1,000 days window. The influences of early childhood poverty, so prevalent among children in low- and middle-income countries, must be addressed by policies and programs targeting early life but also focusing on older children experiencing growth faltering. PMID:25660535

Enhancement of wave growth for warm plasmas with a high-energy tail distribution

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thorne, Richard M.; Summers, Danny

1991-01-01

The classical linear theory of electromagnetic wave growth in a warm plasma is considered for waves propagating parallel to a uniform ambient magnetic field. Wave-growth rates are calculated for ion-driven right-hand mode waves for Kappa and Maxwellian particle distribution functions and for various values of the spectral index, the temperature anisotropy, and the ratio of plasma pressure to magnetic pressure appropriate to the solar wind. When the anisotropy is low the wave growth is limited to frequencies below the proton gyrofrequency and the growth rate increases dramatically as the spectral index is reduced. The growth rate for any Kappa distribution greatly exceeds that for a Maxwellian with the same bulk properties. For large thermal anisotropy the growth rate from either distribution is greatly enhanced. The growth rates from a Kappa distribution are generally larger than for a Maxwellian distribution, and significant wave growth occurs over a broader range of frequencies.

Identifying the function of restored urban green space in sustainable environmental management: the ecological response, service, and function of amphibians

EPA Science Inventory

Over one-half of the United States population resides in urban areas and many of these areas are experiencing growth. Nevertheless, human land-use patterns are dynamic, and some locations within urban areas are experiencing declining populations and land abandonment. These abando...

Selective Survival of Nonpigmented Mutants in Pasteurella Pestis Cultures

DTIC Science & Technology

Differential death rates that occur under certain conditions in cultures of Pasteurella pestis result in dramatic population shifts. Comparable...growth and death rates were observed for pigmented inocula and their nonpigmented variants in a casein digest (NZ-Amine, Sheffield, Type A) medium

How Resource Dynamics Explain Accumulating Developmental and Health Disparities for Teen Parents’ Children

PubMed Central

Mollborn, Stefanie; Lawrence, Elizabeth; James-Hawkins, Laurie; Fomby, Paula

2014-01-01

This study examines the puzzle of disparities experienced by U.S. teen parents’ young children, whose health and development increasingly lag behind those of peers while their parents are simultaneously experiencing socioeconomic improvements. Using the nationally representative Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort (2001–2007; N ≈ 8,600), we assess four dynamic patterns in socioeconomic resources that might account for these growing developmental and health disparities throughout early childhood and then test them in multilevel growth curve models. Persistently low socioeconomic resources constituted the strongest explanation, given that consistently low income, maternal education, and assets fully or partially account for growth in cognitive, behavioral, and health disparities experienced by teen parents’ children from infancy through kindergarten. That is, although teen parents gained socioeconomic resources over time, those resources remained relatively low, and the duration of exposure to limited resources explains observed growing disparities. Results suggest that policy interventions addressing the time dynamics of low socioeconomic resources in a household, in terms of both duration and developmental timing, are promising for reducing disparities experienced by teen parents’ children. PMID:24802282

New onset somnambulism associated with different dosage of mirtazapine: a case report.

PubMed

Yeh, Yi-Wei; Chen, Chun-Hsiung; Feng, Hui-Ming; Wang, Sheng-Chiang; Kuo, Shin-Chang; Chen, Chih-Kang

2009-01-01

Somnambulism consists of variously complex behaviors that may result in harm to self or to others. Many different medications have been reported to induce somnambulism, and a few of them are newer antidepressants. A 40-year-old woman with history of major depression who experienced new onset somnambulism for successive 3 nights, whereas the antidepressant mirtazapine was increased from 30 to 45 mg/d. The notable and complex sleepwalking symptoms terminated dramatically on the first night after withdrawal of mirtazapine. There is clearly a cause-and-effect relationship between the treatment of higher-dosage mirtazapine and development of somnambulism. It might be related to the different affinities to 5-hydroxytryptamine 2 (5-HT(2)) and H(1) receptors at different dosages of mirtazapine, which explain the patient experiencing sleepwalking episodes exclusively at higher doses of mirtazapine. Clinical physicians should be aware of this adverse effect and taper or discontinue the regimen if sleepwalking develops.

Structural and geographic shifts in the Washington warehousing industry : transportation impacts for the Green River Valley.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-07-01

Establishment level employment data indicate that the warehousing industry has experienced rapid growth and : restructuring since 1998. This restructuring has resulted in geographic shifts at the national, regional, and local scales. : Uneven growth ...

A brief history of the Staunton and James River Turnpike : May 1975.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1975-05-01

During the early nineteenth century the United States experienced a period of growth and expansion. To help meet needs occasioned by this growth, improved means of communication and transportation were established. Among these improvements were the c...

Does Stress-Related Growth Really Matter for Adolescents' Day-to-Day Adaptive Functioning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mansfield, Cade D.; Diamond, Lisa M.

2017-01-01

Adolescent stress-related growth refers to enhancement in an adolescent's cognitive-affective or social resources as a result of experiencing stressors. We tested whether adolescents reporting high levels of stress-related growth showed superior adaptation outcomes on a day-to-day basis. Participants (n = 91; females = 46, age = 14) completed a…

Response to Growth Hormone Treatment in a Patient with Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 Receptor Deletion

PubMed Central

Mahmoud, Ranim; Naidu, Ajanta; Risheg, Hiba; Kimonis, Virginia

2017-01-01

We report a six-year-old boy who presented with short stature, microcephaly, dysmorphic features, and developmental delay and who was identified with a terminal deletion of 15q26.2q26.3 containing the insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF1R) gene in addition to a terminal duplication of the 4q35.1q35.2 region. We compare our case with other reports of deletions and mutations affecting the IGF1R gene associated with pre-and postnatal growth restriction. We report the dramatic response to growth hormone therapy in this patient which highlights the importance of identifying patients with IGF1R deletion and treating them early. PMID:28720553

Response to Growth Hormone Treatment in a Patient with Insulin-Like Growth Factor 1 Receptor Deletion.

PubMed

Mahmoud, Ranim; Naidu, Ajanta; Risheg, Hiba; Kimonis, Virginia

2017-12-15

We report a six-year-old boy who presented with short stature, microcephaly, dysmorphic features, and developmental delay and who was identified with a terminal deletion of 15q26.2q26.3 containing the insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF1R) gene in addition to a terminal duplication of the 4q35.1q35.2 region. We compare our case with other reports of deletions and mutations affecting the IGF1R gene associated with pre-and postnatal growth restriction. We report the dramatic response to growth hormone therapy in this patient which highlights the importance of identifying patients with IGF1R deletion and treating them early.

Socio-dramatic affective-relational intervention for adolescents with asperger syndrome & high functioning autism: pilot study.

PubMed

Lerner, Matthew D; Mikami, Amori Yee; Levine, Karen

2011-01-01

This study examined the effectiveness of a novel intervention called 'socio-dramatic affective-relational intervention' (SDARI), intended to improve social skills among adolescents with Asperger syndrome and high functioning autism diagnoses. SDARI adapts dramatic training activities to focus on in vivo practice of areas of social skill deficit among this population. SDARI was administered as a six-week summer program in a community human service agency. Nine SDARI participants and eight age- and diagnosis-group matched adolescents not receiving SDARI were compared on child- and parent-report of social functioning at three week intervals beginning six weeks prior to intervention and ending six weeks post-intervention. Hierarchical Linear Modeling (HLM) was used to estimate growth trends between groups to assess treatment outcomes and post-treatment maintenance. Results indicated significant improvement and post-treatment maintenance among SDARI participants on several measures of child social functioning. Implications for practice and research are discussed.

A Systematic Review of Posttraumatic Growth in Survivors of Interpersonal Violence in Adulthood.

PubMed

Elderton, Anna; Berry, Alexis; Chan, Carmen

2015-10-11

This review critically evaluates the literature on posttraumatic growth in survivors of interpersonal violence, integrating the findings from 12 quantitative and 4 qualitative studies. The following databases were searched using predetermined terms: AMED, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, BNI, CINAHL, and Web of Knowledge. The review's findings suggest that the mean prevalence of growth in interpersonal violence survivors is around 71% (range 58-99%). The highest level of growth was consistently experienced in the "appreciation of life" domain. However, survivors reported growth in the four remaining domains: "personal strength," "new possibilities," "experience of relationships with others," and "outlook on life." The nature of the relationship between growth and distress was inconsistent across studies. A combination of pretrauma, peritrauma, and posttrauma variables were found to be related to the degree of growth survivors experienced. Methodological weaknesses of the quantitative studies included the predominant use of retrospective, cross-sectional, correlational designs, discrepancy in the measurement of growth, insufficient sample sizes for power calculations in five studies and limited external validity. Qualitative findings were limited by sampling methods, insufficient information about interview schedules, the lack of credibility checks, and evidence of reflexivity demonstrated by some studies. Implications for practice, policy, and future research are discussed. © The Author(s) 2015.

[Advances in the research of application of hydrogels in three-dimensional bioprinting].

PubMed

Yang, J; Zhao, Y; Li, H H; Zhu, S H

2016-08-20

Hydrogels are three-dimensional networks made of hydrophilic polymer crosslinked through covalent bonds or physical intermolecular attractions, which can contain growth media and growth factors to support cell growth. In bioprinting, hydrogels are used to provide accurate control over cellular microenvironment and to dramatically reduce experimental repetition times, meanwhile we can obtain three-dimensional cell images of high quality. Hydrogels in three-dimensional bioprinting have received a considerable interest due to their structural similarities to the natural extracellular matrix and polyporous frameworks which can support the cellular proliferation and survival. Meanwhile, they are accompanied by many challenges.

[Aggregate shocks and investment in human capital: higher educational achievement during the lost decade in Mexico.

PubMed

Peña, Pablo A

2013-01-01

This article documents a negative aggregate response in the attainment of postsecondary education (more than 12 years of schooling) in Mexico to the recession of 1982-83 and the stagnation that followed. The response was not homogeneous across genders, regions or family backgrounds. Males experienced a drop in attainment and females experienced a slowdown in attainment growth. On average, states with greater pre-shock educational attainment experienced larger drops. There was no clear trend for the response by family background. However, a negative effect is found even between siblings. The evidence suggests a demand side story: the drop in household income seems to be the main determinant of the fall/slowing down in attainment. The conclusion is that the recession and the lack of growth that ensued had a sizeable and lasting negative impact on skill formation in Mexico.

The "Moral Minority" Meets Social Justice: A Case Study of an Evangelical Christian Urban Immersion Program and Its Influence on the Post-College Civic Engagement of Asian American College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lew, Jonathan W.

2013-01-01

Asian Americans, as a group, are not as civically engaged as might be expected given their rapid growth in population and high average levels of education and income. The undergraduate years are a critical period in which this "civic engagement gap" could be addressed given the dramatic growth in Asian American college students and…

Design, Fabrication, Characterization and Modeling of Integrated Functional Materials

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-10-01

films. The successful optimization of the PZT thin film growth parameters allowed us to set the stage for doping PZT with rare earth elements...Lanthanum (La)-doped PZT (PLZT) (where Pb2+ is substituted by La3+), has a dramatic enhancement in the piezoelectric properties. There have been only a...few recent reports on the growth of La- PZT films. However, most of the reports were based on chemical routes such as metal organic decomposition

Changes in depth occupied by Great Lakes lake whitefish populations and the influence of survey design

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rennie, Michael D.; Weidel, Brian C.; Claramunt, Randall M.; Dunlob, Erin S.

2015-01-01

Understanding fish habitat use is important in determining conditions that ultimately affect fish energetics, growth and reproduction. Great Lakes lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis) have demonstrated dramatic changes in growth and life history traits since the appearance of dreissenid mussels in the Great Lakes, but the role of habitat occupancy in driving these changes is poorly understood. To better understand temporal changes in lake whitefish depth of capture (Dw), we compiled a database of fishery-independent surveys representing multiple populations across all five Laurentian Great Lakes. By demonstrating the importance of survey design in estimating Dw, we describe a novel method for detecting survey-based bias in Dw and removing potentially biased data. Using unbiased Dw estimates, we show clear differences in the pattern and timing of changes in lake whitefish Dw between our reference sites (Lake Superior) and those that have experienced significant benthic food web changes (lakes Michigan, Huron, Erie and Ontario). Lake whitefish Dw in Lake Superior tended to gradually shift to shallower waters, but changed rapidly in other locations coincident with dreissenid establishment and declines in Diporeia densities. Almost all lake whitefish populations that were exposed to dreissenids demonstrated deeper Dw following benthic food web change, though a subset of these populations subsequently shifted to more shallow depths. In some cases in lakes Huron and Ontario, shifts towards more shallow Dw are occurring well after documented Diporeia collapse, suggesting the role of other drivers such as habitat availability or reliance on alternative prey sources.

GPS for QSP: A Summary of the ACoP6 Symposium on Quantitative Systems Pharmacology and a Stage for Near‐Term Efforts in the Field

PubMed Central

Musante, CJ; Abernethy, DR; Allerheiligen, SR; Lauffenburger, DA

2016-01-01

Quantitative Systems Pharmacology (QSP) is experiencing increased application in the drug discovery and development process. Like its older sibling, systems biology, the QSP field is comprised of a mix of established disciplines and methods, from molecular biology to engineering to pharmacometrics.1 As a result, there exist critical segments of the discipline that differ dramatically in approach and a need to bring these groups together toward a common goal. PMID:27639191

Health Care in China.

PubMed

Younger, David S

2016-11-01

China has recently emerged as an important global partner. However, like other developing nations, China has experienced dramatic demographic and epidemiologic changes in the past few decades. Population discontent with the health care system has led to major reforms. China's distinctive health care system, including its unique history, vast infrastructure, the speed of health reform, and economic capacity to make important advances in health care, nonetheless, has incomplete insurance coverage for urban and rural dwellers, uneven access, mixed quality of health care, increasing costs, and risk of catastrophic health expenditures. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Detecting symptoms, early intervention, and preventative education: eating disorders & the school-age child.

PubMed

Funari, Margaret

2013-05-01

The health of America's youth is a national priority. With obesity increasing dramatically in adolescents and young children, school lunches have experienced makeovers, and "dieting" and "weight loss" messages have permeated parental concern. Eating disorders among our youth, however, have largely been overlooked despite evidence of its steady increase over the past few decades among younger and younger children. The school nurse can become a resource for parents, students, and teachers in regard to eating disorders and serve in a leadership role advocating for students to live healthy, meaningful lives.

Promoting the health of senior citizens

PubMed Central

Patterson, C; Feightner, J

1997-01-01

Canada is experiencing a dramatic increase in the number of older people in its population. Adopting strategies that involve physician actions, a societal approach and individual participation may substantially improve the health of senior citizens. This article presents ways to improve the quality of life and reduce the risk of premature death through manoeuvres that can be initiated by physicians in the context of the periodic health examination. The authors highlight the role of evidence in choosing the most appropriate interventions, speculate on areas of future importance and emphasize a societal approach to population health. PMID:9347782

Assessment of China's Energy-Saving and Emission-Reduction Accomplishments and Opportunities During the 11th Five Year Plan

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

Levine, Mark D.; Price, Lynn; Zhou, Nan

2010-04-28

During the period 1980 to 2002, China experienced a 5% average annual reduction in energy consumption per unit of gross domestic product (GDP). The period 2002-2005 saw a dramatic reversal of the historic relationship between energy use and GDP growth: energy use per unit of GDP increased an average of 3.8% per year during this period (NBS, various years). China's 11th Five Year Plan (FYP), which covers the period 2006-2010, required all government divisions at different levels to reduce energy intensity by 20% in five years in order to regain the relationship between energy and GDP growth experienced during themore » 1980s and 1990s. This report provides an assessment of selected policies and programs that China has instituted in its quest to fulfill the national goal of a 20% reduction in energy intensity by 2010. The report finds that China has made substantial progress toward its goal of achieving 20% energy intensity reduction from 2006 to 2010 and that many of the energy-efficiency programs implemented during the 11th FYP in support of China's 20% energy/GDP reduction goal appear to be on track to meet - or in some cases even exceed - their energy-saving targets. It appears that most of the Ten Key Projects, the Top-1000 Program, and the Small Plant Closure Program are on track to meet or surpass the 11th FYP savings goals. China's appliance standards and labeling program, which was established prior to the 11th FYP, has become very robust during the 11th FYP period. China has greatly enhanced its enforcement of new building energy standards but energy-efficiency programs for buildings retrofits, as well as the goal of adjusting China's economic structure to reduce the share of energy consumed by industry, do not appear to be on track to meet the stated goals. With the implementation of the 11th FYP now bearing fruit, it is important to maintain and strengthen the existing energy-saving policies and programs that are successful while revising programs or adding new policy mechanisms to improve the programs that are not on track to achieve the stated goals.« less

Programming Capital Improvements. Coping With Growth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, Neil L.

Capital improvements programming is one financial managment technique for providing public services within the constraints of limited financial resources--a particular problem for communities experiencing rapid population growth. Long-range planning and improvement of public facilities for water supply, sewage treatment, parks and recreation,…

A brief history of the Staunton and James River Turnpike : second revised edition March 1980.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1980-03-01

During the early nineteenth century the United States experienced a period of growth and expansion. To help meet needs occasioned by this growth, improved means of communication : and transportation were established. Among these improvements were the...

Campus Computing Environment: University of Kentucky.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

CAUSE/EFFECT, 1989

1989-01-01

A dramatic growth in computing and communications was precipitated largely by the leadership of President David Roselle at the University of Kentucky. A new operational structure of information resource management includes not only computing (academic and administrative) and communications, instructional resources, and printing/mailing services,…

Drought stress suppresses phytoalexin production against Fusarium verticilliodes

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Global climate change involves rising temperatures and potentially decreased rainfall or changes in rainfall patterns, which could dramatically decrease the yield of food crops. Drought alone can impair plant growth and development, but in nature plants are continuously exposed to both abiotic and b...

Networked Nation: Broadband in America, 2007

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 2008

2008-01-01

This report highlights the dramatic growth of broadband in the United States. The report shows that the Administration's technology, regulatory and fiscal policies have stimulated innovation and competition, and encouraged investment in the U.S. broadband market contributing to significantly increased accessibility of broadband services. The…

Managing the downturn

Treesearch

Urs Buehlmann; Matt Bumgardner; Al Schuler; Jeff Crissey

2008-01-01

After years of seemingly unrestricted growth, the housing market has turned and is deteriorating fast. Housing construction and sales have slowed dramatically, foreclosures have skyrocketed and mortgage rates have increased modestly despite the Federal Reserve's easing of monetary policy. Given the increasingly high dependency of the wood products industry on...

Potential effects of climate change on the growth of fishes from different thermal guilds in Lakes Michigan and Huron

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kao, Yu-Chun; Madenjian, Charles P.; Bunnell, David B.; Lofgren, Brent M.; Perroud, Marjorie

2015-01-01

We used a bioenergetics modeling approach to investigate potential effects of climate change on the growth of two economically important native fishes: yellow perch (Perca flavescens), a cool-water fish, and lake whitefish (Coregonus clupeaformis), a cold-water fish, in deep and oligotrophic Lakes Michigan and Huron. For assessing potential changes in fish growth, we contrasted simulated fish growth in the projected future climate regime during the period 2043-2070 under different prey availability scenarios with the simulated growth during the baseline (historical reference) period 1964-1993. Results showed that effects of climate change on the growth of these two fishes are jointly controlled by behavioral thermoregulation and prey availability. With the ability of behavioral thermoregulation, temperatures experienced by yellow perch in the projected future climate regime increased more than those experienced by lake whitefish. Thus simulated future growth decreased more for yellow perch than for lake whitefish under scenarios where prey availability remains constant into the future. Under high prey availability scenarios, simulated future growth of these two fishes both increased but yellow perch could not maintain the baseline efficiency of converting prey consumption into body weight. We contended that thermal guild should not be the only factor used to predict effects of climate change on the growth of a fish, and that ecosystem responses to climate change should be also taken into account.

Experiencing and Responding to Private Competition: The Importance of Subjectivity and Intermediate Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joshi, Priyadarshani

2016-01-01

Despite substantial growth in private schooling in developing countries, there has been little attention paid to the question of how public schools are experiencing and responding to competition in these contexts. To address this research gap, I collected primary survey data from two districts in Nepal and used descriptive and logistic regression…

Exploring Diversity: Reflections Ten Years On. Australian Early Childhood Resource Booklets, No. 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schurch, Pam; Hopson, Elizabeth

This booklet reflects the past 10 year's thoughts and experiences and presents the current debate concerning multicultural early childhood education, as experienced by the Lady Gowrie Child Centre, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The booklet describes how the center experienced the satisfying process of change and growth with such a program…

Alternative Fuels Data Center: Maps and Data

Science.gov Websites

-24960-10gn0o4 Annual Percent Growth of Vehicles in Operation Generated_thumb20160914-24960-10gn0o4 Last Annual Percent Growth of Vehicles in Operation 2010-2011 2011-2012 2012-2013 2013-2014 2014-2015 CNG States of America. Electric drive trains (EVs, Hydrogen, PHEVs and HEVs) experienced the greatest growth

The surprising recovery of red spruce growth shows links to decreased acid deposition and elevated temperature

Treesearch

Alexandra M. Kosiba; Paul G. Schaberg; Shelly A. Rayback; Gary J. Hawley

2018-01-01

Following growth declines and increased mortality linked to acid deposition-induced calcium depletion, red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) in the northeastern United States are experiencing a recovery. We found that more than 75% of red spruce trees and 90% of the plots examined in this study exhibited increasing growth since 2001. To understand this...

Growth in retail-based clinics after nurse practitioner scope of practice reform.

PubMed

Brooks Carthon, J Margo; Sammarco, Therese; Pancir, Darcy; Chittams, Jesse; Wiltse Nicely, Kelly

Retail clinics are largely staffed by nurse practitioners (NPs) and are a popular destination for nonemergent care. We examined if there was a relationship between NP practice regulations and retail clinic growth after the passage of a scope of practice (SOP) reform bill in Pennsylvania. General linear regression models were used to compare retail clinic openings in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Maryland between 2006 and 2013. From 2006 to 2008, Pennsylvania experienced a significant growth rate in net retail clinic openings per capita (p = .046), whereas New Jersey and Maryland experienced no significant increase (p = .109 and .053, respectively). From 2009 to 2013, Pennsylvania opened 0.20 clinics (p = .129), New Jersey opened 0.23 clinics (p = .086), and Maryland opened 0.34 clinics per capita per year (p = .017). Our study of three states with varying levels of SOP restraint reveals an association between relaxation of practice regulations and retail clinic growth. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Impact of childhood parent-child relationships on cardiovascular risks in adolescence.

PubMed

Niu, Zhongzheng; Tanenbaum, Hilary; Kiresich, Emily; Cordola Hsu, Amber; Lei, Xiaomeng; Ma, Yunsheng; Li, Zhaoping; Xie, Bin

2018-03-01

This study aims to determine prospective effects of the childhood parent-child relationships on the development of cardiovascular risks in adolescence. Using available 917 parent-child dyads from the Study of Early Child Care and Youth Development (1991 to 2006), we analyzed the prospective effects of childhood parent-child relationships of Conflict and Closeness, as well as their categorized combinations (Harmonic, Dramatic, Hostile, and Indifferent) on the development of subscapular and triceps skinfold thickness (SST/TST), body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP/DBP), and heart rate (HR) during adolescence. We found that higher levels of Conflict in the relationship with mothers (slope=0.05, P<0.001) and fathers (slope=0.04, P=0.03) increased the growth rate of TST among girls during adolescence, but not among boys. The maternal-girl dyadic with higher Conflict scores also increased girl's growth rate of BMI percentile (slope=0.10, P=0.02), though the paternal-boy dyadic with higher Conflict scores decreased boy's growth rate of BMI percentile (slope=-0.13, P=0.04). A Hostile maternal-son relationship lowered boy's growth rate of SBP (slope=-3.15, P<0.001) and DBP (slope=-4.42, P<0.001). A Dramatic maternal-son relationship increased boy's growth rate of SST (slope=0.89, P<0.001) and TST (slope=0.64, P=0.03). Hostile paternal-daughter relationships were positively associated with the growth rate of TST (slope=0.28, P=0.03). Overall, there was a significant influence of childhood parent-child relationships on the development of cardiovascular risks during adolescence, and the effect was further modified by both parents' and child's gender. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Understanding turning points in intimate partner violence: factors and circumstances leading women victims toward change.

PubMed

Chang, Judy C; Dado, Diane; Hawker, Lynn; Cluss, Patricia A; Buranosky, Raquel; Slagel, Leslie; McNeil, Melissa; Scholle, Sarah Hudson

2010-02-01

When counseling women experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV), healthcare providers can benefit from understanding the factors contributing to a women's motivation to change her situation. We wished to examine the various factors and situations associated with turning points and change seeking in the IPV situation. We performed qualitative analysis on data from 7 focus groups and 20 individual interviews with women (61 participants) with past and/or current histories of IPV. The turning points women identified fell into 5 major themes: (1) protecting others from the abuse/abuser; (2) increased severity/humiliation with abuse; (3) increased awareness of options/access to support and resources; (4) fatigue/recognition that the abuser was not going to change; and (5) partner betrayal/infidelity. Women experiencing IPV can identify specific factors and events constituting turning points or catalyst to change in their IPV situation. These turning points are dramatic shifts in beliefs and perceptions of themselves, their partners, and/or their situation that alter the women's willingness to tolerate the situation and motivate them to consider change. When counseling women experiencing IPV, health providers can incorporate understanding of turning points to motivate women to move forward in their process of changing their IPV situation.

The Impact of Agribusiness on Rural Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Theobald, Paul

The dramatic growth of multinational agribusiness corporations has led to all types of rural decline--social, demographic, institutional, and environmental. Historically, rural inhabitants and rural land have been abused and neglected in the name of progress. Rural development efforts often attract small assembly or light manufacturing plants that…

Chemistry on the Go: Review of Chemistry Apps on Smartphones

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Libman, Diana; Huang, Ling

2013-01-01

touch-controlled computers such as smartphones and iPods are seeing dramatic growth with increasing adoption rates. This review covers about 30 popular and mostly free apps that can be used to learn chemistry and to serve as reference or research tools. The target…

Demographic Dilemma

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boulard, Garry

2006-01-01

For educators and policymakers, the small percentage of Hispanic students at graduate and professional schools is challenging because the lag has taken place during a time of dramatic growth in the country's overall Hispanic population. Hispanics now comprise 14 percent of the national population, and their numbers are growing faster than any…

Forest responses to increasing aridity and warmth in the southwestern United States.

PubMed

Williams, A Park; Allen, Craig D; Millar, Constance I; Swetnam, Thomas W; Michaelsen, Joel; Still, Christopher J; Leavitt, Steven W

2010-12-14

In recent decades, intense droughts, insect outbreaks, and wildfires have led to decreasing tree growth and increasing mortality in many temperate forests. We compared annual tree-ring width data from 1,097 populations in the coterminous United States to climate data and evaluated site-specific tree responses to climate variations throughout the 20th century. For each population, we developed a climate-driven growth equation by using climate records to predict annual ring widths. Forests within the southwestern United States appear particularly sensitive to drought and warmth. We input 21st century climate projections to the equations to predict growth responses. Our results suggest that if temperature and aridity rise as they are projected to, southwestern trees will experience substantially reduced growth during this century. As tree growth declines, mortality rates may increase at many sites. Increases in wildfires and bark-beetle outbreaks in the most recent decade are likely related to extreme drought and high temperatures during this period. Using satellite imagery and aerial survey data, we conservatively calculate that ≈ 2.7% of southwestern forest and woodland area experienced substantial mortality due to wildfires from 1984 to 2006, and ≈ 7.6% experienced mortality associated with bark beetles from 1997 to 2008. We estimate that up to ≈ 18% of southwestern forest area (excluding woodlands) experienced mortality due to bark beetles or wildfire during this period. Expected climatic changes will alter future forest productivity, disturbance regimes, and species ranges throughout the Southwest. Emerging knowledge of these impending transitions informs efforts to adaptively manage southwestern forests.

Forest responses to increasing aridity and warmth in the southwestern United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Williams, A.P.; Allen, Craig D.; Millar, C.I.; Swetnam, T.W.; Michaelsen, J.; Still, C.J.; Leavitt, Steven W.

2010-01-01

In recent decades, intense droughts, insect outbreaks, and wildfires have led to decreasing tree growth and increasing mortality in many temperate forests. We compared annual tree-ring width data from 1,097 populations in the coterminous United States to climate data and evaluated site-specific tree responses to climate variations throughout the 20th century. For each population, we developed a climate-driven growth equation by using climate records to predict annual ring widths. Forests within the southwestern United States appear particularly sensitive to drought and warmth. We input 21st century climate projections to the equations to predict growth responses. Our results suggest that if temperature and aridity rise as they are projected to, southwestern trees will experience substantially reduced growth during this century. As tree growth declines, mortality rates may increase at many sites. Increases in wildfires and bark-beetle outbreaks in the most recent decade are likely related to extreme drought and high temperatures during this period. Using satellite imagery and aerial survey data, we conservatively calculate that ≈2.7% of southwestern forest and woodland area experienced substantial mortality due to wildfires from 1984 to 2006, and ≈7.6% experienced mortality associated with bark beetles from 1997 to 2008. We estimate that up to ≈18% of southwestern forest area (excluding woodlands) experienced mortality due to bark beetles or wildfire during this period. Expected climatic changes will alter future forest productivity, disturbance regimes, and species ranges throughout the Southwest. Emerging knowledge of these impending transitions informs efforts to adaptively manage southwestern forests.

Aquatic Plant Control Research Program. Growth and Rooting Depth Characteristics of Hydrilla Verticillata (L.f.) Royle and Myriophyllum Spicatum L. on Fertilized and Unfertilized Sediments

DTIC Science & Technology

1994-05-01

publication, or promotional purposes. Citation of trade names does not constitute an official endorsement or approval of the use of such commercial products ...demonstrated that in response to poor sediment conditions, root growth of submersed macrophytes may dramatically increase relative to shoot production ...The majority of these studies have examined effects of limnological factors including light, temperature, sediment, and water chemistry (Steward and

Densification and Grain Growth in Polycrystalline Olivine Rocks Synthesized By Evacuated Hot-Pressing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyers, C. D.; Kohlstedt, D. L.; Zimmerman, M. E.

2017-12-01

Experiments on laboratory-synthesized olivine-rich rocks form the starting material for many investigations of physical processes in the Earth's upper mantle (e.g., creep behavior, ionic diffusion, and grain growth). Typically, a fit of a constitutive law to experimental data provides a description of the kinetics of a process needed to extrapolate across several orders of magnitude from laboratory to geological timescales. Although grain-size is a critical parameter in determining physical properties such as viscosity, broad disagreement persists amongst the results of various studies of grain growth kinetics in olivine-rich rocks. Small amounts of impurities or porosity dramatically affect the kinetics of grain growth. In this study, we developed an improved method for densifying olivine-rich rocks fabricated from powdered, gem-quality single crystals that involves evacuating the pore space, with the aim of refining measurements of the kinetics of mantle materials. In previous studies, olivine powders were sealed in a metal can and hydrostatically annealed at roughly 300 MPa and 1250 °C. These samples, which appear opaque and milky-green, typically retain a small amount of porosity. Consequently, when annealed at 1 atm, extensive pore growth occurs, inhibiting grain growth. In addition, Fourier-transform infrared and confocal Raman spectroscopy reveal absorption peaks characteristic of CO2 in the pores of conventionally hot-pressed material. To avoid trapping of adsorbed contaminants, we developed an evacuated hot-pressing method, wherein the pore space of powder compacts is vented to vacuum during heating and pressurization. This method produces a highly dense, green-tinted, transparent material. No CO2 absorptions peaks exist in evacuated hot-pressed material. When reheated to annealing temperatures at 1 atm, the evacuated hot-pressed material undergoes limited pore growth and dramatically enhanced grain-growth rates. High-strain deformation experiments on this new material provide new insights into the kinetics of recovery of deformation microstructures.

Normal growth and development in the absence of hepatic insulin-like growth factor I

PubMed Central

Yakar, Shoshana; Liu, Jun-Li; Stannard, Bethel; Butler, Andrew; Accili, Domenici; Sauer, Brian; LeRoith, Derek

1999-01-01

The somatomedin hypothesis proposed that insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) was a hepatically derived circulating mediator of growth hormone and is a crucial factor for postnatal growth and development. To reassess this hypothesis, we have used the Cre/loxP recombination system to delete the igf1 gene exclusively in the liver. igf1 gene deletion in the liver abrogated expression of igf1 mRNA and caused a dramatic reduction in circulating IGF-I levels. However, growth as determined by body weight, body length, and femoral length did not differ from wild-type littermates. Although our model proves that hepatic IGF-I is indeed the major contributor to circulating IGF-I levels in mice it challenges the concept that circulating IGF-I is crucial for normal postnatal growth. Rather, our model provides direct evidence for the importance of the autocrine/paracrine role of IGF-I. PMID:10377413

Correlates of posttraumatic growth in survivors of intimate partner violence.

PubMed

Cobb, Amanda R; Tedeschi, Richard G; Calhoun, Lawrence G; Cann, Arnie

2006-12-01

The negative consequences of intimate partner violence are well documented. This study investigated the possibility that some survivors of intimate partner violence may also experience posttraumatic growth because of their struggle with this highly stressful circumstance. In addition, the relationships between posttraumatic growth and relationship status, type of abuse, depression, and availability of models of posttraumatic growth were examined. Most women reported posttraumatic growth. Overall abuse experienced and depression were unrelated to posttraumatic growth, but abuse was related to one domain of growth. Contact with a model of posttraumatic growth and having left an abusive relationship were both positively related to posttraumatic growth.

Development of an analytical methodology for two-lane highway facility analysis.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-11-01

Florida is experiencing rapid growth and development. This applies not only to urban areas, but to rural areas as well. This growth is now resulting in congestion on facilities that previously did not have any. One area that is becoming a concern, pa...

Arctic Temperature and Moisture Variability Associated with the Pliocene M2 Glacial Event from Lake El'gygytgyn, NE Russia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salacup, J. M.; Castañeda, I. S.; Brigham-Grette, J.

2014-12-01

The early Late Pliocene (3.6-3.0 Ma) is the last time atmospheric CO2 concentrations equaled today's values (~400 ppm). Despite this, and the warmer than modern climate it fostered, this period experienced an intense global glaciation during marine isotope stage (MIS) M2 (~3.3 Ma). Constraints imposed by the estimated sea level drop associated with this event suggest ice growth was not isolated to Antarctica, as had previously been the case, but that ice grew in high northern latitudes as well. M2 is unique during the Pliocene and is likely the first attempt of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets to grow into those experienced during Pleistocene ice ages. However, the effects of MIS M2, and any attendant Northern Hemisphere ice sheets, on Arctic terrestrial temperature and hydrology are not well understood. Here we present and compare results from the biomarker-based MBT/CBT paleotemperature proxy with δDleaf wax results, sensitive to both temperature hydrology, from Lake El'gygytgyn (NE Russia) in an attempt to isolate and characterize variability in both air temperature and moisture source/availability. We compare our results with more coarsely resolved preexisting pollen-based temperature and moisture reconstructions. Our temperature reconstruction is, as far as we know, the highest resolution terrestrial record of this dramatic global cooling event. It implies a ~6°C cooling circa 3.29 Ma was accomplished in two steps before a rebound of ~7°C into the start of the mid-Pliocene Warm Period. Removal of the temperature effect from M2 δDleaf wax profiles using our MBT/CBT results provide insight into changes in local hydrology during this event that are compared with pollen-based estimates of minimum, maximum, and mean annual precipitation in order to discuss changes in amount and seasonality of moisture delivery to Lake El'gygytgyn (NE Russia) during the expansion of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets.

Extreme Outlier Analysis Identifies Occult Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Pathway Mutations in Patients With Low-Grade Serous Ovarian Cancer

PubMed Central

Grisham, Rachel N.; Sylvester, Brooke E.; Won, Helen; McDermott, Gregory; DeLair, Deborah; Ramirez, Ricardo; Yao, Zhan; Shen, Ronglai; Dao, Fanny; Bogomolniy, Faina; Makker, Vicky; Sala, Evis; Soumerai, Tara E.; Hyman, David M.; Socci, Nicholas D.; Viale, Agnes; Gershenson, David M.; Farley, John; Levine, Douglas A.; Rosen, Neal; Berger, Michael F.; Spriggs, David R.; Aghajanian, Carol A.; Solit, David B.; Iyer, Gopa

2015-01-01

Purpose No effective systemic therapy exists for patients with metastatic low-grade serous (LGS) ovarian cancers. BRAF and KRAS mutations are common in serous borderline (SB) and LGS ovarian cancers, and MEK inhibition has been shown to induce tumor regression in a minority of patients; however, no correlation has been observed between mutation status and clinical response. With the goal of identifying biomarkers of sensitivity to MEK inhibitor treatment, we performed an outlier analysis of a patient who experienced a complete, durable, and ongoing (> 5 years) response to selumetinib, a non-ATP competitive MEK inhibitor. Patients and Methods Next-generation sequencing was used to analyze this patient's tumor as well as an additional 28 SB/LGS tumors. Functional characterization of an identified novel alteration of interest was performed. Results Analysis of the extraordinary responder's tumor identified a 15-nucleotide deletion in the negative regulatory helix of the MAP2K1 gene encoding for MEK1. Functional characterization demonstrated that this mutant induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway activation, promoted anchorage-independent growth and tumor formation in mice, and retained sensitivity to selumetinib. Analysis of additional LGS/SB tumors identified mutations predicted to induce extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathway activation in 82% (23 of 28), including two patients with BRAF fusions, one of whom achieved an ongoing complete response to MEK inhibitor–based combination therapy. Conclusion Alterations affecting the mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway are present in the majority of patients with LGS ovarian cancer. Next-generation sequencing analysis revealed deletions and fusions that are not detected by older sequencing approaches. These findings, coupled with the observation that a subset of patients with recurrent LGS ovarian cancer experienced dramatic and durable responses to MEK inhibitor therapy, support additional clinical studies of MEK inhibitors in this disease. PMID:26324360

Pragmatic perspective on conservation genetics and demographic history of the last surviving population of Kashmir red deer (Cervus elaphus hanglu) in India.

PubMed

Mukesh; Kumar, Ved P; Sharma, Lalit K; Shukla, Malay; Sathyakumar, Sambandam

2015-01-01

The hangul (Cervus elaphus hanglu) is of great conservation concern because it represents the easternmost and only hope for an Asiatic survivor of the red deer species in the Indian subcontinent. Despite the rigorous conservation efforts of the Department of Wildlife Protection in Jammu & Kashmir, the hangul population has experienced a severe decline in numbers and range contraction in the past few decades. The hangul population once abundant in the past has largely become confined to the Dachigam landscape, with a recent population estimate of 218 individuals. We investigated the genetic variability and demographic history of the hangul population and found that it has shown a relatively low diversity estimates when compared to other red deer populations of the world. Neutrality tests, which are used to evaluate demographic effects, did not support population expansion, and the multimodal pattern of mismatch distribution indicated that the hangul population is under demographic equilibrium. Furthermore, the hangul population did not exhibit any signature of bottleneck footprints in the past, and Coalescent Bayesian Skyline plot analysis revealed that the population had not experienced any dramatic changes in the effective population size over the last several thousand years. We observed a strong evidence of sub-structuring in the population, wherein the majority of individuals were assigned to different clusters in Bayesian cluster analysis. Population viability analysis demonstrated insignificant changes in the mean population size, with a positive growth rate projected for the next hundred years. We discuss the phylogenetic status of hangul for the first time among the other red deer subspecies of the world and strongly recommend to upgrade hangul conservation status under IUCN that should be discrete from the other red deer subspecies of the world to draw more conservation attention from national and international bodies.

The Role of Self-Efficacy in Sales Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knight, Peter; Mich, Claudia C.; Manion, Michael T.

2014-01-01

Sales education programs are undergoing rapid growth and dynamic change as more business and other undergraduate students pursue sales jobs as desirable career entry points. The number of collegiate sales programs has grown dramatically over the past decade, and sales educators today are increasingly focused on teaching experientially. That is,…

Holistic Assessment and the Study Abroad Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Doyle, Dennis

2009-01-01

While many educators who work closely with study abroad programs could conjure up a litany of testimonials about the dramatic impact of study abroad, it is often difficult to move beyond vaguely descriptive accounts to reliable data showing how this experience influenced a student's growth in intercultural sensitivity and awareness. King and…

A Statewide Manpower/Curriculum Management System. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilles, Donald M.

Because Oregon has witnessed dramatic growth and interest in vocational education in the last 10 years as schools began implementing vocational education at an accelerated rate, the primary purposes of the project were to strengthen and expand applied research efforts in the areas of manpower analysis, counseling and guidance, and curriculum…

The influence of density on adults and juveniles of the estuarine fish, the sheepshead minnow (cyprinodon variegatus)

EPA Science Inventory

The relationship between population density and demographic rates (e.g. survival, reproduction, growth) is critical to understand population dynamics and has been widely studied in fishes. Estuarine species are regularly exposed to dramatic changes in density with daily, monthly,...

Contextual Text Mining

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mei, Qiaozhu

2009-01-01

With the dramatic growth of text information, there is an increasing need for powerful text mining systems that can automatically discover useful knowledge from text. Text is generally associated with all kinds of contextual information. Those contexts can be explicit, such as the time and the location where a blog article is written, and the…

The State of Enrollment Management in Journalism and Mass Communication Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rawlins, Brad L.; Soenksen, Roger; Jensen, Matt

Some programs in journalism and mass communication have been forced to incorporate limited enrollment strategies, as undergraduate interest in these programs continues to grow. After 4 years of moderate growth, undergraduate enrollments in journalism and mass communication programs increased dramatically in the year 2000. Some of the limited…

After Access: Canadian Education and Copyright Reform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geist, Michael

2006-01-01

With the dramatic growth of the Internet in the 1990s, the Canadian government developed a well-regarded strategy for addressing the emerging issues posed by the "information highway." The strategy featured legal reforms to address privacy and e-commerce, administrative reforms for the government online initiative, and connectivity…

Dual Wage Families: Optimizing Mutual Growth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chambliss, Catherine A.; Hartl, Alan

Dual wage families are becoming the norm. Increased maternal participation in the workplace has transformed the lives of families and these dramatic changes have created an urgent need for strategies to assist families with two working parents. Most individuals pursuing this lifestyle are eager to learn how to cope more effectively with various…

Frankie's Story: Early Experiences Matter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caldwell, Bettye

2010-01-01

Sometimes people see developmental advances in a child so dramatic, so spectacular, that they have difficulty accepting the idea that ordinary growth processes are at work. The increments are too great; the direction of change has rotated 90 or 180 degrees. At such times, people find themselves proclaiming, "It's a developmental miracle." During…

Voices from southern forests

Treesearch

H. Ken Cordell; John C. Bliss; Cassandra Y. Johnson; Mark Fly

1998-01-01

The faces and voices of the South have been changing dramatically over the last several decades, just like the rest of the Nation. Population growth, immigration, urbanization, expanding minority proportions, a thriving economy, rising environmental sentiments, and shifts in property ownership, among many other changes, have put forest and wildlife management in a much...

Forecasting College Costs Through 1988-89.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Henderson, Cathy

1986-01-01

If inflation and unemployment remain low, then average annual increases in total student charges should continue to drop. The key to slower growth in student charges is sustained low inflation rates. The return of high unemployment or dramatic cuts in need-based federal student aid programs could upset the balance. (MLW)

Organizational Alignment Supporting Distance Education in Post-Secondary Institutions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prestera, Gustavo E.; Moller, Leslie A.

Leveraging Internet technologies, distance education is enjoying a renaissance of sorts. With its newfound popularity comes greater resource as well as higher expectations and great scrutiny. If distance education programs are to support their dramatic growth and outlive the hype, they must demonstrate performance results. Performance, however,…

Why Are We Still Worried about Women in Science?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosser, Sue V.; Taylor, Mark Zachary

2009-01-01

Over the past three decades, the overall percentage of women receiving degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics--known collectively as the STEM disciplines--has increased dramatically. This growth tends to mask at least three other aspects of the demographics of the science and technology workforce. Unfortunately, aggregated…

International Undergraduates' Retention, Graduation, and Time to Degree

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fass-Holmes, Barry

2016-01-01

The present study tested the hypothesis that the international undergraduates at a West Coast American public university during recent years of dramatic enrollment growth should have low retention and graduation rates. This study showed instead that these students were retained and graduated at rates surpassing predictions from research and…

Dramatic Photosynthesis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carlsson, Britta

2003-01-01

Presents a creative way to teach photosynthesis. Revolves around the growth of a lily planted and stored in the classroom. Combines the concepts of particle theory, transformation, and changes of phase and mass in a holistic approach. The six-step teaching sequence is founded on the notions of challenge, variation, and drama. (Author/NB)

Education Technology Success Stories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West, Darrell M.; Bleiberg, Joshua

2013-01-01

Advances in technology are enabling dramatic changes in education content, delivery, and accessibility. Throughout history, new technologies have facilitated the exponential growth of human knowledge. In the early twentieth century, the focus was on the use of radios in education. But since then, innovators have seen technology as a way to improve…

Study Predicts Dramatic Shifts in Enrollments.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Evangelauf, Jean

1991-01-01

A new study detailing demographic shifts in the college-age population predicts growth in minority high school graduates and shrinkage or maintenance of White graduation rates. The report is the first to provide state-by-state figures on actual and projected graduates from 1986 through 1995 by racial and ethnic group. (MSE)

Innovating Teacher Education in a Complex Era

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tan, Oon Seng

2015-01-01

The meteoric increase in technological advancement in the last few decades has dramatically transformed how people live their lives. Innovation is seen to be essential as it ensures sustainable growth in a knowledge-based economy and a competitive global marketplace. Consequently, enabling innovation to occur becomes of prime concern to educators…

The synergistic effect in the Fe-Co bimetallic catalyst system for the growth of carbon nanotube forests

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

Hardeman, D.; Esconjauregui, S., E-mail: cse28@cam.ac.uk; Cartwright, R.

2015-01-28

We report the growth of multi-walled carbon nanotube forests employing an active-active bimetallic Fe-Co catalyst. Using this catalyst system, we observe a synergistic effect by which—in comparison to pure Fe or Co—the height of the forests increases significantly. The homogeneity in the as-grown nanotubes is also improved. By both energy dispersive spectroscopy and in-situ x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, we show that the catalyst particles consist of Fe and Co, and this dramatically increases the growth rate of the tubes. Bimetallic catalysts are thus potentially useful for synthesising nanotube forests more efficiently.

An essential role for IGF2 in cartilage development and glucose metabolism during postnatal long bone growth.

PubMed

Uchimura, Tomoya; Hollander, Judith M; Nakamura, Daisy S; Liu, Zhiyi; Rosen, Clifford J; Georgakoudi, Irene; Zeng, Li

2017-10-01

Postnatal bone growth involves a dramatic increase in length and girth. Intriguingly, this period of growth is independent of growth hormone and the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. Recently, an IGF2 mutation was identified in humans with early postnatal growth restriction. Here, we show that IGF2 is essential for longitudinal and appositional murine postnatal bone development, which involves proper timing of chondrocyte maturation and perichondrial cell differentiation and survival. Importantly, the Igf2 null mouse model does not represent a simple delay of growth but instead uncoordinated growth plate development. Furthermore, biochemical and two-photon imaging analyses identified elevated and imbalanced glucose metabolism in the Igf2 null mouse. Attenuation of glycolysis rescued the mutant phenotype of premature cartilage maturation, thereby indicating that IGF2 controls bone growth by regulating glucose metabolism in chondrocytes. This work links glucose metabolism with cartilage development and provides insight into the fundamental understanding of human growth abnormalities. © 2017. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Limiting technologies for particle beams and high energy physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Panofsky, W. K. H.

1985-07-01

Since 1930 the energy of accelerators had grown by an order of magnitude roughly every 7 years. Like all exponential growths, be they human population, the size of computers, or anything else, this eventually will have to come to an end. When will this happen to the growth of the energy of particle accelerators and colliders? Fortunately, as the energy of accelerators has grown the cost per unit energy has decreased almost as fast as has the increase in energy. The result is that while the energy has increased so dramatically the cost per new installation has increased only by roughly an order of magnitude since the 1930's (corrected for inflation), while the number of accelerators operating at the frontier of the field has shrunk. As is shown in the by now familiar Livingston chart this dramatic decrease in cost has been achieved largely by a succession of new technologies, in addition to the more moderate gains in efficiency due to improved design, economies of scale, etc. We are therefore facing two questions: (1) Is there good reason scientifically to maintain the exponential growth, and (2) Are there new technologies in sight which promise continued decreases in unit costs. The answer to the first question is definitely yes; the answer to the second question is maybe.

Growth in US health spending remained slow in 2010; health share of gross domestic product was unchanged from 2009.

PubMed

Martin, Anne B; Lassman, David; Washington, Benjamin; Catlin, Aaron

2012-01-01

Medical goods and services are generally viewed as necessities. Even so, the latest recession had a dramatic effect on their utilization. US health spending grew more slowly in 2009 and 2010-at rates of 3.8 percent and 3.9 percent, respectively-than in any other years during the fifty-one-year history of the National Health Expenditure Accounts. In 2010 extraordinarily slow growth in the use and intensity of services led to slower growth in spending for personal health care. The rates of growth in overall US gross domestic product (GDP) and in health spending began to converge in 2010. As a result, the health spending share of GDP stabilized at 17.9 percent.

Tailoring graphene layer-to-layer growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yongtao; Wu, Bin; Guo, Wei; Wang, Lifeng; Li, Jingbo; Liu, Yunqi

2017-06-01

A layered material grown between a substrate and the upper layer involves complex interactions and a confined reaction space, representing an unusual growth mode. Here, we show multi-layer graphene domains grown on liquid or solid Cu by the chemical vapor deposition method via this ‘double-substrate’ mode. We demonstrate the interlayer-induced coupling effect on the twist angle in bi- and multi-layer graphene. We discover dramatic growth disunity for different graphene layers, which is explained by the ideas of a chemical ‘gate’ and a material transport process within a confined space. These key results lead to a consistent framework for understanding the dynamic evolution of multi-layered graphene flakes and tailoring the layer-to-layer growth for practical applications.

Effects Associated with Leadership Program Participation in International Students Compared to Domestic Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Collier, Daniel A.; Rosch, David M.

2016-01-01

International student enrollment in the U.S. higher education system has recently experienced profound growth. This research examines leadership-oriented differences between international and domestic students and focuses on their growth in capacity associated with participation in co-curricular leadership programs. Similarly-sized gains emerged…

Geographic Mobility of Manpower in the USSR.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kossov, V. V.; Tatevosoc, R. V.

1984-01-01

The Soviet Union is experiencing substantial reduction in the growth of the working-age population, accompanied by a shift in the distribution of population growth. The government is using various means to encourage workers to move to the sparsely populated developing regions and away from the large cities. (SK)

The Human Potential Movement: Forms of Body/Movement/Nonverbal Experiencing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caldwell, Stratton F.

A social, humanistic movement has emerged which focuses on the desire of many affluent and advantaged citizens for personal, interpersonal, transpersonal, and organizational growth. It has been termed the "Human Potential Movement." Growth centers, which emphasize the integrated totality of the person, have developed all over the United…

Classroom Strategies and Behaviors Facilitating Continued Scholastic Growth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott-Moore, Charlotte; Mitchell, Ronald

2017-01-01

The researchers conducted a qualitative study involving two rural public school districts in Tennessee. The purpose of this study was to discover classroom strategies and behaviors that enable regular classroom teachers to facilitate continued scholastic growth of fourth and fifth grade students who had experienced notable academic gains in their…

Which Mechanisms Explain Monetary Returns to International Student Mobility?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kratz, Fabian; Netz, Nicolai

2018-01-01

The authors develop a conceptual framework explaining monetary returns to international student mobility (ISM). Based on data from two German graduate panel surveys, they test this framework using growth curve models and Oaxaca-Blinder decompositions. The results indicate that ISM-experienced graduates enjoy a steeper wage growth after graduation…

French immersion experience and reading skill development in at-risk readers.

PubMed

Kruk, Richard S; Reynolds, Kristin A A

2012-06-01

We tracked the developmental influences of exposure to French on developing English phonological awareness, decoding and reading comprehension of English-speaking at-risk readers from Grade 1 to Grade 3. Teacher-nominated at-risk readers were matched with not-at-risk readers in French immersion and English language programs. Exposure to spoken French phonetic and syllabic forms and to written French orthographic and morphological forms by children attending French immersion programs was expected to promote phonological, decoding and reading comprehension achievement. Growth in all outcomes was found, with children in immersion experiencing higher final status in phonological awareness and more rapid growth and higher final status in decoding, using multilevel modeling. At-risk readers in French immersion experienced faster growth and higher final status in reading comprehension. Benefits to reading of exposure to an additional language are discussed in relation to cross-language transfer, phonological grain size and enhanced executive control processes.

An empirical analysis of the effects of consanguineous marriages on economic development.

PubMed

Bildirici, Melike; Kökdener, Meltem; Ersin, Oezgür ömer

2010-01-01

In this study, development experiences toward economic development are investigated to provide an alternative analysis of economic development, human capital, and genetic inheritance in the light of consanguineous marriages. The countries analyzed in the study are discussed in accordance with consanguineous marriage practices and classified by their per capita gross domestic product (GDP) growth. A broad range of countries are analyzed in the study. Arab countries that experienced high rates of growth in their gross national income during the twentieth century but failed to fulfill adequate development measures as reflected in the growth in national income, countries undergoing transition from tight government regulation to free market democracy, and African nations that have experienced complications in the process of development show important differences in the process of economic development. It is shown that the countries that have reached high average development within the context of per capita GDP have overcome problems integral to consanguineous marriage.

Models to compare management options for a protogynous fish.

PubMed

Heppell, Selina S; Heppell, Scott A; Coleman, Felicia C; Koenig, Christopher C

2006-02-01

Populations of gag (Mycteroperca microlepis), a hermaphroditic grouper, have experienced a dramatic shift in sex ratio over the past 25 years due to a decline in older age classes. The highly female-skewed sex ratio can be predicted as a consequence of increased fishing mortality that truncates the age distribution, and raises some concern about the overall fitness of the population. Management efforts may need to be directed toward maintenance of sex ratio as well as stock size, with evaluations of recruitment based on sex ratio or male stock size in addition to the traditional female-based stock-recruitment relationship. We used two stochastic, age-structured models to heuristically compare the effects of reducing fishing mortality on different life history stages and the relative impact of reductions in fertilization rates that may occur with highly skewed sex ratios. Our response variables included population size, sex ratio, lost egg fertility, and female spawning stock biomass. Population growth rates were highest for scenarios that reduced mortality for female gag (nearshore closure), while improved sex ratios were obtained most quickly with spawning reserves. The effect of reduced fertility through sex ratio bias was generally low but depended on the management scenario employed. Our results demonstrate the utility of evaluation of fishery management scenarios through model analysis and simulation, the synergistic interaction of life history and response to changes in mortality rates, and the importance of defining management goals.

Networking health: multi-level marketing of health products in Ghana.

PubMed

Droney, Damien

2016-01-01

Multi-level marketing (MLM0), a business model in which product distributors are compensated for enrolling further distributors as well as for selling products, has experienced dramatic growth in recent decades, especially in the so-called global South. This paper argues that the global success of MLM is due to its involvement in local health markets. While MLM has been subject to a number of critiques, few have analyzed the explicit health claims of MLM distributors. The majority of the products distributed through MLM are health products, which are presented as offering transformative health benefits. Based on interviews with MLM distributors in Ghana, but focusing on the experiences of one woman, this paper shows that MLM companies become intimately entwined with Ghanaian quests for health by providing their distributors with the materials to become informal health experts, allowing their distributors to present their products as medicines, and presenting MLM as an avenue to middle class cosmopolitanism. Ghanaian distributors promote MLM products as medically powerful, and the distribution of these products as an avenue to status and profit. As a result, individuals seeking health become a part of ethically questionable forms of medical provision based on the exploitation of personal relationships. The success of MLM therefore suggests that the health industry is at the forefront of transnational corporations' extraction of value from informal economies, drawing on features of health markets to monetize personal relationships.

Phylogeographic and genome-wide investigations of Vietnam ethnic groups reveal signatures of complex historical demographic movements.

PubMed

Pischedda, S; Barral-Arca, R; Gómez-Carballa, A; Pardo-Seco, J; Catelli, M L; Álvarez-Iglesias, V; Cárdenas, J M; Nguyen, N D; Ha, H H; Le, A T; Martinón-Torres, F; Vullo, C; Salas, A

2017-10-03

The territory of present-day Vietnam was the cradle of one of the world's earliest civilizations, and one of the first world regions to develop agriculture. We analyzed the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) complete control region of six ethnic groups and the mitogenomes from Vietnamese in The 1000 Genomes Project (1000G). Genome-wide data from 1000G (~55k SNPs) were also investigated to explore different demographic scenarios. All Vietnamese carry South East Asian (SEA) haplotypes, which show a moderate geographic and ethnic stratification, with the Mong constituting the most distinctive group. Two new mtDNA clades (M7b1a1f1 and F1f1) point to historical gene flow between the Vietnamese and other neighboring countries. Bayesian-based inferences indicate a time-deep and continuous population growth of Vietnamese, although with some exceptions. The dramatic population decrease experienced by the Cham 700 years ago (ya) fits well with the Nam tiến ("southern expansion") southwards from their original heartland in the Red River Delta. Autosomal SNPs consistently point to important historical gene flow within mainland SEA, and add support to a main admixture event occurring between Chinese and a southern Asian ancestral composite (mainly represented by the Malay). This admixture event occurred ~800 ya, again coinciding with the Nam tiến.

Process-based coastal erosion modeling for Drew Point (North Slope, Alaska)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ravens, Thomas M.; Jones, Benjamin M.; Zhang, Jinlin; Arp, Christopher D.; Schmutz, Joel A.

2012-01-01

A predictive, coastal erosion/shoreline change model has been developed for a small coastal segment near Drew Point, Beaufort Sea, Alaska. This coastal setting has experienced a dramatic increase in erosion since the early 2000’s. The bluffs at this site are 3-4 m tall and consist of ice-wedge bounded blocks of fine-grained sediments cemented by ice-rich permafrost and capped with a thin organic layer. The bluffs are typically fronted by a narrow (∼ 5  m wide) beach or none at all. During a storm surge, the sea contacts the base of the bluff and a niche is formed through thermal and mechanical erosion. The niche grows both vertically and laterally and eventually undermines the bluff, leading to block failure or collapse. The fallen block is then eroded both thermally and mechanically by waves and currents, which must occur before a new niche forming episode may begin. The erosion model explicitly accounts for and integrates a number of these processes including: (1) storm surge generation resulting from wind and atmospheric forcing, (2) erosional niche growth resulting from wave-induced turbulent heat transfer and sediment transport (using the Kobayashi niche erosion model), and (3) thermal and mechanical erosion of the fallen block. The model was calibrated with historic shoreline change data for one time period (1979-2002), and validated with a later time period (2002-2007).

Dramatic suppression of colorectal cancer cell growth by the dual mTORC1 and mTORC2 inhibitor AZD-2014.

PubMed

Huo, Hai-zhong; Zhou, Zhi-yuan; Wang, Bing; Qin, Jian; Liu, Wen-yong; Gu, Yan

2014-01-10

Colorectal cancer is a major contributor of cancer-related mortality. The mammalian target or rapamycin (mTOR) signaling is frequently hyper-activated in colorectal cancers, promoting cancer progression and chemo-resistance. In the current study, we investigated the anti-colorectal cancer effect of a novel mTOR complex 1 (mTORC1) and mTORC2 dual inhibitor: AZD-2014. In cultured colorectal cancer cell lines, AZD-2014 significantly inhibited cancer cell growth without inducing significant cell apoptosis. AZD-2014 blocked activation of both mTORC1 (S6K and S6 phosphorylation) and mTORC2 (Akt Ser 473 phosphorylation), and activated autophagy in colorectal cancer cells. Meanwhile, autophagy inhibition by 3-methyaldenine (3-MA) and hydroxychloroquine, as well as by siRNA knocking down of Beclin-1 or ATG-7, inhibited AZD-2014-induced cytotoxicity, while the apoptosis inhibitor had no rescue effect. In vivo, AZD-2014 oral administration significantly inhibited the growth of HT-29 cell xenograft in SCID mice, and the mice survival was dramatically improved. At the same time, in xenografted tumors administrated with AZD-2014, the activation of mTORC1 and mTORC2 were largely inhibited, and autophagic markers were significantly increased. Thus, AZD-2014 inhibits colorectal cancer cell growth both in vivo and in vitro. Our results suggest that AZD-2014 may be further investigated for colorectal cancer therapy in clinical trials. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Pains, joys, and secrets: nurse-led group therapy for older adults with depression.

PubMed

Nance, Douglas C

2012-02-01

This is the first study of nurse-led group therapy in Mexico. Forty-one depressed older adults with a median age of 71 participated in nurse-led cognitive behavioral group therapy once a week for 12 weeks. Participants' scores on the Patient Health Questionaire-9 showed mild to moderate improvement. Participants experienced positive results in personal growth, changing negative thoughts, and relationships with family. An important therapeutic factor was the support of fellow group members. The nurses experienced positive personal and professional growth. Difficulties included physician resistance and a too-rigid cognitive behavioral group therapy model. A combination of cognitive behavioral therapy and supportive group therapy is recommended.

Grief, traumatic stress, and posttraumatic growth in women who have experienced pregnancy loss.

PubMed

Krosch, Daniel Jay; Shakespeare-Finch, Jane

2017-07-01

Pregnancy loss is common and can be devastating for those who experience it. However, a historical focus on negative outcomes, and grief in particular, has rendered an incomplete portrait of both the gravity of the loss, and the potential for growth in its wake. Consistent with contemporary models of growth following bereavement, this study explored the occurrence of posttraumatic growth following pregnancy loss and further assessed the role of core belief disruptions and common loss context factors across perinatal grief, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and posttraumatic growth. Women who had experienced a miscarriage or stillbirth (N = 328) were recruited through perinatal loss support groups and completed an online survey that assessed core belief disruption, perinatal grief, posttraumatic stress symptoms, posttraumatic growth, loss context factors, and demographics. Hypotheses were tested via hierarchical multiple regression. All hypotheses were supported. Specifically, (a) moderate levels of posttraumatic growth were reported; (b) core belief disruptions predicted perinatal grief, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and posttraumatic growth; and (c) perinatal grief predicted posttraumatic stress symptoms and growth. Findings suggest that pregnancy loss can be a traumatic event, that core belief disruptions play a significant role in posttrauma outcomes, and that other factors may contribute to grief, posttraumatic stress symptoms, and posttraumatic growth following pregnancy loss that warrant further research (e.g., rumination). Despite potential methodological and sampling limitations, the use of validated measures to assess posttraumatic growth in a large sample represents a robust attempt to quantify the occurrence of posttrauma change following pregnancy loss. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

USP5/Leon deubiquitinase confines postsynaptic growth by maintaining ubiquitin homeostasis through Ubiquilin.

PubMed

Wang, Chien-Hsiang; Huang, Yi-Chun; Chen, Pei-Yi; Cheng, Ying-Ju; Kao, Hsiu-Hua; Pi, Haiwei; Chien, Cheng-Ting

2017-05-10

Synapse formation and growth are tightly controlled processes. How synaptic growth is terminated after reaching proper size remains unclear. Here, we show that Leon, the Drosophila USP5 deubiquitinase, controls postsynaptic growth. In leon mutants, postsynaptic specializations of neuromuscular junctions are dramatically expanded, including the subsynaptic reticulum, the postsynaptic density, and the glutamate receptor cluster. Expansion of these postsynaptic features is caused by a disruption of ubiquitin homeostasis with accumulation of free ubiquitin chains and ubiquitinated substrates in the leon mutant. Accumulation of Ubiquilin (Ubqn), the ubiquitin receptor whose human homolog ubiquilin 2 is associated with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also contributes to defects in postsynaptic growth and ubiquitin homeostasis. Importantly, accumulations of postsynaptic proteins cause different aspects of postsynaptic overgrowth in leon mutants. Thus, the deubiquitinase Leon maintains ubiquitin homeostasis and proper Ubqn levels, preventing postsynaptic proteins from accumulation to confine postsynaptic growth.

Ecosystem vs. community recovery 25 years after grass invasions and fire in a subtropical woodland

USGS Publications Warehouse

D'Antonio, Carla M.; Yelenik, Stephanie G.; Mack, Michelle C.

2017-01-01

Despite a large body of research documenting invasive plant impacts, few studies have followed individual invaded sites over decades to observe how they change, and none have contrasted how compositional impacts from invasion compare to ecosystem-process impacts over a multi-decadal time-scale. Using direct measurements of plant density and composition and of ecosystems processes, we evaluate how ecosystem structure, above-ground net primary production (ANPP), and above-ground and soil nutrient pools compare over 25 years since fire and C4 grass invasions disrupted seasonally dry Hawaiian woodlands. We compare structure and function between primary woodland that has never burned and is largely native species-dominated, with sites that had been the same woodland type but burned in alien-grass-fuelled fires in the 1970s and 1980s. The sites have not experienced fires since 1987. We report here that woody plant composition and structure continue to be dramatically changed by the initial invasions and fires that occurred 25 years ago and invaders continue to dominate in burned sites. This is reflected in continued low plant carbon pools in burned compared to unburned sites. Yet ANPP and N storage, which were dramatically lower in the initial decade after invasive-grass fuelled fires, have increased and are now indistinguishable from values measured in intact woodlands. Soil carbon pools were resilient to both invasion and fire initially and over time. Above-ground net primary production has recovered because of invasion of burned sites by a non-native N-fixing tree rather than because of recovery of native species. This invasive N-fixing tree is unlikely to return C storage of the invaded sites to those of unburned woodland because of its tissue and growth characteristics and its interactions with invasive grasses. It does not facilitate native species but rather promotes a persistent invasive grass/N-fixer savanna. Synthesis. We conclude that fire, an unusual disturbance in this system, has perpetuated the dominance of these sites by invasive species and that despite the dramatic recovery of above-ground net primary production and N pools, the ecosystem continues to be in a distinctly different state than the pre-fire, pre-Melinis community. Thus, despite the absence of further disturbance (fire), there is no evidence that succession towards the original ecosystem is occurring. The fact that N pools and above-ground net primary production recover because of a new invader (Morella faya), highlights the unpredictability of ecosystem trajectories in the face of altered regional species pools.

Building the Plane While It's Flying: Enhancing the Missed Opportunity for Quality Assurance and Capacity-Building in Australian Private Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shah, Mahsood; Nair, Chenicheri Sid

2011-01-01

Higher education across the world has experienced the growth of private higher education. Based on this growth, it is apparent that the sector will continue to grow as a result of many factors such as: change in government policy that allows such providers to grow; government funding of student places in private colleges; the growth and demand for…

Microstructure evolution of a ZrC coating layer in TRISO particles during high-temperature annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Daejong; Chun, Young Bum; Ko, Myeong Jin; Lee, Hyeon-Geun; Cho, Moon-Sung; Park, Ji Yeon; Kim, Weon-Ju

2016-10-01

The influence of high-temperature annealing on the microstructure of zirconium carbide (ZrC) was investigated in relation to its application as a coating layer of a nuclear fuel in a very high temperature gas cooled reactor. ZrC was deposited as a constituent coating layer of TRISO coated particles by a fluidized bed chemical vapor deposition method using a ZrCl4-CH4-Ar-H2 system. The grain growth of ZrC during high-temperature annealing was strongly influenced by the co-deposition of free carbon. Sub-stoichiometric ZrC coatings have experienced a significant grain growth during high-temperature annealing at 1800 °C and 1900 °C for 1 h. On the other hand, a dual phase of stoichiometric ZrC and free carbon experienced little grain growth. It was revealed that the free carbon of the as-deposited ZrC was primarily distributed within the ZrC grains but was redistributed to the grain boundaries after annealing. Consequently, carbon at the grain boundary retarded the grain growth of ZrC. Electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) results showed that as-deposited ZrC had (001) a preferred orientation that kept its favored direction after significant grain growth during annealing. The hardness slightly decreased as the grain growth progressed.

Differential impacts of public health insurance expansions at the local level.

PubMed

Baughman, Reagan

2007-03-01

Dramatic expansions in public health insurance eligibility for U.S. children have only modestly reduced the aggregate number of uninsured at the national level. This paper shows that Medicaid and SCHIP expansions had different impacts on child health insurance coverage patterns based upon local labor market characteristics. Metropolitan areas with high levels of unemployment were most likely to have seen improvements in overall insurance coverage for children between 1990 and 2001. Areas with greater fractions of employment in services, retail or wholesale trade were more likely to have experienced increases in public coverage but not overall coverage rates.

Future treatment and research directions in distal radius fracture.

PubMed

Jupiter, Jesse

2012-05-01

Whether or not they will have their lives dramatically extended in the next few decades, it is clear that people are living longer, healthier, and more active lives. The two peak incidences of distal radius fractures will remain within the pediatric and geriatric age groups, with the latter experiencing a substantial increase in the coming years. This article attempts to project future developments with regard to epidemiology, risk and prevention, fracture assessment, and treatment of distal radius fractures, and the ever increasing concern for the economic impact of this prevalent injury. Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The Aim of Philosophy of Religious Education in a Pluralist Society (Nigeria as an Example)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nwanaju, Isidore U.

2016-01-01

The major aim and leitmotif of this paper is to highlight the Nigerian society and its diverse, multi-cultural and pluralist composition--a society which has experienced in the last fifty years, and is still experiencing fantastic and tremendous signs of growth in democracy, but which is also almost unsure of the right path and the correct…

Insights from Breast Cancer Survivors: The Interplay between Context, Epistemology, and Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoggan, Chad

2014-01-01

This study explored the processes by which a group of breast cancer survivors experienced positive learning and growth from their cancer experiences. The author argues that such learning and growth can be considered transformative learning, especially from ontological perspectives of the theory. The participants' change process consisted of…

Development and the Underutilisation of Labour: Lessons of the Dominican Republic Employment Mission

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pazos, Felipe

1975-01-01

In recent years the economy of the Dominican Republic has experienced rapid growth without reducing urban unemployment. The research project measured the relationship between growth and employment, examining the behavior of factors affecting labor demand and supply. Available from: ILO Publications, International Labour Office, CH-1211, Geneva,…

Competition amplifies drought stress in forests across broad climatic and compositional gradients

Treesearch

Kelly E. Gleason; John B. Bradford; Alessandra Bottero; Anthony W. D' Amato; Shawn Fraver; Brian J. Palik; Michael A. Battaglia; Louis Iverson; Laura Kenefic; Christel C. Kern

2017-01-01

Forests around the world are experiencing increasingly severe droughts and elevated competitive intensity due to increased tree density. However, the influence of interactions between drought and competition on forest growth remains poorly understood. Using a unique dataset of stand-scale dendrochronology sampled from 6405 trees, we quantified how annual growth of...

The Pedagogical and Institutional Impact of Disruptive Innovations in Distance Business Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Estelami, Hooman

2017-01-01

The use of distance learning methods by universities has experienced significant growth over the past two decades. While this growth has been witnessed nearly equally across the various academic disciplines, it represents unique opportunities in business education. In this article we will profile how technological innovations in distance learning…

Asian Women in Transitions: How Modernization Affects Their Lives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiang, Linda H.

East Asia is the region which has experienced unprecedented growth in the past few decades. This growth resulted in the increase in education opportunities and the empowerment of women. Modernization and globalization provided opportunities for many women in China, Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore, Taiwan, and Japan. Modern Asian women can obtain…

Laminar flow: Challenge and potential

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kirchner, Mark E.

1987-01-01

Commercial air transportation has experienced revolutionary technology advances since WWII. These technology advances have resulted in an explosive growth in passenger traffic. Today, however, many technologies have matured, and maintaining a similar growth rate will be a challenge. A brief history of laminar flow technology and its application to subsonic and supersonic air transportation is presented.

Wild apple growth and climate change in southeast Kazakhstan

Treesearch

Irina P. Panyushkina; Nurjan S. Mukhamadiev; Ann M. Lynch; Nursagim A. Ashikbaev; Alexis H. Arizpe; Christopher D. O' Connor; Danyar Abjanbaev; Gulnaz Z. Mengdbayeva; Abay O. Sagitov

2017-01-01

Wild populations of Malus sieversii [Ldb.] M. Roem are valued genetic and watershed resources in Inner Eurasia. These populations are located in a region that has experienced rapid and on-going climatic change over the past several decades. We assess relationships between climate variables and wild apple radial growth with dendroclimatological techniques to understand...

Postgraduate Coursework in Australia: Issues Emerging from University and Industry Collaboration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forsyth, H.; Laxton, R.; Moran, C.; van der werf, J.; Banks, R.; Taylor, R.

2009-01-01

Coursework masters degrees in Australia have experienced rapid, decentralised growth since deregulation at the end of the 1980s. The result is an extraordinarily high level of diversity and some confusion as to standards, strategic positioning, purpose and educational approaches. Throughout this period of growth, a sense that large-scale (often…

Physiological Measures of Emotion from a Developmental Perspective: State of the Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dennis, Tracy A.; Buss, Kristin A.; Hastings, Paul D.; Bell, Martha Ann; Diaz, Anjolii; Adam, Emma K.; Miskovic, Vladimir; Schmidt, Louis A.; Feldman, Ruth; Katz, Lynn Fainsilber; Rigterink, Tami; Strang, Nicole M.; Hanson, Jamie L.; Pollak, Seth D.; Dahl, Ronald E.; Silk, Jennifer S.; Siegle, Greg J.; Beauchaine, Theodore P.; Cicchetti, Dante; Rogosch, Fred A.; Fox, Nathan A.; Kirwan, Michael; Reeb-Sutherland, Bethany; Gunnar, Megan R.; Obradovic, Jelena; Boyce, W. Thomas; Molenaar, Peter C. M.; Gates, Kathleen M.

2012-01-01

In the past decade, there has been a dramatic growth in research examining the development of emotion from a physiological perspective. However, this widespread use of physiological measures to study emotional development coexists with relatively few guiding principles, thus reducing opportunities to move the field forward in innovative ways. The…

Guiding Neuronal Growth in Tissues with Light

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-02-27

and structural properties of their surroundings in addition to the biochemical properties. Furthermore, three-dimensional biopolymer matrices provide...Properties of Biopolymer Networks Biopolymer networks exhibit unique nonlinear rheological behavior that differs dramatically from most synthetic...and presumably other biopolymers , is not well defined in variable gap geometries. These findings have broad implications for the interpretation of

The Role of Capital in Improving Productivity and Creating Jobs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carnoy, Martin

Causes of the significant decrease in productivity growth and dramatic increase in unemployment in the United States since the mid-1960's are examined in order to test the underlying assumption of current economic policies that increasing capital savings and investments will create fuller and more productive employment. Data on trends in…

Preparing for Growth: Human Capital Innovations in Charter Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chadwick, Christi; Kowal, Julie

2011-01-01

Charter schools and successful charter management organizations that run them have grown significantly over the past decade but they must dramatically increase their scale in order to meet the demand for high-quality public school options for America's children. The limited supply of effective leaders and teachers is one of the key barriers…

Perceptions of the Other: Voices of Adjunct and Fulltime Community College Faculty

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Backlin, William Wayne

2012-01-01

The practice of hiring adjunct instructors was initially considered to be an anomalous event (Todd, 2004). Community college employment of adjunct instructors, however, witnessed a 50% increase during the 1970s (Cain, 1999) and, by 1984, adjunct instructor utilization in community colleges rose dramatically with an additional 80% growth. Over a…

The Effect of Microgravity on the Growth of Silica Nanostructures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Smith, D. D.; Sibille, L.; Cronise, R.; Oldenburg, S. J.; Wolfe, D.; Halas, N. J.

2001-01-01

The process of the formation of structures from coagulating ensembles is fundamentally important since the collective behavior of the constituents often results in dramatically improved or unusual mechanical, thermal, chemical, and optical properties. In this study we examine the effect of microgravity on the formation of silica structures, specifically particles and gels.

Organising Learning: Informal Workplace Learning in a Trade Union Child-Care Campaign

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Tony

2008-01-01

Purpose: Trade unions, like many other membership-based social movement organisations, are confronted by the challenge of growth and revitalisation. Declining membership numbers, an increasingly restrictive legislative framework, and dramatic changes in modes of employment have combined to challenge many unions to rethink the way they work. In…

How's Business? Status Report #10 on For Profit Child Care.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Neugebauer, Roger

1997-01-01

Examines trends in for-profit child care since the 1970s. Finds growth has been dramatic, but unsteady, with four companies dominating the industry. Executives' concerns have shifted from federal licensing standards, liability insurance, and the national economy to public school competition and the shortage of qualified teachers. Major service…

College Environment, Student Involvement, and Intellectual Development: Evidence in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chi, Xianglan; Liu, Jinlan; Bai, Yin

2017-01-01

China's higher education system has been marked by dramatic growth since 1999. In response to calls for quality assurance, substantial efforts have been made to improve collegiate environments and enhance student learning. However, only limited empirical research has been conducted to investigate the effects of the college environment on student…

Damming Tropical Island Streams: Problems, Solutions, and Alternatives.

Treesearch

JAMES G. MARCH; JONATHAN P. BENSTEAD; CATHERINE M. PRINGLE; FREDERICK N. SCATENA

2003-01-01

The combination of human population growth, increased water usage, and limited groundwater resources often leads to extensive damming of rivers and streams on tropical islands. Ecological effects of dams on tropical islands can be dramatic, because the vast majority of native stream faunas (fishes, shrimps, and snails) migrate between freshwater and saltwater during...

A Perspective on Primary Prevention in the Earliest Years.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richmond, Julius B.

The decade of the 70's has seen significant improvements in child health and dramatic insights into the biological, psychological, and social factors influencing children's growth and development. Four of the six major gains in health status listed in the Surgeon General's Report on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention relate to improvements in…

Rise of the Science and Engineering Postdoctorate and the Restructuring of Academic Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cantwell, Brendan; Taylor, Barrett J.

2015-01-01

Since the 1980s the number of postdocs employed at U.S. research universities has increased dramatically as has the importance of postdocs to academic research. Growth in postdoc employment has coincided with increased dependence on external research funds. Using panel regression analysis, this article explores the organizational characteristics…

Water quantity and quality at the urban-rural interface

Treesearch

Ge Sun; B. Graeme Lockaby

2012-01-01

Population growth and urban development dramatically alter natural watershed ecosystem structure and functions and stress water resources. We review studies on the impacts of urbanization on hydrologic and biogeochemical processes underlying stream water quantity and water quality issues, as well as water supply challenges in an urban environment. We conclude that...

Mother-Headed Families and Why They Have Increased.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burns, Ailsa; Scott, Cath

Noting that the preceding two decades have seen a dramatic growth in the proportion of families that are headed by women, this book explores the causes and implications of this development. The book bring together information on the past and present prevalence of mother-headed families in different countries. It then considers the various…

Sustainable rangeland management, economic growth, and a cautious role for the SRM

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Interest in the art and science of rangeland management increased dramatically during the 20th century and it was out of this interest that the profession of rangeland management was born. As public interest in rangeland management grew, so did the number, breadth, and depth of rangeland management ...

Antifungal metabolites of lactobacilli

Treesearch

Vina A. Yang; Carol A. Clausen

2004-01-01

In recent years, public concern about indoor mold growth has increased dramatically in the United States. In this study, lactic acid bacteria, which are known to produce antimicrobial compounds important in the biopreservation of food, were evaluated to determine if the same antimicrobial properties can be used to protect wood from mold establishment. Based on biomass...

Self Assembled Dipole Monolayers on CNTs: Effect on Transport and Charge Collection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cook, Alexander; Lee, Bumsu; Kuznetsov, Alexander; Podzorov, Vitaly; Zakhidov, Anvar

2010-03-01

We propose a method of quickly and dramatically increasing the conductivity of carbon nanotubes via growth of a self assembled monolayer (SAM) of fluoroalkyl trichlorosilane dipoles following the method demonstrated with organic semiconductors in [1,2]. Growth of a SAM on carbon nanotubes results in a strong p-type doping which improves the conductivity by a factor of two or more. Additionally, this doping is nonvolatile and persists in high vacuum and inert atmospheres. Improvements to conductivity are most dramatic in the case of predominantly semi-conducting, single walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNT) due to the remarkable introduction of about 1.2e14 holes/sq. cm, but this method is also an effective means to improve metallic, multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNT). We will demonstrate improvement of transport and charge collection properties of both SWCNTs and MWCNTs by these SAM coatings in FETs and also in organic photovoltaic solar cells and in OLEDs. [1] M. F. Calhoun et al. Nature Materials 7, 84 - 89 (2008). [2] C. Y. Kao et al. Adv. Func. Mater. 19, 1 (2009).

Assessment of climate impacts on the karst-related carbon sink in SW China using MPD and GIS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeng, Sibo; Jiang, Yongjun; Liu, Zaihua

2016-09-01

Riverine carbon fluxes of some catchments in the world have significantly changed due to contemporary climate change and human activities. As a large region with an extensive karstic area of nearly 7.5 × 105 km2, Southwest (SW) China has experienced dramatic climate changes during recent decades. Although some studies have investigated the karst-related carbon sink in some parts of this region, the importance of climate impacts have not been assessed. This research examined the impacts of recent climate change on the karst-related carbon sink in the SW China for the period 1970-2013, using a modified maximal potential dissolution (MPD) method and GIS. We first analyzed the major determinants of carbonate dissolution at a spatial scale, calculated the total karst-related carbon sink (TCS) and carbon sink fluxes (CSFs) in the SW China karst region with different types of carbonate rocks, and then compared with other methods, and analyzed the causes of CSFs variations under the changed climate conditions. The results show that the TCS in SW China experienced a dramatic change with regional climate, and there was a trend with TCS decreasing by about 19% from 1970s to 2010s. This decrease occurred mostly in Guizhou and Yunnan provinces, which experienced larger decreases in runoff depth in the past 40 years (190 mm and 90 mm, respectively) due to increased air temperature (0.33 °C and 1.04 °C, respectively) and decreased precipitation (156 mm and 106 mm, respectively). The mean value of CSFs in SW China, calculated by the modified MPD method, was approximately 9.36 t C km- 2 a- 1. In addition, there were large differences in CSFs among the provinces, attributed to differences in regional climate and to carbonate lithologies. These spatiotemporal changes depended mainly on hydrological variations (i.e., discharge or runoff depth). This work, thus, suggests that the karst-related carbon sink could respond to future climate change quickly, and needs to be considered in the modern global carbon cycle model.

Hydrologic and Geomorphic Changes Resulting from the Onset of Episodic Glacial Lake Outburst Floods: Colonia River, Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacquet, J.; McCoy, S. W.; McGrath, D.; Nimick, D.; Friesen, B.; Fahey, M. J.; Leidich, J.; Okuinghttons, J.

2015-12-01

The Colonia river system, draining the eastern edge of the Northern Patagonia Icefield, Chile, has experienced a dramatic shift in flow regime from one characterized by seasonal discharge variability to one dominated by episodic glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). We use multi-temporal visible satellite images, high-resolution digital elevation models (DEMs) derived from stereo image pairs, and in situ observations to quantify sediment and water fluxes out of the dammed glacial lake, Lago Cachet Dos (LC2), as well as the concomitant downstream environmental change. GLOFs initiated in April 2008 and have since occurred, on average, two to three times a year. Differencing concurrent gage measurements made on the Baker River upstream and downstream of the confluence with the Colonia river finds peak GLOF discharges of ~ 3,000 m3s-1, which is ~ 4 times the median discharge of the Baker River and over 20 times the median discharge of the Colonia river. During each GLOF, ~ 200,000,000 m3 of water evacuates from the LC2, resulting in erosion of valley-fill sediments and the delta on the upstream end of LC2. Differencing DEMs between April 2008 and February 2014 revealed that ~ 2.5 x 107 m3 of sediment was eroded. Multi-temporal DEM differencing shows that erosion rates were highest initially, with > 20 vertical m of sediment removed between 2008 and 2012, and generally less than 5 m between 2012 and 2014. The downstream Colonia River Sandur also experienced geomorphic changes due to GLOFs. Using Landsat imagery to calculate the normalized difference water index (NDWI), we demonstrate that the Colonia River was in a stable configuration between 1984 and 2008. At the onset of GLOFs in April 2008, a change in channel location began and continued with each subsequent GLOF. Quantification of sediment and water fluxes due to GLOFs in the Colonia river valley provides insight on the geomorphic and environmental changes in river systems experiencing dramatic shifts in flow regime.

Cryptic herbivores mediate the strength and form of ungulate impacts on a long-lived savanna tree.

PubMed

Maclean, Janet E; Goheen, Jacob R; Doak, Daniel F; Palmer, Todd M; Young, Truman P

2011-08-01

Plant populations are regulated by a diverse array of herbivores that impose demographic filters throughout their life cycle. Few studies, however, simultaneously quantify the impacts of multiple herbivore guilds on the lifetime performance or population growth rate of plants. In African savannas, large ungulates (such as elephants) are widely regarded as important drivers of woody plant population dynamics, while the potential impacts of smaller, more cryptic herbivores (such as rodents) have largely been ignored. We combined a large-scale ungulate exclusion experiment with a five-year manipulation of rodent densities to quantify the impacts of three herbivore guilds (wild ungulates, domestic cattle, and rodents) on all life stages of a widespread savanna tree. We utilized demographic modeling to reveal the overall role of each guild in regulating tree population dynamics, and to elucidate the importance of different demographic hurdles in driving population growth under contrasting consumer communities. We found that wild ungulates dramatically reduced population growth, shifting the population trajectory from increase to decline, but that the mechanisms driving these effects were strongly mediated by rodents. The impact of wild ungulates on population growth was predominantly driven by their negative effect on tree reproduction when rodents were excluded, and on adult tree survival when rodents were present. By limiting seedling survival, rodents also reduced population growth; however, this effect was strongly dampened where wild ungulates were present. We suggest that these complex interactions between disparate consumer guilds can have important consequences for the population demography of long-lived species, and that the effects of a single consumer group are often likely to vary dramatically depending on the larger community in which interactions are embedded.

Postnatal growth of the human pons: a morphometric and immunohistochemical analysis.

PubMed

Tate, Matthew C; Lindquist, Robert A; Nguyen, Thuhien; Sanai, Nader; Barkovich, A James; Huang, Eric J; Rowitch, David H; Alvarez-Buylla, Arturo

2015-02-15

Despite its critical importance to global brain function, the postnatal development of the human pons remains poorly understood. In the present study, we first performed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based morphometric analyses of the postnatal human pons (0-18 years; n = 6-14/timepoint). Pons volume increased 6-fold from birth to 5 years, followed by continued slower growth throughout childhood. The observed growth was primarily due to expansion of the basis pontis. T2-based MRI analysis suggests that this growth is linked to increased myelination, and histological analysis of myelin basic protein in human postmortem specimens confirmed a dramatic increase in myelination during infancy. Analysis of cellular proliferation revealed many Ki67(+) cells during the first 7 months of life, particularly during the first month, where proliferation was increased in the basis relative to tegmentum. The majority of proliferative cells in the postnatal pons expressed the transcription factor Olig2, suggesting an oligodendrocyte lineage. The proportion of proliferating cells that were Olig2(+) was similar through the first 7 months of life and between basis and tegmentum. The number of Ki67(+) cells declined dramatically from birth to 7 months and further decreased by 3 years, with a small number of Ki67(+) cells observed throughout childhood. In addition, two populations of vimentin/nestin-expressing cells were identified: a dorsal group near the ventricular surface, which persists throughout childhood, and a parenchymal population that diminishes by 7 months and was not evident later in childhood. Together, our data reveal remarkable postnatal growth in the ventral pons, particularly during infancy when cells are most proliferative and myelination increases. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Revisiting Arieti's “Listening Attitude” and Hallucinated Voices

PubMed Central

Hoffman, Ralph E.

2010-01-01

Silvano Arieti proposed that auditory/verbal hallucinations (AVHs) are triggered by momentary states of heightened auditory attention that he identified as a “listening attitude.” Studies and clinical observations by our group support this view. Patients enrolled in our repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation trials, if experiencing a significant curtailment of these hallucinations, often report an episodic sense that their voices are still occurring even if they no longer can be heard, suggesting episodic states of heightened auditory expectancy. Moreover, a functional magnetic resonance study reported by our group detected activation in the left insula prior to hallucination events. This finding is suggestive of activation in the same region detected in healthy subjects during “auditory search” in response to ambiguous sounds when anticipating meaningful speech. AVHs often are experienced with a deep emotional salience and may occur in the context of dramatic social isolation that together could reinforce heightened auditory expectancy. These findings and clinical observations suggest that Arieti's original formulation deserves further study. PMID:20363873

Geocognition Research: An International Discipline (Invited)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Libarkin, J.

2009-12-01

Geocognition and geoscience education research have experienced a dramatic increase in research productivity and graduate student training in the past decade. At this writing, over twelve U.S. graduate programs dedicated to geocognition and geoscience education research exist within geoscience departments, with numerous other programs housed within education. International research programs are experiencing similar increases in these research domains. This insurgence of graduate training opportunities is due in large part to several factors, including: An increased awareness of the importance of Earth Systems Science to public understanding of science, particularly in light of global concern about climate change; new funding opportunities for science education, cognitive science, and geoscience education research; and, engagement of a significant part of the geosciences and education communities in writing new standards for Earth Systems literacy. Existing research programs blend geoscience content knowledge with research expertise in education, cognitive science, psychology, sociology and related disciplines. Research projects reflect the diversity of interests in geoscience teaching and learning, from investigations of pedagogical impact and professional development to studies of fundamental geocognitive processes.

Cutaneous side-effects of epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) in the treatment of lung cancer: description and its management.

PubMed

Ong, C K; Tan, W C; Chan, L C; Abdul Razak, M

2012-04-01

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)--tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) like erlotinib and gefitinib have been approved as monotherapy for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after failure of at least one prior chemotherapy regimen. The use of EGFR-TKI is associated with unique and dramatic dermatologic side effects. We report 2 patients with NSCLC developing a typical acneiform (papulo-pustular) eruption shortly after initiation of EGFR-TKI.

Computational chemistry in 25 years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abagyan, Ruben

2012-01-01

Here we are making some predictions based on three methods: a straightforward extrapolations of the existing trends; a self-fulfilling prophecy; and picking some current grievances and predicting that they will be addressed or solved. We predict the growth of multicore computing and dramatic growth of data, as well as the improvements in force fields and sampling methods. We also predict that effects of therapeutic and environmental molecules on human body, as well as complex natural chemical signalling will be understood in terms of three dimensional models of their binding to specific pockets.

Decadal Changes in Ozone and Emissions in Central California and Current Issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanrikulu, S.; Beaver, S.; Soong, S.; Tran, C.; Cordova, J.; Palazoglu, A.

2011-12-01

The relationships among ozone, emissions, and meteorology are very complex in central California, and must be well studied and understood in order to facilitate better air quality planning. Factors significantly impacting changes in emissions such as economic and population growth, and adopted emission controls make the matter even more complex. Here we review the history of ozone pollution in central California since the 1970s to plan for the future. Since the 1970s, changes in emissions have been accompanied by likewise dramatic changes in region-to-region differences in air quality. We focus on the coastal San Francisco Bay Area (SFBA) and the inland San Joaquin Valley (SJV). In the 1970s, the SFBA population was approaching 5 million people while the considerably larger and more rural SJV population remained below 2 million. The SFBA population was mostly confined to coastal locations. Peak ozone levels occurred mostly around the population centers and especially over the Bay itself. Hourly average ozone levels routinely approached 160 ppb. These high ozone levels promoted regulations under which SFBA emissions were continuously reduced through the present. By the 1990s, SFBA emissions had been reduced considerably despite the region's population growing to around 6 million. Relative to the 1970s, in 1990s the SFBA had lower peak ozone levels that were shifted to inland locations where much of the population growth was occurring. The SFBA still exceeded the federal 1-hour standard. A rapidly changing economic landscape in the 1970s promoted vast changes in the central California population distribution. In the SJV, the OPEC oil crisis promoted significant development of petroleum resources. Meanwhile, family farms were quickly being replaced with commercial-scale farming operations. The SJV population rapidly expanded to around 3 million people by the early 1990s. During this time, SJV emissions increased considerably, largely from increases in mobile source activities. The previously sparsely populated SJV had quickly developed an even more severe ozone problem than previous years. From 1990 to 2010, the SFBA population expanded to inland locations and then even further into the sheltered SJV. SFBA emissions for ROG and NOx were decreased around 40% and 15%, respectively during this period. High ozone levels became rather infrequent for coastal SFBA locations. During the same period, the SJV population continued to expand rapidly while emissions decreased, especially for ROG. Peak ozone levels remained around 100 ppb and shifted to locations downwind of Fresno and Bakersfield. Central California has experienced perhaps the most dramatic population growth and shifts in the United States during the contemporary economic era. These changes in population have led to some of the most difficult air quality management problems faced by regulators in the United States. Lessons learned from central California highlight the potential benefits of acting early and also the necessity for a long-term, flexible approach using sustained regulations to accompany population changes.

Competition between Free-Floating Plants Is Strongly Driven by Previously Experienced Phosphorus Concentrations in the Water Column.

PubMed

Peeters, Edwin T H M; Neefjes, Rozemarijn E M; Zuidam, Bastiaan G van

2016-01-01

Nutrients can determine the outcome of the competition between different floating plant species. The response of floating plants to current phosphorus levels may be affected by previously experienced phosphorus concentrations because some species have the ability to store excess phosphorus for later use. This might have an impact on their competition. Here, we investigate the effect of previous and actual phosphorus concentrations on the growth rate of free-floating plant species (Azolla filiculoides, Lemna minor/gibba and Ricciocarpus natans)and the effect of phosphorus history on the competition between L. minor/gibba and A. filiculoides and between L. minor/gibba and R. natans. As expected, plant growth was lower when previously kept at low instead of high phosphorus concentrations. Growth of L. minor/gibba and A. filiculoides with a phosphorus rich history was comparable for low and high actual phosphorus concentrations, however, internal phosphorus concentrations were significantly lower with low actual phosphorus concentration. This indicates that both species perform luxury phosphorus uptake. Furthermore, internal P concentration in Azolla and Lemna increased within two weeks after a period of P deficit without a strong increase in growth. A. filiculoides in a mixture with L. minor/gibba grew faster than its monoculture. Morphological differences may explain why A. filiculoides outcompeted L. minor/gibba and these differences may be induced by phosphorus concentrations in the past. Growth of L. minor/gibba was only reduced by the presence of A. filiculoides with a high phosphorus history. Growth of L. minor/gibba and R. natans in mixtures was positively affected only when they had a high phosphorus history themselves and their competitor a low phosphorus history. These observations clearly indicate that phosphorus history of competing plants is important for understanding the outcome of the competition. Therefore, actual and previously experienced phosphorus concentrations should be taken into account in future studies dealing with competition between plants.

Competition between Free-Floating Plants Is Strongly Driven by Previously Experienced Phosphorus Concentrations in the Water Column

PubMed Central

Peeters, Edwin T. H. M.; Neefjes, Rozemarijn E. M.; van Zuidam, Bastiaan G.

2016-01-01

Nutrients can determine the outcome of the competition between different floating plant species. The response of floating plants to current phosphorus levels may be affected by previously experienced phosphorus concentrations because some species have the ability to store excess phosphorus for later use. This might have an impact on their competition. Here, we investigate the effect of previous and actual phosphorus concentrations on the growth rate of free-floating plant species (Azolla filiculoides, Lemna minor/gibba and Ricciocarpus natans)and the effect of phosphorus history on the competition between L. minor/gibba and A. filiculoides and between L. minor/gibba and R. natans. As expected, plant growth was lower when previously kept at low instead of high phosphorus concentrations. Growth of L. minor/gibba and A. filiculoides with a phosphorus rich history was comparable for low and high actual phosphorus concentrations, however, internal phosphorus concentrations were significantly lower with low actual phosphorus concentration. This indicates that both species perform luxury phosphorus uptake. Furthermore, internal P concentration in Azolla and Lemna increased within two weeks after a period of P deficit without a strong increase in growth. A. filiculoides in a mixture with L. minor/gibba grew faster than its monoculture. Morphological differences may explain why A. filiculoides outcompeted L. minor/gibba and these differences may be induced by phosphorus concentrations in the past. Growth of L. minor/gibba was only reduced by the presence of A. filiculoides with a high phosphorus history. Growth of L. minor/gibba and R. natans in mixtures was positively affected only when they had a high phosphorus history themselves and their competitor a low phosphorus history. These observations clearly indicate that phosphorus history of competing plants is important for understanding the outcome of the competition. Therefore, actual and previously experienced phosphorus concentrations should be taken into account in future studies dealing with competition between plants. PMID:27622519

Business, Households, and Government: Health Care Spending, 1995

PubMed Central

Cowan, Cathy A.; Braden, Bradley R.

1997-01-01

For the period 1990-95, we will present data on health care spending by business, households, and government. In addition, we will measure the relative impact of these expenditures on each sector's ability to pay. In 1994 and 1995, health care costs experienced the slowest growth in 3 decades. Combined with healthy revenue growth, slow cost growth helped ease or stabilize the financing burden faced by business, households and government. PMID:10170349

Transgenic plants with enhanced growth characteristics

DOEpatents

Unkefer, Pat J.; Anderson, Penelope S.; Knight, Thomas J.

2016-09-06

The invention relates to transgenic plants exhibiting dramatically enhanced growth rates, greater seed and fruit/pod yields, earlier and more productive flowering, more efficient nitrogen utilization, increased tolerance to high salt conditions, and increased biomass yields. In one embodiment, transgenic plants engineered to over-express both glutamine phenylpyruvate transaminase (GPT) and glutamine synthetase (GS) are provided. The GPT+GS double-transgenic plants of the invention consistently exhibit enhanced growth characteristics, with T0 generation lines showing an increase in biomass over wild type counterparts of between 50% and 300%. Generations that result from sexual crosses and/or selfing typically perform even better, with some of the double-transgenic plants achieving an astounding four-fold biomass increase over wild type plants.

Distinct ice patterns on solid surfaces with various wettabilities

PubMed Central

Liu, Jie; Zhu, Chongqin; Liu, Kai; Jiang, Ying; Song, Yanlin; Francisco, Joseph S.; Zeng, Xiao Cheng; Wang, Jianjun

2017-01-01

No relationship has been established between surface wettability and ice growth patterns, although ice often forms on top of solid surfaces. Here, we report experimental observations obtained using a process specially designed to avoid the influence of nucleation and describe the wettability-dependent ice morphology on solid surfaces under atmospheric conditions and the discovery of two growth modes of ice crystals: along-surface and off-surface growth modes. Using atomistic molecular dynamics simulation analysis, we show that these distinct ice growth phenomena are attributable to the presence (or absence) of bilayer ice on solid surfaces with different wettability; that is, the formation of bilayer ice on hydrophilic surface can dictate the along-surface growth mode due to the structural match between the bilayer hexagonal ice and the basal face of hexagonal ice (ice Ih), thereby promoting rapid growth of nonbasal faces along the hydrophilic surface. The dramatically different growth patterns of ice on solid surfaces are of crucial relevance to ice repellency surfaces. PMID:29073045

Distinct ice patterns on solid surfaces with various wettabilities.

PubMed

Liu, Jie; Zhu, Chongqin; Liu, Kai; Jiang, Ying; Song, Yanlin; Francisco, Joseph S; Zeng, Xiao Cheng; Wang, Jianjun

2017-10-24

No relationship has been established between surface wettability and ice growth patterns, although ice often forms on top of solid surfaces. Here, we report experimental observations obtained using a process specially designed to avoid the influence of nucleation and describe the wettability-dependent ice morphology on solid surfaces under atmospheric conditions and the discovery of two growth modes of ice crystals: along-surface and off-surface growth modes. Using atomistic molecular dynamics simulation analysis, we show that these distinct ice growth phenomena are attributable to the presence (or absence) of bilayer ice on solid surfaces with different wettability; that is, the formation of bilayer ice on hydrophilic surface can dictate the along-surface growth mode due to the structural match between the bilayer hexagonal ice and the basal face of hexagonal ice (ice I h ), thereby promoting rapid growth of nonbasal faces along the hydrophilic surface. The dramatically different growth patterns of ice on solid surfaces are of crucial relevance to ice repellency surfaces. Published under the PNAS license.

Parents' Voice in Managing the Pain of Children with Cancer during Palliative Care.

PubMed

Mariyana, Rina; Allenidekania, Allenidekania; Nurhaeni, Nani

2018-01-01

Pain experienced by children can adversely affect their growth and development. Pain is a major health problem for cancer patients and remains an unresolved problem. To know how the experiences of mothers managing their children's pain during palliative care following cancer diagnosis. Pain experienced by children can adversely affect their growth and development. Using qualitative methods within a descriptive phenomenological approach, in-depth interviews were conducted with parents (mostly mothers) of eight children diagnosed with cancer. The data were collected using the snowball sampling method. Participants experienced in managing the pain of children with cancer. Analysis of the results identified 8 themes: the dimensions of pain experienced by children undergoing palliative care; mothers' physical and psychological responses; mothers' emotional responses; barriers encountered by mothers when taking care of their child at home; mothers' interventions to reduce their child's pain; mothers' efforts to distract their child from pain; giving encouragement when the child is in pain; and mothers' efforts and prayers to make their child comfort. It can be concluded that the child's pain is the main cause of mothers' stress and pressure and also affects the daily lives of mothers and children. Along with the most effective intervention, nurses need to provide mothers and children with adequate information about cancer pain.

Getting stung by black scorpion Androctonus crassicauda: a case report.

PubMed

Aghabiklooei, A; Zamani, N; Hassanian-Moghaddam, H

2014-10-01

Importance of the correct diagnosis in the correct early management of a scorpion stung patient by using antivenom is not emphasized, particularly when there are little evidences. A 65-year-old female was brought to our emergency department with the chief compliant of being stung by an unknown object 3 h earlier while traveling in an intercity bus. She became agitated and simultaneously experienced tachycardia, very severe generalized sweating, cold and wet extremities, bilateral diffuse crackle in the base of lungs, tachypnea, and lethargy. With the primitive diagnosis of myocardial infarction, scorpion sting was documented as the cause of this combined cholinergic and adrenergic syndrome after the scorpion was found in the patient's bed clothes. She dramatically responded to the administration of low dose of scorpion antivenom. This case dramatically responded to the antivenom administration, especially the cholinergic and sympathetic signs, pulmonary edema, and electrocardiographic changes were fully and almost immediately recovered. Scorpion antivenom may reverse life-threatening manifestations of scorpion envenomation if used early and in appropriate patients. © The Author(s) 2013.

Who gets custody now? Dramatic changes in children's living arrangements after divorce.

PubMed

Cancian, Maria; Meyer, Daniel R; Brown, Patricia R; Cook, Steven T

2014-08-01

This article reexamines the living arrangements of children following their parents' divorce, using Wisconsin Court Records, updating an analysis that showed relatively small but significant increases in shared custody in the late 1980s and early 1990s. These changes have accelerated markedly in the intervening years: between 1988 and 2008, the proportion of mothers granted sole physical custody fell substantially, the proportion of parents sharing custody increased dramatically, and father-sole custody remained relatively stable. We explore changes in the correlates of alternative custody outcomes, showing that some results from the earlier analysis still hold (for example, cases with higher total family income are more likely to have shared custody), but other differences have lessened (shared-custody cases have become less distinctive as they have become more common). Despite the considerable changes in marriage and divorce patterns over this period, we do not find strong evidence that the changes in custody are related to changes in the characteristics of families experiencing a divorce; rather, changes in custody may be the result of changes in social norms and the process by which custody is determined.

A tale of two climbers: hypothermia, death, and survival on Mount Everest.

PubMed

Moore, G W Kent; Semple, John L

2012-03-01

Hypothermia is an acknowledged risk for those who venture into high altitude regions. There is however little quantitative information on this risk that can be used to implement mitigation strategies. Here we provide an analysis of the meteorological and hypothermic risk parameters, wind chill temperature, and facial frostbite time, during the spring 2006 Mount Everest climbing season. This season was marked by two high profile events where a solo climber was forced to spend the night in highly exposed conditions near the summit. One climber survived, while the other did not. Although this retrospective examination of two individual cases has admittedly a small sample size, and there are other factors that undoubtedly contributed to the difference in outcomes, we show that wind chill temperature and facial frostbite time experienced by the two climbers were dramatically different. In particular, the climber who did not survive experienced conditions that were approximately one standard deviation more severe that usual for that time of the year; while the climber who survived experienced conditions that were approximately one standard deviation less severe then usual. This suggests that the environmental conditions associated with hypothermia played an important role in the outcomes. This report confirms the importance of providing quantitative guidance to climbers as the risk of hypothermia on high mountains.

Hormonal regulation of wheat growth during hydroponic culture

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wetherell, Donald

1988-01-01

Hormonal control of root growth has been explored as one means to alleviate the crowding of plant root systems experienced in prototype hydroponic biomass production chambers being developed by the CELSS Breadboard Project. Four plant hormones, or their chemical analogs, which have been reported to selectively inhibit root growth, were tested by adding them to the nutrient solutions on day 10 of a 25 day growth test using spring wheat in hydroponic cultures. Growth and morphological changes is both shoot and root systems were evaluated. In no case was it possible to inhibit root growth without a comparable inhibition of shoot growth. It was concluded that this approach is unlikely to prove useful for wheat.

Intergenerational influences on the growth of Maya children: The effect of living conditions experienced by mothers and maternal grandmothers during their childhood.

PubMed

Azcorra, Hugo; Dickinson, Federico; Bogin, Barry; Rodríguez, Luis; Varela-Silva, Maria Inês

2015-01-01

To test the hypothesis that living conditions experienced by maternal grandmothers (F1 generation) and mothers (F2 generation) during their childhood are related to height and leg length (LL: height - sitting height) of their 6-to-8 year old children (F3 generation). From September 2011 to June 2012 we obtained height and LL, and calculated z-score values of these measurements for 109 triads (F1 , F2 , F3 ) who are Maya living in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico. Multiple regression models were adjusted to examine the relation of anthropometric and intergenerational socioeconomic parameters of F1 (house index and family size during childhood) and F2 (paternal job loss during childhood) with the z-score values of height and LL of F3 . Children's height and LL were positively associated with maternal height and LL. This association was relatively stronger in LL. Better categories of grand-maternal house index were significantly associated with higher values of height and LL in grandchildren. Grand-maternal family size was positively related with LL, but not with height. Our findings partially support the hypothesis that living conditions experienced by recent maternal ancestors (F1 and F2 ) during their growth period influence the growth of descendants (F3 ). Results suggest that LL is more sensitive to intergenerational influences than is total height and that the transition from a traditional rural lifestyle to urban conditions results in new exposures for risk in human physical growth. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Time costs, aspirations and the effect of economic growth on German fertility.

PubMed

Ermisch, J F

1980-01-01

Recent research has shown strong support for the model of reproductive behavior derived from the new home economics, and it is shown in this discussion that the evidence from the Federal Republic of Germany is consistent with the new home economics model. There is little support for Easterlin's relative economic hypothesis, but there is limited endorsement for model which adds the influence of experience based material aspirations to the new home economics model. Easterlin's relative income model is reviewed before directing attention to the new home economics model and an explanation of fertility movements in West Germany. The new home economics model focuses on the family division of labor between home activities and work outside the home. The marked decline in German fertility during the 1970s is mostly attributable to factors such as expanding women's earning capacities which increased the importance of 2 earner families, who have a different family division of labor and possibly preferences biased towards "quality" of children rather than numbers. Also, real wage growth lagged behind the growth in experience based aspirations, and this drop in relative income is more dramatic if it is presumed that material aspirations are based upon the family's income experienced by a young adult during his/her adolescence, rather than just the father's earnings. The mother's contribution to family income will contribute to her family's actual standard of living and the desired standard of living of her children. The labor force participation rates of married, middle-aged German women increased markedly during the 1st half of the 1950s, thus tending to enhance the increase in the standard of living desired by the young adults reaching marrying and childbearing ages in the mid-1960s. The analysis indicates that if there is not a substantial reduction in the proportion of young married women in the labor force, fertility will move countercyclically. In that there must be some floor to fertility, one should be cautious of using these parameter estimates considerably outside the 1950-1977 period. Nonetheless, the estimates indicate that economic growth will not bring a substantial rise in German fertility, and, outside the unlikely situation of sustained economic decline, fertility will remain low.

Competing in an International Era: Preparing the Workforce for the Global Economy. In Depth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harmon, Robert, Ed.

2000-01-01

During the past decade, countries in Asia, Latin America, and Central Europe have been experiencing a number of converging factors that drive economic growth, propelling them toward greater economic competitiveness with the economies of the United States (U.S.), Japan, and Western Europe. A major driving force behind this global economic growth is…

Capturing & Reusing Air Handler Condensate without Digging up the Campus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pruitt, Olen L.; Guccione, Patrick D.

2013-01-01

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) has experienced rapid growth in the last decade. In addition to educating over 17,000 students annually, UAB is a major research facility and academic healthcare center. Due to growth and expansion, UAB requires more and more water to sustain operations. The central chilled water system serves over…

Exploring the Impact of an Outdoor Orientation Program on Adaptation to College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ribbe, Robert, Jr.; Cyrus, Rachael; Langan, Emily

2016-01-01

Outdoor orientation programming as a means for orientating students to college has experienced significant growth and expanded use over the past decade. An increase in rigorous research has accompanied this growth as colleges and universities seek to understand and meet the needs of young adults in transition. In this study, two research questions…

Open Access Enabling Courses: Risking Academic Standards or Meeting Equity Aspirations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shah, Mahsood; Whannell, Robert

2017-01-01

Open access enabling courses have experienced growth in Australia. The growth is evidenced in student enrolments and the number of public and private institutions offering such courses. Traditionally these courses have provided a second chance to many students from various equity groups who have been unable to access tertiary education due to poor…

The Brazilian Organic Food Sector: Prospects and Constraints of Facilitating the Inclusion of Smallholders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blanc, Julien; Kledal, Paul R.

2012-01-01

The Brazilian organic food sector has experienced important growth during the last two decades. Brazilian smallholders, however, are facing huge challenges to enter and benefit from this growth in a sustainable way. Combining the lens of New Institutional Economics and socio-anthropology, we analyze six experiences of Brazilian smallholders who…

The Investigation of Posttraumatic Growth's Relationship to Empathy and Hope in Professional Counselors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Feona I.

2017-01-01

This research study explored possible relationships of professional mental health counselors who have experienced a phenomenon called posttraumatic growth (PTG), which is a positive cognitive and emotional change that stems from surviving a traumatic life crisis. The current study aimed to investigate a connection of PTG in professional counselors…

The Economic Base of Recent Population Growth in Nonmetropolitan Settings.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Long, Larry; DeAre, Diana

In the late 1970s both jobs and population were growing more rapidly outside metropolitan areas. As a group, nonmetropolitan counties not adjacent to a metropolitan area experienced a faster rate of employment growth than metropolitan areas between 1975-79. Even in rural counties (no urban place of 2,500 or more) not adjacent to a metropolitan…

Verbal Short-Term Memory Span in Children: Long-Term Modality Dependent Effects of Intrauterine Growth Restriction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geva, R.; Eshel, R.; Leitner, Y.; Fattal-Valevski, A.; Harel, S.

2008-01-01

Background: Recent reports showed that children born with intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) are at greater risk of experiencing verbal short-term memory span (STM) deficits that may impede their learning capacities at school. It is still unknown whether these deficits are modality dependent. Methods: This long-term, prospective design study…

Climate Change Education and Education for Sustainable Development in the Republic of Korea: A Status Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sung, Junghee

2015-01-01

The Republic of Korea (ROK) has officially declared its national vision of green growth, and actively develops and implements policies related to education for sustainable development (ESD), green growth education (GGE) and climate change education (CCE). Over the Decade of ESD, the ROK experienced three administrations which have taken different…

Illinois Prekindergarten Program for Children At Risk of Academic Failure. FY 93 Summary Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois State Board of Education, Springfield, Dept. of Planning, Research and Evaluation.

The Illinois Prekindergarten Program for Children at Risk of Academic Failure was a grant program for public school districts to enhance growth and development of children ages 3 to 5 who are at risk of academic failure. The program has experienced significant growth since its initial implementation, and the number of participating projects…

Examining the Relationship between College Football Season Ticket Holders' Service Personal Values and Their Behavioral Intentions: The Moderating Effect of Team Identification

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tan, Gary Peng-Liang

2011-01-01

Recently, some college football programs have experienced unsustainable attendance growth, increases in revenue discrepancies, stagnant "revenue growth", and increased operating costs (Brown, 2009; Fulks, 2009; Fullerton & Morgan, 2009; Jackson, 2005; NCAA, 2009, 2010). These problems can be examined from customer service, social…

Childhood Body Mass Index in Community Context: Neighborhood Safety, Television Viewing, and Growth Trajectories of BMI

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cecil-Karb, Rebecca; Grogan-Kaylor, Andrew

2009-01-01

The United States is currently experiencing an epidemic of children who are overweight or obese. Recently, research on child obesity has begun to examine the relationship between neighborhood environments and the health behaviors of youths. The current study used growth curve analysis based on multilevel modeling to examine the relationship…

Message Design for Mobile Learning: Learning Theories, Human Cognition and Design Principles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Minjuan; Shen, Ruimin

2012-01-01

The demands of an increasingly knowledge-based society and the dramatic advances in mobile phone technology are combining to spur the growth of mobile learning (mLearning). However, for mLearning to attain its full potential, it is essential to develop pedagogy and instructional design tailored to the needs of this new learning environment. At…

The Demand for Shadow Education in China: Mainstream Teachers and Power Relations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhang, Wei

2014-01-01

As in other parts of the world, private tutoring has expanded significantly in Mainland China during the past decade. This has been driven by factors including dramatic economic growth, high-stakes examinations, and the traditions of a Confucian culture at the macro-level, and school leadership and family incomes, at the micro-level. This paper…

Urbanization dramatically altered the water balances of a paddy field dominated basin in southern China

Treesearch

L. Hao; G. Sun; Y. Liu; J. Wan; M. Qin; H. Qian; C. Liu; R. John; P. Fan; J. Chen

2015-01-01

Rice paddy fields provide important ecosystem services (e.g., food production, water retention, carbon sequestration) to a large population globally. However, these benefits are declining as a result of rapid environmental and socioeconomic transformations characterized by population growth, urbanization, and climate change in many Asian countries. This case study...

Student Use of Social Media: When Should the University Intervene?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowe, John

2014-01-01

The phenomenal growth in the use of social media in the past 10 years has dramatically and irreversibly changed the way individuals communicate and interact with one another. While there are undoubtedly many positives arising out of the use of social media, irresponsible or inappropriate use can have significant negative consequences. In the…

Effects of Classroom Humor Climate and Acceptance of Humor Messages on Adolescents' Expressions of Humor

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chiang, Yi-Chen; Lee, Chun-Yang; Wang, Hong-Huei

2016-01-01

Background: To adapt to dramatic changes from physical growth, physical development and the increasing demand of significant others, humor has been found to be an effective coping strategy. However, previous studies have found that adolescents start to express their humor styles with aggressive components which causes negative consequences, such…

Solicitation and Donation: An Econometric Evaluation of Alumni Generosity in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gottfried, Michael A.; Johnson, Erica L.

2006-01-01

This paper evaluates the relationship between alumni solicitation and alumni donation within institutions of higher education. The issue of alumni giving is important for universities because the average cost of university tuition has increased dramatically over the past 20 years at an annual growth rate larger than the United States CPI (Harvard…

Residential Segregation and the Transformation of Home Mortgage Lending

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bond, Carolyn; Williams, Richard

2007-01-01

This article shows that, after decades of inequality, the 1990s saw sudden and dramatic increases in lending to low income and minority groups. Drawing in part on the work of Williams, Nesiba and McConnell (2005), we argue that government deregulation, industry restructuring and government-insured loans all fueled this growth by increasing the…

A Special Section on International Education--Education in Japan: Competing Visions for the Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bjork, Christopher; Tsuneyoshi, Ryoko

2005-01-01

During the last two decades of the 20th century, Japanese students' exemplary performance on international achievement tests, coupled with the nation's dramatic economic growth, made the Japanese education system a focus of attention from outside observers. Educators, scholars, and journalists all scrutinized the Japanese schools in an attempt to…

International Assistance in the Population Field: Roads Taken, Paths Ahead. Occasional Paper Series, Number 7, Volume II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeidenstein, George

American attitudes toward foreign aid for population control have changed dramatically since the period following World War II, when birth control assistance was considered too controversial for government funding. With growing national and international concern about population growth and poverty in the developing nations and through the efforts…

25+ year changes in forest structure and tree-ring patterns in three old-growth red spruce stands in West Virginia

Treesearch

Eric Heitzman; Sean Doughterty; James Rentch; Steve Adams; Steve. Stephenson

2010-01-01

The extent of red spruce (Picea rubens) forests in West Virginia has dramatically declined from an estimated 1.5 million acres in 1865 to 30,000 acres today because of widespread logging and forest fires during the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Reassessing a Decade of Reform. Workforce Development and the Changing Economy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bailey, Thomas; Gribovskaya, Alexandra

Education reform in the 1980s and 1990s emerged from a preoccupation with productivity and economic performance. In the 1980s, the country's education system was blamed for slowing productivity growth and weakening international competitiveness. By the end of the 1990s, the economic context had changed dramatically; unemployment rates were at…

Major Employers' Hiring Practices and the Evolving Function of the Professional Master's Degree

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gallagher, Sean R.

2014-01-01

Across the last decade, master's degree attainment has grown dramatically in the United States, as bachelor's degrees have become more common and economic growth has been driven by knowledge industries. A significant value and purpose of degrees is their use as qualifications for jobs. Despite the prominence of degrees in the hiring process, why…

Civic Engagement in Extreme Times: The Remaking of Justice among Guatemala's "Postwar" Generation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bellino, Michelle J.

2015-01-01

In recent years, there has been a dramatic growth in the field of youth civic engagement, although little of this work has been conducted in fragile democracies contending with legacies of war and authoritarianism. This study explores how Guatemalan postwar generation youth develop as civic actors under extreme conditions of violence, social and…

The national database of wildfire mitigation programs: state, county and local efforts reduce wildfire risk

Treesearch

Terry Haines; Cheryl Renner; Margaret Reams; James Granskog

2005-01-01

The growth of residential communities within forested areas has increased the danger to life and property from uncontrolled wildfire. In response, states, counties and local governments in the United States have dramatically increased their wildfire mitigation efforts. Policymakers and fire officials are employing a wide range of regulatory and voluntary wildfire risk...

The Inclusion of Online Education Data in the MLDS Inventory: A Review with Recommendations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Croninger, Robert G.; Mao, Lillian Xiulin; Stapleton, Laura M.; Woolley, Michael E.

2015-01-01

The rapid growth in "digital connectivity" has dramatically altered how we interact with each other as citizens, students and educators. Along with this change has been the creation of new ways to deliver educational content to students at all levels of education, including online courses, programs, and even virtual schools. The…

Environmental Science for All? Considering Environmental Science for Inclusion in the High School Core Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edelson, Daniel C.

2007-01-01

With the dramatic growth of environmental science as an elective in high schools over the last decade, educators have the opportunity to realistically consider the possibility of incorporating environmental science into the core high school curriculum. Environmental science has several characteristics that make it a candidate for the core…

A Weak Embrace: Popular and Scholarly Depictions of Single-Parent Families, 1900-1998

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Usdansky, Margaret L.

2009-01-01

The growth of single-parent families constitutes one of the most dramatic and most studied social changes of the 20th century. Evolving attitudes toward these families have received less attention. This paper explores depictions of these families in representative samples of popular magazine (N = 474) and social science journal (N = 202) articles.…

Learning and Adapting for Organisational Change: Researching Union Education in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Tony; Yasukawa, Keiko

2010-01-01

The last quarter century saw a restructuring of employment, production and trade and a dramatic decline in union membership and density levels. There are many explanations for this, including the hostile industrial relations framework imposed by many governments, but there have been other factors such as the growth of new non-unionized industries…

Education Quality in the Middle East

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chapman, David W.; Miric, Suzanne L.

2009-01-01

Some of the most dramatic growth in the provision of primary and secondary education over the last decade has occurred across countries of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Yet student achievement across MENA is lagging compared to many other parts of the world. Low quality of education is a primary concern and one of the greatest…

Private Supplementary Tutoring: Comparative Perspectives on Patterns and Implications

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bray, Mark

2006-01-01

Private supplementary tutoring has long been a major phenomenon in parts of East Asia, including Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and Taiwan. In recent times it has grown dramatically in other parts of Asia and in Africa, Europe and North America. The factors underlying the growth of private tutoring vary, but in all settings it has major…

Dramatic Growth Is Possible: Untangling Education's Gordian Knot

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Whittle, Chris

2006-01-01

In this article, the author discusses how, despite of the advances in today's technology, the way children are educated now is remarkably similar to how they were educated decades ago. More than any other modern-day institution, schooling is nearly impervious to change. He notes that America's "old school design" is not working with high degree of…

Standardized Testing for Outcome Assessment: Analysis of the Educational Testing Systems MBA Tests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Robert E.

2010-01-01

The use of standardized tests for outcome assessment has grown dramatically in recent years. Two driving factors have been the No Child Left Behind legislation, and the increase in outcome assessment measures by accrediting agencies such as AACSB, the international accrediting body for business schools. Despite the growth in usage, little effort…

DataView: National Health Expenditures, 1998

PubMed Central

Cowan, Cathy A.; Lazenby, Helen C.; Martin, Anne B.; McDonnell, Patricia A.; Sensenig, Arthur L.; Stiller, Jean M.; Whittle, Lekha S.; Kotova, Kimberly A.; Zezza, Mark A.; Donham, Carolyn S.; Long, Anna M.; Stewart, Madie W.

1999-01-01

In 1998, national health care expenditures reached $1.1 trillion, an increase of 5.6 percent from the previous year. This marked the fifth consecutive year of spending growth under 6 percent. Underlying the stability of the overall growth, major changes began taking place within the Nation's health care system. Public payers felt the initial effects of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (BBA), and private payers experienced increased health care costs and increased premium growth. PMID:11481774

Forecasting the timing of peak mandibular growth in males by using skeletal age.

PubMed

Hunter, W Stuart; Baumrind, Sheldon; Popovich, Frank; Jorgensen, Gertrud

2007-03-01

It is generally believed that the orthodontic treatment of a patient with a Class II malocclusion and a small mandible is enhanced by good growth at puberty, so that the timing of peak mandibular growth at puberty becomes of interest. To test the belief that skeletal age, whether early, average, or late, can be used to predict the timing of maximum growth of the mandible, whether early, average, or late, the predictive relationship between skeletal age and peak mandibular growth velocity (PMdV) at puberty was evaluated in 94 boys by using their longitudinal records from 4 to 18 years of age. Skeletal age was determined for each subject at ages 9 through 14 by using the method of Greulich and Pyle. At age 9, the Greulich and Pyle measurements predicted that 30 of the 94 subjects would have delayed PMdV equal to or exceeding 1 SD (of the mean age for PMdV), and 10 would have advanced PMdV equal to or exceeding 1 SD. When the actual age of PMdV was determined retrospectively from plots of annual mandibular growth increments, it was found that only 4 of the 30 in the delayed group had actually experienced delays in PMdV, and only 2 of the 10 in the advanced group had experienced accelerated PMdV. Skeletal age is not a reliable predictor of the timing of PMdV.

Weather-Related Hazards and Population Change: A Study of Hurricanes and Tropical Storms in the United States, 1980–2012

PubMed Central

FUSSELL, ELIZABETH; CURRAN, SARA R.; DUNBAR, MATTHEW D.; BABB, MICHAEL A.; THOMPSON, LUANNE; MEIJER-IRONS, JACQUELINE

2017-01-01

Environmental determinists predict that people move away from places experiencing frequent weather hazards, yet some of these areas have rapidly growing populations. This analysis examines the relationship between weather events and population change in all U.S. counties that experienced hurricanes and tropical storms between 1980 and 2012. Our database allows for more generalizable conclusions by accounting for heterogeneity in current and past hurricane events and losses and past population trends. We find that hurricanes and tropical storms affect future population growth only in counties with growing, high-density populations, which are only 2 percent of all counties. In those counties, current year hurricane events and related losses suppress future population growth, although cumulative hurricane-related losses actually elevate population growth. Low-density counties and counties with stable or declining populations experience no effect of these weather events. Our analysis provides a methodologically informed explanation for contradictory findings in prior studies. PMID:29326480

Weather-Related Hazards and Population Change: A Study of Hurricanes and Tropical Storms in the United States, 1980-2012.

PubMed

Fussell, Elizabeth; Curran, Sara R; Dunbar, Matthew D; Babb, Michael A; Thompson, Luanne; Meijer-Irons, Jacqueline

2017-01-01

Environmental determinists predict that people move away from places experiencing frequent weather hazards, yet some of these areas have rapidly growing populations. This analysis examines the relationship between weather events and population change in all U.S. counties that experienced hurricanes and tropical storms between 1980 and 2012. Our database allows for more generalizable conclusions by accounting for heterogeneity in current and past hurricane events and losses and past population trends. We find that hurricanes and tropical storms affect future population growth only in counties with growing, high-density populations, which are only 2 percent of all counties. In those counties, current year hurricane events and related losses suppress future population growth, although cumulative hurricane-related losses actually elevate population growth. Low-density counties and counties with stable or declining populations experience no effect of these weather events. Our analysis provides a methodologically informed explanation for contradictory findings in prior studies.

Esophagectomy for Superficial Esophageal Neoplasia.

PubMed

Watson, Thomas J

2017-07-01

Endoscopic therapies have become the standard of care for most cases of Barrett's esophagus with high-grade dysplasia or intramucosal adenocarcinoma. Despite a rapid and dramatic evolution in treatment paradigms, esophagectomy continues to occupy a place in the therapeutic armamentarium for superficial esophageal neoplasia. The managing physician must remain cognizant of the limitations of endoscopic approaches and consider surgical resection when they are exceeded. Esophagectomy, performed at experienced centers for appropriately selected patients with early-stage disease can be undertaken with the expectation of cure as well as low mortality, acceptable morbidity, and good long-term quality of life. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

GPS for QSP: A Summary of the ACoP6 Symposium on Quantitative Systems Pharmacology and a Stage for Near-Term Efforts in the Field.

PubMed

Musante, C J; Abernethy, D R; Allerheiligen, S R; Lauffenburger, D A; Zager, M G

2016-09-01

Quantitative Systems Pharmacology (QSP) is experiencing increased application in the drug discovery and development process. Like its older sibling, systems biology, the QSP field is comprised of a mix of established disciplines and methods, from molecular biology to engineering to pharmacometrics. As a result, there exist critical segments of the discipline that differ dramatically in approach and a need to bring these groups together toward a common goal. © 2016 The Authors CPT: Pharmacometrics & Systems Pharmacology published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.

The impact of food price increases on caloric intake in China

PubMed Central

Jensen, Robert T.; Miller, Nolan H.

2011-01-01

World food prices have increased dramatically in recent years. We use panel data from 2006 to examine the impact of these increases on the consumption and nutrition of poor households in two Chinese provinces. We find that households in Hunan suffered no nutrition declines. Households in Gansu experienced a small decline in calories, though the decline is on par with usual seasonal effects. The overall nutritional impact of the world price increase was small because households were able to substitute to cheaper foods and because the domestic prices of staple foods remained low due to government intervention in grain markets. PMID:21625411

A case of lung abscess successfully treated by transbronchial drainage using a guide sheath.

PubMed

Izumi, Hiroki; Kodani, Masahiro; Matsumoto, Shingo; Kawasaki, Yuji; Igishi, Tadashi; Shimizu, Eiji

2017-05-01

A 51-year-old man was diagnosed with colon cancer in September 2011, and a solitary pulmonary nodule was detected by computed tomography (CT) scan. We performed a transbronchial biopsy with endobronchial ultrasonography using a guide sheath (GS) and diagnosed lung metastasis of colon cancer. The patient experienced remittent fever after the biopsy in spite of intravenous antibiotic therapies. Moreover, his CT scan showed a large lung abscess at the biopsy site. We performed transbronchial drainage using a GS as salvage therapy. The bloody pus was successfully aspirated, and chest X-ray following the procedure showed dramatic shrinkage of the abscess.

Early Retirement Incentives and Student Achievement

PubMed Central

Fitzpatrick, Maria D.

2014-01-01

Early retirement incentives (ERIs) are increasingly prevalent in education as districts seek to close budget gaps by replacing expensive experienced teachers with lower-cost newer teachers. Combined with the aging of the teacher workforce, these ERIs are likely to change the composition of teachers dramatically in the coming years. We use exogenous variation from an ERI program in Illinois in the mid-1990s to provide the first evidence in the literature of the effects of large-scale teacher retirements on student achievement. We find the program did not reduce test scores; likely, it increased them, with positive effects most pronounced in lower-SES schools. PMID:25436038

Growth hormone and drug metabolism. Acute effects on microsomal mixed-function oxidase activities in rat liver.

PubMed Central

Wilson, J T; Spelsberg, T C

1976-01-01

Adult male rats were subjected either to sham operation or to hypophysectomy and adrenalectomy and maintained for a total of 10 days before treatment with growth hormone. Results of the early effects of growth hormone on the activities of the mixed-function oxidases in rat liver over a 96h period after growth-hormone treatment are presented. 2. Hypophysectomy and adrenalectomy result in decreased body and liver weight and decreased drug metabolism (mixed-function oxidases). Concentrations of electron-transport-system components are also decreased. 3. In the hypophysectomized/adrenalectomized rats, growth hormone decreases the activities of the liver mixed-function oxidases and the cytochrome P-450 and cytochrome c reductases, as well as decreasing the concentration of cytochrome P-450 compared with that of control rats. Similar but less dramatic results are obtained with sham-operated rats. 4. It is concluded that whereas growth hormone enhances liver growth, including induction of many enzyme activities, it results in a decrease in mixed-function oxidase activity. Apparently, mixed-function oxidase activity decreases in liver when growth (mitogenesis) increases. PMID:938458

Ion Motion Induced Emittance Growth of Matched Electron Beams in Plasma Wakefields.

PubMed

An, Weiming; Lu, Wei; Huang, Chengkun; Xu, Xinlu; Hogan, Mark J; Joshi, Chan; Mori, Warren B

2017-06-16

Plasma-based acceleration is being considered as the basis for building a future linear collider. Nonlinear plasma wakefields have ideal properties for accelerating and focusing electron beams. Preservation of the emittance of nano-Coulomb beams with nanometer scale matched spot sizes in these wakefields remains a critical issue due to ion motion caused by their large space charge forces. We use fully resolved quasistatic particle-in-cell simulations of electron beams in hydrogen and lithium plasmas, including when the accelerated beam has different emittances in the two transverse planes. The projected emittance initially grows and rapidly saturates with a maximum emittance growth of less than 80% in hydrogen and 20% in lithium. The use of overfocused beams is found to dramatically reduce the emittance growth. The underlying physics that leads to the lower than expected emittance growth is elucidated.

Optimization of Thick, Large Area YBCO Film Growth Through Response Surface Methods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Porzio, J.; Mahoney, C. H.; Sullivan, M. C.

2014-03-01

We present our work on the optimization of thick, large area YB2C3O7-δ (YBCO) film growth through response surface methods. Thick, large area films have commercial uses and have recently been used in dramatic demonstrations of levitation and suspension. Our films are grown via pulsed laser deposition and we have optimized growth parameters via response surface methods. Response surface methods is a statistical tool to optimize selected quantities with respect to a set of variables. We optimized our YBCO films' critical temperatures, thicknesses, and structures with respect to three PLD growth parameters: deposition temperature, laser energy, and deposition pressure. We will present an overview of YBCO growth via pulsed laser deposition, the statistical theory behind response surface methods, and the application of response surface methods to pulsed laser deposition growth of YBCO. Results from the experiment will be presented in a discussion of the optimized film quality. Supported by NFS grant DMR-1305637

Effects of different growth factors and carriers on bone regeneration: a systematic review.

PubMed

Khojasteh, Arash; Behnia, Hossein; Naghdi, Navid; Esmaeelinejad, Mohammad; Alikhassy, Zahra; Stevens, Mark

2013-12-01

The application and subsequent investigations in the use of varied osteogenic growth factors in bone regeneration procedures have grown dramatically over the past several years. Owing to this rapid gain in popularity and documentation, a review was undertaken to evaluate the in vivo effects of growth factors on bone regeneration. Using related key words, electronic databases (Medline, Embase, and Cochrane) were searched for articles published from 1999 to April 2010 to find growth factor application in bone regeneration in human or animal models. A total of 63 articles were matched with the inclusion criteria of this study. Bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2) was the most studied growth factor. Carriers for the delivery, experimental sites, and methods of evaluation were different, and therefore articles did not come to a general agreement. Within the limitations of this review, BMP-2 may be an appropriate growth factor for osteogenesis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Self-Assembly of Parallel Atomic Wires and Periodic Clusters of Silicon on a Vicinal Si(111) Surface

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

Sekiguchi, Takeharu; Yoshida, Shunji; Itoh, Kohei M.

2005-09-02

Silicon self-assembly at step edges in the initial stage of homoepitaxial growth on a vicinal Si(111) surface is studied by scanning tunneling microscopy. The resulting atomic structures change dramatically from a parallel array of 0.7 nm wide wires to one-dimensionally aligned periodic clusters of diameter {approx}2 nm and periodicity 2.7 nm in the very narrow range of growth temperatures between 400 and 300 deg. C. These nanostructures are expected to play important roles in future developments of silicon quantum computers. Mechanisms leading to such distinct structures are discussed.

An examination of anticipated g-jitter on Space Station and its effects on materials processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nelson, Emily

1992-01-01

Information on anticipated g-jitter on Space Station Freedom and the effect of the jitter on materials processes is given in viewgraph form. It was concluded that g-jitter will dominate the acceleration environment; that it is a 3D multifrequency phenomenon; and that it varies dramatically in orientation. Information is given on calculated or measured sources of residual acceleration, aerodynamic drag, Shuttle acceleration measurements, the Space Station environment, tolerable g-levels as a function of frequency, directional solidification, vapor crystal growth, protein crystal growth, float zones, and liquid bridges.

Optical Scanning Architectures For Electronic Printing Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Richard V.

1987-06-01

The explosive growth of computer technology in recent years has precipitated an equally dramatic growth in the market for nonimpact electronic printers. One of the most popular methods for implementing a high quality nonimpact electronic printer is to integrate a laser scanner with a xerographic copier/duplicator. The subject of this article is a discussion of alternative optical scanner architectures, including both traditional designs which are well represented in the marketplace, and also more exotic designs configured with spatial light modulators, designs which to date have had scant penetration into the marketplace but which can offer superior image quality.

Transgenic plants with enhanced growth characteristics

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

Unkefer, Pat J.; Anderson, Penelope S.; Knight, Thomas J.

The invention relates to transgenic plants exhibiting dramatically enhanced growth rates, greater seed and fruit/pod yields, earlier and more productive flowering, more efficient nitrogen utilization, increased tolerance to high salt conditions, and increased biomass yields. In one embodiment, transgenic plants engineered to over-express both glutamine phenylpyruvate transaminase (GPT) and glutamine synthetase (GS) are provided. The GPT+GS double-transgenic plants of the invention consistently exhibit enhanced growth characteristics, with T0 generation lines showing an increase in biomass over wild type counterparts of between 50% and 300%. Generations that result from sexual crosses and/or selfing typically perform even better, with some of themore » double-transgenic plants achieving an astounding four-fold biomass increase over wild type plants.« less

Exploring the Processes of Self-Development Encountered by Adult Returners to Higher Education: A Lifespan Psychology Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mercer, Jenny

2010-01-01

Evidence indicates that non-traditional adult returners describe returning to education as a period of self-development and growth. However, lifespan psychology perspectives also show that successful growth and change involves periods of conflict. This paper will explore both the nature of self-development and conflicts experienced by a sample of…

First-Generation College Students and the Four-Year College Environment: An Exploration of Supplementary and Complementary Fit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ludwig, Nancy M.

2011-01-01

Enrollment in higher education in the United States has experienced significant growth in the last two decades. Growth is not only seen in the increasing numbers; diversity is increasing with more minority and non-traditionally aged students attending college. Many of these students are first-generation college (FGC) students; those whose parents…

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

Wiser, Ryan; Bolinger, Mark

Wind power capacity in the United States experienced strong growth in 2016. Recent and projected near-term growth is supported by the industry’s primary federal incentive—the production tax credit (PTC)—as well as a myriad of state-level policies. Wind additions have also been driven by improvements in the cost and performance of wind power technologies, yielding low power sales prices for utility, corporate, and other purchasers.

Outreach Programmes Using the Triple Helix Model to Encourage Interest in Science and Technology among Underrepresented Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karmokar, Sangeeta; Shekar, Aruna

2018-01-01

Science and Technology entrepreneurship is one of the requirements of the new millennium, an era called digital society and globalization. Entrepreneurship is considered an agent of growth, wealth creation and development of society. Although New Zealand has experienced a rapid growth of education and research in Science and Technology areas, the…

The School Staffing Surge: Decades of Employment Growth in America's Public Schools. Part II

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scafidi, Benjamin

2013-01-01

America's K-12 public education system has experienced tremendous historical growth in employment, according to the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics. Between fiscal year (FY) 1950 and FY 2009, the number of K-12 public school students in the United States increased by 96 percent, while the number of full-time…

The Growth and Development of Nigerian Universities. Overseas Liaison Committee Paper No. 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fafunwa, A. Babatunde

Higher education in Nigeria has experienced a phenomenal rate of growth since independence in 1960. The number of students enrolled in Nigerian universities grew from 1,396 in 1960, to approximately 25,000 in 1974, and the Nigerian universities commission has projected that the number will double by 1979-80. The quantum jump in student enrollment…

Is the western United States running out of trees?

Treesearch

J. Shaw; J. Long

2014-01-01

During the past 2 decades, the forests of the Interior West of the United States have been impacted by drought, insects, disease, and fire. When considered over periods of 5-10 years, many forest types have experienced periods of negative net growth, meaning that mortality exceeded gross growth at the population scale. While many of these changes have been attributed...

Secondary Traumatic Stress and Adjustment in Therapists Who Work with Sexual Violence Survivors: The Moderating Role of Posttraumatic Growth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Samios, Christina; Rodzik, Amber K.; Abel, Lisa M.

2012-01-01

Due to their secondary exposure to the traumatic events disclosed by clients, therapists who work with sexual violence survivors are at risk of experiencing secondary traumatic stress. We examined whether the negative effects of secondary traumatic stress on therapist adjustment would be buffered by posttraumatic growth. Sixty-one therapists who…

Posttraumatic Growth and Hope in Parents of Children with Cancer

PubMed Central

Hullmann, Stephanie E.; Fedele, David A.; Molzon, Elizabeth S.; Mayes, Sunnye; Mullins, Larry L.

2014-01-01

Background Posttraumatic growth (PTG), a positive change in values and major life goals experienced as a result of the struggle with a highly challenging life circumstance, has been shown to be related to the construct of hope, the belief that goals can be met. To date, no studies have examined the relationship between PTG and hope in parents of children with cancer. Procedure Participants were parents (N=85) of children and adolescents (ages 2–18 years, M = 7.72 years) receiving treatment for cancer. Parents completed a demographic questionnaire, the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), and Hope Scale (HS). Results Hope was found to be related to PTG in parents of children with cancer, with higher levels of hope associated with greater PTG. Exploratory analyses on the subscales of the PTGI revealed that hope was also related to higher scores on the Relating to Others, New Possibilities, Personal Strength, and Appreciation of Life subscales. Spiritual Change was not related to hope in parents. Conclusions Findings suggest that experiencing hope during the pediatric cancer experience may facilitate posttraumatic growth in parents. The construct of hope may be an important target of intervention for promoting positive adjustment in this population. PMID:25158296

Posttraumatic growth and hope in parents of children with cancer.

PubMed

Hullmann, Stephanie E; Fedele, David A; Molzon, Elizabeth S; Mayes, Sunnye; Mullins, Larry L

2014-01-01

Posttraumatic growth (PTG), a positive change in values and major life goals experienced as a result of the struggle with a highly challenging life circumstance, has been shown to be related to the construct of hope, the belief that goals can be met. To date, no studies have examined the relationship between PTG and hope in parents of children with cancer. Participants were parents (N = 85) of children and adolescents (ages 2-18 years, M = 7.72 years) receiving treatment for cancer. Parents completed a demographic questionnaire, the Posttraumatic Growth Inventory (PTGI), and Hope Scale (HS). Hope was found to be related to PTG in parents of children with cancer, with higher levels of hope associated with greater PTG. Exploratory analyses on the subscales of the PTGI revealed that hope was also related to higher scores on the Relating to Others, New Possibilities, Personal Strength, and Appreciation of Life subscales. Spiritual change was not related to hope in parents. Findings suggest that experiencing hope during the pediatric cancer experience may facilitate posttraumatic growth in parents. The construct of hope may be an important target of intervention for promoting positive adjustment in this population.

Back-to-back comparison of auto-fluorescence imaging (AFI) versus high resolution white light colonoscopy for adenoma detection.

PubMed

Moriichi, Kentaro; Fujiya, Mikihiro; Sato, Ryu; Watari, Jiro; Nomura, Yoshiki; Nata, Toshie; Ueno, Nobuhiro; Maeda, Shigeaki; Kashima, Shin; Itabashi, Kentaro; Ishikawa, Chisato; Inaba, Yuhei; Ito, Takahiro; Okamoto, Kotaro; Tanabe, Hiroki; Mizukami, Yusuke; Saitoh, Yusuke; Kohgo, Yutaka

2012-06-22

Some patients under close colonoscopic surveillance still develop colorectal cancer, thus suggesting the overlook of colorectal adenoma by endoscopists. AFI detects colorectal adenoma as a clear magenta, therefore the efficacy of AFI is expected to improve the detection ability of colorectal adenoma. The aim of this study is to determine the efficacy of AFI in detecting colorectal adenoma. This study enrolled 88 patients who underwent colonoscopy at Asahikawa Medical University and Kushiro Medical Association Hospital. A randomly selected colonoscopist first observed the sigmoid colon and rectum with conventional high resolution endosopy (HRE). Then the colonoscopist changed the mode to AFI and handed to the scope to another colonoscopist who knew no information about the HRE. Then the second colonoscopist observed the sigmoid colon and rectum. Each colonoscopist separately recorded the findings. The detection rate, miss rate and procedural time were assessed in prospective manner. The detection rate of flat and depressed adenoma, but not elevated adenoma, by AFI is significantly higher than that by HRE. In less-experienced endoscopists, AFI dramatically increased the detection rate (30.3%) and reduced miss rate (0%) of colorectal adenoma in comparison to those of HRE (7.7%, 50.0%), but not for experienced endoscopists. The procedural time of HRE was significantly shorter than that of AFI. AFI increased the detection rate and reduced the miss rate of flat and depressed adenomas. These advantages of AFI were limited to less-experienced endoscopists because experienced endoscopists exhibited a substantially high detection rate for colorectal adenoma with HRE.

Back-to-Back Comparison of Auto-Fluorescence Imaging (AFI) Versus High Resolution White Light Colonoscopy for Adenoma Detection

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Some patients under close colonoscopic surveillance still develop colorectal cancer, thus suggesting the overlook of colorectal adenoma by endoscopists. AFI detects colorectal adenoma as a clear magenta, therefore the efficacy of AFI is expected to improve the detection ability of colorectal adenoma. The aim of this study is to determine the efficacy of AFI in detecting colorectal adenoma. Methods This study enrolled 88 patients who underwent colonoscopy at Asahikawa Medical University and Kushiro Medical Association Hospital. A randomly selected colonoscopist first observed the sigmoid colon and rectum with conventional high resolution endosopy (HRE). Then the colonoscopist changed the mode to AFI and handed to the scope to another colonoscopist who knew no information about the HRE. Then the second colonoscopist observed the sigmoid colon and rectum. Each colonoscopist separately recorded the findings. The detection rate, miss rate and procedural time were assessed in prospective manner. Results The detection rate of flat and depressed adenoma, but not elevated adenoma, by AFI is significantly higher than that by HRE. In less-experienced endoscopists, AFI dramatically increased the detection rate (30.3%) and reduced miss rate (0%) of colorectal adenoma in comparison to those of HRE (7.7%, 50.0%), but not for experienced endoscopists. The procedural time of HRE was significantly shorter than that of AFI. Conclusions AFI increased the detection rate and reduced the miss rate of flat and depressed adenomas. These advantages of AFI were limited to less-experienced endoscopists because experienced endoscopists exhibited a substantially high detection rate for colorectal adenoma with HRE. PMID:22726319

Is multi-level marketing of nutrition supplements a legal and an ethical practice?

PubMed

Cardenas, Diana; Fuchs-Tarlovsky, Vanessa

2018-06-01

Multi-level marketing (MLM) of nutrition products has experienced dramatic growth in recent decades. 'Wellness' is the second most popular niche in the MLM industry and represents 35% of sales among all the products in 2016. This category includes dietary supplements, weight management and sports nutrition products. The aim of this paper is to analyse whether this practice is legal and ethical. An analysis of available documentary information about the legal aspects of Multi-level marketing business was performed. Ethical reflexion was based on the "principlism" approach. We argue that, while being a controversial business model, MLM is not fraudulent from a legal point of view. However, it is an unethical strategy obviating all the principles of beneficence, nonmaleficence and autonomy. What is at stake is the possible economic scam and the potential harm those products could cause due to unproven efficacy, exceeding daily nutrient requirements and potential toxicity. The sale of dietary and nutrition supplements products by physicians and dieticians presents a conflict of interests that can undermine the primary obligation of physicians to serve the interests of their patients before their own. While considering that MLM of dietary supplements and other nutrition products are a legal business strategy, we affirm that it is an unethical practice. MLM products that have nutritional value or promoted as remedies may be unnecessary and intended for conditions that are unsuitable for self-prescription as well. Copyright © 2018 European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

International Collaboration for Strengthening Capacity to Assess Earthquake Hazard in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cummins, P. R.; Hidayati, S.; Suhardjono, S.; Meilano, I.; Natawidjaja, D.

2012-12-01

Indonesia has experienced a dramatic increase in earthquake risk due to rapid population growth in the 20th century, much of it occurring in areas near the subduction zone plate boundaries that are prone to earthquake occurrence. While recent seismic hazard assessments have resulted in better building codes that can inform safer building practices, many of the fundamental parameters controlling earthquake occurrence and ground shaking - e.g., fault slip rates, earthquake scaling relations, ground motion prediction equations, and site response - could still be better constrained. In recognition of the need to improve the level of information on which seismic hazard assessments are based, the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and Indonesia's National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB), through the Australia-Indonesia Facility for Disaster Reduction, have initiated a 4-year project designed to strengthen the Government of Indonesia's capacity to reliably assess earthquake hazard. This project is a collaboration of Australian institutions including Geoscience Australia and the Australian National University, with Indonesian government agencies and universities including the Agency for Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics, the Geological Agency, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, and Bandung Institute of Technology. Effective earthquake hazard assessment requires input from many different types of research, ranging from geological studies of active faults, seismological studies of crustal structure, earthquake sources and ground motion, PSHA methodology, and geodetic studies of crustal strain rates. The project is a large and diverse one that spans all these components, and these will be briefly reviewed in this presentation

Twenty years of global groundwater research: A Science Citation Index Expanded-based bibliometric survey (1993-2012)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Niu, Beibei; Loáiciga, Hugo A.; Wang, Zhen; Zhan, F. Benjamin; Hong, Song

2014-11-01

A bibliometric analysis was conducted to evaluate groundwater research from different perspectives in the period 1993-2012 based on the Science Citation Index-Expanded (SCIE) database. The bibliometric analysis summarizes output, categorical, geographical, and institutional patterns, as well as research hotspots in global groundwater studies. Groundwater research experienced notable growth in the past two decades. ;Environmental sciences;, ;water resources; and ;multidisciplinary geosciences; were the three major subject categories. The Journal of Hydrology published the largest number of groundwater-related publications in the surveyed period. Major author clusters and research regions are located in the United States, Western Europe, Eastern and Southern Asia, and Eastern Australia. The United States was a leading contributor to global groundwater research with the largest number of independent and collaborative papers, its dominance affirmed by housing 12 of the top 20 most active institutions reporting groundwater-related research. The US Geological Survey, the Chinese Academy of Sciences, and the USDA Agricultural Research Service were the three institutions with the largest number of groundwater-related publications. A keywords analysis revealed that groundwater quality and contamination, effective research technologies, and treatment technologies for water-quality improvement were the main research areas in the study period. Several keywords such as ;arsenic;, ;climate change;, ;fluoride;, ;groundwater management;, ;hydrogeochemistry;, ;uncertainty;, ;numerical modeling;, ;seawater intrusion;, ;adsorption;, ;remote sensing;, ;land use;, ;USA;(as study site), and ;water supply; received dramatically increased attention during the study period, possibly signaling future research trends.

Examining Suitable Soil Regimes for Reestablishment of Camassia Quamash (Blue Camas), Flathead Indian Reservation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bald, A. M.; Davis, J. M.

2014-12-01

Soils are the foundation of all biotic communities and play a substantial role in facilitating the uptake of water and nutrients in many terrestrial plants. Plants can grow to their potential only if the soil supports an environment conducive to growth. Soil chemical composition and texture directly influence the rate of water and nutrient ion uptake in vegetation. Prairie Wetlands have experienced the most dramatic land use changes within the United States throughout the last century. Soils deteriorate from erosion, compaction, use of pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers associated with agriculture and urbanization. Transitioning soil regimes in the US have been the impetus for numerous restoration activities that attempt to protect or remediate loss to native or functional plant groups. Success of plant restoration efforts is dependent on knowledge about regional soil regimes. Camassia Quamash (Blue Camas), an ephemeral wetland bulbaceous herb is a culturally significant edible plant to the Pacific Northwest tribes and was only surpassed as a subsistence trade commodity by Salmon. The literature about camas and suitable soil types for it to grow is limited. The Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes interest in restoring the plant to the Flathead Indian Reservation (FIR) prompted a series of research initiatives to document baseline parameters of remaining camas stands. Baseline soil conditions examining chemical regimes and soil textures on four FIR observed camas sites were analyzed. Samples indicated that remaining camas stands occurred in loamy nutrient rich prairie wetland to lightly forested soil regimes.

Part-Time Undergraduates in Postsecondary Education: 2003-04. Postsecondary Education Descriptive Analysis Report. NCES 2007-165

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chen, Xianglei

2007-01-01

After dramatic growth between 1970 and 1990, part-time students have formed a large and stable segment of the undergraduate population in U.S. postsecondary institutions (Hussar 2005). In fall 2004, approximately 5.5 million undergraduates were enrolled part time, making up 37 percent of the undergraduate enrollment in all degree-granting…

The High Return to Private Schooling in a Low-Income Country. Africa Growth Initiative. Working Paper 5

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bold, Tessa; Kimenyi, Mwangi; Mwabu, Germano; Sandefur, Justin

2013-01-01

Existing studies from the United States, Latin America and Asia provide scant evidence that private schools dramatically improve academic performance relative to public schools. Using data from Kenya--a poor country with weak public institutions--we find a large effect of private schooling on test scores, equivalent to one full standard deviation.…

Variability in Demand for Special Education Teachers: Indicators, Explanations, and Impacts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boe, Erling E.; deBettencourt, Laurie U.; Dewey, James; Rosenberg, Michael; Sindelar, Paul; Leko, Christopher

2013-01-01

After decades of growth, the number of special education teachers (SETs) has begun to decline. In 2009, U.S. schools employed 13% fewer SETs than in 2006. The number of annual new hires of SETs also dropped dramatically in some states. The onset of these declines predated the economic downturn of 2008 and resulted in part from a steady decline…

Free space optical wireless (FSOW) for broadband access

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khan, David A.

2002-05-01

The dramatic growth of the Internet and the optical core network that supports it has recently slowed down in spite of a growing appetite for bandwidth-hungry services and applications, particularly those with video content. One of the major reasons for the pause is the lack of affordable broadband access transport facilities extending optical rate connectivity over the last mile.

Transitioning to Online Teaching: An Inquiry into Qualities, Skills, and Support Structures of Online Instructors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moskowitz, Steven Charles

2013-01-01

Online education has grown dramatically over the past decade in both higher education and the K-12 environment in the United States. As this growth continues, the need for qualified online instructors has increased. Several questions arise about what educators are best suited to teach in this environment. What are the skills, qualities, and…

New Kind of Ellis Island as Second-Generation Immigrants Land on College Campuses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hohn, Marcia Drew; Mohammed, Denzil

2012-01-01

Demographics in American higher education are changing dramatically. A recent study by the Migration Policy Institute (MPI) reveals that 11.3 million people ages 16 to 26 (one in four) are first- and second-generation immigrants. Moreover, the report continues, between 1995 and 2010, immigrant-origin youth accounted for half of all growth in the…

The Classroom as Big Sur: Notes on the Liaison Between Evaluation and Professional Growth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sneeden, Ralph

2013-01-01

Bill Frisell's new album ("Big Sur") was heralded with a short documentary about its impulse and inception: Frisell's retreat to an isolated coastal ranch in Central California. In the video, he describes the influence of the place, the dramatic and evocative landscape, and how it ultimately became the subject and theme for the…

Online Community-Based Learning as the Practice of Freedom: The Online Capstone Experience at Portland State University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arthur, Deborah Smith; Newton-Calvert, Zapoura

2015-01-01

Given the design of Portland State University's (PSU) undergraduate curriculum culminating in a capstone experience, the dramatic growth in online courses and online enrollments required a re-thinking of the capstone model to ensure all students could participate in this effective learning model and have a powerful learning experience. In recent…

Integrating Internet Video Conferencing Techniques and Online Delivery Systems with Hybrid Classes to Enhance Student Interaction and Learning in Accelerated Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beckwith, E. George; Cunniff, Daniel T.

2009-01-01

Online course enrollment has increased dramatically over the past few years. The authors cite the reasons for this rapid growth and the opportunities open for enhancing teaching/learning techniques such as video conferencing and hybrid class combinations. The authors outlined an example of an accelerated learning, eight-class session course…

Attitudes to the Rights and Rewards for Author Contributions to Repositories for Teaching and Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bates, Melanie; Loddington, Steve; Manuel, Sue; Oppenheim, Charles

2007-01-01

In the United Kingdom over the past few years there has been a dramatic growth of national and regional repositories to collect and disseminate resources related to teaching and learning. Most notable of these are the Joint Information Systems Committee's Online Repository for [Learning and Teaching] Materials as well as the Higher Education…

Emergent Cultural Change: Unintended Consequences of a Strategic Information Technology Services Implementation in a United Kingdom University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waring, Teresa; Skoumpopoulou, Dimitra

2013-01-01

Over the past 20 years, universities in the United Kingdom have been undergoing a dramatic period of transformation and change which can be attributed to the expansion of the higher education sector, the growth in student numbers and the development of an ideological approach to public service management referred to as "new…

An Interim Old-Growth Definition for Cypress-Tupelo Communities in the Southeast

Treesearch

Margaret S. Devall

1998-01-01

Forested wetlands [cypress-tupelo (Taxodium spp.-llryssa spp.)] as well as some bottomland hardwood forests, are of increasing interest in the South. They are important in water management, wildlife conservation, habitat diversity, and high quality timber (Ewe1 and Odom 1984). The acreage of such forests in the region has declined dramatically; for example, at the time...

An Assessment of the Red Maple Resource in the Northeastern United States

Treesearch

Delton R., Jr. Alderman; Matthew S. Bumgardner; John E. Baumgras; John E. Baumgras

2005-01-01

The red maple resource in the northeastern United States has exhibited dramatic gains in the past 3 decades in terms of stem numbers and net volume. Growing stock and sawtimber volumes have displayed extraordinary growth compared to other species, and red maple is replacing important market species that have historically been used in the Northeast. The increase in red...

Understanding Landscape Change in Open Space Neighborhoods: Views from Developers and Residents

Treesearch

Christine A. Vogt; Robert W. Marans

2002-01-01

The landscape is changing across the country, particularly in outlying areas of US cities. These fringe areas, often called exurbia, continue to move further from the city core. Their growth is largely created by new residential, commercial ,and industrial development. Dramatic land use and land cover changes in these areas from agricultural or forested to buildings...

Understanding landscape change in open space neighborhoods: views from developers and residents

Treesearch

Christine A. Vogt; Robert W. Marans

2003-01-01

The landscape is changing across the country, particularly in outlying areas of US cities. These fringe areas, often called exurbia, continue to move further from the city core. Their growth is largely created by new residential, commercial, and industrial development. Dramatic land use and land cover changes in these areas from agricultural or forested to buildings...

The Changing Workforce. Comparison of Federal and Nonfederal Work/Family Programs and Approaches.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC. General Government Div.

The tremendous growth in the number of women in the labor force has dramatically changed the world of work. Traditional human resources policies were not designed for this new workforce. Federal regulations prohibit federal workers from using any of their sick leave to care for a child or a parent. To learn about nonfederal work/family efforts,…

Education, Key to Economic Growth. Recent Major Education Initiatives in Support of Economic Development in New York State.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany.

This report describes new major education initiatives to enhance economic development in New York State. The 1970-1987 period has seen dramatic change in the labor profile impelled by technological and market forces transforming the economy. Apart from some fairly stable sectors, the state economy is characterized by a shift from manaufacturing to…

Why Did Abolishing Fees Not Increase Public School Enrollment in Kenya? Africa Growth Initiative. Working Paper 4

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bold, Tessa; Kimenyi, Mwangi S.; Mwabu, Germano; Sandefur, Justin

2013-01-01

A large empirical literature has shown that user fees significantly deter public service utilization in developing countries. While most of these results reflect partial equilibrium analysis, we find that the nationwide abolition of public school fees in Kenya in 2003 led to no increase in net public enrollment rates, but rather a dramatic shift…

California forest industry wood consumption and characteristics, 1972.

Treesearch

James O. Howard

1972-01-01

The California forest industry as it exists today is the product of dramatic post-World War II changes. Before World War II, the industry consisted almost entirely of sawmills, depending primarily upon redwood and pines for their raw material supply. Responding to the post-War building boom and local population growth, the sawmill industry increased rapidly—from 450 to...

Why K-12 IT Managers and Administrators Are Embracing the Intel-Based Mac

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Technology & Learning, 2007

2007-01-01

Over the past year, Apple has dramatically increased its share of the school computer marketplace--especially in the category of notebook computers. A recent study conducted by Grunwald Associates and Rockman et al. reports that one of the major reasons for this growth is Apple's introduction of the Intel processor to the entire line of Mac…

Pubertal Development and Behavior: Hormonal Activation of Social and Motivational Tendencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forbes, Erika E.; Dahl, Ronald E.

2010-01-01

Adolescence is a time of dramatic changes including rapid physical growth, the onset of sexual maturation, the activation of new drives and motivations, and a wide array of social and affective changes and challenges. This review focuses on behavioral changes in this interval and is organized by the claim that a key set of these adolescent changes…

Dramatic intracranial response to osimertinib in a poor performance status patient with lung adenocarcinoma harboring the epidermal growth factor receptor T790M mutation: A case report.

PubMed

Uemura, Takehiro; Oguri, Tetsuya; Okayama, Minami; Furuta, Hiromi; Kanemitsu, Yoshihiro; Takakuwa, Osamu; Ohkubo, Hirotsugu; Takemura, Masaya; Maeno, Ken; Ito, Yutaka; Niimi, Akio

2017-04-01

We herein report a case of dramatic intracranial response to osimertinib in a poor performance status patient with lung adenocarcinoma harboring the epidermal growth factor receptor ( EGFR ) T790M mutation encoded in exon 20. The patient was a 59-year-old woman with EGFR exon 19 deletion-positive lung adenocarcinoma, who relapsed with multiple brain metastases. Computed tomography-guided biopsy of the left pleural tumor revealed adenocarcinoma harboring an EGFR exon 19 deletion and an EGFR T790M mutation encoded in exon 20. The patient was treated with osimertinib, a third-generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor. Two days after treatment initiation, the patient displayed profound disturbance of consciousness, possibly due to carcinomatous meningitis, and treatment had to be discontinued due to difficulty in taking osimertinib. However, the patient gradually started to recover consciousness and, after 3 days, she was again able to take osimertinib. One month after the initiation of osimertinib treatment, magnetic resonance imaging revealed an apparent reduction in brain metastases. The patient is currently under continued treatment with osimertinib. At the last follow-up (February, 2017) she exhibited partial response to the treatment.

Nursing students' post-traumatic growth, emotional intelligence and psychological resilience.

PubMed

Li, Y; Cao, F; Cao, D; Liu, J

2015-06-01

Nursing students in the present sample who have experienced childhood adversity have a certain level of post-traumatic growth. If introduced into nursing curricula, emotional intelligence interventions may increase emotional coping resources and enhance social skills for nurses, which may benefit their long-term occupational health. As researchers consider personal resilience a strategy for responding to workplace adversity in nurses, resilience building should be incorporated into nursing education. This is a preliminary study that may guide future investigations of the curvilinear relationship rather than linear relationship between post-traumatic growth and positive factors in the special sample of nursing students. Resilience, emotional intelligence and post-traumatic growth may benefit nursing students' careers and personal well-being in clinical work. Developing both their emotional intelligence and resilience may assist their individual post-traumatic growth and enhance their ability to cope with clinical stress. To investigate the relationships among post-traumatic growth, emotional intelligence and psychological resilience in vocational school nursing students who have experienced childhood adversities, a cross-sectional research design with anonymous questionnaires was conducted and self-report data were analysed. The Childhood Adversities Checklist (Chinese version), Posttraumatic Growth Inventory, Emotional Intelligence Scale and the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale were used. Survey data were collected from 202 Chinese vocational school nursing students during 2011. Post-traumatic growth was associated with emotional intelligence and psychological resilience. Results indicated a curvilinear relationship between emotional intelligence and post-traumatic growth, and between psychological resilience and post-traumatic growth. Moderate-level emotional intelligence and psychological resilience were most associated with the greatest levels of growth. The results imply that moderate resilience and emotional intelligence can help nursing students cope with adversity in their future clinical work. This study first provided preliminary data suggesting the curvilinear relationship rather than linear relationship between post-traumatic growth and positive factors in the sample of nursing students. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Long-term decline of the canopy-forming algae Gelidium corneum, associated to extreme wave events and reduced sunlight hours, in the southeastern Bay of Biscay

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borja, Angel; Chust, Guillem; Fontán, Almudena; Garmendia, Joxe Mikel; Uyarra, María C.

2018-05-01

Canopy-forming macroalgae are experiencing large biogeographical shifts due to climate change. One of them (Gelidium corneum) has shown a dramatic decline in biomass in northern Spain, in the past 20 years. We investigate here two most plausible hypotheses to explain its decline: (i) a combination of increasing wave energy and decrease of irradiance in the growth season; and (ii) a combination of increasing light in summer and decreasing nutrient concentration. Using a dataset of biomass and environmental variables (1993-2016), in three sectors and three water depths, we have determined that the variables explaining more biomass variability were: suspended solids, nitrate, sunlight hours, significant wave height threshold exceedances (Hs5m), temperature, silicate, and nitrite. When undertaking multiple regression analyses for the whole depth range, only the model including sunlight hours with Hs5m was selected, being highly significant (p < 0.0001) and explaining 37% of the variability. When comparing the macroalgal biomass between the initial period of the series (where the biomass was stable) and final period (showing biomass decline), 45% decrease was observed while the Hs5m increase was 41%, detaching the algae from the substratum during the growth season. The decline rate in biomass with time, at each sector and depth, was highly correlated (p < 0.001) to the wave energy flux received at each depth, which was higher at 5 m in all sectors, decreasing with depth. In turn, nutrients, instead of decreasing, have increased, and only nitrate presented a significant negative correlation with G. corneum biomass, which was not significant after detrending. The significant (p = 0.001) increase in rainfall over the studied period can explain the increase of those nutrients. Hence, we question whether the effect of nutrients is such, as already described. The most likely factor explaining the decline of this macroalga was the combination of sunlight hours decrease and Hs5m increase.

Cavitation and radicals drive the sonochemical synthesis of functional polymer spheres

DOE PAGES

Narayanan, Badri; Deshmukh, Sanket A.; Shrestha, Lok Kumar; ...

2016-07-25

Sonochemical synthesis can lead to a dramatic increase in the kinetics of formation of polymer spheres (templates for carbon spheres) compared to the modified Stober silica method applied to produce analogous polymer spheres. Reactive molecular dynamics simulations of the sonochemical process indicate a significantly enhanced rate of polymer sphere formation starting from resorcinol and formaldehyde precursors. The associated chemical reaction kinetics enhancement due to sonication is postulated to arise from the localized lowering of atomic densities, localized heating, and generation of radicals due to cavitation collapse in aqueous systems. This dramatic increase in reaction rates translates into enhanced nucleation andmore » growth of the polymer spheres. Finally, the results are of broad significance to understanding mechanisms of sonication induced synthesis as well as technologies utilizing polymers spheres.« less

Cavitation and radicals drive the sonochemical synthesis of functional polymer spheres

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

Narayanan, Badri, E-mail: bnarayanan@anl.gov; Deshmukh, Sanket A.; Sankaranarayanan, Subramanian K. R. S., E-mail: ssankaranarayanan@anl.gov

2016-07-25

Sonochemical synthesis can lead to a dramatic increase in the kinetics of formation of polymer spheres (templates for carbon spheres) compared to the modified Stöber silica method applied to produce analogous polymer spheres. Reactive molecular dynamics simulations of the sonochemical process indicate a significantly enhanced rate of polymer sphere formation starting from resorcinol and formaldehyde precursors. The associated chemical reaction kinetics enhancement due to sonication is postulated to arise from the localized lowering of atomic densities, localized heating, and generation of radicals due to cavitation collapse in aqueous systems. This dramatic increase in reaction rates translates into enhanced nucleation andmore » growth of the polymer spheres. The results are of broad significance to understanding mechanisms of sonication induced synthesis as well as technologies utilizing polymers spheres.« less

Regulation of cell growth by redox-mediated extracellular proteolysis of platelet-derived growth factor receptor beta.

PubMed

Okuyama, H; Shimahara, Y; Kawada, N; Seki, S; Kristensen, D B; Yoshizato, K; Uyama, N; Yamaoka, Y

2001-07-27

Redox-regulated processes are important elements in various cellular functions. Reducing agents, such as N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC), are known to regulate signal transduction and cell growth through their radical scavenging action. However, recent studies have shown that reactive oxygen species are not always involved in ligand-stimulated intracellular signaling. Here, we report a novel mechanism by which NAC blocks platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-induced signaling pathways in hepatic stellate cells, a fibrogenic player in the liver. Unlike in vascular smooth muscle cells, we found that reducing agents, including NAC, triggered extracellular proteolysis of PDGF receptor-beta, leading to desensitization of hepatic stellate cells toward PDGF-BB. This effect was mediated by secreted mature cathepsin B. In addition, type II transforming growth factor-beta receptor was also down-regulated. Furthermore, these events seemed to cause a dramatic improvement of rat liver fibrosis. These results indicated that redox processes impact the cell's response to growth factors by regulating the turnover of growth factor receptors and that "redox therapy" is promising for fibrosis-related disease.

A Matrix Metalloproteinase Mediates Airway Remodeling in Drosophila

PubMed Central

Glasheen, Bernadette M.; Robbins, Renée M.; Piette, Caitlin; Beitel, Greg J.; Page-McCaw, Andrea

2010-01-01

Organ size typically increases dramatically during juvenile growth. This growth presents a fundamental tension, as organs need resiliency to resist stresses while still maintaining plasticity to accommodate growth. Extracellular matrix (ECM) is central to providing resiliency, but how ECM is remodeled to accommodate growth is poorly understood. We investigated remodeling of Drosophila respiratory tubes (tracheae) that elongate continually during larval growth, despite being lined with a rigid cuticular ECM. Cuticle is initially deposited with a characteristic pattern of repeating ridges and valleys known as taenidia. We find that for tubes to elongate, the extracellular protease Mmp1 is required for expansion of ECM between the taenidial ridges during each inter-molt period. Mmp1 protein localizes in periodically-spaced puncta that are in register with the taenidial spacing. Mmp1 also degrades old cuticle at molts, promotes apical membrane expansion in larval tracheae, and promotes tube elongation in embryonic tracheae. Whereas work in other developmental systems has demonstrated that MMPs are required for axial elongation occurring in localized growth zones, this study demonstrates that MMPs can also mediate interstitial matrix remodeling during growth of an organ system. PMID:20513443

Population pressures in Latin America. [Updated reprint].

PubMed

Merrick, T W

1991-04-01

This publication examines the main demographic changes in Latin America since World War II, and considers their social and economic impact on the region. The paper looks at the following demographic trends: population growth, fertility, death rate, internal migration, international migration, and age structure. It also examines other factors such as marriage and family structure, and employment and education. Furthermore, the publication provides a discussion of the relationship between population growth and economic development from both a neo-Malthusian and Structuralist view. Finally, the paper considers the region's current population policies and future population prospects. From 1950-65, annual population growth averaged 2.8%, which decreased moderately to 2.4% from 1965-85. The report identified 3 population growth patterns in the region: 1) countries which experienced early and gradual declines in birth and death rates and generally lower population growth rates (the group includes Argentina, Cuba, Uruguay, with Chile and Panama also closely fitting the description); 2) countries which underwent rapid declines in birth rate during the 1950s and which began experiencing declines in the birth rate after 1960 (Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Paraguay, and Venezuela, with Ecuador and Peru as borderline cases); and 3) countries which didn't begin to experience declines in mortality rates until relatively late and which lag behind in fertility declines (Bolivia, Haiti, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua). Although population growth has slowed and will continue to fall, UN projections do not expect the population to stabilize until late in the 21st Century.

The New Economies of the Redwood Region in the 21st Century

Treesearch

William Stewart

2007-01-01

The redwood region of California has experienced a number of major land use changes over the past one hundred and fifty years. A review of recent economic trends in the redwood region suggests the emergence of three new themes. First, it appears that the transition from an old growth to a young growth redwood industry is essentially complete. Lower revenues and...

Reevaluating the Relationship between Education and Child Labour Using the Capabilities Approach: Policy and Implications for Inequality in Cambodia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kluttz, Jenalee

2015-01-01

Cambodia has experienced rapid economic growth in the last two decades, improving living standards and diminishing poverty. Unfortunately, it has failed to do so evenly. Growth within the country has widened the gap between rich and poor and exacerbated the rural/urban divide. This inequality is mirrored in the school system. Inequality within the…

Growing Pains from Rapid Growth: A Historical Case Study of George Fox University from 1983 to 2003

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Railsback, Gary L.

2007-01-01

This article is a historical case study of George Fox University (GFU) in Newberg, Oregon. Using organizational lifecycle as a theoretical framework, George Fox University had a long and delayed childhood in that it remained a small and struggling institution for most of the 20th century, and then experienced rapid growth in the late 1980s. This…

Staying Longer at School and Absenteeism: Evidence from Australian Research and the Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rothman, Sheldon

2004-01-01

Participation in senior secondary education in Australia has experienced tremendous growth since the late 1960s. Much of this growth has come from young people who were the first in their families to participate in schooling at this level. Many of the changes in participation and in curriculum offerings have been documented as part of a number of…

Seasonal Variation and Sources of Dissolved Nutrients in the Yellow River, China

PubMed Central

Gong, Yao; Yu, Zhigang; Yao, Qingzhen; Chen, Hongtao; Mi, Tiezhu; Tan, Jiaqiang

2015-01-01

The rapid growth of the economy in China has caused dramatic growth in the industrial and agricultural development in the Yellow River (YR) watershed. The hydrology of the YR has changed dramatically due to the climate changes and water management practices, which have resulted in a great variation in the fluxes of riverine nutrients carried by the YR. To study these changes dissolved nutrients in the YR were measured monthly at Lijin station in the downstream region of the YR from 2002 to 2004. This study provides detailed information on the nutrient status for the relevant studies in the lower YR and the Bohai Sea. The YR was enriched in nitrate (average 314 μmol·L−1) with a lower concentration of dissolved silicate (average 131 μmol·L−1) and relatively low dissolved phosphate (average 0.35 μmol·L−1). Nutrient concentrations exhibited substantial seasonal and yearly variations. The annual fluxes of dissolved inorganic nitrogen, phosphate, and silicate in 2004 were 5.3, 2.5, and 4.2 times those in 2002, respectively, primarily due to the increase in river discharge. The relative contributions of nutrient inputs to nitrogen in the YR were: wastewater > fertilizer > atmospheric deposition > soil; while to phosphorus were: wastewater > fertilizer > soil > atmospheric deposition. The ratios of N, P and Si suggest that the YR at Lijin is strongly P-limited with respect to potential phytoplankton growth. PMID:26287226

Phase I Trial and Pharmacokinetic Study of Lexatumumab in Pediatric Patients With Solid Tumors

PubMed Central

Merchant, Melinda S.; Geller, James I.; Baird, Kristin; Chou, Alexander J.; Galli, Susana; Charles, Ava; Amaoko, Martha; Rhee, Eunice H.; Price, Anita; Wexler, Leonard H.; Meyers, Paul A.; Widemann, Brigitte C.; Tsokos, Maria; Mackall, Crystal L.

2012-01-01

Purpose Lexatumumab is an agonistic, fully human monoclonal antibody against tumor necrosis factor–related apoptosis-inducing ligand receptor 2 with preclinical evidence of activity in pediatric solid tumors. Patients and Methods This phase I dose-escalation study examined the safety, tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and immunogenicity of lexatumumab at doses up to, but not exceeding, the adult maximum-tolerated dose (3, 5, 8, and 10 mg/kg), administered once every 2 weeks to patients age ≤ 21 years with recurrent or progressive solid tumors. Results Twenty-four patients received a total of 56 cycles of lexatumumab over all four planned dose levels. One patient had grade 2 pericarditis consistent with radiation recall, and one patient developed grade 3 pneumonia with hypoxia during the second cycle. Five patients experienced stable disease for three to 24 cycles. No patients experienced complete or partial response, but several showed evidence of antitumor activity, including one patient with recurrent progressive osteosarcoma who experienced resolution of clinical symptoms and positron emission tomography activity, ongoing more than 1 year off therapy. One patient with hepatoblastoma showed a dramatic biomarker response. Conclusion Pediatric patients tolerate 10 mg/kg of lexatumumab administered once every 14 days, the maximum-tolerated dose identified in adults. The drug seems to mediate some clinical activity in pediatric solid tumors and may work with radiation to enhance antitumor effects. PMID:23071222

Metronidazole-induced encephalopathy in a patient with Crohn's disease

PubMed Central

Kim, Jihye; Park, Jae Yong; Hong, Seung Wook; Lee, Joo Young; Kang, Jin Woo; Hwang, Seongjun; Ko, Sang-Bae; Im, Jong Pil; Kim, Joo Sung

2017-01-01

Metronidazole is a widely used antibiotic for the treatment of anaerobic bacterial infections. Metronidazole-induced encephalopathy (MIEP) is a rare but potentially reversible disease. The mechanism of MIEP remains unclear, and differences in the neurotoxic effects of oral versus intravenous (IV) metronidazole administration have not yet been determined. We report the case of a Crohn's disease (CD) patient who experienced encephalopathy immediately after a single IV dose of metronidazole following long-term exposure to the oral form of the drug. The 64-year-old man with intractable CD experienced a sudden change in mental status, aphasia, and muscle weakness after IV administration of metronidazole. He had previously taken metronidazole orally for 13 years and received intermittent IV metronidazole treatments for CD exacerbation. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed high-intensity signals in the bilateral medial thalamus and the midbrain and pontine tegmentum on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images. After discontinuation of metronidazole, the high-intensity brain MRI signals resolved and the patient's mental status dramatically improved; however, the patient exhibited mild cognitive dysfunction 2 months after the onset of encephalopathy. PMID:28239323

Ultimate predators: lionfish have evolved to circumvent prey risk assessment abilities.

PubMed

Lönnstedt, Oona M; McCormick, Mark I

2013-01-01

Invasive species cause catastrophic alterations to communities worldwide by changing the trophic balance within ecosystems. Ever since their introduction in the mid 1980's common red lionfish, Pterois volitans, are having dramatic impacts on the Caribbean ecosystem by displacing native species and disrupting food webs. Introduced lionfish capture prey at extraordinary rates, altering the composition of benthic communities. Here we demonstrate that the extraordinary success of the introduced lionfish lies in its capacity to circumvent prey risk assessment abilities as it is virtually undetectable by prey species in its native range. While experienced prey damselfish, Chromis viridis, respond with typical antipredator behaviours when exposed to a common predatory rock cod (Cephalopholis microprion) they fail to visibly react to either the scent or visual presentation of the red lionfish, and responded only to the scent (not the visual cue) of a lionfish of a different genus, Dendrochirus zebra. Experienced prey also had much higher survival when exposed to the two non-invasive predators compared to P. volitans. The cryptic nature of the red lionfish has enabled it to be destructive as a predator and a highly successful invasive species.

Antiapoptotic effects of Phe140Asn, a novel human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor mutant in H9c2 rat cardiomyocytes.

PubMed

Chung, Hee Kyoung; Ko, Eun Mi; Kim, Sung Woo; Byun, Sung-June; Chung, Hak-Jae; Kwon, Moosik; Lee, Hwi-Cheul; Yang, Byoung-Chul; Han, Deug-Woo; Park, Jin-Ki; Hong, Sung-Gu; Chang, Won-Kyong; Kim, Kyung-Woon

2012-12-01

Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is used for heart failure therapy and promotes myocardial regeneration by inducing mobilization of bone marrow stem cells to the injured heart after myocardial infarction; however, this treatment has one weakness in that its biological effect is transient. In our previous report, we generated 5 mutants harboring N-linked glycosylation to improve its antiapoptotic activities. Among them, one mutant (Phe140Asn) had higher cell viability than wild-type hG-CSF in rat cardiomyocytes, even after treatment with an apoptotic agent (H2O2). Cells treated with this mutant significantly upregulated the antiapoptotic proteins, and experienced reductions in caspase 3 activity and PARP cleavage. Moreover, the total number of apoptotic cells was dramatically lower in cultures treated with mutant hG-CSF. Taken together, these results suggest that the addition of an N-linked glycosylation was successful in improving the antiapoptotic activity of hG-CSF, and that this mutated product will be a feasible therapy for patients who have experienced heart failure.

Capacity of old trees to respond to environmental change.

PubMed

Phillips, Nathan G; Buckley, Thomas N; Tissue, David T

2008-11-01

Atmospheric carbon dioxide [CO2] has increased dramatically within the current life spans of long-lived trees and old forests. Consider that a 500-year-old tree in the early twenty-first century has spent 70% of its life growing under pre-industrial levels of [CO2], which were 30% lower than current levels. Here we address the question of whether old trees have already responded to the rapid rise in [CO2] occurring over the past 150 years. In spite of limited data, aging trees have been shown to possess a substantial capacity for increased net growth after a period of post-maturity growth decline. Observations of renewed growth and physiological function in old trees have, in some instances, coincided with Industrial Age increases in key environmental resources, including [CO2], suggesting the potential for continued growth in old trees as a function of continued global climate change.

Ion Motion Induced Emittance Growth of Matched Electron Beams in Plasma Wakefields

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

An, Weiming; Lu, Wei; Huang, Chengkun

2017-06-14

Plasma-based acceleration is being considered as the basis for building a future linear collider. Nonlinear plasma wakefields have ideal properties for accelerating and focusing electron beams. Preservation of the emittance of nano-Coulomb beams with nanometer scale matched spot sizes in these wakefields remains a critical issue due to ion motion caused by their large space charge forces. We use fully resolved quasistatic particle-in-cell simulations of electron beams in hydrogen and lithium plasmas, including when the accelerated beam has different emittances in the two transverse planes. The projected emittance initially grows and rapidly saturates with a maximum emittance growth of lessmore » than 80% in hydrogen and 20% in lithium. The use of overfocused beams is found to dramatically reduce the emittance growth. In conclusion, the underlying physics that leads to the lower than expected emittance growth is elucidated.« less

FAST TRACK COMMUNICATION: Nanocrystalline silicon film growth morphology control through RF waveform tailoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Johnson, Erik V.; Verbeke, Thomas; Vanel, Jean-Charles; Booth, Jean-Paul

2010-10-01

We demonstrate the application of RF waveform tailoring to generate an electrical asymmetry in a capacitively coupled plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition system, and its use to control the growth mode of hydrogenated amorphous and nanocrystalline silicon thin films deposited at low temperature (150 °C). A dramatic shift in the dc bias potential at the powered electrode is observed when simply inverting the voltage waveform from 'peaks' to 'troughs', indicating an asymmetric distribution of the sheath voltage. By enhancing or suppressing the ion bombardment energy at the substrate (situated on the grounded electrode), the growth of thin silicon films can be switched between amorphous and nanocrystalline modes, as observed using in situ spectroscopic ellipsometry. The effect is observed at pressures sufficiently low that the collisional reduction in average ion bombardment energy is not sufficient to allow nanocrystalline growth (<100 mTorr).

Monolayer-Mediated Growth of Organic Semiconductor Films with Improved Device Performance.

PubMed

Huang, Lizhen; Hu, Xiaorong; Chi, Lifeng

2015-09-15

Increased interest in wearable and smart electronics is driving numerous research works on organic electronics. The control of film growth and patterning is of great importance when targeting high-performance organic semiconductor devices. In this Feature Article, we summarize our recent work focusing on the growth, crystallization, and device operation of organic semiconductors intermediated by ultrathin organic films (in most cases, only a monolayer). The site-selective growth, modified crystallization and morphology, and improved device performance of organic semiconductor films are demonstrated with the help of the inducing layers, including patterned and uniform Langmuir-Blodgett monolayers, crystalline ultrathin organic films, and self-assembled polymer brush films. The introduction of the inducing layers could dramatically change the diffusion of the organic semiconductors on the surface and the interactions between the active layer with the inducing layer, leading to improved aggregation/crystallization behavior and device performance.

North Carolina forecasts for truck traffic

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-07-01

North Carolina has experienced significant increases in truck traffic on many of its highways. Yet, current NCDOT : project-level highway traffic forecasts do not appropriately capture anticipated truck traffic growth. NCDOT : methods forecast total ...

Developing Coping Typologies of Minority Adolescents: A Latent Profile Analysis

PubMed Central

Aldridge, Arianna A.; Roesch, Scott C.

2008-01-01

Latent profile analysis (LPA) was used to develop a coping typology of minority adolescents (M = 15.5 yrs). A multiethnic sample (n = 354) was recruited from a program aimed at serving low-income students. LPA revealed three distinct coping profiles. The first comprised adolescents who used a number of specific coping strategies at a low level (Low Generic Copers). The second comprised adolescents who emphasized active/approach strategies (e.g., planning; Active Copers). The third comprised adolescents who emphasized avoidant/passive strategies (e.g., substance abuse; Avoidant Copers). Active Copers experienced significantly less depression and more stress-related growth than Low Generic Copers. Low Generic Copers experienced significantly less depression than Avoidant Copers but also significantly less stress-related growth than Active Copers. Discussion focuses on integrating the current typology with traditional coping taxomonies. PMID:17904631

Light Exposure and Eye Growth in Childhood.

PubMed

Read, Scott A; Collins, Michael J; Vincent, Stephen J

2015-10-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between objectively measured ambient light exposure and longitudinal changes in axial eye growth in childhood. A total of 101 children (41 myopes and 60 nonmyopes), 10 to 15 years of age participated in this prospective longitudinal observational study. Axial eye growth was determined from measurements of ocular optical biometry collected at four study visits over an 18-month period. Each child's mean daily light exposure was derived from two periods (each 14 days long) of objective light exposure measurements from a wrist-worn light sensor. Over the 18-month study period, a modest but statistically significant association between greater average daily light exposure and slower axial eye growth was observed (P = 0.047). Other significant predictors of axial eye growth in this population included children's refractive error group (P < 0.001), sex (P < 0.01), and age (P < 0.001). Categorized according to their objectively measured average daily light exposure and adjusting for potential confounders (age, sex, baseline axial length, parental myopia, nearwork, and physical activity), children experiencing low average daily light exposure (mean daily light exposure: 459 ± 117 lux, annual eye growth: 0.13 mm/y) exhibited significantly greater eye growth than children experiencing moderate (842 ± 109 lux, 0.060 mm/y), and high (1455 ± 317 lux, 0.065 mm/y) average daily light exposure levels (P = 0.01). In this population of children, greater daily light exposure was associated with less axial eye growth over an 18-month period. These findings support the role of light exposure in the documented association between time spent outdoors and childhood myopia.

Temporal dynamics of the Saccharopolyspora erythraea phosphoproteome.

PubMed

Licona-Cassani, Cuauhtemoc; Lim, Sooa; Marcellin, Esteban; Nielsen, Lars K

2014-05-01

Actinomycetes undergo a dramatic reorganization of metabolic and cellular machinery during a brief period of growth arrest ("metabolic switch") preceding mycelia differentiation and the onset of secondary metabolite biosynthesis. This study explores the role of phosphorylation in coordinating the metabolic switch in the industrial actinomycete Saccharopolyspora erythraea. A total of 109 phosphopeptides from 88 proteins were detected across a 150-h fermentation using open-profile two-dimensional LC-MS proteomics and TiO(2) enrichment. Quantitative analysis of the phosphopeptides and their unphosphorylated cognates was possible for 20 pairs that also displayed constant total protein expression. Enzymes from central carbon metabolism such as putative acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase, isocitrate lyase, and 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase changed dramatically in the degree of phosphorylation during the stationary phase, suggesting metabolic rearrangement for the reutilization of substrates and the production of polyketide precursors. In addition, an enzyme involved in cellular response to environmental stress, trypsin-like serine protease (SACE_6340/NC_009142_6216), decreased in phosphorylation during the growth arrest stage. More important, enzymes related to the regulation of protein synthesis underwent rapid phosphorylation changes during this stage. Whereas the degree of phosphorylation of ribonuclease Rne/Rng (SACE_1406/NC_009142_1388) increased during the metabolic switch, that of two ribosomal proteins, S6 (SACE_7351/NC_009142_7233) and S32 (SACE_6101/NC_009142_5981), dramatically decreased during this stage of the fermentation, supporting the hypothesis that ribosome subpopulations differentially regulate translation before and after the metabolic switch. Overall, we show the great potential of phosphoproteomic studies to explain microbial physiology and specifically provide evidence of dynamic protein phosphorylation events across the developmental cycle of actinomycetes.

Temporal Dynamics of the Saccharopolyspora erythraea Phosphoproteome*

PubMed Central

Licona-Cassani, Cuauhtemoc; Lim, SooA; Marcellin, Esteban; Nielsen, Lars K.

2014-01-01

Actinomycetes undergo a dramatic reorganization of metabolic and cellular machinery during a brief period of growth arrest (“metabolic switch”) preceding mycelia differentiation and the onset of secondary metabolite biosynthesis. This study explores the role of phosphorylation in coordinating the metabolic switch in the industrial actinomycete Saccharopolyspora erythraea. A total of 109 phosphopeptides from 88 proteins were detected across a 150-h fermentation using open-profile two-dimensional LC-MS proteomics and TiO2 enrichment. Quantitative analysis of the phosphopeptides and their unphosphorylated cognates was possible for 20 pairs that also displayed constant total protein expression. Enzymes from central carbon metabolism such as putative acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase, isocitrate lyase, and 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase changed dramatically in the degree of phosphorylation during the stationary phase, suggesting metabolic rearrangement for the reutilization of substrates and the production of polyketide precursors. In addition, an enzyme involved in cellular response to environmental stress, trypsin-like serine protease (SACE_6340/NC_009142_6216), decreased in phosphorylation during the growth arrest stage. More important, enzymes related to the regulation of protein synthesis underwent rapid phosphorylation changes during this stage. Whereas the degree of phosphorylation of ribonuclease Rne/Rng (SACE_1406/NC_009142_1388) increased during the metabolic switch, that of two ribosomal proteins, S6 (SACE_7351/NC_009142_7233) and S32 (SACE_6101/NC_009142_5981), dramatically decreased during this stage of the fermentation, supporting the hypothesis that ribosome subpopulations differentially regulate translation before and after the metabolic switch. Overall, we show the great potential of phosphoproteomic studies to explain microbial physiology and specifically provide evidence of dynamic protein phosphorylation events across the developmental cycle of actinomycetes. PMID:24615062

Influences of growth parameters on the reaction pathway during GaN synthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Zhi; Liu, Zhongyi; Fang, Haisheng

2018-01-01

Gallium nitride (GaN) film growth is a complicated physical and chemical process including fluid flow, heat transfer, species transport and chemical reaction. Study of the reaction mechanism, i.e., the reaction pathway, is important for optimizing the growth process in the actual manufacture. In the paper, the growth pathway of GaN in a closed-coupled showerhead metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (CCS-MOCVD) reactor is investigated in detail using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). Influences of the process parameters, such as the chamber pressure, the inlet temperature, the susceptor temperature and the pre-exponential factor, on the reaction pathway are examined. The results show that increases of the chamber pressure or the inlet temperature, as well as reductions of the susceptor temperature or the pre-exponential factor lead to the adduct route dominating the growth. The deposition rate contributed by the decomposition route, however, can be enhanced dramatically by increasing the inlet temperature, the susceptor temperature and the pre-exponential factor.

Direct microscopic observation of forward osmosis membrane fouling.

PubMed

Wang, Yining; Wicaksana, Filicia; Tang, Chuyang Y; Fane, Anthony G

2010-09-15

This study describes the application of a noninvasive direct microscopic observation method for characterizing fouling of a forward osmosis (FO) membrane. The effect of the draw solution concentration, membrane orientation, and feed spacer on FO fouling was systematically investigated in a cross-flow setup using latex particles as model foulant in the feedwater. Higher draw solution (DS) concentrations (and thus increased flux levels) resulted in dramatic increase in the surface coverage by latex particles, suggesting that the critical flux concept might be applicable even for the osmotically driven FO process. Under identical draw solution concentrations, the active-layer-facing-the-feed-solution orientation (AL-FS) experienced significantly less fouling compared to the alternative orientation. This may be explained by the lower water flux in AL-FS, which is consistent with the critical flux concept. The use of a feed spacer not only dramatically enhanced the initial flux of the FO membrane, but also significantly improved the flux stability during FO fouling. Despite such beneficial effects of using the feed spacer, a significant amount of particle accumulation was found near the spacer filament, suggesting further opportunities for improved spacer design. To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first direct microscopic observation study on FO fouling.

Nutrient fluxes and the recent collapse of coastal California salmon populations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moore, Jonathan W.; Hayes, Sean A.; Duffy, Walter; Gallagher, Sean; Michel, Cyril J.; Wright, David

2011-01-01

Migratory salmon move nutrients both in and out of fresh waters during the different parts of their life cycle. We used a mass-balance approach to quantify recent changes in phosphorus (P) fluxes in six coastal California, USA, watersheds that have recently experienced dramatic decreases in salmon populations. As adults, semelparous Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) and coho (Oncorhynchus kisutch) salmon imported 8.3 and 10.4 times more P from the ocean, respectively, than they exported as smolts, while iteroparous steelhead (i.e., sea-run rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss) imported only 1.6 times more than they exported as kelts and smolts. Semelparous species whose life histories led them to import more nutrients were also the species whose populations decreased the most dramatically in California in recent years. In addition, the relationship between import and export was nonlinear, with export being proportionally more important at lower levels of import. This pattern was driven by two density-dependent processes — smolts were larger and disproportionately more abundant at lower spawner abundances. In fact, in four of our six streams we found evidence that salmon can drive net export of P at low abundance, evidence for the reversal of the "conveyor belt" of nutrients.

Case history: improved maxillary growth and development following digit sucking elimination and orofacial myofunctional therapy.

PubMed

Green, Shari

2013-11-01

Orofacial myologists are frequently called upon to address retained oral habit concerns. During this process, current I.A.O.M. recommended treatment includes addressing tongue, lip, and jaw rest posture concerns. Following digit sucking remediation, we may also be called upon to address these rest posture issues, and tongue thrust more aggressively together. In this process, facial growth and development and jaw structure may coincidentally improve as a result of 'nature taking its course' by addressing both swallow AND rest posture. In a select subset of clients, dramatic improvements may occur if the timing is right. This article discusses one such case that appears to have yielded a significant improvement in oral postures influencing improved facial and oral growth and development.