Matrilin-1 expression is increased in the vertebral column of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) individuals displaying spinal fusions.

PubMed

Pedersen, Mona E; Takle, Harald; Ytteborg, Elisabeth; Veiseth-Kent, Eva; Enersen, Grethe; Færgestad, Ellen; Baeverfjord, Grete; Hannesson, Kirsten O

2011-12-01

We have previously characterized the development of vertebral fusions induced by elevated water temperature in Atlantic salmon. Molecular markers of bone and cartilage development together with histology were used to understand the complex pathology and mechanism in the development of this spinal malformation. In this study, we wanted to use proteomics, a non-hypothetical approach to screen for possible new markers involved in the fusion process. Proteins extracted from non-deformed and fused vertebrae of Atlantic salmon were therefore compared by two-dimensional electrophoresis (2DE) and MALDI-TOF analysis. Data analysis of protein spots in the 2DE gels demonstrated matrilin-1, also named cartilage matrix protein, to be the most highly up-regulated protein in fused compared with non-deformed vertebrae. Furthermore, real-time PCR analysis showed strong up-regulation of matrilin-1 mRNA in fused vertebrae. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated induced matrilin-1 expression in trans-differentiating cells undergoing a metaplastic shift toward chondrocytes in fusing vertebrae, whereas abundant expression was demonstrated in cartilaginous tissue and chordocytes of both non-deformed and fused vertebrae. These results identifies matrilin-1 as a new interesting candidate in the fusion process, and ratify the use of proteomic as a valuable technique to screen for markers involved in vertebral pathogenesis.

Facilitating protein solubility by use of peptide extensions

DOEpatents

Freimuth, Paul I; Zhang, Yian-Biao; Howitt, Jason

2013-09-17

Expression vectors for expression of a protein or polypeptide of interest as a fusion product composed of the protein or polypeptide of interest fused at one terminus to a solubility enhancing peptide extension are provided. Sequences encoding the peptide extensions are provided. The invention further comprises antibodies which bind specifically to one or more of the solubility enhancing peptide extensions.

Medical Communication as Art--An Interview with Christine Borland

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lu, Peih-ying

2010-01-01

The artist Christine Borland, born in Scotland, is well known for fusing art and science. She was nominated for the Turner Prize in 1997, and developed an early interest in the representation of the body. This interest blossomed into a broader exploration of the medical world through art with such works as "Second Class Male, Second Class Female,"…

How can we enhance girls' interest in scientific topics?

PubMed

Kerger, Sylvie; Martin, Romain; Brunner, Martin

2011-12-01

Girls are considerably less interested in scientific subjects than boys. One reason may be that scientific subjects are considered to be genuinely masculine. Thus, being interested in science may threaten the self-perception of girls as well as the femininity of their self-image. If scientific topics that are considered to be stereotypically feminine were chosen, however, this potential threat might be overcome which, in turn, might lead to an increase in girls' interest in science. This hypothesis was empirically tested by means of two studies. Participants were 294 (Study 1) and 190 (Study 2) Grade 8 to Grade 9 students. Gender differences in students' interest in masculine and feminine topics were investigated for a range of scientific concepts (Study 1) as well as for a given scientific concept (Study 2) for four scientific subjects (i.e., biology, physics, information technology, and statistics), respectively. Both studies indicated that the mean level of girls' scientific interest was higher when scientific concepts were presented in the context of feminine topics and boys' level of scientific interests was higher when scientific concepts were presented in the context of masculine topics. Girls' interest in science could be substantially increased by presenting scientific concepts in the context of feminine topics. Gender differences as well as individual differences in the level of interest in scientific topics may be taken into account by creating learning environments in which students could select the context in which a certain scientific concept is embedded. ©2011 The British Psychological Society.

Individual, Situational and Topic Interest in Geoscience Among 11- And 12-Year-Old Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Trend, Roger

2005-01-01

All interest necessarily links the person with the external environment: the object/s of interest. Research into children's interests is examined in the context of a rapidly-expanding literature which has generated several powerful concepts in recent decades, notably "individual interest", "situational interest" and "topic interest". The first is…

Students' Interest in Geoscience Topics, Contexts and Methods

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hemmer, Ingrid; Bayrhuber, Horst; Haubler, Peter; Hemmer, Michael; Hlawatsch, Sylke; Hoffmann, Lore; Raffelsiefer, Marion

2007-01-01

Geoscience topics are playing an increasingly important role with regard to the future of our planet. Consequently, they have been moving into the educational foreground because of their societal relevance. The question is, however: Are pupils interested in these topics? This is important didactically, for interest is both a prerequisite and a…

Formation of carbon nanoclusters by implantation of keV carbon ions in fused silica followed by thermal annealing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olivero, P.; Peng, J. L.; Liu, A.; Reichart, P.; McCallum, J. C.; Sze, J. Y.; Lau, S. P.; Tay, B. K.; Kalish, R.; Dhar, S.; Feldman, Leonard; Jamieson, David N.; Prawer, Steven

2005-02-01

In the last decade, the synthesis and characterization of nanometer sized carbon clusters have attracted growing interest within the scientific community. This is due to both scientific interest in the process of diamond nucleation and growth, and to the promising technological applications in nanoelectronics and quantum communications and computing. Our research group has demonstrated that MeV carbon ion implantation in fused silica followed by thermal annealing in the presence of hydrogen leads to the formation of nanocrystalline diamond, with cluster size ranging from 5 to 40 nm. In the present paper, we report the synthesis of carbon nanoclusters by the implantation into fused silica of keV carbon ions using the Plasma Immersion Ion Implantation (PIII) technique, followed by thermal annealing in forming gas (4% 2H in Ar). The present study is aimed at evaluating this implantation technique that has the advantage of allowing high fluence-rates on large substrates. The carbon nanostructures have been characterized with optical absorption and Raman spectroscopies, cross sectional Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), and Parallel Electron Energy Loss Spectroscopy (PEELS). Nuclear Reaction Analysis (NRA) has been employed to evaluate the deuterium incorporation during the annealing process, as a key mechanism to stabilize the formation of the clusters.

Objective quality assessment for multiexposure multifocus image fusion.

PubMed

Hassen, Rania; Wang, Zhou; Salama, Magdy M A

2015-09-01

There has been a growing interest in image fusion technologies, but how to objectively evaluate the quality of fused images has not been fully understood. Here, we propose a method for objective quality assessment of multiexposure multifocus image fusion based on the evaluation of three key factors of fused image quality: 1) contrast preservation; 2) sharpness; and 3) structure preservation. Subjective experiments are conducted to create an image fusion database, based on which, performance evaluation shows that the proposed fusion quality index correlates well with subjective scores, and gives a significant improvement over the existing fusion quality measures.

Sensor fusion III: 3-D perception and recognition; Proceedings of the Meeting, Boston, MA, Nov. 5-8, 1990

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schenker, Paul S. (Editor)

1991-01-01

The volume on data fusion from multiple sources discusses fusing multiple views, temporal analysis and 3D motion interpretation, sensor fusion and eye-to-hand coordination, and integration in human shape perception. Attention is given to surface reconstruction, statistical methods in sensor fusion, fusing sensor data with environmental knowledge, computational models for sensor fusion, and evaluation and selection of sensor fusion techniques. Topics addressed include the structure of a scene from two and three projections, optical flow techniques for moving target detection, tactical sensor-based exploration in a robotic environment, and the fusion of human and machine skills for remote robotic operations. Also discussed are K-nearest-neighbor concepts for sensor fusion, surface reconstruction with discontinuities, a sensor-knowledge-command fusion paradigm for man-machine systems, coordinating sensing and local navigation, and terrain map matching using multisensing techniques for applications to autonomous vehicle navigation.

TALE: a tale of genome editing.

PubMed

Zhang, Mingjie; Wang, Feng; Li, Shifei; Wang, Yan; Bai, Yun; Xu, Xueqing

2014-01-01

Transcription activator-like effectors (TALEs), first identified in Xanthomonas bacteria, are naturally occurring or artificially designed proteins that modulate gene transcription. These proteins recognize and bind DNA sequences based on a variable numbers of tandem repeats. Each repeat is comprised of a set of ∼ 34 conserved amino acids; within this conserved domain, there are usually two amino acids that distinguish one TALE from another. Interestingly, TALEs have revealed a simple cipher for the one-to-one recognition of proteins for DNA bases. Synthetic TALEs have been used to successfully target genes in a variety of species, including humans. Depending on the type of functional domain that is fused to the TALE of interest, these proteins can have diverse biological effects. For example, after binding DNA, TALEs fused to transcriptional activation domains can function as robust transcription factors (TALE-TFs), while fused to restriction endonucleases (TALENs) can cut DNA. Targeted genome editing, in theory, is capable of modifying any endogenous gene sequence of interest; this can be performed in cells or organisms, and may be applied to clinical gene-based therapies in the future. With current technologies, highly accurate, specific, and reliable gene editing cannot be achieved. Thus, recognition and binding mechanisms governing TALE biology are currently hot research areas. In this review, we summarize the major advances in TALE technology over the past several years with a focus on the interaction between TALEs and DNA, TALE design and construction, potential applications for this technology, and unique characteristics that make TALEs superior to zinc finger endonucleases. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Translocation Pathway-Dependent Assembly of Streptavidin- and Antibody-Binding Filamentous Virus-Like Particles.

PubMed

Kim, Eun Joong; Jeon, Chang Su; Hwang, Inseong; Chung, Taek Dong

2017-02-01

Compared to well-tolerated p3 fusion, the display of fast-folding proteins fused to the minor capsid p7 and the major capsid p8, as well as in vivo biotinylation of biotin acceptor peptide (AP) fused to p7, are found to be markedly inefficient using the filamentous phage. Here, to overcome such limitations, the effect of translocation pathways, amber mutation, and phage and phagemid display systems on p7 and p8 display of antibody-binding domains are examined, while comparing the level of in vivo biotinylation of AP fused to p7 or p3. Interestingly, the in vivo biotinylation of AP occurs only in p3 fusion and the fast-folding antibody-binding scaffolds fused to p7 and p8 are best displayed via a twin-arginine translocation pathway in TG1 cells. The lower the expression level of the wild-type p8 and the smaller the size of the guest protein, the better the display of Z-domain fused to the recombinant p8. The in vivo biotinylated multifunctional filamentous virus-like particles can be vertically immobilized on streptavidin (SAV)-coated microspheres to resemble cellular microvilli-like structures, which reportedly enhance protein-protein interactions due to dramatically expanded flexible surface area. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Tracking Multiple Topics for Finding Interesting Articles

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

Pon, R K; Cardenas, A F; Buttler, D J

We introduce multiple topic tracking (MTT) for iScore to better recommend news articles for users with multiple interests and to address changes in user interests over time. As an extension of the basic Rocchio algorithm, traditional topic detection and tracking, and single-pass clustering, MTT maintains multiple interest profiles to identify interesting articles for a specific user given user-feedback. Focusing on only interesting topics enables iScore to discard useless profiles to address changes in user interests and to achieve a balance between resource consumption and classification accuracy. Also by relating a topic's interestingness to an article's interestingness, iScore is able tomore » achieve higher quality results than traditional methods such as the Rocchio algorithm. We identify several operating parameters that work well for MTT. Using the same parameters, we show that MTT alone yields high quality results for recommending interesting articles from several corpora. The inclusion of MTT improves iScore's performance by 9% to 14% in recommending news articles from the Yahoo! News RSS feeds and the TREC11 adaptive filter article collection. And through a small user study, we show that iScore can still perform well when only provided with little user feedback.« less

Not strange but not true: self-reported interest in a topic increases false memory.

PubMed

O'Connell, Anthony; Greene, Ciara M

2017-09-01

People are more likely to recall both true and false information that is consistent with their pre-existing stereotypes, schemata and desires. In addition, experts in a particular field are more likely to experience false memory in relation to their area of expertise. Here, we investigate whether level of interest, as distinct from level of knowledge, and in the absence of self-professed expertise, is associated with increased false memory. 489 participants were asked to rank 7 topics from most to least interesting. They were then asked if they remembered the events described in four news items related to the topic they selected as the most interesting and four items related to the topic selected as least interesting. In each case, three of the events depicted had really happened and one was fictional. A high level of interest in a topic increased true memories for the topic and doubled the frequency of false memories, even after controlling for level of knowledge. We interpret the results in the context of the source-monitoring framework and suggest that false memories arise as a result of interference from existing information stored in domain-related schemata.

Adaptive Associative Scale-Free Maps for Fusing Human and Robotic Intelligences

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-06-01

negative documents are left out from the series . . . . . . . . 50 7.5 Sample runs Blue: Accuracy, red: Recall, black: the ratio of new docu- ments to all...The true negative documents are left out from the series . . . . . . . . 51 7.6 Sample runs Blue: Accuracy, red: Recall, black: the ratio of new docu...right corner. The true negative documents are left out from the series . . . . . . . . 52 7.7 Sample map 1 from topic ‘Language

Combining Chemistry and Music to Engage Student Interest: Using Songs to Accompany Selected Chemical Topics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Last, Arthur M.

2009-01-01

The use of recorded music to add interest to a variety of lecture topics is described. Topics include the periodic table, the formation of ionic compounds, thermodynamics, carbohydrates, nuclear chemistry, and qualitative analysis. (Contains 1 note.)

Science-Relevant Curiosity Expression and Interest in Science: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luce, Megan R.; Hsi, Sherry

2015-01-01

In efforts to understand and promote long-term interest in science, much work has focused on measuring students' interest in topics of science, typically with surveys. This approach has challenges, as interest in a topic may not necessarily indicate interest in scientific practices and pursuits. An underexplored and perhaps productive way to…

Using PLSI-U To Detect Insider Threats from Email Traffic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okolica, James; Peterson, Gilbert; Mills, Robert

Despite a technology bias that focuses on external electronic threats, insiders pose the greatest threat to commercial and government organizations. Once information on a specific topic has gone missing, being able to quickly determine who has shown an interest in that topic can allow investigators to focus their attention. Even more promising is when individuals can be found who have an interest in the topic but who have never communicated that interest within the organization. An employee's interests can be discerned by data mining corporate email correspondence. These interests can be used to construct social networks that graphically expose investigative leads. This paper describes the use of Probabilistic Latent Semantic Indexing (PLSI) [4] extended to include users (PLSI-U) to determine topics that are of interest to employees from their email activity. It then applies PLSI-U to the Enron email corpus and finds a small number of employees (0.02%) who appear to have had clandestine interests.

Google Search Queries About Neurosurgical Topics: Are They a Suitable Guide for Neurosurgeons?

PubMed

Lawson McLean, Anna C; Lawson McLean, Aaron; Kalff, Rolf; Walter, Jan

2016-06-01

Google is the most popular search engine, with about 100 billion searches per month. Google Trends is an integrated tool that allows users to obtain Google's search popularity statistics from the last decade. Our aim was to evaluate whether Google Trends is a useful tool to assess the public's interest in specific neurosurgical topics. We evaluated Google Trends statistics for the neurosurgical search topic areas "hydrocephalus," "spinal stenosis," "concussion," "vestibular schwannoma," and "cerebral arteriovenous malformation." We compared these with bibliometric data from PubMed and epidemiologic data from the German Federal Monitoring Agency. In addition, we assessed Google users' search behavior for the search terms "glioblastoma" and "meningioma." Over the last 10 years, there has been an increasing interest in the topic "concussion" from Internet users in general and scientists. "Spinal stenosis," "concussion," and "vestibular schwannoma" are topics that are of special interest in high-income countries (eg, Germany), whereas "hydrocephalus" is a popular topic in low- and middle-income countries. The Google-defined top searches within these topic areas revealed more detail about people's interests (eg, "normal pressure hydrocephalus" or "football concussion" ranked among the most popular search queries within the corresponding topics). There was a similar volume of queries for "glioblastoma" and "meningioma." Google Trends is a useful source to elicit information about general trends in peoples' health interests and the role of different diseases across the world. The Internet presence of neurosurgical units and surgeons can be guided by online users' interests to achieve high-quality, professional-endorsed patient education. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

High-resolution imaging of craniofacial sutures: new tools for understanding the origins of craniosynostoses.

PubMed

Khonsari, R H; Di Rocco, F; Arnaud, E; Sanchez, S; Tafforeau, P

2012-09-01

The developmental genetics and the biomechanics of sutures are well-studied topics, while their microanatomy is still imperfectly known. Here, we aim to investigate the structure of skull vault sutures using a high-resolution imaging device. We used synchrotron X-ray microtomography in order to obtain high-resolution images of skull vault sutures from an extant mammal (the mouse Mus musculus) and from an extinct fish (the placoderm Compagopiscis croucheri). We used segmentation and 3D reconstruction softwares in order to reveal the microanatomy of sutures in these species. The high-resolution images allowed us to study the distribution of osteocytes, the organisation of vascular canals, the shapes of the suture borders, the insertion of Sharpey's fibres, the bone growth lines and the structure of the soft tissues surrounding the sutures. Synchrotron imaging provides new perspectives for the study of the normal microanatomy of sutures. The submicronic resolution of the synchrotron scans gives access to the 3D organisation of structures that were previously only known in 2D, even in normal sutures. The description of anatomical entities such as vascular canals and Sharpey's fibres in abnormally fused sutures would be of interest in the understanding of craniosynostoses.

Feature-based fusion of medical imaging data.

PubMed

Calhoun, Vince D; Adali, Tülay

2009-09-01

The acquisition of multiple brain imaging types for a given study is a very common practice. There have been a number of approaches proposed for combining or fusing multitask or multimodal information. These can be roughly divided into those that attempt to study convergence of multimodal imaging, for example, how function and structure are related in the same region of the brain, and those that attempt to study the complementary nature of modalities, for example, utilizing temporal EEG information and spatial functional magnetic resonance imaging information. Within each of these categories, one can attempt data integration (the use of one imaging modality to improve the results of another) or true data fusion (in which multiple modalities are utilized to inform one another). We review both approaches and present a recent computational approach that first preprocesses the data to compute features of interest. The features are then analyzed in a multivariate manner using independent component analysis. We describe the approach in detail and provide examples of how it has been used for different fusion tasks. We also propose a method for selecting which combination of modalities provides the greatest value in discriminating groups. Finally, we summarize and describe future research topics.

Tracking Multiple Topics for Finding Interesting Articles

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

Pon, R K; Cardenas, A F; Buttler, D J

We introduce multiple topic tracking (MTT) for iScore to better recommend news articles for users with multiple interests and to address changes in user interests over time. As an extension of the basic Rocchio algorithm, traditional topic detection and tracking, and single-pass clustering, MTT maintains multiple interest profiles to identify interesting articles for a specific user given user-feedback. Focusing on only interesting topics enables iScore to discard useless profiles to address changes in user interests and to achieve a balance between resource consumption and classification accuracy. iScore is able to achieve higher quality results than traditional methods such as themore » Rocchio algorithm. We identify several operating parameters that work well for MTT. Using the same parameters, we show that MTT alone yields high quality results for recommending interesting articles from several corpora. The inclusion of MTT improves iScore's performance by 25% in recommending news articles from the Yahoo! News RSS feeds and the TREC11 adaptive filter article collection. And through a small user study, we show that iScore can still perform well when only provided with little user feedback.« less

Molecular building kit of fused-proline-derived peptide mimetics allowing specific adjustment of the dihedral Psi angle.

PubMed

Einsiedel, Juergen; Lanig, Harald; Waibel, Reiner; Gmeiner, Peter

2007-11-23

Proline-derived peptide mimetics have become an area of paramount importance in peptide and protein chemistry. Since protein crystal structures frequently display Psi angles of 140-170 degrees for prolyl moieties, our intention was to design a completely novel series of 2,3-fused-proline-derived lactams covering this particular conformational space. Extending our recently described toolset of spirocyclic reverse-turn mimetics, we synthesized pyrrolidinyl-fused seven-, eight-, and nine-membered unsaturated lactam model peptides taking advantage of Grubbs' ring-closing metathesis. Investigating the seven-membered lactam 3a by means of IR and NMR spectroscopy and semiempirical molecular dynamics simulations, we could not observe a U-turn conformation; however, increasing the ring size to give eight- and nine-membered congeners revealed moderate and high type IotaIota beta-turn inducing properties. Interestingly, the conformational properties of our model systems depend on both the ring size of the fused dehydro-Freidinger lactam and the position of the endocyclic double bond. Superior reverse-turn inducing properties could be observed for the fused azacyclononenone 3e. According to diagnostic transanular NOEs, a discrete folding principle of the lactam ring strongly deviating from the regioisomeric lactams 3c,f explains the conformational behavior. Hence, we were able to establish a molecular building kit that allows adjustments of a wide range of naturally occurring proline Psi angles and thus can be exploited to probe molecular recognition and functional properties of biological systems.

Identification of fused 16β,17β-oxazinone-estradiol derivatives as a new family of non-estrogenic 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 inhibitors.

PubMed

Maltais, René; Trottier, Alexandre; Delhomme, Audrey; Barbeau, Xavier; Lagüe, Patrick; Poirier, Donald

2015-03-26

A new family of cyclic carbamate-estradiol derivatives has been designed to remove the intrinsic estrogenic activity of a parent acyclic compound reported as a potent inhibitor of 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 1 (17β-HSD1). The synthesis of two series of fused 16β,17β-oxazinone-estradiol derivatives, saturated compounds 7a-d and unsaturated compounds 10a-d, led to the identification of 10b, a 17β-HSD1 inhibitor (IC50 = 1.4 μM) without estrogenic activity in estrogen-sensitive T-47D cells. Interestingly, this compound was found selective over 17β-HSD2 and 17β-HSD12. A computational analysis of inhibitors into 17β-HSD1 by molecular docking also revealed interesting structure-activity relationships that could be helpful in the design of new generation of 16β,17β-oxazinone-estradiol analogs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Production of unnaturally linked chimeric proteins using a combination of sortase-catalyzed transpeptidation and click chemistry.

PubMed

Witte, Martin D; Theile, Christopher S; Wu, Tongfei; Guimaraes, Carla P; Blom, Annet E M; Ploegh, Hidde L

2013-09-01

Chimeric proteins, including bispecific antibodies, are biological tools with therapeutic applications. Genetic fusion and ligation methods allow the creation of N-to-C and C-to-N fused recombinant proteins, but not unnaturally linked N-to-N and C-to-C fusion proteins. This protocol describes a simple procedure for the production of such chimeric proteins, starting from correctly folded proteins and readily available peptides. By equipping the N terminus or C terminus of the proteins of interest with a set of click handles using sortase A, followed by a strain-promoted click reaction, unnatural N-to-N and C-to-C linked (hetero) fusion proteins are established. Examples of proteins that have been conjugated via this method include interleukin-2, interferon-α, ubiquitin, antibodies and several single-domain antibodies. If the peptides, sortase A and the proteins of interest are in hand, the unnaturally N-to-N and C-to-C fused proteins can be obtained in 3-4 d.

Revealing Learner Interests through Topic Mining from Question-Answering Data

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dun, Yijie; Wang, Na; Wang, Min; Hao, Tianyong

2017-01-01

In a question-answering system, learner generated content including asked and answered questions is a meaningful resource to capture learning interests. This paper proposes an approach based on question topic mining for revealing learners' concerned topics in real community question-answering systems. The authors' approach firstly preprocesses all…

Polarization-independent triangular-groove fused-silica gratings with high efficiency at a wavelength of 1550 nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Hongchao; Zhou, Changhe; Feng, Jijun; Lv, Peng; Ma, Jianyong

2010-11-01

We describe polarization-independent triangular-groove fused-silica gratings illuminated by incident lights in the C + L bands as (de)multiplexers for dense wavelength division multiplexing (DWDM) application. The physical mechanisms of the grating can be shown clearly by using the simplified modal method with consideration of the corresponding accumulated average phase difference of two excited propagating grating modes, which illustrates that the grating structure depends mainly on the ratio of the average effective indices difference to the incident wavelength. Exact grating profile is optimized by using the rigorous coupled-wave analysis (RCWA). With the optimized grating parameters, the grating exhibits diffraction efficiencies of greater than 90% under TE- and TM-polarized incident lights for 101 nm spectral bandwidths (1500-1601 nm) and it can reach an efficiency of more than 99% for both polarizations at a wavelength of 1550 nm. Without loss of metal absorption, coating of dielectric film layers, the designed triangular-groove fused-silica grating should be of great interest for DWDM application.

Mitigating intrinsic defects and laser damage using pulsetrain-burst (>100 MHz) ultrafast laser processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McKinney, Luke; Frank, Felix; Graper, David; Dean, Jesse; Forrester, Paul; Rioblanc, Maxence; Nantel, Marc; Marjoribanks, Robin

2005-09-01

Ultrafast-laser micromachining has promise as an approach to trimming and 'healing' small laser-produced damage sites in laser-system optics--a common experience in state-of-the-art high-power laser systems. More-conventional approaches currently include mechanical micromachining, chemical modification, and treatment using cw and long-pulse lasers. Laser-optics materials of interest include fused silica, multilayer dielectric stacks for anti-reflection coatings or high-reflectivity mirrors, and inorganic crystals such as KD*P, used for Pockels cells and frequency-doubling. We report on novel efforts using ultrafast-laser pulsetrain-burst processing (microsecond bursts at 133 MHz) to mitigate damage in fused silica, dielectric coatings, and KD*P crystals. We have established the characteristics of pulsetrain-burst micromachining in fused silica, multilayer mirrors, and KD*P, and determined the etch rates and morphology under different conditions of fluence-delivery. From all of these, we have begun to identify new means to optimize the laser-repair of optics defects and damage.

Doppler Imaging with FUSE: The Partially Eclipsing Binary VW Cep

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sonneborn, George (Technical Monitor); Brickhouse, Nancy

2003-01-01

This report covers the FUSE Guest Observer program. This project involves the study of emission line profiles for the partially eclipsing, rapidly rotating binary system VW Cep. Active regions on the surface of the star(s) produce observable line shifts as the stars move with respect to the observer. By studying the time-dependence of the line profile changes and centroid shifts, one can determine the location of the activity. FUSE spectra were obtained by the P.I. 27 Sept 2002 and data reduction is in progress. Since we are interested in line profile analysis, we are now investigating the wavelength scale calibration in some detail. We have also obtained and are analyzing Chandra data in order to compare the X-ray velocities with the FUV velocities. A complementary project comparing X-ray and Far UltraViolet (FUV) emission for the similar system 44i Boo is also underway. Postdoctoral fellow Ronnie Hoogerwerf has joined the investigation team and will perform the data analysis, once the calibration is optimized.

Parent and Adolescent Interest in Receiving Adolescent Health Communication Information From Primary Care Clinicians.

PubMed

Ford, Carol A; Cheek, Courtney; Culhane, Jennifer; Fishman, Jessica; Mathew, Leny; Salek, Elyse C; Webb, David; Jaccard, James

2016-08-01

Patient-centered health care recognizes that adolescents and parents are stakeholders in adolescent health. We investigate adolescent and parent interest in receiving information about health topics and parent-teen communication from clinicians. Ninety-one parent-adolescent dyads in one practice completed individual interviews. Items assessed levels of interest in receiving health and health communication information from the adolescent's doctor about 18 topics, including routine, mental health, sexual health, substance use, and injury prevention issues. Analyses tested differences between parents and adolescents, within-dyad correlations, and associations with adolescent gender and age. Most parents were female (84%). Adolescents were evenly divided by gender; 36 were aged 12-13 years, 35 were aged 14-15 years, and 20 were aged 16-17 years. Adolescent race reflected the practice population (60% black; 35% white). The vast majority of parents and adolescents reported moderate or high levels of interest in receiving information about all 18 health issues and information to increase parent-teen communication about these topics. Parents' interest in receiving information varied by adolescent age when the expected salience of topics varied by age (e.g., acne, driving safety), whereas adolescents reported similar interest regardless of age. Adolescent gender influenced parent and adolescent interest. Level of interest in receiving information from doctors within adolescent-parent pairs was not significantly correlated for one-half of topics. Parents and adolescents want health care professionals to help them learn and talk about a wide range of adolescent health topics. Feasible primary care interventions that effectively improve parent-teen health communication, and specific adolescent health outcomes are needed. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Diffuse Prior Monotonic Likelihood Ratio Test for Evaluation of Fused Image Quality Measures

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-02-01

852–864. [25] W. Mendenhall , R. L. Scheaffer, and D. D. Wackerly, Mathematical Statistics With Applications, 3rd ed. Boston, MA: Duxbury Press, 1986...Professor and holds the Robert W. Wieseman Chaired Research Professorship in Electrical Engi- neering. His research interests include signal

Mind Wandering and Reading Comprehension: Examining the Roles of Working Memory Capacity, Interest, Motivation, and Topic Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Unsworth, Nash; McMillan, Brittany D.

2013-01-01

Individual differences in mind wandering and reading comprehension were examined in the current study. In particular, individual differences in mind wandering, working memory capacity, interest in the current topic, motivation to do well on the task, and topic experience and their relations with reading comprehension were examined in the current…

A FUSE Survey of Algol-Type Interacting Binary Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, C.

We propose a survey of Algol-type interacting binaries with FUSE. The observing list contains 15 systems with deltage40o for which systemic parameters are known. The program stars span the range from early-type contact systems that will eventually become conventional Algols to wide binaries in an advanced evolutionary state with prominent accretion disks. Some physical parameters that can be obtained include the ionization temperature and density in the accretion disk, domain of infall (gas stream), high temperature plasma on the trailing side of the system, and in certain systems the splash zone. We will look for the presence of ionO6 absorption and assess the phase interval over which it is observed. Emission from this ion has already been found in FUSE observations of three Algols (V356Sgr, TTHya, and RYPer) during total eclipse and confirms the presence of a sim300,000K plasma abovebelow the orbital plane. In accordance with the policy on the FUSE Survey and Supplementary Program, the observations will be obtained at random phases, but we request 5 visits of each target in order to secure good phase coverage and maximize the probability of obtaining data at interesting phases, such as the interval containing the mass outflow in the splash region where a tangentially-impacting gas stream is deflected off of the mass gainers photosphere. The physical parameters that are obtained in this project will constrain future 3-D hydrodynamical simulations of mass flow in Algols. This project will build upon the successful one (Z902) carried through in FUSE Cycle3.

A split ubiquitin system to reveal topology and released peptides of membrane proteins.

PubMed

Li, Qiu-Ping; Wang, Shuai; Gou, Jin-Ying

2017-09-02

Membrane proteins define biological functions of membranes in cells. Extracellular peptides of transmembrane proteins receive signals from pathogens or environments, and are the major targets of drug developments. Despite of their essential roles, membrane proteins remain elusive in topological studies due to technique difficulties in their expressions and purifications. First, the target gene is cloned into a destination vector to fuse with C terminal ubiquitin at the N or C terminus. Then, Cub vector with target gene and Nub WT or Nub G vectors are transformed into AP4 or AP5 yeast cells, respectively. After mating, the diploid cells are dipped onto selection medium to check the growth. Topology of the target protein is determined according to Table 1. We present a split ubiquitin topology (SUT) analysis system to study the topology and truncation peptide of membrane proteins in a simple yeast experiment. In the SUT system, transcription activator (TA) fused with a nucleo-cytoplasmic protein shows strong auto-activation with both positive and negative control vectors. TA fused with the cytoplasmic end of membrane proteins activates reporter genes only with positive control vector with a wild type N terminal ubiquitin (Nub WT ). However, TA fused with the extracellular termini of membrane proteins can't activate reporter genes even with Nub WT . Interestingly,TA fused with the released peptide of a membrane protein shows autoactivation in the SUT system. The SUT system is a simple and fast experimental procedure complementary to computational predictions and large scale proteomic techniques. The preliminary data from SUT are valuable for pathogen recognitions and new drug developments.

The Importance and Interest of Introductory Psychology Textbook Topics: Student Opinions at Technical College, 2-, and 4-Year Institutions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCann, Lee I.; Immel, Kathy R.; Kadah-Ammeter, Tammy L.; Adelson, Sarah K.

2016-01-01

Introductory psychology students at a technical college, 2-year community college, and a regional university rated how important textbook chapters or topics were to them now and in the future and how interesting they were. Importance and interest ratings were highly correlated, and the whole course was rated of greater importance and interest than…

How Can We Enhance Girls' Interest in Scientific Topics?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kerger, Sylvie; Martin, Romain; Brunner, Martin

2011-01-01

Background: Girls are considerably less interested in scientific subjects than boys. One reason may be that scientific subjects are considered to be genuinely masculine. Thus, being interested in science may threaten the self-perception of girls as well as the femininity of their self-image. Aims: If scientific topics that are considered to be…

The Impact of Topic Interest, L2 Proficiency, and Gender on EFL Incidental Vocabulary Acquisition through Reading

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Sunjung; Pulido, Diana

2017-01-01

This study investigated the impact of topic interest, alongside L2 proficiency and gender, on L2 vocabulary acquisition through reading. A repeated-measures design was used with 135 Korean EFL students. Control variables included topic familiarity, prior target-word knowledge, and target-word difficulty (word length, class, and concreteness).…

A Facile One-Pot Construction of Succinimide-Fused Spiro[Pyrrolidine-2,3'-Oxindoles] via 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Involving 3-Amino Oxindoles and Maleimides.

PubMed

Jin, Lunqiang; Liang, Feng

2018-03-05

Increasing interests have been invested in the development of synthetic strategies toward the construction of spiro[pyrrolidine-2,3'-oxindole], which is the core structural skeleton in some compounds with diverse biological activities. In this work, an efficient diastereoselective 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of azomethine ylides generated in situ from 3-amino oxindoles and aldehydes with maleimides has been described. The protocol provides a facile and efficient access to structurally diverse succinimide-fused spiro[pyrrolidine-2,3'-oxindole] compounds in good to high yields (up to 93%) with moderate to excellent diastereoselectivities (up to >95:5). The relative stereochemistry of cycloaddition products has been assigned by X-ray diffraction analysis.

Investigation of the Static and Dynamic Characteristics for a Wafer-Fused C-band VCSEL in the Mode of the Optical-Electric Converter

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belkin, M. E.

2018-01-01

The results of an experimental study for a long wavelength vertical cavity surface-emitting laser of a wafer-fused construction as an effective resonant cavity enhanced photodetector of analog optical signals are described. The device is of interest for a number of promising microwave photonics applications and for creation of a low-cost photoreceiver in a high-speed fiber optics telecommunication system with dense wavelength division multiplexing. The schematic of the testbed, the original technique allowing to calculate the passband of the built-in optical cavity, and the results of measuring dark current, current responsivity, amplitude- and phase-frequency characteristics during the process of photo-detection are demonstrated.

Fractures above and below a modular nail for knee arthrodesis. A case report.

PubMed

Hinarejos, Pedro; Ginés, Alberto; Monllau, Juan C; Puig, Lluis; Cáceres, Enric

2005-06-01

Several techniques have been advocated for knee arthrodesis, and there has been an increasing interest in modular intramedullary nails in the recent last years. We report a case of femoral and tibial fractures at each end of a modular nail in a solidly fused knee 8 months after an arthrodesis.

Automated Detection of Events of Scientific Interest

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

James, Mark

2007-01-01

A report presents a slightly different perspective of the subject matter of Fusing Symbolic and Numerical Diagnostic Computations (NPO-42512), which appears elsewhere in this issue of NASA Tech Briefs. Briefly, the subject matter is the X-2000 Anomaly Detection Language, which is a developmental computing language for fusing two diagnostic computer programs one implementing a numerical analysis method, the other implementing a symbolic analysis method into a unified event-based decision analysis software system for real-time detection of events. In the case of the cited companion NASA Tech Briefs article, the contemplated events that one seeks to detect would be primarily failures or other changes that could adversely affect the safety or success of a spacecraft mission. In the case of the instant report, the events to be detected could also include natural phenomena that could be of scientific interest. Hence, the use of X- 2000 Anomaly Detection Language could contribute to a capability for automated, coordinated use of multiple sensors and sensor-output-data-processing hardware and software to effect opportunistic collection and analysis of scientific data.

Do Students' Topic Interest and Tutors' Instructional Style Matter in Problem-Based Learning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wijnia, Lisette; Loyens, Sofie M. M.; Derous, Eva; Schmidt, Henk G.

2014-01-01

Two studies investigated the importance of initial topic interest (i.e., expectation of interest) and tutors' autonomy-supportive or controlling instructional styles for students' motivation and performance in problem-based learning (PBL). In Study 1 (N = 93, a lab experiment), each student participated in a simulated group discussion in…

Role of Epistemological Understanding and Interest in Interpreting a Controversy and in Topic-Specific Belief Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mason, Lucia; Boscolo, Pietro

2004-01-01

This study focuses on the influence of high school students' (10th and 11th grade) epistemological understanding and topic interest on their interpretation of a dual-position expository text about genetically modified food, as well as on the change in their beliefs about the topic. After reading, students were given different tasks: (1) to write…

Effects of Reading Ability, Prior Knowledge, Topic Interest, and Locus of Control on At-Risk College Students' Use of Graphic Organizers and Summarizing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balajthy, Ernest; Weisberg, Renee

A study investigated the influence of key factors (general comprehension ability, prior knowledge of passage topic, interest in passage topic, and locus of control) on training at-risk college students in the use of graphic organizers as a cognitive learning strategy. Subjects, 60 college freshmen required to take a developmental reading/study…

Mind wandering and reading comprehension: examining the roles of working memory capacity, interest, motivation, and topic experience.

PubMed

Unsworth, Nash; McMillan, Brittany D

2013-05-01

Individual differences in mind wandering and reading comprehension were examined in the current study. In particular, individual differences in mind wandering, working memory capacity, interest in the current topic, motivation to do well on the task, and topic experience and their relations with reading comprehension were examined in the current study. Using confirmatory factor analysis and structural equation modeling it was found that variation in mind wandering while reading was influenced by working memory capacity, topic interest, and motivation. Furthermore, these same factors, along with topic experience, influenced individual differences in reading comprehension. Importantly, several factors had direct effects on reading comprehension (and mind wandering), while the relation between reading comprehension (and mind wandering) and other factors occurred via indirect effects. These results suggest that both domain-general and domain-specific factors contribute to mind wandering while reading and to reading comprehension.

Ferrocene-fused derivatives of acenes, tropones and thiepins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maharjan, Bidhya Laxmi

This research project is concentrated on tuning the properties of small organic molecules, namely polyacenes, tropones and thiepins, by incorporating redox-active transition metal centers pi-bonded to terminal cyclopentadienyl ligands. Organometallicfused acenequinones, tropones, thiepins and cyclopentadiene-capped polyacenes were synthesized and characterized. This work was divided into three parts: first, the synthesis of ferrocene-fused acenequinones, cyclopentadiene-capped acenequinones and their subsequent aromatization to polyacenes; second, the synthesis of ferrocene-fused tropones, thiotropones and tropone oxime; and third, the synthesis of ferrocene-fused thiepins. Ferrocene-fused quinones are the precursors to our target complexes. Our synthetic route to ferrocenequinones involved two-fold aldol condensation between 1,2- diformylferrocene and naphthalene-1,4-diol or anthracene-1,4-diol, and four-fold condensation between 1,2-diformylferrocene and 1,4-cyclohexanedione. Reduction of ferrocene-fused quinones with borane in THF resulted in ferrocene-fused dihydroacenes. Attempts to reduce ferrocene-fused acenequinones with sodium dithionite led to metalfree cyclopentadiene- (Cp-) capped acenequinones. Cp-capped acenequinones were aromatized to bis(triisopropylsilyl)ethynyl polyacenes by using lithium (triisopropylsilyl)acetylide (TIPSC≡CLi) with subsequent dehydroxylation by stannous chloride. The compounds were characterized by using spectroscopic methods and X-ray crystallography. Further, the electronic properties of these compounds were studied by using cyclic voltammetry and UV-visible spectroscopy. Cyclic voltammetry showed oxidation potentials of Cp-capped TIPS-tetracene and bis-Cp-capped TIPS-anthracene as 0.49 V and 0.61 V, respectively (vs. ferrocene/ferrocenium). The electrochemical band gaps were 2.15 eV and 2.58 eV, respectively. Organic thin-film transistor device performance of Cp-capped polyacenes was studied using solution deposition bottomcontact, bottom-gate (BCBG) device architecture and the resulting performance parameters are described herein. Similarly, we are also interested in potential applications of metallocene-fused tropones and derivatives as organic electronic materials. Condensation of 1,2- diformylferrocene with acetone or 1,3-diphenylacetone in the presence of KOH resulted in the ferrocene-fused tropone (eta5-2,4-cyclopentadien-1-yl)[(1,2,3,3a,8a-eta)-1,6-dihydro- 6-oxo-1-azulenyl]iron (1, R = H, E = O) and its 5,7-diphenyl derivative (1, R = Ph, E = O) as previously reported by Tirouflet. The use of piperidine as base resulted in Michael addition of piperidine to one of the carbon-carbon double bonds of the tropones. Lawesson's reagent converted the ferrocene-fused tropones to either a thiotropone (1, R = H, E = S) or a detached 5,7-diphenylazulenethiol (2). Reaction of the ferrocene-fused thiotropone with hydroxylamine gave the corresponding oxime (1, R = H, E = NOH). Products were characterized by using spectroscopic methods and X-ray crystallography. Their electronic properties were studied by using cyclic voltammetry and UV-visible spectroscopy. The third project involved the two-fold aldol condensation of 1,2- diformylferrocene with dimethylthioglycolate S-oxide in the presence of freshly distilled triethylamine, which gave mono- and di-dehydrated products. Deoxygenation of the ferrocene-fused thiepin S-oxide with 2-chloro-1,3,2-benzodioxaphosphole in the presence of pyridine resulted in the corresponding thiepin. The ester groups of the thiepin and thiepin S-oxide were hydrolyzed under basic conditions to give carboxylic acids, which were converted into acid chlorides using oxalyl chloride. Attempts to decarboxylate the thiepin and thiepin S-oxide diacids resulted in decomposition.

π-Extended Star-Shaped Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons based on Fused Truxenes: Synthesis, Self-Assembly, and Facilely Tunable Emission Properties.

PubMed

Cheng, Cheng; Jiang, Yi; Liu, Cheng-Fang; Zhang, Jian-Dong; Lai, Wen-Yong; Huang, Wei

2016-12-19

A new set of star-shaped polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) based on naphthalene-fused truxenes, TrNaCn (n=1-4), were synthesized and characterized. The synthesis involved a microwave-assisted six-fold Suzuki coupling reaction, followed by oxidative cyclodehydrogenation. Multiple dehydrocyclization products could be effectively isolated in a single reaction, thus suggesting that the oxidative cyclodehydrogenation reaction involved a stepwise ring-closing process. The thermal, optical, and electrochemical properties and the self-assembly behavior of the resulting oxidized samples were investigated to understand the impact of the ring-fusing process on the properties of the star-shaped PAHs. Distinct bathochromic shift of the absorption maxima (λ max ) revealed that the molecular conjugation extended with the stepwise ring-closing reactions. The optical band-gap energy of these PAHs varied significantly on increasing the number of fused rings, thereby resulting in readily tunable emissive properties of the resultant star-shaped PAHs. Interestingly, the generation of rigid "arms" by using perylene analogues caused TrNaC2 and TrNaC3 to show significantly enhanced photoluminescence quantum yields (PLQYs) in solution (η=0.65 and 0.66, respectively) in comparison with those of TrNa and TrNaC1 (η=0.08 and 0.16, respectively). Owing to strong intermolecular interactions, the TrNa precursor was able to self-assemble into rod-like microcrystals, which could be facilely identified by the naked eye, whilst TrNaC1 self-assembled into nanosheets once the naphthalene rings had fused. This study offers a unique platform to gain further insight into-and a better understanding of-the photophysical and self-assembly properties of π-extended star-shaped PAHs. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Bimodal Biometric Verification Using the Fusion of Palmprint and Infrared Palm-Dorsum Vein Images

PubMed Central

Lin, Chih-Lung; Wang, Shih-Hung; Cheng, Hsu-Yung; Fan, Kuo-Chin; Hsu, Wei-Lieh; Lai, Chin-Rong

2015-01-01

In this paper, we present a reliable and robust biometric verification method based on bimodal physiological characteristics of palms, including the palmprint and palm-dorsum vein patterns. The proposed method consists of five steps: (1) automatically aligning and cropping the same region of interest from different palm or palm-dorsum images; (2) applying the digital wavelet transform and inverse wavelet transform to fuse palmprint and vein pattern images; (3) extracting the line-like features (LLFs) from the fused image; (4) obtaining multiresolution representations of the LLFs by using a multiresolution filter; and (5) using a support vector machine to verify the multiresolution representations of the LLFs. The proposed method possesses four advantages: first, both modal images are captured in peg-free scenarios to improve the user-friendliness of the verification device. Second, palmprint and vein pattern images are captured using a low-resolution digital scanner and infrared (IR) camera. The use of low-resolution images results in a smaller database. In addition, the vein pattern images are captured through the invisible IR spectrum, which improves antispoofing. Third, since the physiological characteristics of palmprint and vein pattern images are different, a hybrid fusing rule can be introduced to fuse the decomposition coefficients of different bands. The proposed method fuses decomposition coefficients at different decomposed levels, with different image sizes, captured from different sensor devices. Finally, the proposed method operates automatically and hence no parameters need to be set manually. Three thousand palmprint images and 3000 vein pattern images were collected from 100 volunteers to verify the validity of the proposed method. The results show a false rejection rate of 1.20% and a false acceptance rate of 1.56%. It demonstrates the validity and excellent performance of our proposed method comparing to other methods. PMID:26703596

Bimodal Biometric Verification Using the Fusion of Palmprint and Infrared Palm-Dorsum Vein Images.

PubMed

Lin, Chih-Lung; Wang, Shih-Hung; Cheng, Hsu-Yung; Fan, Kuo-Chin; Hsu, Wei-Lieh; Lai, Chin-Rong

2015-12-12

In this paper, we present a reliable and robust biometric verification method based on bimodal physiological characteristics of palms, including the palmprint and palm-dorsum vein patterns. The proposed method consists of five steps: (1) automatically aligning and cropping the same region of interest from different palm or palm-dorsum images; (2) applying the digital wavelet transform and inverse wavelet transform to fuse palmprint and vein pattern images; (3) extracting the line-like features (LLFs) from the fused image; (4) obtaining multiresolution representations of the LLFs by using a multiresolution filter; and (5) using a support vector machine to verify the multiresolution representations of the LLFs. The proposed method possesses four advantages: first, both modal images are captured in peg-free scenarios to improve the user-friendliness of the verification device. Second, palmprint and vein pattern images are captured using a low-resolution digital scanner and infrared (IR) camera. The use of low-resolution images results in a smaller database. In addition, the vein pattern images are captured through the invisible IR spectrum, which improves antispoofing. Third, since the physiological characteristics of palmprint and vein pattern images are different, a hybrid fusing rule can be introduced to fuse the decomposition coefficients of different bands. The proposed method fuses decomposition coefficients at different decomposed levels, with different image sizes, captured from different sensor devices. Finally, the proposed method operates automatically and hence no parameters need to be set manually. Three thousand palmprint images and 3000 vein pattern images were collected from 100 volunteers to verify the validity of the proposed method. The results show a false rejection rate of 1.20% and a false acceptance rate of 1.56%. It demonstrates the validity and excellent performance of our proposed method comparing to other methods.

Social Work and Evaluation: Why You Might Be Interested in the American Evaluation Association Social Work Topical Interest Group

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wharton, Tracy C.; Kazi, Mansoor A.

2012-01-01

With increased pressure on programs to evaluate outcomes, the issue of evaluation in social work has never been so topical. In response to these pressures, there has been a growing interest in evidence-based practice and strategies for the evaluation of social work programs. The American Evaluation Association (AEA) is an international…

Greek Students' Science-related Interests and Experiences: Gender differences and correlations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Christidou, Vasilia

2006-08-01

This paper explores the science-related interests and out-of-school experiences of 583 ninth-grade Greek students. The instrument of data collection consisted of a questionnaire including items on science-related topics that could be of interest to students and on everyday, out-of-school, science-related experiences. Factor analysis yielded six distinct fields of interest and five types of science-related experiences. Significant gender differences emerge: girls are more interested in topics related to human biology, health, and fitness, and are more familiar with using instruments and devices, seeking information about nature, and doing cuisine and handicraft; while boys are more interested in science, technology, and their social dimension, and the threatening aspects of science and technology, and tend to engage more in manual work and computer use. The results of this study indicate that there is a need for the Greek science curriculum to become more appealing to students, by integrating topics and experiences that are interesting and relevant to them.

History-Based Instruction Enriched with Various Sources of Situational Interest on the Topic of the Atom: the Effect on Students' Achievement and Interest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pekdağ, Bülent; Azizoğlu, Nursen

2018-05-01

This study examines the effect of history-based instruction on the topic of the atom on students' academic achievement and their interest in the history of science, investigating as well the relationship between student interest and academic achievement. The sample of the study consisted of two groups of freshman students from an undergraduate elementary science teachers program. The same chemistry instructor taught the groups, which were randomly assigned as an experimental and a control group. The students in the control group received traditional teacher-centered instruction, while the experimental group students were taught the topic of the atom using history-based instruction enriched with various sources of situational interest such as novelty, autonomy, social involvement, and knowledge acquisition (NASK). Data gathering instruments were the Atom Achievement Test and the History of Science Interest Scale, administered to both of the groups before and after the instruction. The data were analyzed with the independent-samples t test, the paired-samples t test, and one-way ANCOVA statistical analysis. The results showed that the history-based instruction including NASK was more effective than traditional instruction in improving the students' learning of the subject of the atom as well as in stimulating and improving students' interest in the history of science. Further, students with high interest displayed significantly better achievement than students with low interest. The better learning of the topic of the atom was more pronounced in the case of students with a high interest in the history of science compared to students with moderate or low interest.

Organization's Orderly Interest Exploration: Inception, Development and Insights of AIAA's Topics Database

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Marshall, Jospeh R.; Morris, Allan T.

2007-01-01

Since 2003, AIAA's Computer Systems and Software Systems Technical Committees (TCs) have developed a database that aids technical committee management to map technical topics to their members. This Topics/Interest (T/I) database grew out of a collection of charts and spreadsheets maintained by the TCs. Since its inception, the tool has evolved into a multi-dimensional database whose dimensions include the importance, interest and expertise of TC members and whether or not a member and/or a TC is actively involved with the topic. In 2005, the database was expanded to include the TCs in AIAA s Information Systems Group and then expanded further to include all AIAA TCs. It was field tested at an AIAA Technical Activities Committee (TAC) Workshop in early 2006 through live access by over 80 users. Through the use of the topics database, TC and program committee (PC) members can accomplish relevant tasks such as: to identify topic experts (for Aerospace America articles or external contacts), to determine the interest of its members, to identify overlapping topics between diverse TCs and PCs, to guide new member drives and to reveal emerging topics. This paper will describe the origins, inception, initial development, field test and current version of the tool as well as elucidate the benefits and insights gained by using the database to aid the management of various TC functions. Suggestions will be provided to guide future development of the database for the purpose of providing dynamics and system level benefits to AIAA that currently do not exist in any technical organization.

NEWS: Phased by electricity?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2000-09-01

Magnets and electricity are the topics of the latest issue of Phases published by the Education Department at the UK Institute of Physics. A simple but effective classroom activity shows how magnetic force can be used to measure the thickness of paint, and a worksheet explaining domestic electricity - wiring, plugs, fuses and how a light bulb works - is also featured. A list of resources (publications, courses, workshops, references and websites) complements the activities. Mailed free of charge to all schools in the UK and Ireland, each issue of this lively publication is designed to support the teaching of physics to 11-14 year-olds and covers a particular area of physics along with ideas for lessons and teacher resource information, as well as career information for pupils. In the case of this particular issue, however, it has been pointed out that fuses are used to protect wiring and not appliances. Please note this when using the activities provided with `Grandad's Chair'. If you have not received your copy of Phases, please contact the IOP Education Department (education_schools@iop.org).

LASER CAPTURE MICRODISSECTION AND GENE ARRAY ANALYSIS OF PALATAL EPITHELIAL AND MESENCHYMAL CELLS EXPOSED TO TCDD

EPA Science Inventory

Palatal shelves from embryos exposed on gestation day (GD) 12 to either retinoic acid (RA) or 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) contact but fail to fuse. It is of interest to know if diverse agents that induce clefting via the same etiology also activate the same biochem...

Nanoimprint Lithography on curved surfaces prepared by fused deposition modelling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Köpplmayr, Thomas; Häusler, Lukas; Bergmair, Iris; Mühlberger, Michael

2015-06-01

Fused deposition modelling (FDM) is an additive manufacturing technology commonly used for modelling, prototyping and production applications. The achievable surface roughness is one of its most limiting aspects. It is however of great interest to create well-defined (nanosized) patterns on the surface for functional applications such as optical effects, electronics or bio-medical devices. We used UV-curable polymers of different viscosities and flexible stamps made of poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) to perform Nanoimprint Lithography (NIL) on FDM-printed curved parts. Substrates with different roughness and curvature were prepared using a commercially available 3D printer. The nanoimprint results were characterized by optical light microscopy, profilometry and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Our experiments show promising results in creating well-defined microstructures on the 3D-printed parts.

Feasibility and Characterization of Common and Exotic Filaments for Use in 3D Printed Terahertz Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Squires, A. D.; Lewis, R. A.

2018-06-01

Recent years have seen an influx of applications utilizing 3D printed devices in the terahertz regime. The simplest, and perhaps most versatile, modality allowing this is Fused Deposition Modelling. In this work, a holistic analysis of the terahertz optical, mechanical and printing properties of 17 common and exotic 3D printer filaments used in Fused Deposition Modelling is performed. High impact polystyrene is found to be the best filament, with a useable frequency range of 0.1-1.3 THz, while remaining easily printed. Nylon, polylactic acid and polyvinyl alcohol give the least desirable terahertz response, satisfactory only below 0.5 THz. Interestingly, most modified filaments aimed at increasing mechanical properties and ease of printing do so without compromising the useable terahertz optical window.

Precise and absolute measurements of complex third-order optical susceptibility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Santran, Stephane; Canioni, Lionel; Cardinal, Thierry; Fargin, Evelyne; Le Flem, Gilles; Rouyer, Claude; Sarger, Laurent

2000-11-01

We present precise and absolute measurements of full complex third order optical susceptibility on different fused silica and original glasses composed of tellurium, titanium, niobium erbium. These materials are designed to be the key point for applications ranging form high power laser systems to optoelectronics, their nonlinear index of refraction is a major property and thus must be accurately known. Due to the accuracy and sensitivity of our technique, we have been able to find a large dispersion (more than 30%) of the non linear index of fused silica glasses as a function of their processing mode. On the other hand, measurements on tellurium glasses have shown very strong nonlinearities (40 times higher than fused silica), to be linked to the configurations of their cations and anions. Although the titanium and niobium glasses are less nonlinear, they can be promising matrices for addition of luminescent entities like erbium leading to very interesting laser amplification materials. The experimental set-up is a collinear pump-probe (orthogonally polarized) experiment using transient absorption technique. It is built with around a 100 femtosecond laser oscillator. A fast oscillating delay between the pump and the probe allows us to measure the electronic nonlinearity in quasi real-time. This experiment has the following specifications: an absolute measurement accuracy below 10% mainly due to the laser parameters characterization, a relative measurement accuracy of 1% and a resolution less than 5.10-24m2/V2(50 times less than fused silica).

CT evaluation of timing for ossification of the medial clavicular epiphysis in a contemporary Western Australian population.

PubMed

Franklin, Daniel; Flavel, Ambika

2015-05-01

The clavicle is the first bone to ossify in the developing embryo and the last to complete epiphyseal union. It is the latter sustained period of growth that has attracted the interest of skeletal biologists and forensic practitioners alike, who collectively recognize the important opportunity this bone affords to estimate skeletal age across the prenatal to early adult lifespan. Current research is largely directed towards evaluating the applicability of assessing fusion in the medial epiphysis, specifically for determining age of majority in the living. This study aims to contribute further insights, and inform medicolegal practice, by evaluating the Schmeling five-stage system for the assessment of clavicular development in a Western Australian population. We retrospectively evaluated high-resolution multiple detector computed tomography (MDCT) scans of 388 individuals (210 male; 178 female) between 10 and 35 years of age. Scans are viewed in axial and multiplanar reconstructed (MPR) images using OsiriX®. Fusion status is scored according to a five-stage system. Transition analysis is used to calculate age ranges and determine the mean age for transition between an unfused, fusing and fused status. The maximum likelihood estimates (in years) for transition from unfused to fusing is 20.60 (male) and 19.19 (female); transition from fusing to complete fusion is 21.92 (male) and 21.47 (female). Results of the present study confirm the reliability of the assessed method and demonstrate remarkable consistency to data reported for other global populations.

Drivers of Continuing Education Learning Preferences for Veterans Affairs Women's Health Primary Care Providers.

PubMed

Zuchowski, Jessica L; Hamilton, Alison B; Washington, Donna L; Gomez, Arthur G; Veet, Laure; Cordasco, Kristina M

2017-01-01

Documented gaps in health professionals' training in women's health are a special concern for continuing education (CE). In the Veterans Affairs (VA) health care system, women veterans are a numerical minority, preferably assigned to designated women's health primary care providers (DWHPs). DWHPs need to maintain their knowledge and skills in women's health topics, in addition to general internal medicine topics. We explored drivers of VA DWHPs' learning preferences for women's health topics-ie, factors which influence greater and lesser learning interest. We conducted semistructured telephone interviews with DWHPs across six VA health care systems. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and coded in ATLAS.ti. We synthesized results by grouping relevant coded sections of text to form emergent themes. Among the 31 DWHPs interviewed, reported drivers of learning interests among women's health topics were (1) high frequency of clinical incidence of particular issues; (2) perceived appropriateness of particular issues for management in primary care settings; and (3) perceived appropriateness of particular issues for partial management in primary care. Lower interest in particular women's health topics was associated with (1) perceived existing competency or recent training in an issue and (2) perceived need for specialty care management of an issue. Understanding drivers of DWHPs' CE learning priorities lays a foundation for developing CE programming that will be of interest to women's health primary care providers. Attention to drivers of learning interests may have applicability beyond women's health, suggesting a general approach for CE programming that prioritizes high-volume topics within the practice scope of target providers.

The Interest of Bavarian Primary School Pupils in Geographical Topics and Methods--Selected Results of an Empirical Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lorenz, Aline; Roth, Anna; Priese, Carolin; Peukert, Eva; Mertel, Stefanie; Bloß, Susanne; Mehren, Rainer

2017-01-01

Interest is a central learning prerequisite for teaching. The article deals with a survey among 1600 primary school pupils in forms 2, 3 and 4 (ages 7-10) in the German federal state of Bavaria who were interviewed on their interest in geographical topics and working methods. They were given a questionnaire including 40 items to indicate their…

Topical and Applied Interests of Introductory Psychology Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stalder, Daniel R.; Stec, Deborah A.

2007-01-01

Using forced-choice and continuous measures, introductory psychology students reported highest interest for the topical areas of clinical and social psychology (over biological, cognitive, and developmental) and for the applied areas of education and health (over business, environment, and law) at both the beginning and end of semesters. Among…

Engaging Non-Science Majors in Biology, One Disease at a Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia, Rebecca; Rahman, Alvina; Klein, Janette Gomos

2015-01-01

We designed a human biology course that interests nonmajors while improving science literacy through student engagement, using a constructivist-inspired, topic-centered approach. This way of learning highlights common diseases that provide a basis to incorporate specific biological concepts. The topic-centered approach triggers interest and…

Emotion-Related Regulation: An Emerging Construct

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eisenberg, Nancy; Champion, Claire; Ma, Yue

2004-01-01

Emotion-related regulation is a topic of considerable current interest; however, this was not always true. We briefly discuss the history of interest in the topic and then the current state of the field, including definitions of the construct. In addition, we summarize some of the important issues for future attention, including definitional…

The Effects of Instruction of Creative Invention on Students' Situational Interest in Physics Lesson

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leung, Tim

There are a few empirical studies (Palmer, 2008; Dohn, 2010) or intervention programs (Hidi & Harackiewicz, 2000) about students' situational interest in physics lessons, although the declining interest in physics among students has been well documented in the research literature (Gardner, 1998 ; International Bureau for Education, 2001; European Commission, 2007; Oon & Subramaniam, 2011). Even in the research area of science education, yet little is known about how to trigger students' catching and holding situational interest in a physics lesson. In this study, five intervention lessons of creative invention were developed. Each lesson consists of three parts including Eberle's (1971, 1972) SCAMPER technique on the creative thinking, knowledge and concepts of physics curriculum, hands-on activities related to both SCAMPER technique and physics concepts. Two surveys were developed and used to measure the situational interest and individual interest of students in physics lessons. Qualitative conversational interviews were used to interpret the sources of situational interest of students in physics lessons. Results in this study indicate that new inventive products and television programs or films related to SCAMPER can trigger the catching interest in physics lessons. Meaningful hands-on activities related to both SCAMPER technique and physics concepts can trigger the holding interest in physics lessons. There is no significant difference in situational interest among students with different academic abilities except in the topic related to electronic components. The students with lower academic ability have greater situational interest than the students with higher academic ability in learning the topic related to electronic components. There is no significant difference in situational interest between boys and girls except in the topic related to revolving paper lantern. Girls have higher situational interest than boys in learning the topic related to revolving paper lantern. The findings in this study suggest that educators can use instruction of creative invention to trigger students' situational interest and enhance students' individual interest in physics lessons.

Does prior domain-specific content knowledge influence students' recall of arguments surrounding interdisciplinary topics?

PubMed

Schmidt, Hiemke K; Rothgangel, Martin; Grube, Dietmar

2017-12-01

Awareness of various arguments can help interactants present opinions, stress points, and build counterarguments during discussions. At school, some topics are taught in a way that students learn to accumulate knowledge and gather arguments, and later employ them during debates. Prior knowledge may facilitate recalling information on well structured, fact-based topics, but does it facilitate recalling arguments during discussions on complex, interdisciplinary topics? We assessed the prior knowledge in domains related to a bioethical topic of 277 students from Germany (approximately 15 years old), their interest in the topic, and their general knowledge. The students read a text with arguments for and against prenatal diagnostics and tried to recall the arguments one week later and again six weeks later. Prior knowledge in various domains related to the topic individually and separately helped students recall the arguments. These relationships were independent of students' interest in the topic and their general knowledge. Copyright © 2017 The Foundation for Professionals in Services for Adolescents. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Disease Prediction based on Functional Connectomes using a Scalable and Spatially-Informed Support Vector Machine

PubMed Central

Watanabe, Takanori; Kessler, Daniel; Scott, Clayton; Angstadt, Michael; Sripada, Chandra

2014-01-01

Substantial evidence indicates that major psychiatric disorders are associated with distributed neural dysconnectivity, leading to strong interest in using neuroimaging methods to accurately predict disorder status. In this work, we are specifically interested in a multivariate approach that uses features derived from whole-brain resting state functional connectomes. However, functional connectomes reside in a high dimensional space, which complicates model interpretation and introduces numerous statistical and computational challenges. Traditional feature selection techniques are used to reduce data dimensionality, but are blind to the spatial structure of the connectomes. We propose a regularization framework where the 6-D structure of the functional connectome (defined by pairs of points in 3-D space) is explicitly taken into account via the fused Lasso or the GraphNet regularizer. Our method only restricts the loss function to be convex and margin-based, allowing non-differentiable loss functions such as the hinge-loss to be used. Using the fused Lasso or GraphNet regularizer with the hinge-loss leads to a structured sparse support vector machine (SVM) with embedded feature selection. We introduce a novel efficient optimization algorithm based on the augmented Lagrangian and the classical alternating direction method, which can solve both fused Lasso and GraphNet regularized SVM with very little modification. We also demonstrate that the inner subproblems of the algorithm can be solved efficiently in analytic form by coupling the variable splitting strategy with a data augmentation scheme. Experiments on simulated data and resting state scans from a large schizophrenia dataset show that our proposed approach can identify predictive regions that are spatially contiguous in the 6-D “connectome space,” offering an additional layer of interpretability that could provide new insights about various disease processes. PMID:24704268

Multisource information fusion applied to ship identification for the recognized maritime picture

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Simard, Marc-Alain; Lefebvre, Eric; Helleur, Christopher

2000-04-01

The Recognized Maritime Picture (RMP) is defined as a composite picture of activity over a maritime area of interest. In simplistic terms, building an RAMP comes down to finding if an object of interest, a ship in our case, is there or not, determining what it is, determining what it is doing and determining if some type of follow-on action is required. The Canadian Department of National Defence currently has access to or may, in the near future, have access to a number of civilians, military and allied information or sensor systems to accomplish these purposes. These systems include automatic self-reporting positional systems, air patrol surveillance systems, high frequency surface radars, electronic intelligence systems, radar space systems and high frequency direction finding sensors. The ability to make full use of these systems is limited by the existing capability to fuse data from all sources in a timely, accurate and complete manner. This paper presents an information fusion systems under development that correlates and fuses these information and sensor data sources. This fusion system, named Adaptive Fuzzy Logic Correlator, correlates the information in batch but fuses and constructs ship tracks sequentially. It applies standard Kalman filter techniques and fuzzy logic correlation techniques. We propose a set of recommendations that should improve the ship identification process. Particularly it is proposed to utilize as many non-redundant sources of information as possible that address specific vessel attributes. Another important recommendation states that the information fusion and data association techniques should be capable of dealing with incomplete and imprecise information. Some fuzzy logic techniques capable of tolerating imprecise and dissimilar data are proposed.

Multi-Topic Tracking Model for dynamic social network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Yuhua; Liu, Changzheng; Zhao, Ming; Li, Ruixuan; Xiao, Hailing; Wang, Kai; Zhang, Jun

2016-07-01

The topic tracking problem has attracted much attention in the last decades. However, existing approaches rarely consider network structures and textual topics together. In this paper, we propose a novel statistical model based on dynamic bayesian network, namely Multi-Topic Tracking Model for Dynamic Social Network (MTTD). It takes influence phenomenon, selection phenomenon, document generative process and the evolution of textual topics into account. Specifically, in our MTTD model, Gibbs Random Field is defined to model the influence of historical status of users in the network and the interdependency between them in order to consider the influence phenomenon. To address the selection phenomenon, a stochastic block model is used to model the link generation process based on the users' interests to topics. Probabilistic Latent Semantic Analysis (PLSA) is used to describe the document generative process according to the users' interests. Finally, the dependence on the historical topic status is also considered to ensure the continuity of the topic itself in topic evolution model. Expectation Maximization (EM) algorithm is utilized to estimate parameters in the proposed MTTD model. Empirical experiments on real datasets show that the MTTD model performs better than Popular Event Tracking (PET) and Dynamic Topic Model (DTM) in generalization performance, topic interpretability performance, topic content evolution and topic popularity evolution performance.

Council of Energy Resources Tribes 1993 summer internship report: Nez Perce Tribe

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

Crow, J.S.

1993-08-01

This paper is designed to be a working part of a larger project which would deal with the topic of Tribal interests affected by the DOE Environmental Restoration and Waste Management program and the approaches by which those Tribal interests can be advanced. Topics discussed in this paper include: background history of the Nez Perce Tribe`s relations with the US government; a Nez Perce view of tribal interests affected by DOE activities at Hanford; and a Nez Perce framework for private/governmental/tribal interest.

Variables Predicting Foreign Language Reading Comprehension and Vocabulary Acquisition in a Linear Hypermedia Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akbulut, Yavuz

2007-01-01

Factors predicting vocabulary learning and reading comprehension of advanced language learners of English in a linear multimedia text were investigated in the current study. Predictor variables of interest were multimedia type, reading proficiency, learning styles, topic interest and background knowledge about the topic. The outcome variables of…

Independent Consulting Topical Interest Group: 2004 Industry Survey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jarosewich, Tania; Essenmacher, Victoria L.; Lynch, Christina Olenik; Williams, Jennifer E.; Doino-Ingersoll, Jo Ann

2006-01-01

The American Evaluation Association's (AEA) Independent Consulting Topical Interest Group (IC TIG) has a membership of over eight hundred individuals who generally work as sole proprietors, in partnerships, or in small consulting firms. Well over a decade ago, the IC TIG conducted a survey of its membership (Bonnet, 1992). To gather current data…

Teaching Foreign Languages with Realia and Other Authentic Materials. ERIC Q&A.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berwald, Jean-Pierre

Realia, authentic documents, and mass media are living daily proof of the value of language. Their authenticity, specialized vocabulary, reinforced grammatical structures, and topics of interest can help encourage interest in the target language and culture. They contain current language on all imaginable topics, and are not artificial or…

National Survey of US academic anesthesiology chairs on clinician wellness.

PubMed

Vinson, Amy E; Zurakowski, David; Randel, Gail I; Schlecht, Kathy D

2016-11-01

The prevalence of anesthesiology department wellness programs is unknown. A database of wellness programs is needed as a resource for departments attempting to respond to the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education Anesthesiology Milestones Project. The purpose of this study was to survey academic anesthesiology chairs on wellness issues, characterize initiatives, and establish wellness contacts for a Wellness Initiative Database (WID). An Internet-based survey instrument was distributed to academic anesthesiology department chairs in the United States. On-line. None. None. Analysis for continuous variables used standard means, modes, and averages for individual responses; 95% confidence intervals for proportions were calculated by Wilson's method. Seventy-five (56.4%) responses (of a potential 133 programs) were obtained. Forty-one (of 71 responders; 57.8%) expressed interest in participating in a WID, and 33 (44%) provided contact information. Most (74.7%) had recently referred staff for counseling or wellness resources, yet many (79.5% and 67.1%, respectively) had never surveyed their department's interest in wellness resources. Thirty-four percent had a wellness resources repository. Of 22 wellness topics, 8 garnered >60% strong interest from respondents: Addiction Counseling, Sleep Hygiene, Peer Support Program, Stress Management, Conflict Management, Burnout Counseling, Time Management, and Dealing with Adverse Events Training. There was a statistically significant difference in interest between those willing to participate or not in the WID across most topics but no significant difference based on need for recent staff referral. The majority of chairs needed to recently refer a department member to wellness resources or counseling. Most were interested in participating in a WID, whereas a minority had gauged staff interest in wellness topics or had a wellness resource repository. Highest interest was in topics most related to function as an anesthesiologist. Those willing to participate in the database had statistically significant differences in interest across most wellness topics. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Andrzej PȨKALSKI Networks of Scientific Interests with Internal Degrees of Freedom Through Self-Citation Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ausloos, M.; Lambiotte, R.; Scharnhorst, A.; Hellsten, I.

Old and recent theoretical works by Andrzej Pȩkalski (APE) are recalled as possible sources of interest for describing network formation and clustering in complex (scientific) communities, through self-organization and percolation processes. Emphasis is placed on APE self-citation network over four decades. The method is that used for detecting scientists' field mobility by focusing on author's self-citation, co-authorships and article topics networks as in Refs. 1 and 2. It is shown that APE's self-citation patterns reveal important information on APE interest for research topics over time as well as APE engagement on different scientific topics and in different networks of collaboration. Its interesting complexity results from "degrees of freedom" and external fields leading to so called internal shock resistance. It is found that APE network of scientific interests belongs to independent clusters and occurs through rare or drastic events as in irreversible "preferential attachment processes", similar to those found in usual mechanics and thermodynamics phase transitions.

Statistical Inference in Graphical Models

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-17

fuse probability theory and graph theory in such a way as to permit efficient rep- resentation and computation with probability distributions. They...message passing. 59 viii 1. INTRODUCTION In approaching real-world problems, we often need to deal with uncertainty. Probability and statis- tics provide a...dynamic programming methods. However, for many sensors of interest, the signal-to-noise ratio does not allow such a treatment. Another source of

SU-E-J-129: Atlas Development for Cardiac Automatic Contouring Using Multi-Atlas Segmentation

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

Zhou, R; Yang, J; Pan, T

Purpose: To develop a set of atlases for automatic contouring of cardiac structures to determine heart radiation dose and the associated toxicity. Methods: Six thoracic cancer patients with both contrast and non-contrast CT images were acquired for this study. Eight radiation oncologists manually and independently delineated cardiac contours on the non-contrast CT by referring to the fused contrast CT and following the RTOG 1106 atlas contouring guideline. Fifteen regions of interest (ROIs) were delineated, including heart, four chambers, four coronary arteries, pulmonary artery and vein, inferior and superior vena cava, and ascending and descending aorta. Individual expert contours were fusedmore » using the simultaneous truth and performance level estimation (STAPLE) algorithm for each ROI and each patient. The fused contours became atlases for an in-house multi-atlas segmentation. Using leave-one-out test, we generated auto-segmented contours for each ROI and each patient. The auto-segmented contours were compared with the fused contours using the Dice similarity coefficient (DSC) and the mean surface distance (MSD). Results: Inter-observer variability was not obvious for heart, chambers, and aorta but was large for other structures that were not clearly distinguishable on CT image. The average DSC between individual expert contours and the fused contours were less than 50% for coronary arteries and pulmonary vein, and the average MSD were greater than 4.0 mm. The largest MSD of expert contours deviating from the fused contours was 2.5 cm. The mean DSC and MSD of auto-segmented contours were within one standard deviation of expert contouring variability except the right coronary artery. The coronary arteries, vena cava, and pulmonary vein had DSC<70% and MSD>3.0 mm. Conclusion: A set of cardiac atlases was created for cardiac automatic contouring, the accuracy of which was comparable to the variability in expert contouring. However, substantial modification may need for auto-segmented contours of indistinguishable small structures.« less

Prediction of Students' Argumentation Skills about Controversial Topics by Epistemological Understanding

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mason, Lucia; Scirica, Fabio

2006-01-01

This study focuses on the contribution of overall epistemological understanding to argumentation skills, after controlling for topic knowledge and interest, in eighth graders. Students were introduced to two controversial topics, global warming and genetically modified food, through the reading of a two-sided text on each topic. After reading,…

Cyber-Bullying in School Settings: A Research Citation Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piotrowski, Chris

2011-01-01

Research on the topic of cyber-bullying has proliferated over the past decade, particularly on its impact on school-aged children. Thus, it would be of interest to examine the scope and extent of research interest in the topic in scholarly publications. This paper reports on a reference citation analysis of the database PsycINFO, using…

Cyberbullying: A Research-Based Content Analysis of the Psychological Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piotrowski, Chris

2012-01-01

Research on the topic of cyber-bullying has proliferated over the past decade, particularly on its impact on children through adolescents. Thus, it would be of interest to examine the scope and extent of research interest on the topic in scholarly publications. This paper reports on a reference citation analysis of the database PsycINFO, using the…

Real-time full-motion color Flash lidar for target detection and identification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nelson, Roy; Coppock, Eric; Craig, Rex; Craner, Jeremy; Nicks, Dennis; von Niederhausern, Kurt

2015-05-01

Greatly improved understanding of areas and objects of interest can be gained when real time, full-motion Flash LiDAR is fused with inertial navigation data and multi-spectral context imagery. On its own, full-motion Flash LiDAR provides the opportunity to exploit the z dimension for improved intelligence vs. 2-D full-motion video (FMV). The intelligence value of this data is enhanced when it is combined with inertial navigation data to produce an extended, georegistered data set suitable for a variety of analysis. Further, when fused with multispectral context imagery the typical point cloud now becomes a rich 3-D scene which is intuitively obvious to the user and allows rapid cognitive analysis with little or no training. Ball Aerospace has developed and demonstrated a real-time, full-motion LIDAR system that fuses context imagery (VIS to MWIR demonstrated) and inertial navigation data in real time, and can stream these information-rich geolocated/fused 3-D scenes from an airborne platform. In addition, since the higher-resolution context camera is boresighted and frame synchronized to the LiDAR camera and the LiDAR camera is an array sensor, techniques have been developed to rapidly interpolate the LIDAR pixel values creating a point cloud that has the same resolution as the context camera, effectively creating a high definition (HD) LiDAR image. This paper presents a design overview of the Ball TotalSight™ LIDAR system along with typical results over urban and rural areas collected from both rotary and fixed-wing aircraft. We conclude with a discussion of future work.

Small maritime target detection through false color fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toet, Alexander; Wu, Tirui

2008-04-01

We present an algorithm that produces a fused false color representation of a combined multiband IR and visual imaging system for maritime applications. Multispectral IR imaging techniques are increasingly deployed in maritime operations, to detect floating mines or to find small dinghies and swimmers during search and rescue operations. However, maritime backgrounds usually contain a large amount of clutter that severely hampers the detection of small targets. Our new algorithm deploys the correlation between the target signatures in two different IR frequency bands (3-5 and 8-12 μm) to construct a fused IR image with a reduced amount of clutter. The fused IR image is then combined with a visual image in a false color RGB representation for display to a human operator. The algorithm works as follows. First, both individual IR bands are filtered with a morphological opening top-hat transform to extract small details. Second, a common image is extracted from the two filtered IR bands, and assigned to the red channel of an RGB image. Regions of interest that appear in both IR bands remain in this common image, while most uncorrelated noise details are filtered out. Third, the visual band is assigned to the green channel and, after multiplication with a constant (typically 1.6) also to the blue channel. Fourth, the brightness and colors of this intermediate false color image are renormalized by adjusting its first order statistics to those of a representative reference scene. The result of these four steps is a fused color image, with naturalistic colors (bluish sky and grayish water), in which small targets are clearly visible.

A Snapshot Survey of AGNS/QSOS for Intergalactic Medium Studies

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sonneborn, George (Technical Monitor); Sembach, George

2005-01-01

This spectroscopic program with the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) program was designed to identify ultraviolet-bright active galactic nuclei (AGNs) and quasi-stellar objects (QSOs) for follow-up spectroscopy with FUSE and the Hubble Space Telescope (HST). All of the FUSE spectra obtained for this snapshot program (FUSE identifier D808) have been examined for data quality and flux levels. As expected, only a small number of objects observed (4/19) have flux levels suitable for follow-up spectroscopy. A portion of our effort in this program was devoted to comparing the spectra obtained in these snapshot exposures to others to determine if the spectra could be used for detailed scientific analyses. The resulting effort demonstrated that some of the brighter sources are relatively stable (non- variable), as determined through comparisons of the spectra at multiple epochs. For these brighter sources, the exposure times are simply too short to perform meaningful detailed analyses. Comparisons of the absorption lines in these spectra with those of higher signal-to-noise spectra, like those of PG1116+215 and H1821+643, showed that many of the lines of interest could not be characterized adequately at the S/N levels reached in the short snapshot exposures. As a result, the FUSE D808 observations are suitable only for their original purpose - flux determination. Several bright objects identified as part of this program include: HE0153-4520, flux >2x10E-14 erg cm^-2s^-1 at 1000 Angstroms IRASF04250-5718, flux >4x10E-14 erg cm^-2s^-1 A^-1 at 1000 Angstroms RXJ2154.1-4414, flux > 1.6x10E-14 erg cm^-2s^-1 A^-1 at 1000 Angstroms S50716+714, flux >2.5x10E-14 erg cm^-2s^-1 A^-1 at 1000 Angstroms. All of these objects have been incorporated into the primary target lists for the HST Cosmic Origins Spectrograph. Identifying such objects for follow-up observations with HST/COS was the primary goal of this program, so the program wa successful. In addition, some of the objects were included in proposed target lists for future FUSE observations. Given that the state of the FUSE observatory is uncertain at this time, it is unknown whether anyjof htese objects will be re-observed with FUSE. The results of this program have been communicated to the astronomical community via email and by word of mouth since the resuts in and of themselves do not warrant publication in an astronomical journal. However, these lists will be maintained for future observers. The data are archived in the Multi-Mission Archive at the Space Telescioe Science INstitute.

Rapamycin-based inducible translocation systems for studying phagocytosis.

PubMed

Bohdanowicz, Michal; Fairn, Gregory D

2011-01-01

Phagocytosis is an immune receptor-mediated process whereby cells engulf large particles. The process is dynamic and requires several localized factors acting in concert with and sequentially after the engagement of immune receptors to envelope the particle. Once the particle is internalized, the nascent -phagosome undergoes a series of events leading to its maturation to the microbicidal phagolysosome. Investigating these dynamic and temporally controlled series of events in live cells requires noninvasive methods. The ability to rapidly recruit the proteins of interest to the sites of phagocytosis or to nascent phagosomes would help dissect the regulatory mechanisms involved during phagocytosis. Here, we describe a general approach to express in RAW264.7 murine macrophages, a genetically encoded rapamycin--induced heterodimerization system. In the presence of rapamycin, tight association between FK506-binding protein (FKBP) and FKBP rapamycin-binding protein (FRB) is observed. Based on this principle, a synthetic system consisting of a targeting domain attached to FKBP can recruit a protein of interest fused to FRB upon the addition of rapamycin. Previously, this technique has been used to target lipid-modifying enzymes and small GTPases to the phagosome or plasma membrane. The recruitment of the FRB module can be monitored by fluorescent microscopy if a fluorescent protein is fused to the FRB sequence. While the focus of this chapter is on phagocytic events, this method can be employed to study any organelle of interest when the appropriate targeting sequence is used.

How Hierarchical Topics Evolve in Large Text Corpora.

PubMed

Cui, Weiwei; Liu, Shixia; Wu, Zhuofeng; Wei, Hao

2014-12-01

Using a sequence of topic trees to organize documents is a popular way to represent hierarchical and evolving topics in text corpora. However, following evolving topics in the context of topic trees remains difficult for users. To address this issue, we present an interactive visual text analysis approach to allow users to progressively explore and analyze the complex evolutionary patterns of hierarchical topics. The key idea behind our approach is to exploit a tree cut to approximate each tree and allow users to interactively modify the tree cuts based on their interests. In particular, we propose an incremental evolutionary tree cut algorithm with the goal of balancing 1) the fitness of each tree cut and the smoothness between adjacent tree cuts; 2) the historical and new information related to user interests. A time-based visualization is designed to illustrate the evolving topics over time. To preserve the mental map, we develop a stable layout algorithm. As a result, our approach can quickly guide users to progressively gain profound insights into evolving hierarchical topics. We evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method on Amazon's Mechanical Turk and real-world news data. The results show that users are able to successfully analyze evolving topics in text data.

Forecasting Chronic Diseases Using Data Fusion.

PubMed

Acar, Evrim; Gürdeniz, Gözde; Savorani, Francesco; Hansen, Louise; Olsen, Anja; Tjønneland, Anne; Dragsted, Lars Ove; Bro, Rasmus

2017-07-07

Data fusion, that is, extracting information through the fusion of complementary data sets, is a topic of great interest in metabolomics because analytical platforms such as liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy commonly used for chemical profiling of biofluids provide complementary information. In this study, with a goal of forecasting acute coronary syndrome (ACS), breast cancer, and colon cancer, we jointly analyzed LC-MS, NMR measurements of plasma samples, and the metadata corresponding to the lifestyle of participants. We used supervised data fusion based on multiple kernel learning and exploited the linearity of the models to identify significant metabolites/features for the separation of healthy referents and the cases developing a disease. We demonstrated that (i) fusing LC-MS, NMR, and metadata provided better separation of ACS cases and referents compared with individual data sets, (ii) NMR data performed the best in terms of forecasting breast cancer, while fusion degraded the performance, and (iii) neither the individual data sets nor their fusion performed well for colon cancer. Furthermore, we showed the strengths and limitations of the fusion models by discussing their performance in terms of capturing known biomarkers for smoking and coffee. While fusion may improve performance in terms of separating certain conditions by jointly analyzing metabolomics and metadata sets, it is not necessarily always the best approach as in the case of breast cancer.

Person-independent facial expression analysis by fusing multiscale cell features

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Lubing; Wang, Han

2013-03-01

Automatic facial expression recognition is an interesting and challenging task. To achieve satisfactory accuracy, deriving a robust facial representation is especially important. A novel appearance-based feature, the multiscale cell local intensity increasing patterns (MC-LIIP), to represent facial images and conduct person-independent facial expression analysis is presented. The LIIP uses a decimal number to encode the texture or intensity distribution around each pixel via pixel-to-pixel intensity comparison. To boost noise resistance, MC-LIIP carries out comparison computation on the average values of scalable cells instead of individual pixels. The facial descriptor fuses region-based histograms of MC-LIIP features from various scales, so as to encode not only textural microstructures but also the macrostructures of facial images. Finally, a support vector machine classifier is applied for expression recognition. Experimental results on the CK+ and Karolinska directed emotional faces databases show the superiority of the proposed method.

Prediction of Test Mass Thermal Noise by Measurement of the Anelastic Aftereffect

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beilby, Mark A.; Saulson, Peter R.; Abramovici, Alex

1997-04-01

The thermal noise from the internal modes of test masses of interferometric gravitational wave detectors depends on the dissipation at the frequencies of interest. To date, predictions have been based on the Qs of resonances, all at frequencies higher than the expected signals. We have developed a method to determine the dissipation of test masses in the signal band, using the anelastic aftereffect, the creep J(τ) of a test mass after a compressive stress has been released. The loss angle φ(ω) is approximately given by the logarithmic derivative of J(τ) evaluated at τ=1/ω. For a transparent material such as fused silica, a convenient way to measure J(τ) is via the photoelastic effect. We will describe the apparatus that we have constructed, present measurements of the losses in dummy test masses made from BK7 glass and fused silica, and discuss the application of this method to LIGO test masses.

Discovering disease-disease associations by fusing systems-level molecular data

PubMed Central

Žitnik, Marinka; Janjić, Vuk; Larminie, Chris; Zupan, Blaž; Pržulj, Nataša

2013-01-01

The advent of genome-scale genetic and genomic studies allows new insight into disease classification. Recently, a shift was made from linking diseases simply based on their shared genes towards systems-level integration of molecular data. Here, we aim to find relationships between diseases based on evidence from fusing all available molecular interaction and ontology data. We propose a multi-level hierarchy of disease classes that significantly overlaps with existing disease classification. In it, we find 14 disease-disease associations currently not present in Disease Ontology and provide evidence for their relationships through comorbidity data and literature curation. Interestingly, even though the number of known human genetic interactions is currently very small, we find they are the most important predictor of a link between diseases. Finally, we show that omission of any one of the included data sources reduces prediction quality, further highlighting the importance in the paradigm shift towards systems-level data fusion. PMID:24232732

Front-surface fabrication of moderate aspect ratio micro-channels in fused silica by single picosecond Gaussian-Bessel laser pulse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Xin; Sanner, Nicolas; Sentis, Marc; Stoian, Razvan; Zhao, Wei; Cheng, Guanghua; Utéza, Olivier

2018-02-01

Single-shot Gaussian-Bessel laser beams of 1 ps pulse duration and of 0.9 μm core size and 60 μm depth of focus are used for drilling micro-channels on front side of fused silica in ambient condition. Channels ablated at different pulse energies are fully characterized by AFM and post-processing polishing procedures. We identify experimental energy conditions (typically 1.5 µJ) suitable to fabricate non-tapered channels with mean diameter of 1.2 µm and length of 40 μm while maintaining an utmost quality of the front opening of the channels. In addition, by further applying accurate post-polishing procedure, channels with high surface quality and moderate aspect ratio down to a few units are accessible, which would find interest in the surface micro-structuring of materials, with perspective of further scalability to meta-material specifications.

Discovering disease-disease associations by fusing systems-level molecular data.

PubMed

Žitnik, Marinka; Janjić, Vuk; Larminie, Chris; Zupan, Blaž; Pržulj, Nataša

2013-11-15

The advent of genome-scale genetic and genomic studies allows new insight into disease classification. Recently, a shift was made from linking diseases simply based on their shared genes towards systems-level integration of molecular data. Here, we aim to find relationships between diseases based on evidence from fusing all available molecular interaction and ontology data. We propose a multi-level hierarchy of disease classes that significantly overlaps with existing disease classification. In it, we find 14 disease-disease associations currently not present in Disease Ontology and provide evidence for their relationships through comorbidity data and literature curation. Interestingly, even though the number of known human genetic interactions is currently very small, we find they are the most important predictor of a link between diseases. Finally, we show that omission of any one of the included data sources reduces prediction quality, further highlighting the importance in the paradigm shift towards systems-level data fusion.

Topic Congruence and Topic Interest: How Do They Affect Second Language Reading Comprehension?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Sang-Ki

2009-01-01

Because human memory is largely reconstructive, people tend to reorganize and reevaluate an event in a way that is coherent to the truth values held in their belief system. This study investigated the role of topic congruence (defined as whether the reading content corresponds with readers' prior beliefs towards a contentious topic) in second…

Interest in biology. Part I: A multidimensional construct

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gardner, Paul L.; Tamir, Pinchas

Interest in a school subject (e.g., biology) is conceptualized in terms of three components: topics, activities, and motives, each of which has several dimensions. In this study, seven instruments were developed and administered to grade-10 biology students in Israel. Factor analysis provided support for the conceptualization which underlies the development of the instruments. Topic dimensions included biochemical processes, nonhuman organisms, human biology, personal hygiene, and practical applications; the activity dimensions were experiential learning, reception learning, writing/summarizing and group discussion; motives included environmental issues, moral issues, examination success, personal independence, problem solving, and four career dimensions (research, high-status professions, lower-status careers, woodsy-birdsy careers). In an analysis described in Part II of this paper, the students were classified into four groups on the basis of their grade-11 subject enrollment intentions: H (high-level biology), L (low-level biology), P (physical science), and N (no science). Zero-order and multiple correlations were found between interest and other variables and membership/nonmembership of the four groups. Students in Group H were characterized by higher achievement in year-10 biology, higher levels of enjoyment of biology, career orientations towards research or high-status biology-based professions, greater interest in various biology topics, especially reproduction/cell division/genetics, and a greater tendency to regard the Bagrut (grade-12) examination as interesting. Students in Group N displayed lower levels of interest in various topics (especially the microscope, plants, and reproduction), were less motivated to solve problems, had poorer grades in biology (and chemistry), were less likely to perceive biology as useful, were less likely to regard the Bagrut examination as fair, and were less likely to be interested in social modes of learning. There were few associations between interest variables and membership in Groups L or P.

Tucking the Pigeons up Your Sleeve: Ten Personae Teach One Nonfiction Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sunstein, Bonnie S.

2010-01-01

Nonfiction writing, as defined by the author, is the mix of art, craft, and information, put together by writers who let readers know they are interested in a topic, and who speculate about what that interest or topic might mean. In this article, the author introduces ten imagined colleagues who provide essential support for the teaching of…

Radiation Sensors for Medical, Industrial and Environmental Applications: How to Engage with Schools and the General Public

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seitz, B.; Rivera, N. Campos; Gray, R.; Power, A.; Thomson, F.

2018-01-01

Radiation, radiation detection and radiation protection are topics in physics and its applications which generate a wide interest in the public. This interest is either generated through medical procedures, applications of nuclear energy or nuclear accidents. The technical nature of these topics usually means that they are not well covered in the…

In situ observation of stishovite formation in shock-compressed fused silica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tracy, Sally June; Turneaure, Stefan; Duffy, Thomas

2017-06-01

Silica, SiO2, has widespread applications ranging from optical components to refractory materials and is of geological importance as one of the major oxide components of the Earth's crust and mantle. The response of silica phases to dynamic loading has long been of interest for understanding the structural evolution of this fundamental oxide. Under shock compression both crystalline quartz and fused silica are characterized by the occurrence of a broad `mixed-phase region' (15-40 GPa) and a dense, high-pressure phase with much lower compressibility. Despite decades of study, the nature of this transformation and the identity of the high-pressure phase(s) remain poorly understood. In situ x-ray diffraction experiments on shock-compressed fused silica were conducted at the Dynamic Compression Sector of the Advanced Photon Source. The lattice-level structure was investigated through time-resolved x-ray diffraction measurements on samples reaching peak stress ranging from 12 to 47 GPa. Our results demonstrate that SiO2 adopts a dense amorphous structure in the `mixed-phase region' and abruptly transforms to stishovite above 34 GPa. These results provide clear evidence that high-pressure crystalline silicate phases can form from amorphous starting materials on the time-scale of laboratory shock experiments.

Inferences on the evolutionary history of the Drosophila americana polymorphic X/4 fusion from patterns of polymorphism at the X-linked paralytic and elav genes.

PubMed Central

Vieira, Cristina P; Coelho, Paula A; Vieira, Jorge

2003-01-01

In Drosophila there is limited evidence on the nature of evolutionary forces affecting chromosomal arrangements other than inversions. The study of the X/4 fusion polymorphism of Drosophila americana is thus of interest. Polymorphism patterns at the paralytic (para) gene, located at the base of the X chromosome, suggest that there is suppressed crossing over in this region between fusion and nonfusion chromosomes but not within fusion and nonfusion chromosomes. These data are thus compatible with previous claims that within fusion chromosomes the amino acid clines found at fused1 (also located at the base of the X chromosome) are likely maintained by local selection. The para data set also suggests a young age of the X/4 fusion. Polymorphism data on para and elav (located at the middle region of the X chromosome) suggest that there is no population structure other than that caused by the X/4 fusion itself. These findings are therefore compatible with previous claims that selection maintains the strong association observed between the methionine/threonine variants at fused1 and the status of the X chromosome as fused or unfused to the fourth chromosome. PMID:12930752

Introduction to Acoustics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rossing, Thomas

This brief introduction may help to persuade the reader that acoustics covers a wide range of interesting topics. It is impossible to cover all these topics in a single handbook, but we have attempted to include a sampling of hot topics that represent current acoustical research, both fundamental and applied.

Self-expression assignment as a teaching approach to enhance the interest of Kuwaiti women in biological sciences.

PubMed

El-Sabban, Farouk

2008-06-01

Stimulating the interest of students in biological sciences necessitates the use of new teaching methods and motivating approaches. The idea of the self-expression assignment (SEA) has evolved from the prevalent environment at the College for Women of Kuwait University (Safat, State of Kuwait), a newly established college where the number of students is low and where students have varied backgrounds and interests and are being instructed biological sciences in English for the first time. This SEA requires each student to choose a topic among a long list of topics and interact with it in any way to produce a finished product without the interference of the course instructor. Students are told that the SEA will be graded based on their commitment, creative thinking, innovation in developing the idea, and finishing up of the chosen assignment. The SEA has been implemented in three introductory courses, namely, Biology, Introduction to Human Nutrition and Food Science, and The Human Body. Many interesting projects resulted from the SEA, and, based on an administered survey, students assessed this assignment very favorably. Students expressed their pleasure of experiencing freedom in choosing their own topics, interacting with such topics, learning more about them, and finishing up their projects. Students appreciated this type of exposure to biological sciences and expressed that such an experience enhanced their interest in such sciences.

Tailoring cancer education and support programs for low-income, primarily African American cancer survivors.

PubMed

Martin, Michelle Y; Pollack, Lori A; Evans, Mary B; Smith, Judith Lee; Kratt, Polly; Prayor-Patterson, Heather; Watson, Christopher D; Dignan, Mark; Cheney, Lydia C; Pisu, Maria; Liwo, Amandiy; Hullett, Sandral

2011-01-01

to identify the information and stress-management topics of most interest to low-income, predominantly African American cancer survivors. descriptive, cross sectional. outpatient oncology clinic in a public hospital in Birmingham, Alabama. 25 patients with cancer; 12 were men, 22 were African Americans, and 16 had a 12th-grade education or less. patients ranked potential topics to be included in an educational curriculum. quantitative rankings of information and stress-management priorities. learning about cancer, understanding cancer treatments, relieving cancer pain, and keeping well in mind and body were the most highly ranked topics among those offered within the American Cancer Society's I Can Cope curriculum, which also included supportive topics such as mobilizing social support. The preferred stress-management topics were humor therapy, music therapy, meditation, and relaxation; lower-ranked topics included pet therapy and art as therapy. cancer survivors appear most interested in topics specific to their illness and treatment versus supportive topics. Stress management also received high rankings. nurses have a key role in providing patient education and support. Tailoring education programs may better target specific needs and improve the quality of cancer care of underserved patients.

Discovery and design of carbohydrate-based therapeutics.

PubMed

Cipolla, Laura; Araújo, Ana C; Bini, Davide; Gabrielli, Luca; Russo, Laura; Shaikh, Nasrin

2010-08-01

Till now, the importance of carbohydrates has been underscored, if compared with the two other major classes of biopolymers such as oligonucleotides and proteins. Recent advances in glycobiology and glycochemistry have imparted a strong interest in the study of this enormous family of biomolecules. Carbohydrates have been shown to be implicated in recognition processes, such as cell-cell adhesion, cell-extracellular matrix adhesion and cell-intruder recognition phenomena. In addition, carbohydrates are recognized as differentiation markers and as antigenic determinants. Due to their relevant biological role, carbohydrates are promising candidates for drug design and disease treatment. However, the growing number of human disorders known as congenital disorders of glycosylation that are being identified as resulting from abnormalities in glycan structures and protein glycosylation strongly indicates that a fast development of glycobiology, glycochemistry and glycomedicine is highly desirable. The topics give an overview of different approaches that have been used to date for the design of carbohydrate-based therapeutics; this includes the use of native synthetic carbohydrates, the use of carbohydrate mimics designed on the basis of their native counterpart, the use of carbohydrates as scaffolds and finally the design of glyco-fused therapeutics, one of the most recent approaches. The review covers mainly literature that has appeared since 2000, except for a few papers cited for historical reasons. The reader will gain an overview of the current strategies applied to the design of carbohydrate-based therapeutics; in particular, the advantages/disadvantages of different approaches are highlighted. The topic is presented in a general, basic manner and will hopefully be a useful resource for all readers who are not familiar with it. In addition, in order to stress the potentialities of carbohydrates, several examples of carbohydrate-based marketed therapeutics are given. Carbohydrates are a rich class of natural compounds, possessing an intriguing and still not fully understood biological role. This richness offers several strategies for the design of carbohydrate-based therapeutics.

Canisius College Summer Science Camp: Combining Science and Education Experts to Increase Middle School Students' Interest in Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheridan, Phillip M.; Szczepankiewicz, Steven H.; Mekelburg, Christopher R.; Schwabel, Kara M.

2011-01-01

The Canisius College Summer Science Camp is a successful and effective annual outreach program that specifically targets middle school students in an effort to increase their interest in science. Five broadly defined science topics are explored in a camp-like atmosphere filled with hands-on activities. A 2010 module focused on chemistry topics of…

Increasing Student Interest and Comprehension of Production Planning and Control and Operations Performance Measurement Concepts Using a Production Line Game

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cox, James F., III; Walker, Edward D., II

2005-01-01

Production planning and control (PPC) systems and operations performance measures are topics that students generally find both boring and difficult to understand. In the article, the authors present a production line game that they have found to be an effective tool to increase student interest in the topics as well as student comprehension. The…

A new method for synthesizing fluid inclusions in fused silica capillaries containing organic and inorganic material

USGS Publications Warehouse

Chou, I.-Ming; Song, Y.; Burruss, R.C.

2008-01-01

Considerable advances in our understanding of physicochemical properties of geological fluids and their roles in many geological processes have been achieved by the use of synthetic fluid inclusions. We have developed a new method to synthesize fluid inclusions containing organic and inorganic material in fused silica capillary tubing. We have used both round (0.3 mm OD and 0.05 or 0.1 mm ID) and square cross-section tubing (0.3 ?? 0.3 mm with 0.05 ?? 0.05 mm or 0.1 ?? 0.1 mm cavities). For microthermometric measurements in a USGS-type heating-cooling stage, sample capsules must be less than 25 mm in length. The square-sectioned capsules have the advantage of providing images without optical distortion. However, the maximum internal pressure (P; about 100 MPa at 22 ??C) and temperature (T; about 500 ??C) maintained by the square-sectioned capsules are less than those held by the round-sectioned capsules (about 300 MPa at room T, and T up to 650 ??C). The fused silica capsules can be applied to a wide range of problems of interest in fluid inclusion and hydrothermal research, such as creating standards for the calibration of thermocouples in heating-cooling stages and frequency shifts in Raman spectrometers. The fused silica capsules can also be used as containers for hydrothermal reactions, especially for organic samples, including individual hydrocarbons, crude oils, and gases, such as cracking of C18H38 between 350 and 400 ??C, isotopic exchanges between C18H38 and D2O and between C19D40 and H2O at similar temperatures. Results of these types of studies provide information on the kinetics of oil cracking and the changes of oil composition under thermal stress. When compared with synthesis of fluid inclusions formed by healing fractures in quartz or other minerals or by overgrowth of quartz at elevated P-T conditions, the new fused-silica method has the following advantages: (1) it is simple; (2) fluid inclusions without the presence of water can be formed; (3) synthesized inclusions are large and uniform, and they are able to tolerate high internal P; (4) it is suitable for the study of organic material; and (5) redox control is possible due to high permeability of the fused silica to hydrogen.

Correcting Fallacies in Validity, Reliability, and Classification

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sijtsma, Klaas

2009-01-01

This article reviews three topics from test theory that continue to raise discussion and controversy and capture test theorists' and constructors' interest. The first topic concerns the discussion of the methodology of investigating and establishing construct validity; the second topic concerns reliability and its misuse, alternative definitions…

Common Topics and Commonplaces of Environmental Rhetoric

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ross, Derek G.

2013-01-01

Common topics are words or phrases used to develop argument, and commonplaces aid memory or catalyze frames of understanding. When used in argumentation, each may help interested parties more effectively communicate valuable scientific and environment-related information. This article describes 12 modern topics of environmental rhetoric,…

29 CFR 1910.399 - Definitions applicable to this subpart.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... assembly of a fuse support with either a fuseholder, fuse carrier, or disconnecting blade. The fuseholder or fuse carrier may include a conducting element (fuse link), or may act as the disconnecting blade... in which all or part of the fuse support and its fuse link or disconnecting blade are mounted in oil...

29 CFR 1910.399 - Definitions applicable to this subpart.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... assembly of a fuse support with either a fuseholder, fuse carrier, or disconnecting blade. The fuseholder or fuse carrier may include a conducting element (fuse link), or may act as the disconnecting blade... in which all or part of the fuse support and its fuse link or disconnecting blade are mounted in oil...

29 CFR 1910.399 - Definitions applicable to this subpart.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... assembly of a fuse support with either a fuseholder, fuse carrier, or disconnecting blade. The fuseholder or fuse carrier may include a conducting element (fuse link), or may act as the disconnecting blade... in which all or part of the fuse support and its fuse link or disconnecting blade are mounted in oil...

29 CFR 1910.399 - Definitions applicable to this subpart.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... assembly of a fuse support with either a fuseholder, fuse carrier, or disconnecting blade. The fuseholder or fuse carrier may include a conducting element (fuse link), or may act as the disconnecting blade... in which all or part of the fuse support and its fuse link or disconnecting blade are mounted in oil...

29 CFR 1910.399 - Definitions applicable to this subpart.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... assembly of a fuse support with either a fuseholder, fuse carrier, or disconnecting blade. The fuseholder or fuse carrier may include a conducting element (fuse link), or may act as the disconnecting blade... in which all or part of the fuse support and its fuse link or disconnecting blade are mounted in oil...

Academic Engagment Opportunities

Science.gov Websites

Defense, Security Cooperation and Defense Support of Civil Authorities. The attached research topics list organizational mailbox at n-nc.peterson.n-ncj7.mbx.j72-education-team-omb@mail.mil. PROSPECTIVE RESEARCH TOPICS PROSPECTIVE RESEARCH TOPICS The Arctic * Increasing US Navy Presence in the Arctic * China's Arctic Interests

78 FR 65305 - State Energy Advisory Board (STEAB)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-31

... Board on routine business matters and other topics of interest. Public Participation: The meeting is... five days prior to the meeting; reasonable provision will be made to include requested topic(s) on the... orderly conduct of business. Minutes: The minutes of the meeting will be available for public review and...

77 FR 70423 - State Energy Advisory Board (STEAB)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-26

... STEAB Strategic Planning Subcommittee, and provide an update to the Board on routine business matters and other topics of interest, and follow-up on activities of the Weatherization Taskforce's meeting at... be made to include requested topic(s) on the agenda. The Chair of the Board is empowered to conduct...

Some Teaching Topics from Space Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balding, G. M.

1972-01-01

Short notes on a variety of science topics provide information derived from space sciences that can be used to add interest and up-to-date data to science lessons. Topics are arranged alphabetically from Alpha particles to X-rays, and include some from each of the physical, earth, and biological sciences. (AL)

Native Americans' Interest in Horticulture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meyer, Mary Hockenberry

1999-01-01

Focus groups arranged by local Native American Master Gardeners on two Minnesota reservations determined community interest in extension-horticulture programs. Topics of interest included food preservation and historical Native-American uses of plants. (SK)

Grade 9 Astronomy Study: Interests of Boys and Girls Studying Astronomy at Fletcher's Meadow Secondary School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krstovic, Mirjan; Brown, Laura; Chacko, Merin; Trinh, Brenda

In this report, we discuss the interests of Grade 9 boys and girls studying astronomy at Fletcher's Meadow Secondary School in Brampton, Ontario. A total of 152 Grade 9 academic students were asked to rate their interest levels in various astronomy topics on a scale of 0 3, where 0 represented no interest and 3 represented a high level of interest. We also asked the students to rate all the in-class activities on the same scale. Our analysis of the data suggests that there are many similarities in interest levels in various astronomy topics between boys and girls. In addition, boys and girls expressed similar preferences for in-class astronomy activities with only minor differences, suggesting similar learning styles in astronomy for boys and girls at the Grade 9 level.

The International Year of the Child - 1979: 'More of Same' or Radical Critique? Curriculum, Media & Instruction Occasional Paper No. 8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, David G.

Delegates to the Canadian planning meeting of the International Year of the Child showed most interest in attending workshops on the topic of children in the international context (rather than in a single country context) and least interest in the topic of research. These choices may reflect a realization that (1) if we are to understand our own…

Poor and Rich in James: A Relevance Theory Approach to James's Use of the Old Testament

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morales, Nelson R.

2015-01-01

The epistle of James was for years a forgotten book in academic circles. In recent decades, however, a renewed focus on early Judaism has generated interest in looking at James with new eyes. Poverty and wealth in the epistle continues to be a point of interest. Other topics, however, are still to be explored. One of these topics is the rhetorical…

Analysis of the Capacity of Google Trends to Measure Interest in Conservation Topics and the Role of Online News.

PubMed

Nghiem, Le T P; Papworth, Sarah K; Lim, Felix K S; Carrasco, Luis R

2016-01-01

With the continuous growth of internet usage, Google Trends has emerged as a source of information to investigate how social trends evolve over time. Knowing how the level of interest in conservation topics--approximated using Google search volume--varies over time can help support targeted conservation science communication. However, the evolution of search volume over time and the mechanisms that drive peaks in searches are poorly understood. We conducted time series analyses on Google search data from 2004 to 2013 to investigate: (i) whether interests in selected conservation topics have declined and (ii) the effect of news reporting and academic publishing on search volume. Although trends were sensitive to the term used as benchmark, we did not find that public interest towards conservation topics such as climate change, ecosystem services, deforestation, orangutan, invasive species and habitat loss was declining. We found, however, a robust downward trend for endangered species and an upward trend for ecosystem services. The quantity of news articles was related to patterns in Google search volume, whereas the number of research articles was not a good predictor but lagged behind Google search volume, indicating the role of news in the transfer of conservation science to the public.

Self-healing fuse development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, N. D.; Kinsinger, R. E.; Harris, L. P.

1973-01-01

The mercury-filled self-healing fuses developed for this program afford very good protection from circuit faults with rapid reclosure. Fuse performance and design parameters have been characterized. Life tests indicate a capability of 500 fuse operations. Fuse ratings are 150 v at 5, 15, 25 and 50 circuit A. A series of sample fuses using alumina and beryllia insulation have been furnished to NASA for circuit evaluation.

iiESI Wraps Up First International Conference | News | NREL

Science.gov Websites

. Over the course of the event, presentations touched on sub-topics of the conference theme, " topics and research interests resulted in a truly useful and productive exercise," said O'Malley . Such a range in topics was reflective of the institutions that compose iiESI ---- an international

Mining Top K Spread Sources for a Specific Topic and a Given Node.

PubMed

Liu, Weiwei; Deng, Zhi-Hong; Cao, Longbing; Xu, Xiaoran; Liu, He; Gong, Xiuwen

2015-11-01

In social networks, nodes (or users) interested in specific topics are often influenced by others. The influence is usually associated with a set of nodes rather than a single one. An interesting but challenging task for any given topic and node is to find the set of nodes that represents the source or trigger for the topic and thus identify those nodes that have the greatest influence on the given node as the topic spreads. We find that it is an NP-hard problem. This paper proposes an effective framework to deal with this problem. First, the topic propagation is represented as the Bayesian network. We then construct the propagation model by a variant of the voter model. The probability transition matrix (PTM) algorithm is presented to conduct the probability inference with the complexity O(θ(3)log2θ), while θ is the number nodes in the given graph. To evaluate the PTM algorithm, we conduct extensive experiments on real datasets. The experimental results show that the PTM algorithm is both effective and efficient.

Intelligent topical sentiment analysis for the classification of e-learners and their topics of interest.

PubMed

Ravichandran, M; Kulanthaivel, G; Chellatamilan, T

2015-01-01

Every day, huge numbers of instant tweets (messages) are published on Twitter as it is one of the massive social media for e-learners interactions. The options regarding various interesting topics to be studied are discussed among the learners and teachers through the capture of ideal sources in Twitter. The common sentiment behavior towards these topics is received through the massive number of instant messages about them. In this paper, rather than using the opinion polarity of each message relevant to the topic, authors focus on sentence level opinion classification upon using the unsupervised algorithm named bigram item response theory (BIRT). It differs from the traditional classification and document level classification algorithm. The investigation illustrated in this paper is of threefold which are listed as follows: (1) lexicon based sentiment polarity of tweet messages; (2) the bigram cooccurrence relationship using naïve Bayesian; (3) the bigram item response theory (BIRT) on various topics. It has been proposed that a model using item response theory is constructed for topical classification inference. The performance has been improved remarkably using this bigram item response theory when compared with other supervised algorithms. The experiment has been conducted on a real life dataset containing different set of tweets and topics.

What happens when you want to talk to the animals: lessons of a career in animal bioacoustics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bowles, Ann E.

2004-05-01

Animal bioacoustics (AB) is the study of sound in nonhuman animal biology. I entered the field because I was interested in the evolution of language, and I wanted to study the acoustic communication of whales and dolphins. Topics like this within the scope of AB make the discipline accessible to students and laypeople. Although career opportunities are limited (professionals declaring AB as their primary area represent only 3% of ASA membership [http://www.acoustics.org/WIA, statistics for 2000]), an interest in AB can foster entry into more marketable disciplines. It has been a particularly important avenue for bringing women into careers in traditionally male-dominated subject areas. For example, women represent 14% of the ASA membership and 12% or fewer of those declaring Underwater Acoustics, Engineering Acoustics, and Noise as their primary interest. However, 25% of those declaring AB as their primary interest are women, and AB includes all three topic areas within its scope. Unfortunately, AB is still fairly inaccessible to interested lay professionals such as educators, science writers, and environmental planners. By helping them to develop a deeper understanding of topics in AB, ASA can help them foster careers in acoustics.

Negative regulation of RIG-I-mediated antiviral signaling by TRK-fused gene (TFG) protein

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

Lee, Na-Rae; Shin, Han-Bo; Kim, Hye-In

2013-07-19

Highlights: •TRK-fused gene product (TFG) interacts with TRIM25 upon viral infection. •TFG negatively regulates RIG-I mediated antiviral signaling. •TFG depletion leads to enhanced viral replication. •TFG act downstream of MAVS. -- Abstract: RIG-I (retinoic acid inducible gene I)-mediated antiviral signaling serves as the first line of defense against viral infection. Upon detection of viral RNA, RIG-I undergoes TRIM25 (tripartite motif protein 25)-mediated K63-linked ubiquitination, leading to type I interferon (IFN) production. In this study, we demonstrate that TRK-fused gene (TFG) protein, previously identified as a TRIM25-interacting protein, binds TRIM25 upon virus infection and negatively regulates RIG-I-mediated type-I IFN signaling. RIG-I-mediatedmore » IFN production and nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling pathways were upregulated by the suppression of TFG expression. Furthermore, vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) replication was significantly inhibited by small inhibitory hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated knockdown of TFG, supporting the suppressive role of TFG in RIG-I-mediated antiviral signaling. Interestingly, suppression of TFG expression increased not only RIG-I-mediated signaling but also MAVS (mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein)-induced signaling, suggesting that TFG plays a pivotal role in negative regulation of RNA-sensing, RIG-I-like receptor (RLR) family signaling pathways.« less

Materials Testing and Cost Modeling for Composite Parts Through Additive Manufacturing

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-30

FDM include plastic jet printing (PJP), fused filament modeling ( FFM ), and fused filament fabrication (FFF). FFF was coined by the RepRap project to...additive manufacturing processes? • Fused deposition modeling (FDM) trademarked by Stratasys • Fused filament modeling ( FFM ) and fused filament

Graphs and Networks for Years 7 to 10: Reasons for and Ways of Using Digital Technologies to teach Algebra and the Standard Normal Curve

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Padula, Janice

2014-01-01

If educators want to interest students in mathematics (and science), they must engage them in the lower forms of high school or even earlier (Fisher, 2012). So, teachers should always consider a topic's ability to interest students in the early years of instruction in high school and its topicality. Networks have come into prominence recently with…

Summary of Injury Prevention Activities Supporting the Army Soldier Medical Readiness Campaign, 2011-2014

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-30

created educational materials to provide more information about specific topics of interest, such as minimalist running shoes and extreme conditioning...to communicate risks, dispel myths, and provide more information about specific topics of interest. A Minimalist Running Shoe (MRS) brochure and...M, North W, Jones BH. 2016. Minimalist Running Shoes and Injury Risk among U.S. Army Soldiers. American Journal of Sports Medicine, 44(6): 1439

43 CFR 7.33 - Determination of loss or absence of archaeological interest.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... behavior, cultural adaptation, and related topics. (c) Prior to making a determination that material... past human behavior, cultural adaptation and related topics. The principal bureau archaeologist or the...

43 CFR 7.33 - Determination of loss or absence of archaeological interest.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... behavior, cultural adaptation, and related topics. (c) Prior to making a determination that material... past human behavior, cultural adaptation and related topics. The principal bureau archaeologist or the...

43 CFR 7.33 - Determination of loss or absence of archaeological interest.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... behavior, cultural adaptation, and related topics. (c) Prior to making a determination that material... past human behavior, cultural adaptation and related topics. The principal bureau archaeologist or the...

Evaluation of γ-cyclodextrin effect on permeation of lipophilic drugs: application of cellophane/fused octanol membrane.

PubMed

Muankaew, Chutimon; Jansook, Phatsawee; Loftsson, Thorsteinn

2017-06-01

According to the Biopharmaceutics Classification System, oral bioavailability of drugs is determined by their aqueous solubility and the ability of the dissolved drug molecules to permeate lipophilic biological membranes. Similarly topical bioavailability of ophthalmic drugs is determined by their solubility in the aqueous tear fluid and their ability to permeate the lipophilic cornea. Enabling pharmaceutical excipients such as cyclodextrins can have profound effect on the drug bioavailability. However, to fully appreciate such enabling excipients, the relationship between their effects and the physicochemical properties of the permeating drug needs to be known. In this study, the permeation enhancing effect of γ-cyclodextrin (γCD) on saturated drug solutions containing hydrocortisone (HC), irbesartan (IBS), or telmisartan (TEL) was evaluated using cellophane and fused cellulose-octanol membranes in a conventional Franz diffusion cell system. The flux (J), the flux ratio (J R ) and the apparent permeability coefficients (P app ) demonstrate that γCD increases drug permeability. However, its efficacy depends on the drug properties. Addition of γCD increased P app of HC (unionized) and IBS (partially ionized) through the dual membrane but decreased the P app of TEL (fully ionized) that displays low complexation efficacy. The dual cellophane-octanol membrane system was simple to use and gave reproducible results.

Effects of news frames on perceived risk, emotions, and learning.

PubMed

Otieno, Christine; Spada, Hans; Renkl, Alexander

2013-01-01

The media play a key role in forming opinions by influencing people´s understanding and perception of a topic. People gather information about topics of interest from the internet and print media, which employ various news frames to attract attention. One example of a common news frame is the human-interest frame, which emotionalizes and dramatizes information and often accentuates individual affectedness. Our study investigated effects of human-interest frames compared to a neutral-text condition with respect to perceived risk, emotions, and knowledge acquisition, and tested whether these effects can be "generalized" to common variants of the human-interest frame. Ninety-one participants read either one variant of the human-interest frame or a neutrally formulated version of a newspaper article describing the effects of invasive species in general and the Asian ladybug (an invasive species) in particular. The framing was achieved by varying the opening and concluding paragraphs (about invasive species), as well as the headline. The core text (about the Asian ladybug) was the same across all conditions. All outcome variables on framing effects referred to this common core text. We found that all versions of the human-interest frame increased perceived risk and the strength of negative emotions compared to the neutral text. Furthermore, participants in the human-interest frame condition displayed better (quantitative) learning outcomes but also biased knowledge, highlighting a potential dilemma: Human-interest frames may increase learning, but they also lead to a rather unbalanced view of the given topic on a "deeper level".

Usefulness of 2D fusion of postmortem CT and antemortem chest radiography studies for human identification.

PubMed

Shinkawa, Norihiro; Hirai, Toshinori; Nishii, Ryuichi; Yukawa, Nobuhiro

2017-06-01

To determine the feasibility of human identification through the two-dimensional (2D) fusion of postmortem computed tomography (PMCT) and antemortem chest radiography. The study population consisted of 15 subjects who had undergone chest radiography studies more than 12 months before death. Fused images in which a chest radiograph was fused with a PMCT image were obtained for those subjects using a workstation, and the minimum distance gaps between corresponding anatomical landmarks (located at soft tissue and bone sites) in the images obtained with the two modalities were calculated. For each fused image, the mean of all these minimum distance gaps was recorded as the mean distance gap (MDG). For each subject, the MDG obtained for the same-subject fused image (i.e., where both of the images that were fused derived from that subject) was compared with the MDGs for different-subject fused images (i.e., where only one of the images that were fused derived from that subject; the other image derived from a different subject) in order to determine whether same-subject fused images can be reliably distinguished from different-subject fused images. The MDGs of the same-subject fused images were found to be significantly smaller than the MDGs of the different-subject fused images (p < 0.01). When bone landmarks were used, the same-subject fused image was found to be the fused image with the lowest MDG for 33.3% of the subjects, the fused image with the lowest or second-lowest MDG for 73.3% of the subjects, and the fused image with the lowest, second-lowest, or third-lowest MDG for 86.7% of the subjects. The application of bone landmarks rather than soft-tissue landmarks made it significantly more likely that, for each subject, the same-subject fused image would have the lowest MDG (or one of the lowest MDGs) of all the fused images compared (p < 0.05). The 2D fusion of antemortem chest radiography and postmortem CT images may assist in human identification.

NASA Workmanship Hot Topics: Water Soluble Flux and ESD Charge Device Model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Plante, Jeannette F.

2009-01-01

This slide presentation reviews two topics of interest to NASA Workmanship: (1) Water Soluble Flux (WSF) and Electrostatic Discharge (ESD) safety. In the first topic, WSF, the presentation reviews voiding and the importance of cleanliness in using WSF for welding and soldering operations. The second topic reviews the NASA-HDBK-8739.21 for Human Body Model, and Machine Model safety methods, and challenges associated with the Charged Device Model (CDM)

Vectors for fluorescent protein tagging in Phytophthora: tools for functional genomics and cell biology.

PubMed

Ah-Fong, Audrey M V; Judelson, Howard S

2011-09-01

Fluorescent tagging has become the strategy of choice for examining the subcellular localisation of proteins. To develop a versatile community resource for this method in oomycetes, plasmids were constructed that allow the expression of either of four spectrally distinct proteins [cyan fluorescent protein (CFP), green fluorescent protein (GFP), yellow fluorescent protein (YFP), and mCherry], alone or fused at their N- or C-termini, to sequences of interest. Equivalent sets of plasmids were made using neomycin or hygromycin phosphotransferases (nptII, hpt) as selectable markers, to facilitate double-labelling and aid work in diverse species. The fluorescent proteins and drug-resistance markers were fused to transcriptional regulatory sequences from the oomycete Bremia lactucae, which are known to function in diverse oomycetes, although the promoter in the fluorescence cassette (ham34) can be replaced easily by a promoter of interest. The function of each plasmid was confirmed in Phytophthora infestans. Moreover, fusion proteins were generated using targeting sequences for the endoplasmic reticulum, Golgi, mitochondria, nuclei, and peroxisomes. Studies of the distribution of the fusions in mycelia and sporangia provided insight into cellular organisation at different stages of development. This toolbox of vectors should advance studies of gene function and cell biology in Phytophthora and other oomycetes. Copyright © 2011 British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Safety of engineered allergen-specific immunotherapy vaccines

PubMed Central

Focke-Tejkl, Margarete; Valenta, Rudolf

2015-01-01

Purpose of review The purpose of the review is to summarize and comment on recent developments regarding the safety of engineered immunotherapy vaccines. Recent findings In the last 2 years, several studies were published in which allergy vaccines were developed on the basis of chemical modification of natural allergen extracts, the engineering of allergen molecules by recombinant DNA technology and synthetic peptide chemistry, allergen genes, new application routes and conjugation with immune modulatory molecules. Several studies exemplified the general applicability of hypoallergenic vaccines on the basis of recombinant fusion proteins consisting of nonallergenic allergen-derived peptides fused to allergen-unrelated carrier molecules. These vaccines are engineered to reduce both, immunoglobulin E (IgE) as well as allergen-specific T cell epitopes in the vaccines, and thus should provoke less IgE and T-cell-mediated side-effects. They are made to induce allergen-specific IgG antibodies against the IgE-binding sites of allergens with the T-cell help of the carrier molecule. Summary Several interesting examples of allergy vaccines with potentially increased safety profiles have been published. The concept of fusion proteins consisting of allergen-derived hypoallergenic peptides fused to allergen-unrelated proteins that seems to be broadly applicable for a variety of allergens appears to be of particular interest because it promises not only to reduce side-effects but also to increase efficacy and convenience of allergy vaccines. PMID:22885888

Conflicts of Interest in Medicine. A Systematic Review of Published and Scientifically evaluated Curricula.

PubMed

Weißkircher, Janosch; Koch, Cora; Dreimüller, Nadine; Lieb, Klaus

2017-01-01

Objective: Conflicts of interests resulting from interactions with pharmaceutical companies are pervasive in medicine and can result in an undue influence on physicians' decision-making. The objective of this systematic review is to analyze published and scientifically evaluated curricula for medical students and residents regarding such conflicts of interest. We begin by describing the covered topics and teaching methods; afterwards we analyze the quality of the curricula using the published data on their evaluations and comparing the content with content recommended for such curricula. Methods: We searched Pubmed, PsycInfo, EMBASE, OECD, WISO, SOWI and googlescholar up to and including the 5th of September 2016. Publications describing curricula for residents or medical students on the topic of conflicts of interest in medicine and evaluating them for their effects on the participants' learning were included. We analyzed the covered topics and the teaching methods used and compared them with recommendations by the American Medical Students' Association (AMSA) and Health Action International (HAI). Results: The literature search resulted in 20 publications that fulfilled our search criteria. In five trials, a control group was used, in no trial the participants were randomized to intervention or control group. 16/20 published curricula primarily covered marketing strategies by pharmaceutical companies, especially the interaction with pharmaceutical sales representatives (PSRs). Most curricula only covered a limited number of topics recommended by AMSA/HAI. The most frequent teaching method was a group discussion, which was used in 18/20 curricula; all curricula used at least one interactive teaching method. The evaluation of the curricula was heterogeneous in results as well as design. Some publications described a change of attitudes toward a stronger skepticism regarding interactions with pharmaceutical companies. Four publications described improved knowledge, one publication described a change in behavior toward a reduction of the acceptance of gifts. Conclusion: The trials conducted to this date regarding curricula on conflicts of interests are methodologically flawed and the described curricula lack important topics beyond marketing strategies of pharmaceutical companies. In addition, there are no data so far on the sustainability of the courses' effects on participants' behavior. It is therefore necessary to develop a model curriculum that covers a broader variety of topics and to evaluate it using a well thought-out methodology to create a foundation for the further improvement of teaching conflicts of interest in medicine.

Three-Dimensional (3D) Printing of Polymer-Metal Hybrid Materials by Fused Deposition Modeling.

PubMed

Fafenrot, Susanna; Grimmelsmann, Nils; Wortmann, Martin; Ehrmann, Andrea

2017-10-19

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a three-dimensional (3D) printing technology that is usually performed with polymers that are molten in a printer nozzle and placed line by line on the printing bed or the previous layer, respectively. Nowadays, hybrid materials combining polymers with functional materials are also commercially available. Especially combinations of polymers with metal particles result in printed objects with interesting optical and mechanical properties. The mechanical properties of objects printed with two of these metal-polymer blends were compared to common poly (lactide acid) (PLA) printed objects. Tensile tests and bending tests show that hybrid materials mostly containing bronze have significantly reduced mechanical properties. Tensile strengths of the 3D-printed objects were unexpectedly nearly identical with those of the original filaments, indicating sufficient quality of the printing process. Our investigations show that while FDM printing allows for producing objects with mechanical properties similar to the original materials, metal-polymer blends cannot be used for the rapid manufacturing of objects necessitating mechanical strength.

Electrostatic Interactions Influence Protein Adsorption (but Not Desorption) at the Silica-Aqueous Interface.

PubMed

McUmber, Aaron C; Randolph, Theodore W; Schwartz, Daniel K

2015-07-02

High-throughput single-molecule total internal reflection fluorescence microscopy was used to investigate the effects of pH and ionic strength on bovine serum albumin (BSA) adsorption, desorption, and interfacial diffusion at the aqueous-fused silica interface. At high pH and low ionic strength, negatively charged BSA adsorbed slowly to the negatively charged fused silica surface. At low pH and low ionic strength, where BSA was positively charged, or in solutions at higher ionic strength, adsorption was approximately 1000 times faster. Interestingly, neither surface residence times nor the interfacial diffusion coefficients of BSA were influenced by pH or ionic strength. These findings suggested that adsorption kinetics were dominated by energy barriers associated with electrostatic interactions, but once adsorbed, protein-surface interactions were dominated by short-range nonelectrostatic interactions. These results highlight the ability of single-molecule techniques to isolate elementary processes (e.g., adsorption and desorption) under steady-state conditions, which would be impossible to measure using ensemble-averaging methods.

3D artificial bones for bone repair prepared by computed tomography-guided fused deposition modeling for bone repair.

PubMed

Xu, Ning; Ye, Xiaojian; Wei, Daixu; Zhong, Jian; Chen, Yuyun; Xu, Guohua; He, Dannong

2014-09-10

The medical community has expressed significant interest in the development of new types of artificial bones that mimic natural bones. In this study, computed tomography (CT)-guided fused deposition modeling (FDM) was employed to fabricate polycaprolactone (PCL)/hydroxyapatite (HA) and PCL 3D artificial bones to mimic natural goat femurs. The in vitro mechanical properties, in vitro cell biocompatibility, and in vivo performance of the artificial bones in a long load-bearing goat femur bone segmental defect model were studied. All of the results indicate that CT-guided FDM is a simple, convenient, relatively low-cost method that is suitable for fabricating natural bonelike artificial bones. Moreover, PCL/HA 3D artificial bones prepared by CT-guided FDM have more close mechanics to natural bone, good in vitro cell biocompatibility, biodegradation ability, and appropriate in vivo new bone formation ability. Therefore, PCL/HA 3D artificial bones could be potentially be of use in the treatment of patients with clinical bone defects.

Synthesis and structure-activity relationships of constrained heterocyclic analogues of combretastatin A4.

PubMed

Arthuis, Martin; Pontikis, Renée; Chabot, Guy G; Seguin, Johanne; Quentin, Lionel; Bourg, Stéphane; Morin-Allory, Luc; Florent, Jean-Claude

2011-09-05

A series of combretastatin A4 (CA4) analogues with a lactam or lactone ring fused to the trimethoxyphenyl or the B-phenyl moiety were synthesized in an efficient and stereoselective manner by using a domino Heck-Suzuki-Miyaura coupling reaction. The vascular-disrupting potential of these conformationally restricted CA4 analogues was assessed by various in vitro assays: inhibition of tubulin polymerization, modification of endothelial cell morphology, and disruption of endothelial cell cords. Compounds were also evaluated for their growth inhibitory effects against murine and human tumor cells. B-ring-constrained derivatives that contain an oxindole ring (in contrast to compounds with a benzofuranone ring) as well as analogues bearing a six-membered lactone core fused to the trimethoxyphenyl ring are endowed with significant biological activity. The most potent compound of this series (oxindole 9 b) is of particular interest, as it combines chemical stability and a biological activity profile characteristic of a vascular-disrupting agent. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Designed Proteins as Novel Imaging Reagents in Living Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Pratt, Susan E; Speltz, Elizabeth B; Mochrie, Simon G J; Regan, Lynne

2016-09-02

Fluorescence imaging is a powerful tool to study protein function in living cells. Here, we introduce a novel imaging strategy that is fully genetically encodable, does not require the use of exogenous substrates, and adds a minimally disruptive tag to the protein of interest (POI). Our method was based on a set of designed tetratricopeptide repeat affinity proteins (TRAPs) that specifically and reversibly interact with a short, extended peptide tag. We co-expressed the TRAPs fused to fluorescent proteins (FPs) and the peptide tags fused to the POIs. We illustrated the method using the Escherichia coli protein FtsZ and showed that our system could track distinct FtsZ structures under both low and high expression conditions in live cells. We anticipate that our imaging strategy will be a useful tool for imaging the subcellular localization of many proteins, especially those recalcitrant to imaging by direct tagging with FPs. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Three-Dimensional (3D) Printing of Polymer-Metal Hybrid Materials by Fused Deposition Modeling

PubMed Central

Fafenrot, Susanna; Grimmelsmann, Nils; Wortmann, Martin

2017-01-01

Fused deposition modeling (FDM) is a three-dimensional (3D) printing technology that is usually performed with polymers that are molten in a printer nozzle and placed line by line on the printing bed or the previous layer, respectively. Nowadays, hybrid materials combining polymers with functional materials are also commercially available. Especially combinations of polymers with metal particles result in printed objects with interesting optical and mechanical properties. The mechanical properties of objects printed with two of these metal-polymer blends were compared to common poly (lactide acid) (PLA) printed objects. Tensile tests and bending tests show that hybrid materials mostly containing bronze have significantly reduced mechanical properties. Tensile strengths of the 3D-printed objects were unexpectedly nearly identical with those of the original filaments, indicating sufficient quality of the printing process. Our investigations show that while FDM printing allows for producing objects with mechanical properties similar to the original materials, metal-polymer blends cannot be used for the rapid manufacturing of objects necessitating mechanical strength. PMID:29048347

Fourier domain image fusion for differential X-ray phase-contrast breast imaging.

PubMed

Coello, Eduardo; Sperl, Jonathan I; Bequé, Dirk; Benz, Tobias; Scherer, Kai; Herzen, Julia; Sztrókay-Gaul, Anikó; Hellerhoff, Karin; Pfeiffer, Franz; Cozzini, Cristina; Grandl, Susanne

2017-04-01

X-Ray Phase-Contrast (XPC) imaging is a novel technology with a great potential for applications in clinical practice, with breast imaging being of special interest. This work introduces an intuitive methodology to combine and visualize relevant diagnostic features, present in the X-ray attenuation, phase shift and scattering information retrieved in XPC imaging, using a Fourier domain fusion algorithm. The method allows to present complementary information from the three acquired signals in one single image, minimizing the noise component and maintaining visual similarity to a conventional X-ray image, but with noticeable enhancement in diagnostic features, details and resolution. Radiologists experienced in mammography applied the image fusion method to XPC measurements of mastectomy samples and evaluated the feature content of each input and the fused image. This assessment validated that the combination of all the relevant diagnostic features, contained in the XPC images, was present in the fused image as well. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Unexpected regioselective carbon-hydrogen bond activation/cyclization of indolyl aldehydes or ketones with alkynes to benzo-fused oxindoles.

PubMed

Liu, Xingyan; Li, Gaocan; Song, Feijie; You, Jingsong

2014-09-25

Rhodium-catalyzed carbon-hydrogen bond activation has attracted great interest in the construction of carbon-carbon and carbon-heteroatom bonds. In recent years, transition metal-mediated oxygen transposition through a 'dehydration-rehydration' process has been considered as a promising strategy towards oxygen-functionalized compounds. Here we describe an unexpected rhodium-catalyzed regioselective carbon-hydrogen bond activation/cyclization of easily available indolyl aldehydes or ketones with alkynes to afford benzo-fused oxindoles, involving the sequential carbonyl-assisted carbon-hydrogen activation of the indole ring at the 4-position, [4+2] cyclization, aromatization via dehydration, nucleophilic addition of water to iminium and oxidation. Isotopic labelling experiments disclose the occurrence of apparent oxygen transposition via dehydration-rehydration from the indolyl-3-carbonyl group to the 2-position of pyrrole to forge a new carbonyl bond. The tandem reaction has been used as the key step for the concise synthesis of priolines, a type of alkaloid isolated from the roots of Salvia prionitis.

Immunological activation following transcutaneous delivery of HR-gp100 protein

PubMed Central

Frankenburg, Shoshana; Grinberg, Igor; Bazak, Ziva; Fingerut, Lena; Pitcovski, Jacob; Gorodetsky, Raphael; Peretz, Tamar; Spira, Ram M.; Skornik, Yehuda; Goldstein, Ronald S.

2009-01-01

Transcutaneous immunization aims at taking advantage of the skin’s immune system for the purpose of immunoprotection. In the present study we evaluated the potential of topical delivery of a recombinant melanoma protein, HR-gp100, derived from a shorter sequence of the native gp100 gene. The protein was applied on the skin, with and without the addition of two forms of heat labile enterotoxin (nLT and LTB). HR-gp100 fused to Haptide, a cell penetrating 20mer peptide (HR-gp100H) was also tested. Topical HR-gp100 and HR-gp100H application on the ears of mice elicited the production of specific antibodies, and transcutaneous delivery to intact human skin induced dose-dependent LC activation. nLT and LTB also activated LC, but did not further increase the activation induced by HR-gp100. These results show that HR-gp100, an antigenic tumor-derived protein, activates the immune system following transcutaneous delivery, as shown by both Langerhans cell activation and induction of antibody production. PMID:17493711

The Relationship of Discourse and Topic Knowledge to Fifth Graders' Writing Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olinghouse, Natalie G.; Graham, Steve; Gillespie, Amy

2015-01-01

This study examined whether discourse and topic knowledge separately predicted the overall quality and the inclusion of basic genre elements in 5th grade students' stories, persuasive papers, and informational text once the other type of knowledge as well as topic interest, spelling, handwriting fluency, length of text, and gender were controlled.…

Comparison of Collaboration and Performance in Groups of Learners Assembled Randomly or Based on Learners' Topic Preferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cela, Karina L.; Sicilia, Miguel Ángel; Sánchez, Salvador

2015-01-01

Teachers and instructional designers frequently incorporate collaborative learning approaches into their e-learning environments. A key factor of collaborative learning that may affect learner outcomes is whether the collaborative groups are assigned project topics randomly or based on a shared interest in the topic. This is a particularly…

Assessing West Virginia NIPF owner preferred forest management assistance topics and delivery methods

Treesearch

Daniel J. Magill; Rory F. Fraser; David W. McGill

2003-01-01

Four hundred and fourteen non-industrial private forest (NIPF) owners in West Virginia responded to a mail survey questionnaire assessing their forest management assistance topics and delivery methods of interest. Logistic regression was used to analyze 39 independent variables in relation to the dependent variables of wanting a specific topic of forestry assistance or...

Measurement Activities for Increasing Student Curiosity for Animal and Space Topics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rule, Audrey C., Ed.

This document presents a resource for elementary teachers in the form of a collection of facts and measurements of animals and planets to be used in generating student interest for these different topics. It is suggested that the teacher make an overhead transparency of the measurements related to the current topic, then have students guess at…

Nonlinear acoustics and honeycomb materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, D. O.

2012-05-01

The scope of research activity that Bruce Thompson embraced was very large. In this talk three different research topics that the author shared with Bruce are reviewed. They represent Bruce's introduction to NDE and include nonlinear acoustics, nondestructive measurements of adhesive bond strengths in honeycomb panels, and studies of flexural wave dispersion in honeycomb materials. In the first of these, four harmonics of a 30 Mhz finite amplitude wave were measured for both fused silica and aluminum single crystals with varying lengths and amounts of cold work using a capacity microphone with heterodyne receiver with a flat frequency response from 30 to 250 Mhz. The results for fused silica with no dislocation structure could be described by a model due to Fubini, originally developed for gases, that depends upon only the second and third order elastic constants and not the fourth and higher order constants. The same was not true for the aluminum with dislocation structures. These results raised some questions about models for harmonic generation in materials with dislocations. In the second topic, experiments were made to determine the adhesive bond strengths of honeycomb panels using the vibrational response of the panels (Chladni figures). The results showed that both the damping characteristics of panel vibrations as a whole and velocity of propagation of elastic waves that travel along the surface and sample the bondline can be correlated with destructively determined bond strengths. Finally, the phase velocity of flexural waves traveling along a 1-inch honeycomb sandwich panel was determined from 170 Hz to 50 Khz, ranging from 2.2×104 cm/sec at the low end to 1.18×105 cm/sec at 40 Khz. The dispersion arises from the finite thickness of the panel and agreed with the results of continuum models for the honeycomb. Above 40 Khz, this was not the case. The paper concludes with a tribute to Bruce for his many wonderful contributions and lessons beyond his technical legacy for all of us.

Solid-Body Fuse Developed for High- Voltage Space Power Missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dolce, James L.; Baez, Anastacio N.

2001-01-01

AEM Incorporated has completed the development, under a NASA Glenn Research Center contract, of a solid-body fuse for high-voltage power systems of satellites and spacecraft systems. High-reliability fuses presently defined by MIL-PRF-23419 do not meet the increased voltage and amperage requirements for the next generation of spacecraft. Solid-body fuses exhibit electrical and mechanical attributes that enable these fuses to perform reliably in the vacuum and high-vibration and -shock environments typically present in spacecraft applications. The construction and screening techniques for solid-body fuses described by MIL-PRF-23419/12 offer an excellent roadmap for the development of high-voltage solid-body fuses.

Special interests and subjective wellbeing in autistic adults.

PubMed

Grove, Rachel; Hoekstra, Rosa A; Wierda, Marlies; Begeer, Sander

2018-05-01

Special interests form part of the core features of autism. However, to date there has been limited research focusing on the role of special interests in the lives of autistic adults. This study surveyed autistic adults on their special interest topics, intensity, and motivation. It also assessed the relationship between special interests and a range of quality of life measures including subjective wellbeing and domain specific life satisfaction. About two thirds of the sample reported having a special interest, with relatively more males reporting a special interest than females. Special interest topics included computers, autism, music, nature and gardening. Most autistic adults engaged in more than one special interest, highlighting that these interests may not be as narrow as previously described. There were no differences in subjective wellbeing between autistic adults with and without special interests. However, for autistic adults who did have special interests, motivation for engaging in special interests was associated with increased subjective wellbeing. This indicates that motivation may play an important role in our understanding of special interests in autism. Special interests had a positive impact on autistic adults and were associated with higher subjective wellbeing and satisfaction across specific life domains including social contact and leisure. However, a very high intensity of engagement with special interests was negatively related to wellbeing. Combined, these findings have important implications for the role of special interests in the lives of autistic adults. Autism Res 2018, 11: 766-775. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Autistic adults reported having special interests in a range of topics, including computers, music, autism, nature and gardening. Special interests were associated with a number of positive outcomes for autistic adults. They were also related to subjective wellbeing and satisfaction across specific life domains including social contact and leisure. Very high intensity of engagement with special interests was related to lower levels of wellbeing. This highlights the important role that special interests play in the lives of autistic adults. © 2018 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Disentangling Intensity from Breadth of Science Interest: What Predicts Learning Behaviors?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bathgate, Meghan; Schunn, Christian

2016-01-01

Overall interest in science has been argued to drive learner participation and engagement. However, there are other important aspects of interest such as breadth of interest within a science domain (e.g., biology, earth science). We demonstrate that intensity of science interest is separable from topic breadth using surveys from a sample of 600…

Measuring the Interestingness of Articles in a Limited User Environment Prospectus

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

Pon, Raymond K.

2007-04-18

Search engines, such as Google, assign scores to news articles based on their relevancy to a query. However, not all relevant articles for the query may be interesting to a user. For example, if the article is old or yields little new information, the article would be uninteresting. Relevancy scores do not take into account what makes an article interesting, which would vary from user to user. Although methods such as collaborative filtering have been shown to be effective in recommendation systems, in a limited user environment there are not enough users that would make collaborative filtering effective. I presentmore » a general framework for defining and measuring the ''interestingness'' of articles, called iScore, incorporating user-feedback including tracking multiple topics of interest as well as finding interesting entities or phrases in a complex relationship network. I propose and have shown the validity of the following: 1. Filtering based on only topic relevancy is insufficient for identifying interesting articles. 2. No single feature can characterize the interestingness of an article for a user. It is the combination of multiple features that yields higher quality results. For each user, these features have different degrees of usefulness for predicting interestingness. 3. Through user-feedback, a classifier can combine features to predict interestingness for the user. 4. Current evaluation corpora, such as TREC, do not capture all aspects of personalized news filtering systems necessary for system evaluation. 5. Focusing on only specific evolving user interests instead of all topics allows for more efficient resource utilization while yielding high quality recommendation results. 6. Multiple profile vectors yield significantly better results than traditional methods, such as the Rocchio algorithm, for identifying interesting articles. Additionally, the addition of tracking multiple topics as a new feature in iScore, can improve iScore's classification performance. 7. Multiple topic tracking yields better results than the best results from the last TREC adaptive filtering run. As future work, I will address the following hypothesis: Entities and the relationship among these entities using current information extraction technology can be utilized to identify entities of interest and relationships of interest, using a scheme such as PageRank. And I will address one of the following two hypotheses: 1. By addressing the multiple reading roles that a single user may have, classification results can be improved. 2. By tailoring the operating parameters of MTT, better classification results can be achieved.« less

Establishing the need and identifying goals for a curriculum in medical business ethics: a survey of students and residents at two medical centers in Missouri.

PubMed

Kraus, Elena M; Bakanas, Erin; Gursahani, Kamal; DuBois, James M

2014-10-09

In recent years, issues in medical business ethics (MBE), such as conflicts of interest (COI), Medicare fraud and abuse, and the structure and functioning of reimbursement systems, have received significant attention from the media and professional associations in the United States. As a result of highly publicized instances of financial interests altering physician decision-making, major professional organizations and government bodies have produced reports and guidelines to encourage self-regulation and impose rules to limit physician relationships with for-profit entities. Nevertheless, no published curricula exist in the area of MBE. This study aimed to establish a baseline level of knowledge and the educational goals medical students and residents prioritize in the area of MBE. 732 medical students and 380 residents at two academic medical centers in the state of Missouri, USA, completed a brief survey indicating their awareness of major MBE guidance documents, knowledge of key MBE research, beliefs about the goals of an education in MBE, and the areas of MBE they were most interested in learning more about. Medical students and residents had little awareness of recent and major reports on MBE topics, and had minimal knowledge of basic MBE facts. Residents scored statistically better than medical students in both of these areas. Medical students and residents were in close agreement regarding the goals of an MBE curriculum. Both groups showed significant interest in learning more about MBE topics with an emphasis on background topics such as "the business aspects of medicine" and "health care delivery systems". The content of major reports by professional associations and expert bodies has not trickled down to medical students and residents, yet both groups are interested in learning more about MBE topics. Our survey suggests potentially beneficial ways to frame and embed MBE topics into the larger framework of medical education.

METHOD OF SEPARATING FISSION PRODUCTS FROM FUSED BISMUTH-CONTAINING URANIUM

DOEpatents

Wiswall, R.H.

1958-06-24

A process is described for removing metal selectively from liquid metal compositions. The method effects separation of flssion product metals selectively from dilute solution in fused bismuth, which contains uraniunn in solution without removal of more than 1% of the uranium. The process comprises contacting the fused bismuth with a fused salt composition consisting of sodium, potassium and lithium chlorides, adding to fused bismuth and molten salt a quantity of bismuth chloride which is stoichiometrically required to convert the flssion product metals to be removed to their chlorides which are more stable in the fused salt than in the molten metal and are, therefore, preferentially taken up in the fused salt phase.

Using questions sent to an Ask-A-Scientist site to identify children's interests in science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baram-Tsabari, Ayelet; Sethi, Ricky J.; Bry, Lynn; Yarden, Anat

2006-11-01

Interest is a powerful motivator; nonetheless, science educators often lack the necessary information to make use of the power of student-specific interests in the reform process of science curricula. This study suggests a novel methodology, which might be helpful in identifying such interests - using children's self-generated questions as an indication of their scientific interests. In this research, children's interests were measured by analyzing 1555 science-related questions submitted to an international Ask-A-Scientist Internet site. The analysis indicated that the popularity of certain topics varies with age and gender. Significant differences were found between children's spontaneous (intrinsically motivated) and school-related (extrinsically motivated) interests. Surprisingly, girls contributed most of the questions to the sample; however, the number of American girls dropped upon entering senior high school. We also found significant differences between girls' and boys' interests, with girls generally preferring biological topics. The two genders kept to their stereotypic fields of interest, in both their school-related and spontaneous questions. Children's science interests, as inferred from questions to Web sites, could ultimately inform classroom science teaching. This methodology extends the context in which children's interests can be investigated.

Personal Epistemology across Cultures: Exploring Norwegian and Spanish University Students' Epistemic Beliefs about Climate Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Braten, Ivar; Gil, Laura; Stromso, Helge I.; Vidal-Abarca, Eduardo

2009-01-01

The primary aim was to explore and compare the dimensionality of personal epistemology with respect to climate change across the contexts of Norwegian and Spanish students. A second aim was to examine relationships between topic-specific epistemic beliefs and the variables of gender, topic knowledge, and topic interest in the two contexts.…

[Ethical questions in the Spanish journal "Medicina Paliativa": 1994 - 2013].

PubMed

Sanz Rubiales, Alvaro; Del Valle Rivero, María Luisa; Flores Pérez, Luis Alberto; Hernansanz de la Calle, Silvia; Gutiérrez Alonso, Celia; García Recio, Consuelo

2014-01-01

"Medicina Paliativa" is the official journal of the Spanish Society of Palliative Care ("Sociedad Española de Cuidados Paliativos"; SECPAL) and it reflects the interests, also on bioethics, of the professionals caring terminal people. We want to know what the bioethical questions they discuss and their approaches are. From all the published articles in "Medicina Paliativa" from 1994 to 2013 we selected those referred to bioethics topics. We analysed: number of publications, author, subtype of article, year of publication, topic, philosophic approach, and the presence of answers and discussion. Qualitative topics were reviewed and agreed by at least two authors. There were 60 (9%) publications with bioethics profile from a total of 672 analyzed articles. A majority were signed by only one author. 31 (51%) were published as letter. The most relevant topics were: euthanasia, dignity, proportionality of treatment and care, sedation, principles of bioethics, and information. The orientation of these papers was, in a majority, according to principles of palliative care. Most bioethics topics have been answered and even answered back. Bioethics is an interesting topic in palliative care. The arguments usually fit the principles of palliative care.

Effects of News Frames on Perceived Risk, Emotions, and Learning

PubMed Central

Otieno, Christine; Spada, Hans; Renkl, Alexander

2013-01-01

The media play a key role in forming opinions by influencing people´s understanding and perception of a topic. People gather information about topics of interest from the internet and print media, which employ various news frames to attract attention. One example of a common news frame is the human-interest frame, which emotionalizes and dramatizes information and often accentuates individual affectedness. Our study investigated effects of human-interest frames compared to a neutral-text condition with respect to perceived risk, emotions, and knowledge acquisition, and tested whether these effects can be "generalized" to common variants of the human-interest frame. Ninety-one participants read either one variant of the human-interest frame or a neutrally formulated version of a newspaper article describing the effects of invasive species in general and the Asian ladybug (an invasive species) in particular. The framing was achieved by varying the opening and concluding paragraphs (about invasive species), as well as the headline. The core text (about the Asian ladybug) was the same across all conditions. All outcome variables on framing effects referred to this common core text. We found that all versions of the human-interest frame increased perceived risk and the strength of negative emotions compared to the neutral text. Furthermore, participants in the human-interest frame condition displayed better (quantitative) learning outcomes but also biased knowledge, highlighting a potential dilemma: Human-interest frames may increase learning, but they also lead to a rather unbalanced view of the given topic on a “deeper level”. PMID:24223999

Topics in Social Psychology: Further Classroom Demonstrations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singleton, Royce, Jr.; Kerber, Kenneth W.

1980-01-01

Presents ideas for stimulating students' interest in college level sociology courses by involving students in individual v group decision making, nonverbal communication, romantic love, and ethnic stereotypes. Tips for organizing classroom demonstrations around these topics are presented. (Author/DB)

Time-resolved quantitative-phase microscopy of laser-material interactions using a wavefront sensor.

PubMed

Gallais, Laurent; Monneret, Serge

2016-07-15

We report on a simple and efficient technique based on a wavefront sensor to obtain time-resolved amplitude and phase images of laser-material interactions. The main interest of the technique is to obtain quantitative self-calibrated phase measurements in one shot at the femtosecond time-scale, with high spatial resolution. The technique is used for direct observation and quantitative measurement of the Kerr effect in a fused silica substrate and free electron generation by photo-ionization processes in an optical coating.

Mapping protein-protein interactions with phage-displayed combinatorial peptide libraries.

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

Kay, B. K.; Castagnoli, L.; Biosciences Division

This unit describes the process and analysis of affinity selecting bacteriophage M13 from libraries displaying combinatorial peptides fused to either a minor or major capsid protein. Direct affinity selection uses target protein bound to a microtiter plate followed by purification of selected phage by ELISA. Alternatively, there is a bead-based affinity selection method. These methods allow one to readily isolate peptide ligands that bind to a protein target of interest and use the consensus sequence to search proteomic databases for putative interacting proteins.

Understanding Differences in Neurotypical and Autism Spectrum Special Interests through Internet Forums

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jordan, Chloe Jennifer; Caldwell-Harris, Catherine L.

2012-01-01

Special interests are frequently developed by individuals with autism spectrum disorder, expressed as an intense focus on specific topics. Neurotypical individuals also develop special interests, often in the form of hobbies. Although past research has focused on special interests held by children with autism spectrum disorder, little is known…

Exploiting Social Media Sensor Networks through Novel Data Fusion Techniques

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

Kouri, Tina

Unprecedented amounts of data are continuously being generated by sensors (“hard” data) and by humans (“soft” data), and this data needs to be exploited to its full potential. The first step in exploiting this data is determine how the hard and soft data are related to each other. In this project we fuse hard and soft data, using the attributes of each (e.g., time and space), to gain more information about interesting events. Next, we attempt to use social networking textual data to predict the present (i.e., predict that an interesting event is occurring and details about the event) usingmore » data mining, machine learning, natural language processing, and text analysis techniques.« less

Science Serves Society.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sneed, G. C.

This book discusses how some of the topics taught in a conventional physics course have been used to solve interesting technical problems in industry, medicine, agriculture, transportation, and other areas of society. The topics include heat, optics, magnetism and electricity, nuclear physics, and sound. (MLH)

Grafting Perspective into Health Law: Organ Transplantation as a Tool for Teaching.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bovbjerg, Randall R.

1988-01-01

The topic of organ transplantation adds interest and perspective to the basic health law curriculum. It can be used well to integrate a variety of topics by focusing on the policy and law of organ rationing. (MSE)

Useful diagnostic biometabolic data obtained by PET/CT and MR fusion imaging using open source software.

PubMed

Antonica, Filippo; Asabella, Artor Niccoli; Ferrari, Cristina; Rubini, Domenico; Notaristefano, Antonio; Nicoletti, Adriano; Altini, Corinna; Merenda, Nunzio; Mossa, Emilio; Guarini, Attilio; Rubini, Giuseppe

2014-01-01

In the last decade numerous attempts were considered to co-register and integrate different imaging data. Like PET/CT the integration of PET to MR showed great interest. PET/MR scanners are recently tested on different distrectual or systemic pathologies. Unfortunately PET/MR scanners are expensive and diagnostic protocols are still under studies and investigations. Nuclear Medicine imaging highlights functional and biometabolic information but has poor anatomic details. The aim of this study is to integrate MR and PET data to produce distrectual or whole body fused images acquired from different scanners even in different days. We propose an offline method to fuse PET with MR data using an open-source software that has to be inexpensive, reproducible and capable to exchange data over the network. We also evaluate global quality, alignment quality, and diagnostic confidence of fused PET-MR images. We selected PET/CT studies performed in our Nuclear Medicine unit, MR studies provided by patients on DICOM CD media or network received. We used Osirix 5.7 open source version. We aligned CT slices with the first MR slice, pointed and marked for co-registration using MR-T1 sequence and CT as reference and fused with PET to produce a PET-MR image. A total of 100 PET/CT studies were fused with the following MR studies: 20 head, 15 thorax, 24 abdomen, 31 pelvis, 10 whole body. An interval of no more than 15 days between PET and MR was the inclusion criteria. PET/CT, MR and fused studies were evaluated by two experienced radiologist and two experienced nuclear medicine physicians. Each one filled a five point based evaluation scoring scheme based on image quality, image artifacts, segmentation errors, fusion misalignment and diagnostic confidence. Our fusion method showed best results for head, thorax and pelvic districts in terms of global quality, alignment quality and diagnostic confidence,while for the abdomen and pelvis alignement quality and global quality resulted poor due to internal organs filling variation and time shifting beetwen examinations. PET/CT images with time of flight reconstruction and real attenuation correction were combined with anatomical detailed MRI images. We used Osirix, an image processing Open Source Software dedicated to DICOM images. No additional costs, to buy and upgrade proprietary software are required for combining data. No high technology or very expensive PET/MR scanner, that requires dedicated shielded room spaces and personnel to be employed or to be trained, are needed. Our method allows to share patient PET/MR fused data with different medical staff using dedicated networks. The proposed method may be applied to every MR sequence (MR-DWI and MR-STIR, magnet enhanced sequences) to characterize soft tissue alterations and improve discrimination diseases. It can be applied not only to PET with MR but virtually to every DICOM study.

A Multi-Wavelength Study of the Hot Component of the Interstellar Medium

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oliversen, Ronald J. (Technical Monitor)

2004-01-01

This research focuses on the kinematics and evolution of the hot phase of the interstellar medium in the Galaxy. The plan was to measure the UV spectra of all hot stars observed with IUE, in order to identify and measure the main component and any high velocity components to the interstellar lines. Collection of data from higher resolution instruments on HST has been proposed for some of the interesting lines of sight. IUE spectra of 240 stars up to 8 kpc in 2 quadrants of the galactic plane have been examined to (1) estimate the total column density per kpc as a function of direction and distance, and (2) to obtain a lower limit to the number of high velocity components to the interstellar lines, thus giving an approximation of the number of conductive interfaces encountered per line of sight. By determining an approximation to the number of components per unit distance we aim to derive statistics on interfaces between hot and cold gas in the Galaxy. We find that 20% of the stars in this sample show at least one high velocity component in the C IV interstellar line. Two successful FUSE programs address this research and collected data for several of the lines of sight identified as locations of hot, expanding gas with the IUE data. One FUSE program is complete for the Vela SNR region. Data from another FUSE program to investigate the Cygnus superbubble region are being analyzed.

Passion and Preparation in the Basic Course: The Influence of Students' Ego-Involvement with Speech Topics and Preparation Time on Public-Speaking Grades

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mazer, Joseph P.; Titsworth, Scott

2012-01-01

Authors of basic public-speaking course textbooks frequently encourage students to select speech topics in which they have vested interest, care deeply about, and hold strong opinions and beliefs. This study explores students' level of ego-involvement with informative and persuasive speech topics, examines possible ego-involvement predictors of…

Social media in the REI clinic: what do patients want?

PubMed

Broughton, Darcy E; Schelble, Allison; Cipolla, Kristina; Cho, Michele; Franasiak, Jason; Omurtag, Kenan R

2018-05-15

To elicit patient preferences for social media utilization and content in the infertility clinic. This was a cross-sectional survey study conducted in three US fertility practices. Women presenting to the infertility clinic for an initial or return visit were offered an anonymous voluntary social media survey. The survey elicited patient perception of whether social media use in the infertility clinic is beneficial, and preferences regarding topics of interest. A total of 244 surveys were collected during the study period, of which 54.5% were complete. Instagram is a more popular platform than Twitter across all age groups. Use of both platforms varies by age, with patients ≥ 40 less likely to be active users. The majority of respondents felt that social media provided benefit to the patient experience in the infertility clinic (79.9%). "Education regarding infertility testing and treatment" and "Myths and Facts about infertility" were the most popular topics for potential posts, with 93.4 and 92.0% of patients endorsing interest respectively. The least popular topic was "Newborn photos and birth announcements," with only 47.4% endorsing interest. A little over half of respondents (56.3%) would feel comfortable with the clinic posting a picture of their infant. The vast majority of patients (96.2%) feel comfortable communicating electronically with their infertility clinic. Patients are interested in the use of social media as a forum for patient education and support in the infertility clinic. Patient preferences regarding post topics should be carefully considered.

Evaluating Interest in Acids-Bases: Development of an Acid-Base Interest Scale (ABIS) and Assessment of Pre-Service Science Teachers' Interest

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Çiçek, Ö.; Ilhan, N.

2017-01-01

Students are more likely to be successful in topics they are interested in than others. This study aims to develop an Acid-Base Interest Scale (ABIS) and subsequently evaluate the interest of pre-service science teachers in acids-bases according to gender, years at the university, type of high school the pre-service science teachers attended, and…

Fusion of arkosic sand by intrusive andesite

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bailey, Roy A.

1954-01-01

An andesite dike in the Valles Mountains of northern New Mexico has intruded and partly fused arkosic sediments for a distance of 50 feet from its contacts. The dike is semi-circular in form, has a maximum width of about 100 feet, and is about 500 feet long. Small associated arcuate dikes are arranged in spiral fashion around the main dike, suggesting that they were intruded along shear fractures similar to those described by Burbank (1941). The fused rocks surrounding the andesite dike are of three general types: 1) partly fused arkosic sand, 2) fused clay, and 3) hybrid rocks. The fused arkosic sand consists of relict detrital grains of quartz, orthoclose, and plagioclase, imbedded in colorless glass containing microlites of tridymite, cordierite, and magnetite. The relict quartz grains are corroded and embayed by glass; the orthoclase is sanidinized and partly fused; and the plagioclase is inverted to the high temperature form and is partly fused. The fused clay, which was originally a mixture of montmorillonite and hydromica, consists primarily of cordierite but also contains needle-like crystals of sillimanite (?) or mullite (?). The hybrid rocks originated in part by intermixing of fused arkosic sediments and andesitic liquid and in part by diffusion of mafic constituents through the fused sediments. They are rich in cordierite and magnetite and also contain hypersthene, augite, and plagioclase. The composition of pigeonite in the andesite indicates that the temperature of the andesite at the time of intrusion probably did not exceed 1200?C. Samples of arkosic sand were fused in the presence of water in a Morey bomb at 1050?C. Stability relations of certain minerals in the fused sand suggest that fusion may have taken place at a lower temperature, however, and the fluxing action of volatiles from the andesite are thought to have made this possible.

Pixel-based image fusion with false color mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Wei; Mao, Shiyi

2003-06-01

In this paper, we propose a pixel-based image fusion algorithm that combines the gray-level image fusion method with the false color mapping. This algorithm integrates two gray-level images presenting different sensor modalities or at different frequencies and produces a fused false-color image. The resulting image has higher information content than each of the original images. The objects in the fused color image are easy to be recognized. This algorithm has three steps: first, obtaining the fused gray-level image of two original images; second, giving the generalized high-boost filtering images between fused gray-level image and two source images respectively; third, generating the fused false-color image. We use the hybrid averaging and selection fusion method to obtain the fused gray-level image. The fused gray-level image will provide better details than two original images and reduce noise at the same time. But the fused gray-level image can't contain all detail information in two source images. At the same time, the details in gray-level image cannot be discerned as easy as in a color image. So a color fused image is necessary. In order to create color variation and enhance details in the final fusion image, we produce three generalized high-boost filtering images. These three images are displayed through red, green and blue channel respectively. A fused color image is produced finally. This method is used to fuse two SAR images acquired on the San Francisco area (California, USA). The result shows that fused false-color image enhances the visibility of certain details. The resolution of the final false-color image is the same as the resolution of the input images.

The Effect of Student-Centered Approaches on Students' Interest and Achievement in Science: Relevant Topic-Based, Open and Guided Inquiry-Based, and Discussion-Based Approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kang, Jingoo; Keinonen, Tuula

2017-04-01

Since students have lost their interest in school science, several student-centered approaches, such as using topics that are relevant for students, inquiry-based learning, and discussion-based learning have been implemented to attract pupils into science. However, the effect of these approaches was usually measured in small-scale research, and thus, the large-scale evidence supporting student-centered approaches in general use is insufficient. Accordingly, this study aimed to investigate the effect of student-centered approaches on students' interest and achievement by analyzing a large-scale data set derived from Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2006, to add evidence for advocating these approaches in school science, and to generalize the effects on a large population. We used Finnish PISA 2006 data, which is the most recent data that measures science literacy and that contains relevant variables for the constructs of this study. As a consequence of the factor analyses, four teaching methods were grouped as student-centered approaches (relevant topic-based, open and guided inquiry-based, and discussion-based approaches in school science) from the Finnish PISA 2006 sample. The structural equation modeling result indicated that using topics relevant for students positively affected students' interest and achievement in science. Guided inquiry-based learning was also indicated as a strong positive predictor for students' achievement, and its effect was also positively associated with students' interest. On the other hand, open inquiry-based learning was indicated as a strong negative predictor for students' achievement, as was using discussion in school science. Implications and limitations of the study were discussed.

Fiber fuse behavior in kW-level continuous-wave double-clad field laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jun-Yi, Sun; Qi-Rong, Xiao; Dan, Li; Xue-Jiao, Wang; Hai-Tao, Zhang; Ma-Li, Gong; Ping, Yan

2016-01-01

In this study, original experimental data for fiber fuse in kW-level continuous-wave (CW) high power double-clad fiber (DCF) laser are reported. The propagating velocity of the fuse is 9.68 m/s in a 3.1-kW Yb-doped DCF laser. Three other cases in Yb-doped DCF are also observed. We think that the ignition of fiber fuse is caused by thermal mechanism, and the formation of bullet-shaped tracks is attributed to the optical discharge and temperature gradient. The inducements of initial fuse and formation of bullet-shaped voids are analyzed. This investigation of fiber fuse helps better understand the fiber fuse behavior, in order to avoid the catastrophic destruction caused by fiber fuse in high power fiber laser. Project supported by the Key Laboratory of Science and Technology on High Energy Laser and China Academy of Engineering Physics (Grant No. 2014HEL02) and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 61307057).

Nuclear Chemistry: Include It in Your Curriculum.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atwood, Charles H.; Sheline, R. K.

1989-01-01

Some of the topics that might be included in a nuclear chemistry section are explored. Offers radioactivity, closed shells in nuclei, energy of nuclear processes, nuclear reactions, and fission and fusion as topics of interest. Provided are ideas and examples for each. (MVL)

Using Bad Science to Teach Good Chemistry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Epstein, Michael S.

1998-01-01

Describes the integration of topics dealing with "bad science"--pseudo, pathological, or deviant science--into introductory undergraduate courses in general and analytical chemistry, and provides extensive references for the chemistry instructor interested in these topics. The approach is to incorporate specific cases that address…

Bioethics in the Laboratory: Synthesis and Interactivity.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, Kevin J.

1999-01-01

Describes the implementation of a bioethics laboratory exercise that incorporates a variety of instructional strategies. In the activity, General Biology students consider relevant and interesting topics of bioethical importance and prepare classroom presentations on the different viewpoints normally attendant to ethical topics. Includes an…

Agreement with Subjects in Lubukusu

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Diercks, Michael J. K.

2010-01-01

This dissertation examines three topics in the morphosyntax of Lubukusu (Bantu, Kenya), all of which are concerned with agreement with subjects: locative inversion, complementizer agreement, and alternative agreement effects in subject extraction. Each topic reports novel Lubukusu data which are both typologically interesting and theoretically…

Contemplating the ultimate sacrifice: identity fusion channels pro-group affect, cognition, and moral decision making.

PubMed

Swann, William B; Gómez, Angel; Buhrmester, Michael D; López-Rodríguez, Lucía; Jiménez, Juan; Vázquez, Alexandra

2014-05-01

Although most people acknowledge the moral virtue in sacrificing oneself to save others, few actually endorse self-sacrifice. Seven experiments explored the cognitive and emotional mechanisms that underlie such endorsements. Participants responded to 1 of 2 moral dilemmas in which they could save 5 members of their country only by sacrificing themselves. Over 90% of participants acknowledged that the moral course of action was to sacrifice oneself to save others (Experiment 1), yet only those who were strongly fused with the group preferentially endorsed self-sacrifice (Experiments 2-7). The presence of a concern with saving group members rather than the absence of a concern with self-preservation motivated strongly fused participants to endorse sacrificing themselves for the group (Experiment 3). Analyses of think aloud protocols suggested that saving others was motivated by emotional engagement with the group among strongly fused participants but by utilitarian concerns among weakly fused participants (Experiment 4). Hurrying participants' responses increased self-sacrifice among strongly fused participants but decreased self-sacrifice among weakly fused participants (Experiment 5). Priming the personal self increased endorsement of self-sacrifice among strongly fused participants but further reduced endorsement of self-sacrifice among weakly fused participants (Experiment 6). Strongly fused participants ignored utilitarian considerations, but weakly fused persons endorsed self-sacrifice more when it would save more people (Experiment 7). Apparently, the emotional engagement with the group experienced by strongly fused persons overrides the desire for self-preservation and compels them to translate their moral beliefs into self-sacrificial behavior.

Real-time Space-time Integration in GIScience and Geography.

PubMed

Richardson, Douglas B

2013-01-01

Space-time integration has long been the topic of study and speculation in geography. However, in recent years an entirely new form of space-time integration has become possible in GIS and GIScience: real-time space-time integration and interaction. While real-time spatiotemporal data is now being generated almost ubiquitously, and its applications in research and commerce are widespread and rapidly accelerating, the ability to continuously create and interact with fused space-time data in geography and GIScience is a recent phenomenon, made possible by the invention and development of real-time interactive (RTI) GPS/GIS technology and functionality in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This innovation has since functioned as a core change agent in geography, cartography, GIScience and many related fields, profoundly realigning traditional relationships and structures, expanding research horizons, and transforming the ways geographic data is now collected, mapped, modeled, and used, both in geography and in science and society more broadly. Real-time space-time interactive functionality remains today the underlying process generating the current explosion of fused spatiotemporal data, new geographic research initiatives, and myriad geospatial applications in governments, businesses, and society. This essay addresses briefly the development of these real-time space-time functions and capabilities; their impact on geography, cartography, and GIScience; and some implications for how discovery and change can occur in geography and GIScience, and how we might foster continued innovation in these fields.

16 CFR 1507.3 - Fuses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Practices CONSUMER PRODUCT SAFETY COMMISSION FEDERAL HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES ACT REGULATIONS FIREWORKS DEVICES § 1507.3 Fuses. (a) Fireworks devices that require a fuse shall: (1) Utilize only a fuse that has been... it will support either the weight of the fireworks device plus 8 ounces of dead weight or double the...

Geographical Topics Learning of Geo-Tagged Social Images.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiaoming; Ji, Shufan; Wang, Senzhang; Li, Zhoujun; Lv, Xueqiang

2016-03-01

With the availability of cheap location sensors, geotagging of images in online social media is very popular. With a large amount of geo-tagged social images, it is interesting to study how these images are shared across geographical regions and how the geographical language characteristics and vision patterns are distributed across different regions. Unlike textual document, geo-tagged social image contains multiple types of content, i.e., textual description, visual content, and geographical information. Existing approaches usually mine geographical characteristics using a subset of multiple types of image contents or combining those contents linearly, which ignore correlations between different types of contents, and their geographical distributions. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a novel method to discover geographical characteristics of geo-tagged social images using a geographical topic model called geographical topic model of social images (GTMSIs). GTMSI integrates multiple types of social image contents as well as the geographical distributions, in which image topics are modeled based on both vocabulary and visual features. In GTMSI, each region of the image would have its own topic distribution, and hence have its own language model and vision pattern. Experimental results show that our GTMSI could identify interesting topics and vision patterns, as well as provide location prediction and image tagging.

Communication Professionals: A New Market for Continuing Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Debra A.; Rose, Patricia B.

1995-01-01

A survey of 1,058 American Advertising Federation members and 806 Public Relations Society of America members (564 total responses) revealed widespread interest in continuing education in the form of seminars and workshops to keep current and advance. Interest in degree programs decreased with years of experience. Topic interests included…

Interest, Inferences, and Learning from Texts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clinton, Virginia; van den Broek, Paul

2012-01-01

Topic interest and learning from texts have been found to be positively associated with each other. However, the reason for this positive association is not well understood. The purpose of this study is to examine a cognitive process, inference generation, that could explain the positive association between interest and learning from texts. In…

Scientific collaboration and endorsement: Network analysis of coauthorship and citation networks

PubMed Central

Ding, Ying

2010-01-01

Scientific collaboration and endorsement are well-established research topics which utilize three kinds of methods: survey/questionnaire, bibliometrics, and complex network analysis. This paper combines topic modeling and path-finding algorithms to determine whether productive authors tend to collaborate with or cite researchers with the same or different interests, and whether highly cited authors tend to collaborate with or cite each other. Taking information retrieval as a test field, the results show that productive authors tend to directly coauthor with and closely cite colleagues sharing the same research interests; they do not generally collaborate directly with colleagues having different research topics, but instead directly or indirectly cite them; and highly cited authors do not generally coauthor with each other, but closely cite each other. PMID:21344057

Accountability for Information Flow via Explicit Formal Proof

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-10-01

macrobenchmarks. The first (called OpenSSL in the table below), unpacks the OpenSSL source code, compiles it and deletes it. The other (called Fuse in...penalty for PCFS as compared to Fuse/Null is approximately 10% for OpenSSL , and 2.5% for Fuse. The difference arises because the OpenSSL benchmark depends...Macrobenchmarks Benchmark PCFS Fuse/Null Ext3 OpenSSL 126 114 94 Fuse x 5 79 77 70 15 In summary, assuming a low rate of cache misses, the

Chaos: A Topic for Interdisciplinary Education in Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bae, Saebyok

2009-01-01

Since society and science need interdisciplinary works, the interesting topic of chaos is chosen for interdisciplinary education in physics. The educational programme contains various university-level activities such as computer simulations, chaos experiment and team projects besides ordinary teaching. According to the participants, the programme…

Instructional Partners, Principals, Teachers, and Instructional Assistants.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Indiana State Dept. of Public Instruction, Indianapolis.

This handbook examines various topics of interest and concern to teachers as they work with instructional assistants forming a classroom instructional partnership and functioning as a team. These topics include: (1) instructional assistant qualifications; (2) duties--instructional, classroom clerical, auxillary; (3) factors to be considered when…

Visualization of conserved structures by fusing highly variable datasets.

PubMed

Silverstein, Jonathan C; Chhadia, Ankur; Dech, Fred

2002-01-01

Skill, effort, and time are required to identify and visualize anatomic structures in three-dimensions from radiological data. Fundamentally, automating these processes requires a technique that uses symbolic information not in the dynamic range of the voxel data. We were developing such a technique based on mutual information for automatic multi-modality image fusion (MIAMI Fuse, University of Michigan). This system previously demonstrated facility at fusing one voxel dataset with integrated symbolic structure information to a CT dataset (different scale and resolution) from the same person. The next step of development of our technique was aimed at accommodating the variability of anatomy from patient to patient by using warping to fuse our standard dataset to arbitrary patient CT datasets. A standard symbolic information dataset was created from the full color Visible Human Female by segmenting the liver parenchyma, portal veins, and hepatic veins and overwriting each set of voxels with a fixed color. Two arbitrarily selected patient CT scans of the abdomen were used for reference datasets. We used the warping functions in MIAMI Fuse to align the standard structure data to each patient scan. The key to successful fusion was the focused use of multiple warping control points that place themselves around the structure of interest automatically. The user assigns only a few initial control points to align the scans. Fusion 1 and 2 transformed the atlas with 27 points around the liver to CT1 and CT2 respectively. Fusion 3 transformed the atlas with 45 control points around the liver to CT1 and Fusion 4 transformed the atlas with 5 control points around the portal vein. The CT dataset is augmented with the transformed standard structure dataset, such that the warped structure masks are visualized in combination with the original patient dataset. This combined volume visualization is then rendered interactively in stereo on the ImmersaDesk in an immersive Virtual Reality (VR) environment. The accuracy of the fusions was determined qualitatively by comparing the transformed atlas overlaid on the appropriate CT. It was examined for where the transformed structure atlas was incorrectly overlaid (false positive) and where it was incorrectly not overlaid (false negative). According to this method, fusions 1 and 2 were correct roughly 50-75% of the time, while fusions 3 and 4 were correct roughly 75-100%. The CT dataset augmented with transformed dataset was viewed arbitrarily in user-centered perspective stereo taking advantage of features such as scaling, windowing and volumetric region of interest selection. This process of auto-coloring conserved structures in variable datasets is a step toward the goal of a broader, standardized automatic structure visualization method for radiological data. If successful it would permit identification, visualization or deletion of structures in radiological data by semi-automatically applying canonical structure information to the radiological data (not just processing and visualization of the data's intrinsic dynamic range). More sophisticated selection of control points and patterns of warping may allow for more accurate transforms, and thus advances in visualization, simulation, education, diagnostics, and treatment planning.

An Examination of the Self-directed Online Leadership Learning Choices of Public Health Professionals: The Maternal and Child Health Public Health Leadership Institute Experience.

PubMed

Fernandez, Claudia S P; Noble, Cheryl C; Jensen, Elizabeth T

To assess the self-selected asynchronous leadership module-based learning choices of public health professionals participating in the Maternal and Child Health Public Health Leadership Institute (MCH PHLI). Online module completion and evaluation data were used to determine the topics most utilized by the Fellows; whether the topics and mode of training were acceptable, relevant, and practical; and whether participant characteristics explained any usage patterns. A total of 109 enrolled Fellows in the MCH PHLI program. Module frequency of selection by Fellows; Fellows' rating scores in regard to relevance, practicality, and acceptability of module topics. All program titles were highly rated. The 5 most frequently selected module topics were employee engagement (87.2%), talent acquisition strategies (84.4%), employee motivation (79.8%), emotional intelligence (78.9%), and workforce development strategies (68.8%). The least accessed topics focused on cultural competence (15.6%), social marketing (25.7%), effective communication and advocacy (25.7%), family partnerships (25.9%), and creating learning organizations (31.2%). All module topics provided were rated as relevant, practical, and acceptable to these public health leaders. Self-directed computer-based learning was rated strongly by the MCH public health leaders in this study. Such an approach can be used to customize training to individual needs and interests. These findings suggest that inclusion of skills that enable public health leaders to effectively work with and through others was of core interest in the MCH PHLI. The finding of higher usage of topics related to workforce management can provide guidance for those developing leadership development programs for maternal and child health professionals. In addition, leadership needs and interests should be assessed regularly to ensure that competency-based leadership development guidelines are adapting to the evolving and complex challenges faced by leaders. While these results were tested in MCH professionals, they may be generalizable to other disciplines within the field of public health.

Promoting End-of-Life Discussions in Advanced Cancer: Effects of Patient Coaching and Question Prompt Lists.

PubMed

Rodenbach, Rachel A; Brandes, Kim; Fiscella, Kevin; Kravitz, Richard L; Butow, Phyllis N; Walczak, Adam; Duberstein, Paul R; Sullivan, Peter; Hoh, Beth; Xing, Guibo; Plumb, Sandy; Epstein, Ronald M

2017-03-10

Purpose To build on results of a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) of a combined patient-oncologist intervention to improve communication in advanced cancer, we conducted a post hoc analysis of the patient intervention component, a previsit patient coaching session that used a question prompt list (QPL). We hypothesized that intervention-group participants would bring up more QPL-related topics, particularly prognosis-related topics, during the subsequent oncologist visit. Patients and Methods This cluster RCT with 170 patients who had advanced nonhematologic cancer (and their caregivers) recruited from practices of 24 participating oncologists in western New York. Intervention-group oncologists (n = 12) received individualized communication training; up to 10 of their patients (n = 84) received a previsit individualized communication coaching session that incorporated a QPL. Control-group oncologists (n = 12) and patients (n = 86) received no interventions. Topics of interest identified by patients during the coaching session were summarized from coaching notes; one office visit after the coaching session was audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed by using linear regression modeling for group differences. Results Compared with controls, more than twice as many intervention-group participants brought up QPL-related topics during their office visits (70.2% v 32.6%; P < .001). Patients in the intervention group were nearly three times more likely to ask about prognosis (16.7% v 5.8%; P =.03). Of 262 topics of interest identified during coaching, 158 (60.3%) were QPL related; 20 (12.7%) addressed prognosis. Overall, patients in the intervention group brought up 82.4% of topics of interest during the office visit. Conclusion A combined coaching and QPL intervention was effective to help patients with advanced cancer and their caregivers identify and bring up topics of concern, including prognosis, during their subsequent oncologist visits. Considering that most patients are misinformed about prognosis, more intensive steps are needed to better promote such discussions.

Teachers' Interests in Geography Topics and Regions--How They Differ from Students' Interests? Empirical Findings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hemmer, Ingrid; Hemmer, Michael

2017-01-01

Teachers' interest is a key influencing factor in geography class, development of curricula and writing textbooks and only little is known about it. A cross-sectional study along the lines of interest theory originating from educational psychology was carried out in Germany in the summer of 2015, in which 141 teachers at secondary schools…

[Evaluation of bond strength between low fusing porcelain with goldplated cobalt-chromium alloys].

PubMed

Guo, Jing; Zhu, Jia; Zhu, Hong-shui

2014-02-01

To evaluate the bond strength of Vita OMEGA 900 low fusing porcelain fused with the goldplated Wirobond cobalt-chrome metalt ceramic alloy. Low fusing porcelain was fused with the cobalt-chromium alloy strips(group A) and the goldplated cobalt-chromium alloy strips(group B) respectively according to ISO9693 (A:8,B:10). 8 specimens of each group were submitted to three point bending test. Two more test pieces fused with gold plated cobalt-chromium alloys were made (group B'). One test piece of both group B and group B' were observed under scanning electron microscope (SEM) randomly. The data was analyzed with SPSS 16.0 software package. The bond strength (MPa) of group A and group B was 29.92±4.28 and 28.20±5.21, respectively (P>0.05), both higher than 25 MPa required by ISO9693. SEM showed that Vita OMEGA 900 low fusing porcelain and the goldplated Wirobond cobalt-chrome metalt ceramic alloy combined together closely without cracks. Much gold was fused to the cobalt-chrome alloy surface of breaking porcelain specimen after testing. Vita OMEGA 900 low fusing porcelain can match with the goldplated Wirobond cobalt-chrome metalt ceramic alloy. Supported by Foundation of Education Department of Jiangxi Province (GJJ10367).

Negative regulation of RIG-I-mediated antiviral signaling by TRK-fused gene (TFG) protein.

PubMed

Lee, Na-Rae; Shin, Han-Bo; Kim, Hye-In; Choi, Myung-Soo; Inn, Kyung-Soo

2013-07-19

RIG-I (retinoic acid inducible gene I)-mediated antiviral signaling serves as the first line of defense against viral infection. Upon detection of viral RNA, RIG-I undergoes TRIM25 (tripartite motif protein 25)-mediated K63-linked ubiquitination, leading to type I interferon (IFN) production. In this study, we demonstrate that TRK-fused gene (TFG) protein, previously identified as a TRIM25-interacting protein, binds TRIM25 upon virus infection and negatively regulates RIG-I-mediated type-I IFN signaling. RIG-I-mediated IFN production and nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling pathways were upregulated by the suppression of TFG expression. Furthermore, vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) replication was significantly inhibited by small inhibitory hairpin RNA (shRNA)-mediated knockdown of TFG, supporting the suppressive role of TFG in RIG-I-mediated antiviral signaling. Interestingly, suppression of TFG expression increased not only RIG-I-mediated signaling but also MAVS (mitochondrial antiviral signaling protein)-induced signaling, suggesting that TFG plays a pivotal role in negative regulation of RNA-sensing, RIG-I-like receptor (RLR) family signaling pathways. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Far-Ultraviolet Temperature Diagnostics for Hot Central Stars of Planetary Nebulae

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sonneborn, G.; Ipin, R. C.; Herald, J.

2007-01-01

The effective temperature of hot central stars of planetary nebulae is usually determined from the ratios of optical He II lines. However, far-ultraviolet spectra from the FUSE satellite of several hot (T(sub eff) > 70,000 K) hydrogen-rich central stars have stellar features that imply a significantly hotter effective temperature than that determined from He II. There are many stellar features in the long wavelength portion of the FUSE spectrum. These include O VI 1146-47, F VI 1039.5, FeVII 1118.6, 1141.4, FeVI 1120.9, 1131.5, and NiVI 1124.2, 1148.2. The strong FVI 1139.5 line is of interest because of the large overabundance (over 100X solar) of F in some PG1159 stars reported recently by Werner et al. (2005). Modeling these spectral features may provide an method for measuring the effective temperature of these stars independent of the He II lines. An example of HD 200516, the central star of NGC 7009 (T(sub eff)= 82000 K from He II vs 95000 K from Far-W metal lines) is presented.

Improved method for the extraction and chromatographic analysis on a fused-core column of ellagitannins found in oak-aged wine.

PubMed

Navarro, María; Kontoudakis, Nikolaos; Canals, Joan Miquel; García-Romero, Esteban; Gómez-Alonso, Sergio; Zamora, Fernando; Hermosín-Gutiérrez, Isidro

2017-07-01

A new method for the analysis of ellagitannins observed in oak-aged wine is proposed, exhibiting interesting advantages with regard to previously reported analytical methods. The necessary extraction of ellagitannins from wine was simplified to a single step of solid phase extraction (SPE) using size exclusion chromatography with Sephadex LH-20 without the need for any previous SPE of phenolic compounds using reversed-phase materials. The quantitative recovery of wine ellagitannins requires a combined elution with methanol and ethyl acetate, especially for increasing the recovery of the less polar acutissimins. The chromatographic method was performed using a fused-core C18 column, thereby avoiding the coelution of main ellagitannins, such as vescalagin and roburin E. However, the very polar ellagitannins, namely, the roburins A, B and C, still partially coeluted, and their quantification was assisted by the MS detector. This methodology also enabled the analysis of free gallic and ellagic acids in the same chromatographic run. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thermal lensing compensation optics for high power lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scaggs, Michael; Haas, Gil

2011-03-01

Athermalization of focusing objectives is a common technique for optimizing imaging systems in the infrared where thermal effects are a major concern. The athermalization is generally done within the spectrum of interest and not generally applied to a single wavelength. The predominate glass used with high power infrared lasers in the near infrared of one micron, such as Nd:YAG and fiber lasers, is fused silica which has excellent thermal properties. All glasses, however, have a temperature coefficient of index of refraction (dn/dT) where as the glass heats up its index of refraction changes. Most glasses, fused silica included, have a positive dn/dT. A positive dn/dT will cause the focal length of the lens to decrease with a temperature rise. Many of the fluoride glasses, like CaF2, BaF2, LiF2, etc. have a negative dn/dT. By applying athermalization techniques of glass selection and optical design, the thermal lensing in a laser objective of a high power laser system can be substantially mitigated. We describe a passive method for minimizing thermal lensing of high power laser optics.

Additive manufacturing of microfluidic glass chips

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotz, F.; Helmer, D.; Rapp, B. E.

2018-02-01

Additive manufacturing has gained great interest in the microfluidic community due to the numerous channel designs which can be tested in the early phases of a lab-on-a-chip device development. High resolution additive manufacturing like microstereolithography is largely associated with polymers. Polymers are at a disadvantage compared to other materials due to their softness and low chemical resistance. Whenever high chemical and thermal resistance combined with high optical transparency is needed, glasses become the material of choice. However, glasses are difficult to structure at the microscale requiring hazardous chemicals for etching processes. In this work we present additive manufacturing and high resolution patterning of microfluidic chips in transparent fused silica glass using stereolithography and microlithography. We print an amorphous silica nanocomposite at room temperature using benchtop stereolithography printers and a custom built microlithography system based on a digital mirror device. Using microlithography we printed structures with tens of micron resolution. The printed part is then converted to a transparent fused silica glass using thermal debinding and sintering. Printing of a microfluidic chip can be done within 30 minutes. The heat treatment can be done within two days.

The research progress of large-aperture fused silica for high power laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shao, Zhufeng; Wang, Yufen; Xiang, Zaikui; Rao, Chuandong

2016-03-01

Because of its excellent optical performance, the fused silica is widely used in laser industry. In addition, the fused silica can withstand high power laser, due to its pure component, and the performance is most outstanding within all types of glasses. So fused silica can be used for optical lens in high power laser field. From the manufacturing process stand point, the fused silica can be categorized to four types: type Ⅰ, type Ⅱ, type Ⅲ, and type Ⅳ. The fused silica of type Ⅰand type Ⅱ is made through melting silica sand in graphite furnace or oxyhydrogen flame. There are many defects in these types of fused silica, for example, the air bubbles, inclusions and metallic impurity. The other two types are made by synthetic reaction of SiCl4 with water in oxyhydrogen or plasma flame. Both type Ⅲ and Ⅳ have excellent performance in transmittance and internal quality. However, type Ⅳof fused silica has disadvantage in small aperture and overall high manufacturing cost. Take the transmittance and internal quality into consideration, the type Ⅲ fused silica is the most suitable for large-aperture lens, and can withstand high power laser. The systemic studies of manufacturing process were done to improve the performance of type Ⅲ fused silica in various areas, for instance, the optical homogeneity, the stress birefringence, the absorption coefficient and the damage threshold. There are four steps in manufacturing process of type Ⅲ fused silica, ingot production, reshaping, annealing and cold-working. The critical factors of ingot production, like the flame of burner and the structure of furnace, were deeply studied in this paper to improve the performance of fused silica. On the basis of the above research, the performance and quality of the fused silica measured up to advanced world levels. For instance, the result of optical homogeneity can be controlled to 2-5 ppm, the stress birefringence is better than 4 nm/cm, the absorption coefficient is about 5.971ppm cm-1 (1ω), the damage threshold is greater than 80, 25 and 23 J/cm2 with the wavelength at 1064, 532 and 351nm respectively, the bandwidth used for measuring is 3ns.The fused silica has already been used in the area of high power laser facilities, aerospace industry, primary lens of interferometer based on its excellent performance.

GREENHOUSE WORKER, TEACHERS COPY.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

FITTS, JAMES; JOHNSON, JOHNNY

DESIGNED FOR VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE STUDENTS IN A COOPERATIVE PART-TIME TRAINING PROGRAM, THIS GUIDE WAS DEVELOPED BY TWO VOCATIONAL AGRICULTURE TEACHERS WITH INTEREST, TRAINING, AND EXPERIENCE IN HORTICULTURE AND WAS COORDINATED AND EDITED BY A SUBJECT MATTER SPECIALIST. INCLUDED ARE TEN UNITS, EACH DIVIDED INTO TOPICS. EACH TOPIC INCLUDES A…

43 CFR 7.33 - Determination of loss or absence of archaeological interest.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... behavior, cultural adaptation, and related topics. (c) Prior to making a determination that material... similar materials within the area under consideration shall be completed, consistent with the Secretary of... past human behavior, cultural adaptation and related topics. The principal bureau archaeologist or the...

Orange You Glad You Teach Botany?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cravats, Monroe

1983-01-01

Provides strategies and topics of study designed to enhance student interest in botany using both familiar and exotic plant material to illustrate genetics, plant propagation, disease, germination, hybrid vigor, anatomy, natural insecticides, and tropisms. The relationship between plants and society is also used to develop several topics. (JM)

The Importance of Behavioural Genetics for Developmental Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pike, Alison

2012-01-01

Many topics of interest to developmental scientists are informed by behavioural genetic findings and their implications. First, behavioural genetic theory and methods will be briefly outlined. Next, findings will be illustrated by considering two disparate areas--general cognitive ability (IQ), and children's self-conceptions. These topics have…

Temporal Topic Modeling to Assess Associations between News Trends and Infectious Disease Outbreaks.

PubMed

Ghosh, Saurav; Chakraborty, Prithwish; Nsoesie, Elaine O; Cohn, Emily; Mekaru, Sumiko R; Brownstein, John S; Ramakrishnan, Naren

2017-01-19

In retrospective assessments, internet news reports have been shown to capture early reports of unknown infectious disease transmission prior to official laboratory confirmation. In general, media interest and reporting peaks and wanes during the course of an outbreak. In this study, we quantify the extent to which media interest during infectious disease outbreaks is indicative of trends of reported incidence. We introduce an approach that uses supervised temporal topic models to transform large corpora of news articles into temporal topic trends. The key advantages of this approach include: applicability to a wide range of diseases and ability to capture disease dynamics, including seasonality, abrupt peaks and troughs. We evaluated the method using data from multiple infectious disease outbreaks reported in the United States of America (U.S.), China, and India. We demonstrate that temporal topic trends extracted from disease-related news reports successfully capture the dynamics of multiple outbreaks such as whooping cough in U.S. (2012), dengue outbreaks in India (2013) and China (2014). Our observations also suggest that, when news coverage is uniform, efficient modeling of temporal topic trends using time-series regression techniques can estimate disease case counts with increased precision before official reports by health organizations.

Temporal Topic Modeling to Assess Associations between News Trends and Infectious Disease Outbreaks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, Saurav; Chakraborty, Prithwish; Nsoesie, Elaine O.; Cohn, Emily; Mekaru, Sumiko R.; Brownstein, John S.; Ramakrishnan, Naren

2017-01-01

In retrospective assessments, internet news reports have been shown to capture early reports of unknown infectious disease transmission prior to official laboratory confirmation. In general, media interest and reporting peaks and wanes during the course of an outbreak. In this study, we quantify the extent to which media interest during infectious disease outbreaks is indicative of trends of reported incidence. We introduce an approach that uses supervised temporal topic models to transform large corpora of news articles into temporal topic trends. The key advantages of this approach include: applicability to a wide range of diseases and ability to capture disease dynamics, including seasonality, abrupt peaks and troughs. We evaluated the method using data from multiple infectious disease outbreaks reported in the United States of America (U.S.), China, and India. We demonstrate that temporal topic trends extracted from disease-related news reports successfully capture the dynamics of multiple outbreaks such as whooping cough in U.S. (2012), dengue outbreaks in India (2013) and China (2014). Our observations also suggest that, when news coverage is uniform, efficient modeling of temporal topic trends using time-series regression techniques can estimate disease case counts with increased precision before official reports by health organizations.

Temporal Topic Modeling to Assess Associations between News Trends and Infectious Disease Outbreaks

PubMed Central

Ghosh, Saurav; Chakraborty, Prithwish; Nsoesie, Elaine O.; Cohn, Emily; Mekaru, Sumiko R.; Brownstein, John S.; Ramakrishnan, Naren

2017-01-01

In retrospective assessments, internet news reports have been shown to capture early reports of unknown infectious disease transmission prior to official laboratory confirmation. In general, media interest and reporting peaks and wanes during the course of an outbreak. In this study, we quantify the extent to which media interest during infectious disease outbreaks is indicative of trends of reported incidence. We introduce an approach that uses supervised temporal topic models to transform large corpora of news articles into temporal topic trends. The key advantages of this approach include: applicability to a wide range of diseases and ability to capture disease dynamics, including seasonality, abrupt peaks and troughs. We evaluated the method using data from multiple infectious disease outbreaks reported in the United States of America (U.S.), China, and India. We demonstrate that temporal topic trends extracted from disease-related news reports successfully capture the dynamics of multiple outbreaks such as whooping cough in U.S. (2012), dengue outbreaks in India (2013) and China (2014). Our observations also suggest that, when news coverage is uniform, efficient modeling of temporal topic trends using time-series regression techniques can estimate disease case counts with increased precision before official reports by health organizations. PMID:28102319

31 CFR 100.12 - Exchange of fused and mixed coins.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Exchange of fused and mixed coins... of fused and mixed coins. (a) Definitions. (1) Fused coins are U.S. coins which are melted to the....S. coins. (2) Mixed coins are U.S. coins of several alloy categories which are presented together...

31 CFR 100.12 - Exchange of fused and mixed coins.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Exchange of fused and mixed coins... of fused and mixed coins. (a) Definitions. (1) Fused coins are U.S. coins which are melted to the....S. coins. (2) Mixed coins are U.S. coins of several alloy categories which are presented together...

31 CFR 100.12 - Exchange of fused and mixed coins.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Exchange of fused and mixed coins... of fused and mixed coins. (a) Definitions. (1) Fused coins are U.S. coins which are melted to the....S. coins. (2) Mixed coins are U.S. coins of several alloy categories which are presented together...

31 CFR 100.12 - Exchange of fused and mixed coins.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Exchange of fused and mixed coins... of fused and mixed coins. (a) Definitions. (1) Fused coins are U.S. coins which are melted to the....S. coins. (2) Mixed coins are U.S. coins of several alloy categories which are presented together...

Development of Fuses for Protection of Geiger-Mode Avalanche Photodiode Arrays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grzesik, Michael; Bailey, Robert; Mahan, Joe; Ampe, Jim

2015-11-01

Current-limiting fuses composed of Ti/Al/Ni were developed for use in Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode arrays for each individual pixel in the array. The fuses were designed to burn out at ˜4.5 × 10-3 A and maintain post-burnout leakage currents less than 10-7 A at 70 V sustained for several minutes. Experimental fuse data are presented and successful incorporation of the fuses into a 256 × 64 pixel InP-based Geiger-mode avalanche photodiode array is reported.

Integrated fuses for OLED lighting device

DOEpatents

Pschenitzka, Florian [San Jose, CA

2007-07-10

An embodiment of the present invention pertains to an electroluminescent lighting device for area illumination. The lighting device is fault tolerant due, in part, to the patterning of one or both of the electrodes into strips, and each of one or more of these strips has a fuse formed on it. The fuses are integrated on the substrate. By using the integrated fuses, the number of external contacts that are used is minimized. The fuse material is deposited using one of the deposition techniques that is used to deposit the thin layers of the electroluminescent lighting device.

Instruction and Students' Declining Interest in Science: An Analysis of German Fourth- and Sixth-Grade Classrooms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tröbst, Steffen; Kleickmann, Thilo; Lange-Schubert, Kim; Rothkopf, Anne; Möller, Kornelia

2016-01-01

Students' interest in science declines substantially in the transition from elementary to secondary education. Using students' ratings of their instruction on the topic of evaporation and condensation, we examined if changes in instructional practices accounted for differences in situational interest in science instruction and enduring individual…

Vocational Interests and Big Five Traits as Predictors of Job Instability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wille, Bart; De Fruyt, Filip; Feys, Marjolein

2010-01-01

Although empirical research on this topic is scarce, personality traits and vocational interests have repeatedly been named as potential individual level predictors of job change. Using a long-term cohort study (N = 291), we examined RIASEC interest profiles and Big Five personality scores at the beginning of the professional career as predictors…

NASA Tech Briefs, January 2007

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2007-01-01

Topics covered include: Flexible Skins Containing Integrated Sensors and Circuitry; Artificial Hair Cells for Sensing Flows; Video Guidance Sensor and Time-of-Flight Rangefinder; Optical Beam-Shear Sensors; Multiple-Agent Air/Ground Autonomous Exploration Systems; A 640 512-Pixel Portable Long-Wavelength Infrared Camera; An Array of Optical Receivers for Deep-Space Communications; Microstrip Antenna Arrays on Multilayer LCP Substrates; Applications for Subvocal Speech; Multiloop Rapid-Rise/Rapid Fall High-Voltage Power Supply; The PICWidget; Fusing Symbolic and Numerical Diagnostic Computations; Probabilistic Reasoning for Robustness in Automated Planning; Short-Term Forecasting of Radiation Belt and Ring Current; JMS Proxy and C/C++ Client SDK; XML Flight/Ground Data Dictionary Management; Cross-Compiler for Modeling Space-Flight Systems; Composite Elastic Skins for Shape-Changing Structures; Glass/Ceramic Composites for Sealing Solid Oxide Fuel Cells; Aligning Optical Fibers by Means of Actuated MEMS Wedges; Manufacturing Large Membrane Mirrors at Low Cost; Double-Vacuum-Bag Process for Making Resin- Matrix Composites; Surface Bacterial-Spore Assay Using Tb3+/DPA Luminescence; Simplified Microarray Technique for Identifying mRNA in Rare Samples; High-Resolution, Wide-Field-of-View Scanning Telescope; Multispectral Imager With Improved Filter Wheel and Optics; Integral Radiator and Storage Tank; Compensation for Phase Anisotropy of a Metal Reflector; Optical Characterization of Molecular Contaminant Films; Integrated Hardware and Software for No-Loss Computing; Decision-Tree Formulation With Order-1 Lateral Execution; GIS Methodology for Planning Planetary-Rover Operations; Optimal Calibration of the Spitzer Space Telescope; Automated Detection of Events of Scientific Interest; Representation-Independent Iteration of Sparse Data Arrays; Mission Operations of the Mars Exploration Rovers; and More About Software for No-Loss Computing.

A Planet Detection Tutorial and Simulator

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knoch, David; DeVincenzi, Donald (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Detection of extra-solar planets has been a very popular topic with the general public for years. Considerable media coverage of recent detections (currently at about 50) has only heightened the interest in the topic. School children are particularly interested in learning about recent astronomical discoveries. Scientists have the knowledge and responsibility to present this information in both an understandable and interesting format. Most classrooms and homes are now connected to the internet, which can be utilized to provide more than a traditional 'flat' presentation. An interactive software package on planet detection has been developed. The major topics include: "1996 - The Break Through Year In Planet Detection"; "What Determines If A Planet Is Habitable?"; "How Can We Find Other Planets (Search Methods)"; "All About the Kepler Mission: How To Find Terrestrial Planets"; and "A Planet Detection Simulator". Using the simulator, the student records simulated observations and then analyzes and interprets the data within the program. One can determine the orbit and planet size, the planet's temperature and surface gravity, and finally determine if the planet is habitable. Originally developed for the Macintosh, a web based browser version is being developed.

Methods and Apparatus for Autonomous Robotic Control

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gorshechnikov, Anatoly (Inventor); Livitz, Gennady (Inventor); Versace, Massimiliano (Inventor); Palma, Jesse (Inventor)

2017-01-01

Sensory processing of visual, auditory, and other sensor information (e.g., visual imagery, LIDAR, RADAR) is conventionally based on "stovepiped," or isolated processing, with little interactions between modules. Biological systems, on the other hand, fuse multi-sensory information to identify nearby objects of interest more quickly, more efficiently, and with higher signal-to-noise ratios. Similarly, examples of the OpenSense technology disclosed herein use neurally inspired processing to identify and locate objects in a robot's environment. This enables the robot to navigate its environment more quickly and with lower computational and power requirements.

'Blueberry' Triplets Born in Rock

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2004-01-01

This microscopic image, taken at the outcrop region dubbed 'Berry Bowl' near the Mars Exploration Rover Opportunity's landing site, shows the sphere-like grains or 'blueberries' that fill Berry Bowl. Of particular interest is the blueberry triplet, which indicates that these geologic features grew in pre-existing wet sediments. Other sphere-like grains that form in the air, such as impact spherules or ejected volcanic material called lapilli, are unlikely to fuse along a line and form triplets. This image was taken by the rover's microscopic imager on the 46th martian day, or sol, of its mission.

Analysis of the Capacity of Google Trends to Measure Interest in Conservation Topics and the Role of Online News

PubMed Central

Nghiem, Le T. P.; Papworth, Sarah K.; Lim, Felix K. S.; Carrasco, Luis R.

2016-01-01

With the continuous growth of internet usage, Google Trends has emerged as a source of information to investigate how social trends evolve over time. Knowing how the level of interest in conservation topics—approximated using Google search volume—varies over time can help support targeted conservation science communication. However, the evolution of search volume over time and the mechanisms that drive peaks in searches are poorly understood. We conducted time series analyses on Google search data from 2004 to 2013 to investigate: (i) whether interests in selected conservation topics have declined and (ii) the effect of news reporting and academic publishing on search volume. Although trends were sensitive to the term used as benchmark, we did not find that public interest towards conservation topics such as climate change, ecosystem services, deforestation, orangutan, invasive species and habitat loss was declining. We found, however, a robust downward trend for endangered species and an upward trend for ecosystem services. The quantity of news articles was related to patterns in Google search volume, whereas the number of research articles was not a good predictor but lagged behind Google search volume, indicating the role of news in the transfer of conservation science to the public. PMID:27028399

Bioinformatic training needs at a health sciences campus.

PubMed

Oliver, Jeffrey C

2017-01-01

Health sciences research is increasingly focusing on big data applications, such as genomic technologies and precision medicine, to address key issues in human health. These approaches rely on biological data repositories and bioinformatic analyses, both of which are growing rapidly in size and scope. Libraries play a key role in supporting researchers in navigating these and other information resources. With the goal of supporting bioinformatics research in the health sciences, the University of Arizona Health Sciences Library established a Bioinformation program. To shape the support provided by the library, I developed and administered a needs assessment survey to the University of Arizona Health Sciences campus in Tucson, Arizona. The survey was designed to identify the training topics of interest to health sciences researchers and the preferred modes of training. Survey respondents expressed an interest in a broad array of potential training topics, including "traditional" information seeking as well as interest in analytical training. Of particular interest were training in transcriptomic tools and the use of databases linking genotypes and phenotypes. Staff were most interested in bioinformatics training topics, while faculty were the least interested. Hands-on workshops were significantly preferred over any other mode of training. The University of Arizona Health Sciences Library is meeting those needs through internal programming and external partnerships. The results of the survey demonstrate a keen interest in a variety of bioinformatic resources; the challenge to the library is how to address those training needs. The mode of support depends largely on library staff expertise in the numerous subject-specific databases and tools. Librarian-led bioinformatic training sessions provide opportunities for engagement with researchers at multiple points of the research life cycle. When training needs exceed library capacity, partnering with intramural and extramural units will be crucial in library support of health sciences bioinformatic research.

Second Language Vocabulary Learning and Teaching: Still a Hot Topic

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Larrotta, Clarena

2011-01-01

For many reasons second language vocabulary learning and teaching continues to be a topic of interest for learners, instructors, and researchers. This article describes the implementation of personal glossaries in a community program offering English as second language classes to Latina/o Spanish speaking adults. Field notes, interviews, and…

Innovation Abstracts, Volume IV, Numbers 1-36.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Watkins, Karen, Ed.

1982-01-01

Brief, two-page abstracts are provided on 36 educational topics of interest to community college faculty, administrators, and staff. The topics covered are: (1) a student retention technique; (2) educational productivity and quality; (3) competency-based adult education; (4) part-time faculty; (5) Beaver College's (Pennsylvania) writing across the…

76 FR 66248 - Negotiated Rulemaking Committee, Negotiator Nominations and Schedule of Committee Meetings...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-26

... by the topics proposed for negotiation. We request nominations for individual negotiators who... meetings are set out in the Schedule for Negotiations section under SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION, below... represent the interests significantly affected by the topics proposed for negotiations. In so doing, we will...

CounselorQuest: Concise Analyses of Critical Counseling Topics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walz, Garry R., Comp.

This document contains 167 Educational Resources and Information Center (ERIC) digests from eight ERIC Clearinghouses covering topics of interest to counselors who work with clients from preschool age through adults. Digests are organized alphabetically by title; three indices help users locate digests alphabetically, by educational level, and by…

Mode of action of insect repellents

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The mode of action of DEET and other insect repellents has been a topic of interest since the discovery of DEET in the mid twentieth century. Nearly 60 years have passed since DEET applied topically to the skin was shown to be effective in preventing mosquito bites. With the discovery and characte...

Popularization of Chemistry through Ecological Topics.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perina, I.

1982-01-01

After providing information on elementary schooling in Yugoslavia, discusses ecological topics and activities used to raise the awareness of elementary school students about the level of pollution in the environment and the dangers of an increasingly polluted environment. Students' keen interest in chemistry and the chemical experiments was noted.…

Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research. Volume 28

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paulsen, Michael B., Ed.

2013-01-01

Published annually since 1985, the "Handbook" series provides a compendium of thorough and integrative literature reviews on a diverse array of topics of interest to the higher education scholarly and policy communities. Each chapter provides a comprehensive review of research findings on a selected topic, critiques the research…

American Language Review, 2000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ward, Ben, Ed.

2000-01-01

The six issues of this journal cover a variety of topics of interest to the second language professional. Among the topics covered are the following: "virtual" classrooms, staff development, traveling with students, learner self-testing, advice on how to find a job on the Web, online pronunciation aids, language teaching strategies for deaf…

The SAGES Fundamental Use of Surgical Energy program (FUSE): history, development, and purpose.

PubMed

Fuchshuber, P; Schwaitzberg, S; Jones, D; Jones, S B; Feldman, L; Munro, M; Robinson, T; Purcell-Jackson, G; Mikami, D; Madani, A; Brunt, M; Dunkin, B; Gugliemi, C; Groah, L; Lim, R; Mischna, J; Voyles, C R

2018-06-01

Adverse events due to energy device use in surgical operating rooms are a daily occurrence. These occur at a rate of approximately 1-2 per 1000 operations. Hundreds of operating room fires occur each year in the United States, some causing severe injury and even mortality. The Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons (SAGES) therefore created the first comprehensive educational curriculum on the safe use of surgical energy devices, called Fundamental Use of Surgical Energy (FUSE). This paper describes the history, development, and purpose of this important training program for all members of the operating room team. The databases of SAGES and the FUSE committee as well as personal photographs and documents of members of the FUSE task force were used to establish a brief history of the FUSE program from its inception to its current status. The authors were able to detail all aspects of the history, development, and national as well as global implementation of the third SAGES Fundamentals Program FUSE. The written documentation of the making of FUSE is an important contribution to the history and mission of SAGES and allows the reader to understand the idea, concept, realization, and implementation of the only free online educational tool for physicians on energy devices available today. FUSE is the culmination of the SAGES efforts to recognize gaps in patient safety and develop state-of-the-art educational programs to address those gaps. It is the goal of the FUSE task force to ensure that general FUSE implementation becomes multinational, involving as many countries as possible.

Child advocacy training: curriculum outcomes and resident satisfaction.

PubMed

Chamberlain, Lisa J; Sanders, Lee M; Takayama, John I

2005-09-01

Many health problems affecting children today are based in the community and cannot be easily addressed in the office setting. Child advocacy is an effective approach for pediatricians to take. To describe pediatric residents' choices of advocacy topics and interventions. Cross-sectional observational study. Residents from 3 pediatric training programs participated in the Child Advocacy Curriculum, which featured standardized workshops and the development of individual advocacy projects. To evaluate the curriculum, project descriptions and material products were analyzed to determine individual advocacy topics, topic themes, and targets of project interventions. Differences among programs were assessed. Residents also completed an anonymous questionnaire assessing their experience with the Child Advocacy Curriculum. Residents demonstrated a wide range of interests in selecting advocacy topics: 99 residents chose 38 different topics. The most common topic was obesity (13 residents) followed by health care access (9), teen pregnancy prevention (6), and oral health (5). Themes included health promotion and disease prevention, injury prevention, health care access, children with special health care needs, child development, at-risk populations, and the impact of media on child health. The project interventions targeted the local community most frequently (37%), followed by resident education (27%), hospital systems (21%), and public and health policy (15%). The vast majority of participating residents reported a positive experience with the Child Advocacy Curriculum. The wide range of topics and settings in which residents developed projects illustrates residents' extensive interests and ingenuity in applying needed advocacy solutions to complex child health issues.

Using Smartphones as Experimental Tools—Effects on Interest, Curiosity, and Learning in Physics Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hochberg, Katrin; Kuhn, Jochen; Müller, Andreas

2018-04-01

Smartphones as experimental tools (SETs) offer inspiring possibilities for science education, as their built-in sensors allow many different measurements, but until now, there has been little research that studies this approach. Due to current interest in their development, it seems necessary to provide empirical evidence about potential effects of SETs by a well-controlled study. For the present investigation, experiments were developed that use the smartphones' acceleration sensors to investigate an important topic of classical mechanics (pendulum). A quasi-experimental repeated-measurement design, consisting of an experimental group using SETs (smartphone group, SG, N SG = 87) and a control group working with traditional experimental tools (CG, N CG = 67), was used to study the effects on interest, curiosity, and learning achievement. Moreover, various control variables were taken into account. With multiple-regression analyses and ANCOVA, we found significantly higher levels of interest in the SG (small to medium effect size). Pupils that were less interested at the beginning of the study profited most from implementing SETs. Moreover, the SG showed higher levels of topic-specific curiosity (small effect size). No differences were found for learning achievement. This means that the often-supposed cognitive disadvantage of distracting learners with technological devices did not lead to reduced learning, whereas interest and curiosity were apparently fostered. Moreover, the study contributes evidence that could reduce potential concerns related to classroom use of smartphones and similar devices (increased cognitive load, mere novelty effect). In sum, the study presents encouraging results for the under-researched topic of SET use in science classrooms.

Fiber Fabry-Perot Interferometric Sensor for the Measurement of Electric Current Flowing through a Fuse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Park, Jaehee

2007-06-01

A fiber Fabry-Perot inteferometric sensor bonded close to a fusing element has been studied for the measurement of electric current flowing through a fuse. The phase shift of the sensor output signal is proportional to the square of the electric current passing through the fuse and the sensitivity is 0.827°/mA2.

Non-destructive evaluation of UV pulse laser-induced damage performance of fused silica optics.

PubMed

Huang, Jin; Wang, Fengrui; Liu, Hongjie; Geng, Feng; Jiang, Xiaodong; Sun, Laixi; Ye, Xin; Li, Qingzhi; Wu, Weidong; Zheng, Wanguo; Sun, Dunlu

2017-11-24

The surface laser damage performance of fused silica optics is related to the distribution of surface defects. In this study, we used chemical etching assisted by ultrasound and magnetorheological finishing to modify defect distribution in a fused silica surface, resulting in fused silica samples with different laser damage performance. Non-destructive test methods such as UV laser-induced fluorescence imaging and photo-thermal deflection were used to characterize the surface defects that contribute to the absorption of UV laser radiation. Our results indicate that the two methods can quantitatively distinguish differences in the distribution of absorptive defects in fused silica samples subjected to different post-processing steps. The percentage of fluorescence defects and the weak absorption coefficient were strongly related to the damage threshold and damage density of fused silica optics, as confirmed by the correlation curves built from statistical analysis of experimental data. The results show that non-destructive evaluation methods such as laser-induced fluorescence and photo-thermal absorption can be effectively applied to estimate the damage performance of fused silica optics at 351 nm pulse laser radiation. This indirect evaluation method is effective for laser damage performance assessment of fused silica optics prior to utilization.

[Effects of laser welding on bond of porcelain fused cast pure titanium].

PubMed

Zhu, Juan-fang; He, Hui-ming; Gao, Bo; Wang, Zhong-yi

2006-04-01

To investigate the influence of the laser welding on bond of porcelain fused to cast pure titanium. Twenty cast titanium plates were divided into two groups: laser welded group and control group. The low-fusing porcelain was fused to the laser welded cast pure titanium plates at fusion zone. The bond strength of the porcelain to laser welded cast pure titanium was measured by the three-point bending test. The interface of titanium and porcelain was investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and energy depressive X-ray detector (EDX). The non-welded titanium plates were used as comparison. No significant difference of the bond strength was found between laser-welded samples [(46.85 +/- 0.76) MPa] and the controls [(41.71 +/- 0.55) MPa] (P > 0.05). The SEM displayed the interface presented similar irregularities with a predominance. The titanium diffused to low-fusing porcelain, while silicon and aluminum diffused to titanium basement. Laser welding does not affect low-fusing porcelain fused to pure titanium.

Regional crop gross primary production and yield estimation using fused Landsat-MODIS data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

He, M.; Kimball, J. S.; Maneta, M. P.; Maxwell, B. D.; Moreno, A.

2017-12-01

Accurate crop yield assessments using satellite-based remote sensing are of interest for the design of regional policies that promote agricultural resiliency and food security. However, the application of current vegetation productivity algorithms derived from global satellite observations are generally too coarse to capture cropland heterogeneity. Merging information from sensors with reciprocal spatial and temporal resolution can improve the accuracy of these retrievals. In this study, we estimate annual crop yields for seven important crop types -alfalfa, barley, corn, durum wheat, peas, spring wheat and winter wheat over Montana, United States (U.S.) from 2008 to 2015. Yields are estimated as the product of gross primary production (GPP) and a crop-specific harvest index (HI) at 30 m spatial resolution. To calculate GPP we used a modified form of the MOD17 LUE algorithm driven by a 30 m 8-day fused NDVI dataset constructed by blending Landsat (5 or 7) and MODIS Terra reflectance data. The fused 30-m NDVI record shows good consistency with the original Landsat and MODIS data, but provides better spatiotemporal information on cropland vegetation growth. The resulting GPP estimates capture characteristic cropland patterns and seasonal variations, while the estimated annual 30 m crop yield results correspond favorably with county-level crop yield data (r=0.96, p<0.05). The estimated crop yield performance was generally lower, but still favorable in relation to field-scale crop yield surveys (r=0.42, p<0.01). Our methods and results are suitable for operational applications at regional scales.

Ft1, a novel gene related to ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes, is deleted in the Fused toes mouse mutation.

PubMed

Lesche, R; Peetz, A; van der Hoeven, F; Rüther, U

1997-12-01

The dominant mouse mutation Fused toes is characterized by partial syndactyly of the limbs and thymic hyperplasia. Both morphological abnormalities were shown to be related to impaired regulation of programmed cell death. Ft/Ft embryos die in midgestation showing severe malformations of fore- and midbrain as well as randomized situs. In Ft mice a large chromosomal deletion (about 300 kb) occurred after insertional mutagenesis. In this report we describe the identification of the first gene that has been mutated by Fused toes. The expression of the novel gene Ft1 is reduced in Ft/+ mice and completely absent in Ft/Ft embryos. Analysis of the Ft1 cDNA revealed an open reading frame that could code for a 32-kDa protein with similarities to ubiquitin-conjugating enzymes. Ft1 transcripts with alternative 5' UTR sequences as well as differential usage of polyadenylation sites were found. Interestingly, the 3' parts of the longest Ft1 transcripts are identical to the reverse complement of the 3'-most sequences of the Rb-related p130 gene. Both genes are transcribed in opposite directions and overlap in their 3' UTRs. Despite the close linkage, p130 expression appeared not to be affected by the Ft mutation. In wild type mice, Ft1 expression levels were found to be high in brain, kidney, and testes and detectable in all other adult organs and throughout embryonic development. Finally, we show that Ft1 is conserved among mammals and identify the human homolog.

The Abundances of the Iron Group Elements in Early B Stars in the Magellanic Clouds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peters, C.

FUSE observations of four sharp-lined early B main-sequence band stars in the Magellanic Clouds will be carried through to determine the abundances of the heavy elements, especially those of the Fe group. The FUSE spectral region contains numerous Fe III lines, including the resonance multiplet (UV1) near 1130 A that is excellent for abundance determinations and two strong multiplets of V III, an ion that does not produce measurable lines longward of 1200 A in metal-deficient stars. In addition there are several measurable lines from Cr III and Mn III. Although abundances of the Fe-peak elements are of interest because they are important for assessing opacities for stellar evolution calculations and the validity of theoretical calculations of explosive nucleosynthesis, ground-based studies do not yield this information because measurable lines from these species, except for a few Fe III lines, are found only in the UV spectral region. The abundances of heavy elements provide information on the production of such elements in previous generations of stars. From FUSE data obtained in Cycle 3 we are determining the abundances of the Fe group elements in two sharp-lined early B stars in the SMC (AV 304, a field star, and NGC346-637, a star in a mini-starburst cluster). This project will allow one to compare the abundances in AV 304 and NGC346-637 with those in the LMC and other regions in the SMC and look for asymmetry in heavy element production in the Magellanic Clouds.

Missing and accounted for: gaps and areas of wealth in the public health review literature

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background High-quality review evidence is useful for informing and influencing public health policy and practice decisions. However, certain topic areas lack representation in terms of the quantity and quality of review literature available. The objectives of this paper are to identify the quantity, as well as quality, of review-level evidence available on the effectiveness of public health interventions for public health decision makers. Methods Searches conducted on http://www.health-evidence.ca produced an inventory of public health review literature in 21 topic areas. Gaps and areas of wealth in the review literature, as well as the proportion of reviews rated methodologically strong, moderate, or weak were identified. The top 10 topic areas of interest for registered users and visitors of http://www.health-evidence.ca were extracted from user profile data and Google Analytics. Results Registered users' top three interests included: 1) healthy communities, 2) chronic diseases, and 3) nutrition. The top three preferences for visitors included: 1) chronic diseases, 2) physical activity, and 3) addiction/substance use. All of the topic areas with many (301+) available reviews were of interest to registered users and/or visitors (mental health, physical activity, addiction/substance use, adolescent health, child health, nutrition, adult health, and chronic diseases). Conversely, the majority of registered users and/or visitors did not have preference for topic areas with few (≤ 150) available reviews (food safety and inspection, dental health, environmental health) with the exception of social determinants of health and healthy communities. Across registered users' and visitors' topic areas of preference, 80.2% of the reviews were of well-done methodological quality, with 43.5% of reviews having a strong quality rating and 36.7% a moderate review quality rating. Conclusions In topic areas in which many reviews are available, higher level syntheses are needed to guide policy and practice. For other topic areas with few reviews, it is necessary to determine whether primary study evidence exists, or is needed, so that reviews can be conducted in the future. Considering that less than half of the reviews available on http://www.health-evidence.ca are of strong methodological quality, the quality of the review-level evidence needs to improve across the range of public health topic areas. PMID:21967658

Interest Matters: The Importance of Promoting Interest in Education.

PubMed

Harackiewicz, Judith M; Smith, Jessi L; Priniski, Stacy J

2016-10-01

Interest is a powerful motivational process that energizes learning, guides academic and career trajectories, and is essential to academic success. Interest is both a psychological state of attention and affect toward a particular object or topic, and an enduring predisposition to reengage over time. Integrating these two definitions, the four-phase model of interest development guides interventions that promote interest and capitalize on existing interests. Four interest-enhancing interventions seem useful: attention-getting settings, contexts evoking prior individual interest, problem-based learning, and enhancing utility value. Promoting interest can contribute to a more engaged, motivated, learning experience for students.

Small business innovation research: Program solicitation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1989-01-01

This, the seventh annual SBIR solicitation by NASA, describes the program, identifies eligibility requirements, outlines the required proposal format and content, states proposal preparation and submission requirements, describes the proposal evaluation and award selection process, and provides other information to assist those interested in participating in NASA's SBIR program. It also identifies the Technical Topics and Subtopics in which SBIR Phase 1 proposals are solicited in 1989. These Topics and Subtopics cover a broad range of current NASA interests, but do not necessarily include all areas in which NASA plans or currently conducts research. High-risk high pay-off innovations are desired.

Ethical Issues in Cardiac Surgery

PubMed Central

Kavarana, Minoo N.; Sade, Robert M.

2012-01-01

While ethical behavior has always been part of cardiac surgical practice, ethical deliberation has only recently become an important component of cardiac surgical practice. Issues such as informed consent, conflict of interest, and professional self-regulation, among many others, have increasingly attracted the attention of cardiac surgeons. This review covers several broad topics of interest to cardiac surgeons and cardiologists, and treats several other topics more briefly. There is much uncertainty about what the future holds for cardiac surgical practice, research, and culture, and we discuss the background of ethical issues to serve as a platform for envisioning what is to come. PMID:22642634

Internal fuse modules for solid tantalum capacitors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dematos, H. V.

1981-01-01

Miniature fuse modules were designed for and incorporated into two styles of solid tantalum capacitors. One is an epoxy molded, radial leaded, high frequency decoupling capacitor; the other is an hermetically sealed device with axial lead wires. The fusible element for both devices consists of a fine bimetallic wire which reacts exothermically upon reaching a critical temperature and then disintegrates. The desirability of having fused devices is discussed and design constraints, in particular those which minimize inductance and series resistance while optimizing fuse actuation characteristics, are reviewed. Factors affecting the amount of energy required to actuate the fuse and reliability of acuation are identified.

30 CFR 28.2 - Approved fuses.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... MINING PRODUCTS FUSES FOR USE WITH DIRECT CURRENT IN PROVIDING SHORT-CIRCUIT PROTECTION FOR TRAILING...-circuit protection for trailing cables in coal mines only where such fuses are: (1) The same in all...

Co-fuse: a new class discovery analysis tool to identify and prioritize recurrent fusion genes from RNA-sequencing data.

PubMed

Paisitkriangkrai, Sakrapee; Quek, Kelly; Nievergall, Eva; Jabbour, Anissa; Zannettino, Andrew; Kok, Chung Hoow

2018-06-07

Recurrent oncogenic fusion genes play a critical role in the development of various cancers and diseases and provide, in some cases, excellent therapeutic targets. To date, analysis tools that can identify and compare recurrent fusion genes across multiple samples have not been available to researchers. To address this deficiency, we developed Co-occurrence Fusion (Co-fuse), a new and easy to use software tool that enables biologists to merge RNA-seq information, allowing them to identify recurrent fusion genes, without the need for exhaustive data processing. Notably, Co-fuse is based on pattern mining and statistical analysis which enables the identification of hidden patterns of recurrent fusion genes. In this report, we show that Co-fuse can be used to identify 2 distinct groups within a set of 49 leukemic cell lines based on their recurrent fusion genes: a multiple myeloma (MM) samples-enriched cluster and an acute myeloid leukemia (AML) samples-enriched cluster. Our experimental results further demonstrate that Co-fuse can identify known driver fusion genes (e.g., IGH-MYC, IGH-WHSC1) in MM, when compared to AML samples, indicating the potential of Co-fuse to aid the discovery of yet unknown driver fusion genes through cohort comparisons. Additionally, using a 272 primary glioma sample RNA-seq dataset, Co-fuse was able to validate recurrent fusion genes, further demonstrating the power of this analysis tool to identify recurrent fusion genes. Taken together, Co-fuse is a powerful new analysis tool that can be readily applied to large RNA-seq datasets, and may lead to the discovery of new disease subgroups and potentially new driver genes, for which, targeted therapies could be developed. The Co-fuse R source code is publicly available at https://github.com/sakrapee/co-fuse .

Practical comparison of 2.7 microm fused-core silica particles and porous sub-2 microm particles for fast separations in pharmaceutical process development.

PubMed

Abrahim, Ahmed; Al-Sayah, Mohammad; Skrdla, Peter; Bereznitski, Yuri; Chen, Yadan; Wu, Naijun

2010-01-05

Fused-core silica stationary phases represent a key technological advancement in the arena of fast HPLC separations. These phases are made by fusing a 0.5 microm porous silica layer onto 1.7 microm nonporous silica cores. The reduced intra-particle flow path of the fused particles provides superior mass transfer kinetics and better performance at high mobile phase velocities, while the fused-core particles provide lower pressure than sub-2 microm particles. In this work, chromatographic performance of the fused-core particles (Ascentis Express) was investigated and compared to that of sub-2 microm porous particles (1.8 microm Zorbax Eclipse Plus C18 and 1.7 microm Acquity BEH C18). Specifically, retention, selectivity, and loading capacity were systematically compared for these two types of columns. Other chromatographic parameters such as efficiency and pressure drop were also studied. Although the fused-core column was found to provide better analyte shape selectivity, both columns had similar hydrophobic, hydrogen bonding, total ion-exchange, and acidic ion-exchange selectivities. As expected, the retention factors and sample loading capacity on the fused-core particle column were slightly lower than those for the sub-2 microm particle column. However, the most dramatic observation was that similar efficiency separations to the sub-2 microm particles could be achieved using the fused-core particles, without the expense of high column back pressure. The low pressure of the fused-core column allows fast separations to be performed routinely on a conventional LC system without significant loss in efficiency or resolution. Applications to the HPLC impurity profiling of drug substance candidates were performed using both types of columns to validate this last point.

Redundancy Technology With A Focused Ion Beam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Komano, Haruki; Hashimoto, Kazuhiko; Takigawa, Tadahiro

1989-08-01

Fuse cutting with a focused ion beam to activate redundancy circuits is proposed. In order to verify its potential usefulness, experiments have been performed. Fuse-cutting time was evaluated using aluminum fuses with a thin passivation layer, which are difficult to cut by conventional laser-beam technology due to the material's high reflectivity. The fuse width and thickness were 2 and 0.8 μm, respectively. The fuse was cut in 5 seconds with a 30 keV focused ion beam of 0.3 A/cm2 current density. Since the fuses used in DRAMs will be smaller, their cutting time will become shorter by scanning an ion beam on narrower areas. Moreover, it can be shortened by increasing current density. Fuses for redundancy technology in 256 k CMOS SRAMs were cut with a focused ion beam. The operation of the memories was checked with a memory tester. It was confirmed that memories which had failure cells operated normally after focused-ion-beam fuse-cutting. Focused ion beam irradiation effects upon a device have been studied. When a 30 keV gallium focused ion beam was irradiated near the gate of MOSFETs, a threshold voltage shift was not observed at an ion dose of 0.3 C/cm2 which corresponded to the ion dose in cutting a fuse. However, when irradiated on the gate, a threshold voltage shift was observed at ion doses of more than 8 x 10-4 C/cm2. The voltage shift was caused by the charge of ions within the passivation layer. It is necessary at least not to irradiate a focused ion beam on a device in cutting fuses. It is concluded that the focused-ion-beam method will be advantageous for future redundancy technology application.

KSC-99pp0494

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-05-03

Workers at Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station, maneuver an overhead crane toward NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite standing between vertical workstands. The crane will lift FUSE to move it onto the Payload Attach Fitting (PAF) in front of it. FUSE is undergoing a functional test of its systems, plus installation of flight batteries and solar arrays. Developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., FUSE will investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is scheduled to be launched May 27 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket at Launch Complex 17

Morphological evaluation of maxillary second molars with fused roots: a micro-CT study.

PubMed

Ordinola-Zapata, R; Martins, J N R; Bramante, C M; Villas-Boas, M H; Duarte, M H; Versiani, M A

2017-12-01

To evaluate the internal and external morphologies of fused-rooted maxillary second molars by means of micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) analysis. A total of 100 fused-rooted maxillary second molars from a Brazilian subpopulation were divided into six groups according to the root morphology. The samples were scanned at a resolution of 19.6 μm and evaluated with regard to the external morphology of the roots, the root canal configuration, the percentage frequency of C-shaped canals and isthmuses, as well as the morphology of the root canal system at 1, 2 and 3 mm from the anatomical apex of the fused roots. The most prevalent root canal fusions were type 1, mesiobuccal root fused with distobuccal root (32%), followed by type 3, DB root fused with P root (27%), and type 4, MB root fused with DB root, and P root fused with MB or DB roots (21%). The prevalence of C-shaped root canal systems were 22%. Depending on the type of root fusion, the percentage frequency of isthmuses in the apical level varied from 9.3% to 42.8%, whilst the presence of apical deltas ranged from 18.5% to 57.1% of teeth. The root canal system of maxillary second molars with fused roots may have a high incidence of merging canals, isthmuses, apical deltas and C-shaped configurations. © 2017 International Endodontic Journal. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Grade 9 Astronomy Study: Interests of Boys and Girls Studying Astronomy at Fletcher's Meadow Secondary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krstovic, Mirjan; Brown, Laura; Chacko, Merin; Trinh, Brenda

2008-01-01

In this report, we discuss the interests of Grade 9 boys and girls studying astronomy at Fletcher's Meadow Secondary School in Brampton, Ontario. A total of 152 Grade 9 academic students were asked to rate their interest levels in various astronomy topics on a scale of 0-3, where 0 represented no interest and 3 represented a high level of…

Revitalizing Complex Analysis: A Transition-to-Proof Course Centered on Complex Topics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sachs, Robert

2017-01-01

A new transition course centered on complex topics would help in revitalizing complex analysis in two ways: first, provide early exposure to complex functions, sparking greater interest in the complex analysis course; second, create extra time in the complex analysis course by eliminating the "complex precalculus" part of the course. In…

Predictors of Foreign Language Reading Comprehension in a Hypermedia Reading Environment

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Akbulut, Yavuz

2008-01-01

This study investigated factors affecting second/foreign language (L2) reading comprehension in a hypermedia environment within the theoretical framework of dual coding and cognitive load theories, and interactive models of L2 reading. The independent variables were reading ability, topic interest, prior topical knowledge, and the number of times…

Urban Agriculture Programs on the Rise: Agriculture Education Model Can Reach Students Other Classes Leave Behind

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fritsch, Julie M.

2013-01-01

Agricultural education begins with hands-on classroom and laboratory instruction. Because agriculture is such a broad topic, schools typically tailor agriculture class offerings to match the interests of the student population, needs of nearby businesses and industry, or topics relevant to their state's standard assessments. Within most…

Birthdays and Books

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brewer, Jo Ann

2006-01-01

No holiday is quite as special to a young child as his or her birthday. After all, a birthday is their own special day. Since birthdays are interesting to children, they are a good topic for literacy activities. Many appropriate reading and writing experiences can be offered around the topic. In this article, the author states that if teachers…

The News about High School Journalism: Focused Access to Selected Topics (FAST) Bibliography No. 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cowles, Margaret Haining

This annotated bibliography contains 33 items from the ERIC database on high school journalism topics of interest to student writers and editors, journalism instructors, publications advisers, and school administrators. The first section contains overviews. Ensuing sections address how journalism benefits students; legal issues in high school…

Resources for Topics in Nursing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riordan, Dale B.

This guide is intended to help the user become familiar with a selected group of reference tools and resources which are useful in nursing education and practice. It is important for students to use the correct medical or scientific terminology, understand the scope of a topic, and then utilize the tools necessary to research subjects of interest.…

Private Cultural Promotion in the Federal Republic of Germany.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fohrbeck, Karla; Wiesand, Andreas Johannes

Private cultural promotion has become a major topic of interest in cultural policy in recent years. Ranging from personal patronage, to salons, to lifestyle promotion, this document is concerned with presenting the great variety of possible fields of activity in private cultural promotion. Divided into eight chapters the topics covered include:…

By the Numbers: Current Research in the Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lindsay, Elizabeth Blakesley, Ed.

2008-01-01

This article highlights various literature covering a broad range of topics that are of interest to public services librarians, from collections and user services to one's own research and professional development. Although addressing many topics, these authors have all used or advocate for solid research methods and data analysis in their works,…

Science News Stories as Boundary Objects Affecting Engagement with Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polman, Joseph L.; Hope, Jennifer M. G.

2014-01-01

This paper explores how participating in a program spanning an informal science institution and multiple school sites engaged youth with science in a different way. In particular, teens in the program selected and researched science topics of personal interest, and then authored, revised, and published science news stories about those topics in an…

Strategy for Peace. Annual U.S. Foreign Policy Conference (22nd, October 16-18, 1981).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanley Foundation, Muscatine, IA.

Five discussion topics concerning peace were dealt with by conference participants, who included university faculty and officials from national and international agencies and organizations. The first topic, North-South relations and international security, considers U.S. security and the Third World, U.S. economic interests in the developing…

DNA, Drugs, and Detectives: An Interdisciplinary Special Topics Course for Undergraduate Students in Forensic Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Coticone, Sulekha Rao; Van Houten, Lora Bailey

2015-01-01

A special topics course combining two relevant and contemporary themes (forensic DNA analysis and illicit drug detection) was developed to stimulate student enthusiasm and enhance understanding of forensic science. Building on the interest of popular television shows such as "CSI" and "Breaking Bad," this course connects…

Facebook: A Bibliographic Analysis of the PsycINFO Database

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piotrowski, Chris

2012-01-01

With the advent of rapidly emerging technologies, researchers need to be cognizant of developments and applications in the area of social media as a topic of investigatory interest. To date, scholarly research on the topic of Facebook, a ubiquitous social media site, is rather extensive. This study on Facebook, using a bibliographic content…

Key topics in surgical research and methodology Thanos Athanasiou Key topics in surgical research and methodology , Haile Debas and Ara Darzi Springer Pages: 1090 £180 9783540719144 3540719148 [Formula: see text].

PubMed

2011-01-21

If the editors' intention was to produce a comprehensive text book that will be of value to healthcare professionals interested in surgical research and improvements in health care, they have succeeded.

Latin-American Military-Civilian Relations from Independence to the Present: A Course Conspectus.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nunn, Frederick M.

1981-01-01

Presents a topical outline and working bibliography for developing a college-level course on military-civilian relations in modern Latin America. Major topics are European and colonial background, independence, European and U.S. influences on professionalization and the development of political interest, professional militarism after World War II,…

Cancer: Mitosis Run Amok

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Science Scope, 2005

2005-01-01

Virtually every student knows someone who has battled cancer. It is a topic that is of great interest to many students because of their personal connection to the subject. Mitosis is an important topic in a middle school unit on cells and cell processes (National Science Standards, Grades 5?8: Life Sciences: Content Standard C). Studying cancer…

Students' Knowledge of "Things That Go Bump in the Night."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palladino, Joseph J.; Carducci, Bernardo J.

Questionnaires designed to tap misconceptions of the content of psychology courses can serve as pedagogical devices useful for introducing students to topics and for evaluating student learning. The topic of sleep and dreams is of particular interest to students. To develop a useful introductory tool and to evaluate students' knowledge of sleep,…

Economic Growth and Development in the Undergraduate Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acemoglu, Daron

2013-01-01

A central theme of this article is that economics instructors should spend more time teaching about economic growth and development at the undergraduate level because the topic is of interest to students, is less abstract than other macroeconomic topics, and is the focus of exciting research in economics. Facts and data can be presented to…

The Effect of Drycleaning Moisture on Fused Cloth Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-03-01

TECHNICAL REPORT NATICK/TR-89/024 et, THE EFFECT OF DRYCLEANING MOISTURE ON FUSED CLOTH SYSTEMS BY ELIZABETH J. MORELAND International...MOISTUP.E ON FUSED CLOTH SYSTEMS 12. PERSONAL AUTMOR(S) Elizabeth J. MorelanJ 13«. TYPE OF REPORT Final Technical Report 13b. TIME COVERED...This project was initiated to investigate the effect of moisture in drycleaning systems on preselected fused cloth structures. Adverse surface

Halting the fuse discharge propagation using optical fiber microwires.

PubMed

Rocha, A M; Fernandes, G; Domingues, F; Niehus, M; Pinto, A N; Facão, M; André, P S

2012-09-10

We report and analyze the halting of the fuse effect propagation in optical fiber microwires. The increase of the mode field diameter in the tapered region decreases the optical intensity resulting in the extinction of the fuse effect. This fiber element presents a low insertion loss and can be introduced in the optical network in order to protect the active equipment from the damage caused by the fuse effect.

Gradient-based multiresolution image fusion.

PubMed

Petrović, Valdimir S; Xydeas, Costas S

2004-02-01

A novel approach to multiresolution signal-level image fusion is presented for accurately transferring visual information from any number of input image signals, into a single fused image without loss of information or the introduction of distortion. The proposed system uses a "fuse-then-decompose" technique realized through a novel, fusion/decomposition system architecture. In particular, information fusion is performed on a multiresolution gradient map representation domain of image signal information. At each resolution, input images are represented as gradient maps and combined to produce new, fused gradient maps. Fused gradient map signals are processed, using gradient filters derived from high-pass quadrature mirror filters to yield a fused multiresolution pyramid representation. The fused output image is obtained by applying, on the fused pyramid, a reconstruction process that is analogous to that of conventional discrete wavelet transform. This new gradient fusion significantly reduces the amount of distortion artefacts and the loss of contrast information usually observed in fused images obtained from conventional multiresolution fusion schemes. This is because fusion in the gradient map domain significantly improves the reliability of the feature selection and information fusion processes. Fusion performance is evaluated through informal visual inspection and subjective psychometric preference tests, as well as objective fusion performance measurements. Results clearly demonstrate the superiority of this new approach when compared to conventional fusion systems.

Workers at CCAS attach solar panel to FUSE satellite.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

At Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers move a solar panel toward NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite before attaching it. FUSE was developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., to investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe - hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is targeted for launch June 23 from Launch Pad 17A, CCAS, aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket.

Workers at CCAS attach solar panel to FUSE satellite.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

At Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers check the installation of a solar panel on NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. FUSE was developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., to investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe - hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is targeted for launch June 23 from Launch Pad 17A, CCAS, aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket.

Workers at CCAS attach solar panel to FUSE satellite.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

At Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers attach a solar panel to NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. FUSE was developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., to investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe - hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is targeted for launch June 23 from Launch Pad 17A, CCAS, aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket.

The canister around the FUSE satellite is removed on the pad at CCAS.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

At Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers begin to remove the canister around the top of the NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. FUSE is designed to scour the cosmos for the fossil record of the origins of the universe hydrogen and deuterium. Scientists will use FUSE to study hydrogen and deuterium to unlock the secrets of how the primordial chemical elements of which all stars, planets and life evolved, were created and distributed since the birth of the universe. FUSE is scheduled to be launched from CCAS June 23 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket.

The canister around the FUSE satellite is removed on the pad at CCAS.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

At Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers oversee the removal of the canister from the top of NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. FUSE is designed to scour the cosmos for the fossil record of the origins of the universe hydrogen and deuterium. Scientists will use FUSE to study hydrogen and deuterium to unlock the secrets of how the primordial chemical elements of which all stars, planets and life evolved, were created and distributed since the birth of the universe. FUSE is scheduled to be launched from CCAS June 23 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket.

Fast-acting self-healing metallic fuse.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schwartz, F. C.; Renton, C. A.; Rabinovici, B.

1971-01-01

Description of a fast-acting nonmechanical self-healing mercury fuse capable of protecting a high current circuit or device from overcurrent fault damages. Basically the self-healing fuse consists of two enclosed mercury reservoirs connected by a fine capillary tube filled with mercury that serves as the fusing element. It is pointed out that a better understanding of the energy conversion process involved in the operation of the device could help explore other device configurations (such as a tapering geometry and use of magnetic field to drive the arc into the fuse wall on inductive loads, etc.) and thus extend the range of capabilities for this type of protective device.

Self-healing fuse development.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, N. D.

1972-01-01

The self-healing fuse is a very fast acting current overload protective device which opens and recloses in a few milliseconds. The fuse confines a mercury column in an insulated channel and returns the mercury to the channel after firing. Ratings 5 to 50 A at 600 peak volts are possible with a life of hundreds of cycles. Compared to conventional fuses, much less fault current energy fires the fuse by heating the mercury to boiling temperature. Next an arc discharge develops while explosive forces expel the liquid mercury from the channel. Then the high impedance arc either extinguishes immediately, or operates for a few milliseconds, until a switch opens the circuit.

A bibliometric analysis on tobacco regulation investigators.

PubMed

Li, Dingcheng; Okamoto, Janet; Liu, Hongfang; Leischow, Scott

2015-01-01

To facilitate the implementation of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act of 2009, the Federal Drug Agency (FDA) Center for Tobacco Products (CTP) has identified research priorities under the umbrella of tobacco regulatory science (TRS). As a newly integrated field, the current boundaries and landscape of TRS research are in need of definition. In this work, we conducted a bibliometric study of TRS research by applying author topic modeling (ATM) on MEDLINE citations published by currently-funded TRS principle investigators (PIs). We compared topics generated with ATM on dataset collected with TRS PIs and topics generated with ATM on dataset collected with a TRS keyword list. It is found that all those topics show a good alignment with FDA's funding protocols. More interestingly, we can see clear interactive relationships among PIs and between PIs and topics. Based on those interactions, we can discover how diverse each PI is, how productive they are, which topics are more popular and what main components each topic involves. Temporal trend analysis of key words shows the significant evaluation in four prime TRS areas. The results show that ATM can efficiently group articles into discriminative categories without any supervision. This indicates that we may incorporate ATM into author identification systems to infer the identity of an author of articles using topics generated by the model. It can also be useful to grantees and funding administrators in suggesting potential collaborators or identifying those that share common research interests for data harmonization or other purposes. The incorporation of temporal analysis can be employed to assess the change over time in TRS as new projects are funded and the extent to which new research reflects the funding priorities of the FDA.

Hole-assisted fiber based fiber fuse terminator supporting 22 W input

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsujikawa, Kyozo; Kurokawa, Kenji; Hanzawa, Nobutomo; Nozoe, Saki; Matsui, Takashi; Nakajima, Kazuhide

2018-05-01

We investigated the air hole structure in hole-assisted fiber (HAF) with the aim of terminating fiber fuse propagation. We focused on two structural parameters c/MFD and S1/S2, which are related respectively to the position and area of the air holes, and mapped their appropriate values for terminating fiber fuse propagation. Here, MFD is the mode field diameter, c is the diameter of an inscribed circle linking the air holes, S1 is the total area of the air holes, and S2 is the area of a circumscribed circle linking the air holes. On the basis of these results, we successfully realized a compact fiber fuse terminator consisting of a 1.35 mm-long HAF, which can terminate fiber fuse propagation even with a 22 W input. In addition, we observed fiber fuse termination using a high-speed camera. We additionally confirmed that the HAF-based fiber fuse terminator is effective under various input power conditions. The penetration length of the optical discharge in the HAF was only less than 300 μm when the input power was from 2 to 22 W.

Understanding adolescent student perceptions of science education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ebert, Ellen Kress

This study used the Relevance of Science Education (ROSE) survey (Sjoberg & Schreiner, 2004) to examine topics of interest and perspectives of secondary science students in a large school district in the southwestern U.S. A situated learning perspective was used to frame the project. The research questions of this study focused on (a) perceptions students have about themselves and their science classroom and how these beliefs may influence their participation in the community of practice of science; (b) consideration of how a future science classroom where the curriculum is framed by the Next Generation Science Standards might foster students' beliefs and perceptions about science education and their legitimate peripheral participation in the community of practice of science; and (c) reflecting on their school science interests and perspectives, what can be inferred about students' identities as future scientists or STEM field professionals? Data were collected from 515 second year science students during a 4-week period in May of 2012 using a Web-based survey. Data were disaggregated by gender and ethnicity and analyzed descriptively and by statistical comparison between groups. Findings for Research Question 1 indicated that boys and girls showed statistically significant differences in scientific topics of interest. There were no statistical differences between ethnic groups although. For Research Question 2, it was determined that participants reported an increase in their interest when they deemed the context of the content to be personally relevant. Results for Research Question 3 showed that participants do not see themselves as youthful scientists or as becoming scientists. While participants value the importance of science in their lives and think all students should take science, they do not aspire to careers in science. Based on this study, a need for potential future work has been identified in three areas: (a) exploration of the perspectives and interests of non-mainstream students and urban students whose representation in this study was limited; (b) investigation of topics where students expressed low interests topics; and (c) development and design of authentic communities of practice in the science classroom.

Computational chemistry for NH 3 synthesis, hydrotreating, and NO x reduction: Three topics of special interest to Haldor Topsøe

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

Elnabawy, Ahmed O.; Rangarajan, Srinivas; Mavrikakis, Manos

Computational chemistry, especially density functional theory, has experienced a remarkable growth in terms of application over the last few decades. This is attributed to the improvements in theory and computing infrastructure that enable the analysis of systems of unprecedented size and detail at an affordable computational expense. In this perspective, we discuss recent progress and current challenges facing electronic structure theory in the context of heterogeneous catalysis. We specifically focus on the impact of computational chemistry in elucidating and designing catalytic systems in three topics of interest to Haldor Topsøe – ammonia, synthesis, hydrotreating, and NO x reduction. Furthermore, wemore » then discuss the common tools and concepts in computational catalysis that underline these topics and provide a perspective on the challenges and future directions of research in this area of catalysis research.« less

Computational chemistry for NH 3 synthesis, hydrotreating, and NO x reduction: Three topics of special interest to Haldor Topsøe

DOE PAGES

Elnabawy, Ahmed O.; Rangarajan, Srinivas; Mavrikakis, Manos

2015-06-05

Computational chemistry, especially density functional theory, has experienced a remarkable growth in terms of application over the last few decades. This is attributed to the improvements in theory and computing infrastructure that enable the analysis of systems of unprecedented size and detail at an affordable computational expense. In this perspective, we discuss recent progress and current challenges facing electronic structure theory in the context of heterogeneous catalysis. We specifically focus on the impact of computational chemistry in elucidating and designing catalytic systems in three topics of interest to Haldor Topsøe – ammonia, synthesis, hydrotreating, and NO x reduction. Furthermore, wemore » then discuss the common tools and concepts in computational catalysis that underline these topics and provide a perspective on the challenges and future directions of research in this area of catalysis research.« less

German medical students' interest in and knowledge about human sexuality in 1972 and 2012.

PubMed

Turner, Daniel; Jopt, Konstantin; Nieder, Timo O; Briken, Peer

2014-08-01

During the 1970s, a growing number of medical schools began to recognize the importance of medical education concerning human sexuality. Currently, most medical schools provide at least some instruction in human sexuality. In light of this development, the present study aimed to compare the interest in and knowledge about human sexuality of medical students from two different time periods. The answers to a self-constructed questionnaire of 236 students in 1972 were compared with those of 259 students in 2012. Students were asked whether they were interested in education regarding human sexuality and which specific topics they felt should be included in the medical curriculum. The students' knowledge in the following domains was assessed: sexual development, sexual behavior, sexual physiology and psychology, and sexual medicine. The two cohorts were compared with regard to those specific sexuality-related topics in which the students were most and least interested in. Furthermore, the number of correct responses to the knowledge questions was compared. While in 1972, 99.2% of the students were interested in medical education about human sexuality, in 2012, 80.3% showed an interest. The connection of disorders from different medical disciplines with sexuality was rated as most interesting by both the students from 1972 and 2012. Medical students from 2012 gave 50.3% correct answers to the knowledge questions, whereas students from 1972 correctly answered 46.3% of the questions. Although interest in education concerning human sexuality has decreased, the majority of students view it as an important topic. Nevertheless, medical students still lack knowledge about important aspects of human sexuality (e.g., psychosexual development and relative safety of different contraceptives). Therefore, more time should be dedicated to education concerning human sexuality and its cultural, societal, and health aspects in particular. © 2014 International Society for Sexual Medicine.

Earthquakes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pakiser, Louis C.

One of a series of general interest publications on science topics, the booklet provides those interested in earthquakes with an introduction to the subject. Following a section presenting an historical look at the world's major earthquakes, the booklet discusses earthquake-prone geographic areas, the nature and workings of earthquakes, earthquake…

Motorcycles on the Move

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McIntosh, Phyllis

2013-01-01

Motorcycles are the subject of this feature article, which explores such topics as the history of motorcycles, types of motorcycles, special interest motorcycle clubs, motorcycle rallies, the Harley-Davidson company, and Rolling Thunder. A list of websites of interest and a glossary of "motorcycle jargon" are included.

Real-time Space-time Integration in GIScience and Geography

PubMed Central

Richardson, Douglas B.

2013-01-01

Space-time integration has long been the topic of study and speculation in geography. However, in recent years an entirely new form of space-time integration has become possible in GIS and GIScience: real-time space-time integration and interaction. While real-time spatiotemporal data is now being generated almost ubiquitously, and its applications in research and commerce are widespread and rapidly accelerating, the ability to continuously create and interact with fused space-time data in geography and GIScience is a recent phenomenon, made possible by the invention and development of real-time interactive (RTI) GPS/GIS technology and functionality in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This innovation has since functioned as a core change agent in geography, cartography, GIScience and many related fields, profoundly realigning traditional relationships and structures, expanding research horizons, and transforming the ways geographic data is now collected, mapped, modeled, and used, both in geography and in science and society more broadly. Real-time space-time interactive functionality remains today the underlying process generating the current explosion of fused spatiotemporal data, new geographic research initiatives, and myriad geospatial applications in governments, businesses, and society. This essay addresses briefly the development of these real-time space-time functions and capabilities; their impact on geography, cartography, and GIScience; and some implications for how discovery and change can occur in geography and GIScience, and how we might foster continued innovation in these fields. PMID:24587490

Barrier breaching device

DOEpatents

Honodel, Charles A.

1985-01-01

A barrier breaching device that is designed primarily for opening holes in interior walls of buildings uses detonating fuse for explosive force. The fuse acts as the ribs or spokes of an umbrella-like device that may be opened up to form a cone. The cone is placed against the wall so that detonating fuse that rings the base of the device and which is ignited by the spoke-like fuses serves to cut a circular hole in the wall.

Barrier breaching device

DOEpatents

Honodel, C.A.

1983-06-01

A barrier breaching device that is designed primarily for opening holes in interior walls of buildings uses detonating fuse for explosive force. The fuse acts as the ribs or spokes of an umbrella-like device that may be opened up to form a cone. The cone is placed against the wall so that detonating fuse that rings the base of the device and which is ignited by the spoke-like fuses serves to cut a circular hole in the wall.

Quantification of Residual Stress from Photonic Signatures of Fused Silica

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cramer, K. Elliott; Hayward, Maurice; Yost, William E.

2013-01-01

A commercially available grey-field polariscope (GFP) instrument for photoelastic examination is used to assess impact damage inflicted upon the outer-most pane of Space Shuttle windows made from fused silica. A method and apparatus for calibration of the stress-optic coefficient using four-point bending is discussed. The results are validated on known material (acrylic) and are found to agree with literature values to within 6%. The calibration procedure is then applied to fused-silica specimens and the stress-optic coefficient is determined to be 2.43 +/- 0.54 x 10(exp -12)/Pa. Fused silica specimens containing impacts artificially made at NASA's Hypervelocity Impact Technology Facility (HIT-F), to simulate damage typical during space flight, are examined. The damage sites are cored from fused silica window carcasses and examined with the GFP. The calibrated GFP measurements of residual stress patterns surrounding the damage sites are presented. Keywords: Glass, fused silica, photoelasticity, residual stress

Dibenzo[a,f]perylene bisimide: effects of introducing two fused rings.

PubMed

Chaolumen; Enno, Hiroki; Murata, Michihisa; Wakamiya, Atsushi; Murata, Yasujiro

2014-11-01

Perylene bisimides (PBIs) are fascinating dyes with various potential applications. To study the effects of introducing a dibenzo-fused structure to the perylene moiety, π-extended PBI derivatives with a dibenzo-fused structure at both of the a and f bonds were synthesized. The twisted structure was characterized by X-ray crystal structure analysis. In the cyclic voltammograms, the dibenzo[a,f]-fused PBI showed a reversible oxidation wave at much less positive potential, relative to a dibenzo[a,o]-fused PBI derivative. These data indicated that two ring fusions at both sides of a naphthalene moiety, which construct a tetracene core, effectively raise the HOMO level compared to fusion of one ring at each naphthalene moiety (two anthracene cores). The dibenzo[a,f]-fused PBI derivative showed an absorption band at 735 nm with a shoulder band reaching 900 nm. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

KSC-99pp0380

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-05

Workers in Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station, begin removing the plastic covering from NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite before prelaunch processing. FUSE will undergo a functional test of its systems, followed by installation of the flight batteries and solar arrays. Tests are also scheduled for the communications and data systems linking FUSE with the spacecraft control center at The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. FUSE was developed and will be operated by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. FUSE will investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The launch aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted for May 20 at Launch Complex 17

KSC-99pp0382

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-05

At Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station, NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite stands alone after workstands have been removed. As part of prelaunch processing, FUSE will undergo a functional test of its systems, followed by installation of the flight batteries and solar arrays. Tests are also scheduled for the communications and data systems linking FUSE with the spacecraft control center at The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. FUSE was developed and will be operated by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. FUSE will investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The launch aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted for May 20 at Launch Complex 17

KSC-99pp0381

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-05

At Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station, NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite is unveiled before prelaunch processing. FUSE will undergo a functional test of its systems, followed by installation of the flight batteries and solar arrays. Tests are also scheduled for the communications and data systems linking FUSE with the spacecraft control center at The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. FUSE was developed and will be operated by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. FUSE will investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The launch aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted for May 20 at Launch Complex 17

KSC-99pp0379

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-04-05

Workers in Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station, get ready to remove the protective shipping cover from NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite for prelaunch processing. FUSE will undergo a functional test of its systems, followed by installation of the flight batteries and solar arrays. Tests are also scheduled for the communications and data systems linking FUSE with the spacecraft control center at The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Md. FUSE was developed and will be operated by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. FUSE will investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. The launch aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket is targeted for May 20 at Launch Complex 17

Comparing monolithic and fused core HPLC columns for fast chromatographic analysis of fat-soluble vitamins.

PubMed

Kurdi, Said El; Muaileq, Dina Abu; Alhazmi, Hassan A; Bratty, Mohammed Al; Deeb, Sami El

2017-06-27

HPLC stationary phases of monolithic and fused core type can be used to achieve fast chromatographic separation as an alternative to UPLC. In this study, monolithic and fused core stationary phases are compared for fast separation of four fat-soluble vitamins. Three new methods on the first and second generation monolithic silica RP-18e columns and a fused core pentafluoro-phenyl propyl column were developed. Application of three fused core columns offered comparable separations of retinyl palmitate, DL-α-tocopheryl acetate, cholecalciferol and menadione in terms of elution speed and separation efficiency. Separation was achieved in approx. 5 min with good resolution (Rs > 5) and precision (RSD ≤ 0.6 %). Monolithic columns showed, however, a higher number of theoretical plates, better precision and lower column backpressure than the fused core column. The three developed methods were successfully applied to separate and quantitate fat-soluble vitamins in commercial products.

Lignin-based active anode materials synthesized from low-cost renewable resources

DOEpatents

Rios, Orlando; Tenhaeff, Wyatt Evan; Daniel, Claus; Dudney, Nancy Johnston; Johs, Alexander; Nunnery, Grady Alexander; Baker, Frederick Stanley

2016-06-07

A method of making an anode includes the steps of providing fibers from a carbonaceous precursor, the carbon fibers having a glass transition temperature T.sub.g. In one aspect the carbonaceous precursor is lignin. The carbonaceous fibers are placed into a layered fiber mat. The fiber mat is fused by heating the fiber mat in the presence of oxygen to above the T.sub.g but no more than 20% above the T.sub.g to fuse fibers together at fiber to fiber contact points and without melting the bulk fiber mat to create a fused fiber mat through oxidative stabilization. The fused fiber mat is carbonized by heating the fused fiber mat to at least 650.degree. C. under an inert atmosphere to create a carbonized fused fiber mat. A battery anode formed from carbonaceous precursor fibers is also disclosed.

Click-MS: Tagless Protein Enrichment Using Bioorthogonal Chemistry for Quantitative Proteomics.

PubMed

Smits, Arne H; Borrmann, Annika; Roosjen, Mark; van Hest, Jan C M; Vermeulen, Michiel

2016-12-16

Epitope-tagging is an effective tool to facilitate protein enrichment from crude cell extracts. Traditionally, N- or C-terminal fused tags are employed, which, however, can perturb protein function. Unnatural amino acids (UAAs) harboring small reactive handles can be site-specifically incorporated into proteins, thus serving as a potential alternative for conventional protein tags. Here, we introduce Click-MS, which combines the power of site-specific UAA incorporation, bioorthogonal chemistry, and quantitative mass spectrometry-based proteomics to specifically enrich a single protein of interest from crude mammalian cell extracts. By genetic encoding of p-azido-l-phenylalanine, the protein of interest can be selectively captured using copper-free click chemistry. We use Click-MS to enrich proteins that function in different cellular compartments, and we identify protein-protein interactions, showing the great potential of Click-MS for interaction proteomics workflows.

Crucial Roles of Interleukin-7 in the Development of T Follicular Helper Cells and in the Induction of Humoral Immunity

PubMed Central

Seo, Yong Bok; Im, Se Jin; Namkoong, Hong; Kim, Sae Won; Choi, Young Woo; Kang, Moon Cheol; Lim, Hye Seong; Jin, Hyun Tak; Yang, Se Hwan; Cho, Mi La; Kim, You-Me; Lee, Seung-Woo; Choi, Young Ki; Surh, Charles D.

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT T follicular helper (Tfh) cells are specialized providers of cognate B cell help, which is important in promoting the induction of high-affinity antibody production in germinal centers (GCs). Interleukin-6 (IL-6) and IL-21 have been known to play important roles in Tfh cell differentiation. Here, we demonstrate that IL-7 plays a pivotal role in Tfh generation and GC formation in vivo, as treatment with anti-IL-7 neutralizing antibody markedly impaired the development of Tfh cells and IgG responses. Moreover, codelivery of mouse Fc-fused IL-7 (IL-7-mFc) with a vaccine enhanced the generation of GC B cells as well as Tfh cells but not other lineages of T helper cells, including Th1, Th2, and Th17 cells. Interestingly, a 6-fold-lower dose of an influenza virus vaccine codelivered with Fc-fused IL-7 induced higher antigen-specific and cross-reactive IgG titers than the vaccine alone in both mice and monkeys and led to markedly enhanced protection against heterologous influenza virus challenge in mice. Enhanced generation of Tfh cells by IL-7-mFc treatment was not significantly affected by the neutralization of IL-6 and IL-21, indicating an independent role of IL-7 on Tfh differentiation. Thus, IL-7 holds promise as a critical cytokine for selectively inducing Tfh cell generation and enhancing protective IgG responses. IMPORTANCE Here, we demonstrate for the first time that codelivery of Fc-fused IL-7 significantly increased influenza virus vaccine-induced antibody responses, accompanied by robust expansion of Tfh cells and GC B cells as well as enhanced GC formation. Furthermore, IL-7-mFc induced earlier and cross-reactive IgG responses, leading to striking protection against heterologous influenza virus challenge. These results suggest that Fc-fused IL-7 could be used for inducing strong and cross-protective humoral immunity against highly mutable viruses, such as HIV and hepatitis C virus, as well as influenza viruses. PMID:24899182

Interests and attitudes of engineering students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rutherford, Brian

2007-12-01

Engineering programs have been less successful than other professions in achieving gender equity. Analyses of gender differences in the attitudes and interests of engineering students may help illuminate ways to combat the underrepresentation of women in engineering. This study examined data collected from 863 engineering students who attended 15 American universities from fall 2005 through spring 2006 using an online survey. The survey was designed to understand the backgrounds, academic preparation, motivation, interests, and attitudes of engineering students. To determine whether males and females received different academic preparation prior to entering engineering, the survey examined participants' mathematics, science, and technical coursework taken in high school. The questions probed students' comfort and interest level in mathematics, science, and technology/engineering and investigated student interest in the three fundamental engineering activities by asking 49 design, build, and analyze questions on topics covering a variety of engineering disciplines. A combination of question formats was used including pre-categorized demographic information, 5-point Likert scales, and open-ended responses. Gender similarities and differences were identified and their implications were considered for the recruitment and retention of engineers. Female engineering students in this study were equally or better prepared than males to major in engineering based on the number and types of science and mathematics classes taken in high school. However, statistically significant gender differences were found in the attitudes and interests of engineering students. The difference in the comfort level, interest in learning, being able to demonstrate, or in performing stem skills depended on the question topic rather than gender. The areas with the highest comfort and interest level were often different for females and males. Several topics and curriculum areas of high interest to both genders related to engineering education in several engineering disciplines were identified. It appears that females and males were motivated to choose engineering as a career for different reasons. Analysis revealed that female engineering students are generally more altruistic and less interested in "things" than male engineering students. This study also found that females were comfortable in mathematics or science, but were less comfortable using computers, tools, and machines---all essential engineering skills.

High Interest Easy Reading: For Junior and Senior High School Students. Fourth Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agee, Hugh, Ed.

Intended for students who are able to read but lack the motivation to do so because they have not encountered books that speak to their interests and concerns, this revised booklist contains more than 400 titles. The titles represent books of high quality that deal with topics of interest to the average adolescent. Titles and annotations are…

"Students Enjoyed and Talked about the Classes in the Corridors": Pedagogical Framework Promoting Interest in Algebra

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prendergast, Mark; O'Donoghue, John

2014-01-01

Research suggests that there are two major reasons for the low numbers taking Higher Level mathematics in Ireland: namely, ineffective teaching and a subsequent lack of student interest in the subject. Traditional styles of teaching make it difficult for students to take an interest in a confusing topic in which they can see no immediate…

Focus on the Future: Using Environmental Scanning To Effect Institutional Change. AIR 2001 Annual Forum Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knutzen, Judi

An environmental scanning process was used to solicit opinions about the future of Columbia Basin College, Washington, from various interest groups. The interest groups were formed to research topics and areas important to the future of the college. Ten interest groups, with a total of 37 members, were founded and the scanning process was also…

Differential Patterns of Information Acquisition from the Mass Media: The Effects of Interest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Genova, B.K.L.

The purpose of this study was to compare subjects' degree of interest with educational level to determine the better predictor of knowledge acquired from the mass media. Interest in and knowledge about two topics (impeachment and the National Football League strike) were determined from a 1974 survey of 253 adults. Knowledge was measured in terms…

30 CFR 75.601-2 - Short circuit protection; use of fuses; approval by the Secretary.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Trailing Cables § 75.601-2 Short circuit protection; use of fuses; approval by the Secretary. Fuses shall not be employed to provide short circuit protection for trailing cables unless specifically approved...

Blast Off into Space Science with Fuses.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bombaugh, Ruth

2000-01-01

Introduces an activity in which students build a fuse with steel, wood, light bulbs, copper wire, clay, and batteries. Uses the cross-age instructional approach to teach about the value of instructional time. Contains directions for building a fuse. (YDS)

FET proteins TAF15 and EWS are selective markers that distinguish FTLD with FUS pathology from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with FUS mutations.

PubMed

Neumann, Manuela; Bentmann, Eva; Dormann, Dorothee; Jawaid, Ali; DeJesus-Hernandez, Mariely; Ansorge, Olaf; Roeber, Sigrun; Kretzschmar, Hans A; Munoz, David G; Kusaka, Hirofumi; Yokota, Osamu; Ang, Lee-Cyn; Bilbao, Juan; Rademakers, Rosa; Haass, Christian; Mackenzie, Ian R A

2011-09-01

Accumulation of the DNA/RNA binding protein fused in sarcoma as cytoplasmic inclusions in neurons and glial cells is the pathological hallmark of all patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with mutations in FUS as well as in several subtypes of frontotemporal lobar degeneration, which are not associated with FUS mutations. The mechanisms leading to inclusion formation and fused in sarcoma-associated neurodegeneration are only poorly understood. Because fused in sarcoma belongs to a family of proteins known as FET, which also includes Ewing's sarcoma and TATA-binding protein-associated factor 15, we investigated the potential involvement of these other FET protein family members in the pathogenesis of fused in sarcoma proteinopathies. Immunohistochemical analysis of FET proteins revealed a striking difference among the various conditions, with pathology in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with FUS mutations being labelled exclusively for fused in sarcoma, whereas fused in sarcoma-positive inclusions in subtypes of frontotemporal lobar degeneration also consistently immunostained for TATA-binding protein-associated factor 15 and variably for Ewing's sarcoma. Immunoblot analysis of proteins extracted from post-mortem tissue of frontotemporal lobar degeneration with fused in sarcoma pathology demonstrated a relative shift of all FET proteins towards insoluble protein fractions, while genetic analysis of the TATA-binding protein-associated factor 15 and Ewing's sarcoma gene did not identify any pathogenic variants. Cell culture experiments replicated the findings of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with FUS mutations by confirming the absence of TATA-binding protein-associated factor 15 and Ewing's sarcoma alterations upon expression of mutant fused in sarcoma. In contrast, all endogenous FET proteins were recruited into cytoplasmic stress granules upon general inhibition of Transportin-mediated nuclear import, mimicking the findings in frontotemporal lobar degeneration with fused in sarcoma pathology. These results allow a separation of fused in sarcoma proteinopathies caused by FUS mutations from those without a known genetic cause based on neuropathological features. More importantly, our data imply different pathological processes underlying inclusion formation and cell death between both conditions; the pathogenesis in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis with FUS mutations appears to be more restricted to dysfunction of fused in sarcoma, while a more global and complex dysregulation of all FET proteins is involved in the subtypes of frontotemporal lobar degeneration with fused in sarcoma pathology.

Physical evidence of predatory behavior in Tyrannosaurus rex.

PubMed

DePalma, Robert A; Burnham, David A; Martin, Larry D; Rothschild, Bruce M; Larson, Peter L

2013-07-30

Feeding strategies of the large theropod, Tyrannosaurus rex, either as a predator or a scavenger, have been a topic of debate previously compromised by lack of definitive physical evidence. Tooth drag and bone puncture marks have been documented on suggested prey items, but are often difficult to attribute to a specific theropod. Further, postmortem damage cannot be distinguished from intravital occurrences, unless evidence of healing is present. Here we report definitive evidence of predation by T. rex: a tooth crown embedded in a hadrosaurid caudal centrum, surrounded by healed bone growth. This indicates that the prey escaped and lived for some time after the injury, providing direct evidence of predatory behavior by T. rex. The two traumatically fused hadrosaur vertebrae partially enclosing a T. rex tooth were discovered in the Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota.

Physical evidence of predatory behavior in Tyrannosaurus rex

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

DePalma, Robert A., II; Burnham, David A.; Martin, Larry D.; Rothschild, Bruce M.; Larson, Peter L.

2013-07-01

Feeding strategies of the large theropod, Tyrannosaurus rex, either as a predator or a scavenger, have been a topic of debate previously compromised by lack of definitive physical evidence. Tooth drag and bone puncture marks have been documented on suggested prey items, but are often difficult to attribute to a specific theropod. Further, postmortem damage cannot be distinguished from intravital occurrences, unless evidence of healing is present. Here we report definitive evidence of predation by T. rex: a tooth crown embedded in a hadrosaurid caudal centrum, surrounded by healed bone growth. This indicates that the prey escaped and lived for some time after the injury, providing direct evidence of predatory behavior by T. rex. The two traumatically fused hadrosaur vertebrae partially enclosing a T. rex tooth were discovered in the Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota.

Physical evidence of predatory behavior in Tyrannosaurus rex

PubMed Central

DePalma, Robert A.; Burnham, David A.; Martin, Larry D.; Rothschild, Bruce M.; Larson, Peter L.

2013-01-01

Feeding strategies of the large theropod, Tyrannosaurus rex, either as a predator or a scavenger, have been a topic of debate previously compromised by lack of definitive physical evidence. Tooth drag and bone puncture marks have been documented on suggested prey items, but are often difficult to attribute to a specific theropod. Further, postmortem damage cannot be distinguished from intravital occurrences, unless evidence of healing is present. Here we report definitive evidence of predation by T. rex: a tooth crown embedded in a hadrosaurid caudal centrum, surrounded by healed bone growth. This indicates that the prey escaped and lived for some time after the injury, providing direct evidence of predatory behavior by T. rex. The two traumatically fused hadrosaur vertebrae partially enclosing a T. rex tooth were discovered in the Hell Creek Formation of South Dakota. PMID:23858435

Workers at CCAS attach solar panel to FUSE satellite.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

At Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers get ready to move a solar panel to be attached to NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite in the background. FUSE was developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., to investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe - hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is targeted for launch June 23 from Launch Pad 17A, CCAS, aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket.

Measuring In-Situ Mdf Velocity Of Detonation

DOEpatents

Horine, Frank M.; James, Jr., Forrest B.

2005-10-25

A system for determining the velocity of detonation of a mild detonation fuse mounted on the surface of a device includes placing the device in a predetermined position with respect to an apparatus that carries a couple of sensors that sense the passage of a detonation wave at first and second spaced locations along the fuse. The sensors operate a timer and the time and distance between the locations is used to determine the velocity of detonation. The sensors are preferably electrical contacts that are held spaced from but close to the fuse such that expansion of the fuse caused by detonation causes the fuse to touch the contact, causing an electrical signal to actuate the timer.

SINA: A test system for proximity fuses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruizenaar, M. G. A.

1989-04-01

SINA, a signal generator that can be used for testing proximity fuses, is described. The circuitry of proximity fuses is presented; the output signal of the RF circuit results from a mixing of the emitted signal and received signal that is Doppler shifted in frequency by the relative motion of the fuse with respect to the reflecting target of surface. With SINA, digitized and stored target and clutter signals (previously measured) can be transformed to Doppler signals, for example during a real flight. SINA can be used for testing fuse circuitry, for example in the verification of results of computer simulations of the low frequency Doppler signal processing. The software of SINA and its use are explained.

Enhanced image fusion using directional contrast rules in fuzzy transform domain.

PubMed

Nandal, Amita; Rosales, Hamurabi Gamboa

2016-01-01

In this paper a novel image fusion algorithm based on directional contrast in fuzzy transform (FTR) domain is proposed. Input images to be fused are first divided into several non-overlapping blocks. The components of these sub-blocks are fused using directional contrast based fuzzy fusion rule in FTR domain. The fused sub-blocks are then transformed into original size blocks using inverse-FTR. Further, these inverse transformed blocks are fused according to select maximum based fusion rule for reconstructing the final fused image. The proposed fusion algorithm is both visually and quantitatively compared with other standard and recent fusion algorithms. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed method generates better results than the other methods.

Boeing Delta II rocket for FUSE launch arrives at CCAS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

At Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), the first stage of a Boeing Delta II rocket is moved into the tower. The rocket is targeted to launch NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE), developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. FUSE will investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe, hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is scheduled to be launched June 23 at CCAS.

The FUSE satellite is encased in a canister before being moved to the Launch Pad.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite is fitted with another row of canister segments before being moved to Launch Pad 17A, CCAS. FUSE was developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., to investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe - hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is scheduled to be launched June 23 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket.

Boeing Delta II rocket for FUSE launch arrives at CCAS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

After its arrival at Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), the first stage of a Boeing Delta II rocket is raised to a vertical position. The rocket is targeted to launch NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE), developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. FUSE will investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe, hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is scheduled to be launched June 23 at CCAS.

Boeing Delta II rocket for FUSE launch arrives at CCAS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

At Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), the first stage of a Boeing Delta II rocket is raised for its journey up the launch tower. The rocket is targeted to launch NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE), developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. FUSE will investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe, hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is scheduled to be launched June 23 at CCAS.

Boeing Delta II rocket for FUSE launch arrives at CCAS

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

At Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), the first stage of a Boeing Delta II rocket is ready to be lifted into the tower. The rocket is targeted to launch NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE), developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md. FUSE will investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe,hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is scheduled to be launched June 23 at CCAS.

Functional assessment and treatment of perseverative speech about restricted topics in an adolescent with Asperger syndrome.

PubMed

Fisher, Wayne W; Rodriguez, Nicole M; Owen, Todd M

2013-01-01

A functional analysis showed that a 14-year-old boy with Asperger syndrome displayed perseverative speech (or "restricted interests") reinforced by attention. To promote appropriate speech in a turn-taking format, we implemented differential reinforcement (DR) of nonperseverative speech and DR of on-topic speech within a multiple schedule with stimuli that signaled the contingencies in effect and who was to select the topic. Both treatments reduced perseverative speech, but only DR of on-topic speech increased appropriate turn taking during conversation. Treatment effects were maintained when implemented by family members and novel therapists. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Theoretical investigation of polarization effects in solution: Importance of solvent collective motions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ishida, Tateki

2015-01-01

Recent theoretical studies on interesting topics related to polarization effects in solutions are presented. As one of interesting topics, ionic liquids (ILs) solvents are focused on. The collective dynamics of electronic polarizability through interionic dynamics and the effect of polarization in ILs, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIm][PF6]), are studied with molecular dynamics simulation. Also, the time-dependent polarization effect on the probe betaine dye molecule, pyridinium N-phenoxide, in water is investigated by a time-dependent reference interaction site model self-consistent field (time-dependent RISM-SCF) approach. The importance of considering polarization effects on solution systems related to solvent collective motions is shown.

Additive manufacturing of glass for optical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Junjie; Gilbert, Luke J.; Bristow, Douglas A.; Landers, Robert G.; Goldstein, Jonathan T.; Urbas, Augustine M.; Kinzel, Edward C.

2016-04-01

Glasses including fused quartz have significant scientific and engineering applications including optics, communications, electronics, and hermetic seals. This paper investigates a filament fed process for Additive Manufacturing (AM) of fused quartz. Additive manufacturing has several potential benefits including increased design freedom, faster prototyping, and lower processing costs for small production volumes. However, current research in AM of glasses is limited and has focused on non-optical applications. Fused quartz is studied here because of its desirability for high-quality optics due to its high transmissivity and thermal stability. Fused quartz also has a higher working temperature than soda lime glass which poses a challenge for AM. In this work, fused quartz filaments are fed into a CO2 laser generated melt pool, smoothly depositing material onto the work piece. Single tracks are printed to explore the effects that different process parameters have on the morphology of printed fused quartz. A spectrometer is used to measure the thermal radiation incandescently emitted from the melt pool. Thin-walls are printed to study the effects of layer-to-layer height. Finally, a 3D fused quartz cube is printed using the newly acquired layer height and polished on each surface. The transmittance and index homogeneity of the polished cube are both measured. These results show that the filament fed process has the potential to print fused quartz with optical transparency and of index of refraction uniformity approaching bulk processed glass.

Nutrition Education Needs Pantry Clients

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Dolores K.; Shultz, Jill Armstrong; Edlefsen, Miriam; Butkus, Sue N.

2007-01-01

Two food pantries were surveyed for nutrition education (NE) interests and experiences. One site provided nutrition education classes; the comparison site was utilized to assess client interest in class topics. "Fixing low cost meals," "fixing quick and easy recipes," and "stretching food and food dollars" were topics…

Current Events in Basic Business Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Hook, Barry L.

1974-01-01

The author suggests the use of current events to stimulate student interest in basic business courses. Suggested topics described are monetary devaluation, interest rate adjustments, Illinois no-fault automobile insurance, labor-management disputes, Dow-Jones average, Picasso's death, energy crisis, sale of surplus wheat, local consumer assistance…

Collecting Rocks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barker, Rachel M.

One of a series of general interest publications on science topics, the booklet provides those interested in rock collecting with a nontechnical introduction to the subject. Following a section examining the nature and formation of igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks, the booklet gives suggestions for starting a rock collection and using…

Marriage Counseling. Searchlight Plus: Relevant Resources in High Interest Areas. No. 51+.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schreiber, Penny

This paper provides a review of the articles and documents on the topic of marriage counseling, as identified by a computer search of the ERIC data base from November 1966 through December 1979. The materials address the following topics: (1) the history of marriage counseling; (2) counseling techniques including conjoint family therapy, cotherapy…

NASA Space Human Factors Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

This booklet briefly and succinctly treats 23 topics of particular interest to the NASA Space Human Factors Program. Most articles are by different authors who are mainly NASA Johnson or NASA Ames personnel. Representative topics covered include mental workload and performance in space, light effects on Circadian rhythms, human sleep, human reasoning, microgravity effects and automation and crew performance.

State Law Challenges to School Discipline: An Outline of Claims and Case Summaries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pressman, Robert

This publication presents topic headings that may be used as a checklist of state law grounds for challenging a disciplinary action. Topics include: (1) illegality in rule adoption; (2) inadequate notice that conduct is subject to discipline; (3) existence of a protected interest; (4) inadequate notice of hearing; (5) inadequate hearing…

Effect of parental selection of healthy behavior topic during well child visit on plan to change childs eating or physical activity behavior

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Current recommendations direct pediatricians to address obesity and obesity prevention routinely during well child visits and to tailor their counseling, but clinicians may feel ineffective because of time constraints and lack of parent interest. To prompt parents to select a healthy lifestyle topic...

Using Forensic Psychology to Teach Basic Psychological Processes: Eyewitness Memory and Lie Detection

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Costanzo, Mark A.

2013-01-01

Teachers can incorporate topics in forensic psychology into lower level courses to increase student interest and to show how psychological processes influence outcomes in high-stakes applied contexts. One such topic is eyewitness identification, which teachers can use to show how stress affects memory and how memories can become distorted during…

Mature Stuff. Physical Activity for the Older Adult.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leslie, David K., Ed.

This book on physical education for the older adult is divided into three parts. The first part contains a chapter that introduces the reader to the topic of aging in American society and ties that topic to the interests of health professionals. Chapters 2 through 6 address the foundation areas of health, physical education, recreation and dance…

Dialogue-Based Activities and Manipulatives to Engage Liberal Arts Majors in Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Price, James C.

2015-01-01

This article presents four inquiry-based learning activities developed for a liberal arts math course. The activities cover four topics: the Pythagorean theorem, interest theory, optimization, and the Monty Hall problem. Each activity consists of a dialogue, with a theme and characters related to the topic, and a manipulative, that allow students…

Versatility, Openness to Experience, and Topical Diversity in Creative Products: An Exploratory Historiometric Analysis of Scientists, Philosophers, and Writers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cassandro, Vincent J.; Simonton, Dean Keith

2010-01-01

Creative individuals are considered "versatile" when their achievements extend beyond their most commonly cited domain, thus indicating remarkable and varied interests and abilities. The present study examined the association between versatility and (a) the personalities of eminent creators and (b) the topical diversity of their creative products.…

Job Sharing: General Information. A Handbook for Employers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olmsted, Barney

Arranging work time in new and flexible ways has been a topic of growing interest for the past ten years. This handbook for employers explains one way in which jobs can be made more flexible--job sharing. It discusses ways that work hours can be shared with potential benefits for employer and employees. Topics discussed include definition of job…

Personal Writing and the ESL Student.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simmons, Mary Beth

Personal writing is not only valid in such places as the academy, it is vital--even though Daniel Horowitz, in his essay "Process, Not Product: Less Than Meets the Eye," said that "teaching students to write intelligently on topics they do not care about seems to be a more useful goal than having them pick topics which interest them." But…

The Family Life Education Needs of Midlife and Older Adults.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ballard, Sharon M.; Morris Michael Lane

2003-01-01

Using a life course perspective, reports the findings from a needs assessment for midlife and older adults regarding family life education. A sample of 264 adults aged 50 and older indicated interest in 29 family life education topics. The highest rated topics were nutrition and health, fitness and exercise, and positive aspects of aging.…

Engaging Prekindergarten Dual Language Learners in Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jones, Meredith K.; Shue, Pamela L.

2013-01-01

In a preschool class where the teachers speak only English and the majority of the children speak only Spanish, it is challenging to choose a topic that is interesting enough to engage all children in project work that supports language development. Luckily for the children, pizza is a delicious, familiar, and easily accessible topic to explore.…

Essays on La Mujer. Anthology No. 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanchez, Rosaura, Ed.; Cruz, Rosa Martinez, Ed.

The 10 essays introduce some concepts and topics of particular concern and interest to those wishing to analyze the situation of the Chicana within her particular historical, social and economical context. Topics of the essays are: (1) the Chicana labor force; (2) the role of the Chicana within the student movement; (3) the Chicana and the Chicano…

How Does Formal Leadership Influence a District Content Coaching Program?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hudson, Sarah E.

2010-01-01

The titles of professional books on the topic of coaching are numerous, coaching professional development offerings are widespread and schools across the country are hiring teachers to serve in coaching roles. There is great interest around the topic of coaching and much is being written about the support that is needed for coaches as well.…

Using Conversation Analysis to Explore the Recurrence of a Topic in the Talk of a Boy with an Autism Spectrum Disorder

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stribling, Penny; Rae, John; Dickerson, Paul

2009-01-01

Some higher functioning individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASDs) are reported to produce perseverative talk, especially around "special interests". Topic perseveration is a form of pragmatic impairment captured in Prizant and Rydell's (1993) continuum of unconventional verbal behaviour in autism. Although widely reported, there…

An Intelligent Learning Diagnosis System for Web-Based Thematic Learning Platform

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Huang, Chenn-Jung; Liu, Ming-Chou; Chu, San-Shine; Cheng, Chih-Lun

2007-01-01

This work proposes an intelligent learning diagnosis system that supports a Web-based thematic learning model, which aims to cultivate learners' ability of knowledge integration by giving the learners the opportunities to select the learning topics that they are interested, and gain knowledge on the specific topics by surfing on the Internet to…

Assessment of information needs in diabetes: Development and evaluation of a questionnaire.

PubMed

Chernyak, N; Stephan, A; Bächle, C; Genz, J; Jülich, F; Icks, A

2016-08-01

To develop a questionnaire suitable for assessing the information needs of individuals with diabetes mellitus types 1 and 2 in diverse healthcare settings (e.g. primary care or long-term care) and at different time points during the course of the disease. The initial questionnaire was developed on the basis of literature search and analysis, reviewed by clinical experts, and evaluated in two focus groups. The revised version was pilot-tested on 39 individuals with diabetes type 2, type 1 and gestational diabetes. The final questionnaire reveals the most important information needs in diabetes. A choice task, a rating task and open-ended questions are combined. First, participants have to choose three topics that interest them out of a list with 12 general topics and specify in their own words their particular information needs for the chosen topics. They are then asked how informed they feel with regard to all topics (4-point Likert-scale), and whether information is currently desired (yes/no). The questionnaire ends with an open-ended question asking for additional topics of interest. Careful selection of topics and inclusion of open-ended questions seem to be essential prerequisites for the unbiased assessment of information needs. The questionnaire can be applied in surveys in order to examine patterns of information needs across various groups and changes during the course of the disease. Such knowledge would contribute to more patient-guided information, counselling and support. Copyright © 2015 Primary Care Diabetes Europe. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Subsurface defects of fused silica optics and laser induced damage at 351 nm.

PubMed

Hongjie, Liu; Jin, Huang; Fengrui, Wang; Xinda, Zhou; Xin, Ye; Xiaoyan, Zhou; Laixi, Sun; Xiaodong, Jiang; Zhan, Sui; Wanguo, Zheng

2013-05-20

Many kinds of subsurface defects are always present together in the subsurface of fused silica optics. It is imperfect that only one kind of defects is isolated to investigate its impact on laser damage. Therefore it is necessary to investigate the impact of subsurface defects on laser induced damage of fused silica optics with a comprehensive vision. In this work, we choose the fused silica samples manufactured by different vendors to characterize subsurface defects and measure laser induced damage. Contamination defects, subsurface damage (SSD), optical-thermal absorption and hardness of fused silica surface are characterized with time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (TOF-SIMS), fluorescence microscopy, photo-thermal common-path interferometer and fully automatic micro-hardness tester respectively. Laser induced damage threshold and damage density are measured by 351 nm nanosecond pulse laser. The correlations existing between defects and laser induced damage are analyzed. The results show that Cerium element and SSD both have a good correlation with laser-induced damage thresholds and damage density. Research results evaluate process technology of fused silica optics in China at present. Furthermore, the results can provide technique support for improving laser induced damage performance of fused silica.

Influence of Alumina Reaction Tube Impurities on the Oxidation of Chemically-Vapor-Deposited Silicon Carbide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Opila, Elizabeth

1995-01-01

Pure coupons of chemically vapor deposited (CVD) SiC were oxidized for 100 h in dry flowing oxygen at 1300 C. The oxidation kinetics were monitored using thermogravimetry (TGA). The experiments were first performed using high-purity alumina reaction tubes. The experiments were then repeated using fused quartz reaction tubes. Differences in oxidation kinetics, scale composition, and scale morphology were observed. These differences were attributed to impurities in the alumina tubes. Investigators interested in high-temperature oxidation of silica formers should be aware that high-purity alumina can have significant effects on experiment results.

Fusion of Scores in a Detection Context Based on Alpha Integration.

PubMed

Soriano, Antonio; Vergara, Luis; Ahmed, Bouziane; Salazar, Addisson

2015-09-01

We present a new method for fusing scores corresponding to different detectors (two-hypotheses case). It is based on alpha integration, which we have adapted to the detection context. Three optimization methods are presented: least mean square error, maximization of the area under the ROC curve, and minimization of the probability of error. Gradient algorithms are proposed for the three methods. Different experiments with simulated and real data are included. Simulated data consider the two-detector case to illustrate the factors influencing alpha integration and demonstrate the improvements obtained by score fusion with respect to individual detector performance. Two real data cases have been considered. In the first, multimodal biometric data have been processed. This case is representative of scenarios in which the probability of detection is to be maximized for a given probability of false alarm. The second case is the automatic analysis of electroencephalogram and electrocardiogram records with the aim of reproducing the medical expert detections of arousal during sleeping. This case is representative of scenarios in which probability of error is to be minimized. The general superior performance of alpha integration verifies the interest of optimizing the fusing parameters.

Photoactivatable protein labeling by singlet oxygen mediated reactions.

PubMed

To, Tsz-Leung; Medzihradszky, Katalin F; Burlingame, Alma L; DeGrado, William F; Jo, Hyunil; Shu, Xiaokun

2016-07-15

Protein-protein interactions regulate many biological processes. Identification of interacting proteins is thus an important step toward molecular understanding of cell signaling. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of photo-generated singlet oxygen and a small molecule for proximity labeling of interacting proteins in cellular environment. The protein of interest (POI) was fused with a small singlet oxygen photosensitizer (miniSOG), which generates singlet oxygen ((1)O2) upon irradiation. The locally generated singlet oxygen then activated a biotin-conjugated thiol molecule to form a covalent bond with the proteins nearby. The labeled proteins can then be separated and subsequently identified by mass spectrometry. To demonstrate the applicability of this labeling technology, we fused the miniSOG to Skp2, an F-box protein of the SCF ubiquitin ligase, and expressed the fusion protein in mammalian cells and identified that the surface cysteine of its interacting partner Skp1 was labeled by the biotin-thiol molecule. This photoactivatable protein labeling method may find important applications including identification of weak and transient protein-protein interactions in the native cellular context, as well as spatial and temporal control of protein labeling. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Synthesis and Evaluation of Cytotoxic Activity of Some Pyrroles and Fused Pyrroles.

PubMed

Fatahala, Samar S; Mohamed, Mosaad S; Youns, Mahmoud; Abd-El Hameed, Rania H

2017-01-01

Pyrrole derivatives represent a very interesting class as biologically active compounds. The objective of our study was to investigate the cytotoxic and apoptotic effects and antioxidant activity of the newly synthesized pyrrole derivatives. A series of novel pyrroles and fused pyrroles (tetrahydroindoles, pyrrolopyrimidines, pyrrolopyridines and pyrrolotriazines) were synthesized and characterized using IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR, MS and elemental analysis techniques. The antiproliferative activity of our synthesized compounds and their modulatory effect apoptotic pathway were investigated. The effect on cellular proliferation and viability was monitored by resazurin assay. Apoptotic effect was evaluated by caspase glo 3/7 assay. Synthesized compounds are then tested for their anticancer activities against three different cell lines representing three different tumor types, namely; the HepG-2 (Human hepatocellular liver carcinoma cell line), the human MCF-7 cell line (breast cancer) and the pancreatic resistant Panc-1 cells. Compounds Ia-e, IIe, and IXc, d showed a promising anti-cancer activity on all tested cell lines. Antioxidant and wound healing invasion assays were examined for promising anticancer candidate compounds. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV), a versatile platform for polyvalent display of antigenic epitopes and vaccine design.

PubMed

Kumar, Shantanu; Ochoa, Wendy; Singh, Pratik; Hsu, Catherine; Schneemann, Anette; Manchester, Marianne; Olson, Mark; Reddy, Vijay

2009-05-25

Viruses-like particles (VLPs) are frequently being used as platforms for polyvalent display of foreign epitopes of interest on their capsid surface to improve their presentation enhancing the antigenicity and host immune response. In the present study, we used the VLPs of Tomato bushy stunt virus (TBSV), an icosahedral plant virus, as a platform to display 180 copies of 16 amino acid epitopes of ricin toxin fused to the C-terminal end of a modified TBSV capsid protein (NDelta52). Expression of the chimeric recombinant protein in insect cells resulted in spontaneous assembly of VLPs displaying the ricin epitope. Cryo-electron microscopy and image reconstruction of the chimeric VLPs at 22 A resolution revealed the locations and orientation of the ricin epitope exposed on the TBSV capsid surface. Furthermore, injection of chimeric VLPs into mice generated antisera that detected the native ricin toxin. The ease of fusing of short peptides of 15-20 residues and their ability to form two kinds (T=1, T=3) of bio-nanoparticles that result in the display of 60 or 180 copies of less constrained and highly exposed antigenic epitopes makes TBSV an attractive and versatile display platform for vaccine design.

Constructing Chimeric Antigen for Precise Screening of HTLV-I Infection.

PubMed

Heydari Zarnagh, Hafez; Hassanpour, Kazem; Rasaee, Mohammad Javad

2015-08-01

Individual preparation of two human T-cell lymphotropic virus type I (HTLV-I) diagnostic GST fused peptides (MTA-1 and GD21) is time-consuming and expensive. The aim of this study was to design a novel single chimeric antigen (SCA) to obviate separate expression of proteins and reduce the cost of reagent preparation. Structural protein fragments, including immunodominant B cell linear epitopes, were selected and different SCAs were designed. Tertiary structure, epitope exposure, solubility and stability were calculated for each SCA and compared with each other. The synthetic DNA encoding the interested SCA was sub-cloned into pET32a expression vector, expressed as a soluble form in Escherichia coli BL21 (DE3) cells and purified under native condition using affinity chromatography. The SDS-PAGE results indicated that thioredoxin-fused SCA was successfully expressed as a soluble form in E. coli BL21 (DE3) cells. The results of ELISA confirmed that SCA reacted with anti-HTLV-I antibodies in a concentration-dependent manner. Our results indicated that the designed SCA may be a good candidate for the screening of HTLV-I carriers with antigen-antibody-based tests.

40 CFR 761.30 - Authorizations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

...) Current-limiting fuses or other equivalent technology must be used to detect sustained high current faults... fuses or other equivalent technology to avoid PCB Transformer ruptures from sustained high current... protection, such as current-limiting fuses or other equivalent technology, to detect sustained high current...

Launch of NASA's FUSE satellite from CCAS.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

The Boeing Delta II rocket carrying NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite clears the tower after liftoff at 11:44 a.m. EDT from Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station. FUSE was developed to investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe - hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Launch of NASA's FUSE satellite from CCAS.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite sits on Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station, aboard the Boeing Delta II rocket waiting for launch. Liftoff is scheduled for 11:39 a.m. EDT. FUSE was developed to investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe - hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

A Widely-Accessible Distributed MEMS Processing Environment. The MEMS Exchange Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-10-29

promise for high-aspect and deep etching into fused silica. This process capability is important for a DARPA project called the Navigation-Grade...on fused silica samples that appear to allow 2 to 1 aspect ratios in fused silica with a depth of etch of around 125 microns – a dramatic result in a...very hard to etch material such as fused silica! After receiving approval from DARPA, the MEMS Exchange purchased a previously- owned Ulvac etcher

Pre-trained D-CNN models for detecting complex events in unconstrained videos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Robinson, Joseph P.; Fu, Yun

2016-05-01

Rapid event detection faces an emergent need to process large videos collections; whether surveillance videos or unconstrained web videos, the ability to automatically recognize high-level, complex events is a challenging task. Motivated by pre-existing methods being complex, computationally demanding, and often non-replicable, we designed a simple system that is quick, effective and carries minimal overhead in terms of memory and storage. Our system is clearly described, modular in nature, replicable on any Desktop, and demonstrated with extensive experiments, backed by insightful analysis on different Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), as stand-alone and fused with others. With a large corpus of unconstrained, real-world video data, we examine the usefulness of different CNN models as features extractors for modeling high-level events, i.e., pre-trained CNNs that differ in architectures, training data, and number of outputs. For each CNN, we use 1-fps from all training exemplar to train one-vs-rest SVMs for each event. To represent videos, frame-level features were fused using a variety of techniques. The best being to max-pool between predetermined shot boundaries, then average-pool to form the final video-level descriptor. Through extensive analysis, several insights were found on using pre-trained CNNs as off-the-shelf feature extractors for the task of event detection. Fusing SVMs of different CNNs revealed some interesting facts, finding some combinations to be complimentary. It was concluded that no single CNN works best for all events, as some events are more object-driven while others are more scene-based. Our top performance resulted from learning event-dependent weights for different CNNs.

From dinosaurs to birds: a tail of evolution

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

A particularly critical event in avian evolution was the transition from long- to short-tailed birds. Primitive bird tails underwent significant alteration, most notably reduction of the number of caudal vertebrae and fusion of the distal caudal vertebrae into an ossified pygostyle. These changes, among others, occurred over a very short evolutionary interval, which brings into focus the underlying mechanisms behind those changes. Despite the wealth of studies delving into avian evolution, virtually nothing is understood about the genetic and developmental events responsible for the emergence of short, fused tails. In this review, we summarize the current understanding of the signaling pathways and morphological events that contribute to tail extension and termination and examine how mutations affecting the genes that control these pathways might influence the evolution of the avian tail. To generate a list of candidate genes that may have been modulated in the transition to short-tailed birds, we analyzed a comprehensive set of mouse mutants. Interestingly, a prevalent pleiotropic effect of mutations that cause fused caudal vertebral bodies (as in the pygostyles of birds) is tail truncation. We identified 23 mutations in this class, and these were primarily restricted to genes involved in axial extension. At least half of the mutations that cause short, fused tails lie in the Notch/Wnt pathway of somite boundary formation or differentiation, leading to changes in somite number or size. Several of the mutations also cause additional bone fusions in the trunk skeleton, reminiscent of those observed in primitive and modern birds. All of our findings were correlated to the fossil record. An open question is whether the relatively sudden appearance of short-tailed birds in the fossil record could be accounted for, at least in part, by the pleiotropic effects generated by a relatively small number of mutational events. PMID:25621146

Following the Social Media: Aspect Evolution of Online Discussion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tang, Xuning; Yang, Christopher C.

Due to the advance of Internet and Web 2.0 technologies, it is easy to extract thousands of threads about a topic of interest from an online forum but it is nontrivial to capture the blueprint of different aspects (i.e., subtopic, or facet) associated with the topic. To better understand and analyze a forum discussion given topic, it is important to uncover the evolution relationships (temporal dependencies) between different topic aspects (i.e. how the discussion topic is evolving). Traditional Topic Detection and Tracking (TDT) techniques usually organize topics as a flat structure but it does not present the evolution relationships between topic aspects. In addition, the properties of short and sparse messages make the content-based TDT techniques difficult to perform well in identifying evolution relationships. The contributions in this paper are two-folded. We formally define a topic aspect evolution graph modeling framework and propose to utilize social network information, content similarity and temporal proximity to model evolution relationships between topic aspects. The experimental results showed that, by incorporating social network information, our technique significantly outperformed content-based technique in the task of extracting evolution relationships between topic aspects.

A Mission Concept for FUSE Operations in GFY09 and Beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moos, H. W.; Sonneborn, G.; Blair, W. P.; Kruk, J. W.; FUSE Science Operations Team

2007-05-01

We are developing a new mission concept for the Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) that would significantly reduce operating costs but would continue the availability of this unique resource into GFY09 and beyond. Launched in 1999, the FUSE satellite obtains R=20,000 spectra of astronomical sources in the far-ultraviolet (912 - 1187 A) wavelength range. The FUSE scientific instrument remains healthy and the satellite has made a remarkable recovery from attitude control problems in late 2004. We expect FUSE to remain a viable scientific tool for the foreseeable future. Current plans for FUSE operations extend through GFY2008 (Sept. 30, 2008). Key elements of this new mission concept include a) continued automation and streamlining of operations to reduce costs, and b) an emphasis on a small number of unique, high priority science programs, particularly those requiring integration times on key targets that are significantly longer than has been possible in the mission design to date. A prime example of the latter would be 100 - 400 ks integrations on selected quasars to provide much improved diagnostic power to study the intergalactic medium. Synergy with the scientific objectives of the Cosmic Origins Spectrograph (COS) program on HST, and the complementary nature of FUSE and COS data on the same sightlines, is but one major motivation for this operations model. In addition to programs emphasizing very long integrations, opportunities for other high priority targets would exist. We will describe some of the ongoing development toward such an operations model as well as the scientific drivers discussed to date. Community input on these and other science drivers for extended FUSE operations is encouraged. FUSE is operated for NASA by Johns Hopkins University under NASA contract NAS5-32985.

Connecting Undergraduate Instruction to the 2017 Solar Eclipse

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lopez, Ramon E.; Ambrose, Bradley S.; Bailey, Janelle M.; Cid, Ximena C.; Vieyra, Rebecca E.; Willoughby, Shannon D.

2017-01-01

Space science is perhaps the science topic that elicits the greatest interest in students in the United States and also worldwide. NASA has always endeavored to leverage that widespread interest to advance STEM education, not least because NASA requires a thriving STEM workforce for the future.

Connecting undergraduate instruction to the 2017 solar eclipse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopez, Ramon E.; Ambrose, Bradley S.; Bailey, Janelle M.; Cid, Ximena C.; Vieyra, Rebecca E.; Willoughby, Shannon D.

2017-04-01

Space science is perhaps the science topic that elicits the greatest interest in students in the United States and also worldwide. NASA has always endeavored to leverage that widespread interest to advance STEM education, not least because NASA requires a thriving STEM workforce for the future.

Geysers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Donald E.

One of a series of general interest publications on science topics, the booklet provides those interested in geysers with a nontechnical introduction to the subject. Separate sections examine the nature and workings of geysers--why geysers erupt, where they occur, the cause of volcanoes and hot springs, the deep circulation of water in geyser…

KSC-99pp0496

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-05-04

Suspended by a crane in Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station, NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite is lowered onto a circular Payload Attach Fitting (PAF). FUSE is undergoing a functional test of its systems, plus installation of flight batteries and solar arrays. Developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., FUSE will investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is scheduled to be launched May 27 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket at Launch Complex 17

Discussing a sensitive topic: Nurse practitioners' and physician assistants' communication strategies in managing patients with erectile dysfunction.

PubMed

Green, Roger; Kodish, Slavica

2009-12-01

To examine strategies used by nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) when discussing the sensitive topic of erectile dysfunction (ED) with patients. A total of 456 NPs and PAs combined responded to a 22-item online survey posted on NP and PA association websites. Four derived categories reflect communication strategies that NPs and PAs applied when addressing ED: initiating the topic directly, initiating the topic with an introduction, initiating the topic when there is a high risk factor, and allowing the patient to bring up the topic. There was also interest in continuing education on the topic of ED and a perceived need for greater emphasis on developing communication strategies within the patient-provider relationship. There is no one best way to address the topic and different situations may require an approach best suited to the specifics of the situation. Therefore, no single "best practice" of discussing sensitive topics can be identified. Critical thinking skills and the ability to comprehend the totality of the situation are likely to be of higher importance.

The effects of topic choice in project-based instruction on undergraduate physical science students' interest, ownership, and motivation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Milner-Bolotin, Marina

2001-07-01

Motivating nonscience majors in science and mathematics studies became one of the most interesting and important challenges in contemporary science and mathematics education. Therefore, designing and studying a learning environment, which enhances students' motivation, is an important task. This experimental study sought to explore the implications of student autonomy in topic choice in a project-based Physical Science Course for nonscience majors' on students' motivational orientation. It also suggested and tested a model explaining motivational outcomes of project-based learning environment through increased student ownership of science projects. A project, How Things Work, was designed and implemented in this study. The focus of the project was application of physical science concepts learned in the classroom to everyday life situations. Participants of the study (N = 59) were students enrolled in three selected sections of a Physical Science Course, designed to fulfill science requirements for nonscience majors. These sections were taught by the same instructor over a period of an entire 16-week semester at a large public research university. The study focused on four main variables: student autonomy in choosing a project topic, their motivational orientation, student ownership of the project, and the interest in the project topic. Achievement Goal Orientation theory became the theoretical framework for the study. Student motivational orientation, defined as mastery or performance goal orientation, was measured by an Achievement Goal Orientation Questionnaire. Student ownership was measured using an original instrument, Ownership Measurement Questionnaire, designed and tested by the researchers. Repeated measures yoked design, ANOVA, ANCOVA, and multivariate regression analysis were implemented in the study. Qualitative analysis was used to complement and verify quantitative results. It has been found that student autonomy in the project choice did not make a significant impact on their motivational orientation, while their initial interest in the project topic did. The latter was found to be related to students' ownership of the project, which was found to lead to improved mastery goal orientation. These findings indicate that incorporating project-based learning in science teaching may lead to increased student mastery goal orientation, and may result in improved science learning.

30 CFR 75.601-3 - Short circuit protection; dual element fuses; current ratings; maximum values.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... devices shall not exceed the maximum values specified in this section: Conductor size (AWG or MGM) Single conductor cable Ampacity Max. fuse rating Two conductor cable Ampacity Max. fuse rating 14 15 15 12 20 20 10...

Self-healing fuse

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jones, N. D.; Kinsinger, R. E.; Harris, L. P.

1974-01-01

Fast-acting current limiting device provides current overload protection for vulnerable circuit elements and then re-establishes conduction path within milliseconds. Fuse can also perform as fast-acting switch to clear transient circuit overloads. Fuse takes advantage of large increase in electrical resistivity that occurs when liquid metal vaporizes.

Refractive index sensors based on the fused tapered special multi-mode fiber

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fu, Xing-hu; Xiu, Yan-li; Liu, Qin; Xie, Hai-yang; Yang, Chuan-qing; Zhang, Shun-yang; Fu, Guang-wei; Bi, Wei-hong

2016-01-01

In this paper, a novel refractive index (RI) sensor is proposed based on the fused tapered special multi-mode fiber (SMMF). Firstly, a section of SMMF is spliced between two single-mode fibers (SMFs). Then, the SMMF is processed by a fused tapering machine, and a tapered fiber structure is fabricated. Finally, a fused tapered SMMF sensor is obtained for measuring external RI. The RI sensing mechanism of tapered SMMF sensor is analyzed in detail. For different fused tapering lengths, the experimental results show that the RI sensitivity can be up to 444.517 81 nm/RIU in the RI range of 1.334 9—1.347 0. The RI sensitivity is increased with the increase of fused tapering length. Moreover, it has many advantages, including high sensitivity, compact structure, fast response and wide application range. So it can be used to measure the solution concentration in the fields of biochemistry, health care and food processing.

Laser-assisted selective fusing of thermal sprayed Ni-based self-fluxing alloys by using high-power diode lasers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chun, Eun-Joon; Kim, Min-Su; Nishikawa, Hiroshi; Park, Changkyoo; Suh, Jeong

2018-03-01

Fusing treatment of Ni-based self-fluxing alloys (Metco-16C and 1276F) was performed using high-power diode lasers to control the temperature of the substrate's surface in real time. The effects of the fusing treatment temperature on the microstructural change and hardness distribution were also investigated. For Metco-16C and 1276F, the macrostructural inhomogeneity (voids) within the thermal sprayed layer decreased considerably as the fusing temperature increased. For both self-fluxing alloys, the optimal temperature for fusing was approximately 1423 K (for Metco-16C) and 1373 K (for 1276F), both of which are within the solid state temperature range; these temperatures maximize the alloy hardness together with the macrostructural homogeneity. In this temperature range, the microstructure consists of a lamellar-structured matrix phase with fine (<5 μm) carbides and borides. Selective fusing for a thermal sprayed layer 0.2-0.5 mm in thickness could be successfully achieved in a high-power diode laser system.

In situ X-Ray Diffraction of Shock-Compressed Fused Silica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tracy, Sally June; Turneaure, Stefan J.; Duffy, Thomas S.

2018-03-01

Because of its widespread applications in materials science and geophysics, SiO2 has been extensively examined under shock compression. Both quartz and fused silica transform through a so-called "mixed-phase region" to a dense, low compressibility high-pressure phase. For decades, the nature of this phase has been a subject of debate. Proposed structures include crystalline stishovite, another high-pressure crystalline phase, or a dense amorphous phase. Here we use plate-impact experiments and pulsed synchrotron x-ray diffraction to examine the structure of fused silica shock compressed to 63 GPa. In contrast to recent laser-driven compression experiments, we find that fused silica adopts a dense amorphous structure at 34 GPa and below. When compressed above 34 GPa, fused silica transforms to untextured polycrystalline stishovite. Our results can explain previously ambiguous features of the shock-compression behavior of fused silica and are consistent with recent molecular dynamics simulations. Stishovite grain sizes are estimated to be ˜5 - 30 nm for compression over a few hundred nanosecond time scale.

Bilateral maxillary fused second and third molars: a rare occurrence

PubMed Central

Liang, Rui-Zhen; Wu, Jin-Tao; Wu, You-Nong; Smales, Roger J; Hu, Ming; Yu, Jin-Hua; Zhang, Guang-Dong

2012-01-01

This case report describes the diagnosis and endodontic therapy of maxillary fused second and third molars, using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). A 31-year-old Chinese male, with no contributory medical or family/social history, presented with throbbing pain in the maxillary right molar area following an unsuccessful attempted tooth extraction. Clinical examination revealed what appeared initially to be a damaged large extra cusp on the buccal aspect of the distobuccal cusp of the second molar. However, CBCT revealed that a third molar was fused to the second molar. Unexpectedly, the maxillary left third molar also was fused to the second molar, and the crown of an unerupted supernumerary fourth molar was possibly also fused to the apical root region of the second molar. Operative procedures should not be attempted without adequate radiographic investigation. CBCT allowed the precise location of the root canals of the right maxillary fused molar teeth to permit successful endodontic therapy, confirmed after 6 months. PMID:23222992

Bilateral maxillary fused second and third molars: a rare occurrence.

PubMed

Liang, Rui-Zhen; Wu, Jin-Tao; Wu, You-Nong; Smales, Roger J; Hu, Ming; Yu, Jin-Hua; Zhang, Guang-Dong

2012-12-01

This case report describes the diagnosis and endodontic therapy of maxillary fused second and third molars, using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). A 31-year-old Chinese male, with no contributory medical or family/social history, presented with throbbing pain in the maxillary right molar area following an unsuccessful attempted tooth extraction. Clinical examination revealed what appeared initially to be a damaged large extra cusp on the buccal aspect of the distobuccal cusp of the second molar. However, CBCT revealed that a third molar was fused to the second molar. Unexpectedly, the maxillary left third molar also was fused to the second molar, and the crown of an unerupted supernumerary fourth molar was possibly also fused to the apical root region of the second molar. Operative procedures should not be attempted without adequate radiographic investigation. CBCT allowed the precise location of the root canals of the right maxillary fused molar teeth to permit successful endodontic therapy, confirmed after 6 months.

Interest Subsidies on Student Loans: A Better Class of Drain. CEE DP 114

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barr, Nicholas; Johnston, Alison

2010-01-01

The British system of student loans has a zero real rate of interest, less than it costs the government to borrow the money. This paper discusses the problems that arise from interest subsidies in the UK system of student loans; systems in other countries, for example Australia and New Zealand, face similar problems. The topic appears to be narrow…

Motivation and Learning--The Role of Interest in Construction of Representation of Text and Long-Term Retention: Inter- and Intraindividual Analyses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naceur, Abdelmajid; Schiefele, Ulrich

2005-01-01

The present work examined the influence of topic interest on the strength of different components of text representation and long-term retention according to the model of text processing by van Dijk and Kintsch (1983). A Series of relevant personality characteristics were assessed to control for alternative explanations of interest effect, A total…

Repeated Judgements of Interest in Vocational Education: A Lens Model Analysis. Occasional Paper Number 6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Athanasou, James A.

The topic of repeated judgments of interest in vocational education was examined in a study in which 10 female full-time technical and further education (TAFE) students (aged 15-60 years) were handed 120 randomly selected real profiles of TAFE students who had completed subject interest surveys in a previous study. The 10 TAFE students judged how…

Public Health Information Delivery in the Emergency Department: Analysis of a Kiosk-Based Program

PubMed Central

Orlando, Megan S.; Rothman, Richard E.; Woodfield, Alonzo; Gauvey-Kern, Megan; Peterson, Stephen; Miller, Tammi; Hill, Peter M.; Gaydos, Charlotte A.; Hsieh, Yu-Hsiang

2015-01-01

Background As over one-third of the U.S. population visits an emergency department (ED) any given year, public health interventions in the ED can have major population-level impacts. Objectives We performed a survey study to determine ED patients’ interest in receiving information via kiosk on common, chronic conditions for which education and preventive screening could offer public health benefit and to assess what topical information patients are interested in receiving. Methods This is a secondary analysis of survey data from an ED pilot program Dec 2011–April 2012. Main outcome measures were patients’ interests in receiving information on health topics via kiosk module. Results Over half of the 4,351 patients indicated interest in receiving information on at least one health topic including high blood pressure (30%), depression (21%), diabetes (18%), sexually transmitted diseases (STDs, 11%), drug abuse (6%), and physical abuse (3%). African American patients were more likely to be interested in receiving information on high blood pressure (odds ratio (OR) 2.7, 95% [confidence interval 2.2–3.2]), depression (OR 1.3 [1.1–1.6]), diabetes/sugar (OR 2.2 [1.8–2.8]), drug abuse (OR 1.4 [1.0–1.9]), and STDs (OR 2.6, [1.9–3.7]). Participants >55 years were more likely to desire information on high blood pressure and diabetes (age 55–64 years OR 4.0 [3.1–5.1]; age >64 years OR 4.4 [3.2–6.2]). Patients who were interested in receiving public health information were more likely to be older, African American, and male (p<0.05). Conclusions Interest in obtaining kiosk-delivered education on hypertension predominated. Kiosks are versatile tools that could be used in ED settings to provide health education services. PMID:26403985

Public Health Information Delivery in the Emergency Department: Analysis of a Kiosk-Based Program.

PubMed

Orlando, Megan S; Rothman, Richard E; Woodfield, Alonzo; Gauvey-Kern, Megan; Peterson, Stephen; Miller, Tammi; Hill, Peter M; Gaydos, Charlotte A; Hsieh, Yu-Hsiang

2016-02-01

Because more than one-third of the U.S. population visits an emergency department (ED) any given year, public health interventions in the ED can have major population-level impacts. We determined ED patients' interest in receiving information via kiosk on common, chronic conditions for which education and preventive screening could offer public health benefit and to assess what topical information patients are interested in receiving. This is a secondary analysis of survey data from an ED pilot program December 2011 to April 2012. Main outcome measures were patients' interests in receiving information on health topics via kiosk module. More than half of the 4351 patients indicated interest in receiving information on at least one health topic, including high blood pressure (30%), depression (21%), diabetes (18%), sexually transmitted diseases (11%), drug abuse (6%), and physical abuse (3%). African-American patients were more likely to be interested in receiving information on high blood pressure (odds ratio [OR] 2.7, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 2.2-3.2]), depression (OR 1.3, 95% CI 1.1-1.6), diabetes/sugar (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.8-2.8), drug abuse (OR 1.4, 95% CI 1.0-1.9), and sexually transmitted diseases (OR 2.6, 95% CI 1.9-3.7). Participants >55 years of age were more likely to desire information on high blood pressure and diabetes (age 55-64 years: OR 4.0, 95% CI 3.1-5.1; age >64 years: OR 4.4, 95% CI 3.2-6.2). Patients who were interested in receiving public health information were more likely to be older, African American, and male (p < 0.05). Interest in obtaining kiosk-delivered education on hypertension predominated. Kiosks are versatile tools that could be used in ED settings to provide health education services. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Distortion of three-unit implant frameworks during casting, soldering, and simulated porcelain firings.

PubMed

Zervas, P J; Papazoglou, E; Beck, F M; Carr, A B

1999-09-01

The aim of this study was to assess distortion inherent in casting, soldering, and simulated porcelain firings of screw-retained, implant-supported three-unit fixed partial dentures (FPDs). Ten wax patterns were fabricated on a die-stone cast containing two implants, 20 mm apart from center to center. Five specimens were cast in a high-palladium alloy, exposed to simulated porcelain firings, sectioned, and then soldered with low-fusing solder. Five specimens were cast, sectioned, soldered with high-fusing solder, and then exposed to simulated porcelain firings. For each specimen, two horizontal and six vertical distances between appropriately scribed reference points were measured with a traveling microscope. Comparisons were made among the various measurements taken after wax-pattern fabrication, casting, high- and low-fusing soldering, and each porcelain firing. Data were analyzed using a repeated-measures factorial ANOVA (alpha = 0.05). Significant difference was detected in the amount of horizontal distortion during casting (53 +/- 24 microns) and high-fusing soldering (-49 +/- 50 microns), as well as in the amount of horizontal distortion during high-fusing soldering (-49 +/- 50 microns) and low-fusing soldering (17 +/- 26 microns). However, no clinically significant difference was found in the amount of horizontal distortion during casting, low-fusing, and high-fusing soldering. The greatest amount of distortion during the simulated porcelain firings took place during the oxidizing cycle. Soldering did not improve the casting misfit of a three-unit implant-retained FPD model. Metal-ceramic implant frameworks should be oxidized before intraoral fit evaluation.

A Bibliometric Analysis on Cancer Population Science with Topic Modeling.

PubMed

Li, Ding-Cheng; Rastegar-Mojarad, Majid; Okamoto, Janet; Liu, Hongfang; Leichow, Scott

2015-01-01

Bibliometric analysis is a research method used in library and information science to evaluate research performance. It applies quantitative and statistical analyses to describe patterns observed in a set of publications and can help identify previous, current, and future research trends or focus. To better guide our institutional strategic plan in cancer population science, we conducted bibliometric analysis on publications of investigators currently funded by either Division of Cancer Preventions (DCP) or Division of Cancer Control and Population Science (DCCPS) at National Cancer Institute. We applied two topic modeling techniques: author topic modeling (AT) and dynamic topic modeling (DTM). Our initial results show that AT can address reasonably the issues related to investigators' research interests, research topic distributions and popularities. In compensation, DTM can address the evolving trend of each topic by displaying the proportion changes of key words, which is consistent with the changes of MeSH headings.

A Preliminary Investigation of the Effect of Rules on Employee Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Squires, James; Wilder, David A.

2010-01-01

The way in which rules impact workplace performance has been a topic of discussion in the Organizational Behavior Management literature for some time. Despite this interest, there is a dearth of empirical research on the topic. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of rules and goal setting in the workplace. Participants included two…

Photosynthesis "In Silico". Overcoming the Challenges of Photosynthesis Education Using a Multimedia CD-ROM

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russell, A. W.; Netherwood, G. M. A.; Robinson, S. A.

2004-01-01

Photosynthesis is a central topic in biology education. It remains one of the most challenging, largely because of a) its conceptual difficulty, leading to lack of interest and misconceptions among students; b) the difficulties students have in visualising the process, or relating it to things they can see, especially when the topic is presented…

Laboratory Training Manual on the Use of Radionuclides and Radiation in Animal Research, Third Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna (Austria).

This publication is written for those researchers who are interested in the use of radionuclides and radiation in the animal science field. Part I presents topics intended to provide the theoretical base of radionuclides which is important in order to design an experiment for drawing maximum information from it. The topics included in this…

A Curriculum Guide to Applications of Science to Technology for Able Learners.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

VanTassel-Baska, Joyce, Ed.; And Others

This curriculum guide was developed with the intention of providing an enrichment option for gifted and talented learners who are interested in pursuing current issues and topics in the fields of mathematics and science. The scope of the guide is meant to encompass a year's study of a set of topics which apply mathematics to science and…

A Meeting of the Minds: ITEC Virtual Conference '96 (ITEC VC '96) Proceedings (Australia, 1996).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hay, Lyn, Ed.; Henri, James, Ed.

In these proceedings of the Teacher Librarian Strand of the ITEC Virtual Conference (1996), international contributors present papers on 12 key topics of interest to teacher librarians. The following papers topics are addressed: (A) Censorship and the Internet in Schools: Problems and Solutions; (B) Hot Spots on the Web for TLs; (C) Children's…

A Case Study of the Diversity Culture of an American University Athletic Department: Perceptions of Senior Level Administrators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singer, John N.; Cunningham, George B.

2012-01-01

The topic of diversity has received considerable attention from scholars who study sport within the context of higher education in the USA. But despite this interest in the topic, an in-depth focus on how college and university athletic departments effectively manage diversity is missing from the literature. Therefore, we conducted an intrinsic…

Using Focus Groups to Develop a Nutrition Education Video for High School Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James, Delores C. S.; Rienzo, Barbara A.; Frazee, Carol

1997-01-01

Study used focus group interviews with ninth graders to help develop a nutrition education video and teacher's guide for Florida high schools. Students believed a video would be successful, expressed interest in 10 nutrition topics, recommended using teen actors with varying body types, and suggested no more than three or four topics per video.…

The Benefits of Interactive Read-Alouds to Address Social-Emotional Learning in Classrooms for Young Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Britt, Shelby; Wilkins, Julia; Davis, Jessica; Bowlin, Amy

2016-01-01

In this article, we describe how books addressing social-emotional topics can be used by teachers of young children during class read-alouds to enhance students' social-emotional development. Teachers of young children typically choose books for class read-alouds based on curriculum topics and student interest; however, they may not be aware of…

Context and Capabilities: Tensions between Managers' and Teachers' Views of Advanced Skills in VET

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt, Teressa

2017-01-01

The concept of "advanced skills" for vocational education and training (VET) teachers is a little-debated topic in the discourse about quality in Australian VET, yet arguably what makes for a "good" VET teacher ought to be a prominent issue. There has however, been some sporadic interest in the topic with Mitchell, in…

Science Teachers' and Senior Secondary Schools Students' Perceptions of Earth and Environmental Science Topics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dawson, Vaille; Carson, Katherine

2013-01-01

This article presents an evaluation of a new upper secondary Earth and Environmental Science (EES) course in Western Australia. Twenty-seven EES teachers were interviewed and 243 students were surveyed about the degree of difficulty, relevance and interest of EES topics in the course. The impact of the course on students' views about EES topics…

A Variation on the Use of Interactive Anonymous Quizzes in the Chemistry Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wagner, Brian D.

2009-01-01

This article describes an interesting variation on the use of interactive anonymous quizzes (IAQs) in the chemistry classroom. In this variation, IAQs are used to introduce new material or topics in a course, as opposed to their traditional use for reviewing previously covered material. Two examples of IAQs used to introduce new topics in a…

Funding for the Future: Strategic Research in Further Education. A Report for FEDA.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bellfield, C. R.; Bullock, A. D.; Rikowski, G.; Thomas, H. R.

A research study focused on the funding method for further education (FE) in Britain. From a theoretical study of the stimuli built into the new funding methodology, four topics of interest were selected for further investigation. To clarify the arguments, these topics were cast as a series of hypotheses that could then be tested using both…

Inedible Nuts and Non-Lightning Bolts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rynone, William

2010-01-01

In this article, the author provides detailed information on a wide variety of commonly used screws, bolts, and other fasteners. The information has been gathered in his engineering career and outside interests (maintenance on his car and airplane, and woodworking). The topic should be of interest to students and educators in many technical…

Counseling Students' Interest in Gerocounseling: A Survey Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Foster, Thomas W.; Kreider, Val; Waugh, Jennifer

2009-01-01

Recent trends in counselor education are moving away from a standardized academic track in gerocounseling. In response to this, we surveyed 385 counseling students regarding issues related to gerocounseling, such as their interest in gerocounseling topics, willingness to participate in gerocounseling training, how prepared they feel to work with…

Disciplinary Notations: Where Do We Go from Here?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wold-McCormick, Kristi

2018-01-01

Few higher education topics have garnered as much interest in recent years as behavioral misconduct and disciplinary notifications. Academic, student affairs, and enrollment management professionals along with legislators and the general public have all had an interest in and voice on these issues. An American Association of Collegiate Registrars…

Art & Music Appreciation. A to Z Active Learning Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forte, Imogene; Schurr, Sandra

This workbook includes high-interest activities, lessons, and projects to further students' interest in and understanding of important exploratory and enrichment topics essential to a balanced middle grades program. The workbook includes lessons and activities that encourage students to learn more about the arts. Instructional strategies are…

43 CFR 7.33 - Determination of loss or absence of archaeological interest.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 43 Public Lands: Interior 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Determination of loss or absence of... Determination of loss or absence of archaeological interest. (a) Under certain circumstances, a Federal land... behavior, cultural adaptation, and related topics. (c) Prior to making a determination that material...

Integrated Studies in the Middle Grades: "Dancing Through Walls."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stevenson, Chris, Ed.; Carr, Judy F., Ed.

A group of middle level teachers collaborated in designing some innovative teaching units about topics already known to be inherently interesting to their students. The students' interests were integrated with existing curriculum goals. This book presents the teachers' insights on this project and includes detailed examples of integrated…

Tracking changes in search behaviour at a health web site.

PubMed

Eklund, Ann-Marie

2012-01-01

Nowadays, the internet is used as a means to provide the public with official information on many different topics, including health related matters and care providers. In this work we have studied a search log from the official Swedish health web site 1177.se for patterns of search behaviour over time. To improve the analysis, we mapped the queries to UMLS semantic types and MeSH categories. Our analysis shows that, as expected, diseases and health care activities are the ones of most interest, but also a clear increased interest in geographical locations in the setting of health care providers. We also note a change over time in which kinds of diseases are of interest. Finally, we conclude that this type of analysis may be useful in studies of what health related topics matter to the public, but also for design and follow-up of public information campaigns.

A nationwide survey of healthcare personnel's attitude, knowledge, and interest toward renal supportive care in Taiwan.

PubMed

Tsai, Hung-Bin; Chao, Chia-Ter; Huang, Jenq-Wen; Chang, Ray-E; Hung, Kuan-Yu

2017-01-01

Renal supportive care (RSC) is an important option for elderly individuals reaching end-stage renal disease; however, the frequency of RSC practice is very low among Asian countries. We evaluated the attitude, the knowledge, and the preference for specific topics concerning RSC among participants who worked in different medical professions in Taiwan. A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was employed. Healthcare personnel ( N  = 598) who were involved in caring for end-stage renal disease patients at more than 40 facilities in Taiwan participated in this study. Participants were asked about their motivation for learning about RSC, the topics of RSC they were most and least interested in, their willingness to provide RSC, and to rate their knowledge and perceived importance of different topics. The vast majority of respondents (81.9%) were self-motivated about RSC, among whom nephrologists (96.8%) and care facilitators (administrators/volunteers) (45%) exhibited the highest and the least motivation, respectively ( p  < 0.01). Overall, respondents indicated that they had adequate knowledge about the five pre-specified RSC topics between medical professions ( p  = 0.04). Medical professions and institutional size exerted significant influence on the willingness to provide RSC. Our results facilitate the understanding of the knowledge and attitude toward different RSC topics among varied medical professions, and can guide the design of RSC education content for healthcare personnel.

KSC-99pp0701

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-06-17

At Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers remove another section of the canister surrounding NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. FUSE is designed to scour the cosmos for the fossil record of the origins of the universe hydrogen and deuterium. Scientists will use FUSE to study hydrogen and deuterium to unlock the secrets of how the primordial chemical elements of which all stars, planets and life evolved, were created and distributed since the birth of the universe. FUSE is scheduled to be launched from CCAS June 23 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket

Total Internal Reflection Ultrasonic Sensor for Detection of Subsurface Flaws: Research into Underlying Physics

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-11-24

layere, which was a thin plate bonded to a solid block of fused quartz. The plate was also made of fused quartz so the entire “assembly” may be... thin plate and a block of fused quartz. Residues of the lacquer Quartz plate Metal strip Epoxy layer Block of quartz Fig. 2.4.4. Specimen...depth therefore it was made as a combination of two pieces of fused quartz, a block and a thin plate , and a foreign inclusion between them. The plate was

Fluorine-Based DRIE of Fused Silica

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yee, Karl; Shcheglov, Kirill; Li, Jian; Choi, Daniel

2007-01-01

A process of deep reactive-ion etching (DRIE) using a fluorine-based gas mixture enhanced by induction-coupled plasma (ICP) has been demonstrated to be effective in forming high-aspect-ratio three-dimensional patterns in fused silica. The patterns are defined in part by an etch mask in the form of a thick, high-quality aluminum film. The process was developed to satisfy a need to fabricate high-aspect-ratio fused-silica resonators for vibratory microgyroscopes, and could be used to satisfy similar requirements for fabricating other fused-silica components.

Fused Silica and Other Transparent Window Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salem, Jon

2016-01-01

Several transparent ceramics, such as spinel and AlONs are now being produced in sufficient large areas to be used in space craft window applications. The work horse transparent material for space missions from Apollo to the International Space Station has been fused silica due in part to its low coefficient of expansion and optical quality. Despite its successful use, fused silica exhibits anomalies in its crack growth behavior, depending on environmental preconditioning and surface damage. This presentation will compare recent optical ceramics to fused silica and discuss sources of variation in slow crack growth behavior.

KSC-99pp0495

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-05-04

While a crane lifts NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite, workers at Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station, help guide it toward the circular Payload Attach Fitting (PAF) in front of it. FUSE is undergoing a functional test of its systems, plus installation of flight batteries and solar arrays. Developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., FUSE will investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is scheduled to be launched May 27 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket at Launch Complex 17

Three-dimensional printing of transparent fused silica glass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kotz, Frederik; Arnold, Karl; Bauer, Werner; Schild, Dieter; Keller, Nico; Sachsenheimer, Kai; Nargang, Tobias M.; Richter, Christiane; Helmer, Dorothea; Rapp, Bastian E.

2017-04-01

Glass is one of the most important high-performance materials used for scientific research, in industry and in society, mainly owing to its unmatched optical transparency, outstanding mechanical, chemical and thermal resistance as well as its thermal and electrical insulating properties. However, glasses and especially high-purity glasses such as fused silica glass are notoriously difficult to shape, requiring high-temperature melting and casting processes for macroscopic objects or hazardous chemicals for microscopic features. These drawbacks have made glasses inaccessible to modern manufacturing technologies such as three-dimensional printing (3D printing). Using a casting nanocomposite, here we create transparent fused silica glass components using stereolithography 3D printers at resolutions of a few tens of micrometres. The process uses a photocurable silica nanocomposite that is 3D printed and converted to high-quality fused silica glass via heat treatment. The printed fused silica glass is non-porous, with the optical transparency of commercial fused silica glass, and has a smooth surface with a roughness of a few nanometres. By doping with metal salts, coloured glasses can be created. This work widens the choice of materials for 3D printing, enabling the creation of arbitrary macro- and microstructures in fused silica glass for many applications in both industry and academia.

Joint image registration and fusion method with a gradient strength regularization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lidong, Huang; Wei, Zhao; Jun, Wang

2015-05-01

Image registration is an essential process for image fusion, and fusion performance can be used to evaluate registration accuracy. We propose a maximum likelihood (ML) approach to joint image registration and fusion instead of treating them as two independent processes in the conventional way. To improve the visual quality of a fused image, a gradient strength (GS) regularization is introduced in the cost function of ML. The GS of the fused image is controllable by setting the target GS value in the regularization term. This is useful because a larger target GS brings a clearer fused image and a smaller target GS makes the fused image smoother and thus restrains noise. Hence, the subjective quality of the fused image can be improved whether the source images are polluted by noise or not. We can obtain the fused image and registration parameters successively by minimizing the cost function using an iterative optimization method. Experimental results show that our method is effective with transformation, rotation, and scale parameters in the range of [-2.0, 2.0] pixel, [-1.1 deg, 1.1 deg], and [0.95, 1.05], respectively, and variances of noise smaller than 300. It also demonstrated that our method yields a more visual pleasing fused image and higher registration accuracy compared with a state-of-the-art algorithm.

Theoretical investigation of polarization effects in solution: Importance of solvent collective motions

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

Ishida, Tateki

2015-01-22

Recent theoretical studies on interesting topics related to polarization effects in solutions are presented. As one of interesting topics, ionic liquids (ILs) solvents are focused on. The collective dynamics of electronic polarizability through interionic dynamics and the effect of polarization in ILs, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([BMIm][PF{sub 6}]), are studied with molecular dynamics simulation. Also, the time-dependent polarization effect on the probe betaine dye molecule, pyridinium N-phenoxide, in water is investigated by a time-dependent reference interaction site model self-consistent field (time-dependent RISM-SCF) approach. The importance of considering polarization effects on solution systems related to solvent collective motions is shown.

Identification and analysis of circulating exosomal microRNA in human body fluids.

PubMed

Lässer, Cecilia

2013-01-01

Exosomes are 40-100 nm sized vesicles released from cells when multivesicular bodies fuse with the plasma membrane. These vesicles take part in cell-to-cell communication by binding and signalling through membrane receptors on cells or by transferring proteins, RNA, and lipids into the cells. Exosomal RNA in body fluids, such as plasma and urine, has been associated with malignancies, making the exosomal RNA a potential biomarker for early detection of these diseases. This has increased the interest in the field of extracellular RNA and in particular, the interest in exosomal RNA.In this chapter, a well-established exosome isolation method is described, as well as how to characterize the isolated vesicles by electron microscopy. Furthermore, two types of RNA isolation methods are described with a focus on isolating RNA from body fluids, which can be more viscous than cell culture media.

Flexible fabrication and applications of polymer nanochannels and nanoslits

PubMed Central

Chantiwas, Rattikan; Kim, Byoung Choul; Sunkara, Vijaya; Hwang, Hyundoo

2016-01-01

Fluidic devices that employ nanoscale structures (<100 nm in one or two dimensions, slits or channels, respectively) are generating great interest due to the unique properties afforded by this size domain compared to their micro-scale counterparts. Examples of interesting nanoscale phenomena include the ability to preconcentrate ionic species at extremely high levels due to ion selective migration, unique molecular separation modalities, confined environments to allow biopolymer stretching and elongation and solid-phase bioreactions that are not constrained by mass transport artifacts. Indeed, many examples in the literature have demonstrated these unique opportunities, although predominately using glass, fused silica or silicon as the substrate material. Polymer microfluidics has established itself as an alternative to glass, fused silica, or silicon-based fluidic devices. The primary advantages arising from the use of polymers are the diverse fabrication protocols that can be used to produce the desired structures, the extensive array of physiochemical properties associated with different polymeric materials, and the simple and robust modification strategies that can be employed to alter the substrate's surface chemistry. However, while the strengths of polymer microfluidics is currently being realized, the evolution of polymer-based nanofluidics has only recently been reported. In this critical review, the opportunities afforded by polymer-based nanofluidics will be discussed using both elastomeric and thermoplastic materials. In particular, various fabrication modalities will be discussed along with the nanometre size domains that they can achieve for both elastomer and thermoplastic materials. Different polymer substrates that can be used for nanofluidics will be presented along with comparisons to inorganic nanodevices and the consequences of material differences on the fabrication and operation of nanofluidic devices (257 references). PMID:21442106

Pupils' Interest before, during, and after a Curriculum Dealing with Ecological Topics and Its Relationship with Achievement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Randler, Christoph; Bogner, Franz X.

2007-01-01

We surveyed interest in ecology prior, during, and after an ecological unit of 14 lessons ("Ecosystem Lake"). Achievement was assessed in a pretest (T-1), a class test (T-2; used for grading), and a retention test (T-3). We found a main effect of stratification on the level of interest in ecology after the educational unit (pupils from…

Conflicts of interest in government-funded studies.

PubMed

Pickar, J H

2015-06-01

Conflict of interest in scientific publications has become a topic of critical importance. A primary focus has been the relationship between authors, journals and the pharmaceutical industry. That focus must be expanded to include government funding organizations. There are significant benefits to authors and investigators in participating in government-funded research, and to journals in publishing it. There are substantial risks to patients in not considering the potential for conflict of interest.

Is It Choice or Is It Interest? The Effect of Choice on the Cognitive and Affective Engagement of Elementary Students Performing a Reading Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scott, Jerilyn Carter

2012-01-01

The author replicated and extended a study by Flowerday, Schraw, & Stevens (2004) that examined the effects of choice, topic interest, and situational interest on reading engagement, attitude, and learning in college-age students. The study was replicated using fourth and fifth graders as subjects. The study was extended to examine the effects of…

"If it bleeds it leads"? Attributes of TV health news stories that drive viewer attention.

PubMed Central

Cooper, C P; Roter, D L

2000-01-01

OBJECTIVE: Health advocates increasing y use the news media to educate the public. However, little is known about what motivates individuals to pay attention to health news. This study investigated which characteristics of TV health news stories attract viewer interest. METHODS: The authors surveyed airport patrons, the audience of a public health symposium, and municipal jurors, asking which attributes of TV heath news stories encouraged interest and which attributes discouraged interest. The authors ranked mean responses and compared them using Spearman rank correlations, RESULTS: The rankings assigned by the three samples were highly correlated. Respondents reported being most attracted to health stories about personally relevant topics. Interestingly, they also reported that sensational story elements such as "showing a bloody or injured person" and "being action packed" did not substantially influence their attention. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that viewers, regardless of their level of health knowledge, value the same attributes in TV health news stories. Emphasizing the personal relevance of health topics appears to be a viable strategy to capture viewer interest. Conversely, the tendency of broadcast news to sensationalize stories may be distracting in the case of health news. PMID:11059426

The influence of an elective introductory clinical research course on pharmacy student interest in pursuing research-based careers.

PubMed

Overholser, Brian R; Foster, David R; Henry, Joshua R; Plake, Kimberly S; Sowinski, Kevin M

2010-11-10

To assess the impact of an elective clinical research course on second- and third-year pharmacy students' knowledge of clinical research methods, training programs, career options, and interest in pursuing postgraduate training. A 2-credit hour elective course in clinical research was designed that included lectures, discussions, workshops, and in-class presentations related to study design and implementation, protocol synthesis, research evaluation, ethical and legal considerations, data analysis, and professional opportunities involving clinical research. Learner knowledge of these topics was assessed using several methods, including 3 assignments related to research protocol, ethical documentation, and presentation. A survey instrument designed to evaluate the effect the course had on pharmacy students' knowledge of clinical research methods and interest in pursuing postgraduate training in clinical research was administered. Students who completed the elective had a greater level of familiarity with research-related topics, training options, and career opportunities (p < 0.05) and a greater interest in pursuing a career in clinical research (p < 0.05) than did students in a matched control group. Taking a 2-credit hour elective course in clinical research increased pharmacy students' interest in pursuing a career in clinical research.

"If it bleeds it leads"? Attributes of TV health news stories that drive viewer attention.

PubMed

Cooper, C P; Roter, D L

2000-01-01

Health advocates increasing y use the news media to educate the public. However, little is known about what motivates individuals to pay attention to health news. This study investigated which characteristics of TV health news stories attract viewer interest. The authors surveyed airport patrons, the audience of a public health symposium, and municipal jurors, asking which attributes of TV heath news stories encouraged interest and which attributes discouraged interest. The authors ranked mean responses and compared them using Spearman rank correlations, The rankings assigned by the three samples were highly correlated. Respondents reported being most attracted to health stories about personally relevant topics. Interestingly, they also reported that sensational story elements such as "showing a bloody or injured person" and "being action packed" did not substantially influence their attention. This study suggests that viewers, regardless of their level of health knowledge, value the same attributes in TV health news stories. Emphasizing the personal relevance of health topics appears to be a viable strategy to capture viewer interest. Conversely, the tendency of broadcast news to sensationalize stories may be distracting in the case of health news.

Basic principles of molecular effects of irradiation.

PubMed

Selzer, Edgar; Hebar, Alexandra

2012-02-01

In order to understand the consequences of radiation a thorough understanding of the radiobiological mechanisms of the molecular up to the clinical level is of importance. Radiobiology therefore combines the basic principles of physics as well as biology and medicine and is concerned with the action of radiation from the subcellular level up to the living organism. Topics of interest and relevance are covered in much more broadness as is possible in the short following article in the literature to which the interested reader is referred to. Classical books in this field were written by Steel et al. (1989) as well as by Hall (1994). Topics usually covered by radiobiological reviews are the classification of different types of radiation, cell cycle dependency of radiation effects, types of radiation damage and cell death, dose response curves, measurement of radiation damage, the oxygen effect, relative biological effectiveness, the influence of dose rate, and several other important research areas. This short overview will concentrate on a subset of radiobiological topics of high importance and relative novelty.

Teaching surgery, radiology and anatomy together: the mix enhances motivation and comprehension.

PubMed

Dettmer, Sabine; Tschernig, Thomas; Galanski, Michael; Pabst, Reinhard; Rieck, Bernd

2010-10-01

Preclinical and clinical topics are often separated in medical education. For example, surgery and radiology are often taught much later than anatomy. The aim of this study was to establish and to evaluate an interdisciplinary course combining these closely related subjects to enhance medical comprehension. Two tutorials each lasting one term were offered to second year medical students, in which clinical topics were implemented linking anatomy to surgical and radiological knowledge. A questionnaire was used to evaluate the success of this approach. The motivation of the students was above average and the practical work was done accurately. The students confirmed that the course improved anatomical comprehension (>95%) and that the learned matters were relevant for their future (90%). Furthermore, interest in the subjects was higher after the course (>85%). Critical suggestions were to extend the course and to include more topics. A mix of surgery, radiology and anatomy is a teaching concept, which leads to high acceptance and interest in medical students.

Mental health training for law enforcement professionals.

PubMed

Vermette, Heidi S; Pinals, Debra A; Appelbaum, Paul S

2005-01-01

The purpose of this pilot study was to determine topics of interest and preferred modalities of training for police officers in their work with persons with mental illness. Police officers across Massachusetts attending in-service mental health training were asked to rate the importance of potential mental health topics and the effectiveness of potential training modalities on a Likert-type scale. Additional data collected included the officer's experience, level of education, motivation for attendance, previous attendance of post-academy mental health training, and preferences for length, frequency, training site, and trainer qualifications. A t test was used to determine if there were significant differences (p < .05) between those who volunteered and those who were mandated to attend the training. Repeated-measures ANOVAs were used to determine if there were significant differences (p < .05) between mental health topics and lecture formats and to determine the effect of education and experience on the results. Although all topics suggested were rated, primarily, as fairly important, the topics of Dangerousness, Suicide by Cop, Decreasing Suicide Risk, Mental Health Law, and Your Potential Liability for Bad Outcomes were given the highest ratings. Role-playing was rated significantly lower than other training modalities, while Videos and Small Group Discussion had the highest mean scores. Level of prior education had no significant effect on the ratings, but officers with more experience rated the importance of mental illness as a training topic significantly higher than officers with less experience. This survey suggests that police officers are interested in learning more about working with persons with mental illness and view it as an important aspect of the job.

Reviews

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schodde, P.; Ed.

1976-01-01

Reviews 17 books and curriculum materials of interest to secondary science teachers. Topics include plant science, pollution, fishes, science investigations, general zoology, neurobiology, electronics, and the environment. (MLH)

Characterization of laser damage performance of fused silica using photothermal absorption technique

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wan, Wen; Shi, Feng; Dai, Yifan; Peng, Xiaoqiang

2017-06-01

The subsurface damage and metal impurities have been the main laser damage precursors of fused silica while subjected to high power laser irradiation. Light field enhancement and thermal absorption were used to explain the appearance of damage pits while the laser energy is far smaller than the energy that can reach the intrinsic threshold of fused silica. For fused silica optics manufactured by magnetorheological finishing or advanced mitigation process, no scratch-related damage site occurs can be found on the surface. In this work, we implemented a photothermal absorption technique based on thermal lens method to characterize the subsurface defects of fused silica optics. The pump beam is CW 532 nm wavelength laser. The probe beam is a He-Ne laser. They are collinear and focused through the same objective. When pump beam pass through the sample, optical absorption induces the local temperature rise. The lowest absorptance that we can detect is about the order of magnitude of 0.01 ppm. When pump beam pass through the sample, optical absorption induces the local temperature rise. The photothermal absorption value of fused silica samples range from 0.5 to 10 ppm. The damage densities of the samples were plotted. The damage threshold of samples at 8J/cm2 were gived to show laser damage performance of fused silica.The results show that there is a strong correlation between the thermal absorption and laser damage density. The photothermal absorption technique can be used to predict and evaluate the laser damage performance of fused silica optics.

Fused Bead Analysis of Diogenite Meteorites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mittlefehldt, D.W.; Beck, B.W.; McSween, H.Y.; Lee, C.T. A.

2009-01-01

Bulk rock chemistry is an essential dataset in meteoritics and planetary science [1]. A common method used to obtain the bulk chemistry of meteorites is ICP-MS. While the accuracy, precision and low detection limits of this process are advantageous [2], the sample size used for analysis (approx.70 mg) can be a problem in a field where small and finite samples are the norm. Fused bead analysis is another bulk rock analytical technique that has been used in meteoritics [3]. This technique involves forming a glass bead from 10 mg of sample and measuring its chemistry using a defocused beam on a microprobe. Though the ICP-MS has lower detection limits than the microprobe, the fused bead method destroys a much smaller sample of the meteorite. Fused bead analysis was initially designed for samples with near-eutectic compositions and low viscosities. Melts generated of this type homogenize at relatively low temperatures and produce primary melts near the sample s bulk composition [3]. The application of fused bead analysis to samples with noneutectic melt compositions has not been validated. The purpose of this study is to test if fused bead analysis can accurately determine the bulk rock chemistry of non-eutectic melt composition meteorites. To determine this, we conduct two examinations of the fused bead. First, we compare ICP-MS and fused bead results of the same samples using statistical analysis. Secondly, we inspect the beads for the presence of crystals and chemical heterogeneity. The presence of either of these would indicate incomplete melting and quenching of the bead.

Infrared and visible image fusion based on robust principal component analysis and compressed sensing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jun; Song, Minghui; Peng, Yuanxi

2018-03-01

Current infrared and visible image fusion methods do not achieve adequate information extraction, i.e., they cannot extract the target information from infrared images while retaining the background information from visible images. Moreover, most of them have high complexity and are time-consuming. This paper proposes an efficient image fusion framework for infrared and visible images on the basis of robust principal component analysis (RPCA) and compressed sensing (CS). The novel framework consists of three phases. First, RPCA decomposition is applied to the infrared and visible images to obtain their sparse and low-rank components, which represent the salient features and background information of the images, respectively. Second, the sparse and low-rank coefficients are fused by different strategies. On the one hand, the measurements of the sparse coefficients are obtained by the random Gaussian matrix, and they are then fused by the standard deviation (SD) based fusion rule. Next, the fused sparse component is obtained by reconstructing the result of the fused measurement using the fast continuous linearized augmented Lagrangian algorithm (FCLALM). On the other hand, the low-rank coefficients are fused using the max-absolute rule. Subsequently, the fused image is superposed by the fused sparse and low-rank components. For comparison, several popular fusion algorithms are tested experimentally. By comparing the fused results subjectively and objectively, we find that the proposed framework can extract the infrared targets while retaining the background information in the visible images. Thus, it exhibits state-of-the-art performance in terms of both fusion effects and timeliness.

Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology (FUSEE): Torchbearers for a new fire management paradigm

Treesearch

Timothy Ingalsbee; Joseph Fox; Patrick Withen

2007-01-01

Firefighters United for Safety, Ethics, and Ecology (FUSEE) is a nonprofit organization promoting safe, ethical, ecological wildland fire management. FUSEE believes firefighter and community safety are ultimately interdependent with ethical public service, wildlands protection, and ecological restoration of fire-adapted ecosystems. Our members include current, former,...

Eliciting views on antibiotic prescribing and resistance among hospital and outpatient care physicians in Berlin, Germany: results of a qualitative study

PubMed Central

Ziegelmann, Antina; Eckmanns, Tim; Krause, Gérard

2012-01-01

Objective To better understand physicians' views on factors of influence for the prescribing of antibiotics and on antibiotic resistance in the Berlin region, Germany. Design Qualitative study with focus groups. Setting Outpatient care and hospital care practice in the Berlin region, Germany. Participants 7 General practitioners, two urologists, one paediatrician from outpatient care and eight internists, two paediatricians, two ear, nose and throat specialists and two urologists from hospital care. Results Physicians showed differential interest in topics related to antibiotic prescribing and antibiotic resistance. Outpatient care physicians were interested in topics around their own prescribing, such as being able to diagnose and prescribe precisely, and topics about patient demand and non-compliance. Hospital care physicians were interested in hygiene challenges, limited consult time and multi-resistant pathogens. Conclusions Physicians considered the development of resistance to be more in the domain of clinical treatment than that of the patient. Major challenges related to antibiotic resistance for this group of physicians are access to and clarity of treatment recommendations, implementation of hygienic measures, as well as increased outsourcing of laboratory services. Results raise questions about whether meeting physicians' expectations should be a focus when developing intervention that aims to influence antibiotic resistance in this and other areas of Germany. PMID:22307097

Eliciting views on antibiotic prescribing and resistance among hospital and outpatient care physicians in Berlin, Germany: results of a qualitative study.

PubMed

Velasco, Edward; Ziegelmann, Antina; Eckmanns, Tim; Krause, Gérard

2012-01-01

To better understand physicians' views on factors of influence for the prescribing of antibiotics and on antibiotic resistance in the Berlin region, Germany. Qualitative study with focus groups. Outpatient care and hospital care practice in the Berlin region, Germany. 7 General practitioners, two urologists, one paediatrician from outpatient care and eight internists, two paediatricians, two ear, nose and throat specialists and two urologists from hospital care. Physicians showed differential interest in topics related to antibiotic prescribing and antibiotic resistance. Outpatient care physicians were interested in topics around their own prescribing, such as being able to diagnose and prescribe precisely, and topics about patient demand and non-compliance. Hospital care physicians were interested in hygiene challenges, limited consult time and multi-resistant pathogens. Physicians considered the development of resistance to be more in the domain of clinical treatment than that of the patient. Major challenges related to antibiotic resistance for this group of physicians are access to and clarity of treatment recommendations, implementation of hygienic measures, as well as increased outsourcing of laboratory services. Results raise questions about whether meeting physicians' expectations should be a focus when developing intervention that aims to influence antibiotic resistance in this and other areas of Germany.

World Congresses of the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine 2013-2015: the way forward - from Beijing to Berlin.

PubMed

Gutenbrunner, Christoph; Fialka-Moser, Veronika; Li, Leonard S W; Paternostro-Sluga, Tatjana; Stucki, Gerold; Nugraha, Boya; Guzman, Juan Manuel; Imamura, Marta; Battistella, Linamara Rizzo; Li, Jianan

2014-09-01

Scientific congresses are an important tool to support communication among scientists, enabling exchange of knowledge and discussion of research results. They can also provide specialist education and allow a forum in which to develop the goals and policies of scientific societies. The World Congresses of the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine (ISPRM) aims at continuous improvement of congress quality. The programme development aims are: to operate at the highest possible scientific level; to guarantee continuous communication within the main areas of science in the field; and to invite experts to present topics of recent interest. The first section, the basic programme, largely comprises original papers selected from submitted abstracts. The second section covers topics of recent interest in more depth. Other sessions include recent topics arising from the ISPRM-World Health Organization (ISPRM-WHO) liaison, collaborative sessions with other societies, including national societies special interest sessions and ISPRM partners, and sessions organized by young scientists and students. These aims and programme guide the organizers of the 9th World Congress, which will be held on 19-23 June 2015 in Berlin. The concepts described here will be developed further for use in future ISPRM World Congresses.

Educational And Public Outreach Software On Planet Detection For The Macintosh (TM)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Koch, David; Brady, Victoria; Cannara, Rachel; Witteborn, Fred C. (Technical Monitor)

1996-01-01

The possibility of extra-solar planets has been a very popular topic with the general public for years. Considerable media coverage of recent detections has only heightened the interest in the topic. School children are particularly interested in learning about space. Astronomers have the knowledge and responsibility to present this information in both an understandable and interesting format. Since most classrooms and homes are now equipped with computers this media can be utilized to provide more than a traditional "flat" presentation. An interactive "stack" has been developed using Hyperstudio (TM). The major topics include: "1996 - The Break Through Year In Planet Detection"; "What Determines If A Planet Is Habitable?"; "How Can We Find Other Planets (Search Methods)"; "All About the Kepler Mission: How To Find Earth-Sized Planets"; and "A Mission Simulator". Using the simulator, the student records simulated observations and then analyzes and interprets the data within the program stacks to determine the orbit and planet size, the planet's temperature and surface gravity, and finally determines if the planet is habitable. Additional related sections are also included. Many of the figures are animated to assist in comprehension of the material. A set of a dozen lesson plans for the middle school has also been drafted.

A decade of research on health content in the media: the focus on health challenges and sociocultural context and attendant informational and ideological problems.

PubMed

Kline, Kimberly N

2006-01-01

There is a burgeoning interest in the health and illness content of popular media in the domains of advertising, journalism, and entertainment. This article reviews the past 10 years of this research, describing the relationship between the health topics addressed in the research, the shifting focus of concerns about the media, and, ultimately, the variation in problems for health promotion. I suggest that research attending to topics related to bodily health challenges focused on whether popular media accurately or appropriately represented health challenges. The implication was that there is some consensus about more right or wrong, complete or incomplete ways of representing an issue; the problem was that the media are generally wrong. Alternatively, research addressing topics related to sociocultural context issues focused on how certain interests are privileged in the media. The implication was that competing groups are making claims on the system, but the problem was that popular media marginalizes certain interests. In short, popular media is not likely to facilitate understandings helpful to individuals coping with health challenges and is likely to perpetuate social and political power differentials with regard to health-related issues. I conclude by offering some possibilities for future health media content research.

Formation of broadband antireflective and superhydrophilic subwavelength structures on fused silica using one-step self-masking reactive ion etching

PubMed Central

Ye, Xin; Jiang, Xiaodong; Huang, Jin; Geng, Feng; Sun, Laixi; Zu, Xiaotao; Wu, Weidong; Zheng, Wanguo

2015-01-01

Fused silica subwavelength structures (SWSs) with an average period of ~100 nm were fabricated using an efficient approach based on one-step self-masking reactive ion etching. The subwavelength structures exhibited excellent broadband antireflection properties from the ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelength range. These properties are attributable to the graded refractive index for the transition from air to the fused silica substrate that is produced by the ideal nanocone subwavelength structures. The transmittance in the 400–700 nm range increased from approximately 93% for the polished fused silica to greater than 99% for the subwavelength structure layer on fused silica. Achieving broadband antireflection in the visible and near-infrared wavelength range by appropriate matching of the SWS heights on the front and back sides of the fused silica is a novel strategy. The measured antireflection properties are consistent with the results of theoretical analysis using a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) method. This method is also applicable to diffraction grating fabrication. Moreover, the surface of the subwavelength structures exhibits significant superhydrophilic properties. PMID:26268896

HierarchicalTopics: visually exploring large text collections using topic hierarchies.

PubMed

Dou, Wenwen; Yu, Li; Wang, Xiaoyu; Ma, Zhiqiang; Ribarsky, William

2013-12-01

Analyzing large textual collections has become increasingly challenging given the size of the data available and the rate that more data is being generated. Topic-based text summarization methods coupled with interactive visualizations have presented promising approaches to address the challenge of analyzing large text corpora. As the text corpora and vocabulary grow larger, more topics need to be generated in order to capture the meaningful latent themes and nuances in the corpora. However, it is difficult for most of current topic-based visualizations to represent large number of topics without being cluttered or illegible. To facilitate the representation and navigation of a large number of topics, we propose a visual analytics system--HierarchicalTopic (HT). HT integrates a computational algorithm, Topic Rose Tree, with an interactive visual interface. The Topic Rose Tree constructs a topic hierarchy based on a list of topics. The interactive visual interface is designed to present the topic content as well as temporal evolution of topics in a hierarchical fashion. User interactions are provided for users to make changes to the topic hierarchy based on their mental model of the topic space. To qualitatively evaluate HT, we present a case study that showcases how HierarchicalTopics aid expert users in making sense of a large number of topics and discovering interesting patterns of topic groups. We have also conducted a user study to quantitatively evaluate the effect of hierarchical topic structure. The study results reveal that the HT leads to faster identification of large number of relevant topics. We have also solicited user feedback during the experiments and incorporated some suggestions into the current version of HierarchicalTopics.

Fungi as a source of natural coumarins production.

PubMed

Costa, Tania Maria; Tavares, Lorena Benathar Ballod; de Oliveira, Débora

2016-08-01

Natural coumarins and derivatives are compounds that occur naturally in several organisms (plant, bacteria, and fungi) consisting of fused benzene and α-pyrone rings. These compounds show high technological potential applications in agrochemical, food, pharmaceuticals, and cosmetics industries. Therefore, the need for bulk production of coumarins and the advancement of the chemical and pharmaceutical industries led to the development of synthetic coumarin. However, biotransformation process, synthetic bioengineering, metabolic engineering, and bioinformatics have proven effective in the production of natural products. Today, these biological systems are recognized as green chemistry innovation and business strategy. This review article aims to report the potential of fungi for synthesis of coumarin. These microorganisms are described as a source of natural products capable of synthesizing many bioactive metabolites. The features, classification, properties, and industrial applications of natural coumarins as well as new molecules obtained by basidiomycetes and ascomycetes fungi are reported in order to explore a topic not yet discussed in the scientific literature.

Crater monitoring through social media observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gialampoukidis, I.; Vrochidis, S.; Kompatsiaris, I.

2017-09-01

We have collected more than one lunar image per two days from social media observations. Each one of the collected images has been clustered into two main groups of lunar images and an additional cluster is provided (noise) with pictures that have not been assigned to any cluster. The proposed lunar image clustering process provides two classes of lunar pictures, at different zoom levels; the first showing a clear view of craters grouped into one cluster and the second demonstrating a complete view of the Moon at various phases that are correlated with the crawling date. The clustering stage is unsupervised, so new topics can be detected on-the-fly. We have provided additional sources of planetary images using crowdsourcing information, which is associated with metadata such as time, text, location, links to other users and other related posts. This content has crater information that can be fused with other planetary data to enhance crater monitoring.

One Stage Conversion of an Infected Fused Knee to Total Knee Replacement - A Surgical Challenge

PubMed Central

Ravikumar, Mukartihal; Kendoff, Daniel; Citak, Mustafa; Luck, Stefan; Gehrke, Thorsten; Zahar, Akos

2013-01-01

Background and Purpose: Two-stage revision arthroplasty is a common technique for the treatment of infected total knee replacement. Few reports have addressed the conversion of a fused knee into a total knee replacement. However, there is no case reported of converting an infected fused knee into a hinge knee using a one-stage procedure. Methods: We report on a 51-year old male patient with an infected fused knee after multiple surgeries. Results and Interpretation: A one-stage conversion of septic fused knee into total knee arthroplasty by a rotational hinge prosthesis was performed. The case highlights that with profound preoperative assessment, meticulous surgical technique, combined antibiotic treatment and the right implant, one-stage revision in a surgical challenge may have a role as a treatment option with good functional outcome. PMID:23526706

An NLP Framework for Non-Topical Text Analysis in Urdu--A Resource Poor Language

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mukund, Smruthi

2012-01-01

Language plays a very important role in understanding the culture and mindset of people. Given the abundance of electronic multilingual data, it is interesting to see what insight can be gained by automatic analysis of text. This in turn calls for text analysis which is focused on non-topical information such as emotions being expressed that is in…

Multimedia Activities in L2 Course Websites--A Case Study of a Site Dedicated to Cultural Topics of Portuguese-Speaking Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vasconcelos, Ricardo

2012-01-01

This study examines student preferences and behavior when navigating online multimedia modules dedicated to teaching cultural aspects associated with an L2, and the contribution of the online multimedia format of the modules to raising interest in these cultural topics. It focuses on student options regarding reading texts on the modules' main…

Balancing Act: A Study of International School Heads' Efforts to Manage the Professional and Personal Aspects of Their Lives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sorenson, Christiane PJ

2010-01-01

Interest in the topic of professional and personal life balance has increased exponentially over the past several decades. The topic even is listed by the current First Lady of the United States as a priority item to be addressed during her husband's first four years in office. While studies have been conducted about the professional/personal…

Teaching Resistance to Teach Resistance: The Use of Self-Defense in Teaching Undergraduates about Gender Violence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cermele, Jill A.

2004-01-01

Violence against women figures as a common topic in a variety of college courses, including those in psychology, sociology, criminology, and women's studies. The data on the risk of sexual assault for college women makes this a topic of particular interest and importance to many college students. Although it is fairly easy to find statistics about…

Recent advances in two-phase flow numerics

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

Mahaffy, J.H.; Macian, R.

1997-07-01

The authors review three topics in the broad field of numerical methods that may be of interest to individuals modeling two-phase flow in nuclear power plants. The first topic is iterative solution of linear equations created during the solution of finite volume equations. The second is numerical tracking of macroscopic liquid interfaces. The final area surveyed is the use of higher spatial difference techniques.

Highly planar diarylamine-fused porphyrins and their remarkably stable radical cations† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. CCDC 1469154–1469160. For ESI and crystallographic data in CIF or other electronic format see DOI: 10.1039/c6sc02721k Click here for additional data file. Click here for additional data file.

PubMed Central

Fukui, Norihito; Cha, Wonhee; Shimizu, Daiki; Oh, Juwon

2017-01-01

Oxidative fusion reactions of meso-phenoxazino Ni(ii) porphyrin were found to be temperature dependent, giving rise to either a doubly phenylene-fused product at room temperature or a singly phenoxazine-fused product at 70 °C. The latter was further oxidized to a doubly phenoxazine-fused Ni(ii) porphyrin, which was subsequently converted to the corresponding free base porphyrin and Zn(ii) porphyrin. Compared to previously reported diphenylamine-fused porphyrins that displayed a molecular twist, doubly phenoxazine-fused porphyrins exhibited distinctly different properties owing to their highly planar structures, such as larger fluorescence quantum yields, formation of an offset face-to-face dimer both in solution and the solid state, and the generation of a mixed-valence π-radical cation dimer upon electrochemical oxidation. One-electron oxidation of the phenoxazine-fused Ni(ii) porphyrin with Magic Blue gave the corresponding radical cation, which was certainly stable and could be isolated by separation over a silica gel column but slowly chlorinated at the reactive β-positions in the solid state. This finding led to us to examine β,β′-dichlorinated phenoxazine-fused and diphenylamine-fused Ni(ii) porphyrins, which, upon treatment with Magic Blue, provided remarkably stable radical cations to an unprecedented level. It is actually possible to purify these radical cations by silica gel chromatography, and they can be stored for over 6 months without any sign of deterioration. Moreover, they exhibited no degradation even after the CH2Cl2 solution was washed with water. However, subtle structural differences (planar versus partly twisted) led to different crystal packing structures and solid-state magnetic properties. PMID:28451165

Human adipose tissue-derived stem cells exhibit proliferation potential and spontaneous rhythmic contraction after fusion with neonatal rat cardiomyocytes.

PubMed

Metzele, Roxana; Alt, Christopher; Bai, Xiaowen; Yan, Yasheng; Zhang, Zhi; Pan, Zhizhong; Coleman, Michael; Vykoukal, Jody; Song, Yao-Hua; Alt, Eckhard

2011-03-01

Various types of stem cells have been shown to have beneficial effects on cardiac function. It is still debated whether fusion of injected stem cells with local resident cardiomyocytes is one of the mechanisms. To better understand the role of fusion in stem cell-based myocardial regeneration, the present study was designed to investigate the fate of human adipose tissue-derived stem cells (hASCs) fused with neonatal rat cardiomyocytes in vitro. hASCs labeled with the green fluorescent probe Vybrant DiO were cocultured with neonatal rat cardiomyocytes labeled with the red fluorescent probe Vybrant DiI and then treated with fusion-inducing hemagglutinating virus of Japan (HVJ). Cells that incorporated both red and green fluorescent signals were considered to be hASCs that had fused with rat cardiomyocytes. Fusion efficiency was 19.86 ± 4.84% at 5 d after treatment with HVJ. Most fused cells displayed cardiomyocyte-like morphology and exhibited spontaneous rhythmic contraction. Both immunofluorescence staining and lentiviral vector labeling showed that fused cells contained separate rat cardiomyocyte and hASC nuclei. Immunofluorescence staining assays demonstrated that human nuclei in fused cells still expressed the proliferation marker Ki67. In addition, hASCs fused with rat cardiomyocytes were positive for troponin I. Whole-cell voltage-clamp analysis demonstrated action potentials in beating fused cells. RT-PCR analysis using rat- or human-specific myosin heavy chain primers revealed that the myosin heavy-chain expression in fused cells was derived from rat cardiomyocytes. Real-time PCR identified expression of human troponin T in fused cells and the presence of rat cardiomyocytes induced a cardiomyogenic protein expression of troponin T in human ASCs. This study illustrates that hASCs exhibit both stem cell (proliferation) and cardiomyocyte properties (action potential and spontaneous rhythmic beating) after fusion with rat cardiomyocytes, supporting the theory that fusion, even if artificially induced in our study, could indeed be a mechanism for cardiomyocyte renewal in the heart.

Middle-and High-School Students' Interest in Nanoscale Science and Engineering Topics and Phenomena

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hutchinson, Kelly; Bodner, George M.; Lynn, Bryan

2011-01-01

Research has shown that an increase in students' interest in science and engineering can have a positive effect on their achievement (Baird, 1986; Eccles & Wigfield, 2002; French, Immekus & Oakes, 2005; Schiefele, Krapp, & Winteler, 1992; Schwartz Bloom & Haplin, 2003; Weinburgh, 1995). Whereas many NSF-funded programs in materials…

Cyber Bullying in ADHD and Asperger Syndrome Populations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kowalski, Robin M.; Fedina, Cristin

2011-01-01

Cyber bullying or electronic bullying refers to bullying that occurs through the Internet or cellular phones. With the rise of technology, researchers have shown a keen interest in the topic of cyber bullying. However, that interest has not extended to individuals with special needs. To address this gap in the literature, the current study…

Adaptation of the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Career Interest Survey (STEM-CIS) into Turkish

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koyunlu Unlu, Zeynep; Dokme, Ilbilge; Unlu, Veli

2016-01-01

Problem Statement: Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) education has recently become a remarkable research topic, especially in developed countries as a result of the skilled workforce required in the fields of the STEM. Considering that professional tendencies are revealed at early ages, determining students' interest in STEM…

Operationalizing and Detecting Disengagement within Online Science Microworlds

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gobert, Janice D.; Baker, Ryan S.; Wixon, Michael B.

2015-01-01

In recent years, there has been increased interest in engagement during learning. This is of particular interest in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics domains, in which many students struggle and where the United States needs skilled workers. This article lays out some issues important for framing research on this topic and…

Attracting and Training Tomorrow's Gerontologists: What Drives Student Interest in Aging?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bergman, Elizabeth J.; Erickson, Mary Ann; Simons, Jocelyn N.

2014-01-01

Demographic and labor force trends point to a critical need for professionals trained to work with older adults. The current study investigated factors associated with interest in aging-related topics and careers and knowledge of the opportunities that exist in the field of gerontology. Descriptive statistics, Pearson correlation analysis, and…

Enabling Easier Information Access in Online Discussion Forums

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhatia, Sumit

2013-01-01

Online discussion forums have become popular in recent times. They provide a platform for people from different parts of the world sharing a common interest to come together and topics of mutual interest and seek solutions to their problems. There are hundreds of thousands of internet forums containing tens of millions of discussion threads and…

An Assessment of Educational Interests of Women over 60.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Jong, Shirley

Educational interests of women aged 60 and over were studied, and a correlation between the respondents' ages, educational levels, marital status, as well as the number and types of educational topics they chose was investigated. The subjects' preferences as to selected program design questions were also identified. One hundred current members of…

Geologic Time.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newman, William L.

One of a series of general interest publications on science topics, the booklet provides those interested in geologic time with an introduction to the subject. Separate sections discuss the relative time scale, major divisions in geologic time, index fossils used as guides for telling the age of rocks, the atomic scale, and the age of the earth.…

The Many Faces of Procrastination: Implications and Recommendations for Counselors.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milgram, Norman A.

The topic of procrastination (putting off for tomorrow what one should do today) is introduced as a well-known phenomenon that has been the subject of widespread general interest, modest professional activity, and remarkably little research interest. In this paper, explicit criteria are formulated to define the phenomenon. The various etiological…

Relation of Technology, Science, Self-Concept, Interest, and Gender

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wender, Ingeborg

2004-01-01

In this article, the author discusses the relation of technology, science, self-concept, interest, and gender. For nearly 20 years the topic of "women and technology" has played an important role in discussions about gender equality in Germany. The very first project for promoting females started in 1978 under the title "Women in…

Affective and Motivational Outcomes of Working in Collaborative Groups

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boekaerts, Monique; Minnaert, Alexander

2006-01-01

The Quality of Working in Groups Instrument (QWIGI) was used in this research to measure students' fluctuating psychological need states as well as their situational interest online. Based on previous research with the QWIGI, it was predicted that the variance in university sophomores' situational interest in each of the five different topics of…

Alienation and First-Year Student Retention. Professional File. Number 116, Spring 2010

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Liu, Richard

2010-01-01

Since Summerskill's study on college attrition forty years ago, the interest in this topic has never waned. This study was particularly interested in the relationship of race to retention. Various theoretical frames of references have been proposed: Price's organization theory, Durkheim's Suicide, and Marx's Alienation have been used to guide…

Graduate Students' Research Interest in Business Ethics: A Study of Dissertations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piotrowski, Chris; Guyette, Roger W.

2014-01-01

Research on the nature of business ethics education during graduate-level training is somewhat limited. One approach in determining advanced students' research interest in the area is to examine the selection of "business ethics" topics for dissertation research. The current study addressed this issue by conducting a topical…

Making Learning Meaningful: Facilitating Interest Development and Transfer in At-Risk College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heddy, Benjamin C.; Sinatra, Gale M.; Seli, Helena; Taasoobshirazi, Gita; Mukhopadhyay, Ananya

2017-01-01

The Teaching for Transformative Experience in Science (TTES) model has shown to be a useful tool to generate learning and engagement in science. We investigated the effectiveness of TTES for facilitating transformative experience (TE), learning, the development of topic interest and transfer of course concepts to other courses employing a…

A Public Trial De Novo: Rethinking "Industrial Interests"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vedel, Jane Bjorn; Gad, Christopher

2011-01-01

This article addresses the concept of "industrial interests" and examines its role in a topical controversy about a large research grant from a private foundation, the Novo Nordisk Foundation, to the University of Copenhagen. The authors suggest that the debate took the form of a "public trial" where the grant and close(r)…

The Reconciliation of Art and Psychology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freeman, Tyler E.

2014-01-01

The disciplines of art and experimental psychology share a number of interesting areas of overlap which are unknown and/or unconsidered by many. This purpose of this article is to elucidate topics that are of interest to both artists and psychologists in an attempt to encourage interdisciplinary collaborations. It is only on rare occasions that…

KSC-99pp0700

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-06-17

At Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers begin removing the lower sections of the canister surrounding NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. FUSE is designed to scour the cosmos for the fossil record of the origins of the universe hydrogen and deuterium. Scientists will use FUSE to study hydrogen and deuterium to unlock the secrets of how the primordial chemical elements of which all stars, planets and life evolved, were created and distributed since the birth of the universe. FUSE is scheduled to be launched from CCAS June 23 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket

KSC-99pp0699

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-06-17

At Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers oversee the removal of the canister from the top of NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. FUSE is designed to scour the cosmos for the fossil record of the origins of the universe hydrogen and deuterium. Scientists will use FUSE to study hydrogen and deuterium to unlock the secrets of how the primordial chemical elements of which all stars, planets and life evolved, were created and distributed since the birth of the universe. FUSE is scheduled to be launched from CCAS June 23 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket

KSC-99pp0698

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-06-17

At Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers begin to remove the canister around the top of the NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. FUSE is designed to scour the cosmos for the fossil record of the origins of the universe hydrogen and deuterium. Scientists will use FUSE to study hydrogen and deuterium to unlock the secrets of how the primordial chemical elements of which all stars, planets and life evolved, were created and distributed since the birth of the universe. FUSE is scheduled to be launched from CCAS June 23 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket

KSC-99pp0703

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-06-17

At Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers look over NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite after sections of the canister have been removed. FUSE is scheduled to be launched from CCAS June 23 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket. FUSE is designed to scour the cosmos for the fossil record of the origins of the universe hydrogen and deuterium. Scientists will use FUSE to study hydrogen and deuterium to unlock the secrets of how the primordial chemical elements of which all stars, planets and life evolved, were created and distributed since the birth of the universe

[Color stability of porcelain-fused-to-titanium restorations after repeated firings].

PubMed

Wu, Xiao-min; Zhou, Zheng

2004-08-01

To study the effect of repeated firings on color of porcelain-fused-to-titanium restorations. Twenty standard porcelain-fused-to-titanium specimens were made with Dentsply DETREY TiBond C3 and Dentaurum rematitan Til. Then they were fired 1, 2, 4, 7, and 10 times. Color measurement was done after each firing. Most of the color parameters had no significant difference after firing except for a* and Hab. All the color difference among groups were smaller than 1.0 (deltaE < 1.0). Repeated firings will not affect the color stability of porcelain-fused-to-titanium restorations.

KSC-99pp0690

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-06-14

NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite is fitted with another row of canister segments before being moved to Launch Pad 17A, CCAS. FUSE was developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., to investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is scheduled to be launched June 23 aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket

KSC-99pp0663

NASA Image and Video Library

1999-06-12

At Hangar AE, Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS), workers attach a solar panel to NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. FUSE was developed by The Johns Hopkins University under contract to Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., to investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum. FUSE is targeted for launch June 23 from Launch Pad 17A, CCAS, aboard a Boeing Delta II rocket

Launch of NASA's FUSE satellite from CCAS.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

As light peers over the horizon at the crack of dawn, NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite waits for launch on Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station, aboard the Boeing Delta II rocket. Liftoff is scheduled for 11:39 a.m. EDT. FUSE was developed to investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe - hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Launch of NASA's FUSE satellite from CCAS.

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1999-01-01

Clouds of smoke and steam billow around the Boeing Delta II rocket as it roars into the sky after liftoff at 11:44 a.m. EDT from Launch Pad 17A, Cape Canaveral Air Station. The rocket is carrying NASA's Far Ultraviolet Spectroscopic Explorer (FUSE) satellite. FUSE was developed to investigate the origin and evolution of the lightest elements in the universe - hydrogen and deuterium. In addition, the FUSE satellite will examine the forces and process involved in the evolution of the galaxies, stars and planetary systems by investigating light in the far ultraviolet portion of the electromagnetic spectrum.

Tetrafluorobenzo-fused BODIPY: a platform for regioselective synthesis of BODIPY dye derivatives.

PubMed

Savoldelli, Andrea; Meng, Qianli; Paolesse, Roberto; Fronczek, Frank R; Smith, Kevin Malcolm; Vicente, M Graça Henriques

2018-05-18

A novel route for the synthesis of unsymmetrical benzo-fused BODIPYs is reported using 4,5,6,7-tetrafluoroisoindole as a precursor. The reactivity of the asymmetric 3,5-dibromo benzo-fused BODIPY was investigated under nucleophilic substitution and Pd(0)-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction conditions. In addition to the 3,5-bromines, one α-fluoro group on the benzo-fused ring can also be functionalized, and an unusual homocoupling with formation of a bisBODIPY was observed. This new class of fluorinated BODIPYs could find various applications in medicine and materials.

Getting Hooked on Physics!

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McHugh, M.; McCauley, V.

2016-12-01

A number of papers in this journal have dealt with the idea of using hooks in physics instruction. A hook, as the name suggests, engages students in learning by triggering their attention and interest. Hooks can be any type of pedagogical approach—a question, a demonstration, a puzzle or video. They are generally short and center on the most interesting aspects of a topic. Here we focus on using Conceptual Change (CC) teacher-led demonstrations as the pedagogical hook approach. Conceptual Change is an instructional method mentioned by a number of authors to stimulate interest among learners. This is where an educator presents an issue or topic that has associated misconceptions. As the teacher explains the truth behind the concept, cognitive conflict occurs and the students' initial perceptions are challenged and ideas start to change. However, the instruction used in association with the demonstrations must provide intelligible, plausible, relevant explanations so that students are convinced by the new ideas. The gap between prior knowledge and new knowledge has the potential to provide a strong stimulus for augmenting interest, engagement, and attention among students. Thus, CC can act as a hook in itself.

Personalized Popular Blog Recommender Service for Mobile Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Pei-Yun; Liu, Duen-Ren

Weblogs have emerged as a new communication and publication medium on the Internet for diffusing the latest useful information. Providing value-added mobile services such as blog articles is increasingly important to attract mobile users to mobile commerce. There are, however, a tremendous number of blog articles, and mobile users generally have difficulty in browsing weblogs. Accordingly, providing mobile users with blog articles that suit their interests is an important issue. Very little research, however, focuses on this issue. In this work, we propose a Customized Content Service on a mobile device (m-CCS) to filter and push blog articles to mobile users. The m-CCS can predict the latest popular blog topics by forecasting the trend of time-sensitive popularity of weblogs. Furthermore, to meet the diversified interest of mobile users, m-CCS further analyzes users’ browsing logs to derive their interests, which are then used to recommend their preferred popular blog topics and articles. The prototype system of m-CCS demonstrates that the system can effectively recommend mobile users desirable blog articles with respect to both popularity and personal interests.

31 CFR 100.12 - Exchange of fused and mixed coins.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 31 Money and Finance: Treasury 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Exchange of fused and mixed coins... OF PAPER CURRENCY AND COIN Exchange of Coin § 100.12 Exchange of fused and mixed coins. (a... the majority of which are readily and clearly identifiable as U.S. coins. (2) Mixed coins are U.S...

A hybrid color mapping approach to fusing MODIS and Landsat images for forward prediction

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We present a new, simple, and efficient approach to fusing MODIS and Landsat images. It is well known that MODIS images have high temporal resolution and low spatial resolution whereas Landsat images are just the opposite. Similar to earlier approaches, our goal is to fuse MODIS and Landsat images t...

Dicobalt hexacarbonyl complexes of alkynyl imines in a sequential Staudinger/Pauson-Khand process. A route to new fused tricyclic beta-lactams.

PubMed

Olier, Clarisse; Azzi, Nadia; Gil, Gérard; Gastaldi, Stéphane; Bertrand, Michèle P

2008-11-07

Dicobalt hexacarbonyl complexes of alkynyl imines were allowed to react with ketenes via Staudinger reaction. Sequential [2 + 2] cycloaddition/Pauson-Khand reaction led to structurally new fused-tricyclic beta-lactams and fused-azabicyclic cyclopentenones. Chemoselectivity, scope, and limitation of the process were investigated.

L-shaped right-to-left crossed-fused renal ectopia with left dysplastic ureter.

PubMed

Song, Wei; Yang, Jinrui; Zhu, Liang; Liu, Longfei

2012-01-01

Crossed-fused renal ectopia is a relatively rare congenital malformation. Herein, we report a case of L-shaped right- to-left crossed-fused renal ectopia with a left dysplastic ureter in a 5-year-old girl. She underwent a left nephrectomy and the postoperative course was uneventful. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.

NASA Space Engineering Research Center for Utilization of Local Planetary Resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramohalli, Kumar; Lewis, John S.

1991-01-01

In the processing of propellants, volatiles, and metals subject area, the following topics are discussed: reduction of lunar regolith; reduction of carbon dioxide; and reduction of carbonaceous materials. Other areas addressed include: (1) production of structural and refractory materials; (2) resource discovery and characterization; (3) system automation and optimization; and (4) database development. The majority of these topics are discussed with respect to the development of lunar and mars bases. Some main topics of interest include: asteroid resources, lunar resources, mars resources, materials processing, construction materials, propellant production, oxygen production, and space-based oxygen production plants.

Nonlinear femtosecond near infrared laser structuring in oxide glasses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Royon, Arnaud

Three-dimensional femtosecond laser structuring has a growing interest because of its ease of implementation and the numerous possible applications in the domain of photonic components. Structures such as waveguides, diffraction gratings, optical memories or photonic crystals can be fabricated thanks to this technique. Its use with oxide glasses is promising because of several advantages; they are resistant to flux and ageing, their chemical composition can easily be changed to fit the well-defined requirements of an application. They can already be found in Raman amplifiers, optical fibers, fiber lasers, and other devices. This thesis is based on two axes. The first axis consists in characterizing the linear and nonlinear optical properties of bulk vitreous materials in order to optimize their composition with a particular application in view. Within this context, the nonlinear optical properties, their physical origins (electronic and nuclear) as well as their characteristic response times (from a few femtoseconds to a few hundreds of picoseconds) are described within the Born-Oppenheimer approximation. Fused silica and several sodium-borophosphate glasses containing different concentrations in niobium oxide have been studied. Results show that the nonlinear optical properties of fused silica are mainly from electronic origin, whereas in the sodium-borophosphate glasses, the contribution from nuclear origin becomes predominant when the concentration of niobium oxide exceeds 30%. The second axis is based on the structuring of materials. Three commercially available fused silica samples presenting different fabrication conditions (therefore distinct impurity levels) and irradiated with a near infrared femtosecond laser have been studied. The laser induced defects have been identified by means of several spectroscopic techniques. They show the formation of color centers as well as a densification inside the irradiated area. Their linear refractive index and nonlinear third-order susceptibility properties have been measured. Moreover, the structuring of fused silica at the subwavelength scale into "nanogratings" is observed and the form of birefringence induced by these structures is discussed. In addition to the fused silica samples, several oxide glasses presenting very distinct chemical compositions have been studied. A sodium-borophosphate glass containing niobium oxide exhibits micro-cracks and nano-crystallites following irradiation. A silicate glass with or without a silver component reveals fluorescent rings or "nanograting" structures. A zinc phosphate glass containing silver also presents fluorescent ring structures, with a size of the order of 80 nm, well below the diffraction limit. Pump-probe microscope techniques have been performed on this glass to investigate the laser-glass interaction. The absorption mechanism is determined to be four-photon absorption. The generated free electron density is ˜ 1017 cm-3, which suggests the conclusion that an electron gas rather than a plasma is formed during the laser irradiation.

Research trends in the field of speech and hearing.

PubMed

Kricos, P B; Ptacek, P H; Hyman, M; Black, J W

1979-04-01

Topics of research in the field of speech and hearing were identified and compared over a 21-yr period (1954--1974). These topics were identidied by a key-word analysis of approximately 8200 titles consisting of articles in national and international journals, and of theses and dissertations presented in the state of Ohio. Results of this analysis have pinpointed certain research trends in the field of speech and hearing. Attention to certain topics has either declined, increased, or reached a peak during the 21-yr period, while interest in some topics has been consistently maintained throughout the years. The information reported provides a perspective from which to view contributions made by researchers in the field of speech and during the last two decades.

Toward a Resident Personal Finance Curriculum: Quantifying Resident Financial Circumstances, Needs, and Interests.

PubMed

McKillip, Ryan; Ernst, Michael; Ahn, James; Tekian, Ara; Shappell, Eric

2018-04-26

Introduction Resident financial health has been linked to wellness and resiliency, yet financial literacy among residents is highly variable. While some medical school curricula include budgeting and student loan education, content on managing finances as a resident is usually lacking. We sought to quantitatively assess residents' financial circumstances, needs, and interests to inform the design of a resident personal finance curriculum. Methods Surveys were sent to residents in eight specialties at an academic medical center. Likert-type responses allowed respondents to rate their level of comfort (1 = Very Uncomfortable, 7 = Very Comfortable) and interest (1 = Very Uninterested, 7 = Very Interested) in various personal finance topics including budgeting, loan repayment, disability insurance, life insurance, home buying, and retirement planning. Details regarding financial circumstances, including assets, liabilities, and insurance, were also collected. Results of questions that utilized a Likert-type scale are reported as median (interquartile range). Results Of 346 residents surveyed, 144 (41.6%) responded. Residents were from Internal Medicine (56, 38.9%), Pediatrics (34, 23.6%), Emergency Medicine (18, 12.5%), and other specialties (36, 25.0%). Ninety-one (63.2%) reported educational loans, with an average balance of $191,730. Credit card balances exceeding $3,000 were reported by 11 (7.6%) respondents. One-hundred-two (70.1%) reported emergency savings, but only 65 (45.1%) reported having a retirement account (average balance $27,608). Respondents rated highest comfort levels with budgeting (5[4-6]), and lowest level of comfort with disability insurance (2[2-4]) and home buying (2[2-5]). Interest in learning each topic was high (6[5-7]), with retirement planning (6[5-7]), investing (6[5-7]), and home buying (6[5-7]) the topics of highest interest. Conclusion These results highlight the deficits in personal finance literacy among residents. Future work should focus on development of a nationally scalable personal finance curriculum for residents.

Process for manufacturing hollow fused-silica insulator cylinder

DOEpatents

Sampayan, Stephen E.; Krogh, Michael L.; Davis, Steven C.; Decker, Derek E.; Rosenblum, Ben Z.; Sanders, David M.; Elizondo-Decanini, Juan M.

2001-01-01

A method for building hollow insulator cylinders that can have each end closed off with a high voltage electrode to contain a vacuum. A series of fused-silica round flat plates are fabricated with a large central hole and equal inside and outside diameters. The thickness of each is related to the electron orbit diameter of electrons that escape the material surface, loop, and return back. Electrons in such electron orbits can support avalanche mechanisms that result in surface flashover. For example, the thickness of each of the fused-silica round flat plates is about 0.5 millimeter. In general, the thinner the better. Metal, such as gold, is deposited onto each top and bottom surface of the fused-silica round flat plates using chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Eutectic metals can also be used with one alloy constituent on the top and the other on the bottom. The CVD, or a separate diffusion step, can be used to defuse the deposited metal deep into each fused-silica round flat plate. The conductive layer may also be applied by ion implantation or gas diffusion into the surface. The resulting structure may then be fused together into an insulator stack. The coated plates are aligned and then stacked, head-to-toe. Such stack is heated and pressed together enough to cause the metal interfaces to fuse, e.g., by welding, brazing or eutectic bonding. Such fusing is preferably complete enough to maintain a vacuum within the inner core of the assembled structure. A hollow cylinder structure results that can be used as a core liner in a dielectric wall accelerator and as a vacuum envelope for a vacuum tube device where the voltage gradients exceed 150 kV/cm.

New false color mapping for image fusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toet, Alexander; Walraven, Jan

1996-03-01

A pixel-based color-mapping algorithm is presented that produces a fused false color rendering of two gray-level images representing different sensor modalities. The resulting images have a higher information content than each of the original images and retain sensor-specific image information. The unique component of each image modality is enhanced in the resulting fused color image representation. First, the common component of the two original input images is determined. Second, the common component is subtracted from the original images to obtain the unique component of each image. Third, the unique component of each image modality is subtracted from the image of the other modality. This step serves to enhance the representation of sensor-specific details in the final fused result. Finally, a fused color image is produced by displaying the images resulting from the last step through, respectively, the red and green channels of a color display. The method is applied to fuse thermal and visual images. The results show that the color mapping enhances the visibility of certain details and preserves the specificity of the sensor information. The fused images also have a fairly natural appearance. The fusion scheme involves only operations on corresponding pixels. The resolution of a fused image is therefore directly related to the resolution of the input images. Before fusing, the contrast of the images can be enhanced and their noise can be reduced by standard image- processing techniques. The color mapping algorithm is computationally simple. This implies that the investigated approaches can eventually be applied in real time and that the hardware needed is not too complicated or too voluminous (an important consideration when it has to fit in an airplane, for instance).

Rapid and tunable method to temporally control gene editing based on conditional Cas9 stabilization. | Office of Cancer Genomics

Cancer.gov

The CRISPR/Cas9 system is a powerful tool for studying gene function. Here, we describe a method that allows temporal control of CRISPR/Cas9 activity based on conditional Cas9 destabilization. We demonstrate that fusing an FKBP12-derived destabilizing domain to Cas9 (DD-Cas9) enables conditional Cas9 expression and temporal control of gene editing in the presence of an FKBP12 synthetic ligand. This system can be easily adapted to co-express, from the same promoter, DD-Cas9 with any other gene of interest without co-modulation of the latter.

Multilevel radiative thermal memory realized by the hysteretic metal-insulator transition of vanadium dioxide

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

Ito, Kota, E-mail: kotaito@mosk.tytlabs.co.jp; Nishikawa, Kazutaka; Iizuka, Hideo

Thermal information processing is attracting much interest as an analog of electronic computing. We experimentally demonstrated a radiative thermal memory utilizing a phase change material. The hysteretic metal-insulator transition of vanadium dioxide (VO{sub 2}) allows us to obtain a multilevel memory. We developed a Preisach model to explain the hysteretic radiative heat transfer between a VO{sub 2} film and a fused quartz substrate. The transient response of our memory predicted by the Preisach model agrees well with the measured response. Our multilevel thermal memory paves the way for thermal information processing as well as contactless thermal management.