Towards Production of Additive Manufacturing Grade Metallic Powders on the Battlefield

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-10-01

ARL-RP-0618 ● OCT 2017 US Army Research Laboratory Towards Production of Additive Manufacturing Grade Metallic Powders on the...Research Laboratory Towards Production of Additive Manufacturing Grade Metallic Powders on the Battlefield by Marc Pepi Weapons and...REPORT TYPE Reprint 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) June 2016–June 2017 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Towards Production of Additive Manufacturing Grade

Annotated Bibliography of the Air Force Human Resources Laboratory Technical Reports - 1978

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-06-01

selection of incentives for classroom use. Grade-related and non -grade-related incentives were described in this experiment in a manner designed to...information monitoring- feedback. The current piractice= materials and methods are an outgroiuth of experimental aJpproache-s to the design . dev...operated in a stand- alone mode, the R & M model can be utilized to analyze the impact of various avionics design configurations on system support

Development of an improved system of wood-frame house construction

Treesearch

L.O. Anderson

1965-01-01

A new system of wood-frame house construction has been developed which combines increased use of low-grade wood, prefinished components, and rapid field assembly methods without much divergence from conventional construction. Laboratory evaluations of the components of the Nu-frame system indicated that; (a) 4-foot spacing of the W-trusses tested provides a safety...

Computerized Grading of Anatomy Laboratory Practical Examinations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krippendorf, Beth B.; Bolender, David L.; Kolesari, Gary L.

2008-01-01

At the Medical College of Wisconsin, a procedure was developed to allow computerized grading and grade reporting of laboratory practical examinations in the Clinical Human Anatomy course. At the start of the course, first year medical students were given four Lists of Structures. On these lists, numbered items were arranged alphabetically; the…

Implementation of a Parameterization Framework for Cybersecurity Laboratories

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-01

designer of laboratory exercises with tools to parameterize labs for each student , and automate some aspects of the grading of laboratory exercises. A...is to provide the designer of laboratory exercises with tools to parameterize labs for each student , and automate some aspects of the grading of...support might assist the designer of laboratory exercises to achieve the following? 1. Verify that students performed lab exercises, with some

Establishment of Traceability of Reference Grade Hydrometers at National Physical Laboratory, India (npli)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Anil; Kumar, Harish; Mandal, Goutam; Das, M. B.; Sharma, D. C.

The present paper discusses the establishment of traceability of reference grade hydrometers at National Physical Laboratory, India (NPLI). The reference grade hydrometers are calibrated and traceable to the primary solid density standard. The calibration has been done according to standard procedure based on Cuckow's Method and the reference grade hydrometers calibrated covers a wide range. The uncertainty of the reference grade hydrometers has been computed and corrections are also calculated for the scale readings, at which observations are taken.

Lack of grading agreement among international hemostasis external quality assessment programs

PubMed Central

Olson, John D.; Jennings, Ian; Meijer, Piet; Bon, Chantal; Bonar, Roslyn; Favaloro, Emmanuel J.; Higgins, Russell A.; Keeney, Michael; Mammen, Joy; Marlar, Richard A.; Meley, Roland; Nair, Sukesh C.; Nichols, William L.; Raby, Anne; Reverter, Joan C.; Srivastava, Alok; Walker, Isobel

2018-01-01

Laboratory quality programs rely on internal quality control and external quality assessment (EQA). EQA programs provide unknown specimens for the laboratory to test. The laboratory's result is compared with other (peer) laboratories performing the same test. EQA programs assign target values using a variety of methods statistical tools and performance assessment of ‘pass’ or ‘fail’ is made. EQA provider members of the international organization, external quality assurance in thrombosis and hemostasis, took part in a study to compare outcome of performance analysis using the same data set of laboratory results. Eleven EQA organizations using eight different analytical approaches participated. Data for a normal and prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) and a normal and reduced factor VIII (FVIII) from 218 laboratories were sent to the EQA providers who analyzed the data set using their method of evaluation for aPTT and FVIII, determining the performance for each laboratory record in the data set. Providers also summarized their statistical approach to assignment of target values and laboratory performance. Each laboratory record in the data set was graded pass/fail by all EQA providers for each of the four analytes. There was a lack of agreement of pass/fail grading among EQA programs. Discordance in the grading was 17.9 and 11% of normal and prolonged aPTT results, respectively, and 20.2 and 17.4% of normal and reduced FVIII results, respectively. All EQA programs in this study employed statistical methods compliant with the International Standardization Organization (ISO), ISO 13528, yet the evaluation of laboratory results for all four analytes showed remarkable grading discordance. PMID:29232255

Students' Knowledge Construction in Small Groups in the Seventh Grade Biology Laboratory: Verbal Communication and Physical Engagement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

She, Hsiao-Ching

1999-01-01

Reports on a study of seventh-grade students' interactions in small groups during a biology laboratory activity. Finds that girls have the potential to perform equally as well as do boys in the science laboratory and that both individual and gender differences contribute to students' differential verbal communication and laboratory engagement.…

High-Grading Lunar Samples

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Carlton; Sellar, Glenn; Nunez, Jorge; Mosie, Andrea; Schwarz, Carol; Parker, Terry; Winterhalter, Daniel; Farmer, Jack

2009-01-01

Astronauts on long-duration lunar missions will need the capability to high-grade their samples to select the highest value samples for transport to Earth and to leave others on the Moon. We are supporting studies to define the necessary and sufficient measurements and techniques for high-grading samples at a lunar outpost. A glovebox, dedicated to testing instruments and techniques for high-grading samples, is in operation at the JSC Lunar Experiment Laboratory. A reference suite of lunar rocks and soils, spanning the full compositional range found in the Apollo collection, is available for testing in this laboratory. Thin sections of these samples are available for direct comparison. The Lunar Sample Compendium, on-line at http://www-curator.jsc.nasa.gov/lunar/compendium.cfm, summarizes previous analyses of these samples. The laboratory, sample suite, and Compendium are available to the lunar research and exploration community. In the first test of possible instruments for lunar sample high-grading, we imaged 18 lunar rocks and four soils from the reference suite using the Multispectral Microscopic Imager (MMI) developed by Arizona State University and JPL (see Farmer et. al. abstract). The MMI is a fixed-focus digital imaging system with a resolution of 62.5 microns/pixel, a field size of 40 x 32 mm, and a depth-of-field of approximately 5 mm. Samples are illuminated sequentially by 21 light emitting diodes in discrete wavelengths spanning the visible to shortwave infrared. Measurements of reflectance standards and background allow calibration to absolute reflectance. ENVI-based software is used to produce spectra for specific minerals as well as multi-spectral images of rock textures.

Suggestions for Teaching Mathematics Using Laboratory Approaches Grades 1-6. 4. Measurement. Experimental Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of Elementary Curriculum Development.

This guide describes activities and materials which can be used in a mathematics laboratory approach to a basic mathematics program for grades 1-6. One-hundred thirteen activities pertaining to measurement concepts are described in terms of purpose, suggested grade levels, materials needed, and procedures. Some specific concepts include: linear…

Science Laboratory Learning Environments in Junior Secondary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kwok, Ping Wai

2015-01-01

A Chinese version of the Science Laboratory Environment Inventory (SLEI) was used to study the students' perceptions of the actual and preferred laboratory learning environments in Hong Kong junior secondary science lessons. Valid responses of the SLEI from 1932 students of grade 7 to grade 9 indicated that an open-ended inquiry approach seldom…

Development and evaluation of a computer program to grade student performance on peripheral blood smears

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lehman, Donald Clifford

Today's medical laboratories are dealing with cost containment health care policies and unfilled laboratory positions. Because there may be fewer experienced clinical laboratory scientists, students graduating from clinical laboratory science (CLS) programs are expected by their employers to perform accurately in entry-level positions with minimal training. Information in the CLS field is increasing at a dramatic rate, and instructors are expected to teach more content in the same amount of time with the same resources. With this increase in teaching obligations, instructors could use a tool to facilitate grading. The research question was, "Can computer-assisted assessment evaluate students in an accurate and time efficient way?" A computer program was developed to assess CLS students' ability to evaluate peripheral blood smears. Automated grading permits students to get results quicker and allows the laboratory instructor to devote less time to grading. This computer program could improve instruction by providing more time to students and instructors for other activities. To be valuable, the program should provide the same quality of grading as the instructor. These benefits must outweigh potential problems such as the time necessary to develop and maintain the program, monitoring of student progress by the instructor, and the financial cost of the computer software and hardware. In this study, surveys of students and an interview with the laboratory instructor were performed to provide a formative evaluation of the computer program. In addition, the grading accuracy of the computer program was examined. These results will be used to improve the program for use in future courses.

Interlaboratory comparison of immunohistochemical testing for HER2: results of the 2004 and 2005 College of American Pathologists HER2 Immunohistochemistry Tissue Microarray Survey.

PubMed

Fitzgibbons, Patrick L; Murphy, Douglas A; Dorfman, David M; Roche, Patrick C; Tubbs, Raymond R

2006-10-01

Correct assessment of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status is essential in managing patients with invasive breast carcinoma, but few data are available on the accuracy of laboratories performing HER2 testing by immunohistochemistry (IHC). To review the results of the 2004 and 2005 College of American Pathologists HER2 Immunohistochemistry Tissue Microarray Survey. The HER2 survey is designed for laboratories performing immunohistochemical staining and interpretation for HER2. The survey uses tissue microarrays, each consisting of ten 3-mm tissue cores obtained from different invasive breast carcinomas. All cases are also analyzed by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Participants receive 8 tissue microarrays (80 cases) with instructions to perform immunostaining for HER2 using the laboratory's standard procedures. The laboratory interprets the stained slides and returns results to the College of American Pathologists for analysis. In 2004 and 2005, a core was considered "graded" when at least 90% of laboratories agreed on the result--negative (0, 1+) versus positive (2+, 3+). This interlaboratory comparison survey included 102 laboratories in 2004 and 141 laboratories in 2005. Of the 160 cases in both surveys, 111 (69%) achieved 90% consensus (graded). All 43 graded cores scored as IHC-positive were fluorescence in situ hybridization-positive, whereas all but 3 of the 68 IHC-negative graded cores were fluorescence in situ hybridization-negative. Ninety-seven (95%) of 102 laboratories in 2004 and 129 (91%) of 141 laboratories in 2005 correctly scored at least 90% of the graded cores. Performance among laboratories performing HER2 IHC in this tissue microarray-based survey was excellent. Cores found to be IHC-positive or IHC-negative by participant consensus can be used as validated benchmarks for interlaboratory comparison, allowing laboratories to assess their performance and determine if improvements are needed.

Manufacturing Methods and Technology. Project Summary Reports

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-06-01

Specification grade Composition C-4 was successfully made in the laboratory using n-octane as the lacquer solvent. A modification of the Wabash method was...lifetime. This is a significant milestone for sealed metal dewar systems for high density mercury- cadmium -tellurium detectors. Such dewars are

The Decision Making Trial and Evaluation Laboratory (Dematel) and Analytic Network Process (ANP) for Safety Management System Evaluation Performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rolita, Lisa; Surarso, Bayu; Gernowo, Rahmat

2018-02-01

In order to improve airport safety management system (SMS) performance, an evaluation system is required to improve on current shortcomings and maximize safety. This study suggests the integration of the DEMATEL and ANP methods in decision making processes by analyzing causal relations between the relevant criteria and taking effective analysis-based decision. The DEMATEL method builds on the ANP method in identifying the interdependencies between criteria. The input data consists of questionnaire data obtained online and then stored in an online database. Furthermore, the questionnaire data is processed using DEMATEL and ANP methods to obtain the results of determining the relationship between criteria and criteria that need to be evaluated. The study cases on this evaluation system were Adi Sutjipto International Airport, Yogyakarta (JOG); Ahmad Yani International Airport, Semarang (SRG); and Adi Sumarmo International Airport, Surakarta (SOC). The integration grades SMS performance criterion weights in a descending order as follow: safety and destination policy, safety risk management, healthcare, and safety awareness. Sturges' formula classified the results into nine grades. JOG and SMG airports were in grade 8, while SOG airport was in grade 7.

A Shallow Underground Laboratory for Low-Background Radiation Measurements and Materials Development

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

Aalseth, Craig E.; Bonicalzi, Ricco; Cantaloub, Michael G.

Abstract: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory recently commissioned a new shallow underground laboratory, located at a depth of approximately 30 meters water-equivalent. This new addition to the small class of radiation measurement laboratories located at modest underground depths worldwide houses the latest generation of custom-made, high-efficiency, low-background gamma-ray spectrometers and gas proportional counters. This manuscript describes the unique capabilities present in the shallow underground laboratory; these include large-scale ultra-pure materials production and a suite of radiation detection systems. Reported data characterize the degree of background reduction achieved through a combination of underground location, graded shielding, and rejection of cosmic-ray events. Wemore » conclude by presenting measurement targets and future opportunities.« less

Quantitative assessment of graded burn wounds using a commercial and research grade laser speckle imaging (LSI) system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ponticorvo, A.; Rowland, R.; Yang, B.; Lertsakdadet, B.; Crouzet, C.; Bernal, N.; Choi, B.; Durkin, A. J.

2017-02-01

Burn wounds are often characterized by injury depth, which then dictates wound management strategy. While most superficial burns and full thickness burns can be diagnosed through visual inspection, clinicians experience difficulty with accurate diagnosis of burns that fall between these extremes. Accurately diagnosing burn severity in a timely manner is critical for starting the appropriate treatment plan at the earliest time points to improve patient outcomes. To address this challenge, research groups have studied the use of commercial laser Doppler imaging (LDI) systems to provide objective characterization of burn-wound severity. Despite initial promising findings, LDI systems are not commonplace in part due to long acquisition times that can suffer from artifacts in moving patients. Commercial LDI systems are being phased out in favor of laser speckle imaging (LSI) systems that can provide similar information with faster acquisition speeds. To better understand the accuracy and usefulness of commercial LSI systems in burn-oriented research, we studied the performance of a commercial LSI system in three different sample systems and compared its results to a research-grade LSI system in the same environments. The first sample system involved laboratory measurements of intralipid (1%) flowing through a tissue simulating phantom, the second preclinical measurements in a controlled burn study in which wounds of graded severity were created on a Yorkshire pig, and the third clinical measurements involving a small sample of clinical patients. In addition to the commercial LSI system, a research grade LSI system that was designed and fabricated in our labs was used to quantitatively compare the performance of both systems and also to better understand the "Perfusion Unit" output of commercial systems.

An analytical chemistry laboratory's experiences under Department of Energy Order 5633. 3 - a status report

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

Bingham, C.D.

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) order 5633.3, Control and Accountability of Nuclear Materials, initiated substantial changes to the requirements for operations involving nuclear materials. In the opinion of this author, the two most significant changes are the clarification of and the increased emphasis on the concept of graded safeguards and the implementation of performance requirements. Graded safeguards recognizes that some materials are more attractive than others to potential adversary actions and, thus, should be afforded a higher level of integrated safeguards effort. An analytical chemistry laboratory, such as the New Brunswick Laboratory (NBL), typically has a small total inventorymore » of special nuclear materials compared to, for example, a production or manufacturing facility. The NBL has a laboratory information management system (LIMS) that not only provides the sample identification and tracking but also incorporates the essential features of MC A required of NBL operations. As a consequence of order 5633.3, NBL had to modify LIMS to accommodate material attractiveness information for the logging process, to reflect changes in the attractiveness as the material was processed through the laboratory, and to enable inventory information to be accumulated by material attractiveness as the material was processed through the laboratory, and to enable inventory information to be accumulated by material attractiveness codes.« less

Continuous-Flow System Produces Medical-Grade Water

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Akse, James R.; Dahl, Roger W.; Wheeler, Richard R.

2009-01-01

A continuous-flow system utilizes microwave heating to sterilize water and to thermally inactivate endotoxins produced in the sterilization process. The system is designed for use in converting potable water to medical-grade water. Systems like this one could be used for efficient, small-scale production of medical- grade water in laboratories, clinics, and hospitals. This system could be adapted to use in selective sterilization of connections in ultra-pure-water-producing equipment and other equipment into which intrusion by microorganisms cannot be tolerated. Lightweight, port - able systems based on the design of this system could be rapidly deployed to remote locations (e.g., military field hospitals) or in response to emergencies in which the normal infrastructure for providing medical-grade water is disrupted. Larger systems based on the design of this system could be useful for industrial production of medical-grade water. The basic microwave-heating principle of this system is the same as that of a microwave oven: An item to be heated, made of a lossy dielectric material (in this case, flowing water) is irradiated with microwaves in a multimode microwave cavity. The heating is rapid and efficient because it results from absorption of microwave power throughout the volume of the lossy dielectric material. In this system, a copper tube having a length of 49.5 cm and a diameter of 2.25 cm serves as both the microwave cavity and the sterilization chamber. Microwave power is fed via a coaxial cable to an antenna mounted inside the tube at mid-length (see figure). Efficient power transfer occurs due to the shift in wavelength associated with the high permittivity of water combined with the strong coupling of 2.45-GHz microwaves with rotational-vibrational transitions of the dipolar water molecule.

Recommendations for a Standardized Pulmonary Function Report. An Official American Thoracic Society Technical Statement.

PubMed

Culver, Bruce H; Graham, Brian L; Coates, Allan L; Wanger, Jack; Berry, Cristine E; Clarke, Patricia K; Hallstrand, Teal S; Hankinson, John L; Kaminsky, David A; MacIntyre, Neil R; McCormack, Meredith C; Rosenfeld, Margaret; Stanojevic, Sanja; Weiner, Daniel J

2017-12-01

The American Thoracic Society committee on Proficiency Standards for Pulmonary Function Laboratories has recognized the need for a standardized reporting format for pulmonary function tests. Although prior documents have offered guidance on the reporting of test data, there is considerable variability in how these results are presented to end users, leading to potential confusion and miscommunication. A project task force, consisting of the committee as a whole, was approved to develop a new Technical Standard on reporting pulmonary function test results. Three working groups addressed the presentation format, the reference data supporting interpretation of results, and a system for grading quality of test efforts. Each group reviewed relevant literature and wrote drafts that were merged into the final document. This document presents a reporting format in test-specific units for spirometry, lung volumes, and diffusing capacity that can be assembled into a report appropriate for a laboratory's practice. Recommended reference sources are updated with data for spirometry and diffusing capacity published since prior documents. A grading system is presented to encourage uniformity in the important function of test quality assessment. The committee believes that wide adoption of these formats and their underlying principles by equipment manufacturers and pulmonary function laboratories can improve the interpretation, communication, and understanding of test results.

Detection of munitions grade g-series nerve agents using Raman excitation at 1064 nm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roy, Eric; Wilcox, Phillip G.; Hoffland, Soren; Pardoe, Ian

2015-05-01

Raman spectroscopy is a powerful tool for obtaining molecular structure information of a sample. While Raman spectroscopy is a common laboratory based analytical tool, miniaturization of opto-electronic components has allowed handheld Raman analyzers to become commercially available. These handheld systems are utilized by Military and First Responder operators tasked with rapidly identifying potentially hazardous chemicals in the field. However, one limitation of many handheld Raman detection systems is strong interference caused by fluorescence of the sample or underlying surface which obscures the characteristic Raman signature of the target analyte. Munitions grade chemical warfare agents (CWAs) are produced and stored in large batches and typically have more impurities from the storage container, degradation, or unreacted precursors. In this work, Raman spectra of munitions grade CWAs were collected using a handheld Raman spectrometer with a 1064 nm excitation laser. While Raman scattering generated by a 1064 nm laser is inherently less efficient than excitation at shorter wavelengths, high quality spectra were easily obtained due to significantly reduced fluorescence of the munitions grade CWAs. The spectra of these less pure, but more operationally relevant, munitions grade CWAs were then compared to spectra of CASARM grade CWAs, as well as Raman spectra collected using the more common 785 nm excitation laser.

Comparison of a gross anatomy laboratory to online anatomy software for teaching anatomy.

PubMed

Mathiowetz, Virgil; Yu, Chih-Huang; Quake-Rapp, Cindee

2016-01-01

This study was designed to assess the grades, self-perceived learning, and satisfaction between occupational therapy students who used a gross anatomy laboratory versus online anatomy software (AnatomyTV) as tools to learn anatomy at a large public university and a satellite campus in the mid-western United States. The goal was to determine if equivalent learning outcomes could be achieved regardless of learning tool used. In addition, it was important to determine why students chose the gross anatomy laboratory over online AnatomyTV. A two group, post-test only design was used with data gathered at the end of the course. Primary outcomes were students' grades, self-perceived learning, and satisfaction. In addition, a survey was used to collect descriptive data. One cadaver prosection was available for every four students in the gross anatomy laboratory. AnatomyTV was available online through the university library. At the conclusion of the course, the gross anatomy laboratory group had significantly higher grade percentage, self-perceived learning, and satisfaction than the AnatomyTV group. However, the practical significance of the difference is debatable. The significantly greater time spent in gross anatomy laboratory during the laboratory portion of the course may have affected the study outcomes. In addition, some students may find the difference in (B+) versus (A-) grade as not practically significant. Further research needs to be conducted to identify what specific anatomy teaching resources are most effective beyond prosection for students without access to a gross anatomy laboratory. © 2015 American Association of Anatomists.

Hardwood log grading scale stick improved

Treesearch

M. D. Ostrander; G. H. Englerth

1953-01-01

In February 1952 the Northeastern Forest Experiment Station described ( Research Note 13) a new log-grading scale stick developed by the Station for use as a visual aid in grading hardwood factory logs. It was based on the U. S. Forest Products Laboratory's log-grade specifications.

Effectiveness of the Flipped Classroom Model in Anatomy and Physiology Laboratory Courses at a Hispanic Serving Institution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez, Gerardo

A flipped laboratory model involves significant preparation by the students on lab material prior to entry to the laboratory. This allows laboratory time to be focused on active learning through experiments. The aim of this study was to observe changes in student performance through the transition from a traditional laboratory format, to a flipped format. The data showed that for both Anatomy and Physiology (I and II) laboratories a more normal distribution of grades was observed once labs were flipped and lecture grade averages increased. Chi square and analysis of variance tests showed grade changes to a statistically significant degree, with a p value of less than 0.05 on both analyses. Regression analyses gave decreasing numbers after the flipped labs were introduced with an r. 2 value of .485 for A&P I, and .564 for A&P II. Results indicate improved scores for the lecture part of the A&P course, decreased outlying scores above 100, and all score distributions approached a more normal distribution.

Systematic Evaluation of Salt Cavern Well Integrity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, B. L.; Lord, D. L.; Lord, A. S.; Bettin, G.; Sobolik, S. R.; Park, B. Y.

2017-12-01

The U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) holds a reserve of crude oil ( 700 million barrels) to help ease any interruptions in oil import to the United States. The oil is stored in a set of 63 underground caverns distributed across four sites along the U.S. Gulf Coast. The caverns were solution mined into salt domes at each of the four sites. The plastic nature of the salt is beneficial for the storage of crude oil as it heals any fractures that may occur in the salt. The SPR is responsible for operating and maintaining the nearly 120 wells used to access the storage caverns over operational lifetimes spanning decades. Salt creep can induce deformation of the well casing which must be remediated to insure cavern and well integrity. This is particularly true at the interface between the plastic salt and the rigid caprock. The Department of Energy, the SPR Management and Operations contractor, and Sandia National Laboratories has developed a multidimensional well-grading system for the salt cavern access wells. This system is designed to assign numeric grades to each well indicating its risk of losing integrity and remediation priority. The system consists of several main components which themselves may consist of sub-components. The main components consider such things as salt cavern pressure history, results from geomechanical simulations modeling salt deformation, and measurements of well casing deformation due to salt creep. In addition, the geology of the salt domes and their overlying caprock is also included in the grading. These multiple factors are combined into summary values giving the monitoring and remediation priority for each well. Sandia National Laboratories is a multimission laboratory managed and operated by National Technology and Engineering Solutions of Sandia LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Honeywell International Inc. for the U.S. Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration under contract DE-NA0003525.

ARC Cell Science Validation (CS-V) Payload Overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gilkerson, Nikita

2017-01-01

Automated cell biology system for laboratory and International Space Station (ISS) National Laboratory research. Enhanced cell culture platform that provides undisturbed culture maintenance, including feedback temperature control, medical grade gas supply, perfusion nutrient delivery and removal of waste, and automated experiment manipulations. Programmable manipulations include: media feeds change out, injections, fraction collections, fixation, flow rate, and temperature modification within a one-piece sterile barrier flow path. Cassette provides 3 levels of containment and allows Crew access to the bioculture chamber and flow path assembly for experiment initiation, refurbishment, or sample retrieval and preservation.

Designing and Conducting a Purification Scheme as an Organic Chemistry Laboratory Practical

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graham, Kate J.; Johnson, Brian J.; Jones, T. Nicholas; McIntee, Edward J.; Schaller, Chris P.

2008-01-01

An open-ended laboratory practical has been developed that challenges students to evaluate when different purification techniques are appropriate. In contrast to most lab practicals, the overall grade includes an evaluation of spectral analysis as well as writing skills. However, a significant portion of the grade lies in successful execution of a…

Day as a Pathologist: Utilization of Technology to Guide Students in Exploring Careers in Breast Cancer Pathology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adler, Jacob J.; Judd, Mariah V.; Bringman, Lauren R.; Wells, Clark D.; Marrs, Kathleen A.

2013-01-01

We developed an interactive laboratory that allows students to identify and grade tissue samples from human breast biopsies, using techniques similar to those used by actual pathologists. This unique lab develops a practical and intellectual understanding of basic tissue structures that make up living systems, utilizing technology to bring…

A comparison of two rough mill cutting models

Treesearch

Steven Ruddell; Henry Huber; Powsiri Klinkhachorn

1990-01-01

A comparison of lumber yield using the Automated Lumber Processing System (ALPS) Cutting Program and the Optimal Furniture Cutting Program (OFCP) was conducted on eight cutting bills. No.1 Common grade hard maple data files were compiled using a board database collected and used by the USDA Forest Service's Forest Products Laboratory to develop standard hardwood...

Adult Roles & Functions. Objective Based Evaluation System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West Virginia State Vocational Curriculum Lab., Cedar Lakes.

This book of objective-based test items is designed to be used with the Adult Roles and Functions curriculum for a non-laboratory home economic course for grades eleven and twelve. It contains item banks for each cognitive objective in the curriculum. In addition, there is a form for the table of specifications to be developed for each unit. This…

Suggestions for Teaching Mathematics Using Laboratory Approaches in Grades 1-3. 7. The Metric System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of General Education Curriculum Development.

This guide is the seventh teachers' guide developed by the Division for Curricular Services and the Bureau of Mathematics Education in cooperation with the Division of Federal Education Opportunity Programs, ESEA Title I. It contains 100 mathematics activities within 37 pages for primary students. The activities are planned for teachers to use…

Predictive value of clinical and laboratory variables for vesicoureteral reflux in children.

PubMed

Soylu, Alper; Kasap, Belde; Demir, Korcan; Türkmen, Mehmet; Kavukçu, Salih

2007-06-01

We aimed to determine the predictability of clinical and laboratory variables for vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) in children with urinary tract infection (UTI). Data of children with febrile UTI who underwent voiding cystoureterography between 2002 and 2005 were evaluated retrospectively for clinical (age, gender, fever > or = 38.5 degrees C, recurrent UTI), laboratory [leukocytosis, erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR), C-reactive protein (CRP), pyuria, serum creatinine (S(Cr))] and imaging (renal ultrasonography) variables. Children with VUR (group 1) vs. no VUR (group 2) and children with high-grade (III-V) VUR (group 3) vs. no or low-grade (I-II) VUR (group 4) were compared. Among 88 patients (24 male), 38 had VUR and 21 high-grade VUR. Fever > or = 38.5 degrees C was associated with VUR [odds ratio (OR): 7.5]. CRP level of 50 mg/l was the best cut-off level for predicting high-grade VUR (OR 15.5; discriminative ability 0.89 +/- 0.05). Performing voiding cystourethrography based on this CRP level would result in failure to notice 9% of patients with high-grade VUR, whereas 69% of children with no/low-grade VUR would be spared from this invasive test. In conclusion, fever > or = 38 degrees C and CRP > 50 mg/l seem to be potentially useful clinical predictors of VUR and high-grade VUR, respectively, in pediatric patients with UTI. Further validation of these findings could limit unnecessary voiding cystourethrography.

A Food-Grade Cloning System for Industrial Strains of Lactococcus lactis

PubMed Central

Sørensen, Kim I.; Larsen, Rasmus; Kibenich, Annette; Junge, Mette P.; Johansen, Eric

2000-01-01

We have previously reported the construction of a food-grade cloning vector for Lactococcus using the ochre suppressor, supB, as the selective marker. This vector, pFG1, causes only a slight growth inhibition in the laboratory strain MG1363 but is unstable in the industrial strains tested. As supB suppresses both amber and ochre stop codons, which are present in 82% of all known lactococcal genes, this undesirable finding may result from the accumulation of elongated mistranslated polypeptides. Here, we report the development of a new food-grade cloning vector, pFG200, which is suitable for overexpressing a variety of genes in industrial strains of Lactococcus lactis. The vector uses an amber suppressor, supD, as selectable marker and consists entirely of Lactococcus DNA, with the exception of a small polylinker region. Using suppressible pyrimidine auxotrophs, selection and maintenance are efficient in any pyrimidine-free medium including milk. Importantly, the presence of this vector in a variety of industrial strains has no significant effect on the growth rate or the rate of acidification in milk, making this an ideal system for food-grade modification of industrially relevant L. lactis strains. The usefulness of this system is demonstrated by overexpressing the pepN gene in a number of industrial backgrounds. PMID:10742196

Do targeted written comments and the rubric method of delivery affect performance on future human physiology laboratory reports?

PubMed

Clayton, Zachary S; Wilds, Gabriel P; Mangum, Joshua E; Hocker, Austin D; Dawson, Sierra M

2016-09-01

We investigated how students performed on weekly two-page laboratory reports based on whether the grading rubric was provided to the student electronically or in paper form and the inclusion of one- to two-sentence targeted comments. Subjects were registered for a 289-student, third-year human physiology class with laboratory and were randomized into four groups related to rubric delivery and targeted comments. All students received feedback via the same detailed grading rubric. At the end of the term, subjects provided consent and a self-assessment of their rubric viewing rate and preferences. There were no differences in laboratory report scores between groups (P = 0.86), although scores did improve over time (P < 0.01). Students receiving targeted comments self-reported viewing their rubric more often than students that received no comments (P = 0.02), but the viewing rate was independent of the rubric delivery method (P = 0.15). Subjects with high rubric viewing rates did not have higher laboratory report grades than subjects with low viewing rates (P = 0.64). When asked about their preference for the future, 43% of respondents preferred the same method again (electronic or paper rubric) and 25% had no preference. We conclude that although student laboratory report grades improved over time, the rate and degree of improvement were not related to rubric delivery method or to the inclusion of targeted comments. Copyright © 2016 The American Physiological Society.

Prevalence of exon 11 internal tandem duplications in the C-KIT proto-oncogene in Australian canine mast cell tumours.

PubMed

Tamlin, V S; Kessell, A E; Mccoy, R J; Dobson, E C; Smith, T S; Hebart, M; Brown, L; Mitrovic, D; Peaston, A E

2017-10-01

To measure the prevalence of internal tandem duplications (ITDs) in exon 11 of the proto-oncogene C-KIT in a sample of Australian cutaneous canine mast cell tumours (MCTs) drawn from general practice and to evaluate relationships between tumour mutation status and prognostic factors including signalment, tumour histological grade, tumour anatomical location and tumour size. C-KIT exon 11 ITDs were detected by PCR in DNA extracted from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded canine MCTs sourced from three veterinary diagnostic laboratories in Adelaide and Melbourne. Tumours were graded according to two different systems (Patnaik and Kiupel systems) by board-certified anatomical pathologists blinded to the PCR results. Relationships between tumour mutation status and prognostic factors were evaluated using a generalised binary logistic regression analysis. ITDs were identified in 13 of 74 cutaneous canine MCT samples, giving an overall prevalence of 17.6% (95% confidence interval: 8.9-26.2%). ITDs were detected in 10 of 18 Patnaik grade III MCTs (55.6%) and 11 of 22 Kiupel high-grade MCTs (50%). Wald chi-square analysis revealed that detection of tumour ITDs was significantly associated with both Patnaik's and Kiupel's histologic grading systems (each: P < 0.001). The presence of the ITDs in MCTs was not associated with signalment, tumour anatomical location or tumour size. The prevalence of C-KIT exon 11 ITDs in Australian canine MCTs is similar to the prevalence in overseas canine populations (overall prevalence in Australia approximately 18%). ITDs were more frequently identified in higher grade MCTs. © 2017 Australian Veterinary Association.

[Analysis of productivity, quality and cost of first grade laboratories: blood biometry].

PubMed

Avila, L; Hernández, P; Cruz, A; Zurita, B; Terres, A M; Cruz, C

1999-04-01

Assessment of productivity, quality and production costs and determination of the efficiency of top grade clinical laboratories in Mexico. Ten laboratories were selected from among the total number (52) existing in Mexico City, and the Donabedian model of structure, process and results were applied. Blood count was selected as a tracer. The principal problems found were: inadequate distribution of trained human resources, poor glass material, inadequate analytic process and low productivity. These factors are reflected in the unit costs, which exceed reference laboratory costs by 200%. Only 50% of the laboratories analyzed generate reliable results. Only 20% of the laboratories studied operate efficiently. To solve the problems identified requires integral strategies at different levels. A specific recomendation for the improvement of quality and productivity is an assessment of the cost/benefit of creating a central laboratory and using the remaining sites exclusively for the collection of samples.

The Influence of Laboratory Instruction on Science Achievement and Attitude toward Science among Ninth Grade Students across Gender Differences.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Freedman, Michael P.

This study investigated the use of a hands-on laboratory program as a means of improving attitude toward science and increasing achievement levels in science knowledge among students in a ninth grade physical science course. Using a posttest-only control group design, a curriculum referenced objective final examination was used to measure student…

Improving Online Interactions: Lessons from an Online Anatomy Course with a Laboratory for Undergraduate Students.

PubMed

Attardi, Stefanie M; Barbeau, Michele L; Rogers, Kem A

2018-03-01

An online section of a face-to-face (F2F) undergraduate (bachelor's level) anatomy course with a prosection laboratory was offered in 2013-2014. Lectures for F2F students (353) were broadcast to online students (138) using Blackboard Collaborate (BBC) virtual classroom. Online laboratories were offered using BBC and three-dimensional (3D) anatomical computer models. This iteration of the course was modified from the previous year to improve online student-teacher and student-student interactions. Students were divided into laboratory groups that rotated through virtual breakout rooms, giving them the opportunity to interact with three instructors. The objectives were to assess student performance outcomes, perceptions of student-teacher and student-student interactions, methods of peer interaction, and helpfulness of the 3D computer models. Final grades were statistically identical between the online and F2F groups. There were strong, positive correlations between incoming grade average and final anatomy grade in both groups, suggesting prior academic performance, and not delivery format, predicts anatomy grades. Quantitative student perception surveys (273 F2F; 101 online) revealed that both groups agreed they were engaged by teachers, could interact socially with teachers and peers, and ask them questions in both the lecture and laboratory sessions, though agreement was significantly greater for the F2F students in most comparisons. The most common methods of peer communication were texting, Facebook, and meeting F2F. The perceived helpfulness of the 3D computer models improved from the previous year. While virtual breakout rooms can be used to adequately replace traditional prosection laboratories and improve interactions, they are not equivalent to F2F laboratories. Anat Sci Educ. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists.

Structures and Systems. Grade 11-12. Course #8155 (Semester). Technology Education Course Guide. Industrial Arts/Technology Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Carolina State Dept. of Public Instruction, Raleigh. Div. of Vocational Education.

This guide is intended for use in teaching a course to broaden students' appreciation and understanding of constructed items and the construction process. The course focuses on the steps that are taken after the design and engineering phase has been completed. Laboratory assignments allow students to explore the technical processes involved in the…

Contribution of Road Grade to the Energy Use of Modern Automobiles Across Large Datasets of Real-World Drive Cycles: Preprint

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

Wood, E.; Burton, E.; Duran, A.

Understanding the real-world power demand of modern automobiles is of critical importance to engineers using modeling and simulation to inform the intelligent design of increasingly efficient powertrains. Increased use of global positioning system (GPS) devices has made large scale data collection of vehicle speed (and associated power demand) a reality. While the availability of real-world GPS data has improved the industry's understanding of in-use vehicle power demand, relatively little attention has been paid to the incremental power requirements imposed by road grade. This analysis quantifies the incremental efficiency impacts of real-world road grade by appending high fidelity elevation profiles tomore » GPS speed traces and performing a large simulation study. Employing a large real-world dataset from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Transportation Secure Data Center, vehicle powertrain simulations are performed with and without road grade under five vehicle models. Aggregate results of this study suggest that road grade could be responsible for 1% to 3% of fuel use in light-duty automobiles.« less

Membrane electrode gasket assembly (MEGA) technology for polymer electrolyte fuel cells

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pozio, A.; Giorgi, L.; De Francesco, M.; Silva, R. F.; Lo Presti, R.; Danzi, A.

A new technology for the production of a membrane electrode gasket assembly (MEGA) for polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs) is defined. The MEGA system was prepared by sealing a previously prepared membrane electrode assembly (MEA) in a moulded gasket. For this aim, a proprietary silicone based liquid mixture was injected directly into the MEA borders. Gaskets obtained in different shapes and hardness grades are stable in a wide temperature range. The MEGA technology shows several advantages with respect to traditional PEFCs stack assembling systems: effective membrane saving, reduced fabrication time, possibility of quality control and failed elements substitution. This technology was successfully tested at the ENEA laboratories and the results were acquired in laboratory scale, but industrial production appears to be simple and cheap.

Nutrient database improvement project: the influence of U.S.D.A. Quality and Yield Grade on the separable components and proximate composition of raw and cooked retail cuts from the beef rib and plate.

PubMed

Martin, J N; Brooks, J C; Thompson, L D; Savell, J W; Harris, K B; May, L L; Haneklaus, A N; Schutz, J L; Belk, K E; Engle, T; Woerner, D R; Legako, J F; Luna, A M; Douglass, L W; Douglass, S E; Howe, J; Duvall, M; Patterson, K Y; Leheska, J L

2013-11-01

Beef nutrition is important to the worldwide beef industry. The objective of this study was to analyze proximate composition of eight beef rib and plate cuts to update the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (SR). Furthermore, this study aimed to determine the influence of USDA Quality Grade on the separable components and proximate composition of the examined retail cuts. Carcasses (n=72) representing a composite of Yield Grade, Quality Grade, gender and genetic type were identified from six regions across the U.S. Beef plates and ribs (IMPS #109 and 121C and D) were collected from the selected carcasses and shipped to three university meat laboratories for storage, retail fabrication, cooking, and dissection and analysis of proximate composition. These data provide updated information regarding the nutrient content of beef and emphasize the influence of common classification systems (Yield Grade and Quality Grade) on the separable components, cooking yield, and proximate composition of retail beef cuts. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Mechanical Characteristics of Submerged Arc Weldment in API Gas Pipeline Steel of Grade X65

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

Hashemi, S. H.; Mohammadyani, D.

The mechanical properties of submerged arc weldment (SAW) in gas transportation pipeline steel of grade API X65 (65 ksi yield strength) were investigated. This steel is produced by thermo mechanical control rolled (TMC), and is largely used in Iran gas piping systems and networks. The results from laboratory study on three different regions; i.e. base metal (BM), fusion zone (FZ) and heat affected zone (HAZ) were used to compare weldment mechanical characteristics with those specified by API 5L (revision 2004) standard code. Different laboratory experiments were conducted on test specimens taken from 48 inch outside diameter and 14.3 mm wallmore » thickness gas pipeline. The test results showed a gradient of microstructure and Vickers hardness data from the centerline of FZ towards the unaffected MB. Similarly, lower Charpy absorbed energy (compared to BM) was observed in the FZ impact specimens. Despite this, the API specifications were fulfilled in three tested zones, ensuring pipeline structural integrity under working conditions.« less

Evaluation of a novel scoring and grading model for VP-based exams in postgraduate nurse education.

PubMed

Forsberg, Elenita; Ziegert, Kristina; Hult, Håkan; Fors, Uno

2015-12-01

For Virtual Patient-based exams, several scoring and grading methods have been proposed, but none have yet been validated. The aim of this study was to evaluate a new scoring and grading model for VP-based exams in postgraduate paediatric nurse education. The same student group of 19 students performed a VP-based exam in three consecutive courses. When using the scoring and grading assessment model, which contains a deduction system for unnecessary or unwanted actions, a progression was found in the three courses: 53% of the students passed the first exam, 63% the second and 84% passed the final exam. The most common reason for deduction of points was due to students asking too many interview questions or ordering too many laboratory tests. The results showed that the new scoring model made it possible to judge the students' clinical reasoning process as well as their progress. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Design and implementation of an online systemic human anatomy course with laboratory.

PubMed

Attardi, Stefanie M; Rogers, Kem A

2015-01-01

Systemic Human Anatomy is a full credit, upper year undergraduate course with a (prosection) laboratory component at Western University Canada. To meet enrollment demands beyond the physical space of the laboratory facility, a fully online section was developed to run concurrently with the traditional face to face (F2F) course. Lectures given to F2F students are simultaneously broadcasted to online students using collaborative software (Blackboard Collaborate). The same collaborative software is used by a teaching assistant to deliver laboratory demonstrations in which three-dimensional (3D) virtual anatomical models are manipulated. Ten commercial software programs were reviewed to determine their suitability for demonstrating the virtual models, resulting in the selection of Netter's 3D Interactive Anatomy. Supplementary online materials for the central nervous system were developed by creating 360° images of plastinated prosected brain specimens and a website through which they could be accessed. This is the first description of a fully online undergraduate anatomy course with a live, interactive laboratory component. Preliminary data comparing the online and F2F student grades suggest that previous student academic performance, and not course delivery format, predicts performance in anatomy. Future qualitative studies will reveal student perceptions about their learning experiences in both of the course delivery formats. © 2014 American Association of Anatomists.

European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases: update of the diagnostic guidance document for Clostridium difficile infection.

PubMed

Crobach, M J T; Planche, T; Eckert, C; Barbut, F; Terveer, E M; Dekkers, O M; Wilcox, M H; Kuijper, E J

2016-08-01

In 2009 the first European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) guideline for diagnosing Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) was launched. Since then newer tests for diagnosing CDI have become available, especially nucleic acid amplification tests. The main objectives of this update of the guidance document are to summarize the currently available evidence concerning laboratory diagnosis of CDI and to formulate and revise recommendations to optimize CDI testing. This update is essential to improve the diagnosis of CDI and to improve uniformity in CDI diagnosis for surveillance purposes among Europe. An electronic search for literature concerning the laboratory diagnosis of CDI was performed. Studies evaluating a commercial laboratory test compared to a reference test were also included in a meta-analysis. The commercial tests that were evaluated included enzyme immunoassays (EIAs) detecting glutamate dehydrogenase, EIAs detecting toxins A and B and nucleic acid amplification tests. Recommendations were formulated by an executive committee, and the strength of recommendations and quality of evidence were graded using the Grades of Recommendation Assessment, Development and Evaluation (GRADE) system. No single commercial test can be used as a stand-alone test for diagnosing CDI as a result of inadequate positive predictive values at low CDI prevalence. Therefore, the use of a two-step algorithm is recommended. Samples without free toxin detected by toxins A and B EIA but with positive glutamate dehydrogenase EIA, nucleic acid amplification test or toxigenic culture results need clinical evaluation to discern CDI from asymptomatic carriage. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Training students in serologic reaction grading increased perceptions of self-efficacy and ability to recognize serologic reactions but decreased grading accuracy.

PubMed

Perry, Holly; Henry, Stephen

2015-06-01

The ability to recognize and grade serologic reactions in manual techniques remains an important skill both for reference laboratories and in disaster-relocated laboratory services. Developing skills in recognizing and grading serologic reactions is limited to some extent by the range of samples available. Twenty-six students studying transfusion science were presented with blinded grading panels consisting of mixes of natural cells and kodecytes (natural cells modified with synthetic blood group antigens) representing a range of serologic grades. Results from 15-minute exercises over 17 contact weeks were assessed to determine if training with grading panels would have an impact on the ability of students to recognize and correctly grade serologic reactions. Twenty-one clinically active practitioners also took part in a single analysis. Grading exercises found that the use of kodecytes and natural negative cells were able to identify deficiencies in both students' and practitioners' ability to recognize negative and grade serologic reactions. The seventeen 15-minute exercises undertaken with students revealed that although there was some improvement in performance in recognizing positive and negative serologic reactions there was also a degradation in ability to accurately grade. Self-assessment showed a major improvement in students' self-efficacy. The use of serologic grading panels created with kodecytes was suitable as a tool to recognize and monitor serologic grading abilities. Evidence suggests that for both students and practitioners to gain and sustain competency in serologic reaction recognition and grading, they will require ongoing training and monitoring of competence. © 2015 AABB.

7 CFR 160.17 - Laboratory analysis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Laboratory analysis. 160.17 Section 160.17 Agriculture... STANDARDS FOR NAVAL STORES Methods of Analysis, Inspection, Sampling and Grading § 160.17 Laboratory analysis. The analysis and laboratory testing of naval stores shall be conducted, so far as is practicable...

7 CFR 160.17 - Laboratory analysis.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 3 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Laboratory analysis. 160.17 Section 160.17 Agriculture... STANDARDS FOR NAVAL STORES Methods of Analysis, Inspection, Sampling and Grading § 160.17 Laboratory analysis. The analysis and laboratory testing of naval stores shall be conducted, so far as is practicable...

Development of criteria for the use of asphalt-rubber as a Stress-Absorbing Membrane Interlayer (SAMI)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Newcomb, D. E.; McKeen, R. G.

1983-12-01

This report documents over 2 years of research efforts to characterize asphalt-rubber mixtures to be used in Stress-Absorbing Membrane Interlayers (SAMI). The purpose of these SAMIs is to retard or prevent reflection cracking in asphalt-concrete overlays. Several laboratory experiments and one field trial were conducted to define significant test methods and parameters for incorporation into construction design and specification documents. Test methods used in this study included a modified softening point test, force-ductility, and Schweyer viscosity. Variables investigated included (1) Laboratory-mixing temperature; (2) Rubber type; (3) Laboratory storage time; (4) Laboratory storage condition; (5) Laboratory batch replication; (6) Laboratory mixing time; (7) Field mixing time; (8) Laboratory test temperature; (9) Force-Ductility elongation rates; and (10) Asphalt grade. It was found that mixing temperature, mixing time, rubber type, and asphalt grade all have significant effects upon the behavior of asphalt-rubber mixtures. Significant variability was also noticed in different laboratory batch replications. Varying laboratory test temperature and force-ductility elongation rate revealed further differences in asphalt-rubber mixtures.

Industrial based volume manufacturing of lightweight aluminium alloy panel components with high-strength and complex-shape for car body and chassis structures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anyasodor, Gerald; Koroschetz, Christian

2017-09-01

To achieve the high volume manufacture of lightweight passenger cars at economic cost as required in the automotive industry, low density materials and new process route will be needed. While high strength aluminium alloy grades: AA7075 and AA6082 may provide the alternative material solution, hot stamping process used for high-strength and ultrahigh strength steels such as boron steel 22mnb5 can enable the volume manufacture of panel components with high-strength and complex-shape for car body and chassis structures. These aluminium alloy grades can be used to manufacture panel components with possible yield strengths ≥ 500 MPa. Due to the differences in material behaviors, hot stamping process of 22mnb5 cannot be directly applied to high strength aluminium alloy grades. Despite recorded successes in laboratories, researches and niche hot forming processes of high strength aluminium alloy grades, not much have been achieved for adequate and efficient volume manufacturing system applicable in the automotive industry. Due to lack of such system and based on expert knowledge in hot stamping production-line, AP&T presents in this paper a hot stamping processing route for high strength aluminium alloys been suitable for production-line development and volume manufacturing.

Lack of short-wavelength light during the school day delays dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) in middle school students.

PubMed

Figueiro, Mariana G; Rea, Mark S

2010-01-01

Circadian timing affects sleep onset. Delayed sleep onset can reduce sleep duration in adolescents required to awake early for a fixed school schedule. The absence of short-wavelength ("blue") morning light, which helps entrain the circadian system, can hypothetically delay sleep onset and decrease sleep duration in adolescents. The goal of this study was to investigate whether removal of short-wavelength light during the morning hours delayed the onset of melatonin in young adults. Dim light melatonin onset (DLMO) was measured in eleven 8th-grade students before and after wearing orange glasses, which removed short-wavelength light, for a five-day school week. DLMO was significantly delayed (30 minutes) after the five-day intervention, demonstrating that short-wavelength light exposure during the day can be important for advancing circadian rhythms in students. Lack of short-wavelength light in the morning has been shown to delay the circadian clock in controlled laboratory conditions. The results presented here are the first to show, outside laboratory conditions, that removal of short-wavelength light in the morning hours can delay DLMO in 8th-grade students. These field data, consistent with results from controlled laboratory studies, are directly relevant to lighting practice in schools.

Interference studies with two hospital-grade and two home-grade glucose meters.

PubMed

Lyon, Martha E; Baskin, Leland B; Braakman, Sandy; Presti, Steven; Dubois, Jeffrey; Shirey, Terry

2009-10-01

Interference studies of four glucose meters (Nova Biomedical [Waltham, MA] StatStrip [hospital grade], Roche Diagnostics [Indianapolis, IN] Accu-Chek Aviva [home grade], Abbott Diabetes Care [Alameda, CA] Precision FreeStyle Freedom [home grade], and LifeScan [Milpitas, CA] SureStep Flexx [hospital grade]) were evaluated and compared to the clinical laboratory plasma hexokinase reference method (Roche Hitachi 912 chemistry analyzer). These meters were chosen to reflect the continuum of care from hospital to home grade meters commonly seen in North America. Within-run precision was determined using a freshly prepared whole blood sample spiked with concentrated glucose to give three glucose concentrations. Day-to-day precision was evaluated using aqueous control materials supplied by each vendor. Common interferences, including hematocrit, maltose, and ascorbate, were tested alone and in combination with one another on each of the four glucose testing devices at three blood glucose concentrations. Within-run precision for all glucose meters was <5% except for the FreeStyle (up to 7.6%). Between-day precision was <6% for all glucose meters. Ascorbate caused differences (percentage change from a sample without added interfering substances) of >5% with pyrroloquinolinequinone (PQQ)-glucose dehydrogenase-based technologies (Aviva and Freestyle) and the glucose oxidase-based Flexx meter. Maltose strongly affected the PQQ-glucose dehydrogenase-based meter systems. When combinations of interferences (ascorbate, maltose, and hematocrit mixtures) were tested, the extent of the interference was up to 193% (Aviva), 179% (FreeStyle), 25.1% (Flexx), and 5.9% (StatStrip). The interference was most pronounced at low glucose (3.9-4.4 mmol/L). All evaluated glucose meter systems demonstrated varying degrees of interference by hematocrit, ascorbate, and maltose mixtures. PQQ-glucose dehydrogenase-based technologies showed greater susceptibility than glucose oxidase-based systems. However, the modified glucose oxidase-based amperometric method (Nova StatStrip) was less affected in comparison with the glucose oxidase-based photometric method (LifeScan SureStep Flexx).

Diagnosis of Acute Gout: A Clinical Practice Guideline From the American College of Physicians.

PubMed

Qaseem, Amir; McLean, Robert M; Starkey, Melissa; Forciea, Mary Ann

2017-01-03

The American College of Physicians (ACP) developed this guideline to present the evidence and provide clinical recommendations on the diagnosis of gout. This guideline is based on a systematic review of published studies on gout diagnosis, identified using several databases, from database inception to February 2016. Evaluated outcomes included the accuracy of the test results; intermediate outcomes (results of laboratory and radiographic tests, such as serum urate and synovial fluid crystal analysis and radiographic or ultrasonography changes); clinical decision making (additional testing and pharmacologic or dietary management); short-term clinical (patient-centered) outcomes, such as pain and joint swelling and tenderness; and adverse effects of the tests. This guideline grades the evidence and recommendations by using the ACP grading system, which is based on the GRADE (Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation) method. The target audience for this guideline includes all clinicians, and the target patient population includes adults with joint inflammation suspected to be gout. ACP recommends that clinicians use synovial fluid analysis when clinical judgment indicates that diagnostic testing is necessary in patients with possible acute gout. (Grade: weak recommendation, low-quality evidence).

Automatic Gleason grading of prostate cancer using quantitative phase imaging and machine learning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Tan H.; Sridharan, Shamira; Macias, Virgilia; Kajdacsy-Balla, Andre; Melamed, Jonathan; Do, Minh N.; Popescu, Gabriel

2017-03-01

We present an approach for automatic diagnosis of tissue biopsies. Our methodology consists of a quantitative phase imaging tissue scanner and machine learning algorithms to process these data. We illustrate the performance by automatic Gleason grading of prostate specimens. The imaging system operates on the principle of interferometry and, as a result, reports on the nanoscale architecture of the unlabeled specimen. We use these data to train a random forest classifier to learn textural behaviors of prostate samples and classify each pixel in the image into different classes. Automatic diagnosis results were computed from the segmented regions. By combining morphological features with quantitative information from the glands and stroma, logistic regression was used to discriminate regions with Gleason grade 3 versus grade 4 cancer in prostatectomy tissue. The overall accuracy of this classification derived from a receiver operating curve was 82%, which is in the range of human error when interobserver variability is considered. We anticipate that our approach will provide a clinically objective and quantitative metric for Gleason grading, allowing us to corroborate results across instruments and laboratories and feed the computer algorithms for improved accuracy.

Spectrally and Radiometrically Stable, Wideband, Onboard Calibration Source

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coles, James B.; Richardson, Brandon S.; Eastwood, Michael L.; Sarture, Charles M.; Quetin, Gregory R.; Porter, Michael D.; Green, Robert O.; Nolte, Scott H.; Hernandez, Marco A.; Knoll, Linley A.

2013-01-01

The Onboard Calibration (OBC) source incorporates a medical/scientific-grade halogen source with a precisely designed fiber coupling system, and a fiber-based intensity-monitoring feedback loop that results in radiometric and spectral stabilities to within less than 0.3 percent over a 15-hour period. The airborne imaging spectrometer systems developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory incorporate OBC sources to provide auxiliary in-use system calibration data. The use of the OBC source will provide a significant increase in the quantitative accuracy, reliability, and resulting utility of the spectral data collected from current and future imaging spectrometer instruments.

46 CFR 35.30-30 - Portable electric equipment-TB/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

..., explosion-proof lamps approved by Underwriters Laboratories Inc., Factory Mutual Research Corporation, or... Underwriters Laboratories Inc., Factory Mutual Research Corporation, or other independent laboratory recognized...; (iv) Filled with Grade E liquid; or (v) Spaces where flammable gases are not expected to accumulate...

46 CFR 35.30-30 - Portable electric equipment-TB/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

..., explosion-proof lamps approved by Underwriters Laboratories Inc., Factory Mutual Research Corporation, or... Underwriters Laboratories Inc., Factory Mutual Research Corporation, or other independent laboratory recognized...; (iv) Filled with Grade E liquid; or (v) Spaces where flammable gases are not expected to accumulate...

46 CFR 35.30-30 - Portable electric equipment-TB/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

..., explosion-proof lamps approved by Underwriters Laboratories Inc., Factory Mutual Research Corporation, or... Underwriters Laboratories Inc., Factory Mutual Research Corporation, or other independent laboratory recognized...; (iv) Filled with Grade E liquid; or (v) Spaces where flammable gases are not expected to accumulate...

46 CFR 35.30-30 - Portable electric equipment-TB/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

..., explosion-proof lamps approved by Underwriters Laboratories Inc., Factory Mutual Research Corporation, or... Underwriters Laboratories Inc., Factory Mutual Research Corporation, or other independent laboratory recognized...; (iv) Filled with Grade E liquid; or (v) Spaces where flammable gases are not expected to accumulate...

46 CFR 35.30-30 - Portable electric equipment-TB/ALL.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

..., explosion-proof lamps approved by Underwriters Laboratories Inc., Factory Mutual Research Corporation, or... Underwriters Laboratories Inc., Factory Mutual Research Corporation, or other independent laboratory recognized...; (iv) Filled with Grade E liquid; or (v) Spaces where flammable gases are not expected to accumulate...

IET. Jet fuel tank being lowered into position below grade. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

IET. Jet fuel tank being lowered into position below grade. Two tanks already in place. Date: October 18, 1954. INEEL negative no. 12535 - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Test Area North, Scoville, Butte County, ID

Inquiring Scaffolds in Laboratory Tasks: An Instance of a "Worked Laboratory Guide Effect"?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schmidt-Borcherding, Florian; Hänze, Martin; Wodzinski, Rita; Rincke, Karsten

2013-01-01

The study explores if established support devices for paper-pencil problem solving, namely worked examples and incremental scaffolds, are applicable to laboratory tasks. N?=?173 grade eight students solved in dyads a physics laboratory task in one of three conditions. In condition A (unguided problem solving), students were asked to determine the…

Integrating standard operating procedures and industry notebook standards to evaluate students in laboratory courses.

PubMed

Wallert, Mark A; Provost, Joseph J

2014-01-01

To enhance the preparedness of graduates from the Biochemistry and Biotechnology (BCBT) Major at Minnesota State University Moorhead for employment in the bioscience industry we have developed a new Industry certificate program. The BCBT Industry Certificate was developed to address specific skill sets that local, regional, and national industry experts identified as lacking in new B.S. and B.A. biochemistry graduates. The industry certificate addresses concerns related to working in a regulated industry such as Good Laboratory Practices, Good Manufacturing Practices, and working in a Quality System. In this article we specifically describe how we developed a validation course that uses Standard Operating Procedures to describe grading policy and laboratory notebook requirements in an effort to better prepare students to transition into industry careers. © 2013 by The International Union of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

Evaluation of liver function using gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid enhanced magnetic resonance imaging based on a three-dimensional volumetric analysis system.

PubMed

Kudo, Masashi; Gotohda, Naoto; Sugimoto, Motokazu; Kobayashi, Tatsushi; Kojima, Motohiro; Takahashi, Shinichiro; Konishi, Masaru; Hayashi, Ryuichi

2018-06-02

Magnetic resonance imaging with gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (EOB-MRI) is a diagnostic modality for liver tumors. Three-dimensional (3D) volumetric analysis systems using EOB-MRI data are used to simulate liver anatomy for surgery. This study was conducted to investigate clinical utility of a 3D volumetric analysis system on EOB-MRI to evaluate liver function. Between August 2014 and December 2015, 181 patients underwent laboratory and radiological exams as standardized preoperative evaluation for liver surgery. The liver-spleen contrast-enhanced ratio (LSR) was measured by a semi-automated 3D volumetric analysis system on EOB-MRI. First, the inter-evaluator variability of the calculated LSR was evaluated. Additionally, a subset of liver surgical specimens was evaluated histologically by using immunohistochemical staining. Finally, the correlations between the LSR and grading systems of liver function, laboratory data, or histological findings were analyzed. The inter-evaluator correlation coefficient of the measured LSR was 0.986. The mean LSR was significantly correlated with the Child-Pugh score (p = 0.014) and the ALBI score (p < 0.001). Significant correlations were also observed between the LSR and indocyanine green retention rate at 15 min (r = - 0.601, p < 0.001), between the LSR and liver fibrosis stage (r = - 0.556, p < 0.001), and between the LSR and liver steatosis grade (r = - 0.396, p < 0.001). The LSR calculated by a 3D volumetric analysis system on EOB-MRI was highly reproducible and was shown to be correlated with liver function parameters and liver histology. These data suggest that this imaging modality can be a reliable tool to evaluate liver function.

Man and Energy, Module C. Fourth Grade. Pilot Form.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pasco County Schools, Dade City, FL.

This booklet is one of a set of learning modules on energy for use by students and teachers in the fourth grade. This module investigates solar energy, ecology, and fossil fuels. Included are laboratory activities and values exercises. (BT)

The Effect of Using Virtual Laboratory on Grade 10 Students' Conceptual Understanding and Their Attitudes towards Physics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Faour, Malak Abou; Ayoubi, Zalpha

2018-01-01

This study investigated the effect of using (VL) on grade 10 students' conceptual understanding of the direct current electric circuit and their attitudes towards physics. The research used a quantitative experimental approach. The sample of the study was formed of 50 students of the tenth grade, aged 14 to 16 years old, of an official secondary…

Re-evaluation of Second Grade, Revised MANS Tests. Evaluation Report 7-B-4. Extended Pilot Trial of the Comprehensive School Mathematics Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herbert, Martin

The Comprehensive School Mathematics Program (CSMP) is a program of CEMREL, Inc., one of the national educational laboratories, and was funded by the National Institute of Education (NIE). Its primary purpose is the development of curriculum materials for kindergarten through grade 6. This study compared CSMP and non-CSMP second-grade students'…

Stress grading of recycled lumber and timber

Treesearch

Robert H. Falk; David Green

1999-01-01

This paper presents an overview of selected research at the Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) to characterize the grade distribution and engineering properties of lumber and timber recycled from deconstructed buildings on US. Army installations. The effects of splits on timber beam and column...

Design and manufacture of optical system for use in ultraviolet lithography with the free-electron laser

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Byrd, Donald A.; Viswanathan, Vriddhachalam K.; Woodfin, Gregg L.; Horn, William W.; Lazazzera, Vito J.; Schmell, Rodney A.

1993-08-01

At Los Alamos National Laboratory, we are preparing to image submicrometer-size features using the Free Electron Laser (FEL) operating at 248 nm. This article describes the optical transfer systems that were designed to relay the ultraviolet (UV) optical output of the FEL, resulting in expected imaged feature sizes in the range 0.3 - 0.5 micrometers . Nearly all optical subsystems are reflective, and once the coatings were optimized any optical wavelength could be used. All refractive optics were UV-grade fused silica. The optical design, engineering, and manufacture of the various component systems are described along with some experimental results.

Laboratory Experiences in Marine Biology for Upper Elementary and Secondary School Grades, Teachers Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Raimist, Roger J.

Designed to assist the teacher who wishes to use marine organisms for biological laboratory investigations, this manual includes general information on maintaining marine aquaria and collecting marine organisms as well as five tested laboratory exercises. The exercises deal with the measurement of oxygen consumption (giving techniques for…

GMP-Compliant Expansion of Clinical-Grade Human Mesenchymal Stromal/Stem Cells Using a Closed Hollow Fiber Bioreactor.

PubMed

Barckhausen, Christina; Rice, Brent; Baila, Stefano; Sensebé, Luc; Schrezenmeier, Hubert; Nold, Philipp; Hackstein, Holger; Rojewski, Markus Thomas

2016-01-01

This chapter describes a method for GMP-compliant expansion of human mesenchymal stromal/stem cells (hMSC) from bone marrow aspirates, using the Quantum(®) Cell Expansion System from Terumo BCT. The Quantum system is a functionally closed, automated hollow fiber bioreactor system designed to reproducibly grow cells in either GMP or research laboratory environments. The chapter includes protocols for preparation of media, setup of the Quantum system, coating of the hollow fiber bioreactor, as well as loading, feeding, and harvesting of cells. We suggest a panel of quality controls for the starting material, the interim product, as well as the final product.

Nature's Energy, Module B. Fourth Grade. Pilot Form.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pasco County Schools, Dade City, FL.

This booklet is one of a set of learning modules on energy for use by students and teachers in the fourth grade. This module examines man's use of fossil fuels, electricity production, and other energy sources. Included are laboratory activities and values exercises. (BT)

Angiographic core laboratory reproducibility analyses: implications for planning clinical trials using coronary angiography and left ventriculography end-points.

PubMed

Steigen, Terje K; Claudio, Cheryl; Abbott, David; Schulzer, Michael; Burton, Jeff; Tymchak, Wayne; Buller, Christopher E; John Mancini, G B

2008-06-01

To assess reproducibility of core laboratory performance and impact on sample size calculations. Little information exists about overall reproducibility of core laboratories in contradistinction to performance of individual technicians. Also, qualitative parameters are being adjudicated increasingly as either primary or secondary end-points. The comparative impact of using diverse indexes on sample sizes has not been previously reported. We compared initial and repeat assessments of five quantitative parameters [e.g., minimum lumen diameter (MLD), ejection fraction (EF), etc.] and six qualitative parameters [e.g., TIMI myocardial perfusion grade (TMPG) or thrombus grade (TTG), etc.], as performed by differing technicians and separated by a year or more. Sample sizes were calculated from these results. TMPG and TTG were also adjudicated by a second core laboratory. MLD and EF were the most reproducible, yielding the smallest sample size calculations, whereas percent diameter stenosis and centerline wall motion require substantially larger trials. Of the qualitative parameters, all except TIMI flow grade gave reproducibility characteristics yielding sample sizes of many 100's of patients. Reproducibility of TMPG and TTG was only moderately good both within and between core laboratories, underscoring an intrinsic difficulty in assessing these. Core laboratories can be shown to provide reproducibility performance that is comparable to performance commonly ascribed to individual technicians. The differences in reproducibility yield huge differences in sample size when comparing quantitative and qualitative parameters. TMPG and TTG are intrinsically difficult to assess and conclusions based on these parameters should arise only from very large trials.

How do laboratory technicians perceive their role in the tuberculosis diagnostic process? A cross-sectional study among laboratory technicians in health centers of Central Java Province, Indonesia.

PubMed

Widjanarko, Bagoes; Widyastari, Dyah Anantalia; Martini, Martini; Ginandjar, Praba

2016-01-01

Detection of acid-fast bacilli in respiratory specimens serves as an initial pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis. Laboratories are the essential and fundamental part of all health systems. This study aimed to describe how laboratory technicians perceived their own self and work. This included perceived self-efficacy, perceived role, perceived equipment availability, perceived procedures, perceived reward and job, and perceived benefit of health education, as well as level of knowledge and attitudes related to work performance of laboratory technicians. This was a cross-sectional quantitative study involving 120 laboratory technicians conducted in Central Java. Interviews and observation were conducted to measure performance and work-related variables. Among 120 laboratory technicians, 43.3% showed fairly good performance. They complied with 50%-75% of all procedures, including sputum collection, laboratory tools utilization, sputum smearing, staining, smear examination, grading of results, and universal precaution practice. Perceived role, perceived self-efficacy, and knowledge of laboratory procedures were significantly correlated to performance, besides education and years of working as a laboratory technician. Perceived equipment availability was also significantly correlated to performance after the education variable was controlled. Most of the laboratory technicians believed that they have an important role in TB patients' treatment and should display proper self-efficacy in performing laboratory activities. The result may serve as a basic consideration to develop a policy for enhancing motivation of laboratory technicians in order to improve the TB control program.

Development and operation of innovative scum to biodiesel pilot-system for the treatment of floatable wastewater scum.

PubMed

Anderson, Erik; Addy, Min; Chen, Paul; Ruan, Roger

2018-02-01

A novel process was developed for the biorefining of floatable wastewater scum and other waste oils from water treatment facilities into biodiesel and other value-added bio-products. To test the scalability and commercial potential of the technology, a 7000 l/year pilot-scale system was designed and built. Scum from a wastewater treatment facility, located in St. Paul, Mn, was collected and converted into methyl esters (biodiesel) according to the process chemistry. All of the incoming and outgoing process streams were sampled, tested, weighed and recorded to calculate both the process efficiency and product quality. Data from the pilot-scale system operation was compared to laboratory results and the theoretically expected values for each individual unit operation. The biodiesel was tested using a third party laboratory and confirmed it met all of the US EPA's test requirements for commercial-grade biodiesel. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Introduction to Quantitative Science, a Ninth-Grade Laboratory-Centered Course Stressing Quantitative Observation and Mathematical Analysis of Experimental Results. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Badar, Lawrence J.

This report, in the form of a teacher's guide, presents materials for a ninth grade introductory course on Introduction to Quantitative Science (IQS). It is intended to replace a traditional ninth grade general science with a process oriented course that will (1) unify the sciences, and (2) provide a quantitative preparation for the new science…

[Hygiene and security management in medical biology laboratory].

PubMed

Vinner, E; Odou, M F; Fovet, B; Ghnassia, J C

2013-06-01

Risk management in Medical Biology Laboratory (MBL) which includes hygiene and waste management, is an integrated process to the whole MBL organisation. It is composed of three stages: risks factors identification, grading and prioritization, and their evaluation in the system. From the legislation and NF EN ISO 15189 standard's requirements viewpoint, prevention and protection actions to implement are described, at premises level, but also at work station environment's one (human resources and equipments) towards biological, chemical, linked to gas, to ionizing or non ionizing radiations and fire riks, in order not to compromise patients safety, employees safety, and quality results. Then, although NF EN 15189 standard only enacts requirements in terms of prevention, curative actions after established blood or chemical exposure accident are defined.

Microwave-Enhanced Organic Syntheses for the Undergraduate Laboratory: Diels-Alder Cycloaddition, Wittig Reaction, and Williamson Ether Synthesis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baar, Marsha R.; Falcone, Danielle; Gordon, Christopher

2010-01-01

Microwave heating enhanced the rate of three reactions typically performed in our undergraduate organic chemistry laboratory: a Diels-Alder cycloaddition, a Wittig salt formation, and a Williamson ether synthesis. Ninety-minute refluxes were shortened to 10 min using a laboratory-grade microwave oven. In addition, yields improved for the Wittig…

General Science, Ninth Grade: Theme III and Theme IV. Student Laboratory Manual. Experimental.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY. Div. of Curriculum and Instruction.

This document is the student laboratory manual that was designed to accompany some of the experimental activities found in the teacher's guide to this general science course for ninth graders. It contains laboratory worksheets for lessons on such topics as: (1) soil; (2) hazardous waste; (3) wildlife refuges; (4) the water cycle; (5) water…

Pre-Service Chemistry Teachers' Competencies in the Laboratory: A Cross-Grade Study in Solution Preparation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karatas, F. O.

2016-01-01

One of the prerequisites for chemistry teacher candidates is to demonstrate certain laboratory skills. This article aims to determine and discuss the competencies of pre-service chemistry teachers in a chemistry laboratory context working with solution chemistry content. The participants in this study consisted of a group of pre-service chemistry…

Adenovirus-5-Vectored P. falciparum Vaccine Expressing CSP and AMA1. Part B: Safety, Immunogenicity and Protective Efficacy of the CSP Component

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-10-01

receiving the vaccine (Figure 3). Within 14 days after the first immunization, Grade 1 neutropenia was recorded in one of 15 volunteers and Grade 2 in...one of 15 volunteers; within 14 days after the second immunization, Grade 1 neutropenia was recorded in two of 14 volunteers and Grade 2 in two of 14...range of doses was administered [62,64]. Neutropenia was the only apparent vaccine-related laboratory abnormality. Serotype 5 adenoviruses are thought

Rogue Waves for a (2+1)-Dimensional Coupled Nonlinear Schrödinger System with Variable Coefficients in a Graded-Index Waveguide

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Du, Zhong; Tian, Bo; Wu, Xiao-Yu; Yuan, Yu-Qiang

2018-05-01

Studied in this paper is a (2+1)-dimensional coupled nonlinear Schrödinger system with variable coefficients, which describes the propagation of an optical beam inside the two-dimensional graded-index waveguide amplifier with the polarization effects. According to the similarity transformation, we derive the type-I and type-II rogue-wave solutions. We graphically present two types of the rouge wave and discuss the influence of the diffraction parameter on the rogue waves. When the diffraction parameters are exponentially-growing-periodic, exponential, linear and quadratic parameters, we obtain the periodic rogue wave and composite rogue waves respectively. Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grant Nos. 11772017, 11272023, and 11471050, by the Fund of State Key Laboratory of Information Photonics and Optical Communications (Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications), China (IPOC: 2017ZZ05) and by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of China under Grant No. 2011BUPTYB02.

Utility of the Paris System in Reporting Urine Cytology.

PubMed

Malviya, Kiran; Fernandes, Gwendolyn; Naik, Leena; Kothari, Kanchan; Agnihotri, Mona

2017-01-01

To find out the utility of The Paris System (TPS) in reporting urine cytology and to compare it with the reporting system currently used in our laboratory. This retrospective study was undertaken over a period of 1 year during which slides of all the urine specimens sent for cytological examination were retrieved from our laboratory filling system. They were blindly reviewed and reclassified according to TPS. Surgical follow-up was obtained from the uropathology services of our department. A total of 176 cases were meticulously reviewed. The mean age of the patients was 52 years, and 71% of cases presented with hematuria. Histopathological follow-up was available in 34 cases. Reporting by TPS detected 13.0% high-grade urothelial carcinoma (HGUC) and 5.1% atypical urothelial cells versus 7.3 and 11.9% by the current reporting system, respectively. The sensitivity and diagnostic accuracy for detecting HGUC of TPS were higher than those of our reporting system. TPS has increased the rate of detection of HGUC and reduced the rate of reporting "atypical" urothelial cells. TPS has also standardized the diagnostic criteria, thereby bringing uniformity and reproducibility into the system of reporting for urine cytology. © 2017 S. Karger AG, Basel.

[How the Outdoor Laboratory Can Be Used As An Instructional Aid.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richards, Donald J.; And Others

The outdoor lab was planned to serve all grade levels and incorporate all aspects of outdoor education. Ideas for lab and classroom activities are presented for the following subject areas: physical education, elementary grades, physics, chemistry, mathematics, English, industrial arts, home economics, biology, social studies, conservation, art…

Lubbock Gin Lab - Current Research and Leaf Grade Issues

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This presentation was given to a group of cotton gin managers and allied industry reps. Approximately 100 attendees were in the audience. A discussion of the current research conducted at the USDA ARS CPPRU Ginning Laboratory in Lubbock, TX was given along with a discussion of leaf grade issues and ...

Near-infrared spectroscopy as a complementary age grading and species identification tool for African malaria vectors

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) was recently applied to age-grade and differentiate laboratory reared Anopheles gambiae sensu strico and Anopheles arabiensis sibling species of Anopheles gambiae sensu lato. In this study, we report further on the accuracy of this tool in simultaneously estimating ...

Investigating Our Environment. Science: Grade 6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY. Bureau of Curriculum Development.

Intended mainly for use in the intermediate grades, this document provides demonstrations, field trips and laboratory experiences designed to help students investigate the role that people play in problems associated with environmental quality, pollution, and ecology in general. The book was developed as an alternative program to the regular sixth…

High-Grading Lunar Samples for Return to Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Allen, Carlton; Sellar, Glenn; Nunez, Jorge; Winterhalter, Daniel; Farmer, Jack

2009-01-01

Astronauts on long-duration lunar missions will need the capability to "high-grade" their samples to select the highest value samples for transport to Earth and to leave others on the Moon. We are supporting studies to defile the "necessary and sufficient" measurements and techniques for highgrading samples at a lunar outpost. A glovebox, dedicated to testing instruments and techniques for high-grading samples, is in operation at the JSC Lunar Experiment Laboratory.

LOFT. Containment and service building (TAN650). Section through east/west axis ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

LOFT. Containment and service building (TAN-650). Section through east/west axis of building as viewed from the south. Shows basement and grade levels of containment building, connection to control room on west side, air filter vaults, and duct enclosure for air exhaust system. Kaiser engineers 6413-11-STEP/LOFT-650-A-4. Date: October 1964. INEEL index code no. 036-650-00-486-122216 - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Test Area North, Scoville, Butte County, ID

Protocol Standards and Implementation within the Digital Engineering Laboratory Computer Network (DELNET) Using the Universal Network Interface Device (UNID). Part 1.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-12-01

Initializes the data tables shared by both the Local and Netowrk Operating Systems. 3. Invint: Written in Assembly Language. Initializes the Input/Output...connection with an appropriate type and grade of transport service and appropriate security authentication (Ref 6:38). Data Transfer within a session...V.; Kent, S. Security in oihr Level Protocolst Anorgaches. Alternatives and Recommendations, Draft Report ICST/HLNP-81-19, Wash ingt on,,D.C.: Dept

How to maintain blood supply during computer network breakdown: a manual backup system.

PubMed

Zeiler, T; Slonka, J; Bürgi, H R; Kretschmer, V

2000-12-01

Electronic data management systems using computer network systems and client/server architecture are increasingly used in laboratories and transfusion services. Severe problems arise if there is no network access to the database server and critical functions are not available. We describe a manual backup system (MBS) developed to maintain the delivery of blood products to patients in a hospital transfusion service in case of a computer network breakdown. All data are kept on a central SQL database connected to peripheral workstations in a local area network (LAN). Request entry from wards is performed via machine-readable request forms containing self-adhesive specimen labels with barcodes for test tubes. Data entry occurs on-line by bidirectional automated systems or off-line manually. One of the workstations in the laboratory contains a second SQL database which is frequently and incrementally updated. This workstation is run as a stand-alone, read-only database if the central SQL database is not available. In case of a network breakdown, the time-graded MBS is launched. Patient data, requesting ward and ordered tests/requests, are photocopied through a template from the request forms on special MBS worksheets serving as laboratory journal for manual processing and result report (a copy is left in the laboratory). As soon as the network is running again the data from the off-line period are entered into the primary SQL server. The MBS was successfully used at several occasions. The documentation of a 90-min breakdown period is presented in detail. Additional work resulted from the copy work and the belated manual data entry after restoration of the system. There was no delay in issue of blood products or result reporting. The backup system described has been proven to be simple, quick and safe to maintain urgent blood supply and distribution of laboratory results in case of unexpected network breakdown.

The Effects of Using Jigsaw Method Based on Cooperative Learning Model in the Undergraduate Science Laboratory Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karacop, Ataman

2017-01-01

The main aim of the present study is to determine the influence of a Jigsaw method based on cooperative learning and a confirmatory laboratory method on prospective science teachers' achievements of physics in science teaching laboratory practice courses. The sample of this study consisted of 33 female and 15 male third-grade prospective science…

Magnetic field induced flow pattern reversal in a ferrofluidic Taylor-Couette system

PubMed Central

Altmeyer, Sebastian; Do, Younghae; Lai, Ying-Cheng

2015-01-01

We investigate the dynamics of ferrofluidic wavy vortex flows in the counter-rotating Taylor-Couette system, with a focus on wavy flows with a mixture of the dominant azimuthal modes. Without external magnetic field flows are stable and pro-grade with respect to the rotation of the inner cylinder. More complex behaviors can arise when an axial or a transverse magnetic field is applied. Depending on the direction and strength of the field, multi-stable wavy states and bifurcations can occur. We uncover the phenomenon of flow pattern reversal as the strength of the magnetic field is increased through a critical value. In between the regimes of pro-grade and retrograde flow rotations, standing waves with zero angular velocities can emerge. A striking finding is that, under a transverse magnetic field, a second reversal in the flow pattern direction can occur, where the flow pattern evolves into pro-grade rotation again from a retrograde state. Flow reversal is relevant to intriguing phenomena in nature such as geomagnetic reversal. Our results suggest that, in ferrofluids, flow pattern reversal can be induced by varying a magnetic field in a controlled manner, which can be realized in laboratory experiments with potential applications in the development of modern fluid devices. PMID:26687638

Magnetic field induced flow pattern reversal in a ferrofluidic Taylor-Couette system.

PubMed

Altmeyer, Sebastian; Do, Younghae; Lai, Ying-Cheng

2015-12-21

We investigate the dynamics of ferrofluidic wavy vortex flows in the counter-rotating Taylor-Couette system, with a focus on wavy flows with a mixture of the dominant azimuthal modes. Without external magnetic field flows are stable and pro-grade with respect to the rotation of the inner cylinder. More complex behaviors can arise when an axial or a transverse magnetic field is applied. Depending on the direction and strength of the field, multi-stable wavy states and bifurcations can occur. We uncover the phenomenon of flow pattern reversal as the strength of the magnetic field is increased through a critical value. In between the regimes of pro-grade and retrograde flow rotations, standing waves with zero angular velocities can emerge. A striking finding is that, under a transverse magnetic field, a second reversal in the flow pattern direction can occur, where the flow pattern evolves into pro-grade rotation again from a retrograde state. Flow reversal is relevant to intriguing phenomena in nature such as geomagnetic reversal. Our results suggest that, in ferrofluids, flow pattern reversal can be induced by varying a magnetic field in a controlled manner, which can be realized in laboratory experiments with potential applications in the development of modern fluid devices.

Internal quality control indicators of cervical cytopathology exams performed in laboratories monitored by the External Quality Control Laboratory.

PubMed

Ázara, Cinara Zago Silveira; Manrique, Edna Joana Cláudio; Tavares, Suelene Brito do Nascimento; de Souza, Nadja Lindany Alves; Amaral, Rita Goreti

2014-09-01

To evaluate the impact of continued education provided by an external quality control laboratory on the indicators of internal quality control of cytopathology exams. The internal quality assurance indicators for cytopathology exams from 12 laboratories monitored by the External Quality Control Laboratory were evaluated. Overall, 185,194 exams were included, 98,133 of which referred to the period preceding implementation of a continued education program, while 87,061 referred to the period following this intervention. Data were obtained from the Cervical Cancer Database of the Brazilian National Health Service. Following implementation of the continued education program, the positivity index (PI) remained within recommended limits in four laboratories. In another four laboratories, the PI progressed from below the limits to within the recommended standards. In one laboratory, the PI remained low, in two laboratories, it remained very low, and in one, it increased from very low to low. The percentage of exams compatible with a high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (HSIL) remained within the recommended limits in five laboratories, while in three laboratories it progressed from below the recommended levels to >0.4% of the total number of satisfactory exams, and in four laboratories it remained below the standard limit. Both the percentage of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASC-US) in relation to abnormal exams, and the ratio between ASC-US and intraepithelial lesions remained within recommended levels in all the laboratories investigated. An improvement was found in the indicators represented by the positivity index and the percentage of exams compatible with a high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion, showing that the role played by the external quality control laboratory in providing continued education contributed towards improving laboratory staff skills in detecting cervical cancer precursor lesions.

Revised terminology for cervical histopathology and its implications for management of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions of the cervix.

PubMed

Waxman, Alan G; Chelmow, David; Darragh, Teresa M; Lawson, Herschel; Moscicki, Anna-Barbara

2012-12-01

In March 2012, the College of American Pathologists and American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, in collaboration with 35 stakeholder organizations, convened a consensus conference called the Lower Anogenital Squamous Terminology (LAST) Project. The recommendations of this project include using a uniform, two-tiered terminology to describe the histology of human papillomavirus-associated squamous disease across all anogenital tract tissues: vulva, vagina, cervix, penis, perianus, and anus. The recommended terminology is "low-grade" or "high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL)." This terminology is familiar to clinicians, because it parallels the terminology of the Bethesda System cytologic reports. Biopsy results using SIL terminology may be further qualified using "intraepithelial neoplasia" (IN) terminology in parentheses. Laboratory p16 tissue immunostaining is recommended to better classify histopathology lesions that morphologically would earlier have been diagnosed as IN 2. p16 is also recommended for differentiating between high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and benign mimics. The LAST Project recommendations potentially affect the application of current guidelines for managing cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions. The authors offer interim guidance for managing cervical lesions diagnosed using this new terminology with special attention paid to managing young women with cervical high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions on biopsy. Clinicians should be aware of the LAST Project recommendations, which include important changes from prior terminology.

Clinical significance of atypical squamous cells cannot exclude high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion with histologic correlation-: a 9-year experience.

PubMed

Selvaggi, Suzanne M

2013-11-01

Atypical squamous cells, cannot exclude high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (ASC-H) is a recognized category in the 2001 Bethesda Nomenclature System for cervical cytology. Although current ASCCP guidelines recommend colposcopic follow-up, more recent studies are suggesting prior triage for HPV-DNA analysis. We report on our experience at the University of Wisconsin Hospital and Clinics. From January 1, 2003 through December 31, 2011 (9-y), the cytopathology laboratory processed 109,424 Pap Tests, of which 281 (0.26%) were diagnosed as ASC-H. Tissue follow-up was available in 181 (64%) of these cases, of which 45 (25%) were negative/cervicitis, 41 (23%) were CIN 1, 36 (20%) were CIN 2 and 59 (32%) were CIN 3. Stratification by age groups showed a higher percentage of high grade (CIN 2+) lesions (65%) in the premenopausal age group as compared with high grade lesion (35%) in the postmenopausal age group, whereas negative/CIN1 biopsies were more common in postmenopausal (65%) as compared to premenopausal (44%) women. Our data support the use of colposcopy in the management of women with ASC-H on Pap Tests. However, in the older age group, prior HPV-DNA testing may be of benefit to better identify those women at risk for high grade lesions. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) reduce costs in the management of isolated splenic injuries at pediatric trauma centers.

PubMed

Gutierrez, Ivan M; Zurakowski, David; Chen, Qiaoli; Mooney, David P

2013-02-01

The American Pediatric Surgical Association Trauma Committee proposed the use of a clinical practice guideline (CPG) for the non-operative management of isolated splenic injuries in 1998. An analysis was conducted to determine the financial impact of CPGs on the management of these injuries. The Pediatric Health Information System database, which contains data from 44 children's hospitals, was used to identify children who sustained a graded isolated splenic injury between June 2005 and June 2010. Demographics, length of stay (LOS), readmission rates, and laboratory, imaging, procedural, and total cost data were determined for all hospitals verified as a pediatric trauma center by the American College of Surgeons and/or designated by their local authority. Comparisons were made between facilities self-identifying as having a splenic injury management CPG and those without a CPG. Children (1,154) with isolated splenic injuries (grades 1-4) were cared for in 26 pediatric trauma centers: 20 with a CPG and 6 without (non-CPG). Median costs were significantly lower at CPG than non-CPG centers for imaging (US $163 vs. US $641, P < .001), laboratory (US $629 vs. US $1,044, P < .001), and total hospital stay (US $9,868 vs. US $10,830, P < .001). The median LOS for CPG and non-CPG centers were similar (3 vs. 2 days, P = .38), as were readmission rates within 90 days (3.1 vs. 5.1 %, P = .21). Multiple linear regression indicated that LOS (P < .001) and utilization of a CPG (P = .007) are significant independent predictors of total cost. Utilization of a CPG to manage children with isolated splenic injuries at a pediatric trauma center results in significantly reduced imaging, laboratory, and total hospital costs independent of patient age, gender, grade, and LOS.

Determination of a Definition of Solar Grade Silicon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hill, D. E.; Gutsche, H. W.

1975-01-01

A definition of solar grade silicon was determined by investigating the singular and the combined effect of the impurities usually found in metallurgical grade silicon on solar cell device performance. The impurity matrix was defined by Jet Propulsion Laboratory Technical Direction Memorandum. The initial work was focussed on standardizing the solar cell process and test procedure, growing baseline crystals, growing crystals contaminated with carbon, iron, nickel, zirconium, aluminum and vanadium, solar blank preparation, and material characterization.

How do laboratory technicians perceive their role in the tuberculosis diagnostic process? A cross-sectional study among laboratory technicians in health centers of Central Java Province, Indonesia

PubMed Central

Widjanarko, Bagoes; Widyastari, Dyah Anantalia; Martini, Martini; Ginandjar, Praba

2016-01-01

Purpose Detection of acid-fast bacilli in respiratory specimens serves as an initial pulmonary tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis. Laboratories are the essential and fundamental part of all health systems. This study aimed to describe how laboratory technicians perceived their own self and work. This included perceived self-efficacy, perceived role, perceived equipment availability, perceived procedures, perceived reward and job, and perceived benefit of health education, as well as level of knowledge and attitudes related to work performance of laboratory technicians. Methods This was a cross-sectional quantitative study involving 120 laboratory technicians conducted in Central Java. Interviews and observation were conducted to measure performance and work-related variables. Results Among 120 laboratory technicians, 43.3% showed fairly good performance. They complied with 50%–75% of all procedures, including sputum collection, laboratory tools utilization, sputum smearing, staining, smear examination, grading of results, and universal precaution practice. Perceived role, perceived self-efficacy, and knowledge of laboratory procedures were significantly correlated to performance, besides education and years of working as a laboratory technician. Perceived equipment availability was also significantly correlated to performance after the education variable was controlled. Conclusion Most of the laboratory technicians believed that they have an important role in TB patients’ treatment and should display proper self-efficacy in performing laboratory activities. The result may serve as a basic consideration to develop a policy for enhancing motivation of laboratory technicians in order to improve the TB control program. PMID:27660502

Studying Reliability Using Identical Handheld Lactate Analyzers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stewart, Mark T.; Stavrianeas, Stasinos

2008-01-01

Accusport analyzers were used to generate lactate performance curves in an investigative laboratory activity emphasizing the importance of reliable instrumentation. Both the calibration and testing phases of the exercise provided students with a hands-on opportunity to use laboratory-grade instrumentation while allowing for meaningful connections…

Introductory Industrial Technology I. Laboratory Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Towler, Alan L.; And Others

This guide contains 36 learning modules intended for use by technology teachers and students in grades 7 and 8. Each module includes a student laboratory activity and instructor's resource sheet. Each student activity includes the following: activity topic and overview, challenge statement, objectives, vocabulary/concepts reinforced,…

Introductory Industrial Technology II. Laboratory Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Towler, Alan L.

This guide contains 29 learning modules intended for use by technology teachers and students in grade 8. Each module includes a student laboratory activity and instructor's resource sheet. Each student activity includes the following: activity topic and overview, challenge statement, objectives, vocabulary/concepts reinforced, equipment/supplies,…

Development of a Semi-Autonomous Underwater Vehicle for Intervention Missions

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-06-30

Cancilliere of the Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Dr. Alexander Malahoff of the University of Hawaii, Dr. Homayoun Seraji of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory...1-inch OD cylindrical pressure vessel (6000-m capable) made low- Fe grade-2 titanium. For a 6000-m depth capability, we have constructed a 7071-grade

140. ARAIII Grading and drainage plan showing plot plan, including ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

140. ARA-III Grading and drainage plan showing plot plan, including berms around waste storage tank and fuel oil storage tank. Aerojet-general 880-area-GCRE-101-1. Date: February 1958. Ineel index code no. 063-0101-00-013-102507. - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Army Reactors Experimental Area, Scoville, Butte County, ID

Vanadium-uranium extraction from Wyoming vanadiferoud silicates. Report of investigations/1983

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

Hayashi, M.; Nichols, I.L.; Huiatt, J.L.

1983-11-01

The Bureau of Mines conducted laboratory studies on low-grade vanadiferous silicates from the Pumpkin Buttes and Nine Mile Lake deposits of Wyoming to examine techniques for extracting vanadium and uranium. Recovery from low-grade sources such as these could contribute to future vanadium production and reduce reliance on vanadium imports.

SPERTI Terminal Building (PER604). Concrete foundation is at grade. Steel ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

SPERT-I Terminal Building (PER-604). Concrete foundation is at grade. Steel frame has been erected, and some siding has been affixed. Photographer: R.G. Larsen. Date: April 22, 1955. INEEL negative no. 55-1003 - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, SPERT-I & Power Burst Facility Area, Scoville, Butte County, ID

Teaching Home Economics Content Material in an Individualized Reading Skills Laboratory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Comerford, Linnie Sue

Eighth grade students whose reading achievement scores fell between second and fourth grade level were given an individualized self-concept approach to reading instruction in home economics. Causes for their reading difficulties were identified as lack of interest in school, no set goals, poor attitudes, poor attendance and suspensions, and…

An Experimental Analysis of the Relation between Assigned Grades and Instructor Evaluations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Dale L.; Cook, Patrick; Buskist, William

2011-01-01

The perceived relation between assigned student grades and instructor evaluations of teaching has been the subject of much debate, though few laboratory studies have been conducted with adequate controls. Marsh and Roche suggested that experimental field studies may be a particularly promising avenue for further analyses of this relation. The…

77 FR 38073 - Laboratory Animal Welfare: Clarification of Position Statements on Implementation of the Eighth...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-26

...) Nonhuman Primate Housing, (2c) Rodent Housing, and (3) Non-Pharmaceutical-Grade Substances. FOR FURTHER... January 2011 by the National Research Council of the National Academy of Sciences. (See http://www.nap.edu...) Nonhuman Primate Housing, (2c) Rodent Housing, and (3) Non-Pharmaceutical-Grade Substances. (See http...

Environmental Health Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Students in Grades Four through Eight

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naquin, Millie; Cole, Diane; Bowers, Ashley; Walkwitz, Ed

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate environmental health knowledge, attitudes and practices of children enrolled in grades four through eight at a university laboratory school in southeast Louisiana, U.S.A. Quantitative and qualitative questions were completed through an online survey. The children's written responses to the survey…

Nutrient database improvement project: the influence of USDA quality and yield grade on the separable components and proximate composition of raw and cooked retail cuts from the beef chuck.

PubMed

West, S E; Harris, K B; Haneklaus, A N; Savell, J W; Thompson, L D; Brooks, J C; Pool, J K; Luna, A M; Engle, T E; Schutz, J S; Woerner, D R; Arcibeque, S L; Belk, K E; Douglass, L; Leheska, J M; McNeill, S; Howe, J C; Holden, J M; Duvall, M; Patterson, K

2014-08-01

This study was designed to provide updated information on the separable components, cooking yields, and proximate composition of retail cuts from the beef chuck. Additionally, the impact the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Quality and Yield Grade may have on such factors was investigated. Ultimately, these data will be used in the USDA - Nutrient Data Laboratory's (NDL) National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference (SR). To represent the current United States beef supply, seventy-two carcasses were selected from six regions of the country based on USDA Yield Grade, USDA Quality Grade, gender, and genetic type. Whole beef chuck primals from selected carcasses were shipped to three university laboratories for subsequent retail cut fabrication, raw and cooked cut dissection, and proximate analyses. The incorporation of these data into the SR will improve dietary education, product labeling, and other applications both domestically and abroad, thus emphasizing the importance of accurate and relevant beef nutrient data. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Final report for the Integrated and Robust Security Infrastructure (IRSI) laboratory directed research and development project

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

Hutchinson, R.L.; Hamilton, V.A.; Istrail, G.G.

1997-11-01

This report describes the results of a Sandia-funded laboratory-directed research and development project titled {open_quotes}Integrated and Robust Security Infrastructure{close_quotes} (IRSI). IRSI was to provide a broad range of commercial-grade security services to any software application. IRSI has two primary goals: application transparency and manageable public key infrastructure. IRSI must provide its security services to any application without the need to modify the application to invoke the security services. Public key mechanisms are well suited for a network with many end users and systems. There are many issues that make it difficult to deploy and manage a public key infrastructure. IRSImore » addressed some of these issues to create a more manageable public key infrastructure.« less

Do Targeted Written Comments and the Rubric Method of Delivery Affect Performance on Future Human Physiology Laboratory Reports?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clayton, Zachary S.; Wilds, Gabriel P.; Mangum, Joshua E.; Hocker, Austin D.; Dawson, Sierra M.

2016-01-01

We investigated how students performed on weekly two-page laboratory reports based on whether the grading rubric was provided to the student electronically or in paper form and the inclusion of one- to two-sentence targeted comments. Subjects were registered for a 289-student, third-year human physiology class with laboratory and were randomized…

Derivation of Xeno-Free and GMP-Grade Human Embryonic Stem Cells – Platforms for Future Clinical Applications

PubMed Central

Aizenman, Einat; Kirshberg, Sophie; Ilouz, Nili; Gil, Yaniv; Berman-Zaken, Yael; Perlman, Temima Schnitzer; Geva, Nitshia; Levy, Ora; Arbell, Daniel; Simon, Alex; Ben-Meir, Assaf; Shufaro, Yoel; Laufer, Neri; Reubinoff, Benjamin E.

2012-01-01

Clinically compliant human embryonic stem cells (hESCs) should be developed in adherence to ethical standards, without risk of contamination by adventitious agents. Here we developed for the first time animal-component free and good manufacturing practice (GMP)-compliant hESCs. After vendor and raw material qualification, we derived xeno-free, GMP-grade feeders from umbilical cord tissue, and utilized them within a novel, xeno-free hESC culture system. We derived and characterized three hESC lines in adherence to regulations for embryo procurement, and good tissue, manufacturing and laboratory practices. To minimize freezing and thawing, we continuously expanded the lines from initial outgrowths and samples were cryopreserved as early stocks and banks. Batch release criteria included DNA-fingerprinting and HLA-typing for identity, characterization of pluripotency-associated marker expression, proliferation, karyotyping and differentiation in-vitro and in-vivo. These hESCs may be valuable for regenerative therapy. The ethical, scientific and regulatory methodology presented here may serve for development of additional clinical-grade hESCs. PMID:22745653

Thermal Cameras in School Laboratory Activities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haglund, Jesper; Jeppsson, Fredrik; Hedberg, David; Schönborn, Konrad J.

2015-01-01

Thermal cameras offer real-time visual access to otherwise invisible thermal phenomena, which are conceptually demanding for learners during traditional teaching. We present three studies of students' conduction of laboratory activities that employ thermal cameras to teach challenging thermal concepts in grades 4, 7 and 10-12. Visualization of…

Evaluation of the Effect of Laboratory-Oriented Science Curriculum Materials on the Attitudes of Students with Reading Difficulties.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milson, James L.

1979-01-01

Investigated how the use of laboratory-oriented science curriculum materials affected the attitudes of students with reading difficulties. Both the ninth grade experimental and control classes used a six-week instructional unit on heat and temperature. (HM)

Determinants of arterial gas embolism after scuba diving.

PubMed

Ljubkovic, Marko; Zanchi, Jaksa; Breskovic, Toni; Marinovic, Jasna; Lojpur, Mihajlo; Dujic, Zeljko

2012-01-01

Scuba diving is associated with breathing gas at increased pressure, which often leads to tissue gas supersaturation during ascent and the formation of venous gas emboli (VGE). VGE crossover to systemic arteries (arterialization), mostly through the patent foramen ovale, has been implicated in various diving-related pathologies. Since recent research has shown that arterializations frequently occur in the absence of cardiac septal defects, our aim was to investigate the mechanisms responsible for these events. Divers who tested negative for patent foramen ovale were subjected to laboratory testing where agitated saline contrast bubbles were injected in the cubital vein at rest and exercise. The individual propensity for transpulmonary bubble passage was evaluated echocardiographically. The same subjects performed a standard air dive followed by an echosonographic assessment of VGE generation (graded on a scale of 0-5) and distribution. Twenty-three of thirty-four subjects allowed the transpulmonary passage of saline contrast bubbles in the laboratory at rest or after a mild/moderate exercise, and nine of them arterialized after a field dive. All subjects with postdive arterialization had bubble loads reaching or exceeding grade 4B in the right heart. In individuals without transpulmonary passage of saline contrast bubbles, injected either at rest or after an exercise bout, no postdive arterialization was detected. Therefore, postdive VGE arterialization occurs in subjects that meet two criteria: 1) transpulmonary shunting of contrast bubbles at rest or at mild/moderate exercise and 2) VGE generation after a dive reaches the threshold grade. These findings may represent a novel concept in approach to diving, where diving routines will be tailored individually.

Management of Acute Diarrheal Illness During Deployment: A Deployment Health Guideline and Expert Panel Report.

PubMed

Riddle, Mark S; Martin, Gregory J; Murray, Clinton K; Burgess, Timothy H; Connor, Patrick; Mancuso, James D; Schnaubelt, Elizabeth R; Ballard, Timothy P; Fraser, Jamie; Tribble, David R

2017-09-01

Acute diarrheal illness during deployment causes significant morbidity and loss of duty days. Effective and timely treatment is needed to reduce individual, unit, and health system performance impacts. This critical appraisal of the literature, as part of the development of expert consensus guidelines, asked several key questions related to self-care and healthcare-seeking behavior, antibiotics for self-treatment of travelers' diarrhea, what antibiotics/regimens should be considered for treatment of acute watery diarrhea and febrile diarrhea and/or dysentery, and when and what laboratory diagnostics should be used to support management of deployment-related travelers' diarrhea. Studies of acute diarrhea management in military and other travelers were assessed for relevance and quality. On the basis of this critical appraisal, guideline recommendations were developed and graded by the Expert Panel using good standards in clinical guideline development methodology. New definitions for defining the severity of diarrhea during deployment were established. A total of 13 graded recommendations on the topics of prophylaxis, therapy and diagnosis, and follow-up were developed. In addition, four non-graded consensus-based statements were adopted. Successful management of acute diarrheal illness during deployment requires action at the provider, population, and commander levels. Strong evidence supports that single-dose antimicrobial therapy is effective in most cases of moderate to severe acute diarrheal illness during deployment. Further studies are needed to address gaps in available knowledge regarding optimal therapies for treatment, prevention, and laboratory testing of acute diarrheal illness. Reprint & Copyright © 2017 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Oxygen uptake during peak graded exercise and single-stage fatigue tests of wheelchair propulsion in manual wheelchair users and the able-bodied.

PubMed

Keyser, R E; Rodgers, M M; Gardner, E R; Russell, P J

1999-10-01

To determine if a single-stage, submaximal fatigue test on a wheelchair ergometer would result in higher than expected energy expenditure. An experimental survey design contrasting physiologic responses during peak graded exercise tests and fatigue tests. A rehabilitation science laboratory that included a prototypical wheelchair ergometer, open-circuit spirometry system, and heart rate monitor. Nine able-bodied non-wheelchair users (the NWC group: 6 men and 3 women, mean +/- SD age 30 +/- 7yrs) and 15 manual wheelchair users (the WC group: 12 men and 3 women, age 40 +/- 9yrs, time in wheelchair 16 +/- 9yrs). No subject had any disease, medication regimen, or upper body neurologic, orthopedic, or other condition that would limit wheelchair exercise. Peak oxygen uptake (VO2) for graded exercise testing and during fatigue testing, using a power output corresponding to 75% peak aerobic capacity on graded exercise test. In the WC group, VO2 at 6 minutes of fatigue testing was not significantly different from peak VO2. In the NWC group, VO2 was similar to the expected level throughout fatigue testing. Energy expenditure was higher than expected in the WC group but not in the NWC group. Fatigue testing may provide a useful evaluation of cardiorespiratory status in manual wheelchair users.

Cotton micronaire measurements by small portable near infrared (nir) analyzers

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A key quality and processing parameter for cotton fiber is micronaire, which is a function of the fiber’s maturity and fineness. Near Infrared (NIR) spectroscopy has previously shown the ability to measure micronaire, primarily in the laboratory and using large, research-grade laboratory NIR instru...

Providing Practical Applications of Computer Technology for Fifth Grade Students in Career Awareness Laboratories.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pereno, Joan S.

This practicum addressed the problem of providing practical computer application experiences to fifth grade students as they relate to real life work situations. The primary goal was to have students become cognizant of computer functions within the work setting as contrasted with viewing computer activities as instruments used for games or…

Waste-to-Energy Laboratory. Grades 8-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

HAZWRAP, The Hazardous Waste Remedial Actions Program.

This brochure contains an activity for grades 8-12 students that focuses on the reuse of waste as an energy source by burning and converting it into energy. For this experiment students construct a calorimeter from simple recyclable material. The calorimeter is used to measure the amount of energy stored in paper and yard waste that could be used…

A handy aid for hardwood log graders

Treesearch

M. D. Ostrander

1952-01-01

In hardwood log grading, the beginner encounters a formidable task: to memorize the specifications, exceptions to general rules, etc., as set down in the U. S. Forest Products Laboratory's "Hardwood Log Grades for Standard Lumber." He must refer to this text repeatedly until he becomes familiar with all the ins and outs of the job. This slows him down...

Assessment of an Engineering Technology Outreach Program for 4th-7th Grade Girls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dell, Elizabeth M.; Christman, Jeanne; Garrick, Robert D.

2011-01-01

This paper describes a workshop led by female Engineering Technology students, with support from female faculty, to provide an introduction to Engineering Technology to 4th-7th grade girls through a series of interactive laboratory experiments. This outreach program was developed to improve attitudes towards science and engineering in middle…

The Differentiation of Heat and Temperature: An Evaluation of the Effect of Microcomputer Models on Students' Misconceptions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiser, Marianne; Kipman, Daphna

This paper describes the characterization of a student's framework of heat and temperature, and the development of a microcomputer-based laboratories (MBL) intervention program for grade 9 and grade ll students. The report presents the results of classroom study, including interview questions and answers and pretest/posttest, from experimental and…

Global Warming & the Greenhouse Effect. Grades 7-10. Teacher's Guide. Great Explorations in Math and Science (GEMS).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hocking, Colin; And Others

This series of educational activities is intended to help teachers communicate basic scientific concepts related to global warming and the greenhouse effect to students grades 7-10. Seven sessions provide laboratory activities, simulations, and discussions that can be used to improve student understanding of a number of important scientific…

KSC-2011-7898

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-17

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, a turning fixture lowers the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission toward the radioisotope power system integration cart (RIC). Once the MMRTG is secured on the cart, it will be installed on the Curiosity rover. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Curiosity, MSL's car-sized rover, has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: Department of Energy/Idaho National Laboratory

KSC-2011-7900

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-17

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, spacecraft technicians install the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission on the Curiosity rover. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Curiosity, MSL's car-sized rover, has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: Department of Energy/Idaho National Laboratory

Locomotion with loads: practical techniques for predicting performance outcomes

DTIC Science & Technology

including load), speed, and grade algorithms proposed will allow walking metabolic rates to be predicted to within 6.0 and 12.0 in laboratory and field...speeds to be predicted to within6.0 in both laboratory and field settings. Respective load-carriage algorithms for walking energy expenditure and...running speed will be developed and tested( Technical Objectives 1.0 and 2.0) in the laboratory and the field.

Effects of a computerized feedback intervention on safety performance by junior doctors: results from a randomized mixed method study

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The behaviour of doctors and their responses to warnings can inform the effective design of Clinical Decision Support Systems. We used data from a University hospital electronic prescribing and laboratory reporting system with hierarchical warnings and alerts to explore junior doctors’ behaviour. The objective of this trial was to establish whether a Junior Doctor Dashboard providing feedback on prescription warning information and laboratory alerting acceptance rates was effective in changing junior doctors’ behaviour. Methods A mixed methods approach was employed which included a parallel group randomised controlled trial, and individual and focus group interviews. Junior doctors below the specialty trainee level 3 grade were recruited and randomised to two groups. Every doctor (N = 42) in the intervention group was e-mailed a link to a personal dashboard every week for 4 months. Nineteen participated in interviews. The 44 control doctors did not receive any automated feedback. The outcome measures were the difference in responses to prescribing warnings (of two severities) and laboratory alerting (of two severities) between the months before and the months during the intervention, analysed as the difference in performance between the intervention and the control groups. Results No significant differences were observed in the rates of generating prescription warnings, or in the acceptance of laboratory alarms. However, responses to laboratory alerts differed between the pre-intervention and intervention periods. For the doctors of Foundation Year 1 grade, this improvement was significantly (p = 0.002) greater in the group with access to the dashboard (53.6% ignored pre-intervention compared to 29.2% post intervention) than in the control group (47.9% ignored pre-intervention compared to 47.0% post intervention). Qualitative interview data indicated that while junior doctors were positive about the electronic prescribing functions, they were discriminating in the way they responded to other alerts and warnings given that from their perspective these were not always immediately clinically relevant or within the scope of their responsibility. Conclusions We have only been able to provide weak evidence that a clinical dashboard providing individualized feedback data has the potential to improve safety behaviour and only in one of several domains. The construction of metrics used in clinical dashboards must take account of actual work processes. Trial registration ISRCTN: ISRCTN72253051 PMID:23734871

3D for the people: multi-camera motion capture in the field with consumer-grade cameras and open source software

PubMed Central

Evangelista, Dennis J.; Ray, Dylan D.; Hedrick, Tyson L.

2016-01-01

ABSTRACT Ecological, behavioral and biomechanical studies often need to quantify animal movement and behavior in three dimensions. In laboratory studies, a common tool to accomplish these measurements is the use of multiple, calibrated high-speed cameras. Until very recently, the complexity, weight and cost of such cameras have made their deployment in field situations risky; furthermore, such cameras are not affordable to many researchers. Here, we show how inexpensive, consumer-grade cameras can adequately accomplish these measurements both within the laboratory and in the field. Combined with our methods and open source software, the availability of inexpensive, portable and rugged cameras will open up new areas of biological study by providing precise 3D tracking and quantification of animal and human movement to researchers in a wide variety of field and laboratory contexts. PMID:27444791

Science for Iowa Schools, Grades 4-6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nice, Karl; And Others

This guide includes four units for use in each of grades 4 through 6. The fourth grade units are entitled Measurement Systems, Classification Systems, Bio-Control Systems, and Hydrologic Systems; the fifth grade units are Chemical Systems, Force Systems, Bio-Systems, and Astro-Systems; and the sixth grade units are Equilibrium Systems,…

Computer-aided sperm analysis (CASA) in the medical laboratory: CASA in diagnostic andrology and assisted conception.

PubMed

Tomlinson, Mathew J; Naeem, Asad

2018-03-21

CASA has been used in reproductive medicine and pathology laboratories for over 25 years, yet the 'fertility industry' generally remains sceptical and has avoided automation, despite clear weaknesses in manual semen analysis. Early implementers had difficulty in validating CASA-Mot instruments against recommended manual methods (haemocytometer) due to the interference of seminal debris and non-sperm cells, which also affects the accuracy of grading motility. Both the inability to provide accurate sperm counts and a lack of consensus as to the value of sperm kinematic parameters appear to have continued to have a negative effect on CASA-Mot's reputation. One positive interpretation from earlier work is that at least one or more measures of sperm velocity adds clinical value to the semen analysis, and these are clearly more objective than any manual motility analysis. Moreover, recent CASA-Mot systems offer simple solutions to earlier problems in eliminating artefacts and have been successfully validated for sperm concentration; as a result, they should be viewed with more confidence in relation to motility grading. Sperm morphology and DNA testing both require an evidence-based consensus and a well-validated (reliable, reproducible) assay to be developed before automation of either can be of real clinical benefit.

Measuring the face-sensitive N170 with a gaming EEG system: A validation study.

PubMed

de Lissa, Peter; Sörensen, Sidsel; Badcock, Nicholas; Thie, Johnson; McArthur, Genevieve

2015-09-30

The N170 is a "face-sensitive" event-related potential (ERP) that occurs at around 170ms over occipito-temporal brain regions. The N170's potential to provide insight into the neural processing of faces in certain populations (e.g., children and adults with cognitive impairments) is limited by its measurement in scientific laboratories that can appear threatening to some people. The advent of cheap, easy-to-use portable gaming EEG systems provides an opportunity to record EEG in new contexts and populations. This study tested the validity of the face-sensitive N170 ERP measured with an adapted commercial EEG system (the Emotiv EPOC) that is used at home by gamers. The N170 recorded through both the gaming EEG system and the research EEG system exhibited face-sensitivity, with larger mean amplitudes in response to the face stimuli than the non-face stimuli, and a delayed N170 peak in response to face inversion. The EPOC system produced very similar N170 ERPs to a research-grade Neuroscan system, and was capable of recording face-sensitivity in the N170, validating its use as research tool in this arena. This opens new possibilities for measuring the face-sensitive N170 ERP in people who cannot travel to a traditional ERP laboratory (e.g., elderly people in care), who cannot tolerate laboratory conditions (e.g., people with autism), or who need to be tested in situ for practical or experimental reasons (e.g., children in schools). Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Organo-metallic elements for associative information processing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potember, Richard S.; Poehler, Theodore O.

1989-01-01

In the three years of the program we have: (1) built and tested a 4 bit element matrix device for possible use in high density content-addressable memories systems; (2) established a test and evaluation laboratory to examine optical materials for nonlinear effects, saturable absorption, harmonic generation and photochromism; (3) successfully designed, constructed and operated a codeposition processing system that enables organic materials to be deposited on a variety of substrates to produce optical grade coatings and films. This system is also compatible with other traditional microelectronic techniques; (4) used the sol-gel process with colloidal AgTCNQ to fabricate high speed photochromic switches; (5) develop and applied for patent coverage to make VO2 optical switching materials via the sol-gel processing using vanadium (IV) alkoxide compounds.

Relationships Between Smelter Grade Alumina Characteristics and Strength Determined by Nanoindentation and Ultrasound-Mediated Particle Breakage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wijayaratne, Hasini; McIntosh, Grant; Hyland, Margaret; Perander, Linus; Metson, James

2017-06-01

The mechanical strength of smelter grade alumina (SGA) is of considerable practical significance for the aluminum reduction process. Attrition of alumina during transportation and handling generates an increased level of fines. This results in generation of dust, poor flow properties, and silo segregation that interfere with alumina feeding systems. These lead to process instabilities which in turn result in current efficiency losses that are costly. Here we are concerned with developing a fundamental understanding of SGA strength in terms of its microstructure. Nanoindentation and ultrasound-mediated particle breakage tests have been conducted to study the strength. Strength of SGA samples both industry calcined and laboratory prepared, decrease with increasing α-alumina (corundum) content contrary to expectation. The reducing strength of alumina with increasing degree of calcination is attributed to the development of a macroporous and abrasion-prone microstructure resulting from the `pseudomorphic' transformation of precursor gibbsite during the calcination process.

The human false-negative rate of rescreening Pap tests. Measured in a two-arm prospective clinical trial.

PubMed

Renshaw, A A; Lezon, K M; Wilbur, D C

2001-04-25

Routine quality control rescreening often is used to calculate the false-negative rate (FNR) of gynecologic cytology. Theoretic analysis suggests that this is not appropriate, due to the high FNR of rescreening and the inability to actually measure it. The authors sought to determine the FNR of manual rescreening in a large, prospective, two-arm clinical trial using an analytic instrument in the evaluation. The results of the Autopap System Clinical Trial, encompassing 25,124 analyzed slides, were reviewed. The false-negative and false-positive rates at various thresholds were determined for routine primary screening, routine rescreening, Autopap primary screening, and Autopap rescreening by using a simple, standard methodology. The FNR of routine manual rescreening at the level of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) was 73%, more than 3 times the FNR of primary screening; 11 cases were detected. The FNR of Autopap rescreening was 34%; 80 cases were detected. Routine manual rescreening decreased the laboratory FNR by less than 1%; Autopap rescreening reduced the overall laboratory FNR by 5.7%. At the same time, the false-positive rate for Autopap screening was significantly less than that of routine manual screening at the ASCUS level (4.7% vs. 5.6%; P < 0.0001). Rescreening with the Autopap system remained more sensitive than manual rescreening at the low grade squamous intraepithelial lesions threshold (FNR of 58.8% vs. 100%, respectively), although the number of cases rescreened was low. Routine manual rescreening cannot be used to calculate the FNR of primary screening. Routine rescreening is an extremely ineffective method to detect error and thereby decrease a laboratory's FNR. The Autopap system is a much more effective way of detecting errors within a laboratory and reduces the laboratory's FNR by greater than 25%.

Participation in a Year-Long CURE Embedded into Major Core Genetics and Cellular and Molecular Biology Laboratory Courses Results in Gains in Foundational Biological Concepts and Experimental Design Skills by Novice Undergraduate Researchers†

PubMed Central

Peteroy-Kelly, Marcy A.; Marcello, Matthew R.; Crispo, Erika; Buraei, Zafir; Strahs, Daniel; Isaacson, Marisa; Jaworski, Leslie; Lopatto, David; Zuzga, David

2017-01-01

This two-year study describes the assessment of student learning gains arising from participation in a year-long curriculum consisting of a classroom undergraduate research experience (CURE) embedded into second-year, major core Genetics and Cellular and Molecular Biology (CMB) laboratory courses. For the first course in our CURE, students used micro-array or RNAseq analyses to identify genes important for environmental stress responses by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The students were tasked with creating overexpressing mutants of their genes and designing their own original experiments to investigate the functions of those genes using the overexpression and null mutants in the second CURE course. In order to evaluate student learning gains, we employed three validated concept inventories in a pretest/posttest format and compared gains on the posttest versus the pretest with student laboratory final grades. Our results demonstrated that there was a significant correlation between students earning lower grades in the Genetics laboratory for both years of this study and gains on the Genetics Concept Assessment (GCA). We also demonstrated a correlation between students earning lower grades in the Genetics laboratory and gains on the Introductory Molecular and Cell Biology Assessment (IMCA) for year 1 of the study. Students furthermore demonstrated significant gains in identifying the variable properties of experimental subjects when assessed using the Rubric for Experimental (RED) design tool. Results from the administration of the CURE survey support these findings. Our results suggest that a year-long CURE enables lower performing students to experience greater gains in their foundational skills for success in the STEM disciplines. PMID:28904646

Participation in a Year-Long CURE Embedded into Major Core Genetics and Cellular and Molecular Biology Laboratory Courses Results in Gains in Foundational Biological Concepts and Experimental Design Skills by Novice Undergraduate Researchers.

PubMed

Peteroy-Kelly, Marcy A; Marcello, Matthew R; Crispo, Erika; Buraei, Zafir; Strahs, Daniel; Isaacson, Marisa; Jaworski, Leslie; Lopatto, David; Zuzga, David

2017-01-01

This two-year study describes the assessment of student learning gains arising from participation in a year-long curriculum consisting of a classroom undergraduate research experience (CURE) embedded into second-year, major core Genetics and Cellular and Molecular Biology (CMB) laboratory courses. For the first course in our CURE, students used micro-array or RNAseq analyses to identify genes important for environmental stress responses by Saccharomyces cerevisiae . The students were tasked with creating overexpressing mutants of their genes and designing their own original experiments to investigate the functions of those genes using the overexpression and null mutants in the second CURE course. In order to evaluate student learning gains, we employed three validated concept inventories in a pretest/posttest format and compared gains on the posttest versus the pretest with student laboratory final grades. Our results demonstrated that there was a significant correlation between students earning lower grades in the Genetics laboratory for both years of this study and gains on the Genetics Concept Assessment (GCA). We also demonstrated a correlation between students earning lower grades in the Genetics laboratory and gains on the Introductory Molecular and Cell Biology Assessment (IMCA) for year 1 of the study. Students furthermore demonstrated significant gains in identifying the variable properties of experimental subjects when assessed using the Rubric for Experimental (RED) design tool. Results from the administration of the CURE survey support these findings. Our results suggest that a year-long CURE enables lower performing students to experience greater gains in their foundational skills for success in the STEM disciplines.

Implementing and measuring the level of laboratory service integration in a program setting in Nigeria.

PubMed

Mbah, Henry; Negedu-Momoh, Olubunmi Ruth; Adedokun, Oluwasanmi; Ikani, Patrick Anibbe; Balogun, Oluseyi; Sanwo, Olusola; Ochei, Kingsley; Ekanem, Maurice; Torpey, Kwasi

2014-01-01

The surge of donor funds to fight HIV&AIDS epidemic inadvertently resulted in the setup of laboratories as parallel structures to rapidly respond to the identified need. However these parallel structures are a threat to the existing fragile laboratory systems. Laboratory service integration is critical to remedy this situation. This paper describes an approach to quantitatively measure and track integration of HIV-related laboratory services into the mainstream laboratory services and highlight some key intervention steps taken, to enhance service integration. A quantitative before-and-after study conducted in 122 Family Health International (FHI360) supported health facilities across Nigeria. A minimum service package was identified including management structure; trainings; equipment utilization and maintenance; information, commodity and quality management for laboratory integration. A check list was used to assess facilities at baseline and 3 months follow-up. Level of integration was assessed on an ordinal scale (0 = no integration, 1 = partial integration, 2 = full integration) for each service package. A composite score grading expressed as a percentage of total obtainable score of 14 was defined and used to classify facilities (≤ 80% FULL, 25% to 79% PARTIAL and <25% NO integration). Weaknesses were noted and addressed. We analyzed 9 (7.4%) primary, 104 (85.2%) secondary and 9 (7.4%) tertiary level facilities. There were statistically significant differences in integration levels between baseline and 3 months follow-up period (p<0.01). Baseline median total integration score was 4 (IQR 3 to 5) compared to 7 (IQR 4 to 9) at 3 months follow-up (p = 0.000). Partial and fully integrated laboratory systems were 64 (52.5%) and 0 (0.0%) at baseline, compared to 100 (82.0%) and 3 (2.4%) respectively at 3 months follow-up (p = 0.000). This project showcases our novel approach to measure the status of each laboratory on the integration continuum.

Quality Indicators of Cervical Cytopathology Tests in the Public Service in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

PubMed

Tobias, Alessandra Hermógenes Gomes; Amaral, Rita Goreti; Diniz, Elói Martins; Carneiro, Cláudia Martins

2016-02-01

The objective of this study is to assess the performance of cytopathology laboratories providing services to the Brazilian Unified Health System (Sistema Único de Saúde - SUS) in the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil. This descriptive study uses data obtained from the Cervical Cancer Information System from January to December 2012. Three quality indicators were analyzed to assess the quality of cervical cytopathology tests: positivity index, percentage of atypical squamous cells (ASCs) in abnormal tests, and percentage of tests compatible with high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs). Laboratories were classified according to their production scale in tests per year ≤ 5,000; from 5,001 to 10,000; from 10,001 to 15,000; and ≥ 15,001. Based on the collection of variables and the classification of laboratories according to production scale, we created and analyzed a database using Microsoft Office Excel 97-2003. In the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais, 146 laboratories provided services to the SUS in 2012 by performing a total of 1,277,018 cervical cytopathology tests. Half of these laboratories had production scales ≤ 5,000 tests/year and accounted for 13.1% of all tests performed in the entire state; in turn, 13.7% of these laboratories presented production scales of > 15,001 tests/year and accounted for 49.2% of the total of tests performed in the entire state. The positivity indexes of most laboratories providing services to the SUS in 2012, regardless of production scale, were below or well below recommended limits. Of the 20 laboratories that performed more than 15,001 tests per year, only three presented percentages of tests compatible with HSILs above the lower limit recommended by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. The majority of laboratories providing services to the SUS in Minas Gerais presented quality indicators outside the range recommended by the Brazilian Ministry of Health. Thieme Publicações Ltda Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

CLSI-derived hematology and biochemistry reference intervals for healthy adults in eastern and southern Africa.

PubMed

Karita, Etienne; Ketter, Nzeera; Price, Matt A; Kayitenkore, Kayitesi; Kaleebu, Pontiano; Nanvubya, Annet; Anzala, Omu; Jaoko, Walter; Mutua, Gaudensia; Ruzagira, Eugene; Mulenga, Joseph; Sanders, Eduard J; Mwangome, Mary; Allen, Susan; Bwanika, Agnes; Bahemuka, Ubaldo; Awuondo, Ken; Omosa, Gloria; Farah, Bashir; Amornkul, Pauli; Birungi, Josephine; Yates, Sarah; Stoll-Johnson, Lisa; Gilmour, Jill; Stevens, Gwynn; Shutes, Erin; Manigart, Olivier; Hughes, Peter; Dally, Len; Scott, Janet; Stevens, Wendy; Fast, Pat; Kamali, Anatoli

2009-01-01

Clinical laboratory reference intervals have not been established in many African countries, and non-local intervals are commonly used in clinical trials to screen and monitor adverse events (AEs) among African participants. Using laboratory reference intervals derived from other populations excludes potential trial volunteers in Africa and makes AE assessment challenging. The objective of this study was to establish clinical laboratory reference intervals for 25 hematology, immunology and biochemistry values among healthy African adults typical of those who might join a clinical trial. Equal proportions of men and women were invited to participate in a cross sectional study at seven clinical centers (Kigali, Rwanda; Masaka and Entebbe, Uganda; two in Nairobi and one in Kilifi, Kenya; and Lusaka, Zambia). All laboratories used hematology, immunology and biochemistry analyzers validated by an independent clinical laboratory. Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines were followed to create study consensus intervals. For comparison, AE grading criteria published by the U.S. National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Division of AIDS (DAIDS) and other U.S. reference intervals were used. 2,990 potential volunteers were screened, and 2,105 (1,083 men and 1,022 women) were included in the analysis. While some significant gender and regional differences were observed, creating consensus African study intervals from the complete data was possible for 18 of the 25 analytes. Compared to reference intervals from the U.S., we found lower hematocrit and hemoglobin levels, particularly among women, lower white blood cell and neutrophil counts, and lower amylase. Both genders had elevated eosinophil counts, immunoglobulin G, total and direct bilirubin, lactate dehydrogenase and creatine phosphokinase, the latter being more pronounced among women. When graded against U.S. -derived DAIDS AE grading criteria, we observed 774 (35.3%) volunteers with grade one or higher results; 314 (14.9%) had elevated total bilirubin, and 201 (9.6%) had low neutrophil counts. These otherwise healthy volunteers would be excluded or would require special exemption to participate in many clinical trials. To accelerate clinical trials in Africa, and to improve their scientific validity, locally appropriate reference ranges should be used. This study provides ranges that will inform inclusion criteria and evaluation of adverse events for studies in these regions of Africa.

Participation in Kentucky's College Preparatory Transition Courses: An Update. REL 2017-211

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flory, Michael; Cramer, Eric

2017-01-01

Kentucky offers college preparatory transition courses in math, reading, and English to grade 12 students. The courses are designed as one possible intervention for students who do not meet state college readiness benchmarks in one or more of those subjects on the ACT in grade 11. This study updates a previous Regional Educational Laboratory (REL)…

High-temperature elastic-plastic and creep properties for SA533 Grade B Class I and SA508 materials

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

Reddy, G.B.; Ayres, D.J.

1982-12-01

High temperature elastic-plastic and creep properties are presented for SA533 Grade B Class I and SA508 Class II materials. These properties are derived from tests conducted at Combustion Engineering Material and Metallurgical Laboratories and cover the temperature range of 70/sup 0/F to 1200/sup 0/F.

Standards-Based Assessment, Grading, and Reporting in Classrooms: Can District Training and Support Change Teacher Practice?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMunn, Nancy; Schenck, Patricia; McColskey, Wendy

Whether school district support and training in standards-based assessment, grading, and reporting in classrooms can change teacher practice in these areas was studied in a Florida school district. This district, Bay District Schools of Panama City, has been working with the SERVE Regional Educational Laboratory on a project that involves teachers…

Bilingual Skills Training Program. Meat Cutting. Module l.0: Meat Grades and Classes.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Northern New Mexico Community Coll., El Rito.

This module on meat grades and classes is the first of three (CE 028 291-293) in the meat cutting course of a bilingual skills training program. The course is designed to furnish theoretical and laboratory experience in the cutting of beef, pork, poultry, lamb, and mutton. Module objectives are for students to develop trade-related Spanish/English…

Where No Bicycle Has Gone Before: A Data Collection and Analysis Project for the Early Elementary Grades.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fertig, Gary

This paper describes a project implemented in two classrooms at the University of Wyoming's College of Education laboratory school. Forty-four students in the second and third grade participated. The "In Search of Bicycles" project asked students to consider how technology is used and how it affects the environment. Students then began…

Graded Reflectivity Mirror for the Solid State Heat Capacity Laser Final Report CRADA No. TC-2085-04

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

Yamamoto, R.; Davis, J. A.

This was a collaborative effort between The Regents of the University of California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and the Boeing Company, to develop a Graded Reflectivity Mirror (GRM) to achieve improved near field fill and higher brightness in the far field output of LLNL’s Solid State Heat Capacity Laser (SSHCL).

Apple (LCSI) LOGO vs. MIT (Terrapin/Krell) LOGO: A Comparison for Grades 2 thru 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wappler, Reinhold D.

Two LOGO dialects are compared for appropriateness for use with second, third, and fourth grade students on the basis of 18 months of experience with teaching LOGO programing language at this level in a four-machine laboratory setting. Benefits and drawbacks of the dialects are evaluated in the areas of editing. screen modes, debugging,…

Use of Vee Maps in a College Science Laboratory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lebowitz, Stacy J.

Students (n=45) in an introductory course in hydrology used a Vee map to guide their laboratory investigation. The Vee mapping technique was utilized by groups of students working together during the investigation and was graded with a scoring rubric developed by the instructor. At the end of the investigation, students completed a survey…

Introduction to Biological Research: A Laboratory Course in Microbiology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dudley, Aimee M.; Cardozo, David Lopes

2006-01-01

In this paper, the authors describe their development of an introductory laboratory course in microbiology that is geared towards students in grades 8-10. The course was developed as part of the Mentoring for Science Program at Harvard Medical School, an outreach program created by the Minority Faculty Development Program, directed towards…

Outdoors--Nature's Learning Center. A Guide for Implementing an Outdoor Laboratory School Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Banks, Dorothy E.

The Round Meadow Environmental Laboratory School is an exemplary project designed to aid District of Columbia 6th grade children in overcoming the educational disadvantages of urban minority group isolation, both cultural and geographical, through a school-based and camp-based interracial and intercultural environmental awareness program. During…

Evaluation of the emissions from low-sulfur and biodiesel fuel used in a heavy-duty diesel truck during on-road operation

EPA Science Inventory

In October of 2004, EPA's National Risk Management Research Laboratory investigated the emissions from diesel powered tractor-trailer operating along a highway at near-zero grade. In place of a dynamometer and standard dilution tunnel, the Diesel Emissions Aerosol Laboratory (DEA...

Stones and Bones: A Laboratory Approach to Physcial Anthropology, Grades 7-12.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anisman, Milton S.

This packet provides sample lessons from the program "Stones and Bones: A Laboratory Approach to Physical Anthropology." The samples are from the unit of 20 lessons that are investigative-oriented for students to explore anthropological topics. Unit 1, "In Search of Human Ancestors. How We Study Our Past: Stories Told by…

A Funding Simulation for Use in an Advanced Experimental Laboratory Class.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Falkenberg, Virginia P.

1981-01-01

Describes a funding simulation for use with college students in an advanced experimental psychology laboratory. Students write an original research paper and submit it to the professor--the "funding agency"--as a grant proposal. Projects are funded with grade points with which the student director purchases help from unfunded classmates. (RM)

Easy Ways to Promote Inquiry in a Laboratory Course: The Power of Student Questions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Polacek, Kelly Myer; Keeling, Elena Levine

2005-01-01

To teach students to think like scientists, the authors modified their laboratory course to include regular opportunities for student practice of inquiry and the scientific process. Their techniques are simple; they can be implemented without rewriting lab manuals, require little additional grading beyond typical lab reports, and are applicable…

Learning in the Laboratory: How Group Assignments Affect Motivation and Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Belanger, John R.

2016-01-01

Team projects can optimize educational resources in a laboratory, but also create the potential for social loafing. Allowing students to choose their own groups could increase their motivation to learn and improve academic performance. To test this hypothesis, final grades and feedback from students were compared for the same course in two…

HANDBOOK, TEACHING SCIENCE TO EDUCATIONALLY DISADVANTAGED YOUTH.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BINGHAM, N.E.; AND OTHERS

DESCRIBED ARE PROCEDURES AND LABORATORY MATERIALS WHICH ARE OUTGROWTHS OF A RESEARCH PROJECT OF THE SOUTHEASTERN EDUCATION LABORATORY FOR THE TEACHING OF SCIENCE TO DISADVANTAGED STUDENTS IN GRADES 7, 8, AND 9. PART 1 DEALS WITH THE CRITERIA USED IN DEVELOPING PROCEDURES AND MATERIALS FOR USE WITH EDUCATIONALLY DISADVANTAGED. INCLUDED ARE (1) THE…

Limitations of on-site dairy farm regulatory debits as milk quality predictors.

PubMed

Borneman, Darand L; Stiegert, Kyle; Ingham, Steve

2015-03-01

In the United States, compliance with grade A raw fluid milk regulatory standards is assessed via laboratory milk quality testing and by on-site inspection of producers (farms). This study evaluated the correlation between on-site survey debits being marked and somatic cell count (SCC) or standard plate count (SPC) laboratory results for 1,301 Wisconsin grade A dairy farms in 2012. Debits recorded on the survey form were tested as predictors of laboratory results utilizing ordinary least squares regression to determine if results of the current method for on-site evaluation of grade A dairy farms accurately predict SCC and SPC test results. Such a correlation may indicate that current methods of on-site inspection serve the primary intended purpose of assuring availability of high-quality milk. A model for predicting SCC was estimated using ordinary least squares regression methods. Step-wise selected regressors of grouped debit items were able to predict SCC levels with some degree of accuracy (adjusted R2=0.1432). Specific debit items, seasonality, and farm size were the best predictors of SCC levels. The SPC data presented an analytical challenge because over 75% of the SPC observations were at or below a 25,000 cfu/mL threshold but were recorded by testing laboratories as at the threshold value. This classic censoring problem necessitated the use of a Tobit regression approach. Even with this approach, prediction of SPC values based on on-site survey criteria was much less successful (adjusted R2=0.034) and provided little support for the on-site survey system as a way to inform farmers about making improvements that would improve SPC. The lower level of correlation with SPC may indicate that factors affecting SPC are more varied and differ from those affecting SCC. Further, unobserved deficiencies in postmilking handling and storage sanitation could enhance bacterial growth and increase SPC, whereas postmilking sanitation will have no effect on SCC because somatic cells do not reproduce in stored milk. Results suggest that close examination, and perhaps redefinition, of survey debits, along with making the survey coincident with SCC and SPC sampling, could make the on-site survey a better tool for ensuring availability of high-quality milk. Copyright © 2015 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Testing of electrical equipment for a commercial grade dedication program

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

Brown, J.L.; Srinivas, N.

1995-10-01

The availability of qualified safety related replacement parts for use in nuclear power plants has decreased over time. This has caused many nuclear power plants to purchase commercial grade items (CGI) and utilize the commercial grade dedication process to qualify the items for use in nuclear safety related applications. The laboratories of Technical and Engineering Services (the testing facility of Detroit Edison) have been providing testing services for verification of critical characteristics of these items. This paper presents an overview of the experience in testing electrical equipment with an emphasis on fuses.

Oedema of gallbladder wall: correlation with chronic hepatitis B on MR imaging.

PubMed

Shu, Jian; Zhao, Jian Nong; Han, Fu Gang; Tang, Guang Cai; Luo, Yin Deng; Chen, Xin; Luo, Li

2013-10-01

The aim of this study was to characterise gallbladder wall oedema and correlate it with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) on magnetic resonance (MR) imaging. Sixty-seven patients who were clinically and histologically diagnosed with CHB and 18 healthy individuals without any history of liver disease underwent abdominal MR imaging. Hepatic inflammation (grade 0-4) and fibrosis (stage 0-4) for patients were assessed histologically. Gallbladder wall oedema was noted. Twelve patients showed gallbladder wall oedema on MR imaging, including six with grade 3 and six with grade 4 disease. There was a statistically significant difference for the presence of gallbladder wall oedema among groups with grade 0-4 (p=0.000), but not between groups with grades 3 and 4 (p=0.729). Gallbladder wall oedema was related to moderate-severe inflammatory activity (p<0.05), alanine transaminase (ALT) (p=0.012) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) (p=0.027) levels but not to fibrosis or other laboratory data, including serum quantitative DNA for hepatitis B virus (HBV), with the p=0.105-0.846. Sensitivity and specificity for the diagnosis of hepatic moderate-severe inflammation using gallbladder wall oedema were 33.33% and 100%, respectively. Gallbladder wall oedema for patients with CHB can be specifically demonstrated on MR imaging and is correlated with hepatic moderate-severe inflammatory activity, elevated ALT and AST levels but not with fibrosis or other laboratory data, including viremia.

Improving Climate Literacy Using The Ice Sheet System Model (ISSM): A Prototype Virtual Ice Sheet Laboratory For Use In K-12 Classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Halkides, D. J.; Larour, E. Y.; Perez, G.; Petrie, K.; Nguyen, L.

2013-12-01

Statistics indicate that most Americans learn what they will know about science within the confines of our public K-12 education system and the media. Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) aim to remedy science illiteracy and provide guidelines to exceed the Common Core State Standards that most U.S. state governments have adopted, by integrating disciplinary cores with crosscutting ideas and real life practices. In this vein, we present a prototype ';Virtual Ice Sheet Laboratory' (I-Lab), geared to K-12 students, educators and interested members of the general public. I-Lab will allow users to perform experiments using a state-of-the-art dynamical ice sheet model and provide detailed downloadable lesson plans, which incorporate this model and are consistent with NGSS Physical Science criteria for different grade bands (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12). The ultimate goal of this website is to improve public climate science literacy, especially in regards to the crucial role of the polar ice sheets in Earth's climate and sea level. The model used will be the Ice Sheet System Model (ISSM), an ice flow model developed at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and UC Irvine, that simulates the near-term evolution of polar ice sheets (Greenland and Antarctica) and includes high spatial resolution capabilities and data assimilation to produce realistic simulations of ice sheet dynamics at the continental scale. Open sourced since 2011, ISSM is used in cutting edge cryosphere research around the globe. Thru I-Lab, students will be able to access ISSM using a simple, online graphical interface that can be launched from a web browser on a computer, tablet or smart phone. The interface will allow users to select different climate conditions and watch how the polar ice sheets evolve in time under those conditions. Lesson contents will include links to background material and activities that teach observation recording, concept articulation, hypothesis formulation and testing, and critical problem solving appropriate to grade level.

The effects of supplemental online learning aids on student performance and student engagement in Medical Microbiology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murray, Kimberly

The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of online learning aids on student performance and engagement. The thirty-five participants of the current study were students enrolled in two sections of a junior level Medical Microbiology laboratory. The experimental section was required to spend ten minutes each week on an online learning aid. The online program, StudyMate(TM), was used to present text and images in the form of flash cards, multiple choice questions, matching, and crossword puzzles. Both groups completed the Index of Learning Style survey, an initial engagement survey at the start of the course, and a final engagement survey at the end of the course. Statistical analysis showed no significant differences between the groups at the start of the course or after the course was completed for learning style, science grade point average, overall grade point average, initial engagement or final engagement. A moderate correlation was found between microbiology course and laboratory grades and a reflective learning style.

Relationships of nuclear, architectural and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics grading systems in endometrial cancer.

PubMed

Toptaş, Tayfun; Peştereli, Elif; Bozkurt, Selen; Erdoğan, Gülgün; Şimşek, Tayup

2018-03-01

To examine correlations among nuclear, architectural, and International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) grading systems, and their relationships with lymph node (LN) involvement in endometrioid endometrial cancer. Histopathology slides of 135 consecutive patients were reviewed with respect to tumor grade and LN metastasis. Notable nuclear atypia was defined as grade 3 nuclei. FIGO grade was established by raising the architectural grade (AG) by one grade when the tumor was composed of cells with nuclear grade (NG) 3. Correlations between the grading systems were analyzed using Spearman's rank correlation coefficients, and relationships of grading systems with LN involvement were assessed using logistic regression analysis. Correlation analysis revealed a significant and strongly positive relationship between FIGO and architectural grading systems (r=0.885, p=0.001); however, correlations of nuclear grading with the architectural (r=0.535, p=0.165) and FIGO grading systems (r=0.589, p=0.082) were moderate and statistically non-significant. Twenty-five (18.5%) patients had LN metastasis. LN involvement rates differed significantly between tumors with AG 1 and those with AG 2, and tumors with FIGO grade 1 and those with FIGO grade 2. In contrast, although the difference in LN involvement rates failed to reach statistical significance between tumors with NG 1 and those with NG 2, it was significant between NG 2 and NG 3 (p=0.042). Although all three grading systems were associated with LN involvement in univariate analyses, an independent relationship could not be established after adjustment for other confounders in multivariate analysis. Nuclear grading is significantly correlated with neither architectural nor FIGO grading systems. The differences in LN involvement rates in the nuclear grading system reach significance only in the setting of tumor cells with NG 3; however, none of the grading systems was an independent predictor of LN involvement.

Evaluating a technology supported interactive response system during the laboratory section of a histology course.

PubMed

Rinaldi, Vera D; Lorr, Nancy A; Williams, Kimberly

2017-07-01

Monitoring of student learning through systematic formative assessment is important for adjusting pedagogical strategies. However, traditional formative assessments, such as quizzes and written assignments, may not be sufficiently timely for making adjustments to a learning process. Technology supported formative assessment tools assess student knowledge, allow for immediate feedback, facilitate classroom dialogues, and have the potential to modify student learning strategies. As an attempt to integrate technology supported formative assessment in the laboratory section of an upper-level histology course, the interactive application Learning Catalytics TM , a cloud-based assessment system, was used. This study conducted during the 2015 Histology courses at Cornell University concluded that this application is helpful for identifying student misconceptions "on-the-go," engaging otherwise marginalized students, and forming a new communication venue between students and instructors. There was no overall difference between grades from topics that used the application and grades from those that did not, and students reported that it only slightly helped improve their understanding of the topic (3.8 ± 0.99 on a five-point Likert scale). However, they highly recommended using it (4.2 ± 0.71). The major limitation was regarding the image display and graphical resolution of this application. Even though students embrace the use of technology, 39% reported benefits of having the traditional light microscope available. This cohort of students led instructors to conclude that the newest tools are not always better, but rather can complement traditional instruction methods. Anat Sci Educ 10: 328-338. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists. © 2016 American Association of Anatomists.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography for the evaluation of liver fibrosis after biliary obstruction.

PubMed

Shin, Hyun Joo; Chang, Eun Young; Lee, Hye Sun; Hong, Jung Hwa; Park, Gyuri; Kim, Hyun Gi; Kim, Myung-Joon; Lee, Mi-Jung

2015-03-07

To investigate perfusion change in contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) to evaluate liver fibrosis based on biliary obstruction using an animal model. New Zealand white rabbits (3-4 kg) underwent bile duct ligation to form a biliary obstruction model. We performed liver CEUS and laboratory tests on the day before the operation (day 0) and every 7 postoperative days until the rabbits were sacrificed. After CEUS, signal intensity of liver parenchyma with a time-intensity curve was analyzed. Perfusion parameters were automatically calculated from region-of-interests, including peak signal intensity, mean transit time, area under the curve and time to peak. Histological grades of liver fibrosis were assessed according to the Metavir score system immediately after sacrifice. Generalized estimating equations were used to analyze the association between liver fibrosis grades and perfusion parameters for statistical analysis. The perfusion parameters were measured on the last day and the difference between day 0 and the last day were evaluated. From the nine rabbits, histological grades of liver fibrosis were grade 1 in one rabbit, grade 2 and 3 in three rabbits each, and grade 4 in two rabbits. Among the four CEUS parameters, only the peak signal intensity measured on the last day demonstrated a significant association with liver fibrosis grades (OR = 1.392, 95%CI: 1.114-1.741, P = 0.004). The difference in peak signal intensity between day 0 and the last day also demonstrated an association with liver fibrosis (OR = 1.191, 95%CI: 0.999-1.419, P = 0.051). The other parameters tested, including mean transit time, area under the curve, and time to peak, showed no significant correlation with liver fibrosis grades. This animal study demonstrates that CEUS can be used to evaluate liver fibrosis from biliary obstruction using peak signal intensity as a parameter.

Consequences of keeping Mytilus in the laboratory as assessed by different cellular condition indices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cajaraville, M. P.; Díez, G.; Marigómez, I. A.; Angulo, E.

1991-12-01

Mytilus galloprovincialis Lmk. were maintained in the laboratory for three months in a semicontinuous water flow system. Animals were fed a commercial filter-feeder food and sampled after 0, 21, 35, 49, 77, and 91 days. In order to establish whether laboratory conditions and the food used were deleterious to mussels, their health status was assessed by quantifying different histological parameters of the digestive gland tissue. It was concluded that mussels kept for more than 35 days under the described laboratory conditions showed signs of stress presumably caused by the reproductive state of the mussels investigated. The food used and the nutrition-related health status of the animals were adequate, as shown by transmission electron microscopical studies after the 91-day maintenance period. A stress response was also evoked by a 10-day starvation period, which was reflected by an increased proportion of type I and type IV digestive tubules, and a reduced “Mean Epithelial Thickness” (MET). Finally, the results demonstrate the sensitivity of quantitative histological diagnosis in comparison to subjective tubule grading procedures in the assessment of the degree of stress experienced by mussels.

Mounted Smartphones as Measurement and Control Platforms for Motor-Based Laboratory Test-Beds †

PubMed Central

Frank, Jared A.; Brill, Anthony; Kapila, Vikram

2016-01-01

Laboratory education in science and engineering often entails the use of test-beds equipped with costly peripherals for sensing, acquisition, storage, processing, and control of physical behavior. However, costly peripherals are no longer necessary to obtain precise measurements and achieve stable feedback control of test-beds. With smartphones performing diverse sensing and processing tasks, this study examines the feasibility of mounting smartphones directly to test-beds to exploit their embedded hardware and software in the measurement and control of the test-beds. This approach is a first step towards replacing laboratory-grade peripherals with more compact and affordable smartphone-based platforms, whose interactive user interfaces can engender wider participation and engagement from learners. Demonstrative cases are presented in which the sensing, computation, control, and user interaction with three motor-based test-beds are handled by a mounted smartphone. Results of experiments and simulations are used to validate the feasibility of mounted smartphones as measurement and feedback control platforms for motor-based laboratory test-beds, report the measurement precision and closed-loop performance achieved with such platforms, and address challenges in the development of platforms to maintain system stability. PMID:27556464

Mounted Smartphones as Measurement and Control Platforms for Motor-Based Laboratory Test-Beds.

PubMed

Frank, Jared A; Brill, Anthony; Kapila, Vikram

2016-08-20

Laboratory education in science and engineering often entails the use of test-beds equipped with costly peripherals for sensing, acquisition, storage, processing, and control of physical behavior. However, costly peripherals are no longer necessary to obtain precise measurements and achieve stable feedback control of test-beds. With smartphones performing diverse sensing and processing tasks, this study examines the feasibility of mounting smartphones directly to test-beds to exploit their embedded hardware and software in the measurement and control of the test-beds. This approach is a first step towards replacing laboratory-grade peripherals with more compact and affordable smartphone-based platforms, whose interactive user interfaces can engender wider participation and engagement from learners. Demonstrative cases are presented in which the sensing, computation, control, and user interaction with three motor-based test-beds are handled by a mounted smartphone. Results of experiments and simulations are used to validate the feasibility of mounted smartphones as measurement and feedback control platforms for motor-based laboratory test-beds, report the measurement precision and closed-loop performance achieved with such platforms, and address challenges in the development of platforms to maintain system stability.

[The WHO/ISUP grading system for renal carcinoma].

PubMed

Moch, H

2016-07-01

Histological tumor grading is an accepted prognostic parameter of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). In 2012, the International Society of Urologic Pathologists (ISUP) proposed a novel grading system for RCC, mainly based on the evaluation of nucleoli: grade 1 tumors have nucleoli that are inconspicuous and basophilic at ×400 magnification; grade 2 tumors have nucleoli that are clearly visible at ×400 magnification and eosinophilic; grade 3 tumors have clearly visible nucleoli at ×100 magnification; and grade 4 tumors have extreme pleomorphism or rhabdoid and/or sarcomatoid morphology. This grading system was validated for clear cell renal cell carcinoma and papillary renal cell carcinoma. At the same time, the ISUP proposed not grading chromophobe renal cell carcinomas according to this system. At a consensus conference in Zurich the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended the ISUP grading system; thus, the WHO/ISUP grading system is now going to be implemented internationally. The ISUP/WHO grading system has not been validated as a prognostic parameter for other tumor subtypes, but can be used for descriptive purposes.

Effects of an SWH Approach and Self-Evaluation on Sixth Grade Students' Learning and Retention of an Electricity Unit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Memis, Esra Kabatas; Seven, Sabriye

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study is to explore the effects of guided, inquiry-based laboratory activities using the Science Writing Heuristic (SWH) approach and self-evaluation on students' science achievement. The study involved three sixth grade classes studying an electricity unit taught by the same primary school teacher. Before the study began, one…

Influence of V-Diagrams on 10th Grade Turkish Students' Achievement in the Subject of Mechanical Waves

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tekes, Hanife; Gonen, Selahattin

2012-01-01

The purpose of the present study was to examine how the use of V-diagrams one of the learning techniques used in laboratory studies in experiments conducted regarding the 10th grade lesson unit of "waves" influenced students' achievements. In the study, a quasi-experimental design with a pretest and posttest control group was used. The…

A Study of High School Students' Performance of a Chemistry Experiment within the Virtual World of Second Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winkelmann, Kurt; Scott, Matthew; Wong, Deborah

2014-01-01

A small group of high school students performed a virtual laboratory experiment in Second Life that mimicked a real experiment in both its appearance and procedure. Lab report grades were equivalent to report grades for hands-on experiments, and the quality of students' results was similar. Results of an attitudinal survey show that students…

Mechanical grading of 6-inch-diameter lodgepole pine logs for the travelers’ rest and rattlesnake creek bridges

Treesearch

David W. Green; James W. Evans; Joseph F. Murphy; Cherilyn A. Hatfield

2005-01-01

Forest Products Laboratory (FPL) assistance was requested in mechanical grading of logs for two cable suspension bridges intended for pedestrian use in parks near Missoula, Montana. Two hundred ninety two lodgepole pine logs were obtained from a beetle-killed stand near Elk City, Idaho, by Porterbuilt, Inc., of Hamilton, Montana, and machined (dowelled) to a constant...

A Comparative Laboratory Study of the Effects of Two Teaching Patterns on Certain Aspects of the Behavior of Students in Fifth Grade Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shymansky, James Andrew

Student behaviors associated with two sets of learning conditions in a fifth grade science program were investigated. The effects of student-structured learning of science (SSLS) and teacher-structured learning in science (TSLS) on classroom behaviors of the students were analyzed. Observational data of student behavior were collected daily by a…

Individually Administered Problems. Third Grade. Evaluation Report 4-B-3. Extended Pilot Trial of the Comprehensive School Mathematics Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herbert, Martin

The Comprehensive School Mathematics Program (CSMP) is a program of CEMREL, Inc., one of the national educational laboratories, and was funded by the National Institute of Education (NIE). Its major purpose is the development of curriculum materials for the elementary grades. Beginning in 1973, CSMP ran an extended pilot trial of its elementary…

Individually Administered Problems. Fourth Grade. Evaluation Report 5-B-2. Extended Pilot Trial of the Comprehensive School Mathematics Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dougherty, Knowles; Herbert, Martin

The Comprehensive School Mathematics Program (CSMP) is a program of CEMREL, Inc., one of the national educational laboratories, and was funded by the National Institute of Education (NIE). Its major purpose is the development of curriculum materials for the elementary grades. Beginning in September 1973, CSMP ran an extended pilot trial of its…

Evaluation of Revised Second Grade, MANS Blue Level. Evaluation Report 8-B-2. Extended Pilot Trial of the Comprehensive School Mathematics Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dougherty, Knowles

The Comprehensive School Mathematics Program (CSMP) is a program of CEMREL, Inc., one of the national educational laboratories, and was funded by the National Institute of Education (NIE). Its major purpose is the development of curriculum materials for kindergarten through grade 6. This document is an extension of "Evaluation Report…

Evaluation of Revised Third Grade, MANS Green Level. Evaluation Report 8-B-3. Extended Pilot Trial of the Comprehensive School Mathematics Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dougherty, Knowles

The Comprehensive School Mathematics Program (CSMP) is a program of CEMREL, Inc., one of the national educational laboratories, and was funded by the National Institute of Education (NIE). Its major purpose is the development of curriculum materials for kindergarten through grade 6. This study compared CSMP and non-CSMP students' performance at…

Sixth Grade Evaluation, Preliminary Study. Evaluation Report 8-B-1. Extended Pilot Trial of the Comprehensive School Mathematics Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Marshall, Gail; Herbert, Martin

The Comprehensive School Mathematics Program (CSMP) is a program of CEMREL, Inc., one of the national educational laboratories, and was funded by the National Institute of Education (NIE). Its major purpose is the development of curriculum materials for kindergarten through grade 6. An Extended Pilot Test was scheduled for spring 1982 for several…

Fourth Grade MANS Test Data. Evaluation Report 5-B-1. Extended Pilot Trial of the Comprehensive School Mathematics Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herbert, Martin

The Comprehensive School Mathematics Program (CSMP) is a program of CEMREL, Inc., one of the national educational laboratories, and was funded by the National Institute of Education (NIE). Its major purpose is the development of curriculum materials for the elementary grades. Beginning in 1973, CSMP ran an extended pilot trial of its elementary…

Correlation of Body Mass Index and Serum Parameters With Ultrasonographic Grade of Fatty Change in Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

PubMed Central

Abangah, Ghobad; Yousefi, Atefeh; Asadollahi, Rouhangiz; Veisani, Yousef; Rahimifar, Paria; Alizadeh, Sajjad

2014-01-01

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common liver disease in the western population and expanding disease in the world. Pathological changes in fatty liver are like alcohol liver damage, which can lead to end-stage liver disease. The prevalence of NAFLD in obese or overweight people is higher than general population, and it seems that people with high Body Mass Index (BMI) or abnormality in some laboratory tests are more susceptible for severe fatty liver and high grade of NAFLD in ultrasonography (U.S). Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the correlation of BMI and laboratory tests with NAFLD in ultrasonography. Materials and Methods: During a multi-step process, we selected two-hundred and thirteen cases from four hundred and eighteen patients with NAFLD. Laboratory tests performed included: ALT, AST, FBS, Triglyceride and cholesterol levels, hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis C antibody, ceruloplasmin, serum iron, TIBC, transferrin saturation, ferritin, AMA, ANA, ANTI LKM1, serum protein electrophoresis, TSH, anti TTG (IgA). BMI and ultrasonography for 213 patients were performed, and then data was analyzed. These parameters and grades of ultrasonography were compared with the values obtained using one way ANOVA. An ordinal logistic regression model was used to estimate the probability of ultrasonography grade. The Statistical Package for the Social Science program (SPSS, version 16.0) was used for data analysis. Results: Two-hundred and thirteen cases including 140 male and 73 female, were studied. In general, 72.3% of patients were overweight and obese. Post-hoc tests showed that only BMI (P < 0.001) and TG (P < 0.011) among variables had statistically significant associations with ultrasonography grade (USG), and ordinal logistic regression model showed that BMI and AST were the best predictors. Discussion: Our results suggest that in patients with NAFLD, BMI and TG are most effective factors in severity of fatty liver disease and ultrasonography grade (USG). On the other hand, BMI as a predictor can be helpful. But, AST has not been a reliable finding, because it changes in many conditions. PMID:24719704

Correlation of Body Mass Index and Serum Parameters With Ultrasonographic Grade of Fatty Change in Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

PubMed

Abangah, Ghobad; Yousefi, Atefeh; Asadollahi, Rouhangiz; Veisani, Yousef; Rahimifar, Paria; Alizadeh, Sajjad

2014-01-01

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a common liver disease in the western population and expanding disease in the world. Pathological changes in fatty liver are like alcohol liver damage, which can lead to end-stage liver disease. The prevalence of NAFLD in obese or overweight people is higher than general population, and it seems that people with high Body Mass Index (BMI) or abnormality in some laboratory tests are more susceptible for severe fatty liver and high grade of NAFLD in ultrasonography (U.S). This study aimed to evaluate the correlation of BMI and laboratory tests with NAFLD in ultrasonography. During a multi-step process, we selected two-hundred and thirteen cases from four hundred and eighteen patients with NAFLD. Laboratory tests performed included: ALT, AST, FBS, Triglyceride and cholesterol levels, hepatitis B surface antigen, hepatitis C antibody, ceruloplasmin, serum iron, TIBC, transferrin saturation, ferritin, AMA, ANA, ANTI LKM1, serum protein electrophoresis, TSH, anti TTG (IgA). BMI and ultrasonography for 213 patients were performed, and then data was analyzed. These parameters and grades of ultrasonography were compared with the values obtained using one way ANOVA. An ordinal logistic regression model was used to estimate the probability of ultrasonography grade. The Statistical Package for the Social Science program (SPSS, version 16.0) was used for data analysis. Two-hundred and thirteen cases including 140 male and 73 female, were studied. In general, 72.3% of patients were overweight and obese. Post-hoc tests showed that only BMI (P < 0.001) and TG (P < 0.011) among variables had statistically significant associations with ultrasonography grade (USG), and ordinal logistic regression model showed that BMI and AST were the best predictors. Our results suggest that in patients with NAFLD, BMI and TG are most effective factors in severity of fatty liver disease and ultrasonography grade (USG). On the other hand, BMI as a predictor can be helpful. But, AST has not been a reliable finding, because it changes in many conditions.

A Study of the Effect of the Implementation of the Plus/Minus Grading System on Graduate Student Grades.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Malone, Bobby G.; Nelson, Jacquelyn S.; Nelson, C. Van

The implementation of a plus/minus system of grading to replace the traditional A through F grading system for graduate students was studied at a midsize Midwestern university. Decimal equivalents were established to enable the computation of grade point averages (GPAs) that reflected the dispersion of grades through the plus/minus system. A…

The value of different Risser grading systems in determining growth maturity of girls with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis.

PubMed

Wang, Weijun; Zhen, Xin; Sun, Xu; Zhu, Zezhang; Zhu, Feng; Lam, T P; Cheng, Jack C Y; Qiu, Yong

2012-01-01

A grading system for ossification of the iliac apophysis (Risser sign) was developed for skeletal maturity assessment in the United States (US) then adopted with modifications in France (Fr) and other countries. Despite the same name, these systems have important differences. With the aim to analyzing the difference between US and Fr Risser grading systems in determining the growth maturity of girls with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), Fifty-three AIS girls undergoing posterior spinal correction with autogenous bone graft were recruited. The Risser grades were recorded for the non-dominant side iliac crest apophysis according to the US and Fr grading systems. Growth activity was determined by standard histologic grades (HGs) on iliac crest cartilage. As a result, Kappa statistics showed poor agreement between two grading systems. The US system showed higher correlation with HGs compared to Fr system by Spearman correlation analysis. It was also found that growth cessation could be determined by Risser grade 5 of US system or Risser grade 4 of Fr system. Furthermore, by employing Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, it was found that the Risser grade 4-5 of US system with two years after menarche could be used in determining growth cessation with the highest sensitivity, specificity and accuracy. Hence it was concluded that the US Risser grading system was better in determining maturity of girls with AIS than Fr Risser grading system. By combining years since menarche, the accuracy of Risser grades in determining growth cessation could be enhanced, and the time of weaning from a brace could be advanced.

Evaluating a College-Prep Laboratory Exercise for Teenaged Homeschool Students in a University Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hercules, Daniel A.; Parrish, Cameron A.; Whitehead, Daniel C.

2016-01-01

We devised a half-day laboratory exercise for a group of 10th grade homeschooled students enrolled in an honors-level high school general chemistry course organized by a collective of homeschooling families associated with local Christian churches. Anecdotal evidence suggested that the students met the learning objectives of the exercise. The…

How Fifth Grade Latino/a Bilingual Students Use Their Linguistic Resources in the Classroom and Laboratory during Science Instruction

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stevenson, Alma R.

2013-01-01

This qualitative, sociolinguistic research study examines how bilingual Latino/a students use their linguistic resources in the classroom and laboratory during science instruction. This study was conducted in a school in the southwestern United States serving an economically depressed, predominantly Latino population. The object of study was a…

Suggestions for Teaching Mathematics Using Laboratory Approaches. 6. Probability. Experimental Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York State Education Dept., Albany. Bureau of Elementary Curriculum Development.

This guide is the sixth in a series of publications to assist teachers in using a laboratory approach to mathematics. Twenty activities on probability and statistics for the elementary grades are described in terms of purpose, materials needed, and procedures to be used. Objectives of these activities include basic probability concepts; gathering,…

Promoting Inquiry-Based Teaching in Laboratory Courses: Are We Meeting the Grade?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beck, Christopher; Butler, Amy; Burke da Silva, Karen

2014-01-01

Over the past decade, repeated calls have been made to incorporate more active teaching and learning in undergraduate biology courses. The emphasis on inquiry-based teaching is especially important in laboratory courses, as these are the courses in which students are applying the process of science. To determine the current state of research on…

The Effect of Reflective Discussions following Inquiry-Based Laboratory Activities on Students' Views of Nature of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yacoubian, Hagop A.; BouJaoude, Saouma

2010-01-01

This research investigated the effect of reflective discussions following inquiry-based laboratory activities on students' views of the tentative, empirical, subjective, and social aspects of nature of science (NOS). Thirty-eight grade six students from a Lebanese school participated in the study. The study used a pretest-posttest control-group…

Cardiological aspects of carbon monoxide poisoning.

PubMed

Marchewka, Jakub; Gawlik, Iwona; Dębski, Grzegorz; Popiołek, Lech; Marchewka, Wojciech; Hydzik, Piotr

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to assess cardiological manifestations of carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. Background/introduction: Carbon monoxide intoxication is one of the most important toxicological causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Early clinical manifestation of CO poisoning is cardiotoxicity. We enrolled 75 patients (34 males and 41 females, mean age 37.6 ± 17.7 y/o) hospitalized due to CO poisoning. Laboratory tests including troponin I, blood pressure measurements, HR and electrocardiograms (ECG) were collected. Pach's scale scoring and grading system was used to establish severity of poisoning. Grade of poisoning is positively correlated with troponin I levels and systolic blood pressure. Moreover, troponin levels are significantly correlated with exposition time, lactates and are higher in tachycardiac, hypertensive and positive ECG subpopulations. COHb levels are indicative of exposure but do not correlate with grade of poisoning. The main cause of CO poisoning were bathroom heaters - 83%, only 11% of examined intoxicated population were equipped with CO detectors. Complex cardiological screening covering troponin levels, ECG, blood pressure and heart rate measurements as well as complete blood count with particular attention to platelet parameters should be performed in each case where CO intoxication is suspected. More emphasis on education on CO poisoning is needed.

Revised Terminology for Cervical Histopathology and Its Implications for Management of High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions of the Cervix

PubMed Central

Waxman, Alan G.; Chelmow, David; Darragh, Teresa M.; Lawson, Herschel; Moscicki, Anna-Barbara

2014-01-01

In March 2012, the College of American Pathologists and American Society for Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology, in collaboration with 35 stakeholder organizations, convened a consensus conference called the Lower Anogenital Squamous Terminology (LAST) Project. The recommendations of this project include using a uniform, two-tiered terminology to describe the histology of human papillomavirus-associated squamous disease across all anogenital tract tissues: vulva, vagina, cervix, penis, perianus, and anus. The recommended terminology is “low-grade” or “high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL).” This terminology is familiar to clinicians, because it parallels the terminology of the Bethesda System cytologic reports. Biopsy results using SIL terminology may be further qualified using “intraepithelial neoplasia” (IN) terminology in parentheses. Laboratory p16 tissue immunostaining is recommended to better classify histopathology lesions that morphologically would earlier have been diagnosed as IN 2. p16 is also recommended for differentiating between high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and benign mimics. The LAST Project recommendations potentially affect the application of current guidelines for managing cervical squamous intraepithelial lesions. The authors offer interim guidance for managing cervical lesions diagnosed using this new terminology with special attention paid to managing young women with cervical high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions on biopsy. Clinicians should be aware of the LAST Project recommendations, which include important changes from prior terminology. PMID:23168774

7 CFR 57.100 - Specific exemptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... processing in nonofficial plants, including but not limited to bakeries, restaurants, and other food... grading operations; (2) Hatcheries; (3) Transporters; (4) Laboratories, pharmaceutical companies; and (5...

High School Forum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herron, J. Dudley, Ed.

1977-01-01

Discusses uses of programmable pocket electronic calculators in the secondary level classroom. Uses discussed include: grading, laboratory, exercises, computing T-scores, and a quantitative approach to chemical equilibrium. (SL)

Use of a 2-tier histologic grading system for canine cutaneous mast cell tumors on cytology specimens.

PubMed

Hergt, Franziska; von Bomhard, Wolf; Kent, Michael S; Hirschberger, Johannes

2016-09-01

Mast cell tumors (MCT) represent the most common malignant skin tumor in the dog. Diagnosis of an MCT can be achieved through cytologic examination of a fine-needle aspirate. However, the grade of the tumor is an important prognostic marker and currently requires histologic assessment. Recently a 2-tier histologic grading system based on nuclear features including number of mitoses, multinucleated cells, bizarre nuclei, and karyomegaly was proposed. The aim of this study was to assess if the cytomorphologic criteria proposed in the 2-tier histologic grading system are applicable to cytology specimens. A total of 141 MCT specimens reported as grade I, II, or III according to the Patnaik system with both histologic specimens and fine-needle aspirates available were histologically and cytologically reevaluated in a retrospective study. According to the 2-tier grading system, 38 cases were diagnosed histologically as high-grade and 103 as low-grade MCT. Cytologic grading resulted in 36 high-grade and 105 low-grade tumors. Agreement between histologic and cytologic grading based on the 2-tier grading system was achieved in 133 cases (sensitivity 86.8%, specificity 97.1%, kappa value 0.853), but 5 high-grade tumors on histology were classified as low-grade on cytology. Cytologic grading of MCT in the dog is helpful for initial assessment. However, the reliability of cytology using the 2-tier grading system is considered inadequate at this point. Prospective studies including clinical outcome should be pursued to further determine diagnostic accuracy of cytologic mast cell grading. © 2016 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.

Reliability of injury grading systems for patients with blunt splenic trauma.

PubMed

Olthof, D C; van der Vlies, C H; Scheerder, M J; de Haan, R J; Beenen, L F M; Goslings, J C; van Delden, O M

2014-01-01

The most widely used grading system for blunt splenic injury is the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) organ injury scale. In 2007 a new grading system was developed. This 'Baltimore CT grading system' is superior to the AAST classification system in predicting the need for angiography and embolization or surgery. The objective of this study was to assess inter- and intraobserver reliability between radiologists in classifying splenic injury according to both grading systems. CT scans of 83 patients with blunt splenic injury admitted between 1998 and 2008 to an academic Level 1 trauma centre were retrospectively reviewed. Inter and intrarater reliability were expressed in Cohen's or weighted Kappa values. Overall weighted interobserver Kappa coefficients for the AAST and 'Baltimore CT grading system' were respectively substantial (kappa=0.80) and almost perfect (kappa=0.85). Average weighted intraobserver Kappa's values were in the 'almost perfect' range (AAST: kappa=0.91, 'Baltimore CT grading system': kappa=0.81). The present study shows that overall the inter- and intraobserver reliability for grading splenic injury according to the AAST grading system and 'Baltimore CT grading system' are equally high. Because of the integration of vascular injury, the 'Baltimore CT grading system' supports clinical decision making. We therefore recommend use of this system in the classification of splenic injury. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

40 CFR 63.601 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... rendering that product suitable for industrial, manufacturing or food grade uses. Research and development facility means research or laboratory operations whose primary purpose is to conduct research and...

40 CFR 63.601 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... rendering that product suitable for industrial, manufacturing or food grade uses. Research and development facility means research or laboratory operations whose primary purpose is to conduct research and...

40 CFR 63.601 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... rendering that product suitable for industrial, manufacturing or food grade uses. Research and development facility means research or laboratory operations whose primary purpose is to conduct research and...

Can current analytical quality performance of UK clinical laboratories support evidence-based guidelines for diabetes and ischaemic heart disease?--A pilot study and a proposal.

PubMed

Jassam, Nuthar; Yundt-Pacheco, John; Jansen, Rob; Thomas, Annette; Barth, Julian H

2013-08-01

The implementation of national and international guidelines is beginning to standardise clinical practice. However, since many guidelines have decision limits based on laboratory tests, there is an urgent need to ensure that different laboratories obtain the same analytical result on any sample. A scientifically-based quality control process will be a pre-requisite to provide this level of analytical performance which will support evidence-based guidelines and movement of patients across boundaries while maintaining standardised outcomes. We discuss the finding of a pilot study performed to assess UK clinical laboratories readiness to work to a higher grade quality specifications such as biological variation-based quality specifications. Internal quality control (IQC) data for HbA1c, glucose, creatinine, cholesterol and high density lipoprotein (HDL)-cholesterol were collected from UK laboratories participating in the Bio-Rad Unity QC programme. The median of the coefficient of variation (CV%) of the participating laboratories was evaluated against the CV% based on biological variation. Except creatinine, the other four analytes had a variable degree of compliance with the biological variation-based quality specifications. More than 75% of the laboratories met the biological variation-based quality specifications for glucose, cholesterol and HDL-cholesterol. Slightly over 50% of the laboratories met the analytical goal for HBA1c. Only one analyte (cholesterol) had a performance achieving the higher quality specifications consistent with 5σ. Our data from IQC do not consistently demonstrate that the results from clinical laboratories meet evidence-based quality specifications. Therefore, we propose that a graded scale of quality specifications may be needed at this stage.

Alternative Grading Systems. The Practitioner, Vol. III, No. 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Leonibus, Nancy; Thomson, Scott

After examining some of the pros and cons of traditional grading, the demands colleges make on grading practices, and the responses of people interested in grading, a number of examples of operating alternative systems are given. The alternatives include a dual (pass/withdraw grading in some courses, traditional grading in others) system, a…

Clinical value of Xenopus kinesin-like protein 2 as a prognostic marker in patients with digestive system cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

PubMed

Wang, Gang; Wang, Qian; Li, Zhengyan; Liu, Chaoxu; He, Xianli

2018-01-01

Xenopus kinesin-like protein 2 (TPX2) is a microtubule-associated protein that plays an important role in spindle assembly and dynamics. However, the clinical and prognostic value of TPX2 in the digestive system cancers remains unclear. The objective of this review was to evaluate the association of TPX2 expression with disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and clinicopathological features of digestive system cancers. The software Stata 12.0 was used to analyze the outcomes, including OS, disease-free survival (DFS), and clinicopathological characteristics. A total of 10 eligible studies with 906 patients were included. Elevated TPX2 expression was significantly associated with poor DFS (pooled hazard ratio [HR] =2.48, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.96-3.13) and OS (pooled HR =2.66, 95% CI: 2.04-3.48) of digestive system malignancies. Subgroup analyses showed that cancer type, sample size, study quality, and laboratory detection methods did not alter the significant prognostic value of TPX2. Additionally, TPX2 expression was found to be an independent predictive factor for DFS (HR =2.31, 95% CI: 1.78-3.01). TPX2 expression might be associated with TNM stage and pathological grade in digestive system cancer. In conclusion, TPX2 is an independent prognostic factor for survival of patients with digestive system cancer. Furthermore, its overexpression is associated with TNM stage and pathological grade in digestive system cancer.

Clinical value of Xenopus kinesin-like protein 2 as a prognostic marker in patients with digestive system cancers: a systematic review and meta-analysis

PubMed Central

Liu, Chaoxu; He, Xianli

2018-01-01

Xenopus kinesin-like protein 2 (TPX2) is a microtubule-associated protein that plays an important role in spindle assembly and dynamics. However, the clinical and prognostic value of TPX2 in the digestive system cancers remains unclear. The objective of this review was to evaluate the association of TPX2 expression with disease-free survival (DFS), overall survival (OS), and clinicopathological features of digestive system cancers. The software Stata 12.0 was used to analyze the outcomes, including OS, disease-free survival (DFS), and clinicopathological characteristics. A total of 10 eligible studies with 906 patients were included. Elevated TPX2 expression was significantly associated with poor DFS (pooled hazard ratio [HR] =2.48, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.96–3.13) and OS (pooled HR =2.66, 95% CI: 2.04–3.48) of digestive system malignancies. Subgroup analyses showed that cancer type, sample size, study quality, and laboratory detection methods did not alter the significant prognostic value of TPX2. Additionally, TPX2 expression was found to be an independent predictive factor for DFS (HR =2.31, 95% CI: 1.78–3.01). TPX2 expression might be associated with TNM stage and pathological grade in digestive system cancer. In conclusion, TPX2 is an independent prognostic factor for survival of patients with digestive system cancer. Furthermore, its overexpression is associated with TNM stage and pathological grade in digestive system cancer. PMID:29551902

The Impact of Internet Virtual Physics Laboratory Instruction on the Achievement in Physics, Science Process Skills and Computer Attitudes of 10th-Grade Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Kun-Yuan; Heh, Jia-Sheng

2007-10-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate and compare the impact of Internet Virtual Physics Laboratory (IVPL) instruction with traditional laboratory instruction in physics academic achievement, performance of science process skills, and computer attitudes of tenth grade students. One-hundred and fifty students from four classes at one private senior high school in Taoyuan Country, Taiwan, R.O.C. were sampled. All four classes contained 75 students who were equally divided into an experimental group and a control group. The pre-test results indicated that the students' entry-level physics academic achievement, science process skills, and computer attitudes were equal for both groups. On the post-test, the experimental group achieved significantly higher mean scores in physics academic achievement and science process skills. There was no significant difference in computer attitudes between the groups. We concluded that the IVPL had potential to help tenth graders improve their physics academic achievement and science process skills.

Quantifying VOC emissions from polymers: A case study

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

Schulze, J.K.; Qasem, J.S.; Snoddy, R.

1996-12-31

Evaluating residual volatile organic compound emissions emanating from low-density polyethylene can pose significant challenges. These challenges include quantifying emissions from: (a) multiple process lines with different operating conditions; (b) several different comonomers; (c) variations of comonomer content in each grade; and (d) over 120 grades of LDPE. This presentation is a Case Study outlining a project to develop grade-specific emission data for low-density polyethylene pellets. This study included extensive laboratory analyses and required the development of a relational database to compile analytical results, calculate the mean concentration and standard deviation, and generate emissions reports.

Validation of a two-tier grading system in an unselected, consecutive cohort of serous ovarian cancer patients.

PubMed

Battista, Marco Johannes; Cotarelo, Cristina; Almstedt, Katrin; Heimes, Anne-Sophie; Makris, Georgios-Marios; Weyer, Veronika; Schmidt, Marcus

2016-09-01

New insights into the carcinogenesis of ovarian cancer (OC) lead to the definition of low-grade and high-grade serous OC. In this study, we validated the MD Anderson Cancer Center (MDACC) two-tier grading system and compared it with the traditional three-tier grading system as suggested by the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO). Consecutive patients with serous OC were enrolled. These two grading systems were assessed independently from each other. Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox-regression analyses were performed to validate and compare their prognostic impact. 143 consecutive patients entered the study. According to the Kaplan-Meier estimates, the MDACC grading system (p = 0.001) predicted the progression free survival (PFS) more precisely than the FIGO system (p = 0.025). The MDACC grading system (p = 0.008) but not the FIGO system (p = 0.329) showed a statistically significant difference in terms of disease specific survival (DSS). Multivariable Cox-regression analyses revealed an independent prognostic impact of the MDACC grading system but not of the FIGO system for PFS (HR 1.570; 95 % CI 1.007-2.449; p = 0.047, and HR 0.712; 95 % CI 0.476-1.066; p = 0.099, respectively). Concerning DSS, the two-tier grading system but not the FIGO system showed a prognostic impact in a univariable Cox-regression analysis (HR 2.152; 95 % CI 1.207-3.835; p = 0.009, and HR 1.258; 95 % CI 0.801-1.975; p = 0.319, respectively). We were able to validate the MDACC grading system in serous OC. Moreover, this grading system was stronger associated with survival than the FIGO system.

KSC-2011-7899

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-17

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission, secured to a turning fixture, is positioned on the radioisotope power system integration cart (RIC). The MMRTG will be installed on the Curiosity rover with the aid of the RIC. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Curiosity, MSL's car-sized rover, has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: Department of Energy/Idaho National Laboratory

3. "LAUNCH SILOS; AREA PAVING AND GRADING PLAN." Specifications No. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

3. "LAUNCH SILOS; AREA PAVING AND GRADING PLAN." Specifications No. ENG-04-353-59-73; Drawing No. 5841C-11; D.O. SERIES AW-1525/17; Stamped: RECORD DRAWING AS CONSTRUCTED. Below stamp: Contract No. 6601, Date 18 Sep 59. - Edwards Air Force Base, Air Force Rocket Propulsion Laboratory, Missile Silo Type, Test Area 1-100, northeast end of Test Area 1-100 Road, Boron, Kern County, CA

A&M. Grading and drainage plan. Shows natural ground elevation of ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

A&M. Grading and drainage plan. Shows natural ground elevation of the (presumed) dry lake-bed shore and berm shielding the administrative area from the hot shop area. Ralph M. Parsons 902-2&3-ANP-U 4. Date: December 1953. Approved by INEEL Classification Office for public release. INEEL code no. 032-0000-00-693-106691 - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Test Area North, Scoville, Butte County, ID

PROCESS WATER BUILDING, TRA605. SECTIONS B, C AND D SHOW ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

PROCESS WATER BUILDING, TRA-605. SECTIONS B, C AND D SHOW RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN FLASH EVAPORATORS (ABOVE) AND SEAL AND SUMP TANKS (BELOW). BASEMENT FLOOR IS BELOW GRADE; FIRST FLOOR, ABOVE GRADE. SHIELDING TOLERANCES. BLAW-KNOX 3150-5-7, 8/1950. INL INDEX NO. 531-605-00-098-100012, REV. 2. - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Test Reactor Area, Materials & Engineering Test Reactors, Scoville, Butte County, ID

Mathematics Applied to Novel Situations (MANS) Test Data. Third Grade. Evaluation Report 4-B-2. Extended Pilot Trial of the Comprehensive School Mathematics Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dougherty, Knowles; Herbert, Martin

The Comprehensive School Mathematics Program (CSMP) is a program of CEMREL, Inc., one of the national educational laboratories, and was funded by the National Institute of Education (NIE). Its major purpose is the development of curriculum materials for the elementary grades. Beginning in 1973, CSMP ran an extended pilot trial of its elementary…

Effectiveness of Podcasts Delivered on Mobile Devices as a Support for Student Learning During General Chemistry Laboratories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powell, Cynthia B.; Mason, Diana S.

2013-04-01

Chemistry instructors in teaching laboratories provide expert modeling of techniques and cognitive processes and provide assistance to enrolled students that may be described as scaffolding interaction. Such student support is particularly essential in laboratories taught with an inquiry-based curriculum. In a teaching laboratory with a high instructor-to-student ratio, mobile devices can provide a platform for expert modeling and scaffolding during the laboratory sessions. This research study provides data collected on the effectiveness of podcasts delivered as needed in a first-semester general chemistry laboratory setting. Podcasts with audio and visual tracks covering essential laboratory techniques and central concepts that aid in experimental design or data processing were prepared and made available for students to access on an as-needed basis on iPhones® or iPod touches®. Research focused in three areas: the extent of podcast usage, the numbers and types of interactions between instructors and student laboratory teams, and student performance on graded assignments. Data analysis indicates that on average the podcast treatment laboratory teams accessed a podcast 2.86 times during the laboratory period during each week that podcasts were available. Comparison of interaction data for the lecture treatment laboratory teams and podcast treatment laboratory teams reveals that scaffolding interactions with instructors were statistically significantly fewer for teams that had podcast access rather than a pre-laboratory lecture. The implication of the results is that student laboratory teams were able to gather laboratory information more effectively when it was presented in an on-demand podcast format than in a pre-laboratory lecture format. Finally, statistical analysis of data on student performance on graded assignments indicates no significant differences between outcome measures for the treatment groups when compared as cohorts. The only statistically significant difference is between students who demonstrated a high level of class participation in the concurrent general chemistry lecture course; for this sub-group the students in the podcast treatment group earned a course average that was statistically significantly higher than those in the lecture treatment group.

A Review of Commercial and Medical-Grade Physiological Monitoring Devices for Biofeedback-Assisted Quality of Life Improvement Studies.

PubMed

Nogueira, Pedro; Urbano, Joana; Reis, Luís Paulo; Cardoso, Henrique Lopes; Silva, Daniel Castro; Rocha, Ana Paula; Gonçalves, Joaquim; Faria, Brígida Mónica

2018-04-17

With the rise in wearable technology and "health culture", we are seeing an increasing interest and affordances in studying how to not only prolong life expectancy but also in how to improve individuals' quality of life. On the one hand, this attempts to give meaning to the increasing life expectancy, as living above a certain threshold of pain and lack of autonomy or mobility is both degrading and unfair. On the other hand, it lowers the cost of continuous care, as individuals with high quality of life indexes tend to have lower hospital readmissions or secondary complications, not to mention higher physical and mental health. In this paper, we evaluate the current state of the art in physiological therapy (biofeedback) along with the existing medical grade and consumer grade hardware for physiological research. We provide a quick primer on the most commonly monitored physiologic metrics, as well as a brief discussion on the current state of the art in biofeedback-assisted medical applications. We then go on to present a comparative analysis between medical and consumer grade biofeedback devices and discuss the hardware specifications and potential practical applications of each consumer grade device in terms of functionality and adaptability for controlled (laboratory) and uncontrolled (field) studies. We end this article with some empirical observations based on our study so that readers might use take them into consideration when arranging a laboratory or real-world experience, thus avoiding costly time delays and material expenditures.

Radon emanation from low-grade uranium ore.

PubMed

Sahu, Patitapaban; Mishra, Devi Prasad; Panigrahi, Durga Charan; Jha, Vivekanand; Patnaik, R Lokeswara

2013-12-01

Estimation of radon emanation in uranium mines is given top priority to minimize the risk of inhalation exposure due to short-lived radon progeny. This paper describes the radon emanation studies conducted in the laboratory as well as inside an operating underground uranium mine at Jaduguda, India. Some of the important parameters, such as grade/(226)Ra activity, moisture content, bulk density, porosity and emanation fraction of ore, governing the migration of radon through the ore were determined. Emanation from the ore samples in terms of emanation rate and emanation fraction was measured in the laboratory under airtight condition in glass jar. The in situ radon emanation rate inside the mine was measured from drill holes made in the ore body. The in situ(222)Rn emanation rate from the mine walls varied in the range of 0.22-51.84 × 10(-3) Bq m(-2) s(-1) with the geometric mean of 8.68 × 10(-3) Bq m(-2) s(-1). A significant positive linear correlation (r = 0.99, p < 0.001) between in situ(222)Rn emanation rate and the ore grade was observed. The emanation fraction of the ore samples, which varied in the range of 0.004-0.089 with mean value of 0.025 ± 0.02, showed poor correlation with ore grade and porosity. Empirical relationships between radon emanation rate and the ore grade/(226)Ra were also established for quick prediction of radon emanation rate from the ore body. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A College-Sponsored Laboratory Skills Contest for High-School Students: A Ten-Year Retrospective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Last, Arthur M.; Ablog, Aileen; Millar, Shawn; von Hollen, Gordon; Webb, Jane; Dyck, Shawna

2007-01-01

Over the past ten years, the Department of Chemistry at the University College of the Fraser Valley has sponsored an annual laboratory skills contest for local Grade 12 high-school students as part of its Chemistry Week celebrations. The organizational details of the contest, its objectives, successes, and short-comings are discussed. (Contains 1…

The Effect of Combining Analogy-Based Simulation and Laboratory Activities on Turkish Elementary School Students' Understanding of Simple Electric Circuits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Unlu, Zeynep Koyunlu; Dokme, Ibilge

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether the combination of both analogy-based simulation and laboratory activities as a teaching tool was more effective than utilizing them separately in teaching the concepts of simple electricity. The quasi-experimental design that involved 66 seventh grade students from urban Turkish elementary…

Comparison of a Gross Anatomy Laboratory to Online Anatomy Software for Teaching Anatomy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathiowetz, Virgil; Yu, Chih-Huang; Quake-Rapp, Cindee

2016-01-01

This study was designed to assess the grades, self-perceived learning, and satisfaction between occupational therapy students who used a gross anatomy laboratory versus online anatomy software (AnatomyTV) as tools to learn anatomy at a large public university and a satellite campus in the mid-western United States. The goal was to determine if…

Evaluation of Title I Program, Community School Distrlct 31, New York City. 1978-79 School Year. Final Report, E.D.L. Reading Lab.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knight, Michael E.

This program was designed to improve reading skills and to provide intensive remediation for students in grades six through nine. Specialized materials and equipment were provided by Educational Development Laboratories (EDL). The EDL Reading Laboratory utilized the Learning 100 program, a multi-modality developmental and remedial program. Small…

Blood Circulation Laboratory Investigations with Video Are Less Investigative than Instructional Blood Circulation Laboratories with Live Organisms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoover, Mildred A.; Pelaez, Nancy J.

2008-01-01

Live organisms versus digital video of the organisms were used to challenge students' naive ideas and misconceptions about blood, the heart, and circulatory patterns. Three faculty members taught 259 grade 10 biology students in a California high school with students from diverse ethnolinguistic groups who were divided into 5 classes using…

The Arithmetical Machine Zero + 1 in Mathematics Laboratory: Instrumental Genesis and Semiotic Mediation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maschietto, Michela

2015-01-01

This paper presents the analysis of two teaching experiments carried out in the context of the mathematics laboratory in a primary school (grades 3 and 4) with the use of the pascaline Zero + 1, an arithmetical machine. The teaching experiments are analysed by coordinating two theoretical frameworks, i.e. the instrumental approach and the Theory…

Weighing serological evidence of human exposure to animal influenza viruses - a literature review.

PubMed

Sikkema, Reina Saapke; Freidl, Gudrun Stephanie; de Bruin, Erwin; Koopmans, Marion

2016-11-03

Assessing influenza A virus strains circulating in animals and their potential to cross the species barrier and cause human infections is important to improve human influenza surveillance and preparedness. We reviewed studies describing serological evidence of human exposure to animal influenza viruses. Comparing serological data is difficult due to a lack of standardisation in study designs and in laboratory methods used in published reports. Therefore, we designed a scoring system to assess and weigh specificity of obtained serology results in the selected articles. Many studies report reliable evidence of antibodies to swine influenza viruses among persons occupationally exposed to pigs. Most avian influenza studies target H5, H7 and H9 subtypes and most serological evidence of human exposure to avian influenza viruses is reported for these subtypes. Avian influenza studies receiving a low grade in this review often reported higher seroprevalences in humans compared with studies with a high grade. Official surveillance systems mainly focus on avian H5 and H7 viruses. Swine influenza viruses and avian subtypes other than H5 and H7 (emphasising H9) should be additionally included in official surveillance systems. Surveillance efforts should also be directed towards understudied geographical areas, such as Africa and South America. This article is copyright of The Authors, 2016.

Weighing serological evidence of human exposure to animal influenza viruses − a literature review

PubMed Central

Sikkema, Reina Saapke; Freidl, Gudrun Stephanie; de Bruin, Erwin; Koopmans, Marion

2016-01-01

Assessing influenza A virus strains circulating in animals and their potential to cross the species barrier and cause human infections is important to improve human influenza surveillance and preparedness. We reviewed studies describing serological evidence of human exposure to animal influenza viruses. Comparing serological data is difficult due to a lack of standardisation in study designs and in laboratory methods used in published reports. Therefore, we designed a scoring system to assess and weigh specificity of obtained serology results in the selected articles. Many studies report reliable evidence of antibodies to swine influenza viruses among persons occupationally exposed to pigs. Most avian influenza studies target H5, H7 and H9 subtypes and most serological evidence of human exposure to avian influenza viruses is reported for these subtypes. Avian influenza studies receiving a low grade in this review often reported higher seroprevalences in humans compared with studies with a high grade. Official surveillance systems mainly focus on avian H5 and H7 viruses. Swine influenza viruses and avian subtypes other than H5 and H7 (emphasising H9) should be additionally included in official surveillance systems. Surveillance efforts should also be directed towards understudied geographical areas, such as Africa and South America. PMID:27874827

Geometric Calibration and Validation of Ultracam Aerial Sensors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gruber, Michael; Schachinger, Bernhard; Muick, Marc; Neuner, Christian; Tschemmernegg, Helfried

2016-03-01

We present details of the calibration and validation procedure of UltraCam Aerial Camera systems. Results from the laboratory calibration and from validation flights are presented for both, the large format nadir cameras and the oblique cameras as well. Thus in this contribution we show results from the UltraCam Eagle and the UltraCam Falcon, both nadir mapping cameras, and the UltraCam Osprey, our oblique camera system. This sensor offers a mapping grade nadir component together with the four oblique camera heads. The geometric processing after the flight mission is being covered by the UltraMap software product. Thus we present details about the workflow as well. The first part consists of the initial post-processing which combines image information as well as camera parameters derived from the laboratory calibration. The second part, the traditional automated aerial triangulation (AAT) is the step from single images to blocks and enables an additional optimization process. We also present some special features of our software, which are designed to better support the operator to analyze large blocks of aerial images and to judge the quality of the photogrammetric set-up.

Why Students Fail at Volumetric Analysis.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pickering, Miles

1979-01-01

Investigates the reasons for students' failure in an introductory volumetric analysis course by analyzing test papers and judging them against a hypothetical ideal method of grading laboratory techniques. (GA)

Creating a Clinical Video-Conferencing Facility in a Security-Constrained Environment Using Open-Source AccessGrid Software and Consumer Hardware

PubMed Central

Terrazas, Enrique; Hamill, Timothy R.; Wang, Ye; Channing Rodgers, R. P.

2007-01-01

The Department of Laboratory Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) has been split into widely separated facilities, leading to much time being spent traveling between facilities for meetings. We installed an open-source AccessGrid multi-media-conferencing system using (largely) consumer-grade equipment, connecting 6 sites at 5 separate facilities. The system was accepted rapidly and enthusiastically, and was inexpensive compared to alternative approaches. Security was addressed by aspects of the AG software and by local network administrative practices. The chief obstacles to deployment arose from security restrictions imposed by multiple independent network administration regimes, requiring a drastically reduced list of network ports employed by AG components. PMID:18693930

Creating a clinical video-conferencing facility in a security-constrained environment using open-source AccessGrid software and consumer hardware.

PubMed

Terrazas, Enrique; Hamill, Timothy R; Wang, Ye; Channing Rodgers, R P

2007-10-11

The Department of Laboratory Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) has been split into widely separated facilities, leading to much time being spent traveling between facilities for meetings. We installed an open-source AccessGrid multi-media-conferencing system using (largely) consumer-grade equipment, connecting 6 sites at 5 separate facilities. The system was accepted rapidly and enthusiastically, and was inexpensive compared to alternative approaches. Security was addressed by aspects of the AG software and by local network administrative practices. The chief obstacles to deployment arose from security restrictions imposed by multiple independent network administration regimes, requiring a drastically reduced list of network ports employed by AG components.

Research and Development on the Storage Ring Vacuum System for the APS Upgrade Project

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

Stillwell, B.; Brajuskovic, B.; Carter, J.

A number of research and development activities are underway at Argonne National Laboratory to build confidence in the designs for the storage ring vacuum system required for the Advanced Photon Source Up-grade project (APS-U) [1]. The predominant technical risks are: excessive residual gas pressures during operation; insufficient beam position monitor stability; excessive beam impedance; excessive heating by induced electrical surface currents; and insufficient operational reliability. Present efforts to mitigate these risks include: building and evaluating mockup assemblies; performing mechanical testing of chamber weld joints; developing computational tools; investigating design alternatives; and performing electrical bench measurements. Status of these activities andmore » some of what has been learned to date will be shared.« less

A Machine Vision System for Automatically Grading Hardwood Lumber - (Proceedings)

Treesearch

Richard W. Conners; Tai-Hoon Cho; Chong T. Ng; Thomas H. Drayer; Joe G. Tront; Philip A. Araman; Robert L. Brisbon

1990-01-01

Any automatic system for grading hardwood lumber can conceptually be divided into two components. One of these is a machine vision system for locating and identifying grading defects. The other is an automatic grading program that accepts as input the output of the machine vision system and, based on these data, determines the grade of a board. The progress that has...

Assessment of student learning with hypermedia tools in first-year college chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skov, Neil Martin

Learning chemistry is difficult for some students. In response to this difficulty, many educators argue that hypermedia technology can promote learning of abstract chemistry concepts. This research assesses learning outcomes and use patterns exhibited by first-year college general chemistry students using an instructional hypermedia system called Seeing Through Chemistry (STC) as part of their first course. STC was designed to help students with inadequate preparation for college chemistry. The assessment answers two questions: (a) do students learn from instructional hypermedia, and (b) what kind of students benefit from this medium? This non-experimental, quantitative research involved 82 student volunteers in their first college chemistry course. Data include SAT scores, high school science and mathematics grades, career orientation, chemistry placement score, motivation, laboratory and lecture section enrollment, and chemistry course grade. The investigation requires two specialized assessment tools: a measure of conceptual understanding of acids and bases, and a measure of cognitive engagement with hypermedia. Data analysis methods include two causal path models to examine hypermedia use and learning outcomes: one showing STC's effect on overall chemistry course performance, and the other demonstrating the effect of a single STC module on students' conceptual knowledge of acids and bases. Though there is no significant effect on course grade, the second analysis shows statistically significant learning from students' work with instructional hypermedia. Both causal models demonstrate that students with poorer preparation for college chemistry used STC more than students with better preparation, which matches the designers' intent. Some better prepared students were relatively more motivated to use the hypermedia system. Other findings show positive effects of high school science and college laboratory coursework on concept learning. This research informs the field of hypermedia design. Since STC's developers used particular parameters to guide their design, the medium's positive effect on learning indirectly supports the underlying design parameters. This research also demonstrates an effective method for assessing hypermedia learning in large course settings. In addition, the study exhibits a new tool for investigating conceptual understandings of large numbers of students, and a new way to measure cognitive engagement of students using instructional hypermedia.

Microstructures and Mechanical Properties of as-Drawn and Laboratory Annealed Pearlitic Steel Wires

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Durgaprasad, A.; Giri, S.; Lenka, S.; Kundu, S.; Mishra, S.; Chandra, S.; Doherty, R. D.; Samajdar, I.

2017-10-01

Near eutectoid fully pearlitic wire rod (5.5 mm diameter) was taken through six stages of wire drawing (drawing strains of 0 to 2.47). The as-drawn (AD) wires were further laboratory annealed (LA) to re-austenitize and reform the pearlite. AD and LA grades, for respective wire diameters, had similar pearlite microstructure: interlamellar spacing ( λ) and pearlite alignment with the wire axis. However, LA grade had lower hardness (for both phases) and slightly lower fiber texture and residual stresses in ferrite. Surprisingly, essentially identical tensile yield strengths in AD and LA wires, measured at equivalent spacing, were found. The work hardened AD had, as expected, higher torsional yield strengths and lower tensile and torsional ductilities than LA. In both wires, stronger pearlite alignment gave significantly increased torsional ductility.

Accuracy and precision of a custom camera-based system for 2D and 3D motion tracking during speech and nonspeech motor tasks

PubMed Central

Feng, Yongqiang; Max, Ludo

2014-01-01

Purpose Studying normal or disordered motor control requires accurate motion tracking of the effectors (e.g., orofacial structures). The cost of electromagnetic, optoelectronic, and ultrasound systems is prohibitive for many laboratories, and limits clinical applications. For external movements (lips, jaw), video-based systems may be a viable alternative, provided that they offer high temporal resolution and sub-millimeter accuracy. Method We examined the accuracy and precision of 2D and 3D data recorded with a system that combines consumer-grade digital cameras capturing 60, 120, or 240 frames per second (fps), retro-reflective markers, commercially-available computer software (APAS, Ariel Dynamics), and a custom calibration device. Results Overall mean error (RMSE) across tests was 0.15 mm for static tracking and 0.26 mm for dynamic tracking, with corresponding precision (SD) values of 0.11 and 0.19 mm, respectively. The effect of frame rate varied across conditions, but, generally, accuracy was reduced at 240 fps. The effect of marker size (3 vs. 6 mm diameter) was negligible at all frame rates for both 2D and 3D data. Conclusion Motion tracking with consumer-grade digital cameras and the APAS software can achieve sub-millimeter accuracy at frame rates that are appropriate for kinematic analyses of lip/jaw movements for both research and clinical purposes. PMID:24686484

Design and evaluation of a field study on the contamination of selected volatile organic compounds and wastewater-indicator compounds in blanks and groundwater samples

USGS Publications Warehouse

Thiros, Susan A.; Bender, David A.; Mueller, David K.; Rose, Donna L.; Olsen, Lisa D.; Martin, Jeffrey D.; Bernard, Bruce; Zogorski, John S.

2011-01-01

The Field Contamination Study (FCS) was designed to determine the field processes that tend to result in clean field blanks and to identify potential sources of contamination to blanks collected in the field from selected volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and wastewater-indicator compounds (WICs). The VOCs and WICs analyzed in the FCS were detected in blanks collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program during 1996–2008 and 2002–08, respectively. To minimize the number of variables, the study required ordering of supplies just before sampling, storage of supplies and equipment in clean areas, and use of adequate amounts of purge-and-trap volatile-grade methanol and volatile pesticide-grade blank water (VPBW) to clean sampling equipment and to collect field blanks.Blanks and groundwater samples were collected during 2008–09 at 16 sites, which were a mix of water-supply and monitoring wells, located in 9 States. Five different sample types were collected for the FCS at each site: (1) a source-solution blank collected at the USGS National Water Quality Laboratory (NWQL) using laboratory-purged VPBW, (2) source-solution blanks collected in the field using laboratory-purged VPBW, (3) source-solution blanks collected in the field using field-purged VPBW, (4) a field blank collected using field-purged VPBW, and (5) a groundwater sample collected from a well. The source-solution blank and field-blank analyses were used to identify, quantify, and document extrinsic contamination and to help determine the sources and causes of data-quality problems that can affect groundwater samples.Concentrations of compounds detected in FCS analyses were quantified and results were stored in the USGS National Water Information System database after meeting rigorous identification and quantification criteria. The study also utilized information provided by laboratory analysts about evidence indicating the presence of selected compounds, using less rigorous identification criteria than is required for reporting data to the National Water Information System database. For the FCS, these data are considered adequate to indicate "evidence of presence," and were used only for diagnostic purposes. Evidence of VOCs and WICs at low concentrations near or less than the long-term method detection level can indicate a contamination problem that could affect future datasets if method detection levels were ever to be lowered.

A Machine Vision System for Automatically Grading Hardwood Lumber - (Industrial Metrology)

Treesearch

Richard W. Conners; Tai-Hoon Cho; Chong T. Ng; Thomas T. Drayer; Philip A. Araman; Robert L. Brisbon

1992-01-01

Any automatic system for grading hardwood lumber can conceptually be divided into two components. One of these is a machine vision system for locating and identifying grading defects. The other is an automatic grading program that accepts as input the output of the machine vision system and, based on these data, determines the grade of a board. The progress that has...

Audit of cytology of upper urinary tract.

PubMed

Malta, F; Lenos, M; Leotsakos, I; Katafigiotis, I; Gakiopoulou, H; Constantinides, C; Mikou, P

2016-10-01

Cytology is an essential tool for the investigation of urinary tract malignancy. In this audit, we aimed to assess our laboratory performance in the diagnosis of upper urinary tract malignancy and to use the information provided to improve our service. We retrieved cytology reports of upper urinary tract specimens from two periods, re-evaluated the cases, compared the reports with histology data and estimated the sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive value (PPV). In the time interval between the two periods, we adopted new terminology, established better communication with clinicians and gained experience in the field. Finally, the data from the two periods were compared. In phase A, we estimated a sensitivity of 73%, specificity of 86% and PPV of 84.6%. As a result of the cytological re-evaluation, correlation with histology and clinical follow-up, plus communication with the clinicians during the audit, we established new terminology and a new request form. A three tiered grading system of atypia (mild, moderate and severe) was replaced by a two tiered grading system. The first category "atypia probably benign" corresponded to "mild atypia" while the second category "atypia, not otherwise specified" corresponded to "moderate atypia". The cases diagnosed as "severe atypia" were reclassified as "suspicious for malignancy". In phase B, the sensitivity, specificity and PPV were 75%, 89% and 90%, respectively. Our laboratory performance is in concordance with reported data and has been improved through this study. The audit process is extremely valuable for the identification of problems, for taking action and, finally, for the improvement of the clinical cytology service in the field of upper urinary tract malignancy. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Pero Vaz de Caminha: an-interchange program for quality control between Brazil and Portugal.

PubMed

Utagawa, Maria Lúcia; di Loreto, Celso; de Freitas, Cristina; Milanezi, Fernanda; Longatto Filho, Adhemar; Pereira, Sónia Maria Miranda; Maeda, Marina Yoshiê Sakamoto; Schmitt, Fernando C

2006-01-01

To start an interexchange program for quality control in cervical cytology and discuss conceptual criteria for diagnosis. Slides were selected in the archives of the 2 institutes and included cases with unsatisfactory, negative and positive results. Sets of slides were changed between the partners every 3 months. At the end of each year a senior cytopathologist was invited to discuss the major discrepancies found in the study. A total of 1,041 cases were analyzed. Full concordance was obtained in 74.4% (774) of cases and discrepancies in 25.6% (267 cases). Full agreement was achieved in 276 (39%) of 707 cases categorized as negative. In 421 negative cases from laboratory A, this concordance represents 65.5% and 96.5% for laboratory B, which submitted 286 negative cases. The main discordance was the high number of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance cases: 3.1% for A and 128 (33.2%) for B. Samples with discrepancies related to the quality of the material was another controversial issue: of 16 cases from laboratory A, 6 (37.5%) unsatisfactory cases were the same and 10 (62.5%) different. Laboratory B presented 20 unsatisfactory cases, and 14 (70.0%) had other diagnoses. Low grade squamous intraepithelial lesion and high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion concordance ranged from 75% to 80%, and invasive carcinoma has 4 discordances (28.5%), 3 previously screened as high grade squamous intraepithelial lesion and 1 as atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance. The kappa value obtained was 0.65, indicating substantial agreement. Our results indicated that atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance diagnoses are the crucial point of controversies and concern the quality of routine diagnosis in cytopathology.

[Prostate cancer. Part 2: Review of the various tumor grading systems over the years 1966-2015 and future perspectives of the new grading of the International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP)].

PubMed

Helpap, B; Bubendorf, L; Kristiansen, G

2016-02-01

The continued development of methods in needle biopsies and radical prostatectomy for treatment of prostate cancer has given special emphasis to the question of the prognostic relevance of the various systems of grading. The classical purely histological grading system of Gleason has been modified several times in the past decades and cleared the way for a new grading system by the prognostic grading of Epstein. Assessment of the old and also modified combined histological and cytological grading of Mostofi, the World health Organization (WHO) and the urologic-pathological working group of prostate cancer in connection with the Gleason grading (combined Gleason-Helpap grading), has led to considerably improved rates of concordance between biopsy and radical prostatectomy and to improved estimations of prognosis beside its contribution to the development of a more practicable grading system for clinical use.

Education and Outreach with the Northwest Indiana Robotic Telescope

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rengstorf, Adam W.; Slavin, S. D.

2011-01-01

The Northwest Indiana Robotic (NIRo) Telescope is being used to completely revise the introductory astronomy laboratory experiments at Purdue University Calumet (PUC). The NIRo telescope is a new 20-inch RC telescope. It was dedicated in Aug 2010, is designed to be operated remotely and/or robotically, and is located 30 miles south of PUC's campus in rural Lake county, IN. A suite of laboratory experiments is being developed and piloted during the 2010-2011 academic year. Lab experiments will progress from introductions to instruments and software, through simple data visualization and analysis, to developing and submitting an observing plan to complete multi-week laboratories. Experiments for both the solar system course and the stars & galaxies are being developed. Students in the solar system course will request and analyze images for such experiments as recreating Aristarchus’ relative size & distance calculations, establishing an observing strategy to monitor the Galilean satellites & determine Jupiter's mass, an ongoing `asteroid hunt', Martian retrograde motion, and Venusian phases. The stars & galaxies course will complete labs on galaxy morphology, eclipsing binaries, building an HR-diagram, cluster aging, and distances to Cepheid variables. The main outreach component is the development of a primary education program. In conjunction with the PUC School of Education and area middle-school science teachers, we are in the process of identifying the subset of laboratory ideas best suited to the State of Indiana Earth & Space Science teaching standards from grades 6 - 8. These laboratories are being developed into finished data products, curricula, and learning modules appropriate for the middle school classroom. The middle school classroom will be able to request observations and retrieve reduced images via an internet portal, currently in development. This project has been funded by NSF award #DUE-0736592.

Inferior turbinate classification system, grades 1 to 4: development and validation study.

PubMed

Camacho, Macario; Zaghi, Soroush; Certal, Victor; Abdullatif, Jose; Means, Casey; Acevedo, Jason; Liu, Stanley; Brietzke, Scott E; Kushida, Clete A; Capasso, Robson

2015-02-01

To develop a validated inferior turbinate grading scale. Development and validation study. Phase 1 development (alpha test) consisted of a proposal of 10 different inferior turbinate grading scales (>1,000 clinic patients). Phase 2 validation (beta test) utilized 10 providers grading 27 standardized endoscopic photos of inferior turbinates using two different classification systems. Phase 3 validation (pilot study) consisted of 100 live consecutive clinic patients (n = 200 inferior turbinates) who were each prospectively graded by 18 different combinations of two independent raters, and grading was repeated by each of the same two raters, two separate times for each patient. In the development phase, 25% (grades 1-4) and 33% (grades 1-4) were the most useful systems. In the validation phase, the 25% classification system was found to be the best balance between potential clinical utility and ability to grade; the photo grading demonstrated a Cohen's kappa (κ) = 0.4671 ± 0.0082 (moderate inter-rater agreement). Live-patient grading with the 25% classification system demonstrated an overall inter-rater reliability of 71.5% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 64.8-77.3), with overall substantial agreement (κ = 0.704 ± 0.028). Intrarater reliability was 91.5% (95% CI: 88.7-94.3). Distribution for the 200 inferior turbinates was as follows: 25% quartile = grade 1, 50% quartile (median) = grade 2, 75% quartile = grade 3, and 90% quartile = grade 4. Mean turbinate size was 2.22 (95% CI: 2.07-2.34; standard deviation 1.02). Categorical κ was as follows: grade 1, 0.8541 ± 0.0289; grade 2, 0.7310 ± 0.0289; grade 3, 0.6997 ± 0.0289, and grade 4, 0.7760 ± 0.0289. The 25% (grades 1-4) inferior turbinate classification system is a validated grading scale with high intrarater and inter-rater reliability. This system can facilitate future research by tracking the effect of interventions on inferior turbinates. 2c. © 2014 The American Laryngological, Rhinological and Otological Society, Inc.

An Intelligent Computerized Stretch Reflex Measurement System For Clinical And Investigative Neurology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flanagan, P. M.; Chutkow, J. G.; Riggs, M. T.; Cristiano, V. D.

1987-05-01

We describe the design of a reliable, user-friendly preprototype system for quantifying the tendon stretch reflexes in humans and large mammals. A hand-held, instrumented reflex gun, the impactor of which contains a single force sensor, interfaces with a computer. The resulting test system can deliver sequences of reproducible stimuli at graded intensities and adjustable durations to a muscle's tendon ("tendon taps"), measure the impacting force of each tap, and record the subsequent reflex muscle contraction from the same tendon -- all automatically. The parameters of the reflex muscle contraction include latency; mechanical threshold; and peak time, peak magnitude, and settling time. The results of clinical tests presented in this paper illustrate the system's potential usefulness in detecting neurologic dysfunction affecting the tendon stretch reflexes, in documenting the course of neurologic illnesses and their response to therapy, and in clinical and laboratory neurologic research.

Does the Beach-Spawning Grunion Eat Its Own Eggs? Eighth Graders Use Inquiry-Based Investigation to Collect Real Data in a University Laboratory

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavanagh, J. William; Martinez, Kimberly M.; Higgins, Benjamin A.; Horn, Michael H.

2014-01-01

A collaborative effort between a junior high school and a nearby university allowed 40 eighth-grade honors students to engage in a scientific investigation within a university laboratory. These students, with their science teachers and university researchers, gathered data on egg cannibalism in a beach-spawning fish and thereby contributed to an…

PARK-IT! Elementary School Land Laboratories in Toledo City Parks. Curriculum Activity Guide, Grades 2-3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DuFour, Marilyn Berry; Courter, Linda Kothera; Garvin, Dennis M.

The project PARK-IT! represents a unique partnership between a public elementary school and a city park in which students and teachers utilize a small naturalized area of the park as a Land Laboratory, and in return become its stewards. The project also includes this curriculum activity guide which can assist teachers in using the Land Lab with…

Developing High School Students' Self-Efficacy and Perceptions about Inquiry and Laboratory Skills through Argument-Driven Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eymur, Guluzar

2018-01-01

The present study investigated how students' self-efficacy changed after participation in four lab investigations that were designed on the basis of a new laboratory instructional strategy, namely, argument-driven inquiry (ADI). The study was conducted with 64 10th grade students from two intact classes in a public high school in the northeast of…

To Compare the Effects of Computer Based Learning and the Laboratory Based Learning on Students' Achievement Regarding Electric Circuits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bayrak, Bekir; Kanli, Uygar; Kandil Ingeç, Sebnem

2007-01-01

In this study, the research problem was: "Is the computer based physics instruction as effective as laboratory intensive physics instruction with regards to academic success on electric circuits 9th grade students?" For this research of experimental quality the design of pre-test and post-test are applied with an experiment and a control…

School Physics Teacher Class Management, Laboratory Practice, Student Engagement, Critical Thinking, Cooperative Learning and Use of Simulations Effects on Student Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Riaz, Muhammad

2015-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine how simulations in physics class, class management, laboratory practice, student engagement, critical thinking, cooperative learning, and use of simulations predicted the percentage of students achieving a grade point average of B or higher and their academic performance as reported by teachers in secondary…

PARK-IT! Elementary School Land Laboratories in Toledo City Parks. Curriculum Activity Guide, Grades K-1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DuFour, Marilyn Berry; Courter, Linda Kothera; Garvin, Dennis M.

The project PARK-IT! represents a unique partnership between a public elementary school and a city park in which students and teachers utilize a small naturalized area of the park as a Land Laboratory, and in return become its stewards. The project also includes this curriculum activity guide which can assist teachers in using the Land Lab with…

Using Laboratory Activities Enhanced with Concept Cartoons to Support Progression in Students' Understanding of Acid-Base Concepts

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozmen, Haluk; Demircioglu, Gokhan; Burhan, Yasemin; Naseriazar, Akbar; Demircioglu, Hulya

2012-01-01

The aim of this study is to examine the effectiveness of an intervention based on a series of laboratory activities enhanced with concept cartoons. The purpose of the intervention was to enhance students' understanding of acid-base chemistry for eight grade students' from two classes in a Turkish primary school. A pretest-posttest non-equivalent…

Techniques and Measurements. Seychelles Integrated Science. [Teacher and Pupil Booklets]. Unit 1.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brophy, M.; Fryars, M.

Seychelles Integrated Science (SIS), a 3-year laboratory-based science program for students (ages 11-15) in upper primary grades 7, 8, and 9, was developed from an extensive evaluation and modification of previous P7-P9 materials. This P7 SIS unit is designed to: (1) introduce students to and familiarize them with working in the school laboratory;…

PARK-IT! Elementary School Land Laboratories in Toledo City Parks. Curriculum Activity Guide, Grades 4-6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

DuFour, Marilyn Berry; Courter, Linda Kothera; Garvin, Dennis M.

The project PARK-IT! represents a unique partnership between a public elementary school and a city park in which students and teachers utilize a small naturalized area of the park as a Land Laboratory, and in return become its stewards. The project also includes this curriculum activity guide which can assist teachers in using the Land Lab with…

EPA GHG certification of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles: Development of road grade profiles representative of US controlled access highways

DOE PAGES

Wood, Eric; Duran, Adam; Kelly, Kenneth

2016-09-27

In collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has conducted a national analysis of road grade characteristics experienced by U.S. medium- and heavy-duty trucks on controlled access highways. These characteristics have been developed using TomTom's commercially available street map and road grade database. Using the TomTom national road grade database, national statistics on road grade and hill distances were generated for the U.S. network of controlled access highways. These statistical distributions were then weighted using data provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for activity of medium- and heavy-dutymore » trucks on controlled access highways. Here, the national activity-weighted road grade and hill distance distributions were then used as targets for development of a handful of sample grade profiles potentially to be used in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Model certification tool as well as in dynamometer testing of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and their powertrains.« less

EPA GHG certification of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles: Development of road grade profiles representative of US controlled access highways

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

Wood, Eric; Duran, Adam; Kelly, Kenneth

In collaboration with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory has conducted a national analysis of road grade characteristics experienced by U.S. medium- and heavy-duty trucks on controlled access highways. These characteristics have been developed using TomTom's commercially available street map and road grade database. Using the TomTom national road grade database, national statistics on road grade and hill distances were generated for the U.S. network of controlled access highways. These statistical distributions were then weighted using data provided by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for activity of medium- and heavy-dutymore » trucks on controlled access highways. Here, the national activity-weighted road grade and hill distance distributions were then used as targets for development of a handful of sample grade profiles potentially to be used in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Greenhouse Gas Emissions Model certification tool as well as in dynamometer testing of medium- and heavy-duty vehicles and their powertrains.« less

Application of laboratory and portable attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopic approaches for rapid quantification of alpaca serum immunoglobulin G

PubMed Central

Burns, Jennifer B.; Riley, Christopher B.; Shaw, R. Anthony; McClure, J. Trenton

2017-01-01

The objective of this study was to develop and compare the performance of laboratory grade and portable attenuated total reflectance infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopic approaches in combination with partial least squares regression (PLSR) for the rapid quantification of alpaca serum IgG concentration, and the identification of low IgG (<1000 mg/dL), which is consistent with the diagnosis of failure of transfer of passive immunity (FTPI) in neonates. Serum samples (n = 175) collected from privately owned, healthy alpacas were tested by the reference method of radial immunodiffusion (RID) assay, and laboratory grade and portable ATR-IR spectrometers. Various pre-processing strategies were applied to the ATR-IR spectra that were linked to corresponding RID-IgG concentrations, and then randomly split into two sets: calibration (training) and test sets. PLSR was applied to the calibration set and calibration models were developed, and the test set was used to assess the accuracy of the analytical method. For the test set, the Pearson correlation coefficients between the IgG measured by RID and predicted by both laboratory grade and portable ATR-IR spectrometers was 0.91. The average differences between reference serum IgG concentrations and the two IR-based methods were 120.5 mg/dL and 71 mg/dL for the laboratory and portable ATR-IR-based assays, respectively. Adopting an IgG concentration <1000 mg/dL as the cut-point for FTPI cases, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for identifying serum samples below this cut point by laboratory ATR-IR assay were 86, 100 and 98%, respectively (within the entire data set). Corresponding values for the portable ATR-IR assay were 95, 99 and 99%, respectively. These results suggest that the two different ATR-IR assays performed similarly for rapid qualitative evaluation of alpaca serum IgG and for diagnosis of IgG <1000 mg/dL, the portable ATR-IR spectrometer performed slightly better, and provides more flexibility for potential application in the field. PMID:28651006

Application of laboratory and portable attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopic approaches for rapid quantification of alpaca serum immunoglobulin G.

PubMed

Elsohaby, Ibrahim; Burns, Jennifer B; Riley, Christopher B; Shaw, R Anthony; McClure, J Trenton

2017-01-01

The objective of this study was to develop and compare the performance of laboratory grade and portable attenuated total reflectance infrared (ATR-IR) spectroscopic approaches in combination with partial least squares regression (PLSR) for the rapid quantification of alpaca serum IgG concentration, and the identification of low IgG (<1000 mg/dL), which is consistent with the diagnosis of failure of transfer of passive immunity (FTPI) in neonates. Serum samples (n = 175) collected from privately owned, healthy alpacas were tested by the reference method of radial immunodiffusion (RID) assay, and laboratory grade and portable ATR-IR spectrometers. Various pre-processing strategies were applied to the ATR-IR spectra that were linked to corresponding RID-IgG concentrations, and then randomly split into two sets: calibration (training) and test sets. PLSR was applied to the calibration set and calibration models were developed, and the test set was used to assess the accuracy of the analytical method. For the test set, the Pearson correlation coefficients between the IgG measured by RID and predicted by both laboratory grade and portable ATR-IR spectrometers was 0.91. The average differences between reference serum IgG concentrations and the two IR-based methods were 120.5 mg/dL and 71 mg/dL for the laboratory and portable ATR-IR-based assays, respectively. Adopting an IgG concentration <1000 mg/dL as the cut-point for FTPI cases, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy for identifying serum samples below this cut point by laboratory ATR-IR assay were 86, 100 and 98%, respectively (within the entire data set). Corresponding values for the portable ATR-IR assay were 95, 99 and 99%, respectively. These results suggest that the two different ATR-IR assays performed similarly for rapid qualitative evaluation of alpaca serum IgG and for diagnosis of IgG <1000 mg/dL, the portable ATR-IR spectrometer performed slightly better, and provides more flexibility for potential application in the field.

B827 Chemical Synthhesis Project - Industrial Control System Integration - Statement of Work & Specification with Attachments 1-14

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

Wade, F. E.

The Chemical Synthesis Pilot Process at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) Site 300 827 Complex will be used to synthesize small quantities of material to support research and development. The project will modernize and increase current capabilities for chemical synthesis at LLNL. The primary objective of this project is the conversion of a non-automated hands-on process to a remoteoperation process, while providing enhanced batch process step control, stored recipe-specific parameter sets, process variable visibility, monitoring, alarm and warning handling, and comprehensive batch record data logging. This Statement of Work and Specification provides the industrial-grade process control requirements for themore » chemical synthesis batching control system, hereafter referred to as the “Control System” to be delivered by the System Integrator.« less

Prospective evaluation of Ki-67 system in histological grading of soft tissue sarcomas in the Japan Clinical Oncology Group Study JCOG0304.

PubMed

Tanaka, Kazuhiro; Hasegawa, Tadashi; Nojima, Takayuki; Oda, Yoshinao; Mizusawa, Junki; Fukuda, Haruhiko; Iwamoto, Yukihide

2016-04-18

The correct clinical staging of soft tissue sarcomas (STS) is critical for the selection of treatments. The staging system consists of histological grade of the tumors and French Federation of Cancer Center (FNCLCC) system based on mitotic count is widely used for the grading. In this study, we compared the validity and usefulness of Ki-67 grading system with FNCLCC system in JCOG0304 trial which investigated the efficacy and safety of perioperative chemotherapy with doxorubicin and ifosfamide for STS. All 70 eligible patients with STS in the extremities treated by perioperative chemotherapy in JCOG0304 were analyzed. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were conducted to investigate an influence on overall survival. The reproducibility of Ki-67 grading system in the histological grading of STS was higher than FNCLCC system (κ = 0.54 [95 % CI 0.39-0.71], and 0.46 [0.32-0.62], respectively). Although FNCLCC grade was not associated with overall survival (OS) in univariate analysis (HR 2.80 [0.74-10.55], p = 0.13), Ki-67 grading system had a tendency to associate with OS in univariate analysis (HR 4.12 [0.89-19.09], p = 0.07) and multivariate analysis with backward elimination (HR 3.51 [0.75-16.36], p = 0.11). This is the first report demonstrating the efficacy of Ki-67 grading system for the patients with STS in the prospective trial. The results indicate that Ki-67 grading system might be useful for the evaluation of histological grade of STS.

Let's Make Metric Ice Cream

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zimmerman, Marianna

1975-01-01

Describes a classroom activity which involved sixth grade students in a learning situation including making ice cream, safety procedures in a science laboratory, calibrating a thermometer, using metric units of volume and mass. (EB)

Relation of Hydrogen and Methane to Carbon Monoxide in Exhaust Gases from Internal-Combustion Engines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gerrish, Harold C; Tessmann, Arthur M

1935-01-01

The relation of hydrogen and methane to carbon monoxide in the exhaust gases from internal-combustion engines operating on standard-grade aviation gasoline, fighting-grade aviation gasoline, hydrogenated safety fuel, laboratory diesel fuel, and auto diesel fuel was determined by analysis of the exhaust gases. Two liquid-cooled single-cylinder spark-ignition, one 9-cylinder radial air-cooled spark-ignition, and two liquid-cooled single-cylinder compression-ignition engines were used.

Student laboratory presentations as a learning tool in anatomy education.

PubMed

Chollet, Madeleine B; Teaford, Mark F; Garofalo, Evan M; DeLeon, Valerie B

2009-01-01

Previous studies have shown that anatomy students who complete oral laboratory presentations believe they understand the material better and retain it longer than they otherwise would if they only took examinations on the material; however, we have found no studies that empirically test such outcomes. The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of oral presentations through comparisons with other methods of assessment, most notably, examination performance. Specifically, we tested whether students (n = 256) performed better on examination questions on topics covered by their oral presentations than on other topics. Each student completed two graded, 12-minute laboratory presentations on two different assigned topics during the course and took three examinations, each of which covered a third of the course material. Examination questions were characterized by type (memorization, pathway, analytical, spatial). A two-way repeated measures analysis of variance revealed that students performed better on topics covered by their presentations than on topics not covered by their presentations (P < 0.005), regardless of presentation grade (P > 0.05) and question type (P > 0.05). These results demonstrate empirically that oral presentations are an effective learning tool.

40 CFR 63.4681 - Am I subject to this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

...) Application of trademarks and grade stamp to reconstituted wood products or plywood. (vii) Application of nail... prefabricated homes and mobile/modular homes. (4) Surface coating that occurs at research or laboratory...

40 CFR 63.4681 - Am I subject to this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

...) Application of trademarks and grade stamp to reconstituted wood products or plywood. (vii) Application of nail... prefabricated homes and mobile/modular homes. (4) Surface coating that occurs at research or laboratory...

40 CFR 63.4681 - Am I subject to this subpart?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

...) Application of trademarks and grade stamp to reconstituted wood products or plywood. (vii) Application of nail... prefabricated homes and mobile/modular homes. (4) Surface coating that occurs at research or laboratory...

Duck hepatitis virus Interactions with DDT and dieldrin in adult mallards

USGS Publications Warehouse

Friend, Milton; Trainer, D.O.

1972-01-01

There has been considerable speculation regarding possible imteractlons within biological systems between synthetic environmental pollutants and infectious disease agents (1-11). This type of interaction has been studied in our laboratory using the mallard, Anas platyrhynchos, as a test species (5,6). Since adult ducks are refractory to the overt manifestations of duck virus hepatitis (DVH) (12) and because duck hepatitis virus (DHV) has a predilection for the liver, the organ responsible for the metabolism of many chemicals, (13) an experiment was undertaken to determine if infection with DHV had any effect on the toxicity to adult mallards of p,p'-DDT or technical grade dieldrin.

Promoting Student Development of Models and Scientific Inquiry Skills in Acid-Base Chemistry: An Important Skill Development in Preparation for AP Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hale-Hanes, Cara

2015-01-01

In this study, two groups of 11th grade chemistry students (n = 210) performed a sequence of hands-on and virtual laboratories that were progressively more inquiry-based. One-half of the students did the laboratory sequence with the addition of a teacher-led discussion connecting student data to student-generated visual representations of…

A Comparative Study of the Effects of a Concept Mapping Enhanced Laboratory Experience on Turkish High School Students' Understanding of Acid-Base Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ozmen, Haluk; Demircioglu, Gokhan; Coll, Richard K.

2009-01-01

The research reported here consists of the introduction of an intervention based on a series of laboratory activities combined with concept mapping. The purpose of this intervention was to enhance student understanding of acid-base chemistry for tenth grade students' from two classes in a Turkish high school. An additional aim was to enhance…

Association Between Echocardiography Laboratory Accreditation and the Quality of Imaging and Reporting for Valvular Heart Disease.

PubMed

Thaden, Jeremy J; Tsang, Michael Y; Ayoub, Chadi; Padang, Ratnasari; Nkomo, Vuyisile T; Tucker, Stephen F; Cassidy, Cynthia S; Bremer, Merri; Kane, Garvan C; Pellikka, Patricia A

2017-08-01

It is presumed that echocardiographic laboratory accreditation leads to improved quality, but there are few data. We sought to compare the quality of echocardiographic examinations performed at accredited versus nonaccredited laboratories for the evaluation of valvular heart disease. We enrolled 335 consecutive valvular heart disease subjects who underwent echocardiography at our institution and an external accredited or nonaccredited institution within 6 months. Completeness and quality of echocardiographic reports and images were assessed by investigators blinded to the external laboratory accreditation status and echocardiographic results. Compared with nonaccredited laboratories, accredited sites more frequently reported patient sex (94% versus 78%; P <0.001), height and weight (96% versus 63%; P <0.001), blood pressure (86% versus 39%; P <0.001), left ventricular size (96% versus 83%; P <0.001), right ventricular size (94% versus 80%; P =0.001), and right ventricular function (87% versus 73%; P =0.006). Accredited laboratories had higher rates of complete and diagnostic color (58% versus 35%; P =0.002) and spectral Doppler imaging (45% versus 21%; P <0.0001). Concordance between external and internal grading of external studies was improved when diagnostic quantification was performed (85% versus 69%; P =0.003), and in patients with mitral regurgitation, reproducibility was improved with higher quality color Doppler imaging. Accredited echocardiographic laboratories had more complete reporting and better image quality, while echocardiographic quantification and color Doppler image quality were associated with improved concordance in grading valvular heart disease. Future quality improvement initiatives should highlight the importance of high-quality color Doppler imaging and echocardiographic quantification to improve the accuracy, reproducibility, and quality of echocardiographic studies for valvular heart disease. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Swedish PE Teachers Struggle with Assessment in a Criterion-Referenced Grading System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Svennberg, Lena; Meckbach, Jane; Redelius, Karin

2018-01-01

In the field of education, the international trend is to turn to criterion-referenced grading in the hope of achieving accountable and consistent grades. Despite a national criterion-referenced grading system emphasising knowledge as the only base for grading, Swedish physical education (PE) grades have been shown to value non-knowledge factors,…

Grading of direct laryngoscopy. A survey of current practice.

PubMed

Cohen, A M; Fleming, B G; Wace, J R

1994-06-01

One hundred and twenty anaesthetists (30 of each grade), from three separate regions, were interviewed as to how they recorded the appearance of laryngeal structures at direct laryngoscopy and about their knowledge of the commonly used numerical grading system. About two-thirds of anaesthetists surveyed (69.2%) used the numerical grading system, but of these, over half could not identify a 'grade 2' laryngoscopic appearance correctly. Of anaesthetists who did not use the numerical method, over half could not correctly state the difference between a 'grade 2' and a 'grade 3' laryngoscopic appearance. Over 40% of anaesthetists stated incorrectly that the grading should be made on the initial view, even when laryngeal pressure had been needed. Junior anaesthetists were more likely to use the numerical method of recording. The results show that there is unacceptable uncertainty and inaccuracy in the use of the numerical grading system by users as well as non-users, which makes the current routine clinical use of the numerical grading system unsatisfactory.

Reliability and Validity of the Arthroscopic International Cartilage Repair Society Classification System: Correlation With Histological Assessment of Depth.

PubMed

Dwyer, Tim; Martin, C Ryan; Kendra, Rita; Sermer, Corey; Chahal, Jaskarndip; Ogilvie-Harris, Darrell; Whelan, Daniel; Murnaghan, Lucas; Nauth, Aaron; Theodoropoulos, John

2017-06-01

To determine the interobserver reliability of the International Cartilage Repair Society (ICRS) grading system of chondral lesions in cadavers, to determine the intraobserver reliability of the ICRS grading system comparing arthroscopy and video assessment, and to compare the arthroscopic ICRS grading system with histological grading of lesion depth. Eighteen lesions in 5 cadaveric knee specimens were arthroscopically graded by 7 fellowship-trained arthroscopic surgeons using the ICRS classification system. The arthroscopic video of each lesion was sent to the surgeons 6 weeks later for repeat grading and determination of intraobserver reliability. Lesions were biopsied, and the depth of the cartilage lesion was assessed. Reliability was calculated using intraclass correlations. The interobserver reliability was 0.67 (95% confidence interval, 0.5-0.89) for the arthroscopic grading, and the intraobserver reliability with the video grading was 0.8 (95% confidence interval, 0.67-0.9). A high correlation was seen between the arthroscopic grading of depth and the histological grading of depth (0.91); on average, surgeons graded lesions using arthroscopy a mean of 0.37 (range, 0-0.86) deeper than the histological grade. The arthroscopic ICRS classification system has good interobserver and intraobserver reliability. A high correlation with histological assessment of depth provides evidence of validity for this classification system. As cartilage lesions are treated on the basis of the arthroscopic ICRS classification, it is important to ascertain the reliability and validity of this method. Copyright © 2016 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Post-traumatic subtalar osteoarthritis: which grading system should we use?

PubMed

de Muinck Keizer, Robert-Jan O; Backes, Manouk; Dingemans, Siem A; Goslings, J Carel; Schepers, Tim

2016-09-01

To assess and compare post-traumatic osteoarthritis following intra-articular calcaneal fractures, one must have a reliable grading system that consistently grades the post-traumatic changes of the joint. A reliable grading system aids in the communication between treating physicians and improves the interpretation of research. To date, there is no consensus on what grading system to use in the evaluation of post-traumatic subtalar osteoarthritis. The objective of this study was to determine and compare the inter- and intra-rater reliability of two grading systems for post-traumatic subtalar osteoarthritis. Four observers evaluated 50 calcaneal fractures at least one year after trauma on conventional oblique lateral, internally and externally rotated views, and graded post-traumatic subtalar osteoarthritis using the Kellgren and Lawrence Grading Scale (KLGS) and the Paley Grading System (PGS). Inter- and intra-rater reliability were calculated and compared. The inter-rater reliability showed an intra-class correlation (ICC) of 0.54 (95 % CI 0.40-0.67) for the KLGS and an ICC of 0.41 (95 % CI 0.26 - 0.57) for the PGS. This difference was not statistically significant. The intra-rater reliability showed a mean weighted kappa of 0.62 for both the KLGS and the PGS. There is no statistically significant difference in reliability between the Kellgren and Lawrence Grading System (KLGS) and the Paley Grading System (PGS). The PGS allows for an easy two-step approach making it easy for everyday clinical purposes. For research purposes however, the more detailed and widely used KLGS seems preferable.

Vorinostat and Temozolomide in Treating Young Patients With Relapsed or Refractory Primary Brain Tumors or Spinal Cord Tumors

ClinicalTrials.gov

2013-05-01

Childhood Atypical Teratoid/Rhabdoid Tumor; Childhood Central Nervous System Choriocarcinoma; Childhood Central Nervous System Embryonal Tumor; Childhood Central Nervous System Germinoma; Childhood Central Nervous System Mixed Germ Cell Tumor; Childhood Central Nervous System Teratoma; Childhood Central Nervous System Yolk Sac Tumor; Childhood Choroid Plexus Tumor; Childhood Craniopharyngioma; Childhood Ependymoblastoma; Childhood Grade I Meningioma; Childhood Grade II Meningioma; Childhood Grade III Meningioma; Childhood High-grade Cerebellar Astrocytoma; Childhood High-grade Cerebral Astrocytoma; Childhood Infratentorial Ependymoma; Childhood Low-grade Cerebellar Astrocytoma; Childhood Low-grade Cerebral Astrocytoma; Childhood Medulloepithelioma; Childhood Mixed Glioma; Childhood Oligodendroglioma; Childhood Supratentorial Ependymoma; Extra-adrenal Paraganglioma; Recurrent Childhood Brain Stem Glioma; Recurrent Childhood Central Nervous System Embryonal Tumor; Recurrent Childhood Cerebellar Astrocytoma; Recurrent Childhood Cerebral Astrocytoma; Recurrent Childhood Ependymoma; Recurrent Childhood Medulloblastoma; Recurrent Childhood Pineoblastoma; Recurrent Childhood Spinal Cord Neoplasm; Recurrent Childhood Subependymal Giant Cell Astrocytoma; Recurrent Childhood Supratentorial Primitive Neuroectodermal Tumor; Recurrent Childhood Visual Pathway and Hypothalamic Glioma

Graft-versus-Host Disease of the Gut: A Histologic Activity Grading System and Validation.

PubMed

Myerson, David; Steinbach, Gideon; Gooley, Ted A; Shulman, Howard M

2017-09-01

The pathologic interpretation of gut biopsies in hematopoietic cell transplant recipients to assess graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) is well accepted and supplements clinical and endoscopic findings. However, the histologic activity grading of GVHD is controversial, with attempts to predict prognosis or response to treatment largely unsuccessful. GVHD is being diagnosed earlier in its course, raising the possibility that the pathologic grading system can be profitably modified. We developed a histologic activity grading system designed to replace the commonly used modified Lerner grading systems. Our system stratifies the low-level Lerner grade I category into 4 activity grade categories, based on the average frequency of apoptotic cells. The results are expressed as ordinal categories: GVHD of minimal, mild, moderate, severe histologic activity, or severe histologic activity with destruction (activity grades 1 to 5). In a retrospective study, we studied 87 consecutive cases with 201 post-transplantation specimens (median, 48 days; range, 18 to 1479 days) of stomach, duodenum, and colorectum, which had been activity graded at the time of the original diagnosis. Most of the biopsies diagnosed as GVHD were low grade-minimal (11%) or mild (71%) histologic activity. We hypothesized that the higher activity grades would be associated with more therapeutic intervention. The odds of increased therapy in the combined all-site specimens were increased as activity grade increased (odds ratio, 2.9 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 1.9 to 4.5]; P = < .0001). Thus, our grading system was validated. To investigate whether the activity grade was associated with therapy within the formerly undivided Lerner grade I category, the analysis was restricted to these 174 all-site specimens. The validation result was similar (odds ratio, 3.1 [95% CI, 1.3 to 7.2]; P = .009). This result interestingly suggests that there is useful information hidden in the Lerner grade I category, which could potentially guide immediately actionable treatment decisions. This histologic activity grade system has been in use at our institution for over 2 years with good acceptance. Copyright © 2017 The American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Activities with Antlions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parrott, Annette

2000-01-01

Introduces a 2-day laboratory experiment on scientific inquiry and the environment. Studies antlion classification and investigates anatomy, habitat, life cycle, behavior, and other properties of antlions. Adapted for different grade levels and includes a scientific journal report. (YDS)

Preliminary investigation of RAP and RAS in HMAC.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-02-01

laboratory study was undertaken to investigate how various proportions of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and reclaimed asphalt shingles (RAS) added to hot mixed asphalt concrete (HMAC) mixtures affect the Superpave performance grade of the blended ...

Three-Dimensional Cataract Crystalline Lens Imaging With Swept-Source Optical Coherence Tomography.

PubMed

de Castro, Alberto; Benito, Antonio; Manzanera, Silvestre; Mompeán, Juan; Cañizares, Belén; Martínez, David; Marín, Jose María; Grulkowski, Ireneusz; Artal, Pablo

2018-02-01

To image, describe, and characterize different features visible in the crystalline lens of older adults with and without cataract when imaged three-dimensionally with a swept-source optical coherence tomography (SS-OCT) system. We used a new SS-OCT laboratory prototype designed to enhance the visualization of the crystalline lens and imaged the entire anterior segment of both eyes in two groups of participants: patients scheduled to undergo cataract surgery, n = 17, age range 36 to 91 years old, and volunteers without visual complains, n = 14, age range 20 to 81 years old. Pre-cataract surgery patients were also clinically graded according to the Lens Opacification Classification System III. The three-dimensional location and shape of the visible opacities were compared with the clinical grading. Hypo- and hyperreflective features were visible in the lens of all pre-cataract surgery patients and in some of the older adults in the volunteer group. When the clinical examination revealed cortical or subcapsular cataracts, hyperreflective features were visible either in the cortex parallel to the surfaces of the lens or in the posterior pole. Other type of opacities that appeared as hyporeflective localized features were identified in the cortex of the lens. The OCT signal in the nucleus of the crystalline lens correlated with the nuclear cataract clinical grade. A dedicated OCT is a useful tool to study in vivo the subtle opacities in the cataractous crystalline lens, revealing its position and size three-dimensionally. The use of these images allows obtaining more detailed information on the age-related changes leading to cataract.

Laboratory study on subgrade soil stabilization using RBI grade 81

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cynthia, J. Bernadette; Kamalambikai, B.; Prasanna Kumar, R.; Dharini, K.

2017-07-01

The present study investigates the effect of reinforcing the sub grade soils with RBI 81 material. A soil nearby was collected and preliminary tests were conducted to classify the soil and it was found from the results that the sample collected was a poorly graded clay. Subsequently Tests such as Proctor Compaction, CBR, and UCC were conducted to study the various engineering properties of the identified soil. In addition to the above tests were also conducted on the soil by reinforcing with varying percentages of RBI 81. From the analysis of test results it was found that this material (RBI 81) will significantly improve the CBR value of the soil.

78 FR 60331 - Privacy Act of 1974: System of Records

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-01

... on Position Classification Appeals, Job Grading Appeals, Retained Grade or Pay Appeals, Fair Labor..., Job Grading Appeals, Retained Grade or Pay Appeals, Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA) Claims and... appeal or a job grading appeal with the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Merit System Accountability...

Kinematic discrimination of ataxia in horses is facilitated by blindfolding.

PubMed

Olsen, E; FouchÉ, N; Jordan, H; Pfau, T; Piercy, R J

2018-03-01

Agreement among experienced clinicians is poor when assessing the presence and severity of ataxia, especially when signs are mild. Consequently, objective gait measurements might be beneficial for assessment of horses with neurological diseases. To assess diagnostic criteria using motion capture to measure variability in spatial gait-characteristics and swing duration derived from ataxic and non-ataxic horses, and to assess if variability increases with blindfolding. Cross-sectional. A total of 21 horses underwent measurements in a gait laboratory and live neurological grading by multiple raters. In the gait laboratory, the horses were made to walk across a runway surrounded by a 12-camera motion capture system with a sample frequency of 240 Hz. They were made to walk normally and with a blindfold in at least three trials each. Displacements of reflective markers on head, fetlock, hoof, fourth lumbar vertebra, tuber coxae and sacrum derived from three to four consecutive strides were processed and descriptive statistics, receiver operator characteristics (ROC) to determine the diagnostic sensitivity, specificity and area under the curve (AUC), and correlation between median ataxia grade and gait parameters were determined. For horses with a median ataxia grade ≥2, coefficient of variation for the location of maximum vertical displacement of pelvic and thoracic distal limbs generated good diagnostic yield. The hoofs of the thoracic limbs yielded an AUC of 0.81 with 64% sensitivity and 90% specificity. Blindfolding exacerbated the variation for ataxic horses compared to non-ataxic horses with the hoof marker having an AUC of 0.89 with 82% sensitivity and 90% specificity. The low number of consecutive strides per horse obtained with motion capture could decrease diagnostic utility. Motion capture can objectively aid the assessment of horses with ataxia. Furthermore, blindfolding increases variation in distal pelvic limb kinematics making it a useful clinical tool. © 2017 EVJ Ltd.

Gleason grading system

MedlinePlus

... medlineplus.gov/ency/patientinstructions/000920.htm Gleason grading system To use the sharing features on this page, ... score of between 5 and 7. Gleason Grading System Sometimes, it can be hard to predict how ...

Accordion complication grading predicts short-term outcome after right colectomy.

PubMed

Klos, Coen L; Safar, Bashar; Hunt, Steven R; Wise, Paul E; Birnbaum, Elisa H; Mutch, Matthew G; Fleshman, James W; Dharmarajan, Sekhar

2014-08-01

The Accordion severity grading system is a novel system to score the severity of postoperative complications in a standardized fashion. This study aims to demonstrate the validity of the Accordion system in colorectal surgery by correlating severity grades with short-term outcomes after right colectomy for colon cancer. This is a retrospective cohort review of patients who underwent right colectomy for cancer between January 1, 2002, and January 31, 2007, at a single tertiary care referral center. Complications were categorized according to the Accordion severity grading system: grades 1 (mild), 2 (moderate), 3-5 (severe), and 6 (death). Outcome measures were hospital stay, 30-d readmission rate and 1-y survival. Correlation between Accordion grades and outcome measures is reflected by Spearman rho (ρ). One-year survival was obtained per Kaplan-Meier method and compared by logrank test for trend. Significance was set at P ≤ 0.05. Overall, 235 patients underwent right colectomy for cancer of which 122 (51.9%) had complications. In total, 52 (43%) had an Accordion grade 1 complication; 44 (36%) grade 2; four (3%) grade 3; 11 (9%) grade 4; seven (6%) grade 5; and four (3%) grade 6. There was significant correlation between Accordion grades and hospital stay (ρ = 0.495, P < 0.001) and 30-d readmission rate (ρ = 0.335, P < 0.001). There was a significant downward trend in 1-y survival as complication severity by Accordion grade increased (P = 0.02). The Accordion grading system is a useful tool to estimate short-term outcomes after right colectomy for cancer. High-grade Accordion complications are associated with longer hospital stay and increased risk of readmission and mortality. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Podcast effectiveness as scaffolding support for students enrolled in first-semester general chemistry laboratories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Powell, Mary Cynthia Barton

Podcasts covering essential first-semester general chemistry laboratory techniques and central concepts that aid in experimental design or data processing were prepared and made available for students to access on an as-needed basis on iPhones→ or iPod touches→. Research focused in three areas: the extent of podcast usage, the numbers and types of interactions between instructors and research teams, and student performance on graded assignments. Data analysis indicates that the podcast treatment research teams accessed a podcast 2.86 times on average during each week that podcasts were available. Comparison of interaction data for the lecture treatment research teams and podcast treatment research teams reveals that interactions with instructors were statistically significantly fewer for teams that had podcast access rather than a pre-laboratory lecture. The implication of the results is that student research teams were able to gather laboratory information more effectively when it was presented in an on-demand podcast format. Finally, statistical analysis of data on student performance on graded assignments indicates no significant differences between outcome measures for the treatment groups when compared as cohorts. The only statistically significant difference is between students judged to be highly motivated; for this sub-group the students in the podcast treatment group earned a course average that was statistically significantly higher than those in the lecture treatment group. This research study provides some of the first data collected on the effectiveness of podcasts delivered as needed in a first-semester general chemistry laboratory setting.

Development of a novel combined fluorescence and reflectance spectroscopy system for guiding high-grade glioma resections: confirmation of capability in lab experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mousavi, Monirehalsadat; Xie, Haiyan; Xie, Zhiyuan; Brydegaard, Mikkel; Axelsson, Johan; Andersson-Engels, Stefan

2013-11-01

Total resection of glioblastoma multiform (GBM), the most common and aggressive malignant brain tumor, is challenging among other things due to difficulty in intraoperative discrimination between normal and residual tumor cells. This project demonstrates the potential of a system based on a combination of autofluorescence and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy to be useful as an intraoperative guiding tool. In this context, a system based on 5 LEDs coupled to optical fibers was employed to deliver UV/visible light to the sample sequentially. Remitted light from the tissue; including diffuse reflected and fluorescence of endogenous and exogenous fluorophores, as well as its photobleaching product, is transmitted to one photodiode and four avalanche photodiodes. This instrument has been evaluated with very promising results by performing various tissue-equivalent phantom laboratory and clinical studies on skin lesions.

Analysis of In-Route Wireless Charging for the Shuttle System at Zion National Park

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

Meintz, Andrew; Prohaska, Robert; Konan, Arnaud

System right-sizing is critical to implementation of wireless power transfer (WPT) for electric vehicles. This study will analyze potential WPT scenarios for the electrification of shuttle buses at Zion National Park utilizing a modelling tool developed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory called WPTSim. This tool uses second-by-second speed, location, and road grade data from the conventional shuttles in operation to simulate the incorporation of WPT at fine granularity. Vehicle power and state of charge are simulated over the drive cycle to evaluate potential system designs. The required battery capacity is determined based on the rated power at a variablemore » number of charging locations. The outcome of this work is an analysis of the design tradeoffs for the electrification of the shuttle fleet with wireless charging versus conventional overnight charging.« less

Agricultural produce grading and sorting system using color CCD and new color identification algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Dongsheng; Zou, Jizuo; Yang, Yunping; Dong, Jianhua; Zhang, Yuanxiang

1996-10-01

A high-speed automatic agricultural produce grading and sorting system using color CCD and new color identification algorithm has been developed. In a typical application, the system can sort almonds into tow output grades according to their color. Almonds ar rich in 18 kinds of amino acids and 13 kinds of micro minerals and vitamins and can be made into almond drink. In order to ensure the drink quality, almonds must be sorted carefully before being made into a drink. Using this system, almonds can be sorted into two grades: up to grade and below grade almonds or foreign materials. A color CCD inspects the almonds passing on a conveyor of rotating rollers, a color identification algorithm grades almonds and distinguishes foreign materials from almonds. Employing an elaborately designed mechanism, the below grade almonds and foreign materials can be removed effectively from the raw almonds. This system can be easily adapted for inspecting and sorting other kinds of agricultural produce such as peanuts, beans tomatoes and so on.

Morphodynamics modelling of bars in channels with graded sediment and sediment supply variation with the Telemac-Mascaret System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cordier, Florian; Tassi, Pablo; Claude, Nicolas; Crosato, Alessandra; Rodrigues, Stéphane; Pham van Bang, Damien

2017-04-01

Numerical modelling of graded sediment transport in rivers remains a challenge [Siviglia and Crosato, 2016] and only few studies have considered the non-uniform distribution of sediment, although sediment grading is an inherent characteristic of natural rivers. The present work aims at revisiting the morphodynamics module of the Telemac-Mascaret modelling system and to integrate the latest developments to model the effects of non-uniform sediment on i) the sediment transport capacity estimated at the interface between the flow and the riverbed and on ii) the vertical sorting of sediment deposits in response to sediment supply changes. The implementation of these two processes has a key role on the modelling of bar dynamics in aggrading/degrading channels [Blom, 2008]. Numerical modelling of graded sediment transport remains a challenge due to the difficulty to reproduce the non-linear interactions between grains of different shape and size. Application of classical bedload equations usually fails in reproducing relevant transport rates [Recking, 2010 and references therein]. In this work, the graded sediment transport model of Wilcock and Crowe [2003] and the active layer concept of Hirano [1971] for the formulation of the exchange layer are implemented. The ability to reproduce the formation and evolution of graded-sediment bars is assessed on the basis of laboratory experiences from the literature. References: Blom, A., Ribberink, J. S., and Parker, G. 2008. Vertical sorting and the morphodynamics of bed form-dominated rivers: A sorting evolution model. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface, 113(F1). Lauer, J. W., Viparelli, E., and Piégay, H. 2016. Morphodynamics and sediment tracers in 1-d (mast-1d): 1-d sediment transport that includes exchange with an off-channel sediment reservoir. Advances in Water Resources. Recking, A. 2010. A comparison between flume and field bed load transport data and consequences for surface-based bed load transport prediction. Water Resources Research, 46(3). W03518. Siviglia, A. and Crosato, A. 2016. Numerical modelling of river morphodynamics: latest developments and remaining challenges. Advances in Water Resources, 90:1-9. Wilcock, P. R. and Crowe, J. C. 2003. Surface-based transport model for mixed-size sediment. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, 129(2):120-128.

Reclassification of serous ovarian carcinoma by a 2-tier system: a Gynecologic Oncology Group Study.

PubMed

Bodurka, Diane C; Deavers, Michael T; Tian, Chunqiao; Sun, Charlotte C; Malpica, Anais; Coleman, Robert L; Lu, Karen H; Sood, Anil K; Birrer, Michael J; Ozols, Robert; Baergen, Rebecca; Emerson, Robert E; Steinhoff, Margaret; Behmaram, Behnaz; Rasty, Golnar; Gershenson, David M

2012-06-15

A study was undertaken to use the 2-tier system to reclassify the grade of serous ovarian tumors previously classified using the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 3-tier system and determine the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients treated on Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) Protocol 158. The authors retrospectively reviewed demographic, pathologic, and survival data of 290 patients with stage III serous ovarian carcinoma treated with surgery and chemotherapy on GOG Protocol 158, a cooperative multicenter group trial. A blinded pathology review was performed by a panel of 6 gynecologic pathologists to verify histology and regrade tumors using the 2-tier system. The association of tumor grade with PFS and OS was assessed. Of 241 cases, both systems demonstrated substantial agreement when combining FIGO grades 2 and 3 (overall agreement, 95%; kappa statistic, 0.68). By using the 2-tier system, patients with low-grade versus high-grade tumors had significantly longer PFS (45.0 vs 19.8 months, respectively; P = .01). By using FIGO criteria, median PFS for patients with grade 1, 2, and 3 tumors was 37.5, 19.8, and 20.1 months, respectively (P = .07). There was no difference in clinical outcome in patients with grade 2 or 3 tumors in multivariate analysis. Woman with high-grade versus low-grade tumors demonstrated significantly higher risk of death (hazard ratio, 2.43; 95% confidence interval, 1.17-5.04; P = .02). Women with high-grade versus low-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary are 2 distinct patient populations. Adoption of the 2-tier grading system provides a simple yet precise framework for predicting clinical outcomes. Copyright © 2011 American Cancer Society.

[Grading of gynecological tumors : Current aspects].

PubMed

Horn, L-C; Mayr, D; Brambs, C E; Einenkel, J; Sändig, I; Schierle, K

2016-07-01

Histopathological assessment of the tumor grade and cell type is central to the management and prognosis of various gynecological malignancies. Conventional grading systems for squamous carcinomas and adenocarcinomas of the vulva, vagina and cervix are poorly defined. For endometrioid tumors of the female genital tract as well as for mucinous endometrial, ovarian and seromucinous ovarian carcinomas, the 3‑tiered FIGO grading system is recommended. For uterine neuroendocrine tumors the grading system of the gastrointestinal counterparts has been adopted. Uterine leiomyosarcomas are not graded. Endometrial stromal sarcomas are divided into low and high grades, based on cellular morphology, immunohistochemical and molecular findings. A chemotherapy response score was established for chemotherapeutically treated high-grade serous pelvic cancer. For non-epithelial ovarian malignancies, only Sertoli-Leydig cell tumors and immature teratomas are graded. At this time molecular profiling has no impact on the grading of tumors of the female genital tract.

KSC-2011-6715

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-07-13

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, spacecraft technicians from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory park the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission on its support base in the airlock following the MMRTG fit check on the Curiosity rover in the high bay. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. MSL's components include a car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is targeted for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-6710

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-07-13

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the high bay of the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a spacecraft technician from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory conducts a visual inspection of the cooling tubes on the exterior of the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission following the MMRTG fit check on the Curiosity rover. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. MSL's components include a car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is targeted for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-6713

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-07-13

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the high bay of the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a spacecraft technician from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory conducts a visual inspection of the cooling tubes on the exterior of the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission following the MMRTG fit check on the Curiosity rover. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. MSL's components include a car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is targeted for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-6714

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-07-13

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, spacecraft technicians from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory roll the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission on its support base from the high bay into the airlock following the MMRTG fit check on the Curiosity rover. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. MSL's components include a car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is targeted for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-7894

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-17

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- At Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, spacecraft technicians in the Vertical Integration Facility prepare to install the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission on the Curiosity rover. The MMRTG is enclosed in a protective mesh container, known as the "gorilla cage," which protects it during transport and allows any excess heat generated to dissipate into the air. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Curiosity, MSL's car-sized rover, has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: Department of Energy/Idaho National Laboratory

Networked Instructional Chemistry: Using Technology To Teach Chemistry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smith, Stanley; Stovall, Iris

1996-10-01

Networked multimedia microcomputers provide new ways to help students learn chemistry and to help instructors manage the learning environment. This technology is used to replace some traditional laboratory work, collect on-line experimental data, enhance lectures and quiz sections with multimedia presentations, provide prelaboratory training for beginning nonchemistry- major organic laboratory, provide electronic homework for organic chemistry students, give graduate students access to real NMR data for analysis, and provide access to molecular modeling tools. The integration of all of these activities into an active learning environment is made possible by a client-server network of hundreds of computers. This requires not only instructional software but also classroom and course management software, computers, networking, and room management. Combining computer-based work with traditional course material is made possible with software management tools that allow the instructor to monitor the progress of each student and make available an on-line gradebook so students can see their grades and class standing. This client-server based system extends the capabilities of the earlier mainframe-based PLATO system, which was used for instructional computing. This paper outlines the components of a technology center used to support over 5,000 students per semester.

The Grading System: Does an "A" Really Equal Learning?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haley, Beverly

1988-01-01

Good grades on a report card do not necessarily mean the material has been comprehended. This article examines the relative worth of grades; extra credit assignments; categorizing students into A, B, or C boxes; and the role of parental pressures for higher grades. Grading systems should be subordinate to true learning motivation. (MLH)

Job Grading System for Trades and Labor Occupations. Part II.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Civil Service Commission, Washington, DC. Bureau of Policies and Standards.

Three new standards (telephone mechanic, electroplater, and animal caretaker) for grading jobs under the Federal Wage System are cited. There is an alphabetical listing by job for published job grading standards, an occupational code-structure index for published grading standards, and a list of 61 jobs by published job grading standard with…

Laboratory versus outdoor cycling conditions: differences in pedaling biomechanics.

PubMed

Bertucci, William; Grappe, Frederic; Groslambert, Alain

2007-05-01

The aim of our study was to compare crank torque profile and perceived exertion between the Monark ergometer (818 E) and two outdoor cycling conditions: level ground and uphill road cycling. Seven male cyclists performed seven tests in seated position at different pedaling cadences: (a) in the laboratory at 60, 80, and 100 rpm; (b) on level terrain at 80 and 100 rpm; and (c) on uphill terrain (9.25% grade) at 60 and 80 rpm. The cyclists exercised for 1 min at their maximal aerobic power. The Monark ergometer and the bicycle were equipped with the SRM Training System (Schoberer, Germany) for the measurement of power output (W), torque (Nxm), pedaling cadence (rpm), and cycling velocity (kmxh-1). The most important findings of this study indicate that at maximal aerobic power the crank torque profiles in the Monark ergometer (818 E) were significantly different (especially on dead points of the crank cycle) and generate a higher perceived exertion compared with road cycling conditions.

Toward better physics labs for future biologists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moore, K.; Giannini, J.; Losert, W.

2014-05-01

We have developed a set of laboratories and hands on activities to accompany a new two-semester interdisciplinary physics course that has been developed and tested in two small test classes at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) in 2012-2013. We have designed the laboratories to be taken accompanying a reformed course in the student's second year, with calculus, biology, and chemistry as prerequisites. These prerequisites permit the laboratories to include significant content on physics relevant to cellular scales, from chemical interactions to random motion and charge screening in fluids. We also introduce students to research-grade equipment and modern physics analysis tools in contexts relevant to biology while maintaining the pedagogically valuable open-ended laboratory structure of reformed laboratories. Preliminary student response results from these two classes are discussed.

Asphalt mix characterization using dynamic modulus and APA testing.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2005-11-01

final report summarizes two research efforts related to asphalt mix characterization: dynamic modulus and Asphalt Pavement Analyzer testing. One phase of the research consisted of a laboratory-based evaluation of dynamic modulus of Oregon dense-grade...

Rapid, simple and inexpensive production of custom 3D printed equipment for large-volume fluorescence microscopy

PubMed Central

Tyson, Adam L.; Hilton, Stephen T.; Andreae, Laura C.

2015-01-01

The cost of 3D printing has reduced dramatically over the last few years and is now within reach of many scientific laboratories. This work presents an example of how 3D printing can be applied to the development of custom laboratory equipment that is specifically adapted for use with the novel brain tissue clearing technique, CLARITY. A simple, freely available online software tool was used, along with consumer-grade equipment, to produce a brain slicing chamber and a combined antibody staining and imaging chamber. Using standard 3D printers we were able to produce research-grade parts in an iterative manner at a fraction of the cost of commercial equipment. 3D printing provides a reproducible, flexible, simple and cost-effective method for researchers to produce the equipment needed to quickly adopt new methods. PMID:25797056

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

PubMed Central

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

2005-01-01

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

Preliminary work in developing sawbolt grading systems for white oak

Treesearch

Everette D. Rast; Everette D. Rast

1971-01-01

This paper is principally a description of one technique used in the development of white oak (Quercus alba L.) sawbolt grades--not a final sawbolt grading system for the species over its range. This technique can be used by anyone in developing other bolt-grade specifications or in refining the system presented in this paper.

Specifications-Based Grading in an Introduction to Proofs Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Kristopher

2018-01-01

This article describes a system of specifications-based grading used in an introduction to proofs course. The system was introduced to address two issues that arose in the course: how to spend less time grading and how to encourage use of feedback. We describe the implementation of the system and the results on grading and on students.

Prostate cancer: from Gleason scoring to prognostic grade grouping.

PubMed

Montironi, Rodolfo; Santoni, Matteo; Mazzucchelli, Roberta; Burattini, Luciano; Berardi, Rossana; Galosi, Andrea B; Cheng, Liang; Lopez-Beltran, Antonio; Briganti, Alberto; Montorsi, Francesco; Scarpelli, Marina

2016-01-01

The Gleason grading system was developed in the late 1960s by Dr. Donald F. Gleason. Due to changes in prostatic adenocarcinoma (PAC) detection and treatment, newer technologies to better characterize prostatic pathology, subsequently described variants of PAC and further data relating various morphologic patterns to prognosis, the application of the Gleason grading system changed substantially in surgical pathology. First in 2005 and more recently in 2014, consensus conferences were held to update PAC grading. Here, we review of the successive changes in the grading of PAC from the original system, with emphasis on the newest prognostic grade grouping.

Reducing cognitive load in the chemistry laboratory by using technology-driven guided inquiry experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hubacz, Frank, Jr.

The chemistry laboratory is an integral component of the learning experience for students enrolled in college-level general chemistry courses. Science education research has shown that guided inquiry investigations provide students with an optimum learning environment within the laboratory. These investigations reflect the basic tenets of constructivism by engaging students in a learning environment that allows them to experience what they learn and to then construct, in their own minds, a meaningful understanding of the ideas and concepts investigated. However, educational research also indicates that the physical plant of the laboratory environment combined with the procedural requirements of the investigation itself often produces a great demand upon a student's working memory. This demand, which is often superfluous to the chemical concept under investigation, creates a sensory overload or extraneous cognitive load within the working memory and becomes a significant obstacle to student learning. Extraneous cognitive load inhibits necessary schema formation within the learner's working memory thereby impeding the transfer of ideas to the learner's long-term memory. Cognitive Load Theory suggests that instructional material developed to reduce extraneous cognitive load leads to an improved learning environment for the student which better allows for schema formation. This study first compared the cognitive load demand, as measured by mental effort, experienced by 33 participants enrolled in a first-year general chemistry course in which the treatment group, using technology based investigations, and the non-treatment group, using traditional labware, investigated identical chemical concepts on five different exercises. Mental effort was measured via a mental effort survey, a statistical comparison of individual survey results to a procedural step count, and an analysis of fourteen post-treatment interviews. Next, a statistical analysis of achievement was completed by comparing lab grade averages, final exam averages, and final course grade averages between the two groups. Participant mental effort survey results showed significant positive effects of technology in reducing cognitive load for two laboratory investigations. One investigation revealed a significant difference in achievement measured by lab grade average comparisons. Although results of this study are inconclusive as to the usefulness of technology-driven investigations to affect learning, recommendations for further study are discussed.

Interpretation of 2D Resistivity with Engineering Characterisation of Subsurface Exploration in Nusajaya Johor, Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Akip Tan, S. N. Mohd; Dan, M. F. Md; Edy Tonnizam, M.; Saad, R.; Madun, A.; Hazreek, Z. A. M.

2018-04-01

2-D resistivity technique and pole-dipole array with spacing of 2 m electrode and total spacing of 80 m were adopted to map and characterize the shallow subsurface in a sedimentary area at Nusajaya, Johor. Geological field mapping and laboratory testing were conducted to determine weathering grades. Res2Dinv software was used to generate the inversion model resistivity. The result shows sandstone contains iron mineral (30-1000ohm-m) and weathered sandstone (500-1000 ohm-m). The lowest layer represents sandstone and siltstone with the highest range from 1500 through 5000 ohm-m. The weathering grade IV and V of sandstone in the actual profile indicates the range from 30 to 1000 ohm-m, whereas grade II and III in ground mass matched the higest range. Overall, the increase of weathering grade influenced both the physical properties and strength of rocks.

User's guide to UGRS: the Ultimate Grading and Remanufacturing System (version 5.0).

Treesearch

John Moody; Charles J. Gatchell; Elizabeth S. Walker; Powsiri Klinkhachorn

1998-01-01

The Ultimate Grading and Remanufacturing System (UGRS) is the latest generation of advanced computer programs for lumber grading. It is designed to be a training and research tool that allows grading of lumber according to 1998 NHLA rules and remanufacturing for maximum dollar value. A 32-bit application that runs under all Microsoft Windows operating systems, UGRS...

Two-Year Operational Evaluation Of A Consumer Electronics-Based Data Acquisition System For Equipment Monitoring

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

Van Hoy, Blake W.; Phillips, Larry D.; Wetherington Jr, G Randall

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) has performed a two-year evaluation of the performance of an in-house developed consumer electronics-based data acquisition system (DAS). The main advantage of this approach compared to conventional instrumentation grade systems is cost; instrument grade data acquisition systems average costs range from $800 to $2,000 per channel compared to a range of $200 - $400 per channel for a consumer electronics-based system. The DAS is operated as a full-time in-situ vibration monitor. The resulting data stream is streamed over the ORNL network, at an aggregate rate of approximately 2 megabytes/s, to a Linux server. The servermore » includes the capability to implement event-triggered data stores, as well as real-time files for the implementation of continuous display monitoring of the spectra. Detailed spectral analysis is performed post event. The DAS is installed on a large industrial chiller and cooling water pump associated with ORNL’s Titan supercomputer. These mechanical systems include rotating components that operate at fundamental frequencies within the range of 30 Hz to over 3 KHz. Evaluation of the DAS data over a two-year operating period leads to the conclusion that for many industrial processes this system could form the basis for a cost effective means of obtaining operating health data in real time from rotating machinery. The deployment has also shown that the DAS technology is reliable. Furthermore, because the cost of the DAS is low, the other significant advantage of this approach is that the DAS can be deployed in a dedicated manner and operated on a full-time basis.« less

Reproducibility of cervical cytopathology following an intervention by an external quality control laboratory.

PubMed

Ázara, Cinara Zago Silveira; Manrique, Edna Joana Claudio; Tavares, Suelene Brito do Nascimento; Alves de Souza, Nadja Lindany; Magalhães, Juliana Cristina; Amaral, Rita Goreti

2016-04-01

This study assessed the effects of a continued education program on the agreement between cervical cytopathology exams interpreted by local laboratories and interpretation made by an external quality control laboratory (LabMEQ). Overall, 9,798 exams were analyzed between 2007 and 2008, prior to implementation of a continued education program, and 10,028 between 2010 and 2011, following implementation. Continued education consisted of theoretical and practical classes held every two months. The chi-square test and the kappa coefficient were used in the statistical analysis. Following implementation of continued education, the rate of false-negative results, and those leading to delays in clinical management fell in eight laboratories and the rate of false-positive results in five. Agreement between the results reported by the laboratories and the findings of LabMEQ, evaluated according to clinical management, remained excellent in three laboratories (kappa >0.80 and <1.0), went from good (kappa >0.60 and <0.80) to excellent in seven and from excellent to good in two. Agreement regarding the identification of metaplastic epithelium was poor (kappa = 0.25) but progressed to excellent following the implementation of continued education (kappa = 0.950). Agreement between cytopathology results improved significantly following implementation of continued education in cases reported as unsatisfactory (P < 0.001), atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance, cannot exclude high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (P < 0.001), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (P < 0.001), and glandular atypia (P < 0.001). Continued education contributed towards improving the reproducibility of cervical cytopathology, decreased the rates of false-negative and false-positive results, and reduced delays in clinical management. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status of breast cancer patients in Asia: Results from a large, multicountry study.

PubMed

Pathmanathan, Nirmala; Geng, Jing-Shu; Li, Wencai; Nie, Xiu; Veloso, Januario; Hill, Julie; McCloud, Philip; Bilous, Michael

2016-12-01

Current estimates of the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positivity rate in breast cancer are largely based on studies from the United States, Europe and Australia, and might not reflect the rate among breast cancer patients in Asia. The primary aim of this study was to conduct a clinical audit of laboratories across eight countries in Asia to determine the incidence of HER2-positive breast cancer in this region. Pathology laboratories submitted data on breast cancers consecutively tested for HER2 over a two-year period. The proportion of HER2-positive, -equivocal and -negative tumors was determined for each country and overall. HER2-positivity rate by age and histological grade was also determined. HER2 results from 30 179 breast cancers were submitted by 96 laboratories. The overall HER2-positivity rate was 23.5%; the rate between countries ranged from 19.7% to 44.2%, and from 4.4% to 51.6% between laboratories. An equivocal HER2 result was recorded in 18.2% of cases. Discrepancies between laboratories suggest that testing expertise contributes to variations seen in HER2 status across laboratories, as well as the generally higher rate of HER2-positivity that was recorded. In this study, the incidence of HER2-positive breast cancer diagnosed in Asian women was higher than published studies on women from Western countries. In addition, the study found that women in Asian countries presented with breast cancer at an earlier age, with a higher histological grade. This study serves to highlight the challenges with HER2 testing and data collection in a large multicenter Asian cohort. © 2016 The Authors. Asia-Pacific Journal of Clinical Oncology Published by John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.

Toward Better Physics Labs for Future Biologists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giannini, John; Moore, Kim; Losert, Wolfgang

2014-03-01

We have developed a set of laboratories and hands on activities to accompany a new two-semester interdisciplinary physics course that has been successfully developed and tested in two small test classes of students at the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD) in 2012-2013, and is currently being used on a wider scale. We have designed the laboratories to be taken accompanying a reformed course in the student's second year, with calculus, biology, and chemistry as prerequisites. This permits the laboratories to include significant content on physics relevant to cellular scales, from chemical interactions to random motion and charge screening in fluids. One major focus of the laboratories is to introduce the students to research-grade equipment and modern physics analysis tools in contexts relevant to biology, while maintaining the pedagogically valuable open-ended laboratory structure of reformed laboratories. Lab development procedures along with some preliminary student results from these two small test classes are discussed.

40. Photocopy of photograph (original print located in LBNL Photo ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

40. Photocopy of photograph (original print located in LBNL Photo Lab Collection). Photographer unknown. March, 1949. BEV 4903-00020. GRADING-SITE WORK FOR BEVATRON - University of California Radiation Laboratory, Bevatron, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, Alameda County, CA

Effect of Ethanol Chemistry on SCC of Carbon Steel

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-02-22

Pipeline companies have a keen interest in assessing the feasibility of transporting fuel grade ethanol (FGE) and ethanol blends in existing pipelines. Previous field experience and laboratory research, funded by PRCI and API, has shown that steel ca...

Open graded friction courses for HMA pavements.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-12-01

A laboratory study was conducted to evaluate OGFC mixtures meeting current Mississippi specifications. In addition, materials included a second 12.5 mm gradation and an asphalt rubber binder. The additional 12.5mm gradation was selected to evaluate a...

Laboratory evaluation of Trinidad Lake Asphalt : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1985-05-01

The Department has examined several asphalt cement additives over the last 6 - 8 years in an attempt to produce an increased strength dense graded asphaltic concrete or an acceptable mix using marginal sand aggregates. Trinidad Lake Asphalt, an natur...

Laboratory evaluation of asphalt binder rutting, fracture, and adhesion tests.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-04-01

The current performance grading (PG) specification for asphalt binders was developed based on the Strategic Highway : Research Program (SHRP) and is based primarily on the study of unmodified asphalt binders. Over the years, experience has : proven t...

NASA's "Eyes On The Solar System:" A Real-time, 3D-Interactive Tool to Teach the Wonder of Planetary Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hussey, K.

2014-12-01

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory is using video game technology to immerse students, the general public and mission personnel in our solar system and beyond. "Eyes on the Solar System," a cross-platform, real-time, 3D-interactive application that can run on-line or as a stand-alone "video game," is of particular interest to educators looking for inviting tools to capture students interest in a format they like and understand. (eyes.nasa.gov). It gives users an extraordinary view of our solar system by virtually transporting them across space and time to make first-person observations of spacecraft, planetary bodies and NASA/ESA missions in action. Key scientific results illustrated with video presentations, supporting imagery and web links are imbedded contextually into the solar system. Educators who want an interactive, game-based approach to engage students in learning Planetary Science will see how "Eyes" can be effectively used to teach its principles to grades 3 through 14.The presentation will include a detailed demonstration of the software along with a description/demonstration of how this technology is being adapted for education. There will also be a preview of coming attractions. This work is being conducted by the Visualization Technology Applications and Development Group at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, the same team responsible for "Eyes on the Earth 3D," and "Eyes on Exoplanets," which can be viewed at eyes.nasa.gov/earth and eyes.nasa.gov/exoplanets.

A Compact X-Ray System for Support of High Throughput Crystallography

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ciszak, Ewa; Gubarev, Mikhail; Gibson, Walter M.; Joy, Marshall K.; Whitaker, Ann F. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Standard x-ray systems for crystallography rely on massive generators coupled with optics that guide X-ray beams onto the crystal sample. Optics for single-crystal diffractometry include total reflection mirrors, polycapillary optics or graded multilayer monochromators. The benefit of using polycapillary optic is that it can collect x-rays over tile greatest solid angle, and thus most efficiently, utilize the greatest portion of X-rays emitted from the Source, The x-ray generator has to have a small anode spot, and thus its size and power requirements can be substantially reduced We present the design and results from the first high flux x-ray system for crystallography that combine's a microfocus X-ray generator (40microns FWHM Spot size at a power of 45 W) and a collimating, polycapillary optic. Diffraction data collected from small test crystals with cell dimensions up to 160A (lysozyme and thaumatin) are of high quality. For example, diffraction data collected from a lysozyme crystal at RT yielded R=5.0% for data extending to 1.70A. We compare these results with measurements taken from standard crystallographic systems. Our current microfocus X-ray diffraction system is attractive for supporting crystal growth research in the standard crystallography laboratory as well as in remote, automated crystal growth laboratory. Its small volume, light-weight, and low power requirements are sufficient to have it installed in unique environments, i.e.. on-board International Space Station.

A Project To Make the Laboratory More Accessible to Students with Disabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lunsford, Suzanne K.; Bargerhuff, Mary Ellen

2006-03-01

This article describes project CLASS (Creating Laboratory Access for Science Students) an innovative NSF-funded project originating at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. Project CLASS enables students to participate in chemistry labs regardless of physical or learning disabilities in grades 7 12. This nationally recognized project prepares educators to accommodate and develop adaptive lab equipment to meet the needs of students with physical and learning disabilities while maintaining the integrity of the science curriculum.

Study of Scientists and Engineers in DoD Laboratories

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-09-01

LABORATORY PERSONNEL CEILINGS - REPEAL HIGH GRADE CEILINGS AND CREATE DEFENSE S&T SERVICE - ADJUST S&E PAY SCALE TO MEET MARKET COMPETITION - REMOVE...with an June 1980 examination of the dynamics of the S&E labor NSF-80-316 market -- i.e., the flows into and out of science and engineering. National...at all degreeand beyond Science and levels and tight markets at all degree levels inOct, 1980 Engineerinp, most engineering fields. Engineering and

Assessment of laboratory and daily energy expenditure estimates from consumer multi-sensor physical activity monitors.

PubMed

Chowdhury, Enhad A; Western, Max J; Nightingale, Thomas E; Peacock, Oliver J; Thompson, Dylan

2017-01-01

Wearable physical activity monitors are growing in popularity and provide the opportunity for large numbers of the public to self-monitor physical activity behaviours. The latest generation of these devices feature multiple sensors, ostensibly similar or even superior to advanced research instruments. However, little is known about the accuracy of their energy expenditure estimates. Here, we assessed their performance against criterion measurements in both controlled laboratory conditions (simulated activities of daily living and structured exercise) and over a 24 hour period in free-living conditions. Thirty men (n = 15) and women (n = 15) wore three multi-sensor consumer monitors (Microsoft Band, Apple Watch and Fitbit Charge HR), an accelerometry-only device as a comparison (Jawbone UP24) and validated research-grade multi-sensor devices (BodyMedia Core and individually calibrated Actiheart™). During discrete laboratory activities when compared against indirect calorimetry, the Apple Watch performed similarly to criterion measures. The Fitbit Charge HR was less consistent at measurement of discrete activities, but produced similar free-living estimates to the Apple Watch. Both these devices underestimated free-living energy expenditure (-394 kcal/d and -405 kcal/d, respectively; P<0.01). The multi-sensor Microsoft Band and accelerometry-only Jawbone UP24 devices underestimated most laboratory activities and substantially underestimated free-living expenditure (-1128 kcal/d and -998 kcal/d, respectively; P<0.01). None of the consumer devices were deemed equivalent to the reference method for daily energy expenditure. For all devices, there was a tendency for negative bias with greater daily energy expenditure. No consumer monitors performed as well as the research-grade devices although in some (but not all) cases, estimates were close to criterion measurements. Thus, whilst industry-led innovation has improved the accuracy of consumer monitors, these devices are not yet equivalent to the best research-grade devices or indeed equivalent to each other. We propose independent quality standards and/or accuracy ratings for consumer devices are required.

Assessment of laboratory and daily energy expenditure estimates from consumer multi-sensor physical activity monitors

PubMed Central

Chowdhury, Enhad A.; Western, Max J.; Nightingale, Thomas E.; Peacock, Oliver J.; Thompson, Dylan

2017-01-01

Wearable physical activity monitors are growing in popularity and provide the opportunity for large numbers of the public to self-monitor physical activity behaviours. The latest generation of these devices feature multiple sensors, ostensibly similar or even superior to advanced research instruments. However, little is known about the accuracy of their energy expenditure estimates. Here, we assessed their performance against criterion measurements in both controlled laboratory conditions (simulated activities of daily living and structured exercise) and over a 24 hour period in free-living conditions. Thirty men (n = 15) and women (n = 15) wore three multi-sensor consumer monitors (Microsoft Band, Apple Watch and Fitbit Charge HR), an accelerometry-only device as a comparison (Jawbone UP24) and validated research-grade multi-sensor devices (BodyMedia Core and individually calibrated Actiheart™). During discrete laboratory activities when compared against indirect calorimetry, the Apple Watch performed similarly to criterion measures. The Fitbit Charge HR was less consistent at measurement of discrete activities, but produced similar free-living estimates to the Apple Watch. Both these devices underestimated free-living energy expenditure (-394 kcal/d and -405 kcal/d, respectively; P<0.01). The multi-sensor Microsoft Band and accelerometry-only Jawbone UP24 devices underestimated most laboratory activities and substantially underestimated free-living expenditure (-1128 kcal/d and -998 kcal/d, respectively; P<0.01). None of the consumer devices were deemed equivalent to the reference method for daily energy expenditure. For all devices, there was a tendency for negative bias with greater daily energy expenditure. No consumer monitors performed as well as the research-grade devices although in some (but not all) cases, estimates were close to criterion measurements. Thus, whilst industry-led innovation has improved the accuracy of consumer monitors, these devices are not yet equivalent to the best research-grade devices or indeed equivalent to each other. We propose independent quality standards and/or accuracy ratings for consumer devices are required. PMID:28234979

The influence of natural organic matter and cations on the rejection of endocrine disrupting and pharmaceutically active compounds by nanofiltration.

PubMed

Comerton, Anna M; Andrews, Robert C; Bagley, David M

2009-02-01

The impact of natural organic matter (NOM) and cations on the rejection of five endocrine disrupting compounds (EDCs) and pharmaceutically active compounds (PhACs) (acetaminophen, carbamazepine, estrone, gemfibrozil, oxybenzone) by nanofiltration (NF) was examined. The water matrices included membrane bioreactor (MBR) effluent, Lake Ontario water and laboratory-prepared waters modelled to represent the characteristics of the Lake Ontario water. The impact of cations in natural waters on compound rejection was also examined by doubling the natural cation concentration (calcium, magnesium, sodium) in both the Lake Ontario water and the MBR effluent. The presence of Suwannee River NOM spiked into laboratory-grade water was found to cause an increase in compound NF rejection. In addition, the presence of cations alone in laboratory-grade water did not have a significant impact on rejection with the exception of the polar compound gemfibrozil. However, when cation concentration in natural waters was increased, a significant decrease in the rejection of EDCs and PhACs was observed. This suggests that the presence of cations may result in a reduction in the association of EDCs and PhACs with NOM.

Report on METHODS OF Evaluating Students at the University of California, Berkeley.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Stuart

Several arguments are made for changing the present system of grading in college. The arguments deal with: (1) the negative effect of grading on the teaching situation--the system is capricious and variable and encourages "grade grubbing"; (2) the lack of accuracy and uniformity of grades; (3) the effect of grading, as an enforcer of the…

Categorization of intraoperative ureteroscopy complications using modified Satava classification system.

PubMed

Tepeler, Abdulkadir; Resorlu, Berkan; Sahin, Tolga; Sarikaya, Selcuk; Bayindir, Mirze; Oguz, Ural; Armagan, Abdullah; Unsal, Ali

2014-02-01

To review our experience with ureteroscopy (URS) in the treatment of ureteral calculi and stratify intraoperative complications of URS according to the modified Satava classification system. We performed a retrospective analysis of 1,208 patients (672 males and 536 females), with a mean age of 43.1 years (range 1-78), who underwent ureteroscopic procedures for removal of ureteral stones. Intraoperative complications were recorded according to modified Satava classification system. Grade 1 complications included incidents without consequences for the patient; grade 2 complications, which are treated intraoperatively with endoscopic surgery (grade 2a) or required endoscopic re-treatment (grade 2b); and grade 3 complications included incidents requiring open or laparoscopic surgery. The stones were completely removed in 1,067 (88.3%) patients after primary procedure by either simple extraction or after fragmentation. The overall incidence of intraoperative complications was 12.6%. The most common complications were proximal stone migration (3.9%), mucosal injury (2.8%), bleeding (1.9%), inability to reach stone (1.8%), malfunctioning or breakage of instruments (0.8%), ureteral perforation (0.8%) and ureteral avulsion (0.16%). According to modified Satava classification system, there were 4.5% grade 1; 4.4% grade 2a; 3.2% grade 2b; and 0.57% grade 3 complications. We think that modified Satava classification is a quick and simple system for describing the severity of intraoperative URS complications and this grading system will facilitate a better comparison for the surgical outcomes obtained from different centers.

Lethal and sublethal effects of cypermethrin to Hypsiboas pulchellus tadpoles.

PubMed

Agostini, M Gabriela; Natale, Guillermo S; Ronco, Alicia E

2010-11-01

The study of the effects of the insecticide cypermethrin (CY) technical grade and its Sherpa® commercial formulation on Hypsiboas pulchellus tadpoles assessing lethality, behavior, growth, and abnormalities under standardized laboratory conditions is reported. Observed behaviors were identified and categorized by means of a ranking system according to the loss of mobility. Results of acute lethal effects indicate higher potency for Sherpa® at this level of assessment. All effects on behavior showed an increasing degree of injury as insecticide concentration increased. Organisms exposed to technical grade CY showed lower body length with respect to controls from 3.44 µg CY/L to higher concentrations, whereas those exposed to Sherpa® exhibited lower growth from 0.83 µg CY/L. Both forms of the tested insecticide caused abnormalities between 0.34 and 4.18 µg CY/L, but 100% of malformed individuals was detected from 34.4 µg CY/L for those exposed to the technical grade CY, and from 8.36 µg CY/L for those exposed to Sherpa®. This study proposes the use of easily identifiable and distinguishable sublethal end-points. The high input loads of CY in natural environments, the detected concentrations in the field, in addition to the low levels of this insecticide required to induce sublethal effects (which could eventually lead to death), allow for the conclusion that the insecticide is a risk factor for amphibians inhabiting agroecosystems.

An evaluation of abdominal wall closure in general surgical and gynecological residents.

PubMed

Williams, Z; Williams, S; Easley, H A; Seita, H M; Hope, W W

2017-12-01

To evaluate abdominal wall closure knowledge base and technical skills in surgical and OB/GYN residents. Residents consented to participate in a skills laboratory and quiz. The skills portion involved closure of a 10-cm incision on a simulated abdominal wall. Participants were timed, filmed, and graded using a standardized grading system. Thirty surgical and OB/GYN residents participated. All residents reported closing the abdominal wall continuously, 97% preferred slowly absorbing sutures (28/29), 97% preferred taking 1-cm bites (29/30), and 93% spaced bites 1 cm apart (27/29). However, 77% (10/13) of surgery residents identified 4:1 as the ideal suture to wound length ratio; 47% (7/15) of OB/GYN residents believed it to be 2:1, and another 40% (6/15) indicated 3:1 (p < 0.0001). In the simulation, OB/GYN residents used significantly fewer stitches (p = 0.0028), significantly more distance between bites (p < 0.0001), and significantly larger bite size (p < 0.0001) than surgery residents. When graded, there was no significant difference between programs. Despite some knowledge regarding the principles of abdominal wall closure among surgical and OB/GYN residents, more instruction is needed. We identified some differences in knowledge base and techniques for abdominal wall closure among general surgery and OB/GYN residents, which are likely due to differences in educational curriculums.

Can low-cost motion-tracking systems substitute a Polhemus system when researching social motor coordination in children?

PubMed

Romero, Veronica; Amaral, Joseph; Fitzpatrick, Paula; Schmidt, R C; Duncan, Amie W; Richardson, Michael J

2017-04-01

Functionally stable and robust interpersonal motor coordination has been found to play an integral role in the effectiveness of social interactions. However, the motion-tracking equipment required to record and objectively measure the dynamic limb and body movements during social interaction has been very costly, cumbersome, and impractical within a non-clinical or non-laboratory setting. Here we examined whether three low-cost motion-tracking options (Microsoft Kinect skeletal tracking of either one limb or whole body and a video-based pixel change method) can be employed to investigate social motor coordination. Of particular interest was the degree to which these low-cost methods of motion tracking could be used to capture and index the coordination dynamics that occurred between a child and an experimenter for three simple social motor coordination tasks in comparison to a more expensive, laboratory-grade motion-tracking system (i.e., a Polhemus Latus system). Overall, the results demonstrated that these low-cost systems cannot substitute the Polhemus system in some tasks. However, the lower-cost Microsoft Kinect skeletal tracking and video pixel change methods were successfully able to index differences in social motor coordination in tasks that involved larger-scale, naturalistic whole body movements, which can be cumbersome and expensive to record with a Polhemus. However, we found the Kinect to be particularly vulnerable to occlusion and the pixel change method to movements that cross the video frame midline. Therefore, particular care needs to be taken in choosing the motion-tracking system that is best suited for the particular research.

Prospects for Probing Strong Gravity with a Pulsar-Black Hole System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wex, N.; Liu, K.; Eatough, R. P.; Kramer, M.; Cordes, J. M.; Lazio, T. J. W.

2012-01-01

The discovery of a pulsar (PSR) in orbit around a black hole (BH) is expected to provide a superb new probe of relativistic gravity and BH properties. Apart from a precise mass measurement for the BH, one could expect a clean verification of the dragging of space-time caused by the BH spin. In order to measure the quadrupole moment of the BH for testing the no-hair theorem of general relativity (GR), one has to hope for a sufficiently massive BH. In this respect, a PSR orbiting the super-massive BH in the center of our Galaxy would be the ultimate laboratory for gravity tests with PSRs. But even for gravity theories that predict the same properties for BHs as GR, a PSR-BH system would constitute an excellent test system, due to the high grade of asymmetry in the strong field properties of these two components. Here we highlight some of the potential gravity tests that one could expect from different PSR-BH systems.

Teaching of the Society for Fetal Urology grading system for pediatric hydronephrosis is improved by e-Learning using Computer Enhanced Visual Learning (CEVL): A multi-institutional trial.

PubMed

Liu, Dennis B; Palmer, Blake; Herndon, C D Anthony; Maizels, Max

2015-08-01

It is unclear how clinicians learn to grade pediatric hydronephrosis (HN) and how effective their training has been. We sought to: 1. Assess how clinicians learn to grade HN and their confidence in their training and abilities and 2. To assess Computer Enhanced Visual Learning (CEVL) e-Learning to learn the Society for Fetal Urology (SFU) grading system for pediatric HN. A multi-institutional online survey was distributed to pediatric urologists, nephrologists, and radiologists. Respondents used a 6-point Likert scale (0 = not confident to 5 = very confident) to assess their confidence in knowledge of the criteria, indications, and ability to grade HN, and how they learned to grade. Participants assigned SFU grades to 15 neonatal ultrasounds (US). A CEVL module on the SFU grading system was accessed and a post-CEVL survey completed. Changes in confidence and accuracy of grading were compared before and after CEVL e-Learning. The most common method of learning was "casually during training" (44.5%). Significant increases in confidence in knowledge of criteria, indications, and ability to grade, as well as the accuracy of grading were seen following CEVL e-Learning (Figure A and B). Although the SFU grading system is considered the predominant grading system for HN, its application in clinical practice has been inconsistent. While this may be due to the grading system itself, it is possible that deficient training and confidence are the root causes. Our data supports this by demonstrating that most clinicians receive only casual training and accordingly, report low confidence in their knowledge and ability to grade HN. Therefore, we conclude that there exists a strong need to improve the teaching of the SFU grading system. e-Learning has been shown to be effective in teaching difficult topics and skills. We demonstrate that e-Learning with CEVL is effective in increasing both the confidence and accuracy of SFU grading of pediatric HN. Limitations of our study include a small sample size, low response rate, and discrepant participation. Furthermore, we did not assess the extent to which the CEVL module was used or include a control group learning through traditional means. Therefore, we were unable to evaluate the efficiency of learning or be certain that the improvements seen were derived exclusively from CEVL. Current training in SFU grading of HN is mostly unstructured and inaccurate grading is common. Learners who use CEVL show improvements in their confidence and ability to SFU grade HN. Copyright © 2015 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Pediatric airway study: Endoscopic grading system for quantifying tonsillar size in comparison to standard adenotonsillar grading systems.

PubMed

Patel, Neha A; Carlin, Kristen; Bernstein, Joseph M

Current grading systems may not allow clinicians to reliably document and communicate adenotonsillar size in the clinical setting. A validated endoscopic grading system may be useful for reporting tonsillar size in future clinical outcome studies. This is especially important as tonsillar enlargement is the cause of a substantial health care burden on children. To propose and validate an easy-to-use flexible fiberoptic endoscopic grading system that provides physicians with a more accurate sense of the three-dimensional relationship of the tonsillar fossa to the upper-airway. 50 consecutive pediatric patients were prospectively recruited between February 2015 and February 2016 at a pediatric otolaryngology outpatient clinic. The patients had no major craniofacial abnormalities and were aged 1 to 16years. Each patient had data regarding BMI, Friedman palate position, OSA-18 survey results collected. For each child, digital video clips of fiberoptic nasopharyngeal, oropharyngeal and laryngeal exams were presented to 2 examiners. Examiners were asked to independently use the proposed Endoscopic tonsillar grading system, the Brodsky tonsillar grading scale, the Modified Brodsky tonsillar grading scale with a tongue depressor, and the Parikh adenoid grading system to rate adenotonsillar hypertrophy. Cohen's Kappa and weighted Kappa scores were used to assess interrater reliability for each of the four grading scales. The Spearman correlation was used to test the associations between each scale and OSA-18 scores, as well as Body Mass Index (BMI). 50 pediatric patients were included in this study (mean age 6.1years, range of 1year to 16years). The average BMI was 20. The average OSA-18 score was 61.7. The average Friedman palate position score was 1.34. Twelve percent of the patients had a Friedman palate position score≥3, which made traditional Brodsky grading of their tonsils impossible without a tongue depressor. All four scales showed strong agreement between the two raters. The weighted Kappa was 0.83 for the Modified Brodsky scale, 0.89 for the Brodsky scale, 0.94 for the Parikh scale to 0.98 for the Endoscopic scale (almost perfect agreement). The Endoscopic scale showed the most consistent agreement between the raters during the study. There was a moderate association between the Parikh adenoid grading system with OSA-18 scores (Spearman's ρ=0.58, p<0.001) compared to a low association of the tonsillar grading systems with OSA- 18 scores. None of the scales correlated with patient BMI. The proposed Endoscopic tonsillar grading system is as reliable of a method of grading tonsillar size as conventional grading systems. It offers the advantage of allowing for critical evaluation of the tonsils without any anatomic distortion which may occur with the use of a tongue blade. This new validated endoscopic grading system provides a tool for communicating the degree of airway obstruction at the level of the oropharynx regardless of Friedman palate position and may be used in future outcomes projects. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

MORPHOLOGICAL PATTERN AND FREQUENCY OF CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM TUMOURS IN CHILDREN.

PubMed

Bilqees, Fatima; Samina, Khaleeq; Mohammad, Tahir; Khaleeq-uz-Zamaan

2016-01-01

Recent studies, including a comprehensive study by National Cancer Institute, have shown that a significant increase in the incidence of childhood brain tumours makes them the most common paediatric tumour. The objectives of this study were to determine the frequency of central nervous system tumours in paediatric age group (0-12 years), and to segregate various morphologic types according to WHO classification. The study included consecutive cases of central nervous system tumours diagnosed in children in the histopathology department at Federal Government Polyclinic, PGMI, Islamabad, during a period of 4.8 years (Jan 2009-Aug 2013). The initial histopathological evaluation of these lesions was performed on H&E stained sections of paraffin embedded tissues. Special stains and immunohistochemistry were performed whenever indicated. Out of 75 cases, 34 (45.3%) were astrocytic tumours, including 16 (47.1%) Pilocytic astrocytomas (WHO Grade-I), 1 (2.9%) diffuse fibrillary astrocytoma (WHO Grade-II), 1 (2.9%) anaplastic astrocytoma (WHO Grade-III) and 16(47.1%) glioblastoma multiforme (WHO Grade-IV); 18 (24%) were embryonal tumours including 17 (94.4%) medulloblastoma (WHO Grade-IV) and 1 (5.6%) neuroblastoma (WHO Grade IV); 10 (13.3%) were craniopharyngiomas (WHO Grade-I) and 5 (6.7%) were ependymal tumours including 1 (20%) myxopapillary ependymoma (WHO Grade-I) and 4 (80%) ependymomas (WHO Grade-II). Miscellaneous entities included 3 (4%) choroid plexus tumours; 1 (2%) anaplastic oligodendroglioma (WHO Grade-III); 1 (2%) atypical meningioma (WHO Grade-II); 1 (2%) schwannoma (WHO Grade-I); 1 (2%) neurofibroma (WHO Grade-I) and 1 (2%) lipoma (WHO Grade-I). Astrocytic tumours are the most common central nervous system tumours in paediatric age group and high grade lesions (WHO Grade-IV) constitute the largest category (45.3%).

Automated egg grading system using computer vision: Investigation on weight measure versus shape parameters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nasir, Ahmad Fakhri Ab; Suhaila Sabarudin, Siti; Majeed, Anwar P. P. Abdul; Ghani, Ahmad Shahrizan Abdul

2018-04-01

Chicken egg is a source of food of high demand by humans. Human operators cannot work perfectly and continuously when conducting egg grading. Instead of an egg grading system using weight measure, an automatic system for egg grading using computer vision (using egg shape parameter) can be used to improve the productivity of egg grading. However, early hypothesis has indicated that more number of egg classes will change when using egg shape parameter compared with using weight measure. This paper presents the comparison of egg classification by the two above-mentioned methods. Firstly, 120 images of chicken eggs of various grades (A–D) produced in Malaysia are captured. Then, the egg images are processed using image pre-processing techniques, such as image cropping, smoothing and segmentation. Thereafter, eight egg shape features, including area, major axis length, minor axis length, volume, diameter and perimeter, are extracted. Lastly, feature selection (information gain ratio) and feature extraction (principal component analysis) are performed using k-nearest neighbour classifier in the classification process. Two methods, namely, supervised learning (using weight measure as graded by egg supplier) and unsupervised learning (using egg shape parameters as graded by ourselves), are conducted to execute the experiment. Clustering results reveal many changes in egg classes after performing shape-based grading. On average, the best recognition results using shape-based grading label is 94.16% while using weight-based label is 44.17%. As conclusion, automated egg grading system using computer vision is better by implementing shape-based features since it uses image meanwhile the weight parameter is more suitable by using weight grading system.

[Neuroendocrine neoplasm of digestive system with different grades: a clinicopathologic and prognostic study].

PubMed

Zhang, Ming-hui; Liu, Yan-hui; Luo, Xin-lan; Lin, Xing-tao; Zhuang, Heng-guo

2012-07-01

To study the clinicopathologic and prognostic features of neuroendocrine neoplasm of digestive system with different grades. The clinicopathologic features of 139 cases of neuroendocrine neoplasm occurring in digestive system were retrospectively reviewed and graded according to the 2010 World Health Organization classification of tumours of the digestive system. Immunohistochemical study for synaptophysin, chromogranin A and Ki-67 was carried out. The follow-up and survival data were analysed using Kaplan-Meier method. Prognostic factors were tested by Log-rank testing and independent risk factors were analysed using Cox regression model. Amongst the 139 cases studied, there were 88 cases (63.3%) of grade 1 tumors, 9 cases (6.5%) of grade 2 tumors and 42 cases (30.2%) of grade 3 tumors. There was diffusely positive staining for synaptophysin and chromogranin A in most of the grade 1 and grade 2 tumors. The staining in grade 3 tumors however was focal (P < 0.05). The differences in tumor size, depth of invasion, presence of tumor emboli, perineural permeation, nodal involvement, distant metastasis and survival rate amongst the three groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). There is significant difference in the clinicopathologic and prognostic features of neuroendocrine neoplasm of digestive system with different grades. It is considered as an independent prognostic factor and represents a useful tool for prognostic evaluation of such tumors, both in clinical practice and research.

Diagnostic accuracy of pre-treatment biopsy for grading cutaneous mast cell tumours in dogs.

PubMed

Shaw, T; Kudnig, S T; Firestone, S M

2018-06-01

Mast cell tumours (MCTs) are common tumours of the canine skin, and are estimated to represent up to 20% of all skin tumours in dogs. Tumour grade has a major impact on the incidence of local recurrence and metastatic potential. In addition to helping the clinician with surgical planning, knowledge of the tumour grade also assists in proper prognostication and client education. For pre-treatment biopsies to be useful, there must exist a high level of correlation between the histopathological grade obtained from the pre-treatment biopsy and the actual histopathological grade from the excisional biopsy. The aim of this study was to determine concordance of tumour grade between various biopsy techniques (wedge, punch, needle core) and the "gold standard" excisional biopsy method. We found an overall concordance rate of 96% based on the Patnaik grading system, and an overall concordance rate of 92% based on the Kiupel grading system. The accuracy of the various biopsy techniques (wedge, punch and needle core) when compared with excisional biopsy was 92%, 100% and 100%, respectively, based on the Patnaik grading system, and 90%, 95% and 100%, respectively, based on the Kiupel grading system. Of the cases with discordant results, the pre-treatment biopsies tended to underestimate the grade of the tumour. Based on these results, we conclude that pre-treatment biopsies are sufficiently accurate for differentiating low-grade from high-grade MCTs, regardless of biopsy technique or tumour location. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Influence of study approaches and course design on academic success in the undergraduate anatomy laboratory.

PubMed

Eleazer, Courtney D; Scopa Kelso, Rebecca

2018-01-04

Many pre-health professional programs require completion of an undergraduate anatomy course with a laboratory component, yet grades in these courses are often low. Many students perceive anatomy as a more challenging subject than other coursework, and the resulting anxiety surrounding this perception may be a significant contributor to poor performance. Well-planned and deliberate guidance from instructors, as well as thoughtful course design, may be necessary to assist students in finding the best approach to studying for anatomy. This article assesses which study habits are associated with course success and whether course design influences study habits. Surveys (n = 1,274) were administered to students enrolled in three undergraduate human anatomy laboratory courses with varying levels of cooperative learning and structured guidance. The surveys collected information on potential predictors of performance, including student demographics, educational background, self-assessment ability, and study methods (e.g., flashcards, textbooks, diagrams). Compared to low performers, high performers perceive studying in laboratory, asking the instructor questions, quizzing alone, and quizzing others as more effective for learning. Additionally, students co-enrolled in a flipped, active lecture anatomy course achieve higher grades and find active learning activities (e.g., quizzing alone and in groups) more helpful for their learning in the laboratory. These results strengthen previous research suggesting that student performance is more greatly enhanced by an active classroom environment that practices successful study strategies rather than one that simply encourages students to employ such strategies inside and outside the classroom. Anat Sci Educ. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists. © 2018 American Association of Anatomists.

Student and Faculty Perceptions of Plus/Minus Grading and Its Effect on Course Grade Point Averages

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Edgar, Leslie D.; Johnson, Donald M.; Graham, Donna L.; Dixon, Bruce L.

2014-01-01

In fall 2005, the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas authorized the optional use of a plus/minus grading system. Since 2005, approximately one-half of courses have been graded using plus/minus and one-half using the straight letter grade system. This study examined student (n = 338) and…

Installation and laboratory evaluation of alternatives to conventional polymer modification for asphalt.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-01-01

The Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) specifies polymer-modified asphalt binders for certain asphalt : mixtures used on high-volume, high-priority routes. These binders must meet performance grade (PG) requirements for a PG : 76-22 binder ...

Preliminary investigation of RAP and RAS in HMAC : final report, February 2010.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-02-01

A laboratory study was undertaken to investigate how various proportions of reclaimed asphalt pavement (RAP) and reclaimed asphalt shingles (RAS) added to hot mixed asphalt concrete (HMAC) mixtures affect the Superpave performance grade of the blende...

Potato Types and Characteristics: Laboratory Exercises.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pavlista, Alexander D.

1997-01-01

Presents a number of simple exercises that demonstrate potato tuber characteristics and are designed for high school biology students and teachers. Exercises include Typing, Grading, Shape, Eye Characteristics, Defects, Specific Gravity, Dry Matter Content, Glucose Content, Baking, Frying/Chipping, and Taste Testing. (JRH)

Hazardous Waste Cleanup: Fisher Scientific Chemical Division in Fair Lawn, New Jersey

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Fisher Scientific Chemical Division occupies a 10-acre site at 1 Reagent Lane in the Fair Lawn Industrial Park, New Jersey. Since 1955, Fisher has formulated, distilled, repackaged and distributed high-purity, laboratory-grade reagents and solvents.

Driver behavior at rail-highway grade crossings : a signal detection theory analysis

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-01-01

Signal Detection Theory (SDT) is often used in studies of sensory psychology and perception to describe laboratory experiments in which subjects are asked to detect small changes in very wellcontrolled, precisely defined stimuli such as the intensity...

Risk Factors for Oxaliplatin-Induced Hypersensitivity Reactions in Japanese Patients with Advanced Colorectal Cancer

PubMed Central

Seki, Kyoko; Senzaki, Kenzou; Tsuduki, Yasuo; Ioroi, Takeshi; Fujii, Michiko; Yamauchi, Hiroko; Shiraishi, Yukinari; Nakata, Izumi; Nishiguchi, Kohshi; Matsubayashi, Teruhisa; Takakubo, Yoshihide; Okamura, Noboru; Yamamori, Motohiro; Tamura, Takao; Sakaeda, Toshiyuki

2011-01-01

Objective: Previously, we suggested that oxaliplatin (L-OHP)-related grade 3/4 hypersensitivity reactions occurred immediately after the initiation, but grade 1/2 reactions did not. This study was conducted to clarify the risk factors for L-OHP-related hypersensitivity reactions. Methods: Clinical data from 108 Japanese patients with colorectal cancer were analyzed, who were treated with L-OHP-containing regimens, FOLFOX4 and/or mFOLFOX6. The risk factors examined included demographic data, preexisting allergies, laboratory test data, treatment regimen, treatment line of therapy, pretreatment with steroids, total number of cycles and cumulative amount of L-OHP. Results: The incidence of grade 1/2 and grade 3/4 hypersensitivity reactions were found at 13.0% (14/108) and 9.3% (10/108), respectively. Female (P=0.037), preexisting allergies (P=0.004) and lower level of lactate dehydrogenase (P=0.003) were risk factors for grade 1/2 hypersensitivity reactions, and higher neutrophil count (P=0.043) and lower monocyte count (P=0.007) were for grade 3/4 reactions. Total number of cycles were larger in the patients with grade 3/4 reactions than those without reactions (P=0.049). Conclusions: Further extensive examination with a large number of patients is needed to establish a patient management strategy. PMID:21448307

Relationship of the Van Herick Grading System with Peripheral Iris Configuration and Level of Iris Insertion.

PubMed

Khan, Faisal Aziz; Niazi, Shafaq Pervez Khan; Khan, Assad Zaman

2017-09-01

To determine the relationship of the van Herick angle grading system with the level of iris insertion and peripheral iris configuration. Observational study. Eye department, Combined Military Hospital, Malir Cantt., Karachi, from May to October 2015. Sixty-five eyes of 65 patients were recruited. Anterior chamber depth at the temporal limbus was measured as a fraction of corneal section thickness using van Herick technique and graded on the standard 4-point scale of the van Herick grading system. Gonioscopy of the temporal quadrant was performed with a Posner 4 mirror goniolens and both the true level of iris insertion and peripheral iris configuration were recorded on a 4-point scale so as to equate with the van Herick 4-point grading system. Spearman's rho test was applied to determine the relationship of the van Herick grading system with level of iris root insertion and peripheral iris configuration. Amoderate positive correlation between van Herick grade and peripheral iris configuration was found which was statistically significant (rs=0.42, p < 0.001). Astatistically significant and moderate positive correlation was also detected between van Herick grade and the level of iris insertion (rs=0.45, p < 0.001). The van Herick grade has a moderately positive relationship with the peripheral iris configuration and true level of iris insertion.

Efficacy of three different steamers for control of bed bugs (Cimex lectularius L.).

PubMed

Wang, Desen; Wang, Changlu; Wang, Guohong; Zha, Chen; Eiden, Amanda L; Cooper, Richard

2018-04-15

Bed bugs, Cimex lectularius L., have become one of the most difficult urban pests to control. Steam treatment is reported to be an effective method to kill bed bugs and is considered to be an important component of bed bug integrated pest management (IPM). We evaluated and compared the efficacy of two affordable consumer-grade commercial steamers to a commonly used professional-grade steamer for killing bed bugs. In laboratory experiments, the consumer-grade steamer at an affordable price achieved the same high control efficacy as the professional-grade steamer for treating bed bugs exposed on mattresses (100% bed bug mortality), located beneath a fabric cover (>89% bed bug mortality), or hiding in cracks (100% bed bug mortality). Bed bugs located behind a leather cover did not suffer significant mortality from steam treatment regardless of the type of steamers used and treatment duration. Proper use of steamers can kill all life stages of bed bugs. Affordable consumer-grade steamers are as effective as professional-grade steam machines for eliminating bed bugs resting on mattresses, hiding behind fabric materials, or in cracks. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

The 2014 International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) Consensus Conference on Gleason Grading of Prostatic Carcinoma: Definition of Grading Patterns and Proposal for a New Grading System.

PubMed

Epstein, Jonathan I; Egevad, Lars; Amin, Mahul B; Delahunt, Brett; Srigley, John R; Humphrey, Peter A

2016-02-01

In November, 2014, 65 prostate cancer pathology experts, along with 17 clinicians including urologists, radiation oncologists, and medical oncologists from 19 different countries gathered in a consensus conference to update the grading of prostate cancer, last revised in 2005. The major conclusions were: (1) Cribriform glands should be assigned a Gleason pattern 4, regardless of morphology; (2) Glomeruloid glands should be assigned a Gleason pattern 4, regardless of morphology; (3) Grading of mucinous carcinoma of the prostate should be based on its underlying growth pattern rather than grading them all as pattern 4; and (4) Intraductal carcinoma of the prostate without invasive carcinoma should not be assigned a Gleason grade and a comment as to its invariable association with aggressive prostate cancer should be made. Regarding morphologies of Gleason patterns, there was clear consensus on: (1) Gleason pattern 4 includes cribriform, fused, and poorly formed glands; (2) The term hypernephromatoid cancer should not be used; (3) For a diagnosis of Gleason pattern 4, it needs to be seen at 10x lens magnification; (4) Occasional/seemingly poorly formed or fused glands between well-formed glands is insufficient for a diagnosis of pattern 4; (5) In cases with borderline morphology between Gleason pattern 3 and pattern 4 and crush artifacts, the lower grade should be favored; (6) Branched glands are allowed in Gleason pattern 3; (7) Small solid cylinders represent Gleason pattern 5; (8) Solid medium to large nests with rosette-like spaces should be considered to represent Gleason pattern 5; and (9) Presence of unequivocal comedonecrosis, even if focal is indicative of Gleason pattern 5. It was recognized by both pathologists and clinicians that despite the above changes, there were deficiencies with the Gleason system. The Gleason grading system ranges from 2 to 10, yet 6 is the lowest score currently assigned. When patients are told that they have a Gleason score 6 out of 10, it implies that their prognosis is intermediate and contributes to their fear of having a more aggressive cancer. Also, in the literature and for therapeutic purposes, various scores have been incorrectly grouped together with the assumption that they have a similar prognosis. For example, many classification systems consider Gleason score 7 as a single score without distinguishing 3+4 versus 4+3, despite studies showing significantly worse prognosis for the latter. The basis for a new grading system was proposed in 2013 by one of the authors (J.I.E.) based on data from Johns Hopkins Hospital resulting in 5 prognostically distinct Grade Groups. This new system was validated in a multi-institutional study of over 20,000 radical prostatectomy specimens, over 16,000 needle biopsy specimens, and over 5,000 biopsies followed by radiation therapy. There was broad (90%) consensus for the adoption of this new prostate cancer Grading system in the 2014 consensus conference based on: (1) the new classification provided more accurate stratification of tumors than the current system; (2) the classification simplified the number of grading categories from Gleason scores 2 to 10, with even more permutations based on different pattern combinations, to Grade Groups 1 to 5; (3) the lowest grade is 1 not 6 as in Gleason, with the potential to reduce overtreatment of indolent cancer; and (4) the current modified Gleason grading, which forms the basis for the new grade groups, bears little resemblance to the original Gleason system. The new grades would, for the foreseeable future, be used in conjunction with the Gleason system [ie. Gleason score 3+3=6 (Grade Group 1)]. The new grading system and the terminology Grade Groups 1-5 have also been accepted by the World Health Organization for the 2016 edition of Pathology and Genetics: Tumours of the Urinary System and Male Genital Organs.

Evaluating the Impact of Road Grade on Simulated Commercial Vehicle Fuel Economy Using Real-World Drive Cycles

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

Lopp, Sean; Wood, Eric; Duran, Adam

Commercial vehicle fuel economy is known to vary significantly with both positive and negative road grade. Medium- and heavy-duty vehicles operating at highway speeds require incrementally larger amounts of energy to pull heavy payloads up inclines as road grade increases. Non-hybrid vehicles are then unable to recapture energy on descent and lose energy through friction braking. While the on-road effects of road grade are well understood, the majority of standard commercial vehicle drive cycles feature no climb or descent requirements. Additionally, existing literature offers a limited number of sources that attempt to estimate the on-road energy implications of road grademore » in the medium- and heavy-duty space. This study uses real-world commercial vehicle drive cycles from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Fleet DNA database to simulate the effects of road grade on fuel economy across a range of vocations, operating conditions, and locations. Drive-cycles are matched with vocation-specific vehicle models and simulated with and without grade. Fuel use due to grade is presented, and variation in fuel consumption due to drive cycle and vehicle characteristics is explored through graphical and statistical comparison. The results of this study suggest that road grade accounts for 1%-9% of fuel use in commercial vehicles on average and up to 40% on select routes.« less

The Influence of Laboratory Instruction on Science Achievement and Attitude Toward Science across Gender Differences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Freedman, Michael P.

This study investigated the use of a hands-on laboratory program to improve attitudes toward science and increase achievement levels in science knowledge among students in a ninth grade physical science course. An objective final examination measured achievement in science knowledge, and a Q sort survey measured attitude toward science. A t test compared the groups' differences in achievement and attitude toward science. An analysis of covariance determined the effect of the laboratory treatment on the dependent variable, with attitude toward science as the covariable. The findings showed that students with regular laboratory instruction scored significantly higher (p < .05) on achievement in science knowledge than those without laboratory instruction, girls with regular laboratory instruction scored significantly higher (p < .05) on achievement in science knowledge than those without laboratory instruction, and girls and boys within the treatment group did not differ significantly on achievement in science knowledge. No significant differences were reported in attitude toward science between or within groups.

Asking the next generation: the implementation of pre-university students’ ideas about physics laboratory preparation exercises

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dunnett, K.; Bartlett, P. A.

2018-01-01

It was planned to introduce online pre-laboratory session activities to a first-year undergraduate physics laboratory course to encourage a minimum level of student preparation for experiments outside the laboratory environment. A group of 16 and 17 year old laboratory work-experience students were tasked to define and design a pre-laboratory activity based on experiments that they had been undertaking. This informed the structure, content and aims of the activities introduced to a first year physics undergraduate laboratory course, with the particular focus on practising the data handling. An implementation study showed how students could try to optimise high grades, rather than gain efficiency-enhancing experience if careful controls were not put in place by assessors. However, the work demonstrated that pre-university and first-year physics students can take an active role in developing scaffolding activities that can help to improve the performance of those that follow their footsteps.

High apoptotic index in urine cytology is associated with high-grade urothelial carcinoma.

PubMed

Yang, Chi-Shun; Chen, Shaoxiong; Cramer, Harvey M; Wu, Howard H

2016-08-01

The significance of apoptosis and its association with high-grade urothelial carcinoma (HGUC) in urine cytology has yet to be determined. A computerized search of the study laboratory information system was performed over a 3-year period for all urine cytology specimens processed using the SurePath liquid-based preparation technique. Only those cases with correlating surgical pathology obtained within 6 months after the urine cytologic samples were included in the current study. Cases from ileal conduit samples were excluded. A semiquantitative numerical scoring system (apoptotic index) was used to assess the amount of pyknosis or karyorrhexis, with 0 indicating none, 1 indicating < 10 per 10 high-power fields, 2 indicating 10 to 30 per 10 high-power fields, and 3 indicating > 30 per 10 high-power fields. Statistical analysis using the Pearson chi-square test was performed. A total of 228 cases including 105 benign cases, 79 cases of HGUC, and 44 cases of low-grade urothelial carcinoma (LGUC) diagnosed on follow-up surgical pathology were selected. A score of 0 was observed in 70 benign, 11 HGUC, and 8 LGUC cases; a score of 1 was observed in 31 benign, 21 HGUC, and 23 LGUC cases; a score of 2 was observed in 3 benign, 27 HGUC, and 9 LGUC cases; and a score of 3 was observed in 1 benign, 20 HGUC, and 4 LGUC cases. Excluding ileal conduit urine specimens, the finding of a high apoptotic index (score ≥ 2) with the presence of pyknosis or karyorrhexis in ≥10 per 10 high-power fields in the urine cytology appears to be significantly associated with HGUC (P<.05). Cancer Cytopathol 2016;124:546-51. © 2016 American Cancer Society. © 2016 American Cancer Society.

The World Health Organization 1973 classification system for grade is an important prognosticator in T1 non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

PubMed

van de Putte, Elisabeth E Fransen; Bosschieter, Judith; van der Kwast, Theo H; Bertz, Simone; Denzinger, Stefan; Manach, Quentin; Compérat, Eva M; Boormans, Joost L; Jewett, Michael A S; Stoehr, Robert; van Leenders, Geert J L H; Nieuwenhuijzen, Jakko A; Zlotta, Alexandre R; Hendricksen, Kees; Rouprêt, Morgan; Otto, Wolfgang; Burger, Maximilian; Hartmann, Arndt; van Rhijn, Bas W G

2018-04-10

To compare the prognostic value of the World Health Organization (WHO) 1973 and 2004 classification systems for grade in T1 bladder cancer (T1-BC), as both are currently recommended in international guidelines. Three uro-pathologists re-revised slides of 601 primary (first diagnosis) T1-BCs, initially managed conservatively (bacille Calmette-Guérin) in four hospitals. Grade was defined according to WHO1973 (Grade 1-3) and WHO2004 (low-grade [LG] and high-grade [HG]). This resulted in a lack of Grade 1 tumours, 188 (31%) Grade 2, and 413 (69%) Grade 3 tumours. There were 47 LG (8%) vs 554 (92%) HG tumours. We determined the prognostic value for progression-free survival (PFS) and cancer-specific survival (CSS) in Cox-regression models and corrected for age, sex, multiplicity, size and concomitant carcinoma in situ. At a median follow-up of 5.9 years, 148 patients showed progression and 94 died from BC. The WHO1973 Grade 3 was negatively associated with PFS (hazard ratio [HR] 2.1) and CSS (HR 3.4), whilst WHO2004 grade was not prognostic. On multivariable analysis, WHO1973 grade was the only prognostic factor for progression (HR 2.0). Grade 3 tumours (HR 3.0), older age (HR 1.03) and tumour size >3 cm (HR 1.8) were all independently associated with worse CSS. The WHO1973 classification system for grade has strong prognostic value in T1-BC, compared to the WHO2004 system. Our present results suggest that WHO1973 grade cannot be replaced by the WHO2004 classification in non-muscle-invasive BC guidelines. © 2018 The Authors BJU International © 2018 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Quality of pathology reporting is crucial for cancer care and registration: a baseline assessment for breast cancers diagnosed in Belgium in 2008.

PubMed

De Schutter, H; Van Damme, N; Colpaert, C; Galant, C; Lambein, K; Cornelis, A; Neven, P; Van Eycken, E

2015-04-01

Given the crucial role of pathology reporting in the management of breast cancers, we aimed to investigate the quality and variability of breast cancer pathology reporting in Belgium. Detailed information on non-molecular and molecular parameters was retrieved from the pathology protocols available at the Belgian Cancer Registry for 10,007 breast cancers diagnosed in Belgium in 2008. Substantial underreporting was shown for several clinically relevant non-molecular parameters, such as lymphovascular invasion. High-volume laboratories performed only slightly better than others, and analyses at the individual laboratory level showed clear inter-laboratory variability in reporting for all volume categories. Information on ER/PR and HER2 IHC was mentioned in respectively 91.7% and 90.8% of evaluative cases. HER2 ISH data were available for 78.5% of the cases judged to be 2+ for HER2 IHC. For cases with different specimens analysed, discordance between these specimens was highest for HER2, followed by PR. For HER2, results obtained from different laboratories were even less concordant. In addition, inter-laboratory differences were noted in the used ER/PR scoring systems, the proportion of ER-/PR+ cases, and the relation between histological grade and ER/PR positivity. Data on Ki67 were only available for 43.8% of the investigated cases, and showed inconsistent use of cut-off values. Breast pathology reporting in Belgium in 2008 was suboptimal and showed considerable inter-laboratory variability. Synoptic reporting has been proposed as a facilitator towards increased reporting quality and harmonization, but the lack of aligned informatics remains a major hurdle in its concrete implementation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The worsening factors of dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) based on cohort study with nested case-control in a tertiary hospital

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lardo, S.; Soesatyo, M. H. N. E.; Juffrie; Umniyati, S. R.

2018-03-01

The clinical pathway of DHF has a broad pathophysiological and pathogenesis spectrum. Clinical and laboratory characteristics are some of the parameters to determine the factors that contribute to the worsening of the disease. The objective of this study is to determine the clinical and laboratory characteristics which contribute to the worsening of DHF. The study had been conducted from January 2012-December 2014 at the general ward of the Internal Medicine Department, Indonesia Army Central Hospital Gatot Soebroto. There were 101 male patients (64.7%) and 55 female patients (35.3 %) ages ranging from 14 - 62 years old. The diagnosis was divided into: 124 patients DHF grade I, 6 DHF grade II, 20 DHF grade III and 6 with dengue shock syndrome (DSS) patients. Clinically and statistically, there were 4 variables apparently found with the severity of DHF, as follows: decreased appetite with p = 0.007 (OR 4.87), hepatomegaly with p = 0.009 (OR 27.00), systolic blood pressure with p = 0.037 (OR 0.95), and initial thrombocyte with p = 0.000 (OR 0.97). This cohort and nested case-control study found that worsening of DHF is related with decreased appetite, hepatomegaly, systolic blood pressure and initial thrombocyte count.

Cranial Chordoma: A New Preoperative Grading System.

PubMed

Brito da Silva, Harley; Straus, David; Barber, Jason K; Rostomily, Robert C; Ferreira, Manuel; Sekhar, Laligam N

2017-11-03

Chordomas are rare but challenging neoplasms involving the skull base. A preoperative grading system will be useful to identify both areas for treatment and risk factors, and correlate to the degree of resection, complications, and recurrence. To propose a new grading system for cranial chordomas designed by the senior author. Its purpose is to enable comparison of different tumors with a similar pathology to clivus chordoma, and statistically correlate with postoperative outcomes. The numerical grading system included tumor size, site of the tumor, vascular encasement, intradural extension, brainstem invasion, and recurrence of the tumor either after surgery or radiotherapy with a range of 2 to 25 points; it was used in 42 patients with cranial chordoma. The grading system was correlated with number of operations for resection, degree of resection, number and type of complications, recurrence, and survival. We found 3 groups: low-risk 0 to 7 points, intermediate-risk 8 to 12 points, and high-risk ≥13 points in the grading system. The 3 groups were correlated with the following: extent of resection (partial, subtotal, or complete; P < .002); number of operative stages to achieve removal (P < .014); tumor recurrence (P = .03); postoperative Karnofsky Performance Status (P < .001); and with successful outcome (P = .005). The grading system itself correlated with the outcome (P = .005). The proposed chordoma grading system can help surgeons to predict the difficulty of the case and know which areas of the skull base will need attention to plan further therapy. © Congress of Neurological Surgeons 2017.

Neuropathic pain: an updated grading system for research and clinical practice.

PubMed

Finnerup, Nanna B; Haroutounian, Simon; Kamerman, Peter; Baron, Ralf; Bennett, David L H; Bouhassira, Didier; Cruccu, Giorgio; Freeman, Roy; Hansson, Per; Nurmikko, Turo; Raja, Srinivasa N; Rice, Andrew S C; Serra, Jordi; Smith, Blair H; Treede, Rolf-Detlef; Jensen, Troels S

2016-08-01

The redefinition of neuropathic pain as "pain arising as a direct consequence of a lesion or disease affecting the somatosensory system," which was suggested by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) Special Interest Group on Neuropathic Pain (NeuPSIG) in 2008, has been widely accepted. In contrast, the proposed grading system of possible, probable, and definite neuropathic pain from 2008 has been used to a lesser extent. Here, we report a citation analysis of the original NeuPSIG grading paper of 2008, followed by an analysis of its use by an expert panel and recommendations for an improved grading system. As of February, 2015, 608 eligible articles in Scopus cited the paper, 414 of which cited the neuropathic pain definition. Of 220 clinical studies citing the paper, 56 had used the grading system. The percentage using the grading system increased from 5% in 2009 to 30% in 2014. Obstacles to a wider use of the grading system were identified, including (1) questions about the relative significance of confirmatory tests, (2) the role of screening tools, and (3) uncertainties about what is considered a neuroanatomically plausible pain distribution. Here, we present a revised grading system with an adjusted order, better reflecting clinical practice, improvements in the specifications, and a word of caution that even the "definite" level of neuropathic pain does not always indicate causality. In addition, we add a table illustrating the area of pain and sensory abnormalities in common neuropathic pain conditions and propose areas for further research.

Grading Practices and Distributions Across Internal Medicine Clerkships.

PubMed

Fazio, Sara B; Torre, Dario M; DeFer, Thomas M

2016-01-01

Clerkship evaluation and grading practices vary widely between U.S. medical schools. Grade inflation continues to exist, and grade distribution is likely to be different among U.S. medical schools. Increasing the number of available grades curtails "grade inflation." A national survey of all Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine members was administered in 2011. The authors assessed key aspects of grading. Response rate was 76%. Among clerkship directors (CDs), 61% of respondents agreed that grade inflation existed in the internal medicine clerkship at their school, and 43% believed that it helped students obtain better residency positions. With respect to grading practices, 79% of CDs define specific behaviors needed to achieve each grade, and 36% specify an ideal grade distribution. In addition, 44% have a trained core faculty responsible for evaluating students, 35% describe formal grading meetings, and 39% use the Reporter-Interpreter-Manager-Educator (RIME) scheme. Grading scales were described as follows: 4% utilize a pass/fail system, 13% a 3-tier (e.g., Honors/Pass/Fail), 45% 4-tier, 35% 5-tier, and 4% 6+-tier system. There was a trend to higher grades with more tiers available. Grade inflation continues in the internal medicine clerkship. Almost half of CDs feel that this practice assists students to obtain better residency positions. A minority of programs have a trained core faculty who are responsible for evaluation. About one third have formal grading meetings and use the RIME system; both have been associated with more robust and balanced grading practices. In particular, there is a wide variation between schools in the percentage of students who are awarded the highest grade, which has implications for residency applications. Downstream users of clinical clerkship grades must be fully aware of these variations in grading in order to appropriately judge medical student performance.

On-line prediction of yield grade, longissimus muscle area, preliminary yield grade, adjusted preliminary yield grade, and marbling score using the MARC beef carcass image analysis system.

PubMed

Shackelford, S D; Wheeler, T L; Koohmaraie, M

2003-01-01

The present experiment was conducted to evaluate the ability of the U.S. Meat Animal Research Center's beef carcass image analysis system to predict calculated yield grade, longissimus muscle area, preliminary yield grade, adjusted preliminary yield grade, and marbling score under commercial beef processing conditions. In two commercial beef-processing facilities, image analysis was conducted on 800 carcasses on the beef-grading chain immediately after the conventional USDA beef quality and yield grades were applied. Carcasses were blocked by plant and observed calculated yield grade. The carcasses were then separated, with 400 carcasses assigned to a calibration data set that was used to develop regression equations, and the remaining 400 carcasses assigned to a prediction data set used to validate the regression equations. Prediction equations, which included image analysis variables and hot carcass weight, accounted for 90, 88, 90, 88, and 76% of the variation in calculated yield grade, longissimus muscle area, preliminary yield grade, adjusted preliminary yield grade, and marbling score, respectively, in the prediction data set. In comparison, the official USDA yield grade as applied by online graders accounted for 73% of the variation in calculated yield grade. The technology described herein could be used by the beef industry to more accurately determine beef yield grades; however, this system does not provide an accurate enough prediction of marbling score to be used without USDA grader interaction for USDA quality grading.

Investigation of the effects of graded models on the biomechanical behavior of a bone-dental implant system under osteoporotic conditions

PubMed Central

Li, Ying; Shuang Liu, Zhong; Ming Bai, Xiao; Zhang, Bin

2013-01-01

Objective: To investigate the effects of graded models on the biomechanical behavior of a bone-implant system under osteoporotic conditions. Methodology : A finite element model (FEM) of the jawbone segments with a titanium implant is used. Two types of models (a graded model and a non-graded model) are established. The graded model is established based on the graded variation of the elastic modulus of the cortical bone and the non-graded model is defined by homogeneous cortical bone. The vertical and oblique loads are adopted. The max von Mises stresses and the max displacements of the cortical bone are evaluated. Results: Comparing the two types of models, the difference in the maximum von Mises stresses of the cortical bone is more than 20%. The values of the maximum displacements in the graded models are considerably less than in the non-graded models. Conclusions: These results indicate the significance of taking into account the actual graded properties of the cortical bone so that the biomechanical behavior of the bone-implant system can be analyzed accurately. PMID:24353590

Investigation of the effects of graded models on the biomechanical behavior of a bone-dental implant system under osteoporotic conditions.

PubMed

Li, Ying; Shuang Liu, Zhong; Ming Bai, Xiao; Zhang, Bin

2013-04-01

To investigate the effects of graded models on the biomechanical behavior of a bone-implant system under osteoporotic conditions. Methodology : A finite element model (FEM) of the jawbone segments with a titanium implant is used. Two types of models (a graded model and a non-graded model) are established. The graded model is established based on the graded variation of the elastic modulus of the cortical bone and the non-graded model is defined by homogeneous cortical bone. The vertical and oblique loads are adopted. The max von Mises stresses and the max displacements of the cortical bone are evaluated. Comparing the two types of models, the difference in the maximum von Mises stresses of the cortical bone is more than 20%. The values of the maximum displacements in the graded models are considerably less than in the non-graded models. These results indicate the significance of taking into account the actual graded properties of the cortical bone so that the biomechanical behavior of the bone-implant system can be analyzed accurately.

Position Statement Executive Summary: Guidelines and Recommendations for Laboratory Analysis in the Diagnosis and Management of Diabetes Mellitus

PubMed Central

Arnold, Mark; Bakris, George L.; Bruns, David E.; Horvath, Andrea Rita; Kirkman, M. Sue; Lernmark, Ake; Metzger, Boyd E.; Nathan, David M.

2011-01-01

BACKGROUND Multiple laboratory tests are used in the diagnosis and management of patients with diabetes mellitus. The quality of the scientific evidence supporting the use of these assays varies substantially. APPROACH An expert committee compiled evidence-based recommendations for the use of laboratory analysis in patients with diabetes. A new system was developed to grade the overall quality of the evidence and the strength of the recommendations. A draft of the guidelines was posted on the Internet, and the document was modified in response to comments. The guidelines were reviewed by the joint Evidence-Based Laboratory Medicine Committee of the AACC and the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry and were accepted after revisions by the Professional Practice Committee and subsequent approval by the Executive Committee of the American Diabetes Association. CONTENT In addition to the long-standing criteria based on measurement of venous plasma glucose, diabetes can be diagnosed by demonstrating increased hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) concentrations in the blood. Monitoring of glycemic control is performed by the patients measuring their own plasma or blood glucose with meters and by laboratory analysis of HbA1c. The potential roles of noninvasive glucose monitoring, genetic testing, and measurement of autoantibodies, urine albumin, insulin, proinsulin, C-peptide, and other analytes are addressed. SUMMARY The guidelines provide specific recommendations based on published data or derived from expert consensus. Several analytes are found to have minimal clinical value at the present time, and measurement of them is not recommended. PMID:21617111

Guidelines and recommendations for laboratory analysis in the diagnosis and management of diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Sacks, David B; Arnold, Mark; Bakris, George L; Bruns, David E; Horvath, Andrea Rita; Kirkman, M Sue; Lernmark, Ake; Metzger, Boyd E; Nathan, David M

2011-06-01

Multiple laboratory tests are used to diagnose and manage patients with diabetes mellitus. The quality of the scientific evidence supporting the use of these tests varies substantially. An expert committee compiled evidence-based recommendations for the use of laboratory testing for patients with diabetes. A new system was developed to grade the overall quality of the evidence and the strength of the recommendations. Draft guidelines were posted on the Internet and presented at the 2007 Arnold O. Beckman Conference. The document was modified in response to oral and written comments, and a revised draft was posted in 2010 and again modified in response to written comments. The National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry and the Evidence-Based Laboratory Medicine Committee of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry jointly reviewed the guidelines, which were accepted after revisions by the Professional Practice Committee and subsequently approved by the Executive Committee of the American Diabetes Association. In addition to long-standing criteria based on measurement of plasma glucose, diabetes can be diagnosed by demonstrating increased blood hemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) concentrations. Monitoring of glycemic control is performed by self-monitoring of plasma or blood glucose with meters and by laboratory analysis of HbA(1c). The potential roles of noninvasive glucose monitoring, genetic testing, and measurement of autoantibodies, urine albumin, insulin, proinsulin, C-peptide, and other analytes are addressed. The guidelines provide specific recommendations that are based on published data or derived from expert consensus. Several analytes have minimal clinical value at present, and their measurement is not recommended.

Guidelines and recommendations for laboratory analysis in the diagnosis and management of diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Sacks, David B; Arnold, Mark; Bakris, George L; Bruns, David E; Horvath, Andrea Rita; Kirkman, M Sue; Lernmark, Ake; Metzger, Boyd E; Nathan, David M

2011-06-01

Multiple laboratory tests are used to diagnose and manage patients with diabetes mellitus. The quality of the scientific evidence supporting the use of these tests varies substantially. An expert committee compiled evidence-based recommendations for the use of laboratory testing for patients with diabetes. A new system was developed to grade the overall quality of the evidence and the strength of the recommendations. Draft guidelines were posted on the Internet and presented at the 2007 Arnold O. Beckman Conference. The document was modified in response to oral and written comments, and a revised draft was posted in 2010 and again modified in response to written comments. The National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry and the Evidence Based Laboratory Medicine Committee of the AACC jointly reviewed the guidelines, which were accepted after revisions by the Professional Practice Committee and subsequently approved by the Executive Committee of the American Diabetes Association. In addition to long-standing criteria based on measurement of plasma glucose, diabetes can be diagnosed by demonstrating increased blood hemoglobin A(1c) (Hb A(1c)) concentrations. Monitoring of glycemic control is performed by self-monitoring of plasma or blood glucose with meters and by laboratory analysis of Hb A(1c). The potential roles of noninvasive glucose monitoring, genetic testing, and measurement of autoantibodies, urine albumin, insulin, proinsulin, C-peptide, and other analytes are addressed. The guidelines provide specific recommendations that are based on published data or derived from expert consensus. Several analytes have minimal clinical value at present, and their measurement is not recommended.

Position statement executive summary: guidelines and recommendations for laboratory analysis in the diagnosis and management of diabetes mellitus.

PubMed

Sacks, David B; Arnold, Mark; Bakris, George L; Bruns, David E; Horvath, Andrea Rita; Kirkman, M Sue; Lernmark, Ake; Metzger, Boyd E; Nathan, David M

2011-06-01

Multiple laboratory tests are used in the diagnosis and management of patients with diabetes mellitus. The quality of the scientific evidence supporting the use of these assays varies substantially. An expert committee compiled evidence-based recommendations for the use of laboratory analysis in patients with diabetes. A new system was developed to grade the overall quality of the evidence and the strength of the recommendations. A draft of the guidelines was posted on the Internet, and the document was modified in response to comments. The guidelines were reviewed by the joint Evidence-Based Laboratory Medicine Committee of the AACC and the National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry and were accepted after revisions by the Professional Practice Committee and subsequent approval by the Executive Committee of the American Diabetes Association. In addition to the long-standing criteria based on measurement of venous plasma glucose, diabetes can be diagnosed by demonstrating increased hemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)) concentrations in the blood. Monitoring of glycemic control is performed by the patients measuring their own plasma or blood glucose with meters and by laboratory analysis of HbA(1c). The potential roles of noninvasive glucose monitoring, genetic testing, and measurement of autoantibodies, urine albumin, insulin, proinsulin, C-peptide, and other analytes are addressed. The guidelines provide specific recommendations based on published data or derived from expert consensus. Several analytes are found to have minimal clinical value at the present time, and measurement of them is not recommended.

The Effects of Framing Grades on Student Learning and Preferences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bies-Hernandez, Nicole J.

2012-01-01

Two experiments examined whether framing effects, in terms of losses and gains, can be extended to student learning and grading preferences. In Experiment 1, participants rated psychology course syllabi to investigate preferences for differently framed grading systems: a loss versus gain grading system. The results showed a clear framing effect…

Systematic Review of Anastomotic Leakage Rate According to an International Grading System Following Anterior Resection for Rectal Cancer

PubMed Central

Ye, Guang-Yao; Yu, Min-Hao; Gao, Yun-He; Li, Zhao-Shen; Yu, En-Da; Zhong, Ming

2013-01-01

Background A generally acceptable definition and a severity grading system for anastomotic leakages (ALs) following rectal resection were not available until 2010, when the International Study Group of Rectal Cancer (ISGRC) proposed a definition and a grading system for AL. Methods A search for published data was performed using the MEDLINE database (2000 to December 5, 2012) to perform a systematic review of the studies that described AL, grade AL according to the grading system, pool data, and determine the average rate of AL for each grade after anterior resection (AR) for rectal cancer. Results A total of 930 abstracts were retrieved; 40 articles on AR, 25 articles on low AR (LAR), and 5 articles on ultralow AR (ULAR) were included in the review and analysis. The pooled overall AL rate of AR was 8.58% (2,085/24,288); the rate of the asymptomatic leakage (Grade A) was 2.57%, that of AL that required active intervention without relaparotomy (Grade B) was 2.37%, and that of AL that required relaparotomy (Grade C) was 5.40%. The pooled rate of AL that required relaparotomy was higher in AR (5.40%) than in LAR (4.70%) and in ULAR (1.81%), which could be attributed to the higher rate of protective defunctioning stoma in LAR (40.72%) and ULAR (63.44%) compared with that in AR (30.11%). Conclusions The new grading system is simple that the ALs of each grade can be easily extracted from past publications, therefore likely to be accepted and applied in future studies. PMID:24086552

Automated Grading of Rough Hardwood Lumber

Treesearch

Richard W. Conners; Tai-Hoon Cho; Philip A. Araman

1989-01-01

Any automatic hardwood grading system must have two components. The first of these is a computer vision system for locating and identifying defects on rough lumber. The second is a system for automatically grading boards based on the output of the computer vision system. This paper presents research results aimed at developing the first of these components. The...

Consultant Learning: A Model for Student-Directed Learning in Management Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kunkel, Scott W.

2002-01-01

Consultant learning turns the management classroom into a laboratory for free enterprise. Students determine their own grades by earning consulting fees for completing projects they design and propose. Project work becomes a portfolio for future employment. (Contains 15 references.) (SK)

29. FLOOR PLAN OF WASTE CALCINATION FACILITY SHOWING MAIN ABOVEGRADE ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

29. FLOOR PLAN OF WASTE CALCINATION FACILITY SHOWING MAIN ABOVE-GRADE FLOOR LEVEL. INEEL DRAWING NUMBER 200-0633-00-287-106354. FLUOR NUMBER 5775-CPP-633-A-4. - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Old Waste Calcining Facility, Scoville, Butte County, ID

Density in Liquids.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nesin, Gert; Barrow, Lloyd H.

1984-01-01

Describes a fourth-grade unit on density which introduces a concept useful in the study of chemistry and procedures appropriate to the chemistry laboratory. The hands-on activities, which use simple equipment and household substances, are at the level of thinking Piaget describes as concrete operational. (BC)

Synthesis of Meso-Octamethylporphyrinogen: An Undergraduate Laboratory Mini-Scale Experiment in Organic Heterocyclic Chemistry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sobral, Abilio J. F. N.

2005-01-01

The synthesis of meso-octamethylporphyrinogen that involves a mini-scale preparation and uses acetone as reactant and also as solvent is presented. It results in a product of almost analytical grade directly from the reaction medium.

Pennsylvania's Energy Curriculum for the Secondary Grades: Biological Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennsylvania State Dept. of Education, Harrisburg.

Described are about two dozen laboratory experiments, demonstrations and class discussions intended to supplement secondary school biology curricula with energy-related learning activities. Concepts examined in these materials include photosynthesis, energy from biomass, feeding relationships, pyrolysis, and respiration. Lessons contain notes to…

Asphalt binder grade selection and ignition oven calibration factors for HMAC with recycled asphalt products.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-02-01

This study investigated several characteristics of laboratory-fabricated and plant-produced hot-mix asphalt mixtures containing : various proportions of RAP and RAS with the principal objectives of developing a procedure for selecting the virgin bind...

Independent validation of the prognostic capacity of the ISUP prostate cancer grade grouping system for radiation treated patients with long-term follow-up.

PubMed

Spratt, D E; Jackson, W C; Abugharib, A; Tomlins, S A; Dess, R T; Soni, P D; Lee, J Y; Zhao, S G; Cole, A I; Zumsteg, Z S; Sandler, H; Hamstra, D; Hearn, J W; Palapattu, G; Mehra, R; Morgan, T M; Feng, F Y

2016-09-01

There has been a recent proposal to change the grading system of prostate cancer into a five-tier grade grouping system. The prognostic impact of this has been demonstrated in regards only to biochemical recurrence-free survival (bRFS) with short follow-up (3 years). Between 1990 and 2013, 847 consecutive men were treated with definitive external beam radiation therapy at a single academic center. To validate the new grade grouping system, bRFS, distant metastases-free survival (DMFS) and prostate cancer-specific survival (PCSS) were calculated. Adjusted Kaplan-Meier and multivariable Cox regression analyses were performed to assess the independent impact of the new grade grouping system. Discriminatory analyses were performed to compare the commonly used three-tier Gleason score system (6, 7 and 8-10) to the new system. The median follow-up of our cohort was 88 months. The 5-grade groups independently validated differing risks of bRFS (group 1 as reference; adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) 1.35, 2.16, 1.79 and 3.84 for groups 2-5, respectively). Furthermore, a clear stratification was demonstrated for DMFS (aHR 2.03, 3.18, 3.62 and 13.77 for groups 2-5, respectively) and PCSS (aHR 3.00, 5.32, 6.02 and 39.02 for groups 2-5, respectively). The 5-grade group system had improved prognostic discrimination for all end points compared with the commonly used three-tiered system (that is, Gleason score 6, 7 and 8-10). In a large independent radiotherapy cohort with long-term follow-up, we have validated the bRFS benefit of the proposed five-tier grade grouping system. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that the system is highly prognostic for DMFS and PCSS. Grade group 5 had markedly worse outcomes for all end points, and future work is necessary to improve outcomes in these patients.

Independent surgical validation of the new prostate cancer grade-grouping system.

PubMed

Spratt, Daniel E; Cole, Adam I; Palapattu, Ganesh S; Weizer, Alon Z; Jackson, William C; Montgomery, Jeffrey S; Dess, Robert T; Zhao, Shuang G; Lee, Jae Y; Wu, Angela; Kunju, Lakshmi P; Talmich, Emily; Miller, David C; Hollenbeck, Brent K; Tomlins, Scott A; Feng, Felix Y; Mehra, Rohit; Morgan, Todd M

2016-11-01

To report the independent prognostic impact of the new prostate cancer grade-grouping system in a large external validation cohort of patients treated with radical prostatectomy (RP). Between 1994 and 2013, 3 694 consecutive men were treated with RP at a single institution. To investigate the performance of and validate the grade-grouping system, biochemical recurrence-free survival (bRFS) rates were assessed using Kaplan-Meier tests, Cox-regression modelling, and discriminatory comparison analyses. Separate analyses were performed based on biopsy and RP grade. The median follow-up was 52.7 months. The 5-year actuarial bRFS for biopsy grade groups 1-5 were 94.2%, 89.2%, 73.1%, 63.1%, and 54.7%, respectively (P < 0.001). Similarly, the 5-year actuarial bRFS based on RP grade groups was 96.1%, 93.0%, 74.0%, 64.4%, and 49.9% for grade groups 1-5, respectively (P < 0.001). The adjusted hazard ratios for bRFS relative to biopsy grade group 1 were 1.98, 4.20, 5.57, and 9.32 for groups 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively (P < 0.001), and for RP grade groups were 2.09, 5.27, 5.86, and 10.42 (P < 0.001). The five-grade-group system had a higher prognostic discrimination compared with the commonly used three-tier system (Gleason score 6 vs 7 vs 8-10). In an independent surgical cohort, we have validated the prognostic benefit of the new prostate cancer grade-grouping system for bRFS, and shown that the benefit is maintained after adjusting for important clinicopathological variables. The greater predictive accuracy of the new system will improve risk stratification in the clinical setting and aid in patient counselling. © 2016 The Authors BJU International © 2016 BJU International Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Prospective validation of a surgical complications grading system in a cohort of 2114 patients.

PubMed

Mazeh, Haggi; Cohen, Oded; Mizrahi, Ido; Hamburger, Tamar; Stojadinovic, Alexander; Abu-Wasel, Bassam; Alaiyan, Bilal; Freund, Herbert R; Eid, Ahmed; Nissan, Aviram

2014-05-01

We recently reported a grading system for surgical complications. This system proved to have a high sensitivity for recording minor but meaningful complications prolonging hospital stay in patients after colorectal surgery. We aimed to prospectively validate the complication grading system in a general surgery department over 1 year. All surgical procedures and related complications were prospectively recorded between January 1st and December 31st, 2009. Surgical complications were graded on a severity scale of 1-5. The system classifies short-term outcome by grade emphasizing intensity of therapy required for treatment of the defined complication. During the study period, 2114 patients underwent surgery. Elective and oncological surgeries were performed in 1606 (76%) and 465 (22%) patients, respectively. There were 422 surgical complications in 304 (14%) patients (Grade 1/2: 203 [67%]; Grade 3/4: 90 [29%]; Grade 5: 11 [4%]). Median length of stay correlated significantly with complication severity: 2.3 d for no complication, 6.2 and 11.8 d for Grades 1/2 and 3/4, respectively (P < 0.001). Older age (OR 2.75, P < 0.001), comorbidities (OR 1.44, P = 0.02), American Society of Anesthesiology score >2 (OR 2.07, P < 0.001), contamination Grade (OR 1.85, P = 0.001), oncological (OR 2.82, P < 0.001), open (OR 1.22, P = 0.03), prolonged >120 min (OR 2.08, P < 0.001), and emergency surgery (OR 1.42, P = 0.02) independently predicted postoperative complications. This system of grading surgical complications permits standardized reporting of surgical morbidity according to the severity of impact. Prospective validation of this system supports its use in a general surgery setting as a tool for surgical outcome assessment and quality assurance. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An empirical study of the predictive validity of number grades in medical school using 3 decades of longitudinal data: implications for a grading system.

PubMed

Gonnella, Joseph S; Erdmann, James B; Hojat, Mohammadreza

2004-04-01

Context It is important to establish the predictive validity of medical school grades. The strength of predictive validity and the ability to identify at-risk students in medical schools depends upon assessment systems such as number grades, pass/fail (P/F) or honours/pass/fail (H/P/F) systems. Objective This study was designed to examine the predictive validity of number grades in medical school, and to determine whether any important information is lost in a shift from number to P/F and H/P/F grading systems. Subjects The participants in this prospective, longitudinal study were 6656 medical students who studied at Jefferson Medical College over 3 decades. They were grouped into 10 deciles based on their number grades in Year 1 of medical school. Methods Participants were compared on academic accomplishments in Years 2 and 3 of medical school, medical school class rank, delayed graduation and attrition, performance on medical licensing examinations and clinical competence ratings in the first postgraduate year. Results Results supported the short- and longterm predictive validity of the number grades. Ratings of clinical competence beyond medical school were predicted by number grades in medical school. We demonstrated that small differences in number grades are statistically meaningful, and that important information for identifying students in need of remedial education is lost when students who narrowly meet faculty's expectations are included with the rest of the class in a broad 'pass' category. Conclusions The findings refute the argument that knowledge of sciences basic to medicine is not critical to subsequent performance in medical school and beyond if an appropriate evaluation system is used. Furthermore, the results of this study raise questions about abandoning number grades in favour of a pass/fail system. Consideration of these findings in policy decisions regarding assessment systems of medical students is recommended.

The Changing Landscape of Grading Systems in US Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kleinman, Steven B.; Leidman, Mary Beth; Longcore, Andrew J.

2018-01-01

The following study explores the landscape of grading systems utilised in higher education, focusing on the frequency of different types of assessment scales (including Straight Letter, Plus/Minus, and other alternative policies). Although numerous studies have explored the relationship between university grading system and student behaviour,…

49 CFR 212.231 - Highway-rail grade crossing inspector.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Control Devices; and (6) Knowledge of railroad signal systems sufficient to ensure that highway-rail grade... signal systems. (d) A State signal and train control inspector qualified under this part and who has... independent inspections of all types of highway-rail grade crossing warning systems for the purpose of...

49 CFR 212.231 - Highway-rail grade crossing inspector.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Control Devices; and (6) Knowledge of railroad signal systems sufficient to ensure that highway-rail grade... signal systems. (d) A State signal and train control inspector qualified under this part and who has... independent inspections of all types of highway-rail grade crossing warning systems for the purpose of...

Grading System and Student Effort

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Paredes, Valentina

2017-01-01

Several papers have proposed that the grading system affects students' incentives to exert effort. In particular, the previous literature has compared student effort under relative and absolute grading systems, but the results are mixed and the implications of the models have not been empirically tested. In this paper, I build a model where…

Implementation of the peer-led team-learning instructional model as a stopgap measure improves student achievement for students opting out of laboratory.

PubMed

Snyder, Julia J; Carter, B Elijah; Wiles, Jason R

2015-03-02

In entry-level university courses in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics fields, students participating in associated laboratory sessions generally do better than those who have no related lab classes. This is a problem when, for various reasons, not enough lab sections can be offered for students and/or when students opt out of optional available lab courses. Faced with such a situation, this study evaluated the efficacy of the peer-led team-learning (PLTL) instructional model as a potential method for narrowing the achievement gap among undergraduate students electing not to enroll in an optional laboratory component of an introductory biology course. In peer-led workshops, small groups of students participated in solving problems and other activities that encouraged active learning. Students led by peer leaders attained significantly higher exam and final course grades in introductory biology than comparable students not participating in PLTL. Among the introductory biology students who opted not to enroll in the optional lab course, those who participated in PLTL averaged more than a letter grade higher than those who did not. This difference was statistically significant, and the PLTL workshops almost entirely closed the achievement gap in lecture exam and final grades for students who did not take the lab. © 2015 J. J. Snyder et al. CBE—Life Sciences Education © 2015 The American Society for Cell Biology. This article is distributed by The American Society for Cell Biology under license from the author(s). It is available to the public under an Attribution–Noncommercial–Share Alike 3.0 Unported Creative Commons License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0).

C-MORE Science Kits: Putting Technology in the Hands of K-12 Teachers and Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Achilles, K.; Weersing, K.; Daniels, C.; Puniwai, N.; Matsuzaki, J.; Bruno, B. C.

2008-12-01

The Center for Microbial Oceanography: Research and Education (C-MORE) is a NSF Science and Technology Center based at the University of Hawaii. The C-MORE education and outreach program offers a variety of resources and professional development opportunities for science educators, including online resources, participation in oceanography research cruises, teacher-training workshops, mini-grants to incorporate microbial oceanography-related content and activities into their classroom and, most recently, C- MORE science kits. C-MORE science kits provide hands-on classroom, field, and laboratory activities related to microbial oceanography for K-12 students. Each kit comes with complete materials and instructions, and is available free of charge to Hawaii's public school teachers. Several kits are available nationwide. C-MORE science kits cover a range of topics and technologies and are targeted at various grade levels. Here is a sampling of some available kits: 1) Marine Murder Mystery: The Case of the Missing Zooxanthellae. Students learn about the effect of climate change and other environmental threats on coral reef destruction through a murder-mystery experience. Participants also learn how to use DNA to identify a suspect. Grades levels: 3-8. 2) Statistical sampling. Students learn basic statistics through an exercise in random sampling, with applications to microbial oceanography. The laptops provided with this kit enable students to enter, analyze, and graph their data using EXCEL. Grades levels: 6-12. 3) Chlorophyll Lab. A research-quality fluorometer is used to measure the chlorophyll content in marine and freshwater systems. This enables students to compare biomass concentrations in samples collected from various locations. Grades levels: 9-12. 4) Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD). Students predict how certain variables (e.g., temperature, pressure, chlorophyll, oxygen) vary with depth. A CTD, attached to a laptop computer, is deployed into deep water off a dock or a ship to collect real-time data and test their hypotheses. Grades levels: 9-12.

Los Alamos National Laboratory Science Education Program. Annual progress report, October 1, 1995--September 30, 1996

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

Gill, D.H.

1997-01-01

The National Teacher Enhancement program (NTEP) is a three-year, multi-laboratory effort funded by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy to improve elementary school science programs. The Los Alamos National Laboratory targets teachers in northern New Mexico. FY96, the third year of the program, involved 11 teams of elementary school teachers (grades 4-6) in a three-week summer session, four two-day workshops during the school year and an on-going planning and implementation process. The teams included twenty-one teachers from 11 schools. Participants earned a possible six semester hours of graduate credit for the summer institute and two hours formore » the academic year workshops from the University of New Mexico. The Laboratory expertise in the earth and environmental science provided the tie between the Laboratory initiatives and program content, and allowed for the design of real world problems.« less

Expression of monellin in a food-grade delivery system in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

PubMed

Liu, Jun; Yan, Da-zhong; Zhao, Sheng-jun

2015-10-01

Genetically modified (GM) foods have caused much controversy. Construction of a food-grade delivery system is a desirable technique with presumptive impact on industrial applications from the perspective of bio-safety. The aim of this study was to construct a food-grade delivery system for Saccharomyces cerevisiae and to study the expression of monellin from the berries of the West African forest plant Dioscoreophyllum cumminsii in this system. A food-grade system for S. cerevisiae was constructed based on ribosomal DNA (rDNA)-mediated homologous recombination to enable high-copy-number integration of the expression cassette inserted into the rDNA locus. A copper resistance gene (CUP1) was used as the selection marker for yeast transformation. Because variants of transformants containing different copy numbers at the CUP1 locus can be readily selected after growth in the presence of elevated copper levels, we suggest that this system would prove useful in the generation of tandemly iterated gene clusters. Using this food-grade system, a single-chain monellin gene was heterologously expressed. The yield of monellin reached a maximum of 675 mg L(-1) . This system harbors exclusively S. cerevisiae DNA with no antibiotic resistance genes, and it should therefore be appropriate for safe use in the food industry. Monellin was shown to be expressed in this food-grade delivery system. To our knowledge, this is the first report so far on expression of monellin in a food-grade expression system in S. cerevisiae. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

An introduction to UGRS: the ultimate grading and remanufacturing system

Treesearch

John Moody; Charles J. Gatchell; Elizabeth S. Walker; Powsiri Klinkhachorn

1998-01-01

The Ultimate Grading and Remanufactming System (UGRS) is an advanced computer program for grading and remanufacturing lumber. It is an interactive program that will both grade lumber according to NHLA rules and remanufacture it for maximum value. UGRS is written to run under Microsoft Windows 3.0 or later updates and provides a sophisticated graphical user interface....

Validation of International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) grading for prostatic adenocarcinoma in thin core biopsies using TROG 03.04 'RADAR' trial clinical data.

PubMed

Delahunt, B; Egevad, L; Srigley, J R; Steigler, A; Murray, J D; Atkinson, C; Matthews, J; Duchesne, G; Spry, N A; Christie, D; Joseph, D; Attia, J; Denham, J W

2015-10-01

In 2014 a consensus conference convened by the International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) adopted amendments to the criteria for Gleason grading and scoring (GS) for prostatic adenocarcinoma. The meeting defined a modified grading system based on 5 grading categories (grade 1, GS 3+3; grade 2, GS 3+4; grade 3, GS 4+3; grade 4, GS 8; grade 5, GS 9-10). In this study we have evaluated the prognostic significance of ISUP grading in 496 patients enrolled in the TROG 03.04 RADAR Trial. There were 19 grade 1, 118 grade 2, 193 grade 3, 88 grade 4 and 79 grade 5 tumours in the series, with follow-up for a minimum of 6.5 years. On follow-up 76 patients experienced distant progression of disease, 171 prostate specific antigen (PSA) progression and 39 prostate cancer deaths. In contrast to the 2005 modified Gleason system (MGS), the hazards of the distant and PSA progression endpoints, relative to grade 2, were significantly greater for grades 3, 4 and 5 of the 2014 ISUP grading scheme. Comparison of predictive ability utilising Harrell's concordance index, showed 2014 ISUP grading to significantly out-perform 2005 MGS grading for each of the three clinical endpoints.

Validation of a classification system to grade fractionation in atrial fibrillation and correlation with automated detection systems.

PubMed

Hunter, Ross J; Diab, Ihab; Thomas, Glyn; Duncan, Edward; Abrams, Dominic; Dhinoja, Mehul; Sporton, Simon; Earley, Mark J; Schilling, Richard J

2009-12-01

We tested application of a grading system describing complex fractionated electrograms (CFE) in atrial fibrillation (AF) and used it to validate automated CFE detection (AUTO). Ten seconds bipolar electrograms were classified by visual inspection (VI) during ablation of persistent AF and the result compared with offline manual measurement (MM) by a second blinded operator: Grade 1 uninterrupted fractionated activity (defined as segments > or =70 ms) for > or =70% of recording and uninterrupted > or =1 s; Grade 2 interrupted fractionated activity > or =70% of recording; Grade 3 intermittent fractionated activity 30-70%; Grade 4 discrete (<70 ms) complex electrogram (> or =5 direction changes); Grade 5 discrete simple electrograms (< or =4 direction changes); Grade 6 scar. Grade by VI and MM for 100 electrograms agreed in 89%. Five hundred electrograms were graded on Carto and NavX by VI to validate AUTO in (i) detection of CFE (grades 1-4 considered CFE), and (ii) assessing degree of fractionation by correlating grade and score by AUTO (data shown as sensitivity, specificity, r): NavX 'CFE mean' 92%, 91%, 0.56; Carto 'interval confidence level' using factory settings 89%, 62%, -0.72, and other published settings 80%, 74%, -0.65; Carto 'shortest confidence interval' 74%, 70%, 0.43; Carto 'average confidence interval' 86%, 66%, 0.53. Grading CFE by VI is accurate and correlates with AUTO.

3. CONTEXTUAL VIEW OF WASTE CALCINING FACILITY, CAMERA FACING NORTHEAST. ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

3. CONTEXTUAL VIEW OF WASTE CALCINING FACILITY, CAMERA FACING NORTHEAST. SHOWS RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN DECONTAMINATION ROOM, ADSORBER REMOVAL HATCHES (FLAT ON GRADE), AND BRIDGE CRANE. INEEL PROOF NUMBER HD-17-2. - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Old Waste Calcining Facility, Scoville, Butte County, ID

Increasing Interest of Young Women in Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hinterlong, Diane; Lawrence, Branson; DeVol, Purva

2014-01-01

The internationally recognized Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) develops creative, ethical leaders in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. As a teaching and learning laboratory created by the State of Illinois, IMSA enrolls academically talented Illinois students in grades 10 through 12 in its advanced, residential…

Student Learning by Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schallies, Michael; Lembens, Anja

2002-01-01

Describes a research and development project aiming to help develop secondary students' abilities to understand biotechnology/genetic engineering. Focuses on an exemplary true-to-life experiment, planned and executed by students in grade 8, that involves external experts and uses an industrial research laboratory for solving genuine questions.…

OXIDATION AND DEVOLATILIZATION OF NITROGEN IN COAL CHAR

EPA Science Inventory

The reactions of organically-bound nitrogen in coal char during combustion have been studied in a laboratory furnace using size-graded char particles prepared by the pyrolysis of a Montana lignite. The time-resolved variations of nitrogen-to-carbon ratio during char oxidation hav...

Teacher Resource Guide, Project ECO.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ames Public Schools, IA.

More than 100 outdoor education and field science projects are compiled in this teacher's resource book. Designed for use in grades K-9, the activities cover the areas of field taxonomy, laboratory taxonomy, autecology, synecology, adaptation, economic biology, conservation, museum methods, culturing, zoo keeping, gardening, and woodcraft. Each…

Apparel. Teacher's Instructional Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rambo, Patti

This instructional guide for a one-half credit technological laboratory course for grades 10-12 focuses on apparel from the perspectives of personal decision making related to apparel, the apparel industry, and career preparation. Introductory materials are a course description; overview of course design; facilities, equipment, and resources; and…

Evaluation of Portland Cement concretes containing ground granulated blast furnace slag : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-05-01

A two part laboratory experimental program was conducted to evaluate strength and durability of various concrete mix : designs. In Part I of the study, the influence of using Grade 120 ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) on the : strength an...

Neuropathic pain: an updated grading system for research and clinical practice

PubMed Central

Finnerup, Nanna B.; Haroutounian, Simon; Kamerman, Peter; Baron, Ralf; Bennett, David L.H.; Bouhassira, Didier; Cruccu, Giorgio; Freeman, Roy; Hansson, Per; Nurmikko, Turo; Raja, Srinivasa N.; Rice, Andrew S.C.; Serra, Jordi; Smith, Blair H.; Treede, Rolf-Detlef; Jensen, Troels S.

2016-01-01

Abstract The redefinition of neuropathic pain as “pain arising as a direct consequence of a lesion or disease affecting the somatosensory system,” which was suggested by the International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) Special Interest Group on Neuropathic Pain (NeuPSIG) in 2008, has been widely accepted. In contrast, the proposed grading system of possible, probable, and definite neuropathic pain from 2008 has been used to a lesser extent. Here, we report a citation analysis of the original NeuPSIG grading paper of 2008, followed by an analysis of its use by an expert panel and recommendations for an improved grading system. As of February, 2015, 608 eligible articles in Scopus cited the paper, 414 of which cited the neuropathic pain definition. Of 220 clinical studies citing the paper, 56 had used the grading system. The percentage using the grading system increased from 5% in 2009 to 30% in 2014. Obstacles to a wider use of the grading system were identified, including (1) questions about the relative significance of confirmatory tests, (2) the role of screening tools, and (3) uncertainties about what is considered a neuroanatomically plausible pain distribution. Here, we present a revised grading system with an adjusted order, better reflecting clinical practice, improvements in the specifications, and a word of caution that even the “definite” level of neuropathic pain does not always indicate causality. In addition, we add a table illustrating the area of pain and sensory abnormalities in common neuropathic pain conditions and propose areas for further research. PMID:27115670

The Simbol-X Anticoincidence

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chabaud, J.; Laurent, P.; Colonges, S.; Barbay, J.; Baronick, J. P.; Benallou, M.; Ferrando, P.; Gilliot, M.; Jaeger, J. J.; Nicolas, M.; Ollivier, E.; Waisbard, J.; Yoffo, B.

2009-05-01

The Simbol-X telescope will be constitued by two satellites in formation flight. One will host the mirror module and the other the detector payload. This payload will be built with two main detectors able to measure the position, energy and arrival time of each focused photon, between 0.5 and 80 keV. The high sensitivity required by Simbol-X will necessitate low noise background detectors. To achieve this goal, those detectors will be surrounded by a passive graded shield, aimed to stop the out of field of view photons, and an active anticoïncidence system to tag the passing particles. This anticoïncidence detector, whose conception, optimisation and realization are under responsibility of the APC Laboratory, Paris, is based on plastic scintillator plates associated to multi-anodes photo-multipliers via optical fibers. In this paper, we will present the present status of the anticoïncidence system and its expected performances.

KSC-2011-6700

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-07-12

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the high bay of the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, spacecraft technicians from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory prepare to attach the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission onto the aft of the Curiosity rover for a fit check with the aid of the MMRTG integration cart. The MMRTG then will be removed and installed on the rover for launch at the pad. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Curiosity, MSL's car-sized rover, has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is planned for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston

KSC-2011-6701

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-07-12

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the high bay of the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, spacecraft technicians from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory use extension tools to attach the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission on the MMRTG integration cart onto the aft of the Curiosity rover for a fit check. The MMRTG then will be removed and installed on the rover for launch at the pad. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Curiosity, MSL's car-sized rover, has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is planned for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston

KSC-2011-6698

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-07-12

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the high bay of the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, spacecraft technicians from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory transfer the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission onto the aft of the Curiosity rover for a fit check with the aid of the MMRTG integration cart. The MMRTG then will be removed and installed on the rover for launch at the pad. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Curiosity, MSL's car-sized rover, has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is planned for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston

KSC-2011-6699

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-07-12

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the high bay of the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility (PHSF) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, spacecraft technicians from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory transfer the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission onto the aft of the Curiosity rover for a fit check with the aid of the MMRTG integration cart. The MMRTG then will be removed and installed on the rover for launch at the pad. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Curiosity, MSL's car-sized rover, has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is planned for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Cory Huston

KSC-2011-7896

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-17

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission is uncovered during preparations to install it on MSL's Curiosity rover. The mesh container, known as the "gorilla cage," is suspended above the generator as it is lifted off the MMRTG's support base. The cage protects the MMRTG during transport and allows any excess heat generated to dissipate into the air. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Curiosity, MSL's car-sized rover, has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: Department of Energy/Idaho National Laboratory

KSC-2011-7895

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-11-17

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the Vertical Integration Facility at Space Launch Complex-41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, spacecraft technicians guide the mesh container protecting the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission as a crane lifts it from around the generator. The container, known as the "gorilla cage," protects the MMRTG during transport and allows any excess heat generated to dissipate into the air. Next, the MMRTG will be installed on MSL's Curiosity rover. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. Curiosity, MSL's car-sized rover, has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is scheduled for Nov. 25. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: Department of Energy/Idaho National Laboratory

KSC-2011-6711

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-07-13

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the high bay of the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a spacecraft technician from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory conducts a visual inspection of the cooling tubes on the exterior of the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission following the MMRTG fit check on the Curiosity rover. At right is the Curiosity rover on an elevated work stand. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. MSL's components include a car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is targeted for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

KSC-2011-6712

NASA Image and Video Library

2011-07-13

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. -- In the high bay of the Payload Hazardous Servicing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a spacecraft technician from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory conducts a visual inspection of the cooling tubes on the exterior of the multi-mission radioisotope thermoelectric generator (MMRTG) for NASA's Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) mission following the MMRTG fit check on the Curiosity rover. At right is the Curiosity rover on an elevated work stand. The MMRTG will generate the power needed for the mission from the natural decay of plutonium-238, a non-weapons-grade form of the radioisotope. Heat given off by this natural decay will provide constant power through the day and night during all seasons. MSL's components include a car-sized rover, Curiosity, which has 10 science instruments designed to search for signs of life, including methane, and help determine if the gas is from a biological or geological source. Waste heat from the MMRTG will be circulated throughout the rover system to keep instruments, computers, mechanical devices and communications systems within their operating temperature ranges. Launch of MSL aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket is targeted for Nov. 25 from Space Launch Complex 41 on Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. For more information, visit http://www.nasa.gov/msl. Photo credit: NASA/Kim Shiflett

An analysis technique for testing log grades

Treesearch

Carl A. Newport; William G. O' Regan

1963-01-01

An analytical technique that may be used in evaluating log-grading systems is described. It also provides means of comparing two or more grading systems, or a proposed change with the system from which it was developed. The total volume and computed value of lumber from each sample log are the basic data used.

Outcome prediction of third ventriculostomy: a proposed hydrocephalus grading system.

PubMed

Kehler, U; Regelsberger, J; Gliemroth, J; Westphal, M

2006-08-01

An important factor in making a recommendation for different treatment modalities in hydrocephalus patients (VP shunt versus endoscopic third ventriculostomy) is the definition of the underlying pathology which determines the prognosis/outcome of the surgical procedure. Third ventriculostomies (3rd VS) are successful mainly in obstructive hydrocephalus but also in some subtypes of communicating hydrocephalus. A simple, easily applicable grading system that is designed to predict the outcome of 3rd VS is proposed. The hydrocephalus is graded on the basis of the extent of downward bulging of the floor of the third ventricle, which reflects the pressure gradient between the 3rd ventricle and the basal cisterns, presence of directly visualised CSF pathway obstruction in MRI, and the progression of the clinical symptoms resulting in five different grades. In this proposed grading system, grade 1 hydrocephalus subtype shows no downward bulged floor of the 3rd ventricle, no obstruction of the CSF pathway, and no progressive symptoms of hydrocephalus. There is no indication for 3rd VS. Grades 2 to 4 show different combinations of the described parameters. Grade 5 subtype shows a markedly downward bulged floor of the 3rd ventricle and direct detection of the CSF pathway obstruction (i.e., aqueductal stenosis) with progressive clinical deterioration. Retrospective application of this grading scheme to a series of 72 3rd VS has demonstrated a high correlation with the outcome: The success rate in grade 3 reached 40%, in grade 4: 58%, and in grade 5: 95%. This standardised grading system predicts the outcome of 3rd VS and helps in decision making for 3rd VS versus VP shunting.

A comparative study using WHO and binary oral epithelial dysplasia grading systems in actinic cheilitis.

PubMed

Câmara, P R; Dutra, S N; Takahama Júnior, A; Fontes, Kbfc; Azevedo, R S

2016-09-01

To evaluate comparatively the influence of histopathological features on epithelial dysplasia (ED) and the effectiveness in usage of WHO and binary grading systems in actinic cheilitis (AC). Cytological and architectural alterations established by WHO for ED were evaluated in 107 cases of AC. Epithelial dysplasia was graded using WHO and binary systems. The comparisons were performed using kappa, chi-square, and phi coefficient tests (P < 0.05). Most cases were classified as mild ED (44.5%) in the WHO system and as low risk for malignant transformation (64.5%) in the binary system. There was a positive correlation between WHO and binary systems (k = 0.33; P < 0.0002). Loss of basal cell polarity (P < 0.001) was associated with severity of ED grade in the WHO system. Anisonucleosis (P < 0.0001), nuclear pleomorphism (P < 0.0001), anisocytosis (P = 0.03), cell pleomorphism (P = 0.002) increased nuclear/cytoplasm ratio (P < 0.0001), increased nuclear size (P < 0.0001), increased number of mitotic figures (P = 0.0006), and dyskeratosis (P = 0.008) were associated with severity of ED grade in the binary system. It seems that usage of binary ED grading system in AC may be more precise because there is correlation between many of cytological and some of architectural microscopic alterations with increased grade of ED. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

NEUROSARCOIDOSIS MASQUERADING AS A CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM TUMOR.

PubMed

Elia, Maxwell; Kombo, Ninani; Huang, John

2017-01-01

To report a case of neurosarcoidosis with an isolated brain lesion mimicking a low-grade glioma. A 38-year-old woman presented with 2 weeks of blurry vision in the left eye. Ophthalmic examination, visual field testing, fluorescein angiography, laboratory testing, and MRI of the brain were performed. Ophthalmic examination revealed left-sided optic nerve infiltration, and MRI of the brain demonstrated a solitary lesion in the brain. The visual symptoms and ophthalmic examination improved significantly with initiation of high-dose oral prednisone. Because the MRI appearance was concerning for malignancy, a brain biopsy was performed. Pathology demonstrated gliosis consistent with a low-grade central nervous system (CNS) glioma. One year later, after initial loss to ophthalmic follow-up, the right optic nerve became involved, and the patient was again treated successfully for presumed ocular sarcoidosis. At this time, serial neuroimaging demonstrated enlargement of the CNS lesion, prompting rebiopsy. Rebiopsy demonstrated a noncaseating granuloma, confirming the diagnosis of neurosarcoidosis. The patient was treated with 20 mg of methotrexate weekly and a prednisone taper with improvement in visual and neurologic symptoms. The authors present an unusual case of neurosarcoidosis masquerading as a CNS glioma. In cases of solitary CNS granulomas, radiographically differentiating neurosarcoidosis from a glioma can be challenging. In this case, serial ophthalmic examination identifying sequential involvement of both optic nerves helped to identify the underlying cause of the CNS disease as sarcoidosis.

A surgical skills laboratory improves residents' knowledge and performance of episiotomy repair.

PubMed

Banks, Erika; Pardanani, Setul; King, Mary; Chudnoff, Scott; Damus, Karla; Freda, Margaret Comerford

2006-11-01

This study was undertaken to assess whether a surgical skills laboratory improves residents' knowledge and performance of episiotomy repair. Twenty-four first- and second-year residents were randomly assigned to either a surgical skills laboratory on episiotomy repair or traditional teaching alone. Pre- and posttests assessed basic knowledge. Blinded attending physicians assessed performance, evaluating residents on second-degree laceration/episiotomy repairs in the clinical setting with 3 validated tools: a task-specific checklist, global rating scale, and a pass-fail grade. Postgraduate year 1 (PGY-1) residents participating in the laboratory scored significantly better on all 3 surgical assessment tools: the checklist, the global score, and the pass/fail analysis. All the residents who had the teaching laboratory demonstrated significant improvements on knowledge and the skills checklist. PGY-2 residents did not benefit as much as PGY-1 residents. A surgical skills laboratory improved residents' knowledge and performance in the clinical setting. Improvement was greatest for PGY-1 residents.

Cost Analysis of Cervical Cancer Patients with Different Medical Payment Modes Based on Gamma Model within a Grade A Tertiary Hospital.

PubMed

Wu, Suo-Wei; Chen, Tong; Pan, Qi; Wei, Liang-Yu; Wang, Qin; Song, Jing-Chen; Li, Chao; Luo, Ji

2018-02-20

Cervical cancer shows a growing incidence and medical cost in recent years that has increased severe financial pressure on patients and medical insurance institutions. This study aimed to investigate the medical economic characteristics of cervical cancer patients with different payment modes within a Grade A tertiary hospital to provide evidence and suggestions for inpatient cost control and to verify the application of Gamma model in medical cost analysis. The basic and cost information of cervical cancer cases within a Grade A tertiary hospital in the year 2011-2016 were collected. The Gamma model was adopted to analyze the differences in each cost item between medical insured patient and uninsured patients. Meanwhile, the marginal means of different cost items were calculated to estimate the influence of payment modes toward different medical cost items among cervical cancer patients in the study. A total of 1321 inpatients with cervical cancer between the 2011 and 2016 were collected through the medical records system. Of the 1321 cases, 65.9% accounted for medical insured patients and 34.1% were uninsured patients. The total inpatient medical expenditure of insured patients was RMB 29,509.1 Yuan and uninsured patients was RMB 22,114.3 Yuan, respectively. Payment modes, therapeutic options as well as the recurrence and metastasis of tumor toward the inpatient medical expenditures between the two groups were statistically significant. To the specifics, drug costs accounted for 37.7% and 33.8% of the total, surgery costs accounted for 21.5% and 25.5%, treatment costs accounted for 18.7% and 16.4%, whereas the costs of imaging and laboratory examinations accounted for 16.4% and 15.2% for the insured patient and uninsured patients, respectively. As the effects of covariates were controlled, the total hospitalization costs, drug costs, treatment costs as well as imaging and laboratory examination costs showed statistical significance. The total hospitalization costs, drug costs, treatment costs as well as imaging and laboratory examination costs of insured patient were 1.33, 1.42, 1.52, and 1.44 times of uninsured patients. The analysis of different payment modes toward the medical economic characteristics based on Gamma model is basically rational. Medical payment modes are having certain influence toward the hospitalization expenses of cervical cancer patients in an extent, as drug costs, treatment costs, and examination costs appear to be the main causes.

Design-Load Basis for LANL Structures, Systems, and Components

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

I. Cuesta

2004-09-01

This document supports the recommendations in the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) Engineering Standard Manual (ESM), Chapter 5--Structural providing the basis for the loads, analysis procedures, and codes to be used in the ESM. It also provides the justification for eliminating the loads to be considered in design, and evidence that the design basis loads are appropriate and consistent with the graded approach required by the Department of Energy (DOE) Code of Federal Regulation Nuclear Safety Management, 10, Part 830. This document focuses on (1) the primary and secondary natural phenomena hazards listed in DOE-G-420.1-2, Appendix C, (2) additional loadsmore » not related to natural phenomena hazards, and (3) the design loads on structures during construction.« less

Clicking for Grades? Really? Investigating the Use of Clickers for Awarding Grade-Points in Post-Secondary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

White, Peter; Syncox, David; Alters, Brian

2011-01-01

Using classroom response systems (clickers) to accumulate grade-points has become a controversial practice as response systems have become more widely used in the last decade. Although some instructors opt to use clickers on a non-grades basis, it has become quite common to reward students for (a) correct answers, (b) participating in clicker…

Optical mounts for harsh environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mimovich, Mark E.; Griffee, Jonathan C.; Goodding, James C.

2009-08-01

Development and testing of a lightweight-kinematic optical mount with integrated passive vibration-and-shock mitigation technologies and simple / robust optical alignment functionality is presented. Traditionally, optical mounts are designed for use in laboratory environments where the thermal-mechanical environments are carefully controlled to preserve beam path conditions and background disturbances are minimized to facilitate precise optically based measurements. Today's weapon and surveillance systems, however, have optical sensor suites where static and dynamic alignment performance in the presence of harsh operating environments is required to nearly the same precision and where the system cannot afford the mass of laboratory-grade stabilized mounting systems. Jitter and alignment stability is particularly challenging for larger optics operating within moving vehicles and aircraft where high shock and significant temperature excursions occur. The design intent is to have the mount be suitable for integration into existing defense and security optical systems while also targeting new commercial and military components for improved structural dynamic and thermal distortion performance. A mount suitable for moderate-sized optics and an integrated disturbance-optical metrology system are described. The mount design has performance enhancements derived from the integration of proven aerospace mechanical vibration and shock mitigation technologies (i.e. multi-axis passive isolation and integral damping), precision alignment adjustment and lock-out functionality, high dimensional stability materials and design practices which provide benign optical surface figure errors under harsh thermal-mechanical loading. Optical jitter, alignment, and wave-front performance testing of an eight-inch-aperture optical mount based on this design approach are presented to validate predicted performance improvements over an existing commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) design.

ALBI versus Child-Pugh grading systems for liver function in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.

PubMed

Na, Seong K; Yim, Sun Y; Suh, Sang J; Jung, Young K; Kim, Ji H; Seo, Yeon S; Yim, Hyung J; Yeon, Jong E; Byun, Kwan S; Um, Soon H

2018-04-01

The prognostic performance of the albumin-bilirubin (ALBI) grade in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as an objective method of assessing liver function was investigated. Data from 2099 patients with HCC in Korea were collected and analyzed retrospectively. The discriminative performance of ALBI grade was compared with Child-Pugh (C-P) grade for different stages or treatments. The median follow up duration was 16.2 months (range: 1.0-124.9). The median survival times were 49.7 months for C-P grade A (65.8%), 12.4 months for C-P grade B (25.5%), and 4.2 months for C-P grade C (8.6%) (P < 0.001). The median survival times were 84.2 months for ALBI grade 1 (32.8%), 25.5 months for ALBI grade 2 (53.5%), and 7.7 months for ALBI grade 3 (13.7%) (P < 0.001). In early UICC stages, ALBI grade showed better discriminative performance than C-P grade. In curative treatments, ALBI grade also showed better discriminative performance than C-P grade (Harrell's C: 0.624 (C-P grade) vs 0.667 [ALBI grade]). ALBI grade provided better prognostic performance in survival analysis and better distribution of the grades than C-P grade in HCC, suggesting that ALBI grade could be a good alternative grading system for liver function in patients with HCC. © 2018 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Evaluation of the MyWellness Key accelerometer.

PubMed

Herrmann, S D; Hart, T L; Lee, C D; Ainsworth, B E

2011-02-01

to examine the concurrent validity of the Technogym MyWellness Key accelerometer against objective and subjective physical activity (PA) measures. randomised, cross-sectional design with two phases. The laboratory phase compared the MyWellness Key with the ActiGraph GT1M and the Yamax SW200 Digiwalker pedometer during graded treadmill walking, increasing speed each minute. The free-living phase compared the MyWellness Key with the ActiGraph, Digiwalker, Bouchard Activity cord (BAR) and Global Physical Activity Questionnaire (GPAQ) for seven continuous days. Data were analysed using Spearman rank-order correlation coefficients for all comparisons. laboratory and free-living phases. sixteen participants randomly stratified from 41 eligible respondents by sex (n=8 men; n=8 women) and PA levels (n=4 low, n=8 middle and n=4 high active). there was a strong association between the MyWellness Key and the ActiGraph accelerometer during controlled graded treadmill walking (r=0.91, p<0.01) and in free-living settings (r=0.73-0.76 for light to vigorous PA, respectively, p<0.01). No associations were observed between the MyWellness Key and the BAR and GPAQ (p>0.05). the MyWellness Key has a high concurrent validity with the ActiGraph accelerometer to detect PA in both controlled laboratory and free-living settings.

Development of Advanced 9Cr Ferritic-Martensitic Steels and Austenitic Stainless Steels for Sodium-Cooled Fast Reactor

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

Sham, Sam; Tan, Lizhen; Yamamoto, Yukinori

2013-01-01

Ferritic-martensitic (FM) steel Grade 92, with or without thermomechanical treatment (TMT), and austenitic stainless steels HT-UPS (high-temperature ultrafine precipitate strengthening) and NF709 were selected as potential candidate structural materials in the U.S. Sodium-cooled Fast Reactor (SFR) program. The objective is to develop advanced steels with improved properties as compared with reference materials such as Grade 91 and Type 316H steels that are currently in nuclear design codes. Composition modification and/or processing optimization (e.g., TMT and cold-work) were performed to improve properties such as resistance to thermal aging, creep, creep-fatigue, fracture, and sodium corrosion. Testings to characterize these properties for themore » advanced steels were conducted by the Idaho National Laboratory, the Argonne National Laboratory and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory under the U.S. SFR program. This paper focuses on the resistance to thermal aging and creep of the advanced steels. The advanced steels exhibited up to two orders of magnitude increase in creep life compared to the reference materials. Preliminary results on the weldment performance of the advanced steels are also presented. The superior performance of the advanced steels would improve reactor design flexibility, safety margins and economics.« less

High frequency signal acquisition using a smartphone in an undergraduate teaching laboratory: Applications in ultrasonic resonance spectra.

PubMed

Sturtevant, Blake T; Pantea, Cristian; Sinha, Dipen N

2016-10-01

A simple and inexpensive approach to acquiring signals in the megahertz frequency range using a smartphone is described. The approach is general, applicable to electromagnetic as well as acoustic measurements, and makes available to undergraduate teaching laboratories experiments that are traditionally inaccessible due to the expensive equipment that are required. This paper focuses on megahertz range ultrasonic resonance spectra in liquids and solids, although there is virtually no upper limit on frequencies measurable using this technique. Acoustic resonance measurements in water and Fluorinert in a one dimensional (1D) resonant cavity were conducted and used to calculate sound speed. The technique is shown to have a precision and accuracy significantly better than one percent in liquid sound speed. Measurements of 3D resonances in an isotropic solid sphere were also made and used to determine the bulk and shear moduli of the sample. The elastic moduli determined from the solid resonance measurements agreed with those determined using a research grade vector network analyzer to better than 0.5%. The apparatus and measurement technique described can thus make research grade measurements using standardly available laboratory equipment for a cost that is two-to-three orders of magnitude less than the traditional measurement equipment used for these measurements.

Risk of Liver Toxicity with Nivolumab Immunotherapy in Cancer Patients.

PubMed

Zarrabi, Kevin; Wu, Shenhong

2018-01-01

Nivolumab is approved for the treatment of many cancers. This meta-analysis was conducted to determine the risk of hepatotoxicity with nivolumab therapy. An analysis from all phase I-III clinical trials up to December 2016 examining nivolumab was conducted. Data on elevations in aspartate aminotransferase (AST) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) were extracted from the safety profiles of each trial. Incidence and relative risk (RR) were calculated using random- or fixed-effects models with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). The incidences of all-grade and high-grade elevations in AST were 5.4% (95% CI 3.2-9.1) and 1.6% (95% CI 0.9-3.0), respectively. The incidences of all-grade and high-grade elevations in ALT were 4.9% (95% CI 2.9-8.2) and 1.7% (95% CI 0.9-3.1), respectively. Elevations of both laboratory markers were significantly increased when compared to control (p < 0.001). Nivolumab significantly increased the RR of AST/ALT elevations; RRs were 1.58 (95% CI 1.1-2.2) for all-grade AST elevation, and 1.62 (95% CI 1.2-2.3) for all-grade ALT elevation. Subgroup analysis of all-grade AST or ALT elevation revealed a signi-ficant variation among tumor types (p < 0.001) and with combination with ipilimumab (p < 0.001). Nivolumab is associated with significantly increased risk of liver toxicity. © 2018 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Acute appendicitis: proposal of a new comprehensive grading system based on clinical, imaging and laparoscopic findings.

PubMed

Gomes, Carlos Augusto; Sartelli, Massimo; Di Saverio, Salomone; Ansaloni, Luca; Catena, Fausto; Coccolini, Federico; Inaba, Kenji; Demetriades, Demetrios; Gomes, Felipe Couto; Gomes, Camila Couto

2015-01-01

Advances in the technology and improved access to imaging modalities such as Computed Tomography and laparoscopy have changed the contemporary diagnostic and management of acute appendicitis. Complicated appendicitis (phlegmon, abscess and/ or diffuse peritonitis), is now reliably distinguished from uncomplicated cases. Therefore, a new comprehensive grading system for acute appendicitis is necessary. The goal is review and update the laparoscopic grading system of acute appendicitis and to provide a new standardized classification system to allow more uniform patient stratification. During the last World Society of Emergency Surgery Congress in Israel (July, 2015), a panel involving Acute Appendicitis Experts and the author's discussed many current aspects about the acute appendicitis between then, it will be submitted a new comprehensive disease grading system. It was idealized based on three aspect of the disease (clinical and imaging presentation and laparoscopic findings). The new grading system may provide a standardized system to allow more uniform patient stratification for appendicitis research. In addition, may aid in determining optimal management according to grade. Lastly, what we want is to draw a multicenter observational study within the World Society of Emergency Surgery (WSES) based on this design.

Comparative evaluation of H&H and WFNS grading scales with modified H&H (sans systemic disease): A study on 1000 patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage.

PubMed

Aggarwal, Ashish; Dhandapani, Sivashanmugam; Praneeth, Kokkula; Sodhi, Harsimrat Bir Singh; Pal, Sudhir Singh; Gaudihalli, Sachin; Khandelwal, N; Mukherjee, Kanchan K; Tewari, M K; Gupta, Sunil Kumar; Mathuriya, S N

2018-01-01

The comparative studies on grading in subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) had several limitations such as the unclear grading of Glasgow Coma Scale 15 with neurological deficits in World Federation of Neurosurgical Societies (WFNS), and the inclusion of systemic disease in Hunt and Hess (H&H) scales. Their differential incremental impacts and optimum cut-off values for unfavourable outcome are unsettled. This is a prospective comparison of prognostic impacts of grading schemes to address these issues. SAH patients were assessed using WFNS, H&H (including systemic disease), modified H&H (sans systemic disease) and followed up with Glasgow Outcome Score (GOS) at 3 months. Their performance characteristics were analysed as incremental ordinal variables and different grading scale dichotomies using rank-order correlation, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, Youden's J and multivariate analyses. A total of 1016 patients were studied. As univariate incremental variable, H&H sans systemic disease had the best negative rank-order correlation coefficient (-0.453) with respect to lower GOS (p < 0.001). As univariate dichotomized category, WFNS grades 3-5 had the best performance index of 0.39 to suggest unfavourable GOS with a specificity of 89% and sensitivity of 51%. In multivariate incremental analysis, H&H sans systemic disease had the greatest adjusted incremental impact of 0.72 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.54-0.91) against a lower GOS as compared to 0.6 (95% CI 0.45-0.74) and 0.55 (95% CI 0.42-0.68) for H&H and WFNS grades, respectively. In multivariate categorical analysis, H&H grades 4-5 sans systemic disease had the greatest impact on unfavourable GOS with an adjusted odds ratio of 6.06 (95% CI 3.94-9.32). To conclude, H&H grading sans systemic disease had the greatest impact on unfavourable GOS. Though systemic disease is an important prognostic factor, it should be considered distinctly from grading. Appropriate cut-off values suggesting unfavourable outcome for H&H and WFNS were 4-5 and 3-5, respectively, indicating the importance of neurological deficits in addition to level of consciousness.

What is the role of endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography in assessing traumatic rupture of the pancreatic in children?

PubMed

Keil, Radan; Drabek, Jiri; Lochmannova, Jindra; Stovicek, Jan; Rygl, Michal; Snajdauf, Jiri; Hlava, Stepan

2016-01-01

Trauma is one of the most common causes of morbidity and mortality in the pediatric population. The diagnosis of pancreatic injury is based on clinical presentation, laboratory and imaging findings, and endoscopic methods. CT scanning is considered the gold standard for diagnosing pancreatic trauma in children. This retrospective study evaluates data from 25 pediatric patients admitted to the University Hospital Motol, Prague, with blunt pancreatic trauma between January 1999 and June 2013. The exact grade of injury was determined by CT scans in 11 patients (47.8%). All 25 children underwent endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Distal pancreatic duct injury (grade III) was found in 13 patients (52%). Proximal pancreatic duct injury (grade IV) was found in four patients (16 %). Major contusion without duct injury (grade IIB) was found in six patients (24%). One patient experienced duodeno-gastric abruption not diagnosed on the CT scan. The diagnosis was made endoscopically during ERCP. Grade IIB pancreatic injury was found in this patient. One patient (4%) with pancreatic pseudocyst had a major contusion of pancreas without duct injury (grade IIA). Four patients (16%) with grade IIB, III and IV pancreatic injury were treated exclusively and nonoperatively with a pancreatic stent insertion and somatostatine. Two patients (8%) with a grade IIB injury were treated conservatively only with somatostatine without drainage. Eighteen (72 %) children underwent surgical intervention within 24 h after ERCP. ERCP is helpful when there is suspicion of pancreatic duct injury in order to exclude ductal leakage and the possibility of therapeutic intervention. ERCP can speed up diagnosis of higher grade of pancreatic injuries.

High quality garbage: A neural network plastic sorter in hardware and software

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

Stanton, S.L.; Alam, M.K.; Hebner, G.A.

1993-09-01

In order to produce pure polymer streams from post-consumer waste plastics, a quick, accurate and relatively inexpensive method of sorting needs to be implemented. This technology has been demonstrated by using near-infrared spectroscopy reflectance data and neural network classification techniques. Backpropagation neural network routines have been developed to run real-time sortings in the lab, using a laboratory-grade spectrometer. In addition, a new reflectance spectrometer has been developed which is fast enough for commercial use. Initial training and test sets taken with the laboratory instrument show that a network is capable of learning 100% when classifying 5 groups of plastic (HDPEmore » and LDPE combined), and up to 100% when classifying 6 groups. Initial data sets from the new instrument have classified plastics into all seven groups with varying degrees of success. One of the initial networks has been implemented in hardware, for high speed computations, and thus rapid classification. Two neural accelerator systems have been evaluated, one based on the Intel 8017ONX chip, and another on the AT&T ANNA chip.« less

Prognostic Value of the New Prostate Cancer International Society of Urological Pathology Grade Groups.

PubMed

Offermann, Anne; Hohensteiner, Silke; Kuempers, Christiane; Ribbat-Idel, Julika; Schneider, Felix; Becker, Finn; Hupe, Marie Christine; Duensing, Stefan; Merseburger, Axel S; Kirfel, Jutta; Reischl, Markus; Lubczyk, Verena; Kuefer, Rainer; Perner, Sven

2017-01-01

Gleason grading is the best independent predictor for prostate cancer (PCa) progression. Recently, a new PCa grading system has been introduced by the International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) and is recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Following studies observed more accurate and simplified grade stratification of the new system. Aim of this study was to compare the prognostic value of the new grade groups compared to the former Gleason Grading and to determine whether re-definition of Gleason Pattern 4 might reduce upgrading from prostate biopsy to radical prostatectomy (RP) specimen. A cohort of men undergoing RP from 2002 to 2015 at the Hospital of Goeppingen (Goeppingen, Germany) was used for this study. In total, 339 pre-operative prostatic biopsies and corresponding RP specimens, as well as additional 203 RP specimens were re-reviewed for Grade Groups according to the ISUP. Biochemical recurrence-free survival (BFS) after surgery was used as endpoint to analyze prognostic significance. Other clinicopathological data included TNM-stage and pre-operative PSA level. Kaplan-Meier analysis revealed risk stratification of patients based on both former Gleason Grading and ISUP Grade Groups, and was statistically significant using the log-rank test ( p  < 0.001). Both grading systems significantly correlated with TNM-stage and pre-operative PSA level ( p  < 0.001). Higher tumor grade in RP specimen compared to corresponding pre-operative biopsy was observed in 44 and 34.5% of cases considering former Gleason Grading and ISUP Grade Groups, respectively. Both, former Gleason Grading and ISUP Grade Groups predict survival when applied on tumors in prostatic biopsies as well as RP specimens. This is the first validation study on a large representative German community-based cohort to compare the former Gleason Grading with the recently introduced ISUP Grade Groups. Our data indicate that the ISUP Grade Groups do not improve predictive value of PCa grading and might be less sensitive in deciphering tumors with 3 + 4 and 4 + 3 pattern on RP specimen. However, the Grade Group system results less frequently in an upgrading from biopsy to the corresponding RP specimens, indicating a lower risk to miss potentially aggressive tumors not represented on biopsies.

Inhibition of Ophiognomonia clavigignenti-juglandacearum by Juglans species bark extracts

Treesearch

M.E. Ostry; M. Moore

2013-01-01

A rapid and reliable screening technique is needed for selecting trees with resistance to butternut canker. In a laboratory assay, reagent grade naphthoquinones and crude bark extracts of Juglans species variously inhibited spore germination and growth of Ophiognomonia clavigignenti-juglandacearum, the causal fungus of butternut...

Argument-Driven Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sampson, Victor; Grooms, Jonathon; Walker, Joi

2009-01-01

Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI) is an instructional model that enables science teachers to transform a traditional laboratory activity into a short integrated instructional unit. To illustrate how the ADI instructional model works, this article describes an ADI lesson developed for a 10th-grade chemistry class. This example lesson was designed to…

30. FLOOR PLANS OF WASTE CALCINATION FACILITY. SHOWS LEVELS ABOVE ...

Library of Congress Historic Buildings Survey, Historic Engineering Record, Historic Landscapes Survey

30. FLOOR PLANS OF WASTE CALCINATION FACILITY. SHOWS LEVELS ABOVE GRADE AND AT LEVEL OF OPERATING CORRIDOR. INEEL DRAWING NUMBER 200-0633-00-287-106351. FLUOR NUMBER 5775-CPP-633-A-1. - Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Old Waste Calcining Facility, Scoville, Butte County, ID

SCIENS: Opening Eyes to the Future.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Landgren, C. R.

1988-01-01

SCIENS is a Middlebury College (Vermont) program designed to excite minority student interest in the natural sciences and to provide students with training and research experiences. The program, encompassing three summers, involves core instruction for high-potential 11th-grade students, summer research in college laboratories, and internships in…

Evaluation of Portland Cement concretes containing ground granulated blast furnace slag : research implementation plan.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-05-01

A two part laboratory experimental program was conducted to evaluate strength and durability of various concrete : mix designs. In Part I of the study, the influence of using Grade 120 ground granulated blast furnace slag (GGBFS) : on the strength an...

InnovateEDU, Inc.: Brooklyn Laboratory Charter Schools (LAB)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

EDUCAUSE, 2015

2015-01-01

Entrepreneurial learning is the backbone of this Brooklyn charter school network which opened in Fall 2014 to serve grades 6-12, including English language learners and students with disabilities. LAB's academic model combines empirically effective learning practices with innovative implementation strategies, including a blended learning model…

Connecting with Local Culture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowe, Roy; Probst, Craig

1995-01-01

In a small school off the Alaskan coast, students are learning to value their Aleut heritage. The third-grade class abandoned its traditional science text to study lessons organized around Alaska's Pribilof Islands, a natural science laboratory. Weekly projects involving debris cleanup, tourist brochures, rat alerts, and boat restoration engage…

Outdoor Integration

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tatarchuk, Shawna; Eick, Charles

2011-01-01

An outdoor classroom is an exciting way to connect the learning of science to nature and the environment. Many school grounds include gardens, grassy areas, courtyards, and wooded areas. Some even have nearby streams or creeks. These are built-in laboratories for inquiry! In the authors' third-grade classroom, they align and integrate…

Measurement, Grades 4-6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Halton County Board of Education, Burlington (Ontario).

This is a collection of mathematics laboratory activities related to the topics of linear and square measure. There are a number of experimental situations from which results may be generalized. Also included are worksheets, examples and discussion questions which are based on practical situations whenever possible. The materials are for student…

The School Adjustment of Post-Meningitic Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pate, John E.; And Others

1974-01-01

To explore relationships between success in school and infectious childhood disease, 25 children in regular primary grades who had survived laboratory confirmed acute bacterial meningitis prior to 4 years of age without observable sequelae were matched with 25 non-meningitic controls and subjected to intensive multidisciplinary examinations.…

New generation mix-designs : laboratory testing and construction of the APT test sections.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-03-01

Recent changes to the Texas HMA mix-design procedures such as adaption of the higher PG asphalt-binder grades and the Hamburg test have ensured that the mixes routinely used on the Texas highways are not prone to rutting. However, performance concern...

Increased anatomic severity in appendicitis is associated with outcomes in a South African population.

PubMed

Hernandez, Matthew C; Kong, Victor Y; Aho, Johnathon M; Bruce, John L; Polites, Stephanie F; Laing, Grant L; Zielinski, Martin D; Clarke, Damian L

2017-07-01

Severity of emergency general surgery (EGS) diseases has not been standardized until recently. The American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) proposed an anatomic severity grading system for EGS diseases to facilitate communication and quality comparisons between providers and hospitals. Previous work has demonstrated validity of the system for appendicitis in the United States. To demonstrate generalizability, we aim to externally validate this grading system in South African patients with appendicitis. Patients with acute appendicitis during 2010 to 2016 were identified at multi-institutional sites within South Africa. Baseline demographics and procedure types were recorded, and AAST grades were assigned based on intraoperative findings. Outcomes included duration of stay, mortality, and Clavien-Dindo complications. Summary statistical univariate and nominal logistic regression analyses were performed to compare AAST grade and outcomes. A total of 1,415 patients with a median (interquartile range) age of 19 years (14-28 years) were included (55% men). One hundred percent underwent appendectomy: 63.5% completed via midline laparotomy, 36.5% via limited incision (31.8% via McBurney incision and 4.7% via laparoscopy). Overall, 30-day mortality rate was 1.4% with an overall complication rate of 44%. Most common complications included surgical site infection (n = 147, 10.4%), pneumonia (n = 105, 7.4%), and renal failure (n = 64, 4.5%). Distribution of AAST grade is as follows: Grade 0 (10, 0.7%), Grade 1 (247, 17.4%), Grade 2 (280, 19.8%), Grade 3 (158, 11.3%), Grade 4 (179, 12.6%), and Grade 5 (541, 38.2%). Increased median (interquartile range) AAST grades were recorded in patients with complications, 5 (3-5) compared with those without (2 [1-3], p = 0.001). Duration of stay was increased for patients with higher AAST grades: 4 and 5 (10.6 ± 5.9 days) versus I and II (3.6 ± 4.3 days; p = 0.001). Area under the receiver operating characteristic analysis to predict presence of any complication based on AAST grade was 0.90. The AAST EGS grading system is valid to predict important clinical outcomes in a South African population with an increased degree of severity on presentation. These results support generalizability of the AAST EGS grading system for appendicitis in a developing nation. Prognostic, level II.

C2 nerve root on magnetic resonance imaging of occipital neuralgia.

PubMed

Yi, Minkyung; Lee, Joon Woo; Yeom, Jin S; Joe, Eugene; Hong, Sung Hwan; Lee, Guen Young; Kang, Heung Sik

2014-06-01

Review and grade the morphology of the C1-C2 neural foramina, from the MR images of patients who underwent C1-C2 spinal surgery, and determine the relationship with ON. To evaluate the feasibility of MRI for C1-C2 neural foramen evaluation with a new grading system and to correlate the C1-C2 neural foramen grade with ON. There have been no MRI studies of patients with and without ON in relation to C2 nerve root ganglion findings. Among the registry of 124 patients who underwent C1-C2 spinal surgery between July 2004 and May 2012 in Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, we enrolled 101 patients who had information about ON and a relevant preoperative cervical spine MR image. A total of 202 neural foramina were evaluated with our new C1-C2 neural foramen grading system (grade, 0-3) using consensus reading by 2 experienced radiologists who were blinded to the clinical information. The relationship between the C1-C2 grading system and ON was assessed using a χ test and Fisher exact test. Inter- and intraobserver reliability agreement was assessed using the κ statistic. All C1-C2 neural foramina were delineated on T2 parasagittal images. Among 202 C1-C2 neural foramina, grade zero was found in 49 foramina (24.3%), grade 1 in 95 (47.0%), grade 2 in 30 (14.9%), and grade 3 in 28 (13.9%). Grade 1 stenosis was most frequently noted. The grade 2 group had the most frequent prevalence of ON (43.3%), followed by grade 3 (35.7%), grade zero (30.6%), and grade 1 (29.5%). However, the relationship between the grade and ON was not statistically significant. Inter- and intraobserver agreements were substantially high. C1-C2 neural foramina can be depicted on MR image. However, the relationship between the new grading system for C1-C2 neural foramina and ON was not statistically significant. 4.

The Impact of Framing Effect on Student Preferences for University Grading Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Jeffrey K.; Smith, Lisa F.

2009-01-01

Kahneman and Tversky's (1979, 2000; Tversky & Kahneman, 1981) work in decision-making was applied to student preferences for grading practices. Undergraduate psychology students (n = 240) were randomly assigned to 1 of 3 framing conditions related to how a university course might be graded: a 100 point system, a percentage system, and an open…

Science laboratory behavior strategies of students relative to performance in and attitude to laboratory work

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okebukola, Peter Akinsola

The relationship between science laboratory behavior strategies of students and performance in and attitude to laboratory work was investigated in an observational study of 160 laboratory sessions involving 600 class five (eleventh grade) biology students. Zero-order correlations between the behavior strategies and outcome measures reveal a set of low to strong relationships. Transmitting information, listening and nonlesson related behaviors exhibited low correlations with practical skills and the attitude measure. The correlations between manipulating apparatus and observation with practical skills measures were found to be strong. Multiple correlation analysis revealed that the behaviors of students in the laboratories observed accounted for a large percentage of the variance in the scores on manipulative skills and a low percentage on interpretation of data, responsibility, initiative, and work habits. One significant canonical correlation emerged. The loadings on this canonical variate indicate that the practical skills measures, i.e., planning and design, manipulative skills and conduct of experiments, observation and recording of data, and attitude to laboratory work made primary contributions to the canonical relationship. Suggestions as to how students can be encouraged to go beyond cookbook-like laboratories and develop a more favorable attitude to laboratory work are made.

A new MRI grading system for chondromalacia patellae.

PubMed

Özgen, Ali; Taşdelen, Neslihan; Fırat, Zeynep

2017-04-01

Background Chondromalacia patellae is a very common disorder. Although magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is widely used to investigate patellar cartilage lesions, there is no descriptive MRI-based grading system for chondromalacia patellae. Purpose To propose a new MRI grading system for chondromalacia patellae with corresponding high resolution images which might be useful in precisely reporting and comparing knee examinations in routine daily practice and used in predicting natural course and clinical outcome of the patellar cartilage lesions. Material and Methods High resolution fat-saturated proton density (FS PD) images in the axial plane with corresponding T2 mapping images were reviewed. A detailed MRI grading system covering the deficiencies of the existing gradings has been set and presented on these images. Two experienced observers blinded to clinical data examined 44 knee MR images and evaluated patellar cartilage changes according to the proposed grading system. Inter- and intra-rater validity testing using kappa statistics were calculated. Results A descriptive and detailed grading system with corresponding FS PD and T2 mapping images has been presented. Inter-rater agreement was 0.80 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.71-0.89). Intra-rater agreements were 0.83 (95% CI, 0.74-0.91) for observer A and 0.79 (95% CI, 0.70-0.88) for observer B (k-values). Conclusion We present a new MRI grading system for chondromalacia patellae with corresponding images and good inter- and intra-rater agreement which might be useful in reporting and comparing knee MRI examinations in daily practice and may also have the potential for using more precisely predicting prognosis and clinical outcome of the patients.

Assessment of Chronological Effects of Irreversible Electroporation on Hilar Bile Ducts in a Porcine Model

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

Choi, Jae Woong, E-mail: cooljay@korea.ac.kr; Lu, David S. K., E-mail: dlu@mednet.ucla.edu; Osuagwu, Ferdnand, E-mail: fosuagwu@mednet.ucla.edu

2013-11-07

PurposeTo evaluate the chronological effects of irreversible electroporation (IRE) on large hilar bile ducts in an in vivo porcine model correlated with computed tomography (CT) cholangiography and histopathology.Materials and MethodsTwelve IRE zones were made along hilar bile ducts intraoperatively under ultrasound (US)-guidance in 11 pigs. Paired electrodes were placed either on opposing sides of the bile duct (straddle [STR]) or both on one side of the bile duct (one-sided [OSD]). The shortest electrode-to-duct distance was classified as periductal (≤2 mm) or nonperiductal (>2 mm). CT cholangiography and laboratory tests were performed before IRE and again at 2 days, 4 weeks, and 8 weeks after IRE.more » Degree of bile duct injury were graded as follows: grade 0 = no narrowing; grade 1 = ≤50 % duct narrowing; grade 2 = >50 % narrowing without proximal duct dilatation; grade 3 = grade 2 with proximal duct dilatation; and grade 4 = grade 3 with enzyme elevation. Pigs were selected for killing and histopathology at 2 days, 4, and 8 weeks.ResultsNonperiductal electrode placement produced no long-term strictures in 5 of 5 ducts. Periductal electrode placement produced mild narrowing in 6 of 7 ducts: 5 grade 1 and 1 grade 2. None showed increased enzymes. There was no significant difference between STR versus OSD electrode placement. Histopathology showed minor but relatively greater ductal mural changes in narrowed ducts.ConclusionIn the larger hilar ducts, long-term patency and mural integrity appear resistant to IRE damage with the energy deposition used, especially if the electrode is not immediately periductal in position.« less

Systems for grading the quality of evidence and the strength of recommendations I: Critical appraisal of existing approaches The GRADE Working Group

PubMed Central

Atkins, David; Eccles, Martin; Flottorp, Signe; Guyatt, Gordon H; Henry, David; Hill, Suzanne; Liberati, Alessandro; O'Connell, Dianne; Oxman, Andrew D; Phillips, Bob; Schünemann, Holger; Edejer, Tessa Tan-Torres; Vist, Gunn E; Williams, John W

2004-01-01

Background A number of approaches have been used to grade levels of evidence and the strength of recommendations. The use of many different approaches detracts from one of the main reasons for having explicit approaches: to concisely characterise and communicate this information so that it can easily be understood and thereby help people make well-informed decisions. Our objective was to critically appraise six prominent systems for grading levels of evidence and the strength of recommendations as a basis for agreeing on characteristics of a common, sensible approach to grading levels of evidence and the strength of recommendations. Methods Six prominent systems for grading levels of evidence and strength of recommendations were selected and someone familiar with each system prepared a description of each of these. Twelve assessors independently evaluated each system based on twelve criteria to assess the sensibility of the different approaches. Systems used by 51 organisations were compared with these six approaches. Results There was poor agreement about the sensibility of the six systems. Only one of the systems was suitable for all four types of questions we considered (effectiveness, harm, diagnosis and prognosis). None of the systems was considered usable for all of the target groups we considered (professionals, patients and policy makers). The raters found low reproducibility of judgements made using all six systems. Systems used by 51 organisations that sponsor clinical practice guidelines included a number of minor variations of the six systems that we critically appraised. Conclusions All of the currently used approaches to grading levels of evidence and the strength of recommendations have important shortcomings. PMID:15615589

The Introduction of a New Grading System at a Public Teaching Institution: Impact on Grading Tendencies of the Faculty.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Felder, Nathaniel L.

The grading system at the University of North Carolina at Asheville before fall 1978 provided four designations: H (honors); G (good or well above average); P (pass or satisfactory); and F (failure). This range does not provide a grade for unsatisfactory but passing work. It was suspected that this led teachers to give "average" grades…

Applications Of Measurement Techniques To Develop Small-Diameter, Undersea Fiber Optic Cables

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamikawa, Neil T.; Nakagawa, Arthur T.

1984-12-01

Attenuation, strain, and optical time domain reflectometer (OTDR) measurement techniques were applied successfully in the development of a minimum-diameter, electro-optic sea floor cable. Temperature and pressure models for excess attenuation in polymer coated, graded-index fibers were investigated analytically and experimentally using these techniques in the laboratory. The results were used to select a suitable fiber for the cable. Measurements also were performed on these cables during predeployment and sea-trial testing to verify laboratory results. Application of the measurement techniques and results are summarized in this paper.

Liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma: a proposal of a prognostic scoring system.

PubMed

Iwatsuki, S; Dvorchik, I; Marsh, J W; Madariaga, J R; Carr, B; Fung, J J; Starzl, T E

2000-10-01

The current staging system of hepatocellular carcinoma established by the International Union Against Cancer and the American Joint Committee on Cancer does not necessarily predict the outcomes after hepatic resection or transplantation. Various clinical and pathologic risk factors for tumor recurrence were examined on 344 consecutive patients who received hepatic transplantation in the presence of nonfibrolamellar hepatocellular carcinoma to establish a reliable risk scoring system. Multivariate analysis identified three factors as independently significant poor prognosticators: 1) bilobarly distributed tumors, 2) size of the greatest tumor (2 to 5 cm and > 5 cm), and 3) vascular invasion (microscopic and macroscopic). Prognostic risk score (PRS) of each patient was calculated from the relative risks of multivariate analysis. The patients were grouped into five grades of tumor recurrence risk: grade 1: PRS = 0 to < 7.5; grade 2: PRS = 7.5 to < or = 11.0; grade 3: PRS > 11.0 to 15.0; grade 4: PRS > or = 15.0; and grade 5: positive node, metastasis, or margin. The proposed PRS system correlated extremely well with tumor-free survival after liver transplantation (100%, 61%, 40%, 5%, and 0%, from grades 1 to 5, respectively, at 5 years), but current pTNM staging did not. 1) Patients with grades 1 and 2 are effectively treated with liver transplantation, 2) patients with grades 4 and 5 are poor candidates for liver transplantation, and 3) patients with grade 1 do not benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy.

Recommended design and fabrication sequence of AMTEC test assembly

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

Schock, A.; Kumar, V.; Noravian, H.

1998-01-01

A series of previous OSC papers described: 1) a novel methodology for the coupled thermal, fluid flow, and electrical analysis of multitube AMTEC (Alkali Metal Thermal-to-Electric Conversion) cells; 2) the application of that methodology to determine the effect of numerous design variations on the cell{close_quote}s performance, leading to selection and performance characterization of an OSC-recommended cell design; and 3) the design, analysis, and characterization of an OSC-generated power system design combining sixteen of the above AMTEC cells with two or three GPHS (General Purpose Heat Source) radioisotope heat source modules, and the applicability of those power systems to future spacemore » missions ({ital e.g.} Pluto Express and Europa Orbiter) under consideration by NASA. The OSC system design studies demonstrated the critical importance of the thermal insulation subsystem, and culminated in a design in which the eight AMTEC cells on each end of the heat source stack are embedded in Min-K fibrous insulation, and the Min-K and the GPHS modules are surrounded by graded-length Mo multifoil insulation. The present paper depicts the OSC-recommended AMTEC cell and generator designs, and identifies the need for an electrically heated (scaled-down but otherwise prototypic) test assembly for the experimental validation of the generator{close_quote}s system performance predictions. It then describes the design of an OSC-recommended test assembly consisting of an electrical heater enclosed in a graphite box to simulate the radioisotope heat source, four series-connected prototypic AMTEC cells of the OSC-recommended configuration, and a prototypic hybrid insulation package consisting of Min-K and graded-length Mo multifoils. Finally, the paper describes and illustrates an OSC-recommended detailed fabrication sequence and procedure for the above cell and test assembly. That fabrication procedure is being implemented by AMPS, Inc. with the support of DOE{close_quote}s Oak Ridge and Mound Laboratories, and the Air Force Phillips Laboratory (AFPL) will test the performance of the assembly over a range of input thermal powers and output voltages. The experimentally measured performance will be compared with the results of OSC analyses of the same insulated test assembly over the same range of operating parameters. {copyright} {ital 1998 American Institute of Physics.}« less

A 3-tier classification of cerebral arteriovenous malformations. Clinical article.

PubMed

Spetzler, Robert F; Ponce, Francisco A

2011-03-01

The authors propose a 3-tier classification for cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). The classification is based on the original 5-tier Spetzler-Martin grading system, and reflects the treatment paradigm for these lesions. The implications of this modification in the literature are explored. Class A combines Grades I and II AVMs, Class B are Grade III AVMs, and Class C combines Grades IV and V AVMs. Recommended management is surgery for Class A AVMs, multimodality treatment for Class B, and observation for Class C, with exceptions to the latter including recurrent hemorrhages and progressive neurological deficits. To evaluate whether combining grades is warranted from the perspective of surgical outcomes, the 3-tier system was applied to 1476 patients from 7 surgical series in which results were stratified according to Spetzler-Martin grades. Pairwise comparisons of individual Spetzler-Martin grades in the series analyzed showed the fewest significant differences (p < 0.05) in outcomes between Grades I and II AVMs and between Grades IV and V AVMs. In the pooled data analysis, significant differences in outcomes were found between all grades except IV and V (p = 0.38), and the lowest relative risks were found between Grades I and II (1.066) and between Grades IV and V (1.095). Using the pooled data, the predictive accuracies for surgical outcomes of the 5-tier and 3-tier systems were equivalent (receiver operating characteristic curve area 0.711 and 0.713, respectively). Combining Grades I and II AVMs and combining Grades IV and V AVMs is justified in part because the differences in surgical results between these respective pairs are small. The proposed 3-tier classification of AVMs offers simplification of the Spetzler-Martin system, provides a guide to treatment, and is predictive of outcome. The revised classification not only simplifies treatment recommendations; by placing patients into 3 as opposed to 5 groups, statistical power is markedly increased for series comparisons.

Animal model for evaluation of topical photoprotection against ultraviolet A (320-380 nm) radiation

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

Chew, S.; DeLeo, V.A.; Harber, L.C.

Recent studies reporting UVA (ultraviolet A radiation 320-380 nm) as an integral part of the cumulative sun-induced damage in human skin have prompted an interest in developing effective UVA photoprotective agents. The development of such compounds has been impeded by the absence of a clinically relevant animal model for evaluating their efficacy. This report describes the development and use of such a laboratory animal system. Selected concentrations of oxybenzone (2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzophenone) in vehicle (0.1% to 6%) or vehicle alone were applied to the depilated dorsal skin of 30 Hartley strain female albino guinea pigs. The skin was irradiated with solar simulatedmore » UVA from a xenon light source. Acute radiation-induced damage was assayed by erythema grading and inhibition of (/sup 3/H)thymidine incorporation into epidermal DNA. Data from erythema grading studies indicated that a significant degree of photoprotection was achieved with 6%, 3%, and 1% solutions of benzophenone compared with the control vehicle; the 6% solution was significantly more photoprotective than the 3% and 1% solutions. A 6% solution afforded significant photoprotection when assayed by (/sup 3/H)thymidine incorporation.« less

Biology and management of ependymomas

PubMed Central

Wu, Jing; Armstrong, Terri S.; Gilbert, Mark R.

2016-01-01

Ependymomas are rare primary tumors of the central nervous system in children and adults that comprise histologically similar but genetically distinct subgroups. The tumor biology is typically more associated with the site of origin rather than being age-specific. Genetically distinct subgroups have been identified by genomic studies based on locations in classic grade II and III ependymomas. They are supratentorial ependymomas with C11orf95-RELA fusion or YAP1 fusion, infratentorial ependymomas with or without a hypermethylated phenotype (CIMP), and spinal cord ependymomas. Myxopapillary ependymomas and subependymomas have different biology than ependymomas with typical WHO grade II or III histology. Surgery and radiotherapy are the mainstays of treatment, while the role of chemotherapy has not yet been established. An in-depth understanding of tumor biology, developing reliable animal models that accurately reflect tumor molecule features, and high throughput drug screening are essential for developing new therapies. Collaborative efforts between scientists, physicians, and advocacy groups will enhance the translation of laboratory findings into clinical trials. Improvements in disease control underscore the need to incorporate assessment and management of patients' symptoms to ensure that treatment advances translate into improvement in quality of life. PMID:27022130

Diet and prostate cancer - a holistic approach to management.

PubMed

Cheetham, Philippa J; Katz, Aaron E

2011-10-01

There is now increasing evidence from epidemiologic surveys and from laboratory, intervention, and case-control studies that diet and lifestyle plays a crucial role in prostate cancer biology and tumorigenesis. This applies to both the development and progression of prostate cancer, although in many cases the specific initiating factors in the diet are poorly understood. Conversely, many nutrients and herbs also show significant promise in helping to treat prostate cancer by slowing progression and reducing recurrence, ultimately reducing the risk of morbidity and mortality from the disease. Furthermore for all grades of prostate cancer, nutritional interventions complement conventional treatment to improve response and quality of life. Slowing or even reversing the progression of, high-grade prostate intraepithelial neoplasia [HGPIN]). with chemo-preventative agents could be the best primary defense against prostate cancer, preventing it from occurring in the first place. The information given in this review about prostate cancer chemoprevention summarizes the key evidence for the role of different dietary components and their effect on prostate cancer prevention and progression. Most nutritional chemoprevention agents also have the added benefit of being beneficial for the cardiovascular system, bone health and for the prevention of other cancers.

Organization and evolution of organized cervical cytology screening in Thailand.

PubMed

Khuhaprema, Thiravud; Attasara, Pattarawin; Srivatanakul, Petcharin; Sangrajrang, Suleeporn; Muwonge, Richard; Sauvaget, Catherine; Sankaranarayanan, Rengaswamy

2012-08-01

To describe phase 1 of an organized cytology screening project initiated in Thailand by the Ministry of Public Health and the National Health Security Office. Women aged 35-60 years were encouraged to undergo cervical screening in primary care units and hospitals through awareness programs. Papanicolaou smears were processed and reported at district or provincial cytology laboratories. Women with normal test results were advised to undergo repeat screening after 5 years, while those with precancerous and cancerous lesions were referred for colposcopy, biopsy, and treatment. Information on screening, referral, investigations, and therapy were logged in a computer database. Between 2005 and 2009, 69.2% of the 4030833 targeted women were screened. In all, 20991 women had inadequate smears; 27253 had low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions; 15706 had high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions; and 2920 had invasive cancers. Information on the management of precancerous lesions was available for only 17.4% of women referred for colposcopy. Although follow-up data on women with positive test results were inadequately documented, the present findings indicate that provision of cytology services through the existing healthcare system is feasible. Copyright © 2012 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Exploring hypothetical learning progressions for the chemistry of nitrogen and nuclear processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Henry, Deborah McKern

Chemistry is a bridge that connects a number of scientific disciplines. High school students should be able to determine whether scientific information is accurate, how chemistry applies to daily life, and the mechanism by which systems operate (NRC, 2012). This research focuses on describing hypothetical learning progressions for student understanding of the chemical reactions of nitrogen and nuclear processes and examines whether there is consistency in scientific reasoning between these two distinct conceptual areas. The constant comparative method was used to analyze the written products of students including homework, formative and summative tests, laboratory notebooks, reflective journals, written presentations, and discussion board contributions via Edmodo (an online program). The ten participants were 15 and 16 year old students enrolled in a general high school chemistry course. Instruction took place over a ten week period. The learning progression levels ranged from 0 to 4 and were described as missing, novice, intermediate, proficient, and expert. The results were compared to the standards set by the NRC with a lower anchor (expectations for grade 8) and upper anchor (expectations for grade 12). The results indicate that, on average, students were able to reach an intermediate level of understanding for these concepts.

Genotoxic Changes to Rodent Cells Exposed in Vitro to Tungsten, Nickel, Cobalt and Iron

PubMed Central

Bardack, Stephanie; Dalgard, Clifton L.; Kalinich, John F.; Kasper, Christine E.

2014-01-01

Tungsten-based materials have been proposed as replacements for depleted uranium in armor-penetrating munitions and for lead in small-arms ammunition. A recent report demonstrated that a military-grade composition of tungsten, nickel, and cobalt induced a highly-aggressive, metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma when implanted into the leg muscle of laboratory rats to simulate a shrapnel wound. The early genetic changes occurring in response to embedded metal fragments are not known. In this study, we utilized two cultured rodent myoblast cell lines, exposed to soluble tungsten alloys and the individual metals comprising the alloys, to study the genotoxic effects. By profiling cell transcriptomes using microarray, we found slight, yet distinct and unique, gene expression changes in rat myoblast cells after 24 h metal exposure, and several genes were identified that correlate with impending adverse consequences of ongoing exposure to weapons-grade tungsten alloy. These changes were not as apparent in the mouse myoblast cell line. This indicates a potential species difference in the cellular response to tungsten alloy, a hypothesis supported by current findings with in vivo model systems. Studies examining genotoxic-associated gene expression changes in cells from longer exposure times are warranted. PMID:24619124

The Application of the Novel Grading Scale (Lawton-Young Grading System) to Predict the Outcome of Brain Arteriovenous Malformation.

PubMed

Hafez, Ahmad; Koroknay-Pál, Päivi; Oulasvirta, Elias; Elseoud, Ahmed Abou; Lawton, Michael T; Niemelä, Mika; Laakso, Aki

2018-05-04

A supplementary grading scale (Supplemented Spetzler-Martin grade, Supp-SM) was introduced in 2010 as a refinement of the SM system to improve preoperative risk prediction of brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). To determine the ability to predict surgical outcomes using the Supp-SM grading scale. This retrospective study was conducted on 200 patients admitted to the Helsinki University Hospital between 2000 and 2014. The validity of the Supp-SM and SM grading systems was compared using the area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curves, with respect to the change between preoperative and early (3-4 mo) as well as final postoperative modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores. The performance of the Supp-SM was superior to that of the SM grading scale in the early follow-up (3-4 mo): AUROC = 0.57 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.49-0.65) for SM and AUROC = 0.67 (95% CI: 0.60-0.75) for Supp-SM. The Supp-SM performance continued improving over SM at the late follow-up: AUROC = 0.63 (95% CI: 0.55-0.71) for SM and AUROC = 0.70 (95% CI: 0.62-0.77) for Supp-SM. The perforating artery supply, which is not part of either grading system, plays an important role in the early follow-up outcome (P = .008; odds ratio: 2.95; 95% CI: 1.32-6.55) and in the late follow-up outcome (P < .001; odds ratio: 5.89; 95% CI: 2.49-13.91). The Supp-SM grading system improves the outcome prediction accuracy and is a feasible alternative to the SMS, even for series with higher proportion of high-grade AVMs. However, perforators play important role on the outcome.

MAVARIC - a comparison of automation-assisted and manual cervical screening: a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Kitchener, H C; Blanks, R; Cubie, H; Desai, M; Dunn, G; Legood, R; Gray, A; Sadique, Z; Moss, S

2011-01-01

The principal objective was to compare automation-assisted reading of cervical cytology with manual reading using the histological end point of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade II (CIN2) or worse (CIN2+). Secondary objectives included (i) an assessment of the slide ranking facility of the Becton Dickinson (BD) FocalPoint™ Slide Profiler (Becton Dickinson, Franklin Lakes, NJ, USA), especially 'No Further Review', (ii) a comparison of the two approved automated systems, the ThinPrep® Imaging System (Hologic, Bedford, MA, USA) and the BD FocalPoint Guided Screener Imaging System, and (iii) automated versus manual in terms of productivity and cost-effectiveness. A 1 : 2 randomised allocation of slides to either manual reading or automation-assisted paired with manual reading. Cytoscreeners were blinded to whether samples would be read only manually or manually paired with automated. Slide reading procedures followed real-life laboratory protocol to produce a final result and, for paired readings, the worse result determined the management. Costs per event were estimated and combined with productivity to produce a cost per slide, per woman and per CIN2+ and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade III (CIN3) or worse (CIN3+) lesion detected. Cost-effectiveness was estimated using cost per CIN2+ detected. Lifetime cost-effectiveness in terms of life-years and quality-adjusted life-years was estimated using a mathematical model. Liquid-based cytology samples were obtained in primary care, and a small number of abnormal samples were obtained from local colposcopy clinics, from different women, in order to enrich the proportion of abnormals. All of the samples were read in a single large service laboratory. Liquid residues used for human papillomavirus (HPV) triage were tested (with Hybrid Capture 2, Qiagen, Crawley, UK) in a specialist virology laboratory in Edinburgh, UK. Histopathology was read by a specialist gynaecological pathology team blinded to HPV results and type of reading. Samples were obtained from women aged 25-64 years undergoing primary cervical screening in Greater Manchester, UK, with small proportions from women outside this age range and from women undergoing colposcopy. The principal intervention was automation-assisted reading of cervical cytology slides which was paired with a manual reading of the same slide. Low-grade cytological abnormalities (borderline and mild dyskaryosis) were triaged with HPV testing to direct colposcopy referral. Women with high-grade cytology were referred for colposcopy and those with negative cytology were returned to recall. The principal outcome measure was the sensitivity of automation-assisted reading relative to manual for the detection of CIN2+. A secondary outcome measure was cost-effectiveness of each type of reading to detect CIN2+. The study was powered to detect a relative sensitivity difference equivalent to an absolute difference of 5%. The principal finding was that automated reading was 8% less sensitive relative to manual, 6.3% in absolute terms. 'No further review' was very reliable and, if restricted to routine screening samples, < 1% of CIN2+ would have been missed. Automated and manual were very similar in terms of cost-effectiveness despite a 60%-80% increase in productivity for automation-assisted reading. The significantly reduced sensitivity of automated reading, combined with uncertainty over cost-effectiveness, suggests no justification at present to recommend its introduction. The reliability of 'no further review' warrants further consideration as a means of saving staff time. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN66377374. This project was funded by the NIHR Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 15, No. 3. See the HTA programme website for further project information.

The implementation of clay modeling and rat dissection into the human anatomy and physiology curriculum of a large urban community college.

PubMed

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

2014-01-01

After a considerable amount of research and experimentation, cat dissection was replaced with rat dissection and clay modeling in the human anatomy and physiology laboratory curricula at La Guardia Community College (LAGCC), a large urban community college of the City University of New York (CUNY). This article describes the challenges faculty overcame and the techniques used to solve them. Methods involved were: developing a laboratory manual in conjunction with the publisher, holding training sessions for faculty and staff, the development of instructional outlines for students and lesson plans for faculty, the installation of storage facilities to hold mannequins instead of cat specimens, and designing mannequin clean-up techniques that could be used by more than one thousand students each semester. The effectiveness of these curricular changes was assessed by examining student muscle practical examination grades and the responses of faculty and students to questionnaires. The results demonstrated that the majority of faculty felt prepared to teach using clay modeling and believed the activity was effective in presenting lesson content. Students undertaking clay modeling had significantly higher muscle practical examination grades than students undertaking cat dissection, and the majority of students believed that clay modeling was an effective technique to learn human skeletal, respiratory, and cardiovascular anatomy, which included the names and locations of blood vessels. Furthermore, the majority of students felt that rat dissection helped them learn nervous, digestive, urinary, and reproductive system anatomy. Faculty experience at LAGCC may serve as a resource to other academic institutions developing new curricula for large, on-going courses. © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.

Fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome in the backyard chicken: a retrospective histopathologic case series.

PubMed

Trott, K A; Giannitti, F; Rimoldi, G; Hill, A; Woods, L; Barr, B; Anderson, M; Mete, A

2014-07-01

Fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome, characterized by sudden death in overconditioned hens due to hepatic rupture and hemorrhage, is one of the leading noninfectious idiopathic causes of mortality in backyard chickens. Nutritional, genetic, environmental, and hormonal factors, or combinations of these, have been proposed yet not proven as the underlying cause. In an attempt to characterize the hepatic changes leading to the syndrome, this retrospective case study examined 76 backyard chickens that were diagnosed with fatty liver hemorrhagic syndrome between January 2007 and September 2012 and presented for necropsy to the diagnostic laboratory of the California Animal Health and Food Safety Laboratory System. A majority of the birds were female (99%), obese (97.5%), and in active lay (69.7%). Livers were examined histologically, and the degree of hepatocellular vacuolation (lipidosis), the reticular stromal architecture, the presence of collagenous connective tissue, and vascular wall changes were evaluated and graded using hematoxylin and eosin, Gomori's reticulin, oil red O, Masson's trichrome, and Verhoeff-Van Gieson stains. Interestingly, there was no correlation between lipidosis and reticulin grades; hepatocellular lipidosis was absent in 22% of the cases and mild in 26% of the cases. Additionally, there was evidence of repeated bouts of intraparenchymal hemorrhage before the acute "bleed-out" in 35.5% of the cases. These data are not supportive of the previously proposed causes and provide a framework for future studies to elucidate the pathogenesis of this condition. Furthermore, the data shown in this study support hemorrhagic liver syndrome as a more accurate name, as hepatic lipidosis is absent in a significant proportion of ruptured livers. © The Author(s) 2013.

Pan-European Grading Scales: Lessons from National Systems and the ECTS. The Bologna Process: Retrospect and Prospects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karran, Terence

2005-01-01

This article assesses the impact of the Bologna Process on the grading schemes of EU member countries. In light of some problems regarding the implementation of the European Credit Transfer system (ECTS), the author proposes further reforms and offers some elements of a unified grading system for European higher education. The author explores the…

Relationship of PCNA, C-erbB2 and CD44s expression with tumor grade and stage in urothelial carcinomas of the bladder

PubMed Central

Yıldırım, Ayhan; Kösem, Mustafa; Sayar, İlyas; Gelincik, İbrahim; Yavuz, Alparslan; Bozkurt, Aliseydi; Erkorkmaz, Ünal; Bayram, İrfan

2014-01-01

In the present study, the intention was to reveal the relationship of histological grade and stage with c-erbB2, CD44s, and PCNA immunoreactivity in bladder urothelial carcinomas (UC). In our study, we evaluated 46 items of transurethral resection material of patients submitted by YYU Faculty of Medicine, Main Department of Pathology, with a mass revealed in their bladder after clinical and radiological studies at our laboratories and who were diagnosed with urothelial carcinomas. PCNA, c-erbB2, and CD44s were applied in an immunohistochemical manner comprised from nine low-malignant potential papillary urothelial neoplasia, 23 low-grade papillary urothelial carcinoma, and 14 high-grade papillary urothelial carcinoma. Immunostaining was scored according to the percentage of positive cells. The immunohistochemical study demonstrated that the c-erbB2 and PCNA staining ratio increased when an increase occurred in stage and grade. The CD44s staining ratio decreased. C-erbB2, PCNA, and CD44s appear to be a useful marker in the assessment of the prognosis and treatment options in urothelial carcinomas. PMID:25035774

Biology Grade 10, Science Curriculum Materials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bloom, Samuel W.

This teaching guide and syllabus outline is intended for use with pupils whose primary interests are in non-science fields, or who do not intend to enter college. The guide contains suggested activities, both laboratory and discussion, for a course containing the following sections: Introduction to Cells and Life; Animal Physiology; Plant…

Development of a Semi-Autonomous Underwater Vehicle for Intervention Missions

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-10-30

Alexander Malahoff of the University of Hawaii, Dr. Homayoun Seraji of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and Mr. Dick Turlington of the Pacific Missile...AUV. The angular orientation sensor is housed within a 1-inch OD cylindrical pressure vessel (6000-m capable) made low- Fe grade-2 titanium. For a

Teacher-Student Interaction and Gifted Students' Attitudes toward Chemistry in Laboratory Classrooms in Singapore

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lang, Quek Choon; Wong, Angela F. L.; Fraser, Barry J.

2005-01-01

This study investigated associations between teacher-student interaction and students' attitudes towards chemistry among 497 tenth grade students from three independent schools in Singapore. Analyses supported the reliability and validity of a 48-item version of the Questionnaire on Teacher Interaction (QTI). Statistically significant gender…

Earth Science, Grade 8. Part 2. Curriculum Bulletin Number 81CBM63.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stafford, Alva R.

This curriculum guide is designed for use with the Charles E. Merrill textbook "Focus on Earth Science" and with the laboratory manual, teaching guide, and student review and reinforcement guide which accompany the textbook. Suggested time allotment, major concepts, instructional objectives, assessment items, available materials (such as…

Agricultural Science Lab Activities. Instructor Guide. Volume 27, Number 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thompson, Gregory W.; And Others

This instructor guide contains 20 laboratory activities for grades 9-10 Agricultural Science I-II classes. The activities are cross-referenced to Missouri Core Competencies and Key Skills. The activities are organized into the following areas: introductory (microscope use); animal nutrition (absorption of nutrients, bacteria and disease, enzyme…

Developing Basic Math Skills for Marketing. Student Manual and Laboratory Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klewer, Edwin D.

Field tested with students in grades 10-12, this manual is designed to teach students in marketing courses basic mathematical concepts. The instructional booklet contains seven student assignments covering the following topics: why basic mathematics is so important, whole numbers, fractions, decimals, percentages, weights and measures, and dollars…

Earth Science, Grade 8. Part 1. Curriculum Bulletin Number 81CBM58.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stafford, Alva R.

This curriculum guide is designed for use with the Charles E. Merrill textbook "Focus on Earth Science" and with the laboratory manual, teaching guide, and student review and reinforcement guide which accompany the textbook. Suggested time allotment, major concepts, instructional objectives, assessment items, available materials (such as…

The Cognitive Foundations of Learning To Read: A Framework.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wren, Sebastian

Southwest Educational Research Laboratory's (SEDL's) reading project examines early literacy in Grades K-2 and the prevention of early reading failure. The goals of this effort include the following: developing a framework of the cognitive foundations of learning to read that organizes research information; using that framework to organize…

A Useful Laboratory Tool

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Samuel A.; Tutt, Tye

2008-01-01

Recently, a high school Science Club generated a large number of questions involving temperature. Therefore, they decided to construct a thermal gradient apparatus in order to conduct a wide range of experiments beyond the standard "cookbook" labs. They felt that this apparatus could be especially useful in future ninth-grade biology classes, in…

Elementary Students' Laboratory Record Keeping during Scientific Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia-Mila, Merce; Andersen, Christopher; Rojo, Nubia E.

2011-01-01

The present study examines the mutual interaction between students' writing and scientific reasoning among sixth-grade students (age 11-12 years) engaged in scientific inquiry. The experimental task was designed to promote spontaneous record keeping compared to previous task designs by increasing the saliency of task requirements, with the design…

Attention Science Teachers: Classroom Activities with Water.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

HAZWRAP, The Hazardous Waste Remedial Actions Program.

This collection of 10 activities is designed to give students a better grasp of concepts relating to groundwater, aquifers, and hydrology. Activities can be conducted as a demonstration (especially for younger students) or as a laboratory activity for students in higher grades. The guide contains an introduction for teachers and students, a…

Diving into Science. Hands-On Water-Related Experiments. Grades 2-4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perdue, Peggy K.

This book contains hands-on ocean-related laboratory activities. Major chapter hearings are: (1) "Water Experiments" (dealing with the physical nature of water and listing 10 activities); (2) "Ocean-Going Vessels" (studying the principles of boats, with three experiments); (3) "Experiments Using Shells" (containing four activities); (4) "Sand…

Site-specific tumor grading system in colorectal cancer: multicenter pathologic review of the value of quantifying poorly differentiated clusters.

PubMed

Ueno, Hideki; Hase, Kazuo; Hashiguchi, Yojiro; Shimazaki, Hideyuki; Tanaka, Masafumi; Miyake, Ohki; Masaki, Tadahiko; Shimada, Yoshifumi; Kinugasa, Yusuke; Mori, Yoshiyuki; Kishimoto, Mitsuo; Kameoka, Shingo; Sato, Yu; Matsuda, Keiji; Nakadoi, Koichi; Shinto, Eiji; Nakamura, Takahiro; Sugihara, Kenichi

2014-02-01

The study aimed to determine the value of a novel site-specific grading system based on quantifying poorly differentiated clusters (PDC; Grade(PDC)) in colorectal cancer (CRC). A multicenter pathologic review involving 12 institutions was performed on 3243 CRC cases (stage I, 583; II, 1331; III, 1329). Cancer clusters of ≥5 cancer cells and lacking a gland-like structure (PDCs) were counted under a ×20 objective lens in a field containing the maximum clusters. Tumors with <5, 5 to 9, and ≥10 PDCs were classified as grades G1, G2, and G3, respectively. According to Grade(PDC), 1594, 1005, and 644 tumors were classified as G1, G2, and G3 and had 5-year recurrence-free survival rates of 91.6%, 75.4%, and 59.6%, respectively (P<0.0001). Multivariate analysis showed that Grade exerted an influence on prognostic outcome independently of TNM staging; approximately 20% and 46% of stage I and II patients, respectively, were selected by Grade(PDC) as a population whose survival estimate was comparable to or even worse than that of stage III patients. Grade(PDC) surpassed TNM staging in the ability to stratify patients by recurrence-free survival (Akaike information criterion, 2915.6 vs. 2994.0) and had a higher prognostic value than American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) grading (Grade(AJCC)) at all stages. Regarding judgment reproducibility of grading tumors, weighted κ among the 12 institutions was 0.40 for Grade(AJCC) and 0.52 for Grade(PDC). Grade(PDC) has a robust prognostic power and promises to be of sufficient clinical value to merit implementation as a site-specific grading system in CRC.

Six of one, half a dozen of the other: A measure of multidisciplinary inter/intra-rater reliability of the society for fetal urology and urinary tract dilation grading systems for hydronephrosis.

PubMed

Rickard, Mandy; Easterbrook, Bethany; Kim, Soojin; Farrokhyar, Forough; Stein, Nina; Arora, Steven; Belostotsky, Vladamir; DeMaria, Jorge; Lorenzo, Armando J; Braga, Luis H

2017-02-01

The urinary tract dilation (UTD) classification system was introduced to standardize terminology in the reporting of hydronephrosis (HN), and bridge a gap between pre- and postnatal classification such as the Society for Fetal Urology (SFU) grading system. Herein we compare the intra/inter-rater reliability of both grading systems. SFU (I-IV) and UTD (I-III) grades were independently assigned by 13 raters (9 pediatric urology staff, 2 nephrologists, 2 radiologists), twice, 3 weeks apart, to 50 sagittal postnatal ultrasonographic views of hydronephrotic kidneys. Data regarding ureteral measurements and bladder abnormalities were included to allow proper UTD categorization. Ten images were repeated to assess intra-rater reliability. Krippendorff's alpha coefficient was used to measure overall and by grade intra/inter-rater reliability. Reliability between specialties and training levels were also analyzed. Overall inter-rater reliability was slightly higher for SFU (α = 0.842, 95% CI 0.812-0.879, in session 1; and α = 0.808, 95% CI 0.775-0.839, in session 2) than for UTD (α = 0.774, 95% CI 0.715-0.827, in session 1; and α = 0.679, 95% CI 0.605-0.750, in session 2). Reliability for intermediate grades (SFU II/III and UTD 2) of HN was poor regardless of the system. Reliabilities for SFU and UTD classifications among Urology, Nephrology, and Radiology, as well as between training levels were not significantly different. Despite the introduction of HN grading systems to standardize the interpretation and reporting of renal ultrasound in infants with HN, none have been proven superior in allowing clinicians to distinguish between "moderate" grades. While this study demonstrated high reliability in distinguishing between "mild" (SFU I/II and UTD 1) and "severe" (SFU IV and UTD 3) grades of HN, the overall reliability between specialties was poor. This is in keeping with a previous report of modest inter-rater reliability of the SFU system. This drawback is likely explained by the subjective interpretation required to assign grades, which can be impacted by experience, image quality, and scanning technique. As shown in the figure, which demonstrates SFU II (a) and SFU III (b), as assigned by a radiologist, it is possible to make an argument that either of these images can be classified into both categories that were observed during the grading sessions of this study. Although both systems have acceptable reliability, the SFU grading system showed higher overall intra/inter-rater reliability regardless of rater specialty than the UTD classification. Inter-rater reliability for SFU grades II/III and UTD 2 was low, highlighting the limitations of both classifications in regards to properly segregating moderate HN grades. Copyright © 2016 Journal of Pediatric Urology Company. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effective use of e-grading in the dental simulation clinic.

PubMed

Morrow, Jay A; Pulido, M Teresa; Smith, P Bradford; McDaniel, Thomas F; Willcox, Austin B

2014-06-01

The purpose of this article is to describe the development and implementation of a grading software system, accessible from any platform, that engages today's generation of students and replaces paper grading. Set up at one U.S. dental school in an all-access, anytime (24/7) web-based program accessed through tablets, the software allows for a comparison between students' self-grading and instructor grading. This comparison facilitates student-faculty interaction, promoting discussion and student learning. The software can also be used for practical examination grading in which blinded grading between instructors is possible. The data gathered can produce descriptive reports students can draw upon to encourage self-learning and guided learning, propelling students to a better understanding of critical principles as they progress through multiple psychomotor skill sets. Other reports generated by the software allow for instructor calibration, exporting of grades directly into the university grading report system, and visual analysis of trends within each class. In a post-course survey, students (56 percent response rate) and faculty (79 percent response rate) agreed that the electronic grading was more efficient and allowed more time for faculty-student interaction than the previous grading system, thus creating an environment more conducive to learning. Overall, the software has improved students' perception of enhanced kinetic skills, while facilitating administration of preclinical projects and practical examinations.

Test of the Center for Automated Processing of Hardwoods' Auto-Image Detection and Computer-Based Grading and Cutup System

Treesearch

Philip A. Araman; Janice K. Wiedenbeck

1995-01-01

Automated lumber grading and yield optimization using computer controlled saws will be plausible for hardwoods if and when lumber scanning systems can reliably identify all defects by type. Existing computer programs could then be used to grade the lumber, identify the best cut-up solution, and control the sawing machines. The potential value of a scanning grading...

Guidelines and Recommendations for Laboratory Analysis in the Diagnosis and Management of Diabetes Mellitus

PubMed Central

Arnold, Mark; Bakris, George L.; Bruns, David E.; Horvath, Andrea Rita; Kirkman, M. Sue; Lernmark, Ake; Metzger, Boyd E.; Nathan, David M.

2011-01-01

BACKGROUND Multiple laboratory tests are used to diagnose and manage patients with diabetes mellitus. The quality of the scientific evidence supporting the use of these tests varies substantially. APPROACH An expert committee compiled evidence-based recommendations for the use of laboratory testing for patients with diabetes. A new system was developed to grade the overall quality of the evidence and the strength of the recommendations. Draft guidelines were posted on the Internet and presented at the 2007 Arnold O. Beckman Conference. The document was modified in response to oral and written comments, and a revised draft was posted in 2010 and again modified in response to written comments. The National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry and the Evidence-Based Laboratory Medicine Committee of the American Association for Clinical Chemistry jointly reviewed the guidelines, which were accepted after revisions by the Professional Practice Committee and subsequently approved by the Executive Committee of the American Diabetes Association. CONTENT In addition to long-standing criteria based on measurement of plasma glucose, diabetes can be diagnosed by demonstrating increased blood hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) concentrations. Monitoring of glycemic control is performed by self-monitoring of plasma or blood glucose with meters and by laboratory analysis of HbA1c. The potential roles of noninvasive glucose monitoring, genetic testing, and measurement of autoantibodies, urine albumin, insulin, proinsulin, C-peptide, and other analytes are addressed. SUMMARY The guidelines provide specific recommendations that are based on published data or derived from expert consensus. Several analytes have minimal clinical value at present, and their measurement is not recommended. PMID:21617108

A Preliminary Investigation into the Effect of Standards-Based Grading on the Academic Performance of African-American Students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bradbury-Bailey, Mary

With the implementation of No Child Left Behind came a wave of educational reform intended for those working with student populations whose academic performance seemed to indicate an alienation from the educational process. Central to these reforms was the implementation of standards-based instruction and their accompanying standardized assessments; however, in one area reform seemed nonexistent---the teacher's gradebook. (Erickson, 2010, Marzano, 2006; Scriffiny, 2008). Given the link between the grading process and achievement motivation, Ames (1992) suggested the use of practices that promote mastery goal orientation. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of standards-based grading system as a factor contributing to mastery goal orientation on the academic performance of urban African American students. To determine the degree of impact, this study first compared the course content averages and End-of-Course-Test (EOCT) scores for science classes using a traditional grading system to those using a standards-based grading system by employing an Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA). While there was an increase in all grading areas, two showed a significant difference---the Physical Science course content average (p = 0.024) and ix the Biology EOCT scores (p = 0.0876). These gains suggest that standards-based grading can have a positive impact on the academic performance of African American students. Secondly, this study examined the correlation between the course content averages and the EOCT scores for both the traditional and standards-based grading system; for both Physical Science and Biology, there was a stronger correlation between these two scores for the standards-based grading system.

Low-grade serous ovarian cancer: A review.

PubMed

Kaldawy, Anis; Segev, Yakir; Lavie, Ofer; Auslender, Ron; Sopik, Victoria; Narod, Steven A

2016-11-01

Epithelial ovarian cancers can be divided into the more common, aggressive type II cancers and the less common, slow-growing type I cancers. Under this model, serous ovarian carcinomas can be subdivided into high-grade (type II) and low-grade (type I) tumours. The two-tier system for grading serous ovarian carcinomas is superior to more detailed grading systems in terms of predicting survival. Low-grade serous carcinomas typically present in young women and have a relatively good prognosis, despite being resistant to chemotherapy. Low-grade serous cancers have a high prevalence of KRAS and BRAF mutations, but a low prevalence of TP53 mutations (which are characteristic of high-grade serous cancers). Among women with low-grade serous ovarian cancer, the presence of a KRAS/BRAF mutation is a favorable prognostic factor. Studies of the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor in low-grade serous ovarian cancer suggest that identifying MAPK mutations might eventually be useful in guiding treatment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Student Attitudes Toward Grades and Grading Practices.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stallings, William M.; Leslie, Elwood K.

The result of a study designed to assess student attitudes toward grading practices are discussed. Questionnaire responses of 3439 students in three institutions were tabulated. Responses were generally negative toward conventional grading systems. (MS)

Cataract prevalence varies substantially with assessment systems: comparison of clinical and photographic grading in a population-based study.

PubMed

Tan, Anna C S; Wang, Jie Jin; Lamoureux, Ecosse L; Wong, Wanling; Mitchell, Paul; Li, Jialiang; Tan, Ava Grace; Wong, Tien Y

2011-08-01

Cataract is the major cause of blindness worldwide yet there is no consensus on its assessment and definition. This study compares age-related cataract prevalence derived from two commonly used methods: clinical assessment using the Lens Opacity Classification System (LOCS III) and photographic grading using the Wisconsin Cataract Grading System (Wisconsin System). The Singapore Malay Eye Study is a population-based study of 3,280 Singapore Malays aged 40-80 years. Presence of nuclear, cortical and posterior sub-capsular cataract was assessed clinically during slit-lamp examination using LOCS III, and via slit-lamp and retro-illumination photographic grading using the Wisconsin System. Analyses were conducted to determine agreement in cataract prevalence estimates between the two grading Systems and approaches. Poor agreement was found between severity levels of the two grading scales for all three cataract types. Using currently accepted cut-offs to define nuclear (≥ 4 on both LOCS III and Wisconsin System), cortical (≥ 2 in LOCS III, ≥ 25% in Wisconsin) and PSC (≥ 2 in LOCS III, ≥ 5 % in Wisconsin) cataract, the LOCS III overestimated the prevalence of significant cataract as compared to the Wisconsin System, with nuclear cataract prevalence, 27.5% (LOCS III) versus 17.0% (Wisconsin System), cortical cataract prevalence, 27.9% versus 7.0% and posterior sub-capsular cataract prevalence, 7.8% versus 5.1%. The prevalence of cataract in a population varies substantially by measurement methods, with systematically different estimates found using the two most frequent cataract grading systems. This study re-emphasizes the need for global standards to assess and define cataract for epidemiologic and clinical studies.

Maximization of the Thermoelectric Cooling of a Graded Peltier Device by Analytical Heat-Equation Resolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thiébaut, E.; Goupil, C.; Pesty, F.; D'Angelo, Y.; Guegan, G.; Lecoeur, P.

2017-12-01

Increasing the maximum cooling effect of a Peltier cooler can be achieved through material and device design. The use of inhomogeneous, functionally graded materials may be adopted in order to increase maximum cooling without improvement of the Z T (figure of merit); however, these systems are usually based on the assumption that the local optimization of the Z T is the suitable criterion to increase thermoelectric performance. We solve the heat equation in a graded material and perform both analytical and numerical analysis of a graded Peltier cooler. We find a local criterion that we use to assess the possible improvement of graded materials for thermoelectric cooling. A fair improvement of the cooling effect (up to 36%) is predicted for semiconductor materials, and the best graded system for cooling is described. The influence of the equation of state of the electronic gas of the material is discussed, and the difference in term of entropy production between the graded and the classical system is also described.

Does the Fuhrman or World Health Organization/International Society of Urological Pathology Grading System Apply to the Xp11.2 Translocation Renal Cell Carcinoma?: A 10-Year Single-Center Study.

PubMed

Liu, Ning; Gan, Weidong; Qu, Feng; Wang, Zhen; Zhuang, Wenyuan; Agizamhan, Sezim; Xu, Linfeng; Yin, Juanjuan; Guo, Hongqian; Li, Dongmei

2018-04-01

The Fuhrman and World Health Organization/International Society of Urological Pathology (WHO/ISUP) grading systems are widely used to predict survival for patients with conventional renal cell carcinoma. To determine the validity of nuclear grading systems (both the Fuhrman and the WHO/ISUP) and the individual components of the Fuhrman grading system in predicting the prognosis of Xp11.2 translocation renal cell carcinoma (Xp11.2 tRCC), we identified and followed up 47 patients with Xp11.2 tRCC in our center from January 2007 to June 2017. The Fuhrman and WHO/ISUP grading was reassigned by two pathologists. Nuclear size and shape were determined for each case based on the greatest degree of nuclear pleomorphism using image analysis software. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to evaluate the capacity of the grading systems and nuclear parameters to predict overall survival and progression-free survival. On univariate Cox regression analysis, the parameters of nuclear size were associated significantly with overall survival and progression-free survival, whereas the grading systems and the parameters of nuclear shape failed to reach a significant correlation. On multivariate analysis, however, none of the parameters was associated independently with survival. Our findings indicate that neither the Fuhrman nor the WHO/ISUP grading system is applicable to Xp11.2 tRCC. The assessment of nuclear size instead may be novel outcome predictors for patients with Xp11.2 tRCC. Copyright © 2018 American Society for Investigative Pathology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.