Young People, Physical Activity and the Everyday. Routledge Studies in Physical Education and Youth Sport

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wright, Jan, Ed.; Macdonald, Doune, Ed.

2012-01-01

Despite society's current preoccupation with interrelated issues such as obesity, increasingly sedentary lifestyles and children's health, there has until now been little published research that directly addresses the place and meaning of physical activity in young people's lives. In this important new collection, leading international scholars…

From Heavy-Ion Collisions to Quark Matter (2/3)

ScienceCinema

Lourenco, C.

2018-05-23

The art of experimental (high-energy heavy-ion) physics 1) many experimental issues are crucial to properly understand the measurements and derive a correct physics interpretation: Acceptance and phase space windows; Efficiencies (of track reconstruction, vertexing, track matching, trigger, etc); Resolutions (of mass, momenta, energies, etc); Backgrounds, feed-downs and "expected sources"; Data selection; Monte Carlo adjustments, calibrations and smearing; luminosity and trigger conditions; Evaluation of systematic uncertainties, and several others. 2) "New Physics" often appears as excesses or suppressions with respect to "normal baselines", which must be very carefully established, on the basis of "reference" physics processes and collision systems. If we misunderstand these issues we can miss an important discovery...or we can "discover" non-existent "new physics."

Cognitive Science: Problem Solving And Learning For Physics Education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ross, Brian H.

2007-11-01

Cognitive Science has focused on general principles of problem solving and learning that might be relevant for physics education research. This paper examines three selected issues that have relevance for the difficulty of transfer in problem solving domains: specialized systems of memory and reasoning, the importance of content in thinking, and a characterization of memory retrieval in problem solving. In addition, references to these issues are provided to allow the interested researcher entries to the literatures.

77 FR 23732 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Regulations Under...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-20

... is issued: (1) All cows from which import milk or cream is produced must be physically examined and found healthy; (2) if the milk or cream is imported raw, all such cows must pass a tuberculin test; (3... farms. 1210.12 FDA 1995/Physical 1 1 1 0.5 0.5 examination of cows. 1210.13 FDA 1994/Tuberculin test...

Reporting Physical Activity: Perceptions and Practices of Australian Media Professionals.

PubMed

Smith, Ben J; Bonfiglioli, Catriona M F

2015-08-01

Advocacy informed by scientific evidence is necessary to influence policy and planning to address physical inactivity. The mass media is a key arena for this advocacy. This study investigated the perceptions and practices of news media professionals reporting physical activity and sedentariness to inform strategic communication about these issues. We interviewed media professionals working for major television, radio, newspaper and online news outlets in Australia. The interviews explored understandings of physical activity and sedentariness, attributions of causality, assignment of responsibility, and factors affecting news reporting on these topics. Data were thematically analyzed using NVivo. Physical inactivity was recognized as pervasive and important, but tended to be seen as mundane and not newsworthy. Sedentariness was regarded as more novel than physical activity, and more likely to require organizational and environment action. Respondents identified that presenting these issues in visual and engaging ways was an ongoing challenge. Physical activity researchers and advocates need to take account of prevailing news values and media practices to improve engagement with the news media. These include understanding the importance of novelty, narratives, imagery, and practical messages, and how to use these to build support for environmental and policy action.

Puerto Rico: Race, Ethnicity, Culture, and Physics Teaching

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

González-Espada, Wilson J.; Carrasquillo, Rose E.

2017-01-01

It was a pleasant surprise to see Gary White's call for papers on race and physics teaching. We definitely think that the physics teaching and learning of students from diverse and minority backgrounds is an important issue to discuss, especially given the fact that bias and discrimination are common experiences in the lives of many Latinx,…

Current Issues in Flexibility Fitness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knudson, Duane V.; Magnusson, Peter; McHugh, Malachy

2000-01-01

Physical activity is extremely important in maintaining good health. Activity is not possible without a certain amount of flexibility. This report discusses issues related to flexibility fitness. Flexibility is a property of the musculoskeletal system that determines the range of motion achievable without injury to the joints. Static flexibility…

Contemporary Issues of Social Justice: A Focus on Race and Physical Education in the United States.

PubMed

Harrison, Louis; Clark, Langston

2016-09-01

Ongoing events in the United States show the continual need to address issues of social justice in every social context. Of particular note in this article, the contemporary national focus on race has thrust social justice issues into the forefront of the country's conscious. Although legal segregation has ran its course, schools and many neighborhoods remain, to a large degree, culturally, ethnically, linguistically, economically, and racially segregated and unequal (Orfield & Lee, 2005). Even though an African American president presently occupies the White House, the idea of a postracial America remains an unrealized ideal. Though social justice and racial discussions are firmly entrenched in educational research, investigations that focus on race are scant in physical education literature. Here, we attempt to develop an understanding of social justice in physical education with a focus on racial concerns. We purposely confine the examination to the U.S. context to avoid the dilution of the importance of these issues, while recognizing other international landscapes may differ significantly. To accomplish this goal, we hope to explicate the undergirding theoretical tenants of critical race theory and culturally relevant pedagogy in relation to social justice in physical education. Finally, we make observations of social justice in the physical education and physical education teacher education realms to address and illuminate areas of concern.

Security Implications of Physical Design Attributes in the Emergency Department.

PubMed

Pati, Debajyoti; Pati, Sipra; Harvey, Thomas E

2016-07-01

Security, a subset of safety, is equally important in the efficient delivery of patient care. The emergency department (ED) is susceptible to violence creating concerns for the safety and security of patients, staff, and visitors and for the safe and efficient delivery of care. Although there is an implicit and growing recognition of the role of the physical environment, interventions typically have been at the microlevel. The objective of this study was to identify physical design attributes that potentially influence safety and efficiency of ED operations. An exploratory, qualitative research design was adopted to examine the efficiency and safety correlates of ED physical design attributes. The study comprised a multimeasure approach involving multidisciplinary gaming, semistructured interviews, and touring interviews of frontline staff in four EDs at three hospital systems across three states. Five macro physical design attributes (issues that need to be addressed at the design stage and expensive to rectify once built) emerged from the data as factors substantially associated with security issues. They are design issues pertaining to (a) the entry zone, (b) traffic management, (c) patient room clustering, (d) centralization versus decentralization, and (e) provisions for special populations. Data from this study suggest that ED security concerns are generally associated with three sources: (a) gang-related violence, (b) dissatisfied patients, and (c) behavioral health patients. Study data show that physical design has an important role in addressing the above-mentioned concerns. Implications for ED design are outlined in the article. © The Author(s) 2016.

Cars and Kinetic Energy--Some Simple Physics with Real-World Relevance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parthasarathy, Raghuveer

2012-01-01

Understanding energy usage is crucial to understanding modern civilization, as well as many of the challenges it faces. Energy-related issues also offer real-world examples of important physical concepts, and as such have been the focus of several articles in "The Physics Teacher" in the past few decades (e.g., Refs. 1-5, noted further below).…

Puerto Rico: Race, Ethnicity, Culture, and Physics Teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

González-Espada, Wilson J.; Carrasquillo, Rosa E.

2017-09-01

It was a pleasant surprise to see Gary White's call for papers on race and physics teaching. We definitely think that the physics teaching and learning of students from diverse and minority backgrounds is an important issue to discuss, especially given the fact that bias and discrimination are common experiences in the lives of many Latinx, including school-age children and college students.

Exploring issues of participation among adolescents with cerebral palsy: what's important to them?

PubMed

Livingston, Michael H; Stewart, Debra; Rosenbaum, Peter L; Russell, Dianne J

2011-08-01

The purpose of this cross-sectional study was to determine what participation issues are important to adolescents with cerebral palsy (CP). Two hundred and three adolescents with CP (mean age 16.0 ± 1.8 years) were assessed using the Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM). This was done through semistructured interviews by trained physical and occupational therapists. Adolescents responded either directly (n = 144) or through a parent or a caregiver (n = 59) if they were unable to communicate. Issues were extracted from completed questionnaires and coded under three COPM categories (self-care, productivity, and leisure) and 16 subcategories. There was no association between the total number of issues identified and gender (p = .99), age (p = .88), type of respondent (adolescents versus parent) (p = .27), Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS) level (p = .93), or 66-item Gross Motor Function Measure (GMFM-66) score (p = .45). The issues identified most frequently were related to active leisure (identified by 57% of participants), mobility (55%), school (48%), and socialization (44%). Interventions aimed at improving participation among adolescents with physical disabilities, such as CP, should be directed towards these four key areas. Health care professionals should also recognize and consider the interaction of person and environment when addressing issues related to participation.

A Qualitative Analysis of the Lesbian Connection's Discussion Forum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erwin,Terry McVannel

2006-01-01

Letters submitted to the discussion forum of the Lesbian Connection between 2000 and 2002 were analyzed to identify issues of importance to lesbians. The analysis revealed 5 discussion categories: (a) isolation, safety, and aging; (b) children; (c) lesbian relationships and sexuality; (d) physical and mental health; and (e) political issues. The…

Women Physicists in Academia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berrah, Nora

2010-02-01

The last decade marked the emergence of several important studies and workshops worldwide that focused attention on women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The Committee on the Status of Women in Physics (CSWP) of the American Physical Society (APS) is very active in organizing national workshops and follow up ``conversations'' with physics departments and national laboratories [1,2] to address the gender gap in the field of physics. The International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP) is also very devoted to this issue, and the US is involved by contributing our lesson learned and our plans to increase the number of women in physics. In the US, our goal of doubling the number of women in physics by 2022 is ambitious but could be achieved. I will present the present status on this issue and our plans for the future. [4pt] [1] http://www.aps.org/programs/women/workshops/gender-equity/index.cfm [0pt] [2] Report, ``Gender Equity: Strengthening the Physics Enterprise in Universities and National Laboratories'', 2007. )

[Psychological issues in manned spaceflight].

PubMed

Zhang, Q J; Bai, Y Q

1999-04-01

As the duration of manned spaceflight becomes longer and as crews become more heterogeneous, psychological and interpersonal factors will be more important in affecting the safety of crew and flight mission. In space environment there are four types of stressors: physical, physiological, psychological and interpersonal. Psychological issues include "Asthenia", alteration in time sense, transcendent experiences, sleep problem, career motivation, psychosomatic symptoms and psychiatric issues. Interpersonal issues include interpersonal tension, interpersonal relationships decreased cohesiveness and deprivation, displacement [correction of dispiacement] of anger to outside personnel over time.

The Issues Framework: Situating Graduate Teaching Assistant-Student Interactions in Physics Problem Solving

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Westlander, Meghan Joanne

Interactive engagement environments are critical to students' conceptual learning gains, and often the instructor is ultimately responsible for the creation of that environment in the classroom. When those instructors are graduate teaching assistants (GTAs), one of the primary ways in which they can promote interactive engagement is through their interactions with students. Much of the prior research on physics GTA-student interactions focuses on GTA training programs (e.g. Ezrailson (2004); Smith, Ward, and Rosenshein (1977)) or on GTAs' specific actions and beliefs (e.g. West, Paul, Webb, and Potter (2013); Goertzen (2010); Spike and Finkelstein (2012a)). Research on students' ideas and behaviors within and surrounding those interactions is limited but important to obtaining a more complete understanding of how GTAs promote an interactive environment. In order to begin understanding this area, I developed the Issues Framework to examine how GTA-student interactions are situated in students' processes during physics problem solving activities. Using grounded theory, the Issues Framework emerged from an analysis of the relationships between GTA-student interactions and the students procedures and expressions of physics content in and surrounding those interactions. This study is focused on introducing the Issues Framework and the insight it can provide into GTA-student interactions and students' processes. The framework is general in nature and has a visually friendly design making it a useful tool for consolidating complex data and quickly pattern-matching important pieces of a complex process. Four different categories of Issues emerged spanning the problem solving process: (1) Getting Started, (2) Solution Approach, (3) Unit Conversions, and (4) Other. The framework allowed for identification of the specific contents of the Issues in each category as well as revealing the common stories of students' processes and how the interactions were situated in those processes in each category. Through the stories, the Issues Framework revealed processes in which students often focused narrowly on procedures with the physics content expressed through their procedures and only sometimes through conceptual discussions. Interactions with the GTA affected changes in students' processes, typically leading students to correct their procedures. The interactions often focused narrowly on procedures as well but introduced conceptual discussions more often than students did surrounding the interactions. Comparing stories across GTAs instead of across categories revealed one GTA who, more often than other GTAs, used conceptual discussion and encouraged students' participation in the interactions. The Issues Framework still needs continued refinement and testing. However, it represents a significant step toward understanding GTA-student interactions from the perspective of students' processes in physics problem solving.

Barriers to return to work after burn injuries.

PubMed

Esselman, Peter C; Askay, Shelley Wiechman; Carrougher, Gretchen J; Lezotte, Dennis C; Holavanahalli, Radha K; Magyar-Russell, Gina; Fauerbach, James A; Engrav, Loren H

2007-12-01

To identify barriers to return to work after burn injury as identified by the patient. A cohort study with telephone interview up to 1 year. Hospital-based burn centers at 3 national sites. Hospitalized patients (N=154) meeting the American Burn Association criteria for major burn injury, employed at least 20 hours a week at the time of injury, and with access to a telephone after discharge. Patients were contacted via telephone every 2 weeks up to 4 months, then monthly up to 1 year after discharge. A return to work survey was used to identify barriers that prevented patients from returning to work. A graphic rating scale determined the impact of each barrier. By 1 year, 79.7% of patients returned to work. Physical and wound issues were barriers early after discharge. Although physical abilities continued to be a significant barrier up to 1 year, working conditions (temperature, humidity, safety) and psychosocial factors (nightmares, flashbacks, appearance concerns) became important issues in those with long-term disability. The majority of patients return to work after a burn injury. Although physical and work conditions are important barriers, psychosocial issues need to be evaluated and treated to optimize return to work.

Architecture Capabilities to Improve Healthcare Environments

PubMed Central

Ebrahimi, Ali; Mardomi, Karim; Hassanpour Rahimabad, Kasra

2013-01-01

Background The physical environment of healthcare buildings has great importance in issues such as patient safety, functional efficiency, user satisfaction, healthcare outcomes, and energy and resources consumption. Objectives The present study assesses physical environments of Iranian healthcare buildings. Materials and Methods This study was performed using a descriptive-analytical method. Data collection was carried out via a written questionnaire. Results Based on the findings of this study, "functional efficiency", "user satisfaction", "environmental issues", "patient safety”, “accountability in incidents and disasters", and "flexibility" are regarded as the most issues in the country's hospitals. Also, none of the parameters is "without any problem" and has a "desirable status". Conclusions According to the responses, all of the healthcare buildings in this research had flaws in their physical environment, which require attention. Thus, it is necessary to review and pay more attention to the architecture of the country's healthcare buildings. PMID:24350145

Can We Have Fries with That, Please? Nutrition and Physical Activities among College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Monteiro, Andreia C.; Jeremic, Miljana; Budden, Michael C.

2010-01-01

Obesity is a growing health and socioeconomic issue in the United States. College students are an important part of the alarming statistics involving weight gain. This study investigated how nutrition behaviors and physical activity modified students' perceptions of body weight and nutrition knowledge. Furthermore, the study assessed gender and…

Implicit Theories of Ability in Physical Education: Current Issues and Future Directions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warburton, Victoria Emily; Spray, Christopher Mark

2017-01-01

Purpose: In light of the extensive empirical evidence that implicit theories have important motivational consequences for young people across a range of educational settings we seek to provide a summary of, and personal reflection on, implicit theory research and practice in physical education (PE). Overview: We first provide an introduction to…

Afterschool and Healthy Youth. Afterschool Alert. Issue Brief No. 8

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Afterschool Alliance, 2004

2004-01-01

Afterschool programs often play an important role in promoting healthy lifestyles for youth. Many programs offer youth opportunities to engage in an array of organized physical activities such as softball, martial arts or ballet. Most programs also serve healthy afternoon snacks while emphasizing the value of a nutritious diet. Physical fitness…

Citation Patterns to Traditional and Electronic Preprints in the Published Literature.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Youngen, Gregory K.

1998-01-01

Identifies the growing importance of electronic preprints in the published literature of physics and astronomy and address several areas of concern regarding the future role of electronic preprints in scientific communication. Topics include a history of preprints in astronomy and physics; inaccuracies in preprint citations; and archival issues.…

Teaching Particle Physics in the Open University's Science Foundation Course.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farmelo, Graham

1992-01-01

Discusses four topics presented in the science foundation course of the Open University that exemplify current developments in particle physics, in particular, and that describe important issues about the nature of science, in general. Topics include the omega minus particle, the diversity of quarks, the heavy lepton, and the discovery of the W…

EDITORIAL: Special issue containing papers presented at the 12th International Workshop on H-mode Physics and Transport Barriers Special issue containing papers presented at the 12th International Workshop on H-mode Physics and Transport Barriers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hahm, T. S.

2010-06-01

The 12th International Workshop on H-mode Physics and Transport Barriers was held at the Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, Princeton, New Jersey, USA between September 30 and October 2, 2009. This meeting was the continuation of a series of previous meetings which was initiated in 1987 and has been held bi-annually since then. Following the recent tradition at the last few meetings, the program was sub- divided into six sessions. At each session, an overview talk was presented, followed by two or three shorter oral presentations which supplemented the coverage of important issues. These talks were followed by discussion periods and poster sessions of contributed papers. The sessions were: Physics of Transition to/from Enhanced Confinement Regimes, Pedestal and Edge Localized Mode Dynamics, Plasma Rotation and Momentum Transport, Role of 3D Physics in Transport Barriers, Transport Barriers: Theory and Simulations and High Priority ITER Issues on Transport Barriers. The diversity of the 90 registered participants was remarkable, with 22 different nationalities. US participants were in the majority (36), followed by Japan (14), South Korea (7), and China (6). This special issue of Nuclear Fusion consists of a cluster of 18 accepted papers from submitted manuscripts based on overview talks and poster presentations. The paper selection procedure followed the guidelines of Nuclear Fusion which are essentially the same as for regular articles with an additional requirement on timeliness of submission, review and revision. One overview paper and five contributed papers report on the H-mode pedestal related results which reflect the importance of this issue concerning the successful operation of ITER. Four papers address the rotation and momentum transport which play a crucial role in transport barrier physics. The transport barrier transition condition is the main focus of other four papers. Finally, four additional papers are devoted to the behaviour and control of Edge Localized Modes. The selection of topics and overview speakers and the scientific programme were carried out by the International Advisory Committee, consisting of: R. Groebner (GA, USA), T.S. Hahm (PPPL, USA--Chair), A. Hubbard (MIT, USA), K. Ida (NIFS, Japan), S. Lebedev (Ioffe Institute, Russia), N. Oyama (JAEA, Japan), G. Saibene (F4E, EU) and W. Suttrop (IPP, Germany). Their work, advice, and participation contributed to the success of the meeting. Finally, I would like to express deep gratitude to J. Jones and B. Sarfaty who took care of numerous issues relating to the organization of the meeting, and to J.K. Park and several graduate students of the Princeton University Plasma Physics Program for helping with the transportation of participants.

PUBLISHER'S ANNOUNCEMENT: Important changes for 2008

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2008-01-01

This issue, the first of 2008, sees a new innovation for Journal of Physics G: Nuclear and Particle Physics (J. Phys. G). J. Phys. G has moved from page numbering to an article numbering system, which offers important advantages to our authors. It increases flexibility and speeds up the publication process as papers in different issues or subject sections can now be published online as soon as they are ready, without having to wait for a whole issue or section to be allocated page numbers. The bibliographic citation style will therefore change for articles published from now on. Articles should be referenced using the six-digit article number in place of a page number. Please note that this number must include any leading zeros. For example: Smith J et al 2008 J. Phys. G: Nucl. Part. Phys. 35 015045 If you have any questions or comments about our new scheme, please contact us at http://jphysg@iop.org J. Phys. G Publishing Team

Birthing Classes

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... birth physically, mentally, and emotionally. It stresses the importance of having a healthy baby with little to ... Childbirth Women Men Seniors Your Health Resources Healthcare Management End-of-Life Issues Insurance & Bills Self Care ...

Facial Surgery and an Active Modification Approach for Children with Down Syndrome: Some Psychological and Ethical Issues.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mearig, Judith S.

1985-01-01

The article summarizes some major issues involved including social acceptance of and expectations for individuals with Down syndrome; valuing of physical appearance; relevance of intellectual functioning; infliction of avoidable pain or trauma; origins and import of medical professionals' opinions; and the individual's desire for and reactions to…

Women Physicists Speak Again

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivie, Rachel; Guo, Stacy

2005-10-01

More than 1350 women physicists from more than 70 countries responded to a survey designed to identify issues important to women in physics. Women physicists had many areas of concern, notably discrimination and career/family balance. However, they also had many successes in physics. The majority would choose physics again and felt that they had progressed in their careers at least as quickly as their colleagues. Many spoke eloquently about their love of physics, the support they had received from others, and about their own determination and hard work.

Professional Ethics for Astronomers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marvel, K. B.

2005-05-01

There is a growing recognition that professional ethics is an important topic for all professional scientists, especially physical scientists. Situations at the National Laboratories have dramatically proven this point. Professional ethics is usually only considered important for the health sciences and the legal and medical professions. However, certain aspects of the day to day work of professional astronomers can be impacted by ethical issues. Examples include refereeing scientific papers, serving on grant panels or telescope allocation committees, submitting grant proposals, providing proper references in publications, proposals or talks and even writing recommendation letters for job candidates or serving on search committees. This session will feature several speakers on a variety of topics and provide time for questions and answers from the audience. Confirmed speakers include: Kate Kirby, Director Institute for Theoretical Atomic and Molecular Physics - Professional Ethics in the Physical Sciences: An Overview Rob Kennicutt, Astrophysical Journal Editor - Ethical Issues for Publishing Astronomers Peggy Fischer, Office of the NSF Inspector General - Professional Ethics from the NSF Inspector General's Point of View

[Ergonomics in dental practice. Prevention of physical and mental overload].

PubMed

Plasschaert, A J

1999-02-01

In this article two important issues in dental ergonomics are discussed: physical and mental stress. It is important for a dentist to stay aware of the balance between on one hand short term profit against various forms of stress, and on the other hand long term negative effects. Possible problems are described without going in more deeply into theoretical backgrounds. Practical suggestions for action are given for the dentist who wants to work with pleasure and in good health over a long period of time.

Physical activity helps to control music performance anxiety.

PubMed

Rocha, Sérgio F; Marocolo, Moacir; Corrêa, Elisangela N V; Morato, Gledys S G; da Mota, Gustavo R

2014-06-01

We evaluated if regular physical activity could influence musical performance anxiety (MPA) in college music students. Levels of MPA, as measured with the Kenny MPA Inventory, and a survey about the physical activity habits were obtained from 87 students of music. The results showed that physically active musicians had lower MPA scores (p<0.05) than non-active ones, independent of gender. We conclude that there is an association between physical activity and minor MPA, and studies with a longitudinal design should be done to explore this important issue.

Psychosocial Issues in Engaging Older People with Physical Activity Interventions for the Prevention of Falls

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nyman, Samuel R.

2011-01-01

This article presents an overview of the psychosocial factors that influence older people's participation in physical activity interventions to prevent falls. The importance of psychosocial factors is stressed inasmuch as interventions will be rendered useless if they do not successfully gain the active participation of older people. The theory of…

Assessing Risk Management: How Effective Is Your Program?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphy, Kelle L.

2015-01-01

Injuries may occur more often in physical education due to the nature of the activities taught. Because of this, the issue of negligence is an important concern. Risk management is one method physical educators use to decrease the occurrence of injuries and negligence. The purpose of this article is to introduce a Risk Management Inventory that…

Coherence, Abstraction, and Personal Involvement: Albert Einstein, Physicist and Humanist.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ne'eman, Yuval

1979-01-01

Reviews Einstein's main contributions to physics, and analyzes the importance of a coherent body of theory. Einstein's involvement in nonscientific issues such as nuclear disarmament is also included. (HM)

Measuring Physical Activity in Outdoor Community Recreational Environments: Implications for Research, Policy, and Practice.

PubMed

Aytur, Semra A; Jones, Sydney A; Stransky, Michelle; Evenson, Kelly R

2015-01-01

Chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) are major contributors to escalating health care costs in the USA. Physical activity is an important protective factor against CVD, and the National Prevention Strategy recognizes active living (defined as a way of life that integrates physical activity into everyday routines) as a priority for improving the nation's health. This paper focuses on developing more inclusive measures of physical activity in outdoor community recreational environments, specifically parks and trails, to enhance their usability for at-risk populations such as persons with mobility limitations. We develop an integrated conceptual framework for measuring physical activity in outdoor community recreational environments, describe examples of evidence-based tools for measuring physical activity in these settings, and discuss strategies to improve measurement of physical activity for persons with mobility limitations. Addressing these measurement issues is critically important to making progress towards national CVD goals pertaining to active community environments.

PROCESS OF PHYSICAL DISABILITY AMONG OLDER ADULTS―CONTRIBUTION OF FRAILTY IN THE SUPER-AGED SOCIETY

PubMed Central

KUZUYA, MASAFUMI

2012-01-01

ABSTRACT One of the critical issues that Japan, well known for the world’s highest proportion of older adults, a super-aged society, is currently confronting is how to prevent physical disability in old age. This issue is particularly important not only from a medical perspective such as functional prognoses but also from a socio-economic angle in view of reducing the rapid rise in the cost of medical and long-term care insurance services. Functional decline in old age results not only from acute diseases but also from frailty. Such a common and important syndrome that is increasingly prevalent with advancing age can be the cause. The present article intends to review what is known about frailty, including its definition, epidemiology, and pathophysiology, and to examine potential areas of future research. PMID:22515109

Environmental, policy, and cultural factors related to physical activity in African American women.

PubMed

Richter, Donna L; Wilcox, Sara; Greaney, Mary L; Henderson, Karla A; Ainsworth, Barbara E

2002-01-01

Six focus groups were conducted in South Carolina with African American women (n = 42) aged 19-51 years to identify factors that influence physical activity. Transcripts were analyzed using NUD*IST. Cultural influences were seen as more important in determining the type of physical activity than its level. Barriers to and enablers of physical activity were identified in the social and physical environments, as were policy issues affecting physical activity in the community and at the work site. Potential community and work site interventions were suggested. Child care and monetary costs were frequently cited as barriers to physical activity.

Gender and physical therapy career success factors.

PubMed

Rozier, C K; Raymond, M J; Goldstein, M S; Hamilton, B L

1998-07-01

Gender and profession are thought to affect how career success is perceived as well as how it is achieved. This study investigated items considered important in defining career success for male and female physical therapists. The study also explored the relationship among gender, beliefs about career success, and career experiences. Data were obtained through an investigator-developed survey. The self-report questionnaire consisted of 78 items in 4 areas: descriptive information, items important in characterizing career success, items perceived to enhance or inhibit career success, and items assessing self-esteem. Questionnaires were mailed to a random sample of active physical therapist members of the American Physical Therapy Association (N = 5,000). The response rate was 38.1% (n = 1,906). Both men and women selected indicators such as practicing ethically, improving patient health, and feeling satisfied over high income or status when describing career success. All respondents agreed that clinical competency and motivation are key factors related to achieving career success. Family issues, full-time employment, and flexibility of practice conditions emerged as primary gender differences. A unique set of indicators describe physical therapy career success. Gender differences in its description and factors that influence its achievement are related primarily to family issues. Career success for women depends to a greater degree on the ability to manage family responsibilities in conjunction with employment opportunities.

Home Field Advantage Calculation for Physical Education and Sport Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Inan, Tugbay

2018-01-01

It is a well-established fact that playing at home field is an advantageous condition for professional sport teams. For this reason, the home field advantage in team sports is an important issue to be explored. It is also one of the different topics that physical education and sports students can use when they want to perform performance analysis…

The Twenty-Third Dudley Allen Sargent Commemorative Lecture 2003: Knowledge and Physical Activity in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Estes, Steven G.

2003-01-01

In preparation for this lecture, the author read, among other studies, previous Sargent, Homans, and Hannah lectures. These papers read well, and, they continue to inform people today. Importantly, these lecturers addressed timely issues that confronted physical education in higher education and to some extent shaped the field as one now knows it.…

Time and Money: A New Look at Poverty and the Barriers to Physical Activity in Canada

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spinney, Jamie; Millward, Hugh

2010-01-01

The relationship between time, money, and regular participation in physical activities, especially at the intensities and durations required to improve one's health, is an important public health and social policy issue. The objective of this research is to develop a better understanding of the extent to which income poverty and time poverty act…

Examining Attendance, Academic Performance, and Behavior in Obese Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Daniels, Dianne Yow

2008-01-01

Although academics and safety continue to rank as high-priority issues in public schools, educators and administrators are beginning to recognize the importance of student health on school success. This move toward a holistic approach suggests that efforts to improve a student's physical, social, and emotional well-being are as important as…

Academic Airframe Icing Perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bragg, Mike; Rothmayer, Alric; Thompson, David

2009-01-01

2-D ice accretion and aerodynamics reasonably well understood for engineering applications To significantly improve our current capabilities we need to understand 3-D: a) Important ice accretion physics and modeling not well understood in 3-D; and b) Aerodynamics unsteady and 3-D especially near stall. Larger systems issues important and require multidisciplinary team approach

White Clinical Psychology Trainees' Views on Racial Equity within Programme Selection in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Traub, Craig M.; Swartz, Leslie

2013-01-01

The issue of diversity in both physical and epistemological access to programmes in higher education is an important concern worldwide. In South Africa, as elsewhere, access to professional clinical psychology training programmes is extremely competitive, and there is an important imperative to diversify the student profile. Perspectives of black…

75 FR 77919 - Carolina Power & Light Company Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 1; Environmental...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-14

... involves important physical modifications to the HNP, Unit 1 security system. There are several issues... in which some important security modifications are planned. A direct outside access route to the... implementation deadline, the licensee currently maintains a security system acceptable to the NRC and that will...

Commercial D-T FRC Power Plant Systems Analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Canh; Santarius, John; Emmert, Gilbert; Steinhauer, Loren; Stubna, Michael

1998-11-01

Results of an engineering issues scoping study of a Field-Reversed Configuration (FRC) burning D-T fuel will be presented. The study primarily focuses on engineering issues, such as tritium-breeding blanket design, radiation shielding, neutron damage, activation, safety, and environment. This presentation will concentrate on plasma physics, current drive, economics, and systems integration, which are important for the overall systems analysis. A systems code serves as the key tool in defining a reference point for detailed physics and engineering calculations plus parametric variations, and typical cases will be presented. Advantages of the cylindrical geometry and high beta (plasma pressure/magnetic-field pressure) are evident.

Sitting ducks face chronic disease: an analysis of newspaper coverage of sedentary behaviour as a health issue in Australia 2000-2012.

PubMed

Chau, Josephine Y; Bonfiglioli, Catriona; Zhong, Amy; Pedisic, Zeljko; Daley, Michelle; McGill, Bronwyn; Bauman, Adrian

2017-08-01

Issue addressed This study examines how sedentary behaviour (too much sitting) was covered as a health issue by Australian newspapers and how physical activity was framed within this newspaper coverage. Methods Articles featuring sedentary behaviour published in Australian newspapers between 2000 and 2012 were analysed for content and framing. Main outcome measures were volume, number and content of newspaper articles; framing and types of sedentary behaviour; responsibility for the problem of and solutions to high levels of sedentary behaviour; and physical activity mentions and how it was framed within sedentary behaviour coverage. Results Out of 48 articles, prolonged sitting was framed as bad for health (52%) and specifically as health compromising for office workers (25%). Adults who sat a lot were framed as 'easy targets' for ill health (21% of headlines led with 'sitting ducks' or 'sitting targets'). Prolonged sitting was framed as an issue of individual responsibility (>90%) with less mention of environmental and sociocultural contributors. Thirty-six of 48 articles mentioned physical activity; 39% stated that being physically active does not matter if a person sits for prolonged periods of time or that the benefits of physical activity are undone by too much sitting. Conclusions News coverage should reflect the full socio-ecological model of sedentary behaviour and continually reinforce the independent and well-established benefits of health-enhancing physical activity alongside the need to limit prolonged sitting. So what? It is important that the entire 'move more, sit less, every day!' message is communicated by news media.

Musical Disembodiment: A Phenomenological Case Study Investigating the Experiences of Operatic Career Disruption Due to Physical Incapacity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oakland, Jane; MacDonald, Raymond; Flowers, Paul

2014-01-01

The effects of musical career disruption are an increasingly important, yet under-researched, area within music education. This article highlights psychological issues that can negatively affect an operatic career. Existing work has examined the effects of redundancy for opera choristers and confirmed the importance of a flexible approach to…

Grandparenting in the 21st Century: Issues of Diversity in Grandparent–Grandchild Relationships

PubMed Central

Stelle, Charlie; Fruhauf, Christine A.; Orel, Nancy; Landry-Meyer, Laura

2013-01-01

Although previous literature has demonstrated the importance of age, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status in understanding grandparent–grandchild relationships, additional factors contribute to a more complete and nuanced understanding of multigenerational relationships. Thorough understanding of the role of diversity requires examination of the discrete impacts of grandparents’ gender, sexual orientation, and physical and/or cognitive limitations on the relationship. This article focuses on these 3 important, yet overlooked, issues of diversity, with a focus on strength-based and empowerment-oriented strategies and their implications for practice, policy, and future research. PMID:20972926

Modelling and control issues of dynamically substructured systems: adaptive forward prediction taken as an example

PubMed Central

Tu, Jia-Ying; Hsiao, Wei-De; Chen, Chih-Ying

2014-01-01

Testing techniques of dynamically substructured systems dissects an entire engineering system into parts. Components can be tested via numerical simulation or physical experiments and run synchronously. Additional actuator systems, which interface numerical and physical parts, are required within the physical substructure. A high-quality controller, which is designed to cancel unwanted dynamics introduced by the actuators, is important in order to synchronize the numerical and physical outputs and ensure successful tests. An adaptive forward prediction (AFP) algorithm based on delay compensation concepts has been proposed to deal with substructuring control issues. Although the settling performance and numerical conditions of the AFP controller are improved using new direct-compensation and singular value decomposition methods, the experimental results show that a linear dynamics-based controller still outperforms the AFP controller. Based on experimental observations, the least-squares fitting technique, effectiveness of the AFP compensation and differences between delay and ordinary differential equations are discussed herein, in order to reflect the fundamental issues of actuator modelling in relevant literature and, more specifically, to show that the actuator and numerical substructure are heterogeneous dynamic components and should not be collectively modelled as a homogeneous delay differential equation. PMID:25104902

Measuring Physical Activity in Outdoor Community Recreational Environments: Implications for Research, Policy, and Practice

PubMed Central

Jones, Sydney A.; Stransky, Michelle; Evenson, Kelly R.

2015-01-01

Chronic diseases such as cardiovascular disease (CVD) are major contributors to escalating health care costs in the USA. Physical activity is an important protective factor against CVD, and the National Prevention Strategy recognizes active living (defined as a way of life that integrates physical activity into everyday routines) as a priority for improving the nation’s health. This paper focuses on developing more inclusive measures of physical activity in outdoor community recreational environments, specifically parks and trails, to enhance their usability for at-risk populations such as persons with mobility limitations. We develop an integrated conceptual framework for measuring physical activity in outdoor community recreational environments, describe examples of evidence-based tools for measuring physical activity in these settings, and discuss strategies to improve measurement of physical activity for persons with mobility limitations. Addressing these measurement issues is critically important to making progress towards national CVD goals pertaining to active community environments. PMID:26005510

Reproductive issues in anorexia nervosa

PubMed Central

Hoffman, Elizabeth R; Zerwas, Stephanie C; Bulik, Cynthia M

2011-01-01

Despite a high prevalence of menstrual irregularities, women with anorexia nervosa are becoming pregnant. The physical and psychological demands of pregnancy and motherhood can represent an immense challenge for women already struggling with the medical and psychological stress of an eating disorder. This article summarizes key issues related to reproduction in women with anorexia nervosa, highlighting the importance of preconception counseling, adequate gestational weight gain, and sufficient pre- and post-natal nutrition. Postpartum issues including eating disorder symptom relapse, weight loss, breastfeeding, and risk of perinatal depression and anxiety are also discussed. PMID:22003362

The physics, chemistry and dynamics of explosions.

PubMed

Oran, Elaine S; Williams, Forman A

2012-02-13

The motivation for devoting a Theme Issue to explosions is discussed. As subsequent articles in the issue are written with the assumption that the reader has had a certain amount of previous exposure to the subject, some of the history and necessary background information are presented here. The topics on explosions that will be encountered in the remaining articles are previewed. Finally, several important future outstanding research problems, beyond those addressed in the following articles, are discussed, with the objective of complementing the coverage of explosions in this issue.

On Noether's Theorem for the Invariant of the Time-Dependent Harmonic Oscillator

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abe, Sumiyoshi; Itto, Yuichi; Matsunaga, Mamoru

2009-01-01

The time-dependent oscillator describing parametric oscillation, the concept of invariant and Noether's theorem are important issues in physics education. Here, it is shown how they can be interconnected in a simple and unified manner.

On the history of the quantum. Introduction to the HQ4 special issue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Navarro, Jaume; Blum, Alexander; Lehner, Christoph

2017-11-01

Eight years ago, a special issue in this journal published a dozen papers with new studies on the history of quantum physics. That issue was an output of a conference in Utrecht one year earlier, the second in a series organized by the then existing large-scale project coordinated by the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science and the Fritz Haber Institute. Since then, that project has produced a number of publications, workshops and other academic outcomes, but more importantly, it triggered the consolidation of an international community of historians and philosophers of science producing novel work on the history of quantum physics. Five years after the third meeting, which took place in Berlin in 2010, many of the scholars from that group and some new ones met for four days in Donostia/San Sebastian for the HQ4 meeting. The time was ripe for new results to be shared and discussed, and this issue collects some of the papers presented at that gathering.

Sport for All? Insight into Stratification and Compensation Mechanisms of Sporting Activity in the 27 European Union Member States

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Van Tuyckom, Charlotte; Scheerder, Jeroen

2010-01-01

Physical activity is an important public health issue and the benefits of an active lifestyle in relation to well-being and health have been strongly emphasised in recent years in Europe, as well as in most parts of the world. However, previous research has shown that physical activity within Europe and its member states is stratified. The present…

The Need to Objectively Measure Physical Activity During Pregnancy: Considerations for Clinical Research and Public Health Impact.

PubMed

Guérin, Eva; Ferraro, Zachary M; Adamo, Kristi B; Prud'homme, Denis

2018-05-01

Engaging in recommended levels of physical activity during pregnancy can provide a host of physical and mental health benefits for the expecting mother and her child. However, methodological issues related to physical activity measurement have plagued many studies examining the effects of physical activity during this important life stage. Burgeoning support exists for the more widespread use of objective methods, and accelerometers specifically, for an accurate appraisal of maternal physical activity. In this commentary, we highlight discrepancies between activity estimates obtained via self-report and objective measures and describe the implications of erroneous measurement when making clinical recommendations and in conducting future physical activity and pregnancy research. Most importantly, we aim to foster academic discussion and propose a call to action requiring a paradigm shift where we acknowledge the shortcomings of self-report and move toward an empirically driven approach for physical activity measurement. Results from more high-quality research studies will help support public health messaging and facilitate trust among health care providers, clinical researchers, and expecting mothers regarding the health benefits of physical activity recommendations.

Analysis of newspaper coverage of active aging through the lens of the 2002 World Health Organization Active Ageing Report: A Policy Framework and the 2010 Toronto Charter for Physical Activity: A Global Call for Action.

PubMed

Abdullah, Boushra; Wolbring, Gregor

2013-12-05

As populations continue to grow older, efforts to support the process of aging well are important goals. Various synonyms are used to cover aging well, such as active aging. The World Health Organization published in 2002 the report Active Ageing: A Policy Framework that according to the call for papers, has brought active ageing to the forefront of international public health awareness. The 2010 Toronto Charter for Physical Activity: A Global Call for Action was singled out in the call for papers as a key document promoting physical activity one goal of the 2002 WHO active aging policy framework. Media are to report to the public topics of importance to them. We investigated the newspaper coverage of aging well and synonymous terms such as active aging through the lens of the 2002 WHO active aging policy framework and the 2010 Toronto Charter for Physical Activity. As sources we used the following newspapers: China Daily, The Star (Malaysia), two UK newspapers (The Guardian, The Times), a database of 300 Canadian newspapers (Canadian Newsstand) and a US newspaper (The New York Times). The study generated data answering the following four research questions: (1) how often are the 2002 WHO active aging policy framework and the 2010 Toronto Charter for Physical Activity mentioned; (2) how often is the topic of active aging and terms conveying similar content (aging well, healthy aging, natural aging and successful aging) discussed; (3) which of the issues flagged as important in the 2002 WHO active aging policy framework and the 2010 Toronto Charter for Physical Activity are covered in the newspaper coverage of active aging and synonymous terms; (4) which social groups were mentioned in the newspapers covered. The study found a total absence of mentioning of the two key documents and a low level of coverage of "active aging" and terms conveying similar content. It found further a lack of engagement with the issues raised in the two key documents and a low level of mentioning of socially disadvantages groups. We posit that reading the newspapers we covered will not expose the reader to the two key documents and the issues linked to aging well including the need to increase physical activity.

Analysis of Newspaper Coverage of Active Aging through the Lens of the 2002 World Health Organization Active Ageing Report: A Policy Framework and the 2010 Toronto Charter for Physical Activity: A Global Call for Action

PubMed Central

Abdullah, Boushra; Wolbring, Gregor

2013-01-01

As populations continue to grow older, efforts to support the process of aging well are important goals. Various synonyms are used to cover aging well, such as active aging. The World Health Organization published in 2002 the report Active Ageing: A Policy Framework that according to the call for papers, has brought active ageing to the forefront of international public health awareness. The 2010 Toronto Charter for Physical Activity: A Global Call for Action was singled out in the call for papers as a key document promoting physical activity one goal of the 2002 WHO active aging policy framework. Media are to report to the public topics of importance to them. We investigated the newspaper coverage of aging well and synonymous terms such as active aging through the lens of the 2002 WHO active aging policy framework and the 2010 Toronto Charter for Physical Activity. As sources we used the following newspapers: China Daily, The Star (Malaysia), two UK newspapers (The Guardian, The Times), a database of 300 Canadian newspapers (Canadian Newsstand) and a US newspaper (The New York Times). The study generated data answering the following four research questions: (1) how often are the 2002 WHO active aging policy framework and the 2010 Toronto Charter for Physical Activity mentioned; (2) how often is the topic of active aging and terms conveying similar content (aging well, healthy aging, natural aging and successful aging) discussed; (3) which of the issues flagged as important in the 2002 WHO active aging policy framework and the 2010 Toronto Charter for Physical Activity are covered in the newspaper coverage of active aging and synonymous terms; (4) which social groups were mentioned in the newspapers covered. The study found a total absence of mentioning of the two key documents and a low level of coverage of “active aging” and terms conveying similar content. It found further a lack of engagement with the issues raised in the two key documents and a low level of mentioning of socially disadvantages groups. We posit that reading the newspapers we covered will not expose the reader to the two key documents and the issues linked to aging well including the need to increase physical activity. PMID:24317386

Entanglement entropy and complexity for one-dimensional holographic superconductors

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kord Zangeneh, Mahdi; Ong, Yen Chin; Wang, Bin

2017-08-01

Holographic superconductor is an important arena for holography, as it allows concrete calculations to further understand the dictionary between bulk physics and boundary physics. An important quantity of recent interest is the holographic complexity. Conflicting claims had been made in the literature concerning the behavior of holographic complexity during phase transition. We clarify this issue by performing a numerical study on one-dimensional holographic superconductor. Our investigation shows that holographic complexity does not behave in the same way as holographic entanglement entropy. Nevertheless, the universal terms of both quantities are finite and reflect the phase transition at the same critical temperature.

Quality of life in HIV/AIDS.

PubMed

Basavaraj, K H; Navya, M A; Rashmi, R

2010-07-01

Given the longevity achievable with current prophylactic and therapeutic strategies for persons with HIV infection, quality of life (QOL) has emerged as a significant medical outcome measure, and its enhancement has an important goal. This review highlights the relevance and complexity of physical, psychological, and social factors as determinants of health-related quality of life in HIV-infected persons. Existing data suggest that physical manifestations, antiretroviral therapy, psychological well-being, social support systems, coping strategies, spiritual well-being, and psychiatric comorbidities are important predictors of QOL in this population. Consequently, the impact of HIV infection on the dimensions of QOL, including physical and emotional well-being, social support systems, and life roles, has emerged as a key issue for persons infected with HIV.

Quality of life in HIV/AIDS

PubMed Central

Basavaraj, K. H.; Navya, M. A.; Rashmi, R.

2010-01-01

Given the longevity achievable with current prophylactic and therapeutic strategies for persons with HIV infection, quality of life (QOL) has emerged as a significant medical outcome measure, and its enhancement has an important goal. This review highlights the relevance and complexity of physical, psychological, and social factors as determinants of health-related quality of life in HIV-infected persons. Existing data suggest that physical manifestations, antiretroviral therapy, psychological well-being, social support systems, coping strategies, spiritual well-being, and psychiatric comorbidities are important predictors of QOL in this population. Consequently, the impact of HIV infection on the dimensions of QOL, including physical and emotional well-being, social support systems, and life roles, has emerged as a key issue for persons infected with HIV. PMID:21716787

Preface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindgård, Per-Anker

2003-05-01

This special issue presents a series of papers on biological physics. It emphasizes the fact that Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter welcomes papers in this area and foresees a fruitful cross-fertilization between this and other more conventional condensed matter fields. The work was presented at the conference ÂNanophysics in Life SciencesÂ' held in Copenhagen on 21-22 June 2002. The meeting was arranged by, and marked the start of, the new Division of Physics in Life Sciences (DPL) within the European Physical Society (EPS). It also celebrated the opening of a new Danish research centre on quantum protein physics (QUP), which was co-organizer and co-sponsor. The meeting was organized at short notice and yet attracted some 80 participants from a number of countries (despite the fact that the chosen weekend included the `midsummer night', a feast nobody in the Northern Scandinavian countries would wish to miss - even when offered an event in the beautiful venue of the Carlsberg estate). The audience included many young people and students, demonstrating the great interest in the field of biological physics and in the topics chosen within that field. The selection represented, furthermore, the present scope of the new DPL division. All but one of the board members of DPL were able to attend and present their work, among others. They have subsequently delivered valuable contributions to this special issue. The subjects cover a large area (the full programme can be found on the division's web-page: DPL.risoe.dk). To mention a few: the dynamical and optical properties of biomolecules (proteins), experimental studies of single biomolecules, various theoretical approaches to the protein folding problem and DNA motion, biomolecular motor and transport functions, quantum chemical calculations. Many of these problems are closely related to those studied in conventional condensed matter. To emphasize one topic we have written the Viewpoint article (pages V5-V9) which ties together the concepts of solitons, self-trapping, polarons and pump-probe experiments used in both realms. The scope of biological physics is of course still wider. All biological processes occur in water, hence an important topic is how proteins and biomolecules behave and interact in liquids. There is in this case a strong overlap between subjects generally published in the Liquids, Soft Matter and Biophysics section of Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, but not covered in this issue. Another branch not covered is the more mathematical, generally non-linear models of physiological processes. It is hoped that this issue will serve as a valuable current state-of-the-art overview of interesting and important problems in biological physics, which will stimulate the interest of the general readership of Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter and inspire the application of the knowledge and expertise accumulated in condensed matter physics. I wish to thank the participants for their contributions to the meeting and to this special issue, Institute of Physics Publishing editorial staff for the efficient and smooth handling of the refereeing of the articles, and finally the QUP Center, The Danish Graduate School of Biophysics, EPS and The Carlsberg Academy for financial and other support.

Combining nutrition and exercise to optimize survival and recovery from critical illness: Conceptual and methodological issues.

PubMed

Heyland, Daren K; Stapleton, Renee D; Mourtzakis, Marina; Hough, Catherine L; Morris, Peter; Deutz, Nicolaas E; Colantuoni, Elizabeth; Day, Andrew; Prado, Carla M; Needham, Dale M

2016-10-01

Survivors of critical illness commonly experience neuromuscular abnormalities, including muscle weakness known as ICU-acquired weakness (ICU-AW). ICU-AW is associated with delayed weaning from mechanical ventilation, extended ICU and hospital stays, more healthcare-related hospital costs, a higher risk of death, and impaired physical functioning and quality of life in the months after ICU admission. These observations speak to the importance of developing new strategies to aid in the physical recovery of acute respiratory failure patients. We posit that to maintain optimal muscle mass, strength and physical function, the combination of nutrition and exercise may have the greatest impact on physical recovery of survivors of critical illness. Randomized trials testing this and related hypotheses are needed. We discussed key methodological issues and proposed a common evaluation framework to stimulate work in this area and standardize our approach to outcome assessments across future studies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and European Society for Clinical Nutrition and Metabolism. All rights reserved.

Specificity and Engagement: Increasing ELSI s Relevance to Nano Scientists

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

Shumpert, Barry L.; Wolfe, Amy K.; Bjornstad, David J.

Scholars studying the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) associated with emerging technologies maintain the importance of considering these issues throughout the research and development cycle, even during the earliest stages of basic research. Embedding these considerations within the scientific process requires communication between ELSI scholars and the community of physical scientists who are conducting that basic research. We posit that this communication can be effective on a broad scale only if it links societal issues directly to characteristics of the emerging technology that are relevant to the physical and natural scientists involved in research and development. In this article,more » we examine nano-ELSI literature from 2003 to 2010 to discern the degree to which it makes these types of explicit connections. We find that, while the literature identifies a wide range of issues of societal concern, it generally does so in a non-specific manner. It neither links societal issues to particular forms or characteristics of widely divergent nanotechnologies nor to any of the many potential uses to which those nanotechnologies may be put. We believe that these kinds of specificity are essential to those engaged in nano-scale research. We also compare the literature-based findings to observations from interviews we conducted with nanoscientists and conclude that ELSI scholars should add technical- and application-related forms of specificity to their work and their writings to enhance effectiveness and impact in communicating with one important target audience members of the nanoscale science community.« less

Women in physics in Bangladesh

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Choudhury, Shamima K.

2013-03-01

Bangladesh has had a glorious physics tradition since the beginning of the last century, when the physicist S.N. Bose published a groundbreaking paper with Albert Einstein on Bose-Einstein statistics. However, women in Bangladesh traditionally have not been able to make their way in the realm of science in general and physics in particular. Since Bangladesh achieved independence in 1971, the situation has gradually changed and more and more women choose physics as an academic discipline. The percentage of women students in physics rose from 10% in 1970 to almost 30% in 2010. In recent years, women physicists have actively participated in many activities promoting science and technology, creating awareness among the public about the importance of physics education. The present status of women physicists in academic, research, and administrative programs in the government and private sectors in Bangladesh is reported. The greater inclusion of women scientists, particularly physicists, in policy-making roles on important issues of global and national interest is suggested.

Mental and Physical Workload, Salivary Stress Biomarkers and Taste Perception: Mars Desert Research Station Expedition

PubMed Central

Rai, Balwant; Kaur, Jasdeep

2012-01-01

Background: Very few studies have been conducted on the effects of simulation of Mars conditions on taste. Aims: This study was planned to find the effects of physical and mental workload on taste sensitivity and salivary stress biomarkers. Materials and Methods: Twelve crew members were selected. Taste reactions and intensity of the taste sensations to quinine sulfate, citric acid, and sucrose were tested before and after mental and physical tasks for one hour. Also, psychological mood states by profile of mood state, salivary, salivary alpha amylase and cortisol, and current stress test scores were measured before and after mental and physical tasks. Results: Average time intensity evaluation showed that after the mental and physical tasks, the perceived duration of bitter, sour, and sweet taste sensations was significantly shortened relative to control group. There were good correlations between average time intensity of sweetness, bitterness, sourness and cortisol levels. Conclusions: Taste alterations due to stress can have an effect on the health and confidence of astronauts in long- term space missions. Thus, this issue remains one of the important issues for future human explorations. PMID:23181230

Inertial Confinement Fusion quarterly report, January-March 1998, volume 8, number 2

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

Kruer, W

1998-03-31

The coupling of laser light with plasmas is one of the key physics issues for the use of high-power lasers for inertial fusion, high-energy-density physics, and scientific stockpile stewardship. The coupling physics is extremely rich and challenging, particularly in the large plasmas to be accessed on the National Ignition Facility (NIF). The coupling mechanisms span the gamut from classical inverse bremsstrahlung absorption to a variety of nonlinear optical processes. These include stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) from electron plasma waves, stimulated Brillouin scattering (SBS) from ion sound waves, resonant decay into electron plasma and ion sound waves, and laser beam filamentation.more » These processes depend on laser intensity and produce effects such as changes in the efficiency and location of the energy deposition or generation of a component of very energetic electrons, which can preheat capsules. Coupling physics issues have an extremely high leverage. The coupling models are clearly very important ingredients for detailed calculations of laser-irradiated target behavior. Improved understanding and models enable a more efficient use of laser facilities, which becomes even more important as these facilities become larger and more expensive. Advances in the understanding also allow a more timely and cost-effective identification of new applications of high-power lasers, such as for generation of high-temperature hohlraums and compact x-ray sources, or for discovery of advanced fusion schemes. Finally, the interaction of intense electromagnetic waves with ionized media is a fundamental topic of interest to numerous areas of applied science and is an excellent test bed for advancing plasma science and computational modeling of complex phenomena. This issue of the ICF Quarterly Report is dedicated to laser--plasma interactions. The eight articles present a cross section of the broad progress in understanding the key interaction issues, such as laser beam bending, spraying, and scattering, as well as scaling the Nova results to NIF.« less

Integration of Environmental Issues in a Physics Course: 'Physics by Inquiry' High School Teachers' Integration Models and Challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kimori, David Abiya

As we approach the second quarter of the twenty-first century, one may predict that the environment will be among the dominant themes in the political and educational discourse. Over the past three decades, particular perspectives regarding the environment have begun to emerge: (i) realization by human beings that we not only live on earth and use its resources at an increasingly high rate but we also actually belong to the earth and the total ecology of all living systems, (ii) there are strong interactions among different components of the large and complex systems that make up our environment, and (iii) the rising human population and its impact on the environment is a great concern (Hughes & Mason, 2014). Studies have revealed that although the students do not have a deep understanding of environmental issues and lack environmental awareness and attitudes necessary for protecting the environment, they have great concern for the environment (Chapman & Sharma, 2001; Fien, Yencken, & Sykes, 2002). However, addressing environmental issues in the classroom and other disciplines has never been an easy job for teachers (Pennock & Bardwell, 1994; Edelson, 2007). Using multiple case studies, this study investigated how three purposefully selected physics teachers teaching a 'Physics by Inquiry' course integrated environmental topics and issues in their classroom. Particularly this study looked at what integration models and practices the three physics teachers employed in integrating environmental topics and issues in their classroom and what challenges the teachers faced while integrating environmental topics in their classrooms. Data collection methods including field notes taken from observations, teachers' interviews and a collection of artifacts and documents were used. The data were coded analyzed and organized into codes and categories guided by Fogarty (1991) models of curriculum integration and Ham and Sewing (1988) four categories of barriers to environmental education. Findings of this study indicate that teachers acknowledge the importance of teaching environmental issues in their classrooms but continue to struggle with conceptual, educational, logistical and attitudinal barriers to successful integration of environmental topics in physics.

The Seventh Annual National Conference of Black Physics Students

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Crawley, Gerard M.

1993-01-01

The National Conference of Black Physics Students began in 1986 when several Black physics graduate students at MIT and Harvard decided to address the 'pipeline problem' of African Americans in physics by organizing a conference for Black physics undergraduates. The goals of the conference were: (1) to develop a network within the Black physics community, (2) to make Black students in physics, particularly at graduate level, aware of academic and professional opportunities and (3) to bring important issues and developments in the field to the attention of these students. We are pleased to announce the Seventh Annual National Conference of Black Physics Students held February 12 and 13, 1993 served the largest population of students so far. The largest conference previous to this one hosted 150 students. We registered and prepared for 240 students with 210 actually attenting. We received so many qualified abstracts for technical talks by students that instead of NCBPS's tradition of 3-4 student presentations, we ran 4 parallel sessions in different rooms with 4-5 presentations in each room. In response to comments from previous conferences, the program contained 3 workshop/discussion sessions. The topics for the interactive discussion workshops were: 'Getting Ready for Graduate School,' 'How to Succeed in Graduate School,' and 'Issues Facing Black Scientists.'

The 3^rd International Conference on Women in Physics: Global Perspectives, Common Concerns, Worldwide Views

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zastavker, Yevgeniya V.

2009-03-01

The 3^rd International Conference on Women in Physics (ICWIP), held in Seoul, Korea, in October 2008, brought together 300 participants from 57 countries, including a diverse 22-member U.S. Delegation, for a 3-day summit of stimulating discussions, thought-provoking presentations, inspirational posters, and networking. Held under the auspices of the Working Group on Women in Physics of the International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP), this meeting built on the successes of the 1^st (Paris, 2002) and 2^nd (Rio de Janeiro, 2005) Conferences and further clarified the importance of diversifying the field of physics worldwide. Although considerable progress has been made since 2002, it was clear that the global scientific workforce is still under-utilizing a large percentage of the available female talent pool. If human society is to benefit to its fullest from various contributions that the field of physics can offer in addressing global issues of economic crisis, energy, environment, water, health, poverty, and hunger, women of all races and nationalities need to become fully included and engaged in the national and international physical community. To address these and many other issues, the ICWIP unanimously approved a five-part resolution to IUPAP recommending actions to promote the recruitment, retention, and advancement of women in physics and related fields.

Mock Data Challenge for the MPD/NICA Experiment on the HybriLIT Cluster

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gertsenberger, Konstantin; Rogachevsky, Oleg

2018-02-01

Simulation of data processing before receiving first experimental data is an important issue in high-energy physics experiments. This article presents the current Event Data Model and the Mock Data Challenge for the MPD experiment at the NICA accelerator complex which uses ongoing simulation studies to exercise in a stress-testing the distributed computing infrastructure and experiment software in the full production environment from simulated data through the physical analysis.

Editorial: 2nd Special Issue on behavior change, health, and health disparities.

PubMed

Higgins, Stephen T

2015-11-01

This Special Issue of Preventive Medicine (PM) is the 2nd that we have organized on behavior change, health, and health disparities. This is a topic of fundamental importance to improving population health in the U.S. and other industrialized countries that are trying to more effectively manage chronic health conditions. There is broad scientific consensus that personal behavior patterns such as cigarette smoking, other substance abuse, and physical inactivity/obesity are among the most important modifiable causes of chronic disease and its adverse impacts on population health. As such behavior change needs to be a key component of improving population health. There is also broad agreement that while these problems extend across socioeconomic strata, they are overrepresented among more economically disadvantaged populations and contribute directly to the growing problem of health disparities. Hence, behavior change represents an essential step in curtailing that unsettling problem as well. In this 2nd Special Issue, we devote considerable space to the current U.S. prescription opioid addiction epidemic, a crisis that was not addressed in the prior Special Issue. We also continue to devote attention to the two largest contributors to preventable disease and premature death, cigarette smoking and physical inactivity/obesity as well as risks of co-occurrence of these unhealthy behavior patterns. Across each of these topics we included contributions from highly accomplished policy makers and scientists to acquaint readers with recent accomplishments as well as remaining knowledge gaps and challenges to effectively managing these important chronic health problems. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Designing a biomechanics investigation: choosing the right model.

PubMed

Olson, Steven A; Marsh, J Lawrence; Anderson, Donald D; Latta Pe, Loren L

2012-12-01

Physical testing is commonly performed to answer important biomechanical questions in the treatment of patients with fractures and other orthopaedic conditions. However, a variety of mistakes that are made in performing such investigations can severely limit their impact. The goal of this article is to discuss important aspects of study design to consider when planning for biomechanical investigations so that the studies can provide maximal benefit to the field. The best mechanical investigations begin with a good research question, one that comes out of patient care experience, is clearly defined, and can be stated concisely. The first practical issue to be considered is often choosing the type of physical specimens to be tested to address the research question. A related issue involves determining how many specimens will be needed to answer the posed mechanical question. Cadavers are generally still the closest to the actual clinical situation, but they are limited by interspecimen variability, which often requires a matched pair design that can address only one question. Simulated bone specimens limit variability and can replicate normal and osteoporotic bone. In planning the physical testing, the critical mechanical variables involved in answering the research question must be identified and due consideration given to deciding how best to measure them. Another important issue that arises relates to whether or not single static loadings will suffice in the testing (eg, to study construct stiffness) or whether cyclic dynamic testing is necessary (eg, to study late failure likely attributable to fatigue). To summarize, experimental design should be carefully planned before initiating mechanical testing. Sample size calculations should be performed to ensure adequate power and that clinically relevant differences can be detected. This pregame analysis can save significant time and cost and greatly increase the likelihood that the results will advance knowledge.

Cancer rehabilitation in Austria--aspects of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation.

PubMed

Maehr, Bruno; Keilani, Mohammad; Wiltschke, Christoph; Hassler, Marco; Licht, Thomas; Marosi, Christine; Huetterer, Elisabeth; Cenik, Fadime; Crevenna, Richard

2016-02-01

In Austria, cancer rehabilitation is an important issue in the management of cancer patients. Survival rates and survival time of cancer patients are increasing, and cancer rehabilitation is an important part in the treatment and care of cancer patients with the goal to improve functional status, quality of life, and (social) participation. Today, in Austria there are approximately 600 beds for inpatient rehabilitation. The field of outpatient rehabilitation will maybe be expanded after evaluating the existing pilot projects. Beside other specialities, the field of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PM&R) plays an important role in cancer rehabilitation. In cancer rehabilitation, especially activating modalities from PM&R such as exercise are very important and well-accepted parts to improve functional status, quality of life, and participation of patients.

The APS in Public Affairs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lustig, Harry

2000-04-01

Although the American Physical Society was created for the interchange of scientific ideas, the call to the founding meeting included the observation that the organization "could not fail to have an important influence in all matters affecting the interest of physicists". However for most of its history APS did not behave like "just another interest group in American society". Instead, at the beginning, it limited itself to such successful initiatives as the creation of the Bureau of Standards and such unsuccessful ones as adoption of the metric system. After World War II, speaking out on behalf of the freedom of science and scientists, such as Astin, Condon, and Oppenheimer, became important. In the 1970's, pushed by members, the Society became more "political", sponsoring sessions and studies on defense issues, taking a stand for the Equal Rights Amendment and creating the Panel on Public Affairs and the Forum on Physics and Society. Only in the last fifteen years has the APS unabashedly lobbied for the economic interests of physics and physicists. Adopting this new, if unavoidable role may have unintended consequences for the willingness and effectiveness of APS in speaking out on other public issues.

DOE Perspectives on the Supercollider

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Decker, James

2015-04-01

The Superconducting Super Collider was to be built in Texas at a cost of more than 8B and completed in 1999. It would have been the most expensive scientific instrument ever built with a discovery potential far exceeding any existing accelerator. If it had been completed, the future of continued discovery at the ``energy frontier'' of high energy physics would be assured and the fortunes of high energy physics in the United States would be much more robust. There were many issues that contributed to the final decision by Congress to cease funding of the SSC. Some of these were: perceived value of the SSC's science; competition for funding in an environment of constrained federal funding (e.g. the Space Station); attacks by parts of the scientific community; management issues; cost growth; lack of significant foreign participation; and lowering of the national priority of physics at the end of the Cold War. Real and perceived issues were used by dedicated Congressional opponents to kill the SSC. There are differing opinions as to which factors were the most important and which could have been avoided. There are many stories about what happened behind the scenes at high levels of government. Perhaps more important than the history of what went wrong are the lessons learned from project management to the politics of very large projects. The viewpoints expressed in this talk are based on my involvement in the SSC primarily as Deputy Director of DOE's Office of Science.

Entropy and convexity for nonlinear partial differential equations

PubMed Central

Ball, John M.; Chen, Gui-Qiang G.

2013-01-01

Partial differential equations are ubiquitous in almost all applications of mathematics, where they provide a natural mathematical description of many phenomena involving change in physical, chemical, biological and social processes. The concept of entropy originated in thermodynamics and statistical physics during the nineteenth century to describe the heat exchanges that occur in the thermal processes in a thermodynamic system, while the original notion of convexity is for sets and functions in mathematics. Since then, entropy and convexity have become two of the most important concepts in mathematics. In particular, nonlinear methods via entropy and convexity have been playing an increasingly important role in the analysis of nonlinear partial differential equations in recent decades. This opening article of the Theme Issue is intended to provide an introduction to entropy, convexity and related nonlinear methods for the analysis of nonlinear partial differential equations. We also provide a brief discussion about the content and contributions of the papers that make up this Theme Issue. PMID:24249768

Entropy and convexity for nonlinear partial differential equations.

PubMed

Ball, John M; Chen, Gui-Qiang G

2013-12-28

Partial differential equations are ubiquitous in almost all applications of mathematics, where they provide a natural mathematical description of many phenomena involving change in physical, chemical, biological and social processes. The concept of entropy originated in thermodynamics and statistical physics during the nineteenth century to describe the heat exchanges that occur in the thermal processes in a thermodynamic system, while the original notion of convexity is for sets and functions in mathematics. Since then, entropy and convexity have become two of the most important concepts in mathematics. In particular, nonlinear methods via entropy and convexity have been playing an increasingly important role in the analysis of nonlinear partial differential equations in recent decades. This opening article of the Theme Issue is intended to provide an introduction to entropy, convexity and related nonlinear methods for the analysis of nonlinear partial differential equations. We also provide a brief discussion about the content and contributions of the papers that make up this Theme Issue.

Final Plenary Session Transcript

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gostelow, Paul

2010-01-01

Let s start with the report - as you know - when we are talking about flow control it is a multi-disciplinary type of work. So it involves many people and disciplines. This group first discussed the important issues associated with flow control. As you start doing flow control what are the issues to which you really have to start paying attention? That is the first part I am going to present. Then in the second part I will present some challenges - problems that we should really be looking at. So as far as the issues - if you want to control a flow, you really need to understand the flow physics, because anything that you do comes from the flow physics. The design of the controllers, your decisions on the actuators, sensors, reduced order modeling and all of that, would be helped if you understand flow physics. And you have to have a specific objective - what exactly are you controlling? Are you trying to reduce drag, eliminate separation, reduce noise, enhance mixing? So you have to have very specific control objectives. From all the talks we have seen here actuation is extremely important and it is very problem specific. It depends on what problem you are dealing with so you have to design and build actuators for that specific problem. Sensors obviously are very important, especially when you are dealing with feedback control. Consensus was that when you dealing with flow control, you must take an integrated approach; from the beginning you have to take into account every aspect of it and even maybe to modify your experiment, your geometry, to go along with the actuation, sensors and control models. Development of tools is very important in this multi-disciplinary problem. The tools include CFD, reduced order modeling, controller design, understanding and utilizing the instabilities of the flow, etc. So, in order to have success in flow control, we really need to develop these tools.

Mental health/psychiatric issues in elder abuse and neglect.

PubMed

Cooper, Claudia; Livingston, Gill

2014-11-01

Elder abuse may be defined as a violation of a vulnerable older person's human and civil rights. Psychiatric illness is an important cause of vulnerability to abuse, especially when it is comorbid with other risk factors, such as physical frailty, sensory impairment, social isolation, and physical dependency. Health care providers are likely to encounter elder abuse regularly, and therefore have an important role in its detection and management, and in the treatment of subsequent psychiatric illness. This article reviews the relationships between psychiatric illnesses and elder abuse and neglect, examines the psychiatric consequences, and discusses how these may be treated. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Letter to the editor : Impartial review is key.

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

Crabtree, G. W.; Materials Science Division

The News Feature, 'Misconduct in physics: Time to wise up? [Nature 418, 120-121; 2002], raises important issues that the physical-science community must face. Argonne National Laboratory's code of ethics calls for a response very similar to that of Bell Labs, namely: 'The Laboratory director may appoint an ad-hoc scientific review committee to investigate internal or external charges of scientific misconduct, fraud, falsification of data, misinterpretation of data, or other activities involving scientific or technical matters.'

Report of work done in the division of chemistry and physics mainly during the fiscal year 1884-85

USGS Publications Warehouse

Clarke, Frank Wigglesworth

1886-01-01

The present bulletin contains some of the more important results obtained in the chemical laboratory of the United States Geological Survey during the fiscal year 1884—'85. It also contains two physical papers representing work which was mainly done during previous fiscal years, but completed during the one for which this bulletin is issued. These papers are practically continuations of or supplements to Bulletin 14.

Theory and Scholarly Inquiry Need Not Be Scientific to Be of Value.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martin, Jack

1995-01-01

Reacts to responses concerning a previous article in this issue, "Against Scientism in Psychological Counselling and Therapy." Reasserts that there are important, undeniable limitations to the application of physical science methodologies and epistemologies to the study of humans and their experiences. (JPS)

EduXs: Multilayer Educational Services Platforms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Li-Jie; Yang, Jie-Chi; Deng, Yi-Chan; Chan, Tak-Wai

2003-01-01

How to use the online social learning communities to improve quality and quantity of interactions in physical social learning communities is an important issue. This work describes the design and implementation of multilayer educational services platforms that enable learners to establish their own online social learning communities and integrate…

Measurement of physical activity, exercise, and physical fitness in children: issues and concerns.

PubMed

Rice, M H; Howell, C C

2000-06-01

Data to support the type and level of physical activity that are necessary for health benefits in children and for later prevention of disease as adults are not available. This lack of information may be caused by inconsistency in terminology and by issues and concerns with available instruments to measure the concept. The purpose of this article is to address measurement issues related to physical activity/exercise or physical fitness in children. Implications of these issues for researchers and practitioners are discussed.

Critical issues in sensor science to aid food and water safety.

PubMed

Farahi, R H; Passian, A; Tetard, L; Thundat, T

2012-06-26

The stability of food and water supplies is widely recognized as a global issue of fundamental importance. Sensor development for food and water safety by nonconventional assays continues to overcome technological challenges. The delicate balance between attaining adequate limits of detection, chemical fingerprinting of the target species, dealing with the complex food matrix, and operating in difficult environments are still the focus of current efforts. While the traditional pursuit of robust recognition methods remains important, emerging engineered nanomaterials and nanotechnology promise better sensor performance but also bring about new challenges. Both advanced receptor-based sensors and emerging non-receptor-based physical sensors are evaluated for their critical challenges toward out-of-laboratory applications.

This month's offerings: Why are they important?

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A limitation of current research on games for health is a lack of innovative thinking in considering the problem to be solved. The articles in the December 2013 issue of the Games for Health Journal exhibited substantial innovation from requiring physical activity from some game players to permit t...

Assessing nutrition and physical health disparisties for a college population

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Rural regions are often underserved, and although the Delta region of the United States has a rich history, health disparities abound. A university located in the region has an obligation to address issues of importance to its constituents. Healthy lifestyle obstacles faced by students who hail from...

The Appraisal of Investments in Educational Facilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, Paris (France). Programme on Educational Building.

This collection of papers covers, from a European perspective, the basic aspects of investments in physical educational facilities, as well as important issues in the economics of education. Four themes are covered. The first presents the art of the economic analysis of educational projects. The second focuses on the contribution of performance…

J. J. Sakurai Prize for Theoretical Particle Physics Talk: Hard scattering factorization in QCD

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collins, John

2009-05-01

Many important cross sections in high-energy collisions are analyzed using factorization properties. I review the nature of factorization, how it arose from the parton model, and current issues in its development. This talk will be coordinated with the one by Soper.

Measurement of Carbon Dioxide Accumulation and Physiological Function in the Launch and Entry and Advanced Crew Escape Suits

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bishop, Phillip; Greenisen, M. C.

1997-01-01

The Launch and Entry Suit (LES) and Advanced Crew Escape Suit (ACES) are worn by astronauts for launch and entry. Previous work by Waligora, et al., 1992, Waligora and Gilbert, 1992, and Dalrymple 1996, have found that carbon dioxide (CO2) accumulation in the LES/ACES helmet may be problematic. CO2 accumulation is important because high inspired levels of CO2 reduce physical function and pose a safety hazard (e.g. levels of CO2 accumulation of 3.6% in the Extravehicular Mobility Unit are sufficient to terminate Extra Vehicular Activities). My task was to design a suitable test protocol for determining the important physiological aspects of LES/ACES use. Three basic issues arose. First was the determination of the astronaut's CO2 inspiration during visor-down use at rest and during walking at 3.5 mph. A sub-issue was the impact of a pneumotach on CO2 since it has been previously observed that when the Aerosport pneumotach was used, performance seemed improved, which might be attributable to a lowered respiration rate when using the pneumotach. The second issue was the energy costs of waLking in the LES/ACES with various G-suit inflation levels, since G-suit inflation increases metabolic costs and metabolic costs influence the C02 production in the LES/ACES helmet. Since G-suit inflation improves orthostatic tolerance after space flight, but likely increases the energy costs of walking, the balance between G-suit inflation and C02 accumulation is an important safety consideration. The third issue which arose from pilot work was the substantial reduction in physical function after a 10 min visor-down period prior to walk.

Foreword to Special Issue: Papers from the 54th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Plasma Physics, Providence, Rhode Island, USA, 2012

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skiff, Fred; Davidson, Ronald C.

2013-05-01

Each year, the annual meeting of the APS Division of Plasma Physics (DPP) brings together a broad representation of the many active subfields of plasma physics and enjoys an audience that is equally diverse. The meeting was well attended and largely went as planned despite the interventions of hurricane Sandy which caused the city of Providence to shut-down during the first day of the conference. The meeting began on Monday morning with a review of the physics of cosmic rays, 2012 being the 100th year since their discovery, which illustrated the central importance of plasma physics to astrophysical problems. Subsequent reviews covered the importance of tokamak plasma boundaries, progress towards ignition on the National Ignition Facility (NIF), and magnetized plasma turbulence. The Maxwell prize address, by Professor Liu Chen, covered the field of nonlinear Alfvén wave physics. Tutorial lectures were presented on the verification of gyrokinetics, new capabilities in laboratory astrophysics, magnetic flux compression, and tokamak plasma start-up.

Preface: Ecosystem services, ecosystem health and human communities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Plag, Hans-Peter

2018-04-01

This special issue contains a collection of manuscripts that were originally intended to be included in the special issue on "Physics and Economics of Ecosystem Services Flows" (Volume 101, guest editors H. Su, J. Dong and S. Nagarajan) and "Biogeochemical Processes in the Changing Wetland Environment" (Volume 103, guest editors J. Bai, L. Huang and H. Gao). All of them are addressing issues related to ecosystem services in different settings. Ecosystem services are of high value for both the ecosystems and human communities, and understanding the impacts of environmental processes and human activities on ecosystems is of fundamental importance for the preservation of these services.

Critical questions: Advancing the health of female Veterans.

PubMed

Muirhead, Lisa; Hall, Priscilla; Jones-Taylor, Cedrella; Clifford, Gari D; Felton-Williams, Tasha; Williams, Kathy

2017-10-01

Women are the fastest growing Veteran population in the United States and many receive all or part of their health care outside of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The purpose of this article is to review the healthcare issues of women Veterans and discuss implications for care. Review of selected literature, VA resources and guidelines, and expert opinion. Few providers are aware of the impact military service has on the health of women and fail to ask the all-important question, "Have you served in the military?" Recognizing women's military service can reveal important information that can answer perplexing clinical questions, aid in designing comprehensive plans of care, and enable women to receive the assistance needed to address complex physical and psychosocial issues to improve the quality of their lives. There are gender disparities related to physical health conditions, mental health issues, environmental exposures, and socioeconomic factors that contribute to female Veterans' vulnerabilities. Many of the health conditions, if recognized in a timely manner, can be ameliorated and shift the health trajectory of this population. Clinicians play a critical role in identifying health risk and helping female Veterans start the sometimes arduous journey toward wellness. Discovering and acknowledging women's military history is critical in ensuring quality care and appropriate decision making. ©2017 American Association of Nurse Practitioners.

Physics at the FQMT'11 conference

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Špička, V.; Nieuwenhuizen, Th M.; Keefe, P. D.

2012-11-01

This paper deals with the recent state of the art of the following topics presented at the FQMT'11 conference: foundations of quantum physics, quantum measurement; nonequilibrium quantum statistical physics; quantum thermodynamics; quantum measurement, entanglement and coherence; dissipation, dephasing, noise, and decoherence; quantum optics; macroscopic quantum behavior; e.g. cold atoms; Bose-Einstein condensates; physics of quantum computing and quantum information; mesoscopic, nano-electro-mechanical systems and nano-optical systems; spin systems and their dynamics; biological systems and molecular motors; and cosmology, gravitation and astrophysics. The lectures and discussions at the FQMT'11 conference, as well as the contributions to the related topical issue, reveal important themes for future development. The recent literature is included.

Telerehabilitation store and forward applications: a review of applications and privacy considerations in physical and occupational therapy practice.

PubMed

Peterson, Christopher; Watzlaf, Valerie

2014-01-01

An overview of store and forward applications commonly used in physical and occupational therapy practice is reviewed with respect to regulation, privacy, security, and clinical applications. A privacy and security checklist provides a clear reference of pertinent regulatory issues regarding these software applications. A case study format is used to highlight clinical applications of store and forward software features. Important considerations of successful implementation of store and forward applications are also identified and discussed.

Perceptual effects in auralization of virtual rooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kleiner, Mendel; Larsson, Pontus; Vastfjall, Daniel; Torres, Rendell R.

2002-05-01

By using various types of binaural simulation (or ``auralization'') of physical environments, it is now possible to study basic perceptual issues relevant to room acoustics, as well to simulate the acoustic conditions found in concert halls and other auditoria. Binaural simulation of physical spaces in general is also important to virtual reality systems. This presentation will begin with an overview of the issues encountered in the auralization of room and other environments. We will then discuss the influence of various approximations in room modeling, in particular, edge- and surface scattering, on the perceived room response. Finally, we will discuss cross-modal effects, such as the influence of visual cues on the perception of auditory cues, and the influence of cross-modal effects on the judgement of ``perceived presence'' and the rating of room acoustic quality.

Relationship between massage therapy usage and health outcomes in older adults.

PubMed

Munk, Niki; Zanjani, Faika

2011-04-01

Physical and emotional decline in older adults is a serious issue affecting not only quality of life but also susceptibility to injury. Non-pharmacological interventions addressing the needs of older adults are important for reducing medication burden and possible drug interactions. This study (N=144) examines the potential of massage therapy as such an intervention for older adults by comparing self-reported health outcome scores among adults 60 and older who have and have not utilized massage therapy in the past year. When controlling for age and cumulative morbidities, older adults who reported massage therapy usage in the past year had significantly better health outcome scores in the following domains: 1) emotional well-being, 2) limitations due to physical issues, and 3) limitations due to emotional issues. Because previous massage therapy research has not included or focused on older adults, studies examining massage therapy and emotional health, specifically among this population, are warranted. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality of life in adolescents and adults with CHARGE syndrome.

PubMed

Hartshorne, Nancy; Hudson, Alexandra; MacCuspie, Jillian; Kennert, Benjamin; Nacarato, Tasha; Hartshorne, Timothy; Blake, Kim

2016-08-01

Health-related Quality of Life and the Impact of Childhood Neurologic Disability Scale were collected for 53 patients with CHARGE syndrome aged 13-39 years with a mean academic level of 4th grade. The most prevalent new and ongoing issues included bone health issues, sleep apnea, retinal detachment, anxiety, and aggression. Sleep issues were significantly correlated with anxiety, self-abuse, conduct problems, and autistic-like behaviors. Problems with overall health, behavior, and balance most affected the number of social activities in the individual's life. Sensory impairment most affected relationships with friends. Two contrasting case studies are presented and demonstrate that the quality of life exists on a broad spectrum in CHARGE syndrome, just as its physical features range from mild to very severe. A multitude of factors, including those beyond the physical manifestations, such as anxiety and sleep problems, influence quality of life and are important areas for intervention. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

PREFACE: Progress in the ITER Physics Basis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ikeda, K.

2007-06-01

I would firstly like to congratulate all who have contributed to the preparation of the `Progress in the ITER Physics Basis' (PIPB) on its publication and express my deep appreciation of the hard work and commitment of the many scientists involved. With the signing of the ITER Joint Implementing Agreement in November 2006, the ITER Members have now established the framework for construction of the project, and the ITER Organization has begun work at Cadarache. The review of recent progress in the physics basis for burning plasma experiments encompassed by the PIPB will be a valuable resource for the project and, in particular, for the current Design Review. The ITER design has been derived from a physics basis developed through experimental, modelling and theoretical work on the properties of tokamak plasmas and, in particular, on studies of burning plasma physics. The `ITER Physics Basis' (IPB), published in 1999, has been the reference for the projection methodologies for the design of ITER, but the IPB also highlighted several key issues which needed to be resolved to provide a robust basis for ITER operation. In the intervening period scientists of the ITER Participant Teams have addressed these issues intensively. The International Tokamak Physics Activity (ITPA) has provided an excellent forum for scientists involved in these studies, focusing their work on the high priority physics issues for ITER. Significant progress has been made in many of the issues identified in the IPB and this progress is discussed in depth in the PIPB. In this respect, the publication of the PIPB symbolizes the strong interest and enthusiasm of the plasma physics community for the success of the ITER project, which we all recognize as one of the great scientific challenges of the 21st century. I wish to emphasize my appreciation of the work of the ITPA Coordinating Committee members, who are listed below. Their support and encouragement for the preparation of the PIPB were fundamental to its completion. I am pleased to witness the extensive collaborations, the excellent working relationships and the free exchange of views that have been developed among scientists working on magnetic fusion, and I would particularly like to acknowledge the importance which they assign to ITER in their research. This close collaboration and the spirit of free discussion will be essential to the success of ITER. Finally, the PIPB identifies issues which remain in the projection of burning plasma performance to the ITER scale and in the control of burning plasmas. Continued R&D is therefore called for to reduce the uncertainties associated with these issues and to ensure the efficient operation and exploitation of ITER. It is important that the international fusion community maintains a high level of collaboration in the future to address these issues and to prepare the physics basis for ITER operation. ITPA Coordination Committee R. Stambaugh (Chair of ITPA CC, General Atomics, USA) D.J. Campbell (Previous Chair of ITPA CC, European Fusion Development Agreement—Close Support Unit, ITER Organization) M. Shimada (Co-Chair of ITPA CC, ITER Organization) R. Aymar (ITER International Team, CERN) V. Chuyanov (ITER Organization) J.H. Han (Korea Basic Science Institute, Korea) Y. Huo (Zengzhou University, China) Y.S. Hwang (Seoul National University, Korea) N. Ivanov (Kurchatov Institute, Russia) Y. Kamada (Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Naka, Japan) P.K. Kaw (Institute for Plasma Research, India) S. Konovalov (Kurchatov Institute, Russia) M. Kwon (National Fusion Research Center, Korea) J. Li (Academy of Science, Institute of Plasma Physics, China) S. Mirnov (TRINITI, Russia) Y. Nakamura (National Institute for Fusion Studies, Japan) H. Ninomiya (Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Naka, Japan) E. Oktay (Department of Energy, USA) J. Pamela (European Fusion Development Agreement—Close Support Unit) C. Pan (Southwestern Institute of Physics, China) F. Romanelli (Ente per le Nuove tecnologie, l'Energia e l'Ambiente, Italy and European Fusion Development Agreement—Close Support Unit) N. Sauthoff (Princeton Plasma Physics Laboratory, USA and Oak Ridge National Laboratories, USA) Y. Saxena (Institute for Plasma Research, India) Y. Shimomura (ITER Organization) R. Singh (Institute for Plasma Research, India) S. Takamura (Nagoya University, Japan) K. Toi (National Institute for Fusion Studies, Japan) M. Wakatani (Kyoto University, Japan (deceased)) H. Zohm (Max-Planck-Institut für Plasmaphysik, Garching, Germany)

Chance, necessity and the origins of life: a physical sciences perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hazen, Robert M.

2017-11-01

Earth's 4.5-billion-year history has witnessed a complex sequence of high-probability chemical and physical processes, as well as `frozen accidents'. Most models of life's origins similarly invoke a sequence of chemical reactions and molecular self-assemblies in which both necessity and chance play important roles. Recent research adds two important insights into this discussion. First, in the context of chemical reactions, chance versus necessity is an inherently false dichotomy-a range of probabilities exists for many natural events. Second, given the combinatorial richness of early Earth's chemical and physical environments, events in molecular evolution that are unlikely at limited laboratory scales of space and time may, nevertheless, be inevitable on an Earth-like planet at time scales of a billion years. This article is part of the themed issue 'Reconceptualizing the origins of life'.

Empowering Our Youth: Initiating Sexual Health Education on the Inpatient Unit for the Chronically Ill Pediatric Patient.

PubMed

Bakke, Ashley

2016-01-01

Chronicaly ill pre-teens and adolescents often spend months as inpatients while undergoing treatment. This population includes but is not limited to oncology, transplant, physically disabled, and medically fragile pediatric patients. Sexual health education is often considered less important than the complex disease states and medical issues faced by pediatric inpatients. Many clinicians fail to realize the value of providing this guidance as a necessary part of the physical and psychosocial health of these young patients. Chronically ill youth lack normal social interactions while hospitalized and may have body image issues related to physical disabilities. A need for sexual health education stems from the high sexually transmitted disease prevalence in this population. Lack of formal provider education on sexual health, provider discomfort in discussing sexual health topics, and overlooking the importance of adolescent sexual health have delayed integration of sexual education into inpatient teaching, discharge planning, and outpatient follow up. With few guidelines and minimal published research on this topic, clinicians and parents often have no experience, education, or guidance to provide this specific knowledge effectively. The goal of this discussion of sexual health education for chronically ill adolescents is to highlight the need for additional research, improved training for healthcare providers, and development of evidence-based guidelines in the inpatient and outpatient settings.

Physical education, sports, and gender in schools.

PubMed

Solmon, Melinda A

2014-01-01

The benefits associated with engaging in regular physical activity are well documented, but a large segment of the population is not sufficiently active. School physical educa tion and sport programs are identified as important components in efforts to promote physical activity. Girls are less active than boys, and there is evidence that physical education programs are not effectively meeting their needs. The focus of this chapter is to examine gender as a construct in the domains of physical education and sport, clarifying the reasons girls tend to be less active and less involved in physical education. Following an historical overview, curricular issues and motivational aspects are considered. Implications are focused on ways that educators can provide positive experiences for all students in physical education and sport that will encourage them to adopt and maintain healthy active lifestyles and enhance their quality of life across the life span.

An Introduction to Atmospheric Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andrews, David G.

2000-09-01

This advanced undergraduate textbook clearly details how physics can be used to understand many important aspects of atmospheric behavior. Coverage presents a broad overview of atmospheric physics, including atmospheric thermodynamics, radiative transfer, atmospheric fluid dynamics and elementary atmospheric chemistry. Armed with an understanding of these topics, the interested student will be able to grasp the essential physics behind issues of current concern, such as the enhanced greenhouse effect and associated questions of climate change, the Antarctic ozone hole and global ozone depletion, as well as more familiar processes such as the formation of raindrops and the development of weather systems. This introductory textbook is ideal for advanced undergraduates studying atmospheric physics as part of physics, meteorology or environmental science courses. It will also be useful for graduate students studying atmospheric physics for the first time and for students of applied mathematics, physical chemistry and engineering who have an interest in the atmosphere.

Environmental influences on physical activity in rural Midwestern adults: a qualitative approach.

PubMed

Chrisman, Matthew; Nothwehr, Faryle; Yang, Ginger; Oleson, Jacob

2015-01-01

Qualitative research can be used to examine multiple factors associated with physical activity and help practitioners identify language used by the rural adult population when discussing this behavior. Three focus groups were conducted among 19 residents of multiple towns in a rural Midwestern county to examine the language and influences on rural physical activity. Focus group members were asked to define physical activity, exercise, community, and neighborhood. They were asked about the activities they engaged in and facilitators and barriers to those activities. A guidebook was developed to capture major themes and common patterns that emerged in the responses to the topics discussed. The data were reviewed for repeated statements and points that were agreed on by multiple participants. Important factors associated with physical activity include the importance of social support and modeling physical activity behavior. Also, the influence of pets and children was important for engaging these adults in physical activity. The focus group members engaged in walking and bicycling in their neighborhood streets and community trails, and desired to see community buildings be open to the public for exercise. This study revealed contextual issues and culturally relevant language for practitioners to use in tailoring physical activity measurement tools or designing interventions for a rural adult population. Social support (specifically, seeing others being active and using pets as motivators for being active) and policy attitudes may be targeted for interventions to increase physical activity in rural adults. © 2014 Society for Public Health Education.

Environmental Influences on Physical Activity in Rural Midwestern Adults: A Qualitative Approach

PubMed Central

Chrisman, Matthew; Nothwehr, Faryle; Yang, Ginger; Oleson, Jacob

2014-01-01

Qualitative research can be used to examine multiple factors associated with physical activity and help practitioners identify language used by the rural adult population when discussing this behavior. Three focus groups were conducted among 19 residents of multiple towns in a rural Midwestern county to examine the language and influences on rural physical activity. Focus group members were asked to define physical activity, exercise, community, and neighborhood. They were asked about the activities they engaged in and facilitators and barriers to those activities. A guidebook was developed to capture major themes and common patterns that emerged in the responses to the topics discussed. The data were reviewed for repeated statements and points that were agreed on by multiple participants. Important factors associated with physical activity include the importance of social support and modeling physical activity behavior. Also, the influence of pets and children was important for engaging these adults in physical activity. The focus group members engaged in walking and bicycling in their neighborhood streets and community trails, and desired to see community buildings be open to the public for exercise. This study revealed contextual issues and culturally relevant language for practitioners to use in tailoring physical activity measurement tools or designing interventions for a rural adult population. Social support (specifically, seeing others being active and using pets as motivators for being active) and policy attitudes may be targeted for interventions to increase physical activity in rural adults. PMID:24662894

The use of virtual reality and physical tools in the development and validation of ease of entry and exit in passenger vehicles.

PubMed

Lawson, Glyn; Herriotts, Paul; Malcolm, Louise; Gabrecht, Katharina; Hermawati, Setia

2015-05-01

Ease of entry and exit is important for creating a positive first impression of a car and increasing customer satisfaction. Several methods are used within vehicle development to optimise ease of entry and exit, including CAD reviews, benchmarking and buck trials. However, there is an industry trend towards digital methods to reduce the costs and time associated with developing physical prototypes. This paper reports on a study of entry strategy in three properties (buck, car, CAVE) in which inconsistencies were demonstrated by people entering a vehicle representation in the CAVE. In a second study industry practitioners rated the CAVE as worse than physical methods for identifying entry and exit issues, and having lower perceived validity and reliability. However, the resource issues associated with building bucks were recognised. Recommendations are made for developing the CAVE and for combinations of methods for use at different stages of a vehicle's development. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and The Ergonomics Society. All rights reserved.

Aspects of physical medicine and rehabilitation in geriatrics.

PubMed

Pils, Katharina

2016-02-01

Specialists in physical medicine and rehabilitation are important partners during the ageing process: health promotion and prevention for fit elderly people, training and rehabilitation for prefrail people and support for frail people focusing on usage of what is left and dignity in the latest period of life. The main focus is the relationship between IC diagnoses and functioning in everyday life based on the International Classification of Functioning (ICF). The diseases lead to possible treatments; functioning shows the importance of rehabilitative strategies in a team approach. Physiatrists are experts on this complex issue.The main goal of rehabilitative strategies during life course is to maintain function, improve quality of life and delay dependency and need of care.Three settings are chosen to show the different aspects of physical medicine and rehabilitation: health promotion and prevention, rehabilitation and palliative-rehabilitative procedures in long-term care. The non-pharmaceutical treatment of pain, the geriatric assessment, knowledge in discharge management and team communications are important skills.

Incentive program to strengthen motivation for increasing physical activity via conjoint analysis.

PubMed

Matsushita, Munehiro; Harada, Kazuhiro; Arao, Takashi

2017-01-01

Objectives　Promoting physical activity is a key public health issue. Incentive programs have attracted attention as a technique for promoting physical activity. For the use of effective incentives, there is a need to clarify the most effective incentive program conditions for the promotion of physical activity. Therefore, the present study used the conjoint analysis to examine the effective incentive program conditions for strengthening the motivation to increase physical activity.Methods　Data on 1,998 subjects (aged 40-74) were analyzed. The main variables in this study were physical activity (IPAQ-Short Form) and the strengthening of motivation to increase physical activity. The incentive programs that were implemented, comprised four factors: 1) cash equivalents (1,000 yen, 2,000 yen, and 3,000 yen); 2) duration between increase in physical activity and receipt of the incentive (1, 2, or 3 months); 3) method to record the physical activity (recording sheet, recording website, and automatic pedometer recording); and 4) lottery (yes or no). Eleven incentive programs were created, which was the minimum number required for comparison of these factors and levels. The average importance of each of the four factors was calculated to compare their contributions to the strengthening of the motivation to increase physical activity. The utility of each level was also calculated to compare their contributions to the strengthening of motivation. All statistics were stratified by age (≤65 years and 65+ years) and physical activity (<150 min/week, 150+ min/week) for additional analysis.Results　Cash incentives and the lottery ranked equally on average importance, followed by duration and recording methods. Utility was higher for each factor, as follows: 1) more valuable cash incentives, 2) shorter duration, 3) automatic pedometer recording, and 4) no lottery. There was no notable difference in the average importance and utility of age and physical activity.Conclusions　The results of this study suggest that no lottery and more valuable incentives were important for improving the effectiveness of incentive programs in increasing physical activity. Moreover, these two factors would be important regardless of age and physical activity levels. Further intervention studies on incentive programs for increasing physical activity considering the present results are needed.

Panel Discussion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Langer, James

1997-03-01

Panelists: Arthur Bienenstock, Stanford University Cherry Ann Murray, Lucent Technologies Venkatesh Narayanamurti, University of California-Santa Barbara Paul Peercy, SEMI-SEMATECH Robert Richardson, Cornell University James Roberto, Oak Ridge National Laboratory The Board on Physics and Astronomy is undertaking a series of reassessments of all branches of physics as the foundation of a new physics survey. As part of this project, a Committee on Condensed Matter and Materials Physics has been established under the leadership of Venkatesh Narayanamurti of the University of California-Santa Barbara. The committee has been working since June on a study that will include an illustrative recounting of major recent achievements; identification of new opportunities and challenges facing the field; and articulation-for leaders in government, industry, universities, and the public at large-of the important roles played by the field in modern society. An especially urgent issue is how to maintain the intellectual vitality of condensed matter and materials physics, and its contributions to the well-being of the United States, in an era of limited resources. The forum will feature a panel of materials researchers who are members of the Committee on Condensed Matter and Materials Physics. They will give a brief report on the status of the study and engage in a dialogue with the audience about issues facing the condensed matter and materials physics community. Broad community input is vital to the success of the study. Please come and make your voice heard!

Systematic mapping review of the factors influencing physical activity and sedentary behaviour in ethnic minority groups in Europe: a DEDIPAC study.

PubMed

Langøien, Lars Jørun; Terragni, Laura; Rugseth, Gro; Nicolaou, Mary; Holdsworth, Michelle; Stronks, Karien; Lien, Nanna; Roos, Gun

2017-07-24

Physical activity and sedentary behaviour are associated with health and wellbeing. Studies indicate that ethnic minority groups are both less active and more sedentary than the majority population and that factors influencing these behaviours may differ. Mapping the factors influencing physical activity and sedentary behaviour among ethnic minority groups living in Europe can help to identify determinants of physical activity and sedentary behaviour, research gaps and guide future research. A systematic mapping review was conducted to map the factors associated with physical activity and sedentary behaviour among ethnic minority groups living in Europe (protocol PROSPERO ID = CRD42014014575). Six databases were searched for quantitative and qualitative research published between 1999 and 2014. In synthesizing the findings, all factors were sorted and structured into clusters following a data driven approach and concept mapping. Sixty-three articles were identified out of 7794 returned by the systematic search. These included 41 quantitative and 22 qualitative studies. Of these 58 focused on physical activity, 5 on both physical activity and sedentary behaviour and none focused on sedentary behaviour. The factors associated with physical activity and sedentary behaviour were grouped into eight clusters. Social & cultural environment (n = 55) and Psychosocial (39) were the clusters containing most factors, followed by Physical environment & accessibility (33), Migration context (15), Institutional environment (14), Social & material resources (12), Health and health communication (12), Political environment (3). An important finding was that cultural and religious issues, in particular those related to gender issues, were recurring factors across the clusters. Physical activity and sedentary behaviour among ethnic minority groups living in Europe are influenced by a wide variety of factors, especially informed by qualitative studies. More comparative studies are needed as well as inclusion of a wider spectrum of the diverse ethnic minority groups resettled in different European countries. Few studies have investigated factors influencing sedentary behaviour. It is important in the future to address specific factors influencing physical activity and sedentary behaviour among different ethnic minority groups in order to plan and implement effective interventions.

Imagery, intuition and imagination in quantum physics education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stapleton, Andrew J.

2018-03-01

In response to the authors, I demonstrate how threshold concepts offer a means to both contextualise teaching and learning of quantum physics and help transform students into the culture of physics, and as a way to identify particularly troublesome concepts within quantum physics. By drawing parallels from my own doctoral research in another area of contemporary physics—special relativity—I highlight concepts that require an ontological change, namely a shift beyond the reality of everyday Newtonian experience such as time dilation and length contraction, as being troublesome concepts that can present barriers to learning with students often asking "is it real?". Similarly, the domain of quantum physics requires students to move beyond "common sense" perception as it brings into sharp focus the difference between what is experienced via the sense perceptions and the mental abstraction of phenomena. And it's this issue that highlights the important role imagery and creativity have both in quantum physics and in the evolution of physics more generally, and lies in stark contrast to the apparent mathematical focus and lack of opportunity for students to explore ontological issues evident in the authors' research. By reflecting on the authors' observations of a focus on mathematical formalisms and problem solving at the expense of alternative approaches, I explore the dialectic between Heisenberg's highly mathematical approach and Schrödinger's mechanical wave view of the atom, together with its conceptual imagery, at the heart of the evolution of quantum mechanics. In turn, I highlight the significance of imagery, imagination and intuition in quantum physics, together with the importance of adopting an epistemological pluralism—multiple ways of knowing and thinking—in physics education. Again drawing parallels with the authors' work and my own, I identify the role thought experiments have in both quantum physics education and in physics more generally. By introducing the notion of play, I advocate adopting and celebrating multiple approaches of teaching and learning, including thought experiments, play, dialogue and a more conceptual approach inclusive of multiple forms of representation, that complements the current instructional, mathematical approach so as to provide better balance to learning, teaching and the curriculum.

Particle physics today, tomorrow and beyond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ellis, John

2018-01-01

The most important discovery in particle physics in recent years was that of the Higgs boson, and much effort is continuing to measure its properties, which agree obstinately with the Standard Model, so far. However, there are many reasons to expect physics beyond the Standard Model, motivated by the stability of the electroweak vacuum, the existence of dark matter and the origin of the visible matter in the Universe, neutrino physics, the hierarchy of mass scales in physics, cosmological inflation and the need for a quantum theory for gravity. Most of these issues are being addressed by the experiments during Run 2 of the LHC, and supersymmetry could help resolve many of them. In addition to the prospects for the LHC, I also review briefly those for direct searches for dark matter and possible future colliders.

Take a Stand for Standing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Labandz, Stephenie

2010-01-01

As a school-based physical therapist, the author sees children with a wide variety of diagnoses affecting their mobility and motor function. Supported standing is an important part of the routines of those who are unable to stand independently due to issues affecting the neuromuscular system. Being eye-to-eye with their peers and interacting with…

Investigating the Relationships between Loneliness and Learning Burnout

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lin, Shu-Hui; Huang, Yun-Chen

2012-01-01

Loneliness is a common problem for many students. Research indicates that loneliness is associated with relatively poor physical health and depression among students. Burnout in students is also an important issue since it adversely affects students' learning as well as their health and well-being. Both loneliness and learning burnout are related…

Instructional Considerations for Implementing Student Assessments. Article #2 in a 4-part series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fisette, Jennifer L.; Placek, Judith H.; Avery, Marybell; Dyson, Ben; Fox, Connie; Franck, Marian; Graber, Kim; Rink, Judith; Zhu, Weimo

2009-01-01

The first article of the PE Metrics series, "Developing Quality Physical Education through Student Assessments" (January/February 2009 "Strategies" issue) focused on the importance of assessing student learning in relation to NASPE's content standards (NASPE, 2004). The article emphasized that unless students are appropriately assessed, it is…

An Introduction to Solar Cells

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feldman, Bernard J.

2010-01-01

Most likely, solar cells will play a significant role in this country's strategy to address the two interrelated issues of global warming and dependence on imported oil. The purpose of this paper is to present an explanation of how solar cells work at an introductory high school, college, or university physics course level. The treatment presented…

Adolescent Perceptions of Body Weight and Attractiveness: Important Issues in Alcohol and Illicit Drug Use?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Page, Randy M.; And Others

1995-01-01

Examined relationship between adolescent self-perception of body weight and physical attractiveness and the use of alcohol and drugs in high school students (n=1,915). In general, adolescents dissatisfied with their appearance used illicit substances and got drunk more often than those satisfied with their appearance. (SNR)

Architecting the "Third Teacher": Solid Foundations for the Participatory and Principled Design of Schools and (Built) Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Tony

2017-01-01

This issue of the "European Journal of Education" examines a crucially important, though largely overlooked, area in educational design research: architecting and building physical educational environments. Effective policymaking in school design necessitates the negotiated, shared and timely input of key educational stakeholders,…

Energy and Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hecht, Eugene

2007-01-01

When Feynman wrote, "It is important to realize that in physics today, we have no knowledge of what energy is," he was recognizing that although we have expressions for various forms of energy from kinetic to elastic, we seem to have no idea of what the all-encompassing notion of "energy" "is": This paper addresses that issue offering a definition…

Facebook Addiction Levels of Students in the Physical Education and Sport Department

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yaman, Çetin

2016-01-01

Time spent using various technological equipment increases every day with rapid technology development. Unfortunately, technology addiction is becoming an important issue. Especially with the development and ubiquity of mobile technologies, social media addiction is expanding. The aim of this study is to measure the Facebook addiction levels of…

Finding the "Right-Size" Physical Therapy Workforce: International Perspective Across 4 Countries.

PubMed

Jesus, Tiago S; Koh, Gerald; Landry, Michel; Ong, Peck-Hoon; Lopes, António M F; Green, Peter L; Hoenig, Helen

2016-10-01

Finding the "right-size" physical therapy workforce is an increasingly important issue, but it has had limited study, particularly across nations. This perspective article provides a comprehensive examination of physical therapy workforce issues across 4 countries (United States, Singapore, Portugal, and Bangladesh), which were deliberately selected to allow consideration of key contextual factors. This investigation provides a theoretical model uniquely adapted to focus on variables most likely to affect physical therapy workforce needs. This theoretical model was used to guide acquisition of public domain data across the respective countries. The data then were used to provide a contextualized interpretation about the physical therapy workforce supply (ie, physical therapists per capita) across the 4 countries in light of the following factors: indicators of physical therapy need, financial and administrative barriers affecting physical therapy access and demand, the proportion of physical therapy graduates (with varying trends over time across the countries), and the role of emigration/immigration in supply inequalities among countries of lower and higher income. In addition, both the physical therapy workforce supply and scope of practice were analyzed in the context of other related professions across the 4 countries. This international comparison indicated that there may not be a "one-size-fits-all" recommendation for physical therapy workforce supply across countries or an ideal formula for its determination. The optimal, country-specific physical therapy workforce supply appears to be affected by discipline-specific health care and contextual factors that may vary across countries, and even within the same country. This article provides a conceptual framework and basis for such contextualized evaluations of the physical therapy workforce. © 2016 American Physical Therapy Association.

Slamming: Recent Progress in the Evaluation of Impact Pressures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dias, Frédéric; Ghidaglia, Jean-Michel

2018-01-01

Slamming, the violent impact between a liquid and solid, has been known to be important for a long time in the ship hydrodynamics community. More recently, applications ranging from the transport of liquefied natural gas (LNG) in LNG carriers to the harvesting of wave energy with oscillating wave surge converters have led to renewed interest in the topic. The main reason for this renewed interest is that the extreme impact pressures generated during slamming can affect the integrity of the structures involved. Slamming fluid mechanics is challenging to describe, as much from an experimental viewpoint as from a numerical viewpoint, because of the large span of spatial and temporal scales involved. Even the physical mechanisms of slamming are challenging: What physical phenomena must be included in slamming models? An important issue deals with the practical modeling of slamming: Are there any simple models available? Are numerical models viable? What are the consequences for the design of structures? This article describes the loading processes involved in slamming, offers state-of-the-art results, and highlights unresolved issues worthy of further research.

Study of no-man's land physics in the total-f gyrokinetic code XGC1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ku, Seung Hoe; Chang, C. S.; Lang, J.

2014-10-01

While the ``transport shortfall'' in the ``no-man's land'' has been observed often in delta-f codes, it has not yet been observed in the global total-f gyrokinetic particle code XGC1. Since understanding the interaction between the edge and core transport appears to be a critical element in the prediction for ITER performance, understanding the no-man's land issue is an important physics research topic. Simulation results using the Holland case will be presented and the physics causing the shortfall phenomenon will be discussed. Nonlinear nonlocal interaction of turbulence, secondary flows, and transport appears to be the key.

National health education programs to promote healthy eating and physical activity.

PubMed

Donato, Karen A

2006-02-01

The national education programs and campaigns described here are examples of the many unique kinds of federal efforts under way to promote the pillars of healthy eating and increased physical activity included in the "Healthier US Initiative." They are similar in that: 1) they are based on the best available science that a health problem exists, and 2) that healthy eating and physical active behaviors will improve health status. They are unique in their implementation, for example, in private/public partnerships, coordinating committees of professional associations, and congressionally mandated interventions. Most importantly, they provide the impetus to get a particular health issue on the public agenda.

The development of PROQOL-HIV: an international instrument to assess the health-related quality of life of persons living with HIV/AIDS.

PubMed

Duracinsky, Martin; Herrmann, Susan; Berzins, Baiba; Armstrong, Andrew R; Kohli, Rewa; Le Coeur, Sophie; Diouf, Assane; Fournier, Isabelle; Schechter, Mauro; Chassany, Olivier

2012-04-15

Health-related quality of life (HRQL) is an important outcome in HIV/AIDS infection and treatment. However, most existing HIV-HRQL instruments miss important issues (eg, sleeping problems, lipodystrophy). They were developed before highly active antiretroviral therapy (pre-HAART), and in a single language. We sought to develop a contemporary HIV-HRQL instrument (PROQOL-HIV) in multiple languages that accounts for HAART treatment and side effects. This article details the 3-stage content validation phase of PROQOL-HIV. In stage 1, we developed a conceptual model of HIV-HRQL and questionnaire item bank from thematic analysis of 152 patient interviews conducted simultaneously across 9 countries. In stage 2, pilot items were selected by an expert panel to form the pilot instrument. Stage 3 involved linguistic validation and harmonization of selected items to form an equivalent instrument in 9 target languages. Analysis of 3375 pages of interview text revealed 11 underlying themes: general health perception, social relationships, emotions, energy/fatigue, sleep, cognitive functioning, physical and daily activity, coping, future, symptoms, and treatment. Seven issues new to HIV-HRQL measurement were subsumed by these themes: infection fears, future concerns, satisfaction with care, self-esteem problems, sleep problems, work disruption, and treatment issues. Of the 442 theme-related items banked, 70 items met the retention criteria and formed the pilot PROQOL-HIV instrument. HIV patients across 11 countries attributed a wide range of physical, mental, and social issues to their condition, many of which were not measured by existing HIV-HRQL instruments. The pilot PROQOL-HIV instrument captures these issues, is sensitive to sociocultural context, disease stage, and HAART.

Children of Darfur: a vulnerable population.

PubMed

Chaikin, Jennifer

2008-02-01

Four years of intense war in Darfur has created an entire generation of children who might never recover. Children in this region are particularly vulnerable and suffer from issues including physical and psychological illness, malnutrition, rape and unlawful military recruitment. This international crisis is among the most important public health issues in the world. The responsibility of the international community to these children is significant and required to break this cycle. This paper will discuss the concerns surrounding these children, how current strategies are failing and proposed public health nursing interventions.

Measuring physical activity in children and adolescents for dietary surveys: practicalities, problems and pitfalls.

PubMed

Mindell, Jennifer S; Coombs, Ngaire; Stamatakis, Emmanuel

2014-05-01

Physical inactivity is an important risk factor for many chronic diseases and contributes to obesity and poor mental well-being. The present paper describes the main advantages and disadvantages, practical problems, suggested uses, and future developments regarding self-reported and objective data collection in the context of dietary surveys. In dietary surveys, physical activity is measured primarily to estimate energy expenditure. Energy expenditure surveillance is important for tracking changes over time, particularly given the debates over the role of the relative importance of energy intake and expenditure changes in the aetiology of obesity. It is also important to assess the extent of underreporting of dietary intake in these surveys. Physical activity data collected should include details on the frequency, duration and relative intensity of activity for each activity type that contributes considerably to overall activity and energy expenditure. Problems of validity and reliability, associated with inaccurate assessment, recall bias, and social desirability bias, are well-known; children under 10 years cannot report their activities accurately. However, despite such limitations, questionnaires are still the dominant method of physical activity assessment in dietary surveys due to their low cost and relatively low participant burden. Objective, time-stamped measures that monitor heart rate and/or movement can provide more comprehensive, quantitative assessment of physical activity but at greater cost and participant burden. Although overcoming many limitations of questionnaires, objective measures also have drawbacks, including technical, practical and interpretational issues.

Keeping women active: an examination of the impacts of self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, and leadership on women's persistence in physical activity.

PubMed

Lloyd, Kathleen M; Little, Donna E

2010-10-01

Physical inactivity in women is a worldwide problem that has not only been well-documented but has provoked much government concern and policy activity. However, an even more important issue is encouraging women's persistence in physical activity. The purpose of this study was to examine the links between women's experiences of participation in a government-funded physical activity festival, their intentions to continue participation, and their participation behavior six months after the festival. Results from semi-structured, in-depth interviews with 20 women revealed that enhanced self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, and supportive leadership had motivated the women's future intentions to participate. Follow-up surveys showed their levels of interest and participation in physical activity had been maintained. These results enhance our understanding of the relationship between key outcomes of women's physical activity participation and their persistence in physical activity.

ISBNPA 2007: Marketing, serious games and nanny states. Observations from the sixth annual meeting of the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, Oslo 2007

PubMed Central

Brug, Johannes

2007-01-01

This commentary paper provides a selective overview of topics addressed at the sixth annual meeting of the International Society of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity (ISBNPA). With 31 symposiums, 42 free paper sessions and 236 poster presentations ISBNPA 2007 provided a comprehensive overview of the state of the art and of new avenues for behavioral nutrition and physical activity research. Research presented at the conference helps to identify and specify important nutrition and physical activity behaviors for health promotion, as well as the correlates, predictors and determinants of these behaviors, and to build and test intervention strategies that go beyond traditional health education. ISBNPA 2007 also indicates that ISBNPA should strive to become more international by inclusion of more scientists from countries outside North America, Western Europe and Australia. ISBNPA should maintain its encouragement of research that is firmly rooted in behavioral theory and research that goes beyond applying cross-sectional research designs, and that addresses the most important public health issues associated with behavioral nutrition and physical activity. PMID:17880680

Cars and Kinetic Energy -- Some Simple Physics with Real-World Relevance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parthasarathy, Raghuveer

2012-10-01

Understanding energy usage is crucial to understanding modern civilization, as well as many of the challenges it faces. Energy-related issues also offer real-world examples of important physical concepts, and as such have been the focus of several articles in The Physics Teacher in the past few decades (e.g., Refs. 1-5, noted further below). Here, I illustrate how a basic understanding of kinetic energy—a topic encountered early in any introductory physics course—enables significant insights into the nature of automobile transportation. Specifically, we can accurately predict how much power the average driver in the United States uses, and explain what determines this, without needing to consider any aspects of mechanical engineering or engine design.

The need for a peer physical examination policy within Australian medical schools.

PubMed

Koehler, Nicole; McMenamin, Christine

2014-05-01

Peer physical examinations (PPEs) are often used to enhance medical students' clinical examination skills. Previous research indicates that there are several issues of concern regarding PPEs suggesting that it is important to have a PPE policy in place to respond to these issues appropriately. However, it is unknown as to how many Australian medical schools actually have such a policy. The aims of the present study were to enumerate how many Australian medical schools use PPEs and have a PPE policy. Surveys were sent to all Australian medical schools. Our findings show that most Australian medical schools use PPEs, but none appear to have a thorough PPE policy. The findings of our study show that the majority of medical schools practise PPEs but do not have a policy. This in turn could lead to significant problems arising.

Chance, necessity and the origins of life: a physical sciences perspective.

PubMed

Hazen, Robert M

2017-12-28

Earth's 4.5-billion-year history has witnessed a complex sequence of high-probability chemical and physical processes, as well as 'frozen accidents'. Most models of life's origins similarly invoke a sequence of chemical reactions and molecular self-assemblies in which both necessity and chance play important roles. Recent research adds two important insights into this discussion. First, in the context of chemical reactions, chance versus necessity is an inherently false dichotomy-a range of probabilities exists for many natural events. Second, given the combinatorial richness of early Earth's chemical and physical environments, events in molecular evolution that are unlikely at limited laboratory scales of space and time may, nevertheless, be inevitable on an Earth-like planet at time scales of a billion years.This article is part of the themed issue 'Reconceptualizing the origins of life'. © 2017 The Author(s).

Functional (psychogenic) movement disorders: merging mind and brain.

PubMed

Edwards, Mark J; Bhatia, Kailash P

2012-03-01

Functional (psychogenic) movement disorders (FMD) are part of the wide spectrum of functional neurological disorders, which together account for over 16% of patients referred to neurology clinics. FMD have been described as a "crisis for neurology" and cause major challenges in terms of diagnosis and treatment. As with other functional disorders, a key issue is the absence of pathophysiological understanding. There has been an influential historical emphasis on causation by emotional trauma, which is not supported by epidemiological studies. The similarity between physical signs in functional disorders and those that occur in feigned illness has also raised important challenges for pathophysiological understanding and has challenged health professionals' attitudes toward patients with these disorders. However, physical signs and selected investigations can help clinicians to reach a positive diagnosis, and modern pathophysiological research is showing an appreciation of the importance of both physical and psychological factors in FMD. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quality of working life issues of employees with a chronic physical disease: a systematic review.

PubMed

de Jong, Merel; de Boer, Angela G E M; Tamminga, Sietske J; Frings-Dresen, Monique H W

2015-03-01

To assess issues that contribute to the Quality of Working Life (QWL) of employees with a chronic physical disease. A systematic literature search was conducted using the databases PubMed, PsycINFO and EMBASE. Experiences and perceptions during the working life of employees with a chronic physical disease were extracted and synthesized into issues that contributed to their QWL. We organized these synthesized QWL issues into higher order themes and categories with qualitative data analysis software. From a total of 4,044 articles identified by the search, 61 articles were included. Data extraction and data synthesis resulted in an overview of 73 QWL issues that were classified into 30 themes. The following five categories of themes were identified: (1) job characteristics with issues such as job flexibility and work-site access; (2) the social structure and environment containing issues about disclosure, discrimination, misunderstanding, and awareness by employers or colleagues; (3) organizational characteristics with issues such as requesting work accommodations; (4) individual work perceptions including issues about enjoyment and evaluating work or life priorities; and (5) effect of the disease and treatment including issues about cognitive and physical health and work ability. This systematic review offers an extensive overview of issues that might contribute to the QWL of employees with a chronic physical disease. This overview may function as a starting point for occupational support, such as monitoring and evaluating the QWL of employees with a chronic physical disease during return-to-work and work continuation processes.

Rationale, design and methods for the 22 year follow-up of the Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study.

PubMed

Straker, Leon M; Hall, Graham L; Mountain, Jenny; Howie, Erin K; White, Elisha; McArdle, Nigel; Eastwood, Peter R

2015-07-14

Young adulthood is a critical life period for health and health behaviours. Related measurements collected before and after birth, and during childhood and adolescence can provide a life-course analysis of important factors that contribute to health and behaviour in young adulthood. The Western Australian Pregnancy Cohort (Raine) Study has collected a large number of such measurements during the fetal, perinatal, infancy, childhood and adolescence periods and plans to relate them to common health issues and behaviours in young adults, including spinal pain, asthma, sleep disorders, physical activity and sedentary behaviour and, work absenteeism and presenteeism. The aim of this paper is to describe the rationale, design and methods of the 22 year follow-up of the Raine Study cohort. The Raine Study is a prospective cohort study. Participants still active in the cohort (n = 2,086) were contacted around the time of their 22nd birthday and invited to participate in the 22 year follow-up. Each was asked to complete a questionnaire, attend a research facility for physical assessment and an overnight sleep study, wear activity monitors for a week, and to maintain a sleep and activity diary over this week. The questionnaire was broad and included questions related to sociodemographics, medical history, quality of life, psychological factors, lifestyle factors, spinal pain, respiratory, sleep, activity and work factors. Physical assessments included anthropometry, blood pressure, back muscle endurance, tissue sensitivity, lung function, airway reactivity, allergic status, 3D facial photographs, cognitive function, and overnight polysomnography. Describing the prevalence of these health issues and behaviours in young adulthood will enable better recognition of the issues and planning of health care resources. Providing a detailed description of the phenotype of these issues will provide valuable information to help educate health professionals of the needs of young adults. Understanding the life-course risk factors of health issues and behaviours in young adulthood will have important health planning implications, supporting the development of targeted interventions to improve current health status and reduce the onset and development of further ill-health across adulthood.

A decade of debate on the schooling of girls in physics: Where are we now?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kearney, Dorothy

1993-12-01

The last decade has seen an explosion of interest in issues concerned with girls and science education, and the nature of the dialogue has become increasingly sophisticated. Current writing stresses the importance of acknowledging differences between women, as well as differences between women and men. This paper will outline some of the positions it is possible to adopt in the discussion. It will raise some questions concerning the implications of the choice of a position for classroom teachers of science and, in particular, physics teachers.

Life after transplantation: new transitions in quality of life and psychological distress.

PubMed

Muehrer, Rebecca J; Becker, Bryan N

2005-01-01

Individuals with kidney failure often elect to undergo kidney transplantation because they believe that they will be more active and return a sense of normality to their lives with a functioning transplant. Therefore it is important to assess whether these objectives are being met. To do so, we can examine health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in transplant recipients. A number of tools have been used for this purpose, including general HRQOL instruments such as the 36-item short-form health survey (SF-36) and transplant-specific surveys such as the Kidney Transplant Questionnaire. In general, HRQOL assessments improve with transplantation in functional and physical domains. However, many factors actually influence HRQOL in a negative way, including comorbid conditions, kidney function per se, rejection episodes and hospitalizations, employment status, and adverse effects of medications. Perceived physical appearance, issues related to sexuality, stress, anxiety, and even guilt complicate the emotional and psychological landscape after transplantation. This constellation of factors may be predictive of posttransplant life events, such as resumption of employment. Posttransplant HRQOL may be exceedingly important in understanding the issues related to adherence with treatment regimens, especially in the pediatric and adolescent transplant populations. HRQOL is now established as an important issue after transplantation. Nonetheless, shortcomings still exist in our ability to address HRQOL after transplantation. In particular, more study of patient-centered interventions is needed. The use of standardized methodologies for patient assessment could improve our ability to identify if such patient-centered interventions actually succeed across populations, and help us further address the panoply of factors encompassed within posttransplant HRQOL.

Mechanics of additively manufactured biomaterials.

PubMed

Zadpoor, Amir A

2017-06-01

Additive manufacturing (3D printing) has found many applications in healthcare including fabrication of biomaterials as well as bioprinting of tissues and organs. Additively manufactured (AM) biomaterials may possess arbitrarily complex micro-architectures that give rise to novel mechanical, physical, and biological properties. The mechanical behavior of such porous biomaterials including their quasi-static mechanical properties and fatigue resistance is not yet well understood. It is particularly important to understand the relationship between the designed micro-architecture (topology) and the resulting mechanical properties. The current special issue is dedicated to understanding the mechanical behavior of AM biomaterials. Although various types of AM biomaterials are represented in the special issue, the primary focus is on AM porous metallic biomaterials. As a prelude to this special issue, this editorial reviews some of the latest findings in the mechanical behavior of AM porous metallic biomaterials so as to describe the current state-of-the-art and set the stage for the other studies appearing in the issue. Some areas that are important for future research are also briefly mentioned. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

New research developments and insights from Metabolism

PubMed Central

Farr, Olivia M.; Camp, Michelle; Mantzoros, Christos S.

2015-01-01

In a field of great importance to daily life and clinical care, metabolic-related research covers a wealth of information and knowledge. This broad field encompasses a number of physical states that are increasingly critical to study, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, and cardiovascular disease. Additionally, the impacts of diet, nutrition, and exercise on these physical states are an area of ever-important and expanding research. With the latest advances in metabolic research, much knowledge has been gained. Here, we present the newest findings from research published in Metabolism. We hope that these results provide not only critical knowledge needed for clinical care and daily life, but also a platform for the continuing expansion of research into metabolic-related issues. PMID:25549908

Psychological Pathways Linking Social Support to Health Outcomes: A Visit with the “Ghosts” of Research Past, Present, and Future

PubMed Central

Uchino, Bert N.; Bowen, Kimberly; Carlisle, McKenzie; Birmingham, Wendy

2012-01-01

Contemporary models postulate the importance of psychological mechanisms linking perceived and received social support to physical health outcomes. In this review, we examine studies that directly tested the potential psychological mechanisms responsible for links between social support and health-relevant physiological processes (1980s to 2010). Inconsistent with existing theoretical models, no evidence was found that psychological mechanisms such as depression, perceived stress, and other affective processes are directly responsible for links between support and health. We discuss the importance of considering statistical/design issues, emerging conceptual perspectives, and limitations of our existing models for future research aimed at elucidating the psychological mechanisms responsible for links between social support and physical health outcomes. PMID:22326104

Absolute versus relative intensity of physical activity in a dose-response context.

PubMed

Shephard, R J

2001-06-01

To examine the importance of relative versus absolute intensities of physical activity in the context of population health. A standard computer-search of the literature was supplemented by review of extensive personal files. Consensus reports (Category D Evidence) have commonly recommended moderate rather than hard physical activity in the context of population health. Much of the available literature provides Category C Evidence. It has often confounded issues of relative intensity with absolute intensity or total weekly dose of exercise. In terms of cardiovascular health, there is some evidence for a threshold intensity of effort, perhaps as high as 6 METs, in addition to a minimum volume of physical activity. Decreases in blood pressure and prevention of stroke seem best achieved by moderate rather than high relative intensities of physical activity. Many aspects of metabolic health depend on the total volume of activity; moderate relative intensities of effort are more effective in mobilizing body fat, but harder relative intensities may help to increase energy expenditures postexercise. Hard relative intensities seem needed to augment bone density, but this may reflect an associated increase in volume of activity. Hard relative intensities of exercise induce a transient immunosuppression. The optimal intensity of effort, relative or absolute, for protection against various types of cancer remains unresolved. Acute effects of exercise on mood state also require further study; long-term benefits seem associated with a moderate rather than a hard relative intensity of effort. The importance of relative versus absolute intensity of effort depends on the desired health outcome, and many issues remain to be resolved. Progress will depend on more precise epidemiological methods of assessing energy expenditures and studies that equate total energy expenditures between differing relative intensities. There is a need to focus on gains in quality-adjusted life expectancy.

Integration of Biological and Physical Sciences to Advance Ecological Understanding of Aquatic Ecosystems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luce, C. H.; Buffington, J. M.; Rieman, B. E.; Dunham, J. B.; McKean, J. A.; Thurow, R. F.; Gutierrez-Teira, B.; Rosenberger, A. E.

2005-05-01

Conservation and restoration of freshwater stream and river habitats are important goals for land management and natural resources research. Several examples of research have emerged showing that many species are adapted to temporary habitat disruptions, but that these adaptations are sensitive to the spatial grain and extent of disturbance as well as to its duration. When viewed from this perspective, questions of timing, spatial pattern, and relevant scales emerge as critical issues. In contrast, much regulation, management, and research remains tied to pollutant loading paradigms that are insensitive to either time or space scales. It is becoming clear that research is needed to examine questions and hypotheses about how physical processes affect ecological processes. Two overarching questions concisely frame the scientific issues: 1) How do we quantify physical watershed processes in a way that is meaningful to biological and ecological processes, and 2) how does the answer to that question vary with changing spatial and temporal scales? A joint understanding of scaling characteristics of physical process and the plasticity of aquatic species will be needed to accomplish this research; hence a strong need exists for integrative and collaborative development. Considering conservation biology problems in this fashion can lead to creative and non-obvious solutions because the integrated system has important non-linearities and feedbacks related to a biological system that has responded to substantial natural variability in the past. We propose that research beginning with ecological theories and principles followed with a structured examination of each physical process as related to the specific ecological theories is a strong approach to developing the necessary science, and such an approach may form a basis for development of scaling theories of hydrologic and geomorphic process. We illustrate the approach with several examples.

Physics Education Research at the Upper Division at the University of Maine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thompson, John

2013-04-01

Researchers from the University of Maine Physics Education Research Laboratory are conducting several investigations of the learning and teaching of physics beyond the introductory level. Content topics include intermediate mechanics, electronics, thermodynamics and statistical mechanics. One focus of our work is the identification and addressing of specific student difficulties with topics such as damped harmonic motion, bipolar junction transistor (BJT) circuits, work, entropy, and the Boltzmann factor. Student understanding and use of the underlying mathematics has been one important emerging theme, including definite integrals, partial derivatives, and linear differential equations. Recent work in mechanics has focused on understanding the interplay of mathematical and physical reasoning when describing damped harmonic motion, including framing and representational issues. In electronics, there has been an ongoing investigation of student understanding of the behavior of basic BJT follower and amplifier circuits as well as related issues of signal and bias. In thermal physics, student understanding of state functions, heat engines and the Carnot cycle, the First and Second Laws of thermodynamics, and the macroscopic and microscopic perspectives on entropy have been investigated. The greater content sophistication in these courses has drawn attention to the specific needs, constraints, and advantages of instructional materials tailored to the upper division. Future directions include more attention to interdisciplinary topics across mathematics, physics, and engineering in particular, as well as metacognition in the laboratory.

Environmental and Personal Safety: No Vision Required. Practice Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bozeman, Laura A.

2004-01-01

Personal safety is an important issue for all people, regardless of their physical capabilities. For people with visual impairments (that is, those who are blind or have low vision), real concerns exist regarding their vulnerability to crime and their greater risk of attack. With a nationwide increase in crime in the United States, "Three out of…

KidsWalk-to-School: A Guide To Promote Walking to School.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (DHHS/CDC), Atlanta, GA.

This guide encourages people to create safe walking and biking routes to school, promoting four issues: physically active travel, safe and walkable routes to school, crime prevention, and health environments. The chapters include: "KidsWalk-to-School: A Guide to Promote Walking to School" (Is there a solution? Why is walking to school important?…

Organisational Communication and Its Relationships with Occupational Stress of Primary School Staff in Western Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Nobile, John

2016-01-01

Occupational stress is an important issue for most occupations and often arises when the demands of the workplace become excessive or aspects of work are unpleasant. If left unmanaged occupational stress can lead to a range of outcomes that can cost organisations dearly, including burnout, physical sickness, absenteeism and turnover. Some aspects…

Music through the Skin--Simple Demonstration of Human Electrical Conductivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vollmer, M.; Möllmann, K. P.

2016-01-01

The conduction of electricity is an important topic for any basic physics course. Issues of safety often results in teacher demonstration experiments in front of the class or in extremely simple though--for students--not really fascinating (not to say boring) hands on activities for everybody using 1.5 V batteries, cables and light bulbs etc. Here…

Current Events and Teachable Moments: Creating Dialog about Transgender and Intersex Athletes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krane, Vikki; Barak, Katie Sullivan

2012-01-01

The purpose of this article is to help physical educators and coaches better understand the issues raised in recent news stories about transgender and intersex athletes and to encourage them to engage students and athletes in dialogues about these topics. In conversations with students, it is important for teachers and coaches to separate facts…

Physical Settings and Materials Recommended for Play Therapy with Japanese Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ji, Yuanhong; Ramirez, Sylvia Z.; Kranz, Peter L.

2008-01-01

This article describes a number of important issues to consider in play therapy with Japanese children. They include the waiting room and playroom decor, toys, and other materials, as well as terminology that are commonly used in Japan. The layout of the small and large playrooms, use of the "Wa-Shitsu" (a traditional Japanese room…

The Utility of a Physics Education in Science Policy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, Drew

2016-03-01

In order for regulators to create successful policies on technical issues, ranging from environmental protection to distribution of national Grant money, the scientific community must play an integral role in the legislative process. Through a summer-long internship with the Science, Space, and Technology Committee of the U.S. House of Representatives, I have learned that skills developed while pursuing an undergraduate degree in physics are very valuable in the policy realm. My physics education provided me the necessary tools to bridge the goals of the scientific and political communities. The need for effective comprehension and communication of technical subjects provides an important opportunity for individuals with physics degrees to make substantial contributions to government policy. Science policy should be encouraged as one of the many career pathways for physics students. Society of Physics Students, John and Jane Mather Foundation for Science and the Arts.

Invited commentary: Physical activity, mortality, and genetics.

PubMed

Rankinen, Tuomo; Bouchard, Claude

2007-08-01

The importance of regular physical activity to human health has been recognized for a long time, and a physically active lifestyle is now defined as a major component of public health policies. The independent contribution of regular physical activity to lower morbidity and mortality rates is generally accepted, and the biologic mechanisms mediating these health effects are actively investigated. A few years ago, data from the Finnish Twin Registry suggested that genetic selection may account for some of the physical-activity-related benefits on mortality rates. However, results from the Swedish Twin Registry study reported by Carlsson et al. in the current issue of the Journal (Am J Epidemiol 2007;166:255-259) do not support the genetic selection hypothesis. In this commentary, the authors review the nature of the associations among physical activity level, fitness, and longevity, with special reference to the role of human genetic variation, and discuss potential reasons for different outcomes of these large twin studies.

A Brief History of the Institute of Theoretical Physics in the Chinese Academy of Sciences since 1978

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jinyan, Liu

2014-03-01

The Institute of Theoretical Physics (ITP), Chinese academy of Sciences (CAS), founded in June 1978, is a specialized institute studying major issues in the fundamental research of theoretical physics. ITP has played an important role in the development of theoretical physics in China, especially in organizing and undertaking major national projects, expanding international exchanges and cooperation, and nurturing advanced researchers. My presentation will examine the reasons why ITP was founded in 1978 and why Peng Huanwu and Zhou Guangzhao, two prominent Chinese theorists, were chosen as the first and second directors of ITP. Moreover, I will summarize ITP's scientific activities and achievements in the past 35 years. Last but not least, I will compare ITP with university physics departments and explore its unique characters (both strength and weakness).

Forum: What Has Actually Changed in Physics Departments in the Situation for Women, Graduate Students and Other People?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulvey, Patrick; Ivie, Rachel; Campbell, David; Murnane, Margaret; Kirby, Kate; Catlla, Anne

2006-03-01

The decade of the 90's was a period of intense scrutiny of climate issues in physics departments, e.g. the status of women, the job situation for new Ph.D.'s and postdocs, and the preparation of physicists for careers inside and outside of physics. There were many conference sessions on these topics, and both APS members and leadership instigated important efforts to focus on specific areas. These efforts included the program of visiting committees to departments to examine the situation for women by the Committee on the Status of Women in Physics, the AIP's various studies of a statistical nature, and the creation by the APS of a Committee on Careers and the Forum on Graduate Student Affairs, as well as the recent APS-AAPT task force on graduate education. This forum patterned after similar sessions 10 years ago - will examine how physics departments have changed as a result of such efforts. It will begin with short (12-minute) talks by a panel of experts to describe what has happened in key areas. The greater part of the session will be a period of observations, questions, and discussion from the audience and the panel together. The purpose is to have an interchange on these interrelated topics from which we can all learn. THE TOPICS TO BE INTRODUCED IN THE SHORT TALKS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE SESSION ARE: 1) changes in graduate enrollment, composition, and subsequent jobs (Patrick Mulvey); 2) women in physics and astronomy departments 2005 (Rachel Ivie); 3) changes in graduate curricula and environment (David Campbell); 4) CSWP site visits to physics departments what’s been accomplished and learned (Margaret Murnane); 5) survey of ethical issues in physics departments and the physics profession: results and reactions (Kate Kirby); and (6) physics departments from the point of view of younger physicists (Anne Catlla). The bulk of the session will be a public forum, on these and related issues, among the audience and the panel.

Long-term athletic development- part 1: a pathway for all youth.

PubMed

Lloyd, Rhodri S; Oliver, Jon L; Faigenbaum, Avery D; Howard, Rick; De Ste Croix, Mark B A; Williams, Craig A; Best, Thomas M; Alvar, Brent A; Micheli, Lyle J; Thomas, D Phillip; Hatfield, Disa L; Cronin, John B; Myer, Gregory D

2015-05-01

The concept of developing talent and athleticism in youth is the goal of many coaches and sports systems. Consequently, an increasing number of sporting organizations have adopted long-term athletic development models in an attempt to provide a structured approach to the training of youth. It is clear that maximizing sporting talent is an important goal of long-term athletic development models. However, ensuring that youth of all ages and abilities are provided with a strategic plan for the development of their health and physical fitness is also important to maximize physical activity participation rates, reduce the risk of sport- and activity-related injury, and to ensure long-term health and well-being. Critical reviews of independent models of long-term athletic development are already present within the literature; however, to the best of our knowledge, a comprehensive examination and review of the most prominent models does not exist. Additionally, considerations of modern day issues that may impact on the success of any long-term athletic development model are lacking, as are proposed solutions to address such issues. Therefore, within this 2-part commentary, Part 1 provides a critical review of existing models of practice for long-term athletic development and introduces a composite youth development model that includes the integration of talent, psychosocial and physical development across maturation. Part 2 identifies limiting factors that may restrict the success of such models and offers potential solutions.

Efforts of a Kansas foundation to increase physical activity and improve health by funding community trails, 2012.

PubMed

Heinrich, Katie M; Lightner, Joseph; Oestman, Katherine B; Hughey, S Morgan; Kaczynski, Andrew T

2014-11-26

Trails are associated with increased physical activity; however, little is known about the process of building trails by various types of organizations. From 2005 through 2012 the Sunflower Foundation: Health Care for Kansans (Sunflower) funded multiple organizations to construct 70 trails of varying lengths and surfaces in municipalities, schools, and communities across Kansas. The purpose of this study was to assess the process of developing and implementing community trail projects across Kansas with funding from a public foundation. In 2012, we stratified funded organizations by type and conducted proportional random sampling to select 20 key informants from those organizations to participate in structured telephone interviews. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Two researchers coded interview transcripts according to issues identified by participants. Issues associated with trail-building identified as important were collaboration among groups, unexpected construction costs, champions for the project, and level of difficulty of construction. Participants indicated that trails facilitated physical activity. Trails were integrated into communities through events such as walking events and other promotional efforts; these efforts were thought to increase trail use. The perceived outcomes of building the trails included providing the community with a physical activity resource, inspiring the community to start additional trail projects, and increasing the physical activity of local residents. Sunflower's funding was instrumental in developing trail projects to provide new physical activity resources across Kansas. Public health practitioners seeking to increase physical activity should seek funding from foundations that focus on health.

Review of Session 6: Medical Physics

PubMed Central

Fukuda, Shigekazu

2014-01-01

Medical physics is very important in carbon ion radiotherapy, as it is in conventional radiotherapy using X-rays and in estimation of exposed dose in the space environment. High-energy ion beams such as carbon beams have physical characteristics such as the Bragg curve, high LET, and nuclear reactions producing fragmentations. Therefore, understanding these properties well is essential for further development of carbon radiotherapy and manned space activity. We invited, therefore, the following six presentations relevant to issues ranging from the measurement of fragmentations, lineal energy distributions using the microdosimetric approach, and neutron dose with active beam delivery of carbon-ion therapy, to the depth–dose distribution of various ions inside a human head phantom.

Modelling the vicious circle between obesity and physical activity in children and adolescents using a bivariate probit model with endogenous regressors.

PubMed

Yeh, C-Y; Chen, L-J; Ku, P-W; Chen, C-M

2015-01-01

The increasing prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents has become one of the most important public health issues around the world. Lack of physical activity is a risk factor for obesity, while being obese could reduce the likelihood of participating in physical activity. Failing to account for the endogeneity between obesity and physical activity would result in biased estimation. This study investigates the relationship between overweight and physical activity by taking endogeneity into consideration. It develops an endogenous bivariate probit model estimated by the maximum likelihood method. The data included 4008 boys and 4197 girls in the 5th-9th grades in Taiwan in 2007-2008. The relationship between overweight and physical activity is significantly negative in the endogenous model, but insignificant in the comparative exogenous model. This endogenous relationship presents a vicious circle in which lower levels of physical activity lead to overweight, while those who are already overweight engage in less physical activity. The results not only reveal the importance of endogenous treatment, but also demonstrate the robust negative relationship between these two factors. An emphasis should be put on overweight and obese children and adolescents in order to break the vicious circle. Promotion of physical activity by appropriate counselling programmes and peer support could be effective in reducing the prevalence of obesity in children and adolescents.

Ethical Issues for Public Health Approaches to Obesity.

PubMed

Azevedo, Suzanna M; Vartanian, Lenny R

2015-09-01

Obesity is a major public health concern worldwide. Because individual-level interventions have been unsuccessful at curbing obesity rates, there is an emphasis on public health approaches. In addition to testing the effectiveness of any public health interventions, it is important to consider the ethical implications of these interventions in order to protect the public's rights and promote overall well-being. In this paper, we review public health approaches to obesity in three broad domains (changes to the socio-communicative environment, changes to the economic environment, and changes to the physical environment/access) and consider the potential ethical issues that arise in each of those domains. We suggest that interventions that target the physical environment/access (making it easier for people to engage in healthy behaviors), that target the entire population (rather than just individuals with obesity), and that focus on health behaviors (rather than on weight) have the least potential for ethical concerns.

The nitrogen-vacancy colour centre in diamond

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Doherty, Marcus W.; Manson, Neil B.; Delaney, Paul; Jelezko, Fedor; Wrachtrup, Jörg; Hollenberg, Lloyd C. L.

2013-07-01

The nitrogen-vacancy (NV) colour centre in diamond is an important physical system for emergent quantum technologies, including quantum metrology, information processing and communications, as well as for various nanotechnologies, such as biological and sub-diffraction limit imaging, and for tests of entanglement in quantum mechanics. Given this array of existing and potential applications and the almost 50 years of NV research, one would expect that the physics of the centre is well understood, however, the study of the NV centre has proved challenging, with many early assertions now believed false and many remaining issues yet to be resolved. This review represents the first time that the key empirical and ab initio results have been extracted from the extensive NV literature and assembled into one consistent picture of the current understanding of the centre. As a result, the key unresolved issues concerning the NV centre are identified and the possible avenues for their resolution are examined.

Visualization of multi-INT fusion data using Java Viewer (JVIEW)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blasch, Erik; Aved, Alex; Nagy, James; Scott, Stephen

2014-05-01

Visualization is important for multi-intelligence fusion and we demonstrate issues for presenting physics-derived (i.e., hard) and human-derived (i.e., soft) fusion results. Physics-derived solutions (e.g., imagery) typically involve sensor measurements that are objective, while human-derived (e.g., text) typically involve language processing. Both results can be geographically displayed for user-machine fusion. Attributes of an effective and efficient display are not well understood, so we demonstrate issues and results for filtering, correlation, and association of data for users - be they operators or analysts. Operators require near-real time solutions while analysts have the opportunities of non-real time solutions for forensic analysis. In a use case, we demonstrate examples using the JVIEW concept that has been applied to piloting, space situation awareness, and cyber analysis. Using the open-source JVIEW software, we showcase a big data solution for multi-intelligence fusion application for context-enhanced information fusion.

On the Enthalpy and Entropy of Point Defect Formation in Crystals

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobelev, N. P.; Khonik, V. A.

2018-03-01

A standard way to determine the formation enthalpy H and entropy S of point defect formation in crystals consists in the application of the Arrhenius equation for the defect concentration. In this work, we show that a formal use of this method actually gives the effective (apparent) values of these quantities, which appear to be significantly overestimated. The underlying physical reason lies in temperature-dependent formation enthalpy of the defects, which is controlled by temperature dependence of the elastic moduli. We present an evaluation of the "true" H- and S-values for aluminum, which are derived on the basis of experimental data by taking into account temperature dependence of the formation enthalpy related to temperature dependence of the elastic moduli. The knowledge of the "true" activation parameters is needed for a correct calculation of the defect concentration constituting thus an issue of major importance for different fundamental and application issues of condensed matter physics and chemistry.

Rehabilitation Aspects of Human Sexuality

PubMed Central

Madorsky, Julie G. Botvin; Dixon, Thomas P.

1983-01-01

The PLISSIT model is a comprehensive program that combines educational strategies with behavioral intervention to integrate human sexuality into the initial rehabilitation of spinal cord-injured persons. Sexuality is treated as a health care issue as important as bowel and bladder care, skin care, psychosocial issues, mobility, self-care and vocational concerns. Patients admitted to the Spinal Cord Injury Program are surrounded by a supportive milieu and an interdisciplinary staff who comfortably incorporate sexuality into discussions about catheter care, positioning, communication styles, assistive devices and so forth. Patients are exposed to a behavioral training program that makes available didactic lectures, group and individual sessions, bibliotherapy, films and opportunities for directed overnight sexual exploration within the hospital. We advocate that sex therapy be integrated into comprehensive rehabilitation programs along with physical therapy occupational therapy, recreation therapy and psychotherapy as an integral and effective form of functional restoration for patients with major physical disabilities. PMID:6636728

Determinants of Workplace Injuries and Violence Among Newly Licensed RNs.

PubMed

Unruh, Lynn; Asi, Yara

2018-06-01

Workplace injuries, such as musculoskeletal injuries, needlestick injuries, and emotional and physical violence, remain an issue in U.S. hospitals. To develop meaningful safety programs, it is important to identify workplace factors that contribute to injuries. This study explored factors that affect injuries in a sample of newly licensed registered nurses (NLRNs) in Florida. Regressions were run on models in which the dependent variable was the degree to which the respondent had experienced needlesticks, work-related musculoskeletal injuries, cuts or lacerations, contusions, verbal violence, physical violence, and other occupational injuries. A higher probability of these injuries was associated with greater length of employment, working evening or night shifts, working overtime, and reporting job difficulties and pressures. A lower probability was associated with working in a teaching hospital and working more hours. Study findings suggest that work environment issues must be addressed for safety programs to be effective.

Risk to researchers in qualitative research on sensitive topics: issues and strategies.

PubMed

Dickson-Swift, Virginia; James, Erica L; Kippen, Sandra; Liamputtong, Pranee

2008-01-01

Traditionally, risk assessments in research have been limited to examining the risks to the research participants. Although doing so is appropriate and important, there is growing recognition that undertaking research can pose risks to researchers as well. A grounded theory study involving a range of researchers who had undertaken qualitative health research on a sensitive topic was completed. Analysis of the in-depth, face-to-face unstructured individual interviews with 30 Australian public health researchers provided evidence that researchers do confront a number of physical and emotional risks when undertaking research. Training, preparation, and supervision must be taken into account so that the risk to researchers can be minimized. Researchers need to consider occupational health and safety issues in designing research projects that deal with physical and emotional risks. Recommendations for professional supervision, policy development, and minimum training standards for researchers are provided.

Assessment of physical function and participation in chronic pain clinical trials: IMMPACT/OMERACT recommendations.

PubMed

Taylor, Ann M; Phillips, Kristine; Patel, Kushang V; Turk, Dennis C; Dworkin, Robert H; Beaton, Dorcas; Clauw, Daniel J; Gignac, Monique A M; Markman, John D; Williams, David A; Bujanover, Shay; Burke, Laurie B; Carr, Daniel B; Choy, Ernest H; Conaghan, Philip G; Cowan, Penney; Farrar, John T; Freeman, Roy; Gewandter, Jennifer; Gilron, Ian; Goli, Veeraindar; Gover, Tony D; Haddox, J David; Kerns, Robert D; Kopecky, Ernest A; Lee, David A; Malamut, Richard; Mease, Philip; Rappaport, Bob A; Simon, Lee S; Singh, Jasvinder A; Smith, Shannon M; Strand, Vibeke; Tugwell, Peter; Vanhove, Gertrude F; Veasley, Christin; Walco, Gary A; Wasan, Ajay D; Witter, James

2016-09-01

Although pain reduction is commonly the primary outcome in chronic pain clinical trials, physical functioning is also important. A challenge in designing chronic pain trials to determine efficacy and effectiveness of therapies is obtaining appropriate information about the impact of an intervention on physical function. The Initiative on Methods, Measurement, and Pain Assessment in Clinical Trials (IMMPACT) and Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) convened a meeting to consider assessment of physical functioning and participation in research on chronic pain. The primary purpose of this article is to synthesize evidence on the scope of physical functioning to inform work on refining physical function outcome measurement. We address issues in assessing this broad construct and provide examples of frequently used measures of relevant concepts. Investigators can assess physical functioning using patient-reported outcome (PRO), performance-based, and objective measures of activity. This article aims to provide support for the use of these measures, covering broad aspects of functioning, including work participation, social participation, and caregiver burden, which researchers should consider when designing chronic pain clinical trials. Investigators should consider the inclusion of both PROs and performance-based measures as they provide different but also important complementary information. The development and use of reliable and valid PROs and performance-based measures of physical functioning may expedite development of treatments, and standardization of these measures has the potential to facilitate comparison across studies. We provide recommendations regarding important domains to stimulate research to develop tools that are more robust, address consistency and standardization, and engage patients early in tool development.

Cancer rehabilitation with a focus on evidence-based outpatient physical and occupational therapy interventions.

PubMed

Silver, Julie K; Gilchrist, Laura S

2011-05-01

Cancer rehabilitation is an important part of survivorship as a distinct phase of treatment. Although cancer rehabilitation may involve many disciplines, this article specifically covers evidence-based treatment in physical and occupational therapy. Patients may need physical and occupational therapy services for a variety of cancer-related or cancer-treatment-related problems, including pain, fatigue, deconditioning, and difficulty with gait. They may also have problems resuming their previous level of function, which can impact on activities of daily living, instrumental activities of daily living, return to previous home and community activity levels, and return to work. This review discusses the role of physical and occupational therapy in helping cancer patients improve pain and musculoskeletal issues, deconditioning and endurance effects, fatigue, balance and falls, and lymphedema and psychosocial problems.

The accuracy of combined physical examination and ultrasonography for the detection of abdominal aorta aneurysm.

PubMed

Cârstea, Doina; Streba, Letiţia Adela Maria; Glodeanu, Adina; Cârstea, A P; Vancu, Mihaela; Ninulescu, Ana-Maria

2008-01-01

Atherosclerosis is the most frequent cause in the appearance of an abdominal aorta aneurysm (AAA) and plays an important role in his development. Most AAA does not cause any symptoms, especially when talking about elderly patients, however, many of those aneurysms can be detected during physical examination. Their detection is very important because the natural evolution and the major reason in treating AAA is their tendency to rupture. We present the case of an adult man with a complex clinical pathology, but not related to the AAA. The diagnosis of the AAA has been suspicion through palpation, and the abdominal ultrasound exam confirmed it. This case is particular interesting, as the AAA requires surgical intervention, while patient's health status was poor. An essential issue is establishing the importance of the AAA screening, when there are no symptoms present. For now, there are not satisfactory studies to be used as a guide.

Healthcare Information Systems for the epidemiologic surveillance within the community.

PubMed

Diomidous, Marianna; Pistolis, John; Mechili, Aggelos; Kolokathi, Aikaterini; Zimeras, Stelios

2013-01-01

Public health and health care are important issues for developing countries and access to health care is a significant factor that contributes to a healthy population. In response to these issues, the World Health Organization (WHO) has been working on the development of methods and models for measuring physical accessibility to health care using several layers of information integrated in a GIS. This paper describes the methodological approach for the development of a real time electronic health record, based on the statistical and geographic information for the identification of various diseases and accidents that can happen in a specific place.

Addressing Physical and Emotional Issues in Children's Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Jonathon

2010-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to examine how physical and mental disabilities are addressed in children's literature. Many authors are able to integrate the issues into their work in a way that enhances the story and benefits the reader. As young readers learn about the issues and struggles faced by children with mental and physical disabilities,…

Donald Glaser, the Bubble Chamber, and Elementary Particles

Science.gov Websites

Effects of Ionizing Radiation on the Formation of Bubbles in Liquids Physical Review, Vol. 87, Issue 4 , 665, August 15, 1952 Characteristics of Bubble Chambers Physical Review, Vol. 97, Issue 2, 474-479 Chambers Physical Review, Vol. 102, Issue 6, 1653-1658, June 15, 1956 Methods of Particle Detection for

Special Issue on "Neutrino Oscillations: Celebrating the Nobel Prize in Physics 2015" in Nuclear Physics B

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ohlsson, Tommy

2016-07-01

In 2015, the Nobel Prize in Physics was awarded jointly to Takaaki Kajita from the Super-Kamiokande Collaboration and Arthur B. McDonald from the SNO Collaboration ;for the discovery of neutrino oscillations, which shows that neutrinos have mass;. Furthermore, the Daya Bay, K2K and T2K, KamLAND, SNO, and Super-Kamiokande Collaborations shared the Fundamental Physics Breakthrough Prize the same year. In order to celebrate this successful and fruitful year for neutrino oscillations, the editors and the publisher of Nuclear Physics B decided to publish a Special Issue on neutrino oscillations. We invited prominent scientists in the area of neutrino physics that relates to neutrino oscillations to write contributions for this Special Issue, which was open to both original research articles as well as review articles. The authors of this Special Issue consist of e.g. the two Nobel Laureates, International Participants of the Nobel Symposium 129 on Neutrino Physics at Haga Slott in Enköping, Sweden (August 19-24, 2004), selected active researchers, and members from large experimental collaborations with major results in the last ten years. In total, this Special Issue consists of 28 contributions. Please note that the cover of this Special Issue contains a figure from each of the 26 contributions that have figures included.

Development of a Short-Form Version of the Physical Education Classroom Instrument: Measuring Secondary Pupils' Disruptive Behaviours

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krech, Paul R.; Kulinna, Pamela H.; Cothran, Donetta

2010-01-01

Background: Effective classroom management is the cornerstone of successful teaching. Behavioural issues affect the classroom climate as well as the time available for learning. Pupil misbehaviours can also contribute to teacher stress and burn out resulting in teachers leaving the profession. It is important for us to understand more about pupil…

Tolerable and Inclusive Learning Spaces: An Evaluation of Policies and Specifications for Physical Environments That Promote Inclusion in Turkish Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Erkilic, Mualla; Durak, Selen

2013-01-01

Inclusive education (IE), which calls for equal opportunities for students with diverse abilities in the achievement of knowledge, has been developed as a central pedagogical strategy in primary schools worldwide, including those in Turkey. Besides educators, the issue of IE becomes an important discussion area among designers who question the…

The Road Less Traveled: How the Developmental Sciences Can Prepare Educators to Improve Student Achievement--Policy Recommendations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leibbrand, Jane A.; Watson, Bernardine H.

2010-01-01

The most important problem facing public education in the country today is: how can teachers address the needs of all learners? A 2007 report issued by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) says, "aspects of development--neural, cognitive, social, psychological, physical and ethical--have far-reaching effects on…

Water in the Global Environment. Pathways in Geography Series, Title No. 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waterstone, Marvin

This report deals with the importance of water to life. The physical characteristics of water, its distribution, and a number of current water-related problems are examined. The issue of water management is discussed, along with the ways water is made available for our many uses in life. The introductory essay, "Water in the Global Environment,"…

Update: The pathogenesis and treatment of PCOS.

PubMed

Hill, Kathryn M

2003-07-01

Irregular menstrual cycles, acne, and hirsutism often cause women to present to a primary care setting. This article demonstrates how to take a careful history, perform a physical examination, and order the laboratory tests necessary to diagnose polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Managing PCOS complaints and maintaining important health issues are also addressed, as well as when to refer to a specialist.

Defining the Boundaries of Early Adolescence: A User's Guide to Assessing Pubertal Status and Pubertal Timing in Research with Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dorn, Lorah D.; Dahl, Ronald E.; Woodward, Hermi Rojahn; Biro, Frank

2006-01-01

This article addresses pragmatic issues regarding the assessment of puberty in research on adolescent health and development. Because pubertal processes have a major effect on physical, psychological, and social development, we posit that the assessment of pubertal status is at least as important as the specification of age for characterizing…

Exercise and Sports Medicine Issues in Underserved Populations.

PubMed

Morelli, Vincent; Bedney, Daniel L; Eric Dadush, Arie

2017-03-01

Primary care providers can make a strong argument for exercise promotion in underserved communities. The benefits are vitally important in adolescent physical, cognitive, and psychological development as well as in adult disease prevention and treatment. In counseling such patients, we should take into account a patient's readiness for change and the barriers to exercise. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Early Childhood Policy Focus: Healthy Eating and Physical Activity. Early Childhood Highlights. Volume 2, Issue 3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murphey, David; Mackintosh, Bonnie; McCoy-Roth, Marci

2011-01-01

The importance of good nutrition and exercise is well known, and parents have long worried about their children's diets and envied their high energy levels. Like so many life style habits, patterns of nutrition and exercise behaviors are typically established in early childhood. Poor diet and lack of exercise contribute to obesity, which has been…

Sex, Seizures, and Drugs: What Teenage Girls and Their Parents Need to Know

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Krishnamurthy, K. B.; Osborne, Patricia

2007-01-01

Adolescence is a time of transition, marking a period in which a teen's sexuality is developing physically and emotionally. A parent's job is to help children understand these feelings and how to respond safely and appropriately. While sexuality is important for both boys and girls, many issues are unique to females. Young girls with seizures need…

A Fair Play Unit for Elementary School: Getting the Whole School Involved

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Lynn V.

2005-01-01

Teaching elementary aged students about the importance of fair play and being a good sport is becoming a much more difficult task. Professional athletes, once touted as positive role models, have become increasingly poor examples for children. So, while physical educators often deal with issues of fair play in their classes, it has become a larger…

Debating science policy in the physics classroom.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayer, Shannon

2010-03-01

It is critically important that national and international science policy be scientifically grounded. To this end, the next generation of scientists and engineers will need to be technically competent, effective communicators of science, and engaged advisors in the debate and formulation of science policy. We describe three science policy debates developed for the physics classroom aimed at encouraging students to draw connections between their developing technical expertise and important science policy issues. The first debate considers the proposal for a 450-megawatt wind farm on public lands in Nantucket Sound and fits naturally into the curriculum related to alternative forms of energy production. The second debate considers national fuel-economy standards for sport-utility vehicles and can be incorporated into the curriculum related to heat engines. The third debate, suitable for the curriculum in optics, considers solid state lighting and implications of recent United States legislation that places stringent new energy-efficiency and reliability requirements on conventional lighting. The technical foundation for each of these debates fits naturally into the undergraduate physics curriculum and the material is suitable for a wide range of physics courses, including general science courses for non-majors.

Causal explanations for class inequality in health--an empirical analysis.

PubMed

Lundberg, O

1991-01-01

One of the most important issues for research on social class inequalities in health are the causes behind such differences. So far, the debate on class inequalities in health has mainly been centred around hypotheses on artefactual and selectional processes. Although most contributors to this branch of research have argued in favour of causal explanations, these have gained very little systematic scrutiny. In this article, several possible causal factors are singled out for empirical testing. The effect of these factors on class differences in physical and mental illness is studied by means of logit regressions. On the basis of these analyses, it is shown that physical working conditions are the prime source of class inequality in physical illness, although economic hardship during upbringing and health related behaviours also contribute. For class inequality in mental illness these three factors plus weak social network are important. In sum, a large part of the class differences in physical as well as mental illness can be understood as a result of systematic differences between classes in living conditions, primarily differences in working conditions.

A cross-national exploration of societal-level factors associated with child physical abuse and neglect.

PubMed

Klevens, Joanne; Ports, Katie A; Austin, Chelsea; Ludlow, Ivan J; Hurd, Jacqueline

2017-11-28

Children around the world experience violence at the hands of their caregivers at alarming rates. A recent review estimates that a minimum of 50% of children in Asia, Africa, and North America experienced severe physical violence by caregivers in the past year, with large variations between countries. Identifying modifiable country-level factors driving these geographic variations has great potential for achieving population-level reductions in rates of child maltreatment. This study builds on previous research by focusing on caregiver-reported physical abuse and neglect victimisation, examining 22 societal factors representing 11 different constructs among 42 countries from 5 continents at different stages of development. Our findings suggest that gender inequity may be important for both child physical abuse and neglect. Indicators of literacy and development may also be important for child neglect. Given the limitations of the correlational findings and measurement issues, it is critical to continue to investigate societal-level factors of child maltreatment so that interventions and prevention efforts can incorporate strategies that have the greatest potential for population-level impact.

Physical Education--Dead, Quiescent, or Undergoing Modification?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zeigler, Earle F.

1982-01-01

The issues surrounding the status of physical education are explored. Those working in the field of physical education are said to have inferiority complexes and feelings of embarrassment about their chosen profession. A list of 10 recent developments focuses on issues which confront the physical education profession. (JN)

Population health management in integrated physical and mental health care.

PubMed

Sieck, Cynthia J; Wickizer, Thomas; Geist, Laurel

2014-01-01

Individuals suffering from serious mental illness (SMI) face many challenges of navigating a complex and often fragmented health care system and may die significantly earlier from co-morbid physical health conditions. Integrating mental and physical health care for individuals with SMI is an emerging trend addressing the often-neglected physical health care needs of this population to better coordinate care and improve health outcomes. Population Health Management (PHM) provides a useful friamework for designing integrated care programs for individuals with SMI. This paper examines the structure and evolution of the integrated care program in Missouri in the context of PHM, highlighting particular elements of PHM that facilitate and support development of an integrated mental and physical health care program. As health care reform provides external motivation to provide integrated care, this study can be useful as other states attempt to address this important issue.

Perceptions of Physical Inspections as a Tool to Protect Housing Quality and Promote Health Equity.

PubMed

Holtzen, Holly; Klein, Elizabeth G; Keller, Brittney; Hood, Nancy

2016-01-01

Physical inspections that assess how well affordable housing properties meet quality and safety standards help to ensure that low-income tenants live in a healthy built environment. This study was part of a larger Health Impact Assessment (HIA) conducted between January 2012 and November 2013 to inform policymakers about the potential health consequences of a proposed policy decision to align the physical inspections required by housing funding agencies, which would result in a reduction of the frequency of physical inspections. Key informant interviews (n=18) of property managers and tenants were used to explore the inspection process, identification of housing quality issues, and potential effects on the health of affordable housing tenants and the impact on property management practices. Results indicate that physical inspection frequency may be an important trigger for property managers and tenants to adhere to proper maintenance schedules.

Initialization and assimilation of cloud and rainwater in a regional model

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Raymond, William H.; Olson, William S.

1990-01-01

The initialization and assimilation of cloud and rainwater quantities in a mesoscale regional model was examined. Forecasts of explicit cloud and rainwater are made using conservation equations. The physical processes include condensation, evaporation, autoconversion, accretion, and the removal of rainwater by fallout. These physical processes, some of which are parameterized, represent source and sink in terms in the conservation equations. The question of how to initialize the explicit liquid water calculations in numerical models and how to retain information about precipitation processes during the 4-D assimilation cycle are important issues that are addressed.

Science and Society Colloquium

ScienceCinema

None

2017-12-09

Mr. Randi will give an update of his lecture to the American Physical Society on the occasion of his award of the 1989 Forum Prize. The citation said: "for his unique defense of Science and the scientific method in many disciplines, including physics, against pseudoscience, frauds and charlatans. His use of scientific techniques has contributed to refuting suspicious and fraudulent claims of paranormal results. He has contributed significantly to public understanding of important issues where science and society interact". He is a professional magician and author of many books. He worked with John Maddox, the Editor of Nature to investigate the claims of "water with memory".

Physical inactivity as a policy problem: applying a concept from policy analysis to a public health issue.

PubMed

Rütten, Alfred; Abu-Omar, Karim; Gelius, Peter; Schow, Diana

2013-03-07

Despite the recent rapid development of policies to counteract physical inactivity (PI), only a small number of systematic analyses on the evolution of these policies exists. In this article we analyze how PI, as a public health issue, "translates" into a policy-making issue. First, we discuss why PI has become an increasingly important public health issue during the last two decades. We then follow Guy Peters and conceptualize PI as a "policy problem" that has the potential to be linked to policy instruments and policy impact. Analysis indicates that PI is a policy problem that i) is chronic in nature; ii) involves a high degree of political complexity; iii) can be disaggregated into smaller scales; iv) is addressed through interventions that can be difficult to "sell" to the public when their benefits are not highly divisible; v) cannot be solved by government spending alone; vi) must be addressed through a broad scope of activities; and vii) involves interdependencies among both multiple sectors and levels of government.We conclude that the new perspective on PI proposed in this article might be useful and important for i) describing and mapping policies to counteract PI in different contexts; ii) evaluating whether or not existing policy instruments are appropriate to the policy problem of PI, and iii) explaining the factors and processes that underlie policy development and implementation. More research is warranted in all these areas. In particular, we propose to focus on comparative analyses of how the problem of PI is defined and tackled in different contexts, and on the identification of truly effective policy instruments that are designed to "solve" the PI policy problem.

Continuous palliative sedation: not only a response to physical suffering.

PubMed

Swart, Siebe J; van der Heide, Agnes; van Zuylen, Lia; Perez, Roberto S G M; Zuurmond, Wouter W A; van der Maas, Paul J; van Delden, Johannes J M; Rietjens, Judith A C

2014-01-01

Palliative sedation is a medical intervention aimed at relieving symptoms that can no longer be controlled by conventional treatment. Ample knowledge is available regarding the nature of such symptoms, but there is no in-depth information regarding how health care workers decide about palliative sedation. The study objective was to investigate considerations concerning the indications for continuous palliative sedation (CPS) and issues that influence these considerations. The study consisted of qualitative interviews regarding patients who had recently received CPS. The study involved physicians and nurses working in general practice, nursing homes, and hospitals. Analyses by a multidisciplinary research team used the constant comparative method. Together with physical symptoms, psychological and existential suffering may combine to produce a refractory state for which other treatment options than CPS were not available or considered inappropriate. A limited life expectancy was by many considered crucial (e.g., to avoid hastening death) and by some less important (e.g., because the patient's suffering was considered to be key). Issues influencing the decision to use CPS related to patient preferences (e.g., dignity, not wanting to experience further suffering) or family issues (impact of suffering on family, family requesting CPS). The indication for CPS typically originates from physical symptoms and nonphysical problems producing a refractory state in which a patient suffers unbearably. In such states, preferences of patients and families and the life expectancy criterion are weighed against the severity of refractory symptoms. Therefore the use of CPS is not only a response to the physical suffering of patients in the dying phase.

Girls and A level physics : Identity and choices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thorley, Amelia Deborah Maud

This thesis addresses the question of how physics identity and physics self efficacy influence girls' choices to study or not to study physics post-16. This question is important because only 20% of the overall 16-18 physics cohort in England and Wales is female. A theoretical framework for physics identity is proposed using socio-cultural theories. An extensive review of the current literature on the issue of girls in physics, physics identity and physics self efficacy was used to support this framework.A mixed methods methodology with a funnelling approach to selecting participants was used. Two schools were selected because they had in the past demonstrated a higher than average progression rate for girls onto post-16 physics. An initial questionnaire was completed by 458 14 and 15 year old pupils. From the answers given on the questionnaire, 43 girls were selected to participate in three rounds of small group interviews. These girls were ones who were both thinking of studying physics post-16 and those who were not. Finally, extended narratives of four girls were developed to illustrate the links between physics identity, physics self efficacy and physics choice. Descriptive analysis of the questionnaire data was used to give a background picture of the pupils' overall views about science and physics, science and physics teachers and lessons and how they felt about physics. The group interview data was analysed thematically drawing on the themes identified in the literature review and themes that emerged from the data. The stories of four girls were analysed using narrative methodology. The results show that the issues of girls' engagement in physics cannot be resolved unless a holistic view is taken; that developing identification with physics occurs within the wider identity development of the girls that takes place in the many figured worlds that they inhabit. Particular notice needs to be taken of how girls' identification with physics develops due to interactions with teachers; how physics plays a part in the discourse of achievement and how society in general influences this identification. The research showed that there was little difference between future choosers and non choosers of physics.

Effects of health and safety problem recognition on small business facility investment.

PubMed

Park, Jisu; Jeong, Harin; Hong, Sujin; Park, Jong-Tae; Kim, Dae-Sung; Kim, Jongseo; Kim, Hae-Joon

2013-10-23

This study involved a survey of the facility investment experiences, which was designed to recognize the importance of health and safety problems, and industrial accident prevention. Ultimately, we hope that small scale industries will create effective industrial accident prevention programs and facility investments. An individual survey of businesses' present physical conditions, recognition of the importance of the health and safety problems, and facility investment experiences for preventing industrial accidents was conducted. The survey involved 1,145 business operators or management workers in small business places with fewer than 50 workers in six industrial complexes. Regarding the importance of occupational health and safety problems (OHS), 54.1% said it was "very important". Received technical and financial support, and industrial accidents that occurred during the past three years were recognized as highly important for OHS. In an investigation regarding facility investment experiences for industrial accident prevention, the largest factors were business size, greater numbers of industrial accidents, greater technical and financial support received, and greater recognition of the importance of the OHS. The related variables that decided facility investment for industry accident prevention in a logistic regression analysis were the experiences of business facilities where industrial accidents occurred during the past three years, received technical and financial support, and recognition of the OHS. Those considered very important were shown to be highly significant. Recognition of health and safety issues was higher when small businesses had experienced industrial accidents or received financial support. The investment in industrial accidents was greater when health and safety issues were recognized as important. Therefore, the goal of small business health and safety projects is to prioritize health and safety issues in terms of business management and recognition of importance. Therefore, currently various support projects are being conducted. However, there are issues regarding the limitations of the target businesses and inadequacies in maintenance and follow-up. Overall, it is necessary to provide various incentives for onsite participation that can lead to increased recognition of health and safety issues and practical investments, while perfecting maintenance and follow up measures by thoroughly revising existing operating systems.

Beyond STS: A research-based framework for socioscientific issues education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeidler, Dana L.; Sadler, Troy D.; Simmons, Michael L.; Howes, Elaine V.

2005-05-01

An important distinction can be made between the science, technology, and society (STS) movement of past years and the domain of socioscientific issues (SSI). STS education as typically practiced does not seem embedded in a coherent developmental or sociological framework that explicitly considers the psychological and epistemological growth of the child, nor the development of character or virtue. In contrast, the SSI movement focuses on empowering students to consider how science-based issues reflect, in part, moral principles and elements of virtue that encompass their own lives, as well as the physical and social world around them. The focus of this paper is to describe a research-based framework of current research and practice that identifies factors associated with reasoning about socioscientific issues and provide a working model that illustrates theoretical and conceptual links among key psychological, sociological, and developmental factors central to SSI and science education.

A review of issues and concerns of family members of adult burn survivors.

PubMed

Sundara, Diana C

2011-01-01

The purpose of this review is to synthesize what is known about the issues and concerns of families of adult burn survivors from research and clinical articles written between 1973 and 2009. Electronic database searching, ancestry searching, and electronic hand searching were performed to identify relevant articles. Seventeen research studies and 14 clinical articles were identified. Families are often in crisis immediately after the injury. This crisis involves strong emotions, some of which may persist over time. Throughout the course of hospitalization, family issues include worries about their loved one's physical appearance, logistical concerns, and the transition to home. For partners, role changes and sexual concerns may be of particular importance. Extended family, friends, the burn team, and other families affected by a burn injury are important sources of support for family members. Few studies have been conducted beyond the time of hospitalization. Clinical articles have identified issues not present in the research literature. Further research is needed that focuses more closely on families and their experiences both in and out of the hospital. Implications for burn care providers based on the findings of this review are discussed.

RNA as an Astrophysical or Geophysical Document?? Correlated issues in nebular and planetary astronomy, geology and biology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hill, L. C.

1999-12-01

The emergence of the largely silicate earth from a presumably cosmically normal, H-rich solar nebula 4.5 eons ago is an obviously important issue relevant to many disciplines of the physical sciences. The emergence of terrestrial life is an equally important issue for biological sciences. Recent discoveries of isotopically light carbon (i.e. putative chemical fossils) in 3.85+ Ga Issua, Greenland sediments have reopened the issue of whether terrestrial life may have emerged prior to the earliest known rocks so that one might use biological records to deduce early terrestrial environments. In addition, recent advances in molecular genetics have suggested that all known ancestral life forms passed through an early hydrogen-rich environment which is more consistent with the now rejected Urey hypothesis of a early jovian atmosphere than with contemporary geological and planetological paradigms. In this essay, then, we examine possible limitations of contemporary paradigms of planetary science since a prima facie case will be made that life could not emerge in those environments which those paradigms now allow. Of necessity, the discussion will also address some hidden conflicts embedded in various disciplinary methodologies (e.g. astronomy, biology, geology).

Physical therapy interventions for patients with movement disorders due to cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Barry, M J

1996-11-01

The purpose of this paper is to present evidence of the efficacy of physical therapy interventions for patients with cerebral palsy and identify goals for these patients. Studies suggest that neurodevelopmental treatment and Vojta techniques improve postural control. Little evidence supports the efficacy of early intervention, but researchers have not yet studied effects on the family. Strengthening, electrical stimulation, the use of orthoses, and seating show positive effects in studies of small numbers of subjects. For severely involved children, ease of care and comfort are important goals, as well as prevention of deformity, which is important for all children. To the extent possible, therapy should prepare a child for independent adult life. In early intervention through school age, therapy focuses on promoting communication, self-care, and mobility. Independence is a key issue for adolescents transitioning into adulthood. The rehabilitation and health needs of adults with cerebral palsy need to be addressed. Research needs to determine the effects of physical therapy not only on impairment but also on function and disability.

Sorbent control of trace metals in sewage sludge combustion and incineration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Naruse, I.; Yao, H.; Mkilaha, I. S. N.

2003-05-01

Coal and wastes combustion have become an important issue not only in terms of energy generation but also environmental conservation. The need for alternative fuels and wastes management has made the two energy sources of importance. However, the utilization of the two is faced with problems of impurity trace metals in the fuel. These metals usually speciate during combustion or incineration leading to generation of fumes and subsequently particles. This paper reports on the study aimed at understanding the speciation of trace metals and their emission from combustion systems as particulates. Experiments carried out using a down-flow furnace and theoretical study carried out using lead, chromium and cadmium as basic metals had shown that their speciation and subsequent emission is controlled by both chemical composition and physical properties of the fuel. The physical and chemical and physical properties of the fuel and their respective compounds and the operating conditions of the incineration and combustion system control the enrichment of the particles with trace metals.

The historicity of the physics class: enactments, mimes and imitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bergwik, Staffan

2014-06-01

This essay discusses Anna Danielsson's article "In the physics class: university physics students' enactments of class and gender in the context of laboratory work". The situated co-construction of knowledge and identity forms the crucial vantage point and I argue that it is a point of intersection between the history of science and research in science education. The former can provide a valuable understanding of the historicity of learning science. I thus highlight the importance of knowledge as situated in time and space, for instance the importance of the historical division between "head and hand" clearly visible in the discourse of Danielsson's informants. Moreover, the article discusses how identity is produced in specific knowledge contexts through repeated performances. The article closes by briefly suggesting analytical alternatives, in particular "belonging" and "imitation". Both draw on post-structuralist ideas about the citational nature of identity. Belonging is created by citing and reinstating norms. Imitating knowledge, identity and norms is an issue that should be brought to the fore when we speak of education and training.

Foreword: Proceedings of the 15th International Winterschool on New Developments in Solid State Physics (Mauterndorf (Bad Hofgastein), 18 22 February 2008)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jantsch, Wolfgang; Ferry, David; Kuchar, Friedl

2008-11-01

Günther Bauer Günther Bauer. This special issue of Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter is devoted to Günther Bauer, who celebrated his 65th birthday in September 2007. Günther has had a long career in condensed matter physics, but is known particularly for his studies of high magnetic field transport and optics in semiconductors and, more recently, for the discovery and x-ray analysis of self-organized 3D quantum dot crystals. However, his work is much broader than this, as indicated by the wide selection of topics which are represented in this special issue. Günther began his scientific career in Vienna, became associate Professor at the University of Ulm after habilitation at the Rheinisch-Westfälische Technische Hochschule Aachen, Germany, and then ascended to a full professorship at the Montanuniversität, Leoben, Austria, in 1980. He subsequently moved to the Johannes Kepler Universität, Linz, Austria, in 1990. Apart from his outstanding scientific achievements, Günther is also known for organizing the biannual winterschool on 'New Developments in Solid State Physics' beginning in 1980. Initially, he worked at this task together with Helmut Heinrich (until 2000) and Friedl Kuchar (1984 until now) and subsequently with Wolfgang Jantsch (who followed Helmut Heinrich in 2002). This winterschool was, and remains, very important in identifying new trends in solid state physics, and thus has a number of important proponents in the scientific community. It was at one of the first of these winterschools where the initial reports of the quantum Hall effect were presented, and it has been a meeting place where established experts (including three Nobel laureates) teach, and interact with students and young researchers. It is important to know that Günther's excellent international connections were necessary to maintain the high level of the winterschool over almost 30 years. After the first meeting in 1980 in Mariapfarr, these winterschools were held thirteen times in the castle of Mauterndorf, Province of Salzburg, Austria, and therefore the village name Mauterndorf became synonymous for this series within the semiconductor and nanoscience community. In 2008, the school had outgrown the available facilities in Mauterndorf, and relocated to Bad Hofgastein, not very far from Mauterndorf but providing a substantially larger venue, which allowed both facilities and accommodation for the ever growing number of attendees. In the last few winterschools, the main topic has been 'Semiconductor Nanostructures—Physics and Applications'. In 2008, we had about 240 participants from around the world and an outstanding scientific program comprising the most exciting developments of the past two years. Indeed, most papers in this special issue of Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter were presented at the 2008 Mauterndorf meeting. In addition, a number of outstanding experts on nanoscience and long term friends of the Mauterndorf winterschool volunteered to contribute to honour Günther. We thank all of them for their efforts.

Efforts of a Kansas Foundation to Increase Physical Activity and Improve Health by Funding Community Trails, 2012

PubMed Central

Heinrich, Katie M.; Lightner, Joseph; Oestman, Katherine B.; Kaczynski, Andrew T.

2014-01-01

Introduction Trails are associated with increased physical activity; however, little is known about the process of building trails by various types of organizations. From 2005 through 2012 the Sunflower Foundation: Health Care for Kansans (Sunflower) funded multiple organizations to construct 70 trails of varying lengths and surfaces in municipalities, schools, and communities across Kansas. The purpose of this study was to assess the process of developing and implementing community trail projects across Kansas with funding from a public foundation. Methods In 2012, we stratified funded organizations by type and conducted proportional random sampling to select 20 key informants from those organizations to participate in structured telephone interviews. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Two researchers coded interview transcripts according to issues identified by participants. Results Issues associated with trail-building identified as important were collaboration among groups, unexpected construction costs, champions for the project, and level of difficulty of construction. Participants indicated that trails facilitated physical activity. Trails were integrated into communities through events such as walking events and other promotional efforts; these efforts were thought to increase trail use. The perceived outcomes of building the trails included providing the community with a physical activity resource, inspiring the community to start additional trail projects, and increasing the physical activity of local residents. Conclusion Sunflower’s funding was instrumental in developing trail projects to provide new physical activity resources across Kansas. Public health practitioners seeking to increase physical activity should seek funding from foundations that focus on health. PMID:25427316

Physical punishment, culture, and rights: current issues for professionals.

PubMed

Durrant, Joan E

2008-02-01

Once considered a legitimate parenting tool, physical punishment is increasingly being redefined as a developmental risk factor by health professionals. Three forces that have contributed to this significant social change are the evolution of pediatric psychology, increasing understanding of the dynamics of parental violence, and growing recognition of children as rights bearers. However, despite the consistency of research findings demonstrating the risks of physical punishment, some practitioners still struggle with the question of whether physical punishment is an appropriate practice among some cultural or ethnic groups. This issue is explored through an analysis of studies examining cultural differences and similarities in physical punishment's effects, as well as legal decisions made throughout the world. Despite practitioners' awareness of the prevalence and impact of parental violence, some still struggle with deciding where to "draw the line" in advising parents about spanking. This issue is addressed through an examination of the role that physical punishment plays in child maltreatment. Finally, the human rights perspective on physical punishment is offered as a new lens through which practitioners may view physical punishment to clarify the fuzzy issues of cultural relativity and the punishment-abuse dichotomy.

Existential loneliness: a review of the concept, its psychosocial precipitants and psychotherapeutic implications for HIV-infected women.

PubMed

Mayers, A M; Svartberg, M

2001-12-01

While many of the most urgent psychological issues that women with HIV infection are forced to deal with are existential in nature, and therefore shared by humankind, the assault on their physical and psychological being may trigger these issues in large amounts and may overwhelm their defensive structure. Existential loneliness may be an important existential issue that arises for these women and needs to be given equal consideration alongside other forms of loneliness. In this paper, we review the concept of existential loneliness, discuss methods to measure the concept, delineate some central psychosocial precipitants of existential loneliness among HIV-infected women, and discuss psychotherapeutic implications. We conclude that incorporating an existential philosophical perspective into one's particular therapeutic stance may be especially appropriate with this population.

Work Organization and Health Issues in Long-Term Care Centers

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yuan; Flum, Marian; Nobrega, Suzanne; Blais, Lara; Qamili, Shpend; Punnett, Laura

2018-01-01

This qualitative study explored common and divergent perceptions of caregivers and managers regarding occupational health and safety, work organization, and psychosocial concerns in long-term care centers. Both common and differing issues were identified. Both groups agreed on the importance of ergonomic concerns, the high prevalence of stress, and receptiveness to participatory health promotion programs. However, numerous work organization issues and physical and psychosocial workplace hazards were identified by certified nursing assistants but were not mentioned by managers. The results suggest that different perceptions naturally arise from people's varying positions in the occupational hierarchy and their consequent exposures to health and safety hazards. Improved systems of communication that allow frontline workers to express their concerns would make it possible to create solutions to these problems. PMID:21261239

Patients' mental models and adherence to outpatient physical therapy home exercise programs.

PubMed

Rizzo, Jon

2015-05-01

Within physical therapy, patient adherence usually relates to attending appointments, following advice, and/or undertaking prescribed exercise. Similar to findings for general medical adherence, patient adherence to physical therapy home exercise programs (HEP) is estimated between 35 and 72%. Adherence to HEPs is a multifactorial and poorly understood phenomenon, with no consensus regarding a common theoretical framework that best guides empirical or clinical efforts. Mental models, a construct used to explain behavior and decision-making in the social sciences, may serve as this framework. Mental models comprise an individual's tacit thoughts about how the world works. They include assumptions about new experiences and expectations for the future based on implicit comparisons between current and past experiences. Mental models play an important role in decision-making and guiding actions. This professional theoretical article discusses empirical research demonstrating relationships among mental models, prior experience, and adherence decisions in medical and physical therapy contexts. Specific issues related to mental models and physical therapy patient adherence are discussed, including the importance of articulation of patients' mental models, assessment of patients' mental models that relate to exercise program adherence, discrepancy between patient and provider mental models, and revision of patients' mental models in ways that enhance adherence. The article concludes with practical implications for physical therapists and recommendations for further research to better understand the role of mental models in physical therapy patient adherence behavior.

Are you a ``physics person''? Understanding students' experiences, identities, and beliefs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potvin, Geoff

2015-03-01

For several years, there has been much attention paid to the dearth of women in physics. Discussion has centered on various explanatory frameworks as to why women do not pursue physics in college as a career and on their persistence in such pursuits. In this talk, I will summarize efforts by our group to investigate recruitment and persistence issues for women in high school and undergraduate physics. Viewed through the lens of identity, we have repeatedly seen the importance of high school students' beliefs about the recognition they receive as a ``physics person'' to their identity development (especially so for women) and, ultimately, their physics-related career choices. Separately, we have studied the ways in which students evaluate their male and female physics teachers, which is an avenue to unravel students' beliefs and (possible) gender biases towards competency in physics. We have found statistically significant and replicable bias (in repeated independent measurements) against female physics teachers, exhibited by both male and female students. Lastly, I will report on a series of interventions that we have implemented in introductory college physics classrooms as attempts to positively affect women's attitudes towards physics, and their physics identities specifically. NSF Grant No. 1036617.

Beyond quantum probability: another formalism shared by quantum physics and psychology.

PubMed

Dzhafarov, Ehtibar N; Kujala, Janne V

2013-06-01

There is another meeting place for quantum physics and psychology, both within and outside of cognitive modeling. In physics it is known as the issue of classical (probabilistic) determinism, and in psychology it is known as the issue of selective influences. The formalisms independently developed in the two areas for dealing with these issues turn out to be identical, opening ways for mutually beneficial interactions.

Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be Active! A Workshop Curriculum for Youth Ages 11 to 13. Guide for Training Program Facilitators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shriver, Eunice Kennedy

2008-01-01

The Media-Smart Youth: Eat, Think, and Be Active! program is an engaging curriculum that helps young people understand the complex media world around them so they can make thoughtful decisions about issues important to their health, specifically nutrition and physical activity. This training guide was developed in response to the requests of…

Preface: Special Topic: From Quantum Mechanics to Force Fields.

PubMed

Piquemal, Jean-Philip; Jordan, Kenneth D

2017-10-28

This Special Topic issue entitled "From Quantum Mechanics to Force Fields" is dedicated to the ongoing efforts of the theoretical chemistry community to develop a new generation of accurate force fields based on data from high-level electronic structure calculations and to develop faster electronic structure methods for testing and designing force fields as well as for carrying out simulations. This issue includes a collection of 35 original research articles that illustrate recent theoretical advances in the field. It provides a timely snapshot of recent developments in the generation of approaches to enable more accurate molecular simulations of processes important in chemistry, physics, biophysics, and materials science.

Integration of remote sensing and GIS: Data and data access

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ehlers, M.; Greenlee, D.D.; Smith, T.; Star, J.

1991-01-01

CT: Theintegration of remote sensing tools and technology with the spatial analysis orientation of geographic information systems is a complex task. In this paper, we focus on the issues of making data available and useful to the user. In part, this involves a set of problems which reflect on the physical and logical structures used to encode the data. At the same time, however, the mechanisms and protocols which provide information about the data, and which maintain the data through time, have become increasingly important. We discuss these latter issues from the viewpoint of the functions which must be provided by archives of spatial data.

Preface: Special Topic: From Quantum Mechanics to Force Fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Piquemal, Jean-Philip; Jordan, Kenneth D.

2017-10-01

This Special Topic issue entitled "From Quantum Mechanics to Force Fields" is dedicated to the ongoing efforts of the theoretical chemistry community to develop a new generation of accurate force fields based on data from high-level electronic structure calculations and to develop faster electronic structure methods for testing and designing force fields as well as for carrying out simulations. This issue includes a collection of 35 original research articles that illustrate recent theoretical advances in the field. It provides a timely snapshot of recent developments in the generation of approaches to enable more accurate molecular simulations of processes important in chemistry, physics, biophysics, and materials science.

The right frame of reference makes it simple: an example of introductory mechanics supported by video analysis of motion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, P.; Gröber, S.; Kuhn, J.; Fleischhauer, A.; Müller, A.

2015-01-01

The selection and application of coordinate systems is an important issue in physics. However, considering different frames of references in a given problem sometimes seems un-intuitive and is difficult for students. We present a concrete problem of projectile motion which vividly demonstrates the value of considering different frames of references. We use this example to explore the effectiveness of video-based motion analysis (VBMA) as an instructional technique at university level in enhancing students’ understanding of the abstract concept of coordinate systems. A pilot study with 47 undergraduate students indicates that VBMA instruction improves conceptual understanding of this issue.

Predictive monitoring research: Summary of the PREMON system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doyle, Richard J.; Sellers, Suzanne M.; Atkinson, David J.

1987-01-01

Traditional approaches to monitoring are proving inadequate in the face of two important issues: the dynamic adjustment of expectations about sensor values when the behavior of the device is too complex to enumerate beforehand, and the selective but effective interpretation of sensor readings when the number of sensors becomes overwhelming. This system addresses these issues by building an explicit model of a device and applying common-sense theories of physics to model causality in the device. The resulting causal simulation of the device supports planning decisions about how to efficiently yet reliably utilize a limited number of sensors to verify correct operation of the device.

Hospital Patient Room Design: The Issues Facing 23 Occupational Groups Who Work in Medical/Surgical Patient Rooms.

PubMed

Lavender, Steven A; Sommerich, Carolyn M; Patterson, Emily S; Sanders, Elizabeth B-N; Evans, Kevin D; Park, Sanghyun; Umar, Radin Zaid Radin; Li, Jing

2015-01-01

The aim of this study was to learn from a wide range of hospital staff members about how the design of the patient room in which they work adversely affects their ergonomics or hinders their job performance. In addition to providing a healing space for patients, hospital patient rooms need to serve as functional workplaces for the people who provide clinical care, to clean, or to maintain room functions. Therefore, from a design perspective, it is important to understand the needs of all the users of hospital patient rooms with regard to room design. One hundred forty-seven people, representing 23 different occupational stakeholder groups, participated in either focus groups or interviews in which they were asked to identify room design issues that affect the performance of their work tasks. Key issues shared across multiple stakeholder groups included an inability to have eye contact with the patient when entering the room, inadequate space around the bed for the equipment used by stakeholders, the physical demands experienced as stakeholders move furnishings to accomplish their activities or access equipment, and a lack of available horizontal surfaces. Unique issues were also identified for a number of stakeholder groups. There are a number of issues that should be addressed in the next generation of hospital patient rooms, or when refurbishing existing facilities, so that all occupational stakeholder groups can work effectively, efficiently, and without undue physical stress. © The Author(s) 2015.

Interventions to improve physical activity during pregnancy: a systematic review on issues of internal and external validity using the RE-AIM framework.

PubMed

Craike, M; Hill, B; Gaskin, C J; Skouteris, H

2017-03-01

Physical activity (PA) during pregnancy has significant health benefits for the mother and her child; however, many women reduce their activity levels during pregnancy and most are not sufficiently active. Given the important health benefits of PA during pregnancy, evidence that supports research translation is vital. To determine the extent to which physical activity interventions for pregnant women report on internal and external validity factors using the RE-AIM framework (reach, efficacy/effectiveness, adoption, implementation, and maintenance). Ten databases were searched up to 1 June 2015. Eligible published papers and unpublished/grey literature were identified using relevant search terms. Studies had to report on physical activity interventions during pregnancy, including measures of physical activity during pregnancy at baseline and at least one point post-intervention. Randomised controlled trials and quasi-experimental studies that had a comparator group were included. Reporting of RE-AIM dimensions were summarised and synthesised across studies. The reach (72.1%) and efficacy/effectiveness (71.8%) dimensions were commonly reported; however, the implementation (28.9%) and adoption (23.2%) dimensions were less commonly reported and no studies reported on maintenance. This review highlights the under-reporting of issues of contextual factors in studies of physical activity during pregnancy. The translation of physical activity interventions during pregnancy could be improved through reporting of representativeness of participants, clearer reporting of outcomes, more detail on the setting and staff who deliver interventions, costing of interventions and the inclusion of process evaluations and qualitative data. The systematic review highlights the under-reporting of contextual factors in studies of physical activity during pregnancy. © 2016 Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

CALL FOR PAPERS: Special issue on the random search problem: trends and perspectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

da Luz, Marcos G. E.; Grosberg, Alexander Y.; Raposo, Ernesto P.; Viswanathan, Gandhi M.

2008-11-01

This is a call for contributions to a special issue of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical dedicated to the subject of the random search problem. The motivation behind this special issue is to summarize in a single comprehensive publication, the main aspects (past and present), latest developments, different viewpoints and the directions being followed in this multidisciplinary field. We hope that such a special issue could become a particularly valuable reference for the broad scientific community working with the general random search problem. The Editorial Board has invited Marcos G E da Luz, Alexander Y Grosberg, Ernesto P Raposo and Gandhi M Viswanathan to serve as Guest Editors for the special issue. The general question of how to optimize the search for specific target objects in either continuous or discrete environments when the information available is limited is of significant importance in a broad range of fields. Representative examples include ecology (animal foraging, dispersion of populations), geology (oil recovery from mature reservoirs), information theory (automated researchers of registers in high-capacity database), molecular biology (proteins searching for their sites, e.g., on DNA ), etc. One reason underlying the richness of the random search problem relates to the `ignorance' of the locations of the randomly located `targets'. A statistical approach to the search problem can deal adequately with incomplete information and so stochastic strategies become advantageous. The general problem of how to search efficiently for randomly located target sites can thus be quantitatively described using the concepts and methods of statistical physics and stochastic processes. Scope Thus far, to the best of our knowledge, no recent textbook or review article in a physics journal has appeared on this topic. This makes a special issue with review and research articles attractive to those interested in acquiring a general introduction to the field. The subject can be approached from the perspective of different fields: ecology, networks, transport problems, molecular biology, etc. The study of the problem is particularly suited to the concepts and methods of statistical physics and stochastic processes; for example, fractals, random walks, anomalous diffusion. Discrete landscapes can be approached via graph theory, random lattices and complex networks. Such topics are regularly discussed in Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical. All such aspects of the problem fall within the scope and focus of this special issue on the random search problem: trends and perspectives. Editorial policy All contributions to the special issue will be refereed in accordance with the refereeing policy of the journal. In particular, all research papers will be expected to be original work reporting substantial new results. The issue will also contain a number of review articles by invitation only. The Guest Editors reserve the right to judge whether a contribution fits the scope of the special issue. Guidelines for preparation of contributions We aim to publish the special issue in August 2009. To realize this, the DEADLINE for contributed papers is 15 January 2009. There is a page limit of 15 printed pages (approximately 9000 words) per contribution. For papers exceeding this limit, the Guest Editors reserve the right to request a reduction in length. Further advice on document preparation can be found at www.iop.org/Journals/jphysa. Contributions to the special issue should if possible be submitted electronically by web upload at www.iop.org/Journals/jphysa, or by email to jphysa@iop.org, quoting 'J. Phys. A Special Issue— Random Search Problem'. Please state whether the paper has been invited or is contributed. Submissions should ideally be in standard LaTeX form. Please see the website for further information on electronic submissions. Authors unable to submit electronically may send hard-copy contributions to: Publishing Administrators, Journal of Physics A, Institute of Physics Publishing, Dirac House, Temple Back, Bristol BS1 6BE, UK, enclosing electronic code on CD if available and quoting 'J. Phys. A Special Issue—Random Search Problem'. All contributions should be accompanied by a read-me file or covering letter giving the postal and e-mail addresses for correspondence. The Publishing Office should be notified of any subsequent change of address. This special issue will be published in the paper and online version of the journal. The corresponding author of each contribution will receive a complimentary copy of the issue.

Effects of health and safety problem recognition on small business facility investment

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Objectives This study involved a survey of the facility investment experiences, which was designed to recognize the importance of health and safety problems, and industrial accident prevention. Ultimately, we hope that small scale industries will create effective industrial accident prevention programs and facility investments. Methods An individual survey of businesses’ present physical conditions, recognition of the importance of the health and safety problems, and facility investment experiences for preventing industrial accidents was conducted. The survey involved 1,145 business operators or management workers in small business places with fewer than 50 workers in six industrial complexes. Results Regarding the importance of occupational health and safety problems (OHS), 54.1% said it was “very important”. Received technical and financial support, and industrial accidents that occurred during the past three years were recognized as highly important for OHS. In an investigation regarding facility investment experiences for industrial accident prevention, the largest factors were business size, greater numbers of industrial accidents, greater technical and financial support received, and greater recognition of the importance of the OHS. The related variables that decided facility investment for industry accident prevention in a logistic regression analysis were the experiences of business facilities where industrial accidents occurred during the past three years, received technical and financial support, and recognition of the OHS. Those considered very important were shown to be highly significant. Conclusions Recognition of health and safety issues was higher when small businesses had experienced industrial accidents or received financial support. The investment in industrial accidents was greater when health and safety issues were recognized as important. Therefore, the goal of small business health and safety projects is to prioritize health and safety issues in terms of business management and recognition of importance. Therefore, currently various support projects are being conducted. However, there are issues regarding the limitations of the target businesses and inadequacies in maintenance and follow-up. Overall, it is necessary to provide various incentives for onsite participation that can lead to increased recognition of health and safety issues and practical investments, while perfecting maintenance and follow up measures by thoroughly revising existing operating systems. PMID:24472180

EDITORIAL: Materially speaking!

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cornwall, Malcolm G.

1997-05-01

We live in a highly materialistic age. This is true not only for our spiritual outlook - or lack of it - but undeniably so for the physical world in which we live. Materials, which are the feature of this special issue, provide literally the fabric on which the modern world is built. Materials science is the systematic study of the physical properties and behaviour of solids with practical applications and importance (if the utility of the material is not explicit or important we are probably in the realm of solid state physics!). Materials in this sense are the stuff of which cars and computers, jet aircraft and washing machines, tower blocks and saucepans, bridges and golf clubs are made. The science of materials therefore encompasses most of the things that form the infrastructure of modern life. But perhaps it is its very ubiquity that removes the mystique, the glamour, the 'zing' from the subject. In contrast, anything cosmological, astronomical or 'fundamental' (as in 'particle'), i.e. of little or no practical significance to our day-to-day lives, excites the curiosity of many able young people. Witness the profusion of books about galaxies and black holes, and quarks and GUTs which strain the popular science shelves of the bookshops. I'm probably being heretical, but perhaps the over-hyping of the very large and the very small has indeed attracted the able few into the serious study of physics, but because of its inherent mathematical complexity and esoteric remoteness maybe it has put off the average youngster who would nevertheless enjoy and succeed in physics-based higher education (and, not incidentally, help fill the seriously depleted lecture theatres in many university physics - and engineering - departments). Materials science on the other hand deals with an intermediate range of things which, give or take an order of magnitude or three, are person-sized as well as person useful. It is - therefore? - undoubtedly one of the less glamorous of the areas of physics-based science and technology. Can materials science be made intellectually more exciting and mind-stretching for our students? In this special issue we present several articles by researchers in less-than-familiar but important areas of materials science and technology. Following a review by Mathew Philip of some of the basic atomic theory which underlies materials science, Jose Silva looks at how artificial diamonds can be made and at how we can apply this exotic material (other than on fingers and around necks). Alan Piercy reviews the field of giant magnetostrictive materials, which, when magnetized, change dimensions hundreds or even thousands of times more than traditional ferromagnetics. David Pettifor provides a nicely interdisciplinary overview of how computer simulations, from the subatomic to the macroscopic level, can be used to help in the design of new materials for such things as turbine blades. Adrian Rennie offers a much-requested written version of the entertaining 1995/6 IOP Schools Lecture on the physics of polymers. (We had hoped to include an article by Professor Colin Gough of Birmingham University on High Temperatue Superconductors, but for technical reasons this has had to be postponed until a future issue.) Finally, there are two articles describing an initiative which will have a direct practical impact on the teaching and learning of `Materials' in the UK. Karen Davies describes the exciting new Materials Gallery due to be opened at the Science Museum as this issue goes to press in May 1997 (no coincidence!), and David Sang provides details of how the new gallery has been linked directly with the GNVQ curriculum, and can certainly be exploited more widely in our physics and technology teaching. Perhaps this can help provide the missing 'zing' that materials science at present seems to lack.

The stress of food allergy issues in daily life.

PubMed

Peniamina, Rana L; Mirosa, Miranda; Bremer, Philip; Conner, Tamlin S

2016-06-01

Food allergies are a growing health concern, but their implications for daily psychological functioning are unknown. This micro-longitudinal study investigated the daily frequency of food allergy issues and how this related to experiences of stress, mood and physical energy. One hundred and eight adults with physician-diagnosed food allergies completed an initial Internet survey followed by a 2-week Internet daily diary survey. The initial survey collected socio-demographic and food allergy information. The daily survey collected information about the participants' experiences of stress, mood, physical energy and food allergy issues during that day. Commonly experienced allergy issues included negative physical symptoms, higher food prices, anxiety about safety of food, trouble maintaining a healthy diet and anxiety/stress at social occasions. Furthermore, multilevel modelling analyses showed that stress and negative mood were significantly higher on days with more allergy issues. Older adults experienced lower positive mood and physical energy on days with more issues. This is the first study to incorporate near to real-time tracking to examine the frequency of food allergy issues and the implications for daily psychological functioning. Targeting the issues we identified could reduce stress in patients with food allergies and improve their overall quality of life.

Inverse statistical physics of protein sequences: a key issues review.

PubMed

Cocco, Simona; Feinauer, Christoph; Figliuzzi, Matteo; Monasson, Rémi; Weigt, Martin

2018-03-01

In the course of evolution, proteins undergo important changes in their amino acid sequences, while their three-dimensional folded structure and their biological function remain remarkably conserved. Thanks to modern sequencing techniques, sequence data accumulate at unprecedented pace. This provides large sets of so-called homologous, i.e. evolutionarily related protein sequences, to which methods of inverse statistical physics can be applied. Using sequence data as the basis for the inference of Boltzmann distributions from samples of microscopic configurations or observables, it is possible to extract information about evolutionary constraints and thus protein function and structure. Here we give an overview over some biologically important questions, and how statistical-mechanics inspired modeling approaches can help to answer them. Finally, we discuss some open questions, which we expect to be addressed over the next years.

Inverse statistical physics of protein sequences: a key issues review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cocco, Simona; Feinauer, Christoph; Figliuzzi, Matteo; Monasson, Rémi; Weigt, Martin

2018-03-01

In the course of evolution, proteins undergo important changes in their amino acid sequences, while their three-dimensional folded structure and their biological function remain remarkably conserved. Thanks to modern sequencing techniques, sequence data accumulate at unprecedented pace. This provides large sets of so-called homologous, i.e. evolutionarily related protein sequences, to which methods of inverse statistical physics can be applied. Using sequence data as the basis for the inference of Boltzmann distributions from samples of microscopic configurations or observables, it is possible to extract information about evolutionary constraints and thus protein function and structure. Here we give an overview over some biologically important questions, and how statistical-mechanics inspired modeling approaches can help to answer them. Finally, we discuss some open questions, which we expect to be addressed over the next years.

The Landscape of Graduate Admissions: Surveying Physics Programs about Doctoral Admissions Practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Potvin, Geoff

2014-03-01

Sustaining or improving the best graduate programs as well as increasing the diversity of the physics community requires us to better understand the critical gatekeeping role played by graduate admissions. Admissions processes determine not only who is allowed to begin graduate study but can also influence who chooses to even consider applying. Recently, in concert with some of the activities of the APS Bridge Program, a survey was conducted of directors of graduate admissions and associated faculty in doctoral-granting departments about their admissions practices. Receiving responses from over 75% of departments that award PhDs in physics, respondents were probed about their admissions decisions with special attention on the criteria used in admissions and their relative importance, and how student representation considerations are dealt with in the admissions process (if at all). Results indicate a number of important issues for future students, faculty, and administrators to consider including the importance placed on GRE scores. Results also indicate a sizable number of departments express a latent demand for greater numbers of students from traditionally-underrepresented backgrounds (including women) but simultaneously report a dearth of such students who even apply to their doctoral programs. Implications of these and other findings will be discussed.

Human factors analysis of workstation design: Earth Radiation Budget Satellite Mission Operations Room

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stewart, L. J.; Murphy, E. D.; Mitchell, C. M.

1982-01-01

A human factors analysis addressed three related yet distinct issues within the area of workstation design for the Earth Radiation Budget Satellite (ERBS) mission operation room (MOR). The first issue, physical layout of the MOR, received the most intensive effort. It involved the positioning of clusters of equipment within the physical dimensions of the ERBS MOR. The second issue for analysis was comprised of several environmental concerns, such as lighting, furniture, and heating and ventilation systems. The third issue was component arrangement, involving the physical arrangement of individual components within clusters of consoles, e.g., a communications panel.

Special issue on cluster algebras in mathematical physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Francesco, Philippe; Gekhtman, Michael; Kuniba, Atsuo; Yamazaki, Masahito

2014-02-01

This is a call for contributions to a special issue of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical dedicated to cluster algebras in mathematical physics. Over the ten years since their introduction by Fomin and Zelevinsky, the theory of cluster algebras has witnessed a spectacular growth, first and foremost due to the many links that have been discovered with a wide range of subjects in mathematics and, increasingly, theoretical and mathematical physics. The main motivation of this special issue is to gather together reviews, recent developments and open problems, mainly from a mathematical physics viewpoint, into a single comprehensive issue. We expect that such a special issue will become a valuable reference for the broad scientific community working in mathematical and theoretical physics. The issue will consist of invited review articles and contributed papers containing new results on the interplays of cluster algebras with mathematical physics. Editorial policy The Guest Editors for this issue are Philippe Di Francesco, Michael Gekhtman, Atsuo Kuniba and Masahito Yamazaki. The areas and topics for this issue include, but are not limited to: discrete integrable systems arising from cluster mutations cluster structure on Poisson varieties cluster algebras and soliton interactions cluster positivity conjecture Y-systems in the thermodynamic Bethe ansatz and Zamolodchikov's periodicity conjecture T-system of transfer matrices of integrable lattice models dilogarithm identities in conformal field theory wall crossing in 4d N = 2 supersymmetric gauge theories 4d N = 1 quiver gauge theories described by networks scattering amplitudes of 4d N = 4 theories 3d N = 2 gauge theories described by flat connections on 3-manifolds integrability of dimer/Ising models on graphs. All contributions will be refereed and processed according to the usual procedure of the journal. Guidelines for preparation of contributions The deadline for contributed papers is 31 March 2014. This deadline will allow the special issue to appear at the end of 2014. There is no strict regulation on article size, but as a guide the preferable size is 15-30 pages for contributed papers and 40-60 pages for reviews. Further advice on publishing your work in Journal of Physics A may be found at iopscience.iop.org/jphysa. Contributions to the special issue should be submitted by web upload via ScholarOne Manuscripts, quoting 'JPhysA special issue on cluster algebras in mathematical physics'. Submissions should ideally be in standard LaTeX form. Please see the website for further information on electronic submissions. All contributions should be accompanied by a read-me file or covering letter giving the postal and e-mail addresses for correspondence. The Publishing Office should be notified of any subsequent change of address. The special issue will be published in the print and online versions of the journal.

Special issue on cluster algebras in mathematical physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Francesco, Philippe; Gekhtman, Michael; Kuniba, Atsuo; Yamazaki, Masahito

2013-12-01

This is a call for contributions to a special issue of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical dedicated to cluster algebras in mathematical physics. Over the ten years since their introduction by Fomin and Zelevinsky, the theory of cluster algebras has witnessed a spectacular growth, first and foremost due to the many links that have been discovered with a wide range of subjects in mathematics and, increasingly, theoretical and mathematical physics. The main motivation of this special issue is to gather together reviews, recent developments and open problems, mainly from a mathematical physics viewpoint, into a single comprehensive issue. We expect that such a special issue will become a valuable reference for the broad scientific community working in mathematical and theoretical physics. The issue will consist of invited review articles and contributed papers containing new results on the interplays of cluster algebras with mathematical physics. Editorial policy The Guest Editors for this issue are Philippe Di Francesco, Michael Gekhtman, Atsuo Kuniba and Masahito Yamazaki. The areas and topics for this issue include, but are not limited to: discrete integrable systems arising from cluster mutations cluster structure on Poisson varieties cluster algebras and soliton interactions cluster positivity conjecture Y-systems in the thermodynamic Bethe ansatz and Zamolodchikov's periodicity conjecture T-system of transfer matrices of integrable lattice models dilogarithm identities in conformal field theory wall crossing in 4d N = 2 supersymmetric gauge theories 4d N = 1 quiver gauge theories described by networks scattering amplitudes of 4d N = 4 theories 3d N = 2 gauge theories described by flat connections on 3-manifolds integrability of dimer/Ising models on graphs. All contributions will be refereed and processed according to the usual procedure of the journal. Guidelines for preparation of contributions The deadline for contributed papers is 31 March 2014. This deadline will allow the special issue to appear at the end of 2014. There is no strict regulation on article size, but as a guide the preferable size is 15-30 pages for contributed papers and 40-60 pages for reviews. Further advice on publishing your work in Journal of Physics A may be found at iopscience.iop.org/jphysa. Contributions to the special issue should be submitted by web upload via ScholarOne Manuscripts, quoting 'JPhysA special issue on cluster algebras in mathematical physics'. Submissions should ideally be in standard LaTeX form. Please see the website for further information on electronic submissions. All contributions should be accompanied by a read-me file or covering letter giving the postal and e-mail addresses for correspondence. The Publishing Office should be notified of any subsequent change of address. The special issue will be published in the print and online versions of the journal.

Special issue on cluster algebras in mathematical physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Francesco, Philippe; Gekhtman, Michael; Kuniba, Atsuo; Yamazaki, Masahito

2013-11-01

This is a call for contributions to a special issue of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical dedicated to cluster algebras in mathematical physics. Over the ten years since their introduction by Fomin and Zelevinsky, the theory of cluster algebras has witnessed a spectacular growth, first and foremost due to the many links that have been discovered with a wide range of subjects in mathematics and, increasingly, theoretical and mathematical physics. The main motivation of this special issue is to gather together reviews, recent developments and open problems, mainly from a mathematical physics viewpoint, into a single comprehensive issue. We expect that such a special issue will become a valuable reference for the broad scientific community working in mathematical and theoretical physics. The issue will consist of invited review articles and contributed papers containing new results on the interplays of cluster algebras with mathematical physics. Editorial policy The Guest Editors for this issue are Philippe Di Francesco, Michael Gekhtman, Atsuo Kuniba and Masahito Yamazaki. The areas and topics for this issue include, but are not limited to: discrete integrable systems arising from cluster mutations cluster structure on Poisson varieties cluster algebras and soliton interactions cluster positivity conjecture Y-systems in the thermodynamic Bethe ansatz and Zamolodchikov's periodicity conjecture T-system of transfer matrices of integrable lattice models dilogarithm identities in conformal field theory wall crossing in 4d N = 2 supersymmetric gauge theories 4d N = 1 quiver gauge theories described by networks scattering amplitudes of 4d N = 4 theories 3d N = 2 gauge theories described by flat connections on 3-manifolds integrability of dimer/Ising models on graphs. All contributions will be refereed and processed according to the usual procedure of the journal. Guidelines for preparation of contributions The deadline for contributed papers is 31 March 2014. This deadline will allow the special issue to appear at the end of 2014. There is no strict regulation on article size, but as a guide the preferable size is 15-30 pages for contributed papers and 40-60 pages for reviews. Further advice on publishing your work in Journal of Physics A may be found at iopscience.iop.org/jphysa. Contributions to the special issue should be submitted by web upload via ScholarOne Manuscripts, quoting 'JPhysA special issue on cluster algebras in mathematical physics'. Submissions should ideally be in standard LaTeX form. Please see the website for further information on electronic submissions. All contributions should be accompanied by a read-me file or covering letter giving the postal and e-mail addresses for correspondence. The Publishing Office should be notified of any subsequent change of address. The special issue will be published in the print and online versions of the journal.

Opioid Analgesics.

PubMed

Jamison, Robert N; Mao, Jianren

2015-07-01

Chronic pain is an international health issue of immense importance that is influenced by both physical and psychological factors. Opioids are useful in treating chronic pain but have accompanying complications. It is important for clinicians to understand the basics of opioid pharmacology, the benefits and adverse effects of opioids, and related problematic issues of tolerance, dependence, and opioid-induced hyperalgesia. In this article, the role of psychiatric comorbidity and the use of validated assessment tools to identify individuals who are at the greatest risk for opioid misuse are discussed. Additionally, interventional treatment strategies for patients with chronic pain who are at risk for opioid misuse are presented. Specific behavioral interventions designed to improve adherence with prescription opioids among persons treated for chronic pain, such as frequent monitoring, periodic urine screens, opioid therapy agreements, opioid checklists, and motivational counseling, are also reviewed. Use of state-sponsored prescription drug monitoring programs is also encouraged. Areas requiring additional investigation are identified, and the future role of abuse-deterrent opioids and innovative technology in addressing issues of opioid therapy and pain are presented. Copyright © 2015 Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Communication and context are important to Indigenous children with physical disability and their carers at a community-based physiotherapy service: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Greenstein, Caroline; Lowell, Anne; Thomas, David

2016-01-01

What are the experiences of Indigenous children with physical disability and their carers of their community-based physiotherapy service? What factors influence their experiences of the physiotherapy service and how could the service be improved? A qualitative study using in-depth, semi-structured open-ended interviews consistent with the researchers' interpretivist perspectives and ethical principles of Indigenous health research. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed and coded for themes with qualitative research software using inductive analysis. The interviews were then checked for transcription accuracy and the themes were confirmed with the participants. Nine parents and foster carers of children with physical disability aged 0 to 21 years, five children and youth with physical disability aged 8 to 21 years. The data generated three themes, which informed practice recommendations: carers of children with physical disability experience increased demands and complexity in their lives; relationships involving caring, consistency and communication are important to consumers using the physiotherapy service; and being Indigenous influences consumers' experiences in ways that may not be obvious to non-Indigenous service providers. The issue of communication underpinned the participants' experiences throughout these themes. The research highlighted the importance of effective communication, developing relationships, viewing the child wholistically and recognising the influence of being Indigenous on clients' healthcare needs and experiences. The results suggested that community-based physiotherapists adopt a family/person-centred, context-specific approach when working with Indigenous children with a physical disability and their carers. Copyright © 2015 Australian Physiotherapy Association. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The Physics Analysis of a Gas Attenuator with Argon as a Working Gas

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

Ryutov,, D.D.

2010-12-07

A gas attenuator is an important element of the LCLS facility. The attenuator must operate in a broad range of x-ray energies, provide attenuation coefficient between 1 and 10{sup 4} with the accuracy of 1% and, at the same time, be reliable and allow for many months of un-interrupted operation. S. Shen has recently carried out a detailed design study of the attenuator based on the use of nitrogen as a working gas. In this note we assess the features of the attenuator based on the use of argon. We concentrate on the physics issues, not the design features.

Basics of Lasers: History, Physics, and Clinical Applications.

PubMed

Franck, Philipp; Henderson, Peter W; Rothaus, Kenneth O

2016-07-01

Lasers are increasingly used by plastic surgeons to address issues such as wrinkles and textural changes, skin laxity, hyperpigmentation, vascularity, and excess fat accumulation. A fundamental understanding of the underlying science and physics of laser technology is important for the safe and efficacious use of laser in medical settings. The purpose of this article was to give clinicians with limited exposure to lasers a basic understanding of the underlying science. In that manner, they can confidently make appropriate decisions as to the best device to use on a patient (or the best device to purchase for a practice). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sustaining a career in surgery.

PubMed

Brandt, Mary L

2017-10-01

Surgery is a demanding career with great rewards and equally great challenges. In order to sustain our careers as well as the careers of our colleagues, it is important to understand and address the physical, psychological and spiritual challenges of surgery. With rare exception, the majority of surgery residents and practicing surgeons who prematurely leave surgery do so because they find the work to be physically, emotionally or spiritually incompatible with the vision they have for their life. Understanding these issues and providing solutions to improve surgeon wellness can help prevent societal loss of these highly trained professionals and suffering for surgeons and their families. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Science and Society Colloquium

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

None

Mr. Randi will give an update of his lecture to the American Physical Society on the occasion of his award of the 1989 Forum Prize. The citation said: "for his unique defense of Science and the scientific method in many disciplines, including physics, against pseudoscience, frauds and charlatans. His use of scientific techniques has contributed to refuting suspicious and fraudulent claims of paranormal results. He has contributed significantly to public understanding of important issues where science and society interact". He is a professional magician and author of many books. He worked with John Maddox, the Editor of Nature to investigatemore » the claims of "water with memory".« less

Physics Teaching and Learning Methods: Comparison between the Developed and Developing Country Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deb, Pradip

2010-07-01

As a fundamental basis of all natural science and technology, Physics is the key subject in many science teaching institutions around the world. Physics teaching and learning is the most important issue today—because of its complexity and fast growing applications in many new fields. The laws of Physics are global—but teaching and learning methods of Physics are very different among countries and cultures. When I first came in Australia for higher education about 11 years ago with an undergraduate and a graduate degree in Physics from a university of Bangladesh, I found the Physics education system in Australia is very different to what I have experienced in Bangladesh. After having two graduate degrees from two Australian universities and gaining few years experience in Physics teaching in Australian universities, I compare the two different types of Physics education experiences in this paper and tried to find the answer of the question—does it all depend on the resources or internal culture of the society or both. Undergraduate and graduate level Physics syllabi, resources and teaching methods, examination and assessment systems, teacher-student relationships, and research cultures are discussed and compared with those in Australia.

Girls into Physics--Looking Back and Looking Forward

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomson, Clare

2011-01-01

Girls are under-represented in physics post-16. They continue to make up only 22% of those taking A-level Physics, despite the many changes in the educational system over the last 20 years. This article looks at the work the Institute of Physics has undertaken to address the issue. After outlining the key issues that were identified in work…

Introduction to the issue on Physics and Applications of Laser Dynamics (IS-PALD 2013).

PubMed

Grillot, Frédéric; Sciamanna, Marc; Chen, Yung-Fu

2014-03-24

We introduce the Optics Express special issue of the 3rd symposium on Physics and Applications of Laser Dynamics (IS-PALD). This issue consists of expanded papers related to oral and poster presentations. Selected papers represent the best of IS-PALD 2013.

EDITORIAL: Theory of fusion plasmas: selected papers from the Joint Varenna-Lausanne International Workshop Theory of fusion plasmas: selected papers from the Joint Varenna-Lausanne International Workshop

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garbet, X.; Sauter, O.

2011-05-01

The 2010 edition of the joint Varenna-Lausanne workshop on the theory of fusion plasmas was undoubtedly a great success. The programme encompasses a wide variety of topics, namely turbulence, MHD, edge physics and RF wave heating. The present PPCF issue is a collection of 19 outstanding papers, which cover these topics. It follows the publication of 22 refereed contributed papers in Journal of Physics: Conference Series 2010 260. There is no doubt that the production of articles was both abundant and of high scientific quality. This is why the Varenna-Lausanne meeting takes an important place in the landscape of conferences on fusion. Indeed this is the ideal forum for exchanging ideas on theory and modelling, and for substantiating the best results obtained in our field. The tradition of the meeting is to provide a forum for numerical modelling activities. This custom was clearly respected given the large fraction of papers in this special issue which address this subject. This feature reflects the revolution we have been living through for some years with the fast growth of high-performance computers. It also appears that analytical theory is flourishing. This is important for bringing new ideas and guidance to numerical simulations. Finally, code validation and comparison to experiments are well represented. We believe that this is good news given the complexity of the non-linear physics that is at stake in fusion devices. Another subject of satisfaction was the presence of many young scientists at the meeting. The encounter between young researchers and senior scientists is certainly a strong point of the Varenna-Lausanne conference. In conclusion, we anticipate a great success for this special issue of PPCF and we hope that the readers will find therein ideas and inspiration.

What gets missed when deploying new technologies in A&E?

PubMed

Broome, C; Adams, A

2005-06-01

This paper presents a longitudinal study (over 4 months) of an A&E department where the existing whiteboards were replaced with PC-based computer systems. The study was conducted in two parts - an observation of the physical whiteboard usage and in-depth interviews with all users of both the traditional whiteboard usage and the replacement technology. The research was conducted with the systems manager and all whiteboard users (i.e. nursing management, nurses, doctors, porters, and agency staff) across a spread of time frames. Although the technology supported simple information requirements, complex co-ordination, collaboration, and awareness issues were left unsupported. The important role of a pen-holder (information co-ordinator) was poorly supported by the replacement technology as was the task of annotating information with changing situations and needs. Specific deployment issues are derived from these findings that should guide designers when implementing technology replacements for current physical information formats (e.g. whiteboards, notice boards, shared paper notes).

Self-reported experiences of discrimination and health: scientific advances, ongoing controversies, and emerging issues.

PubMed

Lewis, Tené T; Cogburn, Courtney D; Williams, David R

2015-01-01

Over the past two decades, research examining the impact of self-reported experiences of discrimination on mental and physical health has increased dramatically. Studies have found consistent associations between exposure to discrimination and a wide range of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)-diagnosed mental disorders as well as objective physical health outcomes. Associations are seen in cross-sectional as well as longitudinal studies and persist even after adjustment for confounding variables, including personality characteristics and other threats to validity. However, controversies remain, particularly around the best approach to measuring experiences of discrimination, the significance of racial/ethnic discrimination versus overall mistreatment, the need to account for "intersectionalities," and the importance of comprehensive assessments. These issues are discussed in detail, along with emerging areas of emphasis including cyber discrimination, anticipatory stress or vigilance around discrimination, and interventions with potential to reduce the negative effects of discrimination on health. We also discuss priorities for future research and implications for interventions and policy.

Ethnic-Racial Stigma and Health Disparities: From Psychological Theory and Evidence to Public Policy Solutions

PubMed Central

Rivera, Luis M.

2014-01-01

The presence of diverse ethnic-racial groups in the United States today is a source of national pride. However, this cultural sentiment is overshadowed by the reality that those ethnic-racial groups that are stigmatized carry a disproportionate burden of negative physical health outcomes. These systematic differences are referred to as health disparities. Although this phenomenon is fairly well documented, relatively little is understood about the social contexts and the psychological processes they activate that contribute to poor health. More importantly, to demonstrate the processes underlying health disparities does not single-handedly address the issue of social injustice in the health of disadvantaged people. Scientists must assume the burden of facilitating the translation of their laboratory and community-based research to public policy recommendations. This volume of the Journal of Social Issues brings together social, developmental, cognitive, and clinical psychological research on the physical health of ethnic-racial stigmatized individuals in the United States. Each contribution explicitly discusses the implications of research for public health policy. PMID:25530632

Double shell planar experiments on OMEGA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dodd, E. S.; Merritt, E. C.; Palaniyappan, S.; Montgomery, D. S.; Daughton, W. S.; Schmidt, D. W.; Cardenas, T.; Wilson, D. C.; Loomis, E. N.; Batha, S. H.; Ping, Y.; Smalyuk, V. A.; Amendt, P. A.

2017-10-01

The double shell project is aimed at fielding neutron-producing capsules at the National Ignition Facility (NIF), in which an outer low-Z ablator collides with an inner high-Z shell to compress the fuel. However, understanding these targets experimentally can be challenging when compared with conventional single shell targets. Halfraum-driven planar targets at OMEGA are being used to study physics issues important to double shell implosions outside of a convergent geometry. Both VISAR and radiography through a tube have advantages over imaging through the hohlraum and double-shell capsule at NIF. A number physics issues are being studied with this platform that include 1-d and higher dimensional effects such as defect-driven hydrodynamic instabilities from engineering features. Additionally, the use of novel materials with controlled density gradients require study in easily diagnosed 1-d systems. This work ultimately feeds back into the NIF capsule platform through manufacturing tolerances set using data from OMEGA. Supported under the US DOE by the LANS, LLC under contract DE-AC52-06NA25396. LA-UR-17-25386.

SELF-REPORTED EXPERIENCES OF DISCRIMINATION AND HEALTH: SCIENTIFIC ADVANCES, ONGOING CONTROVERSIES, AND EMERGING ISSUES

PubMed Central

Lewis, Tené T.; Cogburn, Courtney D.; Williams, David R.

2017-01-01

Over the past two decades, research examining the impact of self-reported experiences of discrimination on mental and physical health has increased dramatically. Studies have found consistent associations between exposure to discrimination and a wide range of DSM-diagnosed mental disorders, as well as objective physical health outcomes. Associations are seen in cross-sectional as well as longitudinal studies and persist even after adjustment for controls, including personality characteristics and other threats to validity. However, controversies remain, particularly around the best approach to measuring experiences of discrimination; the significance of racial/ethnic discrimination versus overall mistreatment; the need to account for “intersectionalities”; and the importance of comprehensive assessments. These issues are discussed in detail, along with emerging areas of emphasis including: cyber-discrimination; anticipatory stress or vigilance around discrimination; and interventions with potential to reduce the negative effects of discrimination on health. We also discuss priorities for future research, and implications for interventions and policy. PMID:25581238

Guide to the assessment of physical activity: Clinical and research applications: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association.

PubMed

Strath, Scott J; Kaminsky, Leonard A; Ainsworth, Barbara E; Ekelund, Ulf; Freedson, Patty S; Gary, Rebecca A; Richardson, Caroline R; Smith, Derek T; Swartz, Ann M

2013-11-12

The deleterious health consequences of physical inactivity are vast, and they are of paramount clinical and research importance. Risk identification, benchmarks, efficacy, and evaluation of physical activity behavior change initiatives for clinicians and researchers all require a clear understanding of how to assess physical activity. In the present report, we have provided a clear rationale for the importance of assessing physical activity levels, and we have documented key concepts in understanding the different dimensions, domains, and terminology associated with physical activity measurement. The assessment methods presented allow for a greater understanding of the vast number of options available to clinicians and researchers when trying to assess physical activity levels in their patients or participants. The primary outcome desired is the main determining factor in the choice of physical activity assessment method. In combination with issues of feasibility/practicality, the availability of resources, and administration considerations, the desired outcome guides the choice of an appropriate assessment tool. The decision matrix, along with the accompanying tables, provides a mechanism for this selection that takes all of these factors into account. Clearly, the assessment method adopted and implemented will vary depending on circumstances, because there is no single best instrument appropriate for every situation. In summary, physical activity assessment should be considered a vital health measure that is tracked regularly over time. All other major modifiable cardiovascular risk factors (diabetes mellitus, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, obesity, and smoking) are assessed routinely. Physical activity status should also be assessed regularly. Multiple physical activity assessment methods provide reasonably accurate outcome measures, with choices dependent on setting-specific resources and constraints. The present scientific statement provides a guide to allow professionals to make a goal-specific selection of a meaningful physical activity assessment method.

Ocean Modeling in an Eddying Regime

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hecht, Matthew W.; Hasumi, Hiroyasu

This monograph is the first to survey progress in realistic simulation in a strongly eddying regime made possible by recent increases in computational capability. Its contributors comprise the leading researchers in this important and constantly evolving field. Divided into three parts, • Oceanographic Processes and Regimes: Fundamental Questions • Ocean Dynamics and State: From Regional to Global Scale, and • Modeling at the Mesoscale: State of the Art and Future Directions the volume details important advances in physical oceanography based on eddy resolving ocean modeling. It captures the state of the art and discusses issues that ocean modelers must consider in order to effectively contribute to advancing current knowledge, from subtleties of the underlying fluid dynamical equations to meaningful comparison with oceanographic observations and leading-edge model development. It summarizes many of the important results which have emerged from ocean modeling in an eddying regime, for those interested broadly in the physical science. More technical topics are intended to address the concerns of those actively working in the field.

Efficacy of lifestyle interventions in physical health management of patients with severe mental illness.

PubMed

Chacón, Fernando; Mora, Fernando; Gervás-Ríos, Alicia; Gilaberte, Inmaculada

2011-09-19

Awareness of the importance of maintaining physical health for patients with severe mental illnesses has recently been on the increase. Although there are several elements contributing to poor physical health among these patients as compared with the general population, risk factors for cardiovascular disease such as smoking, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, dyslipidemia, metabolic syndrome, and obesity are of particular significance due to their relationship with mortality and morbidity. These patients present higher vulnerability to cardiovascular risk factors based on several issues, such as genetic predisposition to certain pathologies, poor eating habits and sedentary lifestyles, high proportions of smokers and drug abusers, less access to regular health care services, and potential adverse events during pharmacological treatment. Nevertheless, there is ample scientific evidence supporting the benefits of lifestyle interventions based on diet and exercise designed to minimize and reduce the negative impact of these risk factors on the physical health of patients with severe mental illnesses.

Early intervention services of children with physical disabilities: complexity of child and family needs.

PubMed

Ziviani, Jenny; Darlington, Yvonne; Feeney, Rachel; Rodger, Sylvia; Watter, Pauline

2014-04-01

To gain insight into the special issues confronting parents when accessing early intervention for children with physical disabilities where child and/or family characteristics indicate complex needs within the unique Australian context. Qualitative interviews with families receiving early intervention for their children with physical disabilities (N=10). Families with complex circumstances such as having children with high support needs, those from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and single-parent families were recruited to the study. Families where parents had mental or health issues, parents/other family members had an identified disability, and/or where families lived in regional or rural locations were also purposively sampled. Participants highlighted issues around (i) the nature of early intervention services provided; (ii) the ways in which services were structured; and (ii) managing their child's needs/planning into the future. Parents stressed the importance of having access to a variety of early intervention services aside from therapy. They also emphasised the need for greater clarity about what to expect from services, the intensity of therapy, other services they could access and how long they would be able to receive these. Despite their complex circumstances and needs, participants' experiences of accessing early intervention services were largely consistent with the broader research literature. Of the parents interviewed, those with health problems and single mothers expressed most apprehension about managing their child's needs and planning for the future. © 2013 Occupational Therapy Australia.

Gender differences in quality of life among long-term colorectal cancer survivors with ostomies.

PubMed

Grant, Marcia; McMullen, Carmit K; Altschuler, Andrea; Mohler, M Jane; Hornbrook, Mark C; Herrinton, Lisa J; Wendel, Christopher S; Baldwin, Carol M; Krouse, Robert S

2011-09-01

To describe how gender shapes the concerns and adaptations of long-term (i.e., more than five years) colorectal cancer survivors with ostomies. Qualitative study using content analysis of focus group content. Oregon, southwestern Washington, and northern California. Four female and four male focus groups (N = 33) selected from 282 quantitative survey participants with health-related quality-of-life (HRQOL) scores in the highest or lowest quartile. Eight focus groups discussed the challenges of living with an ostomy. Content was recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using directive and summative content analysis. HRQOL domains of physical, psychological, social, and spiritual well-being. All groups reported avoiding foods that cause gas or rapid transit and discussed how limiting the amount of food eaten controlled the output. All groups discussed physical activities, getting support from friends and family, and the importance of being resilient. Both genders identified challenges with sexuality and intimacy. Coping and adjustment difficulties mostly were discussed by women, with men only discussing these issues to a small extent. Difficulties with sleep primarily were identified by women with low HRQOL. Problems with body image and depression were discussed only by women with low HRQOL. Common issues included diet management, physical activity, social support, and sexuality. Although both genders identified challenges, women described more specific psychological and social issues than men. Application of these gender-based differences can inform educational interventions for colorectal cancer survivors with ostomies.

Prosthetists' and Orthotists' experience of their work and workspace - characterising the physical and organisational environment: Focus group findings.

PubMed

Anderson, Sarah; Stuckey, Rwth; Oakman, Jodi R

2016-12-01

Little research has been undertaken into occupational health and safety in the Prosthetics and Orthotics profession. To identify physical, psychosocial and environmental workplace experiences of Prosthetists and Orthotists in organisational settings. Qualitative methodology, cross-sectional design, using thematically analysed data collected from focus groups. Focus groups explored workplace and work experiences across varied Prosthetic and Orthotic settings. Data were thematically analysed to identify physical, psychosocial and environmental workplace experiences. Three major themes, Demands of Work Practice, Impacts on the Individual and Job Design, were identified as problematic. A latent theme Perceptions of Others of P&O highlighted a lack of understanding of the Prosthetics and Orthotics job role outside the profession. This first study of occupational health and safety in the Prosthetics and Orthotics profession identifies a number of important physical and psychosocial issues, including characteristics that have been previously identified as risk factors for work-related musculoskeletal disorders. Findings from the study indicate that some Australian organisations lack understanding of the Prosthetics and Orthotics job role, which results in inappropriate expectations of Prosthetics and Orthotics professionals. Preventing injuries and retaining experienced Prosthetists and Orthotists in the workplace is vital for the profession, and as a result, issues raised in this study require further exploration and then development of appropriate management strategies. This is the first study characterising the experiences of work and risk of injuries in Prosthetists and Orthotists. Preventing injuries and retaining experienced Prosthetists and Orthotists in the workplace is vital for the international profession. Issues raised in this study require further exploration and then development of appropriate management strategies. © The International Society for Prosthetics and Orthotics 2015.

Leisure-time physical activity and absenteeism.

PubMed

Kerner, Ivana; Rakovac, Marija; Lazinica, Bruno

2017-09-26

Regular physical activity has a significant impact on health. There is scientific evidence for prescription of exercise in the treatment of at least 26 different chronic non-communicable diseases. Furthermore, it has an indirect role in the preservation of work capacity. The aim of this study was to review the published results of research on the relationship between leisure-time PA and absenteeism due to sickness. Medline database was searched using the keywords "leisuretime physical activity AND (sick leave OR sickness absence OR absenteeism)". Fifteen studies were included in the final analysis. A negative correlation between leisure-time PA and absenteeism due to sickness in working population was determined in 11 studies. The results support the inclusion of PA promotion in the programmes intended to reduce absenteeism prevalence, the latter being an important public health issue.

Self-organized criticality in neural networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Makarenkov, Vladimir I.; Kirillov, A. B.

1991-08-01

Possible mechanisms of creating different types of persistent states for informational processing are regarded. It is presented two origins of criticalities - self-organized and phase transition. A comparative analyses of their behavior is given. It is demonstrated that despite a likeness there are important differences. These differences can play a significant role to explain the physical issue of such highest functions of the brain as a short-term memory and attention. 1.

Simulation of electron transport in quantum well devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Miller, D. R.; Gullapalli, K. K.; Reddy, V. R.; Neikirk, D. P.

1992-01-01

Double barrier resonant tunneling diodes (DBRTD) have received much attention as possible terahertz devices. Despite impressive experimental results, the specifics of the device physics (i.e., how the electrons propagate through the structure) are only qualitatively understood. Therefore, better transport models are warranted if this technology is to mature. In this paper, the Lattice Wigner function is used to explain the important transport issues associated with DBRTD device behavior.

Computing Gröbner and Involutive Bases for Linear Systems of Difference Equations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yanovich, Denis

2018-02-01

The computation of involutive bases and Gröbner bases for linear systems of difference equations is solved and its importance for physical and mathematical problems is discussed. The algorithm and issues concerning its implementation in C are presented and calculation times are compared with the competing programs. The paper ends with consideration on the parallel version of this implementation and its scalability.

Euler equation existence, non-uniqueness and mesh converged statistics

PubMed Central

Glimm, James; Sharp, David H.; Lim, Hyunkyung; Kaufman, Ryan; Hu, Wenlin

2015-01-01

We review existence and non-uniqueness results for the Euler equation of fluid flow. These results are placed in the context of physical models and their solutions. Non-uniqueness is in direct conflict with the purpose of practical simulations, so that a mitigating strategy, outlined here, is important. We illustrate these issues in an examination of mesh converged turbulent statistics, with comparison to laboratory experiments. PMID:26261361

Exploring the Housing and Household Energy Pathways to Stress: A Mixed Methods Study.

PubMed

Hernández, Diana; Phillips, Douglas; Siegel, Eva Laura

2016-09-14

Chronic stress, known to contribute to negative physical and mental health outcomes, is closely associated with broader issues of material hardship, poor neighborhood conditions, residential instability, and inadequate housing conditions. However, few studies have comprehensively explored pathways to stress in a low-income housing environment. A mixed-methods pilot study investigated the concept of energy insecurity by looking at the impacts of weatherization and energy efficiency interventions on low-income households in the South Bronx neighborhood of New York City. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 low-income heads of household; participants also completed health, housing and budget assessments. Physical deficiencies, economic hardship, and health issues all interacted to directly and indirectly produce living conditions that contribute to chronic stress. Households with higher stress reported more health problems. Poor quality housing led to coping responses that increased expenses, which in turn increased stress around housing and energy affordability. This study provides further support for the connections between both health and the built environment and between low socio-economic status populations and net negative health outcomes. Energy insecurity is an important contributor to chronic stress in low-income households, and isolating pathways to stress where there is potential for interventions is important for future policy and housing-based strategies.

Monte Carlo simulation of ion-material interactions in nuclear fusion devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nieto Perez, M.; Avalos-Zuñiga, R.; Ramos, G.

2017-06-01

One of the key aspects regarding the technological development of nuclear fusion reactors is the understanding of the interaction between high-energy ions coming from the confined plasma and the materials that the plasma-facing components are made of. Among the multiple issues important to plasma-wall interactions in fusion devices, physical erosion and composition changes induced by energetic particle bombardment are considered critical due to possible material flaking, changes to surface roughness, impurity transport and the alteration of physicochemical properties of the near surface region due to phenomena such as redeposition or implantation. A Monte Carlo code named MATILDA (Modeling of Atomic Transport in Layered Dynamic Arrays) has been developed over the years to study phenomena related to ion beam bombardment such as erosion rate, composition changes, interphase mixing and material redeposition, which are relevant issues to plasma-aided manufacturing of microelectronics, components on object exposed to intense solar wind, fusion reactor technology and other important industrial fields. In the present work, the code is applied to study three cases of plasma material interactions relevant to fusion devices in order to highlight the code's capabilities: (1) the Be redeposition process on the ITER divertor, (2) physical erosion enhancement in castellated surfaces and (3) damage to multilayer mirrors used on EUV diagnostics in fusion devices due to particle bombardment.

Scientific Society Partnerships & Effective Strategies for Advancing Policy Objectives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hammer, P. W.; Greenamoyer, J.

2012-12-01

From the perspective of Congress, science is just another interest group that seeks a generous slice of an increasingly shrinking federal budget pie. Traditionally, the science community has not been effective at lobbying for the legislative advances and federal appropriations that enable the R&D enterprise. However, over the last couple decades, science societies have become more strategic in their outreach to Congress and the President. Indeed, many societies have lobbyists on staff, many of whom have a background in science. Yet, while science societies are beginning to be more effective as a political interest group, their members have been much slower to come around to this perspective as an important component of their professional lives. In this talk, we will illustrate how the American Institute of Physics partners with AGU and other science societies to identify joint policy priorities and then reach out to Congress and the President to advance these priorities. The biggest issue is funding for R&D, but science education is increasingly important as is other issues such as publishing policy. We will draw from a number examples, such as the NSF budget, funding for Pu-238, K-12 physical science education policy, and Open Access to illustrate how partnerships work and how scientists can be engaged as powerful political actors in the process.

Exploring the Housing and Household Energy Pathways to Stress: A Mixed Methods Study

PubMed Central

Hernández, Diana; Phillips, Douglas; Siegel, Eva Laura

2016-01-01

Chronic stress, known to contribute to negative physical and mental health outcomes, is closely associated with broader issues of material hardship, poor neighborhood conditions, residential instability, and inadequate housing conditions. However, few studies have comprehensively explored pathways to stress in a low-income housing environment. A mixed-methods pilot study investigated the concept of energy insecurity by looking at the impacts of weatherization and energy efficiency interventions on low-income households in the South Bronx neighborhood of New York City. In-depth interviews were conducted with 20 low-income heads of household; participants also completed health, housing and budget assessments. Physical deficiencies, economic hardship, and health issues all interacted to directly and indirectly produce living conditions that contribute to chronic stress. Households with higher stress reported more health problems. Poor quality housing led to coping responses that increased expenses, which in turn increased stress around housing and energy affordability. This study provides further support for the connections between both health and the built environment and between low socio-economic status populations and net negative health outcomes. Energy insecurity is an important contributor to chronic stress in low-income households, and isolating pathways to stress where there is potential for interventions is important for future policy and housing-based strategies. PMID:27649222

Facilitators and Threats to the Patient Dignity in Hospitalized Patients with Heart Diseases: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Borhani, Fariba; Abbaszadeh, Abbas; Rabori, Roghayeh Mehdipour

2016-01-01

Background: Patient’s dignity is an important issue which is highlighted in nursing It is an issue that is highly dependent on context and culture. Heart disease is the most common disease in Iran and the world. Identification of facilitator and threatening patient dignity in heart patients is vital. This study aimed to explore facilitator and threatening patient dignity in hospitalized patients with heart disease. Methods: This qualitative content analysis study was performed in 2014 in Kerman, Iran. 20 patients admitted to coronary care units and 5 personnel were selected using purposeful sampling in semi-structured and in depth interviews. Researchers also used documentation and field notes until data saturation. Qualitative data analysis was done constantly and simultaneously with data collection Results: Three central themes emerged: a) Care context which includes human environment and physical environment, b) Holistic safe care including meeting the needs of patients both in the hospital and after discharge, c) Creating a sense of security and an effective relationship between patient and nurse, including a respectful relationship and account the family in health team. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that care context is important for patient dignity as well as physical environment and safe holistic care. PMID:26793729

Management of diabetes mellitus in children and adolescents: engaging in physical activity.

PubMed

Nadella, Silpa; Indyk, Justin A; Kamboj, Manmohan K

2017-07-01

Regular physical activity is an important component in the management of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T1DM and T2DM), as it has the potential to improve glycemic control, delay cardiovascular complications, and increase overall well-being. Unfortunately, many children and adolescents with diabetes do not partake in regular exercise and physical activity for multiple reasons. This review identifies the barriers to participation from the aspect of the patient, caregiver, and the healthcare provider. The management of physical activity of children and adolescents with diabetes mellitus is unique and requires an understanding of exercise physiology and how it differs in these children and adolescents from those without the condition. These individuals are at risk for important and potentially life threatening complications including, but not limited to, severe or delayed nocturnal hypoglycemia. It is essential to identify these risks as well as, monitor and manage adjustments to carbohydrate intake and insulin dosing through basal-bolus regimen or insulin pump adjustments appropriately before, during, and after the exercise activity. This review discusses these issues and also outlines differences in management between patients with T1DM and T2DM.

Application of the Blobo bluetooth ball in wrist rehabilitation training

PubMed Central

Hsieh, Wei-Min; Hwang, Yuh-Shyan; Chen, Shih-Ching; Tan, Sun-Yen; Chen, Chih-Chen; Chen, Yu-Luen

2016-01-01

[Purpose] The introduction of emerging technologies such as the wireless Blobo bluetooth ball with multimedia features can enhance wrist physical therapy training, making it more fun and enhancing its effects. [Methods] Wrist injuries caused by fatigue at work, improper exercise, and other conditions are very common. Therefore, the reconstruction of wrist joint function is an important issue. The efficacy of a newly developed integrated wrist joint rehabilitation game using a Blobo bluetooth ball with C# software installed was tested in wrist rehabilitation (Flexion, Extension, Ulnar Deviation, Radial Deviation). [Results] Eight subjects with normal wrist function participated in a test of the system’s stability and repeatability. After performing the Blobo bluetooth ball wrist physical therapy training, eight patients with wrist dysfunction experienced approximately 10° improvements in range of motion (ROM) of flexion extension, and ulnar deviation and about 6° ROM improvement in radial deviation. The subjects showed progress in important indicators of wrist function. [Conclusion] This study used the Blobo bluetooth ball in wrist physical therapy training and the preliminary results were encouraging. In the future, more diverse wrist or limb rehabilitation games should be developed to meet the needs of physical therapy training. PMID:26957723

Application of the Blobo bluetooth ball in wrist rehabilitation training.

PubMed

Hsieh, Wei-Min; Hwang, Yuh-Shyan; Chen, Shih-Ching; Tan, Sun-Yen; Chen, Chih-Chen; Chen, Yu-Luen

2016-01-01

[Purpose] The introduction of emerging technologies such as the wireless Blobo bluetooth ball with multimedia features can enhance wrist physical therapy training, making it more fun and enhancing its effects. [Methods] Wrist injuries caused by fatigue at work, improper exercise, and other conditions are very common. Therefore, the reconstruction of wrist joint function is an important issue. The efficacy of a newly developed integrated wrist joint rehabilitation game using a Blobo bluetooth ball with C# software installed was tested in wrist rehabilitation (Flexion, Extension, Ulnar Deviation, Radial Deviation). [Results] Eight subjects with normal wrist function participated in a test of the system's stability and repeatability. After performing the Blobo bluetooth ball wrist physical therapy training, eight patients with wrist dysfunction experienced approximately 10° improvements in range of motion (ROM) of flexion extension, and ulnar deviation and about 6° ROM improvement in radial deviation. The subjects showed progress in important indicators of wrist function. [Conclusion] This study used the Blobo bluetooth ball in wrist physical therapy training and the preliminary results were encouraging. In the future, more diverse wrist or limb rehabilitation games should be developed to meet the needs of physical therapy training.

A survey of anthropometry and physical accommodation in ergonomics curricula.

PubMed

Garneau, Christopher J; Parkinson, Matthew B

2016-01-01

The size and shape of users are an important consideration for many products and environments. Designers and engineers in many disciplines must often accommodate these attributes to meet objectives such as fit and safety. When practitioners have academic training in addressing these issues, it is typically through courses in Human Factors/Ergonomics (HF/E). This paper investigates education related to physical accommodation and offers suggestions for improvement. A survey was conducted wherein 21 instructors at 18 universities in the United States provided syllabi for 29 courses, which were analysed to determine topics related to anthropometry and resources used for the courses. The results show that within the U.S., anthropometry is covered in the majority of courses discussing physical ergonomics, but important related concepts were often omitted (e.g., digital human modelling, multivariate accommodation and variability across global populations). Curricula could be improved by incorporating more accurate anthropometry, multivariate problems and interactive online tools. This paper describes a study investigating collegiate ergonomics courses within the U.S. in the area of physical accommodation. Course schedules and texts were studied for their treatment of several topics related to accommodating the spatial requirements (anthropometry) of users. Recommendations are made for improving course curricula.

A data-driven approach to modeling physical fatigue in the workplace using wearable sensors.

PubMed

Sedighi Maman, Zahra; Alamdar Yazdi, Mohammad Ali; Cavuoto, Lora A; Megahed, Fadel M

2017-11-01

Wearable sensors are currently being used to manage fatigue in professional athletics, transportation and mining industries. In manufacturing, physical fatigue is a challenging ergonomic/safety "issue" since it lowers productivity and increases the incidence of accidents. Therefore, physical fatigue must be managed. There are two main goals for this study. First, we examine the use of wearable sensors to detect physical fatigue occurrence in simulated manufacturing tasks. The second goal is to estimate the physical fatigue level over time. In order to achieve these goals, sensory data were recorded for eight healthy participants. Penalized logistic and multiple linear regression models were used for physical fatigue detection and level estimation, respectively. Important features from the five sensors locations were selected using Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), a popular variable selection methodology. The results show that the LASSO model performed well for both physical fatigue detection and modeling. The modeling approach is not participant and/or workload regime specific and thus can be adopted for other applications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Final Project Report "Advanced Concept Exploration For Fast Ignition Science Program"

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

STEPHENS, Richard B.; McLEAN, Harry M.; THEOBALD, Wolfgang

The Fast Ignition (FI) Concept for Inertial Confinement Fusion has the potential to provide a significant advance in the technical attractiveness of Inertial Fusion Energy (IFE) reactors. FI differs from conventional “central hot spot” (CHS) target ignition by decoupling compression from heating: using the laser (or heavy ion beam or Z pinch) drive pulse (10’s of ns) to create a dense fuel and a second, much shorter (~10 ps) high intensity pulse to ignite a small region of it. There are two major physics issues concerning this concept; controlling the laser-induced generation of large electron currents and their propagation throughmore » high density plasmas. This project has addressed these two significant scientific issues in Relativistic High Energy Density (RHED) physics. Learning to control relativistic laser matter interaction (and the limits and potential thereof) will enable a wide range of applications. While these physics issues are of specific interest to inertial fusion energy science, they are also important for a wide range of other HED phenomena, including high energy ion beam generation, isochoric heating of materials, and the development of high brightness x-ray sources. Generating, controlling, and understanding the extreme conditions needed to advance this science has proved to be challenging: Our studies have pushed the boundaries of physics understanding and are at the very limits of experimental, diagnostic, and simulation capabilities in high energy density laboratory physics (HEDLP). Our research strategy has been based on pursuing the fundamental physics underlying the Fast Ignition (FI) concept. We have performed comprehensive study of electron generation and transport in fast-ignition targets with experiments, theory, and numerical modeling. A major issue is that the electrons produced in these experiments cannot be measured directly—only effects due to their transport. We focused mainly on x-ray continuum photons from bremsstrahlung and x-ray line radiation from K-shell fluorescence. Integrated experiments, which combine target compression with short-pulse laser heating, yield additional information on target heating efficiency. This indirect way of studying the underlying behavior of the electrons must be validated with computational modeling to understand the physics and improve the design. This program execution required a large, well-organized team and it was managed by a joint Collaboration between General Atomics (GA), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), and the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE). The Collaboration was formed 8 years ago to understand the physics issues of the Fast Ignition concept, building on the strengths of each partner. GA fulfills its responsibilities jointly with the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), The Ohio State University (OSU) and the University of Nevada at Reno (UNR). Since RHED physics is pursued vigorously in many countries, international researchers have been an important part of our efforts to make progress. The division of responsibility was as follows: (1) LLE had primary leadership for channeling studies and the integrated energy transfer, (2) LLNL led the development of measurement methods, analysis, and deployment of diagnostics, and (3) GA together with UCSD, OSU and UNR studied the detailed energy-transfer physics. The experimental program was carried out using the Titan laser at the Jupiter Laser Facility at LLNL, the OMEGA and OMEGA EP lasers at LLE and the Texas Petawatt laser (TPW) at UT Austin. Modeling has been pursued on large computing facilities at LLNL, OSU, and UCSD using codes developed (by us and others) within the HEDLP program, commercial codes, and by leveraging existing supercomputer codes developed by the NNSA ICF program. This Consortium brought together all the components—resources, facilities, and personnel—necessary to accomplish its aggressive goals. The ACE Program has been strongly collaborative, taking advantage of the expertise of the participating institutions to provide a research effort that is far greater than the sum of its parts. The results of this work have firmly strengthened the scientific foundation from which the viability of FI and other applications can be evaluated. Program execution has also led to improved diagnostics for probing dense, hot plasmas, detailed understanding of high-current, relativistic electron energy generation and transport across boundaries and into dense plasmas, and greatly enhanced predictive modeling capabilities. One important aspect of this program was the involvement and training of young scientists including postdoctoral fellows and graduate students. During the entire 8 years of FI and ACE project period since 2005, more than fifteen graduate students completed their doctoral dissertations including three from OSU and two from UCSD in last three years. This project generated an impressive forty articles in high quality journals including nine (including two under review) in Physical Review Letters during the last funding period since 2011.« less

"You can't just jump on a bike and go": a qualitative study exploring parents' perceptions of physical activity in children with type 1 diabetes.

PubMed

Quirk, Helen; Blake, Holly; Dee, Beatrice; Glazebrook, Cris

2014-12-20

Parents of children with Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM) have an important role in supporting diabetes management behaviours and helping to maintain their child's healthy lifestyle. Physical activity has known benefits for children with T1DM [Diabet Med 31: 1163-1173], but children with chronic health conditions typically have low levels of physical activity. Research is needed to build an understanding of the experience of physical activity for children with T1DM. The purpose of this study was to understand parents' perceptions of what influences physical activity for children with T1DM and to inform the practice of those working with children who have T1DM. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 20 parents (18 mothers, 2 fathers) who had a child aged 7 - 13 years with T1DM in the UK. Interviews were recorded, transcribed verbatim and data were analysed using thematic analysis [Qual Res Psychol 3: 77-101, 2006]). Factors believed to influence participation in physical activity are presented as 7 major themes and 15 subthemes. Themes that emerged included the conflict between planning and spontaneous activity, struggles to control blood glucose, recognition of the importance of physical activity, the determination of parents, children relying on their parents to manage physical activity, the importance of a good support system and individual factors about the children that influence physical activity participation. This study highlights that parents serve as gate-keepers for children's physical activity. The findings provide insight into the need for T1DM knowledge and competence in personnel involved in the supervision of children's physical activities. Healthcare providers should collaborate with families to ensure understanding of how to manage physical activity. The findings sensitise professionals to the issues confronted by children with T1DM and their parents, as well as the methods used by children and their families to overcome obstacles to physical activity. The implications for further research, clinical practice, and physical activity promotion with children with T1DM are discussed.

Physical Disabilities: Education and Related Services, Fall 1999-Spring 2000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kulik, Barbara J., Ed.

2000-01-01

These two journal issues discuss topics relating to the physical and health disabilities of children and adults. The first issue contains the following articles: (1) "Position Statement on Specialized Health Care Procedures," by the Council for Exceptional Children's Division on Physical and Health Disabilities that calls for all…

Gene–Physical Activity Interactions: Overview of Human Studies

PubMed Central

Rankinen, Tuomo; Bouchard, Claude

2009-01-01

Physical activity level is an important component of the total daily energy expenditure and as such contributes to body weight regulation. A body of data indicates that the level of physical activity plays a role in the risk of excessive weight gain, in weight loss programs, and particularly in the prevention of weight regain. Most studies dealing with potential gene–physical activity interaction effects use an exercise and fitness or performance paradigm as opposed to an obesity-driven model. From these studies, it is clear that there are considerable individual differences in the response to an exercise regimen and that there is a substantial familial aggregation component to the observed heterogeneity. Few studies have focused on the role of specific genes in accounting for the highly prevalent gene–exercise interaction effects. Results for specific genes have been inconsistent with few exceptions. Progress is likely to come when studies will be designed to truly address gene–exercise or physical activity interaction issues and with sample sizes that will provide adequate statistical power. PMID:19037212

Student Responses to a Flipped Introductory Physics Class with built-in Post-Video Feedback Quizzes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ramos, Roberto

We present and analyze student responses to multiple Introductory physics classes in a university setting, taught in a ''flipped'' class format. The classes included algebra- and calculus-based introductory physics. Outside class, students viewed over 100 online video lectures on Classical Mechanics, Electricity and Magnetism, and Modern Physics prepared by this author and in some cases, by a third-party lecture package available over YouTube. Inside the class, students solved and discussed problems and conceptual issues in greater detail. A pre-class online quiz was deployed as an important source of feedback. I will report on the student reactions to the feedback mechanism, student responses using data based on anonymous surveys, as well as on learning gains from pre-/post- physics diagnostic tests. The results indicate a broad mixture of responses to different lecture video packages that depend on learning styles and perceptions. Students preferred the online quizzes as a mechanism to validate their understanding. The learning gains based on FCI and CSEM surveys were significant.

Changes in leisure-time physical activity and physical and mental health functioning: a follow-up study.

PubMed

Holstila, A; Mänty, M; Rahkonen, O; Lahelma, E; Lahti, J

2017-12-01

Functioning will be an increasingly important issue in Finland over the coming decades as the proportion of the population aged 65 and older is growing significantly. However, the associations between changes in physical activity and subsequent health functioning are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to examine how changes in physical activity relate to concurrent and prospective levels of health functioning. Cohort data from the Helsinki Health Study were used. Phase 1 (n = 8960, response rate 67%, 80% women) was conducted among 40- to 60-year-old employees of the City of Helsinki in 2000-2002, phase 2 in 2007 (n = 7332, response rate 83%), and phase 3 in 2012 (n = 6814, response rate 79%). Linear mixed models were used as the main statistical method. Increasing physical activity was associated with higher concurrent and prospective levels of physical health functioning, whereas decreasing activity was associated with lower levels of physical health functioning. The associations were stronger with physical than with mental health functioning. Promoting physical activity among aging people may help to maintain their level of health functioning. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Parental leave and increased physical activity of fathers and mothers--results from the Northern Swedish Cohort.

PubMed

Johansson, Klara; Wennberg, Patrik; Hammarström, Anne

2014-12-01

Physical activity is an important public health issue. Factors shown to be associated with physical activity are parenthood and country-level gender equality, while the importance of individual gender equality (in parenthood or in general) remains to explore. In Scandinavia, where parental leave can be shared equally between mothers and fathers, parental leave is one dimension of gender equality in parenthood. The aim of this study was to investigate parental leave in relation to increased physical activity among men and women. Participants in the Northern Swedish Cohort with a child born 1993-2005 (n = 584) were investigated with questionnaires at ages 21 and 42; register data on parental leave between ages 28 and 42 were obtained from Statistics Sweden. The relationships between parental leave between ages 28 and 42 and meeting WHO guidelines for physical activity at age 42, as well as changes in physical activity between ages 21 and 42, were tested with multinomial regression, controlling for socio-economic status and birth year of the child. For women, the length of parental leave was not associated with increased physical activity or with meeting WHO guidelines at age 42. For men, parental leave was associated with increased physical activity, controlling for socio-economic status and age of the child, but not with meeting WHO guidelines for physical activity at age 42. A gender non-traditional out-take of parental leave might be associated with an increase in physical activity among men at the lower end of the physical activity spectrum, but not among women. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Public Health Association. All rights reserved.

Weight as an embodiment of importance.

PubMed

Jostmann, Nils B; Lakens, Daniël; Schubert, Thomas W

2009-09-01

Four studies show that the abstract concept of importance is grounded in bodily experiences of weight. Participants provided judgments of importance while they held either a heavy or a light clipboard. Holding a heavy clipboard increased judgments of monetary value (Study 1) and made participants consider fair decision-making procedures to be more important (Study 2). It also caused more elaborate thinking, as indicated by higher consistency between related judgments (Study 3) and by greater polarization of agreement ratings for strong versus weak arguments (Study 4). In line with an embodied perspective on cognition, these findings suggest that, much as weight makes people invest more physical effort in dealing with concrete objects, it also makes people invest more cognitive effort in dealing with abstract issues.

Dietary Guidelines for the Asia Pacific Region.

PubMed

Binns, Colin W; Lee, Mi Kyung; Kagawa, Masaharu; Low, Wah Yun; Liqian, Qiu; Guldan, Georgia S; Hokama, Tomiko; Nanishi, Keiko; Oy, Sreymom; Tang, Li; Zerfas, Alfred

2017-03-01

Nutrition is a major determinant of health throughout all stages of life and together with smoking is the most important risk factor for morbidity and mortality in the Asia Pacific Region. The workshop participants examined Dietary Guidelines and Food Guides that are in use in our region, together with additional materials from the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the World Cancer Research Foundation. The resulting set of guidelines is meant as a reminder of the main issues to be covered in a general public health education program. It may also be of value in reminding public health practitioners, educators, administrators, and policy makers of current nutrition issues. It may additionally be useful as a checklist of the issues to be considered in public health programs and regulations. The main areas of nutrition that are included in the Guidelines are eating a variety of foods, including vegetables, fruits, whole grain cereals, and nuts. Choose fish, poultry, and meats grown in a sustainable way. Appropriate growth, including avoiding obesity, and physical activity are important. Breastfeeding is the basis of infant nutrition and nutrition of mothers is an important public health measure. Negative factors in the Asian diet include salt, refined sugar, alcohol and fats. The APACPH Dietary Guidelines will need to be kept under review and modified to meet regional differences in food supply. The Guidelines will be useful as a checklist of the issues to be considered in public health programs, addressing both acute and chronic diseases.

The Need for Hydrologists in the Third World.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sedlar, F.

2014-12-01

The United Nations estimates that by 2040 there will be 2 billion people living in slums around the world. Though the problems surrounding slums are varied and unique to each location, water is almost always the major concern. From physical issues such as water scarcity, treatment, and flooding to political issues including water privatization and distribution, water manifests itself in many complex, negative and unconventional ways in the global slums. Although many human rights and aid organizations are already doing important work in slums around the world I argue that the technical knowledge and perspectives that hydrologists have, particularly early career hydrologists, are extremely unique and desperately required in slums the world over.

Individual, work-, and flight-related issues in F-16 pilots reporting neck pain.

PubMed

De Loose, Veerle; Van den Oord, Marieke; Burnotte, Frédéric; Van Tiggelen, Damien; Stevens, Veerle; Cagnie, Barbara; Witvrouw, Erik; Danneels, Lieven

2008-08-01

Neck pain is a common problem in F-16 pilots. A cross-sectional survey was used to determine the self-reported 1-yr prevalence of neck pain and to compare individual, work-related, and flight-related characteristics in F-16 pilots with and without neck pain. There were 90 male F-16 pilots of the Belgian Air Force and The Royal Netherlands Air Force who voluntarily completed an anonymous survey. The 1-yr prevalence of neck pain was 18.9%. Pilots were divided into two groups: healthy (HG) and neck pain group (NPG). This study could not identify individual or specific flight-related differences between these two groups. High force demands, often sitting for a long time, frequently holding the neck in a forward bent posture, and being physically tired were all physical work-related factors that were reported significantly more often in the NPG. The NPG also reported significantly more psychosocial factors, such as being mentally tired at the end of the day and being annoyed by others at the workplace. Since the specific flight-related factors were not significantly different between the HG and the NPG, physical and psychosocial factors could have been important factors in the development or maintenance of neck pain in F-16 pilots. The results of this study highlight for the first time that, in addition to flight-related issues, other aspects must be considered in analyzing neck pain. These other aspects stress the importance of a broader approach when considering neck pain, even in this population that is exposed to very high loads during flight.

Special issue on cluster algebras in mathematical physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Di Francesco, Philippe; Gekhtman, Michael; Kuniba, Atsuo; Yamazaki, Masahito

2013-10-01

This is a call for contributions to a special issue of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical dedicated to cluster algebras in mathematical physics. Over the ten years since their introduction by Fomin and Zelevinsky, the theory of cluster algebras has witnessed a spectacular growth, first and foremost due to the many links that have been discovered with a wide range of subjects in mathematics and, increasingly, theoretical and mathematical physics. The main motivation of this special issue is to gather together reviews, recent developments and open problems, mainly from a mathematical physics viewpoint, into a single comprehensive issue. We expect that such a special issue will become a valuable reference for the broad scientific community working in mathematical and theoretical physics. The issue will consist of invited review articles and contributed papers containing new results on the interplays of cluster algebras with mathematical physics. Editorial policy The Guest Editors for this issue are Philippe Di Francesco, Michael Gekhtman, Atsuo Kuniba and Masahito Yamazaki. The areas and topics for this issue include, but are not limited to: discrete integrable systems arising from cluster mutations cluster structure on Poisson varieties cluster algebras and soliton interactions cluster positivity conjecture Y-systems in the thermodynamic Bethe ansatz and Zamolodchikov's periodicity conjecture T-system of transfer matrices of integrable lattice models dilogarithm identities in conformal field theory wall crossing in 4d N = 2 supersymmetric gauge theories 4d N = 1 quiver gauge theories described by networks scattering amplitudes of 4d N = 4 theories 3d N = 2 gauge theories described by flat connections on 3-manifolds integrability of dimer/Ising models on graphs. All contributions will be refereed and processed according to the usual procedure of the journal. Guidelines for preparation of contributions The deadline for contributed papers is 31 March 2014. This deadline will allow the special issue to appear at the end of 2014. There is no strict regulation on article size, but as a guide the preferable size is 15-30 pages for contributed papers and 40-60 pages for reviews. Further advice on publishing your work in Journal of Physics A may be found at iopscience.iop.org/jphysa. Contributions to the special issue should be submitted by web upload via authors.iop.org/, or by email to jphysa@iop.org, quoting 'JPhysA special issue on cluster algebras in mathematical physics'. Submissions should ideally be in standard LaTeX form. Please see the website for further information on electronic submissions. All contributions should be accompanied by a read-me file or covering letter giving the postal and e-mail addresses for correspondence. The Publishing Office should be notified of any subsequent change of address. The special issue will be published in the print and online versions of the journal.

Athlete's Heart and Left Heart Disease.

PubMed

de Gregorio, Cesare; Di Nunzio, Dalia; Di Bella, Gianluca

2018-01-01

Physical activity comprises all muscular activities that require energy expenditure. Regular sequence of structured and organized exercise with the specific purpose of improving wellness and athletic performance is defined as a sports activity.Exercise can be performed at various levels of intensity and duration. According to the social context and pathways, it can be recreational, occupational, and competitive. Therefore, the training burden varies inherently and the heart adaptation is challenging.Although a general agreement on the fact that sports practice leads to metabolic, functional and physical benefits, there is evidence that some athletes may be subjected to adverse outcomes. Sudden cardiac death can occur in apparently healthy individuals with unrecognized cardiovascular disease.Thus, panels of experts in sports medicine have promoted important pre-participation screening programmes aimed at determining sports eligibility and differentiating between physiological remodeling and cardiac disease.In this review, the most important pathophysiological and diagnostic issues are discussed.

Nanotechnology in the regulation of stem cell behavior

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, King-Chuen; Tseng, Ching-Li; Wu, Chi-Chang; Kao, Feng-Chen; Tu, Yuan-Kun; So, Edmund C.; Wang, Yang-Kao

2013-10-01

Stem cells are known for their potential to repair damaged tissues. The adhesion, growth and differentiation of stem cells are likely controlled by the surrounding microenvironment which contains both chemical and physical cues. Physical cues in the microenvironment, for example, nanotopography, were shown to play important roles in stem cell fate decisions. Thus, controlling stem cell behavior by nanoscale topography has become an important issue in stem cell biology. Nanotechnology has emerged as a new exciting field and research from this field has greatly advanced. Nanotechnology allows the manipulation of sophisticated surfaces/scaffolds which can mimic the cellular environment for regulating cellular behaviors. Thus, we summarize recent studies on nanotechnology with applications to stem cell biology, including the regulation of stem cell adhesion, growth, differentiation, tracking and imaging. Understanding the interactions of nanomaterials with stem cells may provide the knowledge to apply to cell-scaffold combinations in tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.

Preschoolers' use of spatiotemporal history, appearance, and proper name in determining individual identity.

PubMed

Gutheil, Grant; Gelman, Susan A; Klein, Eileen; Michos, Katherine; Kelaita, Kara

2008-04-01

Humans construe their environment as composed largely of discrete individuals, which are also members of kinds (e.g., trees, cars, and people). On what basis do young children determine individual identity? How important are featural properties (e.g., physical appearance, name) relative to spatiotemporal history? Two studies examined the relative importance of these factors in preschoolers' and adults' identity judgments. Participants were shown pairs of individuals who looked identical but differed in their spatiotemporal history (e.g., two physically distinct but identical Winnie-the-Pooh dolls), and were asked whether both members in the pair would have access to knowledge that had been supplied to only one of the pairs. The results provide clear support for spatiotemporal history as the primary basis of identity judgments in both preschoolers and adults, and further place issues of identity within the broader cognitive framework of psychological essentialism.

Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking: Medical Follow-up for Victimized and High-Risk Youth.

PubMed

Kaplan, Dana M; Moore, Jessica L; Barron, Christine E; Goldberg, Amy P

2018-05-01

Domestic minor sex trafficking (DMST) has become an increasingly recognized issue associated with both immediate and long-term physical and mental health consequences. Guidelines have focused on potential risk factors, recruitment practices, and health consequences for these youth assisting in identification and intervention efforts. However, recommendations have not been established for continuous medical intervention and follow-up for this vulnerable patient population that includes both patients involved in and at high risk for DMST. Our goal is to highlight preliminary recommendations for and the importance of medical visits for these youth. A comprehensive physical examination, STI testing and treatment, and pregnancy prevention options are important to address the patients' concerns for their body and identify acute and chronic injuries. Further, collaborating with other medical and non-medical providers can provide essential resources for the multifaceted needs of DMST patients. [Full article available at http://rimed.org/rimedicaljournal-2018-05.asp].

Physics issues of gamma ray burst emissions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Liang, Edison

1987-01-01

The critical physics issues in the interpretation of gamma-ray-burst spectra are reviewed. An attempt is made to define the emission-region parameter space satisfying the maximum number of observational and theoretical constraints. Also discussed are the physical mechanisms responsible for the bursts that are most consistent with the above parameter space.

Applied Physics Lab Kennedy Space Center: Recent Contributions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Starr, Stan; Youngquist, Robert

2006-01-01

The mission of the Applied Physics Lab is: (1) Develop and deliver novel sensors and devices to support KSC mission operations. (2) Analyze operational issues and recommend or deliver practical solutions. (3) Apply physics to the resolution of long term space flight issues that affect space port operation on Earth or on other planets.

MO-FG-BRB-02: Debater [medical physics education

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

Hazle, J.

Building on the energy and excitement of Washington DC in a presidential election year, AAPM will host its own Presidential Debate to better understand the views of the AAPM membership! Past presidents of the AAPM, Drs. Bayouth, Hazle, Herman, and Seibert, will debate hot topics in medical physics including issues facing education, professional practice, and the advancement of science. The moderators, Drs. Brock and Stern, will also draw in topics from Point-Counterpoint articles from the Medical Physics Journals. Wrapping up the debate, the audience will have the opportunity to question the candidates in a town hall format. At the conclusionmore » of this lively debate, the winner will be decided by the audience, so bring your Audience Response Units! Be part of Medical Physics - Decision 2016! Learning Objectives: Understand AAPM members’ views and opinions on issues facing medical physics education Learn AAPM members’ views and opinions on issues facing professional practice Identify AAPM members’ view and opinions on issues facing the advancement of science in medical physics J. Bayouth, Funding support from NCI;Scientific Advisory Board member - ViewRay.« less

MO-FG-BRB-00: AAPM Presidential Debate [medical physics education

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

NONE

Building on the energy and excitement of Washington DC in a presidential election year, AAPM will host its own Presidential Debate to better understand the views of the AAPM membership! Past presidents of the AAPM, Drs. Bayouth, Hazle, Herman, and Seibert, will debate hot topics in medical physics including issues facing education, professional practice, and the advancement of science. The moderators, Drs. Brock and Stern, will also draw in topics from Point-Counterpoint articles from the Medical Physics Journals. Wrapping up the debate, the audience will have the opportunity to question the candidates in a town hall format. At the conclusionmore » of this lively debate, the winner will be decided by the audience, so bring your Audience Response Units! Be part of Medical Physics - Decision 2016! Learning Objectives: Understand AAPM members’ views and opinions on issues facing medical physics education Learn AAPM members’ views and opinions on issues facing professional practice Identify AAPM members’ view and opinions on issues facing the advancement of science in medical physics J. Bayouth, Funding support from NCI;Scientific Advisory Board member - ViewRay.« less

MO-FG-BRB-04: Debater [Medical physics education

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

Seibert, J.

Building on the energy and excitement of Washington DC in a presidential election year, AAPM will host its own Presidential Debate to better understand the views of the AAPM membership! Past presidents of the AAPM, Drs. Bayouth, Hazle, Herman, and Seibert, will debate hot topics in medical physics including issues facing education, professional practice, and the advancement of science. The moderators, Drs. Brock and Stern, will also draw in topics from Point-Counterpoint articles from the Medical Physics Journals. Wrapping up the debate, the audience will have the opportunity to question the candidates in a town hall format. At the conclusionmore » of this lively debate, the winner will be decided by the audience, so bring your Audience Response Units! Be part of Medical Physics - Decision 2016! Learning Objectives: Understand AAPM members’ views and opinions on issues facing medical physics education Learn AAPM members’ views and opinions on issues facing professional practice Identify AAPM members’ view and opinions on issues facing the advancement of science in medical physics J. Bayouth, Funding support from NCI;Scientific Advisory Board member - ViewRay.« less

MO-FG-BRB-01: Debater [medical physics education

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

Bayouth, J.

Building on the energy and excitement of Washington DC in a presidential election year, AAPM will host its own Presidential Debate to better understand the views of the AAPM membership! Past presidents of the AAPM, Drs. Bayouth, Hazle, Herman, and Seibert, will debate hot topics in medical physics including issues facing education, professional practice, and the advancement of science. The moderators, Drs. Brock and Stern, will also draw in topics from Point-Counterpoint articles from the Medical Physics Journals. Wrapping up the debate, the audience will have the opportunity to question the candidates in a town hall format. At the conclusionmore » of this lively debate, the winner will be decided by the audience, so bring your Audience Response Units! Be part of Medical Physics - Decision 2016! Learning Objectives: Understand AAPM members’ views and opinions on issues facing medical physics education Learn AAPM members’ views and opinions on issues facing professional practice Identify AAPM members’ view and opinions on issues facing the advancement of science in medical physics J. Bayouth, Funding support from NCI;Scientific Advisory Board member - ViewRay.« less

MO-FG-BRB-03: Debater [medical physics education

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

Herman, M.

Building on the energy and excitement of Washington DC in a presidential election year, AAPM will host its own Presidential Debate to better understand the views of the AAPM membership! Past presidents of the AAPM, Drs. Bayouth, Hazle, Herman, and Seibert, will debate hot topics in medical physics including issues facing education, professional practice, and the advancement of science. The moderators, Drs. Brock and Stern, will also draw in topics from Point-Counterpoint articles from the Medical Physics Journals. Wrapping up the debate, the audience will have the opportunity to question the candidates in a town hall format. At the conclusionmore » of this lively debate, the winner will be decided by the audience, so bring your Audience Response Units! Be part of Medical Physics - Decision 2016! Learning Objectives: Understand AAPM members’ views and opinions on issues facing medical physics education Learn AAPM members’ views and opinions on issues facing professional practice Identify AAPM members’ view and opinions on issues facing the advancement of science in medical physics J. Bayouth, Funding support from NCI;Scientific Advisory Board member - ViewRay.« less

Report of the APS Ad-Hoc Committee on LGBT Issues - Presentation of Findings and Recommendations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Falk, Michael

In 2014 the Executive Officer of the American Physical Society (APS), Kate Kirby, created an Ad-Hoc Committee on LGBT Issues (C-LGBT) charged with reporting on the obstacles to inclusion of LGBT physicists, a term which for the purpose of this report refers to persons who self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, or asexual, as well as other sexual and gender minorities. The full charge was as follows: ``The committee will advise the APS on the current status of LGBT issues in physics, provide recommendations for greater inclusion, and engage physicists in laying the foundation for a more inclusive physics community. ?More specifically, the committee will investigate LGBT representation in physics, assess the educational and professional climate in physics, recommend changes in policies and practices that impact LGBT physicists, and address other issues that affect inclusion.'' We will present the findings and recommendations of the C-LGBT final report, and a panel discussion will be held following the presentation to discuss the future of APS efforts toward LGBT inclusion in physics.

Report of the APS Ad-Hoc Committee on LGBT Issues - Presentation of Findings and Recommendations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Long, Elena

2016-03-01

In 2014 the Executive Officer of the American Physical Society (APS), Kate Kirby, created an Ad-Hoc Committee on LGBT Issues (C-LGBT) charged with reporting on the obstacles to inclusion of LGBT physicists, a term which for the purpose of this report refers to persons who self-identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, or asexual, as well as other sexual and gender minorities. The full charge was as follows: ``The committee will advise the APS on the current status of LGBT issues in physics, provide recommendations for greater inclusion, and engage physicists in laying the foundation for a more inclusive physics community? More specifically, the committee will investigate LGBT representation in physics, assess the educational and professional climate in physics, recommend changes in policies and practices that impact LGBT physicists, and address other issues that affect inclusion.'' We will present the findings and recommendations of the C-LGBT final report, and a panel discussion will be held following the presentation to discuss the future of APS efforts toward LGBT inclusion in physics.

An international comparison of women's health issues in the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Canada, Hong Kong, and Singapore: the CIDA-SEAGEP Study.

PubMed

Choi, Bernard C K

2004-11-19

This was an international study of women's health issues, based on an Official Study Tour in Southeast Asia (the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, and Singapore) and Canada. The objectives of the study were to identify and compare current gaps in surveillance, research, and programs and policies, and to predict trends of women's health issues in developing countries based on the experience of developed countries. Key informant interviews (senior government officials, university researchers, and local experts), self-administered questionnaires, courtesy calls, and literature searches were used to collect data. The participating countries identified women's health as an important issue, especially for reproductive health (developing countries) and senior's health (developed countries). Cancer, lack of physical activity, high blood pressure, diabetes, poverty, social support, caring role for family, and informing, educating, and empowering people about women's health issues were the main concerns. Based on this study, 17 recommendations were made on surveillance, research, and programs and policies. A number of forthcoming changes in women''s health patterns in developing countries were also predicted.

Physical inactivity: the "Cinderella" risk factor for noncommunicable disease prevention.

PubMed

Bull, Fiona C; Bauman, Adrian E

2011-08-01

There is strong evidence demonstrating the direct and indirect pathways by which physical activity prevents many of the major noncommunicable diseases (NCD) responsible for premature death and disability. Physical inactivity was identified as the 4th leading risk factor for the prevention of NCD, preceded only by tobacco use, hypertension, and high blood glucose levels, and accounting for more than 3 million preventable deaths globally in 2010. Physical inactivity is a global public health priority but, in most countries, this has not yet resulted in widespread recognition nor specific physical activity-related policy action at the necessary scale. Instead, physical inactivity could be described as the Cinderella of NCD risk factors, defined as "poverty of policy attention and resourcing proportionate to its importance." The pressing question is "Why is this so?" The authors identify and discuss 8 possible explanations and the need for more effective communication on the importance of physical activity in the NCD prevention context. Although not all of the issues identified will be relevant for any 1 country, it is likely that at different times and in different combinations these 8 problems continue to delay national-level progress on addressing physical inactivity in many countries. The authors confirm that there is sufficient evidence to act, and that much better use of well-planned, coherent communication strategies are needed in most countries and at the international level. Significant opportunities exist. The Toronto Charter on Physical Activity and the Seven Investments that Work are 2 useful tools to support increased advocacy on physical activity within and beyond the context of the crucial 2011 UN High-Level Meeting on NCDs.

Mathematics and Physics Studies - Multi-Project Support

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-09-02

measurements). A quaternion form is used to represent any finite rotation of a rigid body as a rotation through some angle about a fixed axis (Euler’s...many - contractual issues. Drs. Edmond Murad (GL/PHK) and Roger Van Tassel (GL/OPB) provided important suggestions and feedback on the data processing...Orbital Maneuvering System (OMS) and the Reaction Control System (RCS) resemble plumes produced by targets/events of interest. Measurements from the IBSS

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

Gorelenkov, Nikolai N

The area of energetic particle (EP) physics of fusion research has been actively and extensively researched in recent decades. The progress achieved in advancing and understanding EP physics has been substantial since the last comprehensive review on this topic by W.W. Heidbrink and G.J. Sadler [1]. That review coincided with the start of deuterium-tritium (DT) experiments on Tokamak Fusion Test reactor (TFTR) and full scale fusion alphas physics studies. Fusion research in recent years has been influenced by EP physics in many ways including the limitations imposed by the "sea" of Alfven eigenmodes (AE) in particular by the toroidicityinduced AEsmore » (TAE) modes and reversed shear Alfven (RSAE). In present paper we attempt a broad review of EP physics progress in tokamaks and spherical tori since the first DT experiments on TFTR and JET (Joint European Torus) including helical/stellarator devices. Introductory discussions on basic ingredients of EP physics, i.e. particle orbits in STs, fundamental diagnostic techniques of EPs and instabilities, wave particle resonances and others are given to help understanding the advanced topics of EP physics. At the end we cover important and interesting physics issues toward the burning plasma experiments such as ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor).« less

Gender discrimination in physics and astronomy: Graduate student experiences of sexism and gender microaggressions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barthelemy, Ramón S.; McCormick, Melinda; Henderson, Charles

2016-12-01

[This paper is part of the Focused Collection on Gender in Physics.] Sexism occurs when men are believed to be superior to women, and is thought to be one of the reasons for women's underrepresentation in physics and astronomy. The issue of sexism in physics and astronomy has not been thoroughly explored in the physics education literature and there is currently no clear language for discussing sexism in the field. This article seeks to begin a conversation on sexism in physics and astronomy and offer a starting point for language to discuss sexism in research groups and departments. Interviews with 21 women in graduate physics and astronomy programs are analyzed for their individual experiences of sexism. Although a subset of women did not report experiencing sexual discrimination, the majority experienced subtle insults and slights known as microaggressions. Other participants also experienced more traditional hostile sexism in the form of sexual harassment, gender role stereotypes, and overt discouragement. These results indicate the existence of sexism in the current culture of physics and astronomy, as well as the importance departments must put on eliminating it and educating students about sexism and microaggressions.

Development of students' interest in particle physics as effect of participating in a Masterclass

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gedigk, Kerstin; Pospiech, Gesche

2016-05-01

The International Hands On Particle Physics Masterclasses are enjoying increasing popularity worldwide every year. In Germany a national program was brought to live in 2010, which offers these appreciated events to whole classes or courses of high school students all over the year. These events were evaluated concerning the issues of students' interest in particle physics and their perception of the events. How several interest variables interact with each other and the perception of the events is answered by structural equation modelling (sect. 5.2). The results give information about the events' effects on the students' interest development in particle physics, show which event features are important ( e.g. the authenticity) and give information about practical approaches to improve the effects of the Masterclasses. Section 5.3 deals with a group of participants which have a high interest in particle physics 6-8 weeks after the participation. The number of these students is remarkable large, with 26% of all participants. The investigation of this group shows that the Masterclass participation has the same positive effect on both sexes and all levels of physics education.

Factors affecting participation decision and amount of physical activity among urban dwellers in Malaysia.

PubMed

Cheah, Y K; Azahadi, M; Phang, S N; Hazilah, N

2017-05-01

The rapid rise in the prevalence of physical inactivity-related diseases has become a serious public health issue worldwide. The objective of the present study is to examine the factors affecting participation in physical activity among urban dwellers in Malaysia. This cross-sectional study measures physical activity using a rigorous regression model. Data are obtained from the National Health and Morbidity Survey 2011 (NHMS 2011). A lognormal hurdle model is used to analyse the participation decision and the amount decision of physical activity. The results show that income, gender, ethnicity, marital status and employment status are significantly associated with participation decision and amount decision. However, age, insurance and self-rated health only affect participation decision, whereas family size, education and smoking only affect amount decision. It can, thus, be concluded that sociodemographic, insurance, lifestyle and health factors play an important role in determining physical activity behaviour among urban dwellers. When formulating policies, special attention must be paid to these factors. Copyright © 2017 The Royal Society for Public Health. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Physical-enhanced secure strategy in an OFDM-PON.

PubMed

Zhang, Lijia; Xin, Xiangjun; Liu, Bo; Yu, Jianjun

2012-01-30

The physical layer of optical access network is vulnerable to various attacks. As the dramatic increase of users and network capacity, the issue of physical-layer security becomes more and more important. This paper proposes a physical-enhanced secure strategy for orthogonal frequency division multiplexing passive optical network (OFDM-PON) by employing frequency domain chaos scrambling. The Logistic map is adopted for the chaos mapping. The chaos scrambling strategy can dynamically allocate the scrambling matrices for different OFDM frames according to the initial condition, which enhance the confidentiality of the physical layer. A mathematical model of this secure system is derived firstly, which achieves a secure transmission at physical layer in OFDM-PON. The results from experimental implementation using Logistic mapped chaos scrambling are also given to further demonstrate the efficiency of this secure strategy. An 10.125 Gb/s 64QAM-OFDM data with Logistic mapped chaos scrambling are successfully transmitted over 25-km single mode fiber (SMF), and the experimental results show that proposed security scheme can protect the system from eavesdropper and attacker, while keep a good performance for the legal ONU.

Inequality in Experiences of Physics Education: Secondary School Girls' and Boys' Perceptions of their Physics Education and Intentions to Continue with Physics After the Age of 16

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mujtaba, Tamjid; Reiss, Michael J.

2013-07-01

This paper explores the factors that are associated in England with 15-year-old students' intentions to study physics after the age of 16, when it is no longer compulsory. Survey responses were collated from 5,034 year 10 students as learners of physics during the academic year 2008-2009 from 137 England secondary schools. Our analysis uses individual items from the survey rather than constructs (aggregates of items) to explore what it is about physics teachers, physics lessons and physics itself that is most correlated with intended participation in physics after the age of 16. Our findings indicate that extrinsic material gain motivation in physics was the most important factor associated with intended participation. In addition, an item-level analysis helped to uncover issues around gender inequality in physics educational experiences which were masked by the use of construct-based analyses. Girls' perceptions of their physics teachers were similar to those of boys on many fronts. However, despite the encouragement individual students receive from their teachers being a key factor associated with aspirations to continue with physics, girls were statistically significantly less likely to receive such encouragement. We also found that girls had less positive experiences of their physics lessons and physics education than did boys.

Preface to the Focus Issue: chaos detection methods and predictability.

PubMed

Gottwald, Georg A; Skokos, Charalampos

2014-06-01

This Focus Issue presents a collection of papers originating from the workshop Methods of Chaos Detection and Predictability: Theory and Applications held at the Max Planck Institute for the Physics of Complex Systems in Dresden, June 17-21, 2013. The main aim of this interdisciplinary workshop was to review comprehensively the theory and numerical implementation of the existing methods of chaos detection and predictability, as well as to report recent applications of these techniques to different scientific fields. The collection of twelve papers in this Focus Issue represents the wide range of applications, spanning mathematics, physics, astronomy, particle accelerator physics, meteorology and medical research. This Preface surveys the papers of this Issue.

Counseling on lifestyle habits in the United States and Sweden: a report comparing primary care health professionals' perspectives on lifestyle counseling in terms of scope, importance and competence.

PubMed

Weinehall, Lars; Johansson, Helene; Sorensen, Julie; Jerdén, Lars; May, John; Jenkins, Paul

2014-05-03

The role of primary care professionals in lifestyle counseling for smoking, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and diet is receiving attention at the national level in many countries. The U. S. and Sweden are two countries currently establishing priorities in these areas. A previously existing international research collaboration provides a unique opportunity to study this issue. Data from a national survey in Sweden and a study in rural Upstate New York were compared to contrast the perspectives, attitudes, and practice of primary care professionals in the two countries. Answers to four key questions on counseling for tobacco use, alcohol consumption, physical activity, and eating habits were compared. The response rates were 71% (n=180) and 89% (n=86) in the Sweden and the U.S. respectively. U.S. professionals rated counseling "very important" significantly more frequently than Swedish professionals for tobacco (99% versus 92%, p<.0001), physical activity (90% versus 79%, p=.04), and eating habits (86% versus 69%, p=.003). U.S. professionals also reported giving "very much" counseling more frequently for these same three endpoints than did the Swedish professionals (tobacco 81% versus 38%, p<.0001, physical activity 64% versus 31%, p<.0001, eating 59% versus 34%, p=.0001). Swedish professionals also rated their level of expertise in providing counseling significantly lower than did their U.S. counterparts for all four endpoints. A higher percentage of U.S. professionals expressed a desire to increase levels of counseling "very much", but only significantly so for eating habits (42% versus 28%, p=.037). The study demonstrates large differences between the extent that Swedish and American primary care professionals report being engaged in counseling on lifestyle issues, how important they perceive counseling to be, and what expertise they possess in this regard. Explanations might be found in inter-professional attitudes, the organization of healthcare, including the method of reimbursement, traditions of preventive healthcare, and cultural differences between the two countries. Further studies are needed to explore these questions, with the aim of facilitating improved lifestyle counseling in primary care.

Research on Social Issues in Elementary School Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solmon, Melinda A.; Lee, Amelia M.

2008-01-01

The social and cultural norms children learn in schools can have a powerful effect on a variety of lifestyle decisions that will affect their physical and mental health. In this article we examine research on social issues in elementary school physical education. We provide an overview of how teachers' actions and behaviors affect what children…

Statistical issues in searches for new phenomena in High Energy Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lyons, Louis; Wardle, Nicholas

2018-03-01

Many analyses of data in High Energy Physics are concerned with searches for New Physics. We review the statistical issues that arise in such searches, and then illustrate these using the specific example of the recent successful search for the Higgs boson, produced in collisions between high energy protons at CERN’s Large Hadron Collider.

Global Analysis, Interpretation and Modelling: An Earth Systems Modelling Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moore, Berrien, III; Sahagian, Dork

1997-01-01

The Goal of the GAIM is: To advance the study of the coupled dynamics of the Earth system using as tools both data and models; to develop a strategy for the rapid development, evaluation, and application of comprehensive prognostic models of the Global Biogeochemical Subsystem which could eventually be linked with models of the Physical-Climate Subsystem; to propose, promote, and facilitate experiments with existing models or by linking subcomponent models, especially those associated with IGBP Core Projects and with WCRP efforts. Such experiments would be focused upon resolving interface issues and questions associated with developing an understanding of the prognostic behavior of key processes; to clarify key scientific issues facing the development of Global Biogeochemical Models and the coupling of these models to General Circulation Models; to assist the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) process by conducting timely studies that focus upon elucidating important unresolved scientific issues associated with the changing biogeochemical cycles of the planet and upon the role of the biosphere in the physical-climate subsystem, particularly its role in the global hydrological cycle; and to advise the SC-IGBP on progress in developing comprehensive Global Biogeochemical Models and to maintain scientific liaison with the WCRP Steering Group on Global Climate Modelling.

Jobs and Education: A Progress Report and Open Forum

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nero, Anthony V.

1996-03-01

Given its current importance, the issue of jobs and education has stimulated much activity in the last year on the part of members of the Society, various units of the Society, and related institutions, such as the AIP and AAPT. At the last March meeting in particular, many of the most well-attended and vigorous sessions and other events were those related to careers or related issues in education. In part stimulated by this high level of activity, but also because of independently arranged events and organizational activities, several important developments have been proceeding during the past year. This session will report briefly on progress in these areas, then proceed to an open forum on these developments and others that might be considered to improve the situation on jobs and education, including the role that individuals or groups - whether students, faculty, or other physicists, or whether young or older - may play. In the first part of the session, the panelists will make reports of 10 to 15 minutes each. The open forum will explore both the issues raised during the panel talks or other issues raised by the audience. Members of the audience or panel can pose questions, make statements, or respond to questions or statements, in any case being limited to three minutes. The chair will regulate the discussion to assure that a wide range of topics and views are expressed. Finally, we note that many of the issues dealt with in this session are under current discussion in the ongoing internet "conference" on "jobs and education" initiated after last March's session on this topic. Those wishing to subscribe to this discussion list should send an email message to majordomo@physics.wm.edu whose body reads "subscribe jobs-ed". They will, in return, receive information on how to participate in the internet discussion, including instructions on how to access various documents related to careers, such as a summary of last year's session (and, before long, of this session). Diandra L. Leslie-Pelecky (University of Nebraska, Forum on Education newsletter editor) will report on the AAPT/APS Department Chairs Conference held in May on "physics graduate education for diverse career options." Leonard J. Brillson (Xerox Webster Research Center, Chair of the Forum on Industrial and Applied Physics) will discuss FIAP's plans for more effectively connected employers and physicists, as well as other jobs-related initiatives. James K. Freericks (Georgetown University, member of the steering committee for the planned Forum on Careers and Professional Development) will discuss plans of the new Forum.

Physics Flash December 2016

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

Kippen, Karen Elizabeth

This is the December 2016 issue of Physics Flash, the newsletter of the Physics Division of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). In this issue, the following topics are covered: Novel liquid helium technique to aid highly sensitive search for a neutron electrical dipole moment; Silverleaf: Prototype Red Sage experiments performed at Q-site; John L. Kline named 2016 APS Fellow; Physics students in the news; First Entropy Engine quantum random number generator hits the market; and celebrating service.

Practical Issues in Developing a Culturally Tailored Physical Activity Promotion Program for Chinese and Korean American Midlife Women: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Chee, Wonshik; Kim, Sangmi; Chu, Tsung-Lan; Ji, Xiaopeng; Zhang, Jingwen; Chee, Eunice; Im, Eun-Ok

2016-01-01

Background With advances in computer technologies, Web-based interventions are widely accepted and welcomed by health care providers and researchers. Although the benefits of Web-based interventions on physical activity promotion have been documented, the programs have rarely targeted Asian Americans, including Asian American midlife women. Subsequently, culturally competent Web-based physical activity programs for Asian Americans may be necessary. Objective The purpose of our study was to explore practical issues in developing and implementing a culturally competent Web-based physical activity promotion program for 2 groups of Asian American women—Chinese American and Korean American midlife women—and to provide implications for future research. Methods While conducting the study, the research team members wrote individual memos on issues and their inferences on plausible reasons for the issues. The team had group discussions each week and kept the minutes of the discussions. Then, the memos and minutes were analyzed using a content analysis method. Results We identified practical issues in 4 major idea categories: (1) bilingual translators’ language orientations, (2) cultural sensitivity requirement, (3) low response rate, interest, and retention, and (4) issues in implementation logistics. Conclusions Based on the issues, we make several suggestions for the use of bilingual translators, motivational strategies, and implementation logistics. PMID:27872035

Physical activity and the environment: conceptual review and framework for intervention research.

PubMed

Panter, Jenna; Guell, Cornelia; Prins, Rick; Ogilvie, David

2017-11-15

Changing the physical environment is one way to promote physical activity and improve health, but evidence on intervention effectiveness is mixed. The theoretical perspectives and conceptual issues discussed or used in evaluative studies and related literature may contribute to these inconsistencies. We aimed to advance the intervention research agenda by systematically searching for and synthesising the literature pertaining to these wider conceptual issues. We searched for editorials, commentaries, reviews, or primary qualitative or quantitative studies in multiple disciplines by electronic searches of key databases (MEDLINE and MEDLINE In-Process, Web of Science, Cochrane Reviews, ProQuest for dissertations, Health Evidence, EPPI-Centre, TRID and NICE) and snowballing. We extracted theoretical and conceptual material and used thematic analysis in an in-depth, configurative narrative approach to synthesis. Our initial searches identified 2760 potential sources from fields including public health, sociology, behavioural science and transport, of which 104 were included. By first separating out and then drawing together this material, we produced a synthesis that identified five high-level conceptual themes: one concerning outcomes (physical activity as a behaviour and a socially embedded practice), one concerning exposures (environmental interventions as structural changes) and three concerning how interventions bring about their effects (the importance of social and physical context; (un) observable mechanisms linking interventions and changes in physical activity; and interventions as events in complex systems). These themes are inter-related but have rarely been considered together in the disparate literatures. Drawing on these insights, we present a more generalisable way of thinking about how environmental interventions work which could be used in future evaluation studies. Environmental and policy interventions are socially embedded and operate within a system. Evaluators should acknowledge this, and the philosophical perspective taken in their evaluation. Across disciplinary fields, future studies should seek to understand how interventions work through considering these systems, the context in which interventions take place, and the (un) observable mechanisms that may operate. This will help ensure that findings can be more easily interpreted and widely applied by policymakers. We hope that highlighting these conceptual issues will help others to interpret and improve upon a somewhat contested evidence base.

A Multi-TeV Linear Collider Based on CLIC Technology : CLIC Conceptual Design Report

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

Aicheler, M; Burrows, P.; Draper, M.

This report describes the accelerator studies for a future multi-TeV e +e - collider based on the Compact Linear Collider (CLIC) technology. The CLIC concept as described in the report is based on high gradient normal-conducting accelerating structures where the RF power for the acceleration of the colliding beams is extracted from a high-current Drive Beam that runs parallel with the main linac. The focus of CLIC R&D over the last years has been on addressing a set of key feasibility issues that are essential for proving the fundamental validity of the CLIC concept. The status of these feasibility studiesmore » are described and summarized. The report also includes a technical description of the accelerator components and R&D to develop the most important parts and methods, as well as a description of the civil engineering and technical services associated with the installation. Several larger system tests have been performed to validate the two-beam scheme, and of particular importance are the results from the CLIC test facility at CERN (CTF3). Both the machine and detector/physics studies for CLIC have primarily focused on the 3 TeV implementation of CLIC as a benchmark for the CLIC feasibility. This report also includes specific studies for an initial 500 GeV machine, and some discussion of possible intermediate energy stages. The performance and operation issues related to operation at reduced energy compared to the nominal, and considerations of a staged construction program are included in the final part of the report. The CLIC accelerator study is organized as an international collaboration with 43 partners in 22 countries. An associated report describes the physics potential and experiments at CLIC and a shorter report in preparation will focus on the CLIC implementation strategy, together with a plan for the CLIC R&D studies 2012–2016. Critical and important implementation issues such as cost, power and schedule will be addressed there.« less

Transmission in Optically Transparent Core Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kilper, Dan; Jensen, Rich; Petermann, Klaus; Karasek, Miroslav

2007-03-01

Scope of Submission

• Optically transparent system design issues, transmission experiments, and field trials
• Optically transparent network architectures and topologies
• Dispersion management in reconfigurable and mesh systems
• Optically transparent network device and sub-system performance, design, characterization and control, including: amplifiers, transmitters, receivers, switches, add/drop multiplexers
• Transient and fault management
• Physical layer system control
• Monitoring and compensation to support transparency
• Wavelength routing and planning as they relate to physical layer transmission
• Hardware cost and configuration optimization for optically transparent networks

Long-Term Preservation of NASA Heliophysics Data and Access: Where We Were and Where We're Going

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McGuire, Robert E.

2011-01-01

The importance of ensuring preservation and useful access to the unique science potential of past, present and future NASA solar and space physics (i.e. heliophysics) data has been recognized since the inception of NASA but remains challenging. In this talk, I will briefly review the history of this topic and and then discuss the present NASA model for heliophysics science data management, including key current resources for finding and using data projects like the Space Physics Data Facility. I will highlight expected future directions, building on working elements of the present program and exploiting new technology, to further improve the data environment, address existing issues and anticipate emerging challenges.

Physical and Physiological Characteristics of Judo Athletes: An Update

PubMed Central

Torres-Luque, Gema; Hernández-García, Raquel; Escobar-Molina, Raquel; Garatachea, Nuria; Nikolaidis, Pantelis T.

2016-01-01

Judo competition is characterized structurally by weight category, which raises the importance of physiological control training in judo. The aim of the present review was to examine scientific papers on the physiological profile of the judokas, maintenance or loss of weight, framing issues, such as anthropometric parameters (body fat percentage), heart rate responses to training and combat, maximal oxygen uptake, hematological, biological and hormones indicators. The values shown in this review should be used as a reference for the evaluation of physical fitness and the effectiveness of training programs. Hence, this information is expected to contribute to the development of optimal training interventions aiming to achieve maximum athletic performance and to maintain the health of judokas.

A tutorial on ultrasonic physics and imaging techniques.

PubMed

Halliwell, M

2010-01-01

Ultrasound is a widely used modality for both therapy and diagnosis in medicine and biology. Currently, in the field of medical diagnosis, ultrasound is responsible for about one in five of all diagnostic images. The physical characteristics of medical ultrasound, along with its behaviour as it interacts with biological tissues, are described in this tutorial. The role of ultrasound in therapeutic and diagnostic applications is briefly described. In view of the importance of ultrasound as a medical imaging modality, the basic technological building blocks utilized in diagnostic ultrasound scanners are also described. Many of these topics are the subjects of other papers in this special issue where they are dealt with in more detail.

An investigation of how university sports team athletic therapists and physical therapists experience ethical issues.

PubMed

Riendeau, Catherine; Parent-Houle, Valérie; Lebel-Gabriel, Marie Eve; Gauvin, Patrick; Liu, Le Yu; Pearson, Isabelle; Hunt, Matthew R

2015-03-01

Qualitative study using interpretive description methodology. The purpose of this study was to better understand how ethical issues are experienced by university sports team athletic therapists and physical therapists. In clinical practice, sports teams are associated with a range of ethical issues. Issues commonly reported in the literature include confidentiality, return-to-play decisions, conflicts of interest, advertising, doping, and use of local anesthetic. To date, there has been limited examination of how athletic therapists and physical therapists involved with sports teams experience these ethical issues, and limited exploration of how these ethical issues, when encountered, are shaped by therapists' professional roles and responsibilities. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 11 athletic or physical therapists working with sports teams in 5 Canadian provinces. The data were analyzed inductively, using a recursive approach and constant comparative techniques. Four key themes were developed relating to the participants' experiences of ethical issues: establishing and maintaining professional boundaries, striving for respectful and effective collaboration, seeking answers to ethical concerns, and living with the repercussions of challenging decisions. While many ethical issues reported by participants resemble those faced by sports medicine physicians, they are experienced in distinctive ways, due to differences in professional roles and identities. Issues concerning professional boundaries were also more prominent for the study participants than the literature has reported them to be for sports medicine physicians. Effective communication and enhanced collaboration appear to be key elements in managing these ethical challenges.

Caregiver-Provided Physical Therapy Home Programs for Children with Motor Delay: A Scoping Review.

PubMed

Gorgon, Edward James R

2018-06-01

Caregiver-provided physical therapy home programs (PTHP) play an important role in enhancing motor outcomes in pediatric patient populations. This scoping review systematically mapped clinical trials of caregiver-provided PTHP that were aimed at enhancing motor outcomes in children who have or who are at risk for motor delay, with the purpose of (1) describing trial characteristics; (2) assessing methodologic quality; and (3) examining the reporting of caregiver-related components. Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro), Cochrane CENTRAL, PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, ProQuest Central, CINAHL, LILACS, and OTseeker were searched up to July 31, 2017. Two reviewers independently assessed study eligibility. Randomized or quasi-randomized controlled trials on PTHP administered by parents, other family members, friends, or informal caregivers to children who had or who were at risk for motor delay were included. Two reviewers independently appraised trial quality on the PEDro scale and extracted data. Twenty-four articles representing 17 individual trials were identified. Populations and interventions investigated were heterogeneous. Most of the trials had important research design limitations and methodological issues that could limit usefulness in ascertaining the effectiveness of caregiver-provided PTHP. Few (4 of 17) trials indicated involvement of caregivers in the PTHP planning, assessed how the caregivers learned from the training or instructions provided, or carried out both. Included studies were heterogeneous, and unpublished data were excluded. Although caregiver-provided PTHP are important in addressing motor outcomes in this population, there is a lack of evidence at the level of clinical trials to guide practice. More research is urgently needed to determine the effectiveness of care-giver-provided PTHP. Future studies should address the many important issues identified in this scoping review to improve the usefulness of the trial results.

Body image issues in women with breast cancer.

PubMed

Helms, Rebecca L; O'Hea, Erin L; Corso, Marlaena

2008-05-01

Diagnosis and treatment of breast cancer affects women physically as well as psychologically. There are many obvious and real factors that are related to psychological distress in women coping with breast cancer, such as facing a life-threatening illness, painful and impairing treatments, and significant role changes. Although these factors are clearly important, issues related to body image in women faced with breast cancer can also add to psychological distress. Women, in general, are concerned with their appearance, their weight, and their body, with recent studies suggesting 89% of women reported concerns with weight. Such premorbid concerns are often deeply ingrained and can contribute to psychological distress in women treated for breast cancer. The present article is a summary of the literature that has examined body image issues and related psychological adjustment in women with breast cancer. Implications for clinical practice and recommendations for future investigations are discussed.

Adoption of Smart Structures for Prevention of Health Hazards in Buildings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oke, Ayodeji; Aigbavboa, Clinton; Ngema, Wiseman

2017-11-01

The importance of building quality to the health and well-being of occupants and surrounding neighbors cannot be overemphasized. Smart structures were construed to proffer solution to various issues of sustainable development including social factors that is concerned with health and safety of people. Based on existing literature materials on building quality, smart structures and general aspect of sustainable developments, this study examined the benefits of smart structures in the prevention of various health issues in infrastructural buildings, which has been a concern for stakeholders in the architecture, engineering and construction industry. The criterion for indoor environmental quality was adopted and various health and bodily issues related to building quality were explained. The adoption of smart structure concept will help to manage physical, chemical, biological and psychological factors of building with a view to enhancing better quality of life of occupants.

Part of the job: the role of physical work conditions in the nurse turnover process.

PubMed

Vardaman, James M; Cornell, Paul T; Allen, David G; Gondo, Maria B; Muslin, Ivan S; Mobley, Robin N; Brock, Meagan E; Sigmon, Tracy L

2014-01-01

Retention of nursing staff remains an important issue for health care managers. Turnover research has focused primarily on motivational and social factors as keys to retention, whereas the role of the physical work conditions has received considerably less attention. However, work design theory suggests that physical work conditions may be an important factor in fostering retention among nursing staff. The aim of this study was to integrate work design theory with turnover process models to explore the influence of perceptions of physical work conditions on the development of turnover intentions among nursing staff. Drawing on two samples of registered nurses working in cancer units in metropolitan hospitals in the southeastern United States, this study explores the impact of perceptions of physical work conditions on turnover intentions using ordinary least squares regression. Hypotheses are tested in Study 1 and replicated in Study 2. A measure of perceptions of physical work conditions is also developed and validated using exploratory (Study 1) and confirmatory (Study 2) factor analyses. Perceptions of physical work conditions explain variance in turnover intentions above than that explained by motivational and social factors. Specifically, employee perceptions of noisy work conditions are found to significantly increase turnover intentions, whereas perceptions that work conditions facilitate tasks were found to significantly reduce turnover intentions. Perceptions of temperature and health hazard did not show significant effects. Results suggest that health care managers and scholars should re-examine the role of physical work conditions in the turnover process. Investments in upgrades that facilitate tasks may foster retention better than investments that simply improve employee comfort. Negative perceptions of work conditions may have no impact if they are considered a normal "part of the job," although negative perceptions of conditions that are viewed as under the organization's control may be important in creating a desire to leave.

EDITORIAL: Squeeze transformation and optics after Einstein

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Young S.; Man'ko, Margarita A.; Planat, Michel

2005-12-01

With this special issue, Journal of Optics B: Quantum and Semiclassical Optics contributes to the celebration of the World Year of Physics held in recognition of five brilliant papers written by Albert Einstein in 1905. There is no need to explain to the readers of this journal the content and importance of these papers, which are cornerstones of modern physics. The 51 contributions in this special issue represent current trends in quantum optics —100 years after the concept of light quanta was introduced. At first glance, in his famous papers of 1905, Einstein treated quite independent subjects—special relativity, the nature and statistical properties of light, electrodynamics of moving bodies and Brownian motion. We now know that all these phenomena are deeply related, and these relations are clearly shown in many papers in this issue. Most of the papers are based on the talks and poster contributions from participants of the 9th International Conference on Squeezed States and Uncertainty Relations (ICSSUR'05), which took place in Besançon, France, 2-6 May, 2005. This was the continuation of a series of meetings, originating with the first workshops organized by Professor Y S Kim at the University of Maryland, College Park, USA, in 1991 and by Professor V I Man'ko at the Lebedev Physical Institute, Moscow in 1992. One of the main topics of ICSSUR'05 and this special issue is the theory and applications of squeezed states and their generalizations. At first glance, one could think that this subject has no relation to Einstein's papers. However, this is not true: the theory of squeezed states is deeply related to special relativity, as far as it is based on the representations of the Lorentz group (see the paper by Kim Y S and Noz M E, S458-S467), which also links the current concepts of entanglement and decoherence with Lorentz-covariance. Besides, studies of the different quantum states of light imply, after all, the study of photon (or photo-electron) statistics and fluctuations of the electromagnetic field, whose importance was first emphasized by Einstein in 1905. The squeezed states can also be considered as a generalization of the concept of coherent states, which turned out to be one of the most important theoretical tools for solving the numerous problems of quantum optics. It seems highly symbolical that the printed version of this special issue will appear in the same month when one of the prominent creators of the theory of coherent states and modern quantum optics—Professor Roy J Glauber—will receive his Nobel Prize in Stockholm. ICSSUR'05 was opened by the invited talk of R J Glauber, `What makes a quantum jump?', and we take great pleasure in congratulating him on this well deserved award. We are sure that all participants of ICSSUR'05 and all readers of this special issue share our feelings. Two other Nobel Prize winners of 2005—Professor J L Hall and Professor T W H\\"ansch—also made great contributions to quantum optics. In particular, in 1986, J L Hall with collaborators, performed the first experiments on the generation of squeezed states by parametric down conversion, having obtained squeezing at the 50% level (Wu L A, Kimble H J, Hall J L and Wu H 1986 Phys. Rev. Lett. 57 2520). Another area, which has attracted the attention of many researchers in the past decade and which is well represented in this special issue, is related to the problems of quantum correlations, entanglement and quantum nonlocality. It is also connected with the name of Einstein due to his famous `EPR' paper of 1935 written together with Podolsky and Rosen. For several decades this was an area of `thought experiments' only, but now this field is becoming a new part of physics, known as `quantum information'. The reader can find several papers which introduce new concepts in this area, such as applications of the Galois algebras and discrete Wigner functions. Solutions of different problems of the interaction between light and matter (which also take their origin in Einstein's paper of 1905), stationary and nonstationary Casimir effect, decoherence, new forms of uncertainty relations and their experimental verification, etc, can also be found in this issue. Many other contributions will be published in another special issue of the International Journal of Modern Physics B entitled `Quantum Information in Modern Optics'. This special issue is also the last issue of Journal of Optics B: Quantum and Semiclassical Optics. For the past 15 years this journal and its predecessors—Quantum Optics and Quantum and Semiclassical Optics—gained great respect among the quantum optics community. Many breakthrough papers were published in its pages during this period (see, for example, Schrade G, Man'ko V I, Schleich W P and Glauber R J 1995 Wigner Functions in the Paul trap Quantum Semiclass. Opt. 7 307). Since 1999, Journal of Optics B: Quantum and Semiclassical Optics has published a special issue for each ICSSUR meeting. This is the fourth issue of this series. We would like to thank Institute of Physics Publishing and the staff of Journal of Optics B: Quantum and Semiclassical Optics for providing the opportunity to pursue this programme, hoping that such a cooperation will continue in the future. We would also like to thank the many colleagues, who served as referees and whose efforts helped immensely in the preparation of this issue at such a high standard. The 10th ICSSUR conference will be organized for 2007 in Bradford, UK, by Professor A Vourdas. We invite readers to join us in two years.

Physics of Intrinsic and Extrinsic Factors that Cause the Onset of the Deadliest Illness of Mankind and are Important for Diagnostics and Treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Saxena, Arjun

One of the most important topic of research in the field of Physics of Behavior is the deadliest illness of mankind which is the group of illnesses called mental illnesses. They are getting attention increasingly worldwide by the medical communities and their respective governments, because of the following fact. It is now well established that these illnesses cause more loss of human lives, destruction of families, businesses and overall economy than all the other illnesses combined. The purpose of this paper is to identify and provide solutions to two fundamental issues of such illnesses which still remain as problems. One is the stigma associated with them because of their name ``mental''. The patients are regarded as less than normal because their illness is only ``mental'' in origin. The second is that it is still not widely recognized that they are caused by medical problems in their ``brain'' which afflict their ``mind''. This paper explains this and gives an improved 3-D model using the physics of intrinsic and extrinsic factors of both ``brain'' and ``mind''. It leads to an important new name, ``BAMI'' (Brain and Mind Illness), which eliminates the stigma and gives quantitative parameters to diagnose the illness and monitor medicines to treat such illnesses.

Swedish female hairdressers' views on their work environment--a qualitative study.

PubMed

Diab, Kerstin Kronholm; Nielsen, Jörn; Andersson, Edith

2014-01-01

Hairdressers have several work-related health hazards. Little is known of their strategies for the work environment. The aim of this study was to explore female hairdressers' own views on their physical, social and psychological work environment and possibilities of influencing it, implementation of their knowledge, financial impacts and how work-related symptoms affect their views. Fourteen hairdressers working for four years were subjected to open-ended interviews covering aspects of the physical, social and psychological work environment. Content analysis was applied. An awareness of the impact of the work environment and the possibilities of influencing it emerged, but also an inability to achieve preventive improvements. This included reflections concerning ventilation, health issues, job strain, hair products, financial issues, knowledge from school and concern for having to leave the profession. The organization and acceptance of the work environment were important issues. Making the work environment an active part of their business was not common. Female hairdressers had an awareness of their work environment but lacked the means and strategies to make it an active part of their business. The main focus was on the customers and the work techniques. Having various symptoms did not alter this. Organizational and financial issues could put limitations on the work environment. Teachers were crucial in making the work environment interesting. Hairdressing was seen with advantages and disadvantages, and its future was seen as being insecure in terms of the occupational health risks. The hairdressers expressed a great pride in their profession providing possibilities for development.

The Impact of Visibility on Teamwork, Collaborative Communication, and Security in Emergency Departments: An Exploratory Study.

PubMed

Gharaveis, Arsalan; Hamilton, D Kirk; Pati, Debajyoti; Shepley, Mardelle

2017-01-01

The aim of this study was to examine the influence of visibility on teamwork, collaborative communication, and security issues in emergency departments (EDs). This research explored whether with high visibility in EDs, teamwork and collaborative communication can be improved while the security issues will be reduced. Visibility has been regarded as a critical design consideration and can be directly and considerably impacted by ED's physical design. Teamwork is one of the major related operational outcomes of visibility and involves nurses, support staff, and physicians. The collaborative communication in an ED is another important factor in the process of care delivery and affects efficiency and safety. Furthermore, security is a behavioral factor in ED designs, which includes all types of safety including staff safety, patient safety, and the safety of visitors and family members. This qualitative study investigated the impact of visibility on teamwork, collaborative communication, and security issues in the ED. One-on-one interviews and on-site observation sessions were conducted in a community hospital. Corresponding data analysis was implemented by using computer plan analysis, observation and interview content, and theme analyses. The findings of this exploratory study provided a framework to identify visibility as an influential factor in ED design. High levels of visibility impact productivity and efficiency of teamwork and communication and improve the chance of lowering security issues. The findings of this study also contribute to the general body of knowledge about the effect of physical design on teamwork, collaborative communication, and security.

Disability and the transition to adulthood: issues for the disabled child, the family, and the pediatrician.

PubMed

Hallum, A

1995-01-01

The pediatrician treating a child with a disability must focus not only on the physical needs of the child but also on the emotional and social issues associated with being disabled in our society. This dual focus becomes increasingly important as the child matures through adolescence and transitions into adulthood. In addition, the pediatrician must understand the complex interrelationships between the family and their maturing, disabled child during the vital process of separation from the family. This transition is particularly difficult for an adolescent who is dependent on others for physical care and other independent living skills. Many of the transitional problems faced by disabled adolescents and their parents have roots in early childhood. With an awareness of the specific stressors on the parent caregivers and an understanding of the influence of disability on the developmental processes, the pediatrician can play a major role in easing the transition of a disabled adolescent into adulthood. By guiding the parents of a young child through the important tasks of childhood and adolescence, the pediatrician can set the stage for both the parents and their disabled child to have independent, yet supportive lives--lives that are focused not on the disability but on mutual respect and life satisfaction. It is recommended that disabled teens and young adults be given more help in independence skills, personal counseling services should be made available, and physicians should give teens age-appropriate information about disabilities. There are needs for sex education, preparation for parenthood, and genetic counseling. Other issues that should be addressed are early vocational awareness, alternatives to work, and leisure time use. Just because an adolescent is disabled, we cannot assume that he or she will have self-esteem and self-concept difficulties. To adjust to being devalued by society, the disabled person must challenge societal beliefs that strength, independence, and appearance are the essential aspects of a quality life. The importance of being kind, intelligent, and productive to one's capacity must become more important. (See Table 3 for additional resource information.)

Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program: facilitating physical health care for people with mental illness?

PubMed

Happell, Brenda; Platania-Phung, Chris; Scott, David

2013-10-01

People with serious mental illness have increased rates of physical ill-health and reduced contact with primary care services. In Australia, the Mental Health Nurse Incentive Program (MHNIP) was developed to facilitate access to mental health services. However, as a primary care service, the contribution to physical health care is worthy of consideration. Thirty-eight nurses who were part of the MHNIP participated in a national survey of nurses working in mental health about physical health care. The survey invited nurses to report their views on the physical health of consumers and the regularity of physical health care they provide. Physical health-care provision in collaboration with general practitioners (GPs) and other health-care professionals was reported as common. The findings suggest that the MHNIP provides integrated care, where nurses and GPs work in collaboration, allowing enough time to discuss physical health or share physical health activities. Consumers of this service appeared to have good access to physical and mental health services, and nurses had access to primary care professionals to discuss consumers' physical health and develop their clinical skills in the physical domain. The MHNIP has an important role in addressing physical health concerns, in addition to the mental health issues of people accessing this service. © 2012 The Authors; International Journal of Mental Health Nursing © 2012 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

William Fowler and Elements in the Stars

Science.gov Websites

some of the most central issues in modern physics and cosmology: the formation of the chemical elements . Documents: Energy Levels of Light Nuclei. III; Review of Modern Physics, Vol 22, Issue 4:291-372; October

Assessing the whole person: case managers take a holistic approach to physical and mental health.

PubMed

Carter, Jolynne Jo; Zawalski, Sandra; Sminkey, Patrice V; Christopherson, Bruce

2015-01-01

Given the prevalence of mental health issues, particularly depressive disorders, in the U.S. population, professional case managers should increase their sensitivity to and awareness of mental illnesses, as well as their impact on physical health. Throughout the case management process, case managers frequently observe behaviors and symptoms such as those associated with depressive disorders. Case managers need to have, at a minimum, a working knowledge of mental and behavioral health issues and be familiar with basic screening tools. This will enable them to become more attuned to symptoms and behaviors that indicate that the individual should be further assessed and diagnosed by a physician. Across the case management spectrum, including acute care, accountable care organizations, patient-centered medical homes, physician practices, clinics, occupational health clinics, workers' compensation, and other settings in which case managers work with individuals (clients who receive case management services) and their families/support systems. With more than one quarter of the U.S. population affected by a depressive disorder, professional case managers who practice holistically bring together the mental and physical aspects of health. This is particularly important in a health care system and among payer sources that continue to divide the two. Case managers elevate their practice by demonstrating a greater understanding of the interconnectedness of mental and physical health and can positively influence the transdisciplinary care team to take a person-centered approach to address all health issues, in pursuit of the individual's health goals. Professional case managers must increase their understanding of mental health, becoming more aware of "red flags" that may necessitate a further evaluation and assessment by a mental health professional. They should also hone their communication skills, particularly the use of motivational interviewing techniques, to encourage individuals to discuss their feelings, worries, fears, and anxiety, as well as any potential symptoms of depression, which may range from mild to severe. Without judgment or bias, the case manager, as the advocate, can provide the information, support, or other services needed to address mental health issues, to support and further the individual's health goals.

Role of Pediatric Emergency Physicians in Identifying Bullying.

PubMed

Waseem, Muhammad; Paul, Audrey; Schwartz, Gerald; Pauzé, Denis; Eakin, Paul; Barata, Isabel; Holtzman, Doug; Benjamin, Lee S; Wright, Joseph L; Nickerson, Amanda B; Joseph, Madeline

2017-02-01

Bullying is an important public health issue with broad implications. Although this issue has been studied extensively, there is limited emergency medicine literature addressing bullying. The emergency department (ED) physician has a unique opportunity to identify children and adolescents that are victims of bullying, and make a difference in their lives. Our aim is to discuss the role of the emergency physician (EP) in identifying patients who have been victims of bullying and how to provide effective management as well as referral for further resources. This document provides a framework for recognizing, stabilizing, and managing children who have experienced bullying. With the advent of social media, bullying behavior is not limited to in-person situations, and often occurs via electronic communication, further complicating recognition because it may not impart any physical harm to the child. Recognition of bullying requires a high level of suspicion, as patients may not offer this history. After the stabilization of any acute or overt indications of physical injury, along with obtaining a history of the mechanism of injury, the EP has the opportunity to identify the existence of bullying as the cause of the injury, and can address the issue in the ED while collaborating with "physician-extenders," such as social workers, toward identifying local resources for further support. The ED is an important arena for the assessment and management of children who have experienced bullying. It is imperative that EPs on the front lines of patient care address this public health epidemic. They have the opportunity to exert a positive impact on the lives of the children and families who are the victims of bullying. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Metabolic syndrome in children: current issues and South Asian perspective.

PubMed

Misra, Anoop; Khurana, Lokesh; Vikram, Naval K; Goel, Ashish; Wasir, Jasjeet S

2007-01-01

The objective of this review is to discuss definition, determinants, and management issues of the metabolic syndrome in children with a focus on South Asians. The literature search was done using the PubMed search engine (National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, MD, USA). Manual searches for other important references and medical databases were also done. There is a need for an integrated definition of the metabolic syndrome in children and adolescents, taking cognizance of the ethnic-specific variations. Obesity and body fat patterning are important determinants of insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome in children and ethnic variations in these parameters are seen. Excess body fat and thicker truncal subcutaneous fat are important predisposing factors for development of insulin resistance in South Asian children. Because the metabolic syndrome tracks into adulthood, its manifestations need to be recognized early for prevention of diabetes and coronary heart disease. Therapeutic lifestyle changes, maintenance of high levels of physical activity and normal weight are most important strategies; pharmacologic therapy for individual components of the metabolic syndrome is occasionally needed. The metabolic syndrome in children is an important clinical marker of diabetes and coronary heart disease in adults. In view of the rapid increase in the metabolic syndrome in most populations, high-risk screening and effective public-intervention educational programs are urgently needed.

Interaction of Physical Exposures and Occupational Factors on Sickness Absence in Automotive Industry Workers.

PubMed

Valirad, Fateme; Ghaffari, Mostafa; Abdi, Alireza; Attarchi, Mirsaeed; Mircheraghi, Seyed Farzin; Mohammadi, Saber

2015-04-23

Increased sickness absence in recent years has been a trouble making issue in industrial society. Identify the causes of sickness absence and its influencing factors, is an important step to control and reduce its associated complications and costs. The aim of this study was to evaluate main factors associated with the incidence of sickness absence. In 2012, a cross-sectional study on 758 employees of a car accessories producing company was applied and relevant information about the number of days and episodes of sickness absence, Disease resulting in absence from work, personal features, occupational factors and physical exposures were collected. To determine risk factors associated with sickness absence, Logistic regression analysis was used. The most common diseases leading to sickness absence in order of frequency were Respiratory diseases, musculoskeletal disorders, gastrointestinal diseases and injuries at work. Musculoskeletal disorders increased the danger of long term absence by 4/33 times. Blue collar and shift works were the most important occupational factors associated with the incidence of sickness absence. The main physical factors that affect incidence of sickness absence were frequent bending-twisting and heavy lifting. Identifying controllable factors of sickness absence and trying to prevent and modify them such as compliance of ergonomic principals to decrease physical can be effective in reducing sickness absence.

Space charge tune shift, fast resonance traversal, and current limits in circular accelerators

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

Rees, G.H.

1996-06-01

Space charge tune shifts, fast resonance traversals, and current limits are important design issues for low energy, high power circular accelerators. Areas of interest are accumulator rings and fast cycling synchrotrons, and typical applications are for pulsed spallation neutron sources, heavy ion fusion storage ring drivers, and booster injectors for high energy proton and ion facilities. Aspects of the three topics are discussed in the paper. {copyright} {ital 1996 American Institute of Physics.}

Uranus and Neptune

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bergstralh, J. T. (Editor)

1984-01-01

A scientific framework within which to plan the Voyager encounters with Uranus and Neptune was sought. Specific objectives were: (1) to assess the current state of knowledge of Uranus and Neptune, their magnetospheres, and their respective systems of satellites and rings (if any), (2) to identify important scientific issues that can be addressed effectively by Voyager, and (3) to provide an opportunity for Voyager investigators to interact with other scientists knowledgeable in the field of physical studies of the Uranian and Neptunian systems.

Changing practice in residential aged care using participatory methods.

PubMed

Lindeman, M A; Black, K; Smith, R; Gough, J; Bryce, A; Gilsenan, B; Hill, K; Stewart, A

2003-03-01

Residential aged care staff play a significant role in the day-to-day lives of residents yet are faced with many barriers to providing care that promotes resident wellbeing. Action research is a useful approach for clarifying issues, identifying education and training needs, and identifying, and in some cases overcoming, organizational barriers to change. The Well for Life project aimed to enhance the social and physical health and well being of residents of aged care settings by empowering the staff of facilities to make change. The project had a particular focus on nutrition and physical activity. This paper reports on the action research group process undertaken during Phase I of the Well for Life project. Five residential aged care settings participated in the action research process facilitated by project staff independent of the facilities. The action plan and outcomes from one of these settings is used to illustrate the process and outcomes. The main findings of the project indicate that using a process that encourages staff involvement in identification of issues and actions can facilitate change in the practice of resident care. The action research groups identified specific gaps in knowledge and skill leading to targeted education that addressed areas of need. The importance of presenting information and learning opportunities for staff in a variety of formats was also recognized, as was the importance of organizational context, management support and empowerment of staff to make change.

High energy from space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Margon, Bruce; Canizares, Claude; Catura, Richard C.; Clark, George W.; Fichtel, Carl E.; Friedman, Herbert; Giacconi, Riccardo; Grindlay, Jonathan E.; Helfand, David J.; Holt, Stephen S.

1991-01-01

The following subject areas are covered: (1) important scientific problems for high energy astrophysics (stellar activity, the interstellar medium in galaxies, supernovae and endpoints of stellar evolution, nucleosynthesis, relativistic plasmas and matter under extreme conditions, nature of gamma-bursts, identification of black holes, active nuclei, accretion physics, large-scale structures, intracluster medium, nature of dark matter, and the X- and gamma-ray background); (2) the existing experimental programs (Advanced X-Ray Astrophysics Facility (AXAF), Gamma Ray Observatory (GRO), X-Ray Timing Explorer (XTE), High Energy Transient Experiment (HETE), U.S. participation in foreign missions, and attached Shuttle and Space Station Freedom payloads); (3) major missions for the 1990's; (4) a new program of moderate missions; (5) new opportunities for small missions; (6) technology development issues; and (7) policy issues.

Extending religion-health research to secular minorities: issues and concerns.

PubMed

Hwang, Karen; Hammer, Joseph H; Cragun, Ryan T

2011-09-01

Claims about religion's beneficial effects on physical and psychological health have received substantial attention in popular media, but empirical support for these claims is mixed. Many of these claims are tenuous because they fail to address basic methodological issues relating to construct validity, sampling methods or analytical problems. A more conceptual problem has to do with the near universal lack of atheist control samples. While many studies include samples of individuals classified as "low spirituality" or religious "nones", these groups are heterogeneous and contain only a fraction of members who would be considered truly secular. We illustrate the importance of including an atheist control group whenever possible in the religiosity/spirituality and health research and discuss areas for further investigation.

Understanding Price Elasticities to Inform Public Health Research and Intervention Studies: Key Issues

PubMed Central

Nghiem, Nhung; Genç, Murat; Blakely, Tony

2013-01-01

Pricing policies such as taxes and subsidies are important tools in preventing and controlling a range of threats to public health. This is particularly so in tobacco and alcohol control efforts and efforts to change dietary patterns and physical activity levels as a means of addressing increases in noncommunicable diseases. To understand the potential impact of pricing policies, it is critical to understand the nature of price elasticities for consumer products. For example, price elasticities are key parameters in models of any food tax or subsidy that aims to quantify health impacts and cost-effectiveness. We detail relevant terms and discuss key issues surrounding price elasticities to inform public health research and intervention studies. PMID:24028228

Exercise and Quality of Life: Strengthening the Connections

PubMed Central

Hacker, Eileen

2010-01-01

Exercise improves quality of life (QOL) in people with cancer. Most oncology healthcare providers recognize the statement to be true because the research literature provides strong support for the physical and psychological benefits of exercise. Because the terms exercise, QOL, and people with cancer have different meanings, the contextual connections in which they are used are important to understanding the relationship between exercise and QOL in people with cancer. This article explores the links between exercise and QOL in people with cancer and examines issues that impact the development, implementation, and evaluation of exercise programs for people with cancer. Issues related to exercise goal development, exercise prescription, exercise testing, exercise adherence, and methods to evaluate the efficacy of exercise in relation to QOL are discussed. PMID:19193547

Exercise and quality of life: strengthening the connections.

PubMed

Hacker, Eileen

2009-02-01

Exercise improves quality of life (QOL) in people with cancer. Most oncology healthcare providers recognize the statement to be true because the research literature provides strong support for the physical and psychological benefits of exercise. Because the terms exercise, QOL, and people with cancer have different meanings, the contextual connections in which they are used are important to understanding the relationship between exercise and QOL in people with cancer. This article explores the links between exercise and QOL in people with cancer and examines issues that impact the development, implementation, and evaluation of exercise programs for people with cancer. Issues related to exercise goal development, exercise prescription, exercise testing, exercise adherence, and methods to evaluate the efficacy of exercise in relation to QOL are discussed.

Modelling strategies to predict the multi-scale effects of rural land management change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bulygina, N.; Ballard, C. E.; Jackson, B. M.; McIntyre, N.; Marshall, M.; Reynolds, B.; Wheater, H. S.

2011-12-01

Changes to the rural landscape due to agricultural land management are ubiquitous, yet predicting the multi-scale effects of land management change on hydrological response remains an important scientific challenge. Much empirical research has been of little generic value due to inadequate design and funding of monitoring programmes, while the modelling issues challenge the capability of data-based, conceptual and physics-based modelling approaches. In this paper we report on a major UK research programme, motivated by a national need to quantify effects of agricultural intensification on flood risk. Working with a consortium of farmers in upland Wales, a multi-scale experimental programme (from experimental plots to 2nd order catchments) was developed to address issues of upland agricultural intensification. This provided data support for a multi-scale modelling programme, in which highly detailed physics-based models were conditioned on the experimental data and used to explore effects of potential field-scale interventions. A meta-modelling strategy was developed to represent detailed modelling in a computationally-efficient manner for catchment-scale simulation; this allowed catchment-scale quantification of potential management options. For more general application to data-sparse areas, alternative approaches were needed. Physics-based models were developed for a range of upland management problems, including the restoration of drained peatlands, afforestation, and changing grazing practices. Their performance was explored using literature and surrogate data; although subject to high levels of uncertainty, important insights were obtained, of practical relevance to management decisions. In parallel, regionalised conceptual modelling was used to explore the potential of indices of catchment response, conditioned on readily-available catchment characteristics, to represent ungauged catchments subject to land management change. Although based in part on speculative relationships, significant predictive power was derived from this approach. Finally, using a formal Bayesian procedure, these different sources of information were combined with local flow data in a catchment-scale conceptual model application , i.e. using small-scale physical properties, regionalised signatures of flow and available flow measurements.

Physical activity and exercise dependence during inpatient treatment of longstanding eating disorders: an exploratory study of excessive and non-excessive exercisers.

PubMed

Bratland-Sanda, Solfrid; Sundgot-Borgen, Jorunn; Rø, Øyvind; Rosenvinge, Jan H; Hoffart, Asle; Martinsen, Egil W

2010-04-01

To describe changes in physical activity (PA) and exercise dependence score during treatment of eating disorders (ED), and to explore correlations among changes in PA, exercise motivation, exercise dependence score and ED psychopathology in excessive and non-excessive exercisers. Thirty-eight adult females receiving inpatient treatment for anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa or ED not otherwise specified participated in this prospective study. Assessments included accelerometer assessed PA, Exercise Dependence Scale, Reasons for Exercise Inventory, ED Examination, and ED Inventory. Amount of PA was significantly reduced in non-excessive exercisers during treatment, in excessive exercisers there was a trend towards reduced amount of PA from admission to discharge. In excessive exercisers, reduced ED psychopathology was correlated with reduction in exercise dependence score and perceived importance of exercise to regulate negative affects, but not with importance of exercise for weight/appearance. These associations were not found in non-excessive exercisers. Excessive exercise is an important issue in longstanding ED, and the excessive exercising patients need help to develop alternative strategies to regulate negative affects.

Nuclear Science Outreach in the World Year of Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McMahan, Margaret

2006-04-01

The ability of scientists to articulate the importance and value of their research has become increasingly important in the present climate of declining budgets, and this is most critical in the field of nuclear science ,where researchers must fight an uphill battle against negative public perception. Yet nuclear science encompasses important technical and societal issues that should be of primary interest to informed citizens, and the need for scientists trained in nuclear techniques are important for many applications in nuclear medicine, national security and future energy sources. The NSAC Education Subcommittee Report [1] identified the need for a nationally coordinated effort in nuclear science outreach, naming as its first recommendation that `the highest priority for new investment in education be the creation by the DOE and NSF of a Center for Nuclear Science Outreach'. This talk will review the present status of public outreach in nuclear science and highlight some specific efforts that have taken place during the World Year of Physics. [1] Education in Nuclear Science: A Status Report and Recommendations for the Beginning of the 21^st Century, A Report of the DOE/NSF Nuclear Science Advisory Committee Subcommittee on Education, November 2004, http://www.sc.doe.gov/henp/np/nsac/docs/NSACCReducationreportfinal.pdf.

On the physical properties of volcanic rock masses

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heap, M. J.; Villeneuve, M.; Ball, J. L.; Got, J. L.

2017-12-01

The physical properties (e.g., elastic properties, porosity, permeability, cohesion, strength, amongst others) of volcanic rocks are crucial input parameters for modelling volcanic processes. These parameters, however, are often poorly constrained and there is an apparent disconnect between modellers and those who measure/determine rock and rock mass properties. Although it is well known that laboratory measurements are scale dependent, experimentalists, field volcanologists, and modellers should work together to provide the most appropriate model input parameters. Our pluridisciplinary approach consists of (1) discussing with modellers to better understand their needs, (2) using experimental know-how to build an extensive database of volcanic rock properties, and (3) using geotechnical and field-based volcanological know-how to address scaling issues. For instance, increasing the lengthscale of interest from the laboratory-scale to the volcano-scale will reduce the elastic modulus and strength and increase permeability, but to what extent? How variable are the physical properties of volcanic rocks, and is it appropriate to assume constant, isotropic, and/or homogeneous values for volcanoes? How do alteration, depth, and temperature influence rock physical and mechanical properties? Is rock type important, or do rock properties such as porosity exert a greater control on such parameters? How do we upscale these laboratory-measured properties to rock mass properties using the "fracturedness" of a volcano or volcanic outcrop, and how do we quantify fracturedness? We hope to discuss and, where possible, address some of these issues through active discussion between two (or more) scientific communities.

Ethical issues raised in addressing the needs of people with serious mental disorders in complex emergencies.

PubMed

Wissow, Lawrence S; Rutkow, Lainie; Kass, Nancy E; Rabins, Peter V; Vernick, Jon S; Hodge, James G

2012-03-01

Recent manmade and natural disasters highlight weaknesses in the public health systems designed to protect populations from harm and minimize disruption of the social and built environments. Emergency planning and response efforts have, as a result, focused largely on ensuring populations' physical well-being during and after a disaster. Many public health authorities, including the World Health Organization, have recognized the importance of addressing both mental and physical health concerns in emergency plans. Individuals with mental disorders represent a notable proportion of the overall population, and anticipating their needs is critical to comprehensive emergency planning and response efforts. Because people with serious mental disorders historically have been stigmatized, and many individuals with mental disorders may be unable to care for themselves, ethical guidance may be of assistance to those engaged in emergency planning and response. This article considers several broad categories of ethical issues that arise during emergencies for people with serious mental disorders and offers recommendations for ways in which emergency planners and other stakeholders can begin to address these ethical challenges.

Engineering noble metal nanomaterials for environmental applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Jingguo; Zhao, Tingting; Chen, Tiankai; Liu, Yanbiao; Ong, Choon Nam; Xie, Jianping

2015-04-01

Besides being valuable assets in our daily lives, noble metals (namely, gold, silver, and platinum) also feature many intriguing physical and chemical properties when their sizes are reduced to the nano- or even subnano-scale; such assets may significantly increase the values of the noble metals as functional materials for tackling important societal issues related to human health and the environment. Among which, designing/engineering of noble metal nanomaterials (NMNs) to address challenging issues in the environment has attracted recent interest in the community. In general, the use of NMNs for environmental applications is highly dependent on the physical and chemical properties of NMNs. Such properties can be readily controlled by tailoring the attributes of NMNs, including their size, shape, composition, and surface. In this feature article, we discuss recent progress in the rational design and engineering of NMNs with particular focus on their applications in the field of environmental sensing and catalysis. The development of functional NMNs for environmental applications is highly interdisciplinary, which requires concerted efforts from the communities of materials science, chemistry, engineering, and environmental science.

Engineering noble metal nanomaterials for environmental applications.

PubMed

Li, Jingguo; Zhao, Tingting; Chen, Tiankai; Liu, Yanbiao; Ong, Choon Nam; Xie, Jianping

2015-05-07

Besides being valuable assets in our daily lives, noble metals (namely, gold, silver, and platinum) also feature many intriguing physical and chemical properties when their sizes are reduced to the nano- or even subnano-scale; such assets may significantly increase the values of the noble metals as functional materials for tackling important societal issues related to human health and the environment. Among which, designing/engineering of noble metal nanomaterials (NMNs) to address challenging issues in the environment has attracted recent interest in the community. In general, the use of NMNs for environmental applications is highly dependent on the physical and chemical properties of NMNs. Such properties can be readily controlled by tailoring the attributes of NMNs, including their size, shape, composition, and surface. In this feature article, we discuss recent progress in the rational design and engineering of NMNs with particular focus on their applications in the field of environmental sensing and catalysis. The development of functional NMNs for environmental applications is highly interdisciplinary, which requires concerted efforts from the communities of materials science, chemistry, engineering, and environmental science.

Problematizing Social Justice in Health Pedagogy and Youth Sport: Intersectionality of Race, Ethnicity, and Class.

PubMed

Dagkas, Symeon

2016-09-01

Social justice education recognizes the discrepancies in opportunities among disadvantaged groups in society. The purpose of the articles in this special topic on social justice is to (a) provide a critical reflection on issues of social justice within health pedagogy and youth sport of Black and ethnic-minority (BME) young people; (b) provide a framework for the importance of intersectionality research (mainly the intersection of social class, race, and ethnicity) in youth sport and health pedagogy for social justice; and (c) contextualize the complex intersection and interplay of social issues (i.e., race, ethnicity, social classes) and their influence in shaping physical culture among young people with a BME background. The article argues that there are several social identities in any given pedagogical terrain that need to be heard and legitimized to avoid neglect and "othering." This article suggests that a resurgence of interest in theoretical frameworks such as intersectionality can provide an effective platform to legitimize "non-normative bodies" (diverse bodies) in health pedagogy and physical education and sport by voicing positionalities on agency and practice.

Women in the Physical Sciences in Sweden: Do We Have True Gender Equality in a ``Gender-Neutral'' Country?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sorensen, Stacey L.; Rachlew, Elisabeth; Wiesner, Karoline; Engblom, Pia Thorngren

2005-10-01

Sweden, together with the other Nordic countries, seems at first glance to offer an environment where women and men enjoy equal treatment at all levels of society. Governments proclaim policies invoking gender-neutral regulations and legal frameworks. Government-supported parental leave programs provide paid leave for both parents, the child-care system is well developed, women are represented at high levels in the government, and educational levels are high. Clearly, awareness of gender issues and openness in the classroom and workplace must be very high. Why, then, is the career pipeline for women in physics leaking so badly? Why are there so few women in high-level management positions in industry? How can salaries for women on all levels, not least within the public sector, be consistently lower than for their male counterparts? What factors are important and how can we influence the situation so that women receive their fair share of power and recognition for their achievements? We discuss some of these issues, and describe the present situation in Sweden.

The impact of a service learning experience to enhance curricular integration in a physical therapist education program.

PubMed

Gazsi, Claudia C; Oriel, Kathryn N

2010-01-01

A goal when designing the Physical Therapy Program at Lebanon Valley College (LVC) was to maximize vertical and horizontal integration of course content related to (a) medical Spanish, (b) geriatrics, and (c) health promotion through a service learning engagement. Seventeen Doctor of Physical Therapy students from LVC participated in a fall risk screening at a local senior center in a Spanish-speaking neighborhood. The screen included the single leg stance, timed-up-and-go (TUG), and functional reach tests. The students screened 30 participants over a 3-hour time period. Following the screening event, students were asked to reflect on their experience. Reflections revealed that the activity supported integration of concurrent didactic course material and Core Values, reinforced cultural issues presented the previous year, and convinced students that physical therapists have a distinct and important role in primary and secondary prevention in meeting the needs of the Spanish-speaking elderly community.

Ash'arite's atomistic conception of the physical world: A restatement

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

Pozi, Firdaus; Othman, Mohd Yusof; Mohamed, Faizal

2013-11-27

Atomism plays an important role in the history of human thought. It can be traced back from Democritus atomos in the 500 BC to particle physics and quantum theory in the 21{sup st} century. However, as it being rejected and developed in the course of history of science, it still brings the fundamental question that perplexes physicists. It gives the views that the world is eternal; that the laws of nature is immutable and eternal therefore all phenomena can be determined through the laws and that there is no reality behind the quantum world. In this paper, we shall brieflymore » describe all these three views on the nature of the physical world or universe and this include on the nature of matter. Then, we shall explain our stand on those conceptions based on the Ash'arites atomistic conception of the physical world. We hope this paper can shed a light on several fundamental issues in the conception of the universe and gives the proper response to them.« less

Policy-Making Theory as an Analytical Framework in Policy Analysis: Implications for Research Design and Professional Advocacy.

PubMed

Sheldon, Michael R

2016-01-01

Policy studies are a recent addition to the American Physical Therapy Association's Research Agenda and are critical to our understanding of various federal, state, local, and organizational policies on the provision of physical therapist services across the continuum of care. Policy analyses that help to advance the profession's various policy agendas will require relevant theoretical frameworks to be credible. The purpose of this perspective article is to: (1) demonstrate the use of a policy-making theory as an analytical framework in a policy analysis and (2) discuss how sound policy analysis can assist physical therapists in becoming more effective change agents, policy advocates, and partners with other relevant stakeholder groups. An exploratory study of state agency policy responses to address work-related musculoskeletal disorders is provided as a contemporary example to illustrate key points and to demonstrate the importance of selecting a relevant analytical framework based on the context of the policy issue under investigation. © 2016 American Physical Therapy Association.

Physics and the role of mind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Klein, Stanley A.; Cochran, Christopher

2017-05-01

This paper explores the role of the mind in the physical world. We begin with a brief introduction to distinct types of retrocausal phenomena connected with parapsychology and physics. We provide an introduction to laws of quantum mechanics (QM) that lead some to surmise connections between QM and psychic phenomena (psi). Next, we present our argument that verification of psi will require changes to QM. As a possible placeholder for these changes we introduce "Mind", from Cartesian dualism. This area of research points the way to connections between two fundamental issues in science: the mind-matter hard problem and the measurement problem of QM. Positive outcomes of carefully executed experiments could demonstrate a close relationship between these two problems, including the possibility that sentience plays an important role in the fundamental laws of physics. We focus on a version of Daryl Bem's seeing the future experiments, which should allow for discrimination between various interpretations of QM. Finally, although the authors are psi skeptics, we suggest methodologies that may enable psi phenomena to be acceptable to mainstream science.

Therapeutic effect of lyophilized, Kefir-fermented milk on constipation among persons with mental and physical disabilities.

PubMed

Maki, Rumiko; Matsukawa, Mayumi; Matsuduka, Atsuko; Hashinaga, Masahiko; Anai, Hirofumi; Yamaoka, Yoshio; Hanada, Katsuhiro; Fujii, Chieko

2017-11-06

Constipation is a serious problem for persons with mental and physical disabilities in Japan. However, prophylaxis is extremely difficult because the major causes of constipation in these individuals are related to their mental and physical disabilities. Constipation can be successfully treated with glycerol enemas (GEs) and other aperients. As constipation is a lifetime issue for these persons, dietary regimens to prevent constipation can be important. This study evaluated the probiotic effects of kefir-fermented milk for preventing constipation in 42 persons with mental and physical disabilities. The participants were administered 2 g of lyophilized kefir with each meal for 12 weeks and their bowel movements, the administration of GE and other aperients, and stool shape were recorded. The intake of kefir significantly reduced constipation, compared with the baseline status. Some individuals showed complete relief of constipation, whereas others showed no effect. Despite individual variations, consuming kefir daily could prevent constipation. © 2017 Japan Academy of Nursing Science.

Inference for the physical sciences

PubMed Central

Jones, Nick S.; Maccarone, Thomas J.

2013-01-01

There is a disconnect between developments in modern data analysis and some parts of the physical sciences in which they could find ready use. This introduction, and this issue, provides resources to help experimental researchers access modern data analysis tools and exposure for analysts to extant challenges in physical science. We include a table of resources connecting statistical and physical disciplines and point to appropriate books, journals, videos and articles. We conclude by highlighting the relevance of each of the articles in the associated issue. PMID:23277613

Numerical Study of Solar Storms from the Sun to Earth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Xueshang; Jiang, Chaowei; Zhou, Yufen

2017-04-01

As solar storms are sweeping the Earth, adverse changes occur in geospace environment. How human can mitigate and avoid destructive damages caused by solar storms becomes an important frontier issue that we must face in the high-tech times. It is of both scientific significance to understand the dynamic process during solar storm's propagation in interplanetary space and realistic value to conduct physics-based numerical researches on the three-dimensional process of solar storms in interplanetary space with the aid of powerful computing capacity to predict the arrival times, intensities, and probable geoeffectiveness of solar storms at the Earth. So far, numerical studies based on magnetohydrodynamics (MHD) have gone through the transition from the initial qualitative principle researches to systematic quantitative studies on concrete events and numerical predictions. Numerical modeling community has a common goal to develop an end-to-end physics-based modeling system for forecasting the Sun-Earth relationship. It is hoped that the transition of these models to operational use depends on the availability of computational resources at reasonable cost and that the models' prediction capabilities may be improved by incorporating the observational findings and constraints into physics-based models, combining the observations, empirical models and MHD simulations in organic ways. In this talk, we briefly focus on our recent progress in using solar observations to produce realistic magnetic configurations of CMEs as they leave the Sun, and coupling data-driven simulations of CMEs to heliospheric simulations that then propagate the CME configuration to 1AU, and outlook the important numerical issues and their possible solutions in numerical space weather modeling from the Sun to Earth for future research.

Scale-Resolving simulations (SRS): How much resolution do we really need?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pereira, Filipe M. S.; Girimaji, Sharath

2017-11-01

Scale-resolving simulations (SRS) are emerging as the computational approach of choice for many engineering flows with coherent structures. The SRS methods seek to resolve only the most important features of the coherent structures and model the remainder of the flow field with canonical closures. With reference to a typical Large-Eddy Simulation (LES), practical SRS methods aim to resolve a considerably narrower range of scales (reduced physical resolution) to achieve an adequate degree of accuracy at reasonable computational effort. While the objective of SRS is well-founded, the criteria for establishing the optimal degree of resolution required to achieve an acceptable level of accuracy are not clear. This study considers the canonical case of the flow around a circular cylinder to address the issue of `optimal' resolution. Two important criteria are developed. The first condition addresses the issue of adequate resolution of the flow field. The second guideline provides an assessment of whether the modeled field is canonical (stochastic) turbulence amenable to closure-based computations.

Ethics in Physical and Sport Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spencer, Albert F.

1996-01-01

This article focuses on ways to integrate ethical issues in physical and sport education into professional action without involving institutional control, considering an individual approach to teaching-coaching practices that builds students' ethical decision making skills and develops character. Issues for group discussion and individual…

Medical physics in Europe following recommendations of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

PubMed

Casar, Bozidar; Lopes, Maria do Carmo; Drljević, Advan; Gershkevitsh, Eduard; Pesznyak, Csilla

2016-03-01

Medical physics is a health profession where principles of applied physics are mostly directed towards the application of ionizing radiation in medicine. The key role of the medical physics expert in safe and effective use of ionizing radiation in medicine was widely recognized in recent European reference documents like the European Union Council Directive 2013/59/EURATOM (2014), and European Commission Radiation Protection No. 174, European Guidelines on Medical Physics Expert (2014). Also the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been outspoken in supporting and fostering the status of medical physics in radiation medicine through multiple initiatives as technical and cooperation projects and important documents like IAEA Human Health Series No. 25, Roles and Responsibilities, and Education and Training Requirements for Clinically Qualified Medical Physicists (2013) and the International Basic Safety Standards, General Safety Requirements Part 3 (2014). The significance of these documents and the recognition of the present insufficient fulfilment of the requirements and recommendations in many European countries have led the IAEA to organize in 2015 the Regional Meeting on Medical Physics in Europe, where major issues in medical physics in Europe were discussed. Most important outcomes of the meeting were the recommendations addressed to European member states and the survey on medical physics status in Europe conducted by the IAEA and European Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics. Published recommendations of IAEA Regional Meeting on Medical Physics in Europe shall be followed and enforced in all European states. Appropriate qualification framework including education, clinical specialization, certification and registration of medical physicists shall be established and international recommendation regarding staffing levels in the field of medical physics shall be fulfilled in particular. European states have clear legal and moral responsibility to effectively transpose Basic Safety Standards into national legislation in order to ensure high quality and safety in patient healthcare.

Medical physics in Europe following recommendations of the International Atomic Energy Agency

PubMed Central

Lopes, Maria do Carmo; Drljević, Advan; Gershkevitsh, Eduard; Pesznyak, Csilla

2016-01-01

Background Medical physics is a health profession where principles of applied physics are mostly directed towards the application of ionizing radiation in medicine. The key role of the medical physics expert in safe and effective use of ionizing radiation in medicine was widely recognized in recent European reference documents like the European Union Council Directive 2013/59/EURATOM (2014), and European Commission Radiation Protection No. 174, European Guidelines on Medical Physics Expert (2014). Also the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been outspoken in supporting and fostering the status of medical physics in radiation medicine through multiple initiatives as technical and cooperation projects and important documents like IAEA Human Health Series No. 25, Roles and Responsibilities, and Education and Training Requirements for Clinically Qualified Medical Physicists (2013) and the International Basic Safety Standards, General Safety Requirements Part 3 (2014). The significance of these documents and the recognition of the present insufficient fulfilment of the requirements and recommendations in many European countries have led the IAEA to organize in 2015 the Regional Meeting on Medical Physics in Europe, where major issues in medical physics in Europe were discussed. Most important outcomes of the meeting were the recommendations addressed to European member states and the survey on medical physics status in Europe conducted by the IAEA and European Federation of Organizations for Medical Physics. Conclusions Published recommendations of IAEA Regional Meeting on Medical Physics in Europe shall be followed and enforced in all European states. Appropriate qualification framework including education, clinical specialization, certification and registration of medical physicists shall be established and international recommendation regarding staffing levels in the field of medical physics shall be fulfilled in particular. European states have clear legal and moral responsibility to effectively transpose Basic Safety Standards into national legislation in order to ensure high quality and safety in patient healthcare. PMID:27069451

"They put you on your toes": Physical Therapists' Perceived Benefits from and Barriers to Supervising Students in the Clinical Setting.

PubMed

Davies, Robyn; Hanna, Elizabeth; Cott, Cheryl

2011-01-01

To identify the perceived benefits of and barriers to clinical supervision of physical therapy (PT) students. In this qualitative descriptive study, three focus groups and six key-informant interviews were conducted with clinical physical therapists or administrators working in acute care, orthopaedic rehabilitation, or complex continuing care. Data were coded and analyzed for common ideas using a constant comparison approach. Perceived barriers to supervising students tended to be extrinsic: time and space constraints, challenging or difficult students, and decreased autonomy or flexibility for the clinical physical therapists. Benefits tended to be intrinsic: teaching provided personal gratification by promoting reflective practice and exposing clinical educators to current knowledge. The culture of different health care institutions was an important factor in therapists' perceptions of student supervision. Despite different disciplines and models of supervision, there is considerable synchronicity in the issues reported by physical therapists and other disciplines. Embedding the value of clinical teaching in the institution, along with strong communication links among academic partners, institutions, and potential clinical faculty, may mitigate barriers and increase the commitment and satisfaction of teaching staff.

Association of hair iron levels with creativity and psychological variables related to creativity

PubMed Central

Takeuchi, Hikaru; Taki, Yasuyuki; Sekiguchi, Atsushi; Nouchi, Rui; Kotozaki, Yuka; Nakagawa, Seishu; Miyauchi, Carlos M.; Iizuka, Kunio; Yokoyama, Ryoichi; Shinada, Takamitsu; Yamamoto, Yuki; Hanawa, Sugiko; Araki, Tsuyoshi; Hashizume, Hiroshi; Kunitoki, Keiko; Sassa, Yuko; Kawashima, Ryuta

2013-01-01

Creativity generally involves the conception of original and valuable ideas. Previous studies have suggested an association between creativity and the dopaminergic system, and that physical activity facilitates creativity. Iron plays a key role in the dopaminergic system and physical activity. Here, we newly investigated the associations between hair iron levels and creativity, dopamine-related traits and states [novelty seeking, extraversion, and vigor (motivational state)], as well as the physical activity level. In the present study, we addressed this issue by performing a hair mineral analysis to determine iron levels and a behavioral creativity test of divergent thinking and related psychological measures among young adults (254 men, 88 women; mean age 20.79 ± 2.03 years). Iron levels did not show any significant association with creativity but displayed significant positive associations with novelty seeking, extraversion, and physical activity level. These results may be partly congruent with the notion that iron plays a key role in the dopaminergic system and imply that iron is important for traits and physical activity, which facilitate creativity. Future interventional or longitudinal studies are warranted to identify any causal effects. PMID:24385960

Benefits and environmental determinants of physical activity in children and adolescents.

PubMed

Loprinzi, Paul D; Cardinal, Bradley J; Loprinzi, Kristina L; Lee, Hyo

2012-01-01

In this review, we identify the health benefits associated with physical activity (PA); address the physical activity and sedentary guidelines issued by public health scientists as well as children's compliance to these guidelines; discuss the importance of motor skill acquisition during early childhood; and identify different settings that contribute to physical activity participation and strategies for improving PA in these settings. Results show that regular participation in PA during childhood has numerous immediate benefits, including positive changes in adiposity, skeletal health, psychological health, and cardiorespiratory fitness. Additionally, motor skill development during early childhood may have immediate health benefits as well as long-lasting effects in adulthood. Furthermore, the benefits of PA during childhood also appear to positively influence adult health outcomes, such as increased bone mineral density. Key environmental settings that have been shown to influence children's PA behavior include child care, active commuting to and from school, school recess, school physical education, after-school programs, churches, medical settings, and the home environment. Recommendations for practitioners and researchers are discussed. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel.

EFOMP policy statement 16: The role and competences of medical physicists and medical physics experts under 2013/59/EURATOM.

PubMed

Caruana, Carmel J; Tsapaki, Virginia; Damilakis, John; Brambilla, Marco; Martín, Guadalupe Martín; Dimov, Asen; Bosmans, Hilde; Egan, Gillian; Bacher, Klaus; McClean, Brendan

2018-04-01

On 5 December 2013 the European Council promulgated Directive 2013/59/EURATOM. This Directive is important for Medical Physicists and Medical Physics Experts as it puts the profession on solid foundations and describes it more comprehensively. Much commentary regarding the role and competences has been developed in the context of the European Commission project "European Guidelines on the Medical Physics Expert" published as Radiation Protection Report RP174. The guidelines elaborate on the role and responsibilities under 2013/59/EURATOM in terms of a mission statement and competence profile in the specialty areas of Medical Physics relating to medical radiological services, namely Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology, Radiation Oncology and Nuclear Medicine. The present policy statement summarises the provisions of Directive 2013/59/EURATOM regarding the role and competences, reiterates the results of the European Guidelines on the Medical Physics Expert document relating to role and competences of the profession and provides additional commentary regarding further issues arising following the publication of the RP174 guidelines. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Virtual reality and physical rehabilitation: a new toy or a new research and rehabilitation tool?

PubMed Central

Keshner, Emily A

2004-01-01

Virtual reality (VR) technology is rapidly becoming a popular application for physical rehabilitation and motor control research. But questions remain about whether this technology really extends our ability to influence the nervous system or whether moving within a virtual environment just motivates the individual to perform. I served as guest editor of this month's issue of the Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation (JNER) for a group of papers on augmented and virtual reality in rehabilitation. These papers demonstrate a variety of approaches taken for applying VR technology to physical rehabilitation. The papers by Kenyon et al. and Sparto et al. address critical questions about how this technology can be applied to physical rehabilitation and research. The papers by Sveistrup and Viau et al. explore whether action within a virtual environment is equivalent to motor performance within the physical environment. Finally, papers by Riva et al. and Weiss et al. discuss the important characteristics of a virtual environment that will be most effective for obtaining changes in the motor system. PMID:15679943

Which indicators for measuring the daily physical activity? An overview on the challenges and technology limits for Telehealth applications.

PubMed

Tagliente, Irene; Solvoll, Terje; Trieste, Leopoldo; De Cecco, Carlo N; Murgia, Fabrizio; Bella, Sergio

2016-09-14

Obesity is one of the biggest drivers of preventable chronic diseases and healthcare costs in Worldwide. Different prevention activities are suggested. By monitoring daily energy expenditure (EE) could be possible make personalized diets and programming physical activity. In this, physical inactivity is one of the most important public health problems. Some studies refer the effort of the international community in promoting physical activities. Physical activity can be promoted only by increasing citizens' empowerment on taking care of their health, and it passes from the improving of individual information. Technology can offer solutions and metrics for monitoring and measuring daily activity by interacting with individuals, sharing information and feedbacks. In this study we review indicators of total energy expenditure and weaknesses of available devices in assessing these parameters. Literature review and technology testing EuNetHta core model. For the clinical aspects, it is fundamental to take into account all the factor that can influence the personal energy expenditure as: heart rate, blood pressure and thermoregulation (influenced by the body temperature). In this study we focused the attention on the importance of tools to encourage the physical activity. We made an analysis of the factor that can influence the right analysis of energy expenditure and at the same time the energy regime. A punctual monitoring of the exercise regime could be helpful in Telemedicine application as Telemonitorig. More study are needed to value the impact of physical activity tracker in Telemonitorig protocols. On the assessment of the energy expenditure, critical issues are related to the physiological data acquisition. Sensors connected with mobile devices could be important tools for disease prevention and interventions affecting health behaviors. New devices applications are potential useful for telemedicine assistance, but security of data and the related communication protocol limits should be taking into account.

Socially Responsible Mining: the Relationship between Mining and Poverty, Human Health and the Environment

PubMed Central

Maier, Raina M.; Díaz-Barriga, Fernando; Field, James A.; Hopkins, James; Klein, Bern; Poulton, Mary M.

2016-01-01

Increasing global demand for metals is straining the ability of the mining industry to physically keep up with demand (physical scarcity). On the other hand, social issues including the environmental and human health consequences of mining as well as the disparity in income distribution from mining revenues are disproportionately felt at the local community level. This has created social rifts, particularly in the developing world, between affected communities and both industry and governments. Such rifts can result in a disruption of the steady supply of metals (situational scarcity). Here we discuss the importance of mining in relationship to poverty, identify steps that have been taken to create a framework for socially responsible mining, and then discuss the need for academia to work in partnership with communities, government, and industry to develop trans-disciplinary research-based step change solutions to the intertwined problems of physical and situational scarcity. PMID:24552962

Representing the Quantum Object Through Fiction in Teaching. The Ontological Contribution of Gamow's Narrative as Part of an Introduction to Quantum Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Héraud, Jean-Loup; Lautesse, Philippe; Ferlin, Fabrice; Chabot, Hugues

2017-05-01

Our work extends a previous study of epistemological presuppositions in teaching quantum physics in upper scientific secondary school in France. Here, the problematic reference of quantum theory's concepts is treated at the ontological level (the counterintuitive nature of quantum objects). We consider the approach of using narratives describing possible alternative worlds to address the issue. These possible worlds are based on the counterfactual logic developed in the work of D. Lewis. We will show that the narratives written by G. Gamow describe such possible worlds. Some parts of these narratives are found in textbooks in France. These worlds are governed by laws similar to but importantly different from those in our real world. They allow us to materialize properties inaccessible to everyday experience. In this sense, these fiction stories make ontological propositions concerning the nature and structure of the fundamental elements of our physical universe.

In female adolescents, romantic love is related to hypomanic-like stages and increased physical activity, but not to sleep or depressive symptoms.

PubMed

Bajoghli, Hafez; Joshaghani, Narges; Mohammadi, Mohammad Reza; Holsboer-Trachsler, Edith; Brand, Serge

2011-09-01

Experiencing romantic love is important in individual development. Little is known about romantic love among adolescents in non-Western countries. The aim of the present study was therefore to explore romantic love among Iranian female adolescents. Eighty-six females (mean age: 17.97 years) took part in the study; 38 of them (44%) indicated they were experiencing romantic love at the time of survey, and 48 (56%) indicated they were not in love. Participants completed questionnaires related to affective states and physical activity, and a sleep log for seven consecutive nights. Compared to controls, participants in love had higher scores for hypomanic-like states, positive mood, physical activity, but not for better sleep quality or for depressive symptoms. Against expectations, hypomania scores increased with the duration of the romantic relationship, suggesting that culture-related issues might shape the way romantic love may be experienced.

[Physiotherapy for juvenile idiopathic arthritis].

PubMed

Spamer, M; Georgi, M; Häfner, R; Händel, H; König, M; Haas, J-P

2012-07-01

Control of disease activity and recovery of function are major issues in the treatment of children and adolescents suffering from juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). Functional therapies including physiotherapy are important components in the multidisciplinary teamwork and each phase of the disease requires different strategies. While in the active phase of the disease pain alleviation is the main focus, the inactive phase requires strategies for improving motility and function. During remission the aim is to regain general fitness by sports activities. These phase adapted strategies must be individually designed and usually require a combination of different measures including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, massage as well as other physical procedures and sport therapy. There are only few controlled studies investigating the effectiveness of physical therapies in JIA and many strategies are derived from long-standing experience. New results from physiology and sport sciences have contributed to the development in recent years. This report summarizes the basics and main strategies of physical therapy in JIA.

Hawking temperature: an elementary approach based on Newtonian mechanics and quantum theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pinochet, Jorge

2016-01-01

In 1974, the British physicist Stephen Hawking discovered that black holes have a characteristic temperature and are therefore capable of emitting radiation. Given the scientific importance of this discovery, there is a profuse literature on the subject. Nevertheless, the available literature ends up being either too simple, which does not convey the true physical significance of the issue, or too technical, which excludes an ample segment of the audience interested in science, such as physics teachers and their students. The present article seeks to remedy this shortcoming. It develops a simple and plausible argument that provides insight into the fundamental aspects of Hawking’s discovery, which leads to an approximate equation for the so-called Hawking temperature. The exposition is mainly intended for physics teachers and their students, and it only requires elementary algebra, as well as basic notions of Newtonian mechanics and quantum theory.

Perceptions of motivational climate and teachers' strategies to sustain discipline as predictors of intrinsic motivation in physical education.

PubMed

Gutiérrez, Melchor; Ruiz, Luis-Miguel; López, Esther

2010-11-01

This study examined the relationship among pupils' perceptions of the motivational climate, pupils' perceptions of teachers' strategies to maintain discipline and pupils' intrinsic motivation in physical education. A sample of 2189 Spanish adolescents, ages 13 to 17 years, completed Spanish versions of the EPCM, SSDS, and IMI. Confirmatory factor analyses were carried out to confirm the factorial validity of the scales. Then, the relationship among the variables was explored through Structural Equation Modelling. The most important predictors of pupils' intrinsic motivation were the perceived mastery climate, and perceived teachers' emphasis on intrinsic reasons to maintain discipline. Perceived performance climate and perceived teachers' strategies to maintain discipline based on introjected reasons and indifference, predicted pupils' tension-pressure. Results are discussed in the context of theoretical propositions of self-determination theory and practical issues of enhancing adolescents' motivation in physical education.

Narratives of the double bind: Intersectionality in life stories of women of color in physics, astrophysics and astronomy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ko, Lily T.; Kachchaf, Rachel R.; Ong, Maria; Hodari, Apriel K.

2013-01-01

This paper presents themes on the life stories of women of color in physics, astrophysics and astronomy. Drawing from our NSF-sponsored project, Beyond the Double Bind: Women of Color in STEM, we share findings from 10 interviews and 41 extant texts (about 23 women in varied life stages). Employing intersectionality theory and narrative analysis, our study contributes a critical analysis of how the intersection of gender and race affects performance, identity, persistence and overall career and education experiences in the physical sciences. Our findings both support existing literature on women of color in STEM, as well as bring to light two major, emergent issues: the importance of activism, and school/work-life balance. This research will add to the knowledge base about strategies for retaining women of color--widely considered an untapped source of domestic talent that could fill the country's scientific workforce needs.

The Ecology of Exercise: Mechanisms Underlying Individual Variation in Behavior, Activity, and Performance: An Introduction to Symposium.

PubMed

Killen, Shaun S; Calsbeek, Ryan; Williams, Tony D

2017-08-01

Wild animals often engage in intense physical activity while performing tasks vital for their survival and reproduction associated with foraging, avoiding predators, fighting, providing parental care, and migrating. In this theme issue we consider how viewing these tasks as "exercise"-analogous to that performed by human athletes-may help provide insight into the mechanisms underlying individual variation in these types of behaviors and the importance of physical activity in an ecological context. In this article and throughout this issue, we focus on four key questions relevant to the study of behavioral ecology that may be addressed by studying wild animal behavior from the perspective of exercise physiology: (1) How hard do individual animals work in response to ecological (or evolutionary) demands?; (2) Do lab-based studies of activity provide good models for understanding activity in free-living animals and individual variation in traits?; (3) Can animals work too hard during "routine" activities?; and (4) Can paradigms of "exercise" and "training" be applied to free-living animals? Attempts to address these issues are currently being facilitated by rapid technological developments associated with physiological measurements and the remote tracking of wild animals, to provide mechanistic insights into the behavior of free-ranging animals at spatial and temporal scales that were previously impossible. We further suggest that viewing the behaviors of non-human animals in terms of the physical exercise performed will allow us to fully take advantage of these technological advances, draw from knowledge and conceptual frameworks already in use by human exercise physiologists, and identify key traits that constrain performance and generate variation in performance among individuals. It is our hope that, by highlighting mechanisms of behavior and performance, the articles in this issue will spur on further synergies between physiologists and ecologists, to take advantage of emerging cross-disciplinary perspectives and technologies. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology.

Motivation for physical activity in children: a moving matter in need for study.

PubMed

Pannekoek, Linda; Piek, Jan P; Hagger, Martin S

2013-10-01

Motivation for physical activity in children below the age of 12 years is a largely underrepresented issue in contemporary research. Although engagement in sufficient physical activity is highly important for children's current and later health, relatively little is known of the factors that motivate children to be physically active. Various theories have been developed in an attempt to explain motivation toward physical activity in adults. Recent developments have focussed on integrating constructs of these theories in order to attain a comprehensive account of motivated behavior. The relationships between different motivational constructs have generally been investigated in healthy adolescents and adults. This manuscript outlines why more theoretically driven research into children's motivation toward physical activity is needed. Constructs stemming from various motivational theories and their interrelationship as evidenced in youth and adults will be summarized. The current state of research on the applicability of these motivational constructs to children, and the generalizability of the interrelationship between the constructs to child samples will be outlined. A deeper insight into the motivational determinants of physical activity participation in children could inform the design of interventions to facilitate the development of physically active lifestyles that persist at older ages. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Moving research beyond the spanking debate.

PubMed

MacMillan, Harriet L; Mikton, Christopher R

2017-09-01

Despite numerous studies identifying a broad range of harms associated with the use of spanking and other types of physical punishment, debate continues about its use as a form of discipline. In this commentary, we recommend four strategies to move the field forward and beyond the spanking debate including: 1) use of methodological approaches that allow for stronger causal inference; 2) consideration of human rights issues; 3) a focus on understanding the causes of spanking and reasons for its decline in certain countries; and 4) more emphasis on evidence-based approaches to changing social norms to reject spanking as a form of discipline. Physical punishment needs to be recognized as an important public health problem. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

REU Students' Initial Perceptions of Scientific Ethics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murphy, Sytil; Zollman, Dean

2010-10-01

One goal of undergraduate research, particularly Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) programs, is to help students become aware of the importance of ethical conduct in research. The Survey of Undergraduate Research Experiences (SURE) indicates that biology students believe they learn more about ethical conduct from their research experiences than physics students. Motivated by this, we initiated a study of both biology and physics REU students at Kansas State University consisting of pre- and post-interviews regarding their understanding of ethics with results to be compared to the SURE. This paper presents the students' initial perceptions (from the pre-interview) of how ethical issues impact science in general as well as their own specific work. We also discuss the differences in the interview responses of the two groups.

Physical activity in infancy: developmental aspects, measurement, and importance1234

PubMed Central

Worobey, John

2014-01-01

Relative to work on nutrient intake and growth in infancy and toddlerhood, research on physical activity (PA) from birth to age 24 mo is limited. In this review, the developmental course of PA in infancy and toddlerhood is described, and the issues that surround its measurement are addressed. Of the variety of techniques that allow for gauging PA in infancy and toddlerhood, caregiver questionnaires, direct observations, and motion sensors have been used most frequently. Although each method has shown utility, the limitations of each are also acknowledged. In addition, the relation of early PA to nutrition and overweight in infants is considered. Despite the challenges to accurately monitoring early PA, its possible contribution to early excess weight gain should be recognized. PMID:24477037

Noncoherent Physical-Layer Network Coding with FSK Modulation: Relay Receiver Design Issues

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

222 IEEE TRANSACTIONS ON COMMUNICATIONS, VOL. 59, NO. 9, SEPTEMBER 2011 2595 Noncoherent Physical-Layer Network Coding with FSK Modulation: Relay... noncoherent reception, channel estima- tion. I. INTRODUCTION IN the two-way relay channel (TWRC), a pair of sourceterminals exchange information...2011 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Noncoherent Physical-Layer Network Coding with FSK Modulation:Relay Receiver Design Issues 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b

Rehabilitation and multiple sclerosis: hot topics in the preservation of physical functioning.

PubMed

Dalgas, Ulrik

2011-12-01

In a chronic and disabling disease like multiple sclerosis, rehabilitation becomes of major importance in the preservation of physical, psychological and social functioning. Approximately 80% of patients have multiple sclerosis for more than 35 years and most will develop disability at some point of their lives, emphasising the importance of rehabilitation in order to maintain quality of life. An important aspect of multiple sclerosis rehabilitation is the preservation of physical functioning. Hot topics in the rehabilitation of physical function include (1) exercise therapy, (2) robot-assisted training and (3) pharmacological interventions. Exercise therapy has for many years been a controversial issue in multiple sclerosis rehabilitation and the advice generally given to patients was not to participate in physical exercise, since it was thought to lead to a worsening of symptoms or fatigue. However, a paradigm shift is taking place and it is now increasingly acknowledged that exercise therapy is both safe and beneficial. Robot-assisted training is also attracting attention in multiple sclerosis rehabilitation. Several sophisticated commercial robots exist, but so far the number of scientific studies that have evaluated these is limited, although some promising results have been reported. Finally, recent studies have shown that certain pharmacological interventions have the potential to improve functional capacity substantially, with the potassium channel blocker fampridine being one of the most promising. This drug has been shown to improve walking ability in some patients with multiple sclerosis, associated with a reduction of patients' self-reported ambulatory disability. Rehabilitation strategies involving these different approaches, or combinations of them, may be of great use in improving everyday functioning and quality of life in patients with MS. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

International Symposium on Clusters and Nanostructures (Energy, Environment, and Health)

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

Jena, Puru

The international Symposium on Clusters and Nanostructures was held in Richmond, Virginia during November 7-10, 2011. The symposium focused on the roles clusters and nanostructures play in solving outstanding problems in clean and sustainable energy, environment, and health; three of the most important issues facing science and society. Many of the materials issues in renewable energies, environmental impacts of energy technologies as well as beneficial and toxicity issues of nanoparticles in health are intertwined. Realizing that both fundamental and applied materials issues require a multidisciplinary approach the symposium provided a forum by bringing researchers from physics, chemistry, materials science, andmore » engineering fields to share their ideas and results, identify outstanding problems, and develop new collaborations. Clean and sustainable energy sessions addressed challenges in production, storage, conversion, and efficiency of renewable energies such as solar, wind, bio, thermo-electric, and hydrogen. Environmental issues dealt with air- and water-pollution and conservation, environmental remediation and hydrocarbon processing. Topics in health included therapeutic and diagnostic methods as well as health hazards attributed to nanoparticles. Cross-cutting topics such as reactions, catalysis, electronic, optical, and magnetic properties were also covered.« less

Methods of Mathematical and Computational Physics for Industry, Science, and Technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Melnik, Roderick V. N.; Voss, Frands

2006-11-01

Many industrial problems provide scientists with important and challenging problems that need to be solved today rather than tomorrow. The key role of mathematical physics, modelling, and computational methodologies in addressing such problems continues to increase. Science has never been exogenous to applied research. Gigantic ships and steam engines, repeating catapult of Dionysius and the Antikythera `computer' invented around 80BC are just a few examples demonstrating a profound link between theoretical and applied science in the ancient world. Nowadays, many industrial problems are typically approached by groups of researchers who are working as a team bringing their expertise to the success of the entire enterprise. Since the late 1960s several groups of European mathematicians and scientists have started organizing regular meetings, seeking new challenges from industry and contributing to the solution of important industrial problems. In particular, this often took the format of week-long workshops originally initiated by the Oxford Study Groups with Industry in 1968. Such workshops are now held in many European countries (typically under the auspices of the European Study Groups with Industry - ESGI), as well as in Australia, Canada, the United States, and other countries around the world. Problems given by industrial partners are sometimes very difficult to complete within a week. However, during a week of brainstorming activities these problems inevitably stimulate developing fruitful new ideas, new approaches, and new collaborations. At the same time, there are cases where as soon as the problem is formulated mathematically, it is relatively easy to solve. Hence, putting the industrial problem into a mathematical framework, based on physical laws, often provides a key element to the success. In addition to this important first step, the value in such cases is the real, practical applicability of the results obtained for an industrial partner who presents the problem. Under both outlined scenarios, scientists and mathematicians are provided with an opportunity to challenge themselves with real-world problems and to work together in a team on important industrial issues. This issue is a result of selected contributions by participants of the meeting that took place in the Sønderborg area of Denmark, one of the most important centers for information technology, telecommunication and electronics in the country. The meeting was hosted by the University of Southern Denmark in a picturesque area of Southern Jutland. It brought together about 65 participants, among whom were professional mathematicians, engineers, physicists, and industrial participants. The meeting was a truly international one, with delegates from four major Danish Universities, the UK, Norway, Italy, Czech Republic, Turkey, China, Germany, Latvia, Canada, the United States, and Finland. Five challenging projects were presented by leading industrial companies, including Grundfos, Danfoss Industrial Control, Unisensor, and Danfoss Flow Division (now Siemens). The meeting featured also the Mathematics for Industry Workshop with several distinguished international speakers. This volume of Journal of Physics: Conference Series on `Methods of Mathematical and Computational Physics for Industry, Science, and Technology' contains contributions from some of the participants of the workshop as well as the papers produced as a result of collaborative efforts with the above mentioned industrial companies. We would like to thank all authors and participants for their contributions and for bearing with us during the review process and preparation of this issue. We thank also all our referees for their timely and detailed reports. The publication of the proceedings of this meeting in Denmark was delayed due to problems with a previous publisher. We are very grateful that Journal of Physics: Conference Series kindly agreed to publish the proceedings rapidly at this late stage. As industrial problems become increasingly multidisciplinary, their successful solutions are often contingent on effective collaborative efforts between scientists, mathematicians, industrialists, and engineers. This volume has provided several examples of such collaborative efforts in the context of real-world industrial problems along with the analysis of important physics-based mathematical models applicable in a range of industrial contexts. Roderick V N Melnik, Professor of Mathematical Modelling, Syddansk Universitet (Denmark) and Professor and Canada Research Chair, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Canada E-mail: rmelnik@wlu.ca Frands Voss, Director of the Mads Clausen Institute, Syddansk Universitet (Denmark)

Special Issue on Uncertainty Quantification in Multiscale System Design and Simulation

DOE PAGES

Wang, Yan; Swiler, Laura

2017-09-07

The importance of uncertainty has been recognized in various modeling, simulation, and analysis applications, where inherent assumptions and simplifications affect the accuracy of model predictions for physical phenomena. As model predictions are now heavily relied upon for simulation-based system design, which includes new materials, vehicles, mechanical and civil structures, and even new drugs, wrong model predictions could potentially cause catastrophic consequences. Therefore, uncertainty and associated risks due to model errors should be quantified to support robust systems engineering.

Stuxnet, Schmitt Analysis, and the Cyber Use-of-Force Debate

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

demonstration during exercise Bold Alligator 2012 U . S . N av y (J os hu a J. W ah l) 46 JFQ / issue 67, 4 th quarter 2012 ndupress .ndu.edu...language; and Article 51’ s “armed attack ” threshold for self-defense actions. 18 Schmitt, “Computer Network Attack and the Use of Force,” 920. 19...sponsored cyber coercion. More importantly, the prospect of cyber attacks causing physical damage was largely theoretical.4 Beginning Stuxnet, Schmitt

Special Issue on Uncertainty Quantification in Multiscale System Design and Simulation

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

Wang, Yan; Swiler, Laura

The importance of uncertainty has been recognized in various modeling, simulation, and analysis applications, where inherent assumptions and simplifications affect the accuracy of model predictions for physical phenomena. As model predictions are now heavily relied upon for simulation-based system design, which includes new materials, vehicles, mechanical and civil structures, and even new drugs, wrong model predictions could potentially cause catastrophic consequences. Therefore, uncertainty and associated risks due to model errors should be quantified to support robust systems engineering.

Optimal Target Stars in the Search for Life

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lingam, Manasvi; Loeb, Abraham

2018-04-01

The selection of optimal targets in the search for life represents a highly important strategic issue. In this Letter, we evaluate the benefits of searching for life around a potentially habitable planet orbiting a star of arbitrary mass relative to a similar planet around a Sun-like star. If recent physical arguments implying that the habitability of planets orbiting low-mass stars is selectively suppressed are correct, we find that planets around solar-type stars may represent the optimal targets.

Modelling verbal aggression, physical aggression and inappropriate sexual behaviour after acquired brain injury

PubMed Central

James, Andrew I. W.; Böhnke, Jan R.; Young, Andrew W.; Lewis, Gary J.

2015-01-01

Understanding the underpinnings of behavioural disturbances following brain injury is of considerable importance, but little at present is known about the relationships between different types of behavioural disturbances. Here, we take a novel approach to this issue by using confirmatory factor analysis to elucidate the architecture of verbal aggression, physical aggression and inappropriate sexual behaviour using systematic records made across an eight-week observation period for a large sample (n = 301) of individuals with a range of brain injuries. This approach offers a powerful test of the architecture of these behavioural disturbances by testing the fit between observed behaviours and different theoretical models. We chose models that reflected alternative theoretical perspectives based on generalized disinhibition (Model 1), a difference between aggression and inappropriate sexual behaviour (Model 2), or on the idea that verbal aggression, physical aggression and inappropriate sexual behaviour reflect broadly distinct but correlated clinical phenomena (Model 3). Model 3 provided the best fit to the data indicating that these behaviours can be viewed as distinct, but with substantial overlap. These data are important both for developing models concerning the architecture of behaviour as well as for clinical management in individuals with brain injury. PMID:26136449

Cyber-Physical Attack-Resilient Wide-Area Monitoring, Protection, and Control for the Power Grid

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

Ashok, Aditya; Govindarasu, Manimaran; Wang, Jianhui

Cyber security and resiliency of Wide-Area Monitoring, Protection and Control (WAMPAC) applications is critically important to ensure secure, reliable, and economic operation of the bulk power system. WAMPAC relies heavily on the security of measurements and control commands transmitted over wide-area communication networks for real-time operational, protection, and control functions. Also, the current “N-1 security criteria” for grid operation is inadequate to address malicious cyber events and therefore it is important to fundamentally redesign WAMPAC and to enhance Energy Management System (EMS) applications to make them attack-resilient. In this paper, we propose an end-to-end defense-in-depth architecture for attack-resilient WAMPAC thatmore » addresses resilience at both the infrastructure layer and the application layers. Also, we propose an attack-resilient cyber-physical security framework that encompasses the entire security life cycle including risk assessment, attack prevention, attack detection, attack mitigation, and attack resilience. The overarching objective of this paper is to provide a broad scope that comprehensively describes most of the major research issues and potential solutions in the context of cyber-physical security of WAMPAC for the power grid.« less

Why is Physics Important to Cancer Research?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barker, Anna D.

Cancer is increasingly described as a ''disease of the genes'', and while the genome (in fact all of the ``omes'') are important information molecules that drive aspects of the initiation and progression of cancer, they are far from the whole story. Cancer is an extraordinarily complex system (in fact a complex of systems) that occurs in three-dimensional space, across multiple scales - and often over extended periods of time. The most challenging issues that plague the cancer field such as metastasis, cellular heterogeneity and resistance to therapy are in large part more rationally explained in the context of the physics of these systems vs. genomics. For example, the biology of metastasis has been studied extensively for decades with little progress. Metastatic disease depends on cells acquiring (or expressing innate information) new properties that enable and sustain their ability to migrate to distant sites. Developing a fundamental understanding of key cancer processes ranging from metastasis to immunotherapeutic responses requires that physicists (and mathematicians and engineers) be integrated into a new generation of cancer research - period! The presentation will focus on those areas where physics is essential - and the how's and whose of achieving the integration required.

Physical design correlates of efficiency and safety in emergency departments: a qualitative examination.

PubMed

Pati, Debajyoti; Harvey, Thomas E; Pati, Sipra

2014-01-01

The objective of this study was to explore and identify physical design correlates of safety and efficiency in emergency department (ED) operations. This study adopted an exploratory, multimeasure approach to (1) examine the interactions between ED operations and physical design at 4 sites and (2) identify domains of physical design decision-making that potentially influence efficiency and safety. Multidisciplinary gaming and semistructured interviews were conducted with stakeholders at each site. Study data suggest that 16 domains of physical design decisions influence safety, efficiency, or both. These include (1) entrance and patient waiting, (2) traffic management, (3) subwaiting or internal waiting areas, (4) triage, (5) examination/treatment area configuration, (6) examination/treatment area centralization versus decentralization, (7) examination/treatment room standardization, (8) adequate space, (9) nurse work space, (10) physician work space, (11) adjacencies and access, (12) equipment room, (13) psych room, (14) staff de-stressing room, (15) hallway width, and (16) results waiting area. Safety and efficiency from a physical environment perspective in ED design are mutually reinforcing concepts--enhancing efficiency bears positive implications for safety. Furthermore, safety and security emerged as correlated concepts, with security issues bearing implications for safety, thereby suggesting important associations between safety, security, and efficiency.

Do workplace physical activity interventions improve mental health outcomes?

PubMed

Chu, A H Y; Koh, D; Moy, F M; Müller-Riemenschneider, F

2014-06-01

Mental health is an important issue in the working population. Interventions to improve mental health have included physical activity. To review evidence for the effectiveness of workplace physical activity interventions on mental health outcomes. A literature search was conducted for studies published between 1990 and August 2013. Inclusion criteria were physical activity trials, working populations and mental health outcomes. Study quality was assessed using the Jadad scale. Of 3684 unique articles identified, 17 met all selection criteria, including 13 randomized controlled trials, 2 comparison trials and 2 controlled trials. Studies were grouped into two key intervention areas: physical activity and yoga exercise. Of eight high-quality trials, two provided strong evidence for a reduction in anxiety, one reported moderate evidence for an improvement in depression symptoms and one provided limited evidence on relieving stress. The remaining trials did not provide evidence on improved mental well-being. Workplace physical activity and yoga programmes are associated with a significant reduction in depressive symptoms and anxiety, respectively. Their impact on stress relief is less conclusive. © The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Physical activity guides for Canadians: messaging strategies, realistic expectations for change, and evaluation.

PubMed

Brawley, Lawrence R; Latimer, Amy E

2007-01-01

Physical activity guidelines offer evidence-based behavioural benchmarks that relate to reduced risk of morbidity and mortality if people adhere to them. Essentially, the guidelines tell people what to do, but not why and how they should do it. Thus, to motivate adherence, messages that translate guidelines should convey not only how much physical activity one should attempt and why it is recommended, but also how to achieve such a recommendation. Canada's physical activity guides exemplify how guidelines can be translated. This paper (i) provides a brief overview of the challenges encountered in creating the existing guides and (ii) highlights important practical issues and empirical evidence that should be considered in the future when translating guidelines into messages and disseminating these messages. We draw on the successes of past efforts to translate the goals of physical activity guidelines and on recent literature on messages and media campaigns to make recommendations. Information to motivate people to move toward the goals in physical activity guidelines should be translated into a set of messages that are informative, thought provoking, and persuasive. These messages should be disseminated to the public via a multi-phase social-marketing campaign that is carefully planned and thoroughly evaluated.

Special issue on quantum physics with non-Hermitian operators Special issue on quantum physics with non-Hermitian operators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bender, Carl M.; Fring, Andreas; Guenther, Uwe; Jones, Hugh F.

2012-01-01

This is a call for contributions to a special issue of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical dedicated to quantum physics with non-Hermitian operators. The main motivation behind this special issue is to gather together recent results, developments and open problems in this rapidly evolving field of research in a single comprehensive volume. We expect that such a special issue will become a valuable reference for the broad scientific community working in mathematical and theoretical physics. The issue will be open to all contributions containing new results on non-Hermitian theories which are explicitly PT-symmetric and/or pseudo-Hermitian or quasi-Hermitian. The main novelties in the past years in this area have been many experimental observations, realizations, and applications of PT symmetric Hamiltonians in optics and microwave cavities. We especially invite contributions on the theoretical interpretations of these recent PT-symmetric experiments and on theoretical proposals for new experiments. Editorial policy The Guest Editors for this issue are Carl Bender, Andreas Fring, Uwe Guenther and Hugh Jones. The areas and topics for this issue include, but are not limited to: spectral problems novel properties of complex optical potentials PT-symmetry related threshold lasers and spectral singularities construction of metric operators scattering theory supersymmetric theories Lie algebraic and Krein-space methods random matrix models classical and semi-classical models exceptional points in model systems operator theoretic approaches microwave cavities aspects of integrability and exact solvability field theories with indefinite metric All contributions will be refereed and processed according to the usual procedure of the journal. Papers should report original and significant research that has not already been published. Guidelines for preparation of contributions The deadline for contributed papers will be 31 March 2012. This deadline will allow the special issue to appear before the end of November 2012. There is a nominal page limit of 15 printed pages per contribution (invited review papers can be longer). For papers exceeding this limit, the Guest Editors reserve the right to request a reduction in length. Further advice on publishing your work in Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical may be found at iopscience.iop.org/jphysa. Contributions to the special issue should be submitted by web upload via authors.iop.org/, or by email to jphysa@iop.org, quoting 'JPhysA Special issue on quantum physics with non-Hermitian operators'. Submissions should ideally be in standard LaTeX form. Please see the website for further information on electronic submissions. All contributions should be accompanied by a read-me file or covering letter giving the postal and e-mail addresses for correspondence. The Publishing Office should be notified of any subsequent change of address. The special issue will be published in the print and online versions of the journal.

Special issue on quantum physics with non-Hermitian operators Special issue on quantum physics with non-Hermitian operators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bender, Carl M.; Fring, Andreas; Guenther, Uwe; Jones, Hugh F.

2012-01-01

This is a call for contributions to a special issue of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical dedicated to quantum physics with non-Hermitian operators. The main motivation behind this special issue is to gather together recent results, developments and open problems in this rapidly evolving field of research in a single comprehensive volume. We expect that such a special issue will become a valuable reference for the broad scientific community working in mathematical and theoretical physics. The issue will be open to all contributions containing new results on non-Hermitian theories which are explicitly PT-symmetric and/or pseudo-Hermitian or quasi-Hermitian. The main novelties in the past years in this area have been many experimental observations, realizations, and applications of PT symmetric Hamiltonians in optics and microwave cavities. We especially invite contributions on the theoretical interpretations of these recent PT-symmetric experiments and on theoretical proposals for new experiments. Editorial policy The Guest Editors for this issue are Carl Bender, Andreas Fring, Uwe Guenther and Hugh Jones. The areas and topics for this issue include, but are not limited to: spectral problems novel properties of complex optical potentials PT-symmetry related threshold lasers and spectral singularities construction of metric operators scattering theory supersymmetric theories Lie algebraic and Krein-space methods random matrix models classical and semi-classical models exceptional points in model systems operator theoretic approaches microwave cavities aspects of integrability and exact solvability field theories with indefinite metric All contributions will be refereed and processed according to the usual procedure of the journal. Papers should report original and significant research that has not already been published. Guidelines for preparation of contributions The deadline for contributed papers will be 31 March 2012. This deadline will allow the special issue to appear before the end of November 2012. There is a nominal page limit of 15 printed pages per contribution (invited review papers can be longer). For papers exceeding this limit, the Guest Editors reserve the right to request a reduction in length. Further advice on publishing your work in Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical may be found at iopscience.iop.org/jphysa. Contributions to the special issue should be submitted by web upload via authors.iop.org, or by email to jphysa@iop.org, quoting 'JPhysA Special issue on quantum physics with non-Hermitian operators'. Submissions should ideally be in standard LaTeX form. Please see the website for further information on electronic submissions. All contributions should be accompanied by a read-me file or covering letter giving the postal and e-mail addresses for correspondence. The Publishing Office should be notified of any subsequent change of address. The special issue will be published in the print and online versions of the journal.

The smart house for older persons and persons with physical disabilities: structure, technology arrangements, and perspectives.

PubMed

Stefanov, Dimitar H; Bien, Zeungnam; Bang, Won-Chul

2004-06-01

Smart houses are considered a good alternative for the independent life of older persons and persons with disabilities. Numerous intelligent devices, embedded into the home environment, can provide the resident with both movement assistance and 24-h health monitoring. Modern home-installed systems tend to be not only physically versatile in functionality but also emotionally human-friendly, i.e., they may be able to perform their functions without disturbing the user and without causing him/her any pain, inconvenience, or movement restriction, instead possibly providing him/her with comfort and pleasure. Through an extensive survey, this paper analyzes the building blocks of smart houses, with particular attention paid to the health monitoring subsystem as an important component, by addressing the basic requirements of various sensors implemented from both research and clinical perspectives. The paper will then discuss some important issues of the future development of an intelligent residential space with a human-friendly health monitoring functional system.

A survey of selected aviators' perceptions regarding Army crew endurance guidelines.

PubMed

Caldwell, J A; Caldwell, J L; Hartnett, T C

1995-01-01

A 59-item questionnaire was administered to Army helicopter pilots from a variety of Army units to assess crew endurance issues. Analysis of 653 completed questionnaires indicated that respondents felt that the maintenance of aviator proficiency was more important than the fulfillment of only currency requirements in improving flight endurance. Approximately three-quarters of the respondents said that physical training was important to them personally, and 63% said that improved physical fitness reduces flight-related fatigue. With regard to the current crew endurance guide, only 1% of the respondents thought that the guide was exceptional and 65% said that they thought it should be rewritten. Adjustments were suggested for some of the recommended flight time limitations, to include liberalizing the factor associated with night-vision device flight. A majority of respondents indicated that data from either in-flight endurance evaluations or questionnaires administered to personnel in the field should be used to develop a new guide. Most respondents did not feel comfortable delegating responsibility for total crew endurance planning to unit commanders.

Green areas and public health: improving wellbeing and physical activity in the urban context.

PubMed

D'Alessandro, Daniela; Buffoli, Maddalena; Capasso, Lorenzo; Fara, Gaetano Maria; Rebecchi, Andrea; Capolongo, Stefano

2015-01-01

The green areas play an important role in improving the environmental quality and climate of the city. However, despite the undoubted importance of these areas, the benefits to public health are still under investigation. The Authors perform a review of studies on the relationship between health and green areas and describe the main areas for which evidence on this relationship is currently available. They include: effects on air quality, on social cohesion, on mental health, with particular reference to the stress, and on physical activity. Most of the evidence comes from cross-sectional and descriptive studies and the approaches used to measure the association show themselves to be often unsatisfactory. The Authors conclude the review stressing the need for greater integration between the different professionals involved in urban planning and in health care analysis in order to identify research approaches more appropriate to understand such complex issues, striving toward a planning design of green areas that will satisfy both environmental sustainability and health requirements.

Introduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2016-11-01

A year has passed since Raymond left us, but for many of us it seems like it was yesterday. Indeed, since his departure last July, not a week or even a day has gone by without his former collaborators, students, colleagues having a thought for him. Some initiatives have already been taken in order to celebrate Raymond's memory. The special day for Raymond organized at CERN last December was an opportunity to celebrate this exceptional man. In Annecy, with the implication of CERN and Marseille and thanks to a spontaneous and generous gift of Raymond's wife Marie-Françoise and their children Olivier and Thierry, the opening of a special room containing a huge collection of scientific books of Raymond is almost completed. It is in the same spirit that the present editors decided to dedicate a special issue of Nuclear Physics in memory of Raymond. In the following pages, some important problems Raymond was interested in are presented, discussed and sometimes solved. The diversity of topics in this issue reflects well the extent of Raymond's interests in Physics and Mathematics. Raymond was not only a gifted man for the so-called theoretical sciences, mathematics and physics, but he was also passionate about arts, music, drawing and of course literature, just as he was a leader always ready to bring his help and share his deep knowledge in physics and mathematics with others. Many people were deeply touched by Paul Sorba's tribute during Raymond's funeral. This is why we asked Paul to translate his speech, originally given in French, which seemed to us a perfect Prolegomena for this special volume of Nuclear Physics. The volume "Mathematical Foundations of Quantum Field Theory" is organized as follows: General and historical contributions

Relationship between physical activity level and psychosocial and socioeconomic factors and issues in children and adolescents with asthma: a scoping review.

PubMed

Westergren, Thomas; Berntsen, Sveinung; Ludvigsen, Mette Spliid; Aagaard, Hanne; Hall, Elisabeth O C; Ommundsen, Yngvar; Uhrenfeldt, Lisbeth; Fegran, Liv

2017-08-01

Asthma is a heterogeneous chronic airway disease which may reduce capability for physical activity. In healthy peers, physical activity is influenced by psychosocial and socioeconomic factors. Knowledge about the role of these factors has not been mapped in children and adolescents with asthma. The main objective of this scoping review was to identify psychosocial and socioeconomic factors associated with physical activity level in children and adolescents with asthma in the literature. The specific objectives were to map the instruments used to measure these factors, report on the construction and validation of these instruments, map psychosocial and socioeconomic issues related to physical activity level reported in qualitative studies, and identify gaps in knowledge about the relationship between psychosocial and socioeconomic factors and physical activity level in children and adolescents with asthma. Children and adolescents with asthma aged six to 18 years. Psychosocial and socioeconomic factors related to physical activity level and participation. All physical activity contexts. Quantitative and qualitative primary studies in English, with no date limit. The databases searched included nine major databases for health and sports science, and five databases for unpublished studies. After screening and identification of studies, the reference lists of all identified reports were searched, and forward citation searches were conducted using four databases. The following data were extracted: (a) relevant study characteristics and assessment of physical activity level, (b) instruments used to assess psychosocial and socioeconomic factors, (c) association between physical activity level and these factors, (d) construction and validation of instruments, and (e) psychosocial and socioeconomic issues related to physical activity participation. Twenty-one quantitative and 13 qualitative studies were included. In cross-sectional studies, enjoyment, physical self-concept, self-efficacy, attitudes and beliefs about physical activity and health, psychological distress, health-related quality of life, and social support were more often reported as being correlated with physical activity level. In three studies, the construct validity was assessed by factor analysis and construct reliability tests for the study population. Qualitative studies reported 10 issues related to physical activity participation, and capability and being like peers were most commonly reported. There was no direct evidence that qualitative research informed the development or adjustment of instruments in quantitative studies. Seven psychosocial factors correlated with physical activity level; capability and being like peers were the most commonly reported issues. Reports of the construction and validation of instruments were sparse.

Theory-based physical activity beliefs by race and activity levels among older adults.

PubMed

Kosma, Maria; Cardinal, Bradley J

2016-01-01

Given the benefits of physical activity and the high proportion of inactivity among older adults, the purpose was to elicit theory-based behavioral, normative, and control physical activity beliefs among 140 educationally and economically diverse older adults and compare their beliefs by race (Blacks vs. Whites) and physical activity levels (inactive/underactive vs. highly active individuals). This was an elicitation study that took place in eight, mostly rural community settings in a Southeastern US state, such as Council of Aging Offices, retirement centers, and churches. Participants' behavioral, normative, and control beliefs were elicited via in person interviews. A valid and reliable questionnaire was also used to assess their physical activity levels. According to the content analysis, inactive/underactive participants reported fewer physical activity advantages than highly active participants. Common physical activity advantages between the two groups were overall health, emotional functioning, and physical functioning. Similar physical activity advantages were reported among Blacks and Whites with overall health being the most important advantage. The most common physical activity disadvantages and barriers for all four groups were falls, injuries, pain, and health issues. Inactive/underactive individuals and Blacks tended to report more disadvantages and barriers than their peers. Common physical activity supporters were family members, friends and peers, and health-care professionals. In their physical activity motivational programs, health promoters should reinforce physical activity benefits, social support, access to activity programs, and safety when intervening among older adults.

Understanding domains of health-related quality of life concerns of Singapore Chinese patients with advanced cancer: a qualitative analysis.

PubMed

Lee, G L; Pang, G S Y; Akhileswaran, R; Ow, M Y L; Fan, G K T; Wong, C C F; Wee, H L; Cheung, Y B

2016-03-01

Quality of life concerns in patients with advanced diseases might be different from other patients and are shaped by sociocultural context. The objective of this qualitative study was to identify domains and themes of health-related quality of life (HRQoL) that Chinese patients with advanced cancer in Singapore considered relevant and important. English- and Chinese-speaking patients with advanced solid cancer were recruited from a tertiary cancer center and a community-based hospice for in-depth interview or focused group discussion. Thematic analysis was used to identify subthemes, themes, and domains from the transcripts. Forty-six ethnic Chinese (aged 26-86, 48% male) participated in the study. Six domains of HRQoL concerns were identified: pain and suffering, physical health, social health, mental health, financial well-being, and spiritual health. Pain and suffering are not limited to the physical domain, reflecting the multidimensional nature of this concept. Pain and suffering must also be understood within the cultural context. Healthcare relations (i.e., social health), existential well-being and religious well-being (i.e., spiritual health), and suffering (i.e., pain and suffering) are not fully captured in the existing HRQoL instruments. In addition, financial issues and the practice of secrecy in interpersonal relationships emerged as unique features possibly arising from our sociocultural context and healthcare financing landscape. Socioculturally specific issues not measured by the existing HRQoL instruments for use in patients with advanced cancers or terminal diseases were found in our study. These are non-physical pain and suffering, meaning of illness, meaning of death, financial issues, and practice of secrecy in interpersonal relationships.

Practical Issues in Developing a Culturally Tailored Physical Activity Promotion Program for Chinese and Korean American Midlife Women: A Pilot Study.

PubMed

Chee, Wonshik; Kim, Sangmi; Chu, Tsung-Lan; Tsai, Hsiu-Min; Ji, Xiaopeng; Zhang, Jingwen; Chee, Eunice; Im, Eun-Ok

2016-11-21

With advances in computer technologies, Web-based interventions are widely accepted and welcomed by health care providers and researchers. Although the benefits of Web-based interventions on physical activity promotion have been documented, the programs have rarely targeted Asian Americans, including Asian American midlife women. Subsequently, culturally competent Web-based physical activity programs for Asian Americans may be necessary. The purpose of our study was to explore practical issues in developing and implementing a culturally competent Web-based physical activity promotion program for 2 groups of Asian American women-Chinese American and Korean American midlife women-and to provide implications for future research. While conducting the study, the research team members wrote individual memos on issues and their inferences on plausible reasons for the issues. The team had group discussions each week and kept the minutes of the discussions. Then, the memos and minutes were analyzed using a content analysis method. We identified practical issues in 4 major idea categories: (1) bilingual translators' language orientations, (2) cultural sensitivity requirement, (3) low response rate, interest, and retention, and (4) issues in implementation logistics. Based on the issues, we make several suggestions for the use of bilingual translators, motivational strategies, and implementation logistics. ©Wonshik Chee, Sangmi Kim, Tsung-Lan Chu, Hsiu-Min Tsai, Xiaopeng Ji, Jingwen Zhang, Eunice Chee, Eun-Ok Im. Originally published in the Journal of Medical Internet Research (http://www.jmir.org), 21.11.2016.

Modern meta-heuristics based on nonlinear physics processes: A review of models and design procedures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Salcedo-Sanz, S.

2016-10-01

Meta-heuristic algorithms are problem-solving methods which try to find good-enough solutions to very hard optimization problems, at a reasonable computation time, where classical approaches fail, or cannot even been applied. Many existing meta-heuristics approaches are nature-inspired techniques, which work by simulating or modeling different natural processes in a computer. Historically, many of the most successful meta-heuristic approaches have had a biological inspiration, such as evolutionary computation or swarm intelligence paradigms, but in the last few years new approaches based on nonlinear physics processes modeling have been proposed and applied with success. Non-linear physics processes, modeled as optimization algorithms, are able to produce completely new search procedures, with extremely effective exploration capabilities in many cases, which are able to outperform existing optimization approaches. In this paper we review the most important optimization algorithms based on nonlinear physics, how they have been constructed from specific modeling of a real phenomena, and also their novelty in terms of comparison with alternative existing algorithms for optimization. We first review important concepts on optimization problems, search spaces and problems' difficulty. Then, the usefulness of heuristics and meta-heuristics approaches to face hard optimization problems is introduced, and some of the main existing classical versions of these algorithms are reviewed. The mathematical framework of different nonlinear physics processes is then introduced as a preparatory step to review in detail the most important meta-heuristics based on them. A discussion on the novelty of these approaches, their main computational implementation and design issues, and the evaluation of a novel meta-heuristic based on Strange Attractors mutation will be carried out to complete the review of these techniques. We also describe some of the most important application areas, in broad sense, of meta-heuristics, and describe free-accessible software frameworks which can be used to make easier the implementation of these algorithms.

[PHYSICAL EXERCISE FOR PEOPLE WITH MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS: EFFECTS, RECOMMENDATIONS AND BARRIERS].

PubMed

Barak, Sharon; Hutzler, Yeshayahu; Dubnov-Raz, Gal; Achiron, Anat

2016-06-01

This review summarizes the existing knowledge regarding the effects and recommendations for physical training (PTr) in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). In addition, perceived benefits and barriers to PTr in this population are reviewed. One of the primary aims of rehabilitation for patients with MS is to increase their levels of activity and independence. PTr is a central component in the rehabilitation process. Nonetheless, the use of PTr in the rehabilitation of patients with MS has been a controversial issue for years. Nowadays, strong evidence exists that aerobic training in individuals with MS has a positive effect on overall physical conditioning, gait speed, fatigue, depression and cognition. Unlike aerobic training, the number of studies that investigated strength training effects in this population is limited. However, the available data show that resistance training also has beneficial effects on MS patients. It is important to note, that PTr has no deleterious effects in MS patients. In the various studies, there was diversity with regard to the duration and the frequency of PTr, while intensity was often poorly described. It is recommended that individuals with MS engage in aerobic training (at 60-80% of maximal heart rate), strength training (1-3 sets of 8-15 repetitions), the range of motion, balance and ambulation exercises. Awareness of the benefits of physical activity and sense of achievement are not sufficient to promote exercise participation in persons with MS. Factors relating to physical exertion, sports facilities availability and self-efficacy play an important role in promoting exercise participation.

The Effects of Gain- versus Loss-Framed Messages Following Health Risk Information on Physical Activity in Individuals With Multiple Sclerosis.

PubMed

Lithopoulos, Alexander; Bassett-Gunter, Rebecca L; Martin Ginis, Kathleen A; Latimer-Cheung, Amy E

2017-06-01

Few people with multiple sclerosis engage in physical activity. Messaging interventions may motivate more physical activity among these individuals. The purpose of this online study was to evaluate an intervention presenting participants with multiple sclerosis (N = 237) with risk information (i.e., information demonstrating people with multiple sclerosis are more likely to experience certain health issues) or no risk information followed by gain- or loss-framed physical activity messages. Participants completed questionnaires on Days 1, 6, and 28 and received information material on Days 2-5. The dependent variables were as follows: physical activity intentions and behavior, response and task efficacy, perceived threat (i.e., perception of threat to health issues relevant to people with multiple sclerosis), and avoidance (i.e., avoiding thinking about/doing something about the health issues presented in the messages). Analyses indicated physical activity and response efficacy increased over time. Also, participants receiving risk information had higher levels of physical activity and perceived threat. However, manipulation checks showed no differences between participants regarding perceptions of risk information or gain/loss-framed messages. Despite the lack of impact of the framing intervention, this study suggests that a brief informational intervention can positively influence physical activity and certain correlates of physical activity among people with multiple sclerosis.

Miniconsultation on the Mental and Physical Health Problems of Black Women.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Black Women's Community Development Foundation, Inc., Washington, DC.

The Black Women's Community Development Foundation (BWCDF) examined the mental and physical health issues confronting black women. BWCDF chose to examine these issues through a "miniconsultation," a gathering of some 60 health care professionals, sociologists, educators and others who for two days comprehensively shared their…

Utilizing doctors' attitudes toward staff training to inform a chiropractic technology curriculum.

PubMed

Eberhart, Catherine A; Martel, Stacie S

2015-03-01

The purpose of this study is to determine attitudes of doctors of chiropractic regarding the importance of staff training in specific skill areas to inform the curriculum management process of a chiropractic technology program. A survey was distributed to registrants of a chiropractic homecoming event. On a 5-point Likert scale, respondents were asked to rate the degree of importance that staff members be trained in specific skills. Descriptive statistics were derived, and a 1-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to test differences between groups based on years in practice and level of staff training. Doctors place a high level of importance on oral communication skills and low importance on nutrition and physical examinations. Comparing groups based on years in practice revealed differences in the areas of passive physiotherapies (F = 3.61, p = .015), legal issues/regulations (F = 3.01, p = .032), occupational safety and health regulation (F = 4.27, p = .006), and marketing (F = 2.67, p = .049). Comparing groups based on level of staff training revealed differences in the areas of occupational safety and health regulations (F = 4.56, p = .005) and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (F = 4.91, p = .003). With regard to their assistants, doctors of chiropractic tend to place high importance on office skills requiring effective communication and place less importance on clinical skills such as physical examinations and physiotherapy.

Caring Interactions in Secondary Prevention Programs: A Qualitative Inquiry of Individuals With Parkinson's Disease.

PubMed

Greviskes, Lindsey E; Podlog, Leslie; Newton, Maria; Dibble, Leland E; Burns, Ryan D; Pillow, Wanda; Hall, Morgan S; Hammer, Christopher

2018-02-01

With Parkinson's disease (PD) prevalence rates steadily increasing and long-term adherence to regular physical activity and exercise often difficult to achieve, it is imperative to investigate factors promoting adherence to secondary prevention programs (SPP) that help limit the progression of motor and nonmotor signs and symptoms of the disease. Caring interactions between patients and their rehabilitation team may be particularly germane to individuals with PD, given the physical and psychosocial issues that often accompany this disease (eg, loss of physical function, depression, apathy, and cognitive impairments). Considering this reasoning, the purpose of the present study was twofold: (1) to gain a better understanding of the nature of caring in an SPP setting from a patient perspective and (2) to discover what implications, if any, caring has on relevant patient-centered behaviors such as effort and adherence to SPPs. Ten individuals with PD were recruited. In-depth, qualitative interviews were performed using a semistructured interview guide. Inductive content analysis was used to identify themes representing participants' experiences of caring in the SPP setting. Six themes emerged from the data analysis. The first 4 themes described how rehabilitation providers fostered caring in the SPP setting: showing interest, creating a supportive atmosphere, benevolence, and paying attention. Participants described instances when rehabilitation providers (physical therapy assistants, physical therapy students, and exercise specialists) showed interest by asking personal questions and remembering personal information. A supportive environment was facilitated by making participants feel supported, welcomed, and valued. Benevolence was apparent when rehabilitation providers demonstrated kindness and approached their work as "more than just a job." Finally, the importance of feeling that rehabilitation providers "paid attention" to patients by giving them undivided consideration and by aiding with exercises was emphasized. This latter finding is akin to Nodding's concept of "engrossment," a key component of caring, which may be an important issue in the face of increasing use of technological devices (eg, laptop computers and i-pads) that may unintentionally direct rehabilitation providers' attention away from their patients. The final 2 themes-rehabilitation attendance and rehabilitation effort-pertaining to aim 2 of the study, are novel in underscoring the importance of caring with respect to patient behaviors. Several practical implications can be gleaned from the current study including (but not limited to) remembering personal information about the patient, providing patients with undivided attention, providing support for patients, and making patients feel welcome. These findings underscore the importance of addressing affective skills in training future rehabilitation practitioners. Findings also reveal salient implications associated with caring, namely enhanced rehabilitation attendance and effort. Finally, results highlight the need to examine the generalizability of caring elements identified in the current study and to quantitatively assess caring antecedents and outcomes in SPP settings.

CALL FOR PAPERS: Progress in Supersymmetric Quantum Mechanics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

2003-11-01

This is a call for contributions to a Special Issue of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and General entitled `Statistical Physics of Disordered Systems: from Real Materials to Optimization and Codes'. This issue should be a place for high quality original work. We stress the fact that we are interested in having the topic interpreted broadly: we would like to have contributions ranging from equilibrium and dynamical studies of spin glasses, glassy behaviour in amorphous materials, and low temperature physics, to applications in non-conventional areas such as error correcting codes, image analysis and reconstruction, optimization, and algorithms based on statistical mechanical ideas. We believe that we have arrived at a very exciting moment for the development of this multidisciplinary approach, and that this issue will be of a high standard and prove to be a very useful tool in the future. The Editorial Board has invited E Marinari, H Nishimori and F Ricci-Tersenghi to serve as Guest Editors for the Special Issue. Their criteria for acceptance of contributions are the following: bullet The subject of the paper should relate to the statistical physics of disordered systems. bullet Contributions will be refereed and processed according to the usual procedures of the journal. bullet Papers should be original (they should not be simply reviews of authors' own work that is already published elsewhere). bullet Review articles will be considered for inclusion in the Special Issue only in very special cases. The editors will analyse potential proposals of reviews, and if needed they will ask for some review contributions. The guidelines for the preparation of contributions are the following: bullet The deadline for submission of contributions is 31 March 2003. This deadline will allow the Special Issue to appear in about October 2003. bullet There is a nominal page limit of 15 printed pages (approximately 9000 words) per research contribution. The contributions that have been approved by the Guest Editors as review articles will have a limit of 30 printed pages (18000 words). Papers exceeding these limits may be accepted at the discretion of the Guest Editors. Further advice on publishing your work in Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and General may be found at www.iop.org/Journals/jphysa. bullet Contributions to the Special Issue should if possible be submitted electronically at www.iop.org/Journals/jphysa or by e-mail to jphysa@iop.org, quoting `JPhysA Special Issue -- Statistical Physics of Disordered Systems'. Submissions should ideally be in either standard LaTeX form or Microsoft Word. Please see the web site for further information on electronic submissions. bullet Authors unable to submit electronically may send hard copy contributions to: Publishing Administrators, Journal of Physics A, Institute of Physics Publishing, Dirac House, Temple Back, Bristol BS1 6BE, UK, enclosing the electronic code on floppy disk if available and quoting `JPhysA Special Issue -- Statistical Physics of Disordered Systems'. bullet All contributions should be accompanied by a read-me file or covering letter giving the postal and e-mail addresses for correspondence. The Publishing Office should be notified of any subsequent change of address. This Special Issue will be published in both paper and online editions of the journal. The corresponding author of each contribution will receive a complimentary copy of the issue in addition to the usual 25 free offprints of their article. E Marinari, H Nishimori and F Ricci-Tersenghi Guest Editors

Developing an award program for children's settings to support healthy eating and physical activity and reduce the risk of overweight and obesity

PubMed Central

Honisett, Suzy; Woolcock, Suzi; Porter, Creina; Hughes, Ian

2009-01-01

Background This paper aimed to identify the best way to engage, motivate and support early childhood services (ECS) and primary schools (PS) to create policy and practise changes to promote healthy eating and physical activity. This information would be used to develop a suitable program to implement within these children's settings to reduce the risk of childhood overweight and obesity. Methods The Medical Research Council's (UK) framework for the design and evaluation of complex interventions was used to guide the development of the healthy eating and physical activity program suitable for ECS and PS. Within this framework a range of evaluation methods, including stakeholder planning, in-depth interviews with ECS and PS staff and acceptability and feasibility trials in one local government area, were used to ascertain the best way to engage and support positive changes in these children's settings. Results Both ECS and PS identified that they had a role to play to improve children's healthy eating and physical activity. ECS identified their role in promoting healthy eating and physical activity as important for children's health, and instilling healthy habits for life. PS felt that these were health issues, rather than educational issues; however, schools saw the link between healthy eating and physical activity and student learning outcomes. These settings identified that a program that provides a simple guide that recognises good practise in these settings, such as an award scheme using a health promoting schools approach, as a feasible and acceptable way for them to support children's healthy eating and physical activity. Conclusion Through the process of design and evaluation a program - Kids - 'Go for your life', was developed to promote and support children's healthy eating and physical activity and reduce the risk of childhood overweight and obesity. Kids - 'Go for your life' used an award program, based on a health promoting schools approach, which was demonstrated to be a suitable model to engage ECS and PS and was acceptable and feasible to create policy and practise changes to support healthy eating and physical activity for children. PMID:19761619

Library learning space--empirical research and perspective.

PubMed

Littleton, Dawn; Rethlefsen, Melissa

2008-01-01

Navigate the Net columns offer navigation to Web sites of value to medical librarians. For this issue, the authors recognize that librarians are frequently challenged to justify the need for the physical space occupied by a library in the context of the wide availability of electronic resources, ubiquitous student laptops, and competition for space needed by other institutional priorities. While this trend started years ago, it continues to raise a number of important practical and philosophical questions for libraries and the institutions they serve. What is the library for? What is library space best used for? How does the concept of "Library as Place" support informed decisions for librarians and space planners? In this issue, Web-based resources are surveyed that address these questions for libraries generally and health sciences libraries more specifically.

Transitions between superstatistical regimes: Validity, breakdown and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jizba, Petr; Korbel, Jan; Lavička, Hynek; Prokš, Martin; Svoboda, Václav; Beck, Christian

2018-03-01

Superstatistics is a widely employed tool of non-equilibrium statistical physics which plays an important rôle in analysis of hierarchical complex dynamical systems. Yet, its "canonical" formulation in terms of a single nuisance parameter is often too restrictive when applied to complex empirical data. Here we show that a multi-scale generalization of the superstatistics paradigm is more versatile, allowing to address such pertinent issues as transmutation of statistics or inter-scale stochastic behavior. To put some flesh on the bare bones, we provide a numerical evidence for a transition between two superstatistics regimes, by analyzing high-frequency (minute-tick) data for share-price returns of seven selected companies. Salient issues, such as breakdown of superstatistics in fractional diffusion processes or connection with Brownian subordination are also briefly discussed.

Challenges and Issues of Radiation Damage Tools for Space Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tripathi, Ram; Wilson, John

2006-04-01

NASA has a new vision for space exploration in the 21st Century encompassing a broad range of human and robotic missions including missions to Moon, Mars and beyond. Exposure from the hazards of severe space radiation in deep space long duration missions is `the show stopper.' Thus, protection from the hazards of severe space radiation is of paramount importance for the new vision. Accurate risk assessments critically depend on the accuracy of the input information about the interaction of ions with materials, electronics and tissues. A huge amount of essential experimental information for all the ions in space, across the periodic table, for a wide range of energies of several (up to a Trillion) orders of magnitude are needed for the radiation protection engineering for space missions that is simply not available (due to the high costs) and probably never will be. In addition, the accuracy of the input information and database is very critical and of paramount importance for space exposure assessments particularly in view the agency's vision for deep space exploration. The vital role and importance of nuclear physics, related challenges and issues, for space missions will be discussed, and a few examples will be presented for space missions.

Perceived social support as a moderator between perceived discrimination and subjective well-being among people with physical disabilities in Israel.

PubMed

Itzick, Michal; Kagan, Maya; Tal-Katz, Patricia

2017-05-26

Perceived social support has gained importance as a significant preventive factor of depressive symptoms and as helpful for rebuilding feelings of self-worth and subjective well-being among people with physical disabilities. The current study examined whether perceived social support moderates the association between perceived discrimination and subjective well-being among people with physical disabilities in Israel. Data were collected by means of structured questionnaires among a convenience sample of 433 people with physical disabilities in Israel and hierarchical multiple regression was performed. The findings reveal that perceived social support has a moderating role in the association between perceived discrimination and subjective well-being among people with physical disabilities, such that those with low and moderate levels of perceived social support showed a negative association between perceived discrimination and subjective well-being, while those with high levels of perceived social support showed no association between perceived discrimination and subjective well-being. Findings are discussed in light of the social model of disability, and practical implications are suggested. Implications for Rehabilitation A negative association was found between perceived discrimination and subjective well-being among people with physical disabilities with low and moderate levels of perceived social support. Professionals working with people with physical disabilities must acknowledge the importance of social support for people with physical disabilities and for their families. Professionals working with people with physical disabilities should take a proactive approach to locating disabled people who do not receive or do not have adequate social support and offer them assistance. Professionals working with people with physical disabilities should engage in wide social activities aimed at providing resources and opportunities to service beneficiaries. Society bears the collective responsibility to act in order to reduce the social problem of discrimination against people with disabilities, as well as to raise public awareness of this issue.

Children's perceptions of weight, obesity, nutrition, physical activity and related health and socio-behavioural factors.

PubMed

Economos, Christina D; Bakun, Peter J; Herzog, Julia Bloom; Dolan, Peter R; Lynskey, Vanessa M; Markow, Dana; Sharma, Shanti; Nelson, Miriam E

2014-01-01

Approximately one-third of children in the USA are either overweight or obese. Understanding the perceptions of children is an important factor in reversing this trend. An online survey was conducted with children to capture their perceptions of weight, overweight, nutrition, physical activity and related socio-behavioural factors. Within the USA. US children (n 1224) aged 8-18 years. Twenty-seven per cent of children reported being overweight; 47·1% of children overestimated the rate of overweight/obesity among US children. A higher percentage of self-classified overweight children (81·9%) worried about weight than did self-classified under/normal weight children (31·1%). Most children (91·1%) felt that it was important to not be overweight, for both health-related and social-related reasons. The majority of children believed that if someone their age is overweight they will likely be overweight in adulthood (93·1%); get an illness such as diabetes or heart disease in adulthood (90·2%); not be able to play sports well (84·5%); and be teased or made fun of in school (87·8%). Children focused more on food/drink than physical activity as reasons for overweight at their age. Self-classified overweight children were more likely to have spoken with someone about their weight over the last year than self-classified under/normal weight children. Children demonstrated good understanding of issues regarding weight, overweight, nutrition, physical activity and related socio-behavioural factors. Their perceptions are important and can be helpful in crafting solutions that will resonate with children.

Proton Radiography of Spontaneous Fields, Plasma Flows and Dynamics in X-Ray Driven Inertial-Confinement Fusion Implosions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, C. K.; Seguin, F. H.; Frenje, J. A.; Rosenberg, M.; Zylstra, A. B.; Rinderknecht, H. G.; Petrasso, R. D.; Amendt, P. A.; Landen, O. L.; Town, R. P. J.; Betti, R.; Knauer, J. P.; Meyerhofer, D. D.; Back, C. A.; Kilkenny, J. D.; Nikroo, A.

2010-11-01

Backlighting of x-ray-driven implosions in empty hohlraums with mono-energetic protons on the OMEGA laser facility has allowed a number of important phenomena to be observed. Several critical parameters were determined, including plasma flow, three types of spontaneous electric fields and megaGauss magnetic fields. These results provide insight into important issues in indirect-drive ICF. Even though the cavity is effectively a Faraday cage, the strong, local fields inside the hohlraum can affect laser-plasma instabilities, electron distributions and implosion symmetry. They are of fundamental scientific importance for a range of new experiments at the frontiers of high-energy-density physics. Future experiments designed to characterize the field formation and evolution in low-Z gas fill hohlraums will be discussed.

Bridging the gap: evaluation of a pilot project to facilitate use of psychosocial strategies across an occupational therapy curriculum.

PubMed

Nielsen, Sarah K; Stube, Jan; Bass, Gail

2015-04-01

 The integration of psychosocial strategies into pediatric and physical disabilities coursework presents an issue of importance to advancing the outcomes for both occupational therapy education and practice. After curriculum mapping and modification to course content, a retrospective student survey and review of educational outcomes were undertaken in one curriculum. The programmatic formative evaluation results demonstrated that all students felt moderately prepared to use cognitive-behavioral strategies in their future practices, preferring behavioral strategies over cognitive strategies for changing client thinking. Implications for the importance of integration of psychosocial content across curricula and for future study of effective teaching methods within classroom learning activities and fieldwork are included.

Differences in the intensity of physical activity during school days and weekends in Polish and Czech boys and girls.

PubMed

Frömel, Karel; Kudlacek, Michal; Groffik, Dorota; Chmelik, Frantisek; Jakubec, Lukas

2016-06-02

The physical, mental and social development that occurs in young people through physical activity (PA) is primarily through extracurricular activities. Family, peers and social environment, in addition to schools, interest groups and school sports, play a unique role during this developmental period. The objective of the study was to examine the differences in the intensity of PA during school days and weekends and the relationship between PA and physical inactivity (PI) during these days in Polish and Czech boys and girls. In total, there were 816 participants among whom 333 met the requirements of 8 hours of continuous recording of PA (ActiTrainer accelerometers) during at least one school and one weekend day. Boys and girls from both countries engaged in virtually the same amount of PA during school and weekend days, and participated in more PA at lower intensities on the weekends compared with school days. This study surveyed important issues related to global public health, specifically for the school environment and school settings. The important and crucial relations with family were emphasized, which should increase the awareness and understanding of public health problems of this particular research sample. The results indicated that less time was spent in PI, but also that the largest amount of time during the weekends was spent in front of a screen.

[Sport for pacemaker patients].

PubMed

Israel, C W

2012-06-01

Sport activity is an important issue in many patients with a pacemaker either because they performed sport activities before pacemaker implantation to reduce the cardiovascular risk or to improve the course of an underlying cardiovascular disease (e.g. coronary artery disease, heart failure) by sports. Compared to patients with an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) the risks from underlying cardiovascular disease (e.g. ischemia, heart failure), arrhythmia, lead dysfunction or inappropriate therapy are less important or absent. Sport is contraindicated in dyspnea at rest, acute heart failure, new complex arrhythmia, acute myocarditis and acute myocardial infarction, valvular disease with indications for intervention and surgery and comorbidities which prevent physical activity. Patients with underlying cardiovascular disease (including hypertension) should preferably perform types and levels of physical activity that are aerobic (with dynamic exercise) such as running, swimming, cycling instead of sport with high anaerobic demands and high muscular workload. In heart failure, studies demonstrated advantages of isometric sport that increases the amount of muscle, thereby preventing cardiac cachexia. Sport with a risk of blows to the chest or physical contact (e.g. boxing, rugby, martial arts) should be avoided. Implantation, programming and follow-up should respect specific precautions to allow optimal physical activity with a pacemaker including implantation of bipolar leads on the side contralateral to the dominant hand, individual programming of the upper sensor and tracking rate and regular exercise testing.

Affordable housing and health: a health impact assessment on physical inspection frequency.

PubMed

Klein, Elizabeth G; Keller, Brittney; Hood, Nancy; Holtzen, Holly

2015-01-01

To characterize the prevalence of health-related housing quality exposure for the vulnerable populations that live in affordable housing. Retrospective cross-sectional study. Affordable housing properties in Ohio inspected between 2007 and 2011. Stratified random sample of physical inspection reports (n = 370), including a case study of properties receiving multiple inspections (n = 35). Health-related housing factors, including mold, fire hazard, and others. The majority of affordable housing property inspections (85.1%) included at least 1 health-related housing quality issue. The prevalence of specific health-related violations was varied, with appliance and plumbing issues being the most common, followed by fire, mold, and pest violations. Across funding agencies, the actual implementation of inspection protocols differed. The majority of physical inspections identified housing quality issues that have the potential to impact human health. If the frequency of physical inspections is reduced as a result of inspection alignment, the most health protective inspection protocol should be selected for funding agency inspections; a standardized physical inspection tool is recommended to improve the consistency of inspection findings between mandatory physical inspections in order to promote optimum tenant health.

Publisher's Announcement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGlashan, Yasmin

2008-01-01

Important changes for 2008 As a result of reviewing several aspects of our content, both in print and online, we have made some changes for 2008. These changes are described below: Article numbering Plasma Physics and Controlled Fusion has moved from sequential page numbering to an article numbering system, offering important advantages and flexibility by speeding up the publication process. Papers in different issues or sections can be published online as soon as they are ready, without having to wait for a whole issue or section to be allocated page numbers. The bibliographic citation will change slightly. Articles should be referenced using the six-digit article number in place of a page number, and this number must include any leading zeros. For instance, from this issue: Z Y Chen et al 2008 Plasma Phys. Control. Fusion 50 015001 Articles will continue to be published on the web in advance of the print edition. A new look and feel We have also taken the opportunity to refresh the design of the journal cover, in order to modernise the typography and create a consistent look and feel across our range of publications. We hope you like the new cover. If you have any questions or comments about any of these changes, please contact us at ppcf@iop.org.

Editorial: 3rd Special Issue on behavior change, health, and health disparities.

PubMed

Higgins, Stephen T

2016-11-01

This Special Issue of Preventive Medicine (PM) is the 3rd that we have organized on behavior change, health, and health disparities. This is a topic of critical importance to improving U.S. population health. There is broad scientific consensus that personal behaviors such as cigarette smoking, other substance abuse, and physical inactivity/obesity are among the most important modifiable causes of chronic disease and its adverse impacts on population health. Hence, effectively promoting health-related behavior change needs to be a key component of health care research and policy. There is also broad recognition that while these problems extend throughout the population, they disproportionately impact economically disadvantaged populations and other vulnerable populations and represent a major contributor to health disparities. Thus, behavior change represents an essential step in curtailing health disparities, which receives special attention in this 3rd Special Issue. We also devote considerable space to the longstanding challenges of reducing cigarette smoking and use of other tobacco and nicotine delivery products in vulnerable populations, obesity, and for the first time food insecurity. Across each of these topics we include contributions from highly accomplished policymakers and scientists to acquaint readers with recent accomplishments as well as remaining knowledge gaps and challenges. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Special issue on coherent states: mathematical and physical aspects Special issue on coherent states: mathematical and physical aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Twareque Ali, Syed; Antoine, Jean-Pierre; Bagarello, Fabio; Gazeau, Jean-Pierre

2011-07-01

This is a call for contributions to a special issue of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical dedicated to coherent states. The motivation behind this special issue is to gather in a single comprehensive volume the main aspects (past and present), latest developments, different viewpoints and directions being followed in this multidisciplinary field. Given the impressive development of the field in the past two decades, the topicality of such a volume can hardly be overemphasized. We strongly believe that such a special issue could become a particularly valuable reference for the broad scientific community working in mathematical and theoretical physics, as well as in signal processing and mathematics. Editorial policy The Guest Editors for this issue will be Syed Twareque Ali, Jean-Pierre Antoine, Fabio Bagarello and Jean-Pierre Gazeau. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, developments in the theory and applications of coherent states in: quantum optics, optomechanics, Bose-Einstein condensates quantum information, quantum measurement signal processing quantum gravity pseudo-Hermitian quantum mechanics supersymmetric quantum mechanics non-commutative quantum mechanics quantization theory harmonic and functional analysis operator theory Berezin-Toeplitz operators, PT-symmetric operators holomorphic representation theory, reproducing kernel spaces generalization of coherent states All contributions will be refereed and processed according to the usual procedure of the journal. Papers should report original and significant research that has not already been published. Guidelines for preparation of contributions The deadline for contributed papers will be 31 October 2011. This deadline will allow the special issue to appear before the end of May 2012 There is a nominal page limit of 15 printed pages per contribution (invited review papers can be longer). For papers exceeding this limit, the Guest Editors reserve the right to request a reduction in length. Further advice on publishing your work in Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical may be found at iopscience.iop.org/jphysa. Contributions to the special issue should be submitted by web upload via authors.iop.org/, or by email to jphysa@iop.org, quoting `JPhysA Special issue on coherent states: mathematical and physical aspects'. Submissions should ideally be in standard LaTeX form. Please see the website for further information on electronic submissions. All contributions should be accompanied by a read-me file or covering letter giving the postal and e-mail addresses for correspondence. The Publishing Office should be notified of any subsequent change of address. The special issue will be published in the print and online versions of the journal.

Special issue on coherent states: mathematical and physical aspects Special issue on coherent states: mathematical and physical aspects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Twareque Ali, Syed; Antoine, Jean-Pierre; Bagarello, Fabio; Gazeau, Jean-Pierre

2011-06-01

This is a call for contributions to a special issue of Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical dedicated to coherent states. The motivation behind this special issue is to gather in a single comprehensive volume the main aspects (past and present), latest developments, different viewpoints and directions being followed in this multidisciplinary field. Given the impressive development of the field in the past two decades, the topicality of such a volume can hardly be overemphasized. We strongly believe that such a special issue could become a particularly valuable reference for the broad scientific community working in mathematical and theoretical physics, as well as in signal processing and mathematics. Editorial policy The Guest Editors for this issue will be Syed Twareque Ali, Jean-Pierre Antoine, Fabio Bagarello and Jean-Pierre Gazeau. Potential topics include, but are not limited to, developments in the theory and applications of coherent states in: quantum optics, optomechanics, Bose-Einstein condensates quantum information, quantum measurement signal processing quantum gravity pseudo-Hermitian quantum mechanics supersymmetric quantum mechanics non-commutative quantum mechanics quantization theory harmonic and functional analysis operator theory Berezin-Toeplitz operators, PT-symmetric operators holomorphic representation theory, reproducing kernel spaces generalization of coherent states All contributions will be refereed and processed according to the usual procedure of the journal. Papers should report original and significant research that has not already been published. Guidelines for preparation of contributions The deadline for contributed papers will be 31 October 2011. This deadline will allow the special issue to appear before the end of May 2012 There is a nominal page limit of 15 printed pages per contribution (invited review papers can be longer). For papers exceeding this limit, the Guest Editors reserve the right to request a reduction in length. Further advice on publishing your work in Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical may be found at iopscience.iop.org/jphysa. Contributions to the special issue should be submitted by web upload via authors.iop.org/, or by email to jphysa@iop.org, quoting `JPhysA Special issue on coherent states: mathematical and physical aspects'. Submissions should ideally be in standard LaTeX form. Please see the website for further information on electronic submissions. All contributions should be accompanied by a read-me file or covering letter giving the postal and e-mail addresses for correspondence. The Publishing Office should be notified of any subsequent change of address. The special issue will be published in the print and online versions of the journal.

Introduction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Flomenbom, Ophir; Castañeda-Priego, Ramón; Peeters, François

2014-11-01

In this document, we present the Special Issue's projects; these include reviews and articles about mathematical solutions and formulations of single-file dynamics (SFD), yet also its computational modeling, experimental evidence, and value in explaining real life occurrences. In particular, we introduce projects focusing on electron dynamics on liquid helium in channels with changing width, on the zig-zag configuration in files with longitudinal movement, on expanding files, on both heterogeneous and slow files, on files with external forces, and on the importance of the interaction potential shape on the particle dynamics along the file. Applications of SFD are of intrinsic value in life sciences, biophysics, physics, and materials science, since they can explain a large diversity of many-body systems, e.g., biological channels, biological motors, membranes, crowding, electron motion in proteins, etc. These systems are explained in all the projects that participate in this topical issue. This Special Issue can therefore intrigue, inspire and advance scientifically young people, yet also those scientists that actively work in this field.

Risk and supervised exercise: the example of anorexia to illustrate a new ethical issue in the traditional debates of medical ethics

PubMed Central

Giordano, S

2005-01-01

Sport and physical activity is an area that remains relatively unexplored by contemporary bioethics. It is, however, an area in which important ethical issues arise. This paper explores the case of the participation of people with anorexia nervosa in exercise. Exercise is one of the central features of anorexia. The presence of anorexics in exercise classes is becoming an increasingly sensitive issue for instructors and fitness professionals. The ethics of teaching exercise to anorexics has, however, seldom, if ever, been addressed. Codes of ethics and legislation do not offer guidelines pertinent to the case and it is left unclear whether anorexics should be allowed to participate in exercise classes. It is shown by this paper that there are strong ethical reasons to let anorexics participate in exercise classes. However, the paper also explains why, despite these apparently cogent ethical reasons, there is no moral obligation to allow a person with anorexia to take part in exercise/sports activities. PMID:15634747

Stigmatization of Overweight and Obese Women During Forensic Examinations.

PubMed

Davis, Karis M; Sekula, L Kathleen

2018-04-24

Stigma and discrimination toward overweight and obese people pose consequences to their psychological and physical health. In the United States, overweight and obesity and affects over 34% of the population. This frequently ignored public health issue often sees overweight and obese individuals blamed for their weight, thereby justifying the bias. During a post-sexual-assault examination, sexual assault nurse examiners and other forensic examiners must be cognizant of the specific issues and challenges related to the care of these victims. Forensic nurses may need to refine their techniques such as positioning overweight and obese patients on an appropriate-sized table, obtaining equipment for better visualization, and requiring assistance during the examination (e.g., lifting the victim's pendulous skin folds for assessment and evidence collection). Moreover, they may need to recognize and reflect on their own weight related biases. Addressing these important issues may lead to decreasing stigmatization during examinations, thereby providing quality care to victims of sexual assault, regardless of their weight.

Multilevel models in the explanation of the relationship between safety climate and safe behavior.

PubMed

Cheyne, Alistair; Tomás, José M; Oliver, Amparo

2013-01-01

This study examines the relationships between components of organizational safety climate, including employee attitudes to organizational safety issues; perceptions of the physical working environment, and evaluations of worker engagement with safety issues; and relates these to self-reported levels of safety behavior. It attempts to explore the relationships between these variables in 1189 workers across 78 work groups in a large transportation organization. Evaluations of safety climate, the working environment and worker engagement, as well as safe behaviors, were collected using a self report questionnaire. The multilevel analysis showed that both levels of evaluation (the work group and the individual), and some cross-level interactions, were significant in explaining safe behaviors. Analyses revealed that a number of variables, at both levels, were associated with worker engagement and safe behaviors. The results suggest that, while individual evaluations of safety issues are important, there is also a role for the fostering of collective safety climates in encouraging safe behaviors and therefore reducing accidents.

Participant and Public Involvement in Refining a Peer-Volunteering Active Aging Intervention: Project ACE (Active, Connected, Engaged).

PubMed

Withall, Janet; Thompson, Janice L; Fox, Kenneth R; Davis, Mark; Gray, Selena; de Koning, Jolanthe; Lloyd, Liz; Parkhurst, Graham; Stathi, Afroditi

2018-03-19

Evidence for the health benefits of a physically active lifestyle among older adults is strong, yet only a small proportion of older people meet physical activity recommendations. A synthesis of evidence identified "best bet" approaches, and this study sought guidance from end-user representatives and stakeholders to refine one of these, a peer-volunteering active aging intervention. Focus groups with 28 older adults and four professional volunteer managers were conducted. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 9 older volunteers. Framework analysis was used to gauge participants' views on the ACE intervention. Motives for engaging in community groups and activities were almost entirely social. Barriers to participation were lack of someone to attend with, lack of confidence, fear of exclusion or "cliquiness" in established groups, bad weather, transport issues, inaccessibility of activities, ambivalence, and older adults being "set in their ways". Motives for volunteering included "something to do," avoiding loneliness, the need to feel needed, enjoyment, and altruism. Challenges included negative events between volunteer and recipient of volunteering support, childcare commitments, and high volunteering workload. Peer-volunteering approaches have great potential for promotion of active aging. The systematic multistakeholder approach adopted in this study led to important refinements of the original ACE intervention. The findings provide guidance for active aging community initiatives highlighting the importance of effective recruitment strategies and of tackling major barriers including lack of motivation, confidence, and readiness to change; transport issues; security concerns and cost; activity availability; and lack of social support.

Obesity in the elderly: is faulty metabolism to blame?

PubMed Central

Johannsen, Darcy L; Ravussin, Eric

2010-01-01

The fastest growing segment of the US population, and that of other developed countries, is the oldest-old (aged >85 years). Many children born after the year 2000 in countries with the longest lived residents may live to see their 100th birthday. The combination of reduced mortality along with reduced fertility in developed countries is producing ‘population aging’, and the comorbidities associated with aging are becoming important public health issues. Age-associated obesity is one such important public health issue. Aging is associated with significant changes in body composition, including loss of skeletal muscle mass and increased visceral fat accumulation. The loss of muscle mass is accompanied by a disproportionate decline in muscle strength (up to three-times greater than the loss of mass), indicative of reduced muscle ‘quality’ or muscle dysfunctionality. Aging is characterized by markedly reduced physical activity and a drop in resting metabolic rate that is disproportionate to the loss of muscle mass, with a shift towards preferentially oxidizing carbohydrate at the expense of fat. A combination of these factors may act to increase muscular lipid infiltration and decrease insulin sensitivity; however, the cause and effect relationship remains undetermined. Changes in cellular energy (i.e., ATP) requirement owing to decreased ion channel activity, decreased protein synthesis or increased mitochondrial energy efficiency may underlie the decreased resting metabolic rate. Increasing energy demand through physical activity may alleviate some of the adverse metabolic changes that are associated with aging. PMID:20563222

Ageing in Asia and the Pacific. A multidimensional cross-national study in four countries.

PubMed

Andrews, G R

1987-12-01

Although ageing is not yet a high priority issue for health planners, policy makers and clinicians in most developing countries, there will be a growing need in coming years to pay more attention to the important health issues associated with population ageing in the developing world. This paper reports some of the relevant findings of a cross-national study (sponsored by the World Health Organization) of the health and social aspects of ageing in four developing countries: Korea, the Philippines, Fiji and Malaysia. The key findings are compared and contrasted with those of a similar 11-country WHO study in Europe. In broad terms, the overall demographic, physical, mental health and social patterns and trends associated with ageing as demonstrated by age group and sex differences were consistent throughout the four countries studied. Comparisons with European findings in other similar studies underlined the fundamental universality of age-related changes in biophysical, behavioural and social characteristics. The importance of the family in developing countries was evident with about three-quarters of those aged 60 and over in the four countries living with children, often in extended family situations. Levels of adverse health-related behaviour and the prospect of changing patterns of morbidity with further increases in the total and proportional numbers of aged persons point to a need for emphasis on preventive health measures and programmes directed to the maintenance of the physical and mental health of the ageing population.

A Writing and Ethics Component for a Quantum Mechanics, Physical Chemistry Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reilly, John T.; Strickland, Michael

2010-01-01

A writing-across-the-curriculum and ethics component is presented for a second-semester, physical chemistry course. The activity involves introducing ethical issues pertinent to scientists. Students are asked to read additional material, participate in discussions, and write essays and a paper on an ethical issue. The writing and discussion…

Progression in Physical Education Teachers' Career-Long Professional Learning: Conceptual and Practical Concerns

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Armour, Kathleen; Makopoulou, Kyriaki; Chambers, Fiona

2012-01-01

This paper considers the issue of learning "progression" in pedagogy for physical education (PE) teachers in their career-long professional development (CPD). This issue arose from an analysis of findings from three research projects in which the authors were involved. The projects were undertaken in different national contexts (Ireland,…

Implementing a Group Contingency Behavior-Management System in Physical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Healy, Sean; Hirsch, Shanna E.; Lloyd, John W.

2017-01-01

Behavior management issues may impede learning in physical education (PE), yet there is a paucity of evidence-based behavior-management programs studied in the PE environment to assist PE teachers to be better prepared to handle these issues. Classwide-function intervention teams (CW-FIT) is a group contingency procedure for managing student…

Teaching with Socio-Scientific Issues in Physical Science: Teacher and Students' Experiences

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Talens, Joy

2016-01-01

Socio-scientific issues (SSI) are recommended by many science educators worldwide for learners to acquire first hand experience to apply what they learned in class. This investigated experiences of teacher-researcher and students in using SSI in Physical Science, Second Semester, School Year 2012-2013. Latest and controversial news articles on…

Comparison of accelerator physics issues for symmetric and asymmetric B-factory rings

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

Tigner, M.

1990-10-10

A systematic comparison of accelerator physics issues from the beam-beam interaction to single particle stability including ring and IR layout, synchrotron radiation and lost particle backgrounds, and single and multi-bunch instabilities is given. While some practical handicap probably accrues to the asymmetric design because of its extra constraints, the differences in the two approaches tend to be obscured by larger issues such as how to achieve the enormous increases in luminosity demanded of a b-factory.

Research Trend of Physical Skill Science --Towards Elucidation of Physical Skill--

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furukawa, Koichi; Ueno, Ken; Ozaki, Tomonobu; Kamisato, Shihoko; Kawamoto, Ryuji; Shibuya, Koji; Shiratori, Naruhiko; Suwa, Masaki; Soga, Masato; Taki, Hirokazu; Fujinami, Tsutomu; Hori, Satoshi; Motomura, Yoichi; Morita, Souhei

Physical skills and language skills are both fundamental intelligent abilities of human being. In this paper, we focus our attention to such sophisticated physical skills as playing sports and playing instruments and introduce research activities aiming at elucidating and verbalizing them. This research area has been launched recently. We introduce approaches from physical modeling, measurements and data analysis, cognitive science and human interface. We also discuss such issues as skill acquisition and its support systems. Furthermore, we consider a fundamental issue of individual differences occurring in every application of skill elucidation. Finally we introduce several attempts of skill elucidation in the fields of dancing, manufacturing, playing string instruments, sports science and medical care.

QoS Challenges and Opportunities in Wireless Sensor/Actuator Networks

PubMed Central

Xia, Feng

2008-01-01

A wireless sensor/actuator network (WSAN) is a group of sensors and actuators that are geographically distributed and interconnected by wireless networks. Sensors gather information about the state of physical world. Actuators react to this information by performing appropriate actions. WSANs thus enable cyber systems to monitor and manipulate the behavior of the physical world. WSANs are growing at a tremendous pace, just like the exploding evolution of Internet. Supporting quality of service (QoS) will be of critical importance for pervasive WSANs that serve as the network infrastructure of diverse applications. To spark new research and development interests in this field, this paper examines and discusses the requirements, critical challenges, and open research issues on QoS management in WSANs. A brief overview of recent progress is given. PMID:27879755

Condensed matter physics of planets - Puzzles, progress and predictions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stevenson, D. J.

1984-01-01

Attention is given to some of the major unresolved issues concerned with the physics of planetary interiors. The important advances in observations, and experimental and theoretical investigations are briefly reviewed, and some areas for further study are identified, including: the characteristics of atomic and electronic degrees of freedom at the high pressures and temperatures typical of a condensed planetary core; the behavior of water at megabar pressures; and the nature of the core-alloy in the earth and in the core mantle phase boundary. Consideration is also given to the behavior of carbon at high pressures and temperatures in the presence of oxygen and hydrogen; the behavior of the volatile ice assemblage in Titan at pressures of 2-40 kbar; and the electrical conductivities of matter under planetary core conditions.

If I Didn't Have HIV I'd Be Dead Now: Illness Narratives of Drug Users Living with HIV/AIDS

PubMed Central

Mosack, Katie E.; Abbott, Maryann; Singer, Merrill; Weeks, Margaret R.; Lucy, Rohena

2010-01-01

The purpose of this study was to illuminate the experiences of poor, urban HIV-positive drug users. Sixty participants were asked about HIV risk behaviors, the impact of HIV on their lives, religious beliefs, life plans, relationships, and work-related issues both prior to and since diagnosis. A theoretical framework was developed using Frank's (1995; 1998) Illness Narratives and Boss and Couden's (2002) Ambiguous Loss theories. Themes pertaining to both physical and emotional or spiritual dimensions were located within Benefit, Loss, or Status Quo orientations. The findings contribute to researchers' understanding of the HIV/AIDS illness experiences among the very marginalized and they have important implications for physical and mental health care professionals working with HIV-positive drug users. PMID:15802537

On the physics of waves in the solar atmosphere: Wave heating and wind acceleration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Musielak, Z. E.

1994-01-01

New calculations of the acoustic wave energy fluxes generated in the solar convective zone have been performed. The treatment of convective turbulence in the sun and solar-like stars, in particular, the precise nature of the turbulent power spectrum has been recognized as one of the most important issues in the wave generation problem. Several different functional forms for spatial and temporal spectra have been considered in the literature and differences between the energy fluxes obtained for different forms often exceed two orders of magnitude. The basic criterion for choosing the appropriate spectrum was the maximal efficiency of the wave generation. We have used a different approach based on physical and empirical arguments as well as on some results from numerical simulation of turbulent convection.

Active Galactic Nuclei at All Wavelengths and from All Angles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padovani, Paolo

2017-11-01

AGN are quite unique astronomical sources emitting over more than 20 orders of magnitude in frequency, with different electromagnetic bands providing windows on different sub-structures and their physics. They come in a large number of flavors only partially related to intrinsic differences. I highlight here the types of sources selected in different bands, the relevant selection effects and biases, and the underlying physical processes. I then look at the "big picture" by describing the most important parameters one needs to describe the variety of AGN classes and by discussing AGN at all frequencies in terms of their sky surface density. I conclude with a look at the most pressing open issues and the main new facilities, which will flood us with new data to tackle them.

Active Galactic Nuclei at all wavelengths and from all angles

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Padovani, Paolo

2017-11-01

AGN are quite unique astronomical sources emitting over more than twenty orders of magnitude in frequency, with different electromagnetic bands providing windows on different sub-structures and their physics. They come in a large number of flavors only partially related to intrinsic differences. I highlight here the types of sources selected in different bands, the relevant selection effects and biases, and the underlying physical processes. I then look at the ``big picture'' by describing the most important parameters one needs to describe the variety of AGN classes and by discussing AGN at all frequencies in terms of their sky surface density. I conclude with a look at the most pressing open issues and the main new facilities, which will flood us with new data to tackle them.

Multiple sclerosis in a postgraduate student of anaesthesia: illness in doctors and fitness to practice.

PubMed

Reyes, Antonio Jose; Ramcharan, Kanterpersad; Sharma, Sharda

2016-01-28

A 29-year-old previously healthy woman, a doctor, was diagnosed with remitting relapsing multiple sclerosis after fulfilling McDonald's criteria for the diagnosis of definite multiple sclerosis. Despite 22 months of immunomodulatory treatment, the feasibility of continuing to train in a stressful specialty of medicine became an ethical and practical dilemma. Fitness for practice and career advancement among doctors with illnesses or having cognitive and physical decline from disease and/or ageing is a global problem. The need for addressing this issue in a compassionate and comprehensive manner is discussed. Cognitive and physical fitness are required in doctors and other healthcare workers since medical errors/adverse events are commonplace in medical practice. The public welfare is equally important in this global problem. 2016 BMJ Publishing Group Ltd.

Workshops of the Fifth International Brain-Computer Interface Meeting: Defining the Future.

PubMed

Huggins, Jane E; Guger, Christoph; Allison, Brendan; Anderson, Charles W; Batista, Aaron; Brouwer, Anne-Marie A-M; Brunner, Clemens; Chavarriaga, Ricardo; Fried-Oken, Melanie; Gunduz, Aysegul; Gupta, Disha; Kübler, Andrea; Leeb, Robert; Lotte, Fabien; Miller, Lee E; Müller-Putz, Gernot; Rutkowski, Tomasz; Tangermann, Michael; Thompson, David Edward

2014-01-01

The Fifth International Brain-Computer Interface (BCI) Meeting met June 3-7 th , 2013 at the Asilomar Conference Grounds, Pacific Grove, California. The conference included 19 workshops covering topics in brain-computer interface and brain-machine interface research. Topics included translation of BCIs into clinical use, standardization and certification, types of brain activity to use for BCI, recording methods, the effects of plasticity, special interest topics in BCIs applications, and future BCI directions. BCI research is well established and transitioning to practical use to benefit people with physical impairments. At the same time, new applications are being explored, both for people with physical impairments and beyond. Here we provide summaries of each workshop, illustrating the breadth and depth of BCI research and high-lighting important issues for future research and development.

The possibility of leptonic CP-violation measurement with JUNO

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Smirnov, M. V.; Hu, Zh. J.; Li, S. J.; Ling, J. J.

2018-06-01

The existence of CP-violation in the leptonic sector is one of the most important issues for modern science. Neutrino physics is a key to the solution of this problem. JUNO (under construction) is the near future of neutrino physics. However CP-violation is not a priority for the current scientific program. We estimate the capability of δCP measurement, assuming a combination of the JUNO detector and a superconductive cyclotron as the antineutrino source. This method of measuring CP-violation is an alternative to conventional beam experiments. A significance level of 3σ can be reached for 22% of the δCP range. The accuracy of measurement lies between 8o and 22o. It is shown that the dominant influence on the result is the uncertainty in the mixing angle Θ23.

Quantum physics with non-Hermitian operators Quantum physics with non-Hermitian operators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bender, Carl; Fring, Andreas; Günther, Uwe; Jones, Hugh

2012-11-01

The main motivation behind the call for this special issue was to gather recent results, developments and open problems in quantum physics with non-Hermitian operators. There have been previous special issues in this journal [1, 2] and elsewhere on this subject. The intention of this issue is to reflect the current state of this rapidly-developing field. It has therefore been open to all contributions containing new results on non-Hermitian theories that are explicitly PT-symmetric and/or pseudo-Hermitian or quasi-Hermitian. In the last decade these types of systems have proved to be viable self-consistent physical theories with well defined unitary time-evolution and real spectra. As the large number of responses demonstrates, this is a rapidly evolving field of research. A consensus has been reached regarding most of the fundamental problems, and the general ideas and techniques are now readily being employed in many areas of physics. Nonetheless, this issue still contains some treatments of a more general nature regarding the spectral analysis of these models, in particular, the physics of the exceptional points, the breaking of the PT-symmetry, an interpretation of negative energies and the consistent implementation of the WKB analysis. This issue also contains a treatment of a scattering theory associated with these types of systems, weak measurements, coherent states, decoherence, unbounded metric operators and the inclusion of domain issues to obtain well defined self-adjoint theories. Contributions in the form of applications of the general ideas include: studies of classical shock-waves and tunnelling, supersymmetric models, spin chain models, models with ring structure, random matrix models, the Pauli equation, the nonlinear Schrödinger equation, quasi-exactly solvable models, integrable models such as the Calogero model, Bose-Einstein condensates, thermodynamics, nonlinear oligomers, quantum catastrophes, the Landau-Zener problem and pseudo-Fermions. Applications close to experimental realization are proposed in optics, including short light pulse models, waveguides and laser systems, and also in electronics. We hope that this issue will become a valuable reference and inspiration for the broader scientific community working in mathematical and theoretical physics. References [1] Fring A, Jones H F and Znojil M (ed) 2008 J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 41 240301 [2] Geyer H, Heiss D and Znojil M (ed) 2006 J. Phys. A: Math. Gen. 39 9963

Exploring the Relationship between Housing and Health for Refugees and Asylum Seekers in South Australia: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Walsh, Moira

2017-01-01

Housing is an important social determinant of health; however, little is known about the impact of housing experiences on health and wellbeing for people from refugee and asylum-seeking backgrounds. In this paper, we outline a qualitative component of a study in South Australia examining these links. Specifically, interviews were conducted with 50 refugees and asylum seekers who were purposively sampled according to gender, continent and visa status, from a broader survey. Interviews were analysed thematically. The results indicated that housing was of central importance to health and wellbeing and impacted on health through a range of pathways including affordability, the suitability of housing in relation to physical aspects such as condition and layout, and social aspects such as safety and belonging and issues around security of tenure. Asylum seekers in particular reported that living in housing in poor condition negatively affected their health. Our research reinforces the importance of housing for both the physical and mental health for asylum seekers and refugees living in resettlement countries. Improving housing quality, affordability and tenure security all have the potential to lead to more positive health outcomes. PMID:28885594

Activating Public Space: How to Promote Physical Activity in Urban Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kostrzewska, Małgorzata

2017-10-01

Physical activity is an essential component of a healthy lifestyle. The quality and equipment of urban public space plays an important role in promoting physical activity among people (residents, tourists). In order for recreation and sports activities to be undertaken willingly, in a safe and comprehensive manner, certain spatial conditions and requirements must be met. The distinctive feature of contemporary large cities is the disappearance of local, neighbourly relations, and the consequent loneliness, alienation, and atomization of the residents. Thus, the design of public spaces should be an expression of the values of social inclusion and integration. A properly designed urban space would encourage people to leave their homes and integrate, also by undertaking different forms of physical activities. This, in turn, can lead to raising the quality of the space, especially in the context of its “familiarization” and “domestication”. The aim of the research was to identify the architectural and urban features of the public spaces of contemporary cities that can contribute to the promotion of physical activity. The paper presents the research results and the case studies of such spatial solutions and examples of good practices, which invite residents to undertake different forms of physical activities in public spaces. The issue of the integrating, inclusionary, and social function of physical recreation and sport is discussed as well, and so are the possibilities of translating these values into physical characteristics of an urban space. The main conclusions are that taking into account the diverse needs of different social groups, participation in the design and construction process, aesthetic and interesting design, vicinity of the residence, open access for all age groups and the disabled would be the most important spatial determinants of a properly designed, physically activating public space. Strategies of planning the sports and recreation infrastructure should also make sure of their multifunctionality and variability in time to adjust it to the changing needs of the residents.

Patients' experiences of physical limitations in daily life activities when suffering from chronic heart failure; a phenomenographic analysis.

PubMed

Pihl, Emma; Fridlund, Bengt; Mårtensson, Jan

2011-03-01

The aim of the study was to describe how patients suffering from chronic heart failure conceived their physical limitations in daily life activities. An explorative and qualitative design with a phenomenographic approach was chosen, a total of 15 patients were interviewed. The findings indicate that participants perceived a variety of structural aspects pertaining to physical limitations in activities of daily life which resulted in four referential aspects. Need of finding practical solutions in daily life focused on how life had to be changed and other ways of performing activities of daily life had to be invented. Having realistic expectations about the future was characterised by belief that the future itself would be marked by change in physical functioning, but an incentive to maintain functions and activities ensured good quality of or even increased capacity in daily life. Not believing in one's own ability included the perception of having no opportunity to improve ability to perform activities of daily life. There were perceptions of undesired passivity, undefined fear of straining themselves or performing activities that could endanger their health in addition to uncertainty about the future. In Losing one's social role in daily life, participants described losing their social network and their position in society and family because of limited physical capacity. A lack of important issues, mental and physical, occurred when physical capacity was lost. In conclusion, patients suffering from chronic heart failure found new solutions to manage activities in daily life, including willingness to change focus and identify other ways of doing important things. Patients had an incentive to maintain functions and activities to ensure a good quality of and strengthen their physical capacity in daily life. Inability to trust in their physical capacity in combination with experienced limitations in daily life prevented patients from attempting to increase activities. © 2010 The Authors. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences © 2010 Nordic College of Caring Science.

Sustainable Sourcing of Global Agricultural Raw Materials: Assessing Gaps in Key Impact and Vulnerability Issues and Indicators

PubMed Central

Springer, Nathaniel P.; Garbach, Kelly; Guillozet, Kathleen; Haden, Van R.; Hedao, Prashant; Hollander, Allan D.; Huber, Patrick R.; Ingersoll, Christina; Langner, Megan; Lipari, Genevieve; Mohammadi, Yaser; Musker, Ruthie; Piatto, Marina; Riggle, Courtney; Schweisguth, Melissa; Sin, Emily; Snider, Sara; Vidic, Nataša; White, Aubrey; Brodt, Sonja; Quinn, James F.; Tomich, Thomas P.

2015-01-01

Understanding how to source agricultural raw materials sustainably is challenging in today’s globalized food system given the variety of issues to be considered and the multitude of suggested indicators for representing these issues. Furthermore, stakeholders in the global food system both impact these issues and are themselves vulnerable to these issues, an important duality that is often implied but not explicitly described. The attention given to these issues and conceptual frameworks varies greatly—depending largely on the stakeholder perspective—as does the set of indicators developed to measure them. To better structure these complex relationships and assess any gaps, we collate a comprehensive list of sustainability issues and a database of sustainability indicators to represent them. To assure a breadth of inclusion, the issues are pulled from the following three perspectives: major global sustainability assessments, sustainability communications from global food companies, and conceptual frameworks of sustainable livelihoods from academic publications. These terms are integrated across perspectives using a common vocabulary, classified by their relevance to impacts and vulnerabilities, and categorized into groups by economic, environmental, physical, human, social, and political characteristics. These issues are then associated with over 2,000 sustainability indicators gathered from existing sources. A gap analysis is then performed to determine if particular issues and issue groups are over or underrepresented. This process results in 44 “integrated” issues—24 impact issues and 36 vulnerability issues —that are composed of 318 “component” issues. The gap analysis shows that although every integrated issue is mentioned at least 40% of the time across perspectives, no issue is mentioned more than 70% of the time. A few issues infrequently mentioned across perspectives also have relatively few indicators available to fully represent them. Issues in the impact framework generally have fewer gaps than those in the vulnerability framework. PMID:26065899

Continuing education in physical rehabilitation and health issues of agricultural workers.

PubMed

Wilhite, Carla S; Jaco, Linda

2014-01-01

Limited attention has been devoted to the cultural and practice competencies needed by occupational therapy and physical therapy professionals who provide services to farming families impacted by chronic health or disability issues. Agricultural occupational safety and health should represent a continuum of services responsive to individuals, families, and agricultural communities across a life span and range of health status changes. Physical rehabilitation professionals have a key role in impacting an agricultural producer's sense of self-efficacy and capacities for returning to agricultural living and work. However, demonstration of competency is essential in providing person-centered rehabilitation services of assessment, evaluation, treatment planning, interventions, referrals, and discharge issues. The paper highlights methods utilized by a state AgrAbility program and a former National AgrAbility Project to develop a model of continuing education programming for occupational and physical therapists that evaluate and treat agricultural workers after acute injury or exacerbation of chronic health conditions.

Monetary economics from econophysics perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yakovenko, Victor M.

2016-12-01

This is an invited article for the Discussion and Debate special issue of The European Physical Journal Special Topics on the subject "Can Economics be a Physical Science?" The first part of the paper traces the personal path of the author from theoretical physics to economics. It briefly summarizes applications of statistical physics to monetary transactions in an ensemble of economic agents. It shows how a highly unequal probability distribution of money emerges due to irreversible increase of entropy in the system. The second part examines deep conceptual and controversial issues and fallacies in monetary economics from econophysics perspective. These issues include the nature of money, conservation (or not) of money, distinctions between money vs. wealth and money vs. debt, creation of money by the state and debt by the banks, the origins of monetary crises and capitalist profit. Presentation uses plain language understandable to laypeople and may be of interest to both specialists and general public.

Berkeley Lab - Materials Sciences Division

Science.gov Websites

Synthesis Condensed Matter and Materials Physics Scattering and Instrumentation Science Centers Center for Issue 3, March Issue 2, February Issue 1, January A U.S. Department of Energy National Laboratory

Associations between adjuvant endocrine therapy and onset of physical and emotional concerns among breast cancer survivors.

PubMed

van Londen, G J; Beckjord, E B; Dew, M A; Cooper, K L; Davidson, N E; Bovbjerg, D H; Donovan, H S; Thurston, R C; Morse, J Q; Nutt, S; Rechis, R

2014-04-01

Breast cancer survivors often receive long-term adjuvant endocrine therapy (AET) to reduce recurrence risk. Adherence to AET is suboptimal, which may be due to the experience of symptoms and/or concerns. Few studies have comprehensively assessed self-reported concerns between those who currently, previously or have never received AET. The study objective is to describe self-reported physical and emotional concerns of breast cancer survivors who are current, prior, or never-recipients of AET. Secondary analysis was performed on a subset of survey data collected in the 2010 LIVESTRONG Survey. Breast cancer survivors (n = 1,013, mean 5.4 years post-diagnosis) reported on 14 physical and eight emotional concerns that began after diagnosis and were experienced within 6 months of participation in the survey. Bivariate analyses examined the prevalence of each concern by AET status. The relationships between AET and burden of physical or emotional concerns were modeled with logistic regression. More than 50% of the participants reported currently experiencing cognitive issues, fatigue, fear of recurrence, emotional distress, and identity/grief issues. Thyroid dysfunction and stigma concerns were more common among participants with prior AET (p < 0.01), while fear of recurrence, emotional distress, and concern about appearance were more common among those currently receiving AET (p < 0.01). Fatigue, sexual dysfunction, and pain were more common among prior and current AET recipients (p < 0.01). In adjusted models, receipt of AET was associated with a higher number of physical, but not emotional concerns. A higher number of concerns was associated with younger age, having children, receipt of chemotherapy, longer duration of cancer treatment, and shorter time since diagnosis (p < 0.01). Breast cancer survivors who received AET were at risk of developing a variety of physical and emotional concerns, many of which persisted after treatment. These findings suggest the importance of developing individualized, supportive resources for breast cancer survivors.

Solar Thermal Energy Exploitation: An Opportunity to Enhance Conceptual Learning in Physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rodrigues, M. A.; Cravino, J. P.; Liberato, M. L. R.

2010-05-01

In a society mainly driven by Science and Technology it is becoming consensual the idea that scientific education should include three components: Education in Science, Education about Science and Education through Science. Some authors suggest that, in education, everyday objects should be used to illustrate scientific issues (e.g. Andrée, 2005). Thus the goal of this study is two-fold: first, to develop a teaching and learning strategy, in the framework of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), concerning the renewable energy issue, while showing the importance of using everyday situations in the improvement of students' motivation in Physics learning. Energy is the core concept in this study. Energy conservation includes the concepts applied to sustainable balance between environment and the energy availability and use. Dias et al. (2004) stress that education is one of the best ways to transform the human behavior for the rational use of energy, which represents a long-term investment. In this work students become aware and recognize the importance and value of energy in everyday life, they identify energy transfer and transformation processes, confirm energy availability, relating these topics to present human needs and climate change issues. A didactic model of a solar thermal panel has thus been built, using cheap, common materials, by 15-16 year-old Physics students, from a Portuguese secondary school. Students had to plan the experiments, in small groups, to identify and estimate physical magnitudes and to explore how to maximize the solar thermal panel efficiency. The experimental activities took place in the school's playground, in a place where there were no obstacles to capturing solar radiation. Finally, students had to deal with experimental data acquisition and analysis, they had to prepare a report, as well as to answer a survey, to evaluate their learning success. Results show that students appreciated the proposed themes and activities, while having significant learning,namely in terms of conceptual evolution on concepts such as thermodynamic systems and energy transfer. We believe that these kinds of proposals contribute to improve students' literacy and knowledge in Science, to strengthen the student-teacher relationship, while contributing to raising conscious citizens. References Andrée, M. (2005). Ways of Using ‘Everyday Life' in the Science Classroom. Research and the Quality of Science Education 107-116. Dias, R. A., Mattos, C. R., & Balestieri, J. A. P. (2004). Energy education: breaking up the rational energy use barriers. Energy Policy, 32(11), 1339-1347.

Physics through the 1990s: An overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1986-01-01

The volume details the interaction of physics and society, and presents a short summary of the progress in the major fields of physics and a summary of the other seven volumes of the Physics through the 1990s series, issues and recommended policy changes are described regarding funding, education, industry participation, small-group university research and large facility programs, government agency programs, and computer database needs. Three supplements report in detail on international issues in physics (the US position in the field, international cooperation and competition-especially on large projects, freedom for scientists, free flow of information, and education of foreign students), the education and supply of physicists (the changes in US physics education, employment and manpower, and demographics of the field), and the organization and support of physics (government, university, and industry research; facilities; national laboratories; and decision making). An executive summary contains recommendations for maintaining excellence in physics. A glossary of scientific terms is appended.

Asymptotics with a positive cosmological constant: I. Basic framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashtekar, Abhay; Bonga, Béatrice; Kesavan, Aruna

2015-01-01

The asymptotic structure of the gravitational field of isolated systems has been analyzed in great detail in the case when the cosmological constant Λ is zero. The resulting framework lies at the foundation of research in diverse areas in gravitational science. Examples include: (i) positive energy theorems in geometric analysis; (ii) the coordinate invariant characterization of gravitational waves in full, nonlinear general relativity; (iii) computations of the energy-momentum emission in gravitational collapse and binary mergers in numerical relativity and relativistic astrophysics; and (iv) constructions of asymptotic Hilbert spaces to calculate S-matrices and analyze the issue of information loss in the quantum evaporation of black holes. However, by now observations have led to a strong consensus that Λ is positive in our universe. In this paper we show that, unfortunately, the standard framework does not extend from the Λ =0 case to the Λ \\gt 0 case in a physically useful manner. In particular, we do not have positive energy theorems, nor an invariant notion of gravitational waves in the nonlinear regime, nor asymptotic Hilbert spaces in dynamical situations of semi-classical gravity. A suitable framework to address these conceptual issues of direct physical importance is developed in subsequent papers.

Recent advances in molecular electronics based on carbon nanotubes.

PubMed

Bourgoin, Jean-Philippe; Campidelli, Stéphane; Chenevier, Pascale; Derycke, Vincent; Filoramo, Arianna; Goffman, Marcelo F

2010-01-01

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have exceptional physical properties that make them one of the most promising building blocks for future nanotechnologies. They may in particular play an important role in the development of innovative electronic devices in the fields of flexible electronics, ultra-high sensitivity sensors, high frequency electronics, opto-electronics, energy sources and nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS). Proofs of concept of several high performance devices already exist, usually at the single device level, but there remain many serious scientific issues to be solved before the viability of such routes can be evaluated. In particular, the main concern regards the controlled synthesis and positioning of nanotubes. In our opinion, truly innovative use of these nano-objects will come from: (i) the combination of some of their complementary physical properties, such as combining their electrical and mechanical properties, (ii) the combination of their properties with additional benefits coming from other molecules grafted on the nanotubes, and (iii) the use of chemically- or bio-directed self-assembly processes to allow the efficient combination of several devices into functional arrays or circuits. In this article, we outline the main issues concerning the development of carbon nanotubes based electronics applications and review our recent results in the field.

Critique of pure free energy principle. Comment on "Answering Schrödinger's question: A free-energy formulation" by Maxwell James Désormeau Ramstead et al.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tozzi, Arturo; Peters, James F.

2018-03-01

The paper by Ramstead et al. [1] [in this issue] reminds us the efforts of eminent scientists such as Whitehead and Godel. After having produced influential manuscripts, they turned to more philosophical issues, understanding the need for a larger formalization of their bounteous scientific results [2,3]. In a similar way, the successful free-energy principle has been generalized, in order to encompass not only the brain activity of the original formulation, but also the whole spectrum of life [1]. The final result is of prominent importance, because, in touch with Quine's naturalized epistemology [4] and Badiou's account of set theory [5], provides philosophical significance to otherwise purely scientific matters. The free energy principle becomes a novel paradigm that attempts to explain general physical/biological mechanisms in the light of a novel scientific ontology, the "variational neuroethology". The latter, seemingly grounded in a recursive multilevel reductionistic/emergentistic approach à la Bechtel [6], has also its roots in a rationalistic top-down approach that, starting from mathematical/physical general concepts (von Helmholtz's free energy), formulates experimentally testable (and falsifiable) theories.

Progress and prospect of true steady state operation with RF

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jacquinot, Jean

2017-10-01

Operation of fusion confinement experiments in full steady state is a major challenge for the development towards fusion energy. Critical to achieving this goal is the availability of actively cooled plasma facing components and auxiliary systems withstanding the very harsh plasma environment. Equally challenging are physics issues related to achieving plasma conditions and current drive efficiency required by reactor plasmas. RF heating and current drive systems have been key instruments for obtaining the progress made until today towards steady state. They hold all the records of long pulse plasma operation both in tokamaks and in stellarators. Nevertheless much progress remains to be made in particular for integrating all the requirements necessary for maintaining in steady state the density and plasma pressure conditions of a reactor. This is an important stated aim of ITER and of devices equipped with superconducting magnets. After considering the present state of the art, this review will address the key issues which remain to be solved both in physics and technology for reaching this goal. They constitute very active subjects of research which will require much dedicated experimentation in the new generation of superconducting devices which are now in operation or becoming close to it.

There are no particles, there are only fields

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hobson, Art

2013-03-01

Quantum foundations are still unsettled, with mixed effects on science and society. By now it should be possible to obtain consensus on at least one issue: Are the fundamental constituents fields or particles? As this paper shows, experiment and theory imply that unbounded fields, not bounded particles, are fundamental. This is especially clear for relativistic systems, implying that it's also true of nonrelativistic systems. Particles are epiphenomena arising from fields. Thus, the Schrödinger field is a space-filling physical field whose value at any spatial point is the probability amplitude for an interaction to occur at that point. The field for an electron is the electron; each electron extends over both slits in the two-slit experiment and spreads over the entire pattern; and quantum physics is about interactions of microscopic systems with the macroscopic world rather than just about measurements. It's important to clarify this issue because textbooks still teach a particles- and measurement-oriented interpretation that contributes to bewilderment among students and pseudoscience among the public. This article reviews classical and quantum fields, the two-slit experiment, rigorous theorems showing particles are inconsistent with relativistic quantum theory, and several phenomena showing particles are incompatible with quantum field theories.

Physics education students’ cognitive and affective domains toward ecological phenomena

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Napitupulu, N. D.; Munandar, A.; Redjeki, S.; Tjasyono, B.

2018-05-01

Environmental education is become prominent in dealing with natural phenomena that occur nowadays. Studying environmental physics will lead students to have conceptual understanding which are importent in enhancing attitudes toward ecological phenomena that link directry to cognitive and affective domains. This research focused on the the relationship of cognitive and affective domains toward ecological phenomena. Thirty-seven Physics Education students participated in this study and validated sources of data were collected to eksplore students’ conceptual understanding as cognitive domain and to investigate students’ attitudes as affective domain. The percentage of cognitive outcome and affective outcome are explore. The features of such approaches to environmental learning are discussion through analysis of contribution of cognitive to develop the attitude ecological as affective outcome. The result shows that cognitive domains do not contribute significantly to affective domain toward ecological henomena as an issue trend in Central Sulawesi although students had passed Environmental Physics instruction for two semester. In fact, inferior knowledge in a way actually contributes to the attitude domain caused by the prior knowledge that students have as ombo as a Kaili local wisdom.

Healthy urban living: Residential environment and health of older adults in Shanghai.

PubMed

Liu, Yafei; Dijst, Martin; Faber, Jan; Geertman, Stan; Cui, Can

2017-09-01

A healthy residential environment, especially for older adults, has emerged as an important issue on political and planning agenda in China. This paper aims to investigate the direct and indirect impact of residential environment on the health of older adults in Shanghai, taking into account health-related behaviours, subjective well-being and socio-demographic factors in one comprehensive conceptual model. Our results show that the residential environment is associated with older adults' health directly, and also indirectly through a series of significant behavioural (physical and social activities) and perceptual (subjective well-being) factors. After combining the direct and indirect association, the results show that good housing and neighbourhood quality and a safe social environment contribute to better subjective, physical and mental health conditions of older adults. In addition, access to cultural facilities is positively related to older adults' mental and physical health and subjective well-being, while a higher proportion of older adults in a neighbourhood appears to promote physical and social activities but not health. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Learning from the experts: exploring playground experience and activities using a write and draw technique.

PubMed

Knowles, Zoe Rebecca; Parnell, Daniel; Stratton, Gareth; Ridgers, Nicola Diane

2013-03-01

Qualitative research into the effect of school recess on children's physical activity is currently limited. This study used a write and draw technique to explore children's perceptions of physical activity opportunities during recess. 299 children age 7-11 years from 3 primary schools were enlisted. Children were grouped into Years 3 & 4 and Years 5 & 6 and completed a write and draw task focusing on likes and dislikes. Pen profiles were used to analyze the data. Results indicated 'likes' focused on play, positive social interaction, and games across both age groups but showed an increasing dominance of games with an appreciation for being outdoors with age. 'Dislikes' focused on dysfunctional interactions linked with bullying, membership, equipment, and conflict for playground space. Football was a dominant feature across both age groups and 'likes/dislikes' that caused conflict and dominated the physically active games undertaken. Recess was important for the development of conflict management and social skills and contributed to physical activity engagement. The findings contradict suggestions that time spent in recess should be reduced because of behavioral issues.

Special issue on the spectroscopy of transient plasmas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bailey, James; Hoarty, David; Mancini, Roberto; Yoneda, Hitoki

2015-01-01

Experimental and theoretical papers are invited for a special issue of Journal of Physics B: Atomic, Molecular and Optical Physics on Spectroscopy of Transient Plasmas, covering plasma conditions produced by pulsed laboratory sources including for example, short and long pulse lasers; pulsed power devices; FELs; XFELs and ion beams. The full range of plasma spectroscopy from the optical range up to high energy bremsstrahlung radiation will be covered. The deadline for submitting to this special issue is 1 March 2015. (Expected web publication: autumn 2015). Late submissions will be considered for the journal, but may not be included in the special issue. All submitted articles will be fully refereed to the journal's usual high standards. Upon publication, the issue will be widely promoted to the atomic, molecular and optical physics community, ensuring that your work receives maximum visibility. Articles should be submitted at http://mc04.manuscriptcentral.com/jphysb-iop. Should you have any questions regarding the preparation of manuscripts or the suitability of your work for this Issue, please do not hesitate to contact the J. Phys. B: At. Mol. Opt. Editorial team (jphysb@iop.org). We look forward to hearing from you and hope that we can welcome you as a contributing author.

American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Exercise and physical activity for older adults.

PubMed

Chodzko-Zajko, Wojtek J; Proctor, David N; Fiatarone Singh, Maria A; Minson, Christopher T; Nigg, Claudio R; Salem, George J; Skinner, James S

2009-07-01

The purpose of this Position Stand is to provide an overview of issues critical to understanding the importance of exercise and physical activity in older adult populations. The Position Stand is divided into three sections: Section 1 briefly reviews the structural and functional changes that characterize normal human aging, Section 2 considers the extent to which exercise and physical activity can influence the aging process, and Section 3 summarizes the benefits of both long-term exercise and physical activity and shorter-duration exercise programs on health and functional capacity. Although no amount of physical activity can stop the biological aging process, there is evidence that regular exercise can minimize the physiological effects of an otherwise sedentary lifestyle and increase active life expectancy by limiting the development and progression of chronic disease and disabling conditions. There is also emerging evidence for significant psychological and cognitive benefits accruing from regular exercise participation by older adults. Ideally, exercise prescription for older adults should include aerobic exercise, muscle strengthening exercises, and flexibility exercises. The evidence reviewed in this Position Stand is generally consistent with prior American College of Sports Medicine statements on the types and amounts of physical activity recommended for older adults as well as the recently published 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. All older adults should engage in regular physical activity and avoid an inactive lifestyle.

Delving Beyond Conscious Attitudes: Validation of an Innovative Tool for Assessing Parental Implicit Attitudes toward Physical Punishment

PubMed Central

Sturge-Apple, Melissa L.; Rogge, Ronald D.; Peltz, Jack S.; Suor, Jennifer H.; Skibo, Michael A.

2014-01-01

Parenting scholars have long been interested in understanding the prevalence, determinants, and child outcomes associated with the use of physical discipline. To date, much of the empirical research in this area has utilized self-report measures to assess this construct. However, the subjective nature of participants’ explicit reports presents an important confound to studying this issue. Thus, the overarching aim of this study was to provide the first test of an implicit assessment of physical discipline through using a Go/No-go Association Task (GNAT). A GNAT-Physical Discipline was developed and examined in two separate studies of mothers and their 2-3 year old child. One study was conducted in an online format and the second within a laboratory design. Across both studies, findings suggested that the GNAT-Physical Discipline distinguished between positive and negative implicit attitudes towards the use of physical discipline. In addition, negative implicit attitudes were uniquely linked to maternal reports of physical discipline when compared to other discipline practices. Results suggest the potential for the GNAT paradigm in research on parental attitudes around the use of physical discipline in parenting contexts. In addition, our use of an online format (with implicit assessments of key constructs) demonstrates that child and family researchers may be able to explore their hypotheses in larger, geographically diverse samples. PMID:26195917

“They put you on your toes”: Physical Therapists' Perceived Benefits from and Barriers to Supervising Students in the Clinical Setting

PubMed Central

Hanna, Elizabeth; Cott, Cheryl

2011-01-01

ABSTRACT Purpose: To identify the perceived benefits of and barriers to clinical supervision of physical therapy (PT) students. Method: In this qualitative descriptive study, three focus groups and six key-informant interviews were conducted with clinical physical therapists or administrators working in acute care, orthopaedic rehabilitation, or complex continuing care. Data were coded and analyzed for common ideas using a constant comparison approach. Results: Perceived barriers to supervising students tended to be extrinsic: time and space constraints, challenging or difficult students, and decreased autonomy or flexibility for the clinical physical therapists. Benefits tended to be intrinsic: teaching provided personal gratification by promoting reflective practice and exposing clinical educators to current knowledge. The culture of different health care institutions was an important factor in therapists' perceptions of student supervision. Conclusions: Despite different disciplines and models of supervision, there is considerable synchronicity in the issues reported by physical therapists and other disciplines. Embedding the value of clinical teaching in the institution, along with strong communication links among academic partners, institutions, and potential clinical faculty, may mitigate barriers and increase the commitment and satisfaction of teaching staff. PMID:22379263

NASA's Microgravity Fluid Physics Strategic Research Roadmap

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Motil, Brian J.; Singh, Bhim S.

2004-01-01

The Microgravity Fluid Physics Program at NASA has developed a substantial investigator base engaging a broad crosssection of the U.S. scientific community. As a result, it enjoys a rich history of many significant scientific achievements. The research supported by the program has produced many important findings that have been published in prestigious journals such as Science, Nature, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, Physics of Fluids, and many others. The focus of the program so far has primarily been on fundamental scientific studies. However, a recent shift in emphasis at NASA to develop advanced technologies to enable future exploration of space has provided motivation to add a strategic research component to the program. This has set into motion a year of intense planning within NASA including three workshops to solicit inputs from the external scientific community. The planning activities and the workshops have resulted in a prioritized list of strategic research issues along with a corresponding detailed roadmap specific to fluid physics. The results of these activities were provided to NASA s Office of Biological and Physical Research (OBPR) to support the development of the Enterprise Strategy document. This paper summarizes these results while showing how the planned research supports NASA s overall vision through OBPR s organizing questions.

Thinking Ethically about Professional Practice in Adapted Physical Activity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodwin, Donna L.; Rossow-Kimball, Brenda

2012-01-01

There has been little critical exploration of the ethical issues that arise in professional practice common to adapted physical activity. We cannot avoid moral issues as we inevitably will act in ways that will negatively affect the well-being of others. We will make choices, which in our efforts to support others, may hurt by violating dignity or…

The Place of Learning Quantum Theory in Physics Teacher Education: Motivational Elements Arising from the Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Körhasan, Nilüfer Didis

2015-01-01

Quantum theory is one of the most successful theories in physics. Because of its abstract, mathematical, and counter-intuitive nature, many students have problems learning the theory, just as teachers experience difficulty in teaching it. Pedagogical research on quantum theory has mainly focused on cognitive issues. However, affective issues about…

Fit, Healthy, and Ready To Learn: A School Health Policy Guide. Part I: Physical Activity, Health Eating, and Tobacco-Use Prevention.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bogden, James F.

This policy guide reflects the concerns and priorities of education policymakers and administrators, addressing broad policy issues and focusing on physical activity, healthy eating, and tobacco use prevention. Section 1, "Overview," reviews the issue and presents sample policies. Section 2, "The Art of Policymaking," discusses…

Teaching about Ethics through Socioscientific Issues in Physics and Chemistry: Teacher Candidates' Beliefs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrett, Sarah Elizabeth; Nieswandt, Martina

2010-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to identify and explain the origins of physics and chemistry teacher candidates' beliefs about teaching about ethics through socioscientific issues (SSI). This study utilized a series of in-depth interviews, while the participants (n = 12) were enrolled in a 9-month teacher education program at an urban…

How Active Are Teens during Their Out-of-School Time? The View from Chicago. Chapin Hall Issue Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goerge, Robert M.; Cusick, Gretchen Ruth; Guiltinan, Shannon

2009-01-01

This issue brief explores levels of physical activity among high school students in Chicago Public Schools, including participation in sports, informal exercise, and other activities. Latent class analysis was used to classify students' levels of physical activity, revealing low levels of activity among most high school students. Multilevel…

Motivation and obstacles for weight management among young women - a qualitative study with a public health focus - the Tromsø study: Fit Futures.

PubMed

Sand, Anne-Sofie; Emaus, Nina; Lian, Olaug S

2017-05-08

Due to a worldwide increase in overweight and obesity, weight-management through lifestyle changes has become an important public health issue. Adolescents and young adults comprise a vulnerable group. The transition into adulthood represents a stage in life when establishing good lifestyle habits for the future is important. The aim of this study was to explore motivation and obstacles for weight reduction, weight maintenance and healthy lifestyle choices in young women. We conducted semi-structured in depth interviews with 12 young women, both overweight and normal weight, recruited from a school-based population survey. By the use of thematic analysis we searched the interview text for relevant meaning units that emerged as topics that illuminated our research questions. A strong motivation for obtaining or keeping normal weight was clearly present among the participants. Independent of weight-group, the participants described increased levels of physical activity, better eating habits and regularity in daily life as desirable changes. Parents were described as important influencers regarding lifestyle habits. Several participants expressed a need for more information about healthy nutrition and eating. Their motivation for physical activity depended on a positive social setting and elements of joy. The participants described the transition into adulthood including moving out of their parents' home and other structural changes in everyday life, as challenging. It affected their food choices and eating habits and other lifestyle issues. High costs of healthy food and sports activities were frequently mentioned among the obstacles they encountered. The results revealed an obvious motivation for lifestyle changes in individuals and environmental challenges for young women in the relevant stage of their life-course. There seems to be a need for health strategies that strengthens individuals' capacity to overcome the environmental challenges in the transition to adulthood. This should include reliable and accessible health education/information regarding healthy nutrition, eating habits, food choices and preparation of meals. Structural initiatives such as easier access to affordable healthy food and less expensive opportunities for physical activity and sports should be considered.

Islamic bioethics: a general scheme

PubMed Central

Shomali, Mohamamd Ali

2008-01-01

No doubt life in its all forms enjoys a very high status in Islam. Human life is one of the most sacred creatures of God. Therefore, it must be appreciated, respected and protected. In this regard, the paper refers to different parts. The first part studies the value of life in Islam. It helps to understand why life must be appreciated and respected. The second part sheds some light on the nature of the Islamic bioethics. Discussing the sources and authorities in the Islamic bioethics, in this part we will study the way of life protection which is regulated by the Islamic law and bioethics. Part three reflects on some important issues in bioethics from an Islamic perspective. Concerning the Islamic believes, physical health maintenance and disease treatment are two important aspects of the Islamic teachings. In respect to the beginning of human life; firstly, we will see that reproduction must occur in the context of a legitimate and stable family. Secondly, we will study family planning and abortion. With respect to the end of life, issues such as suicide and euthanasia will be studied. Finally organ transplantation will be discussed. PMID:23908711

Educational challenges of molecular life science: Characteristics and implications for education and research.

PubMed

Tibell, Lena A E; Rundgren, Carl-Johan

2010-01-01

Molecular life science is one of the fastest-growing fields of scientific and technical innovation, and biotechnology has profound effects on many aspects of daily life-often with deep, ethical dimensions. At the same time, the content is inherently complex, highly abstract, and deeply rooted in diverse disciplines ranging from "pure sciences," such as math, chemistry, and physics, through "applied sciences," such as medicine and agriculture, to subjects that are traditionally within the remit of humanities, notably philosophy and ethics. Together, these features pose diverse, important, and exciting challenges for tomorrow's teachers and educational establishments. With backgrounds in molecular life science research and secondary life science teaching, we (Tibell and Rundgren, respectively) bring different experiences, perspectives, concerns, and awareness of these issues. Taking the nature of the discipline as a starting point, we highlight important facets of molecular life science that are both characteristic of the domain and challenging for learning and education. Of these challenges, we focus most detail on content, reasoning difficulties, and communication issues. We also discuss implications for education research and teaching in the molecular life sciences.

Neutron physics with accelerators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colonna, N.; Gunsing, F.; Käppeler, F.

2018-07-01

Neutron-induced nuclear reactions are of key importance for a variety of applications in basic and applied science. Apart from nuclear reactors, accelerator-based neutron sources play a major role in experimental studies, especially for the determination of reaction cross sections over a wide energy span from sub-thermal to GeV energies. After an overview of present and upcoming facilities, this article deals with state-of-the-art detectors and equipment, including the often difficult sample problem. These issues are illustrated at selected examples of measurements for nuclear astrophysics and reactor technology with emphasis on their intertwined relations.

SMT-Aware Instantaneous Footprint Optimization

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

Roy, Probir; Liu, Xu; Song, Shuaiwen

Modern architectures employ simultaneous multithreading (SMT) to increase thread-level parallelism. SMT threads share many functional units and the whole memory hierarchy of a physical core. Without a careful code design, SMT threads can easily contend with each other for these shared resources, causing severe performance degradation. Minimizing SMT thread contention for HPC applications running on dedicated platforms is very challenging, because they usually spawn threads within Single Program Multiple Data (SPMD) models. To address this important issue, we introduce a simple scheme for SMT-aware code optimization, which aims to reduce the memory contention across SMT threads.

[How to set up a family and have healthy children? Plato and Aristotle's formulas for good life].

PubMed

Sahaj, Tomasz

2003-01-01

The article reconstructs and analyses the views of two great philosophers: Plato and Aristotle. Contrary to general opinions, philosophy busies itself not only with abstract issues, but also with the realistic ones. The thinkers introduced here prove this theory. They went into details discussing matters such as: procreation, behaviour of pregnant women, feeding and bringing up babies, children and teenagers' physical and mental education. Both men treated citizens' health as a matter of paramount importance, the matter of national significance.

Qualification Strategies of Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) for Space Application

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sheldon, Douglas; Schone, Harald

2005-01-01

This viewgraph document reviews the issue of using Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) in Space Application, and the some of the strategies for qualifying the FPGA. Qualification and risk management of such complex systems requires new approaches. The paper presents a matrix approach to qualification has been presented that: - Complements historical specifications - Highlights the importance of device physics as a cornerstone to qualification. - Provides levels of risk management that expressly document trade offs. - Stresses the role of the FPGA vendor as team member in the development of modern spacecraft.

Getting started in academic cardiothoracic surgery.

PubMed

Verrier, E D

2000-04-01

Preparing to begin a career in academic cardiothoracic surgery requires forethought and desire. Success mandates honesty, discipline, opportunity, and support. This article will attempt to review some fundamental concepts important in starting such an academic career. The thoughts are somewhat personal and not meant to be inclusive. The article will briefly discuss the following issues: choosing the first job, transitions, effective time management, developing clinical confidence, the continued need for mentorship, developing educational value, developing a philosophy of academic growth, intellectual and emotional honesty, myths, mental and physical health, and keys to success.

Globalizing Air Pollution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lin, J.

2017-12-01

Recent studies have revealed the issue of globalizing air pollution through complex coupling of atmospheric transport (physical route) and economic trade (socioeconomic route). Recognition of such globalizing air pollution has important implications for understanding the impacts of regional and global consumption (of goods and services) on air quality, public health, climate and the ecosystems. And addressing these questions often requires improved modeling, measurements and economic-emission statistics. This talk will introduce the concept and mechanism of globalizing air pollution, with following demonstrations based on recent works on modeling, satellite measurement and multi-disciplinary assessment.