Key performance indicators' assessment to develop best practices in an Emergency Medical Communication Centre.

PubMed

Penverne, Yann; Leclere, Brice; Labady, Julien; Berthier, Frederic; Jenvrin, Joel; Javaudin, Francois; Batard, Eric; Montassier, Emmanuel

2017-05-17

Emergency Medical Communication Centre (EMCC) represents a pivotal link in the chain of survival for those requiring rapid response for out-of-hospital medical emergencies. Assessing and grading the performance of EMCCs are warranted as it can affect the health and safety of the served population. The aim of our work was to describe the activity on an EMCC and to explore the associations between different key performance indicators. We carried out our prospective observational study in the EMCC of Nantes, France, from 6 June 2011 to 6 June 2015. The EMCC performance was assessed with the following key performance indicators: answered calls, Quality of Service 20 s (QS20), occupation rate and average call duration. A total of 35 073 h of dispatch activity were analysed. 1 488 998 emergency calls were answered. The emergency call incidence varied slightly from 274 to 284 calls/1000 citizens/year between 2011 and 2015. The median occupation rate was 35% (25-44). QS20 was correlated negatively with the occupation rate (Spearman's ρ: -0.78). The structural equation model confirmed that the occupation rate was highly correlated with the QS20 (standardized coefficient: -0.89). For an occupation rate of 26%, the target value estimated by our polynomial model, the probability of achieving a QS20 superior or equal to 95% varied between 56 and 84%. The occupation rate appeared to be the most important factor contributing towards the QS20. Our data will be useful to develop best practices and guidelines in the field of emergency medicine communication centres.

Emergency material allocation and scheduling for the application to chemical contingency spills under multiple scenarios.

PubMed

Liu, Jie; Guo, Liang; Jiang, Jiping; Jiang, Dexun; Wang, Peng

2017-01-01

In the emergency management relevant to chemical contingency spills, efficiency emergency rescue can be deeply influenced by a reasonable assignment of the available emergency materials to the related risk sources. In this study, an emergency material scheduling model (EMSM) with time-effective and cost-effective objectives is developed to coordinate both allocation and scheduling of the emergency materials. Meanwhile, an improved genetic algorithm (IGA) which includes a revision operation for EMSM is proposed to identify the emergency material scheduling schemes. Then, scenario analysis is used to evaluate optimal emergency rescue scheme under different emergency pollution conditions associated with different threat degrees based on analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method. The whole framework is then applied to a computational experiment based on south-to-north water transfer project in China. The results demonstrate that the developed method not only could guarantee the implementation of the emergency rescue to satisfy the requirements of chemical contingency spills but also help decision makers identify appropriate emergency material scheduling schemes in a balance between time-effective and cost-effective objectives.

Emergency medical services key performance measurement in Asian cities.

PubMed

Rahman, Nik Hisamuddin; Tanaka, Hideharu; Shin, Sang Do; Ng, Yih Yng; Piyasuwankul, Thammapad; Lin, Chih-Hao; Ong, Marcus Eng Hock

2015-01-01

One of the key principles in the recommended standards is that emergency medical service (EMS) providers should continuously monitor the quality and safety of their services. This requires service providers to implement performance monitoring using appropriate and relevant measures including key performance indicators. In Asia, EMS systems are at different developmental phases and maturity. This will create difficultly in benchmarking or assessing the quality of EMS performance across the region. An attempt was made to compare the EMS performance index based on the structure, process, and outcome analysis. The data was collected from the Pan-Asian Resuscitation Outcome Study (PAROS) data among few Asian cities, namely, Tokyo, Osaka, Singapore, Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Taipei, and Seoul. The parameters of inclusions were broadly divided into structure, process, and outcome measurements. The data was collected by the site investigators from each city and keyed into the electronic web-based data form which is secured strictly by username and passwords. Generally, there seems to be a more uniformity for EMS performance parameters among the more developed EMS systems. The major problem with the EMS agencies in the cities of developing countries like Bangkok and Kuala Lumpur is inadequate or unavailable data pertaining to EMS performance. There is non-uniformity in the EMS performance measurement across the Asian cities. This creates difficulty for EMS performance index comparison and benchmarking. Hopefully, in the future, collaborative efforts such as the PAROS networking group will further enhance the standardization in EMS performance reporting across the region.

Emergency communication and information issues in terrorist events involving radioactive materials.

PubMed

Becker, Steven M

2004-01-01

With the threat posed by terrorism involving radioactive materials now high on the nation's agenda, local, state, and federal agencies are moving to enhance preparedness and response capabilities. Crucial to these efforts is the development of effective risk communication strategies. This article reports findings from an ongoing study of risk communication issues in nuclear/radiological terrorism situations. It is part of a larger CDC-funded effort that aims to better understand communication challenges associated with weapons of mass destruction terrorism incidents. Presented here are formative research findings from 16 focus groups (n = 163) in which a multi-part, hypothetical radioactive materials terrorism situation was discussed. Twelve of the focus groups were carried out with members of the general public (drawn from a variety of ethnic backgrounds and geographic locations), and four groups were composed of first responders, hospital emergency department personnel, and public health professionals. One aim of the focus groups was to elicit detailed information on people's knowledge, views, perceptions, reactions, and concerns related to a nuclear/radiological terrorism event, and to better understand people's specific information needs and preferred information sources. A second aim was to pretest draft informational materials prepared by CDC and NIOSH. Key findings for the public and professional groups are presented, and the implications of the research for developing messages in radiological/nuclear terrorism situations are explored.

A two-stage optimization model for emergency material reserve layout planning under uncertainty in response to environmental accidents.

PubMed

Liu, Jie; Guo, Liang; Jiang, Jiping; Jiang, Dexun; Liu, Rentao; Wang, Peng

2016-06-05

In the emergency management relevant to pollution accidents, efficiency emergency rescues can be deeply influenced by a reasonable assignment of the available emergency materials to the related risk sources. In this study, a two-stage optimization framework is developed for emergency material reserve layout planning under uncertainty to identify material warehouse locations and emergency material reserve schemes in pre-accident phase coping with potential environmental accidents. This framework is based on an integration of Hierarchical clustering analysis - improved center of gravity (HCA-ICG) model and material warehouse location - emergency material allocation (MWL-EMA) model. First, decision alternatives are generated using HCA-ICG to identify newly-built emergency material warehouses for risk sources which cannot be satisfied by existing ones with a time-effective manner. Second, emergency material reserve planning is obtained using MWL-EMA to make emergency materials be prepared in advance with a cost-effective manner. The optimization framework is then applied to emergency management system planning in Jiangsu province, China. The results demonstrate that the developed framework not only could facilitate material warehouse selection but also effectively provide emergency material for emergency operations in a quick response. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Hippo Signaling: Key Emerging Pathway in Cellular and Whole-Body Metabolism.

PubMed

Ardestani, Amin; Lupse, Blaz; Maedler, Kathrin

2018-05-05

The evolutionarily conserved Hippo pathway is a key regulator of organ size and tissue homeostasis. Its dysregulation is linked to multiple pathological disorders. In addition to regulating development and growth, recent studies show that Hippo pathway components such as MST1/2 and LATS1/2 kinases, as well as YAP/TAZ transcriptional coactivators, are regulated by metabolic pathways and that the Hippo pathway controls metabolic processes at the cellular and organismal levels in physiological and metabolic disease states such as obesity, type 2 diabetes (T2D), nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), cardiovascular disorders, and cancer. In this review we summarize the connection between key Hippo components and metabolism, and how this interplay regulates cellular metabolism and metabolic pathways. The emerging function of Hippo in the regulation of metabolic homeostasis under physiological and pathological conditions is highlighted. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predicting materials for sustainable energy sources: The key role of density functional theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Galli, Giulia

Climate change and the related need for sustainable energy sources replacing fossil fuels are pressing societal problems. The development of advanced materials is widely recognized as one of the key elements for new technologies that are required to achieve a sustainable environment and provide clean and adequate energy for our planet. We discuss the key role played by Density Functional Theory, and its implementations in high performance computer codes, in understanding, predicting and designing materials for energy applications.

Emergency Department Management of Patients Internally Contaminated with Radioactive Material

PubMed Central

Kazzi, Ziad; Buzzell, Jennifer; Bertelli, Luiz; Christensen, Doran

2017-01-01

SUMMARY Internal contamination with radioactive material can expose patients to radiation leading to short- and long-term clinical consequences. After the patient’s emergency conditions are addressed and the skin is decontaminated, the treating physicians assess the amount of radioactive material that has been internalized. This evaluation allows the estimation of the radiation dose that is delivered the specific radionuclide inside the body and supports the need for additional therapies and monitoring. These complex assessments warrant the reliance on a multidisciplinary approach that incorporates local, regional, and national experts in radiation medicine and emergencies. PMID:25455668

[Key-point investigation list of traditional Chinese medicinal materials for national survey of Chinese material medica resources].

PubMed

Zhang, Xiao-Bo; Guo, Lan-Ping; Zhang, Yan; Zhou, Liang-Yun; Huang, Lu-Qi

2014-04-01

Base on the traditional Chinese medicinal materials list that include Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China, Dao-di Herbs, the common used herbs, endangered species, to analyze the key-point investigation traditional Chinese medicinal materials list was analysed. Results displayed that the variety number of traditional Chinese medicinal materials in Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China is 894, the variety number of Dao-di Herbs is 495, the variety number of the common use is 326, the variety number of traditional Chinese medicinal materials from endangered species is 280, and during the third national survey of Chinese material medica resources the variety number of traditional Chinese medicinal materials that were analysed is 360. In the list of Dao-di Herbs and common used herbs over 85% are in the list of Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China, in the list of the common used herbs over 80% are in the list of Dao-di Herbs, in the list of Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China and Dao-di Herbs over 10% are in the list of endangered species. The key-point investigation traditional Chinese medicinal materials list includes three part, the first part includes 563 variery traditional Chinese medicinal materials that need to statistics quantity of resource by field investigation, the second part includes 457 variery that need to monitor the changing situation, the third part includes 280 variery that need to estimated endangered situation.

Concerted Creativity: Emergence in the Socio-(Im)Material and Intangible Practice of Making Music.

PubMed

Hvidtfeldt, Dan Lund

2018-06-01

The purpose of this article is to explore how the basic conception of 'emergence' informs the study of creativity as a socio-material practice. Initially, the article explicates how creative processes, products and performances involve not only tangible, but also intangible and social elements. Secondly, the theoretical conception of creativity as socio-material and the general philosophical notion of emergence are introduced. Inspired by the idea that a 'whole' is other than the sum of its 'parts' and by examples primarily from the world of music, the article argues that the relationship between subject and object - the main analytical focus of studies on creativity as a socio-material practice - is fundamentally embedded in an emergent process. The article concludes by highlighting how emergence theory acknowledges the performance or product as an intangible material for creative processes of musicians, and that studies of the socio-materiality of creative practices clearly involving tangible, intangible and social elements must refer to the emergent process through which the creative product or performance evolves meaning. The theoretical framework suggested is relevant for researchers interested in exploring how materials, social settings and physical environments are involved in creative processes.

Defining disaster resilience: comparisons from key stakeholders involved in emergency management in Victoria, Australia.

PubMed

Goode, Natassia; Salmon, Paul M; Spencer, Caroline; McArdle, Dudley; Archer, Frank

2017-01-01

Three years after the introduction of the National Strategy for Disaster Resilience there remains no unanimously adopted definition of disaster resilience within Australia's emergency management sector. The aim of this study is to determine what the concept means to key stakeholders in the emergency management sector in the Australian State of Victoria, and how these conceptualisations overlap and diverge. Via an online survey, 113 people were asked how they define disaster resilience in their work in the emergency management sector. A data mining software tool, Leximancer, was employed to uncover the relationships between the definitions provided. The findings show that stakeholders see resilience as an 'ability' that encompasses emergency management activities and personal responsibility. However, the findings also highlight some possible points of conflict between stakeholders. In addition, the paper outlines and discusses a number of potential consequences for the implementation and the success of the resilience-based approach in Australia. © 2017 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2017.

Reinforcements: The key to high performance composite materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Grisaffe, Salvatore J.

1990-01-01

Better high temperature fibers are the key to high performance, light weight composite materials. However, current U.S. and Japanese fibers still have inadequate high temperature strength, creep resistance, oxidation resistance, modulus, stability, and thermal expansion match with some of the high temperature matrices being considered for future aerospace applications. In response to this clear deficiency, both countries have research and development activities underway. Once successful fibers are identified, their production will need to be taken from laboratory scale to pilot plant scale. In such efforts it can be anticipated that the Japanese decisions will be based on longer term criteria than those applied in the U.S. Since the initial markets will be small, short term financial criteria may adversely minimize the number and strength of U.S. aerospace materials suppliers to well into the 21st century. This situation can only be compounded by the Japanese interests in learning to make commercial products with existing materials so that when the required advanced fibers eventually do arrive, their manufacturing skills will be developed.

EMERGE: Engineered Materials that Create Environments for ReGeneration via Electric Field

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-01

Recruitment of multiple cell lines by collagen-synthetic copolymer matrices in corneal regeneration ,” Biomaterials (2004). A) B) REDD-2016-537...AWARD NUMBER: W81XWH-14-1-0542 TITLE: EMERGE: Engineered Materials that Create Environments for ReGeneration via Electric Field PRINCIPAL...23 Sep 2016 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER EMERGE: Engineered Materials that Create Environments for ReGeneration via Electric Field

Addressing barriers to emergency anaphylaxis care: from emergency medical services to emergency department to outpatient follow-up.

PubMed

Fineman, Stanley M; Bowman, Steven H; Campbell, Ronna L; Dowling, Paul; O'Rourke, Dianne; Russell, W Scott; Sublett, J Wesley; Wallace, Dana

2015-10-01

Anaphylaxis is a systemic life-threatening allergic reaction that presents unique challenges for emergency care practitioners. Allergists and emergency physicians have a history of collaborating to promote an evidence-based, multidisciplinary approach to improve the emergency management and follow-up of patients with or at risk of anaphylaxis. To review recent scientific literature about anaphylaxis, discuss barriers to care, and recommend strategies to support improvement in emergency anaphylaxis care. An expert panel of allergists and emergency physicians was convened by the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology in November 2014 to discuss current knowledge about anaphylaxis, identify opportunities for emergency practitioners and allergists to partner to address barriers to care, and recommend strategies to improve medical management of anaphylaxis along the continuum of care: from emergency medical systems and emergency department practitioners for acute management through appropriate outpatient follow-up with allergists to confirm diagnosis, identify triggers, and plan long-term care. The panel identified key barriers to anaphylaxis care, including difficulties in making an accurate diagnosis, low rates of epinephrine administration during acute management, and inadequate follow-up. Strategies to overcome these barriers were discussed and recommendations made for future allergist/emergency physician collaborations, and key messages to be communicated to emergency practitioners were proposed. The panel recommended that allergists and emergency physicians continue to work in partnership, that allergists be proactive in outreach to emergency care practitioners, and that easy-to-access educational programs and materials be developed for use by emergency medical systems and emergency department practitioners in the training environment and in practice. Copyright © 2015 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All

Special Education Master Key and Index for Environmental Curriculum Materials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garowski, Robert; And Others

Prepared for teachers working with disadvantaged students, this booklet contains keys and indexes for activities in the out-of-doors. It should be used in conjunction with field trip activity sheets and follow-up materials currently available through the Southeastern Pennsylvania Outdoor Education Center and described in the following documents:…

Emerging low-cost LED thermal management materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zweben, Carl H.

2004-10-01

As chip size and power levels continue to increase, thermal management, thermal stresses and cost have become key LED packaging issues. Until recently, low-coefficient-of-thermal-expansion (CTE) materials, which are needed to minimize thermal stresses, had thermal conductivities that are no better than those of aluminum alloys, about 200 W/m-K. Copper, which has a higher thermal conductivity (400 W/m-K), also has a high CTE, which can cause severe thermal stresses. We now have over a dozen low-CTE materials with thermal conductivities ranging between 400 and 1700 W/m-K, and almost a score with thermal conductivities at least 50% greater than that of aluminum. Some of these materials are low cost. Others have the potential to be low cost in high volume production. Emphasizing low cost, this paper reviews traditional packaging materials and the six categories of advanced materials: polymer matrix-, metal matrix-, ceramic matrix-, and carbon matrix composites; monolithic carbonaceous materials; and metal-metal composites/alloys. Topics include properties, status, applications, cost and likely future directions of new advanced materials, including carbon nanotubes and inexpensive graphite nanoplatelets.

Materials science approaches to solve problems with emerging mycotoxins in corn

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Materials science technology is an attractive, cost effective, and robust alternative to address the limitations of highly selective natural receptors. These materials are especially well suited to address issues with emerging toxins for which a better understanding is needed to establish levels of ...

The emergence of complex behaviours in molecular magnetic materials.

PubMed

Goss, Karin; Gatteschi, Dante; Bogani, Lapo

2014-09-14

Molecular magnetism is considered an area where magnetic phenomena that are usually difficult to demonstrate can emerge with particular clarity. Over the years, however, less understandable systems have appeared in the literature of molecular magnetic materials, in some cases showing features that hint at the spontaneous emergence of global structures out of local interactions. This ingredient is typical of a wider class of problems, called complex behaviours, where the theory of complexity is currently being developed. In this perspective we wish to focus our attention on these systems and the underlying problematic that they highlight. We particularly highlight the emergence of the signatures of complexity in several molecular magnetic systems, which may provide unexplored opportunities for physical and chemical investigations.

Key technologies for manufacturing and processing sheet materials: A global perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demeri, Mahmoud Y.

2001-02-01

Modern industrial technologies continue to seek new materials and processes to produce products that meet design and functional requirements. Sheet materials made from ferrous and non-ferrous metals, laminates, composites, and reinforced plastics constitute a large percentage of today’s products, components, and systems. Major manufacturers of sheet products include automotive, aerospace, appliance, and food-packaging industries. The Second Global Symposium on Innovations in Materials Processing & Manufacturing: Sheet Materials is organized to provide a forum for presenting advances in sheet processing and manufacturing by worldwide researchers and engineers from industrial, research, and academic centers. The symposium, sponsored by the TMS Materials Processing & Manufacturing Division (MPMD), was planned for the 2001 TMS Annual Meeting, New Orleans, Louisiana, February 11 15, 2001. This article is a review of key papers submitted for publication in the concurrent volume. The selected papers present significant developments in the rapidly expanding areas of advanced sheet materials, innovative forming methods, industrial applications, primary and secondary processing, composite processing, and numerical modeling of manufacturing processes.

Using "Clicker 5" to Enhance Emergent Literacy in Young Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parette, Howard P.; Hourcade, Jack J.; Dinelli, Jenny M.; Boeckmann, Nichole M.

2009-01-01

Best practices in emergent literacy instruction for young children acknowledge and facilitate the smooth progression between children's early engagement with print materials and subsequent fuller literacy mastery. In so doing, model programs target five key emergent literacy skills. The rapid rise in the breadth and depth of educational…

Magnetic Nanoparticles: Material Engineering and Emerging Applications in Lithography and Biomedicine

PubMed Central

Bao, Yuping; Wen, Tianlong; Samia, Anna Cristina S.; Khandhar, Amit; Krishnan, Kannan M.

2015-01-01

We present an interdisciplinary overview of material engineering and emerging applications of iron oxide nanoparticles. We discuss material engineering of nanoparticles in the broadest sense, emphasizing size and shape control, large-area self-assembly, composite/hybrid structures, and surface engineering. This is followed by a discussion of several non-traditional, emerging applications of iron oxide nanoparticles, including nanoparticle lithography, magnetic particle imaging, magnetic guided drug delivery, and positive contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. We conclude with a succinct discussion of the pharmacokinetics pathways of iron oxide nanoparticles in the human body –– an important and required practical consideration for any in vivo biomedical application, followed by a brief outlook of the field. PMID:26586919

Magnetic Nanoparticles: Material Engineering and Emerging Applications in Lithography and Biomedicine.

PubMed

Bao, Yuping; Wen, Tianlong; Samia, Anna Cristina S; Khandhar, Amit; Krishnan, Kannan M

2016-01-01

We present an interdisciplinary overview of material engineering and emerging applications of iron oxide nanoparticles. We discuss material engineering of nanoparticles in the broadest sense, emphasizing size and shape control, large-area self-assembly, composite/hybrid structures, and surface engineering. This is followed by a discussion of several non-traditional, emerging applications of iron oxide nanoparticles, including nanoparticle lithography, magnetic particle imaging, magnetic guided drug delivery, and positive contrast agents for magnetic resonance imaging. We conclude with a succinct discussion of the pharmacokinetics pathways of iron oxide nanoparticles in the human body -- an important and required practical consideration for any in vivo biomedical application, followed by a brief outlook of the field.

Advances in Organic Near-Infrared Materials and Emerging Applications.

PubMed

Qi, Ji; Qiao, Wenqiang; Wang, Zhi Yuan

2016-06-01

Much progress has been made in the field of research on organic near-infrared materials for potential applications in photonics, communications, energy, and biophotonics. This account mainly describes our research work on organic near-infrared materials; in particular, donor-acceptor small molecules, organometallics, and donor-acceptor polymers with the bandgaps less than 1.2 eV. The molecular designs, structure-property relationships, unique near-infrared absorption, emission and color/wavelength-changing properties, and some emerging applications are discussed. © 2016 The Chemical Society of Japan & Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Radiation Effects On Emerging Electronic Materials And Devices

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-17

RADIATION EFFECTS ON EMERGING ELECTRONIC MATERIALS AND DEVICES FINAL PERFORMANCE REPORT PREPARED FOR: Kitt Reinhardt AFOSR/NE 875 N...and the other with metal gates and a high-K gate dielectric. These devices were programmed using both back-gate pulse and gate induced drain leakage... metal gate process GIDL method Fig. 1. Sensing margin as a function of total ionizing dose for nMOS 1T-DRAM cells programmed by back-gate pulse and

Emerging ferroelectric transistors with nanoscale channel materials: the possibilities, the limitations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hong, Xia

2016-03-01

Combining the nonvolatile, locally switchable polarization field of a ferroelectric thin film with a nanoscale electronic material in a field effect transistor structure offers the opportunity to examine and control a rich variety of mesoscopic phenomena and interface coupling. It is also possible to introduce new phases and functionalities into these hybrid systems through rational design. This paper reviews two rapidly progressing branches in the field of ferroelectric transistors, which employ two distinct classes of nanoscale electronic materials as the conducting channel, the two-dimensional (2D) electron gas graphene and the strongly correlated transition metal oxide thin films. The topics covered include the basic device physics, novel phenomena emerging in the hybrid systems, critical mechanisms that control the magnitude and stability of the field effect modulation and the mobility of the channel material, potential device applications, and the performance limitations of these devices due to the complex interface interactions and challenges in achieving controlled materials properties. Possible future directions for this field are also outlined, including local ferroelectric gate control via nanoscale domain patterning and incorporating other emergent materials in this device concept, such as the simple binary ferroelectrics, layered 2D transition metal dichalcogenides, and the 4d and 5d heavy metal compounds with strong spin-orbit coupling.

Materializing Heart Regeneration: Biomimicry of Key Observations in Cell Transplantation Therapies and Natural Cardiac Regeneration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kong, Yen P.; Jongpaiboonkit, Leena

2016-07-01

New regenerative paradigms are needed to address the growing global problem of heart failure as existing interventions are unsatisfactory. Outcomes from the current paradigm of cell transplantation have not been stellar but the mechanistic knowledge learned from them is instructive in the development of future paradigms. An emerging biomaterial-based approach incorporating key mechanisms and additional ones scrutinized from the process of natural heart regeneration in zebrafish may become the next evolution in cardiac repair. We highlight, with examples, tested key concepts and pivotal ones that may be integrated into a successful therapy.

Circular RNA: an emerging key player in RNA world.

PubMed

Meng, Xianwen; Li, Xue; Zhang, Peijing; Wang, Jingjing; Zhou, Yincong; Chen, Ming

2017-07-01

Insights into the circular RNA (circRNA) exploration have revealed that they are abundant in eukaryotic transcriptomes. Diverse genomic regions can generate different types of RNA circles, implying their diversity. Covalently closed loop structures elevate the stability of this new type of noncoding RNA. High-throughput sequencing analyses suggest that circRNAs exhibit tissue- and developmental-specific expression, indicating that they may play crucial roles in multiple cellular processes. Strikingly, several circRNAs could function as microRNA sponges and regulate gene transcription, highlighting a new class of important regulators. Here, we review the recent advances in knowledge of endogenous circRNA biogenesis, properties and functions. We further discuss the current findings about circRNAs in human diseases. In plants, the roles of circRNAs remain a mystery. Online resources and bioinformatics identification of circRNAs are essential for the analysis of circRNA biology, although different strategies yield divergent results. The understanding of circRNA functions remains limited; however, circRNAs are enriching the RNA world, acting as an emerging key player. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response training Center needs assessment

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

McGinnis, K.A.; Bolton, P.A.; Robinson, R.K.

1993-09-01

For the Hanford Site to provide high-quality training using simulated job-site situations to prepare the 4,000 Site workers and 500 emergency responders for known and unknown hazards a Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response Training Center is needed. The center will focus on providing classroom lecture as well as hands-on, realistic training. The establishment of the center will create a partnership among the US Department of Energy; its contractors; labor; local, state, and tribal governments; and Xavier and Tulane Universities of Louisiana. This report presents the background, history, need, benefits, and associated costs of the proposed center.

Key Emerging Technologies for Postsecondary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Laurence F.; Levine, Alan; Smith, Rachel S.; Haywood, Keene

2010-01-01

The annual "Horizon Report" describes the continuing work of the New Media Consortium's Horizon Project, a qualitative research project established in 2002 that identifies and describes emerging technologies likely to have a large impact on teaching, learning, or creative inquiry on college and university campuses within the next five years. The…

Key Emerging Technologies for Postsecondary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Laurence F.; Levine, Alan; Smith, Rachel S.; Haywood, Keene

2010-01-01

The annual "Horizon Report" describes the continuing work of the New Media Consortium's Horizon Project, a qualitative research project established in 2002 that identifies and describes emerging technologies likely to have a large impact on teaching, learning, or creative inquiry on college and university campuses within the next five years. This…

Hazardous Materials Emergency Response Training: The Colorado Training Institute. Innovations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cole, Leslie

The Colorado Training Institute (CTI), established in 1980, is a non-profit, instructional program devoted to promoting hazardous materials safety through education. It has trained over 3,000 emergency response personnel and industry officials and is a unique example of the private and public sectors working together to protect the public from…

Key Emerging Technologies for Elementary and Secondary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Laurence F.; Levine, Alan; Smith, Rachel S.; Haywood, Keene

2010-01-01

The Horizon Report series is the most visible outcome of the New Media Consortium's Horizon Project, an ongoing research effort that identifies and describes emerging technologies likely to have a large impact on teaching, learning, research, or creative expression within education around the globe. The report examines emerging technologies for…

Key Emerging Technologies for Elementary and Secondary Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Laurence F.; Levine, Alan; Smith, Rachel S.; Haywood, Keene

2010-01-01

The "Horizon Report" series is the most visible outcome of the New Media Consortium's Horizon Project, an ongoing research effort that identifies and describes emerging technologies likely to have a large impact on teaching, learning, research, or creative expression within education around the globe. The report examines emerging technologies for…

Emergency Optically Stimulated Luminescence Dosimetry Using Different Materials.

PubMed

Sholom, S; Dewitt, R; Simon, Sl; Bouville, A; McKeever, Sws

2011-12-01

Several materials were tested as possible individual emergency dosimeters using Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) as means to assess the exposure. Materials investigated included human nails, business cards and plastic buttons. The OSL properties of these materials were studied in comparison with those of teeth. Most samples revealed OSL signals only after exposure to ionizing radiation; some samples of business cards, however, displayed a strong initial "native" signal (i.e. existing in the samples prior to irradiation). The sensitivity (minimum measurable dose) of the samples was found to vary significantly from sample to sample of the same material and was in the range from several tens of mGy to a few dozens of Gy. The dose response curves were linear for doses below 10 Gy. Fading of the OSL signals was estimated for different lenghts of times and found to be ~95%, 45%, 30% and 15% for samples of teeth, business cards, buttons and nails, respectively, following storage at room temperature in the dark for a period of 3 weeks after exposure. For samples stored under routine laboratory light, fading was much faster and the radiation-induced signals almost disappeared after a few hours of such illumination. It was concluded that the tested materials could be used in triage situations to detect and estimate the possible overexposure of individuals if the measurements can be performed soon enough after exposure.

An assessment of key health indicators among emergency medical services professionals.

PubMed

Studnek, Jonathan R; Bentley, Melissa; Crawford, J Mac; Fernandez, Antonio R

2010-01-01

Ensuring the health and productivity of emergency medical services (EMS) professionals is important. However, there has been no known national baseline assessment of the health and wellness of EMS professionals in the United States. According to Healthy People 2010, top indicators of personal health include physical activity, body mass index (BMI), and smoking prevalence. The objectives of this study included quantifying existing health conditions and describing key health indicators among EMS professionals. It was hypothesized that work-life characteristics were associated with existing health conditions and key health indicators. Data utilized for this analysis were obtained from a 2007 questionnaire included in biennial national recertification packets. This questionnaire utilized validated items from the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS) and the Longitudinal EMT Attributes and Demographics Study (LEADS). Along with common demographic characteristics, items inquired about existing health conditions (diabetes, asthma, hypertension, myocardial infarction, angina, stroke, and/or high blood cholesterol level), general health, physical activity, and smoking status. Descriptive analyses were performed utilizing chi-square tests, and logistic regression was utilized to describe associations between existing health conditions and the key health indicators. There were 58,435 individuals who became recertified in 2007, with 30,560 (52%) returning questionnaires. Individuals with missing data were removed, leaving 19,960 individual records. There were 4,681 (23.5%) individuals who reported at least one existing health condition. The mean BMI for the study participants was 27.69 kg/m(2). There were 5,742 (28.8%) individuals classified as having normal weight and 5,146 (25.8%) who were obese. The overwhelming majority of individuals did not meet the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations for physical activity (15,022, 75.3%). There

HAZBOT - A hazardous materials emergency response mobile robot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, H. W.; Edmonds, G.

1992-01-01

The authors describe the progress that has been made towards the development of a mobile robot that can be used by hazardous materials emergency response teams to perform a variety of tasks including incident localization and characterization, hazardous material identification/classification, site surveillance and monitoring, and ultimately incident mitigation. In September of 1991, the HAZBOT II vehicle performed its first end-to-end demonstration involving a scenario in which the vehicle: navigated to the incident location from a distant (150-200 ft.) deployment site; entered a building through a door with thumb latch style handle and door closer; located and navigated to the suspected incident location (a chemical storeroom); unlocked and opened the storeroom's door; climbed over the storeroom's 12 in. high threshold to enter the storeroom; and located and identified a broken container of benzene.

HAZBOT - A hazardous materials emergency response mobile robot

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stone, H. W.; Edmonds, G.

The authors describe the progress that has been made towards the development of a mobile robot that can be used by hazardous materials emergency response teams to perform a variety of tasks including incident localization and characterization, hazardous material identification/classification, site surveillance and monitoring, and ultimately incident mitigation. In September of 1991, the HAZBOT II vehicle performed its first end-to-end demonstration involving a scenario in which the vehicle: navigated to the incident location from a distant (150-200 ft.) deployment site; entered a building through a door with thumb latch style handle and door closer; located and navigated to the suspected incident location (a chemical storeroom); unlocked and opened the storeroom's door; climbed over the storeroom's 12 in. high threshold to enter the storeroom; and located and identified a broken container of benzene.

Graphene Emerges as a Versatile Template for Materials Preparation.

PubMed

Li, Zhengjie; Wu, Sida; Lv, Wei; Shao, Jiao-Jing; Kang, Feiyu; Yang, Quan-Hong

2016-05-01

Graphene and its derivatives are emerging as a class of novel but versatile templates for the controlled preparation and functionalization of materials. In this paper a conceptual review on graphene-based templates is given, highlighting their versatile roles in materials preparation. Graphene is capable of acting as a low-dimensional hard template, where its two-dimensional morphology directs the formation of novel nanostructures. Graphene oxide and other functionalized graphenes are amphiphilic and may be seen as soft templates for formatting the growth or inducing the controlled assembly of nanostructures. In addition, nanospaces in restacked graphene can be used for confining the growth of sheet-like nanostructures, and assemblies of interlinked graphenes can behave either as skeletons for the formation of composite materials or as sacrificial templates for novel materials with a controlled network structure. In summary, flexible graphene and its derivatives together with an increasing number of assembled structures show great potentials as templates for materials production. Many challenges remain, for example precise structural control of such novel templates and the removal of the non-functional remaining templates. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Emergency department management of patients internally contaminated with radioactive material

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

Kazzi, Ziad; Buzzell, Jennifer; Bertelli, Luiz

After a radiation emergency that involves the dispersal of radioactive material, patients can become externally and internally contaminated with one or more radionuclides. Internal contamination can lead to the delivery of harmful ionizing radiation doses to various organs and tissues or the whole body. The clinical consequences can range from acute radiation syndrome (ARS) to the long term development of cancer. Estimating the amount of radioactive material absorbed into the body can guide the management of patients. Treatment includes, in addition to supportive care and long term monitoring, certain medical countermeasures like Prussian blue, Calcium DTPA and Zinc DTPA.

Emergency department management of patients internally contaminated with radioactive material

DOE PAGES

Kazzi, Ziad; Buzzell, Jennifer; Bertelli, Luiz; ...

2014-11-15

After a radiation emergency that involves the dispersal of radioactive material, patients can become externally and internally contaminated with one or more radionuclides. Internal contamination can lead to the delivery of harmful ionizing radiation doses to various organs and tissues or the whole body. The clinical consequences can range from acute radiation syndrome (ARS) to the long term development of cancer. Estimating the amount of radioactive material absorbed into the body can guide the management of patients. Treatment includes, in addition to supportive care and long term monitoring, certain medical countermeasures like Prussian blue, Calcium DTPA and Zinc DTPA.

Keys to Scholarship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hebert, Terri

2011-01-01

Up ahead, a foreboding wooden door showing wear from passage of earlier travelers is spotted. As the old porch light emits a pale yellow glow, a key ring emerges from deep inside the coat pocket. Searching for just the right key, the voyager settles on one that also shows age. As the key enters its receptacle and begins to turn, a clicking noise…

Emergency Optically Stimulated Luminescence Dosimetry Using Different Materials

PubMed Central

Sholom, S; DeWitt, R; Simon, SL; Bouville, A; McKeever, SWS

2011-01-01

Several materials were tested as possible individual emergency dosimeters using Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) as means to assess the exposure. Materials investigated included human nails, business cards and plastic buttons. The OSL properties of these materials were studied in comparison with those of teeth. Most samples revealed OSL signals only after exposure to ionizing radiation; some samples of business cards, however, displayed a strong initial “native” signal (i.e. existing in the samples prior to irradiation). The sensitivity (minimum measurable dose) of the samples was found to vary significantly from sample to sample of the same material and was in the range from several tens of mGy to a few dozens of Gy. The dose response curves were linear for doses below 10 Gy. Fading of the OSL signals was estimated for different lenghts of times and found to be ~95%, 45%, 30% and 15% for samples of teeth, business cards, buttons and nails, respectively, following storage at room temperature in the dark for a period of 3 weeks after exposure. For samples stored under routine laboratory light, fading was much faster and the radiation-induced signals almost disappeared after a few hours of such illumination. It was concluded that the tested materials could be used in triage situations to detect and estimate the possible overexposure of individuals if the measurements can be performed soon enough after exposure. PMID:22125409

Emergence of superconductivity in heavy-electron materials

PubMed Central

Yang, Yi-feng; Pines, David

2014-01-01

Although the pairing glue for the attractive quasiparticle interaction responsible for unconventional superconductivity in heavy-electron materials has been identified as the spin fluctuations that arise from their proximity to a magnetic quantum critical point, there has been no model to describe their superconducting transition at temperature Tc that is comparable to that found by Bardeen, Cooper, and Schrieffer (BCS) for conventional superconductors, where phonons provide the pairing glue. Here we propose such a model: a phenomenological BCS-like expression for Tc in heavy-electron materials that is based on a simple model for the effective range and strength of the spin-fluctuation-induced quasiparticle interaction and reflects the unusual properties of the heavy-electron normal state from which superconductivity emerges. We show that it provides a quantitative understanding of the pressure-induced variation of Tc in the “hydrogen atoms” of unconventional superconductivity, CeCoIn5 and CeRhIn5, predicts scaling behavior and a dome-like structure for Tc in all heavy-electron quantum critical superconductors, provides unexpected connections between members of this family, and quantifies their variations in Tc with a single parameter. PMID:25489102

Addressing the gap between public health emergency planning and incident response

PubMed Central

Freedman, Ariela M; Mindlin, Michele; Morley, Christopher; Griffin, Meghan; Wooten, Wilma; Miner, Kathleen

2013-01-01

Objectives: Since 9/11, Incident Command System (ICS) and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) are relatively new concepts to public health, which typically operates using less hierarchical and more collaborative approaches to organizing staff. This paper describes the 2009 H1N1 influenza outbreak in San Diego County to explore the use of ICS and EOC in public health emergency response. Methods: This study was conducted using critical case study methodology consisting of document review and 18 key-informant interviews with individuals who played key roles in planning and response. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data. Results: Several broad elements emerged as key to ensuring effective and efficient public health response: 1) developing a plan for emergency response; 2) establishing the framework for an ICS; 3) creating the infrastructure to support response; 4) supporting a workforce trained on emergency response roles, responsibilities, and equipment; and 5) conducting regular preparedness exercises. Conclusions: This research demonstrates the value of investments made and that effective emergency preparedness requires sustained efforts to maintain personnel and material resources. By having the infrastructure and experience based on ICS and EOC, the public health system had the capability to surge-up: to expand its day-to-day operation in a systematic and prolonged manner. None of these critical actions are possible without sustained funding for the public health infrastructure. Ultimately, this case study illustrates the importance of public health as a key leader in emergency response. PMID:28228983

49 CFR 173.224 - Packaging and control and emergency temperatures for self-reactive materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Packaging and control and emergency temperatures... temperatures for self-reactive materials. (a) General. When the § 172.101 table of this subchapter specifies... packagings meeting Packing Group I are not authorized. Self-reactive materials which require temperature...

49 CFR 173.224 - Packaging and control and emergency temperatures for self-reactive materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Packaging and control and emergency temperatures... temperatures for self-reactive materials. (a) General. When the § 172.101 table of this subchapter specifies... packagings meeting Packing Group I are not authorized. Self-reactive materials which require temperature...

49 CFR 173.224 - Packaging and control and emergency temperatures for self-reactive materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Packaging and control and emergency temperatures... temperatures for self-reactive materials. (a) General. When the § 172.101 table of this subchapter specifies... packagings meeting Packing Group I are not authorized. Self-reactive materials which require temperature...

49 CFR 173.224 - Packaging and control and emergency temperatures for self-reactive materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Packaging and control and emergency temperatures... temperatures for self-reactive materials. (a) General. When the § 172.101 table of this subchapter specifies... packagings meeting Packing Group I are not authorized. Self-reactive materials which require temperature...

49 CFR 173.224 - Packaging and control and emergency temperatures for self-reactive materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Packaging and control and emergency temperatures... temperatures for self-reactive materials. (a) General. When the § 172.101 table of this subchapter specifies... packagings meeting Packing Group I are not authorized. Self-reactive materials which require temperature...

Emergence of Xin Demarcates a Key Innovation in Heart Evolution

PubMed Central

Grosskurth, Shaun E.; Bhattacharya, Debashish; Wang, Qinchuan; Lin, Jim Jung-Ching

2008-01-01

The mouse Xin repeat-containing proteins (mXinα and mXinβ) localize to the intercalated disc in the heart. mXinα is able to bundle actin filaments and to interact with β-catenin, suggesting a role in linking the actin cytoskeleton to N-cadherin/β-catenin adhesion. mXinα-null mouse hearts display progressively ultrastructural alterations at the intercalated discs, and develop cardiac hypertrophy and cardiomyopathy with conduction defects. The up-regulation of mXinβ in mXinα-deficient mice suggests a partial compensation for the loss of mXinα. To elucidate the evolutionary relationship between these proteins and to identify the origin of Xin, a phylogenetic analysis was done with 40 vertebrate Xins. Our results show that the ancestral Xin originated prior to the emergence of lamprey and subsequently underwent gene duplication early in the vertebrate lineage. A subsequent teleost-specific genome duplication resulted in most teleosts encoding at least three genes. All Xins contain a highly conserved β-catenin-binding domain within the Xin repeat region. Similar to mouse Xins, chicken, frog and zebrafish Xins also co-localized with β-catenin to structures that appear to be the intercalated disc. A putative DNA-binding domain in the N-terminus of all Xins is strongly conserved, whereas the previously characterized Mena/VASP-binding domain is a derived trait found only in Xinαs from placental mammals. In the C-terminus, Xinαs and Xinβs are more divergent relative to each other but each isoform from mammals shows a high degree of within-isoform sequence identity. This suggests different but conserved functions for mammalian Xinα and Xinβ. Interestingly, the origin of Xin ca. 550 million years ago coincides with the genesis of heart chambers with complete endothelial and myocardial layers. We postulate that the emergence of the Xin paralogs and their functional differentiation may have played a key role in the evolutionary development of the heart. PMID

Algorithms for Lightweight Key Exchange.

PubMed

Alvarez, Rafael; Caballero-Gil, Cándido; Santonja, Juan; Zamora, Antonio

2017-06-27

Public-key cryptography is too slow for general purpose encryption, with most applications limiting its use as much as possible. Some secure protocols, especially those that enable forward secrecy, make a much heavier use of public-key cryptography, increasing the demand for lightweight cryptosystems that can be implemented in low powered or mobile devices. This performance requirements are even more significant in critical infrastructure and emergency scenarios where peer-to-peer networks are deployed for increased availability and resiliency. We benchmark several public-key key-exchange algorithms, determining those that are better for the requirements of critical infrastructure and emergency applications and propose a security framework based on these algorithms and study its application to decentralized node or sensor networks.

Life cycle assessment for emerging materials: case study of a garden bed constructed from lumber produced with three different copper treatments

EPA Science Inventory

Although important data and methodological challenges facing LCA and emerging materials exist, this LCA captures material and process changes that are important drivers of environmental impacts. LCA methods need to be amended to reflect properties of emerging materials that deter...

Blood cultures in emergency medical admissions: a key patient cohort.

PubMed

Chotirmall, Sanjay H; Callaly, Elizabeth; Lyons, Judith; O'Connell, Brian; Kelleher, Mary; Byrne, Declan; O'Riordan, Deirdre; Silke, Bernard

2016-02-01

Blood cultures are performed in the emergency room when sepsis is suspected, and a cohort of patients is thereby identified. The present study investigated the outcomes (mortality and length of hospital stay) in this group following an emergency medical admission. Prospective assessment of all emergency medical admissions presenting to the emergency department at St James's Hospital, Dublin, over an 11-year period (2002-2012) was carried out. Outcomes including 30-day in-hospital mortality and length of stay were explored in the context of an admission blood culture. Generalized estimating equations, logistic or zero-truncated Poisson multivariate models were used, with adjustment for confounding variables including illness severity, comorbidity, and chronic disabling disease, to assess the effect of an urgent blood culture on mortality and length of stay. A total of 60 864 episodes were recorded in 35 168 patients admitted over the time period assessed. Patients more likely to undergo blood cultures in the emergency department were male, younger, and had more comorbidity. Univariate and multivariate analyses showed that those who had a blood culture, irrespective of result, had increased mortality and a longer in-hospital stay. This was highest for those with a positive culture, irrespective of the organism isolated. A clinical decision to request a blood culture identified a subset of emergency admissions with markedly worse outcomes. This patient cohort warrants close monitoring in the emergency setting.

Deprivation index and dependency ratio are key determinants of emergency medical admission rates.

PubMed

Conway, Richard; Byrne, Declan; O'Riordan, Deirdre; Cournane, Seán; Coveney, Seamus; Silke, Bernard

2015-11-01

Patients from deprived backgrounds have a higher in-patient mortality following an emergency medical admission; there has been debate as to the extent to which deprivation and population structure influences hospital admission rate. All emergency medical admissions to an Irish hospital over a 12-year period (2002-2013) categorized by quintile of Deprivation Index and Dependency Ratio (proportion of population <15 or ≥ 65 years) from small area population statistics (SAPS), were evaluated against hospital admission rates. Univariate and multivariable risk estimates (Odds Ratios (OR) or Incidence Rate Ratios (IRR)) were calculated, using logistic or zero truncated Poisson regression as appropriate. 66,861 admissions in 36,214 patients occured during the study period. The Deprivation Index quintile independently predicted the admission rate/1000 population, Q1 9.4 (95%CI 9.2 to 9.7), Q2 16.8 (95%CI 16.6 to 17.0), Q3 33.8 (95%CI 33.5 to 34.1), Q4 29.6 (95%CI 29.3 to 29.8) and Q5 45.4 (95%CI 44.5 to 46.2). Similarly the population Dependency Ratio was an independent predictor of the admission rate with adjusted predicted rates of Q1 20.8 (95%CI 20.5 to 21.1), Q2 19.2 (95%CI 19.0 to 19.4), Q3 27.6 (95%CI 27.3 to 27.9), Q4 43.9 (95%CI 43.5 to 44.4) and Q5 34.4 (95%CI 34.1 to 34.7). A high concurrent Deprivation Index and Dependency Ratio were associated with very high admission rates. Deprivation Index and population Dependency Ratio are key determinants of the rate of emergency medical admissions. Copyright © 2015 European Federation of Internal Medicine. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Solving an emergency rescue materials problem under the joint reserves mode of government and framework agreement suppliers

PubMed Central

Sun, Xiao-Qing; Zhu, Rui; Li, Ming; Miao, Wang

2017-01-01

Emergency rescue material reserves are vital for the success of emergency rescue activities. In this study, we consider a situation where a government owned distribution center and framework agreement suppliers jointly store emergency rescue materials. Using a scenario-based approach to represent demand uncertainty, we propose a comprehensive transportation pattern for the following supply chain: “suppliers—government distribution center—disaster area.” Using a joint reserves model that includes the government and framework agreement suppliers, we develop a non-linear mathematic model that determines the choices of the framework suppliers, the corresponding optimal commitment quantities, and the quantity of materials that are stored at a government distribution center. Finally, we use IBM ILOG CPLEX to solve the numerical examples to verify the effectiveness of the mode and perform sensitivity analyses on the relevant parameters. PMID:29077722

Materials inspired by mathematics.

PubMed

Kotani, Motoko; Ikeda, Susumu

2016-01-01

Our world is transforming into an interacting system of the physical world and the digital world. What will be the materials science in the new era? With the rising expectations of the rapid development of computers, information science and mathematical science including statistics and probability theory, 'data-driven materials design' has become a common term. There is knowledge and experience gained in the physical world in the form of know-how and recipes for the creation of material. An important key is how we establish vocabulary and grammar to translate them into the language of the digital world. In this article, we outline how materials science develops when it encounters mathematics, showing some emerging directions.

Materials inspired by mathematics

PubMed Central

Kotani, Motoko; Ikeda, Susumu

2016-01-01

Abstract Our world is transforming into an interacting system of the physical world and the digital world. What will be the materials science in the new era? With the rising expectations of the rapid development of computers, information science and mathematical science including statistics and probability theory, ‘data-driven materials design’ has become a common term. There is knowledge and experience gained in the physical world in the form of know-how and recipes for the creation of material. An important key is how we establish vocabulary and grammar to translate them into the language of the digital world. In this article, we outline how materials science develops when it encounters mathematics, showing some emerging directions. PMID:27877877

Emerging Low-Dimensional Materials for Nonlinear Optics and Ultrafast Photonics.

PubMed

Liu, Xiaofeng; Guo, Qiangbing; Qiu, Jianrong

2017-04-01

Low-dimensional (LD) materials demonstrate intriguing optical properties, which lead to applications in diverse fields, such as photonics, biomedicine and energy. Due to modulation of electronic structure by the reduced structural dimensionality, LD versions of metal, semiconductor and topological insulators (TIs) at the same time bear distinct nonlinear optical (NLO) properties as compared with their bulk counterparts. Their interaction with short pulse laser excitation exhibits a strong nonlinear character manifested by NLO absorption, giving rise to optical limiting or saturated absorption associated with excited state absorption and Pauli blocking in different materials. In particular, the saturable absorption of these emerging LD materials including two-dimensional semiconductors as well as colloidal TI nanoparticles has recently been utilized for Q-switching and mode-locking ultra-short pulse generation across the visible, near infrared and middle infrared wavelength regions. Beside the large operation bandwidth, these ultrafast photonics applications are especially benefit from the high recovery rate as well as the facile processibility of these LD materials. The prominent NLO response of these LD materials have also provided new avenues for the development of novel NLO and photonics devices for all-optical control as well as optical circuits beyond ultrafast lasers. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The Evaluation of Vehicle Mass Reduction and Material Choice in Life Cycle Assessments: Key Factors and Dynamic Industries

EPA Science Inventory

Developments in the realm of lightweight materials for automotive use continue to be announced by the industry and by academia. This session will provide new and updated information on new generation of materials. Additionally, this session will focus on the key topics involved i...

Naphthobischalcogenadiazole Conjugated Polymers: Emerging Materials for Organic Electronics.

PubMed

Osaka, Itaru; Takimiya, Kazuo

2017-07-01

π-Conjugated polymers are an important class of materials for organic electronics. In the past decade, numerous polymers with donor-acceptor molecular structures have been developed and used as the active materials for organic devices, such as organic field-effect transistors (OFETs) and organic photovoltaics (OPVs). The choice of the building unit is the primary step for designing the polymers. Benzochalcogenadiazoles (BXzs) are one of the most familiar acceptor building units studied in this area. As their doubly fused system, naphthobischalcogenadiazoles (NXzs), i.e., naphthobisthiadiazole (NTz), naphthobisoxadiazole (NOz), and naphthobisselenadiazole (NSz) are emerging building units that provide interesting electronic properties and highly self-assembling nature for π-conjugated polymers. With these fruitful features, π-conjugated polymers based on these building units demonstrate great performances in OFETs and OPVs. In particular, in OPVs, NTz-based polymers have exhibited more than 10% efficiency, which is among the highest values reported so far. In this Progress Report, the synthesis, properties, and structures of NXzs and their polymers is summarized. The device performance is also highlighted and the structure-property relationships of the polymers are discussed. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Focus issue articles on emerging and re-emerging plant diseases

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

This review sums up the key findings of seventeen articles on emerging and re-emerging plant diseases that are designated for the July focus issue in Phytopathology. The emerging and re-emerging diseases discussed include those caused by three viral, six fungal, five oomycete, and four bacterial pa...

Algorithms for Lightweight Key Exchange †

PubMed Central

Santonja, Juan; Zamora, Antonio

2017-01-01

Public-key cryptography is too slow for general purpose encryption, with most applications limiting its use as much as possible. Some secure protocols, especially those that enable forward secrecy, make a much heavier use of public-key cryptography, increasing the demand for lightweight cryptosystems that can be implemented in low powered or mobile devices. This performance requirements are even more significant in critical infrastructure and emergency scenarios where peer-to-peer networks are deployed for increased availability and resiliency. We benchmark several public-key key-exchange algorithms, determining those that are better for the requirements of critical infrastructure and emergency applications and propose a security framework based on these algorithms and study its application to decentralized node or sensor networks. PMID:28654006

Training on Transport Security of Nuclear/Radioactive Materials for Key Audiences

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

Pope, Ronald; Liu, Yung; Shuler, J.M.

the development of the relevant teaching materials for the course have largely been completed, tailoring the course for targeted audiences becomes a relatively easy task, requiring less effort and providing more flexibility for both the lecturers and future participants. One-day or two-day courses with focus specifically on the U.S. transport security requirements can be delivered, at locations away from Argonne, by one or two principal lecturers to targeted audiences such as regulators, shippers, carriers, state and local law enforcement personnel, and emergency responders. This paper will highlight the lessons learned in hosting previous one-week courses and discuss the development of options for detailed and/or customized courses/workshops for targeted key audiences.« less

Performance of different carbonaceous materials for emerging pollutants adsorption.

PubMed

Patiño, Yolanda; Díaz, Eva; Ordóñez, Salvador

2015-01-01

The adsorption of three representative emerging pollutants over different kinds of carbonaceous adsorbents has been studied in this work. The adsorbates were nalidixic acid (NAL, representative of a pharmaceutical), 1,8-dichlorooctane (DCO, a chloroparaffin) and methyl-phenoxy-ethanol (MPET, a surfactant). Activated carbons, carbon nanofibers, carbon nanotubes and high surface area graphites have been tested as adsorbents. Adsorption isotherms, carried out in a batch system, were fitted using both a Langmuir and a Freundlich model. It was shown that the capacity of adsorption follows the order DCO≫NAL>MPET for all the adsorbents, and among the adsorbents, the external morphology (surface area and mesoporous volume) is the key parameter. The results from thermodynamic analysis show, however, that both morphological and chemical properties of both adsorbates and adsorbents influenced their behavior. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Emerging applications of phase-change materials (PCMs): teaching an old dog new tricks.

PubMed

Hyun, Dong Choon; Levinson, Nathanael S; Jeong, Unyong; Xia, Younan

2014-04-07

The nebulous term phase-change material (PCM) simply refers to any substance that has a large heat of fusion and a sharp melting point. PCMs have been used for many years in commercial applications, mainly for heat management purposes. However, these fascinating materials have recently been rediscovered and applied to a broad range of technologies, such as smart drug delivery, information storage, barcoding, and detection. With the hope of kindling interest in this incredibly versatile range of materials, this Review presents an array of aspects related to the compositions, preparations, and emerging applications of PCMs. © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Should diagnosis codes from emergency department data be used for case selection for emergency department key performance indicators?

PubMed

Howell, Stuart C; Wills, Rachael A; Johnston, Trisha C

2014-02-01

The aim of the present study was to assess the suitability of emergency department (ED) discharge diagnosis for identifying patient cohorts included in the definitions of key performance indicators (KPIs) that are used to evaluate ED performance. Hospital inpatient episodes of care with a principal diagnosis that corresponded to an ED-defined KPI were extracted from the Queensland Hospital Admitted Patient Data Collection (QHAPDC) for the year 2010-2011. The data were then linked to the corresponding ED patient record and the diagnoses applied in the two settings were compared. The asthma and injury cohorts produced favourable results with respect to matching the QHAPDC principal diagnosis with the ED discharge diagnosis. The results were generally modest when the QHAPDC principal diagnosis was upper respiratory tract infection, poisoning and toxic effects or a mental health diagnosis, and were quite poor for influenza. There is substantial variation in the capture of patient cohorts using discharge diagnosis as recorded on Queensland Hospital Emergency Department data. WHAT IS KNOWN ABOUT THE TOPIC? There are several existing KPIs that are defined according to the diagnosis recorded on ED data collections. However, there have been concerns over the quality of ED diagnosis in Queensland and other jurisdictions, and the value of these data in identifying patient cohorts for the purpose of assessing ED performance remains uncertain. WHAT DOES THIS PAPER ADD? This paper identifies diagnosis codes that are suitable for use in capturing the patient cohorts that are used to evaluate ED performance, as well as those codes that may be of limited value. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTITIONERS? The limitations of diagnosis codes within ED data should be understood by those seeking to use these data items for healthcare planning and management or for research into healthcare quality and outcomes.

Emerging Patterns of Abstraction in Environmental Education: A Review of Materials, Methods and Professional Development Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Donoghue, Rob; Russo, Vladimir

2004-01-01

This paper examines how emerging materials and associated methods became inscribed within and have shaped developing patterns of practice in environmental education. In so doing, it gives attention to how materials and methods have informed methodological narratives and shaped abstracted propositions used in professional development activities.…

Nanobonding: A key technology for emerging applications in health and environmental sciences

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Howlader, Matiar M. R.; Deen, M. Jamal; Suga, Tadatomo

2015-03-01

In this paper, surface-activation-based nanobonding technology and its applications are described. This bonding technology allows for the integration of electronic, photonic, fluidic and mechanical components into small form-factor systems for emerging sensing and imaging applications in health and environmental sciences. Here, we describe four different nanobonding techniques that have been used for the integration of various substrates — silicon, gallium arsenide, glass, and gold. We use these substrates to create electronic (silicon), photonic (silicon and gallium arsenide), microelectromechanical (glass and silicon), and fluidic (silicon and glass) components for biosensing and bioimaging systems being developed. Our nanobonding technologies provide void-free, strong, and nanometer scale bonding at room temperature or at low temperatures (<200 °C), and do not require chemicals, adhesives, or high external pressure. The interfaces of the nanobonded materials in ultra-high vacuum and in air correspond to covalent bonds, and hydrogen or hydroxyl bonds, respectively.

Emergencies and Emergency Permits for Ocean Dumping

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Emergency permits under the MPRSA are issued if disposed material poses a threat to human health. Information is provided on emergency permit examples and disposal sites. Emergencies to safeguard life at sea does not require an ocean dumping permit.

"Key Concepts in ELT": Taking Stock

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Graham

2012-01-01

This article identifies patterns and trends within "Key Concepts in ELT", both since the inception of the feature in ELT Journal in 1993 and during the 17 years of the current editorship. After outlining the aims of the series, the article identifies key themes that have emerged over time, exploring the links between "Key Concepts" pieces and the…

Forecasting the Emergency Department Patients Flow.

PubMed

Afilal, Mohamed; Yalaoui, Farouk; Dugardin, Frédéric; Amodeo, Lionel; Laplanche, David; Blua, Philippe

2016-07-01

Emergency department (ED) have become the patient's main point of entrance in modern hospitals causing it frequent overcrowding, thus hospital managers are increasingly paying attention to the ED in order to provide better quality service for patients. One of the key elements for a good management strategy is demand forecasting. In this case, forecasting patients flow, which will help decision makers to optimize human (doctors, nurses…) and material(beds, boxs…) resources allocation. The main interest of this research is forecasting daily attendance at an emergency department. The study was conducted on the Emergency Department of Troyes city hospital center, France, in which we propose a new practical ED patients classification that consolidate the CCMU and GEMSA categories into one category and innovative time-series based models to forecast long and short term daily attendance. The models we developed for this case study shows very good performances (up to 91,24 % for the annual Total flow forecast) and robustness to epidemic periods.

Key Terrain: Application to the Layers of Cyberspace

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-03-01

in the early stages and exploration into better integrating military strategies could prove beneficial to those working to develop relevant and...200 words) The concept of key terrain is a common fixture in military strategy and tactics. The emergence of cyberspace, with characteristics unseen...concept of key terrain is a common fixture in military strategy and tactics. The emergence of cyberspace, with characteristics unseen in any

Emerging technologies in Si active photonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Xiaoxin; Liu, Jifeng

2018-06-01

Silicon photonics for synergistic electronic–photonic integration has achieved remarkable progress in the past two decades. Active photonic devices, including lasers, modulators, and photodetectors, are the key challenges for Si photonics to meet the requirement of high bandwidth and low power consumption in photonic datalinks. Here we review recent efforts and progress in high-performance active photonic devices on Si, focusing on emerging technologies beyond conventional foundry-ready Si photonics devices. For emerging laser sources, we will discuss recent progress towards efficient monolithic Ge lasers, mid-infrared GeSn lasers, and high-performance InAs quantum dot lasers on Si for data center applications in the near future. We will then review novel modulator materials and devices beyond the free carrier plasma dispersion effect in Si, including GeSi and graphene electro-absorption modulators and plasmonic-organic electro-optical modulators, to achieve ultralow power and high speed modulation. Finally, we discuss emerging photodetectors beyond epitaxial Ge p–i–n photodiodes, including GeSn mid-infrared photodetectors, all-Si plasmonic Schottky infrared photodetectors, and Si quanta image sensors for non-avalanche, low noise single photon detection and photon counting. These emerging technologies, though still under development, could make a significant impact on the future of large-scale electronicSilicon photonics for synergistic electronic-photonic integration has achieved remarkable progress in the past two decades. Active photonic devices, including lasers, modulators, and photodetectors, are the key challenges for Si photonics to meet the requirement of high bandwidth and low power consumption in photonic datalinks. Here we review recent efforts and progress in high-performance active photonic devices on Si, focusing on emerging technologies beyond conventional foundry-ready Si photonics devices. For emerging laser sources, we will discuss recent

High Temperature Materials Needs in NASA's Advanced Space Propulsion Programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eckel, Andrew J.; Glass, David E.

2005-01-01

In recent years, NASA has embarked on several new and exciting efforts in the exploration and use of space. The successful accomplishment of many planned missions and projects is dependent upon the development and deployment of previously unproven propulsion systems. Key to many of the propulsion systems is the use of emergent materials systems, particularly high temperature structural composites. A review of the general missions and benefits of utilizing high temperature materials will be presented. The design parameters and operating conditions will be presented for both specific missions/vehicles and classes of components. Key technical challenges and opportunities are identified along with suggested paths for addressing them.

Melt infiltration: an emerging technique for the preparation of novel functional nanostructured materials.

PubMed

de Jongh, Petra E; Eggenhuisen, Tamara M

2013-12-10

The rapidly expanding toolbox for design and preparation is a major driving force for the advances in nanomaterials science and technology. Melt infiltration originates from the field of ceramic nanomaterials and is based on the infiltration of porous matrices with the melt of an active phase or precursor. In recent years, it has become a technique for the preparation of advanced materials: nanocomposites, pore-confined nanoparticles, ordered mesoporous and nanostructured materials. Although certain restrictions apply, mostly related to the melting behavior of the infiltrate and its interaction with the matrix, this review illustrates that it is applicable to a wide range of materials, including metals, polymers, ceramics, and metal hydrides and oxides. Melt infiltration provides an alternative to classical gas-phase and solution-based preparation methods, facilitating in several cases extended control over the nanostructure of the materials. This review starts with a concise discussion on the physical and chemical principles for melt infiltration, and the practical aspects. In the second part of this contribution, specific examples are discussed of nanostructured functional materials with applications in energy storage and conversion, catalysis, and as optical and structural materials and emerging materials with interesting new physical and chemical properties. Melt infiltration is a useful preparation route for material scientists from different fields, and we hope this review may inspire the search and discovery of novel nanostructured materials. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Key elements of successful care process of patients with heart symptoms in an emergency care - could an ERP system help?

PubMed

Kontio, Elina; Korvenranta, Heikki; Lundgren-Laine, Heljä; Salanterä, Sanna

2009-01-01

The aim of the study was to identify key elements of successful care process of patients with heart symptoms from the nursing management viewpoint in an emergency care. Through these descriptions, we aimed at identifying possibilities for using enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems to support decision making in emergency care. Hospitals are increasingly moving to process-based workings and at the same time new information system in healthcare are developed and therefore it is essential to understand the strengths and weaknesses of current processes better. A qualitative descriptive design using critical incident technique was employed. Critical Incidents were collected with an open-ended questionnaire. The sample (n=50), 13 head nurses and 37 registered nurses, was purposeful selected from three acute hospitals in southern Finland. The process of patients with heart symptoms in emergency care was described. We identified three competence categories where special focus should be placed to achieve successful process of patients with heart symptoms: process-oriented competencies, personal/management competencies and logistics oriented competencies. Improvement of decision making requires that the care processes are defined and modeled. The research showed that there are several happenings in emergency care where an ERP system could help and support decision making. These happenings can be categorized in two groups: 1) administrative related happenings and 2) patient processes related happenings.

Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response Training Center at Hanford

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

Ollero, J.; Muth, G.; Bergland, R.

1994-12-31

The Hanford Site will provide high-fidelity training using simulated job-site situations to prepare workers for known and unknown hazards. Hanford is developing the Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response (HAMMER) Training Center to operate as a user facility for the site, region and international labor unions. The center will focus on providing hands-on, realistic training situations. The Training Center is a partnership among U.S. Department of Energy (DOE); its contractors; labor; local, state, and tribal governments; Xavier and Tulane Universities of Louisiana and other Federal agencies. The hands-on training aids at HAMMER is justified based on regulatory training requirements, themore » desire for enhanced safety, and the commitment to continuous improvement of training quality.« less

Availability of antidotes and key emergency drugs in tertiary care hospitals of Punjab and assessment of the knowledge of health care professionals in the management of poisoning cases.

PubMed

Arslan, Naheed; Khiljee, Sonia; Bakhsh, Allah; Ashraf, Muhammad; Maqsood, Iram

2016-03-01

This study was conducted to evaluate the availability of antidotes/key emergency drugs in tertiary care hospitals of the Punjab province, and to assess the knowledge of health care professionals in the stocking and administration of antidotes in the proper management of poisoning cases. Seventeen (n=17) tertiary care hospitals of Punjab Pakistan were selected. Two performas (A and B) were designed for 26 antidotes/key emergency drugs and given to the hospital pharmacists and physicians respectively. It was observed that Activated Charcoal, being the universal antidote was found only in 6 hospitals (41%). Digoxin Immune Fab, Edentate Calcium disodium and Glucagon were not available in emergency department of any hospital and even not included in the formulary of any hospital. About 80% pharmacists were aware of the method of preparation of Activated Charcoal and 85% physicians were familiar with its route of administration. Data showed that tertiary care hospitals of Punjab do not stock antidotes according to national drug policy. Moreover the study strongly suggests the development of health care centers and professional by organizing antidote awareness programs, continuous education and record keeping of poisonous cases and availability of emergency drugs around the clock.

Emergency management logistics must become emergency supply chain management.

PubMed

Young, Richard R; Peterson, Matthew R

2014-01-01

Much has been written about how emergency management (EM) needs to look to the future regarding issues of resource management (monetary, human, and material). Constraints on budgets are ongoing and the staffing of emergency response activities is often difficult because volunteers have little to no training. The management of material resources has also been a challenge because 1) the categories of material vary by the type of emergency, 2) the necessary quantities of material are often not located near the ultimate point of need, and 3) the transportation assets are rarely available in the form and quantity required to allow timely and effective response. The logistics and resource management functions of EM (what we refer to as EM logistics) have been largely reactive, with little to no pre-event planning for potential demand. We applied the Supply Chain Operational Reference (SCOR) model to EM logistics in an effort to transform it to an integrated and scalable system of physical, information, and financial flows into which are woven the functions of sourcing, making, delivering, and returning, with an overarching planning function that transcends the organizational boundaries of participants. The result is emergency supply chain management, which embraces many more participants who share in a larger quantity of more useful information about the resources that need to be deployed when responding to and recovering from emergency events.

Problems Involved in an Emergency Method of Guiding a Gliding Vehicle from High Altitudes to a High Key Position

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jewel, Joseph W., Jr.; Whitten, James B.

1960-01-01

An investigation has been conducted to determine the problems involved in an emergency method of guiding a gliding vehicle from high altitudes to a high key position (initial position) above a landing field. A jet airplane in a simulated flameout condition, conventional ground-tracking radar, and a scaled wire for guidance programming on the radar plotting board were used in the tests. Starting test altitudes varied from 30,000 feet to 46,500 feet, and starting positions ranged 8.4 to 67 nautical miles from the high key. Specified altitudes of the high key were 12,000, 10,000 or 4,000 feet. Lift-drag ratios of the aircraft of either 17, 16, or 6 were held constant during any given flight; however, for a few flights the lift-drag ratio was varied from 11 to 6. Indicated airspeeds were held constant at either 160 or 250 knots. Results from these tests indicate that a gliding vehicle having a lift-drag ratio of 16 and an indicated approach speed of 160 knots can be guided to within 800 feet vertically and 2,400 feet laterally of a high key position. When the lift-drag ratio of the vehicle is reduced to 6 and the indicated approach speed is raised to 250 knots, the radar controller was able to guide the vehicle to within 2,400 feet vertically and au feet laterally of the high key. It was also found that radar stations which give only azimuth-distance information could control the glide path of a gliding vehicle as well as stations that receive azimuth-distance-altitude information, provided that altitude information is supplied by the pilot.

Planning and pre-testing: the key to effective AIDS education materials.

PubMed

Ostfield, M L; Romocki, L S

1991-06-01

The steps in designing and producing effective AIDS prevention educational materials are outlines, using as an example a brochure originated in St. Lucia for clients at STD clinics. The brochure was intended to be read by clients as they waited for their consultation, thus it was targeted to a specific audience delimited by age, sex, language, educational level, religion and associated medical or behavioral characteristics. When researching the audience, it is necessary to learn the medium they best respond to, what they know already, what is their present behavior, how they talk about AIDS, what terms they use, how they perceive the benefits of AIDS prevention behavior, what sources of information they trust. The minimum number of key messages should be selected. Next the most appropriate channel of communication is identified. Mass media are not always best for a target audience, "little media" such as flyers and give-always may be better. The draft is then pre-tested by focus groups and interviews, querying about the text separately, then images, color, format, style. Listen to the way the respondents talk about the draft. Modify the draft and pre-test again. Fine-tune implications of the message for realism in emotional responses, respect, self-esteem, admiration and trust. To achieve wide distribution it is a good idea to involve community leaders to production of the materials, so they will be more likely to take part in the distribution process.

Heterogeneity: The key to forecasting material failure?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vasseur, J.; Wadsworth, F. B.; Lavallée, Y.; Dingwell, D. B.

2014-12-01

Empirical mechanistic models have been applied to the description of the stress and strain rate upon failure for heterogeneous materials. The behaviour of porous rocks and their analogous two-phase viscoelastic suspensions are particularly well-described by such models. Nevertheless, failure cannot yet be predicted forcing a reliance on other empirical prediction tools such as the Failure Forecast Method (FFM). Measurable, accelerating rates of physical signals (e.g., seismicity and deformation) preceding failure are often used as proxies for damage accumulation in the FFM. Previous studies have already statistically assessed the applicability and performance of the FFM, but none (to the best of our knowledge) has done so in terms of intrinsic material properties. Here we use a rheological standard glass, which has been powdered and then sintered for different times (up to 32 hours) at high temperature (675°C) in order to achieve a sample suite with porosities in the range of 0.10-0.45 gas volume fraction. This sample suite was then subjected to mechanical tests in a uniaxial press at a constant strain rate of 10-3 s-1 and a temperature in the region of the glass transition. A dual acoustic emission (AE) rig has been employed to test the success of the FFM in these materials of systematically varying porosity. The pore-emanating crack model describes well the peak stress at failure in the elastic regime for these materials. We show that the FFM predicts failure within 0-15% error at porosities >0.2. However, when porosities are <0.2, the forecast error associated with predicting the failure time increases to >100%. We interpret these results as a function of the low efficiency with which strain energy can be released in the scenario where there are few or no heterogeneities from which cracks can propagate. These observations shed light on questions surrounding the variable efficacy of the FFM applied to active volcanoes. In particular, they provide a systematic

Emergency preparedness and planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bouvier, Kenneth

1993-01-01

Monsanto's emergency response plan in dealing with hazardous materials at their facilities is presented. Topics discussed include the following: CPR training; emergency medial training; incident reports; contractor injuries; hazardous materials transport; evacuation; and other industrial safety concerns.

Reliability of emerging bonded interface materials for large-area attachments

DOE PAGES

Paret, Paul P.; DeVoto, Douglas J.; Narumanchi, Sreekant

2015-12-30

In this study, conventional thermal interface materials (TIMs), such as greases, gels, and phase change materials, pose bottlenecks to heat removal and have long caused reliability issues in automotive power electronics packages. Bonded interface materials (BIMs) with superior thermal performance have the potential to be a replacement to the conventional TIMs. However, due to coefficient of thermal expansion mismatches between different components in a package and resultant thermomechanical stresses, fractures or delamination could occur, causing serious reliability concerns. These defects manifest themselves in increased thermal resistance in the package. In this paper, the results of reliability evaluation of emerging BIMsmore » for large-area attachments in power electronics packaging are reported. Thermoplastic (polyamide) adhesive with embedded near-vertical-aligned carbon fibers, sintered silver, and conventional lead solder (Sn 63Pb 37) materials were bonded between 50.8 mm x 50.8 mm cross-sectional footprint silicon nitride substrates and copper base plate samples, and were subjected to accelerated thermal cycling until failure or 2500 cycles. Damage in the BIMs was monitored every 100 cycles by scanning acoustic microscopy. Thermoplastic with embedded carbon fibers performed the best with no defects, whereas sintered silver and lead solder failed at 2300 and 1400 thermal cycles, respectively. Besides thermal cycling, additional lead solder samples were subjected to thermal shock and thermal cycling with extended dwell periods. A finite element method (FEM)-based model was developed to simulate the behavior of lead solder under thermomechanical loading. Strain energy density per cycle results were calculated from the FEM simulations. A predictive lifetime model was formulated for lead solder by correlating strain energy density results extracted from modeling with cycles-to-failure obtained from experimental accelerated tests. A power-law-based approach

A Survey of Emerging Materials for Revolutionary Aerospace Vehicle Structures and Propulsion Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harris, Charles E.; Shuart, Mark J.; Gray, Hugh R.

2002-01-01

The NASA Strategic Plan identifies the long-term goal of providing safe and affordable space access, orbital transfer, and interplanetary transportation capabilities to enable scientific research, human, and robotic exploration, and the commercial development of space. Numerous scientific and engineering breakthroughs will be required to develop the technology required to achieve this goal. Critical technologies include advanced vehicle primary and secondary structure, radiation protection, propulsion and power systems, fuel storage, electronics and devices, sensors and science instruments, and medical diagnostics and treatment. Advanced materials with revolutionary new capabilities are an essential element of each of these technologies. A survey of emerging materials with applications to aerospace vehicle structures and propulsion systems was conducted to assist in long-term Agency mission planning. The comprehensive survey identified materials already under development that could be available in 5 to 10 years and those that are still in the early research phase and may not be available for another 20 to 30 years. The survey includes typical properties, a description of the material and processing methods, the current development status, and the critical issues that must be overcome to achieve commercial viability.

Emerging Prototype Sodium-Ion Full Cells with Nanostructured Electrode Materials.

PubMed

Ren, Wenhao; Zhu, Zixuan; An, Qinyou; Mai, Liqiang

2017-06-01

Due to steadily increasing energy consumption, the demand of renewable energy sources is more urgent than ever. Sodium-ion batteries (SIBs) have emerged as a cost-effective alternative because of the earth abundance of Na resources and their competitive electrochemical behaviors. Before practical application, it is essential to establish a bridge between the sodium half-cell and the commercial battery from a full cell perspective. An overview of the major challenges, most recent advances, and outlooks of non-aqueous and aqueous sodium-ion full cells (SIFCs) is presented. Considering the intimate relationship between SIFCs and electrode materials, including structure, composition and mutual matching principle, both the advance of various prototype SIFCs and the electrochemistry development of nanostructured electrode materials are reviewed. It is noted that a series of SIFCs combined with layered oxides and hard carbon are capable of providing a high specific gravimetric energy above 200 Wh kg -1 , and an NaCrO 2 //hard carbon full cell is able to deliver a high rate capability over 100 C. To achieve industrialization of SIBs, more systematic work should focus on electrode construction, component compatibility, and battery technologies. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

MnZn-ferrites: Targeted Material Design for New Emerging Application Products

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zaspalis, V. T.; Tsakaloudi, V.; Kogias, G.

2014-07-01

In this article the main characteristics for emerging MnZn-ferrite applications are described on the basis of the new demands they possess on the ferrite material development. A number of recently developed MnZn-ferrite materials is presented together with the main scientific principles lying behind their development. These include: (i) high saturation flux density MnZn-ferrites (i.e. Bsat=550 mT at 10 kHz, 1200 A/m, 100°C), (ii) low power losses MnZn-ferrites (i.e. Pv~210 mW cm-3 at 100 kHz, 200mT, 100°C), (iii) MnZn-ferrites with broad temperature stability (i.e. PV<375 mW cm-3 for 25°Cmaterial to a large scale industrial production process.

Spontaneous emergence of autocatalytic information-coding polymers

DOE PAGES

Tkachenko, Alexei V.; Maslov, Sergei

2015-07-28

Self-replicating systems based on information-coding polymers are of crucial importance in biology. They also recently emerged as a paradigm in material design on nano- and micro-scales. We present a general theoretical and numerical analysis of the problem of spontaneous emergence of autocatalysis for heteropolymers capable of template-assisted ligation driven by cyclic changes in the environment. Our central result is the existence of the first order transition between the regime dominated by free monomers and that with a self-sustaining population of sufficiently long chains. We provide a simple, mathematically tractable model supported by numerical simulations, which predicts the distribution of chainmore » lengths and the onset of autocatalysis in terms of the overall monomer concentration and two fundamental rate constants. Another key result of our study is the emergence of the kinetically limited optimal overlap length between a template and each of its two substrates. The template-assisted ligation allows for heritable transmission of the information encoded in chain sequences thus opening up the possibility of long-term memory and evolvability in such systems.« less

Spontaneous emergence of autocatalytic information-coding polymers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tkachenko, Alexei V.; Maslov, Sergei

2015-07-01

Self-replicating systems based on information-coding polymers are of crucial importance in biology. They also recently emerged as a paradigm in material design on nano- and micro-scales. We present a general theoretical and numerical analysis of the problem of spontaneous emergence of autocatalysis for heteropolymers capable of template-assisted ligation driven by cyclic changes in the environment. Our central result is the existence of the first order transition between the regime dominated by free monomers and that with a self-sustaining population of sufficiently long chains. We provide a simple, mathematically tractable model supported by numerical simulations, which predicts the distribution of chain lengths and the onset of autocatalysis in terms of the overall monomer concentration and two fundamental rate constants. Another key result of our study is the emergence of the kinetically limited optimal overlap length between a template and each of its two substrates. The template-assisted ligation allows for heritable transmission of the information encoded in chain sequences thus opening up the possibility of long-term memory and evolvability in such systems.

The Student Volunteer Army: a 'repeat emergent' emergency response organisation.

PubMed

Carlton, Sally; Mills, Colleen E

2017-10-01

This paper seeks to contribute to understanding of the factors associated with an effective emergent emergency response organisation and to provide new insights into this understudied area. It examines, through an analysis of a range of textual resources, the emergence and re-emergence of the Student Volunteer Army (SVA) during the devastating earthquakes in Canterbury, New Zealand, in 2010-11. This evaluation is conducted in relation to the four key features of an effective emergency response organisation: adaptability; direction; leadership; and communication. In addition, the paper aims to further understanding of 'emergency entrepreneurship' and thus of the values and strategies that underpin social entrepreneur organisations in times of normalcy. The paper concludes that the unique position of the SVA as a 'repeat emergent' emergency response organisation enabled it to innovate continually and to improve repeatedly its systems, relationships, and image, such that it exhibited features common to emergent and established emergency response organisations. © 2017 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2017.

The challenge of spin–orbit-tuned ground states in iridates: a key issues review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cao, Gang; Schlottmann, Pedro

2018-04-01

Effects of spin–orbit interactions in condensed matter are an important and rapidly evolving topic. Strong competition between spin–orbit, on-site Coulomb and crystalline electric field interactions in iridates drives exotic quantum states that are unique to this group of materials. In particular, the ‘J eff  =  ½’ Mott state served as an early signal that the combined effect of strong spin–orbit and Coulomb interactions in iridates has unique, intriguing consequences. In this Key Issues Review, we survey some current experimental studies of iridates. In essence, these materials tend to defy conventional wisdom: absence of conventional correlations between magnetic and insulating states, avoidance of metallization at high pressures, ‘S-shaped’ I–V characteristic, emergence of an odd-parity hidden order, etc. It is particularly intriguing that there exist conspicuous discrepancies between current experimental results and theoretical proposals that address superconducting, topological and quantum spin liquid phases. This class of materials, in which the lattice degrees of freedom play a critical role seldom seen in other materials, evidently presents some profound intellectual challenges that call for more investigations both experimentally and theoretically. Physical properties unique to these materials may help unlock a world of possibilities for functional materials and devices. We emphasize that, given the rapidly developing nature of this field, this Key Issues Review is by no means an exhaustive report of the current state of experimental studies of iridates.

Minor emergency clinic: key to the future of successful hospitals.

PubMed

Chawla, S; Kathawala, Y; Elmuti, D

1992-01-01

This project set out to determine whether there is a relationship between the minor emergency facility an individual uses and their choice of a hospital for in-patient care. In studying this relationship, the factors that are important to persons choosing a clinic or hospital facility, as well as the influence of a physician, were also identified. A structured, undisguised telephone survey was used for interviewing a randomly selected sample population of 189 San Angelo residents. Analysis of the survey data indicated that dependency does exist between minor emergency clinic use and the hospital chosen for in-patient care. The results of this study also suggested that hospitals' marketing strategy should shift the emphasis of their advertising from the hospital itself to their physician association and clinics. In addition, a number of other interesting observations concerning the relative importance of various medical factors to the participants was also explored.

An economic cost analysis of emergency department key performance indicators in Ireland.

PubMed

Gannon, Brenda; Jones, Cheryl; McCabe, Aileen; O'Sullivan, Ronan; Wakai, Abel

2017-06-01

High quality data is fundamental to using key performance indicators (KPIs) for performance monitoring. However, the resources required to collect high quality data are often significant and should usually be targeted at high priority areas. As part of a study of 11 emergency department (ED) KPIs in Ireland, the primary objective of this study was to estimate the relative cost of collecting the additional minimum data set (MDS) elements for those 11 KPIs. An economic cost analysis focused on 12 EDs in the Republic of Ireland. The resource use data were obtained using two separate focus group interviews. The number of available MDS elements was obtained from a sample of 100 patient records per KPI per participating ED. Unit costs for all resource use were taken at the midpoint of the relevant staff salary scales. An ED would need to spend an estimated additional &OV0556;3561 per month on average to capture all the MDS elements relevant to the 11 KPIs investigated. The additional cost ranges from 14.8 to 39.2%; this range is 13.9-32.3% for small EDs, whereas the range for medium EDs is 11.7-40%. Regional EDs have a higher additional estimated cost to capture all the relevant MDS elements (&OV0556;3907), compared with urban EDs (&OV0556;3353). The additional cost of data collection, contingent on that already collected, required to capture all the relevant MDS elements for the KPIs examined, ranges from 14.8 to 39.2% per KPI, with variation identified between regional and urban hospitals.

Development and evaluation of educational materials for pre-hospital and emergency department personnel on the care of patients with autism spectrum disorder.

PubMed

McGonigle, John J; Migyanka, Joann M; Glor-Scheib, Susan J; Cramer, Ryan; Fratangeli, Jeffrey J; Hegde, Gajanan G; Shang, Jennifer; Venkat, Arvind

2014-05-01

With the rising prevalence of patients with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), there has been an increase in the acute presentation of these individuals to the general health care system. Emergency medical services and emergency department personnel commonly address the health care needs of patients with ASD at times of crisis. Unfortunately, there is little education provided to front-line emergency medical technicians, paramedics and emergency nurses on the characteristics of ASD and how these characteristics can create challenges for individuals with ASD and their health care providers in the pre-hospital and emergency department settings. This paper describes the development of educational materials on ASD and the results of training of emergency medical services and emergency department personnel.

Materials learning from life: concepts for active, adaptive and autonomous molecular systems.

PubMed

Merindol, Rémi; Walther, Andreas

2017-09-18

Bioinspired out-of-equilibrium systems will set the scene for the next generation of molecular materials with active, adaptive, autonomous, emergent and intelligent behavior. Indeed life provides the best demonstrations of complex and functional out-of-equilibrium systems: cells keep track of time, communicate, move, adapt, evolve and replicate continuously. Stirred by the understanding of biological principles, artificial out-of-equilibrium systems are emerging in many fields of soft matter science. Here we put in perspective the molecular mechanisms driving biological functions with the ones driving synthetic molecular systems. Focusing on principles that enable new levels of functionalities (temporal control, autonomous structures, motion and work generation, information processing) rather than on specific material classes, we outline key cross-disciplinary concepts that emerge in this challenging field. Ultimately, the goal is to inspire and support new generations of autonomous and adaptive molecular devices fueled by self-regulating chemistry.

Graphene: an emerging electronic material.

PubMed

Weiss, Nathan O; Zhou, Hailong; Liao, Lei; Liu, Yuan; Jiang, Shan; Huang, Yu; Duan, Xiangfeng

2012-11-14

Graphene, a single layer of carbon atoms in a honeycomb lattice, offers a number of fundamentally superior qualities that make it a promising material for a wide range of applications, particularly in electronic devices. Its unique form factor and exceptional physical properties have the potential to enable an entirely new generation of technologies beyond the limits of conventional materials. The extraordinarily high carrier mobility and saturation velocity can enable a fast switching speed for radio-frequency analog circuits. Unadulterated graphene is a semi-metal, incapable of a true off-state, which typically precludes its applications in digital logic electronics without bandgap engineering. The versatility of graphene-based devices goes beyond conventional transistor circuits and includes flexible and transparent electronics, optoelectronics, sensors, electromechanical systems, and energy technologies. Many challenges remain before this relatively new material becomes commercially viable, but laboratory prototypes have already shown the numerous advantages and novel functionality that graphene provides. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Considerations for spectroscopy of liquid-exfoliated 2D materials: emerging photoluminescence of N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone.

PubMed

Ogilvie, Sean P; Large, Matthew J; Fratta, Giuseppe; Meloni, Manuela; Canton-Vitoria, Ruben; Tagmatarchis, Nikos; Massuyeau, Florian; Ewels, Christopher P; King, Alice A K; Dalton, Alan B

2017-12-01

N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone (NMP) has been shown to be the most effective solvent for liquid phase exfoliation and dispersion of a range of 2D materials including graphene, molybdenum disulphide (MoS 2 ) and black phosphorus. However, NMP is also known to be susceptible to sonochemical degradation during exfoliation. We report that this degradation gives rise to strong visible photoluminescence of NMP. Sonochemical modification is shown to influence exfoliation of layered materials in NMP and the optical absorbance of the solvent in the dispersion. The emerging optical properties of the degraded solvent present challenges for spectroscopy of nanomaterial dispersions; most notably the possibility of observing solvent photoluminescence in the spectra of 2D materials such as MoS 2 , highlighting the need for stable solvents and exfoliation processes to minimise the influence of solvent degradation on the properties of liquid-exfoliated 2D materials.

Recent progress on biodegradable materials and transient electronics.

PubMed

Li, Rongfeng; Wang, Liu; Kong, Deying; Yin, Lan

2018-09-01

Transient electronics (or biodegradable electronics) is an emerging technology whose key characteristic is an ability to dissolve, resorb, or physically disappear in physiological environments in a controlled manner. Potential applications include eco-friendly sensors, temporary biomedical implants, and data-secure hardware. Biodegradable electronics built with water-soluble, biocompatible active and passive materials can provide multifunctional operations for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes, such as monitoring intracranial pressure, identifying neural networks, assisting wound healing process, etc. This review summarizes the up-to-date materials strategies, manufacturing schemes, and device layouts for biodegradable electronics, and the outlook is discussed at the end. It is expected that the translation of these materials and technologies into clinical settings could potentially provide vital tools that are beneficial for human healthcare.

Miniaturized supercapacitors: key materials and structures towards autonomous and sustainable devices and systems.

PubMed

Soavi, Francesca; Bettini, Luca Giacomo; Piseri, Paolo; Milani, Paolo; Santoro, Carlo; Atanassov, Plamen; Arbizzani, Catia

2016-09-15

Supercapacitors (SCs) are playing a key role for the development of self-powered and self-sustaining integrated systems for different fields ranging from remote sensing, robotics and medical devices. SC miniaturization and integration into more complex systems that include energy harvesters and functional devices are valuable strategies that address system autonomy. Here, we discuss about novel SC fabrication and integration approaches. Specifically, we report about the results of interdisciplinary activities on the development of thin, flexible SCs by an additive technology based on Supersonic Cluster Beam Deposition (SCBD) to be implemented into supercapacitive electrolyte gated transistors and supercapacitive microbial fuel cells. Such systems integrate at materials level the specific functions of devices, like electric switch or energy harvesting with the reversible energy storage capability. These studies might open new frontiers for the development and application of new multifunction-energy storage elements.

Miniaturized supercapacitors: key materials and structures towards autonomous and sustainable devices and systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soavi, Francesca; Bettini, Luca Giacomo; Piseri, Paolo; Milani, Paolo; Santoro, Carlo; Atanassov, Plamen; Arbizzani, Catia

2016-09-01

Supercapacitors (SCs) are playing a key role for the development of self-powered and self-sustaining integrated systems for different fields ranging from remote sensing, robotics and medical devices. SC miniaturization and integration into more complex systems that include energy harvesters and functional devices are valuable strategies that address system autonomy. Here, we discuss about novel SC fabrication and integration approaches. Specifically, we report about the results of interdisciplinary activities on the development of thin, flexible SCs by an additive technology based on Supersonic Cluster Beam Deposition (SCBD) to be implemented into supercapacitive electrolyte gated transistors and supercapacitive microbial fuel cells. Such systems integrate at materials level the specific functions of devices, like electric switch or energy harvesting with the reversible energy storage capability. These studies might open new frontiers for the development and application of new multifunction-energy storage elements.

Conceptualizing Autism: The Role for Emergence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Anderson, George M.

2009-01-01

The establishment of a criterion for operationally defining emergent phenomena in autism is needed. Key initial questions for autism researchers include how to define emergent phenomena in order to better diagnosis the condition.

Emerging materials for lowering atmospheric carbon

DOE PAGES

Barkakaty, Balaka; Sumpter, Bobby G.; Ivanov, Ilia N.; ...

2016-12-08

CO 2 emissions from anthropogenic sources and the rate at which they increase could have deep global ramifications such as irreversible climate change and increased natural disasters. Because greater than 50% of anthropogenic CO 2 emissions come from small, distributed sectors such as homes, offices, and transportation sources, most renewable energy systems and on-site carbon capture technologies for reducing future CO 2 emissions cannot be effectively utilized. This problem might be mediated by considering novel materials and technologies for directly capturing/removing CO 2 from air. But, compared to materials for capturing CO 2 at on-site emission sources, materials for capturingmore » CO 2 directly from air must be more selective to CO 2, and should operate and be stable at near ambient conditions. Here, we briefly summarize the recent developments in materials for capturing carbon dioxide directly from air. Furthermore, we discuss the challenges in this field and offer a perspective for developing the current state-of-art and also highlight the potential of a few recent discoveries in materials science that show potential for advanced application of air capture technology.« less

[Triage: a key tool in emergency care].

PubMed

Soler, Wifredo; Gómez Muñoz, M; Bragulat, E; Alvarez, A

2010-01-01

"Triage" is a process that enables us to manage clinical risk in order to safely and suitably handle patient flows when demand and clinical needs exceed resources. At present, triage systems that are employed are structured according to five levels of priority. Levels are allocated according to the concept that what is urgent is not always serious and that what is serious is not always urgent. This makes it possible to classify patients according to "degree of urgency", so that the more urgent patients will be attended to first and the rest will be re-evaluated until they are seen by the doctor. The Spanish triage system (SET) and the Manchester triage system (MTS) are the two standardised systems most implemented in our country. We also discuss the system of triage devised in Navarre--integrated in the computerised clinical history--and used in the hospital network of Navarre. All are multidisciplinary systems based on the reasons and urgency of consultation, but not on diagnoses, and are carried out by nursing staff with medical support when required. In addition, they all include monitoring of the quality of the accident and emergency service itself, and can be applied in the outpatient field.

Emergency management training program: Guide to good practice

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

Not Available

1991-07-01

The Emergency Management Training Program Guide to Good Practice is a project of the Training Resources and Data Exchange (TRADE) Emergency Management Issues Special Interest Group (EMI SIG). EMI SIG members expressed interest in a resource to assist in development of a comprehensive emergency management training program. This publication provides guidelines, methods, and materials for EMI SIG members to use, assisting in complete and effective emergency management programs. The purposes of the Emergency Management Training Program Guide to Good Practice are: Provide guidance in the development and management of Emergency Management (EM) training programs; Assist EM trainers to incorporate componentsmore » of the DOE Emergency Management System philosophy of planning, preparedness, readiness assurance, and response into EM training programs; Help EM training managers meet EM training requirements and conditions established by current regulations and policies; Supplement other TRADE EMI SIG documents and complement individual facility training documents. This program is designed for emergency management personnel who are responsible for providing or overseeing EM training but who do not necessarily possess expertise in developing training. It provides good practices from the manager's point of view on how to produce, administer, and document facility EM training programs in the spirit of the DOE EM system philosophy. Basic guidance is also included for personnel who design, develop, deliver, and/or evaluate EM training programs or parts. This guidance includes key points of EM training programs and identifies other documents that contain useful and/or more detailed training information.« less

Emergency management training program: Guide to good practice

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

Not Available

1991-07-01

The Emergency Management Training Program Guide to Good Practice is a project of the Training Resources and Data Exchange (TRADE) Emergency Management Issues Special Interest Group (EMI SIG). EMI SIG members expressed interest in a resource to assist in development of a comprehensive emergency management training program. This publication provides guidelines, methods, and materials for EMI SIG members to use, assisting in complete and effective emergency management programs. The purposes of the Emergency Management Training Program Guide to Good Practice are: Provide guidance in the development and management of Emergency Management (EM) training programs; Assist EM trainers to incorporate componentsmore » of the DOE Emergency Management System philosophy of planning, preparedness, readiness assurance, and response into EM training programs; Help EM training managers meet EM training requirements and conditions established by current regulations and policies; Supplement other TRADE EMI SIG documents and complement individual facility training documents. This program is designed for emergency management personnel who are responsible for providing or overseeing EM training but who do not necessarily possess expertise in developing training. It provides good practices from the manager`s point of view on how to produce, administer, and document facility EM training programs in the spirit of the DOE EM system philosophy. Basic guidance is also included for personnel who design, develop, deliver, and/or evaluate EM training programs or parts. This guidance includes key points of EM training programs and identifies other documents that contain useful and/or more detailed training information.« less

FeOOH-loaded MnO2 nano-composite: An efficient emergency material for thallium pollution incident.

PubMed

Chen, Meiqing; Wu, Pingxiao; Yu, Langfeng; Liu, Shuai; Ruan, Bo; Hu, Haihui; Zhu, Nengwu; Lin, Zhang

2017-05-01

A FeOOH-loaded MnO 2 nano-composite was developed as an emergency material for Tl(I) pollution incident. Structural characterizations showed that FeOOH successfully loaded onto MnO 2 , the nanosheet-flower structure and high surface area (191 m 2  g -1 ) of material contributed to the excellent performance for Tl(I) removal. FeOOH-loaded MnO 2 with a Fe/Mn molar ratio of 1:2 exhibited a noticeable enhanced capacity for Tl(I) removal compared to that of pure MnO 2 . The outstanding performance for Tl(I) removal involves in extremely high efficiency (achieved equilibrium and drinking water standard within 4 min) and the large maximum adsorption capacity (450 mg g -1 ). Both the control-experiment and XPS characterization proved that the removal mechanism of Tl(I) on FeOOH-loaded MnO 2 included adsorption and oxidation: the oxidation of MnO 2 played an important role for Tl(I) removal, and the adsorption of FeOOH loaded on MnO 2 enhanced Tl(I) purification at the same time. In-depth purification of Tl(I) had reach drinking water standards (0.1 μg L -1 ) at pH above 7, and there wasn't security risk produced from the dissolution of Mn 2+ and Fe 2+ . Moreover, the as-prepared material could be utilized as a recyclable adsorbent regenerated by using NaOH-NaClO binary solution. Therefore, the synthesized FeOOH-loaded MnO 2 in this study has the potential to be applied as an emergency material for thallium pollution incident. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Are X-rays the key to integrated computational materials engineering?

DOE PAGES

Ice, Gene E.

2015-11-01

The ultimate dream of materials science is to predict materials behavior from composition and processing history. Owing to the growing power of computers, this long-time dream has recently found expression through worldwide excitement in a number of computation-based thrusts: integrated computational materials engineering, materials by design, computational materials design, three-dimensional materials physics and mesoscale physics. However, real materials have important crystallographic structures at multiple length scales, which evolve during processing and in service. Moreover, real materials properties can depend on the extreme tails in their structural and chemical distributions. This makes it critical to map structural distributions with sufficient resolutionmore » to resolve small structures and with sufficient statistics to capture the tails of distributions. For two-dimensional materials, there are high-resolution nondestructive probes of surface and near-surface structures with atomic or near-atomic resolution that can provide detailed structural, chemical and functional distributions over important length scales. Furthermore, there are no nondestructive three-dimensional probes with atomic resolution over the multiple length scales needed to understand most materials.« less

Availability and readability of emergency preparedness materials for deaf and hard-of-hearing and older adult populations: issues and assessments.

PubMed

Neuhauser, Linda; Ivey, Susan L; Huang, Debbie; Engelman, Alina; Tseng, Winston; Dahrouge, Donna; Gurung, Sidhanta; Kealey, Melissa

2013-01-01

A major public health challenge is to communicate effectively with vulnerable populations about preparing for disasters and other health emergencies. People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (Deaf/HH) and older adults are particularly vulnerable during health emergencies and require communications that are accessible and understandable. Although health literacy studies indicate that the readability of health communication materials often exceeds people's literacy levels, we could find no research about the readability of emergency preparedness materials (EPM) intended for Deaf/HH and older adult populations. The objective of this study was to explore issues related to EPM for Deaf/HH and older adult populations, to assess the availability and readability of materials for these populations, and to recommend improvements. In two California counties, we interviewed staff at 14 community-based organizations (CBOs) serving Deaf/HH clients and 20 CBOs serving older adults selected from a stratified, random sample of 227 CBOs. We collected 40 EPM from 10 CBOs and 2 public health departments and 40 EPM from 14 local and national websites with EPM for the public. We used computerized assessments to test the U.S. grade reading levels of the 16 eligible CBO and health department EPM, and the 18 eligible website materials. Results showed that less than half of CBOs had EPM for their clients. All EPM intended for clients of Deaf/HH-serving CBOs tested above the recommended 4(th) grade reading level, and 91% of the materials intended for clients of older adult-serving CBOs scored above the recommended 6(th) grade level. EPM for these populations should be widely available through CBOs and public health departments, adhere to health literacy principles, and be accessible in alternative formats including American Sign Language. Developers should engage the intended users of EPM as co-designers and testers. This study adds to the limited literature about EPM for these populations.

Emergent properties of magnetic materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ratcliff, William Davis, II

In Tolstoy's War and Peace, history is presented as a tapestry spun from the daily interactions of large numbers of individuals. Even if one understands individuals, it is very difficult to predict history. Similarly, the interactions of large numbers of electrons give rise to properties that one would not initially guess from their microscopic interactions. During the course of my dissertation, I have explored emergent phenomena in a number of contexts. In ZnCr2O4, geometric frustration gives rise to a plethora of equivalent ground states. From these, a lower dimensional set of collinear spins on hexagons are selected to form the building blocks of the lattice. In MgTi2O4, quantum spins dimerize and form a unique chiral ordering pattern on the spinel lattice. Descending into two dimensions, differences in size and charge give rise to an ordering between triangular layers of magnetic and nonmagnetic ions. This triangular lattice allows for the possibility of observing the RVB spin liquid state, or perhaps a valence bond crystal and initial measurements are promising. Also, on the spinel lattice, ionic ordering gives rise to one dimensional chains with their own interesting physics. Finally, in the SrCoxTi1-x O3, system we find that upon reduction, tiny clusters of Co metal precipitate out and chemical inhomogeneity on the microscale may determine much of the physics. This has relevance to a number of recent claims of room temperature ferromagnism in dilute magnetic systems. In all of these systems, complex behavior emerges from well understood microscopic behavior. For me, this is the fascination of strongly correlated electronic systems.

Don't Forget the Distributor! the Importance of Field Testing Draft Educational Materials with Key Gatekeepers before Production and Dissemination

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Flores, Alina L.; Prue, Christine E.; Panissidi, Paula

2010-01-01

Objective: This article presents the results of testing draft folic acid educational materials with key gatekeepers, leading to the development of a Spanish-language print advertisement, poster, and radio public service announcement (PSA) aimed at promoting folic acid consumption among 18- to 25-year-old young Latina adults, as well as a…

Architecture of Allosteric Materials and Edge Modes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yan, Le; Ravasio, Riccardo; Brito, Carolina; Wyart, Matthieu

Allostery, a long-range elasticity-mediated interaction, remains the biggest mystery decades after its discovery in proteins. We introduce a numerical scheme to evolve functional materials that can accomplish a specified mechanical task. In this scheme, the number of solutions, their spatial architectures and the correlations among them can be computed. As an example, we consider an ``allosteric'' task, which requires the material to respond specifically to a stimulus at a distant active site. We find that functioning materials evolve a less-constrained trumpet-shaped region connecting the stimulus and active sites and that the amplitude of the elastic response varies non-monotonically along the trumpet. As previously shown for some proteins, we find that correlations appearing during evolution alone are sufficient to identify key aspects of this design. Finally, we show that the success of this architecture stems from the emergence of soft edge modes recently found to appear near the surface of marginally connected materials. Overall, our in silico evolution experiment offers a new window to study the relationship between structure, function, and correlations emerging during evolution. L.Y. was supported in part by the National Science Foundation under Grant No. NSF PHY11-25915. M.W. thanks the Swiss National Science Foundation for support under Grant No. 200021-165509 and the Simons Foundation Grant (#454953 Matthieu Wyart).

2012 Gordon Research Conference on Bioinspired Materials - Formal Schedule and Speaker/Poster Program

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

Chilkoti, Ashutosk

2012-06-29

The emerging, interdisciplinary field of Bioinspired Materials focuses on developing a fundamental understanding of the synthesis, directed self-assembly and hierarchical organization of natural occurring materials, and uses this understanding to engineer new bioinspired artificial materials for diverse applications. The inaugural 2012 Gordon Conference on Bioinspired Materials seeks to capture the excitement of this burgeoning field by a cutting-edge scientific program and roster of distinguished invited speakers and discussion leaders who will address the key issues in the field. The Conference will feature a wide range of topics, such as materials and devices from DNA, reprogramming the genetic code for designmore » of new materials, peptide, protein and carbohydrate based materials, biomimetic systems, complexity in self-assembly, and biomedical applications of bioinspired materials.« less

Development of balanced key performance indicators for emergency departments strategic dashboards following analytic hierarchical process.

PubMed

Safdari, Reza; Ghazisaeedi, Marjan; Mirzaee, Mahboobeh; Farzi, Jebrail; Goodini, Azadeh

2014-01-01

Dynamic reporting tools, such as dashboards, should be developed to measure emergency department (ED) performance. However, choosing an effective balanced set of performance measures and key performance indicators (KPIs) is a main challenge to accomplish this. The aim of this study was to develop a balanced set of KPIs for use in ED strategic dashboards following an analytic hierarchical process. The study was carried out in 2 phases: constructing ED performance measures based on balanced scorecard perspectives and incorporating them into analytic hierarchical process framework to select the final KPIs. The respondents placed most importance on ED internal processes perspective especially on measures related to timeliness and accessibility of care in ED. Some measures from financial, customer, and learning and growth perspectives were also selected as other top KPIs. Measures of care effectiveness and care safety were placed as the next priorities too. The respondents placed least importance on disease-/condition-specific "time to" measures. The methodology can be presented as a reference model for development of KPIs in various performance related areas based on a consistent and fair approach. Dashboards that are designed based on such a balanced set of KPIs will help to establish comprehensive performance measurements and fair benchmarks and comparisons.

Active material, optical mode and cavity impact on nanoscale electro-optic modulation performance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amin, Rubab; Suer, Can; Ma, Zhizhen; Sarpkaya, Ibrahim; Khurgin, Jacob B.; Agarwal, Ritesh; Sorger, Volker J.

2017-10-01

Electro-optic modulation is a key function in optical data communication and possible future optical compute engines. The performance of modulators intricately depends on the interaction between the actively modulated material and the propagating waveguide mode. While a variety of high-performance modulators have been demonstrated, no comprehensive picture of what factors are most responsible for high performance has emerged so far. Here we report the first systematic and comprehensive analytical and computational investigation for high-performance compact on-chip electro-optic modulators by considering emerging active materials, model considerations and cavity feedback at the nanoscale. We discover that the delicate interplay between the material characteristics and the optical mode properties plays a key role in defining the modulator performance. Based on physical tradeoffs between index modulation, loss, optical confinement factors and slow-light effects, we find that there exist combinations of bias, material and optical mode that yield efficient phase or amplitude modulation with acceptable insertion loss. Furthermore, we show how material properties in the epsilon near zero regime enable reduction of length by as much as by 15 times. Lastly, we introduce and apply a cavity-based electro-optic modulator figure of merit, Δλ/Δα, relating obtainable resonance tuning via phase shifting relative to the incurred losses due to the fundamental Kramers-Kronig relations suggesting optimized device operating regions with optimized modulation-to-loss tradeoffs. This work paves the way for a holistic design rule of electro-optic modulators for high-density on-chip integration.

Stable Radical Materials for Energy Applications.

PubMed

Wilcox, Daniel A; Agarkar, Varad; Mukherjee, Sanjoy; Boudouris, Bryan W

2018-06-07

Although less studied than their closed-shell counterparts, materials containing stable open-shell chemistries have played a key role in many energy storage and energy conversion devices. In particular, the oxidation-reduction (redox) properties of these stable radicals have made them a substantial contributor to the progress of organic batteries. Moreover, the use of radical-based materials in photovoltaic devices and thermoelectric systems has allowed for these emerging molecules to have impacts in the energy conversion realm. Additionally, the unique doublet states of radical-based materials provide access to otherwise inaccessible spin states in optoelectronic devices, offering many new opportunities for efficient usage of energy in light-emitting devices. Here, we review the current state of the art regarding the molecular design, synthesis, and application of stable radicals in these energy-related applications. Finally, we point to fundamental and applied arenas of future promise for these designer open-shell molecules, which have only just begun to be evaluated in full.

First-trimester emergencies: a radiologist's perspective.

PubMed

Phillips, Catherine H; Wortman, Jeremy R; Ginsburg, Elizabeth S; Sodickson, Aaron D; Doubilet, Peter M; Khurana, Bharti

2018-02-01

The purpose of this article is to help the practitioner ensure early diagnosis and response to emergencies in the first trimester by reviewing anatomy of the developing embryo, highlighting the sonographic appearance of common first-trimester emergencies, and discussing key management pathways for treating emergent cases. First-trimester fetal development is a stepwise process that can be challenging to evaluate in the emergency department (ED) setting. This is due, in part, to the complex anatomy of early pregnancy, subtlety of the sonographic findings, and the fact that fewer than half of patients with ectopic pregnancy present with the classic clinical findings of a positive pregnancy test, vaginal bleeding, pelvic pain, and tender adnexa. Ultrasound (US) has been the primary approach to diagnostic imaging of first-trimester emergencies, with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) playing a supportive role in a small minority of cases. Familiarity with the sonographic findings diagnostic of and suspicious for early pregnancy failure, ectopic pregnancy, retained products of conception, gestational trophoblastic disease, failed intrauterine devices, and complications associated with assisted reproductive technology (ART) is critical for any emergency radiologist. Evaluation of first-trimester emergencies is challenging, and knowledge of key imaging findings and familiarity with management pathways are needed to ensure early diagnosis and response.

Under-reporting of accidents involving biological material by nursing professionals at a Brazilian emergency hospital.

PubMed

Facchin, Luiza Tayar; Gir, Elucir; Pazin-Filho, Antonio; Hayashida, Miyeko; da Silva Canini, Silvia Rita Marin

2013-01-01

Pathogens can be transmitted to health professionals after contact with biological material. The exact number of infections deriving from these events is still unknown, due to the lack of systematic surveillance data and under-reporting. A cross-sectional study was carried out, involving 451 nursing professionals from a Brazilian tertiary emergency hospital between April and July 2009. Through an active search, cases of under-reporting of occupational accidents with biological material by the nursing team were identified by means of individual interviews. The Institutional Review Board approved the research project. Over half of the professionals (237) had been victims of one or more accidents (425 in total) involving biological material, and 23.76% of the accidents had not been officially reported using an occupational accident report. Among the underreported accidents, 53.47% were percutaneous and 67.33% were bloodborne. The main reason for nonreporting was that the accident had been considered low risk. The under-reporting rate (23.76%) was low in comparison with other studies, but most cases of exposure were high risk.

Periodontal Emergencies in General Practice.

PubMed

Wadia, Reena; Ide, Mark

2017-05-01

Diagnosing and managing periodontal emergencies is a common part of general dental practice. This article summarises the presentation, aetiology and management of the key periodontal emergencies, including gingival abscess, periodontal abscess, peri-coronitis/peri-coronal abscess, perio-endo lesion/ abscess, necrotising gingivitis and periodontitis, acute herpetic gingivostomatitis, acute physical/chemical/thermal injury and subgingival root fracture.

Emerging Ceramic-based Materials for Dentistry

PubMed Central

Denry, I.; Kelly, J.R.

2014-01-01

Our goal is to give an overview of a selection of emerging ceramics and issues for dental or biomedical applications, with emphasis on specific challenges associated with full-contour zirconia ceramics, and a brief synopsis on new machinable glass-ceramics and ceramic-based interpenetrating phase composites. Selected fabrication techniques relevant to dental or biomedical applications such as microwave sintering, spark plasma sintering, and additive manufacturing are also reviewed. Where appropriate, the authors have added their opinions and guidance. PMID:25274751

Availability and Readability of Emergency Preparedness Materials for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing and Older Adult Populations: Issues and Assessments

PubMed Central

Neuhauser, Linda; Ivey, Susan L.; Huang, Debbie; Engelman, Alina; Tseng, Winston; Dahrouge, Donna; Gurung, Sidhanta; Kealey, Melissa

2013-01-01

A major public health challenge is to communicate effectively with vulnerable populations about preparing for disasters and other health emergencies. People who are Deaf or Hard of Hearing (Deaf/HH) and older adults are particularly vulnerable during health emergencies and require communications that are accessible and understandable. Although health literacy studies indicate that the readability of health communication materials often exceeds people’s literacy levels, we could find no research about the readability of emergency preparedness materials (EPM) intended for Deaf/HH and older adult populations. The objective of this study was to explore issues related to EPM for Deaf/HH and older adult populations, to assess the availability and readability of materials for these populations, and to recommend improvements. In two California counties, we interviewed staff at 14 community-based organizations (CBOs) serving Deaf/HH clients and 20 CBOs serving older adults selected from a stratified, random sample of 227 CBOs. We collected 40 EPM from 10 CBOs and 2 public health departments and 40 EPM from 14 local and national websites with EPM for the public. We used computerized assessments to test the U.S. grade reading levels of the 16 eligible CBO and health department EPM, and the 18 eligible website materials. Results showed that less than half of CBOs had EPM for their clients. All EPM intended for clients of Deaf/HH-serving CBOs tested above the recommended 4th grade reading level, and 91% of the materials intended for clients of older adult-serving CBOs scored above the recommended 6th grade level. EPM for these populations should be widely available through CBOs and public health departments, adhere to health literacy principles, and be accessible in alternative formats including American Sign Language. Developers should engage the intended users of EPM as co-designers and testers. This study adds to the limited literature about EPM for these populations. PMID

High-voltage positive electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries

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

Li, Wangda; Song, Bohang; Manthiram, Arumugam

The ever-growing demand for advanced rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in portable electronics and electric vehicles has spurred intensive research efforts over the past decade. The key to sustaining the progress in Li-ion batteries lies in the quest for safe, low-cost positive electrode (cathode) materials with desirable energy and power capabilities. One approach to boost the energy and power densities of batteries is to increase the output voltage while maintaining a high capacity, fast charge–discharge rate, and long service life. Here, this review gives an account of the various emerging high-voltage positive electrode materials that have the potential to satisfy these requirementsmore » either in the short or long term, including nickel-rich layered oxides, lithium-rich layered oxides, high-voltage spinel oxides, and high-voltage polyanionic compounds. The key barriers and the corresponding strategies for the practical viability of these cathode materials are discussed along with the optimization of electrolytes and other cell components, with a particular emphasis on recent advances in the literature. Finally, a concise perspective with respect to plausible strategies for future developments in the field is also provided.« less

High-voltage positive electrode materials for lithium-ion batteries

DOE PAGES

Li, Wangda; Song, Bohang; Manthiram, Arumugam

2017-04-25

The ever-growing demand for advanced rechargeable lithium-ion batteries in portable electronics and electric vehicles has spurred intensive research efforts over the past decade. The key to sustaining the progress in Li-ion batteries lies in the quest for safe, low-cost positive electrode (cathode) materials with desirable energy and power capabilities. One approach to boost the energy and power densities of batteries is to increase the output voltage while maintaining a high capacity, fast charge–discharge rate, and long service life. Here, this review gives an account of the various emerging high-voltage positive electrode materials that have the potential to satisfy these requirementsmore » either in the short or long term, including nickel-rich layered oxides, lithium-rich layered oxides, high-voltage spinel oxides, and high-voltage polyanionic compounds. The key barriers and the corresponding strategies for the practical viability of these cathode materials are discussed along with the optimization of electrolytes and other cell components, with a particular emphasis on recent advances in the literature. Finally, a concise perspective with respect to plausible strategies for future developments in the field is also provided.« less

Emergency Preparedness Education: An Overview.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoffel, Robert, Ed.; LaValla, Patrick, Ed.

The book is a collection of emergency preparedness instruction materials. It starts with the first chapter of "Living Life's Emergencies" by Robert Stoffel and Patrick LaValla which introduces emergency preparedness education, focusing on six major components (human body management, defensive living, time lag, disaster and civil…

KEY COMPARISON: Final report on CCQM-K69 key comparison: Testosterone glucuronide in human urine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Fong-Ha; Mackay, Lindsey; Murby, John

2010-01-01

The CCQM-K69 key comparison of testosterone glucuronide in human urine was organized under the auspices of the CCQM Organic Analysis Working Group (OAWG). The National Measurement Institute Australia (NMIA) acted as the coordinating laboratory for the comparison. The samples distributed for the key comparison were prepared at NMIA with funding from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). WADA granted the approval for this material to be used for the intercomparison provided the distribution and handling of the material were strictly controlled. Three national metrology institutes (NMIs)/designated institutes (DIs) developed reference methods and submitted data for the key comparison along with two other laboratories who participated in the parallel pilot study. A good selection of analytical methods and sample workup procedures was displayed in the results submitted considering the complexities of the matrix involved. The comparability of measurement results was successfully demonstrated by the participating NMIs. Only the key comparison data were used to estimate the key comparison reference value (KCRV), using the arithmetic mean approach. The reported expanded uncertainties for results ranged from 3.7% to 6.7% at the 95% level of confidence and all results agreed within the expanded uncertainty of the KCRV. Main text. To reach the main text of this paper, click on Final Report. Note that this text is that which appears in Appendix B of the BIPM key comparison database kcdb.bipm.org/. The final report has been peer-reviewed and approved for publication by the CCQM, according to the provisions of the CIPM Mutual Recognition Arrangement (MRA).

Emerging connections between RNA and autophagy.

PubMed

Frankel, Lisa B; Lubas, Michal; Lund, Anders H

2017-01-02

Macroautophagy/autophagy is a key catabolic process, essential for maintaining cellular homeostasis and survival through the removal and recycling of unwanted cellular material. Emerging evidence has revealed intricate connections between the RNA and autophagy research fields. While a majority of studies have focused on protein, lipid and carbohydrate catabolism via autophagy, accumulating data supports the view that several types of RNA and associated ribonucleoprotein complexes are specifically recruited to phagophores (precursors to autophagosomes) and subsequently degraded in the lysosome/vacuole. Moreover, recent studies have revealed a substantial number of novel autophagy regulators with RNA-related functions, indicating roles for RNA and associated proteins not only as cargo, but also as regulators of this process. In this review, we discuss widespread evidence of RNA catabolism via autophagy in yeast, plants and animals, reviewing the molecular mechanisms and biological importance in normal physiology, stress and disease. In addition, we explore emerging evidence of core autophagy regulation mediated by RNA-binding proteins and noncoding RNAs, and point to gaps in our current knowledge of the connection between RNA and autophagy. Finally, we discuss the pathological implications of RNA-protein aggregation, primarily in the context of neurodegenerative disease.

The Emerging Amphibian Fungal Disease, Chytridiomycosis: A Key Example of the Global Phenomenon of Wildlife Emerging Infectious Diseases.

PubMed

Kolby, Jonathan E; Daszak, Peter

2016-06-01

The spread of amphibian chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, is associated with the emerging infectious wildlife disease chytridiomycosis. This fungus poses an overwhelming threat to global amphibian biodiversity and is contributing toward population declines and extinctions worldwide. Extremely low host-species specificity potentially threatens thousands of the 7,000+ amphibian species with infection, and hosts in additional classes of organisms have now also been identified, including crayfish and nematode worms.Soon after the discovery of B. dendrobatidis in 1999, it became apparent that this pathogen was already pandemic; dozens of countries and hundreds of amphibian species had already been exposed. The timeline of B. dendrobatidis's global emergence still remains a mystery, as does its point of origin. The reason why B. dendrobatidis seems to have only recently increased in virulence to catalyze this global disease event remains unknown, and despite 15 years of investigation, this wildlife pandemic continues primarily uncontrolled. Some disease treatments are effective on animals held in captivity, but there is currently no proven method to eradicate B. dendrobatidis from an affected habitat, nor have we been able to protect new regions from exposure despite knowledge of an approaching "wave" of B. dendrobatidis and ensuing disease.International spread of B. dendrobatidis is largely facilitated by the commercial trade in live amphibians. Chytridiomycosis was recently listed as a globally notifiable disease by the World Organization for Animal Health, but few countries, if any, have formally adopted recommended measures to control its spread. Wildlife diseases continue to emerge as a consequence of globalization, and greater effort is urgently needed to protect global health.

Emerging terahertz photodetectors based on two-dimensional materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yang, Jie; Qin, Hua; Zhang, Kai

2018-01-01

Inspired by the innovations in photonics and nanotechnology, the remarkable properties of two-dimensional (2D) materials have renewed interest for the development of terahertz (THz) photodetectors. The versatility of these materials enables ultrafast and ultrasensitive photodetection of THz radiation at room temperature. The atomically thin characteristic together with van der Waals interactions among the layers make it easy to scaling down and integrate with other 2D materials based devices, as well as silicon chips. Efforts have increased fast in the past decade in developing proof-of-concept and the further prospective THz photodetectors based on 2D materials. Here, the recent progress on the exploring of THz photodetectors based on 2D materials is reviewed. We summarized the THz photodetectors under different physical mechanism and introduced the state-of-the-art THz photodetectors based on various promising 2D materials, such as graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs), black phosphorus (BP) and topological insulators (TIs). A brief discussion on the remaining challenges and a perspective of the 2D materials based THz photodetectors are also given.

Social media best practices in emergency management.

PubMed

Siskey, Ashley; Islam, Tanveer

2016-01-01

Social media platforms have become popular as means of communications in emergency management. Many people use social media sites such as Facebook and Twitter on a daily basis including during disaster events. Emergency management agencies (EMAs) need to recognize the value of not only having a presence on social media but also actively engaging stakeholders and the public on these sites. However, identifying best practices for the use of social media in emergency management is still in its infancy. The objective of this article is to begin to create or further define best practices for emergency managers to use social media sites particularly Facebook and Twitter in four key areas: 1) implementation, 2) education, 3) collaboration, and 4) communication. A list of recommendations of best practices is formulated for each key area and results from a nationwide survey on the use of social media by county EMAs are discussed in this article.

Emergency Operations Center at Johnson Space Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Caylor, Gary C.

1997-01-01

In June 1966, at the start of the Gulf Coast hurricane season, the Johnson Space Center (JSC) celebrated the opening of its new 4,000-square foot, state-of-the-art Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The new EOC has been upgraded and enhanced to support a wide spectrum of emergencies affecting JSC and neighboring communities. One of the main features of the EOC is its premier computerized dispatch center. The new system unites many of JSC's critical emergency functions into one integrated network. It automatically monitors fire alarms, security entrances, and external cameras. It contains the JSC inventory of hazardous materials, by building and room, and can call up Material Safety Data Sheets for most of the generic hazardous materials used on-site. The EOC is available for community use during area emergencies such as hurricanes and is a welcome addition to the Clear Lake/Galveston Bay Area communities' emergency response resources.

Strategy Keys as Tools for Problem Solving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Herold-Blasius, Raja

2017-01-01

Problem solving is one of the main competences we seek to teach students at school for use in their future lives. However, when dealing with mathematical problems, teachers encounter a wide variety of difficulties. To foster students' problem-solving skills, the authors developed "strategy keys." Strategy keys can serve as material to…

Key stages of material expansion in dielectrics upon femtosecond laser ablation revealed by double-color illumination time-resolved microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Lechuga, Mario; Solis, Javier; Siegel, Jan

2018-03-01

The physical origin of material removal in dielectrics upon femtosecond laser pulse irradiation (800 nm, 120 fs pulse duration) has been investigated at fluences slightly above ablation threshold. Making use of a versatile pump-probe microscopy setup, the dynamics and different key stages of the ablation process in lithium niobate have been monitored. The use of two different illumination wavelengths, 400 and 800 nm, and a rigorous image analysis combined with theoretical modelling, enables drawing a clear picture of the material excitation and expansion stages. Immediately after excitation, a dense electron plasma is generated. Few picoseconds later, direct evidence of a rarefaction wave propagating into the bulk is obtained, with an estimated speed of 3650 m/s. This process marks the onset of material expansion, which is confirmed by the appearance of transient Newton rings, which dynamically change during the expansion up to approximately 1 ns. Exploring delays up to 15 ns, a second dynamic Newton ring pattern is observed, consistent with the formation of a second ablation front propagating five times slower than the first one.

Advancing the Use of Administrative Data for Emergency Department Diagnostic Imaging Research.

PubMed

Kuehl, Damon R; Berdahl, Carl T; Jackson, Tiffany D; Venkatesh, Arjun K; Mistry, Rakesh D; Bhargavan-Chatfield, Mythreyi; Raukar, Neha P; Carr, Brendan G; Schuur, Jeremiah D; Kocher, Keith E

2015-12-01

Administrative data are critical to describing patterns of use, cost, and appropriateness of imaging in emergency care. These data encompass a range of source materials that have been collected primarily for a nonresearch use: documenting clinical care (e.g., medical records), administering care (e.g., picture archiving and communication systems), or financial transactions (e.g., insurance claims). These data have served as the foundation for large, descriptive studies that have documented the rise and expanded role of diagnostic imaging in the emergency department (ED). This article summarizes the discussions of the breakout session on the use of administrative data for emergency imaging research at the May 2015 Academic Emergency Medicine consensus conference, "Diagnostic Imaging in the Emergency Department: A Research Agenda to Optimize Utilization." The authors describe the areas where administrative data have been applied to research evaluating the use of diagnostic imaging in the ED, the common sources for these data, and the strengths and limitations of administrative data. Next, the future role of administrative data is examined for answering key research questions in an evolving health system increasingly focused on measuring appropriateness, ensuring quality, and improving value for health spending. This article specifically focuses on four thematic areas: data quality, appropriateness and value, special populations, and policy interventions. © 2015 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

Hazardous materials emergency response mobile robot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, Henry W. (Inventor); Lloyd, James (Inventor); Alahuzos, George (Inventor)

1992-01-01

A simple or unsophisticated robot incapable of effecting straight-line motion at the end of its arm inserts a key held in its end effector or hand into a door lock with nearly straight-line motion by gently thrusting its back heels downwardly so that it pivots forwardly on its front toes while holding its arm stationary. The relatively slight arc traveled by the robot's hand is compensated by a complaint tool with which the robot hand grips the door key. A visible beam is projected through the axis of the hand or gripper on the robot arm end at an angle to the general direction in which the robot thrusts the gripper forward. As the robot hand approaches a target surface, a video camera on the robot wrist watches the beam spot on the target surface fall from a height proportional to the distance between the robot hand and the target surface until the beam spot is nearly aligned with the top of the robot hand. Holes in the front face of the hand are connected through internal passages inside the arm to an on-board chemical sensor. Full rotation of the hand or gripper about the robot arm's wrist is made possible by slip rings in the wrist which permit passage of the gases taken in through the nose holes in the front of the hand through the wrist regardless of the rotational orientation of the wrist.

Hazardous materials emergency response mobile robot

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, Henry W. (Inventor); Lloyd, James W. (Inventor); Alahuzos, George A. (Inventor)

1995-01-01

A simple or unsophisticated robot incapable of effecting straight-line motion at the end of its arm is presented. This robot inserts a key held in its end effector or hand into a door lock with nearly straight-line motion by gently thrusting its back heels downwardly so that it pivots forwardly on its front toes while holding its arm stationary. The relatively slight arc traveled by the robot's hand is compensated by a complaint tool with which the robot hand grips the door key. A visible beam is projected through the axis of the hand or gripper on the robot arm end at an angle to the general direction in which the robot thrusts the gripper forward. As the robot hand approaches a target surface, a video camera on the robot wrist watches the beam spot on the target surface fall from a height proportional to the distance between the robot hand and the target surface until the beam spot is nearly aligned with the top of the robot hand. Holes in the front face of the hand are connected through internal passages inside the arm to an on-board chemical sensor. Full rotation of the hand or gripper about the robot arm's wrist is made possible by slip rings in the wrist which permit passage of the gases taken in through the nose holes in the front of the hand through the wrist regardless of the rotational orientation of the wrist.

Virus like particle-based vaccines against emerging infectious disease viruses.

PubMed

Liu, Jinliang; Dai, Shiyu; Wang, Manli; Hu, Zhihong; Wang, Hualin; Deng, Fei

2016-08-01

Emerging infectious diseases are major threats to human health. Most severe viral disease outbreaks occur in developing regions where health conditions are poor. With increased international travel and business, the possibility of eventually transmitting infectious viruses between different countries is increasing. The most effective approach in preventing viral diseases is vaccination. However, vaccines are not currently available for numerous viral diseases. Virus-like particles (VLPs) are engineered vaccine candidates that have been studied for decades. VLPs are constructed by viral protein expression in various expression systems that promote the selfassembly of proteins into structures resembling virus particles. VLPs have antigenicity similar to that of the native virus, but are non-infectious as they lack key viral genetic material. VLP vaccines have attracted considerable research interest because they offer several advantages over traditional vaccines. Studies have shown that VLP vaccines can stimulate both humoral and cellular immune responses, which may offer effective antiviral protection. Here we review recent developments with VLP-based vaccines for several highly virulent emerging or re-emerging infectious diseases. The infectious agents discussed include RNA viruses from different virus families, such as the Arenaviridae, Bunyaviridae, Caliciviridae, Coronaviridae, Filoviridae, Flaviviridae, Orthomyxoviridae, Paramyxoviridae, and Togaviridae families.

Biotemplated materials for sustainable energy and environment: current status and challenges.

PubMed

Zhou, Han; Fan, Tongxiang; Zhang, Di

2011-10-17

Materials science will play a key role in the further development of emerging solutions for the increasing problems of energy and environment. Materials found in nature have many inspiring structures, such as hierarchical organizations, periodic architectures, or nanostructures, that endow them with amazing functions, such as energy harvesting and conversion, antireflection, structural coloration, superhydrophobicity, and biological self-assembly. Biotemplating is an effective strategy to obtain morphology-controllable materials with structural specificity, complexity, and related unique functions. Herein, we highlight the synthesis and application of biotemplated materials for six key areas of energy and environment technologies, namely, photocatalytic hydrogen evolution, CO(2) reduction, solar cells, lithium-ion batteries, photocatalytic degradation, and gas/vapor sensing. Although the applications differ from each other, a common fundamental challenge is to realize optimum structures for improved performances. We highlight the role of four typical structures derived from biological systems exploited to optimize properties: hierarchical (porous) structures, periodic (porous) structures, hollow structures, and nanostructures. We also provide examples of using biogenic elements (e.g., C, Si, N, I, P, S) for the creation of active materials. Finally, we disscuss the challenges of achieving the desired performance for large-scale commercial applications and provide some useful prototypes from nature for the biomimetic design of new materials or systems. The emphasis is mainly focused on the structural effects and compositional utilization of biotemplated materials. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Reassurance as a key outcome valued by emergency ambulance service users: a qualitative interview study.

PubMed

Togher, Fiona J; O'Cathain, Alicia; Phung, Viet-Hai; Turner, Janette; Siriwardena, Aloysius Niroshan

2015-12-01

There is an increasing need to assess the performance of emergency ambulance services using measures other than the time taken for an ambulance to arrive on scene. In line with government policy, patients and carers can help to shape new measures of ambulance service performance. To investigate the aspects of emergency ambulance service care valued by users. Qualitative interview study. One of 11 ambulance services in England. Twenty-two users and eight of their spouses (n = 30). Users of the emergency ambulance service, experiencing different types of ambulance service response, valued similar aspects of their pre-hospital care. Users were often extremely anxious about their health, and the outcome they valued was reassurance provided by ambulance service staff that they were receiving appropriate advice, treatment and care. This sense of being reassured was enhanced by the professional behaviour of staff, which instilled confidence in their care; communication; a short wait for help; and continuity during transfers. A timely response was valued in terms of allaying anxiety quickly. The ability of the emergency ambulance service to allay the high levels of fear and anxiety felt by users is crucial to the delivery of a high quality service. Measures developed to assess and monitor the performance of emergency ambulance services should include the proportion of users reporting feeling reassured by the response they obtained. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Final report on key comparison CCQM-K81: Chloramphenicol in pig muscle

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Polzer, Joachim; Henrion, Andre; Gowik, Petra

2013-01-01

Under the auspices of the Organic Analysis Working Group (OAWG) of the Comité Consultatif pour la Quantité de Matière (CCQM) a key comparison, CCQM-K81 'Chloramphenicol in pig muscle', was coordinated by BVL and PTB in 2009/2010. Six NMIs/DIs participated in this comparison. Chloramphenicol (CAP) is an effective broad-spectrum antibiotic which can in principle be used for the treatment of humans and animals. Its use for the treatment of food-producing animals is, however, forbidden worldwide in many countries due to potential severe side effects. The key comparison was the follow-up to the successful pilot study 'CCQM-P90: chloramphenicol in milk'. With this key comparison it was intended to demonstrate the capability of NMIs/DIs to analyse traces of CAP in food at concentration levels resulting from legal requirements for food control. Additionally, the quality of this kind of analysis with respect to compliance with legal requirements for food control methods and the international comparability of measurements should be evaluated in general. The study was classified as a 'track C' study (studies in emerging areas of global interest). For the study incurred lyophilised pig muscle material containing CAP (at a mass-fraction level around the maximum allowable level for import for a number of countries) has been produced as a candidate reference material by BVL and IRMM (Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements, JRC of the European Commission). Animal treatment and slaughtering of the animal to gain incurred muscle material as well as pre-testing of the CAP content was done at the BVL. The IRMM did further processing of the material and testing of homogeneity and stability. Participants were invited to assign the mass fraction of free CAP in the comparison sample. CCQM-K81 demonstrated successfully the capability of the participating laboratories to assign chloramphenicol values in tissue down to residue levels of around 0.3 ng/g (referring to the

Automated secured cost effective key refreshing technique to enhance WiMAX privacy key management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sridevi, B.; Sivaranjani, S.; Rajaram, S.

2013-01-01

In all walks of life the way of communication is transformed by the rapid growth of wireless communication and its pervasive use. A wireless network which is fixed and richer in bandwidth is specified as IEEE 802.16, promoted and launched by an industrial forum is termed as Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access (WiMAX). This technology enables seamless delivery of wireless broadband service for fixed and/or mobile users. The obscurity is the long delay which occurs during the handoff management in every network. Mobile WiMAX employs an authenticated key management protocol as a part of handoff management in which the Base Station (BS) controls the distribution of keying material to the Mobile Station (MS). The protocol employed is Privacy Key Management Version 2- Extensible Authentication Protocol (PKMV2-EAP) which is responsible for the normal and periodical authorization of MSs, reauthorization as well as key refreshing. Authorization key (AK) and Traffic Encryption key (TEK) plays a vital role in key exchange. When the lifetime of key expires, MS has to request for a new key to BS which in turn leads to repetition of authorization, authentication as well as key exchange. To avoid service interruption during reauthorization , two active keys are transmitted at the same time by BS to MS. The consequences of existing work are hefty amount of bandwidth utilization, time consumption and large storage. It is also endured by Man in the Middle attack and Impersonation due to lack of security in key exchange. This paper designs an automatic mutual refreshing of keys to minimize bandwidth utilization, key storage and time consumption by proposing Previous key and Iteration based Key Refreshing Function (PKIBKRF). By integrating PKIBKRF in key generation, the simulation results indicate that 21.8% of the bandwidth and storage of keys are reduced and PKMV2 mutual authentication time is reduced by 66.67%. The proposed work is simulated with Qualnet model and

40 CFR 267.57 - What must the emergency coordinator do after an emergency?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... OPERATING UNDER A STANDARDIZED PERMIT Contingency Plan and Emergency Procedures § 267.57 What must the..., or any other material that results from a release, fire, or explosion at the facility. (b) The... completed. (2) All emergency equipment listed in the contingency plan is cleaned and fit for its intended...

40 CFR 267.57 - What must the emergency coordinator do after an emergency?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... OPERATING UNDER A STANDARDIZED PERMIT Contingency Plan and Emergency Procedures § 267.57 What must the..., or any other material that results from a release, fire, or explosion at the facility. (b) The... completed. (2) All emergency equipment listed in the contingency plan is cleaned and fit for its intended...

40 CFR 267.57 - What must the emergency coordinator do after an emergency?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... OPERATING UNDER A STANDARDIZED PERMIT Contingency Plan and Emergency Procedures § 267.57 What must the..., or any other material that results from a release, fire, or explosion at the facility. (b) The... completed. (2) All emergency equipment listed in the contingency plan is cleaned and fit for its intended...

40 CFR 267.57 - What must the emergency coordinator do after an emergency?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... OPERATING UNDER A STANDARDIZED PERMIT Contingency Plan and Emergency Procedures § 267.57 What must the..., or any other material that results from a release, fire, or explosion at the facility. (b) The... completed. (2) All emergency equipment listed in the contingency plan is cleaned and fit for its intended...

49 CFR 109.17 - Emergency Orders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAZARDOUS MATERIALS AND OIL TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAZARDOUS MATERIALS PROCEDURAL REGULATIONS FOR OPENING OF PACKAGES, EMERGENCY ORDERS, AND...

49 CFR 109.17 - Emergency Orders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAZARDOUS MATERIALS AND OIL TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAZARDOUS MATERIALS PROCEDURAL REGULATIONS FOR OPENING OF PACKAGES, EMERGENCY ORDERS, AND...

49 CFR 109.17 - Emergency Orders.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAZARDOUS MATERIALS AND OIL TRANSPORTATION DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION HAZARDOUS MATERIALS PROCEDURAL REGULATIONS FOR OPENING OF PACKAGES, EMERGENCY ORDERS, AND...

The changing model of big pharma: impact of key trends.

PubMed

Gautam, Ajay; Pan, Xiaogang

2016-03-01

Recent years have seen exciting breakthroughs in biomedical sciences that are producing truly novel therapeutics for unmet patient needs. However, the pharmaceutical industry is also facing significant barriers in the form of pricing and reimbursement, continued patent expirations and challenging market dynamics. In this article, we have analyzed data from the 1995-2015 period, on key aspects such as revenue distribution, research units, portfolio mix and emerging markets to identify four key trends that help to understand the change in strategic focus, realignment of R&D footprint, the shift from primary care toward specialty drugs and biologics and the growth of emerging markets as major revenue drivers for big pharma. Copyright © 2015 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Proceedings of resources for optimal care of acute care and emergency surgery consensus summit Donegal Ireland.

PubMed

Sugrue, M; Maier, R; Moore, E E; Boermeester, M; Catena, F; Coccolini, F; Leppaniemi, A; Peitzman, A; Velmahos, G; Ansaloni, L; Abu-Zidan, F; Balfe, P; Bendinelli, C; Biffl, W; Bowyer, M; DeMoya, M; De Waele, J; Di Saverio, S; Drake, A; Fraga, G P; Hallal, A; Henry, C; Hodgetts, T; Hsee, L; Huddart, S; Kirkpatrick, A W; Kluger, Y; Lawler, L; Malangoni, M A; Malbrain, M; MacMahon, P; Mealy, K; O'Kane, M; Loughlin, P; Paduraru, M; Pearce, L; Pereira, B M; Priyantha, A; Sartelli, M; Soreide, K; Steele, C; Thomas, S; Vincent, J L; Woods, L

2017-01-01

Opportunities to improve emergency surgery outcomes exist through guided better practice and reduced variability. Few attempts have been made to define optimal care in emergency surgery, and few clinically derived key performance indicators (KPIs) have been published. A summit was therefore convened to look at resources for optimal care of emergency surgery. The aim of the Donegal Summit was to set a platform in place to develop guidelines and KPIs in emergency surgery. The project had multidisciplinary global involvement in producing consensus statements regarding emergency surgery care in key areas, and to assess feasibility of producing KPIs that could be used to monitor process and outcome of care in the future. Forty-four key opinion leaders in emergency surgery, across 7 disciplines from 17 countries, composed evidence-based position papers on 14 key areas of emergency surgery and 112 KPIs in 20 acute conditions or emergency systems. The summit was successful in achieving position papers and KPIs in emergency surgery. While position papers were limited by non-graded evidence and non-validated KPIs, the process set a foundation for the future advancement of emergency surgery.

Simulation-based Extraction of Key Material Parameters from Atomic Force Microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alsafi, Huseen; Peninngton, Gray

Models for the atomic force microscopy (AFM) tip and sample interaction contain numerous material parameters that are often poorly known. This is especially true when dealing with novel material systems or when imaging samples that are exposed to complicated interactions with the local environment. In this work we use Monte Carlo methods to extract sample material parameters from the experimental AFM analysis of a test sample. The parameterized theoretical model that we use is based on the Virtual Environment for Dynamic AFM (VEDA) [1]. The extracted material parameters are then compared with the accepted values for our test sample. Using this procedure, we suggest a method that can be used to successfully determine unknown material properties in novel and complicated material systems. We acknowledge Fisher Endowment Grant support from the Jess and Mildred Fisher College of Science and Mathematics,Towson University.

Dirac materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wehling, T. O.; Black-Schaffer, A. M.; Balatsky, A. V.

2014-01-01

A wide range of materials, like d-wave superconductors, graphene, and topological insulators, share a fundamental similarity: their low-energy fermionic excitations behave as massless Dirac particles rather than fermions obeying the usual Schrodinger Hamiltonian. This emergent behavior of Dirac fermions in condensed matter systems defines the unifying framework for a class of materials we call "Dirac materials''. In order to establish this class of materials, we illustrate how Dirac fermions emerge in multiple entirely different condensed matter systems and we discuss how Dirac fermions have been identified experimentally using electron spectroscopy techniques (angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and scanning tunneling spectroscopy). As a consequence of their common low-energy excitations, this diverse set of materials shares a significant number of universal properties in the low-energy (infrared) limit. We review these common properties including nodal points in the excitation spectrum, density of states, specific heat, transport, thermodynamic properties, impurity resonances, and magnetic field responses, as well as discuss many-body interaction effects. We further review how the emergence of Dirac excitations is controlled by specific symmetries of the material, such as time-reversal, gauge, and spin-orbit symmetries, and how by breaking these symmetries a finite Dirac mass is generated. We give examples of how the interaction of Dirac fermions with their distinct real material background leads to rich novel physics with common fingerprints such as the suppression of back scattering and impurity-induced resonant states.

Using smart materials to solve new challenges in the automotive industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gath, Kerrie K.; Maranville, Clay; Tardiff, Janice

2018-03-01

Ford has an extensive history of developing and utilizing smart and innovative materials in its vehicles. In this paper, we present new challenges the automotive industry is facing and explore how intelligent uses of smart materials can help provide solutions. We explore which vehicle attributes may provide most advantageous for the use smart materials, and discuss how smart material have had technical challenges that limit their use. We also look at how smart materials such as gecko inspired adhesion is providing opportunities during the vehicle assembly process by improving manufacturing quality, environmental sustainability, and worker safety. An emerging area for deployment of smart materials may involve autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions, where customer expectations are migrating toward a seamless and adaptive experience leading to new expectations for an enhanced journey. Another area where smart materials are influencing change is interior and exterior design including smart textiles, photochromatic dyes, and thermochromatic materials. The key to advancing smart materials in automotive industry is to capitalize on the smaller niche applications where there will be an advantage over traditional methods. Ford has an extensive history of developing and utilizing smart and innovative materials. Magnetorheological fluids, thermoelectric materials, piezoelectric actuators, and shape memory alloys are all in production. In this paper we present new challenges the automotive industry is facing and explore how intelligent uses of smart materials can help provide solutions. We explore which vehicle attributes may provide most advantageous for the use smart materials, and discuss how smart materials have had technical challenges that limit their use. An emerging area for deployment of smart materials may involve autonomous vehicles and mobility solutions, where customer expectations may require a seamless and adaptive experience for users having various

The emergence of trust in clinics of alternative medicine.

PubMed

Pedersen, Inge Kryger; Hansen, Vibeke Holm; Grünenberg, Kristina

2016-01-01

Demands for alternative medicine have increased since the 1970s in nations in which western scientific evidence has become the basis for health care. This paradox has been the impetus to examine how trust emerges in clinics of alternative medicine. Alternative practitioners are self-regulated and the clients pay out of their own pockets to attend non-authorised treatments with very limited scientific evidence of their effects. Trust is a key issue in this context. However, only a few studies have dealt with the ways in which alternative practitioners win their clients' trust. Drawing on three qualitative studies and informing the empirical findings with a sociological concept of trust, this article provides new empirical insights on how trust emerges in Danish clinics of acupuncture, reflexology and homeopathy. The analysis demonstrates how trust is situational and emerges through both clients' susceptibility and practitioners' individual skill development and strategies, as well as from objects, place and space. Trust is developed on relational and bodily as well as material grounds. It is argued that the dynamics and elements of trust identified do not only minimalise uncertainties but sometimes convert these uncertainties into productive new ways for clients to address their ailments, life circumstances and perspectives. © 2015 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness.

An emerging pore-making strategy: confined swelling-induced pore generation in block copolymer materials.

PubMed

Wang, Yong; Li, Fengbin

2011-05-17

Block copolymers (BCPs) composed of two or more thermodynamically incompatible homopolymers self-assemble into periodic microdomains. Exposing self-assembled BCPs with solvents selective to one block causes a swelling of the domains composed of this block. Strong swelling in the confinement imposed by the matrix of the other glassy block leads to well-defined porous structures via morphology reconstruction. This confined swelling-induced pore-making process has emerged recently as a new strategy to produce porous materials due to synergic advantages that include extreme simplicity, high pore regularity, involvement of no chemical reactions, no weight loss, reversibility of the pore forming process, etc. The mechanism, kinetics, morphology, and governing parameters of the confined swelling-induced pore-making process in BCP thin films are discussed, and the main applications of nanoporous thin films in the fields of template synthesis, surface patterning, and guidance for the areal arrangements of nanomaterials and biomolecules are summarized. Recent, promising results of extending this mechanism to produce BCP nanofibers or nanotubes and bulk materials with well-defined porosity, which makes this strategy also attractive to researchers outside the nanocommunity, are also presented. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Key Royale bridge five year evaluation.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-06-01

This report describes the design, construction, instrumentation, and five-year evaluation of the Key Royale Bridge substructure. The primary focus was the evaluation of the implementation of highly reactive supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) ...

Experiences of an Engineer working in Reactor Safety and Emergency Response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Osborn, Douglas

2015-04-01

The U.S. Department of Energy's Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center Consequence Management Home Team (FRMAC/CMHT) Assessment Scientist's roles, responsibilities incorporate the FRMAC with other federal, state, and local agencies during a nuclear/radiological emergency. Before the Consequence Management Response Team arrives on-site, the FRMAC/CMHT provides technical and logistical support to the FRMAC and to state, local, and tribal authorities following a nuclear/radiological event. The FRMAC/CMHT support includes analyzing event data, evaluating hazards that relate to protection of the public, and providing event information and data products to protective action decision makers. The Assessment Scientist is the primary scientist responsible for performing calculations and analyses and communicating results to the field during any activation of the FRMAC/CMHT assets. As such, the FRMAC/CMHT Assessment Scientist has a number of different roles and responsibilities to fill depending upon the type of response that is required. Additionally, the Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) Consequence Assessment Team (CAT) Consequence Assessor roles, responsibilities involve hazardous materials operational emergency at SNL New Mexico facilities (SNL/NM) which include loss of control over radioactive, chemical, or explosive hazardous materials. When a hazardous materials operational emergency occurs, key decisions must be made in order to regain control over the hazards, protect personnel from the effects of the hazards, and mitigate impacts on operations, facilities, property, and the environment. Many of these decisions depend in whole or in part on the evaluation of potential consequences from a loss of control over the hazards. As such, the CAT has a number of different roles and responsibilities to fill depending upon the type of response that is required. Primary consequence-based decisions supported by the CAT during a hazardous materials operational

Detection and Measurement of Unhealthy, Environment-Derived Aerosol Materials in an Emergency Department.

PubMed

Choi, Bryan Y; Kobayashi, Leo; Pathania, Shivany; Miller, Courtney B; Locke, Emma R; Stearns, Branden C; Hudepohl, Nathan J; Patefield, Scott S; Suner, Selim; Williams, Kenneth A; Machan, Jason T; Jay, Gregory D

2015-01-01

To measure unhealthy aerosol materials in an Emergency Department (ED) and identify their sources for mitigation efforts. Based on pilot findings of elevated ED particulate matter (PM) levels, investigators hypothesized that unhealthy aerosol materials derive from exogenous (vehicular) sources at ambulance receiving entrances. The Aerosol Environmental Toxicity in Healthcare-related Exposure and Risk program was conducted as an observational study. Calibrated sensors monitored PM and toxic gases at Ambulance Triage Exterior (ATE), Ambulance Triage Desk (ATD), and control Public Triage Desk (PTD) on a 3/3/3-day cycle. Cassette sampling characterized PM; meteorological and ambulance traffic data were logged. Descriptive and multiple linear regression analyses assessed for interactions between aerosol material levels, location, temporal variables, ambulance activity, and meteorological factors. Sensors acquired 93,682 PM0.3, 90,250 PM2.5, and 93,768 PM5 measurements over 366 days to generate a data set representing at least 85.6% of planned measurements. PM0.3, PM2.5, and PM5 mean counts were lowest in PTD; 56%, 224%, and 223% higher in ATD; and 996%, 200%, and 63% higher in ATE, respectively (all p < .001). Qualitative analyses showed similar PM compositions in ATD and ATE. On multiple linear regression analysis, PM0.3 counts correlated primarily with location; PM2.5 and PM5 counts correlated most strongly with location and ambulance presence. PM < 2.5 and toxic gas concentrations at ATD and PTD patient care areas did not exceed hazard levels; PM0.3 counts did not have formal safety thresholds for comparison. Higher levels of PM were linked with ED ambulance areas, although their health impact is unclear. © The Author(s) 2015.

Fire Service Emergency Management Handbook

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-01-01

students to survey buildings to determine the degree to which they provide protec- t on against nuclear disaster effects. TYPES OF ASSISTANCE: Training... SURVEY A-i APPENDIX B SELECTED EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT RESOURCES B-I ILLUSTRATIONS -e (Key Figures, Tables, and Charts) 1. FOUR PHASES OF CEM ACTIVITIES 2-3 2...1979 IAFC survey ,* about 28% of Fire Chiefs are also their community’s emergency preparedness directors, i.e., "the person who is primarily responsible

Radiative sky cooling: fundamental physics, materials, structures, and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Xingshu; Sun, Yubo; Zhou, Zhiguang; Alam, Muhammad Ashraful; Bermel, Peter

2017-07-01

Radiative sky cooling reduces the temperature of a system by promoting heat exchange with the sky; its key advantage is that no input energy is required. We will review the origins of radiative sky cooling from ancient times to the modern day, and illustrate how the fundamental physics of radiative cooling calls for a combination of properties that may not occur in bulk materials. A detailed comparison with recent modeling and experiments on nanophotonic structures will then illustrate the advantages of this recently emerging approach. Potential applications of these radiative cooling materials to a variety of temperature-sensitive optoelectronic devices, such as photovoltaics, thermophotovoltaics, rectennas, and infrared detectors, will then be discussed. This review will conclude by forecasting the prospects for the field as a whole in both terrestrial and space-based systems.

International Space Station (ISS) Emergency Mask (EM) Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Toon, Katherine P.; Hahn, Jeffrey; Fowler, Michael; Young, Kevin

2011-01-01

The Emergency Mask (EM) is considered a secondary response emergency Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) designed to provide respiratory protection to the International Space Station (ISS) crewmembers in response to a post-fire event or ammonia leak. The EM is planned to be delivered to ISS in 2012 to replace the current air purifying respirator (APR) onboard ISS called the Ammonia Respirator (AR). The EM is a one ]size ]fits ]all model designed to fit any size crewmember, unlike the APR on ISS, and uses either two Fire Cartridges (FCs) or two Commercial Off-the-Shelf (COTS) 3M(Trademark). Ammonia Cartridges (ACs) to provide the crew with a minimum of 8 hours of respiratory protection with appropriate cartridge swap ]out. The EM is designed for a single exposure event, for either post ]fire or ammonia, and is a passive device that cannot help crewmembers who cannot breathe on their own. The EM fs primary and only seal is around the wearer fs neck to prevent a crewmember from inhaling contaminants. During the development of the ISS Emergency Mask, several design challenges were faced that focused around manufacturing a leak free mask. The description of those challenges are broadly discussed but focuses on one key design challenge area: bonding EPDM gasket material to Gore(Registered Trademark) fabric hood.

"Handy Manny" and the Emergent Literacy Technology Toolkit

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hourcade, Jack J.; Parette, Howard P., Jr.; Boeckmann, Nichole; Blum, Craig

2010-01-01

This paper outlines the use of a technology toolkit to support emergent literacy curriculum and instruction in early childhood education settings. Components of the toolkit include hardware and software that can facilitate key emergent literacy skills. Implementation of the comprehensive technology toolkit enhances the development of these…

Teaching Public Administration: Key Themes 1996-2016

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fenwick, John

2018-01-01

In this article, the aim is to explore some of the key themes to emerge in the journal during the past two decades. Each selected theme will be reviewed in the light of issues raised in particular papers. The aim of this approach is, first, to facilitate reflection upon the contribution of the journal as its subject matter has moved from a concern…

Emerging Applications for High K Materials in VLSI Technology

PubMed Central

Clark, Robert D.

2014-01-01

The current status of High K dielectrics in Very Large Scale Integrated circuit (VLSI) manufacturing for leading edge Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) and Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS) applications is summarized along with the deposition methods and general equipment types employed. Emerging applications for High K dielectrics in future CMOS are described as well for implementations in 10 nm and beyond nodes. Additional emerging applications for High K dielectrics include Resistive RAM memories, Metal-Insulator-Metal (MIM) diodes, Ferroelectric logic and memory devices, and as mask layers for patterning. Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) is a common and proven deposition method for all of the applications discussed for use in future VLSI manufacturing. PMID:28788599

Rebuilding Emergency Care After Hurricane Sandy.

PubMed

Lee, David C; Smith, Silas W; McStay, Christopher M; Portelli, Ian; Goldfrank, Lewis R; Husk, Gregg; Shah, Nirav R

2014-04-09

A freestanding, 911-receiving emergency department was implemented at Bellevue Hospital Center during the recovery efforts after Hurricane Sandy to compensate for the increased volume experienced at nearby hospitals. Because inpatient services at several hospitals remained closed for months, emergency volume increased significantly. Thus, in collaboration with the New York State Department of Health and other partners, the Health and Hospitals Corporation and Bellevue Hospital Center opened a freestanding emergency department without on-site inpatient care. The successful operation of this facility hinged on key partnerships with emergency medical services and nearby hospitals. Also essential was the establishment of an emergency critical care ward and a system to monitor emergency department utilization at affected hospitals. The results of this experience, we believe, can provide a model for future efforts to rebuild emergency care capacity after a natural disaster such as Hurricane Sandy. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2014;0:1-4).

Sustainable Materials Management (SMM) - Materials and Waste Management in the United States Key Facts and Figures

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Each year EPA produces a report called Advancing Sustainable Materials Management: Facts and Figures. It includes information on municipal solid waste (MSW) generation, recycling, composting, combustion with energy recovery and landfilling. The 2014 report provides information on historical tipping fees for MSW, and information on the construction and demolition debris generation, which is outside of the scope of MSW. The Facts and Figures website includes recent reports (2012 to 2014 as well as historical information on materials in the U.S. Municipal Waste Stream, 1960 to 2014 (in tons). The reports for both current and historical waste prevention can be accessed at EPA's SMM website. The recent Annual Facts and Figures reports are accessible at the following link: https://www.epa.gov/smm/advancing-sustainable-materials-management-facts-and-figures-report. Historical data as well as studies and summary tables related to the Advancing Sustainable Materials Management Report are accessible here: https://www.epa.gov/smm/studies-summary-tables-and-data-related-advancing-sustainable-materials-management-report. An excel file containing the data from 1960 - 2014 is located here: https://edg.epa.gov/data/PUBLIC/OLEM/Materials_Municipal_Waste_Stream_1960_to_2014.xlsx. EPA also maintains a list of state and local waste characterization studies (reports are not available for all states). You can search for your state at https://www.epa.gov/smm/advancing-

Overview of Chemicals of Emerging Concern

EPA Science Inventory

Contaminants of emerging concern or environmental emerging contaminants, are chemicals, products and materials that are detected with increasing frequency in all environmental media including surface, ground water and drinking water. Examples of these contaminants include pharmac...

The re-emergence of sodium ion batteries: testing, processing, and manufacturability

PubMed Central

Roberts, Samuel; Kendrick, Emma

2018-01-01

With the re-emergence of sodium ion batteries (NIBs), we discuss the reasons for the recent interests in this technology and discuss the synergies between lithium ion battery (LIB) and NIB technologies and the potential for NIB as a “drop-in” technology for LIB manufacturing. The electrochemical testing of sodium materials in sodium metal anode arrangements is reviewed. The performance, stability, and polarization of the sodium in these test cells lead to alternative testing in three-electrode and alternative anode cell configurations. NIB manufacturability is also discussed, together with the impact that the material stability has upon the electrodes and coating. Finally, full-cell NIB technologies are reviewed, and literature proof-of-concept cells give an idea of some of the key differences in the testing protocols of these batteries. For more commercially relevant formats, safety, passive voltage control through cell balancing and cell formation aspects are discussed. PMID:29910609

Emergency department performance measures updates: proceedings of the 2014 emergency department benchmarking alliance consensus summit.

PubMed

Wiler, Jennifer L; Welch, Shari; Pines, Jesse; Schuur, Jeremiah; Jouriles, Nick; Stone-Griffith, Suzanne

2015-05-01

The objective was to review and update key definitions and metrics for emergency department (ED) performance and operations. Forty-five emergency medicine leaders convened for the Third Performance Measures and Benchmarking Summit held in Las Vegas, February 21-22, 2014. Prior to arrival, attendees were assigned to workgroups to review, revise, and update the definitions and vocabulary being used to communicate about ED performance and operations. They were provided with the prior definitions of those consensus summits that were published in 2006 and 2010. Other published definitions from key stakeholders in emergency medicine and health care were also reviewed and circulated. At the summit, key terminology and metrics were discussed and debated. Workgroups communicated online, via teleconference, and finally in a face-to-face meeting to reach consensus regarding their recommendations. Recommendations were then posted and open to a 30-day comment period. Participants then reanalyzed the recommendations, and modifications were made based on consensus. A comprehensive dictionary of ED terminology related to ED performance and operation was developed. This article includes definitions of operating characteristics and internal and external factors relevant to the stratification and categorization of EDs. Time stamps, time intervals, and measures of utilization were defined. Definitions of processes and staffing measures are also presented. Definitions were harmonized with performance measures put forth by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) for consistency. Standardized definitions are necessary to improve the comparability of EDs nationally for operations research and practice. More importantly, clear precise definitions describing ED operations are needed for incentive-based pay-for-performance models like those developed by CMS. This document provides a common language for front-line practitioners, managers, health policymakers, and researchers. �

Carbon-Based Functional Materials Derived from Waste for Water Remediation and Energy Storage.

PubMed

Ma, Qinglang; Yu, Yifu; Sindoro, Melinda; Fane, Anthony G; Wang, Rong; Zhang, Hua

2017-04-01

Carbon-based functional materials hold the key for solving global challenges in the areas of water scarcity and the energy crisis. Although carbon nanotubes (CNTs) and graphene have shown promising results in various fields of application, their high preparation cost and low production yield still dramatically hinder their wide practical applications. Therefore, there is an urgent call for preparing carbon-based functional materials from low-cost, abundant, and sustainable sources. Recent innovative strategies have been developed to convert various waste materials into valuable carbon-based functional materials. These waste-derived carbon-based functional materials have shown great potential in many applications, especially as sorbents for water remediation and electrodes for energy storage. Here, the research progress in the preparation of waste-derived carbon-based functional materials is summarized, along with their applications in water remediation and energy storage; challenges and future research directions in this emerging research field are also discussed. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Academic Primer Series: Five Key Papers about Team Collaboration Relevant to Emergency Medicine.

PubMed

Gottlieb, Michael; Grossman, Catherine; Rose, Emily; Sanderson, William; Ankel, Felix; Swaminathan, Anand; Chan, Teresa M

2017-02-01

Team collaboration is an essential for success both within academics and the clinical environment. Often, team collaboration is not explicitly taught during medical school or even residency, and must be learned during one's early career. In this article, we aim to summarize five key papers about team collaboration for early career clinician educators. We conducted a consensus-building process among the writing team to generate a list of key papers that describe the importance or significance of team collaboration, seeking input from social media sources. The authors then used a three-round voting methodology akin to a Delphi study to determine the most important papers from the initially generated list. The five most important papers on the topic of team collaboration, as determined by this mixed group of junior faculty members and faculty developers, are presented in this paper. For each included publication, a summary was provided along with its relevance to junior faculty members and faculty developers. Five key papers about team collaboration are presented in this publication. These papers provide a foundational background to help junior faculty members with collaborating in teams both clinically and academically. This list may also inform senior faculty and faculty developers about the needs of junior faculty members.

Emergency medical equipment on board German airliners.

PubMed

Hinkelbein, Jochen; Neuhaus, Christopher; Wetsch, Wolfgang A; Spelten, Oliver; Picker, Susanne; Böttiger, Bernd W; Gathof, Birgit S

2014-01-01

Medical emergencies often occur on commercial airline flights, but valid data on their causes and consequences are rare. Therefore, it is unclear what emergency medical equipment is necessary. Although a minimum standard for medical equipment is defined in regulations, additional material is not standardized and may vary significantly between different airlines. German airlines operating aircrafts with more than 30 seats were selected and interviewed with a 5-page written questionnaire between August 2011 and January 2012. Besides pre-packed and required emergency medical material, drugs, medical devices, and equipment lists were queried. If no reply was received, airlines were contacted another three times by e-mail and/or phone. Descriptive analysis was used for data presentation and interpretation. From a total of 73 German airlines, 58 were excluded from analysis (eg, those not providing passenger transport). Fifteen airlines were contacted and data of 13 airlines were available for analysis (two airlines did not participate). A first aid kit was available on all airlines. Seven airlines reported having a doctor's kit, and another four provided an "emergency medical kit." Four airlines provided an automated external defibrillator (AED)/electrocardiogram (ECG). While six airlines reported providing anesthesia drugs, a laryngoscope, and endotracheal tubes, another four airlines did not provide even a resuscitator bag. One airline did not provide any material for cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Although the minimal material required according to European aviation regulations is provided by all airlines for medical emergencies, there are significant differences in the provision of additional material. The equipment on most airlines is not sufficient for the treatment of specific emergencies according to published medical guidelines (eg, for CPR or acute myocardial infarction). © 2014 International Society of Travel Medicine.

Ethanol Production from Traditional and Emerging Raw Materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rudolf, Andreas; Karhumaa, Kaisa; Hahn-Hägerdal, Bärbel

The ethanol industry of today utilizes raw materials rich in saccharides, such as sugar cane or sugar beets, and raw materials rich in starch, such as corn and wheat. The concern about supply of liquid transportation fuels, which has brought the crude oil price above 100 /barrel during 2006, together with the concern about global warming, have turned the interest towards large-scale ethanol production from lignocellulosic materials, such as agriculture and forestry residues. Baker's yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae is the preferred fermenting microorganism for ethanol production because of its superior and well-documented industrial performance. Extensive work has been made to genetically improve S. cerevisiae to enable fermentation of lignocellulosic raw materials. Ethanolic fermentation processes are conducted in batch, fed-batch, or continuous mode, with or without cell recycling, the relative merit of which will be discussed.

Nuclear emergency management procedures in Europe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carter, Emma

The Chernobyl accident brought to the fore the need for decision-making in nuclear emergency management to be transparent and consistent across Europe. A range of systems to support decision-making in future emergencies have since been developed, but, by and large, with little consultation with potential decision makers and limited understanding of the emergency management procedures across Europe and how they differ. In nuclear emergency management, coordination, communication and information sharing are of paramount importance. There are many key players with their own technical expertise, and several key activities occur in parallel, across different locations. Business process modelling can facilitate understanding through the representation of processes, aid transparency and structure the analysis, comparison and improvement of processes. This work has been conducted as part of a European Fifth Framework Programme project EVATECH, whose aim was to improve decision support methods, models and processes taking into account stakeholder expectations and concerns. It has involved the application of process modelling to document and compare the emergency management processes in four European countries. It has also involved a multidisciplinary approach taking a socio-technical perspective. The use of process modelling did indeed facilitate understanding and provided a common platform, which was not previously available, to consider emergency management processes. This thesis illustrates the structured analysis approach that process modelling enables. Firstly, through an individual analysis for the United Kingdom (UK) model that illustrated the potential benefits for a country. These are for training purposes, to build reflexive shared mental models, to aid coordination and for process improvement. Secondly, through a comparison of the processes in Belgium, Germany, Slovak Republic and the UK. In this comparison of the four processes we observed that the four process

Dissemination and implementation of comparative effectiveness evidence: key informant interviews with Clinical and Translational Science Award institutions

PubMed Central

Morrato, Elaine H; Concannon, Thomas W; Meissner, Paul; Shah, Nilay D; Turner, Barbara J

2014-01-01

Aim To identify ongoing practices and opportunities for improving national comparative effectiveness research (CER) translation through dissemination and implementation (D&I) via NIH-funded Clinical and Translational Science Award (CTSA) institutions. Materials & methods Key informant interviews were conducted with 18 CTSA grantees sampled to represent a range of D&I efforts. Results & conclusions The institutional representatives endorsed fostering CER translation nationally via the CTSA Consortium. However, five themes emerged from the interviews as barriers to CER D&I: lack of institutional awareness, insufficient capacity, lack of established D&I methods, confusion among stakeholders about what CER actually is and limited funding opportunities. Interviewees offered two key recommendations to improve CER translation: development of a centralized clearing house to facilitate the diffusion of CER D&I resources and methods across CTSA institutions; and formalization of the national CTSA network to leverage existing community engagement relationships and resources for the purpose of adapting and disseminating robust CER evidence locally with providers, patients and healthcare systems. PMID:24236560

Key papers in prostate cancer.

PubMed

Rodney, Simon; Shah, Taimur Tariq; Patel, Hitendra R H; Arya, Manit

2014-11-01

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer and second leading cause of death in men. The evidence base for the diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer is continually changing. We aim to review and discuss past and contemporary papers on these topics to provoke debate and highlight key dilemmas faced by the urological community. We review key papers on prostate-specific antigen screening, radical prostatectomy versus surveillance strategies, targeted therapies, timing of radiotherapy and alternative anti-androgen therapeutics. Previously, the majority of patients, irrespective of risk, underwent radical open surgical procedures associated with considerable morbidity and mortality. Evidence is emerging that not all prostate cancers are alike and that low-grade disease can be safely managed by surveillance strategies and localized treatment to the prostate. The question remains as to how to accurately stage the disease and ultimately choose which treatment pathway to follow.

[Occupational accidents due to exposure to biological material in the multidisciplinary team of the emergency service].

PubMed

Oliveira, Adriana Cristina; Lopes, Aline Cristine Souza; Paiva, Maria Henriqueta Rocha Siqueira

2009-09-01

This transversal, survey-based research was carried out with a multiprofessional emergency care team in Belo Horizonte, between June and December 2006. The study aimed at estimating the incidence of occupational accidents by exposure to biological material, post-accidents conducts and demographic determinant factors. The study applied a structured questionnaire and descriptive analyses, as well as incidence calculations and logistic regression. The incidence of accidents with biological material reached 20.6%, being 40.8% by sharp materials and 49.0% by body fluids; 35.3% of the accidents took place among physicians and 24.0% among nurses. Post-accidents procedures: no medical assessment, 63.3%; under-notification, 81.6%; no conduct, 55.0%; and no serological follow-up, 61.2%. Factors associated with accidents: working time in the institution (Odds Ratio--OR, 2.84; Credible Interval--CI 95%-1.22-6.62); working in advanced support units (OR = 4.18; CI 95%--1.64-10.64); and interaction between working time in the institution and working in Basic Support Unit (OR 0.27; CI 95%--0.07-1.00). In order to reduce accidents, the implementation of post-accident protocols and follow-up, as well as under-notification norms, are suggested.

Emerging technology: A key enabler for modernizing pharmaceutical manufacturing and advancing product quality.

PubMed

O'Connor, Thomas F; Yu, Lawrence X; Lee, Sau L

2016-07-25

Issues in product quality have produced recalls and caused drug shortages in United States (U.S.) in the past few years. These quality issues were often due to outdated manufacturing technologies and equipment as well as lack of an effective quality management system. To ensure consistent supply of safe, effective and high-quality drug products available to the patients, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) supports modernizing pharmaceutical manufacturing for improvements in product quality. Specifically, five new initiatives are proposed here to achieve this goal. They include: (i) advancing regulatory science for pharmaceutical manufacturing; (ii) establishing a public-private institute for pharmaceutical manufacturing innovation; (iii) creating incentives for investment in the technological upgrade of manufacturing processes and facilities; (iv) leveraging external expertise for regulatory quality assessment of emerging technologies; and (v) promoting the international harmonization of approaches for expediting the global adoption of emerging technologies. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Science in Emergency Response at CDC: Structure and Functions.

PubMed

Iskander, John; Rose, Dale A; Ghiya, Neelam D

2017-09-01

Recent high-profile activations of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Emergency Operations Center (EOC) include responses to the West African Ebola and Zika virus epidemics. Within the EOC, emergency responses are organized according to the Incident Management System, which provides a standardized structure and chain of command, regardless of whether the EOC activation occurs in response to an outbreak, natural disaster, or other type of public health emergency. By embedding key scientific roles, such as the associate director for science, and functions within a Scientific Response Section, the current CDC emergency response structure ensures that both urgent and important science issues receive needed attention. Key functions during emergency responses include internal coordination of scientific work, data management, information dissemination, and scientific publication. We describe a case example involving the ongoing Zika virus response that demonstrates how the scientific response structure can be used to rapidly produce high-quality science needed to answer urgent public health questions and guide policy. Within the context of emergency response, longer-term priorities at CDC include both streamlining administrative requirements and funding mechanisms for scientific research.

Modeling Emerging Solar Cell Materials and Devices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thongprong, Non

Organic photovoltaics (OPVs) and perovskite solar cells are emerging classes of solar cell that are promising for clean energy alternatives to fossil fuels. Understanding fundamental physics of these materials is crucial for improving their energy conversion efficiencies and promoting them to practical applications. Current density-voltage (JV) curves; which are important indicators of OPV efficiency, have direct connections to many fundamental properties of solar cells. They can be described by the Shockley diode equation, resulting in fitting parameters; series and parallel resistance (Rs and Rp), diode saturation current ( J0) and ideality factor (n). However, the Shockley equation was developed specifically for inorganic p-n junction diodes, so it lacks physical meanings when it is applied to OPVs. Hence, the puRposes of this work are to understand the fundamental physics of OPVs and to develop new diode equations in the same form as the Shockley equation that are based on OPV physics. We develop a numerical drift-diffusion simulation model to study bilayer OPVs, which will be called the drift-diffusion for bilayer interface (DD-BI) model. The model solves Poisson, drift-diffusion and current-continuity equations self-consistently for charge densities and potential profiles of a bilayer device with an organic heterojunction interface described by the GWWF model. We also derive new diode equations that have JV curves consistent with the DD-BI model and thus will be called self-consistent diode (SCD) equations. Using the DD-BI and the SCD model allows us to understand working principles of bilayer OPVs and physical definitions of the Shockley parameters. Due to low carrier mobilities in OPVs, space charge accumulation is common especially near the interface and electrodes. Hence, quasi-Fermi levels (i.e. chemical potentials), which depend on charge densities, are modified around the interface, resulting in a splitting of quasi-Fermi levels that works as a driving

OEM Emergency Preparedness Information

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The Office of Emergency Management compiles a wide variety of information in support of Emergency Preparedness, including certain elements of the System for Risk Management Plans (SRMP), a wide variety of training and guidance materials, inventories and readiness/O&M status of equipment and response personnel. Some of the data available to EPA for this emergency preparedness includes industry trade secret information.A major component of this data asset is information compiled in the Compendium of Environmental Testing Laboratories. This information allows OEM to direct samples recovered from emergency incidents to the appropriate laboratory certified to analyze the substances in question.Also included here are all types of field readiness information, training logs, and personnel contact information.

Code orange: Towards transformational leadership of emergency management systems.

PubMed

Caro, Denis H J

2015-09-01

The 21(st) century calls upon health leaders to recognize and respond to emerging threats and systemic emergency management challenges through transformative processes inherent in the LEADS in a caring environment framework. Using a grounded theory approach, this qualitative study explores key informant perspectives of leaders in emergency management across Canada on pressing needs for relevant systemic transformation. The emerging model points to eight specific attributes of transformational leadership central to emergency management and suggests that contextualization of health leadership is of particular import. © 2015 The Canadian College of Health Leaders.

Patients' Data Management System Protected by Identity-Based Authentication and Key Exchange.

PubMed

Rivero-García, Alexandra; Santos-González, Iván; Hernández-Goya, Candelaria; Caballero-Gil, Pino; Yung, Moti

2017-03-31

A secure and distributed framework for the management of patients' information in emergency and hospitalization services is proposed here in order to seek improvements in efficiency and security in this important area. In particular, confidentiality protection, mutual authentication, and automatic identification of patients are provided. The proposed system is based on two types of devices: Near Field Communication (NFC) wristbands assigned to patients, and mobile devices assigned to medical staff. Two other main elements of the system are an intermediate server to manage the involved data, and a second server with a private key generator to define the information required to protect communications. An identity-based authentication and key exchange scheme is essential to provide confidential communication and mutual authentication between the medical staff and the private key generator through an intermediate server. The identification of patients is carried out through a keyed-hash message authentication code. Thanks to the combination of the aforementioned tools, a secure alternative mobile health (mHealth) scheme for managing patients' data is defined for emergency and hospitalization services. Different parts of the proposed system have been implemented, including mobile application, intermediate server, private key generator and communication channels. Apart from that, several simulations have been performed, and, compared with the current system, significant improvements in efficiency have been observed.

Radiative sky cooling: fundamental physics, materials, structures, and applications

DOE PAGES

Sun, Xingshu; Sun, Yubo; Zhou, Zhiguang; ...

2017-07-29

Radiative sky cooling reduces the temperature of a system by promoting heat exchange with the sky; its key advantage is that no input energy is required. We will review the origins of radiative sky cooling from ancient times to the modern day, and illustrate how the fundamental physics of radiative cooling calls for a combination of properties that may not occur in bulk materials. A detailed comparison with recent modeling and experiments on nanophotonic structures will then illustrate the advantages of this recently emerging approach. Potential applications of these radiative cooling materials to a variety of temperature-sensitive optoelectronic devices, suchmore » as photovoltaics, thermophotovoltaics, rectennas, and infrared detectors, will then be discussed. This review will conclude by forecasting the prospects for the field as a whole in both terrestrial and space-based systems.« less

Radiative sky cooling: fundamental physics, materials, structures, and applications

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

Sun, Xingshu; Sun, Yubo; Zhou, Zhiguang

Radiative sky cooling reduces the temperature of a system by promoting heat exchange with the sky; its key advantage is that no input energy is required. We will review the origins of radiative sky cooling from ancient times to the modern day, and illustrate how the fundamental physics of radiative cooling calls for a combination of properties that may not occur in bulk materials. A detailed comparison with recent modeling and experiments on nanophotonic structures will then illustrate the advantages of this recently emerging approach. Potential applications of these radiative cooling materials to a variety of temperature-sensitive optoelectronic devices, suchmore » as photovoltaics, thermophotovoltaics, rectennas, and infrared detectors, will then be discussed. This review will conclude by forecasting the prospects for the field as a whole in both terrestrial and space-based systems.« less

High capacity hydrogen storage materials: attributes for automotive applications and techniques for materials discovery.

PubMed

Yang, Jun; Sudik, Andrea; Wolverton, Christopher; Siegel, Donald J

2010-02-01

Widespread adoption of hydrogen as a vehicular fuel depends critically upon the ability to store hydrogen on-board at high volumetric and gravimetric densities, as well as on the ability to extract/insert it at sufficiently rapid rates. As current storage methods based on physical means--high-pressure gas or (cryogenic) liquefaction--are unlikely to satisfy targets for performance and cost, a global research effort focusing on the development of chemical means for storing hydrogen in condensed phases has recently emerged. At present, no known material exhibits a combination of properties that would enable high-volume automotive applications. Thus new materials with improved performance, or new approaches to the synthesis and/or processing of existing materials, are highly desirable. In this critical review we provide a practical introduction to the field of hydrogen storage materials research, with an emphasis on (i) the properties necessary for a viable storage material, (ii) the computational and experimental techniques commonly employed in determining these attributes, and (iii) the classes of materials being pursued as candidate storage compounds. Starting from the general requirements of a fuel cell vehicle, we summarize how these requirements translate into desired characteristics for the hydrogen storage material. Key amongst these are: (a) high gravimetric and volumetric hydrogen density, (b) thermodynamics that allow for reversible hydrogen uptake/release under near-ambient conditions, and (c) fast reaction kinetics. To further illustrate these attributes, the four major classes of candidate storage materials--conventional metal hydrides, chemical hydrides, complex hydrides, and sorbent systems--are introduced and their respective performance and prospects for improvement in each of these areas is discussed. Finally, we review the most valuable experimental and computational techniques for determining these attributes, highlighting how an approach that

Key Factors Influencing the Energy Absorption of Dual-Phase Steels: Multiscale Material Model Approach and Microstructural Optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belgasam, Tarek M.; Zbib, Hussein M.

2018-06-01

The increase in use of dual-phase (DP) steel grades by vehicle manufacturers to enhance crash resistance and reduce body car weight requires the development of a clear understanding of the effect of various microstructural parameters on the energy absorption in these materials. Accordingly, DP steelmakers are interested in predicting the effect of various microscopic factors as well as optimizing microstructural properties for application in crash-relevant components of vehicle bodies. This study presents a microstructure-based approach using a multiscale material and structure model. In this approach, Digimat and LS-DYNA software were coupled and employed to provide a full micro-macro multiscale material model, which is then used to simulate tensile tests. Microstructures with varied ferrite grain sizes, martensite volume fractions, and carbon content in DP steels were studied. The impact of these microstructural features at different strain rates on energy absorption characteristics of DP steels is investigated numerically using an elasto-viscoplastic constitutive model. The model is implemented in a multiscale finite-element framework. A comprehensive statistical parametric study using response surface methodology is performed to determine the optimum microstructural features for a required tensile toughness at different strain rates. The simulation results are validated using experimental data found in the literature. The developed methodology proved to be effective for investigating the influence and interaction of key microscopic properties on the energy absorption characteristics of DP steels. Furthermore, it is shown that this method can be used to identify optimum microstructural conditions at different strain-rate conditions.

Key Factors Influencing the Energy Absorption of Dual-Phase Steels: Multiscale Material Model Approach and Microstructural Optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Belgasam, Tarek M.; Zbib, Hussein M.

2018-03-01

The increase in use of dual-phase (DP) steel grades by vehicle manufacturers to enhance crash resistance and reduce body car weight requires the development of a clear understanding of the effect of various microstructural parameters on the energy absorption in these materials. Accordingly, DP steelmakers are interested in predicting the effect of various microscopic factors as well as optimizing microstructural properties for application in crash-relevant components of vehicle bodies. This study presents a microstructure-based approach using a multiscale material and structure model. In this approach, Digimat and LS-DYNA software were coupled and employed to provide a full micro-macro multiscale material model, which is then used to simulate tensile tests. Microstructures with varied ferrite grain sizes, martensite volume fractions, and carbon content in DP steels were studied. The impact of these microstructural features at different strain rates on energy absorption characteristics of DP steels is investigated numerically using an elasto-viscoplastic constitutive model. The model is implemented in a multiscale finite-element framework. A comprehensive statistical parametric study using response surface methodology is performed to determine the optimum microstructural features for a required tensile toughness at different strain rates. The simulation results are validated using experimental data found in the literature. The developed methodology proved to be effective for investigating the influence and interaction of key microscopic properties on the energy absorption characteristics of DP steels. Furthermore, it is shown that this method can be used to identify optimum microstructural conditions at different strain-rate conditions.

Emergent material properties of developing epithelial tissues.

PubMed

Machado, Pedro F; Duque, Julia; Étienne, Jocelyn; Martinez-Arias, Alfonso; Blanchard, Guy B; Gorfinkiel, Nicole

2015-11-23

Force generation and the material properties of cells and tissues are central to morphogenesis but remain difficult to measure in vivo. Insight is often limited to the ratios of mechanical properties obtained through disruptive manipulation, and the appropriate models relating stress and strain are unknown. The Drosophila amnioserosa epithelium progressively contracts over 3 hours of dorsal closure, during which cell apices exhibit area fluctuations driven by medial myosin pulses with periods of 1.5-6 min. Linking these two timescales and understanding how pulsatile contractions drive morphogenetic movements is an urgent challenge. We present a novel framework to measure in a continuous manner the mechanical properties of epithelial cells in the natural context of a tissue undergoing morphogenesis. We show that the relationship between apicomedial myosin fluorescence intensity and strain during fluctuations is consistent with a linear behaviour, although with a lag. We thus used myosin fluorescence intensity as a proxy for active force generation and treated cells as natural experiments of mechanical response under cyclic loading, revealing unambiguous mechanical properties from the hysteresis loop relating stress to strain. Amnioserosa cells can be described as a contractile viscoelastic fluid. We show that their emergent mechanical behaviour can be described by a linear viscoelastic rheology at timescales relevant for tissue morphogenesis. For the first time, we establish relative changes in separate effective mechanical properties in vivo. Over the course of dorsal closure, the tissue solidifies and effective stiffness doubles as net contraction of the tissue commences. Combining our findings with those from previous laser ablation experiments, we show that both apicomedial and junctional stress also increase over time, with the relative increase in apicomedial stress approximately twice that of other obtained measures. Our results show that in an epithelial

Preface to Special Topic: Emerging materials for photonics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vitiello, Miriam S.; Razeghi, Manijeh

2017-03-01

Photonics plays a major role in all aspects of human life. It revolutionized science by addressing fundamental scientific questions and by enabling key functions in many interdisciplinary fields spanning from quantum technologies to information and communication science, and from biomedical research to industrial process monitoring and life entertainment.

GNSS-based emergency management system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yuhang; Chen, Xiuwan; Ma, Lei

2009-06-01

Public safety and public service is a particularly challenging task. The questions of how to use the limited resources efficiently, how to improve the Government's emergency rapid response and ability of risk resistance, and how to provide a more efficient emergency service for the public, have increasingly become the focus to strengthen urban management. Emergency Response Management System is a highly efficient and powerful command system dealing with natural and social disasters, by using all aspects of the force being gathered in a short period of time, sudden events can be handled efficiently, and further development of the incident can be controlled. In this paper, based on the analysis of development status of the emergency management system at home and abroad, and the key technologies of the emergency management system based on GNSS, research and development on emergency command system based on GNSS has been done. Meanwhile, test in Sichuan earthquake has also been carried out. Practice in Sichuan province earthquake relief work has proved that the emergency management command system based on GNSS can play the advantage function and exert the maximum potential, and can play the role of "lifeline" in the critical moment.

Key drivers of airline loyalty.

PubMed

Dolnicar, Sara; Grabler, Klaus; Grün, Bettina; Kulnig, Anna

2011-10-01

This study investigates drivers of airline loyalty. It contributes to the body of knowledge in the area by investigating loyalty for a number of a priori market segments identified by airline management and by using a method which accounts for the multi-step nature of the airline choice process. The study is based on responses from 687 passengers. Results indicate that, at aggregate level, frequent flyer membership, price, the status of being a national carrier and the reputation of the airline as perceived by friends are the variables which best discriminate between travellers loyal to the airline and those who are not. Differences in drivers of airline loyalty for a number of segments were identified. For example, loyalty programs play a key role for business travellers whereas airline loyalty of leisure travellers is difficult to trace back to single factors. For none of the calculated models satisfaction emerged as a key driver of airline loyalty.

Key drivers of airline loyalty

PubMed Central

Dolnicar, Sara; Grabler, Klaus; Grün, Bettina; Kulnig, Anna

2011-01-01

This study investigates drivers of airline loyalty. It contributes to the body of knowledge in the area by investigating loyalty for a number of a priori market segments identified by airline management and by using a method which accounts for the multi-step nature of the airline choice process. The study is based on responses from 687 passengers. Results indicate that, at aggregate level, frequent flyer membership, price, the status of being a national carrier and the reputation of the airline as perceived by friends are the variables which best discriminate between travellers loyal to the airline and those who are not. Differences in drivers of airline loyalty for a number of segments were identified. For example, loyalty programs play a key role for business travellers whereas airline loyalty of leisure travellers is difficult to trace back to single factors. For none of the calculated models satisfaction emerged as a key driver of airline loyalty. PMID:27064618

Variations in mortality after emergency laparotomy: the first report of the UK Emergency Laparotomy Network.

PubMed

Saunders, D I; Murray, D; Pichel, A C; Varley, S; Peden, C J

2012-09-01

Emergency laparotomy is a common intra-abdominal procedure. Outcomes are generally recognized to be poor, but there is a paucity of hard UK data, and reports have mainly been confined to single-centre studies. Clinicians were invited to join an 'Emergency Laparotomy Network' and to collect prospective non-risk-adjusted outcome data from a large number of NHS Trusts providing emergency surgical care. Data concerning what were considered to be key aspects of perioperative care, including thirty-day mortality, were collected over a 3 month period. Data from 1853 patients were collected from 35 NHS hospitals. The unadjusted 30 day mortality was 14.9% for all patients and 24.4% in patients aged 80 or over. There was a wide variation between units in terms of the proportion of cases subject to key interventions that may affect outcomes. The presence of a consultant surgeon in theatre varied between 40.6% and 100% of cases, while a consultant anaesthetist was present in theatre for 25-100% of cases. Goal-directed fluid management was used in 0-63% of cases. Between 0% and 68.9% of the patients returned to the ward (level one) after surgery, and between 9.7% and 87.5% were admitted to intensive care (level three). Mortality rates varied from 3.6% to 41.7%. This study confirms that emergency laparotomy in the UK carries a high mortality. The variation in clinical management and outcomes indicates the need for a national quality improvement programme.

Development of key performance indicators for emergency departments in Ireland using an electronic modified-Delphi consensus approach.

PubMed

Wakai, Abel; O'Sullivan, Ronan; Staunton, Paul; Walsh, Cathal; Hickey, Fergal; Plunkett, Patrick K

2013-04-01

The objective of this study was to develop a consensus among emergency medicine (EM) specialists working in Ireland for emergency department (ED) key performance indicators (KPIs). The method employed was a three-round electronic modified-Delphi process. An online questionnaire with 54 potential KPIs was set up for round 1 of the Delphi process. The Delphi panel consisted of all registered EM specialists in Ireland. Each indicator on the questionnaire was rated using a five-point Likert-type rating scale. Agreement was defined as at least 70% of the responders rating an indicator as 'agree' or 'strongly agree' on the rating scale. Data were analysed using standard descriptive statistics. Data were also analysed as the mean of the Likert rating with 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Sensitivity of the ratings was examined for robustness by bootstrapping the original sample. Statistical analyses were carried out using SPSS version 16.0. The response rates in rounds 1, 2 and 3 were 86, 88 and 88%, respectively. Ninety-seven potential indicators reached agreement after the three rounds. In the context of the Donabedian structure-process-outcome framework of performance indicators, 41 (42%) of the agreed indicators were structure indicators, 52 (54%) were process indicators and four (4%) were outcome indicators. Overall, the top-three highest rated indicators were: presence of a dedicated ED clinical information system (4.7; 95% CI 4.6-4.9), ED compliance with minimum design standards (4.7; 95% CI 4.5-4.8) and time from ED arrival to first ECG in suspected cardiac chest pain (4.7; 95% CI 4.5-4.9). The top-three highest rated indicators specific to clinical care of children in EDs were: time to administration of antibiotics in children with suspected bacterial meningitis (4.6; 95% CI 4.5-4.8), separate area available within EDs (seeing both adults and children) to assess children (4.4; 95% CI 4.2-4.6) and time to administration of analgesia in children with forearm

Key properties of expert movement systems in sport : an ecological dynamics perspective.

PubMed

Seifert, Ludovic; Button, Chris; Davids, Keith

2013-03-01

This paper identifies key properties of expertise in sport predicated on the performer-environment relationship. Weaknesses of traditional approaches to expert performance, which uniquely focus on the performer and the environment separately, are highlighted by an ecological dynamics perspective. Key properties of expert movement systems include 'multi- and meta-stability', 'adaptive variability', 'redundancy', 'degeneracy' and the 'attunement to affordances'. Empirical research on these expert system properties indicates that skill acquisition does not emerge from the internal representation of declarative and procedural knowledge, or the imitation of expert behaviours to linearly reduce a perceived 'gap' separating movements of beginners and a putative expert model. Rather, expert performance corresponds with the ongoing co-adaptation of an individual's behaviours to dynamically changing, interacting constraints, individually perceived and encountered. The functional role of adaptive movement variability is essential to expert performance in many different sports (involving individuals and teams; ball games and outdoor activities; land and aquatic environments). These key properties signify that, in sport performance, although basic movement patterns need to be acquired by developing athletes, there exists no ideal movement template towards which all learners should aspire, since relatively unique functional movement solutions emerge from the interaction of key constraints.

[Quality management in emergency departments: Lack of uniform standards for fact-based controlling].

PubMed

Ries, M; Christ, M

2015-11-01

The general high occupancy of emergency departments during the winter months of 2014/2015 outlined deficits in health politics. Whether on the regional, province, or federal level, verifiable and accepted figures to enable in depth analysis and fact-based controlling of emergency care systems are lacking. As the first step, reasons for the current situation are outlined in order to developed concrete recommendations for individual hospitals. This work is based on a selective literature search with focus on quality management, ratio driven management, and process management within emergency departments as well as personal experience with implementation of a key ratio system in a German maximum care hospital. The insufficient integration of emergencies into the DRG systematic, the role as gatekeeper between inpatient and outpatient care sector, the decentralized organization of emergency departments in many hospitals, and the inconsistent representation within the medical societies can be mentioned as reasons for the lack of key ratio systems. In addition to the important role within treatment procedures, emergency departments also have an immense economic importance. Consequently, the management of individual hospitals should promote implementation of key ratio systems to enable controlling of emergency care processes. Thereby the perspectives finance, employees, processes as well as partners and patients should be equally considered. Within the process perspective, milestones could be used to enable detailed controlling of treatment procedures. An implementation of key ratio systems without IT support is not feasible; thus, existing digital data should be used and future data analysis should already be considered during implementation of new IT systems.

Emergency nurse disaster preparedness during mass gatherings: a cross-sectional survey of emergency nurses' perceptions in hospitals in Mecca, Saudi Arabia

PubMed Central

Alzahrani, Fuad; Kyratsis, Yiannis

2017-01-01

Objectives To assess hospital emergency nurses' self-reported knowledge, role awareness and skills in disaster response with respect to the Hajj mass gathering in Mecca. Design Cross-sectional online survey with primary data collection and non-probabilistic purposive sample conducted in late 2014. Setting All 4 public hospitals in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. Participants 106 registered nurses in hospital emergency departments. Main outcome measure Awareness, knowledge, skills and perceptions of emergency nurses in Mecca with regard to mass gathering disaster preparedness. Results Although emergency nurses' clinical role awareness in disaster response was reported to be high, nurses reported limited knowledge and awareness of the wider emergency and disaster preparedness plans, including key elements of their hospital strategies for managing a mass gathering disaster. Over half of the emergency nurses in Mecca's public hospitals had not thoroughly read the plan, and almost 1 in 10 were not even aware of its existence. Emergency nurses reported seeing their main role as providing timely general clinical assessment and care; however, fewer emergency nurses saw their role as providing surveillance, prevention, leadership or psychological care in a mass gathering disaster, despite all these broader roles being described in the hospitals' emergency disaster response plans. Emergency nurses' responses to topics where there are often misconceptions on appropriate disaster management indicated a significant knowledge deficit with only 1 in 3 nurses at best or 1 in 6 at worst giving correct answers. Respondents identified 3 key training initiatives as opportunities to further develop their professional skills in this area: (1) hospital education sessions, (2) the Emergency Management Saudi Course, (3) bespoke short courses in disaster management. Conclusions Recommendations are suggested to help enhance clinical and educational efforts in disaster preparedness. PMID:28400457

Emergency nurse disaster preparedness during mass gatherings: a cross-sectional survey of emergency nurses' perceptions in hospitals in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Alzahrani, Fuad; Kyratsis, Yiannis

2017-04-11

To assess hospital emergency nurses' self-reported knowledge, role awareness and skills in disaster response with respect to the Hajj mass gathering in Mecca. Cross-sectional online survey with primary data collection and non-probabilistic purposive sample conducted in late 2014. All 4 public hospitals in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. 106 registered nurses in hospital emergency departments. Awareness, knowledge, skills and perceptions of emergency nurses in Mecca with regard to mass gathering disaster preparedness. Although emergency nurses' clinical role awareness in disaster response was reported to be high, nurses reported limited knowledge and awareness of the wider emergency and disaster preparedness plans, including key elements of their hospital strategies for managing a mass gathering disaster. Over half of the emergency nurses in Mecca's public hospitals had not thoroughly read the plan, and almost 1 in 10 were not even aware of its existence. Emergency nurses reported seeing their main role as providing timely general clinical assessment and care; however, fewer emergency nurses saw their role as providing surveillance, prevention, leadership or psychological care in a mass gathering disaster, despite all these broader roles being described in the hospitals' emergency disaster response plans. Emergency nurses' responses to topics where there are often misconceptions on appropriate disaster management indicated a significant knowledge deficit with only 1 in 3 nurses at best or 1 in 6 at worst giving correct answers. Respondents identified 3 key training initiatives as opportunities to further develop their professional skills in this area: (1) hospital education sessions, (2) the Emergency Management Saudi Course, (3) bespoke short courses in disaster management. Recommendations are suggested to help enhance clinical and educational efforts in disaster preparedness. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted

Lessons learned from more than two decades of research on emerging contaminants in the environment.

PubMed

Noguera-Oviedo, Katia; Aga, Diana S

2016-10-05

In the last twenty years, thousands of research papers covering different aspects of emerging contaminants have been published, ranging from environmental occurrence to treatment and ecological effects. Emerging contaminants are environmental pollutants that have been investigated widely only in the last two decades and include anthropogenic and naturally occurring chemicals such as pharmaceuticals and personal care products and their metabolites, illicit drugs, engineered nanomaterials, and antibiotic resistance genes. The advancement in our knowledge on emerging contaminants has been the result of the appearance of highly sensitive and powerful analytical instrumentation that rapidly developed, allowing identification and trace quantification of unknown contaminants in complex environmental matrices. High efficiency chromatographic separations coupled to high-resolution mass spectrometers have become more common in environmental laboratories and are the pillars of environmental research, increasing our awareness and understanding of the presence of emerging contaminants in the environment, their transformation and fate, and the complex ecological consequences that they pose on exposed biological systems. This introductory paper for the Virtual Thematic Issue on Emerging Contaminants presents a brief literature overview on key research milestones in the area of emerging contaminants, focusing on pharmaceuticals and personal care products and endocrine disrupting compounds, and highlighting selected research papers previously published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials during the period of January 2012 to December 2015. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Key Words in Instruction. WebQuests

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamb, Annette

2004-01-01

In the mid-1990s, educators began exploring ways to make effective use of the vast information resources that were rapidly emerging on the Internet. Rather than using these new Web-based materials for low-level scavenger-hunt types of activities, school library media specialists sought ways to promote higher-order thinking through authentic…

The clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and treatment of adrenal emergencies.

PubMed

Tucci, Veronica; Sokari, Telematé

2014-05-01

Emergency medicine physicians should be able to identify and treat patients whose clinical presentations, including key historical, physical examination, and laboratory findings are consistent with diagnoses of primary, secondary, and tertiary adrenal insufficiency, adrenal crisis, and pheochromocytoma. Failure to make a timely diagnosis leads to increased morbidity and mortality. As great mimickers, adrenal emergencies often present with a constellation of nonspecific signs and symptoms that can lead even the most diligent emergency physician astray. The emergency physician must include adrenal emergencies in the differential diagnosis when encountering such clinical pictures. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Educating medical staff about responding to a radiological or nuclear emergency.

PubMed

McCurley, M Carol; Miller, Charles W; Tucker, Florie E; Guinn, Amy; Donnelly, Elizabeth; Ansari, Armin; Holcombe, Maire; Nemhauser, Jeffrey B; Whitcomb, Robert C

2009-05-01

A growing body of audience research reveals medical personnel in hospitals are unprepared for a large-scale radiological emergency such as a terrorist event involving radioactive or nuclear materials. Also, medical personnel in hospitals lack a basic understanding of radiation principles, as well as diagnostic and treatment guidelines for radiation exposure. Clinicians have indicated that they lack sufficient training on radiological emergency preparedness; they are potentially unwilling to treat patients if those patients are perceived to be radiologically contaminated; and they have major concerns about public panic and overloading of clinical systems. In response to these findings, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has developed a tool kit for use by hospital medical personnel who may be called on to respond to unintentional or intentional mass-casualty radiological and nuclear events. This tool kit includes clinician fact sheets, a clinician pocket guide, a digital video disc (DVD) of just-in-time basic skills training, a CD-ROM training on mass-casualty management, and a satellite broadcast dealing with medical management of radiological events. CDC training information emphasizes the key role that medical health physicists can play in the education and support of emergency department activities following a radiological or nuclear mass-casualty event.

49 CFR 172.604 - Emergency response telephone number.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Emergency response telephone number. 172.604... telephone number. (a) A person who offers a hazardous material for transportation must provide an emergency response telephone number, including the area code, for use in an emergency involving the hazardous...

[Management of ophthalmologic emergencies in general emergency departments: A retrospective multicenter study].

PubMed

Jeannin, A; Mouriaux, F; Mortemousque, B

2016-09-01

The growing shortage of working ophthalmologists makes it more difficult for the patient to access ophthalmological care, especially in an emergent context. These patients are thus taken to general emergency departments for ophthalmologic problems. To observe the epidemiological characteristics of ophthalmic patients in general emergency centers and question the emergency physicians on their practice of ophthalmology. A retrospective epidemiological study was conducted in the emergency departments of Rennes, Lorient and Saint-Brieuc over a period of three months. The demographic characteristics, diagnoses, examinations and procedures performed, opinions obtained from ophthalmologists and patient outcomes were studied. A qualitative study by online questionnaire was sent to the emergency physicians. Seven hundred and eighty-one patients were included, mainly men (68%) under 35 years (45%). The most frequent diagnosis was extra-ocular foreign body (32%). An ophthalmologist opinion was requested in 79% within 24hours. The online questionnaire was sent to 74 emergency physicians: 92% of them were willing to participate in additional training, 90% had sufficient means to practice ophthalmology in the emergency room. Emergency physicians could handle the most frequent ophthalmological emergencies, extra-ocular foreign bodies and minor trauma, with adapted material resources, autonomy for these conditions, and willingness for ophthalmologic training. Protocols could be proposed in order to optimize the care of these patients. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

[Organisation of emergency medicine in France].

PubMed

Braun, Françis

2015-01-01

The French emergency medicine infrastructure (structures de médecine d'urgence) ensures patients care from the very location of the distress to the appropriate hospital department: medical care in the field, by hospital clinical teams (the services mobiles d'urgence et de réanimation [SMUR]), is a key characteristic of our medical emergency response system. Response to medical distress revolves around information about not only the location and characteristics of the medical need, but also the availability of adapted hospital services. Gathering and transmitting this information is the prerogative of the service d'aide médicale d'urgence (SAMU) and its telephone dispatch center (Centre 15). For patients coming directly to the hospital, the emergency room (ER), a former underfunded and neglected hospital service, has become a key point of access. The ER is now responsible, after providing immediate first line care, to guide the patient through the care system. As such they are equipped with short term hospitalization units designed to enable up to 24h patient observation before orientation. This ensemble, networked at the level of a health territory, ensures the quality, safety, and efficacy that the population is entitled to demand.

Patients’ Data Management System Protected by Identity-Based Authentication and Key Exchange

PubMed Central

Rivero-García, Alexandra; Santos-González, Iván; Hernández-Goya, Candelaria; Caballero-Gil, Pino; Yung, Moti

2017-01-01

A secure and distributed framework for the management of patients’ information in emergency and hospitalization services is proposed here in order to seek improvements in efficiency and security in this important area. In particular, confidentiality protection, mutual authentication, and automatic identification of patients are provided. The proposed system is based on two types of devices: Near Field Communication (NFC) wristbands assigned to patients, and mobile devices assigned to medical staff. Two other main elements of the system are an intermediate server to manage the involved data, and a second server with a private key generator to define the information required to protect communications. An identity-based authentication and key exchange scheme is essential to provide confidential communication and mutual authentication between the medical staff and the private key generator through an intermediate server. The identification of patients is carried out through a keyed-hash message authentication code. Thanks to the combination of the aforementioned tools, a secure alternative mobile health (mHealth) scheme for managing patients’ data is defined for emergency and hospitalization services. Different parts of the proposed system have been implemented, including mobile application, intermediate server, private key generator and communication channels. Apart from that, several simulations have been performed, and, compared with the current system, significant improvements in efficiency have been observed. PMID:28362328

49 CFR 172.604 - Emergency response telephone number.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Emergency response telephone number. 172.604... telephone number. (a) A person who offers a hazardous material for transportation must provide an emergency response telephone number, including the area code, for use in the event of an emergency involving the...

Composition of key offensive odorants released from fresh food materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Ki-Hyun; Kim, Yong-Hyun

2014-06-01

A refrigerator loaded with a variety of foods without sealed packaging can create quite an olfactory nuisance, and it may come as a surprise that fresh foods emit unpleasant odorants just as those that are decaying. To learn more about nuisance sources in our daily lives, we measured a list of 22 compounds designated as the key offensive odorants (e.g., reduced sulfur, nitrogenous, volatile fatty acid (VFA), and carbonyls) from nine types of common food items consumed in S. Korea: raw beef, raw fish, spam, yolks and albumin of boiled eggs (analyzed separately), milk, cheese, onions, and strawberries. The odor intensity (OI) of each food item was computed initially with the aid of previously used empirical equations. This indicates that the malodor properties of target foods tend to be governed by a few key odorants such as VFA, S, and N compounds. The extent of odorant mixing of a given food was then evaluated by exploring the correlation between the human olfaction (e.g., dilution-to-threshold (D/T) ratio) and the odor potential determined indirectly (instrumentally) such as odor activity value (OAV) or sum of odor intensity (SOI). The overall results of our study confirm the existence of malodorant compounds released from common food items and their contribution to their odor characteristics to a certain degree.

Holmium hafnate: An emerging electronic device material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pavunny, Shojan P.; Sharma, Yogesh; Kooriyattil, Sudheendran; Dugu, Sita; Katiyar, Rajesh K.; Scott, James F.; Katiyar, Ram S.

2015-03-01

We report structural, optical, charge transport, and temperature properties as well as the frequency dependence of the dielectric constant of Ho2Hf2O7 (HHO) which make this material desirable as an alternative high-k dielectric for future silicon technology devices. A high dielectric constant of ˜20 and very low dielectric loss of ˜0.1% are temperature and voltage independent at 100 kHz near ambient conditions. The Pt/HHO/Pt capacitor exhibits exceptionally low Schottky emission-based leakage currents. In combination with the large observed bandgap Eg of 5.6 eV, determined by diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, our results reveal fundamental physics and materials science of the HHO metal oxide and its potential application as a high-k dielectric for the next generation of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor devices.

Using variable homography to measure emergent fibers on textile fabrics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Jun; Cudel, Christophe; Kohler, Sophie; Fontaine, Stéphane; Haeberlé, Olivier; Klotz, Marie-Louise

2011-07-01

A fabric's smoothness is a key factor to determine the quality of textile finished products and has great influence on the functionality of industrial textiles and high-end textile products. With popularization of the 'zero defect' industrial concept, identifying and measuring defective material in the early stage of production is of great interest for the industry. In the current market, many systems are able to achieve automatic monitoring and control of fabric, paper, and nonwoven material during the entire production process, however online measurement of hairiness is still an open topic and highly desirable for industrial applications. In this paper we propose a computer vision approach, based on variable homography, which can be used to measure the emergent fiber's length on textile fabrics. The main challenges addressed in this paper are the application of variable homography to textile monitoring and measurement, as well as the accuracy of the estimated calculation. We propose that a fibrous structure can be considered as a two-layer structure and then show how variable homography can estimate the length of the fiber defects. Simulations are carried out to show the effectiveness of this method to measure the emergent fiber's length. The true lengths of selected fibers are measured precisely using a digital optical microscope, and then the same fibers are tested by our method. Our experimental results suggest that smoothness monitored by variable homography is an accurate and robust method for quality control of important industrially fabrics.

Continuous-variable quantum authentication of physical unclonable keys

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nikolopoulos, Georgios M.; Diamanti, Eleni

2017-04-01

We propose a scheme for authentication of physical keys that are materialized by optical multiple-scattering media. The authentication relies on the optical response of the key when probed by randomly selected coherent states of light, and the use of standard wavefront-shaping techniques that direct the scattered photons coherently to a specific target mode at the output. The quadratures of the electromagnetic field of the scattered light at the target mode are analysed using a homodyne detection scheme, and the acceptance or rejection of the key is decided upon the outcomes of the measurements. The proposed scheme can be implemented with current technology and offers collision resistance and robustness against key cloning.

Medical Emergencies in Goa

PubMed Central

Saddichha, Sahoo; Saxena, Mukul Kumar

2010-01-01

Background: Most emergencies in Goa arise due to road traffic accidents and drowning, which have been compounded by the rise in number of recorded accidents in 2007 to be above 4000. It is believed that 11 people meet with an accident on Goa's roads every day and this is expected to rise by 10% by next year. Similar is the case with drownings and other medical emergencies. We therefore aimed to conduct a cross-sectional survey of medical emergencies and identify various types of emergencies presenting to emergency departments. Materials and Methods: Using a stratified random sampling design, all emergencies presenting to the three government hospitals in Goa, which handle 90% of all emergencies currently, were studied on specially designed data sheets in order to collect data. Emergency medical technicians (ETs) were placed in the Casualty Ward of the medical colleges and they recorded all emergencies on the data sheet. The collected data were then analyzed for stratification and mapping of emergencies. Results: GMC Hospital attended to majority of emergencies (62%), which were mainly of the nature of accidents or assaults (17%) and fever related (17%). Most emergencies were noncritical and about 1% expired. Maximum emergencies also presented from Salcette and Bardez, and occurred among young males in the age group of 19-45 years. Males were also more prone to accidents while females had pregnancies as emergencies. Conclusion: Potential emergency services need to target young males with higher concentrations required in Salcette in South Goa and Bardez in North Goa. PMID:20606921

Evacuation in emergencies: An annotated guide to research

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

Vogt, B.M.; Sorensen, J.H.

1987-02-01

The purpose of this literature review was to explore the relevant sources of knowledge regarding evacuation related issues among recent work published in the social sciences and emergency planning fields. In organizing the material, we looked primarily for articles that included either a theoretical or empirical basis for the findings. By empirical, we mean that the findings were based on data taken from actual research gained through surveys, questionnaires, interviews or a combination of these, and the use of secondary sources. The theoretical material consisted of work that built on past research or which explored the use of models. Somemore » conceptual work, raising issues not covered by the general format, were included if they attempted to synthesize aspects of the literature now segmented or which asked additional questions about topics related to but not necessarily within the strict realm of research studies. The material was divided as to the emphasis placed on the individual or the organizational level of behavior. Empirically the individual, family or household response is easier to assess because of the bias that may intrude when individuals of organizations or agencies involved in the evacuation process are interviewed regarding their official status. The annotations of the literature as well as the specific key findings from each study, where appropriate, are organized by hazard type. An author index is provided.« less

JHR Project: a future Material Testing Reactor working as an International user Facility: The key-role of instrumentation in support to the development of modern experimental capacity

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

Bignan, G.; Gonnier, C.; Lyoussi, A.

2015-07-01

Research and development on fuel and material behaviour under irradiation is a key issue for sustainable nuclear energy in order to meet specific needs by keeping the best level of safety. These needs mainly deal with a constant improvement of performances and safety in order to optimize the fuel cycle and hence to reach nuclear energy sustainable objectives. A sustainable nuclear energy requires a high level of performances in order to meet specific needs such as: - Pursuing improvement of the performances and safety of present and coming water cooled reactor technologies. This will require a continuous R and Dmore » support following a long-term trend driven by the plant life management, safety demonstration, flexibility and economics improvement. Experimental irradiations of structure materials are necessary to anticipate these material behaviours and will contribute to their optimisation. - Upgrading continuously nuclear fuel technology in present and future nuclear power plants to achieve better performances and to optimise the fuel cycle keeping the best level of safety. Fuel evolution for generation II, III and III+ is a key stake requiring developments, qualification tests and safety experiments to ensure the competitiveness and safety: experimental tests exploring the full range of fuel behaviour determine fuel stability limits and safety margins, as a major input for the fuel reliability analysis. To perform such accurate and innovative progress and developments, specific and ad hoc instrumentation, irradiation devices, measurement methods are necessary to be set up inside or beside the material testing reactor (MTR) core. These experiments require beforehand in situ and on line sophisticated measurements to accurately determine different key parameters such as thermal and fast neutron fluxes and nuclear heating in order to precisely monitor and control the conducted assays. The new Material Testing Reactor JHR (Jules Horowitz Reactor) currently under

Perspective: Materials informatics and big data: Realization of the "fourth paradigm" of science in materials science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Agrawal, Ankit; Choudhary, Alok

2016-05-01

Our ability to collect "big data" has greatly surpassed our capability to analyze it, underscoring the emergence of the fourth paradigm of science, which is data-driven discovery. The need for data informatics is also emphasized by the Materials Genome Initiative (MGI), further boosting the emerging field of materials informatics. In this article, we look at how data-driven techniques are playing a big role in deciphering processing-structure-property-performance relationships in materials, with illustrative examples of both forward models (property prediction) and inverse models (materials discovery). Such analytics can significantly reduce time-to-insight and accelerate cost-effective materials discovery, which is the goal of MGI.

Emerging chitin and chitosan nanofibrous materials for biomedical applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Fuyuan; Deng, Hongbing; Du, Yumin; Shi, Xiaowen; Wang, Qun

2014-07-01

Over the past several decades, we have witnessed significant progress in chitosan and chitin based nanostructured materials. The nanofibers from chitin and chitosan with appealing physical and biological features have attracted intense attention due to their excellent biological properties related to biodegradability, biocompatibility, antibacterial activity, low immunogenicity and wound healing capacity. Various methods, such as electrospinning, self-assembly, phase separation, mechanical treatment, printing, ultrasonication and chemical treatment were employed to prepare chitin and chitosan nanofibers. These nanofibrous materials have tremendous potential to be used as drug delivery systems, tissue engineering scaffolds, wound dressing materials, antimicrobial agents, and biosensors. This review article discusses the most recent progress in the preparation and application of chitin and chitosan based nanofibrous materials in biomedical fields.

Key Developments in Ionic Liquid Crystals.

PubMed

Alvarez Fernandez, Alexandra; Kouwer, Paul H J

2016-05-16

Ionic liquid crystals are materials that combine the classes of liquid crystals and ionic liquids. The first one is based on the multi-billion-dollar flat panel display industry, whilst the latter quickly developed in the past decades into a family of highly-tunable non-volatile solvents. The combination yields materials with a unique set of properties, but also with many challenges ahead. In this review, we provide an overview of the key concepts in ionic liquid crystals, particularly from a molecular perspective. What are the important molecular parameters that determine the phase behavior? How should they be introduced into the molecules? Finally, which other tools does one have to realize specific properties in the material?

Key Developments in Ionic Liquid Crystals

PubMed Central

Alvarez Fernandez, Alexandra; Kouwer, Paul H. J.

2016-01-01

Ionic liquid crystals are materials that combine the classes of liquid crystals and ionic liquids. The first one is based on the multi-billion-dollar flat panel display industry, whilst the latter quickly developed in the past decades into a family of highly-tunable non-volatile solvents. The combination yields materials with a unique set of properties, but also with many challenges ahead. In this review, we provide an overview of the key concepts in ionic liquid crystals, particularly from a molecular perspective. What are the important molecular parameters that determine the phase behavior? How should they be introduced into the molecules? Finally, which other tools does one have to realize specific properties in the material? PMID:27196890

Education in Emergencies: A Review of Theory and Research

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burde, Dana; Kapit, Amy; Wahl, Rachel L.; Guven, Ozen; Skarpeteig, Margot Igland

2017-01-01

In this article, we conduct an integrative and rigorous review of theory and research on education in emergencies programs and interventions as international agencies implement them in areas of armed conflict. We ask several questions. How did this subfield emerge and what are the key conceptual frameworks that shape it today? How do education in…

Key cognitive preconditions for the evolution of language.

PubMed

Donald, Merlin

2017-02-01

Languages are socially constructed systems of expression, generated interactively in social networks, which can be assimilated by the individual brain as it develops. Languages co-evolved with culture, reflecting the changing complexity of human culture as it acquired the properties of a distributed cognitive system. Two key preconditions set the stage for the evolution of such cultures: a very general ability to rehearse and refine skills (evident early in hominin evolution in toolmaking), and the emergence of material culture as an external (to the brain) memory record that could retain and accumulate knowledge across generations. The ability to practice and rehearse skill provided immediate survival-related benefits in that it expanded the physical powers of early hominins, but the same adaptation also provided the imaginative substrate for a system of "mimetic" expression, such as found in ritual and pantomime, and in proto-words, which performed an expressive function somewhat like the home signs of deaf non-signers. The hominid brain continued to adapt to the increasing importance and complexity of culture as human interactions with material culture became more complex; above all, this entailed a gradual expansion in the integrative systems of the brain, especially those involved in the metacognitive supervision of self-performances. This supported a style of embodied mimetic imagination that improved the coordination of shared activities such as fire tending, but also in rituals and reciprocal mimetic games. The time-depth of this mimetic adaptation, and its role in both the construction and acquisition of languages, explains the importance of mimetic expression in the media, religion, and politics. Spoken language evolved out of voco-mimesis, and emerged long after the more basic abilities needed to refine skill and share intentions, probably coinciding with the common ancestor of sapient humans. Self-monitoring and self-supervised practice were necessary

Hazardous materials regulation in Virginia.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1987-01-01

The report covered four subjects: (1) significance of hazardous materials in Virginia, (2) federal regulation, (3) laws on the transport of hazardous materials in Virginia, and (4) Virginia regulations on hazardous materials emergency response.

Radiation Emergencies | RadTown USA | US EPA

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

2018-05-01

Radiation emergencies can be intentional acts designed to hurt others, like a terrorist attack, or they can be accidents that occur when using radioactive material. During a radiation emergency, the goal is to keep your exposure to radiation as low as possible.

Key Themes in Mobile Learning: Prospects for Learner-Generated Learning through AR and VR

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aguayo, Claudio; Cochrane, Thomas; Narayan, Vickel

2017-01-01

This paper summarises the findings from a literature review in mobile learning, developed as part of a 2-year six-institution project in New Zealand. Through the development of a key themes codebook, we address selected key themes with respect to their relevance to learner-generated learning through emerging technologies, with attention to mobile…

The bedside assistant in robotic surgery--keys to success.

PubMed

Yuh, Bertram

2013-01-01

Taking on the position of bedside assistant for a surgical robotic team can be a daunting task. Keys to success include preparation, proper operation set up, effective use of instruments to augment the actions of the console surgeon, and readiness for surgical emergencies. Effective communication, repetitive execution, and readiness facilitate the efforts of the surgical team.

Emergency contraception.

PubMed

Dunn, Sheila; Guilbert, Édith

2012-09-01

To review current knowledge about emergency contraception (EC), including available options, their modes of action, efficacy, safety, and the effective provision of EC within a practice setting. The combined estradiol-levonorgestrel (Yuzpe regimen) and the levonorgestrel-only regimen, as well as post-coital use of copper intrauterine devices, are reviewed. Efficacy in terms of reduction in risk of pregnancy, safety, and side effects of methods for EC and the effect of the means of access to EC on its appropriate use and the use of consistent contraception. Studies published in English between January 1998 and March 2010 were retrieved though searches of Medline and the Cochrane Database, using appropriate key words (emergency contraception, post-coital contraception, emergency contraceptive pills, post-coital copper IUD). Clinical guidelines and position papers developed by health or family planning organizations were also reviewed. The studies reviewed were classified according to criteria described by the Canadian Task Force on Preventive Health Care, and the recommendations for practice were ranked according to this classification (Table 1). These guidelines are intended to help reduce unintended pregnancies by increasing awareness and appropriate use of EC. The Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada. Summary Statements 1. Hormonal emergency contraception may be effective if used up to 5 days after unprotected intercourse. (II-2) 2. The earlier hormonal emergency contraception is used, the more effective it is. (II-2) 3. A copper IUD can be effective emergency contraception if used within 7 days after intercourse. (II-2) 4. Levonorgestrel emergency contraception regimens are more effective and cause fewer side effects than the Yuzpe regimen. (I) 5. Levonorgestrel emergency contraception single dose (1.5 mg) and the 2-dose levonorgestrel regimen (0.75 mg 12 hours apart) have similar efficacy with no difference in side effects. (I) 6. Of the

Longitudinal meta-analysis of NIST pH Standard Reference Materials(®): a complement to pH key comparisons.

PubMed

Pratt, Kenneth W

2015-04-01

This meta-analysis assesses the long-term (up to 70 years) within-laboratory variation of the NIST pH Standard Reference Material® (SRM) tetroxalate, phthalate, phosphate, borate, and carbonate buffers. Values of ΔpH(S), the difference between the certified pH value, pH(S), of each SRM issue and the mean of all pH(S) values for the given SRM at that Celsius temperature, t, are graphed as a function of the SRM issue and t. In most cases, |ΔpH(S)| < 0.004. Deviations from the nominal base:acid amount (mole) ratio of a buffer yield t-independent, constant shifts in ΔpH(S). The mean ΔpH(S) characterizes such deviations. The corresponding mole fraction of impurity in the conjugate buffer component is generally <0.3 %. Changes in the equipment, personnel, materials, and methodology of the pH(S) measurement yield t-dependent variations. The standard deviation of ΔpH(S) characterizes such changes. Standard deviations of ΔpH(S) are generally 0.0015 or less. The results provide a long-term, single-institution complement to the time-specific, multi-institution results of pH key comparisons administered by the Consultative Committee for Metrology in Chemistry and Biology (CCQM).

Nephrology key information for internists

PubMed Central

Salim, Sohail Abdul; Medaura, Juan A.; Malhotra, Bharat; Garla, Vishnu; Ahuja, Shradha; Lawson, Nicki; Pamarthy, Amaleswari; Sonani, Hardik; Kovvuru, Karthik; Palabindala, Venkataraman

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT Hospitalists and primary care physicians encounter renal disease daily. Although most cases of acute kidney injury (AKI) are secondary to dehydration and resolve by giving fluids, many cases of AKI are due to not uncommon but unfamiliar causes needing nephrology evaluation. Common indications to consult a nephrologist on an emergency basis include hyperkalemia or volume overload in end stage renal disease patients (ESRD). Other causes of immediate consultation are cresenteric glomerulonephritis / rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis in which renal prognosis of the patient depends on timely intervention. The following evidence-based key information could improve patient care and outcomes. Abbreviations: AKI: Acute kidney injury ESRD: End stage renal disease patients PMID:28638567

Errors in imaging patients in the emergency setting

PubMed Central

Reginelli, Alfonso; Lo Re, Giuseppe; Midiri, Federico; Muzj, Carlo; Romano, Luigia; Brunese, Luca

2016-01-01

Emergency and trauma care produces a “perfect storm” for radiological errors: uncooperative patients, inadequate histories, time-critical decisions, concurrent tasks and often junior personnel working after hours in busy emergency departments. The main cause of diagnostic errors in the emergency department is the failure to correctly interpret radiographs, and the majority of diagnoses missed on radiographs are fractures. Missed diagnoses potentially have important consequences for patients, clinicians and radiologists. Radiologists play a pivotal role in the diagnostic assessment of polytrauma patients and of patients with non-traumatic craniothoracoabdominal emergencies, and key elements to reduce errors in the emergency setting are knowledge, experience and the correct application of imaging protocols. This article aims to highlight the definition and classification of errors in radiology, the causes of errors in emergency radiology and the spectrum of diagnostic errors in radiography, ultrasonography and CT in the emergency setting. PMID:26838955

Errors in imaging patients in the emergency setting.

PubMed

Pinto, Antonio; Reginelli, Alfonso; Pinto, Fabio; Lo Re, Giuseppe; Midiri, Federico; Muzj, Carlo; Romano, Luigia; Brunese, Luca

2016-01-01

Emergency and trauma care produces a "perfect storm" for radiological errors: uncooperative patients, inadequate histories, time-critical decisions, concurrent tasks and often junior personnel working after hours in busy emergency departments. The main cause of diagnostic errors in the emergency department is the failure to correctly interpret radiographs, and the majority of diagnoses missed on radiographs are fractures. Missed diagnoses potentially have important consequences for patients, clinicians and radiologists. Radiologists play a pivotal role in the diagnostic assessment of polytrauma patients and of patients with non-traumatic craniothoracoabdominal emergencies, and key elements to reduce errors in the emergency setting are knowledge, experience and the correct application of imaging protocols. This article aims to highlight the definition and classification of errors in radiology, the causes of errors in emergency radiology and the spectrum of diagnostic errors in radiography, ultrasonography and CT in the emergency setting.

15 CFR 922.165 - Emergency regulations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 15 Commerce and Foreign Trade 3 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Emergency regulations. 922.165 Section 922.165 Commerce and Foreign Trade Regulations Relating to Commerce and Foreign Trade (Continued... MANAGEMENT NATIONAL MARINE SANCTUARY PROGRAM REGULATIONS Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary § 922.165...

Bound entangled states with a private key and their classical counterpart.

PubMed

Ozols, Maris; Smith, Graeme; Smolin, John A

2014-03-21

Entanglement is a fundamental resource for quantum information processing. In its pure form, it allows quantum teleportation and sharing classical secrets. Realistic quantum states are noisy and their usefulness is only partially understood. Bound-entangled states are central to this question--they have no distillable entanglement, yet sometimes still have a private classical key. We present a construction of bound-entangled states with a private key based on classical probability distributions. From this emerge states possessing a new classical analogue of bound entanglement, distinct from the long-sought bound information. We also find states of smaller dimensions and higher key rates than previously known. Our construction has implications for classical cryptography: we show that existing protocols are insufficient for extracting private key from our distributions due to their "bound-entangled" nature. We propose a simple extension of existing protocols that can extract a key from them.

Bruton's Tyrosine Kinase: An Emerging Key Player in Innate Immunity.

PubMed

Weber, Alexander N R; Bittner, Zsofia; Liu, Xiao; Dang, Truong-Minh; Radsak, Markus Philipp; Brunner, Cornelia

2017-01-01

Bruton's tyrosine kinase (BTK) was initially discovered as a critical mediator of B cell receptor signaling in the development and functioning of adaptive immunity. Growing evidence also suggests multiple roles for BTK in mononuclear cells of the innate immune system, especially in dendritic cells and macrophages. For example, BTK has been shown to function in Toll-like receptor-mediated recognition of infectious agents, cellular maturation and recruitment processes, and Fc receptor signaling. Most recently, BTK was additionally identified as a direct regulator of a key innate inflammatory machinery, the NLRP3 inflammasome. BTK has thus attracted interest not only for gaining a more thorough basic understanding of the human innate immune system but also as a target to therapeutically modulate innate immunity. We here review the latest developments on the role of BTK in mononuclear innate immune cells in mouse versus man, with specific emphasis on the sensing of infectious agents and the induction of inflammation. Therapeutic implications for modulating innate immunity and critical open questions are also discussed.

Mapping the literature of emergency nursing

PubMed Central

Alpi, Kristine M.

2006-01-01

Purpose: Emergency nursing covers a broad spectrum of health care from trauma surgery support to preventive health care. The purpose of this study is to identify the core literature of emergency nursing and to determine which databases provide the most thorough indexing access to the literature cited in emergency nursing journals. This study is part of the Medical Library Association's Nursing and Allied Health Resources Section's project to map the nursing literature. Methods: Four key emergency nursing journals were selected and subjected to citation analysis based on Bradford's Law of Scattering. Results: A group of 12 journals made up 33.3% of the 7,119 citations, another 33.3% of the citations appeared in 92 journals, with the remaining 33.3% scattered across 822 journals. Three of the core 12 journals were emergency medicine titles, and 2 were emergency nursing titles from the selected source journals. Government publications constituted 7.5% of the literature cited. Conclusions: PubMed/MEDLINE provided the best overall indexing coverage for the journals, followed by CINAHL. However, CINAHL provided the most complete coverage for the source journals and the majority of the nursing and emergency medical technology publications and should be consulted by librarians and nurses seeking emergency nursing literature. PMID:16710456

Materials for lithium-ion battery safety.

PubMed

Liu, Kai; Liu, Yayuan; Lin, Dingchang; Pei, Allen; Cui, Yi

2018-06-01

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are considered to be one of the most important energy storage technologies. As the energy density of batteries increases, battery safety becomes even more critical if the energy is released unintentionally. Accidents related to fires and explosions of LIBs occur frequently worldwide. Some have caused serious threats to human life and health and have led to numerous product recalls by manufacturers. These incidents are reminders that safety is a prerequisite for batteries, and serious issues need to be resolved before the future application of high-energy battery systems. This Review aims to summarize the fundamentals of the origins of LIB safety issues and highlight recent key progress in materials design to improve LIB safety. We anticipate that this Review will inspire further improvement in battery safety, especially for emerging LIBs with high-energy density.

Materials for lithium-ion battery safety

PubMed Central

Liu, Kai

2018-01-01

Lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are considered to be one of the most important energy storage technologies. As the energy density of batteries increases, battery safety becomes even more critical if the energy is released unintentionally. Accidents related to fires and explosions of LIBs occur frequently worldwide. Some have caused serious threats to human life and health and have led to numerous product recalls by manufacturers. These incidents are reminders that safety is a prerequisite for batteries, and serious issues need to be resolved before the future application of high-energy battery systems. This Review aims to summarize the fundamentals of the origins of LIB safety issues and highlight recent key progress in materials design to improve LIB safety. We anticipate that this Review will inspire further improvement in battery safety, especially for emerging LIBs with high-energy density. PMID:29942858

Photo interpretation key to Michigan land cover/use

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Enslin, W. R.; Hudson, W. D.; Lusch, D. P.

1983-01-01

A set of photo interpretation keys is presented to provide a structured approach to the identification of land cover/use categories as specified in the Michigan Resource Inventory Act. The designated categories are urban and; built up lands; agricultural lands; forest land; nonforested land; water bodies; wetlands; and barren land. The keys were developed for use with medium scale (1:20,000 to 1:24,000) color infrared aerial photography. Although each key is generalized in that it relies only upon the most distinguishing photo characteristics in separating the various land cover/use categories, additional interpretation characteristics, distinguishing features and background material are given.

Does Gender Moderate the Relations Between Externalizing Behavior and Key Emergent Literacy Abilities? Evidence From a Longitudinal Study.

PubMed

Allan, Nicholas P; Joye, Shauna W; Lonigan, Christopher J

2017-05-01

There is a significant negative relation between externalizing behavior and emergent literacy skills among preschool children. The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of gender on the predictive relation of externalizing behavior and emergent literacy in a group of 178 preschool children (mean age = 48.50 months, SD = 3.66; 48% boys). Externalizing behaviors predicted emergent literacy over time. Distinct patterns of predictive associations dependent on gender were found. Girls with higher levels of externalizing behaviors experienced less change in their vocabulary skills compared with the vocabulary change shown by girls with lower levels of these problem behaviors. The results suggest that early identification programs that include externalizing behavior problems and their relation with emergent literacy development should account for potential gender differences. A theoretical framework in which girls with behavior problems receive less opportunity for vocabulary acquisition is presented.

Zr-doped TiO2 supported on delaminated clay materials for solar photocatalytic treatment of emerging pollutants.

PubMed

Belver, C; Bedia, J; Rodriguez, J J

2017-01-15

Solar light-active Zr-doped TiO 2 nanoparticles were successfully immobilized on delaminated clay materials by a one-step sol-gel route. Fixing the amount of TiO 2 at 65wt.%, this work studies the influence of Zr loading (up to 2%) on the photocatalytic activity of the resulting Zr-doped TiO 2 /clay materials. The structural characterization demonstrates that all samples were formed by a delaminated clay with nanostructured anatase assembled on its surface. The Zr dopant was successfully incorporated into the anatase lattice, resulting in a slight deformation of the anatase crystal and the reduction of the band gap. These materials exhibit high surface area with a disordered mesoporous structure formed by TiO 2 particles (15-20nm) supported on a delaminated clay. They were tested in the solar photodegradation of antipyrine, usually used as an analgesic drug and selected as an example of emerging pollutant. High degradation rates have been obtained at low antipyrine concentrations and high solar irradiation intensities with the Zr-doped TiO 2 /clay catalyst, more effective than the undoped one. This work demonstrates the potential application of the synthesis method for preparing novel and efficient solar-light photocatalysts based on metal-doped anatase and a delaminated clay. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Optimized maritime emergency resource allocation under dynamic demand.

PubMed

Zhang, Wenfen; Yan, Xinping; Yang, Jiaqi

2017-01-01

Emergency resource is important for people evacuation and property rescue when accident occurs. The relief efforts could be promoted by a reasonable emergency resource allocation schedule in advance. As the marine environment is complicated and changeful, the place, type, severity of maritime accident is uncertain and stochastic, bringing about dynamic demand of emergency resource. Considering dynamic demand, how to make a reasonable emergency resource allocation schedule is challenging. The key problem is to determine the optimal stock of emergency resource for supplier centers to improve relief efforts. This paper studies the dynamic demand, and which is defined as a set. Then a maritime emergency resource allocation model with uncertain data is presented. Afterwards, a robust approach is developed and used to make sure that the resource allocation schedule performs well with dynamic demand. Finally, a case study shows that the proposed methodology is feasible in maritime emergency resource allocation. The findings could help emergency manager to schedule the emergency resource allocation more flexibly in terms of dynamic demand.

Optimized maritime emergency resource allocation under dynamic demand

PubMed Central

Yan, Xinping; Yang, Jiaqi

2017-01-01

Emergency resource is important for people evacuation and property rescue when accident occurs. The relief efforts could be promoted by a reasonable emergency resource allocation schedule in advance. As the marine environment is complicated and changeful, the place, type, severity of maritime accident is uncertain and stochastic, bringing about dynamic demand of emergency resource. Considering dynamic demand, how to make a reasonable emergency resource allocation schedule is challenging. The key problem is to determine the optimal stock of emergency resource for supplier centers to improve relief efforts. This paper studies the dynamic demand, and which is defined as a set. Then a maritime emergency resource allocation model with uncertain data is presented. Afterwards, a robust approach is developed and used to make sure that the resource allocation schedule performs well with dynamic demand. Finally, a case study shows that the proposed methodology is feasible in maritime emergency resource allocation. The findings could help emergency manager to schedule the emergency resource allocation more flexibly in terms of dynamic demand. PMID:29240792

Emerging electrochemical energy conversion and storage technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Badwal, Sukhvinder; Giddey, Sarbjit; Munnings, Christopher; Bhatt, Anand; Hollenkamp, Tony

2014-09-01

Electrochemical cells and systems play a key role in a wide range of industry sectors. These devices are critical enabling technologies for renewable energy; energy management, conservation and storage; pollution control / monitoring; and greenhouse gas reduction. A large number of electrochemical energy technologies have been developed in the past. These systems continue to be optimized in terms of cost, life time and performance, leading to their continued expansion into existing and emerging market sectors. The more established technologies such as deep-cycle batteries and sensors are being joined by emerging technologies such as fuel cells, large format lithium-ion batteries, electrochemical reactors; ion transport membranes and supercapacitors. This growing demand (multi billion dollars) for electrochemical energy systems along with the increasing maturity of a number of technologies is having a significant effect on the global research and development effort which is increasing in both in size and depth. A number of new technologies, which will have substantial impact on the environment and the way we produce and utilize energy, are under development. This paper presents an overview of several emerging electrochemical energy technologies along with a discussion some of the key technical challenges.

Emerging electrochemical energy conversion and storage technologies

PubMed Central

Badwal, Sukhvinder P. S.; Giddey, Sarbjit S.; Munnings, Christopher; Bhatt, Anand I.; Hollenkamp, Anthony F.

2014-01-01

Electrochemical cells and systems play a key role in a wide range of industry sectors. These devices are critical enabling technologies for renewable energy; energy management, conservation, and storage; pollution control/monitoring; and greenhouse gas reduction. A large number of electrochemical energy technologies have been developed in the past. These systems continue to be optimized in terms of cost, life time, and performance, leading to their continued expansion into existing and emerging market sectors. The more established technologies such as deep-cycle batteries and sensors are being joined by emerging technologies such as fuel cells, large format lithium-ion batteries, electrochemical reactors; ion transport membranes and supercapacitors. This growing demand (multi billion dollars) for electrochemical energy systems along with the increasing maturity of a number of technologies is having a significant effect on the global research and development effort which is increasing in both in size and depth. A number of new technologies, which will have substantial impact on the environment and the way we produce and utilize energy, are under development. This paper presents an overview of several emerging electrochemical energy technologies along with a discussion some of the key technical challenges. PMID:25309898

An exploration of emergency nurses' perceptions, attitudes and experience of teamwork in the emergency department.

PubMed

Grover, Elise; Porter, Joanne E; Morphet, Julia

2017-05-01

Teamwork may assist with increased levels of efficiency and safety of patient care in the emergency department (ED), with emergency nurses playing an indispensable role in this process. A descriptive, exploratory approach was used, drawing on principles from phenomenology and symbolic interactionism. Convenience, purposive sampling was used in a major metropolitan ED. Semi structured interviews were conducted, audio recorded, and transcribed verbatim. Transcripts were analysed using thematic analysis. Three major themes emerged from the data. The first theme 'when teamwork works' supported the notion that emergency nurses perceived teamwork as a positive and effective construct in four key areas; resuscitation, simulation training, patient outcomes and staff satisfaction. The second theme 'team support' revealed that back up behaviour and leadership were critical elements of team effectiveness within the study setting. The third theme 'no time for teamwork' centred around periods when teamwork practices failed due to various contributing factors including inadequate resources and skill mix. Outcomes of effective teamwork were valued by emergency nurses. Teamwork is about performance, and requires a certain skill set not necessarily naturally possessed among emergency nurses. Building a resilient team inclusive of strong leadership and communication skills is essential to being able to withstand the challenging demands of the ED. Copyright © 2017 College of Emergency Nursing Australasia. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

44 CFR 5.25 - Available materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Available materials. 5.25 Section 5.25 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF... are not published in the Federal Register. (c) Administrative staff manuals and instructions to staff...

HSCT materials and structures: An MDC perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sutton, Jay O.

1992-01-01

The key High Speed Civil Transport (HSCT) features which control the materials selection are discussed. Materials are selected based on weight and production economics. The top-down and bottoms-up approaches to material selection are compared for the Mach 2.4 study baseline aircraft. The key materials and structures related tasks which remain to be accomplished prior to proceeding with the building of the HSCT aircraft are examined.

Nanostructured p-type semiconducting transparent oxides: promising materials for nano-active devices and the emerging field of "transparent nanoelectronics".

PubMed

Banerjee, Arghya; Chattopadhyay, Kalyan K

2008-01-01

Transparent conducting oxides (TCO) with p-type semiconductivity have recently gained renewed interest for the fabrication of all-oxide transparent junctions, having potential applications in the emerging field of 'Transparent' or 'Invisible Electronics'. This kind of transparent junctions can be used as a "functional" window, which will transmit visible portion of solar radiation, but generates electricity by the absorption of the UV part. Therefore, these devices can be used as UV shield as well as UV cells. In this report, a brief review on the research activities on various p-TCO materials is furnished along-with the fabrication of different transparent p-n homojunction, heterojunction and field-effect transistors. Also the reason behind the difficulties in obtaining p-TCO materials and possible solutions are discussed in details. Considerable attention is given in describing the various patent generations on the field of p-TCO materials as well as transparent p-n junction diodes and light emitting devices. Also, most importantly, a detailed review and patenting activities on the nanocrystalline p-TCO materials and transparent nano-active device fabrication are furnished with considerable attention. And finally, a systematic description on the fabrication and characterization of nanocrystalline, p-type transparent conducting CuAlO(2) thin film, deposited by cost-effective low-temperature DC sputtering technique, by our group, is furnished in details. These p-TCO micro/nano-materials have wide range of applications in the field of optoelectronics, nanoelectronics, space sciences, field-emission displays, thermoelectric converters and sensing devices.

Issues, considerations and recommendations on emergency preparedness for vulnerable population groups.

PubMed

Chen, Jing; Wilkinson, Diana; Richardson, Richard B; Waruszynski, Barbara

2009-06-01

The Workshop on Emergency Preparedness for Vulnerable Population Groups was held on 2 and 3 March 2009 in Ottawa, ON, Canada. The purpose of the workshop was to enhance communications within the emergency community response network and to identify the needs and gaps of emergency preparedness against chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives events for vulnerable population groups. The workshop was organised to enable extensive round-table discussions and provide a summary of key issues, considerations and recommendations for emergency response planners.

Material Separation Using Dual-Energy CT: Current and Emerging Applications.

PubMed

Patino, Manuel; Prochowski, Andrea; Agrawal, Mukta D; Simeone, Frank J; Gupta, Rajiv; Hahn, Peter F; Sahani, Dushyant V

2016-01-01

Dual-energy (DE) computed tomography (CT) offers the opportunity to generate material-specific images on the basis of the atomic number Z and the unique mass attenuation coefficient of a particular material at different x-ray energies. Material-specific images provide qualitative and quantitative information about tissue composition and contrast media distribution. The most significant contribution of DE CT-based material characterization comes from the capability to assess iodine distribution through the creation of an image that exclusively shows iodine. These iodine-specific images increase tissue contrast and amplify subtle differences in attenuation between normal and abnormal tissues, improving lesion detection and characterization in the abdomen. In addition, DE CT enables computational removal of iodine influence from a CT image, generating virtual noncontrast images. Several additional materials, including calcium, fat, and uric acid, can be separated, permitting imaging assessment of metabolic imbalances, elemental deficiencies, and abnormal deposition of materials within tissues. The ability to obtain material-specific images from a single, contrast-enhanced CT acquisition can complement the anatomic knowledge with functional information, and may be used to reduce the radiation dose by decreasing the number of phases in a multiphasic CT examination. DE CT also enables generation of energy-specific and virtual monochromatic images. Clinical applications of DE CT leverage both material-specific images and virtual monochromatic images to expand the current role of CT and overcome several limitations of single-energy CT. (©)RSNA, 2016.

Emergency deployable core catcher

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

Rosewell, M.P.

An emergency melt down core catcher apparatus for a nuclear reactor having a retrofitable eutectic solute holding vessel connected to a core containment vessel with particle transferring fluid and particles or granules of solid eutectic solute materials contained therein and transferable by automatically operated valve means to transport and position the solid eutectic solute material in a position below the core to catch and react with any partial or complete melt down of the fuel core.

Measurement errors in voice-key naming latency for Hiragana.

PubMed

Yamada, Jun; Tamaoka, Katsuo

2003-12-01

This study makes explicit the limitations and possibilities of voice-key naming latency research on single hiragana symbols (a Japanese syllabic script) by examining three sets of voice-key naming data against Sakuma, Fushimi, and Tatsumi's 1997 speech-analyzer voice-waveform data. Analysis showed that voice-key measurement errors can be substantial in standard procedures as they may conceal the true effects of significant variables involved in hiragana-naming behavior. While one can avoid voice-key measurement errors to some extent by applying Sakuma, et al.'s deltas and by excluding initial phonemes which induce measurement errors, such errors may be ignored when test items are words and other higher-level linguistic materials.

Employee Perceptions of Their Organization's Level of Emergency Preparedness Following a Brief Workplace Emergency Planning Educational Presentation.

PubMed

Renschler, Lauren A; Terrigino, Elizabeth A; Azim, Sabiya; Snider, Elsa; Rhodes, Darson L; Cox, Carol C

2016-06-01

A brief emergency planning educational presentation was taught during work hours to a convenience sample of employees of various workplaces in Northern Missouri, USA. Participants were familiarized with details about how an emergency plan is prepared by management and implemented by management-employee crisis management teams - focusing on both employee and management roles. They then applied the presentation information to assess their own organization's emergency preparedness level. Participants possessed significantly (p < 0.05) higher perceptions of their organization's level of emergency preparedness than non-participants. It is recommended that an assessment of organizational preparedness level supplement emergency planning educational presentations in order to immediately apply the material covered and encourage employees to become more involved in their organization's emergency planning and response. Educational strategies that involve management-employee collaboration in activities tailored to each workplace's operations and risk level for emergencies should be implemented.

Keys and the crisis in taxonomy: extinction or reinvention?

PubMed

Walter, David Evans; Winterton, Shaun

2007-01-01

Dichotomous keys that follow a single pathway of character state choices to an end point have been the primary tools for the identification of unknown organisms for more than two centuries. However, a revolution in computer diagnostics is now under way that may result in the replacement of traditional keys by matrix-based computer interactive keys that have many paths to a correct identification and make extensive use of hypertext to link to images, glossaries, and other support material. Progress is also being made on replacing keys entirely by optical matching of specimens to digital databases and DNA sequences. These new tools may go some way toward alleviating the taxonomic impediment to biodiversity studies and other ecological and evolutionary research, especially with better coordination between those who produce keys and those who use them and by integrating interactive keys into larger biological Web sites.

76 FR 68828 - Pipeline Safety: Emergency Responder Forum

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-07

... PHMSA-2011-0295] Pipeline Safety: Emergency Responder Forum AGENCY: Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of Forum. SUMMARY: PHMSA is co-sponsoring a one-day Emergency Responder Forum with the National Association of Pipeline Safety Representatives and the United...

40 CFR 355.3 - Which section contains the definitions of the key words used in this part?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 40 Protection of Environment 28 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Which section contains the definitions of the key words used in this part? 355.3 Section 355.3 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) SUPERFUND, EMERGENCY PLANNING, AND COMMUNITY RIGHT-TO-KNOW PROGRAMS EMERGENCY...

Emergence of tissue mechanics from cellular processes: shaping a fly wing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Merkel, Matthias; Etournay, Raphael; Popovic, Marko; Nandi, Amitabha; Brandl, Holger; Salbreux, Guillaume; Eaton, Suzanne; Jülicher, Frank

Nowadays, biologistsare able to image biological tissueswith up to 10,000 cells in vivowhere the behavior of each individual cell can be followed in detail.However, how precisely large-scale tissue deformation and stresses emerge from cellular behavior remains elusive. Here, we study this question in the developing wing of the fruit fly. To this end, we first establish a geometrical framework that exactly decomposes tissue deformation into contributions by different kinds of cellular processes. These processes comprise cell shape changes, cell neighbor exchanges, cell divisions, and cell extrusions. As the key idea, we introduce a tiling of the cellular network into triangles. This approach also reveals that tissue deformation can also be created by correlated cellular motion. Based on quantifications using these concepts, we developed a novel continuum mechanical model for the fly wing. In particular, our model includes active anisotropic stresses and a delay in the response of cell rearrangements to material stresses. A different approach to study the emergence of tissue mechanics from cellular behavior are cell-based models. We characterize the properties of a cell-based model for 3D tissues that is a hybrid between single particle models and the so-called vertex models.

Developing a Research Agenda to Optimize Diagnostic Imaging in the Emergency Department: An Executive Summary of the 2015 Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference.

PubMed

Marin, Jennifer R; Mills, Angela M

2015-12-01

The 2015 Academic Emergency Medicine consensus conference, "Diagnostic Imaging in the Emergency Department: A Research Agenda to Optimize Utilization" was held on May 12, 2015, with the goal of developing a high-priority research agenda on which to base future research. The specific aims of the conference were to (1) understand the current state of evidence regarding emergency department (ED) diagnostic imaging use and identify key opportunities, limitations, and gaps in knowledge; (2) develop a consensus-driven research agenda emphasizing priorities and opportunities for research in ED diagnostic imaging; and (3) explore specific funding mechanisms available to facilitate research in ED diagnostic imaging. Over a 2-year period, the executive committee and other experts in the field convened regularly to identify specific areas in need of future research. Six content areas within emergency diagnostic imaging were identified before the conference and served as the breakout groups on which consensus was achieved: clinical decision rules; use of administrative data; patient-centered outcomes research; training, education, and competency; knowledge translation and barriers to imaging optimization; and comparative effectiveness research in alternatives to traditional computed tomography use. The executive committee invited key stakeholders to assist with the planning and to participate in the consensus conference to generate a multidisciplinary agenda. There were a total of 164 individuals involved in the conference and spanned various specialties, including general emergency medicine, pediatric emergency medicine, radiology, surgery, medical physics, and the decision sciences.

NewSpace: The Emerging Commercial Space Industry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Martin, Gary L.

2014-01-01

Presenter will give a lecture on the emerging commercial space industry at International Space University's 2014 Space Studies Program (SSP) at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. The presentation consists of 38 Powerpoint slides and describes the emerging commercial space sector, key players and capabilities. The slides explain which areas that the commercial sector is taking hold, what new markets are attracting start up companies, and which companies are participating. A discussion of how governments can help with the new industry's development is offered.

Emergency Health Preparedness: Expectations for Teachers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winkelman, Jack L.

Specific issues relevant to the emergency health preparedness of schools and the key roles and expectations applicable to teachers are outlined. It is noted that, while issues of legal liability relevant to teachers are complex, teachers are expected to: (1) anticipate possible risk or harm involved in activities; (2) give adequate warning of…

Recommendations for Emergency Management Planning for School Facilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Texas Education Agency, Austin.

Numerous events, such as hurricanes, floods, and tornadoes, constitute a natural disaster for public schools. Human-caused disasters include hazardous-material emergencies, civil riots, fires, and nuclear accidents. This document contains emergency-management planning guidelines, developed by the Texas Education Agency, to help local school…

Emergency Response Virtual Environment for Safe Schools

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wasfy, Ayman; Walker, Teresa

2008-01-01

An intelligent emergency response virtual environment (ERVE) that provides emergency first responders, response planners, and managers with situational awareness as well as training and support for safe schools is presented. ERVE incorporates an intelligent agent facility for guiding and assisting the user in the context of the emergency response operations. Response information folders capture key information about the school. The system enables interactive 3D visualization of schools and academic campuses, including the terrain and the buildings' exteriors and interiors in an easy to use Web..based interface. ERVE incorporates live camera and sensors feeds and can be integrated with other simulations such as chemical plume simulation. The system is integrated with a Geographical Information System (GIS) to enable situational awareness of emergency events and assessment of their effect on schools in a geographic area. ERVE can also be integrated with emergency text messaging notification systems. Using ERVE, it is now possible to address safe schools' emergency management needs with a scaleable, seamlessly integrated and fully interactive intelligent and visually compelling solution.

Emergency medicine in modern Europe.

PubMed

Fleischmann, Thomas; Fulde, Gordian

2007-08-01

Emergency medicine in the highly advanced world is traditionally performed in two different ways. The first is the well-known Anglo-American system with skilled EDs, and a pre-hospital emergency medical service utilizing paramedics. The second is the so-called Franco-German system, with a highly developed pre-hospital emergency physician service, but only a basic organization of hospital-based emergency medicine. This gap is now closing fast because of the rapid advancement of hospital-based emergency medicine in Europe. Four criteria might be used to measure this: the recognition as a specialty, the specialist training programme, the professional organization of emergency physicians and the presence of academic centres in Europe. Eleven of the 27 European countries recognize hospital-based emergency medicine as a specialty already. These include Belgium, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovenia and the United Kingdom. Other nations are striving to do so, for example Sweden, France, Germany and Greece. There is no doubt that emergency medicine is gaining momentum and other countries will follow. Training for the specialty of emergency medicine is advanced already. Several curricula presently exist in the respective European countries. A task force, governed by the European Society for Emergency Medicine has been working hard to create a model curriculum for all of Europe, which is expected to be published in 2007. This comprises a 5-year specialty training, with three of them spent in an ED. The curriculum follows a symptom-oriented approach to emergency medicine, and includes a skilled description of the key competencies of the future trained emergency physicians. Given the century-long history of the pre-hospital emergency physician service in some European countries, a number of professional bodies exist representing pre-hospital emergency doctors. Within the last few years, ED physicians followed suit forming

An investigation into the differentiating characteristics between car key burglars and regular burglars.

PubMed

Chapman, Rachel; Smith, Lisa L; Bond, John W

2012-07-01

Car key burglary has recently become the focus of empirical investigation as offenders, no longer able to steal vehicles without first obtaining their keys, resort to "burgling" target properties. Research surrounding the modus operandi of these offenses is beginning to emerge; however, little attention has been paid to investigating the characteristics of car key burglary offenders. Challenging the assumption that car key burglary offenses are perpetrated by regular burglars, this study aims to differentiate between offenders. Logistic regression analysis of 110 car key and 110 regular burglary offenders revealed that car key burglars are more likely to have previous vehicle theft convictions and are also more likely to be detected on information supplied to the police than regular burglars. Regular burglars are more likely to have previous shoplifting convictions. It was concluded that car key burglars are a distinct sample of offenders and the implications of these findings are discussed. © 2012 American Academy of Forensic Sciences.

The Virtual Learning Commons: An Emerging Technology for Learning About Emerging Technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pennington, D. D.; Del Rio, N.; Fierro, C.; Gandara, A.; Garcia, A.; Garza, J.; Giandoni, M.; Ochoa, O.; Padilla, E.; Salamah, S.

2013-12-01

The Virtual Learning Commons (VLC), funded by the National Science Foundation Office of Cyberinfrastructure CI-Team Program, is a combination of semantic, visualization, and social media tools that support knowledge sharing and innovation across research disciplines. The explosion of new scientific tools and techniques challenges the ability of researchers to be aware of emerging technologies that might benefit them. Even when aware, it can be difficult to understand enough about emerging technologies to become potential adopters or re-users. Often, emerging technologies have little documentation, especially about the context of their use. The VLC tackles this challenge by providing mechanisms for individuals and groups of researchers to collectively organize Web resources through social bookmarking, and engage each other around those collections in order to a) learn about potentially relevant technologies that are emerging; and b) get feedback from other researchers on innovative ideas and designs. Concurrently, developers of emerging technologies can learn about potential users and the issues they encounter, and they can analyze the impact of their tools on other projects. The VLC aims to support the 'fuzzy front end' of innovation, where novel ideas emerge and there is the greatest potential for impact on research design. It is during the fuzzy front end that conceptual collisions across disciplines and exposure to diverse perspectives provide opportunity for creative thinking that can lead to inventive outcomes. This presentation will discuss the innovation theories that have informed design of the VLC, and hypotheses about the flow of information in virtual settings that can enable the process of innovation. The presentation will include a brief demonstration of key capabilities within the VLC that enable learning about emerging technologies, including the technologies that are presented in this session.

Shallow halogen vacancies in halide optoelectronic materials

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

Shi, Hongliang; Du, Mao -Hua

2014-11-05

Halogen vacancies (V H) are usually deep color centers (F centers) in halides and can act as major electron traps or recombination centers. The deep V H contributes to the typically poor carrier transport properties in halides. However, several halides have recently emerged as excellent optoelectronic materials, e.g., CH 3NH 3PbI 3 and TlBr. Both CH 3NH 3PbI 3 and TlBr have been found to have shallow V H, in contrast to commonly seen deep V H in halides. In this paper, several halide optoelectronic materials, i.e., CH 3NH 3PbI 3, CH 3NH 3SnI 3 (photovoltaic materials), TlBr, and CsPbBrmore » 3, (gamma-ray detection materials) are studied to understand the material chemistry and structure that determine whether V H is a shallow or deep defect in a halide material. It is found that crystal structure and chemistry of ns 2 ions both play important roles in creating shallow V H in halides such as CH 3NH 3PbI 3, CH 3NH 3SnI 3, and TlBr. The key to identifying halides with shallow V H is to find the right crystal structures and compounds that suppress cation orbital hybridization at V H, such as those with long cation-cation distances and low anion coordination numbers, and those with crystal symmetry that prevents strong hybridization of cation dangling bond orbitals at V H. Furthermore, the results of this paper provide insight and guidance to identifying halides with shallow V H as good electronic and optoelectronic materials.« less

Shallow halogen vacancies in halide optoelectronic materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Hongliang; Du, Mao-Hua

2014-11-01

Halogen vacancies (VH ) are usually deep color centers (F centers) in halides and can act as major electron traps or recombination centers. The deep VH contributes to the typically poor carrier transport properties in halides. However, several halides have recently emerged as excellent optoelectronic materials, e.g., C H3N H3Pb I3 and TlBr. Both C H3N H3Pb I3 and TlBr have been found to have shallow VH , in contrast to commonly seen deep VH in halides. In this paper, several halide optoelectronic materials, i.e., C H3N H3Pb I3 , C H3N H3Sn I3 (photovoltaic materials), TlBr, and CsPbB r3 (gamma-ray detection materials) are studied to understand the material chemistry and structure that determine whether VH is a shallow or deep defect in a halide material. It is found that crystal structure and chemistry of n s2 ions both play important roles in creating shallow VH in halides such as C H3N H3Pb I3 , C H3N H3Sn I3 , and TlBr. The key to identifying halides with shallow VH is to find the right crystal structures and compounds that suppress cation orbital hybridization at VH , such as those with large cation-cation distances and low anion coordination numbers and those with crystal symmetry that prevents strong hybridization of cation dangling bond orbitals at VH . The results of this paper provide insight and guidance to identifying halides with shallow VH as good electronic and optoelectronic materials.

NRT-1: Hazardous Materials Planning Guide

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The NRT issued Hazardous Materials Emergency Planning Guide (NRT1) in 1987, as required by EPCRA, to provide planning guidance for state and local governments in the development of local emergency response plans.

46 CFR 109.213 - Emergency training and drills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Emergency training and drills. 109.213 Section 109.213 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) A-MOBILE OFFSHORE DRILLING UNITS OPERATIONS Tests, Drills, and Inspections § 109.213 Emergency training and drills. (a) Training materials...

46 CFR 109.213 - Emergency training and drills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Emergency training and drills. 109.213 Section 109.213 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) A-MOBILE OFFSHORE DRILLING UNITS OPERATIONS Tests, Drills, and Inspections § 109.213 Emergency training and drills. (a) Training materials...

46 CFR 109.213 - Emergency training and drills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Emergency training and drills. 109.213 Section 109.213 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) A-MOBILE OFFSHORE DRILLING UNITS OPERATIONS Tests, Drills, and Inspections § 109.213 Emergency training and drills. (a) Training materials...

46 CFR 109.213 - Emergency training and drills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Emergency training and drills. 109.213 Section 109.213 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) A-MOBILE OFFSHORE DRILLING UNITS OPERATIONS Tests, Drills, and Inspections § 109.213 Emergency training and drills. (a) Training materials...

46 CFR 109.213 - Emergency training and drills.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Emergency training and drills. 109.213 Section 109.213 Shipping COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) A-MOBILE OFFSHORE DRILLING UNITS OPERATIONS Tests, Drills, and Inspections § 109.213 Emergency training and drills. (a) Training materials...

Policies to Enable Bioenergy Deployment: Key Considerations and Good Practices

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

Smolinksi, Sharon; Cox, Sadie

2016-05-01

Bioenergy is renewable energy generated from biological source materials, and includes electricity, transportation fuels and heating. Source materials are varied types of biomass, including food crops such as corn and sugarcane, non-edible lignocellulosic materials such as agricultural and forestry waste and dedicated crops, and municipal and livestock wastes. Key aspects of policies for bioenergy deployment are presented in this brief as part of the Clean Energy Solutions Center's Clean Energy Policy Brief Series.

Materials by numbers: Computations as tools of discovery

PubMed Central

Landman, Uzi

2005-01-01

Current issues pertaining to theoretical simulations of materials, with a focus on systems of nanometer-scale dimensions, are discussed. The use of atomistic simulations as high-resolution numerical experiments, enabling and guiding formulation and testing of analytic theoretical descriptions, is demonstrated through studies of the generation and breakup of nanojets, which have led to the derivation of a stochastic hydrodynamic description. Subsequently, I illustrate the use of computations and simulations as tools of discovery, with examples that include the self-organized formation of nanowires, the surprising nanocatalytic activity of small aggregates of gold that, in the bulk form, is notorious for being chemically inert, and the emergence of rotating electron molecules in two-dimensional quantum dots. I conclude with a brief discussion of some key challenges in nanomaterials simulations. PMID:15870210

Understanding the Impact of Residents' Interpersonal Relationships During Emergency Department Referrals and Consultations

PubMed Central

Chan, Teresa; Sabir, Kameron; Sanhan, Sarila; Sherbino, Jonathan

2013-01-01

Background Communicating with colleagues is a key physician competency. Yet few studies have sought to uncover the complex nature of relationships between referring and consulting physicians, which may be affected by the inherent relationships between the participants. Objective Our study examines themes identified from discussions about communications and the role of relationships during the referral-consultation process. Methods From March to September 2010, 30 residents (10 emergency medicine, 10 general surgery, 10 internal medicine) were interviewed using a semistructured focus group protocol. Two investigators independently reviewed the transcripts using inductive methods and grounded theory to generate themes (using codes for ease of analysis) until saturation was reached. Disagreements were resolved by consensus, yielding an inventory of themes and subthemes. Measures for ensuring trustworthiness of the analysis included generating an audit trail and external auditing of the material by investigators not involved with the initial analysis. Results Two main relationship-related themes affected the referral-consultation process: familiarity and trust. Various subthemes were further delineated and studied in the context of pertinent literature. Conclusions Relationships between physicians have a powerful influence on the emergency department referral-consultation dynamic. The emergency department referral-consultation may be significantly altered by the familiarity and perceived trustworthiness of the referring and consulting physicians. Our proposed framework may further inform and improve instructional methods for teaching interpersonal communication. Most importantly, it may help junior learners understand inherent difficulties they may encounter during the referral process between emergency and consulting physicians. PMID:24455004

Materials--What's the Matter?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkinson, Deborah; Stallard, Wayne

2017-01-01

Materials are all around us and the importance of supporting children to understand the vast array of different types of materials is recognised at all key stages in the science National Curriculum for England. Ensuring that children connect concepts taught in key stages 1 and 2 (ages 5-11) is the starting point in helping children to comprehend…

Creating Quality Media Materials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hortin, John A.; Bailey, Gerald D.

1982-01-01

Innovation, imagination, and student creativity are key ingredients in creating quality media materials for the small school. Student-produced media materials, slides without a camera, personalized slide programs and copy work, self-made task cards, self-made overhead transparencies, graphic materials, and utilization of the mass media are some of…

Epidemiological profile of work-related accidents with biological exposure among medical students in a surgical emergency room.

PubMed

Reis, Phillipe Geraldo Teixeira de Abreu; Driessen, Anna Luiza; da Costa, Ana Claudia Brenner Affonso; Nasr, Adonis; Collaço, Iwan Augusto; Tomasich, Flávio Daniel Saavedra

2013-01-01

To evaluate the accidents with biological material among medical students interning in a trauma emergency room and identify key related situations, attributed causes and prevention. we conducted a study with a quantitative approach. Data were collected through a questionnaire applied via internet, with closed, multiple-choice questions regarding accidents with biological material. The sample comprised 100 students. thirty-two had accidents with biological material. Higher-risk activities were local anesthesia (39.47%), suture (18.42%) and needle recapping (15.79%). The main routes of exposure to biological material were the eyes or mucosa, with 34%, and syringe needle puncture, with 45%. After contamination, only 52% reported the accident to the responsible department. The main causes of accidents and routes of exposure found may be attributed to several factors, such as lack of training and failure to use personal protective equipment. Educational and preventive actions are extremely important to reduce the incidence of accidents with biological materials and improve the conduct of post-exposure. It is important to understand the main causes attributed and situations related, so as general and effective measures can be applied.

Recent global trends in structural materials research

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murakami, Hideyuki; Ohmura, Takahito; Nishimura, Toshiyuki

2013-02-01

Structural materials support the basis of global society, such as infrastructure and transportation facilities, and are therefore essential for everyday life. The optimization of such materials allows people to overcome environmental, energy and resource depletion issues on a global scale. The creation and manufacture of structural materials make a large contribution to economies around the world every year. The use of strong, resistant materials can also have profound social effects, providing a better quality of life at both local and national levels. The Great East Japan Earthquake of 11 March 2011 caused significant structural damage in the Tohoku and Kanto regions of Japan. On a global scale, accidents caused by the ageing and failure of structural materials occur on a daily basis. Therefore, the provision and inspection of structural reliability, safety of nuclear power facilities and construction of a secure and safe society hold primary importance for researchers and engineers across the world. Clearly, structural materials need to evolve further to address both existing problems and prepare for new challenges that may be faced in the future. With this in mind, the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) organized the 'NIMS Conference 2012' to host an extensive discussion on a variety of global issues related to the future development of structural materials. Ranging from reconstruction following natural disasters, verification of structural reliability, energy-saving materials to fundamental problems accompanying the development of materials for high safety standards, the conference covered many key issues in the materials industry today. All the above topics are reflected in this focus issue of STAM, which introduces recent global trends in structural materials research with contributions from world-leading researchers in this field. This issue covers the development of novel alloys, current methodologies in the characterization of structural

44 CFR 5.25 - Available materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Available materials. 5.25... Agency Information, Rules, Orders, Policies, and Similar Material § 5.25 Available materials. FEMA materials which are available under this subpart are as follows: (a) Final opinions and orders made in the...

44 CFR 5.25 - Available materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Available materials. 5.25... Agency Information, Rules, Orders, Policies, and Similar Material § 5.25 Available materials. FEMA materials which are available under this subpart are as follows: (a) Final opinions and orders made in the...

44 CFR 5.25 - Available materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2012-10-01 2011-10-01 true Available materials. 5.25... Agency Information, Rules, Orders, Policies, and Similar Material § 5.25 Available materials. FEMA materials which are available under this subpart are as follows: (a) Final opinions and orders made in the...

The Key Technologies. Some Implications for Education and Training. An Occasional Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mansell, Jack; And Others

National competitiveness depends in large part on the practical application of technologies. Educational planners must, therefore, identify key (newly emerging) topics in science and engineering that are likely to have a major evolutionary effect on industry and incorporate these areas into existing vocational and technical curricula. Because…

Developing a Research Agenda to Optimize Diagnostic Imaging in the Emergency Department: An Executive Summary of the 2015 Academic Emergency Medicine Consensus Conference.

PubMed

Marin, Jennifer R; Mills, Angela M

2015-12-01

The 2015 Academic Emergency Medicine (AEM) consensus conference, "Diagnostic Imaging in the Emergency Department: A Research Agenda to Optimize Utilization," was held on May 12, 2015, with the goal of developing a high-priority research agenda on which to base future research. The specific aims of the conference were to: 1) understand the current state of evidence regarding emergency department (ED) diagnostic imaging utilization and identify key opportunities, limitations, and gaps in knowledge; 2) develop a consensus-driven research agenda emphasizing priorities and opportunities for research in ED diagnostic imaging; and 3) explore specific funding mechanisms available to facilitate research in ED diagnostic imaging. Over a 2-year period, the executive committee and other experts in the field convened regularly to identify specific areas in need of future research. Six content areas within emergency diagnostic imaging were identified prior to the conference and served as the breakout groups on which consensus was achieved: clinical decision rules; use of administrative data; patient-centered outcomes research; training, education, and competency; knowledge translation and barriers to imaging optimization; and comparative effectiveness research in alternatives to traditional computed tomography use. The executive committee invited key stakeholders to assist with planning and to participate in the consensus conference to generate a multidisciplinary agenda. There were 164 individuals involved in the conference spanning various specialties, including emergency medicine (EM), radiology, surgery, medical physics, and the decision sciences. This issue of AEM is dedicated to the proceedings of the 16th annual AEM consensus conference as well as original research related to emergency diagnostic imaging. © 2015 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

Entrepreneurship Education Materials.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Muzzo, John F., Ed.; And Others

This annotated bibliography is intended to provide instructors and trainers with a variety of materials that may be used to design or supplement a self-employment/small business management training program. The materials listed include lesson plans, handbooks, workbooks, textbooks, tests, test keys, instruction guides, videocassettes, pamphlets,…

Strategies in emergency preparedness for transportation--dependent populations

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-09-01

Just as no two emergencies are the same, neither are the responses. The real challenge is to develop the relationships among key organizations and the best practices that allow for the most effective response by public and community transportation. A...

Teaching key use to persons with severe disabilities in congregate living settings.

PubMed

Ivancic, M T; Schepis, M M

1995-01-01

Key use remains overlooked for increasing independent material use by persons with severe mental retardation. In Experiment 1, a procedure to train key locating was evaluated in a multiple-probe withdrawal design across three groups of participants. Most participants located their keys when reinforced for doing so; however, key locating decreased when the reinforcement procedure was withdrawn. In Experiment 2, a multiple probe design across four participant groups was used to evaluate a training procedure to teach key use. Twenty of 25 participants used a key to open and lock their personal lockers as a result of training. However, only 36% of the participants were able to use their keys without prompts from experimenters.

EHR in emergency rooms: exploring the effect of key information components on main complaints.

PubMed

Ben-Assuli, Ofir; Shabtai, Itamar; Leshno, Moshe; Hill, Shawndra

2014-04-01

This study characterizes the information components associated with improved medical decision-making in the emergency room (ER). We looked at doctors' decisions to use or not to use information available to them on an electronic health record (EHR) and a Health Information Exchange (HIE) network, and tested for associations between their decision and parameters related to healthcare outcomes and processes. Using information components from the EHR and HIE was significantly related to improved quality of healthcare processes. Specifically, it was associated with both a reduction in potentially avoidable admissions as well as a reduction in rapid readmissions. Overall, the three information components; namely, previous encounters, imaging, and lab results emerged as having the strongest relationship with physicians' decisions to admit or discharge. Certain information components, however, presented an association between the diagnosis and the admission decisions (blood pressure was the most strongly associated parameter in cases of chest pain complaints and a previous surgical record for abdominal pain). These findings show that the ability to access patients' medical history and their long term health conditions (via the EHR), including information about medications, diagnoses, recent procedures and laboratory tests is critical to forming an appropriate plan of care and eventually making more accurate admission decisions.

Fabrication of cellular materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prud'homme, Robert K.; Aksay, Ilhan A.; Garg, Rajeev

1996-02-01

Nature uses cellular materials in applications requiring strength while, simultaneously, minimizing raw materials requirements. Minimizing raw materials is efficient both in terms of the energy expended by the organism to synthesize the structure and in terms of the strength- to-weight ratio of the structure. Wood is the most obvious example of cellular bio-materials, and it is the focus of other presentations in this symposium. The lightweight bone structure of birds is another excellent example where weight is a key criterion. The anchoring foot of the common muscle [Mytilus edulis] whereby it attaches itself to objects is a further example of a biological system that uses a foam to fill space and yet conserve on raw materials. In the case of the muscle the foam is water filled and the foot structure distributes stress over a larger area so that the strength of the byssal thread from which it is suspended is matched to the strength of interfacial attachment of the foot to a substrate. In these examples the synthesis and fabrication of the cellular material is directed by intercellular, genetically coded, biochemical reactions. The resulting cell sizes are microns in scale. Cellular materials at the next larger scale are created by organisms at the next higher level of integration. For example an African tree frog lays her eggs in a gas/fluid foam sack she builds on a branch overhanging a pond. The outside of the foam sack hardens in the sun and prevents water evaporation. The foam structure minimizes the amount of fluid that needs to be incorporated into the sack and minimizes its weight. However, as far as the developing eggs are concerned, they are in an aqueous medium, i.e. the continuous fluid phase of the foam. After precisely six days the eggs hatch, and the solidified outer wall re-liquefies and dumps the emerging tadpoles into the pond below. The bee honeycomb is an example of a cellular material with exquisite periodicity at millimeter length scales. The

Outlook and emerging semiconducting materials for ambipolar transistors.

PubMed

Bisri, Satria Zulkarnaen; Piliego, Claudia; Gao, Jia; Loi, Maria Antonietta

2014-02-26

Ambipolar or bipolar transistors are transistors in which both holes and electrons are mobile inside the conducting channel. This device allows switching among several states: the hole-dominated on-state, the off-state, and the electron-dominated on-state. In the past year, it has attracted great interest in exotic semiconductors, such as organic semiconductors, nanostructured materials, and carbon nanotubes. The ability to utilize both holes and electrons inside one device opens new possibilities for the development of more compact complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) circuits, and new kinds of optoelectronic device, namely, ambipolar light-emitting transistors. This progress report highlights the recent progresses in the field of ambipolar transistors, both from the fundamental physics and application viewpoints. Attention is devoted to the challenges that should be faced for the realization of ambipolar transistors with different material systems, beginning with the understanding of the importance of interface modification, which heavily affects injections and trapping of both holes and electrons. The recent development of advanced gating applications, including ionic liquid gating, that open up more possibility to realize ambipolar transport in materials in which one type of charge carrier is highly dominant is highlighted. Between the possible applications of ambipolar field-effect transistors, we focus on ambipolar light-emitting transistors. We put this new device in the framework of its prospective for general lightings, embedded displays, current-driven laser, as well as for photonics-electronics interconnection. © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Making processes reliable: a validated pubmed search strategy for identifying new or emerging technologies.

PubMed

Varela-Lema, Leonora; Punal-Riobóo, Jeanette; Acción, Beatriz Casal; Ruano-Ravina, Alberto; García, Marisa López

2012-10-01

Horizon scanning systems need to handle a wide range of sources to identify new or emerging health technologies. The objective of this study is to develop a validated Medline bibliographic search strategy (PubMed search engine) to systematically identify new or emerging health technologies. The proposed Medline search strategy combines free text terms commonly used in article titles to denote innovation within index terms that make reference to the specific fields of interest. Efficacy was assessed by running the search over a period of 1 year (2009) and analyzing its retrieval performance (number and characteristics). For comparison purposes, all article abstracts published during 2009 in six preselected key research journals and eight high impact surgery journals were scanned. Sensitivity was defined as the proportion of relevant new or emerging technologies published in key journals that would be identified in the search strategy within the first 2 years of publication. The search yielded 6,228 abstracts of potentially new or emerging technologies. Of these, 459 were classified as new or emerging (383 truly new or emerging and 76 new indications). The scanning of 12,061 journal abstracts identified 35 relevant new or emerging technologies. Of these, twenty-nine were located within the Medline search strategy during the first 2 years of publication (sensitivity = 83 percent). The current search strategy, validated against key journals, has demonstrated to be effective for horizon scanning. Even though it can require adaptations depending on the scope of the horizon scanning system, it could serve to simplify and standardize scanning processes.

Materials Genome Initiative Element

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vickers, John

2015-01-01

NASA is committed to developing new materials and manufacturing methods that can enable new missions with ever increasing mission demands. Typically, the development and certification of new materials and manufacturing methods in the aerospace industry has required more than 20 years of development time with a costly testing and certification program. To reduce the cost and time to mature these emerging technologies, NASA is developing computational materials tools to improve understanding of the material and guide the certification process.

Fire Prevention and Emergency Procedures. Module SH-05. Safety and Health.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Occupational Research and Development, Inc., Waco, TX.

This student module on fire prevention and emergency procedures is one of 50 modules concerned with job safety and health. This module discusses the chemistry of fire and the methods for extinguishment, along with the steps necessary for emergency action. Following the introduction, 10 objectives (each keyed to a page in the text) the student is…

[Ambulance in emergency medicine].

PubMed

Aksoy, Fikret; Ergun, Alper

2002-07-01

The ambulance service is very important in emergency medicine. The aim of this study was to investigate the new governing statuate of private ambulance service and to propose some new ideas. We examinated the new governing statuate of private ambulance service, rules of patient transporte between the hospitals and reports written by SSK Goztepe Educational Hospital ambulance drivers. We concluded that SSK Goztepe Educational Hospital ambulance drivers have a iot of problems especially at the rules of patient transport between the hospitals and there are some defiencies at the new governing statuate of private ambulance service. We concluded that it is necesssary to manage all the ambulance services in one center; all the private ambulance services have to have a specialist and all these must be determinated by the special rules. Key words: Regulation ofprivate ambulance, emergency head maintanence, ambulance services

Active-learning instruction on emergency contraception counseling.

PubMed

Young, Shardae; Griffin, Brooke; Vest, Kathleen

2013-06-12

To increase pharmacy students' knowledge of and confidence in counseling patients regarding emergency contraception and to identify any barriers to counseling patients about emergency contraception. Approximately 200 third-year pharmacy students participated in the Women's Health Therapeutics workshop at Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy. Students observed a 5-minute skit of a counseling session on emergency contraception and then were asked to pair up with a classmate and practice counseling each other regarding the use of emergency contraception following a checklist of key points. One hundred eighty-nine students completed pre- and post-workshop survey instruments. Students' knowledge scores increased from 86% to 93% (p<0.001). Approximately 25% of the students stated they were confident in counseling patients on emergency contraception before completing the active-learning exercise compared to 58.5% after (p<0.001). The most common barrier to counseling that students identified on the pre- and post-workshop survey was lack of knowledge. Participation in an active-learning exercise significantly increased pharmacy students' knowledge of and confidence in counseling patients regarding emergency contraception and significantly reduced several barriers to counseling identified prior to participation.

Active-Learning Instruction on Emergency Contraception Counseling

PubMed Central

Young, Shardae; Vest, Kathleen

2013-01-01

Objective. To increase pharmacy students’ knowledge of and confidence in counseling patients regarding emergency contraception and to identify any barriers to counseling patients about emergency contraception. Design. Approximately 200 third-year pharmacy students participated in the Women’s Health Therapeutics workshop at Midwestern University Chicago College of Pharmacy. Students observed a 5-minute skit of a counseling session on emergency contraception and then were asked to pair up with a classmate and practice counseling each other regarding the use of emergency contraception following a checklist of key points. Assessment. One hundred eighty-nine students completed pre- and post-workshop survey instruments. Students’ knowledge scores increased from 86% to 93% (p<0.001). Approximately 25% of the students stated they were confident in counseling patients on emergency contraception before completing the active-learning exercise compared to 58.5% after (p<0.001). The most common barrier to counseling that students identified on the pre- and post-workshop survey was lack of knowledge. Conclusion. Participation in an active-learning exercise significantly increased pharmacy students’ knowledge of and confidence in counseling patients regarding emergency contraception and significantly reduced several barriers to counseling identified prior to participation. PMID:23788815

Safe Schools: Unified Emergency Contingency Plan for Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois State Police, Springfield.

This contingency plan is intended to stimulate emergency planning and provide an organizational tool for Illinois schools to use in the development of individual emergency plans. It may accommodate and complement a school's current contingency plan and will allow for the inclusion of additional material concerning school safety. It is intended as…

The impact of the TelEmergency program on rural emergency care: An implementation study.

PubMed

Sterling, Sarah A; Seals, Samantha R; Jones, Alan E; King, Melissa H; Galli, Robert L; Isom, Kristen C; Summers, Richard L; Henderson, Kristi A

2017-07-01

Introduction Timely, appropriate intervention is key to improving outcomes in many emergent conditions. In rural areas, it is particularly challenging to assure quality, timely emergency care. The TelEmergency (TE) program, which utilizes a dual nurse practitioner and emergency medicine-trained, board-certified physician model, has the potential to improve access to quality emergency care in rural areas. The objective of this study was to examine how the implementation of the TE program impacts rural hospital Emergency Department (ED) operations. Methods Methods included a before and after study of the effect of the TE program on participating rural hospitals between January 2007 and December 2008. Data on ED and hospital operations were collected one year prior to and one year following the implementation of TE. Data from participating hospitals were combined and compared for the two time periods. Results Nine hospitals met criteria for inclusion and participated in the study. Total ED volumes did not significantly change with TE implementation, but ED admissions to the same rural hospital significantly increased following TE implementation (6.7% to 8.1%, p-value = 0.02). Likewise, discharge rates from the ED declined post-initiation (87.1% to 80.0%, p-value = 0.003). ED deaths and transfer rates showed no significant change, while the rate of patient discharge against medical advice significantly increased with TE use. Discussion In this analysis, we found a significant increase in the rate of ED admissions to rural hospitals with TE use. These findings may have important implications for the quality of emergency care in rural areas and the sustainability of rural hospitals' EDs.

Information technology and emergency response

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-12-01

This document reports on a study of the application of information technology to emergency response for hazardous materials incidents. Focus is on the information needs of first responders, i.e., those who are first on the site of an incident. The re...

Key-value store with internal key-value storage interface

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

Bent, John M.; Faibish, Sorin; Ting, Dennis P. J.

A key-value store is provided having one or more key-value storage interfaces. A key-value store on at least one compute node comprises a memory for storing a plurality of key-value pairs; and an abstract storage interface comprising a software interface module that communicates with at least one persistent storage device providing a key-value interface for persistent storage of one or more of the plurality of key-value pairs, wherein the software interface module provides the one or more key-value pairs to the at least one persistent storage device in a key-value format. The abstract storage interface optionally processes one or moremore » batch operations on the plurality of key-value pairs. A distributed embodiment for a partitioned key-value store is also provided.« less

Skin-Inspired Electronics: An Emerging Paradigm.

PubMed

Wang, Sihong; Oh, Jin Young; Xu, Jie; Tran, Helen; Bao, Zhenan

2018-05-15

Future electronics will take on more important roles in people's lives. They need to allow more intimate contact with human beings to enable advanced health monitoring, disease detection, medical therapies, and human-machine interfacing. However, current electronics are rigid, nondegradable and cannot self-repair, while the human body is soft, dynamic, stretchable, biodegradable, and self-healing. Therefore, it is critical to develop a new class of electronic materials that incorporate skinlike properties, including stretchability for conformable integration, minimal discomfort and suppressed invasive reactions; self-healing for long-term durability under harsh mechanical conditions; and biodegradability for reducing environmental impact and obviating the need for secondary device removal for medical implants. These demands have fueled the development of a new generation of electronic materials, primarily composed of polymers and polymer composites with both high electrical performance and skinlike properties, and consequently led to a new paradigm of electronics, termed "skin-inspired electronics". This Account covers recent important advances in skin-inspired electronics, from basic material developments to device components and proof-of-concept demonstrations for integrated bioelectronics applications. To date, stretchability has been the most prominent focus in this field. In contrast to strain-engineering approaches that extrinsically impart stretchability into inorganic electronics, intrinsically stretchable materials provide a direct route to achieve higher mechanical robustness, higher device density, and scalable fabrication. The key is the introduction of strain-dissipation mechanisms into the material design, which has been realized through molecular engineering (e.g., soft molecular segments, dynamic bonds) and physical engineering (e.g., nanoconfinement effect, geometric design). The material design concepts have led to the successful demonstrations of

An Exploratory Qualitative Inquiry of Key Indicators on IT Disaster Recovery Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardner, Brian

2016-01-01

Disaster recovery planning is a crucial component to maintaining a business's economic stability. However, it is unclear how key performance indicators (KPIs) are perceived in the emergency medical service (EMS) industry during the disaster recover planning process. The problem addressed in this study was to understand KPIs and their components.…

Emergence of Scale-Free Syntax Networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corominas-Murtra, Bernat; Valverde, Sergi; Solé, Ricard V.

The evolution of human language allowed the efficient propagation of nongenetic information, thus creating a new form of evolutionary change. Language development in children offers the opportunity of exploring the emergence of such complex communication system and provides a window to understanding the transition from protolanguage to language. Here we present the first analysis of the emergence of syntax in terms of complex networks. A previously unreported, sharp transition is shown to occur around two years of age from a (pre-syntactic) tree-like structure to a scale-free, small world syntax network. The observed combinatorial patterns provide valuable data to understand the nature of the cognitive processes involved in the acquisition of syntax, introducing a new ingredient to understand the possible biological endowment of human beings which results in the emergence of complex language. We explore this problem by using a minimal, data-driven model that is able to capture several statistical traits, but some key features related to the emergence of syntactic complexity display important divergences.

Ionic Liquids and Poly(ionic liquid)s for Morphosynthesis of Inorganic Materials.

PubMed

Gao, Min-Rui; Yuan, Jiayin; Antonietti, Markus

2017-04-24

Ionic liquids (ILs) are new, innovative ionic solvents with rich physicochemical properties and intriguing pre-organized solvent structures; these materials offer great potential to impact across versatile areas of scientific research, for example, synthetic inorganic chemistry. Recent use of ILs as precursors, templates, and solvents has led to inorganic materials with tailored sizes, dimensionalities, morphologies, and functionalities that are difficult to obtain, or even not accessible, by using conventional solvents. Poly(ionic liquid)s (PILs) polymerized from IL monomers also raise the prospect of modifying nucleation, growth, and crystallization of inorganic objects, shedding light on the synthesis of a wide range of new materials. Here we survey recent key progress in using ILs and PILs in the field of synthetic inorganic chemistry. As well as highlighting the unique features of ILs and PILs that enable advanced synthesis, the effects of adding other solvents to the final products, along with the emerging applications of the created inorganic materials will be discussed. We finally provide an outlook on several development opportunities that could lead to new advancements of this exciting research field. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Latest advances in supercapacitors: from new electrode materials to novel device designs.

PubMed

Wang, Faxing; Wu, Xiongwei; Yuan, Xinhai; Liu, Zaichun; Zhang, Yi; Fu, Lijun; Zhu, Yusong; Zhou, Qingming; Wu, Yuping; Huang, Wei

2017-11-13

Notably, many significant breakthroughs for a new generation of supercapacitors have been reported in recent years, related to theoretical understanding, material synthesis and device designs. Herein, we summarize the state-of-the-art progress toward mechanisms, new materials, and novel device designs for supercapacitors. Firstly, fundamental understanding of the mechanism is mainly focused on the relationship between the structural properties of electrode materials and their electrochemical performances based on some in situ characterization techniques and simulations. Secondly, some emerging electrode materials are discussed, including metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), covalent organic frameworks (COFs), MXenes, metal nitrides, black phosphorus, LaMnO 3 , and RbAg 4 I 5 /graphite. Thirdly, the device innovations for the next generation of supercapacitors are provided successively, mainly emphasizing flow supercapacitors, alternating current (AC) line-filtering supercapacitors, redox electrolyte enhanced supercapacitors, metal ion hybrid supercapacitors, micro-supercapacitors (fiber, plane and three-dimensional) and multifunctional supercapacitors including electrochromic supercapacitors, self-healing supercapacitors, piezoelectric supercapacitors, shape-memory supercapacitors, thermal self-protective supercapacitors, thermal self-charging supercapacitors, and photo self-charging supercapacitors. Finally, the future developments and key technical challenges are highlighted regarding further research in this thriving field.

Defining Roles for Pharmacy Personnel in Disaster Response and Emergency Preparedness.

PubMed

Alkhalili, Mohammad; Ma, Janice; Grenier, Sylvain

2017-08-01

Ongoing provision of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies is of key importance during and following a disaster or other emergency event. An effectively coordinated response involving locally available pharmacy personnel-drawing upon the efforts of licensed pharmacists and unlicensed support staff-can help to mitigate harms and alleviate hardship in a community after emergency events. However, pharmacists and their counterparts generally receive limited training in disaster medicine and emergency preparedness as part of their initial qualifications, even in countries with well-developed professional education programs. Pharmacy efforts have also traditionally focused on medical supply activities, more so than on general emergency preparedness. To facilitate future work between pharmacy personnel on an international level, our team undertook an extensive review of the published literature describing pharmacists' experiences in responding to or preparing for both natural and manmade disasters. In addition to identifying key activities that must be performed, we have developed a classification scheme for pharmacy personnel. We believe that this framework will enable pharmacy personnel working in diverse practice settings to identify and undertake essential actions that are necessary to ensure an effective emergency response and will promote better collaboration between pharmacy team members during actual disaster situations. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:496-504).

Biotemplated synthesis of inorganic materials: An emerging paradigm for nanomaterial synthesis inspired by nature

DOE PAGES

Krajina, Brad A.; Proctor, Amy C.; Schoen, Alia P.; ...

2017-08-08

Biomineralization, the process by which biological systems direct the synthesis of inorganic structures from organic templates, is an exquisite example of nanomaterial self-assembly in nature. Its products include the shells of mollusks and the bones and teeth of vertebrates. By comparison, conventional inorganic synthesis techniques provide limited control over inorganic nanomaterial architecture. Inspired by biomineralization in nature, over the last two decades, the field of biotemplating has emerged as a new paradigm for inorganic nanomaterial assembly, wherein researchers seek to design novel nano-structures in which inorganic nanomaterial synthesis is directed from an underlying biomolecular template. Here, we review the motivation,more » mechanistic understanding, progress, and challenges for the field of biotemplating. We highlight the interdisciplinary nature of this field, and survey a broad range of examples of bio-templated engineering: ranging from strategies that exploit the inherent capabilities of proteins in nature, to genetically-engineered systems that unlock new capabilities for self-assembly with biomolecules. Here, we illustrate that the use of biological materials as templates for inorganic self-assembly holds tremendous potential for nanomaterial engineering, with applications that range from electronics and energy to medicine.« less

Biotemplated synthesis of inorganic materials: An emerging paradigm for nanomaterial synthesis inspired by nature

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

Krajina, Brad A.; Proctor, Amy C.; Schoen, Alia P.

Biomineralization, the process by which biological systems direct the synthesis of inorganic structures from organic templates, is an exquisite example of nanomaterial self-assembly in nature. Its products include the shells of mollusks and the bones and teeth of vertebrates. By comparison, conventional inorganic synthesis techniques provide limited control over inorganic nanomaterial architecture. Inspired by biomineralization in nature, over the last two decades, the field of biotemplating has emerged as a new paradigm for inorganic nanomaterial assembly, wherein researchers seek to design novel nano-structures in which inorganic nanomaterial synthesis is directed from an underlying biomolecular template. Here, we review the motivation,more » mechanistic understanding, progress, and challenges for the field of biotemplating. We highlight the interdisciplinary nature of this field, and survey a broad range of examples of bio-templated engineering: ranging from strategies that exploit the inherent capabilities of proteins in nature, to genetically-engineered systems that unlock new capabilities for self-assembly with biomolecules. Here, we illustrate that the use of biological materials as templates for inorganic self-assembly holds tremendous potential for nanomaterial engineering, with applications that range from electronics and energy to medicine.« less

Reciprocity: The Key Ingredient in Humane Education Partnerships.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savesky, Kathy

1985-01-01

Central California Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) and Fresno Unified School District cooperate to promote teacher education and use of SPCA materials in the classrooms. Timing, key persons, building/maintaining contact, teacher involvement, and mutual understanding, which have been important in this productive partnership,…

TSLP: A Key Regulator of Asthma Pathogenesis.

PubMed

West, Erin E; Kashyap, Mohit; Leonard, Warren J

2012-12-01

Asthma is a complex disorder of the airways that is characterized by T helper type 2 (Th2) inflammation. The pleiotrophic cytokine TSLP has emerged as an important player involved in orchestrating the inflammation seen in asthma and other atopic diseases. Early research elucidated the role of TSLP on CD4 + T cells, and recent work has revealed the impact of TSLP on multiple cell types. Furthermore, TSLP plays an important role in the sequential progression of atopic dermatitis to asthma, clarifying the key role of TSLP in the pathogenesis of asthma, a finding with therapeutic implications.

Emergency Medical Service (EMS): Rotorcraft Technology Workshop

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bauchspies, J. S.; Adams, R. J.

1981-01-01

A lead organization on the national level should be designated to establish concepts, locations, and the number of shock trauma air medical services. Medical specialists desire a vehicle which incorporates advances in medical technology trends in health care. Key technology needs for the emergency medical services helicopter of the future include the riding quality of fixed wing aircraft (reduced noise and vibration), no tail rotor, small rotor, small rotor diameter, improved visibility, crashworthy vehicle, IFR capability, more affordability high reliability, fuel efficient, and specialized cabins to hold medical/diagnostic and communications equipment. Approaches to a national emergency medical service are discussed.

The traveller and emerging infections: sentinel, courier, transmitter.

PubMed

Wilson, M E

2003-01-01

The movement of populations shapes the patterns and distribution of infectious diseases globally. The consequences of travel are seen in the traveller and in places and populations visited and may persist long after travel. The traveller can be seen as an interactive biological unit who picks up, processes, carries and drops off microbial genetic material. A traveller can introduce potential pathogens in the absence of signs or symptoms of illness. Travellers can serve as a sentinel population; study of them can provide insights into the presence and level of risk of transmission of infections in other geographical regions. Travellers can also be seen as couriers who inadvertently ferry pathogens and microbial genetic material to regions where researchers can carry out detailed analyses that can help to map the location and movement of strains, genotypes and resistance patterns. The laboratory plays a key role in the identification and characterization of pathogens, which can inform management of individual patients and the public health response. The connectedness and mobility in the world today facilitate the emergence of infectious diseases in humans and also in animals and plants. Many traditional barriers have been breached by travel, roads and technology. Population size and density favour spread of many infections. The rapid generation time of microbes and their capacity to adapt to changes in the physico-chemical and immunological environment will pose continuing challenges.

High- k Gate Dielectrics for Emerging Flexible and Stretchable Electronics.

PubMed

Wang, Binghao; Huang, Wei; Chi, Lifeng; Al-Hashimi, Mohammed; Marks, Tobin J; Facchetti, Antonio

2018-05-22

Recent advances in flexible and stretchable electronics (FSE), a technology diverging from the conventional rigid silicon technology, have stimulated fundamental scientific and technological research efforts. FSE aims at enabling disruptive applications such as flexible displays, wearable sensors, printed RFID tags on packaging, electronics on skin/organs, and Internet-of-things as well as possibly reducing the cost of electronic device fabrication. Thus, the key materials components of electronics, the semiconductor, the dielectric, and the conductor as well as the passive (substrate, planarization, passivation, and encapsulation layers) must exhibit electrical performance and mechanical properties compatible with FSE components and products. In this review, we summarize and analyze recent advances in materials concepts as well as in thin-film fabrication techniques for high- k (or high-capacitance) gate dielectrics when integrated with FSE-compatible semiconductors such as organics, metal oxides, quantum dot arrays, carbon nanotubes, graphene, and other 2D semiconductors. Since thin-film transistors (TFTs) are the key enablers of FSE devices, we discuss TFT structures and operation mechanisms after a discussion on the needs and general requirements of gate dielectrics. Also, the advantages of high- k dielectrics over low- k ones in TFT applications were elaborated. Next, after presenting the design and properties of high- k polymers and inorganic, electrolyte, and hybrid dielectric families, we focus on the most important fabrication methodologies for their deposition as TFT gate dielectric thin films. Furthermore, we provide a detailed summary of recent progress in performance of FSE TFTs based on these high- k dielectrics, focusing primarily on emerging semiconductor types. Finally, we conclude with an outlook and challenges section.

Metaphotonics: An emerging field with opportunities and challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baev, Alexander; Prasad, Paras N.; Ågren, Hans; Samoć, Marek; Wegener, Martin

2015-09-01

Metaphotonics is an emerging multidisciplinary field that deals with manipulation of electro-magnetic fields in nanoengineered (meta)materials using both electric and magnetic interactions and their cross-coupling. It offers unprecedented control of both linear and nonlinear optical functions for applications ranging from optical switching, to negative- and near-zero refractive index metamaterials, to chiral bioimaging, to cloaking. However, realization of such applications requires physics-guided nanoengineering of appropriate artificial media with electro-magnetic properties at visible and infrared wavelengths that are tailored to surpass those of any naturally-occurring material. Here, we review metaphotonics with a broadened vision and scope, introduce potential applications, describe the role of theoretical physics through multiscale modeling, review the materials development and current status, and outline opportunities in this fertile emerging field.

Evaluation of Pharmacists' Services for Dispensing Emergency Contraceptive Pills in Delhi, India: A Mystery Shopper Study

PubMed Central

Saxena, Pikee; Mishra, Archana; Nigam, Aruna

2016-01-01

Background: Although emergency contraceptive pills are available over the counter, the quality of consultation, including key areas of contraceptive counseling and prevention of sexually transmitted infections (STI), has not been well documented. Objective: To evaluate actual pharmacist services while dispensing emergency contraception through a mystery shopper technique. Material and Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted in 81 pharmacies situated in Delhi by 4 trained mystery shoppers posed as customers over a period of 6 months. Results: None of the pharmacists asked about the time lapsed since last unprotected sexual intercourse or last menstrual period before deciding the eligibility of the customer. The majority were unclear about side effects associated with emergency contraception (78.57%) or with anticipated changes in menstrual flow (78.57%); 85.71% did not know whether subsequent unprotected intercourse would be protected. Only 15.71% counseled shoppers regarding risk of STI on asking leading questions and 88.5% did not provide any contraceptive advice. Conclusion: There is a huge gap in the technical knowledge and mindset of the pharmacists when it comes to checking for the eligibility of the client and providing advice regarding use of regular contraception and barrier for protection from STI, which needs to be addressed in order to realize the full benefit of making emergency contraceptive pills available over the counter. PMID:27385872

Algorithms in the historical emergence of word senses.

PubMed

Ramiro, Christian; Srinivasan, Mahesh; Malt, Barbara C; Xu, Yang

2018-03-06

Human language relies on a finite lexicon to express a potentially infinite set of ideas. A key result of this tension is that words acquire novel senses over time. However, the cognitive processes that underlie the historical emergence of new word senses are poorly understood. Here, we present a computational framework that formalizes competing views of how new senses of a word might emerge by attaching to existing senses of the word. We test the ability of the models to predict the temporal order in which the senses of individual words have emerged, using an historical lexicon of English spanning the past millennium. Our findings suggest that word senses emerge in predictable ways, following an historical path that reflects cognitive efficiency, predominantly through a process of nearest-neighbor chaining. Our work contributes a formal account of the generative processes that underlie lexical evolution.

Key challenges in future Li-battery research.

PubMed

Tarascon, J-M

2010-07-28

Batteries are a major technological challenge in this new century as they are a key method to make more efficient use of energy. Although today's Li-ion technology has conquered the portable electronic markets and is still improving, it falls short of meeting the demands dictated by the powering of both hybrid electric vehicles and electric vehicles or by the storage of renewable energies (wind, solar). There is room for optimism as long as we pursue paradigm shifts while keeping in mind the concept of materials sustainability. Some of these concepts, relying on new ways to prepare electrode materials via eco-efficient processes, on the use of organic rather than inorganic materials or new chemistries will be discussed. Achieving these concepts will require the inputs of multiple disciplines.

Workplace Learning: Emerging Trends and New Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fenwick, Tara

2008-01-01

This chapter focuses on "learning processes" in the workplace from concepts emerging in the field of adult education, without straying into pedagogies and programs that can enhance learning. It discusses four topics on learning processes that seem to be particularly important for addressing key purposes and issues of workplace learning from an…

Space-Spurred Metallized Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

Among a score of applications for a space spinoff reflective material called TXG is the emergency blanket manufactured by Metallized Products, Inc. Used by ski patrol to protect a skier shaken by a fall, the blanket retains up to 80% of user's body heat preventing post accident shock or chills. Carried by many types of emergency teams, blanket is large when unfolded, but folds into a package no larger than a deck of cards. Many other uses include, emergency blankets, all weather blanket, tanning blanket, window shields, radar reflector life raft canopies, etc.

Phonon induced magnetism in ionic materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Restrepo, Oscar D.; Antolin, Nikolas; Jin, Hyungyu; Heremans, Joseph P.; Windl, Wolfgang

2014-03-01

Thermoelectric phenomena in magnetic materials create exciting possibilities in future spin caloritronic devices by manipulating spin information using heat. An accurate understanding of the spin-lattice interactions, i.e. the coupling between magnetic excitations (magnons) and lattice vibrations (phonons), holds the key to unraveling their underlying physics. We report ab initio frozen-phonon calculations of CsI that result in non-zero magnetization when the degeneracy between spin-up and spin-down electronic density of states is lifted for certain phonon displacement patterns. For those, the magnetization as a function of atomic displacement shows a sharp resonance due to the electronic states on the displaced Cs atoms, while the electrons on indium form a continuous background magnetization. We relate this resonance to the generation of a two-level system in the spin-polarized Cs partial density of states as a function of displacement, which we propose to be described by a simple resonant-susceptibility model. Current work extends these investigations to semiconductors such as InSb. ODR and WW are supported by the Center for Emergent Materials, an NSF MRSEC at OSU (Grant DMR-0820414).HJ and JPH are supported by AFOSR MURI Cryogenic Peltier Cooling, Contract #FA9550-10-1-0533.

Strawberry Accessions with Reduced Drosophila suzukii Emergence From Fruits

PubMed Central

Gong, Xiaoyun; Bräcker, Lasse; Bölke, Nadine; Plata, Camila; Zeitlmayr, Sarah; Metzler, Dirk; Olbricht, Klaus; Gompel, Nicolas; Parniske, Martin

2016-01-01

Drosophila suzukii is threatening soft fruit production worldwide due to the females’ ability to pierce through the intact skin of ripe fruits and lay eggs inside. Larval consumption and the associated microbial infection cause rapid fruit degradation, thus drastic yield and economic loss. Cultivars that limit the proliferation of flies may be ideal to counter this pest; however, they have not yet been developed or identified. To search for potential breeding material, we investigated the rate of adult D. suzukii emergence from individual fruits (fly emergence) of 107 accessions of Fragaria species that had been exposed to egg-laying D. suzukii females. We found significant variation in fly emergence across strawberries, which correlated with accession and fruit diameter, and to a lesser extent with the strawberry species background. We identified accessions with significantly reduced fly emergence, not explained by their fruit diameter. These accessions constitute valuable breeding material for strawberry cultivars that limit D. suzukii spread. PMID:28066452

Secure Cryptographic Key Management System (CKMS) Considerations for Smart Grid Devices

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

Abercrombie, Robert K; Sheldon, Frederick T; Aldridge, Hal

2011-01-01

In this paper, we examine some unique challenges associated with key management in the Smart Grid and concomitant research initiatives: 1) effectively model security requirements and their implementations, and 2) manage keys and key distribution for very large scale deployments such as Smart Meters over a long period of performance. This will set the stage to: 3) develop innovative, low cost methods to protect keying material, and 4) provide high assurance authentication services. We will present our perspective on key management and will discuss some key issues within the life cycle of a cryptographic key designed to achieve the following:more » 1) control systems designed, installed, operated, and maintained to survive an intentional cyber assault with no loss of critical function, and 2) widespread implementation of methods for secure communication between remote access devices and control centers that are scalable and cost-effective to deploy.« less

Human mobility in an emerging epidemic: a key aspect for response planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poletto, Chiara; Bajardi, Paolo; Colizza, Vittoria; Ramasco, Jose J.; Tizzoni, Michele; Vespignani, Alessandro

2010-03-01

Human mobility and interactions represent key ingredients in the spreading dynamics of an infectious disease. The flows of traveling people form a network characterized by complex features, such as strong topological and traffic heterogeneities, that unfolds at different temporal and spatial scales, from short ranges to the global scale. Computational models can be developed that integrate detailed network structures based on demographic and mobility data, in order to simulate the spatial evolution of an epidemic. Focusing on the recent A(H1N1) influenza pandemic as a paradigmatic example, these approaches allow the assessment of the interplay between individual mobility and epidemic dynamics, quantifying the effects of travel restrictions in delaying the epidemic spread and the role of mobility as an additional source of information for the understanding of the early outbreak.

Towards systemic sustainable performance of TBI care systems: emergency leadership frontiers.

PubMed

Caro, Denis H J

2010-11-10

Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) continue as a twenty-first century subterranean and almost invisible scourge internationally. TBI care systems provide a safety net for survival, recovery, and reintegration into social communities from this scourge, particularly in Canada, the European Union, and the USA. This paper examines the underlying issues of systemic performance and sustainability of TBI care systems, in the light of decreasing care resources and increasing demands for services. This paper reviews the extant literature on TBI care systems, systems reengineering, and emergency leadership literature. This paper presents a seven care layer paradigm, which forms the essence of systemic performance in the care of patients with TBIs. It also identifies five key strategic drivers that hold promise for the future systemic sustainability of TBI care systems. Transformational leadership and engagement from the international emergency medical community is the key to generating positive change. The sustainability/performance care framework is relevant and pertinent for consideration internationally and in the context of other emergency medical populations.

Florida Keys

NASA Image and Video Library

2002-12-13

The Florida Keys are a chain of islands, islets and reefs extending from Virginia Key to the Dry Tortugas for about 309 kilometers (192 miles). The keys are chiefly limestone and coral formations. The larger islands of the group are Key West (with its airport), Key Largo, Sugarloaf Key, and Boca Chica Key. A causeway extends from the mainland to Key West. This image was acquired on October 28, 2001, by the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER) on NASA's Terra satellite. With its 14 spectral bands from the visible to the thermal infrared wavelength region, and its high spatial resolution of 15 to 90 meters (about 50 to 300 feet), ASTER images Earth to map and monitor the changing surface of our planet. http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/PIA03890

Understanding the Emergence of Disruptive Innovation in Air Force Science and Technology Organizations

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

respect to various key attributes. Although the principles of low-end and new market disruption play the most significant role in the fluid and...crucial role in the emergence of breakthrough and game changing ideas. By examining these key elements with regard to industry innovation, a base...that help define the key characteristics of an innovative culture: strong customer focus, collaboration, effective processes , creative people

Density functional theory in materials science.

PubMed

Neugebauer, Jörg; Hickel, Tilmann

2013-09-01

Materials science is a highly interdisciplinary field. It is devoted to the understanding of the relationship between (a) fundamental physical and chemical properties governing processes at the atomistic scale with (b) typically macroscopic properties required of materials in engineering applications. For many materials, this relationship is not only determined by chemical composition, but strongly governed by microstructure. The latter is a consequence of carefully selected process conditions (e.g., mechanical forming and annealing in metallurgy or epitaxial growth in semiconductor technology). A key task of computational materials science is to unravel the often hidden composition-structure-property relationships using computational techniques. The present paper does not aim to give a complete review of all aspects of materials science. Rather, we will present the key concepts underlying the computation of selected material properties and discuss the major classes of materials to which they are applied. Specifically, our focus will be on methods used to describe single or polycrystalline bulk materials of semiconductor, metal or ceramic form.

Emerging evidence of ozone metabolic effects and potential mechanisms

EPA Science Inventory

SOT 2014 Abstract: Invitational Emerging evidence of ozone metabolic effects and potential mechanisms U.P. Kodavanti NHEERL, USEPA, Research Triangle Park, NC Recent evidence suggests that air pollutants are linked to metabolic syndrome and impact several key metabolic proce...

Emergent kinetic constraints, ergodicity breaking, and cooperative dynamics in noisy quantum systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Everest, B.; Marcuzzi, M.; Garrahan, J. P.; Lesanovsky, I.

2016-11-01

Kinetically constrained spin systems play an important role in understanding key properties of the dynamics of slowly relaxing materials, such as glasses. Recent experimental studies have revealed that manifest kinetic constraints govern the evolution of strongly interacting gases of highly excited atoms in a noisy environment. Motivated by this development we explore which types of kinetically constrained dynamics can generally emerge in quantum spin systems subject to strong noise and show how, in this framework, constraints are accompanied by conservation laws. We discuss an experimentally realizable case of a lattice gas, where the interplay between those and the geometry of the lattice leads to collective behavior and time-scale separation even at infinite temperature. This is in contrast to models of glass-forming substances which typically rely on low temperatures and the consequent suppression of thermal activation.

Key Words in Instruction. Online Learning and Virtual Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamb, Annette; Callison, Daniel

2005-01-01

Online learning and virtual schools allow students to take classes any time and anywhere. These emerging learning environments require school library media specialists to expand their thinking about their resources and services. Creation of a virtual library can provide access to remote materials that enhance the experience of online learners.…

[Current situation of pediatric emergency in tertiary and teaching hospitals in 15 provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions in China Mainland].

PubMed

2014-12-01

Pre-hospital care, emergency department and critical care medicine are the key components of emergency medical service system. Two investigations about the pediatric critical care medicine in China mainland showed great progress. In recent years, most hospitals in China mainland have established emergency department, hardware configuration and staff status were gradually standardized. But most of the emergency departments mainly provide service to adult patients and pediatric emergency medicine lags behind. The purpose of this investigation was to understand the current situation and main problems of pediatric emergency in China mainland. A questionnaire developed by the Subspecialty Group of Pediatrics, Chinese Society of Emergency Medicine and the Subspecialty Group of Emergency Medicine, Chinese Society of Pediatrics was e-mailed to the members of the above-mentioned two subspecialty groups. The contents of the questionnaire included 46 items which were divided into 5 categories: the general situation of the hospital, the pediatric emergency setting and composition, key equipments and techniques, staff status, training program and running data from 2011 to 2012. Sixty-three questionnaires were delivered and 27 (42.9%) hospitals responded which located in 15 different provinces, municipalities and autonomous regions. Among the 27 hospitals, 10 (37.0%) had no pediatric resuscitation room; 25 (92.6%) had no equipments for cardiac output monitor and gastric lavage; 13 (48.1%) had no bedside fibrolaryngoscope or fiberbronchoscope; 5 (18.5%) had no blood gas analyzer; 4 (14.8%) without respirator, defibrillator, bedside radiography or ultrasonic equipment; 2 (7.4%) had no neonatal incubator; 9 (33.3%) could not do intraossous infusion. The average ratio of professional emergency pediatricians to all physicians was 43.5%. Twenty hospitals incompletely filled in the pediatric emergency running data. The main problems existing in pediatric emergency include: imperfect

Bioresponsive materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lu, Yue; Aimetti, Alex A.; Langer, Robert; Gu, Zhen

2017-01-01

'Smart' bioresponsive materials that are sensitive to biological signals or to pathological abnormalities, and interact with or are actuated by them, are appealing therapeutic platforms for the development of next-generation precision medications. Armed with a better understanding of various biologically responsive mechanisms, researchers have made innovations in the areas of materials chemistry, biomolecular engineering, pharmaceutical science, and micro- and nanofabrication to develop bioresponsive materials for a range of applications, including controlled drug delivery, diagnostics, tissue engineering and biomedical devices. This Review highlights recent advances in the design of smart materials capable of responding to the physiological environment, to biomarkers and to biological particulates. Key design principles, challenges and future directions, including clinical translation, of bioresponsive materials are also discussed.

Emergence and global spread of epidemic healthcare-associated Clostridium difficile

PubMed Central

He, Miao; Miyajima, Fabio; Roberts, Paul; Ellison, Louise; Pickard, Derek J.; Martin, Melissa J.; Connor, Thomas R.; Harris, Simon R.; Fairley, Derek; Bamford, Kathleen B.; D’Arc, Stephanie; Brazier, Jon; Brown, Derek; Coia, John E.; Douce, Gill; Gerding, Dale; Kim, Hee Jung; Koh, Tse Hsien; Kato, Haru; Senoh, Mitsutoshi; Louie, Tom; Michell, Stephen; Butt, Emma; Peacock, Sharon J.; Brown, Nick M.; Riley, Tom; Songer, Glen; Wilcox, Mark; Pirmohamed, Munir; Kuijper, Ed; Hawkey, Peter; Wren, Brendan W.; Dougan, Gordon; Parkhill, Julian; Lawley, Trevor D.

2012-01-01

Epidemic Clostridium difficile (027/BI/NAP1) rapidly emerged in the past decade as the leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea worldwide. However, the key moments in the evolutionary history leading to its emergence and subsequent patterns of global spread remain unknown. Here we define the global population structure of C. difficile 027/BI/NAP1 based on whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. We demonstrate that two distinct epidemic lineages, FQR1 and FQR2, not one as previously thought, emerged in North America within a relatively short period after acquiring the same fluoroquinolone resistance mutation and a highly-related conjugative transposon. The two epidemic lineages displayed distinct patterns of global spread, and the FQR2 lineage spread more widely leading to healthcare outbreaks in the UK, continental Europe and Australia. Our analysis identifies key genetic changes linked to the rapid trans-continental dissemination of epidemic C. difficile 027/BI/NAP1 and highlights the routes by which it spreads through the global healthcare system. PMID:23222960

Los Alamos National Laboratory emergency management plan. Revision 1

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

Ramsey, G.F.

1998-07-15

The Laboratory has developed this Emergency Management Plan (EMP) to assist in emergency planning, preparedness, and response to anticipated and actual emergencies. The Plan establishes guidance for ensuring safe Laboratory operation, protection of the environment, and safeguarding Department of Energy (DOE) property. Detailed information and specific instructions required by emergency response personnel to implement the EMP are contained in the Emergency Management Plan Implementing Procedure (EMPIP) document, which consists of individual EMPIPs. The EMP and EMPIPs may be used to assist in resolving emergencies including but not limited to fires, high-energy accidents, hazardous material releases (radioactive and nonradioactive), security incidents,more » transportation accidents, electrical accidents, and natural disasters.« less

Materials Genome Initiative

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Vickers, John

2015-01-01

The Materials Genome Initiative (MGI) project element is a cross-Center effort that is focused on the integration of computational tools to simulate manufacturing processes and materials behavior. These computational simulations will be utilized to gain understanding of processes and materials behavior to accelerate process development and certification to more efficiently integrate new materials in existing NASA projects and to lead to the design of new materials for improved performance. This NASA effort looks to collaborate with efforts at other government agencies and universities working under the national MGI. MGI plans to develop integrated computational/experimental/ processing methodologies for accelerating discovery and insertion of materials to satisfy NASA's unique mission demands. The challenges include validated design tools that incorporate materials properties, processes, and design requirements; and materials process control to rapidly mature emerging manufacturing methods and develop certified manufacturing processes

The Evaluation of Vehicle Mass Reduction and Material ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Developments in the realm of lightweight materials for automotive use continue to be announced by the industry and by academia. This session will provide new and updated information on new generation of materials. Additionally, this session will focus on the key topics involved in Life-Cycle-Analysis of light-weight materials including practices and developments in material recyclability. This presentation will review key findings from recent LCAs for vehicle mass reduction. Presentation for panel session on advanced materials/lightweighting for light duty vehicles at the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Government/Industry Meeting, Washington, DC (January 25, 2017)

Combining computation and experiment to accelerate the discovery of new hydrogen storage materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Siegel, Donald

2009-03-01

The potential of emerging technologies such as fuel cells (FCs) and photovoltaics for environmentally-benign power generation has sparked renewed interest in the development of novel materials for high density energy storage. For applications in the transportation sector, the demands placed upon energy storage media are especially stringent, as a potential replacement for fossil-fuel-powered internal combustion engines -- namely, the proton exchange membrane FC -- utilizes hydrogen as a fuel. Although hydrogen has about three times the energy density of gasoline by weight, its volumetric energy density (even at 700 bar) is roughly a factor of six smaller. Consequently, the safe and efficient storage of hydrogen has been identified as one of the key materials-based challenges to realizing a transition to FC vehicles. This talk will present an overview of recent efforts at Ford aimed at developing new materials for reversible, solid state hydrogen storage. A tight coupling between first-principles modeling and experiments has greatly accelerated our efforts, and several examples illustrating the benefits of this approach will be presented.

DOE Partnerships with States, Tribes and Other Federal Programs Help Responders Prepare for Challenges Involving Transport of Radioactive Materials

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

Marsha Keister

2001-02-01

DOE Partnerships with States, Tribes and Other Federal Programs Help Responders Prepare for Challenges Involving Transport of Radioactive Materials Implementing adequate institutional programs and validating preparedness for emergency response to radiological transportation incidents along or near U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) shipping corridors poses unique challenges to transportation operations management. Delayed or insufficient attention to State and Tribal preparedness needs may significantly impact the transportation operations schedule and budget. The DOE Transportation Emergency Preparedness Program (TEPP) has successfully used a cooperative planning process to develop strong partnerships with States, Tribes, Federal agencies and other national programs to support responder preparednessmore » across the United States. DOE TEPP has found that building solid partnerships with key emergency response agencies ensures responders have access to the planning, training, technical expertise and assistance necessary to safely, efficiently and effectively respond to a radiological transportation accident. Through the efforts of TEPP over the past fifteen years, partnerships have resulted in States and Tribal Nations either using significant portions of the TEPP planning resources in their programs and/or adopting the Modular Emergency Response Radiological Transportation Training (MERRTT) program into their hazardous material training curriculums to prepare their fire departments, law enforcement, hazardous materials response teams, emergency management officials, public information officers and emergency medical technicians for responding to transportation incidents involving radioactive materials. In addition, through strong partnerships with Federal Agencies and other national programs TEPP provided technical expertise to support a variety of radiological response initiatives and assisted several programs with integration of the nationally recognized MERRTT

Key experimental information on intermediate-range atomic structures in amorphous Ge2Sb2Te5 phase change material

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hosokawa, Shinya; Pilgrim, Wolf-Christian; Höhle, Astrid; Szubrin, Daniel; Boudet, Nathalie; Bérar, Jean-François; Maruyama, Kenji

2012-04-01

Laser-induced crystalline-amorphous phase change of Ge-Sb-Te alloys is the key mechanism enabling the fast and stable writing/erasing processes in rewritable optical storage devices, such as digital versatile disk (DVD) or blu-ray disk. Although the structural information in the amorphous phase is essential for clarifying this fast process, as well as long lasting stabilities of both the phases, experimental works were mostly limited to the short-range order by x ray absorption fine structure. Here we show both the short and intermediate-range atomic structures of amorphous DVD material, Ge2Sb2Te5 (GST), investigated by a combination of anomalous x ray scattering and reverse Monte Carlo modeling. From the obtained atomic configurations of amorphous GST, we have found that the Sb atoms and half of the Ge atoms play roles in the fast phase change process of order-disorder transition, while the remaining Ge atoms act for the proper activation energy of barriers between the amorphous and crystalline phases.

Function key and shortcut key use in airway facilities.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-02-01

This document provides information on the function keys and shortcut keys used by systems in the Federal Aviation Administration : Airway Facilities (AF) work environment. It includes a catalog of the function keys and shortcut keys used by each syst...

Infection Prevention in the Emergency Department

PubMed Central

Liang, Stephen Y.; Theodoro, Daniel L.; Schuur, Jeremiah D.; Marschall, Jonas

2014-01-01

Infection prevention remains a major challenge in emergency care. Acutely ill and injured patients seeking evaluation and treatment in the emergency department (ED) not only have the potential to spread communicable infectious diseases to healthcare personnel and other patients, but are vulnerable to acquiring new infections associated with the care they receive. This article will evaluate these risks and review the existing literature for infection prevention practices in the ED, ranging from hand hygiene, standard and transmission-based precautions, healthcare personnel vaccination, and environmental controls to strategies for preventing healthcare-associated infections. We will conclude by examining what can be done to optimize infection prevention in the ED and identify gaps in knowledge where further research is needed. Successful implementation of evidence-based practices coupled with innovation of novel approaches and technologies tailored specifically to the complex and dynamic environment of the ED are the keys to raising the standard for infection prevention and patient safety in emergency care. PMID:24721718

Emerging and potential opportunities for 2D flexible nanoelectronics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Weinan; Park, Saungeun; Akinwande, Deji

2016-05-01

The last 10 years have seen the emergence of two-dimensional (2D) nanomaterials such as graphene, transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs), and black phosphorus (BP) among the growing portfolio of layered van der Waals thin films. Graphene, the prototypical 2D material has advanced rapidly in device, circuit and system studies that has resulted in commercial large-area applications. In this work, we provide a perspective of the emerging and potential translational applications of 2D materials including semiconductors, semimetals, and insulators that comprise the basic material set for diverse nanosystems. Applications include RF transceivers, smart systems, the so-called internet of things, and neurotechnology. We will review the DC and RF electronic performance of graphene and BP thin film transistors. 2D materials at sub-um channel length have so far enabled cut-off frequencies from baseband to 100GHz suitable for low-power RF and sub-THz concepts.

Synthesis and chemistry of elemental 2D materials

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

Mannix, Andrew J.; Kiraly, Brian; Hersam, Mark C.

2017-01-25

2D materials have attracted considerable attention in the past decade for their superlative physical properties. These materials consist of atomically thin sheets exhibiting covalent in-plane bonding and weak interlayer and layer-substrate bonding. Following the example of graphene, most emerging 2D materials are derived from structures that can be isolated from bulk phases of layered materials, which form a limited library for new materials discovery. Entirely synthetic 2D materials provide access to a greater range of properties through the choice of constituent elements and substrates. Of particular interest are elemental 2D materials, because they provide the most chemically tractable case formore » synthetic exploration. In this Review, we explore the progress made in the synthesis and chemistry of synthetic elemental 2D materials, and offer perspectives and challenges for the future of this emerging field.« less

High-κ gate dielectrics: Current status and materials properties considerations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilk, G. D.; Wallace, R. M.; Anthony, J. M.

2001-05-01

Many materials systems are currently under consideration as potential replacements for SiO2 as the gate dielectric material for sub-0.1 μm complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) technology. A systematic consideration of the required properties of gate dielectrics indicates that the key guidelines for selecting an alternative gate dielectric are (a) permittivity, band gap, and band alignment to silicon, (b) thermodynamic stability, (c) film morphology, (d) interface quality, (e) compatibility with the current or expected materials to be used in processing for CMOS devices, (f) process compatibility, and (g) reliability. Many dielectrics appear favorable in some of these areas, but very few materials are promising with respect to all of these guidelines. A review of current work and literature in the area of alternate gate dielectrics is given. Based on reported results and fundamental considerations, the pseudobinary materials systems offer large flexibility and show the most promise toward successful integration into the expected processing conditions for future CMOS technologies, especially due to their tendency to form at interfaces with Si (e.g. silicates). These pseudobinary systems also thereby enable the use of other high-κ materials by serving as an interfacial high-κ layer. While work is ongoing, much research is still required, as it is clear that any material which is to replace SiO2 as the gate dielectric faces a formidable challenge. The requirements for process integration compatibility are remarkably demanding, and any serious candidates will emerge only through continued, intensive investigation.

Structural integrity--Searching the key factor to suppress the voltage fade of Li-rich layered cathode materials through 3D X-ray imaging and spectroscopy techniques

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

Xu, Yahong; Hu, Enyuan; Yang, Feifei

Li-rich layered materials are important cathode compounds used in commercial lithium ion batteries, which, however, suffers from some drawbacks including the so-called voltage fade upon electrochemical cycling. Here, our study employs novel transmission X-ray microscopy to investigate the electrochemical reaction induced morphological and chemical changes in the Li-rich Li 2Ru 0.5Mn 0.5O 3 cathode particles at the meso to nano scale. We performed combined X-ray spectroscopy, diffraction and microscopy experiments to systematically study this cathode material's evolution upon cycling as well as to establish a comprehensive understanding of the structural origin of capacity fade through 2D and 3D fine lengthmore » scale morphology and heterogeneity change of this material. This work suggests that atomic manipulation (e.g. doping, substitution etc.) or nano engineering (e.g. nano-sizing, heterogeneous structure) are important strategies to mitigate the internal strain and defects induced by extensive lithium insertion/extraction. It also shows that maintaining the structural integrity is the key in designing and synthesizing lithium-rich layered materials with better cycle stability.« less

Structural integrity—Searching the key factor to supress the voltage fade of Li-rich layered cathode materials through 3D X-ray imaging and spectroscopy techniques

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

Xu, Yahong; Hu, Enyuan; Yang, Feifei

Li-rich layered materials are important cathode compounds used in commercial lithium ion batteries, which, however, suffers from some drawbacks including the so-called voltage fade upon electrochemical cycling. This study employs novel transmission X-ray microscopy to investigate the electrochemical reaction induced morphological and chemical changes in the Li-rich Li 2Ru 0.5Mn 0.5O 3 cathode particles at the meso to nano scale. Combined X-ray spectroscopy, diffraction and microscopy experiments are performed to systematically study this cathode material's evolution upon cycling as well as to establish a comprehensive understanding of the structural origin of capacity fade through 2D and 3D fine length scalemore » morphology and heterogeneity change of this material. This work suggests that atomic manipulation (e.g. doping, substitution etc.) or nano engineering (e.g. nano-sizing, heterogeneous structure) are important strategies to mitigate the internal strain and defects induced by extensive lithium insertion/extraction. In conclusion, it also shows that maintaining the structural integrity is the key in designing and synthesizing lithium-rich layered materials with better cycle stability.« less

Structural integrity—Searching the key factor to supress the voltage fade of Li-rich layered cathode materials through 3D X-ray imaging and spectroscopy techniques

DOE PAGES

Xu, Yahong; Hu, Enyuan; Yang, Feifei; ...

2016-08-17

Li-rich layered materials are important cathode compounds used in commercial lithium ion batteries, which, however, suffers from some drawbacks including the so-called voltage fade upon electrochemical cycling. This study employs novel transmission X-ray microscopy to investigate the electrochemical reaction induced morphological and chemical changes in the Li-rich Li 2Ru 0.5Mn 0.5O 3 cathode particles at the meso to nano scale. Combined X-ray spectroscopy, diffraction and microscopy experiments are performed to systematically study this cathode material's evolution upon cycling as well as to establish a comprehensive understanding of the structural origin of capacity fade through 2D and 3D fine length scalemore » morphology and heterogeneity change of this material. This work suggests that atomic manipulation (e.g. doping, substitution etc.) or nano engineering (e.g. nano-sizing, heterogeneous structure) are important strategies to mitigate the internal strain and defects induced by extensive lithium insertion/extraction. In conclusion, it also shows that maintaining the structural integrity is the key in designing and synthesizing lithium-rich layered materials with better cycle stability.« less

44 CFR 19.455 - Textbooks and curricular material.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Textbooks and curricular material. 19.455 Section 19.455 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY GENERAL NONDISCRIMINATION ON THE BASIS OF SEX IN EDUCATION PROGRAMS OR ACTIVITIES RECEIVING FEDERAL FINANCIAL...

Radiation-induced damage analysed by luminescence methods in retrospective dosimetry and emergency response.

PubMed

Woda, Clemens; Bassinet, Céline; Trompier, François; Bortolin, Emanuela; Della Monaca, Sara; Fattibene, Paola

2009-01-01

The increasing risk of a mass casualty scenario following a large scale radiological accident or attack necessitates the development of appropriate dosimetric tools for emergency response. Luminescence dosimetry has been reliably applied for dose reconstruction in contaminated settlements for several decades and recent research into new materials carried close to the human body opens the possibility of estimating individual doses for accident and emergency dosimetry using the same technique. This paper reviews the luminescence research into materials useful for accident dosimetry and applications in retrospective dosimetry. The properties of the materials are critically discussed with regard to the requirements for population triage. It is concluded that electronic components found within portable electronic devices, such as e.g. mobile phones, are at present the most promising material to function as a fortuitous dosimeter in an emergency response.

49 CFR 193.2509 - Emergency procedures.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 3 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Emergency procedures. 193.2509 Section 193.2509 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) PIPELINE AND HAZARDOUS MATERIALS SAFETY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (CONTINUED) PIPELINE SAFETY LIQUEFIED NATURAL GAS FACILITIES...

Secure password-based authenticated key exchange for web services

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

Liang, Fang; Meder, Samuel; Chevassut, Olivier

This paper discusses an implementation of an authenticated key-exchange method rendered on message primitives defined in the WS-Trust and WS-SecureConversation specifications. This IEEE-specified cryptographic method (AuthA) is proven-secure for password-based authentication and key exchange, while the WS-Trust and WS-Secure Conversation are emerging Web Services Security specifications that extend the WS-Security specification. A prototype of the presented protocol is integrated in the WSRF-compliant Globus Toolkit V4. Further hardening of the implementation is expected to result in a version that will be shipped with future Globus Toolkit releases. This could help to address the current unavailability of decent shared-secret-based authentication options inmore » the Web Services and Grid world. Future work will be to integrate One-Time-Password (OTP) features in the authentication protocol.« less

Emerging materials for transparent conductive electrodes and their applications in photovoltaics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhu, Zhaozhao

Clean and affordable energy, especially solar energy, is becoming more and more important as our annual total energy consumption keeps rising. However, to make solar energy more affordable and accessible, the cost for fabrication, transportation and assembly of all components need to be reduced. As a crucial component for solar cells, transparent conductive electrode (TCE) can determine the cost and performance. A light weight, easy-to-fabricate and cost-effective new generation TCE is thus needed. While indium-doped tin oxide (ITO) has been the most widely used material for commercial applications as TCEs, its cost has gone up due to the limited global supply of indium. This is not only due to the scarcity of the element itself, but also the massive production of various opto-electronic devices such as TVs, smartphones and tablets. In order to reduce the cost for fabricating large area solar cells, substitute materials for ITO should be developed. These materials should have similar optical transmittance in the visible wavelength range, as well as similar electrical conductivity (sheet resistance) to ITO. This work starts with synthesizing ITO-replacing nano-materials, such as copper nanowires (CuNWs), derivative zinc oxide (ZnO) thin films, reduced graphene oxide (rGO) and so on. Further, we applied various deposition techniques, including spin-coating, spray-coating, Mayer-rod coating, filtration and transferring, to coat transparent substrates with these materials in order to fabricate TCEs. We characterize these materials and analyze their electrical/optical properties as TCEs. Additionally, these fabricated single-material-based TCEs were tested in various lab conditions, and their shortcomings (instability, rigidity, etc.) were highlighted. In order to address these issues, we hybridized the different materials to combine their strengths and compared the properties to single-material based TCEs. The multiple hybridized TCEs have comparable optical

Decision Trajectories in Dementia Care Networks: Decisions and Related Key Events.

PubMed

Groen-van de Ven, Leontine; Smits, Carolien; Oldewarris, Karen; Span, Marijke; Jukema, Jan; Eefsting, Jan; Vernooij-Dassen, Myrra

2017-10-01

This prospective multiperspective study provides insight into the decision trajectories of people with dementia by studying the decisions made and related key events. This study includes three waves of interviews, conducted between July 2010 and July 2012, with 113 purposefully selected respondents (people with beginning to advanced stages of dementia and their informal and professional caregivers) completed in 12 months (285 interviews). Our multilayered qualitative analysis consists of content analysis, timeline methods, and constant comparison. Four decision themes emerged-managing daily life, arranging support, community living, and preparing for the future. Eight key events delineate the decision trajectories of people with dementia. Decisions and key events differ between people with dementia living alone and living with a caregiver. Our study clarifies that decisions relate not only to the disease but to living with the dementia. Individual differences in decision content and sequence may effect shared decision-making and advance care planning.

Emergency surgery pre-operative delays - realities and economic impacts.

PubMed

O'Leary, D P; Beecher, S; McLaughlin, R

2014-12-01

A key principle of acute surgical service provision is the establishment of a distinct patient flow process and an emergency theatre. Time-to-theatre (TTT) is a key performance indicator of theatre efficiency. The combined impacts of an aging population, increasing demands and complexity associated with centralisation of emergency and oncology services has placed pressure on emergency theatre access. We examined our institution's experience with running a designated emergency theatre for acute surgical patients. A retrospective review of an electronic prospectively maintained database was performed between 1/1/12 and 31/12/13. A cost analysis was conducted to assess the economic impact of delayed TTT, with every 24hr delay incurring the cost of an additional overnight bed. Delays and the economic effects were assessed only after the first 24 h as an in-patient had elapsed. In total, 7041 procedures were performed. Overall mean TTT was 26 h, 2 min. There were significant differences between different age groups, with those aged under 16 year and over 65 having mean TTT at 6 h, 34 min (95% C.I. 0.51-2.15, p < 0.001) and 23 h, 41 min (95% C.I. 19.6-23.9, p < 0.001) respectively. 2421 (34%) waited greater than 24 h for emergency procedures. The >65 years age group had a mean TTT of 23 h, 41 min which was significantly longer than the overall mean TTT Vascular and urological emergencies are significantly disadvantaged in competition with other services for a shared emergency theatre. The economic impact of delayed TTT was calculated at €7,116,000, or €9880/day of additional costs generated from delayed TTT over a 24 month period. One third of patients waited longer than 24 h for emergency surgery, with the elderly disproportionately represented in this group. Aside from the clinical risks of delayed and out of hours surgery, such practices incur significant additional costs. New strategies must be devised to ensure efficient access to emergency theatres, investment

Approaches to a global quantum key distribution network

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Islam, Tanvirul; Bedington, Robert; Ling, Alexander

2017-10-01

Progress in realising quantum computers threatens to weaken existing public key encryption infrastructure. A global quantum key distribution (QKD) network can play a role in computational attack-resistant encryption. Such a network could use a constellation of high altitude platforms such as airships and satellites as trusted nodes to facilitate QKD between any two points on the globe on demand. This requires both space-to-ground and inter-platform links. However, the prohibitive cost of traditional satellite based development limits the experimental work demonstrating relevant technologies. To accelerate progress towards a global network, we use an emerging class of shoe-box sized spacecraft known as CubeSats. We have designed a polarization entangled photon pair source that can operate on board CubeSats. The robustness and miniature form factor of our entanglement source makes it especially suitable for performing pathfinder missions that studies QKD between two high altitude platforms. The technological outcomes of such mission would be the essential building blocks for a global QKD network.

[Discussion of the implementation of MIMIC database in emergency medical study].

PubMed

Li, Kaiyuan; Feng, Cong; Jia, Lijing; Chen, Li; Pan, Fei; Li, Tanshi

2018-05-01

To introduce Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care (MIMIC) database and elaborate the approach of critically emergent research with big data based on the feature of MIMIC and updated studies both domestic and overseas, we put forward the feasibility and necessity of introducing medical big data to research in emergency. Then we discuss the role of MIMIC database in emergency clinical study, as well as the principles and key notes of experimental design and implementation under the medical big data circumstance. The implementation of MIMIC database in emergency medical research provides a brand new field for the early diagnosis, risk warning and prognosis of critical illness, however there are also limitations. To meet the era of big data, emergency medical database which is in accordance with our national condition is needed, which will provide new energy to the development of emergency medicine.

Object-oriented sociology and organizing in the face of emergency: Bruno Latour, Graham Harman and the material turn.

PubMed

Pierides, Dean; Woodman, Dan

2012-12-01

This paper explores the material turn in sociology and the tools it provides for understanding organizational problems highlighted by the Royal Commission into the 2009 'Black Saturday' bushfires during which 173 people died in the Australian State of Victoria. Often inspired by Bruno Latour's material-semiotic sociology of associations, organization scholars employing these tools focus on the messy details of organization otherwise overlooked by approaches assuming a macroscopic frame of analysis. In Latour's approach no object is reducible to something else - such as nature, the social, or atoms - it is instead a stabilized set of relations. A Latourian approach allows us to highlight how the Royal Commission and macroscopic models of organizing do unwitting damage to their objects of inquiry by purifying the 'natural' from the 'social'. Performative elements in their schemas are mistaken for descriptive ones. However, a long standing critique of this approach claims that it becomes its own form of reduction, to nothing but relations. Graham Harman, in his object-oriented philosophy develops this critique by showing that a 'relationist' metaphysics cannot properly accommodate the capacity of 'objects' to cause or mediate surprises. Through our case of the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission, we argue that a purely relational model of objects loosens a productive tension between the structural and ephemeral that drives sociological analysis. By drawing on elements of Harman's ontology of objects we argue that it is necessary for material-semiotic sociology to retain a central place for the emergence of sociological objects. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2012.

Destabilising automobility? The emergent mobilities of generation Y.

PubMed

Hopkins, Debbie

2017-04-01

This paper uses empirical material gathered with young adults in New Zealand to examine a potential sustainability transition-in-practice. It draws from two frameworks; the actor-centred Energy Cultures Framework to explore mobility behaviours, and the multi-level perspective (MLP) to situate behaviour change within the socio-technical transitions literature. The MLP has traditionally been used to analyse historical transitions (e.g. from the horse and cart to the motor vehicle), but in this paper, it is used to explore an on-going change trend; the emergent mobilities of young adults who appear to be aspiring for different types of mobility. A series of mobility trends are described, which emerged from a programme of qualitative interviews (n = 51). The material culture, norms and practices that constitute these trends are articulated. These are then considered through the lens of the MLP. The evidence points to emergent trends of multimodality that, if leveraged upon and supported, could contribute to a systemic sustainability transition.

Emergent Properties and Toxicological Considerations for Nanohybrid Materials in Aquatic Systems

PubMed Central

Saleh, Navid B.; Afrooz, A. R. M. Nabiul; Bisesi, Joseph H.; Aich, Nirupam; Plazas-Tuttle, Jaime; Sabo-Attwood, Tara

2014-01-01

Conjugation of multiple nanomaterials has become the focus of recent materials development. This new material class is commonly known as nanohybrids or “horizon nanomaterials”. Conjugation of metal/metal oxides with carbonaceous nanomaterials and overcoating or doping of one metal with another have been pursued to enhance material performance and/or incorporate multifunctionality into nano-enabled devices and processes. Nanohybrids are already at use in commercialized energy, electronics and medical products, which warrant immediate attention for their safety evaluation. These conjugated ensembles likely present a new set of physicochemical properties that are unique to their individual component attributes, hence increasing uncertainty in their risk evaluation. Established toxicological testing strategies and enumerated underlying mechanisms will thus need to be re-evaluated for the assessment of these horizon materials. This review will present a critical discussion on the altered physicochemical properties of nanohybrids and analyze the validity of existing nanotoxicology data against these unique properties. The article will also propose strategies to evaluate the conjugate materials’ safety to help undertake future toxicological research on the nanohybrid material class. PMID:28344229

44 CFR 312.6 - Materials and facilities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Materials and facilities. 312... OF HOMELAND SECURITY PREPAREDNESS USE OF CIVIL DEFENSE PERSONNEL, MATERIALS, AND FACILITIES FOR NATURAL DISASTER PURPOSES § 312.6 Materials and facilities. FEMA also contributes to the development and...

49 CFR 172.313 - Poisonous hazardous materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... TABLE, SPECIAL PROVISIONS, HAZARDOUS MATERIALS COMMUNICATIONS, EMERGENCY RESPONSE INFORMATION, TRAINING... 1,000 kg (2,205 pounds) or more aggregate gross weight of the material in non-bulk packages marked... aggregate gross weight; and (ii) For different materials in both Hazard Zones A and B, with the...

Society for Academic Emergency Medicine Statement on Plagiarism.

PubMed

Asher, Shellie L; Iserson, Kenneth V; Merck, Lisa H

2017-10-01

The integrity of the research enterprise is of the utmost importance for the advancement of safe and effective medical practice for patients and for maintaining the public trust in health care. Academic societies and editors of journals are key participants in guarding scientific integrity. Avoiding and preventing plagiarism helps to preserve the scientific integrity of professional presentations and publications. The Society for Academic Emergency Medicine (SAEM) Ethics Committee discusses current issues in scientific publishing integrity and provides a guideline to avoid plagiarism in SAEM presentations and publications. © 2017 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

Tunable emergent heterostructures in a prototypical correlated metal

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fobes, D. M.; Zhang, S.; Lin, S.-Z.; Das, Pinaki; Ghimire, N. J.; Bauer, E. D.; Thompson, J. D.; Harriger, L. W.; Ehlers, G.; Podlesnyak, A.; Bewley, R. I.; Sazonov, A.; Hutanu, V.; Ronning, F.; Batista, C. D.; Janoschek, M.

2018-05-01

At the interface between two distinct materials, desirable properties, such as superconductivity, can be greatly enhanced1, or entirely new functionalities may emerge2. Similar to in artificially engineered heterostructures, clean functional interfaces alternatively exist in electronically textured bulk materials. Electronic textures emerge spontaneously due to competing atomic-scale interactions3, the control of which would enable a top-down approach for designing tunable intrinsic heterostructures. This is particularly attractive for correlated electron materials, where spontaneous heterostructures strongly affect the interplay between charge and spin degrees of freedom4. Here we report high-resolution neutron spectroscopy on the prototypical strongly correlated metal CeRhIn5, revealing competition between magnetic frustration and easy-axis anisotropy—a well-established mechanism for generating spontaneous superstructures5. Because the observed easy-axis anisotropy is field-induced and anomalously large, it can be controlled efficiently with small magnetic fields. The resulting field-controlled magnetic superstructure is closely tied to the formation of superconducting6 and electronic nematic textures7 in CeRhIn5, suggesting that in situ tunable heterostructures can be realized in correlated electron materials.

New Nuclear Emergency Prognosis system in Korea

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, Hyun-Ha; Jeong, Seung-Young; Park, Sang-Hyun; Lee, Kwan-Hee

2016-04-01

This paper reviews the status of assessment and prognosis system for nuclear emergency response in Korea, especially atmospheric dispersion model. The Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS) performs the regulation and radiological emergency preparedness of the nuclear facilities and radiation utilizations. Also, KINS has set up the "Radiological Emergency Technical Advisory Plan" and the associated procedures such as an emergency response manual in consideration of the IAEA Safety Standards GS-R-2, GS-G-2.0, and GS-G-2.1. The Radiological Emergency Technical Advisory Center (RETAC) organized in an emergency situation provides the technical advice on radiological emergency response. The "Atomic Computerized Technical Advisory System for nuclear emergency" (AtomCARE) has been developed to implement assessment and prognosis by RETAC. KINS developed Accident Dose Assessment and Monitoring (ADAMO) system in 2015 to reflect the lessons learned from Fukushima accident. It incorporates (1) the dose assessment on the entire Korean peninsula, Asia region, and global region, (2) multi-units accident assessment (3) applying new methodology of dose rate assessment and the source term estimation with inverse modeling, (4) dose assessment and monitoring with the environmental measurements result. The ADAMO is the renovated version of current FADAS of AtomCARE. The ADAMO increases the accuracy of the radioactive material dispersion with applying the LDAPS(Local Data Assimilation Prediction System, Spatial resolution: 1.5 km) and RDAPS(Regional Data Assimilation Prediction System, Spatial resolution: 12km) of weather prediction data, and performing the data assimilation of automatic weather system (AWS) data from Korea Meteorological Administration (KMA) and data from the weather observation tower at NPP site. The prediction model of the radiological material dispersion is based on the set of the Lagrangian Particle model and Lagrangian Puff model. The dose estimation methodology

Simple Web-based interactive key development software (WEBiKEY) and an example key for Kuruna (Poaceae: Bambusoideae).

PubMed

Attigala, Lakshmi; De Silva, Nuwan I; Clark, Lynn G

2016-04-01

Programs that are user-friendly and freely available for developing Web-based interactive keys are scarce and most of the well-structured applications are relatively expensive. WEBiKEY was developed to enable researchers to easily develop their own Web-based interactive keys with fewer resources. A Web-based multiaccess identification tool (WEBiKEY) was developed that uses freely available Microsoft ASP.NET technologies and an SQL Server database for Windows-based hosting environments. WEBiKEY was tested for its usability with a sample data set, the temperate woody bamboo genus Kuruna (Poaceae). WEBiKEY is freely available to the public and can be used to develop Web-based interactive keys for any group of species. The interactive key we developed for Kuruna using WEBiKEY enables users to visually inspect characteristics of Kuruna and identify an unknown specimen as one of seven possible species in the genus.

Functional and Biomimetic Materials for Engineering of the Three-Dimensional Cell Microenvironment.

PubMed

Huang, Guoyou; Li, Fei; Zhao, Xin; Ma, Yufei; Li, Yuhui; Lin, Min; Jin, Guorui; Lu, Tian Jian; Genin, Guy M; Xu, Feng

2017-10-25

The cell microenvironment has emerged as a key determinant of cell behavior and function in development, physiology, and pathophysiology. The extracellular matrix (ECM) within the cell microenvironment serves not only as a structural foundation for cells but also as a source of three-dimensional (3D) biochemical and biophysical cues that trigger and regulate cell behaviors. Increasing evidence suggests that the 3D character of the microenvironment is required for development of many critical cell responses observed in vivo, fueling a surge in the development of functional and biomimetic materials for engineering the 3D cell microenvironment. Progress in the design of such materials has improved control of cell behaviors in 3D and advanced the fields of tissue regeneration, in vitro tissue models, large-scale cell differentiation, immunotherapy, and gene therapy. However, the field is still in its infancy, and discoveries about the nature of cell-microenvironment interactions continue to overturn much early progress in the field. Key challenges continue to be dissecting the roles of chemistry, structure, mechanics, and electrophysiology in the cell microenvironment, and understanding and harnessing the roles of periodicity and drift in these factors. This review encapsulates where recent advances appear to leave the ever-shifting state of the art, and it highlights areas in which substantial potential and uncertainty remain.

Emerging Infectious Diseases in Pregnancy.

PubMed

Beigi, Richard H

2017-05-01

It has been recognized for centuries that pregnant women have unique susceptibilities to many infectious diseases that predispose them to untoward outcomes compared with the general adult population. It is thought a combination of adaptive alterations in immunity to allow for the fetal allograft combined with changes in anatomy and physiology accompanying pregnancy underlie these susceptibilities. Emerging infectious diseases are defined as those whose incidence in humans has increased in the past two decades or threaten to increase in the near future. The past decade alone has witnessed many such outbreaks, each with its own unique implications for pregnant women and their unborn fetuses as well as lessons for the health care community regarding response and mitigation. Examples of such outbreaks include, but are not limited to, severe acute respiratory syndrome, the 2009 H1N1 pandemic influenza, Ebola virus, and, most recently, the Zika virus. Although each emerging pathogen has unique features requiring specific considerations, there are many underlying principles that are shared in the recognition, communication, and mitigation of such infectious outbreaks. Some of these key principles include disease-specific delineation of transmission dynamics, understanding of pathogen-specific effects on both mothers and fetuses, and advance planning and contemporaneous management that prioritize communication among public health experts, clinicians, and patients. The productive and effective working collaboration among the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine has been a key partnership in the successful communication and management of such outbreaks for women's health care providers and patients alike. Going forward, the knowledge gained over the past decade will undoubtedly continue to inform future responses and will serve to optimize the education and care given

Materials Informatics: The Materials ``Gene'' and Big Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rajan, Krishna

2015-07-01

Materials informatics provides the foundations for a new paradigm of materials discovery. It shifts our emphasis from one of solely searching among large volumes of data that may be generated by experiment or computation to one of targeted materials discovery via high-throughput identification of the key factors (i.e., “genes”) and via showing how these factors can be quantitatively integrated by statistical learning methods into design rules (i.e., “gene sequencing”) governing targeted materials functionality. However, a critical challenge in discovering these materials genes is the difficulty in unraveling the complexity of the data associated with numerous factors including noise, uncertainty, and the complex diversity of data that one needs to consider (i.e., Big Data). In this article, we explore one aspect of materials informatics, namely how one can efficiently explore for new knowledge in regimes of structure-property space, especially when no reasonable selection pathways based on theory or clear trends in observations exist among an almost infinite set of possibilities.

10 CFR 70.82 - Suspension and operation in war or national emergency.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Suspension and operation in war or national emergency. 70... NUCLEAR MATERIAL Modification and Revocation of Licenses § 70.82 Suspension and operation in war or national emergency. Whenever Congress declares that a state of war or national emergency exists, the...

Emerging Trends of Research on Transfer of Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Subedi, Bhawani Shankar

2004-01-01

The terms "transfer of learning" and "transfer of training" are usually found mutually exclusive in training and development literature. Transfer is a key concept in adult learning theories because most education and training aspires to transfer. The end goals of training and education are not achieved unless transfer occurs. Emerging trends of…

Emergent Issues in Enterprise Education: The Educator's Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carey, Charlotte; Matlay, Harry

2011-01-01

Recent research suggests that important issues are emerging among enterprise educators in higher education institutions (HEIs). This paper examines four key areas of debate. The first of these is the assessment of entrepreneurship ideas and related activities (Pittaway and Cope, 2007). Penaluna and Penaluna (2008, 2009a, b), for example, focus on…

Evaluation of criteria for developing traffic safety materials for Latinos.

PubMed

Streit-Kaplan, Erica L; Miara, Christine; Formica, Scott W; Gallagher, Susan Scavo

2011-03-01

This quantitative study assessed the validity of guidelines that identified four key characteristics of culturally appropriate Spanish-language traffic safety materials: language, translation, formative evaluation, and credible source material. From a sample of 190, the authors randomly selected 12 Spanish-language educational materials for analysis by 15 experts. Hypotheses included that the experts would rate materials with more of the key characteristics as more effective (likely to affect behavioral change) and rate materials originally developed in Spanish and those that utilized formative evaluation (e.g., pilot tests, focus groups) as more culturally appropriate. Although results revealed a weak association between the number of key characteristics in a material and the rating of its effectiveness, reviewers rated materials originally created in Spanish and those utilizing formative evaluation as significantly more culturally appropriate. The findings and methodology demonstrated important implications for developers and evaluators of any health-related materials for Spanish speakers and other population groups.

Emerging and reemerging neglected tropical diseases: a review of key characteristics, risk factors, and the policy and innovation environment.

PubMed

Mackey, Tim K; Liang, Bryan A; Cuomo, Raphael; Hafen, Ryan; Brouwer, Kimberly C; Lee, Daniel E

2014-10-01

In global health, critical challenges have arisen from infectious diseases, including the emergence and reemergence of old and new infectious diseases. Emergence and reemergence are accelerated by rapid human development, including numerous changes in demographics, populations, and the environment. This has also led to zoonoses in the changing human-animal ecosystem, which are impacted by a growing globalized society where pathogens do not recognize geopolitical borders. Within this context, neglected tropical infectious diseases have historically lacked adequate attention in international public health efforts, leading to insufficient prevention and treatment options. This subset of 17 infectious tropical diseases disproportionately impacts the world's poorest, represents a significant and underappreciated global disease burden, and is a major barrier to development efforts to alleviate poverty and improve human health. Neglected tropical diseases that are also categorized as emerging or reemerging infectious diseases are an even more serious threat and have not been adequately examined or discussed in terms of their unique risk characteristics. This review sets out to identify emerging and reemerging neglected tropical diseases and explore the policy and innovation environment that could hamper or enable control efforts. Through this examination, we hope to raise awareness and guide potential approaches to addressing this global health concern. Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Emerging and Reemerging Neglected Tropical Diseases: a Review of Key Characteristics, Risk Factors, and the Policy and Innovation Environment

PubMed Central

Liang, Bryan A.; Cuomo, Raphael; Hafen, Ryan; Brouwer, Kimberly C.; Lee, Daniel E.

2014-01-01

SUMMARY In global health, critical challenges have arisen from infectious diseases, including the emergence and reemergence of old and new infectious diseases. Emergence and reemergence are accelerated by rapid human development, including numerous changes in demographics, populations, and the environment. This has also led to zoonoses in the changing human-animal ecosystem, which are impacted by a growing globalized society where pathogens do not recognize geopolitical borders. Within this context, neglected tropical infectious diseases have historically lacked adequate attention in international public health efforts, leading to insufficient prevention and treatment options. This subset of 17 infectious tropical diseases disproportionately impacts the world's poorest, represents a significant and underappreciated global disease burden, and is a major barrier to development efforts to alleviate poverty and improve human health. Neglected tropical diseases that are also categorized as emerging or reemerging infectious diseases are an even more serious threat and have not been adequately examined or discussed in terms of their unique risk characteristics. This review sets out to identify emerging and reemerging neglected tropical diseases and explore the policy and innovation environment that could hamper or enable control efforts. Through this examination, we hope to raise awareness and guide potential approaches to addressing this global health concern. PMID:25278579

Solid State Ionics Advanced Materials for Emerging Technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chowdari, B. V. R.; Careem, M. A.; Dissanayake, M. A. K. L.; Rajapakse, R. M. G.; Seneviratne, V. A.

2006-06-01

. M. Brahmanandhan ... [et al.]. Effect of filler addition on plasticized polymer electrolyte systems / M. Sundar, S. Selladurai. Ionic motion in PEDOT and PPy conducting polymer bilayers / U. L. Zainudeen, S. Skaarup, M. A. Careem. Film formation mechanism and electrochemical characterization of V[symbol]O[symbol] xerogel intercalated by polyaniniline / Q. Zhu ... [et al.]. Effect of NH[symbol]NO[symbol] concentration on the conductivity of PVA based solid polymer electrolyte / M. Hema ... [et al.]. Dielectric and conductivity studies of PVA-KSCN based solid polymer electrolytes / J. Malathi ... [et al.] -- pt. IV. Emerging applications. Invited papers. The use of solid state ionic materials and devices in medical applications / R. Linford. Development of all-solid-state lithium batteries / V. Thangadurai, J. Schwenzei, W. Weppner. Reversible intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells / B.-E. Mellander, I. Albinsson. Nano-size effects in lithium batteries / P. Balaya, Y. Hu, J. Maier. Electrochromics: fundamentals and applications / C. G. Granqvist. Electrochemical CO[symbol] gas sensor / K. Singh. Polypyrrole for artificial muscles: ionic mechanisms / S. Skaarup. Development and characterization of polyfluorene based light emitting diodes and their colour tuning using Forster resonance energy transfer / P. C. Mattur ... [et al.]. Mesoporous and nanoparticulate metal oxides: applications in new photocatalysis / C. Boxall. Proton Conducting (PC) perovskite membranes for hydrogen separation and PC-SOFC electrodes and electrolytes / H. Jena, B. Rambabu. Contributed papers. Electroceramic materials for the development of natural gas fuelled SOFC/GT plant in developing country (Trinidad and Tobogo (T&T)) / R. Saunders, H. Jena, B. Rambabu. Thin film SOFC supported on nano-porous substrate / J. Hoon Joo, G. M. Choi. Characterization and fabrication of silver solid state battery Ag/AGI-AgPO[symbol]/I[symbol], C / E. Kartini ... [et al.]. Performance of lithium polymer

Informatics Infrastructure for the Materials Genome Initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dima, Alden; Bhaskarla, Sunil; Becker, Chandler; Brady, Mary; Campbell, Carelyn; Dessauw, Philippe; Hanisch, Robert; Kattner, Ursula; Kroenlein, Kenneth; Newrock, Marcus; Peskin, Adele; Plante, Raymond; Li, Sheng-Yen; Rigodiat, Pierre-François; Amaral, Guillaume Sousa; Trautt, Zachary; Schmitt, Xavier; Warren, James; Youssef, Sharief

2016-08-01

A materials data infrastructure that enables the sharing and transformation of a wide range of materials data is an essential part of achieving the goals of the Materials Genome Initiative. We describe two high-level requirements of such an infrastructure as well as an emerging open-source implementation consisting of the Materials Data Curation System and the National Institute of Standards and Technology Materials Resource Registry.

Preparing Graduate Students for Virtual World Simulations: Exploring the Potential of an Emerging Technology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hewitt, Anne M.; Spencer, Susan; Mirliss, Danielle; Twal, Riad

2009-01-01

Anne M. Hewitt, Susan Spencer, Danielle Mirliss, and Riad Twal report on a collaborative team initiative to create a virtual world emergency preparedness simulation that focuses on crisis and emergency risk communication (CERC). CERC is a key competency for students enrolled in Seton Hall University's (SHU) Master of Healthcare Administration…

Towards systemic sustainable performance of TBI care systems: emergency leadership frontiers

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Background Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) continue as a twenty-first century subterranean and almost invisible scourge internationally. TBI care systems provide a safety net for survival, recovery, and reintegration into social communities from this scourge, particularly in Canada, the European Union, and the USA. Aims This paper examines the underlying issues of systemic performance and sustainability of TBI care systems, in the light of decreasing care resources and increasing demands for services. Methods This paper reviews the extant literature on TBI care systems, systems reengineering, and emergency leadership literature. Results This paper presents a seven care layer paradigm, which forms the essence of systemic performance in the care of patients with TBIs. It also identifies five key strategic drivers that hold promise for the future systemic sustainability of TBI care systems. Conclusions Transformational leadership and engagement from the international emergency medical community is the key to generating positive change. The sustainability/performance care framework is relevant and pertinent for consideration internationally and in the context of other emergency medical populations. PMID:21373305

Getting Ready for the "School of the Future": Key Questions and Tentative Answers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ott, Michela; Pozzi, Francesca

This paper explores some key aspects of "today's school", as opposed to those that have characterized "yesterday's school", with the final aim of shedding light on "tomorrow's school". In this direction, the paper puts forward tentative answers to some key questions related to the new characteristics and roles of teachers and students (main actors of the learning process) and the new features/ potentialities of contemporary educational tools which, in turn, require the enactment of innovative pedagogical approaches and educational methods. The emerging picture of the present learning landscape helps in figuring out a future situation where learning possibilities are substantially increased.

Behavioral emergencies in India: a population based epidemiological study.

PubMed

Saddichha, Sahoo; Vibha, Pandey; Saxena, Mukul Kumar; Methuku, Mithilesh

2010-05-01

Behavioral emergencies constitute an important but neglected part of emergencies seen worldwide in both emergency departments and by emergency services. Yet research on behavioral emergencies in India has been scarce. The study aimed to evaluate the occurrence of acute behavioral problems as an emergency attended by our emergency management service-108 services. During the period of August 1st 2007-July 31st 2008, all behavioral emergencies presenting to our emergency services in the states of Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh, which together account for more than 15% of India's population, were reviewed for data completeness and validity. Key word analysis of recorded case details was carried out to determine cause of emergency. Survival to hospital and 48-h outcome was also evaluated to study risk factors for mortality. A total of 40,541 cases of behavioral emergencies were recorded, in which the male:female ratio was 1.3:1. Most victims were in the 20 and 30 years (42%), from a poor socio-economic background (93%), rural area (74.3%), and backward caste (42.6%). Suicidal attempts, whether in the form of poisoning (60.5%) or otherwise (30.7%) was the most common emergency, followed by acute psychiatric causes (4%) and alcohol intoxication (3%). Victims, who met a fatal outcome, were more likely to be male (p = 0.02), having a better socio-economic condition (p < 0.001) and older (p < 0.001). Suicidal attempts, which form the largest chunk of behavioral emergencies, need to be tackled on a war-footing, given the sensitivity it deserves. Acute psychiatric emergencies, which form about 9% of all emergencies, require the emerging role of emergency psychiatric services.

47 CFR 11.54 - EAS operation during a National Level emergency.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... licensees and DBS providers may choose their two EAS sources, one of which must be a PEP station. (2... header codes for a national emergency. (3) After completing the above transmission procedures, key EAS...

47 CFR 11.54 - EAS operation during a National Level emergency.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... licensees and DBS providers may choose their two EAS sources, one of which must be a PEP station. (2... header codes for a national emergency. (3) After completing the above transmission procedures, key EAS...

Who breaches the four-hour emergency department wait time target? A retrospective analysis of 374,000 emergency department attendances between 2008 and 2013 at a type 1 emergency department in England.

PubMed

Bobrovitz, Niklas; Lasserson, Daniel S; Briggs, Adam D M

2017-11-02

The four-hour target is a key hospital emergency department performance indicator in England and one that drives the physical and organisational design of the ED. Some studies have identified time of presentation as a key factor affecting waiting times. Few studies have investigated other determinants of breaching the four-hour target. Therefore, our objective was to describe patterns of emergency department breaches of the four-hour wait time target and identify patients at highest risk of breaching. This was a retrospective cohort study of a large type 1 Emergency department at an NHS teaching hospital in Oxford, England. We analysed anonymised individual level patient data for 378,873 emergency department attendances, representing all attendances between April 2008 and April 2013. We examined patient characteristics and emergency department presentation circumstances associated with the highest likelihood of breaching the four-hour wait time target. We used 374,459 complete cases for analysis. In total, 8.3% of all patients breached the four-hour wait time target. The main determinants of patients breaching the four-hour wait time target were hour of arrival to the ED, day of the week, patient age, ED referral source, and the types of investigations patients receive (p < 0.01 for all associations). Patients most likely to breach the four-hour target were older, presented at night, presented on Monday, received multiple types of investigation in the emergency department, and were not self-referred (p < 0.01 for all associations). Patients attending from October to February had a higher odds of breaching compared to those attending from March to September (OR 1.63, 95% CI 1.59 to 1.66). There are a number of independent patient and circumstantial factors associated with the probability of breaching the four-hour ED wait time target including patient age, ED referral source, the types of investigations patients receive, as well as the hour, day, and month of

Energy density engineering via zero-admittance domains in all-dielectric stratified materials

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Amra, Claude; Zerrad, Myriam; Lemarchand, Fabien; Lereu, Aude; Passian, Ali; Zapien, Juan Antonio; Lequime, Michel

2018-02-01

Emerging photonic, sensing, and quantum applications require high fields and tight localization but low power consumption. Spatial, spectral, and magnitude control of electromagnetic fields is of key importance for enabling experiments in atomic, molecular, and optical physics. We introduce the concept of zero-admittance domains as a mechanism for tailoring giant optical fields bound within or on the surface of dielectric media. The described mechanism permits the creation of highly localized fields of extreme amplitudes simultaneously for incident photons of multiple wavelengths and incidence angles but arbitrary polarization states. No material constraints are placed upon the bounding media. Both intrinsic and extrinsic potential practical limitations of the predicted field enhancement are analyzed and applications relevant to optical sensors and microsources are briefly discussed.

Efficient key pathway mining: combining networks and OMICS data.

PubMed

Alcaraz, Nicolas; Friedrich, Tobias; Kötzing, Timo; Krohmer, Anton; Müller, Joachim; Pauling, Josch; Baumbach, Jan

2012-07-01

Systems biology has emerged over the last decade. Driven by the advances in sophisticated measurement technology the research community generated huge molecular biology data sets. These comprise rather static data on the interplay of biological entities, for instance protein-protein interaction network data, as well as quite dynamic data collected for studying the behavior of individual cells or tissues in accordance with changing environmental conditions, such as DNA microarrays or RNA sequencing. Here we bring the two different data types together in order to gain higher level knowledge. We introduce a significantly improved version of the KeyPathwayMiner software framework. Given a biological network modelled as a graph and a set of expression studies, KeyPathwayMiner efficiently finds and visualizes connected sub-networks where most components are expressed in most cases. It finds all maximal connected sub-networks where all nodes but k exceptions are expressed in all experimental studies but at most l exceptions. We demonstrate the power of the new approach by comparing it to similar approaches with gene expression data previously used to study Huntington's disease. In addition, we demonstrate KeyPathwayMiner's flexibility and applicability to non-array data by analyzing genome-scale DNA methylation profiles from colorectal tumor cancer patients. KeyPathwayMiner release 2 is available as a Cytoscape plugin and online at http://keypathwayminer.mpi-inf.mpg.de.

Chemical Vapor Deposition Growth and Applications of Two-Dimensional Materials and Their Heterostructures.

PubMed

Cai, Zhengyang; Liu, Bilu; Zou, Xiaolong; Cheng, Hui-Ming

2018-01-31

Two-dimensional (2D) materials have attracted increasing research interest because of the abundant choice of materials with diverse and tunable electronic, optical, and chemical properties. Moreover, 2D material based heterostructures combining several individual 2D materials provide unique platforms to create an almost infinite number of materials and show exotic physical phenomena as well as new properties and applications. To achieve these high expectations, methods for the scalable preparation of 2D materials and 2D heterostructures of high quality and low cost must be developed. Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is a powerful method which may meet the above requirements, and has been extensively used to grow 2D materials and their heterostructures in recent years, despite several challenges remaining. In this review of the challenges in the CVD growth of 2D materials, we highlight recent advances in the controlled growth of single crystal 2D materials, with an emphasis on semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides. We provide insight into the growth mechanisms of single crystal 2D domains and the key technologies used to realize wafer-scale growth of continuous and homogeneous 2D films which are important for practical applications. Meanwhile, strategies to design and grow various kinds of 2D material based heterostructures are thoroughly discussed. The applications of CVD-grown 2D materials and their heterostructures in electronics, optoelectronics, sensors, flexible devices, and electrocatalysis are also discussed. Finally, we suggest solutions to these challenges and ideas concerning future developments in this emerging field.

LEPCs and Deliberate Releases: Addressing Terrorist Activities in the Local Emergency Plan

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

This fact sheet discusses how local emergency planning committees (LEPCs) can incorporate counter-terrorism issues when they review and update their local plans. Builds on the National Response Team's Hazardous Materials Emergency Planning Guide.

Fingerprinting of Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Workman, Gary L

1992-01-01

Recent issues emerging in our fiscal and ecological environments have promulgated that federal agencies shall promote activities which respond to the improvement of both. In response to these developments, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) has undertaken an innovative approach to improve the control of materials used in all NASA manufacturing activities. In concert with this goal, NASA is requiring that its contractors and their sub-contractors perform a more intensive consolidation of technologies that can provide an accounting of materials, which includes in-coming materials, materials in process, end-products and waste materials. The purpose of this handbook is to provide guidelines to NASA and its contractor personnel for the planning and implementation of chemical fingerprinting programs and to illustrate the chemical and statistical fundamentals needed for successful use of chemical fingerprinting.

Biological issues in materials science and engineering: Interdisciplinarity and the bio-materials paradigm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Murr, L. E.

2006-07-01

Biological systems and processes have had, and continue to have, important implications and applications in materials extraction, processing, and performance. This paper illustrates some interdisciplinary, biological issues in materials science and engineering. These include metal extraction involving bacterial catalysis, galvanic couples, bacterial-assisted corrosion and degradation of materials, biosorption and bioremediation of toxic and other heavy metals, metal and material implants and prostheses and related dental and medical biomaterials developments and applications, nanomaterials health benefits and toxicity issue, and biomimetics and biologically inspired materials developments. These and other examples provide compelling evidence and arguments for emphasizing biological sicences in materials science and engineering curricula and the implementation of a bio-materials paradigm to facilitate the emergence of innovative interdisciplinarity involving the biological sciences and materials sciences and engineering.

NASA Composite Materials Development: Lessons Learned and Future Challenges

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tenney, Darrel R.; Davis, John G., Jr.; Pipes, R. Byron; Johnston, Norman

2009-01-01

Composite materials have emerged as the materials of choice for increasing the performance and reducing the weight and cost of military, general aviation, and transport aircraft and space launch vehicles. Major advancements have been made in the ability to design, fabricate, and analyze large complex aerospace structures. The recent efforts by Boeing and Airbus to incorporate composite into primary load carrying structures of large commercial transports and to certify the airworthiness of these structures is evidence of the significant advancements made in understanding and use of these materials in real world aircraft. NASA has been engaged in research on composites since the late 1960 s and has worked to address many development issues with these materials in an effort to ensure safety, improve performance, and improve affordability of air travel for the public good. This research has ranged from synthesis of advanced resin chemistries to development of mathematical analyses tools to reliably predict the response of built-up structures under combined load conditions. The lessons learned from this research are highlighted with specific examples to illustrate the problems encountered and solutions to these problems. Examples include specific technologies related to environmental effects, processing science, fabrication technologies, nondestructive inspection, damage tolerance, micromechanics, structural mechanics, and residual life prediction. The current state of the technology is reviewed and key issues requiring additional research identified. Also, grand challenges to be solved for expanded use of composites in aero structures are identified.

Academic Primer Series: Five Key Papers for Consulting Clinician Educators.

PubMed

Chan, Teresa M; Gottlieb, Michael; Quinn, Antonia; London, Kory; Conlon, Lauren W; Ankel, Felix

2017-02-01

Clinician educators are often asked to perform consultations for colleagues. Invitations to consult and advise others on local problems can help foster great collaborations between centers, and allows for an exchange of ideas between programs. In this article, the authors identify and summarize several key papers to assist emerging clinician educators with the consultation process. A consensus-building process was used to generate a list of key papers that describe the importance and significance of educational consulting, informed by social media sources. A three-round voting methodology, akin to a Delphi study, determined the most impactful papers from the larger list. Summaries of the five most highly rated papers on education consultation are presented in this paper. These papers were determined by a mixed group of junior and senior faculty members, who have summarized these papers with respect to their relevance for their peer groups. Five key papers on the educational consultation process are presented in this paper. These papers offer background and perspective to help junior faculty gain a grasp of consultation processes.

43 CFR 12.830 - Buy American Act-Construction materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... articles, materials or supplies. However, emergency life safety systems, such as emergency lighting, fire alarm, and audio evacuation systems, which are discrete systems incorporated into a public building or...

43 CFR 12.830 - Buy American Act-Construction materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... articles, materials or supplies. However, emergency life safety systems, such as emergency lighting, fire alarm, and audio evacuation systems, which are discrete systems incorporated into a public building or...

43 CFR 12.830 - Buy American Act-Construction materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... articles, materials or supplies. However, emergency life safety systems, such as emergency lighting, fire alarm, and audio evacuation systems, which are discrete systems incorporated into a public building or...

Chemistry of 5,8-dihydroxy-[1,4]-naphtoquinone, a key chromophore in aged cellulosics

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

5,8-Dihydroxy-[1,4]-naphthoquinone (DHNQ) is one of the key chromophores found in aged cellulosics. Cellulose aging and yellowing as well as bleaching of cellulosic materials are key processes in the pulp and paper industries and have considerable economic importance: the knowledge of the general re...

Mixed methods research: a design for emergency care research?

PubMed

Cooper, Simon; Porter, Jo; Endacott, Ruth

2011-08-01

This paper follows previous publications on generic qualitative approaches, qualitative designs and action research in emergency care by this group of authors. Contemporary views on mixed methods approaches are considered, with a particular focus on the design choice and the amalgamation of qualitative and quantitative data emphasising the timing of data collection for each approach, their relative 'weight' and how they will be mixed. Mixed methods studies in emergency care are reviewed before the variety of methodological approaches and best practice considerations are presented. The use of mixed methods in clinical studies is increasing, aiming to answer questions such as 'how many' and 'why' in the same study, and as such are an important and useful approach to many key questions in emergency care.

29 CFR 1910.120 - Hazardous waste operations and emergency response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 29 Labor 5 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Hazardous waste operations and emergency response. 1910.120 Section 1910.120 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS Hazardous Materials § 1910.120 Hazardous waste operations and emergency...

29 CFR 1910.120 - Hazardous waste operations and emergency response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 29 Labor 5 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Hazardous waste operations and emergency response. 1910.120 Section 1910.120 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS Hazardous Materials § 1910.120 Hazardous waste operations and emergency...

29 CFR 1910.120 - Hazardous waste operations and emergency response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 29 Labor 5 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Hazardous waste operations and emergency response. 1910.120 Section 1910.120 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH STANDARDS Hazardous Materials § 1910.120 Hazardous waste operations and emergency...

44 CFR 302.7 - Use of funds, materials, supplies, equipment, and personnel.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... use of civil defense personnel, organizational equipment, materials, and facilities, in preparation..., supplies, equipment, and personnel. 302.7 Section 302.7 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL... EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (EMA) § 302.7 Use of funds, materials, supplies, equipment, and...

Electronic Structure Theory | Materials Science | NREL

Science.gov Websites

design and discover materials for energy applications. This includes detailed studies of the physical computing. Key Research Areas Materials by Design NREL leads the U.S. Department of Energy's Center for Next Generation of Materials by Design, which incorporates metastability and synthesizability. Learn more about

New directions in the science and technology of advanced sheet explosive formulations and the key energetic materials used in the processing of sheet explosives: Emerging trends.

PubMed

Talawar, M B; Jangid, S K; Nath, T; Sinha, R K; Asthana, S N

2015-12-30

This review presents the work carried out by the international community in the area of sheet explosive formulations and its applications in various systems. The sheet explosive is also named as PBXs and is a composite material in which solid explosive particles like RDX, HMX or PETN are dispersed in a polymeric matrix, forms a flexible material that can be rolled/cut into sheet form which can be applied to any complex contour. The designed sheet explosive must possess characteristic properties such as flexible, cuttable, water proof, easily initiable, and safe handling. The sheet explosives are being used for protecting tanks (ERA), light combat vehicle and futuristic infantry carrier vehicle from different attacking war heads etc. Besides, sheet explosives find wide applications in demolition of bridges, ships, cutting and metal cladding. This review also covers the aspects such as risks and hazard analysis during the processing of sheet explosive formulations, effect of ageing on sheet explosives, detection and analysis of sheet explosive ingredients and the R&D efforts of Indian researchers in the development of sheet explosive formulations. To the best of our knowledge, there has been no review article published in the literature in the area of sheet explosives. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Multifunctional Cellular Materials Based on 2D Nanomaterials: Prospects and Challenges.

PubMed

Qiu, Ling; He, Zijun; Li, Dan

2018-01-01

Recent advances in emerging 2D nanomaterial-based cellular materials (2D-CMs) open up new opportunities for the development of next generation cellular solids with exceptional properties. Herein, an overview of the current research status of 2D-CMs is provided and their future opportunities are highlighted. First, the unique features of 2D nanomaterials are introduced to illustrate why these nanoscale building blocks are promising for the development of novel cellular materials and what the new features of 2D nanoscale building blocks can offer when compared to their 0D and 1D counterparts. An in-depth discussion on the structure-property relationships of 2D-CMs is then provided, and the remarkable functions that can be achieved by engineering their cellular architecture are highlighted. Additionally, the use of 2D-CMs to tackle key challenges in different practical applications is demonstrated. In conclusion, a personal perspective on the challenges and future research directions of 2D-CMs is given. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A report on the Academic Emergency Medicine 2015 consensus conference "Diagnostic imaging in the emergency department: a research agenda to optimize utilization".

PubMed

Gunn, Martin L; Marin, Jennifer R; Mills, Angela M; Chong, Suzanne T; Froemming, Adam T; Johnson, Jamlik O; Kumaravel, Manickam; Sodickson, Aaron D

2016-08-01

In May 2015, the Academic Emergency Medicine consensus conference "Diagnostic imaging in the emergency department: a research agenda to optimize utilization" was held. The goal of the conference was to develop a high-priority research agenda regarding emergency diagnostic imaging on which to base future research. In addition to representatives from the Society of Academic Emergency Medicine, the multidisciplinary conference included members of several radiology organizations: American Society for Emergency Radiology, Radiological Society of North America, the American College of Radiology, and the American Association of Physicists in Medicine. The specific aims of the conference were to (1) understand the current state of evidence regarding emergency department (ED) diagnostic imaging utilization and identify key opportunities, limitations, and gaps in knowledge; (2) develop a consensus-driven research agenda emphasizing priorities and opportunities for research in ED diagnostic imaging; and (3) explore specific funding mechanisms available to facilitate research in ED diagnostic imaging. Through a multistep consensus process, participants developed targeted research questions for future research in six content areas within emergency diagnostic imaging: clinical decision rules; use of administrative data; patient-centered outcomes research; training, education, and competency; knowledge translation and barriers to imaging optimization; and comparative effectiveness research in alternatives to traditional computed tomography use.

The Emergence of Public Health Open Educational Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Angell, C.; Hartwell, H.; Hemingway, A.

2011-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify key concepts in the literature relating to the release of open educational resources (OER), with specific reference to the emergence of public health OER. Design/methodology/approach: A review of the literature relating to the development of OER was followed by an online search for OER literature…

Physical key-protected one-time pad

PubMed Central

Horstmeyer, Roarke; Judkewitz, Benjamin; Vellekoop, Ivo M.; Assawaworrarit, Sid; Yang, Changhuei

2013-01-01

We describe an encrypted communication principle that forms a secure link between two parties without electronically saving either of their keys. Instead, random cryptographic bits are kept safe within the unique mesoscopic randomness of two volumetric scattering materials. We demonstrate how a shared set of patterned optical probes can generate 10 gigabits of statistically verified randomness between a pair of unique 2 mm3 scattering objects. This shared randomness is used to facilitate information-theoretically secure communication following a modified one-time pad protocol. Benefits of volumetric physical storage over electronic memory include the inability to probe, duplicate or selectively reset any bits without fundamentally altering the entire key space. Our ability to securely couple the randomness contained within two unique physical objects can extend to strengthen hardware required by a variety of cryptographic protocols, which is currently a critically weak link in the security pipeline of our increasingly mobile communication culture. PMID:24345925

CDC's Emergency Management Program activities - worldwide, 2003-2012.

PubMed

2013-09-06

In 2003, recognizing the increasing frequency and complexity of disease outbreaks and disasters and a greater risk for terrorism, CDC established the Emergency Operations Center (EOC), bringing together CDC staff members who respond to public health emergencies to enhance communication and coordination. To complement the physical EOC environment, CDC implemented the Incident Management System (IMS), a staffing structure and set of standard operational protocols and services to support and monitor CDC program-led responses to complex public health emergencies. The EOC and IMS are key components of CDC's Emergency Management Program (EMP), which applies emergency management principles to public health practice. To enumerate activities conducted by the EMP during 2003-2012, CDC analyzed data from daily reports and activity logs. The results of this analysis determined that, during 2003-2012, the EMP fully activated the EOC and IMS on 55 occasions to support responses to infectious disease outbreaks, natural disasters, national security events (e.g., conventions, presidential addresses, and international summits), mass gatherings (e.g., large sports and social events), and man-made disasters. On 109 other occasions, the EMP was used to support emergency responses that did not require full EOC activation, and the EMP also conducted 30 exercises and drills. This report provides an overview of those 194 EMP activities.

Improving menstrual hygiene management in emergency contexts: literature review of current perspectives.

PubMed

VanLeeuwen, Crystal; Torondel, Belen

2018-01-01

Management of menstruation in contexts of humanitarian emergencies can be challenging. A lack of empirical research about effective interventions which improve menstrual hygiene management (MHM) among female populations in humanitarian emergencies and a lack of clarity about which sectors within a humanitarian response should deliver MHM interventions can both be attributable to the lack of clear guidance on design and delivery of culturally appropriate MHM intervention in settings of humanitarian emergencies. The objective of this review was to collate, summarize, and appraise existing peer-reviewed and gray literature that describes the current scenario of MHM in emergency contexts in order to describe the breadth and depth of current policies, guidelines, empirical research, and humanitarian aid activities addressing populations' menstrual needs. A structured-search strategy was conducted for peer-reviewed and gray literature to identify studies, published reports, guidelines, and policy papers related to menstrual response in emergency humanitarian contexts. Of the 51 articles included in the review, 16 were peer-reviewed papers and 35 were gray literature. Most of the literature agreed that hardware interventions should focus on the supply of adequate material (not only absorbent material but also other supportive material) and adequate sanitation facilities, with access to water and private space for washing, changing, drying, and disposing menstrual materials. Software interventions should focus on education in the usage of materials to manage menstruation hygienically and education about the female body's biological processes. There was clear agreement that the needs of the target population should be assessed before designing any intervention. Although there is insight about which factors should be included in an effective menstrual hygiene intervention, there is insufficient empirical evidence to establish which interventions are most effective in

Improving menstrual hygiene management in emergency contexts: literature review of current perspectives

PubMed Central

VanLeeuwen, Crystal; Torondel, Belen

2018-01-01

Management of menstruation in contexts of humanitarian emergencies can be challenging. A lack of empirical research about effective interventions which improve menstrual hygiene management (MHM) among female populations in humanitarian emergencies and a lack of clarity about which sectors within a humanitarian response should deliver MHM interventions can both be attributable to the lack of clear guidance on design and delivery of culturally appropriate MHM intervention in settings of humanitarian emergencies. The objective of this review was to collate, summarize, and appraise existing peer-reviewed and gray literature that describes the current scenario of MHM in emergency contexts in order to describe the breadth and depth of current policies, guidelines, empirical research, and humanitarian aid activities addressing populations’ menstrual needs. A structured-search strategy was conducted for peer-reviewed and gray literature to identify studies, published reports, guidelines, and policy papers related to menstrual response in emergency humanitarian contexts. Of the 51 articles included in the review, 16 were peer-reviewed papers and 35 were gray literature. Most of the literature agreed that hardware interventions should focus on the supply of adequate material (not only absorbent material but also other supportive material) and adequate sanitation facilities, with access to water and private space for washing, changing, drying, and disposing menstrual materials. Software interventions should focus on education in the usage of materials to manage menstruation hygienically and education about the female body’s biological processes. There was clear agreement that the needs of the target population should be assessed before designing any intervention. Although there is insight about which factors should be included in an effective menstrual hygiene intervention, there is insufficient empirical evidence to establish which interventions are most effective in

Comparative study of key exchange and authentication methods in application, transport and network level security mechanisms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fathirad, Iraj; Devlin, John; Jiang, Frank

2012-09-01

The key-exchange and authentication are two crucial elements of any network security mechanism. IPsec, SSL/TLS, PGP and S/MIME are well-known security approaches in providing security service to network, transport and application layers; these protocols use different methods (based on their requirements) to establish keying materials and authenticates key-negotiation and participated parties. This paper studies and compares the authenticated key negotiation methods in mentioned protocols.

Using the Technique of Journal Writing to Learn Emergency Psychiatry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhuvaneswar, Chaya; Stern, Theodore; Beresin, Eugene

2009-01-01

Objective: The authors discuss journal writing in learning emergency psychiatry. Methods: The journal of a psychiatry intern rotating through an emergency department is used as sample material for analysis that could take place in supervision or a resident support group. A range of articles are reviewed that illuminate the relevance of journal…

Key Trends in Institutional Changes Under Sustainable Development

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Karpova, Olga; Pevneva, Inna; Dymova, Irina; Kostina, Tatiana; Li, Sergey

2017-11-01

The article is devoted to the consideration of the essential problems of accounting institution formation under the sustainable development of the country and the region. The research is based on the key research the field of the intuition economics and considers the trends of institutional changes including incremental, evolutionary and revolutionary. Approaches to the analysis of institutions are presented as well. The first approach states that economic efficiency is guaranteed by newly emerging institutions. The second approach involves certain internal and external incentives for changing institutions. Whereas the third approach insists on considering institutional changes to be the relation of individual economic entities to institutional innovations in terms of the net benefit from their implementation. The conclusion draws the leading role of the state in the process of the emergence and further development of newly created institutions focusing on the fact that not every change leads to greater efficiency. Thus it is crucial to consider the previous background of institutions development at implementing changes in accounting and control.

Long-distance measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution with coherent-state superpositions.

PubMed

Yin, H-L; Cao, W-F; Fu, Y; Tang, Y-L; Liu, Y; Chen, T-Y; Chen, Z-B

2014-09-15

Measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution (MDI-QKD) with decoy-state method is believed to be securely applied to defeat various hacking attacks in practical quantum key distribution systems. Recently, the coherent-state superpositions (CSS) have emerged as an alternative to single-photon qubits for quantum information processing and metrology. Here, in this Letter, CSS are exploited as the source in MDI-QKD. We present an analytical method that gives two tight formulas to estimate the lower bound of yield and the upper bound of bit error rate. We exploit the standard statistical analysis and Chernoff bound to perform the parameter estimation. Chernoff bound can provide good bounds in the long-distance MDI-QKD. Our results show that with CSS, both the security transmission distance and secure key rate are significantly improved compared with those of the weak coherent states in the finite-data case.

Glycopolymeric Materials for Advanced Applications

PubMed Central

Muñoz-Bonilla, Alexandra; Fernández-García, Marta

2015-01-01

In recent years, glycopolymers have particularly revolutionized the world of macromolecular chemistry and materials in general. Nevertheless, it has been in this century when scientists realize that these materials present great versatility in biosensing, biorecognition, and biomedicine among other areas. This article highlights most relevant glycopolymeric materials, considering that they are only a small example of the research done in this emerging field. The examples described here are selected on the base of novelty, innovation and implementation of glycopolymeric materials. In addition, the future perspectives of this topic will be commented on.

China's emergence and the prospects for global sustainability

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

Grumbine, R.E.

2007-03-15

China's rapid development is influencing global patterns of resource use and their associated environmental and geopolitical impacts. Trend projections suggest that China's rise will have unprecedented impacts on the rest of the world. I examine three key drivers affecting China's emergence (scale of development, government policy decisions, and globalization), along with four factors that may constrain development (environmental degradation, political instability, coal and oil consumption, and carbon dioxide emissions). China's rise represents a tipping point between fossil fuel-based economies and still emergent sustainable alternatives. Policy precedents between the United States and China over the next decade may well determine themore » future course of global sustainability.« less

Achieving Reliable Communication in Dynamic Emergency Responses

PubMed Central

Chipara, Octav; Plymoth, Anders N.; Liu, Fang; Huang, Ricky; Evans, Brian; Johansson, Per; Rao, Ramesh; Griswold, William G.

2011-01-01

Emergency responses require the coordination of first responders to assess the condition of victims, stabilize their condition, and transport them to hospitals based on the severity of their injuries. WIISARD is a system designed to facilitate the collection of medical information and its reliable dissemination during emergency responses. A key challenge in WIISARD is to deliver data with high reliability as first responders move and operate in a dynamic radio environment fraught with frequent network disconnections. The initial WIISARD system employed a client-server architecture and an ad-hoc routing protocol was used to exchange data. The system had low reliability when deployed during emergency drills. In this paper, we identify the underlying causes of unreliability and propose a novel peer-to-peer architecture that in combination with a gossip-based communication protocol achieves high reliability. Empirical studies show that compared to the initial WIISARD system, the redesigned system improves reliability by as much as 37% while reducing the number of transmitted packets by 23%. PMID:22195075

Simple Web-based interactive key development software (WEBiKEY) and an example key for Kuruna (Poaceae: Bambusoideae)1

PubMed Central

Attigala, Lakshmi; De Silva, Nuwan I.; Clark, Lynn G.

2016-01-01

Premise of the study: Programs that are user-friendly and freely available for developing Web-based interactive keys are scarce and most of the well-structured applications are relatively expensive. WEBiKEY was developed to enable researchers to easily develop their own Web-based interactive keys with fewer resources. Methods and Results: A Web-based multiaccess identification tool (WEBiKEY) was developed that uses freely available Microsoft ASP.NET technologies and an SQL Server database for Windows-based hosting environments. WEBiKEY was tested for its usability with a sample data set, the temperate woody bamboo genus Kuruna (Poaceae). Conclusions: WEBiKEY is freely available to the public and can be used to develop Web-based interactive keys for any group of species. The interactive key we developed for Kuruna using WEBiKEY enables users to visually inspect characteristics of Kuruna and identify an unknown specimen as one of seven possible species in the genus. PMID:27144109

Combining theory and experiment in electrocatalysis: Insights into materials design

DOE PAGES

Seh, Zhi Wei; Kibsgaard, Jakob; Dickens, Colin F.; ...

2017-01-12

Electrocatalysis plays a central role in clean energy conversion, enabling a number of sustainable processes for future technologies. This review discusses design strategies for state-of-the-art heterogeneous electrocatalysts and associated materials for several different electrochemical transformations involving water, hydrogen, and oxygen, using theory as a means to rationalize catalyst performance. By examining the common principles that govern catalysis for different electrochemical reactions, we describe a systematic framework that clarifies trends in catalyzing these reactions, serving as a guide to new catalyst development while highlighting key gaps that need to be addressed. Here, we conclude by extending this framework to emerging cleanmore » energy reactions such as hydrogen peroxide production, carbon dioxide reduction, and nitrogen reduction, where the development of improved catalysts could allow for the sustainable production of a broad range of fuels and chemicals.« less

Plasma under control: Advanced solutions and perspectives for plasma flux management in material treatment and nanosynthesis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baranov, O.; Bazaka, K.; Kersten, H.; Keidar, M.; Cvelbar, U.; Xu, S.; Levchenko, I.

2017-12-01

Given the vast number of strategies used to control the behavior of laboratory and industrially relevant plasmas for material processing and other state-of-the-art applications, a potential user may find themselves overwhelmed with the diversity of physical configurations used to generate and control plasmas. Apparently, a need for clearly defined, physics-based classification of the presently available spectrum of plasma technologies is pressing, and the critically summary of the individual advantages, unique benefits, and challenges against key application criteria is a vital prerequisite for the further progress. To facilitate selection of the technological solutions that provide the best match to the needs of the end user, this work systematically explores plasma setups, focusing on the most significant family of the processes—control of plasma fluxes—which determine the distribution and delivery of mass and energy to the surfaces of materials being processed and synthesized. A novel classification based on the incorporation of substrates into plasma-generating circuitry is also proposed and illustrated by its application to a wide variety of plasma reactors, where the effect of substrate incorporation on the plasma fluxes is emphasized. With the key process and material parameters, such as growth and modification rates, phase transitions, crystallinity, density of lattice defects, and others being linked to plasma and energy fluxes, this review offers direction to physicists, engineers, and materials scientists engaged in the design and development of instrumentation for plasma processing and diagnostics, where the selection of the correct tools is critical for the advancement of emerging and high-performance applications.

43 CFR 12.830 - Buy American Act-Construction materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... articles, materials or supplies. However, emergency life safety systems, such as emergency lighting, fire... States exceeds 50 percent of the cost of all its components. Components of foreign origin of the same...

43 CFR 12.830 - Buy American Act-Construction materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... articles, materials or supplies. However, emergency life safety systems, such as emergency lighting, fire... States exceeds 50 percent of the cost of all its components. Components of foreign origin of the same...

Handling Emergency Management in [an] Object Oriented Modeling Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Tokgoz, Berna Eren; Cakir, Volkan; Gheorghe, Adrian V.

2010-01-01

It has been understood that protection of a nation from extreme disasters is a challenging task. Impacts of extreme disasters on a nation's critical infrastructures, economy and society could be devastating. A protection plan itself would not be sufficient when a disaster strikes. Hence, there is a need for a holistic approach to establish more resilient infrastructures to withstand extreme disasters. A resilient infrastructure can be defined as a system or facility that is able to withstand damage, but if affected, can be readily and cost-effectively restored. The key issue to establish resilient infrastructures is to incorporate existing protection plans with comprehensive preparedness actions to respond, recover and restore as quickly as possible, and to minimize extreme disaster impacts. Although national organizations will respond to a disaster, extreme disasters need to be handled mostly by local emergency management departments. Since emergency management departments have to deal with complex systems, they have to have a manageable plan and efficient organizational structures to coordinate all these systems. A strong organizational structure is the key in responding fast before and during disasters, and recovering quickly after disasters. In this study, the entire emergency management is viewed as an enterprise and modelled through enterprise management approach. Managing an enterprise or a large complex system is a very challenging task. It is critical for an enterprise to respond to challenges in a timely manner with quick decision making. This study addresses the problem of handling emergency management at regional level in an object oriented modelling environment developed by use of TopEase software. Emergency Operation Plan of the City of Hampton, Virginia, has been incorporated into TopEase for analysis. The methodology used in this study has been supported by a case study on critical infrastructure resiliency in Hampton Roads.

Designing smartphone mental health applications for emergency service workers.

PubMed

Deady, M; Peters, D; Lang, H; Calvo, R; Glozier, N; Christensen, H; Harvey, S B

2017-08-01

Emergency service workers are often exposed to trauma and have increased risk of a range of mental health (MH) conditions. Smartphone applications have the potential to provide this group with effective psychological interventions; however, little is known about the acceptability and preferences regarding such initiatives. To describe the preferences and opinions of emergency service workers regarding the use of smartphone MH applications and to examine the impact of age on these preferences. Participants were recruited from four metropolitan Fire and Rescue NSW stations and responded to questionnaire items covering three key domains: current smartphone use, potential future use and preferences for design and content as well as therapeutic techniques. Overall, approximately half the sample (n = 106) claimed they would be interested in trying a tailored emergency-worker MH smartphone application. There were few differences between age groups on preferences. The majority of respondents claimed they would use an app for mental well-being daily and preferred terms such as 'well-being' and 'mental fitness' for referring to MH. Confidentiality, along with a focus on stress, sleep, exercise and resiliency were all considered key features. Behavioural therapeutic techniques were regarded most favourably, compared with other therapies. Emergency workers were interested in utilizing smartphone applications focused on MH, but expressed clear preferences regarding language used in promotion, features required and therapeutic techniques preferred. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society of Occupational Medicine. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com

Tunable emergent heterostructures in a prototypical correlated metal

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

Fobes, D. M.; Zhang, S.; Lin, S. -Z.

We report at the interface between two distinct materials, desirable properties, such as superconductivity, can be greatly enhanced1, or entirely new functionalities may emerge. Similar to in artificially engineered heterostructures, clean functional interfaces alternatively exist in electronically textured bulk materials. Electronic textures emerge spontaneously due to competing atomic-scale interactions, the control of which would enable a top-down approach for designing tunable intrinsic heterostructures. This is particularly attractive for correlated electron materials, where spontaneous heterostructures strongly affect the interplay between charge and spin degrees of freedom. Here we report high-resolution neutron spectroscopy on the prototypical strongly correlated metal CeRhIn 5, revealingmore » competition between magnetic frustration and easy-axis anisotropy—a well-established mechanism for generating spontaneous superstructures. Because the observed easy-axis anisotropy is field-induced and anomalously large, it can be controlled efficiently with small magnetic fields. Finally, the resulting field-controlled magnetic superstructure is closely tied to the formation of superconducting and electronic nematic textures in CeRhIn 5, suggesting that in situ tunable heterostructures can be realized in correlated electron materials.« less

Tunable emergent heterostructures in a prototypical correlated metal

DOE PAGES

Fobes, D. M.; Zhang, S.; Lin, S. -Z.; ...

2018-03-26

We report at the interface between two distinct materials, desirable properties, such as superconductivity, can be greatly enhanced1, or entirely new functionalities may emerge. Similar to in artificially engineered heterostructures, clean functional interfaces alternatively exist in electronically textured bulk materials. Electronic textures emerge spontaneously due to competing atomic-scale interactions, the control of which would enable a top-down approach for designing tunable intrinsic heterostructures. This is particularly attractive for correlated electron materials, where spontaneous heterostructures strongly affect the interplay between charge and spin degrees of freedom. Here we report high-resolution neutron spectroscopy on the prototypical strongly correlated metal CeRhIn 5, revealingmore » competition between magnetic frustration and easy-axis anisotropy—a well-established mechanism for generating spontaneous superstructures. Because the observed easy-axis anisotropy is field-induced and anomalously large, it can be controlled efficiently with small magnetic fields. Finally, the resulting field-controlled magnetic superstructure is closely tied to the formation of superconducting and electronic nematic textures in CeRhIn 5, suggesting that in situ tunable heterostructures can be realized in correlated electron materials.« less

Emergency Medical Treatment Needs: Chronic and Acute Exposure to Hazardous Materials.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-06-01

II. CONTROLLING OFFICE NAME AND ADDRESS 12. REPORT DATE Federal Emergency Management Agency June 1982 Washington, D.C. 20472 IS. NUMBER OF PAGES 109...and Centers for Disease Control / NIOSHl . Local or regional (within state) providers/ coordinators of medical care for chemical casualties, i.e...from Poison Control Centers; from Ecology and Environment, Incorporated; and from the Medical University of South Carolina. The major computerized data

46 CFR 153.1504 - Inspection of personnel emergency and safety equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 46 Shipping 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Inspection of personnel emergency and safety equipment... BULK DANGEROUS CARGOES SHIPS CARRYING BULK LIQUID, LIQUEFIED GAS, OR COMPRESSED GAS HAZARDOUS MATERIALS Operations Maintenance § 153.1504 Inspection of personnel emergency and safety equipment. The master shall...

Hospital collaboration with emergency medical services in the care of patients with acute myocardial infarction: perspectives from key hospital staff.

PubMed

Landman, Adam B; Spatz, Erica S; Cherlin, Emily J; Krumholz, Harlan M; Bradley, Elizabeth H; Curry, Leslie A

2013-02-01

Evidence suggests that active collaboration between hospitals and emergency medical services (EMS) is significantly associated with lower acute myocardial infarction mortality rates; however, the nature of such collaborations is not well understood. We seek to characterize views of key hospital staff about collaboration with EMS in the care of patients hospitalized with acute myocardial infarction. We performed an exploratory analysis of qualitative data previously collected from site visits and detailed interviews with 11 US hospitals that ranked in the top or bottom 5% of performance on 30-day risk-standardized acute myocardial infarction mortality rates, using Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services data from 2005 to 2007. We selected all codes from the previous analysis in which EMS was most likely to have been discussed. A multidisciplinary team analyzed the data with the constant comparative method to generate recurrent themes. Both higher- and lower-performing hospitals reported that EMS is critical to the provision of timely care for patients with acute myocardial infarction. However, close collaborative relationships with EMS were more apparent in the higher-performing hospitals, which demonstrated specific investment in and attention to EMS through respect for EMS as valued professionals and colleagues, strong communication and coordination with EMS and active engagement of EMS in hospital acute myocardial infarction quality improvement efforts. Hospital staff from higher-performing hospitals described broad, multifaceted strategies to support collaboration with EMS in providing acute myocardial infarction care. The association of these strategies with hospital performance should be tested quantitatively in a larger representative study. Copyright © 2012. Published by Mosby, Inc.

Emerging and Evolving Occupations in Texas. A Descriptive Analysis of Thirteen Targeted Industries in Texas with Listings of Emerging and Significantly Evolving Occupations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ramsey, Terry; And Others

This report presents a process for identifying emerging and significantly evolving occupations within key Texas industries. It explains findings of a research project that provided a current information resource to help job seekers make informed career and training choices. Chapter 1 is an introduction. Chapter 2 examines the projected mismatch…

Recommendations for patient engagement in patient-oriented emergency medicine research.

PubMed

Archambault, Patrick M; McGavin, Colleen; Dainty, Katie N; McLeod, Shelley L; Vaillancourt, Christian; Lee, Jacques S; Perry, Jeffrey J; Gauvin, François-Pierre; Boivin, Antoine

2018-05-01

To make pragmatic recommendations on best practices for the engagement of patients in emergency medicine (EM) research. We created a panel of expert Canadian EM researchers, physicians, and a patient partner to develop our recommendations. We used mixed methods consisting of 1) a literature review; 2) a survey of Canadian EM researchers; 3) qualitative interviews with key informants; and 4) feedback during the 2017 Canadian Association of Emergency Physicians (CAEP) Academic Symposium. We synthesized our literature review into categories including identification and engagement, patients' roles, perceived benefits, harms, and barriers to patient engagement; 40/75 (53% response rate) invited researchers completed our survey. Among respondents, 58% had engaged patients in research, and 83% intended to engage patients in future research. However, 95% stated that they need further guidance to engage patients. Our qualitative interviews revealed barriers to patient engagement, including the need for training and patient partner recruitment.Our panel recommends 1) an overarching positive recommendation to support patient engagement in EM research; 2) seven policy-level recommendations for CAEP to support the creation of a national patient council, to develop, adopt and adapt training material, guidelines, and tools for patient engagement, and to support increased patient engagement in EM research; and 3) nine pragmatic recommendations about engaging patients in the preparatory, execution, and translational phases of EM research. Patient engagement can improve EM research by helping researchers select meaningful outcomes, increase social acceptability of studies, and design knowledge translation strategies that target patients' needs.

Quantum key management

DOEpatents

Hughes, Richard John; Thrasher, James Thomas; Nordholt, Jane Elizabeth

2016-11-29

Innovations for quantum key management harness quantum communications to form a cryptography system within a public key infrastructure framework. In example implementations, the quantum key management innovations combine quantum key distribution and a quantum identification protocol with a Merkle signature scheme (using Winternitz one-time digital signatures or other one-time digital signatures, and Merkle hash trees) to constitute a cryptography system. More generally, the quantum key management innovations combine quantum key distribution and a quantum identification protocol with a hash-based signature scheme. This provides a secure way to identify, authenticate, verify, and exchange secret cryptographic keys. Features of the quantum key management innovations further include secure enrollment of users with a registration authority, as well as credential checking and revocation with a certificate authority, where the registration authority and/or certificate authority can be part of the same system as a trusted authority for quantum key distribution.

Blog and Podcast Watch: Neurologic Emergencies.

PubMed

Grock, Andrew; Joshi, Nikita; Swaminathan, Anand; Rezaie, Salim; Gaafary, Chris; Lin, Michelle

2016-11-01

The WestJEM Blog and Podcast Watch presents high quality open-access educational blogs and podcasts in emergency medicine (EM) based on the ongoing ALiEM Approved Instructional Resources (AIR) and AIR-Professional series. Both series critically appraise resources using an objective scoring rubric. This installment of the Blog and Podcast Watch highlights the topic of neurologic emergencies from the AIR series. The AIR series is a continuously building curriculum that follows the Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Director's (CORD) annual testing schedule. For each module, relevant content is collected from the top 50 Social Media Index sites published within the previous 12 months, and scored by eight board members using five equally weighted measurement outcomes: Best Evidence in Emergency Medicine (BEEM) score, accuracy, educational utility, evidence based, and references. Resources scoring ≥30 out of 35 available points receive an AIR label. Resources scoring 27-29 receive an honorable mention label, if the executive board agrees that the post is accurate and educationally valuable. A total of 125 blog posts and podcasts were evaluated. Key educational pearls from the 14 AIR posts are summarized, and the 20 honorable mentions are listed. The WestJEM Blog and Podcast Watch series is based on the AIR and AIR-Pro series, which attempts to identify high quality educational content on open-access blogs and podcasts. This series provides an expert-based, post-publication curation of educational social media content for EM clinicians with this installment focusing on neurologic emergencies.

Blog and Podcast Watch: Orthopedic Emergencies.

PubMed

Grock, Andrew; Rezaie, Salim; Swaminathan, Anand; Min, Alice; Shah, Kaushal H; Lin, Michelle

2017-04-01

The WestJEM Blog and Podcast Watch presents high quality open-access educational blogs and podcasts in emergency medicine (EM) based on the ongoing ALiEM Approved Instructional Resources (AIR) and AIR-Professional series. Both series critically appraise resources using an objective scoring rubric. This installment of the Blog and Podcast Watch highlights the topic of orthopedic emergencies from the AIR series. The AIR series is a continuously building curriculum that follows the Council of Emergency Medicine Residency Directors (CORD) annual testing schedule. For each module, relevant content is collected from the top 50 Social Media Index sites published within the previous 12 months, and scored by eight AIR board members using five equally weighted measurement outcomes: Best Evidence in Emergency Medicine (BEEM) score, accuracy, educational utility, evidence based, and references. Resources scoring ≥30 out of 35 available points receive an AIR label. Resources scoring 27-29 receive an honorable mention label, if the executive board agrees that the post is accurate and educationally valuable. A total of 87 blog posts and podcasts were evaluated. Key educational pearls from the three AIR posts and the 14 honorable mentions are summarized. The WestJEM Blog and Podcast Watch series is based on the AIR and AIR-Pro series, which attempts to identify high quality educational content on open-access blogs and podcasts. This series provides an expert-based, post-publication curation of educational social media content for EM clinicians with this installment focusing on orthopedic emergencies.

Controlling Emergent Ferromagnetism at Complex Oxide Interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grutter, Alexander

The emergence of complex magnetic ground states at ABO3 perovskite heterostructure interfaces is among the most promising routes towards highly tunable nanoscale materials for spintronic device applications. Despite recent progress, isolating and controlling the underlying mechanisms behind these emergent properties remains a highly challenging materials physics problems. In particular, generating and tuning ferromagnetism localized at the interface of two non-ferromagnetic materials is of fundamental and technological interest. An ideal model system in which to study such effects is the CaRuO3/CaMnO3 interface, where the constituent materials are paramagnetic and antiferromagnetic in the bulk, respectively. Due to small fractional charge transfer to the CaMnO3 (0.07 e-/Mn) from the CaRuO3, the interfacial Mn ions are in a canted antiferromagnetic state. The delicate balance between antiferromagnetic superexchange and ferromagnetic double exchange results in a magnetic ground state which is extremely sensitive to perturbations. We exploit this sensitivity to achieve control of the magnetic interface, tipping the balance between ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic interactions through octahedral connectivity modification. Such connectivity effects are typically tightly confined to interfaces, but by targeting a purely interfacial emergent magnetic system, we achieve drastic alterations to the magnetic ground state. These results demonstrate the extreme sensitivity of the magnetic state to the magnitude of the charge transfer, suggesting the potential for direct electric field control. We achieve such electric field control through direct back gating of a CaRuO3/CaMnO3 bilayer. Thus, the CaRuO3/CaMnO3 system provides new insight into how charge transfer, interfacial symmetry, and electric fields may be used to control ferromagnetism at the atomic scale.

Material properties of biofilms – key methods for understanding permeability and mechanics

PubMed Central

Billings, Nicole; Birjiniuk, Alona; Samad, Tahoura S.; Doyle, Patrick S.; Ribbeck, Katharina

2015-01-01

Microorganisms can form biofilms, which are multicellular communities surrounded by a hydrated extracellular matrix of polymers. Central properties of the biofilm are governed by this extracellular matrix, which provides mechanical stability to the three-dimensional biofilm structure, regulates the ability of the biofilm to adhere to surfaces, and determines the ability of the biofilm to adsorb gasses, solutes, and foreign cells. Despite their critical relevance for understanding and eliminating of biofilms, the materials properties of the extracellular matrix are understudied. Here, we offer the reader a guide to current technologies that can be utilized to specifically assess the permeability and mechanical properties of the biofilm matrix and its interacting components. In particular, we highlight technological advances in instrumentation and interactions between multiple disciplines that have broadened the spectrum of methods available to conduct these studies. We review pioneering work that furthers our understanding of the material properties of biofilms. PMID:25719969