1997 Leonid Shower From Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenniskens, Peter; Nugent, David; Murthy, Jayant; Tedesco, Ed; DeVincenzi, Donal L. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

In November 1997, the Midcourse Space Experiment satellite (MSX) was deployed to observe the Leonid shower from space. The shower lived up to expectations, with abundant bright fireballs. Twenty-nine meteors were detected by a wide-angle, visible wavelength, camera near the limb of the Earth in a 48-minute interval, and three meteors by the narrow field camera. This amounts to a meteoroid influx of 5.5 +/- 0.6 10(exp -5)/sq km hr for masses greater than 0.3 gram. The limiting magnitude for limb observations of Leonid meteors was measured at M(sub v) = -1.5 magn The Leonid shower magnitude population index was 1.6 +/- 0.2 down to M(sub v) = -7 magn., with no sign of an upper mass cut-off.

Atmospheric behavior and extreme beginning heights of the 13 brightest photographic Leonids from the ground-based expedition to China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Spurný, Pavel; Betlem, Hans; van't Leven, Jaap; Jenniskens, Peter

2000-03-01

Precise atmospheric trajectories including dynamic and photometric data on the 13 of the brightest Leonid fireballs have been determined from the double station photographic observations of Leonids during the ground-based expedition to China in November 1998. The expedition was organized as a collaboration between the Dutch and Chinese Academy of Sciences and was supported by the Leonid MAC program (Jenniskens and Butow, 1999). All data presented here were taken at Xinglong Observatory and at a remote station Lin Ting Kou near Beijing on the night of November 16/17. At Xinglong station photographic cameras were accompanied with an all-sky TV camera equipped with an image intensifier and 15 mm fish-eye objective in order to obtain precise timings for all observed meteors up to magnitude +2. While beginning heights of photographed meteors are all lower than 130 km, those observed by the all-sky TV system are at about 160 km and for three brightest events even above 180 km. Such high beginnings for meteors have never before been observed. We obtained also a precise dynamic single-body solution for the Leonid meteor 98003 including the ablation coefficient, which is an important material and structural quantity (0.16 s2km-2). From this, and from known photometry, we derived a density of this meteoroid of 0.7 g/cm3. Also all PE coefficients indicate that these Leonids belonged to the fireball group IIIB which is typical for the most fragile and weak interplanetary bodies. From a photometric study of the meteor lightcurves we found two typical shapes of light curves for these Leonids.

C-H Hot Bands in the Near-IR Emission Spectra of Leonids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freund, F. T.; Scoville, J.; Holm, R.; Seelemann, R.; Freund, M. M.

2002-01-01

The reported infrared (IR) emission spectra from 1999 Leonid fireballs show a 3.4 micron C-H emission band and unidentified bands at longer wavelengths. Upon atmospheric entry, the Leonid meteorites were flash-heated to temperatures around 2400K, which would destroy any organics on the surface of the meteorite grains. We propose that the nu(sub )CH emission band in the Leonid emission spectra arises from matrix-embedded C(sub n)-H-O entities that are protected from instant pyrolysis. Our model is based on IR absorption nu(sub )CH bands, which we observed in laboratory-grown MgO and natural olivine single crystals, where they arise from C(sub n)-H-O units imbedded in the mineral matrix, indicative of aliphatic -CH2- and -CH3 organics. Instead of being pyrolyzed, the C(sub n)-H-O entities in the Leonid trails become vibrationally excited to higher levels n = 1, 2, 3 etc. During de-excitation they emit at 3.4 microns, due to the (0 => 1) transition, and at longer wavelengths, due to hot bands. As a first step toward verifying this hypothesis we measured the C-H vibrational manifold of hexane (C6H14). The calculated positions of the (2 => l ) , (3 => 2), and possibly (4 => 3) hot bands agree with the Leonid emission bands at 3.5, 3.8 and 4.l microns.

Search for Organic Matter in Leonid Meteoroids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rairden, Richard L.; Jenniskens, Peter; Laux, Christophe O.; DeVincenzi, Donald L. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Near-ultraviolet 300-410 nm spectra of Leonid meteors were obtained in an effort to measure the strong B to X emission band of the radical CN in Leonid meteor spectra at 387 nm. CN is an expected product of ablation of nitrogen containing organic carbon in the meteoroids as well as a possible product of the aerothermochemistry induced by the kinetic energy of the meteor. A slitless spectrograph with objective grating was deployed on FISTA during the 1999 Leonid Multi-Instrument Aircraft Campaign. Fifteen first-order UV spectra were captured near the 02:00 UT meteor storm peak on November 18. It is found that neutral iron lines dominate the spectrum, with no clear sign of the CN band. The meteor plasma contains less than one CN molecule per three Fe atoms at the observed altitude of about 100 km.

Leonid Storm Flux Analysis From One Leonid MAC Video AL50R

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gural, Peter S.; Jenniskens, Peter; DeVincenzi, Donald L. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

A detailed meteor flux analysis is presented of a seventeen-minute portion of one videotape, collected on November 18, 1999, during the Leonid Multi-instrument Aircraft Campaign. The data was recorded around the peak of the Leonid meteor storm using an intensified CCD camera pointed towards the low southern horizon. Positions of meteors on the sky were measured. These measured meteor distributions were compared to a Monte Carlo simulation, which is a new approach to parameter estimation for mass ratio and flux. Comparison of simulated flux versus observed flux levels, seen between 1:50:00 and 2:06:41 UT, indicate a magnitude population index of r = 1.8 +/- 0.1 and mass ratio of s = 1.64 +/- 0.06. The average spatial density of the material contributing to the Leonid storm peak is measured at 0.82 +/- 0.19 particles per square kilometer per hour for particles of at least absolute visual magnitude +6.5. Clustering analysis of the arrival times of Leonids impacting the earth's atmosphere over the total observing interval shows no enhancement or clumping down to time scales of the video frame rate. This indicates a uniformly random temporal distribution of particles in the stream encountered during the 1999 epoch. Based on the observed distribution of meteors on the sky and the model distribution, recommendations am made for the optimal pointing directions for video camera meteor counts during future ground and airborne missions.

The Composition of the Y2K Meteor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coulson, S. G.

During the Leonid meteor shower of November 1999 a very bright meteor train, subsequently called the Y2K meteor, was observed. Analysis of the trajectory of the meteor suggests that it was composed of two distinct materials. The bulk of the meteor was composed of a comet-like material, while a much smaller fraction was of a denser carbonaceous material. A simple model is used to analytically determine the mass of the meteor fragments.

Lorentz-Shaped Comet Dust Trail Cross Section from New Hybrid Visual and Video Meteor Counting Technique - Implications for Future Leonid Storm Encounters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenniskens, Peter; Crawford, Chris; Butow, Steven J.; Nugent, David; Koop, Mike; Holman, David; Houston, Jane; Jobse, Klaas; Kronk, Gary

2000-01-01

A new hybrid technique of visual and video meteor observations was developed to provide high precision near real-time flux measurements for satellite operators from airborne platforms. A total of 33,000 Leonids. recorded on video during the 1999 Leonid storm, were watched by a team of visual observers using a video head display and an automatic counting tool. The counts reveal that the activity profile of the Leonid storm is a Lorentz profile. By assuming a radial profile for the dust trail that is also a Lorentzian, we make predictions for future encounters. If that assumption is correct, we passed 0.0003 AU deeper into the 1899 trailet than expected during the storm of 1999 and future encounters with the 1866 trailet will be less intense than. predicted elsewhere.

Successful Hybrid Approach to Visual and Video Observations of the 1999 Leonid Storm

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenniskens, Peter; Crawford, Chris; Butow, Steve; DeVincenzi, Donald L. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

A new hybrid technique of visual and video meteor observations is described. The method proved particularly effective for airborne observations of meteor shower activity. Results from the 1999 Leonid Multi-Instrument Aircraft Campaign are presented, and the profile shape of the 1999 Leonid storm is discussed in relation to meteor shower models. We find that the storm is best described with a Lorentz profile. Application to past meteor outbursts shows that the cui,rent multi-trailet model of a dust trail is slightly shifted and we crossed deeper into the 1899 epoch trallet than expected.

Characteristics of Fe Ablation Trials Observed During the 1998 Leonid Meteor Shower

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chu, Xin-Zhao; Pan, Wei-Lin; Papen, George; Swenson, Gary; Gardner, Chester S.; Jenniskens, Peter; DeVincenzi, Donald L. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

Eighteen Fe ablation trails were observed during the 17/18 Nov 1998 Leonid meteor shower with an airborne Fe lidar aboard the National Simulation Facility/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NSF/NCAR) Electra aircraft over Okinawa. The average altitude of the 18 trails from the high velocity (72 km/s) Leonid meteors, 95.67 +/- 0.93 km, is approximately 6.7 km higher than previously observed for slower (approx. 30 km/s) sporadic meteors. This height difference is consistent with the assumption that meteors ablate when the kinetic energy imparted to the atmosphere reaches a critical threshold. The average age of the Fe trails, determined by a diffusion model, is 10.1 min. The youngest ages were observed below 92 km and above 98 km where chemistry and diffusion dominate, respectively. The average abundance of the trails is ten percent of the abundance of the background Fe layer. Observations suggest that the 1998 Leonid shower did not have a significant impact on the abundance of the background Fe layer.

STS-87 Day 05 Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

On this fifth day of the STS-87 mission, the flight crew, Cmdr. Kevin R. Kregel, Pilot Steven W. Lindsey, Mission Specialists Winston E. Scott, Kalpana Chawla, and Takao Doi, and Payload Specialist Leonid K. Kadenyuk continue experimental work aboard Columbia. Leonid Kadenyuk focuses on studies of plant growth in weightlessness.

Leonid Breznev and Richard Nixon examine plaques presented by Skylab crew

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

Leonid I. Breznev, General Secretary of the Communist Party, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and President Richard M. Nixon, during ceremonies at the Western White House in San Clemente, California, examine plaques presented by Skylab astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., center; Joseph P. Kerwin, second from right; and Paul J. Weitz, left.

A New Peak of Leonids observed by Radio Technics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suzuki, K.; Maegawa, K.; Minagawa, Y.

Radio meteor observations with amateur ham radio wave have been carried out in Japan since August, 1996, by using forward-scattered meteor echoes of VHF radio waves (53.75MHz, 50W, CW) transmitted in Sabae, Fukui prefecture. A strong activity of Leonids was observed between 22h and 01h on November 16/17 (UT), 1996. The hourly rate of long duration echoes reached over 50 times larger than in non-shower period and 1.2 to 1.5 times larger than that at the normal maximum of Leonids, respectively. This enhanced activity occurred at a solar longitude (SL) of 234.95 plus or minus 0.05 degrees (2000.0 eq.), and is probably different from normal peak of Leonids at 235.45 plus or minus 0.05 degrees(2000.0 eq.) observed in 1990's. A corresponding peak in 1995 was also reported by visual meteor observation by many observers in Japan. The ascending node of Comet Tempel-Tuttle in 1966 was at 235.11 degrees in SL, and is closer to the new peak than the normal one (at 235.45 degrees in SL).

An ET Origin for Stratospheric Particles Collected during the 1998 Leonids Meteor Shower

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noever, David A.; Phillips, James A.; Horack, John M.; Jerman, Gregory; Myszka, Ed

1999-01-01

On 17 November 1998, a helium-filled weather balloon was launched into tfle strato- sphere, equipped with a xerogel microparticle collector. The three-hour flight was designed to sample the dust environment in the stratosphere during the Leonid meteor shower, and possibly to capture Leonid meteoroids. Environmental Scanning Election Microscope analyses of the returned collectors revealed the capture of a -30-pm particle. with a smooth, multigranular shape, and partially melted, translucent rims; similar to known Antarctic micrometeorites. Energy-dispersive X-ray Mass Spectroscopy shows en- riched concentrations of the non-volatile elements, Mg, Al, and Fe. The particle possesses a high magnesium to iron ratio of 2.96, similar to that observed in 1998 Leonids meteors (Borovicka, et al. 1999) and sharply higher than the ratio expected for typical material from the earth's crust. A statistical nearest-neighbor analysis of the abundance ratios Mg/Si, Al/Si, and Fe/Si demonstrates that the particle is most similar in composition to cosmic spherules captured during airplane flights throucrh the stratosphere. The mineralogical class is consistent with a stony (S) type of silicates. olivine [(Mg, Fe)2SiO4] and pyroxene [(Mg,Fe)SiO3]-or oxides, herecynite [(Fe,Mg) Al2O4]. Attribution to the debris stream of the Leonids' parent body, comet Tempel-Tuttle, would make it the first such material from beyond the orbit of Uranus positively identified on Earth.

Implementing the Zone of Proximal Development: From the Pedagogical Experiment to the Developmental Education System of Leonid Zankov

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Guseva, Liudmila G.; Solomonovich, Mark

2017-01-01

This article overviews the theoretical and applied works of the psychologist and pedagogue Leonid Zankov. Zankov's model of teaching is based on Vygotsky's theory that appropriate teaching methods stimulate cognitive development, whose core notion is the Zone of Proximal Development. This educational psychology research was verified by large scale…

Leonid predictions for the period 2001-2100

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maslov, Mikhail

2007-02-01

This article provides a set of summaries of what to expect from the Leonid meteor shower for each year of the period 2001-2100. Each summary contains the moments of maximum/maxima, their expected intensity and some comments about average meteor brightness during them. Special attention was paid to background (traditional) maxima, which are characterized with their expected times and intensities.

Jet-Like Structures and Wake in Mg I (518 nm) Images of 1999 Leonid Storm Meteors

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Taylor, M. J.; Murray, I. S.; Jenniskens, P.

2000-01-01

Small meteoric fragments are ejected at significant transverse velocities from some (up to approx. 8%) fast Leonid meteors. We reach this conclusion using low light intensified image measurements obtained during the 1999 Leonid Multi-Instrument Aircraft Campaign. High spatial resolution, narrow band image measurements of the Mg I emission at 518 nm have been used to clearly identify jet-like features in the meteor head that are the same as first observed in white light. We postulate that these unusual structures are caused by tiny meteoroid fragments (containing metallic grains) being rapidly ejected away from the core meteoroid as the constituent glue evaporates. Marked curvature observed in the jet-like filaments suggest that the parent meteoroids are spinning and as the whirling fragments are knocked away by the impinging air molecules, or by grain-grain collisions in the fragment ensemble, they ablate quickly generating an extended area of structured luminosity up to about 1-2 km from the meteoroid center. Fragments with smaller transverse velocity components are thought to be responsible for the associated beading evident in the wake of these unusual Leonid meteors.

Evolution of two periodic meteoroid streams: The Perseids and Leonids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brown, Peter Gordon

Observations and modelling of the Perseid and Leonid meteoroid streams are presented and discussed. The Perseid stream is found to consist of three components: a weak background component, a core component and an outburst component. The particle distribution is identical for the outburst and core populations. Original visual accounts of the Leonid stream from 1832-1997 are analyzed to determine the time and magnitude of the peak for 32 Leonid returns in this interval. Leonid storms are shown to follow a gaussian flux profile, to occur after the perihelion passage of 55P/Tempel-Tuttle and to have a width/particle density relationship consistent with IRAS cometary trail results. Variations in the width of the 1966 Leonid storm as a function of meteoroid mass are as expected based on the Whipple ejection velocity formalism. Four major models of cometary meteoroid ejection are developed and used to simulate plausible starting conditions for the formation of the Perseid and Leonid streams. Initial ejection velocities strongly influence Perseid stream development for the first five revolutions after ejection, at which point planetary perturbations and radiation effects become important for further development. The minimum distance between the osculating orbit of 109P/Swift-Tuttle and the Earth was found to be the principle determinant of any subsequent delivery of meteoroids to Earth. Systematic shifts in the location of the outburst component of the Perseids were shown to be due to the changing age of the primary meteoroid population making up the outbursts. The outburst component is due to distant, direct planetary perturbations from Jupiter and Saturn shifting nodal points inward relative to the comet. The age of the core population of the stream is found to be (25 +/- 10) × 10 3 years while the total age of the stream is in excess of 10 5 years. The primary sinks for the stream are hyperbolic ejection and attainment of sungrazing states due to perturbations from Jupiter and Saturn. Ejection velocities are found to be tens to of order a hundred m/s. Modelling of the Leonid stream has demonstrated that storms from the shower are from meteoroids less than a century in age and are due to trails from Tempel-Tuttle coming within (8 +/- 6) × 10 -4 A.U of the Earth's orbit on average. Trails are perturbed to Earth-intersection through distant, direct perturbations, primarily from Jupiter. The stream decreases in flux by two to three orders of magnitude in the first hundred years of development. Ejection velocities are found to be <20 m/s and average ~ 5 m/s for storm meteoroids. Jupiter controls evolution of the stream after a century; radiation pressure and initial ejection velocities are significant factors only on shorter time- scales. The age of the annual component of the stream is ~ 1000 years.

STS-87 Day 10 Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

On this tenth day of the STS-87 mission, the flight crew, Cmdr. Kevin R. Kregel, Pilot Steven W. Lindsey, Mission Specialists Winston E. Scott, Kalpana Chawla, and Takao Doi, and Payload Specialist Leonid K. Kadenyuk receive a call from Ukrainian President Leonid Kuchma and answer questions from media in Kiev. The conversations focus on Kadenyuk's first flight into space and the work ongoing to support the mission objectives.

Activity of the 1998 Leonid Shower From the Video Records

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenniskens, Peter

1999-01-01

Video observations of the Leonid shower aboard two aircraft in the 1998 Leonid multi-instrument aircraft campaign and from ground locations in China are presented. Observing at altitude proved particularly effective, with four times higher rates due to low extinction and low angular velocity at the horizon. The rates, derived from a total of 2500 Leonid meteors, trace at least two distinct dust components. One dominated the night of 1998 November 16/17. This two-day wide component was rich in bright meteors with r = N (m + 1)/N (m) approximately equal 1.5 (s = 1.4) and peaked at an influx of 3.1 +/- 0.4 x 10(exp -12) /sq m.s (for particles of mass < 7 x 10(exp -5) g) at solar longitude lambda(sub 0) approximately equal 234.52 (Eq. J2000). The other more narrow component peaked on 1998 November 17/18 at lambda(sub 0) = 235.31 +/- 0.01. Rates were elevated above the broad component between lambda(sub 0) = 235.15 and 235.40, symmetric around the current node of the parent comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, peaking at 5.1 +/- 0.2 x 10(exp -12) /sq m.s. The population index was higher, r = 1.8 +/- 0.1 (s = 1.7), but not as high as in past Leonid storms (r = 3.0). The flux profile of this component has an unusual asymmetric shape, which implies a blend of contributions from at least two different but relatively recent epochs of ejection. The variation of r across the profile might be due to mass-dependent ejection velocities of the narrowest component. High rates of faint meteors occurred only in an isolated five-minute interval at lambda(sub 0) = 235.198, which is likely the result of a single meteoroid breakup in space.

ESA's experts are ready for a storm of comet dust

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1998-11-01

Minute grains of dust create the glowing heads and tails that make comets famous. A trail of dust traces the orbit of each comet, and when the Earth encounters a comet trail the result is a meteor shower. Comet Tempel-Tuttle has just refreshed its dust trail on a visit to the Sun's vicinity, which it makes every 33 years. The Leonids approach the Earth from the direction of the constellation Leo. As a precaution, the Hubble Space Telescope will turn its back on Leo for ten hours around the predicted peak of the Leonid event, which is at about 20:30 CET on 17 November. Astronomers will take the opportunity to look for undiscovered galaxies in the opposite direction in the sky. Any disturbances caused to the 11.6-tonne Hubble spacecraft by the Leonid dust impacts will be recorded for analysis by dust specialists. One of the teams chosen for this study includes ESA and UK scientists and is headed by John Zarnecki of the University of Kent. Zarnecki comments: "It seems like doing an experiment with the crown jewels. But Hubble is a fantastically accurate star pointer, so we should detect wobbles due to quite small impacts. We hope to check our theories about the numbers of grains of different masses. But I'd hate to see any harm come to Hubble," Zarnecki adds. "Or any other spacecraft for that matter." Taking account of the risk to spacecraft This year Comet Tempel-Tuttle passed within 1.2 million kilometres of the Earth's orbit, which is very near by astronomical standards. Similar close encounters have produced widely differing results in the past. In 1932 the count of visible meteors in the Leonids reached an unremarkable rate of 240 per hour, compared with a normal background of about 10-20 sporadic meteors per hour at quiet times. Yet in 1966 the count-rate for the Leonids was 15,000 per hour, or 4 per second, and some observers reported even higher rates. If the rate is again 15,000 per hour, a spacecraft presenting a target of 10 square metres to the Leonid storm is likely to receive one hit penetrating aluminium to a depth of 0.4 millimetre. A larger spacecraft has a greater chance of being hit by a more penetrating dust grain. Operators are therefore advised to turn their spacecraft to present as small a target as possible, and to try to ensure that sensitive parts do not face the meteor stream. "Bullet-like damage caused by large particles is only part of the story," says Walter Flury of ESOC's mission analysis section. "Fine grains are far more numerous and can sand-blast optical systems, thermal blankets and solar cells. And in a cloud of charged particles created by the impacts, lightning-like discharges can cause faults in the electronic systems of the spacecraft. The very high speed of the Leonids aggravates that risk, so it may be advisable to switch off sensitive equipment. Damage due to electrical discharges may be the most serious hazard from the Leonids." Predictions are very uncertain and effects are very chancy, so one recommendation is simply to reinforce the spacecraft operation teams on 17 November, to cope with any emergency that arises. The direction of arrival of the Leonids is favourable for satellites in one respect. The dust grains will come from a direction almost at right angles to the direction of the Sun. Flat solar panels in their normal orientation, facing the Sun, present only a narrow edge as a target for the Leonids. Controllers of ESA's Earth observation satellites ERS-1 and ERS-2 will switch off the instruments during the hazardous period to reduce the risk of electrically-induced damage. ESA's solar spacecraft SOHO, stationed 1.5 million kilometres out in space, is likely to experience an even stronger storm of Leonids than satellites in the Earth's vicinity. Measures to reduce the hazard may include rotating the spacecraft to screen vital equipment, and switching off scientific instruments. The view from the ground When the Leonids are at their peak, Leo will just be rising on Europe's eastern horizon. Nevertheless, observers in Europe watching out between midnight and dawn, on 17 and 18 November, may see unusual numbers of meteors. The best view will be from east Asia, where Leo will be high in the night sky at the time of the expected maximum. ESA has joined with other space agencies in sponsoring a Canadian expedition to Mongolia to observe the Leonids with video cameras equipped with image intensifiers. The same Canadian intiative will use radars in northern Australia to detect the meteors. Real-time information on the intensity and duration of the dust storm will help spacecraft operators to judge when the risk has passed. Next year's appearance of the Leonids, in November 1999, will be best seen from Europe, and it could be bigger than this year's event. For the same reason, the risk posed by the Leonids to spacecraft will recur at that time. ESA scientists will be rehearsing this year for ground-based observations of the Leonids next year, from southern Spain. Historical note on dust damage ESA has brutal experience of cosmic dust storms. In March 1986, its Giotto spacecraft flew deep into the dusty head of Halley's Comet, where it obtained amazing pictures of the nucleus. A dust particle no bigger than a grain of rice slammed into the spacecraft at 68 kilometres per second with the force of a hand grenade, and set it wobbling. A sand-blast of smaller grains, recorded as a continous drumbeat by dust detectors on Giotto, disabled the camera and caused other damage. Nevertheless the ESA operations team recovered control of the spacecraft and even managed to fly Giotto on an extended mission that took it to Comet Grigg-Skjellerup six years later. Controllers were less lucky in August 1993 when a dust grain from Comet Swift-Tuttle, in the Perseid meteor stream, was probably to blame for knocking out ESA's Olympus telecommunications satellite after four years of operation. Although it remained intact, Olympus lost so much thruster fuel in trying to correct its attitude that it became unmanageable. More direct knowledge of dust impacts on spacecraft came from examining part of the original solar array of the Hubble Space Telecope, provided by ESA, which was returned to Earth in the first refurbishment mission in December 1993. The solar cells were pitted by many small dust impacts.

Leonid Pavlovich Shil'nikov (obituary)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anosov, Dmitry V.; Afraimovich, Valentin S.; Bunimovich, Leonid A.; Gonchenko, Sergei V.; Grines, Vyacheslav Z.; Ilyashenko, Yulij S.; Katok, Anatolii B.; Kashchenko, Sergey A.; Kozlov, Valerii V.; Lerman, Lev M.; Morozov, Albert D.; Neishtadt, Anatolii I.; Pesin, Yakov B.; Samoilenko, Anatoly M.; Sinai, Yakov G.; Treschev, Dmitrii V.; Turaev, Dmitry V.; Sharkovskii, Aleksandr N.; Shil'nikov, Andrei L.

2012-06-01

A remarkable mathematician, one of the most prominent specialists in the theory of dynamical systems and bifurcation theory, a laureate of the Lyapunov Prize of the Russian Academy of Sciences and of the Lavren'ev Prize of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, a Humboldt Professor, Head of the Department of Differential Equations of the Research Institute of Applied Mathematics and Cybernetics of Nizhnii Novgorod University, Professor Leonid Pavlovich Shil'nikov passed away on 26 December 2011.

Video Observations Encompassing the 2002 Leonid Storm: First Results and a Revised Photometric Procedure for Video Meteor Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooke, William J.; Suggs, Robert; Swift, Wesley; Gural, Peter S.; Brown, Peter; Ellis, Jim (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

During the 2001 Leonid storm, Marshall Space Flight Center, with the cooperation of the University of Western Ontario and the United States Air Force, deployed 6 teams of observers equipped with intensified video systems to sites located in North America, the Pacific, and Mongolia. The campaign was extremely successful, with the entire period of enhanced Leonid activity (over 16 hours) captured on video tape in a consistent manner. We present the first results from the analysis of this unique, 2 terabyte data set and discuss the problems involved in reducing large amounts of video meteor data. In particular, the question of how to determine meteor masses though photometric analysis will be re-examined, and new techniques will be proposed that eliminate some of the deficiencies suffered by the techniques currently employed in video meteor analysis.

Matched Filtering of Visual Evoked Potentials to Detect Acceleration (+Gz) Induced Blackout

DTIC Science & Technology

1985-01-03

FILTERING OF VISUAL EVOKED POTENTIALS rO DETECT ACCELERATION ( + Gz) INDUCED BLACKOUT John Q. Nelson, Leonid Hrebien and Joseph P. Cammarota Aircraft...8217: , r .,.V -. 1-». .v. IE •> _"->.-"*« A^V :j% _"«;_"V X~«. _~»^"V.i.~» iuTtuTii i."»..-^. .-*._> r /; NOTICES REPORT NUMBERING SYSTEM - The...Potentials to Detect Acceleration (+G2) Induced Blackout 12 PERSONAL AUTHOR(S) John G. Nelson, Leonid Hrebien, Joseph P. Cammarota 13* TYPE OF REPORT

Space Shuttle Projects

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-09-01

Five astronauts and a payload specialist take a break from training at the Johnson Space Center (JSC) to pose for the STS-87 crew portrait. Wearing the orange partial pressure launch and entry suits, from the left, are Kalpana Chawla, mission specialist; Steven W. Lindsey, pilot; Kevin R. Kregel, mission commander; and Leonid K. Kadenyuk, Ukrainian payload specialist. Wearing the white Extravehicular Mobility Unit (EMU) space suits are mission specialists Winston E. Scott (left) and Takao Doi (right). Doi represents Japan’s National Space Development Agency (NASDA). The STS-87 mission launched aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia on November 19, 1997. The primary payload for the mission was the U.S. Microgravity Payload-4 (USMP-4).

Creating cometary models using ancient Chinese data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeomans, D. K.

For more than two millennia, Chinese court astronomers maintained a rather comprehensive record of cometary sightings. Owing to the significance of comets as portents for the reigning emperor, early sky watchers from China (as well as their counterparts from Korea and Japan) carefully noted each cometary apparition for the purpose of astrological predictions. The dates and corresponding celestial locations and motions were usually recorded and in some cases, the colors, coma sizes, and tail lengths were also noted. These ancient observations represent the only source of information available for modeling the long-term behavior of periodic comets. For comets Halley and Swift-Tuttle, Chinese records have been identified as far back as 240 B.C. and 69 B.C. respectively and these data have been used to define their long-term motions. As a result, heliocentric and geocentric distances for each Chinese sighting of these two comets can be computed and estimates can be made for each comet's intrinsic brightness at various observed returns. Although the earliest identified apparition of comet Tempel-Tuttle is A.D. 1366, the associated Leonid meteor showers were noted back to at least A.D. 902. The Leonid meteor stream is young in the sense that outstanding meteor displays occur only near the time of the parent comet's perihelion passages. The ancient Chinese records of the Leonid meteor showers and storms have been used to map the particle distribution around the parent comet and this information was used to guide predictions for the 1998-1999 Leonid meteor showers.

Meteoroids and Meteor Storms: A Threat to Spacecraft

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Anderson, B. Jeffrey

1999-01-01

Robust system design is the best protection against meteoroid damage. Impacts by small meteoroids are common on satellite surfaces, but impacts by meteoroids large enough to damage well designed systems are very rare. Estimating the threat from the normal meteoroid environment is difficult. Estimates for the occasional "storm" are even more uncertain. Common sense precautions are in order for the 1999 Leonids, but wide-spread catastrophic damage is highly unlikely. Strong Leonid showers are also expected in 2000 and 2001, but these pose much less threat than 1999.

Forecast for the Remainder of the Leonid Storm Season

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenniskens, Peter; DeVincenzi, Donald L. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

The dust trails of comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle lead to Leonid storms on Earth, threatening satellites in orbit. We present a new model that accounts in detail for the observed properties of dust tails evolved by the comet at previous oppositions. The prediction model shows the 1767-dust trail closer to Earth's orbit in 2001 than originally thought; increasing expected peak rates for North America observers. Predictions for the 2002 storms are less affected. We demonstrate that the observed shower profiles can be understood as a projection of the comet lightcurve.

Leonid Vital'evich Kantorovich (on the 100th anniversary of his birth)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vershik, Anatolii M.; Kutateladze, Semen S.; Novikov, Sergei P.

2012-06-01

The 19th of January 2012 was the 100th anniversary of the birth of Leonid Vital'evich Kantorovich, an outstanding mathematician and economist of international fame. A child prodigy, who graduated from the university at 18 and became a professor at 20, an academician in the mathematical sciences and a laureate of the Nobel Prize in economics, - these are extraordinary circumstances of his life. They are remarkable in themselves, but also the results he achieved were exceptional and immensely impressive, and the younger generations of researchers, first and foremost mathematicians and economists, must know about them.

KSC-97PC1613

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-11-05

STS-87 Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk, at right, of the National Space Agency of Ukraine (NSAU) is assisted into his orange launch and entry spacesuit ensemble by NASA Suit Technician Al Rochford, at left, before participating in Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) activities. The crew of the STS-87 mission is scheduled for launch Nov. 19 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight providing the crew of each mission opportunities to participate in simulated countdown activities. The TCDT ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cut-off. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the pad and has an opportunity to view and inspect the payloads in the orbiter's payload bay

STS-87 Payload Specialist Leonid K. Kadenyuk suits up

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

STS-87 Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine gives a thumbs up in his launch and entry suit in the Operations and Checkout Building. He and the five other crew members of STS-87will depart shortly for Launch Pad 39B, where the Space Shuttle Columbia awaits liftoff on a 16-day mission to perform microgravity and solar research. Kadenyuk will be flying his first mission on STS-87. During the mission, Kadenyuk will pollinate Brassica rapa plants as part of the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment, or CUE, aboard Columbia. The CUE experiment is a collection of 10 plant space biology experiments that will fly in Columbias middeck and features an educational component that involves evaluating the effects of microgravity on Brassica rapa seedlings.

STS 87: Meal - Suit Up - Depart O&C - Launch Columbia On Orbit - Landing - Crew Egress

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

The STS-87 Space Shuttle Columbia mission begins with the introduction of the seven crew members. The seven crew members include: Commander Kevin R. Kregel, pilot Steven W. Lindsey, mission specialists: Winston E. Scott, Kalpana Chawla and Takao Doi and payload specialist Leonid K. Kadenyuk. The United States Microgravity Payload (USMP-4), Orbital Acceleration Research Experiment (OARE), the EVA Demonstration Flight Test 5 (EDFT-05), Shuttle Ozone Limb Sending Experiment (SOLSE), Loop Heat Pump (LHP), and Sodium Sulfur Battery Experiment (NaSBE) were all shown during this video presentation. The launch of the STS-87 from different Kennedy Space Flight Center (KSFC) areas and Pre-flight training at the Johnson Space Center is presented. The retrieve and recovery spot satellite are also shown. Also, the landing of the Space Shuttle Columbia is presented from different areas at Kennedy Space Flight Center.

Stratospheric Sampling and In Situ Atmospheric Chemical Element Analysis During Meteor Showers: A Resource Study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noever, David A.

2000-01-01

Resources studies for asteroidal mining evaluation have depended historically on remote sensing analysis for chemical elements. During the November 1998 Leonids meteor shower, a stratospheric balloon and various low-density capture media were used to sample fragments from Comet Tempel-Tuttle debris during a peak Earth crossing. The analysis not only demonstrates how potential sampling strategies may improve the projections for metals or rare elements in astromining, but also benchmarks materials during low temperature (-60 F), high dessication environments as seen during atmospheric exposure. The results indicate high aluminum, magnesium and iron content for various sampled particles recovered, but generalization to the sporadic meteors expected from asteroidal sources will require future improvements in larger sampling volumes before a broad-use strategy for chemical analysis can be described. A repeat of the experimental procedure is planned for the November 1999 Leonids' shower, and various improvements for atmospheric sampling will be discussed.

Metamaterials for Miniaturization of Optical Components

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-09-24

elementary EM fields are exactly the Maxwell equations with proper conserved currents; (iii) a free charge moves uniformly preserving up to the...Disordered Systems -- A Conference in Honor of Leonid Pastur , Hagen, Germany, Some Mathematical Problems in a Neoclassical Theory of Electric Charges

Studies of Transient Meteor Activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenniskens, Peter M. M.

2002-01-01

Meteoroids bombard Earth's atmosphere daily, but occasionally meteor rates increase to unusual high levels when Earth crosses the relatively fresh ejecta of comets. These transient events in meteor activity provide clues about the whereabouts of Earth-threatening long-period comets, the mechanisms of large-grain dust ejection from comets, and the particle composition and size distribution of the cometary ejecta. Observations of these transient events provide important insight in natural processes that determine the large grain dust environment of comets, in natural phenomena that were prevalent during the time of the origin of life, and in processes that determine the hazard of civilizations to large impacts and of man-made satellites to the periodic blizzard of small meteoroids. In this proposal, three tasks form a coherent program aimed at elucidating various aspects of meteor outbursts, with special reference to planetary astronomy and astrobiology. Task 1 was a ground-based effort to observe periods of transient meteor activity. This includes: (1) stereoscopic imaging of meteors during transient meteor events for measurements of particle size distribution, meteoroid orbital dispersions and fluxes; and (2) technical support for Global-MS-Net, a network of amateur-operated automatic counting stations for meteor reflections from commercial VHF radio and TV broadcasting stations, keeping a 24h vigil on the level of meteor activity for the detection of new meteor streams. Task 2 consisted of ground-based and satellite born spectroscopic observations of meteors and meteor trains during transient meteor events for measurements of elemental composition, the presence of organic matter in the meteoroids, and products generated by the interaction of the meteoroid with the atmosphere. Task 3 was an airborne effort to explore the 2000 Leonid meteor outbursts, which are anticipated to be the most significant of transient meteor activity events in the remainder of the agreement period. This includes technical support for a multi-instrument aircraft campaign, Leonid MAC.

The First Confirmed Videorecordings of Lunar Meteor Impacts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dunham, D. W.; Cudnik, B.; Palmer, D. M.; Sada, P. V.; Melosh, J.; Beech, M.; Pellerin, L.; Asher, D.; Frankenberger R.; Venable R.

2000-01-01

North American observers recorded at least six meteors striking the Moon's surface during the Leonid meteor shower on 1999 Nov. 18. Each meteor produced a flash that was recorded from at least two separate locations, marking the first confirmed lunar meteor impacts.

STS-87 Day 03 Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

On this third day of the STS-87 mission, the flight crew, Cmdr. Kevin R. Kregel, Pilot Steven W. Lindsey, Mission Specialists Winston E. Scott, Kalpana Chawla, and Takao Doi, and Payload Specialist Leonid K. Kadenyuk deploy the Spartan satellite with the shuttle's robot arm.

JPL-20171101-WHATSUf-0001-What's Up November 2017

NASA Image and Video Library

2017-11-01

Monthly series for amateur astronomers. November features: Viewing the moon, star clusters (the Pleiades, M35, and the Beehive Cluster), and a close pairing of Venus and Jupiter. Plus three meteor showers: the Leonids, the northern and southern Taurids, and the Orionids.

Leonid's Particle Analyses from Stratospheric Balloon Collection on Xerogel Surfaces

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Noever, David; Phillips, Tony; Horack, John; Porter, Linda; Myszka, Ed

1999-01-01

Recovered from a stratospheric balloon above 20 km on 17-18 November 1998, at least eight candidate microparticles were collected and analyzed from low-density silica xerogel collection plates. Capture time at Leonids' storm peak was validated locally along the balloon trajectory by direct video imaging of meteor fluence up to 24/hr above 98% of the Earth's atmosphere. At least one 30 micron particle agrees morphologically to a smooth, unmelted spherule and compares most closely in non-volatile elemental ratios (Mg/Si, Al/Si, and Fe/Si) to compositional data in surface/ocean meteorite collections. A Euclidean tree diagram based on composition makes a most probable identification as a non-porous stratospherically collected particle and a least probable identification as terrestrial matter or an ordinary chondrite. If of extraterrestrial origin, the mineralogical class would be consistent with a stony (S) type of silicate, olivine [(Mg,Fe)2SiO4] and pyroxene [(Mg, Fe)Si!O3)--or oxides, herecynite [(Fe,Mg) Al2O4].

STS-87 P.S. Leonid Kadenyuk of NSAU and Daniel Goldin after landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

STS-87 Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine (NSAU), at left, greets NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin, at right, as back-up Payload Specialist Yaroslav Pustovyi, also of NSAU, looks on. STS-87 concluded its mission with a main gear touchdown at 7:20:04 a.m. EST Dec. 5, at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility Runway 33, drawing the 15-day, 16-hour and 34-minute-long mission of 6.5 million miles to a close. Also onboard the orbiter were Commander Kevin Kregel; Pilot Steven Lindsey; and Mission Specialists Winston Scott; Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D.; and Takao Doi, Ph.D. of the National Space Development Agency of Japan. During the 88th Space Shuttle mission, the crew performed experiments on the United States Microgravity Payload-4 and pollinated plants as part of the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment. This was the 12th landing for Columbia at KSC and the 41st KSC landing in the history of the Space Shuttle program.

Ukraine President Leonis Kuchma with P.S. Kadenyuk

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The president of the Ukraine, Leonid Kuchma, is flanked by Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk, at left, and backup Payload Specialist Yaroslav Pustovyi, at right, both of the National Space Agency of Ukraine, during pre-launch activities leading up to the scheduled Nov. 19 launch of STS-87. STS-87 will be the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and the Spartan-201 deployable satellite. During the mission, Kadenyuk will pollinate Brassica rapa plants as part of the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment, or CUE, aboard Columbia during its 16-day mission. The CUE experiment is a collection of 10 plant space biology experiments that will fly in Columbias middeck and features an educational component that involves evaluating the effects of microgravity on Brassica rapa seedlings. Students in Ukrainian and American schools will participate in the same experiment on the ground and have several live opportunities to discuss the experiment with Kadenyuk in Space. Kadenyuk will be flying his first Shuttle mission on STS- 87.

Calibration-free quantitative elemental analysis of meteor plasma using reference laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy of meteorite samples

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ferus, Martin; Koukal, Jakub; Lenža, Libor; Srba, Jiří; Kubelík, Petr; Laitl, Vojtěch; Zanozina, Ekaterina M.; Váňa, Pavel; Kaiserová, Tereza; Knížek, Antonín; Rimmer, Paul; Chatzitheodoridis, Elias; Civiš, Svatopluk

2018-03-01

Aims: We aim to analyse real-time Perseid and Leonid meteor spectra using a novel calibration-free (CF) method, which is usually applied in the laboratory for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopic (LIBS) chemical analysis. Methods: Reference laser ablation spectra of specimens of chondritic meteorites were measured in situ simultaneously with a high-resolution laboratory echelle spectrograph and a spectral camera for meteor observation. Laboratory data were subsequently evaluated via the CF method and compared with real meteor emission spectra. Additionally, spectral features related to airglow plasma were compared with the spectra of laser-induced breakdown and electric discharge in the air. Results: We show that this method can be applied in the evaluation of meteor spectral data observed in real time. Specifically, CF analysis can be used to determine the chemical composition of meteor plasma, which, in the case of the Perseid and Leonid meteors analysed in this study, corresponds to that of the C-group of chondrites.

Leonid Shower Probe of Aerothermochemistry in Meteoric Plasmas and Implication for the Origin of Life

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenniskens, Peter S. I.; Packan, D.; Laux, C.; Wilson, Mike; Boyd, I. D.; Kruger, C. H.; Popova, O.; Fonda, M.; DeVincenzi, Donald L. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The rarefied and high Mach number (up to 270) of the flow field of a typical meteoroid as it enters the Earth's atmosphere implies conditions of ablation and atmospheric chemistry that have proven to be as difficult to grasp as the proverbial shooting star. An airborne campaign was organized to study these processes during an intense Leonid shower. A probe of molecular band emission now demonstrates that the flash of light from a common meteor originates in the wake of the object rather than in the meteor head. A new theoretical approach using the direct simulation Monte Carlo technique demonstrates that the ablation process is critical in heating the air in that wake. Air molecules impinge on a dense cloud of ablated material in front of the meteoroid head into an extended wake that has the observed excitation temperatures. These processes determine what extraterrestrial materials may have been delivered to Earth at the time of the origin of life.

Onboard photo: Astronauts at work

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Onboard Space Shuttle Columbia (STS-87) mid-deck, Leonid Kadenyuk, Ukrainian payload specialist, works with the Brassica rapa plants being grown for the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment (CUE). Kadenyuk joined five astronauts for 16-days in Earth-orbit in support of the United States Microgravity Payload 4 (USMP-4) mission.

STS-87 crew in LC-39B white room during TCDT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

The crew of the STS-87 mission, scheduled for launch Nov. 19 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia from pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), participates in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) at KSC. Standing, from left, Mission Specialist Winston Scott; Backup Payload Specialist Yaroslav Pustovyi, Ph.D., of the National Space Agency of Ukraine (NSAU); Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of NSAU; Pilot Steven Lindsey; Commander Kevin Kregel; Mission Specialist Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; and Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight providing the crew of each mission opportunities to participate in simulated countdown activities. The TCDT ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cut-off. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the pad and has an opportunity to view and inspect the payloads in the orbiter's payload bay.

STS-87 crew walkout for TCDT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

The crew of the STS-87 mission, scheduled for launch Nov. 19 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia from pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), participated in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) at KSC. Simulating the walk-out from the Operations and Checkout Building before entering a van to take them to the launch pad are (left to right) Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine; Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D.; Pilot Steve Lindsey; Mission Specialist Winston Scott; Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; and Commander Kevin Kregel. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight providing the crew of each mission opportunities to participate in simulated countdown activities. The TCDT ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cut-off. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the pad and has an opportunity to view and inspect the payloads in the orbiter's payload bay.

STS-87 M.S. Doi and Chawla and P.S. Kadenyuk in slidewire basket

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

The crew of the STS-87 mission, scheduled for launch Nov. 19 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia from pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), participates in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) at KSC. Testing a slide wire basket that is part of the pads emergency egress system are, from left, Mission Specialist Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine (NSAU); and Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight providing the crew of each mission opportunities to participate in simulated countdown activities. The TCDT ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cut-off. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the pad and has an opportunity to view and inspect the payloads in the orbiter's payload bay.

Rudolph Hess, A Strategic Move or Ethical Dilemma?

DTIC Science & Technology

1990-03-09

seek help from uncrthodox healers. His mystic beliefs were manifested in his strange behavior. Some examples are: Per Felix Kersten , Himmler’s...the Rus- sians refused to consider Hess’s release. They were adamant that he remain incarcerated to the point that their former leader Leonid Brezhnev

Fireball Observations in Visible and Sodium Bands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fletcher, Sandra

On November 17th at 1:32am MST, a large Leonid fireball was simultaneously imaged by two experiments, a visible band CCD camera and a 590nm filtered band equi-angle fisheye and telecentric lens assembly. The visible band camera, ROTSE (Robotic Optical Transient Search Experiment) is a two by two f/1.9 telephoto lens array with 2k x2k Thompson CCD and is located at 35.87 N, 106.25 W at an altitude of 2115m. One-minute exposures along the radiant were taken of the event for 30 minutes after the initial explosion. The sodium band experiment was located at 35.29 N,106.46 W at an altitude of 1860m. It took ninety second exposures and captured several events throughout the night. Triangulation from two New Mexico sites resulted in an altitude of 83km over Wagon Mound, NM. Two observers present at the ROTSE site saw a green flash and a persistent glow up to seven minutes after the explosion. Cataloging of all sodium trails for comparison with lidar and infrasonic measurements is in progress. The raw data from both experiments and the atmospheric chemistry interpretation of them will be presented.

The Politics of Drug Trafficking in Mexican and Mexico-Related Narconovelas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Palaversich, Diana

2006-01-01

This essay traces the emergence of the Mexican and Mexico-related narconovela. It examines perspectives on drug trafficking and traffickers expressed in novels by Elmer Mendoza, Leonides Alfaro, Gerardo Cornejo, Homero Aridjis, Arturo Perez-Reverte, and Paul Flores. The variety of positions taken refutes the tendency of the Mexican mainstream…

STS-87 Day 15 Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

On this fifteenth day of the STS-87 mission, the flight crew, Cmdr. Kevin R. Kregel, Pilot Steven W. Lindsey, Mission Specialists Winston E. Scott, Kalpana Chawla, and Takao Doi, and Payload Specialist Leonid K. Kadenyuk spend a good part of their day checking out the important space craft systems that are needed to support reentry.

The mass and speed dependence of meteor air plasma temperatures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenniskens, Peter; Laux, Christophe O.; Wilson, Michael A.; Schaller, Emily L.

2004-01-01

The speed and mass dependence of meteor air plasma temperatures is perhaps the most important data needed to understand how small meteoroids chemically change the ambient atmosphere in their path and enrich the ablated meteoric organic matter with oxygen. Such chemistry can play an important role in creating prebiotic compounds. The excitation conditions in various air plasma emissions were measured from high-resolution optical spectra of Leonid storm meteors during NASA's Leonid Multi-Instrument Aircraft Campaign. This was the first time a sufficient number and range of temperature measurements were obtained to search for meteoroid mass and speed dependencies. We found slight increases in temperature with decreasing altitude, but otherwise nearly constant values for meteoroids with speeds between 35 and 72 km/s and masses between 10(-5) g and 1 g. We conclude that faster and more massive meteoroids produce a larger emission volume, but not a higher air plasma temperature. We speculate that the meteoric plasma may be in multiphase equilibrium with the ambient atmosphere, which could mean lower plasma temperatures in a CO(2)-rich early Earth atmosphere.

MSFC Stream Model Preliminary Results: Modeling the 1998-2002 Leonid Encounters and the 1993,1994, and 2004 Perseid Encounters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moser, D. E.; Cooke, W. J.

2004-01-01

The cometary meteoroid ejection models of Jones (1996) and Crifo (1997) were used to simulate ejection from comets 55P/Tempel-Tuttle during the last 12 revolutions, and the 1862, 1737, and 161 0 apparitions of 1 OSP/Swift-Tuttle. Using cometary ephemerides generated by the JPL HORIZONS Solar System Data and Ephemeris Computation Service, ejection was simulated in 1 hour time steps while the comet was within 2.5 AU of the Sun. Also simulated was ejection occurring at the hour of perihelion passage. An RK4 variable step integrator was then used to integrate meteoroid position and velocity forward in time, accounting for the effects of radiation pressure, Poynting-Robertson drag, and the gravitational forces of the planets, which were computed using JPL's DE406 planetary ephemerides. An impact parameter is computed for each particle approaching the Earth, and the results are compared to observations of the 1998-2002 Leonid showers, and the 1993-1 994 Perseids. A prediction for Earth's encounter with the Perseid stream in 2004 is also presented.

STS-87 Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk chats with NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin shortly after

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

STS-87 Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine (NSAU), at left, chats with NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin shortly after the landing of Columbia at Kennedy Space Center. Looking on is back-up Payload Specialist Yaroslav Pustovyi, also of NSAU. STS-87 concluded its mission with a main gear touchdown at 7:20:04 a.m. EST Dec. 5, at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility Runway 33, drawing the 15-day, 16-hour and 34- minute-long mission of 6.5 million miles to a close. Also onboard the orbiter were Commander Kevin Kregel; Pilot Steven Lindsey; and Mission Specialists Winston Scott, Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D., and Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan. During the 88th Space Shuttle mission, the crew performed experiments on the United States Microgravity Payload-4 and pollinated plants as part of the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment. This was the 12th landing for Columbia at KSC and the 41st KSC landing in the history of the Space Shuttle program.

The mass and speed dependence of meteor air plasma temperatures.

PubMed

Jenniskens, Peter; Laux, Christophe O; Wilson, Michael A; Schaller, Emily L

2004-01-01

The speed and mass dependence of meteor air plasma temperatures is perhaps the most important data needed to understand how small meteoroids chemically change the ambient atmosphere in their path and enrich the ablated meteoric organic matter with oxygen. Such chemistry can play an important role in creating prebiotic compounds. The excitation conditions in various air plasma emissions were measured from high-resolution optical spectra of Leonid storm meteors during NASA's Leonid Multi-Instrument Aircraft Campaign. This was the first time a sufficient number and range of temperature measurements were obtained to search for meteoroid mass and speed dependencies. We found slight increases in temperature with decreasing altitude, but otherwise nearly constant values for meteoroids with speeds between 35 and 72 km/s and masses between 10(-5) g and 1 g. We conclude that faster and more massive meteoroids produce a larger emission volume, but not a higher air plasma temperature. We speculate that the meteoric plasma may be in multiphase equilibrium with the ambient atmosphere, which could mean lower plasma temperatures in a CO(2)-rich early Earth atmosphere.

Factors of persistence among graduates of athletic training education programs.

PubMed

Bowman, Thomas G; Dodge, Thomas M

2011-01-01

Previous researchers have indicated that athletic training education programs (ATEPs) appear to retain students who are motivated and well integrated into their education programs. However, no researchers have examined the factors leading to successful persistence to graduation of recent graduates from ATEPs. To determine the factors that led students enrolled in a postprofessional education program accredited by the National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) to persist to graduation from accredited undergraduate ATEPs. Qualitative study. Postprofessional education program accredited by the NATA. Fourteen graduates (12 women, 2 men) of accredited undergraduate entry-level ATEPs who were enrolled in an NATA-accredited postprofessional education program volunteered to participate. We conducted semistructured interviews and analyzed data through a grounded theory approach. We used open, axial, and selective coding procedures. To ensure trustworthiness, 2 independent coders analyzed the data. The researchers then negotiated over the coding categories until they reached 100% agreement. We also performed member checks and peer debriefing. Four themes emerged from the data. Decisions to persist to graduation from ATEPs appeared to be influenced by students' positive interactions with faculty, clinical instructors, and peers. The environment of the ATEPs also affected their persistence. Participants thought they learned much in both the clinic and the classroom, and this learning motivated them to persist. Finally, participants could see themselves practicing athletic training as a career, and this greatly influenced their eventual persistence. Our study gives athletic training educators insight into the reasons students persist to graduation from ATEPs. Specifically, athletic training programs should strive to develop close-knit learning communities that stress positive interactions between students and instructors. Athletic training educators also must work to present the athletic training field as exciting and dynamic.

Development of a persistent chemical agent simulation system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1983-01-01

A Persistent Chemical Agent Simulation System was developed (PCASS) to simulate, for force-on-force training exercises, the field environment produced by the presence of persistent chemical agents. Such a simulant system must satisfy several requirements to be of value as a training aid. Specifically, it must provide for realistic training which will generate competency in at least the following areas: (1) detection of the persistent agent presence; (2) proper use of protective equipment and procedures; (3) determination of the extent of contamination; and (4) decontamination of equipment and personnel.

Program Directors' Perceptions of Professional Bachelor's Athletic Training Student Decisions to Persist and Depart

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowman, Thomas G.; Hertel, Jay; Mazerolle, Stephanie M.; Dodge, Thomas M.; Wathington, Heather D.

2016-01-01

Context: Recent literature has focused on reasons for athletic training student persistence and departure. However, accredited professional bachelor's athletic training program (ATP) directors' opinions regarding student retention have yet to be studied, to our knowledge. Objective: To determine reasons for athletic training student persistence…

Persistence and resistance to extinction in the domestic dog: Basic research and applications to canine training.

PubMed

Hall, Nathaniel J

2017-08-01

This review summarizes the research investigating behavioral persistence and resistance to extinction in the dog. The first part of this paper reviews Behavioral Momentum Theory and its applications to Applied Behavior Analysis and training of pet dogs with persistent behavioral problems. I also highlight how research on Behavioral Momentum Theory can be applied to the training of detection dogs in an attempt to enhance detection performance in the presence of behavioral disruptors common in operational settings. In the second part of this review, I highlight more basic research on behavioral persistence with dogs, and how breed differences and experiences with humans as alternative sources of reinforcement can influence dogs' resistance to extinction of a target behavior. Applied Behavior Analysis and Behavior Momentum Theory have important applications for behavioral treatments to reduce the persistence of problem behavior in dogs and for the development of enhanced training methods that enhance the persistence of working dogs. Dogs can also be leveraged as natural models of stereotypic behavior and for exploring individual differences in behavioral persistence by evaluating breed and environmental variables associated with differences in canine persistance. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modification of persistent responses in medial prefrontal cortex during learning in trace eyeblink conditioning

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Persistent spiking in response to a discrete stimulus is considered to reflect the active maintenance of a memory for that stimulus until a behavioral response is made. This response pattern has been reported in learning paradigms that impose a temporal gap between stimulus presentation and behavioral response, including trace eyeblink conditioning. However, it is unknown whether persistent responses are acquired as a function of learning or simply represent an already existing category of response type. This fundamental question was addressed by recording single-unit activity in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) of rabbits during the initial learning phase of trace eyeblink conditioning. Persistent responses to the tone conditioned stimulus were observed in the mPFC during the very first training sessions. Further analysis revealed that most cells with persistent responses showed this pattern during the very first training trial, before animals had experienced paired training. However, persistent cells showed reliable decreases in response magnitude over the first training session, which were not observed on the second day of training or for sessions in which learning criterion was met. This modification of response magnitude was specific to persistent responses and was not observed for cells showing phasic tone-evoked responses. The data suggest that persistent responses to discrete stimuli do not require learning but that the ongoing robustness of such responses over the course of training is modified as a result of experience. Putative mechanisms for this modification are discussed, including changes in cellular or network properties, neuromodulatory tone, and/or the synaptic efficacy of tone-associated inputs. PMID:25080570

SKYLAB (SL)-2 POSTFLIGHT - COMMEMORATIVE PLAQUES PRESENTATION - CA

NASA Image and Video Library

1973-07-19

S73-30889 (June 1973) --- Leonid I. Breznev, General Secretary of the Communist Party, Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, and President Richard M. Nixon, during ceremonies at the Western White House in San Clemente, California, examine plaques presented by Skylab astronauts Charles Conrad Jr., center; Joseph P. Kerwin, second from right; and Paul J. Weitz, left. Photo credit: NASA

STS-87 Day 02 Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

On this second day of the STS-87 mission, the flight crew, Cmdr. Kevin R. Kregel, Pilot Steven W. Lindsey, Mission Specialists Winston E. Scott, Kalpana Chawla, and Takao Doi, and Payload Specialist Leonid K. Kadenyuk are seen conducting experiments involving the effect of weightlessness on materials and fluids. They also work with an experiment to study Earth's protective ozone layers.

Kadenyuk sleeps strapped to the middeck wall

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-11-28

STS087-323-030 (19 November – 5 December 1997) --- Ukrainian payload specialist Leonid K. Kadenyuk blocks out the world and much more as he sleeps on the mid-deck of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Columbia. Kadenyuk joined five NASA astronauts for 16 days aboard Columbia in support of the United States Microgravity Payload (USMP) mission.

RF Control and Measurement of Superconducting Qubits

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-02-14

Schoelkopf, Leonid I. Glazman, Michel H. Devoret. Coherent suppression of electromagnetic dissipation due to superconducting quasiparticles ...Frunzio, L.?I. Glazman, M.?H. Devoret. Non-Poissonian Quantum Jumps of a Fluxonium Qubit due to Quasiparticle Excitations, Physical Review Letters...Devoret, G. Catelani, L. I. Glazman, R. J. Schoelkopf. Measurement and control of quasiparticle dynamics in a superconducting qubit, Nature

Program Directors' Perceptions of Programmatic Attributes Contributing to Athletic Training Student Persistence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowman, Thomas G.; Dodge, Thomas M.; Mazerolle, Stephanie M.

2015-01-01

Context: Graduates of athletic training programs (ATPs) have identified factors contributing to their persistence through professional education. However, program directors have yet to elaborate on programmatic attributes that might contribute to athletic training student retention in their respective ATPs. Objective: To determine program…

STS-87 crew in front of LC-39B during TCDT

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

The crew of the STS-87 mission, scheduled for launch Nov. 19 aboard the Space Shuttle Columbia from Pad 39B at Kennedy Space Center (KSC), poses at the pad during a break in the Terminal Countdown Demonstration Test (TCDT) at KSC. Standing in front of the Shuttle Columbia are, from left, Commander Kevin Kregel; Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D.; Pilot Steven Lindsey; Mission Specialist Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; Backup Payload Specialist Yaroslav Pustovyi, Ph.D., of the National Space Agency of Ukraine (NSAU); Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of NSAU; and Mission Specialist Winston Scott. The TCDT is held at KSC prior to each Space Shuttle flight providing the crew of each mission opportunities to participate in simulated countdown activities. The TCDT ends with a mock launch countdown culminating in a simulated main engine cut-off. The crew also spends time undergoing emergency egress training exercises at the pad and has an opportunity to view and inspect the payloads in the orbiter's payload bay.

Background and Training Needs of Persistently Unemployed Negroes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beacham, Herbert C.

1971-01-01

The major purpose of the study was to describe the home, educational and occupational back grounds, econmic status, frequency and duration of unemployment of persistently unemployed Negroes in Tampa, Florida, and their expressed opinions about training, retraining, and relocation of their residences to obtain employment after training. (Author)

Ancient Chinese Observations and Modern Cometary Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yeomans, D. K.

1995-01-01

Ancient astronomical observations, primarily by Chinese, represent the only data source for discerning the long-term behavior of comets. These sky watchers produced astrological forecasts for their emperors. The comets Halley, Swift-Tuttle, and Tempel-Tuttle have been observed for 2000 years. Records of the Leonid meteor showers, starting from A.D.902, are used to guide predictions for the 1998-1999 reoccurrence.

Satisficing Decision-Making in Supervisory Control. Part 2.

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-07-31

purpose of the United States Government. C-P Department of Mechanical Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139...of Mechanical Engineering Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge MA 02139 Satisficing Decision-Making in Supervisory Control Leonid Charny...example, that there are two attributes, speed and accuracy, and one is selecting a robot manipulator based -4n these two parameters. A set of alternatives

Search for the OH (X(2)Pi) Meinel band emission in meteors as a tracer of mineral water in comets: detection of N(2)(+) (A-X)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenniskens, Peter; Laux, Christophe O.

2004-01-01

We report the discovery of the N(2)(+) A-X Meinel band in the 780-840 nm meteor emission from two Leonid meteoroids that were ejected less than 1000 years ago by comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle. Our analysis indicates that the N(2)(+) molecule is at least an order of magnitude less abundant than expected, possibly as a result of charge transfer reactions with meteoric metal atoms. This new band was found while searching for rovibrational transitions in the X(2)Pi electronic ground state of OH (the OH Meinel band), a potential tracer of water bound to minerals in cometary matter. The electronic A-X transition of OH has been identified in other Leonid meteors. We did not detect this OH Meinel band, which implies that the excited A state is not populated by thermal excitation but by a mechanism that directly produces OH in low vibrational levels of the excited A(2)Sigma state. Ultraviolet dissociation of atmospheric or meteoric water vapor is such a mechanism, as is the possible combustion of meteoric organics.

MSFC Stream Model Preliminary Results: Modeling Recent Leonid and Perseid Encounters

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooke, William J.; Moser, Danielle E.

2004-01-01

The cometary meteoroid ejection model of Jones and Brown (1996b) was used to simulate ejection from comets 55P/Tempel-Tuttle during the last 12 revolutions, and the last 9 apparitions of 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Using cometary ephemerides generated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory s (JPL) HORIZONS Solar System Data and Ephemeris Computation Service, two independent ejection schemes were simulated. In the first case, ejection was simulated in 1 hour time steps along the comet s orbit while it was within 2.5 AU of the Sun. In the second case, ejection was simulated to occur at the hour the comet reached perihelion. A 4th order variable step-size Runge-Kutta integrator was then used to integrate meteoroid position and velocity forward in time, accounting for the effects of radiation pressure, Poynting-Robertson drag, and the gravitational forces of the planets, which were computed using JPL s DE406 planetary ephemerides. An impact parameter was computed for each particle approaching the Earth to create a flux profile, and the results compared to observations of the 1998 and 1999 Leonid showers, and the 1993 and 2004 Perseids.

MSFC Stream Model Preliminary Results: Modeling Recent Leonid and Perseid Encounters

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moser, Danielle E.; Cooke, William J.

2004-12-01

The cometary meteoroid ejection model of Jones and Brown [ Physics, Chemistry, and Dynamics of Interplanetary Dust, ASP Conference Series 104 (1996b) 137] was used to simulate ejection from comets 55P/Tempel-Tuttle during the last 12 revolutions, and the last 9 apparitions of 109P/Swift-Tuttle. Using cometary ephemerides generated by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory’s (JPL) HORIZONS Solar System Data and Ephemeris Computation Service, two independent ejection schemes were simulated. In the first case, ejection was simulated in 1 h time steps along the comet’s orbit while it was within 2.5 AU of the Sun. In the second case, ejection was simulated to occur at the hour the comet reached perihelion. A 4th order variable step-size Runge Kutta integrator was then used to integrate meteoroid position and velocity forward in time, accounting for the effects of radiation pressure, Poynting Robertson drag, and the gravitational forces of the planets, which were computed using JPL’s DE406 planetary ephemerides. An impact parameter (IP) was computed for each particle approaching the Earth to create a flux profile, and the results compared to observations of the 1998 and 1999 Leonid showers, and the 1993 and 2004 Perseids.

Meteor44 Video Meteor Photometry

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Swift, Wesley R.; Suggs, Robert M.; Cooke, William J.

2004-01-01

Meteor44 is a software system developed at MSFC for the calibration and analysis of video meteor data. The dynamic range of the (8bit) video data is extended by approximately 4 magnitudes for both meteors and stellar images using saturation compensation. Camera and lens specific saturation compensation coefficients are derived from artificial variable star laboratory measurements. Saturation compensation significantly increases the number of meteors with measured intensity and improves the estimation of meteoroid mass distribution. Astrometry is automated to determine each image s plate coefficient using appropriate star catalogs. The images are simultaneously intensity calibrated from the contained stars to determine the photon sensitivity and the saturation level referenced above the atmosphere. The camera s spectral response is used to compensate for stellar color index and typical meteor spectra in order to report meteor light curves in traditional visual magnitude units. Recent efforts include improved camera calibration procedures, long focal length "streak" meteor photome&y and two-station track determination. Meteor44 has been used to analyze data from the 2001.2002 and 2003 MSFC Leonid observational campaigns as well as several lesser showers. The software is interactive and can be demonstrated using data from recent Leonid campaigns.

Meteors with anomalous apparent heights from TV observations in Kyiv

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kozak, P.

2017-12-01

Basing on additional studying and précised processing of video-records of double-station meteor TV observations in Astronomical Observatory of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv the selection of meteors with anomalous photometrical and kinematical characteristics has been carried out. A special attention was paid to the registration of meteors on extreme heights exceeding 130km. In opposite to practically proved at the moment facts about appearance of fast bright bolides created by massive bodies belonging to Leonids, Perseids and Orionids streams on heights over 130-135km, and up to even 160-195km we obtained the confirmation of appearance on the anomalous heights of low-light meteors of masses 10-3g. In 1993 during observations of Perseid meteor shower we registered for the first time the shower meteor with apparent height of 136.84 - 0.12km. In 2001 and 2003 during September observations of sporadic meteors we registered only one meteor from 98 on the height over 135km. During observations of Leonids meteor storm in 2002 we registered five relatively low-light meteors belonging to the shower with apparent heights exceeding 135-140km with masses 10^-3 g.

Influence of patient training on persistence, compliance, and tolerability of different dosing frequency regimens of bisphosphonate therapy: An observational study in Turkish patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis.

PubMed

Akarırmak, Ülkü; Koçyiğit, Hikmet; Eskiyurt, Nurten; Esmaeilzadeh, Sina; Kuru, Ömer; Yalçinkaya, Ebru Yılmaz; Peker, Özlen; Ekim, Ayşe Aydemir; Özgirgin, Neşe; Çalış, Mustafa; Rezvani, Aylin; Çevikol, Alev; Eyigör, Sibel; Şendur, Ömer Faruk; İrdesel, Jale

2016-08-01

In our study, we aimed to evaluate the influence of training on compliance and persistence with bisphosphonate treatment given on a weekly vs. monthly basis in postmenopausal osteoporosis patients. A total of 979 patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis (mean age: 63.2 ± 7.2 years) were included in this national, multicenter, prospective non-interventional observational cohort registry study. Patients were randomized into training (n = 492, 50.3%, mean age: 63.4 ± 7.2 years) and control (n = 487, 49.7%, mean age: 63.0 ± 7.1 years) groups. Patients in each intervention group were given weekly (44.9% and 44.6% for training and control subjects, respectively) or monthly (55.1% and 55.4%, respectively) bisphosphonate regimens. After the initial visit, patients were followed up at three-month intervals throughout 12 months of treatment for evaluation of persistence, compliance and adverse events. On average, 79.4% of the patients were persistent with the treatment with a mean of 350.4 days of duration during the 12-month follow-up period. The mean compliance in the compliant and fully compliant group remained at an average of 86.6%. No significant difference was detected between the training and control groups in terms of compliance and persistence. Significantly longer persistence (360.0 ± 89.0 vs. 345.0 ± 108.0 days; p = 0.035), higher percentage of persistent patients (83.4% vs. 74.2%; p = 0.012) and higher compliance rates (88.8% vs. 83.3%; p = 0.002) were noted in monthly regimen patients in comparison to those given weekly regimen. Our findings revealed remarkably high rates for persistence and compliance with bisphosphonate treatment in postmenopausal osteoporosis, with no impact of training on compliance and persistence rates. Longer persistence and better compliance rates were achieved with the monthly bisphosphonate regimen when compared to the weekly regimen. Copyright © 2016 Turkish Association of Orthopaedics and Traumatology. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Program Directors' Perceptions of Reasons Professional Master's Athletic Training Students Persist and Depart

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowman, Thomas G.; Pitney, William A.; Mazerolle, Stephanie M.; Dodge, Thomas M.

2015-01-01

Context: Student retention is a key issue in higher education. With the increasing number of professional master's (PM) athletic training programs (ATPs), understanding student retention is necessary to maintain viable programs. Objective: Explore program directors' perceptions of the reasons athletic training students persist and depart from PM…

Perspectivas Pedagogicas. Documentos-Ponencias Y Ensayos Proyecto Teacher Corps, Ciclo XII (Pedagogical Perspectives. Documents, Papers and Essays, Teacher Corps Project, Cycle XII).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Albino, Isidra, Ed.; Davila, Sonia, Ed.

The purpose of this book is to stimulate ideas leading to a sharing of approaches, strategies, and methodologies applicable to the education of Puerto Ricans. Following introductory material, 18 papers are presented, the first 10 of which are in Spanish. Titles and authors are: (1) "El maestro que Puerto Rico necesita," Leonides Santos…

CUE - Kadenyuk checks the status of the PGCs in the middeck PGF locker

NASA Image and Video Library

1998-01-15

STS087-385-005 (19 November - 5 December 1997) --- Leonid Kadenyuk, Ukrainian payload specialist, retrieves a plant specimen from the plant growth facility on the mid-deck of the Earth-orbiting Space Shuttle Columbia. Kadenyuk and five United States astronauts went on to spend 16-days in Earth-orbit in support of the United States Microgravity Payload (USMP-4) mission.

Issues In Modeling Military Space

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-03-26

storm was so intense that the Aurora Borealis could be seen as far south as El Paso, Texas. In addition, the recent Leonid meteor shower in mid...control segment consists of five Monitor Stations located in Hawaii, Kwajalein, Ascension Island, Diego Garcia and Colorado Springs (NAVSTAR, 2...There are three ground antennas also located at Ascension Island, Diego Garcia, and Kwajalien (NAVSTAR, 3). The Master Control Station (MCS) is

STS-87 Day 04 Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

On this fourth day of the STS-87 mission, the flight crew, Cmdr. Kevin R. Kregel, Pilot Steven W. Lindsey, Mission Specialists Winston E. Scott, Kalpana Chawla, and Takao Doi, and Payload Specialist Leonid K. Kadenyuk check out the spacesuits for the EVA planned for later during the mission. Mission Control developed plans that may allow Scott and Doi to recapture the Spartan satellite by hand during that EVA.

STS-87 Day 09 Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

On this ninth day of the STS-87 mission, the flight crew, Cmdr. Kevin R. Kregel, Pilot Steven W. Lindsey, Mission Specialists Winston E. Scott, Kalpana Chawla, and Takao Doi, and Payload Specialist Leonid K. Kadenyuk continue work with the microgravity science investigations in a special glovebox facility on the middeck. The autonomous operations with the mission's prime payload continue in the payload bay of Columbia with no interaction by the crew required.

STS-87 Day 12 Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

On this twelfth day of the STS-87 mission, the flight crew, Cmdr. Kevin R. Kregel, Pilot Steven W. Lindsey, Mission Specialists Winston E. Scott, Kalpana Chawla, and Takao Doi, and Payload Specialist Leonid K. Kadenyuk continue to look at how plant growth and composite materials are affected by microgravity. The astronauts use the globebox facility to process samples for the Particle Engulfment and Pushing by a Solid/Liquid Interface experiment.

USSR Report, Space

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-09-12

8217Mir* (SOTSIALISTICHESKAYA INDUSTRIYA, 9 Apr 86) 31 Cosmonauts Perform Medical Exam With ’Gamma’ Apparatus (IZVESTIYA, 12 Apr 86) 32 b...8217Progress-26’ With ’Mir’ Station (VECHERNYAYA MOSKVA, 28 Apr 86) 37 TASS Reports Crew Unloading ’Progress-26’, Performing Visual Observations...Salyut-7) some 3,100 km away. The flight was performed by cosmonauts Leonid Kizim and Vladimir Solovyov. "The experiment is interesting from a

Temporal Persistence of Attitudes Induced Through Required Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tansik, David A.; Driskill, John D.

1977-01-01

A posttest-only control group design procedure was used with a semantic differential questionnaire to examine the persistence of changes in racial attitudes induced via a required training course for supervisors at a large military installation. There was an immediate, small, positive change which decayed, and a short "sleeper effect". (Author)

Meteor Beliefs Project: Seven years and counting

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McBeath, A.; Drobnock, G. J.; Gheorghe, A. D.

2010-04-01

The Meteor Beliefs Project's seventh anniversary is celebrated with an eclectic mixture of meteor beliefs from the 1799 Leonids in Britain, the folkloric link between meteors and wishing in some Anglo-American sources, how a meteoric omen came to feature in Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1850 novel The Scarlet Letter, and a humorous item from the satirical magazine Punch in 1861, all helping to show how meteor beliefs can be transformed by different parts of society.

STS-87 Day 06 Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

On this sixth day of the STS-87 mission, the flight crew, Cmdr. Kevin R. Kregel, Pilot Steven W. Lindsey, Mission Specialists Winston E. Scott, Kalpana Chawla, and Takao Doi, and Payload Specialist Leonid K. Kadenyuk begin the final preparations for the EVA by Scott and Doi. They are to manually capture the SPARTAN Satellite. After this is accomplished they are to test tools and techniques that will be required for the assembly of the International Space Station.

Translations on Eastern Europe, Political, Sociological, and Military Affairs. Number 1465

DTIC Science & Technology

1977-10-26

Soviet Army Division (NARODNA ARMIYA, 12 Oct 77) 8 Zhivkov Greets Argentine CP Chief on Receiving Dimitrov Award (Sofia Domestic Service, 13 Oct 77...Bulgarian people, Georgi Dimitrov . Under the care of the BCP and the CPSU, of Comrades Todor Zhivkov and Leonid Brezhnev, this friendship is now...for the Bulgarian military delegation at which Soviet Marshal Dmitriy Ustinov, Army Gen Dobri Dzhurov, Col Gen Kiril Kosev and Col I. Lobachov

Homeostatic and Circadian Modulation of Cognition: Integrating Mathematical and Computational Modeling Approaches

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-08-20

Leonid V. Kalachev, Ph.D. (University of Montana, not supported on grant) Daniel J. Mollicone, Ph.D. ( Pulsar Informatics, Inc., not supported on grant...project to Pulsar Informatics, Inc., who are providing an implementation suitable for integration with crew rostering to the U.S. Navy (key...individuals involved: Daniel Mollicone, Ph.D. and Mike Stubna, Ph.D. of Pulsar Informatics, Inc.).  We transitioned a numerical library for the mathematical

Identifying Future Scientists: Predicting Persistence into Research Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McGee, Richard; Keller, Jill L.

2007-01-01

This study used semistructured interviews and grounded theory to look for characteristics among college undergraduates that predicted persistence into Ph.D. and M.D./Ph.D. training. Participants in the summer undergraduate and postbaccalaureate research programs at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine were interviewed at the start, near the end,…

Integrating Language and Cognition in Grounded Adaptive Agents

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-11-21

a gents w ill b e able t o communicate amo ng th emselves a nd w ith humans w ith the fl exibility and complexity of h uman language. Leonid...Cangelosi A., Hourdakis E . & Tikhanoff V. (2006). Language acquisition and symbol grounding transfer with neural networks and cognitive robots...Hence it is natural to define the following partial similarity measure between object i and concept k ieO ( ) ( )[∏ = − −−= d e keiekeke OSkil 1

STS-87 Day 08 Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

On this eighth day of the STS-87 mission, the flight crew, Cmdr. Kevin R. Kregel, Pilot Steven W. Lindsey, Mission Specialists Winston E. Scott, Kalpana Chawla, and Takao Doi, and Payload Specialist Leonid K. Kadenyuk take time out from their duties to be interviewed by CNN. As they reach the one week mark in their 16-day flight, the STS-87 crew shift the focus of their efforts towards the variety of science experiments flying on this mission.

The Efficacy of Musical Emotions Provoked by Mozart’s Music for the Reconciliation of Cognitive Dissonance

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-25

The efficacy of musical emotions provoked by Mozart’s music for the reconciliation of cognitive dissonance Nobuo Masataka1 & Leonid Perlovsky2...scientists argue thatmusic itself plays no adaptive role in human evolution, others suggest that music clearly has an evolutionary role, and point to music’s...universality. A recent hypothesis suggested that a fundamental function of music has been to help mitigating cognitive dissonance, which is a

Diode Laser Pumped Alkali Vapor Lasers with Exciplex-Assisted Absorption

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-05-14

transfer agent that established the population inversion. The excitation source used in these initial studies was a pulsed optical parametric oscillator ...parametric oscillator . The lasers operated at 703.2 (Ne*), 912.5 (Ar*), 893.1 (Kr*) and 980.2 run (Xe*). Peak powers as high as 27kW/cm2 were observed...Larissa Glebova and Leonid B. Glebov. Ultra-low absorption and laser-induced heating of volume Bragg combiners recorded in photo-thermo- refractive

Search for Extraterrestrial Origin of Atmospheric Trace Molecules Radio Sub-MM Observations During The Leonids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Depois, D.; Ricaud, P.; Lautie, N.; Schneider, N.; Jacq, T.; Biver, N.; Lis, D.; Chamberlain, R.; Phillips, T.; Miller, M.;

Student Retention in Athletic Training Education Programs

PubMed Central

Dodge, Thomas M; Mitchell, Murray F; Mensch, James M

2009-01-01

Context: The success of any academic program, including athletic training, depends upon attracting and keeping quality students. The nature of persistent students versus students who prematurely leave the athletic training major is not known. Understanding the profiles of athletic training students who persist or leave is important. Objective: To (1) explore the relationships among the following variables: anticipatory factors, academic integration, clinical integration, social integration, and motivation; (2) determine which of the aforementioned variables discriminate between senior athletic training students and major changers; and (3) identify which variable is the strongest predictor of persistence in athletic training education programs. Design: Descriptive study using a qualitative and quantitative mixed-methods approach. Setting: Thirteen athletic training education programs located in District 3 of the National Athletic Trainers' Association. Patients or Other Participants: Ninety-four senior-level athletic training students and 31 college students who changed majors from athletic training to another degree option. Data Collection: Data were collected with the Athletic Training Education Program Student Retention Questionnaire (ATEPSRQ). Analysis: Data from the ATEPSRQ were analyzed via Pearson correlations, multivariate analysis of variance, univariate analysis of variance, and a stepwise discriminant analysis. Open-ended questions were transcribed and analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding procedures. Member checks and peer debriefing techniques ensured trustworthiness of the study. Results: Pearson correlations identified moderate relationships among motivation and clinical integration (r  =  0.515, P < .01) and motivation and academic integration (r  =  0.509, P < .01). Univariate analyses of variance showed that academic integration (F1,122  =  8.483, P < .004), clinical integration (F1,119  =  30.214, P < .001), and motivation (F1,121  =  68.887, P < .001) discriminated between seniors and major changers. Discriminant analysis indicated that motivation was the strongest predictor of persistence in athletic training education, accounting for 37.2% of the variance between groups. The theoretic model accurately classified 95.7% of the seniors and 53.8% of the major changers. A common theme emerging from the qualitative data was the presence of a strong peer-support group that surrounded many of the senior-level students. Conclusions: Understanding student retention in athletic training is important for our profession. Results from this study suggest 3 key factors associated with student persistence in athletic training education programs: (1) student motivation, (2) clinical and academic integration, and (3) the presence of a peer-support system. Educators and program directors must create comprehensive recruitment and retention strategies that address factors influencing students' decisions to stay in the athletic training profession. PMID:19295966

Student retention in athletic training education programs.

PubMed

Dodge, Thomas M; Mitchell, Murray F; Mensch, James M

2009-01-01

The success of any academic program, including athletic training, depends upon attracting and keeping quality students. The nature of persistent students versus students who prematurely leave the athletic training major is not known. Understanding the profiles of athletic training students who persist or leave is important. To (1) explore the relationships among the following variables: anticipatory factors, academic integration, clinical integration, social integration, and motivation; (2) determine which of the aforementioned variables discriminate between senior athletic training students and major changers; and (3) identify which variable is the strongest predictor of persistence in athletic training education programs. Descriptive study using a qualitative and quantitative mixed-methods approach. Thirteen athletic training education programs located in District 3 of the National Athletic Trainers' Association. Ninety-four senior-level athletic training students and 31 college students who changed majors from athletic training to another degree option. Data were collected with the Athletic Training Education Program Student Retention Questionnaire (ATEPSRQ). Data from the ATEPSRQ were analyzed via Pearson correlations, multivariate analysis of variance, univariate analysis of variance, and a stepwise discriminant analysis. Open-ended questions were transcribed and analyzed using open, axial, and selective coding procedures. Member checks and peer debriefing techniques ensured trustworthiness of the study. Pearson correlations identified moderate relationships among motivation and clinical integration (r = 0.515, P < .01) and motivation and academic integration (r = 0.509, P < .01). Univariate analyses of variance showed that academic integration (F(1,122) = 8.483, P < .004), clinical integration (F(1,119) = 30.214, P < .001), and motivation (F(1,121) = 68.887, P < .001) discriminated between seniors and major changers. Discriminant analysis indicated that motivation was the strongest predictor of persistence in athletic training education, accounting for 37.2% of the variance between groups. The theoretic model accurately classified 95.7% of the seniors and 53.8% of the major changers. A common theme emerging from the qualitative data was the presence of a strong peer-support group that surrounded many of the senior-level students. Understanding student retention in athletic training is important for our profession. Results from this study suggest 3 key factors associated with student persistence in athletic training education programs: (1) student motivation, (2) clinical and academic integration, and (3) the presence of a peer-support system. Educators and program directors must create comprehensive recruitment and retention strategies that address factors influencing students' decisions to stay in the athletic training profession.

The Persistent Issue of Simulator Sickness in Naval Aviation Training.

PubMed

Geyer, Daniel J; Biggs, Adam T

2018-04-01

Virtual simulations offer nearly unlimited training potential for naval aviation due to the wide array of scenarios that can be simulated in a safe, reliable, and cost-effective environment. This versatility has created substantial interest in using existing and emerging virtual technology to enhance training scenarios. However, the virtual simulations themselves may hinder training initiatives by inducing simulator sickness among the trainees, which is a series of symptoms similar to motion sickness that can arise from simulator use. Simulator sickness has been a problem for military aviation since the first simulators were introduced. The problem has also persisted despite the increasing fidelity and sense of immersion offered by new generations of simulators. As such, it is essential to understand the various problems so that trainers can ensure the best possible use of the simulators. This review will examine simulator sickness as it pertains to naval aviation training. Topics include: the prevailing theories on why symptoms develop, methods of measurement, contributing factors, effects on training, effects when used shipboard, aftereffects, countermeasures, and recommendations for future research involving virtual simulations in an aviation training environment.Geyer DJ, Biggs AT. The persistent issue of simulator sickness in naval aviation training. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2018; 89(4):396-405.

RESISTANCE TO EXTINCTION AND RELAPSE IN COMBINED STIMULUS CONTEXTS

PubMed Central

Podlesnik, Christopher A; Bai, John Y. H; Elliffe, Douglas

2012-01-01

Reinforcing an alternative response in the same context as a target response reduces the rate of occurrence but increases the persistence of that target response. Applied researchers who use such techniques to decrease the rate of a target problem behavior risk inadvertently increasing the persistence of the same problem behavior. Behavioral momentum theory asserts that the increased persistence is a function of the alternative reinforcement enhancing the Pavlovian relation between the target stimulus context and reinforcement. A method showing promise for reducing the persistence-enhancing effects of alternative reinforcement is to train the alternative response in a separate stimulus context before combining with the target stimulus in extinction. The present study replicated previous findings using pigeons by showing that combining an “alternative” richer VI schedule (96 reinforcers/hr) with a “target” leaner VI schedule (24 reinforcers/hr) reduced resistance to extinction of target responding compared with concurrent training of the alternative and target responses (totaling 120 reinforcers/hr). We also found less relapse with a reinstatement procedure following extinction with separate-context training, supporting previous findings that training conditions similarly influence both resistance to extinction and relapse. Finally, combining the alternative stimulus context was less disruptive to target responding previously trained in the concurrent schedule, relative to combining with the target response trained alone. Overall, the present findings suggest the technique of combining stimulus contexts associated with alternative responses with those associated with target responses disrupts target responding. Furthermore, the effectiveness of this disruption is a function of training context of reinforcement for target responding, consistent with assertions of behavioral momentum theory. PMID:23008521

Increasing the persistence of a heterogeneous behavior chain: Studies of extinction in a rat model of search behavior of working dogs

PubMed Central

Thrailkill, Eric A.; Kacelnik, Alex; Porritt, Fay; Bouton, Mark E.

2016-01-01

Dogs trained to search for contraband perform a chain of behavior in which they first search for a target and then make a separate response that indicates to the trainer that they have found one. The dogs often conduct multiple searches without encountering a target and receiving the reinforcer (i.e., no contraband is present). Understanding extinction (i.e., the decline in work rate when reinforcers are no longer encountered) may assist in training dogs to work in conditions where targets are rare. We therefore trained rats on a search-target behavior chain modeled on the search behavior of working dogs. A discriminative stimulus signaled that a search response (e.g., chain pull) led to a second stimulus that set the occasion for a target response (e.g., lever press) that was reinforced by a food pellet. In Experiment 1 training with longer search durations and intermittent (partial) reinforcement of searching (i.e. some trials had no target present) both led to more persistent search responding in extinction. The loss of search behavior in extinction was primarily dependent on the number of non-reinforced searches rather than time searching without reinforcement. In Experiments 2 and 3, delivery of non-contingent reinforcers during extinction increased search persistence provided they had also been presented during training. Thus, results with rats suggest that the persistence of working dog performance (or chained behavior generally) may be improved by training with partial reinforcement of searching and non-contingent reinforcement during both training and work (extinction). PMID:27306694

A Test of Learned Industriousness in the Physical Activity Domain

PubMed Central

Bustamante, Eduardo E.; Davis, Catherine L.; Marquez, David X.

2015-01-01

Background The Theory of Learned Industriousness states that durable individual differences in industriousness are due in part to differences in the extent to which individuals were rewarded for high effort at an earlier time. Individuals rewarded for high effort during training are thought to generalize greater persistence to subsequent tasks than those rewarded for low effort. This study tested whether rewarded physical and/or mental effort at different intensities generalized to greater persistence at a subsequent mental task. Methods 80 inactive 18–25 year-olds were randomized into four groups: Low Mental Effort, High Mental Effort, Low Physical Effort, and High Physical Effort. Each completed group-specific effort training and a mental persistence task at baseline and posttest. Results Factorial analysis of covariance revealed a significant domain x effort interaction on persistence (F[1,75]=4.93, p=.029). High Mental Effort and Low Mental Effort groups demonstrated similar gains in persistence (d=-0.08, p>.05) and points earned (d=0.11, p>.05) following effort training. High Physical Effort and Low Physical Effort diverged on persistence (d=-0.49, p=.004) but not points earned (d =-0.12, p>.05). Conclusions Findings suggest either that training and test stimuli were too dissimilar to cue effects of associative learning in physical effort groups, or that effects were present but overpowered by the affective and neurocognitive consequences of an acute bout of intense aerobic physical activity. Findings do not support the Theory of Learned Industriousness nor generalization of effort across physical and mental domains. PMID:26052372

STS-87 Day 13 Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

On this thirteenth day of the STS-87 mission, the flight crew, Cmdr. Kevin R. Kregel, Pilot Steven W. Lindsey, Mission Specialists Winston E. Scott, Kalpana Chawla, and Takao Doi, and Payload Specialist Leonid K. Kadenyuk continue work in the mini laboratory called the microgravity glovebox facility. This facility allows crew members to interactively work with two different experiments today studying the formation of composite materials in an attempt to accurately map the roles of gravity-induced convection and sedimentation on the samples.

STS-87 Day 07 Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

On this seventh day of the STS-87 mission, the flight crew, Cmdr. Kevin R. Kregel, Pilot Steven W. Lindsey, Mission Specialists Winston E. Scott, Kalpana Chawla, and Takao Doi, and Payload Specialist Leonid K. Kadenyuk turn their attention to a variety of experiments inside the Shuttle's cabin. These experiments include the processing of several samples of materials in the glovebox facility in Columbia's middeck; the experiment called PEP, which involves heating samples and then recording the mixture as it resolidifies; and the study of plant growth in space.

STS-87 onboard crew portraits

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-12-16

STS087-307-006 (19 November – 5 December 1997) --- One of the crew members' traditional in-flight crew portraits has them posed in other-than traditional attire on the Space Shuttle Columbia's mid-deck. On the front row, from the left, are astronauts Steven W. Lindsey, pilot; Takao Doi, an international mission specialist representing Japan's National Space Development Agency (NASDA); and Winston E. Scott, mission specialist. In the back are astronauts Kevin R. Kregel, mission commander; and Kalpana Chawla, mission specialist, along with Ukrainian payload specialist Leonid K. Kadenyuk.

Translations on USSR Science and Technology Biomedical and Behavioral Sciences No. 47.

DTIC Science & Technology

1978-10-27

problem is allowed to be simplified,, then the basic contents of the ergonomic section may be castrated ; if it is complicated, then the document will be...demands of agriculture. The rise of livestock farming does not mean only an increase in cattle stock, but also an increase in the productivity of... cattle and poultry. Leonid Il’yich Brezhnev stressed atthe July Plenum: "All that we want to have rom the animal husbandry is more meat, milk, and other

Increasing the persistence of a heterogeneous behavior chain: Studies of extinction in a rat model of search behavior of working dogs.

PubMed

Thrailkill, Eric A; Kacelnik, Alex; Porritt, Fay; Bouton, Mark E

2016-08-01

Dogs trained to search for contraband perform a chain of behavior in which they first search for a target and then make a separate response that indicates to the trainer that they have found one. The dogs often conduct multiple searches without encountering a target and receiving the reinforcer (i.e., no contraband is present). Understanding extinction (i.e., the decline in work rate when reinforcers are no longer encountered) may assist in training dogs to work in conditions where targets are rare. We therefore trained rats on a search-target behavior chain modeled on the search behavior of working dogs. A discriminative stimulus signaled that a search response (e.g., chain pull) led to a second stimulus that set the occasion for a target response (e.g., lever press) that was reinforced by a food pellet. In Experiment 1 training with longer search durations and intermittent (partial) reinforcement of searching (i.e. some trials had no target present) both led to more persistent search responding in extinction. The loss of search behavior in extinction was primarily dependent on the number of non-reinforced searches rather than time searching without reinforcement. In Experiments 2 and 3, delivery of non-contingent reinforcers during extinction increased search persistence provided they had also been presented during training. Thus, results with rats suggest that the persistence of working dog performance (or chained behavior generally) may be improved by training with partial reinforcement of searching and non-contingent reinforcement during both training and work (extinction). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Immediate and residual effects of low-dose nandrolone decanoate and treadmill training on adipose and reproductive tissues of male Wistar rats.

PubMed

Rodrigues, Josilene M; Oliveira, Vinicius P P; P Furlan, Julia; Munhoz, Ana Claudia; S Rempel, Marcelo R; Brito, Marcia N; Brito, Nilton A; Pedrosa, Maria M D; M Costa, Cecília E

2017-05-01

Residual effects after nandrolone decanoate (ND) treatment are not reported. Immediate and residual effects of low-dose ND and treadmill training were investigated. Male rats were trained and/or ND-treated for four weeks and the assessments were made after this period or four weeks later. The groups did not differ in final plasma glucose or AUC of the ivGTT, but hyperinsulinemia was noticed in some trained/treated groups. Training with ND increased muscle mass and ND decreased the reproductive structures. Decreased fat with training was reversed by detraining. The anabolic action of ND on skeletal muscle was enhanced by training. Fat and lipid changes were more linked to training/detraining, but the effects of ND on the reproductive structures persisted after treatment. The effects of training on fat and muscle were not maintained after detraining, but low-dose ND had persistent effects on the reproductive structures.

An explosion in Tunguska

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nistor, Ioan

A detailed History of exploration of the place at Podkamennaya Tunguska, where a well known explosion has occured on 30 June 1908 is given with emphasys on the role by Leonid Kulik (1928-29). A short biography of Leonid Kulik is given. A review of subsequent expeditions is given. A review of existing theories concerning the explosion at Podkamennaya Tunguska on 30 June 1908 is given, including that of a meteor impact, asteroid impact, atomic explosion (F. Zigel and other), comet impact (V.G. Fesenkov and other). The theory sustained by author is that of a methan gas explosion initialazed by a meteor in a volume of about 0.25-2.5 billions m3 of methan. The shape of the place could be explained by few gaseous pouches, which could explode in a chain reaction. A review of similar explosions on the level of ground is given in the USSR as well as elsewhere. The soil fluidization is reviewed during earthquakes and similar phenomena. The original hypothesis by author was published in the "Lumea" N 41 magazin (Romania) on October 12 1989. The author disagree with atomic hypotesis enounced by F. Zigel, while the main factor of the explosion is the formation of one or few methan pouches above the soil. The programe of one of the most important international workshops (Tunguska 96 in Bologna on July 14-17) is attached. The site by Ioan Nistor gives a collection of informations about the event from elsewhere as well as the "gaseous pouches" hypothesis by the author.

Effects of response preference on resistance to change.

PubMed

Ringdahl, Joel E; Berg, Wendy K; Wacker, David P; Crook, Kayla; Molony, Maggie A; Vargo, Kristina K; Neurnberger, Jodi E; Zabala, Karla; Taylor, Christopher J

2018-01-01

Treatments based on differential reinforcement of alternative behavior, such as functional communication training, are widely used. Research regarding the maintenance of related treatment effects is limited. Nevin and Wacker (2013) provided a conceptual framework, rooted in behavioral momentum theory, for the study of treatment maintenance that addressed two components: (a) reemergence of problem behavior, and (b) continued expression of appropriate behavior. In the few studies on this topic, focus has been on variables impacting the reemergence of problem behavior, with fewer studies evaluating the persistence of appropriate behavior. Given the findings from applied research related to functional communication training, variables related to response topography, such as response preference, may impact this aspect of maintenance. In the current study, the impact of response preference on persistence was evaluated in the context of functional communication training for individuals who did not exhibit problem behavior (Experiment 1) and for individuals with a history of reinforcement for problem behavior (Experiment 2). High-preferred mands were more persistent than low-preferred mands. These findings suggest that response related variables, such as response preference, impact response persistence and further suggest that response related variables should be considered when developing interventions such as functional communication training. © 2018 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

The Effect of Study Group Participation on Student Naval Aviator Persistence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheppard, Thomas H.

2010-01-01

Training naval combat pilots is expensive and time consuming, it follows that attrition from flight training is costly to the government and traumatic for the individual. Flight training is considered high-risk training, and therefore strictly voluntary. Voluntary withdrawal from naval flight training is the largest unexplained reason for Student…

Possible Ursid Outburst on December 22, 2000

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenniskens, Peter; Lyytinen, Esko; DeVincenzi, Donald L. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

The Ursid shower has broad Filament-type outbursts around the perihelion passage of parent 8P/Tuttle, but also isolated narrow outbursts at aphelion. We calculated Tuttle's dust trail encounters in the same way as for the Leonid showers. We discovered that it takes 6 centuries to change the orbit enough to bring the meteoroids to Earth's orbit. During that time, the meteoroids and comet separate in mean anomaly by 6 years, thus explaining the unusual aphelion occurrences. We predict enhanced activity on December 22, 2000, at around 7:29 LT.

From H.G. Wells to Unmanned Planetary Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Boyd, John W.

2005-01-01

The possibility of planetary exploration has been a dream of the human race since Galileo discovered the moons of Jupiter in 1610. Visual sightings of bodies entering Earth s atmosphere have been made by Earth s inhabitants over the centuries. Over time, the many meteor showers (Leonid, Perseid) have provided dramatic evidence of the intense heat generated by a body entering Earth s atmosphere at hypervelocity speeds. More recently (in 1908), few viewed the Tunguska meteor that impacted in Siberia, but the destructive power on the countryside was awesome.

STS-87 Day 14 Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

On this fourteenth day of the STS-87 mission, the flight crew, Cmdr. Kevin R. Kregel, Pilot Steven W. Lindsey, Mission Specialists Winston E. Scott, Kalpana Chawla, and Takao Doi, and Payload Specialist Leonid K. Kadenyuk focus on completion of hands-on sample processing in the microgravity glovebox facility. They also prepare the spacesuits and tools that will be used for the EVA by Scott and Doi. The crew take time out from their schedule to discuss the mission with reporters from the U.S., Japan and the Ukraine during the traditional in-flight news conference.

Program Director Perspectives on Athletic Training Student Motivation to Complete Their Professional Athletic Training Degrees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mazerolle, Stephanie M.; Bowman, Thomas G.; Dodge, Thomas M.

2013-01-01

Context: Student motivation has been linked to persistence until graduation for athletic training students. There is little research, however on ways athletic training programs (ATPs) foster student motivation. Objective: To expand upon the existing literature regarding retention of students in ATPs, specifically examining the concept of student…

Ancient Chinese Observations and Modern Cometary Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yeomans, D. K.

1995-12-01

Ancient astronomical observations by Chinese, Japanese, and Korean observers represent the only data source for discerning the long-term behavior of comets. The primary source material is derived from Chinese astrologers who kept a vigilant celestial watch in an effort to issue up-to-date astrological forecasts for the reigning emperors. Surprisingly accurate records were kept on cometary apparitions with careful notes being made of an object's position, motion, size, color, and tail length. For comets Halley, Swift-Tuttle, and Tempel-Tuttle, Chinese observations have been used to model their motions over two millennia and to infer their photometric histories. One general result is that active comets must achieve an apparent magnitude of 3.5 or brighter before they become obvious naked-eye objects. For both comets Halley and Swift-Tuttle, their absolute magnitudes and hence their outgassing rates, have remained relatively constant for two millennia. Comet Halley's rocket-like outgassing has consistently delayed the comet's return to perihelion by 4 days so that the comet's spin axis must have remained stable for at least two millennia. Although its outgassing is at nearly the same rate as Halley's, comet Swift-Tuttle's motion has been unaffected by outgassing forces; this comet is likely to be ten times more massive than Halley and hence far more difficult for rocket-like forces to push it around. Although the earliest definite observations of comet Tempel-Tuttle were in 1366, the associated Leonid meteor showers have been identified as early as A.D. 902. The circumstance for each historical meteor shower and storm have been used to guide predictions for the upcoming 1998-1999 Leonid meteor displays.

Intensive Sensorimotor Arm Training Mediated by Therapist or Robot Improves Hemiparesis in Patients With Chronic Stroke

PubMed Central

Volpe, Bruce T.; Lynch, Daniel; Rykman-Berland, Avrielle; Ferraro, Mark; Galgano, Michael; Hogan, Neville; Krebs, Hermano I.

2016-01-01

Investigators have demonstrated that a variety of intensive movement training protocols for persistent upper limb paralysis in patients with chronic stroke (6 months or more after stroke) improve motor outcome. This randomized controlled study determined in patients with upper limb motor impairment after chronic stroke whether movement therapy delivered by a robot or by a therapist using an intensive training protocol was superior. Robotic training (n = 11) and an intensive movement protocol (n = 10) improved the impairment measures of motor outcome significantly and comparably; there were no significant changes in disability measures. Motor gains were maintained at the 3-month evaluation after training. These data contribute to the growing awareness that persistent impairments in those with chronic stroke may not reflect exhausted capacity for improvement. These new protocols, rendered by either therapist or robot, can be standardized, tested, and replicated, and potentially will contribute to rational activity-based programs. PMID:18184932

Electropalatography in home training of retracted articulation in a Swedish child with cleft palate: effect on articulation pattern and speech.

PubMed

Lohmander, Anette; Henriksson, Cecilia; Havstam, Christina

2010-12-01

The aim was to evaluate the effectiveness of electropalatography (EPG) in home training of persistent articulation errors in an 11-year-old Swedish girl born with isolated cleft palate. The /t/ and /s/ sounds were trained in a single subject design across behaviours during an eight month period using a portable training unit (PTU). Both EPG analysis and perceptual analysis showed an improvement in the production of /t/ and /s/ in words and sentences after therapy. Analysis of tongue-contact patterns showed that the participant had more normal articulatory patterns of /t/ and /s/ after just 2 months (after approximately 8 hours of training) respectively. No statistically significant transfer by means of intelligibility in connected speech was found. The present results show that EPG home training can be a sufficient method for treating persistent speech disorders associated with cleft palate. Methods for transfer from function (articulation) to activity (intelligibility) need to be explored.

Persistence in the Determination of Work-Related Training Participation: Evidence from the BHPS, 1991-1997

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sousounis, Panos; Bladen-Hovell, Robin

2010-01-01

In this paper we investigate the role of workers' training history in determining current training-incidence. The analysis is conducted on an unbalanced sample comprising information on approximately 5000 employees from the first seven waves of the BHPS. Training participation is modelled as a dynamic random effects probit model where the effects…

STS-87 Mission Specialist Doi and his wife pose at LC 39B

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

STS-87 Mission Specialist Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan poses with his wife, Hitomi Doi, in front of Kennedy Space Center's Launch Pad 39B during final prelaunch activities leading up to the scheduled Nov. 19 liftoff. The other STS-87 crew members are Commander Kevin Kregel; Pilot Steven Lindsey; Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D., and Winston Scott; and Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. STS-87 will be the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and the Spartan- 201 deployable satellite.

STS-87 Day 11 Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

On this eleventh day of the STS-87 mission, the flight crew, Cmdr. Kevin R. Kregel, Pilot Steven W. Lindsey, Mission Specialists Winston E. Scott, Kalpana Chawla, and Takao Doi, and Payload Specialist Leonid K. Kadenyuk continue to look at how plant growth and composite materials are affected by microgravity. The astronauts will use the Middeck Globebox Facility to process samples for the Particle Engulfment and Pushing by a Solid/Liquid Interface experiment. PEP is studying the formation of composite materials, attempting to accurately map the roles of gravity-induced convection and sedimentation in the process by removing the gravity from the equation.

Conjoined twins: scientific cinema and Pavlovian physiology.

PubMed

Krementsov, Nikolai

2015-01-01

Through the lens of a 1957 documentary film, "Neural and humoral factors in the regulation of bodily functions (research on conjoined twins)," produced by the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences, this essay traces the entwined histories of Soviet physiology, studies of conjoined twins and scientific cinema. It examines the role of Ivan Pavlov and his students, including Leonid Voskresenkii, Dmitrii Fursikov and Petr Anokhin, in the development of "scientific film" as a particular cinematographic genre in Soviet Russia and explores numerous puzzles hidden behind the film's striking visuals. Crown Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Relief of neuropathic pain after spinal cord injury by brain-computer interface training.

PubMed

Yoshida, Naoki; Hashimoto, Yasunari; Shikota, Mio; Ota, Tetsuo

2016-01-01

The aim of this study was to report the effects of brain-computer interface (BCI) training, a neurofeedback rehabilitation technique, on persistent neuropathic pain (NP) after cervical spinal cord injury (SCI). We present the case of a 71-year-old woman with NP in her left upper extremity after SCI (C8). She underwent BCI training as outpatient rehabilitation for 4 months to enhance event-related desynchronization (ERD), which is triggered by the patient's motor intuition. Scalp electroencephalography was recorded to observe the ERD during every BCI training session. The patient's pain was evaluated with the McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) and a visual analog scale (VAS). The MPQ was performed after every BCI training session, and the patient assessed the VAS score on her own, once every few days during the BCI training period. After the BCI training started, the patient's ERD during the BCI training period increased significantly, from 15.6-30.3%. Moreover, her VAS score decreased gradually, from 8 to 5, after the BCI training started, although the MPQ did not change significantly. BCI training has the potential to provide relief for patients with persistent NP via brain plasticity, and to improve their activities of daily living and quality of life.

On the Effects of Training Inductive Reasoning: How Far Does It Transfer and How Long Do the Effects Persist?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tomic, Welko; Klauer, Karl Josef

1996-01-01

Reports on two training experiments in which it was expected that training in inductive reasoning would transfer to intelligence tests measuring inductive reasoning and on mathematics performance. Shows that transfer on intelligence tests as well as on mathematics performance was linearly dependent on the amount of prior training. (DSK)

Patching the Pipeline: Reducing Educational Disparities in the Sciences Through Minority Training Programs

PubMed Central

Schultz, P. Wesley; Hernandez, Paul R.; Woodcock, Anna; Estrada, Mica; Chance, Randie C.; Aguilar, Maria; Serpe, Richard T.

2013-01-01

For more than 40 years, there has been a concerted national effort to promote diversity among the scientific research community. Yet given the persistent national-level disparity in educational achievements of students from various ethnic and racial groups, the efficacy of these programs has come into question. The current study reports results from a longitudinal study of students supported by a national National Institutes of Health–funded minority training program, and a propensity score matched control. Growth curve analyses using Hierarchical Linear Modeling show that students supported by Research Initiative for Science Excellence were more likely to persist in their intentions to pursue a scientific research career. In addition, growth curve analyses indicate that undergraduate research experience, but not having a mentor, predicted student persistence in science. PMID:24285910

Meteors do not break exogenous organic molecules into high yields of diatomics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenniskens, Peter; Schaller, Emily L.; Laux, Christophe O.; Wilson, Michael A.; Schmidt, Greg; Rairden, Rick L.

2004-01-01

Meteoroids that dominate the Earth's extraterrestrial mass influx (50-300 microm size range) may have contributed a unique blend of exogenous organic molecules at the time of the origin of life. Such meteoroids are so large that most of their mass is ablated in the Earth's atmosphere. In the process, organic molecules are decomposed and chemically altered to molecules differently from those delivered to the Earth's surface by smaller (<50 microm) micrometeorites and larger (>10 cm) meteorites. The question addressed here is whether the organic matter in these meteoroids is fully decomposed into atoms or diatomic compounds during ablation. If not, then the ablation products made available for prebiotic organic chemistry, and perhaps early biology, might have retained some memory of their astrophysical nature. To test this hypothesis we searched for CN emission in meteor spectra in an airborne experiment during the 2001 Leonid meteor storm. We found that the meteor's light-emitting air plasma, which included products of meteor ablation, contained less than 1 CN molecule for every 30 meteoric iron atoms. This contrasts sharply with the nitrogen/iron ratio of 1:1.2 in the solid matter of comet 1P/Halley. Unless the nitrogen content or the abundance of complex organic matter in the Leonid parent body, comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle, differs from that in comet 1P/Halley, it appears that very little of that organic nitrogen decomposes into CN molecules during meteor ablation in the rarefied flow conditions that characterize the atmospheric entry of meteoroids approximately 50 microm-10 cm in size. We propose that the organics of such meteoroids survive instead as larger compounds.

Persistence of improvements in postural strategies following motor control training in people with recurrent low back pain.

PubMed

Tsao, Henry; Hodges, Paul W

2008-08-01

This study investigated long-term effects of training on postural control using the model of deficits in activation of transversus abdominis (TrA) in people with recurrent low back pain (LBP). Nine volunteers with LBP attended four sessions for assessment and/or training (initial, two weeks, four weeks and six months). Training of repeated isolated voluntary TrA contractions were performed at the initial and two-week session with feedback from real-time ultrasound imaging. Home program involved training twice daily for four weeks. Electromyographic activity (EMG) of trunk and deltoid muscles was recorded with surface and fine-wire electrodes. Rapid arm movement and walking were performed at each session, and immediately after training on the first two sessions. Onset of trunk muscle activation relative to prime mover deltoid during arm movements, and the coefficient of variation (CV) of EMG during averaged gait cycle were calculated. Over four weeks of training, onset of TrA EMG was earlier during arm movements and CV of TrA EMG was reduced (consistent with more sustained EMG activity). Changes were retained at six months follow-up (p<0.05). These results show persistence of motor control changes following training and demonstrate that this training approach leads to motor learning of automatic postural control strategies.

A cost-effectiveness study of ICT training among the visually impaired in the Netherlands.

PubMed

Patty, Nathalie J S; Koopmanschap, Marc; Holtzer-Goor, Kim

2018-04-17

Due to the ageing population, the number of visually impaired people in the Netherlands will increase. To ensure the future availability of services in rehabilitative eye care, we aim to assess the cost-effectiveness of information and communication technology (ICT) training among visually impaired adults from a societal perspective, using primary data from two large rehabilitative eye care providers in the Netherlands. Participants were asked to fill in a questionnaire, which used six different instruments at three different time points: pre training, post training and three months post training. We investigated whether the participants' quality of life and well-being improved after the training and whether this improvement persisted three months post training. Economic evaluation was conducted by comparing costs and outcomes before and after training. Quality of life and well-being were derived from the EQ-5D and ICECAP-O, respectively. Costs for productivity losses and medical consumption were obtained from the questionnaires. Information regarding the costs of training sessions was provided by the providers. Thirty-eight participants filled in all three questionnaires. The mean age at baseline was 63 years (SD = 16). The effect of ICT training on ICT skills and participants' well-being was positive and persisted three months after the last training session. Assuming these effects remain constant for 10 years, this would result in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of € 11,000 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) and € 8000 per year of well-being gained, when only the costs of ICT training are considered. When the total costs of medical consumption are included, the ICER increases to € 17,000 per QALY gained and € 12,000 per year of well-being gained. Furthermore, when the willingness-to-pay threshold is € 20,000 per year of well-being, the probability that ICT training will be cost-effective is 75% (91% when including only the costs of ICT training). Our study suggests that ICT training among the visually impaired is cost-effective when the effects of ICT training on well-being persist for several years. However, further research involving a larger sample and incorporating long-term effects should be conducted.

School Administration: Persistent Dilemmas in Preparation and Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobson Stephen L., Ed.; Hickcox, Edward S., Ed.; Stevenson, Robert B., Ed.

Much of administrative preparation and practice centers on problem solving, developing alternative solutions, and selecting among competing alternatives for the most feasible solutions. Some of the persistent dilemmas resident in the training and the functioning of administrators are examined here by scholars and practitioners of educational…

Community College Student Motivation and Persistence to Goals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Savi, Kai Alina

2011-01-01

Community colleges in the United States serve a vital educational role in job training, preparation for transfer to a four-year institution, granting academic degrees and certificates as well as offering opportunities for personal growth and development. Persistence has traditionally been measured by degree completion or by transfer rates.…

Conference on Functional Literacy in the Community College Setting (Los Alamitos, California, July 1978).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knoell, Dorothy M.; And Others

The conference papers included in this collection address issues of concern to literacy development in the community college. "Functional Literacy and Persistence in the Community College," by Dorothy M. Knoell, raises questions about student persistence in the absence of requisite skills. "Training Perspective on Functional…

Defining Attributes and Metrics of Effective Research Mentoring Relationships.

PubMed

Pfund, Christine; Byars-Winston, Angela; Branchaw, Janet; Hurtado, Sylvia; Eagan, Kevin

2016-09-01

Despite evidence of mentoring's importance in training researchers, studies to date have not yet determined which mentoring relationships have the most impact and what specific factors in those mentoring relationships contribute to key outcomes, such as the commitment to and persistence in research career paths for emerging researchers from diverse populations. Efforts to broaden participation and persistence in biomedical research careers require an understanding of why and how mentoring relationships work and their impact, not only to research training but also to promoting career advancement. This paper proposes core attributes of effective mentoring relationships, as supported by the literature and suggested by theoretical models of academic persistence. In addition, both existing and developing metrics for measuring the effectiveness of these attributes within mentoring relationships across diverse groups are presented, as well as preliminary data on these metrics from the authors' work.

Perceptions of Athletic Training Education Program Directors on Their Students' Persistence and Departure Decisions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowman, Thomas G.

2012-01-01

The athletic training profession is in the midst of a large increase in demand for health care professionals for the physically active. In order to meet demand, directors of athletic training education programs (ATEPs) are challenged with providing sufficient graduates. There has been a large increase in ATEPs nationwide since educational reform…

KSC-97PC1704

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-11-19

STS-87 Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine is assisted with final preparations before launch in the white room at Launch Pad 39B by Danny Wyatt, NASA quality assurance specialist, at left; George Schram, USA mechanical technician, facing Kadenyuk; and Travis Thompson, USA orbiter vehicle closeout chief, at right. STS-87 is the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and Spartan-201. The 16-day mission will include the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment (CUE), a collection of 10 plant space biology experiments that will fly in Columbia’s middeck and will feature an educational component that involves evaluating the effects of microgravity on Brassica rapa seedlings

STS-87 Day 01 Highlights

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

On this first day of the STS-87 mission, the flight crew, Cmdr. Kevin R. Kregel, Pilot Steven W. Lindsey, Mission Specialists Winston E. Scott, Kalpana Chawla, and Takao Doi, and Payload Specialist Leonid K. Kadenyuk can be seen preforming pre-launch activities such as eating the traditional breakfast, crew suit-up, and the ride out to the launch pad. Also, included are various panoramic views of the shuttle on the pad. The crew is seen being readied in the 'white room' for their mission. After the closing of the hatch and arm retraction, launch activities are shown including countdown, engine ignition, launch, and the separation of the Solid Rocket Boosters.

Russian Scientists Visitors

NASA Image and Video Library

1959-11-29

Russian Scientists from the Commission of Interplanetary Travel of the Soviet Academy of Science November 21,1959 Left to right: Front row: Yury S. Galkin, Anatoly A. Blagonravov, and Prof. Leonid I. Sedov (Chair of the Commission for Interplanetary Travel)-Soviet Academy of Science, Leninski Gory, Moscow, Russia Dr. H.J. E. Reid and Floyd L. Thompson Langley Research Center. Second row: Boris Kit Translator, Library of Congress, Washington, D.C. Eugene C. Draley and Laurence K. Loftin, Jr. -Langley Research Center Arnold W. Frutkin and Harold R. Lawrence NASA Headquarters. Back row: T.Melvin Butler-Langley Research Center John W. Townsend Goddard Space Flight Center, NASA, Washington D.C., and George M. Low NASA Headquarters.

STS-87 Mission Specialist Doi addresses the media at the SLF

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

As STS-87 Commander Kevin Kregel looks on, Mission Specialist Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan addresses members of the press and media at Kennedy Space Center's Shuttle Landing Facility after arriving for the final prelaunch activities leading up to the scheduled Nov. 19 liftoff. Other STS-87 crew members not pictured are Pilot Steven Lindsey; Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D., and Winston Scott; and Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. STS-87 will be the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and the Spartan-201 deployable satellite.

Persistent Classroom Management Training Needs of Experienced Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stough, Laura M.; Montague, Marcia L.; Landmark, Leena Jo; Williams-Diehm, Kendra

2015-01-01

Experienced special education teachers (n = 62) were surveyed on their professional preparation to become effective classroom managers. Despite having received extensive preservice training, over 83% of the sample reported being underprepared in classroom management and behavioral interventions. No statistically significant difference was found…

Counseling Psychology Doctoral Trainees' Satisfaction with Clinical Methods Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Menke, Kristen Ann

2015-01-01

Counseling psychology doctoral trainees' satisfaction with their clinical methods training is an important predictor of their self-efficacy as counselors, persistence in graduate programs, and probability of practicing psychotherapy in their careers (Fernando & Hulse-Killacky, 2005; Hadjipavlou & Ogrodniczuk, 2007; Morton & Worthley,…

Clinical Integration and How It Affects Student Retention in Undergraduate Athletic Training Programs

PubMed Central

Young, Allison; Klossner, Joanne; Docherty, Carrie L; Dodge, Thomas M; Mensch, James M

2013-01-01

Context A better understanding of why students leave an undergraduate athletic training education program (ATEP), as well as why they persist, is critical in determining the future membership of our profession. Objective To better understand how clinical experiences affect student retention in undergraduate ATEPs. Design Survey-based research using a quantitative and qualitative mixed-methods approach. Setting Three-year undergraduate ATEPs across District 4 of the National Athletic Trainers' Association. Patients or Other Participants Seventy-one persistent students and 23 students who left the ATEP prematurely. Data Collection and Analysis Data were collected using a modified version of the Athletic Training Education Program Student Retention Questionnaire. Multivariate analysis of variance was performed on the quantitative data, followed by a univariate analysis of variance on any significant findings. The qualitative data were analyzed through inductive content analysis. Results A difference was identified between the persister and dropout groups (Pillai trace = 0.42, F1,92 = 12.95, P = .01). The follow-up analysis of variance revealed that the persister and dropout groups differed on the anticipatory factors (F1,92 = 4.29, P = .04), clinical integration (F1,92 = 6.99, P = .01), and motivation (F1,92 = 43.12, P = .01) scales. Several themes emerged in the qualitative data, including networks of support, authentic experiential learning, role identity, time commitment, and major or career change. Conclusions A perceived difference exists in how athletic training students are integrated into their clinical experiences between those students who leave an ATEP and those who stay. Educators may improve retention by emphasizing authentic experiential learning opportunities rather than hours worked, by allowing students to take on more responsibility, and by facilitating networks of support within clinical education experiences. PMID:23672327

Clinical integration and how it affects student retention in undergraduate athletic training programs.

PubMed

Young, Allison; Klossner, Joanne; Docherty, Carrie L; Dodge, Thomas M; Mensch, James M

2013-01-01

A better understanding of why students leave an undergraduate athletic training education program (ATEP), as well as why they persist, is critical in determining the future membership of our profession. To better understand how clinical experiences affect student retention in undergraduate ATEPs. Survey-based research using a quantitative and qualitative mixed-methods approach. Three-year undergraduate ATEPs across District 4 of the National Athletic Trainers' Association. Seventy-one persistent students and 23 students who left the ATEP prematurely. Data were collected using a modified version of the Athletic Training Education Program Student Retention Questionnaire. Multivariate analysis of variance was performed on the quantitative data, followed by a univariate analysis of variance on any significant findings. The qualitative data were analyzed through inductive content analysis. A difference was identified between the persister and dropout groups (Pillai trace = 0.42, F(1,92) = 12.95, P = .01). The follow-up analysis of variance revealed that the persister and dropout groups differed on the anticipatory factors (F(1,92) = 4.29, P = .04), clinical integration (F(1,92) = 6.99, P = .01), and motivation (F(1,92) = 43.12, P = .01) scales. Several themes emerged in the qualitative data, including networks of support, authentic experiential learning, role identity, time commitment, and major or career change. A perceived difference exists in how athletic training students are integrated into their clinical experiences between those students who leave an ATEP and those who stay. Educators may improve retention by emphasizing authentic experiential learning opportunities rather than hours worked, by allowing students to take on more responsibility, and by facilitating networks of support within clinical education experiences.

Animating Research with Counseling Values: A Training Model to Address the Research-to-Practice Gap

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lee, Kristi A.; Dewell, John A.; Holmes, Courtney M.

2014-01-01

The persistent research-to-practice gap poses a problem for counselor education. The gap may be caused by conflicts between the humanistic values that guide much of counseling and the values that guide research training. In this article, the authors address historical concerns regarding research training for students and the conducting of research…

Challenges and Strategies of Working with Learners with Low Vision: Implications for Teacher Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yalo, J. A.; Indoshi, F. C.; Agak, J. O.

2012-01-01

Learners with low vision can be trained to increase their visual functioning through a planned programme of visual experiences. Such a low vision training programme was introduced in Kenya in 1994. However, despite its implementation over the last 15 years, challenges still persist among teachers who work with such learners. The purpose of this…

Obituary: Kenneth L. Franklin, 1923-2007

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rao, Joe; Degrasse Tyson, Neil

2007-12-01

Renowned astronomer and astronomy popularizer Kenneth L. Franklin died early Monday morning, June 18, 2007, in Boulder, Colorado, two weeks after undergoing heart surgery. He was 84 years old. Kenneth Linn Franklin, the only child of Myles and Ruth (Houston) Franklin, was born March 25, 1923 in Alemeda, California. Ken obtained his Ph.D. in astronomy in 1953 at the University of California, Berkeley. From 1954 to 1956 he was a research fellow in radio astronomy at the Department of Terrestrial Magnetism, Carnegie Institution of Washington, DC. While there, he and Bernard F. Burke discovered radio emissions from the planet Jupiter. They announced their find on April 6, 1955, at a meeting of the American Astronomical Society (AAS). In 1956 Ken joined the staff of the American Museum-Hayden Planetarium, where he later served as chairman and chief scientist. Over the course of thirty years he wrote and/or presented innumerable sky shows for the planetarium sky theater, taught popular and technical courses in astronomy, and answered questions from the public. Ken was frequently consulted by local industries engaged in the space program, as well as by the news media and publishers. He was often interviewed on local and national radio and television, especially when a celestial event of special interest was due to occur. On the first page of the November 1966 issue of Sky & Telescope, in comments about the upcoming Leonid meteor shower, Franklin stuck his neck out. Based on some calculations that he'd made, he said he felt we were going to be in for a "interesting display." His was one of the few forecasts that suggested the '66 Leonids might be memorable. As it turned out, he was right — that year observers experienced the now-legendary Leonid meteor storm. From 1973 to 1979, Ken was the AAS's public-affairs officer. For two decades he also served in the society's Harlow Shapley Visiting Lecturer Program, speaking at one or two colleges each year. Ken was an active member of many professional organizations and was elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Royal Astronomical Society, and the Explorers Club. Ken served as astronomy editor of the World Almanac from 1970 to 1995, and from 1980 to 1992 he provided all of the astronomical calculations for the Farmer's Almanac through his association with the Hart Wright Company of Lewiston, Maine. He also contributed daily almanac information to the New York Times from 1975 to 1997 and launched that paper's weekly Sky Watch feature in the science section. Asteroid number 2845 is named Franklinken in his honor. Since 2004 Ken and his wife, Charlotte, have resided in Loveland, Colorado. In addition to Charlotte, Ken is survived by his daughters Kathleen Williams, Christine Redding, and Julie Jones. The photograph of Kenneth Franklin is provided by the American Museum of Natural History and Sky & Telescope magazine.

Defining Attributes and Metrics of Effective Research Mentoring Relationships

PubMed Central

Byars-Winston, Angela; Branchaw, Janet; Hurtado, Sylvia; Eagan, Kevin

2016-01-01

Despite evidence of mentoring’s importance in training researchers, studies to date have not yet determined which mentoring relationships have the most impact and what specific factors in those mentoring relationships contribute to key outcomes, such as the commitment to and persistence in research career paths for emerging researchers from diverse populations. Efforts to broaden participation and persistence in biomedical research careers require an understanding of why and how mentoring relationships work and their impact, not only to research training but also to promoting career advancement. This paper proposes core attributes of effective mentoring relationships, as supported by the literature and suggested by theoretical models of academic persistence. In addition, both existing and developing metrics for measuring the effectiveness of these attributes within mentoring relationships across diverse groups are presented, as well as preliminary data on these metrics from the authors’ work. PMID:27062425

Can Intelligence Be Taught? Fastback 29.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sexton, Thomas G.; Poling, Donald R.

This booklet cites evidence indicating that intelligence can be trained, given a physiologically normal student and an intensely persistant tutor. Methodologies for increasing mental efficiency have in common the principle of coordination of physical and mental processes, whether achieved by simple relaxation training, brain polarization, or…

Psychosocial determinants of young athletes' continued participation over time.

PubMed

Jõesaar, Helen; Hein, Vello

2011-08-01

The aim of this study was to examine the differences in psychosocial and motivational variables between persistent and dropout youth athletes and between groups with different years in training. Team and individual youth athletes completed questionnaires measuring autonomy support from parents and coaches, peer motivational climate, basic psychological needs satisfaction, and sport motivation. The results showed that athletes who dropped out perceived significantly less competence, relatedness, and autonomy need satisfaction, and they perceived less autonomy support from parents and were less intrinsically motivated than persistent athletes. Youth athletes with up to one year in training reported significantly lower effort and intra-team conflict with peers, relatedness need satisfaction, and external motivation than athletes with 1 to 3 years and >3 years in training. Findings extend knowledge of the psychosocial determinants of sport continuation behaviour among young athletes.

Individuals with Mental Illness Can Control Their Aggressive Behavior through Mindfulness Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Singh, Nirbhay N.; Lancioni, Giulio E.; Winton, Alan S. W.; Adkins, Angela D.; Wahler, Robert G.; Sabaawi, Mohamed; Singh, Judy

2007-01-01

Verbal and physical aggression are risk factors for community placement of individuals with serious and persistent mental illness. Depending on the motivations involved, treatment typically consists of psychotropic medications and psychosocial interventions, including contingency management procedures and anger management training. Effects of a…

Impact of the training on the compliance and persistence of weekly bisphosphonate treatment in postmenopausal osteoporosis: a randomized controlled study.

PubMed

Tüzün, Şansın; Akyüz, Gülseren; Eskiyurt, Nurten; Memiş, Asuman; Kuran, Banu; İçağasıoğlu, Afitap; Sarpel, Tunay; Özdemir, Ferda; Özgirgin, Neşe; Günaydın, Rezzan; Cakçı, Aytül; Yurtkuran, Merih

2013-01-01

Long-term patient adherence to osteoporosis treatment is poor despite proven efficacy. In this study, we aimed to assess the impact of active patient training on treatment compliance and persistence in patients with postmenopausal osteoporosis. In the present national, multicenter, randomized controlled study, postmenopausal osteoporosis patients (45-75 years) who were on weekly bisphosphonate treatment were randomized to active training (AT) and passive training (PT) groups and followed-up by 4 visits after the initial visit at 3 months interval during 12 months of the treatment. Both groups received a bisphosphonate usage guide and osteoporosis training booklets. Additionally, AT group received four phone calls (at 2(nd), 5(th), 8(th), and 11(th) months) and participated to four interactive social/training meetings held in groups of 10 patients (at 3(rd), 6(th), 9(th), and 12(th) months). The primary evaluation criteria were self-reported persistence and compliance to the treatment and the secondary evaluation criteria was quality life of the patients assessed by 41-item Quality of Life European Foundation for Osteoporosis (QUALEFFO-41) questionnaire. Of 448 patients (mean age 62.4±7.7 years), 226 were randomized to AT group and 222 were randomized to PT group. Among the study visits, the most common reason for not receiving treatment regularly was forgetfulness (54.9% for visit 2, 44.3% for visit 3, 51.6% for visit 4, and 43.8% for visit 5), the majority of the patients always used their drugs regularly on recommended days and dosages (63.8% for visit 2, 60.9% for visit 3, 72.1% for visit 4, and 70.8% for visit 5), and most of the patients were highly satisfied with the treatment (63.4% for visit 2, 68.9% for visit 3, 72.4% for visit 4, and 65.2% for visit 5) and wanted to continue to the treatment (96.5% for visit 2, 96.5% for visit 3, 96.9% for visit 4, and 94.4% for visit 5). QUALEFFO scores of the patients in visit 1 significantly improved in visit 5 (37.7±25.4 vs. 34.0±14.6, p<0.001); however, the difference was not significant between AT and PT groups both in visit 1 and visit 5. In conclusion, in addition to active training, passive training provided at the 1(st) visit did not improve the persistence and compliance of the patients for bisphosphonate treatment.

Associative, Bidirectional Changes in Neural Signaling Utilizing NMDA Receptor- and Endocannabinoid-Dependent Mechanisms

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Li, Qin; Burrell, Brian D.

2011-01-01

Persistent, bidirectional changes in synaptic signaling (that is, potentiation and depression of the synapse) can be induced by the precise timing of individual pre- and postsynaptic action potentials. However, far less attention has been paid to the ability of paired trains of action potentials to elicit persistent potentiation or depression. We…

Why Women Want to Work: A Look at Career Persistence.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mandelbaum, Dorothy Rosenthal

The notions of both work and persistence carry implicit assumptions that some obstacles have to be overcome through effort. Given the hurdles that women physicians must overcome in training, most research has assumed that work plays an important role in their lives. A sample of 71 women physicians from an earlier study was surveyed to learn why…

Who Are the Persistently NEET Young People? NCVER Research Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stanwick, John; Forrest, Cameron; Skujins, Peta

2017-01-01

This report examines the group of young people aged 15-24 that are not engaged in education, employment, or training (NEET). In particular, it examines those who are NEET for six or more months consecutively, known here as persistently NEET. Using data from the Longitudinal Survey of Australian Youth (LSAY), the report investigates the incidence…

Computerized Working-Memory Training as a Candidate Adjunctive Treatment for Addiction

PubMed Central

Bickel, Warren K.; Moody, Lara; Quisenberry, Amanda

2014-01-01

Alcohol and other drug dependencies are, in part, characterized by deficits in executive functioning, including working memory. Working-memory training is a candidate computerized adjunctive intervention for the treatment of alcoholism and other drug dependencies. This article reviews emerging evidence for computerized working memory training as an efficacious adjunctive treatment for drug dependence and highlights future challenges and opportunities in the field of working-memory training, including duration of training needed, persistence of improvements and utility of booster sessions, and selection of patients based on degree of deficits. PMID:26259006

School Psychologists Working with Native American Youth: Training, Competence, and Needs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robinson-Zanartu, Carol; Butler-Byrd, Nola; Cook-Morales, Valerie; Dauphinais, Paul; Charley, Elvina; Bonner, Mike

2011-01-01

Despite growing emphases on multicultural competence, Native American youth remain tremendously underserved by schools: low achievement, high dropout rates, and over-identification for special education persist. The authors analyzed responses of 403 school psychologists to a national survey regarding their competence gained in training, in current…

School Guidance and Counseling in Kenya: Historical Development, Current Status, and Future Prospects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wambu, Grace W.; Fisher, Teresa A.

2015-01-01

Despite the government's emphasis on guidance and counseling program implementation in Kenyan schools and a rapid increase in the number of trained school counselors, lack of standardized training curriculums, ethical standards, counseling models, and role ambiguity persist. This article reviews the historical development of guidance and…

Persisters and Dropouts in the Canada Manpower Training Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Truesdell, L. R.

1975-01-01

The paper undertakes an exhaustive treatment of the subject of discontinuation as it relates to the Canada Manpower Training Program. The results revealed that discontinuation was determined by place of residence, the job an individual holds, his attitude towards the course, general economic conditions, and his personal characteristics. (Author/BP)

Parent-Implemented Behavioral Skills Training of Social Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dogan, Rebecca K.; King, Melissa L.; Fischetti, Anthony T.; Lake, Candice M.; Mathews, Therese L.; Warzak, William J.

2017-01-01

Impairment in social skills is a primary feature of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). Research indicates that social skills are intimately tied to social development and negative social consequences can persist if specific social behaviors are not acquired. The present study evaluated the effects of behavioral skills training (BST) on teaching…

Shape-specific perceptual learning in a figure-ground segregation task.

PubMed

Yi, Do-Joon; Olson, Ingrid R; Chun, Marvin M

2006-03-01

What does perceptual experience contribute to figure-ground segregation? To study this question, we trained observers to search for symmetric dot patterns embedded in random dot backgrounds. Training improved shape segmentation, but learning did not completely transfer either to untrained locations or to untrained shapes. Such partial specificity persisted for a month after training. Interestingly, training on shapes in empty backgrounds did not help segmentation of the trained shapes in noisy backgrounds. Our results suggest that perceptual training increases the involvement of early sensory neurons in the segmentation of trained shapes, and that successful segmentation requires perceptual skills beyond shape recognition alone.

The breast: from Ancient Greek myths to Hippocrates and Galen.

PubMed

Iavazzo, C R; Trompoukis, C; Siempos, I I; Falagas, M E

2009-01-01

This is a historical article about Ancient Greek literature from mythological times until the first centuries AD with regard to the female breast. We endeavoured to collect several elegant narratives on the topic as well as to explore the knowledge of Ancient Greek doctors on the role, physiology and pathology of breast and the treatment of its diseases. We identified such descriptions in myths regarding Amazons, Hercules, Zeus, Hera and Amaltheia. Furthermore, descriptions on the topic were also found in the work of Hippocrates, Aristoteles, Soranos, Alexander of Aphrodisias, Celsus, Archigenis, Leonides, Galen and Oribasius. We may conclude that some of today's medical knowledge or practice regarding the breast was also known in the historical period.

STS-87 Payload Specialist Kadenyuk in white room

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

STS-87 Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine is assisted with final preparations before launch in the white room at Launch Pad 39B by Danny Wyatt, NASA quality assurance specialist, at left; Dave Law, USA mechanical technician, facing Kadenyuk; and Travis Thompson, USA orbiter vehicle closeout chief, at right. STS-87 is the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and Spartan-201. The 16- day mission will include the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment (CUE), a collection of 10 plant space biology experiments that will fly in Columbias middeck and will feature an educational component that involves evaluating the effects of microgravity on Brassica rapa seedlings.

Army Reserve Components Research Roadmap Volume 2: Research Agenda

DTIC Science & Technology

1997-09-01

over a 150-mile radius. This obviously makes training above the company level difficult for any time other than annual training (AT). In addition...at a higher level of decision- making , fluidity in the assignments of force structures to units creates wide spread change which affects whole units...can increasingly make TADSS and other enhancements practical solutions to persistent training needs. It should also be noted that the questions

Can infants' object concepts be trained?

PubMed

Scholl, Brian J

2004-02-01

Decades of research and debate on the origins of object permanence in infancy have contrasted various types of learning with possible innate contributions. A recent paper by Johnson et al. adds a new perspective to this debate by reporting that even very brief training periods can dramatically influence infants' persisting object representations. Such training studies have the potential to constrain 'nature versus nurture' debates in novel ways, although important challenges remain.

Personality characteristics and attributes of international medical graduates in general practice training: Implications for supporting this valued Australian workforce.

PubMed

Laurence, Caroline O; Eley, Diann S; Walters, Lucie; Elliott, Taryn; Cloninger, Claude Robert

2016-10-01

To describe the personality profiles of International Medical Graduates (IMGs) undertaking General Practice (GP) training in Australia. A better understanding of the personal characteristics of IMGs may inform their training and enhance support for their vital contribution to the Australian rural workforce. Cross-sectional self-report questionnaires. Independent variables included socio-demographics, prior training, the Temperament and Character Inventory, and the Resilience Scale. GP registrars (IMGs = 102; AMGs = 350) training in the Australian General Practice Training rural and general pathway and the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine independent pathway. Univariate analysis explored the differences in levels of traits between IMG and AMG registrars. Compared to the general population both groups have moderately high resilience, and well-organised characters with high Self-directedness, high Cooperativeness and low Self-transcendence, supported by temperaments which were high in Persistence and Reward Dependence. IMGs were different than AMGs in two temperament traits, Novelty Seeking and Persistence and two character traits, Self-directedness and Cooperativeness. Factors such as cultural and training backgrounds, personal and professional expectations, and adjustments necessary to assimilate to a new lifestyle and health system are likely to be responsible for differences found between groups. Understanding the personality profiles of IMGs provides opportunities for targeted training and support which may in turn impact on their retention in rural areas. © 2016 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

Variability in Clinical Integration Achieved by Athletic Training Students across Different Clinical Sport Assignments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dodge, Thomas M.; Mazerolle, Stephanie M.; Bowman, Thomas G.

2015-01-01

Context: Clinical integration impacts athletic training students' (ATSs) motivation and persistence. Research has yet to elucidate the manner in which different clinical placements can influence clinical integration. Objective: To examine differences in the levels of clinical integration achieved by ATSs across various clinical sport assignments.…

Verification of Accurate Technical Insight: A Prerequisite for Self-Directed Surgical Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hu, Yinin; Kim, Helen; Mahmutovic, Adela; Choi, Joanna; Le, Ivy; Rasmussen, Sara

2015-01-01

Simulation-based surgical skills training during preclinical education is a persistent challenge due to time constraints of trainees and instructors alike. Self-directed practice is resource-efficient and flexible; however, insight into technical proficiency among trainees is often lacking. The purpose of this study is to prospectively assess the…

Long-Term Abstract Learning of Attentional Set

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leber, Andrew B.; Kawahara, Jun-Ichiro; Gabari, Yuji

2009-01-01

How does past experience influence visual search strategy (i.e., attentional set)? Recent reports have shown that, when given the option to use 1 of 2 attentional sets, observers persist with the set previously required in a training phase. Here, 2 related questions are addressed. First, does the training effect result only from perseveration with…

Is There a Crisis in School Science Education in the UK?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Emma

2010-01-01

This paper reviews the extent to which contemporary concerns over the recruitment, training and retention of scientists have persisted among science education policy-makers. Drawing upon key government reports that have been commissioned in order to review the position of science education and training over the last 90 years, we consider the…

Pedagogical Mentorship, Indigenous Settings, and Rural Education: Perspectives from Guatemalan Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

de la Garza, Katy

2014-01-01

Rural and Indigenous populations have the lowest educational achievement indicators and teachers with the least years of training. Global education movements have led to an increase in access to schooling by rural and Indigenous populations but high drop-out rates persist and education policies, curricular contents, and teacher trainings have…

ISSUES NOW CHALLENGING THE PROFESSION.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

GODING, STOWELL C.

DESPITE ADVANCES MADE TOWARD THE CREATION OF A GENUINE PROFESSION, THE RESULTS OF A SURVEY OF LANGUAGE TRAINING PROGRAMS REVEAL THAT A NUMBER OF TRAINING PROBLEMS PERSIST. THE ONE OF UTMOST CONCERN IS THE ADMISSION AND RETENTION OF STUDENTS IN THE PROGRAM ON THE BASIS OF NOT ONLY THEIR SKILLS AND KNOWLEDGE COMPETENCIES, BUT ALSO THEIR…

Developing the Training Market. Issues and Best Practice Arising from State/Territory Pilot Activities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Western Australia Dept. Training, Perth.

Competitive tendering processes have emerged within Australia's vocational education and training (VET) sector as part of a more general drive to increase efficiency and effectiveness in public administration and government program delivery. Despite the persistence of several issues and stakeholder concerns that must be explored and resolved,…

Less Pain, More Gain: Rapid Skill Development Using "Old Way New Way"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baxter, Paul; Lyndon, Harry; Dole, Shelley; Battistutta, Diana

2004-01-01

This study addresses an issue of global concern in skills training, namely, the rapid and permanent eradication of persistent habit errors, and bad or unsafe working practices. This article offers an alternative human factors explanation for the profound difficulties and low transfer of training experienced during error pattern retraining, and the…

Training Parents to Help Their Children Read: A Randomized Control Trial

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sylva, Kathy; Scott, Stephen; Totsika, Vasiliki; Ereky-Stevens, Katharina; Crook, Carolyn

2008-01-01

Background: Low levels of literacy and high levels of behaviour problems in middle childhood often co-occur. These persistent difficulties pose a risk to academic and social development, leading to social exclusion in adulthood. Although parent-training programmes have been shown to be effective in enabling parents to support their children's…

Perceptual Learning Induces Persistent Attentional Capture by Nonsalient Shapes.

PubMed

Qu, Zhe; Hillyard, Steven A; Ding, Yulong

2017-02-01

Visual attention can be attracted automatically by salient simple features, but whether and how nonsalient complex stimuli such as shapes may capture attention in humans remains unclear. Here, we present strong electrophysiological evidence that a nonsalient shape presented among similar shapes can provoke a robust and persistent capture of attention as a consequence of extensive training in visual search (VS) for that shape. Strikingly, this attentional capture that followed perceptual learning (PL) was evident even when the trained shape was task-irrelevant, was presented outside the focus of top-down spatial attention, and was undetected by the observer. Moreover, this attentional capture persisted for at least 3-5 months after training had been terminated. This involuntary capture of attention was indexed by electrophysiological recordings of the N2pc component of the event-related brain potential, which was localized to ventral extrastriate visual cortex, and was highly predictive of stimulus-specific improvement in VS ability following PL. These findings provide the first evidence that nonsalient shapes can capture visual attention automatically following PL and challenge the prominent view that detection of feature conjunctions requires top-down focal attention. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Delayed nootropic effects of arginine vasopressin after early postnatal chronic administration to albino rat pups.

PubMed

Kim, P A; Voskresenskaya, O G; Kamensky, A A

2009-06-01

Intranasal administration of arginine vasopressin (10 microg/kg) to albino rat pups had a strong nootropic effect during training with positive and negative reinforcement. This effect was different in animals of various age groups: training with positive reinforcement was improved in "adolescent" rats and pubertal animals, while during training with negative reinforcement, the nootropic effect of the peptide was more prolonged and persisted also in adult animals.

Near-Earth Object (NEO) Hazard Background

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazanek, Daniel D.

2005-01-01

The fundamental problem regarding NEO hazards is that the Earth and other planets, as well as their moons, share the solar system with a vast number of small planetary bodies and orbiting debris. Objects of substantial size are typically classified as either comets or asteroids. Although the solar system is quite expansive, the planets and moons (as well as the Sun) are occasionally impacted by these objects. We live in a cosmic shooting gallery where collisions with Earth occur on a regular basis. Because the number of smaller comets and asteroids is believed to be much greater than larger objects, the frequency of impacts is significantly higher. Fortunately, the smaller objects, which are much more numerous, are usually neutralized by the Earth's protective atmosphere. It is estimated that between 1000 and 10,000 tons of debris fall to Earth each year, most of it in the form of dust particles and extremely small meteorites. With no atmosphere, the Moon's surface is continuously impacted with dust and small debris. On November 17 and 18, 1999, during the annual Leonid meteor shower, several lunar surface impacts were observed by amateur astronomers in North America. The Leonids result from the Earth's passage each year through the debris ejected from Comet Tempel-Tuttle. These annual showers provide a periodic reminder of the possibility of a much more consequential cosmic collision, and the heavily cratered lunar surface acts a constant testimony to the impact threat. The impact problem and those planetary bodies that are a threat have been discussed in great depth in a wide range of publications and books, such as The Spaceguard Survey , Hazards Due to Comets and Asteroids, and Cosmic Catastrophes. This paper gives a brief overview on the background of this problem and address some limitations of ground-based surveys for detection of small and/or faint near-Earth objects.

Development of a Persistent Chemical Agent Simulator System (PCASS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mcginness, W. G.

1983-01-01

The development of a persistent chemical agent simulation system (PCASS) is described. This PCASS is to be used for the military training of troops to simulate actual chemical warfare. The purpose of this system is to facilitate in the determination of chemical contamination and effectiveness of decontamination for training purposes. The fluorescent tracer employed has no daylight activation, but yet is easily removed with a decontaminate solution or water and surfactants. Also employed is a time delayed color developing system. When an individual is subjected to the PCASS and does not decontaminate adequately, red blotches or red coloration will develop as a function of time and temperature. The intent of this is to simulate the delayed chemical reaction of mustard contaminates.

Group Training in Interpersonal Problem-Solving Skills for Workplace Adaptation of Adolescents and Adults with Asperger Syndrome: A Preliminary Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonete, Saray; Calero, María Dolores; Fernández-Parra, Antonio

2015-01-01

Adults with Asperger syndrome show persistent difficulties in social situations which psychosocial treatments may address. Despite the multiple studies focusing on social skills interventions, only some have focused specifically on problem-solving skills and have not targeted workplace adaptation training in the adult population. This study…

Young and Old Pavlovian Fear Memories Can Be Modified with Extinction Training during Reconsolidation in Humans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steinfurth, Elisa C. K.; Kanen, Jonathan W.; Raio, Candace M.; Clem, Roger L.; Huganir, Richard L.; Phelps, Elizabeth A.

2014-01-01

Extinction training during reconsolidation has been shown to persistently diminish conditioned fear responses across species. We investigated in humans if older fear memories can benefit similarly. Using a Pavlovian fear conditioning paradigm we compared standard extinction and extinction after memory reactivation 1 d or 7 d following acquisition.…

Factors of Non-Persistence in Civilian Helicopter Flight Training: A Narrative Inquiry of Pilot Attrition

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wentworth, Rebecca

2012-01-01

Previous literature on retention of student helicopter pilots shows a gap in research of civilian schools and qualitative studies. To address this gap in the literature and to help helicopter flight schools better understand the incidents of attrition from flight training, this qualitative study investigated student and school-based factors…

Academic Resilience and Achievement: Self-Motivational Resources That Guide Faculty Participation in Instructional Technology Training at a Mexican University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Montero-Hernandez, Virginia; Levin, John; Diaz-Castillo, Maribel

2014-01-01

This study uses narrative analysis to understand the ways in which Mexican university faculty members used their self-motivational resources to persist in an instructional technology training program within adverse work conditions. The methodology included interviews and participant observation. Findings suggest that faculty's academic resilience…

Effect of Cognitive-Behavioral-Theory-Based Skill Training on Academic Procrastination Behaviors of University Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Toker, Betül; Avci, Rasit

2015-01-01

This study examined the effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral theory (CBT) psycho-educational group program on the academic procrastination behaviors of university students and the persistence of any training effect. This was a quasi-experimental research based on an experimental and control group pretest, posttest, and followup test model.…

Integrating Theory and Practice to Increase Scientific Workforce Diversity: A Framework for Career Development in Graduate Research Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byars-Winston, Angela; Gutierrez, Belinda; Topp, Sharon; Carnes, Molly

2011-01-01

Few, if any, educational interventions intended to increase underrepresented minority (URM) graduate students in biological and behavioral sciences are informed by theory and research on career persistence. Training and Education to Advance Minority Scholars in Science (TEAM-Science) is a program funded by the National Institute of General Medical…

KSC-97PC1695

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-11-19

Like a rising sun lighting up the afternoon sky, the Space Shuttle Columbia soars from Launch Pad 39B at 2:46:00 p.m. EST, November 19, on the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and Spartan-201 satellite. The crew members include Mission Commander Kevin Kregel.; Pilot Steven Lindsey; Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D., Winston Scott, and Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; and Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. During the 16-day STS-87 mission, the crew will oversee experiments in microgravity; deploy and retrieve a solar satellite; and test a new experimental camera, the AERCam Sprint. Dr. Doi and Scott also will perform a spacewalk to practice International Space Station maneuvers

KSC-97PC1701

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-11-19

Like a rising sun lighting up the afternoon sky, the Space Shuttle Columbia soars from Launch Pad 39B at 2:46:00 p.m. EST, November 19, on the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and Spartan-201 satellite. The crew members include Mission Commander Kevin Kregel.; Pilot Steven Lindsey; Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D., Winston Scott, and Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; and Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. During the 16-day STS-87 mission, the crew will oversee experiments in microgravity; deploy and retrieve a solar satellite; and test a new experimental camera, the AERCam Sprint. Dr. Doi and Scott also will perform a spacewalk to practice International Space Station maneuvers

KSC-97PC1700

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-11-19

Like a rising sun lighting up the afternoon sky, the Space Shuttle Columbia soars from Launch Pad 39B at 2:46:00 p.m. EST, November 19, on the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and Spartan-201 satellite. The crew members include Mission Commander Kevin Kregel.; Pilot Steven Lindsey; Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D., Winston Scott, and Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; and Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. During the 16-day STS-87 mission, the crew will oversee experiments in microgravity; deploy and retrieve a solar satellite; and test a new experimental camera, the AERCam Sprint. Dr. Doi and Scott also will perform a spacewalk to practice International Space Station maneuvers

KSC-97PC1696

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-11-19

Like a rising sun lighting up the afternoon sky, the Space Shuttle Columbia soars from Launch Pad 39B at 2:46:00 p.m. EST, November 19, on the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and Spartan-201 satellite. The crew members include Mission Commander Kevin Kregel.; Pilot Steven Lindsey; Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D., Winston Scott, and Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; and Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. During the 16-day STS-87 mission, the crew will oversee experiments in microgravity; deploy and retrieve a solar satellite; and test a new experimental camera, the AERCam Sprint. Dr. Doi and Scott also will perform a spacewalk to practice International Space Station maneuvers

KSC-97PC1697

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-11-19

Like a rising sun lighting up the afternoon sky, the Space Shuttle Columbia soars from Launch Pad 39B at 2:46:00 p.m. EST, November 19, on the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and Spartan-201 satellite. The crew members include Mission Commander Kevin Kregel.; Pilot Steven Lindsey; Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D., Winston Scott, and Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; and Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. During the 16-day STS-87 mission, the crew will oversee experiments in microgravity; deploy and retrieve a solar satellite; and test a new experimental camera, the AERCam Sprint. Dr. Doi and Scott also will perform a spacewalk to practice International Space Station maneuvers

KSC-97PC1692

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-11-19

Like a rising sun lighting up the afternoon sky, the Space Shuttle Columbia soars from Launch Pad 39B at 2:46:00 p.m. EST, November 19, on the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and Spartan-201 satellite. The crew members include Mission Commander Kevin Kregel.; Pilot Steven Lindsey; Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D., Winston Scott, and Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; and Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. During the 16-day STS-87 mission, the crew will oversee experiments in microgravity; deploy and retrieve a solar satellite; and test a new experimental camera, the AERCam Sprint. Dr. Doi and Scott also will perform a spacewalk to practice International Space Station maneuvers

KSC-97PC1694

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-11-19

Like a rising sun lighting up the afternoon sky, the Space Shuttle Columbia soars from Launch Pad 39B at 2:46:00 p.m. EST, November 19, on the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and Spartan-201 satellite. The crew members include Mission Commander Kevin Kregel.; Pilot Steven Lindsey; Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D., Winston Scott, and Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; and Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. During the 16-day STS-87 mission, the crew will oversee experiments in microgravity; deploy and retrieve a solar satellite; and test a new experimental camera, the AERCam Sprint. Dr. Doi and Scott also will perform a spacewalk to practice International Space Station maneuvers

KSC-97PC1691

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-11-19

Like a rising sun lighting up the afternoon sky, the Space Shuttle Columbia soars from Launch Pad 39B at 2:46:00 p.m. EST, November 19, on the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and Spartan-201 satellite. The crew members include Mission Commander Kevin Kregel.; Pilot Steven Lindsey; Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D., Winston Scott, and Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; and Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. During the 16-day STS-87 mission, the crew will oversee experiments in microgravity; deploy and retrieve a solar satellite; and test a new experimental camera, the AERCam Sprint. Dr. Doi and Scott also will perform a spacewalk to practice International Space Station maneuvers

KSC-97PC1699

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-11-19

Like a rising sun lighting up the afternoon sky, the Space Shuttle Columbia soars from Launch Pad 39B at 2:46:00 p.m. EST, November 19, on the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and Spartan-201 satellite. The crew members include Mission Commander Kevin Kregel.; Pilot Steven Lindsey; Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D., Winston Scott, and Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; and Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. During the 16-day STS-87 mission, the crew will oversee experiments in microgravity; deploy and retrieve a solar satellite; and test a new experimental camera, the AERCam Sprint. Dr. Doi and Scott also will perform a spacewalk to practice International Space Station maneuvers

KSC-97PC1698

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-11-19

Like a rising sun lighting up the afternoon sky, the Space Shuttle Columbia soars from Launch Pad 39B at 2:46:00 p.m. EST, November 19, on the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and Spartan-201 satellite. The crew members include Mission Commander Kevin Kregel.; Pilot Steven Lindsey; Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D., Winston Scott, and Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; and Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. During the 16-day STS-87 mission, the crew will oversee experiments in microgravity; deploy and retrieve a solar satellite; and test a new experimental camera, the AERCam Sprint. Dr. Doi and Scott also will perform a spacewalk to practice International Space Station maneuvers

STS-87 Columbia Launch

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Like a rising sun lighting up the afternoon sky, the Space Shuttle Columbia soars from Launch Pad 39B at 2:46:00 p.m. EST, November 19, on the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and Spartan-201 satellite. The crew members include Mission Commander Kevin Kregel.; Pilot Steven Lindsey; Mission Specialists Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D., Winston Scott, and Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; and Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. During the 16-day STS-87 mission, the crew will oversee experiments in microgravity; deploy and retrieve a solar satellite; and test a new experimental camera, the AERCam Sprint. Dr. Doi and Scott also will perform a spacewalk to practice International Space Station maneuvers.

STS-87 Crew walkout of O&C building

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

The crew of Mission STS-87 depart from the Operations and Checkout Building en route to Launch Pad 39B, where the Space Shuttle Columbia awaits liftoff on the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and the Spartan-201deployable satellite. Leading the way are, from left to right, front to back: Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D.; Commander Kevin Kregel; Mission Specialist Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; Mission Specialist Winston Scott; Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine; and Pilot Steven Lindsey. The Space Shuttle Columbia and its crew of six members are scheduled to lift off during a two-and-a-half hour launch window, which opens at 2:46 p.m.

KSC-97PC1676

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-11-19

STS-87 Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine gives a ‘thumbs up’ in his launch and entry suit in the Operations and Checkout Building. He and the five other crew members of STS-87 will depart shortly for Launch Pad 39B, where the Space Shuttle Columbia awaits liftoff on a 16-day mission to perform microgravity and solar research. Kadenyuk will be flying his first mission on STS-87. During the mission, Kadenyuk will pollinate Brassica rapa plants as part of the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment, or CUE, aboard Columbia. The CUE experiment is a collection of 10 plant space biology experiments that will fly in Columbia’s middeck and features an educational component that involves evaluating the effects of microgravity on Brassica rapa seedlings

Administration of the Phosphodiesterase Type 4 Inhibitor Rolipram into the Amygdala at a Specific Time Interval after Learning Increases Recognition Memory Persistence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Werenicz, Aline; Christoff, Raissa R.; Blank, Martina; Jobim, Paulo F. C.; Pedroso, Thiago R.; Reolon, Gustavo K.; Schroder, Nadja; Roesler, Rafael

2012-01-01

Here we show that administration of the phosphodiesterase type 4 (PDE4) inhibitor rolipram into the basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA) at a specific time interval after training enhances memory consolidation and induces memory persistence for novel object recognition (NOR) in rats. Intra-BLA infusion of rolipram immediately, 1.5 h, or 6 h…

Assessing personal initiative among vocational training students: development and validation of a new measure.

PubMed

Balluerka, Nekane; Gorostiaga, Arantxa; Ulacia, Imanol

2014-11-14

Personal initiative characterizes people who are proactive, persistent and self-starting when facing the difficulties that arise in achieving goals. Despite its importance in the educational field there is a scarcity of measures to assess students' personal initiative. Thus, the aim of the present study was to develop a questionnaire to assess this variable in the academic environment and to validate it for adolescents and young adults. The sample comprised 244 vocational training students. The questionnaire showed a factor structure including three factors (Proactivity-Prosocial behavior, Persistence and Self-Starting) with acceptable indices of internal consistency (ranging between α = .57 and α =.73) and good convergent validity with respect to the Self-Reported Initiative scale. Evidence of external validity was also obtained based on the relationships between personal initiative and variables such as self-efficacy, enterprising attitude, responsibility and control aspirations, conscientiousness, and academic achievement. The results indicate that this new measure is very useful for assessing personal initiative among vocational training students.

Distance Training in Function-based Interventions to Decrease Student Problem Behavior: Summary of 74 Cases from a University Course

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pétursdóttir, Anna-Lind

2017-01-01

In this study, 188 master-level students received training through a distance education course to conduct functional behavioral assessments (FBAs) and behavior support plans with 68 boys and six girls (aged 3-20 years) displaying persistent behavior problems in inclusive preschools, elementary, and secondary schools. In the course, master-level…

Emancipation, Marketisation, and Social Protection: The Female Subject within Vocational Training Policy in Canada, 1960-1990

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pullman, Ashley

2015-01-01

This paper examines Canadian federal and cross-provincial higher education policy from 1960 to 1990, a critical time when provisions for vocational and adult training came under the auspices of governmental concern, justified under both an economic rationale and as a way to address persistent forms of inequality. The problematisation of skill…

REM Restriction Persistently Alters Strategy Used to Solve a Spatial Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bjorness, Theresa E.; Tysor, Michael K.; Poe, Gina R.; Riley, Brett T.

2005-01-01

We tested the hypothesis that rapid eye movement (REM) sleep is important for complex associative learning by restricting rats from entering REM sleep for 4 h either immediately after training on an eight-box spatial task (0-4 REMr) or 4 h following training (4-8 REMr). Both groups of REM-restricted rats eventually reached the same overall…

Improving Acoustic Models by Watching Television

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Witbrock, Michael J.; Hauptmann, Alexander G.

1998-01-01

Obtaining sufficient labelled training data is a persistent difficulty for speech recognition research. Although well transcribed data is expensive to produce, there is a constant stream of challenging speech data and poor transcription broadcast as closed-captioned television. We describe a reliable unsupervised method for identifying accurately transcribed sections of these broadcasts, and show how these segments can be used to train a recognition system. Starting from acoustic models trained on the Wall Street Journal database, a single iteration of our training method reduced the word error rate on an independent broadcast television news test set from 62.2% to 59.5%.

Short-term Second Language and Music Training Induces Lasting Functional Brain Changes in Early Childhood

PubMed Central

Moreno, Sylvain; Lee, Yunjo

2014-01-01

Immediate and lasting effects of music or second-language training were examined in early childhood using event-related potentials (ERPs). ERPs were recorded for French vowels and musical notes in a passive oddball paradigm in 36 four- to six-year-old children who received either French or music training. Following training, both groups showed enhanced late discriminative negativity (LDN) in their trained condition (music group–musical notes; French group–French vowels) and reduced LDN in the untrained condition. These changes reflect improved processing of relevant (trained) sounds, and an increased capacity to suppress irrelevant (untrained) sounds. After one year, training-induced brain changes persisted and new hemispheric changes appeared. Such results provide evidence for the lasting benefit of early intervention in young children. PMID:25346534

Increased functional connectivity between cortical hand areas and praxis network associated with training-related improvements in non-dominant hand precision drawing.

PubMed

Philip, Benjamin A; Frey, Scott H

2016-07-01

Chronic forced use of the non-dominant left hand yields substantial improvements in the precision and quality of writing and drawing. These changes may arise from increased access by the non-dominant (right) hemisphere to dominant (left) hemisphere mechanisms specialized for end-point precision control. To evaluate this prediction, 22 healthy right-handed adults underwent resting state functional connectivity (FC) MRI scans before and after 10 days of training on a left hand precision drawing task. 89% of participants significantly improved left hand speed, accuracy, and smoothness. Smoothness gains were specific to the trained left hand and persistent: 6 months after training, 71% of participants exhibited above-baseline movement smoothness. Contrary to expectations, we found no evidence of increased FC between right and left hemisphere hand areas. Instead, training-related improvements in left hand movement smoothness were associated with increased FC between both sensorimotor hand areas and a left-lateralized parieto-prefrontal network implicated in manual praxis. By contrast, skill retention at 6 months was predicted by changes including decreased FC between the representation of the trained left hand and bilateral sensorimotor, parietal, and premotor cortices, possibly reflecting consolidation and a disengagement of early learning processes. These data indicate that modest amounts of training (<200min total) can induce substantial, persistent improvements the precision and quality of non-dominant hand control in healthy adults, supported by strengthened connectivity between bilateral sensorimotor hand areas and a left-lateralized parieto-prefrontal praxis network. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Preferential stabilization of newly formed dendritic spines in motor cortex during manual skill learning predicts performance gains, but not memory endurance.

PubMed

Clark, Taylor A; Fu, Min; Dunn, Andrew K; Zuo, Yi; Jones, Theresa A

2018-07-01

Previous findings that skill learning is associated with the formation and preferential stabilization of new dendritic spines in cortex have raised the possibility that this preferential stabilization is a mechanism for lasting skill memory. We investigated this possibility in adult mice using in vivo two-photon imaging to monitor spine dynamics on superficial apical dendrites of layer V pyramidal neurons in motor cortex during manual skill learning. Spine formation increased over the first 3 days of training on a skilled reaching task, followed by increased spine elimination. A greater proportion of spines formed during the first 3 training days were lost if training stopped after 3, compared with 15 days. However, performance gains achieved in 3 training days persisted, indicating that preferential new spine stabilization was non-essential for skill retention. Consistent with a role in ongoing skill refinement, the persistence of spines formed early in training strongly predicted performance improvements. Finally, while we observed no net spine density change on superficial dendrites, the density of spines on deeper apical branches of the same neuronal population was increased regardless of training duration, suggestive of a potential role in the retention of the initial skill memory. Together, these results indicate dendritic subpopulation-dependent variation in spine structural responses to skill learning, which potentially reflect distinct contributions to the refinement and retention of newly acquired motor skills. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Acute Sleep Deprivation Blocks Short- and Long-Term Operant Memory in Aplysia.

PubMed

Krishnan, Harini C; Gandour, Catherine E; Ramos, Joshua L; Wrinkle, Mariah C; Sanchez-Pacheco, Joseph J; Lyons, Lisa C

2016-12-01

Insufficient sleep in individuals appears increasingly common due to the demands of modern work schedules and technology use. Consequently, there is a growing need to understand the interactions between sleep deprivation and memory. The current study determined the effects of acute sleep deprivation on short and long-term associative memory using the marine mollusk Aplysia californica , a relatively simple model system well known for studies of learning and memory. Aplysia were sleep deprived for 9 hours using context changes and tactile stimulation either prior to or after training for the operant learning paradigm, learning that food is inedible (LFI). The effects of sleep deprivation on short-term (STM) and long-term memory (LTM) were assessed. Acute sleep deprivation prior to LFI training impaired the induction of STM and LTM with persistent effects lasting at least 24 h. Sleep deprivation immediately after training blocked the consolidation of LTM. However, sleep deprivation following the period of molecular consolidation did not affect memory recall. Memory impairments were independent of handling-induced stress, as daytime handled control animals demonstrated no memory deficits. Additional training immediately after sleep deprivation failed to rescue the induction of memory, but additional training alleviated the persistent impairment in memory induction when training occurred 24 h following sleep deprivation. Acute sleep deprivation inhibited the induction and consolidation, but not the recall of memory. These behavioral studies establish Aplysia as an effective model system for studying the interactions between sleep and memory formation. © 2016 Associated Professional Sleep Societies, LLC.

National survey of Australian paediatricians' approach to infant crying.

PubMed

Rimer, Romi; Hiscock, Harriet

2014-03-01

Persistent crying in infancy (i.e. crying that lasts for more than 3 h a day for more than 3 days per week for at least 3 weeks) is widespread. Although there is no gold standard approach to its management, guidelines exist with common management principles. This study aims to document how Australian general paediatricians (i) assess and manage persistent crying compared with published guidelines; (ii) screen for and manage associated post-natal depression; and (iii) rate their training in this area. Online survey were administered to all 394 members of the Australian Paediatric Research Network in November 2011 to February 2012. Members are predominantly general paediatricians. A total of 168 paediatricians (45%) responded. The majority (n = 96 (69%)) take one session to assess infant crying and at least two sessions to manage it (n = 106 (79%)). Specific approaches are not always evidence based (e.g. use of antacids/simethicone by 8%) and do not follow available guidelines. Most paediatricians routinely asked about maternal (n = 120 (88%)) but not paternal (n = 51 (33%)) mental health. Paediatricians typically received training around this issue before rather than after gaining formal paediatric qualifications (61% vs. 37%, respectively) and rate their training as satisfactory (67%). Despite this, only 39% feel very confident in managing infant crying. The lack of a gold standard approach to managing persistent infant crying has likely contributed to a lack of uniform care among Australian general paediatricians. Given that most paediatricians do not feel very confident in dealing with this problem, there is a scope for further training supported by evidence-based guidelines. © 2013 The Authors. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health © 2013 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (Royal Australasian College of Physicians).

STS-87 crew participates in Crew Equipment Interface Test

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

STS-87 astronaut crew members participate in the Crew Equipment Integration Test (CEIT) with the Spartan-201 payload in Kennedy Space Centers (KSC's) Vertical Processing Facility. From left are Pilot Steven Lindsey; Mission Specialist Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D.; Commander Kevin Kregel; and Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. The CEIT gives astronauts an opportunity to get a hands- on look at the payloads with which they will be working on-orbit. STS-87 will be the fourth United States Microgravity Payload and flight of the Spartan-201 deployable satellite. During the mission, Dr. Doi will be the first Japanese astronaut to perform a spacewalk. STS-87 is scheduled for a Nov. 19 liftoff from KSC.

KSC-97PC1488

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-10-02

STS-87 astronaut crew members prepare to fly back to Johnson Space Center in Houston after participating in the Crew Equipment Integration Test (CEIT) at Kennedy Space Center (KSC) in early October. From left are Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine; Mission Specialist Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; Mission Specialist Winston Scott; Commander Kevin Kregel; Pilot Steven Lindsey; and Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D. The CEIT gives astronauts an opportunity to get a hands-on look at the payloads with which they will be working on-orbit. STS-87 will be the fourth United States Microgravity Payload and flight of the Spartan-201 deployable satellite. During the STS-87 mission, scheduled for a Nov. 19 liftoff from KSC, Dr. Doi and Scott will both perform spacewalks

KSC-97PC1481

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-10-02

STS-87 astronaut crew members participate in the Crew Equipment Integration Test (CEIT) with the Spartan-201 payload in Kennedy Space Center’s (KSC's) Vertical Processing Facility. From left are Pilot Steven Lindsey; Mission Specialist Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D.; Commander Kevin Kregel; and Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. The CEIT gives astronauts an opportunity to get a hands-on look at the payloads with which they will be working on-orbit. STS-87 will be the fourth United States Microgravity Payload and flight of the Spartan-201 deployable satellite. During the mission, Dr. Doi will be the first Japanese astronaut to perform a spacewalk. STS-87 is scheduled for a Nov. 19 liftoff from KSC

STS-87 Crew walkout of O&C building

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

The crew of Mission STS-87 depart from the Operations and Checkout Building en route to Launch Pad 39B, where the Space Shuttle Columbia awaits liftoff on the fourth flight of the United States Microgravity Payload and the Spartan-201deployable satellite. They are, from left to right, front to back: Mission Specialist Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; Mission Specialist Winston Scott (near van); Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine; and Pilot Steven Lindsey (near van). Missing from this photo are Commander Kevin Kregel and Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D. The Space Shuttle Columbia and its crew of six members are scheduled to lift off during a two-and-a-half hour launch window, which opens at 2:46 p.m.

The persistence and challenges of homebirths: perspectives of traditional birth attendants in urban Kenya.

PubMed

Izugbara, Chimaraoke; Ezeh, Alex; Fotso, Jean-Christophe

2009-01-01

Through an analysis of focus group discussion data, we examine Kenyan traditional birth attendants' (TBAs) accounts of the persistence of homebirths and the key challenges they present. TBAs associated the continued demand for homebirths with the wide-ranging character and quality of their services. They did not consider their lack of formal training on matters of pregnancy and birthing to be a particular challenge to their work. Rather, they identified the non-cooperative and disrespectful attitudes of their counterparts in hospital settings as the most important issue. Further efforts are needed to make TBAs realize how much better their services could become if they adopted more modern ways of assisting in deliveries, unlearnt their belief in the superiority of their particular type of practice, and understood how their lack of formal training is a key issue.

First saccadic eye movement reveals persistent attentional guidance by implicit learning

PubMed Central

Jiang, Yuhong V.; Won, Bo-Yeong; Swallow, Khena M.

2014-01-01

Implicit learning about where a visual search target is likely to appear often speeds up search. However, whether implicit learning guides spatial attention or affects post-search decisional processes remains controversial. Using eye tracking, this study provides compelling evidence that implicit learning guides attention. In a training phase, participants often found the target in a high-frequency, “rich” quadrant of the display. When subsequently tested in a phase during which the target was randomly located, participants were twice as likely to direct the first saccadic eye movement to the previously rich quadrant than to any of the sparse quadrants. The attentional bias persisted for nearly 200 trials after training and was unabated by explicit instructions to distribute attention evenly. We propose that implicit learning guides spatial attention but in a qualitatively different manner than goal-driven attention. PMID:24512610

The lure of rationality: Why does the deficit model persist in science communication?

PubMed

Simis, Molly J; Madden, Haley; Cacciatore, Michael A; Yeo, Sara K

2016-05-01

Science communication has been historically predicated on the knowledge deficit model. Yet, empirical research has shown that public communication of science is more complex than what the knowledge deficit model suggests. In this essay, we pose four lines of reasoning and present empirical data for why we believe the deficit model still persists in public communication of science. First, we posit that scientists' training results in the belief that public audiences can and do process information in a rational manner. Second, the persistence of this model may be a product of current institutional structures. Many graduate education programs in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields generally lack formal training in public communication. We offer empirical evidence that demonstrates that scientists who have less positive attitudes toward the social sciences are more likely to adhere to the knowledge deficit model of science communication. Third, we present empirical evidence of how scientists conceptualize "the public" and link this to attitudes toward the deficit model. We find that perceiving a knowledge deficit in the public is closely tied to scientists' perceptions of the individuals who comprise the public. Finally, we argue that the knowledge deficit model is perpetuated because it can easily influence public policy for science issues. We propose some ways to uproot the deficit model and move toward more effective science communication efforts, which include training scientists in communication methods grounded in social science research and using approaches that engage community members around scientific issues. © The Author(s) 2016.

Persistent increased PKMζ in long-term and remote spatial memory.

PubMed

Hsieh, Changchi; Tsokas, Panayiotis; Serrano, Peter; Hernández, A Iván; Tian, Dezhi; Cottrell, James E; Shouval, Harel Z; Fenton, André Antonio; Sacktor, Todd Charlton

2017-02-01

PKMζ is an autonomously active PKC isoform that is thought to maintain both LTP and long-term memory. Whereas persistent increases in PKMζ protein sustain the kinase's action in LTP, the molecular mechanism for the persistent action of PKMζ during long-term memory has not been characterized. PKMζ inhibitors disrupt spatial memory when introduced into the dorsal hippocampus from 1day to 1month after training. Therefore, if the mechanisms of PKMζ's persistent action in LTP maintenance and long-term memory were similar, persistent increases in PKMζ would last for the duration of the memory, far longer than most other learning-induced gene products. Here we find that spatial conditioning by aversive active place avoidance or appetitive radial arm maze induces PKMζ increases in dorsal hippocampus that persist from 1day to 1month, coinciding with the strength and duration of memory retention. Suppressing the increase by intrahippocampal injections of PKMζ-antisense oligodeoxynucleotides prevents the formation of long-term memory. Thus, similar to LTP maintenance, the persistent increase in the amount of autonomously active PKMζ sustains the kinase's action during long-term and remote spatial memory maintenance. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Responsive Persistence Part II. Practices of Postmodern Therapists.

PubMed

Sutherland, Olga; Dienhart, Anna; Turner, Jean

2013-10-01

This article, a companion to Part I of this series of articles, discusses how therapists informed by social constructionist and postmodern ideas enact persistence in their work with families. Transcripts and video-recordings of therapy interaction facilitated by selected major champions for three postmodern (collaborative) therapies: Michael White (narrative therapy), Harlene Anderson (collaborative language systems approach), and Bill O'Hanlon (solution-oriented therapy) were examined for persistence practices. The article offers a range of possible ways in which postmodern therapists may enact their influence in facilitating generative and helpful conversations with families and remain responsive to clients' preferences and understandings. Implications for family therapy practice, training, and supervision are discussed. © 2013 American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy.

Identifying Future Scientists: Predicting Persistence into Research Training

PubMed Central

2007-01-01

This study used semistructured interviews and grounded theory to look for characteristics among college undergraduates that predicted persistence into Ph.D. and M.D./Ph.D. training. Participants in the summer undergraduate and postbaccalaureate research programs at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine were interviewed at the start, near the end, and 8–12 months after their research experience. Of more than 200 themes considered, five characteristics predicted those students who went on to Ph.D. and M.D./Ph.D. training or to M.D. training intending to do research: 1) Curiosity to discover the unknown, 2) Enjoyment of problem solving, 3) A high level of independence, 4) The desire to help others indirectly through research, and 5) A flexible, minimally structured approach to the future. Web-based surveys with different students confirmed the high frequency of curiosity and/or problem solving as the primary reason students planned research careers. No evidence was found for differences among men, women, and minority and nonminority students. Although these results seem logical compared with successful scientists, their constancy, predictive capabilities, and sharp contrast to students who chose clinical medicine were striking. These results provide important insights into selection and motivation of potential biomedical scientists and the early experiences that will motivate them toward research careers. PMID:18056303

Identifying future scientists: predicting persistence into research training.

PubMed

McGee, Richard; Keller, Jill L

2007-01-01

This study used semistructured interviews and grounded theory to look for characteristics among college undergraduates that predicted persistence into Ph.D. and M.D./Ph.D. training. Participants in the summer undergraduate and postbaccalaureate research programs at the Mayo Clinic College of Medicine were interviewed at the start, near the end, and 8-12 months after their research experience. Of more than 200 themes considered, five characteristics predicted those students who went on to Ph.D. and M.D./Ph.D. training or to M.D. training intending to do research: 1) Curiosity to discover the unknown, 2) Enjoyment of problem solving, 3) A high level of independence, 4) The desire to help others indirectly through research, and 5) A flexible, minimally structured approach to the future. Web-based surveys with different students confirmed the high frequency of curiosity and/or problem solving as the primary reason students planned research careers. No evidence was found for differences among men, women, and minority and nonminority students. Although these results seem logical compared with successful scientists, their constancy, predictive capabilities, and sharp contrast to students who chose clinical medicine were striking. These results provide important insights into selection and motivation of potential biomedical scientists and the early experiences that will motivate them toward research careers.

Acoustic signature recognition technique for Human-Object Interactions (HOI) in persistent surveillance systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alkilani, Amjad; Shirkhodaie, Amir

2013-05-01

Handling, manipulation, and placement of objects, hereon called Human-Object Interaction (HOI), in the environment generate sounds. Such sounds are readily identifiable by the human hearing. However, in the presence of background environment noises, recognition of minute HOI sounds is challenging, though vital for improvement of multi-modality sensor data fusion in Persistent Surveillance Systems (PSS). Identification of HOI sound signatures can be used as precursors to detection of pertinent threats that otherwise other sensor modalities may miss to detect. In this paper, we present a robust method for detection and classification of HOI events via clustering of extracted features from training of HOI acoustic sound waves. In this approach, salient sound events are preliminary identified and segmented from background via a sound energy tracking method. Upon this segmentation, frequency spectral pattern of each sound event is modeled and its features are extracted to form a feature vector for training. To reduce dimensionality of training feature space, a Principal Component Analysis (PCA) technique is employed to expedite fast classification of test feature vectors, a kd-tree and Random Forest classifiers are trained for rapid classification of training sound waves. Each classifiers employs different similarity distance matching technique for classification. Performance evaluations of classifiers are compared for classification of a batch of training HOI acoustic signatures. Furthermore, to facilitate semantic annotation of acoustic sound events, a scheme based on Transducer Mockup Language (TML) is proposed. The results demonstrate the proposed approach is both reliable and effective, and can be extended to future PSS applications.

The effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy on affective memory recall dynamics in depression: a mechanistic model of rumination.

PubMed

van Vugt, Marieke Karlijn; Hitchcock, Peter; Shahar, Ben; Britton, Willoughby

2012-01-01

converging research suggests that mindfulness training exerts its therapeutic effects on depression by reducing rumination. Theoretically, rumination is a multifaceted construct that aggregates multiple neurocognitive aspects of depression, including poor executive control, negative and overgeneral memory bias, and persistence or stickiness of negative mind states. Current measures of rumination, most-often self-reports, do not capture these different aspects of ruminative tendencies, and therefore are limited in providing detailed information about the mechanisms of mindfulness. we developed new insight into the potential mechanisms of rumination, based on three model-based metrics of free recall dynamics. These three measures reflect the patterns of memory retrieval of valenced information: the probability of first recall (Pstart) which represents initial affective bias, the probability of staying with the same valence category rather than switching, which indicates strength of positive or negative association networks (Pstay), and probability of stopping (Pstop) or ending recall within a given valence, which indicates persistence or stickiness of a mind state. We investigated the effects of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT; N = 29) vs. wait-list control (N = 23) on these recall dynamics in a randomized controlled trial in individuals with recurrent depression. Participants completed a standard laboratory stressor, the Trier Social Stress Test, to induce negative mood and activate ruminative tendencies. Following that, participants completed a free recall task consisting of three word lists. This assessment was conducted both before and after treatment or wait-list. while MBCT participant's Pstart remained relatively stable, controls showed multiple indications of depression-related deterioration toward more negative and less positive bias. Following the intervention, MBCT participants decreased in their tendency to sustain trains of negative words and increased their tendency to sustain trains of positive words. Conversely, controls showed the opposite tendency: controls stayed in trains of negative words for longer, and stayed in trains of positive words for less time relative to pre-intervention scores. MBCT participants tended to stop recall less often with negative words, which indicates less persistence or stickiness of negatively valenced mental context. MBCT participants showed a decrease in patterns that may perpetuate rumination on all three types of recall dynamics (Pstart, Pstay, and Pstop), compared to controls. MBCT may weaken the strength of self-perpetuating negative associations networks that are responsible for the persistent and "sticky" negative mind states observed in depression, and increase the positive associations that are lacking in depression. This study also offers a novel, objective method of measuring several indices of ruminative tendencies indicative of the underlying mechanisms of rumination.

Connections are not enough for membership: Letter/non-letter distinction persists through phonological association learning.

PubMed

Schmitt, Andreas; van Leeuwen, Cees; Lachmann, Thomas

2017-05-01

In compound, hierarchical stimuli (also known as Navon figures), a Global Precedence Effect (GPE) can reliably be observed for both letters and non-letters. However, when presentation conditions sufficiently resemble those of reading, the GPE for letters has occasionally been found to disappear. We corroborate this effect in a study with a large group of participants. In addition, in-between two sessions, participants were trained in associating the non-letters with either phonological or non-phonological sounds. We reasoned that learning distinctive phonological associations might be akin to the acquisition of letter knowledge. This might eliminate the GPE also for the non-letters. However, the GPE persisted for the trained non-letters in both conditions. The large number of participants in this study revealed additional effects in the letter condition, which enabled further insights in the processing dissociation between letters and non-letter shapes. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Archive of radar observations of meteors in Tomsk in 1965-1966. (Russian Title: Архив радиолокационных наблюдений метеоров в Томске в 1965-1966 гг.)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ryabova, G. O.

2010-12-01

The archive of data of radar observations of Geminid, Quadrantid, Daytime Arietid, Perseid, Ursid, Lyrid, Orionid and Leonid meteor showers in Tomsk in 1965-1966 is described. In certain cases registrations of the sporadic background before and after a shower exist. Primary data of echo registrations contain time of a registration, distance, duration and amplitude of an echo, allowing to obtain corresponding distributions essential for calculation of the incident flux density of meteors. Work on the archive digitization has been started.

STS-87 Columbia landing at KSC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

With Commander Kevin Kregel and Pilot Steven Lindsey at the controls, the orbiter Columbia makes a smooth touchdown on Runway 33 at KSCs Shuttle Landing Facility at 7:20:04 a.m. EST Dec. 5, completing the 15-day, 16-hour and 34-minute-long STS-87 mission of 6.5 million miles. Also onboard the orbiter are Mission Specialists Winston Scott; Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D.; and Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; along with Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. During the 88th Space Shuttle mission, the crew performed experiments on the United States Microgravity Payload-4 and pollinated plants as part of the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment. This was the 12th landing for Columbia at KSC and the 41st KSC landing in the history of the Space Shuttle program.

How Women in Biomedical PhD Programs Manage Gender Consciousness as They Persist toward Academic Research Careers

PubMed Central

Remich, Robin; Jones, Remi; Wood, Christine V.; Campbell, Patricia B.; McGee, Richard

2016-01-01

Purpose Women remain underrepresented as biomedical faculty and are more likely than White and Asian men to lose interest in faculty careers in graduate school. However, some women maintain interest in academic research careers during PhD training and are the most likely candidates for faculty positions. This study explored how these women described and interpreted gender issues at early stages in their training. Method Annual interviews from 2009–14 with 22 female PhD students aspiring to research faculty careers were analyzed using an iterative, content analysis approach rooted in the interview data. Focusing on career intentions and experiences with gender, race, and ethnicity, authors arrived at 11 themes which describe a range of gendered experiences and strategies. Results Of the 22 women, 19 (86%) acknowledged systemic gender inequities in science and/or reported instances of bias while 15 of them also said they had not yet experienced unequal treatment. All 22 described using at least one “gender explicit strategy,” where they based decisions on gender or in response to perceived biases. “Gender agnostic strategies” emerged for 12 (55%) who doubted that gender will affect their career. Conclusions Findings show that women biomedical PhD students continue to face conditions that can lead to unequal treatment; gender biases continue to persist. Students displayed a range of perceptions and strategies in response to these conditions at this early training stage. Following these students over time will determine if these or other strategies are required and sufficient to enable persistence toward academic careers. PMID:27254008

How Women in Biomedical PhD Programs Manage Gender Consciousness as They Persist Toward Academic Research Careers.

PubMed

Remich, Robin; Jones, Remi; Wood, Christine V; Campbell, Patricia B; McGee, Richard

2016-08-01

Women remain underrepresented as biomedical faculty and are more likely than white and Asian men to lose interest in faculty careers in graduate school. However, some women maintain interest in academic research careers during PhD training and are the most likely candidates for faculty positions. This study explored how these women described and interpreted gender issues at early stages in their training. Annual interviews from 2009 to 2014 with 22 female PhD students aspiring to research faculty careers were analyzed using an iterative, content analysis approach rooted in the interview data. Focusing on career intentions and experiences with gender, race, and ethnicity, authors arrived at 11 themes which describe a range of gendered experiences and strategies. Of the 22 women, 19 (86%) acknowl edged systemic gender inequities in science and/or reported instances of bias, while 15 of them also said they had not yet experienced unequal treatment. All 22 described using at least one "gender-explicit strategy," where they based decisions on gender or in response to perceived biases. "Gender-agnostic strategies" emerged for 12 (55%) who doubted that gender will affect their career. Findings show that women biomedical PhD students continue to face conditions that can lead to unequal treatment; gender biases continue to persist. Students displayed a range of perceptions and strategies in response to these conditions at this early training stage. Following these students over time will determine whether these or other strategies are required and sufficient to enable persistence toward academic careers.

A phase III randomized three-arm trial of physical therapist delivered pain coping skills training for patients with total knee arthroplasty: the KASTPain protocol

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Approximately 20% of patients report persistent and disabling pain following total knee arthroplasty (TKA) despite an apparently normally functioning prosthesis. One potential risk factor for unexplained persistent pain is high levels of pain catastrophizing. We designed a three-arm trial to determine if a pain coping skills training program, delivered prior to TKA, effectively reduces function-limiting pain following the procedure in patients with high levels of pain catastrophizing. Methods/design The trial will be conducted at four University-based sites in the US. A sample of 402 patients with high levels of pain catastrophizing will be randomly assigned to either a pain coping skills training arm, an arthritis education control arm or usual care. Pain coping skills will be delivered by physical therapists trained and supervised by clinical psychologist experts. Arthritis education will be delivered by nurses trained in the delivery of arthritis-related content. The primary outcome will be change in Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) Pain scale score 12 months following surgery. A variety of secondary clinical and economic outcomes also will be evaluated. Discussion The trial will be conducted at four University-based sites in the US. A sample of 402 patients with high levels of pain catastrophizing will be randomly assigned to either a pain coping skills training arm, an arthritis education control arm or usual care. Pain coping skills will be delivered by physical therapists trained and supervised by clinical psychologist experts. Arthritis education will be delivered by nurses trained in the delivery of arthritis-related content. The primary outcome will be change in Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) Pain scale score 12 months following surgery. A variety of secondary clinical and economic outcomes also will be evaluated. Trial Registration NCT01620983 PMID:22906061

Persistent conditioned place preference to aggression experience in adult male sexually-experienced CD-1 mice

PubMed Central

Golden, Sam A.; Aleyasin, Hossein; Heins, Robert; Flanigan, Meghan; Heshmati, Mitra; Takahashi, Aki; Russo, Scott J.; Shaham, Yavin

2016-01-01

We recently developed a conditioned place preference (CPP) procedure, commonly used to study rewarding drug effects, to demonstrate that dominant sexually-experienced CD-1 male mice form CPP to contexts previously associated with defeating subordinate male C57BL/6J mice. Here we further characterized conditioned and unconditioned aggression behavior in CD-1 mice. In Exp. 1 we used CD-1 mice that displayed a variable spectrum of unconditioned aggressive behavior toward younger subordinate C57BL/6J intruder mice. We then trained the CD-1 mice in the CPP procedure where one context was intruder-paired, while a different context was not. We then tested for aggression CPP 1 day after training. In Exp. 2, we tested CD-1 mice for aggression CPP 1 day and 18 days after training. In Exp. 3–4, we trained the CD-1 mice to lever-press for palatable food and tested them for footshock punishment-induced suppression of food-reinforced responding. In Exp. 5, we characterized unconditioned aggression in hybrid CD-1xC57BL/6J D1-Cre or D2-Cre F1 generation crosses. Persistent aggression CPP was observed in CD-1 mice that either immediately attacked C57BL/6J mice during all screening sessions or mice that gradually developed aggressive behavior during the screening phase. In contrast, CD-1 mice that did not attack the C57BL/6J mice during screening didn’t develop CPP to contexts previously paired with C57BL/6J mice. The aggressive phenotype did not predict resistance to punishment-induced suppression of food-reinforced responding. CD-1xD1-Cre or D2-Cre F1 transgenic mice showed strong unconditioned aggression. Our study demonstrates that aggression experience causes persistent CPP and introduces transgenic mice for circuit studies of aggression. PMID:27457669

Persistent conditioned place preference to aggression experience in adult male sexually-experienced CD-1 mice.

PubMed

Golden, S A; Aleyasin, H; Heins, R; Flanigan, M; Heshmati, M; Takahashi, A; Russo, S J; Shaham, Y

2017-01-01

We recently developed a conditioned place preference (CPP) procedure, commonly used to study rewarding drug effects, to demonstrate that dominant sexually-experienced CD-1 male mice form CPP to contexts previously associated with defeating subordinate male C57BL/6J mice. Here we further characterized conditioned and unconditioned aggression behavior in CD-1 mice. In Exp. 1 we used CD-1 mice that displayed a variable spectrum of unconditioned aggressive behavior toward younger subordinate C57BL/6J intruder mice. We then trained the CD-1 mice in the CPP procedure where one context was intruder-paired, while a different context was not. We then tested for aggression CPP 1 day after training. In Exp. 2, we tested CD-1 mice for aggression CPP 1 day and 18 days after training. In Exp. 3-4, we trained the CD-1 mice to lever-press for palatable food and tested them for footshock punishment-induced suppression of food-reinforced responding. In Exp. 5, we characterized unconditioned aggression in hybrid CD-1 × C57BL/6J D1-Cre or D2-Cre F1 generation crosses. Persistent aggression CPP was observed in CD-1 mice that either immediately attacked C57BL/6J mice during all screening sessions or mice that gradually developed aggressive behavior during the screening phase. In contrast, CD-1 mice that did not attack the C57BL/6J mice during screening did not develop CPP to contexts previously paired with C57BL/6J mice. The aggressive phenotype did not predict resistance to punishment-induced suppression of food-reinforced responding. CD-1 × D1-Cre or D2-Cre F1 transgenic mice showed strong unconditioned aggression. Our study demonstrates that aggression experience causes persistent CPP and introduces transgenic mice for circuit studies of aggression. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd and International Behavioural and Neural Genetics Society.

Prediction of persistent hemodynamic depression after carotid angioplasty and stenting using artificial neural network model.

PubMed

Jeon, Jin Pyeong; Kim, Chulho; Oh, Byoung-Doo; Kim, Sun Jeong; Kim, Yu-Seop

2018-01-01

To assess and compare predictive factors for persistent hemodynamic depression (PHD) after carotid artery angioplasty and stenting (CAS) using artificial neural network (ANN) and multiple logistic regression (MLR) or support vector machines (SVM) models. A retrospective data set of patients (n=76) who underwent CAS from 2007 to 2014 was used as input (training cohort) to a back-propagation ANN using TensorFlow platform. PHD was defined when systolic blood pressure was less than 90mmHg or heart rate was less 50 beats/min that lasted for more than one hour. The resulting ANN was prospectively tested in 33 patients (test cohort) and compared with MLR or SVM models according to accuracy and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis. No significant difference in baseline characteristics between the training cohort and the test cohort was observed. PHD was observed in 21 (27.6%) patients in the training cohort and 10 (30.3%) patients in the test cohort. In the training cohort, the accuracy of ANN for the prediction of PHD was 98.7% and the area under the ROC curve (AUROC) was 0.961. In the test cohort, the number of correctly classified instances was 32 (97.0%) using the ANN model. In contrast, the accuracy rate of MLR or SVM model was both 75.8%. ANN (AUROC: 0.950; 95% CI [confidence interval]: 0.813-0.996) showed superior predictive performance compared to MLR model (AUROC: 0.796; 95% CI: 0.620-0.915, p<0.001) or SVM model (AUROC: 0.885; 95% CI: 0.725-0.969, p<0.001). The ANN model seems to have more powerful prediction capabilities than MLR or SVM model for persistent hemodynamic depression after CAS. External validation with a large cohort is needed to confirm our results. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Does the sex difference in competitiveness decrease in selective sub-populations? A test with intercollegiate distance runners.

PubMed

Deaner, Robert O; Lowen, Aaron; Rogers, William; Saksa, Eric

2015-01-01

Sex differences in some preferences and motivations are well established, but it is unclear whether they persist in selective sub-populations, such as expert financial decision makers, top scientists, or elite athletes. We addressed this issue by studying competitiveness in 1,147 varsity intercollegiate distance runners. As expected, across all runners, men reported greater competitiveness with two previously validated instruments, greater competitiveness on a new elite competitiveness scale, and greater training volume, a known correlate of competitiveness. Among faster runners, the sex difference decreased for one measure of competitiveness but did not decrease for the two other competitiveness measures or either measure of training volume. Across NCAA athletic divisions (DI, DII, DIII), the sex difference did not decrease for any competitiveness or training measure. Further analyses showed that these sex differences could not be attributed to women suffering more injuries or facing greater childcare responsibilities. However, women did report greater commitment than men to their academic studies, suggesting a sex difference in priorities. Therefore, policies aiming to provide men and women with equal opportunities to flourish should acknowledge that sex differences in some kinds of preferences and motivation may persist even in selective sub-populations.

Does the sex difference in competitiveness decrease in selective sub-populations? A test with intercollegiate distance runners

PubMed Central

Lowen, Aaron; Rogers, William; Saksa, Eric

2015-01-01

Sex differences in some preferences and motivations are well established, but it is unclear whether they persist in selective sub-populations, such as expert financial decision makers, top scientists, or elite athletes. We addressed this issue by studying competitiveness in 1,147 varsity intercollegiate distance runners. As expected, across all runners, men reported greater competitiveness with two previously validated instruments, greater competitiveness on a new elite competitiveness scale, and greater training volume, a known correlate of competitiveness. Among faster runners, the sex difference decreased for one measure of competitiveness but did not decrease for the two other competitiveness measures or either measure of training volume. Across NCAA athletic divisions (DI, DII, DIII), the sex difference did not decrease for any competitiveness or training measure. Further analyses showed that these sex differences could not be attributed to women suffering more injuries or facing greater childcare responsibilities. However, women did report greater commitment than men to their academic studies, suggesting a sex difference in priorities. Therefore, policies aiming to provide men and women with equal opportunities to flourish should acknowledge that sex differences in some kinds of preferences and motivation may persist even in selective sub-populations. PMID:25922790

Acute Sleep Deprivation Blocks Short- and Long-Term Operant Memory in Aplysia

PubMed Central

Krishnan, Harini C.; Gandour, Catherine E.; Ramos, Joshua L.; Wrinkle, Mariah C.; Sanchez-Pacheco, Joseph J.; Lyons, Lisa C.

2016-01-01

Study Objectives: Insufficient sleep in individuals appears increasingly common due to the demands of modern work schedules and technology use. Consequently, there is a growing need to understand the interactions between sleep deprivation and memory. The current study determined the effects of acute sleep deprivation on short and long-term associative memory using the marine mollusk Aplysia californica, a relatively simple model system well known for studies of learning and memory. Methods: Aplysia were sleep deprived for 9 hours using context changes and tactile stimulation either prior to or after training for the operant learning paradigm, learning that food is inedible (LFI). The effects of sleep deprivation on short-term (STM) and long-term memory (LTM) were assessed. Results: Acute sleep deprivation prior to LFI training impaired the induction of STM and LTM with persistent effects lasting at least 24 h. Sleep deprivation immediately after training blocked the consolidation of LTM. However, sleep deprivation following the period of molecular consolidation did not affect memory recall. Memory impairments were independent of handling-induced stress, as daytime handled control animals demonstrated no memory deficits. Additional training immediately after sleep deprivation failed to rescue the induction of memory, but additional training alleviated the persistent impairment in memory induction when training occurred 24 h following sleep deprivation. Conclusions: Acute sleep deprivation inhibited the induction and consolidation, but not the recall of memory. These behavioral studies establish Aplysia as an effective model system for studying the interactions between sleep and memory formation. Citation: Krishnan HC, Gandour CE, Ramos JL, Wrinkle MC, Sanchez-Pacheco JJ, Lyons LC. Acute sleep deprivation blocks short- and long-term operant memory in Aplysia. SLEEP 2016;39(12):2161–2171. PMID:27748243

Neurobehavioral impairments produced by developmental lead exposure persisted for generations in zebrafish (Danio rerio).

PubMed

Xu, Xiaojuan; Weber, Daniel; Burge, Rebekah; VanAmberg, Kelsey

2016-01-01

The zebrafish has become a useful animal model for studying the effects of environmental contaminants on neurobehavioral development due to its ease of breeding, high number of eggs per female, short generation times, and a well-established avoidance conditioning paradigm. Using avoidance conditioning as the behavioral paradigm, the present study investigated the effects of embryonic exposure to lead (Pb) on learning in adult zebrafish and the third (F3) generation of those fish. In Experiment 1, adult zebrafish that were developmentally exposed to 0.0, 0.1, 1.0 or 10.0μM Pb (2-24h post fertilization) as embryos were trained and tested for avoidance responses. The results showed that adult zebrafish hatched from embryos exposed to 0.0 or 0.1μM Pb learned avoidance responses during training and displayed significantly increased avoidance responses during testing, while those hatched from embryos exposed to 1.0 or 10.0μM Pb displayed no significant increases in avoidance responses from training to testing. In Experiment 2, the F3 generation of zebrafish that were developmentally exposed to an identical exposure regimen as in Experiment 1 were trained and tested for avoidance responses. The results showed that the F3 generation of zebrafish developmentally exposed as embryos to 0.0 or 0.1μM Pb learned avoidance responses during training and displayed significantly increased avoidance responses during testing, while the F3 generation of zebrafish developmentally exposed as embryos to 1.0 or 10.0μM Pb displayed no significant changes in avoidance responses from training to testing. Thus, developmental Pb exposure produced learning impairments that persisted for at least three generations, demonstrating trans-generational effects of embryonic exposure to Pb. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

The effect of instability training on knee joint proprioception and core strength.

PubMed

Cuğ, Mutlu; Ak, Emre; Ozdemir, Recep Ali; Korkusuz, Feza; Behm, David G

2012-01-01

Although there are many studies demonstrating increased trunk activation under unstable conditions, it is not known whether this increased activation would translate into meaningful trunk strength with a prolonged training program. Additionally, while balance-training programs have been shown to improve stability, their effect on specific joint proprioception is not clear. Thus the objective of this study was to examine training adaptations associated with a 10-week instability-training program. Participants were tested pre- and post-training for trunk extension and flexion strength and knee proprioception. Forty-three participants participated in either a 10-week (3 days per week) instability-training program using Swiss balls and body weight as resistance or a control group (n = 17). The trained group increased (p < 0. 05) trunk extension peak torque/body weight (23.6%) and total work output (20.1%) from pre- to post-training while the control group decreased by 6.8% and 6.7% respectively. The exercise group increased their trunk flexion peak torque/body weight ratios by 18.1% while the control group decreased by 0.4%. Knee proprioception (combined right and left joint repositioning) improved 44.7% from pre- to post-training (p = 0.0006) and persisted (21.5%) for 9 months post-training. In addition there was a side interaction with the position sense of the right knee at 9 months showing 32.1% (p = 0.03) less deviation from the reference angle than the right knee during pre-testing. An instability-training program using Swiss balls with body weight as resistance can provide prolonged improvements in joint proprioception and core strength in previously untrained individuals performing this novel training stress which would contribute to general health. Key pointsAlthough traditional free weight resistance exercises have been recommended as most beneficial for improving strength and power in athletes (Behm et al., 2010b), an IT program using Swiss balls and body weight as a resistance may provide an alternative starting point for the sedentary untrained population.As it is well documented that force or strength is decreased when unbalanced (Behm et al., 2010b) and balance-training programs improve balance (Behm and Kean 2006), this type of instability RT program can provide significant adaptations to improve trunk strength especially with the untrained.This type of training should also be incorporated into a new program as the improvements in joint proprioception may help protect from joint injuries over a protracted period.The finding that improved joint proprioception persists for months after training should be emphasized to those individuals whose training is regularly or inconsistently interrupted.

Botulinum toxin type-A injection to treat patients with intractable anismus unresponsive to simple biofeedback training

PubMed Central

Zhang, Yong; Wang, Zhen-Ning; He, Lei; Gao, Ge; Zhai, Qing; Yin, Zhi-Tao; Zeng, Xian-Dong

2014-01-01

AIM: To evaluate the efficacy of botulinum toxin type A injection to the puborectalis and external sphincter muscle in the treatment of patients with anismus unresponsive to simple biofeedback training. METHODS: This retrospective study included 31 patients suffering from anismus who were unresponsive to simple biofeedback training. Diagnosis was made by anorectal manometry, balloon expulsion test, surface electromyography of the pelvic floor muscle, and defecography. Patients were given botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) injection and pelvic floor biofeedback training. Follow-up was conducted before the paper was written. Improvement was evaluated using the chronic constipation scoring system. RESULTS: BTX-A injection combined with pelvic floor biofeedback training achieved success in 24 patients, with 23 maintaining persistent satisfaction during a mean period of 8.4 mo. CONCLUSION: BTX-A injection combined with pelvic floor biofeedback training seems to be successful for intractable anismus. PMID:25253964

Botulinum toxin type-A injection to treat patients with intractable anismus unresponsive to simple biofeedback training.

PubMed

Zhang, Yong; Wang, Zhen-Ning; He, Lei; Gao, Ge; Zhai, Qing; Yin, Zhi-Tao; Zeng, Xian-Dong

2014-09-21

To evaluate the efficacy of botulinum toxin type A injection to the puborectalis and external sphincter muscle in the treatment of patients with anismus unresponsive to simple biofeedback training. This retrospective study included 31 patients suffering from anismus who were unresponsive to simple biofeedback training. Diagnosis was made by anorectal manometry, balloon expulsion test, surface electromyography of the pelvic floor muscle, and defecography. Patients were given botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) injection and pelvic floor biofeedback training. Follow-up was conducted before the paper was written. Improvement was evaluated using the chronic constipation scoring system. BTX-A injection combined with pelvic floor biofeedback training achieved success in 24 patients, with 23 maintaining persistent satisfaction during a mean period of 8.4 mo. BTX-A injection combined with pelvic floor biofeedback training seems to be successful for intractable anismus.

Transportation-disadvantaged populations : some coordination efforts among programs providing transportation services, but obstacles persist

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2003-06-01

Millions of Americans are unable to provide their own transportation-or even use public transportation-for Medicaid appointments, Head Start classes, job training, or other services. Such transportation-disadvantaged" persons are often disabled, elde...

The spatial learning and memory performance in methamphetamine–sensitized and withdrawn rats

PubMed Central

Bigdeli, Imanollah; Asia, Masomeh Nikfarjam- Haft; Miladi-Gorji, Hossein; Fadaei, Atefeh

2015-01-01

Objective(s): There is controversial evidence about the effect of methamphetamine (METH) on spatial memory. We tested the time- dependent effects of METH on spatial short-term (working) and long-term (reference) memory in METH –sensitized and withdrawn rats in the Morris water maze. Materials and Methods: Rats were sensitized to METH (2 mg/kg, daily/5 days, SC). Rats were trained in water maze (4 trials/day/for 5 days). Probe test was performed 24 hr after training. Two days after probe test, working memory training (2 trials/day/for 5 days) was conducted. Acquisition–retention interval was 75 min. The treatment was continued per day 30 and 120 min before the test. Two groups of METH –sensitized rats were trained in reference memory after a longer period of withdrawal (30 days). Results: Sensitized rats exhibited significantly longer escape latencies on the training, spent significantly less time in the target zone (all, P<0.05), and their working memory impaired 30 min after injection. While, METH has no effect on the spatial learning process 120 min after injection, and rats spent significantly less time in the target zone (P<0.05), as well it has no effect on working memory. Also, impairment of reference memory persisted after prolonged abstinence. Conclusion: Our findings indicated that METH impaired spatial learning and memory 30 min after injection, but spared spatial learning, either acquisition or retention of spatial working, but partially impaired retention of spatial reference memory following 120 min after injection in sensitized rats, which persisted even after prolonged abstinence. PMID:25945235

Development and Evaluation of a Train-the-Trainer Workshop for Hong Kong Community Social Service Agency Staff.

PubMed

Zhou, Qianling; Stewart, Sunita M; Wan, Alice; Leung, Charles Sai-Cheong; Lai, Agnes Y; Lam, Tai Hing; Chan, Sophia Siu-Chee

2017-01-01

Capacity building approaches are useful in large-scale community-based health promotion interventions. However, models to guide and evaluate capacity building among social service agency staff in community settings are rare in the literature. This paper describes the development and evaluation of a 1-day (7 h) train-the-trainer (TTT) workshop for the "Enhancing Family Well-Being Project". The workshop aimed at equipping staff from different community agencies with the knowledge and skills to design, implement, and evaluate positive psychology-based interventions for their clients in Sham Shui Po, an over-crowded and low-income district in Hong Kong. The current TTT extended and improved on our previous successful model by adding research and evaluation methods (including the Logic Model, process evaluation, and randomized controlled trial), which are important to plan and evaluate the community interventions. Evaluation of the TTT was guided by the Integrated Model of Training Evaluation and Effectiveness (IMTEE), with quantitative and qualitative methods. Quantitative data were collected from pretraining (T1), post-training (T2), and 6-month (T3) and 12-month (T4) follow-up surveys. Qualitative data were collected from four focus groups of agency staff after the intervention. Ninety-three staff from 30 community agencies attended the training, and 90 completed the baseline survey. Eighty-eight, 63, and 57 staff performed the evaluations at T2, T3, and T4, respectively. Agency staff were satisfied with the TTT. Immediate enhancement of knowledge, self-efficacy, and positive attitudes toward the training content was found at T2 (Cohen's d ranged from 0.24 to 1.22, all p  < 0.05). Enhancement of knowledge of all training contents persisted at T3 and T4 (Cohen's d ranged from 0.34 to 0.63, all p  < 0.05). Enhancement of self-efficacy in the use of positive psychology in intervention design persisted at T3 (Cohen's d  = 0.22, p  = 0.04). The skills learned were utilized to plan and develop subsequent interventions. Twenty-nine interventions were successfully designed and implemented by the agency staff, and delivered to 1,586 participants. The agency staff indicated their intention to utilize the skills they had learned for other interventions (score ≥4 out of 6) and to share these skills with their colleagues. Qualitative feedbacks from 23 agency staff supported the quantitative results. Our brief TTT was effectively delivered to a large number of agency staff and showed effects that persisted up to 12 months. Our training and evaluation models may offer a template for capacity building among social service agency staff for community brief, universal family health promotion interventions in diverse settings.

Gait training strategies to optimize walking ability in people with stroke: A synthesis of the evidence

PubMed Central

Tang, Pei Fang

2011-01-01

Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability. Impairments resulting from stroke lead to persistent difficulties with walking and subsequently, improved walking ability is one of the highest priorities for people living with a stroke. In addition, walking ability has important health implications in providing protective effects against secondary complications common after a stroke such as heart disease or osteoporosis. This paper systematically reviews common gait training strategies (neurodevelopmental techniques, muscle strengthening, treadmill training, intensive mobility exercises) to improve walking ability. The results (descriptive summaries as well as pooled effect sizes) from randomized controlled trials are presented and implications for optimal gait training strategies are discussed. Novel and emerging gait training strategies are highlighted and research directions proposed to enable the optimal recovery and maintenance of walking ability. PMID:17939776

Medial prefrontal cortex dopamine controls the persistent storage of aversive memories

PubMed Central

Gonzalez, María C.; Kramar, Cecilia P.; Tomaiuolo, Micol; Katche, Cynthia; Weisstaub, Noelia; Cammarota, Martín; Medina, Jorge H.

2014-01-01

Medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is essential for initial memory processing and expression but its involvement in persistent memory storage has seldom been studied. Using the hippocampus dependent inhibitory avoidance learning task and the hippocampus-independent conditioned taste aversion paradigm together with specific dopamine receptor agonists and antagonists we found that persistence but not formation of long-term aversive memories requires dopamine D1/D5 receptors activation in mPFC immediately after training and, depending on the task, between 6 and 12 h later. Our results indicate that besides its well-known participation in retrieval and early consolidation, mPFC also modulates the endurance of long-lasting aversive memories regardless of whether formation of the aversive mnemonic trace requires the participation of the hippocampus. PMID:25506318

The Effects of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy on Affective Memory Recall Dynamics in Depression: A Mechanistic Model of Rumination

PubMed Central

van Vugt, Marieke Karlijn; Hitchcock, Peter; Shahar, Ben; Britton, Willoughby

2012-01-01

Objectives: converging research suggests that mindfulness training exerts its therapeutic effects on depression by reducing rumination. Theoretically, rumination is a multifaceted construct that aggregates multiple neurocognitive aspects of depression, including poor executive control, negative and overgeneral memory bias, and persistence or stickiness of negative mind states. Current measures of rumination, most-often self-reports, do not capture these different aspects of ruminative tendencies, and therefore are limited in providing detailed information about the mechanisms of mindfulness. Methods: we developed new insight into the potential mechanisms of rumination, based on three model-based metrics of free recall dynamics. These three measures reflect the patterns of memory retrieval of valenced information: the probability of first recall (Pstart) which represents initial affective bias, the probability of staying with the same valence category rather than switching, which indicates strength of positive or negative association networks (Pstay), and probability of stopping (Pstop) or ending recall within a given valence, which indicates persistence or stickiness of a mind state. We investigated the effects of Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT; N = 29) vs. wait-list control (N = 23) on these recall dynamics in a randomized controlled trial in individuals with recurrent depression. Participants completed a standard laboratory stressor, the Trier Social Stress Test, to induce negative mood and activate ruminative tendencies. Following that, participants completed a free recall task consisting of three word lists. This assessment was conducted both before and after treatment or wait-list. Results: while MBCT participant’s Pstart remained relatively stable, controls showed multiple indications of depression-related deterioration toward more negative and less positive bias. Following the intervention, MBCT participants decreased in their tendency to sustain trains of negative words and increased their tendency to sustain trains of positive words. Conversely, controls showed the opposite tendency: controls stayed in trains of negative words for longer, and stayed in trains of positive words for less time relative to pre-intervention scores. MBCT participants tended to stop recall less often with negative words, which indicates less persistence or stickiness of negatively valenced mental context. Conclusion: MBCT participants showed a decrease in patterns that may perpetuate rumination on all three types of recall dynamics (Pstart, Pstay, and Pstop), compared to controls. MBCT may weaken the strength of self-perpetuating negative associations networks that are responsible for the persistent and “sticky” negative mind states observed in depression, and increase the positive associations that are lacking in depression. This study also offers a novel, objective method of measuring several indices of ruminative tendencies indicative of the underlying mechanisms of rumination. PMID:23049507

Age, training, and previous experience predict race performance in long-distance inline skaters, not anthropometry.

PubMed

Knechtle, Beat; Knechtle, Patrizia; Rüst, Christoph Alexander; Rosemann, Thomas; Lepers, Romuald

2012-02-01

The association of characteristics of anthropometry, training, and previous experience with race time in 84 recreational, long-distance, inline skaters at the longest inline marathon in Europe (111 km), the Inline One-eleven in Switzerland, was investigated to identify predictor variables for performance. Age, duration per training unit, and personal best time were the only three variables related to race time in a multiple regression, while none of the 16 anthropometric variables were related. Anthropometric characteristics seem to be of no importance for a fast race time in a long-distance inline skating race in contrast to training volume and previous experience, when controlled with covariates. Improving performance in a long-distance inline skating race might be related to a high training volume and previous race experience. Also, doing such a race requires a parallel psychological effort, mental stamina, focus, and persistence. This may be reflected in the preparation and training for the event. Future studies should investigate what motivates these athletes to train and compete.

The experiences of Panamanian Afro-Caribbean women in STEM: Voices to inform work with Black females in STEM education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Miller, Beverly A. King

This grounded theory case study examines the experiences of Panamanian Afro-Caribbean women and their membership in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) training and careers. The shortage of Science and Math teachers in 48 of 50 States heightens the need for those trained in STEM. Females of African phenotype have persistently been underrepresented in STEM. However, this trend does not appear to have held for Panamanian Afro-Caribbean women. The current study explores issues related to STEM participation for these women by addressing the overarching question: What key factors from the lived experiences of Panamanian Afro-Caribbean women in STEM careers can be used to inform work with females of African phenotype in their pursuit of STEM education and STEM careers? Five women were identified for inclusion in the study's purposive sample. The study draws upon assertions and implications about the relevance of self-identity and collective-identity for membership in STEM. Data for the study was gathered through qualitative interviews, surveys, and observations. The grounded theory approach was used to analyze emergent themes related to participants' responses to the research questions. Two models, the STEM Attainment Model (SAM) and the Ecological Model of Self-Confidence and Bi-Directional Effect, are proposed from evaluation of the identified information. Socio-cultural values and learned strategies were determined to influence self-confidence which is identified as important for persistence in STEM training and careers for females of African phenotype. Evidence supports that the influences of parents, country of origin, neighborhood communities, schools and teachers are factors for persistence. Through the voices of these women, recommendations are offered to the gatekeepers of STEM academic pathways and ultimately STEM careers.

Therapy students' recommendations of physical activity for managing persistent low back pain in older adults.

PubMed

Ryan, Cormac G; Schofield, Patricia; Martin, Denis J

2013-07-01

Negative views of older adults can lead to suboptimal care. For older adults with persistent low back pain (LBP), promotion of physical activity by health care professionals is important. Health care professionals' views of older adults are influenced by their training. This study aimed to compare recommendations for physical activity for managing persistent LBP offered by students in physiotherapy and occupational therapy to an older person vs. a younger person. In a cross-sectional online survey, participants (N = 77) randomly received a vignette of either a 40-yr-old or 70-yr-old patient with persistent LBP. Other than age, the vignettes were identical. There was no difference between the younger and older vignettes in the likelihood of participants making overall appropriate physical activity recommendations--63% vs. 59%, OR (95% CI) = 1.19 (0.48-2.99), p = .71--although there was a trend toward age bias on recommendations specific to daily activity. Postqualification education may be where ageist views need to be addressed.

Overview of persistent pain in older adults.

PubMed

Molton, Ivan R; Terrill, Alexandra L

2014-01-01

With the shifting age demographics of the U.S. population, more psychologists will be asked to provide clinical services to older adults. Given the high prevalence of persistent pain in aging, in many cases this will mean providing empirically supported interventions for pain and the interference it creates. The purpose of this review is to provide a broad overview of the scope and impact of persistent pain in older people and to discuss mechanisms by which persistent geriatric pain can lead to suffering and disability. We consider the unique context of pain in older adulthood and review differences between older and younger people in terms of pain perception, the social network, beliefs about pain, pain-related coping, and adherence to pain medication. Finally, we discuss special issues affecting pain management in older adults, including dementia, polypharmacy, and barriers to accessing adequate pain care. This review also highlights a need for greater provider training in pain management to meet the needs of a changing U.S. population. PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

A fireball analysis from Spanish meteor observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benítez Sánchez, O.; Ocaña González, F.

2004-03-01

Naked eye meteor records from Spain are used for an analysis of 3240 fireballs reported by members of the Sociedad de Observadores de Meteoros Y Cometas de España (SOMYCE) and by casual eye-witnesses from 1982 to 2000. This analysis concerns various areas, such as statistical studies of the colours and the frequency of fireballs in annual meteor showers. Annual and diurnal variations are also discussed. We describe the population index r for magnitudes brighter than m=-2 for ORI, VIR, AQU, TAU, CAP, QUA, GEM, LYR, LEO, KCG, PER and sporadic fireballs. The typical population index is always in the range ≃ 1.2 to 1.9, except for Perseids and Geminids. An investigation of visual fireballs radiants was attempted with the Radiant software. The sample of fireballs (282 fireballs with the path reported) only shows evidence for the Perseids and Leonids.

KSC-97PC1517

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-10-02

Participating in the Crew Equipment Integration Test (CEIT) at Kennedy Space Center is STS-87 Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine (NSAU). Here, Cosmonaut Kadenyuk is inspecting flowers for pollination and fertilization, which will occur as part of the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment, or CUE, aboard Columbia during its 16-day mission, scheduled to take off from KSC’s Launch Pad 39-B on Nov. 19. The CUE experiment is a collection of 10 plant space biology experiments that will fly in Columbia’s middeck and feature an educational component that involves evaluating the effects of microgravity on the pollinating Brassica rapa seedlings. Students in Ukrainian and American schools will participate in the same experiment on the ground and have several live opportunities to discuss the experiment with Kadenyuk in Space. Kadenyuk of the Ukraine will be flying his first Shuttle mission on STS-87

KSC-97PC1516

NASA Image and Video Library

1997-10-02

Participating in the Crew Equipment Integration Test (CEIT) at Kennedy Space Center is STS-87 Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine (NSAU). Here, Cosmonaut Kadenyuk is inspecting flowers for pollination and fertilization, which will occur as part of the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment, or CUE, aboard Columbia during its 16-day mission, scheduled to take off from KSC’s Launch Pad 39-B on Nov. 19. The CUE experiment is a collection of 10 plant space biology experiments that will fly in Columbia’s middeck and feature an educational component that involves evaluating the effects of microgravity on the pollinating Brassica rapa seedlings. Students in Ukrainian and American schools will participate in the same experiment on the ground and have several live opportunities to discuss the experiment with Kadenyuk in Space. Kadenyuk of the Ukraine will be flying his first Shuttle mission on STS-87

Ground-based multi-station spectroscopic imaging with ALIS. - Scientific highlights, project status and future prospects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brändström; Gustavsson, Björn; Pellinen-Wannberg, Asta; Sandahl, Ingrid; Sergienko, Tima; Steen, Ake

2005-08-01

The Auroral Large Imaging System (ALIS) was first proposed at the ESA-PAC meeting in Lahnstein 1989. The first spectroscopic imaging station was operational in 1994, and since then up to six stations have been in simultaneous operation. Each station has a scientific-grade CCD-detector and a filter-wheel for narrow-band interference-filters with six positions. The field-of-view is around 70°. Each imager is mounted in a positioning system, enabling imaging of a common volume from several sites. This enables triangulation and tomography. Raw data from ALIS is freely available at ("http://alis.irf.se") and ALIS is open for scientific colaboration. ALIS made the first unambiguous observations of Radio-induced optical emissions at high latitudes, and the detection of water in a Leonid meteor-trail. Both rockets and satellite coordination are considered for future observations with ALIS.

The relationship between fireballs and HRO Long Echos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yanagida, E.; Amikura, S.

Ham-band Radio Observation (HRO) is one of the major methods used to observe meteor activity in Japan. We receive certain types of meteor echoes. One of the types is the long-lasting echo called a ``Long Echo''. We have the impression that Long Echoes correspond to fireballs. The present research found this relation and tried to identify fireball data from visual observations with Long Echo data of the 2002 Leonids, Geminids, and Quadrantids. From these data, we found that the identification percentage tended to be higher for fainter magnitudes, but that the percentage is small, the percentages of each meteor stream being less than 30 %. From these results, this research found that we could not simply say that brighter meteors were received as Long Echoes. It depends on the geocentric velocity of the meteor stream, with a possibility that Long Echoes correspond to darker as well as brighter fireballs.

STS-87 Columbia Landing at KSC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

With Commander Kevin Kregel and Pilot Steven Lindsey at the controls, the orbiter Columbia touches its main gear down on Runway 33 at KSCs Shuttle Landing Facility at 7:20:04 a.m. EST Dec. 5 to complete the 15-day, 16-hour and 34-minute-long STS-87 mission of 6.5 million miles. Also onboard the orbiter are Mission Specialists Winston Scott; Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D.; and Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; along with Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. During the 88th Space Shuttle mission, the crew performed experiments on the United States Microgravity Payload-4 and pollinated plants as part of the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment. This was the 12th landing for Columbia at KSC and the 41st KSC landing in the history of the Space Shuttle program.

STS-87 Columbia landing at KSC (Drag Chute Deployed)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

With Commander Kevin Kregel and Pilot Steven Lindsey at the controls, the orbiter Columbia touches its main gear down on Runway 33 at KSCs Shuttle Landing Facility at 7:20:04 a.m. EST Dec. 5 to complete the 15-day, 16-hour and 34-minute-long STS-87 mission of 6.5 million miles. Also onboard the orbiter are Mission Specialists Winston Scott; Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D.; and Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; along with Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. During the 88th Space Shuttle mission, the crew performed experiments on the United States Microgravity Payload-4 and pollinated plants as part of the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment. This was the 12th landing for Columbia at KSC and the 41st KSC landing in the history of the Space Shuttle program.

STS-87 concludes with landing of orbiter Columbia at KSC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

With Commander Kevin Kregel and Pilot Steven Lindsey at the controls, the orbiter Columbia makes a smooth touchdown on Runway 33 at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility at 7:20:04 a.m. EST Dec. 5, completing the 15-day, 16-hour and 34-minute-long STS-87 mission of 6.5 million miles. Also onboard the orbiter are Mission Specialists Winston Scott; Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D.; and Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; along with Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. During the 88th Space Shuttle mission, the crew performed experiments on the United States Microgravity Payload-4 and pollinated plants as part of the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment. This was the 12th landing for Columbia at KSC and the 41st KSC landing in the history of the Space Shuttle program.

STS-87 Payload Specialist Kadenyuk participates in the CEIT for his mission

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

Participating in the Crew Equipment Integration Test (CEIT) at Kennedy Space Center is STS-87 Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine (NSAU). Here, Cosmonaut Kadenyuk is inspecting flowers for pollination and fertilization, which will occur as part of the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment, or CUE, aboard Columbia during its 16-day mission, scheduled to take off from KSC's Launch Pad 39-B on Nov. 19. The CUE experiment is a collection of 10 plant space biology experiments that will fly in Columbia's middeck and feature an educational component that involves evaluating the effects of microgravity on the pollinating Brassica rapa seedlings. Students in Ukrainian and American schools will participate in the same experiment on the ground and have several live opportunities to discuss the experiment with Kadenyuk in Space. Kadenyuk of the Ukraine will be flying his first Shuttle mission on STS-87.

ARACHNE: A neural-neuroglial network builder with remotely controlled parallel computing

PubMed Central

Rusakov, Dmitri A.; Savtchenko, Leonid P.

2017-01-01

Creating and running realistic models of neural networks has hitherto been a task for computing professionals rather than experimental neuroscientists. This is mainly because such networks usually engage substantial computational resources, the handling of which requires specific programing skills. Here we put forward a newly developed simulation environment ARACHNE: it enables an investigator to build and explore cellular networks of arbitrary biophysical and architectural complexity using the logic of NEURON and a simple interface on a local computer or a mobile device. The interface can control, through the internet, an optimized computational kernel installed on a remote computer cluster. ARACHNE can combine neuronal (wired) and astroglial (extracellular volume-transmission driven) network types and adopt realistic cell models from the NEURON library. The program and documentation (current version) are available at GitHub repository https://github.com/LeonidSavtchenko/Arachne under the MIT License (MIT). PMID:28362877

Some problems of the theory of gravitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Verozub, Leonid

Leonid Verozub, lverozub@gmail.com Kharkov National University, Kharkov, Ukraine The contemporary observations pose serious challenges to the fundamental physics and astro-physics. We proceed from the equations of gravitation, based on an examination of foundations of the theory. (Ann. Phys. (Leipzig) 17, No. 1, 28 -51 (2008)). Namely, these equations are based on going back to Poincare's ideas about the relativity of geometry of space and time to the properties of measuring instruments, and on the consideration of the geodesic invariance as gauge invariance in the theory of gravitation. These equations do not contradict the observa-tional data, however, lead to two unexpected consequences, which allow you to test the theory: 1. They predict the existence of super-massive compact objects without event horizons, which are an alternative to black holes in the centers of galaxies. 2. They provide a simple and natural explanation for the accelerating expansion of the universe.

Practice makes imperfect: Working memory training can harm recognition memory performance

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

Matzen, Laura E.; Trumbo, Michael C.; Haass, Michael J.

There is a great deal of debate concerning the benefits of working memory (WM) training and whether that training can transfer to other tasks. Although a consistent finding is that WM training programs elicit a short-term near-transfer effect (i.e., improvement in WM skills), results are inconsistent when considering persistence of such improvement and far transfer effects. In this study, we compared three groups of participants: a group that received WM training, a group that received training on how to use a mental imagery memory strategy, and a control group that received no training. Although the WM training group improved onmore » the trained task, their posttraining performance on nontrained WM tasks did not differ from that of the other two groups. In addition, although the imagery training group’s performance on a recognition memory task increased after training, the WM training group’s performance on the task decreased after training. Participants’ descriptions of the strategies they used to remember the studied items indicated that WM training may lead people to adopt memory strategies that are less effective for other types of memory tasks. Our results indicate that WM training may have unintended consequences for other types of memory performance.« less

Decreased acetylcholine release delays the consolidation of object recognition memory.

PubMed

De Jaeger, Xavier; Cammarota, Martín; Prado, Marco A M; Izquierdo, Iván; Prado, Vania F; Pereira, Grace S

2013-02-01

Acetylcholine (ACh) is important for different cognitive functions such as learning, memory and attention. The release of ACh depends on its vesicular loading by the vesicular acetylcholine transporter (VAChT). It has been demonstrated that VAChT expression can modulate object recognition memory. However, the role of VAChT expression on object recognition memory persistence still remains to be understood. To address this question we used distinct mouse lines with reduced expression of VAChT, as well as pharmacological manipulations of the cholinergic system. We showed that reduction of cholinergic tone impairs object recognition memory measured at 24h. Surprisingly, object recognition memory, measured at 4 days after training, was impaired by substantial, but not moderate, reduction in VAChT expression. Our results suggest that levels of acetylcholine release strongly modulate object recognition memory consolidation and appear to be of particular importance for memory persistence 4 days after training. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Points of contact: using first-person narratives to help foster empathy in psychiatric residents.

PubMed

Deen, Serina R; Mangurian, Christina; Cabaniss, Deborah L

2010-01-01

The authors aimed to determine if writing narratives in psychiatric training can foster empathy for severely and persistently mentally ill patients. One resident wrote first-person narrative pieces about three different patients at a community mental health clinic. She reviewed these pieces with a writing supervisor weekly. The supervisor and resident examined the style of writing, choice of words, and story line to help the resident learn about her feelings about the patient. In each narrative, different choices were made that provided clues about that particular resident-patient relationship. These writing exercises helped the resident become more connected to her patients, develop interviewing skills, and engage in more self-reflection. Narrative writing effectively fostered empathy in a PGY-1 psychiatric resident working with severely and persistently mentally ill patients. This exercise also fostered understanding of countertransference and improved psychiatric history-taking skills. Psychiatry training programs may want to consider incorporating narrative writing exercises into their curriculum.

Effects of Bias Modification Training in Binge Eating Disorder.

PubMed

Schmitz, Florian; Svaldi, Jennifer

2017-09-01

Food-related attentional biases have been identified as maintaining factors in binge eating disorder (BED) as they can trigger a binge episode. Bias modification training may reduce symptoms, as it has been shown to be successful in other appetitive disorders. The aim of this study was to assess and modify food-related biases in BED. It was tested whether biases could be increased and decreased by means of a modified dot-probe paradigm, how long such bias modification persisted, and whether this affected subjective food craving. Participants were randomly assigned to a bias enhancement (attend to food stimulus) group or to a bias reduction (avoid food stimulus) group. Food-related attentional bias was found to be successfully reduced in the bias-reduction group, and effects persisted briefly. Additionally, subjective craving for food was influenced by the intervention, and possible mechanisms are discussed. Given these promising initial results, future research should investigate boundary conditions of the experimental intervention to understand how it could complement treatment of BED. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

'Am I being over-sensitive?' Women's experience of sexual harassment during medical training.

PubMed

Hinze, Susan W

2004-01-01

Despite larger numbers of women in medicine and strong statements against gender discrimination in written policies and the medical literature, sexual harassment persists in medical training. This study examines the everyday lives of women and men resident physicians to understand the context within which harassment unfolds. The narratives explored here reveal how attention is deflected from the problem of sexual harassment through a focus on women's 'sensitivity'. Women resist by refusing to name sexual harassment as problematic, and by defining sexual harassment as 'small stuff' in the context of a rigorous training program. Ultimately, both tactics of resistance fail. Closer examination of the relations shaping everyday actions is key, as is viewing the rigid hierarchy of authority and power in medical training through a gender lens. I conclude with a discussion of how reforms in medical education must tend to the gendered, everyday realities of women and men in training.

Web-based technical assistance and training to promote community tobacco control policy change.

PubMed

Young, Walter F; Montgomery, Debbie; Nycum, Colleen; Burns-Martin, Lavon; Buller, David B

2006-01-01

In 1998 the tobacco industry was released of claims that provided monetary relief for states. A significant expansion of tobacco control activity in many states created a need to develop local capacity. Technical assistance and training for new and experienced staff became a significant challenge for tobacco control leadership. In Colorado, this challenge was addressed in part through the development of a technical assistance and training Web site designed for local tobacco control staff and coalition members. Researchers, technical Web site development specialists, state health agency, and state tobacco control coalition staff collaborated to develop, promote, and test the efficacy of this Web site. The work group embodied a range of skills including tobacco control, Web site technical development, marketing, training, and project management. Persistent marketing, updating of Web site content, and institutionalizing it as a principal source of information and training were key to use by community coalition members.

Learning-Related Shifts in Generalization Gradients for Complex Sounds

PubMed Central

Wisniewski, Matthew G.; Church, Barbara A.; Mercado, Eduardo

2010-01-01

Learning to discriminate stimuli can alter how one distinguishes related stimuli. For instance, training an individual to differentiate between two stimuli along a single dimension can alter how that individual generalizes learned responses. In this study, we examined the persistence of shifts in generalization gradients after training with sounds. University students were trained to differentiate two sounds that varied along a complex acoustic dimension. Students subsequently were tested on their ability to recognize a sound they experienced during training when it was presented among several novel sounds varying along this same dimension. Peak shift was observed in Experiment 1 when generalization tests immediately followed training, and in Experiment 2 when tests were delayed by 24 hours. These findings further support the universality of generalization processes across species, modalities, and levels of stimulus complexity. They also raise new questions about the mechanisms underlying learning-related shifts in generalization gradients. PMID:19815929

Therapeutic effects of an anti-gravity treadmill (AlterG) training on gait and lower limbs kinematics and kinetics in children with cerebral palsy.

PubMed

Lotfian, M; Kharazi, M R; Mirbagheri, A; Dadashi, F; Nourian, R; Mirbagheri, M M

2017-07-01

We aimed to investigate the effects of the lower body weight support treadmill (AlterG) training on kinetics and kinematics of the lower extremities in children with cerebral palsy (CP). We provided a 45-minute training program, 3 times a week for 8 weeks. AlterG can support the subject's weight up to 70% so that the subject will be able to walk more comfortably to reach a more correct walking pattern. The kinematics and kinetics were evaluated using an isokinetic dynamometer. The locomotion parameters were assessed in the gait laboratory. Subjects performance was evaluated at four time points: baseline (prior to training), 1 and 2 months after the beginning of training, and one month after the end of the training (as a follow-up evaluation). The results showed that the major gait, kinematic, and kinetic parameters improved after the AlterG training and were persistent. These findings suggest that the AlterG training can be considered as a therapeutic tool for improving the lower limb performance and locomotion in children with CP.

The Acceptability and Potential Utility of Cognitive Training to Improve Working Memory in Persons Living With HIV: A Preliminary Randomized Trial.

PubMed

Towe, Sheri L; Patel, Puja; Meade, Christina S

HIV-associated neurocognitive impairments that impact daily function persist in the era of effective antiretroviral therapy. Cognitive training, a promising low-cost intervention, has been shown to improve neurocognitive functioning in some clinical populations. We tested the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of computerized cognitive training to improve working memory in persons living with HIV infection (PLWH) and working memory impairment. In this randomized clinical trial, we assigned 21 adult PLWH to either an experimental cognitive training intervention or an attention-matched control training intervention. Participants completed 12 training sessions across 10 weeks with assessments at baseline and post-training. Session attendance was excellent and participants rated the program positively. Participants in the experimental arm demonstrated improved working memory function over time; participants in the control arm showed no change. Our results suggest that cognitive training may be a promising intervention for working memory impairment in PLWH and should be evaluated further. Copyright © 2017 Association of Nurses in AIDS Care. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Effect of Instability Training on Knee Joint Proprioception and Core Strength

PubMed Central

Cuğ, Mutlu; Ak, Emre; Özdemir, Recep Ali; Korkusuz, Feza; Behm, David G

2012-01-01

Although there are many studies demonstrating increased trunk activation under unstable conditions, it is not known whether this increased activation would translate into meaningful trunk strength with a prolonged training program. Additionally, while balance-training programs have been shown to improve stability, their effect on specific joint proprioception is not clear. Thus the objective of this study was to examine training adaptations associated with a 10-week instability-training program. Participants were tested pre- and post-training for trunk extension and flexion strength and knee proprioception. Forty-three participants participated in either a 10-week (3 days per week) instability-training program using Swiss balls and body weight as resistance or a control group (n = 17). The trained group increased (p < 0. 05) trunk extension peak torque/body weight (23.6%) and total work output (20.1%) from pre- to post-training while the control group decreased by 6.8% and 6.7% respectively. The exercise group increased their trunk flexion peak torque/body weight ratios by 18.1% while the control group decreased by 0.4%. Knee proprioception (combined right and left joint repositioning) improved 44.7% from pre- to post-training (p = 0.0006) and persisted (21.5%) for 9 months post-training. In addition there was a side interaction with the position sense of the right knee at 9 months showing 32.1% (p = 0.03) less deviation from the reference angle than the right knee during pre-testing. An instability-training program using Swiss balls with body weight as resistance can provide prolonged improvements in joint proprioception and core strength in previously untrained individuals performing this novel training stress which would contribute to general health. Key pointsAlthough traditional free weight resistance exercises have been recommended as most beneficial for improving strength and power in athletes (Behm et al., 2010b), an IT program using Swiss balls and body weight as a resistance may provide an alternative starting point for the sedentary untrained population.As it is well documented that force or strength is decreased when unbalanced (Behm et al., 2010b) and balance-training programs improve balance (Behm and Kean 2006), this type of instability RT program can provide significant adaptations to improve trunk strength especially with the untrained.This type of training should also be incorporated into a new program as the improvements in joint proprioception may help protect from joint injuries over a protracted period.The finding that improved joint proprioception persists for months after training should be emphasized to those individuals whose training is regularly or inconsistently interrupted. PMID:24149355

Cognitive and neurophysiological markers of ADHD persistence and remission.

PubMed

Cheung, Celeste H M; Rijsdijk, Fruhling; McLoughlin, Gráinne; Brandeis, Daniel; Banaschewski, Tobias; Asherson, Philip; Kuntsi, Jonna

2016-06-01

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) persists in around two-thirds of individuals in adolescence and early adulthood. To examine the cognitive and neurophysiological processes underlying the persistence or remission of ADHD. Follow-up data were obtained from 110 young people with childhood ADHD and 169 controls on cognitive, electroencephalogram frequency, event-related potential (ERP) and actigraph movement measures after 6 years. ADHD persisters differed from remitters on preparation-vigilance measures (contingent negative variation, delta activity, reaction time variability and omission errors), IQ and actigraph count, but not on executive control measures of inhibition or working memory (nogo-P3 amplitudes, commission errors and digit span backwards). Preparation-vigilance measures were markers of remission, improving concurrently with ADHD symptoms, whereas executive control measures were not sensitive to ADHD persistence/remission. For IQ, the present and previous results combined suggest a role in moderating ADHD outcome. These findings fit with previously identified aetiological separation of the cognitive impairments in ADHD. The strongest candidates for the development of non-pharmacological interventions involving cognitive training and neurofeedback are the preparation-vigilance processes that were markers of ADHD remission. © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2016.

Effects of Neuromuscular Training on the Rear-foot Angle Kinematics in Elite Women Field Hockey Players with Chronic Ankle Instability

PubMed Central

Kim, Eunkuk; Choi, Hokyung; Cha, Jung-Hoon; Park, Jong-Chul; Kim, Taegyu

2017-01-01

The aims of this study were to investigate the ankle position, the changes and persistence of ankle kinematics after neuromuscular training in athletes with chronic ankle instability (CAI). A total of 21 national women’s field hockey players participated (CAI = 12, control = 9). Ankle position at heel strike (HS), midstance (MS), and toe touch (TT) in the frontal plane during walking, running and landing were measured using 3D motion analysis. A 6-week neuromuscular training program was undertaken by the CAI group. Measurements of kinematic data for both groups were measured at baseline and the changes in kinematic data for CAI group were measured at 6 and 24 weeks. The kinematic data at HS during walking and running demonstrated that the magnitude of the eversion in the CAI group (−5.00° and −4.21°) was less than in the control group (−13.45°and −9.62°). The kinematic data at MS also exhibited less ankle eversion in the CAI group (−9.36° and −8.18°) than in the control group (−18.52° and −15.88°). Ankle positions at TT during landing were comparable between groups. Following the 6-week training, the CAI participants demonstrated a less everted ankle at HS during walking and running (−1.77° and −1.76°) compared to the previous positions. They also showed less ankle eversion at MS (−5.14° and −4.19°). Ankle orientation at TT changed significantly to an inverted ankle position (from −0.26° to 4.11°). The ankle kinematics were restored back to the previous positions at 24 weeks except for landing. It appeared that athletes with unstable ankle had a relatively inverted ankle position, and that 6-week neuromuscular training had an immediate effect on changing ankle orientation toward a less everted direction. The changed ankle kinematics seemed to persist during landing but not during walking and running. Key points Athletes with unstable ankles had a relatively inverted ankle position during the initial contact and midstance. Six-week neuromuscular training for unstable ankles had an immediate effect on changing ankle orientation toward a relatively more inverted direction. The changed ankle kinematics persisted during jump landing but not during walking and running. PMID:28344462

Intensive Intervention Practice Guide: Motivation Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Didion, Lisa Anne; Gesel, Samantha A.; Martinez-Lincoln, Amanda; Leonard, Kaitlin

2017-01-01

The National Center for Leadership in Intensive Intervention (NCLII), a consortium funded by the Office of Special Education Programs (OSEP), prepares special education leaders to become experts in research on intensive intervention for students with disabilities who have persistent and severe academic (e.g., reading and math) and behavioral…

Long-term facial improvement after repeated BoNT-A injections and mirror biofeedback exercises for chronic facial synkinesis: a case-series study.

PubMed

Mandrini, Silvia; Comelli, Mario; Dall'angelo, Anna; Togni, Rossella; Cecini, Miriam; Pavese, Chiara; Dalla Toffola, Elena

2016-12-01

Only few studies have considered the effects of the combined treatment with onabotulinumtoxinA (BoNT-A) injections and biofeedback (BFB) rehabilitation in the recovery of postparetic facial synkinesis (PPFS). To explore the presence of a persistent improvement in facial function out of the pharmacological effect of BoNT-A in subjects with established PPFS, after repeated sessions of BoNT-A injections combined with an educational facial training program using mirror biofeedback (BFB) exercises. Secondary objective was to investigate the trend of the presumed persistent improvement. Case-series study. Outpatient Clinic of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Unit. Twenty-seven patients (22 females; mean age 45±16 years) affected by an established peripheral facial palsy, treated with a minimum of three BoNT-A injections in association with mirror BFB rehabilitation. The interval between consecutive BoNT-A injections was at least five months. At baseline and before every BoNT-A injection+mirror BFB session (when the effect of the previous BoNT-A injection had vanished), patients were assessed with the Italian version of Sunnybrook Facial Grading System (SB). The statistical analysis considered SB composite and partial scores before each treatment session compared to the baseline scores. A significant improvement of the SB composite and partial scores was observed until the fourth session. Considering the "Symmetry of Voluntary Movement" partial score, the main improvement was observed in the muscles of the lower part of the face. In a chronic stage of postparetic facial synkinesis, patients may benefit from a combined therapy with repeated BoNT-A injections and an educational facial training program with mirror BFB exercises, gaining an improvement of the facial function up to the fourth session. This improvement reflects the acquired ability to use facial muscle correctly. It doesn't involve the injected muscles but those trained with mirror biofeedback exercises and it persists also when BoNT-A action has vanished. The combined therapy with repeated BoNT-A injections and an educational facial training program using mirror BFB exercises may be useful in the motor recovery of the muscles of the lower part of the face not injected but trained.

United Nations Environment Programme Capacity Building Pilot Project--training and interlaboratory study on persistent organic pollutant analysis under the Stockholm Convention.

PubMed

de Boer, J; Leslie, H; van Leeuwen, S P J; Wegener, J-W; van Bavel, B; Lindström, G; Lahoutifard, N; Fiedler, H

2008-06-09

Within the framework of a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) Capacity Building Project for training of laboratory staff in developing countries on persistent organic pollutant (POP) analysis, an interlaboratory study was organised following an initial evaluation of the performance of laboratories (reality check) and a series of training sessions. The target compounds were polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) and organochlorine pesticides (OCP). Seven laboratories from five countries (Ecuador, Uruguay, Kenya, Moldova, and Fiji) participated. Most of the laboratories had no experience in determining PCBs. Although chromatograms improved considerably after the training and installation of new gas chromatographic (GC) columns at participating laboratories, the level of performance in the interlaboratory study was essentially on par with the moderate performance level achieved by European POP laboratories in the 1980s. Only some individual results were within +/-20% of the target values. The relative standard deviations (R.S.D.s) in POP concentrations determined by laboratories in a sediment sample were >200% in a number of cases. The results for a certified herring sample were better with at least some R.S.D. values below 50% and most below 100%. Clean up was as one of the main sources of error. After inspection it was ascertained that training of laboratory staff and investments in simple consumables such as glassware and GC columns would help to improve the quality of the analysis more than major investments in expensive instrumentation. Creating an effective network of POP laboratories at different continents together with a series of interlaboratory studies and workshops is suggested to improve the measurements of POPs in these countries.

[Stability of long-term professional objectives of young physicians during postgraduate training. Results of a multicenter cohort study].

PubMed

Birck, S; Gedrose, B; Robra, B-P; Schmidt, A; Schultz, J-H; Stosch, C; Wagner, R; Janßen, N; Scherer, M; van den Bussche, H

2014-10-01

We investigated persistences and changes of career preferences of medical residents in Germany after two years of postgraduate training with regard to future working place and position. The results are compared with those forwarded at graduation from medical school in a gender comparative perspective. The study is based on a standardized postal survey among the participants in the "KarMed" study, originally based on 1012 graduates of the medical faculties of Erlangen, Giessen, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Cologne, Leipzig and Magdeburg in 2009. 2107 persons were contacted. The return rate at baseline was 48 %, and the two surveys after the baseline reached return rates of 87 % and 89 % respectively. In all samples 2/3 were women as in actual medical undergraduate education. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were performed. After 2 years of residency, residents after 2 years of postgraduate training still preferred the hospital over private practice as their final workplace after postgraduate training. The attractiveness of leading positions in the hospital declined among men, whereas it was already low for women at graduation. A large proportion of those physicians preferring the ambulatory sector, especially women, wishes to work as employee instead of private practice. At the personal level, almost 60 % forwarded the same preferences as those at graduation. Gender, parenthood and region of study (East vs. West Germany) did not influence stability or change of preferences. The results demonstrate the persistence of professional preferences regarding future sector and position of medical work during postgraduate training. These preferences do neither match with principles of gender equality nor with future workforce needs (e. g. in primary care). © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Randomized controlled trial of physiotherapy for postpartum stress incontinence: 7-year follow-up.

PubMed

Dumoulin, Chantale; Martin, Claudine; Elliott, Valérie; Bourbonnais, Daniel; Morin, Mélanie; Lemieux, Marie-Claude; Gauthier, Robert

2013-06-01

To estimate the long-term effect of intensive, 6-week physiotherapy programs, with and without deep abdominal muscle (TrA) training, on persistent postpartum stress urinary incontinence (SUI). The study was a single-blind randomized controlled trial. Fifty-seven postnatal women with clinically demonstrated persistent SUI 3 months after delivery participated in 8 weeks of either pelvic floor muscle training (PFMT) (28) or PFMT with deep abdominal muscle training (PFMT + TrA) (29). Seven years post-treatment, 35 (61.4%) participants agreed to the follow-up; they were asked to complete a 20-min pad test and three incontinence-specific questionnaires with an assessor blinded to each participant's group assignment. Of the 35 (61.4%) who agreed to the follow-up: 26 (45.6%) took the 20-min pad test (12 PFMT and 14 PFMT + TrA) and 35 (61.4%) completed the questionnaires (18 PFMT and 17 PFMT + TrA). The baseline clinical characteristics of the follow-up and non-follow-up participants were not significantly different; nor did they differ between PFMT and PFMT + TrA participants enrolled in the follow-up study. At 7 years, the pad test scores for the PFMT group did not differ statistically from those of the PFMT + TrA group. When combining both treatment groups, a total of 14/26 (53%) follow-up participants were still continent according to the pad test. The addition of deep abdominal training does not appear to further improve the outcome of PFM training in the long term. However, benefits of physiotherapy for postpartum SUI, although not as pronounced as immediately after the initial intervention, is still present 7 years post-treatment. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

A call for formal telemedicine training during stroke fellowship

PubMed Central

Jia, Judy; Gildersleeve, Kasey; Ankrom, Christy; Cai, Chunyan; Rahbar, Mohammad; Savitz, Sean I.; Wu, Tzu-Ching

2016-01-01

During the 20 years since US Food and Drug Administration approval of IV tissue plasminogen activator for acute ischemic stroke, vascular neurology consultation via telemedicine has contributed to an increased frequency of IV tissue plasminogen activator administration and broadened geographic access to the drug. Nevertheless, a growing demand for acute stroke coverage persists, with the greatest disparity found in rural communities underserved by neurologists. To provide efficient and consistent acute care, formal training in telemedicine during neurovascular fellowship is warranted. Herein, we describe our experiences incorporating telestroke into the vascular neurology fellowship curriculum and propose recommendations on integrating formal telemedicine training into the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education vascular neurology fellowship. PMID:27016522

A call for formal telemedicine training during stroke fellowship.

PubMed

Jagolino, Amanda L; Jia, Judy; Gildersleeve, Kasey; Ankrom, Christy; Cai, Chunyan; Rahbar, Mohammad; Savitz, Sean I; Wu, Tzu-Ching

2016-05-10

During the 20 years since US Food and Drug Administration approval of IV tissue plasminogen activator for acute ischemic stroke, vascular neurology consultation via telemedicine has contributed to an increased frequency of IV tissue plasminogen activator administration and broadened geographic access to the drug. Nevertheless, a growing demand for acute stroke coverage persists, with the greatest disparity found in rural communities underserved by neurologists. To provide efficient and consistent acute care, formal training in telemedicine during neurovascular fellowship is warranted. Herein, we describe our experiences incorporating telestroke into the vascular neurology fellowship curriculum and propose recommendations on integrating formal telemedicine training into the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education vascular neurology fellowship. © 2016 American Academy of Neurology.

Meteor radar wind over Chung-Li (24.9°N, 121°E), Taiwan, for the period 10-25 November 2012 which includes Leonid meteor shower: Comparison with empirical model and satellite measurements

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Su, C. L.; Chen, H. C.; Chu, Y. H.; Chung, M. Z.; Kuong, R. M.; Lin, T. H.; Tzeng, K. J.; Wang, C. Y.; Wu, K. H.; Yang, K. F.

2014-08-01

The neutral winds in the mesosphere and lower thermosphere (MLT) region are measured by a newly installed meteor trail detection system (or meteor radar) at Chung-Li, Taiwan, for the period 10-25 November 2012, which includes the Leonid meteor shower period. In this study, we use the 3 m field-aligned plasma irregularities in the sporadic E (Es) region in combination with the International Geomagnetic Reference Field model to calibrate the system phase biases such that the true positions of the meteor trails can be correctly determined with interferometry technique. The horizontal wind velocities estimated from the radial velocities of the meteor trails and their locations by using a least squares method show that the diurnal tide dominates the variation of the MLT neutral wind with time over Chung-Li, which is in good agreement with the horizontal wind model (HWM07) prediction. However, harmonic analysis reveals that the amplitudes of the mean wind, diurnal, and semidiurnal tides of the radar-measured winds in height range 82-100 km are systematically larger than those of the model-predicted winds by up to a factor of 3. A comparison shows that the overall pattern of the height-local time distribution of the composite radar-measured meteor wind is, in general, consistent with that of the TIMED Doppler Interferometer-observed wind, which is dominated by a diurnal oscillation with downward phase progression at a rate of about 1.3 km/h. The occurrences of the Es layers retrieved from fluctuations of the amplitude and excess phase of the GPS signal received by the FORMOSAT-3/COSMIC satellites during the GPS radio occultation (RO) process are compared with the shear zones of the radar-measured meteor wind and HWM07 wind. The result shows that almost all of the RO-retrieved Es layers occur within the wind shear zones that favor the Es layer formation based on the wind shear theory, suggesting that the primary physical process responsible for the Es layer events retrieved from the scintillations of the GPS RO signal is very likely the plasma convergence effect of the neutral wind shear.

The 2011 Draconid Shower Risk to Earth-Orbiting Satellites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cooke, William J.; Moser, Danielle E.

2010-01-01

Current meteor shower forecast models project a strong Draconid outburst, possibly a storm, on October 8, 2011, with a duration of approximately 7 hours and peaking between 19 and 21 hours UT. Predicted rates span an order of magnitude, with maximum Zenithal Hourly Rates (ZHRs) ranging from a few tens to several hundred. Calibration of the NASA MSFC Meteoroid Stream Model 1 to radar and optical observations of past apparitions, particularly the 2005 Draconid outburst 2, suggest that the maximum rate will be several hundreds per hour. Given the high spatial density of the Draconid stream, this implies a maximum meteoroid flux of 5-10 Draconids km(exp -2)/hr (to a limiting diameter of 1 mm), some 25-50 times greater than the normal sporadic flux of 0.2 km(exp -2)/ hr for particles of this size. Total outburst fluence, assuming a maximum ZHR of 750, is 15.5 Draconids km(exp -2), resulting in an overall 10x risk increase to spacecraft surfaces vulnerable to hypervelocity impacts by 1 mm particles. It is now established that a significant fraction of spacecraft anomalies produced by shower meteoroids (e.g. OLYMPUS and LandSat 5) are caused by electrostatic discharges produced by meteoroid impacts. In these cases, the charge generated is roughly proportional to v(exp 3.5(4)), giving a Draconid moving at 20 km/s approximately 1/80th the electrical damage potential of a Leonid of the same mass. In other words, a Draconid outburst with a maximum ZHR of 800 presents the same electrical risk as a normal Leonid shower with a ZHR of 15, assuming the mass indices and shower durations are the same. This is supported by the fact that no spacecraft electrical anomalies were reported during the strong Draconid outbursts of 1985 and 1998. However, the lack of past anomalies should not be taken as carte blanche for satellite operators to ignore the 2011 Draconids, as the upcoming outburst will constitute a period of enhanced risk for vehicles in near-Earth space. Each spacecrft is unique, and components have differing damage thresholds; programs are encouraged to conduct analyses to determine whether or not mitigation strategies are necessary for their vehicles.

Selective lesion of septal cholinergic neurons in rats impairs acquisition of a delayed matching to position T-maze task by delaying the shift from a response to a place strategy.

PubMed

Fitz, Nicholas F; Gibbs, Robert B; Johnson, David A

2008-12-16

This study tested the hypothesis that septal cholinergic lesions impair acquisition of a delayed matching to position (DMP) T-maze task in male rats by affecting learning strategy. Rats received either the selective cholinergic immunotoxin, 192 IgG-saporin (SAP) or artificial cerebrospinal fluid directly into the medial septum. Two weeks later, animals were trained to acquire the DMP task. SAP-treated rats took significantly longer to acquire the task than corresponding controls. Both SAP-treated and control rats adopted a persistent turn and utilized a response strategy during early periods of training. By the time rats reached criterion the persistent turn was no longer evident, and all rats had shifted to an allocentric strategy, i.e., were relying on extramaze cues to a significant degree. During the acquisition period, SAP-treated rats spent significantly more days showing a persistent turn and using a response strategy than corresponding controls. The added time spent using a response strategy accounted entirely for the added days required to reach criterion among the SAP-treated rats. This suggests that the principal mechanism by which septal cholinergic lesions impair DMP acquisition in male rats is by increasing the predisposition to use a response vs. a place strategy, thereby affecting the ability to switch from one strategy to another.

Working memory training in old age: an examination of transfer and maintenance effects.

PubMed

Borella, Erika; Carretti, Barbara; Zanoni, Giulia; Zavagnin, Michela; De Beni, Rossana

2013-06-01

The present study examined the efficacy of a verbal working memory (WM) training program in old-old individuals (over 75 years of age). Thirty-six adults aged 75-87 took part in the study: 18 were randomly assigned to receive training and the remainder served as active controls. Specific training gains in a verbal WM task (criterion task), and transfer effects on measures of visuospatial WM, short-term memory, inhibition, processing speed, and fluid intelligence were examined. The trained old-old adults performed better than the controls in the criterion task, and this benefit persisted after 8 months; they also showed an increase in the efficiency of inhibitory mechanisms at follow-up compared with pretest. The results of this study suggest that the present WM training program produces benefits maintained over time even in old-old adults. These findings confirm that there is still room for plasticity in the basic mechanisms of cognition in advance old age.

NASA A-Train and Terra Observations of the 2010 Russian Wildfires

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Witte, J. C.; Douglass, A. R.; DaSilva, A.; Torres, O.; Levy, R.; Duncan, B. N.

2011-01-01

Wildfires raged throughout western Russia and parts of Eastern Europe during a persistent heat wave in the summer of 2010. Anomalously high surface temperatures (35 - 41 C) and low relative humidity (9 - 25 %) from mid- June to mid-August 2010 shown by analysis of radiosonde data from multiple sites in western Russia were ideal conditions for the wildfires to thrive. Measurements of outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) over western Russian indicate persistent subsidence during the heat wave. Daily three-day back-trajectories initiated over Moscow reveal a persistent anticyclonic circulation for 18 days in August, coincident with the most intense period of fire activity observed by Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS). This unfortunate meteorological coincidence allowed transport of polluted air from the region of intense fires to Moscow and the surrounding area. We demonstrate that the 2010 Russian wildfires are unique in the record of observations obtained by remote-sensing instruments on-board NASA satellites: Aura and Aqua (part of the A-Train Constellation) and Terra. Analysis of the distribution of MODIS fire products and aerosol optical thickness (AOT), UV aerosol index (AI) and single-scattering albedo (SSA) from Aura's Ozone Monitoring Instrument (OMI), and total column carbon monoxide (CO) from Aqua s Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) show that the region in the center of western Russia surrounding Moscow (52-58 deg N, 33 -43 deg E) is most severely impacted by wildfire emissions. Over this area, AIRS CO, OMI AI, and MODIS AOT are significantly enhanced relative to the historical satellite record during the first 18 days in August when the anti-cyclonic circulation persisted. By mid-August, the anti-cyclonic circulation was replaced with westerly transport over Moscow and vicinity. The heat wave

5-HT2C receptor involvement in the control of persistence in the reinforced spatial alternation animal model of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

PubMed

Papakosta, Vassiliki-Maria; Kalogerakou, Stamatina; Kontis, Dimitris; Anyfandi, Eleni; Theochari, Eirini; Boulougouris, Vasileios; Papadopoulos, Sokrates; Panagis, George; Tsaltas, Eleftheria

2013-04-15

The serotonergic system is implicated in the pathophysiology of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). However, the distinct role of serotonin (5-HT) receptor subtypes remains unclear. This study investigates the contribution of 5-HT2A and 5-HT2C receptors in the modulation of persistence in the reinforced spatial alternation model of OCD. Male Wistar rats were assessed for spontaneous and pharmacologically induced (by m-chlorophenylpiperazine: mCPP) directional persistence in the reinforced alternation OCD model. Systemic administration of mCPP (non-specific 5-HT agonist, 2.5mg/kg), M100907 (selective 5-HT2A receptor antagonist, 0.08 mg/kg), SB242084 (selective 5-HT2C receptor antagonist, 0.5 mg/kg) and vehicle was used. Experiment 1 investigated M100907 and SB242084 effects in animals spontaneously exhibiting high and low persistence during the early stages of alternation training. Experiment 2 investigated M100900 and SB242084 effects on mCPP-induced persistence. Under the regime used in Experiment 1, 5-HT2A or 5-HT2C receptor antagonism did not affect spontaneous directional persistence in either high or low persistence groups. In Experiment 2, 5-HT2C but not 5-HT2A receptor antagonism significantly reduced, but did not abolish, mCPP-induced directional persistence. These findings suggest that 5-HT2C but not 5-HT2A receptors contribute to the modulation of mCPP-induced persistent behaviour, raising the possibility that the use of 5-HT2C antagonists may have a therapeutic value in OCD. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Study protocol for improving asthma outcomes through cross-cultural communication training for physicians: a randomized trial of physician training.

PubMed

Patel, Minal R; Thomas, Lara J; Hafeez, Kausar; Shankin, Matthew; Wilkin, Margaret; Brown, Randall W

2014-06-16

Massive resources are expended every year on cross-cultural communication training for physicians. Such training is a focus of continuing medical education nationwide and is part of the curriculum of virtually every medical school in America. There is a pressing need for evidence regarding the effects on patients of cross-cultural communication training for physicians. There is a need to understand the added benefit of such training compared to more general communication. We know of no rigorous study that has assessed whether cross-cultural communication training for physicians results in better health outcomes for their patients. The current study aims to answer this question by enhancing the Physician Asthma Care Education (PACE) program to cross cultural communication (PACE Plus), and comparing the effect of the enhanced program to PACE on the health outcomes of African American and Latino/Hispanic children with asthma. A three-arm randomized control trial is used to compare PACE Plus, PACE, and usual care. Both PACE and PACE Plus are delivered in two, two-hour sessions over a period of two weeks to 5-10 primary care physicians who treat African American and Latino/Hispanic children with asthma. One hundred twelve physicians and 1060 of their pediatric patients were recruited who self-identify as African American or Latino/Hispanic and experience persistent asthma. Physicians were randomized into receiving either the PACE Plus or PACE intervention or into the control group. The comparative effectiveness of PACE and PACE Plus on clinician's therapeutic and communication practices with the family/patient, children's urgent care use for asthma, asthma control, and quality of life, and parent/caretaker satisfaction with physician performance will be assessed. Data are collected via telephone survey and medical record review at baseline, 9 months following the intervention, and 21 months following the intervention. This study aims to reduce disparities in asthma outcomes among African American and Latino/Hispanic children through cross-cultural communication training of their physicians and assessing the added value of this training compared to general communication. The results of this study will provide important information about the value of cross-cultural training in helping to address persistent racial disparities in outcomes. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT01251523 December 1, 2010.

Training Psychotherapists in Hierarchical Treatment Planning

PubMed Central

MAKOVER, RICHARD B.

1992-01-01

Treatment planning is a central and persistent challenge in psychotherapy. This paper outlines a four-level planning hierarchy that encourages the therapist to conceptualize a desired overall outcome (the "aim") that can be realized through subsidiary objectives (the "goals"). The "strategies" by which goals are pursued and the "tactics" that carry out those strategies are subordinate and instrumental elements of the treatment process. Greater emphasis on this type of treatment planning in the training and supervision of psychotherapists should make therapy more effective, improve treatment outcomes, and allow more efficient use of therapy resources. PMID:22700115

[The training of healthcare personnel and the improvement in health care].

PubMed

Zerón-Gutiérrez, Lydia E; Montaño-Fernández, Gerardo

2017-01-01

As part of its commitment to improve healthcare services persistently, the Instituto Mexicano del Seguro Social (IMSS) takes part in the constant training of its healthcare personnel, since the Institute knows that this has an impact on creating a virtuous circle of higher quality and giving cordial attention to patients. That is the reason why the Unidad de Educación, Investigación y Políticas en Salud has set up different programs, which offer diverse oportunities of study, always in line with the needs of the Institute.

Evaluation and treatment of sex addiction.

PubMed

Rosenberg, Kenneth Paul; Carnes, Patrick; O'Connor, Suzanne

2014-01-01

There have been several diagnostic labels for persistent, excessive sexual behaviors, often referred in the popular media as sex addiction. Two related diagnoses, Internet addictive disorder and hypersexual disorder, were considered for, but not included in the 5th edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. However, most clinicians, even those trained in sexual disorders or addiction medicine, have little to no training in treating sexual compulsivity and cybersex addiction. The authors present the historical context, proposed diagnostic criteria, evaluation protocols, comorbid disorders, speculations about the neuroscience, and treatment recommendations.

Persistent fluctuations in stride intervals under fractal auditory stimulation.

PubMed

Marmelat, Vivien; Torre, Kjerstin; Beek, Peter J; Daffertshofer, Andreas

2014-01-01

Stride sequences of healthy gait are characterized by persistent long-range correlations, which become anti-persistent in the presence of an isochronous metronome. The latter phenomenon is of particular interest because auditory cueing is generally considered to reduce stride variability and may hence be beneficial for stabilizing gait. Complex systems tend to match their correlation structure when synchronizing. In gait training, can one capitalize on this tendency by using a fractal metronome rather than an isochronous one? We examined whether auditory cues with fractal variations in inter-beat intervals yield similar fractal inter-stride interval variability as isochronous auditory cueing in two complementary experiments. In Experiment 1, participants walked on a treadmill while being paced by either an isochronous or a fractal metronome with different variation strengths between beats in order to test whether participants managed to synchronize with a fractal metronome and to determine the necessary amount of variability for participants to switch from anti-persistent to persistent inter-stride intervals. Participants did synchronize with the metronome despite its fractal randomness. The corresponding coefficient of variation of inter-beat intervals was fixed in Experiment 2, in which participants walked on a treadmill while being paced by non-isochronous metronomes with different scaling exponents. As expected, inter-stride intervals showed persistent correlations similar to self-paced walking only when cueing contained persistent correlations. Our results open up a new window to optimize rhythmic auditory cueing for gait stabilization by integrating fractal fluctuations in the inter-beat intervals.

Persistent Fluctuations in Stride Intervals under Fractal Auditory Stimulation

PubMed Central

Marmelat, Vivien; Torre, Kjerstin; Beek, Peter J.; Daffertshofer, Andreas

2014-01-01

Stride sequences of healthy gait are characterized by persistent long-range correlations, which become anti-persistent in the presence of an isochronous metronome. The latter phenomenon is of particular interest because auditory cueing is generally considered to reduce stride variability and may hence be beneficial for stabilizing gait. Complex systems tend to match their correlation structure when synchronizing. In gait training, can one capitalize on this tendency by using a fractal metronome rather than an isochronous one? We examined whether auditory cues with fractal variations in inter-beat intervals yield similar fractal inter-stride interval variability as isochronous auditory cueing in two complementary experiments. In Experiment 1, participants walked on a treadmill while being paced by either an isochronous or a fractal metronome with different variation strengths between beats in order to test whether participants managed to synchronize with a fractal metronome and to determine the necessary amount of variability for participants to switch from anti-persistent to persistent inter-stride intervals. Participants did synchronize with the metronome despite its fractal randomness. The corresponding coefficient of variation of inter-beat intervals was fixed in Experiment 2, in which participants walked on a treadmill while being paced by non-isochronous metronomes with different scaling exponents. As expected, inter-stride intervals showed persistent correlations similar to self-paced walking only when cueing contained persistent correlations. Our results open up a new window to optimize rhythmic auditory cueing for gait stabilization by integrating fractal fluctuations in the inter-beat intervals. PMID:24651455

Childhood Developmental Disorders: An Academic and Clinical Convergence Point for Psychiatry, Neurology, Psychology and Pediatrics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reiss, Allan L.

2009-01-01

Background: Significant advances in understanding brain development and behavior have not been accompanied by revisions of traditional academic structure. Disciplinary isolation and a lack of meaningful interdisciplinary opportunities are persistent barriers in academic medicine. To enhance clinical practice, research, and training for the next…

The Unnecessary Tension between Learning Communities and Intellectual Growth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Browne, M. Neil; Minnick, Kevin J.

2005-01-01

Universities face enormous problems. Their survival depends on how they respond to persistent budgetary cuts from public sources, conflicting expectations from varying constituencies, and competitive pressures from competing training organizations. As they search for institutional arrangements that will be conducive to their success in the face of…

Women Match Men when Learning a Spatial Skill

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Spence, Ian; Yu, Jingjie Jessica; Feng, Jing; Marshman, Jeff

2009-01-01

Meta-analytic studies have concluded that although training improves spatial cognition in both sexes, the male advantage generally persists. However, because some studies run counter to this pattern, a closer examination of the anomaly is warranted. The authors investigated the acquisition of a basic skill (spatial selective attention) using a…

Stigma and Schizophrenia: Directions in Student Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mason, Susan E.; Miller, Rachel

2006-01-01

The persistence of stigma related to schizophrenia is addressed as a continuing challenge for social work students working in mental health. Student education is best grounded in direct clinical work with clients in conjunction with field supervision and classroom education. Through direct practice in individual and group sessions, students learn…

Persistent ERK Activation Maintains Learning-Induced Long-Lasting Modulation of Synaptic Connectivity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen-Matsliah, Sivan Ida; Seroussi, Yaron; Rosenblum, Kobi; Barkai, Edi

2008-01-01

Pyramidal neurons in the piriform cortex from olfactory-discrimination (OD) trained rats undergo synaptic modifications that last for days after learning. A particularly intriguing modification is reduced paired-pulse facilitation (PPF) in the synapses interconnecting these cells; a phenomenon thought to reflect enhanced synaptic release. The…

77 FR 28360 - Applications for New Awards; Training Program for Federal TRIO Programs

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-14

... economic literacy of students, including topics such as basic personal finance information, household money... of time, staff, money, or other resources while improving student learning or other educational... license that permits their free use or repurposing by others. Persistently lowest-achieving schools means...

Impact of Cooperative-Team Learning on Performance and Retention of Navy Air-Traffic Controller Trainees

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-09-20

persistence within a training program and continued membership within an organization (i.e., reenlistment) ( Durkheim , 1961; Tinto, 1975). Social...tasks: An evaluation. Human Factors, 25, 143-160. Durkheim , D. (1961). Suicide. Glencoe, IL: Free Press. Gabbert, B., Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R

Developing African Novice Researchers into Career Investigators: Innovative Options

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tumwijukye, Henry; Motevalli, Mahnaz; Nambi, Sophia; Kyeyune, Isaac

2013-01-01

Over the last decade, Sub-Saharan Africa has experienced an increased volume of funding and training activities to support research capacity development. However, there are persistent deficits in the number of active investigators conducting independent research with their own grants. To address this deficit, research institutions need to find an…

Fitting Organizational Behavior and Socialization into the Rehabilitation Counseling Curriculum

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitus, Jamie S.; Hart, Zachary P.

2008-01-01

High unemployment persists among individuals with disabilities in part due to problems with job retention (Gibbs, 1990; Kirsch, 2000; Louis Harris and Associates, 2000). A contributor to the problem may be the lack of academic training offered by rehabilitation counseling programs on organizational behavior and socialization concepts relevant to…

Training for Jobs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Anne C.

2006-01-01

Surveys show that students persist in wanting occupational classes, and many of the small high schools being created around the country are built on a career theme. However, one neglected area in educational policy is the encouragement of girls to consider nontraditional occupations, ones that would move them up on career ladders providing higher…

Integration of basic dermatological care into primary health care services in Mali.

PubMed Central

Mahé, Antoine; Faye, Ousmane; N'Diaye, Hawa Thiam; Konaré, Habibatou Diawara; Coulibaly, Ibrahima; Kéita, Somita; Traoré, Abdel Kader; Hay, Roderick J.

2005-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate, in a developing country, the effect of a short training programme for general health care workers on the management of common skin diseases--a neglected component of primary health care in such regions. METHODS: We provided a one-day training programme on the management of the skin diseases to 400 health care workers who worked in primary health care centres in the Bamako area. We evaluated their knowledge and practice before and after training. FINDINGS: Before training, knowledge about skin diseases often was poor and practice inadequate. We found a marked improvement in both parameters after training. We analysed the registers of primary health care centres and found that the proportion of patients who presented with skin diseases who benefited from a clear diagnosis and appropriate treatment increased from 42% before the training to 81% after; this was associated with a 25% reduction in prescription costs. Improved levels of knowledge and practice persisted for up to 18 months after training. CONCLUSIONS: The training programme markedly improved the basic dermatological abilities of the health care workers targeted. Specific training may be a reasonable solution to a neglected component of primary health care in many developing countries. PMID:16462986

Launching the first postgraduate diploma in medical entomology and disease vector control in Pakistan.

PubMed

Rathor, H R; Mnzava, A; Bile, K M; Hafeez, A; Zaman, S

2010-01-01

The Health Services Academy has launched a 12-month postgraduate diploma course in medical entomology and disease vector control. The objective is to create a core of experts trained to prevent and control vector-borne diseases. The course is a response to the serious health and socioeconomic burden caused by a number of vector-borne diseases in Pakistan. The persistence, emergence and re-emergence of these diseases is mainly attributed to the scarcity of trained vector-control experts. The training course attempts to fill the gap in trained manpower and thus reduce the morbidity and mortality due to these diseases, resulting in incremental gains to public health. This paper aims to outline the steps taken to establish the course and the perceived challenges to be addressed in order to sustain its future implementation.

Failure of Working Memory Training to Enhance Cognition or Intelligence

PubMed Central

Thompson, Todd W.; Waskom, Michael L.; Garel, Keri-Lee A.; Cardenas-Iniguez, Carlos; Reynolds, Gretchen O.; Winter, Rebecca; Chang, Patricia; Pollard, Kiersten; Lala, Nupur; Alvarez, George A.; Gabrieli, John D. E.

2013-01-01

Fluid intelligence is important for successful functioning in the modern world, but much evidence suggests that fluid intelligence is largely immutable after childhood. Recently, however, researchers have reported gains in fluid intelligence after multiple sessions of adaptive working memory training in adults. The current study attempted to replicate and expand those results by administering a broad assessment of cognitive abilities and personality traits to young adults who underwent 20 sessions of an adaptive dual n-back working memory training program and comparing their post-training performance on those tests to a matched set of young adults who underwent 20 sessions of an adaptive attentional tracking program. Pre- and post-training measurements of fluid intelligence, standardized intelligence tests, speed of processing, reading skills, and other tests of working memory were assessed. Both training groups exhibited substantial and specific improvements on the trained tasks that persisted for at least 6 months post-training, but no transfer of improvement was observed to any of the non-trained measurements when compared to a third untrained group serving as a passive control. These findings fail to support the idea that adaptive working memory training in healthy young adults enhances working memory capacity in non-trained tasks, fluid intelligence, or other measures of cognitive abilities. PMID:23717453

Identifying persistent and characteristic features in firearm tool marks on cartridge cases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ott, Daniel; Soons, Johannes; Thompson, Robert; Song, John

2017-12-01

Recent concerns about subjectivity in forensic firearm identification have motivated the development of algorithms to compare firearm tool marks that are imparted on ammunition and to generate quantitative measures of similarity. In this paper, we describe an algorithm that identifies impressed tool marks on a cartridge case that are both consistent between firings and contribute strongly to a surface similarity metric. The result is a representation of the tool mark topography that emphasizes both significant and persistent features across firings. This characteristic surface map is useful for understanding the variability and persistence of the tool marks created by a firearm and can provide improved discrimination between the comparison scores of samples fired from the same firearm and the scores of samples fired from different firearms. The algorithm also provides a convenient method for visualizing areas of similarity that may be useful in providing quantitative support for visual comparisons by trained examiners.

Persistent neurotoxicity from a battery fire: is cadmium the culprit?

PubMed

Kilburn, K H; McKinley, K L

1996-07-01

Two train conductors had chest tightness, painful breathing, muscle cramps, and nausea after fighting a fire in a battery box under a passenger coach. Shortly thereafter, they became anosmic and had excessive fatigue, persistent headaches, sleep disturbances, irritability, unstable moods, and hypertension. Urinary cadmium and nickel levels were elevated. Neurobehavioral testing showed, in comparison to referents, prolonged reaction times, abnormal balance, prolonged blink reflex latency, severely constricted visual fields, and decreased vibration sense. Test scores showed that immediate verbal and visual recall were normal but delayed recall was reduced. Scores on overlearned information were normal. Tests measuring dexterity, coordination, decision making, and peripheral sensation and discrimination revealed abnormalities. Repeat testing 6 and 12 months after exposure showed persistent abnormalities. Cadmium and vinyl chloride are the most plausible causes of the neurotoxicity, but fumes from the fire may have contained other neurotoxic chemicals.

Mindfulness and zest for life buffer the negative effects of experimentally-induced perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness: Implications for theories of suicide.

PubMed

Collins, Khan R L; Best, Ida; Stritzke, Werner G K; Page, Andrew C

2016-07-01

Suicide research can be enhanced by an ability to safely manipulate putative causal variables. The present studies developed an experimental task to modify risk factors identified by the interpersonal theory of suicide (perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness) and examine their hypothesized suppressive effect on persistence in adversity in undergraduate university students. Variables that may moderate the impact of these risk factors on persistence (zest for life and mindful awareness) were incorporated as potential resilience factors. Study 1 (N = 92) found elevated burdensomeness and diminished belongingness significantly impaired persistence. Additionally, these predicted effects were moderated by individual differences in zest for life. In Study 2 (N = 52), individuals trained in mindfulness prior to the experimental task displayed greater persistence relative to controls. Findings provide experimental support for the role of perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness in the manner predicted by the interpersonal theory, and demonstrate a way to experimentally test the effects of resilience factors that reduce the impact of these interpersonal factors. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

Humanistic psychotherapy research 1990-2015: from methodological innovation to evidence-supported treatment outcomes and beyond.

PubMed

Angus, Lynne; Watson, Jeanne Cherry; Elliott, Robert; Schneider, Kirk; Timulak, Ladislav

2015-01-01

Over the past 25 years, humanistic psychotherapy (HP) researchers have actively contributed to the development and implementation of innovative practice-informed research measures and coding systems. Qualitative and quantitative research findings, including meta-analyses, support the identification of HP approaches as evidence-based treatments for a variety of psychological conditions. Implications for future psychotherapy research, training, and practice are discussed in terms of addressing the persistent disjunction between significant HP research productivity and relatively low support for HP approaches in university-based clinical training programs, funding agencies, and government-supported clinical guidelines. Finally, specific recommendations are provided to further enhance and expand the impact of HP research for clinical training programs and the development of treatment guidelines.

Teaching home safety and survival skills to latch-key children: a comparison of two manuals and methods.

PubMed Central

Peterson, L

1984-01-01

I evaluated the influence of two training manuals on latch-key children's acquisition of home safety and survival skills. The widely used, discussion-oriented "Prepared for Today" manual was compared with a behaviorally oriented "Safe at Home" manual. Data were scored by response criteria developed by experts and by parents' and experts' ratings of children's spontaneous answers. With both methods of scoring, three behaviorally trained children demonstrated clear and abrupt increases in skill following training in each of seven trained modules, and these increases largely persisted in real world generalization probes and at 5-month follow-up. Smaller and less stable increases in skill were found in the three discussion-trained children across the seven modules; lower skill levels were also seen in real world generalization probes and at follow-up. Neither group of children demonstrated skill increases in home safety areas that were not explicitly trained. Both training methods produced small decreases in children's self-report of general anxiety and anxiety concerning home safety. Results are discussed in terms of their implications for cost-effective training of latch-key children. PMID:6511698

Can Training Enhance Face Cognition Abilities in Middle-Aged Adults?

PubMed Central

Dolzycka, Dominika; Herzmann, Grit; Sommer, Werner; Wilhelm, Oliver

2014-01-01

Face cognition is a crucial skill for social interaction and shows large individual differences in healthy adults, suggesting a possibility for improvement in some. We developed and tested specific training procedures for the accuracy of face memory and the speed of face cognition. Two groups each of 20 healthy middle-aged trainees practiced for 29 daily sessions of 15 minutes duration with different computerized home-based training procedures. In addition, 20 matched and 59 non-matched controls were included. Face cognition speed training enhanced performance during the training and transferred to the latent factor level as measured in a pre-post comparison. Persistence of the training effect was evidenced at the manifest level after three months. However, the training procedure influenced the speed of processing object stimuli to the same extent as face stimuli and therefore seems to have affected a more general ability of processing complex visual stimuli and not only faces. No effects of training on the accuracy of face memory were found. This study demonstrates that face-specific abilities may be hard to improve but also shows the plasticity of the speed of processing complex visual stimuli – for the first time in middle-aged, normal adults. PMID:24632743

Effect of confinement in small space flight size cages on insulin sensitivity of exercise-trained rats

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mondon, C. E.; Dolkas, C. B.; Reaven, G. M.

1983-01-01

The effect of confinement in small cages (simulating the size to be used in future space Shuttle missions) on insulin sensitivity was studied in rats having an increased insulin sensitivity due to exercise training prior to confinement. Oral glucose tolerance tests (OGTT) were given to both control and exercise-trained rats before and after placement in the small cages for 7 days. The insulin resistance was assessed by the product of the area of the insulin and glucose curves of the OGTT (IG index). Results show that the values obtained before confinement were one-half as high in exercise-trained rats as those in control rats, reflecting an increased sensitivity to insulin with exercise training. After 7 days confinement, the IG index was found to be not significantly different from initial values for both control and exercise-trained rats. These findings suggest that increased insulin sensitivity in exercise-trained rats persists 7 days after cessation of running activity. The data also indicate that exercise training, before flight, may be beneficial in minimizing the loss of insulin sensitivity expected with decreased use of gravity dependent muscles during exposure to hypogravity in space flight.

Plasticity in neuromagnetic cortical responses suggests enhanced auditory object representation

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Auditory perceptual learning persistently modifies neural networks in the central nervous system. Central auditory processing comprises a hierarchy of sound analysis and integration, which transforms an acoustical signal into a meaningful object for perception. Based on latencies and source locations of auditory evoked responses, we investigated which stage of central processing undergoes neuroplastic changes when gaining auditory experience during passive listening and active perceptual training. Young healthy volunteers participated in a five-day training program to identify two pre-voiced versions of the stop-consonant syllable ‘ba’, which is an unusual speech sound to English listeners. Magnetoencephalographic (MEG) brain responses were recorded during two pre-training and one post-training sessions. Underlying cortical sources were localized, and the temporal dynamics of auditory evoked responses were analyzed. Results After both passive listening and active training, the amplitude of the P2m wave with latency of 200 ms increased considerably. By this latency, the integration of stimulus features into an auditory object for further conscious perception is considered to be complete. Therefore the P2m changes were discussed in the light of auditory object representation. Moreover, P2m sources were localized in anterior auditory association cortex, which is part of the antero-ventral pathway for object identification. The amplitude of the earlier N1m wave, which is related to processing of sensory information, did not change over the time course of the study. Conclusion The P2m amplitude increase and its persistence over time constitute a neuroplastic change. The P2m gain likely reflects enhanced object representation after stimulus experience and training, which enables listeners to improve their ability for scrutinizing fine differences in pre-voicing time. Different trajectories of brain and behaviour changes suggest that the preceding effect of a P2m increase relates to brain processes, which are necessary precursors of perceptual learning. Cautious discussion is required when interpreting the finding of a P2 amplitude increase between recordings before and after training and learning. PMID:24314010

VET Pathways Taken by School Leavers. Longitudinal Surveys of Australian Youth. Research Report 52

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Curtis, David D.

2008-01-01

This report examines the vocational education and training (VET) pathways pursued by young people since leaving school. It investigates the characteristics of those who pursue VET, their persistence in those programs, and the labour force and related outcomes that they experience following their VET participation. The investigation uses data…

Learning From a Distance: U-Maine & ESL Go Electronic.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berube, Barney

Most teachers of English as a Second Language (ESL) in Maine live over 30 miles from the nearest University of Maine campus. While the Maine Department of Education has been offering intensive ESL teacher training courses, a lack of qualified ESL teachers persists. The advent of microwave transmission means more opportunities for teacher training…

Fully Professionalised Teacher Education: An Australian Study in Persistence

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lovat, Terry; McLeod, Julie

2006-01-01

The article proposes that the proper status for teacher education, both historically and in terms of its research-demonstrated importance, is one of full professionalism alongside other professional training regimes in universities. It proposes furthermore that the many reviews and reports of the past quarter-century have been attempting to move…

Developing a Common Metadata Model for Competencies Description

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sampson, Demetrios; Karampiperis, Pythagoras; Fytros, Demetrios

2007-01-01

Competence-based approaches are frequently adopted as the key paradigm in both formal or non-formal education and training. To support the provision of competence-based learning services, it is necessary to be able to maintain a record of an individual's competences in a persistent and standard way. In this paper, we investigate potential issues…

Teaching Writing in Adult Literacy: Practices to Foster Motivation and Persistence and Improve Learning Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nielsen, Kristen

2015-01-01

Writing is critical to success in education, the workplace, and everyday communication yet receives limited attention in the research, particularly the topic of writing instruction in adult education. Adult literacy practitioners frequently lack training in writing instruction and must rely on a confusing array of information, primarily derived…

The Gendered Nature of Apprenticeship: Employers? and Young People's Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fuller, Alison; Beck, Vanessa; Unwin, Lorna

2005-01-01

Purpose -- Gender segregation has been a persistent feature of apprenticeship programmes in countries around the world. In the UK, the Modern Apprenticeship was launched ten years ago as the governments flagship initiative for training new entrants in a range of occupational sectors. One of its priorities was to increase male and female…

Histone Acetylation is Recruited in Consolidation as a Molecular Feature of Stronger Memories

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Federman, Noel; Fustinana, Maria Sol; Romano, Arturo

2009-01-01

Gene expression is a key process for memory consolidation. Recently, the participation of epigenetic mechanisms like histone acetylation was evidenced in long-term memories. However, until now the training strength required and the persistence of the chromatin acetylation recruited are not well characterized. Here we studied whether histone…

Re-Thinking Ballet Pedagogy: Approaching a Historiography of Fifth Position

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morris, Merry Lynn

2015-01-01

This article addresses the use of the fifth position in historical and current dance training practices with particular emphasis upon examining the 180° aesthetic and its hegemonic, idealized persistence in dancing bodies, as a marker of perfection and "beauty". Historical research is interwoven with practice-based experience and dance…

Training in Addiction Medicine in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haber, Paul S.; Murnion, Bridin P.

2011-01-01

Barriers to entering addiction medicine (AM) have led to a persisting workforce shortage. To address this problem, the Chapter of Addiction Medicine (AChAM) was formed in 2001 as a subdivision of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP). Through consultation, AChAM has identified the scope of practice and offered fellowship to suitable…

Internet-mediated physiotherapy and pain coping skills training for people with persistent knee pain (IMPACT - knee pain): a randomised controlled trial protocol.

PubMed

Dobson, Fiona; Hinman, Rana S; French, Simon; Rini, Christine; Keefe, Francis; Nelligan, Rachel; Abbott, J Haxby; Bryant, Christina; Staples, Margaret P; Dalwood, Andrew; Bennell, Kim L

2014-08-13

Persistent knee pain in people over 50 years of age is often attributable to knee osteoarthritis (OA), a common joint condition that causes physical and psychological dysfunction. Exercise and pain coping skills training (PCST) can help reduce the impact of persistent knee pain, however, access to health professionals who deliver these services can be challenging. With increasing access to the Internet, remotely delivered Internet-based treatment approaches may provide alternatives for healthcare delivery. This pragmatic randomised controlled trial will investigate whether an Internet-delivered intervention that combines PCST and physiotherapist-guided exercise (PCST + Ex) is more effective than online educational material (educational control) in people with persistent knee pain. We will recruit 148 people over 50 years of age with self-reported persistent knee pain consistent with knee OA from the Australian community. Following completion of baseline questionnaires, participants will be randomly allocated to access a 3-month intervention of either (i) online educational material, or (ii) the same online material plus an 8-module (once per week) Internet-based PCST program and seven Internet-delivered physiotherapy sessions with a home exercise programs to be performed 3 times per week. Outcomes will be measured at baseline, 3 months and 9 months with the primary time point at 3 months. Primary outcomes are average knee pain on walking (11-point numeric rating scale) and self-reported physical function (Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index subscale). Secondary outcomes include additional measures of knee pain, health-related quality-of-life, perceived global change in symptoms, and potential moderators and mediators of outcomes including self-efficacy for pain management and function, pain coping attempts and pain catastrophising. Other measures of adherence, adverse events, harms, use of health services/co-interventions, and process measures including appropriateness and satisfaction of the intervention, will be collected at 3, 6 and 9 months. The findings will help determine the effectiveness and acceptability of Internet access to a combination of interventions that are known to be beneficial to people with persistent knee pain. This study has the potential to guide clinical practice towards innovative modes of healthcare provision. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry reference: ACTRN12614000243617.

Initiation of Basal Insulin Analog Treatment for Type 2 Diabetes and Reasons Behind Patients' Treatment Persistence Behavior: Real-World Data from Germany.

PubMed

Moennig, Elisabeth; Perez-Nieves, Magaly; Hadjiyianni, Irene; Cao, Dachuang; Ivanova, Jasmina; Klask, Ralf

2018-05-01

Poor treatment persistence can affect the real-world effectiveness of insulin therapy. A cross-sectional online survey in 942 patients with type 2 diabetes from 7 different countries evaluated patient experience when initiating basal insulin and the reasons behind insulin persistence patterns. Here, we report the quantitative results for the subset of patients from Germany. Adults with type 2 diabetes who had initiated basal insulin during the last 3-24 months, identified from market-research panels, participated in the survey. Patients were asked if they had ≥7-day gaps in basal insulin treatment, and were then classified as "continuers" (no gap since starting insulin), "interrupters" (≥1 gap within the first 6 months after starting insulin and subsequently restarted insulin), or "discontinuers" (stopped insulin within the first 6 months after starting and had not restarted at the time of the survey). For each country, 50 participants were planned per persistence category. Enrollment ended if the target quota was reached or enrollment plateaued. Data were analyzed overall and separately for each persistence cohort. The 131 participants from Germany included 55 (42.0%) continuers, 50 (38.2%) interrupters and 26 (19.9%) discontinuers. The most common motivations to initiate basal insulin therapy were encouragement by physician or other healthcare provider (HCP; 54.2%) and expectation to improve glycemic control (42.0%). More than 95% of participants received training before and during insulin initiation (considered as helpful by 81.7%); most (67.2%) preferred in-person training. Continuers more frequently felt that insulin would help to manage diabetes and that their own views were considered when initiating insulin, they reported less concerns and challenges before and during insulin initiation than interrupters or discontinuers. The most common motivations to continue basal insulin were improved glycemic control (72.7%), improved physical well-being (49.1%), and instruction by physician or other HCP (45.5%). The most common reasons contributing to interruption/discontinuation were perceived weight gain (52.0%/50.0%), hypoglycemia (22.0%/38.5%), and potential adverse effects (30.0%/26.9%). Quality interactions between physicians or other HCPs and their patients before and during the initiation of basal insulin may help to manage patient expectations and to improve persistence to insulin therapy. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Contextual Interference in Complex Bimanual Skill Learning Leads to Better Skill Persistence

PubMed Central

Pauwels, Lisa; Swinnen, Stephan P.; Beets, Iseult A. M.

2014-01-01

The contextual interference (CI) effect is a robust phenomenon in the (motor) skill learning literature. However, CI has yielded mixed results in complex task learning. The current study addressed whether the CI effect is generalizable to bimanual skill learning, with a focus on the temporal evolution of memory processes. In contrast to previous studies, an extensive training schedule, distributed across multiple days of practice, was provided. Participants practiced three frequency ratios across three practice days following either a blocked or random practice schedule. During the acquisition phase, better overall performance for the blocked practice group was observed, but this difference diminished as practice progressed. At immediate and delayed retention, the random practice group outperformed the blocked practice group, except for the most difficult frequency ratio. Our main finding is that the random practice group showed superior performance persistence over a one week time interval in all three frequency ratios compared to the blocked practice group. This study contributes to our understanding of learning, consolidation and memory of complex motor skills, which helps optimizing training protocols in future studies and rehabilitation settings. PMID:24960171

Subtropical westerly jet waveguide and winter persistent heavy rainfall in south China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ding, Feng; Li, Chun

2017-07-01

Using observed daily precipitation and National Centers for Environmental Prediction-National Center for Atmospheric Research reanalysis data, what induced winter large spatial persistent heavy rainfall (PHR) events in south China was examined, based on composite analyses of 30 large spatial PHR events during 1951-2015. The results showed that wave trains within North Africa-Asia (NAA) westerly jet existed in upper troposphere during these PHR processes. The wave trains shared the characteristic of a Rossby wave. The Rossby wave originated from northwest Europe, entered into the NAA jet through strong cold air advection to form convergence over the Mediterranean, and then propagated eastward along subtropical NAA jet. The Rossby wave propagated toward Southeast Asia and caused strong divergence in the upper troposphere. The strong divergence in the upper troposphere induced vertical convection and favored large spatial PHR events in south China. In addition, the enhanced India-Burma trough and subtropical high in the northwestern Pacific supplied enough water vapor transportation. This mechanism would be useful to the medium-range forecast of such winter rainfall processes over south China.

Methylphenidate and Memory and Attention Adaptation Training for Persistent Cognitive Symptoms after Traumatic Brain Injury: A Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Trial.

PubMed

McDonald, Brenna C; Flashman, Laura A; Arciniegas, David B; Ferguson, Robert J; Xing, Li; Harezlak, Jaroslaw; Sprehn, Gwen C; Hammond, Flora M; Maerlender, Arthur C; Kruck, Carrie L; Gillock, Karen L; Frey, Kim; Wall, Rachel N; Saykin, Andrew J; McAllister, Thomas W

2017-08-01

The purpose of this multicenter, prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled study was to evaluate and compare the efficacy of two cognitive rehabilitation interventions (Memory and Attention Adaptation Training (MAAT) and Attention Builders Training (ABT)), with and without pharmacological enhancement (ie, with methylphenidate (MPH) or placebo), for treating persistent cognitive problems after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Adults with a history of TBI at least 4 months before study enrollment with either objective cognitive deficits or subjective cognitive complaints were randomized to receive MPH or placebo and MAAT or ABT, yielding four treatment combinations: MAAT/MPH (N=17), ABT/MPH (N=19), MAAT/placebo (N=17), and ABT/placebo (N=18). Assessments were conducted pre-treatment (baseline) and after 6 weeks of treatment (post treatment). Outcome measures included scores on neuropsychological measures and subjective rating scales. Statistical analyses used linear regression models to predict post-treatment scores for each outcome variable by treatment type, adjusting for relevant covariates. Statistically significant (P<0.05) treatment-related improvements in cognitive functioning were found for word-list learning (MAAT/placebo>ABT/placebo), nonverbal learning (MAAT/MPH>MAAT/placebo and MAAT/MPH>ABT/MPH), and auditory working memory and divided attention (MAAT/MPH>ABT/MPH). These results suggest that combined treatment with metacognitive rehabilitation (MAAT) and pharmacotherapy (MPH) can improve aspects of attention, episodic and working memory, and executive functioning after TBI.

[The professional and private situation of male and female physicians entering postgraduate medical education in Germany].

PubMed

van den Bussche, H; Wonneberger, C; Birck, S; Schultz, J-H; Robra, B-P; Schmidt, A; Stosch, C; Wagner, R; Scherer, M; Pöge, K; Rothe, K; Gedrose, B

2014-02-01

This study investigated the professional and the private situation of medical interns at the onset of their postgraduate training in Germany. We analysed the contractual situation and the working hours in the hospital, the professional situation of the partner and the number of hours invested in private life with special reference to gender and children. A standardised postal survey was conducted among all last year medical students in the medical faculties of Erlangen, Giessen, Hamburg, Heidelberg, Cologne, Leipzig and Magdeburg after entering postgraduate training. 1 009 were contacted for a first follow-up one year later and 87% responded. Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were performed. The analysis shows that female physicians are disadvantaged compared to males with regard to various professional and private conditions relevant for career development, especially when children are present. We found a large number of hints pointing towards a persistence of traditional role patterns within the couple relationship. These conditions differed substantially between the regions of former German Federal and former German Democratic Republic. A growing number of children in the study population in the course of the longitudinal analysis will show if these gender-related differences persist in the course of the training period and which influences on career development can be observed. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Automatic control of negative emotions: evidence that structured practice increases the efficiency of emotion regulation.

PubMed

Christou-Champi, Spyros; Farrow, Tom F D; Webb, Thomas L

2015-01-01

Emotion regulation (ER) is vital to everyday functioning. However, the effortful nature of many forms of ER may lead to regulation being inefficient and potentially ineffective. The present research examined whether structured practice could increase the efficiency of ER. During three training sessions, comprising a total of 150 training trials, participants were presented with negatively valenced images and asked either to "attend" (control condition) or "reappraise" (ER condition). A further group of participants did not participate in training but only completed follow-up measures. Practice increased the efficiency of ER as indexed by decreased time required to regulate emotions and increased heart rate variability (HRV). Furthermore, participants in the ER condition spontaneously regulated their negative emotions two weeks later and reported being more habitual in their use of ER. These findings indicate that structured practice can facilitate the automatic control of negative emotions and that these effects persist beyond training.

Behavioral training and AIDS risk reduction: overcoming barriers to condom use.

PubMed

Weisse, C S; Turbiasz, A A; Whitney, D J

1995-02-01

To assess the short- and long-term effects of an AIDS-prevention workshop on undergraduates' attitudes about condom use and AIDS, 31 participants and 31 controls were studied immediately after training sessions as well as three months later. The workshop was aimed at reducing embarrassment to purchase condoms, encouraging positive attitudes about condoms, and promoting knowledge about AIDS. To help students overcome their embarrassment over condom purchases, a behavioral intervention was included allowing students to make condom purchases at nearby drug stores. Results revealed that participants reported less embarrassment over condom purchases after training sessions and that this effect became even stronger over time. Knowledge about AIDS and positive attitudes about condoms also increased immediately after the workshop, but these changes did not persist. Results suggest that AIDS prevention workshops may lead to transient changes unless a specific skill (i.e., condom purchasing) is targeted via behavioral training.

Differential role of calpain-dependent protein cleavage in intermediate and long-term operant memory in Aplysia.

PubMed

Lyons, Lisa C; Gardner, Jacob S; Lentsch, Cassidy T; Gandour, Catherine E; Krishnan, Harini C; Noakes, Eric J

2017-01-01

In addition to protein synthesis, protein degradation or protein cleavage may be necessary for intermediate (ITM) and long-term memory (LTM) to remove molecular constraints, facilitate persistent kinase activity and modulate synaptic plasticity. Calpains, a family of conserved calcium dependent cysteine proteases, modulate synaptic function through protein cleavage. We used the marine mollusk Aplysia californica to investigate the in vivo role of calpains during intermediate and long-term operant memory formation using the learning that food is inedible (LFI) paradigm. A single LFI training session, in which the animal associates a specific netted seaweed with the failure to swallow, generates short (30min), intermediate (4-6h) and long-term (24h) memory. Using the calpain inhibitors calpeptin and MDL-28170, we found that ITM requires calpain activity for induction and consolidation similar to the previously reported requirements for persistent protein kinase C activity in intermediate-term LFI memory. The induction of LTM also required calpain activity. In contrast to ITM, calpain activity was not necessary for the molecular consolidation of LTM. Surprisingly, six hours after LFI training we found that calpain activity was necessary for LTM, although this is a time at which neither persistent PKC activity nor protein synthesis is required for the maintenance of long-term LFI memory. These results demonstrate that calpains function in multiple roles in vivo during associative memory formation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Persistence of perfluoroalkyl acid precursors in AFFF-impacted groundwater and soil.

PubMed

Houtz, Erika F; Higgins, Christopher P; Field, Jennifer A; Sedlak, David L

2013-08-06

Several classes of polyfluorinated chemicals that are potential precursors to the perfluorinated carboxylates and sulfonates are present in aqueous film-forming foams (AFFF). To assess the persistence of these AFFF-derived precursors, groundwater, soil, and aquifer solids were obtained in 2011 from an unlined firefighter training area at a U.S. Air Force Base where AFFF was regularly used between 1970 and 1990. To measure the total concentration of perfluorinated carboxylate and sulfonate precursors in archived AFFF formulations and AFFF-impacted environmental samples, a previously developed assay that uses hydroxyl radical to oxidize precursors to perfluorinated carboxylates was adapted for these media. This assay was employed along with direct measurement of 22 precursors found in AFFF and a suite of other poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). On a molar basis, precursors accounted for 41-100% of the total concentration of PFASs in archived AFFF formulations. In the training area, precursors measured by the oxidation assay accounted for an average of 23% and 28% of total PFASs (i.e., precursors and perfluorinated carboxylates and sulfonates) in groundwater and solids samples, respectively. One precursor in AFFF, perfluorohexane sulfonamide amine, was observed on several highly contaminated soil and aquifer solids samples, but no other precursors present in AFFF formulations were detected in any samples at this field site. Suspected intermediate transformation products of precursors in AFFF that were directly measured accounted for approximately half of the total precursor concentration in samples from the training site. The fraction of PFASs consisting of perfluorinated carboxylates and sulfonates was greater in groundwater and solid samples than in any archived AFFF formulations, suggesting that much of the mass of precursors released at the site was converted to perfluorinated carboxylates and sulfonates. The precursors that have persisted at this site may generate significant amounts of additional perfluorinated carboxylates and sulfonates upon remediation of contaminated groundwater or aquifer solids.

RCT of working memory training in ADHD: long-term near-transfer effects.

PubMed

Hovik, Kjell Tore; Saunes, Brit-Kari; Aarlien, Anne Kristine; Egeland, Jens

2013-01-01

The aim of the study is to evaluate the long-term near-transfer effects of computerized working memory (WM) training on standard WM tasks in children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). Sixty-seven children aged 10-12 years in Vestfold/Telemark counties (Norway) diagnosed with F90.0 Hyperkinetic disorder (ICD-10) were randomly assigned to training or control group. The training group participated in a 25-day training program at school, while the control group received treatment-as-usual. Participants were tested one week before intervention, immediately after and eight months later. Based on a component analysis, six measures of WM were grouped into composites representing Visual, Auditory and Manipulation WM. The training group had significant long-term differential gains compared to the control group on all outcome measures. Performance gains for the training group were significantly higher in the visual domain than in the auditory domain. The differential gain in Manipulation WM persisted after controlling for an increase in simple storage capacity. Systematic training resulted in a long-term positive gain in performance on similar tasks, indicating the viability of training interventions for children with ADHD. The results provide evidence for both domain-general and domain-specific models. Far-transfer effects were not investigated in this article. Controlled-Trials.com ISRCTN19133620.

Exercise training preserves vagal preganglionic neurones and restores parasympathetic tonus in heart failure.

PubMed

Ichige, Marcelo H A; Santos, Carla R; Jordão, Camila P; Ceroni, Alexandre; Negrão, Carlos E; Michelini, Lisete C

2016-11-01

Heart Failure (HF) is accompanied by reduced ventricular function, activation of compensatory neurohormonal mechanisms and marked autonomic dysfunction characterized by exaggerated sympathoexcitation and reduced parasympathetic activity. With 6 weeks of exercise training, HF-related loss of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)-positive vagal preganglionic neurones is avoided, restoring the parasympathetic tonus to the heart, and the immunoreactivity of dopamine β-hydroxylase-positive premotor neurones that drive sympathetic outflow to the heart is reduced. Training-induced correction of autonomic dysfunction occurs even with the persistence of abnormal ventricular function. Strong positive correlation between improved parasympathetic tonus to the heart and increased ChAT immunoreactivity in vagal preganglionic neurones after training indicates this is a crucial mechanism to restore autonomic function in heart failure. Exercise training is an efficient tool to attenuate sympathoexcitation, a hallmark of heart failure (HF). Although sympathetic modulation in HF is widely studied, information regarding parasympathetic control is lacking. We examined the combined effects of sympathetic and vagal tonus to the heart in sedentary (Sed) and exercise trained (ET) HF rats and the contribution of respective premotor and preganglionic neurones. Wistar rats submitted to coronary artery ligation or sham surgery were assigned to training or sedentary protocols for 6 weeks. After haemodynamic, autonomic tonus (atropine and atenolol i.v.) and ventricular function determinations, brains were collected for immunoreactivity assays (choline acetyltransferase, ChATir; dopamine β-hydroxylase, DBHir) and neuronal counting in the dorsal motor nucleus of vagus (DMV), nucleus ambiguus (NA) and rostroventrolateral medulla (RVLM). HF-Sed vs. SHAM-Sed exhibited decreased exercise capacity, reduced ejection fraction, increased left ventricle end diastolic pressure, smaller positive and negative dP/dt, decreased intrinsic heart rate (IHR), lower parasympathetic and higher sympathetic tonus, reduced preganglionic vagal neurones and ChATir in the DMV/NA, and increased RVLM DBHir. Training increased treadmill performance, normalized autonomic tonus and IHR, restored the number of DMV and NA neurones and corrected ChATir without affecting ventricular function. There were strong positive correlations between parasympathetic tonus and ChATir in NA and DMV. RVLM DBHir was also normalized by training, but there was no change in neurone number and no correlation with sympathetic tonus. Training-induced preservation of preganglionic vagal neurones is crucial to normalize parasympathetic activity and restore autonomic balance to the heart even in the persistence of cardiac dysfunction. © 2016 The Authors. The Journal of Physiology © 2016 The Physiological Society.

Computerized training of non-verbal reasoning and working memory in children with intellectual disability

PubMed Central

Söderqvist, Stina; Nutley, Sissela B.; Ottersen, Jon; Grill, Katja M.; Klingberg, Torkel

2012-01-01

Children with intellectual disabilities show deficits in both reasoning ability and working memory (WM) that impact everyday functioning and academic achievement. In this study we investigated the feasibility of cognitive training for improving WM and non-verbal reasoning (NVR) ability in children with intellectual disability. Participants were randomized to a 5-week adaptive training program (intervention group) or non-adaptive version of the program (active control group). Cognitive assessments were conducted prior to and directly after training and 1 year later to examine effects of the training. Improvements during training varied largely and amount of progress during training predicted transfer to WM and comprehension of instructions, with higher training progress being associated with greater transfer improvements. The strongest predictors for training progress were found to be gender, co-morbidity, and baseline capacity on verbal WM. In particular, females without an additional diagnosis and with higher baseline performance showed greater progress. No significant effects of training were observed at the 1-year follow-up, suggesting that training should be more intense or repeated in order for effects to persist in children with intellectual disabilities. A major finding of this study is that cognitive training is feasible in this clinical sample and can help improve their cognitive performance. However, a minimum cognitive capacity or training ability seems necessary for the training to be beneficial, with some individuals showing little improvement in performance. Future studies of cognitive training should take into consideration how inter-individual differences in training progress influence transfer effects and further investigate how baseline capacities predict training outcome. PMID:23060775

Massive Remnant of Evolved Cometary Dust Trail Detected in the Orbit of Halley-Type Comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenniskens, P.; Betlem, H.

2000-01-01

There is a subpopulation of Leonid meteoroid stream particles that appear to form a region of enhanced numbers density along the path of the stream. This structure has been detected in the vicinity of the parent comet, and its variation from one apparition to the next has been traced. A significant amount of known comet 55P/Tempel-Tuttle debris is in this component, called a "filament," which has dimensions exceeding by an order of magnitude that expected for a cometary dust trail. As filament particles are of a size comparable to those found in trails, the emission ages of the particles comprising the filament must be intermediate between the age of the current trail particles (which have not been observed) and the age of the background particles comprising the annual showers. The most likely explanation for this structure is planetary perturbations acting differently on the comet and large particles while at different mean anomalies relative to each other.

Luminous Efficiency of Hypervelocity Meteoroid Impacts on the Moon Derived from the 2006 Geminids, 2007 Lyrids, and 2008 Taurids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moser, D. E.; Suggs, R. M.; Swift, W. R.; Suggs, R. J.; Cooke, W. J.; Diekmann, A. M.; Koehler, H. M.

2011-01-01

Since early 2006, NASA s Marshall Space Flight Center has been routinely monitoring the Moon for impact flashes produced by meteoroids striking the lunar surface. During this time, several meteor showers have produced multiple impact flashes on the Moon. The 2006 Geminids, 2007 Lyrids, and 2008 Taurids were observed with average rates of 5.5, 1.2, and 1.5 meteors/hr, respectively, for a total of 12 Geminid, 12 Lyrid, and 12 Taurid lunar impacts. These showers produced a sufficient, albeit small sample of impact flashes with which to perform a luminous efficiency analysis similar to that outlined in Bellot Rubio et al. (2000a, b) for the 1999 Leonids. An analysis of the Geminid, Lyrid, and Taurid lunar impacts is carried out herein in order to determine the luminous efficiency in the 400-800 nm wavelength range for each shower. Using the luminous efficiency, the kinetic energies and masses of these lunar impactors can be calculated from the observed flash intensity.

Luminous Efficiency of Hypervelocity Meteoroid Impacts on the Moon Derived from the 2006 Geminids, 2007 Lyrids, and 2008 Taurids

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moser, D. E.; Suggs, R. M.; Swift, W. R.; Suggs, R. J.; Cooke, W. J.; Diekmann, A. M.; Koehler, H. M.

2010-01-01

Since early 2006 the Meteoroid Environment Office (MEO) at NASA s Marshall Space Flight Center has been consistently monitoring the Moon for impact flashes produced by meteoroids striking the lunar surface. During this time, several meteor showers have produced multiple impact flashes on the Moon. The 2006 Geminids, 2007 Lyrids, and 2008 Taurids were observed with average rates of 5.5, 1.2, and 1.5 meteors/hr, respectively, for a total of 12 Geminid, 12 Lyrid, and 12 Taurid lunar impacts. These showers produced a sufficient, albeit small sample of impact flashes with which to perform a luminous efficiency analysis similar to that outlined in Bellot Rubio et al. (2000) for the 1999 Leonids. An analysis of the Geminid, Lyrid, and Taurid lunar impacts is carried out herein in order to determine the luminous efficiency in the 400-800 nm wavelength range for each shower. Using the luminous efficiency, the kinetic energies and masses of these lunar impactors can be calculated.

STS-87 Post Flight Presentation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1998-01-01

The flight crew, Cmdr. Kevin R. Kregel, Pilot Steven W. Lindsey, Mission Specialists Winston E. Scott, Kalpana Chawla, and Takao Doi, and Payload Specialist Leonid K. Kadenyuk present an overview of their mission. In the first part they can be seen performing pre-launch activities such as eating the traditional breakfast, crew suit-up, and the ride out to the launch pad. Also, included are various panoramic views of the shuttle on the pad. The crew is seen being readied in the 'white room' for their mission. After the closing of the hatch and arm retraction, launch activities are shown including countdown, engine ignition, launch, and the separation of the Solid Rocket Boosters. In the second part of the video the crew turn their attention to a variety of experiments inside the Shuttle's cabin. These experiments include the processing of several samples of materials in the glovebox facility in Columbia's middeck; the experiment called PEP, which involves heating samples and then recording the mixture as it resolidifies; and the study of plant growth in space.

Major safety provisions in nuclear-powered ships

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

Khlopkin, N.S.; Belyaev, V.M.; Dubrovin, A.M.

1984-12-01

Considerable experience has been accumulated in the Soviet Union on the design, construction and operation of nuclear-powered civilian ships: the icebreakers Lenin, Leonid Brezhnev and Sibir. The nuclear steam plants (NSP) used on these as the main energy source have been found to be highly reliable and safe, and it is desirable to use them in the future not only in icebreakers but also in transport ships for use in ice fields. The Soviet program for building and developing nuclear-powered ships has involved careful attention to safety in ships containing NSP. The experience with the design and operation of nuclearmore » icebreakers in recent years has led to the revision of safety standards for the nuclear ships and correspondingly ship NSP and international guidelines have been developed. If one meets the requirements as set forth in these documents, one has a safe basis for future Soviet nuclear-powered ships. The primary safety provisions for NSP are presented in this paper.« less

NASDA President Isao Uchida greets STS-87 Mission Specialist Takao Doi, Ph.D., after landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

The president of the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) of Japan, Isao Uchida, at left, chats with STS-87 Mission Specialist Takao Doi, Ph.D., of NASDA, shortly after the landing of Columbia at Kennedy Space Center. STS-87 concluded its mission with a main gear touchdown at 7:20:04 a.m. EST Dec. 5, at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility Runway 33, drawing the 15-day, 16-hour and 34- minute-long mission of 6.5 million miles to a close. Also onboard the orbiter were Commander Kevin Kregel; Pilot Steven Lindsey; Mission Specialists Winston Scott and Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D.; and Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. During the 88th Space Shuttle mission, the crew performed experiments on the United States Microgravity Payload-4 and pollinated plants as part of the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment. This was the 12th landing for Columbia at KSC and the 41st KSC landing in the history of the Space Shuttle program.

STS-87 M.S. Takao Doi, Ph.D., of NASDA after landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

STS-87 Mission Specialist Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) of Japan greets a NASDA official shortly after the orbiter Columbia returned to KSC, touching down on Runway 33 at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility. STS-87 concluded its mission with a main gear touchdown at 7:20:04 a.m. EST Dec. 5, drawing the 15-day, 16-hour and 34-minute-long mission of 6.5 million miles to a close. Also onboard the orbiter were Commander Kevin Kregel; Pilot Steven Lindsey; Mission Specialists Winston Scott and Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D.; and Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. During the 88th Space Shuttle mission, the crew performed experiments on the United States Microgravity Payload-4 and pollinated plants as part of the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment. This was the 12th landing for Columbia at KSC and the 41st KSC landing in the history of the Space Shuttle program.

STS-87 crew pose in front of the orbiter Columbia after landing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

The STS-87 crew pose in front of the orbiter Columbia shortly after landing on Runway 33 at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility. STS-87 concluded its mission with a main gear touchdown at 7:20:04 a.m. EST Dec. 5, drawing the 15-day, 16-hour and 34- minute-long mission of 6.5 million miles to a close. From left to right are Mission Specialists Winston Scott and Takao Doi, Ph.D., of the National Space Development Agency of Japan; Commander Kevin Kregel; Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine; Mission Specialist Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D.; and Pilot Steven Lindsey. During the 88th Space Shuttle mission, the crew performed experiments on the United States Microgravity Payload-4 and pollinated plants as part of the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment. This was the 12th landing for Columbia at KSC and the 41st KSC landing in the history of the Space Shuttle program.

The Lunar Atmosphere as a Cosmic-Ray Detector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, T. L.

2007-01-01

The recent discovery of a tenuous sodium (Na) atmosphere on the Moon and Mercury has renewed interest in studying the lunar atmosphere since the physics involved for the two bodies is thought to be of similar nature. Na came as a surprise because it had been missed by in situ UV measurements made during the Apollo program. The new lunar observations involve the visible D1 (5896 ) and D2 (5890 ) wavelengths which are highly efficient at scattering sunlight. Although its lunar source and morphology is still not completely understood, Na is present as a collisionless exosphere - apparently in the form of a cometary-type coma with a tail that can extend hundreds of lunar radii during Leonid showers. The global shape of the atmosphere, in particular for the shaded antisolar side, has been modelled by Smyth. Since planetary atmospheres can be used as cosmic-ray (CR) spectrometers by means of their fluorescence excited by CR-induced air shower particles, the subject of the Moon s atmosphere as a CR detector will be discussed here.

An Ongoing Program for Monitoring the Moon for Meteoroid Impacts (Abstract)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cudnik, B.; Saganti, S.; Ali, F.; Ali, S.; Beharie, T.; Anugwom, B.

2017-12-01

(Abstract only) Lunar meteor impacts are surprisingly frequent phenomena, with well over one hundred observable events occurring each year. Of these a little over half arise from members of annual meteor showers (e.g. Perseids, Leonids, etc.), with the rest being sporadic in origin. Five years ago, I (BC) introduced to the SAS Symposium the idea of observing lunar meteoroid impact phenomena and applying these observations to a space mission (LADEE-Lunar Atmosphere and Dust Environment Explorer) that launched the following year. Now, five years later I revisit and reintroduce the activities of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers-Lunar Meteoritic Impact Search (ALPO-LMIS) section and share some of the latest observations that have been received. For over 17 years now, ALPO has hosted the LMIS section, for which I have served as coordinator since its inception. In this paper, I will revisit the main ideas of the earlier paper, share some recent observations of lunar meteors, and provide new initiatives and projects interested persons can participate in.

Intracortical inhibition and facilitation with unilateral dominant, unilateral nondominant and bilateral movement tasks in left- and right-handed adults.

PubMed

McCombe Waller, Sandy; Forrester, Larry; Villagra, Federico; Whitall, Jill

2008-06-15

To investigate intracortical inhibition and facilitation in response to unilateral dominant, nondominant and bilateral biceps activation and short-term upper extremity training in right- and left-handed adults. Paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation was used to measure intracortical excitability in motor dominant and nondominant cortices of 26 nondisabled adults. Neural facilitation and inhibition were measured in each hemisphere during unilateral dominant, nondominant and bilateral arm activation and after training in each condition. No differences were seen between right- and left-handed subjects. Intracortical facilitation and decreased inhibition were seen in each hemisphere with unilateral activation/training of contralateral muscles and bilateral muscle activation/training. Persistent intracortical inhibition was seen in each hemisphere with ipsilateral muscle activation/training. Inhibition was greater in the nondominant hemisphere during dominant hemisphere activation (dominant arm contraction). Strongly dominant individuals show no difference in intracortical responses given handedness. Intracortical activity with unilateral and bilateral arm activation and short-term training differs based on hemispheric dominance, with the motor dominant hemisphere exerting a larger inhibitory influence over the nondominant hemisphere. Bilateral activation and training have a disinhibitory effect in both dominant and nondominant hemispheres.

Effects of a School-Based Social Skills Training Program for Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Intellectual Disability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plavnick, Joshua B.; Kaid, Tiffany; MacFarland, Mari C.

2015-01-01

Social deficits are a core characteristic of individuals with autism spectrum disorders and co-occurring intellectual disabilities (ASD-ID). Despite persistence of these deficits into adolescence, few social skills interventions have been empirically evaluated for older individuals with ASD-ID. The present investigation adapted an efficacious…

Practicing the Ancient Art of "Memoria" in the Modern Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Jackson B.

2005-01-01

Memoria, one of the original five canons of rhetoric, has been described as a lost art. While "word-for-word" memorization and presentation of classic speeches was an important component of rhetorical training that "persisted through the middle ages," it receives no more than a brief mention (usually in the sections outlining different types of…

Towards Individualized Instruction with Technology-Enabled Tools and Methods: An Exploratory Study. CRESST Report 854

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chung, Gregory K. W. K.; Delacruz, Girlie C.; Dionne, Gary B.; Baker, Eva L.; Lee, John J.; Osmundson, Ellen

2016-01-01

This report addresses a renewed interest in individualized instruction, driven in part by advances in technology and assessment as well as a persistent desire to increase the access, efficiency, and cost effectiveness of training and education. Using computer-based instruction we delivered extremely efficient instruction targeted to low knowledge…

Whose English Counts? Native Speakers as English Language Learners

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grill, Jennifer

2010-01-01

The author, a teacher educator, explains that because of a lack of training in language studies, many teachers do not view language as linguists do. She identifies three misconceptions (and the implications they have for English language learners) that still persist in education: Standard English is the best and most correct form of English,…

Reward Value Effects on Timing in the Peak Procedure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galtress, Tiffany; Kirkpatrick, Kimberly

2009-01-01

Three experiments examined the effect of motivational variables on timing in the peak procedure. In Experiment 1, rats received a 60-s peak procedure that was coupled with long-term, between-phase changes in reinforcer magnitude. Increases in reinforcer magnitude produced a leftward shift in the peak that persisted for 20 sessions of training. In…

Patching the Pipeline: Reducing Educational Disparities in the Sciences through Minority Training Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wesley Schultz, P.; Hernandez, Paul R.; Woodcock, Anna; Estrada, Mica; Chance, Randie C.; Aguilar, Maria; Serpe, Richard T.

2011-01-01

For more than 40 years, there has been a concerted national effort to promote diversity among the scientific research community. Yet given the persistent national-level disparity in educational achievements of students from various ethnic and racial groups, the efficacy of these programs has come into question. The current study reports results…

Greening TVET: Qualifications Needs and Implementation Strategies. Report of the UNESCO-UNEVOC Virtual Conference, 12 to 26 November 2013

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

UNESCO-UNEVOC International Centre for Technical and Vocational Education and Training, 2014

2014-01-01

Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) faces a number of challenges, including technological and societal changes, exemplified by changes in demography, rapidly changing labour markets, persistent social inequalities and conflict. These changes require people to possess skills that are adaptable to the changing nature of work and…

Schooling and Work Among Youths from Low-Income Households; A Baseline Report from the Entitlement Demonstration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barclay, Suzanne; And Others

Unemployment among young people, particularly for minorities and the disadvantaged, has been a persistent and growing problem in this country for the past decades. In response to this situation, Congress in 1977 enacted the Youth Employment and Demonstration Projects Act, the first comprehensive job and training legislation devoted solely to youth…

Factors Influencing Intent to Persist in Higher Education of Participants in U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnston, Susan M.

2010-01-01

The preponderance of research examining college student retention has focused on the influence of academic and social integration factors (Bean, 2005; Braxton, Hirschy, & McClendon, 2004; Pascarella & Terenzini, 1980; Tinto, 1993). Recent research suggested that psychosocial factors may be significantly related to student departure decisions…

The Scholarly Process: A Grounded Theory Exploring How Counselor Educators Promote Scholarship of Counselors-in-Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michalak, Megan B.

2013-01-01

The demand for master's level counseling scholarship is on the rise as a call for evidenced based practices persist (Benishek, 1998; Briggs & Pehrsson, 2008; Huber & Savage, 2009). Although there is a demand to increase the amount of counseling produced scholarship, little examination exists regarding how the profession can begin to…

Persistence of Serogroup C Antibody Responses Following Quadrivalent Meningococcal Conjugate Vaccination in United States Military Personnel

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-14

Sanofi Pasteur, Swiftwater, A, USA), was used routinely in U.S. military recruits to reduce he risk of disease during basic training. However...U.S. enACWYD (Menactra®, diphtheria toxoid conjugate, Sanofi Pas- eur, Swiftwater, PA, USA) was licensed in 2005 and MenACWYCRM MenveoTM, CRM-197

The Four Personae of Racism: Educators' (Mis)Understanding of Individual vs. Systemic Racism

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Evelyn Y.

2011-01-01

This study used CRT to engage educators in critical discourse regarding the persistence of racism in urban schooling. A combined method of action research and critical case study was employed to raise a group of educators' race consciousness through antiracist training. Findings revealed conflicting views of racism as an individual pathology vs. a…

Fundamental Research in Engineering Education. Identifying and Repairing Student Misconceptions in Thermal and Transport Science: Concept Inventories and Schema Training Studies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miller, Ronald L.; Streveler, Ruth A.; Yang, Dazhi; Roman, Aidsa I. Santiago

2011-01-01

This paper summarizes progress on two related lines of chemical engineering education research: 1) identifying persistent student misconceptions in thermal and transport science (fluid mechanics, heat transfer, and thermodynamics); and, 2) developing a method to help students repair these misconceptions. Progress on developing the Thermal and…

Policies to Reduce High-Tenured Displaced Workers' Earnings Losses through Retraining. Discussion Paper 2011-11

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jacobson, Louis S.; LaLonde, Robert J.; Sullivan, Daniel G.

2011-01-01

High-tenured displaced workers often experience significant earnings losses that persist for the rest of their working lives. A well-targeted training initiative has the potential to substantially reduce permanent earnings losses for those displaced workers who have the academic preparation, work experience, and interest to complete high-return…

Undergraduate athletic training students' influences on career decisions after graduation.

PubMed

Mazerolle, Stephanie M; Gavin, Kerri E; Pitney, William A; Casa, Douglas J; Burton, Laura

2012-01-01

Career opportunities for athletic training students (ATSs) have increased substantially over the past few years. However, ATSs commonly appear to be opting for a more diversified professional experience after graduation. With the diversity in available options, an understanding of career decision is imperative. To use the theoretical framework of socialization to investigate the influential factors behind the postgraduation decisions of senior ATSs. Qualitative study. Web-based management system and telephone interviews. Twenty-two ATSs (16 females, 6 males; age = 22 ± 2 years) who graduated in May 2010 from 13 different programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education. All interviews were transcribed verbatim, and the data were analyzed inductively. Data analysis required independent coding by 2 athletic trainers for specific themes. Credibility of the results was confirmed via peer review, methodologic triangulation, and multiple analyst triangulation. Two higher-order themes emerged from the data analysis: persistence in athletic training (AT) and decision to leave AT. Faculty and clinical instructor support, marketability, and professional growth were supporting themes describing persistence in AT. Shift of interest away from AT, lack of respect for the AT profession, compensation, time commitment, and AT as a stepping stone were themes sustaining the reasons that ATSs leave AT. The aforementioned reasons to leave often were discussed collectively, generating a collective undesirable outlook on the AT profession. Our results highlight the importance of faculty support, professional growth, and early socialization into AT. Socialization of pre-AT students could alter retention rates by providing in-depth information about the profession before students commit in their undergraduate education and by helping reduce attrition before entrance into the workforce.

Undergraduate Athletic Training Students' Influences on Career Decisions After Graduation

PubMed Central

Mazerolle, Stephanie M.; Gavin, Kerri E.; Pitney, William A.; Casa, Douglas J.; Burton, Laura

2012-01-01

Context Career opportunities for athletic training students (ATSs) have increased substantially over the past few years. However, ATSs commonly appear to be opting for a more diversified professional experience after graduation. With the diversity in available options, an understanding of career decision is imperative. Objective To use the theoretical framework of socialization to investigate the influential factors behind the postgraduation decisions of senior ATSs. Design Qualitative study. Setting Web-based management system and telephone interviews. Patients or Other Participants Twenty-two ATSs (16 females, 6 males; age = 22 ± 2 years) who graduated in May 2010 from 13 different programs accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education. Data Collection and Analysis All interviews were transcribed verbatim, and the data were analyzed inductively. Data analysis required independent coding by 2 athletic trainers for specific themes. Credibility of the results was confirmed via peer review, methodologic triangulation, and multiple analyst triangulation. Results Two higher-order themes emerged from the data analysis: persistence in athletic training (AT) and decision to leave AT. Faculty and clinical instructor support, marketability, and professional growth were supporting themes describing persistence in AT. Shift of interest away from AT, lack of respect for the AT profession, compensation, time commitment, and AT as a stepping stone were themes sustaining the reasons that ATSs leave AT. The aforementioned reasons to leave often were discussed collectively, generating a collective undesirable outlook on the AT profession. Conclusions Our results highlight the importance of faculty support, professional growth, and early socialization into AT. Socialization of pre–AT students could alter retention rates by providing in-depth information about the profession before students commit in their undergraduate education and by helping reduce attrition before entrance into the workforce. PMID:23182017

Characteristics of intestinal habits in children younger than 4 years: detecting constipation.

PubMed

Mota, Denise M; Barros, Aluisio J D; Santos, Iná; Matijasevich, Alícia

2012-10-01

The aim of the present study was to describe the prevalence of childhood constipation, stool characteristics, and their relationship with toilet training and age of introduction of cow's milk. A total of 4231 children born in 2004, from a birth cohort study, were assessed at 12, 24, and 48 months of age, when their mothers provided information on sociodemographic characteristics, bowel habits, toilet training, and age of introduction of cow's milk and other foods. The prevalence of constipation was 27.3% and 31.0% at 24 and 48 months of age, respectively. Among girls, at 48 months of age, it was 34.4% versus 27.4% in boys (P<0.001). The most common features of constipation were scybalous stools (47.7% and 41.0% at 24 and 48 months, respectively), evacuation difficulty (24.3% and 23.1%), and hard stools (17.8% and 34.1%). Toilet training starting before 24 months was associated with constipation at 24 months and its persistence up to 48 months. Among children who did not receive cow's milk in their first year of life, 22% had constipation at 24 months, 22.6% at 48 months, and 8.3% at 24 and 48 months. Among children who started cow's milk before 30 days of life, the respective proportions of children with constipation was 28.2%, 33%, and 12.4%. The prevalence of constipation increases with age and cannot be detected using only information on evacuation interval. Toilet training before 24 months and introduction of cow's milk before 1 year of age is positively associated with constipation at 24 months and its persistence up to 48 months.

Persistent Thalamic Sound Processing Despite Profound Cochlear Denervation.

PubMed

Chambers, Anna R; Salazar, Juan J; Polley, Daniel B

2016-01-01

Neurons at higher stages of sensory processing can partially compensate for a sudden drop in peripheral input through a homeostatic plasticity process that increases the gain on weak afferent inputs. Even after a profound unilateral auditory neuropathy where >95% of afferent synapses between auditory nerve fibers and inner hair cells have been eliminated with ouabain, central gain can restore cortical processing and perceptual detection of basic sounds delivered to the denervated ear. In this model of profound auditory neuropathy, auditory cortex (ACtx) processing and perception recover despite the absence of an auditory brainstem response (ABR) or brainstem acoustic reflexes, and only a partial recovery of sound processing at the level of the inferior colliculus (IC), an auditory midbrain nucleus. In this study, we induced a profound cochlear neuropathy with ouabain and asked whether central gain enabled a compensatory plasticity in the auditory thalamus comparable to the full recovery of function previously observed in the ACtx, the partial recovery observed in the IC, or something different entirely. Unilateral ouabain treatment in adult mice effectively eliminated the ABR, yet robust sound-evoked activity persisted in a minority of units recorded from the contralateral medial geniculate body (MGB) of awake mice. Sound driven MGB units could decode moderate and high-intensity sounds with accuracies comparable to sham-treated control mice, but low-intensity classification was near chance. Pure tone receptive fields and synchronization to broadband pulse trains also persisted, albeit with significantly reduced quality and precision, respectively. MGB decoding of temporally modulated pulse trains and speech tokens were both greatly impaired in ouabain-treated mice. Taken together, the absence of an ABR belied a persistent auditory processing at the level of the MGB that was likely enabled through increased central gain. Compensatory plasticity at the level of the auditory thalamus was less robust overall than previous observations in cortex or midbrain. Hierarchical differences in compensatory plasticity following sensorineural hearing loss may reflect differences in GABA circuit organization within the MGB, as compared to the ACtx or IC.

Environmental Sound Training in Cochlear Implant Users

PubMed Central

Sheft, Stanley; Kuvadia, Sejal; Gygi, Brian

2015-01-01

Purpose The study investigated the effect of a short computer-based environmental sound training regimen on the perception of environmental sounds and speech in experienced cochlear implant (CI) patients. Method Fourteen CI patients with the average of 5 years of CI experience participated. The protocol consisted of 2 pretests, 1 week apart, followed by 4 environmental sound training sessions conducted on separate days in 1 week, and concluded with 2 posttest sessions, separated by another week without training. Each testing session included an environmental sound test, which consisted of 40 familiar everyday sounds, each represented by 4 different tokens, as well as the Consonant Nucleus Consonant (CNC) word test, and Revised Speech Perception in Noise (SPIN-R) sentence test. Results Environmental sounds scores were lower than for either of the speech tests. Following training, there was a significant average improvement of 15.8 points in environmental sound perception, which persisted 1 week later after training was discontinued. No significant improvements were observed for either speech test. Conclusions The findings demonstrate that environmental sound perception, which remains problematic even for experienced CI patients, can be improved with a home-based computer training regimen. Such computer-based training may thus provide an effective low-cost approach to rehabilitation for CI users, and potentially, other hearing impaired populations. PMID:25633579

Mental rotation training: transfer and maintenance effects on spatial abilities.

PubMed

Meneghetti, Chiara; Borella, Erika; Pazzaglia, Francesca

2016-01-01

One of the aims of research in spatial cognition is to examine whether spatial skills can be enhanced. The goal of the present study was thus to assess the benefit and maintenance effects of mental rotation training in young adults. Forty-eight females took part in the study: 16 were randomly assigned to receive the mental rotation training (based on comparing pairs of 2D or 3D objects and rotation games), 16 served as active controls (performing parallel non-spatial activities), and 16 as passive controls. Transfer effects to both untrained spatial tasks (testing both object rotation and perspective taking) and visual and verbal tasks were examined. Across the training sessions, the group given mental rotation training revealed benefits in the time it took to make judgments when comparing 3D and 2D objects, but their mental rotation speed did not improve. When compared with the other groups, the mental rotation training group did show transfer effects, however, in tasks other than those practiced (i.e., in object rotation and perspective-taking tasks), and these benefits persisted after 1 month. The training had no effect on visual or verbal tasks. These findings are discussed from the spatial cognition standpoint and with reference to the (rotation) training literature.

Cerebrovascular regulation, exercise, and mild traumatic brain injury

PubMed Central

Meehan, William P.; Iverson, Grant L.; Taylor, J. Andrew

2014-01-01

A substantial number of people who sustain a mild traumatic brain injury report persistent symptoms. Most common among these symptoms are headache, dizziness, and cognitive difficulties. One possible contributor to sustained symptoms may be compromised cerebrovascular regulation. In addition to injury-related cerebrovascular dysfunction, it is possible that prolonged rest after mild traumatic brain injury leads to deconditioning that may induce physiologic changes in cerebral blood flow control that contributes to persistent symptoms in some people. There is some evidence that exercise training may reduce symptoms perhaps because it engages an array of cerebrovascular regulatory mechanisms. Unfortunately, there is very little work on the degree of impairment in cerebrovascular control that may exist in patients with mild traumatic brain injury, and there are no published studies on the subacute phase of recovery from this injury. This review aims to integrate the current knowledge of cerebrovascular mechanisms that might underlie persistent symptoms and seeks to synthesize these data in the context of exploring aerobic exercise as a feasible intervention to treat the underlying pathophysiology. PMID:25274845

Society of Behavioral Medicine (SBM) position statement: improving access to psychosocial care for individuals with persistent pain: supporting the National Pain Strategy's call for interdisciplinary pain care.

PubMed

Janke, E Amy; Cheatle, Martin; Keefe, Francis J; Dhingra, Lara

2018-03-01

Policy makers have articulated a need for clear, evidence-based guidance to help inform pain policy. Persistent pain is common, expensive, and debilitating, and requires comprehensive assessment and treatment planning. Recently released opioid prescribing guidelines by the CDC (2016) emphasize the importance of using nonopioid therapies before considering opioid treatment for those without a malignant illness. The National Pain Strategy (2016) underscores the importance of comprehensive, interdisciplinary pain care. Unfortunately, despite persuasive evidence supporting the efficacy of psychosocial approaches, these interventions are inaccessible to the majority of Americans. Psychosocial approaches to pain management should be available for all individuals with persistent pain and in all health care settings and contexts as part of the comprehensive, interdisciplinary approach to pain care as outlined in the National Pain Strategy. To achieve this, we must prioritize reimbursement of evidence-based psychosocial approaches for pain assessment and management and improve provider training and competencies to implement these approaches.

Exercise, inflammation, and fatigue in cancer survivors

PubMed Central

LaVoy, Emily C.P.; Fagundes, Christopher P.; Dantzer, Robert

2016-01-01

Cancer-related fatigue significantly disrupts normal functioning and quality of life for a substantial portion of cancer survivors, and may persist for years following cancer treatment. While the causes of persistent fatigue among cancer survivors are not yet fully understood, accumulating evidence suggests that several pathways, including chronic inflammation, autonomic imbalance, HPA-axis dysfunction, and/or mitochondrial damage, could contribute towards the disruption of normal neuronal function and result in the symptom of cancer-related fatigue. Exercise training interventions have been shown to be some of the more successful treatment options to address cancer-related fatigue. In this review, we discuss the literature regarding the causes of persistent fatigue in cancer survivors and the mechanisms by which exercise may relieve this symptom. There is still much work to be done until the prescription of exercise becomes standard practice for cancer survivors. With improvements in the quality of studies, evidenced-based exercise interventions will allow exercise scientists and oncologists to work together to treat cancer-related fatigue. PMID:26853557

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine facilitates fear extinction learning

PubMed Central

Young, M B; Andero, R; Ressler, K J; Howell, L L

2015-01-01

Acutely administered 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, ‘ecstasy') has been proposed to have long-term positive effects on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms when combined with psychotherapy. No preclinical data support a mechanistic basis for these claims. Given the persistent nature of psychotherapeutic gains facilitated by MDMA, we hypothesized that MDMA improves fear extinction learning, a key process in exposure-based therapies for PTSD. In these experiments, mice were first exposed to cued fear conditioning and treated with drug vehicle or MDMA before extinction training 2 days later. MDMA was administered systemically and also directly targeted to brain structures known to contribute to extinction. In addition to behavioral measures of extinction, changes in mRNA levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) and Fos were measured after MDMA treatment and extinction. MDMA (7.8 mg kg−1) persistently and robustly enhanced long-term extinction when administered before extinction training. MDMA increased the expression of Fos in the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), whereas increases in Bdnf expression were observed only in the amygdala after extinction training. Extinction enhancements were recapitulated when MDMA (1  μg) was infused directly into the basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA), and enhancement was abolished when BDNF signaling was inhibited before extinction. These findings suggest that MDMA enhances fear memory extinction through a BDNF-dependent mechanism, and that MDMA may be a useful adjunct to exposure-based therapies for PTSD and other anxiety disorders characterized by altered fear learning. PMID:26371762

3,4-Methylenedioxymethamphetamine facilitates fear extinction learning.

PubMed

Young, M B; Andero, R; Ressler, K J; Howell, L L

2015-09-15

Acutely administered 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, 'ecstasy') has been proposed to have long-term positive effects on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms when combined with psychotherapy. No preclinical data support a mechanistic basis for these claims. Given the persistent nature of psychotherapeutic gains facilitated by MDMA, we hypothesized that MDMA improves fear extinction learning, a key process in exposure-based therapies for PTSD. In these experiments, mice were first exposed to cued fear conditioning and treated with drug vehicle or MDMA before extinction training 2 days later. MDMA was administered systemically and also directly targeted to brain structures known to contribute to extinction. In addition to behavioral measures of extinction, changes in mRNA levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) and Fos were measured after MDMA treatment and extinction. MDMA (7.8 mg kg(-1)) persistently and robustly enhanced long-term extinction when administered before extinction training. MDMA increased the expression of Fos in the amygdala and medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), whereas increases in Bdnf expression were observed only in the amygdala after extinction training. Extinction enhancements were recapitulated when MDMA (1 μg) was infused directly into the basolateral complex of the amygdala (BLA), and enhancement was abolished when BDNF signaling was inhibited before extinction. These findings suggest that MDMA enhances fear memory extinction through a BDNF-dependent mechanism, and that MDMA may be a useful adjunct to exposure-based therapies for PTSD and other anxiety disorders characterized by altered fear learning.

Young and old Pavlovian fear memories can be modified with extinction training during reconsolidation in humans

PubMed Central

Steinfurth, Elisa C.K.; Kanen, Jonathan W.; Raio, Candace M.; Clem, Roger L.; Huganir, Richard L.; Phelps, Elizabeth A.

2014-01-01

Extinction training during reconsolidation has been shown to persistently diminish conditioned fear responses across species. We investigated in humans if older fear memories can benefit similarly. Using a Pavlovian fear conditioning paradigm we compared standard extinction and extinction after memory reactivation 1 d or 7 d following acquisition. Participants who underwent extinction during reconsolidation showed no evidence of fear recovery, whereas fear responses returned in participants who underwent standard extinction. We observed this effect in young and old fear memories. Extending the beneficial use of reconsolidation to older fear memories in humans is promising for therapeutic applications. PMID:24934333

The effects of lumbar extensor strength on disability and mobility in patients with persistent low back pain.

PubMed

Helmhout, Pieter H; Witjes, Marloes; Nijhuis-VAN DER Sanden, Ria W; Bron, Carel; van Aalst, Michiel; Staal, J Bart

2017-04-01

It is assumed that low back pain patients who use pain-avoiding immobilizing strategies may benefit from specific back flexion and extension exercises aimed at reducing sagittal lumbar hypomobility. The aim of this study was to test this potential working mechanism in chronic low back pain patients undergoing lumbar extensor strengthening training. A single-group prospective cohort design was used in this study. Patients with persistent low back complaints for at least 2 years were recruited at a specialized physical therapy clinics center. They participated in a progressive 11-week lumbar extensor strength training program, once a week. At baseline, sagittal lumbar mobility in flexion and extension was measured with a computer-assisted inclinometer. Self-rated pain intensity was measured using a visual analogue scale, back-specific functional status was assessed with the Quebec Back Pain Disability Scale and the Patient Specific Complains questionnaire. Statistically significant improvements were found in pain (28% decrease) and functional disability (23% to 36% decrease). Most progress was seen in the first 5 treatment weeks. Lumbar mobility in flexion showed non-significant increases over time (+12%). Pre-post treatment changes in flexion and extension mobility did not contribute significantly to the models. The retained factors together explained 15% to 48% of the variation in outcome. Specific lumbar strengthening showed clinically relevant improvements in pain and disability in patients with persistent chronic low back pain. These improvements did not necessarily relate to improvements in lumbar mobility. Parameters representing other domains of adaptations to exercise may be needed to evaluate the effects of back pain management.

Reduced Spiking in Entorhinal Cortex during the Delay Period of a Cued Spatial Response Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gupta, Kishan; Keller, Lauren A.; Hasselmo, Michael E.

2012-01-01

Intrinsic persistent spiking mechanisms in medial entorhinal cortex (mEC) neurons may play a role in active maintenance of working memory. However, electrophysiological studies of rat mEC units have primarily focused on spatial modulation. We sought evidence of differential spike rates in the mEC in rats trained on a T-maze, cued spatial delayed…

Education, Training and Employment in Small-Scale Enterprises: Three Industries in Sao Paulo, Brazil. IIEP Research Report No. 63.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leite, Elenice M.; Caillods, Francoise

Despite the prophecies forecasting their probable disappearance or annihilation, small-scale enterprises have persisted in the Brazilian industrial structure since 1950. To account for the survival of small firms in Brazil, specifically in the state of Sao Paulo, a study examined 100 small firms in three industrial sectors: clothing, mechanical…

Collisionless Electrostatic Shock Modeling and Simulation

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-10-21

unlimited. PA#16490 Dissipation Controls Wave Train Under- and Over-damped Shocks – Under-damped: • Dissipation is weak, ripples persist. • High...Density Position – Over-damped: ● Strong dissipation damps ripples . ● Low Density Position 12 Position Distribution A. Approved for public release...distribution unlimited. PA#16490 Model Verification Comparison with Linearized Solution – Evolution of the First Ripple Wavelength: • Simulated

Course and predicting factors of lower-extremity injuries after running a marathon.

PubMed

van Middelkoop, Marienke; Kolkman, Jelle; van Ochten, John; Bierma-Zeinstra, Sita M A; Koes, Bart W

2007-01-01

To investigate in recreational runners the 3 month prognosis of and medical consumption caused by running injuries occurring shortly before or during a marathon. Possible prognostic factors for persistent complaints were also evaluated. Prospective cohort study. Rotterdam, the Netherlands. One hundred sixty-five recreational marathon runners who reported a new running injury in the month before or during the Rotterdam Marathon 2005 and who were available for follow-up. ASSESSMENT OF DETERMINANTS: Demographic, running (training distance, frequency and duration, experience, etc), lifestyle (other sports, smoking), and injury-related factors were collected at baseline. Persistent complaints of running injuries occurring in the month before or during the Rotterdam marathon at 3 month follow-up. Potential prognostic factors for persistent complaints were analyzed by multivariate logistic regression. At 3 month follow-up, 25.5% of the 165 injured runners reported persistent complaints; they had little pain during exercise and almost no pain in rest. Of all 165 male runners, 27 (16.4%) visited a general practitioner because of their running injury and 40 (24.2%) visited a physiotherapist (218 times in total). Persistent complaints at 3 month follow-up were associated with non-musculoskeletal comorbidities [odds ratio (OR), 3.23; confidence interval (CI), 1.24-8.43], and calf injuries (OR, 0.37; CI, 0.13-1.05). One quarter of the runners had persistent complaints of their marathon-related running injury at 3 month follow-up. However, the clinical and social consequences of the injuries seem to be relatively mild. Non-musculoskeletal comorbidities at baseline are related to poor recovery, whereas recovery is also location specific.

Determining the optimal pelvic floor muscle training regimen for women with stress urinary incontinence.

PubMed

Dumoulin, Chantale; Glazener, Cathryn; Jenkinson, David

2011-06-01

Pelvic floor muscle (PFM) training has received Level-A evidence rating in the treatment of stress urinary incontinence (SUI) in women, based on meta-analysis of numerous randomized control trials (RCTs) and is recommended in many published guidelines. However, the actual regimen of PFM training used varies widely in these RCTs. Hence, to date, the optimal PFM training regimen for achieving continence remains unknown and the following questions persist: how often should women attend PFM training sessions and how many contractions should they perform for maximal effect? Is a regimen of strengthening exercises better than a motor control strategy or functional retraining? Is it better to administer a PFM training regimen to an individual or are group sessions equally effective, or better? Which is better, PFM training by itself or in combination with biofeedback, neuromuscular electrical stimulation, and/or vaginal cones? Should we use improvement or cure as the ultimate outcome to determine which regimen is the best? The questions are endless. As a starting point in our endeavour to identify optimal PFM training regimens, the aim of this study is (a) to review the present evidence in terms of the effectiveness of different PFM training regimens in women with SUI and (b) to discuss the current literature on PFM dysfunction in SUI women, including the up-to-date evidence on skeletal muscle training theory and other factors known to impact on women's participation in and adherence to PFM training. Copyright © 2011 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

Exercise detraining: Applicability to microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Coyle, Edward F.

1994-01-01

Physical training exposes the various systems of the body to potent physiologic stimuli. These stimuli induce specific adaptations that enhance an individual's tolerance for the type of exercise encountered in training. The level of adaptation and the magnitude of improvement in exercise tolerance is proportional to the potency of the physical training stimuli. Likewise, our bodies are stimulated by gravity, which promotes adaptations of both the cardiovascular and skeletal muscles. Exposure to microgravity removes normal stimuli to these systems, and the body adapts to these reduced demands. In many respects the cessation of physical training in athletes and the transition from normal gravity to microgravity represent similar paradigms. Inherent to these situations is the concept of the reversibility of the adaptations induced by training or by exposure to normal gravity. The reversibility concept holds that when physical training is stopped (i.e., detraining) or reduced, or a person goes from normal gravity to microgravity, the bodily systems readjust in accordance with the diminished physiologic stimuli. The focus of this chapter is on the time course of loss of the adaptations to endurance training as well as on the possibility that certain adaptations persist, to some extent, when training is stopped. Because endurance exercise training generally improves cardiovascular function and promotes metabolic adaptations within the exercising skeletal musculature, the reversibility of these specific adaptations is considered. These observations have some applicability to the transition from normal to microgravity.

Are psychological interventions effective for the management of neck pain and whiplash-associated disorders? A systematic review by the Ontario Protocol for Traffic Injury Management (OPTIMa) Collaboration.

PubMed

Shearer, Heather M; Carroll, Linda J; Wong, Jessica J; Côté, Pierre; Varatharajan, Sharanya; Southerst, Danielle; Sutton, Deborah A; Randhawa, Kristi A; Yu, Hainan; Mior, Silvano A; van der Velde, Gabrielle M; Nordin, Margareta C; Stupar, Maja; Taylor-Vaisey, Anne L

2016-12-01

In 2008, the lack of published evidence prevented the Bone and Joint Decade 2000-2010 Task Force on Neck Pain and Its Associated Disorders (Neck Pain Task Force [NPTF]) from commenting on the effectiveness of psychological interventions for the management of neck pain. This study aimed to update findings of the NPTF and evaluate the effectiveness of psychological interventions for the management of neck pain and associated disorders (NAD) or whiplash-associated disorders (WAD). This study used systematic review and best-evidence synthesis. Randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and case-control studies comparing psychological interventions to other non-invasive interventions or no intervention were the samples used in this study. The outcome measures are (1) self-rated recovery; (2) functional recovery; (3) clinical outcomes; (4) administrative outcomes; and (5) adverse effects. We searched six databases from 1990 to 2015. Randomized controlled trials, cohort studies, and case-control studies meeting our selection criteria were eligible for critical appraisal. Random pairs of independent reviewers used the Scottish Intercollegiate Guidelines Network criteria to critically appraise eligible studies. Studies with a low risk of bias were synthesized following best evidence synthesis principles. This study was funded by the Ontario Ministry of Finance. We screened 1,919 articles, 19 were eligible for critical appraisal and 10 were judged to have low risk of bias. We found no clear evidence supporting relaxation training or cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for persistent grades I-III NAD for reducing pain intensity or disability. Similarly, we did not find evidence to support the effectiveness of biofeedback or relaxation training for persistent grade II WAD, and there is conflicting evidence for the use of CBT in this population. However, adding a progressive goal attainment program to functional restoration physiotherapy may benefit patients with persistent grades I-III WAD. Furthermore, Jyoti meditation may help reduce neck pain intensity and bothersomeness in patients with persistent NAD. We did not find evidence for or against the use of psychological interventions in patients with recent onset NAD or WAD. We found evidence that a progressive goal attainment program may be helpful for the management of persistent WAD and that Jyoti meditation may benefit patients with persistent NAD. The limited evidence of effectiveness for psychological interventions may be due to several factors, such as interventions that are ineffective, poorly conceptualized, or poorly implemented. Further methodologically rigorous research is needed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Innate immune memory in the brain shapes neurological disease hallmarks.

PubMed

Wendeln, Ann-Christin; Degenhardt, Karoline; Kaurani, Lalit; Gertig, Michael; Ulas, Thomas; Jain, Gaurav; Wagner, Jessica; Häsler, Lisa M; Wild, Katleen; Skodras, Angelos; Blank, Thomas; Staszewski, Ori; Datta, Moumita; Centeno, Tonatiuh Pena; Capece, Vincenzo; Islam, Md Rezaul; Kerimoglu, Cemil; Staufenbiel, Matthias; Schultze, Joachim L; Beyer, Marc; Prinz, Marco; Jucker, Mathias; Fischer, André; Neher, Jonas J

2018-04-01

Innate immune memory is a vital mechanism of myeloid cell plasticity that occurs in response to environmental stimuli and alters subsequent immune responses. Two types of immunological imprinting can be distinguished-training and tolerance. These are epigenetically mediated and enhance or suppress subsequent inflammation, respectively. Whether immune memory occurs in tissue-resident macrophages in vivo and how it may affect pathology remains largely unknown. Here we demonstrate that peripherally applied inflammatory stimuli induce acute immune training and tolerance in the brain and lead to differential epigenetic reprogramming of brain-resident macrophages (microglia) that persists for at least six months. Strikingly, in a mouse model of Alzheimer's pathology, immune training exacerbates cerebral β-amyloidosis and immune tolerance alleviates it; similarly, peripheral immune stimulation modifies pathological features after stroke. Our results identify immune memory in the brain as an important modifier of neuropathology.

Exercise physiology, testing, and training in patients supported by a left ventricular assist device.

PubMed

Loyaga-Rendon, Renzo Y; Plaisance, Eric P; Arena, Ross; Shah, Keyur

2015-08-01

The left ventricular assist device (LVAD) is an accepted treatment alternative for the management of end-stage heart failure. As we move toward implantation of LVADs in less severe cases of HF, scrutiny of functional capacity and quality of life becomes more important. Patients demonstrate improvements in exercise capacity after LVAD implantation, but the effect is less than predicted. Exercise training produces multiple beneficial effects in heart failure patients, which would be expected to improve quality of life. In this review, we describe factors that are thought to participate in the persistent exercise impairment in LVAD-supported patients, summarize current knowledge about the effect of exercise training in LVAD-supported patients, and suggest areas for future research. Copyright © 2015 International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Synaptic consolidation as a temporally variable process: Uncovering the parameters modulating its time-course.

PubMed

Casagrande, Mirelle A; Haubrich, Josué; Pedraza, Lizeth K; Popik, Bruno; Quillfeldt, Jorge A; de Oliveira Alvares, Lucas

2018-04-01

Memories are not instantly created in the brain, requiring a gradual stabilization process called consolidation to be stored and persist in a long-lasting manner. However, little is known whether this time-dependent process is dynamic or static, and the factors that might modulate it. Here, we hypothesized that the time-course of consolidation could be affected by specific learning parameters, changing the time window where memory is susceptible to retroactive interference. In the rodent contextual fear conditioning paradigm, we compared weak and strong training protocols and found that in the latter memory is susceptible to post-training hippocampal inactivation for a shorter period of time. The accelerated consolidation process triggered by the strong training was mediated by glucocorticoids, since this effect was blocked by pre-training administration of metyrapone. In addition, we found that pre-exposure to the training context also accelerates fear memory consolidation. Hence, our results demonstrate that the time window in which memory is susceptible to post-training interferences varies depending on fear conditioning intensity and contextual familiarity. We propose that the time-course of memory consolidation is dynamic, being directly affected by attributes of the learning experiences. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of exercise training in 60- to 69-year-old persons with essential hypertension.

PubMed

Hagberg, J M; Montain, S J; Martin, W H; Ehsani, A A

1989-08-01

This study sought to determine whether 9 months of low- or moderate-intensity exercise training could decrease blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive men and women (mean age 64 +/- 3 years). Patients underwent weekly BP evaluations for 1 month to ensure that they had persistently elevated BP and then completed a maximal treadmill exercise test to exclude those with overt coronary artery disease. The low- and moderate-intensity groups trained at 53 and 73% of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max), respectively; however, total caloric expenditure per week was similar in both groups. VO2 max did not increase in the low-intensity group with training, but increased 28% in the moderate-intensity group. Diastolic BP decreased 11 to 12 mm Hg in both training groups. Systolic BP decreased 20 mm Hg in the low-intensity group with training, which was significantly greater than the change in the control and the moderate-intensity groups. Although systolic BP decreased 8 mm Hg in the moderate-intensity training group, this reduction was not significant. Training resulted in a somewhat lower cardiac output at rest in the low-intensity group, whereas total peripheral resistance decreased slightly in the moderate-intensity training group. Plasma and blood volumes, plasma renin levels and urinary sodium excretion did not change in either group with training. Both groups manifested lower plasma norepinephrine levels after training during standing rest, but not while supine. Thus, low-intensity training may lower BP as much or more than moderate-intensity training in older persons with essential hypertension, but the underlying mechanisms are unclear.

Sharpened cortical tuning and enhanced cortico-cortical communication contribute to the long-term neural mechanisms of visual motion perceptual learning.

PubMed

Chen, Nihong; Bi, Taiyong; Zhou, Tiangang; Li, Sheng; Liu, Zili; Fang, Fang

2015-07-15

Much has been debated about whether the neural plasticity mediating perceptual learning takes place at the sensory or decision-making stage in the brain. To investigate this, we trained human subjects in a visual motion direction discrimination task. Behavioral performance and BOLD signals were measured before, immediately after, and two weeks after training. Parallel to subjects' long-lasting behavioral improvement, the neural selectivity in V3A and the effective connectivity from V3A to IPS (intraparietal sulcus, a motion decision-making area) exhibited a persistent increase for the trained direction. Moreover, the improvement was well explained by a linear combination of the selectivity and connectivity increases. These findings suggest that the long-term neural mechanisms of motion perceptual learning are implemented by sharpening cortical tuning to trained stimuli at the sensory processing stage, as well as by optimizing the connections between sensory and decision-making areas in the brain. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development of an EMG-ACC-Based Upper Limb Rehabilitation Training System.

PubMed

Ling Liu; Xiang Chen; Zhiyuan Lu; Shuai Cao; De Wu; Xu Zhang

2017-03-01

This paper focuses on the development of an upper limb rehabilitation training system designed for use by children with cerebral palsy (CP). It attempts to meet the requirements of in-home training by taking advantage of the combination of portable accelerometers (ACC) and surface electromyography (SEMG) sensors worn on the upper limb to capture functional movements. In the proposed system, the EMG-ACC acquisition device works essentially as wireless game controller, and three rehabilitation games were designed for improving upper limb motor function under a clinician's guidance. The games were developed on the Android platform based on a physical engine called Box2D. The results of a system performance test demonstrated that the developed games can respond to the upper limb actions within 210 ms. Positive questionnaire feedbacks from twenty CP subjects who participated in the game test verified both the feasibility and usability of the system. Results of a long-term game training conducted with three CP subjects demonstrated that CP patients could improve in their game performance through repetitive training, and persistent training was needed to improve and enhance the rehabilitation effect. According to our experimental results, the novel multi-feedback SEMG-ACC-based user interface improved the users' initiative and performance in rehabilitation training.

Toward an Emerging Role for Motivational Interviewing in Primary Care.

PubMed

Keeley, Robert; Engel, Matthew; Reed, Alex; Brody, David; Burke, Brian L

2018-05-18

Implementing Motivational Interviewing (MI) in primary care settings has been problematic due in part to persistent gaps in knowledge. Examples include poor understanding of how to effectively train persons to conduct MI, or of which aspects of MI-related communication are associated with better outcomes for patients. This review describes how recent research findings addressing the knowledge gaps support a growing role for MI in primary care. Two trials of MI training combined classroom time with ongoing coaching and feedback, resulting in enhanced MI ability relative to a control arm where PCPs received minimal or no MI training. A third MI training trial excluded coaching and feedback, failing to increase use of MI. Adding to a growing list of behavioral health-related problems for which MI training has shown some effectiveness, a trial of training PCPs to use MI with depressed patients was associated with significantly improved depressive symptoms. Moreover, aspects of the PCPs' MI-related language and patients' arguments for positive behavior changes, "change talk," appeared to explain the positive effects of MI training on depression outcome. MI-training approaches have improved such that PCPs and possibly other clinic staff may want to consider MI training as a way to more effectively support their patients as they address behavioral health-related problems (e.g., tobacco use). MI training should focus on eliciting "change talk" from patients. Researchers and funding agencies might collaborate to continue closing knowledge gaps in the MI literature.

Autogenic-Feedback Training Exercise (AFTE) Method and System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cowings, Patricia S. (Inventor)

1997-01-01

The Autogenic-Feedback Training Exercise (AFTE) method of the present invention is a combined application of physiologic and perceptual training techniques. such as autogenic therapy and biofeedback. This combined therapy approach produces a methodology that is appreciably more effective than either of the individual techniques used separately. The AFTE method enables sufficient magnitude of control necessary to significantly reduce the behavioral and physiologic reactions to severe environmental stressors. It produces learned effects that are persistent over time and are resistant to extinction and it can be administered in a short period of time. The AFTE method may be used efficiently in several applications, among which are the following: to improve pilot and crew performance during emergency flying conditions; to train people to prevent the occurrence of nausea and vomiting associated with motion and sea sickness, or morning sickness in early pregnancy; as a training method for preventing or counteracting air-sickness symptoms in high-performance military aircraft; for use as a method for cardiovascular training, as well as for multiple other autonomic responses, which may contribute to the alleviation of Space Motion Sickness (SMS) in astronauts and cosmonauts; training people suffering from migraine or tension headaches to control peripheral blood flow and reduce forehead and/or trapezius muscle tension; training elderly people suffering from fecal incontinence to control their sphincter muscles; training cancer patients to reduce the nauseagenic effects of chemotherapy; and training patients with Chronic Intestinal Pseudo-obstruction (CIP).

Strengthening STEM performance and persistence: Influence of undergraduate teaching assistants on entry-level STEM students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Philipp, Stephanie B.

Increasing retention of students in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) programs of study is a priority for many colleges and universities. This study examines an undergraduate teaching assistant (UTA) program implemented in a general chemistry course for STEM majors to provide peer learning assistance to entrylevel students. This study measured the content knowledge growth of UTAs compared to traditional graduate teaching assistants (GTAs) over the semester, and described the development of peer learning assistance skills of the UTAs as an outcome of semesterlong training and support from both science education and STEM faculty. Impact of the UTA program on final exam grades, persistence of students to enroll in the next chemistry course required by their intended major, and STEM identity of students were estimated. The study sample comprised 284 students in 14 general chemistry recitation sections led by six UTAs and 310 students in 15 general chemistry recitation sections led by three traditional GTAs for comparison. Results suggested that both UTAs and GTAs made significant learning gains in general chemistry content knowledge, and there was no significant difference in content knowledge between UTA and GTA groups. Student evaluations, researcher observations, and chemistry faculty comments confirm UTAs were using the learning strategies discussed in the semester-long training program. UTA-led students rated their TAs significantly higher in teaching quality and student care and encouragement, which correlated with stronger STEM recognition by those students. The results of hierarchical linear model (HLM) analysis showed little variance in final exam grades explained by section-level variables; most variance was explained by student-level variables: mathematics ACT score, college GPA, and intention to enroll in the next general chemistry course. Students having higher college GPAs were helped more by having a UTA. Results from logistic regression of persistence outcome variable showed that students are three times more likely to persist to CHEM 202 if they had a UTA in CHEM 201. Other positive predictors of retention included having strong college grades, and having strong ACT math scores. Coupled with HLM analysis result that UTAs were more effective at helping students with higher college GPAs achieve higher grades, the stronger persistence of UTA-led students showed that the UTA program is an effective program for retention of introductory-level students in STEM majors.

New Measures Assessing Predictors of Academic Persistence for Historically Underrepresented Racial/Ethnic Undergraduates in Science

PubMed Central

Byars-Winston, Angela; Rogers, Jenna; Branchaw, Janet; Pribbenow, Christine; Hanke, Ryan; Pfund, Christine

2016-01-01

An important step in broadening participation of historically underrepresented (HU) racial/ethnic groups in the sciences is the creation of measures validated with these groups that will allow for greater confidence in the results of investigations into factors that predict their persistence. This study introduces new measures of theoretically derived factors emanating from social cognitive and social identity theories associated with persistence for HU racial/ethnic groups in science disciplines. The purpose of this study was to investigate: 1) the internal reliability and factor analyses for measures of research-related self-efficacy beliefs, sources of self-efficacy, outcome expectations, and science identity; and 2) potential group differences in responses to the measures, examining the main and interaction effects of gender and race/ethnicity. Survey data came from a national sample of 688 undergraduate students in science majors who were primarily black/African American and Hispanic/Latino/a with a 2:1 ratio of females to males. Analyses yielded acceptable validity statistics and race × gender group differences were observed in mean responses to several measures. Implications for broadening participation of HU groups in the sciences are discussed regarding future tests of predictive models of student persistence and training programs to consider cultural diversity factors in their design. PMID:27521235

Learner Attrition in an Advanced Vocational Online Training: The Role of Computer Attitude, Computer Anxiety, and Online Learning Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stiller, Klaus D.; Köster, Annamaria

2016-01-01

Online learning has gained importance in education over the last 20 years, but the well-known problem of high dropout rates still persists. According to the multi-dimensional learning tasks model, the cognitive (over)load of learners is essential to attrition when dealing with five challenges (e.g. technology, user interface) of an online training…

The Effects of Cognitive Process and Decision Making Training in Reading Experience on Meaningful Learning with Underachieving College Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dean, Rebecca J.

2010-01-01

The ability of underprepared college students to read and learn from their reading is essential to their academic success and to their ability to persist towards completing their degree. The purposes of this study were to (a) assess the relationship between the cognitive processes of reading-based decision making and meaningful learning and (b)…

Persistence of toxic and unethical leadership: how does the US Army improve leader development and selection

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-21

Source Assessment and Feedback OER Officer Evaluation Report PME Professional Military Education TRADOC Training and Doctrine Command...Toxic leadership is a combination of self-centered attitudes, motivations , and behaviors that have adverse effects on subordinates, the...process of influencing people by providing purpose, direction and motivation to accomplish the mission and improve the organization.”28 The ideal

Accomplishing American Strategic Goals in the Middle East through Persistent Special Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

LIST OF TABLES Table 1. Utility of SOF Vs . GPF in Various Conflicts ..................................................27 xii THIS PAGE...Headquarters and Support Company , 3 rd Battalion, 5 th Special Forces Group (Airborne) who have tirelessly stayed in the fight. xviii THIS... franchise industry by extending ties to regional extremist groups through financing and training. Al Qaeda Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and Iranian influence

A Review of the Empirical Evidence Identifying Effective Interventions and Teaching Practices for Students with Learning Difficulties in Years 4, 5 and 6. Literature Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Purdie, Nola; Ellis, Louise

2005-01-01

This review has been prepared by the Australian Council for Educational research (ACER) under an Agreement with the Australian Government Department of Education, Science and Training (DEST). It is one component of a project to investigate effective third wave intervention strategies for students and learning difficulties that persist beyond the…

The role of rewarding and novel events in facilitating memory persistence in a separate spatial memory task.

PubMed

Salvetti, Beatrice; Morris, Richard G M; Wang, Szu-Han

2014-01-15

Many insignificant events in our daily life are forgotten quickly but can be remembered for longer when other memory-modulating events occur before or after them. This phenomenon has been investigated in animal models in a protocol in which weak memories persist longer if exploration in a novel context is introduced around the time of memory encoding. This study aims to understand whether other types of rewarding or novel tasks, such as rewarded learning in a T-maze and novel object recognition, can also be effective memory-modulating events. Rats were trained in a delayed matching-to-place task to encode and retrieve food locations in an event arena. Weak encoding with only one food pellet at the sample location induced memory encoding but forgetting over 24 h. When this same weak encoding was followed by a rewarded task in a T-maze, the memory persisted for 24 h. Moreover, the same persistence of memory over 24 h could be achieved by exploration in a novel box or by a rewarded T-maze task after a "non-rewarded" weak encoding. When the one-pellet weak encoding was followed by novel object exploration, the memory did not persist at 24 h. Together, the results confirm that place encoding is possible without explicit reward, and that rewarded learning in a separate task lacking novelty can be an effective memory-modulating event. The behavioral and neurobiological implications are discussed.

Biomedical Science Ph.D. Career Interest Patterns by Race/Ethnicity and Gender

PubMed Central

Gibbs, Kenneth D.; McGready, John; Bennett, Jessica C.; Griffin, Kimberly

2014-01-01

Increasing biomedical workforce diversity remains a persistent challenge. Recent reports have shown that biomedical sciences (BMS) graduate students become less interested in faculty careers as training progresses; however, it is unclear whether or how the career preferences of women and underrepresented minority (URM) scientists change in manners distinct from their better-represented peers. We report results from a survey of 1500 recent American BMS Ph.D. graduates (including 276 URMs) that examined career preferences over the course of their graduate training experiences. On average, scientists from all social backgrounds showed significantly decreased interest in faculty careers at research universities, and significantly increased interest in non-research careers at Ph.D. completion relative to entry. However, group differences emerged in overall levels of interest (at Ph.D. entry and completion), and the magnitude of change in interest in these careers. Multiple logistic regression showed that when controlling for career pathway interest at Ph.D. entry, first-author publication rate, faculty support, research self-efficacy, and graduate training experiences, differences in career pathway interest between social identity groups persisted. All groups were less likely than men from well-represented (WR) racial/ethnic backgrounds to report high interest in faculty careers at research-intensive universities (URM men: OR 0.60, 95% CI: 0.36–0.98, p = 0.04; WR women: OR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.47–0.89, p = 0.008; URM women: OR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.30–0.71, p<0.001), and URM women were more likely than all other groups to report high interest in non-research careers (OR: 1.93, 95% CI: 1.28–2.90, p = 0.002). The persistence of disparities in the career interests of Ph.D. recipients suggests that a supply-side (or “pipeline”) framing of biomedical workforce diversity challenges may limit the effectiveness of efforts to attract and retain the best and most diverse workforce. We propose incorporation of an ecological perspective of career development when considering strategies to enhance the biomedical workforce and professoriate through diversity. PMID:25493425

Biomedical Science Ph.D. Career Interest Patterns by Race/Ethnicity and Gender.

PubMed

Gibbs, Kenneth D; McGready, John; Bennett, Jessica C; Griffin, Kimberly

2014-01-01

Increasing biomedical workforce diversity remains a persistent challenge. Recent reports have shown that biomedical sciences (BMS) graduate students become less interested in faculty careers as training progresses; however, it is unclear whether or how the career preferences of women and underrepresented minority (URM) scientists change in manners distinct from their better-represented peers. We report results from a survey of 1500 recent American BMS Ph.D. graduates (including 276 URMs) that examined career preferences over the course of their graduate training experiences. On average, scientists from all social backgrounds showed significantly decreased interest in faculty careers at research universities, and significantly increased interest in non-research careers at Ph.D. completion relative to entry. However, group differences emerged in overall levels of interest (at Ph.D. entry and completion), and the magnitude of change in interest in these careers. Multiple logistic regression showed that when controlling for career pathway interest at Ph.D. entry, first-author publication rate, faculty support, research self-efficacy, and graduate training experiences, differences in career pathway interest between social identity groups persisted. All groups were less likely than men from well-represented (WR) racial/ethnic backgrounds to report high interest in faculty careers at research-intensive universities (URM men: OR 0.60, 95% CI: 0.36-0.98, p = 0.04; WR women: OR: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.47-0.89, p = 0.008; URM women: OR: 0.46, 95% CI: 0.30-0.71, p<0.001), and URM women were more likely than all other groups to report high interest in non-research careers (OR: 1.93, 95% CI: 1.28-2.90, p = 0.002). The persistence of disparities in the career interests of Ph.D. recipients suggests that a supply-side (or "pipeline") framing of biomedical workforce diversity challenges may limit the effectiveness of efforts to attract and retain the best and most diverse workforce. We propose incorporation of an ecological perspective of career development when considering strategies to enhance the biomedical workforce and professoriate through diversity.

The training schedule affects the stability, not the magnitude, of the interlimb transfer of learned dynamics

PubMed Central

Joiner, Wilsaan M.; Brayanov, Jordan B.

2013-01-01

The way that a motor adaptation is trained, for example, the manner in which it is introduced or the duration of the training period, can influence its internal representation. However, recent studies examining the gradual versus abrupt introduction of a novel environment have produced conflicting results. Here we examined how these effects determine the effector specificity of motor adaptation during visually guided reaching. After adaptation to velocity-dependent dynamics in the right arm, we estimated the amount of adaptation transferred to the left arm, using error-clamp measurement trials to directly measure changes in learned dynamics. We found that a small but significant amount of generalization to the untrained arm occurs under three different training schedules: a short-duration (15 trials) abrupt presentation, a long-duration (160 trials) abrupt presentation, and a long-duration gradual presentation of the novel dynamic environment. Remarkably, we found essentially no difference between the amount of interlimb generalization when comparing these schedules, with 9–12% transfer of the trained adaptation for all three. However, the duration of training had a pronounced effect on the stability of the interlimb transfer: The transfer elicited from short-duration training decayed rapidly, whereas the transfer from both long-duration training schedules was considerably more persistent (<50% vs. >90% retention over the first 20 trials). These results indicate that the amount of interlimb transfer is similar for gradual versus abrupt training and that interlimb transfer of learned dynamics can occur after even a brief training period but longer training is required for an enduring effect. PMID:23719204

Effect of locomotor training in completely spinalized cats previously submitted to a spinal hemisection.

PubMed

Martinez, Marina; Delivet-Mongrain, Hugo; Leblond, Hugues; Rossignol, Serge

2012-08-08

After a spinal hemisection in cats, locomotor plasticity occurring at the spinal level can be revealed by performing, several weeks later, a complete spinalization below the first hemisection. Using this paradigm, we recently demonstrated that the hemisection induces durable changes in the symmetry of locomotor kinematics that persist after spinalization. Can this asymmetry be changed again in the spinal state by interventions such as treadmill locomotor training started within a few days after the spinalization? We performed, in 9 adult cats, a spinal hemisection at thoracic level 10 and then a complete spinalization at T13, 3 weeks later. Cats were not treadmill trained during the hemispinal period. After spinalization, 5 of 9 cats were not trained and served as control while 4 of 9 cats were trained on the treadmill for 20 min, 5 d a week for 3 weeks. Using detailed kinematic analyses, we showed that, without training, the asymmetrical state of locomotion induced by the hemisection was retained durably after the subsequent spinalization. By contrast, training cats after spinalization induced a reversal of the left/right asymmetries, suggesting that new plastic changes occurred within the spinal cord through locomotor training. Moreover, training was shown to improve the kinematic parameters and the performance of the hindlimb on the previously hemisected side. These results indicate that spinal locomotor circuits, previously modified by past experience such as required for adaptation to the hemisection, can remarkably respond to subsequent locomotor training and improve bilateral locomotor kinematics, clearly showing the benefits of locomotor training in the spinal state.

Smooth Pursuit Eye Movement of Monkeys Naive to Laboratory Setups With Pictures and Artificial Stimuli.

PubMed

Botschko, Yehudit; Yarkoni, Merav; Joshua, Mati

2018-01-01

When animal behavior is studied in a laboratory environment, the animals are often extensively trained to shape their behavior. A crucial question is whether the behavior observed after training is part of the natural repertoire of the animal or represents an outlier in the animal's natural capabilities. This can be investigated by assessing the extent to which the target behavior is manifested during the initial stages of training and the time course of learning. We explored this issue by examining smooth pursuit eye movements in monkeys naïve to smooth pursuit tasks. We recorded the eye movements of monkeys from the 1st days of training on a step-ramp paradigm. We used bright spots, monkey pictures and scrambled versions of the pictures as moving targets. We found that during the initial stages of training, the pursuit initiation was largest for the monkey pictures and in some direction conditions close to target velocity. When the pursuit initiation was large, the monkeys mostly continued to track the target with smooth pursuit movements while correcting for displacement errors with small saccades. Two weeks of training increased the pursuit eye velocity in all stimulus conditions, whereas further extensive training enhanced pursuit slightly more. The training decreased the coefficient of variation of the eye velocity. Anisotropies that grade pursuit across directions were observed from the 1st day of training and mostly persisted across training. Thus, smooth pursuit in the step-ramp paradigm appears to be part of the natural repertoire of monkeys' behavior and training adjusts monkeys' natural predisposed behavior.

Understanding the relationship between coach and athlete perceptions of training intensity in youth sport.

PubMed

Scantlebury, Sean; Till, Kevin; Sawczuk, Tom; Weakley, Jonathon; Jones, Ben

2017-10-16

To alleviate issues arising from the over/under prescription of training load, coaches must ensure that desired athlete responses to training are being achieved. The present study aimed to assess the level of agreement between the coach intended (pre-session) and observed (post-session) rating of perceived exertion (RPE), with athlete RPE during different training intensities (easy, moderate, hard). Coach intended RPE was taken prior to all field based training sessions over an 8 week in-season period. Following training, all coaches and athletes, whom were participants in hockey, netball, rugby and soccer were asked to provide an RPE measure for the completed session. Sessions were then classified based on the coaches intended RPE, with a total of 28, 125 and 66 easy, moderate and hard training sessions collected respectively. A univariate analysis of variance was used to calculate within-participant correlations between coach intended/observed RPE and athlete RPE. Moderate correlations were found between coach intended and athlete RPE for sessions intended to be moderate and hard whilst a small correlation was found for sessions intended to be easy. The level of agreement between coach and athlete RPE improved following training with coaches altering their RPE to align with those of the athlete. Despite this, moderate and small differences between coach observed and athlete RPE persisted for sessions intended to be easy and moderate respectively. Coaches should therefore incorporate strategies to monitor training load to increase the accuracy of training periodisation and reduce potential over/under prescription of training.

The training schedule affects the stability, not the magnitude, of the interlimb transfer of learned dynamics.

PubMed

Joiner, Wilsaan M; Brayanov, Jordan B; Smith, Maurice A

2013-08-01

The way that a motor adaptation is trained, for example, the manner in which it is introduced or the duration of the training period, can influence its internal representation. However, recent studies examining the gradual versus abrupt introduction of a novel environment have produced conflicting results. Here we examined how these effects determine the effector specificity of motor adaptation during visually guided reaching. After adaptation to velocity-dependent dynamics in the right arm, we estimated the amount of adaptation transferred to the left arm, using error-clamp measurement trials to directly measure changes in learned dynamics. We found that a small but significant amount of generalization to the untrained arm occurs under three different training schedules: a short-duration (15 trials) abrupt presentation, a long-duration (160 trials) abrupt presentation, and a long-duration gradual presentation of the novel dynamic environment. Remarkably, we found essentially no difference between the amount of interlimb generalization when comparing these schedules, with 9-12% transfer of the trained adaptation for all three. However, the duration of training had a pronounced effect on the stability of the interlimb transfer: The transfer elicited from short-duration training decayed rapidly, whereas the transfer from both long-duration training schedules was considerably more persistent (<50% vs. >90% retention over the first 20 trials). These results indicate that the amount of interlimb transfer is similar for gradual versus abrupt training and that interlimb transfer of learned dynamics can occur after even a brief training period but longer training is required for an enduring effect.

Dopaminergic and serotonergic modulation of persistent behaviour in the reinforced spatial alternation model of obsessive-compulsive disorder.

PubMed

Kontis, Dimitris; Boulougouris, Vasileios; Papakosta, Vasiliki Maria; Kalogerakou, Stamatina; Papadopoulos, Socrates; Poulopoulou, Cornelia; Papadimitriou, George N; Tsaltas, Eleftheria

2008-11-01

We have proposed rewarded T-maze alternation as a model of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD): the serotonin agonist m-chlorophenylpiperazine (mCPP) increments persistence therein, while chronic pretreatment with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI fluoxetine) but not benzodiazepine or desipramine abolishes mCPP effects. However, we noted that acute SSRI administration also causes transient persistence increase, counteracted by mCPP pretreatment. This study (a) further explores the cross-tolerance between fluoxetine and mCPP and (b) extends the model by investigating its sensitivity to dopaminergic manipulations (D2, 3 agonism--quinpirole). In both experiments, baseline and drug testing were carried out under daily T-maze alternation training. Exp. 1: Matched group (n = 8) pairs of rats received one of the following 20-day pretreatments (daily intraperitoneal administration): (1) saline, (2) low-dose fluoxetine (2.5 mg/kg), (3) low-dose mCPP (0.5 mg/kg) or (4) combined fluoxetine + mCPP. One group per pretreatment then received a 4-day challenge with high-dose fluoxetine (10 mg/kg), the other with high-dose mCPP (2.5 mg/kg). Exp. 2: One group (n = 12) of rats received 20-day treatment with saline, another with quinpirole (0.5 mg/kg). Exp. 1: Saline and low-dose mCPP- or fluoxetine-pretreated animals showed significant persistence increases under both challenges, while combined low-dose fluoxetine + mCPP pretreatment afforded full protection from either challenge. Exp. 2: Quinpirole significantly increased directional persistence after 13 administration days. These results establish the sensitivity of the rewarded alternation OCD model to D2, 3 receptor activation, thereby extending its profile of pharmacological isomorphism with OCD. Furthermore, they suggest a common mechanism of action of an SSRI and a serotonin agonist in the control of directional persistence.

Trained immunity in newborn infants of HBV-infected mothers

PubMed Central

Hong, Michelle; Sandalova, Elena; Low, Diana; Gehring, Adam J.; Fieni, Stefania; Amadei, Barbara; Urbani, Simonetta; Chong, Yap-Seng; Guccione, Ernesto; Bertoletti, Antonio

2015-01-01

The newborn immune system is characterized by an impaired Th1-associated immune response. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) transmitted from infected mothers to newborns is thought to exploit the newborns’ immune system immaturity by inducing a state of immune tolerance that facilitates HBV persistence. Contrary to this hypothesis, we demonstrate here that HBV exposure in utero triggers a state of trained immunity, characterized by innate immune cell maturation and Th1 development, which in turn enhances the ability of cord blood immune cells to respond to bacterial infection in vitro. These training effects are associated with an alteration of the cytokine environment characterized by low IL-10 and, in most cases, high IL-12p40 and IFN-α2. Our data uncover a potentially symbiotic relationship between HBV and its natural host, and highlight the plasticity of the fetal immune system following viral exposure in utero. PMID:25807344

Effects of robotically modulating kinematic variability on motor skill learning and motivation

PubMed Central

Reinkensmeyer, David J.

2015-01-01

It is unclear how the variability of kinematic errors experienced during motor training affects skill retention and motivation. We used force fields produced by a haptic robot to modulate the kinematic errors of 30 healthy adults during a period of practice in a virtual simulation of golf putting. On day 1, participants became relatively skilled at putting to a near and far target by first practicing without force fields. On day 2, they warmed up at the task without force fields, then practiced with force fields that either reduced or augmented their kinematic errors and were finally assessed without the force fields active. On day 3, they returned for a long-term assessment, again without force fields. A control group practiced without force fields. We quantified motor skill as the variability in impact velocity at which participants putted the ball. We quantified motivation using a self-reported, standardized scale. Only individuals who were initially less skilled benefited from training; for these people, practicing with reduced kinematic variability improved skill more than practicing in the control condition. This reduced kinematic variability also improved self-reports of competence and satisfaction. Practice with increased kinematic variability worsened these self-reports as well as enjoyment. These negative motivational effects persisted on day 3 in a way that was uncorrelated with actual skill. In summary, robotically reducing kinematic errors in a golf putting training session improved putting skill more for less skilled putters. Robotically increasing kinematic errors had no performance effect, but decreased motivation in a persistent way. PMID:25673732

Effects of robotically modulating kinematic variability on motor skill learning and motivation.

PubMed

Duarte, Jaime E; Reinkensmeyer, David J

2015-04-01

It is unclear how the variability of kinematic errors experienced during motor training affects skill retention and motivation. We used force fields produced by a haptic robot to modulate the kinematic errors of 30 healthy adults during a period of practice in a virtual simulation of golf putting. On day 1, participants became relatively skilled at putting to a near and far target by first practicing without force fields. On day 2, they warmed up at the task without force fields, then practiced with force fields that either reduced or augmented their kinematic errors and were finally assessed without the force fields active. On day 3, they returned for a long-term assessment, again without force fields. A control group practiced without force fields. We quantified motor skill as the variability in impact velocity at which participants putted the ball. We quantified motivation using a self-reported, standardized scale. Only individuals who were initially less skilled benefited from training; for these people, practicing with reduced kinematic variability improved skill more than practicing in the control condition. This reduced kinematic variability also improved self-reports of competence and satisfaction. Practice with increased kinematic variability worsened these self-reports as well as enjoyment. These negative motivational effects persisted on day 3 in a way that was uncorrelated with actual skill. In summary, robotically reducing kinematic errors in a golf putting training session improved putting skill more for less skilled putters. Robotically increasing kinematic errors had no performance effect, but decreased motivation in a persistent way. Copyright © 2015 the American Physiological Society.

A randomized pilot study of MOtiVation and Enhancement training (MOVE) for negative symptoms in schizophrenia

PubMed Central

Velligan, Dawn I.; Roberts, David; Mintz, Jim; Maples, Natalie; Li, Xueying; Medellin, Elisa; Brown, Matt

2015-01-01

Introduction Among individuals with schizophrenia, those who have persistent and clinically significant negative symptoms (PNS) have the poorest functional outcomes and quality of life. The NIMH-MATRICS Consensus Statement indicated that these symptoms represent an unmet therapeutic need for large numbers of individuals with schizophrenia. No psychosocial treatment model addresses the entire constellation of PNS. Method 51 patients with PNS were randomized into one of two groups for a period of 9 months: 1) MOtiVation and Engagement (MOVE) or 2) Treatment as usual. MOVE is a home based, manual-driven, multi-modal treatment that employs a number of cognitive and behavioral principles to address the broad range of factors contributing to PNS and their functional consequences. Components of MOVE include: Environmental supports to prompt initiation and persistence, in-vivo skills training to ameliorate deficits and encourage interaction, cognitive behavioral techniques to address self-defeating attitudes, in-vivo training in emotional processing to address affective blunting and problems in identifying emotions, and specific techniques to address the deficits in anticipatory pleasure. Patients were assessed at baseline and each 3 months with multiple measures of negative symptoms. Results Repeated measures analyses of variance for mixed models indicated significant Group by Time effects for the Negative Symptom Assessment (NSA; p<.02) and the Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms (CAINS p<.04). Group differences were not significant until 9 months of treatment and were not significant for the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS). Conclusion Further investigation of a comprehensive treatment for PNS, such as MOVE, is warranted. PMID:25937461

A randomized pilot study of MOtiVation and Enhancement (MOVE) Training for negative symptoms in schizophrenia.

PubMed

Velligan, Dawn I; Roberts, David; Mintz, Jim; Maples, Natalie; Li, Xueying; Medellin, Elisa; Brown, Matt

2015-07-01

Among individuals with schizophrenia, those who have persistent and clinically significant negative symptoms (PNS) have the poorest functional outcomes and quality of life. The NIMH-MATRICS Consensus Statement indicated that these symptoms represent an unmet therapeutic need for large numbers of individuals with schizophrenia. No psychosocial treatment model addresses the entire constellation of PNS. 51 patients with PNS were randomized into one of two groups for a period of 9 months: 1) MOtiVation and Enhancement (MOVE) or 2) treatment as usual. MOVE is a home based, manual-driven, multi-modal treatment that employs a number of cognitive and behavioral principles to address the broad range of factors contributing to PNS and their functional consequences. The components of MOVE include: Environmental supports to prompt initiation and persistence, in-vivo skills training to ameliorate deficits and encourage interaction, cognitive behavioral techniques to address self-defeating attitudes, in-vivo training in emotional processing to address affective blunting and problems in identifying emotions, and specific techniques to address the deficits in anticipatory pleasure. Patients were assessed at baseline and each 3 months with multiple measures of negative symptoms. Repeated measures analyses of variance for mixed models indicated significant Group by Time effects for the Negative Symptom Assessment (NSA; p<.02) and the Clinical Assessment Interview for Negative Symptoms (CAINS; p<.04). Group differences were not significant until 9 months of treatment and were not significant for the Brief Negative Symptom Scale (BNSS). Further investigation of a comprehensive treatment for PNS, such as MOVE, is warranted. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Revisiting the "enigma" of musicians with dyslexia: Auditory sequencing and speech abilities.

PubMed

Zuk, Jennifer; Bishop-Liebler, Paula; Ozernov-Palchik, Ola; Moore, Emma; Overy, Katie; Welch, Graham; Gaab, Nadine

2017-04-01

Previous research has suggested a link between musical training and auditory processing skills. Musicians have shown enhanced perception of auditory features critical to both music and speech, suggesting that this link extends beyond basic auditory processing. It remains unclear to what extent musicians who also have dyslexia show these specialized abilities, considering often-observed persistent deficits that coincide with reading impairments. The present study evaluated auditory sequencing and speech discrimination in 52 adults comprised of musicians with dyslexia, nonmusicians with dyslexia, and typical musicians. An auditory sequencing task measuring perceptual acuity for tone sequences of increasing length was administered. Furthermore, subjects were asked to discriminate synthesized syllable continua varying in acoustic components of speech necessary for intraphonemic discrimination, which included spectral (formant frequency) and temporal (voice onset time [VOT] and amplitude envelope) features. Results indicate that musicians with dyslexia did not significantly differ from typical musicians and performed better than nonmusicians with dyslexia for auditory sequencing as well as discrimination of spectral and VOT cues within syllable continua. However, typical musicians demonstrated superior performance relative to both groups with dyslexia for discrimination of syllables varying in amplitude information. These findings suggest a distinct profile of speech processing abilities in musicians with dyslexia, with specific weaknesses in discerning amplitude cues within speech. Because these difficulties seem to remain persistent in adults with dyslexia despite musical training, this study only partly supports the potential for musical training to enhance the auditory processing skills known to be crucial for literacy in individuals with dyslexia. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Virtual reality in neurologic rehabilitation of spatial disorientation

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Topographical disorientation (TD) is a severe and persistent impairment of spatial orientation and navigation in familiar as well as new environments and a common consequence of brain damage. Virtual reality (VR) provides a new tool for the assessment and rehabilitation of TD. In VR training programs different degrees of active motor control over navigation may be implemented (i.e. more passive spatial navigation vs. more active). Increasing demands of active motor control may overload those visuo-spatial resources necessary for learning spatial orientation and navigation. In the present study we used a VR-based verbally-guided passive navigation training program to improve general spatial abilities in neurologic patients with spatial disorientation. Methods Eleven neurologic patients with focal brain lesions, which showed deficits in spatial orientation, as well as 11 neurologic healthy controls performed a route finding training in a virtual environment. Participants learned and recalled different routes for navigation in a virtual city over five training sessions. Before and after VR training, general spatial abilities were assessed with standardized neuropsychological tests. Results Route finding ability in the VR task increased over the five training sessions. Moreover, both groups improved different aspects of spatial abilities after VR training in comparison to the spatial performance before VR training. Conclusions Verbally-guided passive navigation training in VR enhances general spatial cognition in neurologic patients with spatial disorientation as well as in healthy controls and can therefore be useful in the rehabilitation of spatial deficits associated with TD. PMID:23394289

Learned control over spinal nociception: Transfer and stability of training success in a long-term study.

PubMed

Bäumler, Maximilian; Feller, Moritz; Krafft, Stefanie; Schiffer, Manuela; Sommer, Jens; Straube, Andreas; Weinges, Fabian; Ruscheweyh, Ruth

2017-12-01

Healthy subjects can learn to use cognitive-emotional strategies to suppress their spinal nociception, quantified by the nociceptive flexor reflex (RIII reflex), when given visual RIII feedback. This likely reflects learned activation of descending pain inhibition. Here, we investigated if training success persists 4 and 8 months after the end of RIII feedback training, and if transfer (RIII suppression without feedback) is possible. 18 and 8 subjects who had successfully completed feedback training were investigated 4 and 8 months later. At 4 months, RIII suppression during feedback and transfer was similar to that achieved at the final RIII feedback training session (to 50 ± 22%, 53 ± 21% and 52 ± 21% of baseline, all differences n.s.). At 8 months, RIII suppression was somewhat (not significantly) smaller in the feedback run (to 64 ± 17%) compared to the final training session (56 ± 19%). Feedback and transfer runs were similar (to 64 ± 17% vs. 68 ± 24%, n.s.). Concomitant reductions in pain intensity ratings were stable at 4 and 8 months. RIII feedback training success was completely maintained after 4 months, and somewhat attenuated 8 months after training. Transfer was successful. These results are an important pre-requisite for application of RIII feedback training in the context of clinical pain. Copyright © 2017 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Understanding and Overcoming Implicit Gender Bias in Plastic Surgery.

PubMed

Phillips, Nicole A; Tannan, Shruti C; Kalliainen, Loree K

2016-11-01

Although explicit sex-based discrimination has largely been deemed unacceptable in professional settings, implicit gender bias persists and results in a significant lack of parity in plastic surgery and beyond. Implicit gender bias is the result of a complex interplay of cultural and societal expectations, learned behaviors, and standardized associations. As such, both male and female surgeons are subject to its influence. A review of the literature was conducted, examining theories of gender bias, current manifestations of gender bias in plastic surgery and other fields, and interventions designed to address gender bias. Multiple studies demonstrate persistent gender bias that impacts female physicians at all levels of training. Several institutions have enacted successful interventions to identify and address gender bias. Explicit gender bias has largely disappeared, yet unconscious or implicit gender bias persists. A wide-scale commitment to addressing implicit gender bias in plastic surgery is necessary and overdue. Recommendations include immediate actions that can be undertaken on an individual basis, and changes that should be implemented at a national and international level by leaders in the field.

Who attracts whom to rural general practice? Variation in temperament and character profiles of GP registrars across different vocational training pathways.

PubMed

Eley, Diann S; Laurence, Caroline; Cloninger, C R; Walters, Lucie

2015-01-01

The ongoing rural doctor workforce shortage continues to stimulate interest in new strategies to alleviate the situation. Alongside increasingly promising approaches is the notion that attracting and nurturing the 'right' individuals may be paramount to achieving long-term success in recruitment and retention. This study compares the patterns of demographic and temperament and character trait profiles of general practice registrars in training across three Australian vocational training pathways: the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine independent rural pathway, and the rural and general pathways of Australian general practice training. The aim is to describe the predominant personalities of existing trainees. At its foundation, this study strives to obtain more information about those individuals choosing rural practice, which may inform ways to enhance future recruitment and training into rural medicine. This rationale has been explored with medical students using intention as the dependent variable, but registrars are that much closer to their final career choice, and therefore may provide more practical and reliable indicators of the notion of who attracts whom into rural practice. A cross-sectional design sampled four registrar training groups: one from the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine, one Australian general practice training rural only, and two Australian general practice training rural and general pathway regional training providers. Registrars (451) completed a questionnaire that gathered basic demographics and a personality trait profile using the Temperament and Character Inventory plus a measure of resilience. Statistical analysis explored the relationships between variables (multivariate analyses of variance) and compared levels of traits between registrar groups (analyses of variance). Registrars training via the Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine pathway were more likely to be male, older, have a definite interest in or already practising in a rural area and were significantly (with moderate effect sizes) lower in levels of harm avoidance and higher in persistence, self-directedness and resilience compared to the other training pathways. The implications of the data to the recruitment and training of general practice registrars goes further than identifying groups of individuals with similar temperament and character trait patterns. This sample is portrayed as relatively homogenous in light of their overall trait levels as compared to population norms. However, it is the combination of the levels of individual traits that suggests a profile that differs between registrars on a rural or general training path. Importantly the combination of trait levels that tend to differentiate registrars (low harm avoidance, high self-directedness and persistence) correlates strongly with high levels of resilience. Doctors and medical students benefit from a high level of resilience to cope with and manage the challenges of the profession and arguably more so in rural practice. Along with certain demographic characteristics, the combination and levels of temperament (stable) and character (developmental) traits support the notion of a mixture of personal traits that may be indicative of individuals best suited to rural and remote medicine. Further investigation is needed to determine whether individuals with a certain pattern of personal traits are attracted to rural practice training or whether the training itself, in part by exposure to rural life and rural medical practice, selects for those who are most suited to and will eventually choose to practice in a rural location.

Ankle Training With a Robotic Device Improves Hemiparetic Gait After a Stroke

PubMed Central

Forrester, Larry W.; Roy, Anindo; Krebs, Hermano Igo; Macko, Richard F.

2013-01-01

Background Task-oriented therapies such as treadmill exercise can improve gait velocity after stroke, but slow velocities and abnormal gait patterns often persist, suggesting a need for additional strategies to improve walking. Objectives To determine the effects of a 6-week visually guided, impedance controlled, ankle robotics intervention on paretic ankle motor control and gait function in chronic stroke. Methods This was a single-arm pilot study with a convenience sample of 8 stroke survivors with chronic hemiparetic gait, trained and tested in a laboratory. Subjects trained in dorsiflexion–plantarflexion by playing video games with the robot during three 1-hour training sessions weekly, totaling 560 repetitions per session. Assessments included paretic ankle ranges of motion, strength, motor control, and overground gait function. Results Improved paretic ankle motor control was seen as increased target success, along with faster and smoother movements. Walking velocity also increased significantly, whereas durations of paretic single support increased and double support decreased. Conclusions Robotic feedback training improved paretic ankle motor control with improvements in floor walking. Increased walking speeds were comparable with reports from other task-oriented, locomotor training approaches used in stroke, suggesting that a focus on ankle motor control may provide a valuable adjunct to locomotor therapies. PMID:21115945

Reward improves long-term retention of a motor memory through induction of offline memory gains.

PubMed

Abe, Mitsunari; Schambra, Heidi; Wassermann, Eric M; Luckenbaugh, Dave; Schweighofer, Nicolas; Cohen, Leonardo G

2011-04-12

In humans, training in which good performance is rewarded or bad performance punished results in transient behavioral improvements. The relative effects of reward and punishment on consolidation and long-term retention, critical behavioral stages for successful learning, are not known. Here, we investigated the effects of reward and punishment on these different stages of human motor skill learning. We studied healthy subjects who trained on a motor task under rewarded, punished, or neutral control conditions. Performance was tested before and immediately, 6 hr, 24 hr, and 30 days after training in the absence of reward or punishment. Performance improvements immediately after training were comparable in the three groups. At 6 hr, the rewarded group maintained performance gains, whereas the other two groups experienced significant forgetting. At 24 hr, the reward group showed significant offline (posttraining) improvements, whereas the other two groups did not. At 30 days, the rewarded group retained the gains identified at 24 hr, whereas the other two groups experienced significant forgetting. We conclude that training under rewarded conditions is more effective than training under punished or neutral conditions in eliciting lasting motor learning, an advantage driven by offline memory gains that persist over time. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Does arousal interfere with operant conditioning of spike-wave discharges in genetic epileptic rats?

PubMed

Osterhagen, Lasse; Breteler, Marinus; van Luijtelaar, Gilles

2010-06-01

One of the ways in which brain computer interfaces can be used is neurofeedback (NF). Subjects use their brain activation to control an external device, and with this technique it is also possible to learn to control aspects of the brain activity by operant conditioning. Beneficial effects of NF training on seizure occurrence have been described in epileptic patients. Little research has been done about differentiating NF effectiveness by type of epilepsy, particularly, whether idiopathic generalized seizures are susceptible to NF. In this experiment, seizures that manifest themselves as spike-wave discharges (SWDs) in the EEG were reinforced during 10 sessions in 6 rats of the WAG/Rij strain, an animal model for absence epilepsy. EEG's were recorded before and after the training sessions. Reinforcing SWDs let to decreased SWD occurrences during training; however, the changes during training were not persistent in the post-training sessions. Because behavioural states are known to have an influence on the occurrence of SWDs, it is proposed that the reinforcement situation increased arousal which resulted in fewer SWDs. Additional tests supported this hypothesis. The outcomes have implications for the possibility to train SWDs with operant learning techniques. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Habit strength is predicted by activity dynamics in goal-directed brain systems during training.

PubMed

Zwosta, Katharina; Ruge, Hannes; Goschke, Thomas; Wolfensteller, Uta

2018-01-15

Previous neuroscientific research revealed insights into the brain networks supporting goal-directed and habitual behavior, respectively. However, it remains unclear how these contribute to inter-individual differences in habit strength which is relevant for understanding not only normal behavior but also more severe dysregulations between these types of action control, such as in addiction. In the present fMRI study, we trained subjects on approach and avoidance behavior for an extended period of time before testing the habit strength of the acquired stimulus-response associations. We found that stronger habits were associated with a stronger decrease in inferior parietal lobule activity for approach and avoidance behavior and weaker vmPFC activity at the end of training for avoidance behavior, areas associated with the anticipation of outcome identity and value. VmPFC in particular showed markedly different activity dynamics during the training of approach and avoidance behavior. Furthermore, while ongoing training was accompanied by increasing functional connectivity between posterior putamen and premotor cortex, consistent with previous assumptions about the neural basis of increasing habitualization, this was not predictive of later habit strength. Together, our findings suggest that inter-individual differences in habitual behavior are driven by differences in the persistent involvement of brain areas supporting goal-directed behavior during training. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Effect of singing training on total laryngectomees wearing a tracheoesophageal voice prosthesis.

PubMed

Onofre, Fernanda; Ricz, Hilton Marcos Alves; Takeshita-Monaretti, Telma Kioko; Prado, Maria Yuka de Almeida; Aguiar-Ricz, Lílian Neto

2013-02-01

To assess the effect of a program of singing training on the voice of total laryngectomees wearing tracheoesophageal voice prosthesis, considering the quality of alaryngeal phonation, vocal extension and the musical elements of tunning and legato. Five laryngectomees wearing tracheoesophageal voice prosthesis completed the singing training program over a period of three months, with exploration of the strengthening of the respiratory muscles and vocalization and with evaluation of perceptive-auditory and singing voice being performed before and after 12 sessions of singing therapy. After the program of singing voice training, the quality of tracheoesophageal voice showed improvement or the persistence of the general degree of dysphonia for the emitted vowels and for the parameters of roughness and breathiness. For the vowel "a", the pitch was displaced to grave in two participants and to acute in one, and remained adequate in the others. A similar situation was observed also for the vowel "i". After the singing program, all participants presented tunning and most of them showed a greater presence of legato. The vocal extension improved in all participants. Singing training seems to have a favorable effect on the quality of tracheoesophageal phonation and on singing voice.

Optical Pattern Recognition

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yu, Francis T. S.; Jutamulia, Suganda

2008-10-01

Contributors; Preface; 1. Pattern recognition with optics Francis T. S. Yu and Don A. Gregory; 2. Hybrid neural networks for nonlinear pattern recognition Taiwei Lu; 3. Wavelets, optics, and pattern recognition Yao Li and Yunglong Sheng; 4. Applications of the fractional Fourier transform to optical pattern recognition David Mendlovic, Zeev Zalesky and Haldum M. Oxaktas; 5. Optical implementation of mathematical morphology Tien-Hsin Chao; 6. Nonlinear optical correlators with improved discrimination capability for object location and recognition Leonid P. Yaroslavsky; 7. Distortion-invariant quadratic filters Gregory Gheen; 8. Composite filter synthesis as applied to pattern recognition Shizhou Yin and Guowen Lu; 9. Iterative procedures in electro-optical pattern recognition Joseph Shamir; 10. Optoelectronic hybrid system for three-dimensional object pattern recognition Guoguang Mu, Mingzhe Lu and Ying Sun; 11. Applications of photrefractive devices in optical pattern recognition Ziangyang Yang; 12. Optical pattern recognition with microlasers Eung-Gi Paek; 13. Optical properties and applications of bacteriorhodopsin Q. Wang Song and Yu-He Zhang; 14. Liquid-crystal spatial light modulators Aris Tanone and Suganda Jutamulia; 15. Representations of fully complex functions on real-time spatial light modulators Robert W. Cohn and Laurence G. Hassbrook; Index.

Meteors: A Delivery Mechanism of Organic Matter to The Early Earth

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Jenniskens, Peter; Wilson, Mike A.; Packan, Dennis; Laux, Christophe O.; Krueger, Charles H.; Boyd, Iain, D.; Popova, Olga P.; Fonda, Mark; DeVincenzi, Donald L. (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

All potential exogenous pre-biotic matter arrived to Earth by ways of our atmosphere, where much material was ablated during a luminous phase called 1. meteors" in rarefied flows of high (up to 270) Mach number. The recent Leonid showers offered a first glimpse into the elusive physical conditions of the ablation process and atmospheric chemistry associated with high-speed meteors. Molecular emissions were detected that trace a meteor's brilliant light to a 4,300 K warm wake rather than to the meteor's head. A new theoretical approach using the direct simulation by Monte Carlo technique identified the source-region and demonstrated that the ablation process is critical in the heating of the meteor's wake. In the head of the meteor, organic carbon appears to survive flash heating and rapid cooling. The temperatures in the wake of the meteor are just right for dissociation of CO and the formation of more complex organic compounds. The resulting materials could account for the bulk of pre-biotic organic carbon on the early Earth at the time of the origin of life.

NASDA President Isao Uchida shakes hands with STS-87 Mission Specialist Takao Doi, Ph.D., after land

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1997-01-01

The president of the National Space Development Agency (NASDA) of Japan, Isao Uchida, at left, shakes hands with STS-87 Mission Specialist Takao Doi, Ph.D., of NASDA, shortly after the landing of Columbia at Kennedy Space Center. STS-87 concluded its mission with a main gear touchdown at 7:20:04 a.m. EST Dec. 5, at KSC's Shuttle Landing Facility Runway 33, drawing the 15-day, 16-hour and 34-minute-long mission of 6.5 million miles to a close. Also onboard the orbiter were Commander Kevin Kregel; Pilot Steven Lindsey; Mission Specialists Winston Scott and Kalpana Chawla, Ph.D.; and Payload Specialist Leonid Kadenyuk of the National Space Agency of Ukraine. During the 88th Space Shuttle mission, the crew performed experiments on the United States Microgravity Payload-4 and pollinated plants as part of the Collaborative Ukrainian Experiment. This was the 12th landing for Columbia at KSC and the 41st KSC landing in the history of the Space Shuttle program.

Dynamical systems theory and applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Awrejcewicz, Jan

2006-08-01

The 7th International Conference devoted to "Dynamical Systems-Theory and Applications" hold in 8-11 December, 2003 in Łódź, Poland, and it was organized by the staff of Department of Automatics and Biomechanics of the Technical University of Łódź. It was financially supported by the Rector of the Technical University of Łódź and the Department of Education and Physical Culture of the Łódź City Hall. The members of the International Scientific Committee included: Igor V. Andrianov (Dniepropetrovsk), Jan Awrejcewicz (Łódź), Iliya Blekhman (Sankt Petersburg), Roman Bogacz (Warszawa), Dick van Campen (Eindhoven), Zbigniew Engel (Kraków), Lothar Gaul (Stuttgart), Józef Giergiel (Kraków), Michał Kleiber (Warszawa), Vadim A. Krysko (Saratov), Włodzimierz Kurnik (Warszawa), Claude-Henri Lamarque (Lyon), Leonid I. Manevitch (Moscow), Jan Osiecki (Warszawa), Wiesaw Ostachowicz (Gdańsk), Ladislav Pust (Prague), Giuseppe Rega (Rome), Tsuneo Someya (Tokyo), Zbigniew Starczewski (Warszawa), Eugeniusz Świtoński (Gliwice), Andrzej Tylikowski (Warszawa), Tadeusz Uhl (Kraków), Aleksander F. Vakakis (Illinois), Józef Wojnarowski (Gliwice).

SPA Meteor Section Results: 2006

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McBeath, Alastair

2010-12-01

A summary of the main analyzed results and other information provided to the SPA Meteor Section from 2006 is presented and discussed. Events covered include: the radio Quadrantid maximum on January 3/4; an impressive fireball seen from parts of England, Belgium and the Netherlands at 22h53m51s UT on July 18, which was imaged from three EFN stations as well; the Southern delta-Aquarid and alpha-Capricornid activity from late July and early August; the radio Perseid maxima on August 12/13; confirmation that the October 5/6 video-meteor outburst was not observed by radio; visual and radio findings from the strong, bright-meteor, Orionid return in October; another impressive UK-observed fireball on November 1/2, with an oil painting of the event as seen from London; the Leonids, which produced a strong visual maximum around 04h-05h UT on November 18/19 that was recorded much less clearly by radio; radio and visual reports from the Geminids, with a note regarding NASA-observed Geminid lunar impact flashes; and the Ursid outburst recorded by various techniques on December 22.

Academic and Psychosocial Factors Influencing Female Cadets' Intent to Persist in Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) and Commission in the United States Air Force or Army

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shannon, Amy Theresa

2013-01-01

In spite of representation in enlisted ranks, women are underrepresented among top leadership positions within the military. As the largest commissioning source, ROTC plays a vital role in increasing the number of female military officers. There is substantial evidence that female cadets are retained at lower levels than male cadets during their…

Annual Transitions between Labour Market States for Young Australians. A National Vocational Education and Training Research and Evaluation Program Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Buddelmeyer, Hielke; Marks, Gary

2010-01-01

Much analysis of youth transitions focuses on the first year after education, or outcomes at a specific age. Such work looks, for example, at the effect of education on the likelihood of being employed or unemployed. This study takes a different angle by considering the effect of education on the persistence of labour market outcomes. For example,…

The potential of using coppice growth as training trees in plantations for the production of high-quality oak boles

Treesearch

Wayne K. Clatterbuck

2016-01-01

Oaks (Quercus spp.) grown in monoculture plantations often do not develop high-grade boles because all the trees grow at similar rates and crown stratification does not occur resulting in persistent branches and poor bole quality. The use of trainer species in mixed species plantations could promote interspecific competition and crown...

Persistent Neuronal Firing in Primary Somatosensory Cortex in the Absence of Working Memory of Trial-Specific Features of the Sample Stimuli in a Haptic Working Memory Task

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wang, Liping; Li, Xianchun; Hsiao, Steven S.; Bodner, Mark; Lenz, Fred; Zhou, Yong-Di

2012-01-01

Previous studies suggested that primary somatosensory (SI) neurons in well-trained monkeys participated in the haptic-haptic unimodal delayed matching-to-sample (DMS) task. In this study, 585 SI neurons were recorded in monkeys performing a task that was identical to that in the previous studies but without requiring discrimination and active…

Exercise training improves sleep pattern and metabolic profile in elderly people in a time-dependent manner

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Aging and physical inactivity are two factors that favors the development of cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes, and sleep dysfunction. In contrast, the adoption a habitual of moderate exercise may present a non-pharmacological treatment alternative for sleep and metabolic disorders. We aimed to assess the effects of moderate exercise training on sleep quality and on the metabolic profile of elderly people with a sedentary lifestyle. Fourteen male sedentary, healthy, elderly volunteers performed moderate training for 60 minutes/day, 3 days/week for 24 wk at a work rate equivalent to the ventilatory aerobic threshold. The environment was kept at a temperature of 23 ± 2°C, with an air humidity 60 ± 5%. Blood and polysomnographs analysis were collected 3 times: at baseline (1 week before training began), 3 and 6 months (after 3 and 6 months of training). Training promoted increasing aerobic capacity (relative VO2, time and velocity to VO2max; p < 0.05), and reduced serum NEFA, and insulin concentrations as well as improved HOMA index (p < 0.05), and increased adiponectin levels (p < 0.05), after 3 months of training when compared with baseline data. The sleep parameters, awake time and REM sleep latency were decreased after 6 months exercise training (p < 0.05) in relation baseline values. Our results demonstrate that the moderate exercise training protocol improves the sleep profile in older people, but the metabolism adaptation does not persist. Suggesting that this population requires training strategy modifications as to ensure consistent alterations regarding metabolism. PMID:21733182

Exercise Training-Induced Adaptations Associated with Increases in Skeletal Muscle Glycogen Content

PubMed Central

Manabe, Yasuko; Gollisch, Katja S.C.; Holton, Laura; Kim, Young–Bum; Brandauer, Josef; Fujii, Nobuharu L.; Hirshman, Michael F.; Goodyear, Laurie J.

2012-01-01

Chronic exercise training results in numerous skeletal muscle adaptations, including increases in insulin sensitivity and glycogen content. To understand the mechanism for increased muscle glycogen, we studied the effects of exercise training on glycogen regulatory proteins in rat skeletal muscle. Female Sprague Dawley rats performed voluntary wheel running for 1, 4, or 7 weeks. After 7 weeks of training, insulin-stimulated glucose uptake was increased in epitrochlearis muscle. Compared to sedentary control rats, muscle glycogen did not change after 1 week of training, but increased significantly after 4 and 7 weeks. The increases in muscle glycogen were accompanied by elevated glycogen synthase activity and protein expression. To assess the regulation of glycogen synthase, we examined its major activator, protein phosphatase 1 (PP1), and its major deactivator, glycogen synthase kinase 3 (GSK3). Consistent with glycogen synthase activity, PP1 activity was unchanged after 1 week of training but significantly increased after 4 and 7 weeks of training. Protein expression of RGL(GM), another regulatory PP1 subunit, significantly decreased after 4 and 7 weeks of training. Unlike PP1, GSK3 phosphorylation did not follow the pattern of glycogen synthase activity. The ~40% decrease in GSK-3α phosphorylation after 1 week of exercise training persisted until 7 weeks and may function as a negative feedback to elevated glycogen. Our findings suggest that exercise training-induced increases in muscle glycogen content could be regulated by multiple mechanisms including enhanced insulin sensitivity, glycogen synthase expression, allosteric activation of glycogen synthase and PP1activity. PMID:23206309

Laparoscopic pyloromyotomy: effect of resident training on complications.

PubMed

Haricharan, Ramanath N; Aprahamian, Charles J; Celik, Ahmet; Harmon, Carroll M; Georgeson, Keith E; Barnhart, Douglas C

2008-01-01

The purpose of this study was to characterize the safety of laparoscopic pyloromyotomy and examine the effect of resident training on the occurrence of complications. Five hundred consecutive infants who underwent laparoscopic pyloromyotomy between January 1997 and December 2005 were reviewed and analyzed. Laparoscopic pyloromyotomy was successfully completed in 489 patients (97.8%). Four hundred seventeen patients were boys (83%). Intraoperative complication occurred in 8 (1.6%) patients (mucosal perforation, 7; serosal injury to the duodenum, 1). All were immediately recognized and uneventfully repaired. Six patients (1.2%) required revision pyloromyotomy for persistent or recurrent gastric outlet obstruction. There were 7 wound complications (1.4%) and no deaths. Pediatric surgery residents performed 81% of the operations, whereas 16% were done by general surgery residents (postgraduate years 3-4). There was a 5.4-fold increased risk of mucosal perforation or incomplete pyloromyotomy when a general surgery resident rather than a pediatric surgery resident performed the operation (95% confidence interval, 1.8-15.8; P = .003). These effects persisted even after controlling for weight, age, and attending experience. The laparoscopic pyloromyotomy has an excellent success rate with low morbidity. The occurrence of complications is increased when the operation is performed by a general surgery resident, even when directly supervised by pediatric surgical faculty.

A qualitative study of patient and provider perspectives on using web-based pain coping skills training to treat persistent cancer pain.

PubMed

Rini, Christine; Vu, Maihan B; Lerner, Hannah; Bloom, Catherine; Carda-Auten, Jessica; Wood, William A; Basch, Ethan M; Voorhees, Peter M; Reeder-Hayes, Katherine E; Keefe, Francis J

2018-04-01

Persistent pain is common and inadequately treated in cancer patients. Behavioral pain interventions are a recommended part of multimodal pain treatments, but they are underused in clinical care due to barriers such as a lack of the resources needed to deliver them in person and difficulties coordinating their use with clinical care. Pain coping skills training (PCST) is an evidence-based behavioral pain intervention traditionally delivered in person. Delivering this training via the web would increase access to it by addressing barriers that currently limit its use. We conducted a patient pilot study of an 8-week web-based PCST program to determine the acceptability of this approach to patients and the program features needed to meet their needs. Focus groups with healthcare providers identified strategies for coordinating the use of web-based PCST in clinical care. Participants included 7 adults with bone pain due to multiple myeloma or metastasized breast or prostate cancer and 12 healthcare providers (4 physicians and 8 advanced practice providers) who treat cancer-related bone pain. Patients completed web-based PCST at home and then took part in an in-depth qualitative interview. Providers attended focus groups led by a trained moderator. Qualitative analyses identified themes in the patient and provider data. Patients reported strongly favorable responses to web-based PCST and described emotional and physical benefits. They offered suggestions for adapting the approach to better fit their needs and to overcome barriers to completion. Focus groups indicated a need to familiarize healthcare providers with PCST and to address concerns about overburdening patients. Providers would recommend the program to patients they felt could benefit. They suggested applying a broad definition of cancer pain and having various types of providers help coordinate program its use with clinical care. Web-based PCST was acceptable to patients and providers. Our findings suggest that patients could benefit from this approach, especially if patient and provider barriers are addressed.

Stimulus-reinforcer relations established during training determine resistance to extinction and relapse via reinstatement.

PubMed

Bai, John Y H; Jonas Chan, C K; Elliffe, Douglas; Podlesnik, Christopher A

2016-11-01

The baseline rate of a reinforced target response decreases with the availability of response-independent sources of alternative reinforcement; however, resistance to disruption and relapse increases. Because many behavioral treatments for problem behavior include response-dependent reinforcement of alternative behavior, the present study assessed whether response-dependent alternative reinforcement also decreases baseline response rates but increases resistance to extinction and relapse. We reinforced target responding at equal rates across two components of a multiple schedule with pigeons. We compared resistance to extinction and relapse via reinstatement of (1) a target response trained concurrently with a reinforced alternative response in one component with (2) a target response trained either concurrently or in separate components from the alternative response across conditions. Target response rates trained alone in baseline were higher but resistance to extinction and relapse via reinstatement tests were greater after training concurrently with the alternative response. In another assessment, training target and alternative responding together, but separating them during extinction and reinstatement tests, produced equal resistance to extinction and relapse. Together, these findings are consistent with behavioral momentum theory-operant response-reinforcer relations determined baseline response rates but Pavlovian stimulus-reinforcer relations established during training determined resistance to extinction and relapse. These findings imply that reinforcing alternative behavior to treat problem behavior could initially reduce rates but increase persistence. © 2016 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

An International Survey on Taking Up a Career in Cardiovascular Research: Opportunities and Biases toward Would-Be Physician-Scientists.

PubMed

Biondi-Zoccai, Giuseppe; Cerrato, Enrico; Peruzzi, Mariangela; D'Ascenzo, Fabrizio; De Falco, Elena; Chimenti, Isotta; Sciarretta, Sebastiano; Marullo, Antonino G M; Cavarretta, Elena; Greco, Ernesto; Benedetto, Umberto; Pompilio, Giulio; Escaned, Javier; Abbate, Antonio; Carpentier, Alain; Chachques, Juan Carlos; Frati, Giacomo

2015-01-01

Cardiovascular research is the main shaper of clinical evidence underpinning decision making, with its cyclic progression of junior researchers to mature faculty members. Despite efforts at improving cardiovascular research training, several unmet needs persist. We aimed to appraise current perceptions on cardiovascular research training with an international survey. We administered a 20-closed-question survey to mentors and mentees belonging to different international institutions. A total of 247 (12%) surveys were available (out of 2,000 invitations). Overall, mentees and mentors were reasonably satisfied with the educational and research resources. Significant differences were found analyzing results according to gender, geographic area, training and full-time researcher status. Specifically, women proved significantly less satisfied than men, disclosed access to fewer resources and less support from mentors (all P<0.05). People working in institutions not located in North America or Northern/Central Europe were significantly less satisfied and disclosed much less support (both P<0.05). Those in training reported limited opportunities for collaboration (P = 0.009), and non-full-time researchers disclosed more limited access to tutors and formal grant writing training (both P<0.05). Several potential biases appear to be present in the way training in cardiovascular research is provided worldwide, including one against women. If confirmed, these data require proactive measures to decrease discriminations and improve the cardiovascular research training quality.

Evaluation of a curriculum for intimate partner violence screening in a pediatric emergency department.

PubMed

Knapp, Jane F; Dowd, M Denise; Kennedy, Christopher S; Stallbaumer-Rouyer, Jennifer; Henderson, Deborah P

2006-01-01

We sought to describe the assessment of course participant changes in attitudes, self-efficacy, and behaviors after completion of the Its Time to Ask training curriculum for screening for intimate partner violence (IPV) in a pediatric emergency department (PED). A 22-item Likert scale questionnaire was administered at baseline (before training), after training, and at 6-month follow-up to PED employee participants in a 2-hour IPV education program. Mean participant responses were compared between baseline/posttraining and baseline/6-month follow-up. Participants also completed a course-satisfaction survey. A total of 79 PED staff completed the baseline questionnaire before the training. Eighty-seven participants completed the posttraining questionnaire, and 48 completed the 6-month follow-up questionnaire. Participants had consistent, positive changes in attitudes after training that persisted at the 6-month follow-up for 5 items on the questionnaire. Attitudes that did not change showed baseline means already in disagreement with questionnaire statements. Participants reported significant, positive changes for all 7 self-efficacy statements at 1 or both of the posttraining evaluations. The only changes in behavior were observed at 6 months. The majority of participants were satisfied with the training and would recommend it to colleagues. Significant, self-reported changes in attitudes, self-efficacy, and behaviors/clinical practice regarding screening for IPV in a PED can be achieved through participation in a brief training curriculum.

Effect on Oxygen Cost of Transport from 8-Weeks of Progressive Training with Barefoot Running.

PubMed

Tam, N; Tucker, R; Astephen Wilson, J L; Santos-Concejero, J

2015-11-01

Popular interest in barefoot running has emerged as a result of its alleged performance and injury prevention benefits. Oxygen cost of transport (COT) improvements from barefoot running, however, remains equivocal. The aim of this study was to determine the influence of an 8-week progressive barefoot training program on COT and associated spatiotemporal variables. 15 male runners participated in this study. Variables such as oxygen uptake, biomechanical and spatiotemporal characteristics of gait, including ground contact (GC) and swing time; stride length and frequency and ankle plantar-dorsiflexion were measured pre- and post-intervention. The COT did not differ between barefoot and shod running either pre- or post-training. Improved barefoot COT (p<0.05) but not shod was found between pre- and post-training. Biomechanical differences between barefoot and shod conditions persisted over the training period. A decrease in barefoot COT was associated with a decrease in GC time (p=0.003, r=0.688) and a small increase in stride frequency (p=0.030; r=0.569). Ground contact time and stride frequency, previously associated with COT, only partly contribute (32% - Stride frequency and 47% - GC time) to a decrease in COT after barefoot training. Thus other physiological and biomechanical variables must influence the improvement in COT after a barefoot training intervention. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Effects of Adding an Internet-Based Pain Coping Skills Training Protocol to a Standardized Education and Exercise Program for People With Persistent Hip Pain (HOPE Trial): Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol

PubMed Central

Rini, Christine; Keefe, Francis; French, Simon; Nelligan, Rachel; Kasza, Jessica; Forbes, Andrew; Dobson, Fiona; Haxby Abbott, J.; Dalwood, Andrew; Vicenzino, Bill; Harris, Anthony; Hinman, Rana S.

2015-01-01

Background Persistent hip pain in older people is usually due to hip osteoarthritis (OA), a major cause of pain, disability, and psychological dysfunction. Objective The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether adding an Internet-based pain coping skills training (PCST) protocol to a standardized intervention of education followed by physical therapist–instructed home exercise leads to greater reductions in pain and improvements in function. Design An assessor-, therapist-, and participant-blinded randomized controlled trial will be conducted. Setting The study will be conducted in a community setting. Participants The participants will be 142 people over 50 years of age with self-reported hip pain consistent with hip OA. Intervention Participants will be randomly allocated to: (1) a control group receiving a 24-week standardized intervention comprising an 8-week Internet-based education package followed by 5 individual physical therapy exercise sessions plus home exercises (3 times weekly) or (2) a PCST group receiving an 8-week Internet-based PCST protocol in addition to the control intervention. Measurements Outcomes will be measured at baseline and 8, 24, and 52 weeks, with the primary time point at 24 weeks. Primary outcomes are hip pain on walking and self-reported physical function. Secondary outcomes include health-related quality-of-life, participant-perceived treatment response, self-efficacy for pain management and function, pain coping attempts, pain catastrophizing, and physical activity. Measurements of adherence, adverse events, use of health services, and process measures will be collected at 24 and 52 weeks. Cost-effectiveness will be assessed at 52 weeks. Limitations A self-reported diagnosis of persistent hip pain will be used. Conclusions The findings will help determine whether adding an Internet-based PCST protocol to standardized education and physical therapist–instructed home exercise is more effective than education and exercise alone for persistent hip pain. This study has the potential to guide clinical practice toward innovative modes of psychosocial health care provision. PMID:26023213

Effects of Adding an Internet-Based Pain Coping Skills Training Protocol to a Standardized Education and Exercise Program for People With Persistent Hip Pain (HOPE Trial): Randomized Controlled Trial Protocol.

PubMed

Bennell, Kim L; Rini, Christine; Keefe, Francis; French, Simon; Nelligan, Rachel; Kasza, Jessica; Forbes, Andrew; Dobson, Fiona; Abbott, J Haxby; Dalwood, Andrew; Vicenzino, Bill; Harris, Anthony; Hinman, Rana S

2015-10-01

Persistent hip pain in older people is usually due to hip osteoarthritis (OA), a major cause of pain, disability, and psychological dysfunction. The purpose of this study is to evaluate whether adding an Internet-based pain coping skills training (PCST) protocol to a standardized intervention of education followed by physical therapist-instructed home exercise leads to greater reductions in pain and improvements in function. An assessor-, therapist-, and participant-blinded randomized controlled trial will be conducted. The study will be conducted in a community setting. The participants will be 142 people over 50 years of age with self-reported hip pain consistent with hip OA. Participants will be randomly allocated to: (1) a control group receiving a 24-week standardized intervention comprising an 8-week Internet-based education package followed by 5 individual physical therapy exercise sessions plus home exercises (3 times weekly) or (2) a PCST group receiving an 8-week Internet-based PCST protocol in addition to the control intervention. Outcomes will be measured at baseline and 8, 24, and 52 weeks, with the primary time point at 24 weeks. Primary outcomes are hip pain on walking and self-reported physical function. Secondary outcomes include health-related quality-of-life, participant-perceived treatment response, self-efficacy for pain management and function, pain coping attempts, pain catastrophizing, and physical activity. Measurements of adherence, adverse events, use of health services, and process measures will be collected at 24 and 52 weeks. Cost-effectiveness will be assessed at 52 weeks. A self-reported diagnosis of persistent hip pain will be used. The findings will help determine whether adding an Internet-based PCST protocol to standardized education and physical therapist-instructed home exercise is more effective than education and exercise alone for persistent hip pain. This study has the potential to guide clinical practice toward innovative modes of psychosocial health care provision. © 2015 American Physical Therapy Association.

Lifestyle physical activity in persons with multiple sclerosis: the new kid on the MS block.

PubMed

Motl, Robert W

2014-07-01

Supervised exercise training has substantial benefits for persons with multiple sclerosis (MS), yet 80% of those with MS do not meet recommended levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA). This same problem persisted for decades in the general population of adults and prompted a paradigm shift away from "exercise training for fitness" toward "physical activity for health." The paradigm shift reflects a public health approach of promoting lifestyle physical activity through behavioral interventions that teach people the skills, techniques, and strategies based on established theories for modifying and self-regulating health behaviors. This paper describes: (a) the definitions of and difference between structured exercise training and lifestyle physical activity; (b) the importance and potential impact of the paradigm shift; (c) consequences of lifestyle physical activity in MS; and (d) behavioral interventions for changing lifestyle physical activity in MS. The paper introduces the "new kid on the MS block" with the hope that lifestyle physical activity might become an accepted partner alongside exercise training for inclusion in comprehensive MS care. © The Author(s) 2014.

Applying Expectancy Theory to residency training: proposing opportunities to understand resident motivation and enhance residency training

PubMed Central

Shweiki, Ehyal; Martin, Niels D; Beekley, Alec C; Jenoff, Jay S; Koenig, George J; Kaulback, Kris R; Lindenbaum, Gary A; Patel, Pankaj H; Rosen, Matthew M; Weinstein, Michael S; Zubair, Muhammad H; Cohen, Murray J

2015-01-01

Medical resident education in the United States has been a matter of national priority for decades, exemplified initially through the Liaison Committee for Graduate Medical Education and then superseded by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. A recent Special Report in the New England Journal of Medicine, however, has described resident educational programs to date as prescriptive, noting an absence of innovation in education. Current aims of contemporary medical resident education are thus being directed at ensuring quality in learning as well as in patient care. Achievement and work-motivation theories attempt to explain people’s choice, performance, and persistence in tasks. Expectancy Theory as one such theory was reviewed in detail, appearing particularly applicable to surgical residency training. Correlations between Expectancy Theory as a work-motivation theory and residency education were explored. Understanding achievement and work-motivation theories affords an opportunity to gain insight into resident motivation in training. The application of Expectancy Theory in particular provides an innovative perspective into residency education. Afforded are opportunities to promote the development of programmatic methods facilitating surgical resident motivation in education. PMID:25995656

Applying Expectancy Theory to residency training: proposing opportunities to understand resident motivation and enhance residency training.

PubMed

Shweiki, Ehyal; Martin, Niels D; Beekley, Alec C; Jenoff, Jay S; Koenig, George J; Kaulback, Kris R; Lindenbaum, Gary A; Patel, Pankaj H; Rosen, Matthew M; Weinstein, Michael S; Zubair, Muhammad H; Cohen, Murray J

2015-01-01

Medical resident education in the United States has been a matter of national priority for decades, exemplified initially through the Liaison Committee for Graduate Medical Education and then superseded by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. A recent Special Report in the New England Journal of Medicine, however, has described resident educational programs to date as prescriptive, noting an absence of innovation in education. Current aims of contemporary medical resident education are thus being directed at ensuring quality in learning as well as in patient care. Achievement and work-motivation theories attempt to explain people's choice, performance, and persistence in tasks. Expectancy Theory as one such theory was reviewed in detail, appearing particularly applicable to surgical residency training. Correlations between Expectancy Theory as a work-motivation theory and residency education were explored. Understanding achievement and work-motivation theories affords an opportunity to gain insight into resident motivation in training. The application of Expectancy Theory in particular provides an innovative perspective into residency education. Afforded are opportunities to promote the development of programmatic methods facilitating surgical resident motivation in education.

Strengthening transversus abdominis in pregnancy related pelvic pain: the pressure biofeedback stabilization training.

PubMed

Rajalakshmi, Dharmarajan; Senthil Kumar, N Sundaramurthy

2012-05-28

Pregnancy related pelvic pain (PRPP) refers to musculoskeletal type of persistent posterior pelvic pain during and after pregnancy with feature of reduced endurance capacity for standing, walking and sitting which leads to severe discomfort and considerable impairment of daily activities. To test the effect of pressure biofeedback stabilizer training, on the pain and dysfunction of a thirty year old subject who presented with PRPP. Single case design. Oswestry pain and disability index, TrA efficacy. An initial assessment was followed by treatment sessions which consist of 2 phases (Phase A & Phase B). The baseline phase (A) consists of conventional therapeutic exercises while the intervention phase (B) consists of pressure biofeedback training in conjunction with the conventional therapeutic exercises. The study data demonstrated that the subject showed minimal improvement in pain, disability and TrA efficacy during the baseline phase and shown a steady improvement in all these variables during the intervention phase. Core muscle performance (TrA) can be retrained with pressure biofeedback stabilization training program in subject with PRPP thereby reducing pain and disability.

Occurrence and persistence of perfluorooctanesulfonate and other perfluorinated surfactants in groundwater at a fire-training area at Wurtsmith Air Force Base, Michigan, USA.

PubMed

Moody, Cheryl A; Hebert, Gretchen N; Strauss, Steven H; Field, Jennifer A

2003-04-01

Various formulations of fire-extinguishing materials, including aqueous film-forming foams (AFFFs), were used as part of fire-training exercises conducted at Wurtsmith Air Force Base (WAFB) in northeastern Michigan from the 1950s until the base was decommissioned in 1993. As a result of past fire-training exercises, AFFF-laden wastewater containing fuels, solvents, and other materials directly entered groundwater without prior treatment. Perfluorinated surfactants are key components in some AFFF formulations. In this study, groundwater was analyzed for perfluoroalkanesulfonates and perfluorocarboxylates. Perfluoroalkanesulfonates were directly detected using negative-ion electrospray ionization mass spectrometry. Derivatized perfluorocarboxylates were detected using electron impact gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Groundwater from wells around fire-training area FTA-02 at WAFB contained four perfluorinated surfactants ranging in concentration from 3 to 120 microg L(-1): perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS); perfluorohexanesulfonate; perfluorooctanoate; and perfluorohexanoate. This is the first report demonstrating that PFOS, recently shown to be toxic to organisms ranging from zooplankton to primates, is still present in groundwater in measurable quantities five or more years after its last known use.

[Medical doctor in mountain rescue service - a profession's perspective].

PubMed

Putzke, Matthias

2008-01-01

Helicopter emergency services (HEMS) carrying doctors trained in emergency medicine represent a well established system for primary care with increasing professionalism since their implementation in the seventies until now. However, considerable differences persist in Europe concerning the structure as well as integration of the system in the entire organisation of area-wide demands. Based on the particular geographic conditions in the alps which are highly associated with challenges for man and material a dense network of helicopter airbases has been established. Hence, this system accounts for the social, economical and touristic requirements of this region in terms of providing sufficient emergency medical treatment. In addition to statutory and professional provisions qualification requirements for emergency doctors comprehend extensive alpine training. Primarily this provides personal safety as well as security for the entire team and the patient which particularly applies for technical rope rescue. Advanced all-season training is compulsory due to seasonal differences in casualties. Well harmonized training with cross-border validity is not available to-date. Hence, the development of obligatory standard operating procedures should be the major goal of medical associations and societies.

Treatment of metaphor interpretation deficits subsequent to traumatic brain injury.

PubMed

Brownell, Hiram; Lundgren, Kristine; Cayer-Meade, Carol; Milione, Janet; Katz, Douglas I; Kearns, Kevin

2013-01-01

To improve oral interpretation of metaphors by patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Both single subject experimental design and group analysis. Patients' homes. Eight adult patients with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury sustained 3 to 20 years before testing. The Metaphor Training Program consisted typically of 10 baseline sessions, 3 to 9 1-hour sessions of structured intervention, and 10 posttraining baseline sessions. Training used extensive practice with simple graphic displays to illustrate semantic associations. Quality of orally produced metaphor interpretation and accuracy of line orientation judgments served as dependent measures obtained during baseline, training, posttraining, and at a 3- to 4-month follow-up. Untrained line orientation judgments provided a control measure. Group data showed significant improvement in metaphor interpretation but not in line orientation. Six of 8 patients individually demonstrated significant improvement in metaphor interpretation. Gains persisted for 3 of the 6 patients at the 3- to 4-month follow-up. The Metaphor Training Program can improve cognitive-communication performance for individuals with moderate to severe traumatic brain injury. Results support the potential for treating patients' residual cognitive-linguistic deficits.

Effects of progressive backward body weight suppoted treadmill training on gait ability in chronic stroke patients: A randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

Kim, Kyung Hun; Lee, Kyoung Bo; Bae, Young-Hyeon; Fong, Shirley S M; Lee, Suk Min

2017-10-23

A stroke patient with hemiplegic gait is generally described as being slow and asymmetric. Body weight-supported treadmill training and backward gait training are recent additions to therapeutic gait trainings that may help improve gait in stroke patient with hemiplegic gait. Therefore, we examined the effect of progressive backward body weight-supported treadmill training on gait in chronic stroke patients with hemiplegic gait. Thirty subjects were divided to the experimental and control groups. The experimental group consisted of 15 patients and underwent progressive backward body weight-supported treadmill training. The control group consisted of 15 patients and underwent general treadmill gait training five times per week, for a total of four weeks. The OptoGait was used to analyze gait kinematics, and the dynamic gait index (DGI) and results of the 6-minute walk test were used as the clinical evaluation indicators. A follow-up test was carried out four weeks later to examine persistence of exercise effects. The experimental group showed statistically significant results in all dependent variables week four compared to the control group. However, until the eighth week, only the dependent variables, of affected step length (ASL), stride length (SL), and DGI differed significantly between the two groups. This study verified that progressive bodyweight-supported treadmill training had a positive influence on the temporospatial characteristics of gait and clinical gait evaluation index in chronic stroke patients.

Computerized working memory training has positive long-term effect in very low birthweight preschool children.

PubMed

Grunewaldt, Kristine Hermansen; Skranes, Jon; Brubakk, Ann-Mari; Lähaugen, Gro C C

2016-02-01

Working memory deficits are frequently found in children born preterm and have been linked to learning disabilities, and cognitive and behavioural problems. Our aim was to evaluate if a computerized working memory training program has long-term positive effects on memory, learning, and behaviour in very-low-birthweight (VLBW) children at age 5 to 6 years. This prospective, intervention study included 20 VLBW preschool children in the intervention group and 17 age-matched, non-training VLBW children in the comparison group. The intervention group trained with the Cogmed JM working memory training program daily for 5 weeks (25 training sessions). Extensive neuropsychological assessment and parental questionnaires were performed 4 weeks after intervention and at follow-up 7 months later. For most of the statistical analyses, general linear models were applied. At follow-up, higher scores and increased or equal performance gain were found in the intervention group than the comparison group on memory for faces (p=0.012), narrative memory (p=0.002), and spatial span (p=0.003). No group differences in performance gain were found for attention and behaviour. Computerized working memory training seems to have positive and persisting effects on working memory, and visual and verbal learning, at 7-month follow-up in VLBW preschool children. We speculate that such training is beneficial by improving the ability to learn from the teaching at school and for further cognitive development. © 2015 Mac Keith Press.

Enhancing nurse and physician collaboration in clinical decision making through high-fidelity interdisciplinary simulation training.

PubMed

Maxson, Pamela M; Dozois, Eric J; Holubar, Stefan D; Wrobleski, Diane M; Dube, Joyce A Overman; Klipfel, Janee M; Arnold, Jacqueline J

2011-01-01

To determine whether interdisciplinary simulation team training can positively affect registered nurse and/or physician perceptions of collaboration in clinical decision making. Between March 1 and April 21, 2009, a convenience sample of volunteer nurses and physicians was recruited to undergo simulation training consisting of a team response to 3 clinical scenarios. Participants completed the Collaboration and Satisfaction About Care Decisions (CSACD) survey before training and at 2 weeks and 2 months after training. Differences in CSACD summary scores between the time points were assessed with paired t tests. Twenty-eight health care professionals (19 nurses, 9 physicians) underwent simulation training. Nurses were of similar age to physicians (27.3 vs 34.5 years; p = .82), were more likely to be women (95.0% vs 12.5%; p < .001), and were less likely to have undergone prior simulation training (0% vs 37.5%; p = .02). The pretest showed that physicians were more likely to perceive that open communication exists between nurses and physicians (p = .04) and that both medical and nursing concerns influence the decision-making process (p = .02). Pretest CSACD analysis revealed that most participants were dissatisfied with the decision-making process. The CSACD summary score showed significant improvement from baseline to 2 weeks (4.2 to 5.1; p < .002), a trend that persisted at 2 months (p < .002). Team training using high-fidelity simulation scenarios promoted collaboration between nurses and physicians and enhanced the patient care decision-making process.

A Study of The Influence of Advising on Underrepresented Minority Undergraduate Student Persistence in STEM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weir, Michael J.

In the United States, undergraduate underrepresented minority (URM) students tend to change out of declared majors in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) disciplines at a rate of nearly sixty percent prior to earning a post secondary degree. This phenomenon contributes to a general concern that the United States is not producing enough STEM trained skilled workers to meet future employment needs of industry and government. Although there has been research developed to examine how to increase the numbers of URM students enrolling in STEM programs at higher education institutions, retention of these students remains critical. One area of increasing focus for researchers is to understand how multiple factors impact the college experience of URM students and how those factors may contribute to the student decision to persist in earning a STEM disciple degree. This research study is a phenomenological mixed method study that examines how students experience the phenomenon of advising and the influence of the advising experience of undergraduate URM students on their likelihood of persisting in STEM at a northeast US technology oriented post secondary institution. Persistence, from the perspective of the student, is driven by cognitive psychological attributes such as confidence, motivation and self-efficacy. Utilizing a Social Cognitive theoretical framework, this study examines how three distinct undergraduate URM student populations enrolled in; an Academic Services Program, Honors College, and the general undergraduate population at this institution experience advising and how their experiences may influence their propensity to persist in earning a STEM oriented degree.

Practitioner review: Effective ingredients of prevention programs for youth at risk of persistent juvenile delinquency--recommendations for clinical practice.

PubMed

de Vries, Sanne L A; Hoeve, Machteld; Assink, Mark; Stams, Geert Jan J M; Asscher, Jessica J

2015-02-01

There is a lack of knowledge about specific effective ingredients of prevention programs for youth at risk for persistent delinquent behavior. The present study combines findings of previous studies by examining the effectiveness of programs in preventing persistent juvenile delinquency and by studying which particular program, sample, and study characteristics contribute to the effects. Information on effective ingredients offers specific indications of how programs may be improved in clinical practice. A literature search in PsychINFO, ERIC, PubMed, Sociological Abstracts, Criminal Justice Abstracts, and Google Scholar was performed. Only (quasi)experimental studies and studies that focused on adolescents at risk for (persistent) delinquent behavior were included. Multilevel meta-analysis was conducted on 39 studies (N = 9,084). Participants' ages ranged from 6 to 20 years (M = 14 years, SD = 2.45). The overall effect size was significant and small in magnitude (d = 0.24, p < .001). Behavioral-oriented programs, focusing on parenting skills training, behavioral modeling, or behavioral contracting yielded the largest effects. Multimodal programs and programs carried out in the family context proved to be more beneficial than individual and group-based programs. Less intensive programs yielded larger effects. Prevention programs have positive effects on preventing persistent juvenile delinquency. In order to improve program effectiveness, interventions should be behavioral-oriented, delivered in a family or multimodal format, and the intensity of the program should be matched to the level of risk of the juvenile. © 2014 Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Standard case management of asthma in Sudan: a pilot project

PubMed Central

Chiang, C-Y.; Malik, E.; Hassanain, S. A.; Hussien, H.; Khamis, A. H.; Bassilli, A. F.; Enarson, D. A.

2013-01-01

Setting: A pilot project for asthma management in selected hospitals in Khartoum and Gezira States, Sudan. Objective: To assess standard case management of asthma in 2007–2008. Design: Local adaptation of guidelines, followed by situational analysis, pre-intervention study, training and implementation. Treatment outcome was assessed 1 year after patient enrolment. Results: Situational analysis revealed that inhaled beclometasone was not available in the public sector. During the project, 2068 patients were enrolled: severity of asthma was intermittent in 185 (9.0%), mild persistent in 231 (11.2%), moderate persistent in 640 (31.0%), severe persistent in 812 (39.3%) and unclassified in 200 (9.7%). Of the 1654 patients with persistent asthma who were treated with inhaled corticosteroids, 1157 (70.0%) had treatment cards available for outcome assessment. Of these, 652 (56.4%) did not attend their annual evaluation, among whom 1 (0.1%) died and 651 (56.3%) were lost to follow-up. Of the 505 patients who attended their annual evaluation, 417 (82.6%) improved, 32 (6.3%) were stable and 56 (11.1%) were worse. The frequency of emergency visits and hospitalisation decreased substantially among those who presented for the 1 year follow-up assessment. Conclusion: The results of standard case management of asthma were encouraging; however, a high proportion of patients did not return for long-term management. PMID:26393039

Deficits in free recall persist in Asperger's syndrome despite training in the use of list-appropriate learning strategies.

PubMed

Smith, Brenda J; Gardiner, John M; Bowler, Dermot M

2007-03-01

Free recall in adults with Asperger's Syndrome (AS) was compared with that in matched controls in an experiment including semantically similar, phonologically similar and unrelated word lists. Without supportive instructions, adults with AS were significantly impaired in their recall of phonologically and semantically related lists, but not unrelated lists. Even when trained to make use at study of the relations among the words, the adults with AS recalled fewer words than the control group. Participants rehearsed the study lists out loud and the rehearsal data was analysed. Despite a very slight trend for adults with AS to engage in less elaborative rehearsal and more rote rehearsal, their rehearsal did not differ significantly from that of controls.

The 2018 Meteor Shower Activity Forecast for Earth Orbit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moorhead, Althea; Cooke, Bill; Moser, Danielle

2017-01-01

A number of meteor showers - the Ursids, Perseids, Leonids, eta Aquariids, Orionids, Draconids, and Andromedids - are predicted to exhibit increased rates in 2018. However, no major storms are predicted, and none of these enhanced showers outranks the typical activity of the Arietids, Southern delta Aquariids, and Geminids at small particle sizes. The MSFC stream model1 predicts higher than usual activity for the Ursid meteor shower in December 2018. While we expect an increase in activity, rates will fall short of the shower's historical outbursts in 1945 and 1986 when the zenithal hourly rate (ZHR) exceeded 100. Instead, the expected rate for 2018 is around 70. The Perseids, Leonids, eta Aquariids, and Orionids are expected to show mild enhancements over their baseline activity level in 2018. In the case of the Perseids, we may see an additional peak in activity a few hours before the traditional peak, but we do not expect activity levels as high as those seen in 2016 and 2017. The eta Aquariids and Orionids, which belong to a single meteoroid stream generated by comet 1P/Halley, are thought to have a 12-year activity cycle and are currently increasing in activity from year to year. Finally, we may see minor outbursts of the Draconids and Andromedids in 2018. Both showers have been difficult to model and have produced unexpected outbursts in recent years (the Draconids in 2012 and the Andromedids in 2011 and 2013). The Andromedids may produce two peaks, both of which are listed in Table 2. This document is designed to supplement spacecraft risk assessments that incorporate an annual averaged meteor shower flux (as is the case with all NASA meteoroid models). Results are presented relative to this baseline and are weighted to a constant kinetic energy. Two showers - the Daytime Arietids (ARI) and the Geminids (GEM) - attain flux levels approaching that of the baseline meteoroid environment for 0.1-cm-equivalent meteoroids. This size is the threshold for structural damage. These two showers, along with the Quadrantids (QUA) and Ursids (URS), exceed the baseline flux for 0.3-cm-equivalent particles, which is near the limit for pressure vessel penetration. Please note, however, that meteor shower fluxes drop dramatically with increasing particle size. For example, the Arietids contribute a flux of about 2x10-6 meteoroids m-2 hr-1 in the 0.04-cm-equivalent range, but only 4x10(exp -9) meteoroids sq m/hr for the 0.3-cm-equivalent and larger size regime. Thus, a PNP risk assessment should use the flux and flux enhancements corresponding to the smallest particle capable of penetrating a component, because the flux at this size will be the dominant contributor to the risk.

Photometric Calibration of Consumer Video Cameras

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Suggs, Robert; Swift, Wesley, Jr.

2007-01-01

Equipment and techniques have been developed to implement a method of photometric calibration of consumer video cameras for imaging of objects that are sufficiently narrow or sufficiently distant to be optically equivalent to point or line sources. Heretofore, it has been difficult to calibrate consumer video cameras, especially in cases of image saturation, because they exhibit nonlinear responses with dynamic ranges much smaller than those of scientific-grade video cameras. The present method not only takes this difficulty in stride but also makes it possible to extend effective dynamic ranges to several powers of ten beyond saturation levels. The method will likely be primarily useful in astronomical photometry. There are also potential commercial applications in medical and industrial imaging of point or line sources in the presence of saturation.This development was prompted by the need to measure brightnesses of debris in amateur video images of the breakup of the Space Shuttle Columbia. The purpose of these measurements is to use the brightness values to estimate relative masses of debris objects. In most of the images, the brightness of the main body of Columbia was found to exceed the dynamic ranges of the cameras. A similar problem arose a few years ago in the analysis of video images of Leonid meteors. The present method is a refined version of the calibration method developed to solve the Leonid calibration problem. In this method, one performs an endto- end calibration of the entire imaging system, including not only the imaging optics and imaging photodetector array but also analog tape recording and playback equipment (if used) and any frame grabber or other analog-to-digital converter (if used). To automatically incorporate the effects of nonlinearity and any other distortions into the calibration, the calibration images are processed in precisely the same manner as are the images of meteors, space-shuttle debris, or other objects that one seeks to analyze. The light source used to generate the calibration images is an artificial variable star comprising a Newtonian collimator illuminated by a light source modulated by a rotating variable neutral- density filter. This source acts as a point source, the brightness of which varies at a known rate. A video camera to be calibrated is aimed at this source. Fixed neutral-density filters are inserted in or removed from the light path as needed to make the video image of the source appear to fluctuate between dark and saturated bright. The resulting video-image data are analyzed by use of custom software that determines the integrated signal in each video frame and determines the system response curve (measured output signal versus input brightness). These determinations constitute the calibration, which is thereafter used in automatic, frame-by-frame processing of the data from the video images to be analyzed.

Femoral neuropathy due to patellar dislocation in a theatrical and jazz dancer: a case report.

PubMed

Shin, Chris S; Davis, Brian A

2005-06-01

This case report describes a teenage female, high-level modern dancer who suffered multiple left patellar dislocations. Her history is atypical in that after her fifth dislocation, her recovery was hindered secondary to persistent weakness and atrophy of her quadriceps out of proportion to disuse alone. Electrodiagnostic studies and magnetic resonance imaging showed evidence of a subacute femoral neuropathy correlating chronologically with her most recent patellar dislocation. This case suggests that further diagnostic study may be warranted in patients with persistent quadriceps weakness or atrophy after a patellar dislocation, because this may suggest the presence of a femoral neuropathy. This is important because the strength training goals and precautions differ in disuse atrophy and a neuropathy. We believe this is the first reported case of a femoral neuropathy associated with the mechanism of a patellar dislocation.

Molecular brake pad hypothesis: pulling off the brakes for emotional memory

PubMed Central

Vogel-Ciernia, Annie

2015-01-01

Under basal conditions histone deacetylases (HDACs) and their associated co-repressor complexes serve as molecular ‘brake pads’ to prevent the gene expression required for long-term memory formation. Following a learning event, HDACs and their co-repressor complexes are removed from a subset of specific gene promoters, allowing the histone acetylation and active gene expression required for long-term memory formation. Inhibition of HDACs increases histone acetylation, extends gene expression profiles, and allows for the formation of persistent long-term memories for training events that are otherwise forgotten. We propose that emotionally salient experiences have utilized this system to form strong and persistent memories for behaviorally significant events. Consequently, the presence or absence of HDACs at a selection of specific gene promoters could serve as a critical barrier for permitting the formation of long-term memories. PMID:23096102

Training transfer: scientific background and insights for practical application.

PubMed

Issurin, Vladimir B

2013-08-01

Training transfer as an enduring, multilateral, and practically important problem encompasses a large body of research findings and experience, which characterize the process by which improving performance in certain exercises/tasks can affect the performance in alternative exercises or motor tasks. This problem is of paramount importance for the theory of training and for all aspects of its application in practice. Ultimately, training transfer determines how useful or useless each given exercise is for the targeted athletic performance. The methodological background of training transfer encompasses basic concepts related to transfer modality, i.e., positive, neutral, and negative; the generalization of training responses and their persistence over time; factors affecting training transfer such as personality, motivation, social environment, etc. Training transfer in sport is clearly differentiated with regard to the enhancement of motor skills and the development of motor abilities. The studies of bilateral skill transfer have shown cross-transfer effects following one-limb training associated with neural adaptations at cortical, subcortical, spinal, and segmental levels. Implementation of advanced sport technologies such as motor imagery, biofeedback, and exercising in artificial environments can facilitate and reinforce training transfer from appropriate motor tasks to targeted athletic performance. Training transfer of motor abilities has been studied with regard to contralateral effects following one limb training, cross-transfer induced by arm or leg training, the impact of strength/power training on the preparedness of endurance athletes, and the impact of endurance workloads on strength/power performance. The extensive research findings characterizing the interactions of these workloads have shown positive transfer, or its absence, depending on whether the combinations conform to sport-specific demands and physiological adaptations. Finally, cross-training as a form of concurrent exercising in different athletic disciplines has been examined in reference to the enhancement of general fitness, the preparation of recreational athletes, and the preparation of athletes for multi-sport activities such as triathlon, duathlon, etc.

Audiomotor Perceptual Training Enhances Speech Intelligibility in Background Noise.

PubMed

Whitton, Jonathon P; Hancock, Kenneth E; Shannon, Jeffrey M; Polley, Daniel B

2017-11-06

Sensory and motor skills can be improved with training, but learning is often restricted to practice stimuli. As an exception, training on closed-loop (CL) sensorimotor interfaces, such as action video games and musical instruments, can impart a broad spectrum of perceptual benefits. Here we ask whether computerized CL auditory training can enhance speech understanding in levels of background noise that approximate a crowded restaurant. Elderly hearing-impaired subjects trained for 8 weeks on a CL game that, like a musical instrument, challenged them to monitor subtle deviations between predicted and actual auditory feedback as they moved their fingertip through a virtual soundscape. We performed our study as a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial by training other subjects in an auditory working-memory (WM) task. Subjects in both groups improved at their respective auditory tasks and reported comparable expectations for improved speech processing, thereby controlling for placebo effects. Whereas speech intelligibility was unchanged after WM training, subjects in the CL training group could correctly identify 25% more words in spoken sentences or digit sequences presented in high levels of background noise. Numerically, CL audiomotor training provided more than three times the benefit of our subjects' hearing aids for speech processing in noisy listening conditions. Gains in speech intelligibility could be predicted from gameplay accuracy and baseline inhibitory control. However, benefits did not persist in the absence of continuing practice. These studies employ stringent clinical standards to demonstrate that perceptual learning on a computerized audio game can transfer to "real-world" communication challenges. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Effects of the swimming exercise on the consolidation and persistence of auditory and contextual fear memory.

PubMed

Faria, Rodolfo Souza; Gutierres, Luís Felipe Soares; Sobrinho, Fernando César Faria; Miranda, Iris do Vale; Reis, Júlia Dos; Dias, Elayne Vieira; Sartori, Cesar Renato; Moreira, Dalmo Antonio Ribeiro

2016-08-15

Exposure to negative environmental events triggers defensive behavior and leads to the formation of aversive associative memory. Cellular and molecular changes in the central nervous system underlie this memory formation, as well as the associated behavioral changes. In general, memory process is established in distinct phases such as acquisition, consolidation, evocation, persistence, and extinction of the acquired information. After exposure to a particular event, early changes in involved neural circuits support the memory consolidation, which corresponds to the short-term memory. Re-exposure to previously memorized events evokes the original memory, a process that is considered essential for the reactivation and consequent persistence of memory, ensuring that long-term memory is established. Different environmental stimuli may modulate the memory formation process, as well as their distinct phases. Among the different environmental stimuli able of modulating memory formation is the physical exercise which is a potent modulator of neuronal activity. There are many studies showing that physical exercise modulates learning and memory processes, mainly in the consolidation phase of the explicit memory. However, there are few reports in the literature regarding the role of physical exercise in implicit aversive associative memory, especially at the persistence phase. Thus, the present study aimed to investigate the relationship between swimming exercise and the consolidation and persistence of contextual and auditory-cued fear memory. Male Wistar rats were submitted to sessions of swimming exercise five times a week, over six weeks. After that, the rats were submitted to classical aversive conditioning training by a pairing tone/foot shock paradigm. Finally, rats were evaluated for consolidation and persistence of fear memory to both auditory and contextual cues. Our results demonstrate that classical aversive conditioning with tone/foot shock pairing induced consolidation as well as persistence of conditioned fear memory. In addition, rats submitted to swimming exercise over six weeks showed an improved performance in the test of auditory-cued fear memory persistence, but not in the test of contextual fear memory persistence. Moreover, no significant effect from swimming exercise was observed on consolidation of both contextual and auditory fear memory. So, our study, revealing the effect of the swimming exercise on different stages of implicit memory of tone/foot shock conditioning, contributes to and complements the current knowledge about the environmental modulation of memory process. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Landmine Warfare in Support of Multi-domain Battle: Balancing Discrimination and Military Effectiveness

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-05-25

Combat Team CCW Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons CTC Combat Training Center EMS Electro- Magnetic Spectrum FASCAM Family of...of a person or vehicle .”13 In the immediate aftermath of WWII, the economy of force, counter- mobility, and protection functions of landmines were...threat posed by the Soviet Union and the need for discrimination in the employment of persistent landmines by organizing them into well-marked fields

Helping Low-Wage Workers Persist in Education Programs: Lessons from Research on Welfare Training Programs and Two Promising Community College Strategies. MDRC Working Paper

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richburg-Hayes, Lashawn

2008-01-01

Employment has long been held to be an important deterrent against poverty, and work is a core component of a range of federal efforts to improve the economic well-being of low-income families. However, recent trends in earnings and research both confirm that work alone is not sufficient to prevent poverty. While there is compelling evidence that…

Voluntary activation of the sympathetic nervous system and attenuation of the innate immune response in humans.

PubMed

Kox, Matthijs; van Eijk, Lucas T; Zwaag, Jelle; van den Wildenberg, Joanne; Sweep, Fred C G J; van der Hoeven, Johannes G; Pickkers, Peter

2014-05-20

Excessive or persistent proinflammatory cytokine production plays a central role in autoimmune diseases. Acute activation of the sympathetic nervous system attenuates the innate immune response. However, both the autonomic nervous system and innate immune system are regarded as systems that cannot be voluntarily influenced. Herein, we evaluated the effects of a training program on the autonomic nervous system and innate immune response. Healthy volunteers were randomized to either the intervention (n = 12) or control group (n = 12). Subjects in the intervention group were trained for 10 d in meditation (third eye meditation), breathing techniques (i.a., cyclic hyperventilation followed by breath retention), and exposure to cold (i.a., immersions in ice cold water). The control group was not trained. Subsequently, all subjects underwent experimental endotoxemia (i.v. administration of 2 ng/kg Escherichia coli endotoxin). In the intervention group, practicing the learned techniques resulted in intermittent respiratory alkalosis and hypoxia resulting in profoundly increased plasma epinephrine levels. In the intervention group, plasma levels of the anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 increased more rapidly after endotoxin administration, correlated strongly with preceding epinephrine levels, and were higher. Levels of proinflammatory mediators TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8 were lower in the intervention group and correlated negatively with IL-10 levels. Finally, flu-like symptoms were lower in the intervention group. In conclusion, we demonstrate that voluntary activation of the sympathetic nervous system results in epinephrine release and subsequent suppression of the innate immune response in humans in vivo. These results could have important implications for the treatment of conditions associated with excessive or persistent inflammation, such as autoimmune diseases.

Heterozygous Che-1 KO mice show deficiencies in object recognition memory persistence.

PubMed

Zalcman, Gisela; Corbi, Nicoletta; Di Certo, Maria Grazia; Mattei, Elisabetta; Federman, Noel; Romano, Arturo

2016-10-06

Transcriptional regulation is a key process in the formation of long-term memories. Che-1 is a protein involved in the regulation of gene transcription that has recently been proved to bind the transcription factor NF-κB, which is known to be involved in many memory-related molecular events. This evidence prompted us to investigate the putative role of Che-1 in memory processes. For this study we newly generated a line of Che-1(+/-) heterozygous mice. Che-1 homozygous KO mouse is lethal during development, but Che-1(+/-) heterozygous mouse is normal in its general anatomical and physiological characteristics. We analyzed the behavioral characteristic and memory performance of Che-1(+/-) mice in two NF-κB dependent types of memory. We found that Che-1(+/-) mice show similar locomotor activity and thigmotactic behavior than wild type (WT) mice in an open field. In a similar way, no differences were found in anxiety-like behavior between Che-1(+/-) and WT mice in an elevated plus maze as well as in fear response in a contextual fear conditioning (CFC) and object exploration in a novel object recognition (NOR) task. No differences were found between WT and Che-1(+/-) mice performance in CFC training and when tested at 24h or 7days after training. Similar performance was found between groups in NOR task, both in training and 24h testing performance. However, we found that object recognition memory persistence at 7days was impaired in Che-1(+/-) heterozygous mice. This is the first evidence showing that Che-1 is involved in memory processes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Restoration of Kv7 Channel-Mediated Inhibition Reduces Cued-Reinstatement of Cocaine Seeking.

PubMed

Parrilla-Carrero, Jeffrey; Buchta, William C; Goswamee, Priyodarshan; Culver, Oliver; McKendrick, Greer; Harlan, Benjamin; Moutal, Aubin; Penrod, Rachel; Lauer, Abigail; Ramakrishnan, Viswanathan; Khanna, Rajesh; Kalivas, Peter; Riegel, Arthur C

2018-04-25

Cocaine addicts display increased sensitivity to drug-associated cues, due in part to changes in the prelimbic prefrontal cortex (PL-PFC). The cellular mechanisms underlying cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking remain unknown. Reinforcement learning for addictive drugs may produce persistent maladaptations in intrinsic excitability within sparse subsets of PFC pyramidal neurons. Using a model of relapse in male rats, we sampled >600 neurons to examine spike frequency adaptation (SFA) and afterhyperpolarizations (AHPs), two systems that attenuate low-frequency inputs to regulate neuronal synchronization. We observed that training to self-administer cocaine or nondrug (sucrose) reinforcers decreased SFA and AHPs in a subpopulation of PL-PFC neurons. Only with cocaine did the resulting hyperexcitability persist through extinction training and increase during reinstatement. In neurons with intact SFA, dopamine enhanced excitability by inhibiting Kv7 potassium channels that mediate SFA. However, dopamine effects were occluded in neurons from cocaine-experienced rats, where SFA and AHPs were reduced. Pharmacological stabilization of Kv7 channels with retigabine restored SFA and Kv7 channel function in neuroadapted cells. When microinjected bilaterally into the PL-PFC 10 min before reinstatement testing, retigabine reduced cue-induced reinstatement of cocaine seeking. Last, using cFos-GFP transgenic rats, we found that the loss of SFA correlated with the expression of cFos-GFP following both extinction and re-exposure to drug-associated cues. Together, these data suggest that cocaine self-administration desensitizes inhibitory Kv7 channels in a subpopulation of PL-PFC neurons. This subpopulation of neurons may represent a persistent neural ensemble responsible for driving drug seeking in response to cues. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Long after the cessation of drug use, cues associated with cocaine still elicit drug-seeking behavior, in part by activation of the prelimbic prefrontal cortex (PL-PFC). The underlying cellular mechanisms governing these activated neurons remain unclear. Using a rat model of relapse to cocaine seeking, we identified a population of PL-PFC neurons that become hyperexcitable following chronic cocaine self-administration. These neurons show persistent loss of spike frequency adaptation, reduced afterhyperpolarizations, decreased sensitivity to dopamine, and reduced Kv7 channel-mediated inhibition. Stabilization of Kv7 channel function with retigabine normalized neuronal excitability, restored Kv7 channel currents, and reduced drug-seeking behavior when administered into the PL-PFC before reinstatement. These data highlight a persistent adaptation in a subset of PL-PFC neurons that may contribute to relapse vulnerability. Copyright © 2018 the authors 0270-6474/18/384212-18$15.00/0.

Simulation-Based Training Platforms for Arthroscopy: A Randomized Comparison of Virtual Reality Learning to Benchtop Learning.

PubMed

Middleton, Robert M; Alvand, Abtin; Garfjeld Roberts, Patrick; Hargrove, Caroline; Kirby, Georgina; Rees, Jonathan L

2017-05-01

To determine whether a virtual reality (VR) arthroscopy simulator or benchtop (BT) arthroscopy simulator showed superiority as a training tool. Arthroscopic novices were randomized to a training program on a BT or a VR knee arthroscopy simulator. The VR simulator provided user performance feedback. Individuals performed a diagnostic arthroscopy on both simulators before and after the training program. Performance was assessed using wireless objective motion analysis and a global rating scale. The groups (8 in the VR group, 9 in the BT group) were well matched at baseline across all parameters (P > .05). Training on each simulator resulted in significant performance improvements across all parameters (P < .05). BT training conferred a significant improvement in all parameters when trainees were reassessed on the VR simulator (P < .05). In contrast, VR training did not confer improvement in performance when trainees were reassessed on the BT simulator (P > .05). BT-trained subjects outperformed VR-trained subjects in all parameters during final assessments on the BT simulator (P < .05). There was no difference in objective performance between VR-trained and BT-trained subjects on final VR simulator wireless objective motion analysis assessment (P > .05). Both simulators delivered improvements in arthroscopic skills. BT training led to skills that readily transferred to the VR simulator. Skills acquired after VR training did not transfer as readily to the BT simulator. Despite trainees receiving automated metric feedback from the VR simulator, the results suggest a greater gain in psychomotor skills for BT training. Further work is required to determine if this finding persists in the operating room. This study suggests that there are differences in skills acquired on different simulators and skills learnt on some simulators may be more transferable. Further work in identifying user feedback metrics that enhance learning is also required. Copyright © 2016 Arthroscopy Association of North America. All rights reserved.

Enhancing health-care workers' understanding and thinking about people living with co-occurring mental health and substance use issues through consumer-led training.

PubMed

Roussy, Véronique; Thomacos, Nikos; Rudd, Annette; Crockett, Belinda

2015-10-01

Stigma and judgemental assumptions by health workers have been identified as key barriers to accessing health care for people living with co-occurring mental health and substance use issues (dual diagnosis). To evaluate the effectiveness of consumer-led training by people with dual diagnosis in improving the knowledge, understanding and role adequacy of community health staff to work with this consumer group. A controlled before-and-after study design with four waves of quantitative data collection was used. Qualitative data were collected to explore participants' views about training. Participants were staff from two community health services from Victoria, Australia. Recruitment occurred across various work areas: reception, oral health, allied health, counselling and health promotion. At baseline, all participants attended a 4-h clinician-led training session. The intervention consisted of a 3-h consumer-led training session, developed and delivered by seven individuals living with dual diagnosis. Outcome measures included understanding of dual diagnosis, participants' feelings of role adequacy and role legitimacy, personal views, and training outcomes and relevance. Consumer-led training was associated with a significant increase in understanding. The combination of clinician-led and consumer-led training was associated with a positive change in role adequacy. Consumer-led training is a promising approach to enhance primary health-care workers' understanding of the issues faced by dual-diagnosis consumers, with such positive effects persisting over time. Used alongside other organizational capacity building strategies, consumer-led training has the potential to help address stigma and judgemental attitudes by health workers and improve access to services for this consumer group. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Effects of training on functional variables of muscles in reared Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts: connection to downstream migration pattern.

PubMed

Anttila, K; Jokikokko, E; Erkinaro, J; Järvilehto, M; Mänttäri, S

2011-02-01

The relative amount of muscle contraction regulating dihydropyridine and ryanodine receptors in the swimming muscles of trained reared Atlantic salmon Salmo salar smolts was compared with those of untrained and wild smolts. After an optimized 2 week training period, i.e. swimming with a velocity of 1·5 body lengths per second for 6 h per day, the level of both receptors was significantly higher in the muscles of trained S. salar than in the untrained ones before they were released into the natural environment. This difference persisted after downstream migration in the river. The highest level of receptors was observed in wild S. salar. Swimming performance was also higher in trained fish compared to untrained ones. Furthermore, swimming performance was positively associated with the level of receptors in both red and white muscle types. Downstream migration after release into the wild was significantly slower in trained smolts than in untrained fish. This indicates that trained smolts were most probably swimming harder against the current in the river than untrained smolts. The possible advantages for a slower migration in the river are discussed. This study shows that the prerequisites for effective contraction of the swimming muscles are better met in trained S. salar compared to untrained fish, and the muscles of trained smolts more closely resemble those of wild smolts. The results also imply that the capacity of untrained, reared smolts to swim against the current is not equal to that of their trained or wild counterparts which affects the downstream migration pattern of S. salar smolts. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Fish Biology © 2011 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles.

Eye Movement Training and Suggested Gaze Strategies in Tunnel Vision - A Randomized and Controlled Pilot Study.

PubMed

Ivanov, Iliya V; Mackeben, Manfred; Vollmer, Annika; Martus, Peter; Nguyen, Nhung X; Trauzettel-Klosinski, Susanne

2016-01-01

Degenerative retinal diseases, especially retinitis pigmentosa (RP), lead to severe peripheral visual field loss (tunnel vision), which impairs mobility. The lack of peripheral information leads to fewer horizontal eye movements and, thus, diminished scanning in RP patients in a natural environment walking task. This randomized controlled study aimed to improve mobility and the dynamic visual field by applying a compensatory Exploratory Saccadic Training (EST). Oculomotor responses during walking and avoiding obstacles in a controlled environment were studied before and after saccade or reading training in 25 RP patients. Eye movements were recorded using a mobile infrared eye tracker (Tobii glasses) that measured a range of spatial and temporal variables. Patients were randomly assigned to two training conditions: Saccade (experimental) and reading (control) training. All subjects who first performed reading training underwent experimental training later (waiting list control group). To assess the effect of training on subjects, we measured performance in the training task and the following outcome variables related to daily life: Response Time (RT) during exploratory saccade training, Percent Preferred Walking Speed (PPWS), the number of collisions with obstacles, eye position variability, fixation duration, and the total number of fixations including the ones in the subjects' blind area of the visual field. In the saccade training group, RTs on average decreased, while the PPWS significantly increased. The improvement persisted, as tested 6 weeks after the end of the training. On average, the eye movement range of RP patients before and after training was similar to that of healthy observers. In both, the experimental and reading training groups, we found many fixations outside the subjects' seeing visual field before and after training. The average fixation duration was significantly shorter after the training, but only in the experimental training condition. We conclude that the exploratory saccade training was beneficial for RP patients and resulted in shorter fixation durations after the training. We also found a significant improvement in relative walking speed during navigation in a real-world like controlled environment.

Eye Movement Training and Suggested Gaze Strategies in Tunnel Vision - A Randomized and Controlled Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Ivanov, Iliya V.; Mackeben, Manfred; Vollmer, Annika; Martus, Peter; Nguyen, Nhung X.; Trauzettel-Klosinski, Susanne

2016-01-01

Purpose Degenerative retinal diseases, especially retinitis pigmentosa (RP), lead to severe peripheral visual field loss (tunnel vision), which impairs mobility. The lack of peripheral information leads to fewer horizontal eye movements and, thus, diminished scanning in RP patients in a natural environment walking task. This randomized controlled study aimed to improve mobility and the dynamic visual field by applying a compensatory Exploratory Saccadic Training (EST). Methods Oculomotor responses during walking and avoiding obstacles in a controlled environment were studied before and after saccade or reading training in 25 RP patients. Eye movements were recorded using a mobile infrared eye tracker (Tobii glasses) that measured a range of spatial and temporal variables. Patients were randomly assigned to two training conditions: Saccade (experimental) and reading (control) training. All subjects who first performed reading training underwent experimental training later (waiting list control group). To assess the effect of training on subjects, we measured performance in the training task and the following outcome variables related to daily life: Response Time (RT) during exploratory saccade training, Percent Preferred Walking Speed (PPWS), the number of collisions with obstacles, eye position variability, fixation duration, and the total number of fixations including the ones in the subjects' blind area of the visual field. Results In the saccade training group, RTs on average decreased, while the PPWS significantly increased. The improvement persisted, as tested 6 weeks after the end of the training. On average, the eye movement range of RP patients before and after training was similar to that of healthy observers. In both, the experimental and reading training groups, we found many fixations outside the subjects' seeing visual field before and after training. The average fixation duration was significantly shorter after the training, but only in the experimental training condition. Conclusions We conclude that the exploratory saccade training was beneficial for RP patients and resulted in shorter fixation durations after the training. We also found a significant improvement in relative walking speed during navigation in a real-world like controlled environment. PMID:27351629

Plasma glutamine and upper respiratory tract infection during intensified training in swimmers.

PubMed

Mackinnon, L T; Hooper, S L

1996-03-01

The purposes of this study were to determine the effects of 4 wk of intensified training on resting plasma glutamine concentration, and to determine whether changes in plasma glutamine concentration relate to the appearance of upper respiratory tract infection (URTI) in swimmers during intensified training. Resting plasma glutamine concentration was measured by high performance liquid chromatography in 24 elite swimmers (8 male, 16 female, ages 15-26 yr) during 4 wk of intensified training (increased volume). Symptoms of overtraining syndrome (OT) were identified in eight swimmers (2 male, 6 female) based on decrements in swim performance and persistent high fatigue ratings; non-overtrained subjects were considered well-trained (WT). Ten of 24 swimmers (42%, 1 OT and 9 WT) exhibited URTI during the study. Plasma glutamine concentration increased significantly (P = 0.04, ANOVA) over the 4 wk, but the increase was significant only in WT swimmers (P < 0.05, post-hoc analysis). Compared with WT, plasma glutamine was significantly lower in OT at the mid-way timepoint only (P < 0.025, t-test with Bonferroni correction). There was no significant difference in glutamine levels between athletes who developed URTI and those who did not. These data suggest that plasma glutamine levels may not necessarily decrease during periods of intensified training, and that the appearance of URTI is not related to changes in plasma glutamine concentration in overtrained swimmers.

Effectiveness of Gross Model-Based Emotion Regulation Strategies Training on Anger Reduction in Drug-Dependent Individuals and its Sustainability in Follow-up.

PubMed

Massah, Omid; Sohrabi, Faramarz; A'azami, Yousef; Doostian, Younes; Farhoudian, Ali; Daneshmand, Reza

2016-03-01

Emotion plays an important role in adapting to life changes and stressful events. Difficulty regulating emotions is one of the problems drug abusers often face, and teaching these individuals to express and manage their emotions can be effective on improving their difficult circumstances. The present study aimed to determine the effectiveness of the Gross model-based emotion regulation strategies training on anger reduction in drug-dependent individuals. The present study had a quasi-experimental design wherein pretest-posttest evaluations were applied using a control group. The population under study included addicts attending Marivan's methadone maintenance therapy centers in 2012 - 2013. Convenience sampling was used to select 30 substance-dependent individuals undergoing maintenance treatment who were then randomly assigned to the experiment and control groups. The experiment group received its training in eight two-hour sessions. Data were analyzed using analysis of co-variance and paired t-test. There was significant reduction in anger symptoms of drug-dependent individuals after gross model based emotion regulation training (ERT) (P < 0.001). Moreover, the effectiveness of the training on anger was persistent in the follow-up period. Symptoms of anger in drug-dependent individuals of this study were reduced by gross model-based emotion regulation strategies training. Based on the results of this study, we may conclude that the gross model based emotion regulation strategies training can be applied alongside other therapies to treat drug abusers undergoing rehabilitation.

Persistent influence of a narrative educational program on physician attitudes regarding patient care.

PubMed

Stojan, Jennifer N; Sun, Eleanor Y; Kumagai, Arno K

2018-02-28

Educational approaches involving patient stories aim at enhancing empathy and patient-centered care; however, it is not known whether the influence of such programs on physician attitudes persists beyond medical school. The Family Centered Experience (FCE) paired preclinical medical students with patient families over two years and engaged students in reflective dialogs about the volunteers' stories. This study examined possible long-term influences on attitudes toward medicine and doctoring. Interviews were conducted with former students at the end of or after post-graduate training. All had completed the FCE between 4 and 10 years before the study. Thematic analysis was informed by a constructivist Grounded Theory approach. Several themes were identified. The FCE made graduates aware of the patients' perspectives and impacted their clinical practice in specific ways, such as developing collaborative partnerships, conducting family meetings, and breaking bad news. The course had influenced career choices and interest in teaching. Finally, the FCE enhanced appreciation of the human dimensions of medicine, which graduates had drawn upon in subsequent years. A program based on longitudinal interactions with individuals with chronic illness can have persistent influence by stimulating reflection on the patient's perspective and humanistic approaches to patient care.

The role of early detection and treatment in malaria elimination.

PubMed

Landier, Jordi; Parker, Daniel M; Thu, Aung Myint; Carrara, Verena I; Lwin, Khin Maung; Bonnington, Craig A; Pukrittayakamee, Sasithon; Delmas, Gilles; Nosten, François H

2016-07-15

Falciparum malaria persists in hard-to-reach areas or demographic groups that are missed by conventional healthcare systems but could be reached by trained community members in a malaria post (MP). The main focus of a MP is to provide uninterrupted and rapid access to rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) and artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) too all inhabitants of a village. RDTs allow trained community members to perform malaria diagnosis accurately and prescribe appropriate treatment, reducing as much as possible any delay between the onset of fever and treatment. Early treatment with ACT and with a low-dose of primaquine prevents further transmission from human to mosquito. A functioning MP represents an essential component of any malaria elimination strategy. Implementing large-scale, high-coverage, community-based early diagnosis and treatment through MPs requires few technological innovations but relies on a very well structured organization able to train, supervise and supply MPs, to monitor activity and to perform strict malaria surveillance.

Amygdala-ventral striatum circuit activation decreases long-term fear

PubMed Central

Correia, Susana S; McGrath, Anna G; Lee, Allison; Graybiel, Ann M; Goosens, Ki A

2016-01-01

In humans, activation of the ventral striatum, a region associated with reward processing, is associated with the extinction of fear, a goal in the treatment of fear-related disorders. This evidence suggests that extinction of aversive memories engages reward-related circuits, but a causal relationship between activity in a reward circuit and fear extinction has not been demonstrated. Here, we identify a basolateral amygdala (BLA)-ventral striatum (NAc) pathway that is activated by extinction training. Enhanced recruitment of this circuit during extinction learning, either by pairing reward with fear extinction training or by optogenetic stimulation of this circuit during fear extinction, reduces the return of fear that normally follows extinction training. Our findings thus identify a specific BLA-NAc reward circuit that can regulate the persistence of fear extinction and point toward a potential therapeutic target for disorders in which the return of fear following extinction therapy is an obstacle to treatment. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.12669.001 PMID:27671733

Efficacy of a task-based training approach in the rehabilitation of three children with poor handwriting quality: a pilot study.

PubMed

Baldi, Silvia; Nunzi, Michela; Brina, Carlo Di

2015-02-01

Evidence suggests that task-based training approaches can improve the performance of children with handwriting difficulties. The present case study tests the efficacy of the Handwriting Task Program (HTP). Three male children (9-10 yr. old) with poor handwriting skills and different developmental disorders participated in the HTP, twice per week, for 13 wk. Handwriting legibility was assessed through the Concise Evaluation Scale for Children's Handwriting, and fine motor performance and handwriting speed were evaluated at pre- and post-treatment with the Visual Motor Integration Test and the Battery for the assessment of writing skills of children from 7 to 13 yr. old. The results showed that motor efficiency and global handwriting quality improved in all the children, although some handwriting difficulties still persisted in one child with Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD). Further study may confirm on a larger sample that a visual-spatially based training may improve the handwriting legibility of children with DCD.

Can emotion regulation change political attitudes in intractable conflicts? From the laboratory to the field.

PubMed

Halperin, Eran; Porat, Roni; Tamir, Maya; Gross, James J

2013-01-01

We hypothesized that an adaptive form of emotion regulation-cognitive reappraisal-would decrease negative emotion and increase support for conflict-resolution policies. In Study 1, Israeli participants were invited to a laboratory session in which they were randomly assigned to either a cognitive-reappraisal condition or a control condition; they were then presented with anger-inducing information related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Participants in the reappraisal condition were more supportive of conciliatory policies and less supportive of aggressive policies compared with participants in the control condition. In Study 2, we replicated these findings in responses to a real political event (the recent Palestinian bid for United Nations recognition). When assessed 1 week after training, participants trained in cognitive reappraisal showed greater support for conciliatory policies and less support for aggressive policies toward Palestinians compared with participants in a control condition. These effects persisted when participants were reassessed 5 months after training, and at both time points, negative emotion mediated the effects of reappraisal.

Race equality education: implications of an audit of student learning.

PubMed

Bheenuck, Shekar; Miers, Margaret; Pollard, Katherine; Young, Pat

2007-07-01

Racial harassment continues to be a feature of the United Kingdom (UK) National Health Service (NHS). It has serious consequences for those at the receiving end and impacts negatively on attempts by the NHS to retain and recruit a diverse workforce. The prevalence and persistence of racist views and behaviours amongst NHS staff raises questions concerning the preparation and education of practitioners. In 2004 the Faculty of Health and Social Care, University of the West of England, Bristol, piloted a training workshop to prepare students on a pre-qualifying adult nursing programme to prevent, recognise and effectively manage incidences of racial harassment in the workplace. Students found the training workshop useful to their learning. They felt more aware of racial harassment issues in the NHS and the specific actions they can take in the prevention and management of these. The findings support introduction of the training workshop as an integral component of the preparation of all students on the Faculty's pre-qualifying nursing programmes.

Parent-implemented behavioral skills training of social skills.

PubMed

Dogan, Rebecca K; King, Melissa L; Fischetti, Anthony T; Lake, Candice M; Mathews, Therese L; Warzak, William J

2017-10-01

Impairment in social skills is a primary feature of Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). Research indicates that social skills are intimately tied to social development and negative social consequences can persist if specific social behaviors are not acquired. The present study evaluated the effects of behavioral skills training (BST) on teaching four parents of children with ASDs to be social skills trainers. A nonconcurrent multiple baseline design across parent-child dyads was employed and direct observation was used to assess parent and child behaviors Results demonstrated substantial improvement in social skills teaching for all participants for trained and untrained skills. Ancillary measures of child performance indicated improvement in skills as well. High levels of correct teaching responses were maintained at a 1 month follow-up. This study extends current literature on BST while also providing a helpful, low-effort strategy to modify how parents can work with their children to improve their social skills. © 2017 Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

Minds “At Attention”: Mindfulness Training Curbs Attentional Lapses in Military Cohorts

PubMed Central

Jha, Amishi P.; Morrison, Alexandra B.; Dainer-Best, Justin; Parker, Suzanne; Rostrup, Nina; Stanley, Elizabeth A.

2015-01-01

We investigated the impact of mindfulness training (MT) on attentional performance lapses associated with task-unrelated thought (i.e., mind wandering). Periods of persistent and intensive demands may compromise attention and increase off-task thinking. Here, we investigated if MT may mitigate these deleterious effects and promote cognitive resilience in military cohorts enduring a high-demand interval of predeployment training. To better understand which aspects of MT programs are most beneficial, three military cohorts were examined. Two of the three groups were provided MT. One group received an 8-hour, 8-week variant of Mindfulness-based Mind Fitness Training (MMFT) emphasizing engagement in training exercises (training-focused MT, n = 40), a second group received a didactic-focused variant emphasizing content regarding stress and resilience (didactic-focused MT, n = 40), and the third group served as a no-training control (NTC, n = 24). Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) performance was indexed in all military groups and a no-training civilian group (CIV, n = 45) before (T1) and after (T2) the MT course period. Attentional performance (measured by A’, a sensitivity index) was lower in NTC vs. CIV at T2, suggesting that performance suffers after enduring a high-demand predeployment interval relative to a similar time period of civilian life. Yet, there were significantly fewer performance lapses in the military cohorts receiving MT relative to NTC, with training-focused MT outperforming didactic-focused MT at T2. From T1 to T2, A’ degraded in NTC and didactic-focused MT but remained stable in training-focused MT and CIV. In sum, while protracted periods of high-demand military training may increase attentional performance lapses, practice-focused MT programs akin to training-focused MT may bolster attentional performance more than didactic-focused programs. As such, training-focused MT programs should be further examined in cohorts experiencing protracted high-demand intervals. PMID:25671579

Minds "at attention": mindfulness training curbs attentional lapses in military cohorts.

PubMed

Jha, Amishi P; Morrison, Alexandra B; Dainer-Best, Justin; Parker, Suzanne; Rostrup, Nina; Stanley, Elizabeth A

2015-01-01

We investigated the impact of mindfulness training (MT) on attentional performance lapses associated with task-unrelated thought (i.e., mind wandering). Periods of persistent and intensive demands may compromise attention and increase off-task thinking. Here, we investigated if MT may mitigate these deleterious effects and promote cognitive resilience in military cohorts enduring a high-demand interval of predeployment training. To better understand which aspects of MT programs are most beneficial, three military cohorts were examined. Two of the three groups were provided MT. One group received an 8-hour, 8-week variant of Mindfulness-based Mind Fitness Training (MMFT) emphasizing engagement in training exercises (training-focused MT, n = 40), a second group received a didactic-focused variant emphasizing content regarding stress and resilience (didactic-focused MT, n = 40), and the third group served as a no-training control (NTC, n = 24). Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) performance was indexed in all military groups and a no-training civilian group (CIV, n = 45) before (T1) and after (T2) the MT course period. Attentional performance (measured by A', a sensitivity index) was lower in NTC vs. CIV at T2, suggesting that performance suffers after enduring a high-demand predeployment interval relative to a similar time period of civilian life. Yet, there were significantly fewer performance lapses in the military cohorts receiving MT relative to NTC, with training-focused MT outperforming didactic-focused MT at T2. From T1 to T2, A' degraded in NTC and didactic-focused MT but remained stable in training-focused MT and CIV. In sum, while protracted periods of high-demand military training may increase attentional performance lapses, practice-focused MT programs akin to training-focused MT may bolster attentional performance more than didactic-focused programs. As such, training-focused MT programs should be further examined in cohorts experiencing protracted high-demand intervals.

Plasticity of inhibitory processes and associated far-transfer effects in older adults.

PubMed

Ji, Yang; Wang, Jun; Chen, Tianyong; Du, Xin; Zhan, Yi

2016-08-01

Inhibition deficit plays a crucial part in cognitive aging; however, few studies have systematically investigated the plasticity of various inhibitory processes among older adults. We studied the plasticity of 3 inhibitory processes (access, deletion, and restraint) and the extent of far transfer of inhibition training to other general cognitive abilities. Thirty-six participants (aged 60 years and above, M = 70.06, SD = 5.53) were randomly assigned to an adaptive training group that received 12 sessions of training covering 3 inhibitory processes or an active control group that received 4 sessions of mental health lectures. Participants in both groups completed pre- and posttest assessments, in which behavioral and electrophysiological measures were used to evaluate potential transfer effects. Direct training gains were observed for trained tasks of all inhibitory processes, but near-transfer effects were only found within untrained tasks associated with deletion at a composite score level. Furthermore, far-transfer effects were demonstrated for fluid intelligence (Gf) but not for working memory or other general cognitive abilities. Near transfer to deletion and far transfer to Gf persisted at a 3-month follow-up assessment session. We discussed differences in plasticity between the 3 inhibitory processes as well as their possible associations with far transfer to Gf. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

The benefits of cholinergic enhancement during perceptual learning are long-lasting

PubMed Central

Rokem, Ariel; Silver, Michael A.

2013-01-01

The neurotransmitter acetylcholine (ACh) regulates many aspects of cognition, including attention and memory. Previous research in animal models has shown that plasticity in sensory systems often depends on the behavioral relevance of a stimulus and/or task. However, experimentally increasing ACh release in the cortex can result in experience-dependent plasticity, even in the absence of behavioral relevance. In humans, the pharmacological enhancement of ACh transmission by administration of the cholinesterase inhibitor donepezil during performance of a perceptual task increases the magnitude of perceptual learning (PL) and its specificity to physical parameters of the stimuli used for training. Behavioral effects of PL have previously been shown to persist for many months. In the present study, we tested whether enhancement of PL by donepezil is also long-lasting. Healthy human subjects were trained on a motion direction discrimination task during cholinergic enhancement, and follow-up testing was performed 5–15 months after the end of training and without additional drug administration. Increases in performance associated with training under donepezil were evident in follow-up retesting, indicating that cholinergic enhancement has beneficial long-term effects on PL. These findings suggest that cholinergic enhancement of training procedures used to treat clinical disorders should improve long-term outcomes of these procedures. PMID:23755006

Treadmill Training with HAL Exoskeleton-A Novel Approach for Symptomatic Therapy in Patients with Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy-Preliminary Study.

PubMed

Sczesny-Kaiser, Matthias; Kowalewski, Rebecca; Schildhauer, Thomas A; Aach, Mirko; Jansen, Oliver; Grasmücke, Dennis; Güttsches, Anne-Katrin; Vorgerd, Matthias; Tegenthoff, Martin

2017-01-01

Purpose: Exoskeletons have been developed for rehabilitation of patients with walking impairment due to neurological disorders. Recent studies have shown that the voluntary-driven exoskeleton HAL® (hybrid assistive limb) can improve walking functions in spinal cord injury and stroke. The aim of this study was to assess safety and effects on walking function of HAL® supported treadmill therapy in patients with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD). Materials and Methods: Three LGMD patients received 8 weeks of treadmill training with HAL® 3 times a week. Outcome parameters were 10-meter walk test (10 MWT), 6-minute walk test, and timed-up-and-go test (TUG). Parameters were assessed pre and post training and 6 weeks later (follow-up). Results: All patients completed the therapy without adverse reactions and reported about improvement in endurance. Improvements in outcome parameters after 8 weeks could be demonstrated. Persisting effects were observed after 6 weeks for the 10 MWT and TUG test (follow-up). Conclusions: HAL® treadmill training in LGMD patients can be performed safely and enables an intensive highly repetitive locomotor training. All patients benefitted from this innovative method. Upcoming controlled studies with larger cohorts should prove its effects in different types of LGMD and other myopathies.

Treadmill Training with HAL Exoskeleton—A Novel Approach for Symptomatic Therapy in Patients with Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy—Preliminary Study

PubMed Central

Sczesny-Kaiser, Matthias; Kowalewski, Rebecca; Schildhauer, Thomas A.; Aach, Mirko; Jansen, Oliver; Grasmücke, Dennis; Güttsches, Anne-Katrin; Vorgerd, Matthias; Tegenthoff, Martin

2017-01-01

Purpose: Exoskeletons have been developed for rehabilitation of patients with walking impairment due to neurological disorders. Recent studies have shown that the voluntary-driven exoskeleton HAL® (hybrid assistive limb) can improve walking functions in spinal cord injury and stroke. The aim of this study was to assess safety and effects on walking function of HAL® supported treadmill therapy in patients with limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD). Materials and Methods: Three LGMD patients received 8 weeks of treadmill training with HAL® 3 times a week. Outcome parameters were 10-meter walk test (10 MWT), 6-minute walk test, and timed-up-and-go test (TUG). Parameters were assessed pre and post training and 6 weeks later (follow-up). Results: All patients completed the therapy without adverse reactions and reported about improvement in endurance. Improvements in outcome parameters after 8 weeks could be demonstrated. Persisting effects were observed after 6 weeks for the 10 MWT and TUG test (follow-up). Conclusions: HAL® treadmill training in LGMD patients can be performed safely and enables an intensive highly repetitive locomotor training. All patients benefitted from this innovative method. Upcoming controlled studies with larger cohorts should prove its effects in different types of LGMD and other myopathies. PMID:28848377

Prediction and uncertainty in human Pavlovian to instrumental transfer.

PubMed

Trick, Leanne; Hogarth, Lee; Duka, Theodora

2011-05-01

Attentional capture and behavioral control by conditioned stimuli have been dissociated in animals. The current study assessed this dissociation in humans. Participants were trained on a Pavlovian schedule in which 3 visual stimuli, A, B, and C, predicted the occurrence of an aversive noise with 90%, 50%, or 10% probability, respectively. Participants then went on to separate instrumental training in which a key-press response canceled the aversive noise with a .5 probability on a variable interval schedule. Finally, in the transfer phase, the 3 Pavlovian stimuli were presented in this instrumental schedule and were no longer differentially predictive of the outcome. Observing times and gaze dwell time indexed attention to these stimuli in both training and transfer. Aware participants acquired veridical outcome expectancies in training--that is, A > B > C, and these expectancies persisted into transfer. Most important, the transfer effect accorded with these expectancies, A > B > C. By contrast, observing times accorded with uncertainty--that is, they showed B > A = C during training, and B < A = C in the transfer phase. Dwell time bias supported this association between attention and uncertainty, although these data showed a slightly more complicated pattern. Overall, the study suggests that transfer is linked to outcome prediction and is dissociated from attention to conditioned stimuli, which is linked to outcome uncertainty.

Enhanced cued fear memory following post-training whole body irradiation of 3-month-old mice.

PubMed

Olsen, Reid H J; Weber, Sydney J; Akinyeke, Tunde; Raber, Jacob

2017-02-15

Typically, in studies designed to assess effects of irradiation on cognitive performance the animals are trained and tested for cognitive function following irradiation. Little is known about post-training effects of irradiation on cognitive performance. In the current study, 3-month-old male mice were irradiated with X-rays 24h following training in a fear conditioning paradigm and cognitively tested starting two weeks later. Average motion during the extinction trials, measures of anxiety in the elevated zero maze, and body weight changes over the course of the study were assessed as well. Exposure to whole body irradiation 24h following training in a fear conditioning resulted in greater freezing levels 2 weeks after training. In addition, motion during both contextual and cued extinction trials was lower in irradiated than sham-irradiated mice. In mice trained for cued fear conditioning, activity levels in the elevated zero maze 12days after sham-irradiation or irradiation were also lower in irradiated than sham-irradiated mice. Finally, the trajectory of body weight changes was affected by irradiation, with lower body weights in irradiated than sham-irradiated mice, with the most profound effect 7days after training. These effects were associated with reduced c-Myc protein levels in the amygdala of the irradiated mice. These data indicate that whole body X ray irradiation of mice at 3 months of age causes persistent alterations in the fear response and activity levels in a novel environment, while the effects on body weight seem more transient. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Predicting Individuals' Learning Success from Patterns of Pre-Learning MRI Activity

PubMed Central

Vo, Loan T. K.; Walther, Dirk B.; Kramer, Arthur F.; Erickson, Kirk I.; Boot, Walter R.; Voss, Michelle W.; Prakash, Ruchika S.; Lee, Hyunkyu; Fabiani, Monica; Gratton, Gabriele; Simons, Daniel J.; Sutton, Bradley P.; Wang, Michelle Y.

2011-01-01

Performance in most complex cognitive and psychomotor tasks improves with training, yet the extent of improvement varies among individuals. Is it possible to forecast the benefit that a person might reap from training? Several behavioral measures have been used to predict individual differences in task improvement, but their predictive power is limited. Here we show that individual differences in patterns of time-averaged T2*-weighted MRI images in the dorsal striatum recorded at the initial stage of training predict subsequent learning success in a complex video game with high accuracy. These predictions explained more than half of the variance in learning success among individuals, suggesting that individual differences in neuroanatomy or persistent physiology predict whether and to what extent people will benefit from training in a complex task. Surprisingly, predictions from white matter were highly accurate, while voxels in the gray matter of the dorsal striatum did not contain any information about future training success. Prediction accuracy was higher in the anterior than the posterior half of the dorsal striatum. The link between trainability and the time-averaged T2*-weighted signal in the dorsal striatum reaffirms the role of this part of the basal ganglia in learning and executive functions, such as task-switching and task coordination processes. The ability to predict who will benefit from training by using neuroimaging data collected in the early training phase may have far-reaching implications for the assessment of candidates for specific training programs as well as the study of populations that show deficiencies in learning new skills. PMID:21264257

Enhancing Nurse and Physician Collaboration in Clinical Decision Making Through High-fidelity Interdisciplinary Simulation Training

PubMed Central

Maxson, Pamela M.; Dozois, Eric J.; Holubar, Stefan D.; Wrobleski, Diane M.; Dube, Joyce A. Overman; Klipfel, Janee M.; Arnold, Jacqueline J.

2011-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether interdisciplinary simulation team training can positively affect registered nurse and/or physician perceptions of collaboration in clinical decision making. PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: Between March 1 and April 21, 2009, a convenience sample of volunteer nurses and physicians was recruited to undergo simulation training consisting of a team response to 3 clinical scenarios. Participants completed the Collaboration and Satisfaction About Care Decisions (CSACD) survey before training and at 2 weeks and 2 months after training. Differences in CSACD summary scores between the time points were assessed with paired t tests. RESULTS: Twenty-eight health care professionals (19 nurses, 9 physicians) underwent simulation training. Nurses were of similar age to physicians (27.3 vs 34.5 years; p=.82), were more likely to be women (95.0% vs 12.5%; p<.001), and were less likely to have undergone prior simulation training (0% vs 37.5%; p=.02). The pretest showed that physicians were more likely to perceive that open communication exists between nurses and physicians (p=.04) and that both medical and nursing concerns influence the decision-making process (p=.02). Pretest CSACD analysis revealed that most participants were dissatisfied with the decision-making process. The CSACD summary score showed significant improvement from baseline to 2 weeks (4.2 to 5.1; p<.002), a trend that persisted at 2 months (p<.002). CONCLUSION: Team training using high-fidelity simulation scenarios promoted collaboration between nurses and physicians and enhanced the patient care decision-making process. PMID:21193653