Sample records for links section focus

  1. Performance Characterization of Digital Optical Data Transfer Systems for Use in the Space Radiation Environment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Reed, Robert A.; Ladbury, Ray L.; Day, John H. (Technical Monitor)

    2000-01-01

    Radiation effects in photonic and microelectronic components can impact the performance of high-speed digital optical data link in a variety of ways. This segment of the short course focuses on radiation effects in digital optical data links operating in the MHz to GHz regime. (Some of the information is applicable to frequencies above and below this regime) The three basic component level effects that should be considered are Total Ionizing Dose (TID), Displacement Damage Dose (DDD) and Single Event Effects (SEE). In some cases the system performance degradation can be quantified from component level tests, while in others a more holistic characterization approach must be taken. In Section 2.0 of this segment of the Short Course we will give a brief overview of the space radiation environment follow by a summary of the basic space radiation effects important for microelectronics and photonics listed above. The last part of this section will give an example of a typical mission radiation environment requirements. Section 3.0 gives an overview of intra-satellite digital optical data link systems. It contains a discussion of the digital optical data link and it's components. Also, we discuss some of the important system performance metrics that are impacted by radiation effects degradation of optical and optoelectronic component performance. Section 4.0 discusses radiation effects in optical and optoelectronic components. While each component effect will be discussed, the focus of this section is on degradation of passive optical components and SEE in photodiodes (other mechanisms are covered in segment II of this short course entitled "Photonic Devices with Complex and Multiple Failure Modes"). Section 5.0 will focus on optical data link system response to the space radiation environment. System level SEE ground testing will be discussed. Then we give a discussion of system level assessment of data link performance when operating in the space radiation environment.

  2. The Big Red How-To Guide: Planning a Health Fair for Children and Families.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foley, Christina A.

    Community health fairs usually focus on adult health issues and seldom on child and family health or the link between health and education. This guide's purpose is to assist communities in developing child and family-focused health fairs. The guide is divided into two major sections: pre-planning and planning. The pre-planning section covers steps…

  3. Commissioning of the cryogenics of the LHC long straight sections

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

    Perin, A.; Casas-Cubillos, J.; Claudet, S.

    2010-01-01

    The LHC is made of eight circular arcs interspaced with eight Long Straight Sections (LSS). Most powering interfaces to the LHC are located in these sections where the particle beams are focused and shaped for collision, cleaning and acceleration. The LSSs are constituted of several unique cryogenic devices and systems like electrical feed-boxes, standalone superconducting magnets, superconducting links, RF cavities and final focusing superconducting magnets. This paper presents the cryogenic commissioning and the main results obtained during the first operation of the LHC Long Straight Sections.

  4. Tools for Teaming: Resources for Linking Vocational Programs with Special Populations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tavares, Barbara, Ed.

    This publication provides resources for linking vocational programs with five special populations. Sections 1-5 each focus on one special population and contain some or all of these resources: activities; recruitment; teacher tips; laws; staff development; funding streams; parent advice; instructional modifications; websites; community resources;…

  5. Take a Class Outdoors. A Guidebook for Environmental Service Learning. Linking Learning with Life.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clifton, Linda; Mauney, Tammy; Falkner, Rebekah

    This guidebook focuses on the addition of environmental service learning in elementary, middle, or high school. Sections 1 and 2 describe an administrator's view of the success of service learning in her middle school and a student's opinion of her encounters with Mississippi's natural resources. Section 3 provides a rationale for environmental…

  6. Field Manual of Wildlife Diseases

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Franson, J. Christian; Friend, Milton; Gibbs, Samantha E.J.; Wild, Margaret A.

    2015-01-01

    We begin this new manual with introductory contextual and historical background about the convergence of wildlife disease with wildlife management as a wildlife conservation concern (section A, chap. 1). The remainder of the publication is focused on pragmatic information and considerations for addressing various aspects of wildlife disease. Section B focuses on concepts associated with disease surveillance and response to outbreaks, and section C deals with specific techniques for disease surveillance and investigation. Section D, “Diseases of Wild Birds,” and others that follow will address diseases of concern in various species groups. Electronic links facilitate timely access to a wide variety of supplemental information and processes relevant to content in this new version of the “Field Manual of Wildlife Diseases.”

  7. Latinos and Education: A Critical Reader.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Darder, Antonia, Ed.; And Others

    Latinos are among the nation's most educationally disadvantaged and economically disenfranchised groups. Addressing this reality within the context of a rapidly changing economy and society, this book links educational practice and the structural dimensions that shape institutional life. Sections focus on the political economy of schooling,…

  8. Introducing Undergraduates to Economics in an Interdisciplinary Setting.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caviglia-Harris, Jill L.

    2003-01-01

    Outlines a model for teaching economics that incorporates introductory economics concepts into an interdisciplinary class that includes three disciplines focused on a central theme. Covers the principles of microeconomics and the fundamentals of environmental economics. Links these topics to those covered in the ecology and philosophy sections of…

  9. Inspection of 56Fe γ-Ray angular distributions as a function of incident neutron energy using optical model approaches

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vanhoy, J. R.; Ramirez, A. P.; Alcorn-Dominguez, D. K.; Hicks, S. F.; Peters, E. E.; McEllistrem, M. T.; Mukhopadhyay, S.; Yates, S. W.

    2017-09-01

    Neutron inelastic scattering cross sections measured directly through (n,n) or deduced from γ-ray production cross sections following inelastic neutron scattering (n,n'γ) are a focus of basic and applied research at the University of Kentucky Accelerator Laboratory (www.pa.uky.edu/accelerator). For nuclear data applications, angle-integrated cross sections are desired over a wide range of fast neutron energies. Several days of experimental beam time are required for a data set at each incident neutron energy, which limits the number of angular distributions that can be measured in a reasonable amount of time. Approximations can be employed to generate cross sections with a higher energy resolution, since at 125o, the a2P2 term of the Legendre expansion is identically zero and the a4P4 is assumed to be very small. Provided this assumption is true, a single measurement at 125o would produce the γ-ray production cross section. This project tests these assumptions and energy dependences using the codes CINDY/SCAT and TALYS/ECIS06/SCAT. It is found that care must be taken when interpreting γ-ray excitation functions as cross sections when the incident neutron energy is < 1000 keV above threshold or before the onset of feeding.

  10. Urban Green Space and Its Impact on Human Health

    Treesearch

    Michelle Kondo; Jaime Fluehr; Thomas McKeon; Charles Branas

    2018-01-01

    Background: Over half of the world's population now lives in urban areas, and this proportion is expected to increase. While there have been numerous reviews of empirical studies on the link between nature and human health, very few have focused on the urban context, and most have examined almost exclusively cross-sectional research. This...

  11. Subdimensions of Adolescent Belonging in High School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wallace, Tanner LeBaron; Ye, Feifei; Chhuon, Vichet

    2012-01-01

    Adolescents' sense of belonging in high school may serve a protective function, linking school-based relationships to positive youth outcomes. To advance the study of sense of belonging, we conducted a mixed method, factor analytic study (Phase 1 focus groups, N = 72; Phase 2 cross-sectional survey, N = 890) to explore the multidimensionality of…

  12. Experiential Learning in Higher Education: Linking Classroom and Community. ASHE-ERIC Higher Education Report No. 7.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cantor, Jeffrey A.

    This report reviews the literature and research on the use of experiential learning in higher education, focusing on classroom-community linkages. It defines experiential learning and reviews the current employment of experiential learning in higher education. An introductory section explains the politics and policy issues of experiential learning…

  13. Negative reactions to monitoring: Do they undermine the ability of monitoring to protect adolescents?

    PubMed

    Laird, Robert D; Zeringue, Megan M; Lambert, Emily S

    2018-02-01

    This study focused on adolescents' negative reactions to parental monitoring to determine whether parents should avoid excessive monitoring because adolescents find monitoring behaviors to be over-controlling and privacy invasive. Adolescents (n = 242, M age = 15.4 years; 51% female) reported monitoring, negative reactions, warmth, antisocial behavior, depressive symptoms, and disclosure. Adolescents additionally reported antisocial behavior, depressive symptoms, and disclosure one to two years later. In cross-sectional analyses, less monitoring but more negative reactions were linked with less disclosure, suggesting that negative reactions can undermine parents' ability to obtain information. Although monitoring behaviors were not related to depressive symptoms, more negative reactions were linked with more depressive symptoms, suggesting that negative reactions also may increase depressive symptoms as a side effect of monitoring behavior. Negative reactions were not linked to antisocial behavior. There were no longitudinal links between negative reactions and changes in disclosure, antisocial behavior, or depressive symptoms. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  14. Regeneration of Airy pulses in fiber-optic links with dispersion management of the two leading dispersion terms of opposite signs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Driben, R.; Meier, T.

    2014-04-01

    Dispersion management of periodically alternating fiber sections with opposite signs of two leading dispersion terms is applied for the regeneration of self-accelerating truncated Airy pulses. It is demonstrated that for such a dispersion management scheme, the direction of the acceleration of the pulse is reversed twice within each period. In this scheme the system features light hot spots in the center of each fiber section, where the energy of the light pulse is tightly focused in a short temporal slot. Comprehensive numerical studies demonstrate a long-lasting propagation also under the influence of a strong fiber Kerr nonlinearity.

  15. Ten Years Experience In Geo-Databases For Linear Facilities Risk Assessment (Lfra)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oboni, F.

    2003-04-01

    Keywords: geo-environmental, database, ISO14000, management, decision-making, risk, pipelines, roads, railroads, loss control, SAR, hazard identification ABSTRACT: During the past decades, characterized by the development of the Risk Management (RM) culture, a variety of different RM models have been proposed by governmental agencies in various parts of the world. The most structured models appear to have originated in the field of environmental RM. These models are briefly reviewed in the first section of the paper focusing the attention on the difference between Hazard Management and Risk Management and the need to use databases in order to allow retrieval of specific information and effective updating. The core of the paper reviews a number of different RM approaches, based on extensions of geo-databases, specifically developed for linear facilities (LF) in transportation corridors since the early 90s in Switzerland, Italy, Canada, the US and South America. The applications are compared in terms of methodology, capabilities and resources necessary to their implementation. The paper then focuses the attention on the level of detail that applications and related data have to attain. Common pitfalls related to decision making based on hazards rather than on risks are discussed. The paper focuses the last sections on the description of the next generation of linear facility RA application, including examples of results and discussion of future methodological research. It is shown that geo-databases should be linked to loss control and accident reports in order to maximize their benefits. The links between RA and ISO 14000 (environmental management code) are explicitly considered.

  16. Toroidal magnet system

    DOEpatents

    Ohkawa, Tihiro; Baker, Charles C.

    1981-01-01

    In a plasma device having a toroidal plasma containment vessel, a toroidal field-generating coil system includes fixed linking coils each formed of first and second sections with the first section passing through a central opening through the containment vessel and the second section completing the linking coil to link the containment vessel. A plurality of removable unlinked coils are each formed of first and second C-shaped sections joined to each other at their open ends with their bights spaced apart. The second C-shaped section of each movable coil is removably mounted adjacent the second section of a linking coil, with the containment vessel disposed between the open ends of the first and second C-shaped sections. Electric current is passed through the linking and removable coils in opposite sense in the respective adjacent second sections to produce a net toroidal field.

  17. Teaching Inquiry with Linked Classes and Learning Communities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Piercey, Victor; Cullen, Roxanne

    2017-01-01

    In order to improve problem-solving dispositions, a section of an inquiry-based math sequence for first-year business students was linked with a section of our general education English sequence. We describe how the linked classes worked and compare some preliminary results from linked and unlinked sections of the math sequence.

  18. In the Shadow of the Cold War: The Caribbean and Central America in U.S. Foreign Policy. [and] Teacher's Resource Book. Revised. Choices for the 21st Century.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown Univ., Providence, RI. Thomas J. Watson, Jr. Inst. for International Studies.

    This unit examines the economic and military concerns that have linked the Caribbean and Central America to the United States. The first section of the first booklet reviews the history of U.S. involvement in the region from the mid-1800s to the early 1960s. Part 2 focuses on the Cuban missile crisis of 1962 and presents a day-by-day account of…

  19. Data Link Performance Analysis for LVLASO Experiments

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mukkamala, Ravi

    1998-01-01

    Low-visibility Landing and Surface Operations System (LVLASO) is currently being prototyped and tested at NASA Langley Research Center. Since the main objective of the system is to maintain the aircraft landings and take-offs even during low-visibility conditions, timely exchange of positional and other information between the aircraft and the ground control is critical. For safety and reliability reasons, there are several redundant sources on the ground (e.g., ASDE, AMASS) that collect and disseminate information about the environment to the aircrafts. The data link subsystem of LVLASO is responsible for supporting the timely transfer of information between the aircrafts and the ground controllers. In fact, if not properly designed, the data link subsystem could become a bottleneck in the proper functioning of LVLASO. Currently, the other components of the system are being designed assuming that the data link has adequate capacity and is capable of delivering the information in a timely manner. During August 1-28, 1997, several flight experiments were conducted to test the prototypes of subsystems developed under LVLASO project, The back-round and details of the tests are described in the next section. The test results have been collected in two CDs by FAA and Rockwell-Collins. Under the current grant, we have analyzed the data and evaluated the performance of the Mode S datalink. In this report, we summarize the results of our analysis. Much of the results are shown in terms of graphs or histograms. The test date (or experiment number) was often taken as the X-axis and the Y-axis denotes whatever metric of focus in that chart. In interpreting these charts, one need to take into account the vehicular traffic during a particular experiment. In general, the performance of the data link was found to be quite satisfactory in terms of delivering long and short Mode S squitters from the vehicles to the ground receiver, Similarly, its performance in delivering control messages from the ground control to the vehicles (aircrafts) was also satisfactory. The report is organized as follows. In Section 2, we describe the background information for the LVLASO and the system flight experiments. Section 3 contains formats of the performance data that was analyzed during our research. Section 4 describes different experiments flight experiments and their setup. Section 5 analyzes each of the graphs produced in this report. Finally, Section 6 has a summary of observations that we make based on our research.

  20. Preface to the focus section on injection-induced seismicity

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Eaton, David; Rubinstein, Justin L.

    2015-01-01

    The ongoing, dramatic increase in seismicity in the central United States that began in 2009 is believed to be the result of injection‐induced seismicity (Ellsworth, 2013). Although the basic mechanism for activation of slip on a fault by subsurface fluid injection is well established (Healy et al., 1968; Raleighet al., 1976; Nicholson and Wesson, 1992; McGarr et al., 2002; Ellsworth, 2013), the occurrence of damaging M≥5 earthquakes and the dramatic increase in seismicity in the central United States has brought heightened attention to this issue. The elevated seismicity is confined to a limited number of areas, and accumulating evidence indicates that the seismicity in these locations is directly linked to nearby industrial operations. This Seismological Research Letters (SRL) focus section presents a selected set of seven technical papers that cover various aspects of this topic, including basic seismological and ground‐motion observations, case studies, numerical simulation of fault activation, and risk mitigation.

  1. Hypermentalizing, attachment, and epistemic trust in adolescent BPD: Clinical illustrations.

    PubMed

    Bo, Sune; Sharp, Carla; Fonagy, Peter; Kongerslev, Mickey

    2017-04-01

    Borderline personality disorder (BPD) has been shown to be a valid and reliable diagnosis in adolescents and associated with a decrease in both general and social functioning. With evidence linking BPD in adolescents to poor prognosis, it is important to develop a better understanding of factors and mechanisms contributing to the development of BPD. This could potentially enhance our knowledge and facilitate the design of novel treatment programs and interventions for this group. In this paper, we outline a theoretical model of BPD in adolescents linking the original mentalization-based theory of BPD, with recent extensions of the theory that focuses on hypermentalizing and epistemic trust. We then provide clinical case vignettes to illustrate this extended theoretical model of BPD. Furthermore, we suggest a treatment approach to BPD in adolescents that focuses on the reduction of hypermentalizing and epistemic mistrust. We conclude with an integration of theory and practice in the final section of the paper and make recommendations for future work in this area. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

  2. A Proof of Concept to Bridge the Gap between Mass Spectrometry Imaging, Protein Identification and Relative Quantitation: MSI~LC-MS/MS-LF.

    PubMed

    Théron, Laëtitia; Centeno, Delphine; Coudy-Gandilhon, Cécile; Pujos-Guillot, Estelle; Astruc, Thierry; Rémond, Didier; Barthelemy, Jean-Claude; Roche, Frédéric; Feasson, Léonard; Hébraud, Michel; Béchet, Daniel; Chambon, Christophe

    2016-10-26

    Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a powerful tool to visualize the spatial distribution of molecules on a tissue section. The main limitation of MALDI-MSI of proteins is the lack of direct identification. Therefore, this study focuses on a MSI~LC-MS/MS-LF workflow to link the results from MALDI-MSI with potential peak identification and label-free quantitation, using only one tissue section. At first, we studied the impact of matrix deposition and laser ablation on protein extraction from the tissue section. Then, we did a back-correlation of the m / z of the proteins detected by MALDI-MSI to those identified by label-free quantitation. This allowed us to compare the label-free quantitation of proteins obtained in LC-MS/MS with the peak intensities observed in MALDI-MSI. We managed to link identification to nine peaks observed by MALDI-MSI. The results showed that the MSI~LC-MS/MS-LF workflow (i) allowed us to study a representative muscle proteome compared to a classical bottom-up workflow; and (ii) was sparsely impacted by matrix deposition and laser ablation. This workflow, performed as a proof-of-concept, suggests that a single tissue section can be used to perform MALDI-MSI and protein extraction, identification, and relative quantitation.

  3. A Proof of Concept to Bridge the Gap between Mass Spectrometry Imaging, Protein Identification and Relative Quantitation: MSI~LC-MS/MS-LF

    PubMed Central

    Théron, Laëtitia; Centeno, Delphine; Coudy-Gandilhon, Cécile; Pujos-Guillot, Estelle; Astruc, Thierry; Rémond, Didier; Barthelemy, Jean-Claude; Roche, Frédéric; Feasson, Léonard; Hébraud, Michel; Béchet, Daniel; Chambon, Christophe

    2016-01-01

    Mass spectrometry imaging (MSI) is a powerful tool to visualize the spatial distribution of molecules on a tissue section. The main limitation of MALDI-MSI of proteins is the lack of direct identification. Therefore, this study focuses on a MSI~LC-MS/MS-LF workflow to link the results from MALDI-MSI with potential peak identification and label-free quantitation, using only one tissue section. At first, we studied the impact of matrix deposition and laser ablation on protein extraction from the tissue section. Then, we did a back-correlation of the m/z of the proteins detected by MALDI-MSI to those identified by label-free quantitation. This allowed us to compare the label-free quantitation of proteins obtained in LC-MS/MS with the peak intensities observed in MALDI-MSI. We managed to link identification to nine peaks observed by MALDI-MSI. The results showed that the MSI~LC-MS/MS-LF workflow (i) allowed us to study a representative muscle proteome compared to a classical bottom-up workflow; and (ii) was sparsely impacted by matrix deposition and laser ablation. This workflow, performed as a proof-of-concept, suggests that a single tissue section can be used to perform MALDI-MSI and protein extraction, identification, and relative quantitation. PMID:28248242

  4. Perception and Cognition in the Ageing Brain: A Brief Review of the Short- and Long-Term Links between Perceptual and Cognitive Decline

    PubMed Central

    Roberts, Katherine L.; Allen, Harriet A.

    2016-01-01

    Ageing is associated with declines in both perception and cognition. We review evidence for an interaction between perceptual and cognitive decline in old age. Impoverished perceptual input can increase the cognitive difficulty of tasks, while changes to cognitive strategies can compensate, to some extent, for impaired perception. While there is strong evidence from cross-sectional studies for a link between sensory acuity and cognitive performance in old age, there is not yet compelling evidence from longitudinal studies to suggest that poor perception causes cognitive decline, nor to demonstrate that correcting sensory impairment can improve cognition in the longer term. Most studies have focused on relatively simple measures of sensory (visual and auditory) acuity, but more complex measures of suprathreshold perceptual processes, such as temporal processing, can show a stronger link with cognition. The reviewed evidence underlines the importance of fully accounting for perceptual deficits when investigating cognitive decline in old age. PMID:26973514

  5. Estimating Minimum Adult HIV Prevalence: A Cross-Sectional Study to Assess the Characteristics of People Living with HIV in Italy

    PubMed Central

    Raimondo, Mariangela; Dorrucci, Maria; Regine, Vincenza; Salfa, Maria Cristina; Suligoi, Barbara

    2015-01-01

    Abstract In 2012, we conducted a retrospective cross-sectional study to assess the number of people living with HIV linked to care and, among these, the number of people on antiretroviral therapy. The health authority in each of the 20 Italian Regions provided the list of Public Infectious Diseases Clinics providing antiretroviral therapy and monitoring people with HIV infection. We asked every Public Infectious Diseases Clinic to report the number of HIV-positive people diagnosed and linked to care and the number of those on antiretroviral therapy during 2012. In 2012, 94,146 people diagnosed with HIV and linked to care were reported. The majority were males (70.1%), Italians (84.4%), and aged between 25 and 49 years (63.4%); the probable route of transmission was heterosexual contact in 37.5% of cases, injecting drug use in 28.1%, and male-to-male contact in 27.9%. Among people in care, 20.1% had less than 350 CD4 cells/μl, 87.6% received antiretroviral therapy, and among these, 62.4% had a CD4 cell count higher than 350 cells/μl. The overall estimated prevalence of individuals diagnosed and linked to care in 2012 in Italy was 0.16 per 100 residents (all ages). Adding the estimated proportion of undiagnosed people, the estimated HIV prevalence would range between 0.19 and 0.26 per 100 residents. In Italy, the majority of people diagnosed and linked to care receive antiretroviral therapy. A higher prevalence of individuals diagnosed and linked to care was observed in Northern Italy and among males. More information for developing the HIV care continuum is necessary to improve the entire engagement in care, focusing on test-and-treat strategies to substantially reduce the proportion of people still undiagnosed or with a detectable viral load. PMID:25432098

  6. Modeling and control of a hydraulically actuated flexible-prismatic link robot

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

    Love, L.; Kress, R.; Jansen, J.

    1996-12-01

    Most of the research related to flexible link manipulators to date has focused on single link, fixed length, single plane of vibration test beds. In addition, actuation has been predominantly based upon electromagnetic motors. Ironically, these elements are rarely found in the existing industrial long reach systems. This manuscript describes a new hydraulically actuated, long reach manipulator with a flexible prismatic link at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). Focus is directed towards both modeling and control of hydraulic actuators as well as flexible links that have variable natural frequencies.

  7. Australian Curriculum Linked Lessons

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hurrell, Derek; O'Neil, Jennifer

    2011-01-01

    In providing a continued focus on tasks and activities that help to illustrate key ideas embedded in the new Australian Curriculum, this issue the authors focus, on Geometry in the Measurement and Geometry strand with strong links for an integrated focus on the Statistics and Probability strand. The small unit of work on the sorting and…

  8. The Missing Link between Juvenile Delinquency and Pediatric Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: An Attachment Theory Lens.

    PubMed

    Amatya, Pooja L; Barzman, Drew H

    2012-01-01

    The present paper reviews pediatric posttraumatic stress disorder, emphasizing the relational basis of the disorder and highlighting the missing link between juvenile delinquency and trauma. The first part of the paper defines trauma and the diagnostic criteria for PTSD, noting child-specific features. The second part reviews the literature emphasizing the relational and attachment relevant nature of trauma. The third part explores psychological mechanisms for how attachment relations could affect trauma responses. Attachment relations (1) shape core schemas of the world, others, and the self and (2) foster emotional engagement or disengagement, both of which have been associated with traumatic responses. The most empirically supported pediatric trauma treatment, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), acknowledges the attachment figure's influence and includes treating and training the parent and conjoint child-parent discussion. The next section reviews the noteworthy link between juvenile delinquency and trauma history. More awareness of trauma and PTSD in children and adolescents is recommended to effectively address juvenile delinquency. The review ends with a few helpful points for practicing pediatricians regarding childhood trauma.

  9. Geographic Information Systems using CODES linked data (Crash outcome data evaluation system)

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2001-04-01

    This report presents information about geographic information systems (GIS) and CODES linked data. Section one provides an overview of a GIS and the benefits of linking to CODES. Section two outlines the basic issues relative to the types of map data...

  10. The Associations Between Substance Use, Sexual Behaviors, Bullying, Deviant Behaviors, Health, and Cyber Dating Abuse Perpetration.

    PubMed

    Van Ouytsel, Joris; Torres, Elizabeth; Choi, Hye Jeong; Ponnet, Koen; Walrave, Michel; Temple, Jeff R

    2017-04-01

    Dating violence is an important public health concern and is considered to be a form of school violence. While digital technologies have enabled perpetrators of dating violence to target their victims online (cyber dating abuse), little is known about how this form of perpetration relates to specific adolescent risk behaviors. This brief research report focuses on the associations between substance use, sexual behaviors, deviant behaviors, self-reported health, and cyber dating abuse perpetration. Participants included 705 ethnically diverse adolescents ( n = 408; 57.9% female) in Southeast Texas. Having had sexual intercourse or using alcohol or drugs before having sex was significantly linked with cyber dating abuse perpetration, as was poor physical health, and substance use. Consistent with limited research, we found a link between cyber dating abuse and engagement in bullying behaviors. The discussion section includes suggestions for school nurse practice and further research.

  11. Linking psychological need experiences to daily and recurring dreams.

    PubMed

    Weinstein, Netta; Campbell, Rachel; Vansteenkiste, Maarten

    2018-01-01

    The satisfaction of individuals' psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness, as conceived from a self-determination theory perspective, is said to be conducive to personal growth and well-being. What has been unexamined is whether psychological need-based experiences, either their satisfaction or frustration, manifests in people's self-reported dream themes as well as their emotional interpretation of their dreams. A cross-sectional study ( N  = 200; M age = 21.09) focusing on individuals' recurrent dreams and a three-day diary study ( N  = 110; M age = 25.09) focusing on daily dreams indicated that individuals experiencing psychological need frustration, either more enduringly or on a day-to-day basis, reported more negative dream themes and interpreted their dreams more negatively. The contribution of psychological need satisfaction was more modest, although it related to more positive interpretation of dreams. The discussion focuses on the role of dreams in the processing and integration of psychological need-frustrating experiences.

  12. Gaussian Process Regression Model in Spatial Logistic Regression

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sofro, A.; Oktaviarina, A.

    2018-01-01

    Spatial analysis has developed very quickly in the last decade. One of the favorite approaches is based on the neighbourhood of the region. Unfortunately, there are some limitations such as difficulty in prediction. Therefore, we offer Gaussian process regression (GPR) to accommodate the issue. In this paper, we will focus on spatial modeling with GPR for binomial data with logit link function. The performance of the model will be investigated. We will discuss the inference of how to estimate the parameters and hyper-parameters and to predict as well. Furthermore, simulation studies will be explained in the last section.

  13. A methodology to leverage cross-sectional accelerometry to capture weather's influence in active living research.

    PubMed

    Katapally, Tarun R; Rainham, Daniel; Muhajarine, Nazeem

    2016-06-27

    While active living interventions focus on modifying urban design and built environment, weather variation, a phenomenon that perennially interacts with these environmental factors, is consistently underexplored. This study's objective is to develop a methodology to link weather data with existing cross-sectional accelerometry data in capturing weather variation. Saskatoon's neighbourhoods were classified into grid-pattern, fractured grid-pattern and curvilinear neighbourhoods. Thereafter, 137 Actical accelerometers were used to derive moderate to vigorous physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behaviour (SB) data from 455 children in 25 sequential one-week cycles between April and June, 2010. This sequential deployment was necessary to overcome the difference in the ratio between the sample size and the number of accelerometers. A data linkage methodology was developed, where each accelerometry cycle was matched with localized (Saskatoon-specific) weather patterns derived from Environment Canada. Statistical analyses were conducted to depict the influence of urban design on MVPA and SB after factoring in localized weather patterns. Integration of cross-sectional accelerometry with localized weather patterns allowed the capture of weather variation during a single seasonal transition. Overall, during the transition from spring to summer in Saskatoon, MVPA increased and SB decreased during warmer days. After factoring in localized weather, a recurring observation was that children residing in fractured grid-pattern neighbourhoods accumulated significantly lower MVPA and higher SB. The proposed methodology could be utilized to link globally available cross-sectional accelerometry data with place-specific weather data to understand how built and social environmental factors interact with varying weather patterns in influencing active living.

  14. Newly combined 40Ar/39Ar and U-Pb ages of the Upper Cretaceous timescale from Hokkaido, Japan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gaylor, J. R.; Heredia, B. D.; Quidelleur, X.; Takashima, R.; Nishi, H.; Mezger, K.

    2011-12-01

    The main targets for GTS next project (www.gtsnext.eu) are to develop highly refined geological time scales, including the Upper Cretaceous. The Cretaceous period is characterised by numerous global anoxic events in the marine realm, rich ammonitic fossil assemblages and specialised foraminifera. However, lack of age diagnostic macro and micro fossils in the North Pacific sections has made it difficult to link these with global sections such as the Western Interior Basin (North America). Using advances with terrestrial C-isotope and planktic foraminifera records within Central Hokkaido we are able to correlate these sections globally. The Cretaceous Yezo group in Central Hokkaido comprises deep marine mudstones and turbidite sandstones interbedded with acidic volcanic tuffs. Using various sections within the Yezo group, we radiometrically dated tuffs at the main stage boundaries in the Upper Cretaceous. The samples derive from the Kotanbetsu, Shumarinai, Tiomiuchi and the Hakkin river sections, spanning the time from the Albian-Cenomanian up until the Campanian-Santonian boundaries, and were dated using 40Ar/39Ar, K/Ar and U-Pb techniques. Recent age constraints in the Hokkaido counterparts (Kotanbetsu sections) show good coherence between radiometric chronometers on the various Upper Cretaceous stage boundaries. These additional ages together with our isotope ages from the different sections around the Hokkaido basin are well linked by the various faunal assemblages and C-isotope curves. The combined radio isotope ages contribute to previous attempts (such as those focused in the Western Interior Basin) supporting the synchronicity of events such as global oceanic anoxic events. Finally, the ages obtained here also compliment the previous C-isotope and planktic foraminifera records allowing for a more precise climatic history of the Northwest Pacific during the Cretaceous. The research within the GTSnext project is funded by the European Community's Seventh Framework Program (FP7/2007-2013) under grant agreement no. 215458.

  15. IEA Bioenergy Countries' Report: Bioenergy policies and status of implementation

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

    Bacovsky, Dina; Ludwiczek, Nikolaus; Pointner, Christian

    2016-08-05

    This report was prepared from IEA statistical data, information from IRENA, and IEA Bioenergy Tasks’ country reports, combined with data provided by the IEA Bioenergy Executive Committee. All individual country reports were reviewed by the national delegates to the IEA Bioenergy Executive Committee, who have approved the content. In the first section of each country report, national renewable energy targets are presented (first table in each country report), and the main pieces of national legislation are discussed. In the second section of each country report the total primary energy supply (TPES) by resources and the contribution of bioenergy are presented.more » All data is taken from IEA statistics for the year 2014. Where 2014 data was not available, 2013 data was used. It is worth noting that data reported in national statistics can differ from the IEA data presented, as the reporting categories and definitions are different. In the third section of each country report, the research focus related to bioenergy is discussed. Relevant funding programs, major research institutes and projects are described. In the fourth section, recent major bioenergy developments are described. Finally, in the fifth section, links to sources of information are provided.« less

  16. An Experimental Investigation of Compressible Dynamic Stall on a Pitching Airfoil

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thorne, Katie; Bowles, Patrick

    2009-11-01

    A new facility has been designed and constructed at the University of Notre Dame to investigate dynamic stall on a 2-D pitching airfoil at high subsonic Mach numbers. This work is motivated by the need to investigate dynamic stall at conditions relevant to military helicopters. One focus of the experiments is to characterize the role of shock/boundary layer interactions during the pitching cycle. The new dynamic stall facility is integrated into a closed-loop, low turbulence wind tunnel capable of achieving test section Mach numbers in excess of M = 0.6. The design of the dynamic stall test section was focused on achieving reduced pitching frequencies of up to k = 0.2 and chord Reynolds numbers up to 5 x10^6. The facility has the unique ability to execute non-harmonic pitching motions through the use of an actuated pitch link mechanism. Optical access is provided to allow the use of high-speed and Schlieren imaging. Thirty-one flush mounted Kulite dynamic pressure transducers provide the instantaneous unsteady surface pressure distribution over the airfoil. Initial dynamic stall measurements obtained in the new facility will be described.

  17. Integrative techniques related to positive processes in psychotherapy.

    PubMed

    Cromer, Thomas D

    2013-09-01

    This review compiles and evaluates a number of therapist interventions that have been found to significantly contribute to positive psychotherapy processes (i.e., increased alliance, patient engagement/satisfaction, and symptomatic improvement). Four forms of intervention are presented: Affect-focused, Supportive, Exploratory, and Patient-Therapist Interaction. The intention of this review is to link specific interventions to applied practice so that integrative clinicians can potentially use these techniques to improve their clinical work. To this end, there is the inclusion of theory and empirical studies from a range of orientations including Emotionally Focused, Psychodynamic, Client-Centered, Cognitive-Behavioral, Interpersonal, Eclectic, and Motivational Interviewing. Each of the four sections will include the theoretical basis and proposed mechanism of change for the intervention, research that supports its positive impact on psychotherapy processes, and conclude with examples demonstrating its use in actual practice. Clinical implications and considerations regarding the use of these interventions will also be presented. 2013 APA, all rights reserved

  18. Geochemistry of Dissolved Organic Matter in a Spatially Highly Resolved Groundwater Petroleum Hydrocarbon Plume Cross-Section.

    PubMed

    Dvorski, Sabine E-M; Gonsior, Michael; Hertkorn, Norbert; Uhl, Jenny; Müller, Hubert; Griebler, Christian; Schmitt-Kopplin, Philippe

    2016-06-07

    At numerous groundwater sites worldwide, natural dissolved organic matter (DOM) is quantitatively complemented with petroleum hydrocarbons. To date, research has been focused almost exclusively on the contaminants, but detailed insights of the interaction of contaminant biodegradation, dominant redox processes, and interactions with natural DOM are missing. This study linked on-site high resolution spatial sampling of groundwater with high resolution molecular characterization of DOM and its relation to groundwater geochemistry across a petroleum hydrocarbon plume cross-section. Electrospray- and atmospheric pressure photoionization (ESI, APPI) ultrahigh resolution mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) revealed a strong interaction between DOM and reactive sulfur species linked to microbial sulfate reduction, i.e., the key redox process involved in contaminant biodegradation. Excitation emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy in combination with Parallel Factor Analysis (PARAFAC) modeling attributed DOM samples to specific contamination traits. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy evaluated the aromatic compounds and their degradation products in samples influenced by the petroleum contamination and its biodegradation. Our orthogonal high resolution analytical approach enabled a comprehensive molecular level understanding of the DOM with respect to in situ petroleum hydrocarbon biodegradation and microbial sulfate reduction. The role of natural DOM as potential cosubstrate and detoxification reactant may improve future bioremediation strategies.

  19. Elastomeric Structural Attachment Concepts for Aircraft Flap Noise Reduction - Challenges and Approaches to Hyperelastic Structural Modeling and Analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sreekantamurthy, Thammaiah; Turner, Travis L.; Moore, James B.; Su, Ji

    2014-01-01

    Airframe noise is a significant part of the overall noise of transport aircraft during the approach and landing phases of flight. Airframe noise reduction is currently emphasized under the Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) and Fixed Wing (FW) Project goals of NASA. A promising concept for trailing-edge-flap noise reduction is a flexible structural element or link that connects the side edges of the deployable flap to the adjacent main-wing structure. The proposed solution is distinguished by minimization of the span-wise extent of the structural link, thereby minimizing the aerodynamic load on the link structure at the expense of increased deformation requirement. Development of such a flexible structural link necessitated application of hyperelastic materials, atypical structural configurations and novel interface hardware. The resulting highly-deformable structural concept was termed the FLEXible Side Edge Link (FLEXSEL) concept. Prediction of atypical elastomeric deformation responses from detailed structural analysis was essential for evaluating feasible concepts that met the design constraints. The focus of this paper is to describe the many challenges encountered with hyperelastic finite element modeling and the nonlinear structural analysis of evolving FLEXSEL concepts. Detailed herein is the nonlinear analysis of FLEXSEL concepts that emerged during the project which include solid-section, foamcore, hollow, extended-span and pre-stressed concepts. Coupon-level analysis performed on elastomeric interface joints, which form a part of the FLEXSEL topology development, are also presented.

  20. Linking laser scanning to snowpack modeling: Data processing and visualization

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Teufelsbauer, H.

    2009-07-01

    SnowSim is a newly developed physical snowpack model that can use three-dimensional terrestrial laser scanning data to generate model domains. This greatly simplifies the input and numerical simulation of snow covers in complex terrains. The program can model two-dimensional cross sections of general slopes, with complicated snow distributions. The model predicts temperature distributions and snow settlements in this cross section. Thus, the model can be used for a wide range of problems in snow science and engineering, including numerical investigations of avalanche formation. The governing partial differential equations are solved by means of the finite element method, using triangular elements. All essential data for defining the boundary conditions and evaluating the simulation results are gathered by automatic weather and snow measurement sites. This work focuses on the treatment of these measurements and the simulation results, and presents a pre- and post-processing graphical user interface (GUI) programmed in Matlab.

  1. TRP channels in the skin

    PubMed Central

    Tóth, Balázs I; Oláh, Attila; Szöllősi, Attila Gábor; Bíró, Tamás

    2014-01-01

    Emerging evidence suggests that transient receptor potential (TRP) ion channels not only act as ‘polymodal cellular sensors’ on sensory neurons but are also functionally expressed by a multitude of non-neuronal cell types. This is especially true in the skin, one of the largest organs of the body, where they appear to be critically involved in regulating various cutaneous functions both under physiological and pathophysiological conditions. In this review, we focus on introducing the roles of several cutaneous TRP channels in the regulation of the skin barrier, skin cell proliferation and differentiation, and immune functions. Moreover, we also describe the putative involvement of several TRP channels in the development of certain skin diseases and identify future TRP channel-targeted therapeutic opportunities. Linked Articles This article is part of a themed section on the pharmacology of TRP channels. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2014.171.issue-10 PMID:24372189

  2. On the links between religion, mental health and inter-religious conflict: a brief summary of empirical research.

    PubMed

    Abu-Raiya, Hisham

    2013-01-01

    Recently, the field of psychology has begun to display a growing interest in the influence of religion on people's psychological well-being. By and large, the empirical findings of this body of inquiry have revealed positive associations between religious beliefs and practices and different indices of health and well-being and demonstrated that religion serves as a valuable tool for individuals dealing with life stressors. Yet, there is ample data to suggest that religion can also have a negative influence on the psychological well-being of the individual. This duality of religion is the focus of this summary paper which consists of two main sections. The first considers the potential constructive and destructive sides of religion with regard to general health and well- being. The second section refers to religious variables that promote or mitigate prejudice and perceived conflict with others.

  3. Making the Link between Libraries and Adult Basic Skills.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clarke, Genevieve

    2002-01-01

    Vital Link is a British program that links national reading and literacy organizations with libraries. The focus is on how libraries can support and motivate existing learners while attracting new learners. (JOW)

  4. 47 CFR 25.223 - Off-axis EIRP spectral density limits for feeder link earth stations in the 17/24 GHz BSS.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... feeder link earth stations in the 17/24 GHz BSS. 25.223 Section 25.223 Telecommunication FEDERAL....223 Off-axis EIRP spectral density limits for feeder link earth stations in the 17/24 GHz BSS. (a) This section applies to all applications for earth station licenses in the 17/24 GHz BSS frequency...

  5. 47 CFR 25.223 - Off-axis EIRP spectral density limits for feeder link earth stations in the 17/24 GHz BSS.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... feeder link earth stations in the 17/24 GHz BSS. 25.223 Section 25.223 Telecommunication FEDERAL....223 Off-axis EIRP spectral density limits for feeder link earth stations in the 17/24 GHz BSS. (a) This section applies to all applications for earth station licenses in the 17/24 GHz BSS frequency...

  6. 47 CFR 25.223 - Off-axis EIRP spectral density limits for feeder link earth stations in the 17/24 GHz BSS.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... feeder link earth stations in the 17/24 GHz BSS. 25.223 Section 25.223 Telecommunication FEDERAL....223 Off-axis EIRP spectral density limits for feeder link earth stations in the 17/24 GHz BSS. (a) This section applies to all applications for earth station licenses in the 17/24 GHz BSS frequency...

  7. 47 CFR 25.223 - Off-axis EIRP spectral density limits for feeder link earth stations in the 17/24 GHz BSS.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... feeder link earth stations in the 17/24 GHz BSS. 25.223 Section 25.223 Telecommunication FEDERAL....223 Off-axis EIRP spectral density limits for feeder link earth stations in the 17/24 GHz BSS. (a) This section applies to all applications for earth station licenses in the 17/24 GHz BSS frequency...

  8. Essential competencies in entry-level pediatric physical therapy education.

    PubMed

    Rapport, Mary Jane; Furze, Jennifer; Martin, Kathy; Schreiber, Joe; Dannemiller, Lisa A; Dibiasio, Paula A; Moerchen, Victoria A

    2014-01-01

    The Section on Pediatrics (SoP) convened an Education Summit in July 2012 to examine, discuss, and respond to documented inconsistencies and challenges in teaching pediatric physical therapy (PT) content in entry-level professional education programs. Despite previous attempts by the SoP to provide guidance around teaching pediatric PT, variability continued to be extensive across programs. This article presents the core competencies developed out of the Summit to inform pediatric content in the entry-level PT curriculum. In addition, the core competencies were linked to teaching strategies, learning activities, assessment outcomes, and curricular structures. Consensus was reached on 5 core competencies that represent a knowledge base essential to all graduates of PT programs. In contrast to prior SoP documents, these competencies were specifically designed to focus on knowledge and skills unique to pediatric practice but essential for all graduates of accredited entry-level PT education programs. For more insights from the authors, see Supplemental Digital Content 1, at http://links.lww.com/PPT/A50.

  9. Variable Delay Element For Jitter Control In High Speed Data Links

    DOEpatents

    Livolsi, Robert R.

    2002-06-11

    A circuit and method for decreasing the amount of jitter present at the receiver input of high speed data links which uses a driver circuit for input from a high speed data link which comprises a logic circuit having a first section (1) which provides data latches, a second section (2) which provides a circuit generates a pre-destorted output and for compensating for level dependent jitter having an OR function element and a NOR function element each of which is coupled to two inputs and to a variable delay element as an input which provides a bi-modal delay for pulse width pre-distortion, a third section (3) which provides a muxing circuit, and a forth section (4) for clock distribution in the driver circuit. A fifth section is used for logic testing the driver circuit.

  10. Feedback of balanced cross sections and gravity modeling: numerical estimation of horizon mislocations. A case study from the Linking Zone (Northeastern, Spain)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pueyo, E. L.; Izquierdo-Llavall, E.; Ayala, C.; Oliva-Urcia, B.; Rubio, F. M.; Rodríguez-Pintó, A.; Casas, A. M.; García Crespo, J.

    2015-12-01

    The lack of subsurface information in the Linking Zone (between the Iberian and the Catalan Coastal Ranges) where no seismic sections and few boreholes are available, together with the need to perform an evaluation of a potential CO2 reservoir, have motivated us to carry out a combined structural and geophysical study. The reservoir is located in the Bunt/Muschelkalk facies (Triassic in age) just underneath the Keuper evaporites (regional detachment). The expected density contrast between cover/basement/detachment rocks represent a suitable setting to apply gravity modeling. Therefore, we designed the location of eight serial and radial cross sections over 1.50000 available geological maps, we also include bedding data (field work) and thickness and depth information from wells and previous stratigraphic profiles. Besides, gravity data were acquired along the sections to build up 2.5D models and thus, to constrain the geometry of the basement and the thickness of the sedimentary cover. Density values used in the modelling come from a database with 1470 sites (compiled and acquired). Initially we build the balanced sections using the available geological information and applying standard geometric techniques. Regional knowledge and previous sections were also taken into account. Then, we took these sections into Oasis Montaj to fit the real and expected gravimetric signal. In this work we present the comparison of the location of certain horizons before and after that feedback. In some cases, mislocation of some horizons may reach up to 0.4 km, which represents up to 50% of the expected depth. After fitting the gravity data with balanced cross-sections we carried out a stochastic inversion that allowed reducing the uncertainty to a maximum of 0.15 km, i. e. c. 20% . Further error analysis may be focused on the double-checking with seismic section information from the industry, if and when available. Attached figure displays an example of one of the performed sections. There, extrapolation of subsurface structures under the Ebro foreland basin based on lateral information cannot be supported by the measured gravimetric signal. The mislocations of the basement top in A and B zones reach -0.4 and + 0.8 km respectively, with critical implications for any potential CO2 storage.

  11. [Fear of childbirth among nulliparous women: Relations with pain during delivery, post-traumatic stress symptoms, and postpartum depressive symptoms].

    PubMed

    Gosselin, P; Chabot, K; Béland, M; Goulet-Gervais, L; Morin, A J S

    2016-04-01

    Fear of childbirth is common in women who are pregnant with their first child and is associated with important consequences such as abortions and miscarriages. Twenty percent of nulliparous women seem to exhibit a mild or moderate fear, while 6% present an excessive and irrational fear known as tocophobia. Tocophobia is suggested to be associated with many negative consequences such as postpartum depression (PPD) and Post-traumatic stress (PTS). However, there is little empirical evidence to support these relationships. Recently, Fairbrother and Woody (2007) did not observe a link between the fear of childbirth and symptoms of PPD and PTS in nulliparous women. Some results, near the significance level, could be explained by a lack of statistical power. The present study focused on the link between the fear of childbirth and the process of delivery, the perception of pain, PPD and PTS. More specifically, it aimed to test three hypotheses: (i) fear of childbirth will be linked to the process of delivery, especially regarding the perception of pain, the use of anaesthesia and the use of Caesarean section; (ii) a high level of fear of childbirth will be associated with more negative postpartum consequences (namely PPD/PTS symptoms); (iii) the process of delivery and pain will also be related to post-delivery symptoms. Mediation effects were tested. Data from a longitudinal study were used to meet the hypotheses. A total of 176 nulliparous pregnant women responded to questionnaires at two time measurements (during pregnancy and at 5weeks postpartum). Fear of childbirth is related to the perception of pain at birth among women delivering vaginally, in the absence of anaesthesia. It is also linked to symptoms of PPD and PTS, regardless of whether or not anaesthesia was used. Fear of childbirth also appears to be strongly associated to symptoms of PTS in women who have experienced an unplanned caesarean section. Thus, symptoms of postpartum PTS could play a mediating role in the link between fear of childbirth and PPD. These results support the relevance of taking into account the fear of childbirth and perception of pain in connection with symptoms of PTS and PPD in nulliparous women. The unplanned caesarean section (including emergency caesarean) also appears to be important in the study of the relationship between fear and symptoms of PTS. Fear of childbirth could render the experience of childbearing more negative and predispose to PTS and PPD. Enabling psychological vulnerabilities could also be an interesting avenue for understanding these links. Limitations are discussed. Copyright © 2016 L’Encéphale, Paris. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  12. The role of selective attention on academic foundations: a cognitive neuroscience perspective.

    PubMed

    Stevens, Courtney; Bavelier, Daphne

    2012-02-15

    To the extent that selective attention skills are relevant for academic foundations and amenable to training, they represent an important focus for the field of education. Here, drawing on research on the neurobiology of attention, we review hypothesized links between selective attention and processing across three domains important to early academic skills. First, we provide a brief review of the neural bases of selective attention, emphasizing the effects of selective attention on neural processing, as well as the neural systems important to deploying selective attention and managing response conflict. Second, we examine the developmental time course of selective attention. It is argued that developmental differences in selective attention are related to the neural systems important for deploying selective attention and managing response conflict. In contrast, once effectively deployed, selective attention acts through very similar neural mechanisms across ages. In the third section, we relate the processes of selective attention to three domains important to academic foundations: language, literacy, and mathematics. Fourth, drawing on recent literatures on the effects of video-game play and mind-brain training on selective attention, we discuss the possibility of training selective attention. The final section examines the application of these principles to educationally-focused attention-training programs for children. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. The role of selective attention on academic foundations: A cognitive neuroscience perspective

    PubMed Central

    Stevens, Courtney; Bavelier, Daphne

    2011-01-01

    To the extent that selective attention skills are relevant for academic foundations and amenable to training, they represent an important focus for the field of education. Here, drawing on research on the neurobiology of attention, we review hypothesized links between selective attention and processing across three domains important to early academic skills. First, we provide a brief review of the neural bases of selective attention, emphasizing the effects of selective attention on neural processing, as well as the neural systems important to deploying selective attention and managing response conflict. Second, we examine the developmental time course of selective attention. It is argued that developmental differences in selective attention are related to the neural systems important for deploying selective attention and managing response conflict. In contrast, once effectively deployed, selective attention acts through very similar neural mechanisms across ages. In the third section, we relate the processes of selective attention to three domains important to academic foundations: language, literacy, and mathematics. Fourth, drawing on recent literatures on the effects of video-game play and mind-brain training on selective attention, we discuss the possibility of training selective attention. The final section examines the application of these principles to educationally-focused attention-training programs for children. PMID:22682909

  14. Risk of future cardiovascular disease in women with prior preeclampsia: a focus group study.

    PubMed

    Seely, Ellen W; Rich-Edwards, Janet; Lui, Janet; Nicklas, Jacinda M; Saxena, Aditi; Tsigas, Eleni; Levkoff, Sue E

    2013-12-21

    A history of preeclampsia is a risk factor for the future development of hypertension and cardiovascular disease (CVD). The objective of this study was to assess, in women with prior preeclampsia, the level of knowledge regarding the link between preeclampsia and CVD, motivators for and barriers to lifestyle change and interest in a lifestyle modification program to decrease CVD risk following a pregnancy complicated by preeclampsia. Twenty women with a history of preeclampsia participated in 5 phone-based focus groups. Focus groups were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed. Qualitative content analysis was used to identify common themes across focus groups. Consensus was reached on a representative set of themes describing the data. Women with prior preeclampsia were in general unaware of the link between preeclampsia and future CVD but eager to learn about this link and motivated to achieve a healthy lifestyle. Major perceived barriers to lifestyle change were lack of time, cost of healthy foods and family responsibilities. Perceived facilitators included knowledge of the link between preeclampsia and CVD, a desire to stay healthy, and creating a healthy home for their children. Women with prior preeclampsia were interested in the idea of a web-based program focused on lifestyle strategies to decrease CVD risk in women. Women with prior preeclampsia were eager to learn about the link between preeclampsia and CVD and to take steps to reduce CVD risk. A web-based program to help women with prior preeclampsia adopt a healthy lifestyle may be an appropriate strategy for this population.

  15. 21 CFR 11.70 - Signature/record linking.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Signature/record linking. 11.70 Section 11.70 Food... RECORDS; ELECTRONIC SIGNATURES Electronic Records § 11.70 Signature/record linking. Electronic signatures and handwritten signatures executed to electronic records shall be linked to their respective...

  16. Roads at risk - the impact of debris flows on road network reliability and vulnerability in southern Norway

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Meyer, Nele Kristin; Schwanghart, Wolfgang; Korup, Oliver

    2014-05-01

    Norwegian's road network is frequently affected by debris flows. Both damage repair and traffic interruption generate high economic losses and necessitate a rigorous assessment of where losses are expected to be high and where preventive measures should be focused on. In recent studies, we have developed susceptibility and trigger probability maps that serve as input into a hazard calculation at the scale of first-order watersheds. Here we combine these results with graph theory to assess the impact of debris flows on the road network of southern Norway. Susceptibility and trigger probability are aggregated for individual road sections to form a reliability index that relates to the failure probability of a link that connects two network vertices, e.g., road junctions. We define link vulnerability as a function of traffic volume and additional link failure distance. Additional link failure distance is the extra length of the alternative path connecting the two associated link vertices in case the network link fails and is calculated by a shortest-path algorithm. The product of network reliability and vulnerability indices represent the risk index. High risk indices identify critical links for the Norwegian road network and are investigated in more detail. Scenarios demonstrating the impact of single or multiple debris flow events are run for the most important routes between seven large cities in southern Norway. First results show that the reliability of the road network is lowest in the central and north-western part of the study area. Road network vulnerability is highest in the mountainous regions in central southern Norway where the road density is low and in the vicinity of cities where the traffic volume is large. The scenarios indicate that city connections that have their shortest path via routes crossing the central part of the study area have the highest risk of route failure.

  17. 47 CFR 54.411 - Link Up program defined.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... section. (c) A carrier's Link Up program shall allow a consumer to receive the benefit of the Link Up... SERVICE Universal Service Support for Low-Income Consumers § 54.411 Link Up program defined. (a) For... low-income consumers, which an eligible telecommunications carrier shall offer as part of its...

  18. Training Emotion Cultivates Morality: How Loving-Kindness Meditation Hones Compassion and Increases Prosocial Behavior.

    PubMed

    Bankard, Joseph

    2015-12-01

    Traditional moral philosophy has long focused on rationality, principled thinking, and good old-fashioned willpower, but recent evidence strongly suggests that moral judgments and prosocial behavior are more heavily influenced by emotion and intuition. As the evidence mounts, rational traditions emphasizing deliberative analysis and conscious decision making are called into question. The first section highlights some compelling evidence supporting the primacy of affective states in motivating moral judgments and behavior. The real challenge is finding a way to align intuition with desired behavior. In cool reflective states, one may desire to be a kind and loving person. But when it is time to act, the moment is often accompanied by strong affect-laden intuitions. I argue that if affective states are the primary motivators of behavior, then moral sentiments must be trained through habituation in order to increase prosocial behavior. The second section provides empirical evidence linking emotional training with increased prosociality. To highlight this connection, focus is placed on the relationship between habitual meditation training, compassion, and prosocial behavior. Recent studies by Antoine Lutz, Richard Davidson, Susanne Leiberg, and others show that various meditation practices can dramatically affect the human person at various levels, i.e., increased physical health, neural restructuring, regulation and development of emotions, and increased helping behavior, to name a few. The current article focuses on the impact the habit of loving-kindness meditation (LKM) has on compassion and prosocial behavior. Recent studies strongly support the conclusion that LKM training hones compassion and ultimately leads to an increase in compassionate behavior.

  19. Does positive affect broaden and negative affect narrow attentional scope? A new answer to an old question.

    PubMed

    Huntsinger, Jeffrey R

    2012-11-01

    The current research challenges the common view that positive affect and negative affect generate a broadened or narrowed attentional focus, respectively. Contrary to this view, two studies found that the link between affect and attentional focus as measured by a traditional flanker task (Study 1) and a modified flanker task (Study 2) reflects whatever focus is momentarily dominant. Further, in these studies when neither focus was dominant, the link between affect and attentional focus vanished. These results demonstrate that, like reward, positive affect and negative affect are not dedicated to a particular broadened or narrowed attentional scope but rather provide embodied information about the value of currently accessible attentional orientations. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved).

  20. Evaluation of Hierarchical Clustering Algorithms for Document Datasets

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2002-06-03

    link, complete-link, and group average ( UPGMA )) and a new set of merging criteria derived from the six partitional criterion functions. Overall, we...used the single-link, complete-link, and UPGMA schemes, as well as, the various partitional criterion functions described in Section 3.1. The single-link...other (complete-link approach). The UPGMA scheme [16] (also known as group average) overcomes these problems by measuring the similarity of two clusters

  1. Promoting resilience in youth from divorced families: lessons learned from experimental trials of the New Beginnings Program.

    PubMed

    Wolchik, Sharlene A; Schenck, Clorinda E; Sandler, Irwin N

    2009-12-01

    This article focuses on the contributions that the program of research on the New Beginnings Program (NBP) has made to understanding pathways to resilience in youth who experience parental divorce. First, the research demonstrating that divorce increases risk for mental health, physical health, and social adaptation problems is reviewed. Next, theory and research linking social environmental-level and youth-level modifiable risk factors and resilience resources to youth's postdivorce adjustment are presented. The conceptual framework underlying the NBP and the risk factors and resilience resources targeted in this program are described next. The short-term and long-term results of two experimental, randomized efficacy trials of the NBP and moderators and mediators of its effects are then presented. Analyses that examine whether youth self-systems beliefs account for the links between program-induced changes in family-level resilience resources and positive long-term program on adaptation outcomes are presented and how experimental trials can be used to further theories of resilience for youth facing adversities is discussed. The final section describes directions for future research on the NBP.

  2. Internal migration to Nairobi's slums: linking migrant streams to sexual risk behavior.

    PubMed

    Greif, Meredith J; Nii-Amoo Dodoo, F

    2011-01-01

    Despite what is currently the most rapid urbanization on the globe, an alarming growth of impoverished urban slum settlements in Africa, and the highest rates of HIV in the world - with greater prevalence in urban than rural areas - insufficient attention has been paid to the relationship between urban poverty and risky sexual behavior. Although emerging research has focused on how slum residence is linked to risky behavior, there is a paucity of work on how migration to slums is related to risky sex. Using a sample of sexually active women from the 2000 Nairobi Cross-Sectional Slum Survey (NCSS), this paper demonstrates that the relationship between slum residence and risky behavior is a multifaceted one. Beyond the effect of current residence in slums migratory factors, specifically previous place of residence and length of time since arrival, prove to be significant cofactors, with the effect of the former conditioned by the latter. Perhaps more importantly, where migrants moved from appears to influence risky behavior in a non-uniform manner. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Promoting Resilience in Youth from Divorced Families: Lessons Learned from Experimental Trials of the New Beginnings Program

    PubMed Central

    Wolchik, Sharlene A.; Schenck, Clorinda E.; Sandler, Irwin N.

    2009-01-01

    This article focuses on the contributions that the program of research on the New Beginnings Program (NBP) has made to understanding pathways to resilience in youth who experience parental divorce. First, the research demonstrating that divorce increases risk for mental health, physical health and social adaptation problems is reviewed. Next, theory and research linking social environmental-level and youth-level modifiable risk factors and resilience resources to youth’s post-divorce adjustment are presented. The conceptual framework underlying the NBP and the risk factors and resilience resources targeted in this program are described next. The short-term and long-term results of two experimental, randomized efficacy trials of the NBP and moderators and mediators of its effects are then presented. Analyses that examine whether youth self-systems beliefs account for the links between program-induced changes in family-level resilience resources and positive long-term program on adaptation outcomes are presented and how experimental trials can be used to further theories of resilience for youth facing adversities is discussed. The final section describes directions for future research on the NBP. PMID:19807862

  4. The relationship between optimal parenting, Internet addiction and motives for social networking in adolescence.

    PubMed

    Floros, Georgios; Siomos, Konstantinos

    2013-10-30

    This paper presents a cross-sectional study of a large, high-school Greek student sample (N=1971) with the aim to examine adolescent motives for participating in social networking (SN) for a possible link with parenting style and cognitions related to Internet addiction disorder (IAD). Exploratory statistics demonstrate a shift from the prominence of online gaming to social networking for this age group. A regression model provides with the best linear combination of independent variables useful in predicting participation in SN. Results also include a validated model of negative correlation between optimal parenting on the one hand and motives for SN participation and IAD on the other. Examining cognitions linked to SN may assist in a better understanding of underlying adolescent wishes and problems. Future research may focus in the patterns unveiled among those adolescents turning to SN for the gratification of basic unmet psychological needs. The debate on the exact nature of IAD would benefit from the inclusion of SN as a possible online activity where addictive phenomena may occur. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

  5. Two distinct classes of degenerative change are independently linked to clinical progression in mild cognitive impairment.

    PubMed

    Coutu, Jean-Philippe; Lindemer, Emily R; Konukoglu, Ender; Salat, David H

    2017-06-01

    We previously demonstrated 2 statistically distinct factors of degeneration in Alzheimer's disease: one strongly related to white matter damage and age interpreted as "age- and vascular-related", and the other related to cortical atrophy thought to represent "neurodegenerative changes associated with Alzheimer's disease". Those factors are now replicated in a distinct cross-sectional data set of 364 participants from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative and their interpretation is improved using correlations with CSF biomarkers. Furthermore, we now show that changes in both factors over 2 years are independently associated with decline in Mini-Mental State Examination score in a longitudinal subset of 116 individuals with mild cognitive impairment. Progression in the "age- and vascular-related" factor was greater for individuals with 2 APOE ε4 alleles and linked to a greater attributable change in Mini-Mental State Examination than the "neurodegenerative" factor. These results suggest benefits of targeting white matter and vascular health to complement interventions focused on the neurodegenerative aspect of the disease, even in individuals with little discernable vascular comorbidity. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Using linked data to evaluate collisions with fixed objects in Pennsylvania : Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System (CODES) linked data demonstration project

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-10-01

    This report uses police-reported motor vehicle crash data linked to Emergency Medical Services data and hospital discharge data to evaluate the relative risk of injury posed by specific roadside objects in Pennsylvania. The report focuses primarily o...

  7. Linking and Psychological Functioning in a Chinese Sample: The Multiple Mediation of Response to Positive Affect

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yang, Hongfei; Li, Juan

    2016-01-01

    The present study examined the associations between linking, response to positive affect, and psychological functioning in Chinese college students. The results of conducting multiple mediation analyses indicated that emotion- and self-focused positive rumination mediated the relationship between linking and psychological functioning, whereas…

  8. Linking School and Work to Accelerate Student Results.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Workforce Economics, 1999

    1999-01-01

    This serial issue focusing on the theme of "School-to-Work." The two articles it contains describe promising practices that benefit individual students who participate. The first article, "Connecting the Dots: Linking School and Work to Accelerate Student Results," examines how schools and businesses are linking up, leading to benefits for…

  9. Multi-access laser communications terminal

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1992-01-01

    The Optical Multi-Access (OMA) Terminal is capable of establishing up to six simultaneous high-data-rate communication links between low-Earth-orbit satellites and a host satellite at synchronous orbit with only one 16-inch-diameter antenna on the synchronous satellite. The advantage over equivalent RF systems in space weight, power, and swept volume is great when applied to NASA satellite communications networks. A photograph of the 3-channel prototype constructed under the present contract to demonstrate the feasibility of the concept is presented. The telescope has a 10-inch clear aperture and a 22 deg full field of view. It consists of 4 refractive elements to achieve a telecentric focus, i.e., the focused beam is normal to the focal plane at all field angles. This feature permits image pick-up optics in the focal plane to track satellite images without tilting their optic axes to accommodate field angle. The geometry of the imager-pick-up concept and the coordinate system of the swinging arm and disk mechanism for image pick-up are shown. Optics in the arm relay the telescope focus to a communications and tracking receiver and introduce the transmitted beacon beam on a path collinear with the receive path. The electronic circuits for the communications and tracking receivers are contained on the arm and disk assemblies and relay signals to an associated PC-based operator's console for control of the arm and disk motor drive through a flexible cable which permits +/- 240 deg travel for each arm and disk assembly. Power supplies and laser transmitters are mounted in the cradle for the telescope. A single-mode fiber in the cable is used to carry the laser transmitter signal to the arm optics. The promise of the optical multi-access terminal towards which the prototype effort worked is shown. The emphasis in the prototype development was the demonstration of the unique aspect of the concept, and where possible, cost avoidance compromises were implemented in areas already proven on other programs. The design details are described in section 2, the prototype test results in section 3, additional development required in section 4, and conclusions in section 5.

  10. Self-efficacy and physical activity in children with congenital heart disease: is there a relationship?

    PubMed

    Ray, Trenda D; Henry, Karen

    2011-04-01

    This study examined the relationship between self-efficacy and physical activity in 10- to 14-year-old children with congenital heart disease. Cross-sectional study using self-report instruments. In 84 participants, self-efficacy scores were similar to those published for healthy adolescents, 30.8 as compared with 29.4. Physical activity participation as prescribed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was low (38%). Self-efficacy scores were moderately correlated with physical activity participation (r = .47; p < .001). Interventions are needed to increase physical activity in this high-risk group. Interventions that focus on self-efficacy may be particularly helpful given the link between self-efficacy and physical activity. © 2011, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. Identifying state resources and support programs on e-government websites for persons with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

    PubMed

    Fisher, Kathleen M; Peterson, Justin D; Albert, Jon D

    2015-01-01

    This descriptive cross-sectional study identified resources and programs that are available nationwide on the Internet to support individuals and families with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), with a focus on intellectual disability. This evaluation included easily identifiable information on specific resources and highlighted unique programs found in individual states that were linked from e-government websites. Researchers documented the ease of access and available information for all 50 states and the District of Columbia. A number of disparities and areas for improvement were recorded for states and I/DD websites. The researchers conclude that a number of additional health and support services will be needed to address the growing needs of this vulnerable population.

  12. User-based Resource Design in Earth Science Education

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luby, M.; Haber, J.; Wittenberg, K.

    2001-12-01

    Reform in the classroom, and certainly in academic publishing, is greatly influenced not only by educational research, but also by direct surveys of students and instructors. This presentation looks at changes to Columbia Earthscape, www.earthscape.org, based on an ongoing series of evaluation and testing measures. Two years ago, the Earthscape project was introduced as a central online resource. It aimed to select and make available authoritative materials from all the disciplines that constitute Earth-system science. Its design harnessed the dynamics of the Web and the interrelatedness of research, education, and public policy. In response to substantial class tests, involving five universities in the United States and abroad, three focus groups of geoscience faculty and librarians, user feedback, internal editorial-board review, and extensive consultation with colleagues in commercial and nonprofit educational publishing, Earthscape is implementing broad changes in design and content. These include arranging the site into sections that correspond to user profiles (scientist, policy-maker, teacher, and student), providing easier search or browsing (by research area, policy content, or lesson concept), and streamlining the presentation of links among our resources. These changes are implemented through more advanced searching capabilities, greater specificity of content metatags, and an overall increase in content from journals, books, and original material. The metatags now include all core geoscience disciplines or a range of pertinent issues (such as climate change, geologic hazards, and pollution). Reflecting the evaluation by librarians, Earthscape's revised interface will permit users to begin with a primary area of interest based on who they are, their "profile." They can then either browse the site's entire holdings in that area, perform searches within each area, or follow the extensive hyperlinks to explore connections to other areas and user needs. Another two focus groups consisting of undergraduate geoscience teaching faculty brought about a rearrangement of hyperlinked resources within course-module pages. This involved less-cluttered hot-linking in running text and uniform lists of video and images links and research links at the end of all modules. Finally, after analyzing the results of a survey questionnaire administered to hundreds of students, we increased and revised content metatags to produce more specific search returns and redistributed lists of annotated links throughout the site. We are also are continuing to seek more full-text content, including original student research and exposition.

  13. Mythology and evidence-based oncology: An indivisible link.

    PubMed

    Rathod, Shrinivas; Agarwal, Jai Prakash; Munshi, Anusheel

    2016-01-01

    Religion has an important role in the birth of medicine and shares a long history. Contradiction has separated spirituality and medicine. For so many years, the spiritual dimension of medicine was seen as unnecessary and inappropriate. However times are changing again and since the last few decades, recent literature and various ongoing studies have focused on unmet spiritual needs of physician and patient. This article focuses on the rejuvenating link between medicine and spirituality.

  14. Quantum Spectra and Dynamics

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Arce, Julio Cesar

    1992-01-01

    This work focuses on time-dependent quantum theory and methods for the study of the spectra and dynamics of atomic and molecular systems. Specifically, we have addressed the following two problems: (i) Development of a time-dependent spectral method for the construction of spectra of simple quantum systems--This includes the calculation of eigenenergies, the construction of bound and continuum eigenfunctions, and the calculation of photo cross-sections. Computational applications include the quadrupole photoabsorption spectra and dissociation cross-sections of molecular hydrogen from various vibrational states in its ground electronic potential -energy curve. This method is seen to provide an advantageous alternative, both from the computational and conceptual point of view, to existing standard methods. (ii) Explicit time-dependent formulation of photoabsorption processes --Analytical solutions of the time-dependent Schrodinger equation are constructed and employed for the calculation of probability densities, momentum distributions, fluxes, transition rates, expectation values and correlation functions. These quantities are seen to establish the link between the dynamics and the calculated, or measured, spectra and cross-sections, and to clarify the dynamical nature of the excitation, transition and ejection processes. Numerical calculations on atomic and molecular hydrogen corroborate and complement the previous results, allowing the identification of different regimes during the photoabsorption process.

  15. Gender, migration and urban development in Costa Rica: the case of Guanacaste.

    PubMed

    Chant, S

    1991-01-01

    Factors fueling urbanization in Guanacaste province, Costa Rica are explored and how the pattern of urban growth reflects gender divisions of labor is considered. Urbanization in Latin America has been due largely to the expansion of economic activities in urban centers, but in Guanacaste, rural employment persists among the poor. Towns in this peripheral province have witnessed no major expansion in urban-based employment opportunities. On the basis of an in-depth survey of urban dwellers in the province's 3 leading towns (Liberia, Canas, and Santa Cruz), an attempt is made to explain Guanacaste's urbanization. The 1st section discusses the migration, urbanization, and economic development in Costa Rica, as well as Guanacaste. The 2nd section provides the findings of the survey of 350 low-income, urban households in Guanacaste, focusing on the households' reported reasons for moving. Section 3 examines household survival strategies in the areas surveyed, paying close attention to gender and age selectivity of short-term out-migration to external labor markets. Section 4 interprets the apparent connection between gender-differentiated labor migration and the dominance of reproductive factors in household decisions to move to urban centers. Section 5 considers the implications of the migration patterns on women, while section 6 discusses the wider implications of the study. The study reveals that in Guanacaste, urbanization is more strongly linked to the reproductive (e.g., housing and welfare) needs of household survival than to productive (employment and income) needs.

  16. Intelligent Transportation Systems for Commercial Vehicle Operations

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1997-10-15

    What is TransLink? - Public/private partnership - Multi-modal initiative - Focused on linking elements of transportation system - Laboratory using real world data - Looking toward the next generation of transportation operations and management

  17. Degradation of metallic materials studied by correlative tomography

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Burnett, T. L.; Holroyd, N. J. H.; Lewandowski, J. J.; Ogurreck, M.; Rau, C.; Kelley, R.; Pickering, E. J.; Daly, M.; Sherry, A. H.; Pawar, S.; Slater, T. J. A.; Withers, P. J.

    2017-07-01

    There are a huge array of characterization techniques available today and increasingly powerful computing resources allowing for the effective analysis and modelling of large datasets. However, each experimental and modelling tool only spans limited time and length scales. Correlative tomography can be thought of as the extension of correlative microscopy into three dimensions connecting different techniques, each providing different types of information, or covering different time or length scales. Here the focus is on the linking of time lapse X-ray computed tomography (CT) and serial section electron tomography using the focussed ion beam (FIB)-scanning electron microscope to study the degradation of metals. Correlative tomography can provide new levels of detail by delivering a multiscale 3D picture of key regions of interest. Specifically, the Xe+ Plasma FIB is used as an enabling tool for large-volume high-resolution serial sectioning of materials, and also as a tool for preparation of microscale test samples and samples for nanoscale X-ray CT imaging. The exemplars presented illustrate general aspects relating to correlative workflows, as well as to the time-lapse characterisation of metal microstructures during various failure mechanisms, including ductile fracture of steel and the corrosion of aluminium and magnesium alloys. Correlative tomography is already providing significant insights into materials behaviour, linking together information from different instruments across different scales. Multiscale and multifaceted work flows will become increasingly routine, providing a feed into multiscale materials models as well as illuminating other areas, particularly where hierarchical structures are of interest.

  18. 47 CFR 25.223 - Alternative licensing rules for feeder-link earth stations in the 17/24 GHz BSS.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... earth stations in the 17/24 GHz BSS. 25.223 Section 25.223 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS... Alternative licensing rules for feeder-link earth stations in the 17/24 GHz BSS. (a) This section applies to license applications for earth stations that transmit to 17/24 GHz Broadcasting-Satellite Service space...

  19. Monitoring environmental hazards and public health

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Showstack, Randy

    Saying that no national system exists to monitor public health problems linked to environmental hazards, former U.S. Senator Lowell Weicker, Jr., announced on May 11 the launch of a Pew Charitable Trusts blue ribbon panel to focus on this issue.The panel, which includes representatives from academia and health care organizations, will focus on how the United States tracks diseases and recommend ways to fill data gaps; review what tools are needed to improve disease tracking; and focus on children's health issues, such as asthma, childhood cancer, and birth defects that may be linked to the environment, according to Pew Environmental Health Commission Executive Director Shelley Hearne.

  20. Fatigue and physical fitness of mildly disabled persons with multiple sclerosis: a cross-sectional study.

    PubMed

    Valet, Maxime; Lejeune, Thierry; Glibert, Yumiko; Hakizimana, Jean C; Van Pesch, Vincent; El Sankari, Souraya; Detrembleur, Christine; Stoquart, Gaëtan

    2017-09-01

    Fatigue is frequent and disabling in persons with multiple sclerosis (pwMS) with mild neurological disability. These patients also have impaired physical fitness. Whether mildly disabled pwMS are deconditioned, and this deconditioning is linked to fatigue, remains unknown. Our aim is to determine the physical fitness of mildly disabled patients with multiple sclerosis and study its relationship with perceived fatigue and to link perceived fatigue with other parameters. Twenty patients (14 women; mean age: 45.5 years) with mild disability (Expanded Disability Status Scale 0-4) underwent a 2-min walking test, Timed Up-and-Go test, aerobic capacity testing, and isometric knee extension testing to assess strength and neuromuscular fatigability. They completed questionnaires assessing perceived fatigue, psychological status, and physical activity. Correlation coefficients and multivariate regression were used to analyze the relationships among variables. Seventeen (85%) patients reported a high level of fatigue. Thirteen (65%) patients had subnormal aerobic capacity. Fatigue was weakly to moderately associated with aerobic capacity, mobility, walking capacity, depression, and neuromuscular fatigability. An association of disease duration, aerobic capacity, and the neuromuscular fatigability index explained 65.1% of fatigue. A high proportion of pwMS with mild neurological disability are fatigued and deconditioned. Perceived fatigue is linked to aerobic capacity, neuromuscular fatigability, depression, mobility, and walking capacity. Focusing on these parameters could help in the management of fatigue.

  1. Linking Information to Objects: A Hypertext Prototype for Numismatists.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moline, Judi

    1991-01-01

    This report focuses on the user of a prototype hypertext application designed to help coin collectors link ancient coins with relevant numismatic information. It is noted that hypertext systems promote the collection of information that may be multimedia in nature and may be linked so that information can be accessed in a non-linear manner. The…

  2. The Effects of Multiple Linked Representations on Students' Learning of Linear Relationships

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ozgun-Koca, S. Asli

    2004-01-01

    The focus of this study was on comparing three groups of Algebra I 9th-year students: one group using linked representation software, the second group using similar software but with semi-linked representations, and the control group in order to examine the effects on students' understanding of linear relationships. Data collection methods…

  3. In Which "Linked Data" Means "a Better Web"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chudnov, Daniel

    2009-01-01

    In this article, the author talks about linked data and focuses on the main point of linked data: building a better web. Even though how people build the web has changed steadily over the years (and keeps changing, as programmers switch toolkits and frameworks every few years, disposing of older languages and tools when newer, better ones come…

  4. Linking the Teacher Appraisal Process to the School Improvement Plan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reddekopp, Therese

    2007-01-01

    If a school improvement plan includes input from all stakeholders and focuses on data-driven processes that are linked to teacher appraisal, it can be powerful in leading the school toward the common mission of achieving student success. Linking the school improvement plan to the teacher appraisal process creates a system whereby all individuals…

  5. Acellularization-Induced Changes in Tensile Properties Are Organ Specific - An In-Vitro Mechanical and Structural Analysis of Porcine Soft Tissues

    PubMed Central

    Aust, Gabriela; Boldt, Andreas; Fritsch, Sebastian; Keil, Isabel; Koch, Holger; Möbius, Robert; Scheidt, Holger A.; Wagner, Martin F. X.; Hammer, Niels

    2016-01-01

    Introduction Though xenogeneic acellular scaffolds are frequently used for surgical reconstruction, knowledge of their mechanical properties is lacking. This study compared the mechanical, histological and ultrastructural properties of various native and acellular specimens. Materials and Methods Porcine esophagi, ureters and skin were tested mechanically in a native or acellular condition, focusing on the elastic modulus, ultimate tensile stress and maximum strain. The testing protocol for soft tissues was standardized, including the adaption of the tissue’s water content and partial plastination to minimize material slippage as well as templates for normed sample dimensions and precise cross-section measurements. The native and acellular tissues were compared at the microscopic and ultrastructural level with a focus on type I collagens. Results Increased elastic modulus and ultimate tensile stress values were quantified in acellular esophagi and ureters compared to the native condition. In contrast, these values were strongly decreased in the skin after acellularization. Acellularization-related decreases in maximum strain were found in all tissues. Type I collagens were well-preserved in these samples; however, clotting and a loss of cross-linking type I collagens was observed ultrastructurally. Elastins and fibronectins were preserved in the esophagi and ureters. A loss of the epidermal layer and decreased fibronectin content was present in the skin. Discussion Acellularization induces changes in the tensile properties of soft tissues. Some of these changes appear to be organ specific. Loss of cross-linking type I collagen may indicate increased mechanical strength due to decreasing transverse forces acting upon the scaffolds, whereas fibronectin loss may be related to decreased load-bearing capacity. Potentially, the alterations in tissue mechanics are linked to organ function and to the interplay of cells and the extracellular matrix, which is different in hollow organs when compared to skin. PMID:26960134

  6. An evidential link prediction method and link predictability based on Shannon entropy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yin, Likang; Zheng, Haoyang; Bian, Tian; Deng, Yong

    2017-09-01

    Predicting missing links is of both theoretical value and practical interest in network science. In this paper, we empirically investigate a new link prediction method base on similarity and compare nine well-known local similarity measures on nine real networks. Most of the previous studies focus on the accuracy, however, it is crucial to consider the link predictability as an initial property of networks itself. Hence, this paper has proposed a new link prediction approach called evidential measure (EM) based on Dempster-Shafer theory. Moreover, this paper proposed a new method to measure link predictability via local information and Shannon entropy.

  7. Fluid Intelligence Predicts Novel Rule Implementation in a Distributed Frontoparietal Control Network.

    PubMed

    Tschentscher, Nadja; Mitchell, Daniel; Duncan, John

    2017-05-03

    Fluid intelligence has been associated with a distributed cognitive control or multiple-demand (MD) network, comprising regions of lateral frontal, insular, dorsomedial frontal, and parietal cortex. Human fluid intelligence is also intimately linked to task complexity, and the process of solving complex problems in a sequence of simpler, more focused parts. Here, a complex target detection task included multiple independent rules, applied one at a time in successive task epochs. Although only one rule was applied at a time, increasing task complexity (i.e., the number of rules) impaired performance in participants of lower fluid intelligence. Accompanying this loss of performance was reduced response to rule-critical events across the distributed MD network. The results link fluid intelligence and MD function to a process of attentional focus on the successive parts of complex behavior. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Fluid intelligence is intimately linked to the ability to structure complex problems in a sequence of simpler, more focused parts. We examine the basis for this link in the functions of a distributed frontoparietal or multiple-demand (MD) network. With increased task complexity, participants of lower fluid intelligence showed reduced responses to task-critical events. Reduced responses in the MD system were accompanied by impaired behavioral performance. Low fluid intelligence is linked to poor foregrounding of task-critical information across a distributed MD system. Copyright © 2017 Tschentscher et al.

  8. Novel fluorescent probe for highly sensitive bioassay using sequential enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay-capillary isoelectric focusing (ELISA-cIEF).

    PubMed

    Henares, Terence G; Uenoyama, Yuta; Nogawa, Yuto; Ikegami, Ken; Citterio, Daniel; Suzuki, Koji; Funano, Shun-ichi; Sueyoshi, Kenji; Endo, Tatsuro; Hisamoto, Hideaki

    2013-06-07

    This paper presents a novel rhodamine diphosphate molecule that allows highly sensitive detection of proteins by employing sequential enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and capillary isoelectric focusing (ELISA-cIEF). Seven-fold improvement in the immunoassay sensitivity and a 1-2 order of magnitude lower detection limit has been demonstrated by taking advantage of the combination of the enzyme-based signal amplification of ELISA and the concentration of enzyme reaction products by cIEF.

  9. Socioeconomic Status and Financial Coping Strategies: The Mediating Role of Perceived Control

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caplan, Leslie J.; Schooler, Carmi

    2007-01-01

    We examine the relations among socioeconomic status, control beliefs, and two coping styles (problem-focused vs. emotion-focused) in the context of financial stress. Findings indicate that low socioeconomic status (SES) is linked to greater use of emotion-focused financial coping and lesser use of problem-focused financial coping. The effects of…

  10. Self-Focused and Other-Focused Resiliency: Plausible Mechanisms Linking Early Family Adversity to Health Problems in College Women

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coleman, Sulamunn R. M.; Zawadzki, Matthew J.; Heron, Kristin E.; Vartanian, Lenny R.; Smyth, Joshua M.

    2016-01-01

    Objectives: This study examined whether self-focused and other-focused resiliency help explain how early family adversity relates to perceived stress, subjective health, and health behaviors in college women. Participants: Female students (N = 795) participated between October 2009 and May 2010. Methods: Participants completed self-report measures…

  11. Adolescent Determinants of Abortion Attitudes

    PubMed Central

    Pacheco, Julianna; Kreitzer, Rebecca

    2016-01-01

    The stability of abortion opinions suggests that pre-adult factors influence these attitudes more than contemporaneous political events. Surprisingly, however, we know little about the origins of abortion opinions, no doubt because the majority of research focuses on cross-sectional analyses of patterns across cohorts. We use a developmental model that links familial and contextual factors during adolescence to abortion attitudes years later when respondents are between 21 and 38 years old. Findings show that religious adherence and maternal gender role values are significant predictors of adult abortion opinions, even after controlling for contemporaneous religious adherence and the respondents’ own views on gender roles. Adolescent religious adherence matters more than religious denomination for adult abortion attitudes. The results have important implications for future trends in abortion attitudes in light of declining religiosity among Americans. PMID:27257307

  12. 49 CFR 238.207 - Link between coupling mechanism and car body.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Link between coupling mechanism and car body. 238.207 Section 238.207 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL... Requirements for Tier I Passenger Equipment § 238.207 Link between coupling mechanism and car body. All...

  13. 49 CFR 238.207 - Link between coupling mechanism and car body.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Link between coupling mechanism and car body. 238.207 Section 238.207 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL... Requirements for Tier I Passenger Equipment § 238.207 Link between coupling mechanism and car body. All...

  14. 49 CFR 238.207 - Link between coupling mechanism and car body.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Link between coupling mechanism and car body. 238.207 Section 238.207 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL... Requirements for Tier I Passenger Equipment § 238.207 Link between coupling mechanism and car body. All...

  15. 49 CFR 238.207 - Link between coupling mechanism and car body.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Link between coupling mechanism and car body. 238.207 Section 238.207 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL... Requirements for Tier I Passenger Equipment § 238.207 Link between coupling mechanism and car body. All...

  16. 49 CFR 238.207 - Link between coupling mechanism and car body.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Link between coupling mechanism and car body. 238.207 Section 238.207 Transportation Other Regulations Relating to Transportation (Continued) FEDERAL... Requirements for Tier I Passenger Equipment § 238.207 Link between coupling mechanism and car body. All...

  17. Characterization of 4H <000-1> Silicon Carbide Films Grown by Solvent-Laser Heated Floating Zone

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Woodworth, Andrew, A; Sayir, Ali; Neudeck, Philip, G; Raghothamachar, Balaji; Dudley, Michael

    2012-01-01

    Commercially available bulk silicon carbide (SiC) has a high number (>2000/sq cm) of screw dislocations (SD) that have been linked to degradation of high-field power device electrical performance properties. Researchers at the NASA Glenn Research Center have proposed a method to mass-produce significantly higher quality bulk SiC. In order for this bulk growth method to become reality, growth of long single crystal SiC fibers must first be achieved. Therefore, a new growth method, Solvent-Laser Heated Floating Zone (Solvent-LHFZ), has been implemented. While some of the initial Solvent-LHFZ results have recently been reported, this paper focuses on further characterization of grown crystals and their growth fronts. To this end, secondary ion mass spectroscopy (SIMS) depth profiles, cross section analysis by focused ion beam (FIB) milling and mechanical polishing, and orientation and structural characterization by x-ray transmission Laue diffraction patterns and x-ray topography were used. Results paint a picture of a chaotic growth front, with Fe incorporation dependant on C concentration.

  18. A comprehensive approach to women’s health: lessons from the Mexican health reform

    PubMed Central

    2012-01-01

    Background This paper discusses the way in which women’s health concerns were addressed in Mexico as part of a health system reform. Discussion The first part sets the context by examining the growing complexity that characterizes the global health field, where women’s needs occupy center stage. Part two briefly describes a critical conceptual evolution, i.e. from maternal to reproductive to women’s health. In the third and last section, the novel “women and health” (W&H) approach and its translation into policies and programs in the context of a structural health reform in Mexico is discussed. W&H simultaneously focuses on women’s health needs and women’s critical roles as both formal and informal providers of health care, and the links between these two dimensions. Summary The most important message of this paper is that broad changes in health systems offer the opportunity to address women’s health needs through innovative approaches focused on promoting gender equality and empowering women as drivers of change. PMID:23228037

  19. Parent-Adolescent Conversations about Eating, Physical Activity and Weight: Prevalence across Sociodemographic Characteristics and Associations with Adolescent Weight and Weight-Related Behaviors

    PubMed Central

    Berge, Jerica M.; MacLehose, Richard F; Loth, Katie A.; Eisenberg, Marla E.; Fulkerson, Jayne A.; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne

    2015-01-01

    This paper aims to describe the prevalence of parent-adolescent conversations about eating, physical activity and weight across sociodemographic characteristics and to examine associations with adolescent BMI, dietary intake, physical activity and sedentary behaviors. Data from two linked epidemiological studies were used for cross-sectional analysis. Parents (n=3,424; 62% females) and adolescents (n=2,182; 53.2% girls) were socioeconomically and racially/ethnically diverse. Fathers reported more parent-adolescent conversations about healthful eating and physical activity with their sons and mothers reported more weight-focused conversations with their daughters. Parents of Hispanic/Latino and Asian/Hmong youth and parents from lower SES categories engaged in more conversations about weight and size. Adolescents whose mothers or fathers had weight-focused conversations with them had higher BMI percentiles. Adolescents who had two parents engaging in weight-related conversations had higher BMI percentiles. Healthcare providers may want to talk about the types of weight-related conversations parents are having with their adolescents and emphasize avoiding conversations about weight specifically. PMID:24997555

  20. “Big Data” for breast cancer: where to look and what you will find

    PubMed Central

    Clare, Susan E; Shaw, Pamela L

    2016-01-01

    Accessing the massive amount of breast cancer data that are currently publicly available may seem daunting to the brand new graduate student embarking on his/her first project or even to the seasoned lab leader, who may wish to explore a new avenue of investigation. In this review, we provide an overview of data resources focusing on high-throughput data and on cancer-related data resources. Although not intended as an exhaustive list, the information included in this review will provide a jumping-off point with descriptions of and links to the various data resources of interest. The review is divided into six sections: (1) compendia of data resources; (2) biomolecular repository “Hubs”; (3) a list of cancer-related data resources, which provides information on contents of the resource and whether the resource enables upload and analysis of investigator provided data; (4) a list of seminal publications containing specific breast cancer data, e.g., publications from METBRIC, Sanger, TCGA; (5) a list of journals focused on data science that include cancer-related “Big Data”; and (6) miscellaneous resources. PMID:28164152

  1. Remote pivot decoupler pylon: Wing/store flutter suppressor

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hassler, J. M., Jr. (Inventor)

    1986-01-01

    A device for suspending a store from an aerodynamic support surface, such an an aircraft wing, and more specifically, for improving upon singlet pivot decoupler pylons by reducing both frequency of active store, alignment, and alignment system space and power requirements. Two links suspend a lower pylon/rack section and releasable attached store from an upper pylon section mounted under the wing. The links allow the lower pylon section to rotate in pitch about a remote pivot point. A leaf spring connected between the lower section and electrical alignment system servomechanism provides pitch alignment of the lower section/store combination. The servomechanism utilizes an electric servomotor to drive the gear train and reversibly move the leaf spring, thereby maintaining the pitch attitude of the store within acceptable limits. The damper strokes when the lower section rotates to damp large oscillations of store.

  2. Urban regulatory focus: a new concept linking city size to human behaviour

    PubMed Central

    2018-01-01

    Why do people in big cities behave differently to those living in small cities? To answer this question, in this paper a new concept of urban dynamics is presented that links city size to human behaviour. The concept has its origins in regulatory focus theory. According to the theory, goal-directed behaviour is regulated by two motivational systems, promotion and prevention. Individuals motivated by promotion goals (growth, accomplishment) focus on winning and tend to take risks, whereas those driven by prevention goals (safety, security) focus on not losing and try to avoid risk. Here we elaborate on the existing literature by linking the theory to the urban context. In our conceptualization, cities are powerful regulatory systems, and as such they impinge upon the way people regulate themselves in the urban space. Evidence from signal detection analysis is provided that supports this concept. The experience of a big-city context intensified both promotion-focused behaviour (a risky bias) for promotion-focused participants and prevention-focused behaviour (a conservative bias) for prevention-focused participants. The experience of a small-city context encouraged the opposite behavioural pattern in both cases. These findings suggest that the urban environment can influence the regulatory focus strategies of an individual in a way that cannot simply be explained by their personal regulatory focus. Specifically, the likelihood of one's behaving in a promotion- or prevention-oriented manner is dependent both on one's chronic regulatory focus and also on the urban context in which one lives. Based on this, we maintain that vibrant cities with a large population and a fast pace of life encourage extreme and polarized behaviours, whereas cities with a smaller population and a slower pace of life encourage more moderate and less polarized behavioural responses, which may explain why people in big cities take more risks, do more business, produce and spend more, and even walk faster. PMID:29892353

  3. Linked Learning: Can Career and Technical Education Programs Take California High Schools into the 21st Century?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adams, Brian Edward

    2012-01-01

    This qualitative study explored the ability of a linked learning career and technical education program to engage fully students and thereby increase at-risk students' persistence in school. The focus was to identify the degree to which linked learning career and technical education programs provide a community atmosphere, increase and maintained…

  4. Undersea Laser Communication with Narrow Beams

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-09-29

    Abstract Laser sources enable highly efficient optical communications links due to their ability to be focused into very directive beam profiles...Recent atmospheric and space optical links have demonstrated robust laser communications links at high rate with techniques that are applicable to the...undersea environment. These techniques contrast to the broad-angle beams utilized in most reported demonstrations of undersea optical communications

  5. Retaining Army Engineer Officers

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-04-01

    withdrawal behavior: organization-wide factors (e.g. pay and promotion), immediate work environment factors (e.g. supervisory style), job -content... embeddedness construct. It is a departure from the traditional model focus on employee attitudes and alternatives. Job embeddedness is a web of influence...more embedded than one who perceives less links. Job embeddedness is highly individualized and classified as links, fit, and sacrifice. Links are formal

  6. Enhancing robustness of interdependent network by adding connectivity and dependence links

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cui, Pengshuai; Zhu, Peidong; Wang, Ke; Xun, Peng; Xia, Zhuoqun

    2018-05-01

    Enhancing robustness of interdependent networks by adding connectivity links has been researched extensively, however, few of them are focusing on adding both connectivity and dependence links to enhance robustness. In this paper, we aim to study how to allocate the limited costs reasonably to add both connectivity and dependence links. Firstly, we divide the attackers into stubborn attackers and smart attackers according to whether would they change their attack modes with the changing of network structure; Then by simulations, link addition strategies are given separately according to different attackers, with which we can allocate the limited costs to add connectivity links and dependence links reasonably and achieve more robustness than only adding connectivity links or dependence links. The results show that compared to only adding connectivity links or dependence links, allocating the limited resources reasonably and adding both connectivity links and dependence links could bring more robustness to the interdependent networks.

  7. ACHP | Recovery Act Section 106 Training

    Science.gov Websites

    Working with Section 106 Federal, State, & Tribal Programs Training & Education Publications Search skip specific nav links Home arrow Training and Education arrow Recovery Act Section 106 Training RECOVERY ACT SECTION 106 TRAINING 2009 Recovery Act Section 106 Seminar Schedule Registration Forms General

  8. Towards inclusive occupational therapy: Introducing the CORE approach for inclusive and occupation-focused practice.

    PubMed

    Pereira, Robert B

    2017-12-01

    Occupation is a human right and a social determinant of health. It is also taken for granted. Having access to, and participating in, occupation, is intricately linked to positive health and wellbeing. Despite theory and evidence to support the link between occupation, health and wellbeing, occupational therapists can struggle with applying an occupation focus in practice and knowing how to use occupational frameworks to enable occupation. The purpose of this paper is to introduce the Capabilities, Opportunities, Resources and Environments (CORE) approach for inclusive and occupation-focused practice. It provides occupational therapists with a means of operationalising occupational enablement and facilitating social inclusion. The CORE approach is introduced by linking its main ideas to Economist and Nobel Prize Laureate Amartya Sen's capabilities approach, as well as findings from the author's doctoral research into entrenched disadvantage and social inclusion. Practical questions guided by the CORE approach's acronym are given to explore how the approach can be utilised alongside other occupational models and frameworks to encourage strategies for effective enablement through occupation for social inclusion. As experts in enabling occupation, occupational therapists can use the CORE approach to design occupation-focused interventions and promote inclusive occupational therapy. © 2017 Occupational Therapy Australia.

  9. Practical Approaches to Using Learning Styles in Higher Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dunn, Rita, Ed.; Griggs, Shirley A., Ed.

    The focus of this collection of essays is on new approaches to teaching in higher education. Selections are organized in five sections; the first section focuses on learning styles, while the remaining sections focus on applications in various academic disciplines. The chapters include: (1) "Capitalizing on College Students' Learning Styles:…

  10. New Research Findings on Emotionally Focused Therapy: Introduction to Special Section

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Susan M.; Wittenborn, Andrea K.

    2012-01-01

    This article introduces the special section "New Research Findings on Emotionally Focused Therapy." Emotionally focused couple therapy researchers have a strong tradition of outcome and process research and this special section presents new findings from three recent studies. The first study furthers the goal of determining the kinds of clients…

  11. Dementia with Lewy Bodies

    MedlinePlus

    ... NINDS Focus on Disorders Alzheimer's & Related Dementias Epilepsy Parkinson's Disease Spinal Cord Injury Traumatic Brain Injury Focus On ... that alpha-synuclein accumulation is also linked to Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy, and several other disorders, which ...

  12. Rumination, distraction and mindful self-focus: effects on mood, dysfunctional attitudes and cortisol stress response.

    PubMed

    Kuehner, C; Huffziger, S; Liebsch, K

    2009-02-01

    Although aggravating effects of rumination on dysfunctional cognitions and endocrine stress responses have been proposed, experimental studies testing these assumptions are lacking. In parallel, mindfulness theory suggests beneficial effects of mindfulness on dysfunctional cognitions. This study aimed to investigate the effects of induced rumination, distraction and mindful self-focus on mood and dysfunctional attitudes and to assess the possible impact of induced rumination on participants' cortisol responses. Sixty university students were subjected to negative mood induction and subsequently randomly assigned to a rumination, distraction or mindful self-focus condition. The latter included statements focusing on self-acceptance and awareness of the breath. Four saliva cortisol samples were selected during the session. Compared to induced rumination, distraction showed a clear beneficial effect on the course of dysphoric mood, whereas a mindful self-focus did not. In contrast to distraction and mindful self-focus, participants induced to ruminate showed significant increases in dysfunctional attitudes from baseline to post-induction. Although rumination was not itself linked to higher cortisol responses, participants scoring high on the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI)-II who were induced to ruminate showed a smaller decrease in cortisol levels than those scoring low on the BDI-II. This study indicates that rumination as a dysfunctional mode of cognitive processing is able to maintain depression-linked dysfunctional thought content. Furthermore, our study revealed preliminary indications for a link between induced rumination and the cortisol stress response in vulnerable individuals.

  13. HUMAN BIOMONITORING TO LINK ENVIRONMENTAL EXPOSURE TO BIOLOGICALLY RELEVANT DOSE

    EPA Science Inventory

    The abstract and presentation on Human Biomonitoring to Link Environmental Exposure to Biologically Relevant Dose describes the use of biomarkers of exposure, biomarkers of current health state, and biomarker measurements. The abstract and presentation focuses on how biomarkers ...

  14. Flight crew support for automated negotiation of descent and arrival clearances

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1997-01-01

    This paper focuses on the application of data link for communication between air traffic management and FMS-equipped aircraft. Based on requirements and guidelines for data link usage, a general philosophy for automated data exchange and the distribu...

  15. Automatic Text Structuring and Summarization.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Salton, Gerard; And Others

    1997-01-01

    Discussion of the use of information retrieval techniques for automatic generation of semantic hypertext links focuses on automatic text summarization. Topics include World Wide Web links, text segmentation, and evaluation of text summarization by comparing automatically generated abstracts with manually prepared abstracts. (Author/LRW)

  16. Microvascular responsiveness in obesity: implications for therapeutic intervention

    PubMed Central

    Bagi, Zsolt; Feher, Attila; Cassuto, James

    2012-01-01

    Obesity has detrimental effects on the microcirculation. Functional changes in microvascular responsiveness may increase the risk of developing cardiovascular complications in obese patients. Emerging evidence indicates that selective therapeutic targeting of the microvessels may prevent life-threatening obesity-related vascular complications, such as ischaemic heart disease, heart failure and hypertension. It is also plausible that alterations in adipose tissue microcirculation contribute to the development of obesity. Therefore, targeting adipose tissue arterioles could represent a novel approach to reducing obesity. This review aims to examine recent studies that have been focused on vasomotor dysfunction of resistance arteries in obese humans and animal models of obesity. Particularly, findings in coronary resistance arteries are contrasted to those obtained in other vascular beds. We provide examples of therapeutic attempts, such as use of statins, ACE inhibitors and insulin sensitizers to prevent obesity-related microvascular complications. We further identify some of the important challenges and opportunities going forward. LINKED ARTICLES This article is part of a themed section on Fat and Vascular Responsiveness. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2012.165.issue-3 PMID:21797844

  17. Adult criminal involvement: A cross-sectional inquiry into correlates and mechanisms over the life course

    PubMed Central

    DePadilla, Lara; Perkins, Molly M.; Elifson, Kirk W.; Sterk, Claire E.

    2013-01-01

    In this paper, we examine the relative contribution of four domains of predictors that have been linked to adult criminal involvement: (1) socio-demographic characteristics, (2) family-of-origin factors, (3) proximal processes developed during adolescence, and (4) current lifestyle and situational factors. Cross-sectional data were collected through face-to-face interviews with 242 community-recruited adults. Data analysis involved negative binomial regression. Being male, family size, juvenile delinquency, aggression, living with someone involved in illegal activity and recent violent victimization were independently associated with non-violent criminal involvement. Aggression, association with deviant peers, and recent violent victimization were independently associated with violent criminal involvement. Juvenile delinquency and aggression mediated the affect of multiple family-of-origin characteristics on non-violent criminal involvement and aggression mediated the effect of childhood physical abuse on violent criminal involvement. The results emphasize the importance of investigating both antecedents and proximal risk factors predictive of different types of criminal involvement, which, in turn, will assist in developing risk-focused prevention and intervention programs. PMID:24307752

  18. CLINICAL APPLICATIONS OF CRYOTHERAPY AMONG SPORTS PHYSICAL THERAPISTS.

    PubMed

    Hawkins, Shawn W; Hawkins, Jeremy R

    2016-02-01

    Therapeutic modalities (TM) are used by sports physical therapists (SPT) but how they are used is unknown. To identify the current clinical use patterns for cryotherapy among SPT. Cross-sectional survey. All members (7283) of the Sports Physical Therapy Section of the APTA were recruited. A scenario-based survey using pre-participation management of an acute or sub-acute ankle sprain was developed. A Select Survey link was distributed via email to participants. Respondents selected a treatment approach based upon options provided. Follow-up questions were asked. The survey was available for two weeks with a follow-up email sent after one week. Question answers were the main outcome measures. Reliability: Cronbach's alpha=>0.9. The SPT response rate = 6.9% (503); responses came from 48 states. Survey results indicated great variability in respondents' approaches to the treatment of an acute and sub-acute ankle sprain. SPT applied cryotherapy with great variability and not always in accordance to the limited research on the TM. Continuing education, application of current research, and additional outcomes based research needs to remain a focus for clinicians. 3.

  19. 2012 AGU section and focus group awardees and named lecturers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Williams, Danica

    2012-11-01

    Each year, more than 20 awards are presented by AGU sections and focus groups to recipients at various stages in their careers. In addition, nearly 25 individuals are selected annually to present lectures under the Bowie Lecture Series and the Section and Focus Group Named Lecture Series. The Bowie Lecture Series was inaugurated in 1989 to commemorate the fiftieth presentation of the William Bowie Medal, which is AGU's highest honor and is named for AGU's first president. Named lectures are designated by sections and focus groups to honor and memorialize distinguished scientists in their respective fields of science.

  20. Guiding Users to Sea Level Change Data Through Content

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Quach, N.; Abercrombie, S. P.; Boening, C.; Brennan, H. P.; Gill, K. M.; Greguska, F. R., III; Huang, T.; Jackson, R.; Larour, E. Y.; Shaftel, H.; Tenenbaum, L. F.; Zlotnicki, V.; Boeck, A.; Moore, B.; Moore, J.

    2017-12-01

    The NASA Sea Level Change Portal (https://sealevel.nasa.gov) is an immersive and innovative web portal for sea level change research that addresses the needs of diverse audiences, from scientists across disparate disciplines to the general public to policy makers and businesses. Since sea level change research involves vast amounts of data from multiple fields, it becomes increasingly important to come up with novel and effective ways to guide users to the data they need. News articles published on the portal contains links to relevant data. The Missions section highlights missions and projects as well as provide a logical grouping of the data. Tools available on the portal, such as the Data Analysis Tool, a data visualization and high-performance environment for sea level analysis, and the Virtual Earth System Laboratory, a 3D simulation application, describes and links to the source data. With over 30K Facebook followers and over 23K Twitter follower, the portal outreach team also leverages social media to guide users to relevant data. This presentation focuses on how the portal uses news articles, mission and project pages, tools, and social media to connect users to the data.

  1. Radiation cross-linking in ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene for orthopaedic applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oral, Ebru; Muratoglu, Orhun K.

    2007-12-01

    The motivation for radiation cross-linking of ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) is to increase its wear resistance to be used as bearing surfaces for total joint arthroplasty. However, radiation also leaves behind long-lived residual free radicals in this polymer, the reactions of which can detrimentally affect mechanical properties. In this review, we focus on the radiation cross-linking and oxidative stability of first and second generation highly cross-linked UHMWPEs developed in our laboratory.

  2. A satellite based telemetry link for a UAV application

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bloise, Anthony

    1995-01-01

    The requirements for a satellite based communication facility to service the needs of the Geographical Information System (GIS) data collection community are addressed in this paper. GIS data is supplied in the form of video imagery at sub-television rates in one or more spectral bands / polarizations laced with a position correlated data stream. The limitations and vicissitudes of using a terrestrial based telecommunications link to collect GIS data are illustrated from actual mission scenarios. The expectations from a satellite based communications link by the geophysical data collection community concerning satellite architecture, operating bands, bandwidth, footprint agility, up link and down link hardware configurations on the UAV, the Mobile Control Vehicle and at the Central Command and Data Collection Facility comprise the principle issues discussed in the first section of this paper. The final section of the paper discusses satellite based communication links would have an increased volume and scope of services the GIS data collection community could make available to the GIS user community, and the price the data collection community could afford to pay for access to the communication satellite described in the paper.

  3. A Collection of Features for Semantic Graphs

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

    Eliassi-Rad, T; Fodor, I K; Gallagher, B

    2007-05-02

    Semantic graphs are commonly used to represent data from one or more data sources. Such graphs extend traditional graphs by imposing types on both nodes and links. This type information defines permissible links among specified nodes and can be represented as a graph commonly referred to as an ontology or schema graph. Figure 1 depicts an ontology graph for data from National Association of Securities Dealers. Each node type and link type may also have a list of attributes. To capture the increased complexity of semantic graphs, concepts derived for standard graphs have to be extended. This document explains brieflymore » features commonly used to characterize graphs, and their extensions to semantic graphs. This document is divided into two sections. Section 2 contains the feature descriptions for static graphs. Section 3 extends the features for semantic graphs that vary over time.« less

  4. Human Puumala and Dobrava Hantavirus Infections in the Black Sea Region of Turkey: A Cross-Sectional Study

    PubMed Central

    Kalaycioglu, Handan; Uyar, Yavuz; Sevindi, Demet Furkan; Turkyilmaz, Bedia; Çakir, Vedat; Cindemir, Cengiz; Unal, Belgin; Yağçi-Çağlayik, Dilek; Korukluoglu, Gulay; Ertek, Mustafa; Heyman, Paul; Lundkvist, Åke

    2013-01-01

    Abstract This study was carried out to better understand the epidemiology of hantaviruses in a province of Turkey (Giresun) where human hantavirus disease has recently been detected. In this cross-sectional study, a total of 626 blood samples from healthy people aged 15 and 84 years old were collected both in urban and rural areas in 2009. The sera were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), immunoblotting assay, and the focus reduction neutralization test (FRNT). We screened the samples by an ELISA and found that 65/626 samples reacted positively for the presence of hantavirus-reactive immunoglobulin G (IgG). Twenty of the 65 ELISA-positive samples could be confirmed by an immunobloting assay, and the overall seroprevalence was thereby calculated to 3.2% (20/626). The seroprevalence of the people living in wood areas or adobe houses 9/17 (52.9%) was significantly higher than among people living in concrete houses 10/47 (21.3%) (p=0.014). Finally, 3 of the 20 immunoblot-positive sera were confirmed as specific for the Puumala hantavirus serotype by FRNT, 1 serum was confirmed as Dobrava virus-specific, whereas 1 serum was found to be equally reactive to Dobrava and Saaremaa viruses. We will now focus on further investigations of the ecology and epidemiology of hantaviruses in humans and their carrier animals in Turkey, studies that have already been started and will be further intensified. PMID:23289396

  5. ACHP | "The Section 106 Essentials" Course

    Science.gov Websites

    Working with Section 106 Federal, State, & Tribal Programs Training & Education Publications Search skip specific nav links Home arrow Training and Education arrow The Section 106 Training Courses SECTION 106 TRAINING COURSES Why choose the ACHP for Section 106 training? Up-to-the-minute regulatory

  6. Physically and psychologically hazardous jobs and mental health in Thailand

    PubMed Central

    Yiengprugsawan, Vasoontara; Strazdins, Lyndall; Lim, Lynette L.-Y.; Kelly, Matthew; Seubsman, Sam-ang; Sleigh, Adrian C.

    2015-01-01

    This paper investigates associations between hazardous jobs, mental health and wellbeing among Thai adults. In 2005, 87 134 distance-learning students from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University completed a self-administered questionnaire; at the 2009 follow-up 60 569 again participated. Job characteristics were reported in 2005, psychological distress and life satisfaction were reported in both 2005 and 2009. We derived two composite variables grading psychologically and physically hazardous jobs and reported adjusted odds ratios (AOR) from multivariate logistic regressions. Analyses focused on cohort members in paid work: the total was 62 332 at 2005 baseline and 41 671 at 2009 follow-up. Cross-sectional AORs linking psychologically hazardous jobs to psychological distress ranged from 1.52 (one hazard) to 4.48 (four hazards) for males and a corresponding 1.34–3.76 for females. Similarly AORs for physically hazardous jobs were 1.75 (one hazard) to 2.76 (four or more hazards) for males and 1.70–3.19 for females. A similar magnitude of associations was found between psychologically adverse jobs and low life satisfaction (AORs of 1.34–4.34 among males and 1.18–3.63 among females). Longitudinal analyses confirm these cross-sectional relationships. Thus, significant dose–response associations were found linking hazardous job exposures in 2005 to mental health and wellbeing in 2009. The health impacts of psychologically and physically hazardous jobs in developed, Western countries are equally evident in transitioning Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand. Regulation and monitoring of work conditions will become increasingly important to the health and wellbeing of the Thai workforce. PMID:24218225

  7. Linking Ecosystem Services and Human Health: The Eco-Health Relationship Browser#

    EPA Science Inventory

    Ecosystems and the services they provide have been linked in the literature to multiple human health outcomes. Demonstrated and proposed mechanisms focus on hazard buffering and health-promotional aspects of ecosystems. Services such as air and water filtration, heat mitigation...

  8. PONS - Mobility Assistance on Footpaths for Public Transportation.

    PubMed

    Koutny, Reinhard; Miesenberger, Klaus

    2015-01-01

    This paper presents an ongoing project targeting mobility support for users of public transportation including people with limited mobility. Existing approaches in this field mostly offer non-continuous guidance during the whole journey including multiple rides with different vehicles and footpaths in between at transfer points. Especially people with limited mobility, like people with disabilities and elderly people, or travelers who are not familiar with the specific route or transfer point, like tourists, often struggle with public transportation. They crave for a seamless approach covering all links of the mobility chain - the sequence of sections of the whole route - and providing comprehensive assistance throughout the whole journey. Previous projects and widespread experiences of project partners revealed that especially footpath sections are lacking proper support. In particular, the consortium identified three problem areas in existing approaches when dealing with footpath sections: (1) A lack of information, (2) a lack of orientation and (3) a lack of provision of services. In order to bridge (lat. PONS) these gaps in the mobility chain, new paradigms and technology concepts are developed to tackle the shortcomings on footpaths and combined in a toolkit to help developers of applications with focus on pedestrian navigation and public transport to improve their solutions with sustainable and state-of-the-art approaches.

  9. ACHP | "The Section 106 Advanced" Course

    Science.gov Websites

    Working with Section 106 Federal, State, & Tribal Programs Training & Education Publications Search skip specific nav links Home arrow Training and Education arrow Advanced Section 106 Seminar Essentials Training Course? Looking for the Section 106 Basics Course? Course Description An in-depth look at

  10. The impact of GPX1 on the association of groundwater selenium and depression: a project FRONTIER study

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Prior animal model and human-based studies have linked selenium concentrations to decreased risk for depression; however, this work has not focused on household groundwater levels or specific depressive symptoms. The current study evaluated the link between groundwater selenium levels and depression. We also sought to determine if a functional polymorphism in the glutathione peroxidase 1 (GPX1) gene impacted this link. Methods We used a cross-sectional design to analyze data from 585 participants (183 men and 402 women) from Project FRONTIER, a study of rural health in West Texas. Residential selenium concentrations were estimated using Geospatial Information System (GIS) analyses. Linear regression models were created using Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS-30) total and subfactor scores as outcome variables and selenium concentrations as predictor variables. Analyses were re-run after stratification of the sample on GPX1 Pro198Leu genotype (rs1050454). Results Selenium levels were significantly and negatively related to all GDS and subfactor scores accounting for up to 17% of the variance beyond covariates. Selenium was most strongly protective against depression among homozygous carriers of the C allele at the Pro198Leu polymorphism of the GPX1 gene. Analyses also point towards a gene-environmental interaction between selenium exposure and GPX1 polymorphism. Conclusion Our results support the link between groundwater selenium levels and decreased depression symptoms. These findings also highlight the need to consider the genetics of the glutathione peroxidase system when examining this relationship, as variation in the GPX1 gene is related to depression risk and significantly influences the protective impact of selenium, which is indicative of a gene-environment interaction. PMID:23289525

  11. Facing humanness: Facial width-to-height ratio predicts ascriptions of humanity.

    PubMed

    Deska, Jason C; Lloyd, E Paige; Hugenberg, Kurt

    2018-01-01

    [Correction Notice: An Erratum for this article was reported in Vol 114(1) of Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (see record 2017-57724-002). In the article, there is a data error in the Results section of Study 1c. The fourth sentence of the fourth paragraph should read as follows: High fWHR targets (M= 74.39, SD=18.25) were rated as equivalently evolved as their low fWHR counterparts (M=79.39, SD=15.91).] The ascription of mind to others is central to social cognition. Most research on the ascription of mind has focused on motivated, top-down processes. The current work provides novel evidence that facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR) serves as a bottom-up perceptual signal of humanness. Using a range of well-validated operational definitions of humanness, we provide evidence across 5 studies that target faces with relatively greater fWHR are seen as less than fully human compared with their relatively lower fWHR counterparts. We then present 2 ancillary studies exploring whether the fWHR-to-humanness link is mediated by previously established fWHR-trait links in the literature. Finally, 3 additional studies extend this fWHR-humanness link beyond measurements of humanness, demonstrating that the fWHR-humanness link has consequences for downstream social judgments including the sorts of crimes people are perceived to be guilty of and the social tasks for which they seem helpful. In short, we provide evidence for the hypothesis that individuals with relatively greater facial width-to-height ratio are routinely denied sophisticated, humanlike minds. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  12. The relation between sexual behavior and religiosity subtypes: a test of the secularization hypothesis.

    PubMed

    Farmer, Melissa A; Trapnell, Paul D; Meston, Cindy M

    2009-10-01

    Previous literature on religion and sexual behavior has focused on narrow definitions of religiosity, including religious affiliation, religious participation, or forms of religiousness (e.g., intrinsic religiosity). Trends toward more permissive premarital sexual activity in the North American Christian-Judeo religion support the secularization hypothesis of religion, which posits an increasing gap between religious doctrine and behavior. However, the recent rise of fundamentalist and new age religious movements calls for a reexamination of the current link between religion and sexual behavior. The use of dual definitions of religiosity, including religious affiliation and dimensional subtypes, may further characterize this link. The present cross-sectional study evaluated patterns of sexual behavior in a young adult sample (N = 1302, M age = 18.77 years) in the context of the secularization hypothesis using religious affiliation and a liberal-conservative continuum of religious subtypes: paranormal belief, spirituality, intrinsic religiosity, and fundamentalism. Results indicated few affiliation differences in sexual behavior in men or women. Sexual behaviors were statistically predicted by spirituality, fundamentalism, and paranormal belief, and the endorsement of fundamentalism in particular was correlated with lower levels of female sexual behavior. The secularization hypothesis was supported by consistent levels of sexual activity across affiliations and is contradicted by the differential impact of religiosity subtypes on sexual behavior. Findings suggested that the use of religious subtypes to evaluate religious differences, rather than solely affiliation, may yield useful insights into the link between religion and sexual behavior.

  13. Differential exposure and differential vulnerability as counteracting forces linking the psychosocial work environment to socioeconomic health differences.

    PubMed

    Vanroelen, C; Levecque, K; Louckx, F

    2010-10-01

    In this article, the link between (1) psychosocial working conditions (job demands, job autonomy, task variation, social support), (2) self-reported health (persistent fatigue, musculoskeletal complaints, emotional well-being) and (3) socioeconomic position (skill levels, occupational status) is explored. The two theoretical pathways linking the psychosocial work environment to socioeconomic differences in health are explored: differential exposure and differential vulnerability. Previously, the focus has often been on social inequalities in exposure to the stressors. The pathway of differential vulnerability in different socioeconomic positions is often neglected. In a representative cross-sectional sample of 11,099 Flemish (Belgian) wage earners, 16-65 years of age (47.5% women), logit modelling is applied. Higher exposure to psychosocial occupational stressors is associated with a higher prevalence of adverse health outcomes. Lower skill levels and subordinate occupational positions show a higher prevalence of musculoskeletal complaints, but not of persistent fatigue or emotional well-being. High demands, job strain and iso-strain are more common in higher-skilled, supervisory and managerial positions, but have the strongest health-damaging effects in lower socioeconomic positions. Low control is more prevalent in lower-skilled and subordinate positions, while having stronger adverse health effects in higher socioeconomic positions-the same holds for social support, although it has no clear socioeconomic distribution. Differential exposure and differential vulnerability constitute two counteracting forces in constituting the association between the psychosocial work environment and socioeconomic differences in self-reported health complaints among wage earners.

  14. ACHP | Using Section 106 to Protect Historic Properties brochure

    Science.gov Websites

    Search skip specific nav links Home arrow Publications arrow Intro: "Using Section 106 to Protect Historic Properties" brochure Using Section 106 to Protect Historic Properties 2002; 6-panel brochure Federal decisions that impact historic properties. The brochure, "Using Section 106 to Protect

  15. 46 CFR 160.073-15 - Tests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 6 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Tests. 160.073-15 Section 160.073-15 Shipping COAST...-15 Tests. (a) The manufacturer shall perform a tensile test on the first three links made from a particular spool of wire. The test must be done by slowly loading the link until it breaks. The link must...

  16. 46 CFR 160.073-15 - Tests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 6 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Tests. 160.073-15 Section 160.073-15 Shipping COAST...-15 Tests. (a) The manufacturer shall perform a tensile test on the first three links made from a particular spool of wire. The test must be done by slowly loading the link until it breaks. The link must...

  17. 46 CFR 160.073-15 - Tests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 6 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Tests. 160.073-15 Section 160.073-15 Shipping COAST...-15 Tests. (a) The manufacturer shall perform a tensile test on the first three links made from a particular spool of wire. The test must be done by slowly loading the link until it breaks. The link must...

  18. 46 CFR 160.073-15 - Tests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 6 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Tests. 160.073-15 Section 160.073-15 Shipping COAST...-15 Tests. (a) The manufacturer shall perform a tensile test on the first three links made from a particular spool of wire. The test must be done by slowly loading the link until it breaks. The link must...

  19. 46 CFR 160.073-15 - Tests.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... 46 Shipping 6 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Tests. 160.073-15 Section 160.073-15 Shipping COAST...-15 Tests. (a) The manufacturer shall perform a tensile test on the first three links made from a particular spool of wire. The test must be done by slowly loading the link until it breaks. The link must...

  20. ACHP | ACHP Receives Section 213 Report on Presidio of San Francisco

    Science.gov Websites

    Search skip specific nav links Home arrow News arrow ACHP Receives Section 213 Report on Presidio of San Francisco ACHP Receives Section 213 Report on Presidio of San Francisco The ACHP received its requested

  1. Convenience foods. What, why, and when.

    PubMed

    Scholliers, Peter

    2015-11-01

    An attempt is made to assess the academic interest in convenience foods in the past decades in order to introduce this special section on historical dimensions of convenience foods, prepared by FOST, a unit that investigates the history and culture of food (up to today). First, the rise of academic interest is trailed since the appearance of the concept in the 1920s and, next, themes in connection to this interest are considered (e.g., time, health, or gender). Then, definitions of convenience foods are tracked since the 1950s, which leads to suggesting a clear focus (linking convenience foods to home cooking of meals and industrially produced foods). The conclusion stresses the changing definition of the concept, as well as the need to gain historical insight in present-day issues related to convenience foods. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Baby Teeth Link Autism and Heavy Metals, NIH Study Suggests

    MedlinePlus

    ... Release Thursday, June 1, 2017 Baby teeth link autism and heavy metals, NIH study suggests Cross-section ... Sinai Health System Baby teeth from children with autism contain more toxic lead and less of the ...

  3. Human factors experiments for data link : interim report 1

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1972-11-01

    This report discusses three experiments aimed at providing information pertinent to the Data Link Operational Experiments Program. Section 1. describes the evaluation of the WIDCOM, a visual display, and a voice synthesizer for providing ATC informat...

  4. Introduction of a child and adolescent mental health link worker: education and health staff focus group findings.

    PubMed

    Hunter, A; Playle, J; Sanchez, P; Cahill, J; McGowan, L

    2008-10-01

    Policy guidance suggests that outcomes for adolescents with mental health problems can be improved by secondary education services (SES) and child and adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) working more closely. This study reports on staff experiences of the introduction of a mental health link worker (MHLW). The findings of two focus groups are presented, conducted with staff from CAMHS and SES. These focus groups formed part of the overall wider evaluation of the MHLW role. The groups explored staff perceptions and experiences following the introduction of the MHLW, and elicited their views on the effectiveness of this innovative role. Qualitative methods were employed, and analysis was conducted using the principles of grounded theory and the constant comparative method. The findings revealed that the MHLW was well received by both groups, despite the identification of potential barriers. A number of key themes emerged, which included the ability of the link worker to improve communication and to encourage mutual understanding between services. The issues raised by these themes are discussed and recommendations are made for future practice and research.

  5. EEE Links, Volume 9, No. 1, January 2003 Focus on Plastic Parts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2003-01-01

    The January 2003 issue of Electronic, Electromechanical, Electric (EEE) Links is presented. The Programmable Logic Application Notes column has been reinstated in this newsletter. Written by Rich Katz of NASA's Office of Logic Design (OLD), the application notes offer technical tips intended to prevent flight design errors and enhance research, development, and use of programmable logic and elements for space flight applications. An archive of these notes columns from previous issues of EEE Links is available at http://www.klabs.org/richcontent/eeelink s/EEE Links.htm.

  6. On Optimizing the Configuration of Time-Transfer Links Used to Generate TAI

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-01-01

    TAI be generated through combinations of Two Way Satellite Time and Frequency Transfer ( TWSTFT ) links and GPS links. It is assumed that Study Group I...the lack of low-noise connectivity between the Asian and American-European TWSTFT links may require two pivot sites instead of one. We recommend...band Two Way Satellite Time and Frequency Transfer ( TWSTFT ), and X-band TWSTFT [1]. In order to improve TAI-generation, the BIPM Time Section asked

  7. Managing Stress and Maintaining Well-Being: Social Support, Problem-Focused Coping, and Avoidant Coping

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chao, Ruth Chu-Lien

    2011-01-01

    This study tested a model that links stress, social support, problem-focused coping, and well-being. First, it looks at how high support significantly moderated the association between stress and well-being. Next, the students' problem-focused coping was seen as mediating this moderated association. Finally, a 3-way interaction of stress, social…

  8. ACHP | Training and Education

    Science.gov Websites

    Working with Section 106 Federal, State, & Tribal Programs Training & Education Publications Search Youth & Historic Preservation Recovery Act skip specific nav links Home arrow Training and Education Training and Education Section 106 Classroom Training Instructor-led Webinars on Section 106

  9. Analysis of Femoral Components of Cemented Total Hip Arthroplasty

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Singh, Shantanu; Harsha, A. P.

    2016-10-01

    There have been continuous on-going revisions in design of prosthesis in Total Hip Arthroplasty (THA) to improve the endurance of hip replacement. In the present work, Finite Element Analysis was performed on cemented THA with CoCrMo trapezoidal, CoCrMo circular, Ti6Al4V trapezoidal and Ti6Al4V circular stem. It was observed that cross section and material of femoral stem proved to be critical parameters for stress distribution in femoral components, distribution of interfacial stress and micro movements. In the first part of analysis, designs were investigated for micro movements and stress developed, for different stem materials. Later part of the analysis focused on investigations with respect to different stem cross sections. Femoral stem made of Titanium alloy (Ti6Al4V) resulted in larger debonding of stem at cement-stem interface and increased stress within the cement mantle in contrast to chromium alloy (CoCrMo) stem. Thus, CoCrMo proved to be a better choice for cemented THA. Comparison between CoCrMo femoral stem of trapezium and circular cross section showed that trapezoidal stem experiences lesser sliding and debonding at interfaces than circular cross section stem. Also, trapezium cross section generated lower peak stress in femoral stem and cortical femur. In present study, femur head with diameter of 36 mm was considered for the analysis in order to avoid dislocation of the stem. Also, metallic femur head was coupled with cross linked polyethylene liner as it experiences negligible wear compared to conventional polyethylene liner and unlike metallic liner it is non carcinogenic.

  10. The effect of nerve section on the incidence and distribution of gap junctions in the odontoblast layer of the cat.

    PubMed

    Holland, G R

    1987-08-01

    Gap junctions are numerous in the odontoblast layer of the dental pulp and may link sensory axons to odontoblasts. If these junctions do link axons and odontoblasts, they, together with the axons, should disappear after cutting the pulpal nerves centrally. Under general anesthesia the inferior alveolar nerve on one side of two young adult cats was sectioned. Under general anesthesia the animals were perfused with fixative 56 hours later and the coronal dental pulp prepared for electron microscopy. Ultrathin sections were examined from the level of the pulpal cornu and levels approximately one, two, and three mm below this. The incidence of cell processes and gap junctions was measured at different distances from the pulp predentin junction, and operated and control sides compared. The odontoblast layer at the level of the cornu differed from elsewhere in having, on the control side, a greater density of cell processes and gap junctions and in having clearly recognizable axons approaching to within 5 to 10 micron of the predentin. The only statistically significant changes after nerve section occurred in this layer and consisted of a decline in the incidence of cell processes and of gap junctions that link one cell process to another. There was no significant difference between the operated and control sides in the number of gap junctions linking cell processes to recognizable cell bodies. The odontoblast layer in the pulpal cornu contained substantial numbers of unsheathed axons, many presumably en route to the dentin. These axons may participate in gap junctions that link them to other cell processes, possibly even other axons.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

  11. Racial/Ethnic Discrimination and Mental Health in Mexican-Origin Youths and Their Parents: Testing the "Linked Lives" Hypothesis.

    PubMed

    Park, Irene J K; Du, Han; Wang, Lijuan; Williams, David R; Alegría, Margarita

    2018-04-01

    Using a life course perspective, the present study tested the concept of "linked lives" applied to the problem of not only how racial/ethnic discrimination may be associated with poor mental health for the target of discrimination but also how discrimination may exacerbate the discrimination-distress link for others in the target's social network-in this case, the family. The discrimination-distress link was investigated among 269 Mexican-origin adolescents and their parents both cross-sectionally and longitudinally. It was hypothesized that parents' discrimination experiences would adversely affect their adolescent children's mental health via a moderating effect on the target adolescent discrimination-distress link. The converse was also hypothesized for the target parents. Multilevel moderation analyses were conducted to test the moderating effect of parents' discrimination experiences on the youth discrimination-distress link. We also tested the moderating effect of youths' discrimination experiences on the parent discrimination-distress link. Parents' discrimination experiences significantly moderated the longitudinal association between youths' discrimination stress appraisals and mental health, such that the father's discrimination experiences exacerbated the youth discrimination-depression link. Youths' discrimination stress appraisals were not a significant moderator of the cross-sectional parent discrimination-mental health association. Implications of these findings are discussed from a linked lives perspective, highlighting how fathers' discrimination experiences can adversely affect youths who are coping with discrimination, in terms of their mental health. Copyright © 2017 The Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. Longitudinal Evidence Linking Processing Speed to the Development of Reasoning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kail, Robert V.; Lervåg, Arne; Hulme, Charles

    2016-01-01

    Age-related change in processing speed has been linked directly to increases in reasoning as well as indirectly via increases in the capacity of working memory (WM). Most of the evidence linking change in speed to reasoning has come from cross-sectional research; in this article we present the findings from a 2½-year longitudinal study of 277 6-…

  13. 17 CFR 240.14a-8 - Shareholder proposals.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... Exchange Act of 1934 Regulation 14a: Solicitation of Proxies § 240.14a-8 Shareholder proposals. Link to an amendment published at 75 FR 56782, Sept. 16, 2010. Link to a delay published at 75 FR 64641, Oct. 20, 2010. Link to an amendment published at 76 FR 6045, Feb. 2, 2011. This section addresses when a company must...

  14. What Can Funders Do to Better Link Science with Decisions? Case Studies of Coastal Communities and Climate Change

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Matso, Kalle E.; Becker, Mimi L.

    2014-12-01

    Many reports and studies have noted that a significant portion of problem-oriented coastal science does not actually link to decisions. Here, three competitively funded project case studies are studied to determine what funders can and should do to better link science with decisions. The qualitative analysis used for this study indicates that the studied program was seen as being unusually attentive to the issue of linking science to decisions, as opposed to simply generating new knowledge. Nevertheless, much of the data indicate that funders can and should do more. Three ideas figured most prominently in the qualitative data: (1) funders should do more to ensure that the problem itself is defined more thoroughly with people who are envisioned as potential users of the science; (2) funders need to allocate more resources and attention to communicating effectively (with users) throughout the project; and (3) funders need to demand more engagement of users throughout the project. These findings have important implications for how funders review and support science, especially when competitive processes are used. Most importantly, funders should adjust what kind of science they ask for. Secondly, funders need to change who is involved in the review process. Currently, review processes focus on knowledge generation, which means that the reviewers themselves have expertise in that area. Instead, review panels should be balanced between those who focus on knowledge generation and those who focus on linking knowledge to decisions; this is a separate but critical discipline currently left out of the review process.

  15. Contrasted patterns of selection on MHC-linked microsatellites in natural populations of the Malagasy plague reservoir.

    PubMed

    Tollenaere, Charlotte; Ivanova, Svilena; Duplantier, Jean-Marc; Loiseau, Anne; Rahalison, Lila; Rahelinirina, Soanandrasana; Brouat, Carine

    2012-01-01

    Plague (Yersinia pestis infection) is a highly virulent rodent disease that persists in many natural ecosystems. The black rat (Rattus rattus) is the main host involved in the plague focus of the central highlands of Madagascar. Black rat populations from this area are highly resistant to plague, whereas those from areas in which the disease is absent (low altitude zones of Madagascar) are susceptible. Various lines of evidence suggest a role for the Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) in plague resistance. We therefore used the MHC region as a candidate for detecting signatures of plague-mediated selection in Malagasy black rats, by comparing population genetic structures for five MHC-linked microsatellites and neutral markers in two sampling designs. We first compared four pairs of populations, each pair including one population from the plague focus and one from the disease-free zone. Plague-mediated selection was expected to result in greater genetic differentiation between the two zones than expected under neutrality and this was observed for one MHC-class I-linked locus (D20Img2). For this marker as well as for four other MHC-linked loci, a geographic pattern of genetic structure was found at local scale within the plague focus. This pattern would be expected if plague selection pressures were spatially variable. Finally, another MHC-class I-linked locus (D20Rat21) showed evidences of balancing selection, but it seems more likely that this selection would be related to unknown pathogens more widely distributed in Madagascar than plague.

  16. Linking Sculpture to Core Subjects.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Khilnani, Sharda; Culhane, Douglas

    1995-01-01

    This article describes a cooperative project between a teacher and sculptor to link sculpture with academic subjects within a self-contained class for 13-year-old students with learning disabilities. The nine-week project focused on biological habitats and included the construction of three-dimensional habitats on pieces of wood. (DB)

  17. Interpersonal Stress Generation as a Mechanism Linking Rumination to Internalizing Symptoms in Early Adolescents

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McLaughlin, Katie A.; Nolen-Hoeksema, Susan

    2012-01-01

    Rumination is a risk factor for depressive and anxiety symptoms in adolescents. Previous investigations of the mechanisms linking rumination to internalizing problems have focused primarily on cognitive factors. We investigated whether interpersonal stress generation plays a role in the longitudinal relationship between rumination and…

  18. The Role of Higher Education in Linking Arts, Culture, and Economic Development

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Steinkamp, Judith S.

    2004-01-01

    In the knowledge economy, colleges and universities are realigning academic initiatives to link more closely with regional needs. They are unique catalysts for forming community alliances to focus on issues of economic development, neighborhood revitalization, and cultural tourism. In partnership with business, municipalities, and cultural…

  19. LINKS to NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MARINE FORECAST OFFICES

    Science.gov Websites

    Coastal Flooding Tsunamis 406 EPIRB's National Weather Service Marine Forecasts LINKS to NATIONAL WEATHER Marine Forecasts in text form ) Coastal NWS Forecast Offices have regionally focused marine webpages which are overflowing with information such as coastal forecasts, predicted tides, and buoy observations

  20. Plenary Presentations. Pacific Telecommunications Council Annual Conference (16th, Honolulu, Hawaii, January 16-20, 1994).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Savage, James G., Ed.; Wedemeyer, Dan J., Ed.

    This document contains the following plenary speeches from the 1994 annual conference of the Pacific Telecommunications Council (PTC): "Forging New Links--Focus on Developing Economies" by Sir Donald Maitland of the Independent Commission for World-Wide Telecommunications Development (United Kingdom); "The Missing Link: Still…

  1. The Integrated Library System of the 1990s: The OhioLINK Experience.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hawks, Carol Pitts

    1992-01-01

    Discussion of integrated library systems focuses on the development of the Ohio Library and Information Network (OhioLINK). Capabilities of eight existing systems are described, including catalog creation and maintenance; the online public access catalog (OPAC); circulation, interlibrary loan, and document delivery; acquisitions and serials…

  2. The Alameda County Study: A Systematic, Chronological Review

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Housman, Jeff; Dorman, Steve

    2005-01-01

    This study is a systematic review of the Alameda County study findings and their importance in establishing a link between lifestyle and health outcomes. A systematic review of literature was performed and data indicating important links between lifestyle and health were synthesized. Although initial studies focused on the associations between…

  3. Extracting Macroscopic Information from Web Links.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thelwall, Mike

    2001-01-01

    Discussion of Web-based link analysis focuses on an evaluation of Ingversen's proposed external Web Impact Factor for the original use of the Web, namely the interlinking of academic research. Studies relationships between academic hyperlinks and research activities for British universities and discusses the use of search engines for Web link…

  4. Acquaintance Rape and Alcohol Consumption on College Campuses: How Are They Linked?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abbey, Antonia

    1991-01-01

    Explores the links between acquaintance rape and alcohol consumption among college students, two serious problems on campus. Seven explanations for the relationship focus on alcohol consumption by the perpetrator and by the victim. The need to conduct further studies and develop prevention programs is addressed. (Author/SM)

  5. Emotion-focused coping as a mediator of maternal cocaine abuse and antisocial behavior.

    PubMed

    Hien, Denise A; Miele, Gloria M

    2003-03-01

    A great deal of data implicate parental drug use as a potential risk factor for child abuse; however, theories for understanding the links between maternal drug use and antisocial behavior have yet to be examined empirically. This case-control study investigated correlates of adult antisocial behavior among 279 inner-city mothers in 3 comparison groups: drug abusers (n = 112), depressed mothers (n = 73), and nonsubstance abusing controls (n = 94). Using hierarchical regression techniques and mediational analyses controlling for ethnicity, current depression, and family history of substance abuse, support was provided for an emotion-focused coping style as a link between addictive and antisocial behavior. These results highlight the importance of focusing on emotion regulation models in the prevention and treatment of violence in drug-abusing women.

  6. Age-Dependency of Location of Epileptic Foci in "Continuous Spike-and-Waves during Sleep": A Parallel to the Posterior-Anterior Trajectory of Slow Wave Activity.

    PubMed

    Bölsterli Heinzle, Bigna Katrin; Bast, Thomas; Critelli, Hanne; Huber, Reto; Schmitt, Bernhard

    2017-02-01

    Epileptic encephalopathy with continuous spike-and-waves during sleep (CSWS) occurs during childhood and is characterized by an activation of spike wave complexes during slow wave sleep. The location of epileptic foci is variable, as is etiology. A relationship between the epileptic focus and age has been shown in various focal epilepsies following a posterior-anterior trajectory, and a link to brain maturation has been proposed. We hypothesize that in CSWS, maximal spike wave activity, corresponding to the epileptic focus, is related to age and shows a posterior-anterior evolution. In a retrospective cross-sectional study on CSWS (22 EEGs of 22 patients aged 3.1–13.5 years), the location of the epileptic focus is related to age and follows a posterior-anterior course. Younger patients are more likely to have posterior foci than older ones. We propose that the posterior-anterior trajectory of maximal spike waves in CSWS might reflect maturational changes of maximal expression of sleep slow waves, which follow a comparable course. Epileptic spike waves, that is, “hyper-synchronized slow waves” may occur at the place where the highest and therefore most synchronized slow waves meet brain tissue with an increased susceptibility to synchronization. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

  7. The process of EDC-NHS cross-linking of reconstituted collagen fibres increases collagen fibrillar order and alignment

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

    Shepherd, D. V., E-mail: dvs23@cam.ac.uk; Shepherd, J. H.; Cameron, R. E.

    We describe the production of collagen fibre bundles through a multi-strand, semi-continuous extrusion process. Cross-linking using an EDC (1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide), NHS (N-hydroxysuccinimide) combination was considered. Atomic Force Microscopy and Raman spectroscopy focused on how cross-linking affected the collagen fibrillar structure. In the cross-linked fibres, a clear fibrillar structure comparable to native collagen was observed which was not observed in the non-cross-linked fibre. The amide III doublet in the Raman spectra provided additional evidence of alignment in the cross-linked fibres. Raman spectroscopy also indicated no residual polyethylene glycol (from the fibre forming buffer) or water in any of the fibres.

  8. Engineering of multi-segmented light tunnel and flattop focus with designed axial lengths and gaps

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Yanzhong; Huang, Han; Zhou, Mianmian; Zhan, Qiwen

    2018-01-01

    Based on the radiation pattern from a sectional-uniform line source antenna, a three-dimensional (3D) focus engineering technique for the creation of multi-segmented light tunnel and flattop focus with designed axial lengths and gaps is proposed. Under a 4Pi focusing system, the fields radiated from sectional-uniform magnetic and electromagnetic current line source antennas are employed to generate multi-segmented optical tube and flattop focus, respectively. Numerical results demonstrate that the produced light tube and flattop focus remain homogeneous along the optical axis; and their lengths of the nth segment and the nth gap between consecutive segments can be easily adjusted and only depend on the sizes of the nth section and the nth blanking between adjacent sectional antennas. The optical tube is a pure azimuthally polarized field but for the flattop focus the longitudinal polarization is dominant on the optical axis. To obtain the required pupil plane illumination for constructing the above focal field with prescribed characteristics, the inverse problem of the antenna radiation field is solved. These peculiar focusing fields might find potential applications in multi-particle acceleration, multi-particle trapping and manipulation.

  9. Carbonate Platform Development and Stromatolite Morphogenesis: Constraints on Environmental and Biological Evolution

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Grotzinger, John P.

    2002-01-01

    Work this past year has focused on the globally significant events of faunal turnover, tectonic reorganization, and biogeochemical change that closely coincided with the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary in the Sultanate oilman. Higher temporal and chronostratigraphic resolution are required in order to answer this question. Stratigraphic sections must contain fossils, volcanic rocks, and abundant carbonates with little or no diagenetic overprint. The Ara Group of the South Oman Salt Basin presents such a succession - with carbonate rocks tightly enclosed in a protective envelope of impermeable halite, these rocks have likely never exchanged with younger fluids. Our work has had two thrusts. The first pertains to the geochemistry of the Athel Formation, a deep water deposit formed at the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary which contains unique records of ocean anoxia for that time interval. This unit is important because it will enable tighter focus on the links which existed between global biogeochemical events and episodes of faunal extinction and radiation. The second direction involves a comparison of terminal Proterozoic thrombolites between Oman (subsurface) and Namibia (outcrop). These thrombolites are important not only as significant deposits of ancient microbial communities, but because they formed the key substrate for growth of the oldest calcified metazoans - Cloudina and Namacalathus.

  10. Using medical knowledge sources on handheld computers--a qualitative study among junior doctors.

    PubMed

    Axelson, Christian; Wårdh, Inger; Strender, Lars-Erik; Nilsson, Gunnar

    2007-09-01

    The emergence of mobile computing could have an impact on how junior doctors learn. To exploit this opportunity it is essential to understand their information seeking process. To explore junior doctors' experiences of using medical knowledge sources on handheld computers. Interviews with five Swedish junior doctors. A qualitative manifest content analysis of a focus group interview followed by a qualitative latent content analysis of two individual interviews. A focus group interview showed that users were satisfied with access to handheld medical knowledge sources, but there was concern about contents, reliability and device dependency. Four categories emerged from individual interviews: (1) A feeling of uncertainty about using handheld technology in medical care; (2) A sense of security that handhelds can provide; (3) A need for contents to be personalized; (4) A degree of adaptability to make the handheld a versatile information tool. A theme was established to link the four categories together, as expressed in the Conclusion section. Junior doctors' experiences of using medical knowledge sources on handheld computers shed light on the need to decrease uncertainty about clinical decisions during medical internship, and to find ways to influence the level of self-confidence in the junior doctor's process of decision-making.

  11. Perceived racism, discrimination, and acculturation in suicidal ideation and suicide attempts among black young adults.

    PubMed

    Castle, Kathryn; Conner, Kenneth; Kaukeinen, Kimberly; Tu, Xin

    2011-06-01

    During young adulthood the suicide rate among Blacks rises dramatically and approaches that of the U.S. general population, requiring that prevention efforts include a focus on Black young adults. Although most research on suicidality among Blacks has focused on risk factors observed in the dominant culture, in this study the authors examined associations between perceived discrimination, racism, and acculturation with lifetime suicidal ideation (SI) and suicide attempt (SA) among Black young adults. Two hundred fifty Black or African American individuals aged 18-24 residing in a midsize northeastern city were recruited to participate through advertisements. Participants filled out self-report questionnaires. Logistic regressions were used to examine the association of each predictor with SI and SA. Greater perceived acculturation was associated with SI in univariate and multivariate models. There were no other statistically significant results concerning the predictors of interest. The link between perceived acculturation and SI is consistent with limited available data, indicating the need for further study including the potential mechanism(s) for the association. Limitations include the cross-sectional design and reliance on subjective measures. © 2011 The American Association of Suicidology.

  12. Present Status and Future Prospects in Bulk Processing of HIGH-Tc Superconductors

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jin, S.; Chu, C. W.

    The following sections are included: * INTRODUCTION * HIGH SUPERCONDUCTING TRANSITION TEMPERATURE * HIGH CRITICAL CURRENT DENSITY * Grain Boundary Weak Links * Nature of Weak Links * Possible Processing Approaches for Weak Link Problem * Processing Techniques for Texture Formation * Flux Creep in HTSC * Desirable Pinning Defects * Processing for Flux Pinning Enhancement * PROSPECTS FOR BULK APPLICATIONS * Magnetic Field Gener * Energy Storage * Magnetic Shielding * Other Applications * CONCLUDING REMARKS * ACKNOWLEDGMENT * REFERENCES

  13. C2-Related Incidents Reported by UAS Pilots

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hobbs, Alan; Cardoza, Colleen; Null, Cynthia

    2016-01-01

    It has been estimated that aviation accidents are typically preceded by numerous minor incidents arising from the same causal factors that ultimately produced the accident. Accident databases provide in-depth information on a relatively small number of occurrences, however incident databases have the potential to provide insights into the human factors of Remotely Piloted Aircraft System (RPAS) operations based on a larger volume of less-detailed reports. Currently, there is a lack of incident data dealing with the human factors of unmanned aircraft systems. An exploratory study is being conducted to examine the feasibility of collecting voluntary critical incident reports from RPAS pilots. Twenty-three experienced RPAS pilots volunteered to participate in focus groups in which they described critical incidents from their own experience. Participants were asked to recall (1) incidents that revealed a system flaw, or (2) highlighted a case where the human operator contributed to system resilience or mission success. Participants were asked to only report incidents that could be included in a public document. During each focus group session, a note taker produced a de-identified written record of the incident narratives. At the end of the session, participants reviewed each written incident report, and made edits and corrections as necessary. The incidents were later analyzed to identify contributing factors, with a focus on design issues that either hindered or assisted the pilot during the events. A total of 90 incidents were reported. This presentation focuses on incidents that involved the management of the command and control (C2) link. The identified issues include loss of link, interference from undesired transmissions, voice latency, accidental control transfer, and the use of the lost link timer, or lost link OK features.

  14. Wallops Low Elevation Link Analysis for the Constellation Launch/Ascent Links

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cheung, Keith; Ho, C.; Kantak, A.; Lee, C.; Tye, R.; Richards, E.; Sham, C.; Schlesinger, A.; Barritt, B.

    2011-01-01

    To execute the President's Vision for Space Exploration, the Constellation Program (CxP) was formed to build the next generation spacecraft Orion and launch vehicles Ares, to transport human and cargo to International Space Station (ISS), moon, and Mars. This paper focuses on the detailed link analysis for Orion/Ares s launch and ascent links with Wallops 11.3m antenna (1) Orion's Dissimilar Voice link: 10.24 Kbps, 2-way (2) Ares Developmental Flight Instrument link, 20 Mbps, downlink. Three launch trajectories are considered: TD7-E, F (Feb), and G (Aug). In certain launch scenarios, the critical events of main engine cutoff (MECO) and Separation occur during the low elevation regime of WFF s downrange -- less than 5 degree elevation angle. The goal of the study is to access if there is enough link margins for WFF to track the DV and DFI links.

  15. Urinary metabolomics reveals glycemic and coffee associated signatures of thyroid function in two population-based cohorts

    PubMed Central

    Friedrich, Nele; Pietzner, Maik; Cannet, Claire; Thuesen, Betina H.; Hansen, Torben; Wallaschofski, Henri; Grarup, Niels; Skaaby, Tea; Budde, Kathrin; Pedersen, Oluf; Nauck, Matthias; Linneberg, Allan

    2017-01-01

    Background Triiodothyronine (T3) and thyroxine (T4) as the main secretion products of the thyroid affect nearly every human tissue and are involved in a broad range of processes ranging from energy expenditure and lipid metabolism to glucose homeostasis. Metabolomics studies outside the focus of clinical manifest thyroid diseases are rare. The aim of the present investigation was to analyze the cross-sectional and longitudinal associations of urinary metabolites with serum free T4 (FT4) and thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH). Methods Urine Metabolites of participants of the population-based studies Inter99 (n = 5620) and Health2006/Health2008 (n = 3788) were analyzed by 1H-NMR spectroscopy. Linear or mixed linear models were used to detect associations between urine metabolites and thyroid function. Results Cross-sectional analyses revealed positive relations of alanine, trigonelline and lactic acid with FT4 and negative relations of dimethylamine, glucose, glycine and lactic acid with log(TSH). In longitudinal analyses, lower levels of alanine, dimethylamine, glycine, lactic acid and N,N-dimethylglycine were linked to a higher decline in FT4 levels over time, whereas higher trigonelline levels were related to a higher FT4 decline. Moreover, the risk of hypothyroidism was higher in subjects with high baseline trigonelline or low lactic acid, alanine or glycine values. Conclusion The detected associations mainly emphasize the important role of thyroid hormones in glucose homeostasis. In addition, the predictive character of these metabolites might argue for a potential feedback of the metabolic state on thyroid function. Besides known metabolic consequences of TH, the link to the urine excretion of trigonelline, a marker of coffee consumption, represents a novel finding of this study and given the ubiquitous consumption of coffee requires further research. PMID:28253303

  16. Development and Validation of a Cross-Country Hospital Patient Quality of Care Assessment Tool in Europe.

    PubMed

    Villiers-Tuthill, Amanda; Doulougeri, Karolina; McGee, Hannah; Montgomery, Anthony; Panagopoulou, Efharis; Morgan, Karen

    2017-12-01

    Patient perceptions of quality of care (QoC) are directly linked with patient safety and clinical effectiveness. We need patient-designed QoC instruments that work across languages and countries to optimise studies across systems in this area. Few QoC measurement tools exist that assess all aspects of QoC from the patient perspective. This paper describes the development and validation of a comprehensive measure to assess patient perceptions of QoC that incorporates technical and interpersonal aspects of care and is grounded in the established Institute of Medicine (IOM) QoC framework. We conducted a multi-country cross-sectional study. Following a literature review and patient focus groups, an expert panel generated questionnaire items. Following a pilot study, item numbers were reduced. The final questionnaire consisted of three sections: demographics, perceived QoC and one open-ended question. Data was collected from patients (n = 531) discharged from hospitals across seven countries in South East Europe (languages: Turkish, Greek, Portuguese, Romanian, Croatian, Macedonian and Bulgarian). Reliability and validity of the measure were assessed. Confirmatory factor analysis was used to compare various factor models of patient-perceived QoC. Good model fit was demonstrated for a two-factor model: communication and interpersonal care, and hospital facilities. The ORCAB (Improving quality and safety in the hospital: The link between organisational culture, burnout and quality of care) Patient QoC questionnaire has been collaboratively and exhaustively developed between healthcare professionals and patients. It enables patient QoC data to be assessed in the context of the IOM pillars of quality, considering both technical and interpersonal dimensions of care. It represents an important first step in including the patient perspective.

  17. Physically and psychologically hazardous jobs and mental health in Thailand.

    PubMed

    Yiengprugsawan, Vasoontara; Strazdins, Lyndall; Lim, Lynette L-Y; Kelly, Matthew; Seubsman, Sam-ang; Sleigh, Adrian C

    2015-09-01

    This paper investigates associations between hazardous jobs, mental health and wellbeing among Thai adults. In 2005, 87 134 distance-learning students from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University completed a self-administered questionnaire; at the 2009 follow-up 60 569 again participated. Job characteristics were reported in 2005, psychological distress and life satisfaction were reported in both 2005 and 2009. We derived two composite variables grading psychologically and physically hazardous jobs and reported adjusted odds ratios (AOR) from multivariate logistic regressions. Analyses focused on cohort members in paid work: the total was 62 332 at 2005 baseline and 41 671 at 2009 follow-up. Cross-sectional AORs linking psychologically hazardous jobs to psychological distress ranged from 1.52 (one hazard) to 4.48 (four hazards) for males and a corresponding 1.34-3.76 for females. Similarly AORs for physically hazardous jobs were 1.75 (one hazard) to 2.76 (four or more hazards) for males and 1.70-3.19 for females. A similar magnitude of associations was found between psychologically adverse jobs and low life satisfaction (AORs of 1.34-4.34 among males and 1.18-3.63 among females). Longitudinal analyses confirm these cross-sectional relationships. Thus, significant dose-response associations were found linking hazardous job exposures in 2005 to mental health and wellbeing in 2009. The health impacts of psychologically and physically hazardous jobs in developed, Western countries are equally evident in transitioning Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand. Regulation and monitoring of work conditions will become increasingly important to the health and wellbeing of the Thai workforce. © The Author 2013. Published by Oxford University Press.

  18. A pragmatic conception of science: Implications for science teaching

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sessoms, Deidre Bates

    In this dissertation, I examine various philosophical conceptions of the nature of science---its goals, methods and products---and link those views to how science is taught. While the review begins in the 1600s, the focus is primarily on logical positivism. The logical positivist view of science prevailed for much of the twentieth century and has greatly influenced how science is taught. The review section culminates with current conceptions of science from the fields of philosophy, sociology, feminist studies and radical studies of science. These various conceptions of the nature of science are linked to how science is currently taught, at the K--12 level and at the university. In particular, the logical positivist conception has influenced the teaching of science by emphasizing the products of science (factual knowledge and theories) over the processes of science (the social methods of knowledge production). As a result of viewing science as the logical positivists did, teachers primarily focus on science as unchanging factual knowledge, at the expense of examining the social and cultural aspects of scientific practices. I develop a pragmatic conception of the method of science as reflective thinking that we effectively use in our everyday lives. Linking that conception with the aims that John Dewey outlined for schools in a democratic society points the way towards certain goals and methods for teaching science. Therefore, I explore the type of science teaching that might result when viewing science as a pragmatic activity conducted in a democracy. Teaching of this sort would involve students in working together on shared problems that arise in the context of daily life. For science students at the university, this would include participating in and critiquing scientific research in active research laboratories. Implementing this view of science teaching might result in modifications in the practices and goals of science. Lastly, the experiences of a group of under-represented minority students who studied the sciences at the university are used to illustrate both the promises and the pitfalls of attempting to incorporate a pragmatic view of science into science teaching.

  19. ACHP | ACHP Native American Program: Guidance for Federal Agencies

    Science.gov Websites

    Working with Section 106 Federal, State, & Tribal Programs Training & Education Publications Search skip specific nav links Home arrow Working with Section 106 arrow ACHP Native American Program

  20. Linking Large-Scale Reading Assessments: Comment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hanushek, Eric A.

    2016-01-01

    E. A. Hanushek points out in this commentary that applied researchers in education have only recently begun to appreciate the value of international assessments, even though there are now 50 years of experience with these. Until recently, these assessments have been stand-alone surveys that have not been linked, and analysis has largely focused on…

  1. Interdisciplinary Instruction in the Humanities Enrichment Program: Alignment of Programmatic, Pedagogic, and Learner Goals.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gudipati, Lakshmi

    This paper details the benefits of interdisciplinary studies, with particular focus on the Humanities Enrichment Program at the Community College of Philadelphia. The program uses a team-teaching, linked-course paradigm. Two courses from different disciplines are aligned, and faculty from each discipline teach the linked courses as humanities…

  2. Sociocognitive Correlates of Gender-Linked Conduct.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bussey, Kay

    This study of the processes guiding children's gender-linked conduct focused on ages prior to the development of self-regulatory control through the exercise of self-evaluative reactions. The study sample consisted of 29 boys and 33 girls in Australia between 17 and 48 months old. Measures included: (1) a videotaped toy play session in which…

  3. Household Poverty and Deprivation among Children: How Strong Are the Links?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grodem, Anne Skevik

    2008-01-01

    This article focuses on the links between family income, deprivation as reported by parents and deprivation as experienced by children. Data are drawn from a survey of Norwegian families, in which low-income families are oversampled. Three areas of deprivation are explored: housing, consumption and subjective experiences. In each area, indicators…

  4. Ethnic and Cultural Focus in Airport Driver Training

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cokley, John; Rankin, William

    2009-01-01

    A series of linked relationships is advanced which together suggest changes should be made to training programs for airside drivers at major airports in the United States, Australia and the United Kingdom. Overall, the links suggest a relationship between the number of airside incidents such as collisions at airports, the ethnic diversity evident…

  5. Exploring Classroom Interaction with Dynamic Social Network Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bokhove, Christian

    2018-01-01

    This article reports on an exploratory project in which technology and dynamic social network analysis (SNA) are used for modelling classroom interaction. SNA focuses on the links between social actors, draws on graphic imagery to reveal and display the patterning of those links, and develops mathematical and computational models to describe and…

  6. A Direct, Competitive Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) as a Quantitative Technique for Small Molecules

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Powers, Jennifer L.; Rippe, Karen Duda; Imarhia, Kelly; Swift, Aileen; Scholten, Melanie; Islam, Naina

    2012-01-01

    ELISA (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) is a widely used technique with applications in disease diagnosis, detection of contaminated foods, and screening for drugs of abuse or environmental contaminants. However, published protocols with a focus on quantitative detection of small molecules designed for teaching laboratories are limited. A…

  7. Sound Links: Exploring the Social, Cultural and Educational Dynamics of Musical Communities in Australia

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bartleet, Brydie-Leigh

    2009-01-01

    "Sound Links" examines the dynamics of community music in Australia, and the models it represents for informal music learning and teaching. This involves researching a selection of vibrant musical communities across the country, exploring their potential for complementarity and synergy with music in schools. This article focuses on the…

  8. Electronic Communications Technologies and the Transition to College: Links to Parent-Child Attachment and Adjustment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sarigiani, Pamela A.; Trumbell, Jill M.; Camarena, Phame M.

    2013-01-01

    Electronic communications technologies (ECTs) help college students and parents remain in contact. Because recent reports have emphasized a link between ECTs, helicopter parenting, and autonomy issues, this study focused on the significance of contact patterns for attachment and student adjustment. First-semester college students (199 female, 81…

  9. Inextricably Linked: An International Human Rights Perspective on Child Health and Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Todres, Jonathan

    2009-01-01

    This article focuses on the links between health and education in children's development, worldwide. While connections flow in both directions, the primary aim of this article is to highlight specifically the impact of health on education prospects. The dramatic consequences of health status on children's educational opportunities suggest that…

  10. Children's Sleep Regulation Is Linked to Mothers' Sleep-Related Childhood Experiences

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Aviezer, Ora; Scher, Anat

    2013-01-01

    The present research explored how mothers' own childhood experiences are linked to their perceptions of their children's sleep regulation. It focused on collective sleeping; a practice used in the past in the Israeli kibbutz, and used a quasi-experimental research design to examine whether mothers who were raised in collective sleeping…

  11. Marijuana Use at School and Achievement-Linked Behaviors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Finn, Kristin V.

    2012-01-01

    Marijuana remains one of the most frequently used drugs among adolescents and usage has increased in recent years. In addition to general use, many high school students use marijuana during the school day. The present study focused on achievement-linked correlates of in-school marijuana use by comparing non-users, general users, and school users…

  12. Attention Biases to Threat Link Behavioral Inhibition to Social Withdrawal over Time in Very Young Children

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Perez-Edgar, Koraly; Reeb-Sutherland, Bethany C.; McDermott, Jennifer Martin; White, Lauren K.; Henderson, Heather A.; Degnan, Kathryn A.; Hane, Amie A.; Pine, Daniel S.; Fox, Nathan A.

    2011-01-01

    Behaviorally inhibited children display a temperamental profile characterized by social withdrawal and anxious behaviors. Previous research, focused largely on adolescents, suggests that attention biases to threat may sustain high levels of behavioral inhibition (BI) over time, helping link early temperament to social outcomes. However, no prior…

  13. Pre-configured polyhedron based protection against multi-link failures in optical mesh networks.

    PubMed

    Huang, Shanguo; Guo, Bingli; Li, Xin; Zhang, Jie; Zhao, Yongli; Gu, Wanyi

    2014-02-10

    This paper focuses on random multi-link failures protection in optical mesh networks, instead of single, the dual or sequential failures of previous studies. Spare resource efficiency and failure robustness are major concerns in link protection strategy designing and a k-regular and k-edge connected structure is proved to be one of the optimal solutions for link protection network. Based on this, a novel pre-configured polyhedron based protection structure is proposed, and it could provide protection for both simultaneous and sequential random link failures with improved spare resource efficiency. Its performance is evaluated in terms of spare resource consumption, recovery rate and average recovery path length, as well as compared with ring based and subgraph protection under probabilistic link failure scenarios. Results show the proposed novel link protection approach has better performance than previous works.

  14. 47 CFR 54.411 - Link Up program defined.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Link Up program defined. 54.411 Section 54.411 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES (CONTINUED) UNIVERSAL... low-income consumers, which an eligible telecommunications carrier shall offer as part of its...

  15. 78 FR 20114 - Proposed Data Collections Submitted for Public Comment and Recommendations

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-03

    ... ways, including long-term health problems, emotional impacts, and links to negative health behaviors... Domestic Violence Prevention Enhancements and Leadership Through Alliances (DELTA) Program, with a focus on... (Domestic Violence Prevention Enhancement and Leadership through Alliances, Focusing on Outcomes for...

  16. Coverage of child maltreatment in abnormal psychology textbooks: Reviewing the adequacy of the content.

    PubMed

    Wilgus, Sam J; Packer, Mary M; Lile-King, Rachel; Miller-Perrin, Cindy L; Brand, Bethany L

    2016-03-01

    Abnormal psychology courses introduce undergraduate students to the range, causes, and treatments of psychological disorders. These courses present important opportunities to instruct students about disorders and treatments associated with childhood maltreatment (CM) as well as its prevalence. Little research has examined the adequacy with which abnormal psychology textbooks present information about CM. The present study reviewed the CM content of 10 abnormal psychology textbooks. The content was assessed in terms of the number of times CM was mentioned, the number of psychological disorders linked to CM, and the number of CM-related research citations. In addition, the authors conducted a content analysis to examine the significance, depth of detail, and organizational structure of the information provided within the sections of text addressing CM. There were significant differences in scores and the accuracy of coverage of CM across textbooks. Most of the textbooks lack key information on CM. The information presented in many textbooks is not consistent with current research and is overly focused on controversies. These findings are concerning because research has linked many psychological disorders and problematic outcomes to CM, but this information is not adequately conveyed to students via abnormal psychology textbooks. The authors make recommendations for improving the coverage of CM in abnormal psychology textbooks. (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  17. Leisure activities are linked to mental health benefits by providing time structure: comparing employed, unemployed and homemakers

    PubMed Central

    Goodman, William K; Geiger, Ashley M; Wolf, Jutta M

    2017-01-01

    Background Unemployment has consistently been linked to negative mental health outcomes, emphasising the need to characterise the underlying mechanisms. The current study aimed at testing whether compared with other employment groups, fewer leisure activities observed in unemployment may contribute to elevated risk for negative mental health via loss of time structure. Methods Depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression), leisure activities (exercise, self-focused, social), and time structure (Time Structure Questionnaire (TSQ)) were assessed cross-sectionally in 406 participants (unemployed=155, employed=140, homemakers=111) recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk. Results Controlling for gender and age, structural equation modelling revealed time structure partially (employed, homemakers) and fully (unemployed) mediated the relationship between leisure activities and depressive symptoms. With the exception of differential effects for structured routines, all other TSQ factors (sense of purpose, present orientation, effective organisation and persistence) contributed significantly to all models. Conclusions These findings support the idea that especially for the unemployed, leisure activities impose their mental health benefits through increasing individuals’ perception of spending their time effectively. Social leisure activities that provide a sense of daily structure may thereby be a particularly promising low-cost intervention to improve mental health in this population. PMID:27298424

  18. Communication Dynamics of Blog Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Goldberg, Mark; Kelley, Stephen; Magdon-Ismail, Malik; Mertsalov, Konstantin; Wallace, William (Al)

    We study the communication dynamics of Blog networks, focusing on the Russian section of LiveJournal as a case study. Communication (blogger-to-blogger links) in such online communication networks is very dynamic: over 60% of the links in the network are new from one week to the next, though the set of bloggers remains approximately constant. Two fundamental questions are: (i) what models adequately describe such dynamic communication behavior; and (ii) how does one detect the phase transitions, i.e. the changes that go beyond the standard high-level dynamics? We approach these questions through the notion of stable statistics. We give strong experimental evidence to the fact that, despite the extreme amount of communication dynamics, several aggregate statistics are remarkably stable. We use stable statistics to test our models of communication dynamics postulating that any good model should produce values for these statistics which are both stable and close to the observed ones. Stable statistics can also be used to identify phase transitions, since any change in a normally stable statistic indicates a substantial change in the nature of the communication dynamics. We describe models of the communication dynamics in large social networks based on the principle of locality of communication: a node's communication energy is spent mostly within its own "social area," the locality of the node.

  19. Management matters: the link between hospital organisation and quality of patient care

    PubMed Central

    West, E.

    2001-01-01

    Some hospital trusts and health authorities consistently outperform others on different dimensions of performance. Why? There is some evidence that "management matters", as well as the combined efforts of individual clinicians and teams. However, studies that have been conducted on the link between the organisation and management of services and quality of patient care can be criticised both theoretically and methodologically. A larger, and arguably more rigorous, body of work exists on the performance of firms in the private sector, often conducted within the disciplines of organisational behaviour or human resource management. Studies in these traditions have focused on the effects of decentralisation, participation, innovative work practices, and "complementarities" on outcome variables such as job satisfaction and performance. The aim of this paper is to identify a number of reviews and research traditions that might bring new ideas into future work on the determinants of hospital performance. Ideally, future research should be more theoretically informed and should use longitudinal rather than cross sectional research designs. The use of statistical methods such as multilevel modelling, which allow for the inclusion of variables at different levels of analysis, would enable estimation of the separate contribution that structure and process make to hospital outcomes. Key Words: hospital organisation; hospital performance; management; quality of care PMID:11239143

  20. Occupational exposure to pesticides and respiratory health.

    PubMed

    Mamane, Ali; Baldi, Isabelle; Tessier, Jean-François; Raherison, Chantal; Bouvier, Ghislaine

    2015-06-01

    This article aims to review the available literature regarding the link between occupational exposure to pesticides and respiratory symptoms or diseases. Identification of epidemiological studies was performed using PubMed. 41 articles were included, 36 regarding agricultural workers and five regarding industry workers. Among the 15 cross-sectional studies focusing on respiratory symptoms and agricultural pesticide exposure, 12 found significant associations with chronic cough, wheeze, dyspnoea, breathlessness or chest tightness. All four studies on asthma found a relationship with occupational exposure, as did all three studies on chronic bronchitis. The four studies that performed spirometry reported impaired respiratory function linked to pesticide exposure, suggestive of either obstructive or restrictive syndrome according to the chemical class of pesticide. 12 papers reported results from cohort studies. Three out of nine found a significant relationship with increased risk of wheeze, five out of nine with asthma and three out of three with chronic bronchitis. In workers employed in pesticide production, elevated risks of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (two studies out of three) and impaired respiratory function suggestive of an obstructive syndrome (two studies out of two) were reported. In conclusion, this article suggests that occupational exposure to pesticides is associated with an increased risk of respiratory symptoms, asthma and chronic bronchitis, but the causal relationship is still under debate. Copyright ©ERS 2015.

  1. Alcohol outlet density and assault: a spatial analysis.

    PubMed

    Livingston, Michael

    2008-04-01

    A large number of studies have found links between alcohol outlet densities and assault rates in local areas. This study tests a variety of specifications of this link, focusing in particular on the possibility of a non-linear relationship. Cross-sectional data on police-recorded assaults during high alcohol hours, liquor outlets and socio-demographic characteristics were obtained for 223 postcodes in Melbourne, Australia. These data were used to construct a series of models testing the nature of the relationship between alcohol outlet density and assault, while controlling for socio-demographic factors and spatial auto-correlation. Four types of relationship were examined: a normal linear relationship between outlet density and assault, a non-linear relationship with potential threshold or saturation densities, a relationship mediated by the socio-economic status of the neighbourhood and a relationship which takes into account the effect of outlets in surrounding neighbourhoods. The model positing non-linear relationships between outlet density and assaults was found to fit the data most effectively. An increasing accelerating effect for the density of hotel (pub) licences was found, suggesting a plausible upper limit for these licences in Melbourne postcodes. The study finds positive relationships between outlet density and assault rates and provides evidence that this relationship is non-linear and thus has critical values at which licensing policy-makers can impose density limits.

  2. The Relationship Between Job Satisfaction and Psychological/Physical Health among Malaysian Working Women.

    PubMed

    Aazami, Sanaz; Shamsuddin, Khadijah; Akmal, Syaqirah; Azami, Golnaz

    2015-01-01

    The workplace environment has a great influence on employees' health. Job dissatisfaction has been widely recognised as a workplace stressor that can influence employees' psychological and physical health statuses. However, job satisfaction is a multi-dimensional concept, and it is necessary to investigate its different facets and their unique consequences. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the relationship between the nine facets of job satisfaction and psychological health and somatic complaints (i.e., sleep disorders, headache, gastro-intestinal and respiratory problems). This cross-sectional study was conducted among 567 Malaysian women working in the public sector. Data collection was conducted using a series of self-administered questionnaires. The results of this study show that there is a link between job satisfaction and psychological distress as well as four somatic complaints. Satisfaction with the nature of work was the strongest predictor for psychological distress, sleep disorders, headaches and gastro-intestinal problems. From the results of this study, we conclude that there is a link between job satisfaction and the health status of employees. In addition, job satisfaction levels vary across different dimensions and can even differ from an individual's feelings of global job satisfaction. Policies and practices should focus on improving working conditions to enhance the fit of the job and the employee.

  3. Asynchronous Laser Transponders for Precise Interplanetary Ranging and Time Transfer

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Degnan, John J.; Smith, David E. (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    The feasibility of a two-way asynchronous (i.e. independently firing) interplanetary laser transponder pair, capable of decimeter ranging and subnanosecond time transfer from Earth to a spacecraft anywhere within the inner Solar System, is discussed. In the Introduction, we briefly discuss the current state-of-the-art in Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) and Lunar Laser Ranging (LLR) which use single-ended range measurements to a passive optical reflector, and the limitations of this approach in ranging beyond the Moon to the planets. In Section 2 of this paper, we describe two types of transponders (echo and asynchronous), introduce the transponder link equation and the concept of "balanced" transponders, describe how range and time can be transferred between terminals, and preview the potential advantages of photon counting asynchronous transponders for interplanetary applications. In Section 3, we discuss and provide mathematical models for the various sources of noise in an interplanetary transponder link including planetary albedo, solar or lunar illumination of the local atmosphere, and laser backscatter off the local atmosphere. In Section 4, we introduce the key engineering elements of an interplanetary laser transponder and develop an operational scenario for the acquisition and tracking of the opposite terminal. In Section 5, we use the theoretical models of th previous sections to perform an Earth-Mars link analysis over a full synodic period of 780 days under the simplifying assumption of coaxial, coplanar, circular orbits. We demonstrate that, using slightly modified versions of existing space and ground based laser systems, an Earth-Mars transponder link is not only feasible but quite robust. We also demonstrate through analysis the advantages and feasibility of compact, low output power (<300 mW photon-counting transponders using NASA's developmental SLR2000 satellite laser ranging system as the Earth terminal. Section 6 provides a summary of the results and some concluding remarks regarding future applications.

  4. Attitudes toward science among grades 3 through 12 Arab students in Qatar: findings from a cross-sectional national study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Said, Ziad; Summers, Ryan; Abd-El-Khalick, Fouad; Wang, Shuai

    2016-03-01

    This study assessed students' attitudes toward science in Qatar. A cross-sectional, nationwide probability sample representing all students enrolled in grades 3 through 12 in the various types of schools in Qatar completed the 'Arabic Speaking Students' Attitudes toward Science Survey' (ASSASS). The validity and reliability of the 32-item instrument, encompassing five sub-scales, have already been shown to be robust. The present analysis focused on responses from 1978 participants representing the students who completed the ASSASS in Arabic. Descriptive statistics were computed and a competing pair of multiple indicators multiple causes models is presented that attempt to link patterns in students' responses to the ASSASS with a set of indicators. The final model retained student age, gender, nationality (i.e. Qatari vs. Non-Qatari Arab), and school type as indicators. Findings from this study suggest that participants' attitudes toward science decrease with age, and that these attitudes and related preferences are influenced by students' nationality and the type of school they attend. Equally important, the often-reported advantages for male over female precollege students in terms of attitudes toward science were much less prominent in the present study.

  5. Look who's cooking. Investigating the relationship between watching educational and edutainment TV cooking shows, eating habits and everyday cooking practices among men and women in Belgium.

    PubMed

    De Backer, Charlotte J S; Hudders, Liselot

    2016-01-01

    Television (TV) cooking shows have evolved from focusing on educating to focusing on entertaining, as well. At present, educational TV cooking shows focus on the transfer of cooking knowledge and skills, whereas edutainment TV cooking shows focus on entertaining their viewers. Both types of shows are ongoing success stories. However, little is known regarding the shows' links with the cooking and eating habits of their audiences. Therefore, the current study investigates the relationship between watching an educational or edutainment TV cooking show and one's cooking and eating habits. Given public health concerns regarding the decline in cooking behaviors and the simultaneous increase in caloric intake from food outside the home, this study suggests a promising intervention. The results of a cross-sectional survey in Belgium (n = 845) demonstrate that the audiences of educational and edutainment TV cooking shows do not overlap. Although there is little connection between watching specific shows and eating behavior, the connection between watching shows and cooking behaviors varies across gender and age lines. Behaviors also differ depending on whether the viewer is watching an educational or edutainment cooking show. For example, men of all ages appear to cook more often if they watch an educational show. However, only older men (above 38 years) seem to cook more often if they watch an edutainment TV show. The results demonstrate that the relationship between watching TV cooking shows and cooking habits warrants further investigation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  6. Assessing and Modulating Kynurenine Pathway Dynamics in Huntington's Disease: Focus on Kynurenine 3-Monooxygenase.

    PubMed

    Sathyasaikumar, Korrapati V; Breda, Carlo; Schwarcz, Robert; Giorgini, Flaviano

    2018-01-01

    The link between disturbances in kynurenine pathway (KP) metabolism and Huntington's disease (HD) pathogenesis has been explored for a number of years. Several novel genetic and pharmacological tools have recently been developed to modulate key regulatory steps in the KP such as the reaction catalyzed by the enzyme kynurenine 3-monooxygenase (KMO). This insight has offered new options for exploring the mechanistic link between this metabolic pathway and HD, and provided novel opportunities for the development of candidate drug-like compounds. Here, we present an overview of the field, focusing on some novel approaches for interrogating the pathway experimentally.

  7. Internal Medicine Resident Engagement with a Laboratory Utilization Dashboard: Mixed Methods Study.

    PubMed

    Kurtzman, Gregory; Dine, Jessica; Epstein, Andrew; Gitelman, Yevgenly; Leri, Damien; Patel, Miltesh S; Ryskina, Kyra

    2017-09-01

    The objective of this study was to measure internal medicine resident engagement with an electronic medical record-based dashboard providing feedback on their use of routine laboratory tests relative to service averages. From January 2016 to June 2016, residents were e-mailed a snapshot of their personalized dashboard, a link to the online dashboard, and text summarizing the resident and service utilization averages. We measured resident engagement using e-mail read-receipts and web-based tracking. We also conducted 3 hour-long focus groups with residents. Using grounded theory approach, the transcripts were analyzed for common themes focusing on barriers and facilitators of dashboard use. Among 80 residents, 74% opened the e-mail containing a link to the dashboard and 21% accessed the dashboard itself. We did not observe a statistically significant difference in routine laboratory ordering by dashboard use, although residents who opened the link to the dashboard ordered 0.26 fewer labs per doctor-patient-day than those who did not (95% confidence interval, -0.77 to 0.25; = 0 .31). While they raised several concerns, focus group participants had positive attitudes toward receiving individualized feedback delivered in real time. © 2017 Society of Hospital Medicine.

  8. Distribution of physical therapists working on public and private establishments in different levels of complexity of health care in Brazil.

    PubMed

    Costa, Larissa R; Costa, José L R; Oishi, Jorge; Driusso, Patricia

    2012-01-01

    The Brazilian Health System is organized on a regional and hierarchical form with three levels of complexity of health care. The Primary Care represents the first element of a continuing health care process, complemented by specialized actions. However, the centrality of the specialized care is still a problem in Brazil, especially in the private sector. Studies on the distribution of professionals in the health system allowing the formulation of appropriate policies are needed. To investigate the distribution of physical therapists in the levels of complexity of health care and between public and private establishments, according to data from the National Register of Health Service Providers (NRHSP). A descriptive cross-sectional study was performed considering NRHSP-national bank data collected in March 2010 and demographic census 2010 data. Data were analyzed through descriptive statistics techniques. We identified 53,181 registries of physical therapists, 60% linked to the private sector. Only 13% of all entries were linked to primary care. The predominance in specialized care occurred in the public sector (65%) and private sector (100%). The specialized establishments of private sector linked to the southeast region (16,043) were the main sites of physical therapists. Only the public sector in the south had a majority in the Primary Care. When considering the sizes of the cities, there is focus on specialist care in bigger cities. This study identified the concentration of physical therapists in the specialized care, mostly in metropolis and big cities and in the private sector, with restricted to participation in the primary care.

  9. Associations among social capital, parenting for active lifestyles, and youth physical activity in rural families living in upstate New York.

    PubMed

    Davison, Kirsten K; Nishi, Akihiro; Kranz, Sibylle; Wyckoff, Lynae; May, John J; Earle-Richardson, Giulia B; Strogatz, David S; Jenkins, Paul L

    2012-10-01

    While emerging research supports a positive relationship between social capital and youth physical activity (PA), few studies have examined possible mechanisms explaining this relationship and no studies have focused on rural youth. In this study, we examined parents' support of children's PA as an intermediary factor linking social capital and youth PA in a largely rural cross sectional sample of American children aged 6- to 19-years and their parents/guardians (N=767 families) living in upstate New York. Parents completed a self-administered survey assessing demographic factors, perceived social capital, support for children's PA, and children's PA including time spent outdoors and days per week of sufficient PA. Structural equation modeling was used to test the hypothesis that higher social capital is linked with higher parental support for PA and, in turn, higher PA in children. Analyses were conducted separately for younger (6-12 years) and older (13-19 years) children and controlled for demographic factors (child age, household education, participation in a food assistance program) and perceived neighborhood safety. Anticipated relationships among social capital, parents' activity-related support, and children's PA were identified for older, but not younger children. Findings suggest that parent support for children's PA is one possible mechanism linking social capital and youth PA and the parents of adolescents may rely more heavily on cues from their social environment to shape their approaches to supporting their children's PA than parents of younger children. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Biometric health screening for employers: consensus statement of the health enhancement research organization, American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, and care continuum alliance.

    PubMed

    2013-10-01

    Employer wellness programs have grown rapidly in recent years with the interest in making an impact on employees' health. Successful programs are delivered through comprehensive solutions that are linked to an organization's business strategy and championed by senior leadership. Successful employee health management programs vary in the services, yet typically include the core components of health risk identification tools, behavior modification programs, educational programs, as well as changes to the workplace environment and culture. This article focuses on biometric screenings and was intended to provide employers and other stakeholders with information and guidance to help implement a successful screening program as part of an overall employee health management approach. The article is organized into four sections: goals and key success factors; methods and oversight; operations and delivery; and engagement and evaluation.

  11. An attachment model of depression: integrating findings from the mood disorder laboratory.

    PubMed

    Holmes, Jeremy

    2013-01-01

    This paper is written from a psychodynamic clinician's perspective, juxtaposing a psychoanalytic-attachment model of depression with recent developments in neuroscience. Three main components of the attachment approach are described: the role of loss, of childhood trauma predisposing to depression in later life, and failure of co-regulation of role of primitive emotions, such as fear, despair, and helplessness. Blatt's distinction between anaclitic and introjective depression is delineated and related to hyper- and de-activation of the attachment dynamic. Recent advances in evolutionary, sociological, epigenetic, biochemical, and neuro-imaging studies of depression are reviewed. A dynamic model of depression is proposed, linking interpersonal and intra-psychic perspectives with neuro-anatomical models. The final section of the paper considers the specific role of psychodynamic approaches to the treatment of refractory depression. These include length of treatment, capacity to rework implicit memories, and focus on transference and counter-transference.

  12. Structural, functional and spectroscopic MRI studies of methamphetamine addiction.

    PubMed

    Salo, Ruth; Fassbender, Catherine

    2012-01-01

    This chapter reviews selected neuroimaging findings related to long-term amphetamine and methamphetamine (MA) use. An overview of structural and functional (fMRI) MR studies, Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI), Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) and Positron Emission Tomography (PET) studies conducted in long-term MA abusers is presented. The focus of this chapter is to present the relevant studies as tools to understand brain changes following drug abstinence and recovery from addiction. The behavioral relevance of these neuroimaging studies is discussed as they relate to clinical symptoms and treatment. Within each imaging section this chapter includes a discussion of the relevant imaging studies as they relate to patterns of drug use (i.e., duration of MA use, cumulative lifetime dose and time MA abstinent) as well as an overview of studies that link the imaging findings to cognitive measures. In our conclusion we discuss some of the future directions of neuroimaging as it relates to the pathophysiology of addiction.

  13. Physiologic Monitor Alarm Rates at 5 Children's Hospitals.

    PubMed

    Schondelmeyer, Amanda C; Brady, Patrick W; Goel, Veena V; Cvach, Maria; Blake, Nancy; Mangeot, Colleen; Bonafide, Christopher P

    2018-06-01

    Alarm fatigue has been linked to patient morbidity and mortality in hospitals due to delayed or absent responses to monitor alarms. We sought to describe alarm rates at 5 freestanding children's hospitals during a single day and the types of alarms and proportions of patients monitored by using a point-prevalence, cross-sectional study design. We collected audible alarms on all inpatient units and calculated overall alarm rates and rates by alarm type per monitored patient per day. We found a total of 147,213 alarms during the study period, with 3-fold variation in alarm rates across hospitals among similar unit types. Across hospitals, onequarter of monitored beds were responsible for 71%, 61%, and 63% of alarms in medical-surgical, neonatal intensive care, and pediatric intensive care units, respectively. Future work focused on addressing nonactionable alarms in patients with the highest alarm counts may decrease alarm rates. © 2018 Society of Hospital Medicine.

  14. Subjective Sleep Quality in Women With Divorce Histories: The Role of Intimate Partner Victimization.

    PubMed

    Newton, Tamara L; Burns, Vicki Ellison; Miller, James J; Fernandez-Botran, G Rafael

    2016-05-01

    A marital status of divorced or separated, as opposed to married, predicts increased risk of health problems, but not for all persons. Focusing on one established health risk that has been linked with divorce--poor subjective sleep quality--the present cross-sectional study examined whether a history of physical intimate partner victimization (IPV) helps identify divorced women at potentially greater risk of health problems. Community midlife women with divorce histories, all of whom were free of current IPV, reported on their past month sleep quality and lifetime IPV. The predicted odds of poor sleep quality were significantly greater for women with, versus without, IPV histories. This held after adjusting for socioemotional, medical, or sociodemographic risks. A dose-response relationship between IPV chronicity and poor quality sleep was observed. IPV history may help identify divorced women at increased risk of poor quality sleep and, more broadly, poor health. © The Author(s) 2015.

  15. 47 CFR 87.149 - Special requirements for automatic link establishment (ALE).

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 47 Telecommunication 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Special requirements for automatic link establishment (ALE). 87.149 Section 87.149 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES AVIATION SERVICES Technical Requirements § 87.149 Special requirements...

  16. Human Factors Experiments for Data Link : Interim Report No. 3

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1973-08-01

    The results of three experiments involving eight FAA NAFEC test pilots are reported. Section I describes the evaluation of four prototype Data Link displays in a GAT-1 simulator. While there was lack of agreement among the pilots as to the relative m...

  17. Department of the Navy Supporting Data for Fiscal Year 1983 Budget Estimates Descriptive Summaries Submitted to Congress February 1982. Research, Development, Test and Evaluation, Navy. Book 2 of 3. Tactical Programs.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1982-02-01

    control unit will detect and classify submerged submarins transiting within PJ The EnCAPsulated pedo augments air, surface and submarine anti...vidicon (date link video enhancement). Conduct Operational Test and Evaluation. Complete Large Scale Integration Receiver-Decoder improvement. Continue...analysis, and data link video enhancement focusing on application of a new silicon vidicon was continued; data link improvements such as adaptive null

  18. Associations between state regulations, training length, perceived quality and job satisfaction among certified nursing assistants: cross-sectional secondary data analysis.

    PubMed

    Han, Kihye; Trinkoff, Alison M; Storr, Carla L; Lerner, Nancy; Johantgen, Meg; Gartrell, Kyungsook

    2014-08-01

    In the U.S., there are federal requirements on how much training and annual continuing education a certified nursing assistant must complete in order to be certified. The requirements are designed to enable them to provide competent and quality care to nursing home residents. Many states also require additional training and continuing education hours as improved nursing home quality indicators have been found to be related to increased training. This study investigated the associations among state level regulations, initial training quality and focus, and job satisfaction in certified nursing assistants. Cross-sectional secondary data analysis. This study used the National Nursing Home Survey and National Nursing Assistant Survey as well as data on state regulations of certified nursing assistant training. 2897 certified nursing assistants in 580 nursing homes who were currently working at a nursing home facility, who represented 680,846 certified nursing assistants in US. State regulations were related to initial training and job satisfaction among certified nursing assistants using chi square tests and binomial logistic regression models. Analyses were conducted using SAS-callable SUDAAN to correct for complex sampling design effects in the National Nursing Home Survey and National Nursing Assistant Survey. Models were adjusted for personal and facility characteristics. Certified nursing assistants reporting high quality training were more likely to work in states requiring additional initial training hours (p=0.02) and were more satisfied with their jobs (OR=1.51, 95% CI=1.09-2.09) than those with low quality training. In addition, those with more training focused on work life skills were 91% more satisfied (OR=1.91, 95% CI=1.41-2.58) whereas no relationship was found between training focused on basic care skills and job satisfaction (OR=1.36, 95% CI=0.99-1.84). Certified nursing assistants with additional initial training were more likely to report that their training was of high quality, and this was related to job satisfaction. Job satisfaction was also associated with receiving more training that focused on work life skills. Federal training regulations should reconsider additional hours for certified nursing assistant initial training, and include work life skills as a focus. As job satisfaction has been linked to nursing home turnover, attention to training may improve satisfaction, ultimately reducing staff turnover. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. 'Language is the source of misunderstandings'--impact of terminology on public perceptions of health promotion messages.

    PubMed

    Buckton, Christina H; Lean, Michael E J; Combet, Emilie

    2015-06-23

    The high level of premature death due to non-communicable diseases has been associated with unhealthful lifestyles, including poor diet. The effectiveness of public health strategies designed to promote health via messages focusing on food and diets depends largely on the perception of the messages by the public. The aim of this study was to explore public perceptions of language commonly used to communicate concepts linking health, food and the diet. This study is a qualitative and semi-quantitative cross-sectional survey exploring public perceptions of terms used to improve eating habits within public health strategies. We recruited adults with no background in nutrition or health-care, from May to July 2013, from urban areas of varying deprivation (n = 12) in Glasgow and Edinburgh, UK. Four key prompt-terms used to convey the idea of improving health through diet were selected for testing: Healthy Eating, Eating for Health, Balanced Diet and Nutritional Balance. Consumer understanding of these terms was explored using mixed-methods, including qualitative focus groups (n = 17) and an interviewer-led word-association exercise (n = 270). The word-association exercise produced 1,386 individual responses from the four prompt-terms, with 130 unique responses associated with a single term. Cluster analysis revealed 16 key themes, with responses affected by prompt-term used, age, gender and socio-economic status. Healthy Eating was associated with foods considered 'healthy' (p <0.05); Eating for Health and Balanced Diet with negative connotations of foods to avoid (both p <0.001) and Nutritional Balance with the benefits of eating healthily (p <0.01). Focus groups revealed clear differences in perceptions: Eating for Health = positive action one takes to manage existing medical conditions, Healthy Eating = passive aspirational term associated with weight management, Balanced Diet = old fashioned, also dieting for weight loss, Nutritional Balance = maximising physical performance. Food suppliers use Healthy Eating terminology to promote weight management products. Focus group participants welcomed product reformulation to enhance food health properties as a strategy to overcome desensitisation to health-messages. Public perceptions of messages communicating concepts linking health, food and the diet are influenced by terminology, resulting in confusion. To increase individual commitment to change eating habits in the long term, public health campaigns need strengthening, potentially by investing in tailored approaches to meet the needs of defined groups of consumers.

  20. Family Socioeconomic Status and Academic Achievement among Korean Adolescents: Linking Mechanisms of Family Processes and Adolescents' Time Use

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bae, Dayoung; Wickrama, K. A. S.

    2015-01-01

    This study examined pathways through which family socioeconomic status may influence adolescents' academic achievement. We focused on parental monitoring and adolescents' after-school time-use patterns as linking mechanisms. Participants were 441 twelve- to fourteen-year-old Korean adolescents who participated in the Korea Welfare Panel Study.…

  1. Cognitive Biases and the Link between Shyness and Social Anxiety in Early Adolescence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Weeks, Murray; Ooi, Laura L.; Coplan, Robert J.

    2016-01-01

    Shy children display wariness in unfamiliar social situations and often experience feelings of social anxiety. This study explored the potential mediating role of cognitive biases in the link between shyness and social anxiety in early adolescence. In particular, we focused on judgments of the probability and cost of negative social situations…

  2. Children's Attentional Biases and "5-HTTLPR" Genotype: Potential Mechanisms Linking Mother and Child Depression

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gibb, Brandon E.; Benas, Jessica S.; Grassia, Marie; McGeary, John

    2009-01-01

    In this study, we examined the roles of specific cognitive (attentional bias) and genetic ("5-HTTLPR") risk factors in the intergenerational transmission of depression. Focusing first on the link between maternal history of major depressive disorder (MDD) and children's attentional biases, we found that children of mothers with a history…

  3. Simultaneous determination of 13 fluoroquinolone and 22 sulfonamide residues in milk by a dual-colorimetric enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) usually focus on the detection of a single analyte or a single group of analytes, e.g., fluoroquinolones or sulfonamides. However, it is often necessary to simultaneously monitor the two classes of antimicrobial residues in different food matrices. In th...

  4. Linking Exploration and Exploitation: How a Think Tank Triggers a Managerial Innovation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frost, Jetta; Vogel, Rick

    2008-01-01

    In this article, we focus on think tanks as intermediaries between exploration and exploitation. To underpin our theoretical arguments on their linking function between both domains, we conducted a case study. The object of investigation is a think tank which has played a decisive role in the modernisation of the German public sector. The…

  5. Personality Facets and RIASEC Interests: An Integrated Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Armstrong, Patrick Ian; Anthoney, Sarah Fetter

    2009-01-01

    Research examining links between personality and interest have typically focused on links between measures of the five factor model and Holland's RIASEC types. However, the five factor model of personality can be divided in to a larger set of narrow domain personality scales measuring facets of the "big five" traits. Research in a number of fields…

  6. Linking Science and Statistics: Curriculum Expectations in Three Countries

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Watson, Jane M.

    2017-01-01

    This paper focuses on the curriculum links between statistics and science that teachers need to understand and apply in order to be effective teachers of the two fields of study. Meaningful statistics does not exist without context and science is the context for this paper. Although curriculum documents differ from country to country, this paper…

  7. Multiscale Modeling for Linking Growth, Microstructure, and Properties of Inorganic Microporous Films

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Vlachos, Dion G.

    2002-01-01

    The focus of this presentation is on multiscale modeling in order to link processing, microstructure, and properties of materials. Overview of problems we study includes: Growth mechanisms in chemical and physical vapor epitaxy; thin films of zeolites for separation and sensing; thin Pd films for hydrogen separation and pattern formation by self-regulation routes.

  8. Linking Research and Practice through Teacher Communities: A Place Where Formal and Practical Knowledge Meet?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pareja Roblin, Natalie N.; Ormel, Bart J. B.; McKenney, Susan E.; Voogt, Joke M.; Pieters, Jules M.

    2014-01-01

    This study characterises the links between research and practice across 12 projects concerned with the collaborative design of lesson plans by teacher communities (TCs). Analyses focused on sources of knowledge used to inform lesson design, participants' roles and knowledge generated by the teacher community. Three patterns emerged pertaining…

  9. Promoting Sustainable Development through Whole School Approaches: An International, Intercultural Teacher Education Research and Development Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shallcross, Tony; Loubser, Callie; Le Roux, Cheryl; O'Donoghue, Rob; Lupele, Justin

    2006-01-01

    This paper focuses on a British Council funded Higher Education Link project involving three institutions--Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) in the UK and two South African institutions, the University of South Africa (UNISA) and Rhodes University. The link is a research and development project that has three main research strands:…

  10. Learning with LinkedIn: Students' Perceptions of Incorporating Subject-Related Blogging in an International Marketing Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Galan, Nataliya; Khodabandehloo, Akbar

    2016-01-01

    Purpose: This paper aims to report the results of implementation of blogging within a LinkedIn discussion group in an international marketing course for a multicultural group of students focusing on the students' perceptions of the subject-related blogging. Design/Methodology/ Approach: This study adopts a qualitative approach; data have been…

  11. Follow the Yellow Brick Road: Linking Theory and Practice in Addiction Studies Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shepherd, Robin-Marie; Laidlaw, Tannis M.

    2017-01-01

    This paper describes an undergraduate course in addictions within the health science sector linking theory with practice at a university in New Zealand. The essence of this addiction course includes both a strong theoretical basis and public health focus. The theoretical and practical content is described with examples of the students' pedagogical…

  12. 34 CFR 602.10 - Link to Federal programs.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Link to Federal programs. 602.10 Section 602.10 Education Regulations of the Offices of the Department of Education (Continued) OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION, DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION THE SECRETARY'S RECOGNITION OF ACCREDITING AGENCIES The Criteria for...

  13. Path planning and Ground Control Station simulator for UAV

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ajami, A.; Balmat, J.; Gauthier, J.-P.; Maillot, T.

    In this paper we present a Universal and Interoperable Ground Control Station (UIGCS) simulator for fixed and rotary wing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and all types of payloads. One of the major constraints is to operate and manage multiple legacy and future UAVs, taking into account the compliance with NATO Combined/Joint Services Operational Environment (STANAG 4586). Another purpose of the station is to assign the UAV a certain degree of autonomy, via autonomous planification/replanification strategies. The paper is organized as follows. In Section 2, we describe the non-linear models of the fixed and rotary wing UAVs that we use in the simulator. In Section 3, we describe the simulator architecture, which is based upon interacting modules programmed independently. This simulator is linked with an open source flight simulator, to simulate the video flow and the moving target in 3D. To conclude this part, we tackle briefly the problem of the Matlab/Simulink software connection (used to model the UAV's dynamic) with the simulation of the virtual environment. Section 5 deals with the control module of a flight path of the UAV. The control system is divided into four distinct hierarchical layers: flight path, navigation controller, autopilot and flight control surfaces controller. In the Section 6, we focus on the trajectory planification/replanification question for fixed wing UAV. Indeed, one of the goals of this work is to increase the autonomy of the UAV. We propose two types of algorithms, based upon 1) the methods of the tangent and 2) an original Lyapunov-type method. These algorithms allow either to join a fixed pattern or to track a moving target. Finally, Section 7 presents simulation results obtained on our simulator, concerning a rather complicated scenario of mission.

  14. Effects of Text Messaging on College Students' Perceptions of Personal Health

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hudson, Heather K.; Bliss, Kadi R.; Fetro, Joyce V.

    2012-01-01

    Four focus groups of undergraduate students (n = 32) were conducted to elicit perceptions regarding how text messaging affects personal health. Participant responses were coded and themed into five health dimensions: physical, mental, social, emotional, and spiritual. Results of focus groups showed several main themes linked each dimension of…

  15. Bullying Prevention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kemp, Patrice

    2016-01-01

    The focus of the milestone project is to focus on bridging the gap of bullying and classroom instruction methods. There has to be a defined expectations and level of accountability that has to be defined when supporting and implementing a plan linked to bullying prevention. All individuals involved in the student's learning have to be aware of…

  16. Australian Curriculum Linked Lessons

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hurrell, Derek

    2014-01-01

    In providing a continued focus on tasks and activities that help to illustrate key ideas embedded in the new Australian Curriculum, this issue will focus on Number in the Number and Algebra strand. In this article Derek Hurrell provides a few tried and proven activities to develop place value understanding. These activities are provided for…

  17. Alternate Communications Spectrum Study (ACSS) for Aviation Data Links (ADL)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Matolak, David W.

    2003-01-01

    The aim of the work was to identify the key factors involved in the use of alternate spectrum in various bands for a future integrated CNS data link. The study focused on systems and spectral bands that can deliver VDL-or-higher data rates in a two-way communication setting (including air-ground, ground-air, and air-air modes of operation), with multiple platforms (aircraft) operating in the same local environment. We begin with a review of the initial task list, and the final task list. The final task list contained a focus upon spectral availability and related systems that could be affected by the deployment of a new aviation data link (ADL) system. Most of this addresses the lower few layers of the communications protocol stack. A brief review of current related efforts in the aeronautical community is then provided, in which we describe several systems and programs of interest. Participation in some of these efforts is recommended. We also delineate several of the advantages and disadvantages of these system/efforts, in view of anticipated requirements of a new ADL. Desired attributes of a new ADL system are then discussed, and a connection with existing systems is made. The need to consider a wider set of alternative systems and technologies is described, and the beneficial aspects of a particular transmission technique- spread spectrum-are discussed. We then discuss in more detail several potential spectral regions, in terms of propagation conditions, available technology, spectrum availability, and waveform selection. Some comments on the need for standardization are also provided. We note that none of the existing systems described will likely meet the full range of desired features of a new ADL, but that several systems and spectral regions offer promise in terms of one or more characteristics. A system design and analysis approach is then provided. In this, we again focus on the lower few layers of the protocol stack, and aim to capture the main features and parameters that must be selected in the design. Two appendices show example versions and initial results of the first few technical steps in the design approach. Some conclusions are then drawn, and in the final section, recommendations are provided, the most important of which are repeated here: 1. Continue the effort begun here. As detailed in this report, we have only uncovered much of the work that needs to be done in order to provide the foundation for a flexible, high- performance, robust ADL. 2. Seize the opportunity to begin testing in the MLS band. The wide bandwidths and low level of usage of this band make it an ideal one for proof-of-concept type testing. Other (non- aeronautical) organizations are likely to make claims on the band if it is not being used. The primary conclusion is that there is a real and pressing need for a new aviation data link. vi

  18. Revisiting the Link between Job Satisfaction and Life Satisfaction: The Role of Basic Psychological Needs

    PubMed Central

    Unanue, Wenceslao; Gómez, Marcos E.; Cortez, Diego; Oyanedel, Juan C.; Mendiburo-Seguel, Andrés

    2017-01-01

    The link between job satisfaction and life satisfaction has been extensively explored in the relevant literature. However, the great majority of past research has been carried out using cross-sectional analyses, and almost exclusively in the Western world. Moreover, the underlying psychological mechanisms explaining the link are not yet completely understood. Thus, we report the first research to date which uses both cross-sectional and longitudinal data among workers in Chile—a fast-developing Latin American economy—and which aims to tackle previous limitations. Three studies consistently support a positive link between the constructs. Study 1 (N = 636) found that higher job satisfaction predicted higher life satisfaction both contemporaneously and longitudinally, and vice versa, above and beyond several key control variables. Study 2 (N = 725) and Study 3 (N = 703) replicated Study 1 results, but tested for the first time the role of satisfaction of basic psychological needs (as stated by self-determination theory) in the job–life satisfaction link. This is the most novel contribution of our paper. Key implications not only for individual quality of life, but also for companies' human resource practices emerge from our findings. PMID:28536541

  19. PREFACE: Focus section on superconducting power systems Focus section on superconducting power systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cardwell, D. A.; Amemiya, N.; Fair, R.

    2012-01-01

    This focus section of Superconductor Science and Technology looks at the properties, technology and applications of (RE)BCO and MgB2 based superconductors for power engineering systems. Both bulk and conductor forms of material are addressed, including elements of materials fabrication and processing, and the measurement of their applied properties for various levels of system application. The areas of research include ac losses in type II materials in power devices, cables and coated conductors, the development of high current dc cables and the application of superconductors in levitation devices, motors and fault current limiters. This focus section presents a broad cross-section of contemporary issues, that represent state-of-the-art for power applications of superconductors, and highlights the areas that require further development if commercial applications of these rapidly emerging materials are to be realised. It contains papers from some of the major groups in the field, including contributions from Europe, the USA and Japan, and describes devices that are relatively close to market.

  20. The weapon focus effect is weaker with Black versus White male perpetrators.

    PubMed

    Pickel, Kerri L; Sneyd, Danielle E

    2018-01-01

    We compared the influence of a weapon's presence on eyewitnesses' memory for a White versus a Black male perpetrator. Prior data indicate that unusual objects in visual scenes attract attention and that a weapon's effect depends on how unusual it seems within the context in which it appears. Therefore, given the stereotype linking Black men and weapons, we predicted a weaker weapon focus effect with the Black perpetrator. The results of Experiment 1 supported this hypothesis using White and Black witnesses. Moreover, in Experiment 2 the weapon focus effect became nonsignificant when the Black perpetrator wore a style of clothing that is strongly associated with Black men. We propose that observing an armed Black perpetrator automatically activates a stereotype linking Black men with weapons and crime, which in turn reduces the perceived unusualness of the weapon and thus its ability to attract attention.

  1. What Helps Children in a Pupil Referral Unit (PRU)? An Exploration into the Potential Protective Factors of a PRU as Identified by Children and Staff

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hart, Natalie

    2013-01-01

    Previous studies have focused on the views of excluded children or those finding themselves in Pupil Referral Units (PRUs). Few, however, have focused on exploring views from a resilience perspective. Studies linked to resilience have tended to focus on exploring factors through quantitative rather than qualitative measures. This piece of research…

  2. FOI 75: Report of the Advancement of Freedom of Information Committee.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sigma Delta Chi, Chicago, IL.

    This document focuses on freedom of information during 1975. The first section focuses on possible threats to First Amendment freedoms during 1976. The second section focuses on the problems and threats to journalists of S.1, the Senate legislation introduced at the start of the new Congress which aims to revise American criminal law. The third…

  3. Entanglement on linked boundaries in Chern-Simons theory with generic gauge groups

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dwivedi, Siddharth; Singh, Vivek Kumar; Dhara, Saswati; Ramadevi, P.; Zhou, Yang; Joshi, Lata Kh

    2018-02-01

    We study the entanglement for a state on linked torus boundaries in 3 d Chern-Simons theory with a generic gauge group and present the asymptotic bounds of Rényi entropy at two different limits: (i) large Chern-Simons coupling k, and (ii) large rank r of the gauge group. These results show that the Rényi entropies cannot diverge faster than ln k and ln r, respectively. We focus on torus links T (2 , 2 n) with topological linking number n. The Rényi entropy for these links shows a periodic structure in n and vanishes whenever n = 0 (mod p), where the integer p is a function of coupling k and rank r. We highlight that the refined Chern-Simons link invariants can remove such a periodic structure in n.

  4. A model for predicting propagation-related DSCS (Defense Communications Engineering Center) margin requirements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shultheis, C. F.

    1985-02-01

    This technical report describes an analysis of the performance allocations for a satellite link, focusing specifically on a single-hop 7 to 8 GHz link of the Defense Satellite Communications System (DSCS). The analysis is performed for three primary reasons: (1) to reevaluate link power margin requirements for DSCS links based on digital signalling; (2) to analyze the implications of satellite availability and error rate allocations contained in proposed MIL-STD-188-323, system design and engineering standards for long haul digital transmission system performance; and (3) to standardize a methodology for determination of rain-related propagation constraints. The aforementioned methodology is then used to calculate the link margin requirements of typical DSCS binary/quaternary phase shift keying (BPSK/QPSK) links at 7 to 8 GHz for several different Earth terminal locations.

  5. The Maine Sealant Manual for School-Based and School-Linked Dental Sealant Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hayward, Kneka, Ed.

    This manual is designed for use by school personnel and dental personnel to aid in the development and maintenance of school-based or school-linked dental sealant programs. The sections include (1) "Introduction"; (2) "Guidelines" (school selection, school contacts, dental providers, target grades, and tooth selection…

  6. Principles of pharmacological research of nutraceuticals

    PubMed Central

    Andrew, Ruth

    2017-01-01

    Linked Articles This article is part of a themed section on Principles of Pharmacological Research of Nutraceuticals. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v174.11/issuetoc PMID:28500635

  7. Spinoff 1995

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Haggerty, James J.

    1995-01-01

    Recognizing the great potential of the technology bank, Congress charged NASA with stimulating the widest possible use of this valuable resource in the national interest. NASA's instrument of that purpose is the Technology Transfer Program, which seeks to broaden and accelerate the spinoff process. Its intent is to spur expanded national benefit, in terms of new products and new jobs, by facilitating the commercial application of the technology; it encourages greater use of the storehouse of knowledge by providing a channel linking the technology and those who might be able to put it to advantageous use. In July 1994, NASA implemented an Agenda for Change - a new way of doing business in partnership with the private sector. This Agenda marks the beginning of a new focus to further improve our contributions to America's economic security through the pursuit of aeronautics and space missions. This publication is an implement of the Technology Transfer Program intended to heighten awareness among potential users of the technology available for transfer and the economic and social benefits that might be realized by applications of NASA technology to US commercial interests. Spinoff 1995 is organized in three sections. Section 1 outlines NASA's mainline effort, the major programs that generate new technology and therefore replenish and expand the bank of technical knowledge available for application. Section 2, the focal point of this volume, contains a representative sampling of spinoff products and processes that resulted from applications of technology originally developed to meet NASA aerospace goals. Section 3, describes the various mechanisms NASA employs to stimulate technology transfer and lists, in an appendix, contact sources for further information about the Technology Transfer Program.

  8. Random or predictable?: Adoption patterns of chronic care management practices in physician organizations.

    PubMed

    Miake-Lye, Isomi M; Chuang, Emmeline; Rodriguez, Hector P; Kominski, Gerald F; Yano, Elizabeth M; Shortell, Stephen M

    2017-08-24

    Theories, models, and frameworks used by implementation science, including Diffusion of Innovations, tend to focus on the adoption of one innovation, when often organizations may be facing multiple simultaneous adoption decisions. For instance, despite evidence that care management practices (CMPs) are helpful in managing chronic illness, there is still uneven adoption by physician organizations. This exploratory paper leverages this natural variation in uptake to describe inter-organizational patterns in adoption of CMPs and to better understand how adoption choices may be related to one another. We assessed a cross section of national survey data from physician organizations reporting on the use of 20 CMPs (5 each for asthma, congestive heart failure, depression, and diabetes). Item response theory was used to explore patterns in adoption, first considering all 20 CMPs together and then by subsets according to disease focus or CMP type (e.g., registries, patient reminders). Mokken scale analysis explored whether adoption choices were linked by disease focus or CMP type and whether a consistent ordering of adoption choices was present. The Mokken scale for all 20 CMPs demonstrated medium scalability (H = 0.43), but no consistent ordering. Scales for subsets of CMPs sharing a disease focus had medium scalability (0.4 < H < 0.5), while subsets sharing a CMP type had strong scalability (H > 0.5). Scales for CMP type consistently ranked diabetes CMPs as most adoptable and depression CMPs as least adoptable. Within disease focus scales, patient reminders were ranked as the most adoptable CMP, while clinician feedback and patient education were ranked the least adoptable. Patterns of adoption indicate that innovation characteristics may influence adoption. CMP dissemination efforts may be strengthened by encouraging traditionally non-adopting organizations to focus on more adoptable practices first and then describing a pathway for the adoption of subsequent CMPs. Clarifying why certain CMPs are "less adoptable" may also provide insights into how to overcome CMP adoption constraints.

  9. Cross-disciplinary links in environmental systems science: Current state and claimed needs identified in a meta-review of process models.

    PubMed

    Ayllón, Daniel; Grimm, Volker; Attinger, Sabine; Hauhs, Michael; Simmer, Clemens; Vereecken, Harry; Lischeid, Gunnar

    2018-05-01

    Terrestrial environmental systems are characterised by numerous feedback links between their different compartments. However, scientific research is organized into disciplines that focus on processes within the respective compartments rather than on interdisciplinary links. Major feedback mechanisms between compartments might therefore have been systematically overlooked so far. Without identifying these gaps, initiatives on future comprehensive environmental monitoring schemes and experimental platforms might fail. We performed a comprehensive overview of feedbacks between compartments currently represented in environmental sciences and explores to what degree missing links have already been acknowledged in the literature. We focused on process models as they can be regarded as repositories of scientific knowledge that compile findings of numerous single studies. In total, 118 simulation models from 23 model types were analysed. Missing processes linking different environmental compartments were identified based on a meta-review of 346 published reviews, model intercomparison studies, and model descriptions. Eight disciplines of environmental sciences were considered and 396 linking processes were identified and ascribed to the physical, chemical or biological domain. There were significant differences between model types and scientific disciplines regarding implemented interdisciplinary links. The most wide-spread interdisciplinary links were between physical processes in meteorology, hydrology and soil science that drive or set the boundary conditions for other processes (e.g., ecological processes). In contrast, most chemical and biological processes were restricted to links within the same compartment. Integration of multiple environmental compartments and interdisciplinary knowledge was scarce in most model types. There was a strong bias of suggested future research foci and model extensions towards reinforcing existing interdisciplinary knowledge rather than to open up new interdisciplinary pathways. No clear pattern across disciplines exists with respect to suggested future research efforts. There is no evidence that environmental research would clearly converge towards more integrated approaches or towards an overarching environmental systems theory. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Tech Talk for Social Studies Teachers. Writing about Nazi Germany and Leni Riefenstahl:-Using Technology to Access Information

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Street, Chris; Stang, Kristin

    2008-01-01

    Asking students to explore teacher-selected Web sites is an effective way to provide students with appropriate links to credible online resources. This article provides several links to relevant sites that cover the Holocaust and Nazi Germany in general. It also provides several sites that focus on one particularly controversial and significant…

  11. Using the Women's Community Education Approach to Deliver Community Employment Training: A Case Study from Longford Women's Link

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Patterson, Lorne; Dowd, Kathleen

    2010-01-01

    The recent economic downturn and surge in unemployment has focused attention on education and training as a strategic response to Ireland's socio-economic crisis. However, that attention has been concentrated on training through statutory institutions, particularly FAS and the VECs. Longford Women's Link, a Women's Community Education centre in Co…

  12. Understanding the links between ecosystem health and social system well-being: an annotated bibliography.

    Treesearch

    Dawn M. Elmer; Harriet H. Christensen; Ellen M. Donoghue; [Compilers].

    2002-01-01

    This bibliography focuses on the links between social system well-being and ecosystem health. It is intended for public land managers and scientists and students of social and natural sciences. Multidisciplinary science that addresses the interconnections between the social system and the ecosystem is presented. Some of the themes and strategies presented are policy...

  13. Demolishing the Competition: The Longitudinal Link between Competitive Video Games, Competitive Gambling, and Aggression

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adachi, Paul J. C.; Willoughby, Teena

    2013-01-01

    The majority of research on the link between video games and aggression has focused on the violent content in games. In contrast, recent experimental research suggests that it is video game competition, not violence, that has the greatest effect on aggression in the short-term. However, no researchers have examined the long-term relationship…

  14. Taking Interaction in Literacy Events Seriously: A Conversation Analysis Approach to Evolving Literacy Practices in the Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tanner, Marie

    2017-01-01

    In this article, I examine the relation between literacy events and literacy practices in classroom interaction and add to ongoing discussions in the field of NLS about the transcontextual nature of literacy and how local literacy events are linked to broader literacy practices. It specifically focuses on how the link between literacy events and…

  15. Pathways to Adolescents' Flourishing: Linking Self-Control Skills and Positivity Ratio through Social Support

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Orkibi, Hod; Hamama, Liat; Gavriel-Fried, Belle; Ronen, Tammie

    2018-01-01

    This study focused on the ability to experience a high ratio of positive to negative emotions in 807 Israeli adolescents aged 12 to 15 years (50% girls). While considering possible gender differences, we tested a model positing that adolescents' self-control skills would link to their positivity ratio and indirectly through perceived social…

  16. The LinkedIn Endorsement Game: Why and How Professionals Attribute Skills to Others

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rapanta, Chrysi; Cantoni, Lorenzo

    2017-01-01

    The phenomenon of endorsing people for their professional skills on LinkedIn is more and more evident, and it grows along with the expansion of this broadly used professional networking website. This article focuses on the ease with which people endorse others and also accept endorsements and the potential impact of this action on people's…

  17. Links between Success in Non-Measurement and Calculation Tasks in Area and Volume Measurement and Pupils' Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tumová, Veronika; Vondrová, Nada

    2017-01-01

    Measurement in geometry is one of the key areas of school mathematics, however, pupils make serious mistakes when solving problems involving measurement and hold misconceptions. This article focuses on the possible links between lower secondary pupils' (n = 870) success in solving non-measurement tasks and calculations tasks on area and volume and…

  18. "Diles la verdad": Deportation Policies, Politicized Funds of Knowledge, and Schooling in Middle Childhood

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gallo, Sarah; Link, Holly

    2015-01-01

    In this article, Sarah Gallo and Holly Link draw on a five-year ethnographic study of Latina/o immigrant children and their elementary schooling to examine the complexities of how children, teachers, and families in a Pennsylvania town navigate learning within a context of unprecedented deportations. Gallo and Link focus on the experiences and…

  19. Linking Community Health Centers with Schools Serving Low-Income Children: An Idea Book.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Health Resources and Services Administration (DHHS/PHS), Rockville, MD. Bureau of Primary Health Care.

    By working together, pooling resources and energy, both health centers and schools can do more to help children to be ready to learn and to reach their full potential as citizens. This book focuses on establishing links between schools serving low-income children and community or migrant health centers. The book is organized into three chapters…

  20. Linking effects of anthropogenic debris to ecological impacts

    PubMed Central

    Browne, Mark Anthony; Underwood, A. J.; Chapman, M. G.; Williams, Rob; Thompson, Richard C.; van Franeker, Jan A.

    2015-01-01

    Accelerated contamination of habitats with debris has caused increased effort to determine ecological impacts. Strikingly, most work on organisms focuses on sublethal responses to plastic debris. This is controversial because (i) researchers have ignored medical insights about the mechanisms that link effects of debris across lower levels of biological organization to disease and mortality, and (ii) debris is considered non-hazardous by policy-makers, possibly because individuals can be injured or removed from populations and assemblages without ecological impacts. We reviewed the mechanisms that link effects of debris across lower levels of biological organization to assemblages and populations. Using plastic, we show microplastics reduce the ‘health’, feeding, growth and survival of ecosystem engineers. Larger debris alters assemblages because fishing-gear and tyres kill animals and damage habitat-forming plants, and because floating bottles facilitate recruitment and survival of novel taxa. Where ecological linkages are not known, we show how to establish hypothetical links by synthesizing studies to assess the likelihood of impacts. We also consider how population models examine ecological linkages and guide management of ecological impacts. We show that by focusing on linkages to ecological impacts rather than the presence of debris and its sublethal impacts, we could reduce threats posed by debris. PMID:25904661

  1. Disease Compass- a navigation system for disease knowledge based on ontology and linked data techniques.

    PubMed

    Kozaki, Kouji; Yamagata, Yuki; Mizoguchi, Riichiro; Imai, Takeshi; Ohe, Kazuhiko

    2017-06-19

    Medical ontologies are expected to contribute to the effective use of medical information resources that store considerable amount of data. In this study, we focused on disease ontology because the complicated mechanisms of diseases are related to concepts across various medical domains. The authors developed a River Flow Model (RFM) of diseases, which captures diseases as the causal chains of abnormal states. It represents causes of diseases, disease progression, and downstream consequences of diseases, which is compliant with the intuition of medical experts. In this paper, we discuss a fact repository for causal chains of disease based on the disease ontology. It could be a valuable knowledge base for advanced medical information systems. We developed the fact repository for causal chains of diseases based on our disease ontology and abnormality ontology. This section summarizes these two ontologies. It is developed as linked data so that information scientists can access it using SPARQL queries through an Resource Description Framework (RDF) model for causal chain of diseases. We designed the RDF model as an implementation of the RFM for the fact repository based on the ontological definitions of the RFM. 1554 diseases and 7080 abnormal states in six major clinical areas, which are extracted from the disease ontology, are published as linked data (RDF) with SPARQL endpoint (accessible API). Furthermore, the authors developed Disease Compass, a navigation system for disease knowledge. Disease Compass can browse the causal chains of a disease and obtain related information, including abnormal states, through two web services that provide general information from linked data, such as DBpedia, and 3D anatomical images. Disease Compass can provide a complete picture of disease-associated processes in such a way that fits with a clinician's understanding of diseases. Therefore, it supports user exploration of disease knowledge with access to pertinent information from a variety of sources.

  2. "Facing humanness: Facial width-to-height ratio predicts ascriptions of humanity": Correction to Deska, Lloyd, and Hugenberg (2017).

    PubMed

    2018-01-01

    Reports an error in "Facing Humanness: Facial Width-to-Height Ratio Predicts Ascriptions of Humanity" by Jason C. Deska, E. Paige Lloyd and Kurt Hugenberg ( Journal of Personality and Social Psychology , Advanced Online Publication, Aug 28, 2017, np). In the article, there is a data error in the Results section of Study 1c. The fourth sentence of the fourth paragraph should read as follows: High fWHR targets (M= 74.39, SD=18.25) were rated as equivalently evolved as their low fWHR counterparts (M=79.39, SD=15.91). (The following abstract of the original article appeared in record 2017-36694-001.) The ascription of mind to others is central to social cognition. Most research on the ascription of mind has focused on motivated, top-down processes. The current work provides novel evidence that facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR) serves as a bottom-up perceptual signal of humanness. Using a range of well-validated operational definitions of humanness, we provide evidence across 5 studies that target faces with relatively greater fWHR are seen as less than fully human compared with their relatively lower fWHR counterparts. We then present 2 ancillary studies exploring whether the fWHR-to-humanness link is mediated by previously established fWHR-trait links in the literature. Finally, 3 additional studies extend this fWHR-humanness link beyond measurements of humanness, demonstrating that the fWHR-humanness link has consequences for downstream social judgments including the sorts of crimes people are perceived to be guilty of and the social tasks for which they seem helpful. In short, we provide evidence for the hypothesis that individuals with relatively greater facial width-to-height ratio are routinely denied sophisticated, humanlike minds. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  3. Postdoctoral Fellow | Center for Cancer Research

    Cancer.gov

    A Postdoctoral Fellow position is available in Dr. Chuong Dinh Hoang's laboratory within the Thoracic and Gastrointestinal Oncology Branch (TGIB), National Cancer Institute, NIH. Our broad goal is to explore the molecular and cellular biology of thoracic cancers, namely mesothelioma and/ or non-small cell lung carcinoma, thymoma, etc. Currently, we have projects that involve investigating microRNA-mRNA interactions in malignant mesothelioma. New projects will focus on the pathogenic signaling pathways relevant to tumor initiation, invasion, metastasis, and resistance. With these projects, we have translational aims of developing novel molecular biomarkers and therapeutic targets based on an understanding of the pathogenetic mechanisms active in these cancers. Also, we are developing novel delivery platforms for nucleic-based agents that require pre-clinical testing in mouse tumor models. The culmination of these projects will be linked to clinical human protocols in these thoracic cancers of interest. This is a great opportunity for candidates who are interested in cancer biology and want to enhance their career potential by working in our research program with outstanding support of other established laboratories and core facilities in the National Cancer Institute. This laboratory effort will be in close collaboration with other faculty in our branch. We work closely with the Thoracic Oncology Section of David S. Schrump, M.D. (Chief, TGIB), which focuses on epigenetic mechanisms and regulation of thoracic tumors; and with the lab of Dr. Taylor Ripley, M.D., which focuses on metabolism of thoracic tumors.

  4. Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System user impact and network compatibility study. [antenna design and telecommunication links

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1973-01-01

    The report contains data on antenna configurations for the low data rate users of the Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System (TDRSS). It treats the coverage and mutual visibility considerations between the user satellites and the relay satellites and relates these considerations to requirements of antenna beamwidth and fractional user orbital coverage. A final section includes user/TDRS telecommunication link budgets and forward and return link data rate tradeoffs.

  5. Spectroscopic characterization of collagen cross-links in bone

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Paschalis, E. P.; Verdelis, K.; Doty, S. B.; Boskey, A. L.; Mendelsohn, R.; Yamauchi, M.

    2001-01-01

    Collagen is the most abundant protein of the organic matrix in mineralizing tissues. One of its most critical properties is its cross-linking pattern. The intermolecular cross-linking provides the fibrillar matrices with mechanical properties such as tensile strength and viscoelasticity. In this study, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and FTIR imaging (FTIRI) analyses were performed in a series of biochemically characterized samples including purified collagen cross-linked peptides, demineralized bovine bone collagen from animals of different ages, collagen from vitamin B6-deficient chick homogenized bone and their age- and sex-matched controls, and histologically stained thin sections from normal human iliac crest biopsy specimens. One region of the FTIR spectrum of particular interest (the amide I spectral region) was resolved into its underlying components. Of these components, the relative percent area ratio of two subbands at approximately 1660 cm(-1) and approximately 1690 cm(-1) was related to collagen cross-links that are abundant in mineralized tissues (i.e., pyridinoline [Pyr] and dehydrodihydroxylysinonorleucine [deH-DHLNL]). This study shows that it is feasible to monitor Pyr and DHLNL collagen cross-links spatial distribution in mineralized tissues. The spectroscopic parameter established in this study may be used in FTIRI analyses, thus enabling the calculation of relative Pyr/DHLNL amounts in thin (approximately 5 microm) calcified tissue sections with a spatial resolution of approximately 7 microm.

  6. Early Childhood Pre-Service Students' Transitioning into Discourses of Professional Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Quinones, Gloria; Ridgway, Avis

    2015-01-01

    The focus of this study is to investigate early childhood students' discourses of play-based curriculum. In this paper we focus on how students made implicit and explicit links to the Victorian Early Years Learning and Development Framework (VEYLDF). Twenty-six early childhood students had volunteered their de-identified play and pedagogy…

  7. Linking Teacher Evaluation to Professional Development: Focusing on Improving Teaching and Learning. Research & Policy Brief

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Goe, Laura; Biggers, Kietha; Croft, Andrew

    2012-01-01

    Recently, teacher evaluation has become a major focus in educational policy debates and research efforts. This increased attention to teacher evaluation has raised questions about the relationship between evaluation and student outcomes. Rivkin, Hanushek, and Kain (2005) and others have demonstrated with value-added research that there are…

  8. Introductory Guide to Africa.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wyss, Esther, Ed.

    This guide seeks to be a tool for action and a resource for understanding some of the key issues concerning Africa today. Through a series of six sessions, participants focus on a particular theme or issue that links their community with the African context. The six sessions focus on: (1) "Building Connections with Africa"; (2)…

  9. Link Data to Learning Goals: Common District Assessments Connect Teaching Effectiveness to Student Performance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Psencik, Kay; Baldwin, Rhonda

    2012-01-01

    In 2010, district leaders of Douglas County Public Schools, Douglasville, Georgia, launched an ambitious initiative to ensure that teachers set goals that focus on increasing their effectiveness and show student growth. To achieve this goal, the district leadership team focused on common district assessments to establish common learning…

  10. Pacific Telecommunications Council Annual Conference Proceedings (16th, Honolulu, Hawaii, January 16-20, 1994).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Savage, James G., Ed.; Wedemeyer, Dan J., Ed.

    This volume comprises the papers presented at the 1994 conference of the Pacific Telecommunications Council. This gathering, which focused on the theme, "Forging New Links: Focus on Developing Economies," brought together more than 1,100 participants from over 40 countries. The 146 papers are organized chronologically, according to date…

  11. Active Ways to Teach Health Concepts in the Elementary Setting

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gregory, Julie

    2015-01-01

    This article provides three movement-based activities for teaching health concepts to elementary school students. Two activities focus on nutrition concepts and the other focuses on teaching body systems. Diagrams are provided to show the setup of activities, as well as links for accessing materials to help implement the activities.

  12. Using Mindful Movement in Cooperative Learning while Learning about Angles

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shoval, Ella

    2011-01-01

    Unlike studies on cooperative learning that have focused on the verbal communication aspect of learning, this study focuses on the non-verbal aspect--mindful movement, which is the use of body movement to aid academic learning. Our research examined the link between five learning activities occurring within a cooperative group of children using…

  13. Appearance- and Competition-Focused Performance Goals: Examining Their Links with Performance in Physical Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Warburton, Victoria; Spray, Christopher

    2014-01-01

    We examined the utility of distinguishing between appearance- and competition-focused approach and avoidance performance goals to our understanding of motivation in physical education. Four achievement goals were tested composed of approach-avoidance and appearance-competition components. Three hundred and two pupils, aged 11-14 years, completed…

  14. School-Based Management and Its Linkage with the Curriculum in an Effective Secondary School.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dimmock, Clive; Wildy, Helen

    Few studies of school effectiveness focus on curriculum management in secondary schools, especially schools situated in supportive socioeconomic environments. (Many studies have focused on poor, urban, elementary schools.) This paper reports the first part of a research project designed to investigate the link between curriculum and management…

  15. Australian Curriculum Linked Lessons: The Language of Chance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hurrell, Derek

    2015-01-01

    In providing a continued focus on tasks and activities that help to illustrate key ideas embedded in the "Australian Curriculum," this issue focuses on the Statistics and probability strand and the sub-strand of Chance. In the Australian Curriculum (ACARA, 2015), students are not asked to list outcomes of chance experiments and represent…

  16. Focus in High School Mathematics: Reasoning and Sense Making in Algebra

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Graham, Karen; Cuoco, Albert; Zimmermann, Gwendolyn

    2010-01-01

    This book examines the five key elements (meaningful use of symbols, mindful manipulation, reasoned solving, connection algebra with geometry, and linking expressions and functions) identified in "Focus in High School Mathematics: Reasoning and Sense Making" in more detail and elaborates on the associated reasoning habits. This volume is one of a…

  17. A preliminary assessment of small steam Rankine and Brayton point-focusing solar modules

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Roschke, E. J.; Wen, L.; Steele, H.; Elgabalawi, N.; Wang, J.

    1979-01-01

    A preliminary assessment of three conceptual point-focusing distributed solar modules is presented. The basic power conversion units consist of small Brayton or Rankine engines individually coupled to two-axis, tracking, point-focusing solar collectors. An array of such modules can be linked together, via electric transport, to form a small power station. Each module also can be utilized on a stand-alone basis, as an individual power source.

  18. The International Classification of Functioning (ICF) core set for breast cancer from the perspective of women with the condition.

    PubMed

    Cooney, Marese; Galvin, Rose; Connolly, Elizabeth; Stokes, Emma

    2013-05-01

    The ICF Core Set for breast cancer was generated by international experts for women who have had surgery and radiation but it has not yet been validated. The objective of the study was to validate the ICF Core Set from the perspective of women with breast cancer. A qualitative focus group methodology was used. The sessions were transcribed verbatim. Meaning units were identified by two independent researchers. The agreed list was subsequently linked to ICF categories by two independent researchers according to pre-defined linking rules. Data saturation determined the number of focus groups conducted. Quality of the data analyses was assured by multiple coding and peer review. Thirty-four women participated in seven focus groups. A total of 1621 meaning units were identified which were linked to 74 of the existing 80 Core Set categories. Additional ICF categories not currently included in the Core Set were identified by the women. The validity of the Core Set was largely supported. However, some categories currently not covered by the ICF Core Set for Breast Cancer will need to be considered for inclusion if the Core Set is to reflect all women who have had treatment for breast cancer

  19. Starring role of toll-like receptor-4 activation in the gut-liver axis

    PubMed Central

    Carotti, Simone; Guarino, Michele Pier Luca; Vespasiani-Gentilucci, Umberto; Morini, Sergio

    2015-01-01

    Since the introduction of the term “gut-liver axis”, many studies have focused on the functional links of intestinal microbiota, barrier function and immune responses to liver physiology. Intestinal and extra-intestinal diseases alter microbiota composition and lead to dysbiosis, which aggravates impaired intestinal barrier function via increased lipopolysaccharide translocation. The subsequent increased passage of gut-derived product from the intestinal lumen to the organ wall and bloodstream affects gut motility and liver biology. The activation of the toll-like receptor 4 (TLR-4) likely plays a key role in both cases. This review analyzed the most recent literature on the gut-liver axis, with a particular focus on the role of TLR-4 activation. Findings that linked liver disease with dysbiosis are evaluated, and links between dysbiosis and alterations of intestinal permeability and motility are discussed. We also examine the mechanisms of translocated gut bacteria and/or the bacterial product activation of liver inflammation and fibrogenesis via activity on different hepatic cell types. PMID:26600967

  20. Complexities of Focused Ion Beam Preparation of Electron-Transparent Sections for Meteorite Studies

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ishii, H. A.; Bradley, J. P.; Teslich, N.

    2012-09-01

    Focused Ion Beam is increasingly used to prepare site-specific, electron-transparent sections for meteorite micro-texture and -chemistry studies. We discuss technical challenges and frequently-overlooked FIB artifacts relevant to meteorite analyses.

  1. From the mouths of social media users: A focus group study exploring the social casino gaming-online gambling link.

    PubMed

    Kim, Hyoun S; Wohl, Michael J A; Gupta, Rina; Derevensky, Jeffrey

    2016-03-01

    Background and aims The potential link between social casino gaming and online gambling has raised considerable concerns among clinicians, researchers and policy makers. Unfortunately, however, there is a paucity of research examining this potential link, especially among young adults. This represents a significant gap given young adults are frequently exposed to and are players of social casino games. Methods To better understand the potential link between social casino games and online gambling, we conducted three focus groups (N = 30) at two large Canadian Universities with college students who were avid social media users (who are regularly exposed to social casino games). Results Many participants spontaneously mentioned that social casino games were a great opportunity to build gambling skills before playing for real money. Importantly, some participants expressed a belief that there is a direct progression from social casino gaming to online gambling. Conversely, others believed the transition to online gambling depended on a person's personality, rather than mere exposure to social casino games. While many young adults in our focus groups felt immune to the effects of social casino games, there was a general consensus that social casino games may facilitate the transition to online gambling among younger teenagers (i.e., 12-14 yr olds), due to the ease of accessibility and early exposure. Discussion The results of the present research point to the need for more study on the effects of social casino gambling as well as a discussion concerning regulation of social casino games in order to minimize their potential risks.

  2. From the mouths of social media users: A focus group study exploring the social casino gaming–online gambling link

    PubMed Central

    Kim, Hyoun S.; Wohl, Michael J. A.; Gupta, Rina; Derevensky, Jeffrey

    2016-01-01

    Background and aims The potential link between social casino gaming and online gambling has raised considerable concerns among clinicians, researchers and policy makers. Unfortunately, however, there is a paucity of research examining this potential link, especially among young adults. This represents a significant gap given young adults are frequently exposed to and are players of social casino games. Methods To better understand the potential link between social casino games and online gambling, we conducted three focus groups (N = 30) at two large Canadian Universities with college students who were avid social media users (who are regularly exposed to social casino games). Results Many participants spontaneously mentioned that social casino games were a great opportunity to build gambling skills before playing for real money. Importantly, some participants expressed a belief that there is a direct progression from social casino gaming to online gambling. Conversely, others believed the transition to online gambling depended on a person’s personality, rather than mere exposure to social casino games. While many young adults in our focus groups felt immune to the effects of social casino games, there was a general consensus that social casino games may facilitate the transition to online gambling among younger teenagers (i.e., 12–14 yr olds), due to the ease of accessibility and early exposure. Discussion The results of the present research point to the need for more study on the effects of social casino gambling as well as a discussion concerning regulation of social casino games in order to minimize their potential risks. PMID:28092197

  3. Community-led cancer action councils in Queens, New York: process evaluation of an innovative partnership with the Queens library system.

    PubMed

    Basu Roy, Upal; Michel, Tamara; Carpenter, Alison; Lounsbury, David W; Sabino, Eilleen; Stevenson, Alexis Jurow; Combs, Sarah; Jacobs, Jasmine; Padgett, Deborah; Rapkin, Bruce D

    2014-02-06

    Community-based participatory research (CBPR) has great potential to address cancer disparities, particularly in racially and ethnically diverse and underserved neighborhoods. The objective of this study was to conduct a process evaluation of an innovative academic-community partnership, Queens Library HealthLink, which aimed to reduce cancer disparities through neighborhood groups (Cancer Action Councils) that convened in public libraries in Queens, New York. We used a mixed-methods approach to conduct 69 telephone survey interviews and 4 focus groups (15 participants) with Cancer Action Council members. We used 4 performance criteria to inform data collection: action or attention to sustainability, library support for the council, social cohesion and group leadership, and activity level. Focus group transcripts were independently coded and cross-checked for consensus until saturation was achieved. Members reported benefits and barriers to participation. Thirty-three original focus group transcript codes were organized into 8 main themes related to member experiences: 1) library as a needed resource, 2) library as a reputable and nondenominational institution, 3) value of library staff, 4) need for a HealthLink specialist, 5) generation of ideas and coordination of tasks, 6) participation challenges, 7) use of community connections, and 8) collaboration for sustainability. In response to the process evaluation, Cancer Action Council members and HealthLink staff incorporated member suggestions to improve council sustainability. The councils merged to increase intercouncil collaboration, and institutional changes were made in funding to sustain a HealthLink specialist beyond the grant period.

  4. Linking Science Education to Labour Markets: Issues and Strategies. Secondary Education Series.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lewin, Keith M.

    During the last 35 years, due to the globalization of the world economy and developing technologies, a considerable change has occurred in secondary education. This publication explores the extent to which the development of science education should be linked to labor markets in developing countries. Sections include: (1) "Science Education,…

  5. 49 CFR 214.315 - Supervision and communication.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 49 Transportation 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Supervision and communication. 214.315 Section 214... Supervision and communication. Link to an amendment published at 76 FR 74614, Nov. 30, 2011. Link to a delay..., the new text is set forth as follows: § 214.315 Supervision and communication. (a) When an employer...

  6. 77 FR 55817 - Delek Crude Logistics, LLC; Notice of Petition for Waiver

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-09-11

    ... using the eRegistration link. Select the eFiling link to log on and submit the intervention or protests... number. eFiling is encouraged. More detailed information relating to filing requirements, interventions...'') grant a temporary waiver of the filing and reporting requirements of sections 6 and 201 of the...

  7. Living in Partner-Violent Families: Developmental Links to Antisocial Behavior and Relationship Violence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ireland, Timothy O.; Smith, Carolyn A.

    2009-01-01

    Links between living in a partner-violent home and subsequent aggressive and antisocial behavior are suggested by the "cycle of violence" hypothesis derived from social learning theory. Although there is some empirical support, to date, findings have been generally limited to cross-sectional studies predominantly of young children, or…

  8. Mobile Router Testing with Diverse RF Communications Links

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brooks, David; Hoder, Doug; Wilkins, Ryan

    2004-01-01

    This is a short report on demonstrations using Mobile IP and several diverse physical communications links to connect a mobile network to a fixed IPv4 internet. The first section is a description of the equipment used, followed by descriptions of the tests, the theoretical results, and finally conclusions and the actual data.

  9. Accuracy test for link prediction in terms of similarity index: The case of WS and BA models

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ahn, Min-Woo; Jung, Woo-Sung

    2015-07-01

    Link prediction is a technique that uses the topological information in a given network to infer the missing links in it. Since past research on link prediction has primarily focused on enhancing performance for given empirical systems, negligible attention has been devoted to link prediction with regard to network models. In this paper, we thus apply link prediction to two network models: The Watts-Strogatz (WS) model and Barabási-Albert (BA) model. We attempt to gain a better understanding of the relation between accuracy and each network parameter (mean degree, the number of nodes and the rewiring probability in the WS model) through network models. Six similarity indices are used, with precision and area under the ROC curve (AUC) value as the accuracy metrics. We observe a positive correlation between mean degree and accuracy, and size independence of the AUC value.

  10. New Directions in Online Fraud

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mohatar, Oscar Delgado; Sierra Cámara, José M.

    2007-12-01

    The security of a system can be seen as a chain of protection methods, and the global level is just as strong as its weakest link. From this point of view, cryptography is no more than other link in the chain. And most of the times, it is probably the strongest link, but there are many others weak links which decrease the security level until unacceptable level for carrying out electronic commerce. In last term, exclusively technical protection methods seem not be able to completely resolve the situation. The focus should be changed towards trying to increase the resistance of the system, instead of its invulnerability that, in any case, can not be completely achieved in general purpose operating systems.

  11. Role of Landlords in Creating Healthy Homes: Section 8 Landlord Perspectives on Healthy Housing Practices.

    PubMed

    Polletta, Valerie L; Reid, Margaret; Barros, Eugene; Duarte, Catherine; Donaher, Kevin; Wensley, Howard; Wolff, Lisa

    2017-11-01

    This article presents qualitative research findings of Section 8 landlord perceptions regarding healthy housing practices to inform landlord-focused initiatives. Approach or Design: Five focus groups were conducted with landlords. Boston, Massachusetts. Section 8 landlords participated in focus groups (n = 39). Focus group transcripts were coded for key themes using a grounded theory approach. Landlords' primary challenges to creating a healthy housing environment included tenant behavior, financial burden, and policy enforcement; tenant safety and cost savings were seen as primary benefits. Landlords play a critical role in implementing healthy housing practices. Several opportunities exist to reduce barriers and capitalize on perceived benefits of implementing these practices, including increasing access to educational and financial resources.

  12. Psychiatric comorbidity of chronic daily headache: focus on traumatic experiences in childhood, post-traumatic stress disorder and suicidality.

    PubMed

    Juang, Kai Dih; Yang, Chin-Yi

    2014-04-01

    The fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistic Manual (DSM-5) reclassified some mental disorders recently. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is in a new section termed "trauma- and stressor-related disorder". Community-based studies have shown that PTSD is associated with a notably high suicidal risk. In addition to previous findings of comorbidity between chronic daily headache (CDH) and both depressive disorders and anxiety disorders, recent data suggest that frequency of childhood maltreatment, PTSD, and suicidality are also increased in CDH. CDH patients with migraine aura are especially at risk of suicidal ideation. Research suggests that migraine attack, aura, frequency, and chronicity may all be related to serotonergic dysfunction. Vulnerability to PTSD and suicidality are also linked to brain serotonin function, including polymorphisms in the serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR). In the present review, we focus on recent advances in knowledge of traumatic experiences in childhood, PTSD, and suicidality in relation to migraine and CDH. We hypothesize that vulnerability to PTSD is associated with migraine attack, migraine aura, and CDH. We further postulate that these associations may explain some of the elevated suicidal risks among patients with migraine, migraine aura, and/or CDH. Field studies are required to support these hypotheses.

  13. Foundations of chaotic mixing.

    PubMed

    Wiggins, Stephen; Ottino, Julio M

    2004-05-15

    The simplest mixing problem corresponds to the mixing of a fluid with itself; this case provides a foundation on which the subject rests. The objective here is to study mixing independently of the mechanisms used to create the motion and review elements of theory focusing mostly on mathematical foundations and minimal models. The flows under consideration will be of two types: two-dimensional (2D) 'blinking flows', or three-dimensional (3D) duct flows. Given that mixing in continuous 3D duct flows depends critically on cross-sectional mixing, and that many microfluidic applications involve continuous flows, we focus on the essential aspects of mixing in 2D flows, as they provide a foundation from which to base our understanding of more complex cases. The baker's transformation is taken as the centrepiece for describing the dynamical systems framework. In particular, a hierarchy of characterizations of mixing exist, Bernoulli --> mixing --> ergodic, ordered according to the quality of mixing (the strongest first). Most importantly for the design process, we show how the so-called linked twist maps function as a minimal picture of mixing, provide a mathematical structure for understanding the type of 2D flows that arise in many micromixers already built, and give conditions guaranteeing the best quality mixing. Extensions of these concepts lead to first-principle-based designs without resorting to lengthy computations.

  14. Relationships between body image, sexual satisfaction, and relationship quality in romantic couples.

    PubMed

    van den Brink, Femke; Vollmann, Manja; Smeets, Monique A M; Hessen, David J; Woertman, Liesbeth

    2018-03-08

    Previous studies found important associations between body image, sexual satisfaction, and perceived romantic relationship quality, but mainly focused on one individual's perceptions rather than both partners. To take the interdependency of romantic partners into account, the present study examined these associations in romantic couples with a dyadic approach. In a cross-sectional design, 151 Dutch heterosexual couples completed an online survey measuring body image, sexual satisfaction, and perceived relationship quality. Hypotheses were tested using the actor-partner interdependence model (APIM) and an APIM extended with a mediator (APIMeM), with couple members' body image as predictors, couple members' sexual satisfaction as mediators, and couple members' relationship quality as outcomes. Results indicated that within individuals, a more positive body image was linked to higher perceived romantic relationship quality through greater sexual satisfaction. No gender differences were found, implying that body image and sexual satisfaction are equally strongly associated with perceived relationship quality in women and men. Results revealed no associations of an individual's body image and sexual satisfaction with the partner's perceived relationship quality. These findings implicate that interventions focusing on developing and maintaining a positive body image may be helpful in building on a more satisfying sex life and higher perceived relationship quality. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

  15. Proceedings of the International Wire and Cable Symposium (32nd) Held at Cherry Hill, New Jersey on November 15, 16 and 17, 1983.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1983-11-17

    PERROS LINK on the overall link losses. Despite recent publications mentioning excellent 4 - CABLE DESIGN laboratory results in splicing monomode fibers...sections were installed in ducts on the aluminum strip lengths available on the between Lannion and Perros -Guirec, two cities which market (standard length...Fig. 5 - MDNOMJDE LINK LANNION- PERROS The new ’micro-ball" technique was used for laying these cables and in particular, for the 5000-meter cable

  16. A student's analysis of the Moi University-Linköping University exchange programme.

    PubMed

    Mwenda, A S

    2012-11-01

    Introduction : Moi University College of Health Sciences was established in 1989. It is comprised of the schools of medicine, nursing, public health and dentistry. Since its inception, the college has been in collaboration with Linköping University in Sweden. This collaboration has taken the form of student and staff exchanges, as well as infrastructure and library improvements. This study was carried out to analyse the exchange programme and highlight some of the strengths that the exchange programme brings to the students' academic experience. Methods : A qualitative cross-sectional survey was conducted among the students who participated in the elective/exchange programme in the years 2009, 2010 and 2011. Self-administered questionnaires were completed by the participants. Additional data were obtained from the recommendations and conclusions from the reports that the students wrote after their participation in the exchange programme. Focus group discussions and key informant interviews were also carried out. Results : A total of 46 students participated in the exchange programme: 27 from Moi University and 19 from Linköping University. The disciplines of students reflected the undergraduate courses offered by these universities. The exchange programme's strengths were exposing students to new cultural settings, different healthcare system organisation and influencing future academic and personal lives, as well as making education global. The main challenge facing the exchange programme was language. Discussion : This study shows the exchange programme as a strong pillar of the medical education curriculum, enabling students to get a global perspective on their education, while exposing them to significant cultural and healthcare organisation diversity. There is a need to expand the collaboration so that more students have the opportunity to experience the overseas exchange programme.

  17. A Topical Trajectory on Survival: An Analysis of Link-Making in a Sequence of Lessons on Evolution

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rocksén, Miranda; Olander, Clas

    2017-01-01

    This study explores the concept of link-making in relation to communicative strategies applied in the teaching and studying of biological evolution. The analysis focused on video recordings of 11 lessons on biological evolution conducted in a Swedish 9th grade class of students aged 15 years. It reveals how the teacher and students connected…

  18. Twelfth-Grade Student Work Intensity Linked to Later Educational Attainment and Substance Use: New Longitudinal Evidence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bachman, Jerald G.; Staff, Jeremy; O'Malley, Patrick M.; Schulenberg, John E.; Freedman-Doan, Peter

    2011-01-01

    Long hours of paid employment during high school have been linked to a variety of problem behaviors, but questions remain about whether and to what extent work intensity makes any causal contribution. This study addresses those questions by focusing on how 12th-grade work intensity is associated with substance use and educational attainment in the…

  19. Structures linking physical and biological processes in headwater streams of the Maybeso watershed, Southeast Alaska

    Treesearch

    Mason D. Bryant; Takashi Gomi; Jack J. Piccolo

    2007-01-01

    We focus on headwater streams originating in the mountainous terrain of northern temperate rain forests. These streams rapidly descend from gradients greater than 20% to less than 5% in U-shaped glacial valleys. We use a set of studies on headwater streams in southeast Alaska to define headwater stream catchments, link physical and biological processes, and describe...

  20. Comparing Outcomes between a Traditional F2F Course and a Blended ITV Course

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gerlich, R. Nicholas; Sollosy, Marc

    2011-01-01

    Two sections of the Principles of Management course were examined to compare student outcomes based on course delivery method. The first section was a traditional F2F class, while the second section was parallel cohorts of students meeting in two separate locations, but linked by ITV (Interactive Television). The professor appeared once per week…

  1. Membrane guanylate cyclase, a multimodal transduction machine: history, present, and future directions

    PubMed Central

    Sharma, Rameshwar K.; Duda, Teresa

    2014-01-01

    A sequel to these authors' earlier comprehensive reviews which covered the field of mammalian membrane guanylate cyclase (MGC) from its origin to the year 2010, this article contains 13 sections. The first is historical and covers MGC from the year 1963–1987, summarizing its colorful developmental stages from its passionate pursuit to its consolidation. The second deals with the establishment of its biochemical identity. MGC becomes the transducer of a hormonal signal and founder of the peptide hormone receptor family, and creates the notion that hormone signal transduction is its sole physiological function. The third defines its expansion. The discovery of ROS-GC subfamily is made and it links ROS-GC with the physiology of phototransduction. Sections ROS-GC, a Ca2+-Modulated Two Component Transduction System to Migration Patterns and Translations of the GCAP Signals Into Production of Cyclic GMP are Different cover its biochemistry and physiology. The noteworthy events are that augmented by GCAPs, ROS-GC proves to be a transducer of the free Ca2+ signals generated within neurons; ROS-GC becomes a two-component transduction system and establishes itself as a source of cyclic GMP, the second messenger of phototransduction. Section ROS-GC1 Gene Linked Retinal Dystrophies demonstrates how this knowledge begins to be translated into the diagnosis and providing the molecular definition of retinal dystrophies. Section Controlled By Low and High Levels of [Ca2+]i, ROS-GC1 is a Bimodal Transduction Switch discusses a striking property of ROS-GC where it becomes a “[Ca2+]i bimodal switch” and transcends its signaling role in other neural processes. In this course, discovery of the first CD-GCAP (Ca2+-dependent guanylate cyclase activator), the S100B protein, is made. It extends the role of the ROS-GC transduction system beyond the phototransduction to the signaling processes in the synapse region between photoreceptor and cone ON-bipolar cells; in section Ca2+-Modulated Neurocalcin δ ROS-GC1 Transduction System Exists in the Inner Plexiform Layer (IPL) of the Retinal Neurons, discovery of another CD-GCAP, NCδ, is made and its linkage with signaling of the inner plexiform layer neurons is established. Section ROS-GC Linkage With Other Than Vision-Linked Neurons discusses linkage of the ROS-GC transduction system with other sensory transduction processes: Pineal gland, Olfaction and Gustation. In the next, section Evolution of a General Ca2+-Interlocked ROS-GC Signal Transduction Concept in Sensory and Sensory-Linked Neurons, a theoretical concept is proposed where “Ca2+-interlocked ROS-GC signal transduction” machinery becomes a common signaling component of the sensory and sensory-linked neurons. Closure to the review is brought by the conclusion and future directions. PMID:25071437

  2. Leisure activities are linked to mental health benefits by providing time structure: comparing employed, unemployed and homemakers.

    PubMed

    Goodman, William K; Geiger, Ashley M; Wolf, Jutta M

    2017-01-01

    Unemployment has consistently been linked to negative mental health outcomes, emphasising the need to characterise the underlying mechanisms. The current study aimed at testing whether compared with other employment groups, fewer leisure activities observed in unemployment may contribute to elevated risk for negative mental health via loss of time structure. Depressive symptoms (Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression), leisure activities (exercise, self-focused, social), and time structure (Time Structure Questionnaire (TSQ)) were assessed cross-sectionally in 406 participants (unemployed=155, employed=140, homemakers=111) recruited through Amazon Mechanical Turk. Controlling for gender and age, structural equation modelling revealed time structure partially (employed, homemakers) and fully (unemployed) mediated the relationship between leisure activities and depressive symptoms. With the exception of differential effects for structured routines, all other TSQ factors (sense of purpose, present orientation, effective organisation and persistence) contributed significantly to all models. These findings support the idea that especially for the unemployed, leisure activities impose their mental health benefits through increasing individuals' perception of spending their time effectively. Social leisure activities that provide a sense of daily structure may thereby be a particularly promising low-cost intervention to improve mental health in this population. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  3. Pre-migration Trauma Exposure and Psychological Distress for Asian American Immigrants: Linking the Pre- and Post-migration Contexts.

    PubMed

    Li, Miao; Anderson, James G

    2016-08-01

    Drawing on the life course perspective and the assumptive world theory, this paper examines whether pre-migration trauma exposure is associated with psychological distress through post-migration perceived discrimination for Asian American immigrants. The study is based on cross-sectional data from the National Latino and Asian American Study (N = 1639). Structural equation model is used to estimate the relationship between pre-migration trauma, post-migration perceived discrimination, and psychological distress. Additional models are estimated to explore possible variations across ethnic groups as well as across different types of pre-migration trauma experience. Pre-migration trauma exposure is associated with higher levels of psychological distress, both directly and indirectly through higher level of perceived discrimination, even after controlling for demographic/acculturative factors and post-migration trauma exposure. This pattern holds for the following sub-types of pre-migration trauma: political trauma, crime victimization, physical violence, accidental trauma, and relational trauma. Multi-group analyses show that this pattern holds for all Asian immigrant subgroups except the Vietnamese. Studies of immigrant mental health primarily focus on post-migration stressors. Few studies have considered the link between pre- and post-migration contexts in assessing mental health outcomes. The study illustrates the usefulness of bridging the pre- and post-migration context in identifying the mental health risks along the immigrant life course.

  4. Electrospinning of gelatin with tunable fiber morphology from round to flat/ribbon.

    PubMed

    Topuz, Fuat; Uyar, Tamer

    2017-11-01

    The electrospinning of gelatin with tunable fiber morphology from round to flat/ribbon was shown, and the detailed studies were conducted to correlate the fiber morphology with electrospinning process parameters and gelatin concentration in electrospinning solution. Particularly, variations in the applied voltage and the concentration of gelatin led to the transition of fiber shape from round to flat/ribbon. The formation of flat-shaped fibers was attributed to rapid evaporation of the solvent (formic acid) from the fiber matrix with increasing the applied voltage and gelatin concentration. On the other hand, round fibers were due to the steady evaporation of formic acid throughout the cross-section of fibers. WAXS analysis revealed that the loss of triple-helical crystalline structure in gelatin after the electrospinning process. The gelatin fibers were cross-linked through treatment with toluene 2,4-diisocyanate (TDI) in a mixed solution of acetone and pyridine, and XPS confirmed the cross-linking of the fibers over an increased carbon content on the elemental composition of the fiber surface due to the incorporated TDI moieties. Overall, this study focuses on morphological tuning of gelatin electrospun fibers towards a flat/ribbon-like structure by variation of electrospinning parameters and polymer concentration, and thus, the proposed concept can be adapted towards flattened/ribbon-like fibers of other protein-based systems by electrospinning. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Associations between film preferences and risk factors for suicide: an online survey.

    PubMed

    Till, Benedikt; Tran, Ulrich S; Voracek, Martin; Sonneck, Gernot; Niederkrotenthaler, Thomas

    2014-01-01

    Several studies indicate that exposure to suicide in movies is linked to subsequent imitative suicidal behavior, so-called copycat suicides, but little is currently known about whether the link between exposure to suicidal movies and suicidality is reflected in individual film preferences. 943 individuals participated in an online survey. We assessed associations between preferred film genres as well as individual exposure to and rating of 50 pre-selected films (including 25 featuring a suicide) with suicidal ideation, hopelessness, depression, life satisfaction, and psychoticism. Multiple regression analyses showed that preferences for film noir movies and milieu dramas were associated with higher scores on suicidal ideation, depression and psychoticism, and low scores on life satisfaction. Furthermore, preferences for thrillers and horror movies as well as preferences for tragicomedies, tragedies and melodramas were associated with higher scores of some of the suicide risk factors. There was also a dose-response relationship between positive rating of suicide films and higher life satisfaction. Due to the cross-sectional design of the study causality cannot be assessed. Individual film genre preferences seem to reflect risk factors of suicide, with film genres focusing on sad contents being preferred by individuals with higher scores on suicide risk factors. However, suicide movies are more enjoyed by viewers with higher life satisfaction, which may reflect a better ability to cope with such content.

  6. Associations between Film Preferences and Risk Factors for Suicide: An Online Survey

    PubMed Central

    Till, Benedikt; Tran, Ulrich S.; Voracek, Martin; Sonneck, Gernot; Niederkrotenthaler, Thomas

    2014-01-01

    Several studies indicate that exposure to suicide in movies is linked to subsequent imitative suicidal behavior, so-called copycat suicides, but little is currently known about whether the link between exposure to suicidal movies and suicidality is reflected in individual film preferences. 943 individuals participated in an online survey. We assessed associations between preferred film genres as well as individual exposure to and rating of 50 pre-selected films (including 25 featuring a suicide) with suicidal ideation, hopelessness, depression, life satisfaction, and psychoticism. Multiple regression analyses showed that preferences for film noir movies and milieu dramas were associated with higher scores on suicidal ideation, depression and psychoticism, and low scores on life satisfaction. Furthermore, preferences for thrillers and horror movies as well as preferences for tragicomedies, tragedies and melodramas were associated with higher scores of some of the suicide risk factors. There was also a dose-response relationship between positive rating of suicide films and higher life satisfaction. Due to the cross-sectional design of the study causality cannot be assessed. Individual film genre preferences seem to reflect risk factors of suicide, with film genres focusing on sad contents being preferred by individuals with higher scores on suicide risk factors. However, suicide movies are more enjoyed by viewers with higher life satisfaction, which may reflect a better ability to cope with such content. PMID:25028966

  7. Improving local clustering based top-L link prediction methods via asymmetric link clustering information

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wu, Zhihao; Lin, Youfang; Zhao, Yiji; Yan, Hongyan

    2018-02-01

    Networks can represent a wide range of complex systems, such as social, biological and technological systems. Link prediction is one of the most important problems in network analysis, and has attracted much research interest recently. Many link prediction methods have been proposed to solve this problem with various techniques. We can note that clustering information plays an important role in solving the link prediction problem. In previous literatures, we find node clustering coefficient appears frequently in many link prediction methods. However, node clustering coefficient is limited to describe the role of a common-neighbor in different local networks, because it cannot distinguish different clustering abilities of a node to different node pairs. In this paper, we shift our focus from nodes to links, and propose the concept of asymmetric link clustering (ALC) coefficient. Further, we improve three node clustering based link prediction methods via the concept of ALC. The experimental results demonstrate that ALC-based methods outperform node clustering based methods, especially achieving remarkable improvements on food web, hamster friendship and Internet networks. Besides, comparing with other methods, the performance of ALC-based methods are very stable in both globalized and personalized top-L link prediction tasks.

  8. Linking Passive and Active Representation: A Review of the Literature and a Model for Testing the Linkage for Women Representatives.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robinson, Ted P.; And Others

    Most research efforts concerning minority politics have focused on descriptive representation, which emphasizes (1) counting the minority or female persons in office, and (2) explaining representative levels on the basis of political, social and economic determinants. Descriptive representation, however, is passive and focuses on "being something"…

  9. The Politics of Religion: Modernity, Nationhood and Education in Japan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shibata, Masako

    2008-01-01

    While religion in Japan is traditionally linked to nationhood and nation-building, the post-war period has seen Shinto consciously invoked to restore a sense of national identity through a focus on Japan's victimhood. In this context, there is a focus on the Yasukuni Shrine, dedicated to the war dead and an icon of contemporary Japanese cultural…

  10. Strategies for Solving Fraction Tasks and Their Link to Algebraic Thinking

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pearn, Catherine; Stephens, Max

    2015-01-01

    Many researchers argue that a deep understanding of fractions is important for a successful transition to algebra. Teaching, especially in the middle years, needs to focus specifically on those areas of fraction knowledge and operations that support subsequent solution processes for algebraic equations. This paper focuses on the results of Year 6…

  11. An Explicit Representational Focus for Teaching and Learning about Animals in the Environment

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tytler, Russell; Haslam, Filocha; Prain, Vaughan; Hubber, Peter

    2009-01-01

    There has been growing interest in linking the learning of Science with the literacies of Science and representations. Recent attention has been focused on learning theories that emphasise the socio-cultural and situated aspects of learning, and in particular the notion of learning as participation in a discourse community. This paper will…

  12. Transnational Higher Education Partnerships and the Role of Operational Faculty Members: Developing an Alternative Theoretical Approach for Empirical Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bordogna, Claudia M.

    2018-01-01

    For too long, transnational higher education (TNE) has been linked to discourse predominately focused upon strategic implementation, quality assurance, and pedagogy. While these aspects are important when designing and managing overseas provisions, there is a lack of research focusing on the social interactions that influence the pace and…

  13. Object linking in repositories

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Eichmann, David (Editor); Beck, Jon; Atkins, John; Bailey, Bill

    1992-01-01

    This topic is covered in three sections. The first section explores some of the architectural ramifications of extending the Eichmann/Atkins lattice-based classification scheme to encompass the assets of the full life cycle of software development. A model is considered that provides explicit links between objects in addition to the edges connecting classification vertices in the standard lattice. The second section gives a description of the efforts to implement the repository architecture using a commercially available object-oriented database management system. Some of the features of this implementation are described, and some of the next steps to be taken to produce a working prototype of the repository are pointed out. In the final section, it is argued that design and instantiation of reusable components have competing criteria (design-for-reuse strives for generality, design-with-reuse strives for specificity) and that providing mechanisms for each can be complementary rather than antagonistic. In particular, it is demonstrated how program slicing techniques can be applied to customization of reusable components.

  14. High-Frequency Focused Water-Coupled Ultrasound Used for Three-Dimensional Surface Depression Profiling

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Roth, Don J.; Whalen, Mike F.; Hendricks, J. Lynne; Bodis, James R.

    2001-01-01

    To interface with other solids, many surfaces are engineered via methods such as plating, coating, and machining to produce a functional surface ensuring successful end products. In addition, subsurface properties such as hardness, residual stress, deformation, chemical composition, and microstructure are often linked to surface characteristics. Surface topography, therefore, contains the signatures of the surface and possibly links to volumetric properties, and as a result serves as a vital link between surface design, manufacturing, and performance. Hence, surface topography can be used to diagnose, monitor, and control fabrication methods. At the NASA Glenn Research Center, the measurement of surface topography is important in developing high-temperature structural materials and for profiling the surface changes of materials during microgravity combustion experiments. A prior study demonstrated that focused air-coupled ultrasound at 1 MHz could profile surfaces with a 25-m depth resolution and a 400-m lateral resolution over a 1.4-mm depth range. In this work, we address the question of whether higher frequency focused water-coupled ultrasound can improve on these specifications. To this end, we employed 10- and 25-MHz focused ultrasonic transducers in the water-coupled mode. The surface profile results seen in this investigation for 25-MHz water-coupled ultrasound, in comparison to those for 1-MHz air-coupled ultrasound, represent an 8 times improvement in depth resolution (3 vs. 25 m seen in practice), an improvement of at least 2 times in lateral resolution (180 vs. 400 m calculated and observed in practice), and an improvement in vertical depth range of 4 times (calculated).

  15. African American Families’ Expectations and Intentions for Mental Health Services

    PubMed Central

    Thompson, Richard; Dancy, Barbara L.; Wiley, Tisha R.A.; Najdowski, Cynthia J.; Perry, Sylvia P.; Wallis, Jason; Mekawi, Yara; Knafl, Kathleen

    2012-01-01

    A cross-sectional qualitative descriptive design was used to examine the links among expectations about, experiences with, and intentions toward mental health services. Individual face-to-face interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 32 African American youth/mothers dyads. Content analysis revealed that positive expectations were linked to positive experiences and intentions, that negative expectations were not consistently linked to negative experiences or intentions, nor were ambivalent expectations linked to ambivalent experiences or intentions. Youth were concerned about privacy breeches and mothers about the harmfulness of psychotropic medication. Addressing these concerns may promote African Americans’ engagement in mental health services. PMID:22791083

  16. African American families' expectations and intentions for mental health services.

    PubMed

    Thompson, Richard; Dancy, Barbara L; Wiley, Tisha R A; Najdowski, Cynthia J; Perry, Sylvia P; Wallis, Jason; Mekawi, Yara; Knafl, Kathleen A

    2013-09-01

    A cross-sectional qualitative descriptive design was used to examine the links among expectations about, experiences with, and intentions toward mental health services. Individual face-to-face interviews were conducted with a purposive sample of 32 African American youth/mothers dyads. Content analysis revealed that positive expectations were linked to positive experiences and intentions, that negative expectations were not consistently linked to negative experiences or intentions, nor were ambivalent expectations linked to ambivalent experiences or intentions. Youth were concerned about privacy breeches and mothers about the harmfulness of psychotropic medication. Addressing these concerns may promote African Americans' engagement in mental health services.

  17. Optimization of Formaldehyde Cross-Linking for Protein Interaction Analysis of Non-Tagged Integrin β1

    PubMed Central

    Klockenbusch, Cordula; Kast, Juergen

    2010-01-01

    Formaldehyde cross-linking of protein complexes combined with immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry analysis is a promising technique for analysing protein-protein interactions, including those of transient nature. Here we used integrin β1 as a model to describe the application of formaldehyde cross-linking in detail, particularly focusing on the optimal parameters for cross-linking, the detection of formaldehyde cross-linked complexes, the utility of antibodies, and the identification of binding partners. Integrin β1 was found in a high molecular weight complex after formaldehyde cross-linking. Eight different anti-integrin β1 antibodies were used for pull-down experiments and no loss in precipitation efficiency after cross-linking was observed. However, two of the antibodies could not precipitate the complex, probably due to hidden epitopes. Formaldehyde cross-linked complexes, precipitated from Jurkat cells or human platelets and analyzed by mass spectrometry, were found to be composed of integrin β1, α4 and α6 or β1, α6, α2, and α5, respectively. PMID:20634879

  18. Tentative Evidence for Striatal Hyperactivity in Adolescent Cannabis Using Boys: A Cross-Sectional Multicenter fMRI Study

    PubMed Central

    Jager, Gerry; Block, Robert I.; Luijten, Maartje; Ramsey, Nick F.

    2013-01-01

    Adolescents' risk-taking behavior has been linked to a maturational imbalance between reward (“go”) and inhibitory-control (“stop”) related brain circuitry. This may drive adolescent drug-taking, such as cannabis use. In this study we assessed the non-acute effects of adolescent cannabis use on reward-related brain function. We performed a two-site (United States and Netherlands; pooled data) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study with a cross-sectional design. Twenty-one abstinent but frequent cannabis-using boys were compared with 24 non-using peers on reward-related brain function, using a monetary incentive delay task with fMRI. Focus was on anticipatory and response stages of reward and brain areas critically involved in reward processing like the striatum. Performance in users was normal. Region-of-interest analysis indicated striatal hyperactivity during anticipatory stages of reward in users. Intriguingly, this effect was most pronounced during non-rewarding events. Striatal hyperactivity in adolescent cannabis users may signify an overly sensitive motivational brain circuitry. Frequent cannabis use during adolescence may induce diminished ability to disengage the motivational circuit when no reward can be obtained. This could strengthen the search for reinforcements like drugs of abuse, even when facing the negative (non-rewarding) consequences. PMID:23909003

  19. Mechanistic Insights into the Efficacy of Sodium Bicarbonate Supplementation to Improve Athletic Performance.

    PubMed

    Siegler, Jason C; Marshall, Paul W M; Bishop, David; Shaw, Greg; Green, Simon

    2016-12-01

    A large proportion of empirical research and reviews investigating the ergogenic potential of sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO 3 ) supplementation have focused predominately on performance outcomes and only speculate about underlying mechanisms responsible for any benefit. The aim of this review was to critically evaluate the influence of NaHCO 3 supplementation on mechanisms associated with skeletal muscle fatigue as it translates directly to exercise performance. Mechanistic links between skeletal muscle fatigue, proton accumulation (or metabolic acidosis) and NaHCO 3 supplementation have been identified to provide a more targeted, evidence-based approach to direct future research, as well as provide practitioners with a contemporary perspective on the potential applications and limitations of this supplement. The mechanisms identified have been broadly categorised under the sections 'Whole-body Metabolism', 'Muscle Physiology' and 'Motor Pathways', and when possible, the performance outcomes of these studies contextualized within an integrative framework of whole-body exercise where other factors such as task demand (e.g. large vs. small muscle groups), cardio-pulmonary and neural control mechanisms may outweigh any localised influence of NaHCO 3 . Finally, the 'Performance Applications' section provides further interpretation for the practitioner founded on the mechanistic evidence provided in this review and other relevant, applied NaHCO 3 performance-related studies.

  20. Text mining resources for the life sciences.

    PubMed

    Przybyła, Piotr; Shardlow, Matthew; Aubin, Sophie; Bossy, Robert; Eckart de Castilho, Richard; Piperidis, Stelios; McNaught, John; Ananiadou, Sophia

    2016-01-01

    Text mining is a powerful technology for quickly distilling key information from vast quantities of biomedical literature. However, to harness this power the researcher must be well versed in the availability, suitability, adaptability, interoperability and comparative accuracy of current text mining resources. In this survey, we give an overview of the text mining resources that exist in the life sciences to help researchers, especially those employed in biocuration, to engage with text mining in their own work. We categorize the various resources under three sections: Content Discovery looks at where and how to find biomedical publications for text mining; Knowledge Encoding describes the formats used to represent the different levels of information associated with content that enable text mining, including those formats used to carry such information between processes; Tools and Services gives an overview of workflow management systems that can be used to rapidly configure and compare domain- and task-specific processes, via access to a wide range of pre-built tools. We also provide links to relevant repositories in each section to enable the reader to find resources relevant to their own area of interest. Throughout this work we give a special focus to resources that are interoperable-those that have the crucial ability to share information, enabling smooth integration and reusability. © The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press.

  1. Text mining resources for the life sciences

    PubMed Central

    Shardlow, Matthew; Aubin, Sophie; Bossy, Robert; Eckart de Castilho, Richard; Piperidis, Stelios; McNaught, John; Ananiadou, Sophia

    2016-01-01

    Text mining is a powerful technology for quickly distilling key information from vast quantities of biomedical literature. However, to harness this power the researcher must be well versed in the availability, suitability, adaptability, interoperability and comparative accuracy of current text mining resources. In this survey, we give an overview of the text mining resources that exist in the life sciences to help researchers, especially those employed in biocuration, to engage with text mining in their own work. We categorize the various resources under three sections: Content Discovery looks at where and how to find biomedical publications for text mining; Knowledge Encoding describes the formats used to represent the different levels of information associated with content that enable text mining, including those formats used to carry such information between processes; Tools and Services gives an overview of workflow management systems that can be used to rapidly configure and compare domain- and task-specific processes, via access to a wide range of pre-built tools. We also provide links to relevant repositories in each section to enable the reader to find resources relevant to their own area of interest. Throughout this work we give a special focus to resources that are interoperable—those that have the crucial ability to share information, enabling smooth integration and reusability. PMID:27888231

  2. Self-directed student research through analysis of microarray datasets: a computer-based functional genomics practical class for masters-level students.

    PubMed

    Grenville-Briggs, Laura J; Stansfield, Ian

    2011-01-01

    This report describes a linked series of Masters-level computer practical workshops. They comprise an advanced functional genomics investigation, based upon analysis of a microarray dataset probing yeast DNA damage responses. The workshops require the students to analyse highly complex transcriptomics datasets, and were designed to stimulate active learning through experience of current research methods in bioinformatics and functional genomics. They seek to closely mimic a realistic research environment, and require the students first to propose research hypotheses, then test those hypotheses using specific sections of the microarray dataset. The complexity of the microarray data provides students with the freedom to propose their own unique hypotheses, tested using appropriate sections of the microarray data. This research latitude was highly regarded by students and is a strength of this practical. In addition, the focus on DNA damage by radiation and mutagenic chemicals allows them to place their results in a human medical context, and successfully sparks broad interest in the subject material. In evaluation, 79% of students scored the practical workshops on a five-point scale as 4 or 5 (totally effective) for student learning. More broadly, the general use of microarray data as a "student research playground" is also discussed. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Proanthocyanidins and hydrolysable tannins: occurrence, dietary intake and pharmacological effects

    PubMed Central

    Smeriglio, Antonella; Bellocco, Ersilia; Trombetta, Domenico

    2016-01-01

    Tannins are a heterogeneous group of high MW, water‐soluble, polyphenolic compounds, naturally present in cereals, leguminous seeds and, predominantly, in many fruits and vegetables, where they provide protection against a wide range of biotic and abiotic stressors. Tannins exert several pharmacological effects, including antioxidant and free radical scavenging activity as well as antimicrobial, anti‐cancer, anti‐nutritional and cardio‐protective properties. They also seem to exert beneficial effects on metabolic disorders and prevent the onset of several oxidative stress‐related diseases. Although the bioavailability and pharmacokinetic data for these phytochemicals are still sparse, gut absorption of these compounds seems to be inversely correlated with the degree of polymerization. Further studies are mandatory to better clarify how these molecules and their metabolites are able to cross the intestinal barrier in order to exert their biological properties. This review summarizes the current literature on tannins, focusing on the main, recently proposed mechanisms of action that underlie their pharmacological and disease‐prevention properties, as well as their bioavailability, safety and toxicology. Linked Articles This article is part of a themed section on Principles of Pharmacological Research of Nutraceuticals. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v174.11/issuetoc PMID:27646690

  4. The role of δ-opioid receptors in learning and memory underlying the development of addiction.

    PubMed

    Klenowski, Paul; Morgan, Michael; Bartlett, Selena E

    2015-01-01

    Opioids are important endogenous ligands that exist in both invertebrates and vertebrates and signal by activation of opioid receptors to produce analgesia and reward or pleasure. The μ-opioid receptor is the best known of the opioid receptors and mediates the acute analgesic effects of opiates, while the δ-opioid receptor (DOR) has been less well studied and has been linked to effects that follow from chronic use of opiates such as stress, inflammation and anxiety. Recently, DORs have been shown to play an essential role in emotions and increasing evidence points to a role in learning actions and outcomes. The process of learning and memory in addiction has been proposed to involve strengthening of specific brain circuits when a drug is paired with a context or environment. The DOR is highly expressed in the hippocampus, amygdala, striatum and other basal ganglia structures known to participate in learning and memory. In this review, we will focus on the role of the DOR and its potential role in learning and memory underlying the development of addiction. This article is part of a themed section on Opioids: New Pathways to Functional Selectivity. To view the other articles in this section visit http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/bph.2015.172.issue-2. © 2014 The British Pharmacological Society.

  5. Tentative evidence for striatal hyperactivity in adolescent cannabis-using boys: a cross-sectional multicenter fMRI study.

    PubMed

    Jager, Gerry; Block, Robert I; Luijten, Maartje; Ramsey, Nick F

    2013-01-01

    Adolescents' risk-taking behavior has been linked to a maturational imbalance between reward ("go") and inhibitory-control ("stop")-related brain circuitry. This may drive adolescent drug-taking, such as cannabis use. In this study, we assessed the non-acute effects of adolescent cannabis use on reward-related brain function. We performed a two-site (United States and Netherlands; pooled data) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) study with a cross-sectional design. Twenty-one abstinent but frequent cannabis-using boys were compared with 24 non-using peers on reward-related brain function, using a monetary incentive delay task with fMRI. Focus was on anticipatory and response stages of reward and brain areas critically involved in reward processing like the striatum. Performance in users was normal. Region-of-interest analysis indicated striatal hyperactivity during anticipatory stages of reward in users. Intriguingly, this effect was most pronounced during non-rewarding events. Striatal hyperactivity in adolescent cannabis users may signify an overly sensitive motivational brain circuitry. Frequent cannabis use during adolescence may induce diminished ability to disengage the motivational circuit when no reward can be obtained. This could strengthen the search for reinforcements like drugs of abuse, even when facing the negative (non-rewarding) consequences.

  6. A Frequency Agile, Self-Adaptive Serial Link on Xilinx FPGAs

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Aloisio, A.; Giordano, R.; Izzo, V.; Perrella, S.

    2015-06-01

    In this paper, we focused on the GTX transceiver modules of Xilinx Kintex 7 field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs), which provide high bandwidth, low jitter on the recovered clock, and an equalization system on the transmitter and the receiver. We present a frequency agile, auto-adaptive serial link. The link is able to take care of the reconfiguration of the GTX parameters in order to fully benefit from the available link bandwidth, by setting the highest line rate. It is designed around an FPGA-embedded microprocessor, which drives the programmable ports of the GTX in order to control the quality of the received data and to easily calculate the bit-error rate in each sampling point of the eye diagram. We present the self-adaptive link project, the description of the test system, and the main results.

  7. Feelings or Words? Understanding the Content in Self-Report Ratings of Experienced Emotion

    PubMed Central

    Barrett, Lisa Feldman

    2005-01-01

    People differ in the extent to which their verbal reports of experienced emotion are valence focused or arousal focused. Three multimethod studies are reported to explore whether differential focus reflects individual differences in the cognitive structure of emotion language versus differences in phenomenological experience. Although there was some evidence that valence focus and arousal focus were linked to variations differences in cognitive structure, the findings are also consistent with the view that self-report ratings are being driven by the properties of the feelings that are being reported. Implications for the study of experienced emotion are discussed. PMID:15301632

  8. Focused ion beam source method and apparatus

    DOEpatents

    Pellin, Michael J.; Lykke, Keith R.; Lill, Thorsten B.

    2000-01-01

    A focused ion beam having a cross section of submicron diameter, a high ion current, and a narrow energy range is generated from a target comprised of particle source material by laser ablation. The method involves directing a laser beam having a cross section of critical diameter onto the target, producing a cloud of laser ablated particles having unique characteristics, and extracting and focusing a charged particle beam from the laser ablated cloud. The method is especially suited for producing focused ion beams for semiconductor device analysis and modification.

  9. Orbital-angular-momentum-multiplexed free-space optical communication link using transmitter lenses.

    PubMed

    Li, Long; Xie, Guodong; Ren, Yongxiong; Ahmed, Nisar; Huang, Hao; Zhao, Zhe; Liao, Peicheng; Lavery, Martin P J; Yan, Yan; Bao, ChangJing; Wang, Zhe; Willner, Asher J; Ashrafi, Nima; Ashrafi, Solyman; Tur, Moshe; Willner, Alan E

    2016-03-10

    In this paper, we explore the potential benefits and limitations of using transmitter lenses in an orbital-angular-momentum (OAM)-multiplexed free-space optical (FSO) communication link. Both simulation and experimental results indicate that within certain transmission distances, using lenses at the transmitter to focus OAM beams could reduce power loss in OAM-based FSO links and that this improvement might be more significant for higher-order OAM beams. Moreover, the use of transmitter lenses could enhance system tolerance to angular error between transmitter and receiver, but they might degrade tolerance to lateral displacement.

  10. Enterprise Linked Data as Core Business Infrastructure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Harris, Steve; Ilube, Tom; Tuffield, Mischa

    This chapter describes Garlik's motivation, interest, and experiences of using Linked Data technologies in its online services. It describes the methodologies and approaches that were taken in order to deploy online services to hundreds of thousands of users, and describes the trade-offs inherent in our choice of these technologies for our production systems. In order to help illustrate and aid the arguments for the adoption of SemanticWeb technologies this chapter will focus on two of our customer facing products, DataPatrol, a consumer-centric personal information protection product, and QDOS a Linked Data service that is used to measure peoples' online activity

  11. Missing links: the genetic architecture of flowers [correction of flower] and floral diversification.

    PubMed

    Soltis, Douglas E; Soltis, Pamela S; Albert, Victor A; Oppenheimer, David G; dePamphilis, Claude W; Ma, Hong; Frohlich, Michael W; Theissen, Günter

    2002-01-01

    To understand the genetic architecture of floral development, including the origin and subsequent diversification of the flower, data are needed not only for a few model organisms but also for gymnosperms, basal angiosperm lineages and early-diverging eudicots. We must link what is known about derived model plants such as Arabidopsis, snapdragon and maize with other angiosperms. To this end, we suggest a massive evolutionary genomics effort focused on the identification and expression patterns of floral genes and elucidation of their expression patterns in 'missing-link' taxa differing in the arrangement, number and organization of floral parts.

  12. ADIPOCYTOKINES AND OBESITY-LINKED DISORDERS

    PubMed Central

    OUCHI, NORIYUKI; OHASHI, KOJI; SHIBATA, REI; MUROHARA, TOYOAKI

    2012-01-01

    ABSTRACT Obesity is closely associated with an increased risk for metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. Adipose tissue produces a number of secretory bioactive substances, also known as adipocytokines or adipokines, which directly affect adjacent or distant organs. Most adipocytokines are pro-inflammatory, thereby promoting the obesity-linked disorders. In contrast, there are a small number of adipocytokines that exhibit anti-inflammatory properties. It is now recognized that dysregulated production or secretion of adipocytokines caused by adipocyte dysfunction leads to the development of obesity-linked complications. In this review, we focus on the functional role of several adipocytokines in metabolic and cardiovascular diseases. PMID:22515108

  13. CyberEconomics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schenk, Robert

    2003-01-01

    Describes CyberEconomics, a complete, free, two-semester principles of economics textbook available on the World Wide Web. Contains chapters, sections, a table of contents, a set of learning objectives, and links to chapter introductions and sections. Offers a CD-ROM version available for a fee that contains interactive review questions. (JEH)

  14. Goal specificity and knowledge acquisition in statistics problem solving: evidence for attentional focus.

    PubMed

    Trumpower, David L; Goldsmith, Timothy E; Guynn, Melissa J

    2004-12-01

    Solving training problems with nonspecific goals (NG; i.e., solving for all possible unknown values) often results in better transfer than solving training problems with standard goals (SG; i.e., solving for one particular unknown value). In this study, we evaluated an attentional focus explanation of the goal specificity effect. According to the attentional focus view, solving NG problems causes attention to be directed to local relations among successive problem states, whereas solving SG problems causes attention to be directed to relations between the various problem states and the goal state. Attention to the former is thought to enhance structural knowledge about the problem domain and thus promote transfer. Results supported this view because structurally different transfer problems were solved faster following NG training than following SG training. Moreover, structural knowledge representations revealed more links depicting local relations following NG training and more links to the training goal following SG training. As predicted, these effects were obtained only by domain novices.

  15. Unapparent Information Revelation: Text Mining for Counterterrorism

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Srihari, Rohini K.

    Unapparent information revelation (UIR) is a special case of text mining that focuses on detecting possible links between concepts across multiple text documents by generating an evidence trail explaining the connection. A traditional search involving, for example, two or more person names will attempt to find documents mentioning both these individuals. This research focuses on a different interpretation of such a query: what is the best evidence trail across documents that explains a connection between these individuals? For example, all may be good golfers. A generalization of this task involves query terms representing general concepts (e.g. indictment, foreign policy). Previous approaches to this problem have focused on graph mining involving hyperlinked documents, and link analysis exploiting named entities. A new robust framework is presented, based on (i) generating concept chain graphs, a hybrid content representation, (ii) performing graph matching to select candidate subgraphs, and (iii) subsequently using graphical models to validate hypotheses using ranked evidence trails. We adapt the DUC data set for cross-document summarization to evaluate evidence trails generated by this approach

  16. Multi-focus and multi-level techniques for visualization and analysis of networks with thematic data

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cossalter, Michele; Mengshoel, Ole J.; Selker, Ted

    2013-01-01

    Information-rich data sets bring several challenges in the areas of visualization and analysis, even when associated with node-link network visualizations. This paper presents an integration of multi-focus and multi-level techniques that enable interactive, multi-step comparisons in node-link networks. We describe NetEx, a visualization tool that enables users to simultaneously explore different parts of a network and its thematic data, such as time series or conditional probability tables. NetEx, implemented as a Cytoscape plug-in, has been applied to the analysis of electrical power networks, Bayesian networks, and the Enron e-mail repository. In this paper we briefly discuss visualization and analysis of the Enron social network, but focus on data from an electrical power network. Specifically, we demonstrate how NetEx supports the analytical task of electrical power system fault diagnosis. Results from a user study with 25 subjects suggest that NetEx enables more accurate isolation of complex faults compared to an especially designed software tool.

  17. Retweets as a Predictor of Relationships among Users on Social Media.

    PubMed

    Tsugawa, Sho; Kito, Kosuke

    2017-01-01

    Link prediction is the problem of detecting missing links or predicting future link formation in a network. Application of link prediction to social media, such as Twitter and Facebook, is useful both for developing novel services and for sociological analyses. While most existing research on link prediction uses only the social network topology for the prediction, in social media, records of user activities such as posting, replying, and reposting are available. These records are expected to reflect user interest, and so incorporating them should improve link prediction. However, research into link prediction using the records of user activities is still in its infancy, and the effectiveness of such records for link prediction has not been fully explored. In this study, we focus in particular on records of reposting as a promising source that could be useful for link prediction, and investigate their effectiveness for link prediction on the popular social media platform Twitter. Our results show that (1) the prediction accuracy of techniques using reposting records is higher than that of popular topology-based techniques such as common neighbors and resource allocation for actively retweeting users, (2) the accuracy of link prediction techniques that use network topology alone can be improved by incorporating reposting records.

  18. Retweets as a Predictor of Relationships among Users on Social Media

    PubMed Central

    Kito, Kosuke

    2017-01-01

    Link prediction is the problem of detecting missing links or predicting future link formation in a network. Application of link prediction to social media, such as Twitter and Facebook, is useful both for developing novel services and for sociological analyses. While most existing research on link prediction uses only the social network topology for the prediction, in social media, records of user activities such as posting, replying, and reposting are available. These records are expected to reflect user interest, and so incorporating them should improve link prediction. However, research into link prediction using the records of user activities is still in its infancy, and the effectiveness of such records for link prediction has not been fully explored. In this study, we focus in particular on records of reposting as a promising source that could be useful for link prediction, and investigate their effectiveness for link prediction on the popular social media platform Twitter. Our results show that (1) the prediction accuracy of techniques using reposting records is higher than that of popular topology-based techniques such as common neighbors and resource allocation for actively retweeting users, (2) the accuracy of link prediction techniques that use network topology alone can be improved by incorporating reposting records. PMID:28107489

  19. Policy Reform Efforts and Equal Opportunity--An Evidence-Based Link? An Analysis of Current Sector Reforms in the Austrian School System

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Geppert, Corinna; Bauer-Hofmann, Sonja; Hopmann, Stefan Thomas

    2012-01-01

    The main focus of the present paper is to answer two different questions: From the perspective of Austrian education policy, which core areas of schooling are linked to the demand for equal opportunity? Can these reform efforts sustain the current state of research, and what are the consequences for schooling? The paper draws on an analysis by…

  20. X-linked juvenile retinoschisis (XLRS): a review of genotype-phenotype relationships.

    PubMed

    Kim, David Y; Mukai, Shizuo

    2013-01-01

    X-linked juvenile retinoschisis (XLRS) is one of the most common genetic causes of juvenile progressive retinal-vitreal degeneration in males. To date, more than 196 different mutations of the RS1 gene have been associated with XLRS. The mutation spectrum is large and the phenotype variable. This review will focus on the clinical features of XLRS and examine the relationship between phenotype and genotype.

  1. Linking knowledge and action through mental models of sustainable agriculture.

    PubMed

    Hoffman, Matthew; Lubell, Mark; Hillis, Vicken

    2014-09-09

    Linking knowledge to action requires understanding how decision-makers conceptualize sustainability. This paper empirically analyzes farmer "mental models" of sustainability from three winegrape-growing regions of California where local extension programs have focused on sustainable agriculture. The mental models are represented as networks where sustainability concepts are nodes, and links are established when a farmer mentions two concepts in their stated definition of sustainability. The results suggest that winegrape grower mental models of sustainability are hierarchically structured, relatively similar across regions, and strongly linked to participation in extension programs and adoption of sustainable farm practices. We discuss the implications of our findings for the debate over the meaning of sustainability, and the role of local extension programs in managing knowledge systems.

  2. Linking knowledge and action through mental models of sustainable agriculture

    PubMed Central

    Hoffman, Matthew; Lubell, Mark; Hillis, Vicken

    2014-01-01

    Linking knowledge to action requires understanding how decision-makers conceptualize sustainability. This paper empirically analyzes farmer “mental models” of sustainability from three winegrape-growing regions of California where local extension programs have focused on sustainable agriculture. The mental models are represented as networks where sustainability concepts are nodes, and links are established when a farmer mentions two concepts in their stated definition of sustainability. The results suggest that winegrape grower mental models of sustainability are hierarchically structured, relatively similar across regions, and strongly linked to participation in extension programs and adoption of sustainable farm practices. We discuss the implications of our findings for the debate over the meaning of sustainability, and the role of local extension programs in managing knowledge systems. PMID:25157158

  3. Linking effects of anthropogenic debris to ecological impacts.

    PubMed

    Browne, Mark Anthony; Underwood, A J; Chapman, M G; Williams, Rob; Thompson, Richard C; van Franeker, Jan A

    2015-05-22

    Accelerated contamination of habitats with debris has caused increased effort to determine ecological impacts. Strikingly, most work on organisms focuses on sublethal responses to plastic debris. This is controversial because (i) researchers have ignored medical insights about the mechanisms that link effects of debris across lower levels of biological organization to disease and mortality, and (ii) debris is considered non-hazardous by policy-makers, possibly because individuals can be injured or removed from populations and assemblages without ecological impacts. We reviewed the mechanisms that link effects of debris across lower levels of biological organization to assemblages and populations. Using plastic, we show microplastics reduce the 'health', feeding, growth and survival of ecosystem engineers. Larger debris alters assemblages because fishing-gear and tyres kill animals and damage habitat-forming plants, and because floating bottles facilitate recruitment and survival of novel taxa. Where ecological linkages are not known, we show how to establish hypothetical links by synthesizing studies to assess the likelihood of impacts. We also consider how population models examine ecological linkages and guide management of ecological impacts. We show that by focusing on linkages to ecological impacts rather than the presence of debris and its sublethal impacts, we could reduce threats posed by debris. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

  4. Tick-Tock Goes the Croc: A High-Density EEG Study of Risk-Reactivity and Binge-Drinking.

    PubMed

    Kiat, John E; Cheadle, Jacob E

    2018-05-31

    Links between individual differences in risk processing and high-risk behaviors such as binge drinking have long been the focus of active research. However, investigations in this area almost exclusively utilize decision-making focused paradigms. This emphasis makes it difficult to assess links between risk behaviors and raw risk reactivity independent of decision and feedback processes. A deeper understanding of this association has the potential to shed light on the role of risk reactivity in high-risk behavior susceptibility. To contribute towards this aim, this study utilizes a popular risk-taking game, the crocodile dentist, to assess links between individual differences in decision-free risk-reactivity and reported binge drinking frequency levels. In this task, participants engage in a series of decision-free escalating risk responses. Risk-reactivity was assessed by measuring Late Positive Potential responses towards risk-taking action initiation cues using high-density 256-Channel EEG. The results indicate that, after controlling for overall alcohol consumption frequency, higher rates of reported binge drinking are associated with both increased general risk-taking responsivity and increased risk-reactivity escalation as a function of risk level. These findings highlight intriguing links between risk reactivity and binge drinking frequency, making key contributions in the areas of risk-taking and affective science.

  5. Effectiveness of an Integrated Community- and Clinic-Based Intervention on HIV Testing, HIV Knowledge, and Sexual Risk Behavior of Young Men Who Have Sex With Men in Myanmar.

    PubMed

    Aung, Poe Poe; Ryan, Claire; Bajracharya, Ashish; Pasricha, Naanki; Thein, Zaw Win; Agius, Paul A; Sein, Than Tun; Willenberg, Lisa; Soe, Ei Mon; Zaw, Ne Tun; Tun, Waimar; Yam, Eileen; Luchters, Stanley

    2017-02-01

    Young men who have sex with men (YMSM) in Myanmar are disproportionately affected by HIV, with prevalence five times that of the general population. The Link Up project implemented an intervention using peer education and outreach providing education and counseling on health seeking around sexually transmitted infections and reproductive health, combined with focused clinic capacity building to improve the sexual and reproductive health of YMSM. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and acceptability of the intervention. Using a mixed-methods approach, and employing a quasi-experimental design, we conducted two quantitative repeat cross-sectional surveys in purposively selected control (no intervention) and intervention townships, before and after implementation of the Link Up intervention. Respondent-driven sampling was used to recruit YMSM aged 15-24 years, and study participants were administered a structured questionnaire assessing intervention exposure, health service access, knowledge of HIV, and sexual risk behavior. Focus group discussions were held to elicit perspectives on the use and acceptability of the health services and peer outreach. At baseline, 314 YMSM were recruited in the intervention townships and 309 YMSM in the control townships. At end line, 267 (intervention) and 318 (control) YMSM were recruited. Coverage of the program was relatively low, with one-third of participants in the intervention townships having heard of the Link Up program by the end line. Comparing changes between baseline and end line, a greater proportion of HIV-negative or unknown status YMSM accessed HIV testing in the past 3 months in intervention townships (from 45.0% to 57.1%) compared with those in control townships (remained at 29.0%); however, this difference in the effect over time was not statistically significant in multivariate modeling (adjusted odds ratio: 1.45; 95% confidence interval: .66-3.17). Qualitative findings showed that the intervention was acceptable to YMSM. Overall, the intervention was perceived as acceptable. Although not statistically significant, results showed some trends toward improvements among YMSM in accessing HIV testing services and HIV-related knowledge. The modest coverage and short time frame of the evaluation likely limits the ability for any significant behavioral improvements. Copyright © 2016 Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. The Use of Signal-Transduction and Metabolic Pathways to Predict Human Disease Targets from Electric and Magnetic Fields Using in vitro Data in Human Cell Lines

    PubMed Central

    Parham, Fred; Portier, Christopher J.; Chang, Xiaoqing; Mevissen, Meike

    2016-01-01

    Using in vitro data in human cell lines, several research groups have investigated changes in gene expression in cellular systems following exposure to extremely low frequency (ELF) and radiofrequency (RF) electromagnetic fields (EMF). For ELF EMF, we obtained five studies with complete microarray data and three studies with only lists of significantly altered genes. Likewise, for RF EMF, we obtained 13 complete microarray datasets and 5 limited datasets. Plausible linkages between exposure to ELF and RF EMF and human diseases were identified using a three-step process: (a) linking genes associated with classes of human diseases to molecular pathways, (b) linking pathways to ELF and RF EMF microarray data, and (c) identifying associations between human disease and EMF exposures where the pathways are significantly similar. A total of 60 pathways were associated with human diseases, mostly focused on basic cellular functions like JAK–STAT signaling or metabolic functions like xenobiotic metabolism by cytochrome P450 enzymes. ELF EMF datasets were sporadically linked to human diseases, but no clear pattern emerged. Individual datasets showed some linkage to cancer, chemical dependency, metabolic disorders, and neurological disorders. RF EMF datasets were not strongly linked to any disorders but strongly linked to changes in several pathways. Based on these analyses, the most promising area for further research would be to focus on EMF and neurological function and disorders. PMID:27656641

  7. Serotonin transporter genotype (5-HTTLPR) and electrocortical responses indicating the sensitivity to negative emotional cues.

    PubMed

    Papousek, Ilona; Reiser, Eva M; Schulter, Günter; Fink, Andreas; Holmes, Emily A; Niederstätter, Harald; Nagl, Simone; Parson, Walther; Weiss, Elisabeth M

    2013-12-01

    Growing literature indicates that emotional reactivity and regulation are strongly linked to genetic modulation of serotonergic neurotransmission. However, until now, most studies have focused on the relationship between genotypic markers, in particular the serotonin transporter-linked polymorphic region (5-HTTLPR), and neural structures using MRI. The current study aimed to bridge the gap between the relevant MRI literature on the effects of the 5-HTTLPR genotype and the research tradition focusing on transient lateralized changes of electrocortical activity in the prefrontal cortex using electroencephalography (EEG). Lateral shifts of EEG alpha asymmetry in response to an aversive film consisting of scenes of real injury and death were assessed in healthy participants (n = 165). To evaluate the specificity of the 5-HTTLPR effect, participants were also tested for the COMT Val158Met polymorphism which is linked to dopamine inactivation. While viewing the film, individuals homozygous for the 5-HTTLPR short allele displayed a clear lateral shift of dorsolateral frontal activity to the right, which was virtually absent in participants carrying the long allele. The heightened electrocortical response to the aversive stimulation and its direction indicates a greater propensity of s/s homozygotes to experience withdrawal oriented affect in response to negative emotion cues in the environment. Moreover, together with previous research the findings support the notion of a link between the serotonergic system and self-regulation related to avoidance motivation, and a link between the dopaminergic system and self-regulation related to approach motivation.

  8. High-resolution geologic mapping of the inner continental shelf: Nahant to Gloucester, Massachusetts

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Barnhardt, Walter A.; Andrews, Brian D.; Butman, Bradford

    2006-01-01

    This report presents high-resolution maps of the seafloor offshore of Massachusetts, from Nahant to Gloucester. Approximately 134 km² of the inner shelf were mapped with a focus on the nearshore region in water depths less than 40 m (fig. 1.1). The maps were prepared as part of a cooperative mapping program between the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Massachusetts Office of Coastal Zone Management (CZM). They are based on marine geophysical data, sediment sampling, and bottom photography obtained on two research cruises carried out in 2003 and 2004. The primary objective of this program is to develop a suite of seafloor maps that provide geologic information for management of coastal and marine resources. Accurate maps of seafloor geology are important first steps toward protecting fish habitat, delineating marine reserves, and assessing environmental changes due to natural or human impacts. The maps also provide a geologic framework for scientific research, industry and the public. The organization of this report is outlined in the navigation bar along the left-hand margin of the page. This is section 1, the introduction. Section 2 briefly describes the mapping products contained in this report and has links to large-format map sheets, that can be viewed on line or downloaded. Section 3 is a description of the data collection, processing, and analysis procedures used to create the map products. Section 4 examines the geologic framework and late Quaternary evolution of the region, and presents two different strategies for mapping the complex seafloor. This report also contains four appendices that include GIS layers of all data collected in this study, and copies of the sample and photographic data used to validate the interpretations.

  9. Are village health sanitation and nutrition committees fulfilling their roles for decentralised health planning and action? A mixed methods study from rural eastern India.

    PubMed

    Srivastava, Aradhana; Gope, Rajkumar; Nair, Nirmala; Rath, Shibanand; Rath, Suchitra; Sinha, Rajesh; Sahoo, Prabas; Biswal, Pavitra Mohan; Singh, Vijay; Nath, Vikash; Sachdev, H P S; Skordis-Worrall, Jolene; Haghparast-Bidgoli, Hassan; Costello, Anthony; Prost, Audrey; Bhattacharyya, Sanghita

    2016-01-22

    In India, Village Health Sanitation and Nutrition Committees (VHSNCs) are participatory community health forums, but there is little information about their composition, functioning and effectiveness. Our study examined VHSNCs as enablers of participatory action for community health in two rural districts in two states of eastern India - West Singhbhum in Jharkhand and Kendujhar, in Odisha. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of 169 VHSNCs and ten qualitative focus group discussions with purposively selected better and poorer performing committees, across the two states. We analysed the quantitative data using descriptive statistics and the qualitative data using a Framework approach. We found that VHSNCs comprised equitable representation from vulnerable groups when they were formed. More than 75 % members were women. Almost all members belonged to socially disadvantaged classes. Less than 1 % members had received any training. Supervision of committees by district or block officials was rare. Their work focused largely on strengthening village sanitation, conducting health awareness activities, and supporting medical treatment for ill or malnourished children and pregnant mothers. In reality, 62 % committees monitored community health workers, 6.5 % checked sub-centres and 2.4 % monitored drug availability with community health workers. Virtually none monitored data on malnutrition. Community health and nutrition workers acted as conveners and record keepers. Links with the community involved awareness generation and community monitoring of VHSNC activities. Key challenges included irregular meetings, members' limited understanding of their roles and responsibilities, restrictions on planning and fund utilisation, and weak linkages with the broader health system. Our study suggests that VHSNCs perform few of their specified functions for decentralized planning and action. If VHSNCs are to be instrumental in improving community health, sanitation and nutrition, they need education, mobilisation and monitoring for formal links with the wider health system.

  10. On the link between media coverage of anorexia and pro-anorexic practices on the web.

    PubMed

    Yom-Tov, Elad; Boyd, Danah M

    2014-03-01

    Links between media portrayals of celebrities and participation in activities related to anorexia are of interest to both researchers and practitioners but are difficult to study over long time periods and in large populations. Here we aim to determine the links between media portrayals of celebrities and online practices related to anorexia. We examined the Internet searching activities of 9.2 million people, focusing on searches related to known celebrities, especially those perceived by the public as suffering from anorexia, and on searches indicative of anorexic practices. Additionally, we tracked media attention of individual celebrities by monitoring all messages from Twitter related to those celebrities. We found that a subset of users focus their browsing activities on celebrities perceived as anorexic. There was an increase of 14% in the hazard of performing anorexia-related searches after searching for information on the celebrities most perceived as anorexic. Media attention of a celebrity was a trigger for search activity, and when focused on a celebrity perceived as anorexic, resulted in a 33% increase in hazard for carrying out anorexic searches. Strikingly, when media attention included a reference to anorexia, the hazard decreased by 22%. Our findings suggest that it would be beneficial for media, when reporting on those celebrities who are known to suffer from anorexia, to include this information in their reporting. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  11. City and County Solar PV Training Program, Module 3: Detailed Site Evaluation, Project Validation, and Permitting

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

    Day, Megan H; Lisell, Lars J

    This is the third of five training modules recorded for the City and County Solar PV Training Program. The program is focused on training local government staff in the PV procurement process. This module focuses on siting and permitting for both rooftop and larger, ground-mounted systems rand includes a link to a video.

  12. Linking Diversity and Civic-Minded Practices with Student Outcomes: New Evidence from National Surveys

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hurtado, Sylvia; DeAngelo, Linda

    2012-01-01

    The conversation in higher education has shifted, moving from a focus on what students know to a focus on whether they know how to think and, more importantly, toward the goal of providing skills needed for living and working in the twenty-first century. In this article, the authors present national evidence regarding the impact of intentional…

  13. Linking Political Influence to School Reform with a Focus on the Performance Evaluation Reform Act and Senate Bill 7

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fredericks, Juliane R.

    2015-01-01

    This study focused on the federal and Illinois State the reform legislation titled the Performance Evaluation Reform Act and Senate Bill 7. The Performance Evaluation Reform Act or "PERA" was created from collaboration between stakeholders as Illinois competed in a federal competition titled "Race to the Top." The legislation…

  14. Does Positive Affect Broaden and Negative Affect Narrow Attentional Scope? A New Answer to an Old Question

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huntsinger, Jeffrey R.

    2012-01-01

    The current research challenges the common view that positive affect and negative affect generate a broadened or narrowed attentional focus, respectively. Contrary to this view, two studies found that the link between affect and attentional focus as measured by a traditional flanker task (Study 1) and a modified flanker task (Study 2) reflects…

  15. The Role of the Lateral Intraparietal Area in (the Study of) Decision Making.

    PubMed

    Huk, Alexander C; Katz, Leor N; Yates, Jacob L

    2017-07-25

    Over the past two decades, neurophysiological responses in the lateral intraparietal area (LIP) have received extensive study for insight into decision making. In a parallel manner, inferred cognitive processes have enriched interpretations of LIP activity. Because of this bidirectional interplay between physiology and cognition, LIP has served as fertile ground for developing quantitative models that link neural activity with decision making. These models stand as some of the most important frameworks for linking brain and mind, and they are now mature enough to be evaluated in finer detail and integrated with other lines of investigation of LIP function. Here, we focus on the relationship between LIP responses and known sensory and motor events in perceptual decision-making tasks, as assessed by correlative and causal methods. The resulting sensorimotor-focused approach offers an account of LIP activity as a multiplexed amalgam of sensory, cognitive, and motor-related activity, with a complex and often indirect relationship to decision processes. Our data-driven focus on multiplexing (and de-multiplexing) of various response components can complement decision-focused models and provides more detailed insight into how neural signals might relate to cognitive processes such as decision making.

  16. 40 CFR 81.305 - California.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 17 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false California. 81.305 Section 81.305 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR AIR QUALITY PLANNING PURPOSES Section 107 Attainment Status Designations § 81.305 California. Link to an amendment published at 75 FR...

  17. 40 CFR 81.305 - California.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 18 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false California. 81.305 Section 81.305 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) DESIGNATION OF AREAS FOR AIR QUALITY PLANNING PURPOSES Section 107 Attainment Status Designations § 81.305 California. Link to an amendment published at 78 FR...

  18. ACHP | Handbook on Coordinating NEPA and Section 106

    Science.gov Websites

    Search skip specific nav links Home arrow Handbook on Coordinating NEPA and Section 106 Handbook on handbook designed to help coordinate required review processes under the National Historic Preservation Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. The handbook stands to significantly improve the

  19. 50 CFR 648.126 - Protection of threatened and endangered sea turtles.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... sea turtles. 648.126 Section 648.126 Wildlife and Fisheries FISHERY CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT... sea turtles. Link to an amendment published at 76 FR 60635, Sept. 29, 2011. This section supplements existing regulations issued to regulate incidental take of sea turtles under authority of the Endangered...

  20. The Operational Use of an Automated High Frequency Radio System Incorporating Automatic Link Establishment and Single-Tone Serial Modem Technology for U.S. Navy Ship-Shore Communications

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1993-10-01

    between the link chronologically in the following sections. quality analysis ( LQA ) score measured by ALE and single- tone serial modem performance. A...receiving ends in turn and (propagation permitting), pass traffic and terminate the are used to calculate a combined link quality analysis ( LQA ...score. The LQA score is displayed to the operator NCCOSC RDTE DIV installation team accomplished the as a number on an arbitrary scale of 0 to 120, with a

  1. Differential V-Q Ability: Twenty Years Later

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCarthy, S. Viterbo

    1975-01-01

    The initial portion of this paper addresses itself to some of the methodological concerns associated with Verbal-Quantitative (V-Q) research. The second section focuses on studies using differential V-Q ability as an independent variable. The final section focuses on reasearch using V-Q ability measures as dependent variables. (Author/BJG)

  2. The Effect of Teachers Trained in a Fundamental Movement Skills Programme on Children's Self-Perceptions and Motor Competence

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Breslin, Gavin; Murphy, Marie; McKee, David; Delaney, Brian; Dempster, Martin

    2012-01-01

    Perceived and actual motor competence are hypothesized to have potential links to children and young people's physical activity (PA) levels with a potential consequential link to long-term health. In this cross-sectional study, Harter's (1985, "Manual for the Self-perception Profile for Children." Denver, CO: University of Denver)…

  3. Introduction to the Special Section: Linking the MMPI-2-RF to Contemporary Models of Psychopathology.

    PubMed

    Sellbom, Martin; Arbisi, Paul A

    2017-01-01

    This special section considers 9 independent articles that seek to link the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2-Restructured Form (MMPI-2-RF; Ben-Porath & Tellegen, 2008/ 2011 ) to contemporary models of psychopathology. Sellbom ( this issue ) maps the Specific Problems scales onto hierarchical psychopathology structures, whereas Romero, Toorabally, Burchett, Tarescavage, and Glassmire ( this issue ) and Shkalim, Almagor, and Ben-Porath ( this issue ) show evidence of linking the instruments' scales to diagnostic representations of common higher order psychopathology constructs. McCord, Achee, Cannon, Harrop, and Poynter ( this issue ) link the MMPI-2-RF scales to psychophysiological constructs inspired by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Research Domain Criteria. Sellbom and Smith ( this issue ) find support for MMPI-2-RF scale hypotheses in covering personality psychopathology in general, whereas Klein Haneveld, Kamphuis, Smid, and Forbey ( this issue ) and Kutchen et al. ( this issue ) demonstrate the utility of the MMPI-2-RF in capturing contemporary conceptualizations of the psychopathic personality. Finally, Franz, Harrop, and McCord ( this issue ) and Rogers et al. ( this issue ) mapped the MMPI-2-RF scales onto more specific transdiagnostic constructs reflecting interpersonal functioning and suicide behavior proneness, respectively.

  4. Independent, Autonomous, and Permissive: Examining the Links Between Self-Construal and Sexual Permissiveness.

    PubMed

    Treger, Stanislav; Schmitt, David P

    2018-05-10

    Much of the research on sexual attitudes has focused on biological sex as a predictor variable. This work has consistently demonstrated that men are more permissive in attitudes toward casual sex than are women. Less is known, however, about how other individual difference variables may shape sexual attitudes. In this research, we considered whether self-construal (whether one believes that others are or are not part of their self-concept) influences people's attitudes toward casual sex. Specifically, we posited that an independent self-construal is positively related to, and an interdependent self-construal is negatively related to, sexual permissiveness. Two cross-sectional studies (ns = 517 and 212) yielded support for these hypotheses. We further considered autonomy as a potential process variable. A mediation analysis revealed that self-construal was related to autonomy, which in turn positively predicted sexual attitudes and drove this association. We integrate these findings into the literature on sexual attitudes and discuss theoretical insights derived from our findings.

  5. Healthcare investment and income inequality.

    PubMed

    Bhattacharjee, Ayona; Shin, Jong Kook; Subramanian, Chetan; Swaminathan, Shailender

    2017-12-01

    This paper examines how the relative shares of public and private health expenditures impact income inequality. We study a two period overlapping generation's growth model in which longevity is determined by both private and public health expenditure and human capital is the engine of growth. Increased investment in health, reduces mortality, raises return to education and affects income inequality. In such a framework we show that the cross-section earnings inequality is non-decreasing in the private share of health expenditure. We test this prediction empirically using a variable that proxies for the relative intensity of investments (private versus public) using vaccination data from the National Sample Survey Organization for 76 regions in India in the year 1986-87. We link this with region-specific expenditure inequality data for the period 1987-2012. Our empirical findings, though focused on a specific health investment (vaccines), suggest that an increase in the share of the privately provided health care results in higher inequality. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Effect of the sample annealing temperature and sample crystallographic orientation on the charge kinetics of MgO single crystals subjected to keV electron irradiation.

    PubMed

    Boughariou, A; Damamme, G; Kallel, A

    2015-04-01

    This paper focuses on the effect of sample annealing temperature and crystallographic orientation on the secondary electron yield of MgO during charging by a defocused electron beam irradiation. The experimental results show that there are two regimes during the charging process that are better identified by plotting the logarithm of the secondary electron emission yield, lnσ, as function of the total trapped charge in the material QT. The impact of the annealing temperature and crystallographic orientation on the evolution of lnσ is presented here. The slope of the asymptotic regime of the curve lnσ as function of QT, expressed in cm(2) per trapped charge, is probably linked to the elementary cross section of electron-hole recombination, σhole, which controls the trapping evolution in the reach of the stationary flow regime. © 2014 The Authors Journal of Microscopy © 2014 Royal Microscopical Society.

  7. Physical integrity: the missing link in biological monitoring and TMDLs.

    PubMed

    Asmus, Brenda; Magner, Joseph A; Vondracek, Bruce; Perry, Jim

    2009-12-01

    The Clean Water Act mandates that the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of our nation's waters be maintained and restored. Physical integrity has often been defined as physical habitat integrity, and as such, data collected during biological monitoring programs focus primarily on habitat quality. However, we argue that channel stability is a more appropriate measure of physical integrity and that channel stability is a foundational element of physical habitat integrity in low-gradient alluvial streams. We highlight assessment tools that could supplement stream assessments and the Total Maximum Daily Load stressor identification process: field surveys of bankfull cross-sections; longitudinal thalweg profiles; particle size distribution; and regionally calibrated, visual, stream stability assessments. Benefits of measuring channel stability include a more informed selection of reference or best attainable stream condition for an Index of Biotic Integrity, establishment of a baseline for monitoring changes in present and future condition, and indication of channel stability for investigations of chemical and biological impairments associated with sediment discontinuity and loss of habitat quality.

  8. Preliminary Use of Uric Acid as a Biomarker for Wading Birds on Everglades Tree Islands, Florida, United States

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Bates, Anne L.; Orem, William H.; Newman, Susan; Gawlik, Dale E.; Lerch, Harry E.; Corum, Margo D.; Van Winkle, Monica

    2010-01-01

    Concentrations of organic biomarkers and concentrations of phosphorus in soil cores can potentially be used as proxies for historic population densities of wading birds on tree islands in the Florida Everglades. This report focuses on establishing a link between the organic biomarker uric acid found in wading bird guano and the high phosphorus concentrations in tree island soils in the Florida Everglades. Uric acid was determined in soil core sections, in surface samples, and in bird guano by using a method of high-performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS) developed for this purpose. Preliminary results show an overall correlation between uric acid and total phosphorus in three soil cores, with a general trend of decreasing concentrations of both uric acid and phosphorus with depth. However, we have also found no uric acid in a soil core having high concentrations of phosphorus. We believe that this result may be explained by different geochemical circumstances at that site.

  9. Inter-Satellite Communications Considerations and Requirements for Distributed Spacecraft and Formation Flying Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kwadrat, Carl F.; Horne, William D.; Edwards, Bernard L.

    2002-01-01

    In order to avoid selecting inadequate inter-spacecraft cross-link communications standards for Distributed Spacecraft System (DSS) missions, it is first necessary to identify cross-link communications strategies and requirements common to a cross-section of proposed missions. This paper addresses the cross-link communication strategies and requirements derived from a survey of 39 DSS mission descriptions that are projected for potential launch within the next 20 years. The inter-spacecraft communications strategies presented are derived from the topological and communications constraints from the DSS missions surveyed. Basic functional requirements are derived from an analysis of the fundamental activities that must be undertaken to establish and maintain a cross-link between two DSS spacecraft. Cross-link bandwidth requirements are derived from high-level assessments of mission science objectives and operations concepts. Finally, a preliminary assessment of possible cross-link standards is presented within the context of the basic operational and interoperability requirements.

  10. The FRD and transmission of the 270-m GRACES optical fiber link and a high numerical aperture fiber for astronomy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pazder, John; Fournier, Paul; Pawluczyk, Rafal; van Kooten, Maaike

    2014-07-01

    We report results of the extensive development work done on the 270-m optical fiber link for the GRACES project and a preliminary investigations into a high numerical aperture fiber for astronomy. The Gemini Remote Access CFHT ESPaDOnS Spectrograph (GRACES) is an instrumentation experiment to link ESPaDOnS, a bench-mounted highresolution optical spectrograph at CFHT, to the Gemini-North telescope with an optical fiber link. A 270-m fiber link with less than 14% Focal Ratio Degradation (FRD) has been developed jointly by HIA and FiberTech Optica for the experiment. A preliminary study has been conducted by HIA into a high numerical aperture fiber (0.26 numerical aperture) with the intended application of wide field optical spectrographs fiber fed from the telescope prime focus. The Laboratory test results of FRD, transmission, and stability for the GRACES fiber link and preliminary FRD measurements of the high numerical aperture fiber tests are reported.

  11. Discovering Link Communities in Complex Networks by an Integer Programming Model and a Genetic Algorithm

    PubMed Central

    Li, Zhenping; Zhang, Xiang-Sun; Wang, Rui-Sheng; Liu, Hongwei; Zhang, Shihua

    2013-01-01

    Identification of communities in complex networks is an important topic and issue in many fields such as sociology, biology, and computer science. Communities are often defined as groups of related nodes or links that correspond to functional subunits in the corresponding complex systems. While most conventional approaches have focused on discovering communities of nodes, some recent studies start partitioning links to find overlapping communities straightforwardly. In this paper, we propose a new quantity function for link community identification in complex networks. Based on this quantity function we formulate the link community partition problem into an integer programming model which allows us to partition a complex network into overlapping communities. We further propose a genetic algorithm for link community detection which can partition a network into overlapping communities without knowing the number of communities. We test our model and algorithm on both artificial networks and real-world networks. The results demonstrate that the model and algorithm are efficient in detecting overlapping community structure in complex networks. PMID:24386268

  12. The effect of cross linking density on the mechanical properties and structure of the epoxy polymers: molecular dynamics simulation.

    PubMed

    Shokuhfar, Ali; Arab, Behrouz

    2013-09-01

    Recently, great attention has been focused on using epoxy polymers in different fields such as aerospace, automotive, biotechnology, and electronics, owing to their superior properties. In this study, the classical molecular dynamics (MD) was used to simulate the cross linking of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol-A (DGEBA) with diethylenetriamine (DETA) curing agent, and to study the behavior of resulted epoxy polymer with different conversion rates. The constant-strain (static) approach was then applied to calculate the mechanical properties (Bulk, shear and Young's moduli, elastic stiffness constants, and Poisson's ratio) of the uncured and cross-linked systems. Estimated material properties were found to be in good agreement with experimental observations. Moreover, the dependency of mechanical properties on the cross linking density was investigated and revealed improvements in the mechanical properties with increasing the cross linking density. The radial distribution function (RDF) was also used to study the evolution of local structures of the simulated systems as a function of cross linking density.

  13. Link prediction measures considering different neighbors’ effects and application in social networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Luo, Peng; Wu, Chong; Li, Yongli

    Link prediction measures have been attracted particular attention in the field of mathematical physics. In this paper, we consider the different effects of neighbors in link prediction and focus on four different situations: only consider the individual’s own effects; consider the effects of individual, neighbors and neighbors’ neighbors; consider the effects of individual, neighbors, neighbors’ neighbors, neighbors’ neighbors’ neighbors and neighbors’ neighbors’ neighbors’ neighbors; consider the whole network participants’ effects. Then, according to the four situations, we present our link prediction models which also take the effects of social characteristics into consideration. An artificial network is adopted to illustrate the parameter estimation based on logistic regression. Furthermore, we compare our methods with the some other link prediction methods (LPMs) to examine the validity of our proposed model in online social networks. The results show the superior of our proposed link prediction methods compared with others. In the application part, our models are applied to study the social network evolution and used to recommend friends and cooperators in social networks.

  14. Measuring the value of accurate link prediction for network seeding.

    PubMed

    Wei, Yijin; Spencer, Gwen

    2017-01-01

    The influence-maximization literature seeks small sets of individuals whose structural placement in the social network can drive large cascades of behavior. Optimization efforts to find the best seed set often assume perfect knowledge of the network topology. Unfortunately, social network links are rarely known in an exact way. When do seeding strategies based on less-than-accurate link prediction provide valuable insight? We introduce optimized-against-a-sample ([Formula: see text]) performance to measure the value of optimizing seeding based on a noisy observation of a network. Our computational study investigates [Formula: see text] under several threshold-spread models in synthetic and real-world networks. Our focus is on measuring the value of imprecise link information. The level of investment in link prediction that is strategic appears to depend closely on spread model: in some parameter ranges investments in improving link prediction can pay substantial premiums in cascade size. For other ranges, such investments would be wasted. Several trends were remarkably consistent across topologies.

  15. Advanced optical fiber communication systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kazovsky, Leonid G.

    1994-03-01

    Our research is focused on three major aspects of advanced optical fiber communication systems: dynamic wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) networks, fiber nonlinearities, and high dynamic range coherent analog optical links. In the area of WDM networks, we have designed and implemented two high-speed interface boards and measured their throughput and latency. Furthermore, we designed and constructed an experimental PSK/ASK transceiver that simultaneously transmits packet-switched ASK data and circuit-switched PSK data on the same optical carrier. In the area of fiber nonlinearities, we investigated the theoretical impact of modulation frequency on cross-phase modulation (XPM) in dispersive fibers. In the area of high dynamic range coherent analog optical links, we developed theoretical expressions for the RF power transfer ratio (or RF power gain) and the noise figure (NF) of angle-modulated links. We then compared the RF power gains and noise figures of these links to that of an intensity modulated direct detection (DD) link.

  16. Integration of active pharmaceutical ingredient solid form selection and particle engineering into drug product design.

    PubMed

    Ticehurst, Martyn David; Marziano, Ivan

    2015-06-01

    This review seeks to offer a broad perspective that encompasses an understanding of the drug product attributes affected by active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) physical properties, their link to solid form selection and the role of particle engineering. While the crucial role of active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) solid form selection is universally acknowledged in the pharmaceutical industry, the value of increasing effort to understanding the link between solid form, API physical properties and drug product formulation and manufacture is now also being recognised. A truly holistic strategy for drug product development should focus on connecting solid form selection, particle engineering and formulation design to both exploit opportunities to access simpler manufacturing operations and prevent failures. Modelling and predictive tools that assist in establishing these links early in product development are discussed. In addition, the potential for differences between the ingoing API physical properties and those in the final product caused by drug product processing is considered. The focus of this review is on oral solid dosage forms and dry powder inhaler products for lung delivery. © 2015 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

  17. Power smart in-door optical wireless link design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marraccini, P. J.; Riza, N. A.

    2011-12-01

    Presented for the first time, to the best of the authors´ knowledge, is the design of a power smart in-door optical wireless link that provides lossless beam propagation between Transmitter (T) and Receiver (R) for changing link distances. Each T/R unit uses a combination of fixed and variable focal length optics to smartly adjust the laser beam propagation parameters of minimum beam waist size and its location to produce the optimal zero propagation loss coupling condition at the R for that link distance. An Electronically Controlled Variable Focus Lens (ECVFL) is used to form the wide field-of-view search beam and change the beam size at R to form a low loss beam. The T/R unit can also deploy camera optics and thermal energy harvesting electronics to improve link operational smartness and efficiency. To demonstrate the principles of the beam conditioned low loss indoor link, a visible 633 nm laser link using an electro-wetting technology liquid ECVFL is demonstrated for a variable 1 to 4 m link range. Measurements indicate a 53% improvement over an unconditioned laser link at 4 m. Applications for this power efficient wireless link includes mobile computer platform communications and agile server rack interconnections in data centres.

  18. Reconstruction of the 3-D Shape and Crystal Preferred Orientation of Olivine: A Combined X-ray µ-CT and EBSD-SEM approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kahl, Wolf-Achim; Hidas, Károly; Dilissen, Nicole; Garrido, Carlos J.; López-Sánchez Vizcaíno, Vicente; Jesús Román-Alpiste, Manuel

    2017-04-01

    The complete reconstruction of the microstructure of rocks requires, among others, a full description of the shape preferred orientation (SPO) and crystal preferred orientation (CPO) of the constituent mineral phases. New advances in instrumental analyses, particularly electron backscatter diffraction (EBSD) coupled to focused ion beam-scanning electron microscope (FIB-SEM), allows a complete characterization of SPO and CPO in rocks at the micron scale [1-2]. Unfortunately, the large grain size of many crystalline rocks, such as peridotite, prevents a representative characterization of the CPO and SPO of their constituent minerals by this technique. Here, we present a new approach combining X-ray micro computed tomography (µ-CT) and EBSD to reconstruct the geographically oriented, 3-D SPO and CPO of cm- to mm-sized olivine crystals in two contrasting fabric types of chlorite harzburgites (Almírez ultramafic massif, SE Spain). The semi-destructive sample treatment involves drilling of geographically oriented micro drills in the field and preparation of oriented thin sections from µ-CT scanned cores. This allows for establishing the link among geological structures, macrostructure, fabric, and 3-D SPO-CPO at the thin section scale. Based on EBSD analyses, different CPO groups of olivine crystals can be discriminated in the thin sections and allocated to 3-D SPO in the µ-CT volume data. This approach overcomes the limitations of both methods (i.e., no crystal orientation data in µ-CT and no spatial information in EBSD), hence 3-D orientation of the crystallographic axes of olivines from different orientation groups could be correlated with the crystal shapes of olivine grains. This combined µ-CT and EBSD technique enables the correlation of both SPO and CPO and representative grain size, and is capable to characterize the 3-D microstructure of olivine-bearing rocks at the hand specimen scale. REFERENCES 1. Zaefferer, S., Wright, S.I., Raabe, D., 2008. Three-Dimensional orientation microscopy in a focused ion beam-scanning electron microscope: A new dimension of microstructure characterization. Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A 39, 374-389. 2. Burnett, T.L., Kelley, R., Winiarski, B., Contreras, L., Daly, M., Gholinia, A., Burke, M.G., Withers, P.J., 2016. Large volume serial section tomography by Xe Plasma FIB dual beam microscopy. Ultramicroscopy 161, 119-129.

  19. Links between Evolution, Development, Human Anatomy, Pathology, and Medicine, with A Proposition of A Re-defined Anatomical Position and Notes on Constraints and Morphological "Imperfections".

    PubMed

    Diogo, Rui; Molnar, Julia

    2016-06-01

    Surprisingly the oldest formal discipline in medicine (anatomy) has not yet felt the full impact of evolutionary developmental biology. In medical anatomy courses and textbooks, the human body is still too often described as though it is a "perfect machine." In fact, the study of human anatomy predates evolutionary theory; therefore, many of its conventions continue to be outdated, making it difficult to study, understand, and treat the human body, and to compare it with that of other, nonbipedal animals, including other primates. Moreover, such an erroneous view of our anatomy as "perfect" can be used to fuel nonevolutionary ideologies such as intelligent design. In the section An Evolutionary and Developmental Approach to Human Anatomical Position of this paper, we propose the redefinition of the "human standard anatomical position" used in textbooks to be consistent with human evolutionary and developmental history. This redefined position also simplifies, for students and practitioners of the health professions, the study and learning of embryonic muscle groups (each group including muscles derived from the same/ontogenetically closely related primordium/primordia) and joint movements and highlights the topological correspondence between the upper and lower limbs. Section Evolutionary and Developmental Constraints, "Imperfections" and Sports Pathologies continues the theme by describing examples of apparently "illogical" characteristics of the human body that only make sense when one understands the developmental and evolutionary constraints that have accumulated over millions of years. We focus, in particular, on musculoskeletal functional problems and sports pathologies to emphasize the links with pathology and medicine. These examples demonstrate how incorporating evolutionary theory into anatomy education can be helpful for medical students, teachers, researchers, and physicians, as well as for anatomists, functional morphologists, and evolutionary and developmental biologists. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  20. Assessing student understanding of measurement and uncertainty

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Abbott, David Scot

    A test to assess student understanding of measurement and uncertainty has been developed and administered to more than 500 students at two large research universities. The aim is two-fold: (1) to assess what students learn in the first semester of introductory physics labs and (2) to uncover patterns in student reasoning and practice. The forty minute, eleven item test focuses on direct measurement and student attitudes toward multiple measurements. After one revision cycle using think-aloud interviews, the test was administered to students to three groups: students enrolled in traditional laboratory lab sections of first semester physics at North Carolina State University (NCSU), students in an experimental (SCALE-UP) section of first semester physics at NCSU, and students in first semester physics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The results were analyzed using a mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods. In the traditional NCSU labs, where students receive no instruction in uncertainty and measurement, students show no improvement on any of the areas examined by the test. In SCALE-UP and at UNC, students show statistically significant gains in most areas of the test. Gains on specific test items in SCALE-UP and at UNC correspond to areas of instructional emphasis. Test items were grouped into four main aspects of performance: "point/set" reasoning, meaning of spread, ruler reading and "stacking." Student performance on the pretest was examined to identify links between these aspects. Items within each aspect are correlated to one another, sometimes quite strongly, but items from different aspects rarely show statistically significant correlation. Taken together, these results suggest that student difficulties may not be linked to a single underlying cause. The study shows that current instruction techniques improve student understanding, but that many students exit the introductory physics lab course without appreciation or coherent understanding for the concept of measurement uncertainty.

  1. Link importance incorporated failure probability measuring solution for multicast light-trees in elastic optical networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Xin; Zhang, Lu; Tang, Ying; Huang, Shanguo

    2018-03-01

    The light-tree-based optical multicasting (LT-OM) scheme provides a spectrum- and energy-efficient method to accommodate emerging multicast services. Some studies focus on the survivability technologies for LTs against a fixed number of link failures, such as single-link failure. However, a few studies involve failure probability constraints when building LTs. It is worth noting that each link of an LT plays different important roles under failure scenarios. When calculating the failure probability of an LT, the importance of its every link should be considered. We design a link importance incorporated failure probability measuring solution (LIFPMS) for multicast LTs under independent failure model and shared risk link group failure model. Based on the LIFPMS, we put forward the minimum failure probability (MFP) problem for the LT-OM scheme. Heuristic approaches are developed to address the MFP problem in elastic optical networks. Numerical results show that the LIFPMS provides an accurate metric for calculating the failure probability of multicast LTs and enhances the reliability of the LT-OM scheme while accommodating multicast services.

  2. Dynamic enhancement of drug product labels to support drug safety, efficacy, and effectiveness.

    PubMed

    Boyce, Richard D; Horn, John R; Hassanzadeh, Oktie; Waard, Anita de; Schneider, Jodi; Luciano, Joanne S; Rastegar-Mojarad, Majid; Liakata, Maria

    2013-01-26

    Out-of-date or incomplete drug product labeling information may increase the risk of otherwise preventable adverse drug events. In recognition of these concerns, the United States Federal Drug Administration (FDA) requires drug product labels to include specific information. Unfortunately, several studies have found that drug product labeling fails to keep current with the scientific literature. We present a novel approach to addressing this issue. The primary goal of this novel approach is to better meet the information needs of persons who consult the drug product label for information on a drug's efficacy, effectiveness, and safety. Using FDA product label regulations as a guide, the approach links drug claims present in drug information sources available on the Semantic Web with specific product label sections. Here we report on pilot work that establishes the baseline performance characteristics of a proof-of-concept system implementing the novel approach. Claims from three drug information sources were linked to the Clinical Studies, Drug Interactions, and Clinical Pharmacology sections of the labels for drug products that contain one of 29 psychotropic drugs. The resulting Linked Data set maps 409 efficacy/effectiveness study results, 784 drug-drug interactions, and 112 metabolic pathway assertions derived from three clinically-oriented drug information sources (ClinicalTrials.gov, the National Drug File - Reference Terminology, and the Drug Interaction Knowledge Base) to the sections of 1,102 product labels. Proof-of-concept web pages were created for all 1,102 drug product labels that demonstrate one possible approach to presenting information that dynamically enhances drug product labeling. We found that approximately one in five efficacy/effectiveness claims were relevant to the Clinical Studies section of a psychotropic drug product, with most relevant claims providing new information. We also identified several cases where all of the drug-drug interaction claims linked to the Drug Interactions section for a drug were potentially novel. The baseline performance characteristics of the proof-of-concept will enable further technical and user-centered research on robust methods for scaling the approach to the many thousands of product labels currently on the market.

  3. Dynamic enhancement of drug product labels to support drug safety, efficacy, and effectiveness

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Out-of-date or incomplete drug product labeling information may increase the risk of otherwise preventable adverse drug events. In recognition of these concerns, the United States Federal Drug Administration (FDA) requires drug product labels to include specific information. Unfortunately, several studies have found that drug product labeling fails to keep current with the scientific literature. We present a novel approach to addressing this issue. The primary goal of this novel approach is to better meet the information needs of persons who consult the drug product label for information on a drug’s efficacy, effectiveness, and safety. Using FDA product label regulations as a guide, the approach links drug claims present in drug information sources available on the Semantic Web with specific product label sections. Here we report on pilot work that establishes the baseline performance characteristics of a proof-of-concept system implementing the novel approach. Claims from three drug information sources were linked to the Clinical Studies, Drug Interactions, and Clinical Pharmacology sections of the labels for drug products that contain one of 29 psychotropic drugs. The resulting Linked Data set maps 409 efficacy/effectiveness study results, 784 drug-drug interactions, and 112 metabolic pathway assertions derived from three clinically-oriented drug information sources (ClinicalTrials.gov, the National Drug File – Reference Terminology, and the Drug Interaction Knowledge Base) to the sections of 1,102 product labels. Proof-of-concept web pages were created for all 1,102 drug product labels that demonstrate one possible approach to presenting information that dynamically enhances drug product labeling. We found that approximately one in five efficacy/effectiveness claims were relevant to the Clinical Studies section of a psychotropic drug product, with most relevant claims providing new information. We also identified several cases where all of the drug-drug interaction claims linked to the Drug Interactions section for a drug were potentially novel. The baseline performance characteristics of the proof-of-concept will enable further technical and user-centered research on robust methods for scaling the approach to the many thousands of product labels currently on the market. PMID:23351881

  4. Linking Career Counseling to Personality Disorders.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kjos, Diane

    1995-01-01

    Relates personality disorders to career development issues and counseling interventions. Case examples suggesting career-focused treatment interventions for dependent, borderline, obsessive-compulsive, and passive-aggressive personality disorders are presented. (Author/JBJ)

  5. The economics of poverty in poor countries.

    PubMed

    Dasgupta, P

    1998-01-01

    This paper, which examines recently studied links between 1) poverty, high fertility, and undernourishment and 2) environmental degradation and civic disconnection in developing countries, opens by reviewing the limitations of orthodox discussions of economic institutions and property rights and the orthodox dichotomy that has located the cause of poverty in the suppression of markets. The introduction also notes that much of the analysis in this paper is based on data from sub-Saharan Africa and India. The next section of the paper summarizes evidence on the magnitude and extent of world poverty. Section 3 exposes the connection between undernourishment and a person's capacity to work as one of the pathways to the poverty trap. Sections 4 and 5 consider the dependence of impoverished rural populations on common-property resources and how the conventional process of economic growth can break down this system and make certain sections of the population especially vulnerable to economic shocks. The next two sections explore the possibility that links between poverty, high fertility, and environmental degradation may constitute another pathway to the poverty trap. The eighth section reviews the methodology of using net national product (which includes resource depletion and environmental deterioration) as an evaluation criterion and argues that mainstream development economists may have neglected environmental and population problems because they have been relying on the wrong economic indices. The final section concludes that a number of policies must be used to improve options for people.

  6. Field evidences for a Mesozoic palaeo-relief through the northern Tianshan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gumiaux, Charles; Chen, Ke; Augier, Romain; Chen, Yan; Wang, Qingchen

    2010-05-01

    The modern Tianshan mountain belt, located in Central Asia, offers a natural laboratory to study orogenic processes linked with convergent geodynamical settings. Most of the previous studies either focused on the Paleozoic evolution of the range - subductions, arc accretions and continental collision - or on its Cenozoic intra-continental evolution linked with the India-Asia collision. At first order, the finite structure of this range obviously displays a remarkable uprising of Paleozoic "basement" rocks - as a crustal-scale ‘pop-up' - surrounded by two Cenozoic foreland basins. The present-day topography of the Tianshan is traditionally related to the latest intra-continental reactivation of the range. In contrast, the present field study of the northern Tianshan brings new and clear evidences for the existence of a significant relief, in this area, during Mesozoic times. The investigation zone is about 250 km long, from Wusu to Urumqi, along the northern flank of the Tianshan where the rivers deeply incised the topography. In such valleys, lithologies and structural relationships between Paleozoic basement rocks, Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary series are particularly well exposed along several sections. Jurassic series are mostly characterized by coal-bearing, coarse-grained continental deposits. Within intra-mountain basins, sedimentary breccias, with clasts of Carboniferous basement rocks, have been locally found at the base of the series. This argues for the presence of a rather proximal palaeo-relief of basement rocks along the range front and the occurrence of proximal intra-mountain basins, during the Jurassic. Moreover, while a major thrust is mostly evoked between Jurassic deposits and the Paleozoic units, some of the studied sections show that the Triassic to Jurassic sedimentary series can be followed from the basin to the range. In these cases, the unconformity of the Mesozoic series on top of the Carboniferous basement has been locally clearly identified quite high in the mountain range or even, surprisingly, directly along the northern Tianshan "front" itself. Combining available information from geological maps, field investigations and numerous drilling wells, regional-scale cross-sections have been built. Some of them show "onlap" type deposit of the Triassic to Jurassic clastic sediments on top of the Paleozoic basement that was thus significantly sloping down to the North at that time. Our study clearly evidences, at different scales, the existence of a major palaeo-relief along the northern Tianshan range during Mesozoic, and particularly during Jurassic times. Such results are compatible with previous fission tracks and sedimentology studies. From this, the Tianshan's uplift and the movements associated with along its northern front structures, which are traditionally assigned to its Cenozoic reactivation, must be reduced. These new results question on the mode and timing of reactivation of structures and on the link between topography and intra-continental collisional settings.

  7. From HIV infection to therapeutic response: a population-based longitudinal HIV cascade-of-care study in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

    PubMed

    Haber, Noah; Tanser, Frank; Bor, Jacob; Naidu, Kevindra; Mutevedzi, Tinofa; Herbst, Kobus; Porter, Kholoud; Pillay, Deenan; Bärnighausen, Till

    2017-05-01

    Standard approaches to estimation of losses in the HIV cascade of care are typically cross-sectional and do not include the population stages before linkage to clinical care. We used indiviual-level longitudinal cascade data, transition by transition, including population stages, both to identify the health-system losses in the cascade and to show the differences in inference between standard methods and the longitudinal approach. We used non-parametric survival analysis to estimate a longitudinal HIV care cascade for a large population of people with HIV residing in rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. We linked data from a longitudinal population health surveillance (which is maintained by the Africa Health Research Institute) with patient records from the local public-sector HIV treatment programme (contained in an electronic clinical HIV treatment and care database, ARTemis). We followed up all people who had been newly detected as having HIV between Jan 1, 2006, and Dec 31, 2011, across six cascade stages: three population stages (first positive HIV test, HIV status knowledge, and linkage to care) and three clinical stages (eligibility for antiretroviral therapy [ART], initiation of ART, and therapeutic response). We compared our estimates to cross-sectional cascades in the same population. We estimated the cumulative incidence of reaching a particular cascade stage at a specific time with Kaplan-Meier survival analysis. Our population consisted of 5205 individuals with HIV who were followed up for 24 031 person-years. We recorded 598 deaths. 4539 individuals gained knowledge of their positive HIV status, 2818 were linked to care, 2151 became eligible for ART, 1839 began ART, and 1456 had successful responses to therapy. We used Kaplan-Meier survival analysis to adjust for censorship due to the end of data collection, and found that 8 years after testing positive in the population health surveillance, 16% had died. Among living patients, 82% knew their HIV status, 45% were linked to care, 39% were eligible for ART, 35% initiated ART, and 33% had reached therapeutic response. Median times to transition for these cascade stages were 52 months, 52 months, 20 months, 3 months, and 9 months, respectively. Compared with the population stages in the cascade, the transitions across the clinical stages were fast. Over calendar time, rates of linkage to care have decreased and patients presenting for the first time for care were, on average, healthier. HIV programmes should focus on linkage to care as the most important bottleneck in the cascade. Cascade estimation should be longitudinal rather than cross-sectional and start with the population stages preceding clinical care. Wellcome Trust, PEPFAR. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Temporal focusing microscopy combined with three-dimensional structured illumination

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Isobe, Keisuke; Toda, Keisuke; Song, Qiyuan; Kannari, Fumihiko; Kawano, Hiroyuki; Miyawaki, Atsushi; Midorikawa, Katsumi

    2017-05-01

    Temporal focusing microscopy provides the optical sectioning capability in wide-field two-photon fluorescence imaging. Here, we demonstrate temporal focusing microscopy combined with three-dimensional structured illumination, which enables us to enhance the three-dimensional spatial resolution and reject the background fluorescence. Experimentally, the periodic pattern of the illumination was produced not only in the lateral direction but also in the axial direction by the interference between three temporal focusing pulses, which were easily generated using a digital micromirror device. The lateral resolution and optical sectioning capability were successfully enhanced by factors of 1.6 and 3.6, respectively, compared with those of temporal focusing microscopy. In the two-photon fluorescence imaging of a tissue-like phantom, the out-of-focus background fluorescence and the scattered background fluorescence could also be rejected.

  9. The Behavioral Economics and Neuroeconomics of Alcohol Use Disorders

    PubMed Central

    MacKillop, James

    2016-01-01

    Background Behavioral economics and neuroeconomics bring together perspectives and methods from psychology, economics, and cognitive neuroscience to understand decision making and choice behavior. Extending an operant behavioral theoretical framework, these perspectives have increasingly been applied to understanding alcohol use disorders (AUDs) and this review surveys the theory, methods, and findings from this approach. The focus is on three key behavioral economic concepts: delay discounting (i.e., preferences for smaller immediate rewards relative to larger delayed rewards), alcohol demand (i.e., alcohol reinforcing value), and proportionate alcohol-related reinforcement (i.e., relative amount of psychosocial reinforcement associated with alcohol use). Findings Delay discounting has been linked to AUDs in both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, and has been investigated cross-sectionally using neuroimaging. Alcohol demand and proportionate alcohol-related reinforcement have both been robustly associated with drinking and alcohol misuse cross-sectionally, but not over time. Both have also been found to predict treatment response to brief interventions. Alcohol demand has also been used to enhance the measurement of acute motivation for alcohol in laboratory studies. Interventions that focus on reducing the value of alcohol by increasing alternative reinforcement and response cost have been found to be efficacious, albeit in relatively small numbers of randomized controlled trials (RCTs). Mediators and moderators of response to these interventions have not been extensively investigated. Future Directions The application of behavioral economics and neuroeconomics to AUDs has given rise to an extensive body of empirical work, although significant gaps in knowledge remain. In particular, there is a need for more longitudinal investigations to clarify the etiological roles of these behavioral economic processes, especially alcohol demand and proportionate alcohol reinforcement. Additional RCTs are needed to extend and generalize the findings from reinforcement-based interventions and to investigate mediators and moderators of treatment success for optimization. Applying neuroeconomics to AUDs remains at an early stage and has been primarily descriptive to date, but has high potential for important translational insights in the future. The same is true for using these behavioral economic indicators to understand genetic influences on AUDs. PMID:26993151

  10. Probing structures of large protein complexes using zero-length cross-linking.

    PubMed

    Rivera-Santiago, Roland F; Sriswasdi, Sira; Harper, Sandra L; Speicher, David W

    2015-11-01

    Structural mass spectrometry (MS) is a field with growing applicability for addressing complex biophysical questions regarding proteins and protein complexes. One of the major structural MS approaches involves the use of chemical cross-linking coupled with MS analysis (CX-MS) to identify proximal sites within macromolecules. Identified cross-linked sites can be used to probe novel protein-protein interactions or the derived distance constraints can be used to verify and refine molecular models. This review focuses on recent advances of "zero-length" cross-linking. Zero-length cross-linking reagents do not add any atoms to the cross-linked species due to the lack of a spacer arm. This provides a major advantage in the form of providing more precise distance constraints as the cross-linkable groups must be within salt bridge distances in order to react. However, identification of cross-linked peptides using these reagents presents unique challenges. We discuss recent efforts by our group to minimize these challenges by using multiple cycles of LC-MS/MS analysis and software specifically developed and optimized for identification of zero-length cross-linked peptides. Representative data utilizing our current protocol are presented and discussed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. The Save-Your-Life Glossary of Alcohol, AIDS, Drug, & Tobacco Terms.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Adcock, Deborah

    This document presents the Save-Your-Life Glossary, which consists of four parts: (1) the glossary itself, which defines alcohol, Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS), drug, and tobacco-related terms; (2) the alerts sections, which focus on popular drugs or issues that concern young people; (3) the focus sections, which categorize and…

  12. Career Development and Occupational Studies: A Supplement to the Adult Education Resource Guide and Learning Standards.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peavey, Kay S.; Krieger, Alan

    This publication focuses on New York's learning standards for career development and occupational studies (CDOS) in adult education: career development, integrated learning, universal foundation skills, and career majors. A section on the adult learner provides information on engaging learners to increase motivation. The next section focuses on…

  13. Helping Low-Income Mothers with Criminal Records Achieve Self-Sufficiency.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brown, Rebecca

    2000-01-01

    This issue of WIN (Welfare Information Network) Issue Notes focuses on helping low-income mothers with criminal records achieve self-sufficiency. Section 1 offers background. Section 2 answers these policy questions: why states might want to focus on serving low-income mothers with criminal records; how states can encourage employers to hire…

  14. Contradictions and Cross Purposes in Alcohol Usage in Media and Society: An Ironic Focus.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burd, Gene

    Focusing on a serious social problem that links mass communication and society, this paper uses the techniques of irony and meta-research to examine the paradoxial discrepancies between the intent of acts and the outcomes of actions in social and media policy in the culture of alcohol. It examines the history and folklore of alcohol and community;…

  15. ITIL{sup ®} and information security

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

    Jašek, Roman; Králík, Lukáš; Popelka, Miroslav

    2015-03-10

    This paper discusses the context of ITIL framework and management of information security. It is therefore a summary study, where the first part is focused on the safety objectives in connection with the ITIL framework. First of all, there is a focus on ITIL process ISM (Information Security Management), its principle and system management. The conclusion is about link between standards, which are related to security, and ITIL framework.

  16. Strategic business planning linking strategy with financial reality.

    PubMed

    Bachrodt, Andrew K; Smyth, J Patrick

    2004-11-01

    To succeed in today's complex and often adverse business environment, a healthcare organization's strategic direction must be calculated, focused, and financially sustainable. Strategic business planning is an essential tool to help organizations focus strategic choices within the financial realities of their environment. An effective strategic business planning cycle includes conducting an assessment, identifying business objectives, developing strategy, conducting an impact analysis, and developing an implementation plan.

  17. Cross-Link Guided Molecular Modeling with ROSETTA

    PubMed Central

    Leitner, Alexander; Rosenberger, George; Aebersold, Ruedi; Malmström, Lars

    2013-01-01

    Chemical cross-links identified by mass spectrometry generate distance restraints that reveal low-resolution structural information on proteins and protein complexes. The technology to reliably generate such data has become mature and robust enough to shift the focus to the question of how these distance restraints can be best integrated into molecular modeling calculations. Here, we introduce three workflows for incorporating distance restraints generated by chemical cross-linking and mass spectrometry into ROSETTA protocols for comparative and de novo modeling and protein-protein docking. We demonstrate that the cross-link validation and visualization software Xwalk facilitates successful cross-link data integration. Besides the protocols we introduce XLdb, a database of chemical cross-links from 14 different publications with 506 intra-protein and 62 inter-protein cross-links, where each cross-link can be mapped on an experimental structure from the Protein Data Bank. Finally, we demonstrate on a protein-protein docking reference data set the impact of virtual cross-links on protein docking calculations and show that an inter-protein cross-link can reduce on average the RMSD of a docking prediction by 5.0 Å. The methods and results presented here provide guidelines for the effective integration of chemical cross-link data in molecular modeling calculations and should advance the structural analysis of particularly large and transient protein complexes via hybrid structural biology methods. PMID:24069194

  18. Square One TV, Curriculum Connections Teacher's Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Children's Television Workshop, New York, NY.

    This cross curriculum guide links mathematics, language arts, and social studies. The guide is divided into two sections. The first section provides a series of language arts activities and the second social studies activities. Within these two curriculum areas, the activities provided are based on three Square One TV formats: (1) Mathnet, the…

  19. 10 CFR 851.5 - Enforcement.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Enforcement. 851.5 Section 851.5 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY WORKER SAFETY AND HEALTH PROGRAM General Provisions § 851.5 Enforcement. Link to an amendment published at 74 FR 66033, Dec. 14, 2009. (a) A contractor that is indemnified under section 170d. of the AEA...

  20. An Investigation of the Value of Using Concept Maps in General Chemistry.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nicoll, Gayle; Francisco, Joseph; Nakhleh, Mary B.

    2001-01-01

    Reports on a qualitative investigation of the effects of integrating concept maps into freshman-level general chemistry curriculum. Indicates that students in the experimental section had significantly more links and nodes in their concept maps than students in the traditional section. There were no significant differences between the two sections…

  1. Opinions about Child Corporal Punishment and Influencing Factors

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bell, Tessa; Romano, Elisa

    2012-01-01

    The use of corporal punishment has been linked to negative developmental outcomes for children. Despite this finding, Section 43 of the Canadian Criminal Code permits the use of corporal punishment by parents for children 2 to 12 years of age. Therefore, this study's first objective is to investigate opinions toward Section 43 and spanking more…

  2. Linking Class and Community: An Investigation of Service Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fleck, Bethany; Hussey, Heather D.; Rutledge-Ellison, Lily

    2017-01-01

    This study contributes to the service learning (SL) literature by providing new empirical evidence of learning from a problem-based SL research project conducted in a developmental research methods course. Two sections of the course taught in a traditional manner were compared to two sections of the course taught with an integrated SL project…

  3. Science and Institutional Research: The Links. AIR 1991 Annual Forum Paper.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McKinney, E. Bernadette; Hindera, John J.

    This paper compares the process and structure of institutional research with three ways of conceptualizing science. The first section examines the scientific method as a process of disciplined inquiry, then compares institutional research to that process. The second section compares the logical structure of institutional research with the logical…

  4. Guidance system operations plan for manned LM earth orbital and lunar missions using program luminary 1E. Section 2: Data links

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hamilton, M. H.

    1972-01-01

    Data links for the guidance system of manned lunar module orbital and lunar missions are presented. Subjects discussed are: (1) digital uplink to lunar module, (2) lunar module liftoff time increment, (3) lunar module contiguous block update, (4) lunar module scatter update, (5) lunar module digital downlink, and (6) absolute addresses for update program.

  5. 76 FR 13427 - Notice of Availability: Notice of Funding Availability for HUD's Fiscal Year (FY) 2010 Section...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-11

    ... be found using the Department of Housing and Urban Development agency link on the Grants.gov/Find Web site at http://www.grants.gov/search/agency.do . A link to Grants.gov is also available on the HUD Web site at http://www.hud.gov/offices/adm/grants/fundsavail.cfm . The Catalogue of Federal Domestic...

  6. Crowding measures associated with the quality of emergency department care: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Stang, Antonia S; Crotts, Jennifer; Johnson, David W; Hartling, Lisa; Guttmann, Astrid

    2015-06-01

    Despite the substantial body of literature on emergency department (ED) crowding, to the best of our knowledge, there is no agreement on the measure or measures that should be used to quantify crowding. The objective of this systematic review was to identify existing measures of ED crowding that have been linked to quality of care as defined by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) quality domains (safe, effective, patient-centered, efficient, timely, and equitable). Six major bibliographic databases were searched from January 1980 to January 2012, and hand searches were conducted of relevant journals and conference proceedings. Observational studies (cross-sectional, cohort, and case-control), quality improvement studies, quasi-experimental (e.g., before/after) studies, and randomized controlled trials were considered for inclusion. Studies that did not provide measures of ED crowding were excluded. Studies that did not provide quantitative data on the link between crowding measures and quality of care were also excluded. Two independent reviewers assessed study eligibility, completed data extraction, and assessed study quality using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale (NOS) for observational studies and a modified version of the NOS for cross-sectional studies. The search identified 7,413 articles. Thirty-two articles were included in the review: six cross-sectional, one case-control, 23 cohort, and two retrospective reviews of performance improvement data. Methodologic quality was moderate, with weaknesses in the reporting of study design and methodology. Overall, 15 of the crowding measures studied had quantifiable links to quality of care. The three measures most frequently linked to quality of care were the number of patients in the waiting room, ED occupancy (percentage of overall ED beds filled), and the number of admitted patients in the ED awaiting inpatient beds. None of the articles provided data on the link between crowding measures and the IOM domains reflecting equitable and efficient care. The results of this review provide data on the association between ED crowding measures and quality of care. Three simple crowding measures have been linked to quality of care in multiple publications. © 2015 by the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine.

  7. Self-focused and other-focused resiliency: Plausible mechanisms linking early family adversity to health problems in college women.

    PubMed

    Coleman, Sulamunn R M; Zawadzki, Matthew J; Heron, Kristin E; Vartanian, Lenny R; Smyth, Joshua M

    2016-01-01

    This study examined whether self-focused and other-focused resiliency help explain how early family adversity relates to perceived stress, subjective health, and health behaviors in college women. Female students (N = 795) participated between October 2009 and May 2010. Participants completed self-report measures of early family adversity, self-focused (self-esteem, personal growth initiative) and other-focused (perceived social support, gratitude) resiliency, stress, subjective health, and health behaviors. Using structural equation modeling, self-focused resiliency associated with less stress, better subjective health, more sleep, less smoking, and less weekend alcohol consumption. Other-focused resiliency associated with more exercise, greater stress, and more weekend alcohol consumption. Early family adversity was indirectly related to all health outcomes, except smoking, via self-focused and other-focused resiliency. Self-focused and other-focused resiliency represent plausible mechanisms through which early family adversity relates to stress and health in college women. This highlights areas for future research in disease prevention and management.

  8. Interpretation of Results of Studies Evaluating an Intervention Highlighted in Google Health News: A Cross-Sectional Study of News

    PubMed Central

    Haneef, Romana; Lazarus, Clement; Ravaud, Philippe; Yavchitz, Amélie; Boutron, Isabelle

    2015-01-01

    Background Mass media through the Internet is a powerful means of disseminating medical research. We aimed to determine whether and how the interpretation of research results is misrepresented by the use of “spin” in the health section of Google News. Spin was defined as specific way of reporting, from whatever motive (intentional or unintentional), to emphasize that the beneficial effect of the intervention is greater than that shown by the results. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study of news highlighted in the health section of US, UK and Canada editions of Google News between July 2013 and January 2014. We searched for news items for 3 days a week (i.e., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) during 6 months and selected a sample of 130 news items reporting a scientific article evaluating the effect of an intervention on human health. Results In total, 78% of the news did not provide a full reference or electronic link to the scientific article. We found at least one spin in 114 (88%) news items and 18 different types of spin in news. These spin were mainly related to misleading reporting (59%) such as not reporting adverse events that were reported in the scientific article (25%), misleading interpretation (69%) such as claiming a causal effect despite non-randomized study design (49%) and overgeneralization/misleading extrapolation (41%) of the results such as extrapolating a beneficial effect from an animal study to humans (21%). We also identified some new types of spin such as highlighting a single patient experience for the success of a new treatment instead of focusing on the group results. Conclusions Interpretation of research results was frequently misrepresented in the health section of Google News. However, we do not know whether these spin were from the scientific articles themselves or added in the news. PMID:26473725

  9. Interpretation of Results of Studies Evaluating an Intervention Highlighted in Google Health News: A Cross-Sectional Study of News.

    PubMed

    Haneef, Romana; Lazarus, Clement; Ravaud, Philippe; Yavchitz, Amélie; Boutron, Isabelle

    2015-01-01

    Mass media through the Internet is a powerful means of disseminating medical research. We aimed to determine whether and how the interpretation of research results is misrepresented by the use of "spin" in the health section of Google News. Spin was defined as specific way of reporting, from whatever motive (intentional or unintentional), to emphasize that the beneficial effect of the intervention is greater than that shown by the results. We conducted a cross-sectional study of news highlighted in the health section of US, UK and Canada editions of Google News between July 2013 and January 2014. We searched for news items for 3 days a week (i.e., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) during 6 months and selected a sample of 130 news items reporting a scientific article evaluating the effect of an intervention on human health. In total, 78% of the news did not provide a full reference or electronic link to the scientific article. We found at least one spin in 114 (88%) news items and 18 different types of spin in news. These spin were mainly related to misleading reporting (59%) such as not reporting adverse events that were reported in the scientific article (25%), misleading interpretation (69%) such as claiming a causal effect despite non-randomized study design (49%) and overgeneralization/misleading extrapolation (41%) of the results such as extrapolating a beneficial effect from an animal study to humans (21%). We also identified some new types of spin such as highlighting a single patient experience for the success of a new treatment instead of focusing on the group results. Interpretation of research results was frequently misrepresented in the health section of Google News. However, we do not know whether these spin were from the scientific articles themselves or added in the news.

  10. Review Article: Mapping of children's health and development data on population level using the classification system ICF-CY.

    PubMed

    Ståhl, Ylva; Granlund, Mats; Gäre-Andersson, Boel; Enskär, Karin

    2011-02-01

    The aim of this study was to investigate if essential health and development data of all children in Sweden in the Child Health Service (CHS) and School Health Service (SHS) can be linked to the classification system International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health--Children and Youth (ICF-CY). Lists of essential health terms, compiled by professionals from CHS and SHS, expected to be used in the national standardised records form the basis for the analysis in this study. The essential health terms have been linked to the codes of ICF-CY by using linking rules and a verification procedure. After exclusion of terms not directly describing children's health, a majority of the health terms could be linked into the ICF-CY with a high proportion of terms in body functions and a lower proportion in activity/participation and environment respectively. Some health terms had broad description and were linked to several ICF-CY codes. The precision of the health terms was at a medium level of detail. ICF-CY can be useful as a tool for documenting child health. It provides not only a code useful for statistical purposes but also a language useful for the CHS and SHS in their work on individual as well as population levels. It was noted that the health terms used by services mainly focused on health related to body function. This indicates that more focus is needed on health data related to child's functioning in everyday life situations.

  11. Go to work or report sick? A focus group study on decisions of sickness presence among offshore catering section workers

    PubMed Central

    2011-01-01

    Background To identify and explore the factors promoting sickness presenteeism among offshore catering section workers. Methods Twenty men and women, working in the offshore catering section onboard three offshore oil and gas production platforms on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, participated in three focus groups. Data from the focus groups were analysed according to a phenomenological approach, and supported by theories on presenteeism. Results The results show that the decision to attend work despite illness, first and foremost, was based on the severity of the health complaint. Other factors identified were; the individual's location once the health complaint occurred, job satisfaction, the norms of the team, and experiences of how company policies on sickness absenteeism were implemented by the catering section leaders. Conclusions Offshore working conditions may promote sickness presenteeism. The factors promoting sickness presenteeism onboard the platforms reflected experiences of a healthy work environment. PMID:21418561

  12. Go to work or report sick? A focus group study on decisions of sickness presence among offshore catering section workers.

    PubMed

    Krohne, Kariann; Magnussen, Liv Heide

    2011-03-18

    To identify and explore the factors promoting sickness presenteeism among offshore catering section workers. Twenty men and women, working in the offshore catering section onboard three offshore oil and gas production platforms on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, participated in three focus groups. Data from the focus groups were analysed according to a phenomenological approach, and supported by theories on presenteeism. The results show that the decision to attend work despite illness, first and foremost, was based on the severity of the health complaint. Other factors identified were; the individual's location once the health complaint occurred, job satisfaction, the norms of the team, and experiences of how company policies on sickness absenteeism were implemented by the catering section leaders. Offshore working conditions may promote sickness presenteeism. The factors promoting sickness presenteeism onboard the platforms reflected experiences of a healthy work environment.

  13. A Geomorphologically Driven Conditional Assessment for the Study of Urban Stone Decay

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Johnston, Brian; McKinley, Jennifer; Warke, Patricia; Ruffell, Alastair

    2017-04-01

    Much of humanity's legacy is within the built environment and therefore in the stones that have been used for its construction. This means that targeted building conservation strategies are vital when considering the maintenance of this heritage. Conditional assessments play a major part in these efforts by classifying blocks based upon their visual state of decay. However, as these tools were developed with the purpose of informing decision making by professionals in the construction and conservation industries, limitations exist when considering them as part of studies with a geomorphological focus. Links between the decay of stonework and spatially variable control factors, such as material properties, microclimatic conditions and pollutant distribution, have been well documented in past studies, with observations of decay on wall sections supporting this concept. For example, the distribution of weathering features can indicate that certain blocks are more susceptible than others to decay. Additionally, adjoining blocks can exhibit similar processes, suggestive of interaction between the blocks, indicating a linkage between individual block scale decay and processes acting at a wider wall scale. These observations have led to comparisons between the weathering of rock outcrops and building façades, with mortar joints playing the role of fractures or bedding. This comparison has highlighted the necessity to not simply consider decay in terms of architecture or engineering, but also in terms of the geomorphological processes taking place. The patterns of decay created at a wall scale, whilst being visually chaotic, can provide clues to the controlling factors acting upon this system, if they are subjected to informed scrutiny. Despite such discussions, the focus of surveys towards remediation have created limitations when applying the results of these surveys towards the understanding of processes acting between blocks at a wall scale. This work aims to take into consideration these limitations by undertaking two conditional assessments, using differing techniques, of wall sections at Fitzroy Presbyterian Church in Belfast. These assessments will be undertaken using a classification system focusing upon percentage of surface alteration. Initially, an assessment was carried out focussing on classifying each block individually. This was then followed by observations in a regular grid of 10x10cm squares across the wall sections. Results suggest that decay features develop beyond the extents of a single stone when situated within a larger built structure, with mortar and blocks providing both interconnectivity and barriers that influence the spread of decay. The results suggest the presence of three wall scale processes; urban microclimatic influencing capillary rise of ground water, architectural features creating a barrier and the passage of moisture through deteriorating mortar. Probe permeametry, GPR and 3D modelling of the wall sections were used to provide support for these findings. For the conservationist, application of a gridded observation approach is time consuming and of little use when deciding upon the remediation of individual blocks. However, in geomorphologically focused studies it facilitates a greater understanding of processes that extend beyond a single block, particularly when considering sites where the development of decay appears to be spatially complex.

  14. Galerkin projection for geometrically-exact multilayer beams allowing for ply drop-off

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

    Vu-Quoc, L.; Deng, H.

    1995-12-31

    Focusing on the static case in the present work, we develop a Galerkin projection of the resulting nonlinear governing equations of equilibrium for geometrically exact sandwich beams and 1-D plates developed. In the proposed theory, each layer in the beam can have different thickness and length. As such one can use the present formulation to model an important class of multilayer structures having ply drop-off. No restriction is imposed on the magnitude of the displacement field, whose continuity across the layer interfaces is exactly enforced. The layer cross section in the deformed beam is assumed to remain straight, but notmore » orthogonal to the layer centroidal line, thus shear deformation in each layer is accounted for. Also no restriction is imposed on the rotation of a layer cross section. It follows that the overall cross section in the deformed beam is continuous piecewise linear, and can be best thought of as a chain of rigid links, connected by hinges. The overall deformation of a multilayer beam can be described by the deformation of a reference layer. The unknown kinematic quantities are therefore the two displacement components of the deformed centroidal line of a reference layer, and the finite rotations of the layers. The present theory can be used to analyze large deformation in sandwich beams. Numerical examples, such as roll-up maneuver and sandwich beam with ply drop-off, which underline the salient features of the formulation are presented. Saint-Venant principle is demonstrated for very short sandwich beams. The readers are referred to the paper for detail.« less

  15. Visualizing Rank Time Series of Wikipedia Top-Viewed Pages.

    PubMed

    Xia, Jing; Hou, Yumeng; Chen, Yingjie Victor; Qian, Zhenyu Cheryl; Ebert, David S; Chen, Wei

    2017-01-01

    Visual clutter is a common challenge when visualizing large rank time series data. WikiTopReader, a reader of Wikipedia page rank, lets users explore connections among top-viewed pages by connecting page-rank behaviors with page-link relations. Such a combination enhances the unweighted Wikipedia page-link network and focuses attention on the page of interest. A set of user evaluations shows that the system effectively represents evolving ranking patterns and page-wise correlation.

  16. Structural empowerment, Magnet hospital characteristics, and patient safety culture: making the link.

    PubMed

    Armstrong, Kevin J; Laschinger, Heather

    2006-01-01

    Nurse managers are seeking ways to improve patient safety in their organizations. At the same time, they struggle to address nurse recruitment and retention concerns by focusing on the quality of nurses' work environment. This exploratory study tested a theoretical model, linking the quality of the nursing practice environments to a culture of patient safety. Specific strategies to increase nurses' access to empowerment structures and thereby increase the culture of patient safety are suggested.

  17. What Causal Forces Shape Internet Connectivity at the AS-level?

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2003-01-01

    business “peering relationship .” By focusing on the AS subgraph ASPC whose links repre- sent provider- customer relationships , we present an empirical... customer relationships may be determined in the actual Internet, we develop a new optimization-driven model for Internet growth at the ASPC level...among ASs. Two ASs are connected in an AS graph by a link only if they have a “peering relationship ” between them, e.g., provider- customer or peer-to

  18. Consumer demand for caesarean sections in Brazil: informed decision making, patient choice, or social inequality? A population based birth cohort study linking ethnographic and epidemiological methods

    PubMed Central

    Béhague, Dominique P; Victora, Cesar G; Barros, Fernando C

    2002-01-01

    Objectives To investigate why some women prefer caesarean sections and how decisions to medicalise birthing are influenced by patients, doctors, and the sociomedical environment. Design Population based birth cohort study, using ethnographic and epidemiological methods. Setting Epidemiological study: women living in the urban area of Pelotas, Brazil who gave birth in hospital during the study. Ethnographic study: subsample of 80 women selected at random from the birth cohort. Nineteen medical staff were interviewed. Participants 5304 women who gave birth in any of the city's hospitals in 1993. Main outcome measures Birth by caesarean section or vaginal delivery. Results In both samples women from families with higher incomes and higher levels of education had caesarean sections more often than other women. Many lower to middle class women sought caesarean sections to avoid what they considered poor quality care and medical neglect, resulting from social prejudice. These women used medicalised prenatal and birthing health care to increase their chance of acquiring a caesarean section, particularly if they had social power in the home. Both social power and women's behaviour towards seeking medicalised health care remained significantly associated with type of birth after controlling for family income and maternal education. Conclusions Fear of substandard care is behind many poor women's preferences for a caesarean section. Variables pertaining to women's role in the process of redefining and negotiating medical risks were much stronger correlates of caesarean section rates than income or education. The unequal distribution of medical technology has altered concepts of good and normal birthing. Arguments supporting interventionist birthing for all on the basis of equal access to health care must be reviewed. What is already known on this topicWomen's preferences for caesarean sections are understood to result from lack of knowledge and psychological aptitude to handle vaginal delivery and its consequencesEfforts to reduce the demand for caesarean sections have focused on providing consumers with correct information on the relative risks associated with vaginal and operative deliveriesWhat this study addsIn Brazil, many women prefer caesarean sections because they consider it good quality careRich women are more likely to have caesarean sections, supporting the notion that medical intervention represents superior carePoor women may implement a series of medicalised practices that justifies the need for greater medical intervention during birthInterventions for reducing caesarean sections by educating physicians and patients about risk factors associated with birthing procedures are not sufficient PMID:11964338

  19. Conceptions of Contraceptive Use in Rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Lessons for Programming

    PubMed Central

    Ndinda, Catherine; Ndhlovu, Tidings; Khalema, Nene Ernest

    2017-01-01

    Community family planning programmes in South Africa arose from the controversial apartheid history of controlling the African population while encouraging the growth of European migrant population. Post-apartheid population policies shifted away from population control to aligning policies to the global agenda that placed emphasis on the link between population and development. The focus on population and development polices in post-apartheid South Africa is on social equality, justice and peace rather than controlling sections of the population. Given the shift, this paper interrogates the conceptions of contraceptive use among rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal. Our primary objective is to understand the dynamics surrounding access to and use of family planning services in peri-urban and rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal. Using focus group data, the findings of the study suggest that different social categories interact with the family planning programmes differently. How teenagers and married women perceive the value of family planning differs. Gender differences regarding the use of condoms are also evident. The paper attempts to grapple with the non-use of condoms despite the knowledge that these prevent pregnancy and provide protection from sexually-transmitted diseases. The contribution of this paper lies in its identification of socio-cultural factors and the political economy underlying the different attitudes towards contraceptive use in rural KwaZulu-Natal. PMID:28350334

  20. Health benefits of legumes and pulses with a focus on Australian sweet lupins.

    PubMed

    Kouris-Blazos, Antigone; Belski, Regina

    2016-01-01

    The 68th United Nations General Assembly declared 2016 the International Year of Pulses. Therefore it is timely to review the current evidence of the benefits of legumes for human health with a focus on Australian sweet lupins. Medline, Pubmed, Cochrane library were searched to identify cross-sectional/epidemiological studies, randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and systematic reviews. The strongest evidence appears to be for links between eating legumes and reduced risk of colorectal cancer as well as eating soy foods and reduced LDL cholesterol. However, epidemiological studies and RCTs suggest that replacing several meat-based meals a week with legumes can have a positive impact on longevity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and weight management, potentially via favourable effects on the gut microbiome. Sweet lupins are unique among legumes with one of the highest combined amounts of digestible plant protein (38%) and dietary fibre (30%). Unlike other legumes, their low amount of anti-nutritional factors negates the need for soaking/cooking and they can therefore be eaten uncooked. Sweet lupins may lower blood pressure, improve blood lipids and insulin sensitivity and favourably alter the gut microbiome. There is growing interest in pulses, especially sweet lupins, as ingredients to improve the nutritional value of baked goods (particularly gluten free) and to create novel products to replace meat. Legumes form part of most traditional diets. They, including sweet lupins, can play a useful role in health maintenance.

  1. Continuing professional development: researching non-technical competencies can support cognitive reappraisal and reduced stress in clinicians.

    PubMed

    Kinnison, Tierney; May, Stephen

    2017-09-09

    Generic professional capabilities (non-technical competencies) are increasingly valued for their links to patient outcomes and clinician well-being. This study explores the emotional change, and practice-related outcomes, of participants of a veterinary professional key skills (PKS) continuing professional development (CPD) module. Reflective summaries produced by participants were analysed. A change in emotion, from 'negative' to 'positive', was the focus of analysis. Sections regarding these emotions were thematically analysed. Analysis was performed on 46 summaries. Three themes were identified: 'the PKS module' (centred on reluctance becoming surprise and stimulation), 'developing non-technical competencies' (unease to confidence) and 'stress and coping through a reflective focus' (anxiety to harmony). The changing emotions were connected to positive cognitive reappraisal and often behaviour changes, benefitting self, practice, clients and patients. The PKS module teaches participants to reflect; a new and challenging concept. The consequences of this enabled participants to understand the importance of professional topics, to be appreciative as well as critical, and to enjoy their job. Importantly, the module stimulated coping responses. Better understanding of roles led to participants having more reasonable expectations of themselves, more appreciation of their work and reduced stress. This research supports more attention to professional skills CPD for health professions. © British Veterinary Association (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  2. Conceptions of Contraceptive Use in Rural KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Lessons for Programming.

    PubMed

    Ndinda, Catherine; Ndhlovu, Tidings; Khalema, Nene Ernest

    2017-03-28

    Community family planning programmes in South Africa arose from the controversial apartheid history of controlling the African population while encouraging the growth of European migrant population. Post-apartheid population policies shifted away from population control to aligning policies to the global agenda that placed emphasis on the link between population and development. The focus on population and development polices in post-apartheid South Africa is on social equality, justice and peace rather than controlling sections of the population. Given the shift, this paper interrogates the conceptions of contraceptive use among rural communities in KwaZulu-Natal. Our primary objective is to understand the dynamics surrounding access to and use of family planning services in peri-urban and rural areas of KwaZulu-Natal. Using focus group data, the findings of the study suggest that different social categories interact with the family planning programmes differently. How teenagers and married women perceive the value of family planning differs. Gender differences regarding the use of condoms are also evident. The paper attempts to grapple with the non-use of condoms despite the knowledge that these prevent pregnancy and provide protection from sexually-transmitted diseases. The contribution of this paper lies in its identification of socio-cultural factors and the political economy underlying the different attitudes towards contraceptive use in rural KwaZulu-Natal.

  3. Interactive effects of work psychosocial factors on participation in workplace wellness programs.

    PubMed

    Sangachin, Mahboobeh Ghesmaty; Cavuoto, Lora A

    2018-01-01

    This study explored concurrent effects of six work psychosocial factors on current participation and the self-reported likelihood of future participation in workplace wellness programs using a cross-sectional survey, an ad hoc focus group, and structured interviews. Classification and regression tree analysis was used to analyze survey responses from 343 employees (194 nonparticipants, 95 participants, and 54 engaged participants). A thematic analysis of focus group ( n = 7) and interview ( n = 5) narratives was also undertaken. In combination with high work control, high superior support was associated with an engaged participant profile. Job demand was the third important variable with low and very high levels associated with participation. With regard to high likelihood of future participation, among respondents with age older than 50, high predictability of occupational activities and control were identified as a significant factor, and among others, high superior support and control. The analysis of narratives revealed peer relations and flexible working hours to be positively linked to participation and general job stress was identified as having a bidirectional relationship. Employees stated that stress led them to take advantage of these programs as a source of relief and that their availability/participation has contributed to lowering their stress. These findings inform practitioners about the importance of addressing poor psychosocial factors as a participation barrier and having a holistic approach to employee well-being.

  4. Effects of maternal obesity on placental function and fetal development

    PubMed Central

    Howell, Kristy R.; Powell, Theresa L.

    2017-01-01

    Obesity has reached epidemic proportions and pregnancies in obese mothers have increased risk for complications including gestational diabetes, hypertensive disorders, preterm birth and caesarian section. Children born to obese mothers are at increased risk of obesity and metabolic disease and are susceptible to develop neuropsychiatric and cognitive disorders. Changes in placental function not only play a critical role in the development of pregnancy complications but may also be involved in linking maternal obesity to long-term health risks in the infant. Maternal adipokines i.e., interleukin 6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), leptin and adiponectin link maternal nutritional status and adipose tissue metabolism to placental function. Adipokines and metabolic hormones have direct impact on placental function by modulating placental nutrient transport. Nutrient delivery to the fetus is regulated by a complex interaction between insulin signaling, cytokine profile and insulin responsiveness, which is modulated by adiponectin and IL-1β. In addition, obese pregnant women are at risk for hypertension and preeclampsia with reduced placental vascularity and blood flow, which would restrict placental nutrient delivery to the developing fetus. These sometimes opposing signals regulating placental function may contribute to the diversity of short and long-term outcomes observed in pregnant obese women. This review focuses on the changes in adipokines and obesity-related metabolic hormones, how these factors influence placental function and fetal development to contribute to long-term metabolic and behavioral consequences of children born to obese mothers. PMID:27864335

  5. Health inequalities among adolescents: the impact of academic orientation and parents' education.

    PubMed

    Hagquist, Curt E I

    2007-02-01

    Traditionally, the socio-economic position of adolescents has been measured using information about parents' occupation, parents' level of education, or household income. Since the adolescence is a developmental stage characterised by a search for and a move into individual life tracks a shift of focus from socio-economic position of origin to socio-economic position of destination is justified. Academic orientation may be used as a rough indicator of future social position. The purpose of the study was to elucidate the link between academic orientation and parents' education on the one hand and subjective health and health-related behaviour among adolescents on the other. The study was based on cross-sectional questionnaire data collected in 1999 and 2003 among 1828 18-year-old students in year 2 of upper secondary school in a Swedish city. The data were analysed using contingency tables and logistic regression. Subjective health and health-related behaviour was strongly linked to academic orientation but not directly to parents' education. The pattern is unambiguous, poor health and health-damaging behaviour being significantly higher among students in non-theoretical programmes than among students in theoretical programmes. Academic orientation is a useful concept in order to detect health inequalities and a powerful way of identifying adolescents at higher risk. The unequal distribution of health and health-damaging behaviour according to academic orientation among adolescents turns out to be an important challenge for public health work.

  6. Three-dimensional characterization of pigment dispersion in dried paint films using focused ion beam-scanning electron microscopy.

    PubMed

    Lin, Jui-Ching; Heeschen, William; Reffner, John; Hook, John

    2012-04-01

    The combination of integrated focused ion beam-scanning electron microscope (FIB-SEM) serial sectioning and imaging techniques with image analysis provided quantitative characterization of three-dimensional (3D) pigment dispersion in dried paint films. The focused ion beam in a FIB-SEM dual beam system enables great control in slicing paints, and the sectioning process can be synchronized with SEM imaging providing high quality serial cross-section images for 3D reconstruction. Application of Euclidean distance map and ultimate eroded points image analysis methods can provide quantitative characterization of 3D particle distribution. It is concluded that 3D measurement of binder distribution in paints is effective to characterize the order of pigment dispersion in dried paint films.

  7. Cognitive control, cognitive reserve, and memory in the aging bilingual brain

    PubMed Central

    Grant, Angela; Dennis, Nancy A.; Li, Ping

    2014-01-01

    In recent years bilingualism has been linked to both advantages in executive control and positive impacts on aging. Such positive cognitive effects of bilingualism have been attributed to the increased need for language control during bilingual processing and increased cognitive reserve, respectively. However, a mechanistic explanation of how bilingual experience contributes to cognitive reserve is still lacking. The current paper proposes a new focus on bilingual memory as an avenue to explore the relationship between executive control and cognitive reserve. We argue that this focus will enhance our understanding of the functional and structural neural mechanisms underlying bilingualism-induced cognitive effects. With this perspective we discuss and integrate recent cognitive and neuroimaging work on bilingual advantage, and suggest an account that links cognitive control, cognitive reserve, and brain reserve in bilingual aging and memory. PMID:25520695

  8. The content of goals in individual educational programs for students with complex communication needs.

    PubMed

    Klang, Nina; Rowland, Charity; Fried-Oken, Melanie; Steiner, Sandra; Granlund, Mats; Adolfsson, Margareta

    2016-01-01

    The aim of the study was to explore the contents of communication-related goals in individualized education programs (IEPs) for students with complex communication needs. Goals in 43 IEPs were linked to the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, Children and Youth version (ICF-CY). The results show that the communication-related IEP goals contain information on multiple domains of functioning in the ICF-CY. However, judging by the amount of codes linked to ICF-CY chapters, the IEPs contain a relatively small proportion of goals that focus on interaction with others, or participation in classroom and leisure activities. Special education teachers and speech-language pathologists working with students with complex communication needs may need support to formulate communication-related IEP goals with a focus on interaction and participation in school activities.

  9. Relations between perceptual and conceptual scope: how global versus local processing fits a focus on similarity versus dissimilarity.

    PubMed

    Förster, Jens

    2009-02-01

    Nine studies showed a bidirectional link (a) between a global processing style and generation of similarities and (b) between a local processing style and generation of dissimilarities. In Experiments 1-4, participants were primed with global versus local perception styles and then asked to work on an allegedly unrelated generation task. Across materials, participants generated more similarities than dissimilarities after global priming, whereas for participants with local priming, the opposite was true. Experiments 5-6 demonstrated a bidirectional link whereby participants who were first instructed to search for similarities attended more to the gestalt of a stimulus than to its details, whereas the reverse was true for those who were initially instructed to search for dissimilarities. Because important psychological variables are correlated with processing styles, in Experiments 7-9, temporal distance, a promotion focus, and high power were predicted and shown to enhance the search for similarities, whereas temporal proximity, a prevention focus, and low power enhanced the search for dissimilarities. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2009 APA, all rights reserved).

  10. The evaluation of enhanced feedback interventions to reduce unnecessary blood transfusions (AFFINITIE): protocol for two linked cluster randomised factorial controlled trials.

    PubMed

    Hartley, Suzanne; Foy, Robbie; Walwyn, Rebecca E A; Cicero, Robert; Farrin, Amanda J; Francis, Jill J; Lorencatto, Fabiana; Gould, Natalie J; Grant-Casey, John; Grimshaw, Jeremy M; Glidewell, Liz; Michie, Susan; Morris, Stephen; Stanworth, Simon J

    2017-07-03

    Blood for transfusion is a frequently used clinical intervention, and is also a costly and limited resource with risks. Many transfusions are given to stable and non-bleeding patients despite no clear evidence of benefit from clinical studies. Audit and feedback (A&F) is widely used to improve the quality of healthcare, including appropriate use of blood. However, its effects are often inconsistent, indicating the need for coordinated research including more head-to-head trials comparing different ways of delivering feedback. A programmatic series of research projects, termed the 'Audit and Feedback INterventions to Increase evidence-based Transfusion practIcE' (AFFINITIE) programme, aims to test different ways of developing and delivering feedback within an existing national audit structure. The evaluation will comprise two linked 2×2 factorial, cross-sectional cluster-randomised controlled trials. Each trial will estimate the effects of two feedback interventions, 'enhanced content' and 'enhanced follow-on support', designed in earlier stages of the AFFINITIE programme, compared to current practice. The interventions will be embedded within two rounds of the UK National Comparative Audit of Blood Transfusion (NCABT) focusing on patient blood management in surgery and use of blood transfusions in patients with haematological malignancies. The unit of randomisation will be National Health Service (NHS) trust or health board. Clusters providing care relevant to the audit topics will be randomised following each baseline audit (separately for each trial), with stratification for size (volume of blood transfusions) and region (Regional Transfusion Committee). The primary outcome for each topic will be the proportion of patients receiving a transfusion coded as unnecessary. For each audit topic a linked, mixed-method fidelity assessment and cost-effectiveness analysis will be conducted in parallel to the trial. AFFINITIE involves a series of studies to explore how A&F may be refined to change practice including two cluster randomised trials linked to national audits of transfusion practice. The methodology represents a step-wise increment in study design to more fully evaluate the effects of two enhanced feedback interventions on patient- and trust-level clinical, cost, safety and process outcomes. http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN15490813.

  11. Early Intervention for Symptomatic Youth at Risk for Bipolar Disorder: A Randomized Trial of Family-Focused Therapy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miklowitz, David J.; Schneck, Christopher D.; Singh, Manpreet K.; Taylor, Dawn O.; George, Elizabeth L.; Cosgrove, Victoria E.; Howe, Meghan E.; Dickinson, L. Miriam; Garber, Judy; Chang, Kiki D.

    2013-01-01

    Objective: Depression and brief periods of (hypo)mania are linked to an increased risk of progression to bipolar I or II disorder (BD) in children of bipolar parents. This randomized trial examined the effects of a 4-month family-focused therapy (FFT) program on the 1-year course of mood symptoms in youth at high familial risk for BD, and explored…

  12. Guidance system operations plan for manned cm earth orbital and lunar missions using program Colossus 3. Section 2: Data links

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Hamilton, M. H.

    1971-01-01

    The data links for use with the guidance system operations plan for manned command module earth orbital and lunar missions using program Colossus 3 are presented. The subjects discussed are: (1) digital uplink to CMC, (2) command module contiguous block update, (3) CMC retrofire external data update, (4) CMC digital downlink, and (5) CMC entry update.

  13. Protocol for HER2 FISH Using a Non-cross-linking, Formalin-free Tissue Fixative to Combine Advantages of Cryo-preservation and Formalin Fixation

    PubMed Central

    Loibner, Martina; Oberauner-Wappis, Lisa; Viertler, Christian; Groelz, Daniel; Zatloukal, Kurt

    2017-01-01

    Morphologic assessment of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue samples has been the gold standard for cancer diagnostics for decades due to its excellent preservation of morphology. Personalized medicine increasingly provides individually adapted and targeted therapies for characterized individual diseases enabled by combined morphological and molecular analytical technologies and diagnostics. Performance of morphologic and molecular assays from the same FFPE specimen is challenging because of the negative impact of formalin due to chemical modification and cross-linking of nucleic acids and proteins. A non-cross-linking, formalin-free tissue fixative has been recently developed to fulfil both requirements, i.e., to preserve morphology like FFPE and biomolecules like cryo-preservation. Since FISH is often required in combination with histopathology and molecular diagnostics, we tested the applicability of FISH protocols on tissues treated with this new fixative. We found that formalin post-fixation of histological sections of non-cross-linking, formalin-free and paraffin-embedded (NCFPE) breast cancer tissue generated equivalent results to those with FFPE tissue in human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) FISH analysis. This protocol describes how a FISH assay originally developed and validated for FFPE tissue can be used for NCFPE tissues by a simple post-fixation step of histological sections. PMID:29364207

  14. Control-Structure-Interaction (CSI) technologies and trends to future NASA missions

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1990-01-01

    Control-structure-interaction (CSI) issues which are relevant for future NASA missions are reviewed. This goal was achieved by: (1) reviewing large space structures (LSS) technologies to provide a background and survey of the current state of the art (SOA); (2) analytically studying a focus mission to identify opportunities where CSI technology may be applied to enhance or enable future NASA spacecraft; and (3) expanding a portion of the focus mission, the large antenna, to provide in-depth trade studies, scaling laws, and methodologies which may be applied to other NASA missions. Several sections are presented. Section 1 defines CSI issues and presents an overview of the relevant modeling and control issues for LLS. Section 2 presents the results of the three phases of the CSI study. Section 2.1 gives the results of a CSI study conducted with the Geostationary Platform (Geoplat) as the focus mission. Section 2.2 contains an overview of the CSI control design methodology available in the technical community. Included is a survey of the CSI ground-based experiments which were conducted to verify theoretical performance predictions. Section 2.3 presents and demonstrates a new CSI scaling law methodology for assessing potential CSI with large antenna systems.

  15. The Use of Idea-Based Policy Instruments in Promoting School-Linked Service Integration.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cohen, Carolyn

    This paper analyzes the potential of a specific public policy tool to further principles of programs devoted exclusively to the Integration of Education and Human Services (IEHS). Section 1 describes the nature of the problem in establishing the need for IEHS. Section 2 describes policy tools currently used to implement IEHS, introducing the…

  16. Exploring Structural Dynamics within and between Sensory and Intellectual Functioning in Old and Very Old Age: Longitudinal Evidence from the Berlin Aging Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ghisletta, Paolo; Lindenberger, Ulman

    2005-01-01

    Cross-sectional and longitudinal analyses of age-heterogeneous samples have revealed correlational links between and within intellectual, sensory, and sensorimotor domains. Due to basic limitations of cross-sectional designs and a reluctance to disentangle antecedent-consequent relations in longitudinal designs, the functional significance and…

  17. What Are the "Right" Questions and the "Right" Answers in Teaching Practice Supervision?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jyrhama, Riitta

    This paper links the problem of questioning and answering in student teacher supervision with teachers' pedagogical thinking. The first section discusses whether asking the right questions or giving the right answers is more important and what is actually involved when the questions and answers are correct. The second section discusses the…

  18. Pesticides and human diabetes: a link worth exploring?

    PubMed

    Swaminathan, K

    2013-11-01

    It is no exaggeration to claim that the 'diabetes epidemic' has become a 'runaway train' causing huge health and economic consequences, especially in the developing nations. Traditionally, the risk factors for diabetes have largely focused on genetics and lifestyle. Great emphasis is placed on lifestyle measures and finding novel pharmacological treatment options to combat diabetes, but there is increasing evidence linking environmental pollutants, especially pesticides, to the development of insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes. Pesticide use has increased dramatically worldwide and the effects of pesticides on glucose metabolism are too significant for a possible diabetogenic link to be dismissed. The aim of this review article was to assess the links between pesticides and human diabetes with the goal of stimulating further research in this area. © 2013 The Author. Diabetic Medicine © 2013 Diabetes UK.

  19. 9 CFR 52.1 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... Test; Fluorescent Antibody Tissue Section Test; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) Test, except for approved differential pseudorabies tests other than the glycoprotein I (gpI) ELISA test; Latex...

  20. 9 CFR 52.1 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... Test; Fluorescent Antibody Tissue Section Test; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) Test, except for approved differential pseudorabies tests other than the glycoprotein I (gpI) ELISA test; Latex...

  1. 9 CFR 52.1 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... Test; Fluorescent Antibody Tissue Section Test; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) Test, except for approved differential pseudorabies tests other than the glycoprotein I (gpI) ELISA test; Latex...

  2. 9 CFR 52.1 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... Test; Fluorescent Antibody Tissue Section Test; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) Test, except for approved differential pseudorabies tests other than the glycoprotein I (gpI) ELISA test; Latex...

  3. 9 CFR 52.1 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... Test; Fluorescent Antibody Tissue Section Test; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) Test, except for approved differential pseudorabies tests other than the glycoprotein I (gpI) ELISA test; Latex...

  4. Aviation System Analysis Capability Quick Response System Report Server User’s Guide.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1996-10-01

    primary data sources for the QRS Report Server are the following: ♦ United States Department of Transportation airline service quality per- formance...and to cross-reference sections of this document. is used to indicate quoted text messages from WWW pages. is used for WWW page and section titles...would link the user to another document or another section of the same document. ALL CAPS is used to indicate Report Server variables for which the

  5. Fifty years of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Anesthesiology: a history of our specialty.

    PubMed

    Agarwal, Rita; Riefe, Jennifer; Houck, Constance S

    2017-06-01

    The American Academy of Pediatrics Section on Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine celebrated its 50th Anniversary in 2015. The Section was one of the first and only subspecialty organizations in anesthesiology at the time. This special article will focus on the contributions of the Section to the practice of pediatric anesthesiology in the areas of advocacy, education and member contributions. In 1986, the Section created the Robert M. Smith Award to honor those members who had made significant advances in the practice of pediatric anesthesiology. It is named after one of the Section founders, an influential educator, inventor, and researcher in our field. We will focus the latter part of the article on the Robert M. Smith award winners to illustrate the contributions of the Section and its members to the development of the field of pediatric anesthesiology. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  6. Understanding Schizophrenia as a Disorder of Consciousness: Biological Correlates and Translational Implications from Quantum Theory Perspectives

    PubMed Central

    Venkatasubramanian, Ganesan

    2015-01-01

    From neurophenomenological perspectives, schizophrenia has been conceptualized as “a disorder with heterogeneous manifestations that can be integrally understood to involve fundamental perturbations in consciousness”. While these theoretical constructs based on consciousness facilitate understanding the ‘gestalt’ of schizophrenia, systematic research to unravel translational implications of these models is warranted. To address this, one needs to begin with exploration of plausible biological underpinnings of “perturbed consciousness” in schizophrenia. In this context, an attractive proposition to understand the biology of consciousness is “the orchestrated object reduction (Orch-OR) theory” which invokes quantum processes in the microtubules of neurons. The Orch-OR model is particularly important for understanding schizophrenia especially due to the shared ‘scaffold’ of microtubules. The initial sections of this review focus on the compelling evidence to support the view that “schizophrenia is a disorder of consciousness” through critical summary of the studies that have demonstrated self-abnormalities, aberrant time perception as well as dysfunctional intentional binding in this disorder. Subsequently, these findings are linked with ‘Orch-OR theory’ through the research evidence for aberrant neural oscillations as well as microtubule abnormalities observed in schizophrenia. Further sections emphasize the applicability and translational implications of Orch-OR theory in the context of schizophrenia and elucidate the relevance of quantum biology to understand the origins of this puzzling disorder as “fundamental disturbances in consciousness”. PMID:25912536

  7. Understanding schizophrenia as a disorder of consciousness: biological correlates and translational implications from quantum theory perspectives.

    PubMed

    Venkatasubramanian, Ganesan

    2015-04-30

    From neurophenomenological perspectives, schizophrenia has been conceptualized as "a disorder with heterogeneous manifestations that can be integrally understood to involve fundamental perturbations in consciousness". While these theoretical constructs based on consciousness facilitate understanding the 'gestalt' of schizophrenia, systematic research to unravel translational implications of these models is warranted. To address this, one needs to begin with exploration of plausible biological underpinnings of "perturbed consciousness" in schizophrenia. In this context, an attractive proposition to understand the biology of consciousness is "the orchestrated object reduction (Orch-OR) theory" which invokes quantum processes in the microtubules of neurons. The Orch-OR model is particularly important for understanding schizophrenia especially due to the shared 'scaffold' of microtubules. The initial sections of this review focus on the compelling evidence to support the view that "schizophrenia is a disorder of consciousness" through critical summary of the studies that have demonstrated self-abnormalities, aberrant time perception as well as dysfunctional intentional binding in this disorder. Subsequently, these findings are linked with 'Orch-OR theory' through the research evidence for aberrant neural oscillations as well as microtubule abnormalities observed in schizophrenia. Further sections emphasize the applicability and translational implications of Orch-OR theory in the context of schizophrenia and elucidate the relevance of quantum biology to understand the origins of this puzzling disorder as "fundamental disturbances in consciousness".

  8. Eating at Food Outlets and "On the Go" Is Associated with Less Healthy Food Choices in Adults: Cross-Sectional Data from the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey Rolling Programme (2008-2014).

    PubMed

    Ziauddeen, Nida; Almiron-Roig, Eva; Penney, Tarra L; Nicholson, Sonja; Kirk, Sara F L; Page, Polly

    2017-12-02

    Eating location has been linked with variations in diet quality including the consumption of low-nutrient energy-dense food, which is a recognised risk factor for obesity. Cross-sectional data from 4736 adults aged 19 years and over from Years 1-6 of the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (NDNS) Rolling Programme (RP) (2008-2014) were used to explore food consumption patterns by eating location. Eating location was categorized as home, work, leisure places, food outlets and "on the go". Foods were classified into two groups: core (included in the principal food groups and considered important/acceptable within a healthy diet) and non-core (all other foods). Out of 97,748 eating occasions reported, the most common was home (67-90% of eating occasions). Leisure places, food outlets and "on the go" combined contributed more energy from non-core (30%) than from core food (18%). Analyses of modulating factors revealed that sex, income, frequency of eating out and frequency of drinking were significant factors affecting consumption patterns ( p < 0.01). Our study provides evidence that eating patterns, behaviours and resulting diet quality vary by location. Public health interventions should focus on availability and access to healthy foods, promotion of healthy food choices and behaviours across multiple locations, environments and contexts for food consumption.

  9. Flight Test of Weather Data Exchange Using the 1090 Extended Squitter (1090ES) and VDL Mode 3 Data Links

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Griner, James H., Jr.

    2004-01-01

    This report describes preliminary results of work done by JHU/APL under contract to the NASA Glenn Research Center to support flight testing of the Universal Access Transceiver (UAT) data link as a medium for weather data exchange. It presents a high level architectural description of the use of UAT to meet the program objectives with an identification of issues associated with the use of this data link, including a high level definition of the changes required to UAT avionics and ground-based receivers and supporting ground infrastructure to support implementation of the recommended architecture with focus on the issues associated with these changes.

  10. Lateral variations in vegetation in the Himalaya since the Miocene and implications for climate evolution

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vögeli, Natalie; Najman, Yani; van der Beek, Peter; Huyghe, Pascale; Wynn, Peter M.; Govin, Gwladys; van der Veen, Iris; Sachse, Dirk

    2017-08-01

    The Himalaya has a major influence on global and regional climate, in particular on the Asian monsoon system. The foreland basin of the Himalaya contains a record of tectonics and paleoclimate since the Miocene. Previous work on the evolution of vegetation and climate has focused on the central and western Himalaya, where a shift from C3 to C4 vegetation has been observed at ∼7 Ma and linked to increased seasonality, but the climatic evolution of the eastern part of the orogen is less well understood. In order to track vegetation as a marker of monsoon intensity and seasonality, we analyzed δ13 C and δ18 O values of soil carbonate and associated δ13 C values of bulk organic carbon from previously dated sedimentary sections exposing the syn-orogenic detrital Dharamsala and Siwalik Groups in the west, and, for the first time, the Siwalik Group in the east of the Himalayan foreland basin. Sedimentary records span from 20 to 1 Myr in the west (Joginder Nagar, Jawalamukhi, and Haripur Kolar sections) and from 13 to 1 Myr in the east (Kameng section), respectively. The presence of soil carbonate in the west and its absence in the east is a first indication of long-term lateral climatic variation, as soil carbonate requires seasonally arid conditions to develop. δ13 C values in soil carbonate show a shift from around -10‰ to -2‰ at ∼7 Ma in the west, which is confirmed by δ13 C analyses on bulk organic carbon that show a shift from around -23‰ to -19‰ at the same time. Such a shift in isotopic values is likely to be associated with a change from C3 to C4 vegetation. In contrast, δ13 C values of bulk organic carbon remain at ∼ - 23 ‰ in the east. Thus, our data show that the current east-west variation in climate was established at 7 Ma. We propose that the regional change towards a more seasonal climate in the west is linked to a decrease of the influence of the Westerlies, delivering less winter precipitation to the western Himalaya, while the east remained annually humid due to its proximity to the monsoonal moisture source.

  11. Linking challenges in wound healing: key highlights from the Hartmann congress.

    PubMed

    2017-11-02

    With a special focus on advanced wound healing (wound bed preparation, epithelialisation and hydration) and negative pressure wound therapy, the Hartmann LINK for Wound Healing Congress took place in Belfast, Northern Ireland, on 19 September. The event aimed to promote the latest advances in wound care and highlight the main challenges that clinicians face when treating different types of wounds. Annabel De Coster, editor of the British Journal of Community Nursing, gives an overview of selected talks from the congress.

  12. The genetic basis of individual differences in reward processing and the link to addictive behavior and social cognition.

    PubMed

    Yacubian, J; Büchel, C

    2009-11-24

    Dopaminergic neurotransmission is widely recognized to be critical to the neurobiology of reward, motivation and addiction. Interestingly, social interactions and related behavior also activate the same neuronal system. Consequently, genetic variations of dopamine neurotransmission are thought influence reward processing that in turn may affect distinctive social behavior and susceptibility to addiction. This review focuses on advances made to date in an effort to link genetic individual variations and reward processing as a possible basis for addictive behaviors.

  13. Digging deeper into the link between socio-cognitive ability and social relationships.

    PubMed

    Mizokawa, Ai; Koyasu, Masuo

    2015-03-01

    In this commentary on 'Friendlessness and theory of mind: A prospective longitudinal study' by Fink, Begeer, Peterson, Slaughter, and de Rosnay (Brit. J. Dev. Psychol, 2015; 33, 1-17) we reconsider the link between early mastery of theory of mind (ToM) and social relationships by focusing on connections with other related areas of socio-cognitive ability such as emotional competence, ToM development across age, and the effect of interventions. © 2014 The British Psychological Society.

  14. Challenges to the Lake

    EPA Science Inventory

    During the past decade we have extensively studied coastal ecosystems in the Great Lakes. Some research efforts have linked coastal receiving systems to conditions in their contributing watersheds; others have focused on developing invasive species detection and monitoring strat...

  15. Formulae as Scientific Stories

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Horsewell, Ian

    2017-01-01

    In science lessons many students struggle to apply the principles of rearranging formulae, even after coverage in maths. A structured approach is suggested that focuses on describing a narrative linking cause and effect before explicit mathematical terms are introduced.

  16. Promoting Your Web Site.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Raeder, Aggi

    1997-01-01

    Discussion of ways to promote sites on the World Wide Web focuses on how search engines work and how they retrieve and identify sites. Appropriate Web links for submitting new sites and for Internet marketing are included. (LRW)

  17. Alzheimer's and Dementia Testing for Earlier Diagnosis

    MedlinePlus

    ... focused on early detection of Alzheimer's disease. Imaging technologies used in Alzheimer's research Structural imaging provides information ... chemical changes linked to specific diseases. Molecular imaging technologies include PET, fMRI and single photon emission computed ...

  18. 75 FR 41512 - Draft Environmental Impact Statement/General Management Plan; Ross Lake National Recreation Area...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-16

    ... focus of visitor experiences would be linked to solitude, tranquility, natural soundscapes, and scenery... protect and enhance soundscapes and wilderness character, experience, and values. Should a catastrophic...

  19. Site-Seeing on the Information Superhighway. An Internet Guide for Marketing Educators.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Everett, Donna R.

    This guide focuses on learning about and teaching with the Internet in marketing education. Section 1 on preparing teachers to go online focuses on the Internet as a place to talk, get information, and organize and put information. It covers needed hardware and software, controversial facts about the Internet, and acceptable use policy. Section 2…

  20. Young Children Write: The Beginnings. Program in Language and Literacy Occasional Paper No. 5.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Milz, Vera E.

    Focusing on writing as a language process, this booklet describes a framework for writing instruction that has as a major consideration the totality of language. The first section discusses writing as a language process, emphasizing that as children learn to write, they can also learn to listen, speak, and read. The second section focuses on the…

  1. 26th Annual Report to Congress on the Implementation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, 2004. Volume 1

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    US Department of Education, 2006

    2006-01-01

    This 2004 Annual Report to Congress has two volumes. Volume 1 focuses on the children and students being served under IDEA and provides profiles of individual states' special education environment. It contains three sections. Section I contains the child/student-focused material, presented in a question-and-answer format. It contains three…

  2. Control and reduction of unsteady pressure loads in separated shock wave turbulent boundary layer interaction

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dolling, David S.; Barter, John W.

    1995-01-01

    The focus was on developing means of controlling and reducing unsteady pressure loads in separated shock wave turbulent boundary layer interactions. Section 1 describes how vortex generators can be used to effectively reduce loads in compression ramp interaction, while Section 2 focuses on the effects of 'boundary-layer separators' on the same interaction.

  3. Silicon Photonics Transmitter with SOA and Semiconductor Mode-Locked Laser.

    PubMed

    Moscoso-Mártir, Alvaro; Müller, Juliana; Hauck, Johannes; Chimot, Nicolas; Setter, Rony; Badihi, Avner; Rasmussen, Daniel E; Garreau, Alexandre; Nielsen, Mads; Islamova, Elmira; Romero-García, Sebastián; Shen, Bin; Sandomirsky, Anna; Rockman, Sylvie; Li, Chao; Sharif Azadeh, Saeed; Lo, Guo-Qiang; Mentovich, Elad; Merget, Florian; Lelarge, François; Witzens, Jeremy

    2017-10-24

    We experimentally investigate an optical link relying on silicon photonics transmitter and receiver components as well as a single section semiconductor mode-locked laser as a light source and a semiconductor optical amplifier for signal amplification. A transmitter based on a silicon photonics resonant ring modulator, an external single section mode-locked laser and an external semiconductor optical amplifier operated together with a standard receiver reliably supports 14 Gbps on-off keying signaling with a signal quality factor better than 7 for 8 consecutive comb lines, as well as 25 Gbps signaling with a signal quality factor better than 7 for one isolated comb line, both without forward error correction. Resonant ring modulators and Germanium waveguide photodetectors are further hybridly integrated with chip scale driver and receiver electronics, and their co-operability tested. These experiments will serve as the basis for assessing the feasibility of a silicon photonics wavelength division multiplexed link relying on a single section mode-locked laser as a multi-carrier light source.

  4. Behavioral Adjustment Moderates the Link Between Neuroticism and Biological Health Risk: A U.S.-Japan Comparison Study.

    PubMed

    Kitayama, Shinobu; Park, Jiyoung; Miyamoto, Yuri; Date, Heiwa; Boylan, Jennifer Morozink; Markus, Hazel R; Karasawa, Mayumi; Kawakami, Norito; Coe, Christopher L; Love, Gayle D; Ryff, Carol D

    2018-06-01

    Neuroticism, a broad personality trait linked to negative emotions, is consistently linked to ill health when self-report is used to assess health. However, when health risk is assessed with biomarkers, the evidence is inconsistent. Here, we tested the hypothesis that the association between neuroticism and biological health risk is moderated by behavioral adjustment, a propensity to flexibly adjust behaviors to environmental contingencies. Using a U.S.-Japan cross-cultural survey, we found that neuroticism was linked to lower biological health risk for those who are high, but not low, in behavioral adjustment. Importantly, Japanese were higher in behavioral adjustment than European Americans, and as predicted by this cultural difference, neuroticism was linked to lower biological health risk for Japanese but not for European Americans. Finally, consistent with prior evidence, neuroticism was associated with worse self-reported health regardless of behavioral adjustment or culture. Discussion focused on the significance of identifying sociocultural correlates of biological health.

  5. Considerations for the retrofit of data link

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Corwin, William H.; Mccauley, Hugo W.

    1990-01-01

    Human factors issues related to the retrofit of data link in commercial transport aircraft are discussed. Topics that must be considered for data link implementation include, the loss of the party line, (i.e., the availability to all aircraft of information transmitted on a common voice frequency), and the scheduling of information to the flight crew. This paper focuses primarily on the human factors issues related to retrofit of Mode S. Retrofits is a difficult task because panel space accessible to flight crew members is limited. As with all cockpit equipment, data link implementation will have to comply with Federal Aviation Regulation 25.1523, which requires the manufacturer to address the conspicuity and ease of use of the data link device, and to assess the impact on crew workload. Operational sequence diagrams are provided to illustrate a methodology that can be used to decompose the flight crew body channel utilization of candidate avionics configurations in order to optimize the pilot-vehicle interface.

  6. Healthcare quality measurement in orthopaedic surgery: current state of the art.

    PubMed

    Auerbach, Andrew

    2009-10-01

    Improving quality of care in arthroplasty is of increasing importance to payors, hospitals, surgeons, and patients. Efforts to compel improvement have traditionally focused measurement and reporting of data describing structural factors, care processes (or 'quality measures'), and clinical outcomes. Reporting structural measures (eg, surgical case volume) has been used with varying degrees of success. Care process measures, exemplified by initiatives such as the Surgical Care Improvement Project measures, are chosen based on the strength of randomized trial evidence linking the process to improved outcomes. However, evidence linking improved performance on Surgical Care Improvement Project measures with improved outcomes is limited. Outcome measures in surgery are of increasing importance as an approach to compel care improvement with prominent examples represented by the National Surgical Quality Improvement Project. Although outcomes-focused approaches are often costly, when linked to active benchmarking and collaborative activities, they may improve care broadly. Moreover, implementation of computerized data systems collecting information formerly collected on paper only will facilitate benchmarking. In the end, care will only be improved if these data are used to define methods for innovating care systems that deliver better outcomes at lower or equivalent costs.

  7. Nonlinear optical collagen cross-linking and mechanical stiffening: a possible photodynamic therapeutic approach to treating corneal ectasia

    PubMed Central

    Chai, Dongyul; Juhasz, Tibor; Brown, Donald J.

    2013-01-01

    Abstract. In this study we test the hypothesis that nonlinear optical (NLO) multiphoton photoactivation of riboflavin using a focused femtosecond (FS) laser light can be used to induce cross-linking (CXL) and mechanically stiffen collagen as a potential clinical therapy for the treatment of keratoconus and corneal ectasia. Riboflavin-soaked, compressed collagen hydrogels are cross-linked using a FS laser tuned to 760 nm and set to either 100 mW (NLO CXL I) or 150 mW (NLO CXL II) of laser power. FS pulses are focused into the hydrogel using a 0.75 NA objective lens, and the hydrogel is three-dimensionally scanned. Measurement of hydrogel stiffness by indentation testing show that the calculated elastic modulus (E) values are significantly increased over twofold following NLO CXL I and II compared with baseline values (P<0.05). Additionally, no significant differences are detected between NLO CXL and single photon, UVA CXL (P>0.05). This data suggests that NLO CXL has a comparable effect to conventional UVA CXL in mechanically stiffening collagen and may provide a safe and effective approach to localize CXL at different regions and depths within the cornea. PMID:23515869

  8. Unreported links between trial registrations and published articles were identified using document similarity measures in a cross-sectional analysis of ClinicalTrials.gov.

    PubMed

    Dunn, Adam G; Coiera, Enrico; Bourgeois, Florence T

    2018-03-01

    Trial registries can be used to measure reporting biases and support systematic reviews, but 45% of registrations do not provide a link to the article reporting on the trial. We evaluated the use of document similarity methods to identify unreported links between ClinicalTrials.gov and PubMed. We extracted terms and concepts from a data set of 72,469 ClinicalTrials.gov registrations and 276,307 PubMed articles and tested methods for ranking articles across 16,005 reported links and 90 manually identified unreported links. Performance was measured by the median rank of matching articles and the proportion of unreported links that could be found by screening ranked candidate articles in order. The best-performing concept-based representation produced a median rank of 3 (interquartile range [IQR] 1-21) for reported links and 3 (IQR 1-19) for the manually identified unreported links, and term-based representations produced a median rank of 2 (1-20) for reported links and 2 (IQR 1-12) in unreported links. The matching article was ranked first for 40% of registrations, and screening 50 candidate articles per registration identified 86% of the unreported links. Leveraging the growth in the corpus of reported links between ClinicalTrials.gov and PubMed, we found that document similarity methods can assist in the identification of unreported links between trial registrations and corresponding articles. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Physician-led, hospital-linked, birth care centers can decrease cesarean section rates without increasing rates of adverse events.

    PubMed

    O'Hara, Margaret H; Frazier, Linda M; Stembridge, Travis W; McKay, Robert S; Mohr, Sandra N; Shalat, Stuart L

    2013-09-01

    This study compares outcomes at a hospital-linked, physician-led, birthing center to a traditional hospital labor and delivery service. Using de-identified electronic medical records, a retrospective cohort design was employed to evaluate 32,174 singleton births during 1998-2005. Compared with hospital service, birth care center delivery was associated with a lower rate of cesarean sections (adjusted Relative Risk = 0.73, 95% confidence interval 0.59-0.91; p < 0.001) without an increased rate of operative vaginal delivery (adjusted Relative Risk = 1.04, 95% confidence interval 0.97-1.13; p = 0.25) and a higher initiation of breastfeeding (adjusted Relative Risk = 1.28, 95% confidence interval 1.25-1.30; p ≤ 0.001). A maternal length of stay greater than 72 hours occurred less frequently in the birth care center (adjusted Relative Risk = 0.60, 95% confidence interval 0.55-0.66; p < 0.001). Comparing only women without major obstetrical risk factors, the differences in outcomes were reduced but not eliminated. Adverse maternal and infant outcomes were not increased at the birth care center. A hospital-linked, physician-led, birth care center has the potential to lower rates of cesarean sections without increasing rates of operative vaginal delivery or other adverse maternal and infant outcomes. © 2013, Copyright the Authors Journal compilation © 2013, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  10. 21 CFR 312.86 - Focused FDA regulatory research.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Focused FDA regulatory research. 312.86 Section... Severely-debilitating Illnesses § 312.86 Focused FDA regulatory research. At the discretion of the agency, FDA may undertake focused regulatory research on critical rate-limiting aspects of the preclinical...

  11. 21 CFR 312.86 - Focused FDA regulatory research.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Focused FDA regulatory research. 312.86 Section... Severely-debilitating Illnesses § 312.86 Focused FDA regulatory research. At the discretion of the agency, FDA may undertake focused regulatory research on critical rate-limiting aspects of the preclinical...

  12. 21 CFR 312.86 - Focused FDA regulatory research.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Focused FDA regulatory research. 312.86 Section... Severely-debilitating Illnesses § 312.86 Focused FDA regulatory research. At the discretion of the agency, FDA may undertake focused regulatory research on critical rate-limiting aspects of the preclinical...

  13. 21 CFR 312.86 - Focused FDA regulatory research.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Focused FDA regulatory research. 312.86 Section... Severely-debilitating Illnesses § 312.86 Focused FDA regulatory research. At the discretion of the agency, FDA may undertake focused regulatory research on critical rate-limiting aspects of the preclinical...

  14. 21 CFR 312.86 - Focused FDA regulatory research.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 21 Food and Drugs 5 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Focused FDA regulatory research. 312.86 Section... Severely-debilitating Illnesses § 312.86 Focused FDA regulatory research. At the discretion of the agency, FDA may undertake focused regulatory research on critical rate-limiting aspects of the preclinical...

  15. Prediction of black box warning by mining patterns of Convergent Focus Shift in clinical trial study populations using linked public data.

    PubMed

    Ma, Handong; Weng, Chunhua

    2016-04-01

    To link public data resources for predicting post-marketing drug safety label changes by analyzing the Convergent Focus Shift patterns among drug testing trials. We identified 256 top-selling prescription drugs between 2003 and 2013 and divided them into 83 BBW drugs (drugs with at least one black box warning label) and 173 ROBUST drugs (drugs without any black box warning label) based on their FDA black box warning (BBW) records. We retrieved 7499 clinical trials that each had at least one of these drugs for intervention from the ClinicalTrials.gov. We stratified all the trials by pre-marketing or post-marketing status, study phase, and study start date. For each trial, we retrieved drug and disease concepts from clinical trial summaries to model its study population using medParser and SNOMED-CT. Convergent Focus Shift (CFS) pattern was calculated and used to assess the temporal changes in study populations from pre-marketing to post-marketing trials for each drug. Then we selected 68 candidate drugs, 18 with BBW warning and 50 without, that each had at least nine pre-marketing trials and nine post-marketing trials for predictive modeling. A random forest predictive model was developed to predict BBW acquisition incidents based on CFS patterns among these drugs. Pre- and post-marketing trials of BBW and ROBUST drugs were compared to look for their differences in CFS patterns. Among the 18 BBW drugs, we consistently observed that the post-marketing trials focused more on recruiting patients with medical conditions previously unconsidered in the pre-marketing trials. In contrast, among the 50 ROBUST drugs, the post-marketing trials involved a variety of medications for testing their associations with target intervention(s). We found it feasible to predict BBW acquisitions using different CFS patterns between the two groups of drugs. Our random forest predictor achieved an AUC of 0.77. We also demonstrated the feasibility of the predictor for identifying long-term BBW acquisition events without compromising prediction accuracy. This study contributes a method for post-marketing pharmacovigilance using Convergent Focus Shift (CFS) patterns in clinical trial study populations mined from linked public data resources. These signals are otherwise unavailable from individual data resources. We demonstrated the added value of linked public data and the feasibility of integrating ClinicalTrials.gov summaries and drug safety labels for post-marketing surveillance. Future research is needed to ensure better accessibility and linkage of heterogeneous drug safety data for efficient pharmacovigilance. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. GPS-Based Exposure to Greenness and Walkability and Accelerometry-Based Physical Activity.

    PubMed

    James, Peter; Hart, Jaime E; Hipp, J Aaron; Mitchell, Jonathan A; Kerr, Jacqueline; Hurvitz, Philip M; Glanz, Karen; Laden, Francine

    2017-04-01

    Background: Physical inactivity is a risk factor for cancer that may be influenced by environmental factors. Indeed, dense and well-connected built environments and environments with natural vegetation may create opportunities for higher routine physical activity. However, studies have focused primarily on residential environments to define exposure and self-reported methods to estimate physical activity. This study explores the momentary association between minute-level global positioning systems (GPS)-based greenness exposure and time-matched objectively measured physical activity. Methods: Adult women were recruited from sites across the United States. Participants wore a GPS device and accelerometer on the hip for 7 days to assess location and physical activity at minute-level epochs. GPS records were linked to 250 m resolution satellite-based vegetation data and Census Block Group-level U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Smart Location Database walkability data. Minute-level generalized additive mixed models were conducted to test for associations between GPS measures and accelerometer count data, accounting for repeated measures within participant and allowing for deviations from linearity using splines. Results: Among 360 adult women (mean age of 55.3 ± 10.2 years), we observed positive nonlinear relationships between physical activity and both greenness and walkability. In exploratory analyses, the relationships between environmental factors and physical activity were strongest among those who were white, had higher incomes, and who were middle-aged. Conclusions: Our results indicate that higher levels of physical activity occurred in areas with higher greenness and higher walkability. Impact: Findings suggest that planning and design policies should focus on these environments to optimize opportunities for physical activity. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(4); 525-32. ©2017 AACR See all the articles in this CEBP Focus section, "Geospatial Approaches to Cancer Control and Population Sciences." ©2017 American Association for Cancer Research.

  17. Analytical Methods for a Learning Health System: 2. Design of Observational Studies

    PubMed Central

    Stoto, Michael; Oakes, Michael; Stuart, Elizabeth; Priest, Elisa L.; Savitz, Lucy

    2017-01-01

    The second paper in a series on how learning health systems can use routinely collected electronic health data (EHD) to advance knowledge and support continuous learning, this review summarizes study design approaches, including choosing appropriate data sources, and methods for design and analysis of natural and quasi-experiments. The primary strength of study design approaches described in this section is that they study the impact of a deliberate intervention in real-world settings, which is critical for external validity. These evaluation designs address estimating the counterfactual – what would have happened if the intervention had not been implemented. At the individual level, epidemiologic designs focus on identifying situations in which bias is minimized. Natural and quasi-experiments focus on situations where the change in assignment breaks the usual links that could lead to confounding, reverse causation, and so forth. And because these observational studies typically use data gathered for patient management or administrative purposes, the possibility of observation bias is minimized. The disadvantages are that one cannot necessarily attribute the effect to the intervention (as opposed to other things that might have changed), and the results do not indicate what about the intervention made a difference. Because they cannot rely on randomization to establish causality, program evaluation methods demand a more careful consideration of the “theory” of the intervention and how it is expected to play out. A logic model describing this theory can help to design appropriate comparisons, account for all influential variables in a model, and help to ensure that evaluation studies focus on the critical intermediate and long-term outcomes as well as possible confounders. PMID:29881745

  18. Parent Conversations about Healthful Eating and Weight: Associations with Adolescent Disordered Eating Behaviors

    PubMed Central

    Berge, Jerica M.; MacLehose, Rich; Loth, Katie A.; Eisenberg, Marla; Bucchianeri, Michaela M.; Neumark-Sztainer, Dianne

    2013-01-01

    Objective The prevalence of weight-related problems in adolescents is high. Parents of adolescents may wonder whether talking about eating habits and weight is useful or detrimental. This study aimed to examine the associations between parent conversations about healthful eating and weight and adolescent disordered eating behaviors. Design Cross-sectional analysis using data from two linked multi-level population-based studies. Setting Anthropometric assessments and surveys completed at school by adolescents and surveys completed at home by parents in 2009–2010. Participants Socio-economically and racially/ethnically diverse sample (81% ethnic minority; 60% low income) of adolescents from EAT (Eating and Activity in Teens) 2010 (n = 2,793, mean age=14.4) and parents from F-EAT (Families and Eating and Activity in Teens) (n = 3,709, mean age = 42.3). Main Exposure Parent conversations about healthful eating and weight/size. Outcome Measures Adolescent dieting, unhealthy weight control behaviors, and binge eating. Results Mothers and fathers who engaged in weight-related conversations had adolescents who were more likely to diet, use unhealthy weight control behaviors, and engage in binge eating. Overweight/obese adolescents whose mothers engaged in conversations that were focused only on healthful eating behaviors were less likely to diet and use unhealthy weight control behaviors. Additionally, sub-analyses with adolescents with data from two parents showed that when both parents engaged in healthful eating conversations, their overweight/obese adolescent children were less likely to diet and use unhealthy weight control behaviors. Conclusion Parent conversations focused on weight/size are associated with increased risk for adolescent disordered eating behaviors, whereas conversations focused on healthful eating are protective against disordered eating behaviors. PMID:23797808

  19. Interdisciplinary neurotoxicity inhalation studies: Carbon disulfide and carbonyl sulfide research in F344 rats

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

    Sills, Robert C.; Harry, G. Jean; Valentine, William M.

    2005-09-01

    Inhalation studies were conducted on the hazardous air pollutants, carbon disulfide, which targets the central nervous system (spinal cord) and peripheral nervous system (distal portions of long myelinated axons), and carbonyl sulfide, which targets the central nervous system (brain). The objectives were to investigate the neurotoxicity of these compounds by a comprehensive evaluation of function, structure, and mechanisms of disease. Through interdisciplinary research, the major finding in the carbon disulfide inhalation studies was that carbon disulfide produced intra- and intermolecular protein cross-linking in vivo. The observation of dose-dependent covalent cross-linking in neurofilament proteins prior to the onset of lesions ismore » consistent with this process contributing to the development of the neurofilamentous axonal swellings characteristic of carbon disulfide neurotoxicity. Of significance is that valine-lysine thiourea cross-linking on rat globin and lysine-lysine thiourea cross-linking on erythrocyte spectrin reflect cross-linking events occurring within the axon and could potentially serve as biomarkers of carbon disulfide exposure and effect. In the carbonyl sulfide studies, using magnetic resonance microscopy (MRM), we determined that carbonyl sulfide targets the auditory pathway in the brain. MRM allowed the examination of 200 brain slices and made it possible to identify the most vulnerable sites of neurotoxicity, which would have been missed in our traditional neuropathology evaluations. Electrophysiological studies were focused on the auditory system and demonstrated decreases in auditory brain stem evoked responses. Similarly, mechanistic studies focused on evaluating cytochrome oxidase activity in the posterior colliculus and parietal cortex. A decrease in cytochrome oxidase activity was considered to be a contributing factor to the pathogenesis of carbonyl sulfide neurotoxicity.« less

  20. All Optical Solution for Free Space Optics Point to Point Links

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hirayama, Daigo

    Optical network systems are quickly replacing electrical network systems. Optical systems provide better bandwidth, faster data rates, better security to networks, and are less susceptible to noise. Free Space Optics (systems) still rely on numerous electrical systems such as the modulation and demodulation systems to convert optical signals to electrical signals for the transmitting laser. As the concept of the entirely optical network becomes more realizable, the electrical components of the FSO system will become a hindrance to communications. The focus of this thesis is to eliminate the electrical devices for the FSO point to point links by replacing them with optical devices. The concept is similar to an extended beam connector. However, where an extended beam connector deals with a gap of a few millimeters, my focus looks at distances from 100 meters to one kilometer. The aim is to achieve a detectable signal of 1nW at a distance of 500 meters at a wavelength of 1500-1600nm. This leads to application in building to building links and mobile networks. The research examines the design of the system in terms of generating the wave, the properties of the fiber feeding the wave, and the power necessary to achieve a usable distance. The simulation is executed in Code V by Synopsys, which is an industry standard to analyze optical systems. A usable device with a range of around 500m was achieved with an input power of 1mW. The approximations of the phase function resulted in some aberrations to the profile of the beam, but were not very detrimental to the function of the device. The removal of electrical devices from a FSO point to point link decreased the power used to establish the link and decreased the cost.

  1. Smoking Is So Ew!: College Smokers' Reactions to Health- Versus Social-Focused Antismoking Threat Messages.

    PubMed

    Wong, Norman C H; Nisbett, Gwendelyn S; Harvell, Lindsey A

    2017-04-01

    This study utilizes Terror Management Theory (TMT) to examine differences between eliciting social death and physical death anxiety related to smoking, smoking attitudes, and quitting intent among college students. Moreover, an important TMT variable-self-esteem-was used as a moderator. A 2 × 3 between-subjects factorial design crossed smoking-based self-esteem (low, high) with mortality salience manipulation (health-focused, social-focused, control). Results suggest while both making health-focused salient and making social-focused mortality salient were effective at getting smokers to quit, there was less effect for health-focused mortality salience on those whose self-esteem is strongly tied to smoking. Effect of social-focused mortality salience was more pronounced among participants who highly linked self-esteem with smoking. For smokers with low smoking-based self-esteem, both health-focused and social-focused mortality salience were effective at motivating attitude change toward smoking and quitting intentions. Implications for smoking cessation ad design and TMT are discussed.

  2. Fourier Domain Iterative Approach to Optical Sectioning of 3d Translucent Objects for Ophthalmology Purposes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Razguli, A. V.; Iroshnikov, N. G.; Larichev, A. V.; Romanenko, T. E.; Goncharov, A. S.

    2017-05-01

    In this paper we deal with the problem of optical sectioning. This is a post processing step while investigating of 3D translucent medical objects based on rapid refocusing of the imaging system by the adaptive optics technique. Each image, captured in focal plane, can be represented as the sum of in-focus true section and out-of-focus images of the neighboring sections of the depth that are undesirable in the subsequent reconstruction of 3D object. The problem of optical sectioning under consideration is to elaborate a robust approach capable of obtaining a stack of cross section images purified from such distortions. For a typical sectioning statement arising in ophthalmology we propose a local iterative method in Fourier spectral plane. Compared to the non-local constant parameter selection for the whole spectral domain, the method demonstrates both improved sectioning results and a good level of scalability when implemented on multi-core CPUs.

  3. World Materials Summit (3rd). Held in Washington, DC on 9-12 October, 2011

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-05-23

    It focused on the critical links among materials research, energy, and sustainable development on a global scale. Abundant clean energy supplies and...reliable energy storage systems are needed to address many critical societal issues in development and developed countries. On a broader scale, access...Houle of the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory spoke next about "Energy Critical Elements," focusing on the well-known shortage of rare earth (RE

  4. Design of a Transparent-Transponder System.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1980-11-01

    the slight advantage of re- ducing the number of frequencies needed. There are, however, some good reasons why a minimum CW tone capability should be...C. Link Computations In this section we evaluate the capacity quotient of three links: (1) the uplink, (2) the downlink reference or pilot signal...sequences of several lengths, we have some protection against this problem. However, as the code is shortened the spread-spectrum process- ing gai !L against

  5. Focused Logistics; What the Air Force Brings to the Fight

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2002-04-09

    Agency partnered to develop a Strategic Distribution Management Initiative that support the Air Force’s logistics transformation and is linked by Global Command and Control System and Global Combat Support System-Air Force.

  6. Sensitive periods in epigenetics: bringing us closer to complex behavioral phenotypes.

    PubMed

    Nagy, Corina; Turecki, Gustavo

    2012-08-01

    Genetic studies have attempted to elucidate causal mechanisms for the development of complex disease, but genome-wide associations have been largely unsuccessful in establishing these links. As an alternative link between genes and disease, recent efforts have focused on mechanisms that alter the function of genes without altering the underlying DNA sequence. Known as epigenetic mechanisms, these include DNA methylation, chromatin conformational changes through histone modifications, ncRNAs and, most recently, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine. Although DNA methylation is involved in normal development, aging and gene regulation, altered methylation patterns have been associated with disease. It is generally believed that early life constitutes a period during which there is increased sensitivity to the regulatory effects of epigenetic mechanisms. The purpose of this review is to outline the contribution of epigenetic mechanisms to genomic function, particularly in the development of complex behavioral phenotypes, focusing on the sensitive periods.

  7. Sensitive Periods in Epigenetics: bringing us closer to complex behavioral phenotypes

    PubMed Central

    Nagy, Corina; Turecki, Gustavo

    2017-01-01

    Genetic studies have attempted to elucidate causal mechanisms for the development of complex disease but genome-wide associations have been largely unsuccessful in establishing these links. As an alternative link between genes and disease, recent efforts have focused on mechanisms that alter the function of genes without altering the underlying DNA sequence. Known as epigenetic mechanisms, these include: DNA methylation, chromatin conformational changes through histone modifications, non-coding RNAs, and most recently, 5-hydroxymethylcytosine. Though DNA methylation is involved in normal development, aging and gene regulation, altered methylation patterns have been associated with disease. It is generally believed that early life constitutes a period during which there is increased sensitivity to the regulatory effects of epigenetic mechanisms. The purpose of this review is to outline the contribution of epigenetic mechanisms to genomic function, particularly in the development of complex behavioral phenotypes, focusing on the sensitive periods. PMID:22920183

  8. Time perspective and volunteerism: The importance of focusing on the future.

    PubMed

    Maki, Alexander; Dwyer, Patrick C; Snyder, Mark

    2016-01-01

    Because volunteerism is a planned activity that unfolds over time, people who more frequently focus on the future might also be more likely to initiate volunteerism and sustain it over time. Using longitudinal (Study 1) and experimental (Study 2) paradigms, we investigated whether time perspective, and in particular a person's orientation toward the future, is related to volunteers' beliefs and behavior. In Study 1, a person's dispositional level of future time perspective was closely linked to volunteer beliefs and behavior. In Study 2, people who wrote about the future reported higher intentions to volunteer, and this was particularly true for infrequent volunteers and those with lower levels of dispositional future time perspective. Across two studies, we found evidence that future time perspective, whether a chronic disposition or a pattern of thought elicited by someone else, is linked to volunteer beliefs and behavior.

  9. Lessons from a Broad-based ACA Outreach Effort: Promises and Pitfalls.

    PubMed

    Gurley-Calvez, Tami; Hembree, Jessica; Mosley, Jane; LaPierre, Tracey; Aslam, Misbah; Jones, Emily V; Zimmerman, Mary

    2017-01-01

    The Marketplace Coverage Initiative (MCI) sought to expand awareness and ACA Marketplace enrollment in the greater Kansas City Area. The MCI was evaluated through interviews, surveys, and focus groups. Two main findings are particularly relevant for future Marketplace enrollment efforts. First, the link between contacting someone and actual enrollment is tenuous as follow-up is challenging. Outreach efforts that only track contacts, such as appointments and email addresses, lack information needed to assess enrollment. Linking outreach activities to enrollment outcomes leads us to a dramatically different conclusion about using big data and campaign-style tactics than evaluations of similar techniques such as that pioneered by Enroll America in 11 states. Second, there is a large chasm between the knowledge levels of the uninsured and the decisions they face on the Marketplace. Based on these findings, outreach efforts were redesigned for the 2014 open enrollment period to focus on smaller, community-driven projects.

  10. Integration of Case Mix and Drug Utilization Data in the Long Term Care Setting

    PubMed Central

    Miller, R. Paul; Coblio, Nick; Bellnier, Terrance J.; Veneron, John P.

    1989-01-01

    Federal and state regulations mandate that a pharmacist perform a monthly review of the medical chart of residents at nursing homes. The review focuses on 31 quality issues which center on nursing and physician practice. We have computerized the data gathered by the pharmacist review with microcomputer technology and a relational data base manager. By introducing a “severity code” for each quality issue, we are able to pinpoint those data elements which physician staff can choose to focus on. The data can be studied longitudinally for trend analysis. The data was linked to that captured during the reimbursement case mix screens. Thus, two disparate data bases were integrated to allow further insights into our patient population. We conclude that computerization of disparate federal or state mandated data sets at nursing homes can be linked to aid patient care and quality assurance programs.

  11. The Role of Policy in Philosophy of Education: An Argument and an Illustration

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    White, John

    2012-01-01

    The article consists of a general section looking at changes since the 1960s in the links between philosophy of education and policy-making, followed by a specific section engaging in topical policy critique. The historical argument claims that policy involvement was far more widespread in our subject before the mid-1980s than it has been since…

  12. Linking Scores from Tests of Similar Content Given in Different Languages: An Illustration Involving Methodological Alternatives

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cascallar, Alicia S.; Dorans, Neil J.

    2005-01-01

    This study compares two methods commonly used (concordance and prediction) to establish linkages between scores from tests of similar content given in different languages. Score linkages between the Verbal and Math sections of the SAT I and the corresponding sections of the Spanish-language admissions test, the Prueba de Aptitud Academica (PAA),…

  13. Staff Retention. Personnel Management Module. Operational Management Programme. Second Edition.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Peter

    This module on staff retention is intended to show the direct link between problems in staff recruitment and retention and level of job satisfaction in hospitality settings. The material is presented in a self-instructional format in four sections. At the beginning of each section is a statement of the objectives that will be achieved as a result…

  14. Source-to-accelerator quadrupole matching section for a compact linear accelerator

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Seidl, P. A.; Persaud, A.; Ghiorso, W.; Ji, Q.; Waldron, W. L.; Lal, A.; Vinayakumar, K. B.; Schenkel, T.

    2018-05-01

    Recently, we presented a new approach for a compact radio-frequency (RF) accelerator structure and demonstrated the functionality of the individual components: acceleration units and focusing elements. In this paper, we combine these units to form a working accelerator structure: a matching section between the ion source extraction grids and the RF-acceleration unit and electrostatic focusing quadrupoles between successive acceleration units. The matching section consists of six electrostatic quadrupoles (ESQs) fabricated using 3D-printing techniques. The matching section enables us to capture more beam current and to match the beam envelope to conditions for stable transport in an acceleration lattice. We present data from an integrated accelerator consisting of the source, matching section, and an ESQ doublet sandwiched between two RF-acceleration units.

  15. Infrared microspectroscopic determination of collagen cross-links in articular cartilage

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rieppo, Lassi; Kokkonen, Harri T.; Kulmala, Katariina A. M.; Kovanen, Vuokko; Lammi, Mikko J.; Töyräs, Juha; Saarakkala, Simo

    2017-03-01

    Collagen forms an organized network in articular cartilage to give tensile stiffness to the tissue. Due to its long half-life, collagen is susceptible to cross-links caused by advanced glycation end-products. The current standard method for determination of cross-link concentrations in tissues is the destructive high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The aim of this study was to analyze the cross-link concentrations nondestructively from standard unstained histological articular cartilage sections by using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) microspectroscopy. Half of the bovine articular cartilage samples (n=27) were treated with threose to increase the collagen cross-linking while the other half (n=27) served as a control group. Partial least squares (PLS) regression with variable selection algorithms was used to predict the cross-link concentrations from the measured average FTIR spectra of the samples, and HPLC was used as the reference method for cross-link concentrations. The correlation coefficients between the PLS regression models and the biochemical reference values were r=0.84 (p<0.001), r=0.87 (p<0.001) and r=0.92 (p<0.001) for hydroxylysyl pyridinoline (HP), lysyl pyridinoline (LP), and pentosidine (Pent) cross-links, respectively. The study demonstrated that FTIR microspectroscopy is a feasible method for investigating cross-link concentrations in articular cartilage.

  16. Mid Ocean Ridge Processes at Very Low Melt Supply : Submersible Exploration of Smooth Ultramafic Seafloor at the Southwest Indian Ridge, 64 degree E

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cannat, M.; Agrinier, P.; Bickert, M.; Brunelli, D.; Hamelin, C.; Lecoeuvre, A.; Lie Onstad, S.; Maia, M.; Prampolini, M.; Rouméjon, S.; Vitale Brovarone, A.; Besançon, S.; Assaoui, E. M.

    2017-12-01

    Mid-ocean ridges are the Earth's most extensive and active volcanic chains. They are also, particularly at slow spreading rates, rift zones, where plate divergence is in part accommodated by faults. Large offset normal faults, also called detachments, are characteristic of slow-spreading ridges, where they account for the widespread emplacement of mantle-derived rocks at the seafloor. In most cases, these detachments occur together with ridge magmatism, with melt injection and faulting interacting to shape the newly formed oceanic lithosphere. Here, we seek to better understand these interactions and their effects on oceanic accretion by studying the end-member case of a ridge where magmatism is locally almost absent. The portion of the Southwest Indian ridge we are studying has an overal low melt supply, focused to discrete axial volcanoes, leaving almost zero melt to intervening sections of the axial valley. One of these nearly amagmatic section of the ridge, located at 64°E, has been the focus of several past cruises (sampling, mapping and seismic experiments). Here we report on the most recent cruise to the area (RV Pourquoi Pas? with ROV Victor; dec-jan 2017), during which we performed high resolution mapping, submersible exploration and sampling of the ultramafic seafloor and of sparse volcanic formations. Our findings are consistent with the flip-flop detachment hypothesis proposed for this area by Sauter et al. (Nature Geosciences, 2013; ultramafic seafloor forming in the footwall of successive detachment faults, each cutting into the footwall of the previous fault, with an opposite polarity). Our observations also document the extent and geometry of deformation in the footwall of a young axial detachment, the role of mass-wasting for the evolution of this detachment, and provide spectacular evidence for serpentinization-related hydrothermal circulation and for spatial links between faults and volcanic eruptions.

  17. Unlocking the Value of Literature in Health Co-Design: Transforming Patient Experience Publications into a Creative and Accessible Card Tool.

    PubMed

    Villalba, Clare; Jaiprakash, Anjali; Donovan, Jared; Roberts, Jonathan; Crawford, Ross

    2018-05-26

    A wealth of peer-reviewed data exists regarding people's health experience, yet practical ways of using the data to understand patients' experiences and to inform health co-design are needed. This study aims to develop an applied and pragmatic method for using patient experience literature in co-design by transforming it into an accessible and creative co-design tool. A scoping literature review of the CINAHL, MEDLINE, PsycINFO and PubMed electronic databases was conducted from January 2011 through August 2016. Qualitative publications regarding the experience of living with diabetes in Australia were selected. The Results section of each paper was extracted and affinity analysis was applied to identify insights into the health experience. These insights were developed into a card tool for use in health co-design activities. Thirteen relevant papers were identified from the review, and affinity analysis of the Results sections of these papers lead to the identification of 85 insights, from 'Shock of diagnosis' (Insight 1), to 'Delay seeking care' (Insight 9), to 'Assess the quality of care' (Insight 28), to 'Avoid or adapt habits' (Insight 78). Each insight was developed into an individual card, which included a high-level theme, insight, quote and a link back to the literature, together making up the Health Experience Insight Cards, Living with Diabetes Edition. This was the first study to develop a method for transforming existing patient experience literature into a creative tool for health improvement. The Health Experience Insight Cards collate the diverse experiences of over 300 people living with diabetes in Australia, from 13 studies. Health improvement teams can use the 'Living with Diabetes Edition' cards or they can follow this pragmatic method to create their own cards focused on other health experiences to facilitate person-focused health improvements.

  18. Predicting S2S in Deep Time Sedimentary Systems and Implications for Petroleum Systems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bhattacharya, J.

    2013-12-01

    The source to sink concept is focused on quantification of the various components of siliciclastic sedimentary systems from initial source areas, through the dispersal system, and deposition within a number of potential ultimate sedimentary sinks. Sequence stratigraphy shows that depositional system are linked through time and show distinctively predictable 3D stratigraphic organization, which can be related to cycles of relative changes in accommodation and sediment supply. For example, erosion and formation of incised fluvial valleys generally occur during periods of falling base level with lowstand reservoir deposits favored in more basin distal settings (e.g. deepwater fans), whereas during highstands of sea level, significantly more sediment may be sequestered in the non-marine realm and more distal environments may favor deposition of slowly-deposited condensed sections, which may make excellent hydrocarbon source rocks. Only more recently have attempts been made to quantify the size and scaling relationships of the ultimate source areas on the basis of analysis of ancient depositional systems, and the use of these scaling relationships to predict the sixe of linked depositional systems along the S2S tract. The maximum size of depositional systems, such as rivers, deltas, and submarine fans, is significantly controlled by the area, relief, and climate regime of the source area, which in turn may linked to the plate tectonic and paleogeographic setting. Classic provenance studies, and more recent use of detrital zircons, provide critical information about source-areas, and may help place limits on the size and relief of a drainage basin. Provenance studies may also provide key information about rates of exhumation of source areas and the link to the tectonic setting, Examination of ancient river systems in the rock record, and especially the largest trunk rivers, which are typically within incised valleys, can also be used to estimate paleodischarge, which in turn can be linked to the drainage basin to make estimates about the size and sale of the source area. The best estimates can be made in basins with well-constrained data that allow details of cross-sectional or plan-view channel-architecture to be determined, such as extensive outcrops, or abundant subsurface data, and especially where higher resolution 3D seismic data are available. Paleodischarge estimates of lowstand Quaternary-age continental-scale ancient rivers from passive continental margins, using seismic data, are orders-of-magnitude higher (1000's of cumecs) than smaller-scale Cretaceous lowstand systems that drained into the Western-Interior Seaway of North America (100s of cumecs). Paleodischarge of rivers can also be estimated independently by integrating estimates of drainage basin area and paleoclimate. These can be compared with paleodischarge estimates based on the river deposits themselves. The integration of paleodischarge estimates with more sophisticated provenance analysis should enable improved use of the sedimentary record to make estimates about the entire S2S system, as opposed to primarily the depositional component. A more quantitative approach to estimating the scale of sedimentary systems, and especially in the context of source areas, also puts constraints on the size and scale of potential hydrocarbon reservoirs and thus has economic value.

  19. 21 CFR 177.2420 - Polyester resins, cross-linked.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) INDIRECT FOOD ADDITIVES: POLYMERS Substances for Use Only... this section: (1) Acids: Adipic. Fatty acids, and dimers thereof, from natural sources. Fumaric...

  20. 21 CFR 177.2420 - Polyester resins, cross-linked.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... (CONTINUED) FOOD FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION (CONTINUED) INDIRECT FOOD ADDITIVES: POLYMERS Substances for Use Only... this section: (1) Acids: Adipic. Fatty acids, and dimers thereof, from natural sources. Fumaric...

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